Myths and Folklore with Karissa

I watched Why 80% of Japanese God come from Hinduism . I did not know that 80% of Japanese gods were originally Hindu gods. The Hindu gods are being worshiped under aliases and different personalities. These Indian origins are invisible to the people of Japan, who practice Buddhism. This reminds me of how the Roman gods were highly influenced by the religions of the people the Roman Empire ruled over. I appreciated these words of wisdom from Brianna's blog. Stress and worry often consume my headspace, and I realize that it is affecting my positivity and creativity. It almost stiffles it. Usually, when I realize this, I slow down and take time to do something that is purely for enjoyment like watching a show or painting. I promise myself that I won't feel guilty about doing this and that everything will be ok - it can wait. Image information: Graphic made with Einstein Generator

This past week was the most hectic week of the semester. I wasn't able to meet the deadlines for the two readings. I had to prioritize larger projects in other classes, which is unfortunate. I wrote a paper that was an evolved book report over  LGBT Bioethics: Visibility, Disparities, and Dialogue in my Medical Sociology class .  The paper incorporated aspects of my favorite topics: health, queer issues/lives, and feminist and queer theory. When I was rereading the paper, I was proud of the content and quality. I have vowed to make my classes this year more queer. I'm doing this by writing about queer issues, asking professors to include more material about LGBTQ+ issues, and including queer lives in the stories I write in this class. It helps me bring new life and new perspectives to the stories. This week is Thanksgiving break, and I find myself scrambling to either catch up or work ahead in most of my classes, including this one. Then, I have a project that I need to fi

I started with an article about the Swazi people , because one of the stories I used for my storybook was based on a Swazi fairy tale. I included the link to this article in my storybook. I was still curious about the topic and where the trail might lead me, so I revisited the page. This page describes Swazi or Swati as a Bantu Ethnic group that is located in South Africa and Eswatini. The page then goes into their history, culture, religion and identity. I clicked on the link attached to the word Eswatini , because I didn't recognize the place. I go to the page and discover that what is most commonly referred to as Swaziland (in the states at least) is actually the Kingdom of Eswatini. The name of the nation was officially changed from the Kingdom of Swaziland to the Kingdom of Eswatini in 2018 to reflect the name that is commonly used in the Swazi language. The page then goes on to describe the government, the economy, and the major health issues faced by Swazi people. I clic

Over the past few years, I realized that I get depressed during certain times in the year. I just feel off. I don't want to do things, and I want to be left alone. I just don't feel like myself. Thankfully, it doesn't last very long. Maybe a month at its worst. I have friends that struggle with anxiety and depression constantly, so I am grateful that I my depression is more cyclical and almost predictable. It is difficult to get out of that downward spiral Some people ask me about the tactics I use to get myself out of the depressive spiral, but I can never put my finger on an exact moment or decision. I related to a lot of the things in " Cooper Lund on the weight of depression, ending mental illness stigma ." I don't experience a lot of anxiety, but I was curious to learn more about it. I watched " OU Student on Mental Health: Ivey Dyson talking about Anxiety ." Ivey Dyson described anxiety as "drowning sometimes." She also talked a

I like to paint, and I think I could incorporate some of the techniques I use while working on a painting into my school work. Often, I'll stop painting because I don't like something that I've done and don't know how to fix it. I can do this because my art doesn't have a deadline attached to it. I can take as long as I want to finish a painting. I can use this mindset within my schoolwork by starting earlier. If I start earlier, I can pause an assignment if it isn't quite working out the way I want it to. Then, I can come back to it when I figure out what is missing or a different way I can approach it. Image information: Work in Progress by Karissa Hughes (photo taken by me)

I have a Google Pixel, which means most of the apps I use are google related. So, I thought this might be a good way to learn about all the creepy things Google is tracking through my phone. After reading the New York Times article, I looked at my google maps locations and I could see two of the trips I've taken in the last two years. I drove to California and to Massachusetts and flew into Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Puebla, Mexico. It was shocking to see those little red dots that represented so many memories and places I've seen. I almost didn't want to set my activity controls to auto-delete after three months. It is strange that this is the first time I have heard of this feature. I knew that google and other apps track us, but I didn't think I would get to see the results! As I was navigating some of the settings, I felt overwhelmed and somewhat confused on what controls I should change. I might have to revisit them later.

