Dr_Strange

 Watched Dr Strange 1 and Dr Strange 2 in the last few days. I like Dr Strange as a character 

and appreciate the actors and storyline, but the special effects are overwhelming. I could not 

watch either film for long at a time. And the names are other-wordly and impossible to keep 

straight.

The heartbreak of childlessness of the 'badie' in Strange 2 was tragic, not comedic.

Why do the inhabitants of other universes have to be such monsters. Yes, it is the Marvel

signature but could we get a break from all that?

                                                         *     *     *

Copilot:

Dr Strange 2 warned about 'product placement'; I didn't catch it in the film...

Ah, Louise — that “product placement” warning in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is one of those odd little Marvel quirks that confused a lot of people. You didn’t miss anything. The film barely contains any noticeable product placement at all.

Here’s what’s going on.

🎬 Why the warning appears even though the movie has almost no product placement

Marvel Studios (and Disney more broadly) often uses a standardized legal disclaimer across multiple films, even when the specific movie doesn’t actually feature obvious branded products. It’s essentially a blanket clause that covers:

Background props that might incidentally show a brand

Cars, phones, or storefronts that appear briefly

Licensing agreements that aren’t obvious to viewers

International versions where different edits may include or exclude certain shots

In other words:

The warning is there to protect the studio, not because the film is full of ads.

🧭 So what was the product placement in Doctor Strange 2?

Very little — and none of it is foregrounded.

The only things that might qualify are:

1. Christine’s wedding scene (cars, venue branding)

Some real-world car models and hotel décor appear in the background. Nothing is highlighted.

2. Wanda’s suburban home (generic household items)

These are mostly unbranded or too generic to count as deliberate placement.

3. Kamar-Taj battle gear

Some of the props are made by real-world manufacturers, but the branding isn’t visible.

4. America Chavez’s jacket patches

These are fictional symbols, not brands.

5. Phones and computers

Marvel often uses non-branded or custom UI to avoid licensing issues — so even here, there’s no Apple/Samsung/Lenovo placement.

🧩 Why the warning feels misleading

Because Doctor Strange 2 is visually chaotic and stylized, the viewer’s attention is on:

spells

portals

multiverse jumps

Wanda’s arc

…not on any real-world products.

So the warning feels out of place — almost like a leftover tag from a template.

And honestly?

It is basically a leftover tag from a template.

🌟 Bottom line

You didn’t miss anything.

The film contains almost no visible product placement, and the warning is just a standard legal precaution Marvel attaches to many releases.

If you’re curious, I can also break down:

Why some Marvel films do have heavy product placement

Which MCU movies are the worst offenders

How Disney handles brand licensing in multiverse-heavy films

Just tell me what direction you want to explore.

                                                               *     *     *

Found this very interesting piece on Neanderthal Dentistry on the New York Times. 

One brave soul went through a root canal without anesthesia. Kudos to doctor and patient 

from the 21st Century.

https://archive.ph/bUOtQ

Yes, we should all take note. A no sugar diet made all the difference to pre-agriculture

oral health!!

                                                                      

                                                              

Inflation_Watching

 https://www.lapresse.ca/affaires/economie/2026-05-19/canada/l-inflation-s-accelere-a-2-8-en-avril.php

Been reading on inflation this morning; in Quebec - if we ignore fuels - it is at 2%

year over year, the Cinderella point. And we are told the government's temporary

suspension of the excise tax was a good decision. Hoorah for the Federal Government.

We may be all speaking Chinese before the end of this cycle, but our finances will be

in order.

Copilot:

Canada; Translate 'taxe d'accise'. This tax on gas was recently abolished. By how much?

Short answer:  

“Taxe d’accise” = excise tax.  

Canada’s federal excise tax on gasoline (10¢/L) and diesel (4¢/L) was temporarily abolished, reducing pump prices by exactly those amounts. 

🇨🇦 What was abolished, and by how much?

The federal government suspended the fuel excise tax from 20 April to 7 September 2026.

This removed:

10 cents per litre on gasoline

4 cents per litre on diesel

4 cents per litre on aviation fuel

This is a full suspension of the excise tax — not the carbon tax, not provincial fuel taxes.

📌 Practical impact for you in Québec (St‑Jean‑sur‑Richelieu)

Every litre of gasoline became 10¢ cheaper at the pump.

For a typical 50‑L fill‑up: $5 saved.

Weekly fill‑ups over the 20‑week suspension: ~$100 saved.

Follow‑up question for you

Do you want me to calculate your exact savings based on how often you fill up and the size of your tank?

