THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)
Comic Discussion => QUESTIONABLE CONTENT => Topic started by: jwhouk on 11 Sep 2011, 04:55
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Another week, another QC Discussion Thread.
As trite as it may sound, please pause to reflect at about 8:46 AM Eastern time (about 52 minutes from when I put this up). There is more to life than just some comics on a webpage.
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True, and while not wanting to show disrespect to the unnecessary dead - visit here (http://www.badassoftheweek.com/rescorla.html) to see someone who died needlessly, but not in vain that day.
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I'll be singing in one of the "rolling requiems" - Mozart's requiem, sung at 3 PM in each timezone across the country (the last in Hawaii this evening). There's another concert this evening that our choir members were asked to participate in, it's very rah-rah patriotic songs, which bothers the hell out of me. Unfortinately, they really needed tenors, so I'm doing it anyway...
:-P
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Something I'm curious about. Is it really Marten's place to tell people that Momo's a robot? I'm sure Momo wouldn't be ashamed of it, nor should she be, but shouldn't that be her call?
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I was under the impression there was still no question on that fact. I know there has been much discussion about how human Momo's new chassis looks, but I didn't think it was indistinguishable.
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I've seen no reasons to assume Momo can be identified as a robot, but I guess that could change soon, or maybe I've just missed something. (I always took the speech bubbles/font to be a guide for the audience, rather than something that's noticeable in-universe.)
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Maybe Padma was just kidding about thinking she was Marten's sister.
I bet a lot of etiquette books had to be revised to account for AnthroPCs.
EDIT: I have this faint confused memory of Jeph saying something about AnthroPC speech being left a little inhuman as a courtesy to humans so they wouldn't get confused. Am I mixing up Jeph's comments with someone else's?
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I don't know, but it's never been said in the comic, which is really what matters.
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I can't find it in tumblr at least.
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Something I'm curious about. Is it really Marten's place to tell people that Momo's a robot? I'm sure Momo wouldn't be ashamed of it, nor should she be, but shouldn't that be her call?
Personally, I think that that was just one of those throw away lines, kinda like saying "You're a Fireman." or "You're a Canadian.". I don't think Marten (or Jeph) said it to mean anything more than that.
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When Marten said "You're a robot" my first thought actually was the episode of the Simpsons "Lisa's Wedding", where that line caused the robot to cry, which in turn caused her face to melt off and completely shut down.
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Something I'm curious about. Is it really Marten's place to tell people that Momo's a robot? I'm sure Momo wouldn't be ashamed of it, nor should she be, but shouldn't that be her call?
Actually she did tell them. Either Padma was slow on the uptake, ignored her comment or pretended to ignore it. Before he said that line, she said, "Technically, I'm only 2.7 years old -" Given the expected size of a human 3 year old, the implication that she was a robot was obvious.
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This week, we travel to the future.
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Something I'm curious about. Is it really Marten's place to tell people that Momo's a robot? I'm sure Momo wouldn't be ashamed of it, nor should she be, but shouldn't that be her call?
Actually she did tell them. Either Padma was slow on the uptake, ignored her comment or pretended to ignore it. Before he said that line, she said, "Technically, I'm only 2.7 years old -" Given the expected size of a human 3 year old, the implication that she was a robot was obvious.
A robot or a smartass, I s'pose. But you make a good point.
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So, will there be a QC training montage for Momo? Or will we see how she gets along with Samantha? Only Jeph knows.
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In any sport if you want to go/from just a beginner to a pro, you need a montage! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPFCHuEegsk)
Modified to fix a typo
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SSSSHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEBBBBBLLLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!
That is all.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming
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Shelby's smiley eyes made me all warm and fuzzy inside. Animals do that to me anyways, especially fluffy ones... I love soft fluffy fur babies. Bee are bee, I'ma go grab my kitty and squeeze him till he claws my face like usual. I got a tickle for him.
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Shebly always makes me smile
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Especially when Shelby gets one over Yelling Bird.
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Shebly's awesome...just not $18 plus shipping awesome :psyduck:
I hope it sells well, though.
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I like Shelby! Fuck Yelling Bird!
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Shebly = awesome, for a filler strip character.
Yelling Bird = awesome, for a filler strip character.
The only time in FOREVER that the comic number will equal the current year, and it's the filler strip characters doing a sales pitch... well, can't win 'em all.
Back to the awesomeness tomorrow, I suppose. Though, "pisschugger" did make me laugh.
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The only time in FOREVER that the comic number will equal the current year, and it's the filler strip characters doing a sales pitch... well, can't win 'em all.
Personally, I thought that was quite fitting.
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D'AWWWWWW, Shelby is so cute! :D
Also, "I ran into the door until it broke!" is honestly one of the funniest things I have ever heard in Questionable Content.
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New big bird is fluffy.
Also, Striptease has ended.
http://striptease.keenspot.com/d/20110906.html
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I always think of Shelby as "Shebbles", just 'cuz Jeph said it once, long long ago.
D'AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW, SHEBBLESSSSSSS :3333333
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IRL, the name's Shelby.
But in the comic, it's always Shebly. I usually have to read it a few times to be sure (I'm mildly dilsexyc).
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Indeed, we've only seen Shebly.
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So, it's official - nuMomo really *does* look like a young teen if someone that age is mistaking her as such.
*wonders if Momo read her own manual before professing her new self-defence thingamagig*
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PVPA, by the way, is Pioneer Valley Performing Arts School.
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Samantha's going to be interesting.
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That... could be an understatement.
...right, Akima?
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I get the feeling that it hasn't quite registered with Samantha that Momo is an AnthroPC.
I wonder if she's not interacted with one with a Chassis like Momo has.
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Such models seem to be new and expensive, so there wouldn't be a lot of them around for her to have interacted with.
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Does Marten know exactly who Dora had a date with, or is it just me whose drama radar is being set off by Padma's line at the end of 2012?
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Such models seem to be new and expensive, so there wouldn't be a lot of them around for her to have interacted with.
I think they're a lot like flatscreen TVs were several years ago: available off the shelf, but far more expensive than the current standard (Pintsize-size chassis / 27" 4:3 CRTs) so the market is limited to early adopters.
"You have an HDTV?! (http://i.imgur.com/QoQVc.gif)" to us becomes "You have a life-size AnthroPC?! (http://i.imgur.com/YKGE6.gif)" in the comic. (Unless, of course, half the background characters turn out to be robots, which would blow this theory out of the water...)
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This week, we travel to the future.
Today is when I won the lottery ! Those were the good days.
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Am I the only one hoping that Momo's self defense system is just a huge static electricity generator? Blows the socks off a man but doesn't really do much unless they're at really close range?
Maybe I'm just weird. :psyduck:
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Does Marten know exactly who Dora had a date with, or is it just me whose drama radar is being set off by Padma's line at the end of 2012?
I interpreted her Padma's line to mean that Marten is behaving like a father to Momo.
{edit}I.e. relating to her assertion in the last episode where she thought Momo was Marten's daughter.
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I just now realized that the girl was Jim's daughter, though to be fair we only saw her once before, in one panel, over a month ago.
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Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh right!
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I just had a thought: I think they, Momo and Marten, are about to get into trouble. Last week hinted that they were in tSB because they were on a lunch break from work. If Momo runs off (with Marten following) will they make it back to work on time?
I also had another thought but that requires brain bleach. And because I like to share ideas, I'll tell you (it's not a suggestion, more a fear):
If Marigold's mother and Marten is father, what does that say about Marigold and Marten?
<< passes the brain bleach
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Why would the idea of Marten and Marigold taking up parental roles with Momo require brain bleach?
Also, given the nature of their relationship, it could also be said that Momo shows maternal behavior towards Marigold.
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I just realized how much do we really know about Marten.
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Why would the idea of Marten and Marigold taking up parental roles with Momo require brain bleach?
Because then the question arises on how close Marten and Marigold get (if you've seen romcoms you know where I'm heading). Given that Marten and Marigold only have Momo and the people they know in common, I can't see a romantic relationship working out.
If it stays out of romcom areas and is just a friendly team then I can see it working out.
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That... could be an understatement. ...right, Akima?
If that is a reference to the supposed Chinese curse "May you live in interesting times", you should be aware that its authenticity is highly dubious, and no Chinese-language source for it has ever been discovered. :angel:
Sam does seem to be a bit of a worry though, what with setting fire to the kitchen, and organising a live-fire demo of Momo's weapon system. Perhaps it's the artistic temperament. I wonder what Sam's speciality is: music, dance, wholesale property destruction? We've seen Momo wield electro-Force Lightning in her chibi-body, but if it can blow the socks off someone (or someone out of their socks?) at 100m, what would it do at, say, 5m?
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Also, given the nature of their relationship, it could also be said that Momo shows maternal behavior towards Marigold.
So now Marten is Marigold's grandfather? :psyduck:
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That... could be an understatement. ...right, Akima?
If that is a reference to the supposed Chinese curse "May you live in interesting times", you should be aware that its authenticity is highly dubious, and no Chinese-language source for it has ever been discovered. :angel:
There are people who think it's an actual "ancient Chinese curse"? :psyduck: I thought Terry Pratchett came up with it, but wikipedia says it was first atested in "American Society of International Law Proceedings vol. 33 (1939)." . With hints that it was used as early as 1936.
EDIT: Wait, I couldn't have thought that, because what would the title "Interesting times" be a reference to, then.
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I know I've said it before but I think the best model for the way Momo looks at the world is to compare her to a child who has to look after a sick parent.
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That... could be an understatement. ...right, Akima?
If that is a reference to the supposed Chinese curse "May you live in interesting times", you should be aware that its authenticity is highly dubious, and no Chinese-language source for it has ever been discovered. :angel:
Reminds me of this (http://xkcd.com/308).
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Was away in London for a week so I'm just properly catching up on the comics now.
It's been a good week. Really like #2006 (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2006), makes me realize I'm missing Faye banter in general. Also Shelby! D'aww!
I've forgotten how to make text hyperlinks.
I wonder what time of the year it is for a school-child hanging out at tSB at lunch time? Or it's a weekend. Does Marten work on the weekend?
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That... could be an understatement. ...right, Akima?
If that is a reference to the supposed Chinese curse "May you live in interesting times", you should be aware that its authenticity is highly dubious, and no Chinese-language source for it has ever been discovered. :angel:
Reminds me of this (http://xkcd.com/308).
and I really can't stop thinking of this: :psyduck:
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3c/Interesting-times-cover.jpg)
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That's a good thing to be thinking about.
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That's a good thing to be thinking about.
8-)
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If Marigold's mother and Marten is father, what does that say about Marigold and Marten?
<< passes the brain bleach
...meh? I can't even see a good reason that's outside the realm of possibility, really...
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Something I'm curious about. Is it really Marten's place to tell people that Momo's a robot? I'm sure Momo wouldn't be ashamed of it, nor should she be, but shouldn't that be her call?
Given the expected size of a human 3 year old, the implication that she was a robot was obvious.
A robot or a smartass, I s'pose.
Or a leap year baby...
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kent, I believe the convention for leap year babies is to maintain the correct age (i.e. actual name of years they have aged) but state that that person has only had y birthdays.
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That... could be an understatement. ...right, Akima?
If that is a reference to the supposed Chinese curse "May you live in interesting times", you should be aware that its authenticity is highly dubious, and no Chinese-language source for it has ever been discovered. :angel:
There are people who think it's an actual "ancient Chinese curse"? :psyduck: I thought Terry Pratchett came up with it, but wikipedia says it was first atested in "American Society of International Law Proceedings vol. 33 (1939)." . With hints that it was used as early as 1936.
