Comic Transcripts

[[Two men stand on a street. The one on the left is wearing a top hat.]]
GLEN: I need a way to become rich that doesn’t involve hustling suckers and idiots.
BARNES: What are your hobbies? What do you enjoy doing?
GLEN: Flying kites through outdoor malls. Sitting on rooftops watching traffic ebb and flow. Collecting loose nuts and bolts from junkyards, then spending lonely evenings trying to match them all up.

BARNES: Okay, well, here’s the thing. The best way to get rich is through REAL ESTATE INVESTING. But it’s got to be a PASSION.
BARNES: You can’t have a hobby and try to learn about real estate TOO; that’s not the way to build a successful career. You’ve got to LOVE real estate.
BARNES: So I’ve got to say, odds don’t look too good for you right now.

GLEN: I was hoping to perhaps parlay my expertise in ennui into some sort of lucrative public speaking profession.
BARNES: A noble goal, but who would you address?
GLEN: I don’t know. Kids?

{{header: get to work at WONDERMARK.COM}}
{{alt-text: everyone just trudging out of the assembly staring at their feet}}

#385; In which a Hard Road lies ahead transcribed by in

[[Two men stand on a street. The one on the left is wearing a top hat.]]
GLEN: I need a way to become rich that doesn't involve hustling suckers and idiots.
BARNES: What are your hobbies? What do you enjoy doing?
GLEN: Flying kites through outdoor malls. Sitting on rooftops watching traffic ebb and flow. Collecting loose nuts and bolts from junkyards, then spending lonely evenings trying to match them all up.

BARNES: Okay, well, here's the thing. The best way to get rich is through REAL ESTATE INVESTING. But it's got to be a PASSION.
BARNES: You can't have a hobby and try to learn about real estate TOO; that's not the way to build a successful career. You've got to LOVE real estate.
BARNES: So I've got to say, odds don't look too good for you right now.

GLEN: I was hoping to perhaps parlay my expertise in ennui into some sort of lucrative public speaking profession.
BARNES: A noble goal, but who would you address?
GLEN: I don't know. Kids?

{{header: get to work at WONDERMARK.COM}}
{{alt-text: everyone just trudging out of the assembly staring at their feet}}

everyone just trudging out of the assembly staring at their feet

#385; In which a Hard Road lies ahead

  — February 28th, 2008

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(Part 3 of 4.)

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Applications open for Genius Northwest – an IRL gaming competition

May 8, 2026 by David Malki !

Last year, I participated in Genius Northwest, a gaming competition inspired by the Korean gameshow The Genius and its ilk.

It’s a reality show without the cameras — a 3-day, all-inclusive weekend retreat structured around a series of challenges and puzzles, in which personalities and dealmaking matter as much as playing games.

It’s truly a remarkable thing. I came in dead last in the competition, but I still had a great time participating.

The event is held annually in the Pacific Northwest (hence the name) and applications are now open to participate in the 2026 competition!

Learn more — and apply — at GeniusNW.com.


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