Wiki Trail: From Drake and Josh to Nickelodeon

Drake and Josh:
I started with Drake and Josh because I used to watch that show as a kid.

Amanda Show:
I also used to watch the Amanda Show, which is where Drake and Josh got their start.

iCarly:
This is the spin-off show that Miranda Cosgrove got after her role in Drake and Josh.

Nickelodeon:
This is the network in which all these shows aired. Nickelodeon was probably my most watched network as a kid.

Nickelodeon

Fortune Cookie Tech Tip

Fortune Cookie

Biography: My Workout Partner

 I once had a friend who wanted to workout with me. I frequent the gym often, so I am in pretty good shape. My muscles are used to the demand I put them through. They have built up endurance, and they do not typically get too sore after my daily workouts. Well my friend, Josh, does not typically workout. However he wanted to make a change and be more active with me. I warned him that he would be very sore throughout week one. Luckily, he listened to my warning and prepared himself. He survived week one, and to this day, I still have Josh as my workout partner.

Note: I am thankful to have a buddy that enjoys working out with me and staying in shape. It is truly beneficial to both of us.

Bench press

Microfiction: The Break Up

Hint: John and Katie had a misunderstanding. Luckily, they were able to talk it out and make up.

Drabble: Katie got a little too drunk at a party and passed out on the couch. John was ready to leave so he went looking for his girlfriend, Katie. He eventually found her sleeping on the couch next to another guy. John was upset, but woke up Katie and took her home. He was accusing at first, but after Katie explained herself that she fell asleep while the couch was unoccupied, John forgave her.

Note: A story about relationship troubles. This was fortunately overcome by communication, listening, and love.

Relationship trouble

Week 7: Enhancing The Frogs and the Kitten Story

New Version in Portfolio

There once was a small little peaceful pond just beyond some trees. Three little frogs lived there. The three siblings loved to cross the pond by jumping on lily pads as they floated across the water. They loved racing across the water by waiting for the pads to line up and hopping across them. One day they encountered a friendly little kitten by their pond. This kitten had played all the games around his home and mastered them all. His name was Chester. Chester was the most athletic kitten of his home and needed new games and competition to occupy his time and test his skills. He noticed the young frogs playing their lily pad game and approached them casually.

"Hello there frogs," Chester said politely. "What is it that you're playing?"

The frogs responded, "We are racing across the pond on these lily pads to see which of us is the fastest! Would you like to try?"

Of course Chester wanted to try! He wanted to be the fastest to cross the pond!

So the frogs showed him how it was done. They had to jump on a lily pad, wait for the next one to float by, then jump on it and wait to repeat the process. "It's a game of patience, speed, skill, and agility!" The frogs said excitedly.

"I am fast, skillful, and agile!" The kitten responded as he was practicing. "I think I'm ready to beat you three!"

"Are you sure you're ready? We have been doing this for a while. Are you sure you don't want more practice?" The frogs said. "The pond can be dangerous if you were to fall in. Can you swim?"

"I don't need to swim!" Replied the kitten. "I am going to win without touching a single drop!"

So the four of them lined up on the bank of the pond eager to race to see who was the best. At the start of the race, the kitten pulled ahead. He was faster than the frogs, so he was able to quickly hop across the lily pads that were grouped together. As they reached the middle of the pond, the lily pads grew farther and farther apart. The kitten had to wait on the pads to come closer, but the frogs could jump farther and reach the pads before they were close enough for the kitten to reach. By this point, one frog pulled ahead of the kitten. The kitten was doing all he could to catch up, but with the spacing of the lily pads, the frog's lead grew. The kitten started making riskier and riskier jumps to catch the frog.

"Be careful Chester," the frogs said, "those jumps are dangerous. Please don't fall in."

"Don't worry," Chester replied, " just a little more!"

Chester was gaining on the lead frog, but the finish line was coming up fast.

Chester made one last risky jump to retake the lead, but the lily pad wasn't quite close enough. He fell in the pond. Chester paddled and splashed, but he kept sinking lower into the water. The frogs jumped in after him, but they were not strong enough to save poor Chester.

Chester, the kitten, was just too competitive. He couldn't stand to lose, and he didn't have the patience to wait for the lily pads to come closer to him. His mistakes cost him the ultimate price.

