ECCC 2014

Haven't done one of these in awhile, but though that I would for this years Emerald City ComiCon. ECCC was this past weekend, and I have to say, it might have been one of the funnest con's I've been to. Also, one of the least expensive as far as merch goes.

I'll start off with they day before the Con. I arrived in Seattle the Thursday before and decided to explore a little. I like going to Seattle, but never really go out much when I'm there, so I decided I would use this day to see a few of the sights. I stayed in the general area of the convention center and walked down to Pikes Place Market. Wanted to check out the gum wall and take a selfie, but forgot to grab some gum before I left. Oh well, there is always next time. I went out that night and had a few drinks and just enjoyed the night.

Friday morning I got up and headed over to stand in line. Why? I don't know. Just to be there when the show floor opened up I guess. I walked around the main floor and said "hi" to a few people I knew there, like the Your Mom Comics guys, and also ran into Vicky from the BJ Shea Morning Experience. After that, I went down to the Lego area, which is always neat to see. This year they had a fully functional Lego R2-D2. I have to say, that may have been one of the most impressive things I saw. All of the Lego displays were amazing though. After that I went and took a picture with the TARDIS. The rest of the day was pretty much just walking around and looking at stuff.

 Some random Legos including Star Wars and Star Trek.

 Lego R2-D2

Lego Rivendell

I went out again Friday night with some friends and ended up at a bar with some of the people from BOOM! That was pretty cool, and it was a fun night. Didn't get to bed until almost 3 though. Day 2 I got a somewhat late start to the day. I got to the convention around 11 or so I think. Headed over with a friends daughter and stood with here in the ECCC merch line. We then walked around and looked at some of the costumes and I took her down and showed her the TARDIS and Legos. Day 2 was the only day I bought any merch, and it was a book from  local author/vlogger Kiri Callaghan. Check her out on Youtube. She has her own personal YouTube page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/KiriCallaghan/videos and you can also check out her Kiriosity videos on the Geek & Sundry Vlogs page as well: https://www.youtube.com/user/geekandsundryvlogs/videos I later checked out the Comedians of ComiCon show. It was pretty funny and was nice to sit and have a good laugh. Day 2 ended with me laying in my bed worn out from the day and all the walking I had done. 

Alys by Kiri Callaghan. The only thing I bought this weekend. 

Day 3 was a fun day. It was the first day that I ever cosplayed. I had intended to do it Saturday, but decided not to. I am so glad that I decided to do it on Sunday though. It was a blast. Before even leaving the hotel I had someone take a picture and a few people compliment me. I dressed up as one of my favorite cartoons from when I was a kid, Quailman. I was so nervous dressing up, but all the positivity I got really makes me want to continue to cosplay. After I got to the convention, I headed directly to the TARDIS to get my picture taken with it. Then walked around some more and photobombed a few people. Later I went down and got a picture with Kiri Callaghan, who was dressed as Nymphadora Tonks from Harry Potter. I went to her panel later that day, which was suppose to be Rad Libs, but ended up being something different. Her and another author took suggestions on two short stories that will be written and hopefully published in the future. After that, I met up with my friend, Steve, and we headed home. 

Til next year. :-)

 Saw this on Instagram and had to share it. Comments like this are what make me want to continue to cosplay. :-)

 Quailman and the TARDIS

Quailman and Tonks

 A.I.M. Soldiers

 This sweet Bumblebee cosplay

 Captain America(who I may have also photobombed right before this)

 Lady Deadpool and Deadpool. 

Lady Deadpool and Deadpool dancing. This was probably one of my favorite moments of the weekend. :-)

 Jean Grey and Captain America

 Professor's McGonagall, Snape, and Moody

 Huntress and Mister Sinister

This awesome Jubilee cosplay. I loved the LED "fireworks" :-)

Well, that was my weekend. I can truly say it was a wonderful experience, and I am looking forward to future conventions. :-)

yep.

