This is such a huge, important arc for this comic.
I don't think there's going to be a suicide attempt, as I've seen you suggest in a couple posts I've seen you make since I started posting on the boards; but I do think Faye's going to end up doing something self-destructive at some point—and I think that's going to be running to Sven to get back at Dora.
You're clearly either too young or too old for Pokemon.
Meet Psyduck (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psyduck).
Would it be surprising if Claire came over, helped with the clean up, didn't bat an eye - and then explained to Marten that she had to help mom do this with her (philandering) dad frequently when she was growing up?
...It would explain somethings, personally.
I'm not sure Marten will invite/allow Claire over to help, as he won't want to embarrass Faye by letting Claire see her in such a state.
Indeed he mightn't even explain why he had to cut off the date properly for the above reason, which would certainly cause problems.
He know's what's going on, but not the extent of her booze consumption. That's what I meant.
Claire has certainly established (Jeph has established for her) a pattern of reacting negatively initially, then backing off as she understands the situation a little better. I'm still voting for empathy on her part, in the long run.
I predict Hanners will buy Marten a new sofa. Because there's no way she's sitting on that couch now.
Warning - while you were contemplating new furniture, your bank account started to cry. You may wish to reconsider your life choices and get a better paying job.
... and while Faye does tend dissolve her problems in ethanol...The solvent that solves nothing. (Why must I pun?)
Marten doesn't really get up in people's business, and he doesn't really gossip.
At what point does a person consuming mass quantities of alcohol require medical attention?Personally, I'd say if they're passed out, you can't get them to wake up, and/or their breathing's irregular. It's really a judgement call.
At what point does a person consuming mass quantities of alcohol require medical attention?
Is there any narrative universe in which trailing-off beeps in a hospital setting doesn't mean death?
Holy. Shit. This comic.
At what point does a person consuming mass quantities of alcohol require medical attention?So I wouldnt be surprised if the next scene has a paramedic or is in an emergency room.
I sure hope those beeps fading to black are just Faye losing consciousness for an extended period of time.Considering the title is "Close to Home", which suggests there's some autobiographical element to it, and the fact that Jeph isn't dead, I'm going to guess that they are.
To get under the others' hide.... and while Faye does tend dissolve her problems in ethanol...The solvent that solves nothing. (Why must I pun?)
Tomorrow's comic will be Winslow attempting to reboot Pintsize.I do hope Winslow messes with Pintsize pretending centuries have passed.
Is there any narrative universe in which trailing-off beeps in a hospital setting doesn't mean death?
Holy. Shit. This comic.
Is there any narrative universe in which trailing-off beeps in a hospital setting doesn't mean death?
Holy. Shit. This comic.
Holy balls, I read this comic so different...
first - Marten finally did the right thing and instead of chatting with his girlfriend and finally checked on Faye.
second - Faye is concious for short periods of time (which is, considering... well, it's not bad. It could be a lot better, but it also could be way worse)
third - she punched Marten, apparently. Not great, but it explains her drifting off into unconsciousness; it means they're not only treating her alcohol poisoning through the IV line, they also gave her a rather strong sedative (Nobody wants to deal with a violent drunk person)
Wait. He does know what's going on. He knows about her and Angus breaking up (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2817) - and that she's doubting herself over it.You're a lot more sanguine about third-person omniscient than I am.
I hope that's what happened.
Pretty sure Faye's not gonna die here, but this is really scary.
If it's NOT Faye who punched Marten, who did? Angus? Sven? Dora? Claire? Dora's the one with the history of punching people, but the one with the least justification. Not that there's any justification for punching Marten for this, but you know what I mean. (Okay, "because I'm in a lot of pain and he's there and it makes me feel a little better" is KIND OF justification.)
Is there any narrative universe in which trailing-off beeps in a hospital setting doesn't mean death?
Holy. Shit. This comic.
Holy balls, I read this comic so different...
first - Marten finally did the right thing and instead of chatting with his girlfriend and finally checked on Faye.
second - Faye is concious for short periods of time (which is, considering... well, it's not bad. It could be a lot better, but it also could be way worse)
third - she punched Marten, apparently. Not great, but it explains her drifting off into unconsciousness; it means they're not only treating her alcohol poisoning through the IV line, they also gave her a rather strong sedative (Nobody wants to deal with a violent drunk person)
third - she punched Marten, apparently. Not great, but it explains her drifting off into unconsciousness; it means they're not only treating her alcohol poisoning through the IV line, they also gave her a rather strong sedative (Nobody wants to deal with a violent drunk person)
Has everyone forgotten that Faye punching Marten was a running gag in the first 500 strips?Nobody's forgotten that...not exactly the same scenario, but I do agree that the punch was intended as comic relief in today's otherwise terrifying comic.
I'm sure there is gonna be a lot of discussion after about what that punch meant.
Has everyone forgotten that Faye punching Marten was a running gag in the first 500 strips?Nobody's forgotten that...not exactly the same scenario, but I do agree that the punch was intended as comic relief in today's otherwise terrifying comic.
I don't consider there to be anything relieving about it, myself. Consider the possible reasoning: "Fuck you, Marten, for saving me."Has everyone forgotten that Faye punching Marten was a running gag in the first 500 strips?Nobody's forgotten that...not exactly the same scenario, but I do agree that the punch was intended as comic relief in today's otherwise terrifying comic.
I actually had a roomate my first week at college who collapsed in a puddle of his own puke and hit his head on a corner on the way down and wasn't responsive. I called the RA and when my roomate got back the next morning (after being taken to the hospital the night before) was actually mad that I got him the help he needed.I don't consider there to be anything relieving about it, myself. Consider the possible reasoning: "Fuck you, Marten, for saving me."Has everyone forgotten that Faye punching Marten was a running gag in the first 500 strips?Nobody's forgotten that...not exactly the same scenario, but I do agree that the punch was intended as comic relief in today's otherwise terrifying comic.
Wow. I'm surprised he was mad even after the fact.I think he was mostly mad because he then had to explain the hospital bill to his parents.
I don't consider there to be anything relieving about it, myself. Consider the possible reasoning: "Fuck you, Marten, for saving me."Has everyone forgotten that Faye punching Marten was a running gag in the first 500 strips?Nobody's forgotten that...not exactly the same scenario, but I do agree that the punch was intended as comic relief in today's otherwise terrifying comic.
I spent the weekend re-reading the comic from the beginning, and I'm amazed at how much Jeph's art and writing has progressed. This story is so much more powerful than even strip 500 (which was a punch to the gut in its own right). The look of concerned love on Marten's face in the first panel is so obvious and masterfully done.
I don't think she's dead. (Fuck, I hope she's not dead.) My hope is that this storyline will lead to a "Faye goes to AA" plotline (that possibly features Jimbo and/or Steve). Not dead Faye. That would be too terribly sad.Don't think so either. QC-Universe is slice-of-life and slapstick, and I don't think it's 'death-of-main-character'-serious
third - she punched Marten, apparently. Not great, but it explains her drifting off into unconsciousness; it means they're not only treating her alcohol poisoning through the IV line, they also gave her a rather strong sedative (Nobody wants to deal with a violent drunk person)
Not sure how sedatives would interact with the alcohol in her system, though. Not saying you're wrong, I just know that there are mixtures that are dangerous and should never ever be done (alcohol and tylenol, alcohol and xanax, etc).
Faye shocked the EMT with that punch. I would have expected EMTs to be nearly impossible to shock.
Tomorrow's comic will be Winslow attempting to reboot Pintsize.
Tomorrow's comic will be Winslow attempting to reboot Pintsize.
Is she in the ICU?I see you have the machine that goes "
How often do they have The Machine That Goes Beep in regular care settings?
Not as much in regular care settings but definitely par for the course in High Dependency units and Intensive/Critical Care units. Occasionally Emergency departments depending on the issue. Sometimes in cardiac wards for those that have irregular heartbeats. Yeah, either way it's not a good sign.
Can people please stop posting about how "she's just a little drunk and doesn't need to be hospitalized" or about how Faye's "clearly a pussy for passing out after only X amount of alcohol"?Agreed.
I mean seriously, at minimum you're trying to start an incredibly annoying pissing contest. At maximum you are being (and encouraging others to be) dismissive of what is looking to be a serious situation.
I get that it might just be a way to lighten the mood, but it is not helping. I just find it annoying.
*edited for punctuation.
Is she in the ICU?I see you have the machine that goes "
How often do they have The Machine That Goes Beep in regular care settings?Ping!Beep!"
I don't know how common it is in every ICU, but they do keep it attached for alcohol poisoning cases as far as I know
Warning - while you were typing 3 people had more valid things to say than a Monty Python joke. Shame on you
I see you have the machine that goes "Ping!Beep!"
I don't know how common it is in every ICU, but they do keep it attached for alcohol poisoning cases as far as I know
Warning - while you were typing 3 people had more valid things to say than a Monty Python joke. Shame on you
The way I see it there are two possibilities. Faye has either died of alcohol poisoning or has passed out in hospital after punching Marten. Now with the passing out, I don't think she's going to wake up 100% ok. Alcohol poisoning is serious business and I don't think Jeph is going to play it off as "she went to emergency after being vomitiously drunk and is now 100% fine."I mean...I think generally, you're either okay or you're not when it comes to alcohol poisoning. Exceptions I know of are:
Prediction for this week: Faye wakes up, shrugs off Marten's concerns, possibly even snapping at him. She paints Dora in a negative light and goes to look for another job aka goes to the nearest dive. During the week, Faye drinks some more and possibly decks someone. Faye either ends up arrested or in hospital to pump her stomach.
I doubt we'll see Angus. Anyone who would get in touch with him is also likely to assume that Faye's binge drinking has been a result of their breakup, and that having him show up probably wouldn't be a good idea. An exception might be Hannelore, whose romantic streak might convince her Angus showing up would be what Faye wants.
It's looking more an more like Faye didn't break up with Angus because long distance is hard. She did it out fear of abandonment. All of the choices she's made (major ones) come down to giving into that fear or wrestling with it. Her over reaction to getting fired is probably another aspect (Dora abandoned her--not really, but to a person with a pathological issue around abandonment, it would look that way).
So, think Faye's family will show up? I am honestly hoping Marten contacts her family and they come up to see her.
Where's the Punching Intern when you need him?
Prediction for this week: Faye wakes up, shrugs off Marten's concerns, possibly even snapping at him. She paints Dora in a negative light and goes to look for another job aka goes to the nearest dive. During the week, Faye drinks some more and possibly decks someone. Faye either ends up arrested or in hospital to pump her stomach.
Again, I think it's worthwhile to see what Jeph himself has written on the subject.
http://jephjacques.com/post/11016004407/high-and-dry (http://jephjacques.com/post/11016004407/high-and-dry)
Jeph didn't "hit bottom". He didn't fuck up his strip or alienate every single person in his life before he wised up. He just had a really bad experience from drinking, and realized he had to stop.
Obviously Faye could fall a lot further than Jeph did. But the question would remain - why bother putting one of his characters through that much additional pain and anguish?
So... who punched Marten?
Alright, I'll join in on some postulating. Mainly because I'm bored, tired, and don't feel like going to bed yet.
There's a (remote) possibility that Sven could come into play here. He confessed to thinking he's in love with Faye not long ago, and if he gets wind of this I can totally see him showing up at the hospital to lend support. It'd be an extremely poor decision to make and would cause a shitload of drama, but this -is- Sven we're talking about - he really doesn't think things through, and especially has a penchant for thinking of things from a very self-centric point of view, i.e. not taking others' feelings into account when trying to get what he wants.
That, and I just don't see Jeph having Sven drop that massive confession bombshell and then not having it come into play sooner rather than later.
(her thing with Sven was never a relationship)
If she was blackout, how the hell did she punch him? I'm not saying you're wrong, but when most people black out they stay asleep for quite a bit of time.
All I can say is that I hope to god she's alright. She isn't just some secondary character. She's THE main character (besides Marty that is). I couldn't breathe from this strip. I am at a loss for words right now.
Note* This is my first time posting in a weekly discussion thread... be kind please?
If she was blackout, how the hell did she punch him? I'm not saying you're wrong, but when most people black out they stay asleep for quite a bit of time.
If she was blackout, how the hell did she punch him? I'm not saying you're wrong, but when most people black out they stay asleep for quite a bit of time.
Oh wow. This strip.
For another interpretation of the title. "Close to Home" doesn't have to be close to home to Jeph. This is also close to home for Faye. I can't find the strip(s) in question, but I recall Faye talking about how she fell in and out of consciousness after ramming her car into that tree, and it's been heavily implied that Faye was trying to kill herself when she did that. The title may be evoking the tree episode and how Faye has been here before.
Keep in mind too that Angus is the first real relationship that Faye has had since her dad killed himself (her thing with Sven was never a relationship) and losing Angus probably tore off alot of those band-aids from wounds she had convinced herself weren't still bleeding.
If she was blackout, how the hell did she punch him? I'm not saying you're wrong, but when most people black out they stay asleep for quite a bit of time.
All I can say is that I hope to god she's alright. She isn't just some secondary character. She's THE main character (besides Marty that is). I couldn't breathe from this strip. I am at a loss for words right now.
Note* This is my first time posting in a weekly discussion thread... be kind please?
Damn.
DID JEPH JUST KILL FAYE?
That's almost exactly what I did while reading today's strip.Damn.
DID JEPH JUST KILL FAYE?
(http://i.giphy.com/mOeQIPahuMtlS.gif)
I just hope Dora doesn't, in an act of impulsive selfishness, decides to still hold something against Faye and rub salt in a wound still too fresh. It's more important to just be there and care in the moment; the rest can certainly be hashed out later.
Somehow, I believe Sven will take the blame. After all, the unhinging really started to roll after his ill-timed confession of adoration.
At what point does a person consuming mass quantities of alcohol require medical attention?
Poor Faye didn't even get to enjoy any cute EMT butts (http://questionablecontent.net/494).
I thought it was a Doctor Who joke.
Alright, I'll join in on some postulating. Mainly because I'm bored, tired, and don't feel like going to bed yet.
There's a (remote) possibility that Sven could come into play here. He confessed to thinking he's in love with Faye not long ago, and if he gets wind of this I can totally see him showing up at the hospital to lend support. It'd be an extremely poor decision to make and would cause a shitload of drama, but this -is- Sven we're talking about - he really doesn't think things through, and especially has a penchant for thinking of things from a very self-centric point of view, i.e. not taking others' feelings into account when trying to get what he wants.
That, and I just don't see Jeph having Sven drop that massive confession bombshell and then not having it come into play sooner rather than later.
And the boss wonders why his Twitter feed blew up.At risk of sounding like I'm from the 90's... uh guh duhhhhh.
This is gonna be a "20 pages by Tuesday" week, isn't it?
He seems to have missed the memo that mocking loss.jpg is an internet tradition - what's going to happen to someone who copied it I can only imagine.
Jeph can't post something this big and not expect the QC fandom to blow up.
Those damn ceilings.:mrgreen: Agreed. I have also seen too much of them. The hospitals should really put some effort into decorating the ceilings instead of the walls.
Even if we don't put much significance in Faye punching Marten... what if Marten (or Dora) does?True. Although I personally do think that her punching him is significant. At least it is to Marten. He may be understanding at first but when she gets upset with him for forcing her to go to the hospital, he may get angry at her.
And, yes, I know that Faye had a history of casual violence especially against Marten, but...
Even if we don't put much significance in Faye punching Marten... what if Marten (or Dora) does?Honestly, I don't think Faye's mind would be together enough to even know what she was doing, herself. So, -she- might even be the one to place significance on the punch, possibly moreso than anyone else. It might also be something that, upon hearing about it, would help convince her that she really does need help, if she's punching her friends, meaning to or not.
And, yes, I know that Faye had a history of casual violence especially against Marten, but...
As for the "doing the right thing by calling 911 rather than chatting with his girlfriend", until he checked on her, he probably didn't realize how serious it was, and... just, I get a little tired of the forum acting like every character has to do the PERFECT thing in every single situation, or there is some blame to throw around. Its understandable. He's a 20-something, and his group of friends drinks regularly. Someone passed out having thrown up is probably NOT something that new to him. Should he have checked first then called 911, then called Claire? Probably, but its understandable and not worth the scorn being thrown at him over it.
Hey, first time poster here.Ugh. Really? You seriously went there?
Genuinely surprised you missed the crossover in the latest strip. Jeph knows his stuff.(click to show/hide)
Hey, first time poster here.
Genuinely surprised you missed the crossover in the latest strip. Jeph knows his stuff.(click to show/hide)
Is anyone else hitting refresh every so often to keep up with the postings?
Weird cuz I'm currently using Tapatalk without issue.Is anyone else hitting refresh every so often to keep up with the postings?
Can't. I wasn't kidding about the "broke Tapatalk" or the "Server Error" thing.
Weird cuz I'm currently using Tapatalk without issue.
True. Although I personally do think that her punching him is significant. At least it is to Marten. He may be understanding at first but when she gets upset with him for forcing her to go to the hospital, he may get angry at her.
Cuz ya know, we HAVE been seeing a more take-charge Marty lately.
I went to look at the next page, and suddenly BRPT and I'm back on my homepage on my iPad. [emoji14]syduck:Man that sucks. I'm on Android... idk if that'd make a difference or not.
She may have to stay in bed until her alcohol turns back to blood, and until she stabilizes. So maybe a day or two.Weird cuz I'm currently using Tapatalk without issue.
I was getting "server not responding" for a while there, seems good now.True. Although I personally do think that her punching him is significant. At least it is to Marten. He may be understanding at first but when she gets upset with him for forcing her to go to the hospital, he may get angry at her.
Cuz ya know, we HAVE been seeing a more take-charge Marty lately.
The punch might put him in Dora's tough love camp but I don't think any further.
What's the general protocol for how long alcohol poisoning patients stay in a bed? Are they generally turfed once they sober up and get a "drugs are bad mkay" talk, or would they hold onto Faye longer for observation if Marten mentions the recent breakup and history of drinking? I'd like to see everyone give her a bedside intervention while she's still strapped down (she could wake up groggy and cranky enough to yank her cannula out and try to leave, or start swinging again).
Another tapatalk user without problems here. Fastest way of following all new posts when the forum goes crazy like this.Weird cuz I'm currently using Tapatalk without issue.Is anyone else hitting refresh every so often to keep up with the postings?
