https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=162.158.154.83&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-28T22:06:16ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=133:_The_Raven&diff=323287133: The Raven2023-09-05T14:01:04Z<p>162.158.154.83: /* Transcript */ Capitalization.</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 133<br />
| date = July 26, 2006<br />
| title = The Raven<br />
| image = the_raven.jpg<br />
| titletext = Yes, Eminem is wearing a sleeveless hoodie. What of it?<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
The comic's title is a reference to the well-known poem {{w|The Raven}} by {{w|Edgar Allan Poe}}, one of the most popular pieces of poetry in the English language. The comic quotes the first four lines of the work, in which the {{w|poetic persona}} perceives a strange knocking on his door in the middle of the night. Unlike the original, the comic reveals the nocturnal visitor to be the rapper {{w|Eminem}}.<br />
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This unexpected turn reflects the ambiguity of the verb "to rap" in English. According to the [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rap Merriam-Webster Dictionary], the word was used in the original sense of "to strike" as early as the 14th century. The meaning of the word was later extended to "talking freely and frankly." In this purport, it was especially employed by the {{w|Black rights movement}} during the 1960s (cp. for example the nom de guerre of {{w|H. Rap Brown}}). The {{w|hip-hop}} subculture, which had its roots in the aforementioned movement, finally adopted the term in the sense of "rhythmic speaking or chanting." Today, the word is almost exclusively used with the latter meaning.<br />
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It is thus implied that the poetic persona in the comic hears Eminem performing a rap song, rather than someone knocking on the door as in the original. Note also that rap music is usually considered fairly aggressive, which seems to contradict the poem's description of a "gentle" sound.<br />
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Beyond a linguistic interpretation of the comic, it may be added that rap music and poetry bear a lot of similarities: Some of the more advanced rap lyrics feature classical {{w|stylistic device|stylistic devices}} like alliterations or inline rhymes as well as a more or less complex metrical structure. The {{w|metre (poetry)|metre}} of a classical poem, on the other hand, gives the piece a distinct, almost musical rhythm, albeit it is not accompanied by any instruments. {{w|Nerdcore}} rapper {{w|MC Lars}} has recorded a rap version of the poem (with some additional lyrics and modern references added) called 'Mr. Raven,' which can be heard [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3z4mY5Xvr8 here]. (For a comparison between the verbal capabilities of Edgar Allan Poe and Eminem, see [http://thequietus.com/articles/04918-the-curious-similarities-betwixt-edgar-allan-poe-the-rapper-eminem this article].)<br />
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"The Raven" is heavily {{w|The Raven in popular culture|referenced}} in popular culture. Interestingly enough, the webcomic [http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=805 Dinosaur Comics] had a reference to Edgar Allan Poe three weeks before the xkcd comic was published. There is also a [http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2011/04/13 Penny Arcade] version of the "Raven" trope.<br />
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The title text, besides defending the graphic style of the drawing, also lampshades at the somewhat peculiar taste of fashion found in the hip-hop subculture. In the picture, Eminem wears a sleeveless hoodie. While the aesthetic value of such garment might be disputed, it certainly defeats the purpose of keeping its bearer warm.<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
:Once upon a midnight dreary<br />
:While I pondered, weak and weary,<br />
:Over many a quaint and curious<br />
:Volume of forgotten lore<br />
:While I nodded, nearly napping,<br />
:Suddenly there came a tapping<br />
:As if someone gently rapping<br />
:Rapping at my chamber door...<br />
:[A door opens, revealing Eminem wearing a hoodie.]<br />
:''click''<br />
:''creak''<br />
:Eminem: Yo.<br />
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==Trivia==<br />
*The fourth line of the original poem ("As of some one gently rapping") is misquoted in the seventh line of the comic ("As ''if someone'' gently rapping"); the punctuation in the comic also varies from the original poem.<br />
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{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]<br />
[[Category:Language]]</div>162.158.154.83https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2391:_Life_Before_the_Pandemic&diff=2024032391: Life Before the Pandemic2020-11-27T15:59:40Z<p>162.158.154.83: /* Indoor Fireworks */</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2391<br />
| date = November 27, 2020<br />
| title = Life Before the Pandemic<br />
| image = life_before_the_pandemic.png<br />
| titletext = I can't wait until this is all over and I can go back to riding my horse through the mall.<br />
}}<br />
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==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a STUPID CLAW. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
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This is another comic in xkcd's [[:Category:COVID-19|series of comics]] about the COVID-19 pandemic. [[Megan]] and [[Cueball]] are having a conversation about life before the pandemic, which was declared as such on the 11th of March, 2020 by the World Health Organization. They talk about what they miss about life before the pandemic, but Cueball says that he can barely remember it, which is born out by the rest of their discussion, as none of the activities they list were ever popular in any capacity. After they finish reminiscing, Megan says that she can't wait for a vaccine, further implying that she she can't wait to have all of these things "back." Both Pfizer and Moderna are making vaccines, with Pfizer making their application for emergency use on November 20th, 2020, 7 days before this comic's release. It is expected to be approved for use by the end of the year. <br />
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===SCUBA diving without a mask===<br />
