Remember when a Web page was an interesting thing unto itself? Well, that would have been about 10 years ago, when I drew this A&J strip. Actually, it would have been longer than that, because I’m usually at least three to five years behind the curve when it comes to popular culture. Incidentally, one of my regrets is not seriously studying language when I had the neurological pliability to do so effectively. I always hear that English is a Germanic language. That would be German in the third panel. Does it look like English to you? Well, aside from “falsch” for “wrong.” I earnestly have tried to learn Spanish and French in my later years and failed mostly. Nevertheless, I can say English also shares a lot with the Romance languages. As I said, I wish I’d studied linguistics. And as Arlo once told Gene about studying a foreign language, “At least you’d know you’d learned something.”
78 responses to “Web Comic”
Repost for emb: There’s a little action on the Savannah owl cam – http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/46/Great_Horned_Owls/ – and not just because it’s windy. First hatch is in progress.
Also, the Decorah nest cam is now part of the Explore dot org collection.
I am friends with Greg Evans on Facebook as we share the same last name. Not as good friends as with Jimmy, but I get a little insight. It is interesting to see the progression of the artwork from when he started until today. Of course LuAnn and friends have gotten older, but his artwork is much nicer today. Jimmy can relate. He is very pleased to be working with his daughter as I’m sure these strips are not created in a vacuum…as Jimmy can relate!
eMb, how did those knitting coeds ever take notes? Did they, perhaps, have an agreement to use someone else’s notes? I cannot imagine their memories being sufficiently retentive.
Greg, I’m glad that you brought up this point. I have argued for years that “they” can refer to a single subject. I.E.-someone broke into my house last night but I don’t think that they took anything. How else would you say it without sounding awkward, the person or persons whom and so forth?
How about, “Someone broke into my house but nothing seems to be missing”?
Jerry: If you choose to refer to one person [“someone”] (albeit you don’t know that it was just one person), you might as well select “he” or “she” in continuing the thought.
I can’t top the comments quoted in this article – http://humoroutcasts.com/2016/ill-read-what-shes-reading/
Emb I have not gone back and read the prior LuAnn strips but I have thought about the one you posted today as I drove. I will bet money LuAnn will come out as dating the lesbian friend. Simple clues. She dumped her boyfriend. Her other friend thought lesbian friend was pursuing boyfriend, she wasn’t but she was pursuing someone. LuAnn?
I read.Z marks article that daughter is writing plots now and my very vague memory jolted on that daughter
It is noteworthy they are trying for younger audience but perhaps no one gets excited anymore? Wouldn’t that be wonderful? I had always thought Brad’s chef friend was gay yoo.
C’est toujours un régal de voir une “bande” de dimanche qui n’est pas disponible “en ligne.”
…aaaaaand the Forty Immortals of the French Academy, which guards the “purity” of the French language, have simultaneous heart attacks. The last great crisis that laid so many of them low was “le picnic.” Quelle horreur!! 😉
Ruth Anne, I can’t top those comments either. I am amazed that there were no fatalities last night in Pensacola. There was a tornado that caused damage in Escambia county Monday of last week so people took all of the weather warnings seriously. When they heard noise they took cover. When the lightning started here Elvis went and hid in the back of the pantry. He’s no dumb kitty.
OF due now-1853 CST. URL in “Next” posts. emb
c x-p: Beats me. Knitting in class may be “sooooo 1940s” that it’s now extinct, but some regularly attending decent students take few if any notes. Carefully reading the text beforehand and paying close attn. in lecture may tell some bright students all they need to know, esp. in freshman level courses.
As to gender and personal pronouns, try this in your writing and see what the fallout is:
‘Someone broke into my house last night but I don’t think that she took anything.’
Peace, emb
emb, the pronoun “she” would certainly make this statement less awkward: “Someone made mad, passionate love to me last night, but I don’t know who they were.”
Jackie: Also, perhaps Pru is into politics, and she wants to “Feel the Bern.”
