TomMannino.com

This weekend has amazing energy. It’s the Penny Arcade Expo, Dragon*Con, and then also Burning Man. It seems like if anyone I know is doing anything this weekend, it’s one of these three things.

Ever since I was a little kid, and went to the Nintendo World Tour, when it stopped in New Mexico, I wanted to ‘work a booth’ at a convention of whatever kind. Being excited and talking about a cool game, and getting paid to do it. As I grew up I realized that it wasn’t something I’d be doing with whatever direction of my life. My first time at E3 re-lit that dream in my head, walking around and seeing all the game designers and marketing people selling you their game. It was still a dream, but I was much more practical and realistic to know, again, it was going to be a long time, if at all, I’d ever be able to do something like that.

This weekend, I will be with friends, among friends, at my favorite convention, seeing people I miss dearly, also meeting people I’ve never met in person.

Also, this weekend, to put it simply, my dream of ‘working a booth’ is coming true. It’s going to be pretty grueling, physically and emotionally, but it’s something I’ve wanted to do forever, and now I get to do it. While wearing a pirate costume and leather pants.

I am so excited and proud about what we have put together, the project, the people involved, everything has been so awesome. I can’t wait to see what people think.

For my birthday present [edit, which is on Sept 2nd, btw... don't be confused.. haha] to myself this year, I spent 100$ on some boxes of my favorite candy, ever, ever, ever:

This is literally my #1 super favorite candy of all time. If could eat only one candy ever again, it’d be these. If I was stranded on a desert island and had to pick one candy, this would be the one I pick. If I had to marry a candy, it’d be this one. It’s so stupid and simple. It’s just ‘gummi candy’ but in a disk form. It’s the perfect sized bite, to either bite in half or just eat the whole thing. It has all the good gummi flavors like cherry and pineapple. So good.
http://www.candyfavorites.com/Haribo-Mega-Roulette-Gummi-Candy-pr-2026.html

And then these two puppies have always stood out in my mind as being amazing because they are more of the delicious gummi candy, however as a kid, you look at these things and go OMG THEY ARE THE BIGGEST EVER. Plus they are rats and spiders and it was a good way to stereotypically gross out your mom. LOOK MOM I HAVE A RATS BUTT HANGING OUT OF MY MOUTH NOMNONOM.
http://www.candyfavorites.com/Gummi-Rats-Large-Wrapped-pr-796.html

http://www.candyfavorites.com/Gummi-Tarantula-Spider-Large-Wrapped-pr-799.html

I figure I lost some weight… I got myself down to 180 pounds from 195, without eating very much candy or sugar so I figure I might as well buy like fifteen pounds of candy and just put it right back on. Knowing I’m going to have these boxes of my favorite candy to myself makes me cackle like a mad scientist. I’m going to dump them on the floor and swim in them. Actually I doubt I will eat them all, but having them in my possession makes me feel young!

The powers that be sent some of the Twin Skies fansites some encouraging schwag. Here’s one of their unboxings:

And then a fan drew up a comic with me in it O_o

I think after this, I’ll put my burn and dodge tools to rest for a while. I abuse them. Happy presumptive birthday, Oliver. And Mannino’s in the corner there because I am his uber fan. <3

Uhoh!

One of the powerups for the Heavy is Sammich Power:

MEET THE SAMMICH:
http://kotaku.com/5039075/heavy-gets-his-sandvich-im-still-waiting

I could have told you this was powerful, years ago:
http://www.scatteredgenius.com/features/paris/7/

be an eating hero!

I have exactly ten white hairs in my mustache. Also I’m turning twenty-nine in 19 days.

Sorry, not twenty-nine. I’m getting another year’s experience at being 21. That makes 8 years experience!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article4531119.ece

I bet anyone a dollar this is a viral marketing campaign. I don’t know for what, of course, but we will find out soon!

…to get XML errors….. I salute you!

Edit: I like the part where 7:55 it goes down for maintain special time.
Edit: 8:18, GG, Blizz. Thanks for lettuce gnomes.

I’m still going to Anaheim and partying my ass off.

So, the question everyone has been asking me the past X weeks has been “OMG ARE YOU GOING TO BLIZZCON?” To which I’ve always answered, “Yes, but I don’t have tickets yet, nobody does, so don’t get your hopes up.” Well I was warranted in my cynicism =P

So, I ask the question, now that tickets are sold out:
“So, are you (really) going to Blizzcon?”

P.s. I’m not asking lily because you’re a little loot whore overpowered shaman. L2p you jerk.