Blakes7 April 2001

blakes7@lists.lysator.liu.se

70 participants
295 discussions

Re: [B7L] Re: Ethics and Hal Mellanby
by Fiona Moore 03 Apr '01

03 Apr '01

>From: Stephen Date <stephend999(a)yahoo.co.uk> > > Coming back in on this thread... Dayna says about > > the Sarrans: "Father says > > they were a problem when we first arrived, now they > > leave us alone." > > > > In the same scene, actually, Dayna says that Lauren > > has "lived with us > > since she was a child"-- so she might not have been > > a baby, in which case > > the female infanticide hypothesis is void. > > > > Anyway, if she was a baby who was exposed, how is it > > that Chel knows who she > > is? I think if female infanticide is a common > > practice he's unlikely to make > > the connection between a baby being abandoned and a > > baby turning up with the > > Mellanbys if they did find her soon after they > > landed-- she could just have > > likely have come with them on the ship in that case, > > and he'd've expected > > the abandoned baby to have died. It's not that > > likely he'd be keeping > > head-count stats on the ship's population :), and > > Lauren's skin colour is no > > proof that she's not an alien-- Avon, Servalan and > > the two soldiers are all > > white, after all. If she came to live with the > > Mellanbys a bit later, then > > Chel would know the whole story. > >I've always assumed that the Sarrans were going to do >something nasty to Lauren and Mellanby intervened on >Dayna's urging It's a good point, but the one problem I'd have is that both Mellanbys treat the Sarrans more or less like animals-- as I said before, they seem to have no contact with them other than zapping them and/or shooting them full of arrows, and Dayna's remark that the Sarrans gave them trouble when they first arrived but now leave them alone also doesn't suggest close acquaintance. Basically, it seems to me like the Mellanbys wouldn't have gotten close enough to the Sarrans to find out what sort of (political or religious) practices they have vis-a-vis doing nasty things to children. >Incidentally I'm surprised that Servalan didn't go >back to Sarran and grab a shed load of the self-aiming >guns. Might have done wonders for the Federation >Troopers marksmanship ! Who says she didn't :)? >If you want to detect colonialism in B7 Aftermath is a >much stronger contender than Deliverance :-) It's more blatant in Aftermath, but I think they're both pretty good candidates. Fiona The Posthumous Memoirs of Secretary Rontane Educating the natives at http://nyder.r67.net _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com

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Re: [B7L] Re: Ethics and Hal Mellanby
by Jenny Kaye 03 Apr '01

03 Apr '01

Harriet wrote: >It's possible that Mellanby had some contact with the Sarrans when he >arrived, and that relations broke down later. This could be any reason >from "Mellanby is horrified to find that they kill unwanted baby girls, >so rescues one and then withdraws into his ship" to "Mellanby kidnaps a >baby girl to provide a companion for his daughter, and is forced to >withdraw before the Sarrans can take revenge". Or something completely >unrelated to baby girls. But IIRC the Sarrans had a prophecy about how people coming from the sky would destroy them-- even if Mellanby wanted contact, I doubt they were really wanting to meet the new neighbours :-). Jenny _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

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Re: [B7L] surveillance cameras
by Tavia 03 Apr '01

03 Apr '01

Steve K wrote: >Well, for one thing, computers. Much of the push has been because >the police have database, the inland revenue has them, insurance >companies, social security, child car, etc, etc. And they're all wrong, >to some degree. It seems sensible to tie the information in, so that >you don't have to tell your tax office when you move, the hospitals >know about your national insurance contributions, etc, etc. It's just -- to me -- these kinds of issue are some of the major ways in which 2001 UK differs from Federation society in TWB. The thought of a single central database which ties up my insurance record, my medical record, my tax/employment record &c&c scares me witless. Tavia

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Re: [B7L] surveillance cameras
by Deborah Day 03 Apr '01

03 Apr '01

This email was delivered to you by The Free Internet, a Business Online Group company. http://www.thefreeinternet.net --------------------------------------------------------------- Personally, I'd like the cameras to be mandatory at stoplights -- there are WAY too many pinheads around who seem to think that red lights don't apply to *them*. Hear Hear (me too) Debbie

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RE: [B7L] Fanfic: Posthumous Memoirs of Secretary Rontane
by Louise Rutter 03 Apr '01

03 Apr '01

Fiona, I have just have to say that this was utterly brilliant. I'm in awe!!! Louise

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Re: [B7L] surveillance cameras
by Tavia 03 Apr '01

03 Apr '01

Joanne again: >whenever there's a situation where I need to prove my identity. (Sorry, meant to put this in last post.) Why should one have to prove one's *identity*? Yes, prove the right to drive, to make purchases using this bank card, to cross borders with this nationality, but why one single (and trackable) identity? There's been many times in my life where the three things I've mentioned have all been in different names. Surely I should have the right to putter round doing my lawful business under as many different identities as it pleaseth me ? And if I want to concoct a new one for the hell of it, then why not? Tavia

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RE: [B7L] surveillance cameras
by Louise Rutter 03 Apr '01