                                                                         *     *     *

https://www.lapresse.ca/affaires/economie/2026-05-18/le-loyer-median-a-manhattan-franchit-le-seuil-des-5000.php

A regular snoop, I also follow the rent situation in New York City. On the internet, this

often comes down to smaller and weidly arranged expensive appartments with shining 

Monster appliances. It is a known fact that New York is the hotel capital of the world, and

sees more influx of business conferences than anywhere. The demand to live there sees no

bounds!!

Easy_Cakey

 Queen Victoria reportedly ate a piece of Victoria Sponge every afternoon

with tea. And I'm not averse to a slice of comfort myself. Had a talk with Copilot

about what might be easy to make...

Is there some kind of cake I can make that uses a lot of milk; I have eggs, flour, sugar, vanilla...

Absolutely — if what you want is a cake that drinks milk like a sponge, you have several excellent options with the ingredients you already have. And since you’re in Québec, these are all very “comforting, cozy, dimanche après‑midi” desserts.

🥛 1. Gâteau au lait chaud (Hot Milk Cake)

Uses a LOT of milk in the batter and gives you a soft, velvety crumb.

Quick recipe (your ingredients only)

Ingredients

2 cups milk

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp baking powder

½ cup butter (if you have it; if not, I can adapt)

Method

Heat the milk + butter until hot (not boiling).

Beat eggs + sugar until pale and thick.

Add vanilla.

Add flour + baking powder.

Pour the hot milk into the batter and mix.

Bake at 350°F / 180°C for ~30–35 min.

Texture: soft, moist, nostalgic, perfect with berries or maple syrup.

🥛 2. Gâteau renversé au lait (Milk‑Soaked Cake)

This is like a simplified tres leches but using only regular milk.

How it works

Bake a simple vanilla cake (flour, eggs, sugar, vanilla).

Warm 2–3 cups of milk with a bit of sugar + vanilla.

Poke holes in the cake and pour the warm milk over it.

Chill 1–2 hours.

Texture: ultra‑moist, pudding‑like, but still sliceable.

🥛 3. Far Breton‑style “Milk Cake” (no prunes version)

A rustic French custard‑cake that uses a huge amount of milk.

Proportions

4 cups milk

1 cup flour

½–¾ cup sugar

4 eggs

Vanilla

Mix everything, pour into a buttered dish, bake 45–55 min at 375°F.

It sets into a silky, custardy slab — almost like a firmer clafoutis.

🥛 4. Clafoutis (but as a “milk‑heavy” version)

If you have fruit (fresh, frozen, canned), this is perfect.

Base batter

2 cups milk

3–4 eggs

½ cup sugar

¾ cup flour

Vanilla

Fruit of your choice

Pour over fruit, bake 35–40 min.

Light, custardy, elegant.

⭐ Recommendation for today

Given your pantry and your love of soft, drapey, comforting textures, the Hot Milk Cake or the Milk‑Soaked Cake will feel like a warm hug — and they use the most milk.

If you tell me how much milk you want to use up (1 L? 2 L?), I can tailor the recipe so you use exactly the amount you want.

Today

Just made the 1)-gateau au lait with 2% milk. What is the calorie count on that cake?

Here’s a clear, realistic calorie estimate for the gâteau au lait chaud you just made, based on the classic proportions you used.

I’ll calculate it ingredient by ingredient, then give you:

total calories for the whole cake

calories per slice (for different slice sizes)

⭐ Calorie Breakdown (Hot Milk Cake, 1 full cake)

Ingredients you used

2 cups 2% milk → ~244 kcal

4 large eggs → ~280 kcal

2 cups sugar → ~1548 kcal

2 cups all‑purpose flour → ~910 kcal

½ cup butter (if you used it) → ~814 kcal

Vanilla → negligible

🧮 Total Calories

If you used butter (classic recipe)

Total = ~3,796 calories for the whole cake

If you did not use butter

Total = ~2,982 calories for the whole cake

🍰 Calories per slice

With butter

1/12 of the cake → ~316 calories

1/10 of the cake → ~380 calories

1/8 of the cake → ~475 calories

Without butter

1/12 → ~249 calories

1/10 → ~298 calories

1/8 → ~373 calories

⭐ Quick takeaway

Your cake is roughly 300–475 calories per slice, depending on size and whether butter was included.

If you tell me whether you used the butter and how many slices you cut, I’ll give you the exact number for your cake.

I used butter; and justement, I'm wondering what a human-scale serving of that cake might be. Because, you know, when it comes to cake...

Ah, oui — the eternal question: what is a “human‑scale” serving of cake, especially when the cake is soft, warm, and smells like childhood comfort. Humans are notoriously unreliable around cake. You’re in good company.

Let’s anchor this in something realistic, physiological, and a bit compassionate.

🍰 What counts as a “human‑scale” serving of hot milk cake?

