The Once and Future Blog

As far as I can tell with the assignments and class structure, the schedule I set at the beginning will fit will. If things go wrong, I have plenty of time at the end of the week (if I'm not travelling) to make up for it as well. As far as time management in general, this semester (my last, naturally) is the result of trial and error in my college career, after learning about how best I work. I have important facts about myself, such as that I prefer to work in marathons rather than sprints, have been implemented with my schedule, hopefully better organizing my time for my last and most important semester. As for time management strategies in general, I have a hard time convincing myself to do something or try something, even things I want to do, so I usually just have to find how I best work and try to work around that. My schedule is rarely consistent, and wild at best, so strategies discussed in ones such as  How To Build a Realistic Study Plan  have dubious effects at best...

I've always been connected to technology, from playing with computers when I was young to working in IT up to now. I've been using the internet since before elementary school, and like many my age, I'm the family tech guy. Overall, this course doesn't have too much new to me, other than website design. I'm excited to be able to tell a story with a website, which should enable some unique opportunities. An actual photo of how my family sees me. Source:  Know Your Meme

“Greek Myths,” by Derek Fiechter. Sourced from  this blog post . This class will certainly be interesting, in regards to the reading and the writing. I love creative writing, especially related to fantasy and mythology. I can see myself doing "In Medias Res" style of stories often, just to show off conceptual worlds or worldbuilding. Compared to online classes I've done before, this is not only more interesting, but better suited to the already busy schedule I have set for myself for my last semester. For the extra credit, I'm most interested at the Wikipedia Trails and the extra commenting, since I'm already one who goes deep into Wikipedia, and I'd like to see what others are up to in their work.

I used to be a very stuck up and self-important person. We're talking a very  stuck up person. When I was hit with negative feedback, my response was a combination of defensive statements, counterarguments, projection, and, eventually, lock-down. "So what changed?" you might ask. Well, it was a lot of hard learning. A few years ago, my friends decided to come together and air their grievances against me, all at once, no softening of blows. Hearing one of them would have been enough to sour my mood, but four at once was too much for the walls I had built. To make a long story short, I ruined those friendships, and it hurt me a lot, so I started therapy to better understand my own emotions and how to not be a bad friend. Peter Sellers as Dr. Strangelove in: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Photo from  AV Club   The other major change happened much more subtly. As a judge for Magic the Gathering, one thing we pride ourselves on i...

The first thing post people say after I tell them my major is some variant of "Why?". "Why would you do that to yourself?" is a common one I get. My major being Mathematics. The other most common thing I get is "Ew, I hate math." It's always nice and peachy to be told by someone you just met that they hate your entire field. Despite the multiple all-nighters, mind-meltingly difficult concepts, and multiple nearly failed classes, I still love my degree and math as a whole. The sheer beauty and connectedness of it all is unique and intricate, almost like getting to see the hidden truths of the universe. Of course, some days, it can be like trying to use a brick to turn a screw, but I try not to think too hard about those. Enough about math, more about me! I'm Gage Robelen, in my last semester of college here at OU, and a tremendous nerd for most things. I'm from Moore, Oklahoma, I'm 20 years old, and I can turn my feet around backwards. My i...

The first storybook that caught my attention was, well, the first one:  The Adventures of Merlin . Straightforward and honest, the title was simple but excellent. The eponymous character has been a favorite of mine since I was a small child, and it's obvious that the author had a similar feeling. The introduction uses a promising and foreshadowing style that makes me want to read the stories despite my already in-depth knowledge of the Arthurian myth. The sleek design combined with evocative imagery relevant to the tale enhance this, which did lead me to check out more of the story. I think I'll come back around and finish it when I have the time. Brocéliande Forest in Brittany, France. Banner photo of Adventures of Merlin.  Flickr   The second storybook I took a look at was  A Punishment of Tengu . I realized a bit into this one that the author was actually a good friend of mine who took the course! I chose this one before knowing that, out of my own love of Ja...

Despite my usual decision paralysis when confronted with any prompt that includes "favorite" in it, my favorite place is a pretty easy choice - Ireland. I studied abroad there in Summer 2017, and I wouldn't hesitate to be a romantic and say I left my heart there. It's hard to pick a single place there, so I'll pick a few places in the country.  The first (sorted by when I visited them) is particularly relevant to our class - the Hill of Tara. Said to the be the seat of the High Kings of Ireland in the legendary days of the country. On it is the Lia Fáil, that is, the Stone of Destiny. Legend has it that when one grasps the stone, if it roars out for all Ireland to hear, one would be known as the rightful High King. I tried, and was not crowned, unfortunately. The Hill of Tara, with a Druid ceremony taking place on it. Photo by me! Next would be a small stone circle and (what is thought to be) the remnants of some houses from the druidic days. Pardon my ...