Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
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June 8, 2026

Uncharacteristically

by David M Willis on August 22, 2019 at 12:01 am
  • 01 - Birthday Pursuit
└ Tags: jennifer, joyce, ruth

Discussion (134) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Ana Chronistic
    Ana Chronistic
    August 22, 2019 at 12:02 am | #

    “I have teh internet! That makes me worldly and knowledgeable about everything, ESPECIALLY what I’ve never remotely personally experienced!” – too many people

    • GoblinScribe
      GoblinScribe
      August 22, 2019 at 12:02 am | #

      Every dude who hears someone has a problem—”Ah, yes, I will solve this for you with my unique expertise. *Runs to Google*”

      • Doctor_Who
        Doctor_Who
        August 22, 2019 at 12:04 am | #

        I work in IT and am literally paid to google stuff half the time.

        The other half is StackOverflow.

        • Marsh Maryrose
          Marsh Maryrose
          August 22, 2019 at 12:14 am | #

          I believe what you meant to say is that you are paid to maximally leverage crowdsourced solutions. Or at least, that’s what you would say in the pay equity review.

          • Doctor_Who
            Doctor_Who
            August 22, 2019 at 12:15 am | #

            You’re right. Google and SA make up only a combined 95% of what I do.

            The other 5% is bullshit.

            • Reltzik
              Reltzik
              August 22, 2019 at 1:07 am | #

              …. but you can google bullshit.

              • Clif
                Clif
                August 22, 2019 at 1:52 am | #

                No, the ability to convincingly bullshit on demand is a highly valuable skill in almost any profession and the college courses that foster and provide practice in this ability are worth their weight.

                • Clif
                  Clif
                  August 22, 2019 at 1:59 am | #

                  But add to that a modicum of Google-fu and the ability to pick up things on the fly and you’ll go far in life.

                • Chris Phoenix
                  Chris Phoenix
                  August 22, 2019 at 3:20 am | #

                  Computer Science grad, here. All my classes taught the opposite. Which classes teach how to bullshit on demand? It does sound useful.

                • BarerMender
                  BarerMender
                  August 22, 2019 at 3:38 am | #

                  Any class with essay questions on the test.

                • Yet_One_More_Idiot
                  Yet_One_More_Idiot
                  August 22, 2019 at 2:11 pm | #

                  So, my degree in maths wasn’t useful for teaching me how to bullshit on demand then? That figures. xD

                • anonamousethatscurriesinthedarkness
                  anonamousethatscurriesinthedarkness
                  August 22, 2019 at 2:19 pm | #

                  Pretty much all under the Humanities Banner.

                  Yes even the intro to computers.
                  Some of us techies took it as an easy bird course and ended up teaching the class AND the instructor assigned to teach it. She tried to give us failing grades right off the bat.
                  Consternation and a short walk to the Technical Programs Deans office fixed that little runaway ego right quick.

                  Between the three of us we covered all the shortcuts and hotkeys one actually needed to be productive in front of a computer terminal PLUS we actually knew how the damn things work so we learned how to translate what we knew into something arts/business students could understand.

                  Sadly the admins pulled the course from the approved list for those in the technical program thereafter.
                  Such fragile egos pushing personal opinion as facts to be parroted.

              • Sunny
                Sunny
                August 22, 2019 at 7:57 am | #

                Bunch of fertilizer websites.

        • Needfuldoer
          Needfuldoer
          August 22, 2019 at 2:13 am | #

          Google is tech support’s friend, but it feels like half the “answer” threads I find fall into three categories:

          – Many replies, no closure from the OP as to which solution fixed it. No posted solutions work for me.
          – OP just posts “never mind guys I fixed it” and the thread falls into obscurity.
          – There’s only one reply, and it’s someone else asking for help with the same problem.

          It’s even worse with some of the professional video production equipment I support. I wish there was a StackOverflow for this stuff, information is so thin on the ground.

          • Tan
            Tan
            August 22, 2019 at 11:51 am | #

            https://xkcd.com/979/

          • anonamousethatscurriesinthedarkness
            anonamousethatscurriesinthedarkness
            August 22, 2019 at 2:21 pm | #

            It is the same for a number of other industries.
            I find that manufacturers go out of their way to purge the net of any useful information, especially on legacy products.

