explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:3239: Simple Machines

2026-05-02T02:09:12Z

2607:F2C0:F00F:8C00:0:0:0:CB9: Wot no thingiverse?

Woah, I'm first! ---[[User:GSLikesCats307|GSLikesCats307]]([[User talk:GSLikesCats307|talk]]). 17:43, 29th April 2026 (UTC)

Is Randall referring to any specific tools made by those companies when he says "lever and inclined plane" and "wheel-and-axles"? wheel-and-axles describes anything from a toy wagon to an automobile. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 16:53, 29 April 2026 (UTC)
: Doubtful. More of an additional example of Pro-Skub vs Anti-Skub -- https://pbfcomics.com/comics/skub/ behavior. [[Special:Contributions/130.76.187.47|130.76.187.47]] 17:31, 29 April 2026 (UTC)
: It's a joke about battery-operated tools. If you buy a battery-operated drill from Milwaukee, it probably does not come with a (removable) battery and charger. So you buy the battery and charger, which are probably comparable to the cost of the tool. Now, when you need a battery operated saw, you already have the battery and charger from Milwaukee (which will work with the saw), so you buy the Milwaukee saw. And the Milwaukee blower. And the Milwaukee weed-whacker. Etc, etc. Buying one brand of battery operated tools locks you into that ecosystem, to a certain extent. Which means you wind up agonizing over which brand has the better overall ecosystem, even though all you need right now is a drill. [[Special:Contributions/163.116.145.55|163.116.145.55]] 18:21, 29 April 2026 (UTC)
::Sorry, no. Many Milwaukee and Black and Decker(etc)tools DO come with batteries and chargers!!! The point is to get the buyers into the "ecosystem", so future purchases that use the same battery system will be more appealing. For this purpose, providing the charger and one battery, at least for the larger, more popular products, makes perfect sense. The more specialized tools, the smaller accessories might not have them, but they are practical purchases once someone already owns a charger and at least one interchangeable battery. For Milwaukee in particular, the M12 FUEL 1/2 Drill Driver, the M18 FUEL Oscillating Multi-Tool, the MX FUEL Backpack Blower and M18 FUEL 15 Gauge Finish Nailer all include battery and charger. Sorry for this tangent, but I don't think it the joke is about batteries! After all, none of the SIMPLE tools needs a battery. It's about committing to a brand, in a broader sense. [[User:Cuvtixo|Cuvtixo]] ([[User talk:Cuvtixo|talk]]) 18:21, 30 April 2026 (UTC)
::: None of the simple tools needs a battery, no, but the idea of an ecosystem for the types of tools that DeWalt and Milwaukee sell is mostly a thing for battery-operated tools. Though there are certainly accessories for tools that will be brand-specific, and people will have their preferences with the functionality or availability of those, that's not really something that the average person is thinking about when the make the purchase, and there's not generally an interoperability issue, because those accessories don't generally swap between different types of tool. As for purchasing tools with batteries, yes, you can find kits/bundles that include a battery, but the tool is usually also available by itself, and the kit/bundle with the battery is usually going to be a significant price hike. Plus, you don't have the ability to swap batteries between tools - if your drill battery runs down, you can't grab the battery out of the saw that you haven't used much that day - and you need to have both types of charger. [[Special:Contributions/163.116.145.55|163.116.145.55]] 19:11, 1 May 2026 (UTC)

This is 100% a product he should license and/or sell. It won’t make a million bucks very fast but it will make a million bucks, from science teachers and folks over on IFLS and the like. [[Special:Contributions/138.88.96.2|138.88.96.2]] 17:27, 29 April 2026 (UTC)DanT

I edited the reference to Milwaukee Tool and DeWalt; these are American companies and not common household names where I live. {{unsigned ip|62.112.240.32|08:18, 30 April 2026 (UTC)}}

I'm missing something... where's the wheel and axle? Is the idea that the pulley is the wheel and the lever is the axle? But it's oriented the wrong way for that to be the case [[Special:Contributions/2600:4041:5890:3B00:91E6:E7CC:72C:F470|2600:4041:5890:3B00:91E6:E7CC:72C:F470]] 18:32, 30 April 2026 (UTC)
:I think the pulley-wheel is also the axle-wheel, just depending upon how you apply it. Its own axle is attached mid-way down (and perpendicular to) the combined lever-incline bar-piece, along with the wedge-tip on one end and the screw (which already can be basically considered a 'rotary inclined-plane') attachment on the other. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 20:04, 30 April 2026 (UTC)

