Learning Challenge: Reading Out Loud

(Reading.  --  Nahh)
Source: Flickr

This week I chose to do the Learning by H.E.A.R.T. reading out loud challenge. I definitely never read out loud (I only recently started in my posts to help proofread), so it made me interested to see how it actually could affect my reading.

At first, it seemed really weird hearing myself talk constantly for the duration of my reading, but then I adapted. That was when I started to tell a difference in the reading experience. I'm not going to lie and say it was a 180 degree switch from my usual reading, but I did notice minute details that seemed to benefit my learning. When reading my own material aloud, I picked up on more errors that I wouldn't have known existed, if not for hearing it out loud. Also, it seemed as though I retained more information when reading other material aloud. That may be due to the fact that I normally only think about the words, but when reading out loud, I hear the words while I also think about what is happening. It isn't completely different, but I do enjoy doing it when I can. I won't be able to do it often (due to library/roommate etiquette), but I do think it benefits me when I seize the opportunities as they arise.

Week 3 Story Planning: The BFC (Big Friendly Cyclops)

"I thought the cyclops might be somewhat friendly, but it seems as though he trapped them to eat overtime. I may try portraying the giant in a friendly manner, just to switch up the story line. All of the stories I've heard concerning the cyclops make him the enemy. Teaming up with the cyclops could be a nice twist to my story." -Reading Notes Part A

"I plan to use the Cyclops, Circe, Odysseus, the crew, and a made up crew member (a woman) in my story. I think dialogue between the Cyclops and Odysseus will be important to form a friendship. Also dialogue between Circe and my new crew member (the narrator) will also play a pivotal role in the story." -Reading Notes, Part B

I would like to blend a few parts of the entire story together because I don't have enough room to write a section about each character. I also think it would be cool to have the characters set apart in the original actually interact with each other. The characters I would focus on combining would be the Cyclops and Circe. In the original reading, Odysseus encounters Polyphemus (the Cyclops), who is an enemy. He ultimately defeats Polyphemus and then moves on to conquer Circe. I would like to twist the story in a way that makes the Cyclops a trusted ally against Circe. Maybe have some preexisting conflict between Polyphemus and Circe that Odysseus helps resolve.

(Metabus with Camilla  --  Jean-Balptiste Peytavin)
Source: Wikimedia Commons

The original was told from Odysseus' perspective. Throughout the story he is very confident/cocky about his abilities (which suits him). Instead of using his point of view, I would like to introduce a female crew member who would narrate the story from her perspective. I think it would be kinda funny to have her be the main protagonist in the end. To do so, I would resolve the conflict with her taking down Circe because she is a woman (Circe's power has no influence over her). Odysseus would then have to come to terms with being more of a side kick figure.

The main protagonist, Camilla, would be a tall, brown haired woman. She would start off as a shyer character, not sure of her ability. Eventually she would find out from the Greek goddess Diana, that she will be a great warrior in the future and is daughter of Metabus (source: Britannica). My inspiration of her character comes from Camilla in other mythological stories. As in many stories, I would have dialogue between Diana and Camilla to portray what is to come from Camilla's future. I like the foreshadowing effects that I've read in other stories, so I would like to try to write similarly to that style in that part. The original story kept the crew members in the background of the story (short end of the stick as far as story life comes), so having Camilla really explode onto the story scene and solve the conflict would be a great twist to my story.

Bibliography:  Homer's Odyssey, Tony Kline

Reading Notes: Homer's Odyssey, Part B

• Odysseus' sacrificial ritual was quite in depth. I like the dialogue between Odysseus and the ghosts. The tone within the dialogue adds to the moods and manner by which they are speaking. It definitely makes me feel sorry for Elpenor because he was young. Hopefully Odysseus remembers to do all of what he asked. The fore warnings of what is to come are present again. Writing in that style sort of lays groundwork for the rest of the story. You know what the characters should and shouldn't do, so while reading, you fill in the plot with information about how they get to those decisions and ultimately what decision they make (I'm surprised Odysseus doesn't have to write some of the tasks down. He is given a lot to remember).
• All of the dialogue gives great insight and backbone to the story. Although my story will be shorter, I would like to have meaningful dialogue between the characters. It really adds to the story in totality. 
• In this story, there may be a few too many introductions of the famous women's ghosts. They may be needed but as of now they are getting harder and harder to remember. I would leave out so many introductions into my story because I definitely wouldn't have enough room for that.



