MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 993

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Good Book recommendation
	by Ken Hyde <kenny-+AT+-UDel.Edu>
  2) * Thanksgiving * chava * Use of term, "Heyla" * _The_Victim_of_P
	by "Heather D. Wegemer" <hwegemer-+AT+-ice.Lakeheadu.Ca>
  3) re: reintroduction/thanks
	by Khenta Blaufalk <bhanel-+AT+-aixterm1.urz.uni-heidelberg.de>
  4) Re: Medecine in Velgarth
	by jc-+AT+-crosfield.co.uk (Jerry Cullingford)
  5) Bdays/Starting over/Fluff
	by dsarik-+AT+-PO-Box.McGill.CA
  6) names / hospitals/ chava /Winterheart (briefly)
	by dbackhau-+AT+-isou10.estec.esa.nl
  7) Birthdays/thanksgiving
	by Eleonora <infodyn-+AT+-distrinet.com.uy>
  8) re: wha? (authors)
	by Rozanna McNeer <rozanm-+AT+-wow.com>
  9) Speaking of Clayton. . .
	by Rozanna McNeer <rozanm-+AT+-wow.com>
 10) Braid: haiku/<bit of fluff> Kory/Bards/kimono and obon (*very*
	by myktshr-+AT+-ldd.net (miyako hirao)
 11) Little bit of a thing I forgot to include
	by myktshr-+AT+-ldd.net (miyako hirao)
 12) Brvaes Uses Discarded Rat Skins To Make Smoke Signal
	by Korendil <korendil-+AT+-icubed.net>
 13) IDIC/Tofu/Van's sibs/bondbirds/poetry/
	by DawnRain <dawnrain-+AT+-geocities.com>

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

Date: Fri, 29 Nov 1996 02:38:14 -0500 (EST)
From: Ken Hyde <kenny-+AT+-UDel.Edu>
To: Misty Lackey List <mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk>
Subject: Good Book recommendation
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.95.961129023339.10570B-100000-+AT+-copland.udel.edu>

Hey everyone, I just wanted to send a brief note and let y'all know about
a really cool book that I found recently (just got through reading it).
It is called _The Tribe of Tiger_ and is by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas.
The author is an anthropologist who has written quite a bit on the
indigenous peoples of the Kalahari (the "bushmen") and has recently
started to write about the cultures of animals, primarily dogs and cats.
Anyway, this book builds her argument that cats are social creatures that
have their own cultures which change over time in the same way that human
cultures do.  Her parallel analysis of the Kalahari human and leonine
cultures is fascinating.

ObMisty: Maybe Misty should read this and then Altra could be a more
convincing cat. =)

May the seas be your solace and the forests a refuge for your spirit,

Cennydd,

Kenneth Allen Hyde     |  No matter how subtle the wizard, a knife
Univ. of Delaware      |  between the shoulder blades will seriously
Dept. of Linguistics   |  cramp his style  -- Old Jhereg proverb
kenny-+AT+-Udel.Edu         |  A mind is a terrible toy to waste! -- Me

**http://www.udel.edu/kenny/ken.html or .../kenny/green.silences.html**


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

Date: Fri, 29 Nov 1996 04:18:49 +0000
From: "Heather D. Wegemer" <hwegemer-+AT+-ice.Lakeheadu.Ca>
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: * Thanksgiving * chava * Use of term, "Heyla" * _The_Victim_of_P
Message-ID: <9611290914.AA08833-+AT+-flash>

Jaguar claimed:
> Thanksgiving is specifically an American holiday...

* Heather sighs and mutters something about americanocentric entities

I'm sorry, but you are incorrect.  Although the date is different, 
Canadians also celebrate Thanksgiving.  It is a harvest thing, so 
does seem natural that the more northern country celebrates a month 
earlier.

The "thanks-giving" is to the diety that so kindly allowed a harvest 
sufficient to get people through the winter.  In the early days of 
colonization, this was by no means a sure thing, as people were 
literally carving farms out of the forest in order to plant.  By the 
time autumn's harvest was in, it seemed suitable to celebrate.

Korendil discussed Velgarthian edibles thusly:
> WHat about that stuff the Tayledras have? the stuff EL and
> Darkwind eat? passion wossname? it had an italicized exotic name
> too, 

I believe you are referring to chava -- a beverage that I rather
interpretted as similar to hot cocoa . . . other opinions welcome ;-)

and had this to say bout the term, "Heyla":
> And I've never heard it (irl. I use it on IRC, as do the
> few MIsty readers I know of. And occaisonally I use it with a friend
> of two irl).

I do not think that I haveen countered the term elsewhere, though it 
is an obvious adaptation of Hail-and-well-met . . ..  However, after 
using it extensively on IRC, I know several non-Lackey readers (I 
*am* working on it ;-) who use the term as a general greeting, 
regardless of audience.  Most people can discern its meeting.

Ken Hyde/Cennydd referred to my comments about _Fire_Rose_ and _The_Victim_ 
_of_Prejudice_ and asked:

> Is there a connection between these two beyond the ones that you
> mentioned, Heather?  I thought your essay was very interesting and
> insightful, but I was wondering if the connection was just something
> you noticed, or whether it was something that Misty put into the book
> and you picked up on.

Gee, thanks!  I was afraid everybody had skipped that one :-).  

The connections are, as I said, something that struck me while 
casually rereading the Lackey volume after stuying the Hays work.  I 
believe one can find many similar themes, such as the relationship 
between rich and poor (the similarity between the financial histories 
of the two main characters is striking).  The gender issue is treated 
differently, reflecting (I feel) entirely different authorial 
perspectives, and the didactic purpose of the works is _vastly_ 
different.  The final paragraph of _The_Victim_of_Prejudice_ is one 
of passivity and despair, while the despair in _The_Fire_Rose_ is 
quickly conquered by activity . . ..

