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1587: Food Rule

2023-03-09T15:17:01Z

108.162.237.74: Updated link for "don't eat anything with a face"

{{comic
| number = 1587
| date = October 7, 2015
| title = Food Rule
| image = food_rule.png
| titletext = I won't eat invertebrates, because I can fight a skeleton, but I have no idea what kind of spooky warrior a squid leaves behind.
}}

==Explanation==
There are various {{w|Vegetarianism|vegetarian}} diets which restrict certain foods for ethical or personal concerns. Real vegetarians do not eat any kind of meat, but some only refrain from eating red meat, although this means they are not true vegetarians. Vegetarianism can go as far as to not eating (or even using) any kind of products coming from an animal (i.e. {{w|veganism}}). The comic is a joke on one of the vegetarian rules, namely ''[https://www.intelligencesquaredus.org/debate/dont-eat-anything-face/#/ don't eat anything with a face]''. This rule is difficult to follow, because it is subjective whether people think a given animal has a {{w|face}}, causing disagreement about what is allowed and what is forbidden to eat.

[[Randall]] presents a list (see [[#Items on the list|details]] below) of allowed and forbidden food in his diet. For example, he eats meat from typical-looking animals like beef, pork, chicken, and fish. He will also eat plants like fruit, vegetables and grain. But he refuses to eat some of the more odd-looking creatures from the sea like squids, shrimps and oysters. Below the list he explains his rule for what can be eaten: ''I won't eat something if I have to Google to figure out whether or not it has a face'', which is a joke on the disagreements about the ''don't eat anything with a face'' rule. The joke is particularly teasing as it allows most (if not all) kinds of meat, which are the most strictly forbidden foods for even the mildest of vegetarians. Randall does not care about food having faces, he is worried apparently only about having to defend the position that some particular food has a face or not. While it's clear, at least to Randall, that a cow has a face and an apple does not, some beings are harder to classify into one of these categories. For Randall this goes for shrimps, oysters and squids; and apparently actual vegetarians also struggle with these creatures, as can be seen in several on-line questions ([https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080613194541AAwlN90 1]).

The title text gives another rule that also would make these same three omissions. This rule is about not eating {{w|Invertebrate|invertebrates}} (animals without a {{w|vertebral column}}, i.e. spineless creatures). As the first four items on the list are meat from four different animals of the type {{w|Vertebrate|vertebrates}} (with vertebral column) and the last three items are from {{w|Plant|plants}}, that explains why these are all OK to eat. But the middle three items are three different animals of the type invertebrates, which Randall does not eat.

Randall's reason for avoiding invertebrates is somewhat outlandish: he fears that the spirits from creatures he has eaten will come back to haunt him. In horror movies, as well as in video games and roleplaying games with fantastic elements, {{w|undead}} creatures often appear as spooky skeletons (i.e. the [http://zelda.gamepedia.com/Stalfos Stalfos] of the ''{{w|Legend of Zelda}}''); however invertebrates have no skeleton so Randall can't figure out what kind of spooky undead creature will come after him if he eats them (invertebrates may have a {{w|Mollusc shell|shell}} or another type of {{w|exoskeleton}}, but these do not look at all like the typical mental image of a skeleton). Randall imagines that he'll be able to fight a typical skeleton, but is afraid of the unknown ghostly creature an invertebrate may become after dying.

The comic may also be a joke on the modern {{w|Paleolithic diet|paleo diet}} trend, which emphasizes eating fruit, vegetables, and meat ("anything with a face").

Randall has previously depicted cuttlefish as spooky in [[520: Cuttlefish]], and he's also mentioned his dislike of certain foods (namely {{w|lobster}} - another invertebrate) in [[1268: Alternate Universe]].

