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Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Comic 830: Genetically Inferior
[Hated demonic entity "shufti" has vomited another pile of horrible words from the sulfurous depths of hell. What follows is a rough transcript. -Ed.]
I'm disappointed again guys. I actually enjoyed xkcd for a while - a good three weeks in fact. I was kinda flabbergasted that, for once, there was quality on xkcd. All of it was flawed, of course, but it was still decent. Randy seemed to have rediscovered what a "punchline" was and that it meant the comic was "over", he actually displayed a bit of "subtlety", and for once the nerd references weren't so maddeningly stupid and out-of-place. These comics still had their flaws, but they were at least amusing for a change.
And of course Randy's 4chan alarm went off that SOMEBODY WHO HATED HIM DERIVED ENJOYMENT FROM HIS COMIC, so he swoops in with 830, a metaphorical C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER of shit and fail.
Oh, who am I kidding, this wasn't intentional - Randy just sucks at humor. I mean, "Your parents had sex"? That's the punchline? Thanks Captain Obvious. This is exactly like that damned Computer Problems comic or that also-damned Desecration comic - it's a couple of adults acting like fucking infants (or Tea Partiers) over the stupidest shit. I feel like Randy took a trip to Simple Wikipedia (or a Tea Party rally) and he suddenly lost faith in a person's ability to reason anything beyond 1 + 1 = 3 or something.
Is this Randy trying to say he remembered a repressed childhood memory? Or maybe he was catching up on his Big Bang Theory and saw that one episode where Sheldon was being teased about his "Mema" having had sex at some point and he thought, "Oh that's funny. I shall use it for my webcomic."
Well, a pox on your webcomic, Randall. A POX.
109 comments:
- AnonymousDecember 7, 2010 at 9:00 PM
It's a shame, because this strip could have been leading into anything, yet it had to lead into that.ReplyDelete
At least the goatkcd was sort of funny.
- AnonymousDecember 7, 2010 at 9:15 PM
Am I the only one who found the "I need to be alone" line hilarious?ReplyDelete
Though as the meaning I'm thinking was probably not the one intended by Randall, it really doesn't save the comic, either.
- Politely DisagreesDecember 7, 2010 at 9:34 PM
"I mean, "Your parents had sex"? That's the punchline?"ReplyDelete
It's the punchline, but it's not the joke, which is what you seem to be implying.
You read genetic tests and you're expecting him to be diagnosed with some genetic disease. Instead, it turns out that it's something rather obvious that would show up on a genetic test. You're expecting one thing. You get another. That's the humor. That's the funny part. Not "ZOMG my parents had sex?!?!?!
- AnonymousDecember 7, 2010 at 9:43 PM
Dearest "Politely Disagrees": If I tell you I'm going to show you a delightful buffet, and then lead you to your kitchen, buffetless and exactly stocked as it was before you met me in your living room... will you tell me that a joke has occurred because expectations have not been met? If yes, why? Because I felt your emotional investment in the possibility of a buffet, and the reveal at the end that no, there is nothing here you didn't already know, lets me savour your sorrowful tears.ReplyDelete
Here we have two lumpy stick figures we cannot identify. The "reveal" shows us nothing exciting or new, and we cannot even laugh maliciously at the turn of events because honestly... we feel no sympathy for these Faceless Void-Creatures.
Were these two characters we knew and loved and who sported quirks we'd grown to identify over the past 800 or so updates, then yes -- a joke may be possible. But sadly, again, we have XKCD telling a joke that is not XKCD material given the XKCD medium.
- AnonymousDecember 7, 2010 at 9:45 PM
Newest XKCD, I had to re-read after the caption to realize what he was depicting. I don't dislike it, and for some reason I wish he'd gone somewhere with his tooltip.ReplyDelete
Randall, you are a tease -- all promise and no delivery.
- AnonymousDecember 7, 2010 at 9:48 PM
831: OMG GOOMH I look at weather radars TOO! WOW. On the up side this made me think of entropy, and thus George Carlin, who makes me smile all the time. RIP George.ReplyDelete
- Politely DisagreesDecember 7, 2010 at 10:03 PM
My good friend Ravenzomg,ReplyDelete
I believe you are addressing a different issue from me. Would your example be a joke? I think one would have to a agree that person one played a joke on person two. You seem to be making the argument that it isn't funny. I don't think a joke necessarily has to be funny for it to be a joke. There are such things as bad jokes.
My original point was that the joke here is not "my parents had sex". I believe the author ("shufti"?) was mischaracterizing where the joke was coming from. I should have written, "That's where the humor is supposed to be coming from." My initial post insinuated that there was humor coming from the joke. Whether or not the joke was funny was a matter I had not planned to delve into as that is a matter of pure opinion.
- AnonymousDecember 7, 2010 at 10:14 PM
Subversion of expectations does not automatically make a joke an elephant.ReplyDelete
- Politely DisagreesDecember 7, 2010 at 10:16 PM
Anon 10:14ReplyDelete
Are you arguing that I'm wrong about where the joke is, or are you arguing about whether the joke is funny?
On a side note, I found your post humorous.
- AnonymousDecember 7, 2010 at 10:18 PM
831: horrible. Not funny, stupid, makes no sense, a book in the alt-text that's pretentious and stupid, stupid, not funny, and fucking terrible.ReplyDelete
That's all.
- AnonymousDecember 7, 2010 at 10:21 PM
Anon 10:14 here.ReplyDelete
I'm not saying you're wrong. If Randall was usually a competent joke teller then I'd be inclined to believe the joke was the subversion of expectations. Whether that's funny or not depends on the person. But he has shown himself to ignore a lot of the good conventions of comedy so it is hard to say. It might be the content of "parents having sex" line, as Rob suggests, or the fact that the "parents having sex" line is unexpected and underwhelming.
