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Windows XP/Vista/7
Download via MediaFire
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Mac OSX
Download via MediaFire
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And for those who wants to just use bittorrents you may by downloading it from KickAssTorrents.com

1. Shira Oka: Getting a Second Chance?
2. Shira Oka: Second Chances – “Am I Seeing An Angel?”

Now, I will be honest and say I’m still a virgin, so to all you nay-sayers out there… I’m fully aware I MIGHT say different if I experienced it. Then again, that’s a huge ‘might’. But I’m just throwing that out there before I get comments saying I should try it before bashing it. I’m fine as I am, thank you.

Back to the main subject… I see too many people questing for the act of sex. That seems to be all it is to them. Personally, I prefer the term ‘making love’. Not really a necessary sentence, but I’m putting it up anyways…

The people who seem sex-oriented… I’ve noticed that they don’t know/realize all too much. I’m not calling them stupid, mind you… But they seem to not see as much, not to study life and the world as much. Their quest for sex has blinded them to quite a few things the world has to offer. They’ve seemed to lose sight of the simple pleasures in life. They don’t recognize the beauty of a chilly moonlit night, the brilliance of ants taking your food, the fact a computer really can be used for more than porn or Internet dating.

So why is society so much more sex-oriented than it used to be? I cannot say. I don’t know. Maybe I was just raised too old-fashioned or sheltered and never noticed it as I grew up. I’m not terribly concerned, just… Confused and a little saddened. Sex is blocking life from these people, it seems… And that’s not exactly a good thing.

Oh, and I love the ones who try to ‘get into my pants’. They act like they have the right to, or that I should be more open about it. As if sex with someone is a RIGHT, not a privilege. They don’t have to let you if they don’t want to. It’s called rape for a reason, people… Anyways, it’s those people who anger me the most. They seem so blind to the possibility someone can say ‘no’, or that someone really hasn’t had sex by now. They get this ridiculous look on their face as if they’re truly, truly surprised.

And maybe they are. But that doesn’t seem to stop them for long. The jokes soon come again, the ‘subtle’ advances… I just wish these people didn’t know others who had been so willing to go at it with them. Now they seem to expect it from anyone, and this just spreads the idea. Sexy Dominoes, eh?

I want these people to learn that maybe you do have to prove yourself to be a capable person, to be successful and ‘right’. That it isn’t going to be easy all the time. That to ‘get into my pants’, you need to show who you are as a person… If you want in, prove yourself to me ((Not necessarily me personally, but you should get my point)). Maybe if more start realizing this… Sex won’t be so annoying. Or at least putting up with the people who want it won’t be.

Also, for those who are wondering about the ‘sandpaper’ bit… They’re sanding the wall next to me, and it’s making me lose my mojo/expressiveness/literacy/motivation to write this. :D

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These videos was film using a Sony HDR-XR150 video camera and edited down for size with Adobe Premiere Pro CS4.

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I just haven’t been able to think of anything. Yes, I’m fully aware this is a cop-out of sorts. Talking about how I’ve nothing to talk about… But I just wanted to put SOMETHING up, at least.

You see, nothing has been happening in my end of the world. I’ve got some shiny new games I could try and review, but they’re not exactly the newest games in the world. Reviews for them have been out there for months, if not years. Besides, that’s SCSA’s schtick.

So let’s try and make a post/rant about nothing.

Why is it that our ordinary lives can seem so droll, especially to ourselves? Do we really adjust so quickly and perfectly to the paths before us? Have the lives of so much of humanity slowed down and become so regular that small things such as getting a microwave or saving a few cents on gas seem exciting? Why is that? It’s hardly fair, when you think about it.

We see others leading spectacular lives on our televisions, read about them in the news, or hear about them on the radio. We see these people and think ‘Man, I wish I could do that.’ But we don’t try to. Perhaps this change and steadfastness to the mundane is due to people developing a ‘bubble of safety’, of sorts.

