Week 15 Review

This is my last blog of the semester, so I thought this was a fitting image for it. And another class bites the dust...

Congratulations (Image Info)

Famous Last Words: Week 15

Outside of School
My wife and I have tirelessly been working on getting ready to move while still going to school and working 30 hours a week. I have to say that packing and preparing for a move takes a lot more time than I thought. The one thing that I didn't expect is to simply not know what to do next. We live in apartment and are crammed as it is, so it makes it difficult to pull everything out and into boxes when we don't have much extra space to begin with. And even though we will be moving into a nicer apartment, it will be smaller than our current one, so we will see if we have thrown out enough stuff to be able to fit in our new apartment. I'm not a person that gets stressed very often, but I have to say that I am pretty stressed because of everything that is going on. I just have to keep going! I can almost see the finish line for so many things, so I just have to keep my eye on the prize.

Other People's Writings
Most of the semester, I have been reading the writings and stories from the Indian Epics class. It has been interesting to be able to read stories about Mythology instead of about the Epics of India. The stories tend to take a different tone than our class's stories simply due to the fact that they have different subjects that they are writing about.

U-haul (Image Info)

Tech Tip: Weather Widget

I added a weather widget to my blog!

Learning by HEART Week 15: Reading: Love it or hate it

I have never liked reading. I tried to read the Harry Potter books growing up and never got past the first fifty pages. I love to be active and doing thing, so I think that is part of the reason why reading has been difficult for me. I also sometimes feel that it takes to long to get somewhere in a book. I think this is also why I tend to like books that you can learn from instead of reading for pleasure.

Books (Image Info)

Growth Mindset Week 15

This is the perfect meme to describe how I feel right now. The semester is almost over, so I keep telling my self to just keep going. Don't stop! There is a lot to do and a little time to do it, but once it is done then it is over!

Don't Stop (Image Info)

Semester Reading

I am a terrible reader, so one thing that really helped me was the option to watch videos in place of the readings. I felt like the Sita and Rama cartoon was really good and all of the Epified videos were very informational and helped me better understand Hinduism as a whole. Sometimes I felt like I was trying to just get enough words on my reading diary to make a post, but I really ended up enjoying the writing assignments. One option could be to have required reading on Tuesday, writing on Thursday, and a choice between reading and writing on Wednesday.

Semester Reflections

The greatest takeaway from this class is actually my own creative writing ability. I felt like I was able to write better throughout the semester due to the consistent need to write additional stories. Plus they were on subjects that I wasn't very familiar with, so it pushed me even more. I also learned how to create a blog. I have a feeling that my wife will want to create a family blog someday and now I can show her how!

Week 14 Review

I really liked this from Sunday, May 5th announcements. I'm probably liking it a lot because I am just about to finish my 24 hour fast, so the steak is looking pretty tasty.

Stake vs. Steak (Image Info)

Famous Last Words: Week 14

Readings this Week
This week I actually didn't do any of the readings. Oops! It may or may not be because I have enough points to get an A, so there isn't much to say on this topic.

Best Writing this Week
I also failed to do the storytelling this week, but I was able to edit my story in my storybook. I had some bad information about Shiva. He is considered the Destroyer, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he kills things. He is often known to provide wisdom and a better understanding of spiritual reality. It was good to clear that up and fix it in my story.

My Other Classes
I am officially done with my Field Project class and only have one paper do finish to be done with my Gender and James Bond Class! I have to say that it feels good. I'm also lucky because I only have 2 finals this year even though I am in 5 classes, so I was really happy when I found that out! This is my last semester before graduation, and it is finally starting to feel like it!

Outside of School
My wife and I took an impromptu trip to Tulsa to visit her family, and that is where I currently am. It has been a good weekend to get away and forget about the last week of school for a couple days. The only problem is I had a take home quiz, a project, a presentation to prepare for, and homework in this class, so I couldn't really forget about my classes for very long

Tech Tip: Embedded YouTube

I absolutely love the NBA. I grew up watching it since middle school and have never stopped. I love basketball in general (watching, playing, etc). Although, there is much more that I do. I enjoy being active in general, playing disc golf, football, soccer, tennis and more. My favorite player of all time is Steve Nash. Here's a video of his awesomeness.

Learing by HEART Week 14: Happiness/Health

I love the meme below because we are too quick to forget the good things that happen to us and tend to dwell on the negative things that happen instead. I believe that if you were to honestly write down every good and bad thing that happened during your lifetime, the jar of bad would be minuscule compared to the good list. If this isn't the case then you are simply not recognizing the good things that are happening in your life.

Happiness Jar (Image Info)

Growth Mindset Week 14: Curiosity is not Sedentary and Passive

People always say that "curiosity killed the cat" and portray curiosity as a negative thing. However, I feel that curiosity can be a positive thing as well because it keeps you from being passive. Activity helps with growth, and growth makes us better. I feel that sometimes people put too much thought about trying not to step on peoples toes instead of believing that people will understand if you are acting from the heart.