I have the strong suspicion Randall is alluding to AI with the comic. AI tools, in particular the supposed AGI, as tools that can do anything, but in the end, dedicated tooling is still often (far) superior. {{unsigned ip|193.33.180.1|06:27, 1 May 2026 (UTC)}}

Why is this not available on Thingiverse yet?!? [[Special:Contributions/2607:F2C0:F00F:8C00:0:0:0:CB9|2607:F2C0:F00F:8C00:0:0:0:CB9]] 02:09, 2 May 2026 (UTC)

Talk:3230: Overton

2026-04-20T21:12:11Z

2607:F2C0:F00F:8C00:0:0:0:CB9: Philosophical musings on overlapping reincarnations

4 January 1960 – 30 June 2003 {{unsigned ip|77.87.241.9|18:34, 8 April 2026}}

Someday this cartoon will be politically inappropriate. [[Special:Contributions/64.201.132.210|64.201.132.210]] 19:16, 8 April 2026 (UTC)
: ^ Absolutely. [[Special:Contributions/66.154.219.123|66.154.219.123]] 21:16, 8 April 2026 (UTC)

randall posting a politics-related comic? which could be construed as discontent with the current political landscape? inb4 somebody <s>bashes</s> complains at kynde again - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 22:15, 8 April 2026 (UTC)

I think it's worth noting that the window keeps updating to the right. [[Special:Contributions/50.47.108.55|50.47.108.55]] 02:22, 9 April 2026 (UTC) Ale10ander
: Only if you consider dates to go from left to right instead of any other direction. [[Special:Contributions/2A02:C7C:7344:4C00:BC19:A5A4:14E8:E888|2A02:C7C:7344:4C00:BC19:A5A4:14E8:E888]] 08:27, 9 April 2026 (UTC)

Well, in English (Which both the comic and this website are written in), that is usually the case, and always is on gravestones. The implication is quite obvious. Blatant, even, when you consider the state of politics today, especially in Randall's home country. [[Special:Contributions/2A00:23EE:2378:B3DB:A4E2:4E65:9C3C:659F|2A00:23EE:2378:B3DB:A4E2:4E65:9C3C:659F]] 12:56, 17 April 2026 (UTC)

What's the next death date? 2027? (Just guessin) [[User:Cream Starlight|Cream S.L.]] ([[User talk:Cream Starlight|talk]] / [[Special:Contributions/Cream_Starlight|contribs]]) 03:33, 9 April 2026 (UTC)

Does he keep dying because he's gone over a ton? (1 ton = 2000 lbs) {{unsigned ip|2607:fb91:bd8a:8e2f:858d:1e1b:f461:5f6e|04:35, 9 April 2026 (UTC)}}
:Too heavy even the time is altered, i see [[User:Cream Starlight|Cream S.L.]] ([[User talk:Cream Starlight|talk]] / [[Special:Contributions/Cream_Starlight|contribs]]) 05:53, 9 April 2026 (UTC)
:F.Y.I.: 1 ton = 2,000 ''or'' 2,204.6 ''or'' 2,240 pounds, at least.
:Also it can be 40, 42 or 60 cubic feet (amongst others). Or 12,000 British Thermal Units-per-Hour. And, at least colloquially, I might use it to describe 100 ''miles per hour'' or GB£100. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.238.115|82.132.238.115]] 16:02, 9 April 2026 (UTC)

