Questionable Content 12: Artificial Unintelligence

[Keltest]

It occurs to me that a couple pages ago, Clinton just stood there and watched while Roko fell flat on her face for the second time in a row. He didn't move to try and catch her or anything.

[John Cribati]

If a cop just questioned me without warrant, I wouldn't, er, fall over myself to help them, either.

[Mechalich]

As long as they are off the clock, yes, as far as I know.

Law enforcement officers are very much not supposed wear uniforms while out drinking. More broadly, they are not supposed to be in uniform at all when off duty (though this is generally softened to throwing a shirt over your uniform and putting your gun belt away), since everything you do while in uniform appears to the public as an official action. For instance, if you got involved in an argument in a bar while in uniform that would be a serious ethical violation. Having to be hauled out of a bar because you're passed out drunk - like Brun is doing to O'Malley in #3699 - would be grounds for firing (also in almost moderately seedy city in the US a very good way to get murdered with your own service weapon).

[AvatarVecna]

If a cop just questioned me without warrant, I wouldn't, er, call over myself to help them, either.

Seconded. TBH, unless I was rather familiar with the cop in question (particular familiar with them when they're drunk), I'd be worried that the kind of officer who drinks while in uniform would also be the kind to get the absolute worst impression from my trying to physically assist them after they fell.

[Beelzebub1111]

Oh my god. Clinton really is the new Marten.

[eee]

It occurs to me that a couple pages ago, Clinton just stood there and watched while Roko fell flat on her face for the second time in a row. He didn't move to try and catch her or anything.

If he's familiar with AI construction, he probably WOULDN'T try to catch her, they're generally heavier than humans. Hanners caught Roko when she fainted while Bubbles and Faye were talking to her about the internal structure of her ankle, and regretted it. Getting between Roko and the sidewalk when they're about to meet would not be healthy for fragile human flesh.

We didn't see if he helped her up afterwards. It being Clinton, he probably did.

[Fawkes]

Yeah there are absolutely zero circumstances where I'd be comfortable putting my hands on a drunk cop.

[Vinyadan]

Law enforcement officers are very much not supposed wear uniforms while out drinking. More broadly, they are not supposed to be in uniform at all when off duty (though this is generally softened to throwing a shirt over your uniform and putting your gun belt away), since everything you do while in uniform appears to the public as an official action. For instance, if you got involved in an argument in a bar while in uniform that would be a serious ethical violation. Having to be hauled out of a bar because you're passed out drunk - like Brun is doing to O'Malley in #3699 - would be grounds for firing (also in almost moderately seedy city in the US a very good way to get murdered with your own service weapon).

That's also a way to be fired (at).

[Fawkes]

Does Roko even carry a gun, though? I seem to recall a previous strip establishing she only had anti-robot EMP weapons. Or did I make that up?

[Mechalich]

Does Roko even carry a gun, though? I seem to recall a previous strip establishing she only had anti-robot EMP weapons. Or did I make that up?

Well, her art is weird here. She's wearing a gunbelt but it lacks the requisite bulge to contain a service weapon of any kind, whether an actual 'shoots bullets' kind of gun or the bright yellow gun-like object she drew in earlier strips. Annoyingly, when she was carrying that weapon she was wearing plainclothes (which makes her wearing a uniform in a bar even weirder, since if she qualifies to wear plainclothes why would she be wearing the uniform at all? Was there some formal police function that day?) so we can't say where she was carrying it.

In general there seems to be rather low accuracy with regard to Roko's uniform. She identifies herself as state police in #3362, but the Massachusetts state police uniform is light blue not navy and the clip-on tie is only worn with the dress uniform - which again suggests there was some sort of formal function. Also, there's no badge stencil on Roko's right shoulder - which should be on pretty much any police uniform.

[geoduck]

Well, her art is weird here. She's wearing a gunbelt but it lacks the requisite bulge to contain a service weapon of any kind, whether an actual 'shoots bullets' kind of gun or the bright yellow gun-like object she drew in earlier strips. Annoyingly, when she was carrying that weapon she was wearing plainclothes (which makes her wearing a uniform in a bar even weirder, since if she qualifies to wear plainclothes why would she be wearing the uniform at all? Was there some formal police function that day?) so we can't say where she was carrying it.

In general there seems to be rather low accuracy with regard to Roko's uniform. She identifies herself as state police in #3362, but the Massachusetts state police uniform is light blue not navy and the clip-on tie is only worn with the dress uniform - which again suggests there was some sort of formal function. Also, there's no badge stencil on Roko's right shoulder - which should be on pretty much any police uniform.

I wouldn't be surprised if Jeph just quickly stuck her in that semi-uniform to remind viewers that she's a cop.

[eee]

Another ship appears to be setting sail... Even if one of the participants is unaware of it...

[SaintRidley]

I have vague memories of 2+2 = Delaware being a gag on Animaniacs.

[Kato]

Okay, somehow Jeph really got me today and the author's note was the cherry on top. Good for you, Jeph!

Also.. Why doesn't Elliott change his sleep rhythm to sleep in the afternoon when he works night and early morning?

[Wraith]

I've tried something similar to what you're suggesting Kato, having worked a nightshift for 4 years.
Sleeping during the day and then "hanging around" while everyone else has gone to bed and you're just waiting for your job to begin is a very lonely and anti-social experience. Especially so when you reach the 'weekend' and try to preserve your sleep pattern; you end up being awake all night, not seeing another living soul for hours on end, and then getting a very restless sleep during the day while everyone else is up and doing things.