I also made that post (well, started typing it, decided to take a shower then came back to it) before your second post so I thought you were saying subversion automatically = funny. Which seems to be a big thing on the xkcd forums.
I also found my post slightly humorous because I did not expect myself to type it.
- AnonymousDecember 7, 2010 at 10:38 PM
Needs more drunken Aloria. What happened to drunken Aloria?ReplyDelete
I do not mean sober Aloria, of course. I can neither sympathise not empathise with sober Aloria.
- AnonymousDecember 7, 2010 at 10:52 PM
No, it would not be funny to me. Watching it happen to someone else would be FUCKING HILARIOUS. Sucker.
I found this comic funny. But only because I wasn't expecting an obvious punchline. I expected something like "I'm happy I broke up with you" or "you'll die from exposure to (nerdy hobby)". Double bluff.
831: extremely fucking stupid. Reminds me of "you notice how wikipedia uses certain words" one. He's making some sort of observation that nobody who doesn't browse certain websites obsessively would get.ReplyDelete
Except... now I'm actually noticing that Wikipedia uses words like "portmanteau" and "neologism" a lot.
Captcha: Spershb. Just too funny sounding not to include.
- Politely DisagreesDecember 7, 2010 at 11:21 PM
Subverted expectations are always funny. It's like when bugs bunny tells Elmor Fudd that if he wins, he will get what's coming to him, and the prize is a big punch to the face.ReplyDelete
- Politely DisagreesDecember 7, 2010 at 11:22 PM
P.S. I am gayReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 7, 2010 at 11:24 PM
I've seen the phenomenon mentioned in 831 a number of times, although it's usually with a sigh of relief. It's very nice to be just missed by a scary patch of colour, especially when you see news reports the next morning about how much damage that was done through flash flooding, hail etc.ReplyDelete
That said, I couldn't really enjoy the strip because the joke was pretty weak and it felt like one of the standard xkcd observation-without-really-making-a-joke strips.
- AnonymousDecember 7, 2010 at 11:30 PM
NEWSFLASH: "brains are so interesting!"ReplyDelete
- Politely DisagreesDecember 7, 2010 at 11:43 PM
Oddly, I appreciated the "P.S. I am gay", because it helped differentiate between that "Politely Disagrees" and the heterosexual-to-the-point-of-harassment original "Politely Disagrees".ReplyDelete
*Elmer Fudd
- TheMesosadeDecember 7, 2010 at 11:51 PM
I think SMBC threw around a line saying "If your article can be summarized as "No," don't publish it"ReplyDelete
This same line can be used for 831.
(In response to "When the folks at the weather offices see you refreshing too often, they start teasing you.")
Better idea for 831:ReplyDelete
Frame 1: Same, no text
Frame 2: Same, no text
Frame 3: Figure running happily to the window to see the storm, perhaps calling out in joy
Frame 4: Clear sky, sunny day.
Frame 5: Randy's Marty Stu feels the same disappointment I feel every time I look at xkcd.
Alt text: Meteorology isn't a real science.
Randall is probably one out of, what, 10 people who refresh their radar obsessively hoping that a "cool" thunderstorm is coming towards them.ReplyDelete
And that, of course, implies that EVERYONE DOES THE SAME. Therefore, 831.
Of course, EVERYONE loves thunderstorms, especially when they went to work and left his umbrella at home, or has piles of wet clothes to dry.
There IS humour somewhere in this strip, but Randall has to ruin it with his thought that EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD IS EXACTLY LIKE RANDALL. And what's worse? Now EVERYONE IN THE FORUMS WILL BE SAYING "LOL I DO THAT TOO!". No, you don't, you fuckers. You DON'T.
831 is apparently a humorous rendition of the weather forecast for Randallton, located in the Vast Gray Sea of Nothingness.ReplyDelete
I'm one of those people who refresh the weather radar compulsively (I theorize there are two reasons for this: 1. I am Dutch, and we obsess about the weather by default, and 2. my primary mode of transportation is a bicycle and I hate cycling in the rain).ReplyDelete
That said, I can't recall every noticing that... And if it does, I'm glad, since usually if I'm checking the weather radar it means I want to go outside so I'm hoping it'll stay dry.
Also, there's definitely more thunderstorms now than when I was a kid. This may have something to do with moving to a country where there are more thunderstorms.
Finally, I stopped compulsively refreshing the weather radar since I got an iPhone app that gives me push notifications when there's rain near my present location. :)
- AnonymousDecember 8, 2010 at 5:45 AM
First of all... Rob, I hate you, I had to go to the site to check this abortion of a comic because you didn't update quickly this time round. Actually, redux is off the hook as well, what the heck?ReplyDelete
This comic gives the impression that Randall thinks that subversion of expectations = instant humor. It's not. In fact, it can be used for other things than humor. And it also can be incredibly pointless.
It's just hard to find the funny in an obvious "revelation" like that. It gets even hard to find it when Randall decides to up the ante with such horrible case of PPD. Subverting the expectation of something funny with something unfunny doesn't work except as a meta-joke, and we already have the "why did the chicken cross the road" joke for that.
And heck, since I'll have to go to the site anyway because people won't stop discussing the new comic, let's see it...
What is this, I don't even...
Okay, I get it. It's just... a bit pointless. I need to think about it better.
