Really Alfie is lucking out here in a way. His total inadequacy for the situation can become clearer to him later when the time that has passed can ease the unpleasantness of the realization. Meanwhile he has a rationalization for his failure in the form of a competitor. That the competitor has an overwhelming advantage makes his loss more bitter but also more endurable to his own ego. I hope he adjusts. I like the kid.
I think it was Terry Pratchett who wrote “Life is game of cards played in the dark, where you don’t know the rules or the value of the chips, with a dealer that won’t stop smiling.”
A quick google search reveals that’s from Good Omens (which I highly recommend) by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.
Here’s the specific quote: “God does not play dice with the universe; He plays an ineffable game of His own devising, which might be compared, from the perspective of any of the other players [i.e. everybody], to being involved in an obscure and complex variant of poker in a pitch-dark room, with blank cards, for infinite stakes, with a Dealer who won’t tell you the rules, and who smiles all the time.”
That’s odd, at first the “Comments” label says there’s 19 comments, but when I click on it, it changes to zero comments. Let’s see what happens to this one. Science!
Ahh! Everything re-appeared. Another (semi)successful experiment! (Well, nothing exploded, burst into flames, or threatened mass destruction, but you can’t win them all.)
In the meantime, the act of posting another comment seems to clear things up. Weird. Try it and let me know what you find, if you’ve got comment notifications on and indeed are seeing this at all. :/
I’m digging sweet daddy.
I’m digging the whist metaphor. … and sweetdaddy.
You always have to give respect to a *true* playa.
It takes real talent to do those scare quotes without fingers.
I believe it involves much waggling of the eyebrows.
It’s not the ride, Alfie. Right now you’re riding an awesome Victorian robot, and you’re not getting any chicks.
In point of fact, he’s riding Hitty.
Right. Point still stands, though.
Preach it Moustachio. Can I get a witness? I wish I had a “obi-wan” like that when I was a teen.
Really Alfie is lucking out here in a way. His total inadequacy for the situation can become clearer to him later when the time that has passed can ease the unpleasantness of the realization. Meanwhile he has a rationalization for his failure in the form of a competitor. That the competitor has an overwhelming advantage makes his loss more bitter but also more endurable to his own ego. I hope he adjusts. I like the kid.
To play endless extravagant matches, with fitless finger stalls, with a twisted cue, on a cloth untrue, and ellipitical billiard balls!
Now there’s a punishment to fit the crime.
Alright, who took the two sevens?
Moustachio’s chick *is* his ride.
If those are not his eyebrows, then he’s magically acquired a golf cap – for his next adolescent rebellious phase perhaps.
IMO – ballcap means the start of grunge or gangsta.
Edwardian Rap?
I think they’re his eyebrows—you can see them in Panel Two.
Surly noodles are the best.
Mustachio is a poetic philosopher. Who knew?
I think it was Terry Pratchett who wrote “Life is game of cards played in the dark, where you don’t know the rules or the value of the chips, with a dealer that won’t stop smiling.”
A quick google search reveals that’s from Good Omens (which I highly recommend) by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.
Here’s the specific quote: “God does not play dice with the universe; He plays an ineffable game of His own devising, which might be compared, from the perspective of any of the other players [i.e. everybody], to being involved in an obscure and complex variant of poker in a pitch-dark room, with blank cards, for infinite stakes, with a Dealer who won’t tell you the rules, and who smiles all the time.”
‘Tis better to have loved and lost then never to have loved at all. Alfie has done the “loved and lost,” and Bubbles did the “never.”
That’s odd, at first the “Comments” label says there’s 19 comments, but when I click on it, it changes to zero comments. Let’s see what happens to this one. Science!
Ahh! Everything re-appeared. Another (semi)successful experiment! (Well, nothing exploded, burst into flames, or threatened mass destruction, but you can’t win them all.)
Yeah, I don’t know what’s happening, but posting a comment seems to fix it. How do I Internet?
If nothing exploded, burst into flames or threatened mass destruction, how can you call it even semi-successful?
Life is a webcomic forum where the comments go to zero when you click on them.
Sorry, not sure what’s going on. Will look into it.
In the meantime, the act of posting another comment seems to clear things up. Weird. Try it and let me know what you find, if you’ve got comment notifications on and indeed are seeing this at all. :/
Talk to Nick about that, gloom snakie.
Not even sure if whist is a real game.
We used to play a simple version of it school. Relatively easy card game to hide when the teacher comes back in.
It’s kinda like bridge, which grew out of it.
It’s the ancestor of pretty much all Western trick-taking games with bidding, like euchre, spades, or bridge.