explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1620: Christmas Settings

2022-12-16T18:58:45Z

Randomrhino135: added period to transcript

{{comic
| number = 1620
| date = December 23, 2015
| title = Christmas Settings
| image = christmas_settings.png
| titletext = SOUND DOGS MAKE: [BARKING] [HISSING] [LIGHTSABER NOISES] [FLUENT ENGLISH] [SWEARING]
}}

==Explanation==
The first of two [[:Category:Christmas|Christmas comics]] in a row, as it was followed by [[1621: Fixion]].

In this comic [[Ponytail]] is showing [[Megan]] around a facility where they are now reaching the "Universe Control Panel", and Ponytail points out the first panel and tells that these dials control {{w|Christmas}}.

Presumably the control panel is a set of panels with several dials each to control the entire universe, and anyone having access to a room with these controls would from our point of view be in a Godlike position. If such a room did exist, it would most likely be situated outside our universe. Here it would be easy for [[Randall]] to use the panel to make [[#Universal constants control panel|physics references]], with dials to control the specific size of {{w|Physical constant|fundamental constants}} of the universe such as the {{w|speed of light in vacuum}} or the {{w|Planck constant}}. Instead he chooses a more comedic angle in the spirit of Christmas (as he usually does in [[:Category:Christmas|comics released]] close to said holiday, this one being released on December 23rd).

We are shown only one of the dials on the Christmas control panel, the one that controls how {{w|Santa Claus}} enters people’s houses. The ''Santa enters houses through''-dial has [[#Options for Santa|ten different possible settings]]. The one it's set to at this point of the comic is the traditional ''chimney''. Among the other nine there is only one even more logical option, ''open window'', but surprisingly there is no option called ''door''. The other eight options, however, are increasingly weird or even impossible (though of course not for Santa, who can deliver a billion presents in one night and fly in a sleigh drawn by flying reindeer). These options ranges from the ''feasible'' like ''mail slot'', ''heating vents'' or ''cat flap'', to the impossible/ridiculous (some even disgusting) such as ''kitchen faucet'', ''shower drain'', or ''toilet'', to the truly magical ''bathroom mirror'', to the downright unpleasant ''pores of your skin''. (See [[555: Two Mirrors]] regarding the mirror version.)

In a quite unfortunate turn of events, Megan trips and catches herself on the Santa dial, messing it up by clicking it twice (if one click equals changing to the next adjacent option, in any initial direction, then now it must be set either be "kitchen faucet" or "mail slot"). To make matters worse, when Megan asks what it was set to before so as to undo the mishap, Ponytail tells that she has forgotten. So they cannot put it back right.

The dial is shown in the comic only for the reader's benefit, because as Megan tripped up before reaching it, she thus never looked at it, and as Ponytail is showing her around, it must have been Megan's first visit here. The reason why Ponytail cannot remember to which option the dial was set before is most likely because she is not part of our universe (the control panel is located outside), and also she is probably not the creator of the control panel. She is clearly disturbed when the dial is turned (she holds up her hand to her mouth), and she would probably like not to have to tell her boss about this mess up. Another explanation is that by changing the dial, Megan and Ponytail's memories of Santa's entry methods are altered, and so whatever position the dial now rests at would seem normal to them. (This could mean that history has no effect outside the universe, so the single dial controls past, present, and future Santa methods. Perhaps the dial was formerly something more logical than a chimney, like "open window," and indeed ''we'' are the ones who now live in the altered universe.)

Then, as so often seen with human behaviors (if they are indeed human beings at all?), Megan says she will simply take a wild guess and hope she get it right. As the only thing she really knows is that it is not on the right setting now, there is only 1/9 chance that she will get it right, assuming she will at least change it away from the setting it ended up on.

As we can see in the comic, the dial clicks twice, implying it has moved two positions; Megan has thus most likely changed the dial to either "kitchen faucet" or "mail slot". Or the dial was moved one click away and one click back to the original position. As we do not know which of these she will now change away from, it is impossible to guess from the comic where she ends up putting it, and all ten options are possible.

Since the comic was released just before Christmas, here a prank is played on the reader/children who believe in Santa Claus. Now that the dial setting is probably changed, one can expect Santa to enter the house in a different way. So the believer could stay up and try to find out what way it would be.

The title text continues the idea of a universe control panel by showing another possible dial, ''[[#Options for dogs|Sound dogs make]]'', ranging from normal (barking) to cat sounds (hissing, very embarrassing for a dog), "lightsaber noises", and speech to swearing. This dial would thus give the same option of changing the expected vocal response of the dog away from (our norm of) barking, as with the other dial for the way Santa enters the house. In popular culture, talking dogs are a commonly used trope; in contrast, swearing dogs are few, the most famous being {{w|Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog}}, a puppet created by {{w|Conan O'Brien}} and {{w|Robert Smigel}} and performed by the latter.

The comic might also be a joke on real-life controls, physical or virtual, often having no clear "default" value.

The Universe Control Panel is also referenced in [[1763: Catcalling]].

===Options for Santa===
*Below is a table with the ten possible settings for ''Santa enters houses through...''; starting with the originally chosen standard option and going clockwise through the rest:
{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable"
|'''Option''' || '''Normal Entry/Exit for...'''
|-
|{{w|Chimney}} || {{W|Santa Claus}} typically comes in this way (see him here in a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I-b_GJ4ltk Victorian roof-top song and dance number]). Also {{w|The_Three_Little_Pigs|big bad wolves}} use [https://youtu.be/Olo923T2HQ4?t=432 this entrance] in Disney’s cartoon.
|-
|{{w|Shower#Drainage|Shower drain}} || Dirty shower water. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPgjOcdQ0fE Evil clowns].
|-
|{{w|Mail slot}} || Letters, post cards and small presents delivered by the mailman.
|-
|{{w|Duct (flow)|Heating vents}} || Hot air used for {{w|central heating}}, but it is a common trope for the hero of an action film to [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AirVentPassageway climb through such a vent].
|-
|{{w|Bathroom}} {{w|mirror}} || See {{w|Candyman (film)|Candyman}}, or {{w|Bloody Mary (folklore)|Bloody Mary}} (the latter has been used in [[555: Two Mirrors]]).
|-
|{{w|Skin pore|Pores of your skin}} || {{w|Sweat}} leaving the body.
|-
|{{w|Toilet}} || {{w|Human waste}} and {{w|The_Shawshank_Redemption|life-term prisoners}} (at least through the sewer).
|-
|{{w|Cat flap}} || Domesticated cats and dogs.
|-
|{{w|Sink|Kitchen faucet}} || Water.
|-
|{{w|Window|Open window}} || {{w|Burglars}} and other criminals, or anyone in an emergency such as a fire. Also often used as an exit by teenagers in movies and other film media, or by people who have locked themselves out of their own house.
|}

===Options for dogs===
*Below is a table with the five possible settings for ''Sound dogs make''; starting with the current and continuing with the order in the title text:
{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable"
|'''Option''' || '''Normal sound for...'''
|-
|{{w|Bark (sound)|Barking}} || {{w|Dogs}} current standard sound in our universe...
|-
|[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hissing Hissing] || Typically a {{w|List of animal sounds|sound attributed }} to {{w|snakes}}, but also sometimes {{w|cats}} are [http://www.animalplanet.com/pets/why-do-cats-hiss/ said to hiss], for instance as a reaction against a barking dog. It would thus be very frustrating for dogs if their noise was changed into that of their arch enemies.
|-
|{{w|Lightsaber|Lightsaber noises}} || A lightsaber makes a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kpHK4YIwY4 unique sound], and as they are one of the most known props from the {{w|Star Wars}} universe, it is very relevant as the newest Star Wars movie ''{{w|Star Wars: The Force Awakens}}'' was released a week before this comic. Star Wars was also a major theme a month ago in the comic [[1608: Hoverboard]], the coin collecting game that celebrated [[Randall|Randall's]] new book.
|-
|{{w|Fluency#Speech|Fluent}} {{w|English language|English}} || [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRcUcxtaX-Q Speaking dogs] are a common trope as are {{w|talking animals}} in general. A person who is native to a country where they speak English will usually be fluent in speaking English.
|-
|{{w|Profanity|Swearing}} || It would be unpleasant for people who dislike swearing, and a big problems for movies such as {{w|Lassie}} where most of the soundtrack would have to be replaced by {{w|Bleep censor|bleeps}}. Swearing "dogs" are few, the most famous being {{w|Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog}}, a puppet created by {{w|Conan O'Brien}} and {{w|Robert Smigel}} and performed by the latter.
|}

==Transcript==
:[Megan and Ponytail are walking over to a console, Ponytail points towards it. They are drawn in a panel that is only half the width of the next panel below]
:Ponytail: Over here we have the universe control panel.
:Ponytail: These dials, for example, control Christmas.