Can't. I wasn't kidding about the "broke Tapatalk" or the "Server Error" thing.
What's the general protocol for how long alcohol poisoning patients stay in a bed? Are they generally turfed once they sober up and get a "drugs are bad mkay" talk, or would they hold onto Faye longer for observation if Marten mentions the recent breakup and history of drinking? I'd like to see everyone give her a bedside intervention while she's still strapped down (she could wake up groggy and cranky enough to yank her cannula out and try to leave, or start swinging again).
I've been reading QC for years, but this is the comic that finally compelled me to join the forum, just because this is the first time a strip has ever provoked a genuine, strong emotional response in me, and I absolutely had to have an outlet to say so. Silly I know but there you go. It's Marten's face in panel one that does it for me - I think it's the best thing Jeph's ever drawn because it's so completely expressive.
Also, gaaaahhhhhh.
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I personally don't like Faye, I don't think anyone would like her in real life. I don't think it is funny or cute when she punches him, especially when he is saving her from alcohol poisoning. I am certain that Faye is not dead, probably just passed out as the alcohol continues to be absorbed into her bloodstream. I will say that I think her death would be a benefit for the comic in multiple ways. I have felt for a long time that there are too many characters anyway and that many characters don't show development because of this.
A companion-AI would almost certainly have been given the ability to recognize and respond to medical emergencies; giving them that ability is only sensible. For Marten to discover Faye, Pintsize must be out of the picture, otherwise he would have called an ambulance long before Marten returned.
I personally don't like Faye, I don't think anyone would like her in real life. I don't think it is funny or cute when she punches him, especially when he is saving her from alcohol poisoning. I am certain that Faye is not dead, probably just passed out as the alcohol continues to be absorbed into her bloodstream. I will say that I think her death would be a benefit for the comic in multiple ways. I have felt for a long time that there are too many characters anyway and that many characters don't show development because of this.
Yes! YYYESSSS!
Embrace your hate! Soon your journey towards the dark side will be... Complete.
It struck me that Pintsize being turned off is quite relevant to the plot...Your post has caused a potential solution to crystallize in my mind. Faye has abandonment issues and needs someone who'll bend an ear to listen, and who might be available at any time, who won't simply walk away when things get too hot to handle. They'll want to monitor her state of mind. Both of these things can be addressed by having Faye enter into a contract with her own companion AI. To those who may scoff at the notion, I bring forth the example of service animals. Pintsize doesn't really count here, because he kind of allowed the binge that led to Faye waking up to find a second bottle, and he's 'matched' for Marten anyway.
A companion-AI would almost certainly have been given the ability to recognize and respond to medical emergencies; giving them that ability is only sensible. For Marten to discover Faye, Pintsize must be out of the picture, otherwise he would have called an ambulance long before Marten returned.
And she punched Marten simply because the weirdest things can look like a good idea when you're drunk. Trust me on that last one, said the bloke who once got himself locked up under a particle accelerator.
It struck me that Pintsize being turned off is quite relevant to the plot...Your post has caused a potential solution to crystallize in my mind. Faye has abandonment issues and needs someone who'll bend an ear to listen, and who might be available at any time, who won't simply walk away when things get too hot to handle. They'll want to monitor her state of mind. Both of these things can be addressed by having Faye enter into a contract with her own companion AI. To those who may scoff at the notion, I bring forth the example of service animals. Pintsize doesn't really count here, because he kind of allowed the binge that led to Faye waking up to find a second bottle, and he's 'matched' for Marten anyway.
A companion-AI would almost certainly have been given the ability to recognize and respond to medical emergencies; giving them that ability is only sensible. For Marten to discover Faye, Pintsize must be out of the picture, otherwise he would have called an ambulance long before Marten returned.
I don't really see another character being added just to address this storyline, but it's plausible in this story universe.
Please tell me you posted that ironically.
Companion AIs as instead of AA sponsors? And May as one? That doesn't sound too impractical actually.
I think that Jeph has now published the finest non-dialogue comic in webcomic history.
I wasn't sure if the arc would end up going this way, but without wanting to sound ghoulish, I'm glad that it did. I think it's showing way more respect to the characters and the subject matter not to play it for laughs or downplay the severity of the situation.
Yeah same. I joined the forum a long time ago, but only really started posting today because "GAAAAHHHH!!!"
Punching Marten will go down like a bucket of bricks I guess. He was in every panel (bar the EMT one) until she hit him. Her hand alone and not seeing him there in the last two panels may mean she just alienated her best friend with that strike. He's a cool character but everyone has their limits. Imagine someone you were trying to look after punched you in the face. How would you react?
Imagine someone you were trying to look after punched you in the face. How would you react?
Imagine someone you were trying to look after punched you in the face. How would you react?
With understanding, I hope.
Y'all know what's really frustrating? There's a blizzard en route to the northeast that's predicted to be "historic." 2+ feet of snow and hurricane-force winds. Last time that happened, Jeph lost power - as people in western Mass tend to - for like 5 days and we had a slew of guest strips in the middle of a Padma arc.
Fingers crossed that doesn't happen this time. Having QC updates at this point in the story would be a nice way to break up the monotony of being snowbound.
To be honest I can't even remember if/when May and Faye have interacted before?
Imagine someone you were trying to look after punched you in the face. How would you react?
With understanding, I hope.
Considering the number of times he's put up with her hitting him before (or causing other extreme discomfort) with no real excuse, and her present condition, this would be a strange moment for Marten to suddenly go all intolerant.
Again, I think it's worthwhile to see what Jeph himself has written on the subject.
http://jephjacques.com/post/11016004407/high-and-dry (http://jephjacques.com/post/11016004407/high-and-dry)
Back in the day, those punches were in jest or response to some form of comment Marten made about her or her body or part of the sexual tension going on at the time. This one wasn't, This one was totally uncalled for. And how many strips has it been since she did that anyway.
Hey, first time poster here.
Genuinely surprised you missed the crossover in the latest strip. Jeph knows his stuff.(click to show/hide)
Long time reader and unregistered lurker, here - I finally created an account to contribute a little bit to these threads. Hi all!
Of course, the relationship with Angus established that she wanted to do more with her sculpting. It seems to me that there's talent and hidden ambition within Faye that currently is not being utilized. Getting fired and this episode might set her on a track to actually start doing something with her life which, in the end, may make her a happier and healthier person. So, coming from that, I sincerely hope she doesn't get rehired at CoD but actually moves forward.<snippage/> All good points. I think that even if she *does* get her job back, it'll be after a stint in rehab, ||| the mental hospital, and only on an a basis with enough hours to keep her paying her bills, but not enough to be complacent, like was before, or potentially enable a major relapse.
Y'all know what's really frustrating? There's a blizzard en route to the northeast that's predicted to be "historic." 2+ feet of snow and hurricane-force winds. Last time that happened, Jeph lost power - as people in western Mass tend to - for like 5 days and we had a slew of guest strips in the middle of a Padma arc.
Fingers crossed that doesn't happen this time. Having QC updates at this point in the story would be a nice way to break up the monotony of being snowbound.
The worst part of the blizzard is actually aimed at eastern Massachusetts (in other words, straight at ME.) Cape Cod is going to get the worst of the wind (possible hurricane-force), while heaviest snowfall is predicted for a swath from New Haven to Worcester. Northampton is currently outside the area of the blizzard warning - their waring is for "heavy snow".
Hey, first time poster here.I'm completely clueless on this one, can someone give me a hint?
Genuinely surprised you missed the crossover in the latest strip. Jeph knows his stuff.(click to show/hide)
A reference to another comic. See, a few years ago, this comic called Control+Alt+Delete ran a pregnancy arc. Then, in one strip, with no warning, turned it on its head with a poorly-written and unforeshadowed miscarriage that was widely panned across the web, making this an empty and inevitable comparison.Hey, first time poster here.I'm completely clueless on this one, can someone give me a hint?
Genuinely surprised you missed the crossover in the latest strip. Jeph knows his stuff.(click to show/hide)
Hey, first time poster here.I'm completely clueless on this one, can someone give me a hint?
Genuinely surprised you missed the crossover in the latest strip. Jeph knows his stuff.(click to show/hide)
My hopes for the situation:
- Faye gets help
- Claire becomes a support for Marten
- Dora forgives Faye
- Marten gets a new sofa
- Marten gets a new sofa
Or Hannelore's dad uses it to test a new, high-tech, nuclear-powered cleaning device. :-D
They took her to the ER, where she was walking under her own power, led by Marten (panel 6), until she became aware of where she was or simply had a break/panic attack and punched Marten (panel 8 ).
+1 for the new sofa... isn't there a gag somewhere about various people turning the cushions for the usual reasons?
Usually you just end up staring at the ceiling, and trust me, that ceiling gets horrendously boring after a while, which is honestly my main memory of ER visits. Those damn ceilings.-Which is probably why Jeph shifts Faye's POV a bit downwards. She may be in a semi-sitting position on the gurney. I do not know how realistic that would be, but it is not important.
My interp of the comic::-o :-o :-o
Marten was alarmed at her unresponsiveness (panel 2) and called paramedics who arrived and checked her vitals (panel 4). They took her to the ER, where she was walking under her own power, led by Marten (panel 6), until she became aware of where she was or simply had a break/panic attack and punched Marten (panel 8 ). She briefly regains consciousness to see her hand with an IV drip (panel 10), and fades out again, either due to alcohol consumption or a a sedative (panel 11).
My interp of the comic::-o :-o :-o
Marten was alarmed at her unresponsiveness (panel 2) and called paramedics who arrived and checked her vitals (panel 4). They took her to the ER, where she was walking under her own power, led by Marten (panel 6), until she became aware of where she was or simply had a break/panic attack and punched Marten (panel 8 ). She briefly regains consciousness to see her hand with an IV drip (panel 10), and fades out again, either due to alcohol consumption or a a sedative (panel 11).
WHO in their right mind would give a patient with alcohol poisoning a SEDATIVE ?!?
I'm not a doctor or anything, but in my mind somebody who has already been poisoned by one drug surely shouldnt been given another drug on top of it. That could kill them !
Very. Every time I have been into a mental hospital, I was semi-sitting when I was being transported. Especially if she vomited again, it's a safer position.Usually you just end up staring at the ceiling, and trust me, that ceiling gets horrendously boring after a while, which is honestly my main memory of ER visits. Those damn ceilings.-Which is probably why Jeph shifts Faye's POV a bit downwards. She may be in a semi-sitting position on the gurney. I do not know how realistic that would be, but it is not important.
- Marten gets a new sofa
Or Hannelore's dad uses it to test a new, high-tech, nuclear-powered cleaning device. :-D
"Dad! You're using the mad scientist laugh again! (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1010)"
My interp of the comic::-o :-o :-o
Marten was alarmed at her unresponsiveness (panel 2) and called paramedics who arrived and checked her vitals (panel 4). They took her to the ER, where she was walking under her own power, led by Marten (panel 6), until she became aware of where she was or simply had a break/panic attack and punched Marten (panel 8 ). She briefly regains consciousness to see her hand with an IV drip (panel 10), and fades out again, either due to alcohol consumption or a a sedative (panel 11).
WHO in their right mind would give a patient with alcohol poisoning a SEDATIVE ?!?
I'm not a doctor or anything, but in my mind somebody who has already been poisoned by one drug surely shouldnt been given another drug on top of it. That could kill them !
Very. Every time I have been into a mental hospital, I was semi-sitting when I was being transported. Especially if she vomited again, it's a safer position.
Not that sort of doctor, but I'm fairly sure a combative patient with acute alcohol poisoning can be given benzodiazepines and antipsychotics if being carefully monitored in a hospital setting.My interp of the comic::-o :-o :-o
Marten was alarmed at her unresponsiveness (panel 2) and called paramedics who arrived and checked her vitals (panel 4). They took her to the ER, where she was walking under her own power, led by Marten (panel 6), until she became aware of where she was or simply had a break/panic attack and punched Marten (panel 8 ). She briefly regains consciousness to see her hand with an IV drip (panel 10), and fades out again, either due to alcohol consumption or a a sedative (panel 11).
WHO in their right mind would give a patient with alcohol poisoning a SEDATIVE ?!?
I'm not a doctor or anything, but in my mind somebody who has already been poisoned by one drug surely shouldnt been given another drug on top of it. That could kill them !
A reference to another comic. See, a few years ago, this comic called Control+Alt+Delete ran a pregnancy arc. Then, in one strip, with no warning, turned it on its head with a poorly-written and unforeshadowed miscarriage that was widely panned across the web, making this an empty and inevitable comparison.Hey, first time poster here.I'm completely clueless on this one, can someone give me a hint?
Genuinely surprised you missed the crossover in the latest strip. Jeph knows his stuff.(click to show/hide)
A reference to another comic. See, a few years ago, this comic called Control+Alt+Delete ran a pregnancy arc. Then, in one strip, with no warning, turned it on its head with a poorly-written and unforeshadowed miscarriage that was widely panned across the web, making this an empty and inevitable comparison.
I've never read this other comic, but miscarriages are often quite unforeshadowed in real-life, so I don't see why that would be a point of criticism necessarily.
Faye shocked the EMT with that punch. I would have expected EMTs to be nearly impossible to shock.
I've never read this other comic, but miscarriages are often quite unforeshadowed in real-life, so I don't see why that would be a point of criticism necessarily.
There's also plenty of other reasons why the internet had problems with Tim Buckley, though.
Like him deleting an entire subforum and banning anyone who he thought might have read it, because of an accusation that he raped someone.
I've never read this other comic, but miscarriages are often quite unforeshadowed in real-life, so I don't see why that would be a point of criticism necessarily.
CAD's author is... well, not well-regarded in webcomic circles. He had, at one point, a running feud with another long-time comic artist (rhymes with "Wurtz") and was/is seen as a copy-cat who writes to the lowest common denominator.
Personally, I gave up on the three comics that were involved in the whole mess a long time ago - some of it for personal reasons.
Oh dear.
I've never read this other comic, but miscarriages are often quite unforeshadowed in real-life, so I don't see why that would be a point of criticism necessarily.
It struck me that Pintsize being turned off is quite relevant to the plot...
A companion-AI would almost certainly have been given the ability to recognize and respond to medical emergencies; giving them that ability is only sensible. For Marten to discover Faye, Pintsize must be out of the picture, otherwise he would have called an ambulance long before Marten returned.
Again, you lot are seriously overestimating how much mental coherence and physical coordination a person has when fading in and out of consciousness. These are not lucid snaps. These are brief, groggy half-awake moments in which she's not even really aware of her surroundings.
The punch, very likely, means absolutely nothing, and is just there to illustrate just how out of it Faye really is. Even drunk, she's never hauled off and tried to punch anyone in the face, let alone a friend. Martin was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and having her punch an EMT just wouldn't have had the same impact.
That's another thing, QC has always had its hints of drama from very early on even when it was about the gags. So, when the drama hit hard (500), there wasn't whiplash.
...
Like a few other long-time-QC-readers new to the forum, this arc *drove* me here. Kinda fascinating how intense emotional / narrative content almost compulsively compels us to seek connection around it, huhn?
...
What I imagine will happen now is that Dora will blame herself for this. She'll believe that she sent Faye straight into the end of a bottle instead of helping her. Marten will feel shitty for being so wrapped up in his own life he didn't notice how steep Faye's descent was. Her friends will ultimately suffer for something she honestly brought on herself. As proactive as her friends will likely be about her alcoholism, I really hope this is a turning point for Faye as well.
Not that sort of doctor, but I'm fairly sure a combative patient with acute alcohol poisoning can be given benzodiazepines and antipsychotics if being carefully monitored in a hospital setting.
I'm new, so slap me down if this is said somewhere else - there is always someone who will help. No Really. If you have been affected by this storyline and need to speak to someone, make sure you do.
I would think any unnecessary medication would just add to the poison. And there is always the possibility for an allergy to those meds(unless she had them prescribed before). I would think a combative patient would just be restrained.
Also, mods have been careful to say it every page or so, but welcome new folks from someone who just joined on the last major arc! Glad you are here, kinda sucks it's so dark right now.
Edited to add:I'm new, so slap me down if this is said somewhere else - there is always someone who will help. No Really. If you have been affected by this storyline and need to speak to someone, make sure you do.
Nobody would ever smack you down for saying that without getting one hell of a collective smackdown themselves. :mrgreen:
2) I think Faye will see her father. Call it a near-death experience or whatever, I think she will see him and ask him why. And he will say something along the lines of "I can't let you do to yourself what I did." The last panel will be a close up on her face with tears streaming down it. It will give her a kind of closure, and a realization of the path she's heading down.
What do you all think?
That's another thing, QC has always had its hints of drama from very early on even when it was about the gags. So, when the drama hit hard (500), there wasn't whiplash.
It could just be me, but I think drinking to this extent (while purposeful) was not an intent to kill herself. Part of what snowballed Angus and Faye was the lack of discussing the issue of long distance, which should've been a serious conversation with a serious resolution the moment it became a possibility. Faye and Angus both are at fault for how abrupt the ending was, which led to the break up be extremely uncomfortable and bad. Faye never let herself process what happened, and certainly didn't reflect on it. Thus....booze to avoid the matter entirely.
My interp of the comic::-o :-o :-o
Marten was alarmed at her unresponsiveness (panel 2) and called paramedics who arrived and checked her vitals (panel 4). They took her to the ER, where she was walking under her own power, led by Marten (panel 6), until she became aware of where she was or simply had a break/panic attack and punched Marten (panel 8 ). She briefly regains consciousness to see her hand with an IV drip (panel 10), and fades out again, either due to alcohol consumption or a a sedative (panel 11).
WHO in their right mind would give a patient with alcohol poisoning a SEDATIVE ?!?
I'm not a doctor or anything, but in my mind somebody who has already been poisoned by one drug surely shouldnt been given another drug on top of it. That could kill them !
I'm new, so slap me down if this is said somewhere else - there is always someone who will help. No Really. If you have been affected by this storyline and need to speak to someone, make sure you do.
Honestly, IV's are used for a lot of treatments. It's a faster way for your body to receive medicine. Quite frankly, when someone has alcohol poisoning, chances are that they threw up. A lot. This results in severe dehydration. That IV can simply be a way of getting fluids in the body to counteract the loss. Another thing that IV could be doing is introducing drugs to counteract the poisoning. Because, yes, you give drugs to counteract poisons. You don't let the poison flow in the body, giving it a chance to do some serious damage.
