Friday, November 10, 2017

It has been a while...

   Hello blog viewers of the world! It has been a while but here is a tidbit to liven up your day. enjoy!

      In my time as both a reader and writer my readings have led me to many fanciful stories. I have observed that one of the most famous of these oddly amusing stories, Lewis Carroll's (or rather Charles Dodgeson's, Lewis Carroll was his pen-name) "Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There" pulls me back to itself rather often (for simplicity's sake we will refer to this book as Looking Glass and to its precursor as Wonderland). What is it about this nonsensical book and its companion novel that makes me keep coming back? By taking a cursory look at these books and their collective author I hope to answer this question.
 
      Firstly we will cast our inquiries towards the author of Looking Glass; looking primarily for the various sources of inspiration that caused him to write such unconventional works of literature. A good amount of speculators think that Dodgeson's books were largely inspired by drug induced states of mind. However, we know that Dodgeson was a deeply religious man from his youth up, going on to become a deacon at the prestigious Oxford college, Christ's Church. The idea of him using mind altering drugs for inspiration in his writings seems hardly probable in light of this fact. Still others will hypothesize that he suffered from a form of migraine that has since been named after Wonderland due to the fact that it causes its victims to see things as larger or smaller than they really are, a common plot device in the Alice books. Though we do know that Dodgeson did suffer from migraine, we have no conclusive evidence that his particular strain was Alice in Wonderland syndrome; thus this theory will have to remain just that, a theory. What we do know for certain is that Charles Lutwidge Dodgeson grew up in a large family of 9 children. As a member of a family of 11 children, I know full well the impact that many siblings has on ones imagination and literary leanings. I probably have a couple dozen stories in the Alice tradition floating in my head just from the crazy tales I used to concoct with my siblings as a child. One also has to note that Dodgeson spent a large amount of his time with various persons noted for their fantastical writings or imaginations. High among these ranks George Macdonald, a man well known at the time for his fantasy stories. In fact, George Macdonald's stories were a large source of inspiration for both C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien in their fantasy writings. Thus, the idea that Dodgeson's friendship with this fairystruck man played a large part in his writings, is by no means a stretch of the imagination. Dodgeson also was fond of spending time with small children; indeed we are told that Wonderland was originally a story for the child of one of Dodgeson's friends. As we know, small children have a way of turning the simplest of things into grand (or sometimes downright frightening) adventures of imagination and fancy. Dodgeson may have just been drawing on his inner child in order to please his many small friends. I know that I often do similar things. Yet another facet to Dodgeson that is hardly ever remembered is that of his mathematical genius. Indeed he taught math for many years at Christ Church and wrote several books on the subject. As a man who saw the world in the form of an ever changing array of mathematical logic puzzles, Dodgeson undoubtedly had a sort of kaleidoscopic view of things that is hard for many of us non-mathematicians to understand. Whether this influenced his writings in any significant manner is hard to tell. We do see scenes such as the chess board in Looking glass that seem to display this mathematical tendency. I will leave it up to you to decide if there is any correlation there. Looking at Dodgeson's many traits, I notice that I share quite a few of these curious traits with him. Perhaps that explains why I love the Alice books so much.
 
     As regards the nature of the books themselves there are several factors that I find particularly intriguing. Firstly there is a prevailing sense of unknown coupled with an exploration of said unknown. I have a love hate relationship with movies and books that follow this pattern of never-ending, surreal, uncharted depths of artistic expression. One feels that there should never be a conclusive end to such things, and the more strange and beautiful these stories and landscapes get, the more you want to keep on going. On the other hand, I often feel that with out an end to the story we never get the fulfillment the journey was about reaching. Due to the dreamlike quality of both Alice books I often find myself wondering if there was more somehow hidden away in those pages that I might have missed. Realistically, I know that this feeling is unfounded, yet I desperately want there to be more. One day perhaps I will attempt to draw the Alice adventures, and perhaps stray away from the written story to let my pen explore some more of this unknown world. Due to my own upbringing in a relatively large family and the consequentially large amount of time I spend with small children on a daily basis, I feel that my imagination has been uniquely centered in the proper tracks for such imaginative flights of fantasy. The vast amount of literature that I consume also helps provide me with a connecting point to these two often misunderstood stories. Yet another point in these books favor for me is the fact that they are often misunderstood. I enjoy things that puzzle others, or simply would not interest them at all. I like taking the time to search these cracked gems for meaning. Where others see a disorganized mess, I see a maze of mystery to be explored. One example of the common mindset on these books is demonstrated by the following situation. When I ask someone what their favorite part of Wonderland is, often they will answer with a story that in fact actually originates from Looking Glass. Among the more well known of these misplaced stories we find: Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum (Whose story frames another often misplaced story, The Walrus and the Carpenter), The Garden of Live Flowers, and The Unbirthday Party (and it is Humpty Dumpty who celebrates, not the Mad Hatter). These common misconceptions are largely inspired by Disney's 1951 Alice in Wonderland. People watch this 60 year old movie, that was made about a 100 years after the book was written and assume that they know the whole story. Reading the book and finding these things for themselves seems to be a foreign concept to them. As for the more recent live action film adaptations of the books, well lets just say that they have the same characters as the books, but there is hardly anything else in common. Perhaps I do not give the general public enough credit as regards their knowledge of such "trivial" things. Still, I feel that far too many people never take the time to read these books just because they are strange and a little off the easy to read beaten path. Through this lack of interest they miss out on some of the more enjoyable oddities that are to be found in life. Do I like these books just because they are weird? Honestly, I am not sure. Whatever the case, I will continue reading them for years to come; safe in the knowledge that despite others lack of interest in such things, I can still find comfort in a warm cup of coffee or cocoa, a book of questionable sanity, and a big fluffy chair to sit in. 

