MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 1012

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Thanks Deniz!/Sword of ICe
	by Clarissa Smith/Claris Boii <ccsmith-+AT+-comp.uark.edu>
  2) English/just a question/Germany/V&S song-suggestion/poll alert!!!
	by Khenta Blaufalk <bhanel-+AT+-aixterm1.urz.uni-heidelberg.de>
  3) Poll reply
	by LCM46-+AT+-aol.com
  4) aliases/squelching/hating Heralds/Armsmaster/Companion names/hangers-on/Skif/Magic books/TK/Huff/Ordinary folk/Wie geht's/music/poll/T'spoon/religious music/choco cream pie/brain mass
	by Lee <97jsalaz-+AT+-jasper.uor.edu>
  5) Braid: S'poon/Armsmaster/Bunch of fluff, Trek and otherwise/ObMisty
	by myktshr-+AT+-ldd.net (miyako hirao)
  6) Poll/Xmas music/history
	by "Hth." <R618-+AT+-ACADEMIC.TRUMAN.EDU>
  7) High.Priestess.takes.stand.to.testify.on.Brvae's.behalf,
	by Deniz<dsarik-+AT+-po-box.mcgill.ca>
  8) Darkover and McCaffrey/first Misty/Fetching Gifts/religious musi
	by "Emily L Cartier" <ecartier-+AT+-engr.udayton.edu>
  9) Poll 
	by FIREFLY182-+AT+-aol.com
 10) Universe/Carols/Emily/Whites 
	by Glithoniel-+AT+-aol.com
 11) Braid: which really does have some Misty content!!!!!
	by Rose <prose-+AT+-ctol.net>

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

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 12:55:01 -0600 (CST)
From: Clarissa Smith/Claris Boii <ccsmith-+AT+-comp.uark.edu>
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Thanks Deniz!/Sword of ICe
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.95.961209125539.29069A-100000-+AT+-comp>

On Mon, 9 Dec 1996, deniz wrote:
> AAAAAaaaaaggggghhhhh!!!!!<----- count 'em yourself XP
> 
> 	I forgot a birthday.  It came up and hit me on the head.  Okay.  I've 
> been a baaaaad girl.  No, on the other hand, I was procrastinating.
> 
> 	Claris Smith's birthday is today(EST), December 8th.
> Claris: On this, your birthday, I sheepfully offer <snip marvelous
stuff>

*giggle*
Being in the northern hemisphere but with 70 degree weather, I'll take
both! ;) ;) 

Thank you very much...I spent my day studying :p and MUSHing with my
ashke. (And being mushy too, if you must know.) Let me tell you, getting a
dozen roses delivered from South Africa can make your entire weekend...

Um...obMisty....er...er...*Where's _Sword of Ice_?!* I must have it!!!
Yeah that it's it...Aa, actually, who ARE these people?! I've heard of
hardly any of the names listed...Yes, I've been way out of it on reading
genre lately (no time)...


*************************************************************************
<<<Claris/Clarissa Smith (ccsmith-+AT+-comp.uark.edu)  On-campus .sig file>>>
 Art/History Major	  *         all in green went my love riding,
Sf/fantasy/graphic artist * on a great horse of gold,into the silver dawn
 GM & game writer         * 'all in green...' 	--e.e.cummings   
	>>>>>>>>>>>>>   http://comp.uark.edu/~ccsmith/     <<<<<<<<<<<<<
*************************************************************************



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

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 20:29:55 +0100 (CET)
From: Khenta Blaufalk <bhanel-+AT+-aixterm1.urz.uni-heidelberg.de>
To: Misty mail <mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk>
Subject: English/just a question/Germany/V&S song-suggestion/poll alert!!!
Message-ID: <Pine.A32.3.91.961210200537.41577A-100000-+AT+-aixterm5.urz.uni-heidelberg.de>

Hi!
Here's yet another of my rather rare but totally disconnected, outdated=20
posts... :)

 Lee wrote:

>Ah, you're thinking of "Wie geht's?"  (short for "wie geht es," not that
>anyone cares) --means "How goes it" or "How are you?"

<goggle> "How goes it" is indeed a phrase???=20
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

Erm, Jake? What does your email-addy "Shdwflt" mean (if anything at all)?
Every time I see it I keep thinking of "Shadowflute"... <tentative=20
ducking and sheeping>
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

Some time ago several people commented about connecting Germany with=20
Neo-Nazis. I will not make any further comments on that, just=20
let me say one thing: most of the stuff the Neo-Nazis are distributing=20
(books, leaflets, flyers etc) comes from the United States. So.=20
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

Recently I was listening to Billy Joel's _Storm Front_ and I thought that=
=20
_State of Grace_ (partially, at least) kind of fitted for Van and Stef:

"Don't you see, you lived a different life than me
It doesn't mean you have to be afraid of how
We're not the same, don't leave me now

But darling there you go, slipping away
=20
How can I get you to stay where you are
Keep you from going too far
Holding you here is so hard to do... I'm losing you"
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

Ok, time for a new poll! ;)

Just 2 questions:

1) What was the first book by Misty you ever read?
2) What is your favourite Misty book?

Well, what I want to confirm :) is my own pet theory that your favourite=20
book by her is the first one you read. At least for most people. This is=20
something I gathered from the posts of the past months? weeks? whatever,=20
mainly from re- and introduction posts.=20
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D


Walk in beauty

Khenta Blaufalk                          bhanel-+AT+-ix.urz.uni-heidelberg.de
aka Skyfire k'Vala, Goddess of Incomplete Vocabulary and Garbled Grammar=20
=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=
=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=
=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4
I will not expose the ignorance of the faculty...           Bart Simpson
=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=
=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=
=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4=B4






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

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 16:03:10 -0500
From: LCM46-+AT+-aol.com
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Poll reply
Message-ID: <961210160307_1618693785-+AT+-emout14.mail.aol.com>

Hi, all

     Khenta asked for answers to a poll-------here's mine---------The first
Misty book I ever read was AoTQ, followed closely by the other 2 Arrows
books, as I received a 3-pack at Christmas several years ago.  However, my
favorite Misty book is the Sci-Fic book club 3-in-one edition of the Magic
books (you know, Pawn, Promise, Price).