EDIT: Wait, I couldn't have thought that, because what would the title "Interesting times" be a reference to, then.
I thought it was an eighties B movie thing. Certainly has the general feel of how Ancient Chinese Wisdom is treated in cheesy films from before my time. It would seem right at home in a setting where Chinese stores are expected to sell things like Mogwais and Monkey Paws.
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Jeph could simply be using this opportunity to play around with everyone's relationship dynamic in regards to Momo. While Marigold and Momo seem to be expressing something in the way of sisters, Maten and Momo seem to be expressing something "fatherly" ( I think it's more like a much older brother). Faye doesn't seem to have changed, however her "screen time" with Momo was small.
Of course all of these are just guesses. It's really about Momo now moving about in the world vs. safely tucked away at home.
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Sooooooo...
Exactly how similar are Martin and Jim?
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I think we will soon see a storyline addressing antiAnthroPC prejudice. It will not be handled in a conventionally predictable manner. We've seen Dora didn't care for Uncanny Valley chassis (when Winslow took RoboBoyfriend for a spin). Max drama potential, though, would require the prejudiced character to be Jim.
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What are 'they' called in the QCverse, anyway? Robots? AI's? Androids?
And that's *two* characters who have mentioned some crazy crazy modifications available -- both Clinton, a scientist grad student with a cybernetic attachment, and a thirteen-year-old girl. So maybe the 6PPG / 2med.laser chassis isn't so imaginary.
It'll be interesting to see how Samantha would react if&when this happens. (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1013)
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I think we will soon see a storyline addressing antiAnthroPC prejudice. It will not be handled in a conventionally predictable manner. We've seen Dora didn't care for Uncanny Valley chassis (when Winslow took RoboBoyfriend for a spin). Max drama potential, though, would require the prejudiced character to be Jim.
I'd like to see a storyline where a robot is modded by its owner into doing what he/she tells it to do. Would the other characters view this person as Hannibal Lecter?
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Not unless he eats someone's liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.
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since AI have no owners, I'd assume you're referring to a robot in the sense that we have them here, in which case I wouldn't see a problem with it. If you're referring to an AI, I would imagine it would take someone of the caliber of Hannelore's father (possibly not even him) to root through an AI's self-preservation defenses, and I would guess that most people who have that kind of intimate knowledge of the robot brain would respect it enough not to do that.
But if that would happen I would say that the QC society as well as the QC Forum society would indeed treat that character as a monster.
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Am I the only one hoping that Momo's self defense system is just a huge static electricity generator? Blows the socks off a man but doesn't really do much unless they're at really close range?
Maybe I'm just weird. :psyduck:
Momo's resume in 1995 claims up to 250 mA for her self-defense system, which is far into the danger range.
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Hmm. I wonder how AIs in QCverse would see a debugger. :psyduck:
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I just realized: Samantha's t-shirt has a Pikachu/snake hybrid on the front.
That is amazing.
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Momo's resume in 1995 claims up to 250 mA for her self-defense system, which is far into the danger range.
That was her old chassis though. Her new one could be even higher.
Or, alternatively, she could have not read her manual and not realised this model doesn't come with an electroshock capability at all :)
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[...]
Momo's resume in 1995 claims up to 250 mA for her self-defense system, which is far into the danger range.
Only if the voltage is enough to overcome the natural resistance us humans have. Also Somebody made the point that this is her new chassis.
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Hmm. I wonder how AIs in QCverse would see a debugger. :psyduck:
Probably as an anti-depressant, rooting out problematic code, leaving them with a peaceful, "all's right with the world" feeling...
:laugh:
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I just realized how much do we really know about Marten.
- Born and raised in California
- Mom was a professional dominatrix, dad was a closeted gay man who ran a nightclub
- Got into music at an early age (first Christmas present was a Xylophone)
- Graduated from college (apparently in Cali) with a degree in music theory
- Played in a couple of bands in college (according to him)
- Had a girlfriend in college who he "chased" across the country, which is how he ended up in NoHam
- Was fired from his dull office job due to upper-level manglement
- Now works at the Smif College library
- Had a rather long relationship with the owner of CoD
- Met Faye at a bar, ended up having a platonic relationship with her (apartment-mates)
- Owns a guitar and plays in a band with Amir and Hanners - even though they have yet to play a live gig
...and that's just off the top of my head.
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I've forgotten how to make text hyperlinks.
[url=http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2006]Like this.[/url]
I wonder what time of the year it is for a school-child hanging out at tSB at lunch time? Or it's a weekend. Does Marten work on the weekend?
It depends on two things: how close the school is to tSB, and whether or not PVPA is a Year-Round school.
The backpack suggests she stopped in during a lunch break at school, however.
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Sooooooo...
Exactly how similar are Martin and Jim?
They have similar tastes in women?
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What we know about Marten:
http://questionablecontent.wikia.com/wiki/Marten_Reed
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That was her old chassis though. Her new one could be even higher.
Or, alternatively, she could have not read her manual and not realised this model doesn't come with an electroshock capability at all :)
Which, of course, would be hilarious.
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Why do I get the feeling Momo will do something like this (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=61)?
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Hmm. I wonder how AIs in QCverse would see a debugger. :psyduck:
Probably as an anti-depressant, rooting out problematic code, leaving them with a peaceful, "all's right with the world" feeling...
:laugh:
Most certainly. As long as they have exclusive access. *Sinister organ blaring* :evil:
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Given that the source code for most APC's is Windows/DOS, this could be very troubling.
My suspicion is that the iDoru line of "realistic APC's" is based on Apple source code, while the Windoze versions look like Pintsize.
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More like a therapist, dragging their most personal data structures into the light.
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Momo's resume in 1995 claims up to 250 mA for her self-defense system, which is far into the danger range.
That was her old chassis though. Her new one could be even higher.
Or, alternatively, she could have not read her manual and not realised this model doesn't come with an electroshock capability at all :)
Exactly. I was thinking that this chassis would have different capabilities from her old one and therefore her claim might end up with a more "hilarious results" result than her old chassis would have implied. Which leads me to wonder: Do things like Momo's electric shock abilities reside in the chassis or in the AI itself somehow? Are there universal circuits that can be made to do a variety of things depending on what AI is installed? Seems like an odd way to do things but it would allow for certain traits to be character specific for the AIs instead of being dependent on their current physical configuration.
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Considering AI get to choose their own starting careers, I would think having electroshock capabilities built into the base programming would be highly problematic. There are any number of jobs that would be extremely dangerous having someone with that ability perform them.
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Computer repair, for instance, as Marigold will attest. On the other hand, suppose an AI wanted to go into Emergency Room medicine? A built-in defibrillator would be an asset, if you (the AI) have the capability to fine-tune and focus the shock. How about an AI cop (I mean besides RoboCop)? Built-in Taser. AI roadside-service mechanic? "You need a jumpstart, Ms. Tai ... I'll have you on your way in a jiffy. Maybe see about buying a new battery, though."
How about acting? (Look up "The Darfsteller" by Walter M. Miller Jr.)
Wonder what Pintsize started out as?
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You need a lot more than 250mA to turn over a starter motor!
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So you'd get the upgrade Momo thinks she might have gotten to her defense system.
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In light of Mono's upgrade, I am worried about Sven:
http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1658 (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1658)
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Congratulations!
You are the 123rd user to link to that strip.
*puts on whimsical penguin hat and hands out cake*
*takes off whimsical penguin hat and puts on serious penguin hat* The electroshock thing might be something that Momo always assumed she'd have, kind of a 'phantom limb' type of thing. I also do wonder how Momos interaction with the world will be now that she has a more humanoid chasis. While it is probably not the kind of thing normally done in QC it would be interesting as a means of study for how people interact, especially if Momo can be confused for a real person without any uncanny valley implications. I doubt that Pintsize would get a new chasis but I do kind of wonder if they'd explore any more of this with the other AnthroPCs. And now that I think about it I also wonder about AI relationships since chasis can be changed more readily, I have this weird mental image of an anthroPC and a nuclear sub in a relationship.
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*takes off whimsical penguin hat and puts on serious penguin hat* The electroshock thing might be something that Momo always assumed she'd have, kind of a 'phantom limb' type of thing. I also do wonder how Momos interaction with the world will be now that she has a more humanoid chasis. While it is probably not the kind of thing normally done in QC it would be interesting as a means of study for how people interact, especially if Momo can be confused for a real person without any uncanny valley implications. I doubt that Pintsize would get a new chasis but I do kind of wonder if they'd explore any more of this with the other AnthroPCs. And now that I think about it I also wonder about AI relationships since chasis can be changed more readily, I have this weird mental image of an anthroPC and a nuclear sub in a relationship.
I do wonder if something will happen that leads Mono to return back to her original chassis.
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Part of me wants this, I like chibi Momo. But Jeph's thing has always been character growth, and this is a heluvan opportunity for that. I don't think regression is in the cards.
There, I said it. Now, prove me wrong! :wink:
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I do wonder if something will happen that leads Mono to return back to her original chassis.
Well, there is one thing that she could do that would make everyone in the cast angry.
http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1658
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Do I get a prize for being #125? :)
Yes, it's the same bloody comic. Don't bother clicking. (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1658)
To get back to the topic... I'm not sure what would make you consider that she might go back to her old chassis. I can't think of a single reason why she would.
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If it were a TV series, everything would have to return to the way it was at the beginning of the episode. After all, you don't want to spoil the continuity when you go into reruns and they're shown out of order...
That's why they never got off of Gilligan's Island...
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Here's a link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0) that's totally not that comic.
And it's not TV Tropes either.
Yes it's Rick Astley! What? Linking to comic 1658 is just as original and at this point adds just as much to the discussion as a Goddamned Rickroll!
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(Hovers over link) Hey, it's not that comic!
(Clicks link) Damn you, sir!
(Sees fine print too late) Well played, clerk...
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Part of me wants this, I like chibi Momo. But Jeph's thing has always been character growth, and this is a heluvan opportunity for that. I don't think regression is in the cards.
There, I said it. Now, prove me wrong! :wink:
Unless the character growth comes from learning the problems with the new chassis - maybe being in that form will cause issues with the other AnthroPCs and she'll choose to go back in order to be accepted back into the PC fold. Maybe Pintsize will encourage her to do bad things in her new form that annoys the human characters and she decides that her actions in the new chassis is a huge disappontment to Marigold and switch back so she is no longer tempted to follow Pintsize's plans.
Incidently, what is the inside joke to linking to the comic with Momo flirting with Sven? I was the first person to link it in the thread so I don't get the "you win a prize" response.
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Since the "Momo's New Chassis" storyline started, comic 1658 has been linked in the WCDT on average about 2.6 times per day.
It's like it's 2008* all over again.
*Or whenever it was that people still thought that Rickrolling was actually funny.
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Momo turned down the Izumi-04 in strip 1998, so it seems she wanted to get away from the schoolgirl look.
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Since the "Momo's New Chassis" storyline started, comic 1658 has been linked in the WCDT on average about 2.6 times per day.
It's like it's 2008* all over again.
*Or whenever it was that people still thought that Rickrolling was actually funny.
Ah right... serves me right for not reading all the previous WCDT threads to spot such things.... I must backdate my reading back several months I fear before I shall post again....
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Nah, just roll (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0) with it.
