Tech Tip: Blogger Template

I've always loved the idea of blogs.  I don't exactly write in a blog on a regular basis, but I do physically write in a journal whenever I can.  What can I say, I like the old fashioned way.  Because of that, I created my blog in a way that speaks to my personality.  I love cursive font and I even write in cursive and am itching to learn calligraphy one of these days, so it just suits me perfectly to have my blog in cursive.  If not in cursive, I usually enjoy the type-writer's font, another old school fetish.  As for color, although blue is my absolute favorite, for some reason, I've gravitated towards green these days and not just any green, but a deep forest green.  It was fun changing up my blog template, I plan to play with it some more and change it up even more whenever I get bored of this one.  My mind is always changing for something new!

Feedback Focus

With the three of these strategies given for focusing on reading in general, I would have to rank reading aloud as my most utilized strategy and the google timer as my least favorite.  In the order that they were offered, funnily enough.  I ranked these the way that I did, because I already use reading aloud as my basis when trying to focus and understand a story.  Along with reading aloud I also combine the copy-and-paste strategy with it, except copying-and-pasting isn't how I focus.  I usually just read a story as a whole and then in sections, whether in paragraphs as written or just in particular sections that are helpful to me, and I comment on them immediately after reading it.  I do so in order to grasp the entire readings in specificity.  I'm not quite surprised as to how these affect my reading since I already do these, but the one that I don't exactly utilize is the timer.  I don't like the idea of the timer, and just by applying it to the readings provided, I felt like I was being rushed to finish at a certain time.  Because of the rushed feeling, I wasn't able to fully grasp the stories until I had to look back at the timer to see how much time I had left and if I had enough time, I would then begin to focus on the reading.  Re-reading a story after the timer would end up happening.

(Focus through a lense. Pixabay.)

I can't say that there is a big advantage or disadvantage of reading aloud.  To me it is a lot like silent reading, though when read aloud, the readings can be heard and would only benefit those that are unable to stick to one focus mentally as the mind can be full of many thoughts.  Reading aloud stops what a person is doing and provides multiple outlets of focus and not just one, such as reading with your eyes, mind and mouth rather than just the eyes and mind.  Splitting up a reading into sections can be advantageous in the comments that are being provided being it will come together in the end and add specificity to what is needed to be said.  A disadvantage in that is that, the general idea of a story can be forgotten immediately if separated and at the end of a story, things can change and cause an overall thought to be misconstrued or strayed.

I don't have any other recommendations on how to stay focused other than immersing oneself in a quiet room with no noise, just you and the reading.  That is something I notice that helps me stay focused and I'm sure that's anyone else also.  I wish I knew other techniques aside from these already listed, but they apply to me indefinitely.  I will have to say as well, that I enjoyed reading the Zoology 1114 story of Adam and Eve.  The story was brilliantly written metaphorically speaking and modernized rightly.  The writer portrayed the story in a way that I would not have thought of, while still keeping the morals and ideas of the original.  

Reading Notes: The Tree of Knowledge, Part B

• Siddhartha = Hero
• Has 10 women that cater to him; Sujata (one of the women), one of her slaves died
• She wrapped him red shroud to put him in the cemetery
• Hero needed clothing & saw the shroud & took it.
• The Gods above helped him make it into a piece of clothing.
• Sakra - giving him a pool of water & wash-stone to wash it
• Mara (the Evil One) - steepened the pool so he couldn't get out
• There was a nearby tree & Hero prayed to the Goddess to let down a branch to help him get out, she did so.
• He sat under the tree and began to sew his new shroud
• Night fell & he had 5 dreams:
1. Lying on the whole bed of Earth; Head on Himalaya, right hand on western sea, left on eastern & feet on southern sea.
2. Saw a reed grow out of his navel, so fast that it touched the sky
3. Worms crawled up his leg covering them
4. Birds flew toward him from every horizon, appeared of Gold
5. He saw a mountain of filth & excrement; he climbed to the summit, descended & was not phased by the filth.
• He knew after the dreams that he would obtain supreme knowledge & become Buddha
• Went back to Uruvilva to beg; Sujata made milk w/ rice flour & honey, put into a golden bowl.
• He arrived to their house & received the bowl while Sujata cleansed his feet.
• Unsure of what to do w/the bowl, it's understood that those before him that become Buddha have their last meal in a golden bowl.
• He bathes in the river & finishes his meal; lets the bowl float & states that the bowl will go upstream if he is to become Buddha & float downstream if he is not; so it floats up.
• Night falls & he walks towards the Tree of Knowledge, sees the Reaper Svastika & asks for grass in return to teach him the law, so he hands the Hero 8 handfuls
• Using the grass, he bows to the tree from the east side, 7 times & sprinkles the grass for then a seat appears for him to sit; no matter what happens, he'll obtain the supreme knowledge.

