Creative help thread - Ask a question! Read the first Post!

[chronic]

How long are university courses in the US? In Season 7, would Willow and Tara have graduated, or still be going to lectures? (assuming the events of "Seeing Red" onwards never happened)



Also, can anyone tell me the name of a men's prison in California?

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"Kiss rocks? Why would anyone wanna kiss... Oh, wait, I get it"
- Willow, Band Candy

[AutumnT]

Willow and Tara would not have graduated because they were not seniors, but they would be out for the summer now if they were not taking summer classes. Different schools run on different time tables. Some schools use quarters, others semesters. Since we can assume UCSD is part of the University of California system you can look at any of their other schools for answers. For instance the University of California at Berkley shows the Spring Semester ending May 25th on their online schedule: opa.vcbf.berkeley.edu/Aca...lendar.cfm



As for men's prisons, just go to http://www.google.com and type in "California men's prisons" and take your pick.

Autumn

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Buffy Season 6: It grated, like something forced in where it doesn't belong.

[Lily]

I want to create my own clips from some .mpeg eps that I have. Can any kitties suggest what I should use to do it?

I need to keep the original soundtrack for the dialogue (it's for a tutorial - I'm putting them into a power point presentation).



I'm trying out EditStudio2 but if anyone can suggest anything better.



Ta,

Lily





Thanks so much Pipsqueak! The links are great and so is your avatar

Edited by: Lily at: 8/7/02 1:06:38 am

[Pipsqueak]

Lily,



If you don't mind converting the clips to AVI format (smaller file size, but lower quality), I highly recommend VirtualDub. It's a very simple, easy-to-use program with lots of flexibility. There's a tutorial on how to make clips with it here.



Or if you'd rather leave the clips as MPEGs, you can use TMPGEnc, also a very easy piece of software, although not quite as versatile as VirtualDub. A tutorial on cutting files with TMPGEnc is located here.



Both of the programs above are freeware. If you'd like some other options, there's a more thorough list here.



Hope this helps!

---------------


"Hear that, baby? You're my always."
NEW SITE! GO LOOK! http://www.pipsqueaky.com

Edited by: Pipsqueak at: 8/5/02 10:39:36 am

[darkmagicwillow]

Is there anything equivalent in Jewish ritual to the Catholic receiving of a confirmation name?



Also, with early adoptions, is the child's first name frequently changed along with the last name which I assume is almost always changed to that of the new familiy's?

--
"Omnia mutantur, nihil interit. "   "Everything changes, but nothing is truly lost."

[jomarch]

Also, with early adoptions, is the child's first name frequently changed along with the last name which I assume is almost always changed to that of the new familiy's?



Well, you can change a child/baby's first name legally and after the official adoption, the baby would take the adoptive family's surname. However, if the child/baby is of a different nationality or race and if the family respects the heritage of the child/baby then they would keep the child/baby's original first name (especially if it's ethnic or has a meaning attached) and just give the baby an additional name as well.



Hope I'm making sense, it's been a long day for me.

-----------------------------


You must think that something is happening with you, that life has not forgotten you, that it holds you in its hand; It will not let you fall

And Death shall have no Dominion

[DigificWriter]

As the oldest sibling in a family that has adopted several children, including a set of African-American twins, I can tell you that the choice of whether or not to change the baby's (or babies, as the case may be) first name is solely up to the adoptive parents. In the case of my family, we gave my two African-American siblings names that meant something to my parents and left their originally given names as their middle names.

[Rane018]

boys have a brit milah (or bris, or circumsition) and given their hebrew name at 8 days unless it's dangerous to the infant, like if it were sick, a preemie or something. as far as naming goes willow is probably an ashkenazi jew (rosenberg sounds german) and the hebrew name would be of a dead relative. probably two names would be used if the person died young, leaving the other name to be of someone who died at an old age.



I was the first girl to have a naming at my synagogue and now it's become staple. i was a few months old i think. i'm pretty sure girls can be named whenever the parents want.

