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

Est. 1985

Extra, Extra!

The Torch Is Past

By Jimmy Johnson

November 9, 1989


It’s not unusual for me to skip a day or two posting to the blog lately, but I have a really good excuse for missing yesterday. Hurricane Zeta knocked out power to my neighborhood, and it remained out for almost 24 hours. That’s not bad. Hundreds of thousands of people, perhaps a million and more, are still without. Actually, it was Tropical Storm Zeta when it arrived on my doorstep, but this nasty little cyclone exceeded expectations everywhere it went. It was predicted to be a Category 1 storm when it came ashore south of New Orleans. Instead it was a distinct Category 2. It was expected to peter out rather quickly once it advanced inland, becoming a mere tropical depression almost immediately. That did not happen. It maintained tropical storm-force winds across the southeast, well into northwest Georgia. I can’t complain. I lost one already-dicey windowpane and spent much of Thursday picking up sticks in the yard. I’m good with that. A late-October hurricane is not unheard of, but they’re not common either. And there are 30 more days left in hurricane season. Don’t bet against 2020!


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50 responses to “The Torch Is Past”

  1. Ghost Avatar
    Ghost

    Re 11-2-20 real-time cartoon: Too bad maintaining an album of those “spicy” Polaroid pix Arlo found in a book did not become a family tradition as well. 😉

  2. Jackie Avatar
    Jackie

    What is everyone doing? Obviously something. I am reading “light” Halloween reading. Decided to read Harry Potter books in order. Ghost had to explain how the free Prime membership works like a crack dealer, giving yiu a couple free books.

    All the rest are $9 each. I told him “Baby, I still have a library card ”

    Actually very entertaining and well written. The dialogue is same as the movies so far, along with plots

    1. Ghost Avatar
      Ghost

      Ah, yes, the Drug Dealer Business Model. Works for them, too, especially these days in Science Fiction. Some self-published SF writers just don’t seem to know how to wrap up a series. I swear I saw one recently with novel #20 being released. Not that I’d mind some of them going on longer than they do. Such as the “Front Line” series by Marko Kloos, or David Drake’s “Lt. Leary” books.

      1. David in Granbury Avatar
        David in Granbury

        Ghost, for a goes on forever series, have you read from the “1632” or “Ring of Fire” universe? Eric Flint is the primary author with almost everything being collaborative. There are also short stories, serials, and science-fact essays in what started as a fan-zine, “The Grantville Gazette.” I really enjoy the stories there, but I haven’t made it all the way through the current novels or Gazettes. There’s also a hard sci-fi author that I like, Travis S. Taylor– he’s actually a working rocket scientist in Huntsville, Alabama. One of the things that he’s written about is the development of a faster-than-light “warp” drive, actually based on science. The actual paper on the concept was written in 1994 and in 2020 it is still under consideration as feasible. Taylor is still working for NASA on “advanced propulsion technologies.”
        .
        Here’s fairly current info on the drive (though Taylor isn’t the primary scientist listed):
        .
        https://www.universetoday.com/143422/just-how-feasible-is-a-warp-drive/

    2. David in Granbury Avatar
      David in Granbury

      Ghost, I also meant to ask if you’ve read Drake’s “Bolo” series? I do also like the Lt Leary stories. David Weber has a huge series modeled on Horatio Hornblower– the protagonist even has the same initials, H.H., Honor Harrington. 🙂 Of course, one could never go wrong reading Larry Niven and/or Jerry Pournelle. They have some excellent collaborations.

      1. Ghost Avatar
        Ghost

        Yep, read all of those…except the Harrington series, although I’m a bit familiar with it, and the 1832 series. Loved Niven and Pournelle. Fairly sure I’ve read everything Drake has written.

  3. David in Granbury Avatar
    David in Granbury

    Jackie, I’m reading science fiction. There is one publisher, BAEN, that makes the electronic books they publish available for free download to disabled veterans or those with visual disabilities. I qualify for both– I’m losing vision in one eye due to glaucoma, so having e-books that I can change font size is fantastic. I’ve been reading several different series. Some are alternate history sci-fi, others are space opera, and some fantasy, and some plain old hard-science fiction. I read all the Harry Potter series with my daughters when they were younger. I enjoyed reading the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, with them, too. I’m also reading a lot of the “classics” of fiction. I download a lot of those e-books from Project Gutenberg. I recently reread all the Dicken’s novels and Mark Twain books from Project Gutenberg.

    1. Ruth Anne in Winter Park Avatar
      Ruth Anne in Winter Park

      I don’t read a lot of science fiction but do enjoy alternate history. Any recommendations?

      1. David in Granbury Avatar
        David in Granbury

        Ruth Anne, Look for the 1632 novel by Eric Flint. It is the start of a huge alternate history. As Jackie says, “Here is the first taste for free.”
        .
        https://www.baen.com/categories/free-library/1632.html

    2. David in Granbury Avatar
      David in Granbury

      If you aren’t into science-fiction, another author that does great writing is Tom Clancy. His Techno-thrillers are great. I first read Clancy’s “Red Storm Rising” in paperback while I was on a Return of Forces, Germany (REFORGER) exercise on a battalion infantry staff with the 1st Infantry Division. There’s nothing like reading a novelization of the military action for which you are actively training… reading while riding around in an APC across West Germany (that was a thing at the time). The paperback was at least 3 inches thick and barely fit in my BDU cargo pocket!
      .
      After reading that, I went back to Clancy’s first book, “Hunt for Red October”. One recommendation I would make if reading the Jack Ryan series, step aside first and read “Without Remorse”. It really helps to understand one of the other major characters, John Clark/Kelly. I really hated the movie, “Clear and Present Danger” because it TOTALLY missed the John Clark character.
      .
      (Posting so much today so I can avoid news and social media!) 😀

      1. Jackie Avatar
        Jackie

        Understand ! Aren’t most of us? Don’t feel guilty.

  4. Dawn Avatar
    Dawn

    Mr. Johnson, thank you for today’s strip (11/3). It’s peaceful, gracious, beautiful, inspirational, and kind — all in four small panels. I don’t know you did it. It’s the first comic I’ve ever seen that I’d hang on my wall as art — Art of the highest sort. You’ve done us all proud.

  5. Llee Avatar
    Llee

    Thank you, JJ….and good night, Mr Winchell