MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 936

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Amazing Grace / COTN / Thought / Piers / Music
	by mealink-+AT+-syd.au.swissbank.com (Kerry Mealing)
  2) Re: Braid: Talia/Quote/DT movie/FireBird/favmusic/MAC/songs/country
	by Kat <n9546529-+AT+-animal.cc.wwu.edu>
  3) Re: Priestess
	by Kat <n9546529-+AT+-animal.cc.wwu.edu>
  4) Brvaes Fights Off The Threat Of Not Paying Attention To List
	by Korendil <korendil-+AT+-icubed.net>
  5) Re: I'm not sure
	by Melanie Harris <mmharris-+AT+-mat.army.defence.gov.au>
  6) Re: I'm not sure
	by Kat <n9546529-+AT+-animal.cc.wwu.edu>
  7) Songs
	by Kat <n9546529-+AT+-animal.cc.wwu.edu>
  8) Re: Gods plural?
	by mealink-+AT+-syd.au.swissbank.com (Kerry Mealing)
  9) Solid Fluff, no redeming value.
	by davidt-+AT+-cet.com (D H Tiffany/Shawn Marie Walker)
 10) Formal Tack
	by KayCeeFour-+AT+-aol.com
 11) Plait: Birthdays/TDC/Aussies/Fluff/Piers/book/priest(ess)/Songs
	by dsarik-+AT+-PO-Box.McGill.CA
 12) Re: My Book / High Priestess
	by ShadowJaz-+AT+-aol.com
 13) Re: High Priestess
	by chenchen-+AT+-rgs.edu.sg
 14) rememberance
	by Ailsa Reid <areid-+AT+-brookes.ac.uk>
 15) Re: Formal Tack
	by infodyn-+AT+-distrinet.com.uy (Eleonora Scoseria)
 16) B-Days/priestess/songs/?
	by "Emily L Cartier" <ecartier-+AT+-engr.udayton.edu>

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

Date: Mon, 11 Nov 96 17:13:12 EST
From: mealink-+AT+-syd.au.swissbank.com (Kerry Mealing)
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Amazing Grace / COTN / Thought / Piers / Music
Message-ID: <9611110613.AA02316-+AT+-syd.au.swissbank.com>


Okay, bar the exits, I'm back.
	
Sandra K Hass wrote:
> re: music...I love lots of kinds of music, but the one SURE way to reduce
> me to tears is a (good!) rendition of "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes.
> (ducking coconuts #1)

*grin* You're not the only one, Amazing Grace is awesome when done 
properly, on almost any instrument. :)
 
And continued:
> re: Children of the Night....am half way through, and am real tired of Di
> having panic attacks and getting drunk.  Shall I keep slogging through??
> (ducks coconuts #2)

Keep going. The middle bit is a bit slow, but it's necessary to the
growth of the character. It's one of the few Misty books (apart from LHM)
where the pov character actually overcomes internal obstacles and -grows-.
I'd rank it up there vying LHM for best Misty book.


Wintershard <peallen-+AT+-naz.edu> wrote:
> Re Thought,
>   I tend to believe that people think in images, rather than words. Except
> if two people are strong Empaths, they don't really know how to totally
> communicate with each other about what they're thinking about. That's
> where words come into play. You use a word as a symbol for something else. 
> So when I say 'table,' what comes to mind is an image of a table, not the
> word itself. Now, with MindSpeech, maybe the ability to gather the images
> into something coherent, like a sentence of sorts, is what Speakers have
> to train on. Am I doing all right, or am I just grasping at the wrong
> straws?

Mmm, I'd tend to disagree actually. I can only talk from knowing what
goes on, on the inside of my head, but I don't think in images. When I
say "The black cat jumped onto the red table.", I don't see a little 
anime sketch. Nor, when I'm thinking (apart from when I'm subvocalising
in order to communicate or write), do I think in words. I guess the best
way of putting it would be that I know that  <concept> <concept>'d <concept>. 
Abstracts. Psych studies show that most people speak around 500 words per 
minute, but think faster. Problem is, when you sub-vocalize (think in words), 
you 'hear' the words at the same rate you would have spoken them at - ie you 
slow your thinking, which is one of the reasons all of those intelligence/
reading-speed improving things suggest that you don't sub-vocalize.

The conclusion? I don't think people think in images - that's too disciplined
and takes too much computative power, for no discernable benefit. I'd 
suggest that we think in abstracts - meanings, as understood at the deepest
level of the mind; and that we only [sub-]vocalize to communicate with the
outside world. This would seem consistent with Misty's ways in which Mind-
Speech works. Vanyel is told to sub-vocalize, to project his mind-speech,
because it forces his mind to discipline itself enough for those thoughts
to stand out from the background static in his mind, but at the same time,
in _Stolen Silver_, the Mind-Speakers could communicate with Alberich 
despite not speaking Karsite, because Mind-Speech works on a deeper level
than words. 
Sometimes things come across in foreign words to Mind-speakers because 
they can't clothe the abstract concept, say, shay'a'chern, in a single 
phrase of their own without losing half the connotations of that
abstract. We do the same thing in english, partly because of its multi-
derivative roots - words/phrases like "savoir faire", "je ne se qua", (*)
because to try to translate it, is to lose some essential quality of the
word. 
(*) Okay, so my spelling is appalling.



Heather wrote (re Piers Anthony):
> I felt like the couple of Anthony books I read were gimmicky.  They
> were, "See how clever I am?" It seemed to me that they were more about
> the author's incredible wit than they were about the characters or the
> story, and that bores me to death.  I like my humor *added* to a story,
> not the only thing propping it up.

