Famous Last Words: An Update

Time is sure flying by fast! We are technically done with Week 6, and many of us are already preparing for a second midterm.

For my readings, this week I chose Sinbad's Seven Voyages. Despite being an animated movie that was popular when I was a child, I knew nothing about this story. However, after reading just the first two stories, I was hooked and finished the whole week's reading within one day. For those of you who are fans of The Odyssey, I am sure you will enjoy this story.

Due to my love for Sinbad's story, this week's storytelling assignment just flowed naturally for me. I had Tom Hanks fill the role of Sinbad and had his "voyages" just be some of his most famous movies such as Saving Private Ryan and Sully. Needless to say, I am happy with this selection and I am sure that I will include this story in my portfolio.

For my other classes, it has been a whirlwind. I have already had two tests for my two upper-level math courses, so I am drained. On top of that, I have had to churn out a new coding project each week, which has everybody in my class on edge! Fortunately, I have the mentality of, "If everybody else is as well, it isn't so bad that I am drowning." This is one of those semesters that you tell yourself that you just have to muster enough strength to get through it.

Outside of school, I have just been trying to find time to relax and play some video games, but I do not know when things will ever slow down! With football in full swing and basketball starting up soon, I am hoping to be able to catch some of my favorite games on television, if time permits.

For next week, I hope to stay on top of my other classes. So far, there will be no tests next week, so I should have a lot of prep time for all of my classes. Wish me luck!

Week 6 Storytelling: A Trip with Hank

It all started when I was drafted. I was originally an English teacher, but when duty called, I was drafted to lead some of the bravest men I have ever met. With these men,  we stormed Normandy in one of the most famous amphibious raids to have ever taken place. Even after this hellish session, I was sent on one of the worst fetching missions ever, traveling almost all of Europe to find a young man to bring him home to his family. I lost almost all of my men during this expedition, but I was able to survive and go home to live prosperously.

Not long after this war, I was drafted to another. This time Vietnam. Here I met my best friends Bubba and Lieutenant Dan. I remember specifically being ambushed one day, our unit being cut down in mere minutes. Summoning all of my strength and courage, I raced the injured away from the danger to an evacuation point. It was here where I lost Bubba, who died in my arms that day. Despite this, I was able to leave the military a decorated hero and make a fortune alongside Dan.

Despite my riches, I decided to buy myself a boat and be its captain. On my very first voyage, we were hijacked by a band of Somalian pirates. Using us as hostages, the pirates demanded money. Fortunately, I was able to persuade the head of the pirates to take me as the only hostage. Assured that I would die when leaving with the pirates, I was fortunately saved by the military. After this, I retired my captain's hat and continued to live off my fortune.

It wasn't long before I began to grow restless again. This time, I became a pilot. In the military, I was trained to fly helicopters and various bombers. I put this to good use by being one of the best pilots at my local airline. However, disaster struck on my 100th flight ever, when a goose flew directly into our plane's turbine. Where lesser men would have given up and began praying, I managed to guide the plane to nearby waters and land safely there, saving all those on board. Because of this, I was awarded with fame and riches that was even unheard of to me.

Despite having the most tumultuous time traveling, I decided to have one last trip, this time on a boat to relax. However, during our voyage, we were struck by storm. I awoke on a deserted island, scared and exhausted. It was there I lived for months, surviving on nothing but coconuts and the companionship of a volleyball that washed ashore. Needless to say, I had a dance with insanity during this time. Fortunately, after months of hardship, I was founded by a TV crew searching for lost treasures in abandoned islands. It was because of this TV show that my fame and fortune were reinvigorated.

Now, as an old, decrepit man, I tell you this story so that you may one day tell it as various blockbusters. My name is Tom Hanks, and this is my story.

Author's Note: I wanted to write a story in the style of Sinbad's Seven Voyages. In Sinbad's story, a seemingly ordinary man recalls all of his voyages that were all life and death situations. Whether it was facing a man-eating cyclops or a killer old man using him as a slave, Sinbad has been through such a gauntlet. Upon my first reading, the first thing that popped into my mind was the meme of Tom Hanks, that states something along the lines of "you never want to travel with guy", since many of his hit movies have him involved with various incidents that seem to play out in the end due to sheer luck.

Bibliography: The Voyages of Sinbad, The Arabian Nights: Andrew Lang. Link

(Tom's whole life in one picture:

Imgur)

Tech Tip: Announcement Email

I have to say that I am actually a huge fan of the class announcements on Canvas. That is actually the first thing I check when I start to do any assignments for this class. I think it is so convenient to have somebody tell you what it is you should be working on and the status of everything, especially for a class like this that does not have a physical classroom. I am really glad that I have the option to opt in the email service and be alerted to new announcements, however, I feel that I will stick with just check Canvas, since I will already need to be there for the Declarations.

