PM Alphabet Soup

It is so easy for people to develop a shorthand way of speaking to people in their own profession. The challenge is to know how to translate that to the language of your listener.

Wisdom from the Back Seat

It sounds like something one of my precocious grandchildren would say.

...Insert Foot

My intent in yesterday's comic had nothing to do with money being spent. It was just a play on the phrase 'what's on TV?' meaning either 'what program is showing on TV' or 'what things are on top of the physical TV'. Today is another in the husband-wife series where the husband just doesn't seem to get it.

 

Open Mouth...

I have been known to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. How about you?

It's a What, Dear?

You probably thought a deer was a deer, right? Nope. there are a bunch of varieties, and several of them live in Colorado. So, did we mostly see mule deer or white-tailed deer? It doesn't matter, because the joke only works with the name 'mule deer'.

Shh. He's Right Behind You

Once again, my next movie-themed comic gets postponed for a time-sensitive one. I need to publish this one while the government shutdown is still underway.

Who is the Monster?

Another joke about the budget shutdown.

Case Closed

I had another movie-themed comic ready for today, but I decided to comment on the government shutdown first.

Blood Suckers

Let's stay with the classic monster movies theme for at least one more day. Today, clients are compared to vampires.

FrankenPM

Our project is scheduled to go live on Monday morning. There is a mitigation plan of only bringing up part of it, but hopefully, I.T. is ready for their part. So, since something is going live, you can imagine what phrase came to mind.

What's the (Field) Goal?

Just like the project being pitched in this Clarity of Vision, I did not know where the comic was going when I started writing it. My idea notes had simply said "project kickoff, save company, if no goal how know when we finish". You can see it ended up being more about football metaphors.

Press Any Key to Continue

Obviously, this is not an original concept, but it is certainly something one of the grandkids might say.

3 Quotes? 1 More Is a Gallon

Have you ever heard anyone say something like today's title? It is a paraphrase of a Groucho Marx line in Animal Crackers.

Mash-Up? More Like Mash-DOWN

Our son decided we would play his version of Mash-Up this weekend. He had no hard-and-fast rules, so the mash-ups could be anything from the name of a car suffix with the name of a movie director to a type of food suffixed with the name of a singer. It was a little too broad for me to have a chance guessing the two parts. We ended up tweaking it to (usually) two actors or singers names.

Where's the Cake?

Some families make a big deal out of birthdays. And for grandkids, that is appropriate. Nowadays, though, for my kids, it is much more subdued. Also, gift cards or cash are the gift choices. Here is my nod to my daughter's b-day.

Him's a Good Boy

Oftentimes, I mention to you that I have written a Clarity of Vision comic based on an idea I captured at some point in the past. Today's idea, though, came to me in the shower, for no reason that I can think of. Well, maybe it is because some of my current assignment involves providing some documentation by trying to think of what my supervisor will need before she knows she has a need?

Is It Drawing or Drawling?

Do your kids pronounce words like 'draw' or 'Pa' with an 'L' on the end, like 'drawl' or 'Paul'? Mine did, and that's where the title came from.

He Couldn't Resist

Here's one that has been in my backlog for a long time, but I couldn't find a clever way to use it without sounding harsh. Today, I decided to have someone say it but then apologize because it sounded like a straight line for a joke.

Moving Violation

I saw a photo of some nieces and nephews on Facebook the other day, all asleep while their parents drove on vacation. It made me wonder how short of a trip it takes to lull someone to sleep.

I Sounds Like Barney Fife

If you do not understand the title of today's CoV, you are obviously from the next generation. To see a mix of what I am talking about and what you have grown up with, check out this mashup of Barney saying "Nip it" with a rap.

A Colorful Diet

OK, so this joke is not entirely new. That does not make it any less true, and people do say we should eat colors as part of a vegan diet.

Simple Simon

I wanted to have something about 9/11, but it seems tough to address in the CoV universe. Instead, I added some writing on the white board. Otherwise, it is just a normal weekly meeting of the Classic DJs Association and their chaplain.

A Carpenter

This is obviously a follow-up to the Temptations comic. It also harkens back to a TV program I saw in the 80s where they said Jesus was a carpenter and played a background song by The Carpenters.

Temptations

You will never guess what the preacher talked about in church yesterday. Well, maybe you will in just a minute. And you will never guess what went through my mind when he said something like "Let's examine Jesus and the temptations". By now, you have probably guessed, but go ahead and read the CoV.

Strong to the Finish

I do seem to have worked my left arm a bit too much yesterday, so that was obviously on my mind this morning. I am trying to balance my workout so that I do NOT look like Popeye. However, that song is now in my mind. You know which one.

Exit, Stage Left

I wrote this idea down four months ago, but I only wrote the phrase "break a leg". I saw it tonight and decided to build a comic around it. Once I pictured it at a school with a granddaughter, I knew where I could take it.