He succumbed to popularism, but before he did, his books were excellent.
Try: Of Man and Manta (I think that's the series - it's a serious novel
about the interaction of different alien races. -True- aliens, with 
different thought patterns and mores and all the rest). His Tarot series
were good in part (particularly the earlier ones regarding Melody of 
Mintarka - later ones tended to fall into the Piers-exploring-sex motif).
Of his Incarnations of Immortality series, I can only say, read "Being a
Green Mother" - the ending of that book was, awesome, misty-eyed-ly 
brilliant. Sandra mentioned Amazing Grace - this is one of the places
where the true majesty of the song, a song of ultimate redemption and love 
of God, really hits home. Piers Xanth series may be trite, but don't write
off the rest of his stuff as the same - when he puts his mind to it, the
man can write.

-----

Re Music and Van / Lendel's suicide:
In the quiet scenes where Van afterwards is mourning 'Lendel on those Sovven 
night, I can only ever hear one song - "Vincent", particularly the 
heart-breaking rendition put out by Karen Knowles a number of years ago. 
The snippets "with eyes that know the dark and can't forget.." and "and on
that starry starry night / when hope was left aside / you took your life, /
as lovers often do.. / I could have told you Vincent, / this world was 
never meant / for one as beautiful as you.."

And for Firesong or Van, take your pic, Roy Orbison's "Love in Time" in its
gorgeous soaring minor key: "They say the heart must feel it all / know every 
rise and every fall / to earn the right to stand / in sunlight. / Someday the 
sun will always shine / deep down inside this heart of mine / and it will be 
my time. / Cold winds keep blowin' / rivers keep flowin' / so lonely / I hope 
I find / Love in time.."
And maybe Queen's "Who wants to live forever", for Firesong after he comes
to his senses, but doesn't see any light at the end of the tunnel.

Well, promised myself I wouldn't jump on that thread, but never mind..

Cheers,
Kerry. <mealink-+AT+-syd.au.swissbank.com>

"And if there's no-one you can pray to, does that mean you can't be saved?"
--The Nields, "Julia"


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

Date: Sun, 10 Nov 1996 22:20:00 -0800 (PST)
From: Kat <n9546529-+AT+-animal.cc.wwu.edu>
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Re: Braid: Talia/Quote/DT movie/FireBird/favmusic/MAC/songs/country
Message-ID: <Pine.ULT.3.91.961110221845.8440B-100000-+AT+-animal.cc.wwu.edu>

MorningStar Wrote

> Kat wrote:
> > OBmisty: Did anyone else think it was really cool that Tanim saw Diana
> > Tregarde in her mystic duel in Jinx High?  (Kind of lame, I know.)
> 
> Yes, but I would really have LOVED to have heard more about Tannim
> then.  I'd rather like to have a book about Tannim's early years.
> 
	True.  I think he would have been an interesting teen.  
Developing powers and angst...  Oooohhh.. I shudder to think opf the 
combination.

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

Date: Sun, 10 Nov 1996 22:37:16 -0800 (PST)
From: Kat <n9546529-+AT+-animal.cc.wwu.edu>
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Re: Priestess
Message-ID: <Pine.ULT.3.91.961110222656.8731A-100000-+AT+-animal.cc.wwu.edu>

Cennydd proclaimed:

> Thou art most perspicacious.  If it is truly thy desire to enter into the
> ranks of those who serve me, I am minded to accept thy application.  It
> doth seem to me, that thou dost show some enlightenment and art destined
> to rise high in my service  Indeed, though thy humility is most touching,
> it seemeth unecessary and I therefore grant thee the rank of Priestess.

	Kat scuffles her feet and looks at the ground at the first, until 
mention is made of her becoming a preistess.  Her head snaps up her eyes 
are wide and they change color from hazel to a rust speckled darkish 
green.  (Yes, my eyes do change color.)  She looks caught between shock 
and elation.  A smile slowly transforms her face and she does a little 
dance of joy before she catches herself.  "Thank you, thank you.  I am 
honored."

> For thy service, I grant thee a golden staff surmounted with a balance.
> This balance takes the classic form of two plates, suspend from the arms
> of the balance by golden chains.  The right-hand plate is made of purest,
> snowy moonstone, glowing softly with an inner radiance.  The left-hand
> plate is made of black opal, its dark substance sparkling with hidden
> fire.  This is the symbol of thy office and rank, and with it thou mayest
> weigh the souls of mankind and assess their karmic burden.  Use the
> knowledge granted thee by this gift with wisdom in my service. 

	When Cennydd brings out her staff of office, Kat is overcome.  "I 
had not expected anything nearly as... grand as this.  Oh, thank you."  
She takes her new staff of office and looks upon it with reverence and 
runs her fingers over the two balances.  "I shall do my best in my new 
duties."  Kat bows low and with a grin upon her face, turns and walk till 
she thinks she is out of sight, then she proceeds to skip away.

(Sorry, I have a penchant for small scenes..  ;} )

OBmisty: If you could do so, would you become a Herald, knowing all that 
you do, about what it entails and the sacrifices you might have to make 
in the name of Valdemar?  

Kat
Priestess of Karma (happy, happy, joy, joy)
"All the worlds a stage, it's just the casting which sucks."

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

Date: Mon, 11 Nov 96 00:39:57 -0500
From: Korendil <korendil-+AT+-icubed.net>
To: "Misty List" <mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk>
Subject: Brvaes Fights Off The Threat Of Not Paying Attention To List
Message-ID: <9611110545.AA29176-+AT+-raptor.icubed.net>

well, I haven't read anything from the list for like 3 or 4 days, so =
it's time to catch up...

