bloody, stinky, squirting novelty ads

I like this last ad best. While some of these cards would land a person in jail for impersonating, say, a sheriff... others are just odd.  A beauty judge? A graduate of the school of matrimony? Each "joke" entry includes a disclaimer about how it is for joke purposes only yet the whole point is to fool others. Gives you permission to examine dead bodies and hold investigations? Nobility card--represents you as a member of the royal family and gives you permission to marry a person of wealth and position. Impressive coat-of-arms emblem.

They forgot to include a fake bathmat factory employee card. The benefits alone would be worth the ten cents!

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How to Gracefully Disguise Flatulence

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Shoulder insignia of the 59th Infantry Division

Details of original image, per the Imperial War Museum: Badge On a blue rectangular background a black triangle denoting a 'slag heap' on which is depicted a pit winding gear tower in red. The symbolism of a slag heap and pit winding gear was considered appropriate for a formation based on the mining area of Staffordshire and with a significant number of Staffordshire battalions under command. The Division was a Second Line Territorial Army Division in the UK at the outbreak of the Second World War, duplicate of 55th (West Lancashire) Division. [NB: Cole appears to be incorrect when he states that 59th Division was a duplicate of 46th Division.] The Division was designated as a Motor Division but apparently never fully mobilised on this establishment. A Motor Division was intended to operate in a mobile role and as such had two brigades rather than the usual three and a matching reduction in the number of supporting arms, for example, only two field regiments and RE squadrons rather than three. It was also allocated two troop carrying companies RASC attached to carry the infantry. In place of a divisional cavalry regiment of light tanks and carriers, Motor Divisions had a motorcycle reconnaissance battalion. In June 1940 the Division reorganized as a standard infantry division. It served in Home Forces, including a spell in Northern Ireland between June 1942 and March 1943, before being selected for the invasion of North West Europe. The 59th was a follow-up formation in 21st Army Group and operated in North West Europe from 27 June to 18 October 1944. On 19 October Divisional HQ was placed in suspended animation and the Division broken up to help meet the manpower shortages in the British Army. On 25 August 1944 HQ RA 59th Infantry Division had been redesignated 59th AGRA and apparently retained the divisional sign. One unpublished source gives it as an AA AGRA, which may possibly link it with the AA deployment against the V1 attacks. There is no note of when this formation was disbanded.

The only reason I posted this is because I liked the term "slag heap." Is that a good enough reason?

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Et ux v. et vir

 

Et uxor is a Latin phrase meaning "and wife", commonly abbreviated et ux." The term is a legal phrase that is used in lieu of naming the female spouse of a male party to litigation, for example Loving et ux. v. Virginia. The term remains in contemporary use in American legal documents, especially as related to property and marriage. Many older property deeds list the owners in the form "John Smith et ux", but in the present day most jurisdictions would indicate both the husband and the wife by name.

Et vir is a Latin phrase meaning "and husband". It is used in legal literature to indicate a couple comprising an identified woman and her otherwise unidentified husband. The U.S. Supreme Court case Troxel et vir v. Granville is an example of modern legal usage of the Latin phrase. Additionally, many property deeds would list the owners in the form "Jane Doe et vir" when appropriate.

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A Good Cow Leg

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Elongated Muskrat

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Dog snoods

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See yourself...

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Signs

 No Photoshop involved. Just an unfortunate juxtaposition.

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Erin McKean's ("Things I learned while looking up other things, 2023.04.11")

"Buffing" is term for painting over street art to erase it—either to get rid of it, or to make a clean canvas for the next artist. ("Buffin" is 'A coarse cloth in use in the time of Elizabeth and James I.') Some places actually allow government contractors to enter private property to remove graffiti they think may have been illegally painted. Matthieu Martin, a French artist, takes photographs of buffed walls that are oddly moving.

Erasing brings out strong opinions and makes for cooler blazons. And sometimes what was erased is more interesting to the future than what you wrote over it. If you really want to erase something, you might consider zeroisation. 

The best erasure is this one [video link]. The worst erasure, of course, is that of people. 

Stay well, stay safe, stay visible—

Your friend,

Erin

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This was issue #40 of Things Learned While Looking Up Other Things. You can subscribe, unsubscribe, or view this email online.

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Lamellipodia

Lamellipodia are found primarily in all mobile cells, such as the keratinocytes of fish and frogs, which are involved in the quick repair of wounds. The lamellipodia of these keratinocytes allow them to move at speeds of 10–20 μm / min over epithelial surfaces. When separated from the main part of a cell, a lamellipodium can still crawl about freely on its own.

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Teresa (Barbie's friend)

Teresa is a Mattel fashion doll who is marketed as one of Barbie's fictional friends. Teresa debuted in the "California Dream Teresa" doll in 1988 and since then, she has been Barbie's most frequently featured female companion in the toy line (next to Christie). As of 2006, Teresa has been one of Barbie's core friends in the Barbie brand along with Summer, Nikki and Raquelle.

