Comic for Monday, January 28th, 2008

Posted: 8:00 am, Monday, January 28th

PVP linked to a site called PVP Makes Me Sad, which is actually how I feel about that strip sometimes. It's not what it once was, and its popularity sometimes makes me wonder, but I accept it for what it is, which is still pretty good. But this particular criticism made me take stock of Five Bucks:

There are relatively few punchlines in PVP -- it's mostly story-driven. This is fine, to a point, but the author has limited himself to an average of 4 panels per strip, which leads to Mary Worth Syndrome.

This requires lots of exposition, which usually means wasting the first panel. This means that the remaining three panels have to shoulder the burden of the story, which leads to melodrama.

I notice sometimes that a lot of my strips begin with a relatively slow first panel - the one that will run Monday, for instance - before having to motor along from there. And I'm prone from time to time to melodrama, I suppose, and I am definitely doing a story-oriented strip.. I don't know, though, does the first panel really slow things down that much? I don't really think that it does, and I'm not asking anyone to start a Five Bucks Makes Me Sad blog, but I should probably self-evaluate more often. On the other hand, I've read some more of this guy's stuff since that entry, and he's a bit loony sometimes. (My apologies if one of you is the Fake Scott McCloud.)

And only somewhat related, I think today is the kick-off of the three wordiest days in the strip's history.

Homebooooooy! Can someone refresh my memory as to why the Democrats aren't counting Florida? I'm sure this information is readily available on the interweb, but I figured I'd throw it out to the crowd, instead. More opportunity for editorializing. (Actually, nevermind, I just found it in this article about these wonderfully non-democratic superdelegates, and it's for the same reason as Michigan, moving it too early.) Anyway, from Slate, on Saturday's beatdown:

Barack Obama beat Hillary Clinton so badly in South Carolina it may spawn some new kind of Southern colloquialism. When Clemson spanks an opponent by five touchdowns it will be called an Obama. Fans will taunt the losing team as they walk off the field by making an "O" against their foreheads.

Hyperbolicious!

This recipe from Elise will be deployed this weekend while I was the Pats crush the Giants. In fact, I may just never leave the house again. Funny story, Sweaty was in town briefly this weekend and we met him to grab some brunch at the Half-King, which is a nice little bar tucked away on the outskirts of the galleries in Chelsea. Excellent burgers, which, not being a brunch man, is what I got, but 2.0 and Sweats liked their dishes, as well. Anyway, there's four dollar pints and free wings and weenies during the Super Bowl at the Half-King. But, the only TV we saw the other day was like a 13-inch analog set. Hm.

This story on a bunch of kids having a party in Robert Frost's old home is written with a healthy dose of 'kids today,' but it sure does suck that they used a landmark for a party.

Thankfully, we are slowly, slowly drawing to an end of this trial I'm on. While wishing E a happy birthday last night, I mentioned that I hoped we could get the final witness and deliberation done all today instead of having to come back tomorrow, and she reminded me of closing arguments. DARN YOU, CLOSING ARGUMENTS!

bullfrog

Bullfrog -- Monday, January 28 2008, 08:04 am

Just saw this - Slate has a review of Jonah Goldberg's Liberal Fascism, which I wouldn't be mentioning if not for two things: I had to look up tendentious (having or showing a definite tendency), and also there was a hilarious interview with Goldberg on the Daily Show the other day.

http://www.slate.com/id/2182871/

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=147884&title=jonah-goldberg

I freakin' LOVE the Roller Derby. 'Nuf said!

And you've already got a stage name!

Rink name! Whatever!

"it seemed that Frost would be with us forever, like some lichen-laced stone in a field..."

wow, frost reporter guy. intense.

Two bits of randomness: El Frogo's potato skin recipe has a link to the poison that likely killed the "Into the Wild" kid.

I watched http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390632/ this weekend. I thought I was at least above the mean in terms of my Scrabble skills. I now realize that I am a 98 pound weakling, at best.

Coffee link, then I'll get back to work. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/dining/23coff.html

I love my coffee as much as the next guy, but geeze. I'm just not willing to take the time or energy to make my taste buds good enough to need a cup of coffee made on a $20,000 machine.

And think of the carbon footprint of the machine and each cup it makes.

In case anyone's reading this after work or on the west coast tonight - the trial of the century has concluded, and we'll be more or less back to the regular crapola around here commencing tomorrow!

And there was much rejoicing.

Yay