Post 154: Away in Denmark

I don't know if I have blogged about it before, but I am currently doing a study aboard in Denmark at the University of Copenhagen.

In order to make my blog about it more accessible to people I work with (not that they have any reason to avoid this blog other than I kind of ramble a lot) I have put the blogs and pictures from this on it's own site. And that is where I will continue to put them.

That way people don't have to sort through rants about love triangles or band aids to try to find out what is happening in Copenhagen.

HOWEVER!!!!
I will still be posting here, I will keep this post at the top of my blog so that it doesn't get lost among other posts.

AND 

I will also be posting the blog posts here at some point after my travels are over. For now, I want them all there and all the non-travel ones here.

The link for it is:
http://samanthier.wix.com/canadianindenmark

Post 153: Glow in the Dark

I love the stars. I have always loved the stars. Some of my earliest memories include looking up at the stars. One I remember vividly, though I don't know how old I was, is at my Grandmother's house in rural New York. I'm standing outside, just looking up at the stars. There were almost no lights, the city being miles and miles away, so I could see thousands of stars.

The second memory couldn't be far from that time. I'm on my way home from my grandmother's house. I'm sitting in the passenger's seat and the chair is all the way back. I'm looking out the window. And I'm watching the stars between the trees as they fly by. I remember thinking it was funny that as the trees went by in a blur, the stars didn't change position.

The reason for the title and this discussion on stars, is because I just put up glow in the dark stars on my ceiling and walls. Well, more. I had some but I got new none, cheap ones from a store. They're official glow in the dark stars. They came in a box and everything.

They glow so brighter faster. I put the light on for five minutes and the new ones glow brighter. An hour and they glow the same, but the new ones actually fade faster.

I love them. They look so cool. It is like I am in space looking around at the stars surrounding me. There are little shooting stars and nebula. There is even a crescent moon.

It is kind of funny. When I bought them, I was asked if they were a gift for a kid. They said their kid liked it. The reviews online are mostly from parents buying for their kids. When I told my mother, she scoffed.

And yet most of my friends, older and younger alike think they sound cool. It isn't like I am using them because I'm scared of the dark. In fact, I turn my lights off awhile before I go to sleep because I prefer to go to sleep when they are dark.

I think people can get too preoccupied in "kid" things and "adult" things. I mean, if I want glow in the dark stars because I love stars, then whose business is it but mine? My mom acts weirdly about playing Pokemon Go in public because she is worried someone will see her playing because it is a "teen/kid" game.

Why does it matter?

Post 152: Medium, I've got a theory.

Medium is about a medium who helps the District Attorney solve crimes. In the Pilot episode it is mere chance and an encounter with another psychic that leads to her visions. In the second episode, she doesn't get dreams the same way and has normal days without ghost trouble until she is put on a case and reads the files.

Later, the ghosts come to her. They interrupt her day and hijack her sleep. They can even take her hearing and alter her sights. Some even possess her body. It is a drastic shift.

My theory for this, which is part of my overall theory, is that she ignored them or drank them away for so long that they didn't come to her. Her whole life she was told to dismiss them. She was made to feel crazy for seeing them. So, she pretended she didn't. Like a bus with its lights off, people don't line up for it because they assume it isn't in service.

So, when she started, word spread and ghosts started to come to her more and more.

This is part of my bigger theory that the reason she is so hardcore about it, sometimes blindingly so, is out of guilt. It isn't that she is really as hardcore righteous as she acts about it, but she feels guilty about the decades where she ignored them.

I think in the back of her head she is remembering all the near-encounters and moments where she was asked for help but ignored them. The dreams she had and pretended were nothing. And all these things are making her wonder, "how many people died that I could have saved?"

And so whenever she thinks about slowing down, taking a break, or even ignoring one--the question comes back. Will someone die if I don't? Can I really let that happen again?

