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6 (18.2%)

Ducks? Ducks.

18 (54.5%)

Total Members Voted: 27

[Perfectly Reasonable]

Oh, a guest strip!

( also ducks )

[Farideh]

Comic's up.

Oooh, Yemisi is going to have her work cut out for her. Also, I like Iris' mug. I have one that says 'Have a f*cking nice day'

[shanejayell]

I need that mug. 

[Farideh]

Jeph should add it to his merchandise page

[Gus_Smedstad]

I find the "fuck you" mug funny, but I do NOT want one in my house.

What exactly does Iris get out of coffee? I'm having trouble seeing Iris sniffing it the way Bubbles does with tea.

On a related note, she has "I haven't had my coffee" face. How does that make sense if you're an AI?

Speaking of which... I seem to have an atypical reaction to caffeine. I drink coffee. I don't feel like it wakes me up, or that I'm not awake until I've had one. I know it's a stimulant, but I've never noticed a stimulant effect. Going a day without coffee is not a big deal.

It's not like I'm going light on the coffee when I do drink it. While I typically only drink a double espresso's worth (plus milk), there have been days when I've drunk 3 of those. I try and keep it to one, because I really don't like caffeine withdrawal headaches, and drinking a lot of coffee and then skipping a day usually brings one of those.

[John Allenson]

On a related note, she has "I haven't had my coffee" face. How does that make sense if you're an AI?
 

I notice she's also plugged in to something.  I'm going to treat the coffee mug as a metaphor for a rebooting program equivalent to waking up.

[Gyrre]

*pointing at panel one*
[Emphatically] That. That is why I work overnights.

I want that mug, BTW.

I find the "fuck you" mug funny, but I do NOT want one in my house.

What exactly does Iris get out of coffee? I'm having trouble seeing Iris sniffing it the way Bubbles does with tea.

On a related note, she has "I haven't had my coffee" face. How does that make sense if you're an AI?

Speaking of which... I seem to have an atypical reaction to caffeine. I drink coffee. I don't feel like it wakes me up, or that I'm not awake until I've had one. I know it's a stimulant, but I've never noticed a stimulant effect. Going a day without coffee is not a big deal.

It's not like I'm going light on the coffee when I do drink it. While I typically only drink a double espresso's worth (plus milk), there have been days when I've drunk 3 of those. I try and keep it to one, because I really don't like caffeine withdrawal headaches, and drinking a lot of coffee and then skipping a day usually brings one of those.

Scent is about the only way I can enjoy coffee. If it weren't for the fact that chocolate cake using coffee grounds doesn't cause any noticeable effects, I'd guess I had a tannin sensitivity (I can't stand wine or all but two kinds of beer either).

[Gus_Smedstad]

Oh, man. I can't believe I didn't notice this before.

Looking back at the Dildo Cannon strip, in panel 2 there's a "break glass in emergency" wall box with Emergency Lubricant. That raises all sorts of questions.

Like, what sort of emergency needs emergency lubricant? Oh, sure, it's a dildo factory, but aren't dildoes supposed to be passive? Do they have self-propelled dildoes? Do they break out of containment and roam the halls? Are they soothed by a quick spray of emergency lubricant? Or is the emergency lubricant just to make the results of the unavoidable sentient dildo attack less painful?

[zmeiat_joro]

Hm, guys: I posted here about half an hour ago, and the post is gone.

[Gus_Smedstad]

Scent is about the only way I can enjoy coffee.

That used to be me. I loved the smell, but drinking it was kind of awful. In my late 40's I discovered that I could drink it, even like drinking it, with enough milk and sugar.

I still can't drink it black, or even close to black. I generally dilute espresso 3:1 with milk. I still need sweetener, even at that ratio. It's my one vice that's a classic vice. No smoking or alcohol for me, just coffee.

[St.Clair]

What you're describing is a milkshake, IMO.

Like, I'm with you, that's the only way I enjoy coffee too:  as a flavoring for things, not a beverage in itself.  But let's be honest, eh?

[_Islanio]

I like coffee, but with sugar, nothing else. Have it like 4 or 5 times a day, it helps me with work.

[badbum61]

That's not coffee, it's motor oil.
Although why you'd need a french press for it is a mystery...

