Tech Tip: Mac Productivity Apps

Lately, I have been experimenting with my computer and downloading apps I think might be helpful throughout my college career. I found a few apps that are very helpful and HIGHLY recommend:

1. Dr. Cleaner: saves space on your computer by deleting junk files and optimizing space at your convenience. I was always having trouble with storage space on my computer and this app was a LIFESAVER!! It is located on the toolbar, and it tells you how much space you are using and allows you to clean it immediately without deleting anything important.

2. Magnet: lets you multitask on your computer by creating different sized windows. It snaps the windows into place and lets you share the screen with at most 3 other windows.

3. myHomework: great way to stay organized on your computer! It is basically an agenda and has color coding and different categories so this is definitely a must-have for the organizing freaks like me!

Portfolio Table of Contents

I am planning to have a theme of similar stories, although I am not sure what that theme is yet. I like the idea of a portfolio that has a continuous flow to it, where, even though the stories aren't related to eachother, they have the same main idea.

Scarlet and Flynn: This is a story about an unexpected young love. Based on Apuleius's characters Cupid and Psyche, Scarlet and Flynn are mysterious teenagers who just want to fit in.

The Mountain of Flowers and Fruits: The Monkey King uses his magical powers to try to stop a government plot to wipe-out the last talking monkey species.

When the Storm God Rides: When a hurricane hits during their family reunion, the twins, Joey and Elliot, listen to the story of the Storm God and his bird Hurakan.

Rockabye Baby: After the mother dies in child birth, the father is left to take care of their newborn daughter. These are his journal entries throughout the tragedy.

The Fox and the Ox: An ambitious frog named Puff is washed away from the safety of his home in the sewers of France and is thrown into the giant world.

Story: The Fox and the Ox

The Frog and the Ox illustrated by John Rae.

I chose this picture because the perspective of the drawing, which is from the original story, makes the frog almost appear as large as the ox. The frog in the story thinks he is as big as the fox, so I thought the picture was relevant.

A frog named Puff lived in a corner of Croaky Cavern with his family. Croaky Cavern is an underground frog civilization that has been thriving in the sewers of Paris for over one hundred years. Puff and his family had never left Croaky Cavern and they didn’t intend to because, to them, it was paradise. Also, they had heard the horror stories from other frogs who had travelled beyond the sewer. Everyone who left Croaky Cavern always returned with the same response: “I felt so small and invisible.” This, however, did not crush Puff’s dreams of one day venturing outside of Croaky Cavern and exploring the world.

            Before our story began, Puff spent most his days alone on a lily pad or seeking his family’s approval; he was born the runt of the family, so he was constantly being overshadowed by his siblings. He knew that his parents had other children to take care of too, but Puff simply wanted them to notice him. However, there was one minor detail that put him at a disadvantage: he thought he was big. Now, when I say “big,” I mean elephant-big, not bullfrog-big. Puff’s sight was distorted at birth and his depth perception had been skewed ever since. Until now, Puff had never come in contact with larger animals, since the only creatures he knew were the other frogs and occasional rats who lived in the sewer. This was what kept Puff’s belief that he was big alive. He also wanted to make a big difference in the world. He knew that even though he was small, he could take on the world like any giant animals would. His voice could be heard at night echoing throughout the sewer. “See me puff!” he would call out to his brothers and sisters. He blew up like a pufferfish and Puff was convinced that doing this made him become giant. His family would laugh at him, but it never discouraged Puff.

            One night, a rumbling came from one end of the sewer. Puff had been awake practicing his puffing, when the water hit him like a wall. The sewer was completely full of rushing water, sweeping away everything in its path, including Croaky Cavern. Puff could swim underwater, but the current made it nearly impossible to see anything. He had no idea where his parents were, and he knew they would probably never see each other again. After minutes of struggling, Puff finally shut his eyes and let the water carry him far, far away from the only place he had ever known.

            Puff’s squishy body slammed against the hard earth and he was jolted awake. He must have dozed off during his strangely peaceful ride through the tunnels of France. The sun was beating down on him now, which was strange, but, not unfamiliar to Puff. The occasional ray of sunshine would stream through the sewer grate when he lived in Croaky Cavern, and Puff had always enjoyed these moments when he could bask in the sun. Now, Puff could hear and see thousands of frogs all around him. Finding his parents would be like finding a needle in a haystack, so he decided to seek shade under the nearest tree. Puff stopped by a furry, brown mass, an ox, and croaked at it to start a conversation.

            No response.

            Puff croaked again.

            No response.

            He knew what he had to do and he blew himself up like a pufferfish.

            The brown mass, which turned out to be an ox, heard the rustling in the grass near her foot and looked down at Puff.

            “Hi! My name is Puff! What’s your name?”

            The ox responded in a low, sultry voice, “I’m Oxanne. You must be new around these parts!”

            Puff smiled and said, “Yes, I am. I was living in Croaky Cavern with my family before a giant storm washed me here. Speaking of giant, boy, am I glad to see someone like me for a change!”