(Buddha experiencing Bodhi (The Awakening). PBS.)

I could tie this story in with The Great Truths, he could still be a lion or even just a poor man struggling in life to understand the world and universe.

Rather than the servants and the Gods catering to help him, on his journey he can run into random strangers that want to help.  Much like the book/movie 'Into the Wild'.

The supreme knowledge that can be obtained in life can be that of life's simple pleasures.  Just being an honest, good person.  Accepting life's faults and enduring pain and suffering when necessary. 

Bibliography:  Life of Buddha: The Tree of Knowledge.  Link to reading.

Reading Notes: The Great Truths, Part A

• Siddhartha's unhappy in his palace (lost like a lion stung by a poisoned dart)
• Leaves the palace in search through the common world. 
• He pitied mankind for they can: get sick, old, weak, ignorant.
• He lost his understanding for everything mankind had to offer.
• Encountered a man, "monk" that only he could see.
• Spoke of solitude, an itinerant monk seeking 'deliverance'
• Seeks highest good, lives freely.
• Siddhartha believes he is 'God' in the form of a monk, because he went back to the sky.
• He then wanted to become a monk, his father saddened & wanted him to be King instead.
• Tried offering his father 4 options to keep him: 
1. His life wouldn't end in death
2. sickness won't impair his health
3. age won't follow his youth
4. misfortune won't destroy his prosperity
• The King couldn't promise him this.
• "Solem as Meru Mountain": Mount Meru = center of universe for Hindu, Jain & Buddhist traditions
• Decides to leave, states w/the True Law that he could bring peace to all men bc the world is corrupt

(Lion rising from the dark.  Pixabay.)

Maybe I could change Siddhartha to a lion cub as he is compared himself to so.  A lion cub seeking peace among the other animals.  He leaves his family for the jungle, an innocent lion knowing nothing of the wild.  It could be a metaphor.

His father could deny this of him or instead of him being a cub, he could be fully grown and leave his wife and cubs.

Rather than the conversation between father and son, could be him talking to a God above.  God offers plenty, but in the end he will learn the the world isn't perfect.  It is perfect in its own way.

He was leaving to find true meaning to life.  Though he's found it realizing that traveling alone, he misses his family.  His family is his true meaning to his life.

There are trials along the way, but those that can be triumphed. 

Bibliography:  Life of Buddha: The Great Truths by Andre Ferdinand Herold.  Link to Reading.

Week 4 Storytelling: The Magic of Family

Hi everyone, my name is Kentigern Roberts, but y’all can call me Kent.  I have twin brothers (Sander and Sage) and loving parents (Virginia and Gary), we also have a pet robin named Red.  I’m only 12 years old and not your average kid.  My parents picked me out of a crowd of children, to be their new son.  Yes, I am adopted.  For this very reason I feel like they always give me special treatment.  I’m not sure whether I deserve it or not, but I know I never want to upset them because they might throw me away like every other family has.  But…this isn’t necessarily about my parents. 

(Being the Sap in the Family.  Flickr.)

Journal Entry #44

It has been a while since I have written.  Adjusting to my new family is a tad rough around the edges.  I don't think my brothers like me very much.  They've definitely been giving me crap since I moved a week ago.  I'm used to it since I've been around so many kids and teenagers.

--“Hey four eyes!  Mom told us to do their laundry and the dishes.  Why don’t you do the laundry while Sage and I do the dishes?” Sander asks, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

That’s strange, this is the first time he’s asked me something without throwing anything at me or bullying me. 

-- "Sure." I bravely accept.

I go into the parent’s room to grab their dirty laundry basket to put into the washer.  As I am loading up the washer, I notice the detergent jug looks tampered with.  I pour some into a cup and smell it closely.  It is pure bleach and baking soda mixed into it.  Hm….

