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Thursday, January 21, 2010

That damned Mindset

What's Mallard raving about today?

Terrorism, Dogs.

"Plus, he's over 6 feet at the withers, weighs upwards of 2,000lbs, requires half a bag of dog food a day to keep fed, and (trust me) you do not want to see what going on in the spot where he does his business. On a totally unrelated note, airport security is getting annoying and obtrusive."

17 comments:

NickE said...

It's funny because it's true; before 9/11, all dogs had their legs broken and the ends of their ears amputated, and -- in Bruce's house -- the water bowl was often mistakenly filled with Clan MacGregor.

Kip W said...

A dog with a post-9/11 'mindset' runs around in circles yapping, wetting all over, and biting everybody in the house because there was a burglar on the next block.

After a while, its heart explodes from the constant self-induced stress, and then you go find one with a pre-9/11 mindset whose worst flaws are extreme indolence, distorted anatomy, and an abiding desire to show you the spot where the family jewels used to be.

Rootbeer said...

It's like "Howard Huge", only without competent artwork or a recognizable punchline.

Bill Hoest must be "having a pre-9/11 mindset" in his grave.

Tog said...

Wait, this is from the goon who's been whining all week about airport security?

"...No, what I mean is, he won't bite Muslims!"

NickE said...

In conclusion, Bruce is taking a short break from bitching and whining about how things are, in order to bitch and whine about how things USED to be.

dlauthor said...

What a weird non-sequitur of a strip. It's even more unstuck in time than most of Tinshley's work. It almost feels like the syndicate might have a bunch of these to run on days when Bruce's submitted strips are just too nonsensical, poor, or racist to run.

Oh, wait, no, that'd be all of them, wouldn't it?

Michael Foley said...

Oh please. The guy who wants us all to be afraid of Muslim words now complains that people are acting too scared?

Besides, the dog looks post-9/11 to me. Just look what torturers did to his legs!

Anonymous said...

I admit, I am just baffled.

Iron Dragon said...

This just seems odd, so according to Tinsely pre-9/11 we had non-euclidean limbs and smiled too much?

Bill the Splut said...

So, "pre-9/11 mindset" is the same as "falling down drunk"? Huh.

GeoX, one of the GeoX boys. said...

This seems to me like a prime early candidate for this year's Golden Flash Award.

Factinista said...

"Pre-9/11 mindset" nothing, that dog looks like it's dead.

Kaitlyn said...

Did they put the dog down?

I...

it hurts mom, it hurts make the bad comic go away.

What about dogs born after Sept. 11? Yeah, it happened. We've got two of them, and sometimes they act like Kip W's description (at one point I tried to decide if Wickett - angry and prone to biting - or Mikey - terrified and an occasional biter - was George W in dog form. )

But it's cute when Wickett goes in circles, yelling at his tale. That damn thing...

Um, my chow (born '97) is scared of loud noises? But she was before 2001, so it's not Obama's fault. (I'm assuming Clinton is no longer to blame for everything?)

It's abused and misused, but I've found a "post sept 11th mindset" to be useful. No, I'm not scared of the girl wearing a hijab in my class. But I took sept 11th as a sign that it was about time to get interested in the world, and the only problem with that is I'll never know enough, always more to learn!

I mean, bomb the hell out of 'em. Yeah!

Kaitlyn said...

Kip W - your understanding of the post sept 11th mindset in dogs is a bit off - they're not barking because of a burglar one street over, but because they saw a shadow move.

Or because another one is barking...

I don't think my yappers are stressed - the bark has to be some kind of release.

I have to say, I've seen my brats in some impossible positions, but they've never looked like the...dog...in today's comic. It's just wrong.

That should just be the response to this comic, shouldn't it?

It's just wrong.

Kip W said...

Kaitlyn, the proximate cause is the shadow moving, but all the barking at shadows and accidents on the linoleum are a direct result of that terrible day there was a burglar over on the next block. They'll never forget it, and they don't want you to forget it either.

"The only thing we have... is fear."

rewinn said...

"...The only thing we have... is fear."

And fear of the shepherd's crook is enough to send sheep baaaaahing and ditto-ing to the slaughter.

exanonymous said...

I'm confused.

Was it BEFORE 9/11 that we were fighting wars that drained citizens and taxpayer money and in a constant state of red alert? Because the actual terrorist threat (low) is about the same. In 2001 there were 17,448 fatalities in alcohol-related traffic accidents and 2,973 people who died in the 9/11 attacks. I'm not saying it's nothing that people died, but the fear is irrational and out of proportion.