20 Percent

KAM on Sept. 25, 2020

There was a big fire near where I lived, so I was paying attention to the news coverage and it seemed like all the newscasts kept saying the fire was “20 percent contained” when the estimate should have changed over time, especially when the fire drastically increased. I'm not sure if this was a first estimate that newsreaders kept repeating, or a fake number to give people hope, but it was weird that it never changed.

Sorry about no comics earlier this week. I was just feeling blah and my ability to draw was 20 percent contained.

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Darius Drake at 3:10AM, Sept. 27, 2020

A news report saying that they have contained about a fifth of the fire not only makes more sense, but is clearer to listeners. That last panel actually shows 5 hotspots, so if they have contained one and are keeping an eye on the other 4, it's accurate... if unclear.

KAM at 4:23AM, Oct. 7, 2020

They're 80 percent sure they've contained a fifth of the fire, although there's a 50/50 chance that high winds will expand the fire to 1 and a half times it's size and only a 3 to 1 chance of rain. ;-)

Corruption at 11:50PM, Sept. 25, 2020

20% contained = 80% uncontained and growing

KAM at 4:18AM, Oct. 7, 2020

Yep. Although is contained one of those words that's all or nothing? Either it's contained or it's not.

plymayer at 5:59PM, Sept. 25, 2020

Probably a number they just inserted to sound like they knew what was happening.

KAM at 4:16AM, Oct. 7, 2020

That's what I ended up assuming.

20 Percent

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