In this bubble we are safe. In this bubble we are stable. We are ready for all the events life can throw at us. There is nothing outside our bubble for us to recognize. We will not leave this bubble for anything unless we truly have to. Perhaps this relates to the apathy people have been developing towards each other over the years.

I think that’s what people might need nowadays. Needles. We need lots of needles. The metaphorical kind, you see. We need to pop those bubbles. We need to open up and see what’s out there, what can be done. People need to stop sitting around and not knowing what else they can do. Why have a bubble of safety in the first place? Were you hurt in your past? How do you expect to recover if you don’t expose yourself? Fear is a powerful motivational tool, yet it acts as a de-motivator (I’m fully aware this isn’t a word, so hush) as well.

So, to those who read this (and especially those who actually consider/use my advice/rants) I suggest you all go out tomorrow and try something you’ve NEVER done before. Open your bubble a little more. Get yourself out there. Maybe you’ll find a path you’ve never seen before, a way to something you’ve always wanted but never knew existed.

I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me who feels this way. Personally, I hope not. Anyways, I’ll end this poorly written rant/post here before I get OVERLY repetitive. Good luck out there, everyone. :D

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Dreams. Youth. Potential.

Whatever happened to these things? When we were young, we’d so often hear about how we’d go places. People (usually our parents) would tell us we could do so much. That we could be anything we wanted to be if we worked hard at it. After all, it worked out for them, right?

Yet look at the world now. Work simply doesn’t cut it anymore. Effort doesn’t go as far as it used to. All your childish dreams and wants are thrown back at you by the world. You start realizing you can’t meet your potential due to many circumstances. Family, money, and bad luck are a few of these.

You enter the world, you enter society with big ideas, hopes, and dreams. Then life starts to rear the ugly side of its head. You realize you need a job to get the money you need for what you want to do, for your education. After all, you have the power to do certain jobs. You could be a computer wizard or a medical prodigy. You’ve proven yourself to be just as skilled (sometimes even more than) people with degrees in your subject. But it doesn’t mean a thing without that paper, without that certification. Ability means nothing without some ink and paper. So you work and you work. You tire yourself out.

Now you finally have the funds. You go to school, you get what you need. That ridiculous little paper that held you back so much before. You’re ready to go into your ‘dream job’. Then you get turned away at the door. Why is this? Sadly, the world has become a place where what you know doesn’t matter as much. Now it’s about WHO you know. You realize you’ve spent so much time learning and working that you never got the ‘contacts’ necessary. So it’s back to your old (or another) job for more work.

It’s just to safely spend time, right? After all, some door is bound to open if you keep pushing for it. Sure, that makes sense. So now you pay your bills. You watch expenses pile up. You try for many other places, all where your degree would make sense. You get to see those less qualified than you get the job because they had buddies inside. You age. Life is still nipping at you, picking you apart.

Whatever happened to the child with dreams, with hope? What went wrong? Why did life and the world treat them as it did? They did their best, and it still meant little. They’re stuck in an endless loop, waiting for the slimmest opportunity to get out of it. Waiting to get a little more luck than they had the day before.

What happened to us all?

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Awesome. :D

First of all, pardon the title. It’s just… There is no ‘perfect’ advice for these sorts of things. I can tell you what I feel and think, but that doesn’t meant it’ll work for you. Consider this a disclaimer of sorts. ‘Results may vary’.

Here was the EMail I received. No names are given, of course.

“Alright, Horo. Supposedly you’re willing to give advice? Okay, well. What is your take on relationships? Relationships require trust, or at least… ideal ones do. To keep things short and simple, I’ve been in relationships that have basically resulted in me not being able to trust anyone. How do you recover from something like that? Any ideas on how to trust people again? Or at least how to work on trusting people.”

I’ll answer your questions in order.

