When someone asks questions like: Is the DO evil as we understand it? What is truly important to humans? this implies the existence of a standard of good and evil, against which the DO and humanity - and, for that matter, the Creator - are to be measured. What is this standard? Is it, in some sense, that 'third constant', T'A'R?

There are no 'influences', just the existence of options among which to choose. Free will requires such options to be available, or it is not truly free. In Randland the options are the Creator and the Dark One - and possibly also Shaisam (sp?). Randlanders can choose to follow any of these, but to do so they have to be aware of their existence, not 'influenced' by them.

I've had some similar thoughts myself: http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/69363-the-creator-the-dark-one-and-the-dragon/ I view Rand as an avaT'A'R... sorry!!

Someone (I forget who, sorry) pointed out that "the last days of the Fallen Blacksmith’s pride shall come" may be interpreted in two ways: 1. Last days of the Fallen Blacksmith or 2. Last days of his pride (in being a blacksmith). In other words, he gives up his identity as a blacksmith and becomes something else - in this case, a leader of men. In the same way, others as well as myself have pointed out that 'his destruction' may mean destruction of him or by him, and doesn't have to mean death. BS has stated that these two sentences in the prophecy: "Yea, and the Broken Wolf, the one whom Death has known, shall fall and be consumed by the Midnight Towers. And his destruction shall bring fear and sorrow to the hearts of men, and shall shake their very will itself." do not refer to the same individual - i.e., the Broken Wolf is not the one whose destruction will shake men. So I interpreted 'his destruction' as being Mat's destruction of enemies with those cannon. Recall Birgitte's reaction to them in ToM29. Lots more discussion here: http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/76228-dark-prophecy-from-tom/

I was very glad to see how Logain's arc ended. I found it positive and constructive, offering hope for the future. And I'm wondering about that child he saved, a toddler 'perhaps two years of age'... I wonder if he was a particularly ugly child...?

Like a couple of people upthread, I like the idea of Nakomi = Tigraine. Perhaps she's a HotH, and manifested herself to Avi (a la Birgitte) as the future grandmother of her children by Rand.

A couple more: I was delighted to see that Mat did indeed take to the skies on a to'raken. Pity he didn't have a few of Aludra's grenades with him.. In the final confrontation at the bore, Rand drew the TP through Moridin, not direct from the DO, which I think confirms that his accessing the TP in the fight with Semi was accidental. (But I may be wrong about that.) ETA: Wrong: I thought the red-veils were relatives of the 'finns. ETA: Re anti-balefire weave: http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/71073-how-one-might-seal-the-bore/page-2?do=findComment&comment=2589690

Galad didn't die. Oops!

Right: a fake seal, Mat being unlinked from the Horn, anti-balefire (can't find the ref, sorry). Galad dying. Wrong: DB a DF, Olver having a go at Mat, Rand dying and staying dead, the other male a'angreal being the White Bridge itself. Delighted by: Olver becoming the Hornsounder! Saddened by: Siuan and Gareth dying. Surprised by: Egwene and Gawyn both dying.

Read it over three days. I'm exhausted. Will need to read it again, slowly. Reactions: Hmm. YES!! YES - er, no. Wasn't expecting that. Or that. Or that. Or that.. Oh good. Oh wow. Wow again.. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......

It reminded me irresistibly of this:

"Rand abandoning Lan after promising Nyneave he wouldn't, while going out of his way to mend things with Hurin was one of the things that drove me crazy about ToM. How could Rand, and Egwene, let Lan ride unaided to his death. Or at least make an attempt to dissuade him? Out of respect for what he did for them. Out of the love they bear for Nynaeve." Rand didn't abandon Lan. This from ToM3: "I have to much to do. People starve because of me, others live in terror of what I have done. A friend rides to his death without allies. There is so little time to do what I must." - Rand to Egwene

Nah, it has to be fluorescent greenish-yellow purple of course!

Today's Memory. Pretty self-explanatory. Actually, it's about 5 days..

I certainly keep track of mine, but I would be astonished if I'm anywhere close on most of them! What really worries me is that one of my entries in the 'crazy theory' thread has an echo in one of the Memories..........