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...yes?

...no?

Yes

No

NO!

maybe

space ham

I refuse to answer questions of morality

[Theta9]

For a comic that supposedly revolves around a school, the cast is not exactly teeming with students, is it? I'd say it revolves around a school like it revolves around indie music.

School? I thot it revolved around a coffee shop.

[cybersmurf]

For a comic that supposedly revolves around a school, the cast is not exactly teeming with students, is it? I'd say it revolves around a school like it revolves around indie music.

School? I thot it revolved around a coffee shop.

begone, thought!

School never as much as indie music and coffee shop(s)/bakeries

[Mordhaus]

New comic.

I thought blood & magic was usually considered BAD....

I'm fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing. What do you mean, "bad?"

Generally speaking you don't want to perform blood magic because its not something you want to do a whim. But because Wicca is a practice filled with symbolism, blood is sometimes avoided because of the darker symbolism; death, battle. Then again, blood can also symbolise life and can be used in certain rituals can provide power. If blood is used in any ritual, its usually extracted with a lancet, the kind used for blood sugar testing.

Thankfully magic isn't real.

[SpanielBear]

New comic.

I thought blood & magic was usually considered BAD....

I'm fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing. What do you mean, "bad?"

Generally speaking you don't want to perform blood magic because its not something you want to do a whim. But because Wicca is a practice filled with symbolism, blood is sometimes avoided because of the darker symbolism; death, battle. Then again, blood can also symbolise life and can be used in certain rituals can provide power. If blood is used in any ritual, its usually extracted with a lancet, the kind used for blood sugar testing.

Thankfully magic isn't real.

Magick, however...

[TheEvilDog]

New comic.

I thought blood & magic was usually considered BAD....

I'm fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing. What do you mean, "bad?"

Generally speaking you don't want to perform blood magic because its not something you want to do a whim. But because Wicca is a practice filled with symbolism, blood is sometimes avoided because of the darker symbolism; death, battle. Then again, blood can also symbolise life and can be used in certain rituals can provide power. If blood is used in any ritual, its usually extracted with a lancet, the kind used for blood sugar testing.

Thankfully magic isn't real.

And therefore as a stranger give it welcome.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 5.

Do I believe in magic? No.
Do other people believe in it or something similar? Yes.
Should it be dismissed out of hand? No.
Should it and those beliefs be treated with respect? Yes.

[cybersmurf]

New comic.

I thought blood & magic was usually considered BAD....

I'm fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing. What do you mean, "bad?"

Generally speaking you don't want to perform blood magic because its not something you want to do a whim. But because Wicca is a practice filled with symbolism, blood is sometimes avoided because of the darker symbolism; death, battle. Then again, blood can also symbolise life and can be used in certain rituals can provide power. If blood is used in any ritual, its usually extracted with a lancet, the kind used for blood sugar testing.

Thankfully magic isn't real.

And therefore as a stranger give it welcome.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 5.

Do I believe in magic? No.
Do other people believe in it or something similar? Yes.
Should it be dismissed out of hand? No.
Should it and those beliefs be treated with respect? Yes.

Any technology advanced far enough is indistinguishable from magic. the

[Theta9]

Do I believe in magic? No.
Do other people believe in it or something similar? Yes.
Should it be dismissed out of hand? No.
Should it and those beliefs be treated with respect? Yes.

Disagree strongly. The proper reaction to ridiculous beliefs, is ridicule.

[TheEvilDog]

Do I believe in magic? No.
Do other people believe in it or something similar? Yes.
Should it be dismissed out of hand? No.
Should it and those beliefs be treated with respect? Yes.

Disagree strongly. The proper reaction to ridiculous beliefs, is ridicule.

You know, the difference between belief and religion is the number of people who follow it. For example, Christianity has built up a religion around the idea that a man died and came back to life. And such a notion might sound ridiculous to an outsider.

So, just a friendly reminder that you're walking a very thin line.

[Theta9]

Do I believe in magic? No.
Do other people believe in it or something similar? Yes.
Should it be dismissed out of hand? No.
Should it and those beliefs be treated with respect? Yes.

Disagree strongly. The proper reaction to ridiculous beliefs, is ridicule.

You know, the difference between belief and religion is the number of people who follow it. For example, Christianity has built up a religion around the idea that a man died and came back to life. And such a notion might sound ridiculous to an outsider.

So, just a friendly reminder that you're walking a very thin line.

I stand by my words. Firmly. No exceptions for ridiculous beliefs held by millions or billions. Ridiculous is ridiculous.

[Thrillho]

Do I believe in magic? No.
Do other people believe in it or something similar? Yes.
Should it be dismissed out of hand? No.
Should it and those beliefs be treated with respect? Yes.

