Blakes7 June 2001

blakes7@lists.lysator.liu.se

61 participants
258 discussions

Re: [B7L] Re: Wobblevision Gambit
by Judith Proctor 22 Jun '01

22 Jun '01

On Fri 22 Jun, Mistral wrote: > Judith Proctor wrote: > > > > That one was Richard's idea. For a man who has only seen half of one episode > > and claims not to be a fan, > > Dare I ask which one? 'Games' - he was induced to watch part of that as it was filmed in our local quarry. (Anyone wanting to play games in the aforementioned quarry is welcome to come along on Sept 1st and join in our annual water-pistol shoot out. Last year, we ran in to the local Dr Who group and soaked them thoroughly. Contact me for meeting details - we have to know how many are coming as parking near the quarry is limited and it pays to park at Wareham station and travel car-share thereafter. It also means we can pick up anyone arriving by train.) Judith -- http://www.hermit.org/Blakes7 - Fanzines for Blake's 7, B7 Filk songs, pictures, news, Conventions past and present, Blake's 7 fan clubs, Gareth Thomas, etc. (also non-Blake's 7 zines at http://www.knightwriter.org ) Redemption '03 21-23 Feb 2003 http://www.smof.com/redemption/

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Top Trumps
by Una McCormack 22 Jun '01

22 Jun '01

We got a free set of SFX "sci-fi" top trumps with one of our DVDs yesterday. They're very amusing. My own favourite is the 'real world alter ego' section (particularly G'Kar's (Tom Paulin) and Mulder's (David Icke) - not sure who'd win that particular round). The B7 card is, of course, Avon (fourth season piccie of him looking mean and aiming the gun at you). Here are his top trump stats: Kick ass ability 7/10 Intellect 9/10 (you can see how loads of boys of my age really *wanted* to be Avon) Snogability 6/10 (??!!!???) Fashion sense 5/10 (snort) Use of weapons 9/10 Drinking capacity 8/10 (where the hell did they get that from?) Real world alter ego Peter Mandelson Una

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AutoPost: Lyst Culture Guide
by kat＠welkin.apana.org.au 22 Jun '01

