Recent Comments

1. about 13 years ago on Ted Rall

   The most true, and as a result most depressing, depiction of the reality of American politics.

2. over 13 years ago on Tom Toles

   Wow, time to bring some sanity back to the discussion.

   @jmattadams Where did you get that idea? Watching his you tube videos, I can’t pin down any particular political affiliation. Hell, I can’t pin down ANYTHING. It’s not exactly lucid. The only thing even remotely approaching a political idea is some kind of diatribe about a “new currency” and, well, fiscal conspiracy theories don’t tend to be a product of the left. Those are generally the purview of the other side of the political spectrum.

   @David You are correct in that it takes two sides to have an argument, and no one is denying that. However, one side in particular is using violent imagery to help spread its message. How many democrats used gun sight graphics on their campaign materials? How many use loaded (pun intended) words like reload, salvo and use blantantly obvious weapon/gun imagery to get their points across? How many revel in it? Compare the drivel coming out of Fox News, to the drivel coming out of the Huffington Post. Both are stupid and divisive, but only one is violent. That’s the point.

   And I agree with the people concerned about the second amendment rights. As a responsible gun owner with a VA concealed carry permit, I’m not looking forward to the inevitable scapegoating of guns in this sad event. Yes, had he used a knife or an axe, he would likely have killed fewer people, or perhaps not anyone. He was still a crazy person, who thought it would be okay to use violence as a proxy for reasoned discussion or other civic methods, and one who was potentially egged on by a media climate that doesn’t encourage but suggests violence with a wink and a “you know what I’m talking about” attitude. That’s the core problem that needs to be addressed.

3. almost 14 years ago on Tom Toles

   Actually harley, your 7th grade education seems to have led you to believe you understand things you actually don’t.

   Climate models DO take into account solar flux. For example, the simplest model (a Zero-Dimensional model) includes a term for the Solar Constant which is a measure of the incoming electromagnetic radiation per unit area from the sun.

   A more complicated model based on the flux model also includes the heat transfer via convection in the layers of the atmosphere, but STILL includes the basic input of the energy from the sun.

   The models get even more complicated from there, (Higher Dimensional models including things like sea surface temperature and thermohaline circulation and even more complex atmospheric properties ) but they all are based on the zero dimensional model, which includes solar output.

   You are correct in stating that the atmosphere contains water vapor, and that stating water vapor is a green house gas. However, water vapor makes up a variable percentage of the atmosphere, but it’s usually around 1%. Thus it cannot contribute to “95%” of the climate. Also, not all greenhouse gases are created equal. Methane is worse than CO2 for example. Its the dynamics of the amount of ALL the gases that need to be considered, and (humanity) are currently doing our best to take stored carbon (fossil fuels) and stuff it BACK into the atmosphere. This changes the climate, and it is something humanity is in direct control of.

   You are, in fact, a denier. You lack a basic grasp of the knowledge of climate change, and yet continue to maintain that its not happening, in the face of actual evidence, and experts. That’s the very definition of a denier.

   I suspect you don’t actually care, but if you really want to learn more about the topic, read up on EMICs, or Earth System Models of Intermediate Complexity, here: http://www.pik-potsdam.de/emics/

4. about 14 years ago on Tom Toles

   Motive, I think you’ll find that the people crying about it being a giveaway to the private sector are distinctly different from the people crying about socialism.

   The ones crying about the private sector giveaway are actually informed, and actually know what socialism is.

5. about 14 years ago on Views of the World

   You’d be pretty upset with your neighbors if they just decided to extend their house on your property. Consistently. When you’ve owned the land for years.

6. about 14 years ago on Views of the World

   Interesting comic, but it implies that China is doing anything to mend/repair/build their relations with the US, which is decidedly not the case.

7. about 14 years ago on FoxTrot

   Sounds like fun, but I’m bad already enough at regular chess.

8. over 14 years ago on Tom Toles

   Breaking news: Weather is not the same as climate.

9. over 14 years ago on The Boondocks

   it’s kind of sad that these comics are from 2002 and yet still accurately portray what’s happening now.