The Darkest Evil

Based on recent trolling on my blog - I had to start setting WordPress so I have to manually approve all comments. I tried setting forth a request that all commentors follow a set of guidelines on ethical behaviour to ensure that people would stop flaming. But oh so sadly, this was not possible. People kept flaming, lying and trying to deceive others. Some even went as far as to question the seriousness of my relationship with Becca. This was when I decided to make it so I would have to manually approve all comments. Because I am just tired of this bullshit. To all those who flamed my blog (and you know who you are - even if you choose to deny it) - this is a problem of your own doing. A vice of your own making.

I am a designer and I became one out of ethical principles. It’s not about the money (even then, it’s not like I make THAT much anyway) I am a designer because I am an artist. A visionary. An idealist. And most of all, a creative professional. I make my living by creating works of art which make people think. I turn boring, drab business websites into pieces of art that can spring them into a creative set of mind. I am a designer because it is the field which appeals the most to me. And it’s something that I can do ethically. (more…)

When I got through the Canada-US border at Sweetgrass, Montana - I found that there was a very limited amount of businesses around the border. There was a duty free shop/gas station, a biker bar (I know this through the sign on the front of the bar that said “Welcome Bikers” and the references to places that are synonymous with biking such as Sturgis) that also served as a hotel and a café (the café was currently awaiting a new renter), a rest stop for travellers and another gas station next to the bar (which also served as a cafe). You would think, being near the Canada United States border, there’d be a bit more business given the traffic from the point of entry. This is bad news because none of the places here in Sweetgrass, have Internet access. This is a big problem because I could not post to my blog nor contact my girlfriend. (more…)

I don’t ask to be on other people’s blogrolls. While I think it would be nice to be on every blogger’s blogroll and I have no objection to being added or linked to - I just don’t think it’s appropriate to ask to be on another person’s blogroll. I only add people that I know to my blogroll and I mean know as in know in person. Does this mean that if you meet me at WWDC, SxSW or some other conference and if I like your content - I’ll add your blog? No. And asking in person just means I’ll be right there to look at you strangely and go “what the fuck?” I generally like people and I like to expose new and upcoming talent in all mediums. But I only add people that I know, like and know to write great and honest commentary on their blog. If I find your content worthwhile but I haven’t met you IRL - I’ll link in a post. Until then, just keep doing great work. You’ll get noticed. ^_^

I have a belief that certain businesses should definitely provide wireless Internet services to it’s clientele. These are businesses where it’s either expected of the business to carry wifi or it’s necessary based on the type of business and/or the clientele served by the business. Keep in mind that most of the businesses listed below provide services to people who MIGHT be travelling. Travellers may find it harder to find specific services in the area for which they are travelling without prior research.

Cafes and Coffee shops - All cafes and coffee shops should provide free wifi services to their clients. In fact, providing wireless Internet service is actually a staple to compete in the coffee shop business. It’s no longer solely based on the flavour of the beverages you serve anymore. But it stands to reason, coffee shops are mainly frequented for their ambience. They are pretty popular with business people and college students alike. There was a coffee shop in Lethbridge, Alberta I went to called the Penny Coffee Shop (I think) and while the hot chocolate was pretty steep on the price, it provided me the power to talk with my lovely Becca. This is invaluable. And I am pretty sure the services were well used by the many college students that walked into and out of the coffee shop.

Long-haul transit services - Companies such as Greyhound and Amtrak should provide wireless internet services simply due to the fact that they are long-haul transit providers. These should generally be provided in their customer lobbies for customers who are waiting copious amounts of time for things such as lay overs or a line change. Like, for an example - when you get to the end of the line for a route like Empire Builder in Portland, Oregon - it would be a great idea to provide wifi services while waiting for a train to take you on the rest of the route. And it would seem that for Amtrak, it would also be feasible to integrate it into the cars. I mean, they have found a way to integrate a snack bar into the transit service - how much harder could this be?

Motels - I don’t care what anyone says about this - wifi in motels is a NECESSITY. It allows you to remain in touch with your loved ones, friends, business associates and family. Therefore, to reduce the level of homesickness, it would definitely be a good idea to integrate wireless services into Motels. Most motels are picking up on this fast - the proof being that the smaller motels like O’Haire Manor Motel and Sherlock Motel in Shelby, Montana. But there are still motels like the nasty biker motel just out of the United States border in Sweetgrass, Montana.

Restaurants - Depending on your location and the nature of your clientele, this could go either way. Most likely, if this is just a family restaurant, this is not really a necessity. If this is a romantic kind of restaurant, you might want to stay as far away from providing wifi as possible. But if you get a lot of business people visiting your restaurant, do them a favour and provide wifi services in your restaurants. Your business will probably be frequented more by business people if you provide great food and a way to show a presentation without necessarily needing it onto their hard drive.

And to everyone else, think about your clientele and their needs carefully and you might find that it would actually be in your best interest to provide wireless internet to your clients.

A lot more people ride Amtrak than you normally think. I would never have guessed it’d be as many as there actually were on the train. But I’ve found the ride to be pretty sweet except for the lack of Internet access. And, compared to riding on Greyhound - it was actually quite pleasurable. And I’ll explain why in the following points. (more…)

I am afraid to say that due to the recent defamatory comments made by certain parties that appear to be very immature, I am going to have to request that commentators follow certain rules. These basically are the rules of courtesy, honesty and fair treatment of others. I have a few main points which must be followed. If you intend to comment, please read through them carefully, I typed them up and read them a few times to ensure they communicated some very important concerns here. (more…)

With my temporary return to the United States, this blog is American once again, oh so sadly. But the good news is that it won’t be long, because I will be heading to the United Kingdom within the next two months. I am already working to try to get a job there and head out to see my lovely girlfriend, Becca. My ultimate goal is to get a job in London, get to London and live in London - near or with my wonderful girlfriend, Becca. Please note - however - this does not mean that I want to be called American or am in agreement with the policies of the United States government, the Bush Administration or any part of the United States government which is evil. I just want to make a few things exceptionally clear: (more…)

Yes, that is right - I use Apple’s series of tools available to Mac users for US$100 a year. There are a great number of reasons behind this and I am willing to explain them all in great detail. They range from secure instant messaging, superior back up services, synchronization between other Macintosh computers and IMAP-based e-mail account. I use those services mainly but there are other services which I use just because I can and I have found good uses for them. (more…)

(You can find a video report of Day 1 at Revver and at Spymac) So, I had to evacuate Canada because my asshole landlord Shush threatened to have me deported. So I rushed to try to gather what personal effects I absolutely needed. This included toothbrushes, toothpaste, my laptop, a couple of books that I’d really like to have and a few articles of clothing. Even then, I had a hard time managing getting out off the house without breaking a piece off of my luggage. Fortunately, I could get someone to get me to Highway 2 from Falton Drive. (more…)