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

Est. 1985

Extra, Extra!

The More Things Change

By Jimmy Johnson

March 10, 2011


Inside the past 30 days, I probably have watched more cable-news shows than during the near decade that has passed since this A&J comic first ran. What was obvious then is obvious now: old people watch these shows. Regardless of the network, the incessant advertising is for prescription drugs or financial services, almost exclusively. Only now, there is the additional irony. We watch in hope of getting useful information about the ravages of the COVID 19 pandemic, squeezed in between endless pitches for psoriasis treatment and reverse mortgages.



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37 responses to “The More Things Change”

  1. Otis Avatar
    Otis

    Don’t watch to much cable news. It’s bad for your emotional health.
    Get an update each day, then shut it off.
    Take a walk in the sunshine, or pet the dog.

    1. Otis Avatar
      Otis

      “Too”. Sheesh, I know better.

  2. Steve From Royal Oak, MI Avatar

    My Mother-in-law admonished her son for not tuning in to the news. Yesterday when we talked to her she was talking about driving an hour to the grocery store in Alpena. To get 2 things…that she really didn’t need! All that they say on the news is to stay home.

    Fortunately I left the room and start yelling and cursing So that she couldn’t hear me! My wife really poured it on her to Stay Home. But like a teenager do they really listen? Praying.

  3. Tom (formerly from the Front Range) Avatar
    Tom (formerly from the Front Range)

    Has every chicken on the planet been killed by Covid-19? One can find beef and pork in the stores but no chicken (other than wings which must be the only thing the virus leaves behind.)

    1. Ghost Avatar
      Ghost

      No sports = No sports bars = Surplus chicken wings

  4. MontanaPhil Avatar
    MontanaPhil

    EMB, if you don’t already have this web cam, there is an osprey nest at the Dunrovin ranch in Lolo, MT at this site
    https://www.daysatdunrovin.com/
    The female Harriet has just come back and Hal the male is expected soon.
    Article in the Missoulian. https://missoulian.com/news/local/her-highness-is-back-osprey-matriarch-returns-to-lolo-nest/article_03693eff-fb37-5520-a4aa-444883f9626a.html

  5. Rebecca Hedges Avatar
    Rebecca Hedges

    And no self-rising flour to be had!

    1. Sideburns Avatar

      If you look in the Wikipedia article for flour, you’ll find a formula for making it at home.

  6. emb Avatar
    emb

    Viruses don’t consume you, they just have you replicate them, & may kill you in the process. Then bacteria consume you. Bon apetit.
    Paix,

  7. Old Bear Avatar
    Old Bear

    No Flour period – There are not that many people baking is there?
    On the other hand home with kids….. just so long as they are not dusting the house
    with it.

    Ghost – somewhere on the interweb there was a picture of a bra cup used as a facemask.

    1. Dennis Avatar
      Dennis

      I saw that face mask, and I want one.

  8. Old Bear Avatar
    Old Bear

    Don’t know if you saw this Jimmy-I posted the other day (late,very):
    .
    JJ –
    .
    Just watched a program called “You Live In What?”
    Odd places people make a home, Churches, Fire Houses, Light Houses, Barns
    and Schools. You may have been by or heard of in Bay St. Louis,
    Webb School built 1913 was 1 to 4 grade Elementary, it is 2 blocks from beach,
    was used as school till the 60s then a Civic Building, It is designated Mississippi Landmark.
    It has a Veranda with 8 doors on front.
    It was used as a neighborhood shelter after Katrina. The present owner had renovated it shortly before.
    .
    You knowing is not as odd as meeting the neighbor of my MIL best friend 1300 miles from home.
    Or meeting my next door neighbor’s minister at Sturbridge Village again 1300 miles from home.
    .
    We are all connected by 6º of separation – or less.

  9.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    Do we really think Joe Namath needs help with his Medicare?

  10. TruckerRon Avatar

    We’re finally seeing facial tissue and paper towels in the stores. But no instant dry milk, flour (except certain artisan brands), TP, baking soda, or regular sugar. And that’s with the stores enforcing limits on quantities. I’m just going to have to get up tomorrow for the 7 a.m. seniors’ shopping hour at Kroger’s.

  11. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    Give me a pair of scissors and I guarantee that I can make you a dozen masks from stuff in your home in half an hour. Don’t want to cut your clothes up? You’r welcome to my share of the virus. I admit that respitory therapy was a big gap in my small supply of medical knowledge. It turns out that there are simple ways to create a ventilater. It won’t play the violin or show movies but you can create one out of the machine used for sleep apnea. I had two of them and gave them away. I have a mask from one and it works as, can you guess, a face mask.