Reading Notes: Sinbad, Part B

Now that I am finished with all of Sinbad's seven voyages, I feel that I have a better knowledge of its themes and ideas. Admittedly, Sinbad reminds me of that meme of Tom Hanks where he is the last person you want to travel with (Cast Away, Captain Phillips, and Sully to name a few). With this thought, I feel that I can write a story as Tom Hanks. With Sinbad's stories being a first person recount of his voyages, I feel that I can write my stories as Tom Hanks recounting all of his movie parts as if they were real!

Many of Sinbad's adventures were life threatening and included much luck and coincidence, something I feel that can be duplicated in my stories. I am thinking that it could be very similar to that of Forrest Gump, but it would just include him being ship-wrecked, crashing landing a plane, and being held hostage by pirates. For those of you who do not know the story of Sinbad, many of what I just said actually occurred in the story! With this said, I feel that I have a pretty good basis for my story!


Bibliography: The Voyages of Sinbad, The Arabian Nights: Andrew Lang. Link

(Never travel with this man:

Pinterest)

Typing Test Tech Tip

I have to admit, I have always been a fan of typing tests. In middle school, we were forced to learn how to type in a traditional way: using the home keys, covering our hands with blankets to keep from cheating, and using the cursed Mavis-Beacon software. I really enjoyed KeyHero and have used TypeRacer in high school.

As for my speed and accuracy, I will always wish I was a little faster and a little more accurate. However, I am comfortable with where I am at. It is really comforting to be a Computer Science major and seeing that, if I don't understand what I am working with, I at least know how to type at a decent speed.

Google Timer Tech Tip

Wow! This was a really great Tech Tip. Ever since getting my laptop, I have been trying to manage my time working on different assignments by trying to find a way to alert me just how long I have been working on an assignment. Since I always have various browser tabs open, this is something I will definitely utilize.

If you are like me, it always feels like you are drowning in different assignments. My tip to help manage all this would be to tell yourself what you have to do and give yourself a personal time limit. Even if an assignment is due at midnight, try to finish it by 8:00 or 10:00. Not only will it help you control time, but it may even force you to prepare higher quality work!

Reading Notes: Sinbad, Part A

I have to admit, I really enjoyed this week's reading: Sinbad's Seven Voyages. It felt like a great fusion of Hercule's 12 Labors and Homer's Odyssey. The main things that really stood out to me and that I feel that I could implement into my own stories would the fact that the stories were told in a first-person perspective and almost all of the stories turned out the way they did due to luck. I believe a first-person perspective will almost always be a better device to develop your protagonist, so using it for one of my stories will allow readers to better relate and learn to love the character. As for the fact that luck played so heavily in the stories, I feel that I can use the theme where my character is INCREDIBLY lucky and create the most outlandish situations for which he/she has experience. For my story, I feel that I can recreate Sinbad's tales, but have him experience things that are funnier and not as traumatizing. I think I will wait until I have finished reading about the rest of his voyages before creating my stories.

Bibliography: The Voyages of Sinbad, The Arabian Nights: Andrew Lang. Link

(One of the man-eating giants Sinbad faced in his voyages:

UN-Textbook)

Week 5 Storytelling: The Trickster's Karma

There once was a hunter, Kalinag, who lived adjacent to his fellow villagers. Kalinag, though skilled, was extremely egotistical. The reason why he did not have his hut alongside the others was because of this ego. He always thought that he was better than the rest of the men of his village due to the fact that he was able to bring back so much meat and skins from each of his hunting trips. However, his aptitude for trapping and hunting was not correlated to that of his skill with the bow, rather it had something to do with his ability to bait and trick animals into his traps.

Whereas other hunters of the village simply hunted for food and supplies, Kalinag saw hunting more as a competition to prove who is best. After bragging to the rest of the village about his haul, instead of donating his unneeded meat/skins, Kalinag simply discarded them in the nearby river. With his ability to catch so many animals, and the fact that he would dump their remains into where they drink and bathe, the animals of the jungle grew to fear Kalinag. So much so, the mighty Lion decided to meet with Kalinag to discuss a truce. The Lion understood that humans hunted for food and supplies, much like he and his kin hunt for food. However, the Lion could not stand idly by as the innocent denizens of the jungle were slaughtered for sport. Upon entering the village, the Lion was greeted by Kalinag and offered a meal at his home. The Lion agreed to the meal, and after satisfying his hunger, a sudden wave of exhaustion rushed over him. Instantly, the Lion was on the ground, asleep from whatever Kalinag had used to pacify him. Kalinag seized this opportunity and moved the Lion into a cage he kept behind his hut, and so began Kalinag's downfall.

