Ancient Of Otters's Posts

new favorite author

Posted by Ancient Of Otters on March 6, 2010 at 11:54pm

I recently discovered the works of Katherine Farrer, who was a friend of Tolkien, CS Lewis, et al. plus Dorothy Sayers. - Like them, she was an ardent Christian. As for her work, I can not praise it high enough.

He could've just asked...

Posted by Ancient Of Otters on November 23, 2008 at 3:12pm

At the laundarymat today, I noticed the manager recently placed up a notice concerning recycling and the free coffie they offer at the place. He, being Korean, had printed the signs in both English and Spanish and the english type was ok as far as grammer (for signs) is concerned. However, not knowing his Spanish well enough, used some online translator as a guide...The sign for recycling read in english: "You can recycle paper, bottles, and cans;" but the translation algorythmn didn't differentiate between the two "cans" in the sentence, and the resulting Spanish text read "You are able to bottle paper."Then there was a sign in which the Spanish text was telling us to "Free Coffie..."Interestingly enough, in my son's Spanish Dictionary there is in the L section an entire page of words that either have something to do with washing or pain.

picking on Harry Potter, and other goodies.

Posted by Ancient Of Otters on September 2, 2008 at 4:56pm

First, the last book is by far the best and almost renders the others unnecessary. The first was okey, especially if you were a child between the ages of say 8 and 11 ... exceptible, within limmit, that is. But, let's face it : she could have used an Advanced D&D Monster Manual as a reference source. In fact, why didn't she just role die all through the book, to see how it should go? Her ideas are all modern, semi-popular ( but dated re: House Elves ) not baced on true legend or mythology, for the most part. I mean, hippogryphs, please! They are nothing but a literary invention. Many of her ideas about how people really viewed witches during the middle ages ( and later ) is not realistic. More on that, later. as for her world views, there is a reason Tolkien deplored the Anglican Church : they were watered down ages ago. She does seem to show some of the cultural reflections of Anglican enfluence, so I can't that she is down right anti christian, but...she seems to believe that the good ( who don't exit - just the not to evil ) automaticly go to ????????? a better place - sick.& even the sacrificial love of Jesus couldn't save my physical life.Also, her message to the world ( not a new one ) is : no, your not a freak or a geek, but, good gravey - ADD, Autism, Asperger's syndrom, By Polar, Schizophrenic ? By Gosh by Golly, Goodness, No, it can't be ! let's not have real conditions. In the oldendays, you might have been a changeling, later it was aliens and mustants ...and she has joined the "you are actually endowed with magical powers ...sick. So, now some poor kid is there pining to get into her "real" world, intead of dealing with the real world. Too many people just go crazy in denile of disablities, if they aren't obvious and physical.

well, since it's more to the point of why and when I started as a cartoonist

Posted by Ancient Of Otters on June 16, 2008 at 2:27pm

before I post in the amateur group, I'd like to tell you a bit more : I started cartooning around age 10, maybe younger; I had some hunorous types, and some really cartoony - awful, actually, "real life " art work ( but I got beter ). I wish I'd started publishing - I have some local news letter art work, but not the same thing .... anyway, I had three cartoon series, now only two, with one needing re-editing - to avoid copywrite enfringement. & a lot of funny single pannel ideas. Maybe one day my closer to profetional son can scan them in..

neck ache

Posted by Ancient Of Otters on May 1, 2008 at 12:27pm

as someone may not have mentioned, I have a degenerative disc in my neck, which causes pain and stiffness in my shoulders, pinched nerves in my arms, and head aches. I already get head aches, because my body stiffens up by nature ... so, when my neck became very stiff and sore, yesterday, with horible headaches ... I had to take lots of Ibuprofen - but it hardly did anything ....when my neck is stiff, there is real danger - since worse damage could occure.

weird dream # ...

Posted by Ancient Of Otters on May 1, 2008 at 12:19pm

let's see if I remember this ... oh, yeah, I was looking for a job; someone suggested I try for a fee-lance tutoring job; but, meanwhile, someone with a garage wanted me to quiz, grade and tutor his mechanics, et c. I had to walk a long ways to look for work. I started as something else ....I've had weirder dreams - but on the other hand, I know nothing about automechanical operations ..and don't know why I first had to try for one kind of tutoring job, when ones with regualr hours/pay were available ...

when is a blog not a blog ( or, alright, he asked for it )

