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

Est. 1985

Extra, Extra!

The Big Fib

By Jimmy Johnson


Buy the new book, "Beaucoup Arlo & Janis!"Today's "Arlo & Janis!"
From 1994, Arlo & Janis gets serious. Well, not really. Or not. Really. Yesterday, I tuned in to the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, and it stirred an old memory from my boyhood. It was a bit surreal. I wasn’t sure memory was serving me well, so I looked it up online, and there it was confirmed. The 1964 Liberty Bowl, featuring the Utah Utes and the West Virginia Mountaineers (one of the teams in the 2014 version), was played in Atlantic City. Indoors. So what, you ask? I’m glad you did. This was before the era of domed stadiums. The Astrodome had not yet opened. This was the first indoor college football game ever. It was played in the Atlantic City Convention Hall, a cavernous building that had hosted, among other things, a national political convention, but it was not a sports stadium. Four-inch-thick sod was brought in to build the playing surface over a concrete floor, and the end zones were shortened from the regulation 10 yards to eight. And I remembered watching that on TV. I guess it would make an impression on a young sports fan. Utah won, 32-6. The next year, the bowl moved to Memphis, where it has remained. You could look it up.

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68 responses to “The Big Fib”

  1. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Mark: No doubt.

    Lady Mindy: I tried to picture all the contortions you described, but apparently I am weak in feline geometry theory. So I just filed it all away under “Kitty Sutra”.

  2. John in Richmond Texas Avatar
    John in Richmond Texas

    It’s not congress or laws, it’s unelected and untouchable bureaucrats shutting down kid’s lemonade stands or judges denying independent business people their religious freedom

  3. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    Good morning Villagers….

    Happy New Year’s Eve…….and if you are going to be decadent, at least be responsible about it 🙂 Like last night, I was in bed at 8:30.

    The Boxx stopped in while I was doing the books/checklist….decided to have a ‘meeting’…he turned the heat down to 45 degrees. After a half an hour, I told him…we need to cut this short, I am freezing……he asked if I had long johns on, and I said yes, but no fat. Just muscle, he laughed….now he’s made me manager of the hen house…but I can put all the hour I need to.

    The boys were pretty good yesterday, got quite a bit done. Today I will have the 18 year old and no ‘Skittles’, and another 15 year old. He’s a pretty good worker.

    Emb…..where are you going, and why can’t you post? Please do hurry back, your postings will be missed.

    18 degrees out there, with a real feel of 8…brrr. it’s zip, zip for me today. Took forever to get that packing room warm yesterday. That old concrete floor was cold.

    Mark, that was me who asked about your niece. The IU Campus is really beautiful….especially in the fall with all the trees. Lot of old buildings. I have no idea when IU was established, but it has withstood time.

    gotta go…takes time to do all the zipping.

    GR 😉 glad your Mother enjoyed her time with you.

    Jackie, don’t know when you are leaving, but you be safe.

    Thanks Denise.

    debbe

  4. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    edit button….The Boss

  5. Outlander Avatar
    Outlander

    Gruber doesn’t strike me a little lie.

  6. Indiana SAM Avatar
    Indiana SAM

    Debbe: Indiana University was established about 30 years before Puddue. In those days you could major in Latin or Greek.

    Steve Moore (aka Indiana SAM)

  7. Llee Avatar

    Debbe, have you tried any of the HandWarmers? I’ve put the small ones designed for hands into shoes & kept warm- though it was a bit lumpy! But I had my nephew’s hand-me-down snow boots (outgrown at age 11!) so there was room. I think I’ve seen ads for ones designed to be shoe inserts now, though, and that should be better. Also, this is an idea:
    http://sahalie.blair.com/p/toasty-feet-insoles/46132.uts

    or maybe something like it. I worry about you being so cold. And surely the chickens do better when it is some warmer? Ours always slowed down/quit laying when it got cold.

    Ok ok you know what you’re doing. 🙂 I just thin about you. About all of you, really. It’s a nice family that Jimmy’s allowed here. And we get comics on top of that! How blessed are WE? 🙂 Happy new year folks!

  8. Llee Avatar

    edit: “think”
    sheesh….. any other mistakes are free for the taking! 🙂

  9. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    Debbe:

    “Emb…..where are you going, and why can’t you post? Please do hurry back, your postings will be missed.” Thank you. Maybe some are saying thank-you prayers for the 2+ day respite.