This fading beeps seems like it's the perfect setup for such a hallucination or even a near death experience, where she talks with her father while unconscious. Or perhaps she might wake up in a robot body with the help of Hanner's prototype if her body is beyond repair.
Aimless, would you like to weigh in on any of the medical arguments?
On the other hand, it often seems like every humorous "slice of fictional life" cartoonist eventually does the "see I can do deep and serious" arc, they always think it's the best thing they've ever done, and it's always the nadir because when you write humour your audience are there to laugh, not cry. Randy Milholland is the only person who really gets away with it, but Something Positive has always been jokes about being unhappy that sometimes stop being jokes. I hope Jeph can do the same.
I'm new, so slap me down if this is said somewhere else - there is always someone who will help. No Really. If you have been affected by this storyline and need to speak to someone, make sure you do.
Now that you have a login, you can see that we have a whole forum dedicated to that sort of thing.
Faye's very unlikely to be dead. Alcohol poisoning kills you by knocking out the brain stem, which stops the breathing reflex. That's why you're advised to check the breathing of anyone drunk and unconscious: if they breathe normally, there's a fair chance they're just sleeping; if they're not, dial your local emergency number NOW. (But don't take their breathing as gospel: try to wake them up, which is what Marten does in panel 1. If the say "Get lost", or anything intelligible and relevant at all, they're fine.
Admittedly it's only one person's experience, but I have a friend who goes for haemodialysis regularly and the IV always goes into their inner arm, above the wrist.
4. Isn't it obvious what happened to Pintsize? Drunk & depressed, Faye finally accepted his propositions. If her body broke Sven, what chance did Pintsize have?
4. Isn't it obvious what happened to Pintsize? Drunk & depressed, Faye finally accepted his propositions. If her body broke Sven, what chance did Pintsize have?
4. Isn't it obvious what happened to Pintsize? Drunk & depressed, Faye finally accepted his propositions. If her body broke Sven, what chance did Pintsize have?
Headcannon accepted. Headcannon accepted so hard.
4. Isn't it obvious what happened to Pintsize? Drunk & depressed, Faye finally accepted his propositions. If her body broke Sven, what chance did Pintsize have?
If it's NOT Faye who punched Marten, who did?Hsu, in a moment of confusion.
I personally don't like Faye, I don't think anyone would like her in real life. I don't think it is funny or cute when she punches him, especially when he is saving her from alcohol poisoning. [snip]
It struck me that Pintsize being turned off is quite relevant to the plot...
A companion-AI would almost certainly have been given the ability to recognize and respond to medical emergencies; giving them that ability is only sensible. For Marten to discover Faye, Pintsize must be out of the picture, otherwise he would have called an ambulance long before Marten returned.
Can you call actual phones with IRC? That's why I brought up Skype.
I'd assume anything with internet connectivity could contact emergency services.
Go big or go home I suppose. :-D
4. Isn't it obvious what happened to Pintsize? Drunk & depressed, Faye finally accepted his propositions. If her body broke Sven, what chance did Pintsize have?
Headcannon accepted. Headcannon accepted so hard.
WTF — I almost hit 3000 words. :-o16 more like that and you win NaNoWriMo.
WTF — I almost hit 3000 words. :-o16 more like that and you win NaNoWriMo.
4. Isn't it obvious what happened to Pintsize? Drunk & depressed, Faye finally accepted his propositions. If her body broke Sven, what chance did Pintsize have?
Headcannon accepted. Headcannon accepted so hard.
And now I am scared, because Rule 34.
Short time lurker/first time poster, hello.
Few disjointed thoughts.
I don't know much about Jeph's personal life (I don't read his blog or anything) but I do recall him mentioning getting sober at some point in the comic comments. I don't know if he was ever hospitalized as a result of his drinking, but given the title, I think it's likely he has. Can anyone clarify this?
WTF — I almost hit 3000 words. :-oWalls of text are built one brick at a time.
Welcome, new people!
Welcome back, old people!
Jeph is probably on the same power grid as the most heavily affected areas.
Faye reacted to the suggestion of getting help with such fury precisely because she knows she needs help.
Short time lurker/first time poster, hello.
Few disjointed thoughts.
Can we at least confirm that Dora didn't call Marten/anyone before you commence taking a massive dump on her and implying that she is the sole reason why Faye drank herself into the hospital? Thanks.
there's been one more move since then and I've lost track.They moved here (http://huagl.net/forums/index.php?sid=1ea5828ddfd5fe4a3da0c9634992b98a4), I think.
We find out in this arc that Yelling Bird, Sweet Tits, and Randy were all figments of Faye's drunken imagination...
I don't see why this would cause tension between Claireten. When Marten found Faye, who was the first person he called?This particular event? No, it isn't going to cause problems between Claire and Marten.
...and that'll lead to Jeph simply dropping her as a character.
I've got a bad feeling that Dora's going to feel ostracized and end up deciding she needs to leave the area to get as far away from her now-ex-friends (and Sven, for that matter) as possible, and that'll lead to Jeph simply dropping her as a character.If Dora didn't have a well-established business, it might be possible, but still pretty unlikely. But with the business? Not gonna happen.
I mean, that's pretty unlikely, but...
is anyone else obsessively hitting F5 or whatever "refresh" is on your browser of choice?
when she fired Faye she threw up some legalize such as bad attitude, rudeness etc when that will have been accepted coffee house behaviour for years and nothing she's ever complained about before.
when she fired Faye she threw up some legalize such as bad attitude, rudeness etc when that will have been accepted coffee house behaviour for years and nothing she's ever complained about before.
I still don't think that's what she was saying there. To me, it sounded like she was saying "I can tolerate all that stuff, but not you breaking The One Big Rule."
This will at least shut up the "Waaah, Faye's gonna die!!!!" talk for a while.
...
...
If you're planning on being her friend through all this, then buy a mouthguard and a cup, because you're in for a long, brutal slog, son.
http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2845
To the best of my knowledge this is the first appearance of this relatively scary looking painting. Since then we've only seen it hanging above Faye's head, and of course, it features pretty prominently in 2881.
Maybe it's just for dramatic effect, but I get the sense that "home" in the recent comic titles isn't necessarily Georgia, or any other "home" in the geographic sense as some have suggested.
If? Really?
Her recovery and the friendships she currently has are dependent on her choices. I was with a man who abused alcohol and did some really appalling things while drunk. He told me all the time "I don't need help." I started counting how many drinks he had and when to show him that if he wasn't an alcoholic (like i believe him to be) he was still binge drinking to self medicate and THAT was a problem. It ended up getting to the point where I had to leave him. He did some truly awful things to me, and refused to get help. Maybe you'll think I'm heartless. I can deal with that.Self-preservation isn't heartless. One can't help anyone who refuses to get it, as I have learnt the hard way, on both ends.
Squeeee!
I'm sure Fayemom will get on the next plane to Boston. Her being the third person Marten would call (after Claire and 911), but before Hannelore (what with the couch) and Dr. Corrine.
Much like the car accident, we may never know if this was a suicide attempt.
Intervention anyone?
Doctors man, they know how to say things in a way that you think you're cool and understand, then once they leave you do a double-take :P
The possible relationship with Marten is over, on several levels.
She isn't one if the inner circle who have known each other since schooldays.
I can't really see how she can do anything other than return to Georgia and try to make her peace with her mother and (possibly) sister, although HER issues are in the way of that. I don't get the impression that FAYE regards that particular issue with favour.
She obviously doesn't much care for Tai's louche behaviour, which verges on sexual assault at times (cf her reaction to Tai jumping on her lap, drunk and pants-less).
I can't really see how FAYE can stay in Northampton. She has no income, for one thing, and Marten can't afford to carry her financially.
Barista? Faye's an accomplished welder. Even if she doesn't want to make a career of it, it pays a lot better.
Barista? Faye's an accomplished welder. Even if she doesn't want to make a career of it, it pays a lot better.She'd need to be certified. Maybe join a union too. If she needs money NOW, it'll be a better bet to do what she's already been doing. She could probably even guilt Dora into giving a recommendation.
"Faye goes to Bakken" would be a good story, lively anyway.
"Faye goes to Bakken" would be a good story, lively anyway.
Lively at a minimum! Faye in a man camp? A Southerner working at 25 below? Jeph could have a lot of fun with that one.
Also, unless you're assuming that both Faye's mom is fine with supporting her financially and that Faye is okay with being supported financially by someone else (and wants to), there's no more reason for her to be in Georgia than here. The only people she was interested in visiting or talking to or has even mentioned since then (other than, in passing, exes and whatnot) are her mom and sister. In Northhampton, there's Marten and the rest of the gang, even if the others are admittedly less close with her, and her friendship with Dora may be salvaged.I can't really see how FAYE can stay in Northampton. She has no income, for one thing, and Marten can't afford to carry her financially.
She has no INCOME, that doesn't mean she has no savings. If she's been smart, she should have 2-3 months rent socked away. She should be able to find a job in that time. If she's smart she will go to that gallery and see if she can get any commissions.
In Canada and I assume other places possibly including Northhampton, you can weld without certs. You just can't do any structural welding (which may be based on your workplace and insurance rather than law, I'm not sure).Barista? Faye's an accomplished welder. Even if she doesn't want to make a career of it, it pays a lot better.She'd need to be certified. Maybe join a union too. If she needs money NOW, it'll be a better bet to do what she's already been doing. She could probably even guilt Dora into giving a recommendation.
Also, welding while drunk is a lot more dangerous than barista-ing while drunk.
Anyway, the point is she has options for income. She's not disabled.
Looks like we have another record breaking thread in the making. Speculations aside, I just wanna know who the hell punched Marten, let alone how he avoided a bruise or black eye :SWell, it looks like it was Faye who hit Marten, and he doesn't have any bruises because she was to weak to actually seriously injure him. His reaction is probably mostly a surprise that she moved at all.
Looks like we have another record breaking thread in the making. Speculations aside, I just wanna know who the hell punched Marten, let alone how he avoided a bruise or black eye :SWell, it looks like it was Faye who hit Marten, and he doesn't have any bruises because she was to weak to actually seriously injure him. His reaction is probably mostly a surprise that she moved at all.
And, yeah, 9 pages, and it's barely Tuesday. Though I'm guessing things will calm down once tomorrow's comic is posted. Especially if it's a filler because Jeph is out of power.
Marten offers to stay by her bedside and asks a question that makes it clear that he understands her recovery is contingent on more than the mere physical recovery from this one incident.
Commenters decide that he isn't her friend and has no idea what alcoholism is.
I don't understand this place sometimes.
Man these US american problems are so weird to us europeans.I can't really see how FAYE can stay in Northampton. She has no income, for one thing, and Marten can't afford to carry her financially.
She has no INCOME, that doesn't mean she has no savings. If she's been smart, she should have 2-3 months rent socked away. She should be able to find a job in that time. If she's smart she will go to that gallery and see if she can get any commissions.
I'm sure Fayemom will get on the next plane to Boston. Her being the third person Marten would call (after Claire and 911), but before Hannelore (what with the couch) and Dr. Corrine.Fayemom is scared of the Godless North (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=232) and the frozen wastes (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=585) where Faye lives, so I guess she is too afraid to come. However, I guess Marten will call her and promise to take good care of Faye.
Limited unemployment insurance, determined by how much you paid in while working for your employer. Part-time employees, however, can't draw unemployment, or at least they can't in MI. It's also only a fraction of what a normal paycheck would be.Man these US american problems are so weird to us europeans.I can't really see how FAYE can stay in Northampton. She has no income, for one thing, and Marten can't afford to carry her financially.
She has no INCOME, that doesn't mean she has no savings. If she's been smart, she should have 2-3 months rent socked away. She should be able to find a job in that time. If she's smart she will go to that gallery and see if she can get any commissions.
Do you really not have any form of general unemployment insurance over there in the USA ?!?
Man these US american problems are so weird to us europeans.
Do you really not have any form of general unemployment insurance over there in the USA ?!?
(I'm roughly 99.99% certain it was Faye who punched Marten. I mean, what, was one of the nurses going to punch him?)The only other reasonable explanation would have been that Clinton appeared out of nowhere to punch Marten for not showing up to the date with Claire. And since today's comic show that he (or anybody else) is not around, the only remaining explanation is Faye.
She has no INCOME, that doesn't mean she has no savings. If she's been smart, she should have 2-3 months rent socked away.
Headcannon accepted. Headcannon accepted so hard.
Headcannon accepted. Headcannon accepted so hard.
Are you Faye's dad?
While we're on the subject, can we agree to stab out the eyes of anyone who ever again uses a portmanteau to describe a couple, be it real or fictional? It's a really obnoxious thing. As one of the X-Idol contestants inevitably dubbed Jedward put it, 'Is it really so hard to say "ohn and"?'
Marten offers to stay by her bedside and asks a question that makes it clear that he understands her recovery is contingent on more than the mere physical recovery from this one incident.
Commenters decide that he isn't her friend and has no idea what alcoholism is.
I don't understand this place sometimes.
Actually, I'm thinking that Marten is "hoping" Faye will be OK and he wants the doctor to reassure him. I'd like to think that he's bright enough to realize you don't pass out in your own drunken vomit, slug one of your friends, and become totally unresponsive and will 'just be ok' once you sober up. If he didn't know before that Faye has a drinking problem, he'd better know it now.
If Marten understood 1. that Faye is an alcoholic and 2. what alcoholism is, he wouldn't be pestering medical staff to answer if Faye would be OK. He'd know that they have no control over it, and that recovery necessarily has to start with Faye herself.
Put another way, Marten obviously thinks Faye's issues are all or mostly medical. They aren't. As he's going to find out in the coming days.
The real problem is Marten obviously doesn't get what alcoholism is, and so all his decent impulses are just going to turn him into an enabler.
If Marten understood 1. that Faye is an alcoholic and 2. what alcoholism is, he wouldn't be pestering medical staff to answer if Faye would be OK. He'd know that they have no control over it, and that recovery necessarily has to start with Faye herself.
Put another way, Marten obviously thinks Faye's issues are all or mostly medical. They aren't. As he's going to find out in the coming days.
While we're on the subject, can we agree to stab out the eyes of anyone who ever again uses a portmanteau to describe a couple, be it real or fictional? It's a really obnoxious thing. As one of the X-Idol contestants inevitably dubbed Jedward put it, 'Is it really so hard to say "ohn and"?'I disagree. 'Claireten' is a good shorthand for "Claire and Marten' when addressing them as a couple (but of course not as individuals). The ship allegory (S/S Claireten is ready to sail) is also cute, just don't overdo it.
Some portmanteaus may give bad vibes, and should be avoided. The (now shipwrecked) S/S Mardor sounds too similar to 'Mordor'.
Now, I should watch my eyes. Jedit may want to stab them.
While we're on the subject, can we agree to stab out the eyes of anyone who ever again uses a portmanteau to describe a couple, be it real or fictional? It's a really obnoxious thing. As one of the X-Idol contestants inevitably dubbed Jedward put it, 'Is it really so hard to say "ohn and"?'I disagree. 'Claireten' is a good shorthand for "Claire and Marten' when addressing them as a couple (but of course not as individuals). The ship allegory (S/S Claireten is ready to sail) is also cute, just don't overdo it.
Should that not be "Mara?"I was not active in the forum when that ship still sailed, so I do not know what term (if any) was used. 'Mara' sounds nice, though.
Man these US american problems are so weird to us europeans.
Do you really not have any form of general unemployment insurance over there in the USA ?!?
QuoteMan these US american problems are so weird to us europeans.
Do you really not have any form of general unemployment insurance over there in the USA ?!?
It can vary state to state, but generally, if you were laid off (the employer needed to reduce staff to make ends meet), then yes, you can receive unemployment compensation for about 26 weeks. Or, if you were temporary, if your contract ended. In both cases, you can receive payments only if you're looking for a job.
But if you quit the job, or get fired, then you're ineligible for unemployment compensation.
And then, when you have no unemployment, is there any other fallback? I've heard of "welfare"?
(in the Netherlands, you also get unemployment benefits for some period, depending on how long you've worked, amount based on your last salary. When that runs out, if you have no other sources of income (like a spouse) and no savings, you'll get some money each month that's just about enough to live).
Yes, but it is subsistence-level only and only lasts for a few months at best. After that, you are considered willfully destitute and treated accordingly.Teh.
And then, when you have no unemployment, is there any other fallback? I've heard of "welfare"?
(in the Netherlands, you also get unemployment benefits for some period, depending on how long you've worked, amount based on your last salary. When that runs out, if you have no other sources of income (like a spouse) and no savings, you'll get some money each month that's just about enough to live).
I suspect that the nice young lady doctor will at least partly educate Marten on the subject whilst getting more information on the patient's background and history with alcohol. It will be interesting to see if Marten accepts what she tells him or chooses the route of denial (a comprehensible but dangerous response to being told that someone you love is an addict).I guess it depends on her view of Marten's role. I guess "roommate" qualifies as "close acquaintance/friend", but not as "next of kin" or "boyfriend". I guess the nice lady doctor will gather information from Marten, but wait to discuss Faye's prognosis and treatment with him until Faye is able to agree to this.
Hmmmm just a quick thought — given how much Faye drank, might she not even remember being fired? Assuming Marten doesn't know it happened (which seems likely), once Faye gets out of the hospital (if she gets out pretty quick), I could see her sauntering back to CoD, unaware that she's been fired. Ok, not the most plausible outcome in real life, but given QC's nature as a comedy, Jeph might go for the joke.
when she fired Faye she threw up some legalize such as bad attitude, rudeness etc when that will have been accepted coffee house behaviour for years and nothing she's ever complained about before.
I still don't think that's what she was saying there. To me, it sounded like she was saying "I can tolerate all that stuff, but not you breaking The One Big Rule."
People drinking on the job is a big no no that will get you insta fired in many places.
Looks like we have another record breaking thread in the making. Speculations aside, I just wanna know who the hell punched Marten, let alone how he avoided a bruise or black eye :SAnd, yeah, 9 pages, and it's barely Tuesday. Though I'm guessing things will calm down once tomorrow's comic is posted. Especially if it's a filler because Jeph is out of power.
