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Emzee

Premier Retired Staff
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Blog Entries posted by Emzee

  1. Emzee
    It's great to be back!
     
    Just giving you guys a head's up from Dallas. It's nice to be back in what almost feels like home (the 2nd longest time I've lived in any city was in Dallas). Still - doesn't compare to Houston or Austin.
     
    If any of you ask are in the Dallas area, come out either today or tomorrow. It's been a great experience so far.
  2. Emzee
    Hey all, just made it here to RTX! I'm currently staying inside the main convention center where it is safely cool. (In Texas during August -- who thought of that? It's a good thing I'm from Houston ).
     
    So who else is going? If so, what panels do you plan on seeing? I'm cooling off here before I head to the RWBY panel across the street.
  3. Emzee
    Whoops, forgot to remind people about the Lego Convention taking place in my city. Between BZP's anniversary and Brickfair VA, people were bound to forget.
     
    Well, there's still one more day to visit the public expo in Austin if you... happen to already be in the Austin area. Apologies for dropping off the radar. Though this is known to happen with me.
     
    Anyway, so far this has been a lot of fun! I didn't win a set this night (not for lack of trying), but I did win a SXSW Interact badge that SXSW donated (what made them want to donate this to a Lego con of all things is beyond me, but heck -- I'll take it!) I also got to watch "Lego Jeopardy" featuring questions and answers that I would never have the slightest response for. Shoutout to those true Lego fans who knew all those things about pieces and Lego history. Apparently white is the most common color in a Lego piece. Black is the second most common color. And neither are technically colors.
     
    Outside of that Will Heron (involved with Brick Fiesta since the beginning) remembered me, and I got to see the rest of the co-chairs too! It's just too bad Kevin Hinkle wasn't there. Also, it looks like they're going to continue rotating Convention locations. I understand why, given the peculiar way that TexLUG is operated... but I still don't believe it's the best way. Still, nothing much we can do about that. It's just how Brick Fiesta's gonna roll.
     
    I have a Facebook album with pictures I took. I don't use Facebook that much so I don't know if it's viewable by everyone. Let me know if this link works.
  4. Emzee
    Why are people here so well-dressed?? Or maybe I'm just a sucker for the whole slim-winter-coat-and-scarf look.
     
    This is the last night of my vacation though. Tomorrow I fly back to the states. It's really fun though. My Instagram only tells a very small story.
     
    It's too bad I won't be doing something like this again for a long time (if ever), but hey -- that's kinda the point right? Once is better than never.
  5. Emzee
    Hey what's up!
     
    Who's been to Munich? Any must-sees/must-eats I should try? Reubens and beer are on already on the list, as is (most likely) which ever attraction you believe is the #1 result on TripAdvisor.
     
    Got any tips?
  6. Emzee
    Hey! Remember me?
     
    Just sitting here on the MAX right now. There's nothing quite like spending some time on a city where the hills and trees are taller, but it otherwise rather similar to home.
     
    Looking forward to seeing all the new and old faces at Bricks Cascade!
  7. Emzee
    Ok, I'm 90% certain that I got it right the first time, but I need to hear honest feedback:
     
    Power Lies Beneath or The Power Lies Beneath?
     
    Which sounds better? Which is better from a title grammar perspective? Does it only depend on what "Power" means or does it really not matter? Let me have your input!
  8. Emzee
    Ten years ago today, the second BIONICLE movie was released. That was also the year I started high school.
     
    ...
     
    Gotta love these decade anniversaries that remind me of my age. They're not gonna stop either...
  9. Emzee
    Honestly, I'm just happy there gets to be a new generation of kids that'll get to experience this awesome line. I won't pretend like I'm going to buy all the sets (or even just one), but from what I see, the beginning wave of sets mostly look well-built.
     
    Job well done, TLG.
  10. Emzee
    I had considered starting this on my membership anniversary, but decided that no one really does these anymore.
     
    This is why I'm not in the stock market.
     
    Anyway, you know the drill? What is something you've always wanted to know about me? Ask away!
  11. Emzee
    When I joined BZPower, I twelve years old.
     