Curiosity (Image Info)

Week 13 Reading Diary Make Up: Mahabharata Film Pt 2

• He was angry that someone said that he had never felt anger? That doesn't make too much sense to me.
• Talk about a gambling problem! Dhrishtira gambled away everything in the matter of 2 minutes!
• Everyone seems to be taking things okay considering Dhrishtira is gambling them away.
• Really? Gambling away your own wife? What a jerk...
• "Look at my thigh"? Is that pickup line supposed to work?
• "Greed devours all" Right after that is said, Dhrishtira goes back and loses everything and is sentenced to exile right after he gained his family back. Addiction is difficult to overcome. During an addiction, people can only see what they can gain instead of what they can lose. This can cloud their judgement and leave them unable to realize the problems that they are having.
• Amba said that she stays young because of her anger and that she promised to kill Bhishma. Maybe I should be angry to keep myself young!
• I have noticed that there is not a lot of conflict resolution. Most of the time the conflict ends in one person killing another. This is a big difference of society a thousand years ago compared to today's society.
• No one seems to be too angry at Dhrishtira for gambling them away into exile.

Title: Mahabharata 1

Author: Peter Brook

Year: 1989

Dhritarashtra (Image Info)

Portfolio Index

Brahma's Emergence: The story of Brahma becoming a god eligible to worship.

TV Talk Show: Ganesha on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Neighborhood Gossip: How gossip can go horribly wrong.

Hanuman's Life Experiences: This is a story of how Hanuman's life experiences help him land a job.

A Wedding in the Heart of Booner Nation: This story comically resembles Rama and Sita's wedding on OU campus.

Week 13 Storytelling: Brahma's Emergence

Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva have always been well known throughout the world as the Creator, the Sustainer, and the Destroyer. Vishnu and Shiva received prayers and were worshiped, but Brahma has always stood alone. He was never worshiped because he created the world solely to better understand who he was. He did not create it for man, for beast or for fowl. Brahma was always hurt by the fact that no one wanted to pray to him, so one day, he decided that he would prove to the entire world that he was a god worth worshiping.

Brahma brought himself down to the earth and decided to put himself among man to show his true worth and desire to help out those around him. As soon as he arrived, he began to create every man's greatest desire. For one man he made a million dollars appear in his hands, for another, he created a house made of chocolate, and for another he created a dream sports car. He went around doing this day upon day, thinking that all the people would begin to love, revere, and worship him. However, what happened next was completely unexpected.

Others heard about the miracles that he was performing and lined up to get whatever they wished for. The line stretched for miles and miles each person asking for something greater than the last. After two years of creating everyone's greatest desire, Brahma returned back to see if the people would begin to worship him. To his dismay, nothing had changed. Not a single prayer came his way. He was furious. What more did he have to do for them?

Brahma stormed off to Vishnu and Shiva and demanded to know why he was still not worshiped.

"Shiva is the Destroyer for crying out loud. Why do people worship him?" said Brahma.

Vishnu wisely replied, "I have helped the people understand the purpose of their lives and sustained them through their trials and difficulties. Shiva has helped others gain wisdom and better understand spiritual reality. What have you done to help others understand their place in the world? How have you helped them grow in their spirituality? You simply created them and left them to figure things out on their own."

Brahma sat in silence, pondering Vishnu's remarks. He stared off into the sky as if he was looking for a better understanding. He began to understand that had done nothing to help them understand who they were or where they came from. He realized that it would take time, but he now understood what the people were truly looking for.

Author's Note: This story is based off of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. It mainly refers to Brahma and the fact that he is not a god that is worshiped due to the fact that he created the world to figure out who he was and not for the benefit of those who he was creating. What happens in the story is not based on any other story, but simply came from my own imagination. This is the second story that I have written about them because they have been interesting for me to learn about. My hope is that this story will make others reflect on what they are actually doing to help other people. Are they simply giving monetary things or giving something that is more worthwhile? I tried my best to guess what Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva's personalities would be like (especially Brahma), but I really do not have the slightest idea. The image that I chose doesn't have any specific significance except that it is an image of Brahma who is the main character in my story.

Brahma the Creator (Image Info)

Week 13 Review

I really like this because it is the end of the semester. My favorite one is Anger (V) because I am an MIS major and have done some programming, so I know exactly how it feels when you think your code is perfect, but there is a missing comma somewhere that is throwing the whole thing off.

Academic Inferno (Image Info)

Famous Last Words - Week 13

Readings

I am watch the Mahabharata movie this week and it is actually pretty interesting. I feel like watching the movie gives more defined characters. The actors have personalities and quirks which gives an interesting interpretation to characters that I have already read about. It also makes you notice details about their actions and reasoning that you normally wouldn't catch if you were just reading the story.

My Best Writings for This Week

I have had to prepare a presentation which only goes well if you plan out what you are going to say beforehand. I won't be reading anything off of a piece of paper, but writing well thought out, descriptive sentences will help me to explain better during the presentation.

