Re[2]: heartache

["David H Ritterskamp" <dhritter@dpcmail.dukepower.com>]

Poster: "David H Ritterskamp" <dhritter@dpcmail.dukepower.com>

     
Poster: Aelfgar GreySeas <aelfgar@access.digex.net>
     
     [Previous body snipped]
Suppose we were to redefine what it is we simulate when we fight-that instead 
of simulating combat to the death, we simulate martial contests among friendly 
competitors? In such a contest, with weapons of war, the best of warriors are 
those who can demonstrate their martial prowess without doing serious harm to 
their opponents. Death is still possible, but not the intended outcome.
     
Such a change would allow us to redefine a _good_ blow at some generally 
accepted level of force, acknowledged to be less than lethal. It would also 
open the possibility, if we were of a mind, to define some level of force as 
too much, by saying that killing your opponent is not as good as successfully 
hitting him with adequate but sublethal force. (No, I haven't the faintest 
notion of the details, but the possibility is there.)
     [Remaining body snipped]
     
     
     Anybody that thinks they may have a good source [OR any scientific 
     help, ...you'll see soon] for a particular object which I will shortly 
     describe, please contact me.  
     
     I've given the whole concept of accurate blow-calling some thought, 
     and come up with the following idea:
     
     What we need, ideally, is some sort of material that will tell us a) 
     whether a shot did indeed make contact with the area in question, and 
     b) some approximation of the force involved.
     
     I suspect that just about everybody out there has seen some variation 
     on the stickers that you put on a flat surface, and that change color 
     when you press on them.  I BELIEVE that they also change color in 
     response to temperature variations.
     
     I have been informed that the substance inside these stickers is 
     nothing but cholesterol in its pure form.  The scientifically minded 
     out there, please correct this.
     
     It SHOULD THEORETICALLY BE POSSIBLE to get ahold of sheets of this 
     stuff, with or without the adhesive backing, and test it to determine 
     if, in fact, it would change color from a) the force of a blow, and b) 
     temperature variation.  The temperature variation is an incidental 
     category which I will explain shortly.
     
     IF this stuff reacts the way I think, you could hit it with a sword 
     and see not only WHERE it had hit, but within limits, HOW HARD it had 
     hit.  If I also recall further, it's cheap.
     
     The temperature variation question refers to the fact that if it's one 
     color at 50 deg. F, and another color at 70 deg. F, there should be a 
     way to establish norms.
     
     The how and when of using this stuff is left as an exercise for the 
     student...
     
     So, anybody have any idea where to get this stuff?
     
     Ld. Jonathan Blackbow
     
     

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