Fujikoma.com Blog

A year-end wrap up continuing from 2010

Life
Drove an amazing 3,000 miles across the United States and moved from Atlanta, GA to Portland, OR
Installed a hot tub
Went to see a midnight showing Salvador Dali exhibit
Jogged 10 miles and climbed the largest stone in the world
Sweetwater 420 fest at Candler Park
Anime After Dark
Rollerskating at Sparkles
Camping with Unitus
Hosted a huge Dragon*Con party
Won tickets from BePortland to see Grimes & Austra
Was filmed in webseries “Magdelene Valley”
Was filmed for Season 3 for Food Network’s “Eat Street”
Was filmed in a concert ad for Mackie soundsystems
Attended the premiere of tv series “Grimm” with full cast and directors
Got to see the premiere of Portlandia Season 2 Tour
Attended my favorite author Chuck Palahniuk’s book release tour for “Damned”
Went as Shaun on Portland Zombie Walk
Visited the Space Needle
Visited Newport Aquarium
Met my favorite food blogger dieselboi of FoodCartsPortland
Joined in a 1,000 person Decentralized Dance Party

Concerts
Peelander Z (twice), Anamanaguchi (twice), Delaney & Paris, Grimes, Austra (Holocene), Chipocrite (Nov 20Ground Kontrol), Distant Worlds, Del The Funky Homosapien, Ferry Corsten, Miami Horror (16 June), Misfortune500(3 Aug), Dntal & One Am Radio (21Aug, Earl), Identity (Aug23 Lakewood Amp), Radiation City (Aug 31, Drunken Unicorn), Freezepop (Sept 3), Pogo (Sept 21, Masq), Vanimal (Dec 22), Grimes/Austra (Holocene), Tritonal/Nero + Austra/ Hypercrush (Dec 31 WaMu Theatre)

Travel
Portland, OR
Gruetli-Laager, TN
St Louis, MS
Kansas City, MS
Colorado Springs, CO
Denver, CO
Salt Lake City, UT
Seattle, WA
Newport, OR

Games
Games Beat: 999, Mass Effect 2, Nier, Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep, Ghost Trick, Pokémon White, Shadows Of the Damned, Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations, Catherine, Hard Corps: Uprising, Uncharted, Uncharted 3
Brought a broken PS3 back to life from YLOD by fully dissembling/reassembling it

Favorite Movies
Muppets

Books
“Enders Game” Orson Scott Card

Best Show
Portlandia

Songs
“Feel It All Around” Washed Out

Favorite Music Video
“Lovesick” Emily Osment

In 2004, I made the journey from my hometown in Jacksonville, FL to Atlanta, GA. It was a great decision and the last few years I have made a plethora of friends and gone to some amazing shows. Forever I love Atlanta, but now it’s time to go. Since my arrival I have met so many wonderful friends from all walks of life; Polish, Serbian, Korean, Mexican, Peruvian, Lebanese, Nepali, Persian, Swedish, Dominican and so many others. They’ve given me so many stories to tell and taken me on a lifetime of experiences and adventures.
I’ve seen some amazing concerts and shows.
I’ve met celebrities.
I’ve rocked VIP at clubs.
I’ve raised a shih tzu.
I’ve attended a ridiculous amount of conventions.

Now it’s time for another large move. Next week I will be driving almost 3,000 miles from Atlanta, GA to Portland, OR.
I couldn’t be more excited for this trip. I actually requested this move after a life changing week-long visit to the place. As soon as I got back I put in for a request from my job at Sage Software. Sage has an office in Portland and while it took nearly 6 months for something suitable to come, it finally did! Not only does my pay go up, but the job is also paying for the relocation.

I made the announcement at my 31st birthday dinner at Bone Garden Cantina. I had been told the news as a special birthday present at 6:30 after work was over from HR who wasn’t officially supposed to tell me until the following day. I first told my previous coworker who was thrilled but told everyone else after a small birthday song. I was met with both congratulatory and concern. It wasn’t just a small move to another city or state, but across the country. They’re all happy for me because they know this is something I’ve been working so hard to achieve.

