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I'm not much of a video game person.

5 (5.6%)

A few minutes (or at least until I get killed the last time).

1 (1.1%)

An hour or so.

3 (3.3%)

A few hours.

15 (16.7%)

I lost a whole day once - it was a new release!

31 (34.4%)

I've got WOW in a separate window in the background as I'm clicking this.

7 (7.8%)

I haven't STOPPED playing.

12 (13.3%)

Shhh! I'm fighting Kefka.

5 (5.6%)

I keep losing at solitaire.

4 (4.4%)

Where's this "Quantifiable Concerns" forum I've heard about?

7 (7.8%)

Total Members Voted: 78

[Border Reiver]

The Dad's expression in the last panel is priceless. 

And I think the longest I've ever spent on a video game is about an hour - don't ask about Warhammer though.

[Method of Madness]

That damn setlist. I once tried the RB2 Endless Setlist, going for the "Steel Bladder" achievement (finish without failing or pausing), only to fail at the third to last song or so

[JaneAlice]

According to my steam profile I average 60 hrs/ week and that doesn't count KSP since it's not on steam yet. Damn, I relate so much with marigold.

[Akima]

Hanners has lost her tan. I feel for Emily's family. What on earth is going on with Emily-Dad's eating utensils? It looks like he has his fork in his right hand (which I know is the normal thing in America), but then what is in his left? A knife, in a reversal of the normal "two-handed" Western eating technique? If so, he is holding it oddly. A spoon? Come to think of it, where did Emily's fork go in the last panel? Where are Marigold and Emily-Mum's utensils? Why do I even notice these things?

The Ellicot-Chatham Autonomous Dirigible Vehicle Imminent Presence is hovering just above the house. You know. Just in case.

[SomeCanadianWeirdo]

For some reason I think Emily's parents will have some connection with Hannelore's family, if only some business relationship.

[Barmymoo]

Perhaps he is left-handed; my dad is and uses his cutlery back to front.

[Moanerette]

Terrific comic today, beautiful 'slightly awkward' expressions. First and last panels in particular drew big laughs.

[JustVisiting]

Poor Marigold   

 It's like saying:
 "Yes, i'm her friend  "
 "What? No, you are not "
  That's gotta hurt...

Mm, or it's like saying "when you're a guest at someone's house, you should be polite enough to talk to them and not play video games for a whole day, especially while the other guests clean up around you".
Having a character like Emily around Marigold is great, she's not tactful enough to walk around her self-involvement. Maybe Marigold will learn some basic manners.

[Soulsynger]

Quick questions:

1) Is Emily's father looking down in the last panel? I can't make out his pupils.

ii) Did Hanners rub the tanning spray on whatever she was sleeping in?

c) And wouldn't that mean she actually CAUSED a mess?

... my mind's in some sort of overdrive and I don't know how or why. But today's installment really made me laugh. 

[jwhouk]

What's the longest YOU have played a video game (console or PC)?

I'm not much of a video game person.    2 (5.3%)
A few minutes (or at least until I get killed the last time).    1 (2.6%)
An hour or so.    0 (0%)
A few hours.    6 (15.8%)
I lost a whole day once - it was a new release!    13 (34.2%)
I've got WOW in a separate window in the background as I'm clicking this.    3 (7.9%)
I haven't STOPPED playing.    7 (18.4%)
Shhh! I'm fighting Kefka.    2 (5.3%)
I keep losing at solitaire.    2 (5.3%)
Where's this "Quantifiable Concerns" forum I've heard about?    2 (5.3%)

Total Members Voted: 38

[DudeReadThis]

I have to say, Emi-dad's expression in the last panel, priceless.

Wait, how did the rest of the gang not notice that Hanners wasn't with them as they left?

[Skewbrow]

What on earth is going on with Emily-Dad's eating utensils? It looks like he has his fork in his right hand (which I know is the normal thing in America), but then what is in his left? A knife, in a reversal of the normal "two-handed" Western eating technique? If so, he is holding it oddly. A spoon?

