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Marigold

20 (10.1%)

Angus (CHECK - Couldn't believe it)

7 (3.5%)

Tai (CHECK - Emo Marten)

76 (38.2%)

Raven

4 (2%)

Steve

31 (15.6%)

Cosette

2 (1%)

Jimbo

9 (4.5%)

Ms. Vance (CHECK! She's on the next plane out!)

18 (9%)

Mr. Reed

2 (1%)

The Bianchis

2 (1%)

Penelope

13 (6.5%)

Dale (Daaaaangg.)

15 (7.5%)

Total Members Voted: 169

[Carl-E]

I'm betting on a male who was trained at the Albert Ellis Institute and has five papers on Overcoming Self-Esteem.

You mean too much of it?  

[daryljfontaine]

I like how it's just a low growl and a dimming of the lights, just warning signs.  "IGNORE ME AT YOUR PERIL, DORA BIANCHI."  (Warnings always sound more dire when delivered with the target's full name.  Must be related to how you know your mother is really pissed by how much of your name they use to yell at you.)

Lazor!Faye, Eldritch!Dora, and KALI-MAAAAA!Cosette... there is a trend here.

And that trend will inevitably lead to MARTEN!HULK.

D

(Butter me, I'm on a roll.)

[iduguphergrave]

The only problem with this approach is if Dora arrives at therapist's office, then starts in with "I don't know why I'm here really…I don't need help…"

She wouldn't be the first person to say that upon the start their first therapy session. Even when people schedule it themselves, if they've never done it before they might get nervous at the last second and try to prove to the shrink (and themselves) that they're fine. I'm sure therapists are trained to have appropriate responses to "I don't know why I'm here really" and "I don't need help."

[jwhouk]

That brings up an interesting side-point: What would Dora's middle name be?

Given the (approximate) time frame of the strip and of her parents' state of mind, I'd almost bet on "Summer", "Farrah" or (dread) "Amy".

[akronnick]

It's either Lynn, Elizabeth or Marie.


I'm betting on Elizabeth.

[Tergon]

I'm remembering Faye's half-joking remarks that what she's needed all along is "Someone to kick her in the ass and tell her to deal with her [expletive] problems."  It's a comment she's made about herself a few different times.

She's being that person for Dora now.  And she is absolutely fantastic for doing it.

I said before that Faye hugging Dora was one of my favourite "Character" moments for the strip.  Now Faye is still rolling along on that high, being incredibly awesome just as before, and teh funnie is peeking back into the comic as well.

Bravo, Jeph.  Much as the breakup week was angsty and sad, the writing of this follow-up arc is some of the best you've done.  Keep up the fantastic work.

[daryljfontaine]

That brings up an interesting side-point: What would Dora's middle name be?

Given the (approximate) time frame of the strip and of her parents' state of mind, I'd almost bet on "Summer", "Farrah" or (dread) "Amy".

akronnick is betting on the safe trends (and yeah, every other girl I knew in high school or college had the middle name of "Marie").  Dora's not a Southern belle, so Lynn is probably not the case.

If I were to construct a mellifluous name, her middle name would be something like "Annabella."  But I'd be more willing to bet the Bianchis saddled their little girl with the name of a grandmother or spinster aunt.  "Dora Agnes Bianchi, get your butt in here now!"

D

[Boomslang]

I want Dora's middle name to be Safina.

It fits with the family naming scheme, and it makes a nice sound.

Dora Safina Bianchi.

I bet her mother would love to yell that sort of musical full name when Dora really fucked up.

[Mojo]

The only problem with this approach is if Dora arrives at therapist's office, then starts in with "I don't know why I'm here really…I don't need help…"

She wouldn't be the first person to say that upon the start their first therapy session. Even when people schedule it themselves, if they've never done it before they might get nervous at the last second and try to prove to the shrink (and themselves) that they're fine. I'm sure therapists are trained to have appropriate responses to "I don't know why I'm here really" and "I don't need help."

It's true, therapists are trained how to respond to that (I know, I've been training to be a therapist myself...).  Usually something as simple as, "Well, why did your friends (family) think you should come see a therapist?"

[ecstaticjoy]

It's either Lynn, Elizabeth or Marie.


I'm betting on Elizabeth.

