Every week we feature a set of comics created exclusively for WDD.

The content revolves around web design, blogging and funny situations that we encounter in our daily lives as designers.

These great cartoons are created by Jerry King, an award-winning cartoonist who’s one of the most published, prolific and versatile cartoonists in the world today.

So for a few moments, take a break from your daily routine, have a laugh and enjoy these funny cartoons.

Feel free to leave your comments and suggestions below as well as any related stories of your own…

The smoldering designer

Silhouette infringement

Not a good reference

Can you relate to these situations? Please share your funny stories and comments below…

Appareo Font Family – Vintage, Weathered Typeface – only $12!

The W3C Mobile Web 2: Programming Applications online course is back! Now open for registration and to start on 13 January 2014, this course covers all techniques for programming successful mobile Web applications that can ship both online and in application stores. You will have access to high quality content material, be trained by a first-class expert, and learn step by step. Register before 25 December 2013 to benefit from the early bird rate. Learn more about W3DevCampus, the W3C online training for Web developers.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget bill Thursday that would avoid another government shutdown next year after it’s passed by the Senate.

Roy Meyers, professor of political science, analyzed the budget deal in detail in The London School of Economics USApp blog.

“Coming just two months after a foolish government shutdown caused by the antithesis of bipartisanship, the current budget agreement must be seen as an effort in reputation repair,” Meyers writes.

He notes the deal offsets spending increases with minor savings and extends “sequestration” ceilings on programs such as Medicare and fees for customs and border protection.

“This agreement symbolizes a ‘time out’ from major budgetary conflicts in anticipation of the primary and general elections,” Meyers writes.

With strong Republican opposition to any kind of tax increase and Democrats strongly against entitlement savings options, Meyers notes it could be a long time before any long-term budget deal is reached.

“The Bipartisan Budget Act may thus be more than a time out; it could be the practical end of the “grand bargain” illusion, at least for the next several years.”

You can read the full blog post on The London School of Economics USApp website here.

Tension has been building in recent weeks between Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown and Attorney General Douglas Gansler, both Democratic candidates in Maryland’s race for governor.

The Gansler campaign has criticized Brown for his handling of the state’s rollout of the Affordable Care Act.  Brown’s campaign has come under fire for using a tracker to document any Gansler missteps.

Laura Hussey, assistant professor of political science, was interviewed for a Capital News Service article about the growing level of tension between the two campaigns.

“It’s a little bit nastier than I recall from recent races [in Maryland]. They had their disagreements. But I don’t recall it as being as uncivil as this one,” Hussey said.

She added the sparring between the campaigns is a reflection of the current political culture.

“It’s part of a trend toward greater incivility in our politics that is afflicting everybody,” Hussey said. “Politics is nastier. We can see that [on the national level] in what goes on between Democrats and Republicans in Congress.”

“They don’t have the same social ties that they used to. They don’t practice the same norms of politeness and deference,” she said.

You can read the full article in the Capital News Service here.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced on December 11, 2013 that Gymama Slaughter, an assistant professor of computer science and electrical engineering (CSEE), received an NSF CAREER Award.

NSF notes, “The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations.”

“We are delighted about this NSF CAREER Award to Dr. Slaughter,” says Dr. Karl Steiner, Vice President for Research at UMBC. “This prestigious award recognizes Dr. Slaughter’s rapidly growing reputation as a productive and promising researcher and teacher and it also reflects well on UMBC’s ability to attract and nurture top faculty talent as embodied by Dr. Slaughter.”

Slaughter will use the $400,000 award to “fabricate and characterize a self-powered biosensing microsystem that simultaneously generates bioelectricity and monitors glucose.”

Read more about Gymama Slaughter.

It’s not often you find someone who has an art gallery in their home. But that’s exactly what UMBC professor Carolyn Forestiere and her husband, Asher, decided to do in the fall of 2012 when they opened the David Mikow Gallery in their living room. Make sure to check out their newest addition, Brianna Faulkner ’11, visual arts, on December 13 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, click here.

The David Mikow Art Gallery
1002 Vineyard Hill Road
Catonsville, MD 21228

Note: The show is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided.