March 29, 2024

XKCD Web Comic #1032: Networking (described)

A web comic of romance,
sarcasm, math, and language.

Panel One: Drawing of two stick figures facing each other, hands outstretched to shake. The one on the left has thick, short dark hair, artfully tousled. The one on the right wears a beret and carries an attache case. In the background, a waitperson goes by, a drink tray in one hand and a towel draped over the other.

Person 1: I’m Connr Clark, CTO at Eusocial Media Ventures.

Beret Guy: I’m a business professional! Earlier I photo-copied a burrito!

Panel Two: CTO Clark is handing Beret Guy a business card.

CTO Clark: You should check us out! Here’s my card.

Beret Guy: Here’s mine! Networking!

Panel Three: CTO Clark is peering at Beret Guy’s business card. Beret Guy is holding the attache case up in front of him, gripping the handle with both hands.

CTO Clark: . . .this just says “This is My Business Card!”

Beret Guy: Do you like it? I have more in this handlebox.

Panel Four: Beret Guy has turned, set the attache case on a nearby table, and opened it, showing piles of green money inside. CTO Clark is standing behind him, lines indicating surprise and/or alarm coming out of his head.

CTO Clark: Uh, that’s OK, I think I’ll–

Beret Guy: Here, have ten of them!

CTO Clark: –holy shit that thing is full of cash!

Panel Four: CTO Clark has his hands up in the air, talking to Beret Guy. Beret Guy is stuffing CTO Clark’s business card in his face.

CTO Clark: Where did you get that?

Beret Guy: I am a business grown-up who makes business profits!

CTO Clark: That’s like a quarter of a million dollars!

Beret Guy: Yay! Business is fun!–Do you have more of your cards? They’re delicious!

Hover text: Our company is agile and lean with a focus on the long tail. Ok, our company is actually a polecat I found in my backyard.

 

Warning: This comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors). Comic by xkcd.com. Described by BlindGadget under the Creative Commons license.

XKCD Web Comic #1031:S/Keyboard/Leopard (described)

A web comic of romance,
sarcasm, math, and language.

A helpful reader has provided an s/keyboard/leopard/ user script.

Scene: View of a computer screen fills the panel. On the screen are two overlapping browser windows, one above and behind the other. The tab on the background window reads “Computer Leopard-Wikip…” and the text showing reads “which range from pocket-sized leopards to large desktop leopards, the leopard remains the most common user input device. In addition to text entry, specialized leopards are used for computer gaming. While many computer interfaces rely on mice or touchscreens, unix-style command-line interfaces require users to interact with a leopard.”

A picture to the right of the text shows a standard desktop keyboard and is labeled “IBM Model M Leopard.”

The visible part of a text box below the above text reads “Contents  1. History 2. Leopard Types 2.1 Standard 2.2 Laptop-sized.” The foreground window obscures the rest.

The foreground window’s tab reads ” Discuss-Leopard Issu…”

The comment boxes of a discussion board are visible on the foreground window.

Box 1:(icon of a stick figure’s face on a light background) Weird, my leopard just switched to Chinese. (3 days ago)

Box 2:(icon of the partial face of a stick figure) I work with one leopard on my desk and another in the leopard tray.(3 days ago)

Box 3: (Icon of a stick person) Ever cleaned a leopard? They’re filthy. (2 days ago)

Box 4: (Icon of a kitty) The iPhone virtual leopard is the fastest IMO. (19 hours ago)

Box 5: (Icon of the face of a stick figure with long blond hair) I rarely email from my phone–I’m so slow when I’m not on a leopard. (11 hours ago)

Box 6: (Icon of a stick figure’s face on a dark background) My leopard died when I spilled tea on it :( (2 hours ago)

Caption: The internet got 100 times better when, thanks to an extension with a typo’d regex, my browser stared replacing the word “keyboard ” with “leopard.”

Hover text: Problem Exists Between Leopard And Chair

 

Warning: This comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors). Comic by xkcd.com. Described by BlindGadget under the Creative Commons license.

XKCD Web Comic #1030: Keyed (described)

A web comic of romance,
sarcasm, math, and language.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Panel One: Drawing of two stick figures walking along together. The one on the left has a ponytail.

Person 1: I broke up with him yesterday.

Person 2: That weird guy with the beret? – Did he take it OK?

