Matt Brundage

I was going through the Pearls Before Swine archives at comics.com and noticed this doozy from May 8. Apparently it’s a followup to the famed 14 Nov 2005 strip, in which Pig “makes nice” with Annie-May.

entire strip

“Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you” —Nathaniel Hawthorne

My parents actually had a framed poster of this quote hanging in their bathroom for the longest time. It depicted a couple of cartoon children chasing butterflies in a 1970s-ish field of flowers. Why is this relevant today? Because I had one of those moments just recently. You see, it all started when I heard a particular Yo La Tengo song in passing on KEXP-FM. It must have struck a chord with me, because I remembered it and tried to find it. It was growing on me, but I had yet to hear it a second time! I wracked my brain, trying to Google the song by its lyrics. No luck. I thought about going into Yo La Tengo chat rooms and saying, I’m looking for this song, but I don’t know what it’s called and I don’t know the lyrics… I eventually decided against this.

Just the other day, I had my Winamp on shuffle, and all of a sudden, I heard it emanating from my speakers again! Turns out it’s called “Today is the Day” from Summer Sun. Sublime. Slow and deliberate. Earthy. Ethereal. Hazy. Hypnotic. I must have downloaded it off one of my podcasts or something, because I have no recollection of finding it. Totally insane.

Here’s a little list I started making last month…

Allow states to lower the drinking age to 18. So, you’re an adult, old enough to appear in “adult” films; old enough to mow down enemy combatants with M1A1 Abrams tanks, but not old enough to bring a glass of pinot noir to your lips?

Institute a flat consumption tax and eliminate the income tax. Granted, this may put my dad out of a job, but hey — how much time/money/stress will this save? A consumption tax should not discriminate against certain products — such as cigarettes or gasoline.

For the sake of free speech, eliminate all campaign finance restrictions. All means all.

Either ban tobacco products completely or revert all restrictive and hypocritical legislation regarding its use, taxation, and advertisement.

Overthrow Roe v. Wade and bring abortion laws back to the states.

Make Social Security contributions and payouts voluntary. Remove all taxes on government benefit payments and capital gains income.

Deport as many illegal aliens as possible. Enforce laws. Strengthen the borders.

Protect citizens from out-of-control judges.

See also: what I believe