Archive for the ‘ Dispatches ’ Category

Dangly bits

Posted on February 11th, 2011 Comments Off on Dangly bits

Whenever I tell people I “do Flash” for a living, I get the inevitable blank stare, sometimes accompanied by a nod that suggests they might be imagining me walking down the street with nothing but a long overcoat and an evil grin.

While this may be true in my off hours, what I get paid for is considerably different:

You might recognize this as Mahjongg, or rather, a bastardized version of something closer to a memory/matching game rather than poker, which is what traditional Mahjongg is like. It’s what I’ve been slapping together over the past couple of weeks for Corus’  W Network to replace their existing game.

There’s more work to be done; this would be considered a pre-alpha version … playable but with some big pieces missing. After that it goes into alpha in which everything’s done and I test for hours and hours under the pretense of “work”. Then it’s in beta where the in-house testers and I exchange heated words and potentially fists over what constitutes “features”. After that it’s released to the public, exposed to the big wide world, just like my dangly trench coat buddy.

And now you know.

Filed under: Dispatches, Patrick Bay, Videos

Nobody puts Swayze in the corner!

Posted on February 4th, 2011 1 Comment

Last time I got to — nay, was encouraged to — watch TV at work was when I was beating up keyboards at CTV. I never took advantage of it then, but then again, I wasn’t at the professional level I’m at now. I don’t see anyone else in their skivvies, brandishing beer, and being thus deeply involved in their employer’s operation, but Corus broadcasts 36 channels over its in-house network and I’ll be damned if I don’t strive to be a model employee this time around!

patrick swayze, dirty dancing, movie still, toronto, city, life

patrick swayze, dirty dancing, movie stilll, toronto, city, life

Filed under: Dispatches, Patrick Bay, Pictures

Feeling the love

Posted on January 28th, 2011 3 Comments

It started off with a tweet in which she mentioned how she’d just burnt her lip on a hot drink but couldn’t sue the company because the cup said, “Caution: Hot!”, and because she wasn’t living in the States.

I chuckled and responded:

tweet-1

She responded with:

tweet-2

Okay, obviously my tweet sounded like an insult so this was kinda justified.

I didn’t mean to imply that she doesn’t understand English, just that litigation for such things has gone to such extreme lengths (especially since she mentioned the States) that, you know, if at first you don’t succeed, sue sue again.

… Continue Reading

Filed under: Dispatches, Patrick Bay, Pictures

I’m going, I’m going!

Posted on January 26th, 2011 1 Comment

No destination, no problem. The important thing is to dress properly and cover unwashed hair.

And yes, I believe that wallpaper is older than me (and I ain’t no spring chicken).

apartment, flat, landing, self portrait, toronto, city, life

Filed under: Dispatches, Patrick Bay, Pictures

Put the coffee on!

Posted on January 25th, 2011 Comments Off on Put the coffee on!

I think it’s time to resurrect it — the constitutional. As in, “Put the coffee on in a few, I’m goin’ fer me constitutional!”

Tonight, the snow made it especially worthwhile, and it’s pretty darned good most other times (except when it falls below -20°C as it did last night — that’s just kaka).

lights, snow, winter, lakershore, gardiner expressway, toronto, city, life … Continue Reading

Filed under: Dispatches, Patrick Bay, Pictures

Dreaming

Posted on January 16th, 2011 1 Comment

dreaming buddha head, toronto, city, life

The old geezer’s got the right idea, huh? *yawn*

Filed under: Dispatches, Patrick Bay, Pictures

Spoils and plunders

Posted on January 14th, 2011 3 Comments

I’ve finally managed to find a place for some of my treasures.

urban exploration, antiques, toronto, city, life

These fond memories were all salvaged from abandoned, dilapidated, crumbling buildings that I explored during my UrbEx days.

UrbEx (or Urban Exploration), traces a large proportion of its origins to Infiltration.org, based in Toronto, and later UER.ca (UrbEx Resources), possibly also Toronto-based. As enthusiasts are quick to point out, people have been exploring (including structures, abandoned or otherwise), since exploration has existed. The only real difference with UrbEx is the fact that a label and a hardhat have been slapped on it.

In 99% of the cases, UrbExers are breaking the law by trespassing, so that’s part of the fun right there.  Then there are the dangerous conditions of some of the buildings, that’s a plus. Also, some locations are remote enough that if you get stuck, you might be seriously fucked.

numismatics, coins, collecting, toronto, city, life

And then, sometimes, you hit on a cache of salvageables, items that need to be saved. I had no qualms about snatching any of these things before someone set fire to the place, or it was flooded, or collapsed, or was collapsed, etc. etc. In fact, after seeing what happened to some of the places I’d visited, I wish I’d been able to give more things a home.

I took photos too but I don’t know what happened to them. I suspect they’re burned onto some CD sitting around my flat but that doesn’t narrow down the culprits. Hopefully I’ll find them one day, and find them worth sharing.

Filed under: Dispatches, Patrick Bay, Pictures

The crucial mid-January question

Posted on January 13th, 2011 Comments Off on The crucial mid-January question

I’ve already eaten all the good ones so now what am I supposed to do one do with all the leftover Christmas cookies?

christmas cookies, kitchen table, toronto, city, life, blog

Christmas trees too — done, pack ’em up and ship ’em out. It’s over. Next up, my birthday in which I get to keep all my cash … yay!

Filed under: Dispatches, Patrick Bay, Pictures

When it’s not snowing…

Posted on January 6th, 2011 2 Comments

…sunsets by the lake are worth the frozen nipples.

docks, harbourfront, lake ontario, sunset, winter, toronto, city, life

Filed under: Dispatches, Patrick Bay, Pictures

Back in the city…

Posted on December 30th, 2010 2 Comments

…it’s good to be. Holla!

hdr, photography, ttc, subway, station, bloor, toronto, city, life

Compared to the northern trails I’ve been walking, Toronto isn’t so bad. But even so, there’s always that wind. It would whip around up at my folks’ place but here it howls; you round an innocuous corner and wham! Just like a ninja.

sushi shop, sherbourne street, toronto, city, life

I’m in the process of digging through the collected post-holiday mountain of stuff so there won’t be much more to this post. But I sure would love to finish my top 10 posts of 2010 roundup for later today — we’ll see how good my ascension skills are.

Filed under: Dispatches, Patrick Bay, Pictures