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Why didn't you just come back?  You LEFT ME HERE!

2 (5.1%)

I don't know him! He oculd be a KNIFE KILLER!

4 (10.3%)

I go fishing sometimes! It's more humane!

1 (2.6%)

Penelope Gaines meets PIZZA GIRL!

17 (43.6%)

Nice try, but yer not gonna throw me off your trail that easy.

0 (0%)

"We're throwing a big end-of-the-semester party. Wanna come?"

0 (0%)

I was gonna invite Dora too...

1 (2.6%)

If she's cool, I'm cool.

1 (2.6%)

Is this some kind of convoluted scheme to get us back together?

0 (0%)

Um, actually... kind of the exact opposite.

3 (7.7%)

Some kind of scheme to murder each other?

0 (0%)

Muffin delivery!

0 (0%)

Our, uh, our coffee beans. OH$#!+

0 (0%)

You must think I'm completely unprofessional.

0 (0%)

Here's what I had roasted for us. Take it.

0 (0%)

I can just roast more for us today.

0 (0%)

Oh, in that case I'll just come back...

0 (0%)

DAMMIT JIM, I'M TRYING TO BE THE MORE ACCOMMODATING PARTY HERE!

10 (25.6%)

Total Members Voted: 35

[Tiogyr]

So Dora is winded up juicily for Tai's party. Marten should wear a crosshair T-shirt, just an idea.

Wasn't the exchange supposed to start the next Monday (after the deal was negotiated), so that the party being talked about already happened?

[TheEvilDog]

The party is obviously going to a big storyline either next week or the week after, I just can't see Jeph avoiding the conflict that might arise between Tai, Dora and Marten by doing a time skip. Not to mention Faye as she knows that Tai is going after Dora, so she's going to be conflicted by the idea of her two best friends in a potential crossfire caused by a kid with a crush on Dora.

Some people do have different ideas about what might be "next" given day. For example, if someone today (the 27th) said to me that they were going to visit me next Monday, I might think that it would be the 6th of June, rather than the 30th of May. Which is probably what happened between Dora and Jim.....Of course, that could be a crock and Dora is a forgetful ditz, pick whichever one suits you better.

[mike837go]

Did someone mention Tv Tropes?  

AGAIN! I say back to your Festering Pit!

I will not fall for your schemes a fifth sixth time.

[Is it cold in here?]

To put it another way, they're Jeph's characters and we shouldn't be inventing ungrounded plot lines for them. That's a different animal from trying to extrapolate where Jeph is going, which is OK.

EDIT: Also, how important is the discussion of gender-based communication styles and stereotypes to people? I can split it into its own thread if people want to continue it. There's been a complaint already, and while it's been pretty civil (pat yourselves on the back!) it has potential to get bad.

[Team Venture]

Cue 100 angry coffee roasters decrying Dora's storage methods

I'm happy to be the first to point this out. Fuck the storage method, here is a bigger issue: after roasting, coffee beans are really acidic for several hours. Even after that, they’re still releasing carbon dioxide from the roasting process and will taste weird if they’re brewed. For best results, they need to rest for preferably two to three days. Surely if Dora's coffee is so great she would know this.

/nerdrage

[iduguphergrave]

So Dora is wound up juicily for Tai's party. Marten should wear a crosshair T-shirt, just an idea.

FYP

/grammar police  

Dora's lucky. A lot of other people in Jim's position would have told Elliott to put their muffins back in the truck and call off the business deal. I too, offer kudos to Jim for being so understanding. I see the similarities with Marten.  

[mike837go]

<snip> kudos to Jim for being so understanding. I see the similarities with Marten.  

Same author for both character have anything to do with that?

Strange thought: Are there any truly unsympathetic MALE characters in this strip?

I know Steve can be a jerk sometimes, but it's the women and the 'bots that cause most of the trouble.

{donning the fireproof suit now}

EDIT: posting this a a fresh thread: http://forums.questionablecontent.net/index.php/topic,26795.0.html

[TheEvilDog]

Sven was the unsympathetic male in the comic, rich, successful, didn't have to do much in life, just coasted along and has presumably a crapton of money. I say was, because since Faye mentally castrated him, Sven has become a little bit more sympathetic.

But there aren't many characters that has been designed to be "hated". Or if they are, they're usually just one shot characters we might not see again.