                                                        Lorraine
                               Goddess of Domesticity/Laundry

But I'm not dead yet!
      MP/Holy Grail

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

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 13:11:27 -0800 (PST)
From: Lee <97jsalaz-+AT+-jasper.uor.edu>
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: aliases/squelching/hating Heralds/Armsmaster/Companion names/hangers-on/Skif/Magic books/TK/Huff/Ordinary folk/Wie geht's/music/poll/T'spoon/religious music/choco cream pie/brain mass
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.92.961210125258.5513B-100000-+AT+-jasper.uor.edu>

No, I haven't been lurking, just slow to finish replying, due to the
arrival of finals week...and, yeah, there was quite a pileup...hey, is
this long enough to rival Brvaes?
-------
vix said to Deniz:  "btw, I thought you and woodlark were really separate,
too--sneaky!  Maybe you should be a Demon, too, of Decietful Aliases or
something."

Considering that procrastination can come in so many guises, even
ones that successfully decieve the procrastinator hirself, I think it
appropriate for the High Priestess thereof to be Demon of Decietful
Aliases.  (yeah, I was fooled, too!)

Khenta said: "Erm, Jake? What does your email-addy "Shdwflt" mean (if
anything at all)?  Every time I see it I keep thinking of "Shadowflute"...
<tentative ducking and sheeping>"

Hm, I kept thinking "Shadowfelt".  Of course, it could be "Shadowfleet" or
"Shadowfault" or "Shadowflat" or "Shadowfealty" or "Shadowfaulty" or
"Shadowflit" or "Shadowfloat" or "Shadowflout" or "Shadowflighty"--no,
wait, too many consonants--<shuts up, resisting urge to get too silly>
----------
(lost an attrib, here)  "Well, I'm not sure.  The one is a simple
squelching of a particular thought, the other would involve actually
implanting feelings.  i kind of feel like it would be easier to keep
something from coming up than it would be to make something happen."

Deniz replied in part: "squelching the magic stuff is definitely happening
to conscious thoughts, which leads the Companions to make the person
forget it ever happened because people would get suspicious if they could
remember not being able to talk/think about magic[snip]"

Wasn't a lot of the "squelching thoughts of magic" actually not totally
squelching but rather changing the attitude to "but that can't happen now,
magic is from the olden days"? --sounds a bit complicated but less likely
to give away the game than simply erasing or supressing bits.
------
I suggested Lord Orthallen as somebody who hates Heralds, and Deniz said:
"Yes, but he was one of those "evil/bad guy" characters.  You know, a
power-hungry b*st*rd.  How about a more normal person who isn't twisted by
this dislike, but rather it's somebody you would like and could possibly
forgive them that one fault for(ooh, dangling participle!)."

Ah, well, if you take as a given Orthallen's premise that the Heralds are
bad, then don't you have to take as a given that scheming to get rid of
the Heralds is good?  Orthallen priorities are badly screwed up, and only
partially by his dislike of the Heralds...I suppose what you are looking
for is someone whose priorities are screwed only by that one thing?
-----------
Kory:  "Well, actually it's the Heraldic Collegium;P"

Picky, picky.  ;P back at you!  <g>

Kory:  "do they all share the Armsmaster, or are only Heralds and Blues
taught that?"

In MPromise Van mentions that Bards need to know how to fight.  I'd doubt
that Healers would be into combat lessons, though.  Blues, now...I got the
impression that the Armsmaster just kind of taught whoever got sponsored
into arms lessons; seems like the "gentle-born" Blues would be more likely
to get in, while the Natoli-types wouldn't be expected to need such skill.
------
Kory yet again: "Lee....make a compendium of Pedigree Companion Names, and
give it to Jake;>"

Oh boy.  I don't know whether to be amused or annoyed by the suggestion of
Yet Another Project.  (My mom recently gave me a poster called "Peter's
Laws: The Creed of the Sociopathic Obsessive Compulsive"; I can't figure
out if she meant anything by that ;).  Anyway, one of the "Laws" is
"Multiple projects lead to multiple successes.")  So, this is a Definite
Maybe. "[Spoiler Deleted]'s Runs-Fast in Bright Fields" was difficult
enough, this could absorb a lot of creative energy...like I need another
outlet for energy when I'm so-busily working on the Wrong Novel and nearly
failing a class that's two years below my academic level.
---------
vix said:"Well, i was kinda thinking of a Blue or maybe just some sort of
hanger-on who really, really, really thiunks s/he belongs in that saddle."

Kory:  "I dunno...I don't think I'd like to read that story. The person
would hafta be pretty dense--maybe a minor character in a novel, or a
short story..."

They wouldn't have to be; if someone with all the right character
qualities but no Gifts happened to assess their abilities correctly, they
might be right in thinking they "belong" as a Herald.  Now if they thought
that by wishing hard enough they could make a Gift suddenly sprout, they'd
be dense.  I'd expect a story of that nature to take place early in the
maturing process, and it'd be a story of discovering how Heraldic
qualities can come in handy for nonHeraldic jobs, like, say, running a
large Holding.
--------
vix: "And Skif!  Poor Skif.  I always liked him.  Does he ever get into a
real, solid relationship with anyone, in any book, that lasts more than a
few days?"

esme: "Did you say you were reading Winds? I repeat, hang on in there,
although I really thought he was going to make it with Darkdoodies brother
for a while, ;> They're *made* for each other <weg>!"