    And today marks the twelfth anniversary of that late night decision (I had joined shortly after midnight after my folks were asleep. Still remember that, lol) to join the site I had been lurking for so long. Had it not been for this site, I honestly cannot imagine what kind of person I would have become. It was BZPower that formally introduced me to the glorious geek culture, and made me feel like that was an okay culture to be a part of (actually, it made me feel like it was the best culture to be a part of).
     
    All the best to both the veterans and the newbies. I still can't believe I've been a member of this community for almost as long as I had been alive when I joined.
  12. Emzee
    Hi everyone. For those who wanted to see those pictures, here is the URL.
     
    www.dropbox.com/sh/oza1yocyjnd769a/AADApUVE9tMPKoHZnnO5cgaXa . Sorry there aren't that many, I'm no master photographer by any stretch.
     
    I had a blast at that convention, and being able to sleep in my own bed was so worth going alone. I do really need to find people to go with next year. I also still need to go watch that other stream with the Game Grumps, since I decided to go see the RWBY Vol. 1 screening instead.
  13. Emzee
    First off, I want to wish everyone a happy Fourth of July. Even if that date means nothing to you, it's still a Friday. Go out and party it up tonight!
     
    Next up. There were some... unfortunate complications with RTX today. Thus, I'm home earlier than expected. This means I get to talk about my first day at the convention.
     
    I woke up bright and early since I regrettably could not get off work early enough for the pre-registration. How they arranged the process was a little complicated, but the (very kind and helpful) Guardians were posted everywhere to direct people and answer questions, so I'm very grateful for that. While in line for registration, I caught a glimpse of Gus rushing by. This was only within like 15 minutes of walking into the convention center.
     
    I would have been ready to enter the con proper at about 9 -- only an hour after the registration opened. Only issue was that the con starts at 12, so I had some waiting to do in that regard (but I at least was near the front of the line to enter the exhibit hall).
     
    Unfortunately, I missed the call for people waiting for the exhibit hall to open to leave the line to go to the RWBY panel waiting hall. They had apparently announced it at about 10 am.
     
    The panel was at 1 pm.
     
    One thing that definitely stands out is how much earlier I have to get in line for things as opposed to PAX East. Attendance has doubled this year at RTX, which means rooms fill up faster than you would think humanly possible. So yeah, I can't talk about RWBY because the hall was filled up long before I even made it to the correct line.
     
    A positive thing from this is that I had plenty of time to explore the exhibit hall and some lunch at one of the few Austin food trucks open on 4th of July. I learned my lesson for the RTAA panel (which was at 3pm) and got in line at about 1:30pm. RTAA isn't quite as popular as RWBY, so I got to sit near the front for that one. Saw Gus Bot, and chuckled at the some of the very ... awkward questions con-goers asked Jordan, Gus, and Burnie (nothing I'm not used to at this point).
     
    After the RTAA panel, I went back to the exhibit hall and picked up Munchkin: Apocalypse. I've been wanting to pick up one of the Munchkin games for awhile and when the lady and the booth talked about it, I knew Apocalypse was the one I wanted.
     
    I went back up to where the main hall was at about 5:30 just to make sure I could get a good seat for the Game Grumps event (which was to be at 8 pm). Line was already packed and I think the Guardians had prepare the waiting room earlier than anticipated, but yeah. I was about in the center of the waiting room
     
    The next highlight was going to be see the Game Grumps play Cards Against Humanity, but then the unfortunate complication happened. All in all, I had a great time, but no lie: it's really not the same going to a convention yourself unless you're the life-of-the-party type. I talked to plenty of people, but it was clear that a lot of us were overextending ourselves to be talkative, and it's just so much effort when you're a huge introvert (coming up with something to talk about is hard). The events and booths are cool, but at every con, the true draw is really just hanging out with your friends.
     
    That's enough rambling. Here are the few pictures I managed to take.
     
    Looking forward to tomorrow (which will be boosted by a good night's sleep tonight!)
  14. Emzee
    ^ As said by my wallet. Yeah, that's right.
     
    They got me too.
     
    Batman: Arkhan Origins
    BioShock Infinite
    TES: Skyrim
    Mirror's Edge
    Saints Row IV
    Serious Sam (all the games)
    Star Wars: Battlefront 2
    Dragon Age: Origins
    DmC Devil May Cry
    ...
    AND COUNTING!
     