- AnonymousDecember 8, 2010 at 6:20 AM
@Fernie Canto, RE: 831ReplyDelete
There is a whole world of biologists, of which I am a part, that hopes for night time rain on a regular basis because of all the frogs and salamanders it draws out. I routinely get frustrated at weather forecasts that call for rain and then, for some reason, the rain never hits where I'm planning to look for amphibians. Just pointing out that there are actually people out there that do this...
- AnonymousDecember 8, 2010 at 7:07 AM
pffft, biology? That's not REAL science, it's all just applied physics.ReplyDelete
Sorry everyone, but I just had a goomhr moment for realz. We just came out of a 3 day snowstorm where I was compulsively checking the radar!ReplyDelete
Shitty comic though.
"Is it bad news? What are my risk factors?"ReplyDelete
Has he ever had a conversation with another human being? If so, how could he possibly think this represents the way people talk?
Biology anon, I wasn't talking about people that expect rain for all variety of reasons why someone would expect rain. *I* expect rain when it gets excessively hot and dry. The thing is people who expect COOL and AWESOME thunderstorms because thunderstorms are COOL and AWESOME and all thunderstorms are necessarily COOL and AWESOME. The way the comic is made makes it look like Randall thinks everyone is like that, and therefore would relate perfectly with it and find it funny, in the "oh that SO happens to me all the time!" sort of way. The comic does not depict a character who particularly enjoys thunderstorms, but expects YOU, the reader, to relate to it. I HATE that.ReplyDelete
Besides that, it's not even a very funny or good idea -- just the same old "haha computer people are clever and fuck around with YOU" gimmick.
Captcha: coloc. Must be the name of a very distant Polish relative of mine.
P.S. I agree with the folks who are annoyed by the implication that everyone's checking the weather radar in hopes that a big storm is coming. It's a thunderstorm. I'm not 6, so they're not all that exciting. They're usually an annoyance.ReplyDelete
When I'm checking the weather radar I'm wondering "is the rain gonna slow down any time soon so I can run to my car?" or "Okay, how long is this snow going to continue? Will I have to set my alarm early in the morning to shovel?"
I'M GOING TO DRUNKEN REVIEW EVERYTHINGReplyDelete
Wait there are people who think thunderstorms are awesome and great? What the FUCK? I admit I'm kind of a pussy but when I see a "Severe Weather Alert" on Yahoo I freak the hell out (I'm paranoid about tornadoes, traumatic experience as a kid). I'm usually refreshing the weather radar in hopes that the thing that happens in this comic actually DOES happen, and the storm misses us. It doesn't happen very often.ReplyDelete
But oh I guess liking thunderstorms is part of that UNIQUE AND QUIRKY shit that xkcd fans like to be so they're probably "GOOMH RANDALL I LIKE THUNDERSTORMS TOO." Fuck them.
I don't think Randall is saying everybody likes (or should like) thunderstorms; the dot on the map is a "character", not a stand in for the reader (although the caption implies that all his readers refresh weather radar frequently). It's a minor point though. Randall does make the equally obnoxious claim that EVERYBODY believes thunderstorms have declined in frequency and that MP3 players aren't truly random.ReplyDelete
Nope, I haven't noticed that thunderstorms are less frequent now than when I was younger. I grew up in Western Oregon and live in Missouri now. Did Randall even stop to think for a minute that Boston might have fewer thunderstorms than Virginia? Apparently not.
Thunderstorm frequency map
Also, anecdotes aren't data. Maybe Randall's friends notice these things, but they aren't UNIVERSAL. I'd guess his current friends/acquantainces are mostly people who moved to Boston for school from other parts of the country. Coastal MA/NH/ME has fewer thunderstorms than almost anywhere else in the country (besides the Pacific coast).
Anecdotes are data if you're looking at rare events.ReplyDelete
Who feeds you this crap?
- AnonymousDecember 8, 2010 at 1:06 PM
Except he wasn't talking about something rare, his exact words were "universally believed".ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 8, 2010 at 2:31 PM
I don't believe MP3 players are truly random. Besides, I've been able to predict the next song tons of times! (Although, perhaps this is saying more about my music collection.)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 8, 2010 at 4:07 PM
831 is completely pointless. I read it several times trying to figure out if I had missed something, but no, turns out that it just wasn't even a joke. I don't even know what to call it.ReplyDelete
I'm still not even sure what he's saying... the people at the "weather offices" are keeping track of random people refreshing weather data? O... kay... Is... is that supposed to be the funny part? I honestly don't know.
Also, I would hardly call what he says in the alt-text "universally believed"; pretty sure I've never once heard anyone say that before. Now, I know that I experience fewer thunderstorms than I did when I was younger, as I now live in a place that gets fewer thunderstorms. But according to Randall, maybe I'm just imagining that! (hint: I'm not.)
It wouldn't surprise me in the least if MP3 players had a built-in formula that made it more likely to choose certain songs based on how often/not often they're played or something.ReplyDelete
Drunkloria must rise from her alcoholic coma to properly savage the awful shitpile that is comic 831.ReplyDelete
- FilthslayerDecember 8, 2010 at 5:55 PM
@ SchustReplyDelete
iPods used to go off of solely random-number generation, but people would still get certain albums or songs repetitively just by chance, and were complaining, so Apple added a smarter shuffle that picks songs that haven't been played as often, although it is less-truly random. I'm sure other MP3 player manufacturers have had similar experiences.
OT: 831 is a fucking abomination and needs to be annihilated so I can sleep at night.