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I'm a little disappointed that people are mistaking Momo for a flesh-and-blood human being, mostly because of Jeph's explanation for the lack of joints. I'm almost positive that he said something along of lines of a stretchy sort of covering that was the same color as skin but with an entirely different texture.
Which reminded me of this Barbie doll my next door neighbor had around ten years ago. She had a squishy tummy. I thought (hoped?) that maybe I'd just made that up, but alas I did not.
My point, I guess, is that I'm pretty sure that no one would mistake it for real skin. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0cQeTENCYU)
But maybe I should just let it slide, because the people that appear to have mistaken Momo for a person have been an airhead (probably?) and a thirteen year old.
Edit: Plus her hair is obviously shiny. If I met a girl with shiny hair, my first thought would totally be "robot." Right?
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Long time lurker, first time poster.
About the electro-shock thing. It's possible that it is standard equipment on all human-form robots, so as to dissuade, um, "assault." I imagine there would be some perverts who would want to adopt an AI for reasons inappropriate.
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Long time lurker, first time poster.
About the electro-shock thing. It's possible that it is standard equipment on all human-form robots, so as to dissuade, um, "assault." I imagine there would be some perverts who would want to adopt an AI for reasons inappropriate.
I suspect Momo has a built in instruction manual / download that explains how all her functions work and what functions she has. If she has said she can do an electric shock, it is safe to assume her programming have made her aware of that body mechanism.
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Originally it was in response to her overwhelming cuteness...
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Nah, just roll (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0) with it.
That, my dear, is how I roll. (http://xkcd.com/524/)
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I'm wondering if we're due for filler comics for a while... did you SEE the amount of books he had to sign? (http://yfrog.com/hseymwefj)
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I hope not. I have nothing against filler strips in general (sometimes it just has to happen) but I hate it when they strike mid-storyline. Unless the "That girl is a bad influence" bit was supposed to mark the transition from following Momo to another part of the cast.
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I like where this is going.
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So now Marten is Marigold's grandfather? :psyduck:
No, he's his own grandfather.
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Does that make Pintsize proto-Marvin?
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is it just me or is momo's new friend a bit like maeby from arrested development?
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Surely you can't be serious.
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I think he's serious and stop calling him Shirley.
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Comic's up... and I'm not quite getting it. :?
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Heh, never mind the leg cramps, Marten, there's a lot of loose shale on Mount Tom ... you're more likely to turn an ankle than get a leg cramp!
(That and the occasional rattlesnake, but those are pretty rare ...)
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Comic's up... and I'm not quite getting it. :?
Lemme try: Elliott would like very much to go hiking with Padma and maybe Sam. But mostly Padma. Especially mostly Padma. Marten (who is definitely reading the signals even if Padma isn't) ... Well, he'd be a complication.
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That, or (and?) see how weedy Elliot reckons Marten is.
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Comic's up... and I'm not quite getting it. :?
Lemme try: Elliott would like very much to go hiking with Padma and maybe Sam. But mostly Padma. Especially mostly Padma. Marten (who is definitely reading the signals even if Padma isn't) ... Well, he'd be a complication.
Well hey we still don't know for sure who Elliot's lovesick for; it's only been vaguely implied to be Padma. I'm just saying lets not leap to conclusi- BAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Sorry I thought I could ask that with straight face. :-P
Marten suddenly reminds me of the shy new kid at school who's just realized he's inadvertently crossed the school bully.* Be nice, Elliot!
*Now that I think about it, I bet Marten as a little kid was like Chucky from Rugrats. Anyone remember that cartoon?
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Hey, I can only wait and see like everyone else. That's just how I read it as of 2013. Alternative? Elliott just feels protective of Padma and maybe wonders if Marten's intentions are honorable.
Wonder if we'll see the hike. If so ... A new background(s) the same week as the personalized book signing from hell? Don't hit a health wall, Jeph.
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Ooooo Elliott, Jealous much are we?? :-D
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We're going to need Momo's shock capabilities...if only to force our way past the Shield of Obliviousness that Padma has clearly spent years perfecting.
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*Sigh* Yet another guy who won't man up and make a move already. It's especially frustrating to me to see that since I used to BE like that. My prospects with women did not improve until I made myself get over my shyness/fear of rejection. I learned the hard way that a man who lets that fear dominate his interactions with women is a man who will most likely end up sleeping alone, rejected passively instead of actively. At least if she says "no" a guy knows where he stands with her.
Most of the time when a man won't make a move, the woman assumes HE'S not interested.
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Comic's up... and I'm not quite getting it. :?
Lemme try: Elliott would like very much to go hiking with Padma and maybe Sam. But mostly Padma. Especially mostly Padma. Marten (who is definitely reading the signals even if Padma isn't) ... Well, he'd be a complication.
Either Marten is reading the "I DIG HER GET AWAY OTHER MALE" signals properly or he feels otherwise rejected ("HIM?! Oh, honey, no, can't you tell he's a townie??"). Elliott needs to work on his tact. His size + lack of tact unfortunately could lead to people being just as afraid of him as he is of them. :-(
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I don't think it's a lack of tact - I think Elliot's communicating exactly how he feels to Marten just fine...
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Weeeeee, long time no drama :laugh:
I wonder if Padma is really that oblivious or if sheīs just being cold.
On the other hand if sheīs not interested in Elliot he probably just needs to get over it.
Go Marty, we know you like Padma!
Good move to introduce Momo and Sam to each other btw : D
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Go Marty, we know you like Padma!
Do we? I mean romantically; she's friendly enough and funny in her own way, and undeniably cute, but he hasn't actually shown any particular interest in her beyond as a source of coffee, has he?
Good move to introduce Momo and Sam to each other btw : D
For Momo or for us? :P
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I notice Elliot said "You mean you and Sam and him?" Maybe what he's concerned about his bringing a near-stranger on a hike with the owner's (and presumably friend's) young daughter. Or maybe that's the hasty excuse Elliot will make tomorrow. :lol:
EDIT: WOOOO 666th POST!!!!
(http://i.imgur.com/FRqmb.gif)
:psyduck: :psyduck: :psyduck: :psyduck: :psyduck: :psyduck: :psyduck:
DEMONS AND STUFF
ok i'm done
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Go Marty, we know you like Padma!
Do we? I mean romantically; she's friendly enough and funny in her own way, and undeniably cute, but he hasn't actually shown any particular interest in her beyond as a source of coffee, has he?
I dunno. There was the Steve/Marten bit in the bar. Marty went to talk to Padma and seemed at least a little upset when she first asked about Steve and then assumed they were gay.
Weīll see. Probably gonna chicken out anyway :D
Though Iīd like to see whatīd happen.
Good move to introduce Momo and Sam to each other btw : D
For Momo or for us? :P
[/quote]
For us, duh :wink:
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D'aww... he looks so sad... stalker-ish, but sad...
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Marten's interested, as Von Kleist mentioned he did try to hit on her at the bar, but at the time Padma got it into her head that he was gay and that probably killed any attraction she may have had. And then there was that previous attempt to talk to her at the coffee shop where he learned the hard way she just thought of him as another customer.
So while Marten may be interested, it looks like Padma isn't-I think that ship sailed (or sunk) back at the bar.
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Well, the part where she thought he was gay could be seen as a good thing too. There's this old saying by disappointed single women "All good men are married or gay." So thinking he was gay could be interpreted as thinking "He's too good to be straight."
And I don't think she thinks of him as just a customer anymore. Or would you invite a random customer to a hiking trip?
But who knows, it could get either way.
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Yeah, Itīs mostly speculation anyhew. Maybe she just wants to hang out or whatever :-)
Anyway, I love todays comic. Itīs classical Martin Reed, looking dubios/scared half of the panels and finishing it off with his patented neck-grab :-D
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I like Padma's obliviousness. It comes close to innocence and it's believable that she has no ulterior motives in anything.
Simply put, Padma is a very straightforward person.
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Probably why Elliot's having such a hard time...
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I think he's serious and stop calling him Shirley.
I was actually calling him Surely (http://unrealitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/surely-justice-is-blind.jpg).
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And I don't think she thinks of him as just a customer anymore. Or would you invite a random customer to a hiking trip?
On the basis that she seems to think he is Momo's father, maybe she sees him more as the parent of her kid's friend - although she obviously isn't Sam's mother (although she might have taken on motherly duties when Sam is around). Since they have both taken on the parental responsibility of the 'children' then that would be the motivation for going together.
(In Martin's case, Padma has assumed Martin is the 'parent' rather it being reality.)
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Itīs classical Martin Reed, looking dubios/scared half of the panels and finishing it off with his patented neck-grab :-D
I've caught myself doing the neck-grab once or twice. I become very self-conscious thereafter. :-P
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I'm thinking Padma needs application of a clue-by-four. Then again, she may be horrible about reading signs of romantic interest.
As an aside: anyone wonder what happened to our cross-neck guy?
EDIT: Double aside - does anyone think there were at least two additional lines of dialogue that were missing from this comic? (Momo in panel one, Padma in panel 3B)
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Itīs classical Martin Reed, looking dubios/scared half of the panels and finishing it off with his patented neck-grab :-D
I've caught myself doing the neck-grab once or twice. I become very self-conscious thereafter. :-P
With me itīs the really lame excuses :D
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Hmm. Interesting. Padma is being like a big sister (if not motherly?) to Sam. Anyone else get the vibe that Padma has been babysitting her in the past? I mean, it doesn't sound like this would be the first time they are planning to spend a day together.
I really don't want to jump to conclusion about the object of Elliot's longing. Remember that Padma was within earshot, when Scarneck was giving Elliot his advice, and a shy guy like Elliot is unlikely to pour his heart out like that in the presence of his dreamgirl. Then again, they may have learned to count on Padma remaining oblivious, and she was in a different panel anyway (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1845), so may be it doesn't count. The possibility of Elliot simply being protective about either Sam (or Padma) also makes sense. Sam may well be like a kid sister to the entire staff of tSB.
As always, there are many possible ways the hiking trip could turn out. Townie drama potential notwithstanding I predict that there is an accident, when Momo gives a demo of her defences, and Elliot has to carry Marten back to the parking lot. Sam and Padma will be the only people who actually enjoy the trip.
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EDIT: Double aside - does anyone think there were at least two additional lines of dialogue that were missing from this comic? (Momo in panel one, Padma in panel 3B)
For panel ...3B(?) I see what you mean; I even considered it myself...but Momo is still just dumbstruck by the typical hyperactivity of minor children I think. After all her only long-term human interactions have been with adults, most particularly Marigold who is quite sedentary.
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For panel ...3B(?) I see what you mean; I even considered it myself...but Momo is still just dumbstruck by the typical hyperactivity of minor children I think. After all her only long-term human interactions have been with adults, most particularly Marigold who is quite sedentary.
It looked like Momo should be continuing her "I... I... I... I..." subroutine in panel one, and Padma should be saying, "Yep!" in panel 3B.
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Probably why Elliot's having such a hard time...
Wasn't it suggested Elliot was interested in Hannelore? They had that awkward moment of silence between them. I'm thinking that Elliot exists to make things awkward.
By the way, what happened to Marten's coffee cup between the last two panels? When Marten gets nervous do things he's holding implode?
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Probably why Elliot's having such a hard time...
By the way, what happened to Marten's coffee cup between the last two panels? When Marten gets nervous do things he's holding implode?
Maybe it spontaneously travelled into the future - we've seen that happen to coffee-related items before...
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I've forgotten how to make text hyperlinks.
[url=http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2006]Like this.[/url]
Thank you!
