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Showing posts from April, 2019

Reading Notes: Inayat Twenty Jataka Tales B

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Figure 1:  Mandela Effect  Vimeo I have read the story of the patient bull before, and this version is very different from the version I prefer, although I can still tell that they are the same "story" particularly from several identical lines that both stories share. In the version that I read in my childhood, the fairy is replaced with an owl, and the bull lets the monkey mess with him to build his own patience. I feel like retelling that version that I learned as a child. Although, I could be misremembering.  Twenty Jataka Tales  Inayat

Reading Notes: Inayat Twenty Jataka Tales A

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Figure 1:  Bad Dog  Pixabay I enjoyed the story of the guilty dogs. I'm surprised that I actually like the plot so much, I usually find the plots of most stories to be recycled, but this one actually felt original. Ironic, considering where it comes from. I already have the characters that I want to use ready, so I'll use them. I can also use this as an opportunity to describe something that I've always wanted to try writing, 4 dimensional geometry.  Twenty Jataka Tales  Inayat

Learning Challenge: An Underappreciated Key to College Success: Sleep

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Figure 1:   LQR Diagram  ReasearchGate This article generally confirms what I know about sleep. Sleep is necessary for proper function in all regards, and the statistics essentially confirm this. I don't really have much to add other than knowing that sleep is needed doesn't help me fall asleep. I still lay in bed thinking about LQR control algorithms, a particularly difficult engineering project that kept me awake constantly last semester. Moral of the story kids, making a quad-copter do sick stunts on its own is not worth perpetual insomnia.  An Underappreciated Key to College Success: Sleep

Growth Mindset: Make Good Art

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Figure 1:  Stress Element  Wikimedia I was quite surprised by how much I agreed with the idea that art is a useful way to deal with stress. I've done it a few times, one of my story images was written while waiting for epoxy to cure during an incredibly stressful. Another time was immediately at the start of spring break, I took up violin again and found it to be quite cathartic. I'm actually quite surprised how much I agreed with the article. Make Good Art

Tech Tip: Canvas App

The mobile canvas app is relatively usable on a smartphone. At the very least, it is more functional than the mobile D2L app. I think that the mobile canvas app is more useful than the desktop one to be honest, particularly because its so much easier to view grades, which appear on the dashboard. Navigation is very similar to desktop navigation, but the buttons are resized well for phone use. I have honestly never had a problem with this app. Overall, get this app. Its really useful.

Reading Note (Extra): Monro. Pandava Brothers B

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Figure 1:  Duryodhana Fights Bhima Wikimedia The section of this reading that I found most interesting was the war. No surprise there, all of my stories have been about conflict and fighting. I particularly like how he starts by describing it with a battle that everyone is familiar with, the siege of Troy in the Illiad. Perhaps I will have an old warrior recounting his fight in this story. There is another story I want to tell. The reason that all of my stories are combat and humor based is because they are essentially practice pieces for a novel I want to write that is very humor and combat focused. However, there is another element to this novel; characters that I call the scarring ones, manifestations of evil and hatred in the world and in ourselves. Duryodhana would make a perfect subject for the template of a scarring one. I especially feel like he doesn't do enough fighting in the Mahabharata, so this would be my way of giving him something to do. Pandava Brothers

Reading Note (Extra): Monro. Pandava Brothers A

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Figure 1:  Tamil Woman Wikimedia Less technologically advanced ancient Tamil may have been the basis for the monkeys in the Ramayana according to Gould. I want to start by focusing on the writing style. This book is written like a history account, and if there was anything that I would want to take away it would be that. Perhaps I'll try writing an "ancient history" for some present characters. That could certainly be interesting. Aside from this, the most interesting thing was the characterization of Bhima as destructive and cruel. This makes the general conflict much more understandable and realistic. However, I do wish some of the supernatural elements of the story were eliminated like in the Divine Archer, which was apologetically written from the perspective of a non Hindu individual, and had his own thoughts and perspective on the story. If anything, this story makes me miss that story. Pandava Brothers by Monro