Finding out that it was so easy to lure the jungle animals into his home with the promise of a meal, Kalinag posted a notice near the river so that all animals may see that they were invited. At first skeptical, only a few accepted his offer at first. Lured in by the smell of sweet berries and ripened fruit, animals flocked to his home, only to be put to sleep by Kalinag's drug. One by one, Kalinag dumped his catches into cage that he treated as a trophy now. For weeks, this practice continued on. Kalinag loved the fact that he was able to catch so many animals. He decided that once he was satisfied with the amount of animals caught, he would skin them all and show the villages how big of a collection he was able to bring back. However, he was never satisfied. As weeks passed, the cage became more and more cramped by the unsuspecting animals, until eventually the cage was filled end to end. Any sensible person could see that the cage was too full; that if Kalinag wanted to carry out his plan, he would have to do it then. However, due to his pride, Kalinag continued. One day, due to the constant movement of those that were trapped, the cage finally bursted apart, animals swarming out and filling Kalinag's home. This happened at night, so Kalinag was asleep on his bed, but being awake still would not have saved him from the dozens of animal that jumped onto his bed.

The next morning, many villages spoke of screaming that they thought they heard coming from Kalinag's hut. However, due to his uncouth manners, nobody bothered to check on him. It wasn't until villages started to notice dozens of tracks leading out of his hut did they investigate. Upon entering the hut, the villagers were greeted by a room covered in blood. Days later, Kalinag's body was discovered alongside the river bank. It was then that the all the villagers decided to pass a law to restrict hunting for food and supplies only.

Author's Note: I decided to create a story using the Santal readings and their heavy theme of tricksters. However, I wanted to put my own spin on it. Whereas most of the Santal readings had the tricksters use their tricks to get out of problems, I wanted my trickster to meet his downfall due to his tricks. Other things I saw was that the stories like to personify animals, so I wanted to do that as well. It's good to see that these stories are a far cry from the trickster stories that we read in the beginning of the year.

(A hunter, much how I envisioned Kalinag:

Pinterest)

Bibliography: Folklore of the Santal Parganas, Cecil Henry Bompas; link.

Reading Notes: Santal, Part A

A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of reading about tricksters. Tricksters live up to their name and use their ability to fool others for gain. Sometimes they come out as victors, but in this Unit, many fell because of this trait. I've written in many of my previous posts that I am not a big fan of "unhappy" endings, but I actually enjoyed this week's stories because of the fact that those tricksters met a deserved ending. The story that jumps out specifically is the story of "The Jackal and the Crow". It can be argued on which of the titular characters was the trickster, but regardless, neither survived by the end of the story. Another tale told the story of a dishonest mother tigress, whose dishonesty eventually leads to her child leaving her. One last aspect that I really liked from these stories was the fact that a few of these stories did not follow along the cliche of tricksters being wild animals and humans being victims. In a few of the stories, we see the human characters pulling a few tricks out of their pockets to get out of bad situations.

Using these notes, I feel like I can create a story myself that has a human hunter using trickery as a way to lure his prey to their demise. Right now, I am trying to figure out a way to show his downfall, an aspect that I've noticed in many of these stories. Right now, I think I can have the story end with the hunter being so overconfident with his catches, that his cage is overfilled and breaks, causing all of his capture animals to turn and attack and kill him.

(Hunter whose pride befalls him:

PicQuery)

Bibliography: Folklore of the Santal Parganas, Cecil Henry Bompas; link.

Google Define Tech Tip

The word that I decided to take a screenshot of is "copacetic", since I especially enjoy using it. As for Google Define, I often use it! So much so, the dictionary app on my phone has more or less become obsolete. I always find myself just typing the word in Google.

Comment Wall

Link to my portfolio. 

Week 4 Story: Adam's Bad Day

Updated Version here: link

Adam was up early today, packing. Yesterday, he received an eviction notice from his apartment complex due to something his now ex-girlfriend did. Adam was sad. The apartment was perfect! It was fully furnished with modern furniture and had everything a man could want, so much so that he nicknamed it "Eden". But now it was no longer his apartment. Adam had neatly packed all of his belongings into his small hatchback that was bound for his new domain, a small studio apartment that probably didn't have a working AC unit. This sorry excuse for an apartment was all he could find in such short notice, after his then-girlfriend got him kicked out for breaking every rule that the previous apartment complex had set.

