text:
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Comic 682: Gag Me with a Spoon
Oh fuckity mcfuckshit, guys. I have been having heart palpitations all day, so I am really not in the mood to discuss this comic. That's right, this xkcd literally broke my heart.
OK, not really. I did kind of luck out in the respect that I'm a Star Wars nerd. Still, wow, what a crock of shit. I guess I should be all like "GOOMH, Randy!!! I totally watched Star Wars on TV during the holidays, too!" I went over to the forums to see if that's what his fans are doing, and instead got treated to a discussion of Darth Vader and Padme masturbation and god fucking DAMN IT.
Let's cut to the fucking chase here. Why the hell is Vader so tiny? Darth Vader was 6'8". He towered over most anyone. That was a big part of what made him so intimidating-- he wasn't just a dude in a crazy armored suit(stormtroopers had suits, too,) he was a dude in a HUGE armored suit. Observe the following:
Now look at xkcd-Vader flipped to compare him to the paramedics:
Handwave away the shitty art all you want, but to me a big part of the humor in the idea of Vader erotically force-choking himself to death is the fact that he's such a powerful, bad ass dude. Drawing him so that he looks like a skinny midget really spoils the joke.
The joke was also diminished for me by this little fact: When Anakin falls onto the lava during his duel with Obi-Wan on Mustafar, his lungs were seared. Part of the reason he wears the suit is because he can't fucking breathe without it. Maybe I'm way off-base here, but it doesn't seem likely to me that someone who is essentially living in a giant iron lung would be attracted to the idea of auto-erotic asphyxiation. I'll admit that's extremely pedantic and nitpicky of me, but considering xkcd's target audience is exactly the sort of folks who would be pedantic and nitpicky about Star Wars stuff, I think it's worth pointing out.
I think Carl is back to posting on Friday's comic, so Happy New Year's, bitches, and perhaps I'll sneak a little hamster action onto the blog in the next few days.
108 comments:
- AnonymousDecember 30, 2009 at 5:45 PM
I liked it, for a change. At least there _was_ a joke. /qyfReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 30, 2009 at 6:05 PM
I like how the stick on the left apparently has a broken leg.ReplyDelete
Also, I figured the stretcher was too short for Vader and so they doubled his legs back under him, so what we thought was his feet is actually... well, this is polite company, is it not?
The comic tried to do things SMBC-style, but the minimalism just doesn't work here. Cute, but I didn't find it particularly funny... Just kinda gross.ReplyDelete
He was so small I didn't even consider that it was actually Darth Vader. I figured it was some cosplaying little kid pervert.ReplyDelete
The joke was also diminished for me by this little fact: When Anakin falls onto the lava during his duel with Obi-Wan on Mustafar, his lungs were seared. Part of the reason he wears the suit is because he can't fucking breathe without it. Maybe I'm way off-base here, but it doesn't seem likely to me that someone who is essentially living in a giant iron lung would be attracted to the idea of auto-erotic asphyxiation. I'll admit that's extremely pedantic and nitpicky of me, but considering xkcd's target audience is exactly the sort of folks who would be pedantic and nitpicky about Star Wars stuff, I think it's worth pointing out.ReplyDelete
Wow, that didn't even occur to me. Good point.
I was reading the xkcdexplained entry for this and I was kind of disturbed by the stuff they were mentioning, like the "death erection" that is common with auto-erotic asphyxiation or their saying that Randall didn't include, which is good? I guess? They also said that this joke could've been handled differently because of the fact that Darth uses a mechanical respirator, so he could achieve the same effect by simply turning the amount of oxygen down, but that wouldn't result in as hilarious a joke... now I don't know about many other people here, but I sure didn't think this was a "hilarious" joke but maybe worth a questioning chuckle.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 30, 2009 at 7:52 PM
Man, why can't you just enjoy the comic and not have a heart attack over the tiniest details?ReplyDelete
xkcd sucks will always be the internet's top source for hamster action.ReplyDelete
honestly, I expected Wookie to have something to say on this comic. I told you it would have been better to save him for today...
Carl, I asked him if he wanted to comment on this strip and this is the look he gave me.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 30, 2009 at 8:06 PM
I, too, could not find any humor in this comic because Vader was not the correct size. In fact, the quality of the drawings was always what attracted me to xkcd back when it was good. It was always the quality...ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 30, 2009 at 11:26 PM
If thinking about a webcomic causes arrhythmia you probably should try to avoid thinking about the webcomic.ReplyDelete
You think she was being serious?ReplyDelete
And are you arguing against actually thinking about what you read?
I really really liked this comic.ReplyDelete
Really really.
So what are you gonna do, HUH, CARL? HUH? HUH?
- AnonymousDecember 31, 2009 at 3:36 AM
Well, if "star wars" were a science fiction I'm sure we'd geek on it. But since it's a children's fantasy there seems little point. Not sure you understand Munroe's "target audience" very well. Further research is indicated.ReplyDelete
I think what contributes to him looking so small is that the paramedics heads are like twice as big as hisReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 31, 2009 at 4:20 AM
Since when is Star Wars a children's fantasy? I'm sure those who enjoy the Extended Universe would highly disagree. And usually those who enjoy SW most are those who love xkcd.ReplyDelete
Unless you were being sarcastic, in which case nevermind, its too early for me.
I think what contributes to him looking so small is that the paramedics heads are like twice as big as hisReplyDelete
1.36 times. But yes, that's exactly it.
A few thoughts occurred to me upon reading this.ReplyDelete
1. The mirror is obviously there for a reason, as there's no other detail in the room, meaning he drew it for a purpose. But what? So Vader can't use his Force choke on himself without a mirror? What sense does that make? Does he not know where his own friggin' neck is?
2. Why is this happening in a regular house? Isn't Star Wars a long time ago in a galaxy far far away? Shouldn't Vader be on the Death Star, or Coruscant, or something in space? Oh wait, that would require effort to draw...silly me. But still, how much work would it have taken to draw like one of those futuristic pod bay doors or something and a giant monitor with the Wikipedia entry instead of a laptop computer at a desk?
3. A regular person trying to choke his/herself would have their body go limp when the brain lost enough oxygen, releasing the grip they have on their own neck, preventing them from choking themselves. In the same vein, Vader's Force choke would magically disappear as he lost consciousness, ALSO preventing him from choking himself, so the joke DOESN'T EVEN WORK. This is why people who are actually into erotic asphyxiation use nooses, scarves, plastic bags, and other tools, because putting your own hands around your neck is pointless. God damn it Randall if you're going to make sex jokes at least do some fucking research.
4. Really? Vader has a Force choke so what if he used it for sex purposes? This is like...one step above Luke flying in an X-wing with a bunch of silverware and saying "I thought you said 'May the FORKS be with you!'" Actually I take it back. This is one step below that because at least that has a pun in it and therefore some semblance of a joke. I don't even KNOW what this is except "Hey guys, Star Wars! Sex! AMIRITE?"
The only way this could work is if he just shut of his breathing thing on his suit, rather than force choking himself. That way he'd lose conciousness and wouldn't be able to turn it back on, resulting in paramedics. But then you wouldn't need the mirror (which, as pointed out, is pointless anyway) and it wouldn't necessarily have to be Vader either, just someone with an iron lung. But then all geek cred is lost and it becomes to obvious that the joke sucks.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 31, 2009 at 6:03 AM
People actually like this? I guess the standard for what passes as "comedy" is really low these days.ReplyDelete
the three stooges, now that was high level stuff.
- AnonymousDecember 31, 2009 at 7:28 AM
Nate: xkcdexplained says that Vader can only use it on things he has visual contact with.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 31, 2009 at 8:02 AM
I wasn't aware the force needed line of sight to work.ReplyDelete
Forget an army of clones.
Blindfolds: the best weapon against force users.
On first sight, I also supposed that the choking was done by shutting off his oxygen supply, which looked only logical and more disaster prone than the "Force bouncing off the mirror" thing, so I didn't really understand the mirror.ReplyDelete
I don't think this is a terrible joke. It might even be a decent joke, but the art really kills it. The problem, I guess, is that this kind of joke is ALREADY spoiled by coming off the hands of Randall; sexy adventures, geek culture items in strange set-ups, AND quirky uses of Wikipedia are already well known xkcd clichés, so there's no surprise factor here. (hey, I just realised I used an Oxford comma there)
This COULD be a funny strip if the art was better and if we didn't know Randall was so obsessed with that kind of thing.
- AnonymousDecember 31, 2009 at 8:28 AM
what the hell is this?ReplyDelete
Seems like a troll comic.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 31, 2009 at 8:42 AM
Linux is the best OS.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 31, 2009 at 9:03 AM
Linux is the name of the kernel. GNU is the OS. Get your facts straight, dumbfuck.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 31, 2009 at 9:05 AM
(not knowing about Linux makes you a dumb fuck)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 31, 2009 at 9:10 AM
Believe it or not, Linux is actually a real OS, it was made by LINUS Torvald a famous European hacker, maybe you've heard of him?ReplyDelete
Linux > Windoze. it's a fact folks!
lol oh u wind0zetards will never understand.
- AnonymousDecember 31, 2009 at 9:13 AM
aloria said:ReplyDelete
"...but it doesn't seem likely to me that someone who is essentially living in a giant iron lung would be attracted to the idea of auto-erotic asphyxiation..."
Dahling, you should leave the medical prognostication to the professionals. As an ex-palliative care worker, you know, easing people into the Light and remunerated on a commission basis I might add, you'd be quite amazed at the shenanigans up to which those folks get.
Man that xkcdsucks.com comic was awful. It made the Vader comic look good dammit.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 31, 2009 at 9:59 AM
cam said:ReplyDelete
"...like the "death erection" that is common with auto-erotic asphyxiation..."
Known as 'angel lust' to those of us in the trade - a surprisingly common peri/postmortem affectation.
"For fuck's sake Luke, use the fucking force"
Would this re-writing not have given the line a tad more gravitas?
Pooping out of your elbow may seem like a mysterious otherworldly process to you and some passers by, but the end result is still ... shit. And frankly my dear, you reek of it.
- AnonymousDecember 31, 2009 at 10:25 AM
Capn said:ReplyDelete
"...Pooping out of your elbow may seem like a mysterious otherworldly process to you..."
Au contraire, mon capitain, the process is neither abstruse nor ethereal. It is a surprisingly common pre/peri/postmortem affectation.
As far as being a cloacan olfactory sensation - mea culpa - my stoma leaks.
- CuddleToadDecember 31, 2009 at 10:37 AM
Terrible update. Bad art (besides Darth Vader, that mirror does not look right at all), flimsy premise for a joke, and a lazy set up to get the joke across. (Which is better than not getting the point across, I guess, but seriously, is a room empty except for a mirror and a Wikipedia article on the topic in question the best Randall could do?)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 31, 2009 at 10:53 AM
Maybe the paramedics are just really fucking huge.ReplyDelete
Well, it's not IMpossible.
"It is a surprisingly common pre/peri/postmortem affectation."ReplyDelete
Deja vu much? You're getting lamer by the minute. You are a suprisingly common affectation and a suprisingly common bore.
- AnonymousDecember 31, 2009 at 11:22 AM
Capn said:ReplyDelete
"...You are a suprisingly common affectation and a suprisingly common bore...."
And you're surprised?
I think that if you re-read my dross you might notice my addition of a third prefix: 'pre' on the latter rendition.
You are correct in your belief that my renderings are becoming lamentable, alas, tarrying with a dullard has that effect on me.
- AnonymousDecember 31, 2009 at 11:23 AM
It's just Randall trying to be Perry Bible Fellowship, isn't it?ReplyDelete
Yo, Linux is a really good operating system if you like wasting 5 hours every weekend reformatting your hard drive to make an obscure brand of USB stick work while everyone else plays video games and posts on the xkcdsucks blog.ReplyDelete
It's good for servers and a few other things, though.
I'm surprised I'm the first to bring up the alt text. It sucks, because it uses a different and incompatible meaning of "choke". As if Randall couldn't decide which way he wanted to take the joke, so he tried and failed for both.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 31, 2009 at 12:08 PM
Not to defend the alt text (because it truly is awful) but I think the usage of "choke" in it is fine.ReplyDelete
Choke in the comic itself is a literal choke but used to aid in masturbation.
Choke as used in the alt-text IS masturbation.
i think that's enough of a relationship to make them compatible.
Who called the paramedics?ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 31, 2009 at 12:36 PM
Jesus Christ Dude. Get over yourself. This comic was hilarious in my opinion. I found 676 very funny because the joke was in the alt text after a lot of setup. I didn't find the ones in between very funny. Being consistently funny to all audiences is difficult. If you don't like the XKCD humor go elsewhere, I know you wrote a post about why it's vitally important that you keep doing this but it's really not. Criticism is good but given the effort you are putting into criticizing a comic you're just seeming grumpy and uselessly obsessed. I found one or two of your posts funny but at this point I'm just disturbed. I think that XKCD fun boyisim is ridiculous but that it's one of the more consistently funny webcomics and I think that's great for Randall.ReplyDelete
I think that XKCD fun boyisim is ridiculous but that it's one of the more consistently funny webcomicsReplyDelete
You're wrong, and stupid.
- AnonymousDecember 31, 2009 at 1:10 PM
anonymous 12:36ReplyDelete
Mind what the Female Moth says.
Forewarned is forearmed.
Anon, there are multiple people who post here. In fact, this most recent post was not written by Carl (the blog's owner whom you seem to have an issue with), but rather by aloria, who is hella-fuckin'-balls-to-the-wall awesome.ReplyDelete
And yes, being consistently funny to all audiences IS difficult - that's why there are plenty of mediocre comedians, comedic films, comedic TV shows, etc. and very, very few truly great ones. That doesn't make the mediocre ones any less mediocre. "Boo hoo, this is hard" is no excuse for sucking, especially when you've been at it for several years without showing any attempts at improvement.
If you're going to try and tie Star Wars and sex together, at least do it in a funny way ala Sexy Losers.ReplyDelete
Also, not to be nerd-central, but does the Force really need line-of-sight? I remember that in A New Hope Luke wore that helmet when he was training with the floating shooty things. Unless he was just learning to rely on the Force.
The comment about the Force needing line of sight is disproved in Empire Strikes Back when Yoda lifts Luke's X-Wing out of the swamp with his eyes closed.ReplyDelete
So yes, the mirror makes absolutely no sense to be there.
Unless, of course, Darth finds watching himself choke erotic.ReplyDelete
happy New Year, folks.ReplyDelete
- HeideggerDecember 31, 2009 at 5:50 PM
Fuck you, Jay.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 31, 2009 at 6:49 PM
How nice of the two paramedics to pull up his pants.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 31, 2009 at 9:05 PM
HOLY SHIT RANDAL IS A GENIUS. MOVIES DONT REFLECT REALITY ACCURATELY.ReplyDelete
also what kind of shit scientist stands around watching a centrifuge for 20 minutes?
Fill a beaker up or burn your asshole with a bunsen burner or something. jesus.
HOLY SHIT, it's like Randall took ANY HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE PHYSICS LAB and noticed that in real life, experiments involve waiting around a bunch. AND MOVIES ROMANTICIZE THINGS.ReplyDelete
The column format kind of confused me, since I first tried to read it left-to-right then top-to-bottom. No big deal.
Anyway this kind of reminds me of a Foxtrot, let me find it.
The Foxtrot I had in mindReplyDelete
Scanned from Assorted Foxtrot, a compilation published in 2000.
PROS: Better art
CONS: Argh blargh throwaway panels RAGE
What are you talking about Mal? There are never throwaway panels in Foxtrot, especially back in the days when Bill had the standard 12 panels instead of the 4-7 panels used these days.ReplyDelete
Any ways, it would appear Randall is keeping a stiff upper lip to the fact that bitching about a font type does NOT make you an expert.
What the **** those panels about charging and credit cards aren't throwaway panels?ReplyDelete
To me, they really feel like throwaway panels. A weak, standalone joke. It doesn't contribute to the rhythm that the rest of the comic has. I think the first three panels originally formed the top third of the comic, and it was shifted around when published in book form. IDK. I guess maybe not.
Still. Ugh.
I think the first row (including the first panel) is supposed to be cut of when printed in some newspapers (due to space constraints), therefore cartoonists usually put some weak pre-setup for a joke there.ReplyDelete
The latest xkcd is so terribly unoriginal, I almost feel sorry for Carl for having to review it.
Femalethoth, that's likely what happened. You see it with a lot of Sunday comics. They're usually split into two parts: the top third (usually a couple of panels) will contain a small, seperate joke that has nothing to do with the rest of the strip.ReplyDelete
This way, papers with space restraints can chop off the top of the comic and run the bottom 2/3 and still have a full joke, and those with a bit more can run the full comic.
And yeah, when it went into book form, because they probably wanted to keep the Sunday strips to one single page, because of the difference in height/width with a book page as opposed to a portion of a newspaper page, caused them to rearrange the panels a bit.