            Oxanne tilted her head and asked, “And what do you mean by that, Puffy? I don’t think we could be any more opposite if we tried!”

            “We are both giants living in this giant world!”  responded Puff excitedly.

            Oxanne let out a loud howl and said, “Oh, baby, are you mistaken!” She kicked Puff with her back hoof and he landed on her back.

            Puff was utterly speechless. His feet had never left the ground, so this perspective was completely new to him.

            Oxanne said to Puff, “Honey, you are almost as small as the eye in my head; but that doesn’t mean you can’t be mighty. Actually, this reminds me of a little friend I met not too long ago. My calves and I were by the watering hole one day and a bird came plunging toward my baby’s backside. Luckily, I noticed before it got any closer and directed it the other way, but when the same bird returned later, I decided to ask him what he wanted. I told him that he is going to get himself killed if he continued to try for such large animals. He told me that he too was big and that the size of my babies didn’t intimidate him. I have heard of animals having this problem before, this miscommunication between the brain and the eyes that causes them to have problems with size and distance. I think you have this disorder, Puff, but with this, a passion has been born.”

            Puff asked, “What do you mean?”

            Oxanne looked at Puff and said something that he never forgot, “You have a passion and a desire to make a difference in this world. Just because you aren’t big doesn’t mean that you can’t make that same difference that, say, an elephant can make. I am going to help you, Puffy. I am going to help you make your mark.”

            Puff stared in disbelief at this ox he met mere minutes before. “What are you planning to do?”

            Oxanne replied, “We are going to travel and see everything there is to see. I have seen a lot in my days, but I have always wanted to travel with a friend. Let’s see, Puff, where shall we go first?”

Author's Note: The original story was a rhyme for children by W. T. Larned from the book "Fables in Rhyme for Little Folks." The stories are simple, but I wanted to add a personal touch with names, details, and a storyline. In the original story, a frog is constantly trying to impress his family and friends because he feared he was too small. He would puff up and on the last try, he blew too hard and exploded. Although the first story was still directed more towards children, I decided to change the ending to result in a newfound friendship. The character Puff that I created was unnamed in the nursery rhyme, but I based his name on the line from the original story, "'See me puff!'" I wrote this story with the intention of a young audience, so I kept the message and details light and positive. The main characters are Puff, an ambitious frog who thinks his is big, and Oxanne, a sassy ox who befriends Puff. Oxanne sees the potential in this small, but giant-minded frog and decides to go an adventure with him. Puff lost his entire family and Oxanne had nothing but time, so they decided to travel the world and go on the journey of a lifetime.

"Fables in Rhyme for Little Folks" by W. T. Larned.

Week 15 Class Improvements

I first want to say that Ms. Gibbs did a very good job at constantly keeping us informed and up to date on every assignment. Also, the feedback she gave was very personal to me every single week and I could always tell that she really enjoys her job!
I think that my only suggestion would be to include the story planning starting at the beginning of the semester. Also, this could expand our portfolios to include more stories because if the students have Wednesday-Sunday to plan and write their story, they can then include it in their portfolio! I know that as a Journalism student, I chose this class to expand my knowledge of mythology and writing in general and I plan to use some of my stories that I wrote this semester in my portfolio for the real world! It is good to show creativity in your portfolios and to show that you can write in many different types of styles. By putting more stories in the portfolio, this could definitely help students after college if they are looking to get published!

Portfolio: When the Storm God Rides

Joey and Elliot couldn't have been more excited to spend the Fourth of July weekend at the beach with their entire family. It was a family reunion that was held every ten years, so this was the twins' first time, as they had just turned eight. They peered out opposite windows as their father drove over the channel in the direction of the sea wall. Although the water wasn't crystal-clear, they still couldn't wait for that first jump into the gulf. Joey and Elliot had been coming to Galveston since they were babies, but something about this trip was going to be different.

As soon as they arrived at the house they had rented, the twins leapt out of the car and scrambled upstairs to claim the best room before the rest of the family got there. They threw their bags on the bunk beds and immediately changed into their swim trunks.

“Last one in the water’s a rotten egg!” Elliot yelled to Joey and the boys took off racing towards the vast Gulf of Mexico.

The water was cooler than normal with what seemed like a storm brewing in the distance. The twins played undistracted in the water and sand for two hours, until they heard the voice of their mother telling them to come in before the weather got any worse. They looked up at the sky, wondering how long they would have to wait inside. It was an odd color, somewhere between blue and yellow, but not quite green. As they ran into the house, the thunder began. They barely made it to the door before the skies started to open up. They ran up the stairs, slipping all over the hardwood. The entire family was in either the kitchen or the family room, with a grand total of 51 people. Some of the cousins had brought their partners and others came solo. No matter, everyone was laughing and talking all at the same time. Although the circumstances weren't ideal, Joey and Elliot couldn’t wait to meet everyone.

Hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico.

They scanned the crowd and met the gaze of an elderly man sitting in an enormous leather chair in the corner of the family room. He had long gray hair that almost touched his belly button and wrinkles that seemed to tell a story within themselves. In front of him sat a group of about twenty children and the old man gestured for the boys to come over. They nervously looked at each other and then back at their mother who was standing behind them.

