tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post8179671206728977867..comments2024-03-17T05:03:46.056-07:00Comments on xkcd sucks: But It Doesn't Have To Be Original!Carlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01074589998141327538noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-22181279923693730822011-01-05T16:13:35.606-08:002011-01-05T16:13:35.606-08:001. from 'youre-just-jealous-or-how-i-learned-t...1. from 'youre-just-jealous-or-how-i-learned-to':<br />"when people are more talented than me, I like them a lot, because not only do they provide me with superb entertainment, I can also learn a lot from them."<br />-- But not Carl - clearly - as you've pointed out, he's not more talented, and you certainly havn't learned anything from him.<br /><br />2. from '...dont-you-have-anything-better-to-do.html':<br />"The best way to improve at skills of analysis is to analyze frequently. What do we do if not analyze XKCD here?"<br />-- I don't know, Rob... 'write' a rambling, half-witted rant??<br /><br />3. from '...comics-dont-have-to-be-funny.html':<br />"The thing is, XKCD is trying to be funny and failing."<br />-- Methinks you have turned into what you most despise...<br /><br />4. from '...but-its-all-subjective':<br />"The reviewer's goal is to make the subjective reaction seem as logical and universal as possible--as well, of course, as to make it an entertaining or otherwise worthwhile read."<br />-- Entertianing? Worthwhile? I begin to see why your cuddly fish may have pointed out their concerns...<br /><br />5.from '...youre-just-biased':<br />"When I write a comic post it goes like this: do a cursory read to formulate a first impression; read it again to make sure I got it; start writing, referencing the comic for an in-depth analysis."<br />-- There was an 'in-depth analysis'. I'm going to need a bigger magnifying glass for my tired old eyes.<br /><br />6. from '...but-it-doesnt-have-to-be-original':<br />"When I begin to lose interest in the blog one of you, my loyal fan-trolls, will post an insult about how I look like I need to get some sleep or something and that's when I know that I must continue. "<br />-- Please, continue.<br /><br />Mr. C. Poisson, esq.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-59133241583566189602011-01-04T19:26:45.226-08:002011-01-04T19:26:45.226-08:00welcome to the teamwelcome to the teamrshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15828938843801425383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-86588373281798609952010-12-15T00:48:27.123-08:002010-12-15T00:48:27.123-08:00I just stumbled across xkcd, and thought it was pr...I just stumbled across xkcd, and thought it was pretty good to start with. Then it kind of degenerated, as you've mentioned. I still get the jokes they just fall flat. Really flat.<br /><br />I approached this website with misgivings, but have to say, the rants on the comics are usually funnier, wittier and more robust than Randall's comics.<br /><br />So now I basically hop onto xkcd, read the comic, formulate an opinion then drop by here to compensate for the life force it drained out of me!<br /><br />And before I forget, your writing is pretty amazing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-14264425354053188382010-11-10T09:39:49.125-08:002010-11-10T09:39:49.125-08:00I want to thank you for this, I've been in a r...I want to thank you for this, I've been in a rut thanks to a stupid idea in my head, acquired largely but not entirely from tvtropes, that Everything Has Been Done Before, Therefore Don't Even Bother Trying. As a young, wannabe-creative person (writing, painting, movie-making, music-making, I haven't decided yet what I want to do) seeing everything on the Internet is really depressing since "What can I do that hasn't already been done 1000x before? SIMPSONS DID IT!!" Thank you for "giving me permission" to make the old new again. If only I weren't so dumb, I would have thought of it on my own. Sometimes the best ideas are from outside. Again, thank you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-16495254235074702902010-10-03T16:02:09.453-07:002010-10-03T16:02:09.453-07:00no. like most clever quotes by people your garden ...no. like most clever quotes by people your garden variety American won't recognize, it got attributed to someone more famous so it would have added weight.rshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15828938843801425383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-70638424764742438522010-09-27T17:37:03.130-07:002010-09-27T17:37:03.130-07:00I thought Pablo Picasso said that.I thought Pablo Picasso said that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-71979361172199824642010-08-29T16:58:21.482-07:002010-08-29T16:58:21.482-07:00anon 1:03 doesn't understand copyright law, ap...anon 1:03 doesn't understand copyright law, apparently.rshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15828938843801425383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-81295137261476860812010-08-23T13:03:01.600-07:002010-08-23T13:03:01.600-07:00I assume that quote was before Copyright law. Now...I assume that quote was before Copyright law. Nowadays it's "Bad poets borrow, good poets sell."