ChooChoo

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ChooChoo

ChooChoo

@choochooqu

Mostly an open journal and self-discovery channel where I think out loud. For more serious writing on investing, markets, etc., check out my Substack 👇

Vancouver, British Columbia Katılım Mayıs 2026
5 Takip Edilen89 Takipçiler
ChooChoo
ChooChoo@choochooqu·
Oh gosh, I literally burst into laughter until my stomach hurt after I finished blow-drying my hair following yet another not-very-successful attempt to tidy it up myself. The first thought that popped into my head was, “I look like a pencil.” — Fleabag. 😂 I should just book a flight to France. « Bonjour. Je m’appelle Claire. » No further explanation needed.
ChooChoo@choochooqu

Sometimes I can be a little hysterical, I guess. I got a fair bit of blood in my hair from an incident yesterday, and while trying to wash it out, I found myself standing in the bathtub thinking, “How on earth am I supposed to wash and dry waist-length hair around a healing wound for the next few days?” Being the kind of problem-solver who’s perpetually obsessed with finding the path of least resistance, I spontaneously decided to chop it all off. Well, technically not all of it, since I neither own nor have access to a razor at the moment, but I did manage to hack my way from waist-length to roughly ear-length in under a minute. No mirror, no planning, no second thoughts. I just stood in the bathtub, went to town, and hopped straight into bed. This morning was the first time I actually got to see the "masterpiece." While it’s safe to say that I’ll unlikely ever be able to make a cent being a hairstylist — in fact, I might risk being thrown in jail if I tried this on anyone else — I stand by my decision. It was a random but surprisingly practical move. The amount of efforts and energy I’m going to save on hair care while this wound heals is worth every slightly jagged lock… though it’s probably a good time to start adding a few hats to my shopping cart… 🤔 See, “there’s always a way out,” says the Clock King.

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ChooChoo
ChooChoo@choochooqu·
I’ve heard the theory that dreaming of someone you haven’t seen in a long time means they’re currently forgetting you. It’s obviously made up and lacks any real evidence, but on the off chance there’s some strange truth to it? I really hope it’s not the case LOL. It’s hard to imagine that the memories we shared—during some of the arguably freest, wildest, and most fearless years of our lives—could just be discarded…
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ChooChoo
ChooChoo@choochooqu·
I just woke up from a dream about my childhood best friends—the twin sisters I’ve known since I was three. We had just finished swim training and a game of water polo, and were in the bath together, debating which night market we should hit for barbecue. Back then, we were glued together; we shared everything from food to our first crushes. Sadly, we haven't really been in touch beyond being social media acquaintances. That’s mostly on me though—I’m admittedly terrible at maintaining connections once distance enters the equation. I do know they both went to medical school at Tsinghua after high school, earned PhDs, and recently announced their engagements—which, frankly, shocked me enough that my first thought was, “Wait… is this some kind of arranged marriage?” I mean, are people really ready to make a decision that big at our age? But then again, they’ve probably become far more mature—and far more certain of what they’re doing—than I have after all these years. Lingering in these memories, I found myself reflecting on how we ended up walking such radically different paths. As children, everyone said we were so alike we could’ve been triplets. My parents’ go-to explanation is that I am the "rebel" and the "fearless wanderer," lacking the persistence and the ability to endure the pain of repetition that a "trophy child" requires. There’s likely some truth to that, but it doesn't tell the whole story. Looking back, the more fundamental difference was something that didn’t really reveal itself until much later: winning has never been my intrinsic motivation. Deep down, I’ve always been strangely indifferent to my standing relative to others. All I’ve ever cared about was having fun. As a kid, I just happened to be good at almost everything I tried, which made me a threat to the actually competitive kids. They would gather around me, daring me to enter the next round of competition. But the moment my interest faded, I would raise the white flag without a hint of shame or hesitation and walk off the field. They, on the other hand, are driven by results. When the outcome matters more than the process, they can endure any amount of pain to stay on their chosen path. They are "playing by the book"—successfully, I might add—whereas I have drifted toward a freer, more spontaneous existence. This shift became even more pronounced after I moved to a faraway land, stopped reporting my life updates, and ceased asking for permission to live my life the way I choose. There’s no right or wrong, better or worse here. But I find myself admiring—or perhaps quietly envying—how intensely focused they are. If our lives were a marathon, as soon as the starting gun sounds, there is nothing else in their eyes but the road to the finish line. Whereas someone as stupid (or, always confused) as I am would be standing at the starting block asking: “Who are the judges of this race, and what exactly earned them the right to sit in the judgment seat? Do we actually have to run? I hate to sweat; can we ride a bike instead? Has anyone recorded my will—just in case? What if I run into a black bear on the trail—can I just lie down and pretend to be dead? And what happens if I finish last? Do I go to hell or what? Oh—and while we’re at it, could someone please provide a breakdown of the prizes and penalties? I’d like to see the ROI before I decide how hard I’m willing to sweat.”
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ChooChoo
ChooChoo@choochooqu·
In my case, what people often call “laziness” is more a conscious judgment call about whether the effort is worth it, rather than a state of numbness or meaninglessness. For example, in college I observed that 10–20% effort was enough to secure a B to B+, while around 60% effort would translate into an A- or A. But to aim for a flawless A+, I would have needed to pour in a disproportionately higher amount of work—perhaps 90–95% or more. I decided that chasing the perfect GPA simply wasn’t worth the marginal payoff, and I was content with a range from B to A-, depending on my interest in the material. I tend to apply a similar cost–benefit logic in other areas of life, which can easily come across as laziness simply bc I refuse to “try my best.” I’ve heard more than enough people tell me I’m wasting my talents and so on. In my defense, it’s closer to working smart than working hard. I don’t place effort for its own sake on a pedestal, despite how often it gets equated with being “disciplined” or “driven.” People can wear themselves out—physically and mentally—pouring enormous amounts of energy into a dead end and still spend an entire lifetime without realizing it, especially if they never leave themselves enough room for rest and reflection to become more conscious of themselves and the world. Besides, I’m self-aware enough to recognize that I naturally have relatively low outward-facing energy. So for the sake of my health and longevity, I try to stay mindful of where my energy and attention are actually going.
ChooChoo@choochooqu