- AnonymousDecember 8, 2010 at 6:13 PM
Coming from the Icy North, I actually quite enjoy storms in the summer, secure in the knowledge that there isn't any serious "risk" involved in them beyond getting wet/getting struck by lightning if you're a moron.ReplyDelete
But no, if it's winter, storm ---> panic ---> stock up on canned food ---> shiver in corner until it's over. Fuck childish excitement, there is a chance we'll all die again, like in '98.
@Filthslayer: Odd... my iPod actually plays another song by the artist if I listen to the whole song [as opposed to skipping] rather than shuffling randomly, on some sort of "you liked that you'll like this" basis I always assumed. But hell, maybe my iPod just sucks at random, but to the effect that it does its job quite well? I don't know, I have no idea how coding works on any level. You could tell me it's built along the same lines as DNA and I might believe it [well not now [unless that is true...?]].
Captcha: legrail. So that's what the rail is for.
- AnonymousDecember 8, 2010 at 7:13 PM
"Is it bad news? What are my risk factors?" would have been better if it had been after "At some point, your parents had sex." But not by much.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 8, 2010 at 8:25 PM
moar like 2+2=5
- AnonymousDecember 8, 2010 at 10:36 PM
The SanDisk player I own has a terrible shuffle algorithm. Yes, of course it is only pseudo-random. What on earth does this have to do with cognitive bias??ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 9, 2010 at 1:19 AM
Politely Disagrees the joke is definitely that this guy is upset at realising his parents had sex. It's not funny though.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 9, 2010 at 1:25 AM
There seem to be pretty much exactly the same amount of thunderstorms now as I remember there being when I was young.ReplyDelete
I still don't get this comic anyway. How would the people at the weather offices control the weather? Or are they drawing the whole thing in real time? That doesn't sound very likely or possible. It makes no sense to me.
Also who even looks at weather radar sites except for actual weather-hobbyists, let alone refreshes it, let alone refreshes it constantly? I'll just look at the fucking weather forecast if I want to know what the weather is going to be like.
- AnonymousDecember 9, 2010 at 2:55 AM
"Also who even looks at weather radar sites except for actual weather-hobbyists, let alone refreshes it, let alone refreshes it constantly? I'll just look at the fucking weather forecast if I want to know what the weather is going to be like."ReplyDelete
Except the weather forecast is like 'possible showers in your general area' while the weather radar actually shows you what's going on. It's a lot more useful, especially in the short term.
- AnonymousDecember 9, 2010 at 3:34 AM
I like that in XKCDland, people get excited about extreme weather happening near them, whereas here in the real world, it causes people to have to spend five hours driving home from work because people are idiots and always forget how to drive in the snow in the 7 months between April and December... And it seems that a lot of the people in this thread are not particularly fond of severe weather either and are wondering why Randy's trying to pander to his audience that way. I think it's that children, who have no real responsibilities, can be carefree and unaffected by storms et al., and that's either how Randy is, or how he sees himself.ReplyDelete
And some adults DO get excited by snow. I'm one of them. It's probably because I was chronically snow-deprived as a child.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 9, 2010 at 6:00 AM
Also who even looks at weather radar sites except for actual weather-hobbyists, let alone refreshes it, let alone refreshes it constantly?ReplyDelete
You forget: Randall makes his living off of these comics, and has the rest of his time free. Now we know how he spends just some of that time.
We've done all the DNA checksReplyDelete
And the answer is likely to vex
Each available test
Has conspired to suggest
That at some point, your parents had sex
- LostInSpaceDecember 9, 2010 at 8:19 AM
I did experience more thunderstorms as a child, because the area I grew up in had severe thunderstorms all summer. Now I live in an area that doesn't, but guess what? Visiting my parents in the summer= thunderstorms. It's not some mystery, Randall.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 9, 2010 at 1:51 PM
I approve of that limerick.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 9, 2010 at 2:31 PM
Oh dear, someone's stumbled on Edward Lear...ReplyDelete
Nice limerick. Way better than 830.ReplyDelete
For all you people complaining about "maybe there WERE more thunderstorms back then for this reason and that reason and the other reason," that's really not what Randall is going for. I believe his point is that thunderstorms are a bigger deal for kids, so we remember them more vividly. Back in the day, we'd have to get raincoats and umbrellas and recess was inside and lightning would scare us and thunderstorms were a big deal! But now, unless the power goes out or you have to travel in it, most thunderstorms could pass by without the average adult even noticing, since most of us work indoors. This means that not only do we experience them less, but they affect us less as well. Therefore, it seems like there were more big storms when we were kids.
That doesn't make the comic any better, though.
- AnonymousDecember 9, 2010 at 3:25 PM
Almost every point in the alt-text is wrong.ReplyDelete
People thinking there aren't as many thunderstorms at their current age? This has a decent chance of being true, if an individual moved from a region with a lot of thunderstorms. Conversely, there is a high chance that an individual knows it's not true, such as if he's moved into a thunderstorm-rich region.
Next, the bit about music players having bias. This is often considered to be completely false, and many people have complained about anyone who believes this to be true, so it is not at all a "universal belief". But in point of fact, some brands of MP3 player do have bias. For example, rapidly turning on an iPod Shuffle 2 will reset the random number seed it uses for Shuffle mode, so it can give the same sequence of songs repeatedly. I demonstrated this to a friend by ensuring that Shuffle mode was on, and giving him a list of the next 25 songs to appear on his iPod.
So not only did Randall produce an unfunny comic (after such a nice winning streak!), his precious science was wrong as well.
