John Ochwat
@uppitycitizen.bsky.social
Writer. Recovering journalist. Lapsed musician. Part-Canadian, part Cascadian. Toronto expat. Rhymes with "crock pot." he/him
Someone just described my workday
December 4, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Someone just described my workday
My limitation as a copywriter: I can’t for the life of me see how “slime-inspired details” would make any product better 🐌
December 3, 2025 at 12:10 AM
My limitation as a copywriter: I can’t for the life of me see how “slime-inspired details” would make any product better 🐌
Happy Thanksgiving! I just performed the half-hour troubleshooting/tech support/research/shopping odyssey of setting up our TV to stream football for my father in law. 🏈🦃
November 27, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Happy Thanksgiving! I just performed the half-hour troubleshooting/tech support/research/shopping odyssey of setting up our TV to stream football for my father in law. 🏈🦃
Sorry, don't have the bandwidth for this right now. Try me after the Trump regime?
November 26, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Sorry, don't have the bandwidth for this right now. Try me after the Trump regime?
Another word is is just "dementia." It's sort of an old-fashioned word but it's very accurate.
Trump on Mamdani: "We had some interesting conversation and some of his ideas are really the same ideas that I have. But a big thing on cost. The new word is 'affordability.' Another word is just 'groceries.' It's sort of an old fashioned word but it's very accurate."
November 21, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Another word is is just "dementia." It's sort of an old-fashioned word but it's very accurate.
After doing a little product research for a coffee maker on Amazon, I noticed the price jumped $16. What a warm feeling it was to buy it directly from the manufacturer for $31 less.
November 21, 2025 at 9:20 PM
After doing a little product research for a coffee maker on Amazon, I noticed the price jumped $16. What a warm feeling it was to buy it directly from the manufacturer for $31 less.
Reposted by John Ochwat
Printers and computers treat each other like they broke up the night before and you’re they’re mutual friend
November 14, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Printers and computers treat each other like they broke up the night before and you’re they’re mutual friend
Party time in “war-torn Portland” tonight!
November 8, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Party time in “war-torn Portland” tonight!
Reposted by John Ochwat
If I didn't live in California I'd move to Illinois.
November 4, 2025 at 11:55 PM
If I didn't live in California I'd move to Illinois.
A.O. Scott has a great scene breakdown from one of Mick Herron’s Slow Horses books. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
What’s So Great About ‘Slow Horses’? This Scene Says It All.
The British spy show owes its sarcasm and wit to Mick Herron’s novels. Our critic A.O. Scott breaks down a few sentences from Herron’s latest, “Clown Town.”
www.nytimes.com
October 18, 2025 at 2:47 PM
A.O. Scott has a great scene breakdown from one of Mick Herron’s Slow Horses books. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Thinking that the work ethic of Susans (“Lazy Susan”) has been unfairly maligned. Proposed modern alternatives:
- Feckless Felix
- Useless Ursula
- Ne’er-do-well Niven
- Feckless Felix
- Useless Ursula
- Ne’er-do-well Niven
October 17, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Thinking that the work ethic of Susans (“Lazy Susan”) has been unfairly maligned. Proposed modern alternatives:
- Feckless Felix
- Useless Ursula
- Ne’er-do-well Niven
- Feckless Felix
- Useless Ursula
- Ne’er-do-well Niven
Narrator: The White House is full of shit
October 8, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Narrator: The White House is full of shit
“We knit at dawn”
September 28, 2025 at 3:48 PM
“We knit at dawn”
The “they’re eating the cats” guy is invading another U.S. city. My city.
President Donald Trump has dispatched federal agents to Portland, local elected officials said in a hastily scheduled press conference on Friday night
Federal Agents Amass in Portland, Local Officials Say
Aaron Mesh, Sophie Peel
www.wweek.com
September 27, 2025 at 4:32 AM
The “they’re eating the cats” guy is invading another U.S. city. My city.
Nothing is certain except death and taxes … and if someone asks “Is this still available?” On Facebook marketplace, they’re never gonna buy it.
September 21, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Nothing is certain except death and taxes … and if someone asks “Is this still available?” On Facebook marketplace, they’re never gonna buy it.
Fantasy vs. reality
September 7, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Fantasy vs. reality
Two great bits about this:
1) If you’re gonna die on a hill, don’t half-ass it (narrator: he doesn’t half-ass it)
2) If you don’t want to keep reading after that lede, you are dead inside
www.theringer.com/2025/08/20/p...
1) If you’re gonna die on a hill, don’t half-ass it (narrator: he doesn’t half-ass it)
2) If you don’t want to keep reading after that lede, you are dead inside
www.theringer.com/2025/08/20/p...
Stop AI-Shaming Our Precious, Kindly Em Dashes—Please
Human writers have always used the em dash. In fact, it’s the most human punctuation mark there is.
www.theringer.com
August 23, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Two great bits about this:
1) If you’re gonna die on a hill, don’t half-ass it (narrator: he doesn’t half-ass it)
2) If you don’t want to keep reading after that lede, you are dead inside
www.theringer.com/2025/08/20/p...
1) If you’re gonna die on a hill, don’t half-ass it (narrator: he doesn’t half-ass it)
2) If you don’t want to keep reading after that lede, you are dead inside
www.theringer.com/2025/08/20/p...
I never saw this, but I’m four weeks into a major remodel, and I now know it’s a horror movie.
August 23, 2025 at 5:37 PM
I never saw this, but I’m four weeks into a major remodel, and I now know it’s a horror movie.
You know what works great? Mail-in ballots.
August 18, 2025 at 3:35 PM
You know what works great? Mail-in ballots.
Drummers would tell you this is a word.
August 2, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Drummers would tell you this is a word.
Oh man this Atlantic piece! Travel writing about Corfu and a meditation on my favorite Le Carré novel, The Perfect Spy. www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
Chasing le Carré in Corfu
If you’re trying to find someone who doesn’t want to be found, you don’t go to the obvious places.
www.theatlantic.com
July 23, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Oh man this Atlantic piece! Travel writing about Corfu and a meditation on my favorite Le Carré novel, The Perfect Spy. www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
Reposted by John Ochwat
I can't access the Toronto Public Library. Got this on two different browsers. Wonder if it's because my IP address is in the USA 🤔
June 13, 2025 at 5:14 PM
I can't access the Toronto Public Library. Got this on two different browsers. Wonder if it's because my IP address is in the USA 🤔
Los Angeles, 1937. Photo from the UCLA library
June 11, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Los Angeles, 1937. Photo from the UCLA library