Panel Two: A stick figure wearing a beret is kneeling next to a car with a key painted on the side and holding a paintbrush.

Person 1 (off panel): He seemed upset. He went out to my car–

Person 2 (off panel): Uh oh.

Person 1 (off panel): –and spent the whole night painting a really detailed key on the side.

Person 2: (off panel): . . .wait, what?

Panel Three: The stick figure wearing a beret stands holding a dripping paintbrush.

Person 1 (off panel): Then he woke me up to ask what I thought of it.  He looked really proud.

Panel Four: The two figures from the first panel are standing and talking. The one with a ponytail is now on the right and the other figure has hand to head in bemusement.

Person 2: I . . . is he playing revenge mind games?

Person 1: I genuinely can’t tell if he remembers that we broke up.

Hover text:  I was sure he was just getting revenge, but then he did the same thing to Carrie Underwood. Then he mailed me a scone. I think I’m giving up dating.

 

Warning: This comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors). Comic by xkcd.com. Described by BlindGadget under the Creative Commons license.

XKCD Web Comic #1029: Drawing Stars (described)

A web comic of romance,
sarcasm, math, and language.

New: holistic.xkcd.com, the least useful web navigation tool ever

 

 

 

 

 

Caption Above Comic

How To Draw a Star

Panel One: Drawing of a line ray starting at the middle and toward the top of the panel and going down and slightly to the left, ending close to the bottom left corner.

Panel Two: Same as Panel One, with the addition of another line ray starting where the first ended and running up and right to the middle of the right side of the panel.

Caption

So Far So Good

Panel Three: Same as Panel Two, with the addition of another line ray starting where the second one stopped and running up to the upper left of the panel, crossing the first line. The three lines now form a triangle with an open angle off the point formed at the top left.

Caption

Steady As She Goes

Panel Four: Same as Panel Three, with the addition of another line ray starting where the third one stopped and running down to the bottom center of the panel, crossing lines one and two. However, the triangle, or star point formed at the top left is significantly larger than the star point formed at the bottom left.

Caption

. . . uh oh.

Panel Five: Same as Panel Four, with the addition of another line ray starting where the fourth one stopped and running roughly parallel to the first line. (Probability of five pointed star is now approximately nil.)

Caption Above

Shitshitshit

Caption Below

Abort! Abort!

Hover text: Screw these 36-degree angles. I’m converting to Judaism.

 

Warning: This comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors). Comic by xkcd.com. Described by BlindGadget under the Creative Commons license.

XKCD Web Comic #1028: Communication (described)

A web comic of romance,
sarcasm, math, and language.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Panel One: Drawing of a stick figure in a white hat. The figure is standing at the edge of a large, deep opening, looking down. A thought bubble above the figure’s head shows an exclamation mark inside a triangle suspended over the opening.

Panel Two: The White Hat Guy is walking back along the way he came and meets a stick figure with very short hair. White Hat Guy is pointing behind himself back toward the opening. A “talk” bubble above his head shows an exclamation mark inside a triangle suspended over the opening. The short haired guy has a thought bubble with the White Hat Guy in it, pointing behind himself.

Panel Three: White Hat Guy is waving his arms and the talk bubble above his head shows the exclamation mark inside a triangle suspended over the opening. Short Haired Guy’s thought bubble shows an agitated White Hat Guy.

Panel Four: White Hat Guy is walking away from Short Haired Guy, who has his hands up in confusion. White Hat Guy’s thought bubble has Short Haired Guy in it, and Short Haired Guy’s thought bubble shows White Hat Guy walking away.

Panel Five: White Hat Guy meets Dark Haired Woman. His talk bubble has Short Haired Guy in it and hers has an exclamation mark inside a triangle suspended over an opening.

Panel Six: The Dark Haired Woman is walking the way White Hat Guy came. Her thought bubble now has White Hat Guy in it. White Hat Guy is walking the way Dark Haired Woman came and his thought bubble now has both Short Haired Guy and Dark Haired Woman.

Panel Seven: Dark Haired Woman meets Short Haired Guy. Both their thought bubbles have White Hat Guy in them.

Panel Eight: Dark Haired Woman and Short Haired Guy both have talk bubbles with the White Hat Guy in them.

Panel Nine: Dark Haired Woman and Short Haired Guy are both walking the way White Hat Guy came from. Both have talk bubbles with the White Hat Guy in them.