And I think that is why she pushed her daughter so hard in the episode where she "died". She didn't want her daughter to experience the same guilt and she wanted to alleviate some of her own guilt. But it came off as too much. Her young daughter had to walk into the darkness that she herself sometimes was horrified by as a grown adult.

I don't know if it's true. But, it does explain some of her behavior. And I can't say that I wouldn't have asked myself the same thing from time to time.

Post 151: iZombie: Problem Solved

I was rewatching iZombie while packing the other day and I cracked it. I figured out how to solve Liv's (main character and zombie) problem.

She gets scratched and turned into a zombie. After that she starts acting different and calls off her relationship with her ex and starts acting weird. Later in the season her brother is literally dying and she turns down giving him blood, because she CAN'T because it will turn him into a zombie (it will also probably out her as a zombie, when the Doctor tests her blood). Then she turns and walks out. Yes, it was dramatic but it will probably ruin her relationship with her mom until she tells her, if she tells her, she is a zombie. With Liv's luck, the mom will either be turned by someone else or be killed off before Liv can tell her.

What could have solved all of her problems and explained some of her behavior? AIDS. If something happened at the party and she got HIV, it might make sense that she chose to end it with her boyfriend. Maybe, she slept with someone (in her fake story). Or, maybe, instead of that when the attack was going on she was scratched and their blood got into hers, and since their were drugs at the party it wouldn't be totally unbelievable. So, solves that problem.

And this would explain her behavior because people would think that now she is upset and having to deal with the pressure of not knowing how people will react and what to do if they react negatively. And she is no longer as healthy and free as she used to be and she is thinking I might not be able to grow old or have kids or retire, so she starts trying new things in like a 'bucket list' sense. Which is exactly what she is dealing with in her zombie state! But people won't think she is crazy for this. And it will explain why she couldn't help her brother. 

Problem solved.

And interestingly, I don't know if they will discuss it but I think in the TV universe, zombie-ism would actually be a cure for HIV and AIDS, possibly even cancer. I mean, people on the brink of death have been saved and when Major was cured(?) his injuries from before had been healed. So if someone was turned whether that itself cures them or just allows doctors to take more radical measures where they don't have to worry about killing the patient (because they're technically already dead), when they are given the zombie cure they go back to being human but also with a clean slate of health.

I don't think this will be what they use. I think Liv and her mom will just never talk. I caught a few episodes of season 2 and saw that her friend is back and believes in her, but in neither episode was her mom mentioned. Considering she showed up or was mentioned in almost every episode of season 1, I don't think that's a good sign. 

Anyway, they can bring up the potential for zombisim if they have Liv explain things this way. Which I think would be interesting because right now they seem focused on getting rid of bad zombies and just curing the zombies there are. And that is, I'm sure a lot to deal with, but in medicine sometimes cures come from unexpected places and both she and Ravi are doctors, so hopefully one of them will think about more than just curing one problem and think about how it could cure many others. 

Post 150: What Big Picture? How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

This is a plot hole that has annoyed me for quite a long time. In the movie How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Andy (main character) justifies her writing for a fashion and beauty magazine and basically "selling out and writing fluff pieces" (she doesn't say that exactly but implies it) is all in hopes that the editor will like her work and give her free reign to write whatever she wants.

Her idea of what she wants to write is serious, hard-hitting pieces on political and social current events. So, my question is, is she an idiot? It's the only way this idea makes any sense.

I took one and only one journalism class in University but I still know this is stupid. A main idea we discussed is 'audience'. It is important to know your audience. So how is it that someone in the industry, who supposedly went to University for this career and has an interest in it, would actually think that there was any way at all that the editor of a fashion and glamor magazine would let her write any of those kinds of articles?