      • Tparadox
        Tparadox
        August 22, 2019 at 1:04 pm | #

        I have a reputation for knowing stuff and knowing how to find out. Even people who know I often just Google it have told me I’m better at web searches than they are.

    • Marsh Maryrose
      Marsh Maryrose
      August 22, 2019 at 12:06 am | #

      New Nickelodeon reboot: “Joyce Googlesplains It All.”

    • Zero
      Zero
      August 22, 2019 at 12:11 am | #

      Being able to use the internet to quickly learn things, or at least confirm things you’re unsure of, is a useful skill that not everybody has.

      Billy probably didn’t need Joyce’s help with it, though.

    • C.
      C.
      August 22, 2019 at 1:02 am | #

      Leslie, I typed your symptoms into the thing up here and it says you could have network connectivity problems.

      • Mydnyt
        Mydnyt
        August 22, 2019 at 1:52 am | #

        The writers were SO ANGRY at that joke. In an interview one of them said “I hated that joke so much… not because of the joke but because I didn’t write it. The funniest thing I’ve ever heard and he improv’d it”

        • Clif
          Clif
          August 22, 2019 at 2:03 am | #

          And I think another cultural reference just went over my head.

          • BarerMender
            BarerMender
            August 22, 2019 at 2:15 am | #

            Join the club. I hardly get any of them.

          • Needfuldoer
            Needfuldoer
            August 22, 2019 at 2:18 am | #

            It’s from an episode of Parks and Recreation.

            • BarerMender
              BarerMender
              August 22, 2019 at 3:39 am | #

              I’ll use my context clues to divine that’s stupid TV bullshit.

              • Corey
                Corey
                August 22, 2019 at 6:43 pm | #

                You need to calm down dude

              • Deadjolras
                Deadjolras
                August 22, 2019 at 7:53 pm | #

                yikes

          • Felgraf
            Felgraf
            August 22, 2019 at 2:18 am | #

            https://youtu.be/LinpRhB4aWU?t=20 What they are referencing!

            • Clif
              Clif
              August 23, 2019 at 12:00 am | #

              Thank you and Needfuldoer

  2. ValdVin
    ValdVin
    August 22, 2019 at 12:02 am | #

    Billie’s not so ill she can’t make a fist.

    • John
      John
      August 22, 2019 at 12:09 am | #

      She’s still got a ways to go to catch up to Ruth, who threw an evil dad while in alcohol withdrawal.

    • Wafflebob
      Wafflebob
      August 22, 2019 at 1:15 pm | #

      Not yet anyway

  3. Tacos
    Tacos
    August 22, 2019 at 12:03 am | #

    Joyce. Not. Helping.

    • Doctor_Who
      Doctor_Who
      August 22, 2019 at 12:05 am | #

      She’s training for her future career as an Alexa.

  4. Stephen Bierce
    Stephen Bierce
    August 22, 2019 at 12:04 am | #

    *plays “You Be Illin'” on the hacked Muzak*

  5. butts
    butts
    August 22, 2019 at 12:04 am | #

    boundaries

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      August 22, 2019 at 12:36 am | #

      “Thing that Joyce does not acknowledge”

      • Sunny
        Sunny
        August 22, 2019 at 7:58 am | #

        If she sticks with math she’ll have to eventually.

        • TemperaryObsessor
          TemperaryObsessor
          August 22, 2019 at 5:28 pm | #

          That’s not a good way to learn about boundaries because its not a good idea to get as close as humanly possible without touching someones boundaries.

          • Clif
            Clif
            August 23, 2019 at 12:02 am | #

            Everyone should know their limits.

      • EvilMidnightLurker
        EvilMidnightLurker
        August 23, 2019 at 1:24 am | #

        Okay, Joyce. Think of Billie’s personal space as a steak, and you as mashed potatoes.

  6. Mra
    Mra
    August 22, 2019 at 12:05 am | #

    Withdrawal symptoms, at least this means she is actually trying this time.

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      August 22, 2019 at 12:08 am | #

      I said it before and I’ll say it again – withdrawal is the devil’s work.

