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WHAT ARE YOU DOING, RAT?
HANG ON... I'M JUST FINISHING THE LAST PAGE OF THE BOOK "ULYSSES" BY JAMES JOYCE.
WOW, THAT'S VERY IMPRESSIVE. THAT'S A REALLY RESPECTED, 1,000 PAGE NOVEL. HOW'D YOU LIKE IT?
I REALLY CAN'T SAY.
WHY NOT?
I ONLY READ THE LAST PAGE.
SOME FOLKS READ THE REST OF THE BOOK FIRST.
I CAN FINALLY SAY I FINISHED "ULYSSES."

EVER HEARD THE EXPRESSION, "HOPE FOR THE BEST, PREPARE FOR THE WORST?"
OF COURSE. IT'S GREAT ADVICE.
YEAH. BUT IT'S SORTA ANTIQUATED, SO I WENT AHEAD AND UPDATED IT.
TO WHAT?
"HOPE FOR THE BEST, PREPARE FOR THE WORST, EXPERIENCE A WORSTER WORST THAN YOU EVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE."
HOW UPLIFTING.
THEN MULTIPLY THAT MISERY BY FOURTEEN MONTHS AND COUNTING.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING, PIG?
SPENT ALL DAY TRYING TO FIND A CHEAP AIRLINE TICKET. NOW I'VE FINALLY GOT ONE.
FINALLY FOUND ONE THAT SAVED ME $25. NOW I'M JUST PRINTING OUT THE ELECTRONIC TICKET.
NO, WAIT, WHY'S IT PRINTING OUT A SECOND PAGE? A CAR RENTAL COUPON! I DON'T WANT A CAR RENTAL COUPON.
IT'S IN COLOR! THE WHOLE COUPON IS IN COLOR! IT'S USING MY PRINTER INK!
A THIRD PAGE--A FULL-PAGE COUPON FOR A SPORTS DRINK...WHAT'S THAT A SOLID BLUE OCEAN ?!
IT'S USING ALL MY CYAN!! IT'S USING ALL MY CYAN!!
THAT INK COST $59 A CARTRIDGE!!
I THINK YOUR SAVINGS HAVE EVAPORATED.
PRINTER INK: THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF PERSONAL BANKRUPTCY.

HEY, PIG, HOW WAS YOUR WEEK-END?
GREAT, NEIGHBOR BOB! RAT AND I HAD A HUGE PARTY AT OUR HOUSE AND I THINK WE INVITED THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD!
I DON'T THINK WE INVITED THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD.

HEY, GOAT, WHY AREN'T YOU AT THE CAFE TODAY?
I'M WORKING IN THE GARDEN. TRYING TO GROW PAMPAS GRASS.
I AM SO MUCH BETTER THAN YOU.
PAMPAS. NOT POMPOUS.
WHY WOULD HE WANT THAT?

GOOD NEWS… TODAY'S COMIC STRIP IS GONNA BE BOTH FUNNY AND MEANINGFUL.
WELL, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. I'VE BEEN IN THIS STRIP FOR A LOT OF YEARS AND I'D REALLY LOVE TO BE PROUD OF MY WORK.
I DIDN'T HAVE THE HEART TO SAY 'APRIL FOOLS.'

I AM HEREBY DECLARING TODAY, MARCH 31, "MARCH TRUTHS DAY." IT WILL BE THE COUNTER TO APRIL FOOLS DAY.
HOW'S IT WORK?
UNLIKE APRIL FOOLS, YOU USE THE DAY TO SAY SOMETHING TRUE THAT YOU WOULDN'T SAY ON ANY OTHER DAY OF THE YEAR.
LIKE WHAT?
YOUR SIX PACK OF BEER DIDN'T JUST DISAPPEAR LAST FRIDAY. I DRANK IT.
MARCH TRUTHS!
THIS IS FUN.
OH, THIS IS BAD.
AND I ATE ALL YOUR CHEESEBALLS.

THANKS FOR GOING ON A DATE WITH ME, LULU. TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF..YOUR LIKES AND DISLIKES.
WELL, I DISLIKE INTOLERANCE, WAR, CRUELTY, SELFISHNESS, GREED, SEXISM, RACISM, LAZINESS, AND STUPIDITY. WHAT ARE YOUR DISLIKES?
PINEAPPLE ON PIZZA.
WE CALLED IT A NIGHT EARLY.