My Other Classes

My MIS Field Project class is actually finishing up this week, so it will be really nice to only have to worry about 4 classes for the remaining few weeks of the semester. It will also give me more time to put into this class because I'll just say that I need do get all the points that I can in order to get the grade that I want! I do have a lot of upcoming projects that are due as well, so it is definitely at the crunch time of the semester. Almost there!

Outside of School

My wife and I are super excited to move the week after the semester is over. We just got the exact apartment that we were looking for, and we are excited to get a new puppy (a Shiba Inu!), start my new job, be a little closer to our parents' houses, and live in an apartment where the floors don't squeak with every step you take. Basically we are ready for this semester to be over. We have enjoyed living here in Norman, but we are ready to start the next chapter in our lives.

Crunch Time (Image Info)

Tech Tip: First Tweet

I just created my first Twitter account. I haven't ever really been interested in Twitter, but after creating it I followed the NBA. It could be nice to get random NBA highlights and tweets throughout the season because I am a huge NBA fan. I'll start out small, but who knows? I might end up being a Twitter guru.

Learning by H.E.A.R.T: Attention

One thing that I have learned this semester is that not everything is important. That kind of sounds like I'm being lazy, but this has been the busiest semester of my college career, and it made me realize that you have to pick and choose your battles. Sometimes I had homework due, but my wife was having a bad day. I had to set my priorities. I think attention and sacrifice are related due to the fact that sacrifice requires you to decide what you are going to put your attention towards.

Attention Meme (Image Info)

Growth Mindset - Week 13

I am a person that gets nervous when I do something that I am not familiar with. This is a normal thing that happens to almost anyone. I feel that what defines me isn't whether or not I can remove all fear, but if I let the fear stop me from acting. You just have to take a deep breath and go for it. I believe that it is an extreme hindrance to growth if you cannot overcome fear. Growth comes from stretching, and fear makes you curl up. 

Courage Quote (Image Info)

Week 13 Reading Diary: Mahabharata Film Pt 1

• Is that actually supposed to be Ganesha or a person with a mask on?
• Bhishma sacrificed himself for his father's happiness
• Amba loves Salva and asked Bhishma to let her go to be with Salva. Salva then tells her that he does not want her because "she is Bhishma's"
• Pandu married Kunti and Madri
• Pandu shots a couple while hunting and is cursed to die if he ever lies with one of his wives
• Kunti could invoke any God. She has a son with the God of the sun, but is scared so she sends him (Karna) down the river.
• Pandu had 5 sons all from the gods
• After time Pandu sleeps with Madri and instantly dies
• All 5 of Pandu's sons marry Draupadi
• Pandu is made to seem like he is very unintelligent and unfit to be King simply because he is blind. 
• His 5 sons seems to be a little bit childish at times. They seems to complain quite often in order to get what they want.

5 Sons of Pandu (Image Info)

Title: Mahabharata 1

Author: Peter Brook

Year: 1989

Week 12 Reading Diary: Vishnu's Secret Pt 2 and Brahma's Secret

• Kingship or leadership is the most difficult role in society. He decides who is right and who is wrong, who will live and who will die.
• Only humans are able to fight for a cause that is not theirs if they wish to.
• All humans can discover the divine within them and joy comes when perfect and absolute realization, free of all prejudices, is attained.
• God and man are separate and joy comes when one submits himself to God
• Fish is a metaphor for jungle law, wild sex, restless material reality, non-vegetarian food
• Cow is a metaphor for cultural law, domesticated sex, tamed material reality, vegetarian food
• The purpose of life is the realize the soul. The less a man does this, the more he begins to behave like an animal
• Conflict arises when man acts for power and not for love
• Brahma is not worshiped because he creates and than forgets the reason why he made that creation.
• Brahma created the world to understand who he was. The world is like his daughter.
• Brahma is still seeking the material world so we cannot worship him
• Shiva is everything that Brahma is not. 
• The purpose of life is to realize the ego and overpower it.
• Human life is special because one can self-reflect and uncover self-discovery
• Karma determines everything that happens that is out of our control

Brahma (Image Info)

Week 12 Reading Diary: Devi's Secret and Vishnu's Secret Pt. 1

• Kanyakumari wanted to marry Shiva. He had to make it to Kanyakumari in one day. On Shiva's way, he heard a cock crow, so he assumed that it was day and turned around.
• Desire can satisfy need or greed
• Lakshmi - the embodiment of earth's wealth and bounty
• Desire is important in Hinduism. The world was created because of desire of the creater
• Cows are the most sacred animal in the Hindu religion
• Cows are gentle creatures, but they give milk to mils
• Does the cow produce milk for its calf or for humans
• Each society starts in perfection and then slows changes its moral beliefs and is then resurrected in perfection.
• Vishnu decides hat is beautiful and what is not, what is acceptable and what is not.
• An act of compassion creates society and civilization
• Civilization collapses when there is too much kindness and no one knows when to stop
• If sexual and material desire are not controlled by marriage and property, then they can destroy civilization.

Devi (Image Info)

Week 11 Storytelling: Who Destroyed the World?