Disagree strongly. The proper reaction to ridiculous beliefs, is ridicule.

You know, the difference between belief and religion is the number of people who follow it. For example, Christianity has built up a religion around the idea that a man died and came back to life. And such a notion might sound ridiculous to an outsider.

So, just a friendly reminder that you're walking a very thin line.

I stand by my words. Firmly. No exceptions for ridiculous beliefs held by millions or billions. Ridiculous is ridiculous.

Your viewpoint is your own to hold, but please remember that on this forum religious beliefs are treated with respect.

[KOODustin]

Man, I have REALLY missed interplay between the original characters.  It feels like Marten, Faye, and Dora's relationship has kinda taken the backseat.  It feels pretty good to see them interacting again!

[cesium133]

Last weekend I got my hair cut. As the lady was cutting my hair, I picked up some and noticed that it was a lot grayer than it used to be. She notices me doing this, and she told me, "Oh, don't worry. It's only 40% gray."

FORTY PERCENT!? 

[TheEvilDog]

And in that moment, I am Marten.

Totally ignoring my heavily grey temples.

Because its not grey.

Nope. No grey.

THERE'S NO GREY!

[Mr Intrepid]

Meh.. I started going grey in my early 40's.  But it can be disconcerting if it happens in your 20's.  Can Marten get grecian formula and use it on the Down low?

[Wombat]

Meh.. I started going grey in my early 40's.  But it can be disconcerting if it happens in your 20's.  Can Marten get grecian formula and use it on the Down low?

I'm In my twenties and starting to get grey hairs, but it doesn't really bother me. It's not a high percentage of my hair yet, so maybe that will change, but for now I'm pretty "eh" about it.

[Storel]

For some reason, the first place I started getting gray hairs was in my chest hairs, sometime in my 30s. Then my beard started going gray in my 40s, and now in my mid-50s my head hair is still at least 95% un-gray. So apparently I take after my father, who never had a beard but started going gray at the temples (i.e., top of the beard/sideburns) in his 40s, and still had salt-and-pepper hair (maybe 60% gray?) when he died at 74. Perhaps I will live long enough to find out when our hair goes fully gray.

[Perfectly Reasonable]

To facilitate access to knowledge is truly a noble task. I commend Crushbot on his new aspiration. Crush all obstacles standing in the way of acquiring and sharing knowledge!

(Celebrate National Library Week 2019:  April 7-13)

[shanejayell]

*lost hair young, so grey bothered me less*

Tho I got that too.

 

[Near Lurker]

Looking at my individual hairs, I'm not sure I could identify a grey one...

[Gyrre]

I've had gray hairs since I was 16, Martin. Calm down.

I started getting some golden blond and copper hairs during my 20s. It's weird.

[Gyrre]

Do I believe in magic? No.
Do other people believe in it or something similar? Yes.
Should it be dismissed out of hand? No.
Should it and those beliefs be treated with respect? Yes.

Disagree strongly. The proper reaction to ridiculous beliefs, is ridicule.

I take it you're a 'gnostic atheist'[1], then?
To each their own so long as they aren't being a dick about it. And, so long as you aren't one of the ones that treats science like a religion.[2]

EDIT: [1]'Gnostic' in the sense that you are quite certain in your disbelief of (a) higher power(s).
[2]i.e. clinging onto outmoded paradigms, never questioning findings, and the like

[cybersmurf]

I'm in my mid 30s now, and I started noticing grey hairs a few months ago. Like it haf to be under certain conditions of fluorescent lights to be visible. A month ago I realised, I'd probably look good turning gray, since it was more than like five individual gray hairs.
Funnily, this week I realised the grey is showing even under natural light. Although I always thought it'd be my beard going gray first, but that bugger doesn't seem to be affected as much.

And, as far as I can tell, I'm early about this in my family. Both my parents retained their hair color into their 70s, with my mom showing gray temples more than may dad.


A friend of mine got her first gray hairs when she was like 25, but that was stress related. Also, she's used to dyeing her hair anyway, so it doesn't matter much (but since hair natural color is more of a darker shade of brown, even single gray hairs may show really well).

[BenRG]

I deeply empathise with Marten. I started going bald in my early 30s but I was strongly in denial. It was just thinning and a receding front fringe! Then I saw my head from above on  CCTV feed and I realised that, yes, I was bald. That was a hard blow.

So, yeah, you're getting old Marten. It happens to all of us. Your dad proved that you're likely to go all steel grey although if you take more after your mum, maybe you'll go closer to silver. I'm sure that Claire will consider it attractive but I think that you want to avoid too much neurotic denial. Take it from me that it doesn't do any good!

