explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:1204: Detail

2013-09-13T15:05:19Z

Tryc:

I'm not certain as to what the date should be, as I'm in New Zealand. I've taken one off of my current date (26th) as a precaution. Anyone who knows the right date (or right timezone) please edit it accordingly. --[[User:ZephireNZ|ZephireNZ]] ([[User talk:ZephireNZ|talk]]) 04:25, 26 April 2013 (UTC)

This comic arrive a day early, right?[[User:Afhoke|Afhoke]] ([[User talk:Afhoke|talk]]) 04:42, 26 April 2013 (UTC)
:Most likely a result of the time machine. [[Special:Contributions/184.66.160.91|184.66.160.91]] 05:02, 26 April 2013 (UTC)

Any idea if the typo Ne*ghborhood is intentional and what it might refer to? [[Special:Contributions/141.17.83.10|141.17.83.10]] 07:11, 26 April 2013 (UTC)
: It appears to have just been a mistake, as it's now been corrected on the panel at kxcd. [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 16:48, 26 April 2013 (UTC)

:: I see what you did there. ;) --[[Special:Contributions/24.145.230.202|24.145.230.202]] 23:31, 26 April 2013 (UTC)

Forget electronic microscope. Where do you think they would be STORING the maps? Nearby galaxies? Other dimension? .... oh, I see: Black Mesa Research Facility is a google service company researching storage technologies. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 08:13, 26 April 2013 (UTC)

Shouldn't the vertical axis be reversed? If the Planck length is the theoretical smallest length, wouldn't most readers expect the smallest value to be lowest on the vertical axis? Thus the log scale line would angle downward, more clearly indicating that the resolution lengthy is getting smaller with time. The way it it is drawn, the first impression might be that the resolution length is increasing, not decreasing. Just a suggestion. XKCD is my favorite comic because I learn something new almost every day! {{unsigned|Matthew-e-hackman}}
: I had the same thought. Had to pause a moment to reassure myself Planck Length is a small thing. [[Special:Contributions/67.51.59.66|67.51.59.66]] 16:48, 26 April 2013 (UTC)

Randall really likes pointing out the dangers of excessive extrapolation, doesn't he! One of his key themes. And this one is taking extremes to the extreme. [[User:Robbak|Robbak]] ([[User talk:Robbak|talk]]) 13:00, 26 April 2013 (UTC)

Representation == Reality? {{unsigned|24.84.201.240}}

Whoa i just figured. the lines meet around 2100 - and in 2101.war was beginning - a coincidence? --[[Special:Contributions/178.203.192.19|178.203.192.19]] 20:25, 26 April 2013 (UTC)
: Remember, [[286: All Your Base]]. [[User:Tryc|Tryc]] ([[User talk:Tryc|talk]]) 15:05, 13 September 2013 (UTC)

"Shouldn't the vertical axis be reversed?" I would say no. As the smallest resolvable detail shrinks, people refer to resolution as increasing, so a rising line makes sense. Maybe the axis should be denominated in pixels per meter though... [[User:Gardnertoo|Gardnertoo]] ([[User talk:Gardnertoo|talk]]) 15:19, 27 April 2013 (UTC)

Can somebody explain the line labeled "Earth" at the top of the diagram? [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]])
:The resolution of actual Earth remains constant as the resolution of Google Earth approaches [[Special:Contributions/96.33.168.232|96.33.168.232]] 04:40, 29 April 2013 (UTC)

It's also quite fun to compare the graph to the first publication of Moore's law, which had just one datapoint more but looks more or less identical to the comic. (And it still holds after 50 years... although there are signs it'll be slowing down soon...) {{unsigned ip|212.64.51.153}}

"The images get finer as satellite imaging technology improves" - this is wrong; however, I have no idea currently how to rewite the sentence elegantly, maybe someone else does. The Google Maps/Earth finer images do not come from satellites, but are obtained by aerial photography. No commercial satellite can produce such images (maybe military ones come close - just maybe). In fact, Randall has written about that: http://what-if.xkcd.com/32/ [[Special:Contributions/89.174.214.74|89.174.214.74]] 13:19, 29 April 2013 (UTC)

"Each tick in the scale represents a resolution improvement by 1000x." Am I being dense, or does the term "log scale" necessarily mean jumps of 10x? [[Special:Contributions/149.161.34.44|149.161.34.44]] 20:50, 1 May 2013 (UTC)

:"A simple example [of a logarithmic scale] is a chart whose vertical or horizontal axis has equally spaced increments that are labeled 1, 10, 100, 1000, instead of 1, 2, 3, 4." Taken from wikipedia's article titled "Logarithmic scale". [[Special:Contributions/24.251.209.253|24.251.209.253]] 03:40, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

Looks like Google Earth resolution will surpass actual resolution by 2120*...
*must have "Google Eyes" (TM) to experience better than actual resolution [[Special:Contributions/207.126.189.4|207.126.189.4]] 17:31, 20 May 2013 (UTC)dabeansdad

Talk:1116: Traffic Lights

2013-08-22T15:24:35Z

Tryc:

I doubt that this comic carries any deeper meaning. [[Special:Contributions/108.233.253.211|108.233.253.211]] 16:29, 4 October 2012 (UTC)

Traffic signals really are one of the most inscrutable inventions to ever be made. I mean, red means stop, yellow means caution, green means go. Unless you're in a turn lane, which means you have to watch for the green arrow, if there is one, or wait for an opening. Unless you're turning right, which is permitted to turn at any time providing there aren't any cars. Unless there's a sign that says "No Right Turn On Red". There's also the crazy cities that have special right turn lights. Then there's the intersections that have a sign for each lane telling what can and cannot be done. Or, if you're really lucky one of those intersections that has the LED screen that dynamically changes what the lane can and cannot do. And to top it all off, the Colorado Department of Transportation (as well as a few other states I'm sure) are testing out a 4-stage left turn light to increase the safety of drivers. [https://www.auroragov.org/cs/groups/public/documents/document/003604.pdf] Yes, you read that pamphlet correctly. There is a special 4th light, just to blink yellow, because you couldn't just make the yellow light blink, like it does anyway after 9pm. No. There has to be a whole special light that indicates when a left-turn-er must use special caution to turn.

