Wikipedia Trail: Krishna to Royal Canadian Mounted Police

I started this trail by learning more about Krishna. Krishna is a major deity in Hinduism, one of the avatars of Vishnu. He is the god of compassions, tenderness, and love. I then moved on to Jambul which is a a fruit that comes from a tropical tree commonly found in the India subcontinent. I was lead here because some Indian texts describe Krishna's skin as being the color of Jambul. From here I went on to read about Crimson which I chose for fairly obvious reasons (Boomer). Crimson is a strong read color that originally came from dye produced from the kermes insects. Lastly, I found my way to Royal Canadian Mounted Police because their uniforms are crimson. Very interesting trail.

Krishna (Source )

Learning Challenge: Sleep

I chose this learning challenge because my sleep cycle is not where I want it to be. I tend to stay up late and sleep in and I would rather be able to the fall asleep earlier and wake up earlier to be productive. I read an article that compared the importance of studying compared to a good nights rest. I chose this one because when I study for exams I usually study late into the night before the test and don't get much sleep and I have heard that this is not a good way to prepare for an exam. I learned that when you don't get a good nights sleep, your brain can't repair itself enough and that makes it hard to retain info and learn more. The article recommends that students not sacrifice sleep in order to study because that will actually backfire and have the opposite of the desired effect.

Bibliography: Why Sleeping May Be More Important Than Studying by Katrina Schwartz (Link)

Sleep (Source)

Growth Mindset

For this Growth Mindset extra credit I decided to look at the growth mindset cats. The first image that I really liked was one that said to study hard, then take a break. I related to this one because when I study I tend to just study hard for hours and not take a break. I often realize that I am just cramming and not actually retaining the information. I think taking breaks will help with that.

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Another that I liked was one that said failure teaches you to deal with disappointment. I like this one because there are too many people who have never really had to fail and deal with what comes from it but I think that failing and dealing with the disappointment is important to maturing and becoming a successful adult.

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Tech Tip: Canvas Mobile App

I downloaded the Canvas mobile app on my iPhone and it was very simple, just like any other app. After it is downloaded you just sign in and use it the same as the website. I have used the app for a while and I really enjoy what it offers. I like having it from times when I want to see what I have due soon or when a grade gets entered but I don't have my computer on hand. It is a great tool for planning and reminders at the tip of your fingers.

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Extra Credit Reading: Shedlock Eastern Stories and Lengends

For this extra credit reading I read more Jataka tales. From this selection I particularly enjoyed the story of "The Mallard Who Asked for Too Much." This story tells the tale of a man who dies and is reincarnated as a golden mallard. In an attempt to care from his family, he gives them one of his golden feathers every so often so they can sell it and have money. This worked for a while until the mother got too greedy and decided to pluck all of the feathers at once instead of receiving one at at time. As she plucked them, the feathers turned to normal bird feathers and were no longer worth anything. This story warns against greed and selfishness and I really enjoyed it.

Bibliography: Shedlock Eastern Stories and Legends (Link)

Mallard Ducks (Source)

Reading Notes: Francis and Thomas Jataka Tales, Part B

For this weeks part b reading I continued with the Jataka Tales that I have been reading for the past few weeks. I read the part b selection of the Jataka Tales by Francis and Thomas. Of this selection, I really enjoyed the story The Foolish Friend. This is the story of two men. A mosquito lands on one of the men's head and stings him. The man asks his friend to kill the bug and his friend attempts to do that with an axe. He hits the mosquito and splits the mans head open, killing him. The Bodhissata was watching and after seeing what happened speaks about it. He says that is it worse to have friends with no sense than to have enemies with sense. I thought this story was very interesting and the end really surprised me.

Bibliography: Francis and Thomas. Jataka Tales (Link)

Mosquito (Source)

Reading Notes: Francis and Thomas Jataka Tales, Part A

For this weeks reading I decided to continue with the different versions of the Jataka tales like have I have for the past couple of weeks. This week i read a collection by Francis and Thomas which focus on the Jataka tales of the most general interest. Of these stories I particularly liked the story "The Cold Half of the Month." This story is very short, only about half of a page, and tells an odd but interesting story. A lion and a tiger live together in a cave and are arguing about when the "cold half" of the month is the "dark half" or the "light half." I assume they are talking about day and night. Their argument is settled by the Bodhissata that also lives in the cave who tells them that the wind is what causes the cold. So whenever the wind blows is the cold half of the month, whether day or night. The Bodhassita declares them both to be right and "makes peace between those friends." I'm not sure why this story stuck out to me but I enjoyed the read.

Bibliography: Francis and Thomas. Jataka Tales (Link)

Lion and Tiger (Source)