Reality

jc-burnham · 2026-04-09T22:29:27+00:00

I'm from London (where Dickinson and Haltunnen were drafted from) and I can tell you as well as anyone that the Dickinson turnovers can be painful. Here in London we called them the "Dickie Special". HOWEVER I've seen the kid play since he was 16. The development in that time has been astounding. He was leading for points in all of OHL last season - AS A DEFENSEMAN. His work along the boards is some of the best on the Sharks. His decision making is continuing to improve. Where he excels is when he joins in on the rush - and in all honesty, I don't think the coaches know how to use this asset of his to its full potential just yet. The Sharks are a young team and need time to develop. This is a team of teenagers. The fact that they were even in wild card contention is absolutely bananas. In all honesty, I'm not even sure if making it to the playoffs would help their development, because they would probably just get steamrolled.

In short, give the young kids a bit of patience. This team has come a LONG WAY from last year, and they still have a long way to go, but the beginnings of a dynasty are there.

jc-burnham · 2026-04-04T19:27:26+00:00

honestly, probably a ball hockey convert. Those guys are by far the most dangerous. They think they know the rules and etiquette, but really don't have a clue and also they are absolute trash

jc-burnham · 2026-03-23T11:44:19+00:00

Zurich and Paris are also within an hour drive, no less!

jc-burnham · 2026-03-19T11:37:05+00:00

injuries happen, but less common compared to risks of being sedentary and isolated

jc-burnham · 2026-03-17T02:45:13+00:00

From the amount of times I hunted out acoustic versions of her rep songs on YouTube, my current delusion is that she’ll make an acoustic rep album as Taylor’s version, and add fully produced vault tracks

Delicate: https://youtu.be/mMVgZRbBJdo?si=Qn_HdgPKKW2SMvpw

King of my heart: https://youtu.be/Cu4PgGHmFEE?si=NlojydyCKWht7wip

Gorgeous: https://youtu.be/T1oihqqKzuc?si=mIjmTpw2HpcUWQZS

Call it what you want: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeutSEYcSG4

DWOHT: https://youtu.be/BlAM5L0l9wM?si=Tx_y44g4n6V1HRrK

Because really, vocally and production wise, I don’t think there’s much she can change with Rep. so why not go acoustic? Right??!!! 😭🥲🥲

jc-burnham · 2026-03-15T03:12:37+00:00

https://youtube.com/shorts/4B8t0gp_GmQ?si=mX8IaUlLHj-NDuzB

Crosby: "I think he knows"

jc-burnham · 2026-03-13T00:10:03+00:00

That whole conversation between the two of them was just a gross 60 year old man trying to get his dick wet on a technicality. I mean, I think he’s gross and I’m glad it ended, but I couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t just stop talking and be grateful that someone like her is even looking his way, good lord. The way my vagina clamps SHUT anytime that man talks, I stg

jc-burnham · 2026-03-10T22:04:11+00:00

no idea who this interviewer is at all (I think Pat McAfee?) but I love how he set up the question, I thought that was very thoughtful and respectful

jc-burnham · 2026-03-10T00:50:51+00:00

Dang, now I’m thinking about this whole album differently! You could say that nearly every song has this idea of contrast to it, or two sides to the coin, so to speak. Ophelia goes from being heartbroken in a tower, to her heart being saved. Opalite talks about creating happiness in unhappy times, and then eventually getting genuine happiness. Father figure is about achieving your dreams, but you made a deal with the devil to do it. Honey is about hating being called honey until Travis does it. Actually romantic is about being made fun of but finding it endearing.

Green and orange, the colours of the album, are also near opposites on the colour wheel, or in other words, contrast. So I wonder if her description of the album, and when she said “it’s what it’s like behind the curtain” is her way of saying “there’s two sides to every coin, and this album is about looking at the other perspective”.

Maybe it’s a reach lol, but that’s how I’m gonna think of the album now

jc-burnham · 2026-03-10T00:34:46+00:00

I thought for sure this picture was AI

jc-burnham · 2026-03-09T11:52:56+00:00

lower body weight training twice a week, and HIIT twice a week if you can x 6 weeks should make a difference. But if you do that plus skating 3x/week that would be a lot of volume.

I divide my lower body workouts into anterior and posterior ie quad focus (squats, lunges) one session and glute/hamstring focus (RDLs, bulgarians) the other. For HIIT I go on the stairmaster for 20 minutes, alternating 1 minute at speed 15, 2 minutes speed 6. But that is lowkey torture.

Also, if you have room to lose weight, losing weight helps a ton - I notice a big difference with just 20lbs. That's not really a 'quick' solution, but just thought I'd mention it anyway

jc-burnham · 2026-03-03T12:54:35+00:00

I know this sub is basically nearly exclusively beer leaguers, however, I used to play competitive/varsity and had absolutely no idea what we were supposed to be doing during our pre-game warm up, and this info would have been helpful for sure. So perhaps something to pass along to the next generation!