- ScottMcTonyDecember 9, 2010 at 3:57 PM
Jesus Christ you people are fucking stupid, except Gamer 2k4.ReplyDelete
Edward Lear: not until he came back did I realise how much I had missed him. God bless you.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 9, 2010 at 6:18 PM
I actually liked the Computer Problems comic but I've gotta agree though, this comic sucked ass.ReplyDelete
I resent the accusation that I am a slut, ScottMcTonyReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 9, 2010 at 9:07 PM
I disagree with.... Well, everything about this website. XKCD has made me laugh on almost every occasion (with the exception of the early stuff). Though i do not agree with you, I will not call you "stupid" or other derogatory terms like other people do. I abhor internet hazing, and people who encourage such thing. That said, I think Rob is an intelligent individual with whom i can politely disagree. XKCD is just funny in my opinion.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 9, 2010 at 9:20 PM
Well your opinion is stupid.ReplyDelete
"That said, I think Rob is an intelligent individual with whom i can politely disagree."ReplyDelete
Did you ever even read a single thing he wrote? Calling Rob polite is like calling the ocean dry.
@Anon 9:07, you sound like a rare individual, virtually extinct on the internet. Part of me wonders if your politeness isn't highly evolved trolling! (Hmm actually that sounds like a comic idea, though to go anywhere except xkcd it would need a punchline...)ReplyDelete
Anyway, since we have you as a resource perhaps you can be of use. What could possibly have made you laugh on 631 or 714 or 811 or 808?
- AnonymousDecember 9, 2010 at 10:26 PM
XKCD 831 was a colour comic, guys, so Randy will be a little late with Friday's update because of the physical drain it took on him. So no getting angry, because he's totally justified.ReplyDelete
Captcha: matineri. Some sort of fancy breakfast place, right?
@Raven, I can't figure out whether you correctly predicted that b/c of outside info or what. It's kinda freaky.ReplyDelete
Speaking of which, 832 is yet more evidence to support the theory that Randall haphazardly throws shit together at the last minute. This comic is so not funny, lacks originality, and doesn't redeem itself at all by being useful(which seems to be the implied justification).
Who actually needs this chart, though? It makes me think that Randall actually believes that he's so smart, resourceful, etc. and the rest of us are retarded enough to lose at tic-tac-toe without his help.
It's almost as if lately there's a Randall quota for humor, which monday's comic filled completely. The result of which is the utter lack of it in the other two strips for the week.
Scratch that, the funny one was 829 which was last friday. Still, there's gotta be something to that...ReplyDelete
The new one is fun, but i cant see the red due to being colorblind. Youd think that randys survey would have informed him of a better color schemeReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 12:20 AM
X _ _ReplyDelete
_ _ _
_ _ _
Anyone care to play?
Captcha: sumpop--sump pump pop?
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 12:24 AM
X _ _ReplyDelete
_ _ _
And the only remotely (using that word loosely) good thing about it was the Wargames riff.
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 3:29 AM
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 3:48 AM
Rob continues to prove as much of a worthless hack as Carl.ReplyDelete
Ok, so you thought Wednesday's comic was bad, huh?ReplyDelete
Lessee, most people realise that Tic-Tac-Toe is a very boring game and it's very easy to never lose if you're not a kid anymore and can see the good "strategies". It's already been solved decades ago and already in 1947 a computer could always beat a human. Also that kind of fractal chart has ALREADY BEEN DONE, but Randall didn't bother to check it out. So we have a useless, insulting, poorly drawn poster bait that's only there to show how Randall is SMARTY-SMARTY-SMART and you are NOT.
ALSO, as the people on the alternate universe (i.e. xkcd forums) are pointing out, there are quite a couple of errors on the chart. RANDALL SCREWS UP EVEN TIC-TAC-TOE! WHAT THE FUCK???
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 5:06 AM
Fucking god, isn't that a confusing, convoluted and nigh useless piece of crap!ReplyDelete
I'll give it to him: the strategy is optimal(or looks so). It's in fact a foil to a strategy I came up with when I was 15 and thought it was optimal. But I guess that's the only thing this comic gets right!
Because for some reason he chose to waste his time doing shoddily by hand what could be done better, faster and cleaner with a vector based drawing software. And nothing that'd look "cool" in his stylish suckiness, no. It's just Os and Xs! Os and Xs!!!
And it's so fucking confusing! The only good this does is make a tic-tac-toe game longer than it needs to be! Which brings me then to the obvious reason this was made...
This is nothing more than utter pandering to his "nerd" infograph obsessed audience! I never get people who seemingly need to make things more complicated than they already are. But sure as heck his GOOMHbas will swarm to the shop as soon as this is made into a poster(anyone has any doubts about it?). A tic-tac-toe guide. Neat.
This was a waste of time. Of Randall's time and my time. And I bet this will pop up in my Twitter timeline soon enough.
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 5:09 AM
GODDAMNIT, RANDALL!ReplyDelete
Okay, people, I know you probably didn't do that, but I just had to check how the optimal strategy works if two players play optimally. It'll tie, obviously, right?
Well, guess what: RANDALL SIMPLY FORGOT TO COLOR AN X RED! The seventh play is simply indistinguishable because Randall forgot to color the X red. And it's exactly the one for the dobule optimal playthrough. I.e., the one people will most probably try to play.
So here you have it, people: Randall Munroe attacks again, screwing up the simplest things!
And yes, I feel like a dork.
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 5:10 AM
832 is a pretty good candidate for writing a program to generate. There wouldn't be any mistakes that way either!ReplyDelete
Shame Randall isn't a programmer or anything like that.
Hey. I suddenly sort of want this comic, in poster form.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 6:33 AM
Holy shit, this was the worst XKCD ever. That's a pretty difficult feat, considering that I know about 631 and 794. This comic has no joke, took something I already know in written form, and expressed it in an unnecessarily complicated manner. And, if Professional Mole is right, he even got it wrong.ReplyDelete
My verification code is "fuming". How appropriate.
