It's Time

Well it is time I simply let you all know that I am no longer playing Eve. No really, for real. I'm not. I also have decided that it is time for me to move on from this blog that has given me so much entertainment while I did play. Two years, two-hundred posts, two-hundred-thousand pageviews and an immeasurable amount of fun are what I am taking away from this. I really do want to thank everyone who helped make it what it was. To anyone who gives a shit, I am moving over to a blog where I can write about all sorts of stuff, not just Eve-Online. To anyone who doesn't give a shit, I don't care and I never liked you anyhow.

Thanks everyone and please feel free to stay in touch via any of the many forms of internet communication that I am available on.

A Boy Named Ring

PAX East 2010 (Day 3)

NOTICE: THIS IS AN OUTLINE OF A POST I WAS GOING TO MAKE. MY HEART HASN'T BEEN IN IT WHICH IS WHY MY PAX EAST POSTS HAVE SUCKED. I WANTED TO FINISH THE THREE PARTER AND AT LEAST SHARE THE PICTURES SO HERE IS THE BARELY OUTLINED POST I WAS GOING TO MAKE:

P.S. THE IPHONE TAKES REALLY FUCKING SHITTY PICTURES. SORRY.

Expo Hall

Saw lots of stuff - guitar music game shit, nintendo DS XL, picross 3d, dantes inferno, behemoth booth, nvidia 3d booth, APB, indie games

Closing Ceremony - Omegathon Finals

Omegathon final challenge - video game relay with SMB1, Rad Racer, Tetris and Contra

Legal Seafood

Clam Chowder is tasty

Hotel Bar, Other Nerds and Fluxx

blah blah

Final Thoughts

+ Boston is nicer than Seattle, Omegathon finals were great, Wil Wheaton was great, Musical performances were fanfuckingtastic, con organizers are very visible and accessible

- Expo hall isnt as good as Seattle, expo hall wasn't as good this year, 6-months in between doesn't make it feel quite as fresh, i got fucking sick, 3 days isn't enough time - make the con 4 days long

Additional Pictures

PAX East 2010 (Day 2)

Bill Amend

I was too lazy to get up and go to it, but Bill Amend had a panel early on Saturday morning. While I was still sleeping, my wife attended and got a couple of books signed:

PICTURE OF SIGNED BOOK
COMING EVENTUALLY

Cosplay and Costumes

There were more costumes this year than I believe I have seen at either year I attended PAX in Seattle:

Marcus Fenix and Son

Fruit Fucker

Brotherhood of Steel

One additional costume that I did not get to snap a picture of but heard a lot about was the Left 4 Dead witch. The video linked from Penny-Arcade gives a pretty idea of what she was like (and I wish I had managed to see it in person):


PAX East Musical Guests Panel

Seeing as how we were all extremely interested in seeing The Protomen up close (and I was personally interested in seeing Jonathan Coulton even if the rest of my friends don't like him) we linked up for the Mustical Guests Panel extra early. By "extra early" I mean "first-in-line-and-waiting-for-an-hour-and-a-half". Fortunately I had just purchased a new game from the expo hall called Fluxx. I was introduced to Fluxx by some nice attendees in line behind me earlier in the day and it is perhaps one of the least strategic games I have ever played. Fortunately it's randomness is quite entertaining and between that, my Nintendo DS and reading Bill Amend's book, the time passed quickly. Soon the panel was opened and we walked isnide... and sat down in the very front row! Unfortunately my iPhone takes ass pictures but this is one from a couple feet away from the members of The Protomen, Jonathan Coulton, Paul and Storm, Anamanaguchi, MC Frontalot, VGO and Metroid Metal:

They Look Really Fucking Bored

Many of the quests were silly and stupid and they were definitely skewed most towards The Protomen, MC Frontalot and Anamanaguchi. Regardless it was entertaining and very cool to get to see and hear from some of the musicians I have been listening to a lot recently.

Scott Kurtz

Scott Kurtz of PvPOnline.com did a panel at 10:30 PM. He was drunk and it was funny.