So the first two panels about charging and credit cards was the "throwaway" joke, as you suspect.
Man my comment was way too wordy.
Anyway today's comic sucks and the only good thing about it was that it referenced "Look Around You" which is actually pretty funny. So once again, the ONLY good thing about this comic is that it has reminded me of something that is better and actually worthwhile that I could be reading/watching instead of xkcd.
Right Nate but Cam was like "no Amend doesn't do throwaway panels" and I was like holy shit what huuuhReplyDelete
Today's comic references Look Around You? I saw, like, two episodes of that when I was on vacation in San Francisco last year, and it was pretty good. So I didn't catch the reference.
I watched all episodes and didn't catch the reference either.ReplyDelete
Wait, apparently it references a "rare pilot episode" that I didn't watch.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 1, 2010 at 12:06 AM
The reference is "Helvetica Scenario" but the stuff in the title text before that has nothing to do with the scenario as described in the video.ReplyDelete
So yeah, he just tossed two words in there so people would go "OMG I KNOW THAT LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL"
What I meant, Mal, was that Amend doesn't necessarily have "throwaway panels" as you seem to think they are.ReplyDelete
Think about most newspaper comics you read, actually Timofei hit it right on the money, the first 3 can be considered a "throwaway joke" and in a sense they are, they don't hold the same punch as the actual punchline does, I always consider them as a supplement to the end punchline, what you consider them, I don't know what the fuck, I'm a little too drunk to carry on a conversation about this right now, I'll get back to you tomorrow.
From Cam
Okay it seems like those first three panels are exactly like the throwaway panels in every other Sunday strip except for some reason you say they aren't.ReplyDelete
They're three panels, included for maximum formatting flexibility, that have a self-contained joke so the comic can survive those panels being cut.
That's what throwaway panels means. That's what I meant. Timofei and Nate basically restated what I was trying to say the whole time, and they explained it spuer well.
- AnonymousJanuary 1, 2010 at 12:47 AM
Darth Vader wasn't 6' 8".ReplyDelete
To those that don't understand the presence of the mirror: it's there so he can watch. A fair number of people enjoy watching themselves masturbate, or doing something sadistic to others. It has nothing to do with the Force.ReplyDelete
HAPPY NEW YEAR HEIDReplyDelete
- Way WalkerJanuary 1, 2010 at 1:19 AM
Compare to a PhD comic from earlier this year... or last year... whatever. I don't mind that the joke's been done before; it's the telling, not the story/joke itself, that makes it interesting.ReplyDelete
And 683 was almost a good retelling. Where it breaks down is in saying "an antimatter factory" instead of something more mundane like "a factory". It's small, but it changes the whole feel of the joke. Up till there, the left column wouldn't be out of place in CSI:Miami. The rat on the scientist's head just looks like a small visual gag, not part of what's being portrayed. It makes it feel like we're supposed to laugh at the genre, not laugh with an affectionate parody (then again, CSI:Miami is already that, can you parody a parody?).
The problem is, the joke should be funny because the exaggeration used in the movies and shows is already funny. If it wasn't, there wouldn't be a joke, it would just be an inaccuracy. The extra exaggeration sounds like something someone who doesn't understand the genre or the medium would say; someone who isn't the target audience, so to speak. You almost want to explain why the genre is the way it is so that the comic can be in on the joke.
Also, compare the reference in the alt-text to those in the PhD comic (CSI, Bones, and Mythbusters). The gag in the PhD comic works without the reference while in xkcd's alt-text the reference is the gag.
- AnonymousJanuary 1, 2010 at 1:19 AM
On the latest comic:ReplyDelete
It suffers because I could've figured out the same thing by spending 6 seconds on TV Tropes. And probably end up more entertained in the process.
Actually, I didn't catch the reference at first either. I thought it was a reference to an earlier xkcd or something. So I googled "Helvetica scenario" and xkcd, and the first result was the forum thread. One of the comments in the thread linked to the "queen atom" part of the episode, and by looking at related links I saw "Look Around You" and went "OH HEY. I remember watching all these. They're great!"ReplyDelete
Eh, it's still just a shameless reference to something else put in solely for geek cred, and reminds some people of something a whole lot funnier/better than xkcd that people could be seeing.
What a way for Randall to start the new year! One of the most overdone jokes about movies, executed with zero inspiration and a pointless reference thrown into the alt-text. Is this going to be the year when everyone finally realises XKCD sucks?ReplyDelete
To those that don't understand the presence of the mirror: it's there so he can watch. A fair number of people enjoy watching themselves masturbate, or doing something sadistic to others. It has nothing to do with the Force.ReplyDelete
A fair number of people enjoy videotaping themselves, or lubricating themselves with hot butter as well. Why wasn't there a videocamera or a tub of butter au bain-marie in the comic?
In other words, why add such a meaningless detail ("Also Vader is part of the demographic likes to watch himself jerk off"!) in such an otherwise minimalist strip?
Also the best Star Wars euphemism for masturbating is "Strangling captain Needa", or if you're feeling verbose: "Accepting captain Needa's apology."ReplyDelete
What a bland comic, that. The joke is already obvious just by reading the headers, and there's nothing surprising or entertaining at all going in the strip itself. Unbelievably dull.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 1, 2010 at 7:03 AM
yeah, could vader even actually choke himself? he's already kind of unable to breathe anyway...ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 1, 2010 at 7:10 AM
I actually found 683 not that bad. Look, there's some art there. (I.e. something he didn't draw before.) Plus we only get about four floating heads out of 14. I don't know the referenced show.ReplyDelete
Yeah, the joke was done elsewhere (and I recently wasted days on TV Tropes as well) but it still amused me.
- Anon 07:10
- AnonymousJanuary 1, 2010 at 7:22 AM
Hey guys, things in movies are glamorized! Science things even!ReplyDelete
By the way, *nerd-culture reference*
Another classic xkcd.
re: Amend and Foxtrot, he doesn't have throwaway panels. He and Bill Watterson are the only two print cartoonists who don't/didn't.ReplyDelete
Man, I am looking at Assorted Foxtrot, and I am reeeeeally pretty sure that the first three panels (title, standalone joke) were originally the top row of a three-row format, designed to possibly be cut.ReplyDelete
You may mean that he ended up not having throwaway panels, just like Watterson. Keep in mind that Watterson worked in the standard Sunday format for years before he ended up getting the freedom to design his own layout. He didn't start out that way. And I don't think Amend started out that way, either.
Remember that this comic is from at least a decade ago.
- AnonymousJanuary 1, 2010 at 10:49 AM
You WERE kinda nitpicking even though the comic suckedReplyDelete
Are you really complaining about height inconsistency with a film in a comic featuring STICK PEOPLE? Pathetic.ReplyDelete
Yeah, because it's totally unreasonable to expect a guy whose art style takes all of about 5 minutes to produce to take an extra minute or so to make sure the guy the whole strip revolves around doesn't look like a weird midget.ReplyDelete
That's like saying it's okay to forget to wipe your ass because you're producing shit, after all.
As near as I can tell Mal (now that I'm sober), both Amend and Watterson were using the "standard format" allowed, I can't tell for sure since I'm not a syndicate runner or a paper editor so I have no idea.ReplyDelete
ANY WAYS, from looking through my Foxtrot collection Amend stopped his 4 row Sundays in late 1999 when he switched the size of his published books and he could no longer fit 4 rows into the smaller book and he had to go to the 2 row system he uses now. This could be for syndicate reasons as well, but I don't have his phone number so I can't just call him up and ask (as much as I would like to)
and as I final note, I would like to point out that not all of Amend's 4 row Sundays had "standalone jokes" as flipping through my copy of I'm Flying Jack... I Mean, Roger I can count 6 out of 10 Sundays where there is no standalone joke and the first 2 panels are part of the established punchline at the end.
I'm looking through my copy of I'm Flying Jack, and it seems that most of them could at least be cut. Though there are a few that at least are extensions of the rest of the comic, rather than totally standalone. IDK.ReplyDelete
Anyway those first three panels of the Foxtrot I posted are hella lame is thep oint.
let's suppose you write comics for a living.ReplyDelete
let's suppose one day you need an idea for a comic soon and nothing is coming.
let's suppose in your searching for a topic you hit on a star wars joke.
that's right, a star wars joke.
not an especially good one either. just another to throw on the pile.
a fucking star wars joke.
would you decide "hey that's pretty good lemme draw that now and upload it"?
or would you maintain some grasp on your sanity and decide "no i am not an utter HACK and a pathetic EXCUSE of a comic. i can do better."
if you chose option b then you (this is a fact) have better taste than randy.
airplane food.
star wars.
Mal if all you were saying was that the standalone for the Physics comic was lame, then why didn't you just say that? You said "CONS: Argh blargh throwaway panels RAGE"ReplyDelete
You also said "What the **** those panels about charging and credit cards aren't throwaway panels?
To me, they really feel like throwaway panels. A weak, standalone joke." so you never stated anywhere that you thought that it was a lame joke. You kept saying that it was a standalone joke and that they are throwaway panels.
In short your inability to just say you didn't like the joke led to several unnecessary comments, good job
- AnonymousJanuary 1, 2010 at 1:57 PM
In light of today's comic, Rule of Cool, Randy, Rule of Cool.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 1, 2010 at 2:58 PM
aloria is going to be donating like $1000 to wikipedia by the end of this year.ReplyDelete
"You kept saying that it was a standalone joke and that they are throwaway panels."ReplyDelete
Because that is the case.
Okay, using my masterful MS Paint skills, I have rearranged the panels from Femalethoth's scan to the format that they were arranged in the paper the day they were run. I'm also not 100% sure how to link it directly so I'll just have to make do, sorry.
In this arrangement, you can easily see how the first two panels of the comic are a throwaway joke that have nothing to do with the rest of the setup (the joke is that he is "charging" something and then tries to decide which card to "charge" it with). It is its own separate joke and is easily, easily removed without any harm to the rest of the comic.
Like so:
This is how papers with less free space for their comics would run it (they'd use a different font than TNR but I used that as an example of how it would appear). As you can see, the top row of panels is removed, the joke still makes sense, and no harm has been done.
Whether Amend always did this or not? I don't know. My paper didn't carry FoxTrot until like two years ago so I missed a large chunk of the comic's history, as opposed to Calvin and Hobbes which ran for a good portion. I also have the three volume hardcover Calvin collection so I can more easily reference Watterson's work, since I have no FoxTrot books to look at.
I did say it was a weak joke.ReplyDelete
I thought it was clear that I wasn't raging because of the existence of the throwaway panels, but because of how awful their content was. My bad.
And it IS a standalone joke and they ARE throwaway panels, and I kept saying that because YOU kept saying Amend didn't use either.
- AnonymousJanuary 1, 2010 at 4:23 PM
"A fair number of people enjoy videotaping themselves, or lubricating themselves with hot butter as well. Why wasn't there a videocamera or a tub of butter au bain-marie in the comic?ReplyDelete
In other words, why add such a meaningless detail ("Also Vader is part of the demographic likes to watch himself jerk off"!) in such an otherwise minimalist strip?"
It's a common turn-on. Everyone I know enjoys watching their self. It's just an addition to the joke... Considering Darth Vader is a sadist, it should be obvious to anyone, fan or otherwise, that he'd enjoy watching himself.
Considering Darth Vader is a sadist, it should be obvious to anyone, fan or otherwise, that he'd enjoy watching himself.ReplyDelete
...what does sadism have to do with watching yourself beat off?
- AnonymousJanuary 1, 2010 at 5:28 PM
In the future, like, half the world will be under water.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 1, 2010 at 5:41 PM
And the other half will be IN SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACEReplyDelete
- dragon2041January 1, 2010 at 6:30 PM
new one. Is the guy taking off his goggles in the third panel o_O?ReplyDelete
How is watching yourself a turn-on unless you're gay or bi? I mean I'm straight...so why would I want to watch myself jerking off? I don't get off on seeing dudes. And last I checked Vader isn't gay, since he had, y'know, a wife.ReplyDelete
Unless Vader is bi, but I really can't think of any evidence at all that would support this theory. Again, I'm pretty sure the mirror is supposed to be there to imply Vader needs to see himself to use the Force choke on himself, which is disproved by Yoda in Empire, meaning the mirror is entirely pointless.
I think the "sadism" that was mentioned is probably "Vader enjoys seeing others undergo harm, so he would want to see himself in a mirror being harmed because that would turn him on." Except he'd be looking at HIMSELF, so that'd be masochism, not sadism, and Vader isn't a masochist so it still would make no sense.
Nate, honestly, it's pretty silly to suggest that one would only want to watch himself wanking if he's gay or bi. That would mean, also, that only would only wank in the first place if he's gay or bi. I mean, a guy wanking A GUY, eww, gay.ReplyDelete
Besides, even without a mirror you ARE watching yourself as you do it, unless you close your eyes for the OH NOES A PENIS wontlookImstraightwontlookImstraight
Oh, shit, we're turning into the xkcd forums.
- AnonymousJanuary 1, 2010 at 7:10 PM
whatever the case the reason the mirror is there isn't clear hence it was poorly implemented.ReplyDelete
pretty much like the whole comic itself.
Did anyone else think the mirror was some kind of portal or something?ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 1, 2010 at 7:28 PM
"...what does sadism have to do with watching yourself beat off?"ReplyDelete
Nothing. Watching yourself beat off while *choking yourself*? Everything.
@Nate: Fernie answered exactly the way I was going to.
I think the problem, Mal, is that "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder" and while I may not see the jokes as "throwaway" you do, but that is where the basis of most of my argument (that I made while drunk, let us not forget) was that I did not believe that Bill Amend made "throwaway jokes" in his strips. Do I understand why you call them standalones and throwaways? I completely understand, the problem herein lies with our differences in taste (but in truth the Mastercard/Visa joke was pretty bad) and as far as I'm concerned, calling a joke "weak" is not the same as saying "I did not like this joke." as people make weak jokes all the time (usually in a sequence) either for breaking the ice, warming people up, or what have you.ReplyDelete
Well, I'm done and I will take this as my heads up that if I ever read stuff that I can argue whilst drunk, I should nip it in the bud and just wait to sober up before talking
Fernie, I'm still going to have to disagree with you. Without getting into too much detail (because that's just impolite), I know I don't look at MYSELF when I'm having fun. I'm looking at the computer monitor, magazine, TV screen, or my own imagination.ReplyDelete
I still maintain no one would watch themselves in the mirror unless they were at least bi or bi-curious, which there's nothing wrong with that, but let's be honest. If you're looking at yourself in the mirror what's the difference between that and looking at some other dude? You can say "Because it's YOURSELF" but that doesn't quite cut it. I touch all parts of my body in the shower because it's my body, but I wouldn't touch some other dude in a shower even though they have the same parts I do, because even if their body is similar to mine it isn't mine.
It just doesn't make sense. I look at my junk because it's necessary to shower or get prepared to do something else, not because I enjoy it. If I enjoyed looking at my own junk, then it's pretty apparent I'd enjoy looking at the junk of other dudes too.
I'm sure you'll disagree with me, and that's fine, I don't think I can really prove anything, and I don't really have anything riding on the argument, so this'll be the last I say about it. Although I will say, if lots of people get off looking at themselves in the mirror and they aren't gay or bi, then that one line from Chasing Amy where that guy asks that girl "So if you're a lesbian do you just look at yourself naked in the mirror?" doesn't make any sense.
Also as far as the "throwaway/standalone" discussion, I call them throwaway panels not because of the quality of the jokes, but because a newspaper can choose to "throw away" the top row of panels for space limitations. They are throwaway panels that contain a standalone joke, so that people who are getting the chopped down version of the comic can still understand it and not go "Hey, it seems like there should be more panels to explain the setup."
do i win?
- AnonymousJanuary 1, 2010 at 10:12 PM
"It just doesn't make sense. I look at my junk because it's necessary to shower or get prepared to do something else, not because I enjoy it. If I enjoyed looking at my own junk, then it's pretty apparent I'd enjoy looking at the junk of other dudes too."ReplyDelete
Does that make narcissists necessarily gay or bi-sexual?
If Kinsey or any of these recent sex studies are anything to go by, then everyone's somewhere in the middle between "completely gay" and "completely straight" anyways, so the discussion is moot anyways.
- AnonymousJanuary 1, 2010 at 10:18 PM
Least nuanced discussion of sexuality ever.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 2, 2010 at 5:35 AM
CAPTCHA: hunatio. A blow-job from a Hun?


