When I heard of Bhutto's assasination, what I immediately thought was, "Someone's trying to provoke massive civil strife and chaos." Would Musharraf do something so obvious and stupid as assassinate his opponent, knowing the finger would immediately point to him and knowing the potential for large-scale violence that would likely further undermine his grip on power? Of course, it would enable him to call for reintstating martial law, which he had just lifted a few days ago.

Still, who really stands to gain the most from destabilizing this heavily populated, nuclear-armed, strategically located Moslem country? Could it be Al-Qaeda or the Taliban?

S. Belsky

I perceive Utah, Montana and Alabama as red, Massachusetts, Oregon and Pennsylvania as blue. Does anybody else have this particular quirk?

Apparently, you couldn't see the orange forest for the pink trees; my comment about red and blue states was meant to be humorous.

As always, it's like watching someone unscrew her own head, shake out the contents, and then screw her head back on and ask you what you're gawking at.

Yes, but wouldn't it be nice if after shaking out the contents of her head, Toni had refilled it with something before screwing it back on?

(I know I said a few weeks ago that I was abandoning the letters section, but an opportunity like this is hard to resist.)

...post a list of relevant advertisers for us to contact? Those of us with Premium subscriptions don't see the ads, so we don't know who to warn.

...to that awful movie "The Number 23" (which may earn Jim Carrey a Razzie Award for his performance).

...I'd like there to be a presidential candidate who I could feel good about voting for and could do so without holding my nose.

Don't assume I'm a Democrat. Don't assume I'm a Republican, either. I have no party affiliation and have never had one in the 35 years I've been eligible to vote. Get some facts before you make value judgements about me, or Democrats, or human beings in general.

Sigh. Just another wanker hoping to be Bill O'Reilly when he/she grows up.

Mine was not a value judgement. Your own actions show what you are.

Hail to the Sun God!

He is the Fun God!

Ra! Ra! Ra!

It must be part of the conspiracy!

...where does the Flying Spaghetti Monster fit into all this?

I'm done with you LOSERS.

You'll never be done with us. We validate your delusions of superiority. You can't live without us.

...it would be necessary for brightstar65 to invent it.

I thrive on truth. I have no interest in self-delusion.

What you really thrive on is attention. Whether you believe it or not, you are in love with the idea of being beset on all sides by your supposed inferiors, swatting at them like gnats. If everyone suddenly agreed with you, you'd take no comfort in it-- you'd dry up and blow away. Anybody who has posted more than 2,100 letters on Salon in only 9 months needs us. Remember, it was only a few minutes ago when you said that you were done with us losers-- why are you still at it? Face it-- it's because you get off on it.

Tom Bachtell still has no idea about the mechanics of drawing a comic, even though any number of people have suggested reference books for him to use (such as Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics).

A case in point: in the second panel, the "RING" sound effect appears below and to the right of the dialog balloon; this conveys the impression that the phone rang after Beni answered it.

...but I knew that as soon as you challenged brightstar65, the moment he saw that he was backed into a corner he would respond with invective and threaten (again!) to take his bat and ball and go home. Oh, well. As Joe Walsh used to say: "You can't argue with a sick mind."

Qouting from the first website on your list (http://ida.wr.usgs.gov/html/m08046/m0804688.html):

THE BROWSE AND JPEG IMAGES ARE NEITHER RADIOMETRICALLY NOR GEOMETRICALLY ACCURATE AND SHOULD NEVER BE USED FOR QUANTITATIVE OR INTERPRETATIVE PURPOSES.

...yet that appears to be precisely what you are doing.

...he'll be calling me nasty names now.

...Human-Man gets cancer.

...what the two-headed Democratic candidate would be like.

First!

...Kancerous O'Flatulence has gone from a strip that sucks weekly into one that sucks weakly. That's progress, I guess...

...to combat the bullshit negativity that seems to have infected this thread, let me state as sincerely as I can that the strip positively sucks. Gee, I feel so much better now.

...brings out the Comics Curmudgeon in so many of us each week.

...to complain about it.

...and keeps on sucking! (First!)

...then that makes Kansas the world's biggest Q-Tip.

Here's hoping that KOF continues to be inflicted on us all. So far, it has inspired a brilliant video and some of the most wonderfully snarky commentary since Mystery Science Theater 3000. KOF is our collective muse. (Any second now Toni and Tom will jump out from under some rock, smirk knowingly, and tell us that this is what they envisioned all along.)

...I published a letter in this column thanking Heather because she watches TV so we don't have to. Now, I pity her-- for exactly the same reason.

Yeah, that'll teach her. (First again!)

In answer to your question: no, none of us do.

...it's been almost a month since the editors have handed out a red star to any of us here. How long, oh lord, how long?

...but I would suggest a few minor tweaks. One or more small cans of chopped green chiles (mild ones are fine) will add a certain "green-ness" to the chile that I find quite appealing. You might also consider the possibility of substituting a can of Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and green chiles for one of the cans of tomatoes. Tomatillo salsa will also do in a pinch.