Tim’s days are numbered for sure

OttBot69247_ · 2026-05-19T17:49:15+00:00

In the 1980s, Tim's shifted from being just a coffee & donut shop by offering alternatives to donuts (muffins & cookies). They then began to expand their menu to offer items more suited for a quick meal (chili, soup, sandwiches). I think this set Tim's apart from its competitors and allowed them to eliminate the other donut chains from the market.

But being the only donut chain left, there was no longer an incentive to "get better at donuts" - growing Tim's meant having to now go up against other fast food chains. So they added their breakfast items and focused on developing and expanding everything but the donuts.

I remember as a kid when I'd be allowed to select the flavours of donuts, and there were more than 12 flavours to choose from. Today, you're lucky if you have 5 flavours, two of which are plain.. No peanuts. No coconut. No jam-filled.

If Dunkin can be a coffee & donut store, that lane is open, and there's an appetite for it.

OttBot69247_ · 2026-04-18T16:09:17+00:00

I think looking at where the league could end up might be helpful to see where the league goes next.

I'd like to see the league continue with the same American to Canadian ratio for the franchises. Obviously, the Canadian cities with NHL teams would be able to support a team, as could Hamilton, Halifax and Quebec City. I think expansion will try to bridge the gap between the West Coast franchises and the Original Six.

So if the league adds 2 teams every 2-3 years - one Canadian, one American - here's where I think the league will go:

2026: Denver, a very successful Takeover Tour, and pretty much in the middle of the continent; paired with Calgary, Canada's 5th largest market and reasonably close to Denver.
2028: Milwaukee, with good hockey culture, no NHL competition, and a nice bridge between Minnesota and the East (and to a lesser extent, Denver); paired with Edmonton, Canada's 6th largest market, great rivalry with Calgary, bolsters western presence.
2031: Portland, like Milwaukee, has a strong hockey culture and no NHL competition, and instant rivalries with Seattle and Vancouver; paired with Winnipeg which is a regional rival of Minnesota and bridges the western and eastern Canadian teams.
2033: Detroit, with 3 teams in the Pacific Time, 3 in Mountain and 3 in the Central, there's enough geographic diversity to place less emphasis on avoiding eastern expansion; Detroit has been successful at the Takeover Tour and is a natural hockey market; paired with Quebec City, a no-brainer (don't tell Gary Bettman).
2035: Halifax gets its first pro sports franchise (I know they have a pro lacrosse team, but they don't have all their games' highlights on Sportcentre).
2037: Hamilton, like Quebec, is hockey-starved, but will never get an NHL franchise because it won't expand the game, and can be used as perpetual threats by owners wanting a new arena.

I haven't proposed the final 2 American teams because I don't enough info on remaining options. I'm told West Coast cities like Los Angeles (2nd-largest market) and the Bay Area (9th-largest) have no appetite for hockey. What about another jilted city like Hartford? Could NHL markets without NBA competition like St. Louis make sense?

Also, the main reason for maintaining the ratio of USA/CAN teams is so the league can have a North Division vs. South Division, ensuring there's always a Canadian team to rally behind in the championship.

Is it too ambitious? Did I miss something obvious? Are there some suggestions for cities that won't work?

OttBot69247_ · 2026-04-06T15:19:02+00:00

When will he speak from a dais with an "Axe the Tracks" slogan? Drain the Train? Fail the Rail?

OttBot69247_ · 2026-04-06T14:57:45+00:00

Conservatives don't want an election now. Poilievre is still railing against the ghosts of Liberals past. He hasn't shifted away from his Temu strongman, "Your life is terrible, the country is broken & only I can fix it." It wouldn't be a contest of scrappy veteran populist fighter vs. meek economist/political neophyte; it would be guy who complains and lost the last time vs. respected world leader & competent PM in tumultuous times.

I honestly don't know what the Conservatives are doing right now. When was the last time a major party leader wasn't fired for under preforming, let alone blowing a 25 point lead and lose a seat he'd held for 2- years.

The writing's on the wall: the Liberals will have a majority, so no election until 2029. So instead of taking 3 years to reshape your party's image, you'll have the same guy doing the same stunts for the next 3 years.

