The personal site and rant archive of Brad Leclerc

I’ve always had a problem with motivation. I have a hard time getting up in the morning, I am annoyed at having to do just about anything related to physical labor (for decent personal reasons, but still…), and just generally find that I am very quick to start a project, and even quicker to get bored by it and move on.

I mention this because lately I’ve been really trying to end that cycle, and in an effort to get my ass in gear and used to meeting some deadlines (not to mention pulling in some much needed extra cash), I’ve decided to join DemandStudios. Hopefully I can push myself into the habit of getting off my proverbial ass (getting off my literal ass would be counter-productive in this case), and get some writing done…and hopefully make a few bucks in the process. Hell, if it works out nicely, it might even end up being the shove I need to get out of my day job and back to working online full-time. Ya never know…

As for DemandStudios itself, I’m not entirely sure what I think about it yet. Too early to tell. I’m about to pick my first article to write for them and see how that goes. Once I have a few articles behind me I’ll write up my thoughts on the whole thing, but for now at least it seems somewhat promising. And hell, if Deb Ng from Freelance Writing Gigs thinks they’re alright, they can’t be ALL bad. So I’m willing to give it a go at least and see what happens.

Thought I would test the WP Android app a little. So far it seems pretty solid, if a bit basic given that I could just use the web interface. Still though…cool stuff indeed.

The last little while I’ve been trying to seriously expand on my online profile and doing some guest posting in different places (most recently on xfep.com and bloggingpro.com), and it’s a lot of fun. Haven’t had much response to the posts yet, but being fairly new to the world of “problogging” that is to be expected really.

If you need/want someone to guest post on your blog, or know someone who does, I’m always looking for more opportunities to get my writing out there.

And in other news, the TV Gawker podcast has begun! The first episode was a blast to record, even though talkshoe did boot me out near the end. We even had a live listener, which was an unexpected bonus for the first episode, and hopefully we’ll get even more people listening live next time. It’s fun getting the instant feedback and ideas from people listening live.

Use the player below to listen to the first episode, or go to tvgawker.com for more details…

The next episode will be recorded on Friday the 13th, at 3pm EST, come join us if you’re around.

A couple days ago a good friend of mine released a premium wordpress theme called “WPUnlimited“. Here’s the description directly from the site…

If you’re looking for the ultimate WordPress Theme – you’ve come to the right place! WPUnlimited is a theme like no other. With advanced features like Easy SEO optimization, AdSense integration, and complete theme Customization there is no other theme out there quite like WP Unlimited.

That’s a pretty serious claim, but after playing with it for a while now, I have to agree.

For starters, it’s packed with an insane amount of features built in. Including several that would normally require plugin’s, such as SEO tools and adsense integration as mentioned above, as well as others like social media buttons. It’s hard to say exactly how much faster the theme runs due to the integration of these features rather than relying on plugins for everything, but it does at least apear to me to load pages a bit quicker than most themes I’ve tested.

The actual install is pretty standard, and the only issue I came up against during the install was making sure all the plugins I had were turned off to start, since some of their functions were built into the theme and can clash with pre-installed plugins.

The default design of the theme is clean and easy on the eyes, and the functionality that’s been built in really makes it a very nice theme even without the customization options, but those customizations are where WPUnlimited really outshines any other theme I’ve tried. You can change just about every visual aspect of the theme, from how many sidebars to have and where you want them, to all of the colours for every part of the theme. For any idea of just how customizable the design is, and without touching a bit of code I might add, check out this video. Or go here to visit the site, and click on “demo” to see many more video previews of the theme.

WP Unlimited “Design” Tutorial from WPUnlimited on Vimeo.

Now, it is a premium theme, but considering the customization options, you could easily use it on a multitude of sites and have them look COMPLETELY different, without any knowledge of php or coding in general, assuming you go for the developer license, which (and this will of course sound like a line…and it IS, even though it’s true) is actually a pretty good deal if you’re looking to build multiple sites, or have multiple layout/theme options for a site. At $150 for the developer license, it’s not the cheapest around, nor the most expensive, but it is the best value I’ve seen in a premium WordPress theme. And actually, $59 for the single license is a pretty good way to allow for site updates and changes to the design via the massive customization options if you just have one site but don’t want to get stuck with a single design.

All in all a great premium theme, with massive customization potential (WITHOUT any coding needed), and a backed by a dedicated support team, some of whom I know personally and trust thoroughly.

This is really sounding like an ad more than anything now I suppose, but the point is, the theme is great, so if you’re looking for something that will last you a long time, and have the potential to change with you, rather than you getting a new theme every time you want a change, check out WPUnlimited. I’ve started using it on one my sites, and it will likely end up being my theme of choice for several more in the very near future.

Oh, and as an added bonus, they have an affiliate program setup with 40% commision, so if you link a few people to it that end up buying the theme, it pays for itself. Not a bad deal at all.

Well it looks like the TVGawker.com podcast is a go. I have a co-host, and we are gearing up to start producing an episode every wednesday night through talkshoe.com, and you’ll be able to find out everything you ever need/want about it over on TVGawker.com later today.

Now I just have to figure out what to do about the zombiejesus.ca podcast, and I’ll be all set. Fun times!