In a trailer for the 2008 movie Barbie and the Diamond Castle, the narrator describes Teresa as Barbie's best friend. In the film itself, Barbie states that Teresa is officially her "best friend and sidekick." In Life in the Dreamhouse Barbie states that all girls Teresa, Nikki, Summer, Midge, Raquelle & Grace are all her 'BFFs.'

History

To counteract the criticisms that Barbie was a sex symbol, Mattel was compelled to issue companions for Barbie. Some of these are her boyfriend Ken, the African American Christie, Barbie's cousin Francie and Barbie's little sister Skipper. Midge appeared in 1963 and was marketed as Barbie's first best friend. Midge was discontinued in 1967.


Over the years, Barbie's family tree expanded and soon Barbie would have many diverse and multicultural friends. Among these was Teresa, who was depicted as being Italian or Latina. She appeared in 1988 in the California Dream line alongside Barbie, Ken, Christie and Midge (who made her comeback in this line as well). Christie has been Barbie's most featured friend at the time, being continuously in the playline since 1968. It wasn't till 2004 when Christie was discontinued (her last appearance was in the Really Rosy line) then Teresa would become Barbie's most frequent companion to date (aside from Ken).


Teresa has been seen in various Barbie-related media such as books, magazines, video games and movies such as Barbie & the Diamond Castle, Barbie and the Three Musketeers, Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale and Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse.

Teresa has also appeared on a toy telephone, voiced by Mary Kay Bergman.

Personality Traits

According to Barbie, Teresa is a brilliant cook and one of her favorite activities is to make muffins. According to Teresa's B Friends profile, she has made 3,120 cupcakes to date; she has also rescued 36 stray animals.
Teresa also likes to spend her free time reading gossip magazines about celebrities. She enjoys shopping at flea markets. Teresa states that her likes are "baking cupcakes, good karma, vintage clothing stores, tall waves at the beach, tall boys at the beach!"

#FB00858

Artificial Intelligence: ChatGPT

I asked an artificial intelligence website if it heard of "Frog Applause." Here are a variety of conflictingly odd and mostly false statements. Where did this AI site dig up this crap? Anyway, enjoy today's contribution to FAKE NEWS.

It's no longer being updated, eh? Do tell... 

This is downright embarrassing. Frog Applause has never been given any award. As for winning Best Online Comics: Short Form by the NCS, my guess is that most members aren't even familiar with the strip (or even willing to admit it, if they are.)  When did I announce my retirement?

The Athens News? Really? Where did this falsehood come from? Again with it coming to an end...  at least it "remains a beloved part of the comic strip world."

It was a surreal and experimental comic strip with unexpected twists? I couldn't make this crap up if I tried.

Why do the dates for Frog Applause's beginning and end keep changing? As for the title being a play on the phrase "dog applause" and refers to the sound of a dog's paws tapping on the ground, where did this bizarre factoid come from? The original pre-Frog Applause name for the strip was "My Dog Laughed." This is all disturbingly wrong.

Differing dates again. 

Jennierpup? What the hell? I wish somebody would fill me in if this is supposedly my pen name because it is definitely news to me. Differing dates again. Where did this retirement business originate? Sheesh.

Differing dates again. Now the title was inspired by a nonsensical phrase I once heard in a dream? Again, where do these disturbing factoids come from?

Differing dates again. Frog Applause has influenced many other webcomics? Does this mean I'm an influencer of sorts? Wow. Lucky me.

Thanks for pointing out my nationality. Which print publications has Frog Applause appeared in? I'd like a list of them, please. 

Differing dates again.  Robots? I can't remember ever including a robot character. I think I did a crossover with another comic's robot character, but I never created a robot character of my own (as far as I know.)

Differing dates again. I've lost track of the falsehoods.

My unconventional approach to storytelling? When? Where? What?

The main character is a frog named Margaret? This is just painfully wrong and stupid.

A time-traveling nun? A sentinent potato? This is just crazy talk. Crazy.

I decided to change the prompt for ChatGPT. Big mistake.

Apparently, now I'm dead. Who described the strip as "David Lynch meets Gary Larson"? This is such an embarrassing lie. Again with the awards. Now I'm the recipient of the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for Cartooning? (I've never even heard of this award.) I'm a beloved part of the indie comics scene? I didn't know that I was a part of ANY scene.

The last part sounds like a marketing thing. "Frog Applause" might be right up your alley? Doubtful.

I'm dead again? Where did this date come from? I'm not 62 either.

I can only dream about having my work appear in The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, and The Paris Review. Where are these lies coming from?

What health issues? Are those the health issues that killed me earlier? I have a frog, a goat, a bird and a woman named Ms. Beeton as recurring characters? I'm particularly interested in hearing more about Ms. Beeton who is stuck in a perpetual state of existential crisis. That actually sounds interesting. 

I've never set foot in the state of Alabama, ever.

Now FA is being compared to the works of Gahan Wilson and Edward Gorey? Where is this information coming from? Nobody tells me anything!

Who is this detective duo known as Sister Nancy and Sister Helen Holy?

It's actually quite disturbing to keep reading about my death. 

Still dead. When was the strip featured in The Comics Journal and The Best American Comics anthology series? I can't emphasis enough how embarrassing it is to read about accolodates that have no association with me or my comic.

