Learning Challenges

The funny thing about using health and happiness as a category is that it sometimes feels as though improving in all other areas is the key to happiness and therefore focusing on happiness means focusing on all areas. And so one can assume that if happiness has an affect on health which I believe it does then happiness becomes a category above the rest. This may be an odd or even misguided perspective but I thought that the idea was worth sharing.

(The three keys to enjoying life)

With respect to the videos, the first video was very powerful. Scattering the beans across the floor and manipulating them in such a manner was very effective in showing how much time we might be wasting each year and also how much time we may have left. The second video was quite entertaining and funny, with a similar idea being expressed in a more humorous and lighthearted manner.
To excel in even one of the categories of the H.E.A.R.T. would cause a profound difference in the way a student spend their time. I am definitely interested in how this can be used to help me excel as a student.

Favorite Places: Philadelphia

Here is a photo of Philadelphia. The last one didn't seem to display properly.

(Philadelphia in Pennsylvania)

Growth Mindset

The growth mindset seems particularly useful for overcoming the paralysis that sometimes comes along with facing challenges. Sometimes not knowing right away what the best course of action is creates a fear and desire to avoid the challenge all together. But it seems that with growth mindset one would now be motivated or even compelled to be in such situations on a weekly if not daily basis.
Also, I can appreciate such an approach for its potential for helping people to overcome failure. Our ability to make bold moves in the future is greatly influenced by how we process failure.

(The cha-cha dance)

Personally, some of my greatest learning challenges at college involve figuring out the order of how I accomplish tasks. Deciding which task is most pressing and how much time should be delegated to each is often a great source of anxiety. I look forward to exploring how this mindset can help me understand more about how I should tackle such issues.
I actually have the "Mindset" book by Dr. Dweck. Hopefully the exercises in this class will motivate me to practice the principles from the book as I continue reading.

Storybook Favorites

I have chosen 3 storybooks that reflect my personal interests as well as issues that I believe are still relevant in today's society.

Due to my appreciation of crime dramas and mystery stories I could not avoid the "CSI: Indian Epics" and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Mystery of the Missing River" storybooks.

During the introduction the reader is immediately thrust into the world crafted by the writer with a mysterious journal.

(Image Information: Made in Paint. Original Photo Source: Pinterest)

As the title suggests, the CSI themed storybook gives accounts of the deaths of Drona, Karna and Bhishma in a clever way that relates to actual crime scene investigation and autopsy procedures. the method used to convey the information in the form of a report helps to build the tone of a crime drama while at the same time making the information very easy to follow. 

~~~

"The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Mystery of the Missing River" definitely stood out to me due to my following of all recent Sherlock Holmes television and movie titles. The writer shows knowledge of the popular characters in his introduction that is sure to attract fans of the Arthur Conan O'Doyle stories.

The font used in displaying text to the reader helps to a create a very classic and elegant portrayal of the story which reflects the timeless appeal of the Holmes mysteries. The information is very easy to follow and concise. There is also an appropriate use of images which does not distract the reader too much from the story while effective in bringing the eye's focus to the center of the page where is segment of the story begins.

~~~

The final storybook that I chose, "Tales of Strength and Struggles" is very relevant because it touches gender discrimination and double standards for women which are still very persistent issues today. The struggle of the women as well as their journey of growth and acceptance even after death creates a poignant yet triumphant drama. 

I believe that the writer uses the fantasy and wonder of the heavens in a clever way so as to gather all the necessary key figures in the story. This storybook may appeal to the modern reader as it touches on a tender spot for many communities in which women are treated unfairly.

Indian Epics Course Overview

I am planning to read R. K. Narayan's Ramayana. I have already purchased the book and I also believe that I learn better from studying with physical copies rather than electronics copies. The modern style may also help with understanding the text since I have never taken a course on epics since studying  Beowulf in high school.

In my home country Diwali is recognized as a public holiday. Much of what I know about Indian culture stems from the description of this holiday and the stories told around that time of year. There are also channels available that present Indian plays and Bollywood all day.

Growing up as a Catholic, the Bible would be the sacred religious text that I have been most exposed to in my life.I do have some relatives that follow Islam so I have been exposed to the Qur'an on occasion. While I do have some Indian heritage on my mother's side we were not exposed to a lot of Indian culture and we are not in regular contact with our distant relatives from India.

I have chosen to include the image entitled "Krishna Holds Up Mount Govardhan". This image stood out to me because it reminded me of the Titan Atlas in Greek mythology who was tasked with holding up the sky.

(Krishna Holds Up Mount Govardhan

Date: ca. 1590–95; present-day Pakistan, probably Lahore

Metropolitan Museum of Art.)

Introduction to an Information Security Analyst

Hello everyone, my name is Eaton Baptiste. I'm a senior here at OU. Currently I am studying Management Information Systems with the intention of becoming a security analyst, but I'm still not sure what company would be the best fit for me.




When I am not learning about new programming languages and networks I enjoy sketching. I sometimes draw pictures for people as gifts not because I think that I am a great artist but because I think that putting thought and energy into something is the best way to make a gift meaningful and that is what I try to do with my pictures. I prefer to sketch animals.

