Happy 20th to Egg Freckles!

I wonder if the Flashback strips we're being given during GBT's hiatus presage the new strips? I can see it now. Jeff falls for Melissa. In his Red Rascal persona, he is rescuing her from her demons. In reality, she's gently but firmly forcing him to live up to the obligation of his talents. Win-win. Too pat? I think not.

About rapes in the military. Reality check!

"Bonker, that girl was me!" still brings tears to my eyes after 40 years, for various reasons...

"You worthy, Lieutenant." That's the second time this line brought tears to my eyes.

I love the Doonesbury Flashbacks page! Today, for example, in 40 Years Ago, getting to meet Alice again is great, and instructive. She wasn't always homeless.

As a surviver of Military Sexual Trauma I want to say thank you for keeping us in the news. Keep up the great work. You rock.

Around 40 years ago I had an interest in the military after a recruiter visited my high school, and my brother-in-law talked my parents out of allowing my enlistment. Learning about all the rapes, and disgustingly poor management of victims, makes me more understanding and forgiving of why he, a veteran, dashed those plans.

Why has the Chicago Tribune dropped Doonesbury? Where are you? When are you coming back? We miss you.

Twenty-five years ago, Rick lamented age forty, apparently with collateral damage. Three weeks ago, I encountered age fifty. Am trying to avoid malaise. Where have you gone, Vaughn Meader?

The Daily Briefing story about Laura Poitras was well timed. Its tale of being trapped in the limbo of 'international zones' of airports and border crossings coincided with the story of the Brazilian partner of Glenn Greenwald being detained by UK security authorities for nine hours while in transit from Berlin to Rio de Janeiro. Don't get those in charge of the Shadow State mad at you!

Today's strip never gets old. Cliched perhaps, but real. Thanks.

What a great strip today, revealing, specifically, what's wrong with the failed Republican Party. G.B. Trudeau hit the nail on the head!

Yup, the Honest Man nailed it again. Even better than the last time this strip appeared. “Is there anyone more tongue-tied than a Republican politician talking about women?” asked Independent Women's Forum panel moderator Christina Hoff Sommers, quoted in this article on conservative women Republicans. It would be so much better if they were merely tongue-tied; the leadership would no doubt prefer they just stop talking.

Mmmm...I'm an angry, white, well-armed, evangelical, bacon-lovin' man who balances in the ground where Libertarian and Green overlap, proud of Blumenthal and Murphy and all our Democratic reps. Maybe those other guys should try listening to NPR for a while.

Today's 15-years-ago Flashback of Lacey and Dick Davenport reminded me of Baba Ram Das: "We're all just walking each other home." Yup. Thank you for all the laughter along the way. Please keep it coming, there are miles and miles to go yet.

I'm digging the current set of Flashbacks featuring Melissa, as I did when they were originally run, because I love to see her smile. No longer the hunched-over girl we first met -- truly Army Strong!

I know it's just a cartoon, but the scenes 15 years ago with Lacey and Dick as she passes away are profoundly moving.

I'd forgotten how beautiful was Lacey Davenport's passing. This week's 15 years ago Flashbacks put tears in my eyes every day.

I sometimes wonder about Mel and her father. His casual homophobia and saying stuff like asking his daughter to not "dwell" on her being raped, is scary in a lot of ways. It kind of makes me wonder if the real reason Mel enlisted (and re-enlisted) was to get away from him.