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

Est. 1985

Extra, Extra!

That’s Entertainment!

By Jimmy Johnson


Buy the new book, "Beaucoup Arlo & Janis!"Today's "Arlo & Janis!"
One of the benefits of working at home is daytime television, like one of the benefits of being a plumber is all the free compost. Remember when it started? The compost, I mean? It was in the 90s. The king of daytime talk was Phil Donahue, whose show in the beginning could seem salacious but actually was thoughtful and measured compared with his usurpers racing to find the lowest common denominator of public taste and intelligence. (Judging by their spawn, “reality TV,” it hasn’t been found yet.) Along came Geraldo Rivera and Jerry Springer and Oprah Winfrey, and the mud-rasslin’ was in full swing. Of course, today it all seems tame, but mercifully we didn’t know that then. Phil tried to resist the trend but was powerless really. He eventually eased into the mud with the others, then quit. Oprah took the opposite route; she started in the mire and over time pulled herself and her show to higher ground. As for Geraldo and Jerry Springer, oh my. I honestly don’t know what they’re doing now and don’t care. Enough of a very old rant. At least I got a cartoon out of it.

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122 responses to “That’s Entertainment!”

  1. Denise in Michigan Avatar
    Denise in Michigan

    Our weather around here was not nearly as hazardous yesterday as predicted. That got me to thinking about old weather sayings. One that has always stuck in my head is “Red sky at morning, sailors take warning. Red sky at night, sailors delight.” I’d really be interested in hearing some others. Anyone care to share?

  2. emeritus MN biologist Avatar
    emeritus MN biologist

    How come it won’t submit an OF prediction?

  3. emeritus MN biologist Avatar
    emeritus MN biologist

    Cyberspace again. It’s due 1015-1035 CST. The website is in one or two posts above.

  4. emeritus MN biologist Avatar
    emeritus MN biologist

    Debbe: That cat cannot tell if a red dress, or a green dress, is red or green. Peace, emb

  5. Old Bear Avatar
    Old Bear

    A few my Grandmother told:
    Mares tails in the sky rain is neigh.

    When you first hear Katy Dids -6 weeks to frost

    6 months to frost from first thunder (The poor people of Boston)

    The Woolly Caterpillar’s band tells how cold and how long the winter.
    (I thought he lied this year – but seems not so much)

    If it rains on St Swithuns Day (July 15) it will rain for 40 days.

    If it rains at night and clear days – that is Widow’s Weather.
    (The hired hand can work all day and crops get watered at night)

    I don’t know how many are regionalisms

    I will post more as I think of them.

  6. emeritus MN biologist Avatar
    emeritus MN biologist

    TIP BlogSpot http://thatispriceless.blogspot.com/ and comic are the same. Same artist as yesterday, same one track mind. He knew which side of his bread was buttered. Janis: Not in my living room! Maybe, since I’ve incorporated the URL into the text, the daemon won’t notice. Peace, emb

  7. emeritus MN biologist Avatar
    emeritus MN biologist

    Worked!

  8. LVJeff Avatar
    LVJeff

    Regarding the Mar. 4 daily: why can’t they color Robin’s hair correctly?? Maybe Jimmy should do a Sunday with her, so they’ll have a reference.

  9. emeritus MN biologist Avatar
    emeritus MN biologist

    “6 months to frost from first thunder (The poor people of Boston).”

    ’48-’49, ’49-’50, or ’50-’51, Cornell campus in Ithaca, NY, on an overcast day some time btw mid-Nov. and late Feb. [cannot remember if it was late fall or early spring semester], no snow on the ground [it melts often over winter there], there was thunder. No precip. just then. Bumped into Dr. George Healy, beloved Freshman English prof. We talked about it, and decided it was not proper. Delightful guy, died young [50ish] of some strange malady, wife and kids, whom I’d never met. Peace, emb

  10. emeritus MN biologist Avatar
    emeritus MN biologist

    Older than I thought, 63 [= I was older than I remembered when I read his obit in the Cornell Alumni News, now C.A. Magazine.]

    dspace.library.cornell.edu/…_George_Harris_1971.pdf

    Peace, emb ’51

  11. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    I couldn’t get in after many attempts through Wikipedia or regular way so I found another way to sneak in. Click on RSS Feed, under the current comic you will see the number and word comments. Click on it and here we are. I also sent Jimmy an email but he is aware of the problem I’m sure.