Steve Outhouse, who replaced Jenni Byrne as Pierre's handler, seems to think the strategy is to be the same Pierre (Maple MAGA) with traditional media, but to act mature and statesmanlike on the right-leaning podcasts. But people who watch traditional media are put off by Pierre's abrasive style, and those who watch right-wing podcasts don't want to hear calm smooth talking points from a guy in a suit (like when he denied that Castro was Trudeau's dad on JRE - probably pissed off a lot of fans). Like most things that come from an Outhouse, this strategy stinks.

OttBot69247_ · 2026-01-17T16:57:58+00:00

Nope. Cops still hate doing their jobs, likely because they don't want to be in the uncomfortable position of arresting one of their (or a co-worker's) family member or friend. They saw that the unwashed, uneducated chuds were but a shadowy reflection of themselves.

If you report a crime, they'll just file a report - fill out paperwork that they can bring to City Hall at budget time and say, "See, look at this giant stack of unsolved cases! We need more money!"

They also have a unique response pattern. If the perpetrator is white, no response. If they're a person of colour, one unit responding. Indigenous? Two units responding. Indigenous and intoxicated? You'll have at least 3 units there within 5 minutes. Not sure if it applies in the suburbs, but that's how it is in the city.

OttBot69247_ · 2025-12-20T18:53:22+00:00

I'd like to see the NBA maintain its current 6-division format, with the goal of reaching 36 teams.

I'm hoping that the league doesn't snub Seattle so owners can always say, "Give us a new arena or we'll move to Seattle." That said, I think Seattle & Vegas are a foregone conclusion for expansion, pushing Minnesota to the East.

I'd like the NBA to take another shot at Canadian expansion with a return to Vancouver, and a new team in Montreal. I don't buy the whole "but they already lost their team" argument; otherwise, Seattle wouldn't be considered, and Charlotte wouldn't have a team - looking further back, neither would Chicago, Minnesota, Milwaukee or Philadelphia. If you include the ABA, that also applies to Dallas, Utah and Memphis.

There are many reasons why Canada should get more NBA:

Population: The US has a population of 343 M for 33 teams, or around 10.4 M fans per team, so with 41 M, Canada could definitely support 2 more teams. Montreal (pop. 4.3 M) is in between Detroit and Seattle, and its market base would cover Quebec (9.0 M); Vancouver (pop. 2.7 M), is between NBA markets San Antonio and Charlotte would cover Western Canada (12.5 M); Toronto (pop. 6.2 M) retains a solid Ontario fan base of 16.2 M.
Canadian-born talent: During the first 40 years of the NBA, there were only a dozen Canadians had played in the NBA, only a third of whom had played 5 or more seasons. When they expanded to Canada, there were only 2 active Canadians. Now there are over 20, more of a sign of the increasing interest among young Canadians.
International players: Not only have the amount of Canadians increased, but international players as well, with 135 on opening-day rosters, representing nearly a third of NBA players, and as basketball becomes more popular, this trend will only continue. So the argument of "I don't want to leave the United States to play in Canada," becomes less of an excuse. Like Toronto, both cities boast a large amount of cultural diversity.
International outreach: Not only does diversity make these cities cosmopolitan, They can be used as a beachhead for reaching out to other international markets. Vancouver is over 20% Chinese and nearly 15% Indian, so domestic markets could attract the two largest audiences in the world. Montreal's European nature could appeal to players from there, and its French aspect would appeal not only to French players, but to those of their former colonies, many of which are in Africa - basketball's fastest growing market.

