Spread Sheet

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Continuing with the work theme, another old cartoon from this month in 1996. Do Arlo and Janis still have jobs? I don’t really know, which means nobody knows. I think they do, but they’re in the latter phase of long careers. They no longer think about a corner office or making vice president; they worry about buy-outs and downsizing and looming retirement. In a way, I think the strip reflects this accurately enough. The couple’s focus is more on home and each other and less on playing out the string professionally. Besides, Scott Adams has done all the office gags.

Buy the new book, "Beaucoup Arlo & Janis!"Today's "Arlo & Janis!"

25 thoughts on “Spread Sheet”

  2. That is exactly how I look at Arlo and Janis. Maybe 15 years ago, there was a great drive to make it big, but now they are in the final stages of the marathon and just want to finish the race. Of course Grandchildren creates a whole new dynamic that is completely wonderful. That makes you want to get the finish line even sooner so that you can play with them!

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  3. Debbe: Losing a parent is something that takes time to get “over”. Frankly in some ways, you never get over it. Worrying about your kids at this stage is only natural as well. A lot of things seem to happen at once. You are certainly not alone out there. Keep trying on becoming more positive. It will come eventually.

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  4. Jimmy, man, ya really gotta update the optics and the dialog if ya wanna attract and keep the hipster generation to your readership. F’instance, the last panel should show Arlo wearing dark-framed eye glasses and thinking, “Uber driver’s vacation, I guess.”

    On second thought, don’t.

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  7. I was catching up on the last of “yesterday’s” comments and decided to take the first lines test. Not a bad result, if I say so myself. 🙂 One answer was a false negative because just as I clicked on the right answer my thumb hit the track ball and the cursor jumped. Other than that I really did get two wrong, so on the whole, not bad.

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  8. https://youtu.be/WifTLVwQPyY

    This is song that started my Waylon and Willy marathon last night but it is actually Dr. Hook, a group some of you may not remember. Why is this noteworthy? Because the song, along with almost all of their songs, was written by a cartoonist.

    Shel Silverstein, Playboy cartoonist, writer, musician and a plethora of other things wrote hundreds of songs, many legendary and won two Grammys. Google Shel.

    But listen to the song, it expresses how I feel beautifully!

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  15. Sorry to disagree, Jimmy, but I must.

    Scott Adams has not done all the office gags.

    It’s impossible to do them all.

    As long as we have offices, we will have more gag possibilities.

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  16. I’d hazard a guess that Janis held a position at an advertising agency at that time, since she’s the one shoveling the manure. And Arlo was possibly with a public relations firm, since he’s dealing with it in large quantities.

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  17. I remember when this strip was first published. I don’t remember if there were any words on Arlo’s load or not, but I did admire how the picture on the back made it quite clear what he was carrying.

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  18. Just clicked Weather Channel to think about what to wear tomorrow and am greeted by a headline that massive hail would pound Gulf Coast tomorrow.

    Wear your bike helmets.

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  22. Good Morning Villagers….

    Steve and domaucan1..thanks for the advice and the grin. And yes, I miss my Mom…I miss her smell and the times I would lay my head on her lap and she would stroke my hair. I sometimes close my eyes and go there.

    I’m working on that positive attitude….I try to bring it home. It’s funny, but when it gets close to the colored egg coming in I’m pacing like an expectant father. Come on ‘baby, give me 192 cases at lease…and that did happen yesterday. Guess I need to go out and give the ‘talk’ to old Golden Boy (my big rooster)

    My BIL’s daughter is also living with us and Ian and her have become an ‘item’. She finally got a job….Amen. I’m so happy for her as she needed this…we all need self esteem and it’s coming her way.

    The Corp came in yesterday to weigh and candle light the eggs….we got an ‘A’.

    ….there’s two positive things in one day…and I am smiling right now.

    Sun’s out this morning…….that’s another positive thing.

    I love this place and every one in it…..

    Ya’ll have a blessed day……

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  24. Hope Jerry packed some warm clothes. When my mom and dad first divorced, Mom decided to take us on a Michigan vacation to visit relatives…mid August before school started. We had to go out and buy warmer clothes…but that paid off, ’cause we wore them in the Indiana winter.

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