A pithy comic strip about life, love, lust and puthy cats.

Est. 1985

Extra, Extra!

“A word from our sponsors…”

By Jimmy Johnson


Once upon a time, television viewers would rush to the bathroom or the kitchen during a television commercial, the point being to get back to the boob tube before the entertainment resumed. Ha! Talk about days gone by. Today, it’s possible to build that set of bookshelves you’ve always wanted and still get back for the last of the network promos. All right, all right! Perhaps I exaggerate. It might be necessary to sand and finish your shelves during the next commercial break.
Remember a few weeks ago, I hinted at news from the comic world. I haven’t forgotten. I simply haven’t heard anything yet. I caution you: it’s inside stuff that won’t directly affect you, although it might me. Within a historical context, however, it will be interesting to readers of newspaper comics. I’ll let you know!

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157 responses to ““A word from our sponsors…””

  1. The Man Formerly Known as sandcastler™ Avatar
    The Man Formerly Known as sandcastler™

    In the department of maybe TMI.
    http://comdesres.com/origin-of-the-oxford-comma/

  2. Steve from Royal Oak, MI Avatar

    Gost: Did you ever try Sports Illustrated? You might have gotten the Swimsuit Issue.

  3. Ghost Avatar
    Ghost

    Steve, that was so long ago the monitor was green-on-black, and the photos of the swimsuit babes might have lacked a certain degree of, ah, detail.

  4. curmudgeonly ex-professor Avatar
    curmudgeonly ex-professor

    This morning, a noise from the MBH announced the presence of a deceased rodent at the foot of the cellar steps. I was requested to remove the remains ASAP and did so. This pleased me not, for I employed a well-known firm only 2 or 3 years ago to seal up all possible entries by which a rodent might get into the premises. If I recall correctly, that was $200.’ worth of urethane foam guaranteed to be offensive to refined rodential tastebuds.

    Noted that the mouse was smaller than I had expected, maybe 1.5″ or 4 cm. from nose to butt. Certainly hope it wasn’t just one of an indoor litter, though, in this weather – warmer than normal though it has been – it seems too chilly outside for raising young.

    In the matter cited above by Ghost re: comma, the writing specified in the case was “packing for shipment or distribution” meaning “packing for shipment” or “packing for distribution”, absent the comma. With the comma in place, the phrase becomes “packing for shipment, or distribution” which means “packing for shipment” or “the act of distribution (rather than the act of packing)”.

  5. Ghost Avatar
    Ghost

    c ex-p, there is an old saying to the effect that, “If you invent a better mousetrap, you’ll get smarter mice.” Perhaps developing unappetizing materials gets one mice with less discriminating tastebuds.

  6. emb Avatar

    c x-p. Actually, it’s not a good sentence to start w/, and thus not a good example. But, since commas are primarily a grammatical device rather than a reading aloud indicator, serial commas are a good idea. Let’s hear it for Strunk & White!

    / my favorite book on MN mammals, adult house mouse [Mus musculus] body length is about 85 mm, which would fit your specimen, but on the small side. I presume it had distinct external ears [roughly 12 mm tall], prominent eyes, and a 75 mm or so tail, if undamaged.

    Also assuming you know a mouse from a shrew. Smaller shrews [Sorex sp.] have just holes for external ears, body length a bit shorter than Mus, tail only 40 mm. or less, tiny eyes. Our largest shrews, Blarina brevicauda, are larger bodied, about 100 mm, short-tailed [25 mm or so], also small eyed and ‘earless’. We sometimes trapped them in our old basement.

    Sounds like you have a case against ‘a well-known firm’, perhaps / an entry way they overlooked. Peace,

  7. Charlotte in NH Avatar
    Charlotte in NH

    Larry Sheldon, for twenty dollars a year, I subscribe to GoComics, and get no pop up advertising at all, for the whole year. It seems well worth the money, to me. You might think about doing the same.

    Dear emb, thanks for the ideas about how to get your columns by Email. Trouble is, I don’t think Jimmy reads our posts often, if at all. Remember a year or so ago, I was trying everything I could think of to reach Mr. Johnson, searching for a Villager who’d gone missing? He never did respond, and after a while, the missing person came back.

    I wouldn’t really mind posting my Email address here, but maybe it wouldn’t be a good idea? What do you think?

