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QC In Space Guest Strip by Scott DeWitt of FANBOYS!

0 (0%)

Yelling Bird and Sweetits

0 (0%)

Shame orb is now Pride Orb!

2 (5.6%)

SO THAT'S WHY YOU CAN'T LEAVE THE COUNTRY ANYMORE

0 (0%)

BAM BAM BAM

0 (0%)

H-hey dad, what's the ma- EXPLAIN STEAMPUNK.

1 (2.8%)

Huh? STEAMPUNK. EXPLAIN IT.

2 (5.6%)

W-well, it's like... 180''s technology only made all weird...

0 (0%)

And people dress up all old-timey only with gears and goggles and-

0 (0%)

GOD DAMN IT GOD DAMN IT GOD DAMN IT GOD DAMN IT

4 (11.1%)

All My Vices Are Devices t-shirt

7 (19.4%)

So apparently my brother isn't banging tons of girls at random anymore.

0 (0%)

Haven't seen flying pigs and earth's core is still molten.

0 (0%)

Hope he's okay (Now that he's stopped you're WORRIED?)

0 (0%)

It's just a sudden change! If you said you'd quit eating cupcakes.. (I resent that comparison)

1 (2.8%)

(Hey, that's my latte you're drinking!)

3 (8.3%)

STOP CUPCAKE-SHAMING ME

2 (5.6%)

What's the matter? (talking about cupcakes, made us desire cupcakes...)

0 (0%)

So we went and got some. And we ate them. God help us, we ate them all.

0 (0%)

Delicious baked treats to a rolling ball of hatred in my tummy

1 (2.8%)

You didn't save me a cupcake, you're terrible friends, and I shouldn't feel bad for you at all.

13 (36.1%)

Total Members Voted: 35

[Soulsynger]

Then explain to me the random sticking of gears on items in a non-functional form?  [ ... ]

MEFT*: When any one thing goes from "underground" to "popular", its "dumbed down" to its basic visual components in order to make it more easily comprehensible and attractive as a hobby (hence: popular).
(I always had the feeling that particular effect hit Steampunk undeservingly hard because marketing tried to keep it as far away from being associated from sci-fi as possible.)

... but to my shame I must admit to the occasional wearing of non-functional gear-style trinket because - to me - its an aesthetically appealing symbol.

Btw. "pasties"? dict.cc gives me a sort of baked good from England or forms of Pâté ... I am missing the right translation here. oO

* My explanation for this

[Tova]

You have to admit, her analogy did turn out to be remarkably apt.

[Dr. ROFLPWN]

Then explain to me the random sticking of gears on items in a non-functional form?  [ ... ]

MEFT*: When any one thing goes from "underground" to "popular", its "dumbed down" to its basic visual components in order to make it more easily comprehensible and attractive as a hobby (hence: popular).
(I always had the feeling that particular effect hit Steampunk undeservingly hard because marketing tried to keep it as far away from being associated from sci-fi as possible.)

... but to my shame I must admit to the occasional wearing of non-functional gear-style trinket because - to me - its an aesthetically appealing symbol.

Btw. "pasties"? dict.cc gives me a sort of baked good from England or forms of Pâté ... I am missing the right translation here. oO

* My explanation for this

Pasties = nipple covers.

And steampunk has largely the same problem as cyberpunk, which it started having before it became an aesthetic: "punk" genres are meant to offer dark sociopolitical commentary, visions of a troubled future or a troubled alternate history; see works like The Difference Engine or Queen Victoria's Bomb. It's not about how shiny the buttons on your longcoat are, or how cool your zeppelin is.

I digress, though. Faye and Dora are fantastic today. Should give longtime readers a shot of nostalgia.

[Tova]

One thing I forgot to post about... "dumbing down" is only one way to broaden the appeal of something, surely?

Sometimes when someone complains that something has been "dumbed down" I wonder whether they are really just complaining that it's popular now.

[cpflux]

I think Faye's losing her edge. She's done worse to customers' drinks.

[Arancaytar]

Guy shouldn't have asked for a small latte. The machine only does medium.

[Marx0r]

Hey, long time lurker, first time poster here. Not to be an asshole, but the Earth's core is actually solid due to the immense pressure on it.

[pwhodges]

Welcome, new person!

The Earth's core is described as having two parts, the solid inner core (this was finally established to be solid in 1971) and the liquid outer core.  The inner core has about one third of the radius of the outer core, so comprises only about 4% of the total core's volume.