text:
Huawei Intros Ascend Mate Phablet
Article Comments
No messages
new featured articleHands On with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
Samsung's second foldable phone takes a different approach: instead of folding larger, it folds smaller, much like Motorola's new razr foldable. It's cheap for a foldable, but still quite pricey.
new featured article5 Great No-Strings Black Friday Deals
In the phone world, there's no shortage of Black Friday deals in the US this year. But most of the phone discounts and free accessories require a new line of service and/or a phone trade-in.
new featured articleHands On with TCL's New Flex-Screen Concepts
TCL has a new batch of concept phones to show off in 2020 that use flexible-display technology in interesting ways. Two are foldables, including a unique "tri-fold" design with two different hinges allowing it to reach full tablet size when open.
new featured articleMini Review: OnePlus 7T
OnePlus has an unusually confusing array of different "flagship" phones available right now, but the 7T is the newest mainstream model for most people. It's still quite high-end, but for a reasonable price and without some of the crazier features of the new Pro models, which most people don't need anyway.
new featured articleHands On with the Samsung Galaxy S20 Series
Samsung's new flagship Galaxy S phones for 2020 are somewhat predictable in appearance and features, and they've leaked like crazy, but there are a few surprises. There's no smaller, more affordable model like last year's S10e, nor is there a separate 5G model.
new featured articleModern Phones Call for New Case Designs
It may not seem like phones have changed much since the first iPhone came out. But there are a few key trends in recent years that change the relationship between our phones and our hands.
new featured articleHands On with the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro
The new OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro bring 5G, an updated design, and updated specs to OnePlus's lineup of high-end phones. For the first time, the standard and "Pro" models are being launched at the same time, making for a more rational lineup.
All content Copyright 2001-2020 Phone Factor, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Content on this site may not be copied or republished without formal permission.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Apr 5
Back 1 hour
Apr 5, 2020 - Daylight Saving Time Ended
When local daylight time was about to reach
Sunday, April 5, 2020, 3:00:00 am clocks were turned backward 1 hour to
Sunday, April 5, 2020, 2:00:00 am local standard time instead.
Sunrise and sunset were about 1 hour earlier on Apr 5, 2020 than the day before. There was more light in the morning.
Also called Fall Back and Winter Time.
Oct 4
Forward 1 hour
Oct 4, 2020 - Daylight Saving Time Starts
When local standard time is about to reach
Sunday, October 4, 2020, 2:00:00 am clocks are turned forward 1 hour to
Sunday, October 4, 2020, 3:00:00 am local daylight time instead.
Sunrise and sunset will be about 1 hour later on Oct 4, 2020 than the day before. There will be more light in the evening.
Also called Spring Forward, Summer Time, and Daylight Savings Time.
Daylight Saving Time in Other Years
DST changes do not necessarily occur on the same date every year.
|DST End (Clock Backward)
|DST Start (Clock Forward)
|Sunday, April 7, 3:00 am
|Sunday, October 6, 2:00 am
|Sunday, April 5, 3:00 am
|Sunday, October 4, 2:00 am
|Sunday, April 4, 3:00 am
|Sunday, October 3, 2:00 am
|Sunday, April 3, 3:00 am
|Sunday, October 2, 2:00 am
|Sunday, April 2, 3:00 am
|Sunday, October 1, 2:00 am
|All times are local for Kiama. Current year is highlighted.
Data for the years before 1970 is not available for Kiama, however, we have earlier time zone history for Sydney available.


