Story of Week 3

Author’s Note:
This story is inspired by The Iliad which was adapted from The Iliad by Alfred J. Church
with new twists and allies for the Trojans.

Story:
Greeks and Trojans. Trojans and Greeks. Neither liked each other but tolerated each other. Greek ambition and the idea of Greek freedom.

The Greek General Menelaus had an alliance with the Trojans, much to the displeasure of his own brother Agamemnon. One night his city-state was hosting the Prince’s of Troy, Hector and Paris, for their collective triumphs on the battlefield. Helen, the wife of Menelaus, seduced the Trojan Prince Paris to her private quarters. There they plotted their elopement to return to Troy.

The next morning Helen boarded the ship to Troy and left her husband behind. The Trojan entourage was completely unaware that the had a stow away on board, much less the Queen of Sparta. The Spartan Imperial Palace Guards were notified of the Queen’s departure and informed General Menelaus who ordered the Spartan Navy to hunt down and sink the Trojan ship at all costs.

Due to the Trojans having better and faster ships the Spartans never caught up with them and docked safely in the Port of Troy the following week. Angered by this, Menelaus enlisted the help of all the city-states to attack Troy. They set sail for Troy with 50,000 ships and 2,500,000 soldiers on board.

During their journey to Troy they destroyed Mediterranean Trojan allies in Chryse that left thousands of civilian’s dead. The Chryse navy set sail for Carthage to inform the young Queen Artemis of the Phoenicia Empire of the invasion force headed for the beaches of Troy. Artemis ordered her Grand Armada to be ready and to set sail in a week.

Within the walls of Troy the Trojan army was getting ready for a fight as news of massacres of their allies in the Mediterranean Sea had reached their ears. The winds of the sea were carrying the Greeks closer to Troy and by weeks end the Greeks would have an invasion force marching for the gates of the city. Within these meetings the wife of Prince Hector, Andromache, raised concern for the amount of lives that would be lost defending the indecent relationship of Prince Paris and Queen Helen of Sparta.

A week later the Greek fleet was insight and preparing for a landing. Prince Hector readied the Trojan army for battle and charged at the Greeks when they landed while the Trojan war machines destroyed hundreds of Greek ships so the Trojan infantry on the beaches wouldn’t be overwhelmed. The Greeks were able to land the Myrmidons and their leader Achilles before the ship was lost. Achilles led his men on a crusade to destroy the war machines to allow the Greeks to land their entire army. By night fall the Trojan army was pushed back as the entire Greek navy had landed.

Not wanting to let the Greeks reach the gates of Troy, Prince Hector and Prince Paris led the Trojan army on a counterattack with the cover of darkness. With Achilles not wanting to fight again so soon his own cousin Patroclus led the Greeks into battle but perished when Hector impaled him with his spear.

The Trojans retreated to the city. Achilles ordered the army ready for battle. But little did the Greeks know that Phoenician Armada was about to land an hour after they left for Troy.

Engaging the Trojans in battle Achilles met Hector in one on one duel during the fight. Achilles was quicker and stronger than Hector, but the Prince of Troy was smarter. The wits of Hector would only last for so long as Achilles stabbed Hector in his chest.

The demoralized Trojan army was about to retreat when the horns of the Phoenician Army sounded and cut down the Greek army like corn.

With the deaths of all Greek Generals and the Death of Hector, Prince Paris was in charge of peace negotiations. The terms were unconditional and the Greeks returned to Greece with Trojan escorts so the Trojans took all of the city-states riches to pay for the war.

Prince Hector and Prince Paris of Troy

Week 3B Reading, Iliad

The Iliad by Alfred J. Church

Day B:
A total of 7 sections to read but in reality it's only three.

The Rousing of Achilles:
Achilles learns about the death of Patroclus and is angered about it. After not wanting to fight and staying on the sidelines this set him off and wants revenge on the Trojans and more specifically, Hector.

The Slaying of Hector:
Achilles is mad about the death of Patroclus and wants his revenge. Hector's family doesn't want him to get into the fight but he does anyways and well the man dies.

The Ransoming of Hector:
Giving the body of Hector back to the Trojans.

The Death of Patroclus

Week 3A Reading, Iliad

The Iliad by Alfred J. Church

Day A:
A total of 11 sections to read but in reality it's only six.