: Note that New York City doesn't allow right turns on red, unless a sign is posted that says otherwise. I suppose this helps reduce the incidence of pedestrians being run into/over. You might also think it helps keep vehicles out of crosswalks, but it doesn't. [[User:CityZen|CityZen]] ([[User talk:CityZen|talk]]) 01:13, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

: What about turning left on red from a one way street onto another one way street? I don't know how prevalent that is but it's fairly common in downtown Columbus Ohio (my locale) and to a lesser extent some smaller towns around here. [[Special:Contributions/74.218.18.210|74.218.18.210]] 12:30, 9 August 2013 (UTC)

Nope. I'm done driving. Bring on the self-driving cars, people are officially idiots. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]] ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 16:52, 4 October 2012 (UTC)
: There is a problem with a blinking yellow arrow. Blinking yellow is already used. It means you have the right of way, but the other direction may proceed as well. What is wanted here is blinking red, which means that you stop, but may proceed, as someone else has the right of way. As for adding a fourth light, this just confuses things even more, particularly with respect to color blind individuals. Having said that, Virginia's variant is to have lights with both left arrows and solid greens. If it is green arrow, you have the right of way, while solid green means the other direction also has a green. There is almost always a sign reading "left turn yield on <solid-green-circle>" [[User:Divad27182|Divad27182]] ([[User talk:Divad27182|talk]]) 18:19, 4 October 2012 (UTC)

::so the blinking yellow left arrow generally means the same as a round green light - you can go when it's clear, but the opposite traffic has a green light too. I love this idea because a lot of the time where there is a separate left-turn signal, there are advanced lefts for both ways, and then left turners get a red left arrow and have to stop while people going straight get a green - so even where there's no oncoming traffic, you can't turn. this way, you just lose your "advance" status and go back to the regular rule of "turn if you can, otherwise you end up turning as the lights go yellow"

::I think what Lcarsos is pointing out if you check the PDF link, is that the new left-turn lane has 4 lights, all of which are left-arrow shaped. Thus, his point is why couldn't they make the 2nd light (yellow left arrow) blink, instead of installing a third light which is also a yellow left arrow whose job is to blink?

::I can think of a few possible reasons - first, perhaps an all-blinking light has different bulbs which are more efficient for blinking and won't burn out as much; second, because they want to distinguish between the two lights more strongly (i.e. if you glance over between blinks, you don't have to wait a moment to see if it will blink - if you see the 3rd light up, you know it's going to blink without waiting for it to actually blink); similarly, I suppose there could be colour blindness issues where they want to make it clear which light is which.

::PS: Right on Red is more common in north america than other places, but even here there are a few exceptions that do not allow right turns on red lights. New York City is one. Montreal is another. Most of Mexio is a third. [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 21:19, 4 October 2012 (UTC)

::You can also white a white 'cigar' light that is inteded for busses only.

:From the first traffic light in London 1868 until standardization in the 1920s people tried out many crazy lights (see http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/T-VT.1970.23426) including---literally---bells and whistles to announce changes. It seems this phase is still not really over.[[Special:Contributions/134.169.34.172|134.169.34.172]] 10:33, 5 October 2012 (UTC)

Hmm... not one to do the actual analysis, I still wonder whether there could be some message encoded in the pattern of lights -- in binary ASCII, baudot, Morse, or something. Hmm... [[Special:Contributions/208.54.40.227|208.54.40.227]] 19:12, 4 October 2012 (UTC)

This explanation mentions a lot of hands where no hands exist. "The right-hand lane," for example. This is a pet peeve of mine. People just adding the word, "hand" randomly into a sentence. It's superfluous and it's annoying. It should be removed before someone slaps whoever did it with their right-hand hand.[[Special:Contributions/173.25.252.230|173.25.252.230]] 14:35, 14 June 2013 (UTC)

:I believe "right-hand" is used to differentiate "the opposite from the left" from "the opposite of wrong". If I say "get in the right lane", there is a chance for confusion and/or a cliche joke. If I say "get in the right-hand lane", my meaning is clearer.

=== Red and yellow ===

In Poland you can sometimes stumble upon '''red and yellow''' -- while yellow alone means that there shortly would be a red, and you can proceed if you are at or almost at crossing, but stop otherwise, red and yellow is to mean that there shortly would be green (go), and to prepare oneself. But it is quite rare. [[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 06:45, 5 October 2012 (UTC)

:In Germany all traffic lights behave this way. [[User:Joha.ma|Joha.ma]] ([[User talk:Joha.ma|talk]]) 07:45, 5 October 2012 (UTC)

::At least some lights in Czech behave this way too. -- [[Special:Contributions/89.177.52.2|89.177.52.2]] 08:04, 5 October 2012 (UTC)

This is the way ALL UK lights behave.

Some lights in the US use '''red and yellow''' to mean that a pedestrian is crossing, although I've only seen this when the light is blinking red/yellow to start with (yes, I've seen full 3-bulb traffic lights that are only used to flash red/yellow). [[User:Zer0keefie|Zer0keefie]] ([[User talk:Zer0keefie|talk]]) 11:42, 27 March 2013 (UTC)

In Brazil some cities have greens and red in a row, and they decrease to indicate how long the green or red will last. something like http://www.guiasjp.com/fotos_noticias/foto_1165344648.8822.jpg [[Special:Contributions/189.125.162.182|189.125.162.182]] 20:22, 5 October 2012 (UTC)
In BRazil too, in Goiânia there's a nice one here for pedestrians, with leds, that show an animated pedestrian walking and when the time is running out HE RUNS FASTER! Like, it's about to go green for the cars, but feel free to cross... IF YOU'RE FAST!

In Tianjin China they have a traffic signal that is a single bar of light. If it is green it starts subtracting bar length segments. When there is about a quarter left it turns yellow and then red. It then start subtracting bar length segments from the other end until it gets to about a quarter length and then turns green again. http://www.flickr.com/photos/bob406/3428844012

== Obvious ==

It's how traffic engineers troll you when you are going the wrong way on a one-way. Learn to read signs!

== Reference to previous comic ==

This comic has some tongue in cheek self reference to [[277: Long Light]]. #Meta And definite trolling, by [[Randall]]

:What about [[781: Ahead Stop]]?

== Turing Machine? ==

Any chance it is one?

== Etc ==

I was almost expected to see the Konami code in the left light, though I'm not sure how "B A Start" would have been shown. [[User:CityZen|CityZen]] ([[User talk:CityZen|talk]]) 01:13, 6 October 2012 (UTC)

== Music ==

I am no musician, but I can't help but wonder if there could be a hidden music chart in there somehow.
Also, if you want confusing, try understanding parking signs in Montreal.

== And You thought 4 stage was bad enough ==

Here In BC, in older installations, and I'm not sure whether any still exist, there used to be lights with 5 stages. It wasn't really any different than the standard red-yellow-green-turn combo you generally see where the turning light may come on, it just had the yellow arrow shown when the turning arrow is about to expire in it's own lamp. It behaves pretty expectantly, but it looks very imposing.

== Race cars ==

The second light has quite a resemblance to the "christmas tree" that governs the start of a drag race, where the lights change colors according to a pattern http://www dot nhra dot com/nhra101/basics.aspx [[Special:Contributions/69.121.10.82|69.121.10.82]] 04:32, 27 December 2012 (UTC)

Talk:989: Cryogenics

2013-08-01T12:55:08Z

Tryc:

Should we begin work on www.explainexplainxkcd.com? Why is Cueball not Terry? .....