:[A dial is shown. There is a label at the top and then there are ten settings, five symmetrically on the left and right side, but no setting straight up or down. It looks allot like the dial on a washing machine with different programs. The dial points towards the top left setting. All settings are labeled and there is a small line going to the point on the dial connected with each setting. The line at 3 and 9 o'clock are straight the other 8 are divided in two, where the first part goes horizontally and then bends either up or down, to end in the right position. Here the labele at the top and then the setting labels clockwise from top right, thus ending with the one the dial is set to:]
:'''Santa enters houses through...'''
:Shower Drain
:Mail Slot
:Heating Vents
:Bathroom Mirror
:Pores of Your Skin
:Toilet
:Cat Flap
:Kitchen Faucet
:Open Window
:Chimney

:[Ponytail is passing by this control panel looking back at Megan who trips and falls towards the console.]
:Megan: Whoops!
:Megans legs: Trip

:[Megan catches herself on the dial of the control panel and accidentally turns the dial. Ponytail has taken her hands to her mouth.]
:Dial: Click Click

:[Megan is standing in front of the console looking at the dial, Ponytail is standing behind it.]
:Megan: What was the Santa dial set to before?
:Ponytail: I forget.
:Megan: I'll just guess.

==Trivia==
*In the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/archive/7/73/20151223160450!christmas_settings.png original version] of the comic Ponytail erroneously said: ''These dials, for example, '''controls''' Christmas.''
**This was soon changed to the current (and grammatically correct) version without the "s" at the end of controls ''These dials, for example, control Christmas.''
**Thus proving that it was intended that there were more than one dial, we just see the one that Megan later changed by mistake for the sake of the joke of the comic.
*The "Universe Control Panel" is later featured in [[1763: Catcalling]], but is referred to as the "Universe Control Console" instead.
{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Christmas]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Animals]]

2702: What If 2 Gift Guide

2022-11-24T01:05:31Z

Randomrhino135: Added hyperlink to the Zone of Death

{{comic
| number = 2702
| date = November 23, 2022
| title = What If 2 Gift Guide
| image = what_if_2_gift_guide_2x.png
| imagesize = 500x878px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = BABIES OR LITERATURE BUT NOT BOTH: Baby shoes
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created at STEPHEN KING’S DESK - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+
|-
! Interest !! Gift Idea !! Explanation
|-
| Engineering || The platinum cylinder formerly used to identify the kilogram || This is an object of historical relevance of which only six exist, making it a very expensive or illegal gift.
|-
| Biology || The genomes of the scientists who headed the human genome project ||
|-
| Physics || A beam of neutrinos delivered through the earth by the LHC || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutrino Neutrinos] interact very weakly with other particles, to the point that they almost always pass straight through matter completely unaffected. This means that particle accelerators can send neutrinos to any other point on Earth by aiming the particle beam into the ground, and the neutrinos pass straight through the Earth. This point is referenced in [https://what-if.xkcd.com/73/ What If? 73].
|-
| Animals || Surprise wildlife encounter (gift-wrapped box with a bobcat inside) || This is a reference to [https://bobcatinabox.com/ Bobcat in a Box], which has been referenced in previous comics. This gift would place the recipient in a perilous situation, and, although definitely a wildlife encounter, is not a good gift{{Citation needed}}.
|-
| Law || A vacation to that area of Idaho where you can commit crimes with impunity due to a court district boundary error || This refers to the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zone_of_Death_(Yellowstone) "Zone of Death"], a portion of Yellowstone National Park that is in the physical boundaries of Idaho, but in the legal jurisdiction of Wyoming. Because a jury in the United States must be composed of residents of the same district ''and'' state in which the crime was committed, and National Parks are by their nature uninhabited, anyone who committed a crime here could not possibly receive a trial, and thus could not legally be punished for said crime in any circumstance. This is an interesting legal loophole, but going to this area does not provide any more value than hearing about it, and could scare your law-enthusiast friend.
|-
| Chemistry || A necklace of element samples whose symbols spell out the recipient's name (note: names like "Katherine" and "Brandon" may cause radiation accidents.) || Novelty necklaces are a common and innocuous gift, and using element symbols in place of the same letter is a common gimmick, such as in the title of Breaking Bad. However, making an object out of whatever element sample corresponds to someone's name could have unpredictable results - some elements in their pure form are too brittle or have too low a melting point for such an application, and some are unsafe. "Katherine" would be made from Potassium, Astatine (rare, '''radioactive''' and has a short half-life), Hydrogen (gaseous at room temperature), Erbium, Iodine, and Neon (gaseous at room temperature). "Brandon" would be made from Boron, Radium '''radioactive''', Neodymium, Oxygen (gaseous at room temperature), and Nitrogen (gaseous at room temperature).
|-
| Puzzles || Two goats and a new car || This is a reference to the the Monty Hall problem. This gift places the recipient within a puzzle which is typically discussed hypothetically, rather than happening in real life. Although a new car is a ''great'' gift, two goats are only useful to people with specific professions. The problem that the recipient would have would likely be how to transport the two goats - it'd be difficult to fit both into a compact car at once, but one can't be left behind unattended.
|-
| Technology || Cybiko® Wireless Handheld Computer For Teens (2000) || This device was referenced in [https://xkcd.com/2699/ one of last week's comics], so Randall seems to have a temporary fixation on it. While an interesting example of the history of communication technology and coming from a time when experimentation was common and standards were few, it isn't very useful now, because it is no longer supported, has a communication range of 100 meters (sending text messages via radio) and one can only use it to communicate with users of the same device. However, technology enthusiasts could find it interesting as a collectors' item, so by all means it is one of the most plausible gift ideas on this list.
|-
| Space || Webb telescope personal photoshoot || The Webb telescope belongs to NASA, the ESA and the CSA, and is currently very far from Earth. It is designed to capture massive space objects in previously unseen detail, and thus doesn't operate well on the scale of an individual person, assuming that that is what photoshoot implies. These circumstances make it both an impossible and impractical gift. Furthermore, unless the recipient of the gift is able to travel a long way from Earth, Webb would have to point at the warm Earth and expose its optics to the Sun, permanently crippling the telescope.[https://webb.nasa.gov/content/about/faqs/faqLite.html This is forbidden by NASA.] On the other hand, a gift experience of being allowed to use a [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10442913/James-Webb-Space-Telescope-seen-Earth-settles-orbit.html robotic telescope] to take your own snapshot of Webb in position might be an attractive gift to a space enthusiast!
|-
| Literature || Stephen King's writing desk (he's still using it so you'll have to fight him) || Stephen King is an author lucky enough to have legendary status while still alive. The desk of an author that has died would become an object of historic significance and would likely be either kept for exhibition or auctioned by their respective estate, but as Stephen King still writes, his desk, while valuable, cannot be subjected to the same.
|-
| Philosophy || Out-of-control trolley || This is another gift that places the recipient in the situations that they like discussing hypothetically. This refers to the trolley problem, which places stress on the person forced to make the decision, and exists to make them examine their morals. Facing someone with the hypothetical problem is already not a good gift, but forcing them to live through it in real life is a terrible gift{{Citation needed}}.
|-
| Psychology || A nice gift with a note saying you don't expect anything in return || This is perhaps the most viable option on this list. This gift plays a psychological game on the recipient, reminding them of the nature of favors and bringing giving something into return into the question. This would cause them stress, making it a bad gift, but a psychologist would hopefully understand it to be a joke.
|-
| (Title text) BABIES OR LITERATURE BUT NOT BOTH|| Baby shoes || This is a reference to the six-word story [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_sale:_baby_shoes,_never_worn For sale: baby shoes, never worn] which is often attributed to Ernest Hemingway. Someone who likes babies could enjoy baby shoes in their own right. Someone interested in literature would see the reference to a famous work. But someone who understands the reference would possibly also be sad if they simultaneously actually liked babies (since the story implies the seller was expecting a baby but there was an accident).
|}

''[https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/ What if? 2]'' is a book by [[Randall Munroe]], author of xkcd.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

What If? 2 Gift Guide

What if? 2 makes a good gift for anyone who's into science, absurd ideas, or just the universe in general. To order, go to xkcd.com/whatif2, or just type "what if 2" into some random box on your device; it will probably work.

Here are some other gift ideas for hard-to-shop-for science enthusiasts:

Interest - Gift Idea

Engineering - The platinum cylinder formerly used to define the kilogram 
Biology - The genomes of the scientists who headed the human genome project 
Physics - A beam of neutrinos delivered through the earth by the LHC 
Animals - Surprise wildlife encounter (gift-wrapped box with a bobcat inside) 
Law - A vacation to that area of Idaho where you can commit crimes with impunity due to a court district boundary error 
Chemistry - A necklace of element samples whose symbols spell out the recipient's name (note: names like "Katherine" and "Brandon" may cause radiation accidents.) 
Puzzles - Two goats and a new car 
Technology - Cybiko® Wireless Handheld Computer for Teens (2000) 
Space - Webb telescope personal photoshoot 
Literature - Stephen King's writing desk (he's still using it so you'll have to fight him) 
Philosophy - Out-of-control trolley 
Psychology - A nice gift with a note saying you don't expect anything in return. 