As for the title of the comic, you will probably only recognize it if you are of a certain maturity (i.e. old). It is what a cartoon character named Snagglepuss would say as he exited a situation.

It Was THIS Big

I was pondering today's topic and, somehow, decided to have my granddaughter find me practicing casting in the pool. Once I knew that, I just had to imagine what she would say to me.

Too Many Chefs in the Room

You can guess that we watched a Gordon Ramsay show as I was pondering what the Clarity of Vision would be. He did not do all of these quotes, although they are among my favorites. One thing that I could not do was name the comic as I wanted. It seems that bitstrips limits how long the title can be and my desired one, 'Too Many Chefs in the Bedroom', was one character too long.

Dwight's Funnier on TV

An idea queued up earlier in the year as The Office was winding down. So, I had to include a quote from Dwight. Anyway, I thought it was too bad that a real workplace isn't quite that much fun?

What's In a Name?

I have been sitting on this idea since Kanye and Kim had their baby. Some names don't really imply boy or girl and this falls into that category.

Who Has an Ovoid Cranium?

As often happens, I get caught up in a theme and mine it for all potential comics. Today, I continue the vegan theme.

Corn-y Diet Jokes

I actually thought of this follow-up to yesterday's vegan diet comic during the same lunchtime meal as the first one. I just didn't know what the final panel would say until just now.

Stuff My Stuff in the Pantry

This idea came up at Sunday lunch from my sister. It would really be funny if it were not true. I mean, don't you often buy things that you think you should eat or prepare and then either forget about it or just keep putting it off until it expires? No? Well, I do.

Just Don't Flip It

One of the floors in our building does indeed have a conference room called Flamingo. One day, though, I saw that word as two words.

No Kids Allowed

Before they started school, I did hear my wife say they were having a pre-school party with alcohol being served. Yes, I did have to process that statement a moment before I understood it was a party the teachers were having before the school year began.

You Sell Timeshares, Too?

As we planned the next round of team events, a joke was raised about how low-budget they are getting. That caused someone to comment that this should be a Clarity of Vision comic. I took that challenge.

Where's the 1st Day Jitters?

I had another idea queued up for today, but felt like doing a work-related one for today. So, what if a helper was brought in that really seemed to shine? Would you feel threatened?

Planetariums 2013

This was truly a spur of the moment comic. I saw the sun breaking over the horizon this morning and it reminded me of the old days when a planetarium show ended with the edges of the ceiling fading into red and then yellow and then white. However, I thought that today's teens would probably be looking at their cell phones instead.

Thatsa Lotta Calls

Someone at lunch said their phone would be blowing up because of a production problem. That was enough for me to send myself that idea. No, I cannot be sure they weren't talking physically.

Actually, It's PMP

When I reviewed past comics for an idea, I saw the pimp (I mean PMP) outfit and decided I wanted to use it again. I also mentioned Map Day, which is a technique we use to build a stronger project schedule. So see, you learned something.

MBO, Not HBO

I get some daily newsletters about management concepts and airline news and recipes and stuff. Anyway, one of the management ones talked about what management by objectives looks like in today's business climate. This is what I did not read about it.

At the Corner of...

There are things that make me happy and things that make me healthy. Too bad they don't always coincide.

It's Still a Loss

I was trying to remember what made me think of this last Thursday, but I wrote down the idea and expanded on it this morning. I do think that there are times someone could listen to guys talking and totally misunderstand what they are talking about, just like in today's CoV.

Dot's My Password, Too

I wrote down this idea on July 29. That has nothing to do with the comic itself. Just a fascinating factoid.

Open the Windows

Luckily, I have not seen the famous Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) in a long time. That does not mean that it won't happen, of course. And it does still make good comedy fodder.

Statistics Don't Lie

I did hear a story on the radio that a child drowns every five minutes. Now, is that only for the Valley of the Sun? Is it only around swimming pools? I don't know, but that was the genesis of this comic.

Happy Anniversary to Me

I am a lucky guy to have found the perfect wife who has stayed with me for so many years. However, I decided it would be funnier in today's comic if the main character used his wedding anniversary date in a totally selfish way.

Don't Call it a Nuk

While watching the grandson with his pacifier this weekend, I wondered what we would think if an adult were still to be using a pacifier?

It's Not You

I am sure most companies do some outsourcing; at least larger companies. Ours is no exception. Still, either the workers are sold to the new company as part of the deal or they lose their jobs. It is no fun. To paraphrase Dirty Harry, "Do you feel lucky?" I do...right now.

Forming, Storming, Stopping.

Well, we held our "low budget" team event yesterday by bringing in some lunch and watching a Brian Regan DVD. So, it made me think about what true low-budget events might look like.