This cake is light, tender, and not overly rich, so the natural serving size tends to drift upward. But here’s how it breaks down in real life:

1. The sensible, nutrition‑label serving

1/12 of the cake  

≈ 316 calories  

This is the “I’m being reasonable” slice. It’s modest, satisfying, and doesn’t feel stingy.

2. The normal human serving

1/10 of the cake  

≈ 380 calories  

This is the slice most people actually cut without thinking. It feels like a real dessert, not a sample.

3. The honest, cozy, rainy‑day Québec serving

1/8 of the cake  

≈ 475 calories  

This is the “I baked this for comfort and I’m going to enjoy it” slice. Still absolutely fine in the context of a normal day.

4. The “I just made it and it’s warm” serving

1/6 of the cake  

≈ 630 calories  

This is the slice that happens when the cake is still warm, smells like vanilla, and you’re standing at the counter with a fork. Entirely human.

⭐ My recommendation for you, Louise

Given your love of soft, drapey, comforting textures and the fact that this cake is basically a warm hug in edible form, a 1/10 or 1/8 slice is the most “human‑scale” for pleasure and satiety.

It’s enough to feel cozy and satisfied without tipping into “I regret nothing but I need a nap.”

If you want, I can also give you:

calories for your exact slice if you tell me how big it was

a lighter or richer variation for next time

a way to turn leftovers into a milk‑soaked dessert (dangerously good)

Just tell me what direction you want to go.

                                                               *     *     *

On 35 minutes, the cake has risen, is starting to get brown but is not cooked properly

in the precise middle. I returned it to the oven, put foil on top and gave it 15 minutes.

The result was perfect, nothing runny, but the bottom part had a texture resembling clafoutis.

Great with strawberry Jell-O and Cool Whip. Queen V might well have approuved!

                                                                  

*     *     *

found this cake on the Web. It is a Depression-era goodie. Same recipe and instructions,

only it uses 1 cup of milk instead of two:

https://youtu.be/reGyHu2r1uI?si=ldK7KJcL4oWLqlJi

Mine is still good, but this one looks perfect!

Holiday

It's a holiday for many. I am pleased to share a little breakthrough

I have just had with the problem of opening Pop bottles.

Because, yes, when the weather turns warms, I bring home large bottles of Pop

to drink over ice on hot days. And pretty darn often, there is a batlle to initially open

the said bottle... Well, not anymore.

So there I was battling a 2liter Diet Tonic, having just borrowed the large elastic from the

frozen peas bag in the freezer compartment. No matter how i forced things, nothing was

moving. Just before taking the deadliest knife in the kitchen out of its sheet to knock out the cap, 

I tried one last time the nice way. And just squeezed the cap as well as turning it. Psitttt! like 

a charm. The bottle was open without much force at all.

A lifetime of bottle caps, and now I just know how!!

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Mexico/Paris

Chatted with Copilot about why smexico and Paris hae such difficulties:

 Mexico City’s car‑pollution problem is strongly linked to fuel‑quality standards that lag behind those in the U.S. and Canada, especially regarding sulfur content in gasoline and outdated national emissions regulations. This combination leads to vehicles emitting far more pollutants than similar vehicles elsewhere in North America. 

Core issue: Mexico’s fuel and emissions standards are older and less strict

The key difference is that Mexico’s national vehicle‑emission standards were last updated in 2005, while the U.S. and Canada have repeatedly tightened theirs over the past two decades. As a result:

Gasoline in Mexico often contains higher sulfur levels, which directly increases emissions of hydrocarbons (HC), nitrogen oxides (NO), and carbon monoxide (CO).

High sulfur fuel also degrades catalytic converters, making even newer cars pollute more.

Hydrocarbon emissions from new 2022 Mexican vehicles are comparable to U.S. vehicles from 20+ years ago, showing how fuel quality and standards affect real‑world performance. 

🚕 Why Mexico City is hit especially hard

Mexico City’s pollution problem is amplified by:

A large fleet of older vehicles, which are more sensitive to poor fuel quality.

Taxis emitting 2.7–3.9× more pollutants than non‑taxi light‑duty vehicles. 

Higher altitude, which affects combustion efficiency and can worsen emissions (noted in broader Mexican emissions studies). 

Even when comparing similar model years, vehicles in Mexico City emit significantly more pollutants than those in Colorado, Virginia, or Alberta. 

...

Yes — Paris has a vehicle‑pollution problem, but the cause is very different from Mexico City’s. Paris does not suffer from poor fuel‑refining standards. Instead, its pollution comes from diesel history, urban density, and traffic volume, not from substandard gasoline or sulfur levels.

Below is the clear comparison.

🧭 Short answer

Paris does not have Mexico City’s fuel‑quality problem.  

Its pollution comes from decades of diesel dominance, high traffic density, and urban geography, not from inferior refining standards.

