This Far Side link for the snake crossing cartoon is not going to last very long.
Thanks to Kilby for sending this one, and saying “This is the best 4th-wall joke I’ve seen in quite a while:”
Paranoia strikes deep / Into your life it will creep
The great thing about this is that we understand a couple of important points about how those paintings were made.
Comics I Don't Understand 
Not just a baby monitor, also a bunny-on-the-shelf. Watch it, kids!
I guess the gummy bears joke is a reference the infamous Haribo reviews circulating…?
The xylitol in sugar-free gummies (and gum) – if that’s what is used – induces dire rears. It’s also dangerous for dogs to eat. “The biggest concern when feeding your pet a gummy bear is whether it contains an artificial sweetener named Xylitol. Even a small amount of this chemical can cause an extreme reaction in your dog, resulting in death.”
I have eaten a few sugar-free gummi bears over the years, but I don’t remember ever seeing any that were made by Haribo: they were always some cheap imitation brand. Searching “haribo.de” for “sugar-free” (in German) produces zero results.
I was a young diabetic when this kind of sugar-free candy started becoming the rage in the 80s. I was in heaven! However, tummy problems were an issue, so I just started sneaking the regular stuff behind my mum’s back…as I’m guessing all young diabetics do.
If Kilby and others haven’t seen the Haribo review, try here: https://www.amazon.com/review/R2JGNJ5ZPJT4YC
The Simpsons did a similar finger joke in the late 1990s. Lisa’s reading a book on evolution and says that scientists think that in the future it’s possible people will have four fingers and a thumb. Bart thinks that’s freaky.
Sugar-free gummies make me think of that bit on 30 Rock where Liz Lemon is reading a package for some kind of snack and it says ‘Warning: Produced in a plant that also processes food.’
The Bliss reminds me of the 1990s book “Why Cats Paint”. It was pretty funny for cat people. Bill wouldn’t have gotten it all.
Dan Piraro’s blog comment on this Bizarro panel: “Don’t kid yourself, kid, it’s not safe to text either.”
Stan – Robert and I are both Type 2 Diabetics. With the sugar alcohol sweeteners (which are generally the laxative ones) often the number of carbohydrates as sugar does. Whether Edys/Dreyers “light” (low fat) ice cream is sugar sweetened or sugar alcohol sweetened the flavors match in carb count – chocolate sugar/chocolate sugar alcohol, vanilla sugar/vanilla sugar alcohol…
So we just buy the sugar versions as the carbs are the same and they don’t have the laxative problems – and we have found it works for us in keeping sugar levels good.
“we have found it works for us in keeping sugar levels good”
Yea, I’ve found that to be the case…no matter what your doctor/dietition tells you, find what works for you and stick with it. I stopped paying any attention to carbs or whatever decades ago. My approach is if I feel bad, I do something about it; either eating something to raise my blood sugar or taking some insulin to reduce it. After 40 years of employing this method, I’ve still got my eyesight and feet and my A1Cs hover at about 6, so all good.
I’m available for consultaton upon request.
Stan – 🙂
Right now having our pre bed snack – we wake up later (the past years much later than even usual for us) which tonight is microwave popped, plain popcorn. (Buy a plastic bag of popping corn – used to use a paper lunch bag to put the corn in, but no longer works so bought a plastic bowl with lid intended to make popcorn in.) This is instead of our normal instant oatmeal for him and original Cheerios for me. It will be followed by a snack cake or ice cream (Robert went upstairs for a minute so not sure which it will be.) and then bed. It is our breakfast substitute as when we wake up after noon we will have lunch to start the day and then dinner at 8pm.
If we told the doctor he would go crazy, but it works for us – good A!Cs in general – either just over 6 or under same.