So… It has been a while. Anything happen while I was not posting?

Here’s the deal. I have attempted to write about this Trump presidency thing a few times and each time I ended up sweating and hyper-ventilating into a bag. I would get about 12 questions in and the answers would be the literary equivalents to grunts and sighs (which happen to be grunts and sighs). So this week’s topic is going to be appropriately… “Distractions.”

Thanks this week go to Dr B-Dawg, Chris Ring, Lsig, the Lovely Wife, Sandy, Erin, Nadolny, Peter, Bruce, Ballpoint, and Larock. No links today kiddos. I need to post and be done.

Now to keep the sense of impending doom at bay, let’s get to some questions.

1. Will Felicity Jones' character survive Rogue One?
I believe so. If it were a Chinese tale, everyone would die, but this is a Western story and will require some level of “happy ending.”

2. Have untangled your Christmas lights yet?
Pre-Lit trees, FTW!!

3. Has your Christmas shopping started?
It will be in high level production this week. I hope you like things we can get from an OfficeMax store closing sale.

4. What is the top item on your wish list?
Time (not the magazine)

5. Klinnsman was a truly terrible coach. Comments?
Klinnsman is a very good generator. He is good at getting programs moving and motivated. He did a great job “modernizing” the USMNT thinking and expectations. He is not a sustaining presence though. He should have been a one World Cup rotation coach. He did great moving us out of the stagnating Bradley era, much like he did great with Germany for a cycle as well. He just cannot stay for more than 4 years.

6. Kitten videos or dog, who brings the cuteness? Who brings the distraction?
For videos? I have to go with dogs. They are much more interactive and willing to do their thing for the camera.

7. Best work distraction? (I could do this all day)
Twitter and texting my lovely wife.

8. Worst work distraction? (Why do I even bother)
Facebook

9. Most addictive distraction? (Can’t . . help . . myself)
Twitter.. there is always another tweet. I think I need to cull my feed a bit again.

10. This 20 Questions Tuesday: 370- Distraction? Or Mental, Emotional and Spiritual Catharsis?
Exactly.

11. Do you multi-task while watching television, or do find doing other stuff too distracting?
I do some multi-tasking, but sometimes I just watch the tv… usually when I am watching some kind of documentary or science/history show that takes attention.

12. What do you do to distract yourself when you're on the treadmill? I watch Netflix shows on my iPad (almost done with Stranger Things!).
I have not been on the treadmill in a long time. I need to get back on it. I distracted myself with the CW super-hero shows and crappy actions movies like “Olympus has Fallen” and “Jack Reacher.” Low stakes action movies are the best for the treadmill.

13. When your daughter started learning how to ride a bike, she had to say “Focus, focus, focus!” to herself. What was she being distracted by?
I think just about anything. She is constantly distracted by the world at large.

14. What's more distracting? Kids in a car yelling at one another or repeatedly getting text alerts that you know you shouldn't read while driving?
I have Siri read my text alerts, so I go with yelling kids who when yelling keep me from hearing my Siri read texts.

15. Squirrel!
WHERE?!?!

If you aren't reading the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, you are doing yourself a disservice

16. The media seems to be going back and forth on whether Trump is a master
Manipulator of the media by distracting them from some of his awful cabinet picks by tweeting seemingly insane and random things, to he's just unfit and acting unconsciously. Do you fall on one of these sides, or a third.
I was really hoping this would stay Trumpless, but here we go. Okay, Trump is not a master manipulator. His intention for his tweets are not to intentionally distract us from more pressing matters of racism or the fact that every one of his suggested cabinet positions is diametrically opposed to the station they would actually occupy. Suggesting someone blatantly racist as the AG in charge of voters rights, suggesting someone who does not believe in the usefulness of public education as the Sec of Education, suggesting a climate change denier as the head of environmental policy, etc… not to mention housing a bona-fide Neo-nazi as his chief of staff. He is not manipulating people and Machiavellingly distracting people. No, his de-facto chief of staff, the aforementioned white supremacist, is giving Trump access to his phone when he sees the need for distraction. Flag burning? is this 1998 again? But don’t audit his finances or point out his myriad of conflicts of interest or the fact that he wants a man who actually gave away state secrets so he could achieve an extra-marital affair with some heat (worse than the very same thing he complained that his previous opponent potentially did). Is it Machiavellian? Yes. Is it Trump pulling those strings? I don’t think so. Notice that when something bad about Trump comes up in the press, he suddenly is given access to his Twitter account again.

17. Distracted driving is apparently a moving violation.
In what other forms of movement should it be a legal offense. Biking? Walking (I think not), etc
I think potentially distracted biking could be something, but it really has to do with relative momentum. Speed plus weight factors into those laws. Bikes are not heavy enough nor typically go fast enough to warrant laws against them.

18. Is that Merv Griffin lurking over there?
Nope. Merry has been dead for years and years and years. If his lurking over there, we have bigger problems, Dr Hfuhruhurr. (Had to look up that spelling)

19. Does the media work for the government as a tool of distraction so we are less likely to notice what actually does (or does not) do?
Nope, the media works for itself to get ratings. It just so happened that we as a people want to be distracted from distasteful things that take thinking.

20. What is Trump distracting us from by retweeting 16 year old kids, and, bringing up flag burning without cause?....
Bannon is distracting us from the massive corruption that Trump is putting into place. This will be worse than Harding and the Teapot Dome. Look it up kids.

and 2 to grow on.

21. How do I keep myself from being distracted from drawing by asking distracting questions on Facebook?
This seems kind of meta… the answer is ask them quickly and check on the answers tomorrow.

22. Why did I buy a PS4 when I was also starting work on a new comic? What the hell was I thinking? What is your #1 distraction from getting art work done?
There is a tie for number 1. That tie is my actual job, and the needs of my family. Stupid work and dumb family keeping me from drawing. I have pencils done for an Arrow sketch card, Miracle and Barda, Spiderman, Black Panther, Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, Starfire, and I have inks done for a handful as well, but I colors on nothing.

To recap:

From left to right, Ginger, Carrol, and Cocoa

The 2014 Great Rattie Experiment is over
Today we had to put our darling little Ginger Snap to sleep
She was a Dumbo-eared cinnamon sugar colored rat who was very loving and adventurous

She was preceded in death by her two sisters, Cocoa Puff and Carrol Channing a few months ago
They were really sweet pets that did not stick around long enough
My daughter has decided that my office, where their cage was shall now be christened “The Ladies’ Room”
There is something off on the phrasing, but I cannot argue the sentiment
And it is kind of funny calling my office “The Ladies Room”
Might actually make a sign
That office needs painted so badly
It is a horrid gun-metal blue/grey color
Thanksgiving was delightful
Thanks for asking
Have a great week everyone