My drive was inevitable. I love my 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit and bought it at only 10 miles from the dealer. It has now reached an amazing 60,000 miles and still churns away, good as new. I made full inspection and cleaned her up. I also had to decide who would be going with me to this. I could take a friend from Atlanta with me and fly em back, or a friend from Portland and fly them here.  I had a few offers but none solid enough. Luckily one of the greatest people in my life volunteered for this.

My mom.

She is now retired from over 30 years of teaching school and has all of the free time she could ever need. Lately she’s traveled to Grand Canyon, Maine, Orlando and a few other places, as well as going on Cruise adventures to several islands with my sister. She’s defeintely the person I inherited my travel bug from. So this weekend I will be picking her up from Florida and then heading off.

I’ve accumulated SO much in my 31 years! I’m still downsizing all kinds of photos, VHS tapes, high school drawings, and all sorts of other things. The only things coming with me are my two TVs, PS3, clothes, Ikea shelf (my only truely owned furniture), and bedset. I’m a keeper, a saver. I look at something as sentimental value and think one day it’ll either be worth something or maybe I’ll buy a scanner and scan it or something else to the point it just won’t go into the garbage. Luckily the family offered to store a few boxes for me.

So wish me luck, this will be the move to end it all. East coast goes West coast and while I’m going to visit, I’m living out here for a good while. Thanks to everyone for the great times.

999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors
Genre: Puzzle
System: Nintendo DS
Release Date: November 16, 2010
Company: Aksys Games
Website: www.aksysgames.com/999

Choose Your Own Adventure, Saw, and Phoenix Wright.
What do these have in common?
This game!

999 Is a digital novel, puzzle, horror, mystery, thriller game for the DS. It contains 5 endings and each one is just as twisted as the next. You play as Jumpei, a normal guy who along with 8 other captives must escape this prison they have been taken to. Read the rest of this entry »

Spelunker HD
Genre: Puzzle
System: Playstation 3
Release Date: November 3, 2010
Company: Tozai Games
Website: www.spelunker-hd.com

As the official site states “Spelunker is the Weakest Action Hero in the History of videogames”, and that is no exaggeration. You may remember shot of the first death in the game, falling 2 feet. That’s right; our hero is a real wimp when it comes to the threshold of pain.

The game was originally released in 1983 (yes before even Mario Bros!) and if you still like the original flavor, there are modes for the original version as well as revamped HD mode. The premise of the game is simple. Get all the keys and take them to the exit. Your weapons of disposal include a fan and bombs you pick up. Doesn’t get any simpler right?

This is where the challenge begins. Why would anyone want to play a game this knowing death is just a short drop, or ghost apparatus, or bat droppings can kill you. that ultimately IS the challenge! The game is unforgiving and there is where the appeal begins! You run through the cave over and over learning from trial and error (and believe me there is a lot of error), eventually plotting a perfect course through the map. While it may seem like you should be careful and take your time, you’re also taunted with an air meter that gradually decreases. If you plan to fight off ghosts with fans, it decreases time even faster. The game is completely unforgiving and that’s the fun part!

Where the game really shines is the multiplayer mode. Up to six people can play the maps at the same time! Headset support is lucky here so you can talk to teammates, and if they don’t have it there’s a list of emoticons ranging from “Haha you died” or “I need a key”. With 6 people you share lives as well so watch who you choose for a teammate as they can sink the team (or revive you in the darkest moments). Speaking of sinking, there also the challenge that some things in the game can be more complex, like riding a boat with more than two people or climb down a rope. The rope will break with too much weight!

There are a ton of secrets in the game too like artifacts you find in the cave from blowing up hidden walls or areas that can only be reached by having at least 3 people team up. All scores online can also be compared with scorecharts and the like.

The one minor flaw outside of dying around every corner would have to be the way online lobbys are setup. Unfortunately the game has not implemented game invites so you need to let people know you are waiting in the lobby and them to join. Once a full game is started with 6 people there tends to be a bit of lag but nothing too disruptive.

