Spoiler Alert

Explanation:
This comic refers to several unexpected plot twists from various Hollywood movies and combines them into one giant twist invented by Randall . A " spoiler " is a term used to describe information about the plot of any media that could spoil the media for someone who has not viewed it. The term "spoiler alert" has become popularized as a warning to potential readers used to precede such spoilers, particularly in online posting. It is also a phrase often used ironically or angrily to suggest that something someone has just said is a spoiler. It is also used jokingly to suggest that something just said (or is about to be said) was a spoiler so long ago that "everyone" should have heard of it by now (e.g. "Spoiler alert, Vader is Luke's father").
Severus Snape is a character from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series of books.
Trinity is a character from The Matrix trilogy of movies.
Rosebud is from the 1941 film Citizen Kane .
From the title text, Tyler Durden is a character from the novel and movie Fight Club .
All four references share the common ground that they are all involved in significant events or ideas in their respective movies that have been often spoiled by careless viewers for those who have not yet seen the movies. Here, the relevant events are mashed together into one and spoiled in one go.
In this comic, Snape is depicted knocking Trinity off a high place with a wooden sled named Rosebud.
As mentioned above, this is an amalgamation of four spoilers from four different stories:
[At the tope of the panel there is a large heading:] Spoiler Alert!
[Below that Severus Snape with long black hair is smacking a trenchcoat-clad Trinity off the top of a building with a brown sled. Below them is the following caption:] Snape kills Trinity with Rosebud!


Clark Gable

Explanation:
"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" is the signature catchphrase from the 1939 movie Gone With The Wind , which starred Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh . The phrase is spoken by Gable's character Rhett Butler as his last line, in answer to Scarlett O'Hara (Leigh) asking "Where shall I go? What shall I do?" The response indicates that Butler is no longer interested in O'Hara. This lack of interest, and the mention of the word "damn," which was considered profanity at the time of releasing the film, led to the line being voted the #1 movie line of all time in 1995's American Film Institute ranking.
Randall suggests that the line as written was not supposed to contain profanity, but the actor, Gable, inserted it, due to having Tourette's Syndrome , which is a neurological condition that is stereotypically characterized by bouts of random, uncontrollable cursing (and repetition of phrases/words).
The title text contains a more stereotypical Tourette's Syndrome outburst of several profanities in a row shouted mid-sentence.
[Famous image of Gone with the Wind with Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) kissing Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh).] The line was actually supposed to be "Frankly, my dear, I couldn't care less." It's just that Clark Gable had Tourette's.


Firefox and Witchcraft - The Connection?

Explanation:
The comic charts the number of members of the religion Wicca against the number of times the Firefox web browser  was downloaded, with the implication being that Firefox usage causes involvement in Wicca. In juxtaposing these almost certainly unrelated phenomena, Randall highlights the common error of assuming that correlation implies causation . When two variables exhibit similar trends, this is often taken as proving that one is causing the other. However, such correlation may have come about through pure coincidence, and not indicate any link between the two at all. This is particularly a problem when examining a large number of variables: the chances of finding a coincidental correlation increase exponentially as more variables are added. It may also be the case that a third factor is causally linked to both outcomes. In this case, it is plausible that the increasing ubiquity of internet access has resulted in increased demand for Firefox, and also in greater capacity to share the ideas of Wicca.
Randall further illustrates one common, and perhaps destructive, use of illusory correlation in the bottom half of the image. The appearance of the symbol for Internet Explorer , a rival web browser, and the cross, representing Christianity, imply that this graph is an attack ad promoted by Microsoft and Christianity to gain an advantage over their competitors.
The title text is reminiscent of political commercials, which tell you who paid for them, generally said very fast, represented by all the words being strung together. The last sentence is a play on the term of closed source software , which Internet Explorer is, as opposed to Firefox, which is open source in development. In a similar vein, the Bible can be considered "closed source" due to God's prohibition on altering its contents .
[A graph is shown with a positive slope.] [Y axis]: Membership in Wicca [X axis]: Total Firefox Downloads [Internet Explorer icon.] K EEP TH E FAITH [Outline of a cross.]
This type of statistical ploy is used again in a few other comics, like 523: Decline , 552: Correlation , and 925: Cell Phones .


Baring My Heart

Explanation:
Randall presents a logical diagram known as a Venn diagram , which illustrates the relationship between multiple sets. The diagram is usually used to illustrate the overlap between various sets. For example, a Venn diagram of "even numbers" and "numbers divisible by 5" would have 2, 4, 6, 8, 12… in one circle, 5, 15, 25… in another circle, and 10, 20, 30… in the intersection of the circles (as those numbers fit into both sets).
Here we have a three-set diagram that Randall has purportedly created to explain his feelings to his love interest. The three sets are:
In the intersection of these three sets is "you" – his love interest; all three of these statements apply to her. Normally, this might be a cute way of simply implying that he has these three feelings about her, without including any other elements in any of the sets.
Here, however, Randall has included one other element: Vanilla Ice is shown to also constantly show Randall new things to love about the world, and to be someone Randall wants to spend the rest of his life with (although Vanilla Ice doesn't always make him smile).
Vanilla Ice is an American white-skinned rapper who was most popular in the early 1990s with his song " Ice Ice Baby ." He was frequently mocked as a very "white" rapper. He is obviously an unexpected name to turn up in this diagram.
Apparently, Randall's love interest didn't take too well to Randall professing similar feelings for Vanilla Ice as he did for her, causing some friction in their relationship. The title text suggests that other '90s rappers have similarly affected Randall's past relationships.
Vanilla Ice also appears as an element of a romantic situation in 159: Boombox .
[A Venn diagram with three sets] Description of set 1: People who can always make me smile Description of set 2: People who constantly show me new things about the world Description of set 3: People I want to spend the rest of my life with Intersection point: YOU. Intersection of sets 2 and 3: Vanilla Ice


Riemann-Zeta

Explanation:
A prime number is any natural number with exactly two natural factors (1 and itself). The set of prime numbers is infinite, but they are somewhat elusive; there is no known way to find very large prime numbers except by trial and error. Some regularities in the primes have been found, but none that can fully predict their distribution.
The Riemann zeta function , errantly referred to as the Riemann-Zeta function in the comic, is a function that takes in complex numbers and returns complex numbers. It is defined for Re('s')>1 as . For the rest of its domain (all complex numbers except 1), it is defined with analytic continuation . Its magnitude can be graphed in 3D, producing the "rippled curtain" referenced and depicted in the comic. There is a particular relationship between the Riemann zeta function and prime numbers, which makes the function a viable target for those attempting to understand primes.
Here, Randall appears to be talking to his significant other, comparing her to prime numbers and himself to the Riemann zeta function. It is mathematically correct and quite poetic, until he mentions that his relationship differs from the comparison because "The Riemann-Zeta function couldn't have given you herpes ." This implies that he has infected his lover with an incurable venereal disease. The comic effect of an abrupt change in tone like this is known as bathos .
As the title text indicates, the graph in the picture is of the magnitude of ζ( s ) for some section of the complex plane. Randall has forgotten the exact imaginary bounds of the graph, but he knows that the real axis goes from 0 to 2 and the imaginary axis goes from about 35 i to about 40 i .
[A z = fn(x, y) plot, with pointy spikes on the back sloping to a relatively flat front.]
You are like the prime numbers Unpredictable turns, unconstrainable Tantalizingly regular but never quite the same
I am like the Riemann-Zeta function A rippled curtain of the imagined and real Deeply tied with you in ways incomprehensible
Although, strictly speaking, The Riemann-Zeta function couldn't have given you herpes


Computational Linguists

Explanation:
Black Hat has become bored with attacking Emo kids, a cultural and, particularly, musical phenomenon characterised by introversion and angst. This has become a common target of mockery for its tendency to claim that 'no one understands me,' when in fact such feelings are common amongst teenagers, which is probably why he now feels that they are too easy a target for him.
Instead, Black Hat has chosen to attack computational linguistics , an interdisciplinary field that combines theoretical linguistics, artificial intelligence, statistics, and other areas of study, to attempt to create a rule-based model of language. This has given rise to a number of competing theories, some of which may appear to contradict each other. He may be associating the two groups, suggesting that computational linguists are constantly bemoaning that their 'field is so ill-defined,' and that this has similarities to the emos' refrain above, or he may just be taking a swipe at them by suggesting that they think themselves above normal scientific methods.
Linguistics itself is still a hotly debated subject, as is seen by the various conflicting theories on the origin of languages like the forms of Proto-Indo-European language.
The title text is a reference to some of the people who contributed to language theory:
[Black Hat is standing next to a large badge that says FUCK Computational Linguistics.] Black Hat: And the dumbest thing about emo kids is that... I... You know, I'm sick of easy targets. Anyone can make fun of emo kids. You know who's had it too easy? Computational Linguists. "Ooh, look at me! My field is so ill-defined, I can subscribe to any of dozens of contradictory models and still be taken seriously!"
Ryan North later teased Randall in the title text of this comic .


Meerkat

Explanation:
The situation is a reference to the animal athlete loophole trope, where an animal joins an underdog [ No Pun Intended ] sports team and saves the day. The other team, which is previously dominant, and usually has an entitled and/or bullying attitude, does not like it, but since there is not a specific rule against it, it has to be allowed.
Randall's combination of animal ( Meerkat ) and sport ( rugby ) is particularly unlikely, since meerkats are relatively small, slight animals, whereas rugby is associated with big powerful players, and has not been used in an animal sports movie before [ citation needed ] .
The title text implies that, as a result of similar instances of animal recruitment in the past, rule changes have been introduced to specifically exclude those animals from taking part, which may be why this team has had to work its way down to meerkats. The governing bodies could probably have avoided this by simply excluding non-human animals.
[A Meerkat wearing a helmet and blue jersey, and two guys in the background supposedly on a rugby field.] You have to admit--there's no rule on the books saying a Meerkat can't play rugby.
A golden retriever is at the centre of the basketball film Air Bud .
In the film Mr. Go , a gorilla becomes a star of the Korean Baseball League.
This concept was revisited in 1552: Rulebook .