After returning his key to the front office, Adam walked out into the blistering heat hoping to stay optimistic. Though he had lost his dream apartment, it was not the end of the world. He had faith that everything will be good again. However, the moment he stepped out, his face was greeted by a rather large deposit of bird dropping. Disgusted since he was a germaphobe, Adam told himself to be calm as he tried to clean his face with as many sanitizing wipes he could get out of his car's glove compartment. Adam felt that this incident was some type of ominous warning for the coming day, but he decided to press on with some optimism.

Driving down the freeway, Adam kept tell himself that everything will work out in the end. It was at that moment when black smoke began spewing out of his engine bay and his car made sounds similar to that of washing machine filled with bricks! He then began to feel that his car could no longer accelerate, so he pulled it over along the road to dodge the rest of the cars behind him. For the next hour, Adam tried all that he could to turn his engine over, but to no avail. Adam was sure that all of the groceries that he had packed for his new apartment was spoiled by now in the summer heat. Adam decided to give up and walk to the nearest gas station to call for a tow, since he suddenly realized that he forgot to charge his cellphone the night before. Again, Adam tried to remain optimistic.

After a half hour walk, Adam arrived at the closest gas station and called for his car to be towed. The operator, however, did not have good news to share with Adam, saying that the nearest driver would not be available until 2 hours later. Adam accepted this half-heartedly and decided to have a pseudo lunch at the gas station to wait. After about an hour, Adam began his trek back to his car, but upon his  arrival to his car, Adam discovered two citations placed on his windshield. Apparently the local police department did not appreciate that his car was left abandoned here for so long. At that point, Adam had lost all his optimism and broke down on the side of the highway, defeated. Finally, the tow truck driver arrived and picked up Adam and his car. After delivering his car to a local mechanic, the driver dropped the now-gloomy Adam to his apartment. Despite his bad day, Adam still tipped the driver healthily out of gratitude.

Walking into the apartment complex's main office, you could see the disparity on Adam's face. Even so, he remained courteous to the front secretary. Adam told her who he was and that he was moving in. Upon learning who he was, the secretary's face grew pale. Apparently, the night before, a fire next door to what was suppose to be his new apartment engulfed the whole building, destroying every apartment. Again, Adam was sad, but not surprised considering how the rest of his day had been. The secretary asked Adam to wait as they tried to find another apartment for him. After about two hours of just wallowing in his self-pity, Adam was greeted by the apartment complex's manager, apologizing for the situation. Adam remain calm and told him that he was not angry, just a bit sad. The manager responded to this with what he described was fantastic news. Since the insurance money would cover everything for the fire and make it even better, the manager was able to upgrade Adam to a nicer, larger apartment, free of charge. Adam reacted ecstatically! Though he was still feeling glum, this news did make him feel better. Upon his arrival to his new apartment that was even better than the one he was evicted from, Adam received more good news when the mechanic called him and told him he was able to fix his car and was on his way to the apartment to return it.

In the end, despite having probably one of the worst days of his life, everything worked out in the end. Adam was away from his crazy girlfriend, his car was in its best shape in a long time, and he now had an apartment that he is more proud of than his previous one. Adam went to bed that night thinking how all that suffering that day was nothing compared to how the day ended.

Author's Note: In my last post, I suggested a modern, less grim take on the banishment of Adam and Eve from Eden. In the story, you can see many references to the Biblical tale. I wanted to keep the theme of "everything works out in the end" in my story, but without the overly cruel punishments.

Bibliography: Book of Adam and Eve, link

(Adam being evicted from Eden:

Mystics)

Reading Notes: Adam and Eve, Part B

This week's reading revolves heavily upon Adam and Eve. Where Part A of this week's reading focused mainly on the creation of Adam and Eve, Part B shows all the hardships that both Adam and Eve had to endure after being casted out of the Garden of Eden. I enjoyed Part B since it shows how powerful God is within the Bible. This can be seen by his ability to cast such terrible luck upon the banished Adam and Eve. For my storytelling this week, I can spin this around and make the work less macabre. Instead of simply being tortured so that they may seek redemption, my story can revolve around a man plagued by misfortune in a lighthearted way. As I have said in previous posts, I am not a fan of such dark writing. I prefer light hearted tones, and I feel like this story can be twisted that way. Instead of being biblically punished, my version of Adam or Even would have to endure gum on their shoes, a hangnail, or maybe discovering the fact that they had nose full of boogers their whole day!

(This might as well have been Adam in the readings Part B!

ImgFlip)

Bibliography: Book of Adam and Eve, link.