As the great Narayan was observing the world beneath him, it began to crumble! Buildings fell, volcanoes erupted, earthquakes swallowed the people whole, and oceans covered up the land. Narayan could do nothing, but watch as the earth turned black. He then stormed off in an angry rage to find Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.

NARAYAN: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, I know you are the only ones capable of such a feat, and I will not rest until I find out which one of you destroyed the world without my slumber.

BRAHMA: It wasn't any of us Narayan!

VISHNU: We have been together this whole time.

SHIVA: It's true!

NARAYAN: Then what is it that you were doing?

The three Gods stood there in silence, without a response, as they looked at each other awkwardly waiting for someone to talk.

NARAYAN: I'm sure whatever it was that you were doing, could not have been worse than destroying the world!

BRAHMA: Where's my lawyer!?

VISHNU: We don't have any lawyers.. We're Gods.

NARAYAN: If one of you doesn't start talking in the next thirty seconds. I will drown you in my sea of milk.

SHIVA: Please no! I'll talk, but you have to promise me that you will not tell Rama.

NARAYAN: What does this have to do with Rama? Don't you dare try to blame it on him.

SHIVA: Well...uhh...umm...

NARAYAN: SPIT IT OUT!!

SHIVA: Brahma, Vishnu, and I can't take our eyes off of Sita! We know that she and Rama still secretly love each other after what happened, but we can't help it! She's just so pretty.

NARAYAN: Is that seriously all you three nitwits were doing? The what the heck happened to the world? I know that I haven't slept for thousands of years, but I wasn't the least bit tired when the world started to crumble.

BRAHMA: Well, did you notice anything unusual right before all of the destruction started happening?

NARAYAN: Now that you mention it, I did notice that something was a little off. I did notice that no one has been born in the last 30 days.

BRAHMA: Thirty days! That's impossible because I...wait...Shiva, how long how we been staring at Sita?

SHIVA: I don't know, maybe for the past month or so. Why?

BRAHMA: So Narayan, did you happen to notice any deaths?

NARAYAN: Now that you mention it, I haven't seen anyone die either!

SHIVA: Uh oh...

VISHNU: You idiots! Legend has it that if the earth is not balanced between life and death then it cannot sustain itself. It must renew and refresh the life that is on the earth in order to continue functioning properly. And since Brahma and Shiva, the Creator and the Destroyer, have done nothing, but stare at Sita, the world became unbalanced!

NARAYAN: But Vishnu, you are supposed to be the Sustainer! Who could you let this happen!

VISHNU: I guess I should take part of the blame too...

SHIVA: Vacation time!

NARAYAN: WHAT DO YOU MEAN "VACATION TIME"?! YOU HAVE TO FIX THIS!

SHIVA: Correction, Brahma has to fix this. He's the Creator. You won't need my services for a very long time.

And Shiva lived happily ever after.

Author's Note: This story is based on the ideas that when Narayan sleeps, the world is destroyed. It also uses the three Gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, as the creator, sustainer, and destroyer.

Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva (Image Info)

Week 11 Reading Diary: Ardhanari and Shiva's Secrets

• God can be visualized with and without form
• Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the sustainer, Shiva is the destroyer
• Male trinity is associated with verbs. Female trinity is associated with nouns
• Males make action and women are acted upon, according to Hinduism
• Men represent spiritual reality
• Women represent material reality
• There are 2 truths. Changing and unchanging. 
• Triangles are used to show stability and movement. Upside down is stability. Right side up is movement
• There are opposites to everything. That was said in many different ways
• Everything has a material and a spiritual half
• Ash is the symbol of destruction and permanence. It is the leftovers of destruction, but cannot be destroyed
• Shiva destroys by shutting his eyes. He is not an observer, so it doesn't exist
• Why is Shiva worshiped but not Brahma?
• Kali dances on Shiva as his opposite
• In society, there is good and bad, right and wrong. This means that society has judgement

Title: Ardhanari's Secret and Shiva's Secret 

Author: Epified

Year 2015

Shiva (image info)

Week 11 Reading Diary: Narayan's Secret

• The ocean of milk represents possibility
• When Narayan wakes, everything comes out of the milk, so when Narayan sleeps the world is still
• When Narayan sleeps, it is the end of the world because he is over the world
• Does the observer create the observation or does the observation create the observer?
• Narad provokes people and tries to create conflict and insecurity
• Death is considered a comma, not a period
• The soul is permanent and ever-present, but is without form
• A perfect truth is conveyed through imperfect forms
• Hiranakashipu is arrogant for thinking that he is a God for being immortal and was put in his place when he was killed by Narcima
• Intent and behavior can make anyone a demon
• Arjuna is expected to kill and start a war but refuses. Krishna speaks to Arjuna and explains the order of the world. Things die only to be born again.
• What is the purpose of life? Matter exists to draw attention to the soul. This means that we must live in society and do our part. We are part of society and there is no escape, unless one disciplines the mind and has no selfish desires
• God is all things, in all things, outside all things. Everything is God
• We are God, but just have not discovered it ourselves. We can once we strip ourselves of selfish behavior and thought

Title: Narayan's Secret

Author: Epified

Year: 2015

Narayan (Image Info)

Storytelling Week 9: TV Talk Show

ELLEN: Welcome, everyone, to today's show! We have a special guest today that I am very excited to hear from. Many of you will not recognize him or may be a little shocked when you first see him, but I promise you that you are in for a treat. Without further ado, please welcome from the heart of India...Ganesha!

