April 30, 2008
12:48 AM
 
This is the longest I've gone without updating the site in awhile.  My apologies to the few of you that read this regularly.  I've been busy with work and school, as usual - finals have started, but everything's going well and is on-track or ahead of schedule, so fortunately it hasn't been as stressful as I would've thought.  Busy day tomorrow (well, today...technically) though, with a paper, essay, and exam to look forward to.  I am getting the cold-air intake installed in the car tomorrow night, though, so that'll be nice.  Just what I need - a faster car...right?
 
The last 24-ish hours have been especially busy, though, due mainly to Grand Theft Auto IV.  The game had a fairly eventful midnight launch at work, and today, the official release date for it, was the busiest we've seen the store in a very long time.  I did cave and pick up the game myself, for those who I haven't already talked to, and can happily say that it seems to live up to most of the hype around the game.  Scoring nearly perfect reviews from absolutely everyone, it's a bigger, much more detailed Grand Theft Auto with any annoyances from the previous games fixed, polished, and generally improved.
 
I'd go into much more detail and a semi-review of the game, but I'm tired and have a lot on my mind tonight.  You're welcome to check out IGN, GameSpot, Kotaku, or any of the other mainstream game-review sites for more details than one could ever want, though chances are that if you care about GTA, you already own and/or have played it by now.
 
I need to figure some stuff out around here.  And I need to do it soon...

 
April 28, 2008
10:11 AM
 
And let the week begin.  I've got a few minutes here in the computer lab between homework, graduation papers, class, and work, and as such I wanted to provide a quick update with a few points of interest.
 
First and foremost (a statement I completely deny stealing from a close friend of mine), Grand Theft Auto IV continues receiving hype and perfect or near-perfect scores from absolutely everyone, thought GameSpot is still missing theirs.  Regardless, a game hyped this much has a lot riding on it, and in a little over 12 hours the common public will get to embrace the apparent joy that is GTA.  I also love the most recent Ctrl-Alt-Delete comic strip embracing what GameStop does best - preorder bonuses.  I can vouch for the fact (and possibly to some disappointment) that the actual preorder bonus that people may get for GTA is not quite as...realistic....as what's described in the comic.  Check it out, courtesy of Ctrl-Alt-Delete.
 
In Wii news, the Virtual Console was updated with Double Dragon for the NES this morning.  500 points scores this classic predecessor to Streets of Rage and the slew of other 2-player beat-em-ups that came out in the 1990s, though if I remember right from all those years ago, D.Dragon was a really, really hard game.
 
Most importantly, though (at least, as far as I'm concerned), is the batch of new screen shots officially released from Sega for Sonic Unleashed.  This gorgeous three-dimensional platformer is looking more and more like it could be the key that brings the Sonic franchise back from its extremely tarnished reputation.  Check out Kotaku for this and more information.
 
Unrelated to game news, I plan on adding on to OkamiBlog a bit in a few weeks, once I have time to revise the site a bit.  I've got several requests for comment boxes at the end of each post so that viewers can quickly post their own thoughts.  I'm also thinking of adding sketches and artwork that I've done to the Photos page, making it more of a general gallery and providing me more content to add to the otherwise tiny website.  Finally, I'm thinking about having a weekly wrap-up on Fridays or Saturdays of news, important posts, popular games/technology/movies that were touched on in the given week, etc.  Shoot me an e-mail via the Contact page and let me know what you think of these ideas - it's appreciated!
 
Anyway, that's everything I've got for now without diving into the usual stuff running through my mind and the usual busy work I'm putting up with in the process.  Until next time, all.

 
April 28, 2008
12:13 AM
 
Shortly after midnight, and I've finished all of the computer labs that were due this week.  While I kind of want to shut the computer and toss it out the back door, it's a good start to the week...  If I can knock out one of my shorter reports before I head off to bed, then I'll be in great shape for starting this week out.  So, in short, the plan in the previous entry seems to be working out.
 
I'm pretty sure I'm not touching a computer for awhile when I finish this week....heh.