Reading Notes: Adam and Eve, Part A

The idea that God is an omnipotent character is a common theme that is present in many stories outside of the Bible. That is why it is no surprise that he is just as grand and powerful in his depiction within the Bible, especially compared to Adam and Eve. The thing that I enjoyed, however, is the fact that in many of the stories Adam is shown to be just as wise as God himself. It especially surprised me in The Ideal Man, where Adam was able to answers some of God's question so confidently and logically. The theme that I am pointing out is where the undermined character, who everybody does not expect to be intelligent, surprises the readers with his/her intelligence and thinking ability. I feel that the use of this theme since it allows writers to create a more relatable character who isn't perfect, all the while creating foils/antagonists against the characters as non-believers or bullies.

To expand on this idea, I feel that my storytelling for this week could be a party of the ideal man, where God can be Alex Trebek and Adam can be a contestant in Jeopardy!. The difference is that I plan on making Alex Trebek so vehement in his want for the contestant to lose. Think: Slumdog Millionaire in Biblical times!

(Adam and Eve, with Adam being so ideal:

Stephen Miller Books)

Famous Last Words: Slowly but Steadily

As my post title implies. I am readjusting to my college coursework slowly but steadily. So far, it's been hectic. Trying to juggle two math classes, two computer science classes and this online course can be a hassle. However, the ability to create this post at the end of every week allows me to decompress and reevaluate my week in a positive way. I believe that if you are able to write down all your challenges and goals, it makes them seem more manageable!

My math classes have been rough! So much so, I actually forgot to do one of the readings on time! Fortunately, we are always granted a grace period, which I definitely took advantage of. It is definitely frustrating, however, that I had to rush to put that reading assignment out so quickly and so haphazardly because I was so preoccupied by ONE math assignment that might as well have been a programming project. Fortunately, I got it done and turned in on-time and next week's assignment shouldn't be as demanding. As for my programming class, it's been rough, but I believe an optimistic mindset is key to surviving the rest of the semester, both grade-wise and emotional-wise!

Outside of school, it's been a great week for football! Our boys in red redeemed our school by destroying the Buckeyes in a game that was predicted to be a blowout not in our favor. The Patriots lost, which is a good sign that the Year of the Brady is not going to be a thing. And for my Cowboys, as I am writing this, they are demolishing the Giants that gave us so much trouble last season. All is right in the world of the pigskin.

I am definitely looking forward to next week. Looking at my giant calendar that I keep next to my desk, my week does not look overbearing at all. I feel that if I can keep all my goals/assignments written and visible, I can easily achieve them, or at least not feel too bogged down by due dates. Wish me the same luck as I wish you all for next week!

 

(Redemption:

YouTube)

Feedback Strategies

Last week, when talking about feedback I mostly stated that truth is the most important aspect when you are seeking to provide criticism to help others. However, I am also a firm believer that praise is an important part of feedback. Where criticism shows a person where they can improve, praise allows them to see where they are shining and provide a boost of confidence if needed. The issue, when providing feedback, is deciding how to balance out the two.

A common misconception about us millennials is that we are too expecting of praise. Older generations, and even some fellow people of our generation, believe that this expectancy is making us soft and our resulting work even worse. That is why it is important to only praise when it is deserved. In Maria Popova's article, Presence Not Praise: How to Cultivate a Health Relationship with Achievement, she quotes the mother of a Nobel prize-winner, who believes that praise is earned, and that unearned praised is irrelevant and does nothing for either party.

Marshall Goldsmith is also a firm believer of positive feedback. In his article, Try Feedforward Instead of Feedback, I especially loved that he emphasized that productivity can be improved with telling a person what they did right as opposed to proving to them what they did wrong. In my last article, I pointed out that honesty is very important when providing feedback, but only to a certain extent. There is a fine line between critiquing and chastising.

In the end, I stand by my previous belief that polite, but firm critique is necessary to develop good feedback, but after reading these articles, I now know that a reassuring gesture will go a long way just as well.

 

(A compliment goes a long way:

Me.me)

Hercules' 12 Deliveries: Topic Research

The more I think about it, and the fact that I am getting such positive feedback on the idea, I think my project for next week will be Hercules' 12 Deliveries, a parody on Hercules' 12 Labors. Since I am very confident that this will be my actual story, I was hoping that, instead of coming up with three stories, I could at least establish three of my deliveries. Last week, I went into a little detail here, but this week I am going to dive a little deeper. In one of my earlier posts, I mentioned how I liked the idea of writing in first-person so that we may see into the mind of Hercules as he is making these bizarre deliveries.