      • John
        John
        August 22, 2019 at 12:10 am | #

        Idle hands go into withdrawal?

        • BBCC
          BBCC
          August 22, 2019 at 12:26 am | #

          I dunno about idle hands, but withdrawal fucking sucks and I didn’t have anywhere near as bad as Billie when I went off my seizure meds. I don’t even wanna imagine.

          • Hazel
            Hazel
            August 22, 2019 at 12:44 am | #

            D: I’m glad it wasn’t as bad as Billie’s at least?

            • BBCC
              BBCC
              August 22, 2019 at 12:51 am | #

              Yeah, mine was mostly headaches, irritableness, having a hard time sleeping, and forgetfulness (that last one’s not uncommon with the kind of medication). Not the worst thing in the world, but there were days it was not fun to live with me that year.

              • Inahc
                Inahc
                August 22, 2019 at 12:34 pm | #

                When I went off my migraine meds a bit too fast, I somehow thought a pain in my chest was a broken rib, and then had trouble getting to the doctor because I couldn’t make sense of the buses. Even after we slowed down the tapering it was still bizarre, and the final month was just a weird blur I didn’t clearly remember at all.

                • BBCC
                  BBCC
                  August 22, 2019 at 12:53 pm | #

                  That sucks. Can med withdrawals just fucking not?

          • Wafflebob
            Wafflebob
            August 22, 2019 at 1:24 pm | #

            Billie is in the easy stages. Alcohol withdrawal doesn’t get bad until after hour 12. The tremors and seizures can be controlled pretty well in a professional environment. The hallucinations are where it gets weird.

  7. abysswatcher1993
    abysswatcher1993
    August 22, 2019 at 12:06 am | #

    Joyce can return to her happy go lucky self even after questioning the existence of god and the morality of her parents. Now she just need to respect the private space of others.

    • Ron
      Ron
      August 22, 2019 at 1:03 am | #

      Yeah. Baby steps.

  8. Antonio Tyler
    Antonio Tyler
    August 22, 2019 at 12:06 am | #

    I’ve been here before, Billie. Not a good idea to quit alcohol cold turkey.

    Still, not as bad as quitting coffee.

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      August 22, 2019 at 12:07 am | #

      Certainly not without a doctor supervising, it’s not.

    • Kyoulkoa
      Kyoulkoa
      August 22, 2019 at 2:05 am | #

      Is caffeine withdrawl crazy bad?

      • BarerMender
        BarerMender
        August 22, 2019 at 2:17 am | #

        Severe headaches and irritability. More I don’t know.

      • Lensipensi
        Lensipensi
        August 22, 2019 at 2:19 am | #

        It’s not. I guess it is a joke. Caffeine withdrawal can give you a headache and make you tired for a day but that’s it. And you have to drink quite some amount of coffee or be extra sensitive to notice it.

        • Delicious Taffy
          Delicious Taffy
          August 22, 2019 at 3:20 am | #

          Your coffee genes must be way stronger than mine, if your withdrawals only last a day.

        • Myth
          Myth
          August 22, 2019 at 3:46 am | #

          It is probably a joke, since alcohol withdrawal can be fatal (meaning it is objectively worse), but caffeine withdrawal actually can be quite bad. And it does not necessarily require a high amount of caffeine. The length of addiction matters tooIf someone is drinking alcohol on a daily basis, always has at least some amount of alcohol in their system 24/7, that is very severe alcoholism. But for caffeine users? Quite normal. Some people have multiple cups of coffee a day, every single day, for years and years. It’s a perception thing. Very few people would view constant coffee use as a problematic behavior, while constant alcohol/drug/tobacco abuse is EASILY identified as substance abuse/addiction by the average person. People actually brag about coffee addiction! I personally own a shirt that says “Well Dressed and Coffee Obsessed” on it, though I don’t actually drink coffee – my caffeinated poison of choice is actually soda.

      • Eldritch Gentleman
        Eldritch Gentleman
        August 22, 2019 at 5:05 am | #

        Depends on your consumption level. If you don’t drink much, say a cup or two of coffee or a liter of pepsi a day it will be just mild sleepiness, headache, some irritability. But if you are a heavy drinker… I once tried to quit cold turkey after consuming lots of caffeine I was having real difficulty not falling asleep and no amount of naps helped, I literally felt half-dead.

