You Wanted to Know

My governor, Laura Kelly, sent a letter to Secretary Linda McMahon of the Department of Education asking for some funding back. Someone responded in the comments "We don't rely on money to teach kids." He then says a couple more things then goes "Pay teachers fair wages...". Ignoring the idiocy of saying we don't need money and then saying give teachers money, this person clearly doesn't understand how much money goes into schools.

It was left over money from Covid so I don't know what it would actually be going toward but Covid money was given to schools for health-related stuff (more nurses, supplies, upgrades to things), extra paraeducators, extra social workers, and to help pay for "learning loss" things like after school and summer school programs. He actually says later in a response that "the money isn't going to teachers", but it probably is because summer school and after school programs are not part of a teacher's salary. They get extra pay for that because that stuff tends to fall outside of their duty schedule.

Don't get me wrong, pay teachers, get rid of the bad ones (whatever that means) and just let teachers teach. But we all know that isn't going to happen.

Pay the teachers with what, Ryan?

PAY THEM WITH WHAT?!

May 14, 1966

I've mentioned before how I don't understand how everyone on an island doesn't just get swept into the ocean by a large wave and this island doesn't ease those concerns.

Did the hammock wash up on shore? Physics aside, what happens if he actually falls asleep?

But, seriously, though. Isn't this what restaurants do? They make up the specials from what's expiring or what they bought cheap recently? I mean, sometimes it's what they have too much of, but it can also be those other two things, right?

Dare to Dream

December 14, 1965

The best thing about these old comic strip is that I have to look up some of the references. Pablo Casals was a cellist and apparently a really good one. You can hear some of his stuff online. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by John Kennedy,

I enjoy that the kid is banging his head against the wall.

July 23, 2024

How can he be happy when Mother Gargle is visiting. I'm just assuming she's still here because the suitcase she brought yesterday was pretty big.

Latex? That sounds uncomfortable. I guess you're not laying on the latex, you should have a fitted sheet. You do have a fitted sheet, thank God!

So I guess Uncle Ted is looking for an adjustable mattress? Should be easy enough to do. Wipe that look off your face and get to selling!

Dreams-R-Us is a terrible name. I'm not a fan.

I Hear Kum & Go Will Be Available Soon

October 1, 1989

Brutus didn't have to say anything. Gladys was clearly asleep, just get up and brush your teeth. Or wait until morning. One thing I try not to do when having to get up in the middle of the night is wake the other people in the house up.

Cool. This place just went down a notch from "diner food" to "gas station food". We have a gas station that serves some food. Apparently they have really good biscuits and gravy. So people are just going to leave their cars at the pumps while they eat? That seems inconvenient.

As for a catchy slogan, I think people will notice the changes based on the newly installed gas pumps.

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Bad Bed

You have to break it in first. It doesn't just conform to your body after one night. I had a memory foam mattress for nearly ten years and it wasn't great. Then we got a pillow top mattress which was just the worst thing ever. We've had a new mattress for a few months now and it's been really good.

What are we talking about? Oh, yeah. Uncle Ted should take that crappy mattress back. Hopefully it's still under warranty or whatever and he can get his money back.

Quigley Account Revisited

We're going to try something new this week. Every Sunday I'm going to post about my favorite thing that I've seen over the last week. This week we got the news that Superman's red trunks that have been missing in action since 2011 are making their triumphant return in Action Comics #1000 which comes out in April. Here's a first look at the return.

Art by Jim Lee and Scott Williams. Copyright DC Comics.

A late entry is this picture of President Donald Trump supposedly on the phone trying to end the government shutdown and not posing for stock photo #12576 "angry man in hat on phone at desk".

"Yes? This is President."

Photo by Dan Scavino, Jr.

Thank you to everyone who supports this site. To support even more, please consider backing me on Patreon. If you would like to advertise, check out my Project Wonderful account.

Brutus has worried about the Quigley account before. March 6 and 7 of 2012 to be specific. Brutus must not botch the account much because they still have an account with Veeblefester. An account for tea cozies. What?

I'm just going to imagine that their blankets are really some sort of incubation tube, keeping them in constant state of docility and misery--Quigley account or not.

1161: I Also Like It Because It's Not a Musical

One of my favorite plays is Mary Chase's Harvey. For those who don't know, Harvey is the story of Elwood P. Dowd, a nice guy who can see a six foot three and a half white rabbit named Harvey. Elwood and Harvey become close friends which aggravates Elwood's socially up-and-coming sister Veta Louise. Veta decides to send Elwood to a sanitarium on the outskirts of town called Chumley's Rest. After your standard comedy of errors and mistaken identity, Veta, Dr. Sanderson and Dr. Chumley are all on the lookout for Elwood and Harvey.

I was first brought to the attention of Harvey when my cousin played Dr. Sanderson in a high school production. Afterwards, I watched the 1950 James Stewart movie and the 1999 Harry Anderson TV movie which are both just phenomenal. I highly recommend the Jimmy Stewart version but I'm a big fan of Harry Anderson so it's always my go-to. But that first high school production got me on board.

Yesterday, the high school I work at, the same high school mentioned above actually, did another production so I decided to go and watch it. Aside from some sound issues and that it seemed to take most of the cast some time to really find their footing, it was just as I remember it. I love the nuances of Elwood that are sprinkled about the play--mostly his annoying cheerfulness and him always giving his card to people and explaining which phone number they may reach him at--but the character of Veta is much more a daunting task to play because the actress has to not only not believe in Harvey but also believe in him. When Jimmy Stewart didn't win the Oscar for his portrayal but Josephine Hull did for Veta, Stewart praised Hull saying that all he did was believe Harvey was real. Hull had to both believe and not believe.