Reincarnation - Can someone suggest a suitable Buddhist or Hindu text as citation for them multiple lifes? [[Special:Contributions/87.129.222.20|87.129.222.20]] 06:39, 9 April 2026 (UTC)
:The windows are overlapping, so no this is not a reference to reincarnation. [[User:Zmatt|Zmatt]] ([[User talk:Zmatt|talk]]) 16:00, 9 April 2026 (UTC)
:: Are they French windows, or sash windows? [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 10:00, 10 April 2026 (UTC)
::I only read this in relation to the Dalai Lama so idk if it changes in other forms of Buddhism, but [https://tibetanbuddhistencyclopedia.com/en/index.php?title=Emanation_before_the_passing_away_of_the_predecessor_(ma-dhey_tulku) You can have multiple reincarnations in overlapping windows] in certain cases, although I doubt those cases apply here [[User:Brontosaurus|Brontosaurus]] ([[User talk:Brontosaurus|talk]]) 22:24, 10 April 2026 (UTC)
::: If we're wandering into off-topic philosophical musings... If reincarnations are allowed to overlap, we could **all**, every single one of us, be reincarnations of the same person. This would mean that if you hurt someone, you're only hurting yourself, if you help someone, you're helping your past/future self... but also that all sex is really just masturbation. [[Special:Contributions/2607:F2C0:F00F:8C00:0:0:0:CB9|2607:F2C0:F00F:8C00:0:0:0:CB9]] 21:12, 20 April 2026 (UTC)

For what it's worth, though Wikipedia currently describes Overton as a "political scientist," that is likely to shift soon. (That is to say, unless someone makes a compelling case on the Talk page, I'm going to change his description to "political activist," which I think is more accurate to someone who never had a political science degree, never had academic employment, and worked as an electrical engineer before working at an activist think tank.) [[Special:Contributions/38.69.197.145|38.69.197.145]] 12:33, 9 April 2026 (UTC)
: Does that mean that the Overton Window Overton Window has moved? [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 13:16, 9 April 2026 (UTC)

In case anyone wants to check: [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/122681438/joseph_paul-overton/photo#view-photo=94839436 Here's a pic of his grave] {{unsigned ip|74.87.89.226|18:04, 9 April 2026 (UTC)}}

Just want to say that I think the title text is true. Randall will probably find that, in a few months time, the Sun will no longer be in his face, but the cycle will repeat on an annual basis. I have a similar window. [[User:Jeremyp|Jeremyp]] ([[User talk:Jeremyp|talk]]) 19:18, 9 April 2026 (UTC)

;Significance of the Dates

Many of the dates in listed correspond to major geopolitical events concerning US military and diplomatic policy. They may also correspond to milestone events in US domestic politics. This is an attempt to compile some of the key events that the comic may be referencing.

*1965:
**The beginning of Operation Rolling Thunder, the US ground invasion of Vietnam.
**President LBJ signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965
*- 2011:
**US special forces kill Osama Bin Laden
**NATO forces without the US intervene in the Libyan Civil War leading to the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi.
**More widely, protests spread accross the Middle East and North Africa, dubbed the Arab Spring
**The last of the US combat forces stationed in Iraq are withdrawn.
**The Occuppy Wall Street movement begins.
*1973:
**The United States signs the Paris Peace Accords, withdrawing from the Vietnam conflict and claiming the war was over
**The United States Congress overrides a presidential veto to pass the War Powers Resolution, limiting the ability of future presidents to wage war without Congressional approval
**The Watergate Scandal breaks.
**Roe v Wade.
*- 2018:
**President Donald Trump unilaterally withdraws the United States from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, aka the Iran Nuclear Deal.
**Congress reverses many of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act's reporting and compliance requirements for all but the largest US banks.
*1982:
**Israel violates a 1981 U.S. Brokered ceasefire agreement and invades Lebanon. In response the United States spearheads the establishment of a peacekeeping force to protect Beirut, the Multinational Force in Lebanon.
{{unsigned|In-Sanity|22:16, 8 April 2026}}
:Unfortunately, I suspect that you could easily find such events for absolutely ''every'' year across that range... Unless you narrow down the choices to just something current (i.e. specifically the ones related to current Middle East events, I suppose), which are going to be less frequent but perhaps specifically in Randall's mind.
:(Oh, and I slightly re-reformatted your amended contribution, presuming that you meant it to look a bit more like it is now.)
:I was wondering if there was a mathematical pattern to the numbers, myself. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 23:00, 8 April 2026 (UTC)

"sunlight is not generally influenced by social attitudes" - Please tell that to the people sitting by the windows and controlling the shades on the airplane and in my workplace. [[User:SammyChips|SammyChips]] ([[User talk:SammyChips|talk]]) 22:05, 13 April 2026 (UTC)