[Border Reiver]

You have to admit, her analogy did turn out to be remarkably apt.

and it's really disturbing the way Faye looks at them.  I mean it's like she's licking the icing off them in her mind the whole time. 

[Throg]

Meanwhile, Francis York is about to ask if they know a woman named Marigold...

[Soulsynger]

One thing I forgot to post about... "dumbing down" is only one way to broaden the appeal of something, surely?
Sometimes when someone complains that something has been "dumbed down" I wonder whether they are really just complaining that it's popular now.

My bad, of course it isn't. Sometimes making things simpler can be an improvement.

I put that in quotation marks because I couldn't come up with a better term...
"Adjust to marketability concerns"? "Simplify to appeal to wider audience"? Its hard to find terms that don't sound like synonyms of "to reduce" here...

(I love the English language... but sometimes its a pain. °O )

[jwhouk]

Meanwhile, Francis York is about to ask if they've know a woman named Marigold...

Now, Throg, we've had this conversation before. Just because someone looks like someone else in this strip, it doesn't mean it really is them.

Isn't that right, Penelope?

[El_Flesh]

Actually, I LoL'd at the background action - Faye taking a sip of the customer's espresso then handing it to him.

Bleeccchhh. Angus sperm in his coffee.

[Soulsynger]

Bleeccchhh. Angus sperm in his coffee.

I've read through the archive again recently and this seems to be a recurring topic: oral hygene. °O

[iduguphergrave]

Bleeccchhh. Extra cream in his coffee.

FYP

[Black Sword]

Cupcake shaming is the greatest thing ever.

Apparently the baristas have taken to tasting the coffee in front of the customers to prove that the drinks are not poisoned?

I thought something like this was standard operating procedure ever since Dora hired Faye.

[cvcharger]

Forgive me if someone already said this, I've been rather busy lately.  Rather, changing jobs.  Drama blah, blah, interesting stuff, boring stuff, save for another thread if I feel like posting about it.  Anyway, I'm just wondering if Dora is the person who Shame Orb passed the torch to.  She seemed to be channeling him (her, it?) in that last comic.

[Bachi-Atari]

Anyway, I'm just wondering if Dora is the person who Shame Orb passed the torch to.  She seemed to be channeling him (her, it?) in that last comic.

I was thinking the same thing.  Perhaps she's the one who absorbed it's power and caused it to transform into the Pride Orb

[Method of Madness]

(I always had the feeling that particular effect hit Steampunk undeservingly hard because marketing tried to keep it as far away from being associated from sci-fi as possible.)

Wait, what? Why? There are people who like steampunk but don't like sci-fi? You'd think they'd have a similar fanbase.

[jmucchiello]

Hey, long time lurker, first time poster here. Not to be an asshole, but the Earth's core is actually solid due to the immense pressure on it.

You can say that during a discussion of steampunk? Steampunk isn't just zeppelins to Mars. It also presumes the existence of a Pellucidar

Two Pages ago:
In my experience, people under 25, when confronted with a term they don't know ignore it under the assumption that what they don't know already must either be unimportant or stupid baby boomer nostalgia crap.

"Google it" is the battle cry of the 25-35 demographic and for anyone for whom the Internet is over 20+ years old, aka Internet early adopters.

[Method of Madness]

I hate when I ask what something is only to be told to "google it".  Yes, I could look it up, but learning is more fun when it's a shared experience, especially when that leads to a discussion on an interesting topic.

[DSL]

At my last job, I was derided as a Luddite dinosaur by the very kids I had to show how to frame a basic Google search.

[Barmymoo]

"Google it" is definitely something I've heard a lot amongst my peers and my brother's friends, and all of us are under 20. I think perhaps we should just conclude that people who use the internet a lot use Google and people who don't use the internet don't?

[Is it cold in here?]

Bleeccchhh. Angus sperm in his coffee.

We were facing away from the blackboard, so we don't know what the specials were.

At least Faye didn't blame the cupcakes for dressing provocatively.

[Method of Madness]

The reason "google it" bugs me is because it makes me think of when you'd ask someone how to spell something and instead of being helpful they'd tell you to look it up.  There's no reason not to answer a question if you can, if it can't be explained easily then say that, don't be a dick about it.

[Redball]

At the same time, I can imagine, say, a clueless co-worker becoming irritating with frequent questions. Do I recall this happening in my own newsroom? Actually, no. What I do recall was being irritated by a coworker who would pick up the phone and dial information to get a phone number, never thinking to use the phone book.

