Nov 4th 2009 08:34 am So what did you expect?
To keep you on your toes and to prove I’m not always goofing off, know that I really did spend 24 hours in the hospital earlier this week. It turned out to be nothing serious. Really! We’ll leave it at that.
This Sunday cartoon, which you will see only at arloandjanis.com, is rare, because it is one of the few times I directly pasted screening to the original cartoon to achieve shades of gray. (Shouldn’t that be “shades of black?”) I’m glad I did not do this often, because it doesn’t reproduce well in the “grayscale” mode that is best for viewing pixelated black-and-white artwork on the Web. I’m so foresighted!
This cartoon also is noteworthy, because it was uncommonly well-received when it first appeared. Readers seemed to relate.
Posted by jimmyjohnson / Vintage A&J
RayRay From MW the place that made Water Famous on 04 Nov 2009 at 8:38 am #
People relate to all A&J strips. that is what we like so much about it.
Mindy on 04 Nov 2009 at 9:23 am #
The cartoon, as usual, is great, even with the bad half-tones. More important is that you’re feeling better. You really did have a bunch of people, including the We-Love-Arlo-And-Janis Society here, worried about you. I’ll ship you some great cheese to nibble on.
Steve from Richmond on 04 Nov 2009 at 9:37 am #
Man, I only wish I was that fast when our cats begin to cough up a …well, you know.
Buzz Killington on 04 Nov 2009 at 10:17 am #
I believe that this cartoon also is noteworthy for being one of the few renderings of Arlo wearing tightie whities!
Stef on 04 Nov 2009 at 10:22 am #
This one is a winner!
Have you tried yoga? It’s good for stress and it might keep you out of the hospital!
Connie on 04 Nov 2009 at 10:41 am #
WAY too many nights, mornings and afternoons spent doing that!
Bob, near Mark on 04 Nov 2009 at 10:47 am #
Someone should mention to Arlo that the bath tub is a lot closer than the back door. And his choice of attire would be less apt to involve complaints from insomniac neighbors.
Wouldn’t be as funny, though.
Nancy in Bucks County on 04 Nov 2009 at 10:51 am #
Thanks for this cartoon. We recently lost our kitty, Grace, after a short illness. She was 17. While I miss her, this reminds me of what I don’t miss. And also cat box duty.
Jim in Dallas on 04 Nov 2009 at 11:19 am #
That sound. That will wake me from the soundest slumber in seconds. Of course, having that sound coming from a cat on your bed will get your attention.
mr. h on 04 Nov 2009 at 11:22 am #
This is one of my favorite A&J’s of all time. I say that line to myself in all kinds of dumb situations: watching cats barf, mopping up water at 3am when the basement floods yet again, rescuing a cat from the crawl space, etc. Come to think of it, most of them are cat-related. Hork hork!
Mark from Maine on 04 Nov 2009 at 11:38 am #
I’m lucky if I’m fast enough to get a newspaper under the chin in time to catch the hork . . .
Glad you’re fine, JJ. To your (and everyone’s) health!
Bob in Ohio on 04 Nov 2009 at 11:45 am #
Glad you’re well J.J. Any strip with Ludwig in it is a day brightener. Heck, we like his service staff, Arlo & Janis, too.
Bob on 04 Nov 2009 at 12:01 pm #
Who really believes that Arlo wears his underwear to bed? Welcome back, Jimmy.
Leary on 04 Nov 2009 at 12:06 pm #
I always thought of Arlo as a boxer kind of guy…
Peter B. Steiger on 04 Nov 2009 at 12:14 pm #
Oh *boy* do readers relate. I immediately sent that one off to my wife and kids. Despite the fact that I never wanted pets, much less indoor pets, I’m now the primary caregiver for two “hork” factory cats and an elderly dog with no bladder control at all. Recently one or both cats decided that the bathtub was better than the litter box for storing any excess gifts they wanted to bestow upon us.
Stay out of that hospital! You can get sick there.
nick chick on 04 Nov 2009 at 12:19 pm #
Welcome back Jimmy! I was in “your neck of the woods” last week. Driving from Atlanta to Mobile…saw the West Pepperell closed plant. Thought about you…Saw the new Kia plant too. Just wanted to comment on today’s strip. I laughed out loud…it somehow caught me off guard. Just like Arlo…he had to know what those old keys fit!
RTR!
Steve from Royal Oak, MI on 04 Nov 2009 at 12:23 pm #
Jimmy:
I am not sure if you should have mentioned that you were in the hospital. You know how everyone on the blogs worries.
I sometimes will save some of my favorite old strips in a folder and this is one that made the cut. We have several long hair cats that often will do this. I just let them do their thing and grab a thick paper towel. It usually cleans up quickly.
The other favorite subject here is when will the book will be ready? Just give us an update when you can.
Ron in NW IL on 04 Nov 2009 at 12:53 pm #
Mindy: Jimmie’s cardio will slap your hand with that cheese offer!
Bob near Mark: If you picked up our cat dressed (or undressed) like Arlo and headed toward the bathtub, you would spend the rest of the night putting ointment on several dozen wounds
Redman in the Big "O" on 04 Nov 2009 at 12:57 pm #
Watch out JJ. We have a “Bammer” in our midst! WDE
Jean from Dahlonega GA aka Trapper Jean on 04 Nov 2009 at 1:06 pm #
I’m glad your latest scare wasn’t as serious as the doctors first thought. Still, do please take care of yourself. I look forward to many more years of Arlo & Janis.
While the above strip is definitely familiar in our house, it’s not the cats that get taken out so quickly, but the dogs. A sick Boxer in the bedroom is not a good thing.
Leary-I thought so, too.
buzz on 04 Nov 2009 at 1:20 pm #
re today’s strip (Nov. 4): Yeah. For “emergencies”. That’s the ticket…
Lori in Irmo, SC on 04 Nov 2009 at 1:27 pm #
Luddy has ears!
