Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for December 14, 2023

A learning moment for the boss, as in he learned not to rely on Rat.

It’s cups. How urgent can that be?

I guess the boss can’t figure out how to order cups.

I’d be MORE worried if I were RAT, as the “hidden” code reveals the boss’s strategy: ICUP!!!! Dan aka…ps I’ve got the “mentality” of a four(4)-year-old! (I can only “aspire” to be that mature…(sigh))

What kind of cups? Does the company have a bunch of bra straps with nothing to attach them to?

What he want to fire me from job over phone call? Tells him to goes and sends that by email.

C’mon Rat. How can they have a cuppa joe without the cup?

In the next strip, Rat applies for unemployment and learns how to be put on hold for hours at a time when he tries to talk to a real person after his claim is denied.

Who would hire Rat to begin with?! He must have been desperate!

Why is Boss sending an e-mail when Rat is supposed to be right there at work?

Good for Rat. If you’re not getting paid, it’s not work time.

My Out Of Office is set to turn on today at 5:00. “I’ll be out of the office until Tuesday January 2nd. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”

I take two weeks off at Christmas every year and have been doing so since I got my 5th week of vacation. This year I had an extra day so “Christmas Vacation” starts early.

(Yes, I wish I’d have burned one move vacation day when the weather was nice, but I didn’t – and I’m not leaving it on the table.)

Rat’s reply should’ve been “Your call is important please hold”

This could be a crisis. The Count always looks forward to Joe’s Roastery’s special limited edition Christmas paper cups. Perfect for creme brûlée lattes.

He’s probably just down in his cups…

No cups = No coffee = no productivity. This IS an emergency!

Made me think of the “cups” song

Who on Earth would hire Rat?

Hey, maroon, simply bring your family’s antique China cups.

He ain’t buying it, Rat. He knows you’re slacking off.

No, I didn’t order any mugs.

Is there actually a way to change an auto-reply?

I’m goin’ on vacation

Find some place where my phone don’t work

And while my phone can’t ring

I’m gonna do my thing

Funk 50 – Joe Walsh

Obviously you’ve mistaken me for someone who gives a sh*t

I took off every December. They didn’t like it either.

since when has rat had a job???

Sadly, this ‘toon is spot on. Before I retired, I could leave an email Out-Of-Office message saying, "I’ll be off on the 19th", but count on coming back to someone having left an email for me dated ON the 19th that read,“Get back to me before EOTD” (End of the day).

Rat will be unemployed soon and doesn’t know why they’d do that to hm.

They can’t fire him. They tried several years ago, and corporate told them they had to keep him, since he’s the only rat on payroll.

YOU try holding hot coffee in your cupped hands

How will he serve the clients coffee without cups? Big mistake, RAT!

I once had an actual dream (yes, this lifelong insomniac was actually asleep!) in which I changed my out-of-office reply to a string of obscenities. I woke up laughing! This is the message, in my own secret code: “Mo-F’ing son of a g**-d**ned beach.” Analyze that one, doctor!

I know who would hire Rat! A doctor, Rat could stand outside his office and make persons sick!

You’ve heard of quiet quitting? Rat isn’t a quiet quitter. So what do we call him?

Rat is my hero…

i wish i worked in an office just so i could use this reply!

Rat may be wrong, but I do admire the way he defies Convention!