Topic: WCT Dec 20-24, 2010 (1821-1824) (Read 125130 times)

Professor Snuggles · « **Reply #100 on:** 20 Dec 2010, 21:29 »

I guess you could make one work if you muddled Cucumber, mint, and sugar then shook that with hendricks and garnished it with a cucumber slice it would probably be pretty delicious.

hannahsaurusrex · « **Reply #101 on:** 20 Dec 2010, 21:31 »

Quote from: Akima on 20 Dec 2010, 15:49

This is massively culturally conditioned, and quite unsuitable for sweeping judgements like this. There are cultural groups, including my own, where living with your family until marriage is perfectly normal, and the divorce-rate among them, in Australia at least, is not higher than that of society as a whole, but often lower. Different strokes for different folks.

There are definitely merits in all cultures, and family should be a priority; however I can't help but see living with your family until you're married as a bit archaic.

Maybe I've been brainwashed by film, literature, and art that express the need to define oneself by oneself. Or is it because I live in America and truly believe that I must forge my own future? Or maybe it's because I see that a close knit family, while loving and supportive, can be an overbearing amount of pressure and sometimes unintentionally manipulative. Maybe knowing if I lived with my family until I got married, I would have a very hard time finding a mate makes me a skeptic of that tradition.

As for divorce rates go, I'm not surprised those marriages last longer.
However, I don't know how truly happy they might be.
If I lived with my parents until I was 25, I would be able to put up with a lot of crap. In fact, I would be okay with most living situations imaginable. So if I marry someone who I love, my parents love, and then a couple years down the line, I realize I resent everything about them, I could handle it for YEARS. Also, if the tradition is "live with your family, or marry," I'm naturally assuming shame comes into it, because really what tight knit family would be complete without it? That alone may keep someone in a marriage WITHOUT parental interference.

Now, I love me some family. I just see that tradition as smothering, and a recipe for unhappiness.

Then again, I am the 22 year old living with her 30 year old boyfriend almost 1,000 miles away from my parents. So I'm slightly biased.

As for the comic, I've always had the opposite experience (maybe because I'm a girl), to the point where my dad told a gentleman friend "I don't want my grandkids looking like you"
That was embarrassing enough, I can't fathom Marten's annoyance.

Mad Cat · « **Reply #102 on:** 20 Dec 2010, 21:41 »

"I'll have an arsenic espresso with a cyanide sidecar."

Fenriswolf · « **Reply #103 on:** 20 Dec 2010, 22:49 »

Quote from: Odin on 20 Dec 2010, 20:05

Quote from: Akima on 20 Dec 2010, 15:49
This is massively culturally conditioned, and quite unsuitable for sweeping judgements like this. There are cultural groups, including my own, where living with your family until marriage is perfectly normal, and the divorce-rate among them, in Australia at least, is not higher than that of society as a whole, but often lower. Different strokes for different folks.

As for mothers trying to "fit up" their offspring, isn't this simply standard operating procedure? No less embarrassing though...

Can't say I'm surprised that England's penal commonwealth is like that. Strength in numbers though, gotta keep defenses up against the huntsman spiders (amongst other things).

Here in the erstwhile civilized world, though, having as many reasons to put off marriage until the people involved in the relationship have had time to survive some trials as adults is never a bad thing.

I'm pretty sure she's referring to being Chinese(?)-Australian actually. Hence saying the divorce rate is lower in her culture than the larger (read: mostly-white Australian) culture she lives within.

Personally I think you need a bit of life experience first, which generally means living away from home, but not necessarily. I've been with my partner since 18 (7 years), but I'm a freak, and coming from a fucked up background I have a fair amount of life experience.

I do think Ms Vance is being a tad cruel... and the art looks a little odd. But I'm down with it.

pwhodges · « **Reply #104 on:** 20 Dec 2010, 23:58 »

New comic - echos of Dora?

akronnick · « **Reply #105 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 00:01 »

Exactly what I was thinking.

Dr. ROFLPWN · « **Reply #106 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 00:01 »

Oh Tai. You've managed to make even Veronica Vance kind of unsettled.

Boomslang · « **Reply #107 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 00:02 »

Aside from their work arrangement, Tai might as well be Marten's little sister. Although that naturally conflicts with Hanners.

Hanners and Tai must fight to the death for the privilege of being Marten's ersatz sister! Two girls enter, one sibling leaves. It is the only way.