Weird, I thought of Marie, too. I liked

Dora Safina Bianchi.

but then my immediate thought was, "yeah, but it's probably just Marie."

[Dr. ROFLPWN]

In the spirit of complete speculative bullshit I wonder if her therapy will leave Dora thinking she can salvage the relationship and Marten rounding on her and spittin' venom? Not that I necessarily want to see that, but...'twas something that came to mind.

[Doc]

That's not physical threat.
It's just the demonic red glare of soul eating.
Doomy, but not touchy.

[muffin_of_chaos]

In the spirit of complete speculative bullshit I wonder if her therapy will leave Dora thinking she can salvage the relationship and Marten rounding on her and spittin' venom? Not that I necessarily want to see that, but...'twas something that came to mind.

Out of the heat of a moment prior to breaking point, that does not sound likely.  (Marten having never vented frustration in an aggressive or even passive-aggressive way without a similarly aggressive or hurtful prompt that I can think of.  Correct me if anyone remembers such an event.)

And if the therapy (even the act of going to a session) triggers anything real, Dora's gonna be tapping into usually-buried self-loathing about her actions and personal philosophy before she can accept what happened and why, which by most projected-to-be-similar examples will then take a while.

Though if therapy doesn't trigger anything real, I can see Dora using it as prosthetic confidence and initiating such a salvaging attempt.  Which might then happen.  And who knows how that would turn out, the precedents there are unreliable.

[Skewbrow]

It's either Lynn, Elizabeth or Marie.


I'm betting on Elizabeth.

Not a bad choice for daughter of Elssa. Then again, Dora was raised something that passes for catholic, so I'm betting on Maria.
That's one of the both Swedish and Italian versions of Mary/Marie.

As one of the professors at Notre Dame math department pointed out: "Mary is just catholic for Miss!"

[sidpatt]

I'm a little uncomfortable with the immediate assumption on Faye's part (and Dora's relatively blind acceptance) that the only solution here for her is therapy. I will admit to never having been, but I consider myself relatively well-adjusted, and for the most part I think I am that way by having a solid support group amongst my friends, plenty of opportunities to vent or otherwise let loose of my frustrations, and a small amount of understanding of psychology from a Psych 101 course. I realize I might be offending some here, and if that's the case, you're more than free to educate me. But to me, therapy when triggered by something like a breakup or other "common" occurrences is an easy or lazy way out. It's saying, hey, none of us want to help you work through this, go talk about it with someone else.

Sure, Dora has "issues." I guess this is my own way of saying, I still don't really buy that line of reasoning, as I don't think we've seen a lot more than Dora's insecurities with Marten, and maybe we'll see more if we go in to therapy with her, and it might be a really good piece of character development on Jeph's part (or maybe she'll just bang her therapist). I'm just saying, there really should be someone she can turn to (not sure if Faye's right as she's a mutual friend) BEFORE the immediate "here's a card, go talk to this anonymous person because none of your friends want to deal with your shit." I guess the ideal person in this scenario is her brother, considering he's probably the closest to her and farthest from Marten, relatively speaking, and I'm sure there'd be a whole great big can o' worms there.

[akronnick]

Ummm, yeah...

The therapy isn't for the break up, it's for the insecurity that caused the break up. Marten never, ever mistreated Dora, but she was never able to accept that he wouldn't, she was always expecting the other shoe to drop, as it were.

Who will she be able to open up to? Marten was the person she was insecure about, and she would never accept any of the re-assurances he could give her, nor could she talk to him about whatever caused her insecurity, because in her reptile-brain, Marten would reject or use it to hurt her in some way if he found out about it. Faye was also a threat because she was tightly wound up in her insecurity about Marten because of their history. Sven is her brother and she has resentment issues about him (which aren't really his fault) that prevent her from trusting him.

Who does that leave? Hannelore? shyeah, as if. Tai? She'd probably just try to get into her pants. Penelope? Is she really that close to Penelope? Raven? She's off at school (and knid of a ditz.)

What Dora needs is a trustworthy disinterested party to offer insight and advice. That kind of person is called a therapist. It's not that Marten or Faye (who would both move mountains to help Dora if they could) won't help her, it's that they can't, because the are too close. Dora's problem is that she can't trust people, not because they aren't trustworthy, it's because she's been hurt (presumably) by people she has been trusted, so she's guarded, and she can't open up to work out these issues. A therapist is trained to help people open up in a non-threatening way, but it's the very opening up that threatens her, so whoever she see's has their work cut out for them.