Gods, am I glad I'm not the only one who thought that....<g>
---------
when ian asked for magic books, esme asked, "Do you mean the ones that
have to be kept on ice, behind endless locks? Or the ones that scritch and
mutter to themselves?"

hm, I'd kind of like to get my hands on that kind of book...might be of
help in the nomadic college lifestyle to have books that could move
themselves...
--------
mat the cat:
"I'd like to see true telekinesis in Velgarth.  Actually, I think
it might be there, but we just haven't seen it.  At one point,
Kris or someone sees a student carrying a stack of dishes and says,
"that youngster better have one of the Fetching Gifts, or else
he's going to lose that stack."  This implies more than one
Fetching Gift.  I think one type is what Dirk has, aka teleportation.
But that's not really TK.  The only time I think we've seen it was in
'Lendel's fits.  It was something like a combination of his Mage and
Fetching Gifts, Savil said.  It sounds like TK to me."

Tashir had similar fits, too, and Van used TK once to shake the Palace
foundation in that "having a nightmare" scene that comes after the suicide
attempt but before Withen shows up.  I think that Misty's definition of
the Fetching Gifts is pretty wide, though, since when Talia finds out that
Griffon's Gift is Firestarting, it's referred to as part of the family of
Fetching Gifts, and Dirk teaches Griffon.
	I get the impression that the cost in energy is pretty high, high
enough that one usually wouldn't bother with the sort of "moving things
across the room" that constitutes TK; one would use one's physical muscles
unless some obstacle like a wall was in the way.  It could be that TK is a
part of the ordinary Fetching Gift, they just don't use it much.
------
Tygriss asked:  "I want to start reading Tanya Huff but don't know where I
want to start.  Same with Mickey Reichert.  Suggestions?"
[other responses snipped]
Esme: "okaaay, it's my turn. I was disappointed with the first Vicky
Nelson I read - expected a bit more, oh I don't know, pizzazz, k'zow, zap
- that sort of thing. I'd recommend The Fire's Stone - brill book, and I
really like the Quarter trilogy - Sing the 4, 5th Quarter and No Quarter,
but then, as has been said here before, I think Bannon's gorgeous!"

Well, the Vicky Nelson books may lack "pizzazz" because they have more in
common with detective novels, in terms of atmosphere and the kind of
things that can happen; Huff doesn't expect us to accept all kinds of
ridiculous stuff like air elementals and &such (things that we can accept
easily in an imaginary-world story are harder to swallow in an urban
fantasy) --she generally seems to deal with one fantastic idea per book.
I haven't read StFQ, but _No Quarter_ practically ruined _Fifth Quarter_
for me; I read with conscious attention to craft (an exercise to keep my
revision skills sharp even when I'm not revising something) and NQ drove
me crazy about three times every page. --But Tygriss, notice that we've
all mentioned that _The Fire's Stone_ is great!

------------
Kaatje:  "Anyone?  Have you read *fantasy* (not real-world) novels about
Perfectly Ordinary (tm) characters?"

_The Hobbit_, maybe;  the Bagginses are supposed to be a bit eccentric,
but much of his character seems to be "I'm nobody."  Possibly Peter from
Teppar's _King's Blood Four_ & etc; I didn't think he was ordinary by the
end of the first book, but then I went back and read _The Song of Mavin
Manyshaped_ and he seemed less...unusually talented...he just has those
useful whatchamacalls.  Whatsername in, er, Robin McKinley(?)'s
_Blue...erm, somebody help me, the story that happens hundreds of years
after _The Hero And The Crown_--was her name Hari?--she started out
ordinary.  (The Blue Sword?)  Pamela Dean(?)'s _Tam Lin_ has a "Janet"
character who's ordinary.  Joel Rosenberg's characters in that long series
of D&D takeoffs (the only detail I can remember right now is the horse
named Libertarian)  started out ordinary.  In lots of stories featuring
people magically transported to the past or another world, the protagonist
tends to be pretty ordinary.  (Conneticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court
springs to mind, but I'm sure there are less irritating examples.)  Hm,
would Skeeve of Myth-etc be ordinary? <g> It's always hard to say, of
course, because Ordinary characters tend to prove out dynamic--and much
less ordinary by the end of the book.

What Emily & Esme said about the roles of PO folk in fantasy and why we
tend not to see many.  Yeah.

On this thread Emily the Invisible said, "Darkover (still sf), mmm... Has
some ordinary people, and extrordinary things happen to them (dunno what
else you'd call whatshisface who married that Keeper,mmm Elorie in _The
Bloody Sun_). But the stories mostly aren't about normal, boring people
who do what they always did."

Jeff Kerwin--but he turned out to be a Long-Lost Son of Lord High
Muckity-Muck (tm). How about Andrew Carr (married Callista Ridenow)?  And
I thought Lew...er, wossname, Kennard's friend in _Star of Danger_?...was
ordinary, even if he did turn out to be Yet Another Half-Darkovan With
Laran.

(Emily the Invisible sent us a medical bulletin--hooray for lesser
diseases! waitaminute, what did I just say?  Anyhow, if you turn blue
you'll probably start to look like the vrondi, what with you already
being invisible.  (*Are* you visible to Magesight?))
--------
I said, "Ah, you're thinking of "Wie geht's?"  (short for "wie geht es,"
not that anyone cares) --means "How goes it" or "How are you?""

And Khenta <goggle>ed, saying, "How goes it" is indeed a phrase???"

Yup.  In English, even.  Not that you hear it often here in Southern
California--but it's a variation on "How's it going?", I think.
------------
Khenta:"Some time ago several people commented about connecting Germany
with Neo-Nazis. I will not make any further comments on that, just let me
say one thing: most of the stuff the Neo-Nazis are distributing (books,
leaflets, flyers etc) comes from the United States. So."

