Welcome to BrooksVanNorman.com. I’m the first to admit that I’m not sure yet where this blog is going yet. Maybe that’s a good thing… It started out as an experiment to try my hand at some basic coding skills I’ve been working on, video and photo editing and a personal laboratory for search optimization theories.

While this is still those things, it seems that some folks are enjoying the content…so it is slowly becoming a blog about my sometimes useful, but mostly regular life as an amateur photographer, technology fanatic, lover of good wine (usually red) and cigars, premium Tequila (only 100% agave), over eater of great food, traveller and lover of hot cars.

I like to review stuff and share my opinions of those experiences I’ve enjoyed with people, places and material things.

I currently live in the most amazing place north of the US-Canada border and the only true desert climate in Canada, Kelowna, BC. This produces some great wine and amazing weather and attracts some really cool people I’m lucky enough to call friends.

It’s been difficult for me to stay away from a computer since my uncle bought me a 386 IBM clone in grade 10. It was a great follow up to the Atari, the Colecovision and the Commodore64. While getting familiar with the computer, I failed algebra 11 three times and then decided algebra wasn’t going to work for me.

As luck would have it, computer science was just being offered as graduation eligible credit. I enrolled and passed computer science 11 with high marks after writing my first program in Pascal which produced the highly original on-screen output of “Hello World”, thus allowing me to graduate high school and become permanently addicted to all kinds of technology.

That experience taught me a few valuable lessons which I never forget: 1. When you are failing, it’s usually because you’re not leveraging your passions or you’re doing something for the wrong reasons. 2. Don’t quit, because success is usually closer than you think. 3. If the original flight plan isn’t working, be ready to change direction - there’s always another way and you’ll get there eventually.

At this point, my blog is not a commercial enterprise: It is a hobby and I’m really enjoying it. One day I may join the fray of monetizing my blog, but for now, Brooksfield Technologies Inc. is my consulting company that pays the bills.

If you have any questions, comments or subjects you’d like me to consider writing about, you can reach me here. Thanks for visiting.

~Brooks Van Norman