explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2480: No, The Other One

2021-08-04T01:43:00Z

172.70.110.226: New EnglandStates copy each other

We might want a table for this comic, with three columns: one for the name of the town, one for which state the copycat is in, and one for the original. We could also add a column for "why the original is well known," but that might be a bit much. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.124|108.162.245.124]] 20:38, 23 June 2021 (UTC)
: I agree, this feels like a very table-able comic. Especially to get all the cities and not make readers try to see "hey, did I miss one?" [[Special:Contributions/172.70.117.158|172.70.117.158]] 20:49, 23 June 2021 (UTC)
:: I think the term copy-cat should not be used here, since Lincoln, IL, for instance is older and carries the name longer than Lincoln, NE.--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.88.74|162.158.88.74]] 21:05, 23 June 2021 (UTC)
::: Although the people in Lincoln, UK (also Boston, Washington, Richmond, Plymouth, Newhaven...) might have prior claims - Richmond is an even more interesting case, in fact. And of course I also recognise Lisbon and others. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.244|141.101.98.244]] 21:26, 23 June 2021 (UTC)
:::: May I suggest merging the first two columns and just listing [City, State] under "Place name in comic"? [[User:MajorBurns|MajorBurns]] ([[User talk:MajorBurns|talk]]) 21:38, 23 June 2021 (UTC)

In the map there are (at least) three Lincoln, two Jamestown, five Houston... [[User:Vdm|Vdm]] ([[User talk:Vdm|talk]]) 20:52, 23 June 2021 (UTC)
: There is a Jamestown in NY and PA also. I would expect to find a Jamestown in at least half of the states. [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 22:06, 23 June 2021 (UTC)

There seems to be an extra dot in the northeast corner of Colorado - It looks like it might correspond with the Atlanta label, but there is no Atlanta in Colorado. Based on the position of the dot I'm guessing it may correspond to Akron or Yuma.--[[User:MajorBurns|MajorBurns]] ([[User talk:MajorBurns|talk]]) 21:56, 23 June 2021 (UTC)
: Google Maps says there's an Atlanta, Colorado, but it is in the south-east corner of the state, not where the dot is. It looks like it is in the middle of nowhere outside of Springfield. [[User:Blaisepascal|Blaisepascal]] ([[User talk:Blaisepascal|talk]]) 00:42, 24 June 2021 (UTC)

Jersey Shore PA - I just drove from New Jersey across the state of Pennsylvania, and saw the sign for Jersey Shore in the mountains in the middle of PA. What the? Turns out there was a town founded by two brothers from New Jersey called Waynesburg. When a neighboring town wanted to insult them by calling them "Jersey Shore" they went ahead and officially made Jersey Shore the name of the town. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_Shore,_Pennsylvania https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_Shore,_Pennsylvania]. I wonder how many people turn off the highway in the middle of PA wanting to go to the Jersey Shore hundreds of miles away. [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 22:06, 23 June 2021 (UTC)

Why no Hollywood, Florida? [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood,_Florida https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood,_Florida]
: Same reason there's no Richmond, Dublin, or Pittsburg (admittedly, a different spelling), California, just to name some of the closest ones to me. The map would be solid black if it labeled every "other one." [[User:Borglord|Borglord]] ([[User talk:Borglord|talk]]) 01:57, 24 June 2021 (UTC)

..''No'' Springfields? Really? There's gotta be 30+ of them! [[User:Danish|Danish]] ([[User talk:Danish|talk]]) 02:00, 24 June 2021 (UTC)
:The comic doesn't seem to include the duplicates that are fairly well known, like Hollywood, FL. And the prevalence of Springfield is well known due to "The Simpsons". I think Groening chose that name ''because'' it wouldn't be associated with any particular state. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 04:06, 24 June 2021 (UTC)

`The most frequently occurring community name varies through the years. In a past year, it was "Midway" with 212 occurrences and "Fairview" in second with 202. More recently, "Fairview" counted 288 and "Midway" 256. The name "Springfield" is often thought to be the only community name appearing in each of the 50 States, but at last count it was in only 34 states.` https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-most-common-citytown-name-united-states [[User:Steve|Steve]] ([[User talk:Steve|talk]]) 02:48, 24 June 2021 (UTC)

The comic has been updated to remove Charlestown and move Salem, CT. The extra dot in Colorado remains, however. The image attachment has been updated, but I think I'm still seeing the cached version. [[User:Orion205|Orion205]] ([[User talk:Orion205|talk]]) 03:47, 24 June 2021 (UTC)
: While we're on the subject, I thought it was more likely referencing {{w|Charles Town, West Virginia|Charles Town, WV}}. There are quite a lot of {{w|Charlestown}} locations and I don't think any of them are particularly famous. Which is probably why it was removed. [[User:Shamino|Shamino]] ([[User talk:Shamino|talk]]) 13:54, 25 June 2021 (UTC)

Since so many of the names are duplicated multiple times, shouldn't the title be "No, ''An'' Other One"? [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 04:06, 24 June 2021 (UTC)

I'm surprised he missed Minneapolis, Kansas (about 75 miles west of Manhattan). Though maybe it would've made Kansas too crowded. --[[User:Aaron of Mpls|Aaron of Mpls]] ([[User talk:Aaron of Mpls|talk]])

:I'm surprised he missed Duluth, GA too, but we can't have everything we want. ( --Don from Rochester . . . but not from New York ;^) Oh yeah; there's also a Buffalo in MN too. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.34.190|172.70.34.190]] 11:00, 24 June 2021 (UTC)

::In Indiana, there's also another Nashville, another Columbus, a Kokomo... even a Mexico. If every fairly well-known place name were included, wherever it was duplicated, it would need one of those scrollable mega-maps, just to fit it all. -- Just visiting from Indiana, 12:53 UTC 24 June 2021

I'd like to see a map of all these. Lines linking each of the dots to the location of the more famous town. Possibly with lines in different colours connecting to the oldest and largest other ones, where they're not the same as the most famous one. (I suspect a significant number of the "oldest" lines would point off the right edge of the image) [[User:Angel|Angel]] ([[User talk:Angel|talk]]) 08:37, 24 June 2021 (UTC)

:There's also a Bowling Green, Missouri. [[User:WhiteDragon|WhiteDragon]] ([[User talk:WhiteDragon|talk]]) 13:12, 24 June 2021 (UTC)

I wish Lansing Illinois (just south of Chicago off I-80) had made the list. When I was traveling there for work, our hotel reservations were frequently messed up, because the central booking office had us in Michigan. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.130.144|172.70.130.144]] 13:17, 24 June 2021 (UTC)
: Reminds me of the time a "Microsoft tech support" scammer called and claimed to be calling from Lansing despite obviously being in a call center in India. When we asked what state Lansing was in, he claimed to be calling from "Lansing, Miami." [[Special:Contributions/172.69.63.121|172.69.63.121]] 13:41, 24 June 2021 (UTC)

I feel like there is an opportunity for adding "Other examples not in comic" such as Brooklyn, Iowa or the absurd number of Mount Pleasants [[User:OddOod|OddOod]] ([[User talk:OddOod|talk]])

: At first, I thought about suggesting this, as well. But, it would be an enormous list (orders of magnitude longer than the ones that _are_ in the comic), and therefore not really tenable. For example, I sometimes describe the place I live as being on the line from Jamaica to Florida, adjacent to Jacksonville and just off Halifax. That's Florida, MA and the rest in southern Vermont. That's four just within 20 miles of where I sit. Also, I grew up in Bristol (RI, not England), but there are about 40 places in the US with that name. And, on a different tack the nearby "city" actually promotes itself in being the _only_ place named Brattleboro. [[User:MAP|MAP]] ([[User talk:MAP|talk]]) 22:27, 24 June 2021 (UTC)

I can't believe they missed Dublin and/or Albany in the SF bay area in California!