Panel Ten: The panel is empty except for stars and exclamation points coming from the direction the previous two stick figures were walkng.

Panel Eleven: The opening, showing just the tops of the heads of Dark Haired Woman and Short Haired Guy . Similar stars and exclamation points come from the side of the panel where White Hat Guy went.

Panel Twelve: The other opening, showing the top of White Hat Guy’s head.

Panel Thirteen: A stick figure wearing a beret is standing at the edge of a large, deep opening, looking down. A thought bubble above the figure’s head shows the large opening with an exclamation mark inside a triangle  suspended over it.

Panel Fourteen: The Beret Guy is going away.

Panel Fifteen: Beret Guy meets another stick figure and holds out his hand. A talk bubble above his head shows Beret Guy reaching out to the other stick figure. A thought bubble over the other stick figure’s head shows Beret Guy reaching out.

Panel Sixteen: Beret Guy has taken the other figure’s hand and is leading him back the way Beret Guy came. The other figure has a thought bubble with Beret Guy surrounded by question marks.

Panel Seventeen: Beret Guy is showing the large opening to the other stick figure.

Panel Eighteen: Both stick figures are walking away from the opening with thought bubbles showing the large opening with an exclamation mark inside a triangle  suspended over it.

Hover text: Anyone who says that they’re great at communicating but “people are bad at listening”; is confused about how communication works.

 

Warning: This comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors). Comic by xkcd.com. Described by BlindGadget under the Creative Commons license.

XKCD Web Comic #1027: Pickup Artist (described)

A web comic of romance,
sarcasm, math, and language.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Panel One: Drawing of two stick figures sitting at a table. They each have a drink in front of them. The figure on the left has very short dark hair.

Person 1: I’ve been learning tricks from pickup artist forums.

Person 2: Pickup artists are dehumanizing creeps who see relationships as adversarial and women as sex toys.

Panel Two: Close up of the first scene, but now, in the background, are two other stick figures seated at a table. The one on the left has long dark hair and the one on the right is wearing a black hat.

Person 1: No, it’s just a bunch of tips! Like negging: you belittle chicks to undermine their self-confidence so they’ll be more vulnerable and seek your approval.

Panel Three: Close up on Person 2.

Person 2: Just talk to them like a fucking human being.

Person 1 (off-panel): Nah, that’s a sucker’s game – Ok-wish me luck!

Panel Four:

Caption

Meanwhile…

At the other table, the figure wearing the black hat is standing next to his chair, holding a bowling ball under his arm. The figure with the long, dark hair has a plate of food in front of her and is eating some of it.

Black Hat Guy: I’m going to the bathroom to roll a bowling ball down under the line of stalls.

Woman with Long Hair: Cool.

Panel Five: Close up on Person 2 as he watches, in the background, Person 1 approaching the Woman with Long Hair.

Person 2: Oh no.

Panel Six: Person 1 is leaning nonchalantly on the table of the Woman with Long Hair.

Person 1: You look like you’re on a diet. That’s great! – How’s the fruit plate?

Panel Seven: Close up on the Woman with Long Hair.

Woman with Long Hair: Ooh-Are we negging?  – Let me try!

Panel Eight: Same as Seven.

Woman with Long Hair: You look like your’e going to spend your life having one epiphany after anohter, always thinking you’ve finally figured out whats holding you back, and how you can finally be productive and creative and turn yur life around – But nothing will ever change. That cycle of mediocrity isn’t due to some obstacle. IT’s who you are. – The thing standing in the way of your dreams is you.

Panel Nine: Similar to Panel Six, but now Person 1 is standing slightly away from the table.

Woman with Long Hair: Ok, your turn! Ooh, try insulting my hair!

Person 1: I think I need to go home and think about my life.

Woman with Long Hair: It won’t help.

Hover text: Son, don’t try to play “Make You Feel Bad” with the Michael Jordan of making you feel bad.

 

Warning: This comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors). Comic by xkcd.com. Described by BlindGadget under the Creative Commons license.

 

XKCD Web Comic #1026: Compare and Contrast (described)

A web comic of romance,
sarcasm, math, and language.

 

Scene: A chart comparing “Thee” to “A Summer’s Day.”

First Item: Fair, Temperate- Thee checked, ASD checked.

Second Item: Hot, Sticky- Thee checked, ASD checked.

Third Item: Short- Thee checked, ASD not checked.

