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

Est. 1985

Extra, Extra!

Warning: Manure Subject Matter

By Jimmy Johnson


Buy the new book, "Beaucoup Arlo & Janis!"Today's "Arlo & Janis!"
There’s an old Harry Truman joke. (What other kind would there be!?) The press had followed Pres. Truman to his home in Independence, Missouri, where he was holding court in his rose garden. He was telling the mob of reporters the secret to growing his prize roses: plenty of manure! They couldn’t get enough of Truman’s down-home outspokenness; they were encouraging him, and this inspired him further, and so it went. Listening nervously, a young press aide to the president sidled up to the first lady, Bess Truman, and suggested, “Mrs. Truman, don’t you think it would sound better for the newspapers if we encouraged the president to use the word ‘compost’ instead of ‘manure’?” Bess looked at the young man and replied, “Do you know how long it took me to get him to say ‘manure’?” Of course, everyone here has heard that one.

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162 responses to “Warning: Manure Subject Matter”

  1. John in Richmond Texas Avatar
    John in Richmond Texas

    man I hate it when I scribble a note to myself on the way to work and later when I look at it have no idea what I wrote, it’s rarely about work, it’s usually something to take care of at home

  2. emb Avatar
    emb

    Mindy: As I understand it, most YNP geyser chambers are connected to one another horizontally, thus affecting their eruption times. OF and other ‘regular’ geysers have no such connections downstairs. The connected ones go off irregularly, the isolated ones more predictably. I think that’s it. Still no new prediction.

    Denise: 1. I only said that on rare occasions when they were real noisy [= rude].

    2. I’m guessing many of the rude ones simply didn’t get it, and that the polite ones, if they did, simply agreed with me.

    3. You may have heard [I first did in USAF], “Tell them what you are going to tell them, then tell them, and then tell them what you’ve told them.” Cannot sum up with present day [!!; I retired in ’94] large lecture sections.

    Peace, emb

  3. Galliglo from Ohio Avatar
    Galliglo from Ohio

    Debbe: The last time Jackie posted on Facebook was in February. Her last column in “Duckworks” was at the end of March, 25th I think. That column mentioned a lot of her traveling plans, the same as what she told us.

  4. Evan Avatar
    Evan

    Denise, I took today’s strip to mean that Arlo had been sitting there so long that he had consumed a good bit of lemonade himself. To me, it would seem to defeat the gesture he was making for Janis if he had liplocked non-spousal persons while waiting for her to arrive. Of course, that’s just me and how I run such enterprises; Your Mileage May Vary.

  5. Evan Avatar
    Evan

    John,

    Paul McCartney had consumed a Significant Amount of cannibis at a party in the ’60’s when suddenly, clear as day, he understood The Meaning of Life, The Universe and Everything. But he realized he was at a party and he might get distracted and forget, so he called Mal Evans, a faithful roadie, over and got a pen and some paper from him and wrote it all down, and told Mal to give it back to him the next day.

    When McCartney was finally up and about the next day and encountered Evans, the note was returned to him. McCartney realized what it was and opened it eagerly. The note read, “There are seven levels.”

    How this correlates with 42 remains to be seen, but at least you have not fumbled The Meaning of Life… or have you???

  6. Nodak Wayne Avatar
    Nodak Wayne

    Jackie commented on the passing of a friend’s dog a couple days ago on fB.

    Jackie Monies commented on this.
    Chuck Pierce added 4 new photos.
    April 18 at 4:42pm · Edited ·

    Sadie Pierce 5/03-4/18/15

    Sadie came to us a 6 week old pup, and was from the beginning the sweetest dog I have ever known. She was well socialized from a young age, and never met a dog or human she did not like, especially if they would throw a stick or her Kong so that she could retrieve it. When she was 4 years old, she discovered sailing, and sailed hundreds of miles with me in our P19. She loved being on the boat, and spent many nights on it. She had a lot of friends in the small boating community, having attended at least one BOOTS and several Sail Oklahoma events.
    She stopped sailing these last couple of years when her hips got bad enough that she could no longer climb into either the cockpit seat or the vberth unassisted. She missed it tremendously. She would get excited when she saw me packing to go on a sailing trip, and would stand at the door waiting until she realized that she wasn’t going, then start howling mournfully when she heard me hooking up the boat trailer to the truck. It was tough to go without her.
    She is being cremated, and some of her ashes will be mixed with epoxy and put on the P19 under the cockpit seat in the spot where she loved to lay and observe the world around her. She will be sorely missed.

    Jackie Monies Chuck I’m so saddened by Sadie death.. To keep losing those we love gets harder and harder. Is it possible you could bring a few of her ashes a tiny bit to Sail Oklahoma so she remains with us as well? Much love.

  7. Old Bear Avatar
    Old Bear

    A little catching up
    Remove 1 remain from BF quote should be:
    “We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.”

    Denise thanks for “Before there can be a pearl, there has to be grit in the oyster.”

    Anyone else have a “canary Warbler” when a kid?
    It was shaped like a canary = you put a little water in a reservoir and
    blew in its tail. Chirped like a canary bird.

    Jerry
    To see what cemeteries will look like in 200 years – check out those in New England
    Most there are still going strong, my parents are in one going back to late 1600s
    Others in western states are not so good – especially family plots. There are groups that
    try to find old plots and clean them up.