I actually have a place in Bangor,NY it confuses people all the time [[User:Mr.Do|Mr.Do]]

Is the {{w|Washington_(state)|State of Washington}} not considered more significant than a mere district? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.35.149|172.69.35.149]] 18:14, 24 June 2021 (UTC)
: I mean, Washington DC is the capital of the entire country, so both are very significant. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.97|172.69.33.97]] 20:08, 24 June 2021 (UTC)

Ontario, CA - I have gotten packages that originated in Ontario, CA and wondered why they were shipping from Canada, until I realized that they were coming from Ontario, California. [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 20:57, 24 June 2021 (UTC)

How did Lebanon come to be such a popular name (sixth most common according to the Wikipedia list)? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.92.182|162.158.92.182]] 09:04, 25 June 2021 (UTC)

How about entries for what the lesser-known city is known for? I can start: Austin MN is home of Hormel, maker of Spam, and features the Spam Museum. Who is next? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.126.58|172.70.126.58]] 10:29, 25 June 2021 (UTC)
:Richmond, VT is home of a person (also apparently given the job of "Weigher Of Coal") who helped to establish the name of Spam (as in unwanted advertising)... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.79|141.101.99.79]] 11:14, 25 June 2021 (UTC)

So, anyway, the Transcript is both empty and marked incomplete. Really, it would at best be a Transcriptised non-tabular list of the named places, grouped to their 'other one' states. I can't see much more that can be done, save for "line-drawn state lines and dots" being mentioned. It's very much an inferior copy of the table itself, but definitely should be there to fulfil the general needs of the Transcript. I'll do it myself if nobody else has (or otherwise resolved) by the time the next comic goes up. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.79|141.101.99.79]] 11:14, 25 June 2021 (UTC)
:Agree that there should be a transcript. It should mention what type of map and that all states have their abbreviation in gray text. Then proceed approximately in reading order giving each states abbreviation and then the cities mentioned in each state. That would be great. Do not have the time the next week, else this was something I often have done with large transcripts. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:54, 25 June 2021 (UTC)
::I prepped a version that satisfies almost all your demands, already, except that it's arranged alphabetical to state ID, because that seemed more logical to dive into than to try a 'reading order' of any kind. I also took a couple of other small liberties with the usual Transcript notation to improve understanding, not having found a prior example that has done this in a 'better' way. I'll pop it in right now and then leave it to the multitudinous Gods Of Wikiediting to correct it, 'correct' it, improve it and 'improve' it as they see fit. Fill yer boots! [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.124|141.101.98.124]] 21:42, 25 June 2021 (UTC)

here is a challenge: find a regex that matches all the cities in this map in the top half of the US, but not the ones in the bottom half. have fun and dont use the auto-regex-golf thing, thats just no fun. :) [[Special:Contributions/172.69.63.7|172.69.63.7]] 16:40, 25 June 2021 (UTC)Bumpf
:Unless I misunderstand you, it's probably impossible. Houston in Ohio is in the top half of the map (however you define that line) while the Houston in the usual Alaska map-discontinuity is in the bottom half of the map. And I bet that a moment's search will find others amongst the shared names. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.104|141.101.99.104]] 17:35, 25 June 2021 (UTC)
::Bowling Green (OH and FL) splits even on true latitude, at well within each band of top/bottom value ranges. Assuming you don't add the home-state code (which could be the only thing needed to even try to regex, if you do), there's no wedge you can apply. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.105|162.158.158.105]] 22:10, 25 June 2021 (UTC)
:Using Automatic tools is always fun! fun-ctional. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.183|162.158.91.183]] 12:32, 28 June 2021 (UTC)

Bloomington MN is an odd one — it is both larger
by area and by population than Bloomington IN! [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.206|141.101.98.206]] 20:31, 25 June 2021 (UTC)

Even if there's no plans for a wall around Mexico, NY, maybe that's who Trump expected would pay for his wall. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 13:19, 26 June 2021 (UTC)

I'm really annoyed that he included Portland. Doesn't everybody know about Portland, ME?

NYC here - I had no idea about Portland, ME [[Special:Contributions/172.70.117.92|172.70.117.92]] 01:44, 3 July 2021 (UTC)

Here's how he might have come up with this list. (1) Find all duplicates in a list of U.S. city names. (2) Select the top 100 (searched on the web, occurring on the web, etc.) names (or enough to fill the comic nicely). An alternate (2) is select the top 100 (or some number) largest cities of those.
Moscow,ID

I likewise wondered about the omission of Hollywood, FL (as well as Miami, OH) but it’s true that it can’t list every single one. It would be interesting to list some of the other pronunciation differences, as is currently done for Newark. (E.g., Albany, GA is pronounced al-BEN-ee) [[User:Miamiclay|Miamiclay]] ([[User talk:Miamiclay|talk]]) 18:15, 2 July 2021 (UTC)
:I think you mean Oxford, Ohio; home to Miami *University*. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami,_Ohio] [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.117|162.158.166.117]] 07:28, 15 July 2021 (UTC)

In the New England area, there are quite a few towns with duplicate names, probably brought over with the colonists. Seems all the New England states have a Milford, a Bedford, a Plymouth, A Belmont, a Winchester...

2497: Logic Gates

2021-08-03T15:55:32Z

172.70.110.226: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2497
| date = August 2, 2021
| title = Logic Gates
| image = logic_gates.png
| titletext = In C, the multiocular O represents the bitwise norxondor gorgonax.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a SILICON LOGIC GATE TO A DIFFERENT DIMENSION. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

The comic lists logic gates. The first six are real, but the last six are made up and get increasingly absurd. The names for these last six are made up of the same letters and syllables as the first six so as to be consistent with their naming conventions.

An AND gate outputs true if and only if both inputs are true. (Inputs 1 '''and''' 2 must be true.) By convention it is a symbol with a flat input end leading to a semicircular output end.

An OR gate outputs true if one or the other or both of the inputs are true. (Input 1 '''or''' 2 may be true.) By convention it is a symbol with a concave input edge leading to an output end resembling a gothic pointed-arch, reorientated as required.

A NOT gate outputs true if and only if the input is false. (The sole input must '''not''' be true.) The convention for the isolated NOT gate is to be a triangle (reminiscent of a diode or op-amp comparitor), that conspiciously points in the direction of logical passage, tipped with the small circle that is considered a short-cut for ''not''ness in other relevent symbols.

A NOR gate outputs true if and only if both inputs are false. (Neither 1 '''nor''' 2 must be true; alternately interpreted as it must '''n'''ot be true that either 1 '''or''' 2 are true.) The symbol is the OR shape with the NOT-circle at its tip.

A XOR (short for “eXclusive OR”) gate outputs true if one, or the other, but not both of the inputs are true. (Mutually e'''x'''cusively, either 1 '''or''' 2 must be true.) This symbol is the standard OR one but with a further concave line stood-off slightly from the usual one to connect to the input lines.

A NAND (short for “Not AND”) gate outputs true if one or the other or both of the inputs is false. (It must '''not''' be true that both 1 '''and''' 2 are true.) The symbol is the AND gate with the NOT-circle at its tip.

The only real-life logic gate that was omitted is the XNOR gate (short for “eXclusive Not OR”; it compares the inputs, and if and only if they are equal, it outputs true). Note that the "NORG XORT" gate would be logically equivalent to it if it were pointy, since it would then be an XNOR gate with NOT on both inputs, a modification that has no ultimate effect on the logic as it merely switches the case of which exclusivity it needs to be, and does not care which version of same-input it might be responding to.

A double-NOT on an input would produce the identical output again (...if the input is '''not not''' true). Two NOTs preapplied to a (N)AND or (N)OR would produce the same output as a (further-)NOTted version of the (N)OR or (N)AND, conversly (...if '''not'''-1 '''and''' '''not'''-2 then this also means that neither 1 '''nor''' 2). Normally this would would be shown, if necessary, as full NOT gates on the lead-in inputs but (see Transcript, below, and the NORG XORT description above) the shortcut element is occasionally used in further mix'n'match symbology (together with reinterpreting connectivity lines as partial shape-edges and vice-versa) in 'understandable' but definitely non-standard ways.

Along with the deliberate confusion of connector and shape-edge lines, directionality is also played with in several cases, with input 'ends' perhaps also at the (implied) output end and reversed sub-symbols implying a composite gate with substructural feedback or perhaps diode-rectification upon a bidirectional logic path.

Much like [[2360: Common Star Types]], as the list progresses, the names start to sound more like mythical creatures, closing with the "Norxondor gorgonax". As with the symbology, the names appear to be nonsensical recombinations of the standard ones (perhaps with off-subject inspirations, in some cases) but often do not match up with the symbolic (mis)use, such as an X in the name not implying/being implied by an XOR's unique drawn feature.

In the title text [[Randall]] claims that in the {{w|C (programming language)|programming language C}} the {{w|multiocular O}} (ꙮ) character is used to represent the bitwise version of the last operator Norxondor gorgonax (presumably ꙮꙮ represents the non-bitwise version), fitting as the multiocular O is used to refer to "many-eyed {{w|seraphim}}" (i.e. angels) in some religious literature. {{w|Gorgon}}s (beige or otherwise) have heads covered with snakes instead of hair, and so possess multiple eyes, the most famous was known as {{w|Medusa}} (which was [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/e/e5/1608_1088x1074y_Medusa_and_floating_earth.png depicted] in [[1608: Hoverboard]]).

