If he must think of the medical side of chastity, feed him the grand lie which we have made the English humans believe, that physical exercise in excess and consequent fatigue are specially favorable to this virtue. How they can believe thus, in face of notorious lustfulness of sailors and soldiers, may well be asked.
I was going to make a comment saying Joyce should just imagine that the step machine is into it but you kinda beat me to it so imma piggy back on your comment
Interesting concept. One wonders if “harder daddy/mommy” will motivate more people to work out harder¹, or will make more flee in terror/shame from the gym?
I will say it’s probably good to have a lightly traumatic but ultimately harmless accident early when learning any sort of potentially hazardous activity. Sticks in your brain and keeps you cautious without having serious consequences
You’re to being polite to the machine, you’re being polite to the people using the machine after you, by not leaving it covered in blood from your unshod foot.
https://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-8/02-this-is-the-way-that-we-love/stepmachine/ and possibly why she’s so cross with Joe… He was trying to let her know she was doing something dangerous, but could definitely have done it in a way that didn’t cause her to break concentration, stride, attention, twist away from the machine… But also allowances for 18 y/o reacting to person doing something silly and trying to stop them ASAP…
i’m surprised she didn’t feel more uncomfortable instantly, even w/o the injury, i had a ‘stepper’ thing at home and there was def bumps on the machines to where you def had to wear shoes
Reposting this from yesterday, cause I finished it kinda late. I swear I won’t be spamming it later. Mostly drew this cause Sarah in her workout duds is making cartoonish steam shoot out my ears
Its kinda spicy but more or less sfw, features abs: https://i.imgur.com/WcMTGzx.png
I managed to read that as “go greasy on the carbs” but am ill… Pretty sure that oodles of garlic bread and proper fish and chip shop chips are not the way to chiseled abs… Sadly…
probably too early for sarah to put up with joyce’s whimsical word choices, or maybe because it makes her sound childish, tho i imagine that was a misspeak based onthe second panel rather than being playful
She’s saying it to cover up the fact that she doesn’t actually know how to work out, and didn’t think this far ahead. And being Joyce, she’s going to do or say something cringe rather than admit that.
But so far, this is an acceptable fight so far, neither of them are trying to hurt the other emotionally or physically, and they’re not letting anything fester unsaid. Compare to Walky and Lucy, we haven’t seen them fight yet (If I Remember Correctly). Walky seems to be avoiding saying almost everything he’s thinking, possibly because he thinks it will upset Lucy.
Joe is right about the toe smooshing, and Joyce should stop blaming him. But Joe should also be telling Joyce he doesn’t think less of her if she doesn’t know about working out and won’t think any less of her if ultimately she ends up disliking it.
Joe you might like her for being beautiful and kind and funny but she’s still Joyce and you still have to deal with her neuroses and her inability to accept when she’s wrong.
This is the most adorable first fight I’ve seen in a webcomic since that bit in El Goonish Shive where they were all “No, you’re wrong to think you might be a bad person!”
today in #9chickweedlane i learned that "how to lie" is not, actually, achieved by cupping the balls, despite the evidence of the entirety of the first panel, but by some other giant pile of words i guess, tl;dr
“It’s not me who’s a bigot,” they always argue. “I’m fine with all you people. But the rest of the electorate is full of bigots, on whose behalf I will now speak”
The two greatest evils known to mankind, A.I. and the person directly in front of you in line at the post office, have finally teamed up. We’re done.
Frances “Poet Laureate of the Robot Alliance” Klein@fklein907.bsky.social ⋅ 18h
Woman in line in front of me at the post office is not happy about the cost of shipping. She just whipped out her phone, asked ChatGPT how much it thinks the shipping should cost, and is trying to get the mailman to honor that price.
OK democrats shutting down congress by attaching Epstein amendments to everything is pretty funny
Aaron Fritschner@fritschner.bsky.social ⋅ 18h
Politico & Punchbowl report House Republican leadership is shutting down the Rules Committee - which is essential for moving party-line bills on the floor - for the week rather than vote on Democratic amendments on the Epstein files.
Dems have effectively halted Republican legislation in the House:
Josh Johnson is brilliant and I’m happy for him and wish him the world
Josh Johnson@joshjohnsoncomedy.bsky.social ⋅ 1d
This week, I’m hosting The Daily Show Tuesday through Thursday.
It’s my first time hosting anything on TV. Ever.
I’ve spent years writing behind the scenes, learning from truly great and talented people. Now, for three nights, I get to sit at the desk and do it myself.
I should write GI JOE.
