Now, don’t be offended. You know I’m not talking about you, but this old cartoon from five years ago is an example of the problems I sometimes cause for myself. Arlo’s words in the last panel, “I figure grape jelly/wine…,” makes the joke very subtle. The reader must fill in a blank. I know—I certainly hope—that many readers would have no problem doing this, but looking back I know a lot of readers probably were left thinking “I don’t get it.” This could have been avoided by having Arlo say, “I figure grape jelly/wine, what’s the difference?” I have had to learn over the years that a cartoonist can’t be too obvious.
413 responses to “A Touch of Glass”
Oops, sorry, Saigon. I get mixed up about that stuff
Lily, let’s be PC, the city is now called Ho Chi Minh City.
Galliglo, I am sorry for them, and would change their experiences if I could. I’m just telling y’all what my dad said about JFK. One of my online friends is a WWII vet who was at the Normandy Invasion and he saw horrors, too. I’m sure every veteran could. But I am not one, I have never been in the service. I am interested in history, just not that history. I guess I have been bored by too many conspiracy theorists. I read “Case Closed” by Gerald Posner and I think Oswald did it, and he was just a nut.
When I was a freshman in college I was a Dixie Darling or whatever they called the female “mascots” that marched with each unit of our college ROTC. We wore Eisenhower jackets, skirts and high heels. I was offered a military commission to sign up for real.
(I forgot the garter belts and stockings, Ghost)
Me and my big mouth and access to public print, wrote an editorial titled “But Not My Brother” about the young guys suddenly being pulled out of college and shipped out to a country they never heard of. The student president of the college was in the reserve and he was among first to go. We had to get a map to find out where we were fighting. I was NOT popular with the ROTC I had marched with.
After I took a LONG time to graduate and went thru two colleges/universities and a kazillion hours of credit, finally got a job after waiting out the Civil Service list a year, went through an internship and worked awhile in the southern branch. Got sent to Hawaii to replace a Johnson appointee who died without doing a days work.
Walked into my office to find a conference table, the desk, the credenza and all the file cabinets piled to the ceilings with “unworked cases.” All in little brown file covers, just a page or two. And those were the civilians who were killed and wounded, many of which were American citizens and not foreign nationals. Not that nationality or race matters in war or any other time. Sex doesn’t either, a lot of them were women as well.
Worked there awhile and transferred back to mainland office after a couple years. The war was still going on! And did!
I still stick by my original premise, war sounds brave and heroic and romantic just so long as it isn’t “my brother.” Turns out unfortunately that they ALL are your brother.
Ranting as usual, love, Jackie Monies
Jackie, in my fantasies about the 60s, none of them are about enlisting and being shipped to Vietnam
In case you missed it: “Secure your own mask before assisting others.”–from preflight instructions.
In many ways, JFK could be more identified with this era’s GOP instead of the Democrats. Among other traits he possessed was a virulent anti-communism. I have no doubt that should he survived Dallas, he would have approved the continued build up of forces in Viet Nam.
Gosh, guys…..in our 60’s fantasies, remember the Bay of Pigs? We were scared of the Communists in Cuba within an inch of our lives. And that was JFK and friends.
I will mention I had friends who families got shot by firing squads (Cuban) and friends who were in the Bay of Pigs fiasco, (Cuban and American) and friends who ended up in Cuban prisons trying to fly people out.
When I saw Lily’s mention of 1960’s fantasies, I was trying to remember what part I wanted to live over. Those were turbulent times.
Love, Jackie Monies
Yeah, Jackie. But were you ever a hippie street corner guitarist in the French Quarter named Autumn Mist?
“If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.” George S. Patton Jr.
Jackie, I’d like to hear more about the marching in high heels…with or without the garter belts and stockings. 😉
No, I was a extremely popular college student who dated a lot of rich frat boys and we partied and hung out in bars where we were definitely not old enough to drink. Older men bought drinks for us. We had to sneak off from college to do this because it was definitely not APPROVED activities. In fact, we would be expelled from college if caught, even if we were staying with friends’ family!
Times were strict on women in those days. We walked on other side of street from any “street people.” Forget wanting to be one!
Love, Jackie Monies
Jackie, I have tried 3 times to post a link to an old version of this site. It had the first week’s worth of A&J and other earlier strips. But for some reason it is not coming through. Google Arlo and Janis archive and look for it. You will know it when you get one with blue lettering and an animated Ludwig.
Jackie, I was in a coed dorm in college. No check in and nothing off-limits. It was fun. I got to play D&D with a bunch of nerds and party with the jocks.
Ghost, marching in high heels and stockings may have been what kept me from signing up for that military commission! That and it was Army and I was holding out for Air Force!