{{comic discussion}}

1819: Sweet 16

2022-05-04T18:18:17Z

Randomrhino135: Undo revision 241253 by Ex Kay Cee Dee (talk)

{{comic
| number = 1819
| date = April 3, 2017
| title = Sweet 16
| image = sweet_16.png
| titletext = Every year I make out my bracket at the season, and every year it's busted before the first game when I find out which teams are playing.
}}

==Explanation==

{{w|March Madness}}, with its championship played on the day this comic was published, is a colloquial name for the {{w|National Collegiate Athletic Association}} (NCAA) {{w|basketball}} tournament, which features 68 American college basketball teams in an elimination bracket. Due to the setup, the 16 teams that make it to the third round of the tournament (or fourth if counting the "First Four") are sometimes called the "Sweet 16", hence the title. Winning a third round game means that a team is part of the "Elite Eight," who can win to move on to the "Final Four," and then to the championship game, where a winner is crowned.

This is the second time [[Randall]] has made a bracket with strange opponents meeting each other in a bracket; the first was [[1529: Bracket]] and brackets were mentioned a second time in [[2131: Emojidome]]. References to basketball is a [[:Category:Basketball|recurring subject]] on xkcd, as is Randall's lack of interest for [[:Category:Sport|sport in general]].

In this comic, the bracket, see details [[#Table of the bracket|below]], of the final 16 is not filled in with actual college team names, but descriptions of the odd circumstances of each team. For example, the first team is "a school with a dog on their team", a reference to {{w|Air Bud}}. The team descriptions become increasingly bizarre, comprising varied sports and pop culture references and often building on and playing off of previous team descriptions.

The first four teams on the left are composed partially or completely of animals, which are most likely pets, but could be animals for assisting disabled persons, emotional support animals, police dogs, feral cats, etc. The next two teams consist of some form of {{w|baseball}}-basketball crossover. The bottom two teams on the left feature developers and players of {{w|NBA 2K17}}, a basketball video game by 2K Games.

The first team on the right, the {{w|1988–89 Los Angeles Lakers season|1988 Los Angeles Lakers}} is an actual historical {{w|NBA}} team; though the particular team from 1988 would not exist today, it could be a team of the same players, who would now be in their mid-50s or 60s. They are paired against a team of four kindergartners and current Cleveland player {{w|Lebron James}} (born 1984), who was also a kindergartner in 1988. James was considered the best active NBA player as of 2017. Ironically, LeBron James has since become a Laker, as of the 2019-20 NBA season; he has become the first NBA player to win a championship in 3 different teams (having previously won titles with the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers).

The next two teams feature basketball-{{w|boxing}} crossovers. The bracket after that features teams on unconventional mobility aids, {{w|Segways}} and {{w|stilts}}.

The final two teams are {{w|NCAA_Division_I_Men's_Basketball_Tournament#Cinderella_team|Cinderella teams}}. A {{w|Cinderella story}} is when a weak team works hard to achieve success. The final team consists of players wearing glass slippers, often a part of the {{w|Cinderella}} fairy tale.

The title text explains what the heck Randall was doing to make this comic: Randall is incredibly out of touch with sports, or at least their traditions. During March Madness a popular pastime is to take a look at the starting bracket of all 68 teams and speculate who will win each round. This activity is sometimes associated with gambling, where the person with the most correct bracket could potentially win money. Randall, when handed a blank bracket, instead fills it with teams he ''wants'' to see play rather than who is actually in the tournament. A bracket is considered "busted" when a number of predicted teams lose earlier than expected. In this case, since Randall's Sweet 16 does not include any of the real teams participating in the tournament, his bracket is busted from the beginning.

As neither this comic from April 3rd or the previous comic, [[1818: Rayleigh Scattering]] from March 31st was one of Randall's [[:Category:April fools' comics|April fools' comics]], this was the first year since 2010 with no April Fools' Day comic. See more on this in the [[1818:_Rayleigh_Scattering#No_April_Fools.27_Day_comic_in_2017|Trivia section]] for the previous comic.

Two years later in 2019 the April Fools' comic [[2131: Emojidome]], was using such a bracket as above to match 512 emojis to find the best emoji. Same time of year, so probably again a reference to March Madness.

===Table of the bracket===

{| class="wikitable"
!Grouping
!Team
!Explanation
|-
|rowspan="2"|School dog teams
|A school with a dog on their team
|rowspan="2"|Possibly a reference to {{w|Air Bud}}. Given Buddy's abilities, this would be an interesting experiment to see if a team of dogs can outcompete humans.
|-
|A school whose team is entirely dogs

|-
|rowspan="2"|Dog teams
|A dog team with one human
|rowspan="2"|This might be the continuation of the experiment. The cat might serve as a control.
|-
|A dog team with one cat

|-
|rowspan="2"|Baseball/basketball mashup
|A baseball team playing basketball
|rowspan="2"|Possibly inspired by {{w|Michael Jordan}}'s baseball career, this is to see if a baseball team can play basketball as well as a basketball team if they were handicapped with baseball gear. While basketball doesn't require any gear and favours outfits that permit free movement, baseball has helmets, bats and thick gloves, possibly giving the baseball team a chance. On the other hand, if the basketball team is permitted to use the baseball bats on ''the opposing team'', they may have a distinct advantage{{Citation needed}}.
|-
|A basketball team with baseball gear

|-
|rowspan="2"|NBA 2K17 (video game)
|NBA 2K17 top players
|rowspan="2"|There's a bit of ambiguity as to what "players" means: the professional basketball players whose likenesses are in the video game, or video game players? Given that the video game includes not only the current NBA players, but also some of the most successful teams in history, it's hard to see how the game developers can stand a chance if the former. If the latter, it's may be more evenly matched.
|-
|NBA 2K17 top developers

|-
|rowspan="2"|1988 players
|The 1988 Los Angeles Lakers
|rowspan="2"|The Los Angeles Lakers were, at their height, winning a rare repeat victory. LeBron James is one of the most well-known basketball players. At the time of the 1988 finals, he was 4 years old, so even with his later talent and with the support of 4 kindergartners, it would be tough for him to win the game. However, he might have a better chance if he played in the present, with the 1988 Lakers team members being well over 50.
|-
|Four kindergartners and Lebron James

|-
|rowspan="2"|Boxer/basketball mashup
|Boxers playing basketball
|rowspan="2"|Possibly inspired by {{w|Vonda Ward}}, this is to see if boxers can play basketball as well as a basketball team if the basketball team were handicapped by having to wear boxing gloves.
|-
|Basketball players in boxing gloves

|-
|rowspan="2"|Elevated players
|A team playing on stilts
|rowspan="2"|Stilts has been referenced several times in xkcd for instance at the bottom of [[482: Height]], [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/8/89/1608_1038x1095y_Hamsterball_and_stilts_room.png here] in [[1608: Hoverboard]] and [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/0/0c/1663_garden_One_color_Between_Light_yellow_and_yellow_First_thing_stilts.png here] in [[1663: Garden]]. Not unlike {{w|segway polo}}, segway basketball would have the benefit of reducing physical exertion. Stilts, on the other hand, could help reach the hoops.
|-
|A team playing on segways

|-
|rowspan="2"|Cinderella teams
|A bad team that would make a good Cinderella story
|rowspan="2"|In a regular match, a good team could easily win against a bad team, but with glass slippers only for the good team, the bad team's chances increase drastically. That the team would make a good Cinderella story implies that the team will win against all expectations. Note: Regular glass would break when moving around too much, safety glass or similarly resilient material is recommended.
|-
|A good team playing in glass slippers

|}

==Transcript==
:[The comic shows a direct elimination bracket (a single-elimination tournament): there is a single match played by every pair of teams, and the winners of those matches are paired up for the next round of matches, this continues until there are no more matches to be played. There are sixteen teams described here (hence the number in the title), eight on each side of the empty rectangle in the middle. Every two teams are connected, these connectors are then also connected, these connectors are yet again connected, and a final pair of connectors, after making one counter-clockwise right angle turn, end up in the top and bottom edges of the central rectangle. The bracket is empty, no results of any of the matches are indicated.]

:{| class="wikitable" style="background:transparent;border:none;width:100%;"
| style="background:transparent;border:none;" |
 [These are paired.]
 A school with a dog on their team
 A school whose team is entirely dogs

 [These are paired.]
 A dog team with one human
 A dog team with one cat

 [These are paired.]
 A baseball team playing basketball
 A basketball team with baseball gear

 [These are paired.]
 NBA2K17 top players
 NBA2K17 top developers

| style="background:transparent;border:none;" |
 [These are paired.]
 The 1988 Los Angeles lakers
 Four kindergarteners and Lebron James

 [These are paired.]
 Boxers playing basketball
 Basketball players in boxing gloves

 [These are paired.]
 A team playing on stilts
 A team playing on Segways

 [These are paired.]
 A bad team that would make a good Cinderella story
 A good team playing in glass slippers

|}

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Basketball]]
[[Category:Baseball]]
[[Category:Sport]] 
[[Category:Video games]] 
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]] 
[[Category:Tournament bracket]]

1317: Theft

2022-05-04T18:17:52Z

Randomrhino135: Undo revision 241254 by Ex Kay Cee Dee (talk)

{{comic
| number = 1317
| date = January 15, 2014
| title = Theft
| image = theft.png
| titletext = Is he ALSO wondering at what point our thoughts diverged, if they even have yet? 'dude, I think he just took your credit card' AM I THE ORIGINAL? HOW DO I TELL?
}}

==Explanation==
The term "identity theft" refers to a thief acquiring various types of a victim's identification (for example, bank account number and/or Social Security number), thus allowing the thief to pretend to be the victim and commonly steal money from the victim's bank account, etc.