* Heather smiles

Now, if we wished to look at how the perspectives of Blake would 
apply to each work . . . his  _The_Marriage_of_Heaven_and_H---_ 
condemns the passivity, and . . .

* Heather shakes her head

I'm sorry; although _I_ get easily fascinated by it, I rather doubt 
most of the list would be interested in a discussion of how _The_ 
_Fire_Rose_ would fit into the body of Romantic literature .  .  .

I do not know if Ms. Lackey is familiar with Ms. Hays' work; the 
comparisons and speculations included were based solely on a study of 
the two texts.

Then, on the issue of Lackey's portrayal of sexuality, he commented:
> As Heather (Hth) has pointed out
> (along with myself), Misty seems to be uncomfortable with overt
> sexuality, particularly when it involves an interaction between men
> and women. 

True enough, I suppose . . . probably because she considers herself a 
young adult author.  Depictions of interactions between people of the 
same gender suits her obvious didactic purpose of reducing or 
underrmining homophobia, but a YA focus certainly explains her 
reticience when one discusses heterosexual relationships.

>  Notice that in the Eric/Beth/Kory triangle,
> while the sexuality between Kory and Eric is quite overt, it is played
> down or takes place outside the text when it involves Beth (at least,
> I think so-  -have only read the first book, but I gather the second
> book seems to step back from the topic).  

Hmm . . ..  I don't recall Kory initiating more with Eric than with 
Beth.  The scene that immediately comes to mind is the one in chapter 
17, where,


Kory didn't answer [Beth]; he only stared deeply into her eyes for 
<italic>far</italic> longer than Eric liked.  And then he . . . 
leaned forward and kissed her.  . . .  Finally, Beth moved away from 
Kory, gasping a little.

. . .

. . . [Eric] never realized that Kory was walking towards him until 
the elf stopped right beside him.  . . .

. . .

Then Kory placed a gauntleted hand on each of Eric's shoulders -- and 
hissed <italic>him</italic>.


Attraction between Beth and Eric is established from the first
chapter, where Beth notes, "<italic>God, how can anyone be
that</italic> pretty? <italic>He looks like Sophia Loren at sixteen.
 With the appropriate male accoutrements.  Very . . .
nice.</italic>"  I think perhaps the use of Eric as viewpoint
character skews perceptions somewhat -- although he has no trouble
accepting his attraction to Beth, he strugles with his feelings for
Kory.  Since we see through his eyes, also, we may get a sense of a
greater intensity between Kory and Eric, simply because most
interactions between Kory and Beth are seen from an outsider's
perspective.

Of course, you may totally disagree with this; if you have quotations 
to support your reading, it would be interesting to see them.  (Even 
if I should have stayed out of this thread entirely.)

Based on the same post of mine, Khenta Blaufalk wrote:
> Your post made me think that you're equaling bisexuality with
> promiscuity. Do you really think that or was it a misreading on my
> part?

Nonononono.  That is not what I meant at all.  (I knew I was going to 
get in trouble regarding that post . . . :-( )

I am quoted as saying:
> Again, while she
> is open to alternative sexuality in terms of gender and even
> number, Ms. Lackey seems to shy away from even a suggestion of
> promiscuity.

To which Khenta Blaufalk replied:
> You are contradicting yourself, as I see it. Promiscuity, as I
> understand it, _does_ refer to the number, i.e. the number of
> people with which one has a relationship.

Okay . . . I should have done this in the first place.  From the 
third college edition of the Webster's New World Dictionary:

Promiscuous <SNIP> 2 characterized by a lack of discrimination; 
specif., engaging in sexual intercourse indiscriminately or with many 
persons

Most of Ms. Lackey's works are not lifetimes long . . . switching 
lovers within them is uncommon; switching lovers too often looks 
prromiscuous.  My earlier comment about Ms. Lackey being flexible 
with numbers referred to the Kory*Beth*Eric trio, which surprised me 
significantly more than Vanyel's orientation.

BRIEF(?) BIOGRAPHY

I am Heather Wegemer in realspace, Heatherica on DALnet's IRC and on 
AOL, Herald Erica Skinfaxi (Chosen by Calluna) is my Valdemaran 
persona.  I reside in Canada's northwestern Ontario and live on my 
computer.  I have a pair of very good friends and more casual ones on 
IRC, but claim none in realspace.

An English major, I study at Lakehead University, and am more at
home in the classroom than anywhere else except online.  I am an
outspoken student who will not hesitate to challenge professors
regarding interpretation, and have recently been obliged to prove
that I also will not tolerate insults and ridicule from them . . .

* Heather sighs

I much prefer to avoid conflicts, however, and like to be able to put 
my professors on pedestals.  This mostly works and, although I'm sure 
almost all of my professors know who I am, I think few of them 
shudder at the thought of teaching me.

On DALnet, I sometimes lurk in #afd; I have my own secret,
restricted channel for lurking, but I sometimes help in #DALnetHelp. 
I have a standing offer of an IRCop position on one of the new server
applications.  I am considering this to be sure that, if I accept the 
position, I will have the skills to be effective; my belief is that 
an ineffective IRCop is worse than useless, and I would not become a 
hindrance.

I first encountered Ms. Lackey while wandering through Ithkar Fair -- 
the short story I read there later became _The_Lark_and_the_Wren_.  I 
began reading Ms. Lackey's work in earnest with the Last Herald-Mage 
trilogy and have found nothing since to match it.  I respect Vanyel 
greatly but, unlike some others of whom I have heard, have never 
fantasized about romantic relationships with him.

My other favorite authorrs include Tanya Huff, Katherine Kurtz, 
Josepha Sherman, and Barbara Hambly.