Yes, I am willing to give advice. :D

My take on relationships… They’re a nice thing to have. They can add something to your life that you didn’t have before. Of course, they can take too. A relationship, like so many other things in the world, is something that you have to work with/for, rather than the other way around.

How do you recover? Well, in a sense… You never really do. If you aren’t at least a little damaged (though I would prefer not to use a word of that nature) when something happens in your relationship, then it probably wasn’t a real relationship in the first place. How do you make yourself feel better in the end, though? How do you cover your ‘scars’? Time, patience, and a constant willingness to try again when you’re ready and able. It’s not the easiest task, but it can be done. Try to let it get to you as little as possible. Make it a point to defy your pain/distrust. Eventually it’ll become habit, and soon after that, you won’t even know you’re doing it. You’ll be ‘healed’.

As for trusting people again… This is up to you. You might find someone who slams through your shell/wall and practically makes you trust them, and you just can’t help yourself but to. More likely than not, though… This will not be the case. The best trick is to just try and be willing to trust. If you don’t feel like you’re ready, then you probably aren’t. A lot of this is really on you.

So how would you make the most earnest effort towards trying to trust again? Start small. Let your current friends become good friends. Good friends should become best friends. Branch out a little. Let those close to you a little more into your life. If you can’t trust those closest to you, how do you expect to have faith in some random newcomer? Allow people to inch further and further into your life, into who and what you are. Once you have faith in your friends (and a potential fallback point), you just might be more ready to put yourself into the ‘relationship business’ again. If you can bring those people closer, you can bring someone else close. Just let it happen slowly, at a pace you’re comfortable with. Make sure they know what bothers you. But don’t let them know what pleases you, at least not too much. Let them figure it out. This can seem a little manipulative, but it’s more helpful than harmful. If they do start learning things about you, it means they’re willing to try and they really want to be close. This is a sign for you to try and return the favor. It’ll get easier as time goes.

Really… The most important thing here is that you must put forth an effort. ‘A little effort goes a long way’ is the phrase, I believe. It’s true, or so I’ve seen. So just be ready and willing, and be doing. It should work out in the end.

Well, that’s the best my currently addled brain can bring up for you right now. If I think/recover more things, I’ll let you know Advisee.

Until then, I wish you the best of luck, and I hope my advice works out for you.

I’ll see you and everyone else tomorrow.

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Whatever happened to the days of open friendliness? Now it seems that people greet each other with suspicion rather than a big smile, a ‘How-do-you do?’, and a nice, firm handshake. A gesture of trust and friendship. A sign that you’re willing to talk, be open, and maybe invite the other over for tea.

Sure, that’s a bit old-timey, but I’m just sayin’. Also, I’m fairly certain I’m not the first to notice this, and I doubt I’ll be the last. In fact, most of you might be nodding to yourselves and saying ‘I’ve heard all of this already.’ Well, I’m not too concerned with what you know or have heard about right now.

I, for one, do have feelings and good cheer. I intend to share them with those who are willing to accept them, and even with a few who don’t. Sometimes people need to hear that sort of thing. Undoubtedly a few of you are sitting there and thinking ‘What a self-righteous idiot.’ Meh. Don’t care. This is a blog where I can (mostly) post what I want. Today I felt like making my views and thoughts on this subject known.

So there you have it. My advice to everyone is…

The next random person you meet… Say hello to them with a big smile on your face. Extend your hand and give them a good shake. Ask them how they are, and actually pay attention to them. Try to send an aura of friendliness, if you will. See if you somehow made them feel a little better about life in general. That isn’t your goal, though. What you want to see… Is that person do the same to the next one they meet. And the next. And the next. See if it might come full circle, and someday… Someone greets you with that meaningful smile, and you feel a bit of your own good cheer and friendliness come back to you. Then… Start it all again. Don’t let it stop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’ll pop these into ‘Headlines’ until SCSA posts summat. I expect he might soon.

PS: I’ma try and post daily.

