Earthbound Papas

So last night my girlfriend and I finally got our first experience of attending a convention. Admittedly, it wasn't exactly spectacular as far as booths and that stuff was concerned. It seemed like it was mostly local artists and a lot of clothes. And there was quite a few people out and about in cosplay (we passed a rather large group of Batman characters out front) and there were some pretty good ones too.

But that isn't why we went as I suspect was the case with the majority of the people there.

Let me just say that the moment my eyes even saw the card promoting the event and saw the name NOBUO UEMATSU, it was done. If I had to quit my job and attend the event by myself, I think I just would have. The man himself would be attending and performing? Excuse me for saying but... fucking sold!

I admit though, I hadn't heard of his group called the Earthbound Papas until this point. Where they like the Black Mages? I had no clue and frankly I didn't really care at this point. I was going and that was that!

Back to the point of last night, the performance was goddamn awesome! By the time they had taken the stage, I think both of my feet were going a little numb and tingly from having stood up through both the sets prior. But man, the energy up front by these guys was insane and at more then a few points, I thought the floor would cave in.

What was so much more awesome to me was the looks and every one of those people's faces, including Nobuo, will forever be ingrained in my memory. I have never seen a group of people who genuinely looked like they loved exactly what they were doing at that very moment. The smiles on their faces was so cool to see and it showed every minute that they performed.

All in all, it was all worth it and I think it was as close to having a religious experience as I think I will ever experience in my life. It was just that damn good to me. I would absolutely see them again should they return to Honolulu.

Keeping Up With The Times

I'm not exactly one to keep up with current trends, I admit that I do get a little caught up in certain new technologies. I suppose it goes the way of new video games and the like, in that I just get hyped up on something as being the most awesome thing of it's moment. I cannot help myself! Anyway... to be more specific, new phones are a point of weakness for me right now...

Personally, I think we are leaning towards the iPhone 5S rather then it's colorful kin. For myself, I do like the look of the 5S better and it sounds as though that device is a much more powerful beast. Besides that, little did anyone in my household realize that our phones were, in fact, up for an upgrade. But then I guess that is just wishful thinking and plays really to the favor of the phone company. Our upgrading of tech will ensure that they've got us for another 2 years.

Hmm...

Of course the trouble with new tech, especially Apple products, is the pre-ordering madness that ensues. I've heard the stories of their stuff being sold out for weeks on end. I doubt it ever got quite as bad as the Nintendo Wii back in the day, but anyway... yes, it would seem as if we will be entering this fray very, very soon.

Back From The Dead

While I always dislike having to start off a post with hey! It's been a while... but isn't that the truth? Yet again? But just so much going on in all aspects of life these days that I just have not made the time to write. Poor excuse, yes? But there are a few things which I am very excited for and I swear the month of November will be a doozy.

First off, we are going to our very first convention in the beginning of November (Oni-Con), which should be an interesting experience I'm sure. But that isn't the big deal or rather, there is a very big reason why this one is going to be our first outing.

The Earthbound Papas

Nobuo Uematsu will be here! Performing! With his group the Earthbound Papas! Okay, to be honest I didn't realize he had another group. I've only heard of the Black Mages, but this is beside the point. It was always a hope of mine to be able to attend a Nobuo Uemetsu performance and while it isn't the Distant Worlds showing, I will take this opportunity very graciously for sure. There will also be an autograph signing after, but I imagine that will likely be a mad house.

Of course in the month of November is also the releasing of the rest of the next generation of gaming consoles. Despite having been pretty firmly in the Microsoft camp throughout the PS3/Xbox 360 generation, I have to say I'm with the PS4 come this November. The deciding factor for me was not just how poorly they communicated how the Xbox One would function, but also just the overall direction of where they are going with it all. I'm just not interested in a console with other entertainment options which I cannot even use without having to spend more on buying more services.

As for the PS4, well...

While a lot of games that have caught my eye are for both consoles, there was one that helped me to decide which console was the one for me. The game? inFAMOUS: Second Son. If this game actually takes the best parts of inFAMOUS 2 and makes it even better, then this game will be beyond awesome in my book.

Of course I cannot mention the next generation without saying a little something about Kingdom Hearts III! Like its about damn time perhaps? I originally thought that the game play would look as it did in the video from E3. But apparently that is not so. Still, if they can get it to look that good and still keep the style that made the previous main games fun to play... again, beyond awesome.

Oh and Final Fantasy XV! While this, too, looks awesome... I'm just hoping the game gets released before I hit old age. The thing I'm wondering about is this: How does this play? And if it'll really be more open then Final Fantasy XIII? Please, no more linear maps! And no characters I wish to throw off a cliff!

I suppose that last part is more a personal preference than anything huh?