    If all goes well, off for 2 nights for a mini family reunion. Actually, not sure about posting. I know email stays in the outbox until I get home. Also, I haven’t gotten far enough on my next column for the paper, so will spend laptop time on that. It’s not all that far, 120 mi. or so. Time for several 30-min. lectures on a “The Great Courses” CD. I turn it off if traffic is heavy. Still have to pack, and stop for an Rx.

    Happy New Year,
    emb

  10. Symply Fargone Avatar

    Have a Symply Fargone New Year everyone!

  11. Trapper Jean Avatar
    Trapper Jean

    eMb, have a safe and happy mini-reunion! I, too, will miss your posts.

    Debbe, there are always “electric socks”! http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3AElectric%20Socks

    Ghost Sweetie, yes, indeedy, we surely can say anything and get away with it, as long as we add that little three word phrase! 😉

    Indy Mindy, I know the feeling. I sit in my desk chair at my computer and my cat Emmy jumps into my lap and contorts around with her back against me and her front feet braced against the writing table so she doesn’t slide off while one of her back legs drapes over my left hand so I can scratch her tummy. I can use the mouse with no trouble, but typing gets a bit awkward at times, and if I try to use my left hand Emmy glares at me.

  12. Trapper Jean Avatar
    Trapper Jean

    I do not know who said this, so I cannot properly credit the author:

    The United States Constitution does not exist to grant you rights; those are inherent within you. Rather, it exists to frame a limited government so that those natural rights can be exercised freely.

  13. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    Oh, you all have great ideas for keeping my feet warm…and I havd thought about those little “hand warmers”….but they do make them for feet. Andrew brought me a thick rubber mat….we’ll see. Now, if I could find an electric floor mat with heating….

    For some reason, this song came to me today:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSJ6EFvF4

  14. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    This is the last song I’ll play….for 2014

    Good night, a safe night and and Happy New Year….no matter what time zone you are in!

    Mark, I hope you enjoy these “oldies”………………

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSJ6EFvF4aU

  15. Charlotte in NH Avatar
    Charlotte in NH

    Llee, I like your post a whole lot. I worry about Debbe too, being so cold — and what you said about this being a family, and so blessed, and getting comics too. I feel just the same way.
    Sure hope eMb has a good safe trip. And Jackie is probably on the road, or already in Louisiana. Hope all goes well and she doesn’t wear herself out.

  16. Ruth Anne in Winter Park Avatar
    Ruth Anne in Winter Park

    Looks like we won’t be having our usual quiet New Year’s Eve at home. Yesterday we learned that a couple of our young friends would be getting married tonight and then celebrating at the local drinking hole. I figured we could make an appearance and still be home by midnight. Now I find out that Bob will be in the wedding party! Luckily, it’s still a fairly informal affair – maybe I’ll wear real shoes instead of sneakers.

    I know that I, and others, have shared Neil Gaiman’s new year wishes in the past. Here’s his journal entry for today – the wish from 2012 and the newest one seem especially appropriate for the Village this year: http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2014/12/new-years-wishes-and-gifts.html

    May 2015 bring peace and happiness to all!

  17. Galliglo from Ohio Avatar
    Galliglo from Ohio

    Happy New Year to the Village! I wish you prosperity, love and peace.

  18. Mindy from Indy Avatar
    Mindy from Indy

    Queen – These Are The Days Of Our Lives (Official…: http://youtu.be/oB4K0scMysc

    Happy New Year!

  19. Outlander Avatar
    Outlander

    Trapper Jean:

    I don’t think anyone of either major political persuasion spoke those words in recent history.

  20. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    If neither of the lesser of two major evils, maybe a libertarian? No comment on where they fall on the evils spectrum. None of the 3 or most others says one peep / what I consider the elephant[s] in the room.

    I arr. safely, thanks, and no wrong turns. Am at home of one son and wife. We expect the other son and wife tomorrow [no grandkids this time], and they’re bringing the food! Roads are good everywhere, and temps are rising a bit. Been one or two digits below 0 F recent nights, and close to 0 a few days ago. Wind chills are unspeakable.

    This site came up so readily that I think I can post, if not email.

    Peace, emb

  21. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    Ta-dah! emb

  22. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    Debbe, thanks for those songs. I like both The Who and ELO. If you haven’t heard, Jeff Lynne is going to re-form ELO and tour again.

    Here’s another group you probably haven’t heard of. I hadn’t until my Pandora shuffled it into my mix.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmTZpQYMzN8

  23. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    Happy New Year to you all. Have a good time, but let’s be careful out there.