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

Est. 1985

Extra, Extra!

Playful as a Kitten

By Jimmy Johnson


Buy the new book, "Beaucoup Arlo & Janis!"Today's "Arlo & Janis!"
By 2009, when this Sunday A&J first appeared, video games had advanced well beyond what Ludwig is playing, but yours truly still was stuck in Atariland. But after all, he is a cat, and I’m an old man, so cut us some slack. I actually owned an early Atari game console and enjoyed it very much. My glory days, though, coincided with the dawn of computerized arcade games, such as “Space Invaders.” I remember a buddy and I were playing Space Invaders at a two-man, sit-down game console in an establishment called “The Cherokee Inn” in Jackson, Mississippi, one evening in the early ’80s. The Cherokee Inn was, well… they would call in a “pub” in England. Someone who had gotten a head start elsewhere pulled into the parking lot and failed to stop quite in time. There was a loud “wham,” and the plywood wall next to our gaming table buckled inward. If the driver had been going much faster, you might not be reading this, but, unperturbed, we kept playing.

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 ...

273 responses to “Playful as a Kitten”

  1. Galliglo from Ohio Avatar
    Galliglo from Ohio

    Yes, Sand – you are lucky!

  2. sideburns Avatar

    I have to keep my computer monitor about a foot from my face. That way, it’s nice and clear with my readers. If I put it at the normal distance, it’s too far for the readers but not far enough to use without them.

    I remember once, my hardware friend was over, helping me with an upgrade. He’d put the monitor where he thought it went, and I’d put it where it had to be. Then he’d move it back. After the third time, I ‘splained to him just why I’d been bringing it up close. He’s a good friend, so I never asked him why he kept changing it after I’d put it where I wanted it.

  3. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    sideburns: OCD? 🙂

  4. sandcastler™ Avatar
    sandcastler™

    sideburns, Loon lives with a maze of screens. Laptop, three large monitors above and to the left and right, a tablet and smartphone that migrate across her workspace. Add in earbuds/mic attached to aforesaid phone and cans over the buds streaming music from the tablet. Only the steady stream of bank deposits clues me that she is working and not lost in the cyberspace.

  5. Nancy Kirk in AZ Avatar
    Nancy Kirk in AZ

    Sideburns, I have two pair of reading glasses—one for reading books, papers, etc, and another a little less strong for computer and piano rack or other music stand. That works well for me.

  6. TruckerRon Avatar

    Does anyone know of a legitimate work at home business that doesn’t involve selling and lets you work at your own pace and when you have time & strength to put in an hour or two? (Yeah, right!) I’m looking for something that fits the disabled-heart patient lifestyle.

  7.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    Sell things on eBay for others?

  8. curmudgeonly ex-professor Avatar
    curmudgeonly ex-professor

    That was I.
    Selling as an agent does not require you to ask someone to buy – it’s not that kind of selling. You could do as many lots as you want, with ending times to suit.

  9. TruckerRon Avatar

    Does that involve handling, shipping, storing items? Do you know someone who’s done such work that I could question via email?

  10. Denise in Michigan Avatar
    Denise in Michigan

    Oh, Jackie! That sounds like a case of “you always hurt the one you love”! I know your kitty must love you, but the tail thing was bound to cause a reaction. You’re in my prayers.

  11. sandcastler™ Avatar
    sandcastler™

    TR, there are agents who serve as the middleman for eBay transactions. They facilitate the financial clearing and delivery operations. While I don’t personally know any, we have friends who children workedthesr jobs while in college.

  12. Charlotte in NH Avatar
    Charlotte in NH

    Trucker Ron, sadly, yes it does. I don’t do this myself altho a few years ago I thought it would be a nifty way to make money on the stuff I’ve collected over the years. Well, I never got a “round tu it”. My son-in-law is quite adept at E bay stuff, as opportunity happens, and I know other people too. S I L gave me a book on “your own E bay business” part of the “For Dummies” series. I read it … it was daunting. Need to take pix, post them, do all kinds of computer stuff, then wrap the item(s) and take them to the Post Office. I’d offer to send you, or anyone, the book, but it’s fairly outdated by now.

  13. Charlotte in NH Avatar
    Charlotte in NH

    Sandcastler is right, TR, but I’m not up for it … Senior Citizen status has lowered my energy. This could be great for you, though!