[Sorflakne]

Well this just got interesting.

[Farideh]

That's not coffee, it's motor oil.
Although why you'd need a french press for it is a mystery...

Depends on what else is in the motor oil, I assume.

[Gus_Smedstad]

What you're describing is a milkshake, IMO.

Milkshakes involve ice cream. Not that I'm opposed to milkshakes made with coffee, but that's not what I'm drinking.

Nor does the SCAA agree with you. There's a whole range of terms for coffee drinks with various degrees of milk and/or water dilution. What I'm drinking is technically a flat white, since that's close to the ratio, and I heat the milk up in a microwave rather than deal with cleaning the steam wand.

No dilution: espresso.
1:1 espresso / milk: Machchiato. Technically supposed to foam rather than foamed milk but often isn't.
1:1 espresso / milk: Cortado. Foamed milk rather than foam. Pretty subtle distinction, if you ask me.
1:2 espresso / milk, but not foamed (or barely foamed): flat white.
1:4 espresso / milk: Cappuccino.
1:4 espresso / water: Americano.
1:5 espresso / milk: latte.

Really, what I'm drinking isn't remotely an outlier in the coffee world, or a "milkshake." The oddest thing I've done is make coffee using milk and ground coffee, no water, in a French Press. That got me some "you're weird" reactions from coffee nerds.

[Gus_Smedstad]

That's not coffee, it's motor oil.
Although why you'd need a french press for it is a mystery...

Let's run with the idea that the black fluid in her cup is motor oil. As is the substance in the French Press.

New motor oil isn't black. It's a light, translucent brown. So it's used motor oil. And the French Press is there to strain out the grime. Which it doesn't do all that effectively, so the used oil is still black.

Where's the used oil coming from? Is she doing the AI equivalent of drinking her own pee?

[Gnabberwocky]

What exactly does Iris get out of coffee? I'm having trouble seeing Iris sniffing it the way Bubbles does with tea.

I remember a discussion between Bubbles, Marten, and Pintsize about AIs' desire to act traditionally human. Even if no one is around, it could be a comfort/identity thing for Iris.

[Is it cold in here?]

Hm, guys: I posted here about half an hour ago, and the post is gone.

That concerned me. I checked the moderation log and the place where we toss unwanted posts, and was at least able to rule out moderator action. Has this ever happened to you or anyone else before?

[badbum61]

Is she doing the AI equivalent of drinking her own pee?

I was about to posit that it could explain why she always seems so 'full of piss and vinegar'...but it appears that term doesn't mean what I always assumed it did. 

QC has done me a educate.

[BenRG]

Is Jeph throwing humanoid Pintsize up against a metaphorical wall trying to find out in which scenario/cast group he'd work best?

[Annemoon]

Scent is about the only way I can enjoy coffee.

That used to be me. I loved the smell, but drinking it was kind of awful. In my late 40's I discovered that I could drink it, even like drinking it, with enough milk and sugar.

When younger I was always given milky sugary coffee because they assumed that would be better for those not used to coffee but I hated it.. turns out I don't like milk.
I do drink coffee in small doses, but black. Super sensitive to caffeine though so I drink it rarely and only drink a tiny portion to get the same effect :')

Funny how much this differs in people, like someone else said here, others barely notice they drank it.

[zmeiat_joro]

Hm, guys: I posted here about half an hour ago, and the post is gone.

That concerned me. I checked the moderation log and the place where we toss unwanted posts, and was at least able to rule out moderator action. Has this ever happened to you or anyone else before?

It has not happened to me, at least. EDIT: can you check if I deleted it by accident?

[Perfectly Reasonable]

Iris opens the door with the message on her mug loudly visible.

( she saw no one when she looked thru the peephole which did not improve her mood )

Pintsize could definitely make good use of Yemisi's services.

[Wingy]

I hate coffee; I'm sensitive to bitter flavors in general and the idea of drinking coffee makes my mouth twitch.  I can tolerate the smell for short periods.  Coffee flavored anything is obviously not my fave. 