May be?

Having made an ass of myself on couple of occasions during my stay in the US I feel like commenting. In America people prefer to use the fork exclusively whenever possible. To take advantage of the extra dexterity it is then natural to hold the fork in your dominant (right) hand. In Europe (possibly also Australia) this is viewed as somewhat "improper", and only small children eat that way (if given a choice). My Mom needed a lot of patience when training me away from that habit, and my classmates had similar stories.

So I caused some embarrassing questions by keeping the fork in my left hand and a steak knife in my right. The need to use a steak knife at all is so temporary that afterwards I could see the point of using one hand and a fork only. For example after you are done cutting the steak to small enough pieces you can more or less forget about the knife so why not use the dominant hand (and a fork) only?

There is probably more to it. But wherever you go it is never a good idea to assume that the locals don't have good reasons for their habits. Appealing to lessons from your dear Mom doesn't help much. 

[Barmymoo]

Weird. I always keep my fork in my left hand and my knife in my right. If I'm not using a knife at all (as in, there isn't one laid) I would maybe put my fork in my right hand, but not always. I never cut up all my food before eating it, I cut it as I go along. It wasn't an issue when I was in America, but that is useful to know as I am currently applying for a very high-powered job in the States, and if I were to get it, (which I won't) it would be useful to know the etiquette!

[Method of Madness]

Cutting as you go along is what you should do, but you are still expected to switch the fork to your right hand to eat each bite.

[DSL]

It occurs to me I have no idea how I or any member of my family or friends uses their utensils. Apparently we do what needs to be done and focus on talking and arguing with each other around the table.

Great fun.

I think maybe Tai tried to make Hanners' bed, was informed about shoggoths or perhaps a dissertation on arachno-vitrene scrota, and elected to just never speak of the matter again. I hope Hanners made her bed, no matter what the day is.

I also think Akima's name for the Inviso-Flyer should be canon, or at least adopted by the forum. On the second alternative, I so move.

EDIT: Emily's mashed potatoes (or maybe mashed cauliflower?) turns green at a sign of danger; it knows something about Hannelore we perhaps only suspect. It's the tribble to Hannelore's Klingon.

[Soulsynger]

Cutting as you go along is what you should do, but you are still expected to switch the fork to your right hand to eat each bite.

In America or where? That sounds awkward and exhausting. °O

In Germany usually when held in the left hand, the fork points downward. Held that way it is no problem to put (especially) meat in your mouth using your left hand. Even turning the fork up to hold it more like a shovel is considered "normal".

[J]

EVIL TWIN

(It took me eight years to type that in thirty seconds).

It took you eight years to type at the astounding rate of four words per minute? 

clearly, relativistic speeds are involved

[Method of Madness]

Cutting as you go along is what you should do, but you are still expected to switch the fork to your right hand to eat each bite.

In America or where? That sounds awkward and exhausting. °O

It's really not, I think the whole point is to put more space between bites and make conversation easier.

[DSL]

EVIL TWIN

(It took me eight years to type that in thirty seconds).

It took you eight years to type at the astounding rate of four words per minute? 

clearly, relativistic speeds are involved

You leave my relatives out of this.

[Soulsynger]

EVIL TWIN
(It took me eight years to type that in thirty seconds).

It took you eight years to type at the astounding rate of four words per minute? 

clearly, relativistic speeds are involved

You leave my relatives out of this.

< { (_) } > *shake*

Aaaaaaahem....

[DrBear]

Wait, how did the rest of the gang not notice that Hanners wasn't with them as they left?

Remember, Hanners came out of the sky; everybody assumed she was leaving the same way, I guess.

[DudeReadThis]

Wait, how did the rest of the gang not notice that Hanners wasn't with them as they left?

Remember, Hanners came out of the sky; everybody assumed she was leaving the same way, I guess.