One last gaming bit to share: I've gotten into playing Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. I am/was pleasantly surprised that the game was not like Final Fantasy XI. The level grind isn't anywhere near as brutal as FFXI, which is nice. And the fact that you can generally solo a good deal of quests and what not is an absolute plus for me.

To cap off the month of November, we will also be seeing our very first live comedy show with Gabriel Iglesias. Always thought his shows were funny and now we'll get to find out for ourselves if he is so or just the product of good editing. Wow that sounded pretty gloomy? Be really, I am hoping the show will be as awesome as his specials are on TV.

Well that is it for now. Maybe more again soon...?

Oblivion

Just got to watch Oblivion this afternoon and I have to say that it just does not disappoint. Visually stunning and the story, while there are a couple of predictable moments, still manages enough twists to keep the story alive until the very end.

And as it tends to happen, I also enjoyed the mess out of the soundtrack!

In all honesty, I was afraid that this movie would end up being much the way Prometheus was (visually stunning also, but ultimately bland). Let me stress this point: It is far from it! What else can I say? This one is very much worth the time and money to see.

Times Are A-Changin'

Oops! So writing here is still few and far between, but I guess the "bug" to write just never quite came back to me. I suppose I have just been too distracted these days and as the title plainly states, things have begun to change around me. The question remains: Will I adapt? Or get lost in the shuffle?

I think life is becoming a little overwhelming, just trying to keep up with the events of the world and just the stuff happening in everyday life is just so much to deal with. It is chaotic! I find myself trying to sort it all out to be able to make as educated a guess as I can. But more often then not, I don't put enough thought into it and screw up.

Story of my life.

It is fair to say that I am an impulsive person, who tends to fly by the seat of my pants. As my Mom so often told me, I like to screw up first and then learn. I never "think smarter," which tends to have me putting in much more effort into a task then necessary  Some would say that mistakes are key in life and I know I've made my share in the short time I've been alive.

But now it feels like the wheels are in motion and life, having passed me by for these past many years, has circled around and is pushing me forward. Am I ready to move? As much as I'd love to stop and think (procrastinate), it would seem as though that is not to be the case anymore.

The point of all this being... I don't really know. This is stepping into the vast unknown without a flashlight. So honestly, for the first time in a long time, I'm afraid of what lies ahead. All I can do is take the leap, hope for the best and pray I made the right choices when this is all said and done.

Fire Emblem

Admittedly, the Fire Emblem series has been one that I've not followed all that closely over the years. Maybe it was overkill from other strategy RPG type games (Disgaea). Mostly the thought that deaths in these games was actually death for these characters and that kind of scared me away from it. I had some experience into this matter with Final Fantasy Tactics. There were quite a few battles restarted to save a fallen friend.

But this newest entry into the series, Fire Emblem Awakening, sure looked interesting to me.

So I scoured the Internet for info, trying to find out what this game was all about (besides the permadeath). What I found only increased my interest in the game tenfold! But it comes out on Monday! This Monday! Surely that gives me enough time to reserve this!

I was wrong.

Apparently my local GameStop has been sold out of reservations from a couple of weeks ago. From what I've heard, they are even saying they are not sure if they will even get any more copies beyond what was reserved. Really?

So now the anxious game of hunting down a copy of this game begins. Surely there cannot be that few copies? While the world would not end if it were true, I would certainly be one very disappointed gamer.

The Space Between

I promised myself that I would try to at least write a little more often again, if only just to keep myself sane. Well that didn't quite work itself out now did it? But here we are, already into February and... where exactly did January go? I could have sworn it was just here a minute ago. Funny how that pesky time manages to slip by me so often.

But all in all, I have been trying to keep it together as it goes and that seems to occupy a great chunk of my time these days. I think mostly because my back continues to deteriorate as the days have gone by and that is a major source of fear for me. What bothers me is that I don't know how to stop it or slow it down. It just seems to be getting worse. Well, maybe I do have a few ideas on how to change but I am too stupid and stubborn to do it. But I know that I have to do something about it soon or else things are bound to get a lot worse and that is somewhere I don't want to ever be.

Lately I have been passing time by watching a great deal of "survivor" reality shows (but not Survivor itself. Is that still around?) and it is kind of enlightening. My poisons of choice recently has been Man vs Wild and Dual Survival.

Oh and Elementary, which is not a survival show, but the modern twist on the Sherlock Holmes characters. Fun show. It is just a little frustrating with the numerous breaks the show has come across since it started last year, but for me? It has certainly been worth the wait so far.

I'll write a little more later on, my back is starting to bug me and my legs are getting sore enough that it is getting a little "jumpy." I am definitely not looking forward to getting any older.

Side note: I forgot it is the first of the month and they test the emergency siren alert system... thing. The siren was a bit longer then I remember it, should that be a cause for concern? No, no I'm not checking Twitter or various local news websites just to be safe. What am I, paranoid?

Yes I am.