22 Jun '01

Guide to Lyst Culture ********************** (written for the B7 mailing list at <http://lists.lysator.liu.se/mailman/listinfo/blakes7>) composed by Kathryn Andersen version 1.03 Considering the number of newbies who have admitted to being nearly frightened away by the manner of folks on this list, and wondering how much larger the number who *were* frightened away, I figured it was a good idea to write a Gentle Introduction which will lift confusion and humanise the apparently terrifying denizens of these electronic halls. Me saw need, me wrote. If me make mistakes, please tell, so corrections entered. This is by no means meant to replace the actual Lyst FAQ (at <http://www.lysator.liu.se/~calle/b7list/FAQ.html>) but serve as an adjunct to it. This is *not* a rule-set of customs. It is *descriptive* not proscriptive. The actuality, not the ideal. The distillation of our understanding of what the Lyst is like, so that folks don't have to read a year's worth of posts in order to get an idea of what the heck is going on here... Also, if you're new to the net, you might find the following helpful - common E-Mail abbreviations <http://www.zeusprod.com/glossary/mailterm.html> - Netiquette (net etiquette) <http://dir.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/Beginner_s_Guides/Neti…> - The Google Search Engine <http://www.google.com> which I used to find the above URLs... Lyst Culture In A Bottle ************************* What's this "Lyst" business? ============================= The mailing list <blakes7(a)lists.lysator.liu.se> was, so far as I know, the first Blake's 7 (electronic) mailing list to be created (and it also predates the newsgroup). Note the "lysator" in the address. Since there are other lists (most notably, the Other List (see Lyst FAQ)), presumably to save having to say "the lysator List", a shorthand for that is simply "the Lyst". Our Esteemed Listowner, Calle, is not a woman. This doesn't stop people calling him "Cally", indeed, it would be almost irresistible not to, considering the subject of this List. Nobody outside his native country can actually pronounce his name correctly, but it may help those who want to try, to keep in mind that "Calle" comes from the same root as "Carl". Not only that, it's a common short form of Carl, in the same way that Dick is for Richard. Contrary to rumour, "lysator" does not mean "liberator" in Calle's native tongue. It apparently doesn't mean anything in particular. Posting Style ============== Unlike many other lists, we don't tend to be chatty, and off-topic posts are (after a while) encouraged to go to the Spin-off list, so that we can get down to the serious business of discussing the political systems in B7 or the nature of terrorism or how teleportation works; or the lighthearted business of Avon's red leather trousers or what kind of ice cream the particular characters would prefer, or how to recast the series. (Note: I thought the instructions for subscribing to the Spin list were in the Lyst FAQ, but it seems that they aren't. So here they are: TO POST: Send an e-mail to <b7spin(a)metva.com.au> TO SUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail with a Subject line of 'subscribe' to <b7spin-request(a)metva.com.au>. TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail with a Subject line of 'unsubscribe' to <b7spin-request(a)metva.com.au>. ) It isn't a required custom on this list to introduce yourself, though a few people like to. People also don't tend to issue a formal welcome to newbies -- we just get on with the discussion and expect folks to join in (or not). Please don't consider this unfriendly; it's simply... focused. We're always interested in fresh ideas. If someone doesn't respond to your posting it could simply be because they agreed with it -- and didn't want to write a "me too" post. On the other hand, feel free to consider this unfriendly... but if you do, then it behooves you to go and welcome people, don't it? If the Lyst seems particularly busy and snarky, it's probably February. Odd Acronyms and Other Collections ================================== If you are confused by people referring to "the wrath of FINALACT" or suchlike, be confused no longer. As with many online fandoms, groups of like-minded fans often declare allegiance to their particular favourite characters, and form groups. Generally in order to be part of such a group... one simply declares oneself to be part of it. One doesn't have to be part of any group at all, and these groups are not meant to be taken deadly seriously either. Though some are more tongue-in-cheek than others. Often they are formed of those who consider their view to be a minority one. The Tarrant Nostra ------------------ Yes, this one doesn't have odd acronyms but with such a cool name, who needs them? The first known reference to the Tarrant Nostra by that name is apparently in 1995, though the core group was around for longer than that. The name sprung from the mind of Brooke Barker. This group, is, obviously, those who favour Tarrant. Carol McCoy is "The Godmother" of the Tarrant Nostra; other members may not be so clearly identified. See Also <http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/TarrantNostra/tarrant.htm> F.I.N.A.L.A.C.T. ---------------- This stands for "Foundation Invalidating Numerous Accusations Levelled At Croucher's Travis". These are the fans who prefer Brian Croucher's Travis, aka Travis II. They have a tendency to threaten detractors with The Comfy Chair, Karaoke music and Teletubby torture. Jacqueline Thijsen is the Chief Inquisitor. Penny Dreadful is their Queen, hopeful of being elevated to godhood, so that Iain Coleman can be Pope. See also <http://tezcatlipoca.algonet.se/cgi-bin/getbyid.pl?id=26736> G.I.T.H.O.G. ------------ This stands for "Greif Is Travis, House Of Greif". Byline -- 'In Time, We All Come to Greif'. These are the fans who prefer Stephen Grief's Travis, aka Travis I. They appear to be less active than FINALACT, probably because they don't perceive themselves to be in the minority. See also <http://tezcatlipoca.algonet.se/cgi-bin/getbyid.pl?id=33344> A.S.K.S. -------- Avon's