Ah, yes, I *knew* there was another reason I try to fight my own
stereotypes of Germany.
-------
Khenta:  "Recently I was listening to Billy Joel's _Storm Front_ and I
thought that _State of Grace_ (partially, at least) kind of fitted for Van
and Stef:"

<noted for Musical Misty Character Matchup>
--------
Khenta's poll:
1) What was the first book by Misty you ever read?
Obound

2) What is your favourite Misty book?
Erm...I've always wishy-washily escaped from that Q by saying LHM is the
best *trilogy* while CotN is the best book.  If I really really really had
to pick one, I guess it's a tossup between MPawn & CotN (even tho I like
Van better than Di.)  Hey, that reminds me:  Is CotN still in print?  I
did worse than loan out my copy to someone who never returned it; I loaned
out my *sister's* copy. <sheeps>
---------
Mylee  "But has anyone ever read this short story that was a cross between
Pern and Darkover?  It's in one of the Darkover anthologies, and a rider
named S'poon and his dragon (Broth) came over to Darkover.  It was a two
or three-page story, and was pretty funny."

Firemist "I thought it was T'spoon... It's in one of MZB's many
anthologies, last story. Supposedly telling why Darkoverians <??? what the
hell are they, anyway???> have the proverb about one doesn't chain a
dragon to cook one's food"

They're Darkovans, and it is T'spoon (not to mention Black Angus).  Can't
remember the name of the story or which anthology.  I don't think it was
really intended to explain the proverb, just to capitalize on the
opportunity for a pun (kind of like "Teyksa's Shainsa Massacre"
<appreciative shudder>)(same author, too, I think).
------
woodlark said:  "when i sing something that's religion specific[snip] i
don't think of it as a specific religion's prayers that i'm performing.
	"i look beyond the *words* and see the message of praying to
*the*divine*, not one particular aspect or name of it.  does this make
sense?  also, my conductor at my old school had a speech that he'd give us
before every major concert.  it went along the lines of:

[with creative snipping] "...music can change the world...you don't have
to think of it a being Christian religious work...it's a prayer to
whatever you believe to be Holy...  celebrate the beauty of the music.
The music has a message, and if we sing it with our love and our hearts,
then some people out in the audience will hear and understand our message
of love.  It might be only a few people, but that's enough.  Those few
people will convert(not religiously) a few other people, and in this way,
we can change the world, slowly, towards a better tomorrow and to be more
loving." -- Mr. Kushner

"please think about this for a while and then tell me what you think."

Well, your choir guy sounds pretty neat--he seems to have put his finger
on the center of the matter; that people tend to object mainly to the form
of the spiritual sentiment in these force-fed praise-god songs.  And it
sounds like he says it in a way that might actually help a bit.  I'm not
sure, but I might still be irritated if I had to sing a praise-god song
anyhow.  I was quite moved by what you wrote, Woodlark, especially the
part about how songs spread love & etc., but when I think about it I can't
agree that praise-god songs can be made to do so (spread love, I mean)
across sectarian differences.  For each person who catches the love in the
music, there may be another who feels alienated by it.  I know you're
trying to suggest a less literal read of the songs, and it's a good idea
that I wish I could be content with, but I think that religion as we know
it in this century is too exclusionary for the audience (as well as the
singers) to be able to interpret "Praise the Lord" or somesuch as a
statement about love or general spiritual experience.  I don't think it's
possible to say "praise the Lord" and have someone think that I didn't
literally mean "praise the God whom some of us believe is the One True God
and the Father of Jesus and the Lord and Creator of all."

well, that was just way too heavy, sorry.
-----
Deniz said: "You, my dear lady, win a prize! <tosses chocolate cream pie
at Lee> SPLAT!  Tasty, isn't it?"

<gummy voice like Pooh's after he eats all of Rabbit's honey> nummy...but
it makes my fur all sticky and my whiskers adhere to my ears.  (Oh well, I
guess you can't have everything in one dessert--but maybe you can make up
for it by having every dessert?)
-------
Jake wrote on Bondbirds weaker links due to size:  "*pout* Does that mean
that a small person emits less emotion than a big person?  I know us large
people have a whole lotta love, but still, is intensity of emotion related
to size?  Or did you mean something else?"

Glith responded: "I've always thought the smaller theory rested on brain
size.  Lets face it, only so much gray matter can be crammed into a head
as small as a birds(even hulking bond-birds).  Thats why the raptors tend
to be smarter.  Now a Companion has a much larger brain mass, therefore
more intelligence."

<whiskers twitching> I beg to differ.  Intelligence levels are more
affected by the complexity or number (can't remember which) of the folds
in the brain, not by its size.  If you have two rats, the dumber one will
have a smoother brain, that sort of thing.  <licking a paw>  Of course,
they taste the same anyhow.

the Eternally Nourished Lee, www.geocities.com/Athens/4709/,
97jsalaz-+AT+-uor.edu, Knight of the OAM, Spreader of Humor, Self-
Appointed User of 5-point Vocabulary Words Such As "Panegyric"
-- "What time is it?"--Dekker, P.













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

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 16:02:52 +0000
From: myktshr-+AT+-ldd.net (miyako hirao)
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Braid: S'poon/Armsmaster/Bunch of fluff, Trek and otherwise/ObMisty
Message-ID: <199612102156.PAA07712-+AT+-cdale3.midwest.net>

Mylee wrote:
>>>Mylee: <snip> But has anyone ever read this short
story that was a cross between Pern and Darkover?  It's in one of the
Darkover anthologies, and a rider named S'poon and his dragon (Broth) came
over to Darkover.  It was a two or three-page story, and was pretty funny.<<<

Which one was it? I'd really love to read it, but I have one Darkover book
and it's Hawkmistress. I'm going out to get more Darkover books sometime,
so any help on which antho that was would be appreciated.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kory wrote:
<snip>>>do they all share the Armsmaster, or are only Heralds and 
Blues taught that?<<<

I think all of them are taught at the very least self-defense. I remember
Stef talking about that -- either that or Van giving Medren a lecture
<grin>. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kory wrote:
>>>Akiko said:
>Yes, it is *very* weird. I wish I could go to TIP at Kansas so maybe I
>could meet you and see what's *really* going on with your head <grin>.