At this point, I only have a few issues with this topic. For one, I am not sure if I can come up with exactly 12 satirical takes on the original labors. As of now, I plan on coming up with 12 ideas, but only focus on my 3-5 best ideas. The rest, hopefully, I can mention in passing. That is not to say that I don't want to make them fun or ignore them to be lazy. I plan on making these tasks so astronomically hilarious that a mere mention of them will bring a chuckle to the reader. The other issue that I am facing is the fact that I don't need that many other sources. In the above link to one of my earlier posts, there lies a link to a site that does a good job of summarizing all of the 12 labors. Realistically,  I feel that it may be enough for the 12 labors at least (Anybody's input on what other sources I could use would be greatly appreciated!) However, other sources I plan on looking at are maybe old articles of the most bizarre/hilarious deliveries told by deliverymen/women. I am hoping, since this a fictitious piece of work, that I won't have to rely on scholarly articles or peer-reviewed articles that us college students are usually forced to rely on. I truly feel that these delivery stories will give me inspiration on some of the wackier stories. From the People's article, I hope to make my Hercules as non-nonchalant as these deliverymen/women when he is met with any type of weird situation.

(On a side note, I am also planning on changing Hercules' name into something a bit more modern. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!)
(Another side note, I found a site that contains a lot of useful information about Greek mythology:
Mr. P's Mythopedia)

Labor 1: Hercules' Lost Belt
After his latest delivery, Hercules is without a belt for his uniform's trousers. Ironically, one of his deliveries includes the request for a woman's belt. Since he is without money, he plans on stealing a belt from a nearby roller-rink. His only issue is that he has to get through a women's roller-derby team who are all angry from a recent lost. They do not enjoy the idea that they are being robbed by an awkward college-student.

Labor 2: Cerberi, The Three Dogs
His final delivery leads Hercules to a seemingly abandoned house. Walking inside, he is encountered by three angry guard dogs. Hercules has to use his wit to dodge the dogs until he is finally able to wrestle all three dogs into a makeshift collar.

Labor 3: The Buckling Bull
His latest delivery leads Hercules to the house of a professional wrestler, nicknamed The Minotaur. The Minotaur refuses to pay unless Hercules can beat him in a wrestling match. There's a large part of me that wants the match to end with Hercules hitting The Minotaur with a folding chair to get the money he is owed.

These are the three stories that I feel I could incorporate into my project. Let me know what you guys think! I am always open to suggestions and feedback!

 

(According to my story, Cerberus is actually 3 dogs!
Mr. P's Mythopedia)

Week 3 Story: The Lion Gums His In-Laws

Being married can be a real hassle, especially when you and your significant other don't even share the same species. That's right. I am a 500 pound lion married to a small, petite woman. I'm not going to even mention her weight or she'll try to kill me like her folks tried to when I asked her to marry me! You'll hear about that later!

I first met my future wife after accepting a challenge to wrestle this odd fellow named Hercules. He wanted to skin me and wear me like a coat! However, I am digressing. After the match, she approached me and introduced herself. She was obviously impressed at my ability to beat a demigod, so we began dating. After a few months of dating, I knew that she was the one, so I decided to propose. I asked her and her parents to meet me at a local restaurant so that I may ask for her hand. I knew that this would be extremely difficult since her parents didn't (and still don't) like me. When I got to the restaurant, I was met by her parents, both with disapproving scowls imprinted into their faces. Despite their hatred for me, I tried my best to clean up and impress them. Over the months while my wife and I were dating, her parents insisted on me filing down my teeth and claws. Since I loved her so much, I decided to do it to the point where my claws are nearly nonexistent and my mouth looks like that of a 2 month-old's.

After taking our seats at our table, I cleared my throat and mustered all of my might to ask them for their blessings. I decided to just come out and ask them before even getting our appetizers. I'm assuming I didn't get their blessings considering the fact that, after asking, her dad lunged towards me with a nearby steak knife while her mom started spraying me with mace as if it were a new cologne. Had I had my teeth, I probably would have mauled them both, but since all I had were my filed down teeth and bare paws, I mostly gummed on them until my future-wife was able to pull them both off. At the end of the dinner, I was maced and scratched up. Regardless, I still proposed and we decided to elope, sending pictures of our honeymoon to her parents as payback. A few years later, we had a couple of kids (imagine centaurs with manes) and are on visiting terms. Even so, they still try to kill me every visit. Every year, for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and her parents birthdays, we have to get dressed-up and visit. Where most Christmas dinners ends with the family arguing with each other, ours usually ends up with me maced and her parents covered in my saliva since I've lost all my teeth.

The moral of the story - at least how I, a lion stuck with in-laws who try to kill me all the time, interpret it - is to never get married.

Author's Notes: I thought I'd put a spin on Aesop's fable about the lion who tried to marry a woman. I'm not a fan of either endings (where either the lion is betrayed and laughed off or where it is killed) so I decided to make my story a bit more lighthearted. One aspect that I wanted to keep from both iterations of the story was the fact that the marriage between a lion and a young woman was totally normal.