Some people are naturally low in people energy, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Solitude is often the soil where genuine creativity grows. Ambition comes in many forms. Building rockets and making humanity a multi-planetary civilization isn’t the only kind of ambition that counts. You probably already have goals pulling you toward a better future—they just may not be as grand as Elon Musk’s, so you hesitate to call them ambitions. And as for laziness? Sometimes it simply means the work, chores, or responsibilities before you aren’t compelling enough to bring out your best. Maybe you’re still in the process of finding what truly lights you up. Anyway I’m just making up excuses here in case you needed a little cheering up. The truth is, some people are just objectively and hopelessly lazy, and they could never help with it

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ChooChoo
ChooChoo@choochooqu·
Some people are naturally low in people energy, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Solitude is often the soil where genuine creativity grows. Ambition comes in many forms. Building rockets and making humanity a multi-planetary civilization isn’t the only kind of ambition that counts. You probably already have goals pulling you toward a better future—they just may not be as grand as Elon Musk’s, so you hesitate to call them ambitions. And as for laziness? Sometimes it simply means the work, chores, or responsibilities before you aren’t compelling enough to bring out your best. Maybe you’re still in the process of finding what truly lights you up. Anyway I’m just making up excuses here in case you needed a little cheering up. The truth is, some people are just objectively and hopelessly lazy, and they could never help with it
Greeny_jin@greeny_jiniyuu

@choochooqu Idk man, i just feel like i am like that but in maybe bad ways(?)🥹 bad at maintaining my online communication with my friends and don't really have ambition or just lazy.

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ChooChoo
ChooChoo@choochooqu·
一个文明延续得越久,就一定越发达、越富裕吗?即便两者存在关系,大概率也是负相关吧。 文明和人其实很像。一个人活得越久,阅历固然更多,但身上的沉疴旧疾也越重,观念更容易固化,制度更容易僵化,利益集团盘根错节,历史包袱层层叠叠。改革的成本越来越高,创新的阻力也越来越大。反而一个新生的文明,更像是在一张白纸上作画。可以大胆试错,百无禁忌,不需要背负几千年积累下来的制度惯性和历史包袱,却又能够站在前人的肩膀上,吸取历史的经验与教训。 世界公认的四大文明古国: 1. 古埃及(尼罗河流域) 2. 两河流域文明(今伊拉克一带) 3. 印度河文明(今巴基斯坦、印度西北部) 4. 中国(黄河流域) 现在是不是一个比一个落后?中国已经算是古老文明里最成功的一个了。
王长富@wangchangfu88

一个匪夷所思的现象: 有个国家 发展了 5000 年 居然还是很穷 这他妈到底是为啥 ??