[[User:AngryBear|AngryBear]] ([[User talk:AngryBear|talk]]) 15:44, 2 January 2013 (UTC)
:It was written in the actual transcript by Randall. Apparently a Futurama reference. [[Special:Contributions/108.233.253.211|108.233.253.211]] 21:18, 2 January 2013 (UTC)

:: [[http://futurama.wikia.com/wiki/Terry Terry]] is a recurring Futurama character, and he is the "employee at Applied Cryogenics whose job is to greet the newly defrosted." So Randall, in the transcript, is pointing out that the character in his Cryogenic lab is not the same as the Futurama character.

Talk:940: Oversight

2013-07-26T19:18:34Z

Tryc:

Well it's probably supposed to be a family-friendly site. That, and sex with an automatic toy could be technically be called sex, but it's not very strenuous. '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|purple|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 09:07, 9 March 2013 (UTC)

Well, technically sex is the most family-friendly activity existing as it creates children and therefore families. But you are right, they should probably include more specific categories. In my mind there is a scoring matrix of positions, "speed", and weather you are the more active or more passive part in the position...
[[Special:Contributions/84.137.246.233|84.137.246.233]] 21:43, 6 April 2013 (UTC)
: "family-friendly" applies to whether the subject material is age-appropriate (or accessible/physically safe/etc), typically, for families with young children. Most of the sorts of activities that result in having children are not "family-friendly" on that basis. I had never considered the potential irony of that before, though... [[User:Tryc|Tryc]] ([[User talk:Tryc|talk]]) 19:18, 26 July 2013 (UTC)

This is not incredibly relevant, but I would like it to be known that on the mobile app of XKCD, this comic image is replaced by one of the five-minute comics {{unsigned ip|‎76.28.109.218}}

921: Delivery Notification

2013-07-25T19:28:48Z

Tryc: /* changed "these annoying package notifications" to "delivery attempt notifications" */

{{comic
| number = 921
| date = July 6, 2011
| title = Delivery Notification
| image = delivery_notification.png
| imagesize =
| titletext = You can arrange a pickup of your sword in Rivendell between the hours of noon and 7:00 PM.
}}

==Explanation==
In the US, when the package delivery company called {{w|UPS}} knocks on your door or rings your doorbell and cannot reach you, they leave delivery attempt notifications stuck to your door. It seems, as this comic hints at, the threshold for the UPS delivery person to put the notice on the door is unreasonably low. The delivery personnel do not wait very long before quickly driving away to their next delivery and leaving the yellow delivery notification in the first frame.

After missing the delivery, [[Cueball]] (who is directly referencing {{w|Lord of the Rings}}) asks the Elves to reforge the sword in order to go on the quest. In Lord of the Rings, {{w|Aragorn}} (accepting his role as the heir to the king of men) had the sword of {{w|Isildur}} called {{w|Narsil}} reforged (which symbolizes the reuniting of the race of man under one leader).

But, of course, when the elves come to deliver the new sword for the quest, the delivery person is not able to reach anyone in the house by knocking and has to leave another delivery notification.

In the title text, {{w|Rivendell}} is one of the home of the elves. The broken shards of Narsil lived in Rivendell with {{w|Elrond}} and his elves. The title text is a reference to the limited hours that you can pick up your packages from UPS.

==Transcript==
:[The first panel is a UPS InfoNotice(r). Most of the text on it is just scribbles, though the company logo and header is clear.]

:[A person opens their door to see the InfoNotice(r). From off panel, a second person reacts.]
:Person: ''What!'' I've been here all day!
:Off-panel person 2: Huh?
:Person: They have my laptop.

:[Now both people are visible. The first is making an expansive gesture of annoyance.]
:Person 2: So get it tomorrow.
:Person: I fly out in the morning and they don't open till noon!
:Person 2: Sucks.

:[The first person is at a laptop. The second is once again off-panel.]
:Person: It's ''right there''. I can see the UPS building on the map.
:Off-panel person 2: Ok...

:[Dramatic zoom to the person's upper torso and face, along with clenched fist.]
:Person: My laptop is there. It's ''mine''.
:Person: I'm going to get it.

:[Even more dramatic zoom! The person's featureless face fills the panel.]
:Off-panel person 2: They won't let you.
:Person: Who are they to keep from me what is mine?
:Off-panel person 2: Dude, they—

:[The person spins, raising a finger, most likely to indicate some sort of quest at hand.]
:Person: A quest is at hand!
:Off-panel person 2: Security's gonna throw you out.
:Person: I fear neither death nor pain. But I will not go unarmed.

:(Three inset panels overlap, in a montage format. The person narrates.)
:[Elves in long robes stand around a table, on which lies a broken sword.]
:Narrating person: Light the beacons and send word to the Elves. They must reforge the sword of my fathers.

:[An Elf beats the sword together on an anvil.]

:[An Elf rides a horse, silhouetted by the full moon.]
:Narrating person: Ere dawn, I will go forth to the Sorting Depot.

:(The montage ends and normal panels resume.)
:[The Elf knocks at the door, sword in scabbard held under arm.]
:<<Knock knock knock knock>>

:[The person opens the door, to find a second InfoNotice(r) stuck on top of the first. The Elf is gone.]

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:LOTR]]

Talk:911: Magic School Bus

2013-07-25T13:45:26Z

Tryc:

They need to get on a bus just to access a computer? That's a pretty awful school. '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|#707|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 01:38, 17 April 2013 (UTC)
: All traditional computers have [[Wikipedia:Bus_(computing)|buses]]. [[User:Tryc|Tryc]] ([[User talk:Tryc|talk]]) 13:45, 25 July 2013 (UTC)

904: Sports

2013-07-25T13:21:58Z

Tryc: /* Added "six-sided", to "single die will give you any integer between 1 and 6", since we are including D&D which has many other types of dice, too */

{{comic
| number = 904
| date = May 27, 2011
| title = Sports
| image = sports.png
| titletext = Also, all financial analysis. And, more directly, D&D.
}}

==Explanation==
First, a random number generator is something that can give a person any number within a range of numbers. (Or, possibly, any number at all.) For example, a single six-sided die will give you any integer between 1 and 6 inclusive.

Second, with an unweighted random number generator each number that is possible has an equal chance of coming up. For example, on a single die there is usually an equal chance of getting a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6.

Third, a weighed random number generator is one where some numbers are more likely to come-up than others. For example, a weighted die might favor the 6 side more, and thus it will come-up more often.

