Thank you, sets my mind at ease to know it is not just me :)
"Atom" vs. "Adam" -- yes now that you mention it, you're not hearing things, Americans do say it differently.
This reminds me of something that constantly bothers me about youtube tutorials: I can tell instantly the presenter is American or was raised in America when they say ".. now go ahead and ..." rather than "now, ..." or "next, ..." when presenting step-by-step procedures. I don't know why, but it really bothers me, yet there is nothing 'wrong' about it.