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No, our sensations are all there is

5 (15.2%)

Yes, but we can never know it

5 (15.2%)

Yes, and we can find out more and more about it

13 (39.4%)

Something beyond human understanding

5 (15.2%)

Mangled manganese mangaphile

5 (15.2%)

Total Members Voted: 32

[jwhouk]

New week, new thread. Couldn't come up with a good poll, so mods can add if they see fit.

[cybersmurf]

Objective Reality is whatever consensus the majority finds.

[TheEvilDog]

We all live in our own subjective realities. The human mind is not capable of being truly objective. Therefore, the entire idea of a single objective reality is purely speculative, an assumption that, while popular, is not necessary.













Thank you Wikiversity.

[celticgeek]

Wait.  What?  Cloaking Device? 

[cesium133]

They mispronounced it. Yelling Bird put a device on the emu's cloaca.

[hedgie]

On, or in?

[shanejayell]

Poor, poor Winslow. 

[TheEvilDog]

YOU FOOLS! YOU'VE GIVEN HUMANITY'S ARCH NEMESIS CLOAKING TECHNOLOGY! YOU'VE DOOMED US ALLLLLLLLLL!!!!

[cesium133]

On, or in?

Yes.

[St.Clair]

O'Brien Winslow Must Suffer

[Tova]

An emu with a cloaking device genuinely would be terrifying.

[BenRG]

In the footer text, Jeph notes that he's not sure what the scientists were hoping to achieve. Personally, I suspect that, stripped of jargon, the research grant application could be summarised as: "Because no-one has done this before" or as "For SCIENCE!!!" I doubt that anyone in the team went as far as to ask 'why'. It's not as if anyone's career is on the line if they can't deliver commercially-useful results!

I think that Winslow is rapidly learning the full truth of what made Hannelore once utter the words: "This frickin' town!" I also thinking that he may tell May that, as ornery as she can be, she's better than the Emu, which will leave her thinking: "What... The emu?"

By the way, it looks like the lady researcher has the same type of face module as Beepatrice. For this reason, I dub her 'Chimevera'.

[brasca]

An emu with a cloaking device genuinely would be terrifying.

Now that’s what I call a Romulan warbird.

[Zebediah]

Not sure if this is what inspired Jeph, but there’s been an emu running around loose in North Carolina for weeks and nobody has been able to catch it.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/07/eno-the-emu-north-carolina-wanted

[Wingy]

And some insurance company is advertising with an emu as well.  Who's going to explain these things to future generations??!??

On a lighter note, is Faye's neck longer in panel 1 of 4066 than any of the 3065 or 3077 panels?  I think Jeph has updated the model sheets to make necks longer or am I imagining things?

[BenRG]

And some insurance company is advertising with an emu as well.  Who's going to explain these things to future generations??!??

Who needs a detailed explanations? All you'd need to say is: "You realise that people are basically irresponsible and crazy, right? Especially when asked to make decisions in groups or if money or sex is involved?"

[DSL]

And some insurance company is advertising with an emu as well.  Who's going to explain these things to future generations??!??"

McGruff the Crime Dog will explain everything.

On a lighter note, is Faye's neck longer ...?

... Faye. Faye is the emu!

[Tova]

Faye is a cassowary.

[Wingy]

I can be literal, so excuse me if someone has already mentioned this and I missed it: but just how does one keep a tracking collar on an emu?  Seems like a collar small enough to not slip over the head would cause it to starve...

[cybersmurf]

I can be literal, so excuse me if someone has already mentioned this and I missed it: but just how does one keep a tracking collar on an emu?  Seems like a collar small enough to not slip over the head would cause it to starve...

don't birds usually get markers/tracking devices attached to their feet?

Edit: found an example

[Torlek]

In the footer text, Jeph notes that he's not sure what the scientists were hoping to achieve. Personally, I suspect that, stripped of jargon, the research grant application could be summarised as: "Because no-one has done this before" or as "For SCIENCE!!!" I doubt that anyone in the team went as far as to ask 'why'.

Obligatory.

[SotFX]

Not sure if this is what inspired Jeph, but there’s been an emu running around loose in North Carolina for weeks and nobody has been able to catch it.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/07/eno-the-emu-north-carolina-wanted

Either that or Australia lost far worse in the Great Emu War, and now are trying research in the US...

Or they've just started training ninjas as well

[Gyrre]

In the footer text, Jeph notes that he's not sure what the scientists were hoping to achieve. Personally, I suspect that, stripped of jargon, the research grant application could be summarised as: "Because no-one has done this before" or as "For SCIENCE!!!" I doubt that anyone in the team went as far as to ask 'why'. It's not as if anyone's career is on the line if they can't deliver commercially-useful results!