This comic is referencing the fact that sports, all sports, generate numbers that are essentially random. The rules of the sport and the skill of the participants weighs the numbers toward certain outcomes. Every game produces a new batch of numbers: more home runs, more sacks, more passes, more shots, more hits, more misses, more goals. If the generator is weighted to favor a specific team in a specific game, that is discussed. Then the results of the game (more random numbers) are discussed. It's the discussion that is the narrative part. If a player breaks a record, that becomes part of the narrative. The number is random, but weighted because of player skill or the rules of the sport.

The title text applies this to financial/stock results/forecasts as well. And, most appropriately to {{w|Dungeons & Dragons}} (D&D), which is a game where most aspects of the game are determined by rolling dice of various numbers of sides and the numerical results are woven into a narrative by the {{w|Dungeon Master}}.

==Transcript==
:[Two commentators sit behind a desk.]
:Commentator 1: A weighted random number generator just produced a new batch of numbers.
:Commentator 2: Let's use them to build narratives!
:ALL SPORTS COMMENTARY

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Math]]

Talk:903: Extended Mind

2013-07-25T13:19:12Z

Tryc: /* What can we learn? */

Title text is true - unless you happen to stumble upon any one of: {{w|Fact}}, {{w|Proof (truth)}}, {{w|Evidence}}, or {{w|Truth}}. Then you'll be stranded in an eternal loop.
:What do you mean? {{w|Fact}} works fine, you get there in 7 steps. Proof gets you there in 6 - you go to {{w|Necessity and Sufficiency}} not {{w|Evidence}}. Same for {{w|Evidence}}. {{w|Truth}} leads you to {{w|Fact}}. So all of your examples actually work.
--[[User:T0IVI|T0IVI]] ([[User talk:T0IVI|talk]]) 09:27, 28 December 2012 (UTC)

Yeah, I hit a loop on the page Community. Went right from National community to Community again. {{unsigned|69.91.105.111}}

These infinite loops seem to be 'fixed', I went through fact and other stuff right to philosophy.{{unsigned|141.35.48.11}}

Another loop is "England". It goes right to "Countries of the United Kingdom" which returns immediately to England.

Finally we all end up in {{w|Reality}}. [[Special:Contributions/85.178.28.173|85.178.28.173]] 21:16, 29 May 2013 (UTC)

I do have to say that the best loop that doesn't feed to Philosophy is {{w|Sand Fence}} and {{w|Snow Fence}}. The first sentence of each article is identical except for switching the instances of sand and snow. --[[Special:Contributions/68.97.21.122|68.97.21.122]] 05:17, 6 July 2013 (UTC)

Randall is either mistaken or intentionally misinformative (or rather, politically correct) in his IQ estimates. What's a car hyperbole aside, the cluelessness, sentence length, and spelling of the outage-messages remind of a person in their low 90s-high 80s, if not lower, and Randall is clearly more than 120, (conservative) average for physics majors as it might be. [[Special:Contributions/178.42.101.38|178.42.101.38]] 20:08, 13 July 2013 (UTC)

==What can we learn?==
I've learned that memorizing facts is so yesteryear. Over next few years facts will be even easier to find, understand, use, reference and forget. When in school we should concentrate not on memorizing facts we can look up later, but rather new methods to think outside the box full of facts others placed inside it. (Thank you Mr. XKCD) - [[User:E-inspired|E-inspired]] ([[User talk:E-inspired|talk]]) 13:42, 28 February 2013 (UTC)
: That is true, but the overhead for looking something up versus remembering it is usually great enough that memorizing some things (multiplication tables come to mind) can increase the speed we can arrive at conclusions, or can give us other options (correlation between spark plug gapping and engine performance) that might not have come to mind otherwise. Outside of that, even though we forget much of it, having a vague sense of things (dates, locations/countries, etc) allow us to start out knowing at least something (order of things that occurred, Egypt being in Africa, Pythagorean theorem). This is just my opinion, and I may be biased, since I like facts. [[User:Tryc|Tryc]] ([[User talk:Tryc|talk]]) 13:19, 25 July 2013 (UTC)

Talk:890: Etymology

2013-07-23T16:45:31Z

Tryc:

It always bothered me how an independent gunslinger with no team of engineers or assistants has a faster ship than the entirety of the empire and all it's technical expertise. Where did he get his funding and kit from? '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|purple|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 10:09, 9 March 2013 (UTC)

The same place as the Falcon.... gambling with people like Lando? (Also Falconry, by whatever name, was practiced in Mesopotamia and by the Bedouin in arguably at least partially desert-planet-like areas. It's quite possible that the ancestral 'Falcons' or equivalent translator-microbe-referenced creatures originated ''on'' Tatooine. A long, long time later, in a galaxy (and planet) much, much less far away (basically, here... and now) our Earth falcons are at least one branch of descendents.) Now, no doubts "Millenium" refers to the Imperial (previously Republican) standard years, but it begs the question of what the length and nature of the Tattooine 'year' is, given it's a binary-star orbitter, eh? ;) [[Special:Contributions/178.99.81.144|178.99.81.144]] 16:51, 30 April 2013 (UTC)

He won the ship from Lando, that guy owned his own city. Military ships carry much more equipment and are less manoeuvrable. [[Special:Contributions/184.66.160.91|184.66.160.91]] 19:21, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
:Plus, most commercial and government ships have extra equipment for safety and reliability. If you take a car, strip everything out of it, and put a nitrous oxide injection system in it, it will be faster than any cop car. The cop car will be able to withstand an accident much better (they are often rated for 70-mph rear-end collisions) and will typically start every time the key is turned.
: Oh, and I think Lando did not yet run Cloud City when Han won the Falcon from him. I recall Han being surprised to find out Lando had won Cloud City, in The Empire Strikes Back. [[User:Tryc|Tryc]] ([[User talk:Tryc|talk]]) 16:45, 23 July 2013 (UTC)

Talk:854: Learning to Cook

2013-07-22T17:49:00Z

Tryc:

It only looks like I got takeout at Pizza Hut. I made this pizza! Legit! I made the box too! '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|#707|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 07:09, 17 April 2013 (UTC)
The current explanation is "a person who cannot cook and can't quite find the time to learn", but I interpreted this as someone who thinks they want to cook more, but ends up buying pre-made food often enough to cause the ingredients to go bad. Such as buying a loaf of bread, deli meat and toppings, making a sandwich (or sudoing someone else), but then eating at restaurants until discovering the bread has gone bad... I may be biased, though, since this is what usually happens to me. [[User:Tryc|Tryc]] ([[User talk:Tryc|talk]]) 17:49, 22 July 2013 (UTC)

Talk:734: Outbreak

2013-07-08T14:24:05Z

Tryc:

A romantic comedy in which the couple tries to hide evidence of the battered corpse while making out. Would pay to watch. '''[[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 13:22, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

cueball and megan? the text clearly name the characters as ryan and laura [[Special:Contributions/189.135.111.140|189.135.111.140]] 18:48, 17 April 2013 (UTC)