HEY.
WHATCHA
DOING,
PIG?
TRYING TO WRITE
PUNS. HERE'S ONE.
I TENDED A
CROWDED BAR.
WHERE'S
THE
PUN ?
THE
WORD
'TENDED.'
THERE'S
NO PUN
IN THAT
WORD.
NO
PUN
IN 'TENDED'?
YOU MAKE ME DRINK
TO EXCESS.

WHEN FRED GOT HOME, HIS LIVING ROOM WAS FILLED WITH FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CO-WORKERS.
WHAT THE #@%& IS GOING ON?
IT'S AN INTERVENTION, FRED. YOU'RE AN ADDICT.
YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO PICK ME UP FROM SCHOOL. SAID HIS SON. BUT YOU DIDN'T. AND IT MADE YOU VERY LATE.
FIRST, IT WAS ONCE A DAY, THEN TWICE, NOW THREE TIMES. SAID HIS WIFE.
AND IT MAKES YOUR PERFORMANCE AT WORK UNBEARABLE. SAID A CO-WORKER. WE NEVER KNOW IF WE'RE GETTING GOOD YOU OR BAD YOU.
ARE YOU CURSED? NO, FRED?
CAN WE CHECK YOUR CAR? NO. NO. YOU CAN'T. IT'S MY CAR!
FRED RAN FOR THE DOOR, BUT HIS FRIENDS RESTRAINED HIM, AS THE NEED UNMITT DIVE TO SLIDE TO CHECK HIS CAR.
OUT OF WHICH FELL 37 STARBUCKS CUPS.
JUST SAY NO.
DON'T YOU TOUCH MY PEPPERMINT MOCHA.
I WILL PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE!

NOW WHEN THAT GUY SNAPS HIS FINGERS, IT MAKES A CRISP, CLEAR SOUND.
BUT WHEN THAT GUY SNAPS HIS FINGERS, HE CAN BARELY MAKE A SOUND.
WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING?
MAKING SNAP JUDGMENTS.
THE SHAME OF THIS STRIP HAS OVERWHELMED ME.

OH, WISE ASS ON THE HILL, WHAT GREAT WISDOM HAVE YOU REACHED DURING THE PANDEMIC?
THAT THE FUTURE IS UNCERTAIN? THAT LONELINESS CAN BE CRIPPLING? THAT LIFE IS FRAGILE?
THAT I CAN GO FIVE DAYS WITHOUT SHOWERING.
THIS PANDEMIC HAS BEEN VERY ENLIGHTENING.

WHERE ARE YOU RUNNING OFF TO?
I JUST HEARD ABOUT A PLACE THAT WILL LET ME JUMP THE LINE AND GET THE VACCINE EARLY!
THOSE ARE ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE FOR PEOPLE 75 AND OLDER. DON’T YOU THINK THAT’S A LITTLE ETHICALLY QUESTIONABLE?
THAT THE GEEZERS ARE HOGGING IT?
NOT WHAT I MEANT.
THINK I SHOULD WRESTLE THEM FOR IT?

GOOD NEWS! WE FINALLY CANCELED CABLE AND WILL NO LONGER HAVE TO PAY THAT $100 PER MONTH.
THAT'S GREAT.
BAD NEWS: WE'RE NOW PAYING $110 FOR STREAMING SERVICES.
I'M LOOKING FOR AN UPSIDE.
WE PAY JUST $10 MORE TO NEVER HAVE TO SEE QVC.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING, RAT?
I CAN'T STAND BEING AT HOME ANY LONGER SO I'M SLEDGEHAMMERING MY WAY OUT!!
WHY DON'T YOU JUST USE THE DOOR?
FORGOT WE HAD THOSE.

WHERE YOU GOING, PIG?
TO SEE THE WISE ASS ON THE HILL.
WHENEVER TIMES GET AS TOUGH AS THEY ARE NOW, I TURN TO HIM FOR HIS REASSURING WISDOM.
OUT DRINKING TO NUMB THE PAIN.
HE WASN'T THAT HELPFUL.

HEY, PIG, THANKS FOR PLAYING MINI-GOLF WITH ME.
SURE THING, BUT THIS COURSE IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
HOW SO?
WELL, THEY TRY TO CONTROL THE PACE AT WHICH PEOPLE PLAY, SO DON'T PUTT UNTIL YOU SEE THAT RED LIGHT FLASH.
OH, AND ROCKS SOMETIMES BLOW ONTO THE COURSE. IN THAT CASE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUTT WHEN YOU SEE THE RED LIGHT. YOU CAN WAIT TILL SOMEONE CLEARS THEM OFF.
GREAT, SO I'LL JUST WAIT TILL THIS RED LIGHT FLASHES.
NO. NOT HERE.
WHY NOT?
ROCKS ANEW. YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUTT ON THE RED LIGHT.
THIS MIGHT STING.
DON'T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME.