As for the obsession, I’m completely in love with Twitter again, thanks entirely to TweetDeck. It just makes using twitter SO damn easy and organized (which is the biggest problem I’ve run into with as many people as I follow).

It does admittedly take up a lot of screen real estate to really be at it’s best (though you CAN make it fairly small, it’s not nearly as useful), but with a large monitor, or in my case, an extra monitor (I’m up to 3 on my main system now, it still doesn’t seem like enough for all the multitasking I like to do) it works wonderfully.

I’d highly suggest it to anyone like me who follows a lot of people on twitter and just can’t seem to keep up with everything, as it allows you to organize people into groups, shows you all @ replies to you no matter where in the message the @ is (unlike most twitter clients), and is just PACKED with greatness. If you’ve got a bit of screen space to spare for it, it’s well worth a look. Cali Lewis over at geekbrief.tv has a great little TweetDeck tutorial to start you out on some of the best features, check it out below.

Now I’m off to find some breakfast and check the twitterstream.

I recently moved back to Canada (from the US, where I had been for a while), and as I’m settling back in, I’m slowly returning to the world of blogging/podcasting/etc. I’m actually gearing up to start TWO brand-new podcasts in the next week or 2. One based around TVGawker.com related to television (of course…), and one for ZombieJesus.ca, which will be a skeptical/science sorta thing. I really enjoy podcasting, and figure it’s time to push myself into that world with both feet. So look for those in the next 2 weeks. I’ll be sure to post an update here once they are going.

The only issue with the podcast projects I’m having is trying to decide on a way to add a live recording session to allow listeners to chat and/or call-in during the recording. There are a few good services for that (talkshoe and blogtalkradio are the first that come to mind), but I just can’t decide. Decisions, decisions, decisions. Any recommendations or suggestions would be greatly apreciated.

In added news, my good friend David Peralty has released a great new wordpress theme system packed with a nearly litteral ton of features, so check that out right over here, and you can find a demo of the theme right here (scroll down a bit to find some great walkthrough videos of some of the features). I haven’t had a chance to try it out yet, but from the demo and videos it looks pretty amazing. Once I’ve had a chance to really poke it around I’ll write a full review.

Over the weekend I officially took over tvgawker.com, and I’ll be posting there more and more now. I even have a podcast in the works, and a special surprise that will go public on December first. Fun times all around. If you like TV (and hate all the craptastic junk they put on TV these days) then check it out. I’m a picky bastard when it comes to TV, so I tend to dislike a lot of the crappy shows these days…but it’s not all negativity and complaining, I assure you. I hope to build TV Gawker into something glorious.

I’ve also posted about an insane story about a journalist who was sentenced to two years in a Burmese prison for taking photos over at DSLRBlog.com, and I’m really enjoying writing over there. Expect a lot more action on that site as well as I ramp up my online activity over the next little while.

I’m really liking this whole blogging thing…and I’ve got a small pile of projects that I have yet to start (or in the case of the Vinecast, to completely reboot into something hopefully amazing). Busy busy busy.

Oh, and my good friend David Peralty has relaunched a site that has lay dormant for quite a while this weekend too. It’s called Alt Sci-Fi. It’s all about science fiction, and he’ll also be starting up a podcast to go with it. So far it’s looking pretty interesting (and high on the “geek” scale…which I consider a good thing). He’s even got a poll going about whether Captain Kirk from Star Trek or Colonal Jack O’Neill from Stargate SG-1 would win in a fight. And yes…that’s me with the long-winded and rationalized comment. I can’t help it, I’m THAT much of a geek. For better or worse.

One last thing. I’m currently broke as all hell, and getting everything that needs doing done would be a LOT easier if I had a laptop to work on while I’m out of the house. So If anyone out there can spare a buck or two for my laptop fund (in the side bar there), I’d be able to get into serious “get shit done” mode all the quicker. Thanks in advance!

So BarCampPhilly is tomorrow. This should be interesting. Never been to a BarCamp, or any such convention. Other than getting up disgustingly early to drive into Philly in the morning it should be fun times. Expect plenty of twitter action(hash tag #bcphilly) from me tomorrow as I obsessively cling to my trusted Nokia n810 (which I tend to refer to as “Ziggy”, because I’m just that sort of geek).

Looks like there are a lot of great people going tomorrow, if you’re one of them, drop me a line and we’ll do lunch…always wanted to say that.

For now I’m off to charge Ziggy’s spare battery and pack by camera case…it’s time for some adventuring out into “the big room” (that’s “outside” for you crazy “normal” people out there).

Today has been a good day. Not only did the Vinecast receive some donations that will allow it to continue (and expand!) for at least the next couple months, but I landed a blogging gig on one of Chris Garrett‘s smaller sites, DSLRBlog.com. So I’ll be writting on there hopefully for a while. It’s giving me a great incentive to get back into photography…been a while since I’ve dealt with photography at all. Time to dust off the old Nikon and pack the camera bag again! My first post went up earlier today, and can be found right over here.

It’s interesting hunting for online writing jobs. I’m hoping to get 2 or 3 other similar gigs going in the near future to try to pull in a bit of money…mostly for use in expanding my personal projects that aren’t profitable (or in some cases, started) yet.

All in all it’s been an interesting few days meeting people and getting used to “selling” myself, which is not something I’m used to doing.