SCUBA stands for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. It consists of a tank of compressed air, which is conducted through a tube to a mask which allows the diver to breath underwater. The mask is a fundamental part of SCUBA diving. Cloth masks, to help lower the spread of the virus between people, became common around the and are recommended precaution when going into public. Megan is conflating these two different types of masks, misremembering a world where SCUBA diving did not have masks involved. You do not need to wear a cloth mask if you are SCUBA diving.<br />
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===Free refills at Gas Stations===<br />
Gas Stations are locations where you can buy gasoline, which powers internal combustion engines, especially those in cars. A "free refill," in this context, likely refers to getting the gas tank of your car filled for free, which was not a business practice that was ever common, and is the joke of this section. However, many gas stations also have a small convenience shop that accompanies them, where you can buy food, drinks, and can use the restroom. "Free refills" could refer to getting a free refill of a type of soft drink, which has happened in gas stations, but is not consistent with the theme of the comic. <br />
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===Grilling in the Library===<br />
Grilling general poses a significant fire hazard and is thus typically not allowed in doors, especially in libraries.<br />
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===Tennis without a "safety" net===<br />
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{{w|Tennis}} is a sport where two players use racquets to hit a ball at each other. The game is played on a court divided in half by a low net. The net is not used for anyone's safety; it's to ensure that the ball must be volleyed to the other player with some minimum height. Megan seems to believe that the net is there to ensure that the players stay on opposite sides of the net, in order to lower the spread of the virus.<br />
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===Indoor Fireworks===<br />
Many indoor activities were moved outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic, as poorly-ventilated indoor spaces vastly increase the chance of the virus spreading. Fireworks are explosives shot into the air for entertainment, they are not suitable for use indoors.<br />
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Setting off fireworks indoors is not safe, even before the pandemic.{{Citation needed}} However, there are specially designed indoor fireworks.<br />
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===Arcade Claw Machines===<br />
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Arcade claw machines have a bin of prizes (often stuffed animals) with a claw mechanism hanging overhead. The player pays a few coins into the machine and maneuvers the claw over a desired prize. The claw will descend and "attempt" to grab the prize for retrieval, but to ensure a favorable revenue for the machine operator, there is often a hidden percentage chance that the claw will not fully close. This is a frustrating experience for the player (e.g. Cueball). Remote manipulator arms are used for handling dangerous items, but the arcade claw machine was not implemented for the purpose of safety.<br />
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===Title Text: Riding a Horse through the Mall===<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:[Megan and Cueball are having a conversation]<br />
:Megan: What do you miss most about life before the Pandemic?<br />
:Cueball: I can barely remember it.<br />
<br />
:Megan: I miss going SCUBA diving without having to wear a mask.<br />
:Cueball: I miss free refills at gas stations.<br />
:Megan: I miss grilling in the Library. <br />
<br />
:[Close-up on Megan, Cueball's voice comes from off-panel, to the right.]<br />
:Megan: I miss when tennis players didn't have to have that safety net between them. <br />
:Cueball: I miss indoor fireworks.<br />
<br />
:[Return to seeing them both, they are now walking to the right while talking]<br />
:Megan: I miss when arcades let you take toys from the bin with your hand instead of using that stupid claw.<br />
:Cueball: Ugh, I hate that thing. <br />
:Megan: I can't wait for a vaccine. <br />
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{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:COVID-19]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]</div>162.158.154.83https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2388:_Viral_Quiz_Identity_Theft&diff=202201Talk:2388: Viral Quiz Identity Theft2020-11-21T15:21:27Z<p>162.158.154.83: </p>
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<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
I was going to add in the old, old example of constructing your 'pornstar name' of first pet's name and (road you grew up on|mother's maiden name), but I see there's no real agreement which of the latter it is when I wanted to get it straight for editing in. MMN is probably better for "security question" purposes, but it predates The Eternal September anyway, before which it was more a party-thing rather than a security threat against BBS/Usenet/mailing-list users. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.132|162.158.159.132]] 00:57, 21 November 2020 (UTC) (a.k.a. Frazier Derwent)<br />
: I briefly googled 'eternal september' and found it was a date when internet dialogue was swamped by new users. How did this relate to security questions? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.248|108.162.219.248]] 12:08, 21 November 2020 (UTC)<br />
:: It's a reasonable lower limit on when internet commerce became 'a thing' (and a large enough pool of potential marks, with everyday household access and not institution/corporate, to make it a profitable scattergun tactic). Though I'd have said a little bit later myself, there was no such obvious spike in potentially naive users as lucrative targets such as online banking started to be a thing. (And attack vectors tended towards things like malware-based login-scrapers in that era, in my experience.) Prior to then, though, any spear-phishing (not yet known by that name) would have been unlikely to have been achieved through the Porn-name Game, online, though perhaps it'll have been taken advantage of if brought up as an entertainment/ice-breaker at a physical social gathering, for traditional 'meatspace' fraud and personation crime, opportunistically. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.83|162.158.154.83]] 15:21, 21 November 2020 (UTC)<br />
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Hairy tries to do something only to find that Black Hat did it far more efficiently - https://xkcd.com/1027/</div>162.158.154.83