In personality I may be most like Winterhart at the beginning of 
_The_Black_Gryphon_ (before page 258), or perhaps more correctly like 
Reanna, whom she was once but whom we never see.  I was rather 
disappointed in the rapidity of the change in her, as if her 
character developed off-page, where the reader could not share.

Speaking of Winterhart . . .

When she first arrives at Amberdrake's tent and recognizes him for a
kestrra'chern, she was, "resentful, not at all relieved, angry -- and
truth to tell, more than a little frightened" (_The_Black_Gryphon_,
p. 167) because she had a mistaken understanding of the
kestra'chern's role.  I think, however, that if she had been aware of
what Amberrdrake _would_ do to her -- systematically strip away all
her defenses, expose who she was and force her to deal with and
accept that -- she would have been frightened enough to accept
Amberdrake's suggestion, ". . . you are quite free to leave.  But
<italic>you</italic> can explain to Urtho why you walked out on this
rather expensive session." (The_Black_Gryphon_, p. 169)

Any other comments?
Although I dwell by choice in realms
Ephemeral as phosphor glow
It is a life -- it is _my_ life --
As real as aught you know.
                       H. Wegemer

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

Date: Fri, 29 Nov 1996 11:04:07 +0100 (CET)
From: Khenta Blaufalk <bhanel-+AT+-aixterm1.urz.uni-heidelberg.de>
To: Misty mail <mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk>
Subject: re: reintroduction/thanks
Message-ID: <Pine.A32.3.91.961129102321.36941A-100000-+AT+-aixterm7.urz.uni-heidelberg.de>

First of all, I'm sorry my last message came out garbled, all these 
strange letters in it, I have no idea why that happened.

Thank you all for your b-day wishes and wonderful presents :), 'though it 
was a day I'd rather have spent in bed with the blanket pulled tightly 
about my head... :(

Well, this looks like a good opportunity for reintroduction, so here I go 
:) :

My name is Khenta on the list and Khenta in RL <'though not from birth, 
unfortunately>, sometimes Skyfire k'Vala <the persona I'm _still_ 
working on> and I'm a <critical, but still avid> Misty fan since I read the
first <hehe> Tarma & Kethry story way back when S & S III was published 
over here. 
Btw, the "here" part refers to Heidelberg, Germany, where I was born and 
still live <but I'm moving soon, I know I already said this some months ago, 
but now it's becoming reality>, being a native German, in case somebody's 
wondering. I just turned 27 yesterday <whimper>, am 1,80 m tall <go 
figure what this is in ' and '' since I have no idea>, dark and 
relatively short hair, and a weight and shoe-size that are nobody's 
business :). 
I attended university a few years in educational science, psychology and  
sociology, broke off this year <although I made my 
pre-diploma which would equal a bachelor-degree? 2.5 years? except that 
that's no recognized degree here> and am back to school since Sep., this 
time in natural science <going to be a Assistant Lab Technician in 
Biology>. Huh, what else? Hmm, besides Misty I like to read a whole lot of 
other authors, e.g. GGK, Bujold, Baudino, Yolen, Clayton, and many more. 
I'm so glad I can get the original paperbacks, so I don't have to wait 
for translations that may never come. Besides reading I like ... reading 
and ... reading... :) Well, I have a lot of time to do that while I'm on 
the train. Other interests are Wen Do and Tai Chi, wandering <the 
day-long sort>, riding my bicycle, horses, falcons and other pet animals 
like snakes :), TV <certified Simpsons and X-Files addict, and 
Star Trek in mild doses, that is DS9 and Voyager and some more>, working 
with my drum, and some other recreational activities. 
Ok, enough of that, wasting enough bandwidth :).

Btw, Star Trek fans out there, could you pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease tell me 
some more -privately/off-list!- about First Contact? I'm dying to see 
that film, but it won't start before Mid-december... I don't mind being 
spoiled :).



Walk in beauty

Khenta Blaufalk                          bhanel-+AT+-ix.urz.uni-heidelberg.de
aka Skyfire k'Vala, Goddess of Incomplete Vocabulary and Garbled Grammar 






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

Date: Fri, 29 Nov 1996 13:06:04 +0000 (GMT)
From: jc-+AT+-crosfield.co.uk (Jerry Cullingford)
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Re: Medecine in Velgarth
Message-ID: <9611291306.AA04238-+AT+-crosfield.co.uk>

Tamara asked: 
> ObMisty - Do they have any 'doctors' in Velgarth that don't have Healing?

I'm pretty sure that surgeons get mentioned somewhere in one of the storm
books - probably the first one. If I remember correctly, there's a bit
of friendly sniping between a surgeon and a healer - healers encourage the
body to return to its normal state, but only surgeons can correct congenital
abnormalities, where the body image is incorrect. We can deduce that there
must be some non-gifted medics in Valdemar - at least for animals - otherwise
there'd be no point in the guy that healed Vanyel trying to hide his gift.

It may depend on how common Healing is - if there are enough gifted people,
then maybe they do surgery as well; if there aren't enough to go around,
then there must be non-gifted doctors as well. Come to think of it, aren't
herbalists mentioned in one of the storms books - in the bit about Karal's
ulcer?
-- 
   _|_   Jerry Cullingford      jc-+AT+-crosfield.co.uk      (Work)
  / |    Hemel Hempstead, UK    jc-+AT+-selune.demon.co.uk   (Home)
  \_|_                          www.selune.demon.co.uk  (soon)
\__/     -----------------------------------------------------

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

Date: Fri, 29 Nov 96 08:10:35 -0500
From: dsarik-+AT+-PO-Box.McGill.CA
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Bdays/Starting over/Fluff
Message-ID: <199611291321.IAA25354-+AT+-sirocco.CC.McGill.CA>

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Emily!  May the birds sing and the water run clear.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Lady Nightshadow!  May the stars sing you lullabies when you 
need to sleep.

woodlark is trying to give you both tickets to her concert tonight, but I 
don't know if you'll be able to make it to the church in time.  Well, she's 
still giving both of you virtual tickets.