        • TheWanderingMist
          TheWanderingMist
          August 27, 2019 at 8:24 pm | #

          I used to drink way too much pop, like 3 Mountains Dew a day or so (internal pluralization for extra English credit). Not as bad as coffee addicts with their ridiculous amounts of the devil’s drink, but still bad. Managed to get off the habit by giving up pop entirely for Lent. Which also lowered my fast food consumption along with it, so now I don’t spend nearly as much money and can actually save quite decently. Luckily for me, I didn’t get the backlash other caffeine addicts get since caffeine never really stimulated me all that much.

  9. BBCC
    BBCC
    August 22, 2019 at 12:07 am | #

    Yeah, Billie is not in for a fun day. This is gonna suck.

    At least Joyce and Ruth are trying to help.

    • Wafflebob
      Wafflebob
      August 22, 2019 at 1:31 pm | #

      Several days, at least.

      • BBCC
        BBCC
        August 22, 2019 at 6:24 pm | #

        Sure, but it’s gonna start with this being a not fun day.

  10. asingleplum
    asingleplum
    August 22, 2019 at 12:09 am | #

    ThJoyce should change her major to nursing. I think it would suit her.

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      August 22, 2019 at 6:35 am | #

      Would suit her instincts. And give her some training so her attempts to help might even be useful.

  11. Yumi
    Yumi
    August 22, 2019 at 12:12 am | #

    I’m kind of proud of Joyce for connecting the dots. Like, it’s pretty obvious and almost spelled out, but I feel like she might not have been taught much about alcohol withdrawal even being a thing? As ultimately unhelpful as she’s being here, I find her cute in this strip.

  12. ian livs
    ian livs
    August 22, 2019 at 12:17 am | #

    I have never been anything more than tipsy in my life, but I feel like I’d react a lot like Billie here. (I say that even though I love and relate to Joyce a lot. Also, good on her for figuring out it’s withdrawal way quicker than I would’ve.)

  13. Keulen
    Keulen
    August 22, 2019 at 12:19 am | #

    What is that thing on top of Ruth’s head in the third panel? I’m assuming it’s a door decoration but I can’t be sure.

    • Marsh Maryrose
      Marsh Maryrose
      August 22, 2019 at 12:36 am | #

      It’s a roller derby logo sticker on the door of Malaya’s and Sal’s room. You can see it clearly here.

      • Marsh Maryrose
        Marsh Maryrose
        August 22, 2019 at 12:39 am | #

        The funny thing is it’s clearly the logo of the Cedar Valley Roller Derby of Waterloo, IA. No in-comic explanation. I assume Willis just liked the logo and put it in, but who knows, maybe Malaya is a huge Cedar Valley fan.

      • Marsh Maryrose
        Marsh Maryrose
        August 22, 2019 at 12:45 am | #

        Also, at the top right of the first panel, you can see another sticker on the door with the logo of Bloomington’s own Bleeding Heartland Roller Derby.

  14. Bagge
    Bagge
    August 22, 2019 at 12:31 am | #

    “DID SOMEONE SAY TOO SUNNY?????”

    • Marsh Maryrose
      Marsh Maryrose
      August 22, 2019 at 1:33 am | #

      At least Joyce isn’t Sola Flare.

      • Delicious Taffy
        Delicious Taffy
        August 22, 2019 at 3:23 am | #

        *Taiyouken, ahckschewally.

      • Sunny
        Sunny
        August 22, 2019 at 8:00 am | #

        That’s Yamcha’s move!

    • StClair
      StClair
      August 22, 2019 at 2:02 am | #

      PRAISE THE SUN!

    • Needfuldoer
      Needfuldoer
      August 22, 2019 at 2:22 am | #

      It’s always sunny in Joyce’s world (except on recent Sunday mornings, and that day she smashed her toe, and the other weekend when she visited home…)

      • Bagge
        Bagge
        August 22, 2019 at 3:04 am | #

        And the day she smashed Becky’s toe

    • Fire_daws
      Fire_daws
      August 22, 2019 at 4:56 am | #

      Gah! Someone turn that smile down, it’s too early in the morning for that brightness.