=( "wish I could" ? Does that mean ya' won't be? 'cos I am definitely 
going if they offer creative writing again--btw...is it true that after 
your first year you get the bulletin much earlier? GOing on with my head? 
huh? I don't *really* have elven ears, you know;P<<<

No, but somethin's goin' on in there.... Yes, I may be getting a bit
paranoid. I just finished watching the episode of X-Files with the
psycho-psychic killer who is able to influence people into setting
themselves on fire, killing themselves, or self-inducing a heart attack.
The guy had a brain tumor that gave him the power to control others' will. 

And I don't think I'll be going unless my grandparents pay for it -- it's
going to cost me about $3000 to fly from Japan and back. Plus the $1500 for
the course -- nope. Don't think I'm going <waaah!>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kory wrote:
<snip>
>>>"It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine!" HEHEHEHE...

Who does that? I just realized when I heard it recently--the beginning of 
ID4...<<<

REM did that song -- and I absolutely love it. The first year I was at TIP
the DJ played that song for our last dance. I thought it was absolutely
perfect for the occasion.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is still Kory:
>>>Well, I think all of hers could be...but I've not read any McCaffrey (why 
doesn't she have a nickname like MIsty or Pterry?) for ages, so no 
details;><<<

You must read the Crystal Singer Trilogy if you haven't already. I've
trying to get the Generation Warriors thingy from SFBC, but currently I'm
broke from buying that Pern packet from SFBC. I just have enough money to
buy everyone a Christmas Present (or as I see it -- a New Year's Gift).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pointy Ears is back:
<snip>>>but I wouldn't be at those latter two, 
since they're from Fiddler on the Roof and are Jewish--in fact, "May the 
Lord Keep You" was done at my Bar MItzvah by the cantor...but this is 
just a case at how we hate to be forced to do stuff for other's 
religions:(<<<

Don't think you're thinking of the "Sunrise" I'm thinking of. It's the one
with three-part female harmony (SSA form) that goes "The rising sun appears
in gladsome light..." Any chorus people know what I'm talking about?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Who was the last person to pilot Enterprise-D?

Pilot? or command? I can do comman, or at least guess.....Crusher? 
wait..that doesn't sound right. Ach, I'll say that;><<<

Pilot, as in helm. It's Deanna Troi. Think about it -- she crashed the
Enterprise on her first turn at the helm. Hee-hee.

Tygriss wrote:
>>>Bev was Commanding Officer and ya know, I think Deanna was at the Conn
and Data at Helm.<<<

Nope. That's the way it usually is, but Data had to do something to the
computer thingy (manual something -- gotta watch Generations again), so
Riker told Deanna to take the helm. That's the way it was until it crashed.


Tygriss wrote (about Data):
>>>I'd be more than happy to help him with that! ;)<<<

You can replicate him, but I get the original <grin>! You can also have the
cat, the weird art in his quarters, and you get to re-assemble Lore and
re-program him! Nice package deal, huh? <weg> 'Fraid I love Data more than
I love our OoUL/L or Champions of the Pink Wand. I have several pictures of
Brent Spiner and Brent Spiner as Data decorating the wall in my room. I
think I took down one of my postcards and put a picture of Data tilting his
head. There's another one with Data and Spot... Okay, I guess I'd better
stop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ObMisty: Erm.... Oh. I've been reading The Ship Who Searched (and went
through about 1/4 of my Kleenex box), and that made me wonder what happens
to children with congenital conditions in Velgarth? Are they killed, or are
they well taken care of, or do they not survive long enough to matter?

I'm done. That was long, and it's old (tithe to Mat;))

Love and Logic,
Summersong & Spiffy the Cat
*************************************
Akiko Hirao <myktshr-+AT+-ldd.net>
"Captain, I believe I speak for everyone here 
when I say ... To hell with our orders!" 
-- Lt. Cmdr. Data from Star Trek: First Contact
*************************************


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

Date:        Tue, 10 Dec 1996 16:52:12 CST
From: "Hth." <R618-+AT+-ACADEMIC.TRUMAN.EDU>
To: <mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk>
Subject: Poll/Xmas music/history
Message-ID:  <10DEC96.18219922.0048.MUSIC-+AT+-ACADEMIC.TRUMAN.EDU>

Khenta, I'm not going to fit well into your theory.  My first Misty book
was OBound; my favorite is MPrice (which, when I get to counting on my
fingers, was the fifth Misty book I read.) But...my second-favorite is
Children of the Night, and that was the second Misty book I read.
Partial credit?

This may come out sounding Imperialistic or insensitive or whatever.
We'll see.  I just don't get how all this angst can be generated over
religious music.  I *do* understand that it's not a good thing to have a
public school performance with *nothing but* music from one particular
religion.
   But the truth is that you can in no way teach the history of music in
Western civilization (and I assume that school choirs generally try to
teach music apprec and music history; mine did, I know) without giving
due credit to the enormous volume of gorgeous music that came out of the
Christian tradition.  How can you just give everything from Gregorian
chant to The Messiah to O Little Town of Bethlehem to Andrew Lloyd
Webber's Requiem to a million other brilliant works of art the axe
because they were written to express devotion to a faith that is not
yours?  Again, I'm not saying it's okay to have nothing but Christian
music held up as important.  But surely the music has some integrity on
its own, apart from the theology contained in the lyrics?
   Heck, I understand.  It's equally weird for me to be exposed to
nothing but heterosexual relationships in most movies and music and the
like.  I have those same feelings of, "But it's not mine." Still, while
I'll lobby for more balance until they put me in the ground (before or
after my death, depending on how annoying I get), I can't deny that the
heterosexual experience has a perfect right to be reflected through art
(way to make a sentence passive, Heather).  Likewise, I can't imagine
denying the Christian experience the voice it has created for itself.

