This strip marks the second time in nearly two full years that Paul and I have created and executed a strip while both being in the same physical room with one another. Friday’s strip will be done in the same manner. I suppose we’ll find out if this was the missing ingredient, that essential herb and/or spice that would rocket us into super-web-comic-stardom.

Let me be honest, at this moment: I have not purchased the latest Bad Company, nor do I plan to. I don’t like the mechanics of the game, I don’t like the communication system, and I don’t like the game-winning technique Paul has shared with me.

This has, however, reminded me of a common situation whenever a new game drops on the scene. I have constructed a metaphor, and you are free to experience it along with me here:

You and all your friends are on an island. Having fun. With each other. A new ferry opens up to a neighboring island. You can go, but it costs $60. Your friends are all going. “But,” you might find yourself saying, “I don’t want to go. I like this island just fine.”

They can’t hear you, however, because they’ve already boarded the ferry and are off enjoying the new island. Because they’re not really your friends.

You’re all bastards, basically, is what I’m getting at.

I’m in Pittsburgh now, and will be appropriately engaged in Pittsburgery for the next few days. If you make it a point to seek me out, I will happily fail to live up to any expectations you may have.

It’s because you insist on treating us this way. I’ve been in abusive relationships before, and I’ve learned that if you don’t step in and put a stop to it yourself, it will just go on and on.

In case you were wondering (I doubt you were), I calculated the size based on pixel count of the areas in the screen shot. Yes, it took some time to put together. Yes, I have other things to do that are vastly more important and rewarding. But damnit, I’m just fucking done with these kinds of websites.

This. This right here.

I love the show Castle on NBC. Or ABC. Or CBS. I don’t actually know because I watch it on Hulu. Where I saw this:

Thumbnails of the past 4 episodes

Now, I know that cop shows must follow a formula, and that similar shots are likely to occur. But, c’mon. You’ve got Captain Mal Reynolds on your show. Look alive.

Okay, I know that we, as a species, have this undeniable urge to pretend that every moment in our lives is somehow historical, dramatic and should never be forgotten… for at least a week. It’s why so many people are convinced that the Apocalypse will occur in their lifetime. How popular would they be in the afterlife? “Yeah, no big deal. Out of the 100,000 years of human existence, the Big Guy chose the 80 year span in which I happened to be alive to bring it all to an end. Yeah. So, um, is Sheryl getting down on this thing? Cause I was kinda hoping for the two of you.”

On Tuesday, when Scott Brown won the special election for Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat (that he will probably lose in 2012), mainstream commentators all across the country declared it, by fiat, to be a game-changing, life altering happenstance that we were all lucky to be present to witness. This is the kind of thing I’m talking about.

However, on occasion, something really important does happen. Like yesterday. And and some of those occasions, your attempts to discuss it can be derailed.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled that corporate entities have the same inalienable right to free speech that all the fine citizens of this country do. So, the majority concluded, there should be no limits regarding what corporations are allowed to spend promoting a political candidate or issue. The logic behind the ruling purports to be a “leveling of the playing field.” I’m still feeling out the issue, but it seems to me that if you want a level playing field, then organizations with hundreds of millions of discretionary spending dollars and a unique opportunity to influence the elections of the very people who will be regulating them should not be considered the same as individual people who have, say, an extra $27.50 each week that they may or may not use to purchase flowers for their girlfriend in exchange for sex.

That may be a rather gross oversimplification of the issue, but that’s Blogging 101. At the Blogging Academy. Which I obviously attended. But I still consider myself an amateur at this “oversimplification” thing. Here’s how a pro would frame the debate:

Supporters Of The Ruling: Moronic puppets of big business, happily trading away the sovereignty of their minds in exchange for visceral pleasures like fancy cars and iPhones.

Dissenters: Soft-headed sheeple who have bought into the liberal agenda and would rather be living on a commune with Chairman Mao than in a place with electricity and running water.

Yeah. I am really not looking forward to any of this.

We’re on the Top 20 list at IsItFunnyToday.Com. Twice.

Since they only list a comic as “today” if it was made in the last two days (I know), we’ve never even had a chance of appearing on the Top 20 twice at the same time. But we went up late yesterday, so we’re currently rocking the Number 12 and 20 spots. Why, with a few more clicks from our adoring fans, we could be at 11 and 19!

Tell us you love us!

Also, I’m going to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next weekend, representing RealPoiltech. My work in the web-o-tubes notwithstanding, I have secured an invitation to a blogger’s party with nothing more than a link to this very site! For some inexplicable reason, the event coordinators looked at this comic and decided I deserved to come for free booze and some nerd schmoozing. I will be “tweeting” this event, which is to say that I will have a constant excuse to avoid social interactions with people I don’t know.

I didn’t think it would come to this.

So we made it, both of us, through the holidays alive. However, I an still in transit an I can’t reach Paul. And, of course, we have no comic “buffer” of which to speak.

The long an short of it is that I am posting this update from my goddamned phone riding back from LAX. We are going to miss our update today, and for that we are sorry.

I didn’t post this earlier because, as I said, I never thought it would come to this.

Check back early tomorrow. We will have that Gremliny goodness that cats crave.