>I heard some sad news today.

<shudder> I always try not to think things like "someday I won't be =
able to read anything new by McCaffrey, or Pterry, or...Misty." I =
felt it when I found out Zelazny died, even though he did before I =
ever discovered his stuff...hmm..this almost fits in with that thread =
'bout death we had o'er the summer, doesn't it?

>I must agree that R & J is quite sappy (I'm a MacBeth person myself), but =
I
>did see a performance by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet where, in the last =
scene,
>Juliette wakes up after Romeo has taken the poison, but the poison is slow
>to act. Romeo sees Juliette wake and realizes his horrible mistake at the
>same moment as Juliette realizes what Romeo has done...painful and
>beautifully tragic. It had me in tears.

WHich fits in nicely considering what started that thread;>

>BTW, does anyone know if that magazine still exists?

Yeppers. Still get it every two months, so I suppose it must;>

>I think I've put enough fluff in here to warrant one of these--
>ObMisty: What sort of recreational games can you see Misty's characters
>getting involved in? Capture the flag with gryphons? <shudder>

Well, we have the gryphons doing that obstacle course in BG, and Van =
and Tant sparring in MPrice...

>But because of the physical manifestations of G*ds. 
>With so many different religions in Valdemar, some of the people's G*ds 
>might not like each other very well and if were invoked at the same 
>time, might start to fight amoungst themselves and be absolutely no help 
>to the situation at hand and most likely be a detrement. Any ideas?

I hafta say this goes totally against Misty's vision of Velgarth's =
Gods...especially since I'm pro Velgarthian duotheism;> Misty's gods =
are too omniscient and benevolent and friendly to each other to get =
involved..

>NightShade, I may remember 
>*about* the sheep and Bi- ah, Jake's creation (sorry Jake, I almost did =
it!

You mean Bippy?;P <major mega super huge sheep from jake>  Okay, =
okay..I shouldn't have done it, but I DID only say we shoudln't say =
it until he recovered from rejection-induced depressio...and he seems =
to mostly have...

>I read fast. Blame my mother - she taught me 
>to read just before I turned two. (I am NOT kidding.) Then I taught =
myself 
>to 
>speed-read (at 6) and now I can't stop!

Hmm. I didn't learn to read until school taught it (kindergarten and =
1st), but every day when I got home I complained to my mom "Why won't =
they teach su how to read YET?!"...I remember sometime either before =
or during 1st grade reading quite a bit of some children's book of =
stories meant for them to read, and it was beyond my level, and then =
in first reading some horrid little kid novel in around an =
hour....summer after 1st I started reading YA mysteries, and by 3rd I =
was well into adult mysteries (mostly Grafton)....then TOlkien summer =
before 4th, and misty half way through 4th grade...then I found =
brooks, and on and on...so when you learn to rread has NOTHING to do =
with speed, since I read fast (otherwise I wouldn't attempt to read a =
few hundred misty list posts very late on a schoolnight when I was =
sick with a cold)

>No, we're still procrastinating - we read the list instead of doing =
Boring 
>Real Life Stuff, like homework, or typing, or filing or whatever. ;> (By =
the 
>way, Mat - kowtow, kowtow, worship, worship, worship. <g>)

exactly. I should be working on a story outline for my creative =
writing group, but instead I'm catching up on procrastinated email =
reading.

>It might be a scrabble, because I consider myself good at math, yet I =
think 
>well enough in both French and Turkish to dream in them.  Well, the =
French 
>much more than the Turkish.

well..well...can you pet-talk to your cat in those languages? <g> I =
caught myself telling my cat he was "un tres joli chat" hier =
soir..erm..last night...wait a sec..cen? is joli(e) one of those =
adjectives that goes in front or not? I forget..

> The only near-example would be
>Vkandis, and he doesn't really seem to have been in favor of bashing the
>faithful of other religions, in spite of the fact that he lent his name
>to the effort.

um...no he didn't..those were the False Sons of the Sun, remember?

> Well, Vanyel's folk worshipped Kernos and...Astera of the Stars.
>Of the Stars?  Hmph, sounds familiar.  There's no real evidence that
>Kernos is Vkandis, or that all the other gods are Vkandis and all the
>goddesses Kal'enel, but it's a theory all the same.

actually, there is in the Concordance(which I take is canon, since =
firebird sells it, right?) ...if I knew where mine was, I'd give =
textevd, but it basically states that Astera and the Lady ARE =
Kalenel....

> I'm
>going home to attend a Bar Mitzvah

I spent my saturday at a Bat Mitzvah..a pathetic one...she did =
absolutely NO Torah or Haftarah <realizes this is gobbeldygook to =
most of the list and shuts up>

>regarding the WofT name pronunciation--Egwene--try "ee-gwane"

actually, iirc from the glossary, it's "eh-gewn-uh"....

>Well, for those of you who are curious, the book is being re-written =
still.

Kewl! And when (yes, when, not IF! this is JAKE!) it comes out I'll =
buy it the second you start selling it...hey..what about signed =
copies for mistylist member?;P

>"Who wants Mel Gibson when you can have Jake Adamo?" ~ 'Reesa
>"Hmmmm. I don't know, [he] must have a pretty "brave heart"! ;)" ~ Heather
>Alexander
>"*pout*  Sure, sure...but he won't wear a kilt for me!  *sob*" ~ 'Reesa

y..yo...you talked to Her? Heather? 

>You know I can't help laughing a bit at seeing this comment on a 
>computerized mailing list! The Irony is overwhelming.