And I can relate…we have a cat who does this almost daily (and nightly!), and fortunately, loudly enough for us to run and get him to a “hork” appropriate place. Thanks to this cartoon, the bodily function of upchucking is now called “horking” by my entire family and many friends.
Bob, near Mark on 04 Nov 2009 at 1:27 pm #
Ron in NW IL,
But at least, bathrooms usually have a tile floor. That’s better than the bed and blanket where you slee… Oh! Some people DO fall asleep on the bathroom floor with their arms around the thunder mug, don’t they! They could be worse to clean up after than the cat.
sideburns on 04 Nov 2009 at 2:30 pm #
So the cat gets sick. Big deal. It’ll be easier to clean up in the morning, after it dries.
Leary on 04 Nov 2009 at 3:24 pm #
Wait a minute… Why didn’t Janis take care of the cat instead of waking Arlo?
Erick Senkmajer on 04 Nov 2009 at 3:30 pm #
I can’t count the number of times I’ve run at a “cat grenade,” scooped it up in both hands, and run towards the door yelling “OPEN THE DOOR, OPEN THE DOOR, OPEN THE DOOR!”
Fortunately, I have had it “go off prematurely” only a few times over 15 years, with very little collateral damage.
Hope you’re feeling better, Jimmy. I spent two non-consecutive days in the hospital in September. Not a great way to spend your time.
sandcastler on 04 Nov 2009 at 3:36 pm #
Jimmy, welcome back. Have always loved this cartoon. Only difference here is we are happy if we can evict the offending party from the bed; rest can be handled in the morning. Although, a wrong step in the morning can be a quick eye opener
Would you care for a log of summer sausage to go with Mindy’s cheese?
Cris in NC on 04 Nov 2009 at 3:59 pm #
sideburns,
“After it dries?” Yuck!
sandcastler,
“wrong step in the morning”? Double YUCK!
Leary,
You must not be married sweetie!
debbie on 04 Nov 2009 at 4:29 pm #
I had noticed that Bill in Paducah had been MIA for a couple of days, huh! that’s interesting and makes one think.
John in LA late of PNS on 04 Nov 2009 at 4:44 pm #
Kool. Never seen Krazy Kat get sick. I bet Ignatz was glad of THAT.
Mary in Ohio on 04 Nov 2009 at 5:24 pm #
Sideburns: No, it won’t!
I came home from work today to find the cat had been sick on my bed after I left for work. (See above). Yesterday, I came home from work to find that my elderly neighbors had gone off in the Rescue Squad vehicle. I am supposed to have a key which fits their house in case of emergencies. Evidently they have changed the locks. JJ is getting a bit too close.
Of course I am glad to hear JJ is ok. So are the neighbors: she was along for the ride. He has bleeding ulcers caused by some of his medication. Oh those side effects!
Blinky the Wonder Wombat on 04 Nov 2009 at 7:02 pm #
Glad you’re feeling better, JJ.
This, too, is one of my favorite A&J cartoons, and I am not even owned by a cat.
Bill in Paducah on 04 Nov 2009 at 7:08 pm #
Since i’m at home, this may go to moderation, but debbie, you gave me quite a laugh out loud. In fact, it startled the cat, and it’s a ceramic cat!
and this has always been one of my favorites too.
Hork Hork indeed!
Debbie in Alabama on 04 Nov 2009 at 8:27 pm #
My favorite strips are in a metal Whitman’s Sampler box and it is crammed full. Thinking about storage boxes, as a child I always kept my crayons in a cigar box..perfect size, sturdy and an attached lid. I now have one cigar box at school with some kids’ scissors stored in it. You won’t believe the astonished comments I have been getting from my students! I am going to have to go buy a plastic storage box I guess before I get into some kind of trouble with the parents.
debbie on 04 Nov 2009 at 11:30 pm #
Bill in Paducah: Jean from Dahlonega GA aka Trapper Jean started it (see last entry on last blog.
E in Massachusetts on 05 Nov 2009 at 1:48 am #
Oh, this is GREAT! Of course, I just clean up after them, but it’s nowhere near as funny as Arlo in the backyard, in the middle of the night, in tightie whities.
I’m glad you are okay, JJ.
Mindy on 05 Nov 2009 at 3:11 am #
Ron in NW IL, it’s fat-free cheese! I’d never do anything to hurt Jimmy! Now, if only I can remember to click on “submit comment” so this will be submitted…is there a Blogs for Dummies publication out there?
spot on 05 Nov 2009 at 6:58 am #
“So what did you expect?” - um, something quite different. thank you.
Connie on 05 Nov 2009 at 7:53 am #
Trapper Jean, I’ll see your sick Boxer and raise you one sick Rottweiler. Its amazing how fast this old, fat woman can move when the Rottweiler starts making those sounds.
Unfortunately, my 112 pound Golden Malamute (XL Golden Retriever crossed with a LOT of fur and stubbornness) doesn’t make any sound before doing the deed. I have been sitting almost next to her in the living room only to look up and see she’s tossed her cookies. Its amazing, I’ve had a lot of dogs and never had one this quiet about throwing up.
Laetitia in Australia on 05 Nov 2009 at 8:16 am #
I love this cartoon for the “sound effects”; the underwear is funny too.
Jim in SE Mississippi on 05 Nov 2009 at 8:26 am #
Yes, debbie, it is good to see that “Bill” is back, too, isn’t it?
maggie on 05 Nov 2009 at 8:41 am #
On a number of occasions I get awakened by our largest & longest haired cat making that sound. One particular nite I did just what Arlo did. I was only running for the kitchen floor rather than the carpeted areas. So I pick up this very large 12 lb. cat & run & trip. When I tripped I went forehead first into the closet door in the hall & the cat flew out of my hands down the hall. I was really worried about him. They really seem to be suffering when this happens to them & to be grabbed & then basically hurled down a dark hallway ….poor baby. I was in pain from hitting my forehead so hard, but then the thought of what it must have looked like hit me & I had to laugh. I was old & didn’t have anything on. Had to be a pretty sight. Thank goodness my husband was asleep & missed seeing it.