===Items on the list===
Here is a list with explanation for each item on Randalls food list:
*{{w|Red meat}}, includes meat from most adult {{w|mammals}}, but many people will probably think of {{w|beefsteak}} from {{w|cattle}}.
*{{w|Pork}}, is meat from {{w|Domestic pig|pigs}}. While technically a "red meat" (according to the US Department of Agriculture) it is popularly considered "the other {{w|white meat}}", hence its own bullet point.
*{{w|Poultry}} are domesticated birds; most people will think of {{w|Chicken (food)|chicken}}.
*{{w|Fish}} covers a very large group of animals, most of them are not eaten on a regular basis, but a large group of fish are {{w|Fish as food|used as food}}.
*{{w|Shrimp}} is used to refer to {{w|Decapoda|ten-footed}} {{w|crustacean}} and some of these are {{w|Shrimp (food)|used for food}}. In the UK they often go under the name {{w|prawns}}.
*{{w|Oysters}} refers to a family of {{w|mollusca}} within the class {{w|bivalvia}} (i.e. body enclosed in shells consisting of two hinged parts). Most people will probably think of the {{w|Ostreidae|true oysters}} specifically the {{w|Ostrea edulis|edible oyster}}, which are not the only edible oyster!. Note that the {{w|pearl oyster}} is not a true oyster.
*{{w|Squid}} are {{w|cephalopods}} (also of the mollusca family) with eight arms arranged in pairs and two longer tentacles. They are closely related to {{w|cuttlefish}} and {{w|octopuses}}.
*{{w|Fruit}} is a part of a flowering plant. Common fruits are {{w|apples}}, {{w|oranges}}, {{w|bananas}} and {{w|pear|pears}}. But in principle anything that comes from a flower is a fruit, including grains. Although in a culinary sense there is a distinction between vegetables and fruit, any part of a flower is actually a vegetable. See below and also see [[388: Fuck Grapefruit]].
*{{w|Vegetables}} are any kind of plant. But in everyday it refers to any part of a plant that is consumed by humans as food as part of a {{w|Umami|savoury}} meal, thus excluding fruit, {{w|Nut (fruit)|nuts}} and cereal grains. For instance a {{w|tomato}} would be seen as a vegetable due to its taste and as a fruit botanically – see the Venn diagram {{w|Fruit#Botanic fruit and culinary fruit|here}}.
*{{w|Grain|Grains}} are small, hard, dry {{w|seeds}}. Usually when mentioning these people will think of breakfast {{w|cereal}} grains. Typical grains are {{w|corn}}, {{w|rice}} and {{w|wheat}}. As mentioned above grains are botanically both a fruit and a vegetable.

==Transcript==
:[There is a caption above a list of food with indication whether it is OK or not to eat. Below is another caption.]

:My food rule:
:{| class="wikitable" style="border: 0px;"
|-
| style="border: 0px; text-align: right" | Red meat
| style="border: 0px; color:green;" | ✓
|-
| style="border: 0px; text-align: right" | Pork
| style="border: 0px; color:green;" | ✓
|-
| style="border: 0px; text-align: right" | Poultry
| style="border: 0px; color:green;" | ✓
|-
| style="border: 0px; text-align: right" | Fish
| style="border: 0px; color:green;" | ✓
|-
| style="border: 0px; text-align: right" | Shrimp
| style="border: 0px; color:red;" | X
|-
| style="border: 0px; text-align: right" | Oysters
| style="border: 0px; color:red;" | X
|-
| style="border: 0px; text-align: right" | Squid
| style="border: 0px; color:red;" | X
|-
| style="border: 0px; text-align: right" | Fruit
| style="border: 0px; color:green;" | ✓
|-
| style="border: 0px; text-align: right" | Vegetables
| style="border: 0px; color:green;" | ✓
|-
| style="border: 0px; text-align: right" | Grains
| style="border: 0px; color:green;" | ✓
|}
:I won't eat something if I have to Google to figure out whether or not it has a face.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Food]]

Talk:2466: In Your Classroom

2021-05-22T21:01:58Z

108.162.237.74:

yay! another one where a table is useful for an explanation! also first ALPHALUL [[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.59|162.158.79.59]] 01:01, 22 May 2021 (UTC)Bumpf

Exobiology should not be in the Good area. I've seen those movies, I know what happens next. [[User:Andyd273|Andyd273]] ([[User talk:Andyd273|talk]]) 02:18, 22 May 2021 (UTC)

I'm sort of sad that the the hover text, or perhaps the origin, wasn't simply "Tautology" [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.74|108.162.237.74]] 21:01, 22 May 2021 (UTC)

Talk:2466: In Your Classroom

2021-05-22T21:01:14Z

108.162.237.74:

yay! another one where a table is useful for an explanation! also first ALPHALUL [[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.59|162.158.79.59]] 01:01, 22 May 2021 (UTC)Bumpf

Exobiology should not be in the Good area. I've seen those movies, I know what happens next. [[User:Andyd273|Andyd273]] ([[User talk:Andyd273|talk]]) 02:18, 22 May 2021 (UTC)

I'm sort of sad that the the hover text wasn't simply "Tautology" [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.74|108.162.237.74]] 21:01, 22 May 2021 (UTC)

Talk:1634: In Case of Emergency

2016-01-25T16:37:56Z

108.162.237.74: Fire alarms sometimes *do* have glass.

