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

Est. 1985

Extra, Extra!

Not Again!

By Jimmy Johnson


Buy the new book, "Beaucoup Arlo & Janis!"Today's "Arlo & Janis!"
I want to wish you all a happy and prosperous 2015. There’s just something about those multiples of 5, isn’t there? They just have to be special. I want to thank all of you who read Arlo & Janis, whether in the newspapers or online. You make my life as I know it possible. You probably don’t think of it that way, but I do. I will continue to do the best I can. Also, I thank those of you who come here to my own Web site. I’m tempted to say, “the usual gang of idiots,” but I don’t want to offend those of you who were not readers of “Mad Magazine” in your youth. As for the Web site, I think I can promise this will be the year of bigger and better. Please stick around.

Recent Posts

Ghost of Christmas Past

This holiday Arlo & Janis comic strip from 2022 is similar in concept to the new strip that ran yesterday. I thought the latter ...

Spearhead

I have produced a number of comic strips related to Veteran’s Day. Especially in latter years, I have tried to emphasize the universal experience ...

Dark Passage

Remember: it’s that weekend. The return to standard time can be a bit of a shock in the late afternoon, but I rather enjoy ...

What’s old is old, again

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to build a web site, but there are similarities. Everything needs to be just right, or ...

Back to the ol’ drawing board

I don’t have a lot of time this morning. I wasn’t going to post anything, but I’m tired of looking at that old photograph ...

Thursday’s Child

On Sunday, I teased you with the suggestion there are more changes coming here. There are. They will appear soon, and I think you’ll ...

203 responses to “Not Again!”

  1. Old Bear Avatar
    Old Bear

    GR6
    it is the other way round. Soccer is 90 min. of continuous running. Plus under 10min. Stoppage
    (injury) time. No commercials.
    Limited substitutions, If someone gets a red card – that includes sassing the Ref.- his team plays with 10 men.
    USA Football is 12min. of action in 2 1/2 hours of TV.

    ACA is full of unintended consequences. It would have been cheaper, easier and annoyed
    less people for “big brother” to pay for those with low income or cover (for a fee) those that could not get other coverage. For all the disruption there is only a 10% increase in coverage.

    Every thing goes better with butter.

  2. TruckerRon Avatar

    Old Bear: As I heard it from Rowlf the Dog on the Jimmy Dean Show, “A bit of butter in the batter makes a better batter, but a bit of batter in the butter does not make a better butter.”

  3. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    Old Bear and TruckerRon, who remembers this line? “Everything’s better with **** ****** on it.”

    Jackie, good to hear you and your family are doing well and that you had a favorite meal in a treasured place. Thank you for the updates and your contributions to the intelligent conversation here.

  4. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    But don’t go to the bathroom during those 90 minutes of soccer running around…you may miss the only scoring play of the game. 🙂

  5. TruckerRon Avatar

    Blue Bonnet. Who watched Tom Terrific?

  6. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    Good morning Villagers….

    It’s raining, and more rain to come, high today 59 degrees, then it’s all down hell from there with a high on Wednesday of 13…….I’m depressed.

    Thank you Nodak, I’ve heard the United Egg Producers are sticking their noses along with the government into larger cages. We have 5 hens per cage with 4 on the bottom tier. And it does make sense to a remark made in that article, that with larger cages they are more apt to injure themselves. Right now I cannot remember the measurements of the cages. But they do comfortable sleep 5 hens.

    As for the ACA….I pray it is repealed……I can’t even afford it. And I can’t believe some hospitals are refusing Medicare……where is this all going to lead….now I am really depressed.

    Llee….if my math is correct that meant your Grandparents lived in very cramped quarters…20 X 20. But back then, they did have the “stuff” we have, or feel we need to have….like a big sized TV….which we don’t have.

    Simply….thanks for the tune, and Greg’s son sure is tall, didn’t listen, will have to later.

    Jackie, my thoughts are still with you.

    Drama at the hen houses….The Boss called last night, Andrew has been MIA for three days without calling in, and this isn’t the first time. His girlfriend got a little snotty with me yesterday on the phone (she can call me, so why can’t she call The Boss)….seems he is very sick, maybe even pneumonia. Told The Boss about it, and he said for Andrew to get to the doctor and he would pay for it and work something out later, but to get to a doctor. Andrew a few weeks ago went MIA for several days without calling in. The Boss had to do his job and Andrew’s. So The Boss made him work a weekend without pay…..his logic….he had to do Andrew’s job plus his. I don’t blame him. This younger generation just doesn’t get it. It’s called responsibility,

    Thank you for letting me vent…..

    Jackie, my thoughts are still with you and yours.

    GR 😉

    ya’ll have a dry Caturday.

  7. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    Rain’s coming and I’m going. Back to bed. Check out that video.

  8. sandcastlerâ„¢ Avatar
    sandcastlerâ„¢

    Raining in Bayou City, last nights Mexican food not sitting well, cat on my lap, Loon still in bed. Have a fun weekend.

  9. Trapper Jean Avatar
    Trapper Jean

    One of my daughters works for the Publix grocery store chain, in the Customer Service department. She, at least, has good health care. My other daughter used to work for Red Lobster, which is a Darden property. Their servers get laughably small paychecks and the rest of their salary comes from tips. At the end of the night a percentage of each server’s tips goes into the jar to be divided between the busboys, so the server doesn’t even get all their tips. And yes, they are all part time and get no health coverage. Now she’s working part time for Comfort Suites Hotels, and still has no health coverage. My son works part time for Michael’s craft stores and has gone back to college and has only minimal health coverage through the company, which is good, as he is diabetic and the cost of insulin and supplies gets more expensive every year.