People who pick up those kinds of magazines may be looking for health and dating tips, but what they are really looking for is light and casual reading. Not something that will make them think about the political turmoil people countries away are suffering. There is no way Andy would have actually thought she would get the choice to write those articles for the same magazine. Unless she was an idiot. And it does seem at first like she is thinking of it as paying her dues where she can go somewhere else with this experience but when she is talking to her boss and her boss says she has free reign with in reason for the material that fits with the magazine, she is shocked. She wouldn't have been shocked. It's a fashion magazine, not the Times. It would be like someone working at Disney being surprised when their boss said they couldn't show the kids Saw.

And what makes it seem even more ridiculous is that she has friends at the paper and clearly has worked there awhile and been in the meetings hearing topics discussed, does she really think that the reason those kinds of articles were never suggested or brought up was due to lack of interest by writers alone? How did she not realize it wouldn't fit in with the magazine?

I feel like this is simply a matter of the person writing the movie not actually having any real background knowledge of journalism and a lack of common sense in the matter OR a desperate need to make sure that she was 'different' because heaven forbid she actually enjoy writing about fashion or dating. No, no. It needed to be beneath her in order for her to be deep. I mean, it's fine for her friends, one who we rarely see or learn anything about and the other who is clingy, over-emotional, and insecure. But Andy needs to want a "serious" job. There is really no other reason her character needed to want to write about other things. It doesn't really affect the plot much. And as it is, it actually hurts the plot more than it helps. 

Post 149: No, X-Files, No!

I am a fan of X-Files, I cannot deny it. I love the show and the chemistry between Scully and Fox. But I will shoot myself in the foot (with a rubber band, because I 'm too afraid this will happen) if they make a new series.

The new season is like a mini-series. It has Fox and Scully back in the saddle again, it is like a continuation. It is great.

However, the newest episode "Babylon", just introduced a pretty boy, daydreamer FBI agent and a red-headed, cynical agent. Sound familiar? Sounds like they are trying to introduce a new agent Scully and Fox, so that they can create a spin-off.

Red-head is also a scientific minded agent who doubts Mulder. Pretty boy is overjoyed at the idea of working in the X-Files, he called it is "dream job". AKA, the new generation of X-Files agents that are basically just younger versions of the original.

Guess what new pretty boy's name is? Miller. So, Agent Miller is the new Agent Mulder.
And even more laughable, Agent Einstein is the rational agent. Einstein. Like really? Anyway, she even has the same hair cut as Dana. Which is unfortunate, because she would really look better with bangs.

The entire episode they switch partners. Dana works with mini-Mulder. And Mulder works with mini-Dana.

I don't want a new spin-off series. Especially not like this.

If a spin-off is going to happen, I don't want it to be like the new Annie. I don't want them to just try and recreate the original. It never works. The new mini-Mulder and mini-Scully don't have the same chemistry, they don't have the same presence on screen, they just aren't the same as Fox and Scully.

If they are going to do a new series they should do something different. Even if it is just swapping their genders and making a girl the one that believes. Maybe having two scientific minded people who have to work with some consultant that is totally out there. Maybe two female or two male agents. Even just making it so that they aren't JUST younger versions of the originals.

If people want to see a cynical red head poking holes in a somewhat radical FBI agents belief in aliens, they can watch the original series.

The show that it seems like they are suggesting and setting up ALREADY EXISTS and it is still popular. It still trends on Netflix and the new mini-series with the original Scully and Mulder will send more people back to it.

PLEASE, please do not let them just try to recreate the old X-Files. It never works out as well as they think it will. And, these two new actors - one of whom I actually know from playing Freddie in the unpopular live-action remake movies of Scooby Doo - just don't seem like they are as deep (or even really capable of playing as deep) as the original characters.

I don't want a X-Files Light version. Please, X-Files, keep the original actors or try something new.

Post 148: Princess and the Frog Re-Write

So, while my mom was in Denmark she picked up tiny frogs for the people in her office. Tiny frogs with tiny crowns. They are adorable. I also got one. Anyway, while the Grimm Brothers were not actually Danish, the story of the Frog Prince is often set in Denmark (at least, the Prince is in Denmark). So, it was an appropriate gift from the country (even though I'm thinking that it is actually in the gift shop because they are trying to get tourists to assume it was by H.C. Andersen). But, it still works. 