Bill in Paducah on 05 Nov 2009 at 9:06 am #
debbie and trapper jean > Ha! - I did miss TJ’s post from the previous strip. I think an A&J fan meetup is a great idea. Of course, if Jimmy is there, we’ll have to pull the old Clark Kent/Superman thing and never be in the same room at the same time (I’ll be the one in glasses!)
HC on 05 Nov 2009 at 10:03 am #
Irish setters make this vesuvius sounding gurgle from the depths before they do the dastardly deed … heaven forbid that a husband would be available …
Happy Guy Fawkes Day - he did a dastardly deed too - back in the 1600’s - got caught - so the mess was avoided.
sideburns on 05 Nov 2009 at 2:31 pm #
If you thing a 12 pound cat is big, maggie, you should see mine: 15.5 pounds, and “only” 1.5 pounds overweight. (Of course, in a cat, that’s quite a bit.) Probably part Main Coon Cat, because he has a few of the other signs, such as a very quiet voice. And yes, even on the carpet, it’s easier for me to clean up the next day, because it’s firmer.
Ghost Rider 6 on 05 Nov 2009 at 3:29 pm #
No offense, people, but how to deal with cat hork, and other animal regurgitation, is not the most interesting (or tasteful) subject ever discussed in this blog. I’m far from squeamish, but could we maybe move on?
Mary in Ohio on 05 Nov 2009 at 3:37 pm #
Well, today’s (new) strip allows us to do that. Mine will not rest if I am having a donut - even if it has been dunked in coffee. (The donut, not the cat, although I’m not sure it would matter.)
Steve the Rigger on 05 Nov 2009 at 4:15 pm #
Laetitia in Australia, I too love the sound effects. They make me laugh out loud.
Hilarious.
Does anyone remember the purring sound that Ludwig makes?
emeritus Minnesota biologist on 05 Nov 2009 at 4:28 pm #
Ghost Rider 6
Amen. If they don’t quit, maybe I could add some anecdotes from my two summers spent as an assistant keeper in the mammal dept. at the Bronx Zoo in ‘49 and ‘50. We could start with the territorial behavior of male pigmy hippopotami, go on to cleaning out the civet’s water dish, and . . ..
debbie on 05 Nov 2009 at 8:45 pm #
Well, it’s definitely a ‘cat’ thing’ for real….
yes, I can see Bill in Paducah slipping into a phone booth to change clothes, but hark! there are no phone booths anymore, they went the way of the outhouse and drive-in…..but that’s alright, perhaps behind a giant billboard or maybe a tree (and wearing glasses-just like Clark Kent.) Yes, I think perhaps, we should consider an Arlo/Janis convention.
Steve the Rigger on 05 Nov 2009 at 9:24 pm #
Ghost Rider 6
Amen. If they don’t quit, maybe I could add some anecdotes from my two summers spent as an assistant keeper in the mammal dept. at the Bronx Zoo in ‘49 and ‘50. We could start with the territorial behavior of male pigmy hippopotami, go on to cleaning out the civet’s water dish, and . . ..
Steve the Rigger on 05 Nov 2009 at 9:29 pm #
Sorry for the double post here. Blame it on fat fingers. Any way, what I was going for……
“Ghost Rider 6
Amen. If they don’t quit, maybe I could add some anecdotes from my two summers spent as an assistant keeper in the mammal dept. at the Bronx Zoo in ‘49 and ‘50. We could start with the territorial behavior of male pigmy hippopotami, go on to cleaning out the civet’s water dish, and . . ..”
You guys feeling a little squeamish? Heck, it’s the subject of the strip. Why shouldn’t we talk about it?
You guys obviously haven’t been awakened in the middle of the night by a cat sleeping between you and your wife going “HORK, HORK” very often.
That makes me laugh just to type it.
Ghost Rider 6 on 05 Nov 2009 at 9:46 pm #
Sorry, I thought the subject of the strip was Arlo reflecting on how life seldom works out the way you expect, not cat puke.
emeritus Minnesota biologist on 05 Nov 2009 at 9:57 pm #
Nobody who is squeamish survives working in dairy barns, as a zoo keeper, or in various biological activities as a lifetime professional career, and as the happy companion of various animals [snakes, opossums, porcupines, other rodents, dogs, cats]. Ghost Rider and I were discussing taste.
Bob, near Mark on 05 Nov 2009 at 11:15 pm #
For a forum full of feline fanciers, I feel folks are fairly… tasteful.
Chacun à son goût.
Ron in NW IL on 05 Nov 2009 at 11:17 pm #
Bill in Paducah / Clark:
Perhaps this A & J confab should be held in Metropolis. Right there in the old back-yard hmm?
Jim in SE Mississippi on 06 Nov 2009 at 2:54 am #
“Metropolis! Great Caesar’s Ghost! Why didn’t I think of that? Stop the presses!”
JJ or any other veterans of the daily print media, did they ever really stop the presses at a newspaper for “breaking news” once they started a press run?
Sili on 06 Nov 2009 at 5:42 am #
I have to say that I’ve really been enjoying the daily strips lately. Not sure I can put my finger on it, but they’ve been really good.
Rick in Shermantown, Ohio on 06 Nov 2009 at 5:43 am #
Strip of 11.06.09:
I don’t miss much from “the good ol’ days” because, by and large, they weren’t, and I much prefer the present. However, there are three things that were better for me back then, and I miss them today:
1. School cafeteria food that was actually food and tasted good. When I was in high school, the cafeteria actually had a full-time baker who baked pies and cakes. The cooks actually cooked and prepared meatloaf, lasagna, pork chops, baked fish, and on and on.
2. Album covers. I don’t miss the actual LPs, just the covers. Today’s CDs’ cases just don’t cut it. Too small for information about the artist and for artwork.
