Michael Alan Nelson, writer for the Fall of Cthulhu comics from Boom! Studios, sent me a couple of copies of the comic today, for some dark, mysterious reason. For a little context to this page, the two heroes have just witnessed a horrible suicide, and are going through the dead person’s effects and computer files to try and figure out why he blew his brains out.
The “why” is apparently that he’s been reading Pharyngula, in part. I know a few people who have that kind of reaction.
It’s only a fleeting mention—he doesn’t have me gibbering insanely and ripping open my lab coat to reveal a writhing mass of unexpected appendages or anything like that—but it does go a long way towards alleviating my jealousy of Ophelia. Notice, though, that Phil claims to have been referenced in a comic book (along with James Kakalios), but I don’t think we should allow him in the bloggers-mentioned-in-comics club until he shows us actual evidence.
Now I’m going to have to go down to the comic book shop in town and request the rest of the run of this series so I can find out what happens.
…What’s wrong with tentacle porn?
Priceless!
Another reason to read this blog.
Iä! Iä! Cthulhu Fhtagn!
PS. I suggest you people watch the Call of Cthulhu. It’s just incredible.
Maybe she’s saying “Oh, God! Tentacle Porn!!?!?!” excitedly.
Ahh, and the man is replying in a disappointed tone that it’s all scientific.
Yes, that makes sense.
I once linked here to the comicstrip ‘Lio’. He’s a weird kid whose pet is a squid. It is depicted quite frequently. Go to http://www.ucomics.com/comics/ and scroll down to Lio.
Fyi, PZ, Pharyngula has been killing my Internet Explorer all week along. It’s 2007. Should not be happening.
“No, no, it’s all scientific. Just weird.”
Man. I would kill for a review like that. Awesome.
It’s 2007. You shouldn’t be using Internet Explorer.
OK, I tweaked something. Someone let me now if it is still crashing IE.
Please. I got namechecked TWICE in the Chronicle of Higher Education for having a band that barely existed. And to top it off, the band was named Electric Kitten Vomit. That’s a professional-level mention. *points finger aimlessly for emphasis*
I wouldn’t use IE, but it’s not my choice during business hours.
They could cut off our web access in corporate-land, and squeeze out a drop more productivity (without paying us one cent more), but I bet you that in less than two months of such a crackdown I’d have quit or killed myself.
Nope. All problems disappeared when you removed the ad video ?two weeks? ago. (And even back then, the one that crashed was Safari.)
Besides, IE has a huge advantage over most or all others: it understands MSHTML. <inhale>Mwahahahahaaaaah…</inhale>
Nope. All problems disappeared when you removed the ad video ?two weeks? ago. (And even back then, the one that crashed was Safari.)
Besides, IE has a huge advantage over most or all others: it understands MSHTML. <inhale>Mwahahahahaaaaah…</inhale>
PZ, I _love_ the comic. It’s funny and _so_ shadowy!
“Now I’m going to have to go down to the comic book shop in town and request the rest of the run of this series so I can find out what happens.”
While you’re at the comic shop, you might want to ask them if they have any leftover copies of #0 issue that came out before this one. It’s mostly about Abdul Alhazred, the author of the Necronomicon.
You know, PZ, I’ve always wondered if it was some kind of coincidence that “Pharyngula” sounds a bit like “Ph’nglui”..?
Man, this Davidson whore is like black mold.
I’m never getting that 3 minutes back am I?
I’m so anger!
I love offering Cthulhu and Azathoth as “The Designer” among the evangelicals. Maybe Nyarlathotep makes more sense?
Why are you singing about a down comforter? Wierd.
HA! If they vanish they must be V Martin… he’s relentless!
Craven kraken! Dost thou not know that Yog-sothoth is the Key & the Gate?!?!?
Ia! Shub-Niggurath! Goat with a Thousand Young!
I shall be invoking the globe Durson, to rain both terror & raven droppings upon thee!
t’s 2007. You shouldn’t be using Internet Explorer.
Touche, PZ. Touche.
Also, you fixed the problem, whatever it is. I salute you.
