It appears that the Gallic Shrug is about the same as the South American "Que se arruinen" Shrug; an expression that Satan exists.

But what about Mel? Echoes of the patriotism that founded the United States, and echoes of Vietnam. My compliments to Garry Trudeau for initiating this discussion.

The 65-year old man who works as the weekend manager in my apartment building sat quietly at the desk as I walked by. He raised his head and asked,"Alan, if I had died in Vietnam, what would I have died for?" Any answers for that or any war? I have none. My brother earned a Silver Star in Vietnam and has no answer.

Thrilled to see my girl Mel back! As a Veteran I can empathize with her feelings of "abandonment," though the war was a bad idea from the start and why are we still there? Much of the military joined after Iraq and A-stan began, so they knew the job sucked when they signed up! However, when I go to college online and 25% of my class is deployed to A-stan and they go out to eat at TGI Fridays I have little sympathy for them.

David Suchet, the Hercule Poirot actor, has the Gallic Shrug down to perfection. It includes an ever-so-slight rolling up of the eyes.

Yes, ladies, I must agree. But surely both the "Army Shrug" and the classic Gen Y "Whatever?" are lineal descendants of the granddaddy of them all, the "Gallic Shrug." (I say this having no French ancestry of which I am aware, but having the two bodacious "French connections" of growing up in Bayonne, NJ, and doing my undergraduate study at Lafayette.)

I'll tell you exactly what Mel's serving: the world's fear and anger industry.

"I'll be here. Serving."  Serving what? Whom? America? Karzai? A government war agenda? The military-industrial complex? A need for purpose and a bonding experience? (Try one that's not so destructive, Mel.) The lack of a clear, justifiable answer to that question is probably why Afghanistan has dropped off the radar for most of us. It's like that when the shame/threat ratio is rather high.

I'm really enjoying the 10-years-ago-today Flashback story arc about ticketing SUVs. I urge similar "ticketing" of car owners with no common courtesy/common sense who take up two parking spaces, block mall driveways instead of using the parking lot, etc.

Thank you for today's reminder. I would dearly love to see us talking about this instead of the weather.

The Straw Poll gave a huge laugh this morning -- I wonder if you deliberately designed it so that the results would resemble "the finger." Quite appropriate, given the context.

Today's strip about Mel struck a deep chord for me. Many thanks for keeping people's awareness on servicewomen, along with the men.

More Melissa! Excellent! She's definitely the most interesting member of the Alex-Toggle-Jeff-Zipper-Earl generation in Doonesbury.

It's good to see the Council of Elders refusing over-fertilization but I'd be far happier if they were demanding organic fertilizer and with their roots in real soil. They need to be free, to see the sky and to dream... to give their loving consumers a natural Rocky Mountain High (cue song).

Like Zonker, I also am overcome. He has been working for this moment all his life, and he is vindicated. Now what does he do? I loved his reply to Zipper. The "boomers" are now the elders. Wow!

Lots of people talk to their plants; Zonker is privileged indeed his that plants talk to him. I doubt they will talk to Zipper at all, or that he could hear them if they did.

Since ZZ are using Duke's farm, I imagine he'll be showing up soon to demand his cut.

Oh wow, Zonk -- oh wow, oh wow, oh wow!

Bring in Monsanto for help.

It's still early in the season, but the Z's need to keep an eye out for Zeke. Once he gets wind of this he's sure to begin plotting!

I used to talk to my "ladies" all the time. That was way back when one had to be discrete -- with the law and with the ladies. It worked with the ladies and I never had to talk to the law.