Ships of Fools (Wk of 10/3/11)

[LadyGrinningSoul]

I predict James is going to pull a mea culpa and ask for Ari's forgiveness for jumping the gun about her and Miriam. Look, he has no choice, as far as I'm concerned. I mean, the man has a gorgeous babe who's a lawyer who likes him! James would be an idiot to throw that away! Plus, I mean, what job does he have outside of the bar?? I don't think it pays well, does it, RC? James needs all of the help he can get!

I agree, he is probably there to apologize. But I don't think he cares that Ari is a lawyer or that she makes a lot of money. The old James would have, but this is the new kinder and gentler James (made kinder and gentler by love, no doubt). The old James wouldn't have apologized, either; he'd have blamed it all on Ari (or Miriam).

[SAGG]

(From the 10/31 comic) I'll never understand you dames!

[LadyGrinningSoul]

(From the 10/31 comic) I'll never understand you dames!

What's not to understand? Ari was about to eat crow herself, but when James gave her an out, she took it. Who wouldn't?

[LadyGrinningSoul]

11/4 strip:

Not that I didn't see this coming, but I thought there was at least a slight chance that Ari was going to call the whole thing off once Martha inadvertently got her thinking about Miriam. I still think there's a good chance Ari/Mir will happen, but obviously it's on the back burner now. I can't see Ari sleeping with James just once and then immediately turning her attention towards Mir. Looks like Ari/James is on now, and will have to run its course. No way they end up together permanently.

[SAGG]

(From the 11/9 comic) I think I called this when I called Miriam a sad character. Mir, those who know you can't help but to feel at least a little pity for you. Perhaps this is why you smoke and drink--to make up for some of your shortcomings...

[LadyGrinningSoul]

(From the 11/9 comic) I think I called this when I called Miriam a sad character. Mir, those who know you can't help but to feel at least a little pity for you. Perhaps this is why you smoke and drink--to make up for some of your shortcomings...

She's sad right now, sure. She's being introspective, and feeling a little sad about her shortcomings. We all do that, don't we? Generally, though, she's very upbeat.

I'd be remiss if I neglected to mention how sexy Mir looks in the 3rd and 4th panels. Especially considering she's laying half-naked in bed wistfully thinking about Sherry in panel number 4. Rowf! I still think Ari/Mir is going to happen, but could Sherry be in the mix yet again too?

[LadyGrinningSoul]

11/15 strip:

I've always thought Miriam looks really sexy when she wakes up.

Ari's got her beat. Hands down.

[LadyGrinningSoul]

11/18:

Well, damn, she liked it.

This may take longer to run its course than I thought.

[diddledop]

11/22/11: Mir's hair is (and has been) simply and stupendously magnificent!! Q: How'd she get so much volume from seemingly out of no where?

[LadyGrinningSoul]

It certainly is a mane to die for.

Also, I like the quasi-schoolgirl look she's rockin' right now.

[rcmonroe]

11/22/11: Mir's hair is (and has been) simply and stupendously magnificent!! Q: How'd she get so much volume from seemingly out of no where?

It's been growing longer and fuller since the strip began. At some point I'll probably have to hack it off. If I don't, it might take over the strip.

[LadyGrinningSoul]

11/23 strip:

Hey, doesn't Miriam still have a little friends-with-benefits thing going with Steven? Or is that so sporadic that she doesn't even consider it to be ongoing? In either case I find it kind of interesting that she doesn't mention it to Clayton. Is she embarrassed or is she just being discreet?

[rcmonroe]

Is she embarrassed or is she just being discreet?

I would say the latter.

[furrykef]

"Sometimes it takes several flips for the coin to get with the program."

Story of my life!

[SAGG]

(From the 11/28 comic) Geez, Rod, why are you getting upset over Ari mishearing you, dude? Not a cool way of trying to win her affections, you know. This is why I'd never have any sort of relations with my (female) boss...

