Post 145: Love Triangles and why they annoy me.

Love Triangles annoy me. A love triangle is when two people like the same person. But could also be explained as, two people ignore the feelings of the person they supposedly care about and instead of treating them like a person with feelings, treat them like an object or trophy to be won. 

Which is what they do. 

In Girl Meets World: Two friends like the same guy. One girl dates him, but then says she likes him as a brother - he says he doesn't feel like her brother, she ignores him. So, she pushes him and her friend together. The friend and he go out. Turns out girl #1 likes him, a mutual friend announces it. So suddenly he knows they both like him and have basically been pushing him back and forth because they don't want to hurt each other. But...

Does anyone bother to ask how he feels? Or even acknowledge it when he says anything? No.

In Mortal Instruments: Simon and Jace both like Clary. Simon then throws a fit when she is with Jace, like really? If you really care about her then why are you treating her like this? Why are you acting like her feelings don't matter?

In My Best Friends Wedding and Made of Honor: the point of the movie is someone coming back to break up the wedding of the person they care about and their new fiancee. Like really? They clearly care about that person if they are getting married, so why are you trying to ruin their happiness? And what do you really think ruining their wedding will bring you? It is, honestly, just selfish. It is someone putting their own feelings before the person they supposedly care about's feelings.

(I didn't see the end of Made of Honor, but I really hope she didn't leave the guy she loved and agreed to marry for the jerk that showed up at the last minute to ruin her wedding after being in love with her for so long but never acting on it.)

This Means War movie summary? Two top CIA operatives wage an epic battle against one another after they discover they are dating the same woman. Or better explained as: two CIA agents disregard their oath to the country and use their training against each other over a girl--as if this will actually resolve the issue. Like she will just automatically go to whichever one wins. Last I checked, feelings don't work like that. 

Anyway, I am tired of seeing this. Seeing girls fight over who gets the guy, or guys arguing about who had 'dibs'. You can't call dibs on a person. You cannot pick who gets who. That is not how the real world works. 

I feel like most of the time this shows up, the two characters might as well be fighting over a hairbrush for the sheer lack of consideration they put into thinking about how the person they are fighting over feels.

Like really. 

A: C is mine!

B: No, C is mine!

C: Does anyone care how I feel? 

A: No. Because we love you so much we don't actually care how you feel. 

B: We will duel at dawn and whoever wins gets to date you. 

C: But I like someone else. 

A: Then they better show up for the duel and win. 

B: Or else they don't get to date you. Because that is the rules in a love triangle. 

Post 144: Google Chrome

I signed into Google on a computer on campus today and was completely shocked to see all my bookmarks along the top of the page. Not as shocked as I was to say Hola! (an extension that allows me to use a proxy, which means I can be in Canada and watch American Netflix). It was weird. I noticed Hola! first and was confused, who had downloaded Hola on the computer? How had they gotten past the administrator rights? Surely, the school wouldn't have added it, so who did?

That is when I realized that Google Chrome is connected to my Google account, something I had known but not really understood what it meant. I didn't really think it would save those things. I never really thought about how the connection between the two worked.

It is interesting, though I'm not sure that I 100% am happy about it. I mean, it is nice that I can save things between computers. However, it does mean that my browser history, bookmarks, most visited pages, etc. are personal things rather professional things. Like Facebook and Youtube come up as the top sites, so if my colleagues or superiors saw it - they might think that I am slacking off at work and going on these sites instead of working. Though, I have gone on these sites at lunch.

Also, what if I forget to sign out? Will it have me signed in on other user accounts? Will someone else sign in and have access to my blog, email, bookmarks, or history?

I think this is something that is still up for debate as to whether it is a helpful feature or not. Anyway, I didn't have too much to say about it. So, going to end this post here.

Post 143: Top Ten Non-Disney Princesses

Or rather, top ten female characters that would be considered Disney Princesses if they were, in fact, Disney characters. By this I mean, characters that would be labelled as Disney Princesses, even though they aren't technically Princesses. Like Official Disney Princess, Mulan and unofficial princesses like Alice, Esmeralda, and Tinkerbell. 

I will reserve the Top Five for Official Princesses. 

1. Tuptim - The King and I

Tuptim is very sweet, but also a really cool character because she was really open-minded. She presented an interesting paradox between the King's eldest son and herself. He felt he knew everything and wasn't really interested in learning anything different at first, but he had a tutor who came all the way from England to teach him. While she was eager to read and learn new things, even though her being able to read was considered a crime. Yet, even though she wasn't supposed to, she continued to read. And even though she knew she would get in trouble for it, you could tell she took pride in it. She also helps save the day. (Obviously, this is based off the animated version, because it has a happy, death-free ending.)

2. Thumbelina - Thumbelina

Being about two inches tall is probably hard enough without adding kidnapping toads, pervy beetles, and, a materialistic mouse. And yet, Thumbelina handles the hardships she faces with grace. She makes her way across a great distance (okay, so it is probably like her backyard - but that's pretty big for her!) with the help of her friends, showing great compassion as she goes.

