Topic: WCDT 4136-4140 (Nov 18th-22nd, 2019) (Read 22110 times)

Gyrre · « **on:** 17 Nov 2019, 07:35 »

Beepatrice and Melon are part of the ensemble cast along with Momo and May if you ask me. Hence not listing them. And since Mille-feuille's butt implants came in, there's a fair chance she'll be one of the first to show up.

EDIT: For the very least, Melon is. Though Beeps will likely keeping showing up up through the resolvement of May's chassis issues.

Gyrre · « **Reply #1 on:** 17 Nov 2019, 08:07 »

Gordon is the jumping spider AI, BTW.

cybersmurf · « **Reply #2 on:** 17 Nov 2019, 12:36 »

Quote from: Gyrre on 17 Nov 2019, 07:35

Beepatrice and Melon are part of the ensemble cast along with Momo and May if you ask me.

Beeps at least is part of the current arc, and then may vanish into indefinite hiatus. Melon is Melon. There's no escaping Melon. All hail our Robot Overlord!

Gyrre · « **Reply #3 on:** 17 Nov 2019, 15:01 »

Quote from: cybersmurf on 17 Nov 2019, 12:36

Quote from: Gyrre on 17 Nov 2019, 07:35
Beepatrice and Melon are part of the ensemble cast along with Momo and May if you ask me.

Beeps at least is part of the current arc, and then may vanish into indefinite hiatus. Melon is Melon. There's no escaping Melon. All hail our Robot Overlord!

Hmmm this is true. She could very well end up like Jeremy and Corpsewitch from the fighting arena days.

Mr Intrepid · « **Reply #4 on:** 17 Nov 2019, 16:22 »

Lemon could show up as part of Roko's story. Checking up on her, touching base with her sister.

Torlek · « **Reply #5 on:** 17 Nov 2019, 18:32 »

Quote from: cybersmurf on 17 Nov 2019, 12:36

Quote from: Gyrre on 17 Nov 2019, 07:35
Beepatrice and Melon are part of the ensemble cast along with Momo and May if you ask me.

Beeps at least is part of the current arc, and then may vanish into indefinite hiatus. Melon is Melon. There's no escaping Melon. All hail our Robot Overlord!

We once said the same things about Yelling Bird and Randy, don't think that canon status will protect Melon.

Now that comic's up.....I had completely forgotten that Dora and Tai had gotten engaged. #godifeelold

shanejayell · « **Reply #6 on:** 17 Nov 2019, 18:34 »

On the other hand, there's nothing you can do about it. So carry on as usual, Hanners....

BenRG · « **Reply #7 on:** 17 Nov 2019, 23:20 »

I'll be honest and admit that I don't know what the point is supposed to be about today's strip. We've been here before - Hannelore latching onto an obscure scientific prediction of doom and obsessing about it. It's a useful way to remind us of how her obsessive nature can sometimes mess up her life quite badly. However, it's always been immersed in some larger point about how Hannelore's everyday life works before this.

I'm going to take a guess and suggest that this isn't actually about Hannelore at all. It's about Dora and how the prospect of being about to become "Mrs Tai" has impacted on her thinking.

Tova · « **Reply #8 on:** 17 Nov 2019, 23:32 »

Or Jeph came across an article about vacuum delay one day and decided that it was perfect to tuck it away for a future Hanners Filler Strip.

cybersmurf · « **Reply #9 on:** 17 Nov 2019, 23:57 »

Quote from: Tova on 17 Nov 2019, 23:32

Or Jeph came across an article about vacuum delay one day and decided that it was perfect to tuck it away for a future Hanners Filler Strip.

You mean vacuum decay came through like a hitchhiker?

