WCDT Nov 21st - Nov 25th (strips #4921 to #4925)

[cesium133]

Jeph, dude.  You live in Canada now.  Thanksgiving was last month.

This year, I did Canadian Thanksgiving in the United States, and I'm planning to do American Thanksgiving in Canada (albeit on Saturday, because I don't have Thursday off).

[Mr_Rose]

Jeph, dude.  You live in Canada now.  Thanksgiving was last month.

This year, I did Canadian Thanksgiving in the United States, and I'm planning to do American Thanksgiving in Canada (albeit on Saturday, because I don't have Thursday off).

Never let them know your next move.

[snubnose]

Since people here think killer robots not having anyone to kill is funny:

https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/23/23475817/san-francisco-police-department-robots-deadly-force

Thats why its not funny. Ever.

[BenRG]

I think that the funny part of it is the idea of a self-aware killer robot that it is easy to stop from hurting people (literally just "Dude, no, you don't need to kill them!") and then is able to discuss with their potential victim why being not allowed to hurt someone makes them feel devalued as people. The joke is in the ridiculous idea of a neurotic killing machine that feels that it is being prevented from doing what it was meant to do because kill-drones are very unpopular and then agonises about it to its potential victim. The humour is in the ludicrous nature of the whole scenario and ensuing discussion.

Douglas Adams basically wrote a very similar sketch (but with biological protagonists) in The Restaurant at the End of the Universe with the two space cops who whine about the bad reputation that they automatically have to put up with for being cops (whilst, simultaneously, showing them revelling in their ability to kill with impunity).

[hedgie]

I don't know what's worse, deliberately making a kill-bot, or making one that's self-aware and then taking away its raison d' etre.  Then again, my own sense of humour is dark enough that, particularly with the quality of my handwriting, it's a pity that I never was a good enough student to go into medicine.

Speaking of which, I'm reminded of a time where I was serving coffee, and handing a "baby latte"[1] to a middle-aged lady, and I quipped that I ground up the baby nice and fresh that morning.  She levels a death glare at me and snaps "I'm a paediatrician!".  Just as I'm starting to wish that I had worn the brown trousers to work that day, she cracks a smile and says "do you want to hear some dead baby jokes?".

It's just a pity that she had already paid, since I've never, before nor since had a customer get one over on me like that, and that would have warranted me paying for it out of the tip jar.

[1] Thus called because it was in an off-menu size for lattes, being served in a double espresso/macchiato[2] cup

[2] real one, not Starbucks

[stayctee]

Ah, my yearly reminder that it's Thanksgiving in the states. Hooray.
Also - ahem in Canada it would be Sasquatch, not Yeti. Research, please. Yeti live on another continent(s).

[stayctee]

Since people here think killer robots not having anyone to kill is funny:

https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/23/23475817/san-francisco-police-department-robots-deadly-force

Thats why its not funny. Ever.

I'm saying this respectfully, but you can't say that anything is "not funny. Ever." Because that's you policing what other people think, and that shit's dangerous. The joke IS funny, to most people here because it's an absurd joke, within the context of this ABSURD COMIC. CONTEXT. No one here is advocating robots killing people. It's called nuance. Your attitude of thinking you get to proclaim something not funny EVER because you don't like the joke, is why and how censorship happens and is the reason there is so much hate against literally everything in this world right now. In your world, comedians would have to edit themselves to death every time they got on stage for fear of being cancelled, and nothing would be safe to talk about, EVER. CONTEXT.

And, that joke opened up the opportunity for you to share that link, which I read and now am horrified about and am more informed. You are allowed to have opinions, and there are respectful ways to express them. If that joke hadn't been made you wouldn't have shared the link because Jeph wouldn't have been "allowed" to joke about it. But he did and now I'm more informed. You see? But you can't police what is funny, because then we would live in a police state, which by your link I know you don't want. THINK ABOUT IT. Opinions and freedom of speech: GOOD. Telling other people what they should think: BAD.

[Pilchard123]

But should people think that "telling other people what they should think" is good?

[Tova]

oh no imagine if us police employed murderbots how unimaginable

Thats why its not funny. Ever.

That's just, like, your opinion, man.

[Farideh]

BREATHE, MORAY (or whatever the AI equivalent is of 'take a deep breath')

[shanejayell]

Damn Moray is cute tho.

[Gyrre]

Ah, my yearly reminder that it's Thanksgiving in the states. Hooray.
Also - ahem in Canada it would be Sasquatch, not Yeti. Research, please. Yeti live on another continent(s).