[Corvid]

For whatever reason, I only noticed the more expressive thicker line art style in today's comic. Looking back it's been like this for a while, but for whatever reason when I think of QCs art my mind goes to how it looked circa 2011 

[ihaveavoice]

I've had gray hairs since I was 16, Martin. Calm down.

I started getting some golden blond and copper hairs during my 20s. It's weird.

Yeah, I found my first at 18 and have had multiple friends who found their first at 17. Graying: it's not just for the olds, lmao.

I actually still only have a scattered few at 30, so mine is going quite slowly. I've always envied folks like Stacy London who got a strong defined white streak in her teens. How fucking BADASS would that look?? Why couldn't my genetics turn me into Rogue????

[Milayna]

Better than balding at 22 and being over halfway to Greg Universe at 30.

[OldGoat]

Whether or not magic(k) exists depends on how one defines the word, and rarely does anyone bother to define it before opining on its existence  (and the same is true of belief in God).  One of the more useful definitions of magick I've seen is "the ability to effect change."

Either way, I'm not sure letting one's ex have a hair or a bit of blood for spellwork regarding one's beloved is a good idea.  What if Dora is possessed by a berbalang?  But I suppose in that case she wouldn't want anything to do with a kris.

In re gray hair - I have very few if any gray hairs on my scalp, and the general population up there is only slightly reduced from a few years ago.  My beard, on the other hand, is another matter.  I used to be able to call it "salt-&-pepper" but the specks of pepper are few and far between these days.

[Dandi Andi]

Do I believe in magic? No.
Do other people believe in it or something similar? Yes.
Should it be dismissed out of hand? No.
Should it and those beliefs be treated with respect? Yes.

Disagree strongly. The proper reaction to ridiculous beliefs, is ridicule.

ridiculous adjective
ri·​dic·​u·​lous | \ rə-ˈdi-kyə-ləs  \
Definition of ridiculous
: arousing or deserving ridicule

To say a ridiculous idea deserves ridicule is a tautology, no? And to say that anything deserves ridicule is fraught with subjectivity.

The thing that I love about this forum (and Jeph's comic) is the commitment to the idea that people deserve a place where they are safe so long as they do no harm. And part of that is leaving people to their ideas no matter how wrong I may think they are as long as those ideas don't promote harm to me or others. So when it comes to ridicule, I would like to politely suggest that you keep it to yourself.

[hakko504]

My maternal grandfather went mostly bald when he was 19 and when he died at 92 his few remaining hairs still hand't turned completely gray...
My father and me both started the process in our mid 30s and had it completed less than a decade later. A cousin though went gray, if not overnight, but within 6 months from dark brown to full gray.

[cybersmurf]

I deeply empathise with Marten. I started going bald in my early 30s but I was strongly in denial. It was just thinning and a receding front fringe! Then I saw my head from above on  CCTV feed and I realised that, yes, I was bald. That was a hard blow.

So, yeah, you're getting old Marten. It happens to all of us. Your dad proved that you're likely to go all steel grey although if you take more after your mum, maybe you'll go closer to silver. I'm sure that Claire will consider it attractive but I think that you want to avoid too much neurotic denial. Take it from me that it doesn't do any good!

When I first found several gray hairs whilst looking in the mirror, I decided graying hair suits me, and I can "grow old" with dignity. It's weird, because I know a lot of people would go "oh my God! gray hair, I'm too young for that!", but I just don't care. My looks are ruined more by bed hair than graying.

[traroth]

I deeply empathise with Marten. I started going bald in my early 30s but I was strongly in denial. It was just thinning and a receding front fringe! Then I saw my head from above on  CCTV feed and I realised that, yes, I was bald. That was a hard blow.

So, yeah, you're getting old Marten. It happens to all of us. Your dad proved that you're likely to go all steel grey although if you take more after your mum, maybe you'll go closer to silver. I'm sure that Claire will consider it attractive but I think that you want to avoid too much neurotic denial. Take it from me that it doesn't do any good!

Actually, getting old only happens to those who are lucky. Because there is actually a way to avoid aging: dying.

[cybersmurf]

Actually, getting old only happens to those who are lucky. Because there is actually a way to avoid aging: dying.

Death is always an option, but never the only one, and in the vast majority not a desirable choice. Sometimes it just can't be helped, especially when growing old.

[traroth]

Actually, getting old only happens to those who are lucky. Because there is actually a way to avoid aging: dying.

Death is always an option, but never the only one, and in the vast majority not a desirable choice. Sometimes it just can't be helped, especially when growing old.

"On a long enough time line, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero", Chuck Palahniuk

[Zebediah]

I would encourage Marten to recall how Claire reacted the first time she saw Marten’s dad. She didn’t think Henry’s grey hair was a turn-off at all.