This comic exaggerates the term, interpreting it as the thief literally acquiring the victim's whole personality. Like [[Cueball]] & [[Megan]] in general, the victim is implied to have some [[Randall]]ian personality traits, like the [[786: Exoplanets|love of space]] and existential angst. Thus, the thief is now completely overwhelmed by having an entirely new personality, not to mention one whose parts clash with each other.

The title text ponders the specifics of the identity acquisition process. Presumably, even two people whose personalities are identical would still start to think different thoughts. (This is a prerequisite for the depiction in the comic; the thief is baffled by his newly acquired interests, while the victim would not be baffled by the thoughts and interests they've developed over their entire life.) It is also wondered whether the victims new {{w|doppelganger}} is wondering the same thing, which could imply that their thoughts have not fully diverged. A friend comments that the victim may be overthinking the situation, and that the thief only took his credit card information. (A common method of identity theft. Does not transfer personality traits{{Citation needed}}.) However, the victim is overwhelmed by existential anxiety.

==Transcript==
:[An identity thief sits in front of a laptop, looking at his hands]
:Thief: I feel paralyzed by overwhelming existential dread.
:Thief: ...and yet for some reason I'm ''really'' excited about space?
:[Caption below the panel:]
:The thief who stole my identity has a lot to deal with.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Philosophy]]
[[Category:Identity Theft]]

1272: Shadowfacts

2022-05-04T18:15:32Z

Randomrhino135: Undo revision 241081 by Ex Kay Cee Dee (talk)

{{comic
| number = 1272
| date = October 2, 2013
| title = Shadowfacts
| image = shadowfacts.png
| titletext ='Look to my coming on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the east.' 'And look to the west to see our shadows!'
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is a parody of {{w|J.R.R. Tolkien}}'s ''{{w|The Lord of the Rings}}''. The name of the horse, Shadowfacts, is a pun on ''{{w|Shadowfax (Middle-earth)|Shadowfax}}'', the horse {{w|Gandalf}} rides in the books. As the name "Shadowfacts" suggests, this horse interjects into conversations various facts about shadows. There is a possible deeper level to the pun, referring to the [http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/241756-cat-facts-text-trolling cat facts meme].

The three parts of a shadow are the {{w|umbra}}, {{w|penumbra}} and {{w|antumbra}}.

In the title text, Gandalf continues to speak, and is interrupted again by the horse with another fact about shadows. "Look to my coming on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the east." is what Gandalf said before the battle of Helm's Deep when he went to get reinforcements. The horse notes that if the sun is in the east, the shadows will be to the west of the objects that cast them.

A similar talking horse appears in [[936: Password Strength]].

==Transcript==
:[Gandalf sits on a horse, addressing three hobbits.]
:Gandalf: This is Shadowfacts, lord of all horses, and he–
:Shadowfacts: The outer part of a shadow is called the penumbra!
:Gandalf: ''Shut up.''

==Trivia==
*Both quotes spoken from Gandalf are close to the actual ones in the movies, but not directly.
*The quote from the comic was a reply to Legolas instead of the hobbits. The quote is as follows: "Shadowfax. He's the lord of all horses and he's been my friend through many dangers"
*The title text's original quote is: "Look to my coming, at first light, on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the East"

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:LOTR]]
[[Category:Puns]]

9: Serenity is coming out tomorrow

2022-05-04T18:14:49Z

Randomrhino135: Undo revision 240929 by Ex Kay Cee Dee (talk)

{{comic
| number = 9
| date = September 30, 2005
| title = Serenity is coming out tomorrow
| image = firefly.jpg
| titletext = Mal, Simon, Wash, Zoe, River, Kaylee, Jayne, Inara, Book.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is about the release of the movie ''{{w|Serenity (2005 film)|Serenity}}'', which was the followup to {{w|Joss Whedon}}'s TV show, ''{{w|Firefly (TV series)|Firefly}}'', which was cancelled by {{w|Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox}} after only one season. Plus, three episodes were not shown on Fox but debuted on {{w|Sci Fi Channel}} in the UK. The show was followed by a devoted number of fans who were outraged by the cancellation of the show. High DVD sales and strong fan support allowed the follow up film Serenity to be created, which tied up many of the loose ends that Firefly left open, such as the cause of {{w|List of Firefly characters#River Tam|River}}'s abilities and the origins of the {{w|Reaver (Firefly)|Reavers}}.

The image shows the main characters of Firefly. From left to right:
*{{w|Malcolm Reynolds|Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds}} - the ship's captain.
*{{w|Simon Tam}} - a doctor trying to rescue his sister.
*{{w|Hoban Washburne|Hoban "Wash" Washburne}} - the ship's pilot.
*{{w|Zoe Washburne}} - the ship's second-in-command.
*{{w|River Tam}} - Simon's sister, who displays superhuman capabilities, but is crippled by alliance research.
*{{w|Kaylee Frye}} - the ship's happy-go-lucky mechanic.
*{{w|Jayne Cobb}} - the hired muscle.
*{{w|Inara Serra}} - a companion, the equivalent of a courtesan, but with a greater deal of respect.
*{{w|Derrial Book}} - a shepherd, which is similar to a priest, with a very unknown backstory.

This is the first [[xkcd]] with adorned stick figures (e.g. hair, coats, etc.) to represent distinct characters, which later becomes a standard motif of the comic.

{{w|Nathan Fillion}}, {{w|Summer Glau}}, and {{w|Jewel Staite}}, the actors who play Mal, River, and Kaylee respectively, show up later in Randall's series [[:Category:The Race|The Race]].

==Transcript==
:[Several stick figures stand side by side in a lineup. A forlorn male in a coat, a male with combed hair, a male with spiky hair and arms outstretched enthusiastically, a female with long hair and cornrows, a shorter female with stringy hair falling over her face, an enthusiastic female with arms raised in celebration with shorter hair, a male with short hair and a goatee and hands on hips, a female with curly hair wearing a dress, and a stern-looking man with flyaway hair.]

==Trivia==
*This was the 10th comic originally posted to [[LiveJournal]].
**The previous was [[6: Irony]].
**The next was [[10: Pi Equals]].
*Original title: "Firefly"
*Original [[Randall]] quote: "Drawn in honor of the upcoming Serenity! If you work very hard you can figure out who is who."
*This was one of the [[:Category:First day on LiveJournal|thirteen first comics]] posted to LiveJournal within 12 minutes on Friday September 30, 2005.
*This comic was posted on [[xkcd]] when the web site opened on Sunday the 1st of January 2006.
**It was posted along [[:Category:First day on xkcd|with all 41 comics]] posted before that on LiveJournal as well as a few others.
**The latter explaining why the numbers of these 41 LiveJournal comics ranges from 1-44.
*One of the original drawings drawn on [[:Category:Checkered paper|checkered paper]].

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics posted on livejournal| 10]]
[[Category:First day on LiveJournal| 10]]
[[Category:First day on xkcd]]
[[Category:Checkered paper]]
[[Category:Firefly]]

1907: Immune System

2022-05-04T18:14:26Z

Randomrhino135: Undo revision 240628 by Ex Kay Cee Dee (talk)

{{comic
| number = 1907
| date = October 25, 2017
| title = Immune System
| image = immune_system.png
| titletext = It also helps with negotiation. "Look, if it were up to me, *I'd* accept your offer, but my swarm of autonomous killer cells literally can't be reasoned with. It's out of my hands!"
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, Ponytail is delivering an informative report to a group of listeners, likely important managers of some large company. She begins her lecture by stating she is the host of a microscopic autonomous swarm that will do anything to protect her. She is referring to the immune system, which could technically be defined as a "microscopic autonomous swarm" that will do anything to protect her -- i.e destroy pathogens such as viruses and bacteria, both of which cause multitudinous diseases in humans. Like many of the systems of the body, the immune system cannot be controlled by conscious thought, and should not be taken as unordinary.

The caption below reveals the method behind her madness. Randall claims that beginning any business presentation with a surreal description of one's own immune system is guaranteed to strengthen your case. Whether or not this is actually the case is irrelevant, the point of the comic is about "how cool the immune system is", and explains its coolness through an unconventional description of how the process works. Additionally, Ponytail's description implies more potential power over external entities than an immune system typically has, perhaps to to gain more respect/fear from the speaker's audience.