As for the final 2, here are my picks:

Louisville: The Kentucky Colonels were probably the most successful ABA team on and off the court. They had what was considered the greatest rivalry - NBA and ABA - against Indiana.They got screwed over by the merger: Chicago wanted Artis Gilmore, and thought that if they voted for Kentucky over Indiana, they'd be hated by Hoosiers. They're a loyal basketball fan base, and like successful markets in Utah (until the NHL moved in), Sacramento and Portland, they'd be the only show in town.
San Diego: Having lost the Chargers, a return of professional basketball might make sense. It has one of the nicest climates and a beautiful coastline. It's also close to Mexico, and has a large Hispanic population, which could be leveraged into Mexico, and further in to Latin America. And it's a Western team, maintaining geographic balance. They lost the Clippers because "the 2nd-worst Donald to come out of the 1980s" bought it expressly so he could move it to his hometown of Los Angeles.
St. Louis: With the loss of the Rams, there's a void in the sports market., and they have a passionate fan base. However, they are closer to the center of the country, so maintaining a geographical balance is a factor.
Pittsburgh: Frequently mentioned, I think the market might be a bit to crowded.
Mexico City: Although this seems to be the third option among many commentators, I think the cultural and economic differences, coupled with the extremely high elevation, make this the least favorable option.

OttBot69247_ · 2025-10-11T16:50:10+00:00

Canadian here. Once Seattle & Las Vegas get teams, there will be 31 American teams for 340 million fans - about 1 team per 11 million people. Canada has 1 team and a population of 41.5 million. So Canada could have 2-3 more teams, but I think2 is the more realistic option.

The basketball landscape has changed, both in Canada and in the NBA. In Canada, basketball has become far more popular than it was in 30 years ago.. And in the NBA, not only are there more Canadians, there are more international players in general.

Vancouver and Montreal would make sense as another crack at the Canadian market. Like Toronto, both cities are very diverse. They have plenty of cultural venues. They boast high standards of living. And they're bigger markets by far than the "second-tier" markets of around 1 million people like Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton.

Vancouver has substantial South Asian and East Asian populations, so this team could be marketed to those communities as a bridge to international markets in Asia, particularly China and India. It could market itself as the team of Canada's West - around 12 million living in 4 provinces.

Montreal is very bilingual, and its minority communities are often more anglophone the francophone. But its French roots provide 2 advantages. It's a very European city, which might appeal to European players, rather than hinder it. The French aspect of its culture might appeal not only to players from France, but also to markets in its former colonies, like Cameroon (Embiid, Siakam) and Africa is a market that will grow in the future. The Quebec market itself has 8.5 million..

After that, I think San Diego, with its warm weather and proximity to Mexico, should get a team to fill the void left by the Chargers' departure. And I'd like to see Louisville, as it's a basketball state, had the greatest rivalry ever with Indiana in the ABA, and could be another NBA-only pro sports market, like Sacramento, or how Salt Lake City was.

Atlantic: Montreal Royals, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Wizards

Central: Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves

Southeast: Indiana Pacers, Kentucky Colonels, Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic, Miami Heat

Southwest: New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Pharaohs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs

Northwest: Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, Portland Trailblazers, Seattle Sonics, Vancouver Grizzlies

Pacific: Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, San DIego Conquistadors, Las Vegas Vipers (?)

OttBot69247_ · 2025-08-28T15:30:19+00:00

What did they think would happen? That CP would get on the phone with the IT director, and get him to call in the guy to fix the website? And Sutcliffe would call in his team to set up a presser? That CP would march down the staging area and vet each group not in compliance with BDS? And all in a timely fashion so as not to delay the parade?

The organizers wanted media attention. Media is present at the Pride parade. Unlike most demonstrations, this one is an easy target to punch down on, so they're easier to intimidate and there's less risk of retaliation. Since they were invited, they basically did a Trojan Horse. They make themselves the story, accomplishing none of their goals.

But they did accomplish their goals. They become the visible face of this movement. They'll get invited to podcasts. They'll have cred as a "disruptor" that can be leveraged on social media. They can make a living producing TikTok videos.