Cyber yeti was quicker to type. Also, pretty sure the 'stick men' are up that way too. At least in western Canada if I recall correctly.

Sidebar; there's a joke amongst those married in on my dad's side of the family that all of the bigfoot sightings are just some of my extended family getting caught skinny dipping.

EDIT: Excuse me, they're colloquially called 'stick indians' in English due to the taboo of even saying the name of them. They're like sasquatch but evil. http://www.native-languages.org/morelegends/stick-indians.htm

EDIT 2: fun fact: sasquatch is supposed to be pronounced "sess-k-uts" in  Halkomelem, Coast Salish, Squamish, Sto:lo, and Cowichan.

[Tova]

Yeti don't live on other continents.

[BenRG]

I would like to know if I'm the only reader who thought that, in between panel 1 and 2 today, Moray had literally flowed around Claire to get to Marten and that's why she looks so weirded out ("I know what the inside of her head looks like!")?

[Farideh]

Claire looks slightly concussed to me, after being hit in the head by basically a big ball of slime.

[Ghanima Atreides]

Moray seems exhausting, I would lose my mind after a week working there. (but I'm a huge introvert who hates that kind of energy in people). That being said, I'm sure this will make for plenty of shenanigans at Cube Town...

[stayctee]

Oh boy, more bouncy tits.

[hedgie]

That might depend on how much she's a daily presence in Claire's work life.  I had one boss who would probably have driven me to walk out (he could be a bit of a harsh perfectionist) if I had to see him on a regular basis.  But I was hired to work at the other store, where he sent people he never wanted to see again but didn't want to sack, so we had an excellent work relationship.

[Wombat]

Oh boy, more bouncy tits.

Now that you pointed it out, Moray's body does seem like one way to vary from the standard AIs, who presumably do not have the bounciest of tits. (Do they? I'm not actually going to do the searching I'd need to remember if, for instance, May's new breasts bounce.)

[bobbygoodson]

Moray is SUPER EXCITED (tm). I love this set of strips.

[notStanley]

Oh boy, more bouncy tits.

mmmm, does not seem "bouncy" could be reserved for any single portion of Moray's anatomy :}

[Perfectly Reasonable]

Welcome, bobbygoodson!

In 4858, Moray introduces herself as 'Moray-X21', leading me to believe that she is the 21st in a series of experimental 2m. tall humanoid sentient protozoa. So she is artifically intelligent, but not a mechanical AI. And currently holding the position of 'Director of Sentient Resources'. I wonder if we'll get to see any of her sisters?

( they will be even more bizarre )

[Gyrre]

But should people think that "telling other people what they should think" is good?

No. There's at least one famous/infamous dystopian novel about that (and other things) being bad

Damn Moray is cute tho.

For some reason I immediately pictured her in a cute anime sundress and floppy sunhat when I read that

Yeti don't live on other continents.

Don't worry, I'm aware the hypothetical biological variety is strictly located in the Himalayas. Like I said; being lazy.

Besides, what's stopping a QC AI from adopting a yeti model chassis and immigrating to northern North America? They'd be well suited to the winters.

[Storel]

But should people think that "telling other people what they should think" is good?

No. There's at least one famous/infamous dystopian novel about that (and other things) being bad

One could even say it's doubleplus ungood.

[immortalfrieza]

I think there's a possibility that Moray is excited. I don't know, more research needed.

[Pilchard123]

But should people think that "telling other people what they should think" is good?

No. There's at least one famous/infamous dystopian novel about that (and other things) being bad

TBH I was mostly asking to be annoying.

[DNTME]

OTOH, given the strangeness of the place where Moray works, it could be that not pointing out when people are made of slime may also be rude. Kevin may have inadvertently paid her a compliment by noticing her composition. She is simply too excited to make public note of it at that moment.

[BenRG]

OTOH, given the strangeness of the place where Moray works, it could be that not pointing out when people are made of slime may also be rude. Kevin may have inadvertently paid her a compliment by noticing her composition. She is simply too excited to make public note of it at that moment.

No, remember that this is Canada, the politest nation on Earth. Even though Moray actually explicitly invited Kevin to explore her viscosity. his mother would still want to apologise just on base principles.

[Gyrre]

But should people think that "telling other people what they should think" is good?

No. There's at least one famous/infamous dystopian novel about that (and other things) being bad

TBH I was mostly asking to be annoying.

Ah

[cesium133]

No, remember that this is Canada, the politest nation on Earth.

[hedgie]

I make enough empty/pointless apologies that I'm really due a Canadian passport any day now.