City

Explanation:
The poem or description alternates between using words that start with C and words that start with S, to achieve an effect resembling alliteration . The gentle, romantic tone of the poem is broken by the last two words, Your Mom. This is an example of a maternal insult joke, and is phrased accordingly.
The title text further emphasizes this, implying that the mother in question is also promiscuous.
[A picture of various apartment buildings.] Shadowed city slumber silently. A second-story suite. Come craving courtship, selected serendipitously Crazed copulations, a salacious storm  of continuous coitus. Spread, straddled, conquered. Countless crashed suitors strewn carelessly. Center, silken sheets sensuously caressing soft skin, Contentedly sleeps your mom.


Pong

Explanation:
This comic largely refers to the 1999 movie The Matrix , which is about escaping a simulated reality. In the movie, a hacker called Neo realizes that the world he lives in is fake, and that, like every other human, he is used as a slave battery by machines that, to keep them under control, make them feel like they're "living" in what is actually a computer-generated simulation of the world, called the "Matrix." Upon discovery, Neo rebels against this misuse of mankind and trains himself to interact with the computers that run the world until, being "the One" mentioned by a prophecy, he is able to control and use them to his own advantage. He takes part in a series of missions against those machines that wanted to keep the humans trapped in a simulated environment.
In Pong , one of the earliest video games, one can play virtual table tennis against the computer. A ball (the tiny block) is "hit" by a paddle (the long block) and crosses over the screen, to be "hit" again by the other paddle. Failure to return the ball results in a point won by the opponent. The speed of the ball increases as the rally runs longer.
The two game programmers in the first frame apply Neo's story to the AI bots they create to serve as computer players in their video games: What if one of them learns enough to become sentient and understands the environment the programmers trapped it in? The outcome is shown: The paddle bot, understanding the game and realizing it is "the One," takes control of the code of Pong to make the ball stop and drop. The same thing happens in the movie, where Neo, by "seeing through the code," is able to stop bullets fired at him, and simply let them drop on the floor.
This is also possibly, though not likely, a pun on the meaning of the term "the One," as the long thin paddle looks very similar to how a numeral "1" could be written in several fonts.
In the title text, we learn that after increasing in intelligence, the "paddle" went on to destroy the headquarters of Atari , the producer of Pong, which "trapped" the paddle into the game, much like Neo sought to destroy the machines to free the humans. In the process, the paddle ended up inside the game Enter the Matrix (a video game produced with The Matrix Reloaded , a sequel to The Matrix ), also published by Atari. Since the whole premise of The Matrix is that everyone is trapped in virtual reality, the paddle now found itself in a virtual virtual reality or essentially a meta-virtual reality, which could be pretty hard to comprehend.
Cueball: So what do we do if video game AI opponents become smart enough to question the "Matrix" into which we've put them? Pong paddle: Wait a minute! None of this is real! I can see through the world! I can see the code! I AM THE ONE! [The pong ball is moving towards the paddle.] [The pong ball slows down.] [The pong ball stops in midair.] [The pong ball drops towards the bottom of the screen.]


50 Ways

Explanation:
The comic provides alternate lyrics to the chorus of the 1975 song " 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover " ( Video ) by American artist Paul Simon . Both the original and alternate lyrics provide a textual hook because the name at the end of the line is rhymed with the word before it (back/Jack, plan/Stan, go/Joe).
Randall , we learn from the title text, heard Simon's song during a '70s hit marathon, went to sleep, and while being sleepy replaced "lover" by "hover" while writing the last line of the song's chorus. Thus changing this line from to leave your lover into to learn to hover . Clearly, this amused him so much that he decided to create a comic where people learn how to hover, rather than leave their lover.
[Two figures stand around a levitating person.] You gotta let go, Joe Just rise off your feet, Pete Just stay in the air, Claire Gotta levitate, Kate There must be 50 ways To learn to hover.


Worst Band Name Ever

Explanation:
A hedge clipper or hedge trimmer is a gardening tool for trimming hedges or bushes. The implication is that motor driven hedge trimmers produce a bad, loud sound; maybe the sound of the band is even worse.
The title text suggests that they (or at least the lead guitarist) previously did not know their band's name. As he bemoans his apparent inability to choose a good band name, he probably sees the name 'Hedgeclipper' as the reason why the band has no audience.
It's probably a good thing that I never get to pick band names. [A stage with banner overhead reading: OPENING TONIGHT! HEDGECLIPPER] [On the stage are three guys with a bass, guitar, drum kit, and strange haircuts. On the kick drum is a picture of a hedge clipper.] Lead Guitarist: Maaan...


Dating Service

Explanation:
Enjoying "long walks on the beach" is a romantic activity stereotypically associated with dating; specifically, it is commonly listed as an interest in dating advertisements and, more recently, online dating profiles. It is among other romantic clichés like "candle-lit dinners" and may, in fact, simply indicate that the person enjoys romantic gestures and activities in general. It is likely that many people who list this in their profiles have never, in fact, taken a walk on a beach or may not live near enough to a beach for it to be a viable suggestion for a date.
In this comic, Randall lists "long walks on the beach" as an interest on a dating profile. However, while a romantic walk might last for half an hour or an hour before, presumably, moving on towards another activity, Randall suggests he likes walks that last several hours or even overnight, suggesting potential mates bring a tent to camp out in.
The title text suggests that those who say they like long walks on the beach are being disingenuous, or not forthcoming. He just wants someone who wants what he does; to walk an indefinite, indeterminate distance well beyond the comfort and expectations of everyone else.
[A computer monitor displays the profile of a man named Randall on an online dating site. His profile contains a picture of a spiky-haired man and some text, which is rendered as dialogue in the panels.] Randall: Hi, my name is Randall. I like candlelight dinners and long walks on the beach. Randall: When I say long walks on the beach, I mean LONG walks on the beach. I've met people through these services who CLAIM to like long walks on the beach. But we'll be out there barely an hour before they start in with "I'm tired" and "Don't you think it's time we head back?" BRING A TENT.


Balloon

Explanation:
An unidentified narrator, probably Randall , says how he saw a kid with a balloon stand next to a ceiling fan in a restaurant. He explains how for fifteen minutes, he watched the kid's balloon, hoping the balloon would get caught in the ceiling fan and make the kid fly up towards it. This looks like it could cause serious injury to the child and/or damage to the venue. The title text concludes that the narrator is now considering himself a bad person for hoping for this to happen. This might be a poke to people who think that waiting for a disaster to happen makes you a bad person like in 611: Disaster Voyeurism .
It is unlikely that the strength of the balloon rope and of the ceiling fan would be enough to lift the child.
[Three drawings in one panel. A Cueball-like kid is holding a red balloon; The balloon gets caught in ceiling fan; The kid still holds on and is thus pulled up. Above the drawings is the following caption:] I watched the scene in the restaurant for a full fifteen minutes, hoping this would happen:


Quirky Girls

Explanation:
This is a fairly classic play on what people say they want isn't always what they mean they want. As per the comic, this is particularly true when it comes to the generalization of wanting someone "different." When Megan opens up to the other character and says how she is "different," she is met with a stereotypical, but more accurate, response of his definition of "different."
The title text refers to characters in the famously cliched plot lines of romantic comedies where often the male lead is "uptight" and the female lead is "quirky," and the course of the plot involves the male lead learning to loosen up in order to properly fall in love with the female lead (the same set-up with the genders reversed is also common).  Since these movies tend to follow very strict conventions, the definitions of "uptight" (has an office job, is afraid of confronting his boss, timid in public venues, etc.) and "quirky" (abnormally friendly with strangers, loves art, isn't afraid to make a spectacle of herself for fun, etc.) are just as limited and stereotyped as any other characters.  This mirrors Megan 's frustration that "acceptably quirky" is so narrowly defined.
[Megan and a man with a thinning head of hair are talking, looking at a group of two men and a woman standing further away. The woman is on a table and the two men are looking at her.] Guy: I love that girl. She's not afraid to be quirky and different. Megan: You know, I'm active in street theatre and I collect and paint Asian dolls. Guy: ...Okay, I didn't actually mean be different. I just want silly and entertaining on command now and then.


Centrifugal Force

Explanation:
Black Hat has strapped James Bond to a centrifuge and claims that the centrifugal force will be lethal. Bond objects that there is no such thing, but just centripetal force. The notion of centrifugal force is a common one, as we experience it whenever we turn. Teachers will initially teach Newtonian mechanics in an inertial frame, and in inertial frames, the centrifugal force is zero. Instead, a body that moves in a circle does so because of a centripetal force (acting towards the centre of the rotation). This is a reasonable (and correct) view, but it is a subtle point that many students find hard to grasp, as it seems to contradict their personal experience of centrifugal forces. For the sake of exposition, teachers may claim that "There is no such thing as centrifugal force." This, however, is also a misconception, which is addressed in the explanation below:
Observers' point of view (Black Hat, us, etc.) James Bond is moving in a circle, and is therefore accelerating. The force keeping him there is an inward force of contact against the centrifuge, a centripetal force. Via Newton's third law , since the centrifuge is pushing Bond inward, Bond is pushing the centrifuge outward. The centrifuge's material is strong enough not to break under this force, however. James Bond's point of view In James Bond's frame of reference, Bond is at rest. He is kept there by two forces: the above-mentioned inward force of contact against the centrifuge, and an outward centrifugal force . He feels both forces.
As mentioned in the explanation, as the centrifuge rotates faster, the forces needed to keep him in motion get larger, so the force he feels gets larger. This will eventually kill him. The conclusion will be the same regardless of which frame of reference is chosen.
Teachers of mechanics are well aware of this; however, in introductory expositions, these ideas are often not taught. In theoretical mechanics, one describes the positions and velocities of the particles in a model relative to a frame of reference. This means that a time is chosen to be time 0, and positions are chosen to be (0,0,0), (1,0,0), (0,1,0), and (0,0,1). With these chosen, the position and time of any particle in the system can be described. It is an axiom of Newtonian Mechanics that there exist "Inertial Frames." In an inertial frame, a particle will remain at rest or at a constant speed unless acted on by an external force, and Newton's second law takes a simple form: F = ma. The surface of the Earth approximates an inertial frame. In a non-inertial frame, such as one rotating with a giant centrifuge, or moving with an accelerating vehicle, a particle will accelerate, relative to the frame. Newton's second law, when formed in such a frame, is much more complicated, as it has terms for the linear acceleration of the frame, the angular acceleration of the frame, the centrifugal force, and the Coriolis force . These extra terms are sometimes called "fictitious forces," as they result from the choice of the frame of reference. The mathematics required to describe problems in a non-inertial frame is more sophisticated, and all problems may be solved using an inertial frame. Thus is reasonable that teachers at school level " lie to children " and teach the mechanics in inertial frames.
James Bond was almost killed by a centrifuge in Moonraker . The final statement by Black Hat is that said by Auric Goldfinger in Goldfinger in response to James Bond's question "Do you expect me to talk?"
The title text is inspired by Dead or Alive's famous song from 1985, " You Spin Me Round ."
Randall feels very strongly that the centrifugal force is a real thing. He links to this comic in the first footnote of his What if? article One-Second Day and the 6th footnote of Earth-Moon Fire Pole , stating that it is a real thing, and that he will go so far as to strap arguers to a centrifuge that he or someone he knows apparently owns.
As can also be seen in the footnote on page 132 in his What if? book , he will even fight you about it. From the book: "Furthermore, if you're on the equator, you're being flung outward by a centrifugal force 1 ." "1 Yes, centrifugal. I will fight you." (The article itself is about what happens if you lose all your DNA, so it has not much to do with this "real" force... The sentence is just stating that the actual weight loss from losing all your DNA is similar to the weight loss you would experience by moving from the poles to the equator due to this force.)
[James Bond, drawn as Cueball, is strapped to a giant wheel suspended from the ceiling. Black Hat is standing next to two levers.] Black hat: How do you like my centrifuge, mister Bond? When I throw this lever, you will feel centrifugal force crush every bone in your body. [Same scene, but a closer shot.] Bond: You mean centripetal force. There's no such thing as centrifugal force. Black hat: A laughable claim, mister Bond, perpetuated by overzealous teachers of science. Simply construct Newton's laws in a rotating system and you will see a centrifugal force term appear as plain as day. [Closer shot, only Bond's head is visible.] Bond: Come now, do you really expect me to do coordinate substitution in my head while strapped to a centrifuge? Black hat: No, Mister Bond. I expect you to die.