What is the basis for the claim that "the most recent updated death time should be in 2023"? I think that paragraph should be removed. [[Special:Contributions/174.53.211.85|174.53.211.85]] 19:41, 15 April 2026 (UTC)

Doesmunroe, like, just keep editing this everytime the "Overton window" moce [[Special:Contributions/73.15.242.202|73.15.242.202]] 01:31, 17 April 2026 (UTC)

Talk:3202: Groundhog Day Meaning

2026-02-08T01:07:38Z

2607:F2C0:F00F:8C00:0:0:0:CB9: Wiarton Willie

I guess it's weirdest because it has two silly associations. But Talk Like a Pirate Day is arguably weirder than either of them. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 16:50, 2 February 2026 (UTC)
:Yellow pig day?[[User:Lordpishky|Lord Pishky]] ([[User talk:Lordpishky|talk]]) 00:15, 4 February 2026 (UTC)
:Arguably, Talk Like a Pirate Day isn't weird at all, since it means exactly what it sounds like. By contrast, Groundhog Day isn't clear what the groundhog is about, and of course the time loop is completely unrelated [[User:R128|R128]] ([[User talk:R128|talk]]) 18:19, 6 February 2026 (UTC)

Even Stargate SG-1 had a timeloop episode and dropped a Groundhog Day reference in.

: Malikai: Once I've correctly deciphered the symbols on the altar, I will be able to master the time device.

: Jack O'Neill: Why, so you can be king of Groundhog Day?

Damn I miss that show. [[Special:Contributions/135.84.57.36|135.84.57.36]] 17:06, 2 February 2026 (UTC)

third [[Special:Contributions/164.58.172.158|164.58.172.158]] 17:12, 2 February 2026 (UTC)
:quarter [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 09:42, 3 February 2026 (UTC)
:: fifth [[Special:Contributions/66.210.7.66|66.210.7.66]] 15:50, 4 February 2026 (UTC)
::: tritone [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 16:55, 4 February 2026 (UTC)
::: The minor fall, the major lift [[Special:Contributions/24.177.125.170|24.177.125.170]] 01:41, 5 February 2026 (UTC)

It’s curious to see Black Hat being the one who is nonplussed here. Usually he’s the one shocking everyone else with surreal statements and antics. [[User:Pie Guy|Pie Guy]] ([[User talk:Pie Guy|talk]]) 17:28, 2 February 2026 (UTC)
:Yeah I was wondering about that too. Why [[Black Hat]] instead of a more normal character like [[Megan]]? Contrary to his usual behavior, Black Hat isn't doing anything evil here. [[User:DKMell|DKMell]] ([[User talk:DKMell|talk]]) 19:34, 2 February 2026 (UTC)
::I was thinking it might be because of comic [[2174]], where it heavily implies Black Hat comes from a different planet. Maybe he still doesn't have all of our holidays and cultures figured out yet? Sounds like a bit of a stretch, but I think it's a fun interpretation, and I'm going with it. [[User:Willintendo|Willintendo]] ([[User talk:Willintendo|talk]]) 20:24, 2 February 2026 (UTC)
:Yes, that legit freaked me out. I like Willintendo's interpretation, though.[[Special:Contributions/104.32.72.95|104.32.72.95]] 21:02, 2 February 2026 (UTC)
:I came here to say the same. Haven't seen him ni a while so using him instead of White Hat is just confusing, like Randall has decided not to use him as a Classhole anymore. Or maybe he is just messing with us, like when Black Hat got Rick to attend Danish party, [[524: Party]], but he did not sing. Just by letting him be in this comic, we being thinking way too much. ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:56, 3 February 2026 (UTC)

Help, I'm stuck in a time loop. But at least it's going to be sunny for the forseeable future. [[Special:Contributions/76.187.17.7|76.187.17.7]] 18:29, 2 February 2026 (UTC)

We should possibly mention Candlemas and the German traditions surrounding Badgers seeing shadows. [[Special:Contributions/80.41.29.9|80.41.29.9]] 18:34, 2 February 2026 (UTC)
:Badger badger badger badger? [[User:Lordpishky|Lord Pishky]] ([[User talk:Lordpishky|talk]]) 20:05, 2 February 2026 (UTC)
::Or serpents on Imbolc, for that matter [[User:Nekokami|Nekokami]] ([[User talk:Nekokami|talk]]) 02:12, 3 February 2026 (UTC)
:I agree: the earlier traditions regarding badgers are probably what the title text is referring to with "other mustelids" [[Special:Contributions/74.110.98.95|74.110.98.95]] 01:41, 3 February 2026 (UTC)

