1745: Record Scratch

2016-10-12T08:20:12Z

141.101.104.100: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1745
| date = October 12, 2016
| title = Record Scratch
| image = record_scratch.png
| titletext = The 78-rpm era was closer to the Civil War than to today.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Are there more details that needs to be added?}}
A vinyl disc (also known as a {{w|gramophone record}}) is a type of storage medium that stores music on a disc with a groove. As the disc turns, it jerks a needle side to side in the pattern of the sound waves. These are often played on a {{w|phonograph}} (also known as record players (since 1940s) or, most recently, turntables). Sometimes, the small bumps are scratched, and the phonographs move on these the wrong way, creating an unintentional noise; the noise is referred to as a "record scratch". The scratch can also be caused by someone attempting to stop the record by using their hand to manually stop it; as a result, this is often used as [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RecordNeedleScratch a sound effect in movies] as for comedic effect. This type of sound is also often used in hip-hop music.

The comic pokes fun at a movie cliché in which the story opens with [[Cueball]] in some kind of unbelievable predicament, followed by a record scratch and Cueball narrating, "Yup, that's me. You're probably wondering how I ended up in this situation." The rest of the story then follows , often by going back in time to depict the events that leads up to the situation of the opening scene. So in this case it would be interesting to know why Cueball is at a party where everyone has wine glasses in their hands, but suddenly one of the glasses (Cueball's or his nearest adversaries) is lying on the floor. And why is both [[Ponytail]] and another Cueball-like guy threatening/pointing at Cueball while [[Megan]] stares at him waiting to see if [[Hairy]] beats him up as he advances ready for fight both fists up. This is what the movies would normally begin to tell after the scratch. At the time of the comic's posting, parodying the cliché, [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/record-scratch-freeze-frame variations on the phrase] had become a popular meme on social media.

As the record scratch continues to be used despite the fact that gramophones have largely become obsolete technology, [[Randall]] pokes fun at this by beginning this meme by giving the backstory on what that sound actually is, (many people from the younger generation may very well not know this), rather than giving context to the situation via a story. This is yet one more of Randall's comics that is trying to [[:Category:Comics to make one feel old|make people feel old]], this of course only works on people who actually have tried to use vinyl discs.

The title text indicates (in a manner similar to that of [[891: Movie Ages]]) that the "78-rpm era" - referring to the fact that the original industry standard of records making {{w|Gramophone_record#78_rpm_disc_developments|78 rotations per minute]}} (rpm) - is now closer to the time of the {{w|American Civil War}} than it is to present day. Note; these records were not made from vinyl.

==Transcript==
:[In a black area, with jagged edges, at the top of the comic is a sound effect written with white text. Below there are two frames with text. This text is narrated by Cueball standing below with four people around him. Cueball is highlighted by being drawn in the regular way whereas the other four people are drawn in light gray. Cueball has just dropped a wineglass, spilling wine on the floor to the left and dropping the glass, spilling more wine, to the right, He has his arms slightly out, and seems to be turned towards three people to the right, while looking tot he left at Ponytail. Ponytail is holding a glass of wine in one hand and is the other hand up waving her fist at Cueball. On his other side Hairy is advancing towards him with both hands up in fists ready for a fight. (It could be his wine glass dropped on the floor at Cueball's feet as it is also drawn in gray). Behind Hairy is Megan also with a wine glass held in one hand, and behind her is another Cueball-like guy with a wine glass holding one arm out pointing a finger at Cueball.]

:{| class="wikitable"
|style="background-color:black;"|<font color="white"><big>''Record Scratch''</big></font>
|}
:Cueball (narrating): You are probably wondering what that sound was.
:Cueball (narrating): Well, long ago, music was recorded on vinyl discs...

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Comics to make one feel old]]

Talk:1714: Volcano Types

2016-08-05T23:51:30Z

141.101.104.100: Added comment about ghost vent.

For the ghost vent - is this actually a reference to the ghost generators in Gauntlet? Andrew Williams

Actual antlions, not to be confused with the antlions from Half-Life 2. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.62|173.245.52.62]] 15:08, 1 August 2016 (UTC)

I think pedant's bane actually has them labelled correctly. It's just that the picture is upside down and you've reversed the figure and the ground in your mind. Were it right-side-up, you'd see It's actually a drawing of a teeny pool of underground magma at the bottom of an antlion's trap, spouting up a fountain of lava. {{unsigned ip|199.27.133.107}}
:I can't tell if you're joking or not. A pedant is someone who cares (maybe too much) about being technically correct. The bane of a volcano pedant would be people who mix up lava and magma. This is why the labels are reversed in the figure. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.62|173.245.52.62]] 16:27, 1 August 2016 (UTC)
::Exactly. But what's the description going on about? "''Pedant's Bane is therefore impossible by definition but if it were possible, then a pedant correcting someone's description of it would be wrong.''" What is all that rubbish supposed to mean? The explanation is not supposed to require explaining! If the terms refer to the same material but in different situations then they're wrong in the two situations illustrated, and thus should be corrected, especially by a pedant. Where does "impossible by definition" come into it? [[Special:Contributions/198.41.238.32|198.41.238.32]] 22:57, 1 August 2016 (UTC)

Who here was hoping for Harry Potter???? [RedstoneIngot] [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.60|173.245.56.60]] 20:07, 1 August 2016 (UTC)

Made a very small change, but sarlacc is not supposed to be capitalized (checked both Wikipedia and Wookieepedia). [[User:Spaceside|Spaceside]] ([[User talk:Spaceside|talk]]) 23:02, 1 August 2016 (UTC)

The explanation of "Doot Cone" makes no sense. The "Skull trumpet" Know Your Meme page does not discuss the word "doot" at all, only shows it in some pictures. It doesn't seem to be a significant part of the meme, as it doesn't feature in the animation or its early variants. It just happens to be the first hit when you Google "doot." It makes just as much sense to assume that it's a play on "[https://www.amazon.com/Florida-DOT-Approved-Traffic-Cone/dp/B009RUTKZA DOT cone]," as in the orange cones used by the Department of Transportation (which are sometimes stenciled with "DOT.")
[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.142|199.27.128.142]] 01:11, 2 August 2016 (UTC)

Re: Doot Cone

"Doot" is actually a significant part of the skull trumpet meme -- meant to represent the sound in the original skull trumpet video. It's strange the KYM page doesn't refer to "doot" specifically. See a relevant reddit thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/39xnk2/what_is_this_doot_thing_with_the_skeletons/cs7jdsa

However, I'd agree that the evidence is not strong for the doot cone being a reference to this.

[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.10|108.162.219.10]] 01:36, 2 August 2016 (UTC)
:Before I read the explanation (and the KYM entry) in my imagination the sound was more like that of a foghorn or a ship's horn. I've never heard of that meme before. And even now I feel it hard to imagine a BIG volcano making the comparatively high pitched sound of a trumpet. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 07:18, 2 August 2016 (UTC)
::Whereas it's perfectly easy to imagine a waffle cone or an inverted volcano :-) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.90|141.101.98.90]] 10:12, 3 August 2016 (UTC)
::: Exactly ;) [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 13:04, 3 August 2016 (UTC)

It would look out of place next to the profile drawings, but <span style="border: 1px solid black"><big>☻</big></span> is Kilauea's [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8PuMOsdwm0 Watchmen crater]. [[User:.42|.42]] ([[User talk:.42|talk]]) 12:14, 2 August 2016 (UTC)

explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1745: Record Scratch

Talk:1714: Volcano Types