I've never watched the cartoon but my favorite Joes are WhipDip, AcidWash, Nectarine Todd, Freddy the Fridge, Buttskull, Hawaiian Punch, WetEar, ToggleSwitch, BatGuano, RipFart, RanchFlavor, TallyTwang, BallSack, Cretinair, and PartyDip.
PartyDip was badass.
reminded of one of the greatest pieces of quantitative research ever to be undertaken – @ryannorth.ca's 2009 analysis of the number of letters U people use to spell "excuuuuuuuuuuuse me, princess"
full deets: qwantz.livejournal.com/112122.html
John Hyphen@johnhyphen.bsky.social ⋅ 5d
as far as i'm concerned there's only one "zelda movie" and it's this 1'45" right here
This shit makes me want to *scream*.
IT CANNOT SELF-REFLECT BECAUSE THERE IS NO SELF
IT IS NOT ACKNOWLEDGING ANYTHING
IT APOLOGISES FOR SHIT ALL THE TIME BECAUSE IT MAKES STUFF UP ALL THE FUCKING TIME
no shirt
no shoes
no toenails
You be polite to the exercise machines by WIPING THEM DOWN AFTER EVERY USE
maybe any group exercise she ever had in a church group was in one of those rooms with those soft mats where she’d be used to taking off her shoes lol
No horny?
Something tells me this won’t exermacise her horny demons.
As Screwtape put it:
Foreplay
It’s called foreplay because that’s what it’s fore.
Fo’ replay
Hehe, maybe this was a sub-optimal idea for a date
theyre so cute /gen
Wow, they are all ready at the married 40 years stage of the relationships. Who says Joyce takes relationships slow?
Nobody. Nobody says that . Joyce was the one imagining marriage about as soon as she held a boy’s hand. =D
Nah, she got there as soon as he asked her out. No physical contact necessary!
Step machines are ridiculously kinky, they want you to step on them and to wear shoes, too.
Maybe Joyce should start with the treadmill.
I was going to make a comment saying Joyce should just imagine that the step machine is into it but you kinda beat me to it so imma piggy back on your comment
Still waiting for a step machine that will ask to be stepped on. Consent is important yo.
Interesting concept. One wonders if “harder daddy/mommy” will motivate more people to work out harder¹, or will make more flee in terror/shame from the gym?
[1]
“Make out. Make out now.”
Dumbing of Age Book 14: Oh Good, You Remember the Things I Retroactively Decided Nobody Noticed To Keep Myself Sane
I will say it’s probably good to have a lightly traumatic but ultimately harmless accident early when learning any sort of potentially hazardous activity. Sticks in your brain and keeps you cautious without having serious consequences
“joyce brown and the mediocre body horror”
that said id prefer a brisk with while holding hands and then grabbing lunch after
This seems like weirdly quick escalation
… have you even met Joyce
–Dave, I’m told it’s a learning experience, for everyone involved
You’re to being polite to the machine, you’re being polite to the people using the machine after you, by not leaving it covered in blood from your unshod foot.
i assumed someone wiped it down but i wonder how many ppl did visit the gym that day.
I think she just got her toe crunched a bit. No actual blood.
Oh there was blood. Now, whether it remained subdermal, or fully popped like a cherry washing machine is up to someone willing to do an archdive.
Unshod shouldn’t be a problem, socks were the problem. Those things are way too slick.
https://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-8/02-this-is-the-way-that-we-love/glisteny/
Conquistador
Thank you for your service, now I don’t have to go looking
https://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-8/02-this-is-the-way-that-we-love/stepmachine/ and possibly why she’s so cross with Joe… He was trying to let her know she was doing something dangerous, but could definitely have done it in a way that didn’t cause her to break concentration, stride, attention, twist away from the machine… But also allowances for 18 y/o reacting to person doing something silly and trying to stop them ASAP…
Yes you can
Joyce you’re polite to the machines by using them properly – by wearing shoes!
i’m surprised she didn’t feel more uncomfortable instantly, even w/o the injury, i had a ‘stepper’ thing at home and there was def bumps on the machines to where you def had to wear shoes
Reposting this from yesterday, cause I finished it kinda late. I swear I won’t be spamming it later. Mostly drew this cause Sarah in her workout duds is making cartoonish steam shoot out my ears
Its kinda spicy but more or less sfw, features abs:
https://i.imgur.com/WcMTGzx.png
awe shit awesome! ^^
Great expressions on all of them, but Sara in particular.