I don't know. I think at least Marten would make sure she was alright and had a ride before he left. Perhaps I'm looking too much into it.

[Skewbrow]

Cutting as you go along is what you should do, but you are still expected to switch the fork to your right hand to eat each bite.

Ok. I didn't make observations as to how the Americans did that (and apparently my recollection was off), so your first sentence is an appreciated clarification. But that does sound like an inefficient way of going about it...

Cutting as you go along is what you should do, but you are still expected to switch the fork to your right hand to eat each bite.

In America or where? That sounds awkward and exhausting. °O

It's really not, I think the whole point is to put more space between bites and make conversation easier.

... even if done with a specific purpose in mind

[Game and Watch Forever]

I imagine somebody found Hanners asleep and tried to wake her, but then this happened again.

Also, for eating, I cut my meat as I go, but keep my knife in my left hand (no swapping). I live in the States. Is that weird/rude? 

[Method of Madness]

Btw, I don't pretend that what I'm saying is "right" (right and wrong are context sensitive in this case), it's just what my mom made me do. So...take that as you will.

[Is it cold in here?]

Didn't the Immininent Presence need to get back to the hangar to meet its curfew?

If Marigold hasn't learned manners from living with a helpful robot with a social protocol database, it may be hopeless.

[Near Lurker]

Is anyone else reminded of Bright Young Things?

[StevenC]

I cut as I go and keep the fork in my left hand at all times. Then again, I'm left handed so I would never think of putting it in my right to begin with.

[Is it cold in here?]

http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=922

"I don't think I'll ever understand that girl."
"Well, she IS your daughter. Isn't that pretty normal?"

I doubt the Azumarents have much in common with Hannermom, but they must be able to relate to that.

[DudeReadThis]

I imagine somebody found Hanners asleep and tried to wake her, but then this happened again.

Also, for eating, I cut my meat as I go, but keep my knife in my left hand (no swapping). I live in the States. Is that weird/rude? 

Danggit. Post didnt take.


How could i forget that! I love when the characters get so pissed they try to summon Cthulu.

I was raised to use the knife in your least dominate hand and not to swap, but as I got older, I dont think twice about swapping hands.

[Bp92009]

Hey, First Time Poster, Long Time Reader here.

Cutting as you go along is what you should do, but you are still expected to switch the fork to your right hand to eat each bite.

In America or where? That sounds awkward and exhausting. °O

In Germany usually when held in the left hand, the fork points downward. Held that way it is no problem to put (especially) meat in your mouth using your left hand. Even turning the fork up to hold it more like a shovel is considered "normal".

As a business-type person, i can tell you that these are the two major styles of eating, called American and Continential style (go look the up on wikipedia for the history, its actually quite interesting).

Basically, the way it works is that continental style has the fork with tines down and in your left hand, knife in right. American style has fork in right and knife in left, but swaps when it comes time to cut things (but the tines are placed up when eating).

End result? American style is viewed as "Unprofessional" By the rest of the western world (ie. europe + colonies of europe (pretty much everywhere but large parts of asia)), except in America. You wont be viewed as rude, you are just going to be viewed as an american that does not honor their business customers (if you dont care, eat how you want)

Business people are really picky about their dress codes and customs, even if they make absolutely ZERO sense at all.

[Caspian Sea Monster]

WELL.  Since we seem to going completely overboard on this utensil-handling analysis and are doing statistical research now...

