1190: "Time"

[descor]

Hi, all. Long-time lurker, first-time poster. (Well, ok, I posted in Externalities, but first time in THIS thread.) I don't wish to sound too demanding, but according to the wiki, I believe this makes me eligible for cardinalship: "Any long time forum lurker who registered in solely to post in the One True Comic are eligible for Cardinal-ship." I will await delivery of the funny hat and staff. Or do cardinals have a staff? maybe that's just bishops.

Oh wait, maybe I did post earlier in this thread. Ok, I should get the cardinalship for THAT post.

Anyhooo... I heartily approve of all the earnest discussion about apostrophes. However, we could avoid the whole discussion by saying "the Watch of the Knight." No apostrophe needed. And then you have a great acronym, WOTK--ok, not so great an acronym, never mind.

I'm afraid that, since your first post was in the Externalities thread, you're not eligible for Cardinalship. You could, however, become a bishop, but as I said earlier I won't nominate new bishops today. I'm sorry, but I hope you will continue waiting with us Timewaiters.
PS: 's 's 's 's 's 's

So ... my first post after being a lurker for ages was in the Time thread back on page 251. Does that make me eligible?

Yes, you are!
I, udscbt, Cardinal of the Timewaiters, Prefect of the Congregatio pro Doctrina Temporis, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, with the power granted me by Time, nominate you, descor, Cardinal of the Timewaiters. You will need another Cardinal to ratify you. After that, you can ask Arch-Cardinal buffygirl to make you a hat.
And now, after adding the new nominated Cardinal to the Holy Scriptures, I will coma. The blessing of Time be upon y'all.

EDIT: before going I should note to descor: you used the heretic word "newpix" in your first post, don't do that ever again

Least you instead become a cardinal of the Eastern Unorthodox Timewaiters.

Splitters!

[KarMann]

[Foarm]

The hoisting continues.

[Flotter]

Will she be able to get that Planck on top of the Poles on her own?

Also, that bump she built near the sea looks a bit like a dike, but it doesn't look strong enough to keep away the caffeinesemencancerbabies for long.

[beargarden]

Will she be able to get that Planck on top of the Poles on her own?

Also, that bump she built near the sea looks a bit like a dike, but it doesn't look strong enough to keep away the caffeinesemencancerbabies for long.

She only took a couple of frames to build it, too. Even knowing that time in Time doesn't progress evenly, it seems more like she built a little plinth in the sand rather than a wall. Having no third dimension to work with makes it impossible to say for sure, though.

[Exodies]

We've discussed the 'river' being on land and in the sea, but we missed another possibility see rivers in the sky

"Extreme floods around the world could have a common cause – mysterious great rivers of water that gush through the atmosphere"

Registration required to view article.

Registration is free and painless and prolly of interest to most TimeWaiters and deviants thereof.

[higgs-boson]

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/time/affece6845ebb1b85ff200a87ee054906209200093b8b6900242da1a562f4158.png

With all due respect to the in-depth (but heretic) discussions about apostrophs, Knights, and linguistic inside jokes - may we have a look at Megan's progress here?

3-4 newpix ago, she built a dike!? Let us ask our fellow Initiates of Time from the Netherlands (they should have some experience with dikes*). In my never ever humble opinion water has this nasty trait to flow around obstacles.

Either this, or Megan is really, really, really fast.
Or Time Lord Randall is (again) messing with the time in Time.
Or anything else I have not thought of, yet, happened.

*Etymology-Man would certainly agree.

[TachikomaD]

My life has certainly changed once I stopped shaving and started mumbling "caffeinesemencancerbabies" once every Newpix.

[Flotter]

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/time/affece6845ebb1b85ff200a87ee054906209200093b8b6900242da1a562f4158.png

With all due respect to the in-depth (but heretic) discussions about apostrophs, Knights, and linguistic inside jokes - may we have a look at Megan's progress here?

3-4 newpix ago, she built a dike!? Let us ask our fellow Initiates of Time from the Netherlands (they should have some experience with dikes*). In my never ever humble opinion water has this nasty trait to flow around obstacles.

Either this, or Megan is really, really, really fast.
Or Time Lord Randall is (again) messing with the time in Time.
Or anything else I have not thought of, yet, happened.

*Etymology-Man would certainly agree.

We do not know if there is such a thing as a third dimension in Randall's world. Flowing around an object would be pretty difficult in a 2D environment.