The title text elaborates further on this, stating that similar arguments can be used in negotiation. The description of the immune system is deliberately misleading, implying that the immune system may attack the other negotiator if the terms of the deal aren't satisfactory. While it is correct that your immune cells cannot be reasoned with{{Citation needed}} and theoretically it could cause an anaphylactic shock in the targeted organism, the veiled threat omits the fact that the immune system 1) is unaffected by external negotiations conducted by its host, 2) is incapable of attacking things outside of the body, and 3) would have to overcome the target's own immune system.
: It is to note that stress can affect imune system in a negative way to the point of allowing maladies like gastritis happen. Therefore, the line in title text can be interpreteted as understanding the stress of accepting the deal beforehand.

==Transcript==
:[Ponytail is standing in front of a boardroom meeting, pointing to a presentation on a screen. Cueball, Megan and Hairbun are in the audience, sitting at a long table; an extra, unoccupied chair is in the front.]
:Ponytail: My body hosts an autonomous microscopic defensive swarm that will do anything to protect me.
:Ponytail: I have no ability to restrain it and I don't know my own power.
:Ponytail: So listen up.
:Ponytail: Sales grew by 4% this quarter...

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Business protip: You can strengthen any presentation by opening with a reminder about how cool immune systems are.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Protip]]

32: Pillar

2022-05-04T18:14:01Z

Randomrhino135: Undo revision 240753 by Ex Kay Cee Dee (talk)

{{comic
| number = 32
| date = November 19, 2005
| title = Pillar
| image = pillar.jpg
| titletext = A comic by my brother Doug, redrawn and rewritten by me
}}

==Explanation==
Two [[Cueball]]-like guys ponder the unanswerable philosophical question of whether all people observe the universe the same, or whether, for example, what one person sees as "red" might be what another see as "green". They muse that no one really knows how anyone else sees the world.

The misdirection and punchline of the comic come when the pole-guy asks if his friend can help him down from this pole where he's been standing for the entire comic. The friend's reply indicates that he does not see a pole, proving that one person can observe the world differently than another, in this case, in a far more extreme and unexpected way than color differences.

Another interpretation of the punchline is that the friend doesn't like pole-guy's idea of questioning all of human existence and mocks that philosophy by pretending not to see that he is standing on a pole.

The concept of a philosopher on a pole is likely a reference to many "{{w|stylites}}" or "pillar-saints" of the late antiquity period, perhaps the first and most famous them being {{w|Simeon Stylites}}.

Unlike most other [[xkcd]] comics, the "panels" of this comic are not divided and are drawn within a single frame.

As noted at the title text, this comic is based on a comic drawn by [[Randall]]'s brother Doug, although Randall apparently redrew and rewrote it.

==Transcript==
:[At the top of the panel is a black frame with the following text:]
:This one is mostly by my little brother, Doug.

:[A Cueball-like guy stands on a the top of a tall pole and talks to his Cueball-like friend on the ground. The drawing is repeated three time in the same panel, once for each comment by the two guys.]
:Pole-guy: The sky is so blue, and all the leaves are green.
:Friend: Haven't you ever wondered if we really see the same colors as everyone else? It's all perception.

:Pole-guy: Well, you might as well call into question all of human experience. Who really knows what world someone else sees?
:Friend: Yeah, I guess.

:Pole-guy: Anyway, can you help me down from this pole?
:Friend: What pole?

==Trivia==
*This was the 34th comic originally posted to [[LiveJournal]].
**The previous was [[31: Barrel - Part 5]].
**The next was [[33: Self-reference]].
*Original title: "Friday's Drawing - Pillar"
*Original [[Randall]] quote:
::"Oops, I totally forgot to update yesterday afternoon. Well, I haven't slept, so I say it's still Friday. It's been a weird couple days and I was just thinking it was the weekend. Anyway, the first version of this strip was drawn by me and then written by Doug. I redrew/wrote it and now you are reading it! Cool, huh?
::Also, all the barrel strips are now [http://liveweb.archive.org/web/20070207052159/http://www.xkcd.com/barrel.html here] for easy linkage to people you think might like them."
:*The link (now here above directing to a webarchive) used to direct to a collection of all six [[:Category:Barrel|The Boy and his Barrel]] comics.
:*It seems Randall had a long Friday back then. So long that he forgot to post this Friday comic before midnight.
:*And although he still had not slept when he posted it, the time-stamp reads 7:55 AM on Saturday.
:*This thus became the first comic to be released on a Saturday.
:*This also happened to him the next Friday/Saturday. And then two times more before he closed LiveJournal. Since then it has not happened.
*This comic was posted on [[xkcd]] when the web site opened on Sunday the 1st of January 2006.
**It was posted along [[:Category:First day on xkcd|with all 41 comics]] posted before that on LiveJournal as well as a few others.
**The latter explaining why the numbers of these 41 LiveJournal comics ranges from 1-44.
*One of the original drawings drawn on [[:Category:Checkered paper|checkered paper]].

{{Comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics posted on livejournal| 34]]
[[Category:First day on xkcd]]
[[Category:Checkered paper]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Philosophy]]
[[Category:Comics with lowercase text]]

1614: Kites

2022-05-04T18:13:07Z

Randomrhino135: Undo revision 241189 by Ex Kay Cee Dee (talk)

{{comic
| number = 1614
| date = December 9, 2015
| title = Kites
| image = kites.png
| titletext = [Dog returns with the end of a string in its mouth] [Voice drifts down from the sky] Kites are fun!
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, we see [[Megan]] and [[Beret Guy]] both holding on to skyward lines. Megan's line is clearly connected to a {{w|kite}}, and she (like the reader) initially assumes that Beret Guy's line is as well -- only for it to be revealed that he is not holding a line for a kite, but instead the line goes up to a small dog. This move on [[Randall|Randall's]] part is known as a ''{{w|bait-and-switch}}'', a technique that relies on human intuition and pattern seeking in order to play a trick on the viewer. The 'switch' portion of the bait and switch comes with the added humor of an unconventional dog that flies/floats instead of walking on the ground, so the joke comes as a surprise and with little warning to the reader. It is also amusing that Beret Guy is interested in reeling the dog in and flying a kite when he could just continue "walking" his dog.

The title text reverses the joke, implying that rather than Beret guy returning to the park with a kite, his dog has returned to the park with Beret Guy flying in the air on the kite (hence he calls down from above that kites are fun).

Beret Guy is generally fond of unconventional approaches to standard conventional issues. It is unclear if he is somehow causing his dog to fly, or if the dog's flight is simply due to its tail wagging rapidly. However, Beret Guy is known to possess several [[:Category:Strange powers of Beret Guy|strange powers]], of which this could be yet another one. The title text suggests that he does have the ability to fly on the kite himself, and to direct his dog to control the kite as well.

The comic's title is the plural form for "kite". This may be to distinguish this comic from another earlier comic that used the singular form of the word as its title: [[235: Kite]], or just because at the end of this comic, there are two kites present. In the first ''Kite'' comic it was possible for [[Cueball]] to climb up the line of his kite, and he thus had the same ability as Beret Guy with a kite.

A kid looking like Megan is also [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/a/ae/1608_0970x1077y_Kite_and_weird_bug.png seen with a kite] to the left in the game comic [[1608: Hoverboard]] from two weeks earlier; probably not a coincidence. In the same comic Beret Guy is [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/2/21/1608_1020x1083y_Torpedoes_two_steps_above_Runner_with_Beret_Guy.png flying down from the sky on a torpedo]. Maybe he could just "fly" off before it hits and explodes...

This comic is similar to the [[1037:_Umwelt#Yo_Mama|"Yo Mama" panel]] in [[1037: Umwelt]], where dogs can float and thus need a ballast to be on the ground. It could also be a variation on the joke of walking around with a stiff leash and collar, thus presenting the illusion of walking an invisible dog.

Flying dogs is mentioned in the title text of [[1625: Substitutions 2]]. Although dogs is substituted instead of drones, there may be a reference to this flying dog here...

Beret Guy also has dogs in [[1922: Interferometry]], and it is possible that one of the dogs in that comic is the same as the one in this one.

==Transcript==
:[Zoom out of Megan holding on to a long line going up to a kite high up in he air. Beret Guy comes walking in from the right. He is also holding on to a line that goes up in the air with the same slope. But the top of it disappears outside the frame to the right.]

:[Zoom in on Megan standing with a roll with the rest of the line, and the line for her kite goes up in the air between her and Beret Guy who has now almost reached her. He is just holding on to the end of the line, with only a small part of the line hanging down below his hands.]
:Megan: I love kites.
:Beret Guy: Hey, Me too!

:[Beret Guy is looking up along his line and takes a better hold on the line.]
:Beret Guy: I'll go get mine, once I finish walking my dog!

:[Beret Guy begins pulling the line down, rolling it up in one hand, while pulling at it with the other. The line vibrates under this extra tension, shown with lines above and below the line.]
:Beret Guy: C'mon boy!