I've been combing the early list archives; it's fun!  Wow, even a year
ago we had people saying, "Can we stop with the Companions already?
This thread has been done to death!!" I was thinking, Just you wait.
   I found all sorts of nifty little things.  Remember Jake's Muppet
version of AotQ?  With the Swedish chef as Alberich -- "Urdy furdy furdy
sword da furdy! Mork mork mork!" Jake, you're a sick man.  And how about
Kerry aspiring to become a fictional Australian gay vampire in a
committed relationship, thereby becoming irresistible to otherwise
sensible (darn, did I say that out loud? <g>) women?  And a quote from
Feb. 29: "Do any of you actually read all the way through my posts?
Why?" Yup, that was me.  Heh, and that was back *before* I was
long-winded!
   Anyway, I recommend the experience.  NO, you don't have to read all
100x digests.  Just play in the archives for a while.  Really, it's
tremendously entertaining.  (Oh, and on the Elspeth thread?  Digest
#384.  What I said.  <g>)


HTH
Wand-Sworn Champion to the Ladies of the Pink Wand
Grand Dame of the Order of Amber and Marigold
DragonCon Shepherd
r618-+AT+-academic.truman.edu

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

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 96 18:18:56 -0500
From: Deniz<dsarik-+AT+-po-box.mcgill.ca>
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: High.Priestess.takes.stand.to.testify.on.Brvae's.behalf,
Message-ID: <199612102320.SAA11001-+AT+-sirocco.CC.McGill.CA>


You know what's really crazy?  I just realized that today is my 2-month 
anniversary with this list.  I've only been talking on this list for 2 months. 
 Seems a lot longer, doesn't it?  Don't you wish I'd just shut up? :P  By the 
way, how many of you actually read all the way through my posts?

Lee wrote:
>vix said to Deniz:  "btw, I thought you and woodlark were really separate,
>too--sneaky!  Maybe you should be a Demon, too, of Decietful Aliases or
>something."
>
>Considering that procrastination can come in so many guises, even
>ones that successfully decieve the procrastinator hirself, I think it
>appropriate for the High Priestess thereof to be Demon of Decietful
>Aliases.  (yeah, I was fooled, too!)

Is this a motion and a second?  Oh, and don't forget my Sister Renee (who has 
fallen off the Edge of the Earth into the Sea of Finals(I'm as bad as 
Treesa!)) is also a High Priestess of Procrastination, so *technically* I'm 
not "the" High Priestess of Procrastination, but "a" High Priestess of 
Procrastination.  That took a while to write, but I'm sure it was a breeze for 
you to read.

>Khenta said: "Erm, Jake? What does your email-addy "Shdwflt" mean (if
>anything at all)?  Every time I see it I keep thinking of "Shadowflute"...
><tentative ducking and sheeping>"
>
>Hm, I kept thinking "Shadowfelt".  Of course, it could be "Shadowfleet" or
>"Shadowfault" or "Shadowflat" or "Shadowfealty" or "Shadowfaulty" or
>"Shadowflit" or "Shadowfloat" or "Shadowflout" or "Shadowflighty"--no,
>wait, too many consonants--<shuts up, resisting urge to get too silly>

I've always thought Shadowfleet, myself.

>Wasn't a lot of the "squelching thoughts of magic" actually not totally
>squelching but rather changing the attitude to "but that can't happen now,
>magic is from the olden days"? --sounds a bit complicated but less likely
>to give away the game than simply erasing or supressing bits.

Hmm... I need to reread V&H, Arrows, and Winds, it seems.

>I suggested Lord Orthallen as somebody who hates Heralds, and Deniz said:
>"Yes, but he was one of those "evil/bad guy" characters.  You know, a
>power-hungry b*st*rd.  How about a more normal person who isn't twisted by
>this dislike, but rather it's somebody you would like and could possibly
>forgive them that one fault for(ooh, dangling participle!)."
>
>Ah, well, if you take as a given Orthallen's premise that the Heralds are
>bad, then don't you have to take as a given that scheming to get rid of
>the Heralds is good?  Orthallen priorities are badly screwed up, and only
>partially by his dislike of the Heralds...I suppose what you are looking
>for is someone whose priorities are screwed only by that one thing?

Hmmm... that first sentence was really neat.  Too bad it's Orthallen, who is 
portrayed by Misty as I said above.  Can you imagine what Arrows would have 
been like if it were written from Orthallen's point of view?  He'd be a 
martyr!  Ugh!  Ick!

>Kory:  "do they all share the Armsmaster, or are only Heralds and Blues
>taught that?"
>
>In MPromise Van mentions that Bards need to know how to fight.  I'd doubt
>that Healers would be into combat lessons, though.  Blues, now...I got the
>impression that the Armsmaster just kind of taught whoever got sponsored
>into arms lessons; seems like the "gentle-born" Blues would be more likely
>to get in, while the Natoli-types wouldn't be expected to need such skill.

Actually, I thought the "gentle-born" Blues had their own *private* armsmaster 
and had been trained since they could hold a stick, whereas the Natoli-types 
(she is a Herald's daughter) would get such training if they asked for it.

>Deniz said: "You, my dear lady, win a prize! <tosses chocolate cream pie
>at Lee> SPLAT!  Tasty, isn't it?"
>
><gummy voice like Pooh's after he eats all of Rabbit's honey> nummy...but
>it makes my fur all sticky and my whiskers adhere to my ears.  (Oh well, I
>guess you can't have everything in one dessert--but maybe you can make up
>for it by having every dessert?)

Oh, after that, everybody comes over and helps clean you up.  There's a spell 
in all the thrown food that it doesn't stain or stick to your clothing, body, 
hair, etc.

>the Eternally Nourished Lee

Why?  What are you eating?  Do I want to know?  Oh, you mean the chocolate 
cream pie.  oops.

Kaatje said:
>"Anyone?  Have you read *fantasy* (not real-world) novels about Perfectly 
>Ordinary (tm) characters?"