“That’s your great-grandfather, boys. We all call him Chief, but don’t be nervous. He’s very kind and also happens to be the best storyteller in the entire family,” she whispered and nudged them in his direction.

The twins sat behind two younger cousins and looked around at the other children who were absorbed in a story that seemed to be coming to an end. “…and that is why the hummingbirds drink dew,” breathed Chief in a raspy, yet hypnotizing voice.

Suddenly, a paralyzing horn screamed from the TV and a woman’s voice alerted everyone that there was now a hurricane warning in effect. They were ordered to seek shelter away from the beach immediately. This hurricane could potentially be the worst Galveston had seen in the past five years and could hit land any minute.

Joey and Elliot’s father attempted to calm down the now anxious group, but he eventually resorted to whistling. Everyone’s heads twisted toward him and he cleared his throat. “I know this is scary, especially for those of us who haven’t experienced a hurricane before, but please don’t worry. We made sure that the house we rented would be equipped with everything we would need if something like this were to happen. There’s a hurricane shelter in the basement under the garage, so let’s try to be calm about this…” He couldn’t finish his sentence before adults and children were running down the stairs and outside into the underground shelter. Joey and Elliot made their way to the storm shelter with the remaining kids and with Chief leading the pack. They had heard a little bit about Chief’s stories from their mother and they couldn’t pass up an opportunity to hear one for themselves. The shelter was much more spacious than expected and Chief led the children to a large couch in the corner. They all got comfortable, never taking their eyes off the mysterious, timeless man.

“I’m sure you all know, but we are all a part of the Tejas tribe,” he began. Joey and Elliot were aware of this, but didn’t really know much about the tribe or its culture. “All the stories I tell are from Native American tribes, but there is nothing I enjoy more than a good Tejas tale. I think it’s only fitting that I tell the story of the hurricane and the Storm God who brings it,” Chief started. He then mesmerized the children with the incredible story of the Storm God and his bird Hurakan for the next 30 minutes.

As the story came to a close, Chief finished by saying, "The Storm God would ride on his giant bird Hurakan, which would make the entire sky dark when he flew over the land. He first came in the shape of a cloud, which is the actual storm, and then he would fly overhead and pluck the colorful feathers from the birds for his cloak. The people were afraid of him, but eventually he was the one they had to turn to when their birds were being murdered by a neighboring tribe; and on days like today, the Storm God visits the coast through, what we know as a hurricane."

Almost at the same time, Joey and Elliot's father yelled, “It has passed!” Everyone cheered, but the children still looked to Chief to tell another story that would blow their minds.

Author’s Note: This story is based on the Tejas myth, “When the Storm God Rides.” The original story is about the derivation of the word “hurricane” and why hurricanes happen. The Storm God would ride on his giant bird Hurakan, which would make the entire sky dark when he flew over the land. He first came in the shape of a cloud, which is the actual storm, and then he would fly overhead and pluck the colorful feathers from the birds for his cloak. The people were afraid of him, but eventually he was the one they had to turn to when their birds were being murdered by a neighboring tribe. A difference between these children’s tales and other Native American myths is that they always have a positive message and outcome and they don’t include gruesome details of tragedies. The reality of life is not taken out of the myth. It is just told in a way that is sure to be enjoyable for children. Although the hurricane itself is a tragic disaster, the Storm God and Hurakan saved the birds and have been appreciated by the islanders ever since. I wanted to encompass the elements of these children's stories in a modern way. I thought about retelling the story in a different point of view, or possibly writing about the history of a famous animal rivalry. However, this idea popped into my head and I ran with it. I made sure to include Native American cultural references, such as the art of storytelling and family unity. I thought it was best to not have Chief tell the entire story, because I wanted to save space to tell my own unique rendition.

Bibliography: When the Storm God Rides: Tejas and Other Indian Legends retold by Florence Stratton.

EC Reading Notes: Wonder Tales from Tibet

This book in particular caught my eye because I have been reading and watching documentaries on Tibet recently. It is a beautiful region in China, but it is also mysterious. It is nearly impossible for humans to live in some parts of Tibet and the animals that live there are unlike any others in the world. I am excited to read historical myths from this specific region.

In the preface, Jewett discusses how she found these stories in different pamphlets and books over the years and decided to compile them into a book. She has changed some of them so that they are appropriate for children. I like how she included this information in her preface because it not only gives a background on the stories themselves, but also the authors. Jewett created this book to teach American children the stories of distant lands that haven't been told for many years.

The stories in the book are much longer than the others I have read in this class, so I am excited to get to know the characters, unlike in the other stories. One thing that I have said before is that I don't like how myths take away the personal aspect of a story. Most of the time the authors don't even bother to include names; they write to merely tell a story. In my opinion, however, a story is nothing without names, descriptions, and details.

Tibet.

"Wonder Tales from Tibet" by Eleanore Myers Jewett.