Frazz by Jef Mallett for August 06, 2022

Heh. I am an exurbaniite. Lived in Houston until I managed to find a way out…

What about making total hooey understandable?

Semi-hooey … gotta remember that one …

A reel mower isn’t a real mower any mow-er.

The urbs are where there are no lawns

I know suburbs that have no sidewalks. There was a period – at least in the New York area – when they decided they didn’t want them because sidewalks make your yard look smaller. They actually made kids walk in the road to make their yards look bigger.

Maybe you shouldn’t insult her dad

A suburb is a place where you live that requires both low-density development and dependency on cars, so whether or not they have sidewalks is irrelevant.

Frazz 21, C&H 100

When the city repaved/rebuilt our road, they installed sidewalks on one side of the street only (never had them before). Discovered gas edgers are not cheap!

Dad’s just giving the kid some mental exercise. To get our grade school sons to listen carefully, I used to deliberately add odd syllables to some words. Exuberatious was one. They usually caught me at it but that was the point. Listening and actually recognizing context is a critical skill. Too few take the time.

I’ve lived in the urbs, the suburbs and the exurbs; I don’t think this is hooey at all, semi or otherwise. I think it’s dead on.

Some wealthy suburbs don’t want sidewalks because they don’t want people walking in their neighborhoods.

The Edgelands, often alluded to by SF writer Christopher Brown.

- “The disorganised but often fertile hinterland between planned town and over-managed country.” – Marion Shoard

- “B*stard countryside … ugly but bizarre, made up of two different natures, which surrounds certain great cities.” – Victor Hugo

Maybe her Dad should get together with Frazz. He could explain what Frazz says.

There’s no place to put a sidewalk. People would be walking right next to my house or where there is a ditch next to a steep hill. On the other hand, my lawn has clover, dandelions, cinquefoil and … did I forget anything? Oh, yeah, grass.

If one listened to the first half of Tommy, they might say it was semi-Whoey.