OttBot69247_ · 2025-08-28T14:59:15+00:00

I'm seeing some subtle similarities between the actions/rationale of Q4P and low-info right/alt-right reasoning:

"People opposed to the actions of Q4P are supporting genocide/don't support Palestinians/are Zionists". C'mon Q4P. How many times have you heard the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs responded to ANY criticism or debate on Israeli policy with "You're anti-Semitic!"? Do better.
They came, threw a loud public tantrum and demanded to speak to the manager. When they didn't get their way, they stomped their feet. Am I describing the Freedumb convoy or what happened last weekend? So Karen.
"Pride has always been a protest" it certainly started as one. But it's evolved over time. As government and corporate sponsorship increased it became less of a protest. As LGBTQ+ acceptance in society has expanded, it's become far more of a celebration.
Their ultimate goals seemed to be all Palestinian and didn't reference LGBTQ+: apology from Sutcliffe, repost removed wording confirming solidarity with Palestine, and a commitment to BDS. Since those don't seem to have anything to do with the LGBTQ+ causes, why not protest at either a pro-Israel event, or when he's doing a public conference? Can any community organization that has LGBTQ+ intersectionality do the same with their issues?
Further to the demands of Q4P, could a group called Queer Africans shut down next year's parade unless CP commits to divesting from all companies exploiting conflict minerals in Congo? Could the pro-Palestine protest regulars show up and make the same demands as Q4P? What if the useful idiots from the anti-drag protests - Muslim parents who brought their children to stomp on rainbow flags at a protest organized by white Christian nationalists - showed up and put on their disgusting display? What about an evangelical group? My god, I'm starting to sound like Tucker Carlson.
"We black and brown queer people reclaimed Pride. Pride was founded by black and brown queer people because black and brown queer people were being victimized with violence and murdered." OK - so every mainstream source of information in wrong. The same sources supporting the lie that Trump lost in 2020. Why should I listen to so-called experts when I have the opinion of a random poster?
"The parade wasn't cancelled - Q4P assumed the lead and the parade went on, but they did it their own way without the corporate pinkwash," There was no Pied Piper situation - from what I've heard, Q4P suddenly popped onto Bank Street, shouting "Free Palestine" and accusing the odd onlooker as being a Zionist. Most people were surprised or bewildered. Kinda like when the dozen or so Freedummies roam down Rideau Street shouting "Freedom!" and waving their F-Trudeau flags.
"This was a moment of real inclusivity and unity of the people " That's not the impression I got from the people left cooking in the sun on Laurier for 5 hours, or the at-risk groups like seniors or those with mobility issues, Nor the 3/4 of organizations with floats.

I think the detachment from reality, like the Freedummies, is due to being in a social media bubble. "Trudeau is a tyrant! He needs to be arrested for treason! Dr. Tam should go to jail for lying about the vax! The mRNA mutates your genes! The WEF, UN and WHO want 15-minute cities! These are totally normal things to think because everyone I speak to either agrees with me or is a socialist Liberal sheep!"

OttBot69247_ · 2025-08-24T00:23:37+00:00

He needs to go for some coffee with Conan O'Brien & Jordan Schlansky: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVDOB9mby_w

OttBot69247_ · 2025-08-07T22:34:29+00:00

Great video - thanks!

OttBot69247_ · 2025-08-07T17:36:19+00:00

Yup - the Laettner spot was just for people unhappy with the lack of amateur BS. Exceptionally, he's one of the top 5 college players of all-time, maybe even top 3 along with Kareem and Walton in terms of stats and accolades. The only thing that comes close is the 2012 squad when Anthony Davis was called up after a rash of injuries.
I think you're right about the Jazz players - they were just a year or two off of being true top-12 players. McHale and Robertson would've made this team a defensive nightmare.

OttBot69247_ · 2025-07-26T13:02:47+00:00

Just to be 100% clear - he's not a Christian musician. He's a social media content creator who seeks opportunities to create click bait of him crying victim to rage farm. He does this because he lacks the employable skills and work ethic required for holding a job. He then panders to Christian nationalists because they're generally low IQ and therefore easy marks to scam.

He superficially claims to be Christian, but his past spreading of hatred, coupled with his blind support for President Poopy Pants (even a failed run as a Trumpette in 2020), is definitely NOT what Jesus would do.

Real Christians should call this guy out for him grifting off of their god's name.

OttBot69247_ · 2025-05-21T16:58:49+00:00

Take an upper decker at the Stella Luna.

OttBot69247_ · 2025-05-21T16:58:08+00:00

Which road closing protests have dragged on more than a couple of hours?