3. Yum Yum - The Princess and the Cobbler

Yum Yum and Thumbelina are probably tied. The only reason Thumbelina made it to slot #2, is that I liked the animation better for it. There is nothing wrong with the animation for the Princess and The Cobbler, it just isn't as fluid. Yum Yum is a strong character. She is also very clever.

4. Odette - Swan Princess

Odette's character is 4, but could also be 7. I go back and forth, because I really liked her character in the beginning, but not as much later on. She starts off as an adorable and clever kid. She grows up and her and the Prince are constantly at odds. But a kind of playful at odds, then they meet as adults and are instantly smitten. Why? Who knows. He says "let's get married" because their parents are trying to set them up and he's like "let's do this". She says, "okay...but...what do you actually like about me? Like we weren't even friends before and now you're like 'I love you'?" And he says, "you're beautiful." And she's like "thanks but...what else?" Basically, is that all he's into? And he says "what else is there?" And she is like "nope...not going to marry some vain jerk." But, then they don't see each other again and she is all BUT I LOOOOOVE HIIIIIMMM. I mean, it is like love at first sight, if you don't count their childhood, because they almost never have a legitimate conversation. I mean, she went from "I won't marry you" to "you're my true love" without really much of anything in between. I mean, he felt bad. And the audience knew that, but she didn't. Anyway, she has a pretty strong character otherwise. So, if I overlook the lack of real conversation between the two, she is at 4. Otherwise, she is still on the list at 7, because she takes on a lot even as just a bird.

5. Nancy - Enchanted

I love Nancy, I don't know if she fully counts as a princess, though. I mean, she marries the prince, but she wasn't really the one who was supposed to marry him. If the story had been based off a book, it'd be like if Cinderella disappeared so the princess married a step-sister. But, she is great. In the end, she even steps back and pushes her boyfriend to Giselle, because she knows they belong together. She is straight-forward and driven. Honestly, she will make a great Queen.

6. Kayley - Quest for Camelot

Kayley is kick-arse, but not a princess. If she were a literal princess she'd have gotten a higher rating. I love her. I don't like the romance as much because it suffers the way so many others suffer - a brief romance that starts with "You are annoying me" and quickly develops to, "we connect on microscope level either through a common friend or experience, so that means it is true love." Anyway, other than that, she is great. She is a clutz and a spazz, but she dreams about fighting for her home and for honor in her father's memory. And she goes off to save Camelot on her own, later meeting a man in the forest who helps her. Later on, she even goes single-handedly against the villain - even though he is like three times her size and has a magical sword for a hand.

7. Anastasia - Anastasia

Anastasia is stubborn, but also very strong. She has a lot of stuff to deal with (evil villain with the ability to create an army of magic, giant evil bat-things to destroy a bridge? pretty big stuff), and though she is scared - she keeps going and fighting. She also has a lot of integrity. She grew up in an orphanage with no memories and a caretaker that seems kind of harsh (though, she did keep Anya along time and even helped get her a job, so she has to care for her at least a little). And when presented with the opportunity to live as a Grand Duchess, she turns it down at first because she doesn't want to lie about who she is, even if it means money and power. And in the end, she chooses to be with Dmitri over money. Which is sweet, plus - I'd like to think - it was also a choice for freedom. She found out her past, but her life brought her to a different future. Like...just because she found out who she was when she was little, doesn't change who she became. 

8. Chel - Road to El Dorado

Chel is hilarious, she is also very clever - being one of the only people in El Dorado who isn't taken by the Miguel and Julio's 'god' disguise. She is ambitious and adventurous. She is a great help to them and to the people of El Dorado. If it wasn't for her, the main characters would have been killed a dozen times over and, even though she came between them, it wasn't out of ill-intentions.  

9. Marina - Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas

Marina is tough and determined. She takes on pirates and the goddess of destruction to save her fiance, a fiance she doesn't even love but just greatly respects and cares for. She saves their lives with great wit and determination. She is such a great character, and the only woman who could keep Sinbad in line.

10. Susan - Monsters vs. Aliens

Susan is pretty awesome. My favorite thing about her isn't even how she is, but how she develops as a character. In the beginning, she is kind of co-dependent and scared. She is scared of what happened to her and spent most of the movie wanting to go back, but along the way she realized what she was capable of and grew as a person. In the end, she even makes the choice of giving up a normal life and risking her life to save her friends.

American Horror Story (TV Series - 2011)

This review post has been moved to my review blog. Click this link to read it.

Post 142: Retro-Writing: Beauty

A new series? Already? Yes, a new series. This series will be sort of a filler series - I'll admit. It is what the title suggests, though not exactly accurately. This tag and series will be old writings that I've decided to post. This shall be the first, an essay I wrote - thoug,h I don't remember when, why, or for what - on beauty.

