When everything becomes nothing, then what does it become?

Is it merely my perception, or is my fire finally done?

Blown out by life's winds it is out, cold as a winter night

Unable to find the light

Unwilling to make a fight

I go on, existing

Yet there is hope

A reason to cope

I see something on the horizon, it's you

There is the distance, I can sense your existence,

and I can feel the winds change, it's voice becoming more strange

Like a launguage never spoken before

it's meaning just beyond a door

Where it leads is unknown, like my destination

Once again, I can perceive sensation

Sensation

A spark becomes a flame

It's embers become untame

The dark is lit up now

I see the world once again, thanks to you

Thanks to you

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex.......it takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction." -Albert Einstein

The Nintendo's Wii comes to mind when I saw this quote at the gym(nerdy much?:P). Coming out with more powerful hardware and bigger and better everything, the PS3 and 360 had the usual game plan. The Wii, didn't. Not to get into all the detail we all know, Nintendo has dominated sales in the console and handheld sales since they first launched. Regardless whether you like the Wii or DS, you can't deny their impact on the video game industry. Einstein's quote is dead on in this instance. The Wii and DS are a touch of genius and Nintendo has balls. Despite their weaker hardware than the competition, their respective interfaces allowed people of all walks of life to simply game. Moms, dads, sisters, grandmas could play Wii Sports or some Clubhouse games without being strung up on a complicated controller to do it. This of course opened up a very big demographic and you all know the rest. If what Nintendo did isn't genius, I don't know what is.

Even cats can get their game on! Thanks Nintendo!

It also sums up my thoughts about the next gen. I simply don't see a need for any new consoles soon. I'm not sure exactly why either. For every console generation, selling points and bragging rights were all about hardware. "Blast processing", 64-bits>32-bits, ect, ect,. How many of us grew up talking smack about Mortal Kombat 2 for the SNES being far more superior than the shoddy Genisis port, or why the N64 didn't have those darn load times the PS1 had. Some of this sentiment carries into this generation in the form of System Wars.

Can't we all just get along?

After so many years, there is a new revolution(maybe not THAT new). The way we interface with our games is what will shape the next gen. Microsoft's Natal, Sony's Wand thing and Nintendo's Wii Remote successor. Being called a fad by Wii haters/dislikers, it doesn't look like new interactions are going away anytime soon. I guess the bottom line is, what next? I know there will always be graphics whores and "hardcore gamers" that don't play anything devoid of blood and guns(not to generalize here). Bigger, better hardware doesn't cut it anymore. Neither does the higher costs to make and buy PS4/720 games. Something has to give. For me at least, I'm in no hurry to see any new consoles. Unless they involve holographic metroids and gloves used to manipulate virtual items and such. Now THAT would get me excited for a new console!:o

The future, or a technological world gone wrong?

So I got to go to Las Vegas for the first time.:D I must say it was a lot to take in.:shock:

Virtually every hotel/casino is massive and has many things to offer. I was with my family, so the event was clearly PG-13 rated, but still very awesome. I spent a bit of time with my best friend in a few...

Excalibur, where we were staying, had some cool places to play and shop.

In here, I was literally playing a machine, drinking beer AND watching a stripper dance. This is my kind of place.:twisted:

Nice casino. Even has a roller Coaster ride (which was intense:))

View from the hotel.

Fishes from the Mirage. Must be fun to clean that tank.:P

Lion display at MGM.

Musical Mojo from the House of Blues. Twas good.;)

I didn't win anything because I have ****** luck, but I did go home with happiness and a cool benie from the House of Blues shop. I do want to going back before the year is out. It's a place you can't realy explore without some time on your hands. Vegas is massive. So was the human traffic. Standing in front of Treasure Island to watch the pirate show was uncomfortable because Vegas was 107 degrees outside. Add an additional 10 degrees in body heat and 40 more when the fire from the ship lights up.:? The old man in front of me starting to smell like BO.:cry: It was a good show though.

Too many shows I missed like the Excalibur Jousting event, the Bellagio water show, Fantasy, Live Nudes. Soooo much to do!:cry:

So, I guess I finally got a blog up after all these years. I figured since I had such a good day on the fourth, I'd share it.:) Since my tribe's casino celebrates it's anniversary on the 3rd of July, I saw my fireworks show one day before the normal time. So on the 4th, me and my fam went to Jerome, AZ for specifically, the grand opening of Caduceus Cellar's wine tasting room.

What is Caduceus you ask? It's the label of wine from Merkin Vineyards, wholly owned by Maynard James Keenan.

Who is Maynard James Keenan you ask? He's only the frontman for a few bands;

Tool

A Perfect Circle

and Puscifer.

I got up at about 5ish in the morning, getting a few hours of naptime before heading out to Jerome, which is a good 6 hours from Tucson, where I live. Listened to A Perfect Circle and some Puscifer while getting there obviously.:roll::P At about 10 or 11, we got to Jerome.

Pictured, FFCYAN's reflection off the window. Not pictured, Maynard sweeping the floor.

Went straight to Caduceus Cellars. And were the ONLY PEOPLE waiting!:o So I was quite literally the first guy in Caduceus Cellars official opening!:cry: Before it opened, Maynard was sweeping the floor for a final touch up I guess. That's something you don't see everyday.:lol: Very cool.

My party, from left to right, Joe, Keith, Therese and me, FFCYAN(I look fat:().

We went in, there was just us, the wine pouring guy and Maynard, kicking it there behind the bar, in a very obviously nervous manner. Seeing him there just chilling was so great, even though he was a bit uncomfortable and made little eye contact. I wanted to say some things and maybe get a pic or two, but I didn't want to scare him off.:( Someone else did though so he went up some stairs to his office, which he probably wrote stuff in his journal.

Mr. Keenan's majestic stairs to his office, center. As well as some cool guy on the left.

Maynard did walk past me to the front, in which he sat behind a counter to survey the winos and fans, which he loathes so much.:P After chatting with the folks and getting a little buzzed(I stumbled out of wine room (but I swear a just lost my footing!:oops:) we went to eat at....the haunted hamburger.....

The hamburgers! Their haunted!:cry:

And I checked out Maynard's Puscifer store, the only one in exsistance.

After that, we left Jerome and headed to Page Springs Cellars, which is wholly owned by Eric Glomski. Who is Eric Glomski? He is an Arizona wine maker who got Maynard in the business. Both he and Maynard own a vinyard together called Arizona Stronghold, in the lands where Cochise fought for the right to their lands.

Even though they have different wineries, their partnership allows them to sell and market each others wines in each of their tasting rooms.

In my best Dave Chapelle voice imitating Samuel L. Jackson,"Grapes! They'll get you drunk!"

As you can tell by my eyes, FFCYAN needs 600 gil for the Inn.

I gues that's it. The wines at PSC are great and not as expensive as Maynard's Caduceus brand. Damn celebrities think they can get away with that!:x (Actually he does, I bought a bottle of his wine back in February and had him and Eric sign it) But as Keith once said while we were all feeling good and intoxicated, "Wine make even a common man feel like a rich man." True words. I love beer more though, cause I'm manly like that.8) Suffix to say, I slept all day yesterday hence my late posting of this.

The weather was great, the hamburger was good and not possessed and the views and wine were superb. I couldn't ask for a better day, well, maybe if Maynard wasn't so reserved. Perhaps I should have just yelled I love you Maynard as I left, then he would have remebered that long haired injun that stumbled out of his tasting room. Hell, he better remember me, I was the first man in his grand opening!:evil: Well, I hope everyone had a good 4th.:) I know I did!:D