OK, how many groups did I offend in that one statement? 🙂
Human sexuality is often less than simple. Case in point, I have it on very good authority that one of my lady friends, who dropped in and out of my life several times (four, I believe) over the years, had a same-sex relationship during one of our hiatuses. She never said, and I never asked, but from what I was told and some other things I know, I have no reason to doubt it. Whether she was truly bisexual or was just “curious” and/or “needful” at that point in her life, I do not know. I do know that her behavior was always thoroughly heterosexual when were together. But I suppose that the best evidence that such is unimportant to me is that I never considered it either a turn-on or a turn-off.
Anonymous Jackie:
Something I should have mentioned but didn’t think about until this morning at work –
Since Feb. 19, 2015 – the day that I changed my diet and began exercising – I have not had one bout of heartburn.
Even better, I have not had one headache, and I used to have them nearly every day.
I used to have migraines on occasion, too. Not any more.
Rick: Wonderful, and also not particularly surprising, though things may not always turn out quite that well.
GR6: ‘the pronoun “she” would certainly make this statement less awkward: “Someone made mad, passionate love to me last night, but I don’t know who they were.” ‘
Quite true, and neither I nor the most ardent feminists suggest such a change. The problem is the ‘default’ male pronoun, the he, him, his, etc. that simply omits the possibility that the subject is a woman.
Trucker: How about, “Someone broke into my house but nothing seems to be missing”? Fine, I use that sort of construction often. But it subtly changes meaning, by not explicitly referring to “taking”. Here it’s I and other men who have reason to say, “Wait a minute! Maybe the burglar was female. How come it’s always a male who stole the sterling?”
In the ’30s and ’40s female grade school teachers assumed it was always boys. [Of course, it usually was.] Maybe their successors still do. The singular they, them, their, etc. solve the problem, and are as legit as the various German uses of “sie.”
Peace, emb
Jackie, you mentioned taking a low dose of insulin. I had my first (and so far only) dose of insulin about 2 weeks ago. With in a 1/2 hour, my body was more than 50% covered with a red, slightly itchy rash. The doctor hasn’t yet decided on the next step.
Gary, I had to take five daily high dose insulin shots daily until I started complying and exetcising. Rashes wouldn’t have surprised me but I didn’t get them. I am on one slow acting low dose now.
Tomorrow have to go get my permanent caps installed in morning, so early bed. I made it home and glad to be here. Have to take meds and find fleece pjs. The heat people must not have come. They wanted to install a several thousand dollars unit, I voted for the $500 part.
I am supposed to be going along Gulf Coast next week to Tampa for launch of Everglades Challenge next weekend. I need motivation. A good deal of me says no.
Jackie, I just ran across this and thought you might like it.
http://2static.fjcdn.com/pictures/You+make+the+rocking+world+go+round_49a716_5840206.jpg
Sorry, I have to do a Columbo here. I thought about Ghosts comment about the woman in his life with a girl friend. You have to be incredibly secure in your own self my friend, I don’t think I have known anyone else who could say that. Either it titillates or repulsed, which may be what you said too.
While I long ago considered marrying a male gay friend who was the sweetest, most loving, romantic and hunkiest guy I ever dated, I never considered women. I am a confirmed hetero and since 50% of my boarding school wasn’t I certainly could have, had I been curious. Curiousity isn’t one of my faults.
Ghost, I love that Pooh, Piglet and Queen comment. I have a big wicked grin on my face right now.
Dear Jackie, I am so glad you are safely at home. You’ve just had a long drive — you might want to relax at home for a while, able to walk around and do some Physical Therapy. Easy at first, add more gradually. And fix some of those terrifically healthy and colorful meals that you’ve posted on Facebook; they look sensational. Sitting for hours in the car is not a good thing for legs or any part of the body. You probably want to garden, if possible, and get after those heating repair people! You are just too nice, Jackie.
Glad to hear of the tooth repair too. How on earth did you bite and chew without those temporary caps?
On the side, plus I only broke two of the five and not entire teeth.
Yes, I want to garden. I am even thinking of flying if I go at all and put Dickens in a large purse.
Jackie, I know there are many places to go and many things to see, but use caution that you don’t burn the Roman candle at both ends.
Debbe 😉 I’ve been thinking of LR a lot lately, for some reason. I hope that doesn’t turn out to be a bad thing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHEH1Kld7p8