 
April 27, 2008
9:37 PM
 
So I've made a decision tonight that I think will make the week a bit more bearable.  Instead of hanging out tonight like I prefer to do on a Sunday night before a new week kicks off, I've planted myself in front of the computer and my books to get as much homework done tonight in preparation for the week as humanly possible.  It's going to make for another long evening (don't be surprised if I'm ranting at 3 AM again), but I can deal with one long night and a potentially normal-ish week.
 
We'll see how it goes.

 
April 27, 2008
8:01 PM
 
This song (the one playing in this site's background, so long as you're not using a Mac) makes me wonder if "T-Pain" was playing Final Fantasy while putting the thing together (listen to the background jingle if that doesn't make sense).  Ah well, though - it works for the moment.
 
And while we're on the point of OkamiBlog's background music, keep in mind that if you ever want to turn it off, all you have to do is press the "Stop" button in your browser's controls.  With that being said, we'll move on - after work got e-mailed today about Game Informer and all the other sties that are giving Grand Theft Auto IV perfect scores, I finally caved and reserved the thing myself.  A game I started out being completely uninterested in is now going to rob me of $50 tomorrow when we're beating off the GTA fan boys with sticks during the midnight launch.  It better live up to the hype...
 
At least I'll have plenty of people to try out all the new multiplayer stuff with.  Otherwise I don't have much news - this starts my final week of hell at school, but life's going to be near-perfect when I walk off that campus for the last time in a little over one week...

 
April 27, 2008
8:24 AM
 
Ah, the glory of Mitsubishi's Lancer Evolution.  And while I actually prefer the 8th or 9th version of the Evo. over its latest 10th version, I can still appreciate my 291hp all-wheel drive rally car as much as the next enthusiast.
 
Now, Subaru - Mitsubishi's direct rally-car competitor - has also released a new version of its all-wheel drive, turbocharged sports sedan, which I can usually appreciate at the very least for  the fact that the company gives Mitsubishi a run for its money in an otherwise untouchable field.  The problem with the latest WRX STi?  Well, look for yourself -

 
It's a bloody hatchback.  Might as well go trick out grandma's old station wagon for the same effect and less money.  C'mon, Subaru, what were you thinking?

 
April 27, 2008
1:59 AM
 
So our massively huge midnight launch for Mario Kart Wii consisted of two people showing up for their game, and a third for a completely unrelated purchase.  That was it.  This was the best midnight launch I've ever had in my years with the company.
 
My text messaging plan is officially UNLIMITED.  No more being raped by 10 cent charges from the nazi that is Cingular/AT&T.  Thank God.
 
It's 2 AM.  The night's been a big relief on several levels.  Things are good.
 
It's been one hell of a weekend, and I like the way it's coming to an end.  Good day, indeed.

 
April 26, 2008
12:17 PM
 
Initial D is one of those names that can go one of two ways with people.  They've either never heard of it, or they're know all about the street racing drama that spans four seasons, several graphic novels, and some of the best arcade and console mountain-pass racing games that exist to date.  And while fans of the series continue to wait patiently for the fifth season to be finished and released (especially here in the U.S.), we can at least drool a bit over all the new stuff that Japan has already gotten and hope that some of this stuff will eventually reach our shores.
 
With the recent retiring of Sega's racing department, which is responsible for games such as Sega Rally Revo and the Initial D games, things were looking kind of dim for getting the latest game that's done so well in Japan over here.  It's bad enough that arcades are becoming virtually non-existent in this country, which is the primary medium for releasing the Initial D games, but thankfully Codemasters (responsible for DiRT, TOCA, and the Colin McRae racing series) is picking up Sega's pieces in an attempt to keep the games alive and the company afloat.
 
Of course, fans of the series can always import console and portable versions of the game while waiting for all this to get figured out.  It's entertaining to think that there's just as much, if not more, drama in the actual backdoor stuff behind Initial D as there is in the show and story itself.
 
Ah well.  In the mean time, check out the arcades in Japan that are sporting the latest version of the Initial D arcade game, complete with actual cars to sit in.  No, seriously - check out the link.  And then ask yourself why America doesn't have anything this ridiculous (in a good way, mind you) over here.