[mike837go]

"Ship Sinking" seems to be what the author does (e.g. Jeph has with Marigold and Hannelore). This is closer to "Abandon Shipping".

Hanners and Marigold have a very nice thing running. A solid friendship has been building between those two for some time.

And in this comic they truly understand each other!

[Carl-E]

Well, I was gonna say something about how I sympathize with Dora, because it can be frustrating when you want to make something right and the other party won't have it, and how that's sometimes more frustrating than when each party is blatantly angling for the immediate advantage because you don't know whether the other party is genuinely trying to accommodate as well, or looking for some other advantage down the line, and how nicely subtle the expressions are in the last panel (Dora more baffled and frustrated than angry and Jim more bemused than anything by the whole thing) ... but daaaaaaang, y'all.

Edited to fix results of fat fingers typing on a touch screen.

Ah, passive aggressive niceness - well done to Dora for breaking the loop!

Probably one of the resons he's both divorced, and  got beat up in the settlement...

[Blyss]

Dora and Marten have awkward reconciliation sex.    1 (1.1%)

Yep - that's me, and I don't care what anyone thinks about it.

[Kugai]

Dora 'Beans' Bianchi   



But would that make Hanners Scotty?

[TheEvilDog]

Faye would be the Anti-Spock (That or given her experience with the espresso machine, she'd be the Scotty, either way, if Dora is out, she is in charge)
Pen-Pen would be the Nurse Chapel.
Cosette is a random Redshirt (That or Chekov)
Raven or Sara, I would they could be Captain Pike, in that, they were around before the beginning, but have since disappeared. Expect Sara to reappear in some weird wheelchair and only able to speak through a series of beeps.

[Boomslang]

I can't really imagine Marten as any character except Spock, and even that's not perfect.

Steve is totally Kirk, though.

[pwhodges]

Dora and Marten have awkward reconciliation sex.    1 (1.1%)
Yep - that's me, and I don't care what anyone thinks about it.

Don't push it, though.

[iduguphergrave]

Dora 'Beans' Bianchi   



But would that make Hanners Scotty?

Hell no, she's Data. (unless for some reason we're not including TNG)

[BlueMark]

I can't really imagine Marten as any character except Spock, and even that's not perfect.

Checkov

[DSL]

Dora 'Beans' Bianchi   



But would that make Hanners Scotty?

Hell no, she's Data. (unless for some reason we're not including TNG)

Hanners is definitely the "outsider" character whose story function is to provide commentary about the human condition. So, yeah, she's the Spock character (tho' her personality is closer to Data's). Faye as Scotty ... Well, she spends a lot of time saying she can't do it, and then (occasionally) does it.

[galarant]

Is there a Jim and Dora ship yet?

If not, I am christening that bitch on it's MAIDEN VOYAGE!!!

Oh yeah you know what I mean 

BOOYEAH!!

[Carl-E]

You're late.  The ship sank in drydock when Jim said she looked "mature". 

[Kugai]

You're late.  The ship sank in drydock when Jim said she looked "mature". 

No, that statement was a 18 inch shell in the forward magazine.

[foolsguinea]

I'm rooting for awkward reconciliation sex, but Dora letting Tai down gently, or even stammering and leaving, is more likely.

[FunkyTuba]

Re: "on monday"
If the negotiation series happened on Saturday or Sunday ending with Jim saying "Eliott will have your stuff for you on Monday" in 1928 then Tai can still be inviting Marten to the party on "this Friday" in 1933 on that same Monday if they both have an early report time. Not sure if there's precedent about what Marten's report time at the library is.

Also, if he and Tai sometimes have to work on Saturday or Sunday then 1933 could be on that Saturday or Sunday, the same weekend as the negotiations.

Re: "coffee beans not being able to be immediately used"
I was wondering about this myself. If Dora's a coffee nerd she ought to know this. Jim probably does not know this, and could have assumed during negotiations that beans are beans and that Dora could produce them more or less immediately.

The subtext here being that Dora is inexperienced at both negotiation and wholesaling: she got caught up in the excitement of the deal and was not thinking ahead to the fulfillment part of the contract. Her "oh shit" is therefore also loaded with "how could I have possibly forgotten that I needed more lead time than this" and she's willing to use the un-rested beans at her shop to make up for not thinking far enough ahead.