On a more serious note, not sure why Marten's mom just ran up and hugged Tai. Cute puppy syndrome?

Edit: Is Marten significantly shorter than average, or is his mom just fairly tall? Or is she wearing some sort of ridiculous heel apparatus?

steelese · « **Reply #108 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 00:02 »

Quote from: pwhodges on 20 Dec 2010, 23:58

New comic - echos of Dora?

Created an account just to say this

hannahsaurusrex · « **Reply #109 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 00:06 »

Well Dora IS the "spitting image" of Veronica when she was young

steelese · « **Reply #110 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 00:11 »

I really hope this isn't a sign of some sick and twisted oedipal complex.

Dliessmgg · « **Reply #111 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 00:12 »

Not as long as Jeph is Jeph.

iduguphergrave · « **Reply #112 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 00:13 »

Quote from: pwhodges on 20 Dec 2010, 23:58

New comic - echos of Dora?

I'm sure Marten noticed too.....which would be just another reason he's not happy about this.

Poor Marten, I really hope he catches a break soon.

Sorflakne · « **Reply #113 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 00:28 »

Today's comic...yeah, creepy...

Akima · « **Reply #114 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 00:42 »

Quote from: pwhodges on 20 Dec 2010, 23:58

New comic - echos of Dora?

Definitely. Obviously Tai brings out Dora's and Veronica's instincts, bisexual or maternal. Or both.

New-art Veronica grows steadily more awesome as Jeph get more settled into drawing her, I think.

I've just noticed, this is my 666th post! I would throw up the horns, but in Chinese culture 666 is a highly auspicious number often displayed in shop windows etc. In Mandarin, the word for six (liù) sounds like the word meaning sleek or smooth, so 666 carries the meaning "Everything goes smoothly" and is considered especially favourable for business transactions.

snubnose · « **Reply #115 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 00:46 »

Hmm.

Somehow I missed the part where Martens Mom is lesbian or bi ?

I thought thats Doras part.

Afakaz · « **Reply #116 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 00:57 »

Quote from: snubnose on 21 Dec 2010, 00:46

Hmm.

Somehow I missed the part where Martens Mom is lesbian or bi ?

I thought thats Doras part.

I don't see how anything in this comic states or implies that.

daryljfontaine · « **Reply #117 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 01:05 »

Quote from: steelese on 21 Dec 2010, 00:11

I really hope this isn't a sign of some sick and twisted oedipal complex.

It's a sign that the endgame will reveal a massive time-travel/reverse-aging plot which will break Marten's mind forever.

Seriously though, if Marten recognized and acknowledged the echo between Dora's reaction to Tai and Veronica's, I think he'd be more than a little squicked himself.

D

redragon5000 · « **Reply #118 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 01:25 »

Quote from: snubnose on 21 Dec 2010, 00:46

Hmm.

Somehow I missed the part where Martens Mom is lesbian or bi ?

I thought thats Doras part.

How is it Dora's part? There's a Tai-shaped elephant in that room...

I liked this comic, partly because it raised my hope that Hanners is next.

akronnick · « **Reply #119 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 01:28 »

Quote from: Andy147 on 21 Dec 2010, 01:10

I don't know what Marten's mother thinks she's playing at, but it certainly doesn't seem to be "trying to help Marten in his time of need". If I were Marten I'd be tempted just to walk off.

Usually in this situation, he'd head on down to Coffee of Doom and hang out with Faye and Dora...

You know what Dora really sucks.

iduguphergrave · « **Reply #120 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 01:46 »

Yes.

(I swear I'm not a Dora hater but I'm kind of pissed at her right now)

The Seldom Killer · « **Reply #121 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 02:41 »

Quote from: Boomslang on 21 Dec 2010, 00:02

On a more serious note, not sure why Marten's mom just ran up and hugged Tai. Cute puppy syndrome?

Could be.

Just wondering if this, the waitress and whatever else is all part of a ploy to obstruct Marten from moving on in his current frame of mind. Once she's gone he'll be relieved and in a more positive frame of mind so will move on with less indie moping.

Somnus Eternus · « **Reply #122 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 02:49 »

Quote from: Professor Snuggles on 20 Dec 2010, 21:29

I guess you could make one work if you muddled Cucumber, mint, and sugar then shook that with hendricks and garnished it with a cucumber slice it would probably be pretty delicious.

