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

Est. 1985

Extra, Extra!

Starting at Day One

By Jimmy Johnson

Today’s classic A&J is from January, 3, 2017. Yes, it’s that time of year, time for us cheapskates to go calendar shopping! I realize I’m in danger of stereotyping (I live my life in danger of stereotyping.), but in my experience women are more likely to favor a paper calendar than men, for the same reasoning as Arlo’s. It doesn’t matter what happens elsewhere, you write something on a calendar and, Boom! You got it. Men, on the other hand, figure they don’t really need a calendar. Having said that, I have been known to haunt the calendar bin at the book store, looking for a bargain when the demand falls off. I can usually pick up a good deal on something like, “Small and Very Frightened Mammals of the Serengeti.”


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40 responses to “Starting at Day One”

  1. TruckerRon Avatar

    “Men, on the other hand, figure they don’t really need a calendar.” That used to be true for me. Life was simpler when I was on the road and had only to get from a point A to a point B each day. Now I also deal with getting children to/from their jobs and schools, getting myself around to work, orchestra and choir practices, and to the state hospital where my wife and I conduct Sunday services… it’s too complicated to keep it all straight in my head! Throw in doctor’s appointments that cost $$ whether you make or miss them… Yep, my calendar’s on my interconnected devices! I enter most things from my laptop because I prefer keyboarding (60 wpm) to typing with my thumbs (too darn slow!).

  2. david Avatar
    david

    But it has to have a pocket!

    1. TruckerRon Avatar

      Yep, and all the shirts I buy have pockets. The free ones rarely do. 🙁
      .
      Long before pocket devices I always carried a few things in the shirt pockets, like a a pen and notepad for recording the odometer readings at state lines. Also clip-on sunglasses! My ophthalmologist credits my persistence in wearing them with having kept me from developing cataracts.

  3. Wisconsin Dan Avatar
    Wisconsin Dan

    My favorite these days is a phenological calendar. It shows average observation dates for many natural phenomena like plant leaf-out, birds arriving, etc. It helps me be more aware of the markers of seasonal change. Cheers, Dan

    1. TruckerRon Avatar

      Having become an amateur astronomer I also have links to relevant astronomy pages. Now I get to gripe about what I can’t see on cloudy nights. 😉

  4. emb Avatar
    emb

    Berry College eagle webcam seems to be closed.
    Peace,

    1. Mark in TTown Avatar
      Mark in TTown

      It worked just now, both cams show view of one on nest.

  5. dAVE. Avatar
    dAVE.

    I like to get the calendars that have pictures of the tree climbing goats for each month. Those are always on sale or clearance. But make sure you don’t get the ones that are 18 month (Starting in July) or the ‘school year’ calendar (Starting in September or nowadays it’s August), those aren’t worth the savings in money because they’re on sale in January rendering the extra months useless unless you like the pictures.

  6. emb Avatar
    emb

    Yep, one egg last weekend. See if this works: https://www.berry.edu/eaglecam/
    Peace,

  7. Tom (formerly) from the front range. Avatar
    Tom (formerly) from the front range.

    Most discussions of time remind me of this quote attributed to an engineer involved in designing an early minicomputer. Much of the work required building and testing critical timing circuits measured in micro and nano seconds.:

    “He went away from the basement of Building 14 that day, and left this
    note in his cubicle, on top of his computer terminal: “I’m going to a
    commune in Vermont and will deal with no unit of time shorter than a
    season.”
    — Tracy Kidder, “The Soul of a New Machine”

    This book was written in 1981 but it is still a fascinating read.

    I

  8. Neal H Sanders Avatar

    A solar storm (unsaid, but a fair deduction) is at the heart of Thomas Harris’ new novel, ‘The Second Sleep’. In it, something happens in 2025 that renders all computer/electric/battery items unworkable. With urban dwellers typically living just a few days food on hand, and no means of replenishing supplies, civilization more or less collapses on the spot. Harris’ story picks up 800 years later in England, which is just emerging from the dark ages. It’s an intelligent, fascinating read.

    1. Jimmy Johnson Avatar

      I find it disquieting that we take for granted the digital revolution that has occurred in one human lifetime. We assume, are encouraged to assume, the systems that control more and more of our economy, our civil infrastructure and our personal lives are infallible and eternal–unless someone is trying to sell us virus protection. I’m not so sure.