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 6:35 AM
Fuck my colourblindness-crippled X chromosomes, I don't know what is going on. I said COLOUR but I see NOTHING! I'm just trusting that he did a thing here, although that big-ass X in the corner looks different at least?ReplyDelete
This will probably be a poster available in the lobby, soon, and I will punch anyone I see that [will have] bought it.
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 7:16 AM
A thread JUST yesterday on reddit had a guy saying he did exactly this. in the programming section. which i'm sure randall reads.ReplyDelete
how about we come up with our own unoriginal ideas from now on, hm randall?
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 7:38 AM
Oh, that sniveling son of a...ReplyDelete
HE COLORED THE X NOW. But I'm sure I tried to play through and it wasn't colored. I can even recreate the image based on that, and I suspect the newly colored X is ticker than the rest of them.
And any notice of "woops, I screwed up"? Of course not, this is Randall Fucking Monroe!
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 7:43 AM
Oh, cool, now he corrected all the errors. Without not even a mention of the screw ups. That's how much he cares!ReplyDelete
But the forums point out even more errors than I found. Again, that's how much he cares!
CAPTCHA: bully. ...wait, what?
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 7:55 AM
i'm not sure if it's my colorblindness or the lines are just so thin that nobody can tell red from black in this comic.ReplyDelete
however this 'comic' was obviously made only for turning it into another shitty poster for the fanboys. randall seems to need the money.
this also gives a deep insight in randalls character. he needs to control everything, even childrens games that only work because you don't think about them too much. he can't accept any randomness and needs strict rules for everything. thats also the reason why he continues to publish his shitty comic three times a week.
he needs to do all this because he was propably raped in the ass by his father when he was a child.
If Randall really is screwing this up, that's the reason people are supposed to archive the comic like Rob suggested.ReplyDelete
But, just for fun, do a Google image search for "tic tac toe fractal chart" and you'll see someone do it better, and RIGHT.
There is an optimal strategy for playing tic-tac-toe... I think I knew that when I was three. It's at least mildly visually interesting, though.ReplyDelete
It's perhaps interesting that it's surprisingly difficult to lose (really lose, not draw) a game of Tic-Tac-Toe against an opponent who is also deliberately trying to lose. I know this because it was a puzzle in the final episode of Telltale's Sam & Max Season 1. A game which, unlike this comic, is awesome.
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 10:15 AM
who the fuck doesn't start with the centre square.ReplyDelete
anybody with a brain can force a win if you start in the corner but can only force a draw replying to a centre square
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 11:46 AM
Honestly, I thought it was a pretty decent pictoblag. Apparently it's been done before, but I had never seen it. It got the, "Huh, that's neat." reaction from me, which is a lot more than XKCD usually gets.ReplyDelete
So randall made another poster.ReplyDelete
Is it up for pre-order yet?
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 12:42 PM
Actually, the changes are in green, not blue... Blue looked like shit.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 12:43 PM
Agh, why is blogger fucking with my mind?ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 12:47 PM
Okay, so, since blogspot sucks, I'm going to try this again:ReplyDelete
I took this (http://www.mediafire.com/?z75p2mikmu6udhu) out of my cache (dated Fri 10 Dec 2010 02:11:09 AM CST) and compared it to this (http://www.webcitation.org/5usc42jr3) and posted the differences (in green, not blue) here: http://www.mediafire.com/?qrn74v0ihr5vhl0
Thanks for the heads up gamer.ReplyDelete
This is much much cooler, and I was very happy to see that when I went to the page it was inspired by something that wasn't xkcd related.
At first I thought: cool picto blog bro. But now it is obvious that it was done before and done better. It would be really classy of Randall to indicate that as such and proclaim innocence to a independently shared coolish idea. But the weather patterns in hell indicate otherwise.
And now I saw a date on that inspired piece for the JavaScript version:ReplyDelete
y halo thar '97
Triple post threat:ReplyDelete
I hate typing out full-ass anchor tags.
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 1:13 PM
The new xkcd is very abstract, with all those heads surrounded by large Xs.ReplyDelete
"It's already been solved decades ago and already in 1947 a computer could always beat a human."ReplyDelete
The optimal strategy for tic-tac-toe is simple, and anyone who plays optimally will do no worse than a draw; a computer can't beat a human that has any idea what they're doing.
Also I have no idea how to read that chart.
Jesus Christ on a crutch did 832 ever suck. It's full of mistakes, it's blatant poster-bait, it's shoddily drawn, it's horribly unintuitive, and most of all it's not original in the slightest.ReplyDelete
and the fanboys are still sucking randy's cock over it. what the fucking fuck.
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 1:57 PM
Damon, I'd go with the computer if the contest just keeps going until somebody loses. 48+ hour tic-tac-toe marathon? Humans will make mistakes.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 2:27 PM
Damn... I went on the XKCD forum... how do I cleanse myself of this?ReplyDelete
I'm too lazy to look at the chart for more than about 3 seconds. Care to point out the mistakes?
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 4:12 PM
if Randall were really the Comp Sci GENIUS he claims to be, he should have just coded something to draw fractals, not shoddily draw them by hand.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 10:23 PM
Gotta say, I found the "your parents had sex" line hilarious. There's really no explanation needed... unless y'all are so incredibly well-adjusted that you've never been bothered by the idea of your parents doin' the do.ReplyDelete
- LostInSpaceDecember 11, 2010 at 7:20 AM
@Anon 10:23ReplyDelete
Maybe at around age 13. At 26, not so much. Is this further evidence that Randall is aiming his comic at a middle school age audience?