[laizeohbeets]

There's a rule in therapy that your best friend should never, ever be your psychiatrist. My best friend is amazing at it, but that's because we're very rarely at odds. And both of us knows the other will get over our frustration in a few minutes. However, one person cannot rely on just one friend for therapy, because then you feel like you're burdening your friend, and your friend may resent you. This is why it's better to use a professional who only has to speak to you an hour once a month, not someone you see every day. An unbiased outsider who does not have a say in the situation at hand.

[raoullefere]

The only problem with this approach is if Dora arrives at therapist's office, then starts in with "I don't know why I'm here really…I don't need help…"

Reading over that, though, I gotta admit that anyone who's any good at all will very likely get his/her net out at that point. Nor will the purple hair help anything, since it doesn't exactly scream "Look! Good decision maker here! Plus, I look in the mirror every damn morning and assure myself that nothing's wrong, even though I clearly have purple hair."

Hell, Dora may get shipped straight to a, ah, holding facility.

Somehow I doubt that the therapists around Smif are going to see purple hair as an indicator of Dora's insanity. Maybe in a more conservative area...

It would be funny if the therapist began blaming all of Dora's problems on her hair color..
"Insecure? well that's a common trait among those with purple hair, dear."

That's my point, really. Yes, New whatsis probably abounds with people who're perfectly capable of wearing strangely colored hair with aplomb, but if Dora ever was one of them, I'm willing to bet she isn't now.

Edit: In other, better words, if Dora can actually be gotten into a therapist's office, there's some chance she'll actually get help without further threats from Faye.

[Border Reiver]

Is it a bad sign that I was looking for a therapist's number whent Faye's eyes flashed red?

[Tergon]

The thing with Dora is that therapy isn't the automatic reaction for her.  In fact, it's literally the last resort.
Dora tried to bury her issues with relationships.  Then she actually did discuss them once or twice with her friends.  Then she finally opened up about them to Marten.  Then she tried openly dealing with them after they caused huge stress in the relationship.  Now, Dora's ended a relationship, shaken up her social circle, and she's a sobbing and stressed wreck.

Therapy is, I agree, not necessary as a knee-jerk response.  The vast majority of people are able to deal with their issues and function perfectly well despite whatever minor neurosis they have.  But Dora is displaying clearly that she cannot function properly.  As cruel as that phrasing sounds, it's accurate.  She's unable to have a relationship, she can't stop sabotaging her own happiness, and she's miserable.  After repeated and varied attempts to deal with this by herself have utterly failed, she's now seeking help, and only because her best friend is making her do it.

In this case, not only is Dora not choosing therapy as her salvation at all prematurely, she's doing it a little late.

[tbones]

*For crissakes, he teaches math!

Oh god, and i'm studying computer science! NOW i get it! all the math teachers, they always seems so very nice people! but since a fellow student asked where he could get the list of ALL the Fibonacci numbers, the terror plagues my dreams!!!


AHEM
as for todays comic:

The face faye is making is not THAT scary. But giving the threat she swore to do, and the power to REDUCE THE LIGHT OF THE ROOM, i'll be pretty shiting my pants if i was Dora.

[jwhouk]

Nah, that wasn't a number two look.

Number ONE, however...

[tbones]

Nah, that wasn't a number two look.

Number ONE, however...

maybe it is, maybe not.... maybe both?

[iduguphergrave]

I like how in the second-to-last panel Faye's teeth aren't bared, implying that that "rrrrRRR" sound is coming from deep in her throat, which is way scarier. I imagine that sound to be something like a wolverine, or a Tasmanian devil.

[kent_eh]

I'm sure therapists are trained to have appropriate responses to "I don't know why I'm here really" and "I don't need help."

Yeah, that, and often the more a person demands that they don't need therapy, the more they really do.
Denial is powerful bad magic.

I've been getting therapy for over a year dealing with living with my wife's depression, delusional disorder, and a failed suicide attempt.

She, on the other hand believes there are conspiracies planning to act against her (and us), and that most of the psyc profession are in some way linked to it/controlled by it.
Ergo: she can't go to thherapy, and doesn't need it anyway. She's the only one who recognizes the very real dangers for what they are...


