Lack of truth in advertising? Say it ain't so!

Today's strip illustrates a valuable lesson: Commercials don't always show the truth. Now I realize that you're all shocked by this revelation, but it's true. Maybe I'm just cynical, but I can't work up much sympathy for our protagonist. With something like car repairs, you don't go to the place with the good commercials. You do research, you ask friends and colleagues. And when it comes to car repairs, "reasonable" does not necessarily equal "low, low." Some things can be fixed fairly inexpensively. But not everything. And since I have no idea what's actually wrong with the car...I can't judge. It's bad form for the guy to say "Big bucks," but we all know how Al doesn't want to use actual numbers.

Anyway, J. Wurshell, you can just take your car to another shop. He gives you the option. And if it needs to be towed...so be it. But it's not like there's nowhere else in Cleveland to get your car fixed. And don't blame your television for commercials. Your television loves you!

In yesterday's strip, a couple shows up unexpectedly and is shocked that the couple they've stopped in to see isn't available to socialize. Well, duh. If you stop by to see someone without calling ahead, you're taking a chance that the person is going to be out or busy. My friends know that they're more than welcome to just pop on by anytime, but that doesn't mean that at any given time, I'll have the time to talk. How far away is the couple coming from, anyway? Honestly, do people do this that much? I can think of one time when I was driving by a friend's house and stopped to say hi. He wasn't home. I certainly didn't get upset about it. It happens, you know?

The growling dog does make the strip, though, I think.

HDTV, but no computers

I love the juxtaposition in yesterday's strip between the plasma HDTV (and wow, correct terminology throughout! Al must've had an assistant help him with this) and the actual image we see on the tv. It's in a shade of gray, and the ancient-looking ballplayer is tossing the ball in some random fashion. It doesn't look like he's throwing the ball on a play; maybe they're just tossing the ball around the horn after a strikeout? Anyway. The strip. Some of the set-up Junior is going on about isn't required for having a plasma HDTV (not that I do know what is required, seeing as I have a 27" regular tv). But home theater and DVR? Nope, not necessary. My parents just got an HDTV, and I don't believe they have a DVR. They certainly don't have a home theater system. I do like how Al not only had to write "Dunce" on the dunce cap, but tell us that this means "Dummy." Thanks!

Today's strip confuses me. Who are the two women in this strip? Is the woman next to Ragweed someone who works in his "home office"? Is she a maid? What's going on there? And really, this shouldn't come up. Mrs. Ragweed should say, "I'm sorry, my husband is working right now." If the jerks go into his study and start talking to him, he should just say, "I'd like to chat, but I'm really busy and possibly broke, as this 'Past due' invoice indicates. I'll give you a call later." If they won't go away, just don't engage. Continue working as though they weren't there, and they'll get the hint. And honestly, does this happen? Do whole families stop by in the middle of what's presumably a workday? If he's doing work on a Saturday, then I can see an issue. I feel bad for Ragweed and His Ladies, but they need to grow a spine, as is the case in so many of these strips.

Annoying friends, underage drivers, and a decent strip

So apparently there are times when I actually have to work at work, and work at home. So today is catch-up day!

I suppose the top panel of today's strip has happened to me--we've all experienced boring people who talk our ears off. I don't think I've ever heard any of them ever say anything like, "Let me go," though. The rest, sure--they've got stuff to do, etc. (Which does rightfully make you roll your eyes.) I could almost see the "Let me go" comment if the person saying it was joking, but that obviously isn't the case here. I also think Al needs to cut back on the use of cobwebs; he's been using them a lot lately.

Yesterday's strip was frustrating because there is NO WAY that Junior looks anywhere near old enough to drive. Al drew him the same way he draws small children, so Junior looks like he's maybe 10, which just makes the strip frightening. As for Junior's predicament, it's a tough one. Honestly, if I were him and found talking on the phone to be that much of a distraction (and I admit that I do occasionally talk on the phone while driving), I'd just let it ring and deal with the consequences. Obviously his mother won't be happy, but the alternative is getting smooshed by a huge truck while ramming into the side of another car. And what is up with the seat in my car? It looks like a couch cushion.

Tuesday's strip was, as I know, submitted by a reader of the Comics Curmudgeon. You can tell because it's a decent concept, and is even well executed. I think we can all relate to that, though in my experience, the beginning of the message isn't so much a person saying "ah" and "um" a lot so much as rambling about whatever pops into the person's head. The buttons on the right side of the phone/answering machine confuse me a bit, but I'll give props to Al for actually drawing a cordless phone. Good work!

I like the addition of the name Pestley

Ah, a return to the medical world in today's strip. And I really wish that Al would stop starting these things with "Ever happen to you?" because the vast majority of the time, no, it hasn't. I was going to compliment Al on not having the patient with a bandage around his head or arm in a sling, but then I realized that he explicitly says what's wrong with him, so...not so impressive.

Honestly, though, other than that...yes, that would be annoying. If anyone has more thoughtful opinions about it, feel free to sound off in the comments.

Not that I know anything about embezzling

Today's strip is making me contemplate the way people talk in this strip. Not the expo box, though heaven knows that language is stilted. But the toast...I guess we can assume they're toasting going into business together. Still. "Pal o' mine"? And Al is pulling out the stops in the expo box, too, between "heh heh" and the stereotypical "Oh, yeah-h."

I wonder how long Damin and Pythio (and if anyone can shed light on these names, let me know; the best I can do is "Damien," though I'm sure "Pythio" means something in Greek) have been in business by the point of the second panel. There seem to be other employees (working on typewriters, of course), which implies that they've been in business for a while. And if one of them has been embezzling, that usually doesn't come out for at least some time. I would think.

I feel sad for the red-haired one. At least the other guy got a new tie between the first and second panels.