3. Sears Christmas catalogs. Lying on the living room floor, endlessly perusing the pages devoted to toys — for a boy in the late fifties and early sixties, nothing was better than that, until Christmas morning, of course.
Jean from Dahlonega GA aka Trapper Jean on 06 Nov 2009 at 6:05 am #
emeritus Minnesota biologist & GR6-having had three children and spending a number of years changing diapers and dealing with them when they were sick, I find that there’s not much to be squeamish about. Do I like dealing with cat and dog hork? No, not really, but when owning a pet it is part of the job.
debbie-you reminded me of a favorite cartoon: Clark Kent hears someone call for help and looks for a phone booth only to find not the full-enclosure type, but the half-shell shelters. The funny part is the look on his face as he realizes he has no place to change. I believe it was a Mad Magazine cartoon. Of course, I’ve never quite seen how he had room to change clothes in a phone booth. After all, he is a rather large man.
Bill in Paducah & Ron in NW IL-How about holding the party in Smallville? I think that would suit this crowd better than Metropolis.
Bill in Paducah on 06 Nov 2009 at 7:47 am #
Jean: I think that cartoon you remember was actually a scene in the first Superman movie. Course it may have been a cartoon too.
When I google map Smallville, the locations come in Hamburg Germany and Italy. Your choice, but I haven’t been to Italy yet.
John in Richmond Texas on 06 Nov 2009 at 9:28 am #
I must be like Janis, I think I just order things every once in a while, so I always have several things to wait on. Why is it fun to get packages? A holdover from sending for dumb cereal box stuff when I was a kid?
No big catalogs, but I throw whole dried corn ears to the squirrels, so I can pick up corncobs as needed, when they’re finished with them.
TruckerRon on 06 Nov 2009 at 10:26 am #
While phone booths are disappearing, new truck stops are still being built with phone closets, though not as many as in the past. And they do get used!
Of course many of us are actually using our cell phones while in there; we just want the privacy and to cut down on background noises from the TV and other truckers. Other times we might be in areas where we don’t have coverage on our plan.
Then there’s the problem of international calling… I don’t go into Canada often enough to make it worth paying extra $ every month, so I use a phone card to keep the expenses down.
sandcastler on 06 Nov 2009 at 11:58 am #
Rick in Shermantown, Ohio…..
The ‘good old days’ are like a snug harbor; somewhere to anchor and savor a warm fuzzy or two prior to returning to the turbulent seas.
Ed on 06 Nov 2009 at 12:22 pm #
Free toilet paper???
debbie on 06 Nov 2009 at 12:40 pm #
Well, we could always let Bill/Clark/JJ in Paducah throw a dart at a map of the United States and find a city in which to hold the first convention and thereafter choose another city much like SciFci Conventions-a different city every year or so or maybe a comic strip ball…………I see they are coming home together (from work?) and Arlo is wearing his barn coat. I believe that barn coat was chosen because of the distinctive collar/cuffs as this will help Janis to identify the correct Arlo.
Does anyone remember jump (big old denim) work jackets….my grandfathers wore them…..heck, my ex-husband had them and I do see some miners with some distinctive jackets occasionally, but they are not exactly jump jackets.
Dan on 06 Nov 2009 at 12:42 pm #
To Jim in SE Mississippi…..”Don’t call me Chief!”
Bob, near Mark on 06 Nov 2009 at 1:58 pm #
Ed, that’s what the Sears catalogs were used for in the “little house out back,” as were John in Richmond Texas’ dried corn cobs, along with leaves, etc.
No where near as comfortable as Charmin! :>(
Not much satisfaction in squeezing the corn cobs.
Ed on 06 Nov 2009 at 4:21 pm #
Thanks, Bob; I just didn’t connect those dots. I do remember my Kansas grandparents’ outhouse. The usually had TP, but every now and then (in the 1950s) they still used catalogs or magazines when the TP ran out. And, while backpacking, I’ve had to use leaves or grass once or twice. Not fun.
redagainPatti on 06 Nov 2009 at 6:56 pm #
Hey Ed,
The leaves or grass is better than a stick.
oh..
ONLY if the leaves were of the poison oak type. Leaves of that plant that are the worse of all things used in place of TP.
sigh! … one of the things I dont miss about camping…
Bob, near Mark on 06 Nov 2009 at 7:18 pm #
Ed,
My grandparents had a two-holer, although I never saw more than one person go in at a time. It also had a library of books and magazines that the pages were not meant to be torn out of.
sandcastler on 06 Nov 2009 at 8:54 pm #
Used comic book pages or highly crumpled slick pages from magazines when I was in the Army.
spot on 06 Nov 2009 at 9:06 pm #
i agree with GR6
John in Richmond Texas on 06 Nov 2009 at 9:53 pm #
I can’t hold it in any longer, though this comment may be moderated.
About 40 years ago, Glen Campbell told this to Merv Griffin.
Bob opens the outhouse door and sees Joe on his knees, reaching in through the seat, fishing around for something.
Bob: Good Lord man, what are you doing?
Joe: I dropped my overcoat down there.
Bob: Are you crazy? I’ll get you a new coat, jeez forget it !
Joe: You don’t understand, my lunch was in the pocket.
Ron in NW IL on 06 Nov 2009 at 11:13 pm #
Ghost Rider 6:
No offence, people, but… Seems like another appropriate place to suggest moving on, huh?
Ron in NW IL on 06 Nov 2009 at 11:17 pm #
I mean Glenn Campbell humor! Indeed.
TruckerRon on 06 Nov 2009 at 11:37 pm #
redagainPatti — of course it was the pastor’s son who used the wrong leaves during a Scout camp out. He was a most unhappy camper for about a week, especially sitting all those hours at school.
Steve the Rigger on 06 Nov 2009 at 11:41 pm #
So I guess nobody remembered the sound that Ludwig makes when he purrs.
Wooten…wooten…wooten….
In the context of the strip, it was as funny as Hork. Hork. Hork.