Counciling sessions every 2 weeks for me.

And before someone says it, involuntary treatment seldom works well  (and we've already been thru that. 2 months worth, last year.)

[tbones]

Tasmanian devil's growl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU44KwIfBXM

Wolverine's growl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2JUv9QsE6o  <- seconds 2 to 5

Boy youtube has a video of everything!!!

...well everthing besides porn :/

[Wiregeek]

"IGNORE ME AT YOUR PERIL, DORA BIANCHI."

I read that as 'Ignore meat at your peril', which has a whole different connotation.

[Teletheus]

I realize I might be offending some here, and if that's the case, you're more than free to educate me. But to me, therapy when triggered by something like a breakup or other "common" occurrences is an easy or lazy way out. It's saying, hey, none of us want to help you work through this, go talk about it with someone else.

I'm really, really having trouble figuring out how someone could say that seeing a therapist is an "easy or lazy way out."  I just can't wrap my head around it.

When you're sick, you don't go to your friend who's an amateur nutritionist/physical trainer (i.e., s/he eats well and works out regularly).  When you're building a house, you don't go to your friend who put together a table from Ikea last weekend.

If you're only dealing with minor problems, then sure, maybe talking things through with your friends can be enough -- but even then, you shouldn't be faulted for going to someone who's a professional and has specialized training in how to work through them.  Dora isn't dealing with minor problems, either.

[DJRubberducky]

But to me, therapy when triggered by something like a breakup or other "common" occurrences is an easy or lazy way out. It's saying, hey, none of us want to help you work through this, go talk about it with someone else.

Sure, Dora has "issues." I guess this is my own way of saying, I still don't really buy that line of reasoning, as I don't think we've seen a lot more than Dora's insecurities with Marten, and maybe we'll see more if we go in to therapy with her, and it might be a really good piece of character development on Jeph's part (or maybe she'll just bang her therapist).

In my opinion, one of the main reasons that you "don't get it" is that you *are* relatively well-adjusted.  I'm not offended by your remarks, as you apparently feared, but they are to me indicative of someone who has never been in Dora's or my position.  This is not a bad thing; I envy you.  But since you wanted education, here ya go. 

Okay, I'll be nice - the TL; DR version is that IMO Dora is too insecure for her friends to be any effective help.

I've read ahead in the thread before coming back to this, so I know some of this will be an echo or rhyme of what has already been said, but I offer the following analysis and speculation anyway because it's unique in that it's based on my own experiences:

• The first and obvious assertion I must make is that Dora's insecurities run much deeper and touch much more of her life than anything which could be "gotten out of one's system" merely by "venting".  While this may be 'cause they happened to her at a time when she couldn't or wouldn't seek someone out to talk to, and while it may be that if she'd had the strong circle of friends that you do she wouldn't have ever been in this place, that doesn't help now.  She's beyond what friends can do for her, and I'd suggest you continue to treat your friends as well as you possibly can if they're keeping you from getting to that point.
• It's been established that Dora has insecurity based on how people in her past have treated her.  What's especially relevant is that in her past, people have pretended to be her friend because she had something they wanted (her brother Sven).  Now, she seems to be pretty functional when it comes to handling friendships, but it wouldn't surprise me if her memories of these "frie-tenders" make her hesitate to really confide insecurities to the people she currently calls friends - she may not want to risk finding out that one or more of them are less sincere than she'd like to believe.
• Further complicating matters is the observation that everyone whom we've observed as being one of Dora's friends has also been or become friends with *Marten*.  Marten's lucky in that he at least has Steve - I don't expect Steve to be any huge font of wisdom any time soon, but at least Marten does have someone to whom he can lament without that person having to feel like they're taking sides.  I personally believe it's *rude* to put someone in that position, and once when my husband and I were in a bad place I ended up calling a friend four states away, with whom I hadn't spoken in years, because he was one of my few remaining non-mutual friends.  And even if Dora doesn't think it's rude like I do, I wouldn't be surprised if she'd be afraid to put someone in that position and find out the hard way they're not on her side (sort of rhyming with my previous point there).
• Again because of Dora's insecurities, I believe it'd be a *really* bad idea to expect one of her friends to be an effective counselor because one thing a counselor needs to do for you sometimes is be "tough" and say things that you may not want to (or be ready to) hear.  Now, clearly someone like Faye has no problem speaking her mind on things, but if *Faye* speaks uncomfortable truth to Dora, Dora can justify not listening by saying something like "she's just saying that because she wants my man".  The super-huge benefit of paying a professional in this case is that aside from the occasional risk of brainwashery or sex-slavery, you can rest assured that the counselor has no ulterior motives for saying what s/he's saying.  Even more so because of their practice of never recommending themselves for somebody if you say "a friend of mine wants to start coming to therapy" - there's no danger that your next session is being colored by what your friend possibly said about you in their previous session.
• Similarly, it's occasionally noticed (and often lamented) that people will just in general take a statement more seriously if it comes from someone outside the situation.  I know my high school choir teacher always got frustrated because she'd tell us something and we'd blow her off, but then the adjudicators at the competitions would say the same thing and suddenly we'd listen.
• Moreover, this is just one example of how people will automatically think something is (more) valuable if they had to pay (more) for it.  Even if Faye could help Dora through her insecurities - even if we never see the counselor say anything that Faye couldn't have thought of - Dora may progress faster just because she takes it more seriously since she's paying someone to tell her this stuff.