The audience begins with loud claps and cheers which then quickly turn into shrieks and gasps when Ganesha walks out with his Indian robes and long trunk. Ganesha simply smiles and sits down across from Ellen.

ELLEN: I apologize for the audience's dismay, but I'm sure this isn't the first time that you have had such a reaction.

GANESHA: Definitely not, so I don't mind at all.

ELLEN: So, Ganesha, for those of us who do not know who you are, could you please give us a little bit of your background?

GANESHA: Well, my dad, Shiva, and my mom, Parvati, had two sons, Kartikeya and me. Kartikeya was always more competitive and athletic than I was, but I had my own set of skills. Once, there was a race between Kartikeya and me, and we had to run around the world three times. He began flying around the world at lightning speed, but I just waited for him to get onto his third lap around. Once he was almost there, I got up, ran around my parents three times, and declared myself the winner. Kartikeya ran around THE world three times. I ran around MY world three times.

ELLEN: Wow. That is a great idea! I think I might use that to make people think that I'm super fit. Now, people still do not know your religious origin. Could you explain a little about why you really are?

GANESHA: I am a Hindu god, son of the God Shiva. Many people say that I am a remover of obstacles or the god of wisdom and learning.

ELLEN: Great! I bet you would be really good at hurdles then. They would just disappear right in front of you.

GANESHA: Well, I was speaking more of spiritual obstacles instead of physical obstacles. People often pray to me before a big project in order to work without running into too many problems. The one catch is that I can't help anyone if they don't ask! Fewer and fewer people are praying to me, so sometimes I am waiting with idle hands for someone in need.

ELLEN: That would be such an amazing life. I would imagine that you get a lot of satisfaction being  able to help so many people.

GANESHA: That's my favorite part about it. I love being able to see how I can benefit others.

ELLEN: That's my favorite part about my job, too. If you had one wish, what would it be?

GANESHA: My one wish would be that more people had faith in me. I want nothing more than to help. All I need is for people to ask.

ELLEN: Thank you for coming, Ganesha. If you could please give one more big round of applause for Ganesha, everybody!

Author's Note: This Talk Show is based off of the god Ganesha and what his abilities are. It also focuses on the feelings that I believe he would have about normal people. It does not go deep into what he does, but tries to discuss the relationship between him and the rest of the world. I tried to make Ganesha's dialog somewhat close to what I would think he would say if he was actually on the Ellen show. The beginning of the story is based off the fact that Ganesha has the head of an elephant and has the audience react to his shocking figure. How I came up with this story is from watching a worldwide broadcast that my church has every six months, and one of the speakers talked about what God thinks of us. My hope is that this story can help people of whatever faith to consider what their Supreme Being thinks about us. There is also supposed to be some comedic relief from Ellen's comments, but I am clearly not Ellen. I also took some writer's freedom in Ganesha's thoughts and words, but have not done any research into what his personality would actually be like.

Title: 7 Secrets Hindu Calendar Art

Author: Epified

Year: 2015

Ellen DeGeneres (image info)

Week 9 Reading Diary: 7 Secrets Hindu Calendar Art

• Ganesha: Different people see God differently
• Hindu beliefs can seem strange to some people, but isn't strange to those who are familiar with the beliefs
• Peoples beliefs vary immensely. What makes a person right or wrong? Does this shape that is important in a person's life?
• In Hinduism, there are many Gods and not a singular God.
• Having no way to understand totality, the Hindu gods form together to give us a sort of understanding of totality in pieces
• Each god represents different things, which gives the ability to look at a particular god for a certain ability or characteristic.
• Some Hindu believers decided to not be married in order to become more dedicated to the Hindu faith. However, the law later changed against this.
• Unlike Greek gods and goddesses, Hindu gods are not continued by succession according to power. They can be present at the same time.
• Ganesha is generally worshipped before the starting of a project. He is the remover of obstacles
• The Hindu gods try to show that they are both abstract and concrete
• Narayan's secret is that whatever dies is eventually reborn.
• Believing that another life will come after this one, makes Hindu believers to not have a sense of urgency because they will always have another life. More pressure is put on other religious beliefs to be better now because you only have one life here on Earth.
• While Narayan sleeps, the world still exists, but no one is aware of it, so it is as if it doesn't exist. There is no observation with out the observer (Narayan). This is the end of the world. Does our world exist when we are asleep?

Title: 7 Secrets Hindu Calendar Art

Author: Epified

Year: 2015

Ganesha (image info)

Reading Choices for Weeks 9 & 10

For Weeks 9 and 10, I plan on watching the Epified videos of the Hindu Gods and Goddesses.