:# Cueball and Megan are acting in a movie.
:# In the transcript, Randall specifically names them as Cueball and Megan. :-) [[User:Saibot84|Saibot84]] ([[User talk:Saibot84|talk]]) 02:38, 18 May 2013 (UTC)

I love how Ryan is covering his face when he holds the door open. [[Special:Contributions/76.106.251.87|76.106.251.87]] 23:27, 20 April 2013 (UTC)
:I saw it as trying to plug his ear. Shotguns are loud, especially indoors.[[User:Tryc|Tryc]] ([[User talk:Tryc|talk]]) 14:24, 8 July 2013 (UTC)

Talk:717: Furtive

2013-07-05T17:58:08Z

Tryc:

Well, no, there is no mention of other stuff in the title, which is "Furtive". So, OK, thanks for helping out with the cultural refs but why this cartoon? Explain! [pretty please]{{unsigned ip|81.135.136.212}}
:I believe it is referring to how Gadget looks around for three frames. Definition #2 of [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/furtive Furtive] from [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Wiktionary:Main_Page Wiktionary] is "Exhibiting guilty or evasive secrecy". [[User:Tryc|Tryc]] ([[User talk:Tryc|talk]]) 17:58, 5 July 2013 (UTC)

Talk:664: Academia vs. Business

2013-07-03T20:57:13Z

Tryc:

I'm not convinced the problem solved in the comic panels is the fast inverse square root in the title text, as the academia panel implies that it impacts queuing theory, and I'm not sure what fast inv sqrt has to do with queuing theory. {{unsigned|204.89.186.1}}
:Agreed. Fast inv sqrt is clearly referenced in the title text, but the problem in the comic is something else. [[User:Alpha|Alpha]] ([[User talk:Alpha|talk]]) 01:18, 2 March 2013 (UTC)
::I think the example of fast inverse square is more about the bizarrely elegant simplicity of the solution, rather than something related to the solved problem in the comic. (If the above comments are about text that has since been changed, my apologies.)[[User:Tryc|Tryc]] ([[User talk:Tryc|talk]]) 20:57, 3 July 2013 (UTC)

If this ever happened to me, I would quietly release the solution under the GNU license. My getting fired (possibly) is totally worth the public technological progress highly into the future. [[User:Greyson|Greyson]] ([[User talk:Greyson|talk]]) 13:29, 14 March 2013 (UTC)

The explanation is an interesting contrast to my interpretation. The meaning I got was that in academia, this discovery, like any new discovery, is interesting; but in business, this discovery has little practical application (apart from finishing what he was doing) so his boss didn't think twice about it. Maybe I'm too cynical.--[[Special:Contributions/18.215.1.155|18.215.1.155]] 01:23, 13 May 2013 (UTC)

Talk:655: Climbing

2013-07-03T19:40:05Z

Tryc: Created page with "Apart from the fact that it could be obvious from the background, many of the portable versions of these walls are mounted on trailers and designed to lay horizontally for tra..."

Apart from the fact that it could be obvious from the background, many of the portable versions of these walls are mounted on trailers and designed to lay horizontally for transportation (as opposed to having to be disassembled). With a bit of quicktalk or an attendant who has a sense of humor, this would be easy to do. Of course, the title text makes it seem like that was not what Cueball had done. [[User:Tryc|Tryc]] ([[User talk:Tryc|talk]]) 19:40, 3 July 2013 (UTC)

644: Surgery

2013-07-03T15:19:33Z

Tryc: /* grammer--changing "couldn't run Vista neither" (double negative) to could neither run Vista" */

{{comic
| number = 644
| date = October 2, 2009
| title = Surgery
| image = surgery.png
| titletext = Damn. Not only did he not install it, he sutured a 'Vista-Ready' sticker onto my arm.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Linux}} is an {{w|open source}} kernel for an operating system. Linux is notorious for its less-than-perfect support for hardware, although support for most hardware is eventually patched into the official kernel release. [[Cueball]] is here under the impression that support for a USB port can be patched into his brain in a similar fashion to how hardware support can be added to the Linux kernel.

The "{{w|Windows Vista|Vista}}-Ready" sticker in the title text is a humourus indication from the doctor that the patient is "advanced enough" to have Windows Vista installed. The irony is multilayered. There was a [http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Vista-Capable-lawsuit-against-Microsoft-now-a-1265319.php lawsuit against Microsoft] about promoting not-so-capable computers as "Windows Vista Capable"; they could neither run Vista fully nor smoothly. On top of that, the typical Linux user would not be very enthusiastic about Windows at all; someone who runs Linux has actively chosen an alternative operating system.

==Transcript==
:[A surgeon is standing over a patient on a gurney.]
:Patient: While you're doing the surgery, can you also implant this in my arm?

:Surgeon: A USB port?
:Patient: Just wire it up to some nerves.

:Surgeon: ...This won't let your brain control USB devices, you know.
:Patient: Sure -- I just want the hardware.

:Patient: The rest is software; I'm sure there will be a project to patch together support eventually.
:Surgeon: Ah -- you're a Linux user, I see.
:Patient: Yeah, how'd you know?
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Linux]]

561: Well

2013-07-01T14:04:39Z

Tryc: /* changing word order -- "due to poor..." -- since it read like Fox cancelled the series because they showed the episodes out of order, instead of Fox cancelling it because showing the episodes out of order resulted in poor ratings */

{{comic
| number = 561
| date = March 27, 2009
| title = Well
| image = well.png
| imagesize =
| titletext = I'll concede ergonomics anecdotally, but none of the studies of Dvorak were at all rigorous (the most-cited Navy study was overseen by Dvorak himself). And the 'slow typists down' thing is a myth. Also EMACS RULES VI DROOLS WOOOOOOO!
}}

==Explanation==
Uncomfortable truths are truths that exist, but no one wants to have to think about.

The first is about {{w|Firefly (TV Series)|Firefly}} the TV series created by {{w|Joss Whedon}} and canceled by {{w|FOX}}, due to poor ratings performance, after airing airing the first 13 episodes out-of-order. In Firefly, the main languages spoken are English and Chinese (in equal measure), because apparently between the present day and the events of Firefly Chinese society took over the whole of humanity. However, there are [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HumansAreWhite very few actual Asians] on-screen.

Dr. {{w|August Dvorak}} introduced the Dvorak keyboard layout in 1936 that is supposed to be far superior to the QWERTY keyboard layout. However, Dvorak has not replaced QWERTY, despite it being "better".

The title text perpetuates the Emacs vs. vi {{w|Editor war|debate}}.