--“Stop kidding yourself Sander, I’m sure he’s found out already.”  Sage nudges Sander’s elbow as Sander’s snickering while rinsing the dishes.  “What?  I’m sure he fell for it, it’s pretty easy to miss.” Sander snarks back.

All of the laundry finishes and I begin to fold the clothes, “You’re already done?”  He asks me, his eyebrows scrunched in with wonder.  “Of course, it shouldn’t take more than two hours to finish a couple loads.”  I smile back in response.  “Dang…”  He muffles to himself as he walks away.

--“Arrghhh! Sage you were right, he figured it out!”  Sander shouts at Sage as he enters their room, slamming the door behind him.   “I told you, he’s smarter than he seems.”  Sage replies, laughing. 

Journal Entry #47

I was right from the start.  They have definitely been giving me crap because I’m new to the family and they don’t want me here.  I just don’t get it.  I mean I know I’m not their real brother, but I haven’t done anything wrong to them.  What could it be?  Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut and go along with whatever they tell me and try not to upset them too.  Let’s see how this goes.

Journal Entry #48

It’s warm out..a little breezy, just like Spring should be.  Our parents decided to take my brothers and I to the park with our little Red in her cage.  Red’s incredibly smart for a bird.  They’re never afraid to let her fly free, because they know she will always come back to us.  I am truly lucky to be a part of this family….

--“Catch!”  Sage shouts as he’s throwing the football towards me.  I reluctantly catch it, letting it hit my chest.  “Nice catch!” He shouts again, smiling.  He seems to be the friendlier one out of the two, but I still don’t know about him.

--“Meow~~” A cat appears, purring and rubbing it’s body against my legs.  “You’re cute.”  I tell him as I pet him behind the ears.

Sage and Sander notice the cat and whisper to each other. 

Sage and I play catch with each other and I realize Sander and Red are missing…the cat too.  Mom and dad are on their picnic blanket just enjoying each other’s company. 

--Sage stops us, “I need to go to the bathroom.” I nod my head towards him.  Sage runs toward the recreation building and I decide to search for Sander.  I go behind the building and see Sander running passed me towards Mom and Dad, he smirks at me, “Mom!  Dad!  Look what Kent did!!”  Showing them the cat, a piece of Red’s feather sticking out of its mouth….

--“He fed Red to the cat!!”  Horrified, mom begins to sob, while dad sullenly walks toward me and asks if I did such a thing.  “I promise I didn’t! I was only gone for a brief moment!”  I tell him distraughtly, shaking my head and my hands at him, tears slowly forming.  Sage heads over from the bathroom.  “What happened??”

I don’t know how else to prove that it wasn’t me.  Out of impulse, I grab the cat, kneel on the floor and open its mouth to see if Red is there or swallowed.  She was swallowed so I squeeze his body and try to get her out. I squeeze and squeeze, suddenly she pops out!

--“Please don’t be dead…please don’t be dead!” I sob as I pick Red up.  Tears rolling down my cheeks, my glasses fogging up, I rub my eyes and with a flinch…Red perks up and by God’s graces..she starts talking!  My tears brought her back to more than just life!  Not only does she begin to talk, but so does the cat.  They begin to tell us all what truly happened…

Journal Entry #60

It’s been a few days since the incident.  I think they’ve learned their lesson, because they haven’t messed with me since.  After bringing Red home, we decided to take the cat in as well, seeming that he didn’t have a collar or tag.  Becoming a part of the family wasn’t so bad after all.

Author's Note:  I chose to write about the story of Saint Kentigern and the Robin for this unit.  It is a story about a young boy who went to an all boys school and was praised by one of their elder Saints.  He was always a good kid and the other boys envied him.  So jealous, they always bullied him and tried framing him.  In the end, they never got what they wanted.  My story is quite similar.  I didn't want to stray away too much because the base of the story tells true that we shouldn't bully anyone for anything.  The truth will always come out in all sorts of ways unimaginable.  I decided to write it in first person, because we often don't understand why we get bullied and sometimes we just have to stay strong.  Most people keep to themselves when it happens, though I was limited by how much to write, I tried conveying his hurt and struggle.  Not so much in a way that he couldn't come out of it a stronger person in the end.  I also wrote in a way that everyone could differentiate between his narrations, journals and present conversations.  I hope you all enjoyed my version!! 

Bibliography: Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts by Abbie Farwell Brown.  Link to reading.