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ChooChoo
ChooChoo@choochooqu·
@PaperBTC true that, on the flip side though I’m lazier and they’re naturally make driven and goal oriented
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Papers
Papers@PaperBTC·
@choochooqu so you're just naturally more laid back than them
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ChooChoo
ChooChoo@choochooqu·
@RichardDias_CFA lol Canada has no shortage of bureaucrac idiocy x.com/choochooqu/sta…
ChooChoo@choochooqu

On that note, I have to say that Canada’s carbon tax is a masterclass in bureaucratic idiocy. For a country whose entire GDP barely scrapes together more than a single Chinese province or a U.S. state, it’s hilarious—and frankly pathetic—that we pretend we’re going to "solve" the Earth's climate trajectory by throttling our own fossil fuel industry. The alarmists are masters of context-collapse; they obsess over short-term temperature fluctuations while willfully ignoring the broader geological reality. We are currently in a brief, warm interglacial window within the Quaternary Ice Age. To leverage a marginal fluctuation within a multi-million-year geological cycle as a pretext for suffocating economic regulation is not just scientific cherry-picking; it’s naked, performative stupidity. Oh, Jesus fucking Christ, Canada, you really think you’re the protagonist of the world, don’t you? To the virtue-signaling "bleeding hearts" driving this agenda: if you’re so committed to your zero-emissions delusion, lead by example. Torch your own houses, disconnect the gas, and go live in a tree like a fucking ape. That’s your ideal world, right? In reality, a carbon tax is just state-mandated inflation—a brake on economic growth where every single cent of the cost is offloaded onto the consumer. If I were Prime Minister, I wouldn’t hesitate: first, I’d gut the carbon tax entirely. Second, I’d launch a ruthless, comprehensive national audit to track exactly where every cent of that pilfered revenue vanished. And third? I’d retire and go date Katy Perry. Now that would be a productive use of my time.

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Richard Dias
Richard Dias@RichardDias_CFA·
So, I've slept on it, and I am still incensed about this condo bailout. Mining and Oil & Gas companies have to beg, BEG, to sell our natural resources, which pay Canadians billions in taxes and royalties. And then the Feds give that money to condo developers who "don't want to sell at a loss". Are you effing kidding me? Anyway, let the BOC know I've solved the mystery of Canada's weak productivity!
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ChooChoo
ChooChoo@choochooqu·
Thanks so much! I really created this page to catch my fleeting thoughts before they disappear. It’s essentially a way for me to have a dialogue with myself, breaking down those random places my mind drifts to. It’s surprising, but when I think out loud like this, new angles to explain those thoughts just naturally surface.
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lamtab🖤
lamtab🖤@jusafuturegoat·
@choochooqu It is but how do u even come up with explanation to thoughts that can’t even be expressed properly without sounding weird 😂
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lamtab🖤
lamtab🖤@jusafuturegoat·
@choochooqu Wow I just read this all !!! I like it more of these please 💘💘💘
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ChooChoo
ChooChoo@choochooqu·
Maybe this is a genuinely counterintuitive thought, but I’ve started wondering whether democracies can be more prone to launching foreign wars than dictatorships. Although that sounds a bit backwards, because intuitively, we often associate dictatorships with aggression and conquest, while democracies are supposed to be peace-loving. Yet look at Rome. The Roman Republic was astonishingly expansionist, repeatedly waging wars that were openly imperial in nature. By comparison, the Roman Empire, while certainly not peaceful, generally fought fewer large-scale wars of territorial expansion and became increasingly focused on defending and managing its borders rather than endlessly pushing them outward. Perhaps that’s not so surprising. Democracies are constantly wrestling with elections, partisan conflict, legislative deadlock, and public opinion. Foreign wars can sometimes become politically attractive—not because they’re guaranteed to solve domestic problems, but because they can rally public support, redirect media attention, and temporarily reshape the political conversation. By contrast, leaders who already possess highly centralized power (Xi, for instance 🙄) may simply have less political incentive to gamble on an expensive and unpredictable war merely to reinforce their position at home. If you’re already ruling with relatively little electoral pressure, why voluntarily introduce that level of risk right 🤷‍♀️
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ChooChoo
ChooChoo@choochooqu·
The biggest risk of randomly giving yourself a haircut in the bath is that you get addicted to the ritual. Every time you step into the tub, you feel compelled to “just tidy it up a little”… until you realize you’ve trimmed away so much that there’s barely any raw material left to work with
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