text:
With alfalfa hay prices double or even triple what anyone has ever seen and supplies at their lowest level in decades, alfalfa growers have a robust market in which to deploy a variety of genetic options and production strategies, according to nationally known alfalfa expert Dan Undersander.
With alfalfa hay prices double or even triple what anyone has ever seen and supplies at their lowest level in decades, alfalfa growers have a robust market in which to deploy a variety of genetic options and production strategies, according to nationally known alfalfa expert Dan Undersander.
At the same time, the lingering drought is creating unique management challenges.
"When you have a drought, you have reduced yields, and you also have more insects and diseases," Undersander said recently by phone from Madison, Wis. "The question is are you willing to spend more on inputs even when you know your yields will be lower?"
Drought management of alfalfa is among the topics the popular University of Wisconsin forage agronomist will discuss when he travels to Nebraska to serve as the featured speaker at the Mid-America Alfalfa Expo Feb. 5-6 in Kearney. He will also speak on promising new varieties and growing alfalfa as part of a crop rotation.
Some growers are gaining economic advantages planting Roundup Ready varieties, others are targeting the organic market and still others are growing non-genetically modified varieties to avoid the high cost of technology fees, Undersander said.
"The good news is people have a choice," he said.
Alfalfa genetically modified to be resistant to Roundup herbicide was approved two years ago after a contentious regulatory debate and has since proven more suited to some regions of the country than others.
"Ninety percent of the seed sold in Nebraska and Kansas last year was Roundup Ready alfalfa," Undersander said. "Up here in Wisconsin, it's only about 9 percent. It's not that growers here are opposed to the technology, they just don't see the same economic advantages of buying the higher priced seed."
Demand for non-GM hay represents less than 5 percent of the overall market. All of the major export markets accept GMO hay, including Korea, China, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia, he said.
By contrast, 30 to 40 percent of the alfalfa seed market remains non-GM, which is preferred by some export markets and by some domestic growers.
Late last year, a biotechnology advisory committee offered a comprehensive report to the U.S. Department of Agriculture regarding its co-existence policy supporting production of both conventional and organic crops. In the report, the committee recommended more research and producer education on gene flow, the potential for transfer of genetic material between crops grown in separate fields.
Undersander said concerns about gene transfer are more applicable to grain crops. Two alfalfa hay crops can be planted within a foot of each other with virtually no risk of cross contamination, he said.
"In grain production, we harvest the next generation, so there is a female and a male plant involved. In forage production, we are just harvesting the mother plant," he explained. "It's a little bit like if you had a Hereford beef cow, and she got bred to an Angus — the cow is still a Hereford. What you plant is what your field will be."
In addition, alfalfa pollen is moved by insects rather than by the wind.
"Unlike corn, where the pollen can blow five or 10 miles or at least some distance down the road, alfalfa pollen is only going to be moved as far as insects will carry it and only if insects are present," he said.
If pollination were to occur, it would take six to eight weeks for the seed to mature and become viable. Commercial hay producers typically harvest the crop well before then.
Finally, alfalfa exhibits something called "auto-toxicity" which inhibits foreign seeds from germinating in an existing stand, Undersander said.
The West does have a unique opportunity to grow organic alfalfa hay, due to its high potassium soils, Undersander said. Organic restrictions on commercial fertilizer use make it less economically feasible further east. "Basically, the western halves of Oklahoma and Kansas have fairly alkaline soils, whereas east of there you have lower pH soils. The higher rainfall areas tend to be lower in soil potassium," he said.
Generally speaking, organic hay brings about 50 percent more than conventional hay, but growers need to factor in lower production. "Since you can't control weeds and insects very well, it reduces your yields pretty significantly," Undersander said.