Of  How the War with Troy Began:
Helen picks Menelaus, a young Prince named Paris comes along and takes her back to his kingdom, Menelaus and his brother lead a nine year siege of the city, they got home sick, ditched a chunk of the army in Troy, and returned home.

The Quarrel (two parts):
On there way back to Greece the Greeks attacked and took cities such as Chryse and divided up the newly found wealth among the leaders of the army. This angered their gods.

What Thetis Did for Her Son:
Thetis asked Zeus to help the Trojans in the war so her son, Achilles, could lead them to victory and take the honor that Agamemnon had robbed him of.

Hector and Andromache (two parts):
A conversation between Hector and his wife. Highlights the fear she has of him dying in the Trojan War that her brother in law started over a girl.

The Embassy to Achilles (two parts):
Achilles is dormant and so are his men. The Greeks try to court him so that it could change the tide of the war but are not successful as he again chooses to stand down.

The Deeds and Death of Patroclus (three parts):
As Achilles did not want to fight, Patroclus did want to fight and pleaded with Achilles to let him fight as the Greeks were on the defensive at the beach. Later Patroclus lead the Greeks head on into battle against the Trojans. A Trojan soldier killed Patroclus by impaling him from behind with Hector taunting the young man as he died.

Patroclus Fights and Dies

Feedback Thoughts

Why rejection hurts so much — and what to do about it

Well where to start with this.... basically my high school senior year coming back to haunt me. But ultimately a person can come back from rejection with the right mentality and the ability to put the rejection in the rear view mirror and learn from it. The personal speaks here a lot as the picture at the end will state by itself. There’s 320 million more Americans out there and nearly eight billion humans, someone will eventually accept you. i.e. there are plenty of fish in the sea. 

How to Get Past Negativity Bias in Order to Hardwire Positive Experiences

As someone that works in the consulting business, negative feedback is extremely common as we strive to make the perfect product for the client. The positive outcome in the sale which leads to more business is the positive experience as it builds up our team and we know what to look for in future cases. This allows us to speed up the process and not dwell on the negative hardships we encountered along the way.

Friendzone Rejection

Topic Brainstorm, Project - Week 2

I've narrowed the topic down to:

Classical

The War with Troy has been told through a variety of different mediums. I want to do a new version of the story where the Trojans don't have to flee to Italy but rather beat the Greeks at the Gates of Troy and launched a counter attack on the city states of Greece as a result of a petty new king. An entirely new story, no one wants to be told the same story twice (cc: Sony with Spider-Man and killing Uncle Ben twice, we wanted a new take, thank you Marvel Studios)  

Mideast

Arash the Archer, something new for me, but I would like to take the story of the heroic archer and turn him into a villain that the Persians feared. The fear would ultimately become realized when Arash would overthrow the king to become an Emperor himself to rule tyrannically over the Persian people. 

 

British/Celtic

Robin Hood, steal from the rich, give to poor. This story of Robin Hood steals from the rich for himself before an army invades England where he'll have to make a choice of whether to stand with this fellow country men or be killed himself when there is no one left to steal from. Robin Hood is an icon and many children's movies have been made of him but rarely do the depictions show the struggle that he went through to get to where he was. 

European

Rumpelstilskin, the cunning deal maker that twists them. I want to retell his story from not a common source but rather the one depicted on TV with Once Upon A Time to my own liking since post Season 4 writing absolutely botched the story line. Basically retell the most cringe parts of the series that made them do a soft reboot that sunk the show to its grave. 

Rumple - OUAT

Week 2 Story

Author’s Note:
This story is inspired by Metamorphosis: Pygmalion and how he fell in love with a statute. In this story we take the basic parallels of it to make our main character Logan falls into a state of depression with his own reflection in his mirror thinking it's his wife. The story is set in suburban Chicago during 1995 shortly after Logan’s wife, Alexandra, passed away in a car accident. 

Characters:
Logan – Main Character
Alexandra – Wife of Logan (deceased)
Thomas – The Butler
Edith – Daughter of Logan and Alexandra

Story:
A dark and thunderous night swept across the Chicago metropolitan area one Sunday morning. Racing home from an overnight shift at the hospital was Alexandra to be with her family well before church started. The water on the pavement made the drive home much more treacherous than usual. The slick roads made Alexandra swerve out of control until she hit a tree and died on impact.

