Yes, I know.  I'm horribly remiss in both writing anything on this blog, and also finishing the redesign/redeploy of the site.  In fact, my hosting provider has even upgraded my servers and I'm even remiss in migrating to the new server.  So much so that they've even sent me a notice for the new server going over limit on its space all without me even using it, yet.

Wait...what???

Continue reading "Wow - this site is viciously out of date"

So today, while it is a Saturday and I'm stuck at work (and for those of you who know me, you know exactly why this is both a) not surprising and b) not a good sign with the new job), I did get some good news this morning.  I called in to XM Canada to (finally) cancel my account...and they managed to give me some good news...(more after the jump)
Continue reading "The Rhyme is gone...but wait a sec..."

You know, sometimes I wonder why I even set up a blog.  It's not like I use this thing on the regular.  But then there are days like today when it's just handy to say Happy New Year to all of you who do frequent this page.  All the best for 2009!

This year has been an interesting one.  For those of you who don't know, in 2007 I left 9 Story Entertainment (on good terms - Vince and Steve are great guys and have great plans for that company).  People wondered why I left, as I was pretty much running the show from the technology standpoint.  Pretty good gig, right?  Well, there were a lot of reasons.  First, the whole reason I took the gig to begin with was as a favour to my friend Paul Gill (RIP).  Paul called in a favour asking me to help out Vince (our old boss from Blab) with his new company.  I'd done a bit of help here and there with 9 Story in the past, usually at Paul's request, but it was more behind-the-scenes stuff (like helping with programming a few apps here and there, or doing some graphics work or media management tools here and there).  Once Paul split off and started Zodiac Media, he still wanted to see 9 Story do well, and when he saw a gap from a technical expertise (and work ethic) standpoint, he knew that I would fill the gap.  I had, however, just taken a position at TransGaming (a great outfit with some brilliant people - keep an eye on that team, as they're definitely going places!)

What to do? (more after the jump)

Continue reading "2009 is around the corner!"

For those of you who've tried to write me over the last oh, i dunno, two years or so, you may have noticed bouncebacks (only if you were writing to my alumni address).  Basically, this was due to UW and my hosting provider not being able to solve an issue with the mail relay.  So, finally, I decided I can't deal with this anymore and have switched my alumni forwarder to pointing to my Yahoo! account.  So you should not see any further bounces.  If you do see more bounces, please call me right away (+1 NIP BUM LEGG) and let me know so that I can let UW know that it's their problem (both UW and the hosting provider have spent two years, off-and-on, pointing the finger at each other, with neither getting any closer to a fix).

Anyway, hopefully email will get to me on a more regular basis now.  I'll be posting a more complete update in a few days, as well as info on ROFL 2008 - Indian Standard Time, so keep your eyes and ears peeled!

Just wanted to remind people that the June Party is this Saturday at my place in the party room. I've sent out an email with some FAQ info, and figured I'd better repost here:

Where is Strachan?

Strachan is a street between Bathurst & Dufferin. My building is, in fact, quite close to the CNE, if that helps people place it.

Why is it at your place? Didn't you used to have it at Thai Jasmine?

I just wanted to change it up a bit. Plus, there are always issues for people with nut allergies at Thai Jasmine, or who just don't like Thai food. As much as I love the folks at Thai Jasmine/Fireside, this might just be a bit safer.

Will I know anyone there?

Of course - you'll know me! And that means you're one step removed from everyone in the room. But if you're still not comfortable, you can always bring a friend or two. Always happy to meet new folks!

How can I get there via TTC?

I'm on the King streetcar line, and only about 2 blocks west of Bathurst if you take that streetcar. If you need to look it up, check out the 504 and 508 lines on http://www.ttc.ca

Do you have parking?

Yes, there is visitor parking under my building, but it's limited. The entrance to the garage is off of Canniff St. (my building is on the SW corner of Canniff and Stafford). Coming from Strachan, you'd turn onto Canniff, then take a right into the underground garage. From King you'd turn on Stafford, then take a right onto Canniff and a left into the garage. There's also meter parking on Canniff and a Green P lot on Wellington (just south of my building).

Can I bring my kids?

Sure! My party room is kid-friendly.

Will you be serving alcohol?

'Fraid
not, but you're welcome to bring your own. I will, however, have munchies (chips, fruit, veggies, stuff like that), and non-alcoholic
drinks (pop, juice, etc.).

Is this a dinner thing?

No, but I will have munchies. If you're looking for a place to eat, I'd recommend the following:

Coco Thai - King & Bathurst
Jalapeno's Mexican - King & Niagara

Bungalow Cafe - King & Strachan
Old York Grill - Wellington & Niagara
Foggy Dew Pub - King & Niagara

Is it your birthday?

Nope, 'fraid not. My birthday has long since passed. But you can give me money and gifts if you really want. I won't mind. Really.

