Fuzzification ~ People in my Bloggerhood

Hello neighbour. Did you have a good day? Hang on, I have to change my jacket and shoes. There, that's better. Now where were we? Oh that's right, strolling through the Bloggerhood I see my good friend Ricky Patel @ FUZZIFICATION.COM.

Ricky and I go way back. He's my oldest friend that I still keep in touch with on a regular basis. We were in a 'gang' together, fought together in the First World War, and had many a good times. We have also eaten a lot of chicken wings over the years, and it was his brainchild and organizer of The Great Wing Tour of 2006.

I've been following Ricky on the Internet for quite some time. Ricky has been taking snapshots for many years, and Fuzzification.com has been a great showcase for his work. I like his photography because he has an eye for capturing simple moments and objects, the macabre and the beautiful. Here's some examples of photos I love (from centre than clockwise): "Plant in Window" shot in India; "Baby Back" Boss Hogg rib grilling @ the London Ribfest 2008; "Fireworks"; "Arabian Sea" a wonderful sunset shot; and my fave, "One Handed Bride."

Ricky and I sat down* and chatted about blogging with ME in GREEN, and RICKY in RED:

*NOTE: sitting down is in reference to our respective homes in our own seats over the Internet via e-mail correspondence.

Who are you & where do you live?
I currently live in London Ontario. I'm a hard, mean, technical kind of guy, who likes to indulge (what he thinks) his softer artistic side mainly through photography but also sketching, music and other endevours.

What is Your Blog?
My current blog is http://www.fuzzification.com/. It was born out of a desire to publish and share my photographs and other visual art like sketches without the complication of excessive words (like my previous blogs).

How Long Have you been Blogging?Why did you start blogging?
I have been blogging in various internet incarnations since about 1999 (probably around the same time the word "blog" was invented). I originally started because I found myself in the big bad city and needed a venue to share my experiences. I used a section of my personal website, then later, an actual blog, as an outlet for the frustrations of daily life and a place for me to share some of my creative writing and visual art. Those blogs ran their course, and I eventually started my photo blog http://www.fuzzification.com/, which has been online since March 2007.

Also on my blog shelf is a blog I kept while I was working on a project in Zambia with Engineers Without Borders Canada, during the summer of 2006.


What do you want out of your blog?
I can't really say I want anything out of my blog (other than maybe launch a career in photography rather than engineering). I just want to share my pictures. I enjoy photography as it gets me outside exploring the city in I live, meeting people and enjoying the outdoors. Having a blog which I post the pictures too helps to motivate me to get out and shoot.

What is your favourite blog (you know, other than LOTW :p)?

I don't tend to read a lot of blogs. I do however visit Daily Dose of Imagery often to see the pictures.

Do you feel there’s real interaction between you and your readers?
Readers? More like viewers, and by viewers I mean the maybe 4 people who I think actually visit my blog on a regular basis. Interaction is basically nil. So if anyone goes to check it out, let me know what you think.


Any crazy blog-related stories?

I've had a friend become a non-friend because of something I wrote on my blog way back in the day. Not really crazy, somewhat tragic, but illustrates the danger of posting your thoughts without thinking of the consequences or how fickle friends can be.

What is your favorite chicken wing?
My favorite chicken wing is a FREE chicken wing, preferably taken off the plate of The Wing King! But to really answer the question: Way back when I was in High school, when I'd be home alone, I'd order pizza and wings from Gino's. The wings had a bbq/hot sauce blend, that tasted so good because they came with that small taste of freedom which is an empty house with no parents or siblings around. But soon after I started to grow up, I moved out and took on responsibilities and those wings never tasted the same again. I also miss wing nights at Mad Trappers in T-Burg.

Do you have a favorite cooking show?
I don't have cable, so my cooking show array is quite limited, so I don't currently watch any cooking shows with any regularity. When I was younger I used to watch Pasquale's Kitchen Express and The Urban Peasant all the time. They really have influenced my style of cooking. I also enjoyed the suave antics of Carlo Rota on The Great Canadian Food Show on CBC, and I have been told that I am a cross between the Cake guy and Chef at home...whatever that means, for better or worse.


Do you cook? What is your specialty?

Yes, I cook. Mainly I cook for myself and experiment with my dishes a bit. I can't think of any specialties though.

What is the most disgusting thing you have ever eaten?
This is difficult, because a lot of the things that I thought were disgusting at one time, I've eaten and enjoyed at other times. What kind of stands out are some really disgusting mussels at a Mandarin once. They were cold, and rubbery, made me gag.

If there was one thing you would want the Wing Nation to know about you and your blog, what would it be?
There isn't much else to say. I'm not a professional photographer, and people might think my photos suck, but I like each and everyone one of them. They represent the places I've been, and the things I've seen. If you like them too, let me know. Everyone likes a bit of positive affirmation once in awhile.

Thanks Mr Patel. Hope we can have wings again sometime soon. In the meantime, everyone head on over to Rick's site and enjoy the photography!