All comics in the [[:Category:Well|Well]] series:
*[[561: Well]]
*[[568: Well 2]]

==Transcript==
[A sign sits by a well]

Sign: The Uncomfortable Truths Well

[A guy and a girl are lined up for the well; the guy throws a coin in]

Well: For a universe that's supposed to be half Chinese, Firefly sure doesn't have any Asians.

[The guy is gone, a couple arrives behind the girl from the previous pane; the girl throws a coin in]

Well: There's no solid evidence DVORAK's better than QWERTY. The standard histories are urban legends.

[Just the couple remain; the boyfriend throws another coin in]

Well: You've never said "I love you" and meant it. It was always just words.

[The girlfriend now throws in a coin]

Well: You meant it every time.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Sarcasm]]
[[Category:Romance]]
[[Category:Firefly]]
[[Category:Well]]

Talk:532: Piano

2013-06-28T15:20:10Z

Tryc:

Maybe I'm wrong here, but by looking at the size of the piano compared with Cueball and having read the title text, I wonder if the joke might be that he wished for a 4-5 inch penis instead? I wasn't sure enoough to go ahead an change it though.{{unsigned|Athang}}
: If you look at the piano compared to Cueball's forearm plus hand, they are approximately the same length. Considering how the average male human is slightly shorter in height (1.7 m) than a grand piano is long (2 m), a to-scale pianist would be slightly shorter than Cueball's forearm. The average length of a 1.7 m tall person's forearm plus hand is about 47 cm, so the pianist would need to be about 40 cm. (1.7:2 = 0.85 ratio. 47 cm * 0.85 = 40 cm.) 40 cm is almost 16 inches. In [[526: Converting to Metric]], 14 cm is labeled "penis", and according to the {{w|Kinsey Institute}}, the largest medically recorded was 13.5 inches (34 cm).

:Alternatively, the title text might have been saying "Good thing [the genie] didn't make [his penis] smaller [than it was before?], or [his penis would] need someone three inches tall to play [with] it." [[User:Tryc|Tryc]] ([[User talk:Tryc|talk]]) 15:20, 28 June 2013 (UTC)

Talk:350: Network

2013-06-20T20:10:38Z

Tryc:

I'm just going to say it if your going to infect them anyway and not update them why would you need to get licenses legally. okies i said what we're all thinking byesies[[Special:Contributions/24.2.26.20|24.2.26.20]] 20:06, 14 May 2013 (UTC)
: License are not for the updates. Licenses are to not be committing copyright violation, and thus to be legal. --[[User:Divad27182|Divad27182]] ([[User talk:Divad27182|talk]]) 16:41, 5 June 2013 (UTC)
I believe Microsoft's MSDN licenses allow for setting up development/testing environments, and would be what I might use if I was setting something like this up for personal reasons, but still had enough money to buy a 103" flat-panel display... [[User:Tryc|Tryc]] ([[User talk:Tryc|talk]]) 20:10, 20 June 2013 (UTC)

332: Gyroscopes

2013-06-20T19:19:38Z

Tryc: /* added wikipedia link for precession, changed wording in last sentence ("did cause" to "caused", etc) */

{{comic
| number = 332
| date = October 22, 2007
| title = Gyroscopes
| image = gyroscopes.png
| titletext = We didn't actually land on the moon -- it just looked like we did because of precession. Also, gyroscopes caused 9 11.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Descriptive, not explanatory.}}
[[Cueball]] is playing with a {{w|Gyroscope}} what makes fun to him. Even when he did understand how this momentum should work he likes to play with it. And at the end the Gyroscope is talking to him.

At the title text [[Randall]] is claiming mankind did not land on the moon because of lack of {{w|precession}}. Meaning that the Gyroscopes did turn in a weird way. This is referring to all this stupid {{w|Moon landing conspiracy theories}}. But on the other hand, Gyroscopes caused the 9/11 incident by helping the planes hit their targets accurately.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball at desk with Gyroscope.]
:Cueball: Despite years of studying physics, I still find gyroscopes a little freaky.
:[Cueball starts gyroscope with a zzzzip.]
:[Gyroscope spins with a zzzzzz.]
:[Gyroscope lifts into the air.]
:Gyroscope: Greetings, Human.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Physics]]

320: 28-Hour Day

2013-06-20T16:53:32Z

Tryc: /* adding wikipedia link for Small/Fine Print */

{{comic
| number = 320
| date = September 24, 2007
| title = 28-Hour Day
| image = 28_hour_day.png
| titletext = Small print: this schedule will eventually drive one stark raving mad.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}
The 28-Hour Day is a modified sleep schedule proposed to accommodate the discrepancy between the earth's day-night cycle and certain people's preferred sleep schedules. It discards the traditional notion of sleeping at night and replaces it with sleeping when it is more convenient for weekend parties and mid-week insomnia.

The second person shows little interest in this idea, and instead resorts to low-quality "your mom" jokes. The first person successfully slays this with his last line.

The title-text uses "{{w|Fine_Print|Small print}}" to mean "Disclaimer" and relieves the idea's creator of any responsibility in the case that it is tried and the tester finds the schedule to be a really bad idea.

{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Schedule'''
|-
|Wake
|Sleep
|-
|Sunday
|10 AM
|-
|6 PM
|2 PM
|-
|10 PM
|6 PM
|-
|2 AM
|10 AM
|-
|6 AM
|2 AM
|-
|10 PM
|6 AM
|-
|2 PM
|Saturday
|}

==Transcript==
:[There is a diagram which shows the hours in a week. It has sections labelled "bed" and below has sections labeled "night." They do not line up.]
:[Two men are talking together.]
:Cueball: You have trouble sleeping right?
:Friend: Only when your mom is over.
:[Cueball is now pointing to a chart.]
:Cueball: Since your work is flexible-
:Friend: -Like your mom-
:Cueball: -you should try the 28-hour day - 20 awake, 8 asleep (or 19/9 if you prefer).
:Friend: I prefer your mom.
:Cueball: It synchs up with the week - you spend weekdays awake normally, then on weekends you can go out all night.
:Friend: Just like your mom.
:Cueball: It means four extra hours daily. You can stay up until you're exhausted every day and then spend a full 9 hours asleep each night!
:Friend: But how much time can I spend doing your mom?
:Cueball: You? I'm guessing three or four minutes, tops.
:Friend: ...Well played.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

Talk:319: Engineering Hubris

2013-06-20T16:46:55Z

Tryc: Created page with "Should there be an explanation for the phrase "tyranny of Murphy is the penalty for hubris"? There is a simple definition of Murphy's Law, but, while poetic, it might be diff..."

