ERNESTINA: You ever get so excited about an idea that you can’t think of anything else? / It takes over. It crowds every other thought from your mind. It demands attention, regardless of its actual merit as an idea – in fact, that’s impossible to determine. It’s too new!

CHARLES: Sure, but the feeling passes. I’ve learned to wait it out – if it’s really a good idea, then it’ll still be a week later.
ERNESTINA: But that’s the problem! The enthusiasm is only good for about a day. So you can wait it out until it joins the interminable list of “Good Ideas You’ll Never Do” – or you can just spend that energy. Dive in. Just try something. / Better to do something with passion that turns out misguided, than carefully decide to do nothing at all.

CHARLES: That is a very nice-sounding theory that I’m not convinced is actually true. / That is how countries start wars. / Do you ever finish any of the crazy things you dive into?
ERNESTINA: I’d love to, but who has the time?
[[The Dodos break into the panel from the left side and shout as one:]]
THE DODOS: WE HAVE THE TIME

{{Header: get busy at WONDERMARK.COM}}
{{Alt-text: Enthusiastic ideas are like crappy rewards points. You earn them fair and square, but then they expire faster than you think.}}

#730; The Decaying Currency transcribed by in

{{Header: get busy at WONDERMARK.COM}}
{{Alt-text: Enthusiastic ideas are like crappy rewards points. You earn them fair and square, but then they expire faster than you think.}}

#730; The Decaying Currency transcribed by in

ERNESTINA: You ever get so excited about an idea that you can't think of anything else? / It takes over. It crowds every other thought from your mind. It demands attention, regardless of its actual merit as an idea - in fact, that's impossible to determine. It's too new!

CHARLES: Sure, but the feeling passes. I've learned to wait it out - if it's really a good idea, then it'll still be a week later.
ERNESTINA: But that's the problem! The enthusiasm is only good for about a day. So you can wait it out until it joins the interminable list of "Good Ideas You'll Never Do" - or you can just spend that energy. Dive in. Just try something. / Better to do something with passion that turns out misguided, than carefully decide to do nothing at all.

CHARLES: That is a very nice-sounding theory that I'm not convinced is actually true. / That is how countries start wars. / Do you ever finish any of the crazy things you dive into?
ERNESTINA: I'd love to, but who has the time?
[[The Dodos break into the panel from the left side and shout as one:]]
THE DODOS: WE HAVE THE TIME

{{Header: get busy at WONDERMARK.COM}}
{{Alt-text: Enthusiastic ideas are like crappy rewards points. You earn them fair and square, but then they expire faster than you think.}}

Enthusiastic ideas are like crappy rewards points. You earn them fair and square, but then they expire faster than you think.

#730; The Decaying Currency

— June 3rd, 2011

[ Tags: attack, humanized animals, productivity ] Permalink: https://wondermark.com/c/730/

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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.

Comic Transcripts

#730; The Decaying Currency

— June 3rd, 2011

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