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

Est. 1985

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A sketch in time

By Jimmy Johnson


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I’ve told you I don’t sketch much, and that’s true. That doesn’t mean I never sketch. These are some selected doodles of late, as I kick around yet again an ancient concept from the recesses of my brain. Speaking of recess, I can say I am exploring ideas, but I think in reality these sketches depict what I’d rather be doing than what I am actually doing at the moment. Note the mermaid: I have always thought real mermaids probably more closely resemble manatees than fish. I mean, that makes sense, doesn’t it? And they probably aren’t quite as pretty and don’t sing quite as well as we give them credit. Anyway, don’t ask me what this is all really about, because I can’t say.

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115 responses to “A sketch in time”

  1. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Yes, the officers should have waited to see if the projectiles he fired penetrated their bodies or just bounced off. What’s so hard about that?

  2. Old Bear Avatar
    Old Bear

    Ruben with Bleu Cheese dressing & Horseradish – top of the list.

  3. emb Avatar
    emb

    Could there possibly be politics in the last two posts? We all owe much to the ACLU for the liberties we have left. Peace, emb

  4. Charlotte in NH Avatar
    Charlotte in NH

    Dear Debbe, please don’t worry; nothing you’ve ever said has upset me. It’s just laziness and procrastination that sometimes keeps me from posting. And, I wouldn’t lie to you, Facebook has kept me away from the Village the last couple of days. There are groups on FB and one is called “You know you’re from (name of home town goes here) if you …” People post old photos, snapshots, school class photos (8th Grade group picture in 1947 for instance). People ask “do you remember the old guy who had the store on the corner… or the older woman who made and sold doughnuts back in the 1960’s from a small shack called “The Bird’s Nest” — true story. Well, it can kind of suck you in, maybe not the best use of my precious time. As one of the older people from my home town, I can tell lots of stories about who used to live where, and who is related to who else. I don’t live in our home town any more, but am only 15 miles away from it. Figuring out the names of the kids in the school class pictures is interesting too.

    Debbe, I like the story of how you got to work in the henhouse. Seems like a nice change from hotel work. Still thinking of Ian and wishing him well. I hope your computer holds up and gives you no problems while he isn’t there to straighten it out!

  5. Charlotte in NH Avatar
    Charlotte in NH

    Dear emb, thanks for standing up for the ACLU. I agree.

  6. sandcastler™ Avatar
    sandcastler™

    We also owe much to our police officers who serve and protect. Many are quick to judge them, but few would ride beside them on a highly basis.

  7. sandcastler™ Avatar
    sandcastler™

    Highly s/b daily, autocorrect hates me.

  8. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    emb, I started to give a reply about the ACLU, and thought better of it as unworthy of discussion here. Peace, Mark. There are good police and bad police, but without them this society would be even worse off than it is.

  9. Charlotte in NH Avatar
    Charlotte in NH

    Mark in TTown, I surely do agree with you on that!

  10. emb Avatar
    emb

    I expect in many areas most of the police are good. More should be. Peace,emb

  11. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Debbe 😉 When I have time to go over an hour, this is a bonus track.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3t9SfrfDZM

    Not only has Denise been conspicuously absent, but Jean has been rather scarce here, also.

  12. Old Bear Avatar
    Old Bear

    About 50YA there was a study about overcrowding done with rats. It was found that at a certain
    point the rats started turning on each other – hair loss, loss of appetite, ETC – as a human society I think we are there. There are projected 2 billion (that is with a “B”) increase of population by
    2050. The program said population will max out at 9 Billion – I don’t know how they figure
    it will stop unless we have a world wide will. The politicians certainly don’t have it now.
    Back in the 50’s there was a group pushing for ZPG (Zero Population Growth) world population has more than doubled since then. I wonder what happened to them – a very light breeze in a gale of unconcern and self serving.

    Reading Eric Sloane the guiding force of our Forefathers was building for the future what was best for the following generations. It seems it is all what is in it for ME – NOW. I am sure there
    is some looking to the future but it is a hard battle and they are overwhelmed.

    Here endeth the rant for the day

    Hugs for those that need them.

  13. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    Good morning Villagers….

    Read the article on the shooting at the theater…..kind of ironic that they were showing “Mad Max”…and then they are going to have a special showing of it at a later date…..then there was Tina Turner in “Beyond the Thunderdome”….good movies, if you liked Mel Gibson at that time, which I did. He starred in a movie with Piper Laurie in his early years. Played the role of a mentally challenged young man. I’m sure Mark can find the name of the move faster than I can.