I thought the same thing, but didn't say anything;>

>Actually, I have major problems visualizing the PoV character in any 
>scene.  I 
>get a feel of aura from them, and see the scene happening as they would.  
>Now, 
>if they looked in a mirror, I would see them, even if they just glanced =
in, 
>and I guess I just have a subconscious "feel" for how they feel they =
look, 
>otherwise.  Am I alone on this one?

I always mess up on what they look like...for example, I always =
thought Kris was BLONDE!

>It wouldn't surprise me.  The middle school I went to is one of those =
yuppie 
>"progressive" type places, and the teachers would get together to make 
>sure we 
>never had more than a) two tests a day, b) two assignments a night, and =
c) 
>three tests a week.

lucky;P my yuppy type school <the difference between thy and thine =
suddenly makes sense..I was gonna say "mine", but changed to "my =
yuppy type school"! it all makes sense! whoah!> just does the first =
one:( <g>

>What would
>she do? Have the companions shape change into intelligent cars? Awful
>thought!

well, we could find out that the companions were always like =
elven-steeds, and just *decided not to tell anyone*...

>Hey, I love my MAC!

hey, I agree...but..jaiook...julie...do NOT argue about this unless =
you want to join the Drifting Ashes CLub...I almost did...ages ago now

>re: Children of the Night....am half way through, and am real tired of Di
>having panic attacks and getting drunk.  Shall I keep slogging through??
>(ducks coconuts #2)

as the shin'a'in or japanese would say, hai

>I want to read Robert Jordan, where shall I start??

Eye of the World

>Of course, I didn't think the Shin'a'in were Mongolian, either, so maybe
>I'm just a freak.

mongolian? why don't I remember this thread?

> See? I told you that Crappy Weather was good! But did anyone listen?
>Noooo.<g> Okay, I'll stop ranting now ;). 

oh yes, I must tithe to thee, my fellow Deity...for a quite wondrous =
weekend...friday was nice and dark and stormy and it just keeps on =
getting colder..mmm..I LOVE it!

> The "invisible" 
>bit refers to a spell in Misty's Urban Fantasies, generally described 
>as the "Don't Notice Me" spell.

well, actually, that's in Velgarth too...only case I remember right =
now is Van riding through the little mini-country late at night in =
Mpromise..

> As I think on this more - perhaps it is just Florian.  I have a
>hard time *seeing* him as a Companion: I see a good natured, gangly, hound
>dog friendly sort of fellow, with his hair always falling into his eyes.

which, of course, fits...;> very well;>

>Florian does seems 
>strange too me.  Perhaps it's because he hasn't chosen anyone?

sorta off-topic, and I'm too tired to sb spoiler so I'll just read =
lightly, but I just realized something...all of us who've read SB are =
wondering something about him, and could it be possible that since =
some comapnions have heralds choose their names since they're too =
new, that florian did the same to himself?

ARGH!!!! I gotta get to sleep NOW, with most of the email left, so =
I'll get to the slightly newer stuff tomorrow, everyone, k? btw, I'm =
testing a new sig, so if it screws up, well..I'll think of something..






-+AT+-LIDNEROK___________/ KORENDIL-+AT+-ICUBED.NET \_____________KORENDIL-+AT+-
I|Korendil, Knight of Elfhame Sun-Descending, Squire of the High|I
C|Court, Magus Minor, One In Black, Firstborn Child of Danaan,  |C 
U|God of Night and All Things Nocturnal, Champion of the Ladies |U
B|=A0of the Pink Wand, Acting Master of Dreams, and Ailurophile.  |B 
E|______________________________________________________________|E
D|God did not create the world in 7 days; he screwed around for |D
.|6 days and then pulled an all-nighter.                        |. 
N|--------------------------------------------------------------|N 
E|When I was in school,I cheated on my metaphysics exam:I looked|E
T|into the soul of the boy sitting next to me. --Woody Allen    |T
 -+AT+-__________________/ KORENDIL-+AT+-ICUBED.NET \_____________________-+AT+-





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

Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 17:48:08 +1000
From: Melanie Harris <mmharris-+AT+-mat.army.defence.gov.au>
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Re: I'm not sure
Message-ID: <3286DA38.243A-+AT+-mat.army.defence.gov.au>

Jaquelle posted about a... erm... *charming* e-mail that turned up at her 
college...

> It was titled, "75 reason why women (bitches) shouldn't have freedom of
> speech."  It was written by a group of four--and I use the term loosly--men
> (real men would never write something like this) from Cornell Univ.  It
> advocated everything from "women are stupid" to "women should be raped"
> needless to say, it did not go over well with those of us who read it here.  

Hmmmm. Want to know what I think you should do? Print it out. Do *not* delete 
it from your computer; if you already have, find someone who still has it and 
ask them to keep it. (Evidence is such a *wonderful* thing...) Take it to 
your nearest police station, or phone them; ask to speak to a female officer 
if you want. Take friends who were upset about it, but who will be fairly 
calm and reasonable on the subject. Show the police. I know for certain that 
that e-mail would be actionable in Australia; I think it probably is in 
America, too. You seem to know who - *precisely* who, I mean - wrote it; I 
*do* hope the little pismires were stupid enough to either sign it or post it 
directly from their own account(s). At the very least the police should go 
visit them and give them a scare; at most, they could be charged with 
harassment. Maybe more charges; I don't know much about American law. Either 
they're misogynistic a**holes speaking their minds, in which case they're 
dangerous, or they're brainless idiots attempting to make a joke in very poor 
taste, in which case they should get a scare before they panic some poor 
girl. Either way, they should *not* be allowed to get away with it.

Apologies for the off-topic post, but I am *very* sensitive on this subject!