¿How is it that the whole body resets except the brain? Oftentimes, the loop resets after death. If death is from an head-injury, ¿how does the brain restore without loosing memories or function? {{unsigned ip|67.174.239.209|19:44, 2 February 2026 (UTC)}}
:No time travel story makes sense. It's just a story, not physics.[[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 02:10, 3 February 2026 (UTC)
::From your handle, I would have thought this was exactly the kind of comment you'd approve of. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 10:02, 3 February 2026 (UTC)
:I think many sees the mind as outside the brain, so... It is clearly the same person waking up each morning, but he just has the memories from the day before. This is not a time travel movie. What ever he did the day before has no effect. He can just adjust what he does. There is a new movie using the exact same setting except it always ends with the death of the character: {{w|Boss Level}}. The director Joe Carnahan described it as "Groundhog Day as an action movie". --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:00, 3 February 2026 (UTC)
::There's also something like {{w|Edge of Tomorrow}}, in which the character's death is ''required'' to restart the time-loop for the loop-inflicted person.
::But, for them to work, there's either an assumption of mind-body dualism (i.e. (some) memories are somehow separate from the physical structures that might store them) or else there's some kind of a jolt of 'legacy memory reupload' that grants the person(s) undergoing the save-scummed restart process with the hint (or outright knowledge) of what had transpired upon the last cycle (or, cummulatively, ''all'' prior cycles).
::Some versions have everyone practically the same every single time, ''except'' for a lingering sense of deja vu. Or even some other entirely external artefact to hint that it's "not their first rodeo", that might not even belong to themselves but subtly changes the scenario that they're reacting to. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 22:28, 3 February 2026 (UTC)
:Outer Wilds had an intesting way of handling it, where information was sent back in time. But they never really explain how the information is captured, sent, and then "retrieved" to the person's mind. It's just sort of handwaved as alien technology. [[Special:Contributions/24.177.125.170|24.177.125.170]] 01:44, 5 February 2026 (UTC)

I'm sure i read this comic yesterday? [[Special:Contributions/89.242.150.153|89.242.150.153]] 20:18, 2 February 2026 (UTC)

The specific individual ground squirrel in Pennsylvania most people agreed to standardize on is now 139 years old. Even Wikipedia confirms the official Phil has been the same forecasting beast since 1887. Personally I'm a little unsure, I wonder if perhaps there may have been some substitutions along the way, however I cannot find any references to that happening... maybe I'm just too untrusting? [[User:Martin|Martin]] ([[User talk:Martin|talk]]) 21:25, 2 February 2026 (UTC)

I think there's one more hidden joke in the fact that it's Cueball explaining this to Black Hat and not the other way around. You'd expect misinformation from Black Hat but in fact what features in the comic is all true. [[Special:Contributions/2A02:8071:60F0:67A0:E9DD:54D9:E9C0:2426|2A02:8071:60F0:67A0:E9DD:54D9:E9C0:2426]] 07:00, 3 February 2026 (UTC)

The German weather lore is solely about the weather on candlemess. The batchers are a later addition. --[[Special:Contributions/2001:638:807:507:D0DD:20BF:E52B:CCC4|2001:638:807:507:D0DD:20BF:E52B:CCC4]] 13:22, 3 February 2026 (UTC)
:The badgers are the particularly German thing. The generic lore around Candlemas* (and even around animals and Candlemas more generally) is much more widespread.
:(*In fact, it likely predates Candlemas, and originates in more pagan lore.) [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 14:15, 3 February 2026 (UTC)

That's OK, Ontario has https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiarton_Willie :-) [[Special:Contributions/2607:F2C0:F00F:8C00:0:0:0:CB9|2607:F2C0:F00F:8C00:0:0:0:CB9]] 01:07, 8 February 2026 (UTC)