Blogofractal

Explanation:
The Blogosphere is a blanket term for all the blogs on the internet that link together and share information to the extent that the term "blogosphere" arose to describe the collective of blogs. This comic proposes a new structure for defining all blogs by a fractal of blogs.
Edward Tufte is a statistician who worked on data visualization and wrote books on the subject, including "The Visual Display of Quantitative Information," as mentioned in the title text.
From the makers of the Blogosphere, Blogocube, and Blogodrome comes the Blogofractal
[A large rectangle subdivided into rectangles in a fractal pattern, most with a phrase or word inside. Some subdivisions cannot be seen, as they are too small.] [Mostly left to right from top-left corner.] TripMaster Monkey says 118th Post!! Wikiconstitution! OMG DeCSS Casemod your Boyfriend!! FLICKR They're saying on Kos that http://slashdot.org/articl tagCloud Cory Doctorow is a little upset about copyright law. Hey guys what if Google is evil?!? I'll sleep with you for a FreeIpods deal. FirstPsot!! Snakes on an I don't Even Care Anymore KiwiWiki CSS Comments (0) Blogotesseract ¡play games! [RSS icon.] is AYB retro yet? Google Google Google Apple Google Goog Cheney totally shot a dude!!! Watch this toddler get owned by a squirrel!!! Developers Developers Developers Developers I installed a Mac Mini inside ANOTHER Mac Mini! Check out this vid of Jon Stewart 9-11 <-> Trent Lott! Web 7.1 Kryptonite™ locks vulnerable to "keys!" Interesting post!  Check out my blog, it has useful info on CARBON MONOXIDE LITIGATION FIREFLY!! HELP ME Engadget Boing Boing Gizmodo MAKE Blog: DIY baby My friend has a band!! Jon released an exploit in the protocol for meeting girls. Internets! Howard Dean? So I hear there's a hurricane. We should elect this dude! Google Maps is da best!! Moderation: +1 Sassy RSS! A-list <3 Trackback URL? I shot a man in Reno check it out on YouTube! HEY LOOK ROBOTS! Net Neutrality! Friends Only. Dupe! AJAX? COMPLY Cowboy Neal Blogodrome Hey look I got Linux running on my tonsils! Look alive, blogonauts! Cafepress cockrings BOOBIES!! MIA A Beowulf Cluster... of BLOGS!! SPOILER ALERT Dupe! You have been eaten by a Grue. Ruby on a monorail Lesbians! DNF Released! Steampunk BLAG PONIES! Xeni found some porn! IRONY LIARS! Linux on Rails! Blogocube del.icio.us! 404 o.O Don't slam the source when you close it.


Marketing Interview

Explanation:
Black Hat is trying to get a job running a marketing program. Cueball conducts the interview and says that although he has heard that Black Hat is the best in the business, his portfolio does not show that he has run any major marketing campaigns. Black Hat asks where he heard that rumor and Cueball begins to respond. Then he realizes that Black Hat has used his perfect marketing campaign tactics to get into the business. Then, Black Hat tries to skip ahead of the interview process and coyly asks, before being offered the job, when he can start working.
A book that becomes the most popular in its field is the one with the best marketing, not necessarily the one with the best content. The title text suggests that in this case, where the subject matter is marketing, the most popular book would in fact be written by those with the best marketing skills, and would therefore contain the best content. However, this fails to realize that the publishers of the book would only be good at marketing themselves, but not necessarily at teaching marketing.
Job interviews are a recurring topic on xkcd.
[Black Hat, standing in front of Cueball, who is sitting behind a executive desk, looking at some papers.] Cueball: I've heard you're one of the best in the marketing business, but I've got your portfolio here and looks like you've never run a major campaign. Why should I hire you to head our new initiative?
[Same scene.] Black Hat: If you don't mind asking, what gave you the idea I was one of the best in the business? Cueball: Hm? I don't remember. Just word of mouth or someth-- ...oh, you're good. Black Hat: Thank you. When can I start?


Red Spiders Cometh

Explanation:
The fourth in the series of sketches involving red spiders , the titular spiders are overlooking a small city. The title text implies that things won't end well, and possibly that the counter-offensive from the previous comic in the series had failed.
The full series of Red Spiders comics:
[Many red spiders, standing on and hanging from blocks, hover ominously over a small city, ready to attack.]
This sort of drawing, with blocks converging on a horizon, is a common type of drawing practice to practice three-dimensional views.


The Fast and the Furious

Explanation:
This comic shows an imagined crossover between the film The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and video game series Mario Kart , specifically the entry Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
In Tokyo Drift , the protagonist is trying to break into the underground street racing ring, and finds that the urban environment of Tokyo is far different than the rural American roads he is used to. The Asian street racers soundly beat him until he is able to master oversteering , known in both the movie and in Mario Kart as "drifting."
In Mario Kart , drifting is a gameplay mechanic. During a proper drift, the kart would create a splay of blue sparks and give a small, temporary "mini-boost" to the speed of the kart.
In the title text, Randall jokes about shopping in a supermarket; when he steers his shopping cart around a corner, he pretends that he is getting the blue boost sparks.
on the other side of the world a new style of street racing rules the tokyo underground the cars are lighter the tires are slick when you drift, if you ain't out of control, you ain't in control. and if you work the wheel back and forth just right,
[Two cars race around a corner with blue sparks spraying from their tires.] You get blue sparks.
The FAST and the FURIOUS: TOKYO DASH!!


dPain over dt

Explanation:
Another one of the math-love relationship comics, a mathematical depiction of pain as a differential equation is shown. It is hoped that dPain/dt , or the rate of pain (in this case, shrinking), decreases quickly so that the pain will vanish quickly. He's hoping the value for d will not be larger than a few days or some weeks. Assuming that How much she's still in my life is a constant [Megan], solving the differential equation leads to the following solution (with unknown c 1 ):

If k 1 was positive or if k 2 was a large value, the value of dPain/dt would approach zero. Ideally, k 1 would be "How much she's in my life"/ Pain (we assume both these values are positive), while k 2 would ideally be extremely large. Either of these scenarios approach what would be a situation where the value of dPain/dt is close to zero. But we don't know the meaning of k 1 or k 2 ; these variables are just unpredictable.
In the title text, Randall changes the famous "laugh to keep from crying" statement to math.
dPain/dt = (-k 1 Pain + [Image of Megan]) (1/(1 + e ^ -(t-k 2 )/d)) k 1 =? k 2 =? [Image of Megan]=How much she's still in my life Please let d only be a few days... or weeks I guess there's some kind of a cutoff after years, where it stops mattering and we can be friends. Do I want that? Is k 1 positive? Is k 2 large? Will I ever stop feeling like this?


Content Protection

Explanation:
This comic is a commentary on HDCP , a media standard that requires all the devices from player to cable to display to be "approved" to carry HDCP content. HDCP is intended to protect media encrypted with DRM from being intercepted between the player and the display. Interestingly, however, it is literally impossible for DRM advocates to completely prevent copying (even with such drastic measures) because of the analog hole : since the content must be shown in a human-perceptible form, it can be captured by analog means, such as recording the display with a video camera.
In addition to illustrating the absurdity of HDCP, the comic presents the darker idea that when your devices control what information you are exposed to, the controlling companies can act as " thought police " and ensure that your mind only contains "approved content."
With the title text, Randall is referring again to DRM . The Free Culture movement ( Lawrence Lessig being one of their activists) is fighting for free content. DRM advocates claim that their technology "protects" artists by preventing piracy, while in reality, DRM is more effective as a means of giving media companies control over devices than it is at preventing piracy.
Chapters 13 and 14 of the Free Culture book by Lawrence Lessig concern Eldred v. Ashcroft , 537 U.S. 186 (2003), a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States upholding the constitutionality of the 1998 Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act (CTEA). The practical result of this was to prevent a number of works from entering the public domain in 1998 and following years, as would have occurred under the Copyright Act of 1976. Lessig was a lead council in this case. In his opinion he lost the case because his arguments were about culture instead of the economy.
The structure of current law makes it exceedingly difficult for someone who might want to do something with an old work to find the copyright owner, because no central list exists. Because these old works no longer seem commercially viable to the copyright holder, many are deteriorating.
In chapter 14 Lessig uses the disproportionate number of HIV and AIDS victims in Africa and other poor countries to further his argument that the current control of intellectual property—in this case, patents to HIV drugs—defy "common sense."
Content Protection System: [Megan sits on a couch watching a large flat-panel television, connected to a box labeled HDMI. The screen is labeled with "Approved screen" The cable is labeled with "Approved connection" The HDMI box is labeled with "Approved player" Megan's head is labeled with "Approved content"]