Anyway, I wrote a version of the story to company the tiny frog. And this is what I wrote:

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

Once upon a time, back when people believed in magic and feared witches as they should, a young German prince made a horrible mistake. He was out in the woods and came across a well. Most wells today have lost their charm, but in the prince’s day some wells were a home to a witch.  And if you dropped her a coin, a gem, or offering of another sort that pleased her, she would grant your wish.

The prince believed in wishes and magic, but believed them to be cheats and trickery. So, when he came upon the well and looked down into its depths, he scoffed and threw down a rock, “if this truly is a magic well, then I wish that the rock would turn into a piece of silver and return back to me.” 

He heard a noise and out came a piece of silver and it flew right up to him, only to hit him square between his eyes. He cursed and drew his sword shouting things that should not have come from a prince's mouth. He started kicking at the well and as stones tumbled down from its a walls, the witch awoke and she was not happy.

“How dare you take for granted the gift you were given, when you were lucky to receive any gift at all!” The witch was enraged at the prince’s disrespect. As she came out of the well with clouds of smoke billowing up behind her, the prince jumped back and, though he’d never admit it, he was very afraid. 

“If you were so great and powerful, you’d know I was a prince and would need a silver coin. And as a prince, you should not have had it sent out in such a manner!” He stood with his shoulders pulled too far back as he tried to feign courage. 

“I see…you don’t like the wish I gave you. How about I give you another? One that will teach you to appreciate the power of magic. Since you are so concerned with being treated as a prince…how about I turn you into something else…like a mouse?” The witch said, chuckling as he grimaced in response. 

“I do not wish to impose upon you any further. There is no need to grant any more wishes, especially ones I did not ask for,” he responded. 

“You’re right…you’re right…but I insist…Though, mice have many redeeming qualities. Some even are made to be pets…no, let me think…ah ha! I will make you a frog!” Before he could protest, he suddenly found himself staring at the bottom of the well. He was now quite small. 

“What have you done to me? You have striped me of my birthright! My crown!” He shouted as loudly as his little lungs could. 

The witch stooped over and place a ring of gold on his head, “here you go, a tiny crown for a tiny prince.” She chuckled as she started to return down the well. 

“Wait! Isn’t there anything I can do to be a prince again?” He shouted after her hopping towards the well after her. 

“Quite simple really. Find a princess. Get her to kiss you. Simple as that.” 

“But I’m a frog, who would kiss a frog?” The frog prince said in despair. 

The witch disappeared with her final words echoing through the well, “that was kind of the point, princey.”

The frog prince was upset, but determined. He set off to find a princess that would kiss him, or even just talk to him without sending cats or shoes flying at him. It took longer than he expected. He hopped through most of Europe before he finally came to Denmark, the land of cobblestones and amber. 

While he was discouraged by his lack of progress, he had not given up hope. However, the cobblestones hurt his little legs. After all, he could not wear shoes. So, he hopped and hopped until he came to a pond in a nice garden. 

He thought to himself, ‘this will be a nice place to relax.’ As he was swimming in the pond, he did not a notice a young girl sitting on bridge that divided the well. If he had noticed, he would not have been so surprised by the loud plop of her golden ball falling into the water. 

He turned and saw the young girl crying. He swam over to ask her what was wrong. 

“Excuse me, miss? Why are you crying? Did you drop something into the water?” The girl jumped up as she was startled by his words, or by the mere fact he was a talking frog. 

“It’s…it’s princess to you, frog. And I dropped my favorite golden ball. Now I will never get it back!” She finished in a loud sob, but while her words made her cry harder, the frog prince found joy in them. Or, rather, hope. 

“I will get it back for you. If you will promise to help me in return.” He said. 