Two hours late Logan and Edith were notified by the state troopers that a car registered to the family had been involved in a single collision accident a mile away from their house. Grief stricken both Logan and Edith retreated into their house for many months and Thomas, the butler, assumed day to day control over the house. When Edith started school the following term her father was st
ill in a deep sense of depression, never coming out of his room.

In his bedroom, Logan constantly stared at the mirror. In the reflection there was Alexandra telling him to move on as they still had a daughter to care for. The reflection of Alexandra quickly took two forms, one for Edith, and the other for Logan. Logan’s reflection said that they were all together even if Alexandra was in the afterlife. Logan still remained in a state of depression and denial, so he smashed the mirror into pieces.

Thomas went to retrieve Edith from school as it was a half-day due to the inclement weather that was expected. During the drive back they saw Logan at the site of the accident on his knees and crying in the rain. The two got out of the car to ensure he was safe. Logan told Edith that he was sorry about not being there for either her mother or herself after her passing. The three then went home.

At home the two bonded over pictures of Alexandra. Soon after Thomas entered the room to inform them that a hooded lady was at the door, it was Alexandra. Telling them that they could all finally move on. 

Moving on

Reading Notes: Week 2 Anthology

Favorite Story:

The Three Roses

The lucky guy turns into an animal and true love's kiss or simply just true love will make him a man again. The story we've heard in Beauty and the Beast, the Princess and the Frog, etc...

This time it's a freaking snake. Not just any snake, a freaking Basilisk. While legends say this serpent has legs I'll just envision the Harry Potter one because it's scary as heck!

Ultimately the girl fell for the beast but the beast did not(?) turn back into a man but rather just became less of a frightening being because he changed his voice.

Week 2 - Reading Overview

Avengers: Endgame Credits

Week 3: Homer's Iliad

Week 4: Adam and Eve

Week 5: Ancient Egypt

Week 6: Persian

Week 7: Japanese Mythology

Week 9: South Africa

Week 10: Great Plains

Week 11: Hero Tales

Week 12: King Arthur

Week 13: Robin Hood

Week 14: Italian

Week 15: Russian

The selections I have made are based on previous readings, workings, or any general exposure with the subjects at hand. Having a background and a firm foundation is a major key for me in any storytelling medium. Whether it's a book, tv show, movie, or a class paper. There must be a coherent story with the ability to have background information to make it sound.

Time Management

Some time management strategies is to allot three hours of study time per traditional courses and six hours per online course. Planning ahead to turn assignments in a decent amount of time before they are due is also a great way to stay ahead of the curve to keep your mind free and relaxed for exam periods.

Class Tools Impressions

I'm familiar with SOME of the technology tools that will be used in class for assignments. It's a different environment from my classes as the medium of completing and turning in assignments is entirely on a blog site and not canvas. Currently not looking to build on my web skills as I'm A+ certified and IC3 certified. Browser tips I'd recommended to clear cookies and cache regularly so it doesn't slow your browser down. 

OU IT Logo

First First Impressions Assignment

I'm most intrigued by the storytelling and semester long project due to them being the biggest parts of the course. It's not anything like any course I've ever taken as the story and writing will be my own and not as bland as all my writings usually are. Famous last words is also the extra-credit assignment that catches my attention as I would get to reflect on what happened in this class and my other classes this semester.

Once Upon A Time Logo

The Growth of the Mind.......... aka growth mindset

I had never heard of Carol Dweck or the growth of mindset before this assignment.

I currently see myself on the skills and intelligence spectrum of the growth-fixed mindset in my school work as well as my professional job. I approach everything this way as well due to my background of being analytical.

I am a transfer student so I had to get a big learning curve at OU. I was taught BlackBoard instead of Canvas at my old university and I was taught hard deadlines instead of flexible deadlines. Easier work instead of harder work. So as a result I had a steep yet timely learning curve. For example we had a universal format for papers at my old school versus here where every teacher is different and likes different styles of writing.