I feel the need to say again that I can understand why you would be confused by the whole "go see a shrink already!" attitude.  And frankly, if I had someone recommend therapy to me who had never themselves been for any reason, I would be similarly wary.  But I have benefited from therapy, I still *am*, and I've even found that I benefit from low-dose medication - something to which I was EXTREMELY resistant for YEARS.  So, speaking as someone who's been there, and as someone who's had to have the friends (figuratively) shove her kicking and screaming to get professional assistance...sometimes it's not just the best way to get through your issues; it's sometimes the only way.

By the way, hi.  Long-time reader, first-time poster.  Sorry to start my Serious Pony career with such a wall of text.

[The Duke]

I like how in the second-to-last panel Faye's teeth aren't bared, implying that that "rrrrRRR" sound is coming from deep in her throat, which is way scarier. I imagine that sound to be something like a wolverine, or a Tasmanian devil.

Or like Adam Baldwin does as John Casey from Chuck.

That show has totally jumped the shark but damn can that guy do a hell of a menacing growl.

[tHEfOOL]

The short version of Dora's problems is that she is so scared of people doing stuff to hurt her that she can't handle the thought of giving them ANYTHING they could possibly use against her. So she can't talk to her friends, and honestly i'm thinking she's gonna have real trouble talking to the shrink, at least at first

[Mr_Rose]

And unless it happens after the therapy has started to work, she'd probably bolt/change therapists if she ever saw them outside of the context of therapy; the realisation that they are an actual person with an actual life and possibly a desire for the occasional coffee would be too much.

[Is it cold in here?]

I want to see the Dora backstory: this provides Jeph a way to work it into the comic without being too much like The Talk.

[Wiregeek]

By the way, hi.  Long-time reader, first-time poster.  Sorry to start my Serious Pony career with such a wall of text.

That was a glorious wall of text. I agree with you on all counts, except that I'm still hoping Dora gets put under a bus.

ON, ON a bus, jeez.

Oh, no. Under. OK.

[O8h7w]

I want to see the Dora backstory: this provides Jeph a way to work it into the comic without being too much like The Talk.

Seconded, as I've always wanted to see said backstory and my guess for the outcome of the breakup arc was that we would see something much like the talk. I never said it would be good for the comic to repeat itself, though.



On a completely unrelated and now exhausted topic, I'm sad that I missed out on the grammar debate. I love those! And I'll warn you while I'm at it; I'm a physics student. 

[pwhodges]

So you'll have us engineers to watch out for!

[laizeohbeets]

What if you grew up with someone who got his undergrad and physics and post-grad in engineering?

Pfft, y'all would probably just try to kill each other with grammar-related puns.

[Heliphyneau]

Hey look, a sensible conversation between Faye and Angus about Marten and Dora's breakup that leads into silly relationship metaphors!  If they are best represented by a paddle steamer near Niagara Falls, that fits with the awkwardness-defusing garb at the Horrible Revelation.  (I don't know if we're ever going to see the cast in Victorian dress again, but I would dearly love to see the entire cast, including Dale, in a Merry Christmas from the Horrible Revelation poster.)

