Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for November 20, 2010

I remember whilst in the army in Hong Kong in the 1950,s we had to spray the whole billet with DDT every Saturday morning and use a blow lamp to burn the metal camp beds and the little blighters were there again the following week. Don’t think that the problem is any easier to solve even today.

GT imparts his satirical wit to Robbie, whom he depicts fondly. Contrast this sketch by Shakespeare, who hated dogs and gives his clown Lance (in Two Gentlemen of Verona) the following soliloquy to the audience as Lance carries his dog Crab onstage:

“Crab thrusts himself into the company of three or four gentleman-like dogs under the Duke’s table. He had not been there a pissing-while but all the chamber smelled him. ‘Whip him out,’ says the Duke. I, recognizing the smell, knew it was Crab, so I go to the fellow that whips the dogs. ‘Friend,’ quoth I, ‘you do him wrong; ‘twas I did the thing you wot of.’ He makes no more ado but whips me out of the chamber. How many masters would do this for their servant?”

Shakespeare’s audience didn’t need to be reminded that “dogs aren’t infallible” and that their doting masters are often mistaken. Mike can only hope Robbie’s visit has made a difference.

Hmm, even with ‘Nam, Mexico, and several other countries, the only placed I ever picked up bedbugs was a motel in Amarillo, with hookers upstairs, with much bed and door banging as our new “neighbors” changed hourly. Which brings us to the element of “Crab”, shrubs, dogs, and visiting Texas.

Does this dog remind anyone else of the drug-sniffing dog, Claude (or was it Clyde) from Mike and Zonker’s cross-country motorcycle trip back in the 1970’s?

(Or am I showing my age?)

@blueprairie, what’s wrong with showing your age? just asking. I always wonder.

Since we’re on the subject of Shakespeare and age here’s one of my favorite copy and pastes from, Shakespearean Insults:

“Do you set down your name in the scroll of youth, that are written down old with all the characters of age? Have you not a moist eye, a dry hand, a yellow cheek, a white beard, a decreasing leg, an increasing belly? Is not your voice broken, your wind short, your chin double, your wit single, and every part about you blasted with antiquity? And will you yet call yourself young?”

Frisco Lou quotes the Lord Chief Justice’s rebuke of Falstaff, who insolently told the LCJ—a man in his 50s, like Falstaff—“You that are old consider not the capacities of us that are young.” The rebuke follows, after which Falstaff gets in the last word:

“My lord, I was born about 3 o’clock in the afternoon, with a white head, and something a round belly. For my voice, I have lost it with singing of anthems. The truth is, I am only old in judgment and understanding; and he that will caper with me for a thousand pounds, let him lend me the money and have at him.”

Falstaff is irrepressible, and I suppose his real offense, Rina, lies in the way he shows off his “youth.”

I agree with you blueprarie, j’accuse!

Frisco – yes to everything especially calling myself young!

The trip to find America was in the summer of 72, when Mark and Mike picked up Joanie on Mark’s motorcycle on Sunday Sept. 10th color strip. The french dope sniffing dog episode took place the next summer on June 20th, 1973 while Zonk and Mike were driving to the west coast in Mike’s VW. A feeble attempt to draw a cat was made in Sunday’s color strip of June 5th, 1977. It was a brown sleeping cat in Lacey’s boudoir. It was so unconvincing that GBT probably decided never to try it again!!!

The dog’s name was Claude, making him french thus enabling him to use Zola’s admonishment to the staff officers of the French Army in ”L’Affaire Dreyfus”. Trudeau always had a lot of wit when it comes to use old french quotes.