Maybe Iris just carries the cup around for effect, especially if she's living with Yemisi?  Or it's intended for Yemisi and Iris just hasn't gotten there yet, only to be interrupted by Pintsize, who's scared of nuthin'... and maybe about to learn what healthy fear means?  Or why AIs wear pants in public...

I carried a glass of water with me so I can "drink" in the mornings with the insufficiently-caffeinated (before my employer sent everyone home permanently).  Now that I work from home, I just keep a glass of water on my desk and sip as needed.

[David F]

Is Jeph throwing humanoid Pintsize up against a metaphorical wall trying to find out in which scenario/cast group he'd work best?

That feels about right... but it also feels like a plausible course of action for a newly-humanoid Pintsize trying to figure out where he now fits.

[Perfectly Reasonable]

I suspect that Jeph has a few gags thunk up ahead of time.
Will Pintsize adopt Yemisi's wardrobe suggestions? Or will he succeed in horrifying her?

"Yemisi! Pervert for you!"

[Farideh]

New comic.

Iris is abrasive, but she did give Yemisi her coffee. That also answers the 'what does Iris want with coffee?' question. Have a smell, then hand it over for someone to drink.

[Shjade]

New comic.

Iris is abrasive, but she did give Yemisi her coffee. That also answers the 'what does Iris want with coffee?' question. Have a smell, then hand it over for someone to drink.

Not ruling out the possibility she handed it over to deliver its message. ;p

Also this very much sounds like a Pintsize-compatible crew.

[Gnabberwocky]

Better clear out the building; Pintsize has his chaos-goblin face on.

Huh. Pintisze has complex facial expressions now. That's gonna take some getting used to.

[St.Clair]

Better clear out the building; Pintsize has his chaos-goblin face on.

He doesn't even have to do anything, just watch.

dance, monkeys, dance.

[DaiJB]

OK, Pintsize is clearly falling in love 

[Gyrre]

That's not coffee, it's motor oil.
Although why you'd need a french press for it is a mystery...

Let's run with the idea that the black fluid in her cup is motor oil. As is the substance in the French Press.

New motor oil isn't black. It's a light, translucent brown. So it's used motor oil. And the French Press is there to strain out the grime. Which it doesn't do all that effectively, so the used oil is still black.

Where's the used oil coming from? Is she doing the AI equivalent of drinking her own pee?

But wouldn't an AI want to consume machine grease instead for their joints? It coats longer and fresh machine grease is --oddly enough-- milk white.

[Gyrre]

I hate coffee; I'm sensitive to bitter flavors in general and the idea of drinking coffee makes my mouth twitch.  I can tolerate the smell for short periods.  Coffee flavored anything is obviously not my fave. 

Maybe Iris just carries the cup around for effect, especially if she's living with Yemisi?  Or it's intended for Yemisi and Iris just hasn't gotten there yet, only to be interrupted by Pintsize, who's scared of nuthin'... and maybe about to learn what healthy fear means?  Or why AIs wear pants in public...

I carried a glass of water with me so I can "drink" in the mornings with the insufficiently-caffeinated (before my employer sent everyone home permanently).  Now that I work from home, I just keep a glass of water on my desk and sip as needed.

Ditto to the extreme sensitivity to bitter flavors.

[BenRG]

Jeph telegraphs pretty clearly, doesn't he? Intentionally, in this case because I don't think that it's possible to draw a character accidentally revealing your thoughts

Unlike most people, I don't think that Pintsize is crushing on any of the Three Fates. I think that he's having a nostalgia trip, remembering the atmosphere of sexual tension, confusion and bursts of hostility (partially charged by self-loathing) at the apartment before Marten, Faye and Hannelore grew up and got serious. He misses that atmosphere.

I think that Jeph misses it too and I suspect that he's looking for a way to recreate it. The Secret Bakery characters weren't a direct hit and I'm wondering if he thinks that he may have finally hit on the mark with the Three Fates' domesticity.

[EDIT]
So, is  this the way forward for Questionable Content?