In the end, I adopted pattern more like Elliot's. I would sleep during the day for 3 days a week, and then spend the 4th day awake for ~30 hours straight to try and have a 'normal' weekend. I would be exhausted, but if I didn't do that then I would see my family only for an hour or two per day, and almost never see my friends except on holidays.
So I sympathise with Elliot, especially if he only has to tolerate it up for a couple of days per week

[Kato]

Sorry, I didn't mean it as an all-time sol but switching depending on his work schedule. I know doing this all week / month is only possible for people with a very special social behavior (like.. None)
But while it requires you to be able to switch your sleep cycle a lot it still seems better than going with too little sleep because of short nights.

Also : looking for a possible perfect scone I've come to realize.. There is no real German word for scones. Because I guess it's just something we don't do? Somehow to me this seems weirder than it probably is.

[Wraith]

But while it requires you to be able to switch your sleep cycle a lot it still seems better than going with too little sleep because of short nights.

Some people can do that easily; for others, it's a living death. As one of the latter, I will attest that it's generally better in some circumstances to be tired and then take a nap or two, than to try and force your brain to rewire itself twice a week (at least, that's what it felt like sometimes ).

As for "Scone", it's either a Gaelic or Dutch word. Neither Teutonia nor Hibernia were ever formally conquered by the Roman legions so they probably didn't have much to do with each other, which is why both languages are so very different to the rest of Europe and there's not much cultural crossover.
Alternatively the word might be derived from the Dutch, in which case I'm led to believe that Germany are not fond of their orange-clad neighbours and tend to deliberately shun their traditions somewhat. Just like the English and the Scottish, or the English and the French, or the English and other parts of England....

[Kato]

As for "Scone", it's either a Gaelic or Dutch word. Neither Teutonia nor Hibernia were ever formally conquered by the Roman legions so they probably didn't have much to do with each other, which is why both languages are so very different to the rest of Europe and there's not much cultural crossover.
Alternatively the word might be derived from the Dutch, in which case I'm led to believe that Germany are not fond of their orange-clad neighbours and tend to deliberately shun their traditions somewhat. Just like the English and the Scottish, or the English and the French, or the English and other parts of England....

It's amazing how often that joke can make me laugh.

I'm not even merely referring to the word but.. Well, we do have Gebäck but this is basically every baked good with a focus on sweetness. Scones from what I can tell are a rather narrow set with a lot of variations but it's just something we don't do here. Though, I'm getting off topic.. Anyone feeling like discussing set theory? No? That's a relief.

[halfeye]

It's amazing how often that joke can make me laugh.

I'm not even merely referring to the word but.. Well, we do have Gebäck but this is basically every baked good with a focus on sweetness. Scones from what I can tell are a rather narrow set with a lot of variations but it's just something we don't do here. Though, I'm getting off topic.. Anyone feeling like discussing set theory? No? That's a relief.

Scones are often cheap here, but they tend to be really high calorie foods.

[Cikomyr]

I have been reading the entire archive from 1 for the past week. Only reach 720 so far.

But i never realized that the Vespa Avenger was foreshadowed by Sven when he roped Marten into running interference against his ex girlfriend.

After being confronted by Fayes and his ex outside, he claims he was charged on by a girl on a Vespa, and then was attacked by racoons.

Thats at least.. 30-40 strips before Vespavenger's first appearance in 720.

[Ibrinar]

Though was it foreshadowing or deciding to expand on a random joke. We shall never know. (I guess it is foreshadowing anyway even if the author didn't intend it to be.)

[dps]

Funny you should bring up the Vespavenger arc, given the recent discussion about cops drinking on the job. Check out strip #749.

[Vinyadan]

OMG Future Psychic

http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=414

[Traab]

OMG Future Psychic

http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=414

At least it isnt a past psychic. That is far less impressive.

"In the year of 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue!"

"Yeah yeah, great, glad to hear my history books were right."

[Gez]

I'm not even merely referring to the word but.. Well, we do have Gebäck but this is basically every baked good with a focus on sweetness. Scones from what I can tell are a rather narrow set with a lot of variations but it's just something we don't do here. Though, I'm getting off topic.. Anyone feeling like discussing set theory? No? That's a relief.

Every culture has its own specialties that don't exist abroad. It's normal.

The EU had this several years ago. That was fun, they should do that again.

[mythmonster2]

Hm, was it ever stated what Clinton actually does for a living? I can't go looking through the archives right now.

[Keltest]

Hm, was it ever stated what Clinton actually does for a living? I can't go looking through the archives right now.

His first appearance was to survey Martin and Pintsize to see if theyre happy together as part of the anthroPC companion program.

[Wraith]

If I remember rightly, Clinton is a couple of years older than Claire.
Given that she is a post-grad student, it suggests that Clinton either works in some form of AI-related data gathering/marketing role, or may himself be a Masters or even PhD student studying AI Psychology/Sociology.

If the latter is true, I can imagine potential for him to interact with Winslow or even Gordon. That would be fun, it'd be nice for either of those characters to have a "friend" who isn't someone that they work for.

[Shadow of the Sun]

If I remember rightly, Clinton is a couple of years older than Claire.
Given that she is a post-grad student, it suggests that Clinton either works in some form of AI-related data gathering/marketing role, or may himself be a Masters or even PhD student studying AI Psychology/Sociology.

If the latter is true, I can imagine potential for him to interact with Winslow or even Gordon. That would be fun, it'd be nice for either of those characters to have a "friend" who isn't someone that they work for.

Clinton is the younger sibling. I would assume, as such, that he's an undergrad or just beginning his Master's degree.

[John Cribati]

Clinton is the younger sibling.

They were so... skinny