Hindu Gods and Goddesses (image info)

Blog Ideas

Looking at other peoples blogs makes me realize that I need to step up my game on my layout and design. On Jasmine's blog, I like how the words seem to float up the page due to the white background. On Aysha's blog, I like how her background theme tends to go with all of the images in her posts. I'm not sure if this was intended, but it made me wonder if my images clash with my background. On Saba's blog, I liked the green color scheme, it is a color that can be easily seen in the light but also does not strain the eyes in the dark.

Time Strategies

I feel that the homework strategy that I chose for this class is still the best strategy for my current schedule, but I haven't been following it very well. I have struggled starting off the week (on Monday) to get the first reading assignment done. My week only gets busier from then on, so during this second half of the semester, I need to buckle down and follow the schedule to avoid staying up late on other nights.

I do feel that I have gotten into a fairly good rhythm in my other classes, but adjusting the workload in this class can help my other classes go even smoother. Also, many of my classes have projects due during the second half of the semester, so staying on top of things is a must

Stay Cool (image info)

Week 4 Storytelling: A Wedding in the Heart of Boomer Nation

One day, a Computer Science geek named Rama was walking by the Price building and saw a beautiful Aerospace Engineering phenom and he instantly fell in love. Her name was Sita. He ran up to her and did his best to smooth talk her into wanting to go out with him but ended up talking about how much he loved computer science. Oddly enough, she loved it!

They instantly became best friends, but she said they couldn't be more than friends because her father was extremely traditional and only allowed his daughter to date men that he approved of. Rama stayed positive and exclaimed that he would love to meet her father and was certain that he would make a great first impression. Hesitantly, Sita agreed to set up a time for them to meet.

That Friday night, Rama rang Sita's doorbell, and her father, Janaka, answered. He scowled at Rama and got straight to the point and asked, "What makes you so special that I should allow you to date my daughter?"

Rama, who had used his computer science skills to previously hack into Janaka's computer to know what he liked, exclaimed, "I LOVE THE COWBOYS! GO POKES!" Janaka was surprised at Rama's response considering that everyone in Norman bled Crimson and Cream. Janaka then gave Rama the biggest hug and said, "You are always welcome in this household." No man had ever been allowed entrance to his home because no man was brave or smart enough to confess love for OSU in the heart of Sooner Nation.

Sita and Rama left that evening as happy as could be. They continued their college careers on campus, spending every moment possible together. Their favorite spot was to sneak to the top of the stadium and watch the sunset and then look up and try to find the star alignment of Shiva, Brahma, Lakshmi, and Vishnu.


Towards the end of their last semester, they decided they needed to permanently make their mark at OU so they could always be remembered. All it took was a quick look at each other, and they knew exactly what they wanted to do. They sneaked up to the top of Sarkeys Energy Center with chisels and hammers in hand. Rama then proceeded to chisel out on the top of the roof the words, "I will never leave my dearest Sita, even if she happens to get kidnapped and I accuse her of being unfaithful. Nothing will tear us apart, not even mother earth."


Just as they finished, they heard police sirens! They quickly ran down  the stairs and over to the Bizzell Library before the police could catch them. They climb on top of the library's roof to wait for the police to leave.

On that starry night, Rama got down one one knee on top of the Bizzell Library and proposed to his beloved Sita. She screamed with excitement and of course said yes. Their wedding ensued and they had a Sooner wedding. The entire University was invited including David Boren, Boomer the mascot,  Baker Mayield, Buddy Hield, and many others. The grass was painted red with a small circle of orange where the forgiving Janaka stood. In the South Oval when the Sooner bells began to ring, they were pronounced husband and wife.

Author's Note: This story is based on Rama and Sita's wedding in the Ramayana. In the original story, Rama sees Sita for the first time when he is with his brother and instantly falls in love. When he inquires her father about what must be done to be with Sita, her father stays that one must pull back Shiva's bow in order to prove his strength. Rama not only pulls back the bow but breaks it in half! Sita and Rama can finally be together and they are able to get married. Their wedding is filled with food, singing, and dancing all through the night. The entire kingdom is pleased with the wedding because they suspect that Rama will soon take his father's throne. I changed the locations and facts in order to have the events take place on OU's campus. I chose it from the suggestion and liked the idea. I thought it might be entertaining to have the Ramayana and OU collide and how the two can be mashed together. I also wanted to provide some comic relief and throw in a few references to the real Ramayana story. The comedy is meant to highlight some of the more questionable actions that some of the characters do in the Ramayana.

Rama and Sita (image info)

Based on:
Author: Nina Paley
Title: Sita Sings the Blues
Year: 2008

Week 7 Storytelling: Neighborhood Gossip

GOSSIP GIRL 1: Psst! Hey neighbor! Come here...

GOSSIP GIRL 2: What is it this time? You already got me in trouble for telling Rama that Sita was unfaithful to him. You caused them to split up!

GOSSIP GIRL 1: I know...sorry, but this time I have real news! I found out that Dhritarashtra isn't actually blind!