I'd rather have enemies,
Than friends that don't care.
I'd rather be hated,
Than know I'm not wanted.
There's nothing I fear more,
Than dying alone.
But I know the way things are going,
That's how it will be.
Truth is, I'm terribly afraid of death,
But way more afraid of this short life.
I feel love, hate, joy, pain,
But I've forgotten what its like to be happy.
Would anyone care if I wasn't here?
Would they go about life and forget my face?
Frankly, I could care less.
Fuck it.

Stuff and Things...

I fucking love The Walking Dead, but that show has me on the craziest emotional roller coaster. One minute I hate a character, next I'm mourning their death. I think this is what makes it such an amazing show. You never really know what is going to happen next.

Okay, on to other stuff. I may come back to TWD later in this post though. So, I just saw G.I. Joe: Retaliation. It's not terrible, not great either. The Rock is entertaining as always and the ninja fights are incredible, but the rest of the movie is kinda blah. It's nowhere near as bad as Ghostrider 2 was though. That movie was terrible. Luckily we have Iron Man 2 and Wolverine coming out soon. I think this may be the only movie I've seen this year. Not much of a movie watcher unless it's something I've been looking forward to for awhile, like the previous mentioned movies. Let's see, other than those two, some other movies I'm excited to see this year. I really liked Hunger Games so I'm looking forward to the next movie. Plus Jennifer Lawrence is adorable. Kick Ass 2 looks amazing. I loved the first one, and hope they don't fuck this one up. I can't think of any other ones I am super excited for. I guess Man of Steel, but I've been somewhat let down by the last couple Superman movies, so I don't have high expectations for this one. Let's hope I'm proven wrong.

Let's move on to TV. As I already said, I love The Walking Dead. It's pretty much the only show I watch. That and Talking Dead. I watched the first season of Arrow, and its not a terrible show, just haven't caught up on this season yet. I'm not a huge Game of Thrones fan. I have seen the first season, but not the second or start of the third. I think maybe I'll look into catching up on last season though. Gotta have something to watch on Sunday nights until October. :) That's really it for TV. Rediculousness and Tosh.0 are two shows I watch if I'm bored and they are on, but not something I make plans to watch.

Music. I listen to music every day. Some days its metal, some rap. Just however I'm feeling that day. I'm currently listening to In Flames. I've had a couple Shadows Fall albums on repeat in my car, as well as As I Lay Dying and A7X. Other music I'm into right now: Watsky. He just put out a new album, Cardboard Castles, and I have to say, it's really good. I should also mention, most rap I listen to is by white guys...lol. Machine Gun Kelly. Lace Up! was in my opinion the best rap album put out last year. I love every track on it, even the ones I had already heard. This was one of the rare times I actually went to the music store to buy a physical copy the day it was released, and I was not disappointed. Macklemore. If MGK put out the best record, Macklemore was a very close second. This album is so damn good. He has a song that every time I hear it, makes me want to go to Seattle, which I'm okay with since I love going there. :)

 Lets talk about Comicons. So far I've been to two this year. Wizard World Portland Comicon and Emerald City Comicon. Both of these were good cons, but I always prefer the hometown one. Not just because its closer, but because it is very well run and put together. Portland was a smaller con and was fun and saw a lot of good cosplay. It wasn't too overcrowded for being in a smaller space. The Norman Reedus autograph line was crazy long though. I ended up meeting Michael Rooker(Merle from Walking Dead) so that was really cool. Spent way too much money though. Bad part about it, and this had nothing to do with the con itself, is someone stole my debit card number, so I had to borrow money until we got home Monday. That sucked, but hey, at least my bank noticed it and none of my money got stolen. The other thing that happened was my car got broken into...in the middle of the damn day. My driver side back door window was busted out and my two friends stuff was stolen out of the back seat. Still kinda blame myself for not cleaning out my trunk to put their stuff in there. ECCC was super fun. I had spent too much the previous weekend, so I had a limited amount to spend, but still had a good time. Met new people and hung out with some other friends that were there, so that made up for everything else. There was so many good costumes this year. This is honestly my favorite part of Cons. Seeing how creative people can get with their cosplay.

