Worry Wart

October 14, 1966

Based on the expression on his face, Wilberforce isn't exactly sure why he painted your chair either. You know when you get an impulse and you just do something? That's what happened to Wilberforce.

"Orange crate" seems oddly specific.

I feel that if I had more money, I'd have fewer worries. Maybe that's just me.

And I feel it's your partner's main job to not make life harder for you, so thank you for the compliment.

Uncle Ted Took Up This Hobby Just to Make This Joke

August 24, 1966

Thornapple is just spelling it how most people say it. We rarely say "information" and slur it together into "infermation". To be honest, I don't know if an 'O' could even fit on that sign.

Ok. Well, so far you are only making a stake. Invite me back over when that stick becomes something worth talking about.

Shouldn't he be whittling over a trash can or something. There's going to be wood pieces all over the chair and floor.

Green Giant

April 7, 1966

At least he gets a mountain named after him? At least until we go "woke" and start calling it by its original indigenous name.

Apparently the Thornapples are going through a mint green phase for their house. I'm not going to link to all of them, but most of the backgrounds in the house are mint green.

Even Startled the Watercooler

MAGA: "He could mean anything by "Long live the king!"

I mean, I guess he can call himself a king if he wants. We fought an entire war (a revolution, even) to get rid of kings. If he wants to be a king, fine, but then he and his followers can't get mad when we do what should happen to all kings.

March 18, 1966

It could just be painted black or white. Luigi over there on the right has more squares than Mario.

Only two? I need at least two to make it through waking up and the first hour or so of work. The dosage on the bottle/box is just a suggestion, right? Nothing bad happens if you take three or four times more than it says, right? Right?

White People

September 14, 1986

Is the same raise Brutus was kicking his telephone over last week? Is Veeblefester standing next to the water cooler like a commoner? That I don't believe.

Mm. I'm torn between Surrender Flag White and Poltergeist White. I'm leaning Poltergeist White, but I would paint my kitchen a nice blue with a vintage-looking tile backsplash. Maybe a blue a little lighter than the sweater Brutus is wearing.

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Get the Heart Pumping

February 28, 1966

I'm all for painting NO on the wall, but on your wife? Brutus deserves whatever happens that gives him his headache.

Why is it such a big deal to go to this PTA meeting? Do both parents need to go? If she doesn't want to go without her husband, then maybe she just needs to quit.

I have never seen Brutus at the gym. Does Brutus think the diner he always goes to is a gym? He should go to the doctor and make sure his brain is okay.

And why is he covered in snow?!

Unlimited Brutus

February 5, 1966

Don't listen to Art Professor Maynard G. Krebs here. People of all ages lovingly utilize paint-by-number books while beatnik after beatnik have disappeared.

I mean, he's creating a paint by numbers and not doing one, right? I guess the strip and comment works either way.

I feel the same way. Can I have a discount on my bill because I never actually use the phone part? No one wants to talk to me unlimitedly either, and frankly, I don't blame them.

Saturday Sleeps

January 15, 1966

It's because of this why Ted Kaczynski moved to sending explosives through the mail.

People have been predicting and "ushering in" the end of the world for centuries now and all I can say is when is it actually going to happen? I've had my bags packed for years.

It is Saturday. Lemme sleep! My cat sure didn't.

Shut Your Hole, Woman

December 17, 1965

Good! That carpet was due for a good painting.

What's wrong with Brucie's face? Is that a young Elon Musk? Clearly this tiny man has kidnapped and killed Brucie and has taken over his life.

July 26, 2024

The number of alarms refers to the number of peppers in the chili, which I didn't know. I knew it was in relation to how spicy the chili but I didn't know how they came up with the number.

The chili I make would definitely be considered a no-alarm chili because I don't put peppers in mine. You'd hate my chili and I can feel your judging eyes on me.

Cool. I get to talk about work and school during my last week of summer vacation. I would rather be bored than go back to work. Although I do like the money. You can give me some by going into the About section and sending me a tip.

It's also kind of hot and possibly storming in and around Cleveland today so that may be part of his boredom.

Inevitable Return of the Great White Dope

November 19, 1965

I don't usually compliment this comic strip because it's usually so meh, but I do want to give credit where credit is due. I love the phrasing of this strip. "Me? Paint myself into a corner?", the scoffing noise, the seemingly sinister implications of "escape hatch" which is just the door leading out of the room. The dastardly set-up (for some reason) makes the joke of the strip even better. Take it down a few notches, Brutus. You remembered not to paint yourself into a corner. Congrats, you did the bare minimum.

I'm just imaging Brutus, who shouldn't want to talk to Mother Gargle in the first place, walking by and going "Hey, Mother Gargle. Not dead yet?" and getting more frustrated and louder each time he repeats it because she can't hear him.

