Watch This: Sherlock

I know a lot of folks don't have the ability to watch British television series here in the United States, but if you own Netflix then you should be able to look up the following one. In fact, that is one of the main reasons I recommend Netflix as a service, not because it hogs your internet and kills your ability to use other devices, but because it gives you access to several top British television series that you probably want to watch. So check to see if you get this one, I promise it is not a let-down.

Sherlock [2010]

To describe this show in the most basic form, it is the re-imagination of what Sherlock Holmes would be in modern day. It is a clever, witty show where the young crime-solving genius goes about Great Britain solving crimes that the police cannot put together. So if you are into crime television shows, then look this one up right away!

If I had to describe what I like about this series versus all of the other crime series that are out there, it is like the television show House was turned into a cop drama. He has the same sorts of characteristics that you see in the original House character. Witty, extremely intelligent and not afraid to flaunt it, and overall for some reason like-able when everyone else in the world seems to hate him. 

But where this show really shines right now is in the mysteries. They are well crafted into an hour and a half show where the characters seem to have major issues that need to be solved and they have truly super-vilianous characters with a reason to act the way they do. This is no petite crime show, he's going after the series killers and super-crooks that no-one else can catch. All-the-while they try and keep the character true to the original story-told version, where the evidence is key and technology sits more on the back-burner for this one.

Anyway, if you have about the same amount of time as a short movie, then pick up a copy of the first episode and watch it!

The Spotted Canvas uses the Sherlock^® television promotional media but is not endorsed or certified by Hartswood Films and BBC Wales. All of the Sherlock^® logos and trademarks displayed on this website are the property of Hartswood Films and BBC Wales.

Watch This: Shameless

Truth be told, I did not find this series and I will not claim that I did. Instead, it was my great friend Vicki that showed me it while I was visiting San Francisco. I remember it all clearly, I was tired after walking around the city all day and she said she thought this show would be right-up-my-alley of comedy. Now, I'm always a bit skeptical when people tell me that, but I'm always up for trying a new television show (especially when a friend recommends it to me). Let's put it this way, I got two more friends hooked because I wanted them to see how awesome it was!

Shameless [2011]

First thing I have to say is that this is the United States remake of the British television series by the same name. Now, according to my friend the first seasons are identical say for a few differences. And according to the same friend, after the first season they both tend to split into two different directions. So this recommendation is for the United States first two seasons (and third one coming out soon) and not the British series which is on number nine. And yes, what we call a season here in the United States they call a series there (just to clarify).

Anyway, I started watching this with a friend and was instantaneously hooked. It is about a bunch of people that have no class, no color of collar, and are poor beyond reason. The cast is amazing, the episodes are unbelievable, and what you watch is, well, shameless people doing what they have to do. I know, it sounds really weird based off of that line, but it was in the ingenious way that they will do anything and you are never quite sure where things are going that hooked me instantly. I owe Vicki a huge thank-you for this one.

But why I want to recommend this is because while the first season is really a comedy with a bit of drama, the second season is more of a drama with a bit of comedy. So why is that a good thing? Well because I got hooked with trying to understand the characters and what they were doing with the first season, laughing out loud at the actions they did and really trying to understand them. Not to mention because you never know what their limit to what they will do is, and it seems to always be dropping, it just gets better and better. That is what I call a perfect beginning. But then you get to the second season, which has a lot of the same sort of comedy, and suddenly the writers really turned up the drama a notch. They take the characters to the next level and make you fall in love with even the ones you hate. It is in that sophisticated and yet hilariously perfected writing that I honestly want to recommend this television show.

And from what I learned about the difference between the Great Britain version and the United States version, it sounds like you really need to watch the United States version to see how amazing the writers really are. They've changed some things so that it will fit our comedy, they've worked out the kinks that we would not understand because they were British saying, and in the end recreated an amazing product. But then to diverge from the original plot and have an even more incredible show, now that's impressive.

So if you have time to spare, go watch the American version of the television show Shameless.

The Spotted Canvas uses the Shameless^® television promotional media but is not endorsed or certified by Showtime Networks, Inc. All of the Shameless^® logos and trademarks displayed on this website are the property of Showtime Networks, Inc.

NBC Fails at Olympic Coverage

I know that worldwide everyone is watching the Olympics, it's something we all love to do every two years. The games show off our respect for one another and show off the hard work of a few individuals. So when the games come around and a news team manages to screw-up you better believe there are a lot of individuals upset.

Opening Ceremonies
America is one of the leading nations in the world, if not the leading nation in the world. Top in technology and the current development place of most advance electronic research, and with more Americans having smartphones and flatscreen televisions daily, it is no surprise that we expect everything to work perfectly technically. So why was it that with all the technology in the world NBC News managed to fail at covering the opening ceremonies live?

That's right, the only news coverage in the world that failed to show off the opening ceremonies live was NBC news. Instead, they played them back to the public and called it live coverage almost exactly six hours late. Why six hours? Because that would be the approximate time that the central timezone in the United States would be seeing the same daylight outside. To say the least, it was disrespectful to those that wanted to watch the event live. More-so, it meant that anyone who wanted to see any other early-morning events the next day (such as the bike race) would be just barely able to get to sleep in time to really enjoy it. Overall this was annoying, especially since you know they are going to broadcast it a few times.

But wait, this is not considered the only reason that people are annoyed with the opening ceremonies. Since everyone had six hours of preparation time to make comments about the opening ceremonies, a lot of people are blaming NBC for the event ruining commentary that ensued. Before things would come on screen, the news crew would be talking about it. If there was something obvious that did not really need to be said, they were already talking about it. To put what they did simply, it is considered disrespectful to talk during a movie, so why would they think it respectful to speak during the main events of the Olympics?

By the way, the opening ceremonies that Great Britain provided for the 2012 Olympics was one of the best I've ever seen. So if you have not seen it, look it up and be astounded!

Website Facts
A lot of facts that are buzzing on the NBC News website are sadly incorrect. The most notorious, Australia being replaced with Austria in the description. Now, it is one thing if you made a small mistake about a country that no one has heard of, but everyone knows Australia and Austria. Don't believe that they got it incorrect? Check out this:

Click to Enlarge
[http://www.nbcolympics.com/nations/nation=australia/]

Just to be clear, I took that screen-capture myself on my computer right after I had heard about it from another website. I even clicked refresh a few times to see if they had fixed the mistake yet, considering how big it was. They had not. And if you still don't believe me, go check out twitter where a bunch of similar images are currently floating about.

What Happened?

