La Cucaracha by Lalo Alcaraz for November 22, 2014

I wonder why major broadcast networks declined to carry Obama’s speech about his executive action regarding immigration?

Right on Lalo!

The sad thing is, the same people keep falling for it.

“Truth” from the White House? Do you mean the WMD “truth” that Cheney/Bush rammed down the throats of the gullible?And don’t dare call that “old news,” ’cause people are still being killed and maimed—especially the Christians there.That war opened the door for extremists…

I guess it’s just one among a zillion things you wonder about.

Zillion and one, actually. Curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge keep the mind sharp.

Fox news won the midterm elections?I didn’t even know it was running for office.

You must not have been paying attention.

Replacement dialogue for the first panel -“I wonder why Lalo’s obsession with Ebola isn’t over?”

At this point, it’s possible Alcaraz is just trolling you.

How do I do it?

I don’t know, but what you’re doing here ain’t gonna do it. Getting organized and building a large, active movement might help. Or you could buy up all those newspaper companies.

even asking my nemesis

It’s kind of exciting to be a nemesis. I suppose that means I’m on your mind an awful lot, huh?

Agrestic – you don’t know how to do it, only that what I’m doing won’t do it?WOW. Not helpful.

Doesn’t seem like you know, either. But hey, I did give you a couple of suggestions. Which, really, is more than you should have expected. Particularly since they’re tips on how to do something I’d rather you not do.

Folks, there is no solution, but she sure enough knows that something is wrong.

What are you saying that I know is wrong? Specifics, please.

(it does make me feel better to know that Agrestic’s replies to my comments have no solid foundation…only empty complaints)

Ah, but you’re wrong here. Your end goal is to drive La Cucaracha from the pages of your and other newspapers. My goal, on the other hand, isn’t to drive you from this forum. When I reply to you, my goal is to reply to you and present another voice. So my foundation is solid as bedrock, and I feel satisfied.

Okay, we’ll just work on the basis that you frequently don’t know

If I don’t know something, I’ll say it. If I’m wrong about something, I’ll say it. That’s how honest conversation works. You seem to be approaching it as if it’s some weakness, but without people starting from “I don’t know,” and being honest with themselves when they’re wrong, you wouldn’t be typing words into a computer and sending them over the internet. You wouldn’t be able to store food in a fridge. You wouldn’t have a solid roof over your head, or plant fibers (or petroleum, or trees, or animal hairs) woven into clothes to cover your body. The food you eat would be much more monotonous, and wouldn’t be cooked. You wouldn’t be able to vote in elections. In fact, it’s one of the great human traits to be able to learn, and learning starts from not knowing, and from sometimes (maybe even often) being wrong and learning from that.

Maybe a quote from the indisputably great athlete Michael Jordan would help:

“I’ve missed over 9,000 shots in my career.“I’ve lost almost 300 games.“26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed.“I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life.“And that is why I succeed.”

The fact that all you can do is hold up a single “I don’t know” to be some ultimate sign of weakness, and the fact that you seem incapable of ever sincerely admitting you’re wrong, are the actual failings here. They will work to keep your mind closed and isolated, which is frankly a sad place to be in. I hope you’re able to make your way out of it at some point.

you continually grouse that I’m doing it (my goal) wrong but offer no solution even when asked.

That’s funny, I recall giving you two suggestions. In fact, one of them is pretty much how you claimed folks got La Cucaracha to stay on the comics page. I can’t help it if you don’t like the suggestion. In any case, I don’t grouse about you doing it wrong. I just point it out. In fact, I’m obviously rooting against you succeeding in your stated goal.

You said you don’t dislike me.

Correct. I don’t. I mean, you work at being dislikable, but I actually find you somewhat entertaining. Are you reading dislike from the fact that I tell you when you’re wrong? Which is, admittedly often. That you’re wrong. And that I point it out.

the magnanimous Agrestic has no desire to get rid of anybody

I didn’t say I didn’t wish that some folks would butt out of the public discourse (Limbaugh, Beck, Palin, Cruz, Bachmann, Steve King, Gohmert, etc.). But you’re not one of them. Like I said, you’re somewhat entertaining. And somewhat like the way a certain small, blue-and-green planet would have been described in an electronic compendium of useful facts for galactic hitchhikers, had said planet not been destroyed to make way for a hyperspace bypass.

but she is disingenuous so I can dismiss her protest

In what way am I disingenuous? Specifics, please.

parses every morsel of my comments like a vulture picking at carrion (and yet so very pleased with herself for spending her valuable time so wisely and well)

You do a lot of parsing yourself. And picking apart, and prodding and poking to try and get a rise. Which is fine. I suppose it fills some time for you. And while I’m touched that you’re concerned with my time, my responses to you are quick to write, so no worries on that front.