Even gave us this fellow and a shitton of tulip bulbs over it.

I means there’s lots, but The Computer Wore Menace Shoes for The Prisoner series is one of my favourites.

In an effort to fight modern techbros, all modern human writers start churning out Oulipianesque texts, and reading books is cast once again as a passtime for weird (perhaps dangerous) nerds.

…actually, there’s some half-decent stories you can tell and ideas you can bat around with this frame informing both format and content. The title Samizdat jumps to mind when thinking about some of them (I know there’s a contingent on Lemmy who might not be thrilled about the connotations, but it’s a good word). Hmm.

Reminds me of Sidewalk Toronto but probably worse.

You, specifically, having readers? Homie I know I’m not alone in following the bits of biography you’ve already posted with great interest. I’d read the fuck out of your memoir.

Edit: read HurricaneLiz’s response. Lol, I’m one of those invisble fans they’re talking about, and I am rooting for you 😁

'Sup fellow Canadian lemmy user! Good to see someone else saw this community and had a similarish idea, hoping to see it used like this more!

Oh man, rabbit holes…the history, people, and internet age drama around Rochdale College in Toronto has always been fascinating to me. A good signpost to the drama is a web search for ‘Wolf Sullivan Rochdale College’ - deeply miserable guy and I think a lot of his blogs are deleted, but a heck of a character if you like early internet feeling drama with a very unique Canadian flavour.

Also noticed you’re looking for more stuff to do locally recently to get yourself out and about a bit. Good on you! Have slowed down/started limiting myself to the same old haunts, but need to start doing a bit of that myself. So far, what looks like the coolest thing in your neck of the country you want to check out, but haven’t yet?

And welcome to Lemmy, btw! A little late now I suppose, but always good to welcome new users.

This already exists at some libraries! Example: https://collections.biblioottawalibrary.ca/en/musical-instruments

Bearded guy, so: “[insert any small talk compliment about my beard here]” “Thanks, it’s been growing on me.”

Completely unasked-for protip if you ever find yourself in Zurich - do the Lindt Home of Chocolate tour (building is fucking gorgeous and the tour is pretty cool), but don’t be a sucker and visit the shop in the lobby. There’s a factory outlet at the back of the property.

I know as a random American, chances are you won’t need this information, but I feel I got played when I walked out with my fancy bag of redic-balls expensive chocolate a few months ago (part of that was the CAD > CHF exchange rate, but still)

I don’t even know for sure if the chocolate is less expensive at the back, but noting the number of Swiss coming out of the outlet v. The Home of Chocolate, and difference in bag quality, it probably is.

Also you might see these cars on the way back there, which are adorable af.

Oh shit, I guess that wasn’t a microdose…

Ngl, I’d watch the fuck out of a movie about juggalos toppling a surveillance state. Culminating in the cinematic final showdown I’ve always pictured in my head when listening to I Want My Shit..

I almost feel like someone needs to do a write-up of the 196@lemmy.blahaj.zone debacle - while not a 1-for-1 example (it wasn’t a migration attempt that functioned the exact same way as it would with PieFed), it’s a good case study for userbase-community owner-instance dynamics that should be considered, specifically the bit in your last sentence.

Out of curiosity, have you got a link or something for these workshops (and are they done in English or French)? I’m out in Ottawa, seems like a useful thing to have in my pocket to share with folks since there’s a lot of movement between the two cities (and if online geography isn’t a barrier).

If not, no worries and keep up the good fight.

Man, it’s rare, but those moments you can get big talk from strangers in the wild are fucking gold. But it’s unlikely you get there without a little small talk.

I’d love this one in the wild, assuming a participant that doesn’t get stabby when I try to establish religious stories as fiction and allegories from the outset so we can get to the good stuff (the interesting, if flawed, potential religion carries to communicate a shared conception of humanity that can transcend kin, tribal or geographical affiliations. Maybe religion itself doesn’t survive, but there’s some useful stuff you can try and take away from it while discarding sheer bullshit.)

Edit: you know what? I’m stealing this as a one-liner for folks who say “I’m not really into small talk” in response to random chatter (though with more of a ‘lol, j/k, enjoy your day’ approach).

I don’t think they really are, but there’s lots of lonely people out there open to chance encounters. Transit’s one of those rare spaces where diverse groups of humans gather, and chances are attend on a frequent schedule. Most folks on transit would prefer you just leave them alone, but hey, you never know. I’ve met people/had good conversations on busses before.

A thought: if you see one of these regulars again, try giving a nice compliment (with strangers, nice = one that doesn’t involve their body - think a cool book they’re carrying, t-shirt, dangly thing on a backpack, cool shoes, etc.) and a question (open ended if you feel like trying for a conversation, closed is fine if that seems daunting). Sometimes cool shit can follow - worst thing that generally happens (so long as you follow the advice afterwards) is you’re told to fuck off. A lot of the time, it’s something in a middle - the question gets answered, you might say “Awesome! Well I hope you have a great day” with a smile and go sit, and the stranger moves on with (maybe) a little boost. That ain’t nothing - lots of us could use those little boosts. All of of a sudden you might see yourself mentioned in those missed connection posts, lol.

Despite having my own hot-and-cold periods over it, I truly feel we need to talk to strangers in meatspace as a whole more often.

The French have good bread as well

I dunno, the last baguette I ate tasted like pain.

iDoser is coming back in a big way.

Damn…I haven’t been this conflicted about a community since Freeze Peach Patriots. Good job(?), watching with interest.

Pfft, all the real OGs know it’s LaserDisc or nothin’.

You have the rare honour of being the first comment I’ve both downvoted and saved.

(Downvoted simply because it’s the opposite kind of answer to what OP is looking for, if it actually bugs you let me know and I’ll remove, nbd).