LJ is dead... long live LJ!
Ok, I'm alive as most people might be shocked to find out. Yes, yes, it's been an age and a day since I've last posted - but seriously, what could be more awesome and useful than zombie science?! Right now it's xmas eve and I'm visiting my folks for a couple of weeks over the holidays.
I hope everyone is having a good time, xmas/holiday/festivus cheer and all that. I certainly am whilst installing Windows 7 on various computers (yeah I'm weird like that). A lot and nothing has happened in the last year. Hit up about a bajillion conventions. Normal convention goer at Katsucon in February (yey getting pneumonia on the last day!). Chief of Transport at Anime North in May (vroom vroom I drive da big truck). July saw a flurry of activity - Industry Guest at Anime Expo, Keith Horita (yeah I had to get a black market badge) at San Diego Comic Con (saw Miyazaki! and various other Disney stuff like the Princess and the Frog preview), and finally Gofer Staff at Otakon in Baltimore. Whew was I spent! But only a month later I helped out in masquerade at Fan Expo as well. Capping it all off, I visited a friend in Denver who had convinced me to come check out Nan Desu Kan. And yes, here are some links to various photo albums:
Katuscon 2009 - I gots da pneumonia there!
Anime North 2009 - Not so many pictures as I was rather busy.
Anime Expo 2009 - I call bullshit they had 45000 people....
San Diego Comic Con 2009 - Wandering around pictures...
SDCC 2009 - Shots of non-masquerade cosplayers in the press only stage (yeah I managed to finagle one of those badges... as Keith Horita!)
SDCC 2009 - Shots of the masquerade contestants... I wanted to take more but my batteries started to die!
Nan Desu Kan 2009 - Just randomness...
So as you can see, I've been rather busy on that front.
On a more mundane note, my life has been pretty steady. I no longer work rotating shift work and now work straight days (M-F 8-4). This has allowed me to keep a much better schedule. I find it helps me have more time to myself. I've actually started going through a bunch of games on my PS3 that I've bought but never got around to playing. I finished Resident Evil 5 and also the first three Metal Gear Solids (love the story line). Just bought MGS 4, the last one in the series, and can't wait to play it to see how it all ends. After MGS 4, I'll have to buckle down and start working on my degree.
Yes, you read correctly, a degree. I've decided to go back to school and get a full on 4 year Honours Baccalaureate in Computing and Information Sciences followed by an MBA. I'm doing it through the University of Athabasca which does 100% distance education. You could say they're the pioneers in distance education in the world. I'm starting in January, so I'll be in for the long haul - 5 or 6 years I think it'll take me (unless I get some credits through submitting my transcript from my post-secondary diploma and aborted university career). On top of being helpful in my career (opening up opportunities in management), it will give me the satisfaction of knowing I can do it and also keeping my mind sharp as I approach my middle years (omg I did not just say that! ~weeps~).
Other than that, I've been looking at house plans and such... thinking of eventually moving out of the apartment I share with my brother but I'm not rushing towards that any time soon. There's a lot of good designs out there (especially on houseplans.com!) but I have a bunch of time to work out exactly what I want (can you say giant basement home theatre with recessed projection screen and projector in ceiling?) :D
On that note, I want to wish everyone a happy holidays (or whatever you celebrate) and a great new year - where I'll hopefully post more often than 3 times a year!
I hope everyone is having a good time, xmas/holiday/festivus cheer and all that. I certainly am whilst installing Windows 7 on various computers (yeah I'm weird like that). A lot and nothing has happened in the last year. Hit up about a bajillion conventions. Normal convention goer at Katsucon in February (yey getting pneumonia on the last day!). Chief of Transport at Anime North in May (vroom vroom I drive da big truck). July saw a flurry of activity - Industry Guest at Anime Expo, Keith Horita (yeah I had to get a black market badge) at San Diego Comic Con (saw Miyazaki! and various other Disney stuff like the Princess and the Frog preview), and finally Gofer Staff at Otakon in Baltimore. Whew was I spent! But only a month later I helped out in masquerade at Fan Expo as well. Capping it all off, I visited a friend in Denver who had convinced me to come check out Nan Desu Kan. And yes, here are some links to various photo albums:
Katuscon 2009 - I gots da pneumonia there!
Anime North 2009 - Not so many pictures as I was rather busy.
Anime Expo 2009 - I call bullshit they had 45000 people....
San Diego Comic Con 2009 - Wandering around pictures...
SDCC 2009 - Shots of non-masquerade cosplayers in the press only stage (yeah I managed to finagle one of those badges... as Keith Horita!)
SDCC 2009 - Shots of the masquerade contestants... I wanted to take more but my batteries started to die!
Nan Desu Kan 2009 - Just randomness...
So as you can see, I've been rather busy on that front.
On a more mundane note, my life has been pretty steady. I no longer work rotating shift work and now work straight days (M-F 8-4). This has allowed me to keep a much better schedule. I find it helps me have more time to myself. I've actually started going through a bunch of games on my PS3 that I've bought but never got around to playing. I finished Resident Evil 5 and also the first three Metal Gear Solids (love the story line). Just bought MGS 4, the last one in the series, and can't wait to play it to see how it all ends. After MGS 4, I'll have to buckle down and start working on my degree.
Yes, you read correctly, a degree. I've decided to go back to school and get a full on 4 year Honours Baccalaureate in Computing and Information Sciences followed by an MBA. I'm doing it through the University of Athabasca which does 100% distance education. You could say they're the pioneers in distance education in the world. I'm starting in January, so I'll be in for the long haul - 5 or 6 years I think it'll take me (unless I get some credits through submitting my transcript from my post-secondary diploma and aborted university career). On top of being helpful in my career (opening up opportunities in management), it will give me the satisfaction of knowing I can do it and also keeping my mind sharp as I approach my middle years (omg I did not just say that! ~weeps~).
Other than that, I've been looking at house plans and such... thinking of eventually moving out of the apartment I share with my brother but I'm not rushing towards that any time soon. There's a lot of good designs out there (especially on houseplans.com!) but I have a bunch of time to work out exactly what I want (can you say giant basement home theatre with recessed projection screen and projector in ceiling?) :D
On that note, I want to wish everyone a happy holidays (or whatever you celebrate) and a great new year - where I'll hopefully post more often than 3 times a year!