text:
This domain name has been listed for sale by the domain registrant.
Safe purchasing
After you have made an offer and this is accepted by both parties, we recommend the use of Escrow to ensure the transaction of the sale is secure and safe.
Make an offer
Use the form and contact the registrant of this domain at your discretion. Crazy Domains does not charge commission for domain name sales or act as a broker.


text:
Wow, I can't believe it's been over three weeks since I last posted. Where does the time go?? Well, summer's in full swing here ... which means swim lessons, day camp, and my busy time at work. Plus, get a l oad of the string of luck we've had here over the past 2 weeks:
- Mrs. Quilt Dad accidentally put her hand through a pane on our front window. She didn't have a scratch (luckily!), but it had to be replaced.
- Our hot water heater blew, and that too had to be replaced.
- While the repairman was replacing the hot water heater, he noticed that the water line running to our refrigerator / ice maker had a leak, and had to be replaced ...
- ... and he also noticed some early signs of mold in our crawl space. We need to have someone come take a look at that this week. $$$$$ ......
- Last Tuesday, I had to leave work early to pick up the kids and take them to swim lessons. Of course, I was running late, and when I got out to the car the battery was dead. I finally got a jump, got the kids, got them to swim lessons, stood an hour in the pouring rain, got them back in the van ... and it was dead again. Had to jump it again -- in the pouring rain, mind you -- and immediately get it replaced.
- On the way home from swim lessons on Thursday, twin #1 was complaining of a tummy ache and proceeded to get sick all over the back seat of my car.
- We finally got out of the house last night (Friday) for some adults-only time to celebrate my wife's birthday -- yummy dinner with friends and a showing of "The Hangover" -- until the babysitter called to let us know that the stomach bug had moved on to twin #2. Which brings us to today.
Clearly, I haven't been able to work on much lately, though I've made some progress on Dana's sew-along quilt (and I'm loving it so much that I can hardly stand it! Can't wait to show it off here ...)
Since it's been so long. I've got a few things backed up in the queue to share here on my blog. The first are some free-pieced word blocks that I made a few weeks back. I've also wrapped up a couple of quilting bee blocks that I'll get posted shortly.
Have you ever checked out Tonya's blog over at Lazy Gal Quilting? I knew that she's known all over blog-land as the queen of free-piecing letters (among other things), but I hadn't really had the opportunity to give the whole free-piecing thing a whirl. I was checking out Dionne's blog over at Sew Many Quilts and she mentioned that Tonya put a call out for quilt blocks for an upcoming project.
The project is called "Hope is a 4-letter Word", and Tonya was looking for 6.5" x 12.5" blocks featuring a "happy, positive, wonderful four-letter word" in bright and happy colors. I thought this sounded like such a fun little project and the perfect opportunity to practice free-pieced letters.
In true Quilt Dad fashion, I couldn't stop at just one!