What about Kevin in Fionavar Tapestry?  I would have suggested David, but then 
I finished Summer Tree.

Okay, Khenta's poll. [actually, this poll's been done before, but that's ok.  
I like to talk.]

My first Misty?  Winds of Fate
My favorite Misty *book*?  Lark and the Wren

Somebody asked if CotN is still in print.  Yup!  At least, it was the last 
time I checked (two weeks ago).

__ __ ___________________________________________________________________
  /_|\    Gotta go!   Love,                     dsarik-+AT+-PO-Box.McGill.CA
=[  | ]_* ============Deniz Sarikaya============freakola-+AT+-geocities.com===
__0--0__________http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/9359/_______________

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

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 18:26:16 -0500
From: "Emily L Cartier" <ecartier-+AT+-engr.udayton.edu>
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Darkover and McCaffrey/first Misty/Fetching Gifts/religious musi
Message-ID: <9612102329.AA05555-+AT+-udecc.engr.udayton.edu>

First a minor growl. Summersong, read your mail before you ask a 
silly question!! I hate answering questions twice!

Summersong asked (about that Pern crossover story):
>Which one was it? I'd really love to read it, but I have one Darkover 
>book and it's Hawkmistress. I'm going out to get more Darkover books 
>sometime, so any help on which antho that was would be appreciated.
It _is_ _not_, I repeat NOT an MZB story. It is the last short story 
in _The Sword of Chaos_, one of the many Darkover anthologies 
_edited_ by MZB. It was done with Anne McCaffrey's permission, and is 
hysterically funny. I have no idea whether the anthology is still in 
print because my parent's copy is one of the originals. Grrr! I 
posted this already and noone paid any attention to it. Hmmph. See if 
I loan you Mater's precious original Darkover books.

Since Khenta asked, my first Misty book was WoFate, and I despised 
it. Almost turned me off Misty books completely. But I loved her 
short stories bunches, so I found a copy of AotQ and liked that. But 
my favorite Misty book is definitely MPrice, with MPawn taking second 
place _just_ ahead of BTS, WoChange, The Elvenbane, and Born to Run. 
So I guess the pattern you suspected doesn't hold true for me. 
Khenta, did you realize that your computer was putting in bunches and 
bunches of =3D, =20 and all sorts of other things all thru your last 
post? I think your mailer may be confuzzled.

Lee said:
>I think that Misty's definition of the Fetching Gifts is pretty wide, 
>though, since when Talia finds out that Griffon's Gift is Firestarting, 
>it's referred to as part of the family of Fetching Gifts, and Dirk 
>teaches Griffon.
This is supposed to be odd? Made perfect sense to me cause the 
technical term for what Misty calls FireStarting is pyrokinesis. Pyro 
meaning fire, and kinesis meaning motion. Dunno where the 
parapsychologists got the word, but that's probably why she put it in 
with the Fetching group. It's always seemed to me that unless you 
_seriously_ rewrite the laws of physics (esp F=ma, and the 
relationship of KE to PE) that telekinesis is a losing proposition. 
Your brain would have to produce _tremendous_ ammounts of energy, and 
it just doesn't seem that the biggest energy sink in your bod can 
afford to be wasting valueable joules that way. This is connected to 
why I have a problem with expecting fantasy to follow _our_ physical 
laws. If you rewrite the kinetic and potential energy relationships, 
what happens to the rest of the laws? They're all interconnected, and 
that energy equation is one of the most basic ones... The whole shape 
of the equations changes and I have no way of predicting what the new 
laws will look like (compared to this, taking away causality is 
_simple_). 

Re: singing the music of other religions
Well, if you live in the US of A and go to a public school, you 
really shouldn't be singing religious music in choir at all. The 
Supreme Court would have kittens! If you're going to a religious 
school, why're you complaining? That's why it's religious! Even if 
it's not about _your_ religion, or _your_ religion's beliefs, you can 
still raise your voice in honor of the Divine can't you? Do you 
really think that the Divine _cares_ whose words you use to give 
glory to It? I have sung trad Jewish and Protestant songs for years 
without a qualm. Heck, there is a traditional Jewish song in the 
_Vatican II endorsed_ hymnbook at my church, and I refuse to count 
all the stuff that's Protestant in there (I have a feeling that it 
would be a LOT thinner....). 

Emily the invisible


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

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 18:47:36 -0500
From: FIREFLY182-+AT+-aol.com
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Poll 
Message-ID: <961210184735_1588993968-+AT+-emout12.mail.aol.com>

  

Hi all

  This is my first post and it is responce to a poll.  My frist Misty book
was Magic's Pawn fallowed by Promise and Price.  I read the paper backs
untill they were falling apart, and now I have the sci-fi 3-in-1 and it is my
favorite book.  It lets me read all three storys back to back with out my
husband saying you just finished a book do you have to start another one now?
 

Firefly182

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

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 19:05:06 -0500
From: Glithoniel-+AT+-aol.com
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Universe/Carols/Emily/Whites 
Message-ID: <961210190505_940921147-+AT+-emout20.mail.aol.com>

Summersong wrote:
>>BTW, has anyone noticed if McCaffrey ties in any of her other worlds to the
Pern
universe? I think Pern and the Telepath worlds could be tied in together
sometime.<<

I've always thought that McCaffrey's books were all in the same universe.
 Pern is just way out of the loop.  We have very little knowledge of the
settlements the Pern expedition left behind except that it is very advanced.
 In sci/fi I imagine its easier to write in the same universe, that way you
don't have to create new laws all the time.  I'm pretty sure CJ Cherryh does
the same thing with her sci/fi.