:[In a drawing without a frame around it, Beret Guy has pulled in his flying dog (a small white dog with black ears). It still hangs just above head height, wagging its tail happily. The line has now been rolled up and hangs from one of Beret Guys hands, while the other still pulls at the part of the line that is going towards the dog in the sky.]
:Dog: Arf arf arf

:[Beret Guy takes the dog under his arm, while holding the line in the other hand, and then he walks past Megan who turns to look after him while still holding on to her roll and line to her kite.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Strange powers of Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Animals]] [[Category:Dogs]]
[[Category:Kites]]
[[Category:Comics sharing name|Kite02]]

82: Frame

2022-05-04T18:11:34Z

Randomrhino135: Undo revision 241255 by Ex Kay Cee Dee (talk)

{{comic
| number = 82
| date = March 29, 2006
| title = Frame
| image = frame.jpg
| titletext = ...
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] is standing in the middle of the first square panel, but then the panel's frame starts warping away from being square and starts to form into tendrils that move toward him, then slowly wrap themselves around him, and finally retract, reforming the frame again, but pulling him apart in the process, in a rather macabre comic.

Typically, the frame on a cartoon is used to separate different periods of the action. Here, this has been subverted by the frame becoming a character, the main protagonist, and sole survivor of the strip.

There is some indication that Cueball is also just part of a drawing, since his upper torso, with parts of each arm, is left hanging in the air without any tendrils touching it. If it was not stuck in the center of the image, it would fall down, but more importantly, even if all tendrils pulled very fast at the same time, it is highly unlikely that they could pull so precisely that the body would split in four pieces around this remaining body cross, and one of the tendrils should have pulled this part along with either an arm, the head, or the lower torso. This could be some comfort for those who think that this is too much. Of course, it could also just be something that [[Randall]] did not think was important in such a {{w|Surrealism|surreal}} comic.

Comics often use artifacts on the frame to add mood to the comic. This comic then makes those artifacts a major feature of the comic, like a {{w|Chekhov's gun}} ("If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off.") The use of creative panel layouts and effects was first made possible in newspaper comics at the insistence of Bill Watterson, author of Calvin and Hobbes (which it is known that Randall has been influenced by), requiring lengthy negotiations due to the printing technology of the time. The creative use of panel layout and effects is thus part of the artistic legacy of Calvin and Hobbes. xkcd, among others, has continued along that path of pushing the boundaries of the medium.

The title text "..." could indicate that Randall wasn't being very serious about this comic. But perhaps it was an idea to creatively use parts of the comic nobody thought about, and it spoke for itself and needed no extra comment. The three dots also indicate that something more will happen soon. The reader may visualize the final result and empty square panel, ready for the next unfortunate person to walk into this trap. Alternatively, it could mean that Randall found the comic so bizarre, even he couldn't comment on it (see [[#Trivia|Trivia section]]).

==Transcript==
:[Cueball stands alone in the center of this almost normally framed panel. But there are four small indentations two both left and right and maybe also one top right.]

:[Tendrils from the frame develop and grow inwards while breaking the outer frame down. The tendrils comes close to Cueball. There are 13, three from three of the four sides and four from the right.]

:[The tendrils have now completely broken the outer frame down and 11 have reached Cueball and these begins to wind themselves around him. There are tendrils around his forehead, neck, cheek, left arm, left wrist, left hand, right wrist, right hand, lower torso, left leg and right leg. Those around his legs spiraling almost up to his crotch. 14 other tendrils have not reached him yet. All those reaching him was among the 13 from the previous panel. Only the two from the bottom right corner did not make contact. The other 12 not reaching him where new.]

:[Finally the 11 tendrils that have reached Cueball retract along with the other 14 tendrils back to the frame, tearing Cueball apart in 9 pieces, leaving one central piece (his upper torso with a part of each arm) floating in the center without tendrils on it. His head has been split in two by three tendrils, that keep the parts close together. The left arm with one tendril has been split from the hand with two tendrils, whereas the two holding the wrist and hand kept their part of the arm in one piece. The two legs have been separated from the lower torso at the crotch, and they as well as the lower torso is all being pulled away by one tendril. The other tendrils have almost reached the frame, three of them are already gone leaving 11 near the frame. The frame has also nearly reformed it self again.]

==Trivia==
*This is one of two comics featured with [[Blue Eyes]]: The Hardest Logic Puzzle in the World, the other being [[37: Hyphen]].
*The concept of a panel frame destroying its characters would be reused in [[240: Dream Girl]]
*The title text "..." has been used twice later also with somewhat surreal comics, both about the black hat of [[Black Hat]]; [[412: Startled]] and [[455: Hats]].
*There is a striking similarity to the opening scene in the movie {{w|Hellraiser}} (1987) (read the {{w|Hellraiser#Plot|plot}} here - Spoiler).
**The way the room resets after killing the person in it also reminds of the opening scene in the movie {{w|Cube (film)|Cube}} (1997). Although it is a very different way of doing it, that person is also divided into small pieces.
**Although the Hellraiser trap also resets, it is not like it is a room that does the damage or resets, so there is reason to compare to both movies.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

990: Plastic Bags

2022-05-04T18:05:29Z

Randomrhino135: Undo revision 241260 by Ex Kay Cee Dee (talk)

{{comic
| number = 990
| date = December 14, 2011
| title = Plastic Bags
| image = plastic_bags.png
| titletext = The high I feel when I actually remember to bring my reusable bags to the store--and take them inside rather than leaving them in the parked car--can last for days.
}}

==Explanation==
This is another comic with one of [[Randall|Randall's]] [[:Category:Fun fact|fun facts]].

In the United States, at the time this comic was written, most {{w|grocery stores}} used to provide {{w|plastic shopping bag|plastic bags}} free; as well as a "bagger," whose only job is to bag the groceries — although sometimes this function is performed by the cashier. An exception to this rule might be "extreme discount" stores, such as {{w|Aldi}}. Customers are rarely, if ever, expected to bag their own groceries, even if they bring a reusable bag. It follows that sometimes a bagger might become a bit overzealous and use too many bags for too few products. This comic is mocking this tendency to go overboard, which is incredibly wasteful. The last frame takes this practice to its absurd and frustrating end, showing a {{w|reusable bag}} that has been double bagged with plastic bags. Exactly why bags are provided is probably a topic best left to academic discussion, but suffice to say that it is the state of the industry in the U.S. Perhaps grocery chains are concerned that if they did not provide free plastic bags, customers would defect, instead, to a competitor. Most shoppers view plastic bags and bagging by the store as givens.

Relatively recently, some U.S. jurisdictions have begun to join {{w|Phase-out of lightweight plastic bags|more and more}} governments world-wide to either ban plastic bags, charge customers for them, or generate taxes on each sold bag. Using Washington, DC ([[Randall]]'s home turf) example, as of 2010 customers are charged a $0.05 tax (again, by the local government and NOT by the grocery store) for each plastic bag, and receive an equivalent rebate for each reusable bag. While today it is accepted as a fact of life, the tax angered many at its adoption, even spurring some to claim that they would do their shopping in the next state over (in this case, Virginia), driving 5 or 10 miles to save 5 or 10 cents (this would address the theme of wasting money to save a trivial amount, addressed by [[Randall]] in [[951|951: Working]]). The tax has since become accepted as a fact of life, and has been quite successful at its initial goal of reducing the amount of bags discarded in area rivers and streams.

The title text refers to the idea that while many attempt to make the environmentally-conscious decision to bag their groceries with {{w|reusable bags,}} thereby keeping plastic bags out of landfills, sometimes they forget to bring their bags with them from the car, or even leave the bags at home altogether. Randall is commenting on the sense of euphoria he derives from a relatively simple task: remembering to bring the reusable bags to the grocery store '''''and''''' taking them into the store, rather than the good feeling from helping clean up the environment.

==Transcript==
::Fun Fact: Stores have a competition to see who can spread your items across the most plastic shopping bags.

:[5 items placed in a single bag; heaviest item placed at the bottom.]
:Bag Packer: Here you go!
:Shopper: Thanks!

:[Same items; heaviest item now placed in separate bag.]
:Bag Packer: Here you go!
:Shopper: Oh, that's easier to carry.

:[Heavy item is now double bagged.]
:Bag Packer: Here you go!
:Shopper: Double-bagging the big stuff makes sense...

:[The other 4 items are now split into 2 separate bags.]
:Bag Packer: Here you go!
:Shopper: That's a bit wasteful...

:[The 2 separate bags are now double bagged.]
:Bag Packer: Here you go!
:Shopper: You just put five items in six bags.

:[Every item is now in its own, double-bagged bag.]
:Bag Packer: Here you go!
:Shopper: OK! I give up! I'll buy a reusable bag!

:[Reusable bag is double-bagged.]
:Bag Packer: Here you go!
:Shopper: Augh!