Ghost Rider 6 on 07 Nov 2009 at 12:52 am #
Here’s a funny cat sound: “Thbbft!”
debbie on 07 Nov 2009 at 5:49 am #
I don’t know how to text.
Jean from Dahlonega GA aka Trapper Jean on 07 Nov 2009 at 7:36 am #
Bill in Paducah-I had forgotten about the Superman movie, but it seems to me the cartoon I saw had a highly exaggerated look of surprise on the face, hence my thinking it was in Mad Mag. Oh, as to which Smallville, I haven’t been to Italy either.
Rick in Shermantown, Ohio-As I was born in January my Mom often told me she ordered me out of the 19xx Sears Christmas Wish Book.
debbie-I finally had to learn to text to keep up with my kids, but I refuse to learn to Twitter.
spot on 07 Nov 2009 at 7:49 am #
I can’t think of Superman without thinking of Christopher Reeve and the tragedy of his life and that of his family. One mistake a long time ago set in place a chain of events leading to so much sorrow. What a shame, what a waste.
YooperBill on 07 Nov 2009 at 9:37 am #
I remember the first time i had to use an indoor bathroom. Those cobs were mighty slick, But I had to unroll so much paper to get at them…
Rick in Shermantown, Ohio on 07 Nov 2009 at 10:19 am #
sandcastler:
For me, these times are less turbulent than the sixties and seventies. Was it Carol King who sang, “These are the good old days”? For me, it’s true.
Do you mind if I ask your age? Perhaps you are not old enough to remember the sixties and seventies clearly.
By the way, the fifties, eighties, and nineties were no picnic, either, and that’s only my lifetime. When I examine the history of this country, it seems that the times were always turbulent to some degree. Thank the gods that we are not experiencing a civil war right now. Those were hard times.
Lori in Irmo, SC on 07 Nov 2009 at 12:22 pm #
So Ludwig’s vocabulary includes, “Hork! Hork! Hork!”, “Meow!”, “Hiss!”, and “Wooten, wooten, wooten”. Am I missing any? I think there might have been a “Hmph!” in there once or twice.
neko in San Jose on 07 Nov 2009 at 12:49 pm #
My next cat is going to be named, “Bezoar.” “Here Bezoar,” come to Mommy!”
Steve from Royal Oak, MI on 07 Nov 2009 at 1:37 pm #
Neko:
You could get real silly and name your cat Stella.
buzz on 07 Nov 2009 at 2:01 pm #
John from Richmond: There’s a variant of that joke where a Scotsman accidentally drops a shilling in an public urinal. The man standing next to him is astonished to see him then open his wallet and throw a five pound note in.
“Why did you do that?” he asks.
“You dinna expect me to reach in there for a mere shilling, mon!”
ursen on 07 Nov 2009 at 2:07 pm #
Cat names are best when people names are used. We have 2 plain vanilla black and grey striped cats named Margaret and Herman. Then there is the Evie cat which answers to Evil, and a black one name Ida. Though all agree their names are “Baby”.
Jean from Dahlonega GA aka Trapper Jean on 07 Nov 2009 at 3:19 pm #
My Mom used to tell me of the lady who lived down the street from her parents. The lady had two champion dogs (I forget which breed) father and son, both of whose names included the word “Grand”. Neighbor Lady would stand on her porch and call the younger dog: “Here Baby Grand!”. Mom said she always envisioned a small grand piano running across the yard.
sandcastler on 07 Nov 2009 at 3:27 pm #
Rick in Shermantown, Ohio
I remember to 40’s, 50’s. 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and the glorious 00″s.
As for naming cats; bring ‘em home. let ‘em roam, their name will soon appear on the tip of someones tongue.
emeritus Minnesota biologist on 07 Nov 2009 at 7:29 pm #
Names for pets. In the mid-’80s we inherited an adolescent basset/beagle cross named Annie. Unwisely, we kept that name, though she was young enough for us to have changed it. Wouldn’t you know, a son and his wife later named our first grandchild Anna. We still have trouble calling her Annie.
Sources of Pet names vary, even of successive pets in one family. No pets were possible in our ’30s one bedroom apartment. In the early ’40s I was blessed with a foster-pet, a country aunt and uncle’s purebred but not show-perfect spayed Bedlington terrier, “Lady Teasel” (from Richard Sheridan’s “A School for Scandal”). Once I was a married zoology grad student, any name and almost any species was possible. Among critturs who lived with us were Alice (golden-mantled ground squirrel, Spermophilus lateralis); Mr. Box (white-footed mouse, whose nest was in a six-oz. juice can in the upper corner of Alice’s cage, from “Cox and Box” by Arthur Sullivan and F.C. Burnand, before Sullivan teamed up with Gilbert); Bottom (Belding’s ground squirrel, thought to be male, from the weaver in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”); MacDuff and MacDuff II (porcupines, both delivered by C-section, from “Macbeth”); Herbert and Sherbet (male and female red squirrels: Herbert would not tame; Sherbet would, and her name is a takeoff on his); Ged (male Burmese python, after the true name of the hero in Ursula LeGuin’s “Earthsea” trilogy); Orm Embar (male red-tail boa, public name of a dragon in that same series); Tom (eastern box turtle, named by our kids); Lagniappe, Anderson Cat, and Burr (three neutered male cats: Lagniappe had extra toes, Anderson Cat was a character in one of Jim Copp’s LPs for kids, Burr just sounded right to one son); Annie (spayed female dog, op cit).
Our town-home association has restrictions on pets, and we no longer do cats because our daughter has become allergic to them, Our most recent felid acquaintance is Marzipan, a neutered tortoise-shell stray whom we house-sat for a dear friend in Minneapolis last July.