Julia Stiles

Explanation:
Julia Stiles , who later became a well-known actress as an older teenager and adult, did in fact appear in the children's television show Ghostwriter as a 12-year-old in 1993. The sketch in this comic depicts Stiles as she appeared in the episode, and all the dialogue attributed to her is taken from her character's actual dialogue.
Although this dialogue was supposed to establish Erica (Stiles' character) as an expert on hacking, it actually consists mostly of buzzwords (some of which are fake), none of which would impress an actual computer hacker. The term "console cowboys" is stated to be a reference to the book Neuromancer in the full scene.
The thread in the news section of the forums, as referenced in the title text, could originally be found here . However, as the forums went offline in 2019, the link is no longer available. A copy of the video with better audio can be found here .
The best thing ever to appear on TV: 12-year-old Julia Stiles as a hacker in a 1993 episode of PBS's "Ghostwriter"
[A sketch of Julia Stiles, as a 12-year-old, with a bandana over her head, long wavy hair, elbow shirt, wrist band, and pants.] Julia Stiles: Do you know anything about hackers? Julia Stiles: Can you jam with the console cowboys in cyberspace? Julia Stiles: Never experienced the new wave? Next wave? Dream wave? OR cyberpunk?


Fans

Explanation:
This comic is probably best understood by someone with young kids who explore everything in their household, and the fear that the kids will damage something expensive. Some parents issue harsh warnings to their children when they so much as touch an expensive item, which can be frustrating to children who feel that they don't have the freedom to explore.
In the comic, Cueball lets go of these frustrations as he finally owns his own place. He buys an oscillating fan and grabs its head, locking the mechanism that rotates it. As it attempts to turn, a release stub on the motor clicks to alleviate pressure and prevent damage to the fan. Cueball enjoys the clicking sound that the fan makes, without having to worry about his mother stopping him.
This shares a theme with 357: Flies .
The title text gives more falsehoods that his mother told him: that bouncing a ball against a wall will dent the wall, or that the roof is too weak to hold his weight.
BEST THING ABOUT HAVING MY OWN APARTMENT: Holding fans in place so they twitch helplessly and make that clicking sound without my mom yelling at me. [Cueball holding fan in place.] click click


Music Knowledge

Explanation:
The punchline of this comic is that just by naming bands from the game Guitar Hero , you can sound pretty knowledgeable about music without actually knowing anything about the bands you are naming. This is further emphasized when Megan mentions Metallica , a very famous band that mostly everyone can be assumed to have heard of, and Cueball has no clue who they are, because Metallica is not featured in Guitar Hero (at the time of this comic writing). A similar premise was demonstrated in 1859: Sports Knowledge .
Guitar Hero is a music rhythm video game developed by Harmonix and published by RedOctane for the Playstation 2 .
In the title text, Cueball (or possibly Randall) is just hoping for a sequel to Guitar Hero to get more, and newer, conversational material. As of 2019, there have been 6 main sequels to Guitar Hero , with numerous other spinoffs and expansions to the Guitar Hero series .
Classic Rock
Newer stuff
Other stuff
Interestingly, neither Arcade Fire nor Postal Service (mentioned by Megan) are featured in Guitar Hero , so Cueball should not have any knowledge of these bands.
[Megan and Cueball converse.] Megan: What kind of music do you listen to? Cueball: Oh, a mix of things. Some classic rock like Boston, but then of course Queen and Bowie, Joan Jett... Megan: Definitely, we need more of those sounds. Cueball: But there's some great newer stuff too, like Franz Ferdinand, The Donnas, and Audioslave. Megan: Sometimes they're a little much for me. I go more for things like The Arcade Fire, sometimes mixing some electronic sounds like Postal Service. Cueball: Oh yeah—have you ever checked out Freezepop? Megan: Mhm! Synth pop can be fun, but at the same time, I agree that sometimes you just need to blast some Metallica. Cueball: Who? Megan: ...Metallica. Cueball: Are they new? I sound pretty knowledgeable about music until people figure out that I'm just naming bands from Guitar Hero.


The Raven

Explanation:
The comic's title is a reference to the well-known poem The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe , one of the most popular pieces of poetry in the English language. The comic quotes the first four lines of the work, in which the poetic persona perceives a strange knocking on his door in the middle of the night. Unlike the original, the comic reveals the nocturnal visitor to be the rapper Eminem .
This unexpected turn reflects the ambiguity of the verb "to rap" in English. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary , the word was used in the original sense of "to strike" as early as the 14th century. The meaning of the word was later extended to "talking freely and frankly." In this purport, it was especially employed by the Black rights movement during the 1960s (cp. for example the nom de guerre of H. Rap Brown ). The hip-hop subculture, which had its roots in the aforementioned movement, finally adopted the term in the sense of "rhythmic speaking or chanting." Today, the word is almost exclusively used with the latter meaning.
It is thus implied that the poetic persona in the comic hears Eminem performing a rap song, rather than someone knocking on the door as in the original. Note also that rap music is usually considered fairly aggressive, which seems to contradict the poem's description of a "gentle" sound.
Beyond a linguistic interpretation of the comic, it may be added that rap music and poetry bear a lot of similarities: Some of the more advanced rap lyrics feature classical stylistic devices like alliterations or inline rhymes as well as a more or less complex metrical structure. The metre of a classical poem, on the other hand, gives the piece a distinct, almost musical rhythm, albeit it is not accompanied by any instruments. Nerdcore rapper MC Lars has recorded a rap version of the poem (with some additional lyrics and modern references added) called 'Mr. Raven,' which can be heard here . (For a comparison between the verbal capabilities of Edgar Allan Poe and Eminem, see this article .)
"The Raven" is heavily referenced in popular culture. Interestingly enough, the webcomic Dinosaur Comics had a reference to Edgar Allan Poe three weeks before the xkcd comic was published. There is also a Penny Arcade version of the "Raven" trope.
The title text, besides defending the graphic style of the drawing, also lampshades at the somewhat peculiar taste of fashion found in the hip-hop subculture. In the picture, Eminem wears a sleeveless hoodie. While the aesthetic value of such garment might be disputed, it certainly defeats the purpose of keeping its bearer warm.
Once upon a midnight dreary While I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious Volume of forgotten lore While i nodded, nearly napping, Suddenly there came a tapping As if someone gently rapping Rapping at my chamber door... [A door opens, revealing Eminem wearing a hoodie.] click creak Eminem: Yo.


Myspace

Explanation:
This comic references a common issue that users would experience in the late 2000s on the now outdated website MySpace . At the time, an individual with a profile on that website would be able to choose a song that would automatically play when anyone accessed said profile. This was a heavily promoted feature in which the majority of users would partake. The song would interrupt whatever else the user was doing, such as listening to music, watching a video, or simply browsing in silence.
For further context, MySpace at the time did not have a universal "news feed" to browse, so users would perform most of their interaction with other users by actively going to their profiles. Thus, the auto-playing music became a compounding problem, as the user could experience it several times per browsing session.
The "first five seconds" refers to approximately how long it would take a typical user to find the pause button.
Future social networks would eschew features like this, as they are perceived by the user base to be annoying and distracting. However, the issue in some ways persists, as sites like Facebook now auto-play sound on videos and advertisements (unless the user opts out).
The title text refers to the fact that old pages, back in the late 1990s, used embedded MIDI files, which would not only play automatically, but also have no way to stop playing. The viewer would have to leave the website or externally mute the audio. Additionally, some Macintosh computers at the time had a bug that would automatically play MIDI files at the maximum computer volume, making them an incredible nuisance. MIDI files do not contain actual audio, but instead contain instructions for which notes to play on which musical instruments, and upon playback, these instructions would render sound from a library of MIDI audio samples installed in the computer's operating system — audio samples that were often artificially synthesized and of poor quality, producing music reminiscent of early video games; this may have made these web pages with embedded MIDI even more annoying. (In fairness, it should be noted that high-quality MIDI audio samples are also available, often recorded from actual musical instruments, and capable of reproducing realistic music.)
[Computer screen showing a myspace page.] Oh man, you and everyone in earshot are gonna love the first five seconds of this song!


Substitute

Explanation:
This comic refers to the film Jurassic Park , a 1993 movie based on the 1990 novel by Michael Crichton . The film centers around a billionaire who bought an island and opened a zoo or theme park for dinosaurs that he has cloned from DNA recovered from blood found in fossilized mosquitoes. After a computer programmer shuts down the security systems to steal embryos for a rival company, several of the creatures, among which are the Velociraptors subject of this comic, run loose and try to devour every human in the theme park.
Velociraptors (often shortened to "raptors") are a species of relatively small, carnivorous dinosaur that play a central role in the original film, as well as its sequels. In the film, packs of Velociraptors antagonize the main characters at various points, even entering buildings. According to newer researches, the Velociraptors in the film were erroneously based on the Utahraptor species of dinosaur. Unlike the movie, in which they are depicted as having a reptilian skin, both species of dinosaur in reality are theorized to have been feathered. The word "raptor" also refers to modern birds of prey .
Randall is asked to substitute for Miss Lenhart in math class. The first page of the test he devises contains three questions, which have the recurring theme of humans running from said velociraptors. For the answers, see the trivia section. As Randall says in the comic: "This material is more vital than anything you've ever learned," the joke being that Randall is somehow fearful that such a thing could happen.
Velociraptors, and in particular, the irrational fear of being attacked by them in the modern world, appear several times in xkcd . This is the second such instance; the first is 87: Velociraptors
In the title text, Randall asks the kids whether they find this possibility humorous (and they rightfully should, considering that the chances of such a thing occuring are astronomically low).
[In a classroom, the board says "Math" on the top-left corner, and "Mr. Munroe" in the middle. A Cueball portrays Randall, standing in front of it, speaking to the class.] Randall: Miss Lenhart couldn't be here today, so she asked me to substitute. Randall: I've put out your tests. Please get started.
[A student in the first row raises the exam paper and says:] Student: Mr. Munroe, Miss Lenhart never taught us this.
Randall: That's because Miss Lenhart doesn't understand how important certain kinds of math are. Student: But this just looks-- Randall: This material is more vital than anything you've ever learned Student: But-- Randall: No buts.
Randall: This is a matter of life and death.
[Excerpt from the exam paper.] Name: _________
[A stick figure is standing, hands over head. A velociraptor is running towards it.]
1. The velociraptor spots you 40 meters away and attacks, accelerating at 4 m/s^2 to its top speed of 25 m/s. When it spots you, you begin to flee, quickly reaching your top speed of 6 m/s. How far can you get before you're caught and devoured?
2. You're at the center of a 20m equilateral triangle with a raptor at each corner. The top raptor has a wounded leg and is limited to a top speed of 10 m/s.
[A stick figure is shown in the above situation. The picture has a legend " (Not to scale). "]
The raptors will run toward you. At what angle should you run to maximize the time you stay alive?
3. Raptors can open doors, but they are slowed by them. Using the floor plan on the next page, plot a route through the building, assuming raptors take 5 minutes to open the first door and halve the time for each subsequent door. Remember, raptors run at 10 m/s and they do not know fear.