Ultimately I don't think I'll be interested in learning more about the growth mindset this semester due to graduation around the corner and the sheer amount of papers I'll be writing for class and my senior capstone paper. My personal goals for this semester is to be financially stable and to get A's in all of my courses. Main classes I'm worried about are online classes because of not being able to be in a regular class room settings so deadlines can sneak up on me.

OU IT Logo

The Three Stories

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Olympus University
Olympus University is something new, entirely. I picked it because it seemed interesting and because I liked reading the Percy Jackson book series. The title was somewhat misleading because it goes on to talking about OU-Troy and not what I thought it would be. The introduction does a good job of explaining what the topic is going to be about. I'm super indifferent on the style as everyone writes differently relating to the topic at hand. Next is the layout and design of the page. It was confusing to navigate as were all of them because it was at the top to navigate to the next page and not at the bottom as most news articles are that we read. I'm not going to use this format because of how hard it is to navigate.

Robin Hood Stories
Robin Hood Stories is something that I know, I've read and watched multiple versions of the character over the years from Disney and Warner Bros. The title is entirely upfront in what the story is about. The introduction does a very good job of explaining what the story is about and it prompted me to flashback to the Russell Crowe portrayal of Robin Hood and the stories that were told in ABC/Buena Vista Television's Once Upon a Time. Again the format is a bit confusing as the top of the page is where the navigation to the story it. Again I will not use this format because of how hard it is to navigate.

King Arthur and His Knights
King Arthur and His Knights is again something that I am familiar with due to stories that I've read in the past and of the movies that have come out over the years. As with all folk stories and mythology tales there are different variations of them. The introduction does a good job of telling us what the written story linked above is about. It doesn't prompt any thoughts as the other two did. And it was yet another post where the layout was confusing so it will not be used in my project.

My Introduction.....

Hello there!

My anonymous name here is Pierre Delecto. Took it from the latest famous person (Mitt Romney) using a burner account to hide their true thoughts.

I am a Political Science major prepping for law school. Probably the coolest thing about it is the versatile field it can give you after graduation. Best class I took last semester was Politics, Policy, Constitution taught by Charles Finocchiaro because it talked about current events such as impeachment and other Congressional procedures. My biggest accomplishment last semester was not procrastinating at all and getting ahead of everything in all my classes, so I was able to semi-relax during dead week since I wasn’t worrying about finals as much to bump my letter grades up.

Over the break I went to the Peach Bowl to watch LSU-Oklahoma (RIP), left at halftime because we were trash. Before that it was Christmas and the pregnant goats in our livestock gave birth, so we nursed them since it was super cold and freezing during the night.

Favorite books, movies, and tv shows:
- Lord of the Rings (movies and books)
- Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Lost
- Chuck
- 24
Best movie that I saw in 2019 in theaters was Avengers: Endgame. Best book I read was American Carnage by Tim Alberta.
I don’t have a type of favorite type of music, but I don’t like loud metal music because my ears are sensitive to loud and repetitive beats.

My short-term goals are graduating college this semester and figuring out what I really want to do during the year. Long-term goals are getting a law degree after I finish my gap year post-undergraduate studies. A practical goal that I have is building my credit and getting out of debt post-college. Big dream goal I have is moving into the affluent Dallas or Houston suburbs.
PETS! – I have a golden retriever named Asher, he’s nine months old. Back home we have FOURTEEN goats, an Akita named Sammy, a chihuahua named Zoey, and another golden retriever named Summer.

Summer (Right) and her brother, Asher (left)

Asher

Favorite foods are sea food and Mexican food. I LOVE shrimp and lobster. On the Mexican side I love enchiladas, tamales, menudo, and everything else. Least favorite foods involve US restaurants that think they sell Mexican food, aka the spicy food that isn’t even spicy. Favorite thing to cook from scratch is a sea dish.

My hobbies are walking my dog, cooking, late night runs, video games, binge watching tv shows on Hulu or on Disney+.

If I had an extra day for fun, I’d probably spend it at Six Flags.

El Paso..... My Favorite Place

It's home.

Even though I was born in Lawton, Oklahoma, I will always call El Paso home because it's where I've lived nearly my entire live.

It has a rich multi-cultural history. From being predominately white for most of it's early history to being Hispanic and one of the gateways into the country as a border town.

Was raised there. Graduated high school there. And it's where my family lives.

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