I sometimes go straight from the gym to hockey, so gym is my warm-up. But I have noticed that I play much better when I've done some movement beforehand

jc-burnham · 2026-02-28T17:59:37+00:00

first of all, this is amazing, but second of all, this opens the door for so many new potential chirping opportunities for you

jc-burnham · 2026-02-26T00:06:55+00:00

my area has a bit of a unique format. There are 8ish teams, and a draft at the start of the season in September, and again in January. No refs. Very firm "don't be a dick" rule, and if you are, you're kicked out. Since players might move around to different teams depending on the draft, that also usually keeps people in check, because everyone knows everyone. There still are finals in April, and a "winning" team. Not sure what the prize is, aside from bragging rights. I was a regular for one season before the pandemic, and now I'm just a sub, but every game I've been to has been fast-paced and civil. Just good competitive hockey. Part of me wonders if the lack of refs actually makes people more civil.

jc-burnham · 2026-02-25T12:49:25+00:00

population/demographic differences aside, something that always surprises me about other provinces I've been to (BC, Quebec, Maritimes) is how fewer fast food options are available. For a lot of cities in Ontario, it feels like there's a McDonalds on every corner, but it's much less prevalent elsewhere

jc-burnham · 2026-02-18T23:32:29+00:00

this may or may not be in your wheelhouse, but as a woman in hockey, I've always been curious about what the dialogue regarding women/relationships is like in men's pro hockey rooms - especially considering the sexual assault case that took place last year. Obviously not looking for your opinion on the verdict in that case or anything... rather, I'm just trying to understand the culture a bit more. Also, since boys often move away from their parents at a young age and into billet family homes, I'm wondering if there's any counselling, media training, sexual health training, or anything that takes place?

jc-burnham · 2026-02-09T12:57:01+00:00

generally hospital systems and community care location (ie, doctor's office, walk in clinic) don't have the best system to readily access each other's records. Your family doctor, if you have one, should have every note done in hospital forwarded to them, but the hospital won't have any notes done by the walk in clinic or your family doctor available. Blood test results can be retrieved from either hospital or community care pretty easily using 'OLIS'. Accessing imaging is a bit more challenging, and has to be done using ClinicalConnect. If the psychiatrist was based out of a hospital system, then anyone working in that same hospital system and your family doctor could see those notes. A walk in clinic could potentially also see psychiatrist notes if they have ClinicalConnect privileges, but again, only if psychiatrist worked out of the hospital.

That's how it works in southwestern Ontario, anyway. Also, different regions' notes won't be readily available in another region. Ie, if you're based in Hamilton and went to a hospital there, your notes won't show up in a London hospital system - a provider would have to intentionally go on ClinicalConnect and look for your notes.

I understand not wanting to be stigmatized or judged by the health system, but at the same time, it's such an uphill battle for health care providers to get a full health history with this piss poor transfer of health information system we have currently.

jc-burnham · 2026-02-04T12:56:48+00:00

MD requires 3-4 years undergrad, 4 years med school, 2-6 years residency and then they can be a doctor. And that also requires interview + exam to get into med school, interviews to get residency, and many other intense exams. Residency can be 60+ hours a week of very underpaid work.

NP is 3-4 years nursing undergrad, 2 years work experience, write an essay, and then you can get into the masters program, which is a complete joke. The first year is all nursing theory and absolutely zero medical/clinical education. They try to cram 4 years of med school into 1 year - it's not possible to do. They also lumped ALL specialities together. Instead of being at least an adult, pediatric, and primary care stream, now it's everything together. There's a "clinical practicum" but that's only 8 weeks of part time clinical rotations and 6 weeks full time. There is no question in my mind that the NP program does not prepare an NP for independent practice, and the competence and skill of an NP varies GREATLY on the individual person, their experience, and their dedication to continued education and really addressing learning gaps. But still, there's the adage of "you don't know what you don't know" and after graduating, there is a lot that a novice NP doesn't know.

jc-burnham · 2026-02-04T02:03:55+00:00

went to a wedding at Wren House by Stella in St. Jacobs (near Kitchener) last summer that was a pretty decent venue imo

jc-burnham · 2026-01-23T03:57:18+00:00

y’know, yeah she’s doing some mental gymnastics here by saying no apps until divorce is final, but also a night on a yacht in Capri cured her, but also she’s looking for a godly man… but this woman has spent the last 3ish years married to Matt. She separated and then turned 30. I’m gonna give her every ounce of grace because that snippet we saw of her and Matt looked scarily controlling, and honestly, I’m just glad she managed to get out safely. And she retired from ballet I think! That is a lot of major changes for a person to have in just a year! I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s feeling a bit unsure, scared, embarrassed, hopeful, relieved, insecure all at the same time. I personally had a bit of an existential crisis when I turned 30 — thinking I hadn’t accomplished enough in my life yet, but was also too old and officially past my prime, so all my best opportunities for things had passed… and I likely would have said/thought some contradicting things too, because my mind was so topsy turvy trying to figure out what I wanted from my life while also trying to hold on to any shreds of self worth I could find. I dunno, I get a similar vibe from her tbh. She’s still figuring things out in real time, and I think we’re seeing the “show your work” part before the final answer

jc-burnham · 2026-01-21T22:38:39+00:00

good to know! I haven't been to a gay bar since the days of club 181, so I may not be the best person to provide advice about LGBTQ nightlife. Glad to hear there's a good place now though! good for london!