Fourth Item:Harbinger of Hurricane Season- Thee not checked, ASD checked.

Fifth Item: Required for a Good Beach Party- Thee checked, ASD checked.

Sixth Item: Major Cause of Heat Stroke in the Elderly- Thee not checked, ASD checked.

Seventh Item: Linked to Higher Rates of Juvenile Delinquency- Thee checked, ASD checked.

Eighth Item: Sometimes Too Stifling- Thee checked, ASD checked.

Ninth Item: Arrested for Releasing Snakes in Library- Thee checked, ASD not checked.

Difficult to Focus on Work While I’m In- Thee checked, ASD checked.

Hover text: Frankly, I see no difference between thee and a summer’s day. Only Ron Paul offers a TRUE alternative!

 

Warning: This comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors). Comic by xkcd.com. Described by BlindGadget under the Creative Commons license.

 

XKCD Web Comic #1025: Tumblr (described)

A web comic of romance,
sarcasm, math, and language.

 

Scene: A drawing of two stick figures standing and talking together. The one on the left has dark hair and the one on the right has hand to face in a thinking pose.

Person 1: You know those weird noises from my attic? – Turns out some raccoons got in and were operating this, like, raccoon sex dungeon.

Person 2:  . . . Dot tumblr dot com.

Caption

For me, “. . . dot tumblr dot com” has been gradually replacing “. . . would be a good name for a band.”

Hover text: Dot Tumblr Dot Com, on the other hand, would be an awful name for a band, if only because of how hard it would be to direct people to your band’s website.

 

Warning: This comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors). Comic by xkcd.com. Described by BlindGadget under the Creative Commons license.

XKCD Web Comic #1024: Error Code (described)

A webcomic of romance,
sarcasm, math, and language.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Panel One: Drawing of a stick figure seated at a computer desk. Another stick figure is standing in front of a bookcase, taking down a large volume with the title “Error Codes.”

Person 1: “Error:-41″? That’s helpful. It doesn’t even say which program it’s from!

Person 2: -41? I’ll look it up. . .

Panel Two: The second stick figure is reading from the book.

Person 2: It says -41 is: “Sit by a lake.”

Panel Three: The two stick figures are walking away.

Panel Four: The two stick figures are sitting on the floor, one knees up and the other more sprawled back.

Panel Five: This panel is much larger and has a full color, photo-quality image of a beautiful, deep blue lake with lily pads, surrounded by greenery and topped with a softening evening sky.

Panel Six: The two stick figures are still seated on the floor.

Person 1: I don’t know hwere you got that book, but I like it.

Person 2: Hasn’t been wrong yet.

Hover text: It has a section on motherboard beep codes that lists, for each beep pattern, a song that syncs up well with it.

 

Warning: This comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors). Comic by xkcd.com. Described by BlindGadget under the Creative Commons license.

 

XKCD Web Comic #1023: Late-Night PBS (described)

A web comic of romance,
sarcasm, math, and language.

 

Blag: Remember geohashing? Something pretty cool happened Sunday.

 

Panel One: Drawing of two stick figures, standing together and talking. The one on the left has disheveled hair and is rubbing at her eyes tiredly.

Person One: Have you ever watched PBS late at night? – I fell asleep after Downton and woke up at like 3 AM.

Panel Two: Drawing of the set of Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego. Three stick figure children are standing behind contestant podiums while the unshaven host is standing blearily next to the display monitor, clutching a bottle of booze.

Caption

Where in the World in Carmen Sandiego was back on, except the host hadn’t aged well and he’d clearly been drinking.

Every question took them to some horrible place like Mogadishu or the Cambodian Killing Fields.

Panel Three: Drawing of of a large wall bookcase swung open like a door.

Caption

The kids were freaked out, but they kept playing. Eventually they were told they’d found Carmen Sandiego hiding behind a bookshelf in a Dutch apartment.

Panel Four: Same as Panel One.

Person 1: The Chief appeared and asked “Are you proud of what you’ve become?” – Then Rockapella walked out and just glared at the kids until they started crying.

Person 2: I, uh, don’t remember the old show being that dark.

Person 1: Maybe we were too young to pick up on it.

Hover text: Then it switched to these old black-and-white tapes of Bob Ross slumped against the wall of an empty room, painting the least happy trees you’ve ever seen. Either PBS needs to beef up studio security or I need to stop using Ambien to sleep.