    Miss Charlotte…I worked at that hotel for 7 years, the last 4 as head of housekeeping….I still carry the scars on my back. I told Shirley (she’s afraid of hens) the worse they could do would be to peck your eye out…..just kidding I told her. She was excited that she ran down and caught her first runaway hen and put the Miss Prissy back in a cage.

    And Ian called last night to check on me….he has a prospect in working for a construction company…..I pray it comes true. Said they would be by on Sunday.

    The Boss came by yesterday to check on me too……he knows I’m having a rough time of it, between Ian leaving and losing Mom….he is going out of town with a couple of his sisters to see about moving their mother from N. Carolina to back here. He asked me who was working this weekend…told him I was, both Saturday and Sunday….I want to, as Old Bear said once…activity.

    gotta go….

    making pork loin sandwiches for lunch for Shirley and me…..smothered in Mayonnaise 🙂

    ya’ll have a blessed day

  14. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    GR 😉 no problem, hon 🙂

    …..and you can’t start a fire without a spark

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfk0uMLhXqY

  15. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    …And Blinky, Joan did do an exceptional job on that song. She would be the only one who could carry it and get away with it too.

  16. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    Today’s real time….way too funny, thanks for the laugh Jimmy 🙂

    Today’s BC is pretty funny too…….

  17. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    An example of why forcing states to close inpatient mental health facilities was a bad idea: http://www.wsmv.com/story/29717483/active-shooter-reported-at-antioch-theater

  18. Judy in Conroe Avatar
    Judy in Conroe

    Bear – I’ve read about that study and I think you have a point. I’ve always thought a lot of our problems were due to the increase in population. Even without overcrowding, say .1% of the population is flawed in such a way that they can be a danger to themselves & others. When your population is 1,000 – that is 1 person. In such a population, that person would become known and thus more easily dealt with. Now increase the population to 200,000,000. You now have 200,000 problems and the capability for them to hide in the crowd much more effectively. Or gang together.

    I think humanity has reached its Malthusian limit, so criminal acts are just one of the things that we will have to face in the future. Plague and war come to mind. Hopefully we will find a way to cope with the stresses that avoids catastrophes, but it’s a balancing act and the boat is rocking.

  19. emb Avatar
    emb

    Old Bear and Judy. You are right to be concerned. Any ecologist/biologist not blinded by dogma knows there is a carrying capacity for any species in any ecosystem, and that includes us in our much altered [and generally degraded] human environment. My guess is we are some 8x too many for Earth as it is, and there is no place else to go, feasibly. My guess also is that politicians of ALL stripes will not have the wisdom and courage to handle this. I may escape the catastrophe, but doubt my grandkids will.

    “Back in the ’50s there was a group pushing for ZPG (Zero Population Growth) world population has more than doubled since then. I wonder what happened to them – a very light breeze in a gale of unconcern and self serving.” ZPG changed their name; I think it is now The Population Connection. I donate. There was/is also a Negative PG. Don’t know how they are doing.

    Peace[?],
    emb [compulsive copy editor]

  20. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    I like this…a lot.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NpJhJ1rxok

    Thanks to Brigid on her mausersandmuffins blog.

  21. Nodak Wayne Avatar
    Nodak Wayne

    That was a good one GR 6

  22. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Debbe 😉 Thanks, hon. 🙂 Ironically, I myself was addressed as “hon” by three females yesterday… my pneumatic and pulchritudinous hair stylist; a hard-charging real estate property manager; and the rather, ah, mannish owner of my gym. How’s that for diversity?

    Speaking of my pneumatic and pulchritudinous hair stylist, it’s always interesting, and sometimes quite a treat, to see what she is wearing. The closest I can come to describing yesterday’s outfit is a flimsy, belted mini-toga dress. She looked quite fetching in it, but of course, when one has a tanned, trim, and toned body, I suppose one could look good in a burlap bag.

  23. emb Avatar
    emb

    JJ:

    Today’s real time strip is hilarious.

    We had an outstanding student, former grade school teacher, who came back for a Biology major and went to UM Vet School. She wrote me that some of her fellow students were MDs who decided they’d rather care for critters. 3-4 decades back; she may be retired by now.

    Peace, emb