At the Bronx Zoo, two gorillas had African names: M’Koko (male) and Oka (female). A male chimp was Jimmy and a young male orangutan was Andy. (Only Andy liked me.) A male hippo who lived to 40+ was Pete and a ferocious male white rhino was Joe. A Central Park Zoo male hippo was Schlemiel.
debbie on 08 Nov 2009 at 5:42 am #
Well, eMb: You put me to shame…the names that my family came up with were very simple….chuck, ring, spot, baby (squirrel), mittens, ruby….my favorite - jinx (a favorite dog)…..
oxfordthethird on 08 Nov 2009 at 6:50 am #
Ok I have to say this, even if its not the right place to post. “D
Todays A & J Sunday 10-8-2009 is my wife and I to the T! Litterly. I read it. Then I had my wife read it. We both started laughing big time. Its Us! And its scary. LoL.
Thank U for all the work you do and the cameras you put in ALL our homes ;D
sandcastler on 08 Nov 2009 at 8:51 am #
No longer have those bookstore discussions; there is a new thing on the internet called Amazon. Anyone care to venture a guess how a bookseller comes to be named Amazon?
Jim in SE Mississippi on 08 Nov 2009 at 10:55 am #
I understand Amazon.com was named after the river, but as to why, I have no idea. (Maybe Bezos is prescient and knew that a river of money was going to go down the drain. Is their cumulative “profit” still a negative amount?)
A cat named Bedragins? (“Here, Bedragins.”)
I may have posted this before, but my personal favorite involved a guy who worked in a meat market and named his pair of red dachshunds “Oscar” and “Mayer.”
debbie on 08 Nov 2009 at 1:20 pm #
Oh Jim in SE Mississippi,
That made me remember a very smart little dog we called Heinz 57.
curmudgeonly ex-professor on 08 Nov 2009 at 3:35 pm #
I’ve always harbored a secret desire to have a pup and name it “Kitty” just to see how people react when I call it (”Here, Kitty, Kitty”) and have a pooch appear….
A cat named “Rover” or “Fido” doesn’t seem to have the same panache…and wouldn’t come when called anyway.
Rick in Shermantown, Ohio on 08 Nov 2009 at 6:05 pm #
sandcastler:
Do you think these times are harder than those of the past?
Rick in Shermantown, Ohio on 08 Nov 2009 at 6:07 pm #
curmudgeonly ex-professor:
When I was a teenager, I wanted to have a cocker spaniel and name it “Joe.”
Yeah, pretty dumb joke, but I was a pretty dumb teenager.
The best term for me then would be “Nerd Deluxe,” and I am no better now.
Jim in SE Mississippi on 08 Nov 2009 at 6:10 pm #
debbie, down this way, “Heinz 57” is more a generic name for what could be charitably called a “mixed breed.” I’ve therefore never thought about it as an actual name, but it would make a perfectly good one.
My closest association with a dachshund, for the past few years, has been with a red short-haired standard named “Odie” (after the “Garfield” cartoon character, although he’s considerably brighter than that Odie). Sadly, there is little demand in the Deep South for the profession for which his breed was bred (badger chasing). So he has to make do with mole tracking, squirrel watching, and the occasional exercise in snake control. But he’s a neat little dog, and he copes.
sandcastler on 08 Nov 2009 at 6:35 pm #
Rick in Shermantown, Ohio
I was taught in survival school you are only dislocated if your not starving; when lost all of your time is spent searching for food. Since i am still eating, these are not hard times. With that said, yes I believe things are different today; my country has taken a turn down a path that could mean my grandchildren will live in at best a shell of today.
Bob, near Mark on 08 Nov 2009 at 6:36 pm #
curmudgeonly ex-professor
I had a cat that was named Fido, but spelled Fideau, with a pseudo-French pronunciation - “Feed-oh.” It was a very friendly cat, and would go to anyone to be petted. I had it at Boy Scout summer camp one year when I was on adult staff. It wandered around camp on its own, and would go to the back door of the dining hall kitchen for handouts. One night, a troop and their leaders were standing around their campfire. The Scoutmaster told me the next day that Fideau, who was black and didn’t show up well in the dark :>), had come up to him and started rubbing up against his legs (he had shorts on). Scared the heck out of him.
Rick in Shermantown, Ohio on 08 Nov 2009 at 8:39 pm #
sandcastler:
I understand exactly what you mean.
In addition to everything else, the Constitution seems to have disappeared, doesn’t it?
With luck, we will come through these times without bloodshed.
The question is, What will the country be after we come through?
I guess there is another question, after all: Is it possible to return to a Constitutionally-based country without bloodshed?
So far, these times are not as bad as those of the past, but the future lasts a long while, and there are powerful forces at work, and on all sides.
emeritus Minnesota biologist on 08 Nov 2009 at 10:40 pm #
I won’t touch the politics, but about Dachshunds: Modern breeds might not have a chance against even the European badger (German Dachs, British Brock), much less its fiercer American cousin. Earlier dachshunds were bigger, sturdy dogs.
American badgers occur throughout most of the ranges of various pocket gophers and various ground squirrels. No ground squirrels occur in the Deep South. Pocket gophers do, but they are isolated from the various western species, and apparently don’t have to put up with badgers. There are pocket gopher mounds all over the field north of our home, but we’ve seen no sign of badger work. One of my undergrads once did an internship with a badger/gopher Ph.D.-student in the Anoka sand plain north of the Twin Cities.
debbie on 08 Nov 2009 at 11:15 pm #
Jim in SE Miss: He was a ‘mixed breed’ of course and that’s why we called him the Heinz, but he was smart…..he was black (some dabs of white), very small and curly, curly hair like a poodle, but he was NO poodle and more energy than the bunny.
K in ND on 08 Nov 2009 at 11:22 pm #
Finally, the clarification I’d been looking for! No one really seems to know how to correctly pronounce dachshund, so I asked a German foreign exchange student. She told me. Then, for the heck of it, I tried to figure out what it meant. Vell…
She had no idea what the English translation of Dachs is. Her description of the animal (a badger, of course) was quite comical, but it did allow us to figure it out. But I laughed at the thought of a wiener dog chasing and hunting a badger. But I guess…It would be interesting to see a good one at work.
