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

Est. 1985

Extra, Extra!

First-World Dictator

By Jimmy Johnson


Buy the new book, "Beaucoup Arlo & Janis!"Today's "Arlo & Janis!"This old A&J from January, 1993, depicts Gene with one of his many different haircuts. It also features the strange elongated head that marked his appearance in that period. And “Super Mario” was big. We take for granted how much life has changed in 20 years. I was watching a movie on TV the other day, and everything seemed normal. The clothing appeared contemporary. The automobiles weren’t an obvious tip-off. Then, a detective walks up to a person working at a computer console and asks, “Hey, can you look stuff up on that thing?” The operator replies, “I think so.” Immediately, I wondered, “When was this thing made?” About 15 years ago, it turned out.

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65 responses to “First-World Dictator”

  1. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Thanks, Jean dear. I wish the same for you and your family.

  2. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    While we are talking about old spy/detective television shows, my husband totally loved “The Avengers” with the umbrella? But I think it was the female partner he REALLY loved. I wonder if I can find those for him to watch? And I just know my friend Mark in Alabama or Ghost or any of the other smarter than I am friends will immediately find it!

    And I need the character “Vee” or “V” from Chuggington trains in the die cast version too. I have bought every other train now except her and she is the one (a voice enabled train signal actually) who dispatches all the little trains. And Jack knows this.

    Impressed by how early you all get up on Sundays. I am being quiet so Mike can sleep. When I finally got to a computer last night I read about what he now has, excessive calcium in his blood, deposited there by the cancer in his bones. It is considered a medical emergency, hence my leaving my lunch to rush him to oncology. Of the 16 symptoms listed for it under cancer toxicology he is only missing three and one is a coma.

    Love, Jackie

  3. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    GR 😉 that was the song I was speaking of the other morning…thanks for posting it. I loved those old photos, and the ‘Charlie Brown’ Christmas trees they all posed around.

    One year, remember I have three younger sisters, we woke up to….ready……bras hanging from the tree…in addition to the wrapped gifts under the tree. We still have that picture of the Christmas tree with about 8 bras hanging from the branches…..

    Jean, will you adopt me? I wanna see TSO…again, and again….

  4. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    Jackie….I don’t know what to say to help, but know Mike is in my prayers………Amen

  5. Denise in Michigan Avatar
    Denise in Michigan

    What Debbe said, Jackie, echoes all of our prayers.

  6. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Debbe, there isn’t much to say to help but I appreciate all the prayer. And having a group like this is help, it gives me a little sanity/insanity/laughter too. Like the bra tree.

    Mike has taken himself off all the pain medications, he hates how sick they seem to make him. I live with pain every day, only the intensity varies, so I take some of the milder/not so mild ones they prescribed for him as well. I have RA, along with lupus and six or so other autoimmune diseases which I have just kind of adjusted to, so I routinely take maintenance drugs and save the more powerful ones for when the pain gets unbearable. I told him that was what he needed to do as well.

    He says he sees Zombies and hallucinates and can’t function. But I know he must be in awful pain. When the Zombies or ghosts start swooping down when I turn out the lights, I just say “Leave me alone, I don’t have time to bother with you and I am too tired for all this! Go away!” Not sure if they go or not?

    Woke up with all four cats laying against various body parts, along with the little dog. They are afraid I will sneak away during night. But they love the animal sitter.

    Love, Jackie

  7. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    Jackie, ask and you shall receive: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_12?url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&field-keywords=the+avengers+tv+series&sprefix=the+avengers%2Cmovies-tv%2C211

    I have seen those for sale in the Sam’s Club stores too, but don’t know if they still have them since they keep things such a short time.

  8. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    Jackie, whoops, Vee is not an engine. Click on number 2 here for a closeup of its figure: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11838290&cp=&parentPage=search

  9. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Jackie, I’ll tell the ghosts to “cool it”, and to remind the zombies that there is at least one Ghost who is always prepared for the Zombie Apocalypse.

  10. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    A bra tree? OK. That’s one that had eluded even my febrile imagination.

  11. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Actually that sounds like a fun idea if you had a significant other that would appreciate it and no kids around to giggle hysterically.
    Decorate with all the fluffy bits and pieces and then have a modeling period?

    I used to be a commercial/professional/instructor of Christmas decorations, remember?

    Love, Jackie

  12. sandcastlerâ„¢ Avatar
    sandcastlerâ„¢

    A bra tree could make for a fun group party game. 😉

  13. Old Bear Avatar
    Old Bear

    Back half a century ago when I taught in Peterson,MN
    there were 2 Norwegian (descent) cooks that made the most fabulous
    meals out of almost nothing.

    I too used to complain about having “no shoes” but there were so many “without feet” &
    worse, I learned to count my blessings. Roger Ericson used to say ” I am fantastic and getting better.” If you say it, you will believe it, and it will be so.

    Let your light shine into the world and it will be a boon to countless.

  14. TruckerRon Avatar

    For anyone who’s missed it, Jimmy started a new entry today with a great Sunday comic I don’t remember.

  15. Meryl A Avatar
    Meryl A

    Woody Allen in one of his old movies is applying for a job –

    Interviewer – “Do you know how to run a high speed digital computer?”

    WA Character – “Yes, my aunt has one.”

    This was hysterical. Now his aunt would have one.

    When I was in college (1971-74) we were told to enjoy the computer time we had (on main frames) as we would never have such freedom to play (Star Trek – hit the ship the word boom appears – no graphics) again as computer time “is” so expensive.