• The domesticity of Yemisi, Willow and Iris as the primary cast and location with characters like Yay and Pintsize occasionally dropping in for ad-hoc consultations with Yemisi or simply because they like being around the girls
• The Secret Bakery replacing Coffee of Doom as 'the watering hole' (I would argue that has already happened)
• The burrito shop replacing the Library as the 'work' location
• Beepatrice replacing Hannelore as the comedically neurotic and yet cute one
• Roko maybe replacing Claire as the hyper-focussed and competent "This is Srs Bsns" character
• Shipping: Maybe Iris is a bit of a tsundere and is crushing on Yemisi or Willow (or both for maximum soap operatic drama)?

[Meander]

Jeph should add it to his merchandise page

I had the exact same thought.

[traroth]

My love goes to italian ristretto, with sugar. The concentrated coffee flavor invading the whole mouth-nose area is delightful! But I also like a good cappucino or latte for breakfast.

[traroth]

I can't decide if Pintsize's face in the last panel is creepy or cute...

Or maybe is he falling in love with Yemisi?

[John Allenson]

I like the way that Pintsize's smile grows through this comic.

And while this is a valid argument, "please do not make my living quarters your work space"; it is bad form to have this argument in front of the other person's client.

[beeawwb]

https://imgur.com/a/vbhHKK4

We were all thinking it, right? (Sorry, I can’t figure out how to embed the image.)

[Gus_Smedstad]

When younger I was always given milky sugary coffee because they assumed that would be better for those not used to coffee but I hated it.. turns out I don't like milk.

This is another area where I’m a weird outlier. I like milk. I drink it with every meal, where other people drink water, wine, or beer.

Milk fat content has some bearing. I’m not fond of anything below 2%. If I could get away with drinking whole milk I would, but, y’know, calories.

My wife doesn’t like milk. Her theory is that it’s because she grew up drinking nonfat milk, which even I agree isn’t great tasting.

[Gus_Smedstad]

Iris is abrasive, but she did give Yemisi her coffee.

Did she? I mean, yeah, I agree, that’s what it looks like, but did that happen?

We don’t see the transfer. Yemisi’s hands are off-panel left and then she’s got coffee, so it’s entirely plausible she poured some from the French Press, and Iris still has her cup.

Yes, the mug says “fuck you,” but they may own multiple “fuck you” mugs.

EDIT: I’m probably wrong. Yemisi’s hand is off-panel in panel 1, but she doesn’t have coffee until panel 3, and it sure does look like Iris is handing over the mug in panel 2. I thought she was just gesturing.

—-

On an unrelated note, Pintsize is now apparently wearing his tie as a belt.

[Gus_Smedstad]

fresh machine grease is --oddly enough-- milk white.

This is giving me flashbacks to the androids from the Alien(s) movies. Though that milk white stuff they use for blood isn’t very viscous.

[oddtail]

Milk fat content has some bearing. I’m not fond of anything below 2%.

I don't consider anything below 2% to be milk. It's a milk-derived substance. The taste is wrong, the texture is wrong.

As to calories - low-fat milk still has milk sugars in it. Full-fat milk is more filling, so you'll end up drinking less of it by volume.

I vaguely recall reading a summary of a study where two groups of volunteers were drinking full-fat milk vs no-fat milk. The group drinking the no-fat milk put on more weight on average than the full-fat group *or* the control group, in a statistically significant way.

[sitnspin]

I drink coffee like it is water. Always black. Coffee needs no additives. Unless it's whisky. But even then, I prefer my two favourite beverage separate.

[Perfectly Reasonable]

However you hold the mug, its message is always towards the person you want to grouch at.

[ischaemia]

So precisely how much clamoring needs to happen before Jeph releases "FUCK YOU" mugs on topatoco? I'd totally buy some, I love silly mugs.

[Roborat]

I can't figure out Pintsize's expression in the last panel.  Either he has just fallen in love with someone, or he realizes that he just found his people.

[hedgie]

I drink coffee like it is water. Always black. Coffee needs no additives. Unless it's whisky. But even then, I prefer my two favourite beverage separate.

I do like a good black coffee, but there is something to be said about Vietnamese coffee and the condensed milk.

[Wingy]

He just found his new people is the way I read that.  Now we have to have a week of Pintsize getting out of his companionship contract and moving on and Marten/Claire having to adjust to life without him.  Prediction: this will cause Martin some discontent and who knows where that leads since Claire has now signaled she'll take any job to be near Marten.