    I keep being told by my Liberal friends that we should have the same government-run health care that Sweden does, and how great that is, but then again the people of Sweden pay some of the highest taxes around, so they should get good health care. Having noticed that our Federal Government can barely tie their own shoelaces, and seeing the complete mess the ACA is, I have little to no confidence in them for anything.

  10. Trapper Jean Avatar
    Trapper Jean

    We never had Blue Bonnet in our house, but we did know it was not nice to fool Mother Nature!

    Debbe, have you seen what the fashionable thing is now? Tiny houses-120 square feet or less. It’s called the Tiny House Revolution. People are getting rid of their big houses and “stuff” and moving into smaller, often completely solar powered houses. Just Google tiny houses and you can see all kinds of plans. Some friends of mine built their own house just outside of Asheville, and they love it.

    Ghost Sweetie, yes, I got my flu shot the week before Christmas, and happily the only reaction I had to it was a sunburn type rash for a few days. The last two years I got one I had really bad reactions and almost didn’t get it this year.

  11. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    What a comfort to wake up and find I have brought my Village along for the trip.

    Love, Jackie

  12. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    OF due 1047-1107 CST. Now back to today’s posts. emb

  13. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    Charlotte [I think]: “It seems long to me, anyway.”

    It’s probably 140 mi. or so. Staying pretty much at the speed limit, mostly on cruise, only one sizable town en route, good roads, only moderate traffic, about 3 hr. Usually will do a pit stop on that route, but didn’t want to risk snow. I’m guessing it’s 2″ deep out there now.

    Time to check OF. Peace, emb

  14. TruckerRon Avatar

    emb: here’s a website you’ll enjoy (if you haven’t found it on your own already…):

    http://roberthowellphotography.com

    It’s his collection of Yellowstone At Night photos.

  15. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    OF due 1300-1320. emb

  16. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    CST.

  17. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    Bumper to bumper headed west on I-10 last night and I wondered where they were coming from. Tenn. and Iowa were in the who cares bowl in Jacksonville yesterday. Sorry about that Iowa, thanks for coming, enjoy that little drive home.

  18. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    Them are some neat photos. Thanks.

    “Will pick up a smoked goldie at Morey’s en route home tomorrow.” That’s what I decided not to bother with en route home yesterday, thereby saving 20-30 min. Depending on one’s route to/from The Cities or other parts S., Morey’s Fish House is a convenient pit stop. Goldies are neat fish, from Canada, I think. Fairly easy to avoid bones; one side one night = 1 supper’s protein, the other side 2 evenings later. Strange inflated ribs result in a stiff backbone. Their swimming style must not involve body-curving as much as in many fishes.

  19. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    OF due NOW. Small crowd waiting. emb

  20. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Jean dear, for some reason I thought the phrase “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature” had something to do with birth control pills.

    ACA…ill-conceived, poorly written, terrible implementation…needs critical care. The only measure of success given seems to be that “x million people” have signed up for it, without regard to the actual benefits they have derived from it. The plans for which most people can afford to pay the premiums (even when subsidized) have atrocious annual deductibles and co-pays. The mistake the politicians keep making is the assumption that “medical insurance coverage” automatically means “medical access”, which (as Jackie observed) is actually dependent on the availability of medical providers and medical infrastructure, something the ACA does not address. And some of the ACA’s most onerous (and expensive) features, which somehow got postponed until after the 2014 elections, are just now kicking in. No matter who is pulling the levers in Washington, I don’t think they can put enough lipstick on the ACA pig for it to survive in its present form.

    Lesson Learned: One should be deeply suspicious of any major legislation that passes on a strictly party-line vote (by either party) and wonder, “Was this done for the good of the country or the good of that political party?” Sad, because they could have done much better if they’d truly had the best interests of all our citizens at heart. But if done sensibly (in bits and pieces), it wouldn’t have been the splashy “legacy-maker” that some expected it would be.

  21. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    A HS buddy of mine has two daughters. The elder has a Ph.D. in one of the humanities, cannot remember which. She also has developed a major medical problem. Some of her research then took her to Italy. She will remain there indefinitely, because they have quality state medical care, ~ Canada I think, and they are handling it there for free. Somehow this strikes me as humane, “the least of these,” and such. I believe she teaches in an Italian Univ.

    Peace, emb

  22. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    There-high taxes and good medical care.
    Here-high taxes.
    In other countries the idea of medical work is that it is public service with the ideals that expression was intended to mean. In this country you’re a failure if you’re not a millionaire doctor.

  23. Ursen Avatar
    Ursen

    Yes ACA is pain, and Medicare can be a joke, but try the VA. Due to disability all my health care is through the VA. There is a major VA facility 15 mins from me, but due to quality issues I drive 2 1/2 hrs away to a slightly smaller facility for better care, some of the care is at a small clinic only 1 hr away. The clinic is part of the facility that is 2 1/2 hrs away and has excellent care. Dealing with the VA itself can be crazy making. I started working on my disability claim in 2005 and went to 100% last year, this big struggle with the VA is despite being hospitalized 7 months while in the military. Sometime look at the timeline and events surrounding the Agent Orange claims of the Vietnam Veterans. VA medical and claims service is widely varying depending on where you are and what group (DAV etc) is helping you.

  24. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    The lack of the highest standards of medical care for our vets is like Winston landing on his butt and throwing the football back over his head-an embarrassment. Fortunately football is, or is supposed to be, just a game. The health care situation for our vets is a tragedy and a crime.

  25. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    OF about to blow. It’s standing room only. Unless you want to sit in the snow.