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

Est. 1985

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Thought for Food

By Jimmy Johnson


Buy the new book, "Beaucoup Arlo & Janis!"Today's "Arlo & Janis!"
Depending upon the denomination of the Church of Nutrition to which you subscribe, the above strip might prove to be prophetic. Note the television cabinet. It occurred to me while looking through some old material that A&J strips from the early 90s have been under-represented on arloandjanis.com. The vast majority of strips you see here come from digital files, which begin in late 1995. Or ’94. Who can keep up? The pre-digital material I have used here, which has to be retrieved from large plastic boxes and scanned by me, has tended to be older cartoons, from the 80s mostly. In the coming weeks, I’m going to mine the years immediately prior to 1995, hoping to find a trove of comic strips we haven’t seen in a long time. Those were good years. The strip was hitting its stride. The drawing was pretty good, and the gags were getting more crisp. I’m kind of excited about this.

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67 responses to “Thought for Food”

  1. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Playing “hand grenade lottery” could not have been a good thing.

  2. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Into Hour Four of my Mom’s continuing saga of “You’ll Be Going Home Soon…No, Really…We Promise”. Apparently, getting everyone up to speed and on the same page for discharging a patient from a hospital falls somewhere on the scale of difficulty between “planning Operation Overlord” and “herding cats”.

  3. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    The Horror! The Horror!

    http://abstrusegoose.com/572

  4. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    The Horror! The Horror! Part 2

    http://abstrusegoose.com/565

  5. Bryan Avatar
    Bryan

    GR6-
    When I was trying to get discharged after a surgery a few years ago I ran into the same Keystone Cops. They would not discharge me until I watched a video of care and usage temporary appliances attached to my body. The VCR in my room did not work. All of the other rooms in my ward were full so they couldn’t let me watch it in another room. The maintenance man for the floor was unavailable for some reason and nobody else knew how to disconnect a VCR and move it across the hall. the wouldn’t let me watch the video in the staff lounge because I was a patient. I offered to go across the hall and get one myself but that would be allowing patient X (me) into patient Z’s room. Meanwhile the surgeon kept calling down and asking why in the he!! had I not been discharged. Finally, some 4 hours after my designated discharge time, and after a visit from one angry surgeon, they found someone capable of unscrewing a co-ax cable, unplugging a power cord, carrying a VCR across the hall and reversing the process.
    So, my sympathies to you and your mother. May you both be freed of the hospital soon so that she can recover in peace at home.

  6. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    http://thatispriceless.blogspot.com/

    is neat. Peace, emb [I may be back after I read the day’s posts.

  7. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    “Nor anxiety like hospital wait anxiety.” Reminds me of my volunteer job outside the OR suite, sometimes, depending on the family. I staff the family waiting desk weekly, typically for 6+ hrs.

    Mostly it’s enjoyable routine. Patients have a 9[?]-digit # on their wristbands. I show the family an illuminated wall chart which lists those ## by the day’s surgeons names. No patient names are there. The background colors of each row show at what stage the patient is: light blue-registered; yellow-in pre-op cubicle; light purple-in OR; med. purple-actual surgery; deep purple-‘sewing up’; bright green-recovery; etc. If > 1 fam. member is there, they often talk to one another, go to the cafeteria. Some read, knit, meddle w/ mobile devices, etc.

    But some ask me questions, or engage me in conversation, often at length, and often far afield. We may just be compatible, but often, they just have to talk. I listened to WWII stories for > an hour once. It’s never been the same, week to week, into my 10th yr. now. And, of course, living in the town where I taught for 36 yr., it’s often a former student. Since this happens or not unpredictably, I always bring a book or x-word puzzle.

    There is a unisex head right behind me, a free coffee machine steps away, and a microwave around the corner to reheat the coffee. [It’s to reheat sandwiches or pop popcorn from the vending machines down the hall.] When the head behind me is occupied, “There are two more down the hall just past the vending machines.” It’s a busy day when I have to reheat a cup of coffee 3x.

    Of course, everything about particular people that happens in the hospital stays in the hospital. That becomes 2nd nature.

    OF due 1725-1745 CDT, 10-30 min. from now.

    http://www.nps.gov/features/yell/webcam/oldFaithfulStreaming.html

  8. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    I learned some horrible news yesterday evening…my nephew’s wife’s sister was found murdered in West Virgina….you always think it’ll never happen to us….Breaks my heart as Barbi (my nephew’s wife) is so down to earth, a good mother, a wonderful wife….and she had to loose her sister this way…they have arrested the ex-husband.

    I ask all to keep my niece and family in your prayers as they unfold this horrible tragedy…she left behind a 13 year old son….she disappeared on Wednesday, and hunters found her body on Friday….she was shot in the back of the head….execution style.

    Thanks friends……………..

  9. Denise in Michigan Avatar
    Denise in Michigan

    I am so sorry for your family’s terrible loss, Debbe. My prayers are with you all during this time of tragedy.

  10. curmudgeonly ex-professor Avatar
    curmudgeonly ex-professor

    GR6: I thoroughly enjoy KJ usage of the language, even when applied elsewhere than in the Bible. Thank you. Prayers that your mother gets home in reasonable time and even better shape.
    Debbe: Yes, prayers also for your relatives.
    Jackie, ditto.

    Age, however, does not guarantee wisdom and I’m probably a prime example thereof. Wisdom is not the same as knowledge, of course.

    Let’s hope the pro baseball season closes tonight – can you tell I’m a Giants fan [from ‘way back when they and I were in New York City]?

