I have just read the entire SH series, from the beginning up to now, in less than three days. This is even a bigger rush than when I watched the entire Alias series in a week!
And I still think SH would make a great anime series!
(been waiting 10+ years. played at casting it once or twice. wonder if Shaenon has ever met Joss at some convention since he could be a fan of the “sanity” of her writing.)
The mystery torture is not knowing about it. The whole intimidation value of extirpation is that you don’t know what they’re threatening you with. Nothing Is Scarier, after all.
On a completely unrelated whim, I looked up “extirpation.” Just for speculation purposes, you understand.
Anyway, extirpation is basically the term for a localized extinction, e.g. “The tick was extirpated from the State of Connecticut.” (Don’t I wish) It can also be defined as “to remove or destroy totally.” This suggests that it involves a quick way to remove every trace of a person, possibly retroactively.
I searched for “extirpation” some time ago. I found a news article about an art installation with that as (or part of) its title. The work consisted of a number of household items bolted to the outside of an old apartment building. Chairs, tabeles, lamps, an electric fan, etc., were arranged to look as if they had been thrown out a window.
So, extirpation is being thrown out a window?
“The monster in his consternation
Demonstrates defenestration,
And runs and runs and runs and runs away.”
Bill Waterston, about Calvin’s under-the-bed monster
It’s not so much not knowing what “extirpation” means. The problem is, what does Anasigma think it means? I mean, just killing them would make them locally extinct, but clearly the Anasigma goons think that it’s both more drastic and more entertaining, like sending someone back in time to destroy you retroactively or something.
Or it could be something mild like the Overly Nice Arnold Rimmer threatening a leaflet campaign… against a space monster… But with walnuts? That’s what has me confused. I’ll just go off and try to recollect the Mary Tyler Moore walnut scene…
Mafia out-processing may have been professional on its good days, but the collegiality of the black ops kill squads is beyond admirable. You never know when you might need to reestablish a business relationship with a former coworker’s zombified corpse, or if that extirpation precludes that eventuality, their mirror self. Which is why it could bolster employee morale and adherence to regulation if the gate could be used to extend the threat of extirpation to all alternative realities at once.
Anasigma’s founders originally just asked themselves “How can we fit as many noodle instances as possible in one company?”. Things snowballed downhill from there.
“Ugh, the LEOPARDS.
Their jokes were horrendous!
And they always involved Spots..”
At least they weren’t as bad as the cheetahs’ though. They never prosper!
Lie-ons?
For goodness snakes, those gull-ible cats had such tender felines.
I always thought their jokes were spot…on.
There’s no pun jar here, is there?
Also, once it HAPPENS then it won’t be MYSTERY torture anymore, will it?
Beware.
…
Did they hold the picnic inside a basement? I mean, this is Anasigma we’re talking about.
Yes. In a disused lavatory. With a filing cabinet in it.
Maybe Bubbles’s Cousin Bidet ratted them out.
That was a church potluck in the basement. And A-Sig went and blew the place to [i]hurk[/i].
I don’t think we’ve ever learned Mr. Green’s first name, have we?
I have a wild theory that he’s a Dave.
I want to say that a long time ago, in a comic far, far away, there was a picture of a rl Dave shown with dyed green hair.
I wonder if Mr. Green might be an Australian. Those Ozzies, you know…
Hopefully Mr. Green will follow villain SOP and explain some of the last eight years of plot.
It involves walnuts, doesn’t it? Just recalled my favorite episode of “Dick van Dyke”…
Oh, good–I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who made that connection as soon as someone mentioned walnuts.
After the Dr. Ao thing, I thought Mr. Green *liked* Sweetheart…
I have just read the entire SH series, from the beginning up to now, in less than three days. This is even a bigger rush than when I watched the entire Alias series in a week!
And I still think SH would make a great anime series!
I”M still waiting for the Narbonic movie.
(been waiting 10+ years. played at casting it once or twice. wonder if Shaenon has ever met Joss at some convention since he could be a fan of the “sanity” of her writing.)
Hmmmm,
Helen the Mad Scientist Slayer?
Beta the Mad Scientist Slayer?
Casting Mell would be fun! Would you be up for the roll?
Maybe you could kickstart it!
The mystery torture is not knowing about it. The whole intimidation value of extirpation is that you don’t know what they’re threatening you with. Nothing Is Scarier, after all.
On a completely unrelated whim, I looked up “extirpation.” Just for speculation purposes, you understand.
Anyway, extirpation is basically the term for a localized extinction, e.g. “The tick was extirpated from the State of Connecticut.” (Don’t I wish) It can also be defined as “to remove or destroy totally.” This suggests that it involves a quick way to remove every trace of a person, possibly retroactively.
I searched for “extirpation” some time ago. I found a news article about an art installation with that as (or part of) its title. The work consisted of a number of household items bolted to the outside of an old apartment building. Chairs, tabeles, lamps, an electric fan, etc., were arranged to look as if they had been thrown out a window.
So, extirpation is being thrown out a window?
Defenestration is being thrown out a window, but defenestration can cause extirpation.
“The monster in his consternation
Demonstrates defenestration,
And runs and runs and runs and runs away.”
Bill Waterston, about Calvin’s under-the-bed monster
“Defenestration”
Yah-ok. My-bad . Brain-fart….
*That* was the name of the installation.
It was one of the many odd words I’ve read in these strips. =P
It involves walnuts, so probably not that.
It’s not so much not knowing what “extirpation” means. The problem is, what does Anasigma think it means? I mean, just killing them would make them locally extinct, but clearly the Anasigma goons think that it’s both more drastic and more entertaining, like sending someone back in time to destroy you retroactively or something.
extirpation is usually used in reference to tumors: they are surgically removed
I’ve seen it used for teeth.
Or it could be something mild like the Overly Nice Arnold Rimmer threatening a leaflet campaign… against a space monster… But with walnuts? That’s what has me confused. I’ll just go off and try to recollect the Mary Tyler Moore walnut scene…
Hang on… the guy in the first panel is referred to as Tango, radio alphabet for T… does that make him “Mr. T”?
Echo Tango?
phone home?
Mafia out-processing may have been professional on its good days, but the collegiality of the black ops kill squads is beyond admirable. You never know when you might need to reestablish a business relationship with a former coworker’s zombified corpse, or if that extirpation precludes that eventuality, their mirror self. Which is why it could bolster employee morale and adherence to regulation if the gate could be used to extend the threat of extirpation to all alternative realities at once.
The first panel “Negatory”?
Is Booga in there somewhere?
Anasigma’s founders originally just asked themselves “How can we fit as many noodle instances as possible in one company?”. Things snowballed downhill from there.
Mr. Green want to personally congratulate them on a job well done.
Doesn’t “Tango” mean “Target in military slang?”