GOSSIP GIRL 2: That isn't true. Have you ever looked into his eyes? You can tell that he is not faking it by how foggy his eyes are!

GOSSIP GIRL 1: Yes, I have seen his eyes, but that isn't the reason why they are foggy. It is actually because one day, the Sun God, Surya, appeared to Dhritarashtra, and when he looked directly into Surya's eyes, Dhritarashtra's eyes instantly changed colors. It's just like how your eyes burn when you look directly into the sun! Except, the only difference is that he didn't go blind! It actually gave him the ability to see through anything!

GOSSIP GIRL 2: That is one of the most ridiculous things that I have ever hear, but it might just ridiculous enough to make sense! Maybe that's why he is always walking around with his eyes closed! He must feel like he is invading people's privacy when he has his eyes open. Do you think Gandhari knows?

GOSSIP GIRL 1: There is no way that his wife would walk around blindfolded everyday if she knew that her husband wasn't actually blind.

GOSSIP GIRL 2: That's a good point. So does this mean that Dhritarashtra actually knows what his children look like? They are hideous! I get creeped out every time I walk by one of those devilish creatures. I couldn't imagine having to see them every day!

GOSSIP GIRL 1: I thought he had been acting strange lately! That is why he has been spending so much time alone lately. He can't stand to be surrounded by his kids.

GOSSIP GIRL 2: Do you think that we should tell Gandhari? I feel like she has the right to know that her husband has been lying this whole time?

GOSSIP GIRL 1: As much as I dread to tell her, it is our responsibility.

(Gandhari enters)

GOSSIP GIRL 1: Gandhari, there is something that we need to tell you. Dhritarashtra isn't blind and we can prove it.

GANDHARI: What do you mean he isn't blind? I think I would know if my own husband could see or not.

GOSSIP GIRL 2: I know it is hard to be believe, but trust us. Follow us, and we'll show you.

(Dhritarashtra enters)

GOSSIP GIRL 2: Pay close attention, Ghandari. I will throw this golden cufflink at Dhritarashtra and it will be his natural instinct to catch it. Listen, and you will hear him catch it.

Gossip Girls 2 throws the cufflink and hits Dhritarashtra square on the nose without moving an inch.

DHRITARASHTRA: Ouch, my nose! I think it is broken! Who threw that!?

GOSSIP GIRLS 1 & 2: OOPS!

DHRITARASHTRA: Why can't I smell? Will I ever be able to smell again?

The Gossip Girls walk away in shame, realizing that their own gossip had spiraled out of control.

Dhritarashtra and Ghandari (image info)

Author's Note:  This story was loosely based off of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari. This story is meant to show how gossip can get out of control, making other believe in something that is false and can end with negative consequences. This happens far too often in the world today with judgments being passed prematurely. The phrase "innocent until proven guilty" never seems to apply during day to day life when it should. My motivation to write this story is to provide a reminder that it is not our place to judge others, especially if we do not know whether or not it is true. The Gossip Girls are fictional characters, but the story is based on Dhritarashtra and Gandhari and how she blindfolds herself in order for Dhritarashtra to feel like he is an equal in their marriage. The Gossip Girls are inspired from the TV Series Gossip Girl. I haven't watched it myself, but have heard about it. This story style came up on the randomizer. I thought it would be fun to write a story about two girls that gossip back and forth, cause their gossip to go to extreme measures, and directly hurt other people due their false gossip.

Title: Epified Mahabharata
Author: Epified
Year: 2016 

Week 7 Reading Diary: Epified Mahabharata Pt 2

Title: Epified Mahabharata

Author: Epified

Date: 28 January 2016

• Not really sure why Karna wasn't able to train. I know it is something to do with what he is, but not sure really why.
• If Karna could simply lie about who he was. What really is the difference about the different "races"?
• There are too many names of different characters to keep them sorted in my head.
• It seems to me that every male character wants to be king, and every female character just wants to be married.
• I have noticed that any time there is a person in someone's way, they just decide to kill them off. Does anyone ever get punished for murder?
• It is also very repetitive in the fact that one person does something wrong, and then they are generally cursed with a curse that will ruin their lives.
• Most of the kings and royalty tend to have more than one wife, so why shouldn't Draupadi have 5 husbands? It's only fair...I guess..
• Pretty crazy how quick they seem to have built Indraprastha. 
• Many of the men seem to fall in love with the same woman too. 
• Draupadi agreed with the 5 brothers to rotate each year from one to the next. I'm sure there was all sorts of jealousy going on when she changed husbands. If the brothers failed to do so, they would be forced to go into exile for the next 12 years.
• Not sure that it's fair for Arjun to go to exile for 12 years, when he accidentally saw his brother presumably sleeping with Draupadi.

Draupadi and Her 5 Husbands (image info)

Week 7 Reading Diary: Epified Mahabharata Pt 1

     Title: Epified Mahabharata

Author: Epified

Date: 12 April 2015

Everyone seems to fall in love when they are at a river. Funny coincidence

·         How is it possible for Shantanu to watch as Ganga downs 7 of his kids? I would drown her!