I see what people mean about Momo and Padme having more lines. I don't think Momo was but Padme was probably just saying "Yep!" in 3B.
I think Marten's just holding the cup at his side so it must be empty. I prefer the idea of imploding into the future though.
Edited for silliness.
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I'm thinking Padma needs application of a clue-by-four. Then again, she may be horrible about reading signs of romantic interest.
[wild guess]
Then again, she might be quite adept at reading said signs, but she has "issues", like Faye or Hanners, and she found her own, capital capable way of maneuvering around those scary relationship thingies ...
[/wild guess]
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Wild guess should definitely be incorporated as a tag :-)
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Wild guess should definitely be incorporated as a tag :-)
word.
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Considering damn near everything said in here is a wild guess, I think it's moot.
Maybe we need a "fact" tag instead...
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Yar, hadn't really thought that one through
but wouldn't you agree that "wild guess" sounds more fun than "fact"
we could go for "factoid" ;>
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'Sides, folks would just put "fact" tags on
our their wild guesses.
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Yeah that would lead to some blatant misuse.
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In the end the "fact" tag would only be applied to the weirdly wild guesses while the "wild guess" tag would be used to mark certified facts. For a while, of course, cause people will soon start to turn it upside down ... :mrgreen:
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And the usual start: What's on tap for this week?
Momo and Samantha bond over Pokemon! - 10 (12.5%)
The Band Actually Gets A Gig! - 4 (5%)
Dora's got a new admirer... - 0 (0%)
Pintsize wants a new chassis! - 7 (8.8%)
Faye and Angus' first (relationship) argument! - 3 (3.8%)
Tai trains Momo at the library. - 13 (16.3%)
It finally happens: Hannerdad comes down to earth! - 5 (6.3%)
Check-in on one of the other characters (Sven, Raven, Pen, Will) - 11 (13.8%)
Who cares? I'm just here for the party. - 12 (15%)
Happy Toaster makes Fun Waffles! - 4 (5%)
Never forget. - 4 (5%)
Shelby Shelby SHELBY!!! - 7 (8.8%)
Total Voters: 80
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I'm a little confused by Elliot's reaction.
If I was him I'd read that as Marten being pushed into the friend zone since Padma invited Elliot along in the next breath after she invited Marten. Wouldn't this be a good sign? If it was supposed to be a romantic trip it'd be "Hey, Elliot, I'm taking Marten and Momo up the mountain tomorrow. Can you cover my shift?" or something like that. Since he was invited wouldn't this be a good thing for Elliot and signal that Marten isn't necessarily a rival (at least not in Padma's eyes)?
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For most rational people, sure.
For people who seem to be awkward and insecure, not necessarily.
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I'm a little confused by Elliot's reaction.
If I was him I'd read that as Marten being pushed into the friend zone since Padma invited Elliot along in the next breath after she invited Marten. Wouldn't this be a good sign? If it was supposed to be a romantic trip it'd be "Hey, Elliot, I'm taking Marten and Momo up the mountain tomorrow. Can you cover my shift?" or something like that. Since he was invited wouldn't this be a good thing for Elliot and signal that Marten isn't necessarily a rival (at least not in Padma's eyes)?
It's pretty simple, I think -- Elliot isn't happy about the potential competition. Padma's comment about stretching can't possibly have helped
For what it's worth, if Elliot is a Nice Guy(tm), Marten isn't the only one in for trouble.
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Man, Marten and Elliot just need to have a long talk -- after a long bout of awkwardness, of course. Marten could pretty much tell Elliot "Dude, quietly waiting on the sidelines doesn't work. You're gonna have to tell her." Considering the amount of havoc Sam is likely to create on this hike, however, the group of them will be lucky to catch their breaths, let alone talk. I'm kind of wondering what Marigold's reaction will be to Momo developing a social life. If she starts pouting about it, maybe Momo will make her come with them on the hike. I do hope that Momo won't let Sam keep pushing her around so much -- politeness only goes so far, and we've seen Momo stand up for herself.
Looking forward to seeing where this goes.
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:psyduck: What is this I don't even~
Elliot likes Padma? How did I not know this?!
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:psyduck: What is this I don't even~
Elliot likes Padma? How did I not know this?!
I don't believe it was explicitly stated, but Elliot's look of mortification when Padma called Steve cute (1865 (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1865)) is a pretty good tip off. Correct me if I'm wrong though! =]
Anyway, I don't think Padma is quite as oblivious to Elliot as she puts on--she just may not agree with dating co-workers. Or she really is that naive, haha.
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It was actually first hinted with Elliot's first appearance, as he was obviously pining after someone. The only question was, who?
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Man, Marten and Elliot just need to have a long talk -- after a long bout of awkwardness, of course. Marten could pretty much tell Elliot "Dude, quietly waiting on the sidelines doesn't work. You're gonna have to tell her." Considering the amount of havoc Sam is likely to create on this hike, however, the group of them will be lucky to catch their breaths, let alone talk. I'm kind of wondering what Marigold's reaction will be to Momo developing a social life. If she starts pouting about it, maybe Momo will make her come with them on the hike. I do hope that Momo won't let Sam keep pushing her around so much -- politeness only goes so far, and we've seen Momo stand up for herself.
Looking forward to seeing where this goes.
Yeah, the results of pushing Momo too often can be quite shocking
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--she just may not agree with dating co-workers.
Funny story, I used to work at a retail store where two of my co-irkers began dating together. Well, things turned south, and it became quite the workplace with those two. They pretty much couldn't be in adjoining aisles, let alone be in the same time frame as the other. It was a year worth of hell for the SM before one of them finally decided to leave because neither of them wanted to leave the job since it paid decent.
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Eliot seems stuck in a mess of his own making: risk-free, miserable limbo. Although dating a co-worker is tough enough, but is Padma Eliot's supervisor?
Is Marten even particularly interested in Padma anymore? After getting his self-involved bubble burst by Padma a couple of times, it's not clear if he's backed off somewhat. It'll be interesting to see if Marten wises up: being a Nice Guy Ad Nauseam and encouraging Eliot to speak up, or deciding to act on going for Padma himself.
Or, chickening out, under the influence of Huge Mute Glowering Looming Bouncer Eliot.
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It'll be interesting to see if Marten wises up: being a Nice Guy Ad Nauseam and encouraging Eliot to speak up, or deciding to act on going for Padma himself.
Or, chickening out, under the influence of Huge Mute Glowering Looming Bouncer Eliot.
I see Marten more likely to chicken out, fearing HMGLB Eliot's possible wrath, or maybe just not wanting to cockblock another dude (he mentioned something like this in a past strip but I can't find it at the moment...). In that spirit he may actually try to help Elliot out. Maybe.
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Given that Marten has not actively been trying to date her, and they are just going on a hike, I don't get where all this speculation of whether Marten will 'chicken out' is coming from. You can't chicken out on something you weren't setting out to do.
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Yeah, but this is Marten we're talking about. The guy who waited on Faye for months comic time, and years our time before she finally let him know dating her simply was not going to happen for him. And his relationship with Dora didn't really get started until she kissed him. Marten is NOT very aggressive when it comes to ladies he's interested in-and previous posts have shown he did show at least some interest in Padma when they first met (though those strips could be interpreted otherwise considering Marten's passivity).
It's rather telling though, that Faye did end up dating a guy who pursued, and even harassed her, while Dora went out on a date with her business partner simply because he was bold enough to ask. And Marten presently has no real dating prospects in sight.
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That's all fine, but you still don't know whether he is chasing her. Maybe he is. Maybe he's not.
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Just a little edit to see if this looked better - which I think it did:
(http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/517/2013alt.th.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/13/2013alt.png/)
Personally, I think just adding the two little word balloons makes it more comprehensible, rather than having two characters standing there with their mouths open for no apparent reason.
It's not a big thing, of course.
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"Complicated and wanky". I'll take the former, but I'm not so sure of the latter.
(Yes, I'm a Rush fan, why do you ask?)
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At least the wanky part feels good. :-D
Or are we talking about different wanks? :psyduck:
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I'm wondering how Jeph is going to cover the hike.
Presumably it will take place in the Great Outdoors, has QC ever had an arc that had a significant amount of non architectural exterior scenery?
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I'm wondering how Jeph is going to cover the hike.
Presumably it will take place in the Great Outdoors, has QC ever had an arc that had a significant amount of non architectural exterior scenery?
Beer sledding, or whatever the technical term was. Lotsa snow, people, and trees.
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You saw the size of Elliot and the size of Marten. I'd be intimidated by him too.
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You saw the size of Elliot and the size of Marten. I'd be intimidated by him too.
Size alone is a pretty natural deterrant for many people, I'm sure.
I'm 6'2" and of a solid medium build. There aren't too many people in my day-to-day life bigger than me. But those few that are can be intimidating if they try even only in the slightest, and Marten's neither 6'2" nor much more than a somewhat lanky frame. Elliot, by the art, is a giant.
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Beer sledding, or whatever the technical term was. Lotsa snow, people, and trees.
Well there's that. Has there ever been an outdoor scene during the day that only had the main characters, and has any scene ever gotten completely out of the town?
This definitely has the potential to break new artistic ground for QC.
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Beer sledding, or whatever the technical term was. Lotsa snow, people, and trees.
Well there's that. Has there ever been an outdoor scene during the day that only had the main characters, and has any scene ever gotten completely out of the town?
This definitely has the potential to break new artistic ground for QC.
Wheee, goalposts! There was a shopping trip or two and the amazing adventures of Steve and Wil, but that's about it. Everything else has been in the city limits.
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When Tai is ruffling her hair, Momo looks like my dog would.
Marten denies this could be a date, but is then easy with talking about it in terms of his love life; hmm.
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Momo blushing in panel 2: D'awwww yet again.
Well there's that. Has there ever been an outdoor scene during the day that only had the main characters, and has any scene ever gotten completely out of the town?
This definitely has the potential to break new artistic ground for QC.
Technically, a scene has gotten out of the state with Faye visiting her mother - that was mostly in-doors though, and Jeph's art has changed a lot since.
Oh, Marten. You are the only man in webcomic-land meek enough to interpret a look of sorrowful disappointment as someone wanting to murder you.
He's probably just apprehensive about people big enough to break him like a twig... even though Elliot looks incapable of violence.
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Which, of course, is hilarious because it's implied that he's the bouncer at the Horrible Revelation.
EDIT: A thought - is that Elliot to the right in panels 2 and 3 in 1464 (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1464)?
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Which, of course, is hilarious because it's implied that he's the bouncer at the Horrible Revelation.
EDIT: A thought - is that Elliot to the right in panels 2 and 3 in 1464 (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1464)?
Good catch, it does look like it could be him considering the art changes.
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... even though Elliot looks incapable of violence.
Which, of course, is hilarious because it's implied that he's the bouncer at the Horrible Revelation.
It makes perfect sense. A bouncer has to look threatening, but when things go wahoonie, his job is to calm things down. A man who's prone to stir things up is a disaster in this line of work.
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I was partly wrong, looks like Marten's still going on the hike. He is intimidated by Elliot, though, and that will probably keep him from...seriously considering making a move on Padma.
Yes, I know, there's no definitive evidence that he's interested in Padma, but this is Marten, the Manatee on Codeine we're talking about here. His idea of showing definitive interest may just be showing up for the hike-and hoping Padma makes a move.
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That's a good point; we've never seen Marten actively "court" a lady (for lack of a better word). We don't really know how he woos.