Case · « **Reply #10 on:** 18 Nov 2019, 00:35 »

Quote from: BenRG on 17 Nov 2019, 23:20

I'll be honest and admit that I don't know what the point is supposed to be about today's strip. We've been here before - Hannelore latching onto an obscure scientific prediction of doom and obsessing about it. It's a useful way to remind us of how her obsessive nature can sometimes mess up her life quite badly. However, it's always been immersed in some larger point about how Hannelore's everyday life works before this.

Errrrrh - actually, there were real people who really tried to prevent the start of the real LHC on the grounds of just that obscure - and very unscientific - 'prediction'. And they got some real help along the way by our real newsmedia, because back then, there was no Brexit, and Trump was still a reality TV personality, so people had to invent shit to be scared of!

Quote from: Tova on 17 Nov 2019, 23:32

Or Jeph came across an article about vacuum delay one day and decided that it was perfect to tuck it away for a future Hanners Filler Strip.

-l +c

Tova · « **Reply #11 on:** 18 Nov 2019, 01:23 »

Too much time spent putting off housework.

Hypersapien · « **Reply #12 on:** 18 Nov 2019, 04:20 »

Wasn't that a Greg Egan book?

JoeCovenant · « **Reply #13 on:** 18 Nov 2019, 04:45 »

Quote from: Tova on 18 Nov 2019, 01:23

Too much time spent putting off housework.

Well of course you'd put it off!
Cos surely that would include a vacuum !!!!!!

Wingy · « **Reply #14 on:** 18 Nov 2019, 05:15 »

Quote from: BenRG on 17 Nov 2019, 23:20

It's about Dora and how the prospect of being about to become "Mrs Tai" has impacted on her thinking.

Hmmm. Tai strikes me as the one who would freak out at the last minute about becoming "Mrs. Dora", not the other way around. Dora strikes me as having been raised conventionally enough that she'd take Tai's last name if Tai asked her to, but I doubt Tai would - it's not that important to *her*. Tai's family on the other hand, might care, and then the battle would be joined because Dora wouldn't sit still for that once she figured out it wasn't really Tai asking.

Zebediah · « **Reply #15 on:** 18 Nov 2019, 07:56 »

They'll either both keep their last names, or hyphenate. Bianci-Hubbert has a nice flow to it.

maneyan · « **Reply #16 on:** 18 Nov 2019, 08:54 »

Seems like Hannelore watched that Kurtzgesagt video too

shanejayell · « **Reply #17 on:** 18 Nov 2019, 19:01 »

New strip. Dora getting so thoughtful threw me a bit... until the last panel. *lol*

andrybak · « **Reply #18 on:** 18 Nov 2019, 23:13 »

For those wondering, judging by the archive, the title of #4137 is supposed to be "OxyItoldyouso". "Oxy (as in oxytocin, mentioned by Dora) I told you so".

BenRG · « **Reply #19 on:** 18 Nov 2019, 23:33 »

I'm actually wondering now if we're watching Jeph working his way through an anxiety attack or if he's explaining how he does so.

That aside, we all have differing perspectives and we're seeing how that applies to Dora and Hannelore in the area of mortality on every possible scale.

Scarlet Manuka · « **Reply #20 on:** 19 Nov 2019, 02:42 »

Quote from: Hypersapien on 18 Nov 2019, 04:20

Wasn't that a Greg Egan book?

Schild's Ladder. An accidentally engineered, rather than spontaneous, vacuum decay. And propagating at half light speed rather than full, because it's set in a non-FTL universe and it would be hard to construct a plot out of it if the first anyone knew about there being a problem was when their planet was wiped out of existence. Tied with Diaspora as my favourite of his.

BenRG · « **Reply #21 on:** 19 Nov 2019, 04:30 »

It reminds me of a similar unpredictable and unstoppable all-destroying cataclysm - Strange quarks. Once they appear, all the up and down quarks that make up the baryonic matter of the universe would turn into mixes of strange and charm quarks and probably not work anymore, at least not with the laws of physics as we know them.