C is a low level programming language, and as such, it has many operations that correspond to logical (i. e. bitwise) operations. These contrast with operations that work in a non-bitwise way. For example, "&&" is the non-bitwise "AND" operator that takes the operands as a whole, while "&" is the bitwise "AND" that combines the respective bits of its two inputs independently before spitting out the new single composite value the output bits represent. In non-bitwise operations, 0 always represents "FALSE", while any non-zero value means "TRUE" for inputs, and 1 is used to represent TRUE for outputs. Thus, "14 && 3" gives the result 1: TRUE AND TRUE -> TRUE. In the bitwise operation, using the same values, the decimal value 14 has the binary value 1110 and the decimal value 3 has the binary value 0011, and for this example we get:

1110 = 14
& 0011 = 3
0010 = 2

==Transcript==
:[The comic shows a chart with twelve electronic logic gates arranged in three rows of four. Each gate is depicted as a schematic symbol, with a label underneath. Above them is a header:]
:Common logic gate symbols

:[Here below follows a description of the 12 gates in the three rows, with their label given beneath each description:]

:[A standard gate symbol used in real life. Two inputs on the left lead to the vertical left edge of a solid D-shaped symbol. From the right side of the D there is one output.]
:AND gate

:[A standard gate symbol used in real life. Two inputs on the left lead to a convex-crescent left edge of a crescent-shaped symbol. The right side of the crescent symbol's shape forms a point at its output. From the right side of the crescent there is one output.]
:OR gate

:[A standard gate symbol used in real life. One input leads to a triangular symbol pointing to the right. There is a small bubble symbol connected to the triangle on the output, which leads right.]
:NOT gate

:[A standard gate symbol used in real life. This is identical to the OR GATE, except the output has a bubble attached, like the NOT GATE's output.)
:NOR gate

:[A standard gate symbol used in real life. This is identical to the OR GATE, except the left-hand arc at the input has a double-stroked line.]
:XOR gate

:[A standard gate symbol used in real life. This is identical to the AND GATE, except the output has a bubble attached, like the NOT GATE's output.]
:NAND gate

:[An unusual symbol. This symbol has one input on the left leading to a convex-crescent left edge, like the OR GATE. The output side as a smooth crescent like the AND GATE but has two outputs.]
:NORX gate

:[An unusual symbol. This symbol has two inputs on the left leading to a vertical left edge input, like the AND GATE. The output side has a convex-crescent double-stroked output like the mirror image of the XOR GATE's input. There are two outputs.]
:GAND ate

:[An unusual symbol. This resembles the NOT GATE except there are two inputs instead of one leading into the left side.]
:XAND gort

:[An unusual symbol. This has a double-stroked convex-crescent input like the XOR GATE, but the two inputs have bubbles attached. The single output has a smooth crescent shape with a bubble, like a NAND GATE.]
:NORG xort

:[An unusual symbol. Two inputs lead to a convex-crescent edge, and the two lines of this symbol now enter a double-stroked convex-crescent input like the XOR GATE. The two lines of -this- symbol have bubbles placed half way across their horizontal length, and are presumably the outputs.]
:ANDORX gant

:[An unusual symbol. The symbol is identical to the NOR GATE, except the upper and lower horizontal parts of the symbols hull have a NOT GATE placed on them - one pointing to the left on the upper line, and to the right on the lower line. There is one output to the symbol, with a bubble attached.]
:NORXONDOR gorgonax

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Programming]]

Talk:1672: Women on 20s

2021-07-19T18:48:17Z

172.70.110.226:

One (potentially) legitimate concern I have seen expressed regarding the proposed rollout date for the redesigned $20s is that we may not be using paper money anymore by then!
[[User:Rajakiit|Raj-a-Kiit]] ([[User talk:Rajakiit|talk]]) 13:01, 25 April 2016 (UTC)

The weird creepy looking eye thing is the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_of_Providence Eye of Providence]. And now that Randall mentioned it, I somehow have an intense emotional need to see a series of US currency with the Eye of Providence as the featured portrait on every bill....

[[Special:Contributions/108.162.217.23|108.162.217.23]] 14:46, 25 April 2016 (UTC)

:I think the humor of the Eye of Providence reference (which is on the US$1 banknote BTW) is that it's often referred to as a sign of the Illuminati. The Illuminati is often used in conspiracy theories, so replacing all of the faces with that sign specifically would not so much enrage people as much as people would be calling Illuminati takeovers. Ergo to not trigger the conspiracy theorist paranoia in our country (i'm US American, BTW) that would likely never happen. Also our $1 bill, which is the only bill to have the Eye of Providence(& no building on the back side) hasn't been changed since like the 1960s, because of vending machine lobbyists. So the anachronisms of that IMO is really annoying.
[[User:Siv3nIvy|Siv3nIvy]] ([[User talk:Siv3nIvy|talk]]) 09:25, 29 April 2016 (UTC)

The real question: why can't the Treasury leave the $10 bill alone, redesign the $20 bill (with Harriet Tubman on both sides), and release that redesign in the 2020s as planned? There is no rush here, so long as it is done.
[[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.61|173.245.50.61]] 15:34, 25 April 2016 (UTC)

There's been a furor over here in the UK about (losing) a woman from our paper money. (Not the Queen, at least not just yet, although having just turned 90...) Only the other day, though, they announced the [http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/pages/characters/nexttwenty.aspx new £20 note] (JMW Turner, the painter) set for release (as a polymer note) in 2020... And I couldn't help feeling that the fallout from the referendum, if not other events, might easily make this matter moot. One way or another ;) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.137|141.101.98.137]] 16:33, 25 April 2016 (UTC)

What is the "Security" issue referred to in the title text? {{unsigned ip|173.245.52.75}}

I'd assume he's referring to security features meant to prevent/deter counterfeiting. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.214.209|108.162.214.209]] 21:12, 25 April 2016 (UTC)

I don't get what all the fuss is about what picture is on the money. I don't even know what picture is on any of the euro bills. *Grabs a 10, 20 and 50 from wallet.* I still don't know. [[User:Tharkon|Tharkon]] ([[User talk:Tharkon|talk]]) 23:06, 25 April 2016 (UTC)

:Luckily, someone explained it on wikipedia: {{w|Euro banknotes}}: the 5 euro note has a generic rendition of Classical architecture, the 10 euro note of Romanesque architecture, the 20 euro note of Gothic architecture, the 50 euro note of the Renaissance, the 100 euro note of Baroque and Rococo, the 200 euro note of Art Nouveau and the 500 euro note of modern architecture. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 23:51, 25 April 2016 (UTC)

::Though now they are no longer entirely generic, as one guy in the Netherlands decided to build the generic bridges that are depicted on the euro notes, and now the structures depicted on the notes actually exist. (See the references in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro_banknotes#Bridges .) -- [[User:Pne|Pne]] ([[User talk:Pne|talk]]) 12:28, 26 April 2016 (UTC)

The explanation claims "The current rule about changing the $10 next before they can change the $20 comes from Section 16 of the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, and the Treasurer is powerless to work against it." However, I've just read through the text of that Section of that Act several times, and I can't find any wording to justify this claim. If this is a valid claim, could someone point more explicitly to where the Act restricts the order in which bills can be redesigned? [[User:Rhwentworth|Rhwentworth]] ([[User talk:Rhwentworth|talk]]) 02:27, 26 April 2016 (UTC)

This just in - Treasury decides to print a new $9 bill with Andrew Jackson on it. -[[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.16|162.158.255.16]] 04:43, 26 April 2016 (UTC)

This whole controversy is one reason why there are no real objects on the Euro notes. The individual nation's currencies did have real persons (including women - at least in Germany) or real "things" in a wider sense on them and changing them was often as complicated as depicted here. The current pictures on the Euro notes represent specific architectural styles (e.g. Gothic or Baroque), but the buildings and facades shown don't exist. I don't know if this should be part of the explanation as a side note or something, but I felt it would be nice to know, that other states or organisiations had similar struggles and actually found a compromise. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 07:48, 26 April 2016 (UTC)
::How I long back for the old Dutch NLG 50 note with the yellow sunflower on it! One of the most beautiful banknotes I've ever seen. [[User:Palmpje|Palmpje]] ([[User talk:Palmpje|talk]]) 12:30, 26 April 2016 (UTC)