I said I would talk about Walking Dead more. I can't explain in words how much I love this show. Every actor plays their character so perfectly. And I love that it follows the comics to a point, but also takes different routes from the comics. So even if you have read them, there are plot twists that you won't see coming. I was sad to see some of the characters go this season(don't worry, won't spoil any), but am super excited to see where the show goes from here. Man, I can't wait until October.

That's it for now.<3's

I'm Invincible...

This year has been a weird one. I've had some of the lowest lows and some of the highest highs. The first couple months of this year sucked, but I've gotten over it in the last few months. One thing that has gotten me through the rough times is music. I love metal. But the last couple months or so, I've been listening to Machine Gun Kelly a lot. I'm not a huge rap fan, but something about him draws me to his music. He has a song called Invincible, and for some reason this song just inspires me, as corny as that sounds. The song has been out for awhile, but he just put out a video for it. I watched it at the gym, and it was one of those moments where it just made me think. Instead of being negative all the time, I should be thinking positive and looking at life like I am invincible. Why should I let shit bring me down, when it should be fueling my fire to succeed. I am honestly happy right now and thinking clearly for the first time in awhile. I want nothing more than to just be able to be happy and enjoy my life. I'm finally getting my ass in gear and taking care of some stuff that needs taking care of. Hopefully, after I get that taken care of, I can get my finances in order and get my own place. I started hanging out with an old friend recently and she has kinda helped me get through this. Just by telling me to get shit done and to think positive instead of being negative all the time. Plus I've met some pretty awesome other friends through her. :) As I was saying, music is a big deal in my life. I don't play any instruments, but just being able to put on my headphones and get away for a little while is great. Going to the gym is another thing I have come to enjoy immensely. It has become kinda like my sanctuary. A place I can go to let out my stress and just get away from my life for a little bit. I've lost about 30 lbs or so since starting to go, and I feel great about that. Now if I could only learn to eat like an adult and not like "a 12 year old with a marijuana problem" as a friend said, lol. The gym is such an amazing place to be at. You can just escape, and I've kinda gotten over having to see old man balls every once in awhile. But besides that, it is a place that I thoroughly enjoy being at. Even if it's only for half an hour or so. Just letting my mind be free and not have to think about anything except how many reps I've done. One thing that I felt has always been a set back for me is how shy I am. But it seems like lately I've been a little more open with certain people. Again, old friend and new ones that I've been hanging out with. I'm normally super shy around girls, but I feel oddly comfortable around them, which is weird for me. I actually enjoy hanging out with them, even though it's a two hour drive to visit. Getting away for a day or so is really good and gets me out of my little comfort zone. That has probably been the biggest help. I don't normally like change, but I've been realizing lately that maybe change can be good. Especially when that change means I get to hang out with a couple pretty ladies. :) Well, that is all for now. If you have a chance check out some of Machine Gun Kelly's music. I realize that he's not for everyone, but maybe someone else will be inspired by his music as well. If not him, maybe another artist. Each person takes inspiration from different things, and it was just MGK's lyrics and message that kinda drew me to him.

Sometimes all you need is a hug...