text:
We found 1 game using Tag: weasel
Games Sorted by: Popular
Rocket the weasels to the targets!
Contact CMG |
Terms of Service |
Games Not Working? |
Newsletter |
This site copyright 2004 — 2020 Westech Media, LLC. All rights reserved. All games are the copyrights of their respective owners.


text:
Sunday, February 25, 1996
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)
Various Writings by the Rev. Prof. Stephen Noll, Vice Chancellor (retired), Uganda Christian University, and Professor Emeritus, Trinity School for Ministry, Ambridge, PA.
Setting up a personal website is a troubling business. What is a Christian minister doing exalting himself on the worldwide web? Well, here are my excuses.


text:
RACK 101 - Everything you need to know about our multi-sport Roof Rack Systems
Truck cap? RV? Learn about our custom install solutions.
Explore our travel tips, helpful product reviews and everyday adventure stories from folks like you.
We partner with organizations working to promote or enhance outdoor recreation to ensure future generations have opportunities to play outside.
Have a question? We've got answers. Search our answers or ask your own question to customer service.
Looking to buy in store or need help with installation? Find an authorized Yakima dealer near you.
Dealer Locator
You're reviewing: Cargo Box Utility Mat
Only registered users can write reviews. Please, log in or register
We've brought all of your products together so you can easily checkout. We hope you enjoy your next adventure with your Yakima products!


text:
I know it's been a bit giveaway-crazy around these parts lately, so I wanted to step away from the book tours for a moment to share a very special quilt that I just finished up and bound over the weekend. If you've been reading my blog for a while then you've seen this quilt top before, but I recently received some news that was the motivation to finish it up and ship it off to its new home.
I grew up extremely close with my extended family. Holidays, birthdays, and pretty much any major family event were all spent with my aunts, uncles, and cousins -- so much so that my cousins and I were closer than I believe most cousins tend to be. They're like my other brothers and sisters.
I always shared a special bond with one cousin who was only 5 months younger than me. When we were both in high school, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and began a battle to overcome the disease that lasted for several years. She went through more than any young person should have to go through, but emerged victorious with (to her credit) no interruption to her academic progress. She went on to graduate from the University of Notre Dame, build a successful career, and marry a great guy, and she never lost a bit of the beautiful light that shines so brightly inside of her.
Unfortunately, after several years of crystal clear test results, cancer has once again reared its ugly head in the life of my young cousin. Without going into too much detail, she has had to resume her fight with the disease at a very rapid pace and without too much time to prepare. One thing I know about her is that she's a fighter and my money's on her every time, though I wondered what I could possibly do at this time of need, from hundreds of miles away, to express my love and support. In short, to help.
We quilters know that the items we create can't cure a disease, or right a wrong, or solve the world's problems, but they can help. They can blanket someone in a hug when distance prevents a real hug from taking place. They can offer the gift of a small bit of oneself when it seems that nothing else can possibly make a difference.
I immediately knew that this quilt, so beautifully quilted by the fantastic Jackie Kunkel of Canton Village Quilt Works, was meant to be for my cousin. It's made from a mix of prints from Amy Butler's Midwest Modern collection. The quilt's generous use of pink is my subtle way of expressing that the quilt might, in some capacity, help my cousin once again conquer the cancer in her body.


text:
Small Van
Driver helps with loading and unloading.
(min. 2 hours)
Driver and 1 Helper load and unload the van.
(min. 2 hours)
* Please consider to select at least 2 men if there are any too heavy or too bulky items for one man to carry.
Length: 2.37m / 7.77ft
Height: 1.45m / 4.75ft
Width: 1.70m / 5.57ft
Outside Measurments:
Length: 4.86m / 15.95ft
Heigh: 2.07m / 6.79ft
Width: 1.98m / 6.49ft
5.2 m3 / 183 cu. ftPayload:
775 kg / 1708 lbNumber of Seats:
1 passenger can travel in the van.Tail lift:
SMALL VAN - FORD TRANSIT - SWB (Harrow Weald)
Small Van - ( short wheelbase, low-roof Transit) ideal for students move with few items, pick up, drop of boxes, washing machine, IKEA shopping, small items of furniture etc..✓ Only 1 passenger can travel in the van.
✓ All vans are equipped with all necessary tools to protect your items during the transport. Removals blankets, trolley, straps, etc...
Please Note:✓ Make sure to arrange parking space for the van of your choice. To find more information about parking permits in your area please visit our directory.
✓ Customers responsibility is to select right van size. If you need some help please contact us with full list of items to move.
✓ The sizes of properties are not always the same. Please keep in mind that many aspects like fully furnished, part furnished or unfurnished distinguishes size of property.


text:
Giveaway Day!
This give-away is part of The Nester's give-away day! Head on over to Nesting Place and check out all of the great giveaways.
In order to enter all you have to do is:
1. Like us on facebook (Use the facebook Like button on the right hand column)
2. Leave a comment with your email address
Anyone can enter. Give-away ends Thursday the 18th at midnight EST.
Labels: give-away


text: Yadav 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2014 Pravin Chhetri, had almost forgotten that he had paid hundreds of thousands of ammount to the consultancy when he got visa. But After reaching London, college asked for money with him again. Consultancy had cheated on him by not transferring money to the college. Pritam Shrestha of Pokhara had applied in one college of Ireland paying 5,500 Euro (Almost 6 lakhs and 21 thousands NRS). But his visa was rejected. Both college and consultancy hesitate to give his money back. He got his money back a year after, taking legal action.Himal Kandel of Butwal has gone to study in London, in the Tier 4 visa. His college was blacklisted for not fulfilling requirements. He had to return back to Nepal without completing his degree. Aforementioned are just a few instances about how students are being cheated by educational consultancies in Nepal. Some consultancies also mislead students by saying, their people will come in abroad to receive students, they will take care of their dwellings initially, also help them to get jobs, etc etc.It's normal for students to aspire for the international degree to keep the pace with global demand. Each year thousands of Nepalese students go abroad for study purpose. During 2067/2068; 11,912 had applied for 'No Objection Letter' from MOE( Ministry of Education). Lots of student had gone to London during Tier 4 visa rule to UK. Those students are being unable to utilize the opportunity of abroad-study nicely. Instead of studying, many students are doing jobs listening to others. It makes their abroad stay more complicated. They have to use negative means for visa and admission. They not only arewasting a lot of money, sometimes they are also obliged to use the illegal means.In Nepal, consultancies are even applying on behalf of students, with the fake academic documents. Some students who are doing so might be rejected before they get the visa. And those who get the visa willhave to get lots of tortures in abroad. It also creates negative images to the overall Nepalese students. There are some incidents of Embassy taking police actions in accusation of applying with fakedocuments. The academic performance and their talent is all what it takes to get scholarship abroad, still consultancies are misleading the students wittering they can help them to get scholarship.Consultancies can do absolutely nothing in the University admission process, scholarship application and Residence permit or visa Moreover, good universities want students to apply themselves insteadof using third party or agencies.Every universities and colleges have their own criteria for the scholarships. Nowadays many colleges need 'Application Essay' for admission, with which they are examining the motivation level andintention of student. That application essay should be written with regards to the previous experience of particular student. If students make other write essay for them, that could sound fake and off-topic.It can have negative impact on admission and scholarship process.In the visa process no country entertain any clouts. All information for visa process is available on the web page of specific country. And if students ask anything about visa to the embassy in their email,they will reply in no time. If students cannot use that, it's the weakness of the student themselves. Rajendra KC (studying in UK since 10 years) says "We are wasting hundreds of thousands of money, forthe things which we can do ourselves free of cost." Students should have idea about, which country they want to apply for? What are the minimum requirements of the subjects they wish to study? What is the reason of choosing specific subject? Which university is best for the course they want to study? What they need to have for the scholarship? What is the admission criteria? How is the visa process for corresponding country? How is the job opportunity? etc. If the students get the correct and reliable informations by themselves they don't have to face much hurdles in abroad too. A post-graduate student from Wageningen university Sita Batha Magar says"It's very rare to get students exploring about their further study themselves in our case. They can take information from the students who are already there as well."Foreign students are taken to benefit their country in most cases by many nations. There are lots of criteria and polices for the international students and most of the times they are in favour of native students. The rules are often being changed for international students. Some students fall in problem, when that country moves the goalpost. Currently working on UNFAO, Magar adds "We are underpaid because of our weak legal ground here. Forget about college tuition, that salary cannot cover even the food costs."Students admitted in colleges with low tuition fees especially in UK and Australia experience such hurdles more often. Colleges with poor infrastructure, unmanaged examination system and which curricula isnot of university standard can be closed any time during regular government check up so students need to be aware of such things. Consultancies in Nepal are using such college as the stepping stone tosend students abroad anyhow and make boatloads of money out of that. So the series of suffering of Nepalese students is not stopped yet. 587 students were deported two years ago in Australia in accusation oftaking negative advantage with student visa. Among the deported ones, most the the students used to be absent in college, failing frequently and working against law.Student who is fully committed to study and who completes his application by himself/herself, is doing really great as well. ECAN chairman Rajendra Baral said "Students who are on scholarship are lesslikely to fall into troubles, but if the student's intention is work; that's is going to be the problem." And students who run out of money and starving students are not getting effective assistance fromgovernment agencies and also from NRN. Student residing abroad for 2 years is only considered NRN so new students are not getting proper assistance from NRN. Note: This article was originally written by Yadav Bhattarai Yadav Bhattarai is current President of WNSO. This article was published in Nepali in Nepal Magazine which was later translated in English by nepalihal.blogspot.com. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


text:
Outfitting a house for a new cat isn't nearly as complicated as it may seem. Just a little advance thought will help make the newcomer feel at home and welcome in strange new surroundings.
Every cat household needs the following:
Copyright © 2002 The Humane Society of the United States. All rights reserved.


text:
MicroScreen MSC30693. Product colour: Black, Maximum screen size compatibility: 39.1 cm (15.4"), Compatible products: CLAA154WA05-A. Quantity per pack: 1 pc(s). Maximum resolution: 1280 x 800 pixels
Is your laptop screen broken, scratched, or do you just want to change to a matte or glossy?Then you should choose MicroScreen.Why?- Fast delivery.- Fair pricing.- Great quality.- We are able to support all models.


text:
, Periana
Price per room/night from 114.29
More hotels in Periana
New search
Please note that:
Consumption costs are not included in the room rate and will be charged according to guest use, within 3 weeks after check-out. Please note that the full amount of the reservation is due before arrival. NOVASOL will send a confirmation with detailed payment information. After full payment is taken, the property's details, including the address and where to collect keys, will be emailed to you. License number: VTAR/MA/00354
Continue to the next page for a full description of the available rooms and their prices. Choose and book your room.