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Far as I can tell from the comic, Marten doesn't "court" or "woo". That seems too aggressive for him. From what we've seen so far, seems like he just hangs out and talks to the lady of interest and waits to see what she'll do. Which only works with fairly aggressive ladies like Dora. Not sure if Padma's that type, or even if she's interested in him if she is.
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Which, of course, is hilarious because it's implied that he's the bouncer at the Horrible Revelation.
EDIT: A thought - is that Elliot to the right in panels 2 and 3 in 1464 (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1464)?
Maybe I'm not looking right, but I don't see any similarities.
Red text at 6:15 in the morning? :psyduck:
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It's high noon in Germany. 12:27 on the 24 hour clock.
Enjoy your breakfast. Here, it's time for lunch. :lol:
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I wouldn't mind the 12 hour clock so much if it was 0:00-11:59AM/PM rather than 12:00-11:59AM/PM.
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Best comic ever one reason alone........ RUSH MENTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There's my one post for this half of the year, please continue about your day.
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Oh, come on Marten. You know what they call men who live in fear of possessive, jealous assholes?
I'll give you a hint, it's also a term for a female body part.
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Great, Marten just jinxed himself. Now Padma is gonna turn out to be an Objectivist.
Also? I'd totally wear the "Don't Tread on Rock" shirt the little girl was wearing in the coffee shop. I was gonna say that on Monday, but I didn't have time to register until today.
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Just a little edit to see if this looked better - which I think it did:
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/517/2013alt.th.png
Personally, I think just adding the two little word balloons makes it more comprehensible, rather than having two characters standing there with their mouths open for no apparent reason.
Yep, you are right, it looks a lot more natural. Padma's expression in Panel 3b just looked wrong with silence.
Which, of course, is hilarious because it's implied that he's the bouncer at the Horrible Revelation.
EDIT: A thought - is that Elliot to the right in panels 2 and 3 in 1464 (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1464)?
Potentially, but note that in 1463 it looks like we can see the same guy at the other side of the bar, behind the main characters, which suggests he is a customer.
Edit: Scratch that, 1463 guy has shorter sleeves and lighter hair. Different guy.
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EDIT: A thought - is that Elliot to the right in panels 2 and 3 in 1464 (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1464)?
Nah. Kind of looks like an early Big AnthroPC, actually.
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A thought - is that Elliot to the right in panels 2 and 3 in 1464 (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1464)?
He doesn't have the bulk; judging by the perspective, and the relationship with the pictures on the wall behind, he's not as tall; he's not got the broken nose.
I'd say that he isn't even a proto-Elliot.
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Besides, the bouncer would be an employee, and would need to dress the part - I see Elliot in an uncofortably snug plaid vest and a bowler that's about 2 sizes too small, tipped back at a precarious angle, thus enhancing his bulk...
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Finally, a Rush mention! Maybe not entirely positive, though. Oh well. Heard them on the radio on the way in to work this morning, too.
As to previous discussion, I originally thought Momo's new chassis was supposed to look like a young adult. However being around another child, she seems to resemble a child more than an adult. Just the two kids have been drawn tall.
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Great, Marten just jinxed himself. Now Padma is gonna turn out to be an Objectivist.
Also? I'd totally wear the "Don't Tread on Rock" shirt the little girl was wearing in the coffee shop. I was gonna say that on Monday, but I didn't have time to register until today.
And you win for having Airman Higgs as your avatar.
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I find it interesting that Marten completely failed to react to Tai's use of the word "too": "does he have the hots for her too?" Looks to me as though he is interested....
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I'm going to ignore the big tip that Elliot's into Padma, and say that he's into Marten instead.
SHYAMALAN'D!
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Is Elliot supposed to be intimidating? ...he looks almost aggressively harmless to me.
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Besides, the bouncer would be an employee, and would need to dress the part - I see Elliot in an uncofortably snug plaid vest and a bowler that's about 2 sizes too small, tipped back at a precarious angle, thus enhancing his bulk...
Assuming he was on duty that day... The fact he was drinking there with Padma etc previously would suggest he could be a customer on his days off.
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I'm not sure that we're clear who Elliot's interested in or what his protective instinct is being triggered by.
given 1845 (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1845) and 1847 (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1847) we know that at least at that point it was a female he was hung up on and that it was someone who was (probably) not within earshot. Then 1847 shows that they were remote enough to require texting (granted, he could have been texting someone in the shop)
But then again there's 1865 (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1865) where we see Elliot give Marten a bit of a cold shoulder on Padma's intro and then look consternated when Padma says Steve is cute.
Of course, he could be carrying torches for several women at the same time in a hopeless romantic kind of way.
I'm getting the sense that Padma and the shop in general gets put in the role of de facto babysitter for Sam pretty frequently so it's likely that all of them are protective of Sam. Elliot's main experience with Marten as a non-customer was probably seeing him and Steve drunk and fighting over Padma's attentions so Elliot probably needs to be convinced that Marten's actually OK.
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Firstly - RUSH ... woooooo :-D
Now onto something a little less serious.
It was mentioned that Momo's flexible covering was not like skin. Unfortunately I have not been able to verify that as yet [the google skillz is weak in this one] but I have noticed that on top of the lack of hard visible joins that the poor thing can blush. as seen in panel 2 here (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2014) and that this is a feature not unique to the new chassis either "as shown in the last panel here" (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1658)
So if the skin like covering has the delicate function of being able to simulate a blush then surface details on texture, elasticity and heat conductivity are minor details in comparison.
Makes you wonder about the specifics on the sensor arrays built into the AnthroPC skin. Parameter types measured, sensitivity and scaling factors, density and data distribution as well as how they would be encoded to interface with the AI? Well that could just be my inner Engineer Geek speaking though.
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But then again there's 1865 (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1865) where we see Elliot give Marten a bit of a cold shoulder on Padma's intro and then look consternated when Padma says Steve is cute.
Elliot's pretty shy, it seems, so his laconic response to and lack of eye contact with Marten could have been evading interaction for that reason. His look of consternation could have been a reaction to Padma completely ignoring Marten's bashfulness.
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I'm going to ignore the big tip that Elliot's into Padma, and say that he's into Marten instead.
SHYAMALAN'D!
Nah, that's just an ordinary twist.
A shayamalan twist is where it turns out he's her adoptive brother but wants her anyway because though it's weird it's actually not that bad but then they find out they are actually real half-siblings.
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I'm going to ignore the big tip that Elliot's into Padma, and say that he's into Marten instead.
SHYAMALAN'D!
Nah, that's just an ordinary twist.
A shayamalan twist is where it turns out he's her adoptive brother but wants her anyway because though it's weird it's actually not that bad but then they find out they are actually real half-siblings.
What if it's not really a coffee shop, what if they're aliens FROM THE FUTURE?!
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Only if those aliens find water poisonous.
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I'm going to ignore the big tip that Elliot's into Padma, and say that he's into Marten instead.
SHYAMALAN'D!
Nah, that's just an ordinary twist.
A shayamalan twist is where it turns out he's her adoptive brother but wants her anyway because though it's weird it's actually not that bad but then they find out they are actually real half-siblings.
Isn't that just a Reverse Tenenbaum?
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Rush has been mentioned before, in 463 and in the strip where Hannelore counts them off with a series of prime numbers.
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I'm going to ignore the big tip that Elliot's into Padma, and say that he's into Marten instead.
SHYAMALAN'D!
Nah, that's just an ordinary twist.
A shayamalan twist is where it turns out he's her adoptive brother but wants her anyway because though it's weird it's actually not that bad but then they find out they are actually real half-siblings.
Sort of but not quite the plot of a Nip/Tuck episode.
Related: Shyamaland would look like an awesome theme park from the outside, but once you'd ridden the couple of rides were actually cool, you'd realize that any thrill you might get from the rest was overshadowed by their horrible design.
D
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On the basis that she seems to think he is Momo's father, maybe she sees him more as the parent of her kid's friend - although she obviously isn't Sam's mother (although she might have taken on motherly duties when Sam is around).
For a while I was wondering if Padma was Sam's mother. Interesting dynamic if the two ex's continue working at the family business, one at night, the other during the day, after a "rough divorce" ... and Sam does look like she could be a Jim/Padma hybrid ... but alas, Padma doesn't seem old enough, and she wouldn't have referred to Jim as "the owner".
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Also, it didn't sound like that amicable a divorce.
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If this keeps up, i think Marten will wind up a Leonard Cohen fan
Or Garry Jukes
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damnit marigold!
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At least Momo knows her well enough to take it in stride.
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Marigold needs to work on the sensitivity and interpersonal skills.
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If only she had access to some kind of database of social protocols ...
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It's all about who calls the shots, innit, Mari? Actually, I understand. Been there, felt like an ass afterward for being that way.
And the slap-upside-the-head option is still available. If that doesn't work, Momo has something that'll knock yer socks off.
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I think Mari requires the slap-upside-the-head at this particular time. If I were there, I'd certainly apply it.
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I would love to see a "What about MY needs?!" speech from Momo.
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Marigold could make an extreme sport out of lack of self-awareness.
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See Marigold, your robot pet is already making you unhappy with her freedom and free will. It's time House Maid OS 3.1 get uploaded while she's in a low power state.
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Shoulda started a betting pool on when stoutfiles weighed in with that one ...
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Whoa, way to be a jerk, Marigold :O
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*debates between serious penguin hat and analytical penguin hat, decides on analytical* Surprisingly I'm kind of on Marigolds side, or at least sort of get part of her feeling. From a slightly different perspective, imagine if you will that your pet was invited to go on a trip with a bunch of new people, made quite a few new friends, etc. while you on the other hand seem to be avoided by most people. I'm not saying that it makes Marigolds 'not now, busy' any less an example of lack of self awareness, but I can sympathize with a feeling of anger/frustration. Marigold had poor self image, and remember that she also commented how she wished she could change her body the same way that Momo changes hers, and now that Momos body changed, she suddenly got a LOT more popular. That is going to subconsciously reinforce some of Marigolds own problems. The fact that no one seemed to have even thought to invite her is another thing worth thinking about, but meh.
And on a slightly different note, Marigold is an introvert, she was reading, her main fear may well be that Momo was going to abandon her. Given how few close friends she has, or even people that she would genuinely consider friends, the idea of losing any of them has got to be pretty painful. Add in that she did this as a gift for Momo and may have set her back a good amount...well resentment can be understandable, just saying.
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Marigold should meet Elliot.
Just to see what happens.
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Fast forward into the future: Pintsize gets a new chassis and flirts with Momo who has been in a secret relationship with Winslow for the past couple of years... we all explode thinking "how could two robots have a relationship?".
Also... if we put a female anthro-pc in a male chassis, would Marigold be attracted to Momo? (woah, non sequitur that kinda makes sense.)
My brain travels to weird spaces reading this webcomic from start to present over and over again...
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Oh for FRAKS SAKE Mairgold!!!! :roll:
*Feels like kicking her in the ass - HARD *
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And we see once again why Marigold doesn't have any friends except those she's been forced to make.
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Fast forward into the future: Pintsize gets a new chassis and flirts with Momo who has been in a secret relationship with Winslow for the past couple of years... we all explode thinking "how could two robots have a relationship?"
In Boyfriend bot. You need to add that factiod in.
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And the usual start: What's on tap for this week?