- AnonymousDecember 11, 2010 at 12:13 PM
@Anon at 10:15 Dec 10ReplyDelete
Actually, a player who starts in the corner and isn't retarded cannot actually lose, only draw.
(I spent a boring french lesson working out every possible move then thrashing my friends)
- AnonymousDecember 12, 2010 at 11:02 AM
"as you all know, I detest opinions in all their forms"ReplyDelete
you forgot to add, "except my own, so here's some xkcd hate and tea party hate"
your reviews are funny but at least be honest with yourself
X O _ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 14, 2010 at 12:40 AM
I actually prefer Randall's tic-tac-toe fractal to the other ones that exist (though I'll refrain from remarking on his 'originality'). It's hand drawn, but the bit of irregularity makes it more appealing to me...it goes without saying that the one for X is more interesting, the O chart is kind of boring. It's also not that hard to read.ReplyDelete
I mean, yeah, if you're just trying to make a tic tac toe fractal, it's not the best way of going about it (and I'll take y'all's word for it that he made a mistake), but shockingly enough, I find it visually appealing.
I'm probably missing something important though, because I'm just a dumb arts student who can't get Randall's science jokes and can't understand the analyses here.


text:
Tennessee government officials recently presented area residents Dottie Thompson and Gene Caldwell with state proclamations thanking them for their work to raise money to build a new Emory Valley Center facility in Oak Ridge.
But Thompson said the honor is not only theirs.
Tennessee government officials recently presented area residents Dottie Thompson and Gene Caldwell with state proclamations thanking them for their work to raise money to build a new Emory Valley Center facility in Oak Ridge.
But Thompson said the honor is not only theirs.
Speaking to a crowd of people — employees, volunteers, donors and clients — at the Emory Valley Center, Thompson recently remarked: "Everybody in here has supported us; every single person, I could go through and call (out).
"It's lonely at the top if you don't have all this support," Thompson assured.
Jim Henry of Kingston, a former legislator now working as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Development Disabilities, was tapped to present the proclamations to the dynamic duo, but instead was sidelined by the flu. In Henry's absence, Robin Biloski, EVC development director and self-proclaimed "party girl" for the morning reception, introduced Missy Marshall, the state department's public affairs director, who presented the awards on behalf of Henry, Gov. Bill Haslam and the Volunteer State.
Marshall said Henry is a lifelong advocate for people with disabilities, as well as being a parent of a special needs adult.
Currently, Marshall said, there are 7,200 people on waiting lists in Tennessee for the type of services provided by the local Emory Valley Center. Henry and those involved with these clients are working to do all they can.
"He (Henry) says there will never ever be enough money (to help them enough)," Marshall said.
For those involved with the intellectually and developmentally disabled, Marshall said, "It's a passion, not just a paycheck."
Thompson later introduced her daughter, an Emory Valley Center client, as her own personal "passion." The feeling appeared mutual as her daughter proclaimed to the crowd during the proclamation presentation earlier: "That's my Mommy!"
Caldwell pointed out that Gov. Haslam and other government officials, such as state Sen. Randy McNally and state Rep. John Ragan, both of Oak RIdge and both in attendance at the EVC reception, had supported them previously with $500,000.
They and other officials recommended Emory Valley Center for a $500,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission, which the Center won.
The Emory Valley Center's clients presented Marshall with a get-well card they made for Jim Henry.
Additional funding is still needed to replace the current Emory Valley Center space now provided in a facility that will soon be demolished. Much of the EVC's operation is housed in a portion of the old Daniel Arthur Rehabilitation Center, which is owned by Anderson County and scheduled to be razed.
The Emory Valley Center owns land adjacent to its existing facility on Emory Valley Road and EVC intends to use that land for a building to replace space that will soon be lost.
Anyone wishing to donate to the EVC Capital Campaign can mail a contribution to P.O. Box 5328, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, or go online to www.emoryvalleycenter.com for more information.
Donna Smith can be contacted at (865) 220-5502.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
White Camo Jacket
Material: cotton 100%
Shipping and Returns
We ship all orders via DHL/FEDEX/UPS which takes between 1-3 business days in the U.S and 3-5 business days outside the U.S to deliver. Some orders are processed faster. You may expect your package to arrive within 3 business days after you have received a tracking number.


text:
Oversized linen handmade guest towel, plain or monogrammed, will make a beautifully elegant addition to your home.
Our linens are sewn and embroidered to order, carefully made by cutting on the grain. This ensures that they will never shrink or stretch in the wrong direction.
They are hand made by our amazing sewing team right here in our local workroom.
Size: 19x22
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To view all picot trim colors, click HERE.
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Linen Care: Professional hand laundering is recommended. Otherwise, gently hand or machine wash in cool water on gentle cycle using mild soap or non-chlorine bleach liquid detergent. Line drying is preferable as is helps keep the original shape of the item or tumble dry on low heat. Ironing is recommended while linen is still damp, or preferably let them line-dry and iron them while slightly damp.
Oversized Celadon Linen Guest Towels with White Picot Trim
- Brand: MHLinen
- Product Code: MH1922
- Availability: 1


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What's up? Are you guys and gals getting ready for your big weekend plans? Before you run off and have fun, you might want to update an app a lot of you really use a lot –WhatsApp for Windows Phone. Tips are rolling in of an update. Let's check it out.
If you head to the Store you'll find yourself looking at a WhatsApp listing that was updated to version 2.10.529 today. What's in store when you update? Miscellaneous bug fixes.
