Random Questions Thread

Yeah, a shortening charm or something.

Inverse stilts?

Okay, so the whole thing is implausible, got it.

Sorry, wasn't trying to come off as harsh or mocking.

What? No, why are you under such impression? That was just my neutral reaction.

Depends on how long he has to look short. If it's just for say a picture then there are many ways. He could stand in a hole, or go barefoot and stand next to someone in heels.

As far as disguises go, though, changing your height is one of the toughies.

And this is why tone is important. XD In my experience, "got it" is often used to convey a degree of hurt or a feeling of being piled up on, which is why I imputed such a thing to you.

@Noc - Ah. Well, as for me "Got it" and "Ah, I see" are my default responses. XD

As for the reason why he attempts to look shorter, he just doesn't want to look intimidating.

Slouching will help with that some, even though it doesn't "remove" that much height. The friend I mentioned slouches for that very reason. He's also developed a habit of over-apologizing in an attempt the mitigate any intimidation due to his height.

Anyone know about the Russian colonisation of Alaska? Was it likely that a Yupik woman married to a Russian (actaully Karelian) fur trader would have had an Aleut domestic servant?

Would it be possible to damage, or even destroy, a tank with a 50-caliber machine gun?

It's not particularly likely, but it's workable. My book on Siberian history does make mention of Russian settlements, although they were not mostly permanent settlements.

Maybe some of the WWI or interwar-year tanks; otherwise, you might be able to smash vision blocks if you're lucky, but no more than that.

Quick question: What furniture might you find at the entrance of an Anglican church that can be toppled over?

It's been awhile since I last stepped foot in one and can't remember. Here's hoping someone here can. I'd normally sort this myself but I can't find the time to head to the local church to find out and can't seem to find pictures on Google of the interior side of a church's entrance. At the moment, I've gone with a stoup though I'm aware they're not typical of Anglican churches.

The piece of furniture doesn't need to be anything complex. It's simply there to be toppled over; resulting in my character drawing the attention of the people inside the church.

A footstool?

I go to Catholic churches rather than Anglican, but maybe a table or a stand full of pamphlets?

A vase of flowers. A podium with a guest sign-in book. A sign displaying workshops happening that day. A table with a donation basket or box for the poor. A small bookshelf, with religious literature in it.

A silly question.

What are some humorous contexts where a character would shout out "I regret everything!"?

edited 8th Apr '13 7:43:07 AM by dRoy

I don't understand why you would ask that. Have you just thought of the line 'I regret everything' and are looking for some excuse to use it? I can promise you that any situation that you or anyone else comes up with just so you can plausibly have someone shout out an obvious twist on what is already a cliche is not going to be very humorous.

edited 8th Apr '13 8:13:24 AM by cityofmist

There are a few examples here. It's an inversion of the "I regret nothing!" trope.

@d Roy, Loni & De Marquis: Thanks for the input. It's definitely helped me move forward.

Would there be any legal repercussions of a ricocheting bullet harming the person who fired it?

In this example the person firing is police marksman or soldier, the person being fired at is covered in armor and resisted (unjustified) arrest.

I did not know it was a trope in itself. Interesting.

edited 8th Apr '13 5:19:07 PM by dRoy

First of all, to whom are you referring to? Either way, I'm unfortunately not a legal expert and so can't provide a definitive answer. However, what I can do is to help break it down a little to see if we can logic an answer.

For the first part, if an arrest is unjustified, the arresting officer will likely get some flack for it; especially if the arrest was clearly unwarranted.

Next, is the act of resisting arrest (regardless whether it was justified or not) in itself a reprimandable offense?

Lastly, was the person somehow in control of the ricochet and/or was it deliberately intended to cause harm? I suspect that here theory/textbook and practice would likely diverge. The more severe the harm that was inflicted, the likelier action will be felt needed to be taken.

In the US, if you are arrested and you feel the arrest was legally unjustified, you can contact a lawyer and sue the police. However, no one has the right to resist arrest. If arrested, you are supposed to go peacefully to jail, and prove your innocence later.

Regardless if the arrest is justified or not, police officers generally cannot use their weapons except when very strict criteria have been fulfilled. If the suspect was not using force to resist the arrest, and was not threatening anyone, then the police would not be justified in using deadly force in stopping them (this is as much to protect bystanders as the suspect). No shooting fleeing suspects in the back.

I dont know that bullet ricocheting has any impact on the situation, esp. if the only person struck was the officer who fired it.

edited 8th Apr '13 6:32:03 PM by DeMarquis