The frog and lily pads

Author's Note:
I got the inspiration to write this story from the Talking Turtle and the Geese. In that story, the turtle always had to get a word in even when it was against his best interest. He annoyed may of the creatures around him with his constant yapping, but he made friends with the geese. The geese knew of a mountainous area where they migrated every winter with plenty of room where no other creatures could hear you. The geese knew how much the turtle loved to talk, so they offered to help carry the turtle up to the mountains with them. Their plan was to carry a stick between their beaks, and the turtle could bite the stick to hitch a ride with them. The turtle could live out his talkative days in the mountains and could talk to his heart's content. On their journey, some boys were poking fun at the turtle for riding along with geese. Unfortunately, the turtle could not keep his mouth shut, and he released the branch for a rebuttal. He fell to his death on the journey. I added my own twist by changing the animals and setting, but I still taught a lesson about discipline and patience that both the turtle and kitten lacked.

From Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt

Mahabharata PDE Part D

Mahabharata Online: Public Domain Edition Part D

Arnold, Besant, Devee, Dutt, Ganguli, Kincaid, Macfie, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Seeger, and Tagore.

Bhishma in battle

Bhishma is killed in battle. Abhimanyu is killed while trapped alone behind the enemy lines, and Arjuna seeks revenge. Many loved ones are lost and the pandavas use trickery to their advantage.

Karna takes command of the bad army, and Bhima seeks revenge for the treatment of draupadi. Arjuna kills karna after a long battle.

Many warriors seek revenge and attack throughout the night. Bhishma gets to choose the moment of his death, so he waits so that he can instruct the survivors on how to rule the kingdom before he goes. Yudhistra seeks kingship by a horse sacrifice. After Krishna's death, the Pandavas and Draupadi decide to leave earth and leave the kingdom in the hands of Parikshit, Arjuna's grandson. Yudistra must pass a final test. He goes to hell to be united with his brothers and this is followed by then all going ot heaven and Dyrod going to hell.

Mahabharata Online: PDE Part C

Mahabharata Online: Public Domain Edition Part C

Arnold, Besant, Devee, Dutt, Ganguli, Kincaid, Macfie, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Seeger, and Tagore.

Draupadi and the Pandavas in the forest

The Pandavas must now enter a long period of exile. pandavas run in Hanuman on one of their adventurous journeys while exiled. Hanuman was also from the Ramayana. 

Draupadi struggles with the dangers of being a woman during the time of exile. They rescue her after the kidnapping.

The Pandavas enter their final year of exile in which they must spend in hiding, not to be recognized. More trouble for draupadi as there is another rape attempt and her husbands can do nothing bc they are in hiding.

The exile is over and the pandavas want a vengeful war. Many diplomatic attempts are made but the conflict is escalating to an approaching war. Both sides are reluctant to fight their family, but the battle begins anyway.

Biography: Night Driving

I once had a friend that was had a blindness when night driving. After dinner, they asked one of us to drive us all back home. Apparently, they claimed to be blind when night driving. Unfortunately, we didn't believe them, and we made them drive. They went to make a turn, and they told me they took a mental note that they usually turn too wide. So in this instance, they intentionally made a sharper angle for the left turn. Unfortunately, there was a median, so they needed to take it wider. We immediately are looking at oncoming traffic, and my friend swerves right and hits a street sign in the median. That's was the last time we made them drive at night!

Note: I wanted to tell the scary story of crashing with my friend driving at night. I never knew they had night blindness, but I will never underestimate that again!

Night Driving

Wikipedia Trail: From Blank to Blank

Call of Duty:
I started with Call of Duty because they recently released a new update for their latest game Modern Warfare.

Modern Warfare:
This led me to read more about the current game, Modern Warfare. The campaign plot was based off real-life events like the Syrian Civil War.

Syrian Civil War:
This conflict is what the fictional war being fought in Modern Warfare is based upon. This takes place in Syria, nearby countries, and London in the video game.

Casualties of the Syrian Civil War:

The Syrian Civil War is actually the second deadliest war of the 21st century! This comes in second only to the Second Congo War that concluded in 2003.

Syrian War

Tech Tip: Newspaper

Newspaper Clip

Microfiction: A Nightmare

Six-word: He couldn't swim. Luckily, he awoke.

Hint fiction: He tried to stay afloat but couldn't tread water any longer. He sank and drowned. He awoke flustered but thankful it was only a dream.

Note: I wanted to contrast two ways to tell a story about a drowning nightmare. Fortunately it was only just a dream in the end. Or was it?

Drowning

StoryLab Microfiction: The Gambler

6-word: The man rolled. The man lost.

Dribble: The old gambler was known throughout the land for his fatal flaw, gambling. He loved the rush. He loved the prizes. He loved the risk. He once had it all, but gambled it all away. His wife, his riches, and his kingdom.

Note: I told a story about an old gambler. He loved what he had in life, but he loved gambling more. It was his fatal flaw, and he made a fool of himself and his life because of it.