(Scilla e Cariddi  --  Dave & Margie Hill)
Wikimedia Commons

• The second reading will mostly help me with my story in the dialogue areas. I need to make sure that with whatever dialogue I have, it truly adds to my overall story structure. I don't want to jot down empty filler words into the reading. I plan to use the Cyclops, Circe, Odysseus, the crew, and a made up crew member (a woman) in my story. I think dialogue between the Cyclops and Odysseus will be important to form a friendship. Also dialogue between Circe and my new crew member (the narrator) will also play a pivotal role in the story.

Bibliography:  Homer's Odyssey, Tony Kline

Famous Last Words: Innovative Note Taking

(Boy studying  --  Lewis Hine)
Wikimedia Commons

Reading this week was very different than any I had done before. Well it actually was the note taking within the reading. Usually when I read, I focus on the plot sequence for the most part to get a grasp of the story. Then I hone in on the details that add to the story. In this situation, I had to stop myself from taking notes about the story's makeup of events, which was extremely unusual at first. I did enjoy the readings during the week, but I had to become accustomed to a new style of notes. I felt as though I was randomly making comments on things I liked versus didn't like (exactly what I did). After finishing the reading and writing my own story, I think I will be able to improve my note taking in the future. In the first week, I didn't read with my story in mind. Now that I've started week 3 reading, I am keeping what kind of story I want to write in the back of my mind as I go along. Then I jot down notes about details I like that will help my story grow where it needs.

I was impressed by the writing skill and creativity this week by my fellow classmates. I did both the blog comment assignments (usual and extra credit), so I was exposed to a lot of different material. It's great seeing how they take the original story and transform it into their own. I also did a tech tip on how to customize our canvas page. After choosing all of my options, I liked looking at other students customized pages to see how they differed from mine.

I have started week 3 assignments, so my main goal would be to get at least a week ahead in the next week, but I also have smaller goals. One of those being improving my writing and storytelling. I felt pretty uncomfortable with my first storytelling experience, but now I can tell that I am becoming more accustomed to do so. I haven't hit great strides of advancement with my writing technique, but there is a lot of room to improve so hopefully over the course of the semester that will come.

Reading Notes: Homer's Odyssey, Part A

• The indication of the importance of the wine seems somewhat vague. Hopefully there will be more of a backstory to that. The setting is depicted well at the beginning of the story. I don't know how much space I will have to do the same in mine, but I hope mine is similar (but a little shorter). I would like to tell the story from the point of view of one of Odysseus' crew. 

• Wine is noted again. I thought the cyclops might be somewhat friendly, but it seems as though he trapped them to eat overtime. I may try portraying the giant in a friendly manner, just to switch up the story line. All of the stories I've heard concerning the cyclops make him the enemy. Teaming up with the cyclops could be a nice twist to my story.

(CYCLOPS  --  Daniel Ferencak)
Source: Flickr

• The detail involved within the storytelling is great. It really helps me image what is going on in the gave. Although my story will be much shorter, I would like to use detail like Kline did.

• Deceiving the cyclops with his false name, "Nobody" was clever. I didn't see that coming when he first said that. Odysseus was almost too cocky when he left the cyclops' island. By mocking Polyphemus with his chants, the cyclops was close to wiping out their ship. I do like him portrayed in that manner though.

• The description of the food and drink in the story is great. I can see how Odysseus' crew were tempted by Crice's food (drugged). It made me hungry just by reading! Odysseus believes he should go save his crew even beyond Eurylochus' warning. Up to this point Odysseus is proving to think quite highly of his ability (a step above everyone else). It fits him well throughout the story though. I would like to keep this trait when writing my story.

• There are many prophecies throughout the stories. It is interesting to see how they pan out when you know something will happen (just not how it will happen). 

