P.A.O. Productions
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So, about me: A definite night owl. I like to hang out in coffee shops and late-night restaurants having intelligent conversations with those who have something to say. I have taken multiple road trips across the U.S. and Canada by car. I read and collect antiquarian books and magazines and like a wide variety of musical styles, mostly rock, but also 1920s-era jazz and pop, a bit of swing, big band, disco, classical, older R&B and soul, and old-style country, among other things. In my free time I enjoy scouring thrift stores and yard sales for used and discarded items for restoration/repurposing.
More to the point: I have worked with various local musicians and spoken word artists, and I helped run an open mic at Bill's Records for a little over a year from 2010-2011. I am looking ahead to future avocations involving programming, volunteering, and restoration and archival of old media. This site chronicles all of my current and prior pursuits.
Things I've done: I drafted what was to have been the first part of a novel from 2001-2002 and self-published a photography chapbook in late 2003. I was a regular attendee and two-time fill-in host at an open mic held at a local record store from 2002-2004, and later the co-operator of a successor open mic from 2010-2011, as well as the driving force behind a performance CD put out to promote it in late 2010. I have made video and sound recordings of local poets and musicians and have taken tens of thousands of photographs of mostly local rock bands since 2007 using both film and digital cameras. I have visited or set foot in 48 of the 50 U.S. states and eight Canadian provinces during various road trips. I acted (very) briefly in an aborted independent movie production called tOUCHED, and once wore a black jumpsuit and mask and jumped out in front of people under a strobe light as an actor in a haunted house. Over the years, I've been an aspiring comic book artist, musician, amateur videographer, indie movie extra, programmer, photographer, solo traveler, and corporate employee in good standing. Early in 2007, I decided it was time I did something creative for a change, hence this website.
Miscellaney: I oppose infant circumcision and other medically and ethically unjustifiable procedures. I have a large collection of recorded music and movies. I like hiking, road trips, photography, spicy foods, flea markets, live music, retro gaming review videos, historical and tech documentaries, silent/classic movies and films, pre-Enterprise and pre-J.J. Abrams Star Trek, Linux, and intelligent people.
Whom I'd like to meet: People with integrity. People with interesting things to say over late night coffee. People who don't buy into stupid conspiracy theories and propaganda.
Photo by Elizabeth Goodwin
Behind the Scenes Photos of me in various places or at work on various projects.
Local CD collection My collection of local music releases from the DFW area, as well as those from artists across the state.
Non-local/indie CD collection My collection of independent music releases picked up during my various travels, or from out of town bands passing through town.
Collection of self-published works by local authors Publications acquired from spoken word performers from my days as part of the local open mic scene.
Past events I've attended A full list of shows I've attended over the years, excepting most open mics.
Miscellaneous writings Some miscellaneous writings from way back in the day.
FAQ Frequently asked questions about me.
The Internet Archive (archive.org) The premier non-profit digital library of books, motion pictures, music, software, and archived web history. Home of the Wayback Machine.
Photo by Lilly Penhall
Bill's Records & Tapes A longtime denizen and supporter of the independent music scene, Bill Wisener and Bill's Records & Tapes were a fixture of the Dallas community for decades. Bill and Bill's Records were forever immortalized in the 2005 Jeff Liles documentary The Last Record Store, and the store was the host venue for the Lost Art Open Mic, which I helped run from 2010-2011.
Bootleg Zone Fantastic online reference for bootleg albums, including track listings, descriptions, and scans of artwork and packaging. It also includes an entire section devoted to The Beatles. (Currently down due to a major server disaster, but here's hoping it's back up again soon!)
Celtic Colours International Festival A yearly festival of Celtic and Celtic-inspired music, taking place across Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island each October and featuring performers from all over the world.
DFW Coffee Group Take it from the group's own description: "We're a comfortable diverse group of people who like to meet, have lots of conversation, relax and enjoy a cup of coffee at different fine establishments in the DFW area."
DVD Beaver Reviews and comparisons of DVD and Blu-ray releases. Notably, this site features comparisons of different releases of films across regions and manufacturers.
Dynamic Range Database A repository of dynamic range ratings for thousands of album releases, geared toward audiophiles.
The 8-Bit Guy YouTube channel for The 8-Bit Guy, a DFW area enthusiast of retro computing.
Emmeline A consummate performer, pianist, singer/songwriter, and host of the weekly radio show and podcast Journey of a Song on Deep Ellum Radio. See my interview with Emmeline and the Lost Art Open Mic for videos I took of her.
First Monday Trade Days in Canton A Texas-sized flea market, located about 60 miles east of Dallas, which takes place the weekend before the first Monday of every month.
Half Price Books A favorite place for used books, movies, and music.
happycow.net Great online resource for locating vegetarian, vegan, and veg-friendly restaurants and food stores.
Josey Records North Dallas area source for music, movies, and books, and the refuge of much of the former inventory of the late, great Bill's Records.
Lost Art Open Mic The open mic I helped run for thirteen months in 2010 and 2011.
Oddity Archive Online compendium of audiovisual oddware and ephemera, also featured on YouTube.
Alex Pangman Canada's Sweetheart of Swing, a jazz singer I've followed since 2000, and whom I had the pleasure of meeting in Toronto in April 2014.
Project Gutenberg Online resource with over 60,000 free, downloadable ebooks.
The Reservoir Lounge Toronto's signature club for live jazz.
The San Francisco Silent Film Festival If you're in the San Francisco area, you should check this out. How often do you get to see silent films on a big screen?
Photo by Opalina Salas
sfdebris.com Reviews of (mostly) science fiction related programs such as Star Trek, Doctor Who, and Battlestar Galactica.
silentera.com I'm an unashamed aficionado of silent films. Here you can find information on dozens and dozens of silent film releases on DVD, VHS, and Blu-ray, as well as a database of silent actors and film preservation status.
The Silent Film Channel (YouTube) YouTube channel featuring many full-length silent films available for viewing.
Townsends YouTube channel YouTube channel featuring hundreds of videos related to 18th century living, cooking, and general lifestyle.
Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill Jazz club/bar located in the old part of Montreal, Quebec. A must visit place in the city.
Ubuntu Desktop My Linux distro of choice, as a Windows expat.
The Young Turks Independent media for progressives.