[Barmymoo]

I think there's a time and a place for making people find things out themselves. If someone wants to spell a word, then telling them the spelling is straight-forward. If they want to know why Syria is in a state of civil war, direct them to the internet because otherwise you'll be here all night.

[Soulsynger]

(I always had the feeling that particular effect hit Steampunk undeservingly hard because marketing tried to keep it as far away from being associated from sci-fi as possible.)

Wait, what? Why? There are people who like steampunk but don't like sci-fi? You'd think they'd have a similar fanbase.

For no other reason other than to not create any possibility of crossing over of the genres. Thats never good for business.

(Note to self: Following through with an argument that contains hints at "the man" is harder than anticipated.)

[Method of Madness]

I'd imagine it'd be great for business to appeal to fans of both genres, wouldn't that get twice as much money?

[Soulsynger]

Or it would piss both off. Who knows? °O

[Arancaytar]

Meanwhile, Francis York is about to ask if they've know a woman named Marigold...

Now, Throg, we've had this conversation before. Just because someone looks like someone else in this strip, it doesn't mean it really is them.

Isn't that right, Penelope?

Says you; I'm still convinced that Marten and Dora are actually the same person; all the times we've seen them together were actually hallucinations or optical illusions by the narrator.

[Akima]

The reason "google it" bugs me is because it makes me think of when you'd ask someone how to spell something and instead of being helpful they'd tell you to look it up.  There's no reason not to answer a question if you can, if it can't be explained easily then say that, don't be a dick about it.

Well... There is also the point that people shouldn't ask for information that is easily available from standard reference sources because:

1) Learning to use reference tools like dictionaries, reference books, encyclopaedias, libraries etc. is desirable, and an important part of being an educated, effective human being.
2) Learning through personal research is more satisfying and effective than being spoon-fed information without effort.
3) The attitude that other people are put on earth to be your servants is offensive. How would you feel about someone who lolled on a couch and expected others to fetch and carry everything for them? Is expecting others to spoon-feed you information that you could find yourself with modest effort really any different from expecting them to peel grapes and put them in your mouth?

Ooops! Perhaps my red scarf was showing a little there...    Well before I had regular access to the internet, my parents were always directing me to reference books for answers.

[Is it cold in here?]

Says you; I'm still convinced that Marten and Dora are actually the same person; all the times we've seen them together were actually hallucinations or optical illusions by the narrator.

You've got a point there. To believe that Marten and Dora are separate people and that their interactions really happened is to believe that Marten had a success in his sex life.

[Schmorgluck]

I hate when I ask what something is only to be told to "google it".  Yes, I could look it up, but learning is more fun when it's a shared experience, especially when that leads to a discussion on an interesting topic.

At times, it's like the "RTFM" attitude prevalent among hackers some years ago. At least the Free Software movement largely avoids this quirk: most of the time there's no manual to speak of. This reminds me, somewhat, of a picture I made and used in my sig on some forums that allowed pictures in sigs.

[jwhouk]

Or it would piss both off. Who knows? °O

Or it would combine nicely - have you seen the DC steampunk stuff?

[jwhouk]

<snippage>
Ooops! Perhaps my red scarf was showing a little there...    Well before I had regular access to the internet, my parents were always directing me to reference books for answers.

Red Scarf? (Insert confused American look here:  )

[jwhouk]

So who would be next on the Parental Appearance list?

Marigold's mom - the geeky school-marm teacher.    4 (11.8%)
Angus's Dad - he's a member of the common council of Amherst.    1 (2.9%)
Angus's Mom - she's an English professor at Holyoke.    1 (2.9%)
Faye's mom comes up north to visit.    3 (8.8%)
Steve's Dad - there's a reason why he's been divorced multiple times.    1 (2.9%)
Steve's Mom - she hasn't seen him much since the divorce.    0 (0%)
A revisiting of Mrs. Ellicott-Chatham.    4 (11.8%)
Penelope's Dad - who's a preacher at the local Episcopalian church.    3 (8.8%)
Penelope's Mom - who's a first-class bookworm.    0 (0%)
Raven's parents - they really ARE rocket scientists!    13 (38.2%)
Cosette's Dad - an EMT.    2 (5.9%)
Cosette's Mom - a Ballerina.    1 (2.9%)
Other (you choose)    1 (2.9%)

Total Members Voted: 34

[Method of Madness]

I hope Jeph uses this for his next Shebly filler comic.  I guess he could replace Pintsize with the Shame Pride Orb if he doesn't want to put Pintsize in there.

