2117
You have to be pretty good at calculus (that's advanced math) to get this one. It might be a little too cerebral for most of you.
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
2114
Can we admit that anti-bullying campaigns were a mistake yet? ThinkGeek was always kind of gross, and it just keeps getting worse.
Monday, February 18, 2019
Friday, February 15, 2019
2112
A life of godless materialism may seem attractive in some ways, but carries some major disadvantages even in this world. One of these is a remarkable discomfort with the idea of other people having opinions you don't share: Randall's own sensitivity in this respect has been extensively documented. Since he doesn't really believe in anything, he can have no sense of perspective, and is buffeted helplessly along by any viewpoint strongly expressed. Nothing is especially meaningful, which means that all things are equally meaningful, and the only way he can imagine escaping is for other people to stop having convictions (notice that turning off the goddamn phone is not an option).
A man with no convictions is pathetically voluble with respect to even the most ridiculous frivolities. I hate Randall's materialism, so I write stupid blog posts and then go to bed. Randall is unable to sleep because there are anti-vaxxers, but if he felt strongly about it he might not be able to think of himself as a Good Person anymore.
A life of godless materialism may seem attractive in some ways, but carries some major disadvantages even in this world. One of these is a remarkable discomfort with the idea of other people having opinions you don't share: Randall's own sensitivity in this respect has been extensively documented. Since he doesn't really believe in anything, he can have no sense of perspective, and is buffeted helplessly along by any viewpoint strongly expressed. Nothing is especially meaningful, which means that all things are equally meaningful, and the only way he can imagine escaping is for other people to stop having convictions (notice that turning off the goddamn phone is not an option).
A man with no convictions is pathetically voluble with respect to even the most ridiculous frivolities. I hate Randall's materialism, so I write stupid blog posts and then go to bed. Randall is unable to sleep because there are anti-vaxxers, but if he felt strongly about it he might not be able to think of himself as a Good Person anymore.
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Monday, February 11, 2019
2110
This is the kind of thing that seems retroactively to poison even my enjoyment of the first few years of XKCD. In the words of William Hazlitt: "Love turns, with a little indulgence, to indifference or disgust: hatred alone is immortal."
This is the kind of thing that seems retroactively to poison even my enjoyment of the first few years of XKCD. In the words of William Hazlitt: "Love turns, with a little indulgence, to indifference or disgust: hatred alone is immortal."
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
2108
Dang, an earlier version of this comic had "Brad's Elixer [sic]", but it looks like Randall fixed that. Still appears to be unaware that any map can be colored with only four colors, though.
Dang, an earlier version of this comic had "Brad's Elixer [sic]", but it looks like Randall fixed that. Still appears to be unaware that any map can be colored with only four colors, though.
Monday, February 4, 2019
2107
At first glance you might be grateful that this isn't just a Tai-Chi-in-the-park conversation-- but a two-guys*-in-a-rocket-ship conversation is not meaningfully better. It still amounts to an excuse to avoid actually drawing a joke. Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal or any other self-respecting comic would have shown us an astronaut being stricken by lightning, rather than showing us people talking about it.
*I know, I know, the one who is making fun of the other is a woman, and one getting made fun of is a man.
Friday, February 1, 2019
2106
Guys, did you know that despite my recent bouts of weirdly self-congratulatory boasting about things working out for the best on the internet, social media companies aren't just doing you a favor by hosting your crap? Well, it's true! I also contrived to feel aggrieved by the inability of a computer to predict strangers I might want to be able to see my stuff without my having to flag them as "friends". Why can't companies just try harder to make me happy?
Guys, did you know that despite my recent bouts of weirdly self-congratulatory boasting about things working out for the best on the internet, social media companies aren't just doing you a favor by hosting your crap? Well, it's true! I also contrived to feel aggrieved by the inability of a computer to predict strangers I might want to be able to see my stuff without my having to flag them as "friends". Why can't companies just try harder to make me happy?
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2652 Self-deprecation can't last forever; at some point you have to actually be good at your job
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2652 Self-deprecation can't last forever; at some point you have to actually be good at your job
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2651 It's hard to be as smart as Randall, because you become aware of so many conflicting threats and demands you have to keep in bala...
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1863 The irony of pretending to care so much about this is greatly diminished by the overwhelming likelihood that Randall does in fact car...