[LadyGrinningSoul]

(From the 11/28 comic) Geez, Rod, why are you getting upset over Ari mishearing you, dude? Not a cool way of trying to win her affections, you know. This is why I'd never have any sort of relations with my (female) boss...

I get the feeling Rod's not really trying to win her over anymore. It's clear to all of us she's moved on, don't you think he's smart enough to figure it out too? Maybe that's why he yelled at her: disappointment and frustration.

11/30 strip:

At first glance I thought it said "face-sitting friend". I really did. I know, I know.

I'm starting to feel a little sorry for James. As much as Ari seems to be enjoying their thing, I still can't see it lasting. I think he's really into her, and I think she's just trying it out. I could be wrong.

[rcmonroe]

(From the 11/28 comic) Geez, Rod, why are you getting upset over Ari mishearing you, dude?

I was trying to get the point across that she had made the same mistake or similar ones a few times already (because of her lack of sleep the night before) and that's why Rod finally got frustrated and snapped at her. I guess I didn't make that very clear.

At first glance I thought it said "face-sitting friend".

That's one entendre I definitely did not intend, even subconsciously.

[SAGG]

(From the 11/28 comic) Geez, Rod, why are you getting upset over Ari mishearing you, dude?

I was trying to get the point across that she had made the same mistake or similar ones a few times already (because of her lack of sleep the night before) and that's why Rod finally got frustrated and snapped at her. I guess I didn't make that very clear.

Meh. No biggie.

[SAGG]

(From the 12/1 comic) Actually, Rod's question in the last panel has some validity, I think: What exactly does Ari see in James? He apparently has just the bartender job, which certainly doesn't measure up to Ari's (presumably) six figure a year job.

[furrykef]

He apparently has just the bartender job, which certainly doesn't measure up to Ari's (presumably) six figure a year job.

Why would Ari need a boyfriend with a six-figure job if she's already making six figures?

[SAGG]

He apparently has just the bartender job, which certainly doesn't measure up to Ari's (presumably) six figure a year job.

Why would Ari need a boyfriend with a six-figure job if she's already making six figures?

Call it a male ego thing, comparison-wise, and hopefully not a sexist point of view on my part. James would make, what, at best if he's lucky, $20K a year at the most? Wouldn't James feel a tad "kept" by Ari, who'd make at least, oh, maybe seven times more than him? Perhaps I'm providing a glimpse into a future storyline that RC's already written (since he plots out OT's stories way ahead of time)?

[LadyGrinningSoul]

Call it a male ego thing, comparison-wise, and hopefully not a sexist point of view on my part. James would make, what, at best if he's lucky, $20K a year at the most? Wouldn't James feel a tad "kept" by Ari, who'd make at least, oh, maybe seven times more than him?

That would make it James' hangup, not Ari's. If Ari cared about that, she wouldn't have brought James to her cousin's wedding in the first place—where she knew she would have to introduce him to her whole family and tell them she was dating a bartender. It's pretty telling that she was more comfortable with pretending a bartender was her boyfriend than she was with admitting to them she was bisexual.

To me Ari and James are "not right for each other" in a myriad of ways, and their respective economic status is one of them. I think it's far less significant than the differences in their personalities and the fact that Ari is far more attracted to women than men. I think right now they're both excited by the newness of the relationship—some of the compatibility issues are being glossed over.

Can't blame them, really. Putting reality on hold isn't just a Miriam trait!

[SAGG]

(From the 12/5 comic) I wonder if Sherry's a liberal, and she's criticizing a conservative commentator? If so, I wonder who it is (or someone like them)?

[LadyGrinningSoul]

I wonder if Sherry's a liberal, and she's criticizing a conservative commentator?

For some reason that's what I assumed at first, but I'm not sure there's any valid reason for the assumption. I'm gonna hold off until I get more info.

Like at least until tomorrow's strip.

[furrykef]

I assumed it too. I think it's because the average liberal doesn't complain about conservative commentators in quite the same manner as vice versa. Though that's still only a tendency that you can't necessarily extend to any particular individual.