Luddites Unite! What Is This Thing You Call a 'Blog'?
Morning, Cartoon Nation...

'PICKLES' (WPWG)
My favorite comic of the day? Without a doubt, it's "Pickles,"because Brian Crane gets the truth and tone of the language so very, very right.
All this week, Opal is bemoaning technological change. She is spurred to exclaim: "I just don't like the word 'blog.' It doesn't sound classy like 'journal.' "
This is one of those bits of dialogue that half-convinces me Crane has bugged my relatives' home. One relative, roughly Opal's age, has uttered pert-near the exact same sentiment.
I'm also reminded of a Washington, D.C., appearance last year by comic Lewis Black . Blogging is NOT writing, Black railed. A stream of quickly inputted, barely considered thoughts is not writing, Black insisted. Besides, he ranted, a "blog" sounds like a medical procedure or disease -- like something that prevents circulation in your arm.
Opal, in other words, is entirely a woman after Black's own heart.
ELSEWHERE...

'DILBERT' (UFS)
ONE-LINER OF THE DAY: Today's nod goes to "Dilbert" for: "I guess promiscuity and a G.E.D. was a pretty good strategy for me after all."
DAILY MEDIA META-COMMENTARY: Perhaps it's only natural that comics comment on the very mode of delivery that brings so many millions their funnies. Today's runner-up for funniest is "Pearls," but I'm also a sucker for "Speed Bump" because Dave Coverly spits the truth so succinctly. Huzzahs, fellas. You speak to our very (tortured) soul.

"SPEEDBUMP" (Creators)

'PEARLS' (UFS)
By
Michael Cavna
| May 4, 2009; 7:00 AM ET
Categories:
The Morning Line
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Posted by: agefen | May 4, 2009 8:09 AM | Report abuse
You also missed today's Non Sequitur - good comment on the state of online newspapers...
Posted by: Chasmosaur1 | May 4, 2009 8:12 AM | Report abuse
Cavna takes as a given that Wiley has something sarcastic to say about the newspaper industry.
Posted by: yellojkt | May 4, 2009 8:52 AM | Report abuse
Well, Fuzz is better than Agnes, but wouldn't Red and Rover be better? Lio'?
Posted by: oldgal49er | May 4, 2009 9:05 AM | Report abuse
Two points on blogging:
1. The Library of Congress so far doesn't consider "blog" to be a meaningful subject heading, preferring "Weblogs." As an indexer, when entering data on Weblogs I also use a personal name or corporate entry with the subheading "Diaries." That's actually a bit racier than "journal."
2. Today's "Doonesbury" also takes a dig at blogging and its dress code.
Posted by: drazen1 | May 4, 2009 9:08 AM | Report abuse
I'll be rending garments and sitting shivah until Frazz is returned from exile in the awful Kids Post...
Posted by: JkR- | May 4, 2009 10:49 AM | Report abuse
Sunday's Arlo and Janis has a nice take on another advantage of a hard copy newspaper. It's at: http://comics.com/arlo&janis/2009-05-03/
Posted by: greggwiggins | May 4, 2009 11:28 AM | Report abuse
So "Frazz" is a kid's strip, because it has kids in it? Aren't there about a dozen legacy strips that are more nearly enjoyable by children, whereas Frazz often relies on cultural references that they would find meaningless? I swear, no one working at the Post ever reads the comics that the paper publishes!!!!
Posted by: seismic-2 | May 5, 2009 5:39 AM | Report abuse
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Now what are they doing putting Agnes back and exiling Frazz to the the Kids page??? This is just getting ridiculous.