 
April 26, 2008
10:12 AM
 
I feel amazing.  See, I just woke up - and if one puts together the time of this entry and last night's entry (and ignore the somewhat pathetic notion that I updated this thing before I went to bed and when I woke up...) then it comes out to about 9 hours of sleep.  9 hours!  That's more than I've been able to get in weeks.  Crazy how simply being rested makes everything better...proof that I will hopefully be much more tolerable after school's out next week.
 
Anyway, gaming news.  IGN has already reviewed Grand Theft Auto IV, giving it a perfect score of 10/10.  After skimming through the review and finally starting to buy into all the hype that various customers and friends keep telling me about, I'll admit that I may be getting interested in GTA after all.  There will still be no purchasing of it on Monday night during our midnight launch (everyone else I know and associate with is buying it after all, so I'd assume I'll have the opportunity to try it out), but if it is half as good as everyone is claiming it to be, then I'll probably cave and add it to my collection.  I don't expect it to be the definition of perfect like, oh say, the Shenmue series is, but a 10 out of 10 is a pretty hard-to-accomplish score from any reviewer, much less IGN, and that can't really be ignored.
 
In other news, Portal 2 was announced (apparently I missed this, back in February) and that's great news for a lot of people.  Unfortunately, it's Valve working on it, and as we saw with Half-Life 2, it took an eternity to get the sequel out.  Granted, it was an amazing sequel, but at this rate we won't be seeing Portal 2 until "Christmas, 2010" according to Kotaku.
 
Finally, also courtesy of Kotaku, there are some new screen shots for Silent Hill: Homecoming online, where the player can see a few characters and possibly how the game's going to play.  Enjoy, all - I need to go get ready for the 12 hour day and the launch of Mario Kart Wii...

 
April 26, 2008
12:53 AM
 
So I can't quite decide what route I want to go with my rant tonight.  I've had an extraordinarily long day, hence the lack of updating this, and a lot's been happening recently.  Some good (hell, some great - no sense in trying to hide that), some not so good, and a lot of confusing emotional volleying between the two.  I'm left on a daily basis realizing what's great about my life and what needs to be improved or completely changed, which provides for some almost bi-polar entries on this site, but in the end gets me one step closer to that personal safe-haven that could hopefully be achieved.
 
That is, if I don't stray off course with it.  A few posts back, I knew what I wanted.  And while I still have a decent idea of this, the route to get there has made no sense as of late.  All I can do is hope that I make some right choices along the way and that the mistakes don't end up costing too much.  
 
One thing that I have come to realize though, time and time again, is that having a close set of friends that will be there for you through the good and bad is a necessity to keeping (attempted) high spirits through everything.  I appreciate it far more than I probably show, and as such I try to do the same - simply be a good friend to those that I care about, even if it can backfire at times.  The end result is usually positive, though, which is all I can really ask for.
 
Anyway, onto some more down-to-earth topics.  My text messaging cycles over and finally becomes unlimited tomorrow, which is probably good and bad news for people.  While I think it's great because I can communicate with said-appreciated friends whenever need be, I will do just that - be that much more addicted to my phone.  I'm going to need it, though - only a week of school left before I graduate, though it's going to be a week of hell between all the final projects, tests, and presentations due, not to mention two midnight launches at work for Mario Kart Wii and Grand Theft Auto IV.
 
As such, I ask those of you that read this and talk to me regularly to please be patient and put up with a slightly-crazed Tom over the next week, as it's going to be a ridiculous test of patience and sanity (think the way the last couple of days have been, but more so).  I promise things will be back to normal, and if anything a lot more peaceful, after this coming week ends.  It's an exciting and a painstaking time in my life, but hopefully the end result will be worth it.  It has to be.
 
So, as the night draws to an end, life is settling down for the evening, and you're relaxing there in your pajamas while reading this, ask yourself again - what do you appreciate most about life, and what would you change?  It's a topic that's constantly running through my mind, though what I choose at the end of the day and how I go about accomplishing the goal(s) are what make the day unique (and provide riddle-filled blog entries).
 