This is really the tip of the iceberg as far as the mistakes go, some of the more notorious and large ones that people have been complaining about. Like I said, how is it that the top nation in the world has what seems like amateurs covering one of the biggest world events? Come on NBC, start playing professional.

Final note, I just want to personally wish best-of-luck to the American athletes that are there and bring us home some medals! I know you've trained hard for these events and will not fail to impress! And thank you Great Britain for putting on the most amazing ceremony opening I have ever seen, it was truly spectacular!

Another Day of Play

I'm not going to add a whole lot of text today, but after a night full of sleeping and a morning full of sleeping as well, the puppy finally woke-up and started playing. I took a few short videos of the cute pup bite, running, chasing, and even sliding! Hope you enjoy!

Barking at the Bone:

Playing Outside

Last, this one is my personal favorite! We've been taking her to a blue, kiddy slide that has been in our backyard for as long as I remember. Picking her up, we drop her on the slide and she slides down. Today, she seemed to really enjoy it. So here's Puppy Plays on the Slide.

Puppies First Full Day

So I was finally relieved of my position, puppy night watch, yesterday at approximately 6:30AM. I was up a bit longer, working on things I needed to do for myself before I went to sleep, and my Dad was enjoying the sleeping puppy.

A bit before noon hit, I woke from a cold-sweat sleep and went downstairs to find my Mom watching the dog and my Dad out fixing the deck so she could not get under there. The puppy, who had worn herself out again, fell back asleep and my Mom came up and reheated the breakfast burritos I had made a few days ago. And of course, while heating those up she woke from her slumber. So it was back outside to run around and do anything we could to tire her out. I think that is just about the easiest way to deal with a new puppy, just work them out until they are tired and fall asleep again. Luckily, we've been learning some tricks of the trade to getting this pup tired. Our secrets are the following, though they may not work for you.

The Pup is an Explorer!

• Explore - We let the girl run around the yard, sniffing and smelling (and sometimes even eating, though I do not recommend that) everything and anything in the yard. This works really well during the day, but it was not really an option last night since we have foxes and owls in our neighborhood.
• Explore Some More - If my family and I sit down, she might come over to us and give lots of doggie kisses. Yet what is about twenty times more likely to happen is she'll start jumping around the grass, attacking leaves and just plain being a cute little puppy!
• Play Soccer - She's really started attacking that blue soccer ball some more today, running after it so that she can chew the outside up. Sometimes this really interests her, sometimes she'll ignore it, but we still try because it is less energy to kick a soccer ball then to actually jump and play with her.
• Jump and Play - This is a cattle dog, bred and raised to chase and herd animals. So one of her favorite past times is to try to herd us! She actually loves chasing us back and forth across the yard, working to keep us from passing her as she goes left and right.

Sleeping by the Water Bowl

Now, after getting her back inside, the little pup was tuckered out and passed out like she usually does next to the door. I let her sleep there for a little bit, to which she slowly crawled around the water bowl, but finally I picked her up and moved her over near the couch. Our goal is to train her to come near our feet when she wants to lay down or sleep, though I'm personally just trying to steal her for myself.

Anyway, she plays inside, she plays outside, she sleeps, and then we repeat the process all over again. It is a lot of fun, a little tiring, but that is pretty much what she wanted to do all day!

With that said, here's some videos from the day, hope you enjoy them!

Brand New Puppy

Yesterday I woke-up, drank some coffee because it gets my mind going, and then started working on my résumé and a few cover letters to apply for some careers at some amazing firms. Never did I expect what was going to happen, for I just kept sipping my coffee, acting like I was listening to my Mom's stories, and writing cover letters.

Then I got a text from Jodi, she is going to be in Littleton because she has a doctors appointment up here. 'That's cool,' I thought to myself while replying that she should come over for some coffee. She finally gets her a few hours later. We sit down after some small talk and the coffee finishes brewing, and then she finally gets her computer out. At that moment, my Mom decides it is time to go puppy and kitty hunting again, so she starts searching all sorts of websites. Within a matter of seconds, I'm doing the same thing and not too long after so is Jodi. So we're all looking at kittens and puppies, all of us distracted, and we keep finding these real catches. I applied at two places for adoption, one having white American Shepherds and one with a white Husky mix. After I hit submit, suddenly Jodi says she's found something incredible.

My mom comes up and looks first at what Jodi's found, there's excitement, so then I take a look at this beautiful puppies all up on this website. They are gorgeous and all of them just a little under two months old. Next thing I know, my Dad is home and he's not exactly excited about a new puppy. It does not really matter, because in no time the rest of us are in the car driving about an hour out to a small ranch home east of Aurora (that's right, just east of where the shooting happened). We get there and are instantly greeted by the woman that owns the place. [I'll Update Once I get a Link]

This is the Puppy we Took Home!

All The Puppies
So we get there and we are immediately greeted by nine of the eleven puppies that were in this litter. All of them are playful, all of them loving, and we have to pick out just one to take home. Now, from the get go my Mom really wanted an Aussie pup that was a blue merle, blue-eyed little girl with a tail. To explain, not all the dogs were blue merles, not all of them had blue-eyes, and most of them were stub-tailed (which is natural with shepherds at border collie work dogs), and even more of then were boys. There was exactly one in the litter, and my Mom found it and stole it and played with that girl for the first half an hour. I think it was at that point that my Mom knew she wanted that dog and we would be taking her home!

Just for clarification, she's a blue merle, blue-eyed, full tailed Australian Shepherd and Border Collie mix girl. In other words, a beautiful dog!


After that, it was a matter of figuring out if we wanted another puppy or not. And the breeder could see that we were truly the type of dog owners you want to sell dogs to, because we played with them like they were already our own! So she sat out there with us, egging us to get another one at a discounted price (she was going to take fifty dollars off for getting a pair), and we spent forever looking at all the dogs. One dog was black and white with brown-eyes, Blackster as the breeders kids called him, and he loved sitting in my lap. I just wanted to note Blackster because he loved me and would shove other dogs out of my lap for just my attention. He wasn't really in the running, but I thought that was funny. Anyway, Another one was a red merle with blue-eyes, beautiful baby-boy-blues that stood out from his tan and white coat. And finally, there was what my Mom would later describe as the perfect bookend puppy to go along with the first girl. He was another blue-merle and blue-eyed pup with a stubbed-tail, but he really did match his sister.

The Two Males Sniffing	They Looked-Up at Me	Crawling Across the Wooden Log

The rest of the puppies and the mommy Australian Shepherd were taken away, leaving us with the girl and the two boys. We played a bit inside, letting them eat a little bit while we got out of some wind, and then all of us went back outside for a second round in the grassy backyard.