Mel the Redcap

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

Date: Sun, 10 Nov 1996 22:47:51 -0800 (PST)
From: Kat <n9546529-+AT+-animal.cc.wwu.edu>
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Re: I'm not sure
Message-ID: <Pine.ULT.3.91.961110224309.8731D-100000-+AT+-animal.cc.wwu.edu>

> write something like this) from Cornell Univ.  It advocated 
> everything from "women are stupid" to "women should be raped"  
> needless to say, it did not go over well with those of us who read it 
> here.  I am trying to understand the mindset of these individuals, 
> and I just can't fathom anything like this.  and it's times like this 
> that I would REALLY like Valdemar to be real.  Need would come in 
> very handy right now.  

	I understand the compulsion.  When someone I know well was raped 
and he stated reasons like that for why and was let out of jail on 
technicality... I understand the urge for grabbing a sword.  Were it 
Need, it would be all the better since she would help me all she could.  
That's just her style.

> I just don't get it.  I don't WANT to get it.  What kind of person 
> would advocate rape?
> Anyway, the comp.lab is closing, so I have to go.  I'm not so 
> offended as I am...I don't know what..disgusted? 

	Hmmmm..  Offended is most assuredly the wrong word.  Angry comes 
to mind, maybe a bit scared that these wackos are out there, disgusted 
and ...  something else.  Perhaps a sense of injustice?  It sickens 
me.... It also makes me glad for the friends I have.

Kat
Priestess of Karma
"All the world's a stage, it's just the casting which sucks."

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

Date: Sun, 10 Nov 1996 22:55:47 -0800 (PST)
From: Kat <n9546529-+AT+-animal.cc.wwu.edu>
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Songs
Message-ID: <Pine.ULT.3.91.961110225143.9167A-100000-+AT+-animal.cc.wwu.edu>

	I have two songs which I can add to the extravaganza of songs 
flying around for certain scenes.  These two are rather firmly in my 
mind.  (They also show the extremities of my music tastes.)  For when 
Talia is holding Kris as he is dying.. I cannot get away from the 
paralels between Marius and Eponine, so for that scene I have "A little 
fall of rain", though the roles are a bit different.  For Vanyel and 
Stephen when Stephen is over the first time and they both get 
astoundingly drunk, I have in mind "Kinda I want to" by Nine Inch Nails, 
from Van's perspecitve.  

Kat
Priestess of Karma
"All the world's a stage, it's just the casting that sucks."

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

Date: Mon, 11 Nov 96 17:55:10 EST
From: mealink-+AT+-syd.au.swissbank.com (Kerry Mealing)
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Re: Gods plural?
Message-ID: <9611110655.AA02390-+AT+-syd.au.swissbank.com>



Miyako wrote:
> And I think that the "No Prayer during War" rule is probably based on the
> speculation that there are, indeed, many deities and not one God and one
> Goddess, that exist. Their line of belief is that a full-scale war between
> the deities has a chance of emerging, as far as *they* know. We know,
> however, that there are only Kal'enel and Vkandis. In Oathbreakers,
> Kal'enel tells Kethry that her Lady Windborn is an aspect of herself and
> that she need not make any special requests of her as Tarma's patron
> Goddess. 

Well actually, I'm still resisting the only-two-deities bit. Kal'enel
teases Rolan & Tarma about creating Le'sha'Kalendral as sable companions,
as her other self has done, and yes she and Lady Windborn might be the 
same. On the other hand though, the little priest-mage has to get Kethry
to put in a call for Kal'enel when Tarma's Goddess-bond is broken, meaning
that he doesn't worship her (okay, so he could worship the male diety, if
there were only a male & female deity, but I have a vague idea his 
priesthood has a female deity). More interestingly though, check out Kethry's
musings about what Thakarlsh (or whover, the demon guy) might be. She 
speculates that if he's a God gone rogue, or an evil God, then he's 
relatively easy to deal with, because all Gods have their enemies, and
it's simply a matter of finding a nest of the enemy's followers and getting
them to roust the God. Bit difficult/odd for a God to channel power through 
his followers against himself..
Also Tha-wazzit talks about being as powerful as -a- God. Not the God/Goddess. 

And the only-two-deities bit doesn't fit with the bit in Storm-XXX where
an Avatar of the Star-Eyed notes that She, along with the other Gods, 
voluntarily limited their power and their domain (The Star-Eyed to the
Shin'a'in' plains, for example) so as not to conflict.. Doesn't fit 
otherwise. Besides, if there were only two deities, one would think they'd
be a damn sight more powerful (since the number of worshippers would be
tremendous).

OOOh. Mat! That could well be why the Tayledras don't have Shamans -
effectively they're a people in exile from their Goddess - they're still
her people, but they're outside her domain. She gave them the great gift
of Heartstones, but can't directly interfere where they are (except through
her Avatars or the intervention of the Shin'a'in Shaman). Even if they
-could- have Shaman, it would look as if the Star-Eyed were trying to
spread her influence which would jeopardize the treaty where each of the
Gods limited their power..

Just some thoughts.
Cheers,
Kerry. <mealink-+AT+-syd.au.swissbank.com>

"And though the lovers be lost the love shall not
And death shall have no dominion."
--Dylan Thomas, "And Death Shall Have No Dominion"
-- Fitting tribute for Vanyel & 'Lendel, no?