[ChronosDragon]

My life has certainly changed once I stopped shaving and started mumbling "caffeinesemencancerbabies" once every Newpix.

I agree, isn't it a vast improvement?

I must coma, see y'all in 8 or so newpix.

[GerardE]

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/time/affece6845ebb1b85ff200a87ee054906209200093b8b6900242da1a562f4158.png

With all due respect to the in-depth (but heretic) discussions about apostrophs, Knights, and linguistic inside jokes - may we have a look at Megan's progress here?

3-4 newpix ago, she built a dike!? Let us ask our fellow Initiates of Time from the Netherlands (they should have some experience with dikes*). In my never ever humble opinion water has this nasty trait to flow around obstacles.

Either this, or Megan is really, really, really fast.
Or Time Lord Randall is (again) messing with the time in Time.
Or anything else I have not thought of, yet, happened.

*Etymology-Man would certainly agree.

The best way to prevent water from flowing around an obstacle would of course be to declare a two dimensional world, with functional gravity. This still leaves the real live possibilities of water flowing over the dike, or the real danger of the ground under the dike getting so soggy that the water bubbles up behind the dike. And we have the all popular rodents, digging tunnels in what should be a dike .
BTW, I should maybe disclose that I moved out of NL some 15 years ago

[Exodies]

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/time/affece6845ebb1b85ff200a87ee054906209200093b8b6900242da1a562f4158.png

With all due respect to the in-depth (but heretic) discussions about apostrophs, Knights, and linguistic inside jokes - may we have a look at Megan's progress here?

3-4 newpix ago, she built a dike!? Let us ask our fellow Initiates of Time from the Netherlands (they should have some experience with dikes*). In my never ever humble opinion water has this nasty trait to flow around obstacles.

Either this, or Megan is really, really, really fast.
Or Time Lord Randall is (again) messing with the time in Time.
Or anything else I have not thought of, yet, happened.

*Etymology-Man would certainly agree.

The best way to prevent water from flowing around an obstacle would of course be to declare a two dimensional world, with functional gravity. This still leaves the real live possibilities of water flowing over the dike, or the real danger of the ground under the dike getting so soggy that the water bubbles up behind the dike. And we have the all popular rodents, digging tunnels in what should be a dike .
BTW, I should maybe disclose that I moved out of NL some 15 years ago

Well move back man. This is important.

The ability to cut holes demonstrated by Cueball when he made the arches target for the trebuchet clearly proves there are at least 3 dimensions in the world of which the One Comic is a 2d slice.

[Elmach]

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/time/affece6845ebb1b85ff200a87ee054906209200093b8b6900242da1a562f4158.png

With all due respect to the in-depth (but heretic) discussions about apostrophs, Knights, and linguistic inside jokes - may we have a look at Megan's progress here?

3-4 newpix ago, she built a dike!? Let us ask our fellow Initiates of Time from the Netherlands (they should have some experience with dikes*). In my never ever humble opinion water has this nasty trait to flow around obstacles.

Either this, or Megan is really, really, really fast.
Or Time Lord Randall is (again) messing with the time in Time.
Or anything else I have not thought of, yet, happened.

*Etymology-Man would certainly agree.

We do not know if there is such a thing as a third dimension in Randall's world. Flowing around an object would be pretty difficult in a 2D environment.

That bit before the trébuchet attack proves that there is a third dimension, because Cueball made a hole inside the arch.
However, (imagine the following as a response to you and the person below)

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/time/affece6845ebb1b85ff200a87ee054906209200093b8b6900242da1a562f4158.png

With all due respect to the in-depth (but heretic) discussions about apostrophs, Knights, and linguistic inside jokes - may we have a look at Megan's progress here?

3-4 newpix ago, she built a dike!? Let us ask our fellow Initiates of Time from the Netherlands (they should have some experience with dikes*). In my never ever humble opinion water has this nasty trait to flow around obstacles.

Either this, or Megan is really, really, really fast.
Or Time Lord Randall is (again) messing with the time in Time.
Or anything else I have not thought of, yet, happened.

*Etymology-Man would certainly agree.

The best way to prevent water from flowing around an obstacle would of course be to declare a two dimensional world, with functional gravity. This still leaves the real live possibilities of water flowing over the dike, or the real danger of the ground under the dike getting so soggy that the water bubbles up behind the dike. And we have the all popular rodents, digging tunnels in what should be a dike .
BTW, I should maybe disclose that I moved out of NL some 15 years ago

Assuming the sand is a fine powdery substance, in 2 dimensions, the liquid could go throw the sand the same way it does in real life 3-d, and surface through the dike.

