Bill Watterson looks back

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Tuesday, February 2. 2010

Bill Watterson looks back

It's been a sad 15 years without Calvin and Hobbes.

Posted by Bird Dog in The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 10:23 | Comments (17) | Trackbacks (0)

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BD your right, it is sad not having C and H around anymore.
What is even sadder is losing the people who have been banned on this site. You seem to be more forgiving with Dunkin Doughnuts "with all their faults" then you are with the people who actually contributed something to this site.
That I find really sad. PIP

#1 jappy on 2010-02-02 12:22 (Reply)

We'll change that when we are ready.

#1.1 bd on 2010-02-02 12:50 (Reply)

It's your site. Do what you damn well please. I like it the way it is.

#1.1.1 ricefarm on 2010-02-02 13:58 (Reply)

ricefarm, I don't like it the way it is, but you are right it's BD's site. He can do with it whatever he wants. The problem is BD likes a one way street. He wants us to tell our friends about Maggie's, or when a commentator doesn't post for a while. He wants to know whats up, but when I or someone else ask a question, or want to find out the truth. We get stonewalled.

Don't think for one second ricefarm that if you or anyone else on this site got banned. That I'd be doing something different. I'd be doing the same for you, or anyone else. It's just the way I am wired. I'm not quite right in the head!

#1.1.1.1 jappy on 2010-02-02 15:28 (Reply)

I don't have a dog in this fight but I do have a question and a comment.

My question: Why would a person that has been banned and has obviously been made to feel unwelcome even want to come back?

My comment: The constant whining about the reinstatement of banned commenters has grown tedious to the point of annoying. It detracts from and lessens the enjoyment of the blog.

#1.1.1.1.1 feeblemind on 2010-02-02 15:42 (Reply)

Long before I got to the point of doing something that would get me banned I would just quit visiting. Life is too short to spend your time willfully doing things that piss you off, and that goes double for doing things just to be a pain in someone else's ass. There are enough things out there I can't avoid that fill my quota for getting my blood pressure up without doing things or reading things on purpose that I know will upset me.
BD puts an incredible amount of time into keeping this thing going. If you don't like it and can't find something you do like, start your own and then you can say and include whatever you want. It's still a free country, but that doesn't mean others are obligated to listen to what you have to say.

#1.1.1.1.2 ricefarm on 2010-02-02 20:51 (Reply)

And what exactly would that something be that would get you banned? Do you know what got Meta banned? You seem to have the inside track on that. I am no one's pain in the ass. The pains that BD feels in his own ass are self inflicted ones. I have never once insinuated or implied that BD does not work hard at running this fine site. But tell me, how do you know he works incredibly hard? If BD was a man, he'd answer these questions that I have asked many times. He doesn't need you to defend him. That is if he is a man. There is always a flip side to the coin, ricefarm. The flip side is nobody is obligated to listen to what you have to say either. Why don't you stand up for the truth instead of standing up for BD?

#1.1.1.1.2.1 jappy on 2010-02-02 22:29 (Reply)

I miss the original "Bloom County" as well.

#2 Jim on 2010-02-02 12:52 (Reply)

"Calvinball" is a better descriptor of life's rules than anything I've ever heard.

+1 on Bloom County, and I have to throw The Far Side in there. Thankfully, we morbid absurdists still have Red Meat.

#3 Jim on 2010-02-02 12:58 (Reply)

I too miss C & H along with the original Bloom County.

#4 Doug on 2010-02-02 12:59 (Reply)

Well jappy, I dunno about the banned. On the one hand, I think censorship is bad.... on the other hand, I don't pay the bills. As I have said about more than one website "Your house, your rules". If I find the censorship objectionable, I pick up my page viewing habit and go elsewhere. That is what is nice so far about a "free" web, where the content provider pays the bill. If the content provider doesn't provide content that appeals to me, I can go find like thinking elsewhere that does. For example: Little Green Footballs. Back before the owner (IMHO) went off the deep end, I was a daily visitor. I quit going there quite some time ago when I couldn't take the spew anymore. No one forced me TO go. No one forced me TO stay. Charles choice to change his editorial direction, my choice to go somewhere else. So be it.

There are websites that I explicitly registered to view and post comments on I never visit anymore, for much the same reason. Their house, their rules, and I couldn't abide by the censorship or the blatant attacks or the content or whatever. Some of those sites are advertising driven. I hope I do my part in their demise by my lack of page views and click throughs.

A long time ago I was tasked in my group to do an opinion survey of our customer service. I called current and former customers of our service contract, and unless the service was really bad (as in outrageous) the former customers gave some answer of the form "we chose to go in a different direction". After I had several of those non answers I dug some more. What I found is the way to tell your customer was really unhappy with your product.... they went elsewhere. That old cliche is a happy customer will tell a few of their friends.... an unhappy one will tell anyone who will listen. That was very true in relation to that company's product service. (disclaimer: that company was merged and merged again into a megolith tech company today. I no longer work FOR them but still work ON their product. )

All the above to say, while I miss SOME of the back-and-forth interplay of the 'banned' commenters, I don't miss them enough to go elsewhere. When this site no longer provides content I like or the editorial direction leaves my thought path or my tastes in websites change, I'll be out of here. Until then I think I'll stick around and hijack yet another thread. heh.

#5 JoeC on 2010-02-02 13:08 (Reply)

JoeC I miss the same thing " the back and forth interplay" I also miss their intelligence wisdom and knowledge on so many topics. Not that the present crowd aren't any less wise, because they are. A lot of damn smart people here, yourself included.

#5.1 jappy on 2010-02-02 15:43 (Reply)

There is an extensive collection of Calvin and Hobbes at a site called Marcello's Homepage-Comics-Calvin & Hobbes.

#6 feeblemind on 2010-02-02 13:37 (Reply)

I have it bookmarked. It gives you pages with what I assume is a month's worth of comics. I have gone through them more than once but try to limit myself to one month's worth a day.

#6.1 ricefarm on 2010-02-02 14:01 (Reply)

feeblemind maybe you should have a dog in this fight.

Your question: Is legit, however Meta and Luther we're not made to feel unwelcome. They were banned in Meta's case for no apparent reason. Luther asked for his. I don't know if they would come back.

My comment: The issue has always been about finding out the truth. I feel sorry for you if you find the truth to be tedious and annoying. As far as the constant whining, that's a pretty big stretch on your part. With the exception of today I've brought up the 800lb gorilla probably 4 times since late Dec. I'll have to back check to make sure. If that constitutes constant whining then I am guilty.
I don't think it detracts from anything.

Don't lay the guilt about the enjoyment of the blog on me.
That, you can lay with BD and the 800lb gorilla he has stuffed in Maggie's closet.

#6.2 jappy on 2010-02-02 16:38 (Reply)

I miss Calvin and Hobbes. I really get annoyed whn I see the Calvin stickers on Pickup trucks out here as I kow that there are no royalties being paid to Watterson.

#7 garrett on 2010-02-02 14:32 (Reply)

I have two types of favorites C&H strips:
the ones where Calvin creates his creative snow men in the front yard
the ones where Calvin interacts with his dad. His Dad is my favorite character in the strip.

#8 Gadsden on 2010-02-02 20:53 (Reply)

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Tuesday, February 2. 2010

Bill Watterson looks back