When you've been with someone for close to 10 years, its truly heartbreaking when they tell you they don't want to be with you anymore. At first it's like a kick in the balls, but then it turns into an empty feeling. The second part is so much worse. The pain of heartbreak is temporary, but then you start to yearn for that closeness. Holding someone's hand, getting a hug, cuddling while watching a movie. You get over the initial pain, but the emptiness fucking sucks. There is a song by Stacie Orrico, or however you spell it, and it has a lyric "there's got to be more to life then chasing down every temporary high." I've come to realize that I've been chasing that high the last couple years. Buying a bunch of crap I don't need on credit cuz I like having things, even if it means I'm in a stupid amount of debt. But recently I've really been doing it. From spending $300 at ComiCon, to spending another $200 on heroclix, and putting off bills. Some of the highs were good though. Like getting up the nerve to talk to someone in person, instead of just on Facebook. Or finding out that someone you don't get to see very often is coming to visit. But even those fade and you're left with the realization that your in a marriage that is all but over and on the brink of bankruptcy. I find it a lot easier to convey my thoughts and feelings on here or Facebook. I've never been good at talking to people, especially those I don't know well. Guys are easier to talk to, but girls are so hard for me, especially if they are attractive. But I guess that's something I'm gonna have to get over, cus I can't meet every girl online :-) Well, I could, but maybe let's try something different this time. I have found the one place I can escape all this is the gym. It's easy to just put on some music and zone out. There are still distractions, but these ones I don't mind all too much. It's funny, whenever I do one of the I always end up in a way better mood than when I started, so I guess that's good. It always makes me feel better to get my thoughts out of my head and onto something, even if no one reads it. One thing that will always remain true about me is that I love me. I love my negative, shitty attitude cuz it makes the good times seem so.much better. I love where I'm from and how I was raised. Hell, I even love that my dad left when I was young, cuz my mom prbably did a better job raising me than he ever could have. But most of all, I just love life, but sometimes I just really need a hug.

Crappy parents...

Yesterday was kind of an emo day for me. Was just bummed out for some reason. Anyhow, I thought I would get back to bitching about shitty parents.

I know a lot of people with kids. And to be honest, most are decent parents. There are also a few I think are really good parents. And there is also some I think are terrible parents. Granted these are just my opinions and maybe the ones I think are terrible other people think are good. Then again maybe not. What bugs me the most is that people who can't support themselves are allowed to have children. I know good people that for whatever reason can't have kids, yet these morons who probably didn't even graduate high school can. If you can't support yourself, what makes you think you can support a helpless child? Now, I'm not saying that everyone on welfare is a bad parent. Some can be pretty good. The difference is that the good ones realize they have to put their child first. A baby is helpless. They need someone to take care of them a d nurture them. If you don't get that, you don't deserve to have a child.

One of my biggest problems is the lack of discipline nowadays. When I was a child it was perfectly acceptable to spank your child. Now it's child abuse if you do it to much. Some kids just need to be spanked. Yelling at your kid only teaches them that its okay to yell at people. Sending a child to their room is the worst punishment. Hey send me to my room where all my toys and my bed are. Yeah that's a good strategy. The worst thing though is not punishing your children. So, when that child grows up to be an asshole, can we blame it on you? And neglecting a child is just as bad. Letting a child play video games all day is the worst parenting technique ever. You don't want to send time with your kid, so you park them in front of a tv and hand them a remote. Then we wonder why kids have ADD. Is it really going to hurt you to spend some time with your kid? If you didn't want it, why not give it to someone who does.

I hate deadbeat parents. This to me is worse than being a bad parent. Maybe I'm biased because my father wasn't around tosses me grow up. Not that it matters though, cuz my mom did a pretty good job of raising me on her own. I know deadbeat dads, other than my own. And to be honest, the children are better off without them. On of the people I consider a really good parent is a single mother, and both of them are better off without the father in their lives. And I hate when people say "it was an accident." If you're not preventing it, its not an accident. An accident is the birth control didn't work or the condemn ripped, not "oh, he didn't pull out in time."

It amazes me that even though we know smoking is bad and second hand smoke is just as bad, that people still smoke around their children. When I was a child, they didn't know it is as bad as it is. But we know how bad smoking is now. Yet people still smoke around their children. You're so desperate for a cigarette you're gonna endanger your childs health?
Or people that give their babies and toddlers soda. You can't give them milk or juice or water? Soda is so bad and has so much sugar in it. Hey, why don't you just let your child eat a candy bar also. Just set that kid up to be in poor health. Just because your a lazy piece of crap doesn't mean your child has to be that way too.