• I am 'Merican (originally from southern California)
• I am right-handed
• For steak and similar hunks of meat and such things, I keep the knife in my right hand, fork in my left hand, holding both utensils with the pommel against the center of my palm, index finger running down the back of the fork/spine of the knife blade, and the concave surface of the fork pointed down at the plate.  I cut as I go along, don't switch hands, and don't reposition the fork in my hand while eating.  I was taught this to be the "proper" way of doing things (also ninja'd by Bp92009); I don't really care about that, but in terms of simple mechanics it makes enough sense.
• For most other food, anything soft enough to be cut with the edge of the fork, fork goes in right hand, left hand is unaccounted for, probably using a laptop or something.
• Spoons are for soup.  I know that's obvious but we're being thorough here, right?  Right.
• Chopsticks are obligatory for southeast Asian or faux-Asian cuisine.
• Miscellanea: My mother uses a spoon in her left hand as a surface against which to twirl spaghetti noodles around her fork.*  My father uses a knife to cut his spaghetti up in a manner similar to steak, thoroughly cutting it up before switching back to fork only and consuming said food.  I only use a fork for spaghetti and tend to look like a moron when I eat it.
• I am not polite company.  (I'm from southern California, remember?)  I have never given a single flying fuck serious consideration as to whether or not I'm doing things the polite and/or "proper" way, and also intentionally set the table with all utensils on the right-hand side of the plate because god dammit I'm right handed and the "proper" place setting is silly.
• 80% of my diet is pizza, for which the use of utensils is sacrilege and serves only to invoke the wrath of the gods.
• I'll leave you with this thought.

*This is what it looks to me like Emily's dad is doing, but that doesn't make terribly much sense since they aren't eating spaghetti.

ANYWAY.

The thing I'm surprised by is that Emily's parents didn't say anything about her chopping off all her hair.

[Blackie62]

Well jeez now I feel like such an ambidextrous rube for cutting with my left hand and forking with my right.

Also I would love the punchline of the comic being that Emily pulled the old high school move of holding a party at her parents house while they were away for the weekend without telling them.

[riccostar]

I'm convinced it's some sort of sentient zeppelin...I don't think Hannelore would really be comfortable with the idea of a hat.

Worry Hat!

[DSL]

... You leave my relatives out of this.

< { (_) } > *shake*

Aaaaaaahem....

(Switches fork from left to right hand, knife from right to left hand, puts spoon in pun jar.)

[myytgryndyr]

I've tried several ways of holding the cutlery. Knife my dominant right hand and the fork in my left, knife in the right hand for cutting and switching the fork to the right and just a few days ago I tried it with the knife in the left hand the fork in my right hand because I was sitting in the canteen with a complete strager and we didn't have to talk about anything and I had picked it up like that and it would've felt awkward to switch because he was holding in exactly the same way. Fuck, that sentence is long and convoluted.

Afterall I don't really like any of those ways. I probably should embrace the barbarian ways and stop using cutlery alltogether.

[K1dmor]

 

[jwhouk]

I also think Akima's name for the Inviso-Flyer should be canon, or at least adopted by the forum. On the second alternative, I so move.

Seconded.


EDIT: And to make it official - http://questionablecontent.wikia.com/wiki/Invisible_Ship

[DSL]

So what do you do about sporks? And why aren't thry called "foons"?

[Redball]

A foonish thought.

[Mad Cat]

Hanners has lost her tan.

Maybe her tan turned green and entered Emmy's egg on her plate.

[Is it cold in here?]

Rubbing an egg against Hannelore to color it may not be the strangest thing Emily has ever done.

[Sassafras]

I want Emily to start hanging out with Hannelore and Marigold. I bet their conversations would be amazing.

[riccostar]

Comic!

I wonder if all that porn would be too much for even Pintsize to manage.

[riccostar]

So what do you do about sporks? And why aren't thry called "foons"?

we actually do call them fpoons at our house, we were getting tired of the sound of spork

[fivegallery]

Heheh, I wonder how much memory all of the porn would actually take up...
What comes after Terabytes?

[celticgeek]

First petabytes, then exabytes, then zettabytes, the yottabytes.

See This Site.

[D]

Love the Shiner shirt.

[Kugai]

They will form a Triumvirate and take over the world.


Nice to see Pintsize has a goal in life

[Method of Madness]

First petabytes, then exabytes, then zettabytes, the yottabytes.

See This Site.

Then hellabytes (not SI-recognized).