Do I have to give money?

No, this isn't an Indian wedding.

Do I have to give money at Indian weddings?

Ask a married Indian.

When are you getting married?

Mom, stop sending me this question.

Will your mom be there?

No, most likely not. But you never know - she did come one year.

What about your dad?

Doubtful - he was just here last weekend.

Is your hair really that colour?

Yes. Why, did you think I bleached these individually?

Yes, I did.

That's not a question.

Should I bring anything?

Just yourself - and any alcohol or diet-friendly munchies you wish.

Hope this helps! See you all there!

Well well...every once in a while T.O. gives me a good surprise. Dropped my dad off at the Old Mill Inn today as he's attending a meeting there tomorrow, and was blown away by the neighbourhood around there. Beautiful houses, quiet neighbourhood, a bit hilly which gives the place character...really, it's quite beautiful. If you've never been to the area, definitely check it out.

Before this, though, my dad and I went for dinner at the Westwood Grill at Runnymede & Annette. The food was good, the service was good, and the ambience was good. And it's completely tucked away in the middle of nowhere. The thing that impressed me most was that they have all-day dim sum, and even have veggie-friendly options. Hurrah! Someplace we can go for dim sum where I'm not completely stuck with just baby bok choy or 3 kinds of fungus! Anyway, if you live in that neighbourhood, I'd recommend stopping in. You can probably get better Chinese in Chinatown, but considering it's:

1. Not in Chinatown
2. Got friendly service
3. Got some ambience

I'd say this place is quite good.

Enjoy!

Hey folks,

Just a heads-up that the venue has changed for the June Party next Saturday (the 28th).  It will now be in my Party Room (18 Stafford St.) @ 7pm.  I'm going to see if I can get hold of a Wii and some games, but I'll definitely have the PS2 with DDR Supernova and Katamari Damacy, amongst other classics.  I'll provide munchies and non-alcoholic beverages, but it's BYOB, so bring your own alcyhawl.

See you there!

Okay, I know it's been ages since I've even touched this thing. And yes, I know the site's still blah. I'm going to work on re-skinning this summer. Have to do it before Frankfurt in October, no matter what. Just waiting on some artwork to come back.

But that's not why I'm writing today.

This is just a heads-up for those of you who actually read this thing (really? without a single update in this many months, you're still checking this thing regularly? weirdo!) that I'm having another June Party this year.

More after the jump...

Continue reading "June Party 2008"

Yep, it's back on Dec. 28th, at Theatre Passe-Muraille! This year we've got a fire eater, a sketch comedy duo, an improv troupe, and 3 stand up comedians, plus Nile Seguin as the host! Ben Mathai headlines the show, and I'll be in it, closing out the first half. Check out the website for details...

Yes, it's true.  He's now on Facebook, too.  Perhaps I should untag myself in the pics from Neera's 25th...

Just a reminder that I'm performing at a fundraiser for a convent in Andhra Pradesh at 1pm, Sunday, August 26^th, 2007. The fundraiser is in Ottawa at the Cumberland City Hall (255 Centrum Blvd).

Continue reading "Fundraiser"

As a friend recently pointed out, it's been a while since I've posted anything here. Well, lots has changed since we last spoke...this is a long post, though, so I've left the chunk of it after the jump. If you're an insomniac, though, it's guaranteed to put you to sleep!

Continue reading "Yeah, it's been a while..."

Okay, when it rains, it definitely pours.  In the past 3 weeks, at least a dozen people have tried to set me up.  Just today I got two different messages from people I don't know that want to set me up with their friends.  These are people who have seen me in shows (one at a wedding, another at a club) who figured I would be good for their friends.  Er...okay, what on earth is it about a guy that says crap like the stuff I do makes people think I'd be in any way suitable for someone they care about?!?  It's like the world has gone mad.  One of them even heard me say the accordion joke and STILL wants me to date their friend.  Say whu?!?

The funniest part of all of this is the fact that I think people think I'm significantly older than I am.  Half of the setups have been to get together with people who are between 2 and 10 years older than me.  10!!!  Damn.  I guess that's not so funny...but it definitely makes me think about my question to Tiny.

Ah well.  Wish me luck in finding polite ways to say no thanks to all of these people.  Right now I have enough drama to deal with.  I don't need random setups adding more.

Okay, so I've got a wee bit of a dilemma. I've got a fundraiser coming up in August where I've agreed to perform. What I'm worried about, though, is the fact that it's a benefit for a convent back in Kerala.

Anyone else spotting the issues here? No? Let me spell it out for you...

Continue reading "Fundraisers...and tasteful entertainment..."

So the June Party for this year is done. Am I saying I'll never have one again? No, not at all. I'm saying that it may or may not return next year. Keep an eye out for an email in March or April, either way.

More after the jump...

Continue reading "Slept like a log..."