Also, doesn't Jeph hate the Decemberists?  Or am I mixing them up with another band?

I hope Jeph doesn't hate the Decemberists? I mean I know they're not the hella cool thing right now in the scene but I like my overly wordy 19th Century sea-shanty-based rockers

Might not be them -- I honestly can't remember.  It was a band some of the boardies liked and kept recommending to him, but it was awhile ago.  And now that I think of it, he had Penelope wear a Decemberists t-shirt at some point, so it seems he would reference them in the strip, which was the only reason I wondered.  The relative coolth of a band is essentially irrelevant to me.   

Am I wrong in being annoyed with "grammar" misspellings? Did it change since my 4th grade spelling bee?

The was I can forgive, but correcting grammar with spelling errors seems contradictory.

If by "contradictory" you mean "hilarious," then yes.   

As to today's strip, Faye's dim-the-lights-powers are impressive, but I don't think that's her full-strength Death Stare.  I have a feeling that she'd more than out-stare Cosette, and possibly the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse while she was at it.

[Loki]

So what if Sven's Look Of Ultimate Seduction hits her Death Stare?

[tHEfOOL]

So what if Sven's Look Of Ultimate Seduction hits her Death Stare?

i don't think they would cancel out completley, but the resulting shockwave would probably cause damage on a massive scale to the surrounding area

[raoullefere]

TL

Did read, but I'm not going to reproduce it. I agree though, that Dora has to talk to someone completely univolved if she'd going to have a prayer of digging her way out of this. I do hope she doesn't start suspecting therapists, though, since that really could end with her being put away (not in and of itself, but because of the possible snowball).

I want to see the Dora backstory: this provides Jeph a way to work it into the comic without being too much like The Talk.

The thing with that is that I'm now wondering if we need to see two or three versions of it, or more, to get it. One from Dora, who's clearly an unreliable narrator; one from Sven, who's a liar; one from the 'rents, who either are or at least seem to be oblivious; and one from duh da DAAAA!

Raven

even though she doesn't have all the goods, since we have her backstory (some of it) from Dora, in the eternal words of Miss Loonette, "It's only fair."

Damn, Jeph could spend a year on this.

[iduguphergrave]

? Since when is Sven a liar? I admit he probably wasn't honest to all the girls he might have hurt in the past, but he's not really the same person anymore. Have we ever seen him lie to any of the main QC cast?

[Is it cold in here?]

The closest I can think of, which isn't very close, is that has first impulse was to conceal Gina Riversmith from Faye. That was at the very most a contemplated lie by omission.

[GeoffTheLlama]

I don't think I'd accuse Sven of lying.  Dishonesty, maybe, and I know at least someone's going to say that's just arguing semantics but...it really isn't.  The only reason I'd even agree that Sven was ever dishonest was because he himself felt guilty about concealing Gina from Faye, and he's been a little dishonest with himself about his feelings towards Faye until fairly recently.

...Wait, how'd we get onto Sven anyway?

So you'll have us engineers to watch out for!

Muahahahahahaaaaa

[cuzsis]

 Dang I was really hoping Faye would smack Dora in today's strip. Of all the people to deserve a beating (especially the one's we've seen) few ones top today.

 And just to sum it up (cuz I need to vent).

 Faye goes out of her way to avoid whopping Dora after she does something incredibly stupid which ends up hurting Martin pretty badly. Faye manages to hold it together and do something constructive (getting therapy lined up.) that should actually help Dora, instead of just punishing her.

 Dora, the cause of all this, then gets biatchy about it and blows Faye off when she gets her the info. She seems to feel that Faye has a lot of nerve ordering her around in this.

 Faye, through super human effort I would guess, manages to just give Dora the evil eye and not actually kill her for this second round of self important stupidity.

 Hm...of course, would love also to see Martin chew her a new one over this bit here. Her reaction would be priceless and Martin would get to come out on top even after taking the high road. Be a nice twist and some good development.

/yeah...Dora's kinda pissing me off right now.

[Tergon]

Yeah, for all Sven's failings, we've actually seen him to be unusually truthful.  He's never denied his man-whore status, he openly admits he hates the music he writes, he doesn't hesitate to admit to Faye that he's shallow in pursuing only his "Type" of woman, he tells Faye he slept with Gina Riversmith, he opens up to Marten during his fancy-pants walk...