No. That's when the hysteria begins.
If Jeph is off line, by Wednesday, we'll be eating each other.
It's a real problem for us too, and it really hits home for people like me, who've only ever seen alcoholism portrayed as a real illness for men; for women it's always a "party phase" or something else negligible.Check out "Days of Wind and Roses" (1962).
Man these US american problems are so weird to us europeans.I can't really see how FAYE can stay in Northampton. She has no income, for one thing, and Marten can't afford to carry her financially.
She has no INCOME, that doesn't mean she has no savings. If she's been smart, she should have 2-3 months rent socked away. She should be able to find a job in that time. If she's smart she will go to that gallery and see if she can get any commissions.
Do you really not have any form of general unemployment insurance over there in the USA ?!?
I'm not convinced that going to NY would solve anything for Faye, even assuming that Angus would be interested in renewing their relationship. We already know that he had issues with her drinking when they were together, so this might have thrown any slim chance that they would get back together out of the window.
She has no INCOME, that doesn't mean she has no savings. If she's been smart, she should have 2-3 months rent socked away.
Hopefully Faye did have those 2-3 months of emergency money remaining. How else she going to pay the hospital / psych bill? (If she has medical insurance through CoD, that's gone now).
My understanding is that Marten just has problems understanding doctorspeak.
Faye recovered from the loss of her dad, but she wasn't okay.
She recovered from her car accident, but she wasn't okay.
She'll recover from this, but...?
(I'm roughly 99.99% certain it was Faye who punched Marten. I mean, what, was one of the nurses going to punch him?)
The only other reasonable explanation would have been that Clinton appeared out of nowhere to punch Marten for not showing up to the date with Claire. And since today's comic show that he (or anybody else) is not around, the only remaining explanation is Faye.
The punch was from a right hand - if it had been Clinton (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1911), it would have been pretty obvious :-)
Depends if "full recovery" and "be okay" are synonyms :mrgreen:
Man these US american problems are so weird to us europeans.
Do you really not have any form of general unemployment insurance over there in the USA ?!?
Yes, but it is subsistence-level only and only lasts for a few months at best. After that, you are considered willfully destitute and treated accordingly.
Be okay = good physical and mental health. The lady doctor can help with the first. Then, I guess Faye needs an appointment with Dr. Corrine (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=649) again to fix her up mentally. I have missed Corrine, and look forward to her reappearance. However, Corrine cannot do miracles. Faye's friends also need to do whatever is needed.Faye recovered from the loss of her dad, but she wasn't okay.
She recovered from her car accident, but she wasn't okay.
She'll recover from this, but...?
In this context, I'd guess:
Recovery = won't die
Full recovery = will recover to same state of physical health as before.
Mentally, of course, she needs to progress to a BETTER state than before, but that's not for the medic to know much about.
But she'll be okay, right?
On the subject of benefits (health/unemployment, etc): remember we're in a world with AnthroPCs and huge space stations. Anything is possible.
As for the issue of health care, I think it's important to mention. I have brought plenty of people to the hospital who don't have insurance or can't pay. Never, ever, ever, has ANY of those patients been refused life saving or stabalizing medical care. If a patient is serious or critical, they don't even ask for insurance information when we bring them in. We transport to both public and private hospitals.
For whatever reason, I can't stop dwelling on how that IV reduces Faye to being one handed.
Restraints seem a far more humane option than crippling someone's hand. There's a bazillion other veins available.
Interesting that you interpret it this way as I don't actually feel this way. I was speculating (something that seems to be okay to do on this forum) that Marten (not me) would consider Dora not calling "a part of the reason" (not the sole reason) that Faye was able to drink herself half to death.
I stand by the reasons for my assumption that Dora didn't call anyone, but hey, I could totally be wrong & I'd have no problem with that.
*Personally* I have no problem with Dora's actions whether or not she called anyone. She's not Faye's keeper & if Dora feels she needs to put number one first, hey, more power to her. Marten, on the other hand, is loyal to & protective of his friends to a fault. At this point in the story, Faye is a lot higher up on his friends list than Dora is & she is in more apparent need of support. Not to mention that, friends or not, Dora is his ex & people aren't always reasonable when interpreting their ex's behavior.
An IV has nothing to do with crippling a hand... It's a needle stuck on with tape. Trust me, you can still use it. You just need to be slightly careful not to pull it out by accident the way I did once. Talk about panicking.
An IV has nothing to do with crippling a hand... It's a needle stuck on with tape. Trust me, you can still use it. You just need to be slightly careful not to pull it out by accident the way I did once. Talk about panicking.
And in some of those states, it doesn't even have to be gross negligence. The employer need only prove that the employee was breaking policy to deny them unemployment completely.Man these US american problems are so weird to us europeans.
Do you really not have any form of general unemployment insurance over there in the USA ?!?
Yes, but it is subsistence-level only and only lasts for a few months at best. After that, you are considered willfully destitute and treated accordingly.
Also, in many states, it can be limited further or completely eliminated if the employee was released for gross or willful negligence or other serious infractions. Faye's actions constitute a scenario that would limit her access to unemployment, but I don't think that Dora would actually do anything against her in that.
An IV has nothing to do with crippling a hand... It's a needle stuck on with tape. Trust me, you can still use it. You just need to be slightly careful not to pull it out by accident the way I did once. Talk about panicking.
Exactly.
I remember I was once in hospital and the nurse had to remove the catheter for the IV from the back of my hand. Somehow the actual needle had bent and ended up tearing the back of my hand. I'm guessing she was a student nurse because she went off to get help and I was left just dabbing away the blood with the cotton pads.
Kinda funny then, hilarious now.
An IV has nothing to do with crippling a hand... It's a needle stuck on with tape. Trust me, you can still use it. You just need to be slightly careful not to pull it out by accident the way I did once. Talk about panicking.Standard medical procedure, and it is not very crippling. There are worse places you can stick needles :mrgreen:
An IV has nothing to do with crippling a hand... It's a needle stuck on with tape. Trust me, you can still use it. You just need to be slightly careful not to pull it out by accident the way I did once. Talk about panicking.Standard medical procedure, and it is not very crippling. There are worse places you can stick needles :mrgreen:
But he's also said he doesn't want to write a religious character, because he just feels religion is wrong.Interesting to hear that, because isn't Wil somewhat religious?
You don't need to be religious to have some belief in an afterlife, I'm a lapsed/agnostic Catholic but I still believe in Heaven.But he's also said he doesn't want to write a religious character, because he just feels religion is wrong.Interesting to hear that, because isn't Wil somewhat religious?
Elbows seem to be preferred for blood samples, but it is probably damned inconvenient having an IV line there. You would not be able to bend the elbow joint.An IV has nothing to do with crippling a hand... It's a needle stuck on with tape. Trust me, you can still use it. You just need to be slightly careful not to pull it out by accident the way I did once. Talk about panicking.Standard medical procedure, and it is not very crippling. There are worse places you can stick needles :mrgreen:
Yeah, like the crook of an elbow, bloody hell that was painful. And bloody.
Actually I just realised any time I've ever been in hospital with an IV there's been an issue getting the things out.
Elbows seem to be preferred for blood samples, but it is probably damned inconvenient having an IV line there. You would not be able to bend the elbow joint.An IV has nothing to do with crippling a hand... It's a needle stuck on with tape. Trust me, you can still use it. You just need to be slightly careful not to pull it out by accident the way I did once. Talk about panicking.Standard medical procedure, and it is not very crippling. There are worse places you can stick needles :mrgreen:
Yeah, like the crook of an elbow, bloody hell that was painful. And bloody.
Actually I just realised any time I've ever been in hospital with an IV there's been an issue getting the things out.
You know, you guys are making the "AI companion" idea sound more and more like the way Jeph's going to go with Faye...
On the subject of benefits (health/unemployment, etc): remember we're in a world with AnthroPCs and huge space stations. Anything is possible.
I live in a place where "medical bills" are a completely unknown phenomenon (that part of this discussion actually baffled me initially). Faye would probably be able to claim around USD 2,000 per month in unemployment benefits, after a 45-day waiting period (since she was fired, which she couldn't have been here under the circumstances in the comic) and for up to a year or so. After that, she might be on welfare @ USD 500 per month, provided she's actively looking for a job.
Where do I order my AnthroPC?
The no AA thing I think is most important. Jeph is a pretty militant atheist, and you have to explicitly recognize your fate is in the hands of a "higher power" to be in AA. J
You don't need to be religious to have some belief in an afterlife, I'm a lapsed/agnostic Catholic but I still believe in Heaven.
I'm in the hospital frequently for a variety of health issues. Whether an IV disables your hand or not is entirely dependent upon the skill of the person administering it. It's a far sight better than elbow, in my opinion. When I had heart surgery a couple of years ago, there was a nagging pain from the IV in my hand that irritated me until I was out, but I couldn't get them to move it. Seems minor after the fact, considering I was having heart surgery and all, but at the time I was hyper-focused on how irritating it was. It's possible that it took my mind off of the severity of my situation.
Lady doctor: "I anticipate a full recovery"
Marten: "But she'll be OKAY, right?"
My understanding is that Marten just has problems understanding doctorspeak.
Faye can weld and forge metal, although it is questionable if she has any formal qualifications in this field (possible BEng?)... I wonder if she might end up working in the local bodywork shop as on-the-job training? Oddly enough, her personality and attitude might work quite well in the social environment of auto repair! :-D
Faye would likely be able to get on disability easily, given that her alcoholism is driven by her depression and her PTSD. And, going on disability would also make insurance more available to her, as there's more cheap insurance options available to those on disability.
The no AA thing I think is most important. Jeph is a pretty militant atheist, and you have to explicitly recognize your fate is in the hands of a "higher power" to be in AA. J
I guy I knew who was in AA said that, since you choose your own "higher power," if you like you can just have the AA meeting serve as that. The roots of twelve step are definitely religious, but I think there are plenty of atheists in recovery.
Trying to do it on your own, without the meetings, can be a fraught thing. The sponsor and the companionship and the social reinforcement are all important. Without them you can become a "dry drunk," i.e. someone who does not imbibe, but who has never dealt with the demons that made him/her drink in the first place. (See Bush, George W. for an example.)
Interesting that you interpret it this way as I don't actually feel this way. I was speculating (something that seems to be okay to do on this forum) that Marten (not me) would consider Dora not calling "a part of the reason" (not the sole reason) that Faye was able to drink herself half to death.
I stand by the reasons for my assumption that Dora didn't call anyone, but hey, I could totally be wrong & I'd have no problem with that.
*Personally* I have no problem with Dora's actions whether or not she called anyone. She's not Faye's keeper & if Dora feels she needs to put number one first, hey, more power to her. Marten, on the other hand, is loyal to & protective of his friends to a fault. At this point in the story, Faye is a lot higher up on his friends list than Dora is & she is in more apparent need of support. Not to mention that, friends or not, Dora is his ex & people aren't always reasonable when interpreting their ex's behavior.
I can't agree with that. You're basically saying that Marten is a shitlord, and I can't get with that.
Your analysis would hold water IF:
* He and Dora had remained acrimonious after the split
* Dora had in any way expressed jealousy of Padma and/or Claire
* Dora had made Faye "pay" for the breakup by marginalizing her at CoD
* Dora indicated that she blamed Marten solely for the breakup
* Marten indicate that he blamed Dora solely for the breakup
* They hadn't returned, more or less, to the level of friendship they had before they started going out
Then the idea that he would go apeshit on Dora for something she could not foresee or help would at least be plausible.
However, none of the above is the case. Marten and Dora went out. It didn't work out. It was awkward for a while but they talked it out and hugged it out and moved on. There has been NO INDICATION WHATEVER that there is any tension between them. So if Marten does blame Dora for this, then he is a ginormous, passive-aggressive, useless shitlord, and I just don't see that.
On one hand you have Marten who is exhaustively supportive of his friends & Faye is his best friend.
Marten offers to stay by her bedside and asks a question that makes it clear that he understands her recovery is contingent on more than the mere physical recovery from this one incident.
Commenters decide that he isn't her friend and has no idea what alcoholism is.
I don't understand this place sometimes.
If Marten understood 1. that Faye is an alcoholic and 2. what alcoholism is, he wouldn't be pestering medical staff to answer if Faye would be OK. He'd know that they have no control over it, and that recovery necessarily has to start with Faye herself.
Put another way, Marten obviously thinks Faye's issues are all or mostly medical. They aren't. As he's going to find out in the coming days.
For whatever reason, I can't stop dwelling on how that IV reduces Faye to being one handed.I'm confused. You said your hand was out of use until they removed the IV. If someone was restrained, wouldn't both their hands be out of use/'crippled' until they were removed? How is that more humane? Wouldn't it be doubly bad?
Restraints seem a far more humane option than crippling someone's hand. There's a bazillion other veins available.
People who lose their jobs can continue temporarily on their employer's plan, at their own expense. That's right, it's health care for unemployed people that depends on them paying full freight for insurance. Dora, of course, can report any date she wants for Faye's termination.
Down at the destitution level, there's government-funded care under the Medicaid program. It's federally funded but states can set their own rules. I just read that in Texas an annual income of $4,000 makes you too rich to qualify for Medicaid. The PPACA was supposed to expand eligibility but states can and do refuse to implement that.
Emergency rooms are required to treat everyone, regardless of ability to pay. The two horrible catches are that they have no obligation to treat beyond stabilizing the patient, and that they can still bill for the treatment. They won't turn you away, but they will leave you pursued by debt collectors for years.
Down at the destitution level, there's government-funded care under the Medicaid program. It's federally funded but states can set their own rules. I just read that in Texas an annual income of $4,000 makes you too rich to qualify for Medicaid. The PPACA was supposed to expand eligibility but states can and do refuse to implement that.
Part of the Affordable Care Act was Medicaid Expansion to catch low income people. Helpful Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices decided to make Medicaid Expansion voluntary, so states with Republican governors could go on merrily screwing the poor. Lucky for Faye, she's in Massachusetts, so this doesn't affect her.
Having dealt with being poor and having to go to the Emergency room several times for various injuries while having no insurance, there are also other things you can look into. [...]
Hilariously, I pay more for them now that I'm paying enormous health insurance premiums every month... I would say the biggest health care burden isn't on the poor, but on the lower middle class. People who make too much for any assistance, which is where I am now. Seeing a specialist doctor, WITH insurance, eats into most of my discretionary budget for the month just with my copay. My wife currently needs a surgery but it will cost us about 3k that we don't have. She had a similar surgery when we were pretty broke and it cost us only 500 dollars (everything was covered by medicaid except the anesthetist).
Not having insurance at all is life ruining if something happens, but even having insurance in the US is a joke unless its REALLY good insurance.
I was retracked onto the introduction of May via another thread and right after it came this: http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2522 (sorry I don't know how to link). Does anyone think this was serious or was it just Faye being Faye?
Kept more because it bears repeating, but re: the bolded statement: Monetarily, I absolutely agree. I have always been poor-to-lower middle. However, I'd definitely say lower middle is easier in that you are a lot more able to access your care than a poor person eligible for a lot of resources often is.
Kept more because it bears repeating, but re: the bolded statement: Monetarily, I absolutely agree. I have always been poor-to-lower middle. However, I'd definitely say lower middle is easier in that you are a lot more able to access your care than a poor person eligible for a lot of resources often is.
Oh, good lord yes. General Practitioners especially. Do you know how hard it is to find a GP that accepts Medicaid. The only one I could find was this very frighteningly stern black lady who always wore sandals and had the most disturbingly calloused feet, was about a 30 minute drive from my house, and was always super crowded. Also, she just intimidated me.
I was so happy when I could go back to my old doctor after my wife got a job at a hospital and I got insurance through her job.
And if you are in that weird "can't afford insurance, but also can't qualify for Medicaid" section, you get more fun, because the only way to get reliable care is free clinics (which are harder and harder to find) and emergency rooms. IN FACT, one of the reasons Emergency Rooms are so expensive is because of people who can't really afford to go anywhere else, so they go there when they have stuff that is super not an emergency and they can't pay so the hospital has to eat it for the most part.
Actually, it gets worse, the state I'm in has laws about overlapping areas of care, so when the hospital wanted to open up a clinic across the street from the ER, they found out they couldn't even though it would be cheaper all around for everyone because the law said that they couldn't open a clinic in the same area an ER could cover.
For whatever reason, I can't stop dwelling on how that IV reduces Faye to being one handed.I'm confused. You said your hand was out of use until they removed the IV. If someone was restrained, wouldn't both their hands be out of use/'crippled' until they were removed? How is that more humane? Wouldn't it be doubly bad?
Restraints seem a far more humane option than crippling someone's hand. There's a bazillion other veins available.
(plus the stuff about dislocating your arms or not being able to roll on your side if you're choking or whatever)
Also, Faye probably would need the IV either way, for fluids and probably medicine. So, having it there to add a benzo or something to wouldn't really be any difference in how much she was already restrained by the IV (physically- obviously she'd probably be pretty asleep once it was added). (Edit: and also, they probably would have an IV in her even without the fluids and stuff, just the needle in. That way, if she crashed, they wouldn't have to deal with finding a vein or wasting precious seconds). Also also, more to do with the last paragraph above this, restraints are terrifying, she's drunk, and last time she described suffering psychosis, which may be expected this time (medically, I doubt they've asked). Terrifying+Confused(and maybe also terrifying) generally is bad.
Warning - THERE HAVE BEEN A BILLION POSTS YOU ARE NO LONGER RELEVANT
Faye has been to the ER before (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=208). That crushing debt has not been mentioned would suggest that she has insurance.
Which raises once again the question of why marten was punched when there should be a punching intern
Which raises once again the question of why marten was punched when there should be a punching internPunching intern changed rotation?
Which raises once again the question of why marten was punched when there should be a punching internPunching intern changed rotation?
Budget cut backs meaning no more punching interns?
It's his day off?
Different hospital?
Hush Orkboy, we are getting sillies out before the angst of the comicWhich raises once again the question of why marten was punched when there should be a punching internPunching intern changed rotation?
Budget cut backs meaning no more punching interns?
It's his day off?
Different hospital?
Or, Jeph wanted to do a serious gorram comic, and the idea of interns provided for surrogate punching is kinda silly.
Budget cut backs meaning no more punching interns?