Science Fair

Explanation:
A science fair involves schoolchildren doing research on a subject of their choice. The purpose is to give them hands-on experience with scientific techniques. Even so, a project based on cunnilingus , oral stimulation of the female genitalia for sexual enjoyment, would not likely be acceptable in a science fair, a setting that is not only public but also involving children. However, adolescents are often very curious about sex and can often misjudge what is appropriate behaviour.
On the center left are the notations for a function f(t) , its Fourier transform F(ω) , and its Laplace transform ℒ(s) . The section titled "Challenges in frequency domain analysis" show four graphs that may be representative of amplitude modulation (variation in the depth of licking), frequency modulation (variation of the rate of licking), a small high frequency signal superimposed on a larger, slower one, and a periodic but non-continuous signal, perhaps a tangent function . These would have more complex Fourier and Laplace transforms than a simple sinusoidal licking function.
The title text is probably a reference to An Inconvenient Truth , a 94-minute documentary film where former US vice president Al Gore teaches the general public about the dangers of global warming. It has been included in science curricula in schools around the world, to the ire of easily bored students everywhere.
This comic was mentioned in FRUIT OPINIONS! on the Blag . Although this comic must have been one of the more controversial, it had nothing on the impact of 388: Fuck Grapefruit , which was the cause of the Blag entry, as it became the most controversial comic written to that point (i.e. 2008): ...beating out comics about cunnilingus, the Obama endorsement, and my making 4chan tiny on the map of the internet . (See the grapefruit comic for more details).
[Text above the drawing:] Although it caught me by surprise at the time, looking back I understand why my senior science fair project went over as badly as it did.
[A science fair project consisting of eight posters on three pink walls is set up for presenting such a project, so it is possible to step in between the walls to read about the project. There are two posters on both the left and the right wall, all four with unreadable text. Three of them clearly have a bolder heading at the top (still unreadable). The last to the right, which has no header, has instead some kind of drawing or formula in the middle, still unreadable.]
[The central wall has some readable and discernible parts. The top poster is the title of the project, written in very large letters:] The Mathematics of Cunnilingus
[Below the title poster, there are three posters. Two of these are right below, one to the left and one to the right, and the last poster below takes up the rest of the wall. The left of the two posters next to each other has a table with three rows and three columns. The text in each box is unreadable, but some of the text seems to be formulas though. Above the three columns, there are readable legends:] f(t);   F(ω);   ℒ(s)
[The next poster to the right shows a drawing of female genitalia with the clitoris and both sets of Labia shown. It is displayed on a chart with X and Y axes with ticks (but no labels), and there is a box with three lines of unreadable text/legends.]
[The last poster at the bottom of the central panel shows four line graphs with what looks like modulated signals or other time-domain signals or functions. These are displayed in two rows/columns to the left. To the right of these, there is a readable heading, and below that is more unreadable text:] Challenges in frequency-domain analysis


Dreams

Explanation:
In the first panel of this comic, it is clear that Cueball has just written some comment that his friend thinks will lower his chances for getting a job in the future. This is common advice given to teenagers and young professionals, given as a warning that their posts online could be seen by a potential future boss.
In the next panel, Cueball replies with a seeming non-sequitur: when did we forget our dreams? Without explanation, this seems like one of the overly philosophizing, ultimately meaningless questions that also happen to pop up on social media sites. Cueball's friend is confused by the sudden shift in conversation.
The long monologue Cueball delivers focuses around the fact that as people get older, their lives becomes narrower and less filled with possibilities and novelty. This is a speech made in the manner of someone getting older and missing the simpler days of youth, where everything was much more exciting. From this point, he explains that part of the deadening process is responding the same way to each event that happens, and creating a routine. Routines, Cueball believes, remove our ability to act on our dreams.
Finally, Cueball gets to relating this monologue to posting inappropriate material to social media sites: he will not let his concerns for a nebulous future hinder the outlook on life he has now. He will not limit his choices in order to conform with the expectations of an uninspired future. He ends with the clear and simple explanation of his choices—"Fuck. That. Shit."
Cueball's use of periods between words in this closing phrase is itself another reference to practices on social media sites; people will sometimes put a period after each word in a short phrase to show emphasis.
Connor's second thesis from the title text is a quote from the character Sarah Connor in the film Terminator 2 . The message expressed is a restatement of Cueball's monologue: While it sounds trite, each and every one of us has the ability to change our situation, whether by quitting the job we don't like, telling that person that we love them, or some other action. Our action (and inaction) creates our future, including the way in which we react to those things outside our control.
The title text also poses the question of whether the more creativity lost to conformity, the more routine life becomes, or the more routine life becomes, the less creative you become.  This is a chicken and egg type question, which is dramatically broken by the suggestion of a roadtrip. This is the situationally unexpected break that shows that the speaker is willing to break out of the routines threatening to set in.
Other comics with a similar theme about finding or taking unexplored paths, instead of fitting into the mold, include 59: Graduation and 267: Choices: Part 4 .
[A friend is standing behind Cueball, who is typing at a computer.] Friend: You should be more careful what you write. Future employers might read it.
[The friend still stands while Cueball looks at his computer.] Cueball: When did we forget our dreams? Friend: What?
[Cueball stands beside his friend.] Cueball: The infinite possibilities each day holds should stagger the mind. The sheer number of experiences I could have is uncountable, breathtaking, and I'm sitting here refreshing my inbox. We live trapped in loops, reliving a few days over and over, and we envision only a handful of paths laid out before us. We see the same things every day, we respond the same way, we think the same thoughts, each day a slight variation on the last, every moment smoothly following the gentle curves of societal norms. We act like if we just get through today, tomorrow our dreams will come back to us. Cueball: And no, I don't have all the answers. I don't know how to jolt myself into seeing what each moment could become. But I do know one thing: the solution doesn't involve watering down my every little idea and creative impulse for the sake of some day easing my fit into a mold. It doesn't involve tempering my life to better fit someone's expectations. It doesn't involve constantly holding back for fear of shaking things up. Cueball: This is very important, so I want to say it as clearly as I can:
[The next three panels are Cueball standing.]
Cueball: FUCK.
Cueball: THAT.
Cueball: SHIT.


Pointers

Explanation:
This comic is about a play on the dual meaning of the word "pointer." Cueball is playing a video game, but he seems to be stuck. So he asks Black Hat for a few tips ("pointers") to progress in the game. Black Hat is, as usual, annoying, so he spits out a couple of (seemingly random) 32-bit hexadecimal addresses, which are " pointers " in a programming language. These pointers are used to access a certain location in the computer's memory in order to fulfill a task; however, this would not be helpful in the game. Cueball is then annoyed at Black Hat for not answering his question.
A segmentation fault , as referred to in the title text, is a result by accessing invalid memory addresses. If you define a pointer to an invalid address, then try to access the memory location associated with it, you could end up with this exception. The hexadecimal address 0x-1 is definitely invalid, because it's out of range. If you treat pointers as signed numbers, it points below the lowest address, 0; if you treat them as unsigned (meaning the numbers wrap around, so -1 is the same as the highest address - 0xFFFFFFFF on a 32-bit system), if it's pointing at any object larger than a byte, most of that object is past the highest address. So, this is a "hidden location," but as soon as you try to read more than one byte at that location, you will get a segfault.
The ending letters of the pointers are spelling, reading top to bottom, the word ACE. As Cueball is playing a game, Black Hat could be additionally saying that he's an ace of the game.
Pointers are often used to cheat in games and do things like change the amount of money you have. The pointers Black Hat spits out could also be cheat codes giving an extra reason for Cueball to hate him.
[Cueball is playing a video game, with Black Hat standing behind him.] Cueball: Man, I suck at this game. Can you give me a few pointers? Black Hat: 0x3A28213A 0x6339392C, 0x7363682E. Cueball: I hate you.
In xkcd: Volume 0 , the pointers are different, specifically 0x4B657932, 0x6F66383A, and 0x73CD4542.


