# XKCD 1190: "Time"---Randall's setting something up...

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [March 25, 2013, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901 "2013-03-25T10:31:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2

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### Author: ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2013, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/21 "2013-03-26T11:22:11Z")

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I can’t get the XKCD forum to load. Must be a server problem. Do you think this strip actually means something???

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### Author: ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2013, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/22 "2013-03-26T11:37:25Z")

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Do y’all really think Randall would do a 2 day long gimmick strip to announce that his wife had died, rather than taking some time off to mourn, contact their loved ones, make funeral arrangements and all the other stuff that’s associated with death?

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### Author: ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2013, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/23 "2013-03-26T11:40:51Z")

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Wife died? No. I was thinking maybe he’s announcing a hiatus or something.

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### Author: ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2013, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/24 "2013-03-26T13:13:25Z")

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> [@Greg\_Charles](#):
>
> This is starting to freak me out. They’re saying goodbye now. I’m praying for glurge at this point. Please let it be glurge.

Glurge? No. It’s just going to be a sandcastle eroding away via the tide. No reason to read so much into it.

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### Author: ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2013, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/25 "2013-03-26T13:49:06Z")

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> [@Kamino\_Neko](#):
>
> Do y’all really think Randall would do a 2 day long gimmick strip to announce that his wife had died, rather than taking some time off to mourn, contact their loved ones, make funeral arrangements and all the other stuff that’s associated with death?

I think he’s an artist who expresses himself in the one way he knows how.

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### Author: ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2013, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/26 "2013-03-26T14:09:56Z")

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> [@Kamino\_Neko](#):
>
> Do y’all really think Randall would do a 2 day long gimmick strip to announce that his wife had died, rather than taking some time off to mourn, contact their loved ones, make funeral arrangements and all the other stuff that’s associated with death?

Besides, I thought from previous comics that things were looking up in that regard. Did I understand wrong?

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### Author: ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2013, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/27 "2013-03-26T14:55:43Z")

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It’s just a comic, you guys. He’s not mourning his wife, for goodness’ sake. They were on JoCoCruiseCrazy last month, having fun and very much not dying.

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### Author: ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2013, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/28 "2013-03-26T14:59:52Z")

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1. If his wife died, it’d have leaked out.
2. If his wife died, he’d certainly not have the time to draw 100 panels to slowly gotcha ya his audience with a meditation on life, death, entrophy and nice days at the beach.

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### Author: ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2013, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/29 "2013-03-26T15:01:04Z")

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Wow, she’s been busy on that sandcastle.

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### Author: ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2013, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/30 "2013-03-26T15:02:38Z")

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> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#):
>
> Wow, she’s been busy on that sandcastle.

I know. She’s a lot more productive when he’s not involved. I have that same relationship with many of my coworkers. 🙂

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### Author: ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2013, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/31 "2013-03-26T15:09:49Z")

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> [@Munch](#):
>
> 1. If his wife died, it’d have leaked out.
> 2. If his wife died, he’d certainly not have the time to draw 100 panels to slowly gotcha ya his audience with a meditation on life, death, entrophy and nice days at the beach.

And in the past, when something in his life took priority, he just came out and said it and then took some time off, IIRC.

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### Author: ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2013, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/32 "2013-03-26T15:09:50Z")

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> [@leahcim](#):
>
> I know. She’s a lot more productive when he’s not involved. I have that same relationship with many of my coworkers. 🙂

“Time: Other people suck yours away”

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### Author: ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2013, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/33 "2013-03-26T15:25:35Z")

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It seems like an epic way to say “sandcastles are fun” and it seems odd that he left her there to build it. There is speculation on the xkcd forums that it will result in some sort of “message” - like if a child appears to help or play in the sand.

I think the tide will erase the massive castle she builds tho.

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### Author: ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2013, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/34 "2013-03-26T15:31:52Z")

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With a title like “Time”, I suspect we’re in for the long haul. I wouldn’t be surprised if 1190 is still updating every hour six months from now … .

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### Author: ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2013, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/35 "2013-03-26T15:44:10Z")

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He could continue updating it, but I’d be surprised - I have a feeling he’d rather spend time completing a long term project like this than commit himself to an indefinite end date. And if he wanted something extremely large-scale, he’d have posted this as a Friday comic (so it’d spill into the weekend). We’ll certainly see by tomorrow…

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### Author: ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2013, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/36 "2013-03-26T16:08:39Z")

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**eyes red, hair mussed, coffee cold, sleep fitful and sparse**

Oh, xkcd:Time…I wish I could quit you.

Arghhh, I can’t do this. I have no [patience](http://24.media.tumblr.com/b117baf7b0a3b42a88f47cdf24b03b8b/tumblr_mhvlo0bx9u1qcmny4o1_500.gif)for these games.

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### Author: ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2013, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/37 "2013-03-26T17:04:52Z")

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Probably you’re all right. I wish Randall would just let the other shoe drop already. The male character has just returned to the scene, so maybe that’s getting close.

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### Author: ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2013, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/38 "2013-03-26T17:09:18Z")

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It’ll be cool if it is actually a 97 minutes animated feature drawn at 4fps and will play out over the next two years.

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### Author: ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/39 "2013-03-26T17:14:50Z")

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> [@obfusciatrist](#):
>
> It’ll be cool if it is actually a 97 minutes animated feature drawn at 4fps and will play out over the next two years.

Oh, god, no. What fresh hell have you concocted?

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### Author: ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/40 "2013-03-26T17:21:08Z")

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I think pregnancy:

- First they’re just hanging out, not doing anything productive
- Then they build a tiny little bit together (bionka-boinka)
- Then he goes away, and she builds a huge mound all on her own…

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