1666 Hastur.

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In all honesty I’m not really feeling like talking a lot right now. There’s nothing to report anyway. Just do your best to have a good time until we meet again. Okay?

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Will do crave.

Badd coffee shop title puns go! Brewd awakenings!

There’s a coffee shop like that where I live. I shit you not. Good coffee, plus they got couches. I g there a lot.

Oh. Oh god. Oh GOD, actually. Please tell me there’s a coffee shop somewhere named that. I’d start drinking coffee just to have a reason to go there. This is as much fun as the day I learned that there’s really a Wong Foo King Book Store.

Why isn’t EVERY business named something funny? Or better yet, punny?

“God be with brew.” Comic 1666. Appropriate.

Just cause i’m in a “raining on people’s parade” mood right now, I should point out that 666 is probably not really the number of the beast, most scholars now believe it’s 616, (and refers to Nero).

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee…
Praise the name of Coffee
Early in the mooooorning
we rise because of thee

Just wanted to comment on how you’re always such a nice fellow to us readers, Jackie. Thanks for keeping the positivity, even during your tough days. I feel it helps (at least some of) us through ours. Here’s hoping we’re able do the same for you!

Along the street the brick walls break,
The twin pots brew while the ovens bake,
The cafe opens

In Carcosa.

Familiar is the smell when our scones toast,
Delicious in the air when black beans roast,
but try our cakes,

From Carcosa

On our stage where local artists sing,
Sit back to listen in thrones like a king,
And buy a CD to,

Support Carcosa

We are open nine to five or seven during peak,
For six of the seven days that makes a week
but closed all holidays,

Cafe Carcosa

A mantra from days long past when working nights and going to classes during the day.

It is by java alone I set my mind in motion.
It is by the juice of the bean that thoughts acquire speed,
the teeth acquire stains,
the stains become a warning.
It is by java alone I set my mind in motion.

In the olde days when there were IBM punch cards, we had a mantra;

It is by java alone I set my mind in motion.
It is by the juice of the bean that thoughts become code,
the code becomes a program,
the program becomes a warning.
It is by java alone I set my mind in motion.

And a slogan, of course,
About how that;
Too much coffee is the great mind killer,
I will allow the coffee to pass into and through me,
And when it has passed,
Only I will remain ….

There’s a good chance I’m making assumptions and jumping the gun here, but I’ll post anyway for the sake of anticipating Wednesday’s comic with the understanding that I’ll just eat crow if I’m wrong…
The sudden jump in mood there doesn’t seem so much like “Oooh, a Christian owned coffee shop. That must be a nice place let’s go” but more like “Oh that sounds so cheesy, we have to go there to laugh at them!”

Which by itself is hardly the worst thing in the world, but I guess it struck a nerve. There’s this odd thing going on with certain circles these days. Being atheist is cool and PC because religion dominated so much of the world for so long that it’s progressive to not be theist. And naturally while not everyone ‘not part of a group’ isn’t automatically against that group, there will always be jerks on any side just looking to be mean to anyone they don’t see as being ‘with them’. But then there’s the other side that needs to be SUPER tolerant and enabling of other religions. Which again is good by itself, just odd when the only reason you’re doing it is because that’s the PC thing to virtue signal these days.

So I guess I could sum that whole thought up as…
Wednesday’s comic and beyond might contain a story that entails laughing at a cringy christian coffee shop. I’m sure some will find that funny. Whatever makes ya laugh… humor is always good.
I question though, if the story was replaced with a Muslim coffee shop with an equally cheesy name, and they went over there to snicker quietly to themselves, would that be as funny?

Why or why not?
And again of course, there’s a chance I’m just falsely assuming what is coming.

I think you meant “not be christian” as opposed to “not be theist”. The atheist reductionism of the entire multi-dimensional spectrum of belief to a black and white “atheist or christian” checkox is one of my peeves.
But neo-paganism was the in thing not too long ago, following hot on the heels of Wicca. The underlying theme remains the same, with that theme being mostly “this will piss my parents off SO MUCH”.

And make no mistake, the militant atheists are as big a bag of tools as their militant christian “oppressors” are. And of course, the militants are the minority on both sides. Most people just don’t care that much what other people believe.

I’m pretty sure the comic characters’ attitude is more along the lines of “this particular juxtaposition is likely to provide entertainment in addition to a cup of coffee” as opposed to “christians are deserving of mockery”.
Because let us be honest here, those sorts of businesses tend to have a certain misplaced earnestness about them that is KINDA FUNNY. Like they believe someone will come in for a cup of coffee and leave going “I never knew Christ died for our sins!”. It is the friendlier, more embracing version of a Jack Chick tract.