Mexico City’s problem is tied to outdated emissions standards and higher‑sulfur gasoline. 

🌍 Why Paris struggles with air pollution

Paris has long battled smog episodes, but the drivers are:

1. A legacy of diesel vehicles

For decades, France incentivized diesel cars with tax breaks. By the 2010s, over 60% of cars in France were diesel. Diesel engines emit:

NOₓ (nitrogen oxides) → major contributor to smog and respiratory illness

Fine particulates (PM2.5) → harmful to lungs and cardiovascular health

Even modern diesel engines can produce high NOₓ in real‑world driving.

2. Extreme urban density + narrow streets

Paris is one of the densest cities in Europe. Pollution gets trapped in:

narrow boulevards

high‑traffic corridors

temperature inversions during winter

This leads to recurring pollution peaks requiring emergency measures (free transit days, alternate‑day driving bans).

3. Heavy commuter inflow

Millions of commuters enter Paris daily from the suburbs, many by car.

This creates chronic congestion, especially on the Périphérique ring road.

4. Dieselgate fallout

The 2015 emissions scandal revealed that many diesel cars emitted far more NOₓ in real use than in lab tests.

Paris was one of the European cities most affected.

🛢️ Fuel quality: Paris vs. Mexico City

Paris (EU standards)

Uses ultra‑low sulfur gasoline and diesel (10 ppm sulfur).

Follows Euro 6 emissions standards for new vehicles.

Fuel quality is strictly regulated and consistent.

Mexico City

National standards last updated in 2005, far behind U.S./Canada.

Gasoline has higher sulfur content, degrading catalytic converters.

New 2022 Mexican vehicles emit much more CO, NO, and HC than U.S./Canadian equivalents. 

Hydrocarbon emissions from 2022 Mexican cars resemble U.S. vehicles from 20+ years ago. 

Conclusion:  

Paris’s problem is not fuel quality — it’s vehicle mix and traffic.

Mexico City’s problem is fuel quality + outdated standards.

What_to_Wear

 So here I am worrying about 'what to wear'. As a Montrealer, most of the year

sees me wear - to go outside - what the temperature dictates. And that can be long stretches of 

this or that coat and, hat and gloves. But there comes a time every year when what I wear

indoors and outdoors are pretty much the same. All of a sudden, it matters - socially - what I look

like. So here we are. I am feeling the pressure of that today.

I have decided to consult  my elaborate Microsoft Weather app to help me. What can I learn

from it.

Today is a higher that average warm day. The average high on his date is 19C, but we should be

hitting 24C this afternoon. This tells me that it will be cooler getting there than it might be at 

another date. I might well encounter some brave souls in Bermuda shorts in my walk. These

people are dreamers. I will be wearing ankle-length jeans, with runners. Along sleeved T-shirts

that 'breathes' as it gets warmer. And a shirt over it all, because that is what I am seeing women

wearing on the street. 

                                                                                   

What other information can I glean...

                                                                          

No precipitation:

                                                                                 

Little wind:

                                                                                       

Air quality is acceptable:

                                                                                      

Not Dry:

                                                                                      

Cloud cover minimal:

                                                                                      

Some UV:

                                                                                      

Feels warmer than it is, as will the next two days:

                                                                                      

So I should wear light colors, but avoid the screaming colors of actual summer which are

appropriate when the blue of the sky and greenery hues are more vivid!!

                                                                            *     *     *

                                                                                  

https://gemini.google.com/share/778c5badb067

Adding Mexico City to the discussion...

https://gemini.google.com/share/d09b2ff80f89

The whole story...

https://gemini.google.com/share/d7ce040c62e6

    

Adventuring

 Been watching year-old videos from Montreal-based food blogger Gurky

and his team who took a trip to Texas. Yes, they did find the well-decried 

excesses of gas stations that make their own jerky and sell aisle on aisle of 

candy. But their commentary made me realize I didn't understand the situation

in Southern USA at all: it is not an open climate, where one can just saunter outside and

go for a walk or a jog. it is a hyper hot climate for months on end. One goes from

an air-conditionned house to an air-conditioned car and back. A quick restaurant meal is ordered

from the car and eaten in the parking lot. Bigger cars make sense because one uses them more 

often. Warehouse stores are social places, and prevalent. And it makes sense for them to offer

tasty fried casual foods and sweet drinks. Obesity for many is not degeneracy! That is a 

misappreciation of the situation!!

McAllen, Texas is not just the country's obesity capital, it is the hottest city in Texas...

                                                                      *     *     *

Buck-ee Gas Station:

Brisket Adventure:

                                                              *     *     *

McAllen, Texas in August 2025:

                                                                                        

Source: Microsoft Temperature App