  12. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    I met Joe Namath on New Year’s eve 1973 or 74. Yeah I would say he needs the help.

  13. Chanceywd Avatar
    Chanceywd

    I see some of you enjoy bird cams. I live in central ny state. Several years ago after observing Kestrels I put up a box for them. This is their third year and today I see the female is back and on the perch. I have been a fan of Arlo and Janis for years reading them everyday in the Syracuse Post Standard until I retired. I have been referring to the pair as Arlo and Janis as I always admired JJ’s couple. Thanks for all the years of such a good creation Jimmy. When ever I follow the link back in time I am lost for a month or 2 of clicks.

  14. emb Avatar
    emb

    Chesapeake ospreys just mated. F on nest as I left, M / post.

    https://explore.org/livecams/birds/osprey-cam-chesapeake-conservancy

    Peace,

  15. Ghost Avatar
    Ghost

    Gold! Don’t forget to buy gold!

    1. Ghost Avatar
      Ghost

      And catheters!

  16. Steve From Royal Oak, MI Avatar

    I decided to support a local drive-thru. Caught myself maintaining a 6-ft space between my car and the car in front of me

  17. TruckerRon Avatar

    I just went out with my binoculars and easily found Venus and the Pleiades… It wasn’t quite like seeing Diana Ross and the Supremes, but it was still awesome. In fact, it looked a bit like this:
     
    https://earthsky.org/upl/2019/04/Venus-Pleiades-conjunction-april-3-2012-fred-espenak-800×534.jpg

    1. Jimmy Johnson Avatar

      Cool! Gotta check that out.

    2. Galliglo of Ohio Avatar
      Galliglo of Ohio

      WOW!

  18. TruckerRon Avatar

    Tomorrow night Venus will be right in the middle of the Pleiades.

    1. Otis Avatar
      Otis

      Whenever I see Venus, I start singing that song….

  19. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    That’s ok as long as she maintains social distancing. Took a ride today wearing a mask. No one else wearing one as far as I could see.

  20. emb Avatar
    emb

    How many of the 7 sisters will you be able to make out w/ bright Venus in front of them?
    Peace,

    1. TruckerRon Avatar

      That’s almost like asking folks to pay attention to the Supremes while Diana Ross is out front belting out the melody! Actually with a clear, dark sky most of us can pick out just 6 of the brightest stars; with binoculars you can see considerably more of them… and astronomers claim there are about 1,000 stars in the cluster. What we’ll see tonight (clouds permitting) will be similar to what it would look like if one of the Pleiades went supernova.

  21. Dennis Avatar
    Dennis

    I must confess since retiring I watch cable news all day long. The commercials are surely geared to us old folks, as mentioned investment/retirement, insurance/Medicare supplements, and meds from memory drugs to toenail fungus. But when I listen to the disclaimers after the meds pitch, the side effects, I’d rather have the disease. I am surprised that don’t see any Cialis or Viagra commercials. Must not need to advertise.

    1. TruckerRon Avatar

      Those drugs aren’t nearly as profitable today as they were a decade ago. Sildenafil, the generic for the “little blue friend” Bob Dole alluded to when introducing a new flavor of M&Ms, can be had for $2.50 for the standard 100mg dose.

  22. Bonnie from Gloucester MA Avatar
    Bonnie from Gloucester MA

    Today’s live strip. Ludwig snubs the gourmet dish Arlo has (Lovingly? You be the judge) prepared. Arlo held a small red bottle. Doesn’t quite look like ketchup. I’m thinking tobasco might be a common condiment he’d use. (It probably could kill coronavirus, too. Alert the CDC.) Any ideas folks?????

  23. emb Avatar
    emb

    These two peregrines just changed places, later saw 2 BEs, and the 2 Great Spirit peregrines also do that. Interesting diff social dynamics w/in and btw spp.
    https://explore.org/livecams/birds/peregrine-falcon-chesapeake-conservancy
    Peace,

  24. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    If you have ever had panic attacks you know that the effects are like suddenly having symptoms of the virus. You can become extremely weak, have trouble talking, chest pains and troulbe breathing. You will not have a cough or a fever. If you have a panic attack, a result of stress, sit down and take deep, slow breaths, don’t think abut paperwork or your boss and it should go away.

  25. Ed Symkus Avatar
    Ed Symkus

    Upon seeing today’s Ludwig and his food strip, I’m guessing that you recently watched the film “The Long Goodbye.” (If you haven’t, you should. You’d dig it!)