I don't have any kids, but it's only common sense that you need to watch little children at all times. They love to run away and get into things. It's really not that hard to keep an eye on one. I know people who have more than one and can keep an eye on them. So if they can watch multiple children, it shouldn't be that hard to watch just one. And it's normally a good idea to jeep all drugs and cleaners locked up. You think that would be common sense also, but apparently not for some people.

Anyway, that is all I wanted to bitch about. Hope you enjoy.

August...

It seems like this year is going by really quickly. Maybe it's always like that, but I just haven't noticed it until now. It just seems like it was only a few weeks ago I was turning 29 and 2011 was almost here. Now its August and only 4 months until I turn 29. For some reason this year feels less fun than last year. Maybe it's the shitty weather we have been having, or living with the wife's parents, or something else entirely. It just seems like last summer was more fun. We lived by ourselves and I enjoyed that. I like having privacy. I like being able to walk around naked after taking a shower, or just sitting around in my boxers when it's hot out. I can't do that now. Well, I could, but I don't think anyone would appreciate that.

I guess now would be a good time to talk about the super hero movies this year. I'll start with Thor as it has been my favorite this year. I thought Chris Hemsworth played Thor really well. I had my doubts when I first heard he was gonna be playing him, but he surprised me. I liked that they told some of the back story so that even if you aren't a fan of the comics you can understand the characters a little better. The teaser scene after the credits was cool. But if you're not a fan of the Avengers, it probably won't make sense until you see Captain America. I liked Clint Barton/Hawkeyes little cameo, which is another thing most nonfans will miss. There were a few things I didn't like. One being that they were an alien race. They should have just stuck with them being gods. Really, that might be the only thing I didn't like about it.


X-Men: First Class is my second favorite of the year. I saw this at a drive in, but I wish I would have seen it in theaters also. I loved the characters, even though other than Beast none of them are in the original First Class. I liked that it showed the relationship between Charles(Professor X) and Eric(Magneto). These two are close friends, but their differences in opinion put them at odds with each other. I really liked Azazel. I thought he was the coolest character in the movie. But Nightcrawler is one of my favorite comic characters, and he is pretty much a more ruthless Nightcrawler. I didn't like that it wasn't the original First Class(Cyclops, Jean Grey, Iceman, Beast, Angel), but it was still pretty cool. The biggest thing I didn't like was that they didn't show Mystique and Azazel showing any love interest in each other. For those that do not know, Mystique and Azazel are Nightcrawlers parents. I guess if those where the only two things I didn't like, it must have been a pretty good movie then. Also, I loved Wolverine's little cameo.

Captain America was my third favorite. I really like Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America. I loved how they CGId him to make him look small. I liked that they had Red Skull as the villain. I don't know a whole lot about Cap, but I know that Red Skull is his enemy. I liked the costume, and the shield looked really good. Tommy Lee Jones was really good in his role, and so was the guy that played Howard Stark. The teaser scene at the end was my favorite one of the three this year. My favorite is still the Deadpool one at the end of Wolverine. I didn't like the ending and that they killed of a key character in the comics, but I can get over that.

Finally, there was Green Lantern. I really liked Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan/Green Lantern. I liked him better as Wade Wilson in the Wolverine movie, but he fits that character a little better than he does Hal. Still, I thought he did a really good job of playing Hal Jordan. I really liked Kilowog. He is my favorite Green Lantern, so it was cool seeing him in the movie. I liked that they had Sinestro as a Green Lantern the entire movie, but still showed that he will someday betray them. I didn't like Parallax, but I can live with it. The tiny teaser scene was cool and leaves it open for more Green Lantern movies, so that's cool.

Anyhow, I must rest now. Gotta get up in 6 hours. I'll try to update this more, but since nobody probably reads it anyhow, I guess it doesn't matter if I do or not. :-)