Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for June 07, 2024

Does anyone else think Rat is dreaming this?

Just waits till your bubble…er…balloon bursts Rat

Providing this service could be a thriving business.

Guess Rat has opted not to take arms against a sea of troubles.

…until the helium runs out and/or the drink is empty. Whichever comes first. Drink slowly, Rat.

Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon?

Would that a solution to life’s woes Was so easy. But, alas….

Just like 1st Class on Jet Blue.

It’s just a dream, Rat.

I thought rats could figure out how to get through the maze…

You OK Pastis?

Listen to Nancy Sinatra’s and Lee Hazlewood “Big Red Balloon” song! Kinda sorta fits in here!

Makes you wish you could all be Rats.

well, at least they have cocktail service on that flight. Now let’s hope there’s no POP !!

What if the balloon pops?

It’ll all be there when you come down, Rat. Plus the alcohol dependency.

Looks like Rat took a page from Pig’s advice book.

A pin would make for a permanent solution.

The drink helps, Rat.

No. He’s drunk.

“The Cheap Detective.” Peter Falk parodying Humphrey Bogart. Early in the movie the phone wakes him in the middle of the night; he has a shot glass full of whisky in his nightstand drawer. Later he gets in his car; there’s a full glass in the glove compartment. When he goes into a phone booth, there’s a shot waiting for him,

Where’s Pennywise?

Great Poem: Tragedy (Red Balloon) Jill Spargur

Worry, worry, super scurry / Call the troops out in a hurry

One of the things I find interesting as I approach my eighth decade is that problems and troubles that deprived me once of sleep, have dwindled away. I guess the accumulated years of not being fixed have caused them to fade in significance. Unless they flash before me as my neurons collapse. But if they do, I hope the solutions do as well.

Not only that, Rat, today is the Birthday of one of The❤️Count’s hero and ideals, professional wrestler Ed Farhat, better known as… “The Sheik”!

To get far enough away, my arm would get tired…

up, up and away…….

Trouble is, people can’t support their own weight when holding on to the rope and fall, creating more problems

… until your bubble Bursts.

It’s a bit quiet around here…

We can only wish.

No! Don’t drink and fly… away from all of your troubles, because then you will float to The Land of MORE Troubles!

Must watch The Red Ballon again…

Is this cartoon becoming rinse/repeat

I have heard that booze makes you “tighter”; but this stuff made him lighter.

My doctor took me off of the blood pressure meds because they were dropping it too low, and he was afraid a subsequent fall was too risky. Instead, he suggested I have a shot of liqueur and not more than two a day to help lower it along with my diet. I’ve been steady on ever since.

I go flying so high, when I’m stoned.

The problem with trying to use drinks, or any other substance, to try and forget your problems is that you only forget them for a short time; and while you are in your state of forgetfulness, you are creating more problems for yourself and others.

There are better ways to address your problems. They may take a little more work, but you will be better off in the long run.

What, no lawn chair?

Booze, milk of amnesia.

Sip, don’t slip!

I think it’s how Rat is and views things.

The symbolism is apparent. The ballon is acceptance. The drink is forgetfulness And the cliff is death. Safe travels.

Is there a universe governed by cartoon physics?

Neighbor Bob’s Masterplan to get rid of that nemesis. The drink was the smartest part.

Now let’s see how well his marksmanship is.

Until you reach a certain altitude. Get high enough, the balloon will freeze, pop, and Rat will drop like a rock.

If only.

Who was the guy that tied a bunch of weather balloons to a lawn chair.

Well, I Packed Up My Troubles in My Old Kit-Bag next to four vodka bottles, and Smile, Smile, Smiled …

Makes me think of the guy floating away in a armchair with a bunch of balloons

Everybody else’s life is now better and Rat is hanging by a thread.

Rat’s got quite a grip!

I hope that balloon wasn’t made by Acme Industries.

This reminds me of that old French movie “The Red balloon.” This cartoon is like the cynical adult version. I really loved that movie as a child, and still reflect on it from time to time…

Youtube.Com / watch?v=dGzY9zp46KI

If only it were so easy…

The drink looks like some kind of martini. But then, what’s with the bubbles? Is it carbonated?

You’ve hit the pinnacle, Rat ♥♥

Then the balloon payment came due.

“I want to get away. I want to flyyyy awayyy. Yeahhhh, yeahhhh, yeahhhh.”