1898: October 2017

2017-10-04T15:56:48Z

141.101.69.93: Undo revision 146259 by 162.158.69.86 (talk)

{{comic
| number = 1898
| date = October 4, 2017
| title = October 2017
| image = october_2017.png
| titletext = And yet I have no trouble believing that the start of the 2016 election was several decades ago.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

[[Randall]] [[:Category:Comics to make one feel old|once again]] makes us feel old by referencing an old movie that our memory puts as recent. The movie in question is ''{{w|The Social Network}}'', written by {{w|Aaron Sorkin}} and directed by {{w|David Fincher}}, which was released seven years and three days prior to this comic, on October 1, 2010. Seven years is also how long some people believe bad luck will follow you after [http://www.mirrorhistory.com/mirror-facts/broken-mirror breaking a mirror].

The {{w|United_States_presidential_election,_2016|2016 US presidential election}} took place on November 8, 2016. {{w|Donald Trump}} won in a surprise victory over {{w|Hillary Clinton}} ([[Randall]]'s favorite, see [[1756: I'm With Her]]). Donald Trump's tumultuous presidency so far probably makes [[Randall]] feel that the election took place far longer than 11 months ago. {{w|Telescoping_effect|Backward telescoping}} is a psychological effect that causes people to overestimate the elapsed time since an event.

Interestingly, the title of this comic is patterned on the previous "this will make you feel old" comic "[[November 2016]]," which was published in the early hours of November 9th, while the presidential election's ballots were still being counted. Some people (including ''explain xkcd'' editors, writing in that explanation's [[1757:_November_2016#Trivia|trivia]] section, see that for more details, also on this special title name) felt that Randall could have published something more timely, and commented that the election had made them feel old enough as it was. By using the same sort of title and making this joke, Randall brings the whole thing full circle.

Shortly after the election Randall made [[1756:_I'm_With_Her#Sad_comics|several comics]] that could indicate his emotions regarding the result, but references to the election have become fewer and farther apart and here he again indicates that he has not been happy with the election result and what has followed, causing him to feel that all these bad things could not really have happened in less than a year, but they did.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[Megan and Cueball are walking.]
:Megan: Want to feel old?
:Cueball: Why do you always start your factoids that way? Of ''course'' I don't want to feel old. I ''already'' feel old.

:[Beat panel]

:[Frameless panel of Cueball.]
:Cueball: ...Fine, hit me.

:Megan: If you broke a mirror back when the Aaron Sorkin Facebook movie came out, your seven years of bad luck would be over this week.
:Cueball: ''Dammit.''

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics to make one feel old]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Politics]]

Talk:818: Illness

2017-02-04T23:47:34Z

141.101.69.93:

I would define prayer as the active concentration on someone/something with an intended outcome. I would define remote prayer as praying for/to someone/something that you have no direct or personal contact with with a very specific intended outcome.
When I found out that Randall's fiancee had cancer, I though about him and her hoping that it would work out positively. I assume (Yeah, yeah, I know) that others did as well. Randall's now-wife got better. Did we just prove that remote prayer works when done by geeks?!? Could we make a web site for concentrating geek positive thoughts to make people better? Could we make Stephen Hawking walk?!?--[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.11|173.245.54.11]] 17:02, 12 May 2014 (UTC)
:This comic isn't about "Stephen Hawking", but it's all about Randall's experience on cancer happening to his wife. Please keep his minds as the main message here. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 23:30, 12 May 2014 (UTC)
:No we did not, as "I did this and then that happened" doesn't mean "doing this makes that happen"- that's correlation-does-not-imply-causation, anecdotal evidence, AND confirmation bias, all in one, fallacious burrito. [[User:Hppavilion1|Hppavilion1]] ([[User talk:Hppavilion1|talk]]) 04:09, 29 August 2016 (UTC)
I wonder if there's a link to the 2700 games.. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.192|108.162.229.192]] 09:30, 24 May 2015 (UTC)

Is the referenced blag post still available? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.196|108.162.210.196]] 21:24, 14 August 2016 (UTC)
: https://blog.xkcd.com/2010/11/05/submarines/ --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.69.93|141.101.69.93]] 23:47, 4 February 2017 (UTC)

explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1898: October 2017

Talk:818: Illness