Should there be an explanation for the phrase "tyranny of Murphy is the penalty for hubris"? There is a simple definition of Murphy's Law, but, while poetic, it might be difficult for those who do not speak English as well to understand the allusion, and this sentence seems to be an important part of the comic. The "tyranny of Murphy" would be the harsh justice of "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong", and it would be the punishment for someone who was too confident. In other words, while Wile E. Coyote seemed to fail due to his own incompetence, if the narrator were to try and catch the Roadrunner, the narrator would be doomed (perhaps by Murphy's Law) to fail as well. I am not making an edit, since I might be overestimating how difficult it is to interpret. [[User:Tryc|Tryc]] ([[User talk:Tryc|talk]]) 16:46, 20 June 2013 (UTC)

Talk:310: Commitment

2013-06-20T15:56:02Z

Tryc:

This is my greatest fear.{{unsigned ip|69.91.105.111 | 00:15, 6 May 2013‎ (UTC)}}
Totally agree --[[User:SergioCastanneda|SergioCastanneda]] ([[User talk:SergioCastanneda|talk]]) 21:48, 24 May 2013 (UTC)

I disagree with the last sentence of the explanation. I think it was not Cueball that was the "last guy in that situation". I think it is Cueball or someone else observing Cueball, and making a comment about a previous person. [[User:Tryc|Tryc]] ([[User talk:Tryc|talk]]) 15:56, 20 June 2013 (UTC)

304: Nighttime Stories

2013-06-19T18:58:23Z

Tryc: /* adding links to wikipedia for Card, series and books */

{{comic
| number = 304
| date = August 17, 2007
| title = Nighttime Stories
| image = nighttime_stories.jpg
| titletext = Cue angry letters from all seven fans of Xenocide.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic shows [[Cueball]] who observes [[Megan]] walking around at midnight reading a book that he can't see. After wondering what book she's reading, he leaves his apartment to ask her. It is revealed that she is reading {{w|Orson Scott Card}}'s book {{w|Xenocide}}, the third book in the {{w|Ender's Game series}} behind {{w|Ender's Game}} and {{w|Speaker for the Dead}}. Xenocide is widely regarded by fans as one of the weakest books in the series, while Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead received extreme positive praise. When he discovers that she likes Xenocide more than the other two books, he instantly withdraws to his apartment, his opinion of her shattered. The joke is that Xenocide is so bad that he can't be with anyone who considers it a good book.

The title text pokes further fun at Xenocide by saying that there are only seven people in the world who like Xenocide, a pathetically small number.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball sitting in an armchair in a darkened room, behind him a bookshelf and an open window. Megan is seen outside reading a book by an eerie glow.]
:For a few weeks now, sometime past midnight, a girl has wandered past my apartment reading by flashlight.
:[Outside, Megan walking down the street passing under a street lamp.]
:I wonder why shes up so late.
:Maybe shes restless
:Like me.
:I wonder what story shes wrapped up in.
:I wonder if she lets anyone into that island of light.
:[Cueball sitting in dark room.]
:[Dark room minus Cueball.]
:[Cueball standing on his doorstep at the top of a small flight of stairs, near the bottom of which Megan has stopped, no longer reading.]
:Cueball: Hi! What are you reading?
:Megan: Orson Scott Card's 'Xenocide.' It's my favorite in the series!
:[The same, only Cueball looks more dejected.]
:Cueball: Wait, you like it more than Speaker for the Dead OR Ender's Game?
:Megan: Yeah!
:[The same, only man has withdrawn.]
:[Cueball back sitting in the chair within dark apartment.]
:And to think I loved her.
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Romance]]

296: Tony Hawk

2013-06-19T18:40:22Z

Tryc: /* added wikipedia link for PSP */

{{comic
| number = 296
| date = July 30, 2007
| title = Tony Hawk
| image = tony_hawk.png
| titletext = Bad idea #271: Dropping into the half-pipe on a Segway.
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic [[Cueball]] is seen using a {{w|PlayStation_Portable|PSP}}, a hand-held game system, while on a skateboard. He is playing one of the many Tony Hawk titles in which you control a skater and perform tricks to gain points and achievements. While playing the game on his PSP, he wants to simultaneously perform the trick in real life both because it is exceptionally difficult to do both and because the game will give him praise when he does a trick successfully.

The title suggests adding another item to the bad idea list, going into a half pipe with a Segway. Since a Segway uses a gyroscope to keep you balanced, trying to "drop into a half-pipe" while using one will likely violently fling the rider back into the upright position probably hurting them against the side of the half pipe as well as possibly damaging the Segway itself. Since it's being added to the list, it's also likely that Cueball tried this at some point in time.

==Transcript==
:My Hobby:
:Doing skateboard tricks in ''Tony Hawk'' while also doing them in real life.
:[Cueball moves towards a quarter pipe on his skateboard while manipulating his PSP.]
:''Beep''
:''Click''
:''Beep''

:[Cueball is in mid air having performed a Frontside 360°, both literally and on the PSP.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Video games]]
[[Category:My Hobby]]

Talk:258: Conspiracy Theories

2013-06-19T14:44:28Z

Tryc: Created page with "I have an alternate interpretation of the last panel: instead of Randall using the concept of religion as a conspiracy theory, Cueball clearly believes in a god that exists an..."

I have an alternate interpretation of the last panel: instead of Randall using the concept of religion as a conspiracy theory, Cueball clearly believes in a god that exists and this god answers when directly addressed. The existing paragraph's explanation seems to bypass most of the humor in favor of the irony in the religion-conspiracy link. Each time I see this comic, I view the last panel as Cueball (who I would expect to participate in user-driven software quality assurance) legitimately contacting the author/creator (of the universe/Earth/Humanity) to submit a bug report in the same way he would contact the Firefox developers about a bug in their browser. However, it does stand to reason that Randall could have intended both the in-place joke and the external irony.[[User:Tryc|Tryc]] ([[User talk:Tryc|talk]]) 14:44, 19 June 2013 (UTC)

227: Color Codes

2013-06-18T18:16:44Z

Tryc: /* added a sentence explaining Dial-A-Song and a Wikipedia link */

{{comic
| number = 227
| date = February 23, 2007
| title = Color Codes
| image = color_codes.png
| titletext = It's the TMBG Dial-a-Song line, to save you some time.
}}

==Explanation==
Resistors are an electronic component carrying color-coded bands indicating their value (measured in Ohms) and tolerance (e.g. 5%).

TMBG are "They Might Be Giants" popular beat combo responsible for toe-tapping chart-topping "Birdhouse In Your Soul". At one point, they recorded individual songs on an answering machine, and advertised the phone number so people could call and listen to the song on the machine. Hence, {{w|They_Might_Be_Giants#Dial-A-Song|Dial-A-Song}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball talks to a friend at a desk littered with objects]
:Cueball: Hey, what's your cell number?
:Friend: (Violet Brown Gray) - Uh, I mean, (718)-387-6962.
:Cueball: Okay, you are putting down those resistors and going outside for a while.
:Friend: That's probably a good idea.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Physics]]

Talk:218: Nintendo Surgeon

2013-06-18T15:10:49Z

Tryc: Created page with "Was the NES really "notorious for glitching games upon start-up"? I always thought it was usually after the game cartridges had been around long enough to have attracted enou..."