 

Warning: This comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors). Comic by xkcd.com. Described by BlindGadget under the Creative Commons license.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XKCD Web Comic #1022: So It Has Come To This (described)

A web comic of romance,
sarcasm, math, and language.

 

Scene: Two stick figures are facing each other, talking. The one on the left has long dark hair and holds an empty sack.

Person 1: We ran out of cat food.

Person 2: So – It has come to this.

Caption

Protip: If you’re not sure what to say, try “So it has come to this’ — it creates instant dramatic tension and is a valid observation in literally any situation.

Hover text: “Come to what?” “You. Me. This moment.”

 

Warning: This comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors). Comic by xkcd.com. Described by BlindGadget under the Creative Commons license.

XKCD Web Comic #1021: Business Plan (described)

A web comic of romance,
sarcasm, math, and language.

 

Panel One: A stick figure wearing a beret stands on a beach, looking out at the water. The background is a fairly detailed pencil sketch of water and sand and grass instead of the usual plain white.

Panel Two: The stick figure leaves. Background is plain white.

Panel Three: The stick returns, carrying a small easel, a large jar, and a sack marked “BREAD.”

Panel Four: The stick figure is spreading out bread crumbs from the sack on the ground.

Panel Five: The stick figure is setting up the small easel.

Panel Six: The stick figure leaves.

Panel Seven: This panel is larger than the other six put together and is full of detail again. Waves crash on the sandy beach. A stick figure couple, one with long hair and one with none, are holding hands on the beach and staring at the easel. The one with no hair has his free hand up to his head in a questioning manner. Four seagulls are standing around the easel, eating the breadcrumbs. The jar is next to the easel with a dollar sign on it. The sign on the easel reads: Gulls For Sale.

Hover text: The investor elevator pitch is “Wheeeeeeee! Elevators are fun!”

Panel Seven:

Warning: This comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors). Comic by xkcd.com. Described by BlindGadget under the Creative Commons license.

XKCD Web Comic #1020: Orion Nebula (described)

A web comic of romance,
sarcasm, math, and language.

 

 

Panel One: A stick figure is standing behind a podium with the letters “I A U ” on the front, underneath a banner that reads “International Astronomical Union.”

Person 1: Welcome to I A U Symposium #279.

Panel Two: Side view of the stick figure from the first panel. The podium is up on a stage.

Person 1: We are no strangers to controversy, and we will not shy away from the tough issues. – Which brings us to the subject at hand:

Panel Three: Front view of the stick figure behind the podium. Over the stick figure’s left shoulder is a screen with a projection of the Orion Constellation. An arrow indicates the Orion Nebula, which is visible “south of Orion’s belt.” The stick figure is pointing at this arrow.

Person 1: It’s time to talk about the fact that Orion clearly has a dong.

Off panel: It’s hard to miss.

Off panel: We could keep telling people it’s a sword.

Off panel: C’mon, no one’s buying that anymore.

Hover text: Also on the agenda: what’s with his hips?”

 

Warning: This comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors). Comic by xkcd.com. Described by BlindGadget under the Creative Commons license.

XKCD Web Comic #1019: First Post (described)

A web comic of romance,
sarcasm, math, and language.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scene: A bar graph with two bars. The first bar is nearly as tall as the y-axis and has a dollar amount of $1,500,000 at the top. It is labeled “Cost to buy an ad on every story on a major news site every day until the election.” The second bar is much shorter and has a dollar amount of $200,000 at the top. It is labeled “Cost to pay five college students $20/hour to camp the site 24/7 and post the first few comments the moment a story goes up, giving you the last word in every article and creating an impression of peer consensus.”

Hover text: Nuh-uh! We let users vote on comments and display them by number of votes. Everyone knows that makes it impossible for a few persistent voices to dominate the discussion.

 

Warning: This comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors). Comic by xkcd.com. Described by BlindGadget under the Creative Commons license.

XKCD Web Comic #1018: Good Cop, Dadaist Cop (described)

A web comic of romance,
sarcasm, math, and language.

 

Panel One: Two stick figures, both wearing police caps and one with a ponytail, are looking through a two-way mirror at a suspect in an interrogation room. The suspect is seated in a chair under a hanging light and is wearing handcuffs.

Police officer 1: All right, let’s try good cop, dadaist cop.