Talk:3172: Fifteen Years

2025-11-30T19:42:23Z

2607:F2C0:F00F:8C00:0:0:0:CB9: My eyes are leaking

Part of a series:
* https://xkcd.com/1141/
* https://xkcd.com/1928/
* https://xkcd.com/2386/
--[[User:Pgn674|Pgn674]] ([[User talk:Pgn674|talk]]) 21:28, 24 November 2025 (UTC)
:[[:Category:X Years]]. [[Special:Contributions/64.201.132.210|64.201.132.210]] 22:03, 24 November 2025 (UTC)
"Growing old is a fabulous alternative to death." [[Special:Contributions/85.255.235.101|85.255.235.101]] 21:30, 24 November 2025 (UTC)

OH MY GOD THIS IS SO SWEET EEEEEEEEEE. So happy for you Randall! <3 '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 21:36, 24 November 2025 (UTC)
: this made me, too, tear up - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 00:22, 25 November 2025 (UTC)
:: Me too - love it. I do feel old but I'm old now, so it's better cause the alternative... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:49, 25 November 2025 (UTC)
:Honestly! Hands-down one of the best series of comics Randall's made. I can't believe I got to see this! [[User:RadiantRainwing|RadiantRainwing]] ([[User talk:RadiantRainwing|talk]]) 19:02, 25 November 2025 (UTC)

Growing old ... '''together'''. [[Special:Contributions/64.201.132.210|64.201.132.210]] 21:59, 24 November 2025 (UTC)

The paragraph about the title text could use a reference to the series of comics of the form "Students graduating this year have never...". I'm not sure how to find them. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 22:11, 24 November 2025 (UTC)
: I added a link to what I think is the right category. It might be a little too broad though. [[Special:Contributions/2601:281:C802:9170:0:0:0:4150|2601:281:C802:9170:0:0:0:4150]] 01:53, 25 November 2025 (UTC)

Just. The. Cutest. This is an ideal relationship.--[[User:Maxcodes|Maxcodes]] ([[User talk:Maxcodes|talk]]) 22:32, 24 November 2025 (UTC)

I love being reminded I’m (pretty dang sure I’m) going to die alone, yaaaaaay [[Special:Contributions/2600:4040:12A0:E200:D1D1:1F63:C1A:31F2|2600:4040:12A0:E200:D1D1:1F63:C1A:31F2]] 23:05, 24 November 2025 (UTC)
: Please don't sell yourself short! Being without a romantic relationship doesn't have to mean being alone <3. You have time to develop deep friendships if you find out how! [[Special:Contributions/45.42.74.249|45.42.74.249]] 15:45, 26 November 2025 (UTC)

yay they have survived [[User:Mathmaster|Mathmaster]] ([[User talk:Mathmaster|talk]])

As John Lennon once said, “Grow old along with me.” [[User:KelOfTheStars!|KelOfTheStars!]] ([[User talk:KelOfTheStars!|talk]]) 00:19, 25 November 2025 (UTC)
: Actually, that was Robert Browning in his poem Rabbi Ben Ezra. --[[Special:Contributions/2A00:23CC:D248:8901:9DA0:24CB:6AE7:BB09|2A00:23CC:D248:8901:9DA0:24CB:6AE7:BB09]] 09:01, 27 November 2025 (UTC)

This weekend, as well as today, I've been quite sick. This was a much-needed boost. <3 love ya, Randall. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]][[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|Converse]] 02:28, 25 November 2025 (UTC)

This might be my favorite xkcd comic of all time. [[Special:Contributions/68.2.204.250|68.2.204.250]] 03:02, 25 November 2025 (UTC)
: Yessss! [[User:RadiantRainwing|RadiantRainwing]] ([[User talk:RadiantRainwing|talk]]) 19:02, 25 November 2025 (UTC)

Based on the pattern, the next in the series will be "Eighteen Years" [[Special:Contributions/209.52.88.184|209.52.88.184]] 03:23, 25 November 2025 (UTC)
:Nah, a +5,+3,+5,+3 seems too basic. Maybe 22 would work, since this is maximum k for which the grid graph P_2 X P_k is a subgraph of the n X n knight graph. Definitely didn't just copy from the oeis. ANYWAYS, by the time they get to 46 we'll have solved it by then... --[[Special:Contributions/2.50.0.22|2.50.0.22]] 03:39, 25 November 2025 (UTC)
::I feel like there's an implicit 0 at the start of the sequence (representing the initial diagnosis), which makes [https://oeis.org/A246128 A246128] the only match and therefore the next one will be 23 years. [[User:Zmatt|Zmatt]] ([[User talk:Zmatt|talk]]) 10:59, 27 November 2025 (UTC)

