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bookmark_borderPlaces I have stayed during my travels across North America

Posted on by PAO Productions
(Updated on June 6, 2024)

This is a listing of recommended lodgings in various cities across the United States and Canada, based on my own personal experiences. This is most definitely not a listing of every motel or other property I have ever stayed in, and I am also leaving out certain properties that I have stayed in multiple times as they are not necessarily places I would recommend to other travelers (some are borderline dives or in borderline seedy areas, for instance). When booking a place to stay, my main considerations are cost, convenience, cleanliness, and the area the property is in - amenities such as free breakfasts, gyms, laundry facilities, in suite coffee makers, and room service are not priorities of mine. The goal is always to find as inexpensive a room as possible while not ending up in a dive or in an area where I don't want to go outside at night.

Continue reading "Places I have stayed during my travels across North America"

bookmark_borderMy music collection

Posted on by PAO Productions
I'm going to express an increasingly unpopular opinion here: I like having my music on physical media. Even though most people I know have turned largely to streaming their music instead of buying CDs or other physical formats, I prefer the physical option for a number of reasons. One is simply the visceral nature of it - you don't get the same thrill of the search and eventual discovery of something in a brick and mortar store if you're just searching online through a bunch of streamable titles. You don't get the satisfaction or appreciation of being able to hold it in your hands, read through the liner notes, look at the photos, etc. Streaming, contrary to popular belief, is not as good for the artists when it comes to compensation as most people think. Continue reading "My music collection"

bookmark_borderOriginal shout outs

Posted on by PAO Productions
One of the main goals of the recent site revamp was to bring the site's purpose and philosophy into clearer focus, both in the site's reason for being and in its actual under the hood design and organization. A huge mess of code was tamed, with a lot of redundancy being eliminated. One of the casualties of this process was the original "Shout Outs" page, which I made the decision to axe after failing to find a way to integrate it into the new design philosophy. However, as these comments represent the earliest feedback and encouragement I received, I didn't want them to end up lost to history. So here they are, as a historical record of the early days of P.A.O. Productions. Continue reading "Original shout outs"

bookmark_borderWebsite retooling and redesign

Posted on by PAO Productions
I've started working on version 3.0 of the website, shifting focus away from the local arts and music scene and orienting the site back toward its original purpose of serving as a showcase for my interests, activities, and projects. This new orientation better reflects where I am planning to take things from a creative standpoint in the days to come, as I move away from earlier (largely fruitless) attempts to encourage growth of the local scene and instead concentrate on developing my skills in other pursuits. This change has been a long time coming, but I was not able to get to it due to a combination of lethargy and lots of hours spent working the day job (spoiler: I am now debt free!). Continue reading "Website retooling and redesign"