Spelunker HD retails at $9.99 exclusively on the PSN store. Though Spelunker Black has been released in Japan (a far more challenging game as you can only see limited parts of the map) it has not been announced stateside yet.

A year-end wrap up continuing from 2009

Life

Attended Nathan & Nichole’s Pirate Wedding
Dyed my hair Rock N Roll Red (thanks joey)
Filmed and audio mixed a live stage play for “Annie Get Your Gun”
AFO XI
AWA XVI
Dragoncon
Frolicon
Da Vinci exhibit at High Museum of Art
Delta Upsilon (ΔY) party at GA State
Won tickets for a comedy show from V103 at a Best Buy rap contest
Went to Disneyworld
Auditioned for WCG Ultimate Gamer
Auditioned for Season 2 The Tester (link)
Camping at Lake Lanier
Joined LA Fitness and began working out on a regular basis
Went to several Volt Pool Parties with live DJ music and drinks
Attended two Foam Parties
Went to a No Pants Dance that was raided by police at 3am
Went to human art model classes at Clairemont Lounge
Watched an Atlanta Rollergirls game (Go Toxics!)
Superhero Rooftop party at Glenn Hotel
Watched Breakfast At Tiffanys outside in a park
Watched the original Alien in theatre
Attended a full screening of The Room
Watched a documentary of Troll 2 & met George Hardy
Submitted a video for Life in A Day  (link)
Dressed as a Lumberjack for a Treephort concert in full costume
Dressed as a Unicorn to an animal party
Attended a Pirates Vs Ninjas Trivia event
Got to meet Southside Steve of 100.5 FM The Regular Guys
Capcom release party for Marvel vs Capcom 3 (link)
Attended a Scott Pilgrim Vs The World premier with Michael Cera, Jason Schwartzman, and Edgar Wright (link)

Concerts
Steve Aoki @ Opera
Steve Aoki feat. Tiesto @ Seduction
Markus Schultz @ Opera (link)
Protomen @ North River Tavern
Pink Floyd Roger Water’s “The Wall” Nov 18th @ Philips Arena
Filo and Peri @ Tongue and Groove (got free drinks from Bo Pericic)
8-bit-Alliance Anamanaguchi/SabrePulse @ 529
DJ Icey Christmas Day @ Eclipse
Nero @ Masquerade

Travel
Orlando, FL
Lake Buena Vista, FL
Vero Beach, FL
Las Vegas, NV
Myrtle Beach, SC (link)

Games
Games Beat: Final Fantasy XIII, Grandia, Sonic Adventure, Terranigma

Favorite Movies
Scott Pilgrim Vs The World
Black Swan

Books
Suck It Wonder Woman by Olivia Munn

Best Show
Outsourced

Songs
Asobi Seksu – Me & Mary
Metric – Black Sheep
tyDi – Vanilla

Favorite Music Video

The Tester
Available only on the Playstation 3 Network

I’m not a fan at all of reality shows. The last one I got into would be The Simple Life only because I love Paris Hilton but gameshows, fit club, dancing and American Idol I’ve completely avoided. That being said, I love playstation and gaming so this was the exception I had to make.

Read the rest of this entry »

Read the rest of this entry »

I started this year actually, bigtime working out. Joined LA Fitness and I’ve forced myself to do a minimal 1 hour at least three times a week. The goal I guess would be to lose the beer gut and have a nice physique by the time i hit 30. I haven’t gone crazy nuts on diet, but soda and beer are out unless I’m at a social event and I will avoid any and all fast foods. By my 3rd month I’ve noticed such change it almost feels like I’m wearing some kind of super suit and its great. As you know I played DDR a ton back in the day which was excellent cardio but I did not bother with weights. Now I’m more weights and a small amount of cardio (30 mins on the treadmill.

Read This Article no really read it, print it and put it on the toilet and read it while you do your thing. Its written really well and completely smacks all the other Macho Muscle Fat Burner articles away. Really helped me get this thing going.

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