Can we add a category about Comics Featuring Steve? [[User:GizmoDude|GizmoDude]] ([[User talk:GizmoDude|talk]]) 21:28, 26 April 2016 (UTC)
:I think that three examples (where it is just a name, for someone not shown) is too little for a new category. If you can find other places where it is similarly used then maybe. But be careful when searching since a "Steve" search will find real people like Steve Jobs and Seven Spielberg for instance... And please do not make a page out of it like you did (deleted the square brackets). If there would be a category it would also not take that form. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 14:16, 27 April 2016 (UTC)
::Would [[944: Hurricane Names]] count in that category? If so, there would be four Comics Featuring Steve. Besides, there are many categories with only 2 members (10 of them), and 20 with three. [[User:625571b7-aa66-4f98-ac5c-92464cfb4ed8|625571b7-aa66-4f98-ac5c-92464cfb4ed8]] ([[User talk:625571b7-aa66-4f98-ac5c-92464cfb4ed8|talk]]) 13:59, 7 March 2017 (UTC)

Can we add a category about Comics Which Make Absolutely No Sense To People Outside the USA? [[User:Kev|Kev]] ([[User talk:Kev|talk]]) 22:54, 26 April 2016 (UTC)
:Since Randall is American I think those of us not from the US should just accept that he will make local oriented comics from time to time, and then just enjoy that we can find the explanations here ;-) [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 14:16, 27 April 2016 (UTC)

I have very little information as to which parts of this comic are true or false. This page could seriously do with citations. (E.g. what broadway musical? I have no idea.) {{unsigned ip|141.101.98.110}}

:Hamilton is a real Broadway musical featuring a race-bent Andrew Hamilton, completely done in the style of modern hip-hop. It's considered to be groundbreaking if suffering from some severe historical inaccuracies (the most obvious being the titular character's race). [[user:Riomhaire|Riomhaire]]

One thing I feel the need to add here is that the Trail of Tears was a human rights violation due to the chiefs, not due to Andrew Jackson. While it still wasn't exactly the morally right thing to do, relocating the tribes along the Trail, the chiefs did not include their slaves in the "census" they gave to the army, resulting in a huge supply shortage. Had the chiefs considered their tribes' slaves people and counted them in the number that was given to Jackson and the army, the Trail of Tears would have been a Trail of Discomfort and Frustration instead. [[user:Riomhaire|Riomhaire]]
:The humans rights violation was the forced relocation of people off their own land by people who want to take it? With no compensation (At the time) and plenty of violence throughout? Also, while that is the bad thing he was known for, Jackson was insane in many other ways, too. I’m not even going to go into the last part. It still would’ve been a trail of tears if they were given heaps of gold and fed well. [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 13:46, 21 March 2019 (UTC)

Surely part of the humour here is the reporters being totally unconcerned about something as important as the security of currency and instead making a massive fuss over something largely irrelevant (i.e. what picture is printed on the notes)? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.110.226|172.70.110.226]] 18:48, 19 July 2021 (UTC)

2488: Board Game Argument: Legacy

2021-07-13T13:47:51Z

172.70.110.226:

{{comic
| number = 2488
| date = July 13, 2021
| title = Board Game Argument: Legacy
| image = board_game_argument_legacy.png
| titletext = Listen, you need to get over your reluctance to permanently alter a game. Now roll 2d6 to determine how many ounces of soda to spill into the box.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic continues the joke from comic 2486, released the previous week, about the difficulty some gaming groups have actually ''playing'' any game at all once they get together. In this scenario the group have leveraged the difficulty of choosing a game into a game itself. It seems to be that each player has a certain number of votes, or tokens, that they can use to decide which game to play, with the added element that they permanently dispose of the losing game. This can lead to strategic play where a player might vote for a game, even if they don't want to play it that night, so that they could still play it at some future resolution of the choosing.

Once the voting is finished, the next phase of the game is to debate which expansion packs they should collectively buy for which game.

A {{w|legacy game}} is one where players change the game itself in the course of play, such that future sessions are modified. The "meta-game" this comic describes fits this definition, because the available pool of games (and expansion packs) changes based on the players' decisions.

The title text refers to how many board and card game owners wish to keep their games in as-new condition, going as far as refusing to shuffle cards in ways that bend them, or not punching tokens out of their cardboard frames. A legacy game, of course, is ''meant'' to be permanently altered, but [https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/5oxhz2/pandemic_legacy_do_you_really_destroy_cards_or/ many players] [https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2118913/do-you-have-destroy-cards find it hard] to perform destructive actions like cutting or tearing up cards. Even some games not classed as "legacy" games may have elements such as blank cards to be filled in by the players. For those who are reluctant to make changes, these items may remain blank forever.

The board game boxes visible in this comic are real board games, including Wingspan and Wits and Wagers.

The humor of the title text comes from the fact that it sounds like the speaker is chastising a game owner who does not want to engage with these elements of the game, but instead urges them to pour soda on the game (something that would usually be an unfortunate accident). "2d6" is standard notation for games that involve rolling several different types of dice, where the first number refers to the number of dice to be rolled (in this case 2), and the second number referring to the style of dice (in this case 6-sided). That means that the player could end up pouring between 2 and 12 ounces of soda (inclusive) into their game box, depending on the total value rolled on the two 6-sided dice and any mapping function used to translate from dice roll to ounces.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[White Hat, Megan, Ponytail, and Cueball are sitting around a table that is covered with board game boxes. White Hat is pointing at Ponytail. Both Ponytail and Cueball are holding boxes.]

Ponytail: You may reallocate up to five tokens to your top choice from last week. Remember, the game with the least support tonight will go to the thrift store.

Ponytail: Next, we'll resume the debate over ordering expansion packs.

[Caption beneath the panel:]

We got tired of having the same repetitive arguments every week over which game to play, so we developed ''Board Game Argument: Legacy''.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Board games]]

Talk:2468: Inheritance

2021-07-08T18:08:02Z

172.70.110.226:

Does anyone feel this is kind of a reference to feudalism?[[Special:Contributions/172.69.71.88|172.69.71.88]] 19:16, 26 May 2021 (UTC)
:Seems more like commentary on modern-day capitalism, particularly in the US with increasing inequality and more and more inherited wealth. Randall seems more comfortable with social commentary in recent years.[[User:DKMell|DKMell]] ([[User talk:DKMell|talk]]) 18:41, 26 May 2021 (UTC)
:In 2019 and 2020, the [https://www.edelman.com/trust Edelman Trust Barometer] cited CEOs as the most trusted persons globally. Your company is your castle, with its leader your Lord. That trust collapsed per the 2021 Barometer, so just maybe resistance is not feudal.[[Special:Contributions/172.68.129.132|172.68.129.132]] 18:50, 26 May 2021 (UTC)

Might be related to the rise of legacy board games, in which outcomes of prior matches influence future games. Usually, those have a limited number of plays and they are designed such that prior winner's don't have too much of an advantage in future games. But one could imagine a game that, (if it has no limit to the number of plays), after being played for generations gives a significant advantage to whomever inherited a specific character/player role. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.94.234|162.158.94.234]] 14:21, 26 May 2021 (UTC) Tobl

Obligatory reminder to everybody that (1) life is not a competition and (2) money is not "victory points". There are ways to cynically portray these things as such, but fully buying into this paradigm inevitably results in profound unhappiness. mezimm [[Special:Contributions/172.69.71.178|172.69.71.178]] 14:54, 26 May 2021 (UTC)

This one was pretty early... maybe Randall’s getting back to schedule? --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.132.119|172.68.132.119]] 15:14, 26 May 2021 (UTC)

Anyone notice anything special about 4000000 and 10019, also what is arigola

:Agricola is a board game [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agricola_(board_game) LINK] [[Special:Contributions/172.68.102.194|172.68.102.194]] 15:37, 26 May 2021 (UTC)

:I'm thinking 10019 means Cueball allocated 10000 points from his inheritance, then earned 19 through the course of the game. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.142.160|162.158.142.160]] 16:44, 26 May 2021 (UTC)

huh. ive never seen a comic explanation finished so quickly in a bit! we sure about removing that tag?
:It has been put back in. So no ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 07:02, 27 May 2021 (UTC)