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

Date: Sun, 10 Nov 1996 23:14:21 -0800
From: davidt-+AT+-cet.com (D H Tiffany/Shawn Marie Walker)
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Solid Fluff, no redeming value.
Message-ID: <ysshywHqhJqP088yn-+AT+-cet.com>


Well WE would like to point out that while Mat gets all the Priestess,
Prophetess (mad), and Acolyte action, **WE** get more tithes than 
any other deity on the list!!!!!<-(uh Huh) Heck WE even tithe to  
OOURSELVES!!!!! 8-{)#

Speaking of newbies, Mishi, dear, whatever happened to your Pounce? (pat. 
pend. & tm) It seems a long time since you knocked anybody down!

On Cen's Music related to characters question, for some reason I can't
explain when I think of Vanyel, I always seem to hear Queen's "Bohemian 
Rhapsody" or "Mr Morton" from School House Rock.

Birthdays, Sorry, it was a small town and they were all out of calendars
that year. Besides, they had to take me in sections so I was born on 
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.(The Doctor took Wednesday off to play golf)

I just saw a funny one on rastb5m-someone was complaining that DS9 had 
"ruined" trek because they made the Klingons into bad guys. For those 
too young (or non trekkie) to understand why that's funny, I know several 
rabid trekkies (including my own brother) who wouldn't watch NextGen 
because they said it ruined trek by making the Klingons good guys!
(btw they refer to "The Next Degradation" & "Shallow Space 7")

OBMisty: (obscene word in Turkish), oh yeah...Why does Vanyel carry 
around Yffandes formal tack if they almost never get a chance to use 
it?

Divad Ynaffit, God of Typos

Hearse, n. Death's baby-carriage. -Ambrose Bierce


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

Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 02:42:27 -0500
From: KayCeeFour-+AT+-aol.com
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Formal Tack
Message-ID: <961111024226_1748495839-+AT+-emout13.mail.aol.com>

Divad Ynaffit, God of Typos asked:

> OBMisty: (obscene word in Turkish), oh yeah...Why does Vanyel carry 
>  around Yffandes formal tack if they almost never get a chance to use 
>  it?
>  
Just in case he has to act in a formal capacity, like as an Ambassador or
something.  Since he was on the border practically all the time, he would be
the closest person to send.


KC
<KayCeeFour-+AT+-aol.com>

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

Date: Mon, 11 Nov 96 03:21:58 -0500
From: dsarik-+AT+-PO-Box.McGill.CA
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Plait: Birthdays/TDC/Aussies/Fluff/Piers/book/priest(ess)/Songs
Message-ID: <199611110831.DAA21092-+AT+-sirocco.CC.McGill.CA>

Jaiook wrote:
>Okay, I just got the B-Day list from...um...Deniz and I've just...um..found
>out that I...um...missed Emily the...um..Invisibles birthday (um...sorry
>'bout that) So here's my...um..present.

Okay, people.  Stop giggling.  Just move along, there's nothing to look at 
here.  Jaiook, you obviously don't know what that word means (at least, I 
don't remember sending you a translation).  Did you just delete the messages 
where I ranted about that or are you flaunting it?  You know, you really 
shouldn't have put that word right after "Emily the..."  *that,* my friend, 
was an unwise move.  I think I'll send you a translation so you can avoid 
sticking your foot in any further...

While we're on the topic of Birthdays...

Happy Birthday to Virelle and Megan!!!!!

Er... I don't know if you're still on the list, and you probably won't be 
checking on your birthdays, but here are your gifts anyway.

I give you both a concert put on by, and featuring, woodlark!  She's really 
excited about this, and plans to do some really cool stuff.  If you're really 
here, you can write her for the program.  Me?  I don't know anything, I'm just 
the yes-man... or is that yes-woman?
<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>
Mel the Redcap wrote:
>>Nyahah! I brought Storm Warning to work today, sooo... textevd for More Than 
Two Spots:<<

THANK YOU!!!!!  You know what?  I think I am forced to admit that I 
misremembered and misinterpreted the whole thing.  Sorry to have started that 
whole thing off, but now I'm a Blue in Velgarth, and everyone's scared of 
mentioning Physics on the list.  One thing...

>>But there didn't seem to be a center to the pattern, or a point of origin.<<

*We* all know what that pattern is, don't we?  All together, now.
1...2...3...*hyperbolas*

Maybe there wasn't a center because they couldn't get a big enough view of the 
picture.  If they could, well, maybe Misty just didn't want to bore us with 
describing hyperbolas.  That didn't stop *us* from trying, did it?
<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>
To all Aussie's on the list.  How do you spell (watch out) "feyadingum"?  I 
wanna know, please.  Also, would you agree with a translation of it being "no 
sh*t"?
<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>
KC said:
>>(With tithes to Mat)<<

OOoooh!!!!! <squeal>  Tithes!!!  Finally.  Looks like our pointed messages 
have paid off, Renee! <getting ready to make pina coladas, if only someone 
would throw pineapples...>  Maybe we could get around to paying off those 
workers who built the temple in the first place... then again, maybe not.

>>Sorry for the rant, but Piers was a fave of mine and a good example of what
happens when you write because of needing to fulfill a contract, rather than
because you have something to write.<<

KC, I think some listmembers needed to read that, and to have it brought to 
their attention that his Xanth books are *the* worst representation of his 
works for a discerning audience like us. (is it just me, or does that sound 
pretentious?)

Jake said a lot of nasty stuff about Piers, and then said:
>>Except I haven't read his Sci Fi stuff.<<

Well, then you haven't read any good Piers.  You've only read the trashy pulp 
fiction!  I don't mind if you keep knocking Xanth, but if you make one more 
generalization like that about Piers' body of literature without reading his 
better stuff (as recommended by list members) you're gonna get flamed a ton.  
What's this?  Consider it an ostentatious display of filling my lighter with 
lighter fluid and making sure the striker still works.

