Annoying Questions I'd Like Answered...

CatharzGodfoot · Post by **CatharzGodfoot** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 5:24 pm

I'd be willing to bet that you can find one right where you are. Nobody is going to cook with flour without sifting out the bugs first, anymore than they're going to cook with rice before washing out the sticks and grit.

Good luck.

I also have a question. How do I make text in an HTML page automagically wrap to the size of the browser window? Some kind of CSS style that I can just apply to the entire page would be ideal.

I've been teaching myself JavaScript and HTML by coding up a sort of Tome d20 SRD (I'm aware that a wiki version already exists). I've written a program that turns JSON entries for D&D classes into nicely formatted HTML, but proper automatic text wrapping is the one thing that I haven't figured out.

[edit: Figured it out. Somehow everything was inheriting 'white-space: no-break'.]

sabs · Post by **sabs** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 6:32 pm

you can just use a regular sifter/mesh strainer instead of one specifically made for flour. Works just as well, and is way way cheaper.

Cynic · Post by **Cynic** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 8:44 am

I always notice 11:11 and 00:00. I understand that this isn't because of serendipity or some stupid lucky number business. I'm sure if I thought about 13:56 more, I'd notice it more.

Is there a specific rule or bias that describes this and expounds upon it a little more.

CatharzGodfoot · Post by **CatharzGodfoot** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 3:14 pm

Cynic wrote:I always notice 11:11 and 00:00. I understand that this isn't because of serendipity or some stupid lucky number business. I'm sure if I thought about 13:56 more, I'd notice it more.

Is there a specific rule or bias that describes this and expounds upon it a little more.

It has to do with "perceived randomness", just like people tend to choose 7 when asked to choose "a random number" out of one through ten because it seems the most 'random'.

You're just picking out sequences that seem nonrandom. Another good one is 12:34.

Whatever · Post by **Whatever** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 8:44 pm

It may also help that you're more likely to be looking at the clock just before lunch and just before bed. 3:14 is pi time, but I'm almost never awake at 3am to notice it, whereas 11:11 and 00:00 are easier times to catch.

tzor · Post by **tzor** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 3:49 am

Speaking of which, It's going to a little ironic that 11 minutes and 11 seconds after the proper celebration of Armistice (now Veterans) day the date/time will be precisely 11/11/11 11:11:11 and that's true even if you are a backwards (day/mon as opposed to mon/day) european.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 4:12 am

How do I describe a character in passing in such a way as to make him "possibly jewish" without relying on tired, borderline offensive stereotypes, like "he had a large nose?"

Blasted · Post by **Blasted** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 5:17 am

What are you trying to describe?
The character's preference for kosher food?
A tendency to use Yiddish?

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 5:28 am

I'm trying to describe him by appearance, really. Basically I'm dealing with neo-nazis trying to resurrect Hitler, so the logical thing to my mind is that the brash, obviously short on critical thinking skills youths with poor impulse control didn't do the research themselves, but rather beat up someone that "looked jewish to them" to do it for them. I'm not actually introducing him as a character (yet, may later), just describing him by appearance, or other things that would be obvious to a casual observer in a library. Keeping in mind that the intro is supposed to be at least somewhat comedic. (...yes, the one that mentions neo-nazis beating up a jew to research black magic for them... the concept is certainly absurdist enough, no?)

Josh_Kablack · Post by **Josh_Kablack** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 6:00 am

While Orthodox Jews strictly follow Talmudic teachings on facial hair, head covering, avoiding mixed fabrics, wearing four tassels and consequentially are pretty distinctive in most American cities; reform Jews are much more relaxed about such things, and you probably couldn't even tell that this is a picture of my mom's Rabbi if I didn't identify it as such.

It's probably more likely that a Reform Jew would be identifiable as Jewish from customs than from appearance. Things like going to a synagog, following a kosher diet, celebrating the Sabbath from Sundown Friday until sundown Saturday instead of the more common Christian Sunday, taking Jewish holidays off, inviting people to a "seder", posting a mezuzah on their doorpost, owning a Shofar and Havdala set, speaking Hebrew, using words like mitzvah or midrash, going out for Chinese food on Christmas, wearing a Star of David, or saying "I'm Jewish" are all pretty big tells.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 6:07 am

yeah, that's basically what I was looking at, hence the "how the fuck do I imply someone's jewish without commenting on nose size or making them roughly 80 years old?"

So, it's dropped. I think I kept the reference to curly hair, which, if I recall, is a fairly common jewish trait, but still subtle-ish.

Whatever · Post by **Whatever** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 2:12 pm

The easiest way to make a character possibly jewish would be to give them a vaguely jewish name. Just have the youths overhear it.

virgil · Post by **virgil** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 2:50 pm

Cynic wrote:I always notice 11:11 and 00:00. I understand that this isn't because of serendipity or some stupid lucky number business. I'm sure if I thought about 13:56 more, I'd notice it more.

Is there a specific rule or bias that describes this and expounds upon it a little more.

The closest thing I can think of is Apophenia. I know there have been studies in terms of numerical biases, such as Catharz's reference to the tendency to pick the number 7. If I recall, there was someone bringing up the study that a non-random number has a disproportionate chance of starting with the number 1; if it's going to be a double-digit number, it'll most likely be in the 10s, triple digit numbers are predominately in the 100s, etc.

