For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for January 17, 2016

What a strong little girl Elizabeth is using a can opener.

No, Elizabeth. You’re supposed to punch the second hole on the bottom of the can.

Good try, Elizabeth.Incomplete instructions are as bad as none at all.

Advice……….Its all in the details.

I watched a show once where the host was trying to show how complicated programming a computer can be. He put on a raincoat and hat and had the audience tell him how to drink a glass of water. He did exactly what they said, hence the raincoat and hat. Never got near his mouth.

When I taught science I had my students write out the directions for making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Then I made the sandwich according to what was written, literally. “Get 2 pieces of bread. Put the peanut butter on one. Put the jelly on the other. Put the bread with peanut butter on top of the bread with the jelly”. So I put the unopened jar of peanut butter on one slice of bread, the unopened jar of jelly on the other and stacked them.

We wrote instructions on tying shoes back in 4th grade science. As you said, teacher followed our instructions as we read them. One rather imaginative student’s finally line was, if these instructions don’t work, put on a pair of slip ons. Of course everyone roared!

GOD, all of you guys have no sense of humor!!!

Hahah at Elizabeth!!

Or, as country folk say, "He couldn’t pour water out of a boot with instructions on the heel!

The Classic computer programming example, from Grace Hopper, was to read the instructions on a bottle of Shampoo and ask the obvious questions about the process..Wet Hair. Shampoo Hair.Rinse.Repeat..When repeating, do you have to wait until your Hair is Dry before repeating? Otherwise, how do you wet the Hair when it is Already Wet?When is it OK to Stop Repeating?When the bottle of Shampoo goes Empty, can you Stop or should you reach for another Bottle?…

Probably had a 56 oz can of Hi-C in my fridge, and a few stacked nearby, when this first ran.

Very few items canned like this anymore. I think Hawaiian Punch may still come in cans, as well as plastic jugs.

you plug the hole with your finger, turn the can over and punch another hole. Then you can “shotgun” the beer.

Heh, I remember those days. Put a big hole in one side, and a little tiny hole in the other. Thanks for the happy remembrance.

About the only thing I ever learned from Julia Child was to double-punch the air hole in a can of beef consommé. Worked great with chocolate syrup. I’m glad chocolate syrup comes in squeeze bottles these days.

I had totally forgot about opening those cans, started probably around the same age as Elizabeth in this cartoon. It’s been so many years!

I take it that was Lynn’s comment and not yours. If you must be so obsessive about how to report her comments you could at least include that piece of information. Thank you.

Ellie deserves that mess.

No small child would know the right way to punch the holes. They mom is pretty dim.