I think I'll wrap up this blog post.  It can't get any stranger, honestly.

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I gave ChatGPT a few days to get its act together.  Let's see if time will reveal a new and improved ChatGPT.

frog applause.com? I have no website with that name. No one else is sitting on that domain name, either. 

It's true that I deliberately maintain a low profile and rarely give interviews or make public appearances. Still, I find it interesting how ChatGPT figured this out. Maybe I need to maintain an even LOWER profile.

Earlier, I mistakenly won this award in 2015.  Now, it's been mysteriously changed to 2010 and 2011.  I should look up the actual winner(s).

Wow. I'm on a roll. More erroneous awards. Oh, wait. I was only NOMINATED for the Ignatz Award for Outstanding Online Comic? I was robbed. I should have won!  

So now I'm stealing characters from Joe Martin's "Mr. Boffo" ?

Gloria? Does Mittens the cat or Chirp the bird belong to Gloria the human woman? Inquiring minds want to know! 

A Reuben is like an Oscar for comics... and I won one in 2012?  That would be really something-- too bad it's not true. It's also interesting to note that I have a number of collections published. "Frog Applause: Welcome to the New World" and "Frog Applause: The Book of the Fine Gentleman." I guarantee that I'd remember penning such outstanding titles.

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April 11, 2023.  I'm having a hard time trying to figure out how horribly wrong ChatGPT can be. I've been born in multiple states in different years, I've penned dozens of books, I've lost count of the number of times I've died. 

The falsehoods continue...

"The Other Terrestrial"? What happened to the first terrestrial?

Where do all of these weird details come from?

Below it says I died tragically. This time it's only "unfortunate."

Now I'm a puzzle maker... 

At least ChatGPT doesn't disparage me, but my accomplishments are so over the top that it's crazy...

Dead. Dead. Dead. This time on April 19, 2020. I think I've died every month so  far.

I'm based in Iowa City, Iowa now? I seem to move around alot.

I'm dead. I've lost count. A cigar-smoking nun? Sister Mary Elephant? 

At least the word "Tragically" prefaces the announcement of my death. What was so tragic about my death exactly? Did I fall off a cliff while engulfed in flames? Was I made into mincemeat by helicopter blades... or did I fall off the toilet while trying to use it as a way to reach a burned-out light bulb?

I'm not a musician. I never created a strip called "Dada Gumbo."

I'm trying to figure out a pattern to all this nonsense.

I'm not dead.

I didn't retire. I didn't end the strip.

I wrote a book about breast cancer? I have never had cancer of any kind.

I am not based in California, thank you.

I think I'd remember creating other comics, particularly ones named "The Secret Knots" and "Doris Danger."

Never been in North Carolina with a husband or pets. 

Dead again. This time on May 19. 2020. Age 58.  I was not born in Colorado and I've never been to Arizona, let alone moved here. Why is ChatGPT so confident about my demise?

Not born in California. Didn't grow up in SF. I did not attend UC-Santa Cruz. I can't believe that I won the Charles M. Schulz Award for Excellence in Cartooning. The awards I've supposedly won continue to be a huge embarrassment.

I wrote a book called "An Alphabet of Men: Dating My Way from Adam to Zak." I could open a library with just my books.

Haha. My work has appeared in "Bitch" magazine. I think I'd remember that.

I wouldn't mind appearing in Boing Boing.

Wow. I not only left behind a legacy but a RICH LEGACY. That's nice. "Dada Detective", "The Baffler" and work in "Nickelodeon Magazine." I wonder what would happen if other creators ChatGPTed themselves and their creations. Would they get crazy output like me?

Now I'm an actor, a playwright, and the host of my own comedy show. I get around, don't I? How many hometowns do I have? Now it's Austin, Texas. Again, with my death. It's nice to know that I'm missed.

I was not born in Alabama. I was not born in 1962.  I've visited California, but I have never lived there.  It's nice to know that my fans and fellow cartoonists paid tribute to me after my untimely death. 

I have never cited influences because I don't do interviews or talk about myself, except in "Frog Blog." 

My hometown is NOT San Diego; California is not my home state either. I was born in Kansas City, Missouri.

I have never been to Tuscan or even Arizona. As for incorporating a wide range of visual textures, that is laughable since FA is a digital strip-- and not something hanging on a wall with mixed media. I like the titles of "my books"--"Slouching Toward Adulthood", "The Secret Life of Ms. Finklebean" and "Saddle Shoes." I wonder if these are actual titles, just attributed to me. Strange.

I like how ChatGPT apologizes about not knowing who I am and then proceeds to talk about me.

The titular frog who serves as a sort of narrator? This is beyond bizarre. I'm not sure who should be more embarrassed... me or ChatGPT.

I like the subtitle: The Book of the Fine Gentleman.  The rest of the stuff seems to be a mishmash of reworded crap from previous ChatGPT posts. If anyone is concerned that AI is going to take their jobs, I don't see it. Maybe it's a concern if the truth is a consideration.

My birth year keeps changing. I did not attend the University of Iowa and I've never studied fine arts (which is probably evident.) I enjoy the odd titles I am credited with writing. Some are good titles.

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