TARA- It looks like gibberish.
SPIKE- (moving to them) Gibberish?
TARA- Or possibly gobbledygook. It's not words, anyway…

the yoko factor

[darkmagicwillow]

Thank you very much, Rane. Willow having a ceremonially given name that's not her known name works very well for my story. I was deviating enough from canon that I didn't want to have her adopted as well unless I had too. One other question--who would know this name? I'm assuming the parents, child, and rabbi, but is it recorded anywhere or otherwise generally known?



Jomarch and Dignificwriter, thanks very much for the information on adoptions too.



Thinking of names, what is Willow's middle name anyway?

--
"Omnia mutantur, nihil interit. "   "Everything changes, but nothing is truly lost."

[mollyig]

Apparently there's a script from either the pilot or one of the early episodes that lists Willow's middle name as Danielle.

Adding up the total of a love that's true, multiply life by the power of two
Indigo Girls

[Rane018]

You’re certainly welcome!



As for names, I have two Hebrew names (after my two great-grandmothers) and no second name in English. My only name in English is actually my late grandmothers anglicized name so I’ve all of my names from relatives. And yes, Rane is not my given name... hehe...



So, the Hebrew name given to Willow would not be the same as her English middle name, Danielle. Willow Danielle would be used in her secular birth certificate, but her Hebrew name(s) would be used during religious ceremonies at temple (like baby namings and bat mitzvahs and such) or, in my case, when I exasperate my mother. When my mum got ill everyone prayed for her in her Hebrew name, not her secular name, because it's said that Hebrew has a deeper connection to g-d than English or something. So that would be another time to use the Hebrew name I guess.



As for a record of the name I don’t know if synagogues keep records of names. Probably though if they keep track of baby namings. She and her family would know the names, her congregation too because she had a bat mitzvah and if someone wanted to know it I’m sure asking her Rabbi would be easy.



Also, as far as giving her a Hebrew name I'd research to make sure they are not anglicized versions of the Hebrew.



Wow, that's a lot on the subject by a little nothing...

[Loco2]

um...this is completely OT and doesn't really have anything to do with anything...(it is for fic, though, which kinda makes it w/t centred....)but i've wanted to use this word twice, now, and i really want to remember what it is....what's the word for when you ask something and you are nervous of what the answer is gonna be? like, hopeful but scared.... did i just imagine that there was a word for this? 'cos i hate it when i do that...maybe i'll have to make one up....



steph

"I'm not gay - I'm just Trevor's bitch." - some drunken guy about his sexuality
"Oh, bugger off, you BROLLY!" - Anya to Giles on his use of the english language
"We'll all be a lot happier without the constant whining....Mom, Buffy, Tara, Waah" - DMW to Dawn

[tommo]

Trepidation is kind of like that.

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Foot kickin' - finger clickin' - leather slapping - hand clappin` - hip bumpin - music thumpin - knee hitchin - heel and toe - floor scuffin - leg shufflin - big grinnin - body spinnin - rompin stompin - pumpin jumpin - slidin glidin - here we go

[Bagheera]

Do high school students get taught the Metric system of measurement (aka SI units) in the US?

A black shadow dropped down into the circle. It was Bagheera
the Black Panther, inky black all over, but with the panther markings showing up in certain lights like the pattern of watered
silk.
Rudyard Kipling

[Loco2]

ahh...trepidation....thank you

"I'm not gay - I'm just Trevor's bitch." - some drunken guy about his sexuality
"Oh, bugger off, you BROLLY!" - Anya to Giles on his use of the english language
"We'll all be a lot happier without the constant whining....Mom, Buffy, Tara, Waah" - DMW to Dawn

[Rane018]

would any kitten happen to know the name of the new sunnydale high principal? i know he's black but i cant remember if his name was given. thanks!

[darkmagicwillow]

Yes, metric is taught in science classes but is immediately forgotten afterwards.

--
"Omnia mutantur, nihil interit. "   "Everything changes, but nothing is truly lost."

[darkmagicwillow]

Rane, thank you very much for all the information. I think that's everything I'll need for my story.



molliyg, thanks for the middle name. That'll be useful too.

--
"Omnia mutantur, nihil interit. "   "Everything changes, but nothing is truly lost."

[Bagheera]

darkmagicwillow - thank you!