Kerry said something about Piers-exploring-sex motif.  Whaa?  I don't recall 
this, could you explain?  Privately, if you need to, but I'm confused.
<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>
Jake also said:
>>Well well WELL.  I tend to open a book, and *POW* be dead to the real world
until I finish it.  I tend to have a kind of "movie-like" view on things.
If the main character is walking down an alley, for example, I'll see a 3/4
view of the alley, with her walking down it.  Usually they're overhead
views.  Or side.  I'm cursed with a 360 degree surround sound full color
imagination at times.  It gets me so caught up in a book that I'll actually
shake with rage at a scene or be driven to the brink of tears.. (hey.  Don't
read FINN MAC COOL by Morgan Llywellyn if you don't want the latter.)<<

Actually, I get that effect, too.  Like with Lions of Al-Rassan (GOOD BOOK) 
(shameless plug), I often had pan-ins and pan-outs, and basic cinematic view 
of the whole thing.  But Misty?  Some books I do, and some characters, I'm 
behind their eyes -- namely Vanyel, Rune (I usually hover close to her head), 
Deke (ditto about hovering by the head), and Eric ("Oh, he thought.  D major. 
 And the floor rushed up to meet his face.")  They're the ones I have the most 
problems visualizing.
<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>
More Jake:
>>The book is about Rynath, a Bard Spellsinger.<<

Oh.  Okay.  That makes more sense, now.  Could you send me a spoiler, please? 
 Just a snippet... pretty please?
<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>
And even more...:
>>Hey! *grin* *thinking* I don't have any offers for a High Priestess, now
that I think about it. *pouting along with Kenny*  No one wants to be High
Priest / Priestess to the God of Parody and Top Ten Lists, Avatar of Humor,
etc. etc. etc.?<<

Well, as I said before, I'm already taken.  I'd have to finish my Physics lab 
due Tuesday in the next hour to change that.  Anyway, my humor is not of the 
frequent variety.  Lately, it's been limited to puns that are inadvertant, yet 
noticed by me, at least.  I've also managed to get some in in conversations.  
Most people don't expect it when you're really quiet for a bit, and the first 
thing you say into the silence after a quick pause in talking is a joke.  But 
that doesn't occur too often.  I guess I'm just not good at spotting the 
opportunities.
<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>
Oo, oo!  I just thought of another song.  Do you know "Ashokan Farewell" from 
the PBS (I think) series called "The Blue and the Gray?"  That might be 
interesting for looking out upon Companion's field, or maybe better for when 
Van and Stef are on the road to the Dreaded Obligatory Familial Visit, and the 
weather is so unbelievably perfect.

Oh, and to the newbie who was wondering, as far as we know, there is no 
official, Misty approved, movie project in the works (thank the Gods -- 
Special Effects for Mindspeech?), we're just having fun thinking it all up.  
Hey, it helps enrich our rereading and our whole Misty experience in my way of 
thinking.

Another song -- "The Fool on the Hill" for Leslac.

love,
deniz sarikaya, High Priestess |But she had the trick of making a little
of Procrastination and Holy    |island right in the middle of time, and of
Custodian of the B-Day List.   |your knowing, which is what time does to
Confused?  Write me!           |you.    --   Robert Penn Warren
                 dsarik-+AT+-PO-Box.McGill.CA



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

Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 04:35:49 -0500
From: ShadowJaz-+AT+-aol.com
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Re: My Book / High Priestess
Message-ID: <961111043547_1782058575-+AT+-emout13.mail.aol.com>

In a message dated 96-11-11 00:51:29 EST, Jake wrote:

<< Hey! *grin* *thinking* I don't have any offers for a High Priestess, now
 that I think about it. *pouting along with Kenny*  No one wants to be High
 Priest / Priestess to the God of Parody and Top Ten Lists, Avatar of Humor,
 etc. etc. etc.?  *giggle* While I don't have the advantages Kenny has (hey,
 he's God of Karma, he can make you just about anything in your next
 incarnation if you work for him) I do have .. have .. *thinking* well, when
 I get an offer, I'll think of SOMETHING. *giggle.*  I mean, I have an
 Avatar, but no clergy....  >>

Weeellll, I would offer, but once Korendil  Finally gets around to anointing
me, I shall be the High Priestess of Night, but if Kory doesn't object, and
you don't mind sharing . . . who wouldn't want to be High Priestess to the
God of Parody? <looks around questioningly> I'm with Mel, we *worship* you
<g>.

Oh, and, of course looking forward to *when* you get your book published, I
too , among many others, will buy it, and doubtless enjoy reading it every
bit as much as I do your humor stuff. 

ObMisty: Hmm (see, Deniz, I'm not saying it, it's taking great effort, but
I'm restraining myself! <g>) I only just noticed yesterday, that name
similarity between Van's friend Tantras and Kris's Companion Tantris, am I
the only one slow enough not to get this? Or did Misty forget to hit us over
the head with a board with that one?

Okay, that's it for me, I'm too <yawn, stretch> tired to reply to anything
else. Off to sleep for me!

Blessed Be,

NightShade

OIB, LotPW, and (soon to be) High Priestess Of All Things Nocturnal

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

Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 16:44:58 -0800
From: chenchen-+AT+-rgs.edu.sg
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Re: High Priestess
Message-ID: <199611120044.QAA08882-+AT+-rgs.rgs.edu.sg>

Jake wrote:
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
>SUBJECT: High Priestess
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
>Hey! *grin* *thinking* I don't have any offers for a High Priestess, now
>that I think about it. *pouting along with Kenny*  No one wants to be High
>Priest / Priestess to the God of Parody and Top Ten Lists, Avatar of Humor,
>etc. etc. etc.?  *giggle* While I don't have the advantages Kenny has (hey,
>he's God of Karma, he can make you just about anything in your next
>incarnation if you work for him) I do have .. have .. *thinking* well, when
>I get an offer, I'll think of SOMETHING. *giggle.*  I mean, I have an
>Avatar, but no clergy.... 

