Most of us know xkcd, the wonderful comic/cartoon which dispenses wisdom from stick figures.

Do you know that the artist/author has published a book called “Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words?”

I have a question for the next edition of Things Explained — why is it that when your denim shorts’ hems go bad it’s always one leg at a time? They get the same wear on both legs, so why is it only one that fails?

You know what I mean, right? The hem rips away from the fabric of the leg and you’ve got this hole around the knee, and then the hem always catches you below the kneecap when you sit and you have to slap at it to free it up. It’s annoying and it needs explication.