  14. TruckerRon Avatar

    No, I also have energy issues… and a lack of space to use for storing valuable items until shipping them. OTOH, since you said you lack one…

    http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51cPLFbOvrL._SY300_.jpg

  15. Jackie monies Avatar
    Jackie monies

    I am on side that says this is a big PITA and not for disabled. It is exhausting and it requires far more than an hour or two. I know a few home based activities that can be done by homebound but all take far
    more than a couple hours and require detailed knowledge of a field or industry to be successful.

    I believe the best rehabilitation efforts result from analysis of the skills you have and finding a way to use them, rather than picking a job and trying to fit your skills to it. Love Jackie

  16. curmudgeonly ex-professor Avatar
    curmudgeonly ex-professor

    Trucker: It was just an off-the-cuff idea….

  17. Charlotte in NH Avatar
    Charlotte in NH

    Dear Jackie, a very perceptive analysis, full of wisdom. I’m sure you are right. I never heard of a PITA before but thanks to you sharp and witty folks in the Village, I was able to figure it out instantly — so I guess the wit and verbal high jinks are infectious.

  18. emb Avatar
    emb

    PITA: I just learned a new acronym. Peace, emb

  19. Charlotte in NH Avatar
    Charlotte in NH

    Dear Trucker, thank you for the picture of the missing item that I spoke of. I’m glad to have it as I use it a great deal, many times each day in fact!

  20. Charlotte in NH Avatar
    Charlotte in NH

    See, emb, it really is contagious!

  21. Old Bear Avatar
    Old Bear

    GR6
    Yes – I guess. Lens has far in center and near around edge – or verse vice a.
    Was not recommended because it is a compromise neither one is as good as
    single focus. Also that lens is not covered by MC added 1200/eye.
    She also had to be checked for detached retina. Vitreous humour shrinks as we get older
    and sometimes pulls retina.

    Plastic as in one of its definitions as apposed to “harvested”

    Have a friend that had LASIK – he is loving it. A choice of $120 glasses or $40(per eye)
    LASIK – no contest – a month after procedure he was still trying to put glasses on in
    morning – old habits …..

    Lace Making = tatting
    Mind your tatting = mind your own business

    Jerry in FL
    was that Albert from Pogo?

  22. Old Bear Avatar
    Old Bear

    Jackie
    Wife got nailed by our Tippy the other day – & I almost got his paw (felt something so
    no real pressure same time as yowl) he does like to sit behind while person is working.

  23. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Jackie is full of wisdom because she once was tasked with both awarding large sums of money to the dead and disabled, often for life, along with getting those who could be rehabilitated to accept training and become re-employed in some other occupation, then reducing their long term disability payments to take this into effect. Talk about a dichotomy of tasks, you can imagine the joy which this was greeted with by those who had no intention of sacrificing their tax free life time ticket to ride!

    However, when faced with the same choices myself, to accept a lifetime of tax free dependence and a “disabled and unemployable” label, I did exactly what I just prescribed. I rehabilitated myself by choice, had an extremely successful second career with more than 15 minutes of fame, went on to another and another, never once accepting I was either disabled or unemployable. Everything I attempted I succeeded in, often with more than those 15 minutes as recognition. Never once did the issue of whether I could work or not enter the equation, I simply did it and no one ever asked. Like the military, don’t ask, don’t tell. If you succeed, no one frankly cares what label you bear, it is immaterial.

    Wisdom comes with a price. So does rehabilitation.

    Love, Jackie

  24. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    TruckerRon, since you have the OTR experience, is it possible that you could serve as a work-from-home employee for a trucking company? Part-time dispatch or something? I have a work-from-home job, but it is not like you need. I code medical records as a full-time job, having to clock in and out via the computer. I take it you are looking for paying work and not just volunteer work to fill the time.

    http://www.homewiththekids.com/work-at-home/

  25. Charlotte in NH Avatar
    Charlotte in NH

    Wow, this is seriously heavy wisdom, Dear Jackie. No wonder I am so in awe of your experiences and attitudes. I have had a pleasant and easy life … just very lucky … and never had to learn any of these things you know so well. You are a remarkable person.

    Are you speaking of physical or mental rehab, especially referring to yourself; or both?