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Fun fact]]

1082: Geology

2022-05-04T18:04:25Z

Randomrhino135: Undo revision 240980 by Ex Kay Cee Dee (talk)

{{comic
| number = 1082
| date = July 16, 2012
| title = Geology
| image = geology.png
| titletext = That's a gneiss butte.
}}

==Explanation==
Here we have [[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] discussing {{w|geology}} and the words they use are ripe with puns and {{w|double entendre}}s which also have sexual meanings. In the end, they just decide to get it on.

Specifically, the suggestive terms are "{{w|Bed (geology)|bedding}}," "{{w|Extensional tectonics|spreading}}," "{{w|friction}}," "{{w|Cleavage (geology)|cleavage}}," "deeper in the {{w|rift}}," "{{w|orogeny}}," (perhaps a {{w|portmanteau}} of {{w|orgy}} and {{w|erogenous}}), "huge," and "{{w|Thrust fault|thrust}}."

The technical terms are:
;Bedding : The division of usually {{w|sedimentary rock|sedimentary rocks}} into distinct layers.
;Spreading : A process in which two geological regions are moving apart, and potentially allowing for {{w|magma}} to rise between them. Spreading occurs in {{w|mid-ocean ridge|mid-ocean ridges}} and in {{w|rift valley|rift valleys}}.
;Friction breccia : {{w|Breccia}} is a rock made of broken fragments of other rocks. When these fragments can be formed from the rubbing between rocks in a fault, it is a friction breccia.
;Flow cleavage : The {{w|crystal|crystals}} in a rock can be aligned by the {{w|plastic flow}} of a rock when it is hot. This causes the rock to split (cleave) along particular planes.
;Rift : A result of spreading is that rocks break, forming vertical faults, and allowing regions to sink and form valleys.
;Orogeny : The process of mountain forming, or a period in which mountains are formed.
;Thrust fault : A sloping crack in the rocks at which one region of rocks is pushing another up.

So it seems that Megan tells Cueball to ignore the layers in the rock, as there is evidence that the valley they are in is a recent rift valley. It was formed in cracking following the lifting up of the surrounding rocks.

The title text is a wordplay, as it could sound like "nice butt". {{w|Gneiss}} is a type of rock made up of different bands, and a {{w|butte}} is an isolated hill with steep sides and a flat top, but smaller than a {{w|plateau}}. However, "butte" is not pronounced like "butt", but as "beaut".

==Transcript==
:[Two people are doing a geological survey.]
:Megan: Forget the bedding - we were wrong about the whole valley.
:Cueball: The spreading is recent.

:Megan: See the friction breccia?
:Cueball: Oh - flow cleavage!
:Cueball: Deeper in the rift.
:Megan: Deeper.
:[An idea pops into Megan's head.]

:[The same idea pops into Cueball's head.]
:Megan: This orogeny
:Cueball: is driven by a
:Megan: ''huge''
:Cueball: ''thrust'' fault

:[They both drop to the ground in a fit of passion.]
:Geology: Surprisingly erotic.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Romance]]
[[Category:Geology]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Sex]]
[[Category:Puns]]

272: Linux User at Best Buy

2022-05-04T18:03:34Z

Randomrhino135: Undo revision 240423 by Ex Kay Cee Dee (talk)

{{comic
| number = 272
| date = June 4, 2007
| title = Linux User at Best Buy
| image = linux_user_at_best_buy.png
| titletext = We actually stand around the antivirus displays with the Mac users just waiting for someone to ask.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Best Buy}} is an American chain of electronics and media stores. As with many such big box shops, they only sell pre-bundled software and boxed pre-built hardware, where the computers on offer are either {{w|iMac|Macs}} or {{w|Personal computer|other PCs}}, usually pre-installed with some variant of the {{w|Mac OS X}} or {{w|Windows NT}} operating system families. Most personal computer {{w|Hacker (hobbyist)|hackers/enthusiasts}} (as opposed merely to workaday computer users) wouldn't be caught dead buying a pre-made computer, preferring instead to build their own using self-selected hardware components and install and configure their own preferred operating systems and software. As such, the subtext is that somebody buying a complete pre-packaged home computer system at Best Buy wouldn't know or care much about computers.

The salesperson is trying to sell {{w|antivirus software}} to [[Cueball]] because selling such software (e.g. {{w|Norton AntiVirus|Norton}} or {{w|Kaspersky Internet Security|Kaspersky}}) to prospective Windows PC owners is generally a good sales tactic. The vast majority of all computer {{w|malware}} is engineered specifically to exploit Windows, and Windows' inherent anti-malware protection might most charitably be described with the phrase "lacklustre, but not as bad as before." Windows users therefore ''will'' want antivirus protection, ''especially'' for use on a brand new machine that will soon be connected up to the Internet. Moreover, because the ecosystem of viruses and malware that thrive by infecting Windows PCs is constantly evolving (see [[350: Network]]) and being redesigned to take advantage of new exploits and fool last-month's antivirus software, it is quite prudent for a Windows PC owner to always keep their malware protection absolutely up-to-date, and many such security suites need to be regularly renewed with new versions.

While some viruses and malware ''can'' afflict {{w|Linux}}, in general {{w|Unix-like}} operating systems (including {{w|Linux_distribution|Linux distributions}} and {{w|Berkeley Software Distribution|BSD}}) are far more robust and secure than Windows, with fewer exploitable vulnerabilities. Perhaps even more importantly, Linux (not counting Android, which was not yet released) has a far smaller consumer market share, therefore offers less incentive to malware makers to target it. Therefore, Cueball is confident (rightfully so) that he will be fine without additional security. Moreover, Linux is {{w|free software}}, which means that anyone is able to audit the code and fix security bugs. Although malware protection ''usually'' isn't necessary, if extra protection is desired by the user, such as for tasks requiring very high security standards (such as on servers and supercomputers), there are anti-malware solutions available such as {{w|Clam_AntiVirus|ClamAV}}.

Back in 2007, when the less popular {{w|Windows Vista}} was released and with a stagnant Mac market, many in the Linux community believed that Linux would soon wipe out Windows as the operating system of choice for desktop PCs, after years of slow-but-steady growth. This explains the cheeky triumphalism of the final panels of the comic, in which Cueball hops on his quick, slick vehicle and speeds away. It's worth noting that this desktop reversal has not happened, though Linux did achieve a [http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_os.asp peak in popularity in 2011], just as Windows users were laboriously switching from {{w|Windows XP}} to {{w|Windows 7}}, with Linux peaking again in 2014 and Windows arguably in decline, and in any case, desktop PCs themselves have slowed in sales, losing ground first to {{w|laptop}}s and most recently to {{w|Embedded software|embedded device}}s, where Linux use does indeed heavily exceed the competition, e.g. {{w|Android (operating system)|Android}} (which is loosely based on the Linux kernel) handily out-competing both the previously dominant {{w|iPhone}} (which was first released mere days after this comic) and the never-popular {{w|Windows Phone}}.

The title text makes sense in light of the fact that, like Linux, the software design of OS X (both are based on Unix, OS X through Darwin - see [[676: Abstraction]]) limits the amount of harm that can be done by malicious software, and Macs thus also have fewer viruses and malware than Windows. Apparently, Mac and Linux users flock together just waiting for some salesperson to come along and mistake them for someone gullible enough to use Windows. [https://www.avast.com/c-can-macs-get-viruses There is a notion that Macs can't get infected], but Mac malware is on the rise. This is taking the piss out of the smugness sometimes to be found among Mac and Linux users, who may view their preferred systems as hip and different from the "mainstream" Microsoft systems that they feel are manifestly inferior.

==Transcript==
:Salesman: Interested in updating your antivirus software?
:Cueball: Oh, I wouldn't need any of that.

:[In a spiky speech bubble.]
:Cueball: I run Linux.

:[Cueball does a backflip onto a motorcycle.]
:''Flip''

:[Cueball performs a wheelie on the motorcycle.]

:[Cueball does a hard, donut turn on the motorcycle, kicking up dirt into the salesman's face.]

:[Cueball speeds off on the motorcycle, leaving the salesman in a cloud of black exhaust.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Linux]]
[[Category:Programming]]

1333: First Date

2022-05-04T18:00:36Z

Randomrhino135: Undo revision 241111 by Ex Kay Cee Dee (talk)

{{comic
| number = 1333
| date = February 21, 2014
| title = First Date
| image = first_date.png
| titletext = I sympathize with the TPP protagonist because I, too, have progressed through a surprising number of stages of life despite spending entire days stuck against simple obstacles.
}}

==Explanation==
TPP, or {{w|Twitch Plays Pokémon}}, was the first of a creative and radical new variant of streaming gameplay videos created in early 2014 — a few days before this comic was released.

Some consumers enjoyed watching video games being played by other people (usually 'popular' gamers known for entertaining gameplay), thus streaming sites dedicated to streaming gameplay were created. [http://twitch.tv/ Twitch.tv] was one such site.