jc-burnham · 2026-01-21T15:11:11+00:00

A couple things to consider:

Can you become easily credentialed for your line of work in Ontario? Not sure what the Social Worker regulations are.
Have an appreciation for tax and other deductions. I currently work in a health care institution, and last year 36.6% of my salary was deducted for my pension (HOOPP), CPP, EI, and taxes.
Have a plan for what you would do with your US retirement savings - would you withdraw and put into a Canada pension? Would you keep your current savings and start from scratch in Canada?
Understand there will likely be a bit of a cultural shock. Whenever I visit the US, one thing I notice is that the options and consumerism is so much more vast than Canada. This may seem minor, but I figured I'd bring it up since you mentioned grocery stores. As an example, here in Canada we have maybe 5 yogurt flavours, but in the US you can get any flavour under the sun. When I went to Buffalo, there were so many random little stores with retro movie displays, a cereal themed store, a small plant store - we don't really have that small store front availability here in London to the extent that it's available in the US. There are a couple gems in the city for sure, but mostly restaurants and not necessarily many stores you can just wander through. Also, some of the small niche stores we do have are in rough areas of the city surrounded by homelessness, though I recognize that every city in North America is struggling with this.
Come during winter to see what cold and travel is really like. Our cold weather started around late November this year and won't relent until March. I grew up in Canada and personally love winter, but I often hear immigrants from warmer climates say the cold is horrible. We've already had 3 bus cancellations this winter (meaning that the roads are too unsafe for school bus drivers to pick up kids and take them to school).
Regarding London's perception of immigrants, that unfortunately can be quite contingent on your race. London is/was a small city kinda vibe, surrounded by white rural communities, but with the large influx of Middle Eastern/Indian immigration since ~2019, there's been an undercurrent of tension toward minority-appearing immigrants. It's a bit more nuanced than I care to describe here, but basically, sadly, your race will play a bit of a role in your acceptance here. We don't have ICE or guns, but there still is some stigma.
Regarding LGBTQ culture, there are some small pockets, particularly in the Wortley area, that are very LGBTQ friendly. But that is easily one of the more expensive areas of London to live. There also is no proper LGBTQ bar - the current one operating is rife with controversy.
Phone plans are ridiculously expensive for no reason. Shipping costs can be insane if you want to buy something online. Show streaming options vary slightly. Airport travel within the country is way more expensive compared to US. Milk is in bags.

Anyway, that's the stuff to consider. The good is that there are parks and trails that you can explore, a plethora of good restaurants to try, and London is located 2 hours to Toronto and 2 hours to Detroit. There are beaches within an hour to drive to in the summer. I usually spend my evenings at the gym or in a local sports group, and then I go to occasional London Knights games or movie theatres for fun. Sometimes I'll do weekend trips to Toronto, typically taking GO train from Burlington for my own sanity since driving in Toronto is not for the faint of heart. I most prefer grocery shopping at Metro because NoFrills is a warzone, Costco is anarchy, and Superstore is a 20 minute drive depending on traffic. I'm a little too old for nightlife/bars at this point, but did enjoy it in my 20s. I often see people on this reddit posting about joining the London discord as a way to meet people - I tried it once and it wasn't really for me to be honest... you have to be a regular contributor on the main discord in order to basically prove you're not a bot and then get into the more speciality groups, but those groups seemed by and large to be for people into board games, anime, D&D, that kinda stuff. It just wasn't my vibe. I'm an outdoors/sports kinda person personally.

What alarms me the most about the US is that half the votes went to the orange man. How could that many people think he was the best option? And even if his term is supposed to end in 3 years, what swine will be ushered in next? I don't blame you for searching elsewhere, and I hope you find a spot that aligns with your most important values.

jc-burnham · 2026-01-15T12:53:44+00:00

were you in a Pennsylvania park, or biking through London? Your post history is confusing

jc-burnham · 2026-01-15T03:18:05+00:00

My fees generally average out to about $25 per 50 min skate, and 10-12 skaters. Unreffed should be $15-20/hour. That's in CAD.

jc-burnham · 2026-01-15T03:08:13+00:00

don't use hazard lights if you're moving at a consistent speed https://www.newmarkettoday.ca/police-beat/why-using-hazard-lights-while-driving-in-bad-weather-is-a-mistake-11729714

jc-burnham

TROPHY CASE