Also, I enjoy running. My distance right now is not too long but I entered a 5k race last semester which was progress for me even though I only placed in the first couple hundred out of 800 people. Sometimes its best to get a group of people together for running because it helps to keep the motivation going (especially when its freezing outside).

Even though I am not American I have a few relatives here in the U.S.. During the summer I might visit Boston to see my great grandmother and aunts or New York to visit my uncle. When I was a kid it was pretty typical for our family to visit amusement parks like Six Flags New Jersey or New Hampshire during the summer.

Just a few random things about me:
 - I am a strong proponent of the three day weekend and hope to pioneer this in my home country some day.
 - Mystery novels are some of my favorite reading books.
 - I watch a lot of movies.
 - I hope that Leonardo Dicaprio finally wins an Oscar for "The Revenant".

I look forward to the new year and I hope that you all have a good one too.

10 Cyber Security Facts - WMNews Ep. 4

Who else watches Jimmy Kimmel Live!?

Week 1 Storytelling: A Farmer's Tale

HERCULES AND THE WAGONER

A Farmer was driving his wagon along a miry country road after a heavy rain. The horses could hardly drag the load through the deep mud, and at last came to a standstill when one of the wheels sank to the hub in a rut.

The farmer climbed down from his seat and stood beside the wagon looking at it but without making the least effort to get it out of the rut. All he did was to curse his bad luck and call loudly on Hercules to come to his aid. Then, it is said, Hercules really did appear, saying:

"Put your shoulder to the wheel, man, and urge on your horses. Do you think you can move the wagon by simply looking at it and whining about it? Hercules will not help unless you make some effort to help yourself."

And when the farmer put his shoulder to the wheel and urged on the horses, the wagon moved very readily, and soon the Farmer was riding along in great content and with a good lesson learned.

Self help is the best help.

Heaven helps those who help themselves.

~~~

Looking at his broken down wagon, the farmer lamented his poor fortune and pleaded with the Gods to help him. 

"Oh great ones up high," said the farmer, "I have worked to long and hard to get this wagon over the hill, please do not let all my work go to waste"

(A great warrior appears)

However, instead of a god the great Hercules appeared before him, suspiciously pale with a cane in hand. Refusing to help unless the man himself made a greater effort, the farmer was tasked with moving the wheels himself. The farmer pleaded once more:

"But surely with your incredible strength I need not struggle with this wagon myself. Did you not arrive to rescue me from this stroke of bad luck"

The farmer was met with a piercing gaze and the warrior Hercules refused once more, urging the farmer to put his own strength to the test.

"Put your shoulder to the wheel, man, and urge on your horses. Do you think you can move the wagon by simply looking at it and whining about it? Hercules will not help unless you make some effort to help yourself."

Reluctantly the farmer placed his skinny, feeble hands on the wagon and with a deep breath began to push while urging the horses to move. It was at this moment that something unbelievable occurred. 

The wagon which, moments ago, felt rooted to the ground refusing to budge even an inch, was now being casually pushed up the hill as though being carried by twenty horses. But it was none other than the modest farmer, shocked at his own strength as he began forcing the wagon across the path with a single hand. 

Growing in strength with each step, by the time the farmer got over the hill, he grabbed the wagon once more with his right hand and lifted the entire object several feet off the ground with a deceptive display of ease. He gazed at Hercules as though expecting an answer to this miracle.

"What magic is this great warrior," said the man "that a mere farmer such as I may lift this wagon off the ground and feel only the weight of a feather?"

Hercules explained to him that his being there was not simply to help the man but also to help himself:

"I am slowly dying from a curse for which even the Gods themselves have no remedy. My father Zeus took pity on me and agreed to bestow my powers upon one that I deem worthy. I must confess that I have been watching you for some time now. I have borne witness to your many acts of kindness and so I have come to see you accept this power in person."

And so the farmer named Anicetus accepted this gift and set forth throughout the land doing good in the name of Hercules.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

The fable used here is meant to teach the lesson that there is great value in helping oneself before trying to request help from others. In the fable the farmer is able to use his own strength to push the wagon. But this only occurs because Hercules helps him to realize his own strength. Therefore, I decided to take a much more literal approach to the idea of the farmer discovering strength through Hercules. Also, the farmer is named after one of the sons that is born after Hercules dies and becomes a god. I thought that using this the name Anicetus would add greater meaning to the idea that the farmer carries on Hercules' legacy just as a son may do for his father.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

The story is based on the fable "Hercules and the Wagoner" in Aesop for Children, by (anonymous), illustrated by Milo Winter (1919)

Parlatuvier Bay, Philadelphia, Monteverde..... Favorite Places

I grew up in Trinidad and Tobago, a Caribbean nation off the coast of Venezuela. Going to the beach was a great way to spend the holidays.

(Parlatuvier Bay in Tobago:

Wikipedia)

I have many relatives in the U.S.. I have spent a lot of time in some of the states near the east coast, particularly Pennsylvania.

(Philadelphia in Pennsylvania:

Creativity Cosmos)

When I was 16 years old, I traveled to Costa Rica for a two-year study abroad program. During our yearly "Project Week" we visited a rain forest called Monteverde in order to build drainage systems and walkways for tourists.

(Monteverde in Costa Rica:

Costa Rica Experts)