I Have Owned Two Electric Skateboards

Explanation:
Randall likes electric skateboards (he has owned two already by the time of this comic). This comic shows a simple move where Cueball drives one from A to B.
It's not very artistic, but the "chicks" are cheering, and the comic states that this is how they work. The humor of the comic is an understated joke that if you use an electric skateboard just to get around, by the time you get to where you are going, there will already be a group of chicks cheering and following you just because electric skateboards are awesome.  (The pickup artist in 1178: Pickup Artists would be disappointed to learn that this is not actually accurate, as it would save him the bother of "sleazy" social manipulation of the desired "chicks," assuming they can afford to acquire an electric skateboard instead.)
In the title text, Randall tells us that both of his two electric skateboards were cheap and have been worn down by heavy use. If he ever moves to the city, he will buy a really nice skateboard. If it is to be able to get around over the shorter distances of the city or if it is just because there are many more "chicks" to impress is left up to the reader's imagination.
Electric skateboards have been the subject of several other comics , but this was the first. It has been featured most prominently in The Race , a five part comic series.
[Caption above the panels:] How electric skateboards work:
[Cueball is standing on a skateboard, just to the right of a sign. He pushes a button on the remote he has in his hand. The remote is connected to his skateboard through a wire.] Sign: Point A Click
[Cueball skates while he stands still on the board.] Whirrrr
[He stops just in front of another sign. To his left are three girls; Megan, Ponytail, and another Megan-like girl with even longer hair than the first. Below them are three arrows pointing to each of them and a label connected to all three arrow.] Sign: Point B Label: Chicks


Delicious

Explanation:
The simplest explanation for the comic is the recipe for nachos . You take some tortilla chips , spread them out on a plate, sprinkle them with grated cheese and perhaps some other ingredients like salsa, beans, or guacamole, and put the plate in the oven until the cheese is melted. As usual with a full bag of snacks, you always end up with that tiny bit left at the bottom of the bag. In this case, it is either leftover grated cheese (left) or tortilla chips (right). So you end up buying another package of the other ingredient to make nachos again.
This is an example of a virtuous or vicious cycle , in which a feedback loop reinforces itself. A virtuous cycle has favorable results, while a vicious has detrimental results. In this case, it is neither a virtuous or vicious cycle, but a delicious cycle - the pun of this joke.
The title text just says that currently, Randall has leftover cheese. He will probably get chips soon, continuing the cycle.
The same problem with having leftovers when making a dish using two types of food that don't match up is the setup for the joke in 1641: Hot Dogs .
[Frame is split by a diagonal.] [First half: Cueball in front of open fridge.] Cueball: I have leftover cheese. I should get chips and make nachos.
[Second half: Cueball with bag of chips.] Cueball: I have leftover chips. I should get cheese and make nachos.
[Caption below the two drawings:] A delicious cycle


Parody Week Achewood

Explanation:
This comic is a part of the Parody Week , just joking about other webcomics . This series was released on five consecutive days (Monday-Friday), not over the usual Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule, and it comprises the following five parodies :
Achewood is a webcomic by Chris Onstad . It portrays the lives of a group of anthropomorphic stuffed toys, robots, and pets, and veers between cheerful, vulgar, and philosophical scenes from everyday American life and bizarre surreal interludes - Kevin Smith meets David Lynch. The comic's humor often lacks a traditional punchline and utilizes numerous awkward pause panels.
This comic includes three of the prominent characters from the strip: Philippe a five year old stuffed otter , Ray , and Roast Beef .
In the first panel, Phillippe is dreaming of having his ears checked. The doctor informs him that because of his superhearing power, he is needed at Hogwarts , School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, from Harry Potter . This fits well with his canon depiction as a dreamer who believes typically childish things in a serious way - a long-running storyline shows Philippe's semi-imaginary run for president on a platform of hugs. On the wall behind him, there is an E chart - a special version of the eye chart for young children.
The comic then switches to Roast Beef and Ray discussing an invitation to a competition described only by its name ("The Dude Is Pretty Awesome In Most Measurable Ways I Mean Wow", reminiscent of the name of Roast Beef's zine "Man Why You Even Got To Do A Thing"). Achewood has had several storylines pertaining to masculinity contests, but the one that Randall is parodying here is the "Great Outdoor Fight," perhaps Achewood's most famous storyline . In this arc, Ray, finding himself in the shadow of his father, the ludicrously strong Ramses Luther Smuckles, decides to enter a 3,000-man brawl called the "Great Outdoor Fight." Although he is nowhere near as strong as the other contestants, after they all kill each other, he is the last man standing, thanks to the help of Roast Beef, and quits the contest when he realizes that he would have to knock his friend out to win.
Ray, who in Achewood typically just wears a thong, glasses, and jewellery as shown here, has a strategy of simply highlighting his genitals. Roast Beef, always a pessimist who speaks without punctuation, offers his take on the competition: Ray is going to lose to the other, significantly more impressive, contestants.
In canon, Roast Beef entered (or at least, hacked himself into) the Great Outdoor Fight specifically to ensure that Ray would win, and was shocked that Ray refused to knock him out. Randall offers an alternative characterization: Roast Beef was setting Ray up and planned to knock him out and claim the trophy, but couldn't complete his plan. Ray is dismayed, and Roast Beef proceeds to further shut him down, comparing Ray (a "McD's" hamburger) to the other competitors (a 12 oz. sirloin steak). This leads to a lengthy awkward pause, spanning the rest of the comic.
The comic is written in the style of Onstad and his humor. The last 10 panels are "awkward-pause panels," which are used frequently in Achewood, in what appears to be a joke about overuse of dialogue-free panels (there are 11 of these, but the first is a shock panel, then the pause begins).  This joke is continued in the title-text, where Randall claims that this strip set the record for the most panels of this kind, a record previously held by Achewood.
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song is a 1971 Blaxploitation film that is generally regarded as an exemplar of its genre - its hero, Sweet Sweetback, is a strong, sexually-talented African American fighting his way out of the ghetto. Bursting fully-formed from Sweet Sweetback's head is a parody of the birth of Greek Goddess Athena .
References to Fleshlight , such as this comment by Beef in the first panel in the third row: You are gonna stand out as the sort of dude who stays at home all night playing fleshlight tag , became a recurring theme in xkcd, but this seems to be the first time.
[Unlike regular xkcd comics, the text here seems to be typed on a machine, and the speech is in bubbles rather than just indicated with a thin line from the speaker. This is true for all spoken text. Also, Beef almost never uses any punctuation in his sentences.]
[Philippe, an anthropomorphic stuffed otter, is participating in a hearing aid test with headphones over his ears and one arm raised. He is at a doctor's office, and behind him on the wall, there is an eye chart with six lines of E's, the large one on top a regular E, and then in the next two lines they are turned around in the four general directions. The last three lines are not readable. The doctor talks to Philippe from off-panel in a bubble going to the far right. Here it meets a thought bubble line going down and left from the upper right corner. On the right side, the background is gray, and Philippe can be seen lying in a bed, dreaming the scene to the left.] Doctor (off-panel): Philippe, your hearing is perfect! In fact, you heard ALL the beeps! You have super-hearing! You're needed at Hogwarts! Philippe: Oh boy! Eye chart: E E ɯ EMƎ ƎEƎMƎME
[Roast Beef, an anthropomorphic thin cat with pointy ears and small eyes, is looking at Ray, an anthropomorphic fat cat with black glasses. He is reading from a piece of paper that has been folded out, holding it up in front of him with both hands. They are seen from the waist up. Most of the time below, their eyebrows are visible to show feelings, but Beef's are not shown here. When they speak, their mouths are open, else they are closed. Beef's is closed in this panel. Above the drawing, there is a line, and in the thin frame formed by that and the top panel, there is a caption:] Meanwhile . . . Ray: Beef, check this out. I got an invite to that The Dude Is Pretty Awesome In Most Measurable Ways I Mean Wow competition.
[This panel pans up so less of their bodies can be seen and more text can be seen above them. It is clear that Ray has a medal hanging around his neck, which was partly covered by his hands in the previous panel, which are now down. Apart from this, they look the same.] Beef: Alright that is pretty sweet dogg what is your strategy gonna consist of Ray: I'm thinkin' I need to point out my best features -- maybe go holdin' a sign with an arrow toward my junk.
[Ray is seen almost in full figure, which reveals that he is only wearing big black underpants and the medal, his nipples also clearly visible on each side of the medal (as they were already in the previous panel, but not the one before). He has one arm at his side, the other holding a large sign with big bold text, and beneath this a large black arrow pointing first down and then across towards his pants waistband.] Sign: Yes
[Back to same view as in the first panel, except a pan so Ray is in the center and Beef is partly cut off at the left frame so there is space for a speech bubble to the right of Ray. Ray holds up a drink glass in front of him with a cherry in the bottom. Beef's eyebrows are missing.] Beef: Yeah well I always said subtlety was your middle name dogg Beef: And also your first and last in case they didn't get the point Ray: How do you think I should play it?
[Only Beef is shown in this panel to make room for his speech bubbles.] Beef: Well basically you got no chance as I see it these dudes are all lovers and fighters to the last Beef: All sprung fully formed from the head of Sweet Sweetback Beef: You are gonna stand out as the sort of dude who stays at home all night playing fleshlight tag
[Both are again in this panel, but it has been panned up so only their heads are visible to place speech bubbles above them.] Ray: These words you got are crazy. Didn't I win the outdoor fight? Beef: Uh huh about the fight I wasn't gonna tell you but how could you miss that I was setting you up Ray: What? Beef: You got played dogg
[Same but panned down to below the medal on Ray. Beef's eyebrows are missing.] Beef: I basically just didn't have the heart to go through with it in the end.
[Only Beef is shown to the right, making space for five speech bubbles to his left.] Beef: Anyway the point is that you are gonna lose this thing so hard Beef: All cheap McD's hamburger to their slabs of steak Beef: A couple 12-oz sirloins garnished with nothing but pure manhood Beef: Maybe some sprigs of parsley Beef: You are pretty much going down
[Closeup of a shocked Ray mouth hanging open.]
[Silence 1. Both are shown from the waistline and up standing looking slightly down, arms down. Ray has closed his mouth. Generally, their ears shift a bit from panel to panel the rest of the way, as has their head position, but else they stay the same distance from each other.]
[Silence 2. Same view. Beef looks perturbed, and his ear is twitching. Ray's mouth is open again.]
[Silence 3. Same view. Beef looks sorry. Ray has closed his mouth.]
[Silence 4. Same view. Beef looks sorry and Ray looks angry. Ray's mouth is open again.]
[Silence 5. Same view. Ray has closed his mouth again. Beef's eyebrows are missing, but also Ray's are gone, maybe hidden by the rim of the glasses. They do not reappear in the rest of the comic, indicating that he keeps his eyes downcast. ]
[Silence 6. Same view. Beef's eyebrows are back.]
[Silence 7. The view has panned so low that it is possible to see the waistband of Ray's underpants. Beef is looking even more down and has moved closer to Ray whose mouth is open again.]
[Silence 8. Same view, but a little less waistband visible. Beef has moved back agai. His eyebrows are missing and his mouth is open, and Ray looks even more down than before, still mouth open.]
[Silence 9. View panned so low that a large part of Ray's underpants can be seen. Beef is looking down, mouth closes with eyebrows, Ray standing more straight, still mouth open.]
[Silence 10. Beef looks surprised with eyebrows raised and has moved close to Ray, who has finally closed his mouth again.]