    In Scandinavia (and elsewhere?) after 25 years grave is reused.

  8. Galliglo from Ohio Avatar
    Galliglo from Ohio

    RE: Jackie… Thanks Wayne! Wonder why that post didn’t show up on her FB wall? Oh well…

  9. Charlotte in NH Avatar
    Charlotte in NH

    Glad to hear at least a little bit from Jackie. Lovely story about the dog Sadie.

    Today is VERY important here in the Boston area (really includes southern NH as well). Thousands of dedicated runners are in the Marathon, the streets are packed with spectators, and the traffic … you don’t want to think about it. And it’s cold and rainy. But spirits are high. Our beloved son-in-law’s birthday is today, and he bought tickets for the Red Sox game, a Marathon Day tradition. The first pitch was at 11 am … he and his wife and 3 grown up children planned to wake at 5 am and take the bus to Boston … I have been quite distracted with worry over this plan. I didn’t lose any sleep though and after a late breakfast I got on the computer (no Smartphone) and went to Facebook. Saw to my relief that they are all at the ballpark, Fenway Park, and Dana even posted a video of them in their seats and the grounds crew rolling the tarpaulin off the infield!

    This is all on TV I’m sure, but I’m not watching. I can read about it on the ‘Net.

    I will look for Jackie on Facebook, too.

  10. Village Loon Avatar
    Village Loon

    🙂

    I’ve been busy working out arrangements on an apartment in Saigon. We have friends who will rent us space if we want to move back; just temporarily. sandcastler and I both love the people and the country. Mentioning my SO, he may be missing for some while; he says the air has gotten too thick.

    I will be watching from a distance.

  11. Llee Avatar

    Stay well, Loon! Please keep in touch now and then, both of you? You’re favorites…..and important! 🙂

  12. Charlotte in NH Avatar
    Charlotte in NH

    Dear Loon, please tell Sandcastler that the air has cleared considerably (in my opinion) and the Village is back to normal. I miss his comments. Now if Ghost would waft back into the Village it would be even more normal.

  13. emb Avatar
    emb

    OF just blew, no new prediction.

    TIP is kinda cute: http://thatispriceless.blogspot.com/ Comic is the same. Eugene de Blaas, Italian?? Well, there was this sailor on shore leave . . ..

    Peace, emb

  14. emb Avatar
    emb

    TIP = ‘The flirtation.’ He could take lessons from some of the Villagers. Here’s the scoop on his surname. Peace, emb

    Background: Eugene de Blaas, also known as Eugene von Blaas or Eugenio de Blaas was born on 24 July 1843 at Albano, near Rome, to Austrian parents. [Dad was also a painter.]

  15. emb Avatar
    emb

    De Blaas also has one, ‘In the water’, reminiscent of ‘September morn’, but a bit bolder, and IMO, a better painting.

    That redhead and brunette show up in others of his paintings. And the brunette is not quite sitting on the redheads hand. She probably wants the redhead to stay, to preclude escalation or scandal. Peace, emb

  16. emb Avatar
    emb

    Perspective: 32F now, supposed hi 39, but that seems unlikely. 28 tonight, snow 50-60% tonight and Tu., hi Tu. 36. Welcome to the Northland. Nap. emb

  17. curmudgeonly ex-professor Avatar
    curmudgeonly ex-professor

    Just saw OF; began a bit late – at 3:13 CDT. Camera seemed a tad jumpy with regard to showing it from a normal distance or more close-up. Thanks to eMb for the link.

  18. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    I have visited New England and hope to go back soon. It’s beautiful up there. Makes me wonder why they pay big money to come down here in the summer. We consider a really old home to be from around 1900-1910. To see a house from the 1700’s blows my mind and to see Benjamin Franklin’s grave. Wow. I am lucky because I know where 4 of my great grandparents are buried, side by side. My wife and I will be buried next to my parents and in an area of the cemetery where all of my grandparents, aunts and uncles and some of my cousins, on both sides of my family, are buried. See youtube, Dear Human: From your cat, for a real laugh.

  19. emb Avatar
    emb

    Is it supposedly a Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times.”?

    http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/04/20/6-charged-with-trying-to-join-isis

    Of course, it’s also a blessing.
    1. We have more riveting examples to share with ho-hum students;
    2. “We” are actually investigating other solar [stellar] systems.
    3. Other findings too numerous to mention.

    Don’t know precisely how the Flat Earthers* are dealing with that. Maybe it’s all an elaborate conspiracy by pretend scientists hiding in a secret retreat at the South Pole? No, there is no South Pole. Maybe …? *Now in my dictionary. Peace, emb

  20. Denise in Michigan Avatar
    Denise in Michigan

    Thanks for updating us, Loon. I hope all goes well with your arrangements!

  21. emb Avatar
    emb

    This may interest some of you. We succeeded, in part, and later the real world finished the job. Peace, emb

    http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/04/20/books-bcst-opposite-of-spoiled

  22. Charlotte in NH Avatar
    Charlotte in NH

    You’ll be glad to know that the Red Sox won the game, tho it was called after seven innings because of rain. Dana posted pictures of the family smiling and having a good time, eliciting many comments from his friends and relatives.

    Jerry, how nice that you like New England and have visited, and have plans to return. The cemetery you speak of seems like a fine place to spend eternity.