“Yes, yes. Of course!” The princess shouted eagerly, not knowing what it was she had even agreed to do. 

The frog prince quickly swam down, and only upon returning did he realize how difficult his feat actually was, as swimming as a frog really took all of his limbs – so, he had to hold the ball with his mouth. 

When he got to the top and she had acquired her ball, he made his way next to her on the bridge, “now you owe me. You promised.” 

“Yes, yes. What do you want?” She said, eager to get rid of this strange talking thing. 

“A kiss-“ he barely finished saying it when the princess burst into laughter. 

“Surely, you can’t be serious. I’m a princess…I’m not going to kiss a frog!” 

“But I’m not really a frog! I’m a prince!” He argued. 

She laughed again before saying, “right…you’re really a prince and I’m really a turnip.”

“You promised!” He protested hopping up and down angrily, like a child throwing a tantrum.

“Alright, alright!” The princess shouted rolling her eyes in defeat. She bent over, picked up the frog and kissed him as quickly and distantly as possible. And though her eyes were closed, when it was over she could tell she was no longer in the presence of a frog. 

She opened her eyes, and he was a prince. 

“Thank you, princess! You have saved me from a lifetime of webbed-ribbit!” He laughed and waved his hand dismissively, “force of habit. I’m sure it will go away.” 

In the end, the frog prince became a frog again and he was very grateful to the princess. She was very excited that he was not just a frog, because it meant that she could go the rest of her life knowing she hadn’t kissed a frog, but a prince. And in typical fairy tale fashion, they got married and lived happily ever after. 

And the moral is: Sometimes you have to kiss a frog to get a prince, but just because he turns into a prince doesn’t necessarily mean he will stop acting like a frog. 

Post 147: Ghosts, Pranksters or Chance? Part 2

"But I do know that if I get mysteriously "pushed" down a flight of stairs, start hearing voices, or any of the more frightening and violent aspects of a haunting, I'm not going to do what those idiots in horror movies do - I am just going to move." - Me, like less than a year ago, as I lived in denial. 

Sadly, I need to post a retraction. Because I did NOT in fact do that. In reality, I just ignored it and told myself it was nothing. For days...and days...and days. 

So, what happened is:

My mom and my step-dad went out of town. They were going to Mexico for just over a week. While they were gone, my step-sister was at her mom's so it was just the dog and I. 

It all started well, until I thought I heard noises coming from upstairs. I wasn't sure what it was, but just assumed that it was an open window upstairs and I was hearing the neighbors. Sometimes it sounded like voices, sometimes music, sometimes nothing. It was kind of creepy, but I had work most of the day so I was only home at night. 

So, it isn't like I was awake much of the time it was happening. But, it was really starting to bug me after a few days because I was really concerned. I told myself Shirley wouldn't have just let some stranger get in and how would more than one person have made it in anyway? 

Days and days, I was concerned about the noises I heard. But I couldn't bring myself to investigate either. What if it was ghosts or people living in our attic? What was I going to do? What could I do? And what if it was nothing? I mean, that meant I was being ridiculous or just hearing things. 

So, I ignored it. 

On the VERY last night I was alone, I finished washing something for my mom and went to take it up to her room when the music got louder. It was kind of creepy and I heard it from her office. It was dark and it wasn't her style of music, so I wasn't sure what it was. 

Instead of getting a weapon of any kind or even a flashlight, I pushed the door open and went in. 

It was Criminal Minds. She left her mini DVD player on, I assume on pause. When the power went out on the second day, it restarted and played through. So, episode after episode went through. Then it went to the main menu, then after a few hours it restarted again.

I was vindicated and safe from the paranormal. Though, I did wish that I had investigated sooner. But, I mean, it was just noises. I'd like to think if something did push me down the stairs I'd have the sense to leave. 