  15. JessWitt
    JessWitt
    August 22, 2019 at 12:31 am | #

    Quick, Ruth and Billie – distract Joyce with Sarah’s birthday!

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      August 22, 2019 at 12:38 am | #

      Poor Sarah 🙁

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      August 22, 2019 at 2:19 am | #

      It seems to me that they would be inviting later revenge from Sarah. It strikes me that if she wanted Joyce to know her birthday, she would have told her. That probably means that she doesn’t want how Joyce would likely react to that information on the day in question!

      Of course, I might be misreading Sarah. Maybe Joyce does know and is planning a surprise party about which she’s told everyone and told them to keep quiet. Of course, Joyce herself has all the subtlety of an avalanche so Sarah worked out what was going on about a week previously!

      • He Who Abides
        He Who Abides
        August 22, 2019 at 4:58 am | #

        It’s also possible that Sarah told Joyce that today was her birthday, but that she doesn’t want her to do anything, as a way of heading off Joyce’s inevitable discovery of said fact and subsequent attempt to hold a surprise party. This would most likely result in Joyce trying to help other people as a way to distract from Sarah’s birthday, leading to this scene.

      • Seregiel
        Seregiel
        August 22, 2019 at 1:14 pm | #

        For her birthday, Joyce let Sarah use her as a scape goat for Halloween decor. The surprise will be Joyce throwing Sarah a “Halloween” party with balloons and cake and 7up and settlers of catan.

  16. Yotomoe
    Yotomoe
    August 22, 2019 at 12:32 am | #

    Got a comm for sexy time with Sierra and Guns. Anyone wanna see?

    • LeslieBean4shizzle
      LeslieBean4shizzle
      August 22, 2019 at 12:40 am | #

      … I mean, sure. Why not, right?
      I’m hoping my love of Sierra will outweigh my apathy for Guns.

      • Yotomoe
        Yotomoe
        August 22, 2019 at 1:11 am | #

        And outweight the stoic backdrop 😛 Here you go.

        • Yotomoe
          Yotomoe
          August 22, 2019 at 1:12 am | #

          Oops that was the thumbnail

          • LeslieBean4shizzle
            LeslieBean4shizzle
            August 22, 2019 at 2:37 pm | #

            Indeed, quite nice. Saved to my David Willis Related porn folder.

            I’m not sure I’d call the backdrop stoic so much as non-existent, though.

        • Sunny
          Sunny
          August 22, 2019 at 8:15 am | #

          That’s really nice. I like the little details like the fingers digging into the shoulder, the blushes, the toes curling, the abs tensing, and the breast being lifted up. They make it seem very alive and show what’s going on without cluttering things. I can’t draw people anywhere near that well myself and mostly stick to more abstract things or landscapes with pencil, but I recognize a well done picture when I see it.

        • Bagge
          Bagge
          August 22, 2019 at 3:52 pm | #

          Oh… um…

          I…

          I notice there is no strategically-placed Dr. Pepper

          I’ll be in my bunk.

  17. TrueVCU
    TrueVCU
    August 22, 2019 at 12:38 am | #

    Joyce’s trolling game is coming along nicely

  18. Hazel
    Hazel
    August 22, 2019 at 12:49 am | #

    Ruth seems to be really stepping up the healthy partner-ning. Happy and in love seems to really suit her. These two are so far from the suicide pact they made! Yay, anti-depressants, going sober, and (eventual) communication!

    • Jhon
      Jhon
      August 22, 2019 at 10:40 am | #

      Ruth used the P word!

  19. William Leonard Reese Jr.
    William Leonard Reese Jr.
    August 22, 2019 at 12:56 am | #

    . . . I actually forgot that Alcohol withdrawal was an a thing. Like outside of days long hangovers.

    • Ron
      Ron
      August 22, 2019 at 1:09 am | #

      I believe hangovers are the opposite of withdrawal. The hangover is caused by the alcohol (or – I don’t know- other stuff in the drink) being in you body, where withdrawal is caused by your body missing it.