      1. Lost in A**2 Avatar
        Lost in A**2

        “The Machine Stops,” by E.M. Forster, was originally published in 1909.

        But yeah, we take electricity and its dependents for granted.

    2. MissoulaPhil Avatar
      MissoulaPhil

      Similar stoty line in a series that starts with “One Second After”, in which the electronics in the US are destroyed by several EMP bombs.

  9. Debbie from Alabama Avatar
    Debbie from Alabama

    My Kliban cat calendar I use as a journal is sold out on two sites…..that’s what I get for waiting. Used one of those each year for the last 11 years.

    The wall calendar is a freebie from the Drug Store. It’s a Norman Rockwell one with health tips included.

    Several years ago when I needed to make a quick stop at the Drug Store, the granddaughter was astonished and shouted “you mean there’s a store that sells drugs?”!!!! Obviously her parents have their prescriptions filled at the pharmacy.

    1. Mark in TTown Avatar
      Mark in TTown

      I hear you. I’m from Tuscaloosa, originally. And I never heard anybody call it anything other than a drugstore outside of books. If you can’t find a Kliban cat calendar try one by Gary Patterson. His are funny and true to cat behavior.

  10. emb Avatar
    emb

    For contrast, here is the Decorah nest site: https://explore.org/livecams/birds/decorah-eagles
    Don’t despair; 2 adults have been frequenting this site, & another 2 at the Decorah North site. Also, have seen adult peregrines at the Baltimore Starling & Rock Pigeon Inn. Not 2 @ once, but I think both a falcon & a tercel [stupid speelczech!]
    Peace,

  11. emb Avatar
    emb

    Just stopped @ the above site. Web looking twd the setting sun, when 2 ragged skeins of geese went +/- west. They’re gone now, but it was pleasant. Peace,

  12. Ghost Avatar
    Ghost

    Yep. “Drug store”. I always still say “drug store”. Of course, now in Oklahoma, as well as other states, they do have “drug” stores…assuming one considers cannabis a drug.
    Someone on on The Dark Side beat me to my comment about not saying “Betelgeuse” three times. I enjoyed that movie. And yes, I still say “movie”, not “film”. But no, I’m not old enough to call them “talkies”.

  13. Rick in Shermantown, Ohio Avatar
    Rick in Shermantown, Ohio

    My after-Christmas weakness is classic train calendars.

  14. emb Avatar
    emb

    Rarely go to movies or watch them on TV, but heard “film” a lot at home: Mom worked for Universal Pictures at the Home Office in Manhattan, as opposed to the Studios on “The Coast.” [“The Shore” is that stretch of the Atlantic seaboard from Lower NY Bay to Cape May.]
    What ‘about not saying “Betelgeuse” three times’?
    Peace,

    1. Mark in TTown Avatar
      Mark in TTown

      emb, the Betelgeuse reference is from a Tim Burton directed movie called Beetlejuice. In the movie the title character will appear if you say his name three times. Here’s a description of the film: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beetlejuice

  15. Old Bear Avatar
    Old Bear

    I use the freebies from where ever – if I like the pictures I might use it several years.
    Just turn to a month that starts on the correct day of the week.

    For archival information I use the computer’s – Birthdays,Death days, Name days, Car servicing, house servicing
    Things I should remember more than a day. …..

    A friend & I were discussing the Carrington Event last week.

  16. Steve From Royal Oak, MI Avatar

    Is today’s strip (1-15-20 for those with calendars) a “recycled” strip?

    1. Tom (formerly) from the front range. Avatar
      Tom (formerly) from the front range.

      It has a 2020 copyright date so I’m guessing “no”.

  17. emb Avatar
    emb

    Thanks, emb.
    I learned how to pronounce Betelgeuse from my first boss here; he’s the reason I never considered looking for a more prestigious position, one of the better decisions of my life. Harold was an entomologist, but amateur stargazer. We thought we knew a lot about the universe then [’60s]. Expect Harold now knows even more than I do.
    Peace,
    P.S. Said Betelgeuse 3x yesterday; nothing happened.

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