Frank’s Dad, to whom we have yet to assign a moniker, is going to be with us for a few more strips. There’s meat on these bones, and we’re going to get all the protein out of it that we can.

Some of you may have noticed that new strips are no longer going up at midnight on the deadline days. There are several well-thought out reasons for this, but they’re very boring and relate to you in no way. Let’s just say it’s something to do with unicorns. And rainbows.

We don’t actually have anything meaningful to say about the stimulus package. I don’t think any else does either, but at least we’re honest about our lack of a coherent position. Best as I can tell, either the recession will end or it won’t. Whatever we (and by we I mean the government, the media and the American People) are doing at the time is what will get the credit, so arguing about it seems like a waste of time.

Yes, we are still working on the Joe Loves Crappy Movies comic. We hope to have it done by next week, if he’ll still have it.

I am incredibly excited about tomorrow night’s television programming schedule. Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse premieres and there’s a new episode of Terminator: TSCC. I haven’t had a good dose of Whedon-juice in a while, and I’ll probably re-watch Dr. Horrible today.

I don’t like to dish about my fellow celebrities, but it appears that Joaquin Phoenix has gone batshit loco. Farrah Fawcett is no longer the poster child of the “Don’t Get Super Fucking High and Go On Letterman” campaign. That honor now belongs to the hip-hop sensation J. Pizzle (Joaquin’s stage name, I hear).

You guys remember the scene in Being John Malkovich where John tells his agent that he wants to be a puppeteer? I imagine a similar conversation was had between Joaquin and his agent in the recent past.

There was a moment when I feared for Dave. Here’s this drug-fueled celebrity, exposing his inner-most dreams to a laughing audience, all the while angry that no one will take him seriously. Joaquin really wants to be a hip-hop artist, and he’s been Joaquin Phoenix for so long that he doesn’t remember what it’s like to be the new guy on the scene.

Welcome to the bottom, my man. We’ll keep you company.