Bibliography:  Homer's Odyssey, Tony Kline

Learning Challenge: Gratitude

(Gratitude  --  klhug)
Source: Flickr

I watched the video The Amazing Effects of Gratitude. As said in the video, gratitude can be defined as "The quality or condition of being thankful; the appreciation of an inclination to return kindness." I was surprised by all of the studies involved with gratitude and gratefulness in the video. Before, I thought of gratitude as a simple feeling of happiness when someone did something nice for me. In a way that's what it is, but it's also a lot more complicated than that. I couldn't believe the study about keeping a gratefulness journal and how it correlates with an increase in happiness (it even helped people with heart disease). I am going to try out the grateful technique for the next week to see if it works for me!

Tech Tip: Blog Profile

I decided to remove my profile from my post (because I didn't have any information filled in), but I kept my name when I publish. It's interesting to see how many different things you can do to configure a profile both on our blogs and on canvas. I'm not too creative when it comes to things like that, but I like seeing how other people do theirs. It is a great way to show some of your personality right from the get go.

Tech Tip: Canvas Profile Picture

I updated my picture on my canvas profile to abstract art from Gravatar. It automatically chose the orange diamonds, but I thought it was pretty neat so I kept it. I usually go by Logan anyways, so I didn't need to change that. Although only changed one thing, knowing how to change all of the other stuff will be great to know in the future.

Feedback Thoughts

Receiving Feedback
Five Tips for Taking Feedback Like a Champ

The first tip about feeling uncomfortable reminded me of the growth mindset. We talked about uncomfortable situations as good for growth as a person, so if feedback makes you somewhat uncomfortable, it can be beneficial. The third tip is important to me about how you reflect feedback on yourself. The article discusses that bad feedback does not actually mean you are a bad person. These are just areas to improve to become an even better person. Sometimes I may fall into the category of assuming I have qualities of a bad person when I receive negative feedback.

Why Rejection Hurts so Much - and What to Do About It
I was able to relate this article a little bit to the third tip in the article above about hurting yourself with feedback. We tend to receive negative feedback, which turns into a sort of snowball effect of criticizing yourself. I do this sometimes when getting feedback. Once I see one thing is wrong, it makes me think of all the other things I could also be doing poorly. I need to be able to look at ways to improve the feedback, rather than other ways I am wrong.

(FEEDBACK  --  Karl Horton)
Source: Flickr

Giving Feedback
7 Key Characteristics of Better Learning Feedback
A great tip in this article is the 4th characteristic of good feedback. It should be "user friendly" or easy to understand. I know when taking feedback, I don't want to confuse the criticism with something that isn't meant to be said. Giving simple, actionable feedback makes it easier on the recipient to improve their qualities.

Try Feedforward Instead of Feedback
By and far this was my favorite article. It really put the entirety of both receiving and giving feedback into perspective for me. It is important to know that the criticism you get back is from past events. These events can't be changed. You can't focus solely on the past, but rather learn from it and then look to the future to improve.

Week 2 Storytelling: Greek Invasion

The sun rose up over the ocean as the horns blew in unison. Achilles arose from his sleep, which seemed like a restless night given the urgency of the day. The Greeks would be bringing the battle against the Trojans, led by the great warrior Achilles.

Many doubted Achilles’ ability when compared to Hector, the greatest prince of Troy, even though the Greek hero was one of the most skilled warriors known to man. The only person who truly believed in Achilles was Patroclus, Achilles’ best ally and friend.

Achilles suited up with his armor and grabbed his bow, as he was about to set out to find his friend.

“Achilles!” Patroclus called. “How was your rest last nightfall? Great adversaries await us within the Trojan walls. Hopefully you are ready.”

“Ah, Patroclus, as usual you jump straight into conversation about war.” Achilles exhaled. “When will you greet me one morning with talk of peaceful things, such as the weather or food?”

Patroclus shrugged. “There will be plenty more mornings to discuss those trivial matters, but the day is too grand for that now. Let us go gather the cavalry. We have a city to conquer!”

Achilles followed Patroclus out of his tent with the prayer that Patroclus' optimism in battle would prove true.

(Zeus, Nike, and Athena  --  Jennifer Leung)
Source: Flickr

Zeus and Athena watched over the battlefield as the war transpired. Athena looked over to Zeus, knowing that he would be yearning to intervene in the battle as he usually did.

“Athena, you know I cannot let Achilles beat Hector,” Zeus said.

“No, you must not intervene with this war. Let what is meant to be, be,” begged Athena.