Wow... that's my first analysis here. Too much?

[Carl-E]

No, well done.  Now, go rest your bean. 

[Boomslang]

Honestly, the whole 'resting' thing for coffee was unknown to me before now, I don't think it's particularly common knowledge. Having the beans already roasted before grinding is the earliest in the process that I generally participate. So even if some of you are criticizing Jeph, it's hard for me to do the same.

Regarding non-coffee speculation, I worry for Tai. She's a bit too naive and inexperienced to grasp on an emotional level that Dora is simply unavailable in the larger sense. To recap how this all started off, Dora fell in love with Marten before Marten was even aware of the possibility she might be interested. And she pursued him, in the end, because she wanted to be with him more than she was insecure about the situation. I really respect that. But we know from the comic that love isn't always enough.

I like Tai as a character. She's unique among the cast, she's very realistic (IMO), and if she's going to be hurt, I'll empathize with her very strongly. But her chances here don't seem good. The only thing that might trump my expectation is Dora herself. Both being more receptive to being pursued, and/or having a greater attraction to women might be the dividing line between heartbreak for Tai and a truly wonderful relationship.

As always, the ball is in Jeph's court.

[jwhouk]

So - what's going to happen at this party?

Dora stammers and flees. Tai is hurt.    - 1 (1%)
Dora lets Tai down gently, but Tai's still hurt.    - 15 (15%)
Dora ditches Tai for one of the guys at the party.    - 3 (3%)
Marten, being Marten, offers comfort to Tai.    - 3 (3%)
Marten, being Marten, offers comfort to Dora.    - 1 (1%)
Marten remains oblivious until Hannelore points it out a week later.    - 9 (9%)
We see next to none of it "on camera" - only the aftermath.    - 13 (13%)
Break out Dr. Corrine's colored strings and thumbtacks - this could get ugly.    - 7 (7%)
Cosette burns down the dorm building.    - 5 (5%)
Dora and Marten have awkward reconciliation sex.    - 1 (1%)
A week of Angus and Marigold discussing anime!    - 4 (4%)
Waffles and Steak are the food choices for this BYOB.    - 2 (2%)
JTV cancels the party.    - 4 (4%)
Shame Orb crashes the party.    - 5 (5%)
Shelby eats all the food.    - 8 (8%)
Something completely different will happen.    - 19 (19%)

Total Voters: 100

[Carl-E]

Total Voters: 100

Well, that makes the percentages easy. 

[FunkyTuba]

For me this isn't intended to be criticism so much as an analysis of how the continuity's going and an attempt to see where/if things are different to what happens IRL. I'm also looking for a way to interpret what's going on in the comic with a bias toward it being consistent as written (i.e. cut Jeph some slack)

If Jeph wants the QC universe to have coffee beans that can go straight from the roaster to the grinder then great! that's his prerogative. I'll happily watch a coffee fairy deliver magic beans that make people fall in love with Dora if he chooses to draw that. However, having read the comic, this coffee thing seems (to me) to be the kind of detail that wouldn't be in that list of things with which he would usually take artistic license. And if he were to, he'd do so more explicitly by lampshading it, especially given the whole "mysterious process that Dora won't even let Faye see" angle.

We're not talking about common knowledge here... we're talking about a coffee roaster's knowledge. Dora's been characterized as a coffee roaster so I think it's reasonable for the foodies (coffee-ies?) among us to hope for story lines where she knows her stuff at a higher level than common knowledge. If it's an oversight then oh well, Jeph more than makes up for it elsewhere in the comic. 

Then again maybe I'm falling into the over-analysis trap and I just need to go make another french press and wait patiently for the next update to see what if any of this Jeph cares to explore.

Tai looks like she's about to (trying to?) fall into the trap of being a rebound relationship: lots of interesting stuff there to explore as well; looking forward to seeing where Jeph hits the ball next.

[TheEvilDog]

I'll happily watch a coffee fairy deliver magic beans.

Which puts this into a new perspective. And it might make you happy.

[FunkyTuba]

Yeah... I remember her... she's probably delivering pixie dust for Jim's cupcakes. The pixies and the fairies fight hard for territory in Northampton.

