I've delayed writing this until after a newer comic is up (haven't read it yet) because I just have nothing to say. I suspect that had I not started this blog I would find this comic somewhat amusing, though nothing special. As it is, I see a map with three sentient, evil hurricanes (of which Bermuda is the funniest, because it is lost and so its destructive power is hi-lariously dissipated) and three hurricanes designed to make special shapes which are not even close to the usual shape of hurricanes!The Freud one makes me think Randall is fully committed to the wide (and satisfying!) world of dick jokes. Though I must say - and if this starts another long conversation in the comments, so be it - that even though I think Freud was basically always wrong, he did, in fact have ideas apart from stuff sometimes looks like a penis. That's basically all most people know about him now; this is not limited to xkcd alone, of course. But you know, he had lots of other stuff to say about early childhood development and shit like that.
And I must say - I was very surprised to see Randall include cos(x) here but not make it actually a cosine graph. He could have zoomed out just a tad, to include the equator, and made the origin the place where the equator hits the left side of the panel, and made the cos graph start at its highest point and go down from there. It's nearly a sin graph as it is.
Anyone else have any thoughts on this one? I basically have nothing.
early childhood development? not nearly as funny as dicks.
ReplyDeletealso, if a hurricane were to straddle the equator like that, constantly crossing the line back and forth, it would keep on going from hurricane to cyclone, all switching spin directions each time, it'd just be confusing.
ReplyDeleteThe hurricanes and their funny trails work well, but the alternate text leaves me dry. He wants to see a flood of Manhattan? I don't see how that ties into any of the hurricanes in the comic, nor does it make sense in the context of any pop culture references I know. So he's either laid a joke out for whoever knows that reference or he'd just like to see Manhattan (but a bit west) take hurricane damage. What?
ReplyDeleteBill - you are right that dick stuff was the funniest of freud's stuff (at least of the stuff I know, which is only very little) but I guess what with
ReplyDeletethat one comic a while back I was expecting randall to not rely on those jokes so much,
In any case, I guess he should still get credit for pointing out that florida looks like a penis DAMN NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT ONE BEFORE.
Yes, a hurricane moving across the equator would have to switch which direction it went. That is the ONLY problem with this comic. Damn.
Thomas - You are right, and usually the alt-text is funnier than the comic (even when the comic is good). If he just wants to read a realistic description of New York getting destroyed, he should read The World Without Us by Alan Weisman.
Not sure what he has against New York.
Freud's funniest thing is the Oedipus complex, where he asserts that /every male child ever/ has at one point wanted to murder his father and marry his mother.
ReplyDeleteOr at least I think it is.
Guys?
I agree. That is pretty funny. I also think it's funny how he's so sure that all his wacky ideas are not just right, but they are right all the time for all people. It's such a ridiculous claim.
ReplyDeleteYou gotta give him credit. He got people interested in psychology. He just didn't contribute many useful ideas. Or when he did, he didn't... do anything to verify them, he just said 'this is right.' Not very scientific, Sigmund.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xkcd.com/435/
ReplyDeleteFreud is someone who deserves to be on the left side of that, yes. But don't let him ruin the whole field of psychology/psychoanalysis for you.
ReplyDelete"and three hurricanes designed to make special shapes which are not even close to the usual shape of hurricanes!"
ReplyDeletethat's somehow the whole point, didn't you see the "tron" movie? that explains the blue and red hurricanes
Um yes I did get the joke, or attempt at a joke. Of course that's the point. Just like the "point" of Hurricane Freud (which, now that I think about it, would actually be a pretty good name for a hurricane) is to look like a dick.
ReplyDeleteMy tepid response was not because I didn't get the joke (because I did); it was because I didn't find it all that amusing.
Thanks for assuming I'm a dumbass though, I assure you I am returning the favor.
Man I wouldn't normally post on old reviews such as this but I have to know: was the misspelling of 'cos(x)' intentional? Like, an ironic Freudian 'slip' to highlight the Florida-and-Freud-related smut in the comic?
ReplyDelete'Cause it sho' do sound funny when you say it out loud. Cox x. Hur hur hur.
i'm going to go ahead and pretend it was on purpose. And also change it to Cos.
ReplyDeleteHeh...
I just found your blog, and I like a lot of what you're saying (working my way from most recent to least at the moment). I should point this out:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.soest.hawaii.edu/GG/ASK/hurricanes.html
If it's too long, I'll summarize: hurricanes don't form near the equator, and there are good reasons why they're unlikely to cross (much less multiple times). This guy isn't aware of anyone ever observing one crossing the equator, though it's possible. I point this out because the problem with this one is less obvious than the silliness of the other tracks.