“Fine. Hector is too fierce an opponent for Achilles to overcome. Surely, the Trojans will win the battle.”

 ⏩

Many hours passed as the war waged on. The once golden sand on the battlefield was now red, covered in both Greek and Trojan blood. All around were bodies of fallen soldiers with arrows and spears protruding from their bodies. Many of which were not yet dead, but lying and waiting for the darkness to take them. Surrounded by the sounds of pain from injured soldiers and grief from the comrades who watched their closest allies perish.

Wikimedia Commons

Finally, as Achilles neared the Trojan walls, he met eyes with Hector. He checked his quiver to make sure he had arrows left and gripped his bow fiercely, ready to find out what fate would bring.

Although many other skirmishes were going on within the war, everyone began to slow their actions, looking in awe upon the two great warriors. Soldiers from all around cleared the area around Achilles and Hector.

Patroclus stepped up behind Achilles, ready to help him take Hector down.

“No, Patroclus, I must do this on my own. If I am to perish today, I will do so with respect on the battlefield.” Achilles motioned Patroclus to stand back.

Time stood still while every eye looked on anxiously awaiting the first strike.

Hector brought up his shield in anticipation of Achilles' arrow and was just quick enough, as the golden arrowhead met the middle of the shield. Hector knew he needed to get closer to Achilles to gain the advantage.

Achilles fired relentlessly as Hector dashed left and right, hoping to catch a piece of his skin. 

Hector reached his intended destination at the foot of Achilles, seemingly unscathed. Achilles switched his strategy to defend against his opponent's quick strikes. Hector was bearing down on Achilles, within seconds of defeating him, but then his left leg gave out as he planted to swing his sword for the finishing blow. Hector crashed to the ground with shock covering his face.

As he looked down to find what could have caused his downfall, he said, "What have you done to me? No one man can defeat me in battle."

(Achilles  --  floratheexplora)
Source: Flickr

Every soldier looked to Hector's ankle to see the arrow protruding through his Achilles tendon.

"You were a great adversary, Hector, but you underestimated my abilities," Achilles stated.

As he finished his sentence, Hector struck out at Achilles with his sword in his final attempt to win the fight. Achilles was too quick and dodged the blow while thrusting an arrow into Hector's stomach.

Achilles had done the seemingly impossible by killing Hector. Both the Trojan and Greek warriors were shocked by what had happened. All except Patroclus, who smiled, knowing all along his friend was worthy of more respect.

The war was all but over at that point. With their leading general killed, the Trojans felt no need to fight longer, for they would lose either way.


Later that night, as Achilles lay in his tent, Patroclus entered ready to feast and drink with the hero.

Knowing what Patroclus was about to ask, Achilles put his hand up and said, "Not tonight, my friend, we will feast tomorrow, but tonight I rest."

Patroclus did not bother arguing and turned to walk out.

While shifting out of the tent Patroclus murmured, "I will wake you in the morning, with talk of the weather."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Note: Because the story was quite long, I focused more on the main feud between Achilles and Hector. Since it was such a pivotal moment in the actual reading, I decided that I wanted to surround that concept with my own tweaks. In the original story, Hector was made to be the underdog against Achilles. I wanted to reverse that just to make it as though Hector were the better fighter. I thought the original story was predictable in the way Homer had the better fighter win (not that mine was so unpredictable). Homer also let the gods intervene in the battles more than I had expected, so I wanted to alter that. Hermes and Athena were both influential in the deaths of Patroclus and Hector in the original. Athene deceived Hector by making him think he had his brother to fight with him. Hermes flipped Patroclus' chariot when he was on a killing spree in the battlefield. Without the gods interfering, it would show a true test between the warriors. Although I kept the same overall concept with who won the fight, I changed the sequence of the fight, especially with the way Hector died. Homer just had Achilles kill him without specifying a particular body part. Usually, Achilles' weakness is his Achilles heel, but I decided to make that strength for him in the fight. In the original story, Achilles drug Hector's body around after he killed him. I wanted Achilles' to be more merciful, so I cut that out of my story. In the original, the warriors continue the fight even after Hector dies, but I wanted to change it because it was so morally demoralizing for them to see their greatest fighter die. The images I chose were to help the reader imagine the views of the gods talking, and also the sight on the battlefield.