Beauty:

There are many things in the world that are considered beautiful, but what makes something beautiful? Beauty is simple; something is considered beautiful if it is pleasant to one of the senses. A beautiful song or sound is one that is pleasant to the ears, and the sense of hearing. A beautiful sight is one that is pleasant to the eyes, and the sense of sight. A beautiful scent is one that is pleasant to the sense of smell.  A beautiful taste is a pleasant taste and a beautiful texture is one that is pleasant feeling, however typically things are not normally described as beautifully tasting or feeling.

            

What is considered beautiful tends to vary between societies. In North America, things that are typically described as beautiful are auditory or visual. Commonly, things like landscapes and art are described as appearing or looking beautiful. However, art and beauty should not be synonymous. Art is something creative; something original and something that makes people who experience it or come in contact with it think or feel something. However, while art like beauty is in the ‘eye of the beholder’, it can be art without being beautiful. A painting that evokes dark and unpleasant feelings would typically be described as beautiful. If the person viewing it did describe it as beautiful, it would be because something in the painting appealed to them on some level. It could be that they find the dominant colour used a pleasant colour. Alternatively, a beautiful painting of a pleasant looking cottage might make some feel pleasant and relaxed, or inspire a feeling of security; while, it makes others feel ill or irritated at its simplicity (or reminds others of the evil witches cottage in fairy tales) so they may not describe it as being beautiful.

            

People are also described as being beautiful. However, there are two different contexts that can be perceived when a person is described as being beautiful. They can be described as beautiful in appearance and/or beautiful in essence and personality. Beauty is skin deep in many ways, though, because it is limited to what can be experienced through the senses. A person can be pleasant looking, but not be considered to have a beautiful personality. You cannot tell a person’s personality without observing their actions or hearing their words. A person is not just seen as having a beautiful personality without proof; they are seen as such through their actions or words- which can be experienced through the senses to create a pleasant feeling. For example, to know that someone is generous we would need to see them donating money. Donating money would be the pleasant sight, or sensual experience, needed for us to perceive that person as having a beautiful personality.

            

People can also be described as having a beautiful voice. The description of a person’s appearance or voice can show just how subjective a person’s perception of beauty is, as people that are liked tend to inspire a higher level of pleasantness, while people who are disliked tend to inspire more discontent. For example, in a relationship one person might find the other person’s voice very beautiful, however after they break up they might view the other’s voice more in comparison with nails on a chalkboard. However, the perception of the sense is processed differently in the two situations, making it remain true that it is what the person experiences with the senses they have.

            

Music is also something that is described as being beautiful. This is another area where the subjective nature of beauty becomes very apparent. While most people can agree that classical music has moments of beauty and can be very beautiful, not everyone enjoys classical music the same way. People can recognize the pleasant aspects of it, without truly enjoying the music genre as a whole. This relates back to the painting and visual beauty. The painting might be on the disturbing side, but if there is some aspect of it that inspires a pleasant feeling, than it can be seen as beautiful. The same is true with music. One can also enjoy a song, without it being beautiful. Most rap and heavy metal lacks a pleasantness, since they tend to have a rough quality too them. However, that is how they are supposed to be. So, if people can enjoy them even though they don’t necessarily find them beautiful.

            

Besides the senses, there are things that effect our interpretations of beauty. However, they only change the way we interpret what we sense, not what we sense. For example, the two people mentioned earlier in a relationship have different views during the relationship and after. This isn’t due to a change in appearance or voice; simply the emotion associated it with it. It can be agreed that the voice of a friend is more pleasant that the voice of a stranger, even when taken out of the context of ‘friend’ and ‘stranger’, the stranger might have a more pleasant voice. This is because our emotions caller the context. This also occurs based on the feelings we have in the moment we are experiencing and sensing. If we are in a happier mood, we are more likely to view things favourably. If we are in a poor mood, we might find things more unpleasant than they otherwise would be. However, as the thing itself doesn’t change only the way we perceive it, it can be rationalized that it is our senses that determine what is beautiful from what isn’t.

            

If a person had never had the ability to sense anything – could never see, smell, taste, hear or feel – then they would not have any concept of beauty is. They could not perceive it, because they could not experience anything through their senses. However, if a person lost their ability to sense anything – could no longer see, smell, taste, hear or feel – then they could still imagine beauty, because they could recall what they had previously found pleasant. This would allow them to experience beauty through the memory of the things they had sensed before. The same way remembering a happy moment or memory stimulates feelings of happiness in the present.

            

In conclusion, beauty is nothing more than what we perceive as pleasant through our senses. This can be seen in what we perceive as beautiful, as well as how our perceptions of what is and isn’t beautiful can change when our emotions toward things change. Since, beauty is perceived through our senses in the same way colour or pitch is determined it is simple in nature. This simplicity in what beauty is makes it easy for people to use it and take it into consideration when trying to make things beautiful, if people don’t try and dig deeper and over-complicate it.  

Cinderella (1997)

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