Blowback
Blowback
A clean, well-lit place to vent
Please feel free to contribute to this frequently-updated forum, which posts selected commentary on our favorite comic strip. If you'd like your critique to be posted, please note that civility, if not approbation, counts. Click here to submit a comment.
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MALIBU FIRE
I hope B.D. and Boopsie's home survives the Malibu fire...
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LEST WE FORGET
While Remembrance Day (Veterans Day) tends to focus on the men and women who died in service of the country, today you gave us another reminder of what we, as a society, owe to those who returned. Even if they bear no visible wounds, they are not the same people they were when they left.
I cannot help but wonder how poorly we must have done for those who came home 100 years ago. Here in Canada it was the end of four of our military's bloodiest years, given our population at the time. More than 660,000 lost their lives in uniforms bearing the Maple Leaf (this was the first time our troops had an emblem to call their own), and thousands more returned to a country that desperately wanted to put the War behind it.
Lest We Forget.
p.s. Approximately two minutes before the Armistace went into effect, the last soldier of the British Empire who was killed in the war -- a Canadian -- died. It happened near Mons Belgium, less than 50 meters from where the first soldier had died, four years before, during an early engagement between German and British troops.
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MEL
I wonder if Mel won, or if they are still counting the ballots, or what... Inquiring minds want to know!
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MINES IN AFGHANISTAN
Re today's strip, WAR STORIES: It's been more than 15 years but I still, usually in the morning for some reason, sometimes have a mental pause before I walk off the concrete onto the lawn. There were so many warnings about mines in Afghanistan. Thank you, GBT, and site Duty Officer David Stanford, for the time and place that is Doonesbury.
Editor's Note:Doonesbury readers who came on board relatively recently might not know about the 800 posts by over 150 servicemembers that appeared on our milblog THE SANDBOX between 2006 and 2014. You can explore the entire rich archive here.
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THE TRIBUTE WE NEED
Much thanks for today's strip. It covers a lot of ground for all the vets who've been in combat. It's the tribute we need -- stop the wars instead of paying lip service to those who served.
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BOMBS
I wonder what the day and hour shall be when I, like Phred 45 years ago today, look up and say, "Look, Martha, here come the bombs."
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SEGUE
Today's strip -- "Barney, play 'Uptown Funk'" -- would segue perfectly to one of these as Today's Video, were we still so graced. B.D. would maybe choose this one, whereas Sam, despite her protest, could surely enjoy this.
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FLASHBACKS
I really like the new format of the site, especially the size of the Flashback strips -- much more legible! However, I'm sad that almost every day, one or more years are omitted.
Editor's Note:Yes, we haven't gotten the Doonesbury Flashbacks strip feed perfected yet, but we will! Today we're missing 25 and 35 -- but 35 is accounted for by GBT's first sabbatical. Thanks for your patience.
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MUZAK
Reading today's Classic strip from 1991, I remember sitting in the airport in Syracuse, New York around that time waiting for my delayed flight to board, and noticing that instead of Muzak coming from the speakers, someone with musical taste and a sense of humor was playing Brian Eno's "Music for Airports." I wish that I had been able to thank that unknown programmer!
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TODAY'S VIDEO
I really miss Today's Video -- loved the choices and shared them a lot.
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I MUST COMPLAIN
Hi Garry. I've been a big fan since the late '70s, and I have great respect for your talent, sense of humor, and insightful political observations. But today I must complain. I am so sick of people describing Congress and the Supreme Court as "cowardly and supine." They are not. They are all, like Trump, authoritarian sociopaths. Some, like Mitch McConnell, are much worse, but to some degree, they are all corrupt, authoritarian sociopaths -- including most of the Democrats. They are all destroying this country and the global environment for their own personal glory and profit.
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STONER HEAVEN
Well, it's a good thing I am not a gambling man, as I might have bet good money that today's Sunday strip would have featured Zonker and Zipper pondering expansion of their cannabis enterprise to their northern neighbour. Why, only last night I was out in the Old Strathcona neighbourhood of the city -- always busy on a Saturday evening -- and at 8:00 pm the lineup outside the weed shop stretched around the corner, down the block, and out of sight. Stoner heaven!
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SILENT BEAT
GBT is such an expert in pacing and reveals -- the penultimate silent beat in both his old 4-frame dailies and in the 8-frame Sundays, giving the characters and readers a chance to cogitate and react, and adding comic and often emotional heft to a piece. In today's strip, Melissa's rally attendees are stunned by her brief exhortation, mouths literally agape at an earnest, passionate appeal to political vision and principle. For that moment, we are as uncertain as Mel how the group will respond. They might laugh, or heckle her, or simply shrug and leave. But instead, she has inspired them to action -- something Doonesbury’s readers have had faith in her ability to do all along. Yay!
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A BIG DIFFERENCE
I'm loving the new site. Since I normally visit on my phone or tablet, the new mobile version makes a big difference. I do miss the Daily Briefing, but I really appreciate all the improvements.
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GNOMES AND ELVES
The Daily Briefing (after reading the strip) is the single most important feature of the site. Given that I read the Times, NPR, the Monitor, and even now and then peek at old Fair and Balanced, I still miss stuff. The bevy of Gnomes and Elves who post the Daily Briefing should be commended for their stellar work over the years. Please do not remove this feature.
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SITE PROGRESS
We are gradually smoothing everything out on the new site. The MUDLINE is back, and has the freeze-it feature I mention in my note below. If you are using Firefox you aren't yet able to see Roland's latest post on the Home Page, but it's there if you are using Chrome or Safari -- and on all browsers, the FOLLOW button leads you to @RealRBHJr's Twitter page. SITE NEWS will return soon.
Thanks for your patience. Onward!
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MEIHEM IN CE KLASRUM
Re Sunday's strip: Roland might like to check out "Meihem In Ce Klasrum," by Dolton Edwards. Edwards suggests that the President should declare an annual Easy Language Day, wic a nu speling simplificayun, suty az "y" for "sh" and "c" for "th", eaty taim, until cere ar "no mor uv ciz teribli trublsum difikultis." It simz tu mi cat cis iz an aidea huz taim haz kum in cis Prezidensi.
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MUDLINE
The new site looks nice, but the Mudline doesn't work. Any suggestions?
Editor's Note:The new admin tool for Mudline is almost ready, so a new one will go up soon. An abundance of new material has accumulated... HEADS UP: We've added a subtle but great new feature. When your cursor moves across the Mudline itself, the tickertape freezes! Check it out.
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LARGE PRINT
I'm concerned because the new site doesn't include the option of large print for those of us who have limited vision. Now I have to work really hard and strain my eyes to read the dialogue balloons. Is there any possibility that you can reinstate the large type option? I'm 70 years old and have been a fan of Doonesbury since the dawn of time.
Editor's Note:Good news! We still offer this feature, it just moved slightly. Right below the day's strip, check out the fifth option from the left: ENLARGE. Click that, and you should be good to go.
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VIDEO ARCHIVE
I will miss your "Today's Video" offerings, and I've enjoyed browing the video archive. Would it be possible to provide a link to that?
Editor's Note:Thanks. All suggestions and requests are being taken under advisement!