Well, you aren't the only one around though I don't really need a High
Priestess/Priest. What does one do as a High Priestess/Priest when the
God/Goddess is going to be around all the time? Unless you intend to go for
a extremely long vacation or to lurk for a long time.

Stormwind
Learning is a treasure which accompanies its owner everywhere.
--Anonymous


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

Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 10:31:32 GMT
From: Ailsa Reid <areid-+AT+-brookes.ac.uk>
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: rememberance
Message-ID: <199611111031.KAA29924-+AT+-brookes.ac.uk>

I've been wondering over the weekend, do the Heralds have anything like 
Remembrance Sunday (yesterday) where they remember all those who have fallen 
in battle with say, 2 minutes silence, or laying flowers at a memorial site?
 
Sort of on that topic, the Royal British Legion is trying to get people to 
have a 2 min silence on Armistice Day (11th November) at 11am, as well as the 
Sunday. I think they said it was to get "young people" to remember the 
sacrifices our grandfathers/great-grandfathers made.
 
Ailsa.
 ____________________________________________________________________________
| Ailsa Reid								     |
|				The silence never louder than now	     |
| areid-+AT+-brookes.ac.uk		How quickly we forget our vows		     |
|				This resurrection we cannot allow	     |
|				Uzis on a street corner			     |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: Mon, 11 Nov 96 10:20 EST
From: infodyn-+AT+-distrinet.com.uy (Eleonora Scoseria)
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Re: Formal Tack
Message-ID: <m0vMwHf-000pkfC-+AT+-nicasio.distrinet.com.uy>

>Divad Ynaffit, God of Typos asked:
>
>> OBMisty: (obscene word in Turkish), oh yeah...Why does Vanyel carry 
>>  around Yffandes formal tack if they almost never get a chance to use 
>>  it?
>>  
>Just in case he has to act in a formal capacity, like as an Ambassador or
>something.  Since he was on the border practically all the time, he would be
>the closest person to send.
>
>
>KC
><KayCeeFour-+AT+-aol.com>

Just where does it say that he carries it around? I only remember in Magic's
Promise his using the formal tack when he was in Haven, because the normal
one was very deteriorated (and no wonder). It does not look as if he carried
it around. Anyone can come up with textev?? 
Wind to thy wings,
Ele


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

Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 08:50:31 -0500
From: "Emily L Cartier" <ecartier-+AT+-engr.udayton.edu>
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: B-Days/priestess/songs/?
Message-ID: <9611111352.AA03214-+AT+-udecc.engr.udayton.edu>

Thank you to everyone else who got out a specific happy birthday wish 
to me.

Congrats Kat, on getting to be a priestess of Karma. And the scene 
you did was cool (are you writing a book?). Maybe you should join the 
Magewars.

On the subject of the songs thread:
Cenny said (about "It's All Coming Back to Me Now"):
>You know, I woke up this morning to the radio playing Celine and I 
>was immediately struck by how appropriate that song would be for 
>Kero and Eldan.
Hasn't anyone else out there read Diana Gabaldon's _Outlander_ 
series (looking wistful and slightly pained)? Please someone tell me 
that they've read those books. I know they're labeled romances, but 
the publisher lied. And "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" is the 
perfect song for Clare and Jamie (and from what I can tell it might 
apply to Brianna and Roger too). If the guy in the music video had 
worn a kilt and sword instead of bike leathers it would have been 
wonderful... I agree the song is good for Kero and Eldan too (no one 
else in Valdemar has quite that kind of relationship).

Someone mentioned the (ack!) Garth Brooks version of "Shameless" for 
a song. All I can say is save me from people murdering songs I like. 
"Shameless" was never one of my favorite Billy Joel songs, but it 
sounded a heck of a lot better before Garth got his greedy paws all 
over it. This wasn't a flame, sorry if it came off like one. I have a 
really hard time with some of the additudes expressed in Country 
music, and their accents are even worse (to me). And please don't 
suggest that I try it, because I have listened to it for an hour a 
day, 180 days out of the year for the past four years (part of the 
deal my bus driver in HS had with us, he got his music and we could 
eat on the bus and get dropped off where we wanted on the route).

Deniz, could you please send me a copy of your definition of that 
Turkish obcenity that you don't want us to say? Now I'm really 
curious as to what it meant when Jaiook put it after my name.
Re: Kat's ObMisty
>We see alot of the kree (comparatively to everyone else but the 
>gryphons) in the books.  Which other species would you like to learn 
>more of?  The dyheli, the teverdasti (I know I miss spelled it) the 
>hertasi?  
I'm assuming you mean the kyree and tervardi (from the misspellings). 
I want to see a bit more of all of them. I don't find the tervardi 
very interesting, but I think (after Misty takes a 3 year Velgarth 
break) Misty could make them very interesting. I think that all of 
the nonhuman races could be very interesting, no scratch that, 
facinating.

In my archival diggings, I found a thread on escapism that really 
burned me. I'm gonna be posting something on it today if I have time, 
or tomorrow if I don't (complete with what triggered my response). It 
may be a bit flamy feeling... But I really can't let the mess slide 
without putting in my .02 cents. So I'm apologizing in advance. The 
subject header will be Re: Escapism.
Emily the invisible


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

End of MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 936
*********************************