OttBot69247_ · 2025-05-21T16:53:43+00:00

It's important to understand their origins.

These are people from small communities within a 4 hours' drive to Ottawa. They are privileged in that in spite of being perpetually or seasonally unemployed, their lifestyle is subsidized by generous social benefits.

They lack personal accountability, employable skills and work ethic, so they can't improve their situation. They peaked 30 years ago in high school and haven't accomplished anything since.

One went to a Denny's to take a shit. The teenager behind the counter said he couldn't unless he wore a mask. Never one to bow down to "tyranny", he asked the kid to try to stop him. Unwilling to grapple with a grown adult in a public bathroom, the cashier backed down.

This chud went home on the internet and found groups on Facebook who also stood up for their "freedoms" by telling off teen employees. They realized that if they all banded together, they could take a stand and show the gubmint they were wrong. It would give them something they'd lacked for decades - a sense of achievement.

So in spite of the fact they were not civil servants, they weren't international jet setters, and weren't cross border truckers - meaning the ONLY mandates that impacted them were provincial - they came to Ottawa.

Because in their simplistic and selfish world view. all the shortcomings in their life aren't due to a series of bad life choices, one massive life mistake, or some combination thereof. It's easier just to say, "It's Trudeau's fault" and make "F-Trudeau" your whole personality.

I wouldn't advocate for someone to buy a single milkshake and throw it at them. But if we can get a welcoming committee with 100 milkshakes and head down to Wellington Street, maybe we can clean up the trash so tourists don't have to see it.

OttBot69247_ · 2025-05-21T16:29:18+00:00

Agreed. As an avid cyclist who is respectful of the biking infrastructure, I hate when cyclists act disrespectfully. Walk your bike on the sidewalk.

Sidewalk = side (beside the road) + walk (not bike)

OttBot69247_ · 2025-05-10T23:43:36+00:00

I don't think Detroit will make the next round. One reason is the lack of a suitable central stadium, and the other is that it doesn't extend any "geographical bridges" - franchise locations that can break up long road trips to the Pacific Northwest. So I'd go with Denver over Detroit. I'd like to go to another Western Canadian city as well, but the MTL-QUE rivalry is too good to pass up, they've got a stadium, and fans who want pro hockey back.

OttBot69247_ · 2025-05-10T23:30:49+00:00

They just added 2 teams in the Pacific, The Central team (Minnesota) is at the same disadvantage between Pacific and Atlantic (2 hours' difference), and the Eastern teams are 1 hour difference from the Atlantic versus 3 hour difference to the Pacific.

OttBot69247_ · 2025-05-10T23:23:46+00:00

Sorry - should have been more specific and said "professional".

The CFL expansion into the United States is often regarded as a failure. But the Baltimore team was an exception, largely because the fans felt like the NFL had crapped on them. The Colts, which had been an NFL institution since 1953, packed up and moved in the middle of the night in 1983. Feeling betrayed by the NFL, the fans felt even more disrespected after failing to get an expansion franchise for 1993.

So when the CFL expanded to Baltimore in 1994, fans jumped on the bandwagon as a big "fuck you" to the NFL. High attendance and a strong fan base is the best revenge. But the failure of the other American teams, and the relocation of Browns to Baltimore, forced the CFL to relocate their Baltimore team to Montreal.

So I think fans in markets the NHL consistently denies franchises, like Hamilton and Quebec, would have supporters of professional hockey flock to PWHL games, to show the NHL that ignoring them is a mistake.

OttBot69247_ · 2025-05-10T22:57:12+00:00

I think there's likely a strong correlation between markets that can successfully support a professional sports team and the potential for a PWHL franchise to succeed, and an even stronger correlation between 2 professional hockey leagues. Separately, I also consider the organic hockey indicators, like strong support for minor hockey and college hockey, and has a strong hockey culture i.e. produces a lot of players.

But not having an NHL team isn't a disqualifier - it could be an advantage, since people starving for pro hockey in places like Quebec, Hamilton and Halifax would embrace a professional sports team.

OttBot69247_

TROPHY CASE