The Red Merle was Brave enough to Sniff at the Goats

So we sat around, playing with the three remaining puppies when suddenly the little girl got tired and she just closed eyes and fell asleep in my Mom's hands. My Mom hands her to me after a few minutes, I barely got time to hold her because she was going crazy back to her mother when we had all the puppies out, and she picked up another one. It too fell asleep in her hands, so she handed that one to Jodi and picked up the final one. That last puppy also fell dead-asleep in her hands. I don't know what my Mom did, but all the puppies were suddenly sleeping. We let them rest, petting them and just enjoying them while we spoke with the breeder. There's even a picture of me holding all three sleeping pups in my lap, such cute dogs!

The Blue Merle Stood Back, Watching

After a quick wake-up by walking them around and getting them going, we took them out of the backyard to keep them off the soft, comfortable grass. They started running all around the rocky front, which is where these pictures were taken. Now, the goats were in a fenced off pen pretty close by and they came right over. Naturally, our little explorer boy puppies went over and wanted to see what was happening, each going up to the fence before jumping back. The little girl did not seem too interested, staying around one of our feet and just watching. I took a bunch of picture of the two boy puppies at this point, watching them play with the goats and each-other as they started exploring the unknown that was close to home. It was very cute, and we loved both of those dogs.

In the end, and although we really wanted to take more than one, we only took home the little girl puppy. She cried and cried in the car, we kept her in our laps as she came home with us, and we had to stop to get food. At this point the sun had basically set and none of us had chowed down like those puppies had, so we stopped quickly at a gas station McDonalds. I held onto the little girl while my Mom and Jodi ran in to wash-up and get some food. The whole time we were in the car, she was whining and crying and begging me to let her go back, it was truly heart breaking. But I know that in the coming days she'll grow really attached to us, it's just going to be hard getting that far.

In Her New Home
So we get her home and the first thing we do is get her into the backyard. After such a long car ride (which thankfully she fell asleep once we hit the highway), we knew she'd need the bathroom. We also brought her some water and food to chow down on (the same food the breeder had been giving the dogs, which is important if you do not want upset tummies). And then it was back to playing and exploring.

About an hour or so after she had first arrived, explored the porch and a small area of grass out back, she was back to crying as she solved that her mom and her brothers and sisters were not there with her. Again, heartbreaking to see such a small pup cry and walk all over as she sniffs and tries to find her family. Still, we played with her some more, really working out all of the energy she had.

Finally Asleep (Partially on the Dog Bed)

Bringing her inside, which while we were playing with her my Dad had been vacuuming and preparing for the new puppy (we did not want our last dog to really be anywhere, so he really cleaned-up the place). She started walking around, looking around, exploring, and even crying a little bit. Then she got tired and we put her down in the dog bed that we already had. She did not like that at first (because it is kind of lumpy and it is not very easy to make comfortable. So she scratched at it and tried everything, but all to no avail since the dog bed just would not budge. Oh well, she seems to really enjoy sleeping on the carpet when the bed does not work out.

So then my Mom and I started working on the next important thing, naming her. Now, we both agreed that we needed to agree, and nothing would be final until everyone else in the family (including my little brother) had a say. I'm not exactly sure why, because this is clearly my animal of the family pets. Seriously, I'll be the one taking her for walks and I'm already the one staying up late with her on her first night home. At any rate, my Mom and I started really reading through lists of names and just searching for the proper one. So far, after about 200 names, we've got nothing we really think fits. Oh well, I see another blog about the dog's name coming up next. Then my Mom decided to call it a night.

About half an hour after my Mom goes to bed, the puppy is back up and prowling around. This time she's up for a solid two hours, which is stressful because I really did not know what to do with a puppy except play with her. So I took her out back and jumped around with her or watched her carefully as she started exploring. Then I would take her back in and she would cry a bit before eating some food and drinking more water (not to mention peeing a few times on the carpet... I cleaned that up after getting her outside and watching her play and then getting her back in). It was all fine, I just did not know what to do because she has so much more energy for two hours than I have. However, I finally found something she loved and I could keep her playing without too much effort.

A Soccer Ball!

Anyway, that's all for right now, but I'm sure I'll have more puppy posts coming tomorrow!

Play on Facebook: Outernauts

I know I can't say that I'm not a fan of Facebook games, because in all honesty I'm a huge fan of games on Facebook. I was one of the first to get involved in Farmville and I remember becoming so addicted that I based my school life around the game instead of around my school work. I guess that was okay since it was only undergrad. Then I got into Cityville, but stopped pretty quickly because it reminded me of Farmville a bit too much. Then I tried Movieville or Theaterville or whatever that ville was call and I was playing that for a bit. Afterwards I moved on to Cooking City or Fresh Chief or something, I don't really remember anything except you hired friends in your restaurant. And most recently a friend got me to play Castleville, which was fun for a while and then I went cold turkey again.

And even on other devices I've had experience playing these addictive, free, and sort of lacking games. I got into Tiny Tower, which was later copied by Zynga, and I got into Glory Quest and a bunch others that a free-to-play games on my iPhone. So the concept is nothing new for me, either play it in small bursts and have fun or pay to play it for a limited amount of time. I've only paid to play the first time, after that I've never spent a cent again.

But this new game, Outernauts, might just change that with me. Outernauts is the first game I've heard of that was created by a non-indie producer or the mega-giant of free-to-play games, Zynga. Instead, it is made by Insomniac Games, a full video game company known for famous titles such as Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet & Clank, and Resistance: Fall of Man. And better yet, all of these games had sequels that they were known for and were known to be better than the original. So for the first time in the free-to-play gaming world, there is a game made by an actual company! [http://en.wikipedia.org/]

Current Poster for the Beta
[http://www.wethegamerz.com/]

The Basics
I would like to first note that while this game came out yesterday for the public to play, it is still a beta (a first-run public test) of what the full game will be. That means that for players the game will be updated every now and then with new characters, costumes, monsters, and worlds to go and discover. However, this should not affect newer players, because normally with these sort of internet games they already have planned a ten-hour mission, which then has to be spread out over several twenty-minute play sessions. So even if you start now, you won't be able to finish the dame missions for two weeks even if you play through the whole thing straight to the end. And just to note, that is pretty standard in these sort of Facebook games, because the idea is not to let you beat them quickly, but rather to keep you coming back annoyed until you finish the game or spend money to do so.

So like any free-to-play game, the inventive team at Insomniac Games has come-up with a way that limits you on exploring and playing by using a sort of energy-to-do-tasks system. You start with 20 energy and if you level-up, the bar refills again. Similarly, if you wait for a period of approximate an hour, the bar will refill with energy (one point every five minutes or something). And of course, you can always spend some money to get an item that magically gives you more energy.