    I, too, claim to be exactly as presented here. Acting was never my forte.

  11. Granny Carol Avatar
    Granny Carol

    So sorry to hear that sad news, Debbe. Your niece and family will be in my prayers. So many hard things in this old world. Emb, I know you must be a great comfort to the families who have loved ones in the hospital.

  12. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Although Mike’s kidney stone fracturing was not totally successful and we must go back again for second one, I had a remarkable experience at the surgical hospital we were in for the first time.
    As a often ill person, often family ill, a retired florist and a hospital volunteer, I have been in a lot of hospitals. Today’s was the most above and beyond, kind to patients, kind to family, considerate, polite, most extraordinary hospital I have encountered.

    Apparently when Mike had other kidney surgery done they used the primary hospital he was in for all the other problems, like the failed chemo therapy. Same doctor but different hospital. We thought it was one of the usual same day surgery centers but it was a full blown surgical hospital. Totally amazing!

    Ghost, I don’t know how long it would take to get out but I doubt as long as you are experiencing with your mom. We went in at 9:30 a.m. and were eating lunch in a restaurant by 2:15 p.m.

    Getting discharged always seemed the worst part of the entire experience to me.

    Love, Jackie

  13. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Debbe: Prayers for the victim, prayers for her family, and prayers that justice will be done.

    Some may blame the gun, but it had no choice except to fire when the trigger was pulled. If she was in an abusive relationship, some may blame her for not getting out of it, but for any number of reasons she may not have had that choice. I place the blame where it belongs, squarely on the POS who did have a choice and chose to murder another human being in cold blood.

  14. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Debbe, I don’t know what to say to comfort you. I never serve on juries, victims of violent crimes don’t get a pass but the attorneys always dismiss you, they don’t want you and I often volunteer to push the button, should the verdict be guilty.

    It seems I have known far too many women killed by spouses or in this case, ex-spouses. My poor gardener believes her ex is stalking her and trying to kill her. I am going to be guilt ridden should it be true and not a fantasy.

    Why can’t humans/mankind just let it end? Why must they believe they are God and can act as an executioner? Me having said I am in favor of the death penalty for certain crimes, does that make me guilty of what I decry?

    Love, Jackie

  15. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    My mom was 93 this week, so today’s joke is quite appropriate.

  16. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Thank you, Bryan. Thank you, cxp.

    I got my Mom sprung from durance semi-vile about 4:30; stopped by her pharmacy to drop off two new ‘scripts; got her home and took delivery of an oxygen machine from the medical supply store; showed her how to maneuver around her apartment with a nasal cannula; and got her tucked into bed about 20 minutes ago. She is tired but doing pretty well and is of course happy to be home. I’ll be going back over early tomorrow morning to set up her new meds schedule and make some follow-up physician appointments for her. Hopefully, tomorrow will be Do Nothing Much Day.

  17. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    Murders and suicides nearby jolt us. So do some of the others [e.g., deliberate beheadings by religious fanatics], but to know a survivor personally brings it home. Thoughts and prayers.

    A man in our UMC lost a brother decades back. Shot by the other driver after a fender-bender. Left a wife and family. Man continued to contribute, but never returned to our church, or any other, to my knowledge.

    Peace, emb

  18. Mindy from Indy Avatar
    Mindy from Indy

    Debbie – My condolences. Unfortunately, my day did not bring much better news: my friend’s husband passed away today from pneumonia. I was literally on my way to visit him in the hospital when I found out. Seriously, this year sucks.

  19. Galliglo from Ohio Avatar
    Galliglo from Ohio

    So sorry, Debbe and Mindy. My prayers are with you and the families. Why do these things happen? I haven’t a clue. I just know that love is being sent out to those who are hurting.

  20. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    Debbe, that’s an awful thing to happen to anyone. Prayers for the support of the family and for true and swift justice for the murderer. And Jackie, you are right. Why do some people feel they have the sole claim on someone else for life? So strongly that they would sooner murder them than let go?

  21. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    I know the military requires troops to do things as a single unit, but this is going too far: http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2014/10/06/100-pairs-of-pants-rip-at-Chinese-military-event/8091412609916/?spt=sec&or=on

  22. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Here we are in the Village of Perpetual Suffering and Sorrow.

    I am not making fun of us but we need a patron saint to pray to I think. I have been reading about alternative cancer treatment centers to call for a second and third opinion, other than the one we began with this Spring that cut Mike loose back on July 1, more or less.

    Right now I am calling the Cancer Centers of America who seem to have changed their name and location. The hospital I was in today for Mike’s surgery took over their old location. And Houston’s M.D. Anderson has teamed with St. John’s which is where Mike has had most of his surgery and hospitalizations. Of course, my kids are for going to M.D. Anderson in Houston, since that is where we are from. Or Mayo Clinic or others outside Tulsa.

    Dealing with illness, disability, death…….pestilence, war and plague. Who wants to read a newspaper or watch television? Except to occasionally listen to NPR, I will ignore radio anyway but my “roommate” keeps the telly on and I subscribe to newspapers (three) for mom.

    If it bleeds, it leads. God protect us, each and every one!

    Love, Jackie

  23. Trapper Jean Avatar
    Trapper Jean

    Debbe, condolences and prayers for you and your family, especially the son of the victim.

    Indy Mindy, condolences on the loss of your friend.

    Jackie, I hope tomorrow is better for you and Mike.

  24. Trapper Jean Avatar
    Trapper Jean

    Ghost, since the hospital staff kept you sitting around today may tomorrow be your easy peaceful day of watching old movies with Mom!