Momo and Samantha bond over Pokemon! - 10 (11.1%)
The Band Actually Gets A Gig! - 6 (6.7%)
Dora's got a new admirer... - 0 (0%)
Pintsize wants a new chassis! - 8 (8.9%)
Faye and Angus' first (relationship) argument! - 3 (3.3%)
Tai trains Momo at the library. - 14 (15.6%)
It finally happens: Hannerdad comes down to earth! - 5 (5.6%)
Check-in on one of the other characters (Sven, Raven, Pen, Will) - 12 (13.3%)
Who cares? I'm just here for the party. - 12 (13.3%)
Happy Toaster makes Fun Waffles! - 5 (5.6%)
Never forget. - 5 (5.6%)
Shelby Shelby SHELBY!!! - 10 (11.1%)
Total Voters: 90
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First time poster etc
Imagine that you loaned a friend $30K to buy a car
And then that friend used that car to become a social butterfly
See where I'm going with this? I'm not excusing Marigold's behaviour, because it's childish, but I'd be hard pressed not to feel a bit put upon in the situation.
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Imagine that you loaned a friend $30K to buy a car
And then that friend used that car to become a social butterfly
See where I'm going with this?
To be honest, no I don't...
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Are you trying to sell us a car? IDGI!
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Are you trying to sell us a car? IDGI!
CAUGHT!
Nah, the metaphor was supposed to be loaning money to a friend who uses it to socially enhance themselves to the (perceived) detriment of your friendship.
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Does Marigold envy Momo her new "life" or does she just fear to lose Momo? I wouldn't understand the first one, I guess (since Marigold obviously doesn't want to have time for social stuff). What exactly does Marigold want (Momo to (not) do)?
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Does it have to be either/or? My interpretation was that Marigold was envious of Momo's ability to fall on the new opportunities presented. In her own unconsciously selfish manner, Marigold likely wants Momo to be 'like she used to be', but the game has changed.
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And on a slightly different note, Marigold is an introvert, she was reading, her main fear may well be that Momo was going to abandon her. Given how few close friends she has, or even people that she would genuinely consider friends, the idea of losing any of them has got to be pretty painful. Add in that she did this as a gift for Momo and may have set her back a good amount...well resentment can be understandable, just saying.
I was going to say something similiar. Marigold only has two close friends in Angus and Momo (although Hanners is getting there) so for one of them 'disappearing' to spend time with others then that is a major culture shock. Add to the fact Angus is also spending more time with Faye then Marigold's reaction is understandable. It would be a less of a deal to someone who is more extroverted and have more friends.
The question is whether or not Momo offered the "lets go eat, see something" as a response to what Marigold said only and she (Marigold) is taking it as Momo trying to keep her sweet and to stop her complaining (a very male way of putting it). I've known plenty of situations where the female (in these situations) complain to their boyfriends they aren't getting enough attention and the male respond by offering to take them out or buy them flowers on the way home from work (if the complaint was made over the phone). The gesture has been made by the male, but not of their own initative. Hope that makes sense.
If Marigold responded with "Yes, lets go eat/see a movie" etc then there is the danger that she might feel desparate or needy for the attention.
And we see once again why Marigold doesn't have any friends except those she's been forced to make.
That comment shows a complete understanding of what it is like to be introverted. Introverts don't seek out a large group of friends and the most introverted of people can make do with literately 1-2 close friends and a smallish group of associates that they know and will talk to but wouldn't in the traditional sense call friends. She (Marigold) doesn't have many friends because she hasn't tried to have a bigger group than Momo and Angus, with Hanners maybe joining that close friend status. Everyone else in her mind will be an extension of Angus and if Faye and Angus split up then there is no reason why she would otherwise seek people like Martin out. She may only continue to 'associate' with the rest of the characters of Coffee of Doom as long as Faye and Angus are together. If they did split up, she may still associate with the rest if Hanners joins her close friend group - in which case everyone else will become an extension of Hanners.
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Don't know about you guys but Mari lost a little portion of the respect I had for her.
I think Mari requires the slap-upside-the-head at this particular time. If I were there, I'd certainly apply it.
Absolutely. It would be nice if Momo could give her a speech or something.
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That comment shows a complete understanding of what it is like to be introverted. Introverts don't seek out a large group of friends and the most introverted of people can make do with literately 1-2 close friends and a smallish group of associates that they know and will talk to but wouldn't in the traditional sense call friends. She (Marigold) doesn't have many friends because she hasn't tried to have a bigger group than Momo and Angus, with Hanners maybe joining that close friend status. Everyone else in her mind will be an extension of Angus and if Faye and Angus split up then there is no reason why she would otherwise seek people like Martin out. She may only continue to 'associate' with the rest of the characters of Coffee of Doom as long as Faye and Angus are together. If they did split up, she may still associate with the rest if Hanners joins her close friend group - in which case everyone else will become an extension of Hanners.
That might have some truth to it, but Iīd like to point out how Marigold is mostly whiny about her social inaptitude and how she enjoyed the evening out at the bar with Marten, Faye etc. She didn't seem to mind socializing then, at least didn't give a sort of "meh, Iīm content with having, say, 2 close friends and thatīs about it"-vibe. I know having lotīs of social interaction isn't for everyone but I was under the impression it suited Marigold fine.
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I'm going to ignore the big tip that Elliot's into Padma, and say that he's into Marten instead.
SHYAMALAN'D!
Nah, that's just an ordinary twist.
A shayamalan twist is where it turns out he's her adoptive brother but wants her anyway because though it's weird it's actually not that bad but then they find out they are actually real half-siblings.
A crazier twist would be that they would have been siblings, but their parents were killed by aliens who copied his parents almost exactly when his mother was pregnant. Bonus points if you know what I'm refrencing.
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I think Marigold would like to have more friends (and might envy others their ability to make friends) but she sees herself as not worthy of other people's friendship.
Which feeds back and re-enforces her self doubts, which eventually ramp up into a self loathing.
Remember Hanners trying to convince Mari that nice people *do* actuallt want to be her friend.
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See Marigold, your robot pet is already making you unhappy with her freedom and free will. It's time House Maid OS 3.1 get uploaded while she's in a low power state.
That's illegal in Massachusettes...
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That comment shows a complete understanding of what it is like to be introverted. Introverts don't seek out a large group of friends and the most introverted of people can make do with literately 1-2 close friends and a smallish group of associates that they know and will talk to but wouldn't in the traditional sense call friends. She (Marigold) doesn't have many friends because she hasn't tried to have a bigger group than Momo and Angus, with Hanners maybe joining that close friend status. Everyone else in her mind will be an extension of Angus and if Faye and Angus split up then there is no reason why she would otherwise seek people like Martin out. She may only continue to 'associate' with the rest of the characters of Coffee of Doom as long as Faye and Angus are together. If they did split up, she may still associate with the rest if Hanners joins her close friend group - in which case everyone else will become an extension of Hanners.
That might have some truth to it, but Iīd like to point out how Marigold is mostly whiny about her social inaptitude and how she enjoyed the evening out at the bar with Marten, Faye etc. She didn't seem to mind socializing then, at least didn't give a sort of "meh, Iīm content with having, say, 2 close friends and thatīs about it"-vibe. I know having lotīs of social interaction isn't for everyone but I was under the impression it suited Marigold fine.
But a lot of introverts wished they had better social skills even if they don't necessarily look to be in a position where they need to use them. They want to know the protocol so that if forced into a certain social situation, so they would have a rough idea of how they are supposed to act even if it doesn't come natural. If you recall she was pressurised by Momo to go and was all hesitantly about going in. The evening might have gone fine, but it doesn't mean she'd necesarily want to go out like that all the time. Plus she had been drinking despite the evidance she knew little about alcohol. Maybe Marigold needs to drink more in order to 'enjoy' a social evening.
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I do believe this is the first time Marigold has actually pissed me off. And I'm a bit torn, too. I can understand and empathize with her saying she's upset that Momo is suddenly excluding her - she wants to be part of the fun, and she has a hard time making friends. Momo suddenly has the ability to do things she's probably always dreamed of, and yes, that may mean excluding Marigold to some extent, but if Mari has so few friends that just ONE going to do something with someone else is devastating, maybe she needs to rethink how she interacts with people. Marigold sees it as "It's not fair, why does she suddenly get to have friends besides me" but as few friends as Mari has, does Momo have ANY besides Marigold? Momo has ALWAYS been there for Marigold and put up with a lot of her bullshit, including this little "not now" gem.
I think I'm with the guy who mentioned loaning money to a friend to buy a car. While giving something to someone doesn't obligate them to do anything for you, it's kind of rude to exclude them and then TELL them what you did without them, especially when you know they have trouble getting out but want to. Mari's jealous and sulky now, and to some extent it's understandable. She probably wishes there was some magic item that would suddenly make her popular. She feels like she bought that magic item for Momo and now Momo is ungrateful. (Not saying that's how it is, but maybe how Mari perceives it.)
At the same time, Mari's "not now" response makes me want to smack her. "You can only do stuff with me, when I want to do it" is essentially what she's saying, and that's just a nasty, controlling way to act. I wonder if she would treat a human that way, or does she just think it's not fair that a robot should be able to make friends more easily than she can...
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Marigirl did some self-loathing over the idea of Momo cooking for her. Perhaps she has an overall self-loathing about relying on Momo so much. That could come out in strange ways, for example suddenly acting unavailable to socialize with her roommate.
Or maybe she really does consider Magical Love Gentlemen (I saw the title on ustream before the hands went over it) to be a non-interruptible activity.
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Introverts don't seek out a large group of friends and the most introverted of people can make do with literately 1-2 close friends and a smallish group of associates that they know and will talk to but wouldn't in the traditional sense call friends.
That's not entirely true, either. While it does describe some introverts, what really "makes" an introvert or extrovert is where they get their energy from. If you need time to be by yourself and enjoy some alone time after hanging out with people because that's tiring, bingo: introvert. While they are factors, introversion doesn't always have anything to do with social skills or ability to make and enjoy friends.
I do agree with the fact that Marigold is an introvert. She likes to read by herself, she likes to play video games by herself, she's pretty cool with just chilling in her room on her own. Most of the time. Because that doesn't mean that she doesn't need ANY social interactions, or even doesn't want them. She obviously feels like her social life is lacking. She wants more friends, she just isn't sure how to get them. Which brings us to her real problem.
It's not Marigold's introversion that's getting in the way of things; it's the fact that she's shy and hasn't gotten to the point where she feels comfortable putting herself out there. And when she does, it's only on her own terms, when she wants, right now. Which is understandable, especially given that she is an introvert. But then you see her complaining about how she doesn't have a social life and you want to hit her on the head for passing up on past opportunities. (And sometimes just bein' a stupidhead.)
Mature Marigold would realize that you have to put some work into cultivating relationships and that sometimes going out to the movies tonight even if you don't feel like it will make going out when you DO feel like it that much more possible. And I don't think she's become mature Marigold yet. Hopefully she's getting there.
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I'm curious to know Questionablecontentfan's take on today's comic in earnest.
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Mostly I just think it's crappy to do something nice for someone and then resent them for it when they get "too much" benefit from it.
Mari's attitude about life seems akin to saying you want to be good at playing the guitar, and then not practicing, and then complaining that you're no good at playing so why bother.
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Mari's attitude about life seems akin to saying you want to be good at playing the guitar, and then not practicing, and then complaining that you're no good at playing so why bother.
Sounds like QCfan!
...Iīm sorry -.-
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Introverts don't seek out a large group of friends and the most introverted of people can make do with literately 1-2 close friends and a smallish group of associates that they know and will talk to but wouldn't in the traditional sense call friends.