Now, what makes this game different from the other ones is that it is a Pokémon-like video game, where you have to search for and capture animals that you can then use to search for an capture other animals. The fun in these games is in collecting the different species and then later using them to level-up and evolve into stronger, more interesting forms. One thing I would like to say now is that Insomniac Games made one mistake here, they made all the lowest levels extremely cute and cool looking while all the higher evolutions look plain mean, or unfriendly, and not something I really want. So it's like picking the best of the worst in the end. Oh yeah, and you have to evolve.

One of the newest catches that they have made in this game is that when you collect them with orbs (which look a lot like pokéballs but with giant gears around them), they get either put into your inventory or sent back to your little world. So you either have to expand your little world to capture more or buy more feeders to keep more on your planet. And of course, none of this is easy or cheap to do, so you spend actually a great deal of time in the game just trying to get the basic money unless you are willing to spend some out of your real pocket.

The Best New Things
Unlike other free-to-play games, which tend to have a repetitive world that you can either visit your friends or stay in yours, this game has SEVERAL worlds that you can go to and explore. In fact, the entire game is based around going world to world working on new missions. I've seen missions in other games, but none where you have to actually go on an adventure. So for that, I give this game a plus.

But beyond that, this is one of the first games that not only allows your to partner-up with friends by going to their planet and helping them out, but also allowing you to battle them! Lose the battle against your friends, no worries because in approximately 20 minutes or so all your creatures will be back to life and ready to fight (full health and all). So if you finally want a game where it can be player vs player, then this is finally here for you.

Last, this is the first professionally made Pokémon game out there, though not technically a Pokémon game. To my friends, expect a request coming from me soon, and to others out there. I recommend trying it!

The Idea Behind Free-To-Play
The basic idea behind free-to-play games is they are not free, but rather the most expensive games on the planet. How they work is simple, give a fun, addicting game that you offer at first for free, but then to achieve the better levels you will have to hand out some cash. If you can resist the temptation, then these turn into really fun games, but for some it's really hard not to spend cash. I don't blame them.

But after spending money once, I never have spent money on these games again. I would probably be more likely to spend money on these games if they gave just enough energy to let me actually do something, because to be honest I think the parts of the game I want to have more of is not the time part, but the number of animals in my party and the amount of abilities they have. This is something I can't achieve running out of if I have full energy every hour or so. And I actually like to have games I can come back to and just play a little bit each time.

So the thing I hate is the other stuff they limit you on, which would make me more inclined to pay. For example, if I was given 30 energy, I would feel a bigger need to have more monsters in my inventory because the other ones would run out of energy too fast and so I could not play because of the limiting energy factor. Or I would feel the need to purchase another slot or more energy or increase their stats. Add another 10 energy, and I'd be dying to spend money just to keep a bigger party!

Anyway, basic idea is you feel limited until you pay for the game, though usually they over-constrict the users.

Final Comments
Simply saying, I'm hooked. I love the exploration and I love these types of games. I just wish I had more energy, but because I don't I won't be spending anything on this game. And as the beta evolves, it will most likely get even better. So if you are new to these things, try it out!

The Parents Pantry

I know I spoke about this in an earlier blog, but just in case you missed that one let me start this by saying my teeth have been turning brown. Now, when I said that to my Mom and Dad their first reaction was I drink too much coffee, but really it was the Crest Pro Health Mouthwash that was turning my teeth brown. At any rate, I'm not drinking coffee until I can get my teeth back to normal, which may mean going in for a professional cleaning. If you want to read my blog about Crest Pro Health Mouthwash, just follow my link below.

http://canvasspots.blogspot.com/2012/07/dont-buy-crest-pro-health-mouthwash.html

So for my daily dose of caffeine, for right now I'm stuck drinking tea. Just for some retrospective on coffee versus tea, I either have to drink six cups of white tea, three cups of green tea, or two cups of black tea to get the same amount of caffeine that I was getting from one cup of coffee. I used to drink an easy four cups of coffee a day. Oh yeah, and herbal teas don't have any caffein, it has to be some sort of green, black, or white tea to get any caffeine. Guess I better start, which means I have to dig through the parent pantry.

The Things We Love

I think we all start giving up things we love at some point in our lives. Something gets in the way or we change our lifestyle for someone. Whatever the reason, everyone at some point gives up something they once were, they once loved doing, they once knew how to do. And the reasons why people change are all different.

I've been surrounded by friends and family members that all have done that and, through someone else pushing them back into it, they are just not rediscovering the love they once had for it, whatever it is. And even I, myself, have rediscovered lost treasures in my life. So I thought why not go into examining some of those instances, some of the things that my friends have given up and are now doing again.

Too Much To Do
The most basic reason, though not the most common, for giving up something you love doing is that you just do not have the time or the energy to do it anymore. Projects and exams, deadlines and extra classes, and even having a family can just get in the way. And we wager it, the time it takes to do the thing we love and the amount of pleasure we get out of it. Somewhere along the way, we judged that it was worth dropping and forgetting because we had something else that was more important or more pressing.

For me, this is always reading. I love to read books and I love that feeling when you reach the end of the book and feel like you have been somewhere and learned something you did not know before. But I'm a slow reader, and reading is not as much fun to me as watching television or movies, playing video games, or even just socializing with friends. So when the time came to choose school work and one of the things I do for entertainment, I dropped reading because it just did not have the same value as the other things. That is not to say there are not other reasons, but the main reason for me was that I just did not have the time to devote to picking up a book like I once had.

About two weeks ago I decided to rectify this, picking up a book I had bought sometime in the pass year and opening up the cover. I was surprised, shocked honestly, how quickly I became surrounded in the writer's world, trying to understand what was going on and where everything was going. And all it took was more than enough time to figure out that I had the time to read.

Because Something Made Us Forget
To forget what made us love something is different than to have something interfere with it. This is when someone or something else forces you to do something you love but in a timeframe or to do too much of it, to be crushed by the thing you love to the point that you start hating it.

I dedicate this to another friend that told me in confidence that she had forgotten what it meant to really read what you wanted to. After eight plus years of school telling her to go read a book and write and essay, go read and understand this, and go read this chapter and recite it, she just hated reading. Then, one summer when there was nothing else to do, her boyfriend at the time told her to open a book and read. She was resilient to starting the task, those old pains like scars across her body as a reminder of what can happen when you do it, but then she started and remembered that there can be a lovely touch to it as well. I think we sometimes forget that the things that bring us pain can also bring us great pleasure, it just depends how it is applied.