Bibliography: Homer's Iliad retold by A. J. Church

Reading Notes: Homer's Iliad, Part B

The Rousing of Achilles

• The warriors are very concerned with retrieveing the bodies of their fallen comrades. It's interesting that they take that as such a sign of  disrespect to not give the bodies back. Understandable though. Both sides tried to take the other's warrior with Patroclus and Sarpedon.
• Hector was daring to defy Zeus and put on Achilles' armor. That may be his downfall.
• A large breakout of fighting occurred only over the body of Patroclus. I like the detail of the horses crying due to Patroclus' death. Gives them a good sense of loyalty.

(Achilles Slays Hector  --  Rubens)
Wikipedia

The Slaying of Hector

• Apollo loves mischief most of all of the gods. Epic battle between Achilles and Hector awaits. Hector is truly brave to stand up to Achilles, despite so many people discouraging him to do so. My not taking is sounding somewhat like the reading as I go further into it. Achilles seems to be a demigod, similar to a character such as Hercules (super speed). Zeus likes Hector as well, which creates tension between whom he will pick to win the fight.
• Athene tricked Hector by making it appear as though his brother was there? Achilles seems to be invincible with the help of the gods. Descriptions of the fighting (speed) are great for the imagery and epicness of the battle between Hector and Achilles.
• Achilles was savage with Hector's body. He showed no mercy at all. I don't know if I would have written it that way for Achilles to be so disrespectful.

The Ransoming of Hector

• I feel bad for King Priam and his family. For him to go beg to the man who had defeated his son is horrific. Achilles is truly vengeful for the death of Patroclus. It is resulting in him acting quite differently than I anticipated him to. Maybe if Hector had respected Patroclus' death more, Achilles would have done the same after killing Hector.

Bibliography: Homer's Iliad retold by A. J. Church

Reading Notes: Homer's Iliad, Part A

How the War with Troy Began

• The writing style seems very appropriate for the stories being told. It helps me insert myself deeper into the story while reading. Helen seems to be indecisive when it comes to picking a partner. It seems as though she may have been taken by Priam, but she may have chosen to go with him.

The Quarrel

• So far, I like Achilles. He seems to want what is truly right in the situation, rather than the “spoils” as does King Agamemnon. Achilles has long yellow hair and a rage justice. Achilles is courageous to stand up against King Agamemnon even though the king has so much power.

What Thetis Did for Her Son

(Thetis Consoling Achilles)
Wikipedia Commons

• I am surprised Zeus was so willing to help Thetis and Achilles against the Greeks, so King Agamemnon will regret treating Achilles as he did. Zeus must really like Thetis, which does not make Hera very happy. The tension was released by a crippled god whom the other gods found amusing. They have terrible humor to laugh at him just because he was breathing heavily. The use of a dream to manipulate the mind of King Agamemnon was a creative thought. Zeus used Agamemnon’s faith in Nestor against him, which was quite deceitful.

Hector and Andromache

• Paris admitted to being a coward with the battle at hand. Hector is becoming one of my favorites as well. He is very courageous (almost to a fault). He fights in her name, so that she can be proud of who he is when people talk of his triumphs. Hector is a strong believer is fate.

The Embassy to Achilles

• Achilles decided that fame was not as important as life. Maybe I would let Achilles go help Hector because I like both of the characters as opposed to pitting them against one another.

Deeds and Death of Patroclus

• They mention that Achilles has a spear, which non but him can wield, but I think it would be better as a sword or bow. Patroclus wants to pose as Achilles and then he killed Sarpedon (one of their bravest warriors). Patroclus let the power go to his head, which ultimately became his downfall. Apollo intervenes in the war a lot more than I would have expected.

Bibliography: Homer's Iliad retold by A. J. Church

Week 1 Review: Beeeeeez

(Bee  --  Jim Smart)
Source: Flickr

My favorite announcement from this week was the Words of Wisdom post. When I first read the English proverb, I took some time to reflect and figure what it meant to me. Truthfully, I couldn't think of a meaning to learn from. After reading Dr. Gibbs' metaphor analysis, I came to appreciate the picture and proverb more. It's amazing to think of the seemingly limitless amounts of information at our disposal, which we can build upon everyday. This proverb got me thinking even more about the growth mindset, and why we need to realize our potential.