Case · « **Reply #22 on:** 19 Nov 2019, 04:36 »

Quote from: Scarlet Manuka on 19 Nov 2019, 02:42

An accidentally engineered, rather than spontaneous, vacuum decay. And propagating at half light speed rather than full, because it's set in a non-FTL universe and it would be hard to construct a plot out of it if the first anyone knew about there being a problem was when their planet was wiped out of existence.

"There are some remaining problems concerning the reproducibility of our theory, Sir ..."

traroth · « **Reply #23 on:** 19 Nov 2019, 06:29 »

"The eternal silence of those infinite spaces frightens me", Blaise Pascal

How to fill the eternal silence of those infinite spaces?

(click to show/hide)

cybersmurf · « **Reply #24 on:** 19 Nov 2019, 10:08 »

When we get down to subatomic particles, even matter becomes a lot of empty space. There's a reason you need a lump of radioactive material large enough to sustain the chain reaction for nukes.
Thinking about it, you don't even have to go subatomic. Now, in a time of search for alternative fuels, hydrogen is a well known candidate. Problem: H₂ molecules are so small they even creep trough metal. As in "the gaps in the molecular structure of a solid piece metal are too large to contain hydrogen".

Makes me wonder: if you want empty space, go huge (astronomical), or go tiny. We humans may just be too mediocre to be empty.

Y · « **Reply #25 on:** 19 Nov 2019, 12:23 »

I must admit while I was reading yesterday's comic I briefly thought Hanners came in naked and the punchline would be related to that, though that would be unlike Hannelore as three other characters would be more likely to do that for scientific reasons. As for the vacuum, Hanners has nothing to worry about. The sun will engulf the earth way before that happens, unless of course they're working on that technology.

Zebediah · « **Reply #26 on:** 19 Nov 2019, 13:39 »

Well, for someone who is germophobic and who works in an environment with potentially scalding liquids, Hannelore doesn't wear a lot of clothing. But coming into the shop naked would be several steps beyond anything we've ever seen from her.

Pintsize, on the other hand, has been in the coffee shop naked many times.

badbum61 · « **Reply #27 on:** 19 Nov 2019, 19:02 »

+1 for the Vonnegut reference.

Rincewind · « **Reply #28 on:** 19 Nov 2019, 19:45 »

"Do NOT press the big red button!"

The shiny, candy-like button...

shanejayell · « **Reply #29 on:** 19 Nov 2019, 19:59 »

Jeph has apparently settled on Emily being smart, just a cloud cookoo lander...

BarGamer · « **Reply #30 on:** 19 Nov 2019, 20:19 »

I might be applying the theory wrong, but if you can invent any number of custom micro-universes, with whatever laws of physics you want, then are they like the Doctor Strange movies/comics or is it closer to the Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire?

ZoeB · « **Reply #31 on:** 19 Nov 2019, 22:18 »

Quote from: BarGamer on 19 Nov 2019, 20:19

I might be applying the theory wrong, but if you can invent any number of custom micro-universes, with whatever laws of physics you want, then are they like the Doctor Strange movies/comics or is it closer to the Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire?

Some are ridiculous. The one with Donald Trump as President of the US and Boris Johnson as Prime Minister of the UK for example.

BenRG · « **Reply #32 on:** 19 Nov 2019, 23:25 »

This is Emily though, isn't it? Always positive and always looking at the bright side because... well, she loves life too much not to! That said, yeah, this is one of the reasons all the letter intelligence agencies are keeping an eye on her and periodically hard formatting the hard drive on her laptop! Sometimes, she sees so much of the good side that it's quite possible that she's blind to the bad!

I wonder how Dora would react if someone were to tell her that she's pretty much got early-strip Faye and Raven back in her life?

Meander · « **Reply #33 on:** 20 Nov 2019, 03:53 »

My love of Emily continues, unabated and unrequited.

Yay, Emily!

