AIRT Seminar Evaluation Results

Here's what attendees from my November 3, 2006 "Advanced Internet Research Techniques" presentation in Victoria wrote about my seminar. These are their actual, complete, and unedited comments. Thanks to Kali Beck, Professional Development Assistant of the Certified General Accountants of British Columbia for providing the information.

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EVENT: Regional PD Victoria
DATE & TIME: November 3, 2006 8:30am-12:00pm
SEMINAR: Advanced Internet Research Techniques
SPEAKERS: Garrett Wasny
VENUE: Harbour Towers Hotel
Registered 26# participants 24# of which completed appraisal forms


Overall comments and suggestions:

- Entertaining, but full of information. Kept our attention throughout.
- This was most useful because I am not party of Public Practice and other courses are too specified.
- Excellent speaker, tons of fun, refreshing for a CGA seminar. Very knowledgeable.
- Wow! 20+ hours of info in 3 ½. Excellent, informative, helpful!
- Off the wall, but very valuable content.
- Great session really enjoyed it.
- Topic was very interesting!
- Need more time.


Personal quotes from members:

- Harvey Coomber- “One of the most useful and entertaining presentations I’ve ever attended.”
- Kelvin Kum- “Speaker’s enthusiasm and sense of humour made for a lively and enjoyable seminar.”
- Charles Graff- “ Entertaining transfer of knowledge.”

Vancouver GPS Party

I just purchased my first GPS device and here's my first project: a brief video which tracks the locations of my cousin, three friends and myself on the evening of December 15, 2006. Our stops included a downtown condo, a Commercial Drive retail outlet, a Coquitlam liquor store, a Burnaby movie studio party, a police checkstop, a West Van mansion, and a Yaletown townhouse. Please note: even though the itinerary included stops at a liquot store, at no time was anyone driving a vehicle under the influence. We took a friend's car to the party and he drive there. I drove back since I was the designated driver. Actually, I'm ALWAYS the designated driver since I don't drink or do drugs, ever.

February 22, 2007 AIRT Presentation

Just announced: I'll be delivering my next Internet research seminar early in 2007. Details:

Seminar Title: ADVANCED INTERNET RESEARCH TECHNIQUES

Date: February 22, 2007

Time: 9AM - 12:30PM

Location: Four Seasons Hotel, Vancouver, BC

Sponsor: Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia

Cost for ICABC Members: $195

Cost for Non-Members: $235

Click here to register: pdreg@ica.bc.ca

Phone: 1.800.663.2677

New Garrett Wasny Business Card

Here's my new business card that I designed myself and had copied in a Vancouver print shop. A little different, you say? Absolutely!

Virtually every business card I've ever seen is boring, boring, boring. Lame logo. Tiny lettering. Fancy but meaningless title which screams "I'm so important."

Not me. I wanted to have fun with my card and make it truly memorable.

December 10 Ride

Today, I rode to Wreck Beach and back, a four-hour ride. The day was perfect for cycling -- minimal wind, no rain, and mild temperatures. What a great way to get exercise.

Here I am the beach with the Pacific Ocean in the background. In mid-December, the place is deserted. On a hot summer day, the scene is completely different. Thousands flock to these shores and it's a sight to behold.

Celebrity spotting: I saw David Suzuki on Point Grey Road during my ride. Depending on your politics, that may be a good thing or a bad thing. He was walking with a female acquaintance and laughing loudly at something or another.

December 3 Mountain Bike Adventure

One of the great things about living in Vancouver is that you can go mountain biking year round. On Sunday, December 3 -- like I do most Sundays -- I pedalled my two-wheeler on the Seawall around Coal Harbour, Stanley Park, False Creek, Science World, Granville Island and back again. The mountain, forest and ocean views are simply spectacular and I never get tired of this experience even though I've done it hundreds of times.

The pic is a shot of me in Stanley Park just before I took a tumble from my bike. Vancouver got hit with a blast of snow this past week -- unusual for this time of year -- and the bike trail was covered with ice. Going down a short pitch, I lost control and went flying. Thankfully, I was moving slow so no damage was done (although I'm thankful I was wearing my helmet).

Rain or shine, cold or hot, mountain biking is one of my favourite pastimes, and I'm truly fortunate to be living in a city with so many fantastic year-round bike trails and cycling opportunities.

Motion Graphics For Simon Winthrop Auto Industry Corporate Event

On December 1, 2006, I created a series of brief motion graphic sequences for Simon Winthrop, a Las Vegas-based magician. The sequences will be used as part of Simon's upcoming magic show for a corporate client in the automotive industry.

The sequences are about 20 seconds in length and feature particle effects against a black background. The videos are designed especially for display on a hologram machine -- a special video projection unit that produces three-dimensional holographic images which look amazingly cool in person. Please note that the sequences have no audio: they are visuals only and include no music or sound effects.



I've had the sincere pleasure of working with Simon Winthrop for the past year or so, and he is an absolutely extraordinary world-class performer and person. He flies around the globe performing magic for the mega-rich and famous and lives a life most of us can only dream of. Go here to see a video of Simon perform a spectacular mind-reading trick to an enthralled audience in Bangalore, India.