    (This money is supposed to go towards adult things!!)
    <- also my wallet.
  15. Emzee
    Okay, so she didn't sing Creeping in my Soul, but Rooster Teeth's Barbara Dunkelman does do the voice of Yang on RWBY. She's really nice and down to earth, even given the fact that she the RT community manager -- she's really good at what she does.
     
    Photo was taken just this afternoon.
  16. Emzee
    So I'm at my intermediate stop on my overseas trip to Dubai. Not a lot of interesting things at this little terminal. Apparently the airline I'm flying to Dubai only had one gate.
     
    So why Dubai? My sister lives and works there, so I decided to spend this year's vacation time visiting her. This stop wasn't originally part of the plan so of course, the parents are worried, but that's standby travel for you, and at least this option is, well, affordable.
     
    At any rate, I'm excited. Hope I remember to take and share some pictures.
  17. Emzee
    Or is getting a separate google+ page / youtube account a lot more complex than it needs to be?
     
    I felt like I was going around in circles, turns out there's an option right there on the left side of google+
     
    Well, between website, youtube, and google+ page, I'm poised to begin marketing Power Lies Beneath when the time comes.
     
    Man, that took a lot longer than it needed too.
     
    *Also there might be another google account floating about now...
  18. Emzee
    Rewind back to a couple months ago when I booked and confirmed my trip to the awesome city of Portland. Admittedly, I was unsure at the time about my decision: what would Portland be like? How weird was it actually? Would I have all the fun I hoped I would? Not to mention the fact that I wasn't sure if going to the smaller convention in a new city was better than the larger convention to a city I'd already been to (BrickCon in this case. I doubt you'll see me visit the same con twice in a row unless it's Brick Fiesta).
     
    Nonetheless, I went with it.
     
    Then Deep Web Tour was announced. And guess which weekend Childish Gambino decided to perform in Texas?
     
    No, seriously. Guess.
     
    ... yeah
     
    (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
     
    All hope seemed lost.
     
    But then, something new arose; a Titan would Fall, and there would be much celebration. And... guess what? Childish Gambino likes the game so much that he would be there too! (He really did say during the concert that he thought Titanfall was a cool game).
     
    Here are some pictures from the event. I hope to post videos too, but they need to be edited first because holding a camera steady while getting the zoom right is apparently quite difficult.
     
    Awesome game + awesome rapper + awesome internet celebrities = awesome Monday night. Got a picture with Major Nelson (I don't really listen to his podcast that much, but hey, free photo!) Got to see (but not approach -- I ain't ready for that yet (why are they so tall?)) the Rooster Teeth crew, and got some free stuff including a Titanfall t-shirt. Vince Zampella and Yusuf Mehdi were also there and they talked a little bit about the game. And all for the price of waiting in line for 4 hours after a full work day.
     
    Say what you want, it was totally worth it. Only issues were my lacking in height and weight which sometimes led to me being thrown around like a ragdoll on the quite small standing room space. It also I meant I sometimes had to jump to see the performance. Also, many non-Titanfall fans only there for the concert. Ah well, that just meant more time to play the game myself, as they all crowded the front of the stage an hour before the show began.
     
    I've been spending the past couple evenings catching up on sleep, hence the slight delay. The Titanfall game should also be reaching my doorstep tomorrow.
     
    BZPRPG players, I apologize in advance.
     
  19. Emzee
    I had such an awesome time in Portland. I really didn't know what to expect from that city, and I was thoroughly blown away by its food, transportation, and culture. More importantly, I got to hang out with old BZP friends and meet some new ones along the way -- not to mention meeting Wyldstyle in person. Won some free sets (Ninjago ftw), had some great food, and pretty much had a blast.
     
    Another shout out to DeeVee and Nukaya for letting me crash at their place for 4 nights. I don't think I've ever been to a place with more Lego besides cons and stores.
     
    Special shoutout to EmperorWhenua, Kayru, xccj, Kakaru, and that public attendee (whose name I can't remember unfortunately) for being there. It's always great to meet new BZPers. Here's to hoping we meet again.
     