I think that Winslow is rapidly learning the full truth of what made Hannelore once utter the words: "This frickin' town!" I also thinking that he may tell May that, as ornery as she can be, she's better than the Emu, which will leave her thinking: "What... The emu?"

By the way, it looks like the lady researcher has the same type of face module as Beepatrice. For this reason, I dub her 'Chimevera'.

Care to explain your naming convention? I get the 'chime' part of it.

[BenRG]

Care to explain your naming convention? I get the 'chime' part of it.

Basically, 'Beepatrice' came from Cockatrice. I just chose another fantastic beast - The Chimera - and turned it into something artificial-sounding that also sounded like a feminine name. Chime + Vera becomes 'Chimevera'.

[oddtail]

I sort of just assumed "Beepatrice" was a play on "Beatrice" and that was it...

Then again, Roko's named "Basilisk", so that checks out.

[badbum61]

Speaking from personal experience, emus do not need cloaking devices to be terrifying. Those f*ckers are dead set fearless!

[Gyrre]

Speaking from personal experience, emus do not need cloaking devices to be terrifying. Those f*ckers are dead set fearless!

Just 'too stupid to be scared' as I understand it.

On the note of teens; as a former cashier, bored tweens/teens, stoners, drunks, and parents who refuse to supervise their hellspawn children are the worst customers to get in terms of store loses (theft and/or damage).

EDIT: No, I don't hate children. I hate parents that won't parent their children.

[Somebody]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqrg_VCPgAQ

[BenRG]

New Comic Up!

There is a lot of subtle sweetness in this strip. Yes, May is being May although, having to deal with the convenience store horror that's kids with nothing to do except shoplift for fun is a more than acceptable excuse for her being ornery. However, I think that Winslow has learned to read what she means out of what she says. That's why he has a little relieved smile in panel 3: Given May's mood, her words are practically an airborne glomp and enthusiastic full-body hug! She's happy to see him!

Whilst  there is a temptation to ship Winslow and May, for me at this stage, the key here is that they are friends after their very rocky start. May hasn't said 'go away' and it's clear that Winslow is now planning to hang around because, let's face it, it seems like May needs someone to talk to with whom she feels comfortable.

I'm sort of expecting her manager to come in and say something like: "I thought that hiring a Synthetic clerk would mean I'd stop having their boyfriends or girlfriends or whatever coming in to 'hang out' for hours without buying anything but I guess I was wrong!" May and Winslow's reactions would probably be very, very funny.

Finally, please note the next teenager in panel 4! I suspect that May put down her broom too soon!

[Mr_Rose]

So, is Winslow going to point out the lurking teen behind the counter?

[Zebediah]

So, is Winslow going to point out the lurking teen behind the counter?

“The Lurking Teen” is the title of a story that H. P. Lovecraft considered writing, but then rejected because the premise was just too horrifying.

[TheEvilDog]

So, is Winslow going to point out the lurking teen behind the counter?

“The Lurking Teen” is the title of a story that H. P. Lovecraft considered writing, but then rejected because the premise was just too horrifying.

*Let's loose a shrill, high pitched scream*

[DSL]

Teen infestations. You can't even spray for 'em.
It was tried once, but it backfired. The stuff was just remarketed as Axe.

[Wingy]

Teen infestations. You can't even spray for 'em.

This was a long time ago and it wouldn't be legal now (the children involved are now in their 60's and it's not legal in my state for sure).  One of my former bosses told his kids that they would lose all driving privileges and be kicked out of the family home if the ever got a DUI or he caught them drinking and driving while they were living under his roof. In return, they could drink at home, illegally as they were under age, as long as the party ended when they had previously negotiated it would.  By all accounts it worked out fine.  However:

Their house backed up on a local park.  The local high school kids, which his were a part of the group, would have a large party in the park every year.  After sunset, the under-age drinking had a tendency to get out of hand, fights, loud music from cars, etc.  The city police would send a helicopter with a spotlight over to help break up the worst of the behavior and support the ground-based officers.  Meanwhile, his kids and their friends would sit on the back porch and watch the mayhem. 

My former boss remarked that teens under a chopper spotlight behave *exactly* like roaches when you flipped on the light in a dark kitchen...

It was tried once, but it backfired. The stuff was just remarketed as Axe.

My voice teacher refuses to let students into her studio if they are wearing that .. uh .. stuff.  I don't blame her a bit, but then, I'm old enough to have learned that the best aphrodisiac is a recent shower with a scentless soap.