Wingy · « **Reply #34 on:** 20 Nov 2019, 05:16 »

Quote from: BarGamer on 19 Nov 2019, 20:19

I might be applying the theory wrong, but if you can invent any number of custom micro-universes, with whatever laws of physics you want, then are they like the Doctor Strange movies/comics or is it closer to the Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire?

No, more like World of Tiers series by Philip José Farmer.

Quote from: Meander on 20 Nov 2019, 03:53

My love of Emily continues, unabated and unrequited.

Second!

Quote from: Rincewind on 19 Nov 2019, 19:45

The shiny, candy-like button...

Just make sure the cancellation button is in working order before pressing the big red button... And don't get in the capsule with the bear!

Perfectly Reasonable · « **Reply #35 on:** 20 Nov 2019, 07:37 »

I was briefly confused yesterday because Dora sounded like Emily. So of course Emily must show up to keep the balance.

'Reporting for duty!' Emily is definitely going to be a wallpaper.

FOR SCIENCE!

Gyrre · « **Reply #36 on:** 20 Nov 2019, 10:01 »

Quote from: Y on 19 Nov 2019, 12:23

I must admit while I was reading yesterday's comic I briefly thought Hanners came in naked and the punchline would be related to that, though that would be unlike Hannelore as three other characters would be more likely to do that for scientific reasons. As for the vacuum, Hanners has nothing to worry about. The sun will engulf the earth way before that happens, unless of course they're working on that technology.

Pintsize, Punchbot, and Arthur?
Or someones else?

Gyrre · « **Reply #37 on:** 20 Nov 2019, 10:06 »

Quote from: Perfectly Reasonable on 20 Nov 2019, 07:37

I was briefly confused yesterday because Dora sounded like Emily. So of course Emily must show up to keep the balance.

'Reporting for duty!' Emily is definitely going to be a wallpaper.

FOR SCIENCE!

Agreed to the wallpaper.

BTW, quite the ironic username and [whatever the dealies under them are called] pairing. 'Perfectly Reasonable' 'psychopath in a hockey mask'.
Was that intentional?

Thrudd · « **Reply #38 on:** 20 Nov 2019, 10:09 »

Quote from: Rincewind on 19 Nov 2019, 19:45

"Do NOT press the big red button!"

The shiny, candy-like button...

also need to add the following warning lable underneath
DO NOT LICK

hedgie · « **Reply #39 on:** 20 Nov 2019, 11:26 »

Quote from: Rincewind on 19 Nov 2019, 19:45

"Do NOT press the big red button!"

The shiny, candy-like button...

"will not include a self-destruct mechanism unless absolutely necessary. If it is necessary, it will not be a large red button labelled "Danger: Do Not Push". The big red button marked "Do Not Push" will instead trigger a spray of bullets on anyone stupid enough to disregard it. Similarly, the ON/OFF switch will not clearly be labelled as such." -- The Evil Overlord List

Perfectly Reasonable · « **Reply #40 on:** 20 Nov 2019, 12:44 »

Quote from: Gyrre on 20 Nov 2019, 10:06

Quote from: Perfectly Reasonable on 20 Nov 2019, 07:37
'Reporting for duty!' Emily is definitely going to be a wallpaper.

FOR SCIENCE!

Agreed to the wallpaper.

BTW, quite the ironic username and [whatever the dealies under them are called] pairing. 'Perfectly Reasonable' 'psychopath in a hockey mask'.
Was that intentional?

I have always been Perfectly Reasonable. Why do you ask?

Perfectly Reasonable · « **Reply #41 on:** 20 Nov 2019, 13:39 »

I'm rather pleased how the wallpaper turned out. I took out the empty space in the middle of the frame and resized it to 1280x1024.
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/aIFByIw.jpg" title="Reporting" />

Welu · « **Reply #42 on:** 20 Nov 2019, 14:33 »

Quote from: Zebediah on 19 Nov 2019, 13:39

Well, for someone who is germophobic and who works in an environment with potentially scalding liquids, Hannelore doesn't wear a lot of clothing. But coming into the shop naked would be several steps beyond anything we've ever seen from her.