Kept more because it bears repeating, but re: the bolded statement: Monetarily, I absolutely agree. I have always been poor-to-lower middle. However, I'd definitely say lower middle is easier in that you are a lot more able to access your care than a poor person eligible for a lot of resources often is.
Oh, good lord yes. General Practitioners especially. Do you know how hard it is to find a GP that accepts Medicaid. The only one I could find was this very frighteningly stern black lady who always wore sandals and had the most disturbingly calloused feet, was about a 30 minute drive from my house, and was always super crowded. Also, she just intimidated me.
I was so happy when I could go back to my old doctor after my wife got a job at a hospital and I got insurance through her job.
And if you are in that weird "can't afford insurance, but also can't qualify for Medicaid" section, you get more fun, because the only way to get reliable care is free clinics (which are harder and harder to find) and emergency rooms. IN FACT, one of the reasons Emergency Rooms are so expensive is because of people who can't really afford to go anywhere else, so they go there when they have stuff that is super not an emergency and they can't pay so the hospital has to eat it for the most part.
Actually, it gets worse, the state I'm in has laws about overlapping areas of care, so when the hospital wanted to open up a clinic across the street from the ER, they found out they couldn't even though it would be cheaper all around for everyone because the law said that they couldn't open a clinic in the same area an ER could cover.
I have insurance that counts as a form of Medicaid, thanks to the ACA. When looking for a primary care physician, my insurers had lists you could access on their websites that tell you who accepts your insurance in your state.
Newspost says no.Faye has been to the ER before (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=208). That crushing debt has not been mentioned would suggest that she has insurance.
Sara!
Added a / in your quote - Method
New comic, and I think Jeph may be mocking the people who thought Faye died in the title of the comic...As well he should.
And yes, it's appropriate Hanners, there's no sucn thing as an inappropriate Teddy Bear.
Here's the question that'll hopefully be answered this week. What does she remember?More than she'll let on, I imagine.
And yes, it's appropriate Hanners, there's no sucn thing as an inappropriate Teddy Bear.
Although I agree with Hanners' decision, I must argue with you. We were just talking about rule 34 a couple pages back.
If I'm ever in the hospital, I want to wake up to someone giving me a teddy bear.
He goes around being super chill, nice and supportive ALL THE TIME!Actually, I'm a lot like that. Not quite as supportive as he is, but I don't have as many friends that depend on me.
Thats impossible unless you're some kind of saintly alien zen instructor or something along those lines.
Awwww Hannelore is so sweet! Oh boy I can see Faye going oh shit I got fired? Hopefully they answer what happened to pintsize, probably turned off but now that Faye is awake I'm hella curious.
So uh, how does Marten unwind?
He goes around being super chill, nice and supportive ALL THE TIME!
Thats impossible unless he's some kind of saintly alien zen instructor or something along those lines.
I've been assuming she turned him off before she even started the hardcore drinking, anticipating that he'd interrupt her. Otherwise, she probably really would have pitched him at the wall later.Awwww Hannelore is so sweet! Oh boy I can see Faye going oh shit I got fired? Hopefully they answer what happened to pintsize, probably turned off but now that Faye is awake I'm hella curious.
I'm convinced Pintsize tried telling her it was a bad idea to keep drinking (imagine that—Pintsize being responsible) and he probably threatened to call Marten so she shut him off so he wouldn't.
So uh, how does Marten unwind?
He goes around being super chill, nice and supportive ALL THE TIME!
Thats impossible unless you're some kind of saintly alien zen instructor or something along those lines.
Am I just weird?
I would be emotional as all hell from stress, relief, anger, frustration and all that in a situation like that. I'd at the very least scream invectives into a pillow or something.
Awwww Hannelore is so sweet! Oh boy I can see Faye going oh shit I got fired? Hopefully they answer what happened to pintsize, probably turned off but now that Faye is awake I'm hella curious.
I'm convinced Pintsize tried telling her it was a bad idea to keep drinking (imagine that—Pintsize being responsible) and he probably threatened to call Marten so she shut him off so he wouldn't.
Anyone else wondering if that bear is sentient?
Hanners is probably freaking out inside over being in a hospital, but is being tuff because friendship.
Hanners is probably freaking out inside over being in a hospital, but is being tuff because friendship.
But it's a place filled with hand sanitisers and people exercising hygiene discipline. It's her kind of place, really.
Except they're the worst places for bacteria and superbugs.Hanners is probably freaking out inside over being in a hospital, but is being tuff because friendship.But it's a place filled with hand sanitisers and people exercising hygiene discipline. It's her kind of place, really.
She knows where the autoclave is.
Faye's glasses are off. How is she seeing Marten? Why isn't she looking/asking for them as a reflex?
I have expressed my disapproval of portmanteaus at some length - not least, in the "Conduct in this forum" thread stickied at the top. At present the associated behaviour that led to this viewpoint is not a problem, but I remain suspicious of a shortcut that obscures the individual identities involved.
Hanners is probably freaking out inside over being in a hospital, but is being tuff because friendship.
Faye's glasses are off. How is she seeing Marten? Why isn't she looking/asking for them as a reflex?
Faye's glasses are off. How is she seeing Marten? Why isn't she looking/asking for them as a reflex?
Faye's glasses are off. How is she seeing Marten? Why isn't she looking/asking for them as a reflex?
He talked, I'm sure she knows his voice.
And furthermore I can at least tell when I'm not waking up somewhere I know. It usually causes a little freak outFaye's glasses are off. How is she seeing Marten? Why isn't she looking/asking for them as a reflex?
He talked, I'm sure she knows his voice.
Besides that, waking up with your glasses off isn't the same as having them on most of the day and taking them off. Maybe it's just me, but I can make out more stuff when I first wake up than I can later in the day if I take them off.
And furthermore I can at least tell when I'm not waking up somewhere I know. It usually causes a little freak outFaye's glasses are off. How is she seeing Marten? Why isn't she looking/asking for them as a reflex?
He talked, I'm sure she knows his voice.
Besides that, waking up with your glasses off isn't the same as having them on most of the day and taking them off. Maybe it's just me, but I can make out more stuff when I first wake up than I can later in the day if I take them off.
So uh, how does Marten unwind?
He goes around being super chill, nice and supportive ALL THE TIME!
Thats impossible unless you're some kind of saintly alien zen instructor or something along those lines.
Hanners and Marten being there means it's all the more likely Dora or Tai know about Faye.
Hell, she may have even followed them to the hospital, one way or another. It'd explain why we didn't see her before and are seeing her now. Course, I could be entirely wrong too. Wouldn't be the first time, wouldn't be the last.
Why? Hanners lives right upstairs; of course she's the first person Marten would have gone to.
I dunno, my vision is about as bad as Faye's is supposed to be (mines 20/650) and I can never make out people's faces regardless of time. I guess I can usually make out their body type though and realize who it is based on that. I mean, how many skinny, white, male friends does Faye have? It could only be so many people... plus the voice... I see no problem with her knowing it was him.
Hell, she may have even followed them to the hospital, one way or another. It'd explain why we didn't see her before and are seeing her now. Course, I could be entirely wrong too. Wouldn't be the first time, wouldn't be the last.
PS: why does Hanners have a cricket bat? How many people in the US are familiar with cricket at all?
I think we mostly know cricket as "that thing Brits play that's sort of like baseball except the bat's a better weapon." Pretty sure the average American would recognize a cricket bat on sight, despite being able to tell you next to nothing else about the game.To be fair I've watched several games (matches?) and still can't tell you a thing about the game
Plot twist: Faye was out for two years. :psyduck:
PS: why does Hanners have a cricket bat? How many people in the US are familiar with cricket at all?
Plot twist: Faye was out for two years. :psyduck:While Marten has been at the hospital waiting for Faye to wake up, he's been fired for not showing up to work for two years.
It does look like Marten is coming apart at the seams. More than worried, he seems a bit frantic. Maybe he is being would up by Hanners anxiety? that doesn't seem in character, generally Marten is more calm when people around him are freaking out.
And since we only see his right hand... he married Claire in the meantime (they had a very cute ceremony at the hospital and instead of a bouquet Claire threw a copy of of the Oxford English dictionary) and has been living with her on the small seats they can provide in the ER/ICU.Plot twist: Faye was out for two years. :psyduck:While Marten has been at the hospital waiting for Faye to wake up, he's been fired for not showing up to work for two years.
Plot twist: Faye was out for two years. :psyduck:While Marten has been at the hospital waiting for Faye to wake up, he's been fired for not showing up to work for two years.
Was panel 2 Faye's POV or not? If it was, Marten should have been blurred beyond recognition. If not, the only issue is that I'd expect, extrapolating from how I work, that she'd be desperate to have her glasses on.
It does look like Marten is coming apart at the seams. More than worried, he seems a bit frantic. Maybe he is being would up by Hanners anxiety? that doesn't seem in character, generally Marten is more calm when people around him are freaking out.
I do hope that Marten stands firm and discusses with Faye how serious her situation is, possibly lays some ground rules/ limits? idk, I just feel like Marten being a pure well of support for Faye would just enable her to keep up her current drinking habits.
When you have Hannelore eyes and you are not Hannelore, something has obviously gone wrong.
It does look like Marten is coming apart at the seams. More than worried, he seems a bit frantic. Maybe he is being would up by Hanners anxiety? that doesn't seem in character, generally Marten is more calm when people around him are freaking out.
In todays I'm not seeing frantic I'm seeing tired. Probably been up all night. Hanners has the same look. Though maybe that's where the comparison comes from, since she often looks like that.
ell, she may have even followed them to the hospital, one way or another. It'd explain why we didn't see her before and are seeing her now.
And yes, it's appropriate Hanners, there's no sucn thing as an inappropriate Teddy Bear.
Although I agree with Hanners' decision, I must argue with you. We were just talking about rule 34 a couple pages back.
Is it me or is everything Hannelore says or does sweet in some way?Well, except when she's reiterating her experience with DJ Phallus and his telling her to kill her friends with a knife.
It does look like Marten is coming apart at the seams. More than worried, he seems a bit frantic. Maybe he is being would up by Hanners anxiety? that doesn't seem in character, generally Marten is more calm when people around him are freaking out.
I do hope that Marten stands firm and discusses with Faye how serious her situation is, possibly lays some ground rules/ limits? idk, I just feel like Marten being a pure well of support for Faye would just enable her to keep up her current drinking habits.
I think they're all probably exhausted at this point.
And yes, he does need to set some boundaries, but a bit of compassion and gentleness in the meantime isn't out of place.When you have Hannelore eyes and you are not Hannelore, something has obviously gone wrong.
At least she doesn't have Bette Davis eyes. :clairedoge:
How many people in the US are familiar with cricket at all?Lionel Tribbey?
It's magnifying the effect on his affect.
No idea if it has been mentioned before, but the second panel not being blurry and Faye not reaching for her glasses is rather unrealistic, as clearly Faye has exactly the same awful eyesight as I do because my experiences apply to everyone.[slow clap] Well done, sir.
Having dealt with being poor and having to go to the Emergency room several times for various injuries while having no insurance, there are also other things you can look into. I think the thing I qualified for was called LIAA, or something like that, low income something something. Anyway, I paid 0 dollars for my emergency room visits back then, and have never been contacted by a debt collector/have no debt on my record. And this is not for life threatening things either, this was for things like getting stitches, etc, so not just "stabilizing" care. I think if you got admitted it was a bit different though.
Hilariously, I pay more for them now that I'm paying enormous health insurance premiums every month... I would say the biggest health care burden isn't on the poor, but on the lower middle class.
I learned the most I know about Cricket from Steam Train.
Another question: when did her cannula come out? There's not even a mark on her hand. Or maybe Jeph forgot.
Another question: when did her cannula come out? There's not even a mark on her hand. Or maybe Jeph forgot.
It may be that some time (say 18 hours, maybe even 24) has gone by. Both Hanners and Marten look a bit 'shop worn' and tired. If they've been doing the bedside vigil thing for some time then that's to be expected. Faye's cannula may have come out relatively early in the process.
Maybe someone who is more knowledgeable about alcoholism and other related issues could shed some light on that.
PS: why does Hanners have a cricket bat? How many people in the US are familiar with cricket at all?
I actually WATCH cricket, and played it at school, and don't understand it. But as an excuse to sit in the sun in a deckchair, drinking tea and cold cider, with a Panama hat and a copy of the Daily Telegraph it beats baseball any time.
FAYE: "I remember cutting my hand pretty bad while I was making dinner for the two of us. ... Who's the blonde chick with the bear?"
MARTEN: "No idea."
BLONDE CHICK WITH BEAR: "I saw you in the Emergency Room and you two seemed nice, so I went ahead and signed you up for the apartment in my building that's just gone vacant. Now I gotta go tell the people who live there now, and then get Winslow here a new chassis."
Faye's glasses are off. How is she seeing Marten? Why isn't she looking/asking for them as a reflex?
Hopefully Marten bought Faye's spare/backup pair from home then, 'cause I'd imagine her regular pair of glasses getting lost in the chaos of getting her to the hospital.
PS: why does Hanners have a cricket bat? How many people in the US are familiar with cricket at all?
She's not from the US. She's from spaaaaace.
Next week: Hanners and Marten take care of Faye.
So Dora is going to be sorry for firing Faye despite doing it on pretty legitimate grounds, and then she's going to take Faye back, and I suspect this may run a little bit more smoothly than it probably should.
How many people in the US are familiar with cricket at all?Lionel Tribbey?
I did wonder about the COBRA reference. COBRA in the UK is some sort of Government Security Comittee
As for Dora, I would expect that Marten has talked to her, but advised her to stay away for the time being. I guess the topics for the rest of the week is going to be:
- Thursday: Faye's reaction
- Friday: Dora's reaction
I wonder if Marten thinks this may have been due to his new wonderful relationship
Regarding the glasses thing, it's probably just a space-saver. This comic tends to favor fewer, bigger panels, and I think it's likely that worrying about certain details, even if they're realistic, interrupts the emotional flow of the story.
I'm legally blind, too, so I would definitely be asking for my glasses first thing, but admittedly, it doesn't make for as interesting of storytelling in a comic format.
I wonder will we get a recreation of what happened between Faye leaving CoD and passing out on the couch, subject to what she can actually remember. This would follow naturally from Marten asking her what she remembers.
Pintsize may fill in some blanks later on, depending at what point he was deactivated.
Alternatively, Faye may just shut up shop and not talk about it.
The last time we saw Faye with her glasses on was when she was in The Great Schism (http://"http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2880"). If Jeph was going for realism here, the non-blackout panels in Close To Home (http://"http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2882") would have been blurry, too. But blurring those panels would have made the strip much harder to understand what was going on, if not impossible.
Right, could be. Probably she just doesn't remember passing out, but then I would have expected gloomier reaction, kinda. We'll see tomorrow :)
Would that be like zero-gee football in Red Dwarf? Or more like Quidditch?
Potential evidence that Faye actually does have health insurance through CoD?Could just be worker's compensation premiums.
http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1648
The last time we saw Faye with her glasses on was when she was in The Great Schism (http://"http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2880"). If Jeph was going for realism here, the non-blackout panels in Close To Home (http://"http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2882") would have been blurry, too. But blurring those panels would have made the strip much harder to understand what was going on, if not impossible.
Could just be worker's compensation premiums.
The last time we saw Faye with her glasses on was when she was in The Great Schism (http://"http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2880"). If Jeph was going for realism here, the non-blackout panels in Close To Home (http://"http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2882") would have been blurry, too. But blurring those panels would have made the strip much harder to understand what was going on, if not impossible.
Supposedly, dehydration can cause temporary clear vision for nearsighted people.
Does that mean that because she drank at work, it is now a work related accident?
I'm shocked that Hanners is in a hospital without full PPE (personal protective equipment), i.e. a hazmat suit. If any non-hospital person would know about nosocomial infections, it would be her.
I'm shocked that Hanners is in a hospital without full PPE (personal protective equipment), i.e. a hazmat suit. If any non-hospital person would know about nosocomial infections, it would be her.
Hanners has the power (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1635) to resist her fears and anxieties when she thinks something more important is at stake. I'm sure she's also taken the necessary precautions. Faye is, indubitably, in the cleanest room in the hospital, now. I'm sure you could assemble space probes in there.
I'm shocked that Hanners is in a hospital without full PPE (personal protective equipment), i.e. a hazmat suit. If any non-hospital person would know about nosocomial infections, it would be her.I'd assume she's just eaten her way through a bucket of pre-exposure prophylaxis meds.
Didn't she once lance a blood blister, to general surprise?Yes, but that was for a rather creepy (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1607) purpose. But at least Marten's DNA is now available for future cloning.
I can see Faye clamming up a bit, however Hanners is there and we know she is more than capable of slapping Faye straight. Hanners I think might be the one who could help Faye the most.
Welcome, new people!
On that note, tomorrow's comic may be, "so, how'd you get hannelore to come?"
Agree with this, think Hanners will provide the tough love that's necessary. She's done it before, and more importantly, Faye accepted it.Hanners knows all about wrestling with inner demons too.
Big Sister Hanners
It'll either be that, or she'll head back home to her Mothers for a while in order to start sorting her shit out.
This strip made so incredibly happy. I hope that doesn't sound heartless. But like sluthy said, it's a first step. Now she can heal.
I'm glad to see that Faye is physically all right and realizes that she's not actually all right. Good for her for taking that step - although it's a long way from sitting in a hospital realizing you're not all right to taking the next step and admitting you need help, and then actually getting it.
Negative echo of Marigold from 1685 (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1685). Interesting.
And Faye will remain pissed - not so much because of getting fired (either she'll recover, and find a new job, or not, and find different reasons to be miserable) but because when it came down to it, Dora just didn't care about her as a friend as much as she thought.
And Faye will remain pissed - not so much because of getting fired (either she'll recover, and find a new job, or not, and find different reasons to be miserable) but because when it came down to it, Dora just didn't care about her as a friend as much as she thought.
I disagree. it may have been Dora's way of trying to show Faye that she does have a problem, and that Dora's not going to enable her by turning a blind eye to her not only breaking the rules, but to her having gotten to the point where she's in a constant state of alcohol haze. Tough love is called that for a reason.
Seriously, just because Dora fired her, doesn't mean she doesn't care for her as a friend. Compartmentalization is a thing.
---
As for today's comic, is that a bit of a Southern twang in Faye's dialogue?