Was the NES really "notorious for glitching games upon start-up"? I always thought it was usually after the game cartridges had been around long enough to have attracted enough dust and dirt on the contacts to prevent proper electrical connection. Since the NES cartridges were basically a circuit board in a plastic case, with one end exposed for the edge connectors, dirty contacts could effectively add resistance to the circuits. Blowing on the contacts would displace the dirt. It would be possible to use rubbing alcohol or something similar, but many 10-year-olds would not have alcohol handy, plus the alcohol could leave a residue attracting more dirt in the future. [[User:Tryc|Tryc]] ([[User talk:Tryc|talk]]) 15:10, 18 June 2013 (UTC)

213: Ghostbusters Marathon

2013-06-18T14:53:02Z

Tryc: /* added a link for Rubicon, since it is a noteworth concept, but outside of the scope of this explanation */

{{comic
| number = 213
| date = January 22, 2007
| title = Ghostbusters Marathon
| image = ghostbusters marathon.png
| titletext = If you walk out that door you'll be crossing the Rubicon with me, and that's one stream I'm not ready to cross.
}}

==Explanation==
''{{w|Ghostbusters}}'' is a 1984 supernatural comedy film that spawned a sequel and two {{w|The Real Ghostbusters|animated television series}} (the {{w|Extreme Ghostbusters|latter}} of which lasted less than a season, didn't feature the same cast of titular Ghostbusters, and therefore is probably being pointedly ignored). The box, a "containment unit" which is a device used in the film to capture ghosts, is connected to a footswitch by a cable. The man trying to leave is about to be pulled into the box and held against his will indefinitely.

The title text refers to Julius Caesar's crossing of the {{w|Rubicon#History|Rubicon}}, a river (or very large stream) that marked a border Caesar was ordered not to cross. He did so anyway, and the phrase "crossing the Rubicon" now means making a move with gigantic consequences that cannot be undone. In the film ''Ghostbusters'', the protagonists use "proton packs" that fire "streams" of energy. The inventor of the device warns that these streams should not be crossed against each other, as doing so could destroy the world.

==Transcript==
:[Two people are in a room. One is standing up. There is litter around them.]
:Cueball: Okay, that's all the Ghostbusters marathon I can handle. Later!
:Friend: You can't leave! We just started the animated series!

:Cueball: I've had my fill. I'm going home.
:Friend: I can't let you do that.

:[Cueball walks along a cord, and past a box. The friend clicks a switch.]
:''Click''

:[Cueball is bathed in some kind of aura emitted by the box.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

Talk:157: Filler Art

2013-06-17T14:22:01Z

Tryc:

What IS thigh rotation? Is this a thing or just another joke on thighs? [[Special:Contributions/35.13.221.137|35.13.221.137]] 18:23, 9 December 2012 (UTC)NariOX

:It's just a joke. You can't get your thighs rotated (a parody of getting the tires of your car rotated), at least not in the United States. [[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]])

:Given the general topic, and xkcd's penchant for math, "phi" is sometimes used to describe rotation, I believe. I think it is around the vertical axis, at least in some 3D modeling software. It is a stretch, but thigh and phi sound similar. [[User:Tryc|Tryc]] ([[User talk:Tryc|talk]]) 14:22, 17 June 2013 (UTC)

Talk:119: Worst Band Name Ever

2013-06-14T13:04:57Z

Tryc:

What about hitchslapper? '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|purple|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 11:01, 8 March 2013 (UTC)

What indicates there is no audience? "...the name 'Hedgeclipper' as the reason why the band has no audience..." I read it as the other members or a promoter/manager decided on a band name for a battle-of-the-bands, open mic, or other venue with multiple acts, and told the announcer, but an audience might still be there. [[User:Tryc|Tryc]] ([[User talk:Tryc|talk]]) 13:04, 14 June 2013 (UTC)

Talk:87: Velociraptors

2013-06-13T17:33:08Z

Tryc:

I know the knowledge of dinosaurs is growing and changing daily. Was it widely understood that Velociraptors were feathers back in the early 1990s? [[User:Tryc|Tryc]] ([[User talk:Tryc|talk]]) 17:33, 13 June 2013 (UTC)

Talk:87: Velociraptors

2013-06-13T17:17:57Z

Tryc: Created page with "I know the knowledge of dinosaurs is growing and changing daily. Was it widely understood that Velociraptors were feathers back in the early 1990s?"

I know the knowledge of dinosaurs is growing and changing daily. Was it widely understood that Velociraptors were feathers back in the early 1990s?

Talk:83: Katamari

2013-06-13T14:55:23Z

Tryc: Created page with "I do not know if Randall was the first to come up with this idea, and King of Cosmos' comment in the Alt-Text, but it is one of my favorite remarks about Katamari. ~~~~"

I do not know if Randall was the first to come up with this idea, and King of Cosmos' comment in the Alt-Text, but it is one of my favorite remarks about Katamari. [[User:Tryc|Tryc]] ([[User talk:Tryc|talk]]) 14:55, 13 June 2013 (UTC)

284: Tape Measure

2013-06-11T22:05:50Z

Tryc: /* I edited for grammar (removed "did" in "Nasa did lost", changed "did work" to "worked", etc) and added a few commas for clarity. Since this was my first edit here, I tried not to change content. */

{{comic
| number = 284
| date = July 02, 2007
| title = Tape Measure
| image = tape_measure.png
| titletext = This sequence was later reproduced in the International Tape-Extending Federation archives, retitled 'The Founding of the Sport'.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}
At this comic [[Cueball]] acts like a small boy, finding something and then playing with it. Also the title text is showing that he is dreaming for a big sports career like many (or maybe all) young boys do.

Since [[Randall]] worked at {{w|Nasa}} in the past, that "Eight feet" should be "2.4384 meters" or approx. 2.5 meters by using the {{w|Metric system}}. In 1999 Nasa lost the {{w|Mars Climate Orbiter}} because of a mix up with {{w|United States customary units}} and metric units.

Most countries are using the metric system, but the US and the UK are still on miles, feet, gallons... and this still causes confusion in international conversations.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball finds a tape measure.]
:Cueball: Hey, a tape measure!
:[Cueball extends the tape measure.]
:''extend extend''
:[The tape measure falls.]
:''clatter''
:[Cueball tries again.]
:''extend''
:Cueball: Eight feet! I wonder if that's a world record?
:[Cueball imagines ... In an olympic stadium.]
:Audience: Go! Go! Gooooo!

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]