(The Lion in Love:

Mozoho)

Bibliography: Aesop's Fables by Joseph Jacobs; The Lion in Love.

Reading Notes: Homer's Odyssey, Part B

Homer's Odyssey is one of my most favorite stories from Greek mythology, however, in every iteration that I've heard of this story it was always an abridged version. Most of these abridged versions have always shown the story from a third person perspective. That is why I enjoyed Kline's translation. We are given a first-person view of Odysseus' thoughts and sights. I feel that I can apply that to my storybook, since it is a fairly simple technique to incorporate into my writings. A first person perspective allows us to see the character pass all the attributes that others know him for. Odysseus was a renowned leader and warrior, feared and respected by many of the time. Watching how he reacts to and handles many of the monsters and situations he and his men are pitted against, this fame was earned. However, our interpretation is solely based on the situations' outcomes. Just off the top of my head, I remember reading his interaction with the cyclops. Before rereading the story, I knew that Odysseus confidently chided at the cyclops AFTER escaping from the cave. However, in the story, we see how Odysseus is actually frozen in terror as he and his ram crept pass the blinded monster. Naturally, we only focus what the outcome was, not what happened during the situation. 

 From a first person perspective, we get to see the human side of Odysseus. We are exposed to his terror while dealing with these otherworldly situations. As aforementioned, Odysseus was known for being a leader and warrior, but a severely underrated attribute of his was his ability to mask his fear. I believe that using a first-person writing style will undoubtedly add a deeper layer to your protagonist. Another great example of where the first person perspective really deepened Odysseus' character was his encounter with Charybdis. In this story, we see just how haunted and disturbed by the lost of his men to this terrible creature. Although I don't seek to make my story as dark as this, I hope to make my character as exposed as Odysseus was in this situation.

(Charybdis, in all his terror:

Mr. P's Mythopedia)

Bibliography: Homer's Odyssey, translated by Tony Kline. UN-Textbook.

Tech Tip: Canvas Calendar

Since Canvas' introduction a few years ago, I've actually been a huge fan of its calendar feature. My only gripe with it back then was the fact that not every professor was forced to use Canvas; but now, since Canvas is the standard site used by all professors, it allows us to track everything that we have due in one convenient place. This is actually the first and only calendar application I've ever used, and I am incredibly happy that it is easy to learn and use. For this class, I've marked all my work days and, at the beginning of every week, I manually create the due dates for my assignment so that I can at least acknowledge them. Overall, I enjoy this Canvas feature!

Reading Notes: Aesop's Fables: Lions (Part 1-2)

I've chosen to focus my notes on the first two readings due to the fact that they can be applied so heavily to one of my storybook topics that I've written about previously. In both parts of Aesop's Fables: Lions, the Lion is depicted in a different fashion than we are accustomed to (or at the very least, I am accustomed to). Lions are generally depicted as the fiercest, most feared animal of the wild, yet in a few of Aesop's stories, the Lion is seen in a different manner. As a matter of fact, the Lion is shown more as a victim in some of the stories. In Androcles and the Lion, the Lion is show to be a victim who is in need of saving from a small thorn. In another story, The Lion in Love, the Lion is depicted to be a victim of love, with two different narratives either ending in embarrassment or death. I really like this style of writing that gives us a different and unusual look into different characters that we already know. I've seen this style of writing in different comics, like where Superman is depicted as a scrawny, sheltered man instead of the muscular hero that we all know. I hope to write something similar into my storybook project, where Hercules transforms from one of the strongest, most revered demigods of all Greek/Roman mythology into a meek delivery boy with no real physical prowess. My goal is to create a character that is recognizable to the reader, yet make it so that this version of the character is far from being the character that we all know. The Lion being shown as vulnerable captures this unique style that I hope to be able to apply to my own story.

(The Lion in Love:

Myth-Folklore UN-Textbook)

Bibliography: Aesop's Fables by Joseph Jacobs; UN-Textbook link.

Famous Last Words: Already Drowning in Classes

Now finished with two weeks of classes, I feel that I can reasonably gauge how I feel about my classes, this one including. For this class, I feel great! I'm enjoying the assignments and the fact that I can take an hour or two to forget about my computer and math courses and focus on blogging. Unfortunately, I am already feeling overwhelmed by my other classes. It's already to the point that I am afraid that one or two of my other classes will prevent me from doing my best work for the rest of my classes. I am hoping that as the school year progresses, I can find a rhythm to do all my work and not feel so bogged down by everything.

As for outside of school, football season has recently started and I couldn't be happier. I'm hoping that I can scavenge a spare ticket to one of the home games we'll be having this season and scratch "attending an OU football game" off my college bucket list. Other than that, I am hoping that my love for football will not interfere with my studies and my social life. As for social life, I really need to start doing things again. Since the semester started, I told myself that I wanted to settle all my classes first before I go and have fun. Now that we're done with the first two weeks, I look forward to start going to the gym to play basketball or going out to be with friends.

