1610: Fire Ants - Revision history

Maplestrip: /* Explanation */ Copy-editing

2024-02-22T10:50:28Z

‎Explanation: Copy-editing

FaviFake: Fixed broken link (was a redirect)

2023-05-22T08:01:34Z

Fixed broken link (was a redirect)

Natg19: /* Trivia */ more specific

2022-10-11T02:10:14Z

‎Trivia: more specific

172.70.126.49: why would we assume she is his mother? most mothers do not sit behind a desk while meeting their children

2022-07-21T04:02:59Z

why would we assume she is his mother? most mothers do not sit behind a desk while meeting their children

Theusaf: Reverted edits by Donald Trump (talk) to last revision by CRLF

2022-05-26T20:02:07Z

Reverted edits by Donald Trump (talk) to last revision by CRLF

Show changes

Donald Trump: Reverted edit by anti-crap user

2022-05-26T18:52:11Z

Reverted edit by anti-crap user

Show changes

CRLF: Reverted vandalism with User:CRLF/OneClickUndo.js

2022-05-26T18:05:16Z

Reverted vandalism with User:CRLF/OneClickUndo.js

Show changes

Donald Trump: Crapped page

2022-05-26T16:50:20Z

Crapped page

Show changes

BetaOS: Undo revision 267056 by 👖🔥 (talk)

2022-05-11T17:55:25Z

Undo revision 267056 by 👖🔥 (talk)

Show changes

👖🔥 at 17:55, 11 May 2022

2022-05-11T17:55:11Z

Show changes

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 The {{w|book of Proverbs}} is a  [https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/1611_Proverbs-Chapter-1/#3 self-proclaimed book] on receiving wisdom and instruction to be made wise. Thus, her response appears to begin as an instruction to him in response to his question. The proverb in particular she appears to begin quoting instructs the lazy person to "Go to the ant, thou sluggard! Consider her ways..." as she prepares for the desolation of winter by providing during the bounty of summer despite not having to be told so. The assumption by the reader would be that she is going to compare Cueball to a lazy person and instruct him to prepare for the later years (winter of life) by studying now while he is young (summer of life).
-However, after the initial phrase she instead discusses a cool fact about '''fire ants'''. (Specifically the ability of fire ants to join together to form [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2ZysgGAABw floating rafts] in case of flooding). Continuing in the vein of the joke, that Hairbun was going to use a {{w|metaphor}} as part of her instruction, Cueball asks her what lesson he is supposed to take away from that fact. To which she replies with her fascination for ants (''Ants are so cool!'' ). Correctly, Cueball states that she is ''not big on metaphors'', as there were none hidden in her first statement. She continues to tell him what she is big on: '''Ants'''.
+However, after the initial phrase she instead discusses a cool fact about '''fire ants'''. (Specifically the ability of fire ants to join together to form [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2ZysgGAABw floating rafts] in case of flooding). The story could function as a parable on teamwork and collaboration in the face of disaster, but such a metaphor does not apply to the personal life choices Cueball is considering. Cueball silently considers possible interpretations of the fact as a metaphor, then asks her what lesson he is supposed to take away from it. To this she replies with her fascination for ants (''Ants are so cool!'' ). Correctly, Cueball states that she is ''not big on metaphors'', as there were none hidden in her first statement. She continues to tell him what she is big on: '''Ants'''.
-This last exchange may imply that the expected metaphor would have had as little effect on Cueball's choice to continue grad school as an excited rant about fire ants (since he was just waiting for a metaphor anyway). Or perhaps it expresses that Hairbun finds more instruction in the study of the natural world than in ancient writings. In either case, it is left unanswered as to whether her argument was enough to answer Cueball's dilemma.
+This last exchange may suggest that the expected metaphor would have had as little effect on Cueball's choice to continue grad school as an excited rant about fire ants (since he was just waiting for a metaphor anyway). Alternatively, it expresses that Hairbun finds more instruction in the modern study of the natural world than in classical writings. In either case, it is left ambiguous whether her argument could be helpful at all answer Cueball's dilemma.
-Before reading the title text the reader may have assumed that Cueball went to meet with a University adviser. But the title text makes it clear that he was actually in the {{w|entomology}} department (making her an entomologist - i.e. someone who studies insects). It is reasonable to assume that his grad studies are thus in entomology and he is meeting a professor that might act as a career mentor. Thus, her discourse on fire ants may have been to persuade Cueball that his grad studies in entomology were well worth continuing because of the exciting nature of the field of study. This would be achieving the intent of the Proverb she appeared to quote (convincing Cueball to continue life preparations by finishing grad school) although she discarded its wording.
+Before reading the title text the reader may have assumed that Cueball went to meet with a University adviser. But the title text instead presents her as an {{w|entomology|entomologist}}, someone who studies insects. In this case, presumably, Cueball's grad studies are in entomology and he is meeting a professor that might act as a career mentor. Thus, her discourse on fire ants may have been to persuade Cueball that his grad studies in entomology were well worth continuing because of the exciting nature of the field of study. This would achieve the intent of the proverb she appeared to quote (convincing Cueball to continue life preparations by finishing grad school) although she discarded its wording.
 In almost an immediate and seemingly bizarre contradiction, she chalks up her strange rambling on fire ants as just a formula that all entomology personnel use when asked any question. They use a two-step formula to answer any questions. It won't help you much because all you will learn is that ants are cool and then they have forgotten anything else you asked them while they continued to think of ants. This would imply that the answer Cueball received had literally nothing to do with his question or situation he was in and any similarity to being a meaningful answer or even a proverb of instruction was purely coincidental and unintended.