Wilberforce, put your own damn clothes away. And scrub out your own skidmarks.

This is a weird question to ask in your own house. You hear someone talking then it is obviously one of the three people who live in your house. She should also be able to recognize her own husband's voice. Unless Brutus uses different voices when he talks to himself. If so, that's some very impressive insanity.

Ever since I left Twitter, I've been on all the other social networking sites, but none of them have come close to what I had on Twitter. I want to be able to step away but I have a website to think about. I guess I could just stop updating my website...

Hey, whatever gets you to show up.

I bet they didn't even catch a tire or a boot. That's how loser-y these two are. They are also so loser-y that maybe they caught malaria, West Nile, or Zika from those mosquitoes.

He'll Show You!

February 6, 1974

How did Gladys even get that paint on her? Brutus seems to be doing a fine job. He's just slopping on paint--doesn't look like it's supposed to fancy or anything. Did she fall into it and then roll down the wall? How is that Brutus' fault?

Part 2 of the harrowing new chef storyline. I feel it's very rude to say this. If I knew a customer said this about my cooking, I'd make damn sure that bacon was undercooked, the toast was burnt, and those eggs were dry as hell.

Sleep Deprived

Kansas became the 34th state in the United States 162 years ago today. This post card, I don't know the year, features a poem called The Call of Kansas. It was written by Esther M. Clark in 1907. Clark was born and raised in Kansas and wrote this poem when living in Long Beach, California as a sort of love letter to her home state.

Sweeter to me than the salt sea spray

the fragrance of summer rains;

Nearer my heart than the mighty hills

are the wind-swept Kansas plains;

Dearer the sight of a sky wild rose by

the roadside dusty way

Than all the splendor of poppy-fields

ablaze in the sun of May.

Gay as the bold poinsettia is, and the

burden of pepper trees,

The sunflower tawny and gold and brown,

is richer to than these;

And rising ever above the song of the

hoarse insistent sea,

The voice of the prairie calling,

Calling me.

December 30, 1984

I enjoy the clever little "I'll give you $50...no, $10..." gag in the first panel. And I gotta hand it to Veeblefester for not just calling the cops on Wastrel as he traipses through his gated community. I don't know. Maybe Veeblefester lives in Shaker Heights.

If you remove the first two panels (the logo and first panel), like many newspapers do to save space, then we start out with Brutus lightly suggesting his uncle dope himself up. We don't know that Uncle Ted is having trouble sleeping, maybe Brutus just wants his chair and TV back or, if he's at Uncle Ted's, to leave.

My wife and I fall asleep with the TV on these days. How old is Uncle Ted's TV that it doesn't have a sleep timer?

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It's Because of the Black Friday Act of 2007

August 18, 1973

Brutus is a really good artist--but only if he's drunk. Kind of like Curly being really good at boxing but only if "Pop Goes the Weasel" is playing.

No, it's because most people have Friday off so it just makes sense to have discounts on things so people will get out and shop for the upcoming holiday season.

But that's not why we're here. Why is Gladys at home? Are we supposed to believe this took place after Gladys went shopping? Is it 4 A.M. and Gladys is just about to head out? Maybe she stayed home and made Brutus bear the brunt of this capitalistic anarchy.

Yes, He's the Son of That Taft

The official portraits of former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were revealed earlier this week. Their uniqueness is what makes me really appreciate them more. The other official portraits are all roughly the same--the difference being President John F. Kennedy's which shows him with arms crossed and head looking down. These are difference mainly because they were painted by African American painters. Kehinde Wiley painted President Obama while Amy Sherald painted Mrs. Obama.

It will be fun to scroll through the other presidential portraits and come to this one and not seeing the man standing or sitting at a desk in an office or in front of a book case or even in front of American or military flags but in a lush green garden that almost makes the man a secondary object in his own portrait. As for Mrs. Obama's portrait, I can't find the words to describe the grace, dignity, and beauty of Mrs. Obama or that dress.

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The Taft-Hartley Act, actually the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947, was a bill written by Senator Robert Taft and Rep. Fred Hartley, Jr. It became a law despite President Truman's veto. The law, which is still in effect, was essentially written to strangle the power that unions had. It discouraged strikes, which surged after World War II ended, and prohibited radical leaders from controlling unions. The bill was heavily supported by business lobbyists and was a bipartisan bill which was how Congress was able to override Truman's veto. Efforts to make changes to the law during the Carter and Clinton administrations failed due to Republican opposition and lack of Democratic support.

I'm trying to make the effort of reading more this year. So far I think I'm doing pretty good. Don't think I'll read a book on the Taft-Hartley Act though, not because it sounds boring but because I don't think there's really a book about it. Although the damage it did to worker's right still resonates today.