That's not entirely true, either. While it does describe some introverts, what really "makes" an introvert or extrovert is where they get their energy from. If you need time to be by yourself and enjoy some alone time after hanging out with people because that's tiring, bingo: introvert. While they are factors, introversion doesn't always have anything to do with social skills or ability to make and enjoy friends.
Needing time out and some me-time is not limited to introverts. Extroverts also need time out too - the difference is the level of tolerance to spending long periods of time in other people's presence and how long the time out is. And introversion can have a big impact on social skills etc - it depends where the goalposts are. For Marigold, a large part of her socialising is doing raids online. She wears headphones and mike so presumably they do talk to each other, plus she no doubt communications on forums etc. That for Marigold is a perfectly valid form of socialisation, allbeit a form that does nothing for teaching her of the way to socialise in more face to face settings like pubs and clubs (as the more extroverted people would social in). As an introvert, you wouldn't look nor need to have a large harem of friends and instead rely on a smaller handful. Because an introvert only mentally requires a smaller group of close friends, she won't be actively be looking to replace them - hence a lack of experience in making new friends. Plus where an introvert (especially like Marigold) tends to stay at home etc to socialise, she isn't natually going to meet new people unless introduced by Angus etc. Not always, but introversion often plays a key part in a person's social skills - not because of a lack of mentality to do so, but because socialisation with other (new) people is often less important.
I do agree with the fact that Marigold is an introvert. She likes to read by herself, she likes to play video games by herself, she's pretty cool with just chilling in her room on her own. Most of the time. Because that doesn't mean that she doesn't need ANY social interactions, or even doesn't want them. She obviously feels like her social life is lacking. She wants more friends, she just isn't sure how to get them. Which brings us to her real problem.
It's not Marigold's introversion that's getting in the way of things; it's the fact that she's shy and hasn't gotten to the point where she feels comfortable putting herself out there. And when she does, it's only on her own terms, when she wants, right now. Which is understandable, especially given that she is an introvert. But then you see her complaining about how she doesn't have a social life and you want to hit her on the head for passing up on past opportunities. (And sometimes just bein' a stupidhead.)
Mature Marigold would realize that you have to put some work into cultivating relationships and that sometimes going out to the movies tonight even if you don't feel like it will make going out when you DO feel like it that much more possible. And I don't think she's become mature Marigold yet. Hopefully she's getting there.
I'd put it down to this - historically Marigold has only two friends in Momo and Angus and they have acted as her social crutches. If she needs to socialise on a face to face basis then Angus and/or Momo fullfills that. She was happy with this social status quo and probably felt fulfilled. Since Angus has stated dating Faye then for Marigold, one of her 'crutches' has been whipped partially away from her therefore knocking her off balance. Her social life, in her mind, probably wasn't lacking until Faye and co turned up. If I was in her position than I probably would make a little bit of an effort around Angus's friends in order to try and maintain the friendship and social time with Angus. I'd debate the suggestion she wants more friends - I'm not sure she necessarily needs more friends and that expanding her social life is high on her list of mental needs. You say she'll only go out and socialise on her terms, but I recall the initial visit to the pub was because Momo threaterned her rather than a particular desire to go. In terms of the party later when she found out officially about Faye and Angus then my reading was that she was basicallly dragged along thanks to the fact Angus was going.
Your second and third paragraph reads as if in order for Marigold to grow up and be mature she has to basically be more of an extrovert? Maybe I just sufficently an introvert to understand where Marigold is coming from, but you seem to be applying the rules of socialising on the basis of what an extrovert would do.
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@John Knee
The problem is that Marigold has pretty much expressed her dislike of her social situation. You act like she hasn't. I'm an introvert. Heavily, heavily, introverted. I have good social skills, get along with almost everyone I meet, and don't tend to have many problems with the fact I have very few close friends. But that's the thing. I DON'T care that I don't have a ton of close friends, Marigold does seem to dislike her position socially. At the very least she wants to have a more active love life.
The truth is... yes, if she wants to have more friends, if she wants to meet a guy, and have a larger social life, being somewhat more extroverted IS a part of that. You don't meet people sitting at home alone. You also don't strengthen existing friendships that way. The maturing people are talking about is not expecting everything to come to you. She's upset at what she doesn't have but she isn't GOING OUT TO GET IT. She's upset that Momo and her might grow apart, but its still all about when and what SHE wants, I'm too busy now, I'm worried that we will drift apart, but not enough to actually do something about it because it will inconvenience me.
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I think part of the problem is that Mari seems to want the life of an extrovert without becoming an extrovert. Many introverts are quite happy being introverts, myself included. There are times when I'd like to go hang out with people, and I do, but I'm just as happy sitting at home and reading or playing games or making jewelry. Marigold seems to have this wish that friends will magically appear and beg her to come out with them (at which point she will, of course, turn them down, pointing out that she's shy and introverted).
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This comic made me laugh but also hit a nerve because it totally reminded me of my introverted fifteen year old self. Specifically of when I only had two close friends who I introduced to each other but then got annoyed they hung out with each other without me, then would say no to hanging out when invited because I was holding a grudge.
Dammit, Marigold!
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Why do we do such stupid things? I've done my share, of course.
I know, Welu, you're chalking it up to the stupidity of youth, but the patterns of behaviour set in youth are notoriously hard to break out from. You're lucky.
Marigold, not so much.
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I suppose I can consider myself lucky in that I was an introvert my entire childhood up until 17 when I joined the workforce full-time. After that, the world of being social was an irresistable force that I could never indulge in enough! I had a REALLy rought time all throughout that childhood with my peers, too, with broken trust, bullying and peer pressure*. None of them are excuse enough to not go out and just DO something.
If she wants a social life badly enough, she needs to just go get it. It really is that simple.
* - before anyone jumps in to compare what I might consider "rough" in those aspects, throughout elementary school I visited the hospital for possible broken bones, countless bruisings, a hockey stick slash to the face and at one point even having a portion of my face torn off from being dragged across asphalt. In highschool it was rough enough that I became suicidal to the point of needing an intervention of sorts.
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And we see once again why Marigold doesn't have any friends except those she's been forced to make.
That comment shows a complete understanding of what it is like to be introverted. Introverts don't seek out a large group of friends and the most introverted of people can make do with literately 1-2 close friends and a smallish group of associates that they know and will talk to but wouldn't in the traditional sense call friends. She (Marigold) doesn't have many friends because she hasn't tried to have a bigger group than Momo and Angus, with Hanners maybe joining that close friend status. Everyone else in her mind will be an extension of Angus and if Faye and Angus split up then there is no reason why she would otherwise seek people like Martin out. She may only continue to 'associate' with the rest of the characters of Coffee of Doom as long as Faye and Angus are together. If they did split up, she may still associate with the rest if Hanners joins her close friend group - in which case everyone else will become an extension of Hanners.
So it looks like this has been fairly well addressed already but I wanted to toss in my .02 bucks:
You don't know me. I have a perfectly clear understanding of what introversion is like because I am an introvert. When I was younger it was enough of an issue that I was seeing a doctor and getting medication to try to help (didn't work. Went off it with doctor's support). I understand EXACTLY what it's like to be an introvert and how the introvert perspective works. What introversion does not justify is being a jackass to the people who you are close to. I dislike Marigold's actions not because she's introverted but because she's repeatedly been a jerk to people who care about her and who she claims to care about. She's an extremely selfish person (so far. people can change and I keep hoping for that arc for her, but so far no dice) and while she complains about her social situation she does nothing to address it even when given multiple opportunities.
In this instance Marigold is being less of an introvert and more someone with a persecution complex. I was actually right with her in this strip up until the last panel. I understand the fear of abandonment and isolation that can come with seeing your friends become more social*. That doesn't excuse her asking Momo for one thing and then rejecting it when it's offered. I know we're supposed to chuckle at the joke but I just felt insulted on Momo's behalf. Mari keeps being given opportunities for the kind of social life she claims to want but doesn't take them and instead tries to make her close friends feel guilty for offering those opportunities to her. That's not cool, it's not ok, and it's not excused by introversion.
In short: Being an introvert doesn't mean you get to be a jerk.
*In fact, I'm dealing with it IRL right now because my best friend for the past 6 years has a new girlfriend and I'm seeing him a LOT less. Am I being a bitch about it? Nope. I go hang out with the both of them when I'm invited and invite them both down to watch MST3K and stuff with me when I'm feeling lonely. Instead of pushing away my one friend I've added another because, guess what, his girlfriend is actually pretty awesome.
Also, the avatar title of "Not Quite a Lurker" is awesome.
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INFJ here. 'Nuff said.
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INFJ here. 'Nuff said.
Exactly what I was in highschool.
Taken again now, I am currently ESFJ. People can change, if they want to. :)
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Thankfully (I think) my only exposure to Myers-Briggs was an SF novel by Michael Flynn called "The Wreck of the River of Stars." It's set aboard a falling-apart spaceship whose crew comprises one of each of the M-B personality types. How each crew member gets along (or doesn't) with the others contributes to a series of events that is pretty much the definition of what engineering-accident investigators call "cascading failure." Good story, but far from a happy ending.
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I have a perfectly clear understanding of what introversion is like because I am an introvert. When I was younger it was enough of an issue that I was seeing a doctor and getting medication to try to help (didn't work. Went off it with doctor's support). I understand EXACTLY what it's like to be an introvert and how the introvert perspective works. [/size]
>.<. Introversion works differently with every person. Though it does not give you the right to be a jerk, it is quite often a side-effect. Which quite a few people can't really control. Just because you got over that impulse(and I congratulate you for that), doesn't mean that all introverts can.
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I have a perfectly clear understanding of what introversion is like because I am an introvert. When I was younger it was enough of an issue that I was seeing a doctor and getting medication to try to help (didn't work. Went off it with doctor's support). I understand EXACTLY what it's like to be an introvert and how the introvert perspective works. [/size]
>.<. Introversion works differently with every person. Though it does not give you the right to be a jerk, it is quite often a side-effect. Which quite a few people can't really control. Just because you got over that impulse(and I congratulate you for that), doesn't mean that all introverts can.
Fair enough. My intention wasn't to claim god-like over-knowledge of what all introverts are like on a case by case basis but I do think saying "She can't help it! She's an introvert!" is worth calling bullshit on. I guess what I was mostly trying to express was that being introverted does not automatically make you socially maladjusted and it's a poor excuse to cover up being a jerk to people in general. From what we've seen of Marigold I don't think her particular brand of introversion leads her to be innately socially inept since once she's in social situations she seems to do fine most of the time. This means that when we do see her being a less than stellar human being I'm extremely hesitant to just let it be written off because she's introverted.
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Mari's attitude about life seems akin to saying you want to be good at playing the guitar, and then not practicing, and then complaining that you're no good at playing so why bother.
Oh yes. For that's me one of the just...most frustrating/annoying aspects of some people like Marigold's personalities. Someone says 'I want to do ___' You say 'Okay, why don't we do ___?' and over and over and over again they're like 'Oh no I'd just fail/I can't do that/there's no point/I'd look stupid'
And I wholly understand sometimes people just want to be pitied, but at least like...say that or something, y'know?
I never thought I was an introvert because I love talking to people and getting to know them and I'm not really that shy, but then I looked at the criteria for being one and I totally am. XD Lots of people at once exhaust me, (smaller groups of like seven or less are awesome though) and the typical social interactions of strangers - small talk and the like - annoy me to no end. I haaate small talk. It's so boring omg. I've trained myself to do it, but maaan, it takes so much more effort.
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Mari's attitude about life seems akin to saying you want to be good at playing the guitar, and then not practicing, and then complaining that you're no good at playing so why bother.