Similarly I've thought for years that I hated hiking or walking around town. It's honestly a surprise for anyone that knows me, because that does not sound like me at all now. Before a couple of years back, when I met a different lifestyle that made me realize how relaxing a walk or a hike can be and how much fun stretching your legs and climbing a mountain can feel, I use to cringe at the thought of walking a few blocks to the store or walking to class. Then I went to college, no car and a hatred for biking (which I use to also love, say for an individual that has made me cringe even to this day at the thought of riding my bike) that left me with one thing to do, walk. Now, I have to say I was a little bit resistant to the idea at first, not wanting to move to far or anything like that, but then I met a bunch of friends that were actually lazier than me. When you stay inside all day, your joints get painful and you just have this need to move. I started walking everywhere, and with the get-heatlhy lifestyle that my university supported, I slowly regained my love of walking. Now I love walking everywhere and I actually cringe at the idea of driving short distances to get a bag of bread. It just seems like a waste of gas, and I'd rather spend my gasoline driving longer distances and enjoying the road.

Because Someone Made Us Hate It
This sort of is a smaller branch of the previous reason, where literally another person made us think that we did not like it because they did not like it or they made doing it harder. I can't begin to say how many people have caused me to stop doing things I once loved, to stop even trying and making me shy away to the thought. And the worst part is that there is no way to learn to love it again except to have someone force you to do it the way you once did.

I always think of my Mother when I think of this. She used to love cooking, experimenting with spices and flavors each night to see if she could come up with a recipe that tickled her taste buds. Then she had a family, and her family was all picky-eater males. We did not like this, we were disgusted by that. I can give examples for every member of my family that just crushed her, ruined her want to try cooking new things or cooking harder recipes. From me it used to be mushrooms, broccoli, peppers, onions, chicken, mexican, and just about a hundred other things I disliked. For my little brother it was nuts, mushrooms, cheese, tomatoes, and a few other things I'm probably forgetting. My older brother always hated nuts, most types of meat, and basically anything else that could not be found in a cereal box. I'd like to note now that while we were just children, and children can be picky eaters then, all of us have gone through a rebirth for the love of different foods and all of us pretty much downed our lists of things we hate to one or two items. And even if we dislike them, that does not mean we won't eat them now. For instance, I hate corn, but that has never stopped me from eating it straight on the cob.

But the truth is that the real killer to this whole experience was my Dad. He hates cheese to the point where if we added it in anything, he would stop eating and walk out of the room in disgust. And he hates butter, which is the most basic ingredient in just about every dish ever made. And he hates cream. If you combine those three things alone, which is my nice way of saying that there is a much longer list of things he will not touch, then you basically wipe out ninety-five percent of the things my Mom loves to cook. And he is not a boy anymore, he will never grow out of these hatreds, and he's stuck being sour about sour cream. It kills the creative spirit when you can't experiment with someone like this.

But I did something for my Mom, I went to college and I went through a food revolution. I tried everything and anything that people offered me, taking food not by the taste but by the serving. What I learned is that I did not hate all the things I thought I hated, but in fact I loved them. I came back from school with a yearning for more on my tastebuds than the eight or nine dishes my father approved of. And in one night, one simple time when he left the house for supper, we cooked and she remembered that there is a whole world of things out there she can make. Since then, my Mom has started cooking again.

Overall
It really is hard to remember why you loved doing something, why you stopped, and what gets you started again. But I think the best thing to remember is who gets you going again, that person that forces you to tip the edge of your own disliking of the thing you once loved and get back to doing it once more. It is about being open-minded, about trying new things, and about being optimistic. That's what gets us back to the things we love.

Listen to This: This is Love

I know that the last time I had music on my blog it was to relate it to my life, but that is not to say that the only reason I want to spread the music I'm currently listening to is because it relates to me or to a friend. I also want to share music that I just enjoyed, or found meaning in, or just started dancing to because it made me happy. And similar to movies, I don't feel that I can put a rating on how good of a song it is. Everyone has different tastes, I know there is a lot of music out there that I do not like. As such, I'm naming all of my recommendations similar to how I write reviews for movies, though even more simplistic. With music I will only be putting up Listen to This, which is a positive spin, and never doing the negative version of Don't Listen to This.

The first song, I've chosen one that I actually just found today but instantly knew I loved. There is something about the beat and sound that just drew me straight in. So, by will.i.am and featuring Eva Simons, I recommend This is Love.

For a little bit of a background, most people actually already know who will.i.am is. His real name is William James Adams, born March 15, 1975, and he is one of the members of The Black Eyed Peas. So if you thought you recognized him but you aren't sure from where, it is probably from that group! Enjoy!

The Spotted Canvas uses the This is Love music video but is not endorsed or certified by Interscope Records. All of the This is Love promotional material and trademarks displayed on this website are the property of Interscope Records.

Jobs for Junior

The first time I heard about parents getting involved in helping their children get or keep jobs at certain companies was a small article in the newspaper. In the article, the son went into an interview and apparently blew it. The company sent him a letter a few days later saying that they did not want him for the position and they wished him the best of luck. Instead of taking it as a loss and moving on, the son called up his parents and told them about the interview. Apparently his mother actually went over to the office and started talking with the hiring personnel, asking why they did not like her little boy and what was wrong with him.

What a lunatic!

Don't Buy Crest Pro Health Mouthwash!

Photo from the blog Life in Boxes
[http://lifeinboxes.blogspot.com]

I know I'm a heavy coffee drinker, but the brown stains on my teeth are not from drinking coffee. Actually, all the stains on my teeth come from a mouthwash that you have probably seen on the shelves. Well, if you can't guess by the title of this post, that mouthwash was Crest Pro Health Mouthwash.

Let me back up to a couple of weeks ago. I was at the store with my Mom and we were looking at the mouthwashes available. She was looking for a specific one that she could not find, so I pointed out that she might want to try one of the total care mouthwashes. I pointed to the Listerine Total Care brand and on the spot I told her it burns like no other. She said she did not believe me and so she grabbed the bottle. Being the experienced person I am, as I had already tried that earlier this year and found it really burned, I decided to opt out of burning with the promising looking Crest Pro Health brand.

Except there was my mistake. If I was more of an Amazon enthusiast, by which I mean I always go to Amazon to see what the reviews say, then I would have known very quickly that I was making a huge error in judgement. Right there on the reviews the Crest Pro Health Mouthwash has not one, but TWO major issues!

1. The mouthwash stains people's teeth brown after approximately a week or so of use. This can be returned to normal with vigorous brushing and a visit to the dentist, though no-one seems to happy or thrilled about either idea.
2. The mouthwash was known for removing people's ability to taste foods. I did not find a review where a person noted getting their sense of taste back.