      Hope I did the tags right this timemmm

      • Kamino Neko
        Kamino Neko
        August 22, 2019 at 2:57 pm | #

        Hangovers are mostly a complex mess of various ways the alcohol futzes with your body…not really the alcohol itself, most of which will have been metabolized by the time the hangover kicked in, but what it left behind.

        Weird thing is, there’s a lot of overlap between hangovers and the less dangerous symptoms of withdrawal – irritability and anxiety, nausea and vomiting, headaches and so forth.

        • thejeff
          thejeff
          August 22, 2019 at 3:02 pm | #

          And a little hair of the dog that bit you fixes both right up. 🙂

          • StClair
            StClair
            August 22, 2019 at 8:59 pm | #

            So if you just stay a little drunk at all times, you’ll be just fine!

            (You will not be fine.)

            • thejeff
              thejeff
              August 23, 2019 at 12:34 am | #

              “It’s worked so far” /Billie

  20. BenRG
    BenRG
    August 22, 2019 at 2:17 am | #

    If I was to try to summarise the character of Joyce Brown in just a few bullet points, one of them would be: “I just want to help!” She’s not always good at it but her heart is in the right place!

    • Bagge
      Bagge
      August 22, 2019 at 3:03 am | #

      “Too sunny” might find a place on the list as well.

  21. NinjaNick
    NinjaNick
    August 22, 2019 at 3:12 am | #

    Cover your face, Joyce.

  22. Lone Duck
    Lone Duck
    August 22, 2019 at 4:17 am | #

    That could be a book title. “I Can Help!” Followed by a series of comics wherein Joyce does not actually help.

  23. Shane Wegner
    Shane Wegner
    August 22, 2019 at 4:17 am | #

    I want to be annoyed, but I guess nothing about Joyce’s upbringing has taught her a deep empathy for other people and their situations. Her siblings seem to be gaining awareness about seeing other perspective es.

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      August 22, 2019 at 7:09 am | #

      I think that Joyce’s sense of empathy is just fine. It’s just that her upbringing has taught her all the wrong responses to her empathetic feelings.

    • TheWanderingMist
      TheWanderingMist
      August 27, 2019 at 8:29 pm | #

      Joyce is probably the most empathetic of anyone on the main cast. Which really doesn’t help when combined with her general naivety.

  24. Eldritch Gentleman
    Eldritch Gentleman
    August 22, 2019 at 4:55 am | #

    Okay but is quitting cold turkey safe for Billie? She seemed to be a pretty heavy drinker and just quitting alcohol like that may mess her up…

    • Alanari
      Alanari
      August 22, 2019 at 7:12 am | #

      Or kill her. No, it’s not safe.

      • Sunny
        Sunny
        August 22, 2019 at 8:19 am | #

        If she starts trembling uncontrollably at all times and seeing spiders and snakes crawling everywhere she’s in trouble. She should be fine, though, because it takes more years than she’s had time to be drinking to get to that point.

        • Alanari
          Alanari
          August 22, 2019 at 9:00 am | #

          She has been drinking constantly in her developing years. I mean, this is a comic. She’s as safe as she is supposed to be. In real life, I’d really advise talking to a doctor. (it’s basically impossible to not have an insurance in my country, so the visit is covered anyway..)

        • Wafflebob
          Wafflebob
          August 22, 2019 at 1:54 pm | #

          It’s most common in those who have been drinking for a long time. It isn’t always only in long term drinkers though. The more and more often you do it, the more likely and worse it could be.

    • JessWitt
      JessWitt
      August 22, 2019 at 12:05 pm | #

      Yeah, cold turkey is never a good idea for anyone. Best to drink a little less than average per day and steadily decrease until down to zero. Also replace the alcohol with a healthier beverage (maybe coffee?).

      • thejeff
        thejeff
        August 22, 2019 at 3:01 pm | #

        Except that’s hard to do for those with a serious problem. It’s much easier to plan to do that and not really cut back at all than it is to stop entire. In therapeutic setting where someone else can dole out the alcohol to you, that’s more likely to work. If you’re the type who’s just going to have one drink and winds up finishing the bottle, not so much.

        It’s likely better for the physical withdrawal, but not so much for the psychological addiction.