CatharzGodfoot · Post by **CatharzGodfoot** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 6:52 pm

Prak_Anima wrote:yeah, that's basically what I was looking at, hence the "how the fuck do I imply someone's jewish without commenting on nose size or making them roughly 80 years old?"

So, it's dropped. I think I kept the reference to curly hair, which, if I recall, is a fairly common jewish trait, but still subtle-ish.

Just make him look like an intellectual. That would be enough for most neo-nazis to think 'probably Jewish'.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 6:57 pm

CatharzGodfoot wrote:
Prak_Anima wrote:yeah, that's basically what I was looking at, hence the "how the fuck do I imply someone's jewish without commenting on nose size or making them roughly 80 years old?"

So, it's dropped. I think I kept the reference to curly hair, which, if I recall, is a fairly common jewish trait, but still subtle-ish.
Just make him look like an intellectual. That would be enough for most neo-nazis to think 'probably Jewish'.

The problem is that I'm pretty sure a book about supernatural creatures thwarting attempts to raise Hitler and bashing in neo-nazi heads is going to be read by a lot of neo-nazis, and the idea was for the reader to get the impression as well. Oh well. May mention a name in passing.

Count Arioch the 28th · Sat Nov 05, 2011 1:35 am

I think I realize what my issue is with persistent soreness after working out: I think I may be suffering from potassium deficiency. I am testing it out this week, I just bought bananas, raw spinach, lentils, and crimini mushrooms. If nothing else, the aforementioned foods are delicious.

Maj · Post by **Maj** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 6:38 am

Potatoes?

Count Arioch the 28th · Sat Nov 05, 2011 10:45 am

Huh, the original site I checked for potassium content didn't even have potatoes listed, but a bunch of other sites did. How odd.

tzor · Post by **tzor** » Sun Nov 06, 2011 3:50 am

Prak_Anima wrote:How do I describe a character in passing in such a way as to make him "possibly jewish" without relying on tired, borderline offensive stereotypes, like "he had a large nose?"

I would suggest the presence of a subtle view of life that often expresses itself in introspective self determental comedy ... to know Henny Youngman is to know the people who once made the Catskill Mountains in New York, the "Jewish Alps" where most of the greatest commedians of the mid 20th century all had their start.

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Sun Nov 06, 2011 4:12 am

Something I thought I should check.

D&D Triple. Two groups encounter each other. They possibly talk for a bit. Things start turning sour, so everyone knows a fight is inevitable - there's no surprise round. Presumably either the MC then says "They get ready to attack. Okay, Initiative!" or a player then says "We attack!" and the MC says "Initiative then".

(Alternatively, it's a duel between two people)

Now, just because it's not a complete surprise, that doesn't make everyone non-flat-footed, right? Those who weren't as quick on the uptake about the situation can suffer sneak attack damage even though the fight isn't a surprise?

I want to make sure, because that's how I've been running things for... ever, and one player in my tabletop game assumes it to be the rules as written, but hates the rules as written. In those rare times an enemy actually manages to beat his Initiative, he resents not being able to take AoOs against them for hitting, (a very important part of the enemy surviving to the end of its own turn). And it turns out it's possible that flat-footedness only results from surprise and I have been unintentionally screwing the PCs very rarely (and the enemies very often - sneak attack).

If I am wrong about it, that's something I need to change. If I'm right... I don't think it's worth changing it just to keep him happy, since mostly it's bitching about that individual thing (and the fact that, years ago, in a 40kd20 game, we both played sanctioned psykers, he proposed a psykic duel of "whoever dazes the other first wins" simply because he had "Immediate (or AoO): cancel out someone else's power (no save)" and thought he was guaranteed to win. I had +$TEXAS Initiative and he was pissed off to discover it was not Just As Planned).

Whatever · Post by **Whatever** » Sun Nov 06, 2011 4:20 am

Here's the cite, not sure why this is in MPSIMS:

Flat-Footed
At the start of a battle, before you have had a chance to act (specifically, before your first regular turn in the initiative order), you are flat-footed. You can’t use your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) while flat-footed. Barbarians and rogues have the uncanny dodge extraordinary ability, which allows them to avoid losing their Dexterity bonus to AC due to being flat-footed.

A flat-footed character can’t make attacks of opportunity.

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Sun Nov 06, 2011 4:43 am

Right. Thought as much.

And it's here because it's a question that's been annoying me for a bit but I only just remembered the issue when we were briefly puzzling whether a monster was flat (it had Surprise round, then lost Initiative. It's not flat) in an IRC game.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Sun Nov 06, 2011 6:54 am

Another question as I'm writing, does the term "cherry," as used to describe the ember on the end of a cigarette, usually only get used with cigarettes, or is it applied to cigars, as well?

edit: another question as I think about rearranging my room while trying to fall asleep before getting up for work in five hours. Is it possible to get a 68" long dresser through a 59" entry into a 2' deep, 70" wide closet?

Josh_Kablack · Post by **Josh_Kablack** » Sun Nov 06, 2011 7:11 pm

Is it possible to get a 68" long dresser through a 59" entry into a 2' deep, 70" wide closet?

That depends on the other dimensions of the dresser and the flexibility of the material, but if you have to ask, I'm willing to bet the answer is "probably not, certainly not by yourself and have you considered disassembly and reassembly? "

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Sun Nov 06, 2011 7:44 pm

I got an Android phone. What should and shouldn't I install on it in order not to get screwed by morally bankrupt profiteers (adware/malware companies, personal data collectors, etc)?