"This is the stupidest fuckin' thing I ever done", rather thank "I've ever done". Or maybe I'm reading too much into it.
As for today's comic, is that a bit of a Southern twang in Faye's dialogue?
"This is the stupidest fuckin' thing I ever done", rather thank "I've ever done". Or maybe I'm reading too much into it.
And Faye will remain pissed - not so much because of getting fired (either she'll recover, and find a new job, or not, and find different reasons to be miserable) but because when it came down to it, Dora just didn't care about her as a friend as much as she thought.
I disagree. It may have been Dora's way of trying to show Faye that she does have a problem, and that Dora's not going to enable her by turning a blind eye to her not only breaking the rules, but to her having gotten to the point where she's in a constant state of alcohol haze. Tough love is called that for a reason.
Seriously, just because Dora fired her, doesn't mean she doesn't care for her as a friend. Compartmentalization is a thing.
...although it's a long way from sitting in a hospital realizing you're not all right to taking the next step and admitting you need help, and then actually getting it.
Plus I'm predicting we're going to see an apologetic Dora (regardless whether she thinks she was right or wrong for firing Faye) make an appearance by Faye's bedside soon.
It's been mentioned before that FAYE has certain speech mannerisms which are intended to disguise her Southern accent. I always get the impression she sounds like Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling (Dr Lecter specifically mentions that she does this).
Welp.......I think Faye just bounced off the bottom...
@Omega - The latter's not a contradiction, if it was just said she'd never done poly before. Maybe she'd never been in any relationship before Dora.
@Omega - The latter's not a contradiction, if it was just said she'd never done poly before. Maybe she'd never been in any relationship before Dora.Paydirt. (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=728)
Welp.......I think Faye just bounced off the bottom...
*inserts inappropriate and ill timed joke about Faye's bottom*
At least she bounced, some people hit rock bottom and go splat, never to get up again.
Plus I'm predicting we're going to see an apologetic Dora (regardless whether she thinks she was right or wrong for firing Faye) make an appearance by Faye's bedside soon.
Doubt it. She'll be sympathetic and understanding, but I think the overdose will strengthen her resolve that she did the right thing by separating Faye from CoD. Remember the last thing she said to her: "Go home, sober up, and get some goddamned help, Faye. (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2880)" Well, she went home, she sobered up (eventually, with the help of a saline IV and a team of paramedics), and now she's in the right place and crucially the right mindset to get help.
She wants monogamy there, there's no indication she's ever had it.@Omega - The latter's not a contradiction, if it was just said she'd never done poly before. Maybe she'd never been in any relationship before Dora.Paydirt. (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=728)
So, it seems, to me anyway, that at that point she did (monogamous) relationships, but not polyamory (which she does later dive into). If taken as it seems to be implied, then, it's an entire about-face in regards to what's stated recently.
Dora was definitely wrong, in the sense of bad management practice, to have the "emergency bourbon" bottle BUT insist that drinking on shift was a zero-tolerance issue.
I'm just going to put that down to "continuity development". It's really a symptom of trying to be serious AND jokey, in the same comic.
She wants monogamy there, there's no indication she's ever had it.@Omega - The latter's not a contradiction, if it was just said she'd never done poly before. Maybe she'd never been in any relationship before Dora.Paydirt. (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=728)
So, it seems, to me anyway, that at that point she did (monogamous) relationships, but not polyamory (which she does later dive into). If taken as it seems to be implied, then, it's an entire about-face in regards to what's stated recently.
But it was right out in the open in comic 1639 (http://www.questionablecontent.net/1639)Dora was definitely wrong, in the sense of bad management practice, to have the "emergency bourbon" bottle BUT insist that drinking on shift was a zero-tolerance issue.
I'm just going to put that down to "continuity development". It's really a symptom of trying to be serious AND jokey, in the same comic.
Insightful. Is it established that Dora knew about the emergency bourbon? She was off panel and, uh, distracted when it came out in 1249. On the other hand there's only so much room behind a counter and she should know absolutely everything there.
Insightful. Is it established that Dora knew about the emergency bourbon? She was off panel and, uh, distracted when it came out in 1249. On the other hand there's only so much room behind a counter and she should know absolutely everything there.
Insightful. Is it established that Dora knew about the emergency bourbon? She was off panel and, uh, distracted when it came out in 1249. On the other hand there's only so much room behind a counter and she should know absolutely everything there.
Is there ever any indication that employees consumed the Emergency Bourbon while they were on the clock? I can't remember.
Dora just didn't care about her as a friend as much as she thought.
Is this the start of the road back to health for her? Faye has had a previous false start I the comic. A lot depends on what happens after the horror of this incident wears off. This time, her friends need to help her stick with it. Faye has realised that she wants to live; now her friends need to help her to do so.
I agree with other posters that, in context, panel 3 today is one of the most emotional that I've recently seen in the comic.
Dora just didn't care about her as a friend as much as she thought.
That's a two-way street though. I would remind a friend who tried to pull a 'you obviously didn't care about me as a friend because you fired me' that they put me in the horrible position of having to fire a friend for drinking on the job, and point out that if they truly cared about the friendship then they wouldn't have put me in that awkward position in the first place.
There's more than just the emergency bourbon, there's also the beer & pizza with Claire while on the clock. I took it to mean that Dora isn't really that strict about it when it's all in good fun and responsible.
There seems to be a genuine possibility that Dora didn't know about the 'Emergency Bourbon'.
But it was right out in the open in comic 1639 (http://www.questionablecontent.net/1639)
Friendship is not transactional. People tend to think it is, but only when they need something or have been hurt. Friendship is just a group of people bumbling along in company, trying to make room for one another. Because it feels good.
I wonder if the current situation , with Marten devoting all his time to Faye, might result in cooling down the Marten & Claire thing? Claire has her insecurities (somehow, mirroring Dora's issues?), resulting in Claire either freaking out
She might conclude that she is not ready for a romantic relationship after all, but still wish to remain Marten's friend. It might also be a way to avoid the big elephant in the room (I guess you know what I mean).Unlikely, and certainly not for that reason.
I wonder if the current situation, with Marten devoting all his time to Faye, might result in cooling down the Marten & Claire thing? Claire has her insecurities (somehow, mirroring Dora's issues?), resulting in Claire either freaking out, or reconsidering her options. She might conclude that she is not ready for a romantic relationship after all, but still wish to remain Marten's friend. It might also be a way to avoid the big elephant in the room (I guess you know what I mean).
Two critical differences between Dora and Claire.
Claire is on medication for her anxiety.
Claire also doesn't have a string of abusive and manipulative ex-boyfriends to set up the expectation that Marten will hurt her.
Also, does Claire know Faye's backstory? Because if she doesn't, and she learns it, that could be interesting - both Claire and Faye's fathers aren't in their lives (for very different reasons, but...)
Welp.......I think Faye just bounced off the bottom...
Just a sudden thought: Faye says that this is "the stupidest fuckin' thing I ever done". We know that she was in a serious car accident once regarding which she said she doesn't think she consciously aimed at the tree. Is that a confession that this was a conscious attempt at serious self-harm?
Just a sudden thought: Faye says that this is "the stupidest fuckin' thing I ever done". We know that she was in a serious car accident once regarding which she said she doesn't think she consciously aimed at the tree. Is that a confession that this was a conscious attempt at serious self-harm?
Look like we're being set up for the typical "Friday comis relief" strip tomorrow...
Personally, I'd like to see the Pintsize equivalent of Faye's intermittent blackout sequence from earlier this week:
Black screen... Panicked Winslow... Black screen... examined by Marigold... black screen... trying to grab Momo's behind... black screen... being punched by May... black screen... hand plugged to some kind of device... black screen...
Look like we're being set up for the typical "Friday comis relief" strip tomorrow...
Personally, I'd like to see the Pintsize equivalent of Faye's intermittent blackout sequence from earlier this week:
Black screen... Panicked Winslow... Black screen... examined by Marigold... black screen... trying to grab Momo's behind... black screen... being punched by May... black screen... hand plugged to some kind of device... black screen...
I wonder if Dora made Faye sign a non-disclosure agreement.
I wonder if Dora made Faye sign a non-disclosure agreement.
I wonder if Dora made Faye sign a non-disclosure agreement.
I do think Faye will come back to COD, I think that Dora wanted to hit home how serious this is by actually firing her, not just sending her to treatment. Firing her gives her real motivation to fix herself.
Look like we're being set up for the typical "Friday comis relief" strip tomorrow...
Personally, I'd like to see the Pintsize equivalent of Faye's intermittent blackout sequence from earlier this week:
Black screen... Panicked Winslow... Black screen... examined by Marigold... black screen... trying to grab Momo's behind... black screen... being punched by May... black screen... hand plugged to some kind of device... black screen...
BLUE Screen =D
maybe Faye is [...] genuinely in need of a hug
As Hanners is not appearing in today's strip, I guess she is currently observing and thinking. She is not good at handling emotions and physical contact (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2597), but is surprisingly good at getting people to obey (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1108). Actually, Marten and Hanners are a perfect therapy team. Marten can be the comforter, Hanners the enforcer. And with Sam on the team, they also have someone Faye really do not want to let down.
Regarding a possibility of Claire interpreting something about the hug in the wrong way...
...Faye is in a hospital bed.
Also, does Claire know Faye's backstory? Because if she doesn't, and she learns it, that could be interesting - both Claire and Faye's fathers aren't in their lives (for very different reasons, but...)Were we ever shown why Claire's father isn't in the picture? I can't remember.
I'd regarded the "emergency bourbon" as being on the same level as the Malayan Battle Spatula and Tai's mono/poly status/history - a throw-away gag involving somethung thst wasn't importsnt at the time.
All long-running series contain this sort of thing <snip>
We were told about Clairedad's infidelity when Claire misinterpreted Tai's dating Dora as "homewrecking".
Apologies if it has already been brought up, but where is Faye's IV? Shouldn't she at the very least have a bandage on her hand (or some kind of puncture wound) if it's been removed?
I'd regarded the "emergency bourbon" as being on the same level as the Malayan Battle Spatula and Tai's mono/poly status/history - a throw-away gag involving somethung thst wasn't importsnt at the time.
All long-running series contain this sort of thing <snip>
Another good point. We do go overboard trying to fit funny absurd things into world-building.
(But it's so much fun ...)
Apologies if it has already been brought up, but where is Faye's IV? Shouldn't she at the very least have a bandage on her hand (or some kind of puncture wound) if it's been removed?
Even with the promotion, it seems like she really hasn't done much with her job at CoD.
YES! Please, please, please...Look like we're being set up for the typical "Friday comis relief" strip tomorrow...
Personally, I'd like to see the Pintsize equivalent of Faye's intermittent blackout sequence from earlier this week:
Black screen... Panicked Winslow... Black screen... examined by Marigold... black screen... trying to grab Momo's behind... black screen... being punched by May... black screen... hand plugged to some kind of device... black screen...
BLUE Screen =D
How about we all just agree to stick with the MST3k mantra regarding the little details - Relax, it's only a webcomic.
Man, I keep forgetting how different laws can be depending on which state you're in. I must admit, though, that the ones I've heard of were very specialised employees that had access to real company secrets like technology or something, and it was worth continuing to pay them half their salary for not working and not fast food employees
IIRC, non-compete agreements and many NDAs can't be legally enforced in my state. They're just there to scare people into complying, and most do. I'd love to see them rise from the level of "not-enforcible" to flat-out fucking illegal with massive damages awarded as punishment to the spunk-stains who try it.
...
Personally, I'd like to see the Pintsize equivalent of Faye's intermittent blackout sequence from earlier this week:
Black screen... Panicked Winslow... Black screen... examined by Marigold... black screen... trying to grab Momo's behind... black screen... being punched by May... black screen... hand plugged to some kind of device... black screen...
I think Dora has come up with a decent solution.
There's no call for snarky comments about Dora. As I thought, this is hitting her hard; she knows her decision precipitated Faye's crisis. At the same time she knows she was right to do what she did, and she's not going to back down. Faye's own behavior and choices were what landed her in hospital, and if anything this vindicates Dora's decision to draw the line. Even so, Faye was a very long-time friend, so this has got to tear up Dora emotionally.
The insurance bit was quite decent of Dora. It's not something she had to do.
Warning - while you were typing 5 other perspectives were added. Yours is old news before it's even posted.
I don't debate that, however, the way she is handling it is rather immature and also not fair to Hannelore.
Wow... 10 points off Team Dora for lousy tact! She could have put it better—like: "Tell her I'll keep her on insurance until she gets out of the hospital." Or something like that. Kind of crummy to go blabbing to others about firing Faye—especially when Faye is in such a fragile state.
Having said that, I do think the existence of at-will firing is a definite problem. This strip shows part of the reason: if it weren't for the fact that Faye and Dora are/were friends, Faye would just be fired period and would be facing a potentially devastating situation with medical costs.
I don't debate that, however, the way she is handling it is rather immature and also not fair to Hannelore.
So you think Dora should have marched on in on just-recovering Faye to remind her of the recent trauma? WRT the firing, it's not a secret. I'm sure the whole main cast knows.
i dont think dora is in the wrong here.
sometimes you need to make a firm stand. faye NEEDS help , and she also has a business to run.
she still cares for her, but im thinking this is the kick in the arse she needs to get better.
The insurance bit was quite decent of Dora. It's not something she had to do.
I don't debate that, however, the way she is handling it is rather immature and also not fair to Hannelore.
So you think Dora should have marched on in on just-recovering Faye to remind her of the recent trauma? WRT the firing, it's not a secret. I'm sure the whole main cast knows.
There's a little magical thing these days called a text. ;)
But that aside, she could have done a number of other things that would have been smarter - like send flowers or talk to Marten (totally a better choice than sending poor Hannelore)! Also, the way she worded it was pretty tactless. It was human, but lacked professionalism and came off sounding like she was rubbing the firing in Faye's face.
And there it is, rolling in.
Dora is being as tactful as she could possibly be in this situation.
Suggestion she should have left it ambiguous over whether she was still fired? That would be crappy.
Telling her via text? Sorry, but you've got to be flipping joking. That is the most tactless thing I can think of.
Walking in would be shitty. Saying anything that gives her false hope about her job would be shitty. Doing anything suggested by people accusing her off being shitty would in fact be shitty.
The insurance bit was quite decent of Dora. It's not something she had to do.
Well I wouldn't go that far. Not doing it would make her a horrible person, and it doesn't cost her anything (Faye doesn't get paid). It's not something she had to do, yes, but 'not ruining somebody's life even though you could' doesn't get you a lot of brownie points.
Regarding Dora telling people that Faye is fired: Hanners works at the coffee shop too. At a small business like that, I would imagine the first thing Dora did when other employees got into work is tell them what happened. If for no other reason than because they'd ask "Hey, where's Faye?"
And there it is, rolling in.No. It really wouldn't have hurt treating Hanners nicer, and maybe talking to her as a person rather than 'telephone between Faye and Dora'.
Dora is being as tactful as she could possibly be in this situation.
Suggestion she should have left it ambiguous over whether she was still fired? That would be crappy.No, the information was good, but she could have called. Of course it's not a very good situation, and neither way of communication is going to be pleasant, but you really don't have to drag in a friend who you know is very sensitive to those things (remember Hanners' Reaction to the Dora/Marten breakup?) and treat her like crap
Telling her via text? Sorry, but you've got to be flipping joking. That is the most tactless thing I can think of.
Walking in would be shitty. Saying anything that gives her false hope about her job would be shitty. Doing anything suggested by people accusing her off being shitty would in fact be shitty.
The insurance bit was quite decent of Dora. It's not something she had to do.
Well I wouldn't go that far. Not doing it would make her a horrible person, and it doesn't cost her anything (Faye doesn't get paid). It's not something she had to do, yes, but 'not ruining somebody's life even though you could' doesn't get you a lot of brownie points.
Not doing it doesn't make her a horrible person, and it does cost her money. It may not be much, it depends entirely on how her small business group insurance plan is structured. It's also a little risky to not fire her immediately, given that Faye could turn around and point to the incident as being prior to being fired and claim to have been clean ever since. Firing her for being a recovering alcoholic is a different beast than firing someone for drinking on the job. I'm not saying Faye would do that, just pointing out there's legal nuance that's potentially problematic even in employment-at-will states.
While this is true, how many bosses do you know would expect their current employees tell an ex employee they are still fired? Makes it even worse when you think about it.On the contrary - Dora is being consistent, and that in itself is a good thing even in regard to Faye. To be inconsistent would be to allow boundaries to be mercurial, and boundaries are important, especially to someone who is getting over an addiction of any kind.
Regarding Dora telling people that Faye is fired: Hanners works at the coffee shop too. At a small business like that, I would imagine the first thing Dora did when other employees got into work is tell them what happened. If for no other reason than because they'd ask "Hey, where's Faye?"
While this is true, how many bosses do you know would expect their current employees tell an ex employee they are still fired? Makes it even worse when you think about it.
No, the information was good, but she could have called. Of course it's not a very good situation, and neither way of communication is going to be pleasant, but you really don't have to drag in a friend who you know is very sensitive to those things (remember Hanners' Reaction to the Dora/Marten breakup?) and treat her like crap
cumstances, not many, no.Regarding Dora telling people that Faye is fired: Hanners works at the coffee shop too. At a small business like that, I would imagine the first thing Dora did when other employees got into work is tell them what happened. If for no other reason than because they'd ask "Hey, where's Faye?"
While this is true, how many bosses do you know would expect their current employees tell an ex employee they are still fired? Makes it even worse when you think about it.
While this is true, how many bosses do you know would expect their current employees tell an ex employee they are still fired? Makes it even worse when you think about it.On the contrary - Dora is being consistent, and that in itself is a good thing even in regard to Faye. To be inconsistent would be to allow boundaries to be mercurial, and boundaries are important, especially to someone who is getting over an addiction of any kind.
No, the information was good, but she could have called. Of course it's not a very good situation, and neither way of communication is going to be pleasant, but you really don't have to drag in a friend who you know is very sensitive to those things (remember Hanners' Reaction to the Dora/Marten breakup?) and treat her like crap
The best thing Dora can do right now is to minimize contact with Faye, including calling. At this point, it'd only cause more problems, and would be rubbing salt in the giant, gaping wound that is currently Faye.
This is where the compartmentalization comes in.