If you throw in Chartreuse Yellow it does amazing things with the cucumber in the Hendricks.

snubnose · « **Reply #123 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 02:52 »

Quote from: Afakaz on 21 Dec 2010, 00:57

Quote from: snubnose on 21 Dec 2010, 00:46
Hmm.

Somehow I missed the part where Martens Mom is lesbian or bi ?

I thought thats Doras part.

I don't see how anything in this comic states or implies that.

Quote from: redragon5000 on 21 Dec 2010, 01:25

Quote from: snubnose on 21 Dec 2010, 00:46
Hmm.

Somehow I missed the part where Martens Mom is lesbian or bi ?

I thought thats Doras part.

How is it Dora's part? There's a Tai-shaped elephant in that room...

I liked this comic, partly because it raised my hope that Hanners is next.

OKOKOKOKOKOKOK !!

You two are right and I'm wrong.

She just says Tai is sweet.

Still reminded me a lot about how Dora reacted to Tai.

As other posters mentioned, too.

Odal · « **Reply #124 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 03:45 »

I think, if Tai has a sister, she might be a waitress. They look freakishly similar, and Tai seems to be wearing a similar, white shirt under her green jacket.

Quote from: Akima on 21 Dec 2010, 00:42

I've just noticed, this is my 666th post! I would throw up the horns, but in Chinese culture 666 is a highly auspicious number often displayed in shop windows etc. In Mandarin, the word for six (liù) sounds like the word meaning sleek or smooth, so 666 carries the meaning "Everything goes smoothly" and is considered especially favourable for business transactions.

That's awesome. So in China everyone is into Satan and in America nothing goes smoothly... as seen from opposite, narrow perspectives, of course.

snubnose · « **Reply #125 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 04:24 »

IIRC in China black was the happy color and white the color of sorrow.

I only just mentioned the script below the comic ... why is Tai creepy ? I dont think she's creepy. She's just going with the flow. She's actually pretty funny.

Carl-E · « **Reply #126 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 04:28 »

Quote from: Dr. ROFLPWN on 21 Dec 2010, 00:01

Oh Tai. You've managed to make even Veronica Vance kind of unsettled.

Quote from: Boomslang on 21 Dec 2010, 00:02

On a more serious note, not sure why Marten's mom just ran up and hugged Tai. Cute puppy syndrome?

I think Tai just has this effect on some people.

And she's used to it, enough to joke about it with everyone who reacts this way. It's not really creepy, but still, asking someone you just ment to be your mommy...?

Personally, I'm rather fond of the small butch ones, as well.

No, not that way. It really is more of a ~~maternal~~ parental thing, I think. Not sure why...

Border Reiver · « **Reply #127 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 06:13 »

Results of yesterday's poll:

What's going through Marten's mind right now?

First the hangover, now this? - 28
She is cute... - 13
Why is she doing this? - 17
What's on the bar menu? - 26
Pancakes - 20

Personally, I'd be thinking of a starchy and filling breakfast, my Dad (God love him) would have fixed me greasy eggs and bacon if I had a hangover like Marty.

tbones · « **Reply #128 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 06:46 »

Quote from: Carl-E on 21 Dec 2010, 04:28

I think Tai just has this effect on some people.

How coudn't she? She's so small and huggable!!! ...er, maybe that sounded a little creepy...

ANY-hoo
i wonder, isn't Veronica making things a little worse? I mean, she travel over to see Marten and making him feel a little better right?

Or maybe she is pushing him, so he snaps and learns to stand up for himself??

Please, PLEASE let it be the second one, i want to see Marten grow a little out of all this mess...

snubnose · « **Reply #129 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 06:52 »

Holy whatever, I just realized that the Dora/Marten breakup is already more than a month old !

We have Dec 21 and the breakup started at Nov 16 and was finalized Nov 19 !

And we're still deep, deep, deep in the recovery phase, since more than four weeks !

This comic is really slow going.

Near Lurker · « **Reply #130 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 06:58 »

This comic is not a good reason to think Veronica is bi. (Of course, there's no real reason to think she isn't, either... kind of like Dora early on, except further to the straight side.)

I mean, by the same logic, you'd have to assume Marigold is bi for having picked out Momo. Everyone loves adorable little butch girls. Just watch, if she ever meets Scott, even he'll do it. And end up arrested.

There is, however, a joke about breastfeeding to be made somewhere.