Famous Last Words: And So It Begins

Note to Self:

(writer's block-Jerry Seinfeld  --  the writing reader)
Source: Flickr

This week I would consider some of my best writing to be my introduction post. I wouldn't say that the writing quality was eloquent or that my vocabulary was top notch, but I was able to write freely and creatively. Usually when I write, I hit many road blocks where I can't think of what I should put down next. Throughout the writing process I get discouraged by these stopping points and begin to think about the word count, hoping that I will be able to scrape words together in a somewhat logical sequence. When writing an introduction about myself, as self-centered as it may sound, I did not have that issue. Now, it may be due to my knowledge of self, so I didn't have to do much thinking, but I was really able to have fun with the flow of writing. I usually don't take the time to talk much about myself when meeting people, but with this assignment I felt as though I dipped further into my hobbies, which was a fun experience. Also, choosing appropriate photos to insert into my blog post was a nice challenge to really put a picture to my words. I hope that my future writings can be even more enjoyable.

I don't feel as though my other classes have really started even though we have had a few meetings. Maybe that is because I am used to spending a lot of time for this class, but I am sure the workload reality will hit me like a sledgehammer soon enough. Considering that my other courses are mostly based on numbers and formulas, sadly I may not be able to utilize my new blogging and writing techniques in them. On the bright side, after spending so much of my time working with numbers, it will be refreshing to read and write about various topics that I choose in this class. One of my weaknesses would have to be writing, especially when trying out different styles, so I hope to improve in that area throughout this course.

My goals for Week 2 in this course are to be started on the Week 3 and 4 assignments. It is definitely going to be a stretch, but now is the best time to take on a great deal of work because my other classes are just starting to turn their wheels. For my other classes, I hope to be able to use some of the time management tips discussed in our Week 1 blogs to better plan my work in the future. This semester seems like it will be time consuming, but who knows, maybe I'll be reading this at the end of the semester wishing that I could do it all over again... that may be pushing it.

The Reality of the Growth Mindset

Before reading the video transcripts of Carol Dweck, I hadn't ever heard of the term "Growth Mindset" or even of Carol herself. After reading about this topic, it made me realize how today's generation is being prepared for instant results and gratification. People search for instant validation to their work to make sure they are doing the right things.

(BRAINS!  --  Steve)
Source: Flickr

One of the best examples I can think of would be with working out/dieting. Many individuals trying to get into better shape are always on the lookout for shortcuts to working out and to the overall results they want to achieve. The hard truth is that it doesn't come easily or quickly. The people who are able to take this Growth Mindset perspective will be better prepared for the long run results because they realize their potential to improve. As Dweck said in her "Make Challenge the New Comfort Zone" video, "I want "challenge" to be the new comfort zone, not "easy" being the comfort zone." Working out can be very challenging, so the people who can only handle easy (comfortable) situations may not achieve the results they set out to reach.

One of my biggest faults when it comes to this topic would be aiming to get certain grades in my classes. I focus solely on what I need to do to get the grades most of the time, rather than truly trying to learn the material and letting the grades come after that. Hopefully, learning more about Growth Mindset will help me realize my potential for the future as opposed to what I can get tomorrow. Overall, that mindset could help me utilize my time better and could even aid me in correcting my problems with time management discussed in my last post.

Time Strategies

11 Ways Unsuccessful People Mismanage Their Time
Instead of reading the articles about what I should be doing with my time, I decided to read one that discussed things I could be doing wrong. While reading each of the 11 ways, I compared my time management methods to see if I had any of these bad habits. Sadly, I do.

(time  --  Sean MacEntee)
Source: Flickr

• The first thing I need to do better is utilize my time on the weekends. Rather than think of them as "off" days, I can use the open hours on Saturday and Sunday to get ahead in my work coming up for that week.
• The second thing I do is wrong is juggle too many assignments and activities. The main reason I have issues with this, results from my estimation of the time it will take to do certain assignments. Sometimes I believe something will be quick and easy (wrong) and other times I plan too much time for something that can be easily completed. With more scheduling experience, I can get better at estimating the time needed to complete both crucial and trivial tasks.

