A Running Commentary

oakarion

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 21:43:55 GMT

A son was born to a wealthy family. His mother and father had prayed to the Gods for a strong, healthy baby. These god-honoring parents were naturally shocked and upset when their son left his mother’s womb and arrived in this world with limbs twisted and gnarled. The parents’ dismay was very great, and the boy’s mother wept inconsolably. It was quickly decided that no one would know about the horribly deformed child.
He was quickly wrapped in fine, silken swaddling clothes and sent away in the arms of a faithful nurse. The parents spread word that the infant had been born without a breath of life in his tiny body, and their lives continued as before the ill-fated pregnancy. The boy was banished to a remote villa on the coast which, despite its seclusion, was luxurious and well-appointed. So the boy was raised by his household staff, which consisted of his nurse, a cook, and an elderly tutor.
As the boy, who was given the name Oakarion, grew, the natural curiosity of a child went unsatisfied. He craved adventure, but in his seclusion he could only live vicariously through his tutor, who often recounted the various trials and tribulations of many great heroes and kings. Oakarion was also fascinated by the sea. He often wondered what lived — or died — beneath the turbulent surface. As he grew, his walks on the beach became longer and longer as he combed the sand at low tide for treasures cast ashore for him by Poseidon. In spite of his twisted limbs, the boy grew strong, not bothered in the least by his deformity.
One day, Oakarion found a mighty blade cast upon the beach. He hefted it, wondering what great or horrible deeds had been performed with a weapon of such rare caliber. He knew little of swords and weapons, but something told him that this blade was extraordinary. Something about the metal burned powerfully in his palm as he gripped the hilt. The gem in the pommel glittered as if it contained a hundred stars, and the blade was straight and true. He picked up a bedraggle feather and rested it on the edge of the blade. The feather fell to the ground in two pieces before he even applied pressure.
Upon Mount Olympus, the sword’s owner knew the moment Poseidon released it from his hold. Hephaestus had been waiting for Poseidon to return the weapon for centuries; after all, he had only loaned it to the sea god, not given it to him to keep. Hephaestus came down from the mountaintop to stand before Oakarion on the lonely beach disguised as a mortal. “Oh thank you for finding my weapon!” he exclaimed in a weak, mortal voice, “I was afraid I would never see it again!”
“What?!” cried Oakarion, “You are the hero who wields this sword against demons and monsters?”
“I forged it,” Hephaestus explained. Oakarion’s face lit up light a lantern, so powerful was his excitement. A boyish flush colored his soft cheeks as he realized he had just found an adventure. Suddenly, the normally stalwart and loyal Hephaestus was filled with lust for this young man with whom he shared the burden of a deformity. At the same time, Oakarion’s young body, still unfamiliar with rushing passion, seemed to begin to float as admiration for this hero grew in his chest. It was easy for Hephaestus to seduce young Oakarion.
As soon as the deed was done, Hephaestus was wracked with guilt. Had he not humiliated his wife Aphrodite for committing this same folly? The lame god hustled poor, bewildered Oakarion off the exposed beach and under the cover of a forest canopy in an attempt to conceal his deed. However, it was too late. Aphrodite had seen it all from her vantage point on Mount Olympus. She raced down to the forest where Oakarion now cowered among the trees. The goddess flew into a passionate rage. The very air seemed to darken, and poor Oakarion struggled to breathe. Hephaestus could do nothing to combat Aphrodite’s rage because he knew in his heart that her passion was quite justified. Therefore, he could do nothing but watch in horror and shame as Aphrodite turned her fury upon the boy.
Oakarion’s legs grew long and sank deep into the ground, his hard, muscled body surged upward, and his gnarled arms reached out over the ground in a plea for help to Hephaestus. However, it was too late for poor Oakarion, for if one grows hard for a married man, then it is just punishment that he be forced to remain hard for all eternity. So Oakarion was trapped in an iron-like, wooden prison, gnarled arms outstretched in fear for all eternity as an Oak tree mighty as the sword that had caused all this folly.

new favorite movie ever!

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 00:07:48 GMT

okay, i just had a mid-afternoon viewing of the Illusionist and it was AMAZING!! o. my. gawd! it's about this guy who is like a magician and he loves this chick and she loves him back and they decide to run away together only she is a dutchess and she's supposed to marry the emperor's heir and take over hungary (ungarn for we german speakers) but she runs away anyway cuz she loves this guy and then the guy from sideways is the inspector and he likes the magician but he's obligated to work for the bad heir and then it gets very complicated and the magician has an oddly wrinkly forehead and you won't believe the ending!!!!!!! aack!

