Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for December 24, 2020

Just acquaintances that tolerate me for short periods.

Italian app of social tracing (Immuni , by name) never worked .

See, I do have friends. I like them, they like me… so we don’t visit (closer than masked and outside).

The app I heard about used BlueTooth to recognize the phones of people I get close to and uses that information to decide who I’ve been in contact with.

so to Rat, Goat, Pig, Zebra, the crocodiles, Steph, neighbor Bob, and every other person he meets are just acquaintances whom he call as “morons” and “losers”?

I bet it really makes sending out Christmas cards a lot easier.

Contact tracing doesn’t seem as necessary for those who have had COVID-19 and have fully recovered. Those I know who have recovered aren’t downloading the apps.

Maybe there should also be contact tracing for ST—uh, you know.

Any attempt by Rat to get close to anyone would result in the individual taking a bat to Rat.

i’ve also found that being friendless has turned out to be a major plus of late…

Rat keeps his own company the best!

Makes social distancing a bit easier anyway, eh Rat?

Social distancing is easy if you work in a cemetery, everyone there is 6 feet away!

Rodent relationships are complex. And not too many people would want to be a “contact” of Rat’s, in any case!

Loneliness!? Coming in handy!? Don’t make me laugh!

So Rat says he has no friends …. What is Goat ? A Non-Friend/Friend ? … Croc Power !

Rat is friendless? Why I never!

I have received a couple of emails at work where HR tells us that somebody in our organization has contracted the virus. But they won’t tell us who due to privacy laws (HIPPA). So what good does it do us? One was my boss’s boss whom I have not been around. (HE has it for the 2nd time!) and the other probably was somebody at another store far away (will never know).

So what good does it do to tell us if we don’t know who?

Rat may never get COVID then. Being a curmudgeonly douchecanoe is paying off.

Two people that I work with (one actually a contractor who comes in three times a week) have had coronavirus. The contractor was actually on oxygen at one point (that was back in May). Both have recovered, been quarantined, and returned to work. I’ve been tested after my contact with each one, and been tested a third time before having a routine medical procedure. Came up negative each time.

I am not drawing any conclusions from the above. Just another personal experience.

If I was Pig, I’d feel insulted…

Big Brother is here!!

Rat does not have any friends to trace but he wants his enemies to get covid.

You and me, rat :-D

Staying away from others has a lot to recommend it. On the other hand, I miss hugs.

Sad he has no friends. Angry for Contact tracing as an excuse to monitor everyone’s location. Merry Christmas Big Brother…..

MERRY CHRISTMAS STEPHAN! Love your work!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Privacy!? Hilarious! Everywhere you and your phone go is traced and logged into a server somewhere. Cross reference to Ring doorbell cameras and public surveillance cameras and you can collect tons of info. The only guard rails are the courts and the current political environment. Good luck!

Merry Christmas eve to all! Join in and sing with me now…

Deck us all with Boston Charlie,Walla Walla, Wash., an’ Kalamazoo!Nora’s freezin’ on the trolley,Swaller dollar cauliflower alley-garoo!

Don’t we know archaic barrelLullaby Lilla Boy, Louisville Lou?Trolley Molly don’t love Harold,Boola boola Pensacoola hullabaloo!

Bark us all bow-wows of folly,Polly wolly cracker ‘n’ too-da-loo!Donkey Bonny brays a carol,Antelope Cantaloupe, ‘lope with you!Hunky Dory’s pop is lolly,Gaggin’ on the wagon, Willy, folly go through!Chollie’s collie barks at Barrow,Harum scarum five alarm bung-a-loo!

Dunk us all in bowls of barley,Hinky dinky dink an’ polly voo!Chilly Filly’s name is Chollie,Chollie Filly’s jolly chilly view halloo!Bark us all bow-wows of folly,Double-bubble, toyland trouble! Woof, woof, woof!Tizzy seas on melon collie!Dibble-dabble, scribble-scrabble! Goof, goof, goof!

There are three types of friends. Not counting pets, of course.

Amen to that, you toxic bastards.

Word.

Public Health takes Priority over any “invasion of privacy” concerns. As it should.

I’m not a “social animal”, so I, in that way, am in a LOW-RISK group.

I do have friends, just rarely see them

Being a hermit has its advantages, other than those fruitcakes who keep showing up asking about all that meaning-of-life business. I just throw rocks at them until they go away.

Merry Christmas, everyone!!!! https://www.deviantart.com/thenekoboi/art/Merry-Christmas-653472392

Read the comic. It’s fun!

I really miss my friends. I don’t know if I can isolate for another year, but my dog walks help. I haven’t seen any friends who aren’t close enough to walk to see outside, and few want to in this winter weather. I think I saw my last friend actually in an indoor building around June? Our covid numbers were very low then.

Once again, Rat speaks for me. At my advanced age, plus all the moving around I’ve done during the course of my life, I have pretty much no living friends who live near enough for person-to-person interaction (aside from the quarantine thing for the moment)….