text:
Sunday, September 20, 2009
XKCD BOOK PARTY: I came, I saw, I asked Randall Munroe about cocks
The xkcd book party. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.
Alright, maybe not. To be honest, though, I walked into this party expecting to be surrounded by the worst kind of nerd stereotype. Keep in mind that I went to an engineering school with a whopping 19% female population. I've seen the dark, stalkerish side of that world, the cheesy Monty Python references side, the "I'm better than everyone because I understand MATH" side, and the "soap? bah. I am growing anthrax in my armpits" side. Taking into consideration that was a) a party to celebrate the release of an xkcd book b) a party advertised as "Hang out with Randall Munroe!" and c) taking place on "Talk Like a Pirate Day," I had my defenses up.
I left around 6:10 and made my way to the subway. Some dude in the station was playing the Super Mario Bros. theme song on steel drums. I dropped a dollar in his case and thought "OH GOD, IT'S ALREADY BEGUN."
Arriving at and gaining access to the party location was pretty unremarkable. My first stop was the bar, as I knew I would need some serious hooch to get me through the evening and also over that speedbump of social anxiety that seems to plague most every nerd. The party was eerily quiet as people sipped their first drink of the evening. I noticed a disproportionate number of wine drinkers; I had this pegged for a beer crowd but only saw about 4 people with bottles throughout the night. As people became more, erm, socially lubricated (ew!,) conversations started to flow, mostly related to what we all did for a living, what everyone thought of The Watchmen, and our surprise at how inexpensive tickets ended up being. Only a handful of people wore xkcd shirts, nobody showed up with a black hat, and with the exception of a goth girl decked out in petticoat and corset, the party looked more like a career networking event than a celebration of a book release.
Throughout all this, there was no sign of Randall. Surprisingly, nobody really seemed all that interested in meeting him. I spotted him about two hours into the party, as we got closer to what was vaguely referred as the "presentation." He quietly approached the snack table, loaded up on cheese and crackers, and left. He could have been any other person there. He was not mobbed by drooling fans; I doubt if anyone even batted an eye at his presence.
The evening ended with the "presentation"-- basically the event organizers telling us about Room to Read, Randall doing a little speech and a Q&A, and finishing with an auction. Readers will be comforted to know that NO, the school will NOT be named after xkcd, though there will be a plaque hung somewhere which mentions it. Randall repeated his opinion that it would be SUPER HILARIOUS to have kids work really hard on learning to read and then having no idea how to pronounce the name of their school. My eyes rolled so hard in my head that my eyelids began to cramp.
Randall's speech was run of the mill-- he'd always wanted to do a book, it was hard to do because he lost a lot of the originals, yadda yadda. He then revealed A GREAT TRUTH. You see, when Randall was a little kid, he liked to go down to the library to take out comic anthologies. Garfield anthologies. Yes, throughout the course of his childhood, Randall made a point to check out and read every Garfield book the library had to offer. There is nothing I can add to that revelation that would make it any more beautiful than it already is.
The Q&A started with some generic "quirky" questions that frankly, I don't remember, and don't feel like going back through my crappy video to transcribe. This is because, about three questions in, someone asked about the xkcdsucks blog.
Is there really any more I can say? I mean, I basically had my job done for me. I did get to ask a question, which was "So far to count you have drawn 2 pictures of below the waist and 1 above the waist female genitalia. Do you have any plans to show your female readers some love and draw some male genitalia?"
Randall's response: "I wanted to, but then they kicked me out of TGI Fridays!" Then he stood there, thinking intently, for a few moments. I got video of that, too.
A few more questions were asked, including "who is Megan?" (Randall claims the name is just a female name he picked and not of anyone real,) and then the auction began. The top two bidders each won a one-on-one lunch with Randall, at $375 and $350 each, respectively. I put in a bid somewhere around the $200 mark thinking it would be cute to do an xkcdsucks interview, but was not willing to fork out more than that, even for epic lulz.
The second auction was for a commissioned drawing by Randall, which ended up going for $700. Now, the winner can have Randall draw anything he wants, but the fact that someone was willing to pay that much for work by an artist whose specialty is stick figures... well, I'm sure you guys will have a great time with the snark potential therein.
With all that out of the way, we were left to collect our choice of free tshirts (Mine: "Stand back! I know regular expressions,") prints ("sudo make me a sandwich,") and xkcd books. They ran out of pre-signed books about halfway through, leaving the other 30 or so of us to stand in a line to get Randall to sign our copies. I thought I'd wait, thinking this would be a good opportunity to give him the hilarious book you guys put together. However, after standing there for about a half hour, the line hadn't moved. Randall was still chatting with the event organizers. On top of that, one of the dudes standing in line with me smelled like he hadn't mastered the concept of toilet paper. Luckily, I found a friendly waiter who agreed to take my parcel and deliver it to Randall. Whether it made it to him, was accepted, or was read will remain a mystery. However, I think I got my money's worth.
A thousands thanks to Aloria for doing all this. I think the conclusion to the story with our book (which will be put on the blog in finalized form soon) is rather fitting and nice; Aloria tried to get it to him but we don't even know if it worked. Hopefully those of you who had worried about this operation/ thought we shouldn't do it are ok with how things turned out. Certainly aloria didn't embarrass him, and if thinking about this site ruined his day, it was because of that other guy who asked about us, not Aloria. So I think we are pretty good.
106 comments:
HI I WROTE THISReplyDelete
Aloria, we know.ReplyDelete
HOW CAN YOU KNOW? It could have been Carl's long, acid-fueled fantasy. Though I think in that case it would have had more homoerotica.ReplyDelete
How can we know that you are not Carl?ReplyDelete
This is ok. But the big news is that my baby, the book thread, is now at 300 posts. all glory to asher.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousSeptember 20, 2009 at 10:58 PM
"Above the waist female genitalia?"ReplyDelete
- AnonymousSeptember 20, 2009 at 11:04 PM
Aloria, I love you and want to have your babies. Since we're both female I'm not entirely sure how that'll work out, but DAMN IT, we'll make it work.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousSeptember 20, 2009 at 11:08 PM
Somehow I thought his voice would be higher pitched.ReplyDelete
- harrisonSeptember 20, 2009 at 11:19 PM
OMG 11:08 anonymous I thought the same thing! get out of my headReplyDelete
I think what it is for me is confusing Randall with moot from the ROFLcon videos.
I'm going to accept my blatant hypocrisy and accept how excited I was to read this report and watch the videos. Oh, to be shrugged off!ReplyDelete
I can definitely respect Mr. Munroe for regarding us as he does, especially via a "Defending Your Life" analogy (love that movie) and tempered with the acknowledgment that it's dangerous to be around admirers all the time, too.
Thanks for the vicariously good times!
Stop calling him Mr. Munroe.ReplyDelete
Anyway, I can't listen to the videos at work, so now I have to wait THE ENTIRE DAY before I can read all this and watch the videos. DAMN.
Still, it sounds like it was a success. Congratulations, and thanks, aloria.
Now can we download that PDF somewhere? I wonder what's in the book.
- AnonymousSeptember 21, 2009 at 2:47 AM
HOW CAN THE YOUTUBE THING BE YELLOW? BLACK MAGIC!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousSeptember 21, 2009 at 3:22 AM
Above the waist genitalia? Is that of an animal or plant?ReplyDelete
Aloria VICTORY is yours. Well done lass.ReplyDelete
Everyone knows women have a second vagina under the boob flap. Maybe if you prudes ever got laid you would know such things. /scowlReplyDelete
But yeah, I was pretty tore up when I formulated that sentence.
Thanks, aloria, for making my life slightly less incomplete =)ReplyDelete
Is this book being released under a Creative Commons license (or similar)? I'd just like to know.ReplyDelete
I think the best part of today's XKCD is the alt-text plug for Kate Beaton's comics. Read them! They're great.ReplyDelete
TRiG: Yes, it's under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5.ReplyDelete
I loved how the room broke into spontaneous rapturous applause and laughter when Randall referenced one of his own jokes("someone is wrong on the internet")ReplyDelete
He self-referenced A LOT, and got the same reaction pretty much every time.ReplyDelete
Oh, and one thing I forgot to add: he thought 631 was "hysterical" and was upset that a lot of people didn't get the joke.
Did he explain what the joke was that people weren't getting? Or did he just say "It's so lame that you guys don't get this joke" and not explain it?ReplyDelete
re: 631 being hysterical.ReplyDelete
Technically he's right, since hysterical comes from the Greek for uterus.
(That's true, Fact Fans! Medical & Linguistic Misogyny!)
But that doesn't make it FUNNY. I ought to make that clear.ReplyDelete
ugh. stupid uterus.ReplyDelete
Aloria, that means you just found the formula to be the next Randall Munroe? I mean, once you find your group of followers, ANY of your jokes will become funny by default. Then it's just a matter of repetition. It's like being a musician: people love you for playing the same song over and over and over. Except if you're Bob Dylan, in which case you're constantly trying to find new ways to confuse your audience.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousSeptember 21, 2009 at 8:00 AM
I completely got 631. It was just ridiculously horrible.ReplyDelete
So I was recently at the last show ever of Harvey Danger, of Flagpole Sitta fame. And they played Flagpole Sitta, and then after the song was over, Sean Nelson, their frontman, said something like, "I think we can all pause to appreciate the fact that we never have to play that song ever again."ReplyDelete
Or also how Radiohead never play Creep any more.ReplyDelete
HARVEY DANGER IS BREAKING UP? That makes me sad. I liked "Little by Little" a lot.ReplyDelete
Cool. Creative Commons is good.ReplyDelete
has broken up. it was basically the greatest show ever.ReplyDelete
Yeah, I think he's confusing "Didn't get the joke" with "Didn't think the joke was funny".ReplyDelete
@Danny: they did at the Reading Festival last month. Chrissakes, people.ReplyDelete
(I know, I know, if I'm demanding alt-rock geekery from my blogs, I should be reading Pitchfork.)
Sorry, I've not been paying attention I have had stuff on my mind okay.
But they don't like the song too much, I thought this was common knowledge.
Yeah, I think Randy makes the assumption that if we don't think the joke is funny, then we must not have gotten the joke. Which is the same mistake a lot of cuddlefish make when they come and post comments.ReplyDelete
i would bet the scribblenauts one is one he would've dismissed as not getting it. and if you look in the comments, there are people explaining, disagreeing, etc.ReplyDelete
also 631. i maintain that the joke behind 631 is unfathomable to the human mind.
631: the joke is on us.ReplyDelete
Biggest surprise? Randall is a lot more charismatic than you'd expect. I wouldn't have taken him for a public speaker.
I guess that's naive on my part; after all, this isn't exactly his first public appearance.
Posting this from an iPod!ReplyDelete
in re 631, EVERYONE GOT THE JOKE. Everyone in the world. It just sucked shit.
Thanks, Jay. I don't think any of us could have respected what you had to say unless you were posting using an ipod.ReplyDelete
Yeah, I was quite surprised at how quick-witted and sharp he was. It's unfortunate that it hasn't been translating to his comics.ReplyDelete
So, I watched the videos now. It's.. yeah, pretty much as expected. It's a shame that his self-admitted insecurity and perception that we "just don't get the comic" probably means that he'll never agree to an interview with Carl, because I actually think that would be pretty interesting. He's apparently a likeable enough guy, and he definitely has interesting stuff to say, it's just that we disagree about his comic's decline in quality and humor. Which, frankly, I think would be a pretty interesting thing to hear about. More interesting than "Why are you so awesome?" anyway.ReplyDelete
Also, where can we read that damned XKCD Sucks book?
aloria, I don't even know what a "boob flap" is... I must really need to get laid.ReplyDelete
there is no mystery here
Justin, it is kind of like a mud flap.ReplyDelete
or a bum flap?ReplyDelete
It's more like a fin...ReplyDelete
Or the rear spoiler on a Mitsubishi Lancer.ReplyDelete
@Danny: yeah, it's a fair assumption (I mean, they wrote a song about how much they didn't like doing that song). But subversion! And throwing for a loop! And stuff!ReplyDelete
[I have little to add to the breast discussion, being unpossessing of a pair]
@Ann, Also, I have a pet theory that each album they record is an attempt to shed a number of fans but for some reason more people like them each time.ReplyDelete
What Dasafrak, you're not as excited about my NEW IPOD TOUCH!!!!!! as I am?ReplyDelete
I TOUCHED YOUR MOM'S iPODReplyDelete
oh snap COMEDY GOLD!
Hey I think Flagpole Sitta is really good, it's catchy and I like it.ReplyDelete
Wait is iPod a euphemism?ReplyDelete
for VAGINA
- AnonymousSeptember 21, 2009 at 5:59 PM
aloria++, comedy gold. Make a book of your superior jokes, put the page numbers in hexadecimal, and then fool everyone into thinking you'll name a school in Thailand after you.ReplyDelete
I always wanted to teach Thai ladyboys how to read.ReplyDelete
Thai people are really nice.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousSeptember 21, 2009 at 8:20 PM
Especially with salsa.ReplyDelete
Yeah, but YOUR MOM taught me how to read.ReplyDelete
She was my first teacher. Nice woman.
- AnonymousSeptember 22, 2009 at 4:31 AM
"However, after standing there for about a half hour, the line hadn't moved."ReplyDelete
So you basically chickened out. There he was right in front of you, and what did you do? You pulled out and ran away because you got tired or whatever. Good job, the book probably never made it to him.
Anon 4:31 it did indeed not make it to him, but I spoke to him on IRC last night and gave him a digital version.ReplyDelete
I wouldn't call being annoyed to wait forever chikening out. I am also fairly happy with how this all turned out. The conversation will be posted for your pleasure soon enough
Keep in mind that I already spent three hours at this party; the bar had closed down at this point and the waitstaff were already tearing down the presentation area. There were about 20 people in front of me, and none of them had gotten to see Randall yet, either.ReplyDelete
I'm disappointed that the book didn't get to him, but from Person 1's conversation, I got the impression that he would have took one look at the cover and thrown it away, anyway. He had the opportunity to read our book in PDF form and he declined.
So if not wanting to spend another hour standing around waiting to see someone whose work I dislike is "chickening out," then I'm okay with that.
How did Person #1's conversation go? Dammit, people are conversing all over the place but here.ReplyDelete
@Danny: It would sure explain a lot.ReplyDelete
Person 1: so Randall gets a copy of the PDF before we do, huh? Huh? Is that how it is? I see how it is. Fine. If that's how it is, then that's how it is. Isn't it? Huh?
CAPTCHA: dychead. I can't compete with this sort of comedy.
I'm pretty sure the link has been available to everyone forever.ReplyDelete
(At least everyone who matters)
@Ann, what Sam means is that it has been publicised in the irc channel. It's nice in there. You should come on in.ReplyDelete
Dammit, everyone keeps running away to pastures new. Although actually I guess IRC is older than this blog. Whatever.ReplyDelete
I read the first part of the book. It's excellent stuff. It's a shame Randall is so uninterested. I'll only be able to read the rest when I get home, but I can tell the material is great.ReplyDelete
I'm also sad that, because of a serious fuck up with file formats and PDF conversion, my letter didn't make it in; I explained pretty much the "case study" from my own perspective. Thanks for the case study, by the way -- I'm genuinely, absolutely embarrassed by those first posts.
Fernie, your letter did get into the final version, along with WMH's story.ReplyDelete
captcha: formater.
- AnonymousSeptember 22, 2009 at 8:19 AM
That chatlog is really hard to read due to the fact that "Randall" and "Person1" look very similar in Courier New.ReplyDelete
Fernie, I'm glad that you like the case study. I was worried the entire time I was writing it that you would hate it.ReplyDelete
fluffy, I had the same problem. I copy and pasted the log into Notepad and replaced Randall with xkcd.ReplyDelete
CATPCHA: oblectan. What a gemoetric shape gets when it goes to the beach.
Yay! The blog matters!ReplyDelete
@Ann Apolis: The IRC channel is good because we can have actual conversations there. The comments section is good for little quips and light debate, but most people don't want to page through a back and forth between two or three people.ReplyDelete
Also, the IRC folks got the first account of my party experience while it was fresh in my mind (though I still was a little toasty,) plus other tiny details that I couldn't cram into my writeup. For example, that girl who said she was going to dress up as an xkcd character didn't, and she REALLY wanted to get in Randall's pants.
She may get in his pants yet!ReplyDelete
(Or maybe she already has, depending on when the lunch occurred)
(hi randall if you're reading)
((which you aren't))
Now that we are bff I could ask himReplyDelete
Sam, what in the hell was that. First that link bombarded me with pop-ups.ReplyDelete
And then it turned out not to be randy/Willy fic!
Yeah somebody else said that about a different pastebin link as well. No idea why it happens but I've never experienced it.ReplyDelete
Can you guys redo a bunch of his comics and put garfield in place of megan? I feel like that would be awesome.ReplyDelete
Hay jayyyyyyyyyy i got one recently tooooooooooooReplyDelete
i was posting with it like a few days ago and i was so proud of mahself
(til now)
OH MAN MY CRAPPY BLOG GOT REFERENCED.ReplyDelete
That has actually kind of brightened up my shitty day that he mentioned our whole "meta-community" in that video.
Oh man I just read the PDF and am as proud of you guys for making it as I am in myself for not contributing a wordy essay and watering down the final product. Good job, everyone involved!ReplyDelete
I'll have to hang out in IRC more; surely that's a good way to meet people!
Thomas it really is and now you and I can finally be the bffs I always dreamed we would beReplyDelete
Right, guys, next time I'll try to get my facts straight before I start whining. Apology for the goof. :)ReplyDelete
It's all great stuff. Again, if Randall still refuses to read this, I'll be sorry.
well, he said he might. I'll ask him in a few days if he ever did.ReplyDelete
Also ask him if that pink haired girl who was all up in his grill tried to jump his bones when he went to lunch with her.ReplyDelete
aloria is that the girl who had the acne (that girl from twitter) or a different girl?ReplyDelete
captcha: torso
yeah, twitter girl.ReplyDelete
Oh, yeah, Danny? Well, YOUR MOM captcha'd MY torso!ReplyDelete
The day I jumped off a building to try to kill myself, she grabbed me and broke my fall. The woman saved my life. I have the greatest respect for that lady.
(whee, now I have a totally quirky subversion of a well known joke. I should TOTALLY make my own webcomic)
I quite like your subversion especially the last line. "I have the greatest respect for that lady."
Moar plox.
oh Amanda you didReplyDelete
I don't feel like digging back through the blog posts but you TOTALLY did
That conversation between Person #1 and Randall was surprisingly boring. The thing about the vagina comic was enlightening, by the way. He did that one because "his friends laugh". I'd imagine that when your friends know you're the funny comics guy, they'll laugh at anything you show them, because they don't want to hurt your feelings. A better technique for gauging wether or not a comic is funny is SHOWING IT TO YOUR EDITOR.ReplyDelete
also, I hate it when people in IRC chats
insert line breaks for no reason
Thanks for FINALLY posting a link to that book, Capn. Jesus Christ people! Anyway, I liked Carl's Hitchcockian introduction.
Getting the book now. "Flipped through the pages" earlier, good job guys. :DReplyDelete
Also, I found someone I know in the "xkcd sucks sucks" section. Awwwwwkward! XD
CAPTCHA: "ovispota". A tyrannical chicken.
William Monty Hughes' words continue to be head and shoulders above all others. But I really did like all of the book a lot; it wasn't overly critical and was lots of fun to read.ReplyDelete
New one: what's with the inking? Is it just me?ReplyDelete
yeah it's weird but i think he is taking advice on switching up the line weight. at least you can tell that the characters aren't a part of the car, or the tornado.ReplyDelete
i liked it.
alt text was stupid tho
- AnonymousSeptember 22, 2009 at 10:36 PM
I also like the new one, except for the ridiculously terrible inking. And the alt text.ReplyDelete
I wonder if he couldn't find his normal pen and ended up using something with a thicker tip or something.
- AnonymousSeptember 22, 2009 at 10:40 PM
Latest one is acceptable if you can ignore the alt-textReplyDelete
- AnonymousSeptember 22, 2009 at 10:56 PM
Looks like MS Paint instead of inking.ReplyDelete
CAPTCHA = sadgenes
...it's like they want me to make a joke about it
- AnonymousSeptember 23, 2009 at 6:15 PM
You mean "Watchmen", not "The Watchmen".ReplyDelete
aloria - I have already asked him something of the sort, lemme find the logReplyDelete
(08:43:07 PM) me: when is that dinner with the girl who wants to get in your pants and spent like 370$ anyway?
(08:43:16 PM) randall: I don't know
(08:43:18 PM) randall: it's funny
(08:43:20 PM) randall: in silicon valley
(08:43:24 PM) randall: all the bidders on the dinner were dudes
(08:43:30 PM) randall: and all the bidders on the comics were girls
(08:43:36 PM) randall: it was the reverse of the new york event
I am not sure why I am suddenly the channel of communication here, though. You could just message him on IRC, he'll respond once he gets back
Well, the thing about NYC is that the ratio of single women to single men is like 50:1. So chicks out here can get REALLY desperate.ReplyDelete
OH REALLYReplyDelete
i will remember that