Whereas traditional video game streams involved the channel broadcaster or another personality playing the game, the channel "Twitch Plays Pokémon" recorded a {{w|Internet bot|bot}} playing an emulated game of [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Red_and_Blue_Versions Pokémon Red] for {{w|Game Boy}}. The game inputs given by the bot were based on players' messages in the video stream itself. Thus, the watchers of the stream were playing the game themselves using chat "commands." The Pokémon character behaved incredibly erratically, frequently getting "stuck against simple obstacles" (as mentioned in the title-text) and moving about in a strange manner ("Why are you up there?"/"Bye...Okay, coming back now").

Despite this, the character advanced surprisingly far in games. They have beaten the [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Elite_Four Elite Four] and [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Champion Champion] of generations [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Generation_I I], [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Generation_II II], [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Generation_III III], [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Generation_IV IV], and [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Generation_V V], and [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Generation_VI VI].

Twitch Plays Pokémon has also completed various {{w|ROM hacking|ROM hacks}} and {{w|Spin-off (media)|Spin-off}} titles, establishing a seasonal format with multiple games each season. You can see the state of the player characters' Pokémon and inventory at game end in [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Twitch_Plays_Pok%C3%A9mon this Bulbapedia article].

TPP surged in popularity rapidly since its inception, reaching 80,000 channel viewers within five days. Derivative channels (such as 'TwitchPlayers') soon arose, turning "Twitch Plays..." into an idea rather than a single channel; that of crowdsourcing a task, such as controlling a single person (as in the Pokémon games) for erratic and often hilarious results. The stream, which is still active as of this writing, has reached [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/events/twitch-plays-pokemon memetic status].

In the above comic, [[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] are on a date. However, Megan is behaving very erratically. Cueball determines that Megan is being "controlled by Twitch," as her behavior matches well with that of the TPP protagonist (whose name, canonically, is [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Red_(game) Red]).

Megan loudly declares at one point that she is "SAVING" her 'game progress', referencing the incessant saving in TPP via random button presses. The random ten-letter string she says is reminiscent of the [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Nickname nicknames] that all of TPP's Pokémon end up with as the players move haphazardly across the game's keyboard.

Her fascination with the "cool spiral" is an allusion to TPP players' fascination with the [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Dome_and_Helix_Fossils Helix Fossil], an in-game item. As user input often leads to checking of the in-game backpack followed by erratic commands to handle the items within, it was common for various valuable items to be haphazardly thrown away. However, as the Helix Fossil was a [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Key_item key item], it could not be tossed. It was also the first item in the Bag due to this, leading to the players' continuously selecting it whenever accessing their Bag, eventually causing them to somewhat jokingly regard it as an object of religious reverence.

The title text, as explained above, simply is a light-hearted joke from [[Randall]], empathizing with TPP as he has also spent real-life days stuck against simple obstacles, and is surprised by how far he has gotten in life despite this fact.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and Megan sit at an intimate dinner table. They have plates and glasses of wine in front of them.]
:Cueball: So, did you grow up around here?
:Megan: I love you.
:Cueball: ... huh?
:Megan: Waiter! One of everything on the menu.

:[Megan stands up. Standing on her chair, holding a plate.]
:Cueball: Why are you up there?
:Megan: I'm stuck.
:Megan: This plate looks delicious.
:Megan: Aaaoogaoag.

:[Megan has put the plate down and walked off-panel.]
:Megan: Bye.
:Megan: OK. Coming back now.

:[Megan is crouched on her chair, holding a spiral.]
:Cueball: You're being controlled by Twitch, aren't you?
:Megan: Check out this cool spiral!
:Cueball: It's—
:Megan: '''SAVING.'''

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Internet]]
[[Category:Pokémon]]

687: Dimensional Analysis

2022-05-04T17:57:46Z

Randomrhino135: Undo revision 240834 by Ex Kay Cee Dee (talk)

{{comic
| number = 687
| date = January 11, 2010
| title = Dimensional Analysis
| image = dimensional_analysis.png
| titletext = Or the pressure at the Earth's core will rise slightly.
}}

==Explanation==
Cueball has a [[My Hobby|hobby]] — showing correct calculations according to the {{w|dimensional analysis}} — but with ridiculous correlations of uncorrelated events and measurements. Here Cueball is giving a talk and uses this trick to ''convince'' his listeners that the {{w|Toyota Prius}} combined {{w|United States Environmental Protection Agency|EPA}} gas mileage is somehow connected to the constant ''{{W|Pi|π}}'' via the {{w|Planck energy}}, the pressure at the {{w|Inner_core|Earth's core}} and the width of the {{w|English Channel}}.

Scientists — often physicists — use dimensional analysis to quickly check if a given formula can possibly relate to a physical system, because if you end up with an equation claiming that Joules are meters, something is clearly wrong. Dimensional analysis here refers to the check if both sides of the equation arrive at the same physical unit when the units of all variables get plugged into the equation. This requires knowledge of the system of units and the relation between different physical units.

Cueball uses the following equation to make a mockery of the practice:

<math>\frac{\text{Planck energy}}{\text{Pressure at the core of the Earth}} \times \frac{\text{Prius combined EPA gas mileage}}{\text{Minimum width of the English Channel}} = \pi</math>

===Dimensional analysis===
The right hand side is dimensionless, it's the constant ''π'' = 3.14... which is defined by the relation of two lengths, the circumference and the diameter of a circle. The left hand side requires to plug in the dimensions of the named physical quantities:

*Planck energy: given in Joules [J]
*Pressure at the core of the Earth: given in Pascals [Pa]
*Prius combined EPA gas mileage: miles per gallon, given in meters per cubic meter [m/m³]
**Fuel efficiency has two formats that are commonly used: length per volume and volume per length. The former must be used here in order to get the units to cancel correctly.
*Minimum width of the English Channel: given in meters [m]

When plugged into the left hand side this amounts to:

<math>\frac{\text{J}}{\frac{\text{J}}{\text{m}^3}} \times \frac{\frac{\text{m}}{\text{m}^3}}{\text{m}} = \text{m}^3 \times \frac{1}{\text{m}^3} = 1</math>

Using the following unit relations (this does not reduce units to the seven SI base units, but does use some derived units for cancelation):

*1 Pascal [Pa] = 1 Joule per cubic meter [J/m³]

Note that for dimensional analysis constant factors are not taken into account. Here square brackets are used to denote dimensional analysis. In the above equation the unit of energy (joule) as well as all the unit of volume (cubic meter) cancel out each other.

Another aspect of the comic is, that sometimes dimension analysis of equations that were not derived but rather "made up" can provide insight. However, in reality such an equations would have to be somehow "motivated", which is more of an art than science and requires great experience in the field the equation should relate to. The presented equation combines values that have no immediate causal relation with each other, so it does not make sense. Furthermore, since the values have absolutely no causal relation to each other, the ratios presented are simple coincidence; despite Cueball's claim, building a better Prius would not cause any changes to the English Channel.{{Citation needed}}

The title text also refers to this, as a higher pressure at Earth's core could also balance the equation, keeping the result constant equal to ''π''. The Planck energy is an absolute, however, so it is not mentioned as a way to balance the next version of Prius.

===Some numbers for this calculation===
The {{w|Planck energy}} is the only nearly exact value we do have. Compared to other Planck values it is very large (macroscopic).
E_planck = 1.956 x 109 J

Pressure at the {{w|Inner_core#Temperature_and_pressure|core}} of the Earth ranges from 330 to 360 gigapascals.
Using a simple value like this:
P_core = 350 GPa = 3.5 x 1011 J/m³

Prius combined {{w|Toyota_Prius#Fuel_economy_and_emissions|EPA gas mileage}}:
For the third generation (from 2010) the City mileage is 51 mpg and the Highway mileage is 48 mpg. But it is the [http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=26425 combined EPA gas mileage] which is used in the equation and that is 50 miles per gallon.
50 mpg => 21,000,000 m/m³

Minimum width of the {{w|English Channel}} is about
33.1 km = 33,100 m

Calculating from these values you will get ''π'' = 3.54... that is pretty close to ''π'' = 3.14... while using a Planck value. According to Cueball this will be within the experimental error (the combined error for all four numbers - none are exact numbers). For instance if you tried the ePrius you would probably get closer to that target — as the mileage in real life usually is somewhat lower than the value given — and that would reduce the result.

[http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=%28Planck+Energy%29%2F%28Pressure+at+the+Earth%27s+core%29*%282010+Prius+combined+EPA+Gas+Mileage%29%2F%2833.1+km%29 Wolfram|Alpha can find most of the statistics and do the calculations.]

==Transcript==
:My Hobby:
:Abusing dimensional analysis

:[On a blackboard.]
:(Planck energy/Pressure at the Earth's core) x (Prius combined EPA gas mileage/Minimum width of the English Channel) = π

:[Cueball indicates this equation with a pointer in front of a class.]
:Cueball: It's correct to within experimental error, and the units check out. It must be a fundamental law.
:Student: But what if they build a better Prius?
:Cueball: ''Then England will drift out to sea.''

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]
[[Category:My Hobby]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]