Random Questions Thread

Heh, I still misunderstood. I thought it was a reference to gay sex specifically (because "rooster"). If it's just anal sex, then the obvious.

Yeah, I gotta say this was too subtle for me.

In a story I'm writing, a minor plot point is that a group of bodyguards are making sarcastic comments, but the protectee, who is the point-of-view character, misses the sarcasm, and thinks they are being literal (and therefore hilarity ensues). I want the sarcasm to be obvious to the reader, but not the character. I've noticed that sarcasm is often accompanied by a vocal signifier, such as a change in tone, pitch, lilt of the voice, etc (I'm not sure what the technical term is). I was wondering, how can one show this? Italicized text? Quotation marks? Something else?

For context, a female character who is new in the local metropolis, and a cleric of a minor deity in the pantheon, has indebted the king of the city-state, who sends his personal guards to protect her in the city, and bring her to the palace to be rewarded. The guards sarcastically joke about her being added to the royal harem, while in reality (and these trusted guards know this, but the female, point-of-view character does not) the king is a Chaste Hero, and the royal harem is a front for his adviser/spymaster and secret spy network.

The king has arranged for the spy master (mistress) to give the female character training on how to navigate and survive the vicious and sometimes lethal politics of the various clergies and temples jockeying for position. She is (unknowingly) in danger, as she is more or less the only member of her temple's clergy in the city, has all but no power or influence, but the king (who is not an idiot, but is VERY impulsive) has publicly announced his personal indebtedness to her, so she is considered a threat.

I have two questions:

1) What are some common tropes of fairy tale Disney films?

2) What's a good name for a beautiful animated disney-land? Someone already took Anadalasia.

1. Evil step parents 2. Other parents are dead/not talked about 3. Pretty girl/guy sings an "I Want" Song 4. Quirky animal sidekicks 6. Romantic bonding 7. Fight with the bad guy 8. Someone looks like they're dead but they're just unconscious 9. Disneyfication 10. The bad guy bites it 10. Happily Ever After

And probably a lot of things here that I'm forgetting?

edited 12th Jun '13 9:44:43 AM by Hermiethefrog

"I was wondering, how can one show this? Italicized text? Quotation marks? Something else?"

You can, but that's often considered inferior writing. Ideally, you tell the reader that a character is being sarcastic by using the context- given who the character is, and what the reader knows about their motivations, their statement has to be take as sarcasm. If you have already demonstrated to the reader that the other character is sometimes clueless, or has an undeveloped sense of humor, then what is happening should be obvious, esp. in light of the hilarity that ensues (which makes it even more obvious).

Are Greek mythology stories like the Iliad copyrighted? I thought they were public domain, but someone claimed to me that the Greek government might hold the copyright.

Nope; they're in the public domain. Your source was mistaken.

Thought so. I don't know where my correspondent got the idea that there was any copyright on them.

edited 13th Jun '13 9:57:01 PM by Jabrosky

That said, though, a thought did occur: specific translations of the Iliad may be under copyright. In that case copyright belongs not to the Greek government, but to the translator. It shouldn't be a problem in most cases, and the original source material is open, but it's something to keep in mind depending on which translation you choose. In that case, standard copyright laws apply.

Would it be reasonable for a person to be freaked out upon finding out that the dog of the person s/he just met is known to have once eaten - and possibly killed - another human? And if so, what would feel like a reasonable response upon learning this from said person?

For some context, the dog is also present nearby and simply running away isn't an option.

edited 14th Jun '13 2:32:12 AM by peasant

In the western world such a dog would probably have been put down. I think panicking would be a understandable reaction.

Anyone know much about acid? You know, the kind that dissolves stuff? But after a while they lose their reactivity right? So what happens to their properties then? Do they just take the form of a more stabilized liquid?

They don't lose their strength at all unless they react with something.

Yeah sorry, so after they react, how do their properties change so they stabilize?

Depends upon the thing they react to, really. Alkaline substances will neutralize or weaken an acid.

Cool thanks.

Acid + base -> salt + water (the salt depends on the reactants, it's not just sodium chloride)

Unless you're specifically invoking Hollywood Acid or it's a highly corrosive one like hydrofluoric acid, it's best not to treat acids as being able to dissolve anything. They react the most with metals - a small amount of dilute hydrochloric acid can easily dissolve a magnesium chip.

How could a man (specifically, a soldier if that helps) in a late Renaissance-era (with some wiggle room) civilization prove his identity without a person to vouch for him easily available in the city he's in?

edited 15th Jun '13 7:14:36 PM by KillerClowns

I may be missing some simpler method, but perhaps an inked drawing of his face, given endorsement, signature and seal by some recognised authority — a recognised religious or local government leader from his home-town, for example.

Thank you! That's perfect. Yeah, he recently saved a prominent figure's life, and she'd have a seal to mark a document for him. His uniform would suffice to prove it was the man himself, I think, and not some pickpocket who got the document off of him.

edited 15th Jun '13 8:06:44 PM by KillerClowns

Just the seal and a name would be enough in most cases, the demands were lower and the people in security not as sophisticated.

Not to mention the punishment for falsely using the name and stamp of a noble would be pretty severe.

edited 16th Jun '13 3:05:14 AM by peasant

What they actually did in those days was use a sealed letter. "The bearer of this letter is X, and should know the code phrase "ABC".

Can Surreal Horror and Magic A Is Magic A exist simultaneously?

Yes.