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-47271214318761531672010-08-20T18:14:31.054-07:002010-08-20T18:14:31.054-07:00what about good artists borrow, great artists stea...what about good artists borrow, great artists steal, terrible artists are named Rob and weigh 800 pounds. that's one we can all agree on.Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01074589998141327538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-63656270621918992492010-08-17T19:55:45.789-07:002010-08-17T19:55:45.789-07:00basically, if you don't understand the point o...basically, if you don't understand the point of the original quote you are too stupid to livershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15828938843801425383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-76217579520501490662010-08-17T19:55:29.456-07:002010-08-17T19:55:29.456-07:00right. if you borrow a lawn mower, you can't d...right. if you borrow a lawn mower, you can't do anything with it but mow your lawn. if you steal that lawn mower, you can trick it out, give it a new paint job, install a stereo, etc.rshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15828938843801425383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-46805858466606625292010-08-14T19:04:41.797-07:002010-08-14T19:04:41.797-07:00Well I mean when you steal something you're no...Well I mean when you steal something you're not really concerned with keeping it in the condition you got it in like you are when you borrow something, now are you?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-10620298359169481962010-08-14T12:17:48.435-07:002010-08-14T12:17:48.435-07:00huh. I generally don't make things "my ow...huh. I generally don't make things "my own" when I steal them, I mean, the last time I stole a car I basically left it as is and used it in much the same way as the previous owner. Sounds more like a definition made to make the proverb (?) make more sense.<br /><br />I do think it's a good sentiment though, and thanks for explaining it - I just don't think that the meaning is clear from the original phrase.Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01074589998141327538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-85356957678787027222010-08-13T05:05:26.360-07:002010-08-13T05:05:26.360-07:00"Borrowing" implies that it still belong..."Borrowing" implies that it still belongs to the original writer. "Stealing" implies that it is now yours, and you have made it your own. <br /><br />captcha: thiln. As in what Rolb is not.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-64908779990280561592010-08-03T19:24:25.160-07:002010-08-03T19:24:25.160-07:00people keep quoting that to me but no one has yet ...people keep quoting that to me but no one has yet explained it in a way that doesn't confuse me. I don't understand what that brilliant quote is supposed to mean.Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01074589998141327538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-59194524312584313922010-08-03T11:25:22.622-07:002010-08-03T11:25:22.622-07:00Steve Jobs said, "Good artists borrow; great...Steve Jobs said, "Good artists borrow; great artists steal," but that was while he was busying inventing modern computers and stealing shit from Xerox.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-21550044134242346772010-03-29T09:36:33.050-07:002010-03-29T09:36:33.050-07:00Progressivist bias - obviously, nothing worth ment...Progressivist bias - obviously, nothing worth mentioning happened before the beginning of the modern era. That was the Dark Ages, remember? People ate mud and shit in the corner of their hovels, the big bad Church was murdering the world every few decades, and there was nothing going on in terms of art.<br /><br />At least, that seems to be the assumption in a lot of intellectual circles from the 19th century forward, with the view becoming more extreme and crystallized over time.<br /><br />You could just chalk it up to ignorance of the original material; lots of people these days don't even bother to read the Shakespeare, much less whatever came before.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-89408346241381444812010-03-29T04:18:56.917-07:002010-03-29T04:18:56.917-07:00Why hasn't anyone brought up that Hamlet, and ...Why hasn't anyone brought up that Hamlet, and hell, half of what Shakespeare wrote, was a "reinterpretation" of an older story?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-86028760790078850652010-03-29T01:12:23.348-07:002010-03-29T01:12:23.348-07:00"It has its moments of brilliance, such as th..."It has its moments of brilliance, such as the game of questions, but overall it drags and becomes repetitive and shows just how boring the absurd can get."