Bunches of stray thoughts started by trying to read all the posts at once.

Hal Melanby: Liked him, wish he'd survived along with the other daughter.

The ethnic issues: the fact about Hal being a scientist didn't bother me, but the discussion reminded me that there were times when shows seem to stop and _remind_ you that they're portraying people as equals. Self conscious and artistically weak, but beats several alternatives.

Kind of reminds me of what someone once said about group shows, you have the hero and his gang of sidekicks. The sidekicks vary, but they may include the brainy guy, the comic relief guy, the vain guy, and (let us never forget) the girl guy. Having one of them portrayed as nonWASP isn't bad, but I was never quite comfortable with when they _just_ added a 'minority guy' whose _only_, distinguishing characteristic was guess what? I mean, isn't the point to make this a nonissue?

Aztecs vs Mayans: I'm sure I could list a few differences, but let's concentrate on the recorded instance of the Mayan woman who was going to be sacrificed and, when the priest instructed her what to tell the gods, told him (rather rudely, I believe) that she wasn't going to tell the gods any such thing for people who were going to kill her. They tried to talk her into being reasonable but, when she wouldn't change her mind, they let her go (I don't know what it says about me, but I've always had a warm spot for the Mayans).

Trust me, the Aztecs wouldn't have done it.

Please note that this would also make a good out for Vila if he was ever captured by people intending to sacrifice him (can't quite see it working for one of the others).

By the way, I do wish writers would ease off on the demonization of Christians. Good grief, if they treated _any_ other group this way . . . . Although, despite its deliberate mimicry of the sacrament, Cygnus Alpha may have been too silly to take as serious religion bashing. I guess I could add fire to the Meegat debate and say it had nothing to do with gender, it was portraying religion as something for the simple minded . . . nah.

Death rates in nontech societies. Yes, they're higher, but not necessarily because life is cheap. We're talking medicine is expensive (or unavailable).

In ancient Greece, wasn't the man regarded as the happiest in their history a particular fellow whose children and grandchildren all lived? There were areas in 19th century America where 60% of children died before the age of 6. And I knew a woman who worked as a nurse in South America about twenty years ago who described the heartache of convincing parents to seek help for their sick children - not because they didn't _care_ but because they'd grown up thinking of these things as ones they couldn't change.

Can't think of a B7 tie in on that one, except that Blake seems remarkably free of fatalism (till Blake).

OTOH, seems like there are plenty of people who are willing to tell those they deem 'more primitive' how they need to change and be enlightened. Of course, in the U.S., we call these political parties. Still, it can get out of hand (not that I'm bringing up the ethics of Blake's fight, again, no sirree).

Seemed like I started this with more stray thoughts, but I seem to have lost them. Probably just as well, so I'll call it quits.

Ellynne ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.