03 Apr '01

Steve K wrote: >That's fine by me, as long as the behaviour alteration is "good". Since >we're on about speeding, an example: a York newspaper quoted motorists >who were complaining about plans to use unmarked police cars to catch >motorists who were speeding; the police were being seen as "unfair" by >these motorists. That very much depends on where they're going to put their unmarked cars and when. There are times and places when it is perfectly safe to exceed the legal speed limit and the police and local councils are simply after a source of revenue. I don't see that it matters terribly if I choose to do 90mph on the M25 at midnight. You have to bear in mind that speed cameras were invented to be placed at accident blackspots in order to reduce speed where it matters and the public in general are quite happy with this. Also bear in mind that the current speed limits were put in place in the 60s and haven't been revised since, except downwards in some places by local councils. If I were driving a 1960s car with drum brakes and narrow crossply tyres, I wouldn't want to do 90mph on the M25. As far as B7 is concerned, those cameras we see in the Way Back could be the exact equivalent of the current town centre cameras to reduce crime. Presumably criminals like Vila have ways of avoiding suppressants, and wouldn't the drugged masses be perfect targets for muggings? We can only asssume from what we know of how the Federation is run that they are also used for less pleasant purposes. Louise

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Re: [B7L] surveillance cameras
by Pherber＠aol.com 03 Apr '01

03 Apr '01

In a message dated 4/2/01 12:26:51 AM Mountain Daylight Time, steve(a)whitecrow.demon.co.uk writes: > Una wrote: > > > That's actually what worries me the most about it - the way we alter our > > behaviour. In time, we won't need the cameras, just the belief that they' > re > > there. Steve: > That's fine by me, as long as the behaviour alteration is "good". Since > we're on about speeding, an example: a York newspaper quoted motorists > who were complaining about plans to use unmarked police cars to catch > motorists who were speeding; the police were being seen as "unfair" by > these motorists. You should have heard the whining about speed traps when the jurisdictions around Denver starting using photo-radar! The reactionary nitwit contingent in the legislature actually managed to push through regulations that limited the amount of the fines that could be imposed and prohibited the tickets from counting against the driver on their license renewal. Interestingly, the howling about it seems to have finally stopped since the photo radar has been redirected to slowing down traffic in residential neighborhoods instead of camping out on the freeways. Personally, I'd like the cameras to be mandatory at stoplights -- there are WAY too many pinheads around who seem to think that red lights don't apply to *them*. Nina

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Fanfic: Posthumous Memoirs of Secretary Rontane
by Fiona Moore 03 Apr '01

03 Apr '01

>From: Bizarro7(a)aol.com >To: blakes7(a)lists.lysator.liu.se >Subject: Re: [B7L] zine editing >Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2001 11:13:56 EDT > >In a message dated 4/1/01 10:59:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time, >hflysator(a)jarriere.demon.co.uk writes: > ><< Yes, I think I'm sharing Fiona's puzzlement and, er, sentiments, in what > is intended to be a non-aggressive and inoffensive way. >> > >Suffice it to say that in the long run, actions will speak louder than >declarations. I'm sorry, but that message brings out the imp in me. Intended in a spirit of humour, with no wish to offend, marster.... those who are puzzled by the format/universe may find the link http://redrival.com/nyder/rontane.html useful. THE POSTHUMOUS MEMOIRS OF SECRETARY RONTANE 8.5: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE LYST "Rontane," said the President, "There's evil about on the good ship Lysator." "Oh yes," I said. "Some of the puns in the Cantab's last fanfic..." "No," said the President, standing up. "I have in my hand a piece of paper which lists the Lysator Ten. These are all people who have at some point in the past year, been known aliases of the Communist sympathiser Shane Little." "Shane Little!" I fainted dead away and had to be revived with a torrent of abuse. "You mean the man who actually made a sensible if forcefully put anti-slash case from a gay perspec--I mean, of course, that terrible and dreadful evil man, horrible, isn't he." "Shut it, Rontane," said His Highness, helping himself to another chip. "He is a devious and cunning man who could be masquerading as anyone. He could be you. He could be me. He could even be Calle Dybedahl. I want you to go and find anybody who could possibly be him, traveling on the Lysator under another name. Look for people who have booked their tickets within the last 48 hours." "There's one!" I lept forward, truncheon at the ready. "Are you, or have you ever been, Shane Little?" I bellowed, lashing out repeatedly. "Um, Ron," said the President a moment later, "That was Harriet Monkhouse." "Oh." Hastily I turned away and pretended nothing had ever happened--actually a surprisingly easy thing to do in a police state. "Oh look, there's another one!" I began beating up this one too. "Are you, or have you ever been, Shane Little?" I shouted between blows. "Lay off! I'm Jacqueline Thisjien!" the figure shouted. "Prove it!" I exclaimed, and prepared to start again, but the President waved me back. "It's OK, Ron, she is...." he said. "Excuse me," said a figure, "but I think what you're doing is wrong, unethical and damaging to other people." "That's GOT to be him!" Immediately I began to batter the figure into a red and slimy pulp. "Um, Ron," said the President after a pause, "That was my mother." "Oh." I scratched my head. "Crikey, this spreading terror and paranoia business is a lot harder than I thought." "No, actually," said the President, "you're doing a damn fine job. Keep it up!" The End More Posthumous Memoirs of Secretary Rontane Available for public perusal at http://nyder.r67.net _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com

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Re: [B7L] Back again
by J MacQueen 03 Apr '01

03 Apr '01

>From: Tavia <tavia(a)btinternet.com> >Jacqueline wrote: > >Didya miss me? >Nice to see you back, Jacqueline (if one's allowed to be so warm and >fuzzy?). Yay, Jacqueline's back! But warm and fuzzy would be swearing allegiance to Travis II, forever and ever, amen, wouldn't it? Regards Joanne _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

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Blakes7 April 2001