Boss Dora has fired Faye.
Friend Dora is delaying that so that Faye has medical coverage.
Friend Dora does not want Faye to freak out about paying for her hospital visit (since Faye thinks she has lost health coverage).
Friend Dora does not want to see a *potentially unstable hospitalized* Faye and send Faye into an even worse state of anxiety.
Friend Dora has Hanners pass word on to Faye that, while Faye has quite a lot to worry about right now, paying for this hospital visit isn't one of them.
------------------
There is a time to be professional, and there is a time to be empathetic. I think Dora is walking that line very well, and possibly at great personal cost.
The whole insurance/employment business needs taking at face value and moving on.
Dora has done several things which are procedurally wrong, including telling FAYE she has insurance - which Dora can't know for certain, given the messy circumstances.
Bears for everyone.
The whole insurance/employment business needs taking at face value and moving on.
Dora has done several things which are procedurally wrong, including telling FAYE she has insurance - which Dora can't know for certain, given the messy circumstances.
... she was written as spunky and flirty and amorous. Now she's selfish, cruel and mean-spirited, without a single drop of kindness, empathy or loyalty.
Amen.... she was written as spunky and flirty and amorous. Now she's selfish, cruel and mean-spirited, without a single drop of kindness, empathy or loyalty.
She's being VERY kind, by making sure that Faye's insurance will still pay for her despite firing her (FOR A GOOD REASON, Faye drank at work, LIED about it, and came in drunk)
If your idea of kindness is "Enable and ignore every bad decision and always look the other way as your friend self destructs" then I feel bad for your friends, because sometimes the RIGHT thing to do for somebody isn't always the KINDEST but it's what they need.
It's Dora's firing that got Faye to realize she is NOT okay and needs help.
Which is why we have COBRA: http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq-consumer-cobra.html
I don't think Dora could feel any more shitty about how things have turned out if she tried.
Fair point, although COBRA has its own problems: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/09/17/223341729/laid-off-and-looking-for-health-insurance-beware-of-cobra
Which is why we have COBRA: http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq-consumer-cobra.html
Fair point, although COBRA has its own problems: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/09/17/223341729/laid-off-and-looking-for-health-insurance-beware-of-cobra
Also, that's just the tip of the iceberg as far as my problems with at-will employment, but since they're mostly political I guess this probably isn't the right forum for it.
I guess the topics for the rest of the week is going to be:Called it :-D
- Thursday: Faye's reaction
- Friday: Dora's reaction
I don't think Dora could feel any more shitty about how things have turned out if she tried.
As I said before, I don't think she intended for this to happen when she fired Faye, I think she just hoped that it would be a shock to Faye's system yes, but one that would wake her up to the fact that she had stepped over the line with her being drunk/drinking on the job, especially as she had shown enough faith in Faye to move her up to Assistant Manager.
She probably feels lower than Dogshit right now, and is unsure about going to see Faye due to what happened.
Nah, I got that too. I just sucked at putting it into words, and/or it got lost in all the other bullshit I was spouting.I don't think Dora could feel any more shitty about how things have turned out if she tried.
As I said before, I don't think she intended for this to happen when she fired Faye, I think she just hoped that it would be a shock to Faye's system yes, but one that would wake her up to the fact that she had stepped over the line with her being drunk/drinking on the job, especially as she had shown enough faith in Faye to move her up to Assistant Manager.
She probably feels lower than Dogshit right now, and is unsure about going to see Faye due to what happened.
Finally someone else gets it!
Dora feels horribly guilty right now. Look at her body language. No-one has to blame her; she blames herself! It would be entirely in-character for her to now isolate herself, wall off her emotions and refuse to talk to anyone about how this is affecting her; not Tai, not anyone. She'll go into an internalised guilt spiral, start lashing out and probably end up breaking down in the presence of someone unexpected.
The cure is for her and Faye to talk and say 'sorry' to each other. Unfortunately, neither of them are ready for that yet.
Dora feels horribly guilty right now. Look at her body language. No-one has to blame her; she blames herself! It would be entirely in-character for her to now isolate herself, wall off her emotions and refuse to talk to anyone about how this is affecting her; not Tai, not anyone. She'll go into an internalised guilt spiral, start lashing out and probably end up breaking down in the presence of someone unexpected.
The cure is for her and Faye to talk and say 'sorry' to each other. Unfortunately, neither of them are ready for that yet.
Dora feels horribly guilty right now. Look at her body language. No-one has to blame her; she blames herself! It would be entirely in-character for her to now isolate herself, wall off her emotions and refuse to talk to anyone about how this is affecting her; not Tai, not anyone. She'll go into an internalised guilt spiral, start lashing out and probably end up breaking down in the presence of someone unexpected.
The cure is for her and Faye to talk and say 'sorry' to each other. Unfortunately, neither of them are ready for that yet.
I think Tai is probably the best possible partner for her in this situation.
If anyone has a chance of getting her out of that internal spiral and getting her to be proactive, it's our little lesbian librarian (say that ten times fast).
She's done it before when they got together, remember? Tai knows how Dora thinks and has proven, before, to be very good at wedging a crowbar into just the right place to crack her open in a way that makes Dora grateful rather than resentful.
WHAAAAT. You mean I have to wait all weekend to find out what happened with Pint-Size??? :(Since it hasn't been mentioned in the strip, I'm guessing that Pintsize was just turned off, and will be back to normal the next time we see him.
Same goes for Zero Hours Contracts and agency work, an issue inextricably linked with immigration and in many respects, EAW by another name; which the British find deeply unacceptable.If it's anything like Australia, if they really found it unacceptable, they wouldn't happily lap up the cheap goods and services that near-abusive employment of immigrants delivers to them. "They're stealing our jobs!", they say. Sure, like they'd want to work those hours, in those conditions, for that pay, but they're happy enough to consume the end product. Pardon me while I go and find a bucket.
Same goes for Zero Hours Contracts and agency work, an issue inextricably linked with immigration and in many respects, EAW by another name; which the British find deeply unacceptable.If it's anything like Australia, if they really found it unacceptable, they wouldn't happily lap up the cheap goods and services that near-abusive employment of immigrants delivers to them. "They're stealing our jobs!", they say. Sure, like they'd want to work those hours, in those conditions, for that pay, but they're happy enough to consume the end product.
Poor Dora. Nobody ever said that doing the right thing would make you happy.
Are you seriously suggesting Australia has no problems with immigration ?
@Oilman,
Your problem is that you focus on the overt and miss the subtle. Tai has been fantastic at encouraging Marten to get out of his comfort zone. She is probably one of, if not the most mature character. The fact that the library is so well run that the Trustees are overlooking her... er... eccentricities and the fact she isn't even a student anymore tells you a lot about her professional qualities.
Shitty is pulling Hannelore into it. She has a gazillion anxiety disorders and isn't that close to Faye.
Marten would have made more sense to talk to as he's been very close with both of them and handles this stuff way better.
I'm afraid she strikes me as one if those characters who are too far off the "caricature" end if the spectrum to be credible as a main character
Marten was a good-hearted, under-achieving doormat on day one and still appears to be one
Shitty is pulling Hannelore into it. She has a gazillion anxiety disorders and isn't that close to Faye. Marten would have made more sense to talk to as he's been very close with both of them and handles this stuff way better.Hanners and Faye have interacted a lot, and I would assume Hanners considers Faye a close friend. Marigold, Marten, and Momo are her other close friends (and Winslow is of course her companion).
Are you seriously suggesting Australia has no problems with immigration?There are certainly plenty of people who say we do. It invariably turns out that they only have problems with immigrants who are not white; ones like me and my family. They are not my friends.
They were lucky that they only got the convicts. The US was stuck with the Puritans.Are you seriously suggesting Australia has no problems with immigration ?
Yeah, all those British convicts showed up and ruined the whole place.
Are you seriously suggesting Australia has no problems with immigration ?
No, disagree. I know plenty of people who are highly competent prifessionally, but deeply dysfunctional or plain horrible as people
Marten was a good-hearted, under-achieving doormat on day one and still appears to be one
It seems to be that it was an awful place already before that. Wildlife in Australia is apparently very deadly, at least thats how Australians tell it.Are you seriously suggesting Australia has no problems with immigration ?
Yeah, all those British convicts showed up and ruined the whole place.
I dont think Faye qualifies as an alcoholic quite yet, even if of course she's on the road to that.
Are you seriously suggesting Australia has no problems with immigration ?
Yeah, all those British convicts showed up and ruined the whole place.
It seems to be that it was an awful place already before that. Wildlife in Australia is apparently very deadly, at least thats how Australians tell it.
Is it just me, or is part of this thread better off in DISCUSS?
No, disagree. I know plenty of people who are highly competent prifessionally, but deeply dysfunctional or plain horrible as people
Marten was a good-hearted, under-achieving doormat on day one and still appears to be one
I don't know what comic you're reading, Oilman, but it isn't the same one as me. I think that your essential negativity and your subconscious urge to disapprove of the strip is contaminating and warping your perception of the characters.
The cure is for her and Faye to talk and say 'sorry' to each other. Unfortunately, neither of them are ready for that yet.
The cure is for her and Faye to talk and say 'sorry' to each other. Unfortunately, neither of them are ready for that yet.
Dora has nothing to be sorry about. The arguments defending Faye or bashing Dora are borderline comedic at this point.
The cure is for her and Faye to talk and say 'sorry' to each other. Unfortunately, neither of them are ready for that yet.
Dora has nothing to be sorry about.
Faye is hurting because Faye refused to help herself and then refused to consider Dora by drinking while working for her. Saying Dora had a 'role' is like saying an individual has a role when they are being mugged. Basically you think Dora should have treated Faye like a child and cater to her when Faye was putting Dora's business in jeopardy. The more I hear about people talking about Faye 'hurting' the more condescending it sounds. She is an individual and treating her otherwise strips away her agency.
She can be sorry that Faye is hurting. She can be sorry that she had a role, active and passive, no matter how unintentionally, in that. Sorry that she didn't make sure her friend, Faye, got home safely and that someone was making sure she didn't do anything stupid (because the first thing that jumps into someone's mind in this situations is: 'I should have known this would happen'). This would be as much for Dora's healing as Faye's.
Basically you think Dora should have treated Faye like a child and cater to her when Faye was putting Dora's business in jeopardy.
Faye is hurting because Faye refused to help herself and then refused to consider Dora by drinking while working for her.
Basically you think Dora should have treated Faye like a child and cater to her when Faye was putting Dora's business in jeopardy.
No, I'm saying that Dora believes she should have acted more proactively and is feeling guilty as a result. Saying sorry, even if by your objective assessment she hasn't done anything wrong, would be good for her emotional health.
Faye is hurting because Faye refused to help herself and then refused to consider Dora by drinking while working for her.
Genuine question. You ever known any addicts? Any depressives? Or anybody that has problems that, while at the root cause perhaps related to bad decisions they have made, is having issues beyond their control?
Yes. But while you might have issues out of your control, your response to it is.
I would be more lenient if this was a sudden collapse, but this has really been panning out for a while, and Faye has had many opportunities to prevent this. I remember an old strip where marten of all people made a quip about her drinking and she got mad instead of understanding where it was coming from. She has supportive friends and has even gone to a therapist. Is she still going? Doesn't look like it, even though it was clear she had many issues to work through. Just her demeanor to begin with is toxic, she insults people and while it was simply a device for comedy early on, it is now just sad to revisit. I really have no sympathy for a character that has made what little progress over the past ten years in spite of herself not because of herself. Or maybe this is just because Dora was always my favorite character. It's only a comic, so I shouldn't get so worked up.
Say, is there a way to let Jeph know that today's comic is borked?
Yes. But while you might have issues out of your control, your response to it is.
I would be more lenient if this was a sudden collapse, but this has really been panning out for a while, and Faye has had many opportunities to prevent this. I remember an old strip where marten of all people made a quip about her drinking and she got mad instead of understanding where it was coming from. She has supportive friends and has even gone to a therapist. Is she still going? Doesn't look like it, even though it was clear she had many issues to work through. Just her demeanor to begin with is toxic, she insults people and while it was simply a device for comedy early on, it is now just sad to revisit. I really have no sympathy for a character that has made what little progress over the past ten years in spite of herself not because of herself. Or maybe this is just because Dora was always my favorite character. It's only a comic, so I shouldn't get so worked up.
Eeeerrrrrrmmmmmmm........ yeah, but no. Marten actually reminds me a good deal of my elder son, who ambled along doing not very much until suddenly, and to no-one's surprise but his own, reality overtook him and he had to grow up a lot, very quickly. He's doing pretty well now but the change is very big and very obvious.
Is it just me, or is part of this thread better off in DISCUSS?
The discussion has generally remained sufficiently in touch with the comic and its characters and matters arising, so I don't think its worth the confusion of trying to split it up.
Also, those suggesting that Dora would have done better to use Marten to pass her message forget that he is currently glued to Faye's bedside, so Dora couldn't give him a message without facing Faye in any case.
Ten years in real time. In comic time? Way, way less. We'd all do well to remember that while Jeph has been writing this for well over a decade, the characters in the comic have only been associating for like a couple of years. And problems like this are often much more complex a matter than simply having lots of supportive friends.
The cure is for her and Faye to talk and say 'sorry' to each other. Unfortunately, neither of them are ready for that yet.
Dora has nothing to be sorry about. The arguments defending Faye or bashing Dora are borderline comedic at this point.
I don't believe my son planned any part of what took place over a period of about two years. Changed his life completely, greatly increased his responsibilities, fored him into a completely unforeseen career change.... he's undoubtedly happier now but he had no understanding at all of any of that, until it happened.
I do think this is the last we'll see of Dora for quite some time. Marten will likely avoid CoD for the forseeable, and so will Claire. Hanners may quit. Dale and Marigold can exist in their own arc. Penny and Cosette don't really have any of their own, and I can count on two hands the number of times Tai has been in CoD since she and Dora hooked up. Sad, really, but inevitable, I guess. :-\I do not think Dora will be written out of the series as a bitter and friendless person. CoD and Dora may lose significance in the series, but there are still interactions. Several of the "main cast" still work there, and as long as the Tai/Dora relationship holds, I guess Dora will appear in the series. Hopefully, given time, Dora and Faye can be reconciled as friends, and Faye may even visit CoD as a customer. But Faye getting her job back is highly improbable.
I do think this is the last we'll see of Dora for quite some time. Marten will likely avoid CoD for the forseeable, and so will Claire. Hanners may quit. Dale and Marigold can exist in their own arc. Penny and Cosette don't really have any of their own, and I can count on two hands the number of times Tai has been in CoD since she and Dora hooked up. Sad, really, but inevitable, I guess. :-\I do not think Dora will be written out of the series as a bitter and friendless person. CoD and Dora may lose significance in the series, but there are still interactions. Several of the "main cast" still work there, and as long as the Tai/Dora relationship holds, I guess Dora will appear in the series. Hopefully, given time, Dora and Faye can be reconciled as friends, and Faye may even visit CoD as a customer. But Faye getting her job back is highly improbable.
I disagree, Faye drank so much because of her breakup with Angus.I dont think Faye qualifies as an alcoholic quite yet, even if of course she's on the road to that.
I'd say Faye's qualified as an alcoholic for well over a thousand strips.
By the time you're putting yourself in the hospital by drinking because you were fired from your job for drinking, you're generally well into alcoholism.
It's worth noting that Marten doesn't want to stay where he is in life right now, FWIW.
I do think this is the last we'll see of Dora for quite some time. Marten will likely avoid CoD for the forseeable, and so will Claire. Hanners may quit. Dale and Marigold can exist in their own arc. Penny and Cosette don't really have any of their own, and I can count on two hands the number of times Tai has been in CoD since she and Dora hooked up. Sad, really, but inevitable, I guess. :-\I do not think Dora will be written out of the series as a bitter and friendless person. CoD and Dora may lose significance in the series, but there are still interactions. Several of the "main cast" still work there, and as long as the Tai/Dora relationship holds, I guess Dora will appear in the series. Hopefully, given time, Dora and Faye can be reconciled as friends, and Faye may even visit CoD as a customer. But Faye getting her job back is highly improbable.
I agree with both of the points. It's been building up to it, too, as we've seen more and more of the library cast—as well as Marigold's and Dale's story.
I disagree, Faye drank so much because of her breakup with Angus.I dont think Faye qualifies as an alcoholic quite yet, even if of course she's on the road to that.
I'd say Faye's qualified as an alcoholic for well over a thousand strips.
By the time you're putting yourself in the hospital by drinking because you were fired from your job for drinking, you're generally well into alcoholism.
An alcoholic, to me, is somebody who drinks constantly, not somebody who drinks too much because of an immediate and current reason.
It's worth noting that Marten doesn't want to stay where he is in life right now, FWIW.
Pointedly aware. I did bring up the notion that since he doesn't have anything more to aspire to, really, what might change for him is a new appreciation and contentedness with his lot rather than a drive to achieve a 'higher' goal, just because he thinks he should do more than he is right now.
Or he might look at Claire a few years down the road, assuming they last that long, and say "Fuck it, wanna adopt?"
Funny thought; Claire might be earning more as a research librarian by that point, and might push Marten to be a stay-at-home-dad.
Gah! I've fallen down the wild speculation rabbit hole! This is like TVTropes, but inside my own head! Urge to write fanfiction... rising... must... resist...
Yeah, but what is the timeline?
Yeah, but what is the timeline?
Amazingly, Faye and Angus had their last argument and went their separate ways only about a week ago, in-comic time.
An alcoholic, to me, is somebody who drinks constantly, not somebody who drinks too much because of an immediate and current reason.Alcoholism is about a person's relation to alcohol consumption, the role alcohol plays in their life, not the amount or frequency of consumption.
No one drinks constantly (and when Faye started actually doing so she quickly wound up in the hospital, demonstrating that that definition of "alcoholic" would make "life expectancy of a week" part of the definition of an alcoholic!).There's such things like habituation, and there are indeed a lot of people who drink regularly during the day so they always stay slightly drunk.
Is Faye addicted to alcohol? Debatable, I guess.
Everybody needs a bear.
Yeah, but what is the timeline?
Amazingly, Faye and Angus had their last argument and went their separate ways only about a week ago, in-comic time.