Gambling

Reading Notes: Mahabharata Part B

Mahabharata Online: Public Domain Edition Part B

Arnold, Besant, Devee, Dutt, Ganguli, Kincaid, Macfie, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Seeger, and Tagore.

Battle of Kurukshetra

Duryodhana's attempt to kill the pandavas appears successful but really isnt. Vidura is the brother of Pandu and dhritarasha. he is loyal to the pandavas.

the pandavas escaped with a hidden passage into the wilderness. Wife of the 5 pandavas!!

Y brother becomes king of another ally kingdom and somehow Duryod learns that the pandavas are still alive and is enraged.

Mayasura builds an amazing palace for the Pandavas. Duryod challenges Y bro to a gambling match that he isnt allowed to refuse, and he gambles away his wife and kingdom.

Reading Notes: Mahabharata Part A

Mahabharata Online: Public Domain Edition Part A

Arnold, Besant, Devee, Dutt, Ganguli, Kincaid, Macfie, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Seeger, and Tagore.

Battle of Kurukshetra

Even though Bhishma obtained wives for Vichitravirya, this did not result in sons who could carry on the Bharata dynasty. Unfortunately, Vichitravirya died before Ambika or Ambalika had any children.

Dhritarashtra (blind) and his brother (half-brother) Pandu (pale) (throne)

king pandu kills a sage accidently and is cursed. Duryodhana is the son of Dhritarashtra (leader of 100 demons) and sparks the hatred between the pandavas and the Kauravas.

after pandu's death, the two sets of sons (cousins) are raised together. Bhima is dhritarashtra's strongest son, but Yudhishthira is the eldest son and gets the throne.

Wiki Trail: GTA to Southern California

Grand Theft Auto:
I started my search with Grand Theft Auto. I have started playing the most recent video game GTA 5. I play it with my younger brother, and we help each other with the missions.

GTA 5:
My search led me to the wikipedia page of the current video game I have been playing.

Los Angeles:
The game takes place in Los Santos which is actually just a renamed version of Los Angeles, CA.

Southern California:
I then concluded my research by reading a bit about southern California.

Talking Owl Tech Tip

Animated Owl

Major Trouble Biography

I started college wanting to become an engineer. I didn't really know if I truly wanted to do engineering, but my academic strengths were in math and science. So I originally majored in biomedical engineering and enjoyed my course work. During the fall of my sophomore year, I was made aware that the biomedical engineering degree program was not yet ABET accredited. ABET is a national engineering association that approves degree plans to ensure they meet national standards and produce competent engineers. Without an ABET degree, it is difficult to get internships and a professional engineering license. I met with the director of the chemical engineering department, and he allowed me to switch majors without falling behind in my coursework. This allowed me to keep my graduation date on time with an ABET accredited chemical engineering degree!

Choosing Majors

Author's Note:
I like telling people this story. I think it illustrates to people that you can still change your major if need be even into your sophomore year! I had some fortunate help from the director, but I was still able to keep the same graduation date without delays.

Skydiving Microfiction

Six-word:
He flew. He jumped. He fell.

Dribble:
John always wanted to skydive. He boarded the plane and put on his parachute. When instructed, he jumped out of the plane and felt the air rush past him. He deployed his parachute and landed safely on the ground.

Skydiving

Author's Note:
I wanted to write a happy microfiction, so I wrote about John's first time skydiving. He has always wanted to do it, and he was able to have a fun, safe, experience.

Week 5 Story: The Frogs and the Kitten

New Version in Portfolio

There once was a small little peaceful pond just beyond some trees. Three little frogs lived there. The three siblings loved to cross the pond by jumping on lily pads as they floated across the water. They loved racing across the water by waiting for the pads to line up and hopping across them. One day they encountered a friendly little kitten by their pond. This kitten had played all the games around his home and mastered them all. His name was Chester. Chester was the most athletic kitten of his home and needed new games and competition to occupy his time and test his skills. He noticed the young frogs playing their lily pad game and approached them casually.

"Hello there frogs," Chester said politely. "What is it that you're playing?"

The frogs responded, "We are racing across the pond on these lily pads to see which of us is the fastest! Would you like to try?"

Of course Chester wanted to try! He wanted to be the fastest to cross the pond!

So the frogs showed him how it was done. They had to jump on a lily pad, wait for the next one to float by, then jump on it and wait to repeat the process. "It's a game of patience, speed, skill, and agility!" The frogs said excitedly.

"I am fast, skillful, and agile!" The kitten responded as he was practicing. "I think I'm ready to beat you three!"

"Are you sure you're ready? We have been doing this for a while. Are you sure you don't want more practice?" The frogs said. "The pond can be dangerous if you were to fall in. Can you swim?"