K
Jim in SE Mississippi on 09 Nov 2009 at 2:19 am #
K in ND, that’s it…Dachs for “badger” and Hund for “dog.” (That’s one thing about the Germans—when they need a new word, they just stick two or three old words together. Very logical.)
Before I got acquainted with Odie, I would have agreed the picture of a short-legged wiener dog taking after a fierce badger was pretty ridiculous. But he can dig like a machine, a fact that sometimes gets him in trouble. And he’s very focused once he gets his mind set on something. I guess that’s the origin of the word “dogged.”
Bob, near Mark on 09 Nov 2009 at 6:10 am #
Neighbors two houses away from me have a long-haired Dachshund named Minnie. Minnie runs up to the chain-link fence, plops down, and rests her nose in one of the chain-link squares waiting to be petted.
She’s a nice dog, but she hates anything with wheels. She energetically barks at kids on scooters, skateboards, bikes, etc., or at people pushing babies in strollers. People going by think she’s barking at them, but she just disapproves of their choice of transportation.
She’s not very appreciative of Halloween trick-or-treaters either. :>)
Laura on 09 Nov 2009 at 8:02 am #
Loved today’s cartoon Jimmy!!
Jean from Dahlonega GA aka Trapper Jean on 09 Nov 2009 at 8:27 am #
A while ago I got into a discussion with a friend on those silly people who cannot admit their dog is a mutt. They have to make it sound more important than mutt, so they shorten and combine words to make a new breed-Puggles come to mind here. My current canine companion Buddy is, according to the shelter where I got him, part Corgi and part Beagle. If I had been a bit quicker on the uptake I would have said he was a Beaorgi and named him…Victor.
YooperBill on 09 Nov 2009 at 9:01 am #
I have always called mixed breeds, “Curb Setters”. I can’t wait for that breed to be recognized by the AKC.
neko in San Jose on 09 Nov 2009 at 10:17 am #
“bezoar”: Look it up in your Funk & Wagnals or Medical Dictionary
buzz on 09 Nov 2009 at 10:44 am #
Today’s “Fronst on the grill” is one of the cleverest puns I’ve ever seen. Bravo, good sit!
buzz on 09 Nov 2009 at 10:46 am #
…er, that should be “good sir.”
Dave on 09 Nov 2009 at 11:05 am #
ex-professor, you obviously haven’t met my cats.
All 6 of them come to me when called by name and only when it’s their name that is called. Cats are not as aloof as people seem to think, and are most definitely social animals that crave attention from their humans.
K in ND on 09 Nov 2009 at 11:24 am #
Trapper Jean -
Our dog is half Pitbull and half Labrador. She got the good halves from each breed; she’s a very attractive dog (no bias, of course). Anyway, lovers of that “breed” call them “Labrabulls”. At least they try.
Actually, I think “mutt” connotes a mixture of several breeds, not just two, although it’s dictionary definition would disagree. It is also used to indicate an “inferior dog”, so that’s probably why many refuse to use the word.
Re: Bezoar -
Well that was something I didn’t need to see. Although there is a Bezoar goat somewhere around Iran. I now pity it for it’s name.
K
Phil in Sugar Land, TX on 09 Nov 2009 at 11:38 am #
Thanks Buzz, for pointing that out. That went right over my noggin.
Mark in Boston on 09 Nov 2009 at 12:28 pm #
K in ND:
The Bezoar goat is named that because you can get a bezoar from it that is magical and neutralizes all poisons. For more information on bezoars, consult Harry Potter.
Brian on 09 Nov 2009 at 1:02 pm #
Best of luck to everyone on the Gulf coast over the next few days.
Brian, on the east end of the Ida cone.
debbie on 09 Nov 2009 at 1:37 pm #
I had looked up the word ‘bezoar’ a long time ago and wanted to be sick.
K in ND on 09 Nov 2009 at 1:42 pm #
debbie -
You wanted to create your own bezoar, eh? Talk about ‘hands-on’…
K
debbie on 09 Nov 2009 at 1:46 pm #
K in ND: I’m coming to north dakota, NOW!
John in Richmond Texas on 09 Nov 2009 at 2:35 pm #
Oh good, today’s will help me keep it straight:
Sandburg - little cat feet
Frost - the woods
But I still get Alleycat and Baby Elephant Walk mixed up sometimes.
My first thought about today’s was how weird to have a frost and a hurricane at the same time. I’ve already started my annual pre-holiday preventive weight loss and there’s a hurricane! If I can get down 3-4 pounds, I’ll have no net gain after New Year’s.
Jim in SE Mississippi on 09 Nov 2009 at 2:58 pm #
Odie the dachshund once had delusions of adequacy with a neighbor’s female Labrador. Although he didn’t prevail, if he had, and there had been issue, I couldn’t help but wonder if they would have been called…Dachsadors.
When you’re through being grossed out by bezoar, check out “teratoma.”
debbie on 09 Nov 2009 at 3:08 pm #
What is it with you people?
Jim in SE Mississippi on 09 Nov 2009 at 3:20 pm #
neko started it.
Mary in Ohio on 09 Nov 2009 at 4:37 pm #
Curmudgeonly Ex-
One of my vets breeds and shows pappillons (spelling?) and one of her champions is named Kitty. Honest. When he is out in the yard and I drive into the parking lot I always greet him “Hello Kitty” and he goes into a barking fit that would please a much larger dog.
I have a young Elkhound (the latest of several) and that breed is an “Elg hund” meaning elk or, in Norway, moose. But the whitetails that are starting to wander out for the windfall apples seem to get him sufficiently exercised!
Bill in Paducah on 09 Nov 2009 at 5:06 pm #
OK guys (and gals) - I need help - a friend has challenged me to a thinking contest (and I’m unarmed!) She posits:
” ????? Something small….seldom visible….you have never owned one…?????
I know something you don’t know.”
The only hint is that it has something to with the Scout motto (”Be Prepared” in case you weren’t a member.)