·         Did Devavrata question why Ganga kept him from his father for so long?

·         He fell in love again by the water! A fisherman’s daughter

·         Shantanu didn’t have very much luck the first time he fell in love, so why is Devavrata so quick to give up his promise that he will never get married when he doesn’t even know if Ganga’s second marriage will be any better than the first?

·         I like how Bhishma’s first reaction to go and find the king a wife is to go kidnap 3 princesses instead of just find someone who is willing.

·         Why is Amba rejected when she was simply kidnapped and never gave herself to anyone?

·         Why was Parshurama so upset with Bhishma when he would not marry Amba, when it was simply because Bhishma and made a vow to never marry.

·         So if Vyasa’s wife didn’t love him and didn’t want to sleep with him, was it a form of rape?

·         The three sons of Vyasa have a rivalry for the throne.

·         Is it not a little too much to blindfold yourself just because your future husband is blind too? It would probably be more helpful if she used her sight to help her husband live a more normal life.

·         Kind of a strange sequence to hug a God and then have a son appear in your arms randomly.

·         Sending her son away in a basket on a river is similar to the story of Moses.

Leaving with Bhishma's son (image info)

Week 6 Reading Diary Mahabharata PDE Edition Pt 2

 Title: Mahabharata PDE Edition

Author: Vyasa

·         If I found all of my furniture, wouldn’t run and get my family to see it, but I would get everyone out of there as soon as possible.

·         The rakshasa woman really fell in love fast. All she had to do was see Bhima sleeping and she was love struck. He must have been really good looking!

·         I like the detailed descriptions of everything that is going on and the surroundings

·         So many decisions are being made in order to get personal gain or receive more power. A lot of importance is being placed on being a power over someone else.

·         It is hard to follow the story due to the fact that a lot of time is passing by from section to section

·         Arjuna seems to have some sort of a special connection with Krishna.

·         Duryodhana is really jealous of the palace that is built for the Pandavas. I wonder if his jealousy will lead him to act out and do something.

·         Why is it required that Yudhishthira needs to fight another king in order to be a supreme monarch. If the kings are ruling separately, what is the connection between the two?

·         I like how such a big thing is being settled over a gambling match.

·         Most of the stories seem to be driven by the motives of jealousy or vengeance. The is a lot of individual search for power.

·         How terrifying would it be to be told that you were gambled away in a game?

Shakuni (Image Info)

Thoughts About Comments

I have enjoyed the comments that give me specific points to improve on, hether it is increasing the story length, giving greater detail about specific characters, or fixing sentences that are confusing. I also like the comments that give specific things that I did well on. Basically the more specific the comment the more useful I find it. Making jokes also makes things more entertaining

Week 5 Storytelling: A Missed Opportunity for Shantanu

 Title: Mahabharata PDE Edition

Author: Vyasa

Year: 2009

Once upon a time, there was a magnificent king named Shantanu. He had spent many years in service of his kingdom, but wanted to find a beautiful, young wife to marry. As he strolled along the marvelous Yamuna River, he gazed upon a heavenly beauty named Satyavati.

Satyavati had a miraculous birth of destiny because she was inside of a fish when a fisherman was fishing. She was kept and raised as his own. Growing up, she had a fishy smell, and all of the friends made fun of her. Satyavati of returned home in tears because of the mean things that were said to her. She didn't understand why she was born with such a bad odor that never fades. She felt like an outcast, an ugly duckling, and that she has recently been completely misunderstood. Shantanu wanted to be with Styavati, but lost her in the thick of the forest.

One day, Satyavati came across a mighty brahmin named Parashara, who was awestruck by Satyavati's beauty. Parashara wanted Satyavati to be his wife, so he made a vow that she smell as a lovely perfume. Parashara and Satyavati had a fast romance and soon after meeting, they found out that they were having a baby! Satyavati was ecstatic to hear the news and couldn't wait to have the privileged of being a mother.

After nine months, Vyasa was born. Vyasa was a very mature man for someone his age, and continued to grow quickly in both stature intelligence. After he had grown into manhood, Vyasa left his mother and his friends to enter into the dark forest in order to test and hone his skills,

After Vyasa, moved far away, Parashara wanted to ensure that Satyavati felt safe and had the ability to reach out to him whenever he is needed. He was terrified in the fact he was moving away from his mother. He continued to thrive and prosper throughout his whole life, never forgetting each year to return to his mother to tell her about everything that has happened in the past year. Even to this day, Satyavati is visited every year by Vyasa. Pleasantries are passed back and forst, and Vyasa returns to his home.

Towards the end of Satyavati's life, King Shantanu once again saw her. He still desired to marry her, but discovered that he had already been married. Although Shantanu was a little jealous, he congratulated her on her beautiful son.

Author's Note: This story is loosely based off of the story when King Shantanu and Satyavati meet. It is meant to read as a bedtime story with a little bit of an unusual love and ending.

King Shantanu and Satyavati (image info)