Just one more week...

 
April 25, 2008
8:30 AM
 
Hey look, I'm awake after 4-ish hours of sleep.  At least if I accidentally lash out at people today, I'll have an excuse. 
 
Anyway, seeing as I just got up, I don't have much in the way of news yet.  I do have a lengthy quote to add to the site, though, courtesy of a friend's Facebook profile:

Now, I normally don't buy into the cheesy "heartfelt" quotes that people have a habit of posting all over their bloody online blogs, and I don't plan on changing that outlook any time soon.  But, this one stood out for some reason - maybe because I think it's true?  Maybe because it could be considered applicable?  Maybe because I'm running on 4 hours of sleep....who knows?
 
Anyway, I need to go get ready for the day and figure out how I'm going to function through the next 16 hours.  Take care, all.

 
April 25, 2008
3:17 AM
 
Almost 3:30 in the morning.  I'm done for the night - not finished with these labs, but the due date's been extended to Monday according to a fellow classmate, and I have the hardest ones done.  With that, I think it's finally time to call it quits.  I need to figure some stuff out tomorrow, both with school and with my personal life/myself, so it's going to be a long day..
 
Regardless, just so the evening wasn't completely filled with pointless posts, here's some game news for you all.  Sega's Shenmue saga, which started on the Sega Dreamcast and continued on the Xbox, may be coming to the Xbox Originals service offered via Xbox Live.  There are several petitions for both getting Shenmue on this service and for getting the final chapter in this trilogy finished once and for all - a feat that fans of the series, myself included, have been waiting for since 2002, and according to recent news, Microsoft has started taking notice.
 
It's pretty exciting to think that Sega and Microsoft haven't given up on the series, yet - Shenmue is, and always has been, one of my favorite games, and I'd love to see it promoted to the point where the final chapter of the series would finally be released.  
 
Anyway, here's the link to the petition post on the Xbox forums.  With that, I'm going to bed for a few hours...

 
April 25, 2008
1:58 AM
 
To hell with these computer labs.  At this point in the night, I'm progressing so slowly that I wonder if going to bed simply makes more sense - my mind's wandering, I'm letting anything and everything distract me, and my caffeine and chocolate high is definitely starting to wear off.
 
Hmm...  Anything good on TV at 2 in the morning?

 
April 25, 2008
12:39 AM
 
Yup.  Still awake.  Still here.  Not nearly as far along as I'd like to be.
 
Something tells me that if I keep updating this thing, the posts are going to become littered with profanity and begin losing all relevant content altogether.
 
Fair warning..

 
April 24, 2008
10:54 PM
 
I'm stuck in front of the computer working on several computer labs, each of which is going to take at least an hour.  I honestly don't think I'm sleeping tonight...  Good thing there isn't much going on tomorrow outside of one class and work, I guess.  Tomorrow night's a good goal to shoot for, I think.
 
...I'm around tonight, should the need arise...

 
April 24, 2008
3:19 PM
 
Just a quick note to say that the Projects and Photos pages are finally up and ready.  This more-or-less completes the basic overhaul of OkamiBlog, though expect many more things to be added and changed as time passes.  Comments/suggestions/complaints are always welcome.

 
April 24, 2008
2:11 PM
 
Grand news, for the few people out there that care.  And for the rest of you, I have some work to do - everyone should care about this one.
 
Supernatural finally has some new episodes lined up - hopefully enough to finish the current (third) season.  Fans of the show have been waiting since January for new episodes to arrive, and for awhile there they took the show off the air completely to make room for crap like "Reaper".  Okay, maybe it's not crap - I haven't seen any episodes of it, so don't get mad at me for a statement like that, though it did rob Supernatural of its time slot for awhile...
 
Anyway, tonight at 8pm CMT on the CW-11, we get what looks to be the first of a string of new episodes.  For a preview trailer of tonight's show, check out the official Supernatural website.  And if you want to get more into the show (for those unfortunate souls that haven't, yet), the first and second seasons are on both Xbox Live and DVD, and can be purchased or borrowed from yours truly.

