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University of Toronto Heritage

Just a Gwai Lo - Fri, 01/01/2021 - 20:52

Over the course of a month, I visited the University of Toronto to take an architectural tour.

Published by Richard on January 1st, 2021

Nine Months of Sheltering in Place

Just a Gwai Lo - Sun, 12/13/2020 - 22:22

“‘Tis a fine shutdown, but sure ‘tis no lockdown, English.”

Published by Richard on December 13th, 2020

Naming

Just a Gwai Lo - Fri, 11/20/2020 - 22:21

I name my computing devices after minor characters in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series.

Published by Richard on November 20th, 2020

University Heritage

Just a Gwai Lo - Sat, 11/14/2020 - 18:33

Faced with the need to get some sunshine and exercise the day before it was expected to rain in Toronto, I took a walking architectural tour of University Avenue.

Published by Richard on November 14th, 2020

Eight Months of Sheltering in Place

Just a Gwai Lo - Fri, 11/13/2020 - 22:36

This is the end of the beginning.

Published by Richard on November 13th, 2020

A Commitment to PC Gaming

The Gaming Years - Wed, 11/11/2020 - 22:47

The best time to buy a Nintendo Switch was in late 2019, when it was available at Shoppers Drug Mart (a Canadian drug store chain) for regular price but with a $100 in redeemable points for the store. Not knowing that there would be a global respiratory illness pandemic on the horizon, it didn’t make sense then to bring in a gaming system in addition to my PS4™ and Mac. In March of this year, as the pandemic spread to North America, Switches quickly sold out, and I briefly investigated buying a used Wii U, before ultimately and somewhat belatedly deciding to buy a PC laptop instead. I was tired of being left out of the PC gaming world, with a limited selection of Steam games being available on the Mac, and my Mac being a work laptop anyway.

So I bought the cheap PC laptop that Wirecutter recommended at the time. I had the presence of mind to notice that they had updated their recommendations without in a header without having written the full review. Now I see that they have posted their review of the Asus TUF Gaming A15, which I got from Amazon on Prime Day, though not at a discount. (I missed my opportunity for a lightning deal. At least this one comes with 0% financing, dulling the force of the blow.) I’ve spent the last few weeks setting it up with software, and have made rules for it: No work to be done on it, despite the temptation to test things on a Windows PC; no email except to verify account creation; no eating next to it (drinking should be fine, I just don’t want to get food on it). I’m also putting together scheduled gaming nights, where I set a goal for the evening, limit my time on it, and plan wind down afterwards. I’ve been slowly learning what it means to livestream my gameplay, but it’s the second-guessing from onlookers that I know I won’t be able to handle. I still like the idea of learning what it takes to do it.

I’ve already downloaded and played Rocket League, and it’s much faster to load there than on my PS4™, and much, much easier to type in chat. I plan on never writing a mean word in it, and just using it to joke around or explain myself if need be. I’ve also since learned of the existence of not just the Discovery Tour mode in the Assassin’s Creed series¹, but that there are standalone Discovery Tour games for the games that have them. I bought the Discovery Tour edition for Origins and and Odyssey (on sale, no less), and I’m eagerly awaiting the standalone edition for Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, the one about Vikings. If you know a little bit about my heritage, that’s a pretty exciting edition (even if I don’t care about the assassination part of the game).

I’m actually fairly busy with work and other pursuits, lucky me, so I don’t know for sure how much gaming I’ll do in the next 6 months. That’s about the time period where I expect there still to be no events in Toronto to attend in person, and not much opportunity to travel beyond city limits, so I’ll fill it with a commitment to PC gaming and a recommitment to writing about it here.

[1] Discovery Tour mode takes out the storyline and the need to kill people in the game. You just walk around the world getting educated on the game’s subject. That sounds good to me!

A Commitment to PC Gaming was originally published in The Gaming Years on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

I Bought a Raspberry Pi 400

Richard's Raspberry Pi Adventures - Mon, 11/09/2020 - 00:00
I bought a Raspbery Pi 400, can you believe it?

I Bought a Raspberry Pi 400

Richard's Raspberry Pi Adventures - Mon, 11/09/2020 - 00:00
Because of how inexpensive it was, and the small size of the package, I bought a Raspberry Pi 400 from Canadian re-seller BuyaPi.ca. The news of its release jumpstarted my interest in the Raspberry Pi, and the 40-pin GPIO header means I can connect a lot of of what I’ve discussed on this site and my humble Arduino mission accomplishments site.