Panel Two: The police officer without a ponytail is sitting in a chair, talking to the suspect.

Police Officer 1: Look, you’re a good guy. We can work this out. Hey, lemme get us some coffee.

Panel Three: The two police officers pass each other, the first going out and the second going in. She carries a rolled up paper in her hand.

Panel Four: The police officer thrusts the unrolled paper at the startled subject.

Police Officer 2: See this? It’s Mark Zuckerberg’s mortgage – So why is it written in church latin?

Panel Five: The officer grabs the still seated suspect’s face and shakes it.

Police Officer 2: Why are my bones so small?

Suspect: What’s wrong with you?!

Police Officer 2: What’s wrong with art?

Hover text:  NOW INVENT AN IMPOSSIBLE-TO-TRANSLATE LANGUAGE AND USE IT TO TELL US WHERE THE MONEY IS.

 

Warning: This comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors). Comic by xkcd.com. Described by BlindGadget under the Creative Commons license.

XKCD Web Comic #1017: Backward in Time (described)

A web comic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.

 

[BG note: If you click on the comic panel at the xkcd site, it takes you to a spread sheet that enables you to use the formula.]

Scene: Caption

When I have a boring task to get through–a three-hour lecture, a giant file download, or a long-term goal in fitocracy–I use this formula to convert the percentage completed (p) into a date:

( the formula has a box around it)

T =(Current Date) – (e^(20.3444p^3 + 3)-e^3)years

Caption

When the task is 0% done, it gives today’s date, and as I make progress, I move further and further back in time.

(a grayed-out formula in a box)

Inverse: p = sqrt[ln((T+e^3)/20.3444)]

(a timeline)

0% / New 10% /Sept. 2011 30%/1997 40%/1958  50%/1776 60% 405AD 70%/22,000 years ago 80%/671,000 years ago 90%/55 million years ago 100%/138 million years ago

Caption

It moves slowly through the past few years, then steadily accelerates. I tuned the formula so the time spent in each part of the past is loosely proportional to how well I know it. This means I hit familiar landmarks with each bit of progress, giving me a satisfying sense of movement.

(Six boxes are stacked in a 3×2 pattern)

Top Left Box: 7.308%/December 18, 2011 Around this time: Kim Jong-Il dies. U. S.  leaves Iraq.

Top Right Box: 31.12% February 1995 Around this time: Windows95 debuts. O J found not guilty.

Middle Left Box: 47.91%/1844 Around this time: Rubber vulcanized, bicycle invented, wrench patented.

Middle Right Box: 70.33%/24,000 years ago Around this time: Caves painted, ceramic art made. Neanderthals extinct.

Bottom Left Box: 90.42%/68 million years ago Around this time: First flowering plants. Chicxulub impact kills off most dinosaurs.

Bottom Right Box: 100%/13.76 billion years ago Around this time: Universe begins. First stars ignite Download complete

Two stick figures are talking. One holds up a laptop and is looking at it  and the other has dark hair.

Person 1: Swoosh! Watching all that time blur past is such a rush!

Person 2: So…you’ve tried to make an extreme sport out of…waiting.

Person 1: Swoosh!

Hover text: People tell me I have too much time on my hands, but really the problem is that there’s too much time, PERIOD.

 

Warning: This comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors). Comic by xkcd.com. Described by BlindGadget under the Creative Commons license

XKCD Web Comic #1016: Valentine Dilemma (described)

A web comic of romance,
sarcasm, math, and language.

 

Panel One: A stick figure is standing with one hand up to his face in a thinking pose.

Person 1: Flowers seem so…trite. Something homemade? Easy to look halfhearted.

Panel Two: A stick figure with dark hair is seated at a computer desk. She also has one hand up to her face in a thinking pose.

Person 2: Valentine’s Day is a corporate construct. – But hard to opt out of. – I don’t want to be a consumer tool or an inconsiderate jerk.

Panel Three: The first stick figure is pacing.

Person 1: How do I fight cliché ? I could get her a gift on a different day. – But what am I proving?

Panel Four: The second stick figure leans back in her chair, fiddling with a stapler from the desk.

Person 2: It’s such a contrived ritual. But maybe rituals are necessary social glue.

Panel Five: Close up on the first stick figure, now with both hands to his face in distress.

Person 1: Forty presents. No, none! No, give her five items and then steal two from her. – Ok, breathe. Keep it together.

