Friday, October 18

HAPPY FRIDAY! Today is Friday of Week 9. Here is a link to the Week 9 assignments and also to Week 10 for those of you who are ready to work ahead.

Class Procedures and Reminders

Finishing the class early. As I mentioned yesterday, one person has already finished up, and if finishing early is your goal also, I can recommend doing extra credit, and also working ahead. If you can finish up Week 9 today, you can get started on Week 10 this weekend, and maybe have time for some extra credit too.

Project Stack. I've replied to all the assignments turned in before noon on Monday, and today I'll carry on with the Monday assignments, plus I should be able to finish everything turned in on Tuesday and Wednesday also. As always, you can check the stack to make sure I received your assignment.

The following items are for fun and exploration:

Blog Stream. This is not a blog post but instead it is a Storybook page: Akansha did something really cool with some Google Site "buttons" at the end of the story where the reader chooses the answer to the story's riddle, and then the buttons link to where you end up based on your choice. If you answer wrongly, you get to read the story again... but if you answer correctly, you move on to the next story: A Trickster's Tales.

Twitter Stream. The topic for #FolkloreThursday this week was the underworld, and there were so many fascinating contributions. From Yokai Parade, I learned about a new kind of Japanese yokai who is so embarrassed that it spends all its time underground: Hajikkaki.

Story of the Day. Today's story is a "why" story from West Africa: Why We See Ants Carrying Bundles. And this time, it's not Brer Rabbit's fault; instead, it's the trickster Anansi who's making trouble.

Indian Epics Today. Today's epic character is Abhimanyu, the heroic son of Arjuna who died trying to fight his way out of the battle formation known as the Chakravyuha. More about Abhimanyu, and here's an attempt to illustrate the labyrinthine battle formation:

Storybooks. Here's a Shakespearean Storybook for your reading pleasure: Making a Murderer: Lady Macbeth.

India Video. And for your listening pleasure, a TED talk Bobby Singh with Damini Darbar on the tabla and the tanpur.

Proverbs. Some wise words from the ancient Indian Hitopadesha: The waters of the ocean cannot be heated by a torch of straw.

Writing. Here's a fun language game: word-unit palindromes! For example: Mind your own business: Own your mind.

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HEART Video. And on the subject of owning your mind, here's Daniel Goleman on mindfulness meditation.

Mindset Cats. Today's mindset cat is pondering life beyond the comfort zone.

Event on Campus. There's a Fiber Arts Workshop today in Bizzell at 2PM: Learn to Knit (details). Knitting is easier than you might think, and it's so relaxing: come give it a try!

October 18: Sukkot. Today is part of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which this years lasts from October 13 through October 20. This festival is usually known as "Feast of the Booths" or "Feast of the Tabernacles" in English. During the festival, people build special huts in which to celebrate the holiday. You can read more about the Festival of Sukkot at Wikipedia, which is also the source for the image of a festival booth below:

Check out the Twitter stream for information and fun stuff during the day, or click here for past announcements.