Err... why are there two Lady Nightshadows on my birthday list?  Here I'll 
show you the entries:

August
10	Lady Night Shadow
November
29	Lady Nightshadow

We've got two of you?  Go figure!

Starting over...

My name is Deniz Melek Sarikaya (literally translated to Sea Angel Yellowrock 
from Turkish), I'm 18 years old, my birthday's on Candlemas, and I'm currently 
a freshman in Electrical Engineering at McGill University.  I'm 
Turkish/Canadian (my parents are Turkish and they immigrated to Canada) (Stuff 
me, I'm Turkish!), grew up in Saudi Arabia since I was 3.5, went to boarding 
school in the states (Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH), and am finally 
back in Canada.  I first met Misty through a random friend/getting to know you 
gesture -- Winds of Fate.  When I got to the states and found the rest of the 
books, I was delirious.  Then Winter gave me the LHM books and guided me 
through reading all the rest of Velgarth (thanks, Winter!)  I joined the list 
within a week of getting internet access, sometime mid-late-September this 
year, so would classify myself as a quasi-newbie.  I think I'm also one of 
those strong personalities because I talk a lot, and have strong opinions, and 
I just have gotten that kind of feedback in RL.  Hey, if the foo shits...  I'm 
also the Holy Custodian of the Birthday list (you know, nobody ever questioned 
my assumption of the word "Holy" in my title), and if you need more info on 
that, write me.  I'm also into swimming and springboard diving.  I grew up in 
a muslim/unitarian-universalist family (my parents are muslims, but they agree 
with uu's, and never took the time to brainwash us with religion -- just the 
cornerstones).  I'm (so far as I know) bi, too (but closeted to my family, so 
shows how I trust you all).  I share my keyboard with...

woodlark.  i sprung out of deniz's fertile mind over a month ago it seems now. 
 i am basically the bardic side of deniz, an acolyte in music and song, and am 
wondering how many people suspected that we were one and the same, despite our 
vehement pleas to the contrary and our squabbling over the keyboard (which 
won't end soon, mind you, unless we're told we're being too fluffy).  i am in 
three choral ensembles, play (in order of fluency) clarinet, piano, alto sax, 
timpani (1 term), and fundamentals of cello (1 term).  i am performing the 
"Pie Jesu" solo from Faure's Requiem tomorrow (err... today) night, so really 
should be going to sleep soon.  the next week, i am doing Handel's "Dixit 
Dominus" which is a truly awesome piece.  i'm taking my advice now, and 
sending off the rest of this message as is in the morning when i hook up. (to 
the NET, you sickos! :^> )  just because of what i just told you doesn't mean 
you can mix us up, though.  we're different (or at least would like to be).  
oh dear, now you'll think we suffer from MPD or something like that.

On Thu, 28 Nov 1996, Ken Hyde <kenny-+AT+-UDel.Edu> wrote:
[holidays]
>Why just the Celtic ones?  I want to see a Feast of Sacrifice (any muslims
>that can remind me of the real name?)

Bayram.  Or at least, that's how we say it in Turkish.  And that's pronounced 
with bay rhyming with hai, and ram with an "open a."  (Hey, and this is 
concerning holidays in Velgarth, right?  I have my obmisty!)

>And then Deniz (dat's me!!!!!<---(how many?)) wrote:
>
>> Sorry.  I'm one of the guilty parties.  Would it be ok if the next time
>> I say something like, "... Cennydd, who is normally an absolutely
>> wonderful person, will come after your bones.  But we still love him.
>
>Well, after that last bit of French, don't you think this could be
>misinterpreted? =)

ROTFLMAOASTN!!!!!  (err, that's Rolling On The Floor Laughing My Ass Off And 
Scaring The Neighbors)

>I personally would like to see a concerted effort to
>going back to the beginning, where we didn't really mention flames at all
>and no-one suggested that you had to run for cover every time you said
>something.  

Gotcha!

>Then Woodlark wrote:
>
>> Aaaamen, sistah!  Hey, i know.  Why don't we make "We are Family" the
>> List theme song? (get up everybody and sing...)
>
>I thought you just got through saying that many of the people on the list
>were straight (most I would assume, actually)?  And now you want to make
>one of the great gay anthems our theme song?!?  What up wit dat!? *giggle*
>Well, next (if we get through this difficult patch of hurt feelings et al)
>we can adopt "I Will Survive"! =)  (BTW, guess who knows this song by
>heart? *grin*)

(woodlark takes a diving tackle for the computer.)  Hi.  Wha?  Oh.  Well, it's 
a great song, isn't it?  So i was in a bit of a silly mood when i wrote that 
comment, it's just i need to find a reason to play it really loud just for 
fun.  and isn't *your* suggestion one of the great gay anthems, too????? 
<giggle> "What up wit dat!?"

>Then Woodlark wrote:
>
>> We're not asking for a bisexul orgy or love-in.
>
>We're not?  Darn.  Actually, I am fairly sure that one or two of the LotPW
>would be interested in this possibility.  =)

i wouldn't mind either, girlfriend.

>> This is another misconception that bisexuals have both sexes in the bed
>> at the same time.  Well, honey, "it ain't neccessarily so."
>
>On the other hand, it isn't necessarily *not* so.  I have known several
>bi's who dated both sexes concurrently (and at least one guy who bedded
>them concurrently).

granted.  whatever feeds your frenzy! (Winter, I couldn't stop her, I swear!) 
(hush up, you!  do i have to gag you again?) (I'll be good, I swear!  See?  
HMM mmm mmmppphhh!!!) (aah, music to my ears.)  as i was *trying to say* 
<glare> (*meep*, sorry!), in this society, a bi person usually only gets one 
person at a time.  not only does the bi person have to be ok with more than 
one partner, but the other partners do, too.  i'm not saying it doesn't 
happen, though.