I Bought a Raspberry Pi 400

Richard's Raspberry Pi Adventures - Mon, 11/09/2020 - 00:00
Because of how inexpensive it was, and the small size of the package, I bought a Raspberry Pi 400 from Canadian re-seller BuyaPi.ca. The news of its release jumpstarted my interest in the Raspberry Pi, and the 40-pin GPIO header means I can connect a lot of of what I’ve discussed on this site and my humble Arduino mission accomplishments site.

Now Witness the Firepower of This Fully Armed and Operational Blog

Just a Gwai Lo - Thu, 10/29/2020 - 15:47

In which I list the repairs I've made to Just a Gwai Lo in preparation for a big upgrade.

Published by Richard on October 29th, 2020

7 Months of Sheltering in Place

Just a Gwai Lo - Fri, 10/16/2020 - 20:28

I'm staying active, though restrictions have been put back into place in Toronto during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Published by Richard on October 16th, 2020

Toronto Islands a Second Time

Just a Gwai Lo - Tue, 09/22/2020 - 20:20

I took a second trip to Toronto Islands at the close of summer.

Published by Richard on September 22nd, 2020

6 Months of Sheltering in Place

Just a Gwai Lo - Sun, 09/13/2020 - 21:52

A half of a year in a pandemic, with uncertainty on the horizon.

Published by Richard on September 13th, 2020

6 Months of Sheltering in Place

Just a Gwai Lo - Sun, 09/13/2020 - 21:52

A half of a year in a pandemic, with uncertainty on the horizon.

Published by Richard on September 13th, 2020

In Hindsight, It Seems That 2020 Has It Out for Portland Specifically

PDXphiles - Fri, 09/11/2020 - 15:30

Early this year, I was planning a long trip through the United States. Kansas City to see the Negro League Baseball Hall of Fame and eat some good barbecue, Las Vegas to see Penn & Teller and watch a 51s Aviators game, visit co-workers and friends in Portland, Oregon, with a side-trip to Vancouver, B.C. A respiratory illness pandemic, protests and civil unrest (with uncertainty as to which law enforcement agency was in charge), and now wildfires, have, like Amy wondered, made it seem like the year 2020 had it out for Portland specifically.

I am now located in Toronto, Ontario. All events have been cancelled or postponed, so I've taken the opportunity to fix the content here on PDXphiles. Originally intended as a group blog, I used it to document my trips there, the trips since 2011 having gone undocumented on this site. I have stayed in touch with my university friend from Oregon, with regular video calls starting when I moved to Toronto in 2015. My current employer, Acquia, has an office in Portland, so throughout this year's upheaval, I've listened to them talk about their city. They have to work from home during the pandemic, but I do still hear Portland-specific places being mentioned on our always-on video calls we have so we can keep in touch with them. In fact, we've gotten to know them better through these times, as they would typically stay at their desks.

I don't know what the future holds for the Portland office, but I'm even more grateful for them than I was before. I still consider myself a PDXphile, and I still hold out hope I can visit the Rose City and my friends there once again.

5 Months of Sheltering in Place

Just a Gwai Lo - Thu, 08/13/2020 - 17:49

Another month of staying at home for the most part, but I've gone outside a lot more in July/August 2020.

Published by Richard on August 13th, 2020

5 Months of Sheltering in Place

Just a Gwai Lo - Thu, 08/13/2020 - 17:49

Another month of staying at home for the most part, but I've gone outside a lot more in July/August 2020.

Published by Richard on August 13th, 2020

Toronto Islands

Just a Gwai Lo - Mon, 07/20/2020 - 21:04

I took a short trip to Toronto Islands, a ten-minute ferry ride from downtown Toronto.

Published by Richard on July 20th, 2020

Toronto Islands

Just a Gwai Lo - Mon, 07/20/2020 - 21:04

I took a short trip to Toronto Islands, a ten-minute ferry ride from downtown Toronto.

Published by Richard on July 20th, 2020

4 Months of Sheltering in Place

Just a Gwai Lo - Mon, 07/13/2020 - 12:24

A third of a year in a pandemic, and restrictions are loosening up a bit in Toronto.

Published by Richard on July 13th, 2020

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