Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for June 13, 2023

It must be all the pollen.

Not enough tissues in the world for this.

It’s just a common cold.

Are trees allergic to trees?

My old man told me when I was Calvin’s age that ocean waves are caused by the rotation of the earth, which is why they never stop.

C’mon Dad. You know they don’t sneeze, they bark.

“Trees sneezing.” C’mon, dad. Day of the Triffids had a much better plot.

Jeez, just tell him the truth already, dad — wind is really caused by tigers farting.

Honestly, I like Calvin’s dad’s euphemism. I like lots of euphemisms. My favorite is one I coined for when a religious leader passes away: “They have gone to check the validity of their claims”. Anyway, “trees sneezing” sounds just disgusting enough for Calvin to like it!

Is it any wonder that Calvin has such a wild imagination?

Just don’t ask Dad what causes breaking wind if he is going to explain it using sneezing.

That’s cute!

I love Dad’s answers. He is the fount of all non knowledge…

Now I know from whom he gets all his ideas. His father is a fountain of inspiration. We all are very thankful for that.

That which is learned first, is hardest to change. ljm

Air pollution is trees farting.

Kid to Dad, “Why did God make Trump?” Dad to Kid, “So we could watch a bully get what he deserves.” “Really?, asks the Kid. “Sorta, but the truth is more complicated.”

My wife thought trees contributed to the wind when she was younger. She didn’t understand why the wind was so strong in desert barren areas without any trees. True story.

Sneezy trees cause breeze!

This is one of my favourite ones.

that’s kind of cute =)

Allergies are horrible now!

It’s blowin in the wind…..

‘the truth is more complicated…and I don’t have enough time to explain it!"

Hobbs is like: “Yeah, okay”.

Dad’s should play games with their kids minds. Gets them thinking or at least those who don’t model Calvin. I used to mispronounce words to test our sons’ hearing and to be sure they were listening. Turned out to be a good game some evenings.

I thought the earth was just spinning faster. I had a globe when I was a kid.

Dad doesn’t know either.

Mother Nature cleaning house…

I like that— Trees sneezing. I wish I’d told my daughter that when she was 3.

That is a LOT cleaner than what I was told!

“For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.” – H.L. Mencken

Still, that’s what voters are drawn to.

Tree Farts are good just inhale.

So, according to Pops, thunder is just the Gods bowling?

This is actually the reason behind a lot of “misinformation”. The world is a complicated place. It’s so much easier to assume everything is black and white (pun intended) and all your problems are someone else’s fault.

Love it!:)

When Dad does the “Birds and Bees” talk, Calvin may end up in therapy.

The trees are just practicing to unlodge Charlie Brown’s kites

And why complicate the truth with facts?

I would love to see a contest between Dad and Lucy van Pelt to see who could come up with the best explanations for the world around us.

Only somewhat relevant here, but I came across this quote yesterday (by David Hills of Stanford University): Philosophy is “the ungainly attempt to tackle questions that come naturally to children, using methods that come naturally to lawyers.”* (from “Nasty, Brutish, and Short: Adventures in Philosophy with Kids,” by Scott Hershovitz)

*Calvin’s dad is, of course, an attorney.

I love his dad. My favorite is the discussion of color photos of the black and white world.

I had a buddy of mine who was like Calvin’s dad. He’d just lie outrageously to his kids about stuff like this. And he was pretty imaginative about it, too. It was a hoot to listen to what he could come up with in short order, right off the top of his head, and deliver with a straight face. The kids turned out all right anyway, and perhaps they learned a little practical lesson about trusting authority overmuch.

Bean burritos.

Like father, like son!

This is how way too many people are and it really needs to change.

Calvin’s “problems” are definitely congenital! A chip off the old block!

Trees sneezing. Hilarious!

Since when has Dad let “too complicated” deter him from answering one of Calvin’s questions?

Gesundheit.

Isn’t Sneezing Trees a grunge band from the early 1990’s?

At least he was honest there.