Sure enough after updating we poked around and didn't find anything new staring us right in the face. So not a big update, but a very welcome one. It's nice to see WhatsApp giving the Windows Phone platform some fairly frequent updates in recent weeks after months of nothing.
WhatsApp is available on both Windows Phone 7.x and 8. I see the update on my Windows Phone 8 device, but don't have 7.x laying around to check. The app is free and you can grab it here in the Store, use the QR code below, or swipe to the right in our app.
Via: WindowsPhoneApps.es


text:
Skyfire is the browser for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad that does server-side transcoding, allowing you to watch a lot of the Flash videos that otherwise appear blank on your non-Flash supporting devices. We've posted on both Skyfire for iPhone and iPod touch, and Skyfire for iPad versions before but you know what's better than posting about them? Yup! Giving them away!
Skyfire is offering TiPb readers ten (10!) copies each of Skyfire for iPhone and iPod touch, and Skyfire for iPad and all you have to do to win one is leave a comment below and include #TiPbTeamiPad or #TiPbTeamiPhone so we know which version you want to get! (Yes, you can include both if you're rocking both devices).
Also be sure to include a real email address. We won't make it public but Skyfire will need it to gift you your app!


text:
Through July 31
Raethka is Artist of the Month
The Cedar Keyhole Gallery announced its Artist of the Month for July 2012 as Russell Raethka. Chiefland watercolorist, Raethka creates Cedar Key scenes that emote nostalgic thoughts of seaside living. His many works include wildlife along with remnants of weathered buildings and assorted cast-offs. His style is unique in it's sharpness of detail as well as true to life colors. Russ will have all his latest paintings at the Cedar Keyhole during the month of July.
Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Cedar Keyhole, located on 2nd Street (across from the Library) in Cedar Key, also maintains a display of many other works by over 20 contributors to its artists cooperative. These works include paintings (oils, acrylics, pastels, and watercolors), metal works, stained glass, jewelry, fiber arts, leatherwork, pottery and woodworking among others. For more information, please call The Keyhole at 352-543-5801.
July 17
Cat Caregiver workshop planned
A Community Cat Program Colony Caregiver Workshop, will be held on Sunday, July 17, from 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. at Otter Creek Town Hall, sponsored by Sheltering Hands. This program is for people managing stray and feral cat populations who are interested in participating in a subsidized spay and neuter program for those cats. This is not a program for pet/housecats. Sheltering Hands is a non-profit cat rescue active in Marion and Levy counties. For more information, visit www.shelteringhands.com or call CCP at 352-509-5228.
Volunteer Advocates Needed
Florida's Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program needs volunteers to join its corps of dedicated advocates who protect the rights of elders who live in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and adult family care homes. The program's local councils are seeking additional volunteers to identify, investigate and resolve residents' concerns. Special training and certification is provided.
All interested individuals who care about protecting the health, safety, welfare and rights of long-term care facility residents — who often have no one else to advocate for them — are encouraged to call toll-free 1-888-831-0404 or visit the program's website at www.ombudsman.myflorida.com.
Alcoholics Anonymous
- Keep It Simple, Wednesdays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m., Christ Episcopal Church, SR 24 and 5th Street (open/no smoking)
- Cedar Key Step Meeting, Mondays, 7 p.m., Cedar Key Library, upstairs meeting room (open/no smoking)
Beekeeping Club
The Levy County Beekeeping Association (LCBA) will meet on the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at 4 West Park Ave., in Chiefland. Anyone interested in keeping bees is invited to attend.
City Commission
The City of Cedar Key Commission meets at 6 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at City Hall.
CRA meeting
The Cedar Key Community Redevelopment Agency Board meets at 6 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month at City Hall.
Grief & Loss Support Group
Haven Hospice is hosting a grief and loss support group from 6-7 p.m. This group meets the second Wednesday of every month at the Christ Episcopal Church in Cedar Key. For more information, contact the local office at 800-677-5428.
Historical Society
The Cedar Key Historical Society board and members meet the third Thursday of the month at 5 p.m., at the second floor meeting room of the Andrews House behind the museum. Anyone interested in joining the Historical Society is encouraged to attend.
Lions Club
The Cedar Key Lions Club meets the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Community Center, with a social beginning at 6:30 p.m. Anyone interested in becoming a member is encouraged to attend.
Nature Coast Conservancy
Florida's Nature Coast Conservancy board of directors meets at 4 p.m., on the second Thursday of each month. Members and others interested in this land trust are welcome to join the meeting at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Laboratory on State Road 24.
Narcotics Anonymous
The Methodist Church in Cedar Key will be hosting N.A. meetings on Thursdays, at 7 p.m. The meeting is open for A.A. members as well as N.A. members.
Pet spaying clinic - low cost
Operation PETSNIP, a non-profit spay/neuter clinic is now available to Levy County. The cost is $40 for cats and $60 for dogs. Got to www.nmhp.net or call 352-376-6647 for details.
Poetry Club
The Poetry Club meets at 2 p.m. every Thursday through April at the Cedar Key Library. Bring your own poetry writing (plus 6-7 copies to share) and enjoy the critique and workshopping process with published writers and poets.
Free Yoga, Pilates offered
Ongoing, free Yoga and Pilates, upstairs at the Library:
- Gentle Yoga - Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3-4:15 p.m., beginners welcome.
-Intermediate Yoga - Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 8-9:30 a.m., instructed by audio CD, some yoga experience necessary.
- Pilates - Tuesday and Thrusday 8-8:40 a.m.; group instruction, all-levels (work at your own pace).
To list your ongoing meetings an events in this section, email firstname.lastname@example.com.
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