Concert - Jonathan Coulton

Concert was rushed and he didn't play a bunch of songs I really wanted to hear. Someone brought a custom-made stuffed half-pony half-monkey and it was put on stage during Skullcrusher Mountain. Metroid Metal and Paul and Storm all came on stage during a number of songs to give him backup vocals and a full band. I felt like absolute shit and was getting really sick but I stayed up til 2 AM anyhow because I like Jonathan Coulton and I would be willing to have his babies.

To Be Continued - Penny Arcade Expo East - DAY 3!

PAX East 2010 (Day 1)

In August of 2009 I attended my second Penny Arcade Expo in the weird anti-jaywalking city of Seattle. It was fun. To my great relief, in 2010 PAX has performed mitosis and now makes up two conventions... PAX Prime in the Fall in Seattle and PAX East in the Spring in Boston. Boston is much closer to my home in the northeast United States and would not require my flying across the entire country. Last week myself, my wife, a few of my friends and their significant others piled into a couple of cars and made the seven hour drive up to Boston to attend the very first Penny Arcade Expo East.

Long Ass Car Ride

Driving from Philadelphia to Boston is a long drive. I've done it several times but it still never feels any shorter. On the way up I had to drop my Puggles off at the doggy-daycare so that they could have fun playing with the other dogs and eating each others shit for a long weekend without us.

Tiny Balls Of Shit-Eating Fury

Late on Thursday night we arrived, got wasted at the hotel bar and prepared for the start of PAX East on Friday...

Keynote - Wil Wheaton

First of all, let me say that anyone who has not listened to Wil's speech from PAX 2007 needs to watch this video immediately:

I was fortunate enough to be there and it was a great speech that most nerds will be able to relate with. Upon hearing that he would be doing the inaugural PAX East 2010 keynote as well, we made sure to get in line with at least a good hour to spare. What we didn't realize was that the main room where it was being given was not even close to being big enough for all the people in line to get in. As the doors opened and we neared the entrance, a yell was given up from the front. "The keynote is full!" was spread down the line and my heart sank. I was going to be denied Wil Wheaton! Why would they not ensure that there was enough room for everyone to view what was the important kick-off moment of the show? No! Wheeattonnnnnnnn!!!

As the rest of the line began to disperse, my wife and I moved up to the very front of the overflow group and began to make sad, frowny faces at the Enforcers and convention guard at the door. The minutes went by... 10... 20... 30... with the keynote almost starting, one of the Enforcers informed us that a couple people had left the seats and there was room for two! With only moments to spare we were in! Near tragedy had been averted... Wil did not disappoint.

I Love You Mr Wheaton

Jamspace

After the keynote and the following Penny Arcade Q&A with Gabe and Tycho, we set off to look around the convention. One of the cooler things we got a chance to look at for a few minutes as the Jamspace presented by the MAGFest. Essentially it was a bunch of standard instruments (guitars, drums, keyboards, microphones, etc) set up that anyone could access and use. Whether you had a full band with you or just wanted to jam with random folks, it was there for everyones use. We managed to watch a few moments of some random fellow beatboxing but it was less than stellar. A great idea regardless and I wish I had spent more time in there. Perhaps next year I will get up and perform myself. Perhaps.

Concert - The Protomen

Wow. Who would have thought that this would be one of the biggest highlights of the weekend for me. A couple of my friends had been telling me about a band called The Protomen that were going to be playing at the Friday night concert so I purchased their albums a few days before we left and gave them a good listen. For anyone not familiar, The Protomen are a band that play what can only be described as a Mega Man opera. They have taken the characters of Mega Man, Dr Light, Dr Wily and Proto Man along with several characters invented by The Protomen themselves for use in the story. A huge majority of the story is original and not taken from the actual Mega Man games. As lame and bizarre as it sounds, it is so goddamn awesome that I'm not even sure how to tell you how goddamn awesome it is. Their performance on Friday night was fantastic and I can only describe it was a weird combination of an opera, an 80's metal/synth band and Meatloaf. I highly recommend giving their second album "Act II - Father of Death" a good listen as a whole as words cannot do them justice.

Pointing Isn't Polite Mr Mega Man

The Tools Of Destruction Up Close

Shootin' Ladders

With the best part of the concert over, we left and returned to the room for some Whiskey and Shootin' Ladders. Only late that night did I notice my throat and head starting to hurt. Probably just from fatigue and yelling so much... right?

To Be Continued - Penny Arcade Expo East - DAY 2!