(deniz sneaks up and pulls chair away from desk.  Man, I love rollie chairs.)
[Yes, this is still Cennyd]
>Well, I am sitting here with a 25 lb. turkey roasting in the oven,

A *25*lb.*turkey*?  What, are you feeding a small army?

Jake [you're back, YAY!] said:
>>>Over here in the section of the world some call "The United States" and
others call "a mess of loonies"<<<

Actually, in Canada, we call that "laundry money," and I would attack for 
some. :)

>>>it is the wondrous day called Thanksgiving.
(And the wondrous day AFTER Thanksgiving, called, You'rewelcomegiving.)
 Usually we take a few moments (after being bloated with all kinds of food)
to think about what we're thankful for.<<< <snip lots of serious stuff>

Awww, how sweet.  No, I mean that seriously, too.  This list is definitely one 
of the cornerstones in my sanity.

love,
deniz sarikaya, High Priestess |"Maybe today IS a good to die!"-- Worf
of Procrastination, Holy Custo-|"You told him about the statue?" -- Riker
dian of the B-Day List, and    |Star Trek: First Contact
Dame of Amber and Marigold.    |"Would you care to explain why there's a
    dsarik-+AT+-PO-Box.McGill.CA    |man hanging from your balcony?" -- X-files

woodlark attempts to slip the classic file-in-the-cake to Brvaes, but the 
guard (who happens to be Deniz right now), catches her, and bonks her on the 
head.  don't worry, brvaes.  the cake didn't taste that good anyway. :)

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

Date: Fri, 29 Nov 96 15:43:49 +0100
From: dbackhau-+AT+-isou10.estec.esa.nl
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: names / hospitals/ chava /Winterheart (briefly)
Message-ID: <9611291443.AA15143-+AT+-isou10.estec.esa.nl>

hola,

I wrote:
> AND, ...... it's said in Arrows that Tavir (Talia's predecessor) had hoped
> that either Sheryl or Doodit (her twin) would have been chosen when he died.
> But we also know that Sheryl has one of the tightest bonds with a Companion,
> which don't sound like something that could be snipped apart to let Rolan
> in. I think that in the case of a mature, long bonded candidate, the MOC
> and the Herald's own Companion will have to share. If Florian can do all that
> he does for Whatsit - Thingy, um, Karal??, and *not* Choose, then why can't
> a Herald have two Companions in special circumstances? (Teren, Sheryl's twin,
> his name was Teren, not Doodit - the brain just unfroze for a millisecond).

Okay, okay, so I got the names wrong - when do I ever get names right. I 
should have stuck to my time honoured system of Whatist, Doodit and Thingummy.
Keren is the twin, not Sheryl - sorrreeee!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=

Tamara asked:
> ObMisty - Do they have any 'doctors' in Velgarth that don't have Healing?  I
> remember one of the Gryphon series mentioning something about Amberdrake
> being sent to a 'new'school of medicine by his parents (sorry, no text-evd,
> I don't own a copy) and disliking it, but I can't recall anything else.

I recall an impression of an almost western medical school, including surgery.
I suppose it could all have been lost in Oojit and Doodit's little spat. 
There's no mention of hospitals or clinics in Valdemar - the merc. books
have "surgeons" in field hospitals (altho' they're not called that), but
the impression is of a reliance on herb lore and Healers.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=

Heather D wrote the dread word

> americanocentric

I don't think she was here last time it was casually used, and the user
almost departed the list in the resultant fur flying. Hell, *I* almost
departed the list. Just in case there's anyone thinking of it, DON'T start
it again, puhleeeeeeeeeeese.

she also said:
> I believe you are referring to chava -- a beverage that I rather
> interpretted as similar to hot cocoa . . . other opinions welcome ;-)

I always imagined it to be richer, thicker - more like a runny "pot au
chocolat" - if that's a dish recognised by anyone. I know *exactly* what
it tastes and smells and looks like! Some people see colours, some "hear"
voices - me? I share the food!

And re. Winterheart - yes I totally agree, it was one of the quickest
turn arounds from the xenophobic bitch to total sweetie I've ever read.
And yes, it annoyed me too!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=_=

'kay, I gotta go, my systems manager wants to do a shut down and re-boot,
so that's me off line for the rest of today, (EE happy hamster hopping
her way home for the weekend ....:)

'n prettige weekend, tot Mandag,
Esmeralda


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

Date: Fri, 29 Nov 1996 13:21:34 -0300
From: Eleonora <infodyn-+AT+-distrinet.com.uy>
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Birthdays/thanksgiving
Message-ID: <329F0D8E.2666-+AT+-distrinet.com.uy>

Birthdays

On this your birthday I would like to gift you, Elizabeth with an
enchanted poetry book that will always open in the right poem for your
current mood, cheering you up if you need cheering, letting you cry if
you truly need to, and helping you find your center if that is the case.

Lady Nightshadow, today on your birthday I would like to give you a box
of Moondust, that will always provide on opening it, the Moonglow of a
full moon in a starry sky.
 
For tomorrow, some advance presents, since I know some of you only have
access from work and might not login during weekends. 

Ailsa, may you have a perfect day, when everyone you love will share
their joy with you. I gift you with a magical ring with an amethyst in
it. When you touch the stone, it will make you warm and glowy inside,
and ready to face the world. Also, since people have to eat, I'd like to
give you an endless chocolate cake, big enough to go round all your
friends and the list. (If anybody is allergic to chocolate don't worry,
this is non allergenic virtual chocolate (patent pend., TM). Enjoy!
 
