Hello, Charles.  I want to join the fun after I overheard you talking to
Matt about - -

-=> CHARLES ANGELICH wrote to MATT MC_CARTHY <=-

 MM> A "three-sided rectangle"? You do mean a triangle... :-))

 CA> Maybe Roy was referring to a staple? It has been difficult, in
 CA> the past, to describe the shape of the common staple. . . .

You mean 'common' office staples?  AFAIK those are simply rectilinear
U-shapes, at least _before_ they are used in an office stapler to attach
papers together. After they've been put to their intended use,
their shape becomes much more complex.  Common fence staples, and _some_
but not all commonly-used wood staples are of the rounded 'U' shape.
Staples commonly used for attaching various electrical and
communications type wiring to wood are of mixed rounded and rectilinear
'U' configurations. [;D.

 CA> I recommend that the TECH echo adopt "three sided rectangle" as
 CA> the official TECH echo description of the common staple!

Might work OK once you get there, but too many advance clarifications
needed to make sure the reader knows what you're talking about when you
mention the 'common staple,' which might mean something entirely
different to and office worker vs. an electrician or a carpenter or a
roofing shingler.

 CA> The letter "V" could be a two sided triangle . . .

Maybe, but  how would you distinguish between , ^, and an inverted
caret - \/  ?

 CA> Null could be a point in space with the point removed.

Ooh.  That's heavy, man.  I gotta stop and think about that one for
awhile. - - Aha, nothing from nothing leaves nothing.  So I also see
and say that there's not much of any point in any of my above post,
except me having a bit of fun.

But, for a more complex problem than describing the shape of staples,
here's some questions - -

1.  Please describe the shape of a "hog ring" so that all can
understand.
2.  Why are they called that?
3.  How are they currently used?

ttyl - - -  JimH.

... Jim, they don't know the difference between range wire and hog wire -Bubba
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