Thanks, yeah Sarah is Our Lady of Perpetual Grumpitude, RBF queen
and your bound/gagged Faz avatar goes SO well with it
–Dae, spicy, hot, but I can still see myself swallowing…
I managed to read that as “go greasy on the carbs” but am ill… Pretty sure that oodles of garlic bread and proper fish and chip shop chips are not the way to chiseled abs… Sadly…
what’s wrong with exermacises? Is it because it feels like it should be -ize?
probably too early for sarah to put up with joyce’s whimsical word choices, or maybe because it makes her sound childish, tho i imagine that was a misspeak based onthe second panel rather than being playful
She’s saying it to cover up the fact that she doesn’t actually know how to work out, and didn’t think this far ahead. And being Joyce, she’s going to do or say something cringe rather than admit that.
you hit the nail right on the head, as it were. Her awkwardness is cute, but she still feels awkward.
I still think exermacizes looks better. But I’ve been trying to spell it exercize my whole life so -shrug emoji-
It’s because the correct pronunciation is emaxemarcimasemas.
Because it’s cute, and Joyce has too much of that going on as it is.
maybe she should stick to jumping rope…tho what would be a good beginner thing to use other than the tiny dumbbells lol
Now kiss.
…. actually that feels kinda different saying that when they’re already in a romantic relationship….
To quote: “You two bicker like a married couple!”
This is going well
indeed.
it may be an argument, but the argument is based on joe caring for her, rather than some drama nonsense.
I think it is going pretty well actually. It’s a return to their usual dynamic, rather than things being awkward now that they’re dating.
But so far, this is an acceptable fight so far, neither of them are trying to hurt the other emotionally or physically, and they’re not letting anything fester unsaid. Compare to Walky and Lucy, we haven’t seen them fight yet (If I Remember Correctly). Walky seems to be avoiding saying almost everything he’s thinking, possibly because he thinks it will upset Lucy.
Joe is right about the toe smooshing, and Joyce should stop blaming him. But Joe should also be telling Joyce he doesn’t think less of her if she doesn’t know about working out and won’t think any less of her if ultimately she ends up disliking it.
+2
Joe you might like her for being beautiful and kind and funny but she’s still Joyce and you still have to deal with her neuroses and her inability to accept when she’s wrong.
*tips hat* madam step machine
M’chine
Just want to express my appwciation for this word play.
Appreciation even.
appweciation
it’s rude to cut someone you’ve been introduced to, after all
–Dave, Alice is just full of useful etiquette lessons
You can actually be polite to a step machine maybe, by wiping the handles after using it.
Hit it? What did the treadmill ever do to you, Sarah?
Politeness to machines is practice for politeness to people.
Stretching is for people who don’t want to pull something or whatever. Also known as cowards.
it’s like they’ve been married for years lmao
if they’re bond can withstand the trials, who knows? ^^
(but knowing Willis he can always come up with more end-game-y ships LOL)
like who?
<-
RaidahXSarah
Shit, it’s exactly how my parents argues. Or me with my mom.
This is the most adorable first fight I’ve seen in a webcomic since that bit in El Goonish Shive where they were all “No, you’re wrong to think you might be a bad person!”
The beginning of the end for the beautiful couple or just a healthy discussion that will strengthen them? Let’s see what Jacob and Sarah will say.
they do say you should never go to bed angry
–Dave, they’re leaving footprints in their sands
also I notice we’ve got thirteen completely different facial expressions this strip! in, what, 45 seconds?
–Dave, all hail Willis, bringer of visual conflict! *the mice cheered!*
The toe may have healed, but Joyce is still sore.
Joyce’s toe may be wounded, but her sole still burns…
Look, the step machine LIKES being stepped on! Don’t kink shame!
*Usenet from 3 decades ago would like to add high heels to your concept’s location and outfit*
–Dave, we’ll work the accelerator pedal in somewhere too
Well, can be polite to the step machine; whether or not it notices the curtesy, is questionable.
Am i the only one who noticed the incredibly high resolution of today’s strip?
Is it higher than usual? I guess it might look a little crisper.
Yeah, it’s INSANE? It’s like Sprite compared to the Coke of the rest of the comic
Is it line weight and/or anti-aliasing differences? like in panel 2 especially
Maybe a super-high-res version was uploaded earlier, but right now the file’s the same pixel dimensions as yesterday’s comic.
can confirm, yesterday when opening image in new window it was MASSIVE and today it’s a normal strip.
Standing between these two Joyce looks tiny.
Oh goodie, the first argument post-courtship. (Please correct me if I’m wrong…)
This is progressing nicely! Won’t be long until they’re ‘(arguing) like an ol’ married couple’.
That escalated…. VERY quickly.
“Hit the machines” “hit the treadmill”.

It’s like no one knows how to use them properly and just punches them out of frustration…