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For those who are even a wee bit concerned, and for those who don’t know who I am or what I do…

I am Horo. I ‘run’ Horo’s Corner. It’s essentially an advice/discussion column that is significantly different than SCSA’s stuff.

Right now I’ve not much to discuss, but hopefully I’ll get there soon. With my Net and comp back to life, I can finally become a properly functioning member of proper Internet society again.

Please note I said ‘properly’.

Anyways, see you all sooner or later. Fear my many ‘paragraphs’.

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Why didn’t you say anything before? It’s mainly because I didn’t want to say too much at the time due to the NDA that I signed. But now that it has became null I can talk about it now.

So what exactly is this visual novel/dating sim about? It’s about this boy (who you can name during the creation screen) that goes back to his high school life to get a second chance at his life because apparently you are a broke down drunk with no job and no girlfriend.

What’s the game play like? The game play is almost like True Love. If you haven’t played True Love then let me explain. What you do is you choose an activity you’d like to do for the week or weekend and every so often you run into either an random event or a set time event. You know what’s a set time event is if you look at the calendar and see a question mark on a day. You’re also trying to win affection from the girl (or guy) you’re aiming for. Depending on your stats level and the affection level of the characters will land you to there ending.

Wait… did you just say you can aim at getting a guy? Yes, I did, which was kinda odd for me as well on why you can aim for a guy but the way they did it was instead of a dating stand point when aiming for a guy, it’s more of a “we’re going to best buds forever” type of stand point.  Haven’t gotten any of there endings so I’m not too sure how exactly sure how it plays out in the end but it’s not like boy has butt sex with them. Besides, even if I do know the ending, I wouldn’t tell ya =p

Speaking of butt sex, is there any sort of, you know… h-scenes? Are you a perv or what, not all dating sims/visual novels has to have h-scenes to make them good.  With that said, no, this game does not have h-scenes.

This game sounds interesting, do you know how I pick up a copy? This game is currently still in beta stages, currently I have no ideal of when the final product would be done and released but it’s getting really close.

You said in the last post about this game that it’s being created by a start up company, what’s it like helping them in beta testing this up coming game? Pretty awesome to be honest. I’ve been selected to beta test other softwares before (I’ve been selected to beta test OnLive as well just recently but can’t talk about it at all, plus I don’t even remember how I got selected to be a beta tester for OnLive) but there’s some form to fill out on your feedback and what not. With those kind of beta testing there’s tons of beta testers so you don’t really talk with the developers directly and your ideals gets implicated either much further down the line or not at all. Working with Okashi Studios is a treat as there’s not too many testers and you have direct communication with the developers. Some ideals was brought up, next day it was added, it was nice and completely different from other companies when it comes to beta testing software.

How did you became part of the testing team? Funny story, actually, I was on there forums since I’ve first heard about it after FAnime Con 2006, about a year or so later they posted an announcement saying they’re looking for alpha testers and to fill out an assessment form of the computer setup. I filled it out and submitted it. About half a year later they started to actually look for alpha testers and they contacted me. I emailed the person back and forth and turns out they decided to hold off on getting alpha testers for awhile. That was towards the beginning of 2009. A year later, they sent out an email to everyone on there mailing list saying they’re, once again, looking for testers but not for alpha testing but for beta testing. I was still interested so I emailed them saying I was still interested and don’t remember if they remember me but I was emailing back and forth one of there contacts over there. Next day I was online browsing around and I got an email back saying that she did, in fact, remembered me and told me to send an IM to this one person, so I popped onto meebo, logged into AIM, and sent the person I had to contact an IM. First responds that came out of his mouth was, “holy shit that was fast.” And so, it just went from there.

Anyways, I’ll leave it here for now. If you got any sort of questions about the game, shoot it my way and I’ll add it to this post. I’ll also let you know when the game becomes available.

1. Shira Oka: You Are Now Getting a Chance at a Second Chance
2. Shira Oka: Getting a Second Chance?