[Mr Intrepid]

I'm sort of expecting her manager to come in and say something like: "I thought that hiring a Synthetic clerk would mean I'd stop having their boyfriends or girlfriends or whatever coming in to 'hang out' for hours without buying anything but I guess I was wrong!" May and Winslow's reactions would her broom too soon
May would tell him, "My friend Roko says "hi!"
And the manager would shut up and slink back to his office.

[brasca]

The problem is with the closing of many of their natural habitats mall rats seek other nests.

[Stoutfellow]

Is May suggesting that teens will survive WWIII?

[Mr_Rose]

Is May suggesting that teens will survive WWIII?

Yes. And promptly form a tribal cargo-cult-like society where rank is based on how many random bits of circuit board you can strap to your chest.

[rtmq0227]

Is May suggesting that teens will survive WWIII?

Yes. And promptly form a tribal cargo-cult-like society where rank is based on how many random bits of circuit board you can strap to your chest.

I feel like I've seen this show...

[Penquin47]

I love May.  The support Winslow needed, complete with crude joke.

[BenRG]

This is a curious strip. Is Jeph reacting to the annoyance some felt towards Hannelore for encouraging Winslow to do more with himself? Either way, though, this is a new insight into May. She's never struck me as being a 'do what you feel' sort of person, given that she was pretty active in urging Marigold to get over her indecision loop. That said, she was doing Dale a favour there so who knows what she thinks when she doesn't have a personal stake.

My disappointment with this comic? Panel 1 isn't May tossing that last teen out in some comedic way.

[sitnspin]

This is the response I expect from May. She, for good reason, has strong feelings about personal freedom.

The difference in the Marigold case is that it was obvious that what Marigold was doing wasn't making her happy. In this case, the opposite is true. She's encouraging Winslow to do what brings him joy and comfort.

[pwhodges]

My disappointment with this comic? Panel 1 isn't May tossing that last teen out in some comedic way.

But the debris from her doing it is scattered around every frame!  I like being able to build my own picture of what went on...

[Tova]

Stories are stronger when they let the audience join the dots. Wouldn’t you say, Ben?

[BenRG]

Stories are stronger when they let the audience join the dots. Wouldn’t you say, Ben?

Not automatically no. However, in this particular case you are taking a semi-humorous remark about something I wanted to see as some sort of substantive criticism.

[Wingy]

She's never struck me as being a 'do what you feel' sort of person, ....

I agree - she's not.  I think she's just referring back to Winslow's privileged financial position: "Eh, you don't gotta.  You could stay home and watch the pigeons all day" coming from her, I hear and interpret as a semi-snarky tone (because poor her has to work).  Winslow then misses the point, and May's next comment about place is the poor minority apologizing to the hoity toity for existing.  Winslow misses this point somewhat too, though you can tell he's a little annoyed with May who's "I wanna hear" comeback is as loud as she ever laughs internally at someone.

My disappointment with this comic? Panel 1 isn't May tossing that last teen out in some comedic way.

I agree.  Perhaps a missed opportunity or just one deferred???

[Theta9]

*Let's loose a shrill, high pitched scream*

Yes, let's do! Who goes first?

[Tova]

Stories are stronger when they let the audience join the dots. Wouldn’t you say, Ben?

Not automatically no. However, in this particular case you are taking a semi-humorous remark about something I wanted to see as some sort of substantive criticism.

I meant in general, of course. And no, I didn't think you were making a substantive criticism. Just picking up a topic and running with it.

[OldGoat]

My disappointment with this comic? Panel 1 isn't May tossing that last teen out in some comedic way.

Personally, I like slapping the dust off her hands post-ejection even better.  The kid is gone and May hasn't missed a beat in her conversation with Winslow.

[David F]

I think she's just referring back to Winslow's privileged financial position: "Eh, you don't gotta.  You could stay home and watch the pigeons all day" coming from her, I hear and interpret as a semi-snarky tone (because poor her has to work).  Winslow then misses the point, and May's next comment about place is the poor minority apologizing to the hoity toity for existing.  Winslow misses this point somewhat too, though you can tell he's a little annoyed with May who's "I wanna hear" comeback is as loud as she ever laughs internally at someone.

I can see May being that snarky to some people, but she opened up to Winslow a lot the last time they met (when he was a substitute robo-counsellor back in #3581).  I'd also expect her to emphasize "You" instead of "could" in "You *could* stay home" if she was snarking at him as you suggest.  May's had some time to mature while Winslow was gone.  She even hugged Roko without looking like she hated the idea... (#4032)