Just attempted my first transcript... [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.163|108.162.249.163]] 07:22, 25 January 2016 (UTC)

Can someone please explain the title text?? When I search for "emergency locker" on google images, I get some disconcerting results... [[Special:Contributions/198.41.243.238|198.41.243.238]] 08:20, 25 January 2016 (UTC)
:Probably means something like this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/St-John-Ambulance-Lockable-Cabinet/dp/B003KK6948 [[User:Jdluk|Jdluk]] ([[User talk:Jdluk|talk]]) 09:36, 25 January 2016 (UTC)
::He clearly means something with glass in front of the locker inside. I have in vain tried to find anything like it on the web. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:07, 25 January 2016 (UTC)
:::Try http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/H-2122/Fire-Protection/Fire-Extinguisher-Cabinet-2-1-2-5-lb or https://www.grainger.com/product/ALTA-Fire-Extinguisher-Cabinet-40LU32?s_pp=false&picUrl=//static.grainger.com/rp/s/is/image/Grainger/40LU32_AS02?$smthumb$ (enlarge the image and look at the door handle). I can't find what I remember as the classic with a hammer and instructions in read letters. I suspect I'm dating myself and Randall since it appears there have been some technological changes in the way these cabinets are constructed.[[Special:Contributions/198.41.235.95|198.41.235.95]] 16:16, 25 January 2016 (UTC)

What I've wanted to do is have a normal one with a fire extinguisher, and next to it have a fireplace with a hammer in the back and a sign that says "In case of glass, extinguish fire." [[User:DanielLC|DanielLC]] ([[User talk:DanielLC|talk]]) 10:10, 25 January 2016 (UTC)

sorry, "it's" abuse again. aren't we supposed to be geeks? --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.106.161|141.101.106.161]] 13:50, 25 January 2016 (UTC)

The "incomplete" infobox says ''Fire alarms usually only have plastic in front - not glass that needs to be broken.'' However, there are many styles of pull station which do in fact have glass which needs to be broken: [http://s423.photobucket.com/user/wiley207/media/K-8/IMG_3033.jpg.html example]. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.74|108.162.237.74]] 16:37, 25 January 2016 (UTC)

487: Numerical Sex Positions

2016-01-18T15:06:30Z

108.162.237.74: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 487
| date = October 10, 2008
| title = Numerical Sex Positions
| image = numerical sex positions.png
| titletext = We didn't even get to the continued fractions!
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Sex positions}} are positions that two people can have {{w|sexual intercourse}} in. Many of them are named, although only one generally accepted position is named after a number: the {{w|69 (sex position)|69}}.

[[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] try to approximate the shapes of the numbers, that they are given by the narrator, as sex positions. They start with the classic 69 - although standing, then represent the number 99 as "spooning" while standing and the number 71 as "doggy-style" sex over a table. They are then given ever more difficult numbers to attempt, first 34 (maybe referencing {{w|Rule 34 (Internet meme)|rule 34 of the internet}}) - Cueball exclaims ''Uh'' as he has no idea how to make a 3 although Megan does try (in vain) to form a 4. Then they are completely baffled by √8, and just stand there while the narrator asks ''Guys?'' - as in give it a try. And finally Megan gives up and leaves at the suggestion ln(2π) to the frustration of the narrator who exclaims ''Aww, c'mon''.

The narrator is so frustrated, as we are told in the title text, because he did not even get to ask them to do a {{w|continued fraction}} (which likely would have involved many other people) as the ultimate challenge.

==Transcript==
:xkcd presents
:a guide to
:numerical sex positions:

:Narrator: 69
:[Cueball and Megan perform a standing sixty-nine position i.e. mutual oral sex.]

:Narrator: 99
:[Cueball and Megan perform a standing spooning position.]

:Narrator: 71
:[Megan is bent over a table and Cueball takes her doggy-style.]

:Narrator: 34
:[Cueball look at Megan who is contorted oddly.]
:Cueball: Uh.

:Narrator: √8
:[Cueball and Megan are staring at each other.]
:Narrator: Guys?

:Narrator: ln(2π)
:[Cueball just stands there while Megan is walking away.]
:Narrator: Aww, c'mon...

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Sex]]
[[Category:Math]]