Erica, I would like to give you an enchanted mirror, which will show you
the true intentions of each person you meet and will also bring peace
and joy when you need them. Don't fret, though;  if anybody peeks over
your shoulder they will only see your face and their own. 

Thanksgiving

To all those of you who answered my question about Thanksgiving, thank
you!! You have contributed to the little I know about other countries
and other customs, and that is among many other things the beauty of
this list. 

I would like to wish all of you in the States a Happy Thanksgiving (a
bit belated, but I got trigger happy with the braid I sent yesterday and
decided to wait until today. To all of us not in the States a very happy
day and weekend.

Love,


Ele
Priestess of Karma
LotPW
Dame of the OAM

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

Date: Fri, 29 Nov 1996 11:47:16 -0500
From: Rozanna McNeer <rozanm-+AT+-wow.com>
To: "mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk" <MERCEDES-LACKEY-+AT+-HERALD.CO.UK>
Subject: re: wha? (authors)
Message-ID: <199611291147_MC1-C87-DFB4-+AT+-compuserve.com>

Kory said:
> BUt if she acts like a certain collaborating pair
> of authors working for a certain major RPG publishing company on a
> certain world's novels, she's dead;>

Melanie responded dazedly:
>Enh? Wha? Who? I probably should know who you mean, but my brain is
> On Drugs at the moment...

I think yon pointy-eared one is referring to the Weis/Hickman people who
write trilogies that are on par with Hambly's work -- i.e., Books That Are All
The Same, Only The Names Have Changed <Firemist hears strands of Bon
Jovi in the background> I personally can't stand reading books were the
action is going smoothly and then all of a sudden you have this feeling
that the author is writing down an adventure he/she DM'd "<sigh> third
level fireball. 3d6 damage, area of effect thus and so, so naturally all the
goblins are toast..." I'd rather **play** than read someone else's 
adventure.

Firemist

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

Date: Fri, 29 Nov 1996 11:58:35 -0500
From: Rozanna McNeer <rozanm-+AT+-wow.com>
To: "mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk" <MERCEDES-LACKEY-+AT+-HERALD.CO.UK>
Subject: Speaking of Clayton. . .
Message-ID: <199611291159_MC1-C88-6ECE-+AT+-compuserve.com>


Khenta said:
> Hmm, besides Misty I like to read a whole lot of  other authors, e.g. GGK, 
>Bujold, Baudino, Yolen, Clayton, and many more. 

speaking of Jo, she is in the hospital right now with some kind of odd cancer.
You can find out more info at the Science Fiction Writer's of America
homepage (which I can't find the URL for! drat!). Ummm, what else? Andre
Norton is also in the hospital <this is not a good thing. elderly people do not
do bed-ridden well...> :sigh: hope both feel better soon!!

Firemist

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

Date: Fri, 29 Nov 1996 11:30:09 +0000
From: myktshr-+AT+-ldd.net (miyako hirao)
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Braid: haiku/<bit of fluff> Kory/Bards/kimono and obon (*very*
Message-ID: <199611291724.LAA04021-+AT+-cdale3.midwest.net>

On haiku: I thought it was a truly beautiful form of poetry, both in
Japanese and the American adapted versions, until I had to spend about six
weeks on it and tanka in Japanese Language School. We were supposed to be
learning really important stuff that kids learn in their equivalent of the
American freshman year of high school; instead we wasted time in haiku and
tanka. It's not that the subject was a waste of time; we dissected
everything about them, when we were really supposed to be doing something
else. That wasn't in the curriculum for that year; it was for my sophomore
year!

Lady Becky wrote:
>>>Unfortunately, we did a whole unit on poetry, and were forced to 
write a lot of poems (which I can't do) so I was very relieved when we 
learned haiku, it's the only kind of poetry I can write. And I can't even 
do it that well. Oh well, I envy all you who can actually write good 
poetry.<<<

Interesting. That's the one kind I can't write. I envy you -- I was forced
to write one in Japanese, and it didn't go over really well. I'm not too
good with rigid form poetry -- I like free verse where  I can get away with
having one word in a line:)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kory wrote:
>>>Aw...you don't love me, Summersong?;P BTW, whatd IDIC mean? <<<

'Course I love you -- pointy ears! IDIC is "Infinite Diversity in Infinite
Combinations", if William Shatner got it right in his book Star Trek: The
Return. As y'all may have noticed, I am an obsessive Trekkie. You have been
warned.

>>>Ken, put down whatever you're doing, drop your perpetual plans to go out 
dancing, and *GET Knights of Ghost and Shadows*!<<<

I second that! It's fabulous (For'shava!!!), to say the least.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mylee wrote (about a Velgarth book on Bards):
>>>On a more serious note, what would the book be about?  Most Bards
seem to stay either in Haven or get patronage from one of the high-ranking
nobles.<<<

How about someone who seriuosly offended a minor noble? Or Magic's Price
from Stefen's point of view? Or someone with both Healing and Bardic gifts
and is forced to choose between the two? Or a Bard whose hands and vocal
chords have been permanently ruined in adolescence? 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Deb wrote:
>>>It is also the one time of the year that people put on their yukatas or
kimonos or happi-coats & dance traditional obon dances.  (common dilemna of a
person wearing a kimono - Do you want to look pretty? or  do you want to
breathe?<g>)<<<

And there's a matter of "Do you want to look pretty? Or do you want to walk
like a bipedal creature?" My grandmother (father's side) gave me a
beautiful scarlet silk kimono (*heavy* silk) which was really lovely to
look at, but it is *not* practical at all. I had to get my picture taken in
it to send to my grandparents, and it took us about twenty minutes to get
from the first floor of a shopping mall in St. Louis to the studio on the
second floor. And I never learned how to dance obon dances. My grandmother
(mother's side) took me to those when I was young and let me fish for water
balloon yo-yos and goldfish at little booths at these community gatherings,
and she took me out to watch spectacular fireworks. It was fun for my
little 5 year old mind.