Sympathetic Kindred Spirits go against the flow of Avon fans because they don't give a fig whether he looks sexy in black leather, they just identify with him. Kathryn Andersen made up this acronym, so she is presumably the founding member. Gareth's Gorillas ----------------- Fans who are into Gareth Thomas and his work, as distinct from just being interested in Blake (though they are interested in Blake too). Chief Gorilla is Judith Proctor. One may see them at cons wearing "Gareth's Gorilla" badges. The Gan Defence League ---------------------- Those who appreciate the unsung and oft under-appreciated Olag Gan. Judith Proctor goes around distributing oak leaves to those who stand up for Gan and say nice things about him. S.C.A.M. -------- Society for Crushing Animals Maligners, given a name by Una McCormack, the (almost) sole person who not only liked the episode "Animals", but strives to defend it. Dedicated to the art of Justinification (justifying Justin). Followers of the Goddess ------------------------ The concept of the Golden Goddess Soolin, her Acolyte Dayna, and the Chief Hairdresser Vila was the invention of Ophelia (aka Kanna-Ophelia, aka (name suppressed on request))... not quite as gone as we thought. J.A.D.E. -------- Jarriere's Always Discriminating Enthusiasts don't actually tend to use this acronym a lot, but their influence has been far-reaching; not only did they get this minor character who only appeared in one episode (Gambit... Travis called him a powder-puff) into the top 20 of an online poll of favourite SF characters.... but they actually persuaded a fannish model-maker to include Jarriere into their line of die-cast models (after Avon, Blake, Travis and Vila). They are led by Harriet Monkhouse, who, after another Harriet joined the Lyst in 2001, decided to style herself Jarriet (or Harriere) to cut down on possibilities of mistaken identity. Avon Without Guilt ------------------ Not a terribly active group these days, but Pat Nussman founded "AWG" -- Avon Without Guilt. As in, yes, we *know* it's terribly common; we *know* that more discerning tastes move on from their first attraction to the Dark and Snarly One in favor of the more arcane delights of, oh, The Thane and Bruce; we *know* he has a less than stellar character. So what? We still love him, and we refuse to be guilty about it. It is worthwhile noting that Barbara Paul dedicated one of her novels to the Avon Without Guilt group. See <http://www.barbarapaul.com/holland.html> Sickly Equines =============== Certain topics have a habit of coming up over and over again. I'm reluctant to call them dead horses, because it can be the case that a newbie can actually offer new insight that nobody's thought of before, and pass the hand of healing over what was once assumed to be a corpse. - Hey, Maybe Avon Shot Blake's Clone! - Was Blake a Freedom Fighter Or A Terrorist? Should Blake Have Destroyed Star One? - Avon Was Mad (No He Wasn't) - Was Travis only following orders? Hot Topics ========== One topic which is pretty much guaranteed to start the fires burning no matter how nicely and calmly people may start the discussion, is slash. If you don't know what slash is, don't worry, since you probably don't want to argue about it either. An oldish summary of the pro-slash position from Susan Beth can be found at <ftp://ftp.lysator.liu.se/pub/blake7/misc/slash.defense> A summary of the anti-slash position is at <http://www.katspace.com/b7/slashsum.html> Another topic which tends to set the sparks flying is Horizon, the biggest and oldest B7 fan club. Or, more specifically, its Coodinator/Treasurer/etc, Diane Gies. I'm not going to reiterate it here, that would just stir people up again. Any topic can raise the temperature if it is pursued obnoxiously enough. There has been steam coming out of ears over - whether Deliverance is Sexist - posting style - con reports - religion just to name a few. But don't let that scare you off, we're generally quite calm and rational... Signs that a thread has gone on too long at too high a temperature are - posters start repeating themselves (worst case, reposting earlier posts of their own) - postings degenerate into a "he said, she said" dissection of why what so-and-so said was insulting. INTJ? MBTI? Huh? ================== Once upon a time, someone first brought up the idea of figuring out the Myers-Briggs (personality) Type Indicator for each of the characters. It was mentioned briefly once before, but the topic truly exploded in February 1998 when Adam Fuller posted this -- <http://tezcatlipoca.algonet.se/cgi-bin/getbyid.pl?id=21161> Much discussion ensued, and many people went off to <http://www.keirsey.com> to take the personality tests there to figure out their own type. Of those who took the tests and actually reported back, the majority appeared to be either INTJ or INTP types (and, oddly enough, the consensus was that Avon was either an INTJ or an INTP). This probably explains why the posting style of the list appears so unfriendly -- half of us are closet Avons. Some people are sick of this topic. Others remain fascinated by it. Penguins? What's that got to do with B7? ========================================= The connection between penguins and B7 can only be explained by the one who discovered the sinister conspiracy in the first place. For some reason, Calle seems to think it was Una McCormack, but the rest of the world blames it on Neil Faulkner. <http://homepages.tesco.net/~N.Faulkner/blakes7/darkheart/darkheart.htm> Except for Neil, who blames it on Alison Page. Acknowledgements ================ Thanks (in no particular order) to Penny Dreadful, Calle Dybedahl, Neil Faulkner, Una McCormack, Tavia, Mistral, Steve Rogerson, Ophelia, Andrew Williams, Sandra Kisner, M, Harriet Monkhouse, Jacqueline Thijsen, Wildean, Harriet, Carol McCoy, Susan Beth, Tiger M, Sandra Kisner, Carolyn, DDJ for additions, comments and corrections. Where To Find It ================ This FAQ-ish thing can be found on the web at <http://www.katspace.com/b7/lyst.html> and posted on the Lyst once a month. Sat Jun 23 01:06:00 EST 2001