Oh yes. For that's me one of the just...most frustrating/annoying aspects of some people like Marigold's personalities. Someone says 'I want to do ___' You say 'Okay, why don't we do ___?' and over and over and over again they're like 'Oh no I'd just fail/I can't do that/there's no point/I'd look stupid'
I daresay that this type of thinking is really not so uncommon, and holds a lot of people back.
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What was THE MOMENT OF THE WEEK?
Yelling Bird and Shelby plug QCV2! - 1 (2.2%)
"I ran into the door until it broke!" - 13 (28.9%)
Hello, Nice People! - 1 (2.2%)
Are you super strong? Can you shoot lasers? DO YOU HAVE ROCKET BOOTS?! - 4 (8.9%)
...that can blow the socks off a man at 100 meters! (Let's try it out!) - 2 (4.4%)
That girl is a bad influence - 4 (8.9%)
You really do sound like her dad. - 1 (2.2%)
Elliot: "We? You mean you and Sam and... him?" - 5 (11.1%)
Awkward Marten activated! "I get leg cramps" - 2 (4.4%)
Momo got Marten a date! - 3 (6.7%)
Nothing's ever simple for you romantically, is it? "Like a Rush song: complicated and wanky." - 4 (8.9%)
So do you want to... "Not now, I'm busy." - 5 (11.1%)
Total Voters: 45
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Marigold, I must say, is getting better. She is much more socially apt than when we met her a few hundred strips back.
See, Marigold is still in her social adolescence phase. Pretty much everyone has one. It usually happens in/after college or high school. For example, let's use the QC characters fr example : Marten's D&D nerdiness, Dora's gothness, and I would say Sven is having the transition right now. This idea is that n one is an asshole/ manwhore/etc. to their very core.Social adolescence is usually the transition between the selfish, depressed teenager to the more levelheaded adult.
Back to Marigold, I would assume that she has been sheltered for so long that she is delicate and is very sensitive to certain social situations (reference: Marigold and Angus). She is very behind with her emotional identity (She would go out with any guy if he was nice to her). The path ahead for Marigold is a tough one. She is going to have to get broken apart and rebuilt if she ever wants t become part of conventional society (Which is debatable that she actually does, seeing how she loves to live in an unconventional, virtual society)
She has made a few good steps to social maturity: She has met new friends, had a beer with them, admitted her feelings t a crush (Not in the most elegant way, but still). She is moving to a better place in her life step by step
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And we see once again why Marigold doesn't have any friends except those she's been forced to make.
That comment shows a complete understanding of what it is like to be introverted. Introverts don't seek out a large group of friends and the most introverted of people can make do with literately 1-2 close friends and a smallish group of associates that they know and will talk to but wouldn't in the traditional sense call friends. She (Marigold) doesn't have many friends because she hasn't tried to have a bigger group than Momo and Angus, with Hanners maybe joining that close friend status. Everyone else in her mind will be an extension of Angus and if Faye and Angus split up then there is no reason why she would otherwise seek people like Martin out. She may only continue to 'associate' with the rest of the characters of Coffee of Doom as long as Faye and Angus are together. If they did split up, she may still associate with the rest if Hanners joins her close friend group - in which case everyone else will become an extension of Hanners.
So it looks like this has been fairly well addressed already but I wanted to toss in my .02 bucks:
1) You don't know me. I have a perfectly clear understanding of what introversion is like because I am an introvert. When I was younger it was enough of an issue that I was seeing a doctor and getting medication to try to help (didn't work. Went off it with doctor's support). I understand EXACTLY what it's like to be an introvert and how the introvert perspective works. What introversion does not justify is being a jackass to the people who you are close to. I dislike Marigold's actions not because she's introverted but because she's repeatedly been a jerk to people who care about her and who she claims to care about. She's an extremely selfish person (so far. people can change and I keep hoping for that arc for her, but so far no dice) and while she complains about her social situation she does nothing to address it even when given multiple opportunities.
2) In this instance Marigold is being less of an introvert and more someone with a persecution complex. I was actually right with her in this strip up until the last panel. I understand the fear of abandonment and isolation that can come with seeing your friends become more social*. That doesn't excuse her asking Momo for one thing and then rejecting it when it's offered. I know we're supposed to chuckle at the joke but I just felt insulted on Momo's behalf. Mari keeps being given opportunities for the kind of social life she claims to want but doesn't take them and instead tries to make her close friends feel guilty for offering those opportunities to her. That's not cool, it's not ok, and it's not excused by introversion.
In short: Being an introvert doesn't mean you get to be a jerk.
What I was arguing against was your use of comments such as:
"If you need time to be by yourself and enjoy some alone time after hanging out with people because that's tiring, bingo: introvert."
Quite franky, that is a terribly poor definition of an introvert. All people at some point get fed up and need time out from people and if the definition above was taken as correct, then everyone would be classified as introverted. As for the "Mature Marigold" paragraph, I suspect she knows the way to gain more friends etc is to adopt an extroverted mindset.
1) I don't think Marigold's reaction to Momo is unique to her nor to being an introvert.
In terms of past activies of her being a 'jerk', then those times for me is as much to do with her being uneasy or inexperienced with the protocol of the situation. Steve has made a number of inappropriate comments in the presence of Martin and despite it being discussed in forums, Steve didn't seem to get so much negativity from it as Marigold. Some defended it as inside joke between friends who knew the bounderies, but as a much more extrovert character, Steve should know better. Marigold does make mistakes and comments that more socially capable people might not make, but Marigold has generally avoided such situations in the past and doesn't know.
And she has complained about her social life situation, I agree, but her complaints only really started once Angus and Faye started dating. She seemed more than happy with her social situation prior to that and didn't seem to complain in the times we met her prior to that. Hence, her complaints has been generated by outside influences that has forced her to socialised in a more extrovert way even if it doesn't come natural to her.
2) In direct response to: "Mari keeps being given opportunities for the kind of social life she claims to want but doesn't take them" - I disagree. Not on the basis of being given the opportunities but the idea the opportunities are the ones she wants. I don't believe she does ultimately want a more extrovert social life. I think what she really wants from her social life is the ability to socialise online with her raid guild and interact on a more face to face basis with Momo and Angus. I don't think she intended to make Momo feel guilty - she told Momo because Momo noticed she was down and asked. Marigold's turning down the offer of a movie or eating out is a common response from people regardless of their personality. Because I believe I know where Marigold is coming on, if I was in Momo's position then I wouldn't personally take offense. I've known plenty of extroverted people who do the same but then 30 minutes later it is all forgotten. If a person is feeling down and another person says they still love them etc then very rarely is a switch flicked in the person's brain and they suddenly become upbeat etc - not unless the person is prone to mood swings anyway. It would be interesting to see if Marigold on Monday does apologise to Momo or try to make it up to her.
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Marigold may have been discontent prior to Faye and Angus dating. There was that comic where she emitted a lonely sigh.
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That was when Marty and Angus "defeated Awkwardness" at the HR. (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1429)
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Truly you are the Grand Master of the Archives.
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He should get a crown. Or a fancy monocle
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"If you need time to be by yourself and enjoy some alone time after hanging out with people because that's tiring, bingo: introvert."
Just so you know, that's not something I said. That's a different poster entirely. I disagree with it as well.
1) I keep trying to give Marigold the benefit of the doubt and she keeps failing. At a certain point I've stopped chalking it up to character development until a change actually happens. I think she's just kind of a jerk so far. Also, I dislike Steve because he's generally a douche-nozzle. So I'm with you on that one.
2) We didn't really see her social or life situation prior. We got a couple short glimpses but that was it. And during those glimpses she often complained. Even prior to Faye and Angus actually dating she expressed dissatisfaction with her life to date. I don't believe that all she wants is to hang out with her raid guild etc. While I'm not advocating that she abandon that aspect of her life (it's not necessary to do so to grow in the ways she seems to want to) I also don't believe that her past situation is all she really wants from life since she's stated that that's not the case.
In this specific instance it was the way in which she responded to Momo's offer that seemed wrong to me. If she does come back on Monday and say "I'm sorry, that was jerkish of me." Then my complaint is rendered moot. If this just slides off into the next arc then I think Mari was not acting like a decent person here.
Also, sorry for the late response. Was with friends watching football all day. :P
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This strip made me wonder if Momo is actually capable of eating food now. I hope it wouldn't work as it does with Pintsize, because that would be disgusting.
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Someone who deserves credit but whose name I have forgotten points out that if Momo is going to cook for Marigold, a sense of taste would be a Very Good Idea.
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Well, Pintsize apparently likes cake batter. Whether or not this is an indication of taste is an open question so far.
But the issue of taste is for Pintsize not exactly a question of sensorial abilities.
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Leaving aside other aspects of taste (!), Pintsize has explained his sense of taste (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=212).
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Momo's new chassis is a high end model, and joining people for dinner is more important in her market than in the military market, so if Pintsize can eat, a fortiori Momo can.
Isn't it funny how now that she's people-sized we're much less likely to call her "Momo-tan"?
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Here's hoping Momo has better luck with dinner than she did this time. (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1623)
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Mostly I just think it's crappy to do something nice for someone and then resent them for it when they get "too much" benefit from it.
Mari's attitude about life seems akin to saying you want to be good at playing the guitar, and then not practicing, and then complaining that you're no good at playing so why bother.
The problem is though that you're making an irrelevant comparison, or at least a fairly poor one. If the only place I could practice the guitar was in front of extremely judgmental people, then yes, I'd likely decide that practicing it wasn't worth my time and also hate that I not know how to play. Remember too that most people in the group actually haven't tried interacting with Marigold either, Hannelore has and that is a fairly strong point in her favor. The problem is, though, that most of the rest of the group don't. Faye doesn't talk to her too much but that might be better as it could get awkward and Faye might end up hurting where she only means to snark. Marten doesn't really go to talk to her, Dora doesn't either. I'm just trying to say that going out and meeting people is something that is technically very easy but meeting people that you would WANT to interact with can be a tad more problematic.
To put it a slightly different way, Dale is someone from outside the group that interacted with Marigold, and as we can see the interactions have been...odd. Dale kind of bounces between funny and a bit creepy with some of what he does, maybe he has a mild crush on her and is acting a bit like Calvin did to Susie in Calvin and Hobbes but I can't be sure. If Dale is her main benchmark for meeting 'new' people I can see why she might be a bit opposed to trying to do it actively. Also, remember just a little while ago Marigold mentioned wishing that she could simply change her body the way that Momo can, to be more attractive or thinner, or whatever it is she thinks would make her more socially acceptable. Now Momo is out for less than a day, a random person runs up and befriends her and ANOTHER random person invites her on a weekend nature hike with Marten. Let's ignore Marigold worrying that she might lose Momo as a friend or be replaced as a friend. Let's just see some of it as all those voices in her head telling her how fat and ugly she is and how she'll always be alone being given a lot more credence. Add in that Momo apparently didn't even think of Marigold in the hike, even as far as a "Well maybe I should also see if my owner/tenant/whatever the applicable term is might like to come too." Just my wooden nickle.
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I don't think it's irrelevant at all. If you want to play guitar but have to practice in front of judgmental people, then you either need to suck it up or quit bitching that people are judgmental. You can't sit there complaining about it. Do you want to play guitar? Then do it. Do you want to play guitar but you're scared of people being judgmental so you just don't do it? Then you must not want to play that badly.
As for the second paragraph, I already touched on some of that in a previous post.