Then, Firemist wrote:
>>>more common dilemma - do you know how to tie an obi? can you manage to
sit without all your over and under robes parting to show your eventualities
and possibilites? or not drag one's sleeves through one's dinner when
serving one's self???<<<

Lemesee... my mother and a Japanese friend of ours dressed me up like a
Barbie doll (BTW, they have Barbie dolls in Japan and they have kimonos for
them, too -- I used to have one) and put makeup on me. Ick. Anyway, I
didn't eat or serve anything while wearing it, and I know it would've been
living hell -- wearing one was really close to it. 

Lady Becky wrote:
>>>On Thu, 28 Nov 1996, Rozanna McNeer wrote:

> the other dilemma - how does one walk in those peg-soled sandals which 
> seem to be the formal japanese equivalent to wellingtons without falling
> on one's face???

        Well, two years ago, we had a Japanese exchange student, and she 
had shoes like that, and even wore them to school sometimes, and I have 
no idea how she managed to walk so gracefully in them, but she did. She 
had a really pretty kimono like thing, that she wore too, she was such a 
neat person :) I;ve never met anyone sweeter in my life. She even managed 
to walk up and down stairs in them!!!!!<--hee hee<<<

I myself have never been able to master that particular art, especially
while wearing a kimono. I had to take teeny-tiny-eety-beety steps, and it
was living hell. I can't imagine how anyone could manage -- but some people
do, believe it or not. In the old, old days of Japan, the "ladies" didn't
get out much, so the semi-nobility learned how to walk in those. And the
common folk walked in comfortable woven-grass (it was actually rice straw)
sandals. Personally, I would have liked to been a common folk 'cuz I can't
stand all that formality and frill.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To all of you late-November b-day people: Happy Birthday! Live Long and
Prosper!(Guess who's a Trekkie here?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay here goes:
Happy one-day late Thanksgiving (tithe to Mat)! Three things to be thankful
for: Two days off from school, pumpkin pie(yum!), and the Misty List. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tamara wrote:
>>>I've been accused more than once of having a 'sick and twisted mind'<<<

Hey, there's nothing wrong with that! "Sick and Twisted" are in the eye of
the beholder. Trust me... 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On Romylee: Hey, I love the name. I plan to name my daughter (should I ever
choose to have one) either "Romylee" or "Romilly(a la Hawkmistress!)".
Nothin' wrong with the name!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ObMisty: Does musical theater exist on Velgarth? I've heard of things like
"Sunsinger and Shadowdancer", which is sort of a character duet, but that's
about it. And I think the reason pianos and other keyboard instruments
don't exist on Velgarth is that Bards tend to travel around. How are they
going to drag around a baby grand? And as for Heralds, they're almost never
home unless they're teaching. Musicians on Velgarth need something
convenient, so the idea of a piano never occured to them. What do y'all
think?

Anywho, I'm done -- for now. Live Long and Prosper (Akiko's at it again...
*sigh*)!

LOVE, LOGIC, and LLAP,
Summersong and Spiffy the Cat
*************************************
Akiko Hirao <myktshr-+AT+-ldd.net>
"Captain, I believe I am speaking for the whole 
crew when I say this... To hell with our orders!" 
-- Lt. Cmdr. Data from Star Trek: First Contact
*************************************


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

Date: Fri, 29 Nov 1996 11:36:17 +0000
From: myktshr-+AT+-ldd.net (miyako hirao)
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Little bit of a thing I forgot to include
Message-ID: <199611291730.LAA04751-+AT+-cdale3.midwest.net>

This is something I forgot to include in my last message:
How did this business with the kimonos get started? Was it Cennydd's
impeccable fashion statement? 

<fluff> 
YIPPEE!!!! I'm gonna see First Contact again today! I'm so HAPPY!!! I LOVE
DATA! (I swear, Akiko's obsessed -- I was never this nutty about an
android! sez Summersong and yowls Spiffy)

ObMisty: Would cybernetics in RL and Trek be analogous to mage constructs,
magical changes in one's appearance (a la Falconsbane and Nyara), and
sentient creations (a la gryphons)? Yeah, I know, it had to be
Data-related. Hey, he's the sexiest android in Starfleet (okay, he's the
only android in Starfleet -- but he's still sexy.) Ahem.
I.Will.Pull.My.Mind.From.The.Gutter. Nice imitation of William Shatner,
huh?

Live Long and Prosper,
Summersong & Spiffy the Cat
*************************************
Akiko Hirao <myktshr-+AT+-ldd.net>
"Captain, I believe I am speaking for the whole 
crew when I say this... To hell with our orders!" 
-- Lt. Cmdr. Data from Star Trek: First Contact
*************************************


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

Date: Fri, 29 Nov 96 12:43:55 -0500
From: Korendil <korendil-+AT+-icubed.net>
To: "Misty List" <mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk>
Subject: Brvaes Uses Discarded Rat Skins To Make Smoke Signal
Message-ID: <9611291749.AA03033-+AT+-raptor.icubed.net>

Heather(the other one) said:
>* Heather sighs and mutters something about americanocentric entities

;> This, I think, is having Americanocentric attitudes pushed out the 
door, and pushed so far out they come back the other way;> SInce 
sometimes we get REALLY pig-headed and think the whole *world* has 
Thanksgiving, or a comparable holiday...so then, when we go to an 
international forum like the internet, we try and *not* think that--but I 
think Jag went too far and thought that us weirdo americans were the 
*only* ones...

>I believe you are referring to chava -- a beverage that I rather
>interpretted as similar to hot cocoa . . . other opinions welcome ;-)

Bingo! that's what I was thinking of..but..but...for all its magic, hot 
cocoa is so _mundane_!;P I refuse to think that anything Tayledras has a 
real-world counterpart;>

>Most people can discern its meeting.