The Seldom Killer · « **Reply #131 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 07:04 »

Quote from: Near Lurker on 21 Dec 2010, 06:58

There is, however, a joke about breastfeeding to be made somewhere.

I just hope it isn't a set up for Pintsize to dish out some titty jokes.

zadojla · « **Reply #132 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 07:30 »

Quote from: tbones on 21 Dec 2010, 06:46

[i wonder, isn't Veronica making things a little worse?

I've done similar things to my now-22-year-old daughter. The thinking is:

Kids don't listen to or take advice from parents.
The kid's mind is wrapped up in a loop, (We broke up, I feel like crap, what am I going to do?, I feel like crap, [repeat])
Any breaking of the "misery loop" is good.
Kids are always pissed off at their parents anyway.
Therefore, I will take any outrageous action to break the concentration on misery, without regard for consequences to me.

daryljfontaine · « **Reply #133 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 07:50 »

Hee. I keep reading today's strip and laughing at Panel 3... something about Tai's squished-askew glasses and "Hoif!" that sets me to giggling.

D

Cammy · « **Reply #134 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 07:54 »

I'm going to do the same thing to my tiny lesbian friend next time I see her.

However, she reads the comic as well, so at least she'll be smiling as she punches me.

JackFaerie · « **Reply #135 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 08:16 »

Quote

You know what Dora really sucks.

Quote from: iduguphergrave on 21 Dec 2010, 01:46

Yes.

(I swear I'm not a Dora hater but I'm kind of pissed at her right now)

Why?

They were not compatible and Dora had issues that were making a mess of their relationship to the extent that Marten had been dissatisfied for ages, so she ended it (and is gonna work on her issues now). The fact that Marten was apparently completely unable to end something that wasn't working for him (Dora was happy with Marten, if often insecure/jealous--Marten was the one sighing at night, getting more and more secretly bitter, and measuring Dora up against Faye & Angus), and also went totally off the rails after shows, in fact, how necessary Dora's decision was. Within their relationship, she was the dysfunctional one (and Marten shouldn't have put up with half her shit) but in retrospect it's being shown that Marten's totally codependent, and needs a lot of work himself.

gathayah · « **Reply #136 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 08:34 »

Veronica is officially my favorite mother ever.

Wiregeek · « **Reply #137 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 08:47 »

my anti-dora bias is clear, strong, and doesn't give a fuck.

However, I think Zadojla hit it on the head. I think it's gonna work, too, and I'm looking forward to seeing the explosion.

Wouldn't it be awesome if Dora walks up on/in on the explosion in question? Marten flailing his arms and screaming at the top of his lungs, opens the door and gets a face full of ~~alien wing wong~~ thrown pintsize.

"Goddamnit, what fucking NOW"

themacnut · « **Reply #138 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 08:51 »

I don't know gathayah, if I were Marten by about this point I'd be seriously contemplating downing another fifth of bourbon, and damn the consequences (even as I endured the hangover/head injury from the last downing).

As for Marten needing therapy for codependency, I'm not sure he'll ever realize that or seek it out. Men tend to be more reluctant to seek therapy than women, something about it being an admission of weakness or something like that...

EDIT: not sure Marten's gonna blow up at his mother either. He's already nursing a head injury that tells him he said or did something horrible to Faye the previous night, and she won't tell him what. Just knowing that much probably makes him feel bad. Blowing up at his mother would be cathartic, sure, but he'll just end up feeling worse afterwards.

tbones · « **Reply #139 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 09:02 »

Quote from: zadojla on 21 Dec 2010, 07:30

Quote from: tbones on 21 Dec 2010, 06:46
[i wonder, isn't Veronica making things a little worse?

I've done similar things to my now-22-year-old daughter. The thinking is:

Kids don't listen to or take advice from parents.
The kid's mind is wrapped up in a loop, (We broke up, I feel like crap, what am I going to do?, I feel like crap, [repeat])
Any breaking of the "misery loop" is good.
Kids are always pissed off at their parents anyway.
Therefore, I will take any outrageous action to break the concentration on misery, without regard for consequences to me.

Whoa, that seems really... rational actually, so she IS really trying to improve things!

My respect for Veronica grew 10 times now

pwhodges · « **Reply #140 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 09:19 »

Quote from: themacnut on 21 Dec 2010, 08:51

As for Marten needing therapy for codependency, I'm not sure he'll ever realize that or seek it out.