  12. emeritus MN biologist Avatar
    emeritus MN biologist

    1158 was spot-on. emb

  13. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    It worked on my first try but I tried again see if it always worked and it took about six times before it worked. I should have mentioned that to get to the screen with the current old toon with “RSS Feed” over it you still have to go through the Wikipedia link. Stupid computers. Uh-oh. Now I’ve done it.

  14. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    This time I got back in simply by clicking on the “go back” arrow <. Go figure.

  15. Galliglo in Ohio Avatar
    Galliglo in Ohio

    Oh my gosh – I got here! And have no idea how! So now I have a day and a half to catch up on. Later…

  16. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    I went to Old Faithful, clicked close that site and here I am back. It must be the life of purity and chastity that I’ve led. Has anyone ever hooked their computer to their hd tv? Looking at the view of Old Faithful and the mountains I was wondering if it would be worth the trouble. I realize that it isn’t an hd camera so probably not.

  17. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    Welcome Galliglo. I’m not Catholic, but I picture being here today kind of like going to mass in Boston with four feet of snow in the streets on Super
    Bowl Sunday and the Patriots are playing.

  18. David in Austin Avatar
    David in Austin

    Jerry, I’ve used Chromecast to project Old Faithful to my big screen. Works well enough and lets me watch somewhere else for a while.

    If anyone is using a tablet of any type to connect, once you get the base A&J site, click on your browser’s menu and find the option “request desktop site.” That gave me the comments page right away.

  19. Jackie monies Avatar
    Jackie monies

    I AM OK MY FRIENDS. IN ILLINOIS TRYING TO GET SOUTH AND BELOW SNOW

  20. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    I just got in on first try the old fashioned way so maybe everything is fixed. Jackie, did you take a wrong turn? The Everglades is in the other direction.

  21. Denise in Michigan Avatar
    Denise in Michigan

    Thank you for those, Old Bear! I had heard about the woolly bear and St. Swithin, but all the others are new to me. I’m going to copy them into my commonplace book and observe which ones are valid in my area.

    Safe trip, Jackie.

  22. Jackie monies Avatar
    Jackie monies

    In ICE and snow in Evansville, Indiana daughter driving. Bad driving wishing to see a salt truck and snow plow. Got all new tires heavy duty.

  23. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    Afternoon greetings from Snowy, Central Southwest Indiana…

    Gal…how are you doing weather and all?

    So far I came in the front door with no problem…now the real problems is the SNOW…and the flakes are getting bigger and heavier, nothing like a ‘wet’ snow to bring out the whiteness of every surrounding tree trunk, branches, brush, evergreen, pine streets AND utility lines (very important to have)…depending on who and where…predictions of 8 inches or less.

    It is a peaceful scene though. Mindy, too. Oops, did I say Mindy? I meant windy….must have been one of those ‘Freudian slips”.

    GR 😉

    Jackie good luck in getting out of Illinois tonight, I would stay put. You’ve just recovered from an intestinal virus, your blood sugar, flat tire….I personally think that someone or something is trying to give me a hint. I’ve personally experienced it.

    Hope one and all get to log on tonight….been quite…but then again I don’t have a ‘SOUND CARD”…… 🙂

    =^..^=

    …Loon and Sandcastler still MIA

  24. curmudgeonly ex-professor Avatar
    curmudgeonly ex-professor

    Hey! I got here! ‘Twas on the first try, normal way, too!