No white rabbits were harmed in the making of this post. A few oysters might have been eaten though....

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

From the archives...

I was going through some some of my old sketch books the other day and found this...


slapstick comedy at it's most painful level.
I wonder if the poor fellow ever got to deliver his message.


no Knights were hurt in the making of this comic.

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Viva La Revolution!

That's right o virtuous blog readers, Farmer Giles is back! Sincere apologies go to all ye readers of this blog for not assaulting your intelligence with a delightful bit of cheesy humor in a while. But there is a good reason. If you recall the last post was a celebration of a joyous vacation to come. Well we had a joyous vacation indeed but while we were gone some one was plotting. The devious cat to be specific. When we got home tired and worn out, still shaking sand from our shoes, we walked straight into a cunning trap! The cat had held her own revolution while we were gone and our house was infiltrated by evil cat ninjas sworn to the enslavement of mankind! The moment we walked through our door hordes of them overpowered us and locked us in the basement. We survived for approximately three and a half years on the jars of applesauce and peaches that mom had down there, spending our time developing plans for escape. Luckily the cat ran out of catnip at last and freed one of my older sisters to go get her more. While she was out of the house my sister contacted the military and warned them of the great ninja cat threat. She then led them to our house where a battle royal ensued, ending with the cat menace being brought crashing down. So yeah that's why I haven't posted in so long. The regularity of posts from now on I can not guarantee but rare jewels of literary genius should pop up every now and then. The cat has been banished from the house and will not make any further appearances on this illustrious blog. Long live the Great Gherkin!




Some facts in this post might have been changed SLIGHTLY for continuity purposes. I apologize to anyone that might think this to farfetched.  If you send me a more farfetched story to explain my absence I might be tempted to use it instead. 

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Ye Olde Woohoo!

Rejoicing is to be heard in the Landon house!

                              WERE GOING TO FLORIDA FOR LIKE THREE WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Woohoo! I shall sing unto the world! Three weeks off school and getting to see most of my relations on Mom's side of the family is no joke. Plus on the way there we will probably stop at a HUGE home school conference. Why does that make me so happy you ask? because at home school conferences almost every booth gives out FREE candy and pens and pencils. I'm planning to get a stock of candy that will last me several months. I dont think I'll be able to post while i'm there so this is also a kinda explanation of why I might not  post for a while. Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can I have half your candy Mr Giles?*

*see first post.





If you are one of the people that will be there and a crowd of wild people attack your booth and take all your candy I apologize before hand for their conduct. Please bring   lots  of candy.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Ye Olde Easter Smeagol

          On Easter morning as everyone knows,
  the sun shines bright and everything grows.

 "The Easter Smeagol!" the hobbits all cry,  
 "The Easter Smeagol's coming is nigh!"
   
Now as much as those lines make me laugh, they have nothing to do with the real reason that we celebrate Easter. In our culture when we think of Easter usually we think of bunnys and chicks and  chocolate but do we think of the real "reason for the season"? Approximately 2000 years ago Jesus, God on earth, died so we can be free. Free from the sin that dooms us to eternal separation from God. Free from the sin that will leave us burning in a lake of fire, alone. The one person that never sinned. The perfect sacrifice, to make us, everyone in the whole wide world free. On Easter morning He rose from the dead proving God's power over death and saving us from eternal punishment. Now some people might think "well dying isn't too bad, He knew that he would be alive in a couple of days" but it was not any pow your gone kind of death. No it was a hours long, naked for all to see, hanging nailed by his hands and feet to a cross. A slow death by suffocation. He did all that so us filthy sinners could someday live with him in heaven instead of being thrown into hell where we All deserve to go. My prayer is that someday, someone will read this and open their heart to their maker. If you are curious to know more just read read the book of Luke in the Holy Bible. He is risen!




sorry to any charlie brown fans who think this post is mocking the Easter Beagle  
 

Friday, March 15, 2013

Ye Olde mascot's secratary

Announcing the newest member of our blog, (drumroll please) .............................................................

                                   MR. SECRETARY
                         
                             https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/?ui=2&ik=1a48eda478&view=att&th=13d6abccf7512311&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=1429518812888520878-1&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P-Je4kjEVk7ucW3dGc2yOo3&sadet=1363372930108&sads=q6uPu0tznrZL_OteIcbFf665W5o   
our illustrious blog mascot has taken the time to capture and train this unique species of Canineus Secretarius to be my secretary. Please excuse any mistakes he makes while typing for me. He is new to the job.




the glasses are his special 3-D ones he got while watching the Doggit

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Ye Olde lego boom and other interesting things

What could be more epic then the final battle for the One Ring! I can now tell you, the final battle out of legos! Any moment now the ring will be engulfed in fire!Then it's curtains for any orcs near mount doom. In my Lego fort there just happened to be a small volcano so I added this classic scene just  for the fun of it. :)
      By the way I might start trying to use this blog as a outlet to sell things on and this is how it will work. I will post a thing about items i want to sell, then if you happen to like that item you click on a link i will provide and order it on my family's online store. happy shopping! (once I get those posted)




sorry i forgot what i was gonna say here and it's lunchtime so i don't have time to think something up