[BenRG]

FWIW, I don't think it's the 'going grey' that worries Marten at all. I think that it's the whole 'no longer a carefree tween' bit. Notice how Claire had to drag him, kicking and screaming, to open a savings account. There is a part of him that really, really doesn't want to look over the line into his 30s.

[hakko504]

I would encourage Marten to recall how Claire reacted the first time she saw Marten’s dad. She didn’t think Henry’s grey hair was a turn-off at all.

Claire meeting Henry for the first time was rather embarassing (2380) though I think it's Dora's reaction you think of as she specifically mentions that Marten would look wonderful in gray hair. (1515)

[traroth]

Social delousing by humans...

I got my first grey hair when I was 12. It was the only one for a looooong time. Then, at 30, I started to really get grey hair, and now, at 45, I have grey temples and visible grey hair. That's how are things. What can I do except accept it?

[Thrillho]

Do you not accept it? You relaying of the information seems pretty matter of fact.

Also as someone who is going bald and has been since 19, I envy those who have grey hair as the primary concern.

[TheEvilDog]

Conversely, people who become bald tend to have a timeless quality, whereas someone, like myself, who has been going grey since their late 20s, that grey adds years and not in a fun way. Its not necessarily the grey they worry about, I think, but rather the salt and pepper effect that comes with it. A solid grey look can and does look far, far better than bits of grey here and there.

[Theta9]

I take it you're a 'gnostic atheist'[1], then?
To each their own so long as they aren't being a dick about it. And, so long as you aren't one of the ones that treats science like a religion.[2]

EDIT: [1]'Gnostic' in the sense that you are quite certain in your disbelief of (a) higher power(s).
[2]i.e. clinging onto outmoded paradigms, never questioning findings, and the like

[1] If one must apply labels, that one fits. But also materialist as well as atheist - No belief in anything spiritual/supernatural.
[2] well, natch... The whole point of science is that you revise your worldview in the face of compelling new evidence.

[Theta9]

I had a forelock turn white in my early 20s, and have been steadily greying on the sides ever since. I'll be 50 in July.

[Theta9]

Whether or not magic(k) exists depends on how one defines the word, and rarely does anyone bother to define it before opining on its existence  (and the same is true of belief in God).  One of the more useful definitions of magick I've seen is "the ability to effect change."

I used to be an enthusiast of Aleister Crowley, who defined it as "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with the Will."

[hedgie]

Social delousing by humans...

I got my first grey hair when I was 12. It was the only one for a looooong time. Then, at 30, I started to really get grey hair, and now, at 45, I have grey temples and visible grey hair. That's how are things. What can I do except accept it?

That reminds me that it's time again to dye away the skunk stripe.

[DSL]

I earned every damn one of my gray hairs. That's what I'd tell the office brats when they'd gleefully make note of my increasing cranial albedo. For further effect, I'd point to no hair in particular and say: "You gave me this one."

[OldGoat]

"On a long enough time line, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero", Chuck Palahniuk

"Don't take life too seriously, you're not going to make it out alive anyhow."

[traroth]

Do you not accept it? You relaying of the information seems pretty matter of fact.

Also as someone who is going bald and has been since 19, I envy those who have grey hair as the primary concern.

Actually, I don't really care. I try to not care about things I can't change, and it really worked in that case. I think it's because it doesn't disrupt my everyday life...

[JoeCovenant]

I think I'm just gonna enjoy the comics, while thinking of this character as Dorily...

Cos they are becoming pretty similar (and the art on Dora looks well weird when compared to Marten... almost like a guest artist is drawing Dorily)

[Theta9]

That reminds me that it's time again to dye away the skunk stripe.

what? If my white were in the form of a "skunk stripe" I would ROCK THAT SHIT OUT. I used to get silver-colored hair spray specifically to put such a stripe in my hair.

[AnchovyJovi]

It's funny part of me enjoys my gray hair but another part of me is worried about getting older in general.

Like when I see gray hairs in my friends I always compliment them about them even if they don't like them, Thus I don't generally mind mine. (like I'd love them if they were the ONLY sign of aging)

I got my first couple (Literally 2) when I was 17, and I thought "Oh my gosh awesome I'm gonna have amazing white hair by the time I'm 30!"
It was like the universe went "Haha Yes you... Wait you want that? In that case No... No you won't get gray hair."

I didn't get any extra gray hairs until I was like 28. Now at 32 I've got maybe 200ish probably at the same stage Martain is at you can see them if you look. They've certainly upped their game this time around.

[SordidEuphemism]

As the old joke goes:

"Dad, why do you have so many grey hairs?"
"Because every time a child makes their parent cry, the parent earns a grey hair."
"Oh. So, that's why pop-pop's hair is all the way grey?"