Reading Notes: Aeseop's Fables (English), Part B

The Fly and the Mule

"For I know when to give back and when to go."

Another line I really enjoyed. I could imagine a kind character (maybe a traveler) saying this. There could be a traveler who helps out in times of need, but if everything is okay, then they leave and help others. They could be well-known and admired by people.

The Fly

This story was amusing. It made me think of someone who might not be as strong or as big as others, but they still have faith in themselves and believe them to be strong. It could be one of those stories where someone may be weaker than others, but they still contribute a good amount and help out. It could show that you shoudn't underestimate people based on appearances.

I couldn't really find any inspiration from these stories in general; I did enjoy them, though.

Mule. Source.

Bibliography. Aeseop's Fables by Sir Robert L'Estrange

Reading Notes: Aeseop's Fables (English), Part A

The Wolf and the Shepherd's Boy

I always loved this story. It'd be easy to try to make a story based off someone who always cries wolf and only earns distrust from people, but maybe I can add some sort of twist so the plot isn't easy to predict. I also like this line:

"Those who are known to have deceived,
When they speak truth, are not believ'd."
I think I could start out the story with that quote!

The Wolf and the Shepherds

This line sticks out to me:

"The powerful too oft abuse
Rights which to others they refuse."

I really like it because it shows how the powerful and corrupt can harm others, so it makes me think of a cruel king or ruler who treats his people poorly. I could have someone get payback on the king because of his behavior or it can be some noble who disrespects others and is selfish.

The Dancing Apes

"The Force of Nature is infinitely beyond that of Discipline and Imitation."

I think this is a beautiful quote! Definitely had me thinking. I think it would be challenging to incorporate into a story using that theme, so I'm not entirely sure what I would be able to do with it; maybe show how dominate nature is against everything.

Wolf. Source. 

Bibliography. Aeseop's Fables by Sir Robert L'Estrange

Tech Tip: Uploading Files on SoundCloud

I have been using SoundCloud for quite awhile now, but never uploaded any tracks. It's actually very easy!

1. Register/log in here.

2. Have the tracks you want to upload ready (they must be saved to your computer already).

3. Upload tracks.
I haven't used this feature yet, but you can go ahead and record yourself! So if you're interested in making a cover or singing an original song, go for it! If not, select "choose a file to upload"
This will open up another window; access and select the file you want to upload, then click okay.

4. Processing.
The music file has to process beforehand, but while you do that, you can fill in the other info! You can add a picture if you want, title the track properly and add artist info. After that, just hit save to finish uploading it.

If you're uploading, I believe you can only upload about 300 minutes worth of music before you have to upgrade accounts.

Reading Notes: Blackfeet Indian Stories, Part B

Bobcat and Birch Tree

The story did not go the way I expected; I thought the bobcat was going to kill the man. I thought he was going to get some punishment of sorts for tricking the prairie dogs. A story from their perspective would be interesting; I'd like to know why they weren't cautious of him or how they managed to do the trick with the fire.

The Red-Eyed Duck

I'm glad the old man got punished this time, though it was not an extreme punishment. I think it would be really interesting to have a story involving red eyes-- maybe a curse or something. I can try to figure out something that resembles the man's trick.

Kut-O-Yis, The Blood Boy

I am really curious about the son-in-law's character development. Why did he turn so selfish and mean? Was he tired of helping others? The story was really entertaining and I'm perplexed by the birth of the hero. "Blood Boy" sounds really intriguing and I think it'd be cool to be able to take that title and turn it into a story.

Prairie Dog. Source.

Bibliography. "Blackfeet Indian Stories" by Grinnell.

Tech Tip: 8Tracks

8tracks is full of music mixes-- so basically kind of like YouTube playlists-- just on another site. However, this one is more open to more topics. You can search pretty much anything (e.g. instrumentals, study music, chill, etc.). Lots of people upload their playlists on the site, so it's a nice way of finding music! If you're in certain fandoms, you can also search those. People make playlists for certain characters, too.

So if you like Dr. Who, there's definitely Dr. Who fanmixes. Some might be specifically for Rose or Ten, or maybe both of them together. Game of Thrones? Those are there too.

First thing is first: now, you have to register to listen to fanmixes, unfortunately :(.

1. Register here.
2. On the homepage, search for anything! If I'm cramming for a terrible test, I might want nice music to help me focus, so I'll search up "study" and "chill"
Here are some results:

As you can tell, those playlists are pretty popular, so hopefully, they're good. There are tons more, actually.

You can just click on the picture and the play button will show up, and there you go!

Happy listening :).

Wikipedia Trails: From Octavia to Nero

1. Octavia. Octavia was the sibling of Augustus, a Roman Emperor. She was seen in a positive light due to her loyalty and admired by many. Her second husband eventually committed suicide, so she was the only one who took care of their children. She had five children-- three with her first husband, two with her second husband.

2. Augustus. Augustus was the first Roman Emperor. He accomplished a lot: bringing peace to his people, reformed taxation, rebuilt the city, and much more. Although it is said that he died of natural causes, there are some people who believe his wife poisoned him, though it has never been confirmed.

3. Livia. Livia was both Augustus's wife and adviser. She was seen as faithful and dignified, although she was later seen as one who craved power. She is often seen in popular culture with lots of variation in her personality.

4. Nero. Nero was also a Roman Emperor. While Augustus was seen in a good way, people thought Nero to be corrupt. It is also possible that he started a war. Some sources view him positively while others view him negatively. 

The Fire of Rome by Hubert Robert. Source.

Reading Notes: Blackfeet Indian Stories, Part A

The Wolf Dog

Once again, I'm always baffled whenever family members or loved ones kill each other without a second thought. For this story, I think it'd be cool if I wrote about a wife who never cared for her husband and never loved him. She only married him for her own benefit and when he tries to teach her a lesson, she tries to kill him. It'd be a modern twist.

The Camp of Ghosts

I was hoping this story would have a happy ending. That, or I thought the wife would disappear because he would open his eyes. I could write a story about how the wife wants to come back, but she knows her husband would open his eyes and lose her all over again, which would bring more pain to him. 

How the Thunder Pipe Came

I love the personification of Thunder, but I wonder why he would steal women. I could go into detail about this in a story and possibly provide a reason/motive for this behavior. 

The Theft from the Sun

I liked this story! This is why you never steal from people. I think I could change the characters up but still keep the theme of the story. I do like the personification of the sun, but I'm not sure what someone could steal from the sun in a realistic story.

The Great Sun by wolf-minori. Source.

Bibliography. "Blackfeet Indian Stories" by Grinnell.