Tasks Done for a Wife Remembers the story of his brother, cousin - some relative Seeking marriage - dowry paid by a suiter for my daughter First Elephant - failed Gorilla - came back "disgusted" Hippopotamus - thought he would succeed because of his size and strength Everyone failed - only Leopard and Tortoise left both believed in themselves despite the failure of others Gold diggers! Leopard went first failed audience still doesn't know what the tasks are Tortoise tried them and did them all cracked calabash filled with water mended it with the gum of the Okume (mahogany tree) pick fruits from the top (slippery, soapy trunk - couldn't climb it) dug up the tree - didn't cut it down technically Did three more tasks set my the merchant's assistants Now he can marry the daughter! Leopard (Njega) sees that Ekaga has been gone for 5 days - wonders if the task has been completed "If Ekaga succeeds in getting that wife, I will t

Why the Skunk Walks Alone: Skunk first given spots so he could blend in still afraid - given sharper teeth and claws Greed: wanted more The Great Spirit gave him a strong smell Writing idea: incorporate how the skunk got its distinct markings (the stripe on the back) The other animals asked the Great Spirit to give them the ability to know when the skunk was coming - something like that Why the Woodpecker Pecks: Start story out with young girl daydreaming, looking out of her window Hears the Tap! Tap! Tap of the woodpecker Looks out to the pecan tree and sees a woodpecker Woodpecker is shy - stops pecking and sneaks around to the other side Makes her think back to a tale her grandmother told about the mescal plant mescal plant had little buttons on it - when eaten, the medicine men could talk with their ancestors No one else could touch them = bad luck Curious boy wanted to know what the medicine men were seeing snuck out to try some in the desert

Brenin walked up the stairs to their kid's bedroom, thinking about their long day at work. Two people had asked them about their pronouns and identity today; it was emotionally draining. Sometimes Brenin wished their coworkers and friends would do some of that educational work without relying on them. Before starting at their new job, Brenin's goal was to foster an inclusive work environment; first by encouraging people to say their pronouns when introducing themselves. There was more push back about this than they had imagined. They pushed those thoughts to the back of their head as they knocked on Alun's door, smiling at their child pushing books and toys back onto the shelf.  "Za! Can you tell me one of your bedtime stories tonight? I already put up all of the books!"  Brenin shook their head, wondering for the 100th time how Alun's nickname for them became a shortened version of pizza.  "Sure, kiddo. Hop up and lay down. I'll tell

The Welsh Fairy Book: The Red Dragon : King Vortigern trying to beat the Saxons wants to build a citadel on a mountain, but supplies keep disappearing Merlin or Myrddin Emrys exposes the folly of the sorcerers boy born without a father pool beneath them - two vases - two tents - two serpents (red for britons and white for saxons) Welsh Fairy Book: Bala Lake : The harper was lead away by the bird - why? "vengeance, vengeance" What happened to the other people? The palace was covered by a lake. to this day you can see lights at the bottom of the lake Who wanted vengeance on the prince? Image information: Valley Water Lake Bibliography: The Welsh Fairy Book: The Red Dragon ; story source: The Welsh Fairy Book by W. Jenkyn Thomas with illustrations by Willy Pogány (1908). Welsh Fairy Book: Bala Lake ; story source: The Welsh Fairy Book by W. Jenkyn Thomas with illustrations by Willy Pogány (1908).

Plot: Clever rabbit when to Muzimu, the animal wizard, to get more knowledge Wise already - not wise enough, great one bring live snake picked up a stick before going to the home of the snake challenged the snake to prove it was longer than the stick slipped a string around the snake's neck If you can fool the snake, you already have all the sense you need No, wants more bring swarm of bees found gourd - cut hole in bottom and cleaned it out added honey and tied it to long pole bees attracted to honey - rabbit closed hole song Muzimu - sense shall become more and more everyday white spot between ears to represent the sense you possess in your head all make rabbits carry it to this day change to it being carried down to his descendants.  Note: the Wizard from the Unnatural Mother story cursed them and said that they would only be free if they succeeded in helping a lost soul - were scared of failing because they had in the past.  Imag

A New Theory of Intelligence by Scott Kaufman: This video was about redefining intelligence. One of the first things he discusses is the difference between normal and difference. He uses the example of a child who could be considered by some to be creative with strengths and challenges, while others could see his behavior as a disorder. In my medical sociology class, we read about the DSM, which is the accepted diagnostic tool for mental illness. One of the disorders is oppositional defiant disorder, which is defined by vague language, meaning it can be diagnosed with the psychiatrists discretion. It relies on the psychiatrists definition of normal. What is normal defiant behavior for children? What kind of behavior is rewarded? This can be applied to intelligence. What type of intelligence is rewarded by the educational system and how is this policed? Currently, intelligence is policed through gifted and special education. Scott Kaufman advocates for a more wholistic approach to t

Kemush, the Old Man before the time of the Ancients, had made the world. He understood the importance of the small details and shaped the world from small to big, simple to complex. First, came the up and down quarks to make up atoms, but they did not act the way Kemush had imagined. To find more of a balanced building block of life, he incorporated four more quarks and added an intermediate between the quark and atom - neutrons, protons and electrons. At first the neutrons tried not to pick a favorite but tended to be drawn to the protons forming the nucleus of the atom. The electrons were pulled towards the positive charge of the protons and decided to orbit the nucleus. However, theses clusters of protons, neutrons, and electrons were unique, forming a diverse population of atoms. Finally happy with these atoms, Kemush began creating the Earth by trying to combine these atoms i unique ways. When he joined, two hydrogen atoms with an oxygen atom, water was created. He liked thi