A black shadow dropped down into the circle. It was Bagheera
the Black Panther, inky black all over, but with the panther markings showing up in certain lights like the pattern of watered
silk.
Rudyard Kipling

[DigificWriter]

As far as I know, early spoilers have listed the new principal's name as Wood, but that could either be incorrect or could change at any time before the premiere of Buffy S7.

[Bagheera]

Yes, spoilers indicate his name is Robin Wood

A black shadow dropped down into the circle. It was Bagheera
the Black Panther, inky black all over, but with the panther markings showing up in certain lights like the pattern of watered
silk.
Rudyard Kipling

[Rane018]

is the actors name robin wood or the character's name? i named him Mr. Pike anyhow. silly name to hold me over until i get the real one. hehehe... thanks kittens!

[DigificWriter]

Hi. I was hoping to get some replies from the beta readers I e-mailed, but I can't wait any longer and need to get back to the writing of my Alternate Buffy series. Therefore, I've come here to see if you guys can help me. In the current "Alternate Buffy" ep, "Something Blue", Willow and her new gal pal Tara, after walking out on the UC Sunnydale Wicca group, have gathered at Tara's dorm to have their own little spell-casting session. I need some help coming up with some spells for the two to cast. They will eventually end up trying a more complex spell, one that will backfire and end up causing Giles (who has come to enlist Willow's help in searching for Buffy, who has been captured by Spike) and Spike and Buff to fall in love with each other. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

[Puff]

DigificWriter

I can't help you with what will work but I can say that unless you are writing the character of Tara as very different than the series then the original 'My will be done' spell is not going to work. Tara is to grounded in the laws of magic to try that one. What about the floating rose spell from A New Man or something similar? Tinkerbell light?



Hopefully that has been of some help

-----------------------
You know, it's a real deal relationship and that's why people can relate to it
Amber Benson

[DigificWriter]

Okay. I guess I should have been more specific about the spell that W and T try to do. It's not the 'Will be done' spell, but is instead a smiple spell that is meant to conjure a solid object out of nowhere (I figure that it's the kind of spell that Willow would want to try; plus, I also figure that it's a spell that would be one step up from floating things in the air and other simple spells of the like). However, a mispronounced word in the incantation causes the spell to misfire and produce the infatuation between Buffy and Spike and Giles' blindness. W and T then spend the rest of the ep trying to repair the damage they've inadvertantly caused, and begin to grow closer to each other in the process.

[Kieli]

I was wondering if anyone knew someone who was Jewish and spoke Yiddish or who just can translate Yiddish. Mine facility with this language is only fair to middlin' and I'm basing my translations on my knowledge of German. I just need someone to check my translations and make sure they are correct. If you know someone, please email me at kieliran@hotmail.com. Thanks!



Toni

Love is tricky. It is never mundane or daily. You can never get used to it. You have to walk with it, then let it walk with you. You can never balk. It moves you like the tide. It takes you out to sea then lays you on the beach again. Today's struggling pain is the foundation for a certain stride through the heavens. You can run from it but you can never say no. It includes everyone."--Amy Tan "The Hundred Secret Senses"

[Rane018]

pixie speaks yiddish, i think, as does dr.lloyd.

[Kieli]

Which Pixie, Rane? Thanks for the info too. I'll see if Drlloyd might be able to help.



Toni

Love is tricky. It is never mundane or daily. You can never get used to it. You have to walk with it, then let it walk with you. You can never balk. It moves you like the tide. It takes you out to sea then lays you on the beach again. Today's struggling pain is the foundation for a certain stride through the heavens. You can run from it but you can never say no. It includes everyone."--Amy Tan "The Hundred Secret Senses"

[Miss1234Kitty]

Hi! Does anyone know where I can find a fic I started to read a while back? I can't remember the title, but Amy turns Tara into a panther in it. Also, there's one - I think in the completed fics archive - where Will, Tara and Amy get pulled into some alternate dimension looking for a book.



Somebody help me, please!



Gem

Tara: There's just so much to work through... and can you just be kissing me now?

[DigificWriter]

Can somebody help me? I'm really anxious to get working on my version of "Something Blue" again, but I can't without getting some help in the spell-casting department.