Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller for February 21, 2011

It’s all a matter of perspective.

Time to rent a Bobcat front loader…if, you live on the East Coast.

“What is this ‘Snow’ you speak of?” asked the South Floridian.

The problem with snow in the Northeast is it often sticks around longer than it’s welcome. Melt already.

can’t wait any longer, 4 hours and not a word of politics…

dems can’t even get ‘global warming’ right….

you know someone was going to say it

Careful there bass man, you are in danger of ending up on Wiley’s “naughty” list!

Just to set you straight, loudmouthbass… It’s “climate change”, not “global warming”, and it IS occurring. Climate is the long-term system of weather events; the system is moving towards a more extreme one, with hotter summers and colder winters on the average. But local short-term fluctuations will still occur; thus the disbelief by those who cannot see the larger system.

Despite the shoveling, I love the snow. Which is good, since it’s falling right now. Not as bad as many places, but we’re expecting 6” today.

KEVIN, Whenever one of you New Age Wonders would like to have a discussion about pre-industrial age warming periods (Like why did the ice ages end), I would love to have a discussion. Otherwise I suggest you re-read Doctor Faustus (Marlowe wrote a beautiful play in the late 16th century) and see what happens to men who have the hubris to play God . One of the wisest men ever, Aristotle said he needed a place to stand to move the Earth. You or Al Gore are smarter than Aristotle? You are saying a few fires turned the Earth’s axis. Yeah, read Faustus then get on your knees and beg forgiveness for the number one deadly sin, Pride.

Background noise is a pet peeve of mine. Whenever I go out in the backyard or take my puppies for a walk in the park, there is an inevitable whir, chug or roar of some kind of motor off in the background. If it isn’t on the ground it’s in the air. And… last but certainly not least, what about the mass proliferation of all those damned boom boxes in cars with their bass and volume turned all the way up? And, it’s getting worse. I wouldn’t have the slightest idea of how to enforce a law that would require people to lower the volume but I do believe it’s something that is going to have to be addressed. Hey, and what about people who drive hundreds of miles to get to the ocean and the first thing they do is turn on a portable radio as the lay on the beach! Go figure! I’m ranting! Anyone with similar feelings?

If you live in a rural area (we do) and you go out late at night you can hear the silence. It is wonderful! (we don’t even live in a fly way zone)

If you live in a rural area (we do) and you go out late at night you can hear the silence. It is wonderful! (we don’t even live in a fly way zone)

@twypsi - funny you mention walking your puppies ‘cause one of my BIGGEST peeves in my neighborhood is the enormous amount of untrained, BARKING dogs who don’t let up from morning THROUGH night! I blame their “parents.”

…and I’m sick of snow, too, here in NY state. (People don’t pick up the poop from the snow, either…)

Actually, this is precisely what global warming theory has predicted. Its record of accurate prediction is getting scary.

Remember that the actual temperature changes wouldn’t be large for a long time - too small to notice in the short run. The problem is that it will upset the climate patterns. Rain and temperature patterns will shift. Expect more weather extremes. The increased energy in the system will make storms worse. The slightly higher temperatures mean more moisture in the air. When that moisture hits cold air, more snow or rain. Here in New England we’re seeing some of the snowest seasons on record, some of the lowest snow seasons (last year we had latest 1 inch snowfall ever), and generally the highest overall temperatures recorded.

We had 22” of snow here in the Chicago area a few weeks ago. Figuring my favorite hiking trails would be buried till about half-past April, I ordered a pair of snow shoes. Got to use ‘em twice before the temperature soared into the high 50s, and rain washed the snow away.

In other words, the snow shoes were well worth the money!

Here in my town (NCentral OK) we had a variation of 103 degrees from one Thursday to the next. Both the low during the snow and cold and the high the next week set records. Other places in OK announced differences of 117 degrees. Two snows in ten days is very unusual for us.

Lew, rather than reading an excellent play to decide if climate change is real or not, try reading some of the scientific literature. I heard an excellent presentation a year ago by a professor from Oklahoma Univeristy on the reality of climate change. One of his biggest points is that there is a huge difference in weather and climate. People look at one weather event, such as extreme cold or snow, and say the climate is not changing. Weather is now and climate is long-term.