Seriously, we had to march on the football field in heels for most marching which required you learn to do it on front of foot and don’t put heels down or you’d sink into the dirt and grass and lose your shoe and footing! For “big parades” like downtown on paved streets it made a difference if it was black top or concrete. You’d wear the tips off the heels fast and end up walking/marching on the nails sticking out of the shoe’s heels.
This decidedly was not good for foot bones and we longed for shoes/boots like the guys got to wear. And the skirts were straight and fit rather tightly, with a small pleat/opening at the back. I do not think these were the regular uniforms of Army female officers at the time? I remember having to have mine altered/tailored to fit me, as I was short, petite and had either an 18 or 20 inch waist at the time.
I somewhere have a photo of me at the military ball wearing a evening gown from the Miss America Pageant. The gown, not me, one of my friends loaned it to me. I looked at it in last few years and I think my thighs are bigger than that now! In fact, I know they are!
We were supposed to represent the sweethearts the Army was fighting for I think.
Either that or it was easier to train us to march than animals like mascots.
Love, Jackie Monies
Lily, there are a lot of conspiracies in the world and I truly believe there are events where we do not know “The Rest of the Story”, but after 50 years since JFK’s death, I have come to the same conclusion as Mr. Posner and that Oswald did it alone.
I also just read a book on the day that Reagan was shot. I learned a few things, but I guess that I was most surprised at the access that Hinkley had to seeing the President up close. It was amazing that we did not lose the President that day.
I think conspiracies have fixed certain elections, but it is only a gut feel and not based on evidence. I really believe the fact that JFK was shot in Dallas and Ruby killed Oswald, is the main reason most people believe that more than one person conspired to kill him.
Another college, another field of study, but same period of time. I may have mentioned I enrolled in agriculture. We were the first five females allowed to integrate the all male college that weren’t in home ec.
I made the collegiate livestock judging team. The boys got to wear jeans, boots, I had to wear the college’s “approved attire for females representing the college in public events.”
I judged livestock in a black sheath, a long sleeved white blouse, stockings and high heels, which made me look like Breakfast at Tiffany’s in some weird nightmare episode!
Love, Jackie Monies
I almost flunked out of high school in senior year over a required paper in Government class. Young male teacher was against the war, probably because he was enjoying the senior girls too much. My view was who cares; we’re in this mess and my country requires all young males to serve. My dad and eight uncles served, so I should too. Was told I had to have an opinion, I became a warmonger.
Went on to spend six years in uniform. Did two volunteer tours in Vietnam. Made a total of eighty-three parachute jumps, none in combat. Left the Army and picked up two degrees on GI Bill.
This Friday is the 70th anniversary of D-Day. Take a moment to remember all who went ashore that day or supported them with air or naval cover. Freedom bares a stiff payment.
Remember the discussion we had here recently about parking in handicapped spaces? It is the main letter to Dear Abby today, about not all handicaps being visible.
That is totally true! I wouldn’t use them for years until my invisible handicaps got so painful I couldn’t walk anymore. And I still wish stores were smaller because the Big Box stores kill me trying to walk them. And they put the bathrooms at the rear so we HAVE to walk thru more products we might buy!
Am I the only one who won’t shop in huge stores any more because by the time I find what I need/want the pain is too bad to get back to checkout?
Love, Jackie Monies
Sandcastler, the D Day photos are particularly hard for me to see/watch, as are they all. I had a good friend who was a combat photographer during Viet Nam. They and the medics were to me amongst the bravest of the brave. They were armed with cameras and medical supplies.
Love, Jackie Monies
Jackie, I am very sorry for your mobility problems and with the big stores. We are too small a town to have a Walmart, our biggest store being a 300 x 300 foot grocery store. I dislike Walmart not because I have trouble getting around in it, but because of the horrid-looking people in them. Honestly, would it hurt them to look in a mirror before they go out the door. To quote my mother: “Look at your butt. Everybody else will”.
If I avoided all the horrid looking people, I might never leave my house! I moved to Oklahoma with about 50 pairs of heels and a lot of “high style” Dallas Market suitable dresses and suits. All of which proved useless here!
Tulsa dresses well and is upscale. Mostly.
Learned a long time ago not to judge people by dress codes. It is a poor marker of wealth, social background or character.
Love, Jackie Monies
I’m not judging them for wealth or social background, Jackie, I’m judging them as offenses to the eyesight.
It’s very possible they’re doing the best they can, Lily.
I avoid Wal-Mart for other reasons.
Yoga pants and a well fitted top are never offensive. Might cause eyestrain!
Speaking of eyestrain, Ghost. Have you seen the pictures of Rihanna in the dress she wore to an awards ceremony? I have to use the term dress loosely in this context. Talk about something you should have never worn in public!
Lilyblack, your reason for not going to Wal-Mart is one of the reasons I avoid bars. Too many awful-looking people.
sandcastler, I agree on the bravery level of the combat medics and photographers, although I would give the medics the edge.