I feel like this is very much a criticism of modern day (colonial) capitalism. It's both concisely stating that the disparity is absurd, that small donations from billionaires are laughable and dont change the inherent unfairness, and implies that the best way of leveling the playing field is to wiping the slate.
:Totally agree. The whole idea of money surviving a wealthy persons death is a pyramid game. The more money that is inherited the more can someone who did nothing expect to buy from others, without they doing any thing to create physical values. Only question is when we run out of people to be at the base of the pyramid... Sadly they cannot like Cueball's playing partners decide not to play the game... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 07:02, 27 May 2021 (UTC)
:: Obligatory reminder to everybody that (1) life is not a competition and (2) money is not "victory points". There are ways to cynically portray these things as such, but fully buying into this paradigm inevitably results in profound unhappiness. mezimm [[Special:Contributions/172.69.69.74|172.69.69.74]] 14:51, 28 May 2021 (UTC)

Is there any chance that this is a reference to the “How We Win” speech which gained some attention last summer in regards to BLM protests? The speech uses a metaphorical game of Monopoly which is rigged for one side to explain how the US still isn’t economically fair, and I know Randall has put up the BLM banner in support. Agricola instead of Monopoly (and race not mentioned) but he might have drawn inspiration there. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.102|108.162.219.102]] 11:38, 27 May 2021 (UTC)

The title text references the pro- colonial argument that engaging in exploitation is being smart, because it was bound to be done by somebody, so the perpetrators are smart for taking initiative. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.203.15|162.158.203.15]] 01:45, 27 May 2021 (UTC)

: Can someone create a [[:Category:Board games]]? [[:Category:Chess]] should be subcategory of this category, and this comic, and [[1566: Board Game]], [[492: Scrabble]], [[839: Explorers]], [[778: Scheduling]], [[738: Incision]] can be added to it. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.35.39|172.69.35.39]] 18:48, 26 May 2021 (UTC)
:: Created the category, however I'm not brave enough to put Chess into it. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 00:51, 27 May 2021 (UTC)
:: Talking about chess, I quote: "Board games do not normally include an inheritance from previous sessions[citation needed]"...uh, you are probably not old enough to have played an adjourned chess game ;-) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.134|141.101.105.134]] 09:00, 27 May 2021 (UTC)
::: Others where braver I can see. Bu great category. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 07:02, 27 May 2021 (UTC)
:: Also, talking about chess, the rating system (i.e. Grandmaster/Master/etc.) are based on a victory points like system that goes from game to game. It doesn't affect the games themselves, but essentially records how you've done in the games you've played. The totals can be quite large, but, cannot be transferred. There are others that have something like this. Should we mention it? -- [[User:MAP|MAP]] ([[User talk:MAP|talk]]) 22:07, 27 May 2021 (UTC)

The explanation seems a bit bare of what examples of inherited wealth this is parodying. In the UK there's a bruhaha (in some circles, and equally a bruhaha about the other bruhaha in other circles) about historic Slavery-profits that set up now historical country estates, etc,now maintained on behalf of the nation as a public good but possibly needing contextualising. In Germany (and relatedl there are huge multinational companies that undoubtedly benefitted from Nazi work-camps or assett-confis ations that might owe a moral debt in more recent climate even though generations have passed since such things. Pretty much every culture will have such examples (and if it's not transatlantic slavery, too for the US version, it could be the treatment of native tribes/lands, starting well before; or share-croppers/dustbowl/Great Depression/poor-immigrants issues more recently, if the Agricola reference is any clue), or is it just general inheritance (and maybe Fred Trump in particular?) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.161|141.101.99.161]] 15:27, 27 May 2021 (UTC)
:Don't forget the China connection with the Muslim Wiegers forced to work in concentration camps manufacturing products sold in the U.S. Who's benefiting from this now?

Should just challenge that guy to a game of golf.

2480: No, The Other One

2021-06-24T12:37:14Z

172.70.110.226: Mayflower voyage didn't actually depart from Boston Lincs.

{{comic
| number = 2480
| date = June 23, 2021
| title = No, The Other One
| image = no_the_other_one.png
| titletext = Key West, Virginia is not to be confused with Key, West Virginia.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by HOUSTON. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This is a map of the United States, showing cities or towns with the same name as other more famous cities. For example, the map has a dot for a place called Los Angeles in Texas, not to be confused with Los Angeles, California.

Few place names are unique, and there may be {{w|List of the most common U.S. place names|many places with the same name}}. However, names can become associated with specific places on a national level, where the best-known example is usually the biggest or otherwise the most significant. The name of this comic indicates the contextualization required to specify one of the less-famous exemplars of a given name. Someone might say they are from "Los Angeles" and would have to say "no, the other one" since the listener would assume they are from Los Angeles, California.

The [[title text]] references {{w|Key, West Virginia}} and {{w|Key West, Virginia}}, two places that, when spoken aloud, are only distinguishable by the pause (comma) location. Neither are to be confused with {{w|Key West|Key West, Florida}}, which is a well-known national location.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Place name in comic
! Well-known place
! Notes
|-
| {{w|Albany, Georgia|Albany, GA}}
| rowspan="3" | {{w|Albany,_New_York|Albany, NY}}
| rowspan="3" | Albany is the capital of New York state. Albany is also a suburb of Washington Tyne and Wear.
|-
| {{w|Albany, Minnesota|Albany, MN}}


|-
| {{w|Albany, Wyoming|Albany, WY}}

|-
| {{w|Alexandria,_Louisiana|Alexandria, LA}}
| {{w|Alexandria,_Virginia|Alexandria, VA}}
| Alexandria, VA is known for being George Washington's hometown. It is not named after {{w|Alexandria|Alexandria, Egypt}}.
|-
| {{w|Anchorage, Kentucky|Anchorage, KY}}
| {{w|Anchorage,_Alaska|Anchorage, AK}}
| Anchorage is Alaska's most populous city.
|-
| {{w|Atlanta,_Delaware|Atlanta, DE}}
| rowspan="6" | {{w|Atlanta|Atlanta, GA}}
| rowspan="6" | Atlanta is the capital of Georgia, a center of the civil rights movement in the 1950's and 60's, and a major air transportation hub.
|-
| {{w|Atlanta,_Michigan|Atlanta, MI}}

|-
| {{w|Atlanta,_Idaho|Atlanta, ID}}

|-
| {{w|Atlanta,_Nebraska|Atlanta, NE}}

|-
| {{w|Atlanta, Texas|Atlanta, TX}}
|
|
|-
| {{w|Atlanta, Wisconsin|Atlanta, WI}}
|
|
|-
| {{w|Atlantic City, Wyoming|Atlantic City, WY}}
| {{w|Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City, NJ}}
| Atlantic City, NJ is a famous coastal resort town in New Jersey known for its casinos, boardwalk and beaches.
|-
| {{w|Austin, MN}}
| {{w|Austin, Texas|Austin, TX}}
| Austin is the capital of the state of Texas, and the 11th largest city (by population) in the US.
|-
| {{w|Baton Rouge, South Carolina|Baton Rouge, SC}}
| {{w|Baton Rouge, Louisiana|Baton Rouge, LA}}
| Baton Rouge is the capital of the state of Louisiana.
|-
| {{w|Beaumont, California|Beaumont, CA}}
| {{w|Beaumont, Texas|Beaumont, TX}}
| Beaumont is best known for the oil discovery that sparked the Texas oil boom of the early 1900s.
|-
| {{w|Beverly Hills, Illinois|Beverly Hills, IL}}
| rowspan="2" | {{w|Beverly Hills, California|Beverly Hills, CA}}
| rowspan="2" | Beverly Hills is a city in Los Angeles County, CA and is home to many celebrities, luxury hotels, and the Rodeo Drive shopping district.
|-
| {{w|Beverly Hills, Texas|Beverly Hills, TX}}