"I don't need to swim!" Replied the kitten. "I am going to win without touching a single drop!"

So the four of them lined up on the bank of the pond eager to race to see who was the best. At the start of the race, the kitten pulled ahead. He was faster than the frogs, so he was able to quickly hop across the lily pads that were grouped together. As they reached the middle of the pond, the lily pads grew farther and farther apart. The kitten had to wait on the pads to come closer, but the frogs could jump farther and reach the pads before they were close enough for the kitten to reach. By this point, one frog pulled ahead of the kitten. The kitten was doing all he could to catch up, but with the spacing of the lily pads, the frog's lead grew. The kitten started making riskier and riskier jumps to catch the frog.

"Be careful Chester," the frogs said, "those jumps are dangerous. Please don't fall in."

"Don't worry," Chester replied, " just a little more!"

Chester was gaining on the lead frog, but the finish line was coming up fast.

Chester made one last risky jump to retake the lead, but the lily pad wasn't quite close enough. He fell in the pond. Chester paddled and splashed, but he kept sinking lower into the water. The frogs jumped in after him, but they were not strong enough to save poor Chester.

Chester, the kitten, was just too competitive. He couldn't stand to lose, and he didn't have the patience to wait for the lily pads to come closer to him. His mistakes cost him the ultimate price.

The frog and lily pads

Author's Note:
I got the inspiration to write this story from the Talking Turtle and the Geese. In that story, the turtle always had to get a word in. He annoyed may of the creatures around him, but he made friends with the geese. The geese knew how much the turtle loved to talk, so they offered to carry a stick to the mountains where the turtle could talk to his heart's content. The turtle could bite the stick and live out his talkative days in the mountains. Unfortunately, the turtle could not keep his mouth shut, and he released the branch and fell to his death on the journey. I added my own twist, but still taught a lesson at the end of the story.

From Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt

Reading: Sita Sings the Blues

This reading was a refreshing and unique perspective of the Ramayana. I enjoyed the side story of Dave and Nina as well as how the narrators would argue about the plot of the story. The animations cracked me up. I really enjoyed the visual version of the story. I found a lot of differences between my envisionment of the characters and the movie's.

I also liked actually seeing the wise elder teach Rama and Sita's kids in the forest. I felt like the written version did not go into much depth. I liked seeing the parallel between the Ramayana and the story between Nina and Dave. It still makes me sad that after all the trouble, they still did not live happily ever after together.

Author: Nina Paley

Title: Sita Sings the Blues

Year: 2008

Wikipedia Trail: From KC Chiefs to NFL

Kansas City Chiefs: 
I started by reading about the Chiefs after their Super Bowl victory last night.

Super Bowl LIV:
I then followed the trail and read about the game that took place last night. That included reading about both teams' seasons and the stats from the game.

San Francisco 49ers:
I then read about the Chief's competition. I felt bad for Kyle Shanahan because his team blew the lead last night as well as a few years ago when they lost the 2017 Super Bowl to the Patriots.

National Football League:
I then looked and read about some NFL history and fun facts.

NFL Symbol

Tech Tip: Ninja Text

This was super fun to create!

Ninja Text Generator

Learning Challenge: Happiness Jar Part 2

I greatly enjoyed the happiness jar challenge. At the end of the week, I was able to reflect on the things I am thankful for in my life. It was a great positive note to end my week on. My favorite piece I wrote down was the small blocks of time that I got to spend talking with my mom, dad, and little brother. I often take these moments for granted, but I was glad to reflect on these moments and cherish them. I would recommend this challenge to everyone.

The Happy Jar from Pinterest

Biography: My First Home Run

I stepped up to the plate with the game on the line. We were down one run with a runner on first base. The pitcher wound up and released a high and tight fast ball. I did not think. I just reacted. I trusted my hands, and they did not steer me wrong. I connected with the pitch and followed through with my swing. It was a deep fly ball to left field. I began my jog to first base, but realized the ball travelled over the fence. I had hit my first homerun, and it helped my team win by one run.

Author's Note:
I wanted to give a step by step perspective of my first homerun. It was a great moment for my team and I, and I wanted to share it with you.

Homerun

Microfiction: Quick Baseball Story

Six word: Swing, crack, ball flew off bat.

Hint Fiction: The pitch comes in. The batter swings hard. The bat smacks the ball, and the ball flies over the fence!

Author's Note: I wanted to write a brief baseball story. I tasked myself with a quick story, and then one with a bit more detail.

Baseball Bat

Comment Wall

To my portfolio project: https://sites.google.com/view/indianportfoliotales/dakka

Shurpanakha tempts Rama