Week 13 Story: The Cowardly, Timid Boy's Neighbors Learn to Make Friends

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Figure 1:  Aircraft Carrier  Wikipedia There was a remote village, next to a dark forest, where a terrible serpent once lived. 2 days walk east of that village was a riverside village, a terrible village where friendship did not exist. Everyone hated everyone else. No one worked together and everyone died alone. Arson was a daily occurrence, respect was nonexistent, and love was a foreign idea. A great lion passed through the town, and having walked for two straight days, sat down and began to fall asleep next to a teenage girl named Asax. “Geez, you don’t have to keep badgering me over this. I heard you the first time.” “Rawr?” “Look, I know I don’t have any friends, and I treat everyone I know like crap, but its fine ok? I can function fine on my own. Who even needs friends? They’re just a bother. I’m… I’m not lonely. It’s not a big deal ok? Well… maybe things would be easier if I had friends. And maybe I do want friends. But it’s not a big deal ok? Ok, ok,

Reading Notes: Overview. Shedlock. Eastern Stories and Legends C

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Figure 1: Jataka Tales  Imgur The hawk and the osprey is a nice story about working together and the importance of bonds and relationships. I think that I would like to rewrite this section in more detail with entirely different characters, but keep the overall structure. Actually, I might just rewrite this section in the style of my first story.                                                                                                                                                                     Bibliography  Overview. Shedlock. Eastern Stories and Legends  (Shedlock)

Reading Notes: Overview. Shedlock. Eastern Stories and Legends D

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Figure 1:  Jataka Tales  Imgur                                                                                               I would like to rewrite the story of the dreamer in the woods. I would like to reuse my character Jaka, and pair him with a divine being I designed named Mad Rock Ocean. Jaka is a little bit crazy and weird, but Rock Ocean is full on insane, and having them talk about philosophy and morals while Rock gives Jaka stupid gifts sounds amusing. However, I might hold off on that, since I've been using Jaka a lot recently.                                                                      Bibliography  Overview. Shedlock. Eastern Stories and Legends  (Shedlock)

Reading Notes: Overview. Shedlock. Eastern Stories and Legends B

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Figure 1:  Jataka Tales  Wikimedia I’ve already adapted this story, but reading it gives me some other things to think about. The main difference in this story is that it has a heavier focus on dialogue, and the lion features even more prominently than before. He is also the incarnation of what is essentially a god. Perhaps I should refocus my writing efforts on dialogue.                                                                                                                                                                     Bibliography  Overview. Shedlock. Eastern Stories and Legends   (Shedlock)

Reading Notes: Overview. Shedlock. Eastern Stories and Legends A

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Figure 1: Jataka Tales  Wikipedia I decided to read the Jataka tales, since they give me more flexibility with regards to the stories that I can tell. This story at heart is about an employee who demands fair treatment, which results in him performing a great feat. A serviceable enough story I suppose, but I would like to make some modifications. Firstly, the Brahmin has to hold an idiot ball. For this to work, I need to get rid of that somehow. I’d also like to give everyone character, although I’m not sure what. I think I’ll make the bull more accommodating, the brahmin reluctant in his politeness, and the squire an idiot. I do enjoy writing idiots.                                                                                                                                                                     Bibliography  Overview. Shedlock. Eastern Stories and Legends  (Shedlock)

Week 12 Story: The Cowardly, Timid Boy Gets an Apprentice

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Figure 1: Coyote  Wikipedia Far away, by a remote village, next to a dark forest, where a terrible serpent once lived, there was a large oak door. The door burst open as Jaka dragged a dragon carcass into his house. He began to swiftly butcher the carcass, cutting off the head, removing the guts, and not cutting the child sitting on the tail.  Why was there a child sitting on the tail of Jaka's meal? Jaka picked up the child and set him on the counter and then chopped the tail into stakes. He then moved the child and put away his butcher's knife and took out his filleting knife. Soon, the slivers of dragon's meat was frying in a stew of spices, cream, and vegetables. While the food cooked, Jaka began sharpening his legendary lion claw sword and asked the child. "Have you ever killed a dragon?" "no..." "Well why not? I killed my first dragon by the time I was your age." "I don't want to fight a dragon, cou

Reading Notes: The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India B

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Figure 1: Quail  Wikimedia The quail and the falcon seems an adaptable story for me. I plan to rewrite the characters to be more distinct, but I don't really have anything in mind. Maybe I'll just try to make the story amusing. The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India  by W.H.D Rouse

Reading Notes: The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India A

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Figure 1:  Crab  National Park Service The giant crab seems like an adaptable story for me. I just want to make more things fight each other, mostly as practice for the novel that I want to write, which has lots of fighting in it. I don't think I've had a serious non-human fight yet, this might be fun.  I'll use Jaka again, I like him. The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India  by W.H.D Rouse