|-
| {{w|Bloomington, Minnesota | Bloomington, MN}}
| {{w|Bloomington, Indiana | Bloomington, IN}}
| Bloomington is the location of Indiana University.
|-
| Boston, MO
| {{w|Boston|Boston, MA}}
| Boston is a port in Holland Lincolnshire. It may also be the capital of Massachusetts and the scene of several key events of the American Revolution.
|-
| Bowling Green, FL
| rowspan="2" | {{w|Bowling Green, Kentucky|Bowling Green, KY}}
| rowspan="2" | Bowling Green, KY is the largest city of this name, and the 3rd most populous city in Kentucky.
|-
| Bowling Green, OH
|-
| Bridgeport, WV
| {{w|Bridgeport, Connecticut|Bridgeport, CT}}
| Bridgeport is the most populous city in Connecticut and fifth most populous in {{w|New England}}.
|-
| Buffalo, TX
| rowspan="2" | {{w|Buffalo, New York|Buffalo, NY}}
| rowspan="2" | Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City itself.
|-
| Buffalo, WY
|-
| Cambridge, OH
| {{w|Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge, MA}}
| Cambridge is a village in Gloucestershire and also a city in Cambridgeshire known as the home of Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin Universities. Cambridge, Massachusetts is a city in the Boston - not the one in Lincolnshire - metropolitan area known as the home of {{w|Harvard University}} and {{w|Massachusetts Institute of Technology}} among others.
|-
| Cedar Rapids, NE
| {{w|Cedar Rapids, Iowa|Cedar Rapids, IA}}
|
|-
| Charlestown, NY (?)
|
|
|-
| Cleveland, UT
| {{w|Cleveland|Cleveland, OH}}
| Cleveland is also a range of hills in North Yorkshire. It is presumably unrelated to Cleveland, OH, which was named after its founder, General Moses Cleaveland.
|-
| Columbus, GA
| {{w|Columbus, Ohio|Columbus, OH}}
| Columbus is the most populous city in Ohio, as well as its state capital. It is named after {{w|Christopher Columbus}} and {{w|Columbus#United_States|many other locations}} throughout the United States bear that name.
|-
| Dallas, GA
| rowspan="4" | {{w|Dallas|Dallas, TX}}
| rowspan="4" |
|-
| Dallas, NC
|-
| Dallas, OR
|-
| Dallas, SD
|-
| Dayton, NV
| {{w|Dayton, Ohio|Dayton, OH}}
|
|-
| Des Moines, NM
| rowspan="2" | {{w|Des Moines, Iowa|Des Moines, IA}}
| rowspan="2" |
|-
| Des Moines, WA
|-
| {{w|Detroit,_Alabama|Detroit, AL}}
| rowspan="2" | {{w|Detroit|Detroit, MI}}
| rowspan="2" | Detroit is best known as the center of the U.S. automobile industry.
|-
| Detroit, KS
|-
| Disney, OK
|
|
|-
| Fayetteville, TN
| {{w|Fayetteville, North Carolina|Fayetteville, NC}}
|
|-
| Gettysburg, OH
| rowspan="2" | {{w|Gettysburg, Pennsylvania|Gettysburg, PA}}
| rowspan="2" |
|-
| Gettysburg, SD
|-
| Grand Rapids, MN
| {{w|Grand Rapids|Grand Rapids, MI}}
| The second most populous city in the state of Michigan
|-
| {{w|Houston,_Alaska|Houston, AK}}
| rowspan="6" | {{w|Houston|Houston, TX}}
| rowspan="6" | Houston is the most populous city in Texas and the fourth-most populous in the United States.
|-
| {{w|Houston,_Alabama|Houston, AL}}
|-
| Houston, FL
|-
| Houston, IN
|-
| Houston, MO
|-
| Houston, OH
|-
| Indianapolis, IA
| {{w|Indianapolis|Indianapolis, IN}}
|
|-
| {{w|Jackson,_Alabama|Jackson, AL}}
| {{w|Jackson,_Mississippi|Jackson, MS}}
| Jackson is the capital of Mississippi, but there are {{w|Jackson|many other}} states with Jacksons. This one is likely particularly notable due to its proximity to Jackson, MS.
|-
| {{w|Jamestown,_California|Jamestown, CA}}
| rowspan="2" | {{w|Jamestown,_Virginia|Jamestown, VA}}
| rowspan="2" | Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas.
|-
| Jamestown, ND
|-
| Jersey Shore, PA
|
| Jersay is one of the Channel Islands that were part of the Duchy of Narmandy put passed to the English throne.
|-
| Key West, VA
| {{w|Key_West|Key West, FL}}
| Key West is an island off the tip of Florida that is popular with tourists and contains the southernmost point of the continental states.
|-
| Knoxville, IA
| {{w|Knoxville,_Tennessee|Knoxville, TN}}
|
|-
| Las Vegas, NM
| {{w|Las_Vegas|Las Vegas, NV}}
|
|-
| {{w|Lincoln,_California|Lincoln, CA}}
| rowspan="4" | {{w|Lincoln,_Nebraska|Lincoln, NE}}
| rowspan="4" | Lincoln is a cathedral city in Lincolnshire. It is also the capital of Nebraska.
|-
| Lincoln, IL
|-
| Lincoln, MT
|-
| Lincoln, RI
|-
| Lisbon, ME
| rowspan="2" | {{w|Lisbon,_Portugal|Lisbon, Portugal}}
| rowspan="2" | Lisbon is the capital of Portugal, in Europe.
|-
| Lisbon, NH
|-
| Long Beach, NJ
| {{w|Long Beach, California|Long Beach, CA}}
|
|-
| Los Angeles, TX
| {{w|Los_Angeles|Los Angeles, CA}}
|
|-
| {{w|Louisville, Colorado|Louisville, CO}}
| {{w|Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville, KY}}
| Louisville is the largest city in Kentucky
|-
| Manhattan, KS
| rowspan="2" | {{w|Manhattan|Manhattan, NY}}
| rowspan="2" | Manhattan is one of the {{w|Boroughs of New York City|five boroughs of New York City}}, corresponds to the {{w|New York County}}.
|-
| Manhattan, MT
|-
| Memphis, NE
| {{w|Memphis,_Tennessee|Memphis, TN}}
| Memphis is a city in Egypt.
|-
| {{w|Mesa,_California|Mesa, CA}}
| rowspan="2" | {{w|Mesa,_Arizona|Mesa, AZ}}
| rowspan="2" | Mesa is a suburb of Phoenix, and the largest suburban city by population in the United States.
|-
| Mesa, CO
|-
| {{w|Miami,_Arizona|Miami, AZ}}
| rowspan="2" | {{w|Miami|Miami, FL}}
| rowspan="2" | Miami is the seventh largest city in the United States and a major tourism hub.
|-
| Miami, TX
|-
| Mountain View, HI
| {{w|Mountain_View,_California|Mountain View, CA}}
| Mountain View is the birthplace of Silicon Valley, and is the location of many high technology companies, such as Google.
|-
| {{w|Nashville,_Arkansas|Nashville, AR}}
| {{w|Nashville,_Tennessee|Nashville, TN}}
| Nashville is the capital of Tennessee and a major center for the country music industry.
|-
| New England, ND
| {{w|New England}}, Northeast
|
|-
| New Haven, KY
| {{w|New Haven, Connecticut|New Haven, CT}}
| New Haven is the second largest city in Connecticut, and is known for its distinctive {{w|New Haven-style pizza|pizza}}. It also home to {{w|Yale University}}
|-
| New York, TX
| {{w|New_York_City|New York, NY}}
|
|-
| Newark, DE
| {{w|Newark|Newark, NJ}}
| Newark is a town in Nottinghamshire.
|-
| North Pole, NY
| {{w|North_Pole|North Pole}}
| North pole is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface.
|-
| Oakland, OR
| {{w|Oakland,_California|Oakland, CA}}
| Oakland, CA is currently the home to three professional sports teams including the {{w|Oakland_Athletics|Oakland Athletics}} and is the former home of several more, including the {{w|History_of_the_Oakland_Raiders|Oakland Raiders}}, now in Las Vegas.
|-
| Orlando, OK
| {{w|Orlando,_Florida|Orlando, FL}}
|
|-
| Ottawa, KS
| {{w|Ottawa|Ottawa, ON}}
| Ottawa is the capital of Canada.
|-
| Pasadena, MD
| rowspan="2" | {{w|Pasadena, CA}}
| rowspan="2" | Pasadena, California is the home of {{w|California Institute of Technology}} and the NASA {{w|Jet Propulsion Laboratory}}
|-
| Pasadena, TX
|-
| {{w|Peoria,_Arizona|Peoria, AZ}}
| {{w|Peoria, Illinois|Peoria, IL}}
| Peoria is known for being considered an "Average American Town", in the phrase {{w|Will_it_play_in_Peoria%3F|"Will it play in Peoria?"}} It is actually smaller than Peoria, AZ.
|-
| Philadelphia, MS
| rowspan="2" | {{w|Philadelphia|Philadelphia, PA}}
| rowspan="2" |
|-
| Philadelphia, NY
|-
| Phoenix, MD (?)
| rowspan="2" | {{w|Phoenix,_Arizona|Phoenix, AZ}}
| rowspan="2" |
|-
| Phoenix, OR
|-
| {{w|Plano,_Illinois|Plano, IL}}
| {{w|Plano,_Texas|Plano, TX}}
| Plano is part of the {{w|Dallas–Fort_Worth_metroplex|Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex}}, and the home of many corporate headquarters.
|-
| {{w|Plymouth,_California|Plymouth, CA}}
| rowspan="2" | {{w|Plymouth,_Massachusetts|Plymouth, MA}}
| rowspan="2" | Plymouth was the site of the colony founded in 1620 by the Mayflower Pilgrims. Named after the city in the Southwest of England which was the final port of departure.
|-
| Plymouth, IN
|-
| {{w|Portland,_Maine|Portland, ME}}
| {{w|Portland,_Oregon|Portland, OR}}
| Portland, OR was {{w|Portland,_Oregon#Establishment|named after}} Portland, ME
|-
| Princeton, ID
| rowspan="2" | {{w|Princeton, New Jersey|Princeton, NJ}}
| rowspan="2" | Princeton, NJ is famous for being the home of the eponymous {{w|Princeton University}} and the {{w|Institute for Advanced Study}}
|-
| Princeton, MA
|-
| {{w|Richmond, Vermont|Richmond, VT}}
| {{w|Richmond, Virginia|Richmond, VA}}
| The Virginian Richmond was named after {{w|Richmond,_London|the suburb of London, UK}} due to an observed similarity of the river. London's Richmond was named for the palace built there by Henry VII, itself named after the {{w|Richmond,_North_Yorkshire|market town}} and castle in the north of England that was a childhood home. That was in turn named for the {{w|Richemont,_Seine-Maritime|Normandy}} area from which the noble family came who were gifted this land for their part of the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century. There are more than fifty settlements called Richmond across the world, directly or indirectly taking their names from one or other of the English 'originals'.
|-
| Roswell, GA
| {{w|Roswell, New Mexico|Roswell, NM}}
| Roswell, New Mexico is the site of one of the most famous “alien coverups” in American history, and is well known for its alien-themed tourism.
|-
| Saint Louis, MI
| rowspan="2" | {{w|St._Louis|St. Louis, MO}}
| rowspan="2" |
|-
| Saint Louis, OK
|-
| rowspan="2" | Salem, CT
| {{w|Salem,_Oregon|Salem, OR}}
| Capital of Oregon
|-
| {{w|Salem,_Massachusetts|Salem, MA}}
| Location of the {{w|Salem_witch_trials|Salem witch trials}}
|-
| San Diego, TX
| {{w|San_Diego|San Diego, CA}}
|
|-
| Santa Fe, TX
| {{w|Santa_Fe,_New_Mexico|Santa Fe, NM}}
|
|-
| Savannah, MO
| {{w|Savannah|Savannah, GA}}
|
|-
| South Bend, TX
| {{w|South_Bend|South Bend, IN}}
| South Bend, IN is the location of {{w|University_of_Notre_Dame|the University of Notre Dame}}.
|-
| Texas, NY
| {{w|Texas|State of Texas}}
| Located in Mexico township, NY. North of the village of Mexico. No plans for a wall {{fact}}.
|-
| Vienna, ME
| {{w|Vienna, Austria}}
| Vienna is the capital and largest city of Austria.
|-
| Washington, NC
| {{w|Washington, DC}}
| Washington was a a village in County Durham, now a new town in Tyne and Wear.
|-
| White House, TN
| {{w|White House|White House, DC}}
| White House is a building, not a place.
|}