I'M DOWN TODAY.
HOW COME?
BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S LIFE IS BETTER THAN MINE. THEY'RE MORE ATTRACTIVE, ALWAYS HAPPY, TAKE BETTER TRIPS, AND EAT THE BEST MEALS.
LET ME SEE YOUR PHONE.
YOU SPENT THE LAST TEN HOURS ON INSTAGRAM.
I WAS HAPPY WITH MY LIFE UNTIL OTHERS SHOWED ME I WASN'T.

SING ALONG.
IF YOU'RE DRINKING AND YOU KNOW IT, CLAP YOUR HANDS.
IF YOU'RE DRINKING AND YOU KNOW IT, CLAP YOUR HANDS.
IF YOU'RE DRINKING AND YOU KNOW IT, THEN YOUR FACE WILL SURELY SHOW IT.
IF YOU'RE DRINKING AND YOU KNOW IT, CLAP YOUR HANDS.
THE PANDEMIC SONG.
AND I KNOW IT.

FACEBOOK BANNED MY POSTS AND VIOLATED MY FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS!
ACTUALLY THE FIRST AMENDMENT ONLY APPLIES TO ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT.
SO FACEBOOK IS NOT OUR GOVERNMENT?
NO.
SO ARE THEY MORE LIKE A DEITY?

HEY, PIG. WHERE WERE YOU?
I BOUGHT MY GIRLFRIEND SOME CAKE BATTER.
IS IT GOOD?
MY GIRLFRIEND THINKS IT'S AN IMPROVEMENT OVER OTHER CAKES BECAUSE THE BUTTER IN IT IS A LITTLE BITTER.
WHAT'S THAT ABOUT YOUR GIRLFRIEND?
I BOUGHT HER BETTER BITTER BUTTER BATTER.
SURELY, YOUR RETIREMENT AGE IS NEARING.

HOW WE APPEAR TO OTHERS DURING THE PANDEMIC:
HOW WE SEE OURSELVES:
LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT!
WHERE ARE ALL THE EMPTY WINE BOTTLES?
I KNEW I LEFT SOMETHING OUT.

Things I've learned in life:
Failure is not an option.
It's a lifestyle.
I'VE DECIDED TO REALLY COMMIT.

WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING?
HELPING PIG MAKE HIS DAYS MORE PRODUCTIVE, THOUGH IT WILL INVOLVE SOME SACRIFICES.
YEAH, I'M GONNA BE DISCIPLINED AND WORK OUT A COUPLE HOURS A DAY TO BE HEALTHY.
AND MEDITATE FOR TWO HOURS IN THE MORNING AND ONE HOUSE AT NIGHT TO BE CALM.
AND SET ASIDE THREE HOURS A DAY FOR FRIENDS, AND ANOTHER HOUR FOR LUNCH.
AND AN HOUR TO REALLY ENJOY BREAKFAST, ONE FOR LUNCH, AND ONE FOR DINNER.
THEN A FEW HOURS TO READ. AND EIGHT HOURS A DAY TO WORK AT A FULFILLING JOB.
THAT'S TWENTY-FOUR HOURS AND YOU HAVEN'T EVEN ACCOUNTED FOR SLEEP.
THAT'S ONE OF THE SACRIFICES.
YOU CAN GET SO MUCH MORE DONE!

I LOST MY JOB AT THE COFFEE SHOP FOR CONDUCT THAT THEY SAID WAS NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE COMPANY'S VALUES.
WHAT HAPPENED?
OH, YOU KNOW HOW COMPANIES ARE THESE DAYS SO P.C. AND AFRAID TO OFFEND ANYONE. THEY'LL FIRE YOU FOR THE SLIGHTEST OFFENSE.
WHAT DID YOU DO?
I DIDN'T LIKE A CUSTOMER'S ORDER, SO I HIT HIM IN THE HEAD WITH A COFFEE POT AND KNEED HIM IN THE GROIN.
THEY'LL FIRE YOU FOR ANYTHING THESE DAYS.
AND IT WAS ONLY A FIRST OFFENSE.