Reply #28: I can't disagree - it absolutely cracks me up too. And typical of TT,

[Nothing Without Hope]

at the same time it makes us laugh, it makes us SEE so much more clearly.

The "Equation" image comes in a lot of formats at Tom Tomorrow's store (http://www.cafepress.com/tomsworld/1071436) - I'd love to see it blossoming all over the place. The idea it embodies is not a new one, but no where else have I seen it expressed in such a devastating way.

One of the many things that I admire about Tom Tomorrow's opus of work is that it is NEVER mean-spirited. His humor is unfailingly clear-eyed and compassionate. He skewers the criminals, the greedy, the liars, and he shows a sure touch that reveals his empathy with the victims of the policies and events he is fighting. You can see his anger clearly, but it is always focussed exactly where it needs to be. I'm not sure I'm making myself clear here - TT's ability and discipline in keeping on with his fight and staying focussed on what needs to be done are far beyond the common. He keeps on cartooning, week after week and year after year, no matter how disheartened or sickened he may be at what happens. To me, this is cause for mighty admiration aside from his potent talents as a draftsman and humorist. It's related to the reasons why I chose my DU user name - it's not easy to keep fighting, keep hoping, but it's absoulutely essential. When you stop, that's the moment you lose everything - not only the fight but yourself.

Laugh the bastards out of office, laugh the public awake despite the Kool-Aid, laugh us back into a democracy. It's more powerful than would be immediately obvious to some. As Samuel Clemons wrote:

"Irreverence is the champion of liberty and its only sure defense." –-Mark Twain