The only times we've seen Sven openly lie were when he wanted to avoid Death By Ex-Girlfriend at the horrible revelation; when he wanted to avoid temptation with his bendy blonde friend after lunch with Faye; and when he contemplated lying about sleeping with Gina Riversmith, but ultimately told the truth.

That being said, he would give a very... slanted perspective on Dora's issues.  And given that Dora's issues involve trouble in past relationships, she might feel extremely awkward opening up to her brother about it.  A neutral ear is best, and the obvious choice for that is a therapist who can then offer professional advice on how she can overcome the issues, rather than just an awkward pat on the shoulder.

[zadojla]

What if you grew up with someone who got his undergrad and physics and post-grad in engineering?

Pfft, y'all would probably just try to kill each other with grammar-related puns.

Does this mean we have to start a grammar-related pun thread?  To avoid pissing off everyone around us?  Oh wait! Engineers don't care! 

I actually like engineers.  I went to an engineering college and most of my friends were engineering and physics majors.  I have a BS in Anthropology, so I am an IT manager.

[jwhouk]

Who's next on the "Reaction to the Breakup" list?

Marigold    - 12 (7.7%)
Angus (CHECK)    - 7 (4.5%)
Tai (watch out!)    - 74 (47.7%)
Raven    - 3 (1.9%)
Steve    - 16 (10.3%)
Cosette    - 1 (0.6%)
Jimbo    - 7 (4.5%)
Ms. Vance    - 12 (7.7%)
Mr. Reed    - 0 (0%)
The Bianchis    - 2 (1.3%)
Penelope    - 10 (6.5%)
Dale (Daaaaangg.)    - 11 (7.1%)

Total Voters: 155

[MillionDollar Belt Sander]

  Oh wait! Engineers don't care! 

Damn right.   

  Real Engineers consider themselves well dressed if their socks match.
· Real Engineers buy their spouses a set of matched screwdrivers for their birthday.
· Real Engineers wear mustaches or beards for "efficiency". Not because they're lazy.
· Real engineers have a non-technical vocabulary of 800 words.
· Real Engineers think a "biting wit" is their fox terrier.
· Real Engineers know the second law of thermodynamics - but not their own shirt size.
· Real Engineers repair their own cameras, telephones, televisions, watches, and automatic transmissions.
· Real Engineers say "It's 70 degrees Fahrenheit, 25 degrees Celsius, and 298 degrees Kelvin" and all you say is "Isn't it a nice day"
· Real Engineers give you the feeling you're having a conversation with a dial tone or busy signal.
· Real Engineers wear badges so they don't forget who they are. Sometimes a note is attached saying "Don't offer me a ride today. I drove my own car".
· Real Engineers' politics run towards acquiring a parking space with their name on it and an office with a window.
· Real Engineers know the "ABC's of Infrared" from A to B.
· Real Engineers rotate their tires for laughs.
· Real Engineers will make four sets of drawings (with seven revisions) before making a bird bath.
· Real Engineers' briefcases contain a Phillips screwdriver, a copy of "Quantum Physics", and a half of a peanut butter sandwich.
· Real Engineers don't find the above at all funny.

[raoullefere]

The only times we've seen Sven openly lie were when he wanted to avoid Death By Ex-Girlfriend at the horrible revelation; when he wanted to avoid temptation with his bendy blonde friend after lunch with Faye; and when he contemplated lying about sleeping with Gina Riversmith, but ultimately told the truth.

That being said, he would give a very... slanted perspective on Dora's issues.  And given that Dora's issues involve trouble in past relationships, she might feel extremely awkward opening up to her brother about it.  A neutral ear is best, and the obvious choice for that is a therapist who can then offer professional advice on how she can overcome the issues, rather than just an awkward pat on the shoulder.

Only. Heh. So because he only lies some of the time, Sven's not a liar? You don't think, if telling the tale of Dora and his childhood and including the role he played, he wouldn't shade the truth to favor himself or at least to let himself off easy?

Because I think he would. Epiphany or not, Sven's not exactly hard on himself most of the time. That may change, may have changed, and hell, Sven may have all sorts of good reasons for acting the way he does. But so far, he's been a self-serving putz much more than he's been a paragon of truth.