Parody Week Megatokyo

Explanation:
This comic is a part of the Parody Week , just joking about other webcomics . This series was released on five consecutive days (Monday-Friday), not over the usual Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule, and it comprises the following five parodies :
Megatokyo is a webcomic by Fred Gallagher . Its art and storylines are heavily influenced by Japanese comics known as Manga .
The opening panel sets up a parody of Megatokyo here called megaxkcd . The girl is Ping , a robotic PS2 accessory from the comic. The soft gray-scale art, hand-drawn "shadowed" panel borders, and vertical panel layout also mimic Megatokyo's design.
The joke begins with the main protagonist (probably Piro ) falling in love with Ping, a game console accessory , and in today's comic, he is supposed to come to terms with this fact.
But then, the parody is apparently aborted when two characters from the normal xkcd, Cueball and Black Hat , question the parody, as they are afraid of hurting artist Fred Gallagher's feelings. This itself is a dig at the sometimes maudlin and emotionally tender tone of Megatokyo, and in particular the self-conscious resemblance of anxious protagonist Piro to creator Gallagher, who based the character on a twenty-something version of himself.
This is one of the few comics where Black Hat is not his usual classhole self. So even he likes and approves of Fred and his comic! Actually, Black Hat is the one most concerned for Fred's feelings, and he suggests that they should go and cheer the poor guy up, now that he may have taken the parody kind of hard. Black Hat also yells to him that he should not cry, when he and Cueball arrive on his doorstep with a cake with lots of candles.
The title text reiterates the similarity between the style of the comic and the character of the artist behind it, which has been noted elsewhere as well . It also exclaims Randall 's feelings for Fred, his webcomic, and its style.
Falling in love with a robot (or using one for sex) was later investigated in the Android series . And on 144: Parody Week: A Softer World , love and robots are again investigated leading to a pregnant robot.
[At the top of the panel is the title of the comic inside Japanese quote characters. Beneath this is a text, and to the right of this is a drawing on an anime girl in shirt and skirt, who has blonde hair with very long pigtails, long rectangular earrings, and a blank expression looking slightly down while standing with her arms at her sides. The gray-scale drawing is far from the normal xkcd style.] megaxkcd In today's megaxkcd, our protagonist comes to terms with his romantic love for a girl who is a video game console accessory.
[Cueball and Black Hat, drawn in standard xkcd style, talk.] Cueball: Wait, I'm not sure we should parody megatokyo. Black Hat: Fred Gallagher does seem like he might take it kind of hard. Cueball: He really does. Black Hat: Poor guy. We should try to cheer him up.
[Cueball and Black Hat stand in front of a profile shot of a house with at least two stories. On the left is a mailbox at the curb of the road to the very left. Black Hat stands on the path to the house past the mailbox, while Cueball is holding a big cake with at least three lit candles on top. He holds it up in both hands in front of him presenting it to the closed door in front of him as he stands on the top of a two-step staircase to the front door. There are two flowers beneath him at the base of the stair, and two windows on the side wall of the house, one in each of the two visible stories. The house continues above the panel.] Black Hat: Fred? Fred, please come out. It's OK. Don't cry, Fred. Cueball: We... We baked you a cake.


Parody Week TFD and Natalie Dee

Explanation:
This comic is a part of the Parody Week , just joking about other webcomics . This series was released on five consecutive days (Monday-Friday), not over the usual Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule, and it comprises the following five parodies :
This comic parodies two comics in one go. TFD is an acronym for Toothpaste For Dinner , which is a daily one-panel cartoon written and drawn by Drew Fairweather . Each comic features small, simple drawings, paired with short captions or dialogue.
Natalie Dee is the author of the daily comics Natalie Dee . This webcomic comprises various sketches illustrating amusing or anecdotal situations from everyday life.
Drew and Natalie are husband & wife, and are also the authors of the webcomic Married to the Sea .
In similar style to their simple comics, we see xkcd's Cueball ask the two creators of the two comics what's funny. The woman in color represents Natalie, who does color drawings that could include animals, and she thinks bees are funny. The man is Drew drawn like his own characters with a weird head shape. He thinks tires are funny. Then Natalie combines those to say that bees with tires are funny, and he is like, whatever .
The title text points out that it would be funny to see bees with tires. This is because bees, like other living creatures, have no wheels. [ citation needed ]
[Cueball is standing to the left in this frameless comic, talking to a woman and man. She has long black hair, black eyes, and a very wide mouth going from side to side of the part of her head visible for the hair. She wears a blue shirt, green shorts, and white shoes. She stands with her arms bent with her hands on her sides. Fourteen bees are swarming around her head. The man next to her is bald with a strange distorted face tilting down from right to left, and his eyes align with his tilted forehead. His mouth is a round O. He is wearing a white t-shirt and pants with black shoes. He holds up his left arm, hand in front of his breast. To the right, there lie two tires, the top one lying halfway up on the bottom tire. Where Cueball speaks using the normal all capital letters of xkcd, the other two speak only in lowercase letters.] Cueball: So guys what is funny this week? Natalie: bees! Drew: tires. Natalie: bees with tires! Drew: whatever


Parody Week A Softer World

Explanation:
This comic is a part of the Parody Week , just joking about other webcomics . This series was released on five consecutive days (Monday-Friday), not over the usual Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule, and it comprises the following five parodies :
This comic is a parody of Joey Comeau and Emily Horne's A Softer World webcomic that usually consists of three photos with some white text superimposed over them. The title of the comic is written above, and this has here been replaced with xkcd.
The first panel references the Kill command that would be used to turn off the robot every morning. This joke is a reference to the classic Science Fiction theme of robots taking over and killing humans (see for instance 1613: The Three Laws of Robotics ).
The second and third panels then turn the comic to a more introspective thought per A Softer World's usual style. There are two possible meanings of these panels.
The first references human's natural reaction to be afraid of love because it requires vulnerability and honesty, which is very difficult. In the comic, they are afraid to tell it to love, because then it would experience these same difficulties and fears.
The second meaning deals with Artifical Intelligence (AI); specifically strong AI . The idea is that the AI agent would not only act as if it was intelligent, but truly be intelligent and have emotions and feelings as well. There has been much debate over whether an AI agent could actually feel emotions in the same manner as humans, as well as much consternation over the ethical concerns and moral ramifications it would have. Thus the comic's "We're afraid to tell it to love."
The title text takes love to be an act of love-making instead of an emotional feeling, thus why the robot is pregnant. Given that Randall Munroe has signed the comic (which he normally never does, but what is the style of A Softer World), the title text must be his comment. So he knows the robot is pregnant, but claims it is not his child. This does not rule out that he has been together with the robot though... Of course this is not possible. But having sex with a robot is the theme in the Android series , and falling in love with one was the theme in the 2nd parody 142: Parody Week: Megatokyo .
[The comic uses lowercase letters throughout for all the text, which is written in white rectangular areas superimposed on top of the images. Above the first frame there is a title:] x k c d
[To the left is a red robot with a triangular lower body with panels with buttons and indicators, and the red head on top of two gray sticks has two video cameras for eyes. It is shown standing in a lab with a green brick wall behind it. It stands beneath a poster with text and a piece of paper taped to the wall with unreadable text, but only the first line of text can be seen on these, as the first of the two white text areas in the panel covers the rest. To the right there is a blue table with a computer screen (most of it visible, but it is cut of at the right panel), with blue background and three overlapping windows - unreadable text in the first window, some graphics in the second window, and only white in the last window. Two black items (one looks like a pen) lie on the table to the left, and beneath the table is a shelve where the keyboard lies. A wire goes from the robot to the computer. The other white text box is beneath the computer table, partly obscuring the lower part of the robot as well.] Poster: SAFETY when we open the lab each morning, we tell the robot to kill it's our little joke
[Zooming in on the center of the first frame between robot and table reveals that the paper on the wall was a drawing of the red robot with three wheels. The panel cut down the middle of the robot's eyes to the left, below the text on the paper drawing at the top, through the middle of the screen to the right and at the keyboard at the bottom. Again, there are two white text panels, one over the drawing and beneath it, which goes partly over the screen:] but secretly we're just afraid
[Zooming further in to the edge of the robot's eye, the wheel on the poster, the edge of the screen, and the edge of the table. Only one white panel in the middle over the green wall.] to tell it to love
[Below the first frame is a signature:] r munroe