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

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:US maps]]

Talk:2473: Product Launch

2021-06-10T00:26:18Z

172.70.110.226:

Today, June 8, Amazon added a new feature to Ring and Echo devices that would allow them to communicate with similar devices owned by other people, thus sharing the owners' WIFI with each other. Through Amazon's "generosity" they are turning this on by default. No clue as to what the purpose of this feature is? Good or Evil? [https://threatpost.com/amazon-sidewalk-to-sweep-you-into-its-mesh/166581/ https://threatpost.com/amazon-sidewalk-to-sweep-you-into-its-mesh/166581/] [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 15:44, 8 June 2021 (UTC)

: It's a feature, which is good. It's turned on by default, which is evil. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.6|108.162.215.6]] 22:59, 8 June 2021 (UTC)

Some of the items that turn up with the note "Citation Needed" are hilarious. In this entry, Wiki is asking for a citation to back up the claim that the survival rate for most product launches is 100%. This sort of tag always adds to my enjoyment of these entries [[User:Paradox|Paradox]] ([[User talk:Paradox|talk]]) 13:46, 9 June 2021 (UTC)
:Ahoy, Paradox! I don't think you intended to make your comment so time-stamped (used loadsa ~s as horizontal-rules?), but do revert this edit if you did. Take care if you didn't.
:Otherwise, I agree that ''in moderation'' the Citation tag works. I personally like the current load here, but bear in mind that Mileages May Vary and others doubtless think less is more. It takes all kinds to make a world, of course. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.206|141.101.98.206]] 17:06, 9 June 2021 (UTC)
The theme of foreboding smart device here seems similar to how we don't really know what will happen next regarding AI. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.110.226|172.70.110.226]] 00:26, 10 June 2021 (UTC)

Talk:2472: Fuzzy Blob

2021-06-07T14:11:38Z

172.70.110.226:

That bot description is comedy gold, I think the page is already perfect. "It's a finger." [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.60|141.101.98.60]] 02:30, 5 June 2021 (UTC)
:Really, what more explanation do we need? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.63.13|172.69.63.13]] 02:39, 5 June 2021 (UTC)
:The only thing I could see being added is if there is a sub joke regarding the historic 4th ave church being unusual. It might just be an unimportant detail, but most of Randell's jokes have something extra behind them.[[User:Andyd273|Andyd273]] ([[User talk:Andyd273|talk]]) 03:28, 5 June 2021 (UTC)
:That didn't come from the bot, it comes from anonymous user 162.158.62.37. [[User:Fabian42|Fabian42]] ([[User talk:Fabian42|talk]]) 09:46, 5 June 2021 (UTC)

The NAVY UFOs are the same type of feature; a little bug is inside the camera, sitting on the lens inside the aircraft window. You can see the insects feet, blurry, of course, and you can watch it turn around.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.35.186|172.69.35.186]] 02:48, 5 June 2021 (UTC)
:Nice of the insects to show up on radar too, for consistency.[[User:Andyd273|Andyd273]] ([[User talk:Andyd273|talk]]) 03:28, 5 June 2021 (UTC)

The people in the comics are stick figures. Their limbs and appendages are simple lines. Why would they know that the blob in the image is a finger? That’s a construct for the 3D world of people.

----

Someone showed me a photo of a "spirit guide" - a strange glowing fuzzy orb, floating near a group of spiritually-minded people in a dim room. I thought a few minutes, threw a pinch of flour into the air in a dim room, took a flash photo, and there were dozens of little fuzzy orbs in the photo! [[Special:Contributions/172.69.35.72|172.69.35.72]] 06:29, 5 June 2021 (UTC)
:That's why ghosts are white, obviously. They keep throwing flour around, and end up covering themselves. ;) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.36|141.101.98.36]] 08:54, 5 June 2021 (UTC)
:I have photos full of fuzzy orbs from tunnel. I'm not sure what EXACTLY those are, but I think bad lighting has more to do with them than ghosts. Unless there were much more causalities building that tunnel than reported. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 03:54, 6 June 2021 (UTC)

Will there be an explanation of “zoning permits” joke? Sounds like something local to US. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.222.122|162.158.222.122]] 07:02, 5 June 2021 (UTC)
: I just did add something, but without seeing your request here so maybe I need to dig up a Wikilink for that definition in particular. But I always understood Zoning Permits as being roughly equivalent to Planning Permissions in the UK, or close enough. That's from my exposure to US films/TV, where it can be a (usually) minor plot-point. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.36|141.101.98.36]] 08:54, 5 June 2021 (UTC)
: Addendum: Yeah, it's like Planning Permission (skewed towards Land Use designations, but the two systems are overlapping in concept). What I found funny was that "Euclidean zoning" was ''not'' actually named for the coordinate system. ;) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.46|141.101.98.46]] 09:12, 5 June 2021 (UTC)

----

What's the joke about 4th avenue church? Google fins a 4th avenue church, but it doesn't seem to be related to any mistery.--[[User:Pere prlpz|Pere prlpz]] ([[User talk:Pere prlpz|talk]]) 10:24, 5 June 2021 (UTC)

: It might just be that churches tend to employ unusual architecture, and historic churches tend to employ a combination of antique and unusual architecture, making them distinct from the surrounding buildings, especially in urban areas. Maybe people seeing the churches would think that there's some hidden conspiratorial meaning behind their structure.