Alas, I did not go on Amazon and I did not see this reviews or the pitiful one-and-a-half star rating. I figured that if the product was on the store shelf and sold by a leading competitor in dental health that it would be safe for my teeth and that it would not affect my ability to taste the world. Was I wrong to think this way? I still don't think so, because if a company really wants me to believe they are competent then they better not be putting products out that damage the customers.

So I started using it, but unlike many of the people online I was only using the product maybe once every other day, if even. Well, it's been about two weeks since I purchased this disaster of a product and let me tell you, I regret it. Now I have these dark brown stains on the sides of my teeth where my toothbrush obviously has trouble reaching. And I showed my Mom and she thought it was the amount of coffee I drink, but then I told her the truth. After doing a TEN SECOND internet search, by which I emphasize the ten seconds because it literally was the third link and the first thing I viewed, I saw a bunch of complaints about the Crest Pro Health Mouthwash. Thirty seconds later, I saw the Amazon reviews and thanked God I still have my ability to taste... or at least I haven't noticed a huge difference yet.

But the worst part of this fiasco is that within a minute of doing an internet search for why my teeth were brown, I was looking at the label. Sure enough, on the back of the damn packaging in the smallest print they could find legible is a small piece that says it might discolor your teeth. I'm not joking. Everyone has had problems with this product and they leave a tiny sentence on the back. I'm sorry, but this company needs to put it in huge writing on the front, the FDA should fine them big time for not making a big deal out of it, and to be honest it should not be approved for sale!

/Rant.

Mount Falcon Park

I actually took all of these pictures a couple of days ago when I was celebrating my family's belated Mother's Day for my Mom. My excuse is simple, we spent the day in the Celestial Seasonings factory, as seen in my other post, and then drove home. The clouds started thundering and a light rain came down, which stopped us again from taking the hike that my Mom had been wanting as her gift. Then it stopped, to which we got the idea to grab out gear and get our hiking as soon as possible. That's when I took these pictures, which was approximately seven at night. We got back when the sun was down, I needed to give them some quick touch-ups, and then I finally got around to posting them. So, there's my explanation of why this is late.

Watch This: The Dark Knight Rises

Before I even begin to give a review of the newest Batman, I want to first take another moment to wish the best to the families of the victims and to the survivors of the Century 16 theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado. Personally, I remember getting out of the theater and being so happy as I tried to come-up with the words for this review. All of that changed the minute I got home and turned on my computer, opening up twitter to find that for some folks it had not been such a happy occasion. It is going to take everyone a long time to recover and understand what happened at this midnight opening.

If you want to know what happened, I was doing a live update blog that morning that can be found in the link below. You can also search any of the major news sources for this shooting. I've also done that search in my blog, bringing up many of the major news sources and posting links to their individual articles.

Canvas Spots - Batman Theater Shooting

Batman: The Dark Knight Rises [2012]

I have to start my little review of the movie by telling everyone that I'm actually not the biggest superhero movie fan. In fact, I tend to think badly or down of superhero movies because I just have never had a love of superheroes. Yet somehow I keep ended up at the movie theater to watch all of these movies released. Just this summer, I've seen the new Avengers movie and the Amazing Spiderman, to which I probably would not have gone to. I am not really that big a fan of spiderman and the Avengers was something I only wanted to see because my friends were going with it.

With all of that said, even I was excited for the new Batman movie. Why? Because so far I have loved the previous two and Christopher Nolan's ability to create perfectly creepy villains. That's right, my favorite part about all the recent Batman movies is not the bat, but actually all of the bad guys!

The Movie Trailer for Batman: The Dark Knight Rises

Batman Theater Shooting!

Before I can even think of beginning a post to tell my review for the new Batman movie, I first have to talk about the news happening in my neighborhood. At the Theater 9 of the Century 16 in Aurora, Colorado, 12 people have been reported shot dead and 59 more are injured as of right now. At the midnight showing of the new movie, a 24 year-old white male walked into the opening credits of the film and started firing upon the audience after releasing tear gas "gas bombs". He took in a gas mask and a bullet-proof vest, ready for the long-haul for what the police would do. For those curious, the youngest victim was a 6 year-old child.




Watch the view above, which was posted to youtube very quickly, of the people coming out of the theater. It shows some of the people with blood on their shirts along with a few of the wounded. It was shot from a camera on a phone from what I'm told.

[Update] I've also heard that the adjoining theaters, theater 8 and theater 16, heard the gun shots and a few of the shots went through the theater walls. When they got up to get out of the theater because of the emergency, everyone stopped at the door to the cineplex lobby because they were told that the shooter had moved into the lobby. From the sounds of it, inside the Century 16 cineplex it was chaos for a little while.

The people were forced to leave their cars and their possessions in the parking lot while the police searched each car with a robot for bombs. They found what they think is the shooters car, but they wanted to check the others to be sure. Everyone was escorted away from the theater in police vehicles. Similarly, the theater is going to be searched for explosives before it is re-opened. As far as everyone knows, there were no other shooters involved in this.

[Update 2] The police are searching the shooters living quarters, where they have found what looks like the making of bombs and other things he used to prepare for the shooting. The police believe he used a total of at least three different guns, one assault rifle close to the AK in type and two handguns.

They've also downed the number of dead to 12 with estimates that someone in the theater was no dead, but badly injured or severely effected by the effects of the gas bombs. Also, the youngest that has been admitted to the hospital is a 3 month-old! The 3 month-old was discharged to the parents shortly after being admitted. At the theater, the fire alarm can still be heard from when a Century 16 staff member pulled it to warn people to get out of the cineplex!

[Update 3] The name of the white male shooter was James Holmes. The news is finally getting to the white house and other government officials. I've looked to make sure that their statements are on here.

The following statement is from president of the United States, President Barack Obama:

Michelle and I are shocked and saddened by the horrific and tragic shooting in Colorado. Federal and local law enforcement are still responding, and my Administration will do everything that we can to support the people of Aurora in this extraordinarily difficult time. We are committed to bringing whoever was responsible to justice, ensuring the safety of our people, and caring for those who have been wounded. As we do when confronted by moments of darkness and challenge, we must now come together as one American family. All of us must have the people of Aurora in our thoughts and prayers as they confront the loss of family, friends, and neighbors, and we must stand together with them in the challenging hours and days to come.

Mitt Romney, presidential candidate in the 2012 election, has released the following statement:

Ann and I are deeply saddened by the news of the senseless violence that took the lives of 15 people in Colorado and injured dozens more,” said Romney. “We are praying for the families and loved ones of the victims during this time of deep shock and immense grief. We expect that the person responsible for this terrible crime will be quickly brought to justice.