I'm not sure that Marten is really codependent; some leaning in that direction is also considered healthy behaviour in a family or community. On the whole, I suspect he is less codependent than I was before my therapy - and that was never severe enough for anyone to give it the label.

Elysiana · « **Reply #141 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 09:37 »

I think if Marten was truly codependent, he would have put up a much bigger fight when Dora said it was time to call it a wrap.

JackFaerie · « **Reply #142 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 09:41 »

Fine, if not codependent, then just unable to make any relationship decision with his own priorities in mind whatsoever.

zadojla · « **Reply #143 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 09:44 »

Quote from: Elysiana on 21 Dec 2010, 09:37

I think if Marten was truly codependent, he would have put up a much bigger fight when Dora said it was time to call it a wrap.

I wouldn't ecpect a fight, exactly. More what human communications specialists call "disconfirmation": "No, you don't really mean that, what you mean is [fill in the blank]"

Mr_Rose · « **Reply #144 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 10:03 »

Quote from: gathayah on 21 Dec 2010, 08:34

Veronica is officially my favorite mother ever.

I dunno; she still has to go a long way to beat "LewieP's Mummy" over at Penny Arcade who is a) the actual mother of one of the other posters (LewieP in case it wasn't obvious), b) Much, much more talented, popular, and generally likeable than her son and, c) the head moderator's favourite, which is quit a feat since he generally hates all life everywhere, without fear or favour.* Oh and d) does this sort of thing to LewieP all the time, only on teh internet, which I think makes it fifty-three times worse/better.

Kugai · « **Reply #145 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 10:09 »

Hmmmmmm

Tai should definitely bottle and patent her 'Cuteness Factor'

Still, gotta feel sorry for Marten, this is one day he'll definitely wanna forget in a hurry.

I suspect there's more drama on the way though.

themacnut · « **Reply #146 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 10:18 »

Like I said, he may be budgeting for another fifth of bourbon, or maybe even vodka, by the day's end...

O8h7w · « **Reply #147 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 10:45 »

Maybe Marten is on the verge of using another bottle of bourbon, but what would happen? His mother would hit him in the head with it. Now, how to react to that? I don't have a friggin' clue!

On a completely unrelated note, just that it happens this week: What are your guesses for the christmas treat? Last year it was boys, in 2008 there was girls, and before that were the coloring panels... I'm guessing for AnthroPC cheesecake. And then a week of Sweet-Tits, that guy from last year, Yelliing Bird and Randy... should be fun

JackFaerie · « **Reply #148 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 10:53 »

Quote from: zadojla on 21 Dec 2010, 09:44

Quote from: Elysiana on 21 Dec 2010, 09:37
I think if Marten was truly codependent, he would have put up a much bigger fight when Dora said it was time to call it a wrap.
I wouldn't ecpect a fight, exactly. More what human communications specialists call "disconfirmation": "No, you don't really mean that, what you mean is [fill in the blank]"

But in either case, seriously, something is wrong with him. One of his girlfriends makes plans to move cross-country and seems less than enthused about continuing their relationship past-graduation, and tells him straight up when he asks that she doesn't want to do the long-distance thing, and he reacts to all of these signs screaming "this relationship is not going to last" by uprooting his entire existence and following her to the East Coast.

Then his more recent girlfriend acts in batshit-crazy ways all the time, and instead of insisting on discussing it with her or holding her to it, he just swallows it and stews on it in private, until such a time as he is blatantly unsatisfied with the relationship, and yet he STILL doesn't say anything until Dora's next blow-up forces it out of him, and then STILL thinks that the two of them should have stayed in the relationship for some reason.

Mr_Rose · « **Reply #149 on:** 21 Dec 2010, 10:57 »

Quote from: O8h7w on 21 Dec 2010, 10:45

On a completely unrelated note, just that it happens this week: What are your guesses for the christmas treat? Last year it was boys, in 2008 there was girls, and before that were the coloring panels... I'm guessing for AnthroPC cheesecake. And then a week of Sweet-Tits, that guy from last year, Yelliing Bird and Randy... should be fun

"Grown up" versions of the anthro-pcs; Momo is in the same dream-form she used to seduce dream-Sven, Winslow looks sort like a male version of Eve from Applegeeks, Roomba looks more like a hovercar and pintsize looks just like he always does (because pintsize is incapable of growing up etc).

THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

Poll

Which album did Mom bring?

Author Topic: WCT Dec 20-24, 2010 (1821-1824) (Read 125130 times)