If it does happen hopefully she'll be on the meds that would make her barely mortified. At least Dora has the emergency skirt.

That strip was much earlier than I thought it was.

cybersmurf · « **Reply #43 on:** 20 Nov 2019, 14:34 »

Quote from: BenRG on 19 Nov 2019, 23:25

This is Emily though, isn't it? Always positive and always looking at the bright side because... well, she loves life too much not to! That said, yeah, this is one of the reasons all the letter intelligence agencies are keeping an eye on her and periodically hard formatting the hard drive on her laptop! Sometimes, she sees so much of the good side that it's quite possible that she's blind to the bad!

You could put Emily next to a nuclear warhead, with the time ticking, and she would talk about the beauty of fission, fusion, quarks and spin.

shanejayell · « **Reply #44 on:** 20 Nov 2019, 19:15 »

New strip up.

BUUUUUUUUTS.

Loved Bubbles comment.

Gyrre · « **Reply #45 on:** 20 Nov 2019, 20:03 »

Quote from: Perfectly Reasonable on 20 Nov 2019, 12:44

Quote from: Gyrre on 20 Nov 2019, 10:06
Quote from: Perfectly Reasonable on 20 Nov 2019, 07:37
'Reporting for duty!' Emily is definitely going to be a wallpaper.

FOR SCIENCE!

Agreed to the wallpaper.

BTW, quite the ironic username and [whatever the dealies under them are called] pairing. 'Perfectly Reasonable' 'psychopath in a hockey mask'.
Was that intentional?

I have always been Perfectly Reasonable. Why do you ask?

The white text under your username read 'psychopath in a hockey mask', so altogether it read "perfectly reasonable psychopath in a hockey mask".

BenRG · « **Reply #46 on:** 20 Nov 2019, 23:20 »

I've been thinking about this strip and it suddenly realised that this is something that Faye and, surprisingly enough, even Bubbles have not thought about: Union Robotics is essentially set up as a street-corner garage. There's a work area, a stock-room and maybe a small office-ette space and that's it. There's no private examination or consulting room as you would expect at, say, a doctor's office. What neither of the proprietors seem to have thought of is: What if their 'patients' have a sense of modesty or don't want their parts exposed to the world? Millefeuille obviously doesn't!

So, I really think that UR's shop-floor is going to need to be remodelled. At the very least, the main work table is going to need them to get a privacy curtain. Yet more expenses! It also means that they're going to have to very consciously shift away from the 'garage' mindset and adopt a 'small clinic' pattern instead.

Sam, trust me: It isn't that funny!

St.Clair · « **Reply #47 on:** 21 Nov 2019, 00:12 »

I don't think Sam's reaction is due to finding it funny, but more "OMG gonna get to watch (and maybe even participate in) robutt surgery!"
Whether she actually will is another story.

DSL · « **Reply #48 on:** 21 Nov 2019, 05:03 »

An AI in a manufactured body thought there'd be a "machine" (non-sentient, I assume) that would do an automatic butt implant/replacement.

Is that akin to a meat human thinking there'd be a dog or a cat doing surgery? (I mean, my ol' dog was smarter and more trustworthy than most people I knew, but I figured later on that just meant I needed to find better people to know. That's been a search, let me tell you. She was a damn fine dog.)

Perfectly Reasonable · « **Reply #49 on:** 21 Nov 2019, 07:55 »

Nice bedside manner there, Bubs!
And we have a meat person indulging in mechanistic reductionism.
I would not blame Milly for having second thoughts...

THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

Poll

which recurring AI side characters do you think will turn up next after Mille-Feuille (Chimevera) and Beepatrice?

Author Topic: WCDT 4136-4140 (Nov 18th-22nd, 2019) (Read 22110 times)