[Update 4] James Holmes used and unloaded four different guns full of ammunition. He bought a ticket to the showing, went into the theater and stood by the emergency exit door. When the show started, he walked out of the emergency exit door, propping it open on the way, and over to his car. He then drove his car back to the theater and walked back in through the propped door with his weapons.  He walked into the theater with a ballistic helmet, bullet-proof vest, bullet-proof leggings, a gas mask, and gloves.They say that this is the largest mass shooting in United States history.

Before this, he had a clean arrest record and was a college student heading for his PhD. After detonating the gas bombs he began firing. He was apprehended within minutes at his car behind the theater holding three of the four weapons, an AR-15 assault rifle, Remington 12 gauge shot gun, and a .40 Glock handgun. He then said he had booby-trapped his apartment. In his apartment there was a large amount of explosives and trip-wires, they do not yet know how to proceed.

In the News
I'm going to go and find some of the news coverings as they come in, so please stay here. I'll post links.

• ABC News - Mass shooting at Colo. movie theater, 14 people dead
• CBS News - Mass shooting at Batman screening in Aurora, Colo...
• CNN - 14 dead, 50 wounded in shooting at Colorado theater, police chief says
• CNN - Witnesses recall chaos after gunman bursts into theater
• Denver Post - 12 Killed, 50 wounded at Aurora movie theater
• Denver Post - Photos: Shooting at Aurora Theater
• Fox 31 - LIVE BLOG: At least 12 killed, 50-plus injured...
• National Journal - Statement by President Obama at the shooting in Colorado
• New York Times - Live update on movie theater shooting in Colorado
• Yahoo! - Colorado Batman shooting suspect was PhD student
• 9 News - 1 in custody, 12 dead in Aurora movie theater shooting

To the Families
To the families of the victims of this event, to the individuals that were hurt, and to all the people that have suffered, I'm so sorry and I am sending my best wishes! As such, I've written this whole part just for you, a written memorial to what has happened. I hope that the entire movie will become a memorial for the suffering and pain that has happened.

Even now, I'm thinking that could have been my theater and that could have been where I was. It's terrifying, even just the idea. And it's horrific to think that all these people that were going to the movie, in good hopes and wishes for good times, are suddenly attacked. I mean, I can say from my experience that I was happy to be seeing the new movie and just to imagine something like this happening. I really do not know if I can express what I'm feeling, but I do hope the best for everyone!

---

If you find out or have any more information about the shooting, please post a comment below! Or, if you want to leave a comment to the poor souls that had this happen to them, please do that as well! Send this out, tell your friends, just make sure everyone knows and know that something terrible has happened on several people's moments that were supposed to be fun.

Celestial Seasonings Factory Tour

Being as my family is spread out and we all have things to do pretty much most of the year round, we tend to try and celebrate family holidays and occasions a bit late. This time we were celebrating Mother's day yesterday, and to be honest this is how my Mom prefers it because she would rather have quality time with her family than some junky gift. I don't blame her.

Well we all went up to Boulder, Colorado and met up with my Brother who is currently living up there and had the day off. Taking him out for a quick brunch, we all sat around the table eating eggs and trying to figure out exactly what to do since it looked like it was going to rain. Our original plan was to go on a hike, but like I just said it was going to rain. Except for when I go with certain friends, hiking in the rain is usually not as much fun as hiking in sunshine. And our plan had amounted to the idea of just go to one of the homes and celebrate it inside.

That was, until I was able to sway my family to the idea of taking a tour at the Celestial Seasonings Factory located just up the road. Okay, I'll give my Brother some credit for getting tea for breakfast, to where I saw the Celestial Seasonings bag and asked if he had been to the factory.

Watch This: Miss March

I would like to note that before I begin I'm completely dropping the whole idea of rating movies and simply saying see it, don't see it, or think about it. My reasoning behind this is that if I see a review I go straight for the stars but I fail to read what the review has to offer. However, if someone told me to see a movie, I'm a bit more interested in the Why. That's my reasoning behind dropping ratings, I hope it makes sense.

So I just got through watching the movie Miss March with my Mom, which is the second time I've seen it. We both agreed this is a classic, funny, and just all-around rememberable movie. So I'm going to say it now, go out and watch Miss March if you have not seen it!

Miss March [2009]

But before I go recommending the movie, let me give a background that might help set the scene for why I like this movie so much. I think it will really help everyone understand why both of us, including my Mother, thought this movie was amazing!



The Movie Trailer for Miss March

Large Lizard Means Lots of Love

I don't understand why Mike Ensminger, the Teller County Sheriff, is currently out in the Woodland Park area telling some 400 homes that there is a large, killer lizard on the loose. The fact of the matter is that someone's home pet, very snuggly and gentle, got out of it's owner's backyard and is now running around the city on a small joy ride! So why tell all of the community to be on the lookout for a beast with two-inch claws and the ability to climb trees, that wants to attack your young children, and not to try and catch it with a net. What they should be telling the citizens to do is throw it some food, give it a pat on the head, and hug it like a kitten or a puppy! To quote:

Monitor lizards normally feed on smaller creatures like rodents, but local veterinarian Bradley Bundy told The Associated Press that they definitely could pose a threat to humans caught in their path.

If you ask me, this means don't get in it's way and it'll only kill small bunnies, mice, and other local Colorado animals to which we currently have a surplus population! So the lizard is actually doing some justice by killing off local animals that have ran around untamed and unwatched for years, reproducing and recreating like crazy because of the lack of natural enemies. To be honest, I think Colorado should invest in a whole bunch of Nile monitor lizards to help the cities clear out the huge bunny populations that are currently ravaging yards and eating away someone's hard work in a garden! Plus, it gives a warning to kids to not touch or play with the friendly wild animals!


And the worst part of the story is that they don't think it will live past this summer! With raging winters in Colorado and being so far into the mountainous area, they think one drop in temperature and the poor lizard will be dead. So why the hell is the sheriff being so damn scared of a cute and cuddly animal that he fears might tear his face off? Why not get out there, search for it, and bring it back home to an owner who loves his beast.


/Sort-of Satire

For the original yahoo story please click [HERE]!

The Spotted Canvas is not endorsed or certified by Yahoo!. All of the Yahoo!^® content displayed on this website are the property of Yahoo! Inc.

An Internet News Rant

There is really only one way that I get my news nowadays, the internet. I can log-on on my own time, check out the stories from a quick perspective and skip the ones that don't interest me, and of course get a quick read or video of what I was looking for. So it pains me to say that I'm slowly becoming more and more frustrated with how internet news is being done.