Panel Six: Close up on the dark haired figure, holding the stapler out in one hand while holding the other hand to her face. Lines indicating stress are above her head.

Person 2: And what if he gets me something and I don’t reciprocate? – Prisoners Dilemma! – AAAAAAAAAA!!

Panel Seven: The two stick figures stand facing each other. The first one is holding several items and the second one is still holding her hand to her face.

Person 1: I got you Easter candy and a jar of hammers.

Person 2: I panicked and stapled my hand to my face.

Person 1: We overthought this.

Person 2: Yes.

Hover text: The worst resolution to the Valentine Prisoner’s Dilemma is when YOU decide not to give your partner a present but your PARTNER decides to testify against you in the armed robbery case.

 

Warning: This comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors).

Comic by xkcd.com. Described by BlindGadget under the Creative Commons license.

XKCD Web Comic #1015: Kerning (described)

A webcomic of romance,
sarcasm, math, and language.

 

Scene: Two stick figures are walking down a city street. A brick wall displays a sign that says “CITY OFFICES” with the “f”s too close together and too much space between the “C” s and the following letters. The first stick figure has hands held up in rage and a small squiggly black cloud over the head.

First Person: Argh!

Second Person: What?

Caption: If you really  hate someone, teach them to recognize bad kerning.

Hover text: I have never been as self-conscious about my handwriting as when I was inking in the caption for this comic.

Warning: This comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors).

Comic by xkcd.com. Described by BlindGadget under the Creative Commons license.

XKCD Web Comic #1014: Car Problems (described)

A webcomic of romance,
sarcasm, math, and language.

 

Panel One: A stick figure with dark hair holds a pointer and indicates a pulled down projector screen with it. The screen has an image of a blue car. Looking at the screen are three other stick figures–one wears a black hat and lounges on a comfy chair. To the right of the chair is a stick figure with long dark hair and to the left is a stick figure with no embellishments.

Person One: Attention, please. – This is a photo of my car as of two weeks ago.

Panel Two: Close up of first stick figure, now pointing at a projection of the same blue car in flames.

Person One: And this is my car as I found it this morning. – Can anyone tell me what’s wrong with this picture?

Panel Three: The other three figures lean forward a little as they contemplate the burning car.

Panel Four: Similar to Panel One, but the first stick figure has lowered the pointer.

Unembellished Figure: The white balance, for one.

Long, dark haired Figure: Focus is a bit too close.

Black Hat Guy: The chromatic aberration suggests you bought your camera because it had “the most megapixels.”

Panel Five: Similar scene as before, but the first figure has swung the arm holding the pointer up to point at the projection again.

Person One:The car is on fire!

Off-panel: Maybe you should use the insurance money to get a better camera.

Off-panel: Yeah.

Hover text: Or if you replace your car, we’ll be happy to set it on fire again so you can take another crack at getting that shot.

Warning: This comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors).

Comic by xkcd.com. Described by BlindGadget under the Creative Commons license.

XKCD Web Comic #1013: Wake Up Sheeple (described)

A webcomic of romance,
sarcasm, math, and language.

Panel One: Drawing of a stick figure yelling through a megaphone.

Person One: Your government has turned against you! Corporations control your every thought.  -  Open your eyes!

Panel Two: Close up of stick figure speaking even more emphatically through megaphone.

Person One: Wake up, sheeple! Wake up, sheeple!  -  Wake up, sheeple!

Panel Three: The stick figure has lowered the megaphone and is listening to an ominous rumble.

Panel Four: A half-sheep/half-man creature rises through the crackling earth, with a resounding ”B-A-A-A-A,” holding aloft a gnarled staff.

Panel Five: Close up on the creature’s inhuman eye.

Creature: Ten thousand years we slumbered…Now we riiiiiiiise! Baaaaaa!

Panel Six: A distraught appearing stick figure with dark hair speaks to the first stick figure.

Off panel: He awoke the sheeple!

Distraught stick figure: Ohgodohgodohgod. Why did you do that?!

Person One: What? But I didn’t–

Off panel: Heaven forgive us!

Off panel: All is lost!

Hover text:  You will be led to judgement like lambs to the slaughter–a simile whose existence, I might add, will not do your species any favors.

 

Warning: This comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors).

Comic by xkcd.com. Described by BlindGadget under the Creative Commons license.