@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 It seems likely that [[Randall]] is fascinated by ants (he is fascinated by a lot of cool stuff…)
 *In [[638: The Search]] the SETI project is re-imagined from the perspective of ants, who reach the same conclusion humans often do.
-*According to footnote 2 of the [[what if?]] no. 73: [https://what-if.xkcd.com/73/ Lethal Neutrinos], there are enough ants on earth to fill more than 100 football stadiums to the brim.
+*According to footnote 2 of the ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' no. 73: [https://what-if.xkcd.com/73/ Lethal Neutrinos], there are enough ants on earth to fill more than 100 football stadiums to the brim.
 *In his celebration game for his new book [[1608: Hoverboard]], there is a scene in the Star Destroyer were Cueball is talking to a giant ant queen:
 ::Cueball: What's up?

@@ Line 64: / Line 64: @@
 [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 [[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
-[[Category:Animals]]
+[[Category:Ants]]

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 ==Explanation==
-[[Cueball]], a university student, is meeting with [[Hairbun]] (likely his mother or somebody qualified to give college advice) asking her advice concerning his second thoughts about {{w|Graduate school|grad school}}. Her response begins with a popular reference [https://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/prov/6.6?lang=eng#p5 from the Bible] concerning {{w|ants}}; however, she specifically narrows in on the sub-family of {{w|fire ants}}.
+[[Cueball]], a university student, is meeting with [[Hairbun]] (likely his mentor or somebody qualified to give college advice) asking her advice concerning his second thoughts about {{w|Graduate school|grad school}}. Her response begins with a popular reference [https://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/prov/6.6?lang=eng#p5 from the Bible] concerning {{w|ants}}; however, she specifically narrows in on the sub-family of {{w|fire ants}}.
 The {{w|book of Proverbs}} is a  [https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/1611_Proverbs-Chapter-1/#3 self-proclaimed book] on receiving wisdom and instruction to be made wise. Thus, her response appears to begin as an instruction to him in response to his question. The proverb in particular she appears to begin quoting instructs the lazy person to "Go to the ant, thou sluggard! Consider her ways..." as she prepares for the desolation of winter by providing during the bounty of summer despite not having to be told so. The assumption by the reader would be that she is going to compare Cueball to a lazy person and instruct him to prepare for the later years (winter of life) by studying now while he is young (summer of life).