[John_Knee]

Of prime concern: Look closer at that statement of Dora's: "Here's what I had roasted for us today." *GASP* There isn't a lot of coffee in that tupperware! What are the CoD's hours? Are they expected to last on that amount of coffee all day, even on a busy day?

On the basis that Dora doesn't roast them directly on the premises, quite possibly she has the coffee elsewhere and she brings over a 'fresh' batch each morning rather than a weeks supply on a Monday. How much is in the tupperware? Depending on how fine Dora grinds the beans and then compresses it into the tupperware, there could be a decent amount in there.

[jwhouk]

For me this isn't intended to be criticism so much as an analysis of how the continuity's going and an attempt to see where/if things are different to what happens IRL. I'm also looking for a way to interpret what's going on in the comic with a bias toward it being consistent as written (i.e. cut Jeph some slack)

Indeed indeed, but you could be worrying about so many other things, not just Dora serving coffee without degassing!

The horror, the horror. A business killer, I know. It causes the machines to explode and rebel against their coffee masters. Yes, in that order.

Of prime concern: Look closer at that statement of Dora's: "Here's what I had roasted for us today." *GASP* There isn't a lot of coffee in that tupperware! What are the CoD's hours? Are they expected to last on that amount of coffee all day, even on a busy day? Good heavens. You should worry about how much business the Coffee of Doom is getting! Secondly, think about the CoD's menu. They have all these fancy specials that obviously cater to the customer's taste (like cat-hair lattes), but is that it? How can everything fit in that one container? Do they only serve espresso? Do they not cater to customers who want decaf? Do they have different coffees available to brew? Don't even start to think about any leftover beans the coffee shop might have under the counter from the previous day; otherwise your brain will melt down your esophagus and rush out your genitals. I mean, really! Will she run the beans right from the roaster (OMG WHERE DOES SHE ROAST THE COFFEE???) and pour it all in another tupperware right away? Will she pour it straight into the grinder and cackle like a mad scientist in front of her customers? Or will she wait for that excess stock to disappear before using it?

Or maybe, just maybe...

I'm falling into the over-analysis trap and I just need to go make another french press.

"...and the nomination for 'Best Hannelore Imitation in a Forum Post' goes to..."

[Mr_Rose]

Of prime concern: Look closer at that statement of Dora's: "Here's what I had roasted for us today." *GASP* There isn't a lot of coffee in that tupperware! What are the CoD's hours? Are they expected to last on that amount of coffee all day, even on a busy day?

On the basis that Dora doesn't roast them directly on the premises, quite possibly she has the coffee elsewhere and she brings over a 'fresh' batch each morning rather than a weeks supply on a Monday. How much is in the tupperware? Depending on how fine Dora grinds the beans and then compresses it into the tupperware, there could be a decent amount in there.

We know she grinds and roasts the stuff herself "in [the] basement" using a secret process that she won't share with her minions staff.

N.B. From this and other references to locations such as "out back" it appears that CoD is a rather more extensive structure than the three rooms we've seen. I wonder when/if we'll get to see the rest?

[DSL]

More containers behind the counter?

[Kugai]

I think it's just a case of Dora knowing how many regulars she has each day plus Roasting extra for those occasional 'Drop In' customers she has.  Of course, that may change now she's getting Baked Goods from TSB, but that doesn't mean she can't Roast some more while Hanners, Cosette and Faye deal with the customers.  Of course, she also could have a 'Reserve' stored away for Emergency Use.

[Cartilage Head]

HA HA DORA WAS SUPPOSED TO ROAST COFFEE BEANS BUT SHE FORGOT

OH MAN.

[DSL]

(charlton heston voice) Dora's beans are PEOPLE! Dora's beans are made out of PEOPLE! (/Charlton Heston voice)

[TheEvilDog]

(charlton heston voice) Dora's beans are PEOPLE! Dora's beans are made out of PEOPLE! (/Charlton Heston voice)

I wondered why the french roast coffee tasted so conceited.

[FunkyTuba]

(charlton heston voice) Dora's beans are PEOPLE! Dora's beans are made out of PEOPLE! (/Charlton Heston voice)

Very acidic and tired people, natch.

[Is it cold in here?]

Dark and bitter.

[Method of Madness]

Dark and bitter.

How you take your coffee and/or women?

[Carl-E]

Light and sweet, when I could drink it/wasn't married. 