Parody Week Dinosaur Comics

Explanation:
This comic is a part of the Parody Week , just joking about other webcomics . This series was released on five consecutive days (Monday-Friday), not over the usual Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule, and it comprises the following five parodies :
Dinosaur Comics is a webcomic by Ryan North . The artwork never changes, save a few rare exceptions, and only the dialogue is different. Randall traced the comic's usual artwork, though the drawing of the house about to be squashed in panel 3 is a more rudimentary rendition, and the person about to be squashed in panel 4 has been changed into Cueball rather than a woman in bright yellow and pink clothes.
For those who haven't read it, this is a typical strip , and here's a strip dealing with the same subject as this comic (but posted five years after it). See also this particular example , where the title text actually refer to Randall and xkcd.
Randall makes several shots at recurring themes in Dinosaur Comics. T-Rex, the green Tyrannosaurus , is bold and enthusiastic, discussing various topics, a favorite of which appears to be linguistics (North got his degree in computational linguistics). This time, he is talking about " they " being used as a third person singular gender-free pronoun and how it should be more widely used, even though its acceptance varies. Dromiceiomimus , the white dinosaur in the third panel, usually responds calmly to T-Rex's discussions. T-Rex then elaborates on how singular "they" has been used for centuries (specifically since the fourteenth century), with the change in convention being relatively recent (having fallen out of "fashion" in the nineteenth century). Technically, the English language lacks personal pronouns that are gender-neutral in the singular third-person — that is, there are only gender-specific personal pronouns such as " he " and " she " — so when a gender-neutral pronoun is needed, plural pronouns such as " they " (which are gender-neutral) are often used instead. There is some debate about whether this is a grammatical error, which may result in the use of grammatically correct, but cumbersome, gender-neutral phrases such as "he or she", "him or her", "his or hers" and so on. To compensate for these shortcomings, other gender-neutral personal pronouns for the singular third-person have also been introduced, such as "he/she", "s/he" and "xe" instead of "he or she", or "hirs" instead of "his or hers." T-Rex considers these constructs to be "ridiculous" and points out that they can be avoided by simply using the singular "they" instead.
While "he/she" and "s/he" are commonly used as a gender-neutral pronoun when gender is unknown, "xe" and "hirs" are often used for genderqueer individuals. Genderqueer persons do not subscribe to a "binary" definition of gender, where the only genders are male and female, and may identify as having, just to name a few examples, a gender between male and female, a combination of both male and female genders, no gender (terms for this include "genderless", "agender," and "neutrois"), a separate gender from male and female, an unnameable gender, or a "fluid" gender identity that shifts between multiple genders ("genderfluidity").
Utahraptor , the orange dinosaur, typically contradicts T-Rex, but Randall subverts this pattern and has him agree. The comic suggests that the perpetual disagreement stems from a 'rift' in the author's mind, which would be healed if only he lived in a world where there were a land bridge between Asia and North America .
In the last panel, the narrator starts with "In a world…" a phrase made famous by Don LaFontaine in movie trailers. "In a world…" is also likely a reference to the recurring gag of Dinosaur Comics suddenly jumping to alternate worlds or time periods that have whatever conditions T-Rex and his friends have been discussing, to humorous effect.
The last sentence suggests that in this other world, everyone is bi-curious . This is a phenomenon in which people of a heterosexual or homosexual identity who, while showing some curiosity for a relationship or sexual activity with a person of the sex they do not favor, distinguish themselves from the bisexual label. Bi-curious has been used as the word of the day two days in a row on May 11th and May 12th 2004, so it's no wonder Randall put the word in this comic. The suggestion that "everyone is bi-curious" could be a reference to Arthur C. Clarke's book Imperial Earth , where bisexuality is the norm. Deliberately trite and awkward explorations of this subject matter are also a recurring theme in Dinosaur Comics.
Like xkcd , Dinosaur Comics has title texts . Ryan's title texts are often bizarre non-sequiturs; the title text for the 2593rd comic , eleven years after the appearance of the first comic, read "the sixth panel and the second panel are just zoomed versions of each other. IT'S TRUE. I'M SORRY. I COULDN'T BEAR CARRYING THIS TERRIBLE SECRET ANY LONGER." The title text in this parody fits this pattern.
T-Rex from Dinosaur Comics later appeared in 1350: Lorenz (see this example story line and also the Dinosaur section under Lorenz themes ), where the actual images from the first three panels of Ryan's comic are used, rather than like here where Randall copied them himself and in 1452: Jurassic World , where it was the last image from the actual comic that was used.
[T-Rex, a large green Tyrannosaurus, holds out his small arms to each side and the tail pointing up while speaking with a wide open pink mouth showing all his teeth. All the text is written like on a typewriter with both caps and lowercase letters, which is not normal in xkcd.] T-Rex: THINGS I AM UPPITY ABOUT: "They" as a third-person singular gender-free pronoun.
[Zoom in on T-Rex head holding his hands up under his mouth, and mouth even wider open so also the red tongue can be seen.] T-Rex: I'm all for it!
[Zoom out to show T-Rex to the left, mouth almost closed, arms in normal position, the tail pointing up, and lifting his left leg ready to smash his foot down through the roof of a brown log cabin with chimney and porch with a blue car holding in front of the house to the right. Further right is a smaller white/yellow dinosaur, Dromiceiomimus, standing away from T-Rex, but turning its long neck toward him.] Dromiceiomimus: But isn't that terrible grammar? T-Rex: Only by recent convention!  It's been in use that way for centuries, and its use is widely accepted!  ALSO: This lets us avoid ridiculous constructs like "he/she", "s/he", "xe" or "hirs"!
[T-Rex is moving left, so part of his head and his lifted right foot are outside the panels frame, pink mouth again partly open so tongue can be seen, but no teeth are drawn. Arms are still in normal position and the tail is pointing up. Beneath the part of his right foot visible, there is Cueball about to be squashed. Behind him an orange dinosaur, Utahraptor, has appeared. It looks like a smaller version of T-Rex, but with longer arms and very large claws on its rear legs. It has its pink mouth wide open to show its red tongue and teeth, also holding arm in front of it and the tail pointing up. It is moving forward standing only on one leg, the other lifted high up.] Utahraptor: T-Rex, I . . . agree. T-Rex: What? Utahraptor: That sounds good to me!
[T-Rex stand with both legs down, but wide spread out. The tails is almost down to the ground, only the tip pointing up. The arms are still in front of it towards the left, but it has turned its head, mouth almost closed, toward right looking at Utahraptor, which now stands on both legs, but like it is leaning forward on its toes, stretching up with arms held high, mouth less open, but tongue and teeth visible.] Utahraptor: Normally I'd jump in with an objection, but I think your point makes sense. T-Rex: Could it be that the rift in our author's mind has finally healed? Is he no longer locked in perpetual war with the self-doubt that lurks in his subc-
[The final part of the final words from T-Rex is interrupted in the previous panel and first finishes here after a narrator "speaks" before T-Rex with bold capital letters to the top right, and after to the bottom left. T-Rex is seen in full figure standing with wide open mouth, teeth and tongue visible, arms and tail up.] Narrator: IN A WORLD WHERE THERE IS STILL A LAND BRIDGE BETWEEN ASIA AND NORTH AMERICA FOR SOME REASON: T-Rex: -onscious? Narrator: ALSO HOW ABOUT IN THIS WORLD EVERYONE IS BICURIOUS


Join Myspace

Explanation:
This comic refers to the 1980s TV/comic series Care Bears , in which various cuddly bears in rainbow colors go on missions to save the world. The characters' ultimate weapon is the "Care Bear Stare," in which the Bears stand together and radiate light from their respective tummy symbols. These combine to form a ray of love and good cheer that could bring care and joy into the target's heart. Of course, Black Hat 's carebearstare is far more lethal.
Cueball is trying to convince Black Hat to create an account at Myspace , a networking site, but Black Hat isn't interested. When Black Hat gets annoyed by Cueball's persuasions, he activates his "carebearstare," thus overthrowing Cueball's request to be friends on myspace.
One possible explanation for Black Hat's odd choice of weaponry is that he is mocking Cueball. The phrase "Please? I'll friend you" sounds like an average preschooler's coaxing (along the lines of "Please? I'll be your friend!"). Therefore, Black Hat may feel that Cueball's remarks seem childish and deserve a childish backlash.
On a nostalgic note, considering the state of social media in the 2010s, Black Hat is just really good at foreshadowing.
In the title text, Black Hat reflects that he uses his carebearstare power too much, possibly as a form of apology to Cueball.
[Cueball is talking to Black Hat.] Cueball: Dude, you should get on MySpace. Black Hat: Eh, I don't think so.
Cueball: C'mon. There's no real reason not to except snobbiness. It's the new social scene. Black Hat: I know. I'm just not interested.
Cueball: Please? I'll friend you. Black Hat: Carebearstare. Cueball: What?
[Black Hat shoots a rainbow colored ray from his chest - the Care Bear Stare. It throws Cueball to the edge of the panel, pinned to the wall.]


A Way So Familiar

Explanation:
Some introverts tend to empathize with other people they perceive as being shy or introverted. Sometimes, their imagination leads them to obscure visions. A person outside the imaginative world can easily see through this and judge it as a delusion.
Hairy points out that he saw a girl at the bank and probably started having platonic romantic feelings toward her, describing many characteristics that would be impossible to know about her without actually talking to her. Cueball has clearly experienced Hairy's bad judgements before, and so responds with a "Oh no, not again."
In the last panel, the reader finds out that she probably does not look like the sweet girl the reader imagined, having a mowhawk and shoveling (presumably dead) prostitutes into a car. This quickly prompts Cueball to say "back up," wanting to know what exactly had happened.
Joey Comeau is a Canadian writer, best known for the webcomic “A Softer World”. The "obscure" reference is probably to one of the entries in his 'Overqualified' series, another project in which he submits sincere-sounding, but clearly unacceptable, job inquiries to real companies. That particular entry is addressed to the marketing department of Toyota, the makers of the Toyota Camry . The post could be found here .
Hedwig refers to the musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch , and the comic references the musical's song "The Origin of Love." This song is based on a satirical idea from Plato's Symposium , whereby every person originally consisted of two bodies joined together; the gods eventually violently tore us apart, and we fall in love when we find the person who was once physically joined to us. This song contains the lyrics:
You had a way so familiar I couldn't recognize ' cause you had blood on your face I had blood in my eyes But I could tell by your expression That the pain down in your soul Was the same as the one down in mine [1]
The joke is that Hairy seems oblivious to the fact that his imagination is a very obvious delusion. While people could forgive a guy empathizing with a "cute pretty girl," Cueball seems annoyed by the lack of judgment of Hairy.
Hairy: I saw a cute girl outside the bank today. She looked nice. Cueball: Oh no, not again. You are the worst judge of these things. Hairy: But she was so sweet. Shy, but there was something in her eyes. A pain down in her soul, the same as the one down in mine. Cueball: Mm hmm. Hairy: The police light played through her mohawk like the sun setting through pine trees as she shoveled the third hooker into the trunk of the Camry... Cueball: Back up.


Mispronouncing

Explanation:
This is the sixth comic in the My Hobby series. Cueball is deliberately mispronouncing words while talking. It's just his hobby. Hobbies in the My Hobby series are generally annoying or weird, but with an element of cleverness. Here, Cueball persists in mispronouncing his words despite the second character's attempt to correct him.
In the title text, Randall explains that he got the idea for this comic from one of his friends, although it could just be his friend's accent.
Interestingly, when Randall started the xkcd blog in October 2006, 6 weeks after the publication of this comic, he named it " Blag ," and he has used that name in several other comics, such as 181: Interblag and 239: Blagofaire .
[Caption at top of panel:] My hobby: Mispronouncing words
[Cueball and a friend are talking:] Cueball: Yeah, did you see what he said on his wobsite? Friend: ...his what? Cueball: Wobsite. Friend: ... I think you mean "website." Cueball: Why don't you write about it in your blag?
Today if you visit https://www.blag.xkcd.com , you get redirected to blog.xkcd.com, but the title is still "xkcd - The blag of the webcomic".