1165: Wasn't She Pregnant Last Month?

This seems like something that would be better served by saying it was on her Facebook page. I can see someone posting "I'm going to have a baby!! But don't tell anyone, it's a secret!" with that stupid clenched teeth emoji on Facebook but Twitter doesn't seem to be used like that. Maybe I just have a better timeline on Twitter than I do on Facebook.

Also, Mary Jo Kronk sounds like one of those women who always assume they are pregnant. I wouldn't go finding her baby registry quite yet Gladys until you see proof that she is with child. While we wait for proof that Mary Jo is pregnant, you can follow me on Twitter.

1164: It's Tax Day = More Veeblefester

So Veeblefester, who caught Brutus' mistake probably within seconds of getting the paper and probably doesn't even pay that much attention to what's shoved under his nose, thinks Brutus is clever enough to fool the IRS? I think Brutus would be able to fool the IRS for maybe one or two years but not longer than that.

Besides, Veeblefester should be able to afford the best tax-avoidance accountants who can keep him from paying taxes for years to come.

The biggest issue nearly all rich people have with the current income tax system is that they are still required to pay at least some taxes. And Veeblefester is proof that the rich are not actually job creators because it seems as if Brutus is doing the work of several people. He's assistant to Veeblefester, second-in-command, works in receivables, works sales and I'm sure a couple other things.

Time for a job fair, Veeblefester. There are unemployed people out there who would love to have one of Brutus' eight jobs.

1163: Why Does Brutus Keep Eating Here?

So this tuna surprise casserole is just noodles, some kind of creamy mixture and maybe broccoli or other vegetables? Isn't tuna, like, the cheapest meat-like food you can buy that isn't gangrenous? I hope you aren't paying for the tuna that isn't in the tuna surprise casserole.

1162: Such a Sympathetic Wife

Oh my god, Gladys, your husband is screaming inside for help and you're just making a fat joke. Seriously though, if you're feeling drained physically, mentally and/or emotionally and think you just can't go on, there are people you can talk to that aren't like Gladys.

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.

1160: Fight the Blocked Number Power

I get a lot of weird phone calls--all from construction supply companies asking for a specific person. I've had my phone number since 2009 so these companies really need to update their information or Lonnie (the guy they keep calling for) needs to quit giving out his old number to people because there is nothing I like better than having someone call me and then insult me.

I honestly think it should be illegal for you to be able to block your number from showing up on caller ID. If you are calling me, it is my right to know what number is calling none of this "BLOCKED" or "UNAVAILABLE" crap.

1159: Hand-Me-Down Clothes and Shows

I found out yesterday that venerable FOX series The Simpsons has not been renewed yet. For those who don't know, if renewed, it would be The Simpsons 27th season making it, for the 7th year in a row, the longest running scripted series in American television history. I stopped watching The Simpsons after the 23rd season and felt it really went downhill after the 11th but if other people enjoy then whatever. From what I hear, there are people who like Supernatural and I don't understand that either.

Pfft. From ages 16-24, my life was basically the same thing only I'm really
from Lawrence and nothing supernatural actually happened.

According to this tweet from Ericka Isabel Vega, who works in the animation department for The Simpsons, the renewal is even past the standard contractual days.

What this means is probably nothing. We will get a full season 26 with about 7 episodes left over for season 27. The Dead Homer Society explains this better and goes into better detail if you care to know what that previous sentence means. What I want to talk about is another tweet that Vega sent out yesterday evening:

@jamesmcnair79 @deadhomers Ouch. You're basically saying all our unemployment would be good. That hurts. :'(
— Erika Isabel Vega (@eiVega) April 7, 2015

Every time someone on The Simpsons runs across someone who wants the show to end, they cry about losing their job. This happened a couple years ago from someone who worked on the music. One would assume that the people who work on The Simpsons are some of the best and that, no matter what season you worked on, having The Simpsons on your resume will open many doors. I always think that the worst times to work on a TV show are the first season and any season after 7 because cancellation is lurking around every lower rating and lackluster episode review. In television, losing your job is inevitable.

As a TV dork, I find this stuff fascinating and always check to see which show is about to be cancelled or which show that maybe should've ended several years ago is going to renewed again. It's a fascinating microcosm of pop culture that while set in stone, is still ever changing.

Based on what I know about Brutus and Gladys' ages, Wilberforce should be glad that he is even alive. Also, is it me or is there some sort stigma these days about only children?

The last panel of Kewpie in Wilberforce's clothes is pretty damn funny.

Stan Freberg, 1926-2015

Stan Freberg, noted comedian, voice actor, writer, radio personality and recording artist, has passed away at the age of 88. Freberg got his start at Warner Bros. in 1944 where he became a prolific voice actor both there and at Walt Disney. In 1951, he recorded "St. George and the Dragonet" with Daws Butler and June Foray, which became a hit in 1953. From there, Freberg started parodying hit songs from the time. Freberg became a huge inspiration to "Weird Al" Yankovic. Stan Freberg replaced Jack Benny on CBS Radio in 1957 but his own Stan Freberg Show was canceled after only 15 episodes due to Freberg refusing any advertisements from alcohol and tobacco companies.

On television, Freberg did voices on Bob Clampitt's Time for Beany, performed on The Ed Sullivan Show, appeared in a recurring role on Roseanne and did voice work on The Garfield Show.

We looked this up at work because some student was saying that he'd just fill out a bracket for every possible outcome and we were saying it would be impossible because it would be in the millions. He claimed it would only be in the hundred thousands. So we looked it up and discovered you would need to fill out over 9 quintillion (9,000,000,000,000,000,000+) brackets in order to get every single outcome. I can barely fill out two, let alone a hundred thousand, a million or 9 quintillion.

1158

1157: At Least Kentucky's Out

The phrasing of "March Madness Championship Game" is weird. Considering March Madness only refers to the tournament narrowing down the teams to four. The Final Four and Championship are not considered part of March Madness, right? Because they are in April. The correct phrasing, avoiding any possible copyright claims, should be "Men's College Basketball Championship."

1156: Brutus Has Not Yet Risen

Let the man sleep in, Gladys. He works hard all day. The house will still be a disgusting mess whether he gets up at 8:00 or 10:00.