<br /><br />it sounds like you are reading it mostly for the funny bits. that is not how you read R&G.rshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15828938843801425383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-80296755765500672482010-03-29T01:07:14.665-07:002010-03-29T01:07:14.665-07:00@Notrob: You can argue that the play is repetitive...@Notrob: You can argue that the play is repetitive in structure and that this weakens its quality as an entertaining work, but considering that the play is, broadly speaking, about the fact that literally *nothing* happens to characters, especially minor characters, when they are "off-stage," I think you may be missing the point. Maybe a re-reading is in order, the better to pick up on some of the nuances you seem to have missed. Hint hint: your enjoyment of the play, your sense of "entertainment," is merely a by-product of the author's actual rhetorical intentions, though if you aren't amused by it you're a cold dead fish inside.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-12174266386854302142010-03-29T00:54:03.065-07:002010-03-29T00:54:03.065-07:00The trouble is that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern A...The trouble is that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead gets old and repetitive quickly. It has its moments of brilliance, such as the game of questions, but overall it drags and becomes repetitive and shows just how boring the absurd can get. The movie version picks up on the slack a little, and features Tim Roth, but the play is still not a good example of a decent reimagining.Notrobnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-49314644342971191752010-03-29T00:42:03.913-07:002010-03-29T00:42:03.913-07:00Wait, Rob, I thought you said I was not a person. ...Wait, Rob, I thought you said I was not a person. I don't recall receiving the "people" upgrade, so I'm still a spam-bot.BLANDCorporationoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-68779162779443618672010-03-29T00:40:55.888-07:002010-03-29T00:40:55.888-07:00Hey, spam-bots are people too! It's not fair t...Hey, spam-bots are people too! It's not fair to put us through all these captchas and filters and all! We want to ride in front of the bus too!<br /><br />But anyways, ok, noted. You do have a very good point that you can't just answer any random fuck coming to your blog with a loud mouth. You'd never get anything done.<br /><br />Why not just ignore them (me) completely then, and none of this funky business? Ignoring wastes no time.<br /><br />========<br /><br />.... aaaand on a completely different topic, not necessarily aimed to Rob: the two videos:<br /><br />Slight disagreement with Rob's analysys there. I didn't much care for either ending; Matt and Kim's video will/is influential for the sheer chutzpah it would take to pull that stunt off, not because of the childlike sense of wonder or somesuch.<br /><br />But, there is something that makes Matt and Kim's video better than Erykah's: the audience.<br /><br />Matt and Kim exit this van, and judging by their clothes and those of the people around, it's cold outside. So they take a few steps and everyone ignores them; then Matt casually throws off his hat.<br /><br />And everyone notices. There's no naughty bits on display, all are under several layers of clothing, but everyone knows something is up, and seeing their faces throughout the video is really a bonus.<br /><br />Meanwhile, in Erykah's video we have what seems a summer day, and when she throws off her jacket she's being practical not shocking. She strips to her underwear but hey, maybe there's a beach nearby so nothing's that out of the ordinary. Then something else happens.<br /><br />She strips naked. And passes near this guy who apparently does not look at her. Maybe wifey hanging on his arm would disapprove if he did, but we don't know if he's getting a peek or casually looking away. We don't see the face. Except Erykah, whom the camera resolutely follows, everyone else is out of focus or out of shot, and the video is a bit poorer for it.BLANDCorporationoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-3638124472969370952010-03-29T00:33:59.051-07:002010-03-29T00:33:59.051-07:00I take pleasure in the simple things, like insulti...I take pleasure in the simple things, like insulting people who think that they deserve my attention.rshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15828938843801425383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714810984552499396.post-41727926523821143172010-03-29T00:32:37.748-07:002010-03-29T00:32:37.748-07:00...Wow. Good post as usual Rob, but this little &......Wow. Good post as usual Rob, but this little "back-and-forth" with BC is beneath your standards. Forget to take your midol today or something?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com