I think the illusionist's magic is REAL cuz that would just make things great. maybe he sold his soul or something. i wish he'd tell me cuz i wish i could disappear like that! there's no other explanation for a thing he does toward the end. there's just no mechanical way it's possible! however, the orange tree at the end does cause one to think...

i shall spoil no more. go hence, nonexistent reader, and rent the Illusionist.

WoOt!

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 23:15:37 GMT

Your results:
You are Superman

Superman		65%
Wonder Woman		56%
Iron Man		55%
Green Lantern		55%
Spider-Man		50%
Supergirl		46%
Hulk		40%
Robin		35%
Catwoman		35%
The Flash		20%
Batman		15%

You are mild-mannered, good,
strong and you love to help others.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...

once again i succumb

Sat, 23 Dec 2006 18:43:42 GMT

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is:
Her Excellency Erika the Essential of Barton in the Beans
Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

bi-annual quiz time

Sun, 03 Dec 2006 03:16:45 GMT

Global Personality Test Results

Stability (76%) high which suggests you are very relaxed, calm, secure, and optimistic..
Orderliness (56%) moderately high which suggests you are, at times, overly organized, reliable, neat, and hard working at the expense of flexibility, efficiency, spontaneity, and fun.
Extraversion (60%) moderately high which suggests you are, at times, overly talkative, outgoing, sociable and interacting at the expense of developing your own individual interests and internally based identity.

Take Free Global Personality Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

i took this last in march '06 score 76%, 63%, and 43% and before that in december '05, scored 80%, 53%, and 63%. funny how things change.

weakness for quizzes

Sun, 03 Dec 2006 02:49:54 GMT

here's the link to a lame-ass personality test. lammmmmmmme.

http://www.bored.com/drawthings/save.php?id=24846

grr

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 03:18:24 GMT

i hate my family. they all suck a lot. especially my mom and sister. grr. how many days 'till i can leave?

SHE LIVES!

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 22:03:00 GMT

i'd love to hear back from anyone who has the time to fill out a dumb questionnaire.

1. Your Middle Name:

2. Age:

3. Single or Taken:

4. Favorite CURRENT movie/TV show:

5. Favorite CURRENT Song:

6. Favorite Bands/Artists:

7. Dirty or Clean:

8. Tattoos and/or Piercings:

9. Do we know each other outside of LJ?

10. Whats your philosophy on life?

11. Would you have my back in a fight?

12. Would you keep a secret from me if you thought it was in my best interest?

13. What is your favorite memory of us?

14. Would you give me a kidney?

15. Tell me one odd/interesting fact about you:

16. Would you take care of me when I'm sick?

17. Can we get together and make a cake?

18. Have you heard any rumors of me lately?

19. Do you/have you talk(ed) crap about me?

20. Do you think I'm a good person?

21. Would you drive across country with me?

22. Do you think I'm attractive?

23. If you could change anything about me, would you?

24. What do you wear to sleep?

25. Would you come over for no reason just to hang out?

26. Would you go on a date with me if I asked you?

27. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together?

28. Will you repost this so I can fill it out for you?

i caved

Sun, 05 Nov 2006 05:21:14 GMT

i gave in to the pressure.

Find me on MySpace and be my friend!

i'm not proud of this.

SHE LIVESSSSSSS

Mon, 02 Oct 2006 22:37:40 GMT

Your Personality Profile

You are funky, outdoorsy, and down to earth.
While you may not be a total hippie...
You're definitely one of the most free spirited people around.

You are very impulsive - every day is a new adventure.
However, you do put some thought behind all your actions.
Still, you do tend to shock and offend people from time to time!

The World's Shortest Personality Test

Your Personality Profile

The World's Shortest Personality Test

speed

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 01:50:38 GMT

why do i always get sucked into watching them dumb tv award shows? i hardly even watch tv except for lost and gray's anatomy, and i don't get cable, so why did i care enough to spend hours upon hours watching the emmys? the dresses weren't even that pretty.

so wrong...

Thu, 24 Aug 2006 03:50:04 GMT

whose sick idea was this? and why am i actually laughing.

behold: the cat on the wheel!

Work

Mon, 07 Aug 2006 02:10:54 GMT

Jobs are great. You sit around for a few hours, and money shoots like a laserbeam (though sometimes a rather dinky laserbeam) into your bank account. Why is it, then, that no one likes his or her job? If you hate it so much, then quit! What's that? You need your job so you can buy stuff? Well then, why does it suck so much? It allows you to get important things like pants and organic bananas. Quit whining already.

more quizzes!