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Post 146: Fact or Fiction: It's Always the Bad Boy

In most love triangles, there are two guys and one girl (don't worry this is not another love triangle rant, but it is a rant of sorts). And usually of the two guys one is the stereotypical "nice guy". He is friends with her first (usually). He is nice to her at all times, and generally willing to go out of his way for her whenever she asks him to (and sometimes when she doesn't). In some media he crosses the line between friend and doormat. Then there is another very different guy. He is usually broody and stubborn. He doesn't usually express his emotions with words so much as outbursts or sulking. He tends to be the "bad boy" type.

And 99% of the time, that is who the girl ends up with.

Mortal Insturments: Sweet Simon vs. Moody Jace? It's Jace.
Twilight: Brooding Edward or Brotherly Jake? It's Edward.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Honorable Norrington or Pirate Will? It's Will.
Coffee Prince: Arrogant HK or supportive HS? It's HK.
Gilmore Girls: Jerk Jess or Loving Dean? It's Jess.
My Fair Lady: Devoted Freddy or Distant Higgins? It's Higgins.
You're Beautiful: Mean TK or Kind SW? It's TK.
Boys Before Flowers: Vindictive JP or Sensitive JH? It's JP.
Secret Garden: Entitled KJ or Caring IJ? It's KJ.

But, in most cases, what brings them together is not that he is a rude, arrogant jerk that needs to be slapped in the face with reality. It is that he SPOKE UP. He SAID something. It is usually connected to arrogance or jerkiness, because he feels kind of entitled to her. But it means that she KNOWS how he feels, and so starts thinking of him that way.

In Mortal Instruments, Simon says nothing until she has already fallen for Jace.
In Twilight, Jake plays the part of her brother, until it is too late.
In Pirates, well Norrington came WAY too late to the party. She's been crushing on Will since they were kids.
In Coffee Prince, HS didn't act on his feelings until she a) found out he had a girlfriend and b) had moved on.
In You're Beautiful, TK knows she is a girl and she knows that TK knows she is a girl. (For clarification, she is pretending to be a guy for reasons.) So everything he does, she sees him doing it for her as a girl. Meanwhile, she doesn't know SW knows she is a girl. So, what he does to win her over (gifts, compliments, secret sharing, hugs, things like that) she assumes he is doing as a brother figure. SPEAK UP DUDE~! I was actually rooting for you (in one version, at least).
In Secret Garden, IJ spends every day with her at work, but never tells her how he feels. He even distances himself at times when he thinks she might be noticing. Suddenly KJ appears and what does he do? He goes to her work. He brings her to his work. He shows up at her house. He actively pursues her. He doesn't just sit on the sidelines and hope she will notice him. 
In Boys Before Flowers, he doesn't saying anything until JP has already declared her his girlfriend. Like really? You're speaking up a little late considering she has actually already made it pretty clear she liked you, then backed off since she thought you were in love with someone else.

(By the way, that is how a love triangle SHOULD BE. Two girls like the same guy, she sees he cares about the other girl more and instead of being rude or cruel, she encourages him to be with her and her to be with him because she knows it will make him happy.)

Anyway, my point is that the girl doesn't always pick the bad boy (at least not BECAUSE he is a bad boy). Most of the time, she just picks the one who bothered to SPEAK UP first. Katniss chose "nice guy" Peeta in Hunger Games, why? He confessed he loved her in front of everyone before Gale ever confessed at all.

It's not about who is nicest, its about who is first to say something. If any of these "nice guys" had spoken up sooner, they'd have had a lot better chance at getting the girl to see them as more than a friend. It is like they are written as being so timid that they just want to sit on the side and hang out just behind her, hoping she will turn around and notice them while the jerk guy will jump up and down in front of her screaming "NOTICE ME". And then the nice guy is surprised when she doesn't pick him.

People aren't psychic. If you just hang out in their periphery they might totally miss you. And it will be your fault for not doing anything. Not theirs.

Anyway, I just wanted to express my thoughts about the subject.