[KarMann]

Oh, since people have apparently been forgetting, here's your thrice-weekly reminder that the usual comic is up.

http://xkcd.com/1197/

[KarMann]

Heave! Ho!

[Flotter]

Spoiler:

Heave! Ho!

Heave, ho!

[higgs-boson]

The best way to prevent water from flowing around an obstacle would of course be to declare a two dimensional world, with functional gravity. This still leaves the real live possibilities of water flowing over the dike, or the real danger of the ground under the dike getting so soggy that the water bubbles up behind the dike. And we have the all popular rodents, digging tunnels in what should be a dike .
BTW, I should maybe disclose that I moved out of NL some 15 years ago

The thingies they pull up on the poles seem to have a third dimension. The late ladder management seconds the 3D case. Declaring the scenario 2D would raise a bunch of other issues and therefore at least violate Occam's Razor.

Anyway, you leaving NL could have been a wise decision. With climate change adding to the dike issues you describe... it looks like Netherland's sportsmen are likely to drop out of European Soccer Championship forever, soon, and may specialise in water polo, instead. (scnr,nom)

[KuwabatakeSanjuro]

"Monoliiiiiiiiiith... Monoliiiiiiiiiith... Monoliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiith!"

"Mono - d'oh!"

I've been meaning on comment on your userpic. That's a golden Mike, with "To the Prettiest" on him? Discordia and Monsters Inc. are quite a combination.

[Flado]

I like it. Declaration via an unposted Post. lol.

So...I may or may not be in. Good to un/know.

Do you feel in, my child? If so, then no.

[azule]

Silly Megan, you need help.

Regardless, a knightly organization would be fun. Perhaps the Knight Watchers?

Wait Watchers.

But, The Knights Temporal was the best suggestion.

I like it. Declaration via an unposted Post. lol.

So...I may or may not be in. Good to un/know.

Do you feel in, my child? If so, then no.

I feel in...within. heh.

[KarMann]

[Perilous_3D]

In Randall's spare time he spawns religions... makes me feel like all mine is wasted...

[KarMann]

In other news, I just saw this article come up in a feed.
Sweden Adopts a Gender-Neutral Pronoun
I think someone mentioned this particular pronoun a while back, so I'm not sure just how new this news is.

Added: Ah, here hen is, Jonas79.
Added²: Ah, I just noticed that while yes, the article is from April, that's April 2012. So, definitely not new news, and makes me wonder why it comes up in the feed now.

[thegreger]

In other news, I just saw this article come up in a feed.
Sweden Adopts a Gender-Neutral Pronoun
I think someone mentioned this particular pronoun a while back, so I'm not sure just how new this news is.

Added: Ah, here hen is, Jonas79.

It's been around for a while, but progress is slow. What started out as a pronoun suitable for transgenders (and situations where you don't want to assume a particular gender) was interpreted by some people as the "politically-correctness-gender-science-mafia trying to rule over how we use our language"... Note that no person in authority has ever issued any sort of linguistic decree over the use of this pronoun. Someone simply came up with a new word as a nifty way of filling a gap in our vocabulary, and now the Swedish equivalence of the tea party people are offended anytime they see anyone using it.

Edit: We've had a few of these fights before in Sweden, where something that starts out as a conflict between the furthest left and the furthest right turns into something about which everyone has an opinion. The question of words seem to be a sore issue over here. One of the more memorable cases were when someone suggested that an old type of spherical chocolate confectionary named n*ggerball might need a slightly updated name. Roughly 50% of the Swedish population were absolutely outraged.

[KarMann]

[histrion]

"Monoliiiiiiiiiith... Monoliiiiiiiiiith... Monoliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiith!"

"Mono - d'oh!"

I've been meaning on comment on your userpic. That's a golden Mike, with "To the Prettiest" on him? Discordia and Monsters Inc. are quite a combination.

Thanks! I'm trying to dig up my copy of the Principia. I know you can read it for free online, but it's not the same.

[kryton]

I tend to turn to the greats of ScienceFiction for such things as a gender neutral pronoun, which several of my favorites did in fact adopt "ze" as that very thing.
"ze wants to go to the mall and get a new jacket for ze's upcoming interview so that ze can make zer car payment."

