Beard

I’ve decided to grow a full beard. Pictures shall be posted as I progress.

It was my pleasure, Mr. President.

I spent six hours waiting in line to vote on Sunday. Two of those hours were spent in the pouring rain. I was surrounded by thousands of people that had come out in order to make sure that their voices would be heard. Some for the very first time.

When the sky got dark and the clouds let loose, we all sighed and I expected a lot of people to leave. To give up, even if it meant just giving up today and coming back Monday or Tuesday, but no. Everyone around me had the same look of steely-eyed determination. Their faces spoke of wanting something different, of wanting something new and making sure that no matter what, they would get it. Complete strangers were sharing umbrellas with each other, huddling together to keep warm against the gusting wind and cold rain. Not only were they not giving up, they were going to do everything they could to make sure that no one else did either. It was a beautiful thing, to see so many people gathered together because they believed in something bigger than themselves: believed that if they could say something loud enough, it could be heard around the world.

I think back on that afternoon that stretched into an evening and think that it was all worth it. I’ve never been more proud to be an American than I am right now. I would endure that day again and again if it meant getting the change that this country needs, that we deserve, that we asked for. It’s not much, but right now, it’s all I’ve got to give.

Tomorrow is going to be a big day.

I’ll be posting after the results are announced. Hopefully, it’ll be in celebration and not shock and misery.

Future Guitar Legend

Greatest. Cake. Ever.

Some friends of a friend made this for a birthday party that I went to not too long ago. Needless to say, I was thoroughly impressed. It tasted pretty damn good too.

Broken Washer

Means going to a laundromat.

Clichéd? Yes. Still looks good though.

The Best Summary of Palin I’ve Ever Seen

Thanks to:
LisaNova

Keeping it short today.

I got a chance to play historian this weekend at a friend’s video shoot. I’m glad that I did it, if for no other reason other than the fact that I screwed up so many times.

I completely forgot to bring a second lens, had trouble deciding on the lighting and kept snapping a second too late and ending up with something out of focus or just completely uninteresting. After a bit of that awkwardness and getting over the fact that I’d have to shoot in a small space with the wrong lens, I was able to adapt enough to get some great shots and have quite a bit of fun. As much fun as curling up in a bathtub, praying that you don’t accidentally turn on the shower, inadvertently drowning your camera, your dreams and yourself can be anyway.

I’ve gotten an idea for something that I will be working on over the next few days and weeks. I will try and post a photo on a regular basis, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the “writes” of “Holdenwrites” becomes inaccurate. At least for a little while.

I promise that I’ll update when something interesting does happen. I will most certainly try and get a review for Mega Man 9 up, no promises though.

Picture of the Day

“Wait, which camera do I look in?”

Braid

A silhouetted figure stands just beyond the reach of a feebly glowing street light, the still-burning remains of a city silently flicker behind him.  Glowing embers twist and float around him as he slowly crosses the darkened bridge. The orange glow of the city and harsh yellow light of the street lamp slowly strip the shadows away from his face and body, but don’t dare touch the ones in his heart. The man takes one last look up at the night sky, the stars twinkling against the fiery glow, before facing the journey that lay before him. He must right the wrongs of the past, rebuilding the shattered pieces of his life like so many puzzles. Most importantly, he must find his princess and save her from the horrors of this place and so, with a final sigh, he enters the home.

So begins a masterpiece of art, music and gameplay innovation, Braid. Available on the Xbox 360 Live Arcade, Braid is a 2-D puzzle platformer that grants the player the ability to rewind time through control of the main character, Tim. While it’s not the newest idea, it is done uniquely enough to remain interesting and fun. There’s no limit to the amount that you can rewind in a level and you can even rewind to before you fell into that gaping pit of sparkling spikes. This feature makes puzzles that would be impossible in a conventional platformer laughably simple. Each stage either changes the rules of time manipulation or gives you a new ability to work with. Otherwise, they’re all very similar in purpose: Use your ability to muck with time to collect puzzles pieces and open various doors with ludicrously fragile keys, all in the hopes of finding your princess.

The story contradicts itself a few times, but is so open to interpretation, that it really doesn’t matter. Just when you think you’ve figured out who the Princess is, or that she may not be in the castle that you’re heading towards, you’re thrown for a loop. I’ve pieced together a handful of possible explinations, half of which seem to be completely and utterly different from what most forum-goers think. I’ll refrain from giving anything away in this review because I do think that everyone should experience the “Huh, but I thought he…” feeling that I went through playing this game. Most people won’t give a damn though, if for no other reason than the fact that what you’re seeing and hearing are so damned beautiful that it doesn’t matter what they’re trying to get you to read.

Braid is a gorgeous game. If you’ve ever wanted to walkthrough a watercolor painting, this is your chance. It brings back memories of What Dreams May Come’s visuals of heaven: Brush strokes and deep textures that help bring the levels to life. The soundtrack fits with it perfectly, each song matching the tone of it’s corresponding level.

There are a few flaws, but nothing bad enough to warrant skipping out on this incredible game. I know that if you’re reading this review, you’ve probably read or watched a dozen others with that same sentiment. It’s for a reason. Braid is well worth its fifteen dollar price tag, it’s lack of replay value or multiplayer is moot when you take into consideration what this game is trying to do. It’s giving the player something new, exciting and fun. It’s not rehashing a popular game and cranking out a profit from the mindless bastards that care for nothing more than headshots. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good mindless explosion fest, but for every Halo we need a Bioshock. This indie title is a good start. With any luck, it’s success will fuel more innovation than imitation.

A Half-Assed Psuedo Review

Last night, a few friends and I checked out this bar called “Titanic Restaurant and Brewery.” After a few minutes of getting acclimated to the college bar atmosphere and greeting a friends brother, we sat down inthe nautically themed dining area and ordered ourselves some micro-brewed goodness.

I don’t think that I’ve ever had a beer as good as the one that I had last night. Everything about it was incredible, it was as if they had tapped god’s keg and served us all pints of liquid brown gold. It was some seriously good beer. After realizing that I could only afford the one, having left all forms of money at home, I decided that I’d take in the sites and sounds. The bar itself was pretty nice. There were a good amount of people that were having friendly conversation and the live band that was playing, Mongo, wasn’t all that bad. They were only allowed to play covers, but considering that they went from Weezer to Pink Floyd to The Rolling Stones nearly seamlessly, I’ll say that they’re well worth a listen.

After a few hours of that, we headed back to my friends house and caught the most appropriate movie possible, Beerfest. After spending the entire 40 minute ride home thinking about how I could manage a career in professional beer drinking, I spent the rest of the night avoiding this blog and all the work I need to turn in for the comic. All in all, it was a pretty good night. There were a lot of great jokes that I, sadly cannot recall, but I’ll be sure to write them down next time.

Because I completely forgot to bring my camera with me last night, I will instead provide a picture of something that has nothing to do with the subject at hand. Still think it’s cool though.