It would not be as funny if it were a muslim coffee shop, or jewish, or norse, but not for the reasons you imply. The lack of humor is because it wouldn’t have the same ring of authenticity.
I am like 90% sure God Be With Brew is a real place, because I’ve seen enough places like it. While I’ve seen plenty of businesses owned and run by muslims or jews, I’ve never seen any that used their storefront to proselytize. It is a uniquely christian thing(and likely unique to the more evangelical branches at that).

Full disclosure: I’m agnostic. And the militant atheists are bound and determined to redefine that as a flavor of atheism to bolster their ranks, though it means something COMPLETELY different. So my bias is to tell the militant atheists to lay off and let people be, same as I would a preachy vegetarian or an evangelical christian. But funny coffee shop is funny.

I define myself as a 3001-style Theist. Other than agnosticism — which, as you said, hardcore atheists (and other religious, for that matter) would falsely consider equivalent to atheism — Clarke’s definition of Theism (the belief that one or more gods exist, without going into detail as to the nature of said gods) is really the only single-word accurate descriptor for my religious beliefs. (Perhaps “Christian maltheist” fits, but that’s two words and doesn’t convey my belief that Jehovah doesn’t, in fact, exist.)

Note that 3001’s Theism and Deism (the belief in the existence of one or less gods) are NOT the same as the modern real-world Theism or Deism (or in fact Clarke’s other usage of Deism (Rama Revealed, or at least that’s what the Useful Notes for Deism on TVTropes says)).
Pulling from Wikipedia, Theism is almost the same at 3001’s, but Deism is a strict subset of Theism that claims that deities do not actively interfere with Creation.

What should have been the point of this: what I consider the three craziest major religions/sects/denominations, and why:
3. Catholicism — The original well-organized Christianity, Catholicism is basically taking basic Christianity (the stuff everybody, even unbiased non-Christians, say is Christianity), do everything the exact opposite, and claim that it’s in line with basic Christianity while also condemning other types of Christians. Confession? Properly, religious confession should only be between you and Jehovah. Catholicism puts a human in as a middleman. Don’t believe in any god above Him (which came from Judaism)? In Catholicism, it seems that you’re praying to saints more than your God.
2. Militant Atheism — The most well-recognized Atheism in the United States, due to major science figures such as Bill Nye and Neil DeGrasse Tyson, is an outright aggressive declaration that no real god exists or has ever existed. You can see it in Tyson saying that Christian God, as being the unknowable, is shrinking down to eventual nothingness. Science and religion, even Christianity, are NOT mutually exclusive.
1. Scientology — Well, I said I’d say why, and I will, even though it’s obvious. First, their human origin story involves essentially recent-history aircraft (McDonald Douglas DC-10 passenger craft) and other stuff that makes the Judeo-Christian Creation look downright reasonable. Then you’ve got Hubbard and Miscavige being basically treated as demigods. Only Steve Jobs and 45* are worse in that aspect. Even worse, the whole thing with excommunication and Disruptive Persons. Let’s just say that Scientology isn’t exactly in tune with freedom of any kind.

The worst thing about their followers is that you can’t earnestly blame them for being followers. Somehow it makes sense to them. Blame them for their horrible acts against non-conformers, sure. But believing in a religion? It’s just something that someone is, rather than something someone does.

Firewater, I’m glad that you’ll say you’ll admit your mistake on Wednesday if it comes to it, but if I could be so bold as to point out a flaw in your original “complaint”, don’t you think you’re being a tad unfair to Jackie here? I mean, I get what you said- so many people are trying to be cool right now, but Jackie had never struck me as the kind of person to bash anyone or any group of people, whether to be cool or not. He creates real, flawed characters, gives everyone to be a chance to be themselves, and even here in the comments doesn’t police us or really even moderate us.

I think that even assuming for a moment that the same person who treats his comic with respect and anti judgement would suddenly insult Christianity to be cool is an odd judge of character. From where I stand, it seems you’ve had some bad luck with people, and I am sorry it had affected you so deeply. Please, try to have some faith in others and in someone who had shown they are a good and honest person. Don’t just assume the worst because others have. Of course, you have your choice in how to live your life, but I do hope this helps you consider another option in living it.

