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XKCD - An Occasional Obsession
So every now and then I run across something really great. And if you're geeky enough to be reading this far into a personal web-site, you've probably already discovered the wonder that is xkcd. But in case you haven't you're about to get introduced to a few of my favorite strips.
Because that is what I have gathered here, that's why, you silly self-referential entity! xkcd is hard to describe, but it ranks up there with my all-time favorite things on the web, right alongside Nukees and Bob the Angry Flower. And you thought the web was supposed to be something other than the world's greatest comic book? Really?
Anyway, xkcd cuts deep int the heart of the geek experience, and since it is non-linear it can be very hard to find the bits that speak to you when you want to get back to them. So I'm gathering (after pestering so many friends with them in email) some of my favorites, and adding a little bit of commentary (which you can't do in del.icio.us very well).
And yes, I found Randall's fora, but I want to keep this as my own private space as well.
| Comic | Commentary |
|---|---|
| Godel, Escher, Kurt Halsey |
This one just totally gets it right. I've come to suspect that the universe really is this surreal. It's one of those pop-culture quantum physics things that seems to be rather in vogue these days, but just because it's pop doesn't mean it's bad or wrong, and when you've experienced it directly there really is no arguing against it. And I especially like the way it ends with Love. That's all there is. Really. |
| Useless | |
| Tesla Coil |
When this kind of thing happens to you, then you'll know. |
| Hallucinations |
Shamanic practice considers the dream state to be a whole other world that is closely linked to the one we generally consider 'real'. Opinions differ, but I also completely fail to see how people can be so blasé about the whole dreaming experience. I have had dreams that showed me both the future and things far-off but right now. It's just too bad (or maybe too good) that these things don't reproduce well in a laboratory environment. You have to develop them yourself. |
| Dignified |
A question that's always worth asking. |
| Responsible Behavior |
Oh My. The sins of the internet era. I can only wonder if people get just how deep this one goes. What he did was worse than sleeping with the girl. Do I need to be pedantic? Consider that strong crypto provides accountability in direct proportion to the level of secrecy. This is the information age equivalent of 'bare-backing' with a 'pos'! |
| More to come... | |