     
    Now I'm just hoping everyone gets to see this entry before it gets bumped by where I went last night.
  20. Emzee
    I recently was able to watch both The LEGO Movie as well as Frozen. I'll just share some quick thoughts on both:
     
     
    The LEGO Movie
    Honestly, I wasn't sure about going to see it at first. For one, the trailers didn't blow me away like they did for other people, and I knew I'd probably be seeing it surrounded by noisy kids on a Saturday afternoon (note: Saturday afternoons are the only windows of free time I really have to venture out into the city).
     
    Anyway, I heard about the great reviews so I thought 'How bad could it be', and I was pleasantly surprised at the writing, the animation, and even the interesting ending (I don't see how they plan to top that in the sequel). I'm glad I went to go see it, and it was definitely money well spent. I now can see why the more hardcore LEGO fans adore this movie so much. The people behind this really went above and beyond to give LEGO fans of all ages what they want.
     
    Definitely go see it if you're a big LEGO fan. Though I sure if you were you've already seen it.
     
    Frozen
    This was not a movie I was intending to see, originally. I was with a group and a few people said that the movie was pretty good, and I've seen mentions of it around here and on the internet and general, plus there's critical acclaim. With all of that, I figured, 'there's no way I can hate this movie, at least'. So, I went and watched the movie with my coworkers. Indeed, I was right.
     
    It's always interesting to watch a movie that really doesn't engage you at any emotional level, but you can't help but smile and love the movie because you can still see and appreciate its greatness. That's what Frozen is to me. Engaging visuals, exceptional attention to detail, great writing that I didn't expect, moderately tolerable anthropomorphic comic reliefs, and an all around good movie that I could see had a lot work and thought put into it.
     
    If I can like this movie, there's hardly much excuse for anyone else. I recommend it.
  21. Emzee
    If the Brick Fiesta folks* are going to continue to have their cons on the same weekend and in a different city than RTX, I'm not sure how they expect me to attend...
     
    Not saying I definitely won't be doing Brick Fiesta coverage next year, but... chances aren't very high. Driving between San Antonio and here takes 90 minutes - 3 hours round trip. Whoever plans on attending should remember to bring their camera and their photography skills, and maybe some notes to take. I still really want to see how well our Texas LEGO con continues to grow.
     
    * yes Fiesta announced their dates first... but RTX is bigger, and they use the same convention center at year. I'd say BF has the easier time budging on their dates, not they should HAVE to, but... ah, forget it. Just move everything to Austin. That's always the right choice.
  22. Emzee
    Thinking over 2013 reminded me that despite certain issues, this year was pretty good. Not better than 2012, or 2011 (or any other year except 2007 and 2005) but still pretty good. It started off disappointing, then awesome, then horrible, and has been steadily getting better ever since. I'm glad I was able to make it to PAX East, BrickFiesta, and Brickfair VA this year. The BZPRPG is (in my opinion, both in writing and community) the best it's ever been. Lastly, I got a new job in Austin, which is cool, even if the lack of college ties in this city makes it hard to find a group to repeatedly hang out with.
     
    I'm not so glad my first job out of college was a waste of my time and theirs. I'm not glad that it's apparent that certain problems I've had since childhood will never be going away (nothing quite like learning that there are somethings in life that you will never be able to do well). Ironically, life in Austin has been borderline lonely. There's not a lot of people where I work and constantly trying to find a new group to chill with is quite draining to an introvert like me. The fact that I'm a lot more selective of who I hang with and less tolerant of certain mindsets doesn't help matters there either.
     
    There were a lot of lessons learned this year, and overall, I'd label 2013 as one giant learning experience. Lots of people are going through issues that I didn't even know existed just a couple years back. Lots of people I know also struggling with the high demands of adulthood, and being harshly criticized for not meeting the mark. Sometimes I really miss living in Houston - not because those days came with a lot less stress and expectations (they didn't), but because the consequences of not always making the best decision weren't nearly as harsh then as they are now. Young adults everywhere are realizing we now have a lot less room for error then we did before.
     
    2014 will basically be about what I do with what I've learned, and what decisions will I be making in the future, now that I know more then I did before.
     
    Happy New Year to you all!
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