[Method of Madness]

Also, Akima, I don't mean relying on someone for every little thing, I mean if someone mentions a band they like or another interesting topic, and you go "oh, who are they?" or ask something about them and they reply with "google it". I mean, come on, you were just talking about them, and now you don't want to?

(I should've been more specific, I guess, it doesn't happen that often)

[Soulsynger]

Or it would piss both off. Who knows? °O

Or it would combine nicely - have you seen the DC steampunk stuff?

Nope... and in the interest of the thread I shall drop this topic now by saying: "I'll google it." 

(Woah, that gave me goosebumps. Awesome!)

[Near Lurker]

You'd think they'd want to do these stupid things at Dora's apartment now...

[Is it cold in here?]

I see "RTFM" most often when someone asks a question in public, thus requesting a favor from hundreds or thousands of people, when it would have been far more economical all around for the requester to have looked it up.

Things are different in social situations.

Maybe Dora and Faye could re-make the classic Alka-Seltzer commercial.

[Soulsynger]

You'd think they'd want to do these stupid things at Dora's apartment now...

Have we even seen that yet?

Oh and someone alert the media! QC has turned into a SOAP! °O

(Faye's remark about how a certain deity should constructively intervene set off something for me that felt similar to the "tiny hats mini arc" ... weird.)

I hear "RTFM" most often when someone asks a question in public [ ... ]

FTFY

[Y]

The reason "google it" bugs me is because it makes me think of when you'd ask someone how to spell something and instead of being helpful they'd tell you to look it up.  There's no reason not to answer a question if you can, if it can't be explained easily then say that, don't be a dick about it.

Well... There is also the point that people shouldn't ask for information that is easily available from standard reference sources because:

1) Learning to use reference tools like dictionaries, reference books, encyclopaedias, libraries etc. is desirable, and an important part of being an educated, effective human being.
2) Learning through personal research is more satisfying and effective than being spoon-fed information without effort.
3) The attitude that other people are put on earth to be your servants is offensive. How would you feel about someone who lolled on a couch and expected others to fetch and carry everything for them? Is expecting others to spoon-feed you information that you could find yourself with modest effort really any different from expecting them to peel grapes and put them in your mouth?

Ooops! Perhaps my red scarf was showing a little there...    Well before I had regular access to the internet, my parents were always directing me to reference books for answers.

I hate it when I search for a problem, see the forum post about it that only says 'search/google for it'. The worst case was a forum about some program and everyone had about the same problem. and thread was locked and had a reply from the admin 'search for it'. Then their forum search was a google search, so it was near impossible to track down the thread with the answer.

You'd think they'd want to do these stupid things at Dora's apartment now...

Is this the first time Dora is back in the apartment since the break up?

[pwhodges]

The first time we've seen her there, I think.

We've not seen her new apartment socially, but we saw a bit when she viewed it, and when she moved in.

[slydon]

In panel 1, it looks like something else is bursting. 

[Akima]

Red Scarf? (Insert confused American look here:  )

At the age of six, like pretty much every schoolchild in China, I was inducted into the Young Pioneers (AKA the 红领巾 or "Red Scarves") by having a red scarf tied round my neck by the leader of my detachment. I was implying that I was coming on like a doctrinaire little commie: "Vigorously crush the parasite landlord class!"... 

I hear "RTFM" most often when someone asks a question in public [ ... ]

FTFY

No, I think "see RTFM" is is most likely; in forums, newsgroups, mailing lists etc. And it is irritating when people ask for help without either reading the manual, FAQs and HOWTOs, OR searching the archives for the twenty-two dozen times someone has asked and been answered before, OR including sufficient information to allow anybody to help even if they wanted to: "I'm can't get <software> working under <OS>. Help plz?". I'm doing it again, aren't I?

Back to the comic. I don't think sit-ups do much to burn calories, so the girls punished themselves to no purpose. But they should have saved a cupcake for Marten, so... Karma?

[Method of Madness]

In panel 1, it looks like something else is bursting. 

 

[TinPenguin]

The first time we've seen her there, I think.

No, we have seen her back at the apartment once since the break-up, which was during the space arc. It is the first time we've seen her there at the same time as Marten, though.

[Barmymoo]

Slydon is making comments about Faye's breasts, I think.

I am always amazed by those Yahoo Answers questions, because if they had simply googled the matter, they'd have got the answer without being all "can you put shoes in the dishwasher?" on Yahoo.