An Inconvenient Douche

Unlike Tom Batiuk, I strive to keep my personal opinions out of my “writing”. But since he insists on preaching to us (through Jim the Science Guy) about climate change (I don’t call it global warming), I’m going to vent a little “greenhouse gas” here myself: I’m one of “those people” who  do not believe that the planet is irreversibly heating up, even after the just-ended record-warm winter (which I, not being a winter sportsman, enjoyed the hell out of). There is at least as much credible scientific opinion to disprove climate change as there is to prove it.

That’s my opinion, and you, dear reader, are welcome to your own. On to today’s strip. We find Cory actually awake and paying attention in class (because even Cory is concerned about Global Warming). He shares that he “heard someone on the radio” (these kids and their radios these days, am I right?) call Global Warming “a hoax”. Cory gives a sly, demure tilt of his head, as if to say “Gee, Mr. Kablichnik, that feller on the radio can’t be right…can he? Say it ain’t so, Jim.” Jim wearily throws up his hands; he’s heard the deniers (such fools!), and sets Cory, and the rest of us, straight.

For your pleasure: previous strips dealing with the “fact” of Global Warming:

May 25, 2008: Same premise as today’s strip (and how long has Rana been in this class?) But I gotta give props to Jim for mentioning a classic Randy Newman song.

December 5, 2010: “Of course Global Warming can actually mean we get more snow. That doesn’t make sense to you?”

June 23, 2011: Principal Nate is on board with the whole global warming thing, to the point of inserting it into random conversations:

Subordi-Nate

So Susan has also been summoned to Principal Nate’s office, and Nate’s waving a blank piece of paper and giving them hell, throwing in a completely random climate-change reference just to keep it 1/4″ from reality. Before Les can give his side, which I’d really be interested in hearing, Susan goes into her dead-eyed zombie mode and takes the fall.

Think Globally, Act Not at All

http://www.chron.com/apps/comics/showComick.mpl?date=20101205&name=Funky_Winkerbean
Click to view larger

In a town full of miserable schmucks, there is no one who despises his lot in life more than science teacher Jim Kablichnik. Back in Act II, Jim seemed to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I can recall some strips with him sharing some theories with fellow faculty members that made him sound like he was ready for a tinfoil hat. Batiuk seems to have taken him off that track (although Jim occasionally presents some OCD traits), and instead uses Jim as a vehicle to express his own opinions on intelligent design and climate change. Lately however, Mr. Kablichnik just lives for snow days. He is frankly the best argument I’ve heard against tenure.