Reading Options

Homer's Iliad

(Poor Dog, Sioux  --  Boston Public Library)
Source: Flickr

This reading is based on a poem about a fight between Achilles and Hector in the Trojan War. Reading A contains 11 pages and Reading B is 7 pages long. I have heard of stories about the Trojan War (with the famous/infamous Trojan Horse), but after reading about this, I realized it was not about that. Hopefully I will be able to learn new information regarding the Trojan War because this seems to delve further into Trojan War detail than I have examined before.

Sioux Legends
The legends in this reading are about the Sioux people. I am interested in the writing style within the reading because it gives points of view from two different women, so that may change the language within the stories. I do not know anything about the Sioux people, but from this reading I hope to learn more about the legends of trickery along with the life of these people. Reading A and B are both 9 pages long.

Alice in Wonderland
Growing up, I heard stories and watched the movies about Alice in Wonderland. This reading contains many of the stories from the original novel, but the style of writing may be different than I am used to. It  contains poems and is written in a prose style. I am anxious to see how my reading/note taking will be affected by the style. Reading A is 9 pages long and Reading B is 10 pages long.

Storybook Favorites

Andrea's Storybook: Weather Gods
The title of this storybook immediately caught my attention towards the top of the mythology list. I definitely wouldn't consider this to be something that I have much knowledge about, which is part of the reason it intrigued me. In the introduction, Andrea explains how she wants to travel to numerous specific times to visit different weather gods. My curiosity expanded as I read through the introduction and it actually did make me want to know the questions and answers she asked the different gods. The image and font added to the ambiance of the page because they are colorful, which is something I think of with space/time travel (bright colorful lights). The different tabs for each god she visited were helpful because they helped organize the information. I would like to use similar tabs in my project, so it is easy to navigate when the time comes.

The Adventures of Thor and Asgard

(Thor  --  Source: The Mighty Thor)

I have always enjoyed stories and movies about Thor, so when I saw this title, I had to read about it. The title is slightly misleading because the introduction is narrated from a Frost-giant's point of view. I originally thought it would be from Thor's point of view, but the stories are related to Thor and Asgard. After finishing the introduction, I felt inclined to read more about the stories from the journal. I do enjoy the fact that the narration came from a different point of view that hasn't been covered much from what I've seen. It is creative to give the side of someone who lives outside of Asgard looking in. The design layout is somewhat simplistic, but well organized and easy to navigate. 

Remember the Alamo
I learned a lot about the Alamo in grade school growing up in Texas. I only remembered broad details, so when I saw this title, I became interested in renewing old memories. "Remember the Alamo" is a great title for this project because it is truly the topic. I enjoyed the navigation of the site and the presentation of the introduction. It is told from Sam Houston's point of view and the writer truly went into character, which made it even more fun to read. I would like to really get into character when I do my project because by reading "Remember the Alamo", it seemed more interactive with the accent in the writing. Overall, I would say that the introduction did make me want to recount the memories of major role characters in the Alamo.

Introduction to the Accountant (Tech Tip: Embedded in Youtube)

The Accountant Official Trailer #1 (2016) - Ben Affleck Movie HD

Hey everyone,

My name is Logan Lambert (as you can probably tell from my blog) and I am a junior, accounting major at OU. I don't know if there is one particular exciting thing about my major (most people would say none), but for some reason it is enjoyable to me. I've been fortunate with my accounting professors thus far and hope that streak will continue! A few of my hobbies include golfing, working out, fishing, various other sports (basically anything outside), reading, and hanging out with friends/family. I played golf throughout high school and was lucky enough to find the golf club at OU, which I decided to join. Golf is also how I met my current roommate who is on the actual OU Golf Team. The reason I enjoy working out and being outdoors is because it is a huge stress reliever for me. Whether it is running in the morning or relaxing outside on campus, I love to take those leisure times throughout the week.

A newfound hobby of mine would also have to be cooking. After being in college for a few years, I have had to learn how to fend for myself when it comes to eating. Now that I am accustomed to doing so, it is a challenge to me to see if I can make acceptable food on a college budget. I try to expand out of the box, but mostly stick with what I know such as chicken or shrimp (not quite Bobby Flay standards).