[cat_rant]

I have been know to say the following in response to the commonly asked question of the"how many sugars?"
"two please I'm a bitter bitch!" I think anyone who says "none I'm sweet enough thanks" lnstantly looses my respect. It's just so smarmy. Yuck.

[Welu]

I've never heard anyone say the "sweet enough" line about themselves. I did respond to someone who said the "sweet enough" line about me, "Yeah. Just give me the sugar, please." since they seemed the type to say it to any girl.

Although there's something odd enough about needing a witty retort to being asked if you want sugar. 

[Carl-E]

"Sugar?"



"PLEASE!"



is usually good enough. 

[TheEvilDog]

"Sugar?"

"Just dip your finger into it, it'll sweeten it up enough."

Yeah, thats it, ask someone to put their finger into a scalding liquid in an extremely unhygenic attempt to chat someone up.

[ysth]

I can't really imagine Marten as any character except Spock, and even that's not perfect.

Checkov

No, no, no.  Lt. Riley.

[O8h7w]

For me this isn't intended to be criticism so much as an analysis of how the continuity's going and an attempt to see where/if things are different to what happens IRL. I'm also looking for a way to interpret what's going on in the comic with a bias toward it being consistent as written (i.e. cut Jeph some slack)

Indeed indeed, but you could be worrying about so many other things, not just Dora serving coffee without degassing!

The horror, the horror. A business killer, I know. It causes the machines to explode and rebel against their coffee masters. Yes, in that order.

Of prime concern: Look closer at that statement of Dora's: "Here's what I had roasted for us today." *GASP* There isn't a lot of coffee in that tupperware! What are the CoD's hours? Are they expected to last on that amount of coffee all day, even on a busy day? Good heavens. You should worry about how much business the Coffee of Doom is getting! Secondly, think about the CoD's menu. They have all these fancy specials that obviously cater to the customer's taste (like cat-hair lattes), but is that it? How can everything fit in that one container? Do they only serve espresso? Do they not cater to customers who want decaf? Do they have different coffees available to brew? Don't even start to think about any leftover beans the coffee shop might have under the counter from the previous day; otherwise your brain will melt down your esophagus and rush out your genitals. I mean, really! Will she run the beans right from the roaster (OMG WHERE DOES SHE ROAST THE COFFEE???) and pour it all in another tupperware right away? Will she pour it straight into the grinder and cackle like a mad scientist in front of her customers? Or will she wait for that excess stock to disappear before using it?

Or maybe, just maybe...

I'm falling into the over-analysis trap and I just need to go make another french press.

Or, you know, we don't actually see how big that container is. It could be standing on the floor as well as on the counter, I guess...

[Kugai]

I can't really imagine Marten as any character except Spock, and even that's not perfect.

Checkov

No, no, no.  Lt. Riley.

Or Reg Barclay

[jwhouk]

What was.... THE... MOMENT... OF... THE WEEK?

Why didn't you just come back?  You LEFT ME HERE!    - 2 (6.3%)
I don't know him! He oculd be a KNIFE KILLER!    - 4 (12.5%)
I go fishing sometimes! It's more humane!    - 0 (0%)
Penelope Gaines meets PIZZA GIRL!    - 13 (40.6%) (As if I had to ask, right?)
Nice try, but yer not gonna throw me off your trail that easy.    - 0 (0%)
"We're throwing a big end-of-the-semester party. Wanna come?"    - 0 (0%)
I was gonna invite Dora too...    - 1 (3.1%)
If she's cool, I'm cool.    - 1 (3.1%)
Is this some kind of convoluted scheme to get us back together?    - 0 (0%)
Um, actually... kind of the exact opposite.    - 2 (6.3%)
Some kind of scheme to murder each other?    - 0 (0%)
Muffin delivery!    - 0 (0%)
Our, uh, our coffee beans. OH$#!+    - 0 (0%)
You must think I'm completely unprofessional.    - 0 (0%)
Here's what I had roasted for us. Take it.    - 0 (0%)
I can just roast more for us today.    - 0 (0%)
Oh, in that case I'll just come back...    - 0 (0%)
DAMMIT JIM, I'M TRYING TO BE THE MORE ACCOMMODATING PARTY HERE!    - 9 (28.1%)

Total Voters: 32