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Re: [B7L] Re: Duel
by Natasa Tucev 22 Jun '01

22 Jun '01

Harriet, this was very interesting: >Sudden thought, vaguely associated with Star One: the Right Thing, even >when it's Wrong. viz it's better for him to attempt to do something, >even if he has to get his hands dirty, than to make such a fuss about >dirty hands that nothing gets done at all. > >Possibly not connected - catching up on the weekend's newspapers, I came >across a quote from an essay by Harold Pinter on Shakespeare, which >apparently likens the plays to an open wound (not quite clear how): >"Shakespeare amputates, deadens, aggravates at will, within the limits >of a particular piece, but he will not pronounce judgment or cure." > >I've not really got my head round what he's saying yet, but the last >line struck a chord. An awful lot of drama seems designed to pronounce >judgment or cure. When I read this, I first thought about Heaney (who indeed has a play entitled "The Cure at Troy", although I don't think he actually claims to have found "the cure".) There is a curious passage in his Nobel Prize speech: "I remember shocking myself with a thought I had about that friend who was imprisoned in the seventies upon suspicion of having been involved with a political murder: I shocked myself by thinking that even if he were guilty, he might still perhaps be helping the future to be born, breaking the repressive forms and liberating new potential in the only way that worked, that is to say the violent way - which therefore became, by extension, the right way. It was like a moment of exposure to interstellar cold, a reminder of the scary element, both inner and outer, in which human beings must envisage and conduct their lives. But it was only a moment." Is it justifiable to commit something you deem morally wrong if it's going to have positive consequences, if you are "helping the future to be born"? A dangerous train of thought, potentially advocating terrorism and fanaticism. (And to be fair to Heaney, he discards it right away, in the next sentence.) I'm not saying it justifies Blake, either, but perhaps it explains his frame of mind at the moment he decides to destroy Star One. I think that, actually, Blake feels he has dirtied his hands even before Star One. He doesn't feel at ease about the violence he has commited, and perhaps he thinks, if he finally manages to bring down the Federation by blowing up Control, it will in a way redeem all his actions up to that point. It will give some meaning to all the killing and destruction. This is how I interpret his (much criticised) sentence, "I have to be sure that I'm right." Blake has never been sure that he's right to kill. I don't agree with Pinter that Shakespeare hasn't offered any "cure" in his plays. You may want to read Ted Hughes's study, "Shakespeare and the Goddess of Complete Being", which proposes a different outlook. I don't think I can connect this to B7, though. The Goddess as a cultural/literary archetype doesn't really feature there, especially not in her healing, creative aspect (unless it's Cally). She only appears, if at all, in her destructive aspect, as the Goddess of Strife, the Death-Crone, in creatures such as Servalan or Giroc, void of all the milk of human kindness. N.