 
April 24, 2008
10:40 AM
 
Amazing how twelve hours can make all the difference.  I still feel somewhat out-of-it, but getting a lot more sleep than I usually do seems to have had a positive effect.  I'm hoping I'll be good to go within the next few hours, so that I may start on the incredible amount of work I have to get done.
 
That being said, I'm not nearly as stressed out as last night (thank God...), and as such I figure you all deserve a "normal" post, as promised.
 
On to game news.  First and foremost, there's a new Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer online, courtesy of Kotaku (though I'm sure it's already in a million other places).  Also, Capcom's Okami re-release on the Nintendo Wii had some watermarked cover-art included in the original shipment, and although it's been fixed now, they're offering both fixed cover-art and some limited edition cover art for owners of the game.  And the best part?  It's free.  Get it here.
 
Anyway, it's class-time.  I'll add some more news and links later today - stay tuned, and thanks for the support from those asking about last night's post.  It's appreciated.

 
April 23, 2008
10:57 PM
 
Here's your warning: I'm not in a good mood right now.  Therefore, the rest of this entry is probably going to include a lot whining and maybe a few of those riddles that we all know and love.  The rant below is not necessarily going to make sense, and I'm not necessarily claiming to be the victim or pretend that some of the stuff going on is not my fault.  It's irrational, and generally a typical end-of-semester rant that I will never have to relive again, assuming I can survive for the next 2 weeks.  Feel free to skip to the next entry or leave the site if you don't feel like going through with this one.  Otherwise, keep the above disclaimer in mind, and enjoy...
 
I'm annoyed, to say the least.  First and foremost, I have a headache that's been plaguing me for the past 5 hours and it doesn't show any signs of going away.  My eyes hurt.  I'm hot, despite the fact that it's apparently 70 degrees in the house.  In other words, I'm probably sick and plan on going to bed as soon as I'm done whining here so that it doesn't jack up my weekend as well.
 
Wednesdays are supposed to be good days.  I never work on Wednesdays because I sporadically have class all day, including a night class.  It was gorgeous today.  I went to lunch with a friend.  As a matter of fact, everything was going well until 5pm rolled around and I bombed a quiz for my 6pm class.  So what, though?  Well, 6pm rolls around, and we gather in one of the oldest buildings on campus - this brick inferno has a screwed up air system, and as such we had 20+ people crammed in a tiny room for 3 hours.  Needless to say, it got hot, muggy, and generally disgusting extremely quickly, where it stayed at 80-90 degrees and 120% humidity for the entire time..
 
It doesn't help that the teacher, while normally interesting and good at promoting conversation among all of us, seemed to be droning on for a majority of the evening.  But the best news of the night was that our final exam, final paper, and final essay exam were all pushed up to this coming week (rather than the following) by student vote in order to "make things easier on us during finals week".  Well, all one has to do is read over that last sentence to realize just how stupid of an idea this is, but hey, it's not like I have 21 other credit hours or a 40 hour work week to worry about, right?  Sure, I've got all the time in the world to push a hefty amount of work up.  Oh, and my report and presentation on Japanese culture and music is due next week, too, as well as five computer labs due the day after tomorrow.
 
And I don't friggin' feel well.  And I'd rather be doing anything other than hanging around the house whining to a web page about my problems right now, but since that's my only real option at the moment, here we are.
 
I need to invest in a punching bag.  But hey, instead I'm going to bed to avoid not feeling well, the slew of work that's been dumped on me, and (hopefully) keeping my mind from wandering and only further hindering my mood.  And while I could probably find at least 5 more things to whine about, I'll spare everyone any longer of a rant than this one's already become.
 
Back to normal posts tomorrow.  I promise.

 
April 23, 2008
2:24 PM
 
So in its most recent update as of this morning, Facebook has finally added the first worth-while application in quite some time.  Taking a note from G-Mail (which I wouldn't know, because I don't have an account with Google), users can now chat in real-time with anyone in their friends that are currently online at the same time.
 