Summersong commented:
>>We're also doing "Glory to God in the Highest," and I have a problem with
that because I'm not a Christian, and the song doesn't have much to do with
Christmas, which is widely accepted and celebrated, even if it's a seasonal
event.<<

Since Christmas is a holiday based on Christian beliefs, the song is
appropriate.  Glory to God in the Highest, Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men
is what the angels sang after annoucing the birth of Christ to the shepherds.
 So it really is right there at the core of the original celebration of the
holiday.  :)  I am sorry for those of you that have/had to sing songs
praising a deity not your own.  I know I wouldn't like it either! 

*******
Emily wrote:
>>Ok, I went to the emergency room (cause there wasn't a doctor on campus)
and have gotten my medicine. I have bronchitis and I am just a little bit
better.<<

Be very, very careful to stay warm & get plenty of rest.  Otherwise you could
end up in the hospital with pneumonia.  Someone mentioned a way to get the
gunk up, I don't remember who.  Another thing that works is to have someone
cup there hands and pound rhythmically(sp?) on your back.  My sister has
asthma and frequently gets bronchitis.  I know it really works for her.
 It'll make you cough, but at least you'll be getting the gunk up.  Also,
once your over the illness be very careful because its one of those things
that if you have it once, you're prone to get it again.  Sorry, didn't mean
to lecture.  Hope you feel better soon.

******
Esmerelda wrote:
>>On the same track - why oh why have they had the same design of whites for
years (serious years).<<   

But they haven't.  It is mentioned a few times that whites have changed.
 However, they're easy to miss in the excitment of the moment.  When Talia is
getting dressed for Elspeth's confirmation, they mention that Jeri modified
court dress Herald whites, going back to an older style since there have been
no female Monarch's Own for a long time.  When Elspeth & Company encounter
you-know-who(this is in deference to the person who asked for the spoiler on
MageWinds) after their fantastic gating trip, she thinks he appears to be
dressed in a "really antique set of Whites".  Those are the only two I can
think of at the moment.

>>I am so stressed out I'm into the "Let me sleep for 20 hours" stage,
anything to avoid facing the things-that-have-to-be-done! <<
This too shall pass!  I hope it goes quickly & well.  Moving just to one
place is a pain. 
Multiple moves must be comparable to extreme torture.
*******
Well, good night folks.

Glithoniel
Goddess of Tardiness, Lady of the Pink Wand, Mistress of Willowhawk (in
exile)

Faith is knowing there is an ocean because you have seen a brook.

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

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 19:27:06 -0500
From: Rose <prose-+AT+-ctol.net>
To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk
Subject: Braid: which really does have some Misty content!!!!!
Message-ID: <32ADFFDA.98C-+AT+-ctol.net>

Deniz wrote:
> Don't you wish I'd just shut up? :P  >By the
>way, how many of you actually read all the way through my posts?

Of course I read all the way through the posts. Well, most of them, if I 
have time, and the razzem-frazzem computer doesn't lock up. All in all, 
if it wasn't finals and I didn't need to bury my nose in books, I be 
reading anything I could get my hands on. 

Wish me luck on my job interview tomorrow please. It may be data entry, 
but it pays well.

Khenta's pole:
1st book was AofQ which I got from the library and loved so much that I 
went and bought it after I read it.
And my favorite would have to be, ooooohhhhh, can I have a tie for 
Arrow's fall and Magic's Pawn, please?

Lee wrote:
>They wouldn't have to be; if someone with all the right character
>qualities but no Gifts happened to assess their abilities correctly, 
>they might be right in thinking they "belong" as a Herald.

One of the major qualities of all the Heralds we've seen is a kind of 
humility. There must be examples to the contrary, but none of them that 
I remember ever thought that they were worth being chosen or just didn't 
think it would happen to them. For example,
Talia: didn't even know about Companions
Dirk: tried to make Aphrodie choose his sibling(?)
Kris: tried to figure out who the Companion came to choose.
Aberich: was a bit busy at the time to think about White Horses
Kerowyn: she was a merc captin and needed a mount. little did she know 
she'd get saddled with a horse that talks back.
Darren: Prince of Rethwellen, how could he think he'd get chosen after 
what his brother did.
The list goes on, but I think y'all get my meaning.
If someone thought they had the right because they had the qualities to 
be chosen, then I think they would be deffinately disqualified from the 
running from the lack of humility. A person like that may be prone to 
think that a Herald is the be all and end all of knowledge, that once 
s/he became one, then s/he would be able to make the rules. No matter 
how well meaning the person may be, I think something like that would be 
a character flaw in a Herald.
Well, I came up with a partial exception.  Elspeth was always wondering 
when she would get chosen, and she did. But I think that towards the end 
of her waiting period, she was beginning to lose faith in her own 
changed self and that's when Gwena chose her. 

Khenta:"Some time ago several people commented about connecting Germany
>with Neo-Nazis. I will not make any further comments on that, just let 
>me say one thing: most of the stuff the Neo-Nazis are distributing 
>(books, leaflets, flyers etc) comes from the United States. So."

What she said. And, I don't think it's possible to hate a whole country 
full of people when the extreme majority of them had nothing to do with 
the digusting awfullness that occured.

woodlark said:  "when i sing something that's religion specific[snip] i
>don't think of it as a specific religion's prayers that i'm performing.
>        "i look beyond the *words* and see the message of praying to
>*the*divine*, not one particular aspect or name of it.  

With me, I see things different. These songs were given by their creator 
a message, and I can't separate that message from the work. It my be a 
short coming that I have, but even though I can see the beauty in the 
music with all it's simplistic complexities, I can't get beyond the fact 
that it was written praising an aspect of the G*d that I could not bring 
myself to believe in.
 
One final question. What are MUSHes and MUDs? I'd be grateful (that 
can't be how it's spelled) for the info grateful enough to thow some 
chocolate cream sheep the way f anyone willing to answer me. private if 
you'd like, cause i seem to be alone in wondering, 'what the heck are 
they talking about saying these weird anacronyms are copyright 
infringements?'
 
                               Kawryathen
                               prose-+AT+-ctol.net


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End of MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 1012
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