If you get a chance to ever watch Harvey--it's on occassionally during TCM's 31 Days of Oscar--I highly recommend it. It's an excellent, slightly over-the-top, feel-good story.

from l. to r.: The cab driver, Wilson, Dr. Chumley, Nurse Kelly, Veta Louise, Elwood, Myrtle Mae, Dr. Sanderson,
Mrs. Chumley, Judge Gaffney, Mrs. Chauvenet

Why did it take Gladys an hour to realize that Wilberforce never went to bed? I love the look of utter disdain on Wilberforce's face in the second panel. That is the face of a kid who has nothing left to care about. Or one half of the Menendez brothers.

The one on the right clearly.

Why Does Gladys Get So Mad In the Middle?

Makes sense to me. Unless Wilberforce has been using that towel for a week or so, there's no point in washing it. I also understand people's (mostly men...) thoughts on if you even have to wash it but after awhile the towel gets musty and moldy smelling and sooner or later that smell is going to rub off on you and you'll be smelling like an abandoned house when you finally go talk to that girl at work you've been thinking about the last three months and she'll turn you down because you never wash your towel.

To the Moon, Wilberforce

A couple days ago, I bought a book titled Douglas County Historic Building Survey-A Photo Sampler at an antique mall and considering it's a book featuring pictures of old buildings and houses, I knew I had to have it. What interesting is that out of 115 entries in the book, 98 are still standing. I expected to see more houses and buildings on the National Register of Historic Places and buildings that I thought were historic. But the book does feature buildings I've never been able to get history on including this one that used to be part of a brewery.

I was a little disappointed that the Simmons Stage Station wasn't included in the book.

The Simmons Stage Station, a resting spot on the Santa Fe Trail along Highway 56.

It always seems out of character for Wilberforce to rail against his parents. But then again, Wilberforce just wants to stay up a little bit later and Brutus is making a Federal case out of it.

Does Wilberforce Ever Have Dinner?

Brutus doesn't do any work at home.  He comes home as the sun disappears behind the horizon, he eats dinner with his family then immediately goes bed as evidenced here:

I'm usually saddened by sexless marriages but in the Thornapples' case, I'll allow it.

Chip Sansom's In Cold Blood

The lonely house stood atop the hill.  It had been abandoned since the 1970s when the owners, an elderly farm couple, just disappeared.  Their house still looked, aside from the normal wear and tear and some incidents of vandalism, like the farmers will be home any minute.  The house was miles from the nearest town and was the only house within a square mile.  You could scream bloody murder and no one would hear--or find you.

Brutus and Gladys Thornapple had been driving since eight this morning and they were about to pass out as Brutus glided the car around a curve on the old country highway.  It was almost midnight and they weren't sure when the next town was--and if it'd have a hotel.  Finally, Brutus just pulled over and into a long winding driveway surrounded on both sides by trees.

"Where're you going?" Gladys, his wife, asked looking out all of the windows, seeing only glimpses of the scenery.

"I saw that there was a house up on this hill.  Maybe we can stay here if someone's up.  I can't drive anymore and I have no idea when we will reach the next town," Brutus yawned as he pulled around the old house.

"This house looks abandoned, Brutus," Gladys said as Brutus put the car in park an shut off the engine.  "I don't like this.  Let's go.  I can drive for awhile."

"No, Gladys.  It's probably just a couple of kindly farmer's house.  Born on this land, will die on this land.  Let's go," Brutus smiled and took Gladys' hand and led her up the stairs.  As they approached the front door, they noticed it was slightly ajar.  "Oh, it's open.  I guess no one really does live here."

"I told you.  Come on, let's go.  I can drive for awhile."

"Wait.  Let's take a look.  It doesn't look that bad, maybe it has a bed we can stay in at least until morning," Brutus said, pushing the front door further open.

"I am not sleeping in an abandoned house," Gladys shreiked.

"Oh, Gladys, it'll be fine.  I'll protect you from the big, bad ghosts," Brutus mocked.

Coming down the same highway were Albert Finch and Rupert Huff.  They were driving a lot faster than Brutus was but they were more familiar with the road.  Huff was antsy.  He wanted to get to where they were going.

"How much longer?" Huff asked.

"Shouldn't be too long now," Finch replied.

"Do we know where the money is hidden?" Huff asked.  According to a local rumor, there was $15,000 stashed away in the walls of the old house.  Most people just wrote off the rumor as just that but Finch knew it was true.  It had to be.  "It's a pretty big house from what I heard."

"We'll just keep smashing until we find it.  It can't be too hard."

"What if someone catches us?" asked Huff.

Finch turned his head to Huff and sneered.  "That's why we brought the gun.  And those sledgehammers would kind of hurt, too," he chuckled evilly.  He quickly braked and turned onto the house's driveway and slowly proceeded to the house.  They drove around the other side of the house, not even seeing the Thornapple's car.

Inside the house, Brutus and Gladys slept soundly, not hearing the car engine or the door slamming shut...

The creepy house in the first panel led to this.  I have nothing to say about the eating of celery in bed except that Gladys should be happy her husband is eating healthier food which is more than I can say about her.

Such Hideous Pajamas

The Thornapple's bed looks really small. Of course I guess any bed would look small with two huge people such as Brutus and Gladys in it. Maybe if the bed was bigger, Brutus' crumbs wouldn't bother Gladys. They should invest in a new bed. On a related note, I need a new bed.