Honestly, when it comes to thinking about next week or the future, I don't want to do that. I feel that I stress too much about meeting deadlines that I end up hindering my work more than better it. Despite this, I still hope to stay on track and not get behind on any of my work for next week.

(The caption speaks for itself, I feel:

Me.Me)

Feedback Thoughts

Being critiqued is always painful. It cannot be helped, when you think about it. You are lowering your defenses to allow an outside force to pick apart your work, whether for better or worse. Criticism, for some, is easier to take than others. I certainly fall under the latter. Coming out of high school, I was a perfectionist. I came to college with this closed mindset. Looking back, I do not know if it was due to egoism or low self esteem. I either thought that those who critiqued me knew nothing about anything, or I was too afraid to have somebody tell me that my work was anything less than perfect. I quickly learned that, in order to succeed and to improve in my studies, I had to learn how to accept constructive criticism. 

In the "Eight things students should do when they make a mistake" article, number four of the list states that we should learn from our mistakes and to better ourselves from it. I am a firm believer in the old adage of, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," and also believe that others should take it to heart. It encourages people to be unafraid of at least trying and that failure isn't the worse thing in the world.

Another thing that kept me from accepting criticism in the beginning of my college career was the sense of inferiority that I felt alongside many of my peers. I couldn't help but compare myself to the smartest people in my classes. In "The Psychology of Comparison and How to Stop", it tells us to exactly not to do that. The article talks about how, through human nature, we are all born to be competitive, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, once it begins to affect ones self-esteem, it becomes an unhealthy obsession. One saying that truly stood out to me in the article was "Don't Worry, You're Human." It teaches us that the only person that you should try to outshine everyday is yourself. 

(How I use to take any form of criticism:

Imgur)

Topic Brainstorm

I have boiled down my selection of topics for my storybook.

Hercules' 12 Deliveries:
I am a huge fan of Greek/Roman mythology, so retelling the story of Hercules' 12 labors can be fun. Admittedly, I got this idea from my roommate when he jokingly said this. Instead of a man seeking redemption through 12 painstakingly difficult tasks, we would be following an average delivery boy through 12 of his not-so-average deliveries. Take, for example, his task of dealing with Cerberus, Hades' guard-dog to the underworld. In my retelling, the delivery boy would be forced to have to make a delivery to a house guarded by three, unchained dogs. Another aspect of the story that I can change up is, where Hercules was known for using his strength in the trials, the delivery boy could instead rely on wit and intelligence. I found a site by Tufts University that summarizes the 12 Labors, which I can refer back to if I need to brush up on the labors.

The Trojan Feud:
Continuing with the topic of Greek mythology, I feel that the Trojan War can be easily parodied (especially the reason why it started). In the original version of the myth, the war was  started by the abduction of a Spartan Queen by Prince Paris of Troy, my retelling could be set in modern times where a man accidentally kidnaps a person, ensuing a family feud that could be extremely funny. I could then incorporate the story of the Trojan Horse, where instead of ending with a bloodbath, I can make it where the man simply wants to get into the victim's house to merely apologize. I would use this site for a basic summarization of the entire war.

The Rift Between the Brother and Sister
This story would be be a retelling of the Chinese myth known as "Why Dog and Cat are Enemies"; but, instead of a cat and dog having animosity against each other, the characters would be brothers and sisters. The original myth has the two animals becoming mortal enemies due to the cat being fortunate enough to return home before the dog with an item the owners desperately needed, despite the dog having helped the cat in the first place. My retelling of the story could replace the animals with brothers, sisters, or both. We all know the story of how either the youngest or the oldest of the siblings always receives the most love from parents, and I feel that I can use this theme since it is so similar to that of the original myth's (envy). I would use the UN-Textbook for any information needed.

Solomon's Long Week
This story would be an in depth tale about Solomon Grundy. Where the original nursery rhyme is only 10 lines, I feel that it would be a fun challenge to create a backstory for Grundy. How does he become sick? How does a 3 day-old person get married? I believe I can write a story where, instead of being born on a Monday, he could be doing something relating to life on that Monday (giving birth, saving a life, etc.). I feel that there are endless ways to expand on this story. Solomon Grundy is a minor villain in the Batman comics, and I can maybe create a story of Batman trying to put together Solomon Grundy's origins! Fortunately for this story, the only real resource needed is the original rhyme itself. The rest I can make up on my own. (Hopefully)

(Hercules is just trying to deliver some pizza:

Mythical Realm)