According to the calculations of AprilArcus, our resident time cop, Angus and Faye split on Sunday September 3, and Dora fired Faye on Thursday September 7. Which would make the current strip take place on Friday September 8.
Hell, it's only been since Friday September 1 that Sven told Faye he loved her. She's had one hell of a week.
Librarians usually don't make tons of $$$. It's not poverty level, but it isn't a ton considering they have to be in school longer (you need a Masters of Library Science). It wouldn't be simple for two people to live on that kind of budget unless one of them was working part-time at home
Growing older is compulsory.
Growing up is optional.
Librarians usually don't make tons of $$$. It's not poverty level, but it isn't a ton considering they have to be in school longer (you need a Masters of Library Science). It wouldn't be simple for two people to live on that kind of budget unless one of them was working part-time at home
Depends on how much debt she has from student loans. I'll just say that my wife and I, with two children, make a good deal less than the median 55k that Librarians make and we live in a pretty spacious three bedroom house and do fine. Even if she has 50k in student loans (which is about right for a masters degree), with the about 6k payments a year that that would be, she would STILL make more than my family does.
I think people who are comfortably middle class really overestimate how much money is required to live. When you've had to live on 10k a year before (which I have, though I do make significantly more than that now), you learn real fast that 49k a year can be really comfortable if you budget right.
He does have the notable flaw that sometimes he finds it hard to assert his own desires. This is an independent issue to his desire to help and support others, but the two do intermix. It can be hard to see where one aspect begins and one ends, but the simplest way to put it is: It begins where it helps his friends and ends when it hurts Marten. He's still trying to find that balance, and at times he has shown noticeable improvement. His dates with Claire, and how he's handling his new relationship, is lightyears ahead of what strip 1 Professional Indie Ogler Marten would have been capable of. That's character development.
Everybody needs a bear.
An alcoholic, to me, is somebody who drinks constantly, not somebody who drinks too much because of an immediate and current reason.
Arguing about whether or not Faye is actually an alcoholic is silly, because alcoholism is a human-defined term with no intrinsic definition.
The bottom line is though she has a drinking problem, she (and everyone else) are aware of it, and she needs to stop - cold turkey preferably.
It depends where you live and what your ratio of pay is to where you live. I live near D.C. Probably one of the most expensive places in the country to live. $55K is poverty level for a two or more person family here.
This strip made so incredibly happy.
and if she even steps foot inside, guarantee Dora will berate her for what she did.If, the next time Faye sets foot inside Coffee of Doom, Dora doesn't berate her, I hope you remember posting this.
Really, I just don't. The brother who literally took her in when she had nowhere else to go? A toxic person, who she has to remove from her life. A boyfriend who was completely faithful to her? Obviously she needs to catch him doing something so she can justify a breakup. Her assistant manager, and one of her longest friends she's still in contact with, having trouble *again* with alcoholic tendencies? Fired on the spot for drinking on the job.
Really, I just don't. The brother who literally took her in when she had nowhere else to go? A toxic person, who she has to remove from her life. A boyfriend who was completely faithful to her? Obviously she needs to catch him doing something so she can justify a breakup. Her assistant manager, and one of her longest friends she's still in contact with, having trouble *again* with alcoholic tendencies? Fired on the spot for drinking on the job.
Dora has never given ANYONE the benefit of the doubt if they threaten her peace of mind. She comes to a conclusion, finds the justification, and sticks to her conviction.
Also don't forget that when both Marten, and Faye wanted to get together, but couldn't because of Faye's hangups; instead of being a friend to both of them, she invoked the Barny Stinson Bro Code, and immediately hopped on Marten's giggle stick.
When she's allowed such behavior in the past no less.This is a go-to trope for Dora haters, and it's wrong, every time. Coffee of Doom has always had its fair share of morbid laughs, but drinking on the job is a brand new chapter. No jokes made prior to this series of events can make drinking on the job any less a professional suicide.
Also don't forget that when both Marten, and Faye wanted to get together, but couldn't because of Faye's hangups; instead of being a friend to both of them, she invoked the Barny Stinson Bro Code, and immediately hopped on Marten's giggle stick.
Never giving a thought to anything else, including hard proof that she's dead wrong. For all of her talk about cutting toxic people out of her life, the sad part is, the only truly toxic person in Dora's life is Dora. I'm honestly so sick of this character, that i'm hoping we're witnessing the beginning of her final curtain call here. After this, all i really want is for her and her little Gothbucks coffee bar, to join Raven, Jimbo, Pizza Girl, and nameless Linux anthroPC as just another QC memory.
Wow, some people really don't like Dora, huh.
I mean, she's not my favorite character (not that I have a favorite character), and I've disagreed with her actions before, but she's not some she-devil werebeast looking to feast on everyone's happiness.
The crazy thing about these characters is that they're multi-faceted, and they all have their strong and weak suits. It doesn't need to be so polarizing yall :psyduck:
What is with the constant "X is leaving the comic!" theme on the forum?
What is with the constant "X is leaving the comic!" theme on the forum?
Thank you! It's arguable whether any character (besides Sara or other throwaways) have actually left the comic. We've seen updates, however fleeting, on pretty much everyone in the last 6 weeks in-comic time, and noone's been "gone" for more than 6 months. For details please consult the excellent thread Passage of time in QC (https://forums.questionablecontent.net/index.php/topic,30197.0.html).
If it's difficult to internalize this concept, I recommend an archive crawl, even just a short one of 100 strips or so...I suspect you'lll see just how compressed a look we're getting at these people's lives.
Also don't forget that when both Marten, and Faye wanted to get together, but couldn't because of Faye's hangups; instead of being a friend to both of them, she invoked the Barny Stinson Bro Code, and immediately hopped on Marten's giggle stick.
Oh, sorry, I must have missed the strip where Marten was dragged kicking and screaming into a relationship with Dora instead of acknowledging a mutual attraction and wanting to pursue things.
(removed by moderator)
Oh yes, was this in a missing story arc where Marten and Dora were both walking around naked - innocently so in Marten's case but sneakily on Dora's part, then she sneakily tripped up Marten and positioned herself so he fell into her, then out of her, then back into her again, totally unable to stop himself. Poor Marten.
Never giving a thought to anything else, including hard proof that she's dead wrong. For all of her talk about cutting toxic people out of her life, the sad part is, the only truly toxic person in Dora's life is Dora. I'm honestly so sick of this character, that i'm hoping we're witnessing the beginning of her final curtain call here. After this, all i really want is for her and her little Gothbucks coffee bar, to join Raven, Jimbo, Pizza Girl, and nameless Linux anthroPC as just another QC memory.
Y'know, it may well be that Dora is at least a part of her own downfall but maybe this will represent a growth opportunity for her character. Isn't she due the same benefit of the doubt that other main characters get?
I mean come on, the guy [Marten] had been told just that day that the woman he'd wanted to be with for months, can't be with him because she's a mental train wreck, and that very night, she's [Dora]sleeping with him. No chance for him to process, and get his own head straight over the issue; and no though about how these two are both her friends, and how she'd be changing that dynamic. Hell, i honestly wonder if she'd waited a few weeks if her and marten would have had their breakup at all.
Yes she is, and she used it when she broke up with Martin, yet here she is, making new mistakes for the same tired reasons.
If she'd had any tact she'd have said "Get help, or i have no choice but to fire you", leaving the ball in Faye's court. If she had any tact, she'd have sucked it up, put her big girl pants on, and told Faye herself; instead of dumping the responsibility in the lap of a mutual friend. If she'd had any forethought she'd have realized that telling a drunk, especially a belligerent one like Faye "you're fired, get help" isn't going to cause them to get help; it's going to cause them to drink themselves into a coma; and that the better choice is to tell them to get in the car, don't tell them where you're going or why, and drive them to the nearest rehab clinic.
Like i said, lack of tact, and forethought. It was her problem (well one of them anyway) then, and it's her problem now.
Making a motion to have the official motto of the forum changed to "Relax, it's only a webcomic."
You can't hold Dora responsible for Faye drinking herself into the hospital after being fired.
You can't hold Dora responsible for Faye drinking herself into the hospital after being fired.
Can and will, but only to the extent that Faye remains responsible for her own actions, and I only hold Dora responsible for hers. Dora did the right thing at the time by firing Faye, her employee who she just caught drinking on the job. The right thing to do later would have been to stop by and see Faye, her friend who's been having some tough shit happen to her exacerbating her drinking problem. It was perfectly okay, necessary, and rational to fire Faye and tell her to get help. My problem with Dora is that her friend told her she wanted to be drunk all the time, then she acted on that, and Dora just piled more shit on her (shit she had coming, don't get me wrong) without lending any emotional support. What the hell did she think was going to happen?
Faye needed a good hard slap-dose of reality to make her realise that she has.... not necessarily fucked up? But has gone the wrong way and needs to work on getting herself back to being happy with herself.(emphasis mine)
Thirded.Making a motion to have the official motto of the forum changed to "Relax, it's only a webcomic."
(http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww164/uncletogie/ScruffySeconded.jpg?t=1291391874)
You can't hold Dora responsible for Faye drinking herself into the hospital after being fired.
Can and will, but only to the extent that Faye remains responsible for her own actions, and I only hold Dora responsible for hers. Dora did the right thing at the time by firing Faye, her employee who she just caught drinking on the job. The right thing to do later would have been to stop by and see Faye, her friend who's been having some tough shit happen to her exacerbating her drinking problem. It was perfectly okay, necessary, and rational to fire Faye and tell her to get help. My problem with Dora is that her friend told her she wanted to be drunk all the time, then she acted on that, and Dora just piled more shit on her (shit she had coming, don't get me wrong) without lending any emotional support. What the hell did she think was going to happen?
I still disagree that Dora visiting Faye would be a good thing. If Dora's feeling terrible (which she quite obviously is), then I imagine it's about doubly so for Faye - she knows she dun fucked up, and seeing Dora will only serve to put just how much she has, front and center. The best course, therefore, is to give Faye some time and space for the situation to cool down a bit, rather than to slap her in the face with a reminder of just -how much- she's screwed things up.
If the characters conducted themselves with perfect foresight and free of hangups, it would be a much duller strip.
I mean come on, the guy [Marten] had been told just that day that the woman he'd wanted to be with for months, can't be with him because she's a mental train wreck, and that very night, she's [Dora]sleeping with him. No chance for him to process, and get his own head straight over the issue; and no though about how these two are both her friends, and how she'd be changing that dynamic. Hell, i honestly wonder if she'd waited a few weeks if her and marten would have had their breakup at all.
Maybe you should reread that part of the comic. Dora does NOT approach Marten the day of "the talk", she does so the night of the day after. (560) She and Marten do NOT have sex the night she asks him out. They don't have sex until a while in to the relationship.(604) Dora expresses concern about how they should handle their relationship to make things best for Faye. (565)
Yes she is, and she used it when she broke up with Martin, yet here she is, making new mistakes for the same tired reasons.
How is Dora firing Faye for drinking on the job AT ALL similar to her breaking up with Marten over Dora's relationship insecurities?
If she'd had any tact she'd have said "Get help, or i have no choice but to fire you", leaving the ball in Faye's court. If she had any tact, she'd have sucked it up, put her big girl pants on, and told Faye herself; instead of dumping the responsibility in the lap of a mutual friend. If she'd had any forethought she'd have realized that telling a drunk, especially a belligerent one like Faye "you're fired, get help" isn't going to cause them to get help; it's going to cause them to drink themselves into a coma; and that the better choice is to tell them to get in the car, don't tell them where you're going or why, and drive them to the nearest rehab clinic.
Like i said, lack of tact, and forethought. It was her problem (well one of them anyway) then, and it's her problem now.
Because it is clearly better to ignore your friends agency or ability to make their own medical decisions; just force them to go to rehab.
I bet if Dora had "forced Faye into the car, not told her where they were going, and driven her to rehab" all of the Dora haters would be going "Dora is such a control freak! How dare she exert that control outside of the employer/employee context! Blah blee bloo" NOTHING DORA DOES WILL EVER SATISFY YOU.
Also, where is it written that Dora knows ANYTHING about dealing with someone who is an alcoholic. Dora is doing what she thinks is right, and as far as i can tell she isn't doing terribly. You can't hold Dora responsible for Faye drinking herself into the hospital after being fired.
I'm just one of those people that when i see someone making the same mistakes over, and over, or making new mistakes for the same root reason; i want to slap them across the back of the head, and yell "The hell's wrong with you?!?"
(IICIH here. my edit was to add a bracket)
I have no problem at all of ignoring the agency, and free will of a drunk friend if i feel it's needed. If they're drunk, and say "i'm ok to drive.", it bothers me not at all to take their keys, and tell them to sleep on the couch, call a ride, or walk home; likewise if they've been getting tanked every day for a week, dropping them off at a clinic so they can dry out is something i'd do without batting an eye.
I'm certainly thinking of way way way in the future, but at some point Faye is going to have to start looking for a new job. Do you think she could get one at the Secret Bakery? It'd drag a few more characters we don't see much of back into the strip. I wouldn't mind seeing Elliot again.
I'm amazed at the amount of ableist shit that has been spouted on this thread.I would enjoy an expansion on this statement. Learning may/would occur.
Hell, i honestly wonder if she'd waited a few weeks if her and marten would have had their breakup at all.
Indians and Pakistanis love it, it is THE sport there.
my headcanon has a car passing playing an appropriate toto song at this point!
You can't hold Dora responsible for Faye drinking herself into the hospital after being fired.
Can and will, but only to the extent that Faye remains responsible for her own actions, and I only hold Dora responsible for hers. Dora did the right thing at the time by firing Faye, her employee who she just caught drinking on the job. The right thing to do later would have been to stop by and see Faye, her friend who's been having some tough shit happen to her exacerbating her drinking problem.
If the characters conducted themselves with perfect foresight and free of hangups, it would be a much duller strip.
Ok, good point. To build on it, the comic would also be far less realistic, as people in real life do screw up.
I'm just one of those people that when i see someone making the same mistakes over, and over, or making new mistakes for the same root reason; i want to slap them across the back of the head, and yell "The hell's wrong with you?!?". I want to do the exact same thing when i see Faye imploding yet another of her relationships; but sense i can't do that to a character form a webcomic, i've come to the forum to rant, and toss out my .02$ instead.
I have no problem at all of ignoring the agency, and free will of a drunk friend if i feel it's needed. If they're drunk, and say "i'm ok to drive.", it bothers me not at all to take their keys, and tell them to sleep on the couch, call a ride, or walk home; likewise if they've been getting tanked every day for a week, dropping them off at a clinic so they can dry out is something i'd do without batting an eye.
I bet if Dora had "forced Faye into the car, not told her where they were going, and driven her to rehab" all of the Dora haters would be going "Dora is such a control freak! How dare she exert that control outside of the employer/employee context! Blah blee bloo" NOTHING DORA DOES WILL EVER SATISFY YOU.
Actually, if she'd done that it would have gone a long way to changing my view of the character.
She knew Faye drank to drown her issues, she saw that Faye had been holding a bottle like an old friend. It shouldn't take a Ph. D in psychology to figure out that she was in trouble, and that telling her "you're fired, get help", and then just walking away would be about as effective as trying to put out a fire with a can of paint thinner.
Is it possible that Dora intended to do just that, but was working at CoD late because, hey, now she's an employee short? Maybe she intended to go over when she was done, but Marten found Faye first.
I'm wondering if there is an opportunity here for Dora and Sven to come together. He IS her big brother, and I imagine that Dora is going to have a hard time talking to most of the other QC characters at the moment. I don't know if he even realizes that she has decided to cut him out of her life. Maybe it's just because I'm very close to my siblings, but I would want to step in and reassure my sister that she did the right thing, it's not her fault, etc. I think his stepping up and being there for Dora, at this moment, would be a big character growth moment for both of them-- although, it would depend on Dora's reaction, as well.
I'm wondering if there is an opportunity here for Dora and Sven to come together. He IS her big brother, and I imagine that Dora is going to have a hard time talking to most of the other QC characters at the moment. I don't know if he even realizes that she has decided to cut him out of her life. Maybe it's just because I'm very close to my siblings, but I would want to step in and reassure my sister that she did the right thing, it's not her fault, etc. I think his stepping up and being there for Dora, at this moment, would be a big character growth moment for both of them-- although, it would depend on Dora's reaction, as well.
I would love that. It'd be so awesome for Dora to not succeed in pushing someone away, and it'd be great for Sven to be there for someone even when it's difficult for him
Honestly, the only real issue I've had with Dora about this was not texting/calling Marten to give him a heads up that something was wrong. She didn't need to go into details, just that Marten probably needed to check in on her.
I'm certainly thinking of way way way in the future, but at some point Faye is going to have to start looking for a new job. Do you think she could get one at the Secret Bakery? It'd drag a few more characters we don't see much of back into the strip. I wouldn't mind seeing Elliot again.
But I don't think Faye is going to be in a position to go job hunting for a long time in real and comic. We're probably going to get several months Faye doing some soul searching and the cast reacting to the firing and hospital incidents for ages. I'm betting that in real time we are due for several months of strips in which Faye is in hospital.
One of the arguments that Faye and Angus were having later on were about how much she was drinking/how often she was drunk. We've seen her drinking a lot more since she found out about Angus' possible job in the city. She's always drunk a lot, but the idea that Angus might be leaving really got to her, starting a downward spiral. Once she actually broke up with him, it became a near vertical ice slope covered in grease right into getting fired and landing in the hospital.
Honestly, the only real issue I've had with Dora about this was not texting/calling Marten to give him a heads up that something was wrong. She didn't need to go into details, just that Marten probably needed to check in on her.
Do we know she didn't?
As I interpret it, Faye snuck into the broom closet where she got caught by Dora pretty early in the day. It looked like they either hadn't opened it yet or there were no customers. Otherwise I don't think the fight would have occurred out in the CoD storefront. Faye presumably went home shortly after leaving (perhaps stopping at a liquor store along the way?), and started drinking more. Based on all that, I would guesstimate that she passed out no later than noon, and that's being generous.
When Marten got home to find Faye, she was pretty much pickled. The nurse said as much to Marten afterward. Which means Marten must have found Faye not too long after she passed out. If Marten hadn't found her until after the end of his shift (at the earliest around 4), Faye probably would have been dead by then. Thus, something had to prompt Marten to go home early from his shift — Dora calling him at the library, probably.