----

Should it mentioned that these are stick figures, and usually don't have "fingers"? Also, why is it (white) flesh-toned instead of (ink) black? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.71.178|172.69.71.178]] 23:59, 5 June 2021 (UTC)
: Rand's white, so he probably didn't think of that and would possibly be embarrassed or change it if brought to his attention. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.110.226|172.70.110.226]] 00:59, 6 June 2021 (UTC)
::A finger in front of a lens blocks light from reaching the film, or the sensor array. Why, then, is the finger a light shade of supposed skin tone? Isn't that another reason why it should appear black instead? [[User:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For]] ([[User talk:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|talk]]) 04:40, 6 June 2021 (UTC)
:::The convex nature of a fingertip means often plenty of side-lighting is available (unless you've stoppered the whole finger right straight over the whole aperture and have no exposure at all, never mind an off-focus finger). I can confirm a finger-blob looks lit and skin-coloured (assuming daytime/lit-room photography) from a non-zero number of photos returned from the lab (remember those days?) with a sticker on them to suggest that their sharp-eyed QCing (and possibly statutory "illegal/immoral content guardianship" filtering) had determined that there was an obvious technical fault with the image, but it wasn't their fault/nothing they can do about it, and next time don't stick your finger there (or shake the camera, or fail to use a flash, or get the basic focal length right, or whatever). But an easily removable sticker, because maybe you ''were'' a budding experimental photographer not yet with your own darkroom to see your results quicker than an hour (drop-in photography shops) or a few days/couple of weeks (postal processing).
::: ((There's also precedence for the 'stick figures' having close up details, but I'm not going to reference them, because having it ''not'' be a flesh-pink blob, but something more stick-figurey would remove a layer of viewer certainty in interpreting the desired joke. And, possibly, there's a little bit of an echo of Spiderman Noir (from the "Spiderverse" film) and the Rubik's Cube, making it ''actually'' and legitimately surprising to stickworld civilisation...)) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.38|141.101.98.38]] 07:23, 6 June 2021 (UTC)

Talk:2472: Fuzzy Blob

2021-06-06T00:59:54Z

172.70.110.226:

2472: Fuzzy Blob

2021-06-05T03:03:59Z

172.70.110.226:

{{comic
| number = 2472
| date = June 5, 2021
| title = Fuzzy Blob
| image = fuzzy_blob.png
| titletext = If there's no dome, how do you explain the irregularities the board discovered in the zoning permits issued in that area!?
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a UNIDENTIFIED FUZZY BLOB. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Cueball is taking a picture of his house, but sees a large fuzzy blob on the side of the picture. This blob likely comes from Cueball making the mistake of putting one of his fingers partially in front of the lens. This is a common enough occurrence with smartphones that an ordinary user should immediately be able to identify the problem; however, the comic derives humor from having neither Cueball nor anyone else come to this conclusion.

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

Cueball takes picture: CLICK

Caption: What the...

White Hat: What's that fuzzy blob next to your house? It's huge!

Cueball: I don't know! I looked up and it was gone!

White Hat: How can a giant structure vanish?

White Hat: ...Cloaking device?!!

Reporter: The fuzzy blob, dubbed "flob" by internet sleuths, has city planners stumped.

City Planner 1: No, that's not any type of building I'm familiar with.

City Planner 2: Could be an experimental military dome.

Zoning Board Representative: The zoning board investigation has found no evidence of a cloaked dome structure. The historical commission will be joining the research into these domes and other unusual buildings, such as the historic 4th ave church...

Reporter: This only raises more questions.
{{comic discussion}}

2471: Hippo Attacks

2021-06-04T01:02:20Z

172.70.110.226: fix

{{comic
| number = 2471
| date = June 2, 2021
| title = Hippo Attacks
| image = hippo_attacks.png
| titletext = It's cool how, when there's a number lots of people are curious about, but which isn't easy to measure, some random guess will get cited everywhere and become the universally quoted value. Unrelatedly, did you know there are 850 trillion waves in the ocean?
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a HIPAA-VIOLATING HIPPO. I think we have managed to capture the broad strokes of the comic, but it could use some copy-editing (especially my words), and I am not confident I am not missing some finer details. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

The first part of this comic deals with unreliable sources on the internet. Neither "viral posts" nor "random listicles" are usually very reliable sources of information. They rarely cite their sources, and they are often published without much fact-checking, as published volume and impressive-sounding numbers are far more important for ad-revenue than actual facts.

The viral post appears to be [https://www.facebook.com/clickhole/photos/a.1461385317435063/2945077732399140/?type=3 this Facebook post.] The relevant source is unknown (and may very well be made up, since the source is "ClickHole," a "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ClickHole satirical website formerly owned by The Onion]"). There are a number of listicles Cueball may be referring to, but they all appear to be citing [https://www.gatesnotes.com/Health/Most-Lethal-Animal-Mosquito-Week the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.]

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ({{w|HIPAA}}, pronounced ''HIP-uh'') is an American healthcare law enacted in 1996. One of the most commonly cited provisions from HIPAA is the HIPAA Privacy Rule, which regulates the use and disclosure of protected health information.

In this comic, Cueball and Megan are discussing the number of {{w|hippopotamus}} attacks, which is unverified. Megan proposes an alternative explanation as to why this particular number is hard to come by: it would be violating the patients' privacy to create statistics of a very specific and unusual cause of death. The punchline comes with the pun on "hippo violation" ("HIPAA violation").

The title text amplifies the criticism of listicles. They sometimes provide factoids with regards to ill-defined, hard-to-measure numbers, and these factoids might end up in common circulation between such articles. One extreme example would be the number of waves in the ocean. Some problems with this definition would be:

* In which ocean/oceans?
* What is the smallest ripple that counts as a wave?
* When does one count two interacting waves as separate, and when does one count them as one?
* Are counted waves limited to water waves, or can EM waves be considered?
* Should sub-surface waves be evaluated, too?

With different replies to these questions, wildly different answers could be reached. But, counting every body of water on the planet, this obviously works out as around 2.354 (unique) waves per square meter. Another possibility is that Cueball is trying to tell you how many hippo deaths there are without violating HIPAA/hippo code. (Note: There are less than 8 billion people on the earth, so this doesn't work.)

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is sitting in an office chair at his desk. He has lifted both arms with palm up towards the screen of his laptop in front of him. Megan stands behind him to the right, looking over his shoulder at the screen.]
:Cueball: I hate unsourced statistics.
:Cueball: ''This'' viral post says hippos kill 2,900 people a year, but ''this'' random listicle says 500.
:Megan: Makes sense.
:Megan: Publishing the real number would be a HIPPO violation.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Statistics]]
[[Category:Puns]]

Talk:967: Prairie

2021-06-02T00:06:37Z

172.70.110.226:

Except it's not a perfect analogy because each grain is a separate entity, and it's an external force, the wind, that produces the wave motion. '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|purple|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 08:24, 9 March 2013 (UTC)

: It actually works out better than you think, because a laser requires an external energy source to {{w|Laser pumping|pump}} it. Colorado is also shaped like a {{w|Optical cavity|laser cavity}}. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.48.125|173.245.48.125]] 06:36, 1 October 2014 (UTC)

;Purple Mountains Majesties
The song America the Beautiful was written by Katharine Lee Bates, originally in the form of a poem entitled "Pikes Peak", which is a 14,000+ foot peak in Colorado Springs. I changed the phrasing of the article from "which '''may''' in fact allude to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado" to "which '''does''' in fact allude to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado." There is no question of whether the song refers to the Colorado Rocky Mountains.--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.55|108.162.215.55]] 20:36, 29 May 2014 (UTC)

"There is a long running joke in the Rocky Mountain West of completely obliterating nearby states, and in particular Nebraska."
Can someone explain this? Maybe it's just because I'm from the east coast, but I have never heard anything about this. Where does the joke come from? How does it go? [[User:Leafy Greens|Leafy Greens]] ([[User talk:Leafy Greens|talk]]) 23:26, 16 November 2014 (UTC)
: First you kill all the bison then eradicate the remains of the population and replace them with a people who have no knowledge or respect for the land.

In one generation the waves are harnessed to destroy.

HTH.[[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]])

No I don't think it's one of your best ones either.[[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 20:25, 22 January 2015 (UTC)

One thing to note, the Greeks used the word ēlektron to designate amber, which they observed to have an attractive effect on small objects when rubbed with fur. The electron was the subatomic particle observed in the famous double slit experiment to exhibit properties of both particles and waves. [[User:Grizzly1|Grizzly1]] ([[User talk:Grizzly1|talk]]) 06:46, 19 February 2015 (UTC)

1. i do not understand "There is a long running joke in the Rocky Mountain West of completely obliterating nearby states, and in particular Nebraska." 2. is google news clickbait