Irek Bereźniak

Putin announced Russia's budget surplus in June

Gianni Infantino carefully explains to Donald Trump that he is not Jesus.

Airline service has steadily eroded even as fares climb: shrinking luggage allowances, evaporating legroom, desperate dashes for limited overhead storage. I asked myself what indignity could possibly be next. The answer: no reclining seats, the latest innovation in passenger humiliation.

Yes! Virgil van Dijk a hero for Liverpool FC once again!! The reds pulled off yet another late win and defeated Atletico Madrid 3-2 in round one of UEFA Champions League play 💪

Sounds like Elon Musk’s AI agent has been trained on his personality.

Oh boy, Inter Milan embarrassed themselves at the UCL final with the 5-0 to PSG, and now they've embarrassed Europe at the inaugural Club World Cup with a 2-0 defeat in the round of 16. Congrats Fluminense! Far from European dominance, the Brazilian side shows that South American clubs can compete!

The G7 summit is under way in Kananaskis, where I often hike, snowboard, and relax in general; a quick 40min drive from my home. This Rocky Mountains paradise has been despoiled by the orange russian shill, Trump, who was admitted into Canada despite laws banning criminals from entering the country.

Great match between Boca Juniors and Benfica! Boca fans certainly raised the energy levels in Miami 💪 The Argentinian side scored a couple of quick goals, but the penalty and a red card keep their Portuguese opponents in the game. Still, European dominance under threat!

European dominance was expected, like Bayern’s 10-0 thrashing of Auckland City, but matches like Chelsea vs LAFC have been tighter. Despite my doubts, so far I’ve enjoyed the Club World Cup and found it fascinating to watch teams from all over the world compete and gauge quality of various leagues.

Finished Bernard Cornwell’s Stonehenge, which depicts a grim, often brutal vision of prehistoric Britain, where the creation of the monument is driven less by noble purpose than by violence, superstition, and the ambitions of flawed men. Not Cornmwell's best.

Much ado has been made in Canadian media about the precipitous decline in travel from Canada to US. Anecdotal evidence seems to support this. My son's soccer club, for instance, sends 2 or 3 teams to 3BR tournament in Montana each year, as we did last year. This won't be happening this year.

The Real Madrid Foundation World Challenge came to a close this past Friday (April 18). My son’s team, Canada Black, performed very well, ultimately finishing in 4th place out of the 24 teams that have entered the U12 competition. Great tournament, great memories! Congratulations boys!

Group stage of the Real Madrid Foundation World Challenge is done. Canada Black finished at the top of the table undefeated with only 2 goals conceded, one of them being own goal, and are progressing to quarterfinals, the only U12 Canadian team out of 5 that entered the tournament. Next up, Uruguay!

Let’s go Arsenal!

My son and the immortal Roberto Carlos!

A slice of Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, one of the world’s preeminent temples of football.

While in Madrid for my son’s Real Madrid tournament, I’ve secured tickets to the 2nd leg of #UCL quarterfinal between Real Madrid and Arsenal FC. I would have loved to see Liverpool, but I do have a soft spot for Arsenal, and I’ll even wear my Arsenal jersey in hostile territory 😅 See you there!

The Real Madrid Foundation World Challenge tournament is fast approaching, only a week before the kick-off on April 15. Looks like my son's Canada Black team will have their hands full, group stage looks tough!

Finished Zero Day. Five years ago, it could have served as a convincing cautionary tale, but since the reality is many times worse considering violent coup attempt of January 6, a convicted felon elected to office, and a disastrous first 100 days, etc. etc., a derisive snort is all I can manage.

With the Atari 7800+ launching in late 2024, Atari also released the original 2013 ports of Berzerk and Frenzy, developed by the amazing Robert DeCrescenzo. Each physical copy includes both games—just hold ‘Select’ on your console for ~3 seconds to switch between them!

Loved Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky which follows a disgraced anthropologist exiled to a prison planet, where he discovers an alien civilization with secrets that could reshape humanity’s future. A gripping blend of first contact, rebellion, and deep sci-fi worldbuilding.

Canada is facing Mexico in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Nations League. Not a great start for Canada, down 1 goal in the first minute of the match.

Just finished Autocracy, Inc. by Anne Applebaum—an insightful look at how modern autocrats collaborate to undermine democracy. She examines their tactics, financial ties, and propaganda, exposing the erosion of democratic norms worldwide. A must-read for understanding today’s political challenges.

After topping the #UCL table, I did not expect Liverpool to be kicked to the curb in the first elimination round, at home 🤦‍♂️

Sorry Arsenal, you won’t be winning #EPL titles rescuing points against bottom-feeders like Manchester United 🤫

Calgary Rockies FC U12 receiving instructions before their final top tier indoor season matchup earlier today. Indoor soccer/football is fine, but everyone is looking forward to moving the beautiful game outdoors ☀️🌳

Just wrapped up Wasteland: A World in Permanent Crisis by Robert D. Kaplan. It explores how climate change, political instability, and shifting power dynamics shape our future. Blending history, geopolitics, and travel writing, Kaplan paints a stark yet insightful picture of a world on edge.

I know this isn’t much, but I felt compelled to make another donation to Ukrainian armed forces following the disgraceful, nay, disgusting attack on Zelensky at the white house today. If you’re of the same frame of mind, the esteemed historian Timothy Snyder has a few links on his substack.

Perhaps it’s the BlueSky echo chamber at work, but the man has a point; I haven’t witnessed such a surge of support for Zelensky and Ukraine since the fervent, rallying cries of the war’s earliest days.

With 1/4th of the #EPL season left, #LFC is cruising at the top, 13 points ahead of Arsenal. Even with a game in hand, the Gunners have a mountain to climb. Liverpool isn’t just leading the table—they’re bossing the stats too. This title race is looking tougher by the day! 💪🔥