David on 09 Nov 2009 at 5:37 pm #
Bill, I don’t know if this is within the mores of this blog, or the questioner, but one could answer IUD. Small, never owned (by men), seldom seen, for ensuring the owner is prepared.
Bill in Paducah on 09 Nov 2009 at 5:55 pm #
David > good thought. I’m thinking that I’m supposed to let my mind wander along those lines, and then I’ll be told it’s something completely unrelated and painfully obvious…
sandcastler on 09 Nov 2009 at 6:00 pm #
Jimmy, PLEASE POST A NEW CARTOON.
We need to be dragged from this cesspool of hairballs and now talk of IUD’s. The former has been discussed to nausea and I surely don’t want to follow the route an IUD might take. How about a holiday cooking theme or Arlo hanging lights; I know we have some wonderful cooks who drift in and out of here.
emeritus Minnesota biologist on 09 Nov 2009 at 6:24 pm #
Bezoars “discussed to nausea”: Now, there’s double entendre. Aside from the occult nonsense, bezoars and other unappetizing deposits are no big deal, but a great gift to zoologists. They are one way we tell who has been eating what, including what some long extinct forms ate [look up coprolite]. With DNA analysis of Recent deposits, we can even tell how many different depositors have been nearby, and if they are siblings, parent-child, and such. How forensic.
You’d rather I leave recipes, holiday and otherwise, to others.
K in ND on 09 Nov 2009 at 6:37 pm #
eMb -
“Depositors”, eh? Will that’s a nice way to put it. Maybe that word will calm me down the next time I hear my cat horking. “Oh, she’s just depositing”. Yes, that should do nicely.
Actually, our cat’s been having sneezing fits of late. I’ve got some stuff with which to treat her, but it’s hard to treat a barn cat without all the rest of the ‘children’ wanting their share. I think I’ll just wait till they’re all sick and then do something.
Sorry, PETA…
K
K in ND on 09 Nov 2009 at 6:39 pm #
eMb -
“Depositors”, eh? Will that’s a nice way to put it. Maybe that word will calm me down the next time I hear my cat horking. “Oh, she’s just depositing”. Yes, that should do nicely.
Actually, our cat’s been having sneezing fits of late. I’ve got some stuff with which to treat her, but it’s hard to treat a barn cat without all the rest of the ‘children’ wanting their share. I think I’ll just wait till they’re all sick and then do something.
Sorry, PETA…
K
P.S. WordPress is telling me I’m doubling up my comments. I hope this comes through…maybe it will twice! Wouldn’t that be nice?
Oh never mind.
K in ND on 09 Nov 2009 at 6:40 pm #
Oh dear. The trials and tribulations of page-load errors. I didn’t mean to post twice, honest.
K
Michael Herr on 09 Nov 2009 at 7:39 pm #
Did you know that Arlo and Janis is one of the favorite comic strips of Spenser (detective in series written by Robert B. Paker, who also write the Jesse Stone series)? He frequently is catching up on the series when a client enters his office.
debbie on 09 Nov 2009 at 8:43 pm #
Michael Herr: As a matter of fact, I did know that.
Bill in Paducah on 09 Nov 2009 at 10:39 pm #
Me too! Me too!
But I think it’s Robert B. Parker…
debbie on 09 Nov 2009 at 11:22 pm #
Ah, Bill in Paducah, I kinda think that’s what he meant.
Jean from Dahlonega GA aka Trapper Jean on 09 Nov 2009 at 11:29 pm #
sandcastler-I’ll agree that the talk of hairballs has gotten to be a bit much, but your comment about IUD’s made me laugh. You do have a way with words. Arlo and recipes might be a good topic, especially given his “Frost on the grill” comment this morning.
Michael Herr-Yes, I did know about Robert B. Parker, Spenser, and A&J. He reads that right after he reads Tank MacNamara.
curmudgeonly ex-professor on 10 Nov 2009 at 12:14 am #
Bill in Paducah- Is your lady friend likely to be speaking of something gender-related or is she more likely to refer to things which apply (or not) specifically to you, yourself (stuff innate to you of which she has knowledge)?
If the latter, it could be something as innocent as a house mouse she saw in your mansion or a termite she wishes she hadn’t seen there. Vermin typically are small, unseen, and one could not be said to own ‘em, either. They also provide an example of the need to be prepared before possibly-serious damage occurs.
Being of the curious type, I ask you to ask her for a little more in the line of a clue.
Hey! Maybe it’s a bezoar - you don’t own one, do you?
E in Massachusetts on 10 Nov 2009 at 5:25 am #
Mr. Johnson, are you okay? It’s been a while since you posted! )-:
I want to thank you for the subtle, delightful, pun of the grill.
Bob on 10 Nov 2009 at 10:11 am #
Bill, How about a “secret”?
Bill in Paducah on 10 Nov 2009 at 10:50 am #
c e-p > We’re friendly, but not that close, and she likes puzzles and word games. I don’t think it’s gender related, and it could be loosely related to me - we haven’t actually seen each other for awhile, but I did have a birthday recently, and I’m wondering if it’s related.
Latest clues are:
Box-challenged?
Glitz?
All that glimmers is NOT GOLD.
I might find out tomorrow when she takes me to a late birthday lunch…
Lost in A**2 on 17 Nov 2009 at 6:57 pm #
On newspapers “stop[ping] the presses”: I happened to pick up a copy of the local daily (an afternoon paper, now defunct) from a newsbox at or about noon one early-September Tuesday. The front page was something about flowers. When the paper was delivered to my home later that day, the front page was about some planes flying into a building. I don’t know that anyone hollered “Stop the presses!”, but the effect was evident.
Steve from Royal Oak, MI on 18 Nov 2009 at 8:27 am #
Newspapers run several different editions as they often get delivered to outlying areas earlier than those living close by.
I am sure that September 11th was a “Stop the Presses” Day. I wonder if the Chicago Tribune, which printed “Dewey beats Truman” wishes that it had stopped their presses sooner.
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