Now, my site of choice tends to be Yahoo. I know there are a ton of other sites such as MSN, CNN, Google, Fox, etc that I could choose from, but Yahoo has the layout I like the best. I like how it's just a jumble of random news stories in the top picks, not just entertainment or thrifty tips but a whole lot of random. So it pains me, and apparently a lot of other people, to say that I wish they would stop being so damn annoying. In the recent, they've started turning more to creating small videos of their news clips that quickly show off a few stories with some guy they think is funny. I hate it, and for a good few reasons.

Watch this Music Video: I'm Not a Vampire

A few weeks ago my brother handed me a album by a band I had never heard of. About a day after that, I was listening to several songs over and over again. And a few days after that, I got curious if there was a music video to my favorite songs and went to  on my hunt. What I found was rather surprising, but never-the-less a classic video that I honestly think everyone should watch at least once!

So the reasons I like this music video are always mounting, but the most important reason is that I love the song. It's comical, intelligent, and relatable on several levels! But even beyond that, I love charismatic way that the lead singer (Ronnie Radke) moves about and sings songs relating to his personal experiences and life. That's what I love to see in singers, an enthusiasm that shows more than tells their lives. At any rate, if you haven't seen this music video, take a look!

The Spotted Canvas uses the YouTube^® application programming interface but is not endorsed or certified by YouTube, LLC. All of the YouTube^® videos  and trademarks displayed on this website are the property of their creators, including but not limited to YouTube, LLC and Epitaph Records.

The Fun of Foursquare

I'm not sure how many people have smartphones or how many who have smartphones have the foursquare app. So to quickly educate everyone on what foursquare is, foursquare is an application that smartphones can use to check-in at local stores, apartments, houses, parks, rivers, and so forth as people go about their daily lives. The idea is actually really cool, see where your friend go and what they are currently up to along with maybe even making some new friends around you.

And in one of the updates of the app, the developers added in some other very cool ideas, such as checking in at venues gives you points. You can then compare your points with your friends to see who checks in more often. The catch is that new places offer more points than going to the same place, and if you go to the same place more than anyone else, then you can become mayor of that place and get even more bonus points for checking in. So it's got this bit of either explore more places to get more points than your friends, or go to the places you like a whole lot more often. And remember, you don't just compete with your friends, you also compete with yourself for your 7 day best (not weekly best, any 7 day combination best!).

It's not hard to see why I was hooked immediately, it's really fun to check-in at places and show were I've been to my small group of friends that have smartphones. Also, because I like walking around a lot I almost always have more check-ins than my friends to show off. But in truth, I do play the game fair because the fun is in showing where you've been and how often you go. In fact, I play so fair with the game that I actually hope it expands and get's bigger. I'd like more integration with other applications and more integration with the real world.

Anyway, I've noticed a few things while using Foursquare that I'll share. So here is my list of the good's and the bad's of Foursquare that I have noticed in the short time I've been using it (approximately a month). I'm including a link to their website as well, should anyone feel the need to try it out.

Download

The Perfect Cup of Coffee

Recently, I've been thinking back on the different things I've done with friends. The moments, those times when I've shared something extremely special with one other friend that brought us closer together. Well, with my best friend Vicki I've had about a hundred moments and there's always a cup of coffee involved. I know, it sounds weird because anyone can walk into a coffee shop with another friend and have a cup of joe. So what makes me call this a moment? Because we both can remember the room we were sitting in, the time of day, and what we were both doing when we were drinking coffee on all those occasions.

Watch Me Bleed (A Song)

You ever hear a song and just keep thinking it reminds you of something that just recently happened in your life. I feel like that is happening all the time right now with a friend's situation. I can hear her situation, her pain in these songs and I really feel terrible for her. I know she'll get through this, but it is really painful...

And then I got something new..

Relating to Life
On the second time listening through to this new album my brother found, I started hearing my friend's situation. There's something about the beginning that makes me sad, followed by just the burst of emotion that makes me really click and see what she's going through. I felt like just sharing that music with the people around me, I think it does some justice (not full justice) to what happened.

Watch Me Bleed by Scary Kids Scaring Kids

A Quick Analysis-
The beginning of the song is very much a story, hidden in some very cleverly done lyrics. He starts by singing, "The silence keeps it easy, keeps you safe for the moment," which is really a focus on that moment right after something horrible has been said. Imagine being the person who was hurt, unable to speak and unable to understand what just happened, and the loss of words between the two just sort of settling in.

Then with the next part, the lover begins to walk away in real life but not in the singer's mind. You can tell that the singer was hurt by someone they had fallen in love with, it's very obvious.
So to me the song sounds like the singer was hurt by someone they had fallen in love with. The lyrics describe how inside the singer feels hollow now with such lines as "You pierce my lungs, my limbs go numb." I don't think there's any song I've heard that really brings the moment around as clearly as this one. And the line "All you needed was time, but now time will destroy us." This is the line that made it all click and make me think of my friend. I know she is in pain, I know she is hurting, but there's a lot of truth to these lines. I really feel for her, and it's painful to hear a song like this, one that really helps put me in her shoes and understand what she's going through.

"You watch me bleed" and "We're stuck inside this salted earth together" go really well together as well, where the lyrics have found a way around using the cliché way of saying 'Salt on an open wound.' I really love this part of the song for my friend, because she herself has used that cliché several times, so I know it describes what is happening to her.

Final Thoughts-
To my friend, I hope the best for you every day. I know it's going to take some time before you feel like you can make a day without thinking about what happened, about him, and about all of that. I just want you to know that I support you, that I'm here to listen no matter what, and that I do care deeply for you! You'll get through this, you'll do it at your own speed, and I'm here to help and support you.

---

About the Song
So I have to give credit to my brother for finding that song, for finding the whole album, and for finding the band. Before he sent it to me, I did not know who they were or if their music was good or not. In fact, I probably would have passed them up completely, but they are actually really good. I recommend them! They have a really amazing orchestration going on that makes it all flow and the lyrics are well done. And not just that song, truly a lot of the album is great!

I think one of the reasons that the song I've listed here, along with a few other on the album, really hooked with me is that they remind me of Silent Hill. It has this gloomy sort of feel to the beginning that catches my attention and keeps me listening. It works, in it's own way.

One of the odd things about all of this is that the person that wrecked my friends life, who is also my friend as well (and why this whole situation is very hard for me personally, though still incomparable) is that he'll actually have this song by now. He'll have downloaded it, listened to it, and probably related to it in his own way as well. It seems strange to me.