Very happy for Randall here, this is very sweet. [[User:Clayel|Clayel]] ([[User talk:Clayel|talk]]) 03:42, 25 November 2025 (UTC)

Why is my vision getting so blurry? [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 08:29, 25 November 2025 (UTC)

This is such a BEAUTIFUL comic! So happy for the two of them [[User:VascoTabasco|VascoTabasco]] ([[User talk:VascoTabasco|talk]]) 11:44, 25 November 2025 (UTC)Vasco

I come here for a wry smile, not to be made to weep. {{unsigned ip|31.94.28.99|14:49, 25 November 2025 (UTC)}}
: Then smile wryly (wryly? really?!?!) about the symptoms we all are getting ;-) [[Special:Contributions/195.49.224.20|195.49.224.20]] 18:06, 25 November 2025 (UTC)
:: Don't you mean 'wreally?'? [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 08:35, 26 November 2025 (UTC)

After rereading the series, I wonder what happend with the date they made for the 2024 eclipse. [[Special:Contributions/195.49.224.20|195.49.224.20]] 18:06, 25 November 2025 (UTC)

My sister found out she had breast cancer in August so this hit me harder than previous 'installments' have. This is also a type that is resistant to pretty much anything but chemo which she is undergoing now. These give me hope, though, knowing someone else made it through their treatments. {{unsigned ip|108.85.230.207|18:31, 25 November 2025 (UTC)}}

This is just the sweetest. Also, the longest. Several seconds to scroll all the way down at this point. [[User:RadiantRainwing|RadiantRainwing]] ([[User talk:RadiantRainwing|talk]]) 19:03, 25 November 2025 (UTC)

I always hoped there’d be a follow-up of them watching the 2024 eclipse like they hoped to in “Seven Years”— this doesn’t indicate if they saw it or not, but I hope they did. <3 {{unsigned ip|69.116.215.42|20:33, 25 November 2025 (UTC)}}

What a beautiful love story! Here's to the next 15 years for you and your wife. {{unsigned ip|12.129.176.226|10:45, 26 November 2025 (UTC)}}

I hope for them to have a wonderful time together, Randall, I really love xkcd. Got cancer myself in 2010 and know what it feels like to still become old in love. {{unsigned ip|127.0.0.1|10:49, 26 November 2025 (UTC)}}

This is so very very sweet, I wish them all the best! {{unsigned ip|141.53.67.241|13:15, 26 November 2025 (UTC)}}

Wow. Sweet, scary and real. I'm in the middle of my Year Two and so much of the comic is familiar. I wish Megan and Cue the best of luck. {{unsigned ip|2600:1702:7a0:8230:1144:7f10:8b8d:3f6f|15:13, 26 November 2025 (UTC)}}

Wow. Just wow! Such a deep and sweet post. [[User:Phoe6|Phoe6]] ([[User talk:Phoe6|talk]]) 18:02, 26 November 2025 (UTC)

Awww.... [[Special:Contributions/66.189.7.60|66.189.7.60]] 16:35, 27 November 2025 (UTC)

You bastard Monroe. If I'm crying on the train home from work, I should at least be crying about my own stuff, surely? [[User:Yorkshire Pudding|Yorkshire Pudding]] ([[User talk:Yorkshire Pudding|talk]]) 18:14, 27 November 2025 (UTC)

Well, I did not expect to cry over the latest XKCD comic. Congratulations to you both on finding each other and helping to keep each other alive. {{unsigned ip|104.160.57.13|13:17, 28 November 2025}}

I concur with the last 2 comments... "I think we're getting old" [... together ...] "It's all I wanted" makes my eyes leak drips of bittersweet joy [[Special:Contributions/2607:F2C0:F00F:8C00:0:0:0:CB9|2607:F2C0:F00F:8C00:0:0:0:CB9]] 19:42, 30 November 2025 (UTC)