Branding
by Jeff
Image meta text: Actually, 'RSS&M' is kinda catchy.
This comic is in reference to a Firefox extension called 'Adblock', which exactly as the name implies, blocks ads on websites. So, without Adblock, you will see all the ridiculous ads (except for our ads, they are great!) that attempt to get you to click on them with their catchy slogans.
The first two frames are not far off from reality, in fact I may have seen them before. Facebook and Twitter are widly known social networks. Google Reader is an RSS reader built on the google look and feel. The meta text references putting RSS and S&M together for RSS&M.
In the last frame, github is an online collaboration tool for developers to upload code to work with other developers on their projects. So, presumably, the comic is speculating that there will be a new GitHub, this one for only lesbians. This is the pop-up windows attempt to attract clicks and in the comics case, it might have worked.
This xkcd is one of the rare xkcd's to use color.
Oregon
by Jeff
Image meta text: A century later, the harrowing flight of the survivors from Oregon was dramatized in a popular video game.
This cartoon references the Oregon Trail computer game which every kid who went to elementary school in the 80s played in computer class. The best and most exciting part of this game for the kids was the hunting part.
This cartoon is speculating that if all these kids really travelled the trail, no one would have food because of the massive overhunting. Frequently, in the game, you would kill a 1000 pound buffalo, but you would only be able to carry 200 pounds back to your wagon, leaving the other 800 pounds to rot. I always thought that was odd.
And lastly, the cartoon recognized all the odd ways you and other members of your wagon could die in the game (often suddenly): dystentry, typhoid, measles, cholera. Unless you were a doctor in the game, but everyone knows being a doctor or banker is practically cheating.
Haiku Proof
by Mike
Image meta text: "After somewhere around 40 hours, there's no academic reason to go to the class. Only go for the hallucinations."
The Greek mathematician Euclid proved there are an infinite number of primes (though not through haiku). Basically, you start by assuming the opposite- that there are a finite number of primes. Multiply all of them together and add 1. Then you ask what are the factors of that new number. It's not divisible by any of the primes because it would yield a remainder of 1... so either there is a prime number you forgot that wasn't in your original set or this new number is prime. In either case, you just proved the set of primes can not be finite.
Also, there's no proof that after 48 hours of sleep deprivation math lectures get ANY more interesting.
Superlative
by Jeff
Image meta text: "Stay while I recount the crazy TF2 kill I managed yesterday, my friends."
Superlative is a comic that references the Dos Equis beer commercial which describes the "Most Interesting Man in the World." (youtube link)
The character in the comic is going through some of the most boring things in the world: recounting dreams to others, not speaking another language (the character in the commercial has been known to "Speak French in Russian"), making a blog with no content (first post!) and apparently drinking two beers and feeling sick.
The meta text is a reference to the Dos Equis tag line of: "Stay thirsty my friends." TF2 is Team Fortress 2, a video game available on consoles and for PC.
Wings
by Jeff
Image meta text: Please do not try any of this and die or get arrested.
This comic references Titan, a moon of Saturn which has 14% of earth's gravity. Because the gravity is less, it takes less lift to fly on Titan.
Also, the main character uses hot glue on his wings, similar to how Icarus of Greek Mythology flew too close to the sun with wings made of wax. Just like Icarus, the character falls after subjected to high levels of heat. In the comic's case, the heat was applied by a heat lamp from xkcd's resident troublemaker "Black Hat".
Supported Features
by Jeff
Image meta text: I hear many of you finally have smooth Flash support, but me and my Intel card are still waiting on a kernel patch somewhere in the pipeline before we can watch Jon Stewart smoothly.
This comic is a reference to Linux builds adding suport and features that will not appeal to the majority of computer and Linux users. This example is full-featured flash support.
Asteriod
by Jeff
Image meta text: My Deep Impact/Little Prince crossover fanfic has been poorly received by the community.
Deep Impact is a motion picture from 1998 in which the protagonists have to blow up a asteroid that is headed to Earth. The Little Prince is a book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in which the Little Prince's home was on an asteroid.
In the comic, The Little Prince's asteriod home is headed towards Earth and the Deep Impact part of the fanfic lands the nuclear robot on The Little Prince's home.
Understocked
by Jeff
Image meta text: My biology grad student friends tell me that different types of alcohol don't actually have different effects. I trust their expertise, not because of the 'biology' part, but because of the 'grad student'.
This comic is a reference to the situation that happened in Cambridge, MA between Harvard professor Henry Gates and a Cambridge police officer. The officer thought that Gates was breaking into a house, but it turned out that Gates was breaking into his own house. Heated words were exchanged and President Obama invited both men to the White House to "have a beer" and talk about the incident.
This comic takes that one step further and asks what if there was no beer in the White House that night and instead just tequilla. Instead of talking about the situation, all the men would end up having a wild night and all end up in jail. Anecdotal evidence points to the fact that tequilla makes someone wilder than just beers. However, the writer's friends say the opposite of what the cartoon presents.
Lease
by Jeff
Image meta tag: You should talk to the girl down the hall; I think you'd like her. Lemme know if you find out why she's ordering all those colored plastic balls.
This cartoon is one of many that addresses the troubles with growing up while staying close to youth.
The meta tag references this xkcd comic in which the character stumbles upon a girl who's apartment is filled with colored play balls like in a ball pit.
Woodpecker
by Jeff
Image meta text: If you don't have an extension cord I can get that too. Because we're friends! Right?
The main character in this comic gets the woodpecker a power drill for the woodpecker's first birthday. Sounds like the woodpeckers life will be significantly easier with this new present.