[pulls out gun, squints eyes, and pulls trigger, unfurling a small flag which shows a picture of an octopus]
Nice. And timely, as I just dug out my Lovecraft collection. Sadly, though, it doesn’t have “Pickman’s Model” in it, which is my favorite (okay, AFTER Call of Cthulhu).
Chinch: do a bit of digging online and it shouldn’t be too hard to find a copy.
Pickman’s Model
Very first link to pop up.
If it’s the one I think it is, huzzah for ghouls!
Oh, it’s on.
It’s on like Donkey Kong!
Send me an e-mail address where I can send you some jpegs, and you’ll read ’em and weep.
And you’ll have to call me by my formal title: Secretary of State!
(you’ll see!).
Fyi, PZ, Pharyngula has been killing my Internet Explorer all week along. It’s 2007. Should not be happening.
Well, it’s never crashed my IE6, ever.
I don’t understand the hating. Use what works and what browser has an interface that you like. It’s software, not a lifestyle.
I think I know what’s causing the crashes on Explorer now. I have a drop cap defined in the page’s CSS file, and if anything in the html tries to impose additional style elements (like formatting it as a link, or putting it in italics), IE dies a spastic gasping stupid idiot’s death. That’s just wrong. It’s like being told you can’t both comb your hair in the morning and wear a hat later or your head will explode. It’s a bad, bad browser.
I’ll avoiding applying any other style elements to the first word of an article henceforth, but please, ditch IE. If your IT department at work is forcing you to use that abomination, descend on them in fury and puncture them with staples and slash them with letter openers and blind them with a flurry of post-its until they agree to abandon their useless medievalisms.
Wasn’t there something posted awhile back that only worked with Internet Exploder? I remember having to pull out an old version of IE and run it in Classic to see.
It was some anti-evolution thing, full of bad science and bad Powerpoint. I suppose it was common sense to require a bad browser as a safety measure.
Dude. You rock. I’m viridescent with envy.
I don’t understand the hating. Use what works…
The second sentence is the answer to the first. This isn’t like a Mac/PC debate, PZ is doing you a favor. Stop using IE. It makes me think of that SNL sketch about “Bad Idea Jeans”: “Yeah I was going to use a condom, then I figured, when’s the next time I’m going to be in Haiti?”
(Do yourself a favor and get either Opera or Firefox.)
IE7 never ever crashed on me reading Pharyngula (or any other site) on two different computers. Not even with those video ads. (I miss her so…)
As I suggested in a previous thread, try switching to UBUNTU, which is a free linux-based operating system.
http://www.ubuntu.com/
This isn’t like a Mac/PC debate, PZ is doing you a favor.
Yes, becasue Firefox is the One True Browswer and it has not issues or problems, ever.
Yes, becasue Firefox is the One True Browswer and it has not issues or problems, ever.
I didn’t say that, and I even mentioned Opera (with a link no less). No need for you to be a smart ass.
DaveX: “Barely existed”? Were the medival theologians who talked about degrees of existence correct?
No need for you to be a smart ass.
Considering the untrue claim that IE is crashing on a rather simple style format, I think it’s warranted (hint, I’m not the only one who’s IE didn’t crash), I think a little bit of snark is in order.
I’m pretty much an agnostic when it comes to OSes, browsers, etc. They all suck in different ways.
Untrue claim? How so?
It’s very simple. If I make the first word of an article that uses a drop cap a link, boom, I get lots of people complaining that just opening the page crashes IE. I remove the link, the complaints stop.
If I put the first word of an article that uses a drap cap in italics, boom, I get lots of people complaining that just opening the page crashes IE. I remove the <i> tag, the complaints stop.
In both cases, people work around the problem by using FireFox instead of IE.
There’s something funky about some versions of IE. I don’t see what else to conclude.
Also, try reading some of the work of web designers. IE is a major headache, with all kinds of nonstandard flakiness, far worse than any of the other major browsers. If IE vanished tomorrow, there would be cheers heard ’round the world.
“I know a few people who have that kind of reaction.”
Hm. Are you imputing the dialogue to the writer himself? Maybe he likes your site, but is depicting the reaction of a less-enlightened person.