And why is this cool?  Well, from a student standpoint, I would have killed for an application like this back during Freshman year - there were countless hours spent in the computer lab where AOL Instant Messenger could not be downloaded and installed, and as such one would simply have to rely on e-mail for communication and temporary cures for boredom.
 
Regardless, it's a useful tool that just further helps old friends finding each other via Facebook stay in touch.  The site's come a long way since its creation back in 2004.
 
On a completely different note, Zero Punctuation has finally reviewed Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and in his typical cynical fashion, the review is pretty entertaining.  For those that haven't heard of ZP, he's a cynical game reviewer that will be a little harsher on games than GameSpot or IGN, but as such provides valid points and some hilarious reviews...  A few good ones to look into are his reviews for Condemned 2, Army of Two, Halo 3, Burnout: Paradise, and many more.  Check out his site for all of the video reviews.

 
April 23, 2008
10:33 AM
 
Just a couple of quick game updates while I'm wasting time in the computer lab.  First and foremost (well, I care at least, even if it is a dying genre), there's a Hands On article for GRID over at GameSpot.  In short, it sounds like DiRT, but on the streets.  Features street racing, official events, drift competitions, and all the damage and graphical details that Codemasters has become known for.  June cannot get here soon enough...
 
Also, courtesy of Kotaku, the Grand Theft Auto IV trailer has been leaked due to copies of the game already being put online to download via torrents.  I don't understand why or how one would download a 6+ GB file AND go through the trouble of modding their Xbox 360 just to play the game a few days early, but that's probably because I don't understand the huge fascination with another GTA game, either.  No worries, though: I'm totally ready to eat my words when the game comes out.  After all, if anyone can bring the sandbox genre back to life, it's going to be the team at Rockstar that was responsible for its creation in the first place.

 
April 23, 2008
12:21 AM
 
Sorry to those who prefer sad blog riddles, but things are good right now and I don't have much to complain about.  The only real things I could say are that I really need to cut back on text messaging from now until the 27th unless I feel like paying a ridiculous phone bill this month, and that I have a long day of work (including reading at least one whole novel by tomorrow night) ahead of me in the morning.
 
And why do I not do this alleged work ahead of time, you might ask?  Because without the small spurts of socializing I manage to fit in occasionally and the company that I do so with, I think I'd go insane.  I'd rather be tired and whiny the next day - it just seems easier in the long run.

 
April 22, 2008
3:06 PM
 
I got home from my first set of classes for the day, checked my e-mail, and this is what I find:

What's funny is that I try to steer clear of my riddle-filled rants because they tend to sway more towards the depressing/mad side of things.  And yet, when I post up a seemingly innocent and "happy" post, I still get yelled at.  I guess there's simply no pleasing everyone. 

 
April 21, 2008
11:48 PM
 
First and foremost, let's get some recent game news out of the way.  Silent Hill 5 (which is actually the sixth game in the series, if you're counting Origins on PSP and PS2) has finally been properly named and dated, and as such I'm sure GameStop and EB Games will start taking reservations for it in no time.  Formally known as Silent Hill: Homecoming, the latest adventure will make its debut on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this September.  Find the full story here, courtesy of Kotaku.
 
In Wii news, Mario Kart comes out Sunday, and most GameStops (and maybe some of the other electronics stores as well) are doing midnight launches for people that have the game reserved.  While I don't plan on picking this one up myself, it seems to have a lot of my customers and friends alike excited, so I figured it was worth mentioning.  Wii also has Wii Fit coming out in May (a $90 personal trainer, for those that haven't heard of it) and Rock Band coming out in June.  It's all reservable, though those interested in Rock Band should really look into the PS3 or Xbox 360 versions since PS2 and Wii get simpler, dumbed down versions due to the low-powered hardware.
 
Finally, Xbox 360 and PS3 alike have Grand Theft Auto IV coming out on Tuesday, and again, GameStop is doing a midnight launch and we're taking reservations for it (though rumor has it that they're going to be cut off any time now).  This, like Mario Kart, is another game that I'll look into eventually but do not plan on picking up immediately, simply due to my interest in the sandbox genre of games running a little thin.  I also hold a personal grudge against it and Mario Kart both because these games have both warranted midnight launches within days of each other, both of which happen to fall on my last week of class...  Ah well.
 