        • TemperaryObsessor
          TemperaryObsessor
          August 22, 2019 at 5:23 pm | #

          It might be possible if you have a friend you can trust and who is willing to do slightly illegal things for you.

  25. Rabisch
    Rabisch
    August 22, 2019 at 6:04 am | #

    Joyce. in cases like these a true friend would offer herself for be punched.

    • BenRG
      BenRG
      August 22, 2019 at 7:07 am | #

      Or at least hold her hair out of the way whilst she vomits and then get a hot water bottle for her stomach.

      • HeySo
        HeySo
        August 22, 2019 at 12:15 pm | #

        Those are a pain to find in every one of the States I’ve ever been in.
        Pretty ubiquitous over in Germany, by my experiences, however.

        That’s not to say you can’t order them online (to mixed results), just that it’s unlikely Joyce’d have one on-hand or be able to find one easily in stores.

        But then, I don’t know anything about Indiana, so perhaps it’s different up there. Google results don’t seem to indicate such, though.

        [Mind you, if you’ve had contrary experiences anywhere in the US, I’m interested in hearing about them. ^.^]

        • HeySo
          HeySo
          August 22, 2019 at 12:16 pm | #

          To be clear: Not saying you *can’t* find them in stores *at all*, just that they’re rather uncommon, and most people’d be hard-pressed to know off-hand which stores do carry them.

  26. DarkoNeko
    DarkoNeko
    August 22, 2019 at 7:39 am | #

    At least, don’t bother people with headaches.

  27. Dave
    Dave
    August 22, 2019 at 9:08 am | #

    Thanks. Now I have “alcohol withdrawal” in my browser history.

  28. Mouse
    Mouse
    August 22, 2019 at 10:28 am | #

    I may be too Joyce, because her last response is exactly what I was thinking.

  29. Sunfish
    Sunfish
    August 22, 2019 at 10:30 am | #

    How does Joyce even know that withdrawal is a thing? Not really what you’d expect out of an over-sheltered freshman with a strict Protestant upbringing.

    • BBCC
      BBCC
      August 22, 2019 at 11:26 am | #

      Alcoholism is a ‘godpertunity’ remember?

    • ǝ snow ʍousɐ
      ǝ snow ʍousɐ
      August 22, 2019 at 1:23 pm | #

      Maybe through Jordan?

    • Aro
      Aro
      August 22, 2019 at 2:17 pm | #

      A. Strict Protestants need to know what happens when someone quits alcohol works so they can successfully help other people do it.
      B. withdrawal can be a good scare tactic; you either don’t stop drinking and die or you do stop drinking and suffer. So just don’t drink ever.

    • Sunfish
      Sunfish
      August 22, 2019 at 8:02 pm | #

      Thank you guys I genuinely appreciate these answers

  30. BenRG
    BenRG
    August 22, 2019 at 12:06 pm | #

    I think that the most important lesson from this strip is the fact that Joyce really has no ability to detect sarcasm worth mentioning.

  31. TheFlamingonator
    TheFlamingonator
    August 22, 2019 at 3:47 pm | #

    At least Joyce is aware that she can be agitating. Agitative? I dunno im only abour 2/3s done with my English degree, dont expect me to know this crap

  32. Opus the Poet
    Opus the Poet
    August 22, 2019 at 4:12 pm | #

    I never went through alcohol withdrawal, but I have helped friends who have, and Joyce left out the body and muscle aches. I don’t know if it’s a common symptom, or if all my friends were drinking because they had chronic pain from injuries, or if they got those injuries because they were half-drunk, but all of the people I helped through withdrawal had body and muscle pain as a symptom.

    Granted 3 people is not a large enough sample group to draw statistical conclusions.

    And FYI the 18th anniversary of my death is in 9 days.

    • Bathymetheus
      Bathymetheus
      August 22, 2019 at 9:33 pm | #

      I’m glad you got better.

      • Clif
        Clif
        August 23, 2019 at 12:11 am | #

        You did get better?

  33. TemperaryObsessor
    TemperaryObsessor
    August 22, 2019 at 6:16 pm | #

    Come to think about it irritability is seems like it should be covered under the other side effects.

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