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Re: [B7L] Re: 20 Moments When You Know That You Are Watching Pure 70's Cheese
by Ellynne G. 22 Jun '01

22 Jun '01

On Thu, 21 Jun 2001 19:35:21 -0700 Mistral <mistral(a)centurytel.net> writes: > Sally Manton wrote: > > > > OTOH, it occurs to me that - given that the Lyst has been going > for 9 years > > now and we're *still* cheerfully arguing about Avon, the script > might be > > ready in - oh, the year 2525? > > Maybe if the scriptwriters restricted themselves to arguing about > what > he'd actually do, instead of trying to figure out *why*? > He'd shoot Blake. No, he wouldn't. Yes, he would. No, he wouldn't. Yes, he would. Hey, he _did_!!! Which proves my point. You think he'd be so predictable as to do it again? Yes, he would No . . . 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.

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Re: [B7L] Re: 20 Moments When You Know That You Are Watching Pure 70's Cheese
by Sally Manton 22 Jun '01

22 Jun '01

After I wrote: <You know, I'm beginning to think I could even look forward to the telemovie if they hired a few of our people as script consultants ...> Stephen D suggested: <At least you'd know that if it was an apalling derivative pastiche of B7 that it was done in jest and not in oh so deadly earnest.> OTOH, it occurs to me that - given that the Lyst has been going for 9 years now and we're *still* cheerfully arguing about Avon, the script might be ready in - oh, the year 2525? ----Original Message Follows---- From: "J MacQueen" <j_macqueen(a)hotmail.com> To: blakes7(a)lists.lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] Re: 20 Moments When You Know That You Are Watching Pure 70's Cheese Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2001 11:23:57 +1000 >From: Mistral <mistral(a)centurytel.net> >No, of course not. Stephen's piece is lovely, but we must persevere >until we have all Jarriere, all the time. (Okay, okay, I'll settle for a >little Jarriere every day.) Quite. Jarriere in moderation, like an apple a day. Regards Joanne _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

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Re: [B7L] Re: 20 Moments When You Know That You Are Watching Pure 70's Cheese
by J MacQueen 22 Jun '01

22 Jun '01

>From: Mistral <mistral(a)centurytel.net> >No, of course not. Stephen's piece is lovely, but we must persevere >until we have all Jarriere, all the time. (Okay, okay, I'll settle for a >little Jarriere every day.) Quite. Jarriere in moderation, like an apple a day. Regards Joanne _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

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Re: Serevalan (was: Duel)
by Sally Manton 21 Jun '01

21 Jun '01

Dana wrote: <I am really bemused by the idea of Servalan being in the military at all--I would find it much more believable if she were introduced as a Senator or industrialist who later became President.> Presumably she went straight into the officer cadets, then used her connections/influences to avoid any real soldiering and make a swift rise in the military bureaucracy. It appears that field officers and staff officers are completely different career paths (see Rai and Travis in SLD, Tarrant was also a field officer IMO) and the staff one is very much a political pathway. I wonder what made Servalan choose the military option *rather* than a career in civilian politics, at a time when the central powere still seemed to be in civilian hands (top military appointments being by the President, and influenced by members of the Council). Jacqui suggested: <As Kasabi says Servalan comes from a well to do family it might well have been that she was 'packed off' to the military to get her out of the way,> which is possible - I think someone as malignant and empty as she is would make a rather undesirable relative, but even an undesirable could be made use of if the family was ambitious. Be interesting to see what happened to the family when she became President, and even more interesting when she fell from power ... _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

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Re: [B7L] Re: 20 Moments When You Know That You Are Watching Pure 70's Cheese
by Sally Manton 21 Jun '01

21 Jun '01

Harriet wrote: <Ah, does this get me out of doing Star One?> Of course not, we can never have too much of Jarriere *or* Star One ... _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

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Just in case anyone is interested...
by Helen Krummenacker 21 Jun '01

21 Jun '01

I put a copy of Scorpio Attack on sale on Amazon.com. Terry Nation signed it (but it's a personalized signature). It's under used, collectible book, not auctions, because I wasn't trying to be greedy. I priced it at $7.50, and agreed to ship internationally.

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Blakes7 June 2001