[RobIrr]

I hope Cueball is going to bring something spectacular back with him, since he's left Megan to do the second assembly on her own..

[KarMann]

I tend to turn to the greats of ScienceFiction for such things as a gender neutral pronoun, which several of my favorites did in fact adopt "ze" as that very thing.
"ze wants to go to the mall and get a new jacket for ze's upcoming interview so that ze can make zer car payment."

You've used "ze's" and "zer" to fill the same role there. I think I've usually seen "zir" for the possessive/genitive, but it might have been "zer".

[KarMann]

[Flotter]

Time to lift the other side of the Planck

[edit]
Ninja'd

[veryslightlygeeky]

My guess:

Spoiler:

projector and screen.

Folks seem to be assuming that the world is either 2-D or 3-D. This may not be the case here - I think Megan's dike is in a 2-D portion, with the arches being in a 3-D portion. If my guess is correct then the poles and box are 3(or more)-D.
----
I am so glad that we are still not over-analysing this.

[Exodies]

He may be slow, but it was Cueball that initiated the molding of the mound into the recursive model.

I hypothesize that Megan is the representative of Time, and Cueball the representative of Space. Just as Cueball made it so that scene would repeat itself forever, so is Megan constructing the structure and sea wall so that time will never end. As long as they work together the universe goes on, but if they were to get into an arguement, wait for it...

That's pretty potent stuff you're smoking

[Exodies]

Oh, since people have apparently been forgetting, here's your thrice-weekly reminder that the usual comic is up.

http://xkcd.com/1197/

Oh, that's an interesting looking web site. Thanks for the tip Karmann, I'll add it to my bookmarks for later

[Exodies]

Spoiler:

Heave! Ho!

Heave, ho!

You forgot to say 'FTFY'.
But look at the two cable attachment to the unattended side of the horizontal planck. THAT's unusual.

[mojacardave]

I tend to turn to the greats of ScienceFiction for such things as a gender neutral pronoun, which several of my favorites did in fact adopt "ze" as that very thing.
"ze wants to go to the mall and get a new jacket for ze's upcoming interview so that ze can make zer car payment."

You've used "ze's" and "zer" to fill the same role there. I think I've usually seen "zir" for the possessive/genitive, but it might have been "zer".

The problem with gender neutral pronouns like 'ze', is that they sound stupid. Particular ones that rely on XtremeKoolLetterz. Maybe acceptable for use in an achingly Basically Decent online forum, but can you imagine actually speaking the words? How about using 'ze' in a sentence to somebody in an older generation? 'They' and 'their' aren't perfect substitutes, but they're acceptable and far less awkward to use.

Also, it definitely has to be zir. 'zer' is too reminiscent of 'her' which spoils the neutrality.

---

BTW: Is there a way of posting prettier links in the forum? I'd like a BBCode equivalent of the HTML:

Code: Select all

<A HREF='http://...'>Link</A>

EDIT: solved and fixed post

[mscha]

* Is there a way of posting prettier links in the forum? I'd like a BBCode equivalent of the HTML:

Code: Select all

<A HREF='http://...'>Link</A>

Code: Select all

[url=http://whatever]whatever[/url]

See the FAQ, to use it in a sentence.

[mojacardave]

* Is there a way of posting prettier links in the forum? I'd like a BBCode equivalent of the HTML:

Code: Select all

<A HREF='http://...'>Link</A>

Code: Select all

[url=http://whatever]whatever[/url]

Thank you!

[hamjudo]

I think Megan's little pile of sand is a high water level indicator. Even if she doesn't look until after the water receded, she will be able to tell that if the pile is gone, the water had reached that high.

It will make the water level rise more interesting for us watchers. There are enough pixels there that we'll get to see the water eat away at it.

[Exodies]

My guess:

Spoiler:

projector and screen.

Folks seem to be assuming that the world is either 2-D or 3-D. This may not be the case here - I think Megan's dike is in a 2-D portion, with the arches being in a 3-D portion. If my guess is correct then the poles and box are 3(or more)-D.
----
I am so glad that we are still not over-analysing this.

This is good. Please add it to the list of topics Randall the Magnificant should address in his weekly 'What If' sermon - how does a 3d/2d world boundary look like.
I'm reminded of a cut out pair of no-d specs included in one of Frank Zappa's albums (in case you don't have access to a record shop, the lenses were cardboard (un-cut-out)).