Not too much more to report at the moment, unfortunately.  It's been a typically long day, but it was gorgeous outside and things are all good on my end of life, so minus having to close the store by myself due to an extreme shortage of hours this week, I've got nothing to complain about.

  
April 21, 2008
12:57 AM
 
Thank God for music.  When words can't quite grasp what you're feeling, there's always a song or two out there that say it perfectly.

 
April 20, 2008
6:32 PM
 
"What is it you really want?"  Ask yourself this, and actually take a minute to think about it.  What would you change about yourself, your life, your career, etc. to make it the realistic paradise of the mind?
 
Now, I'm not talking about winning the lottery for $3.5 million, dating supermodels, and retiring to your own private island at the age of 22 - face it, that's not going to happen.  But take a moment to think about what you enjoy about life, and as such what you'd keep around, and then look at the things that aren't quite perfect.  Are the changes attainable?  How much would life change if the attempt was made to reach said goals?  Would it be better or worse in the long run?
 
I, just like anyone else, have my own sense of paradise given where I'm at in life, and I know what I'd change to potentially make that happen.  What's interesting, though, is that my idea may not be quite what everyone seems so convinced that it could be.
 
What is it that really makes you happy at the end of the day?

 
April 19, 2008
1:43 AM
 
...What a night.

 
April 18, 2008
10:05 AM
 
At approximately 4:30 AM this morning (simply 2.5 hours after I went to bed due to updating this site), my room mate and I were both woken up by our house shaking.
 
We walked out of our respective rooms with utter looks of confusion on our faces, and proceeded to flip through news stations and browse the Internet for what was going on.  Of course, no one updates news that quickly, so it didn't help much, but after talking to several other people who had the same experience, we realized we'd been through an earthquake.  An earthquake, here in the Midwest?  While it's not unheard of, it isn't something that happens very often out here, and was the first time either of us had ever experienced something like this.
 
I thought about updating this site right then and there to let other people know, but in case it was just some stupid phenomenon (or a really bad dream), I didn't want to make a fool out of myself on the site.  Thankfully, Fox 2 News has reported it by now, and has the whole story here: 5.2 Earthquake Shakes Large Part of Midwest
 
Until next time.

 
April 18, 2008
12:54 AM
 
Welcome to Version 2 of OkamiBlog.  For those that are new to the experience, OkamiBlog is my own personal corner of the Internet.  Think of it as an online portfolio, a virtual date book, a constant news feed of various news and information, and a general place where I can discuss whatever's on my mind at that point in time.  Ultimately, it serves the simple purpose of giving me something to do when I have spare time to kill, but in the process of updating this site I hope to provide some interesting and relevant content to family, friends, and whoever else happens to wander onto the site while browsing Google on a Saturday night.
 
For those of you that already know and frequent OkamiBlog, this is the overhaul that I've been talking about for awhile.  I'm providing a simpler, cleaner interface that should be much more compatible on many more peoples' computers and browsers.  The site is definitely still in the "beta" stage, though, so please feel free to look around and send me any comments, suggestions, or complaints.  While I enjoy working on the site, the ultimate goal is to make it convenient for everyone else while I continue adding new features and content.
 
On a more personal note (and in a usual OkamiBlog-style rant), the week is quickly winding down, and it's relieving and exciting for a number of reasons.  One big note is that I've basically finished my Senior Project - a playable PC demonstration of Drone, the action-adventure platformer that a few friends and I are putting together.  More information on the game will be available over time on the Projects page, but in the mean time, it's a large stress that's been lifted off of my shoulders.  Plus, homework and school are more-or-less finished for the week, and I've got several cool plans set up for this weekend that I'm looking forward to.  All in all, life's pretty good at the moment - nothing I can really complain about.
 
Anyway, this is going to wrap up the first entry in the new version of OkamiBlog.  Look around, enjoy, and let me know what you think!  Take care, all.