Posted by Ancient Of Otters on April 26, 2008 at 3:10pm

Under the shade of eucalyptus trees, Karl Svenson and his men were skinning a crocodile. His cousin, Gustave le brun stood by, watching. On the edge of the clearing was Igor the Cossack, who had recently arrived from South Asia, with camels to trade. Gustave did not like Igor, since even the least offensive Cossack was a government spy. Gustave had questions about some government pollicies, especially copncerning mescegenation. Here in the Great South Seas, where the Germanic Empire held sway for generations, most of her citizens had to live perpetualy in the shade, covered head to toe in white, with broadbrimmed hats to hide their faces. A few, and most of these being Cossacks, did not have this problem. This, Gustave had discovered, was becasuse of their asiatic ancestors, whose darker skins seemed to protect them from the damage of long exposure to the sun. Karl was just leary of his gun, since he and his men had never learned how those things worked.Then there was the issue of slaves. Surely, any good Viking should have slaves? But, said the High Command, that meant risking mescegenation - whatever that was. So Germanic peasants and tribesmen were regularly carried off, even by adventurous Incas, and just as often traded away, sometimes to rescue Latin hostages. And while the Latin Fascisti were suppposed to be alies, they allowed Jews to thrive in their midsts, and didn't outlaw mescegenation, either. Worse, the one nation with the most slaves, the Confederated Tribes, encouraged mescegenation.Of course the Seminole didn't keep slaves, and the New Empire didn't even enslave captives, but otherwise they were part of the Confederacy, and did not interfere with the slave raids of those who did.

so, here it starts, the great big movie / Disney critique.

Posted by Ancient Of Otters on March 22, 2008 at 2:53pm

Rule one : has Disney ever, ever 100 % - even 75 % done any truly original work ....Rule Two : movie made in California LOOK like California ... Redwoods, Eulyptus trees, California, Live and Scrub Oaks, Coyote brush ...

The Otter and The Sun: A Tale from Biloxi -where the title "Ancient of Otters" came from

Posted by Ancient Of Otters on March 8, 2008 at 7:57pm

Transcript take from:A Dictionary of the Biloxi and Ofo Languages Accompanied with Thirty-one Biloxi Texts and Numerous Biloxi Phrases By James Owen Dorsey, John Reed SwantonWhen the Ancient of Otters was about to go to see the ball play his grandmother objected But he replied That makes no difference I will view it from afar and then I will return home Off he went On reaching the place he was standing afar off when a woman sent some one to him saying Tell that person to go home He emits a very strong odor Then the man went to the Ancient of Otters and delivered the message That woman in the distance says that you are to go home as you emit a very strong odor Yes replied the Ancient of Otters but he still remained there Then another person was sent to him with the same message Yes replied the Ancient of Otters I was about to start homeward but I am here still Nevertheless he did not move so another messenger was sent to him When he beheld him coming he started off at once without waiting for his arrival as he suspected what his message would be On reaching home he walked to and fro saying nothing Then his grandmother said For what reason have you come home And he replied A woman said that I smelt very strong so I came home His grandmother laughed at him for some time and then said I said to you that it would turn out thus but you would not heed at all and you went anyhow By and by she went out to dig some medicine Having brought the medicine home she administered it to the Ancient of Otters and made him vomit Then she urged him to try his luck again Return to the place where you were before you started home and after remaining a while come home If they say anything to you say 1 have just come back after eating some stewed fish Hasten to return home So the Ancient of Otters departed again When he arrived there and was standing there viewing the players the woman said to some one Tell that person to come back and I will play with him So the messenger said Yonder distant woman says that you are to go thither and she will play with you To this the Ancient of Otters replied I have just returned after eating some stewed fish and did not move from his position Again she sent a messenger who said the same words but with like want of success but this time the Ancient of Otters never said a word When the third messenger was seen in the distance the Ancient of Otters started off at once and went home When he got home his grandmother made for him an ordinary sized bed and a very small one too She set them up in the other room of her house She made the Ancient of Otters lie down on the larger one and she covered him with bearskins As he was lying there and his grandmother was sitting close to the fire the Woman was coming in the distance her garments rattling on account of the silver that she wore On reaching the house she asked the old woman Where is that person The old woman replied I have not seen any one at all I refer to the person who stays here said the visitor Pshaw Is it that ugly boy whom you wish to see said the old woman That is he said the visitor He was sitting around here for a while after eating some stewed fish and I think that he is now lying down with unwashed hands said the old woman The visitor entered the house making her garments rattle as she moved Addressing the Ancient of Otters she said Lie farther over But he did not move She thought that she would get over him and lie down on the other side but in attempting it she fell to the ground and her garments rattled exceedingly as she kept falling about She rose to her feet and said lam much ashamed to night Though you shall not be able to see me well during the day 1 shall be there in the sky Then she went up above when day came and they say that she is still there They say that because of the treatment of the Sun Woman by the Ancient of Otters i.e. his making her ashamed she went up above and she is still there And because of the words of the Sun Woman she is always one whom can never see well

so, here I am trying to figure why I'm here

Posted by Ancient Of Otters on March 8, 2008 at 12:54pm

I know my son likes to get my advise, but, y'know, I still use real brushes, and tangeable paper ..I did some drawings way back in the 90-s with (what was it ) kid pic s ? - at my son's elementary school ... but this is out o' my league ...well, learning is fun ...sometimes

enough zombies, and other thoughts

Posted by Ancient Of Otters on March 8, 2008 at 12:22pm

So, with the current zombie rage, I htought I'd get a t-shirt that sais : we don't need zombies , there are already enough smelly, brain dead people around ...