(Fail.  --  Allen Lee)
Source: Flickr

This past summer I was introduced to a series of books called The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. It quickly became my favorite series as I tore through them in my spare time (all day). They may not be for everybody, but I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a new series to start. As far as music goes, I basically listen to anything under the sun. I love to use Spotify to search for less popular music to see if I can find songs that are somewhat diamonds in the rough. Along with the music I listen to, I try to learn some of the songs on guitar. I wouldn't say I am very good, but when I'm actually able to play a song and someone else guess what it is, I feel a great sense of accomplishment.

(kpmg  --  Line Orstavik)
Source: Flickr

My biggest accomplishment last semester would have to do with an internship with KPMG (accounting firm). I was extremely ecstatic to receive an offer from them, but it was also a great accomplishment for me because it forced me outside of my comfort zone. I had to attend receptions, interviews, dinners and things of that sort in order for the firm to make their decision. I hadn't ever been exposed to such situations before, so it took a great deal of learning and accepting (the stress) for me to become comfortable. Although I'm not perfectly relaxed in those types of situations, it taught me a lot, which is a big reason as to why I would consider it a top accomplishment from last semester.

Hopefully this semester will bring even bigger and better accomplishments!

Week 1 Story: The Three Wise of Different Size

"Three wise men of Gotham,

Went to sea in a bowl:

And if the bowl had been stronger,

My song would have been longer."

Once there were three men that decided to take an adventure away from Gotham Island. These three men were brothers who ranged in all different sizes. The youngest, Bruce, was of average height and weight. Wayne, the middle brother, was just a little heavier than Bruce. The eldest brother, Alfred, was much heavier than either Bruce or Wayne.

Each brother believed himself to be very wise, so they made a plan to leave Gotham in search of a town where they could put their talents to use.

The brothers devised a plan to travel by water to find a new home.
It took them hours of discussion to try to find the right place to move.

"I've heard of grand cities towards the south, so I think we should begin in that direction." said Bruce.

(Honolulu, Hawaii  --  Roxanne Ready)
Source: Flickr

"No!" exclaimed Wayne, "We need to make our way north. I know of a place, Dent Town, where the citizens are naive. Our superior intellect will surely have us dictating the town in a meager amount of time."

Alfred pondered the options they had presented but finally declared,

"I am the oldest and wisest here, so I will have the final say on the matter. We are going to sail east to the uncharted islands of Razagul."

Finally, the three brothers had agreed and chose to set out in the morning.
As dawn broke the next day, the brothers headed to the docks of Gotham and purchased a small boat.
Bruce, the smallest boarded the boat with ease. Next, Wayne hopped in, which further stressed the bearings as the boat pressed further into the water. The largest brother climbed in the vessel, causing it to let out sounds of creaking and uneasiness in the wood. Despite the sure signs of weakness in the boat's make up, the brothers set out on their adventure.

(The Three ages of man…  --  rawdonfox)
Source: Flickr

Two days into the journey, the boat reached its breaking point.

The brothers had spent too much time arguing about the destination and not enough time on the effectiveness of their traveling methods.

The boat quickly filled with water as the brothers began to teeter-totter and were never heard from again. -END

"Three wise men of Gotham,

Went to sea in a bowl:

And if the bowl had been stronger,

My song would have been longer."

Author's Note: The inspiration for my story came from Batman (because of "Gotham") and a children's story, Goldilocks. I described each character in a similar fashion as Goldilocks tried the different things in that story, by increasing the size of each character. I also named the various characters and places to allude to things in Batman. I chose to elaborate the sinking of their bowl by making it somewhat ironic. The three men were so "wise", but they let such a simple obstacle cause their downfall. For my title, I decided to make it rhyme because the overall story was about a nursery rhyme.

Bibliography: Based on the nursery rhyme about "Three wise men of Gotham" in The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang.

 

Maui, My Favorite Place

Maui, Hawaii: When I was 12 years old, my family decided to take a cruise to the different Hawaiian Islands. We went on a kayaking expedition, which is one of my greatest vacation memories. This image reminded me of some of the views we saw while on the expedition. Although this stream does not seem safe to kayak, it looks like a great place to hike!

(Iao Valley, Maui Island- Wikipedia Commons)

Comment Wall

Hey, my name is Logan Lambert. I've never blogged before, so this is all new to me. Hopefully I'm doing it all correctly!

Testing Blog Post MLLL

Test Post

Logan Lambert Blog Post