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

Est. 1985

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Answer Man

By Jimmy Johnson

Buy the new book, "Beaucoup Arlo & Janis!"Today's "Arlo & Janis!"
When my grandmother was born, airplanes were more than a decade in the future. In my lifetime, space exploration and exploitation became a reality. In the 20th century, automobiles took over. Electricity and telephones became ubiquitous, and television was invented. It would be impossible to name a century of greater change. Yet, I think more apparent change has occurred in the past two decades. By apparent change, I mean changes in daily life and routine. Think how dated movies made only a few years ago can seem. You’ll see people running around frantically searching for pay phones. You’ll see black computer screens with green type. You’ll hear people asking, “Where are we?!” The fabric of daily life now has an entirely different feel. Take, for example, the above cartoon from 20 years ago. Of course, many people—if they still have land lines—still have answering machines, but they’re not the icon of connectivity they once were. And kids in the household certainly do not consider them a lifeline! Technological change has been a juggernaut for the past 200 years, but the small details have never been more apparent than in the current century.

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160 responses to “Answer Man”

  1. Symply Fargone Avatar

    @Debbe,

    A Symply out there article on how Hendrix covered Dylan’s Watchtower…..

    http://www.covermesongs.com/2014/03/the-story-behind-jimi-hendrixs-all-along-the-watchtower.html

    I also have some pics of hens in sweaters, if you are interested…my partner’s wife brought them to my attention at our last gig and I had her email 3 of them if you were interested…..not Fargone saying anyone should attempt to improve their fowl’s sartorial splendor, but if that is your fancy…….

  2. Symply Fargone Avatar

    @Jackie,

    Yeah I am pretty much Symply in awe of the paint job Jay(Chopper) is doing on the bike….next week I approve(I hope) the final details for the paint scheme and lettering….the seat is being Fargone molded to my and the OL’s tush with gel pads(I’m too old to go without now) and then the wheels get added.

    http://wanaryd.com/images/detailed/0/rcc-savage-eclipse-wheel-logo-1200.jpg

  3. sandcastler™ Avatar
    sandcastler™

    @Symply

    Symply in awe at your project.

  4. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Thinking about pho last night and looking at the packaging, I noticed that star anise is prominently featured in photo. That is one of the tricky spices in the broth that gives it the pungency.

    Many years ago when we had moved here to Oklahoma and were having trouble finding Vietnamese food, good, bad or indifferent, I decided to learn to make my own, so I have cooked quite a bit of Vietnamese foods. Not necessarily instant ones either. The pho beef broth is a very slow process and very spicy. I had decided to make the one that used to be called Hanoi broth which is even spicier.

    Mike came home and entire house was permeated with this smell. He made me put the pot of broth out in back half of house to cool and then strain it. The pho itself with noodles was too pungent for him, he left on a three week sales trip, came home and house still smelled like pho.

    Reminded me of famous story of when gallon jug of kim chee exploded with a pressure change on a Hawaiian Airlines flight and entire cabin had to be stripped and replaced.

    Love, Jackie

  5. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Symply all, there is nothing like a paint job that reflects your feet, face or body parts. So hard to achieve. I remember my comment when I saw the first photos of the little Scamp sailboat we helped popularize, the prototype, “My God, you can see your reflection in the paint!”

    No boat we ever built had those standards of paint but I know some bike painters who have done custom boat paint jobs and achieved it.

    Love, Jackie

  6. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    I had to laugh at one of the ads I am being targeted with now, a brand of underwear for men which I assume is for boaters to dry fast on your body, called Mackieweldon, if I got it right.
    Anyone here wear such a brand? I need to click on it and see what it offers, comfort I’d assume.

  7. Denise in Michigan Avatar
    Denise in Michigan

    I just saw that “Poldark” is being remade, but cannot imagine anyone more attractive in the role of Ross Poldark than Robin Ellis was. Sigh. My teenaged self fell head over heels in lust with him.

  8. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Just backed up to look for underwear ad and there was a topless ripped senior biker on a bike I am sure we’d all love advertising a health supplement called Synegenics or some such. They are not missing a beat tracking us, I’d just drooled at Symply’s bike parts.

  9. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    OF is free of fog, but still has Tuesday’s last prediction posted. I’ve not read the latest posts above, but thought you should know that the magazine Politico ranks MN & NH as tied for #1 as best in the nation. Their ranks are based on 10 factors; weather is not one of them. Neither is quality of home cooking, or # of Tabasco[r] bottles used / household / year. Details at:

    http://politi.co/1xvnbk2

    Peace, emb

  10. Charlotte in NH Avatar
    Charlotte in NH

    Dear eMb, I liked the article a lot, about the ranking of the States. Nice to live in one of the best, for both of us! Thanks for putting it out here.