Ansteopality Revisited

[Heidi J Torres]

Mari here, hopefully to clarify some issues on the tangled threads of 
Hell and other things for the benefit of the good Daniel de Lincoln and 
any others who require such .....

On Mon, 21 Oct 1996, Tim McDaniel wrote:

> On Mon, 21 Oct 1996, Gunnora Hallakarva <gunnora at bga.com> wrote:
> > The stupid guy in El Paso is gonna think we're devil worshippers no
> > matter what we do.
> 
> Perhaps, but we don't have to feed him ammunition, to help him
> convince others.
> 
> > Furthermore, I think everyone is aware that the idea is a
> > "thought-experiment" and has been being milked for the entertainment
> > value. ...  The whole discussion is for amusement, ...
> 
> I don't want to bog down into the Rialto standard
> > > > > discussion
> > > > of discussion
> > > of what HE said
> > about what SHE said
> but I'd like to defend the reputation of my reading skills.
> 
> Some people were clearly doing this for fun -- e.g., Viscount Galen of
> Bristol and meadhbh.
> 
> On the other hand, Mistress Mari, hjt at tenet.edu, wrote:
> : And besides, if we were going to give the heralds fits over
> : something and take a name from mythology, I have to go with
> : Hell. ...  If I'm going to go toe to toe with the College of Heralds
> : over a name, believe me, it will be outrageous enough to be worth
> : it.
> 
> and Sir Lyonel Oliver Grace, amazing at mail.utexas.edu, wrote
> : Still, if anyone can come up with the documentation to allow us to
> : use Hell or a reasonable analogue like Tartarus--hey, go for it.
> 
> Now maybe they were just trolling for the cluefscked, and if so, they
> can paint a big black X on their e-fenders for me.  *I* thought they,
> at least, were serious.
> 
Gotcha!  What's an e-fender and how can I put a little pair of crossed 
gold trumpets on it?

E-mail and the Internet is -- for me -- a relatively new-fangled device 
which allows us the appearance of conversation, but in a literary way.  
However, as so many of us forget, it lacks the facial expressions and 
vocal tones that so often carry more of a message than our words.  Thus, 
the people who know me well and are acquainted with my particular brand 
of humor, e.g. Gunnora, Meadhbh, 
Mara, etc., knew I was throwing out "the Principality of Hell" as a 
playtoy.  Let me assure everyone, yes, I was jesting.  I thought I was 
pretty clear in this, since I had just corrected Gunnora about "Caer 
Leon" not being usable.  

As for Sir Lyonell, this gentleman has proved himself so well spoken that 
I'm certain he doesn't need my defense.  However, he stated very plainly 
in an earlier post that he knew I was jesting.

Now, let's do a little perspective adjustment.  What we're doing here is 
what my Mom calls "fighting over an imaginary pony".  We're arguing 
about an hypothetical name -- posed in jest with a nudge and a wink that 
was, alas, unnoticed by some -- for a hypothetical principality whose 
borders are unknown and unknowable at this time, and which no one is sure 
if anyone else wants, or will ever exist.  It's nothing *I* intend to 
make any enemies over, or even get upset about.

> > Lighten up, will ya?  It's a JOKE.
> 
> I agree with Miss Manners: that kind of statement is two insults for
> the price of one.
> 
> - "I'm quite aware that I offended you, but I'm not apologizing,
>   because I was in the right."
> - "You don't have a proper sense of humor." -- some other people would
>   think those fighting words.
> 

I'm sure someone out there might be willing to argue with Miss Manners, 
but that person isn't me.  I think she's a goddess, right alongside 
Martha Stewart.  None of us, however, are goddesses, or gods.  We are 
mere mortals, only occasionally able to follow the strict path of such 
righteousness.  (I'm being only slightly humorous here, and I'm meaning 
it in a nice way, not a condescending way.  Just so everyone knows.)

In any case, I am certainly not going to slap the hand of my champion, 
whoever that was (Mara, I think?), especially since she was 
right about my intent.  As for those being "fighting words", they might have 
been; but only if *I* had uttered them in response to your expression of 
displeasure.  It was, after all, my joke.  Perhaps you should have 
addressed your apprehensions to me in the first place, my lord.

> May I suggest something like "I'm sorry that there was a
> misunderstanding; I just meant it all as a joke."?  It doesn't say
> anything about blame and it shows sympathy that a problem occurred.
> 

Certainly you may suggest this.  It is an excellent and well considered 
line.  I'm sorry there was a misunderstanding.  It was all meant in jest.

Now, on to funner things...

Mari

reachable at hjt at tenet.edu , address of all good, self-respecting Wolf-Girls