text:
Compared with iPhone owners, Android owners are less likely to shop with their phone, use it to browse the Internet, or watch video with their phone.
Why do Android owners even bother buying smartphones?
Probably because they don't actually buy them.
Well, they do, but it doesn't feel like it.
It's very easy to walk into an AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint store and walk out with a fully subsidized Android phone.
Want to know how easy?
Do a Google search for "Free Android Phone" sometime.
I just did, and amid all the offers from carrier I even found this ad from Domino's pizza:
Anyway, all this is why it can be stupid to compare Android and Apple market share.
You can get an iPhone free, but most people who get them don't. They spend money to get a personal computer in their pocket.
Android owners, for the most part, are just looking for a new cellphone, and will take whatever is handed to them at the store that doesn't cost any extra money. These days, that's usually an Android phone.


text:
Your shopping cart is empty!
Cute and comfortable, this classic baseball jersey has been cut just for women. Made from 100% super-soft ring-spun cotton by Bella. Includes side-seams and double-needle stitched sleeve and bottom hems for lasting quality. Select a design from our marketplace or customize this one to make it your own!
Size & Fit
Fabric & Care


text:
Register now
Dating CumbriaScunthorpe Brigg Amcotts Winteringham Wrawby Brough Winterton Broughton Barrow
Dating in Barrow
eMatch is a dating platform for people who are looking for a serious and long-term relationship. Our services include special features that will help you find matches that meet your criteria. We have members in every part of the UK!
Safe and anonimous
eMatch finds safety a top priority. That's why we use an SSL encryption to secure your privacy. In addition we verify all the profiles of our members, making sure frauds don't stand a chance.
Free registration
Get a free Basic Membership. Register right away and start looking for the love of your life!Register now


text:
Contributor Name: CGIAR Research Program on Wheat (WHEAT) Contributor Name: Global Wheat Program (GWP) Keyword Term: Agricultural research Publication Date: 2019 Author Name: IWIN Collaborators Keyword Term: Days to maturity Keyword Term: Days to heading Contributor Name: Cereal System Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) network Geographic Coverage Country / Nation: Canada Geographic Coverage Country / Nation: Bangladesh
1 to 1 of 1 Result
Dataset / SoftwareJun 10, 2020 - CIMMYT Research Data
Global Wheat Program; IWIN Collaborators; Reynolds, Matthew; Payne, Thomas, 2019, "4th Wheat Yield Collaboration Yield Trial", hdl:11529/10548294, CIMMYT Research Data & Software Repository Network, V5The WYCYT international nurseries are the result of research conducted to raise the yield potential of spring wheat through the strategic crossing of physiological traits related to source and sink potential in wheat. These trials have been phenotyped in the major wheat-growing m...
Reset Modifications
Are you sure you want to reset the selected metadata fields? If you do this, any customizations (hidden, required, optional) you have done will no longer appear.


text:
In our first two looks at the Roy and Hattie (James) Teague family, we examined their 1930 US census enumeration, their marriage certificate, and Roy's obituary. In today's post, we will visit Pickett Cemetery, where Roy was buried1.
After reading Roy's obituary naming his burial spot, I double checked the cemetery's burials by heading over to the USGenWeb Archives' holdings for Rabun County. Several years back, Bill and Elaine English were kind enough to survey most of Rabun County's burial grounds and place them online for others to use; their survey of Pickett Cemetery included Roy as well as a couple of other familiar Teagues, namely Lina and Louie. While the online surveys are a great tool, we should also visit the cemetery to see if we can glean any other information from the layout of the graves, and from the tombstones themselves.
And indeed, our visit paid off. In the third row from the back of the cemetery, beginning in the middle and going to the right, was a row of stones memorializing various members of the Teague family, with Roy's stone in the center:
From left to right in the picture: Lina H. Teague; C. C. and Faye T. Barron; Roy Teague; Paul C. Teague; and Louie and Fannie Q. Teague. Lina, C. C., and Faye's graves were enclosed by a very low granite border, while Roy, Paul, Louie, and Fannie's graves were enclosed by another low stone border.
As much as any other record we've enountered, the positioning of these graves tells us that these people were members of the same family. In addition, we can take the information we've found here and compare it to the information we already have to determine that the Roy Teague buried at Pickett Cemetery is, indeed, the man who married Hattie James in 1924, who was enumerated with her and three children in the 1930 US census next door to three of the people buried alongside him (Lina, Faye, and Louie), and whose obituary we found in a 1969 issue of the local paper.
These tombstones do raise one question: * Who was the Paul C. Teague buried between Roy and Louie? He was of an age to be a son of either man, but if so, which one? *
Are we ready to move backward to his parents' generation? Not quite. There are still several things we need to do, including finding out what happened to Hattie and figuring out who all Roy's children were, and whether Hattie was their mother or not.
For those who are interested, here are photos of the Teague family's tombstones as found in Pickett Cemetery.
Lina H. Teague
Dec. 17, 1874
May 28, 1965
C. C. / Faye T.
Jan. 28, 1879 / Apr. 1, 1903
June 15, 1956 / Dec. 17, 1987
Roy Teague
May 8, 1900
June 7, 1969
Paul C. Teague
Jan. 13, 1937
June 13, 1967
Louie / Fannie Q.
Feb. 5, 1897 / Sept. 11, 1923
Feb. 23, 1982 / Sept. 25, 2009
* * * * *
1. Roy S. Teague obituary, The Clayton Tribune, Clayton, Georgia, 12 June 1969, page 1, column 6.


text:
Markers and Crayons
Sort By:
Markers are writing devices that enable people to draw or write by hand on a nearly any surface. Anytime the recipient utilizes the product, they will also be exposed to your custom imprinted message on the item. From busy executives to stay-at-home mothers, these items can serve a valuable purpose and allow them to record pertinent information on surfaces like dry erase boards or presentation boards. Our collections span a wide range of choices, including highlighters, permanent styles, and dry erase models. Clearly, within these subcategories of art tools, there are many product options that can differentiate your brand. Retractable permanent markers are a fun new variation on traditional expectations that can amuse and impress your target audience. You can also select the thickness of the tip, or purchase styles with several different tip sizes to allow clients and employees to state their preference.


text:
I never brought cool lunches to school. I actually can't remember what I used to bring at all. But I do remember that Tali, one of the Israeli kids in my class, used to bring chocolate and peanut butter sandwiches. Chocolate and peanut butter! How was this a sandwich? But it was. And her mom (or dad) packed it for her almost every day.
This was before Nutella was on all the grocery store shelves. And it was a pure chocolate spread on one piece of bread, peanut butter on the other. Let's just say that Tali was pretty popular at lunch time.
I assume the chocolate spread her parents had brought over from Israel was the the famous Hashahar which I just learned has been part of Israeli memory and taste buds for over 50 years:
The [Hashahar] factory is a Romanian invention. It was established by six brothers and two sisters from the Weidberg family – Yaakov, Shaul, Haim, Alter, Yeshayahu, Shabtai, Rivka and Elka – who immigrated to Palestine in the 1930s from Romania. The family settled in a hut in Kiryat Ata, near Haifa, which the eldest sibling, Yaakov, had organized ahead of their arrival. Among the make-work jobs they did, a few of the siblings specialized in the production of sweets at the Davidovich factory in the Ir Ganin neighborhood.
"They were a poor family and were looking for a way to make a living," says Moshe Weidberg, Alter's son, who today heads the factory together with others from the family's second generation.
In the 1940s the brothers decided to join forces. They found an investor, bought a plot of land in the industrial zone of Haifa Bay and in 1949 opened the factory. At first they made a range of sweets. "They started with candies, chocolate substitutes and boxes of chocolates," Weidberg continues. "But what really caught on was the chocolate spread."
When candy imports increased in the 1980s, they decided to abandon most of their products and concentrate on the main thing. Today the plant, which has 50 employees on two production lines, also makes baking chocolate and cocoa powder, but mainly chocolate spread. It comes in three flavors: classic dairy, parve and nuts. "They are a traditionalist, modest family," says Weitz, who is also connected to the family, by marriage. "They did not want to be an empire and they are not looking for gimmicks."
The factory produces many tons of chocolate spread a month. Sales figures place it first in the chocolate spread market in Israel, ahead of competitors such as Elite and Ferraro. The company also exports goods to Australia, Europe and America. "In the United States our main competition is from peanut butter," Weitz notes. "But recently there is an increased demand there for substitutes, because it turns out that many children are allergic to nuts."
– Haaretz.com: Things Only Israelis Know, Part 1: Hashahar Chocolate Spread
Now, eating chocolate spread in Israel feels like part of the cultural experience and a rite of passage to me. I'm sure there are other rites of passage that people will be more than happy to share about their teen tours of Israel, but let's keep this blog about food, OK?
When I went to Israel for a month in college with Sar-El/Volunteers for Israel to work on an army base, some of my fondest memories include the three marriage proposals I got (in English, Hebrew and French) from soldiers driving through the fence pictured below as I painted it (if only the proposals would keep coming….), fixing nagmashim (non-armored personnel carriers), and late night conversations over spoonfuls of chocolate spread that Orit (we gave one of our fellow volunteers a Hebrew/Israeli name since she didn't have one) bought in town as she shared with us her gems and pearls of wisdom. Orit was about 5 years my senior, so she had a lot of gems and pearls to share.
On a trip to the Netherlands last year, where I visited friends in Amsterdam and Den Haag (I love pronouncing it the Dutch way — with the guttural "h" ending), I learned about a very different version of a chocolate sandwich spread which is also kosher (dairy) and has a fair bit of history and local tradition.
De Ruijter has been around since 1860, making chocolate (and other flavors) sprinkles and flakes. Apparently the pink and white sprinkles ("muisjes") are traditionally used to decorate cookies when a girls is born and the blue and white ones for a boy. The chocolate sprinkles and flakes are eaten on toast for breakfast. I didn't have a chance to buy any when I was in the Netherlands since I had very limited luggage space, but when I moved to Cambridge I was thrilled to find that Cardullo's in Harvard Square carries them!
Rejoice — another version of the chocolate fix. I bough a box of milk chocolate flakes and and every once in a while, I make a little midnight snack, recalling my time in Holland. The flakes have a slightly gritty texture when eaten out of the box, but they manage to keep their shape while melting ever so slightly on a warm piece of buttered toast, and the grittiness fades.
What I also find so clever about the DeRuijters packaging is that the opening for pouring out the flakes is in the shape of a classic piece of bread.
I think I'll buy some sprinkles next.
In the Netherlands, there is a local Dutch kosher list available in a searchable format online in English and Dutch. The Dutch one seems to be more comprehensive for some reason. On the English list, these flakes and sprinkles are listed under the category "sandwich spreads" and are spelled "de Ruyter." The pink and white sprinkles are not kosher for some reason — hmmm….gender discrimination? Unlikely. Probably the red dye.
I also have a friend in Amsterdam whose family runs a kosher grocery store and will gladly answer questions or help out with local kashrut issues. I can put people in touch if you're going to visit and want help.