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 23:57:28 GMT

You scored as Neo, the "One". Neo is the computer hacker-turned-Messiah of the Matrix. He leads a small group of human rebels against the technology that controls them. Neo doubts his ability to lead but doesn't want to disappoint his friends. His goal is for a world where all men know the Truth and are free from the bonds of the Matrix.

</td>

Captain Jack Sparrow

71%

The Terminator

71%

Neo, the "One"

71%

Indiana Jones

58%

James Bond, Agent 007

54%

El Zorro

46%

Maximus

46%

The Amazing Spider-Man

38%

William Wallace

38%

Batman, the Dark Knight

33%

Lara Croft

17%

Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0
created with QuizFarm.com

Music Meme

Tue, 13 Jun 2006 22:33:24 GMT

Open iTunes and put it on shuffle. What are the first five songs that come on? Here's a list (no exclusions, no matter how embarassing!!)

1. Steep by Phish off their album Billy Breathes. Enormous Phishhead here.
2. No One's Gonna Love You Like Me off the Brokeback Mountain soundtrack. Sweet and twangy. I know all the words and can actually sing them in tune on a good day.
3. This I Promise You by N'Sync off their album No Strings attached. *hangs head* I have no excuse.
4. Bold As Love by Hendrix off of a Best of album. Grooooo-vay.
5. A Bit of Earth by Charlotte Church off her album Enchantment. She's got such a good voice...it makes me teary eyed...sometimes...

countdown

Mon, 08 May 2006 02:18:45 GMT

Countdown to my departure for Germany!!

me photomanip

Fri, 28 Apr 2006 21:57:30 GMT

SNL

Sun, 23 Apr 2006 03:48:01 GMT

OMIGAWD! I just saw an SNL skit that was actually funny! Not since the days of "Pat and Patty's Backpack Shak" and "HOT PLATE!" have I seen such quality tv! Plus, Natalie Portman's hosting and I totally love her. HI! WELCOME TO JAMBA JUICE!

Swimmers

Sat, 01 Apr 2006 05:17:35 GMT

So I was thinking. Shocker right there. I was thinking about my job. See, I'm a lifeguard, and at work, I watch a lot of people swim. There's four types of swimmer:
1. Euphoric Toddler: Just what the name implies, a widdle baybee wif a ke-u-wit widdle swimsuit who is just psyched to be in the pool. Usually includes lots of giggles, smiles, and peeing in the pool. As an aside, you can totally tell when a kid is peeing in the pool. They get this look on their face like they're concentrating real hard and stop moving/swimming/whatever. Sometimes you can actually see the pee, but usually they just move away real quick and start kicking a lot. Probably trying to avoid coming to terms with the fact that they're sitting in a puddle of urine.
2. the Unhappy Camper: DOES NOT WANT TO BE AT THE GODDAMN POOL! COLD! CRABBY! WET. WHY DON'T YOU CRY ABOUT IT?? ok, they do. Pretty much for the entire time. Yet, for some reason, the parent (usually Chinese or Indian (don't ask me why--there are no white kids at this pool!)) insists that the kid stay in the pool and play with his too-big goggles. So take that ya whiny little brat.
3. the...dare I say it? Twelve Year Old. Have you ever met a twelve year old? If you answered no to that question, I envy you. Twelve year olds seem to have this MEMEMEMEMEMEME!!! complex. They run. You yell at them. They dive in the shallow end. You really yell at them. They light a fire in one of the urinals. You hit 'em with your lifeguard floatie and hope you don't get fired. Then they laugh at you cuz they got you fired. Then they run over and go down the slide with their goggles on. Grr.
4. The Real People Swimmer: a lapswimmer. These are a dying breed. Apparantly the chlorine affects their ability to procreate, or so I've heard. They swim. They wear them little Speedos, usually in either beige, black, or vivid, lurid green. It's always a laugh when they dodge Twelve Year Olds and smile at Euphoric Toddlers. Lucky for them, they usually don't have to put up with Unahppy Campers, since those Campers tend to stay in the small pool, while Real People Swimmers are in the big pool.

Tonight there was an unusually high density of Twelve Year Olds. They all spin around when they go down the slide and can never believe that, yes, I can in fact see that they're doing that, and yes, I will yell at them. Again...and again...and again...then hit them with my floatie... Ha! I think I'm the meanest lifeguard on staff, which is weird because I'm actually a very nice person with a passion for green bananas and fanfiction. Why don't'cha hate me, eh?

brr

Sat, 01 Apr 2006 05:16:01 GMT

Sooooo....cold.................

