Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata, Part D

Bibliography: PDE Mahabharata

Bhishma Falls

Story telling- Bhishma couldn’t kill anyone born a man

Drona in Command

Story telling- Drona trades his life for Bhishma

Abhimanyu and Jayadratha

How weak is Krishna that he can’t just obliterate these mortals

Ghatotkacha

Story telling- Abhimanyu and Ghatotkacha were actually lovers, a fact which is only revealed after their deaths

Death of Drona

Why isn’t everyone filled with that same “courage and hope”?

Bhima and Duhshasana

Story telling- everyone forgives the debts of the other and goes him

Arjuna and Karna

Why didn’t these two people just fight in the beginning? Might have saved everyone a lot of bloodshed instead of requiring that everyone fight a battle for their lord.

Story telling- the gods intervened to stop Karna’s cheating

Duryodhana in the Lake

Story telling- Duryodhana just stays in the lake forever and builds a kingdom under the sea

The Raid

Ashwatthaman's Jewel

Story telling- The jewel is actually a mind-control device

Mourning

Story telling- Dhritarashtra stopped the battle before it started because he’s the father of basically everyone and patriarchy seems to be pretty important

The Pandavas and Bhishma

Wait he was never guilty of a sin? Ever?

King Yudhishthira's Horse

Story telling- Krishna has to be careful of what he says because everything that he says becomes fact/reality

Parikshit

Horse Sacrifice

Story telling- no horse comes forward to be sacrificed

The Mongoose

Wait huh

The Forest and its Ghosts

Story telling- the women don’t die for their husbands

Death of Krishna

That was quick.

The Pandavas Depart

Wow, these gods are not messing around. Those are such minor sins.

The Afterlife

#TheCakeIsALie

Yudhishthira and the Dog
Source: Wikipedia

Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata, Part C

Bibliography: PDE Mahabharata

Life in the Forest

So did the copper pot contain just SOME food? What kind of boon is that?

Story telling- the copper pot was a portkey

Krishna's Visit

Story teling- Draupadi doesn’t act entitled to anything because of her gender

Arjuna and Shiva

And again, the hero gets the weapons he needs to win.

Arjuna and Indra

Story telling- the apsaras stage a coup

The Himalayas

Time passes so quickly in this universe

Who is this Markandeya?

Bhima and Hanuman

Story telling- Hanuman tells Rama’s story as a means of sustenance. He goes insane because he must continue to tell it.

Duryodhana and the Gandharvas

Karna and Indra

Story telling- Arjuna and Karna reject the “natural order”

Jayadratha and Draupadi

Well that was quick

Riddles at the Lake

Where do all of these Brahmin come from?

Are there more than three worlds?

The Court of King Virata

There’s a whole goddess for giving boons? All anyone seems to do is give boons.

Bhima and Kichaka

Story telling- Kichaka is punished by the gods for being a rapist

The Cattle Raid

Preparations for War

Krishna loves himself some drama. Also, someone needs to make a family tree

Krishna and His Army

Story telling- Krishna rejects Arjuna

Krishna's Mission to the Kauravas

Story telling- Krishna accidentally kills everyone

Krishna and Karna

The Armies at Kurukshetra

Seriously, where is the family tree? This is going to make the annual reunion really awko tacos.

Bhagavad-Gita

I’d love to read that in the original Hindi (if I was able to speak Hindi of course)

Statue of Ghatotkacha in Bali
Source: INK361

Review: Keep On Keeping On!

Announcements: Friday, September 30th

Cat Bounding through the Grass
Image Source: Cheezburger
Quote Source: Growth Mindset Memes

Famous Last Words: Fellowship Reflection

This is a reflection on the last two weeks, which have been particularly exhausting. A few months ago, I decided to apply for the Ewing Fellowship, which is an award through the Political Science Department here at OU that funds a summer internship in D.C. For an aspiring lawyer, that opportunity is too significant to pass up. As such, I decided to apply. The application was extensive; it required two complete letters of recommendation, a 1500-word essay, a very specifically formatted resume, and a number of other smaller requirements. All in all, crafting the perfect application took a little over two months. Last week, however, was when I really needed to get down to business. I double-checked that my rec letters were in. I read, re-read, and then re-read my re-read copy of my essay probably about twenty times. I sent it to friends, co-workers, roommates... anyone that would read it had it thrust in front of their face. It was, quite honestly, an awful week as I strived to create exactly the kind of application that would help me to get the award. Yesterday, I got an e-mail that I had advanced to the interview phase. I almost cried. I hugged my boss, who happened to be nearby at the time. I called my mom. I celebrated with my best friend. Then I realized that I needed to prepare for the interview, which is supposed to be an intensive analysis of your proposed policy initiative by a number of political science professors. I've been spending the last 24-hours preparing for that like a man possessed. That being said, I am so excited to present in front of this panel. I get a rush from high-stakes public presentation that I don't think I can find anywhere else. Wish me luck!

Cortez A.M. Ewing, Namesake of the Ewing Fellowship
Source: OU Political Science

Growth Mindset: Failure

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Learning Challenge: Time

Image generated by AutoMotivator

Tech Tips: Hashtags and Retweets

The tweet that I re-tweeted can be found here. I am so excited for the new Rocky Horror to come out (I've loved Victoria Justice and Laverne Cox since I knew they existed) and can't wait to share it with everyone!

The hashtag that I found the most interesting was #ICMA (International City Management Association) which is a big conference that just concluded in my hometown of Kansas City. I used to to work for the City Council in Kansas City, so I was able to follow along pretty closely with some of the proposed policy changes and just enjoy some of my old work friends enjoying themselves!