Jackie’s general lack of misplaced criticism is mostly why I partially predicting eating my own words today, or whenever the storyline concludes.
I’m well aware I’ve just become rather cynical. I’ve seen way too many comics I’ve liked and read for years start to degrade to utter shit as they jump on the SJW bandwagon and do everything they can to virtue signal their progressiveness.

Worst offender is obviously Sinfest, which changed so much in the course of a few days people really wonder if Tatsuya went off the deep end and did something insane irl that he feels he needs to atone for. But a bunch of other comics seem to be falling into this same pattern. LICD, Shortpacked, which then only got worse with Dumbing of Age.

My Webcomics are important to me. They say every person is completely different every 7 years, what you like, what’s important to you, etc etc. Comics have been the closest thing I’ve had to a consistent ‘hobby’, whether comic books, or manga, or webcomics, dating back to being a 6 year old reading through the funny papers every day after school. Every morning, literally the first thing I do is plop myself in front of the computer and read through whatever comics updated that day.

And seeing a comic you’ve read for over a decade twist and decay into something less than a shadow of it’s former self, something that is just a political mouthpiece for twisted messages aimed at appeasing crowds that can not be appeased no matter how far you go… it’s like losing an old friend.

Anyway, I’ve gotten too serious. It’s certainly not like every ‘progressive’ comic is shit in the first place. El Goonish Shive manages to address modern touchy topics on a regular basis and does it without seeming preachy, or like it’s trying to jam a lesson down your throat. And it doesn’t seem like Between Failures is going down such a road anyway, I’ve just seen it too many beloved comics go this way lately that I’ve become a cynic on a hair trigger.

You uh…evidently have some strong political views there, don’t you bub? Not that I care too much, but I’m detecting a lot of misplaced hostility here and I really feel like that’s not fair to jackie.
And y’know, as a side note? If you want to make a point, which its pretty clear you were trying to do, its better to stick with facts and avoid insult-throwing, because at the point you start into that is when you lose any chance at convincing someone else that you were worth listening to.
Side note: the way you used the term “militant atheists” makes it sound like its a thing people say all the time, and we’re all supposed to recognize that term, but I can say pretty thoroughly that I have never heard anyone use that term. Ever. Or anything close, for that matter.

Just realized I started to reply to Firewater, and mixed up some of what he said with Some Guy, which goes to show why you don’t post comments on things at 4 in the morning.
I think you can see which parts go to which comment, but for reference the first part could talk to either, the second two were more for Some Guy than Firewater.
Hope that clarifies.

I may have coined the phrase militant atheism. I’d say evangelical atheist, but evangelical refers specifically to christian teachings.

I thought it was a self-explanatory term(atheists which are militant), but…
Basically, the way I see it, there are plenty of decent atheists out there that aren’t trying to force their beliefs on anyone else, just like every other faith. And then a small group shouts it from the mountaintops and gives everyone grief for not subscribing to their particular set of beliefs, and gives everyone a headache with their bull-headed antagonism.
Those are the ones which are a nuisance, the ones I complain about, and it just isn’t fair to blame all atheists for the offenses of a small subset. Hence, “militant atheists” as opposed to just “atheists. ”

I would be pleased if it DID catch on, but doubt it will ever see broad usage.

Or Jackie is just a master of puns and this was too funny not to be included? Bump in the Knight still makes me chuckle.

You feeling some Harley Quinn lately? I didn’t sense anything at first, but pigtails plus crazy eyes connect the dots in my head.

At least she hasn’t picked up the atrocious wardrobe and makeup habits from the last movie… yeeesh….. I much liked her as the deranged waif from the animated series that spawned her. She had more dimensions to her then than the movie version.

Hey Jackie, enjoying song Edward and Nina’s arch here. Been reading the comic for a long while now, though I don’t often comment. You’re one of two patreons I support currently, even if small tips. Anyways, hope things are well and that you know you and your work are greatly appreciated by strangers in the Internet.

Yeah, what this one said, ditto for me.
I’m enjoying their banter, showing that Tommy isn’t the only wit in the crowd. Also Edward is pretty neat when not in his sister’s shadow. Also, you Rock It, (not to be confused with rocket, or Rockettes). And too, your comic is Hep without being pretentious, no mean feat considering TopWebComics top 1500 comics, and you have a story with no (cough) Trace (cough) of fan service with (cough) Flora-d (cough) florid (pardon) sex, yet your comic is wonderfully attractive and remains one of my long run faves, even if not TWC #1. Naked breasts do Not make up for a weak story, — unless one is in their 10-12 Y.O. range.
Also I don’t mind the days you don’t have something to say, cause when you do have something to say, I really enjoy hearing (reading) that and mulling it over. Also I wanna adopt JoJo and protect her, it’s her secret super power like Thomas said. D’aawwwwwws!