As for quiet, my best time was in Austria. I was in a small ski villiage (Bad Gastein) in sort of a box canyon and there was a small inn way back in the woods in something of a preserve. Their only power came from generators. We rode horse drawn sleighs on New Year’s night back to this inn and back again. The only sound was the bells on the horse’s rigging. I don’t recall if it was a full moon but it was close as it was very bright with the moonlight filtering through the trees overhead. Lots of white snow and wonderful silence.

Hmmm. First it was “global warming” Now it has morphed into “climate change”. What’s next, “global cooling”? As in the 1970’s?

While I agree that there is “climate change”, I thoroughly disagree with the “hubris” of modern scientists that say this is caused by humans. I say hogwash to that. That fails to explain all the far past events. I personally feel that all the hype surrounding climate change may well be some clever peoples way to get more money out of my pockets(I take it personally). That my friends is the truth of “hubris”.

I too would love to be somewhere as quiet as the distant past.

God bless you all.

First time I felt snow I thought how much nicer it was than rain, so much gentler.

Said the central Floridian.

We love you too, Wiley. Your strips are better because of the thought provoking substance in them.

Thank you for being as good as you are.

Amen Wiley, Amen!

HiIlarious strip - especially given the 2-3 inches of snow that fell last night here in southern CT.

And, WILEY, I agree completely - let’s have a cease fire on the rants.

hey is it cold in here now or what….hehehe

and thanks to those that saw the comment for what is was intended. the rest of you, wiley said it best “Oh, pleeeeeeease… give it a rest. ” ;)

I’m sure we’ll have an end to the rants as soon as the people who are wrong admit that they’re wrong.

Er, um, oh right. Never mind!

Ah, yes, fresh snow and the quiet. It is relaxing when you don’t have to shovel it.

The deepest silence I have experienced was in a canyon near Thule, Greenland. Shielded from the sounds of civilization (mostly the rumble of power generators) I could hear my heart beating and could hear myself breathe.

Walking on the snow at -30 F was interesting. It had a different texture than at less severe temperatures, and the snow squeaked audibly underfoot.

How do Danae & her sister get out of doing the snow? Wish I had their Dad! My father & mother never picked up a shovel once we were tall enough to see over the top of the handle! Lost a baby tooth, upper front, to the handle of a snow shovel resting on the shoulder of my best friend when it hit the tar between the cracks in the sidewalk. We wanted to surprise our parents. Well, needless to say we did!

Thanks for the memory Wiley!

http://www.springtrainingonline.com/features/reporting-dates.htm

Some shovel snow while others shovel bull!

It could soon be Danae’s problem–depending on how much food there is in the house…

I didn’t even know it’s supposed to snow up here. I’m in the NE. Maine. I guess I should prepare for it. Oh, wait. Guess I’m perpetually prepared for snow during the winter. Oh, well. I’ll just wait it out.

Textech… I think I went on that same sleigh ride you are talking about. The inn’s hot chocolate was out of this world! That was one of my best memories ever. Thanks for bringing it back for me. :)

I moved down South because of the freezing temps of northern Indiana got to me. After being in NC for 16 years I was getting nostalgic about Hoosierland… until this year’s rare snows in Dec and January. Now I’m back to being content in the South.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…. Sure beats ice, sure beats ice, sure beats ice…….

Richard You are absolutely right. I looked it up on Brainy Quote.Now it’s only been 40 years since I learned that and I forgot. Must be from getting up to post at 4 AM instead of 4 PM. Levers and fulcrums have since been outlawed by unions for stealing the Brothers jobs. We thought we could get rid of the wheel too but something happened Nov 2. Glad you were watching. I did it just to see if you were. Would you like to buy an anti-Global Warming Ray developed by Albert Newton, descendant of two famous mathematicians? I accept PayPal.

I love the snow, but unfortunately I hate the cold. Why couldn’t God have made a place where it snows at 70 degrees?

Wow, It just thundered here. 40 degrees and rain.

Justice22, i agree

1936 was hard winter!

pdchapin and all the rest.

Does anyone remember that about 30 years ago all the pundits were predicting a global winter? “Global warming” sounds too much to me like Chicken Little, “The sky is falling, the sky is falling!” Besides, with the slowness of the Earth’s changes, do any of you really think it will affrect you? Other than when the EPA uses its pseudo-science to increase what the electric and gas companies charge you on your monthly bill?

Darkeforce,

Who is Dana?

I hate the snow. I see these comics and stuff all the time, and I’ve tried to view it as beautiful, but I can never feel anything other than disgust.