OT: A curious mystery of probably very little importance.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

What, exactly, is a thin white strip, probably glued, doing glued to the inside part of page in a book, about half a centimeter from the spine? I'm pretty sure I've seen one or two in a few other books, there to straight to be covering a crack and they always seem to be in the same place. This one is on the page marked 'part three', but there are none on the pages marked part two and one. I can't remember where the others might have been, except a vague recollection that they are near the spine. It's probably a coincidence.

[dogscoff]

It's actually an intestinal parasite that infests the innards of the book and sucks away at its nutrients- a kind of tapeworm, (Taenia saginata librus) the so-called "bookworm". You'll probably notice that on the affected pages there are letters or even whole words missing, these have been leached off by the parasite.

I recommend giving the book a good oral anti-parasitic, which should be pressed between the pages of the index containing the letter "d" (for "digestive system") in the case of non-fiction, or anywhere in the chapter listings for fiction books.

Of course you can place it on any page you like if your book happens to be a reader's digest

[Atrocities]

Really?

[Abdiel]

*LOL* Okay...

Maybe a serious answer here. Where did you get the book from? If it's from a library, or some public place, etc where they don't want it stolen, it might be a sensitized strip to set the alarm off.

Part 3? no clue

[narf poit chez BOOM]

That part three was perhaps a bit obscure. The book is simply divided into three parts. No mystery. Actually, I did get it from a library and the magnetic strip theory makes sense.

Of course, Dogscoff's theory holds credence too, as the page it was on had only two words on it, 'Part Three'. Perhaps attendent or adjacent words had already been eaten.

* Gives a medal to Dogscoff and Abdiel.

[ July 08, 2004, 09:49: Message edited by: narf poit chez BOOM ]

[AMF]

AS mentioned below, it's a strip to set off the detectors at the doors to the building where the book lives. Also used on CDs and other items of similar nature to prevent them from being stolen.

Of course, you coudl take the other view: have a $20 US bill? Hold it up to the light. See that small strip running through it? Those strips and the strips in the books are the same, and are tied into the GPS tracking system so that THEY can track what money you spend and what books you read at any given time. Furthermore, if you've ever been under anesthesia anytime in the past ten years the doctors inserted into your body itself one of those little things, so now they track you too.

Just kidding.

heh.