Hey Jackie, just wanna pop in and say I love a good pun, and that’s not far from the mark of actual pun shop names I’ve seen. There’s a bakery down the road from where I live, and their specials menu is titled: Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread.

Also thank you! I am having a great one. Same to you!

Just so long as you look after yourself as well, Jackie. I don’t message much, but I do respect your work as an artist, and care for your health like one of those “decent human being”… things.

As far as puns go, that one is pretty good. Considering how often people mutter “oh God” when being talked at by other people before they’ve had their morning cuppa, I could actually see a place like that existing, if not already now, then maybe in the foreseeable future.

Huh.

And here I thought I was the only one that followed Henry Rollins’ example in regards to traveling and experiencing new places.

That coffee shop pun is AWESOME. You earn major props, as the saying goes. :D

Someone I used to work with came up a great pun for a pizza place: “Passion of the Crust”. I’m not sure if he meant it as a joke or if it had an edge to it (or both), but regardless of his motivation, I told him it was a great name for a pizza place and I still want to see it happen, because that is a brilliant punny name. :)

Pun-names are awesome. I know of a childcare centre that took over a former McDonalds building. They called themselves “Small Fries”

I’m really dying to see Nina in a “Daddy’s Lil Monster” shirt right now… Anyone else?

Mayhap the denizens of “May God Be With Brew” doth speak in proper King James English? Forsooth, it verily wouldest be mightily thematic.

As for punny cafe names, some of the guys at work though that a Starbuck’s clone in Seattle that sold both coffee and marijuana could be called “The Coffee Pot”.

and a Baskin Robbins styled place staffed by former figure skaters could be called Ice Queen Clones

I’m just delighted that Nina is wearing the crop top and shorts. She is adorable, wickedly adorable in that outfit and her outsized pigtails.I’m looking forward to the awesome day that she and Ed are about to have. This is gonna be fun and not, repeat not a day punctuated by the sort of nasty encounters contemplated above. We can trust Jackie here. He will not ruin their day nor our experience of it through his comics. Besides, “Christian” does not have to imply “psychopath,” it’s just that the bad ones stand out so prominently.

I’m going to set up a funeral parlour in Woking, Surrey. It’s going to be called The Woking Dead.

This was a real store and/or business-
I once saw a sign for a funeral home…maybe it was in [New Jersey, USA], or in New england.
It was named: The Trench and Rising Funeral Home.
TRENCH annnd RISING?
It sounds like your funeral home has a problem with zombies rising out of their graves. :D

If you turn Nina’s pigtails sideways- she looks like Dee Dee from Dexter’s Lab, aka Dexter’s Laboratory. : )

Am I the only one who was expecting Ed to show interest on her and say something sexy?!??!

Geez, what a missed opportunity!

I’m just speculating, but: I don’t think that Jackie was trying to be offensive, when making jokes about Christian-themed cafes, or in doing jokes, in today’s comic.
In my opinion- you can have restaurants, and entertainments, and such, with- pirate themes, cowboy themes, religious themes, clown themes, etc., and some of them can rub me, and others, the wrong way.
I have some very religious friends + family members, so I’ve seen some religious TV shows.
Some of them I like, and some of them I don’t, such as- I like the 1972 film, “Brother Sun, Sister Moon”, because I like its [try not to be greedy] story, + things like that.
I’m not a big fan of the Veggie Tales tv show, because I get kind of annoyed at cartoon cucumbers + tomatoes, with squeaky voices, trying to tell people kindergarten-style morality lessons. that’s just me.
I guess my point is- you can be: Christian, religious, atheist, agnostic, or have other views, and find some restaurants’ themes, and some TV shows’ themes, to be really annoying, or not your things, and I think that’s OK.
Veggie tales, Ugh.

Well, to be fair, Veggie Tales is/was [supposed to be] marketed to young children (though our church youth leader proposed to his wife by singing “The Cheeseburger Song”. They’d both been raised with Veggie Tales, so it wasn’t entirely inappropriate.) I’m sure there are a few older/High School-aged people who still enjoy watching the muppets on Sesame Street (not ME, of course…)

I feel like your post here is exactly what an NPC would say in like, Torment or Pillars of Eternity.

This just means I’ve lost my grip on reality and think that everything I read online comes from an NPC.

5) That’s all for now. Thanks.

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