Yeah..I've found that, too. Though after awhile observant people begin to 
ask me what it means--they got it, but they don't know *why*;>

>Gee, thanks!  I was afraid everybody had skipped that one :-).  

No..just couldn't think of what to say, and then forgot.;>

> but a YA focus certainly explains her 
>reticience when one discusses heterosexual relationships.

It explains it--sort of. Just think of...oh...Kero and Eldan in 
Karse...or Lark and Wren after the elven incident...there're others, but 
I forget 'em...IMO, she's much more reticient on her homosexual and even 
moreso bisexual depiction. Though quite a bit of heterosexual  behavior 
isn't mentioned in detail, a lot less is with the other two. Hell, she 
barely even has any bisexual. I've lost my train of though, soooo...

woodlark said:
>woodlark.  i sprung out of deniz's fertile mind over a month ago it seems 
>now.

Bu..but...oh..gods..I..actually..though..you were *two* people?! Argh!;>

Esme corrected herself:
>Keren is the twin, not Sheryl - sorrreeee!

you missed another;> The MO before Talia was Talamir...and before that 
Keighvin. Yes, she reused the name.

Firemist(ywisty;P) said:
>I think yon pointy-eared one is referring to the Weis/Hickman people who
>write trilogies that are on par with Hambly's work -- i.e., Books That Are 
>All
>The Same, Only The Names Have Changed 

Well..sorta. Author's right, but not reason. I meant one of those books 
in particular..explained it to Melanie already. I mentioned it back in 
September when I read it, anyway...but I'm still too lazy for spoiler 
space;P

Oh..and about the rat carcasses...see...Brvaes, exploring Attribia, got 
captured and put in jail. now he's trying to escape. So he took rat 
corpes, boned 'em, and used the bones to make a weapon...the guard blew 
on it, or something, and it broke. So now he's alternatively chewing on 
and using to help make a smoke signal the remainders. Twisted? Moi?;P

-+AT+-LIDNEROK___________/ KORENDIL-+AT+-ICUBED.NET \_____________KORENDIL-+AT+-
I|Korendil, Knight of the Order of Amber & Marigold and Elfhame |I
C|Sun-Descending, Squire of the High Court, Envoy to Elfhame    |C
U|Misthold, Magus Minor, One In Black,Firstborn Child of Danaan,|U
B|God of Night and All Things Nocturnal, Champion of the Ladies |B
E|of the Pink Wand, Acting Master of Dreams, and Ailurophile.   |E
D|.NET______________/NAME THE MIME AND DIE!!\_______________TEN.|D



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

Date: Fri, 29 Nov 1996 11:56:01 -0700
From: DawnRain <dawnrain-+AT+-geocities.com>
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: IDIC/Tofu/Van's sibs/bondbirds/poetry/
Message-ID: <329F31C1.6CD9-+AT+-geocities.com>

Korendil wrote:

> Aw...you don't love me, Summersong?;P BTW, whatd IDIC mean?

IDIC: Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations, the Vulcan "creed" of
sorts.  I try to live by it and appreciate everyone's differences. 
Words to live by!<grin>

------sub switch

Deb sez:
> I am currently making a dish for thanksgiving that requires getting as much
> liquid out of tofu as possible (aka shirae or spinach tofu)  I'd appreciate
> any suggestions for doing this task.  The squeezing the heck out of tofu via
> a cheese cloth ain't working.  (All right, it does work, but my hands are
> killing me & it's taking toooooo long!)  <sob> Lady Becky?  Goddess of Tofu?
>  Help!  Anybody?

I'm not Becky, but I like to think of weird things...  Mmm...  Try a
garlic press w/cheesecloth lining it to keep the tofu in?  Or...um...  A
rolling pin with the tofu wrapped in cheesecloth and on top of something
absorbent?

Sub switch...

On the topic of Van's sibs:  I get the feeling there's many sibs, just
not main characters.  Also, there's mention of a few weddings, and I'll
look for them if I get a chance.  Some of them might be Van's sibs.

Sub switch...

Someone a while back was discussing the possibility of Tayledras only
bonding to birds of their own sex.  Someone else(sorry, the messages are
LONG gone in my mailbox) mentioned Dawnfire's bird, Kyrr, and said it
was male.  Now, I can't find the blasted book(WoF) but I seem to very
clearly remember Dawnfire thinking "lose her now, and I'll never control
her in a rage again" (not exact words).  Anywone know where their copy
of the book is?  It's where Dawnfire goes into trance to full-bond
w/Kyrr to spy on the Gryphons.

Sub switch...

To add my .02, I am something of an avid poet, and I've written most
kinds of poetry at some point or another(all in English except one or
two in Spanish) and I tend to go in trends.  For a while, I wrote many
haikus.  Another while was longish (at LEAST 4 stanzas of 4 lines most
of the time) rhymed and metered poems.  Now I'm into freeverse.  And
Ele, may I say that the poems I showed you were in the haiku category(of
course) as well as being on the lighter side of my writing.  I tend
toward depressing stuff...<sigh>  Anys, there's a few newer ones on my
homepage(addy in sig)

Ok, well, sorry this is rather fluffy, but I am just replying to bits
and pieces and not thinking clearly.<grin>
TTYL!
Star


-- 
Kris Bailey--Aka MorningStar, NightFire, DawnRain, and names too
darn numerous to include in this list.  E-mail-- morningstar-+AT+-poetic.com
dawnrain-+AT+-geocities.com bv165-+AT+-freenet.uchsc.edu kris.bailey-+AT+-sdoct.com
dawnrain00-+AT+-aol.com
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/9763

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

End of MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 993
*********************************