  8. Charlotte in NH Avatar
    Charlotte in NH

    For reading comics painlessly, I subscribe to “Comics Kingdom” which comes every day in my Email; it’s the “other” syndicate, the old King Features. Prince Valient, Crankshaft, Blondie and Dagwood, Funky Winkerbean, Beetle Bailey. I think it’s twelve dollars a year. Again, no ads.

  9. curmudgeonly ex-professor Avatar
    curmudgeonly ex-professor

    Charlotte, probably not so good to publish your email; just my opinion, of course.

    eMb, we used to get some shrews, too – if they have extended probosces with some movement thereof possible. At least, that is what I take to be shrewish. Your cited 85mm is more than twice the observed body length. Yes, it did have ears and a tail about as long as the body. I don’t believe I will go out to the garbage can wherein it now resides just to check!

    Ghost, maybe my “offensive” was too strong a term. “Unattractive” might have been more accurate.

  10. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    I AM Irish. I’d kiss you for both of us to make up for you not being Irish. You’d convert on the spot. My clan is McCarty.

    You could be McGhost.

  11. Old Bear Avatar
    Old Bear

    Sorry 🙁 I pushed a wrong button and wisdom #2 thru #6 vanished,
    I tried retrieving them but no luck. So much for the advice ” Just push buttons.”

    But this was a finally:

    And, finally:?
    The nicest place to be is in someone’s thoughts,
    ?the safest place to be is in someone’s prayers,?
    and the very best place to be is
    …..?…in the hands of God.

    Hope question marks don’t show up like last time.

  12. Old Bear Avatar
    Old Bear

    They did – ignore them.

    Jackie
    Do the rehab – I have known people that have not because it
    was uncomfortable. it was to their detriment. Also do exercises before
    surgery- it makes post op easier.

    In her book “Eats, Shoots & Leaves” Lynne Truss discusses the ‘The Oxford Comma’.
    Her view is don’t get hung up about it. Sometimes it is better and some times not so
    much.

  13. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    Good morning Villagers…

    Been on night watch since 2 am….Dad is not sleeping. Did not give him his Lunesta, sleeping pill as the 4th night of taking them he really scared Ian and me, it was as though he was drunk. You can’t tell me he got use to them in just 4 nights, or has he? He and I both went to bed at 9ish with Ian staying up with him. I woke up to him laying in the recliner and Ian sleeping on the couch. Calling pharmacy to ask some questions about this drug.

    Oh, and Happy St. Patty’s Day ….. who’s drinking green beer today?

    Rick,,two photos…do you have them framed?

    …I’m back, Dad still getting up and down. Gave him his morning meds…..will take blood pressure next time he gets up. He is also saying he’s not feeling well.

    GM Old Bear, love your final bit of wisdom.

  14. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    GR 😉 guess how I have “whiled away the hours”?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haCk5XFj1lw

    ….and I have looked down on Market Square from hotel room 🙂 And Petty was last concert I went to….he always reminded me of the Mad Hatter when he use to wear that stove pipe looking hat.

  15. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    ….then there was this…..love the crotch shot at 3:54 🙂

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DanA9DlT92c

  16. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    shhhhhhhh…think Dad’ napping…nothing like putting the whether channel on mute to put one to sleep 🙂

    …in the meantime, found this little jewel…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cXzFhZVMnQ

  17. emb Avatar

    Charlotte: Let’s not. Will get hold of JJ somehow. c x-p and I did. Peace, emb

  18. emb Avatar

    Today’s Writer’s Almanac has a delightful line, Bette Davis’s favorite, at the end of its note on a Mr. Green, who wrote the line.

    http://writersalmanac.org/episodes/20170303/

    Peace,

  19. Ghost Avatar
    Ghost

    Debbe 😉 “Crotch shot” kind of got me excited…until I realized you didn’t say whose crotch. 🙂

    I recall that this cartoon from 7 years ago occasioned some discussion.

    http://www.gocomics.com/arloandjanis/2010/03/17

  20. McGhost Avatar
    McGhost

    In addition to “Taoiseach”, I’ve learned another Irish word… gobermouch.

    Fortunately, The Village seems to have a minimal number of gobermouchs.

  21. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    GR 🙂 . oh, I don’t know, after looking up gobermouchs, i know I can be sometimes…..