Storm Trooper + PB&J

Sat, 01 Apr 2006 04:54:20 GMT

Seriously?
someone needs to lay off the uppers...

quizzes

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 03:32:05 GMT

ok, so i took this quiz on 12/15/05 and scored 80/53/63. look how things have changed once the holiday spirit hath deserted me.

Global Personality Test Results

Stability (76%) high which suggests you are very relaxed, calm, secure, and optimistic..
Orderliness (63%) moderately high which suggests you are, at times, overly organized, reliable, neat, and hard working at the expense of flexibility, efficiency, spontaneity, and fun.
Extraversion (43%) moderately low which suggests you are reclusive, quiet, unassertive, and secretive.

Take Free Global Personality Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

i heart this song!

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 03:22:20 GMT

black eyed peas are great when i dont already have a headache. that dirty little my humps song is super great. check it out here:

Invalid video URL.
Black Eyed Peas - My Humps
Music Videos at Blastro.com

Odyssey paper...for school...try not to be too amazed by my prowess.

Fri, 03 Mar 2006 13:13:45 GMT

Erika Schulte
Ms. O’Brien
Classics
2 March 2006
Translation Wars: Palmer vs. Rouse
Despite being translated fifty-seven years apart and by different authors, the W.H.D. Rouse version of the Odyssey and the George H. Palmer version are very much the same. The Odyssey was first translated into English in 1616 (Felluga). As one can imagine, it is very difficult to put Homer’s poetry, which is an unusual combination of Arcado-Cypriot, Aeolic, Ionic, and Attic Greek, into readable English prose (Willmott). However, certain elements of Homer endure from translation to translation. The use of literary devices, the same minuscule details, and tone of the dialogue are all nearly identical between the different translations.
Homer was “an author with a beautiful gift for description” (Magill 597). His use of literary devices, such as alliteration, onomatopoeia, and personification carries into all translations of his work. In the Palmer translation, Antinoüs drops his “goodly goblet” when Odysseus shoots him with an arrow (271). In Rouse, it is a “golden goblet” that is dropped (243). The alliteration remains, as does the meaning, but the wording is slightly different. Depending on whose translation you read, Amphinomus either “fell with a thud” (Palmer 273) or “crashed […] with a thud” (Rouse 245), but the fact that he hit the ground with a thud remains untarnished. Personification also translated smoothly from Greek to English. According to Homer, “the resplendent sun takes life away” (Palmer 281) and the “blazing sun takes away […] life” (Rouse 250).
Minuscule details, ones the reader might think insignificant, are translated very closely in the Rouse and Palmer versions of the Odyssey. Something small, like the fact that the maids’ feet twitched as they were hanged, was included in the exact same place at the end of a paragraph in both translations. According to Palmer, an arrow shot by Odysseus “hit [Eurymachus] in the breast beside the nipple, fixing the swift bolt in his liver” (273). Rouse splits the sentiment into two sentences, writing that the arrow “struck [Eurymachos] in the chest by the nipple. The sharp point pierced his liver” (244). The information on exactly where the arrow hit him proves in no way essential to the plot or outcome of the story, yet it is meticulously included in both versions.
Because the Odyssey was originally an oral story, the dialogue is very important (O’Brien). Because of this, it is obvious why the tone of the dialogue sounds so similar between the various translations of the poem. The nurse’s affection and respect for Odysseus comes through, whether one reads Palmer’s version, “Truly, my child, in all things you speak rightly” (283) or Rouse’s, “Aye, aye, my love, there’s nowt amiss wi’ that” (252). While the words vary greatly, the same feeling is expressed very clearly. Odysseus’ anger at the suitors is evident when Palmer puts the words “Dogs! You have been saying all the time I should never return […]!” (272) into his mouth and Rouse uses “Dogs! You thought I would never come back […]!” (243).
Homer’s poetry has proven over the four hundred years since its first translation into English to vary greatly in wording from translation to translation. Despite the differences, the elements valued most in his writing, his use of literary devices, the descriptive details, and importance of tone within the dialogue, are always consistent.

lol. i actually like this book.

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 21:32:57 GMT

take the WHAT BAD BOOK ARE YOU test.

and go to mewing.net. not as good as reading a good book, but way better than a bad one.

A Running Commentary

oakarion

new favorite movie ever!

WoOt!

once again i succumb

bi-annual quiz time

weakness for quizzes

grr

SHE LIVES!

i caved

SHE LIVESSSSSSS

speed

so wrong...

Work

more quizzes!

Music Meme

countdown

me photomanip

SNL

Swimmers

brr

Storm Trooper + PB&J

quizzes

i *heart* this song!

Odyssey paper...for school...try not to be too amazed by my prowess.

lol. i actually like this book.

i heart this song!