I was going to say, it's used in negotiations all the time, as in "we can argue over X, Y and Z, but A, B and C are off the table". I think it's a generalization of the same metaphor that calls a computer's home base a desktop: you can only work with the things right in front of you on a nice surface, and the things not on the surface are not quickly (or at all) available.

My one comment about last night's Farscape is that it's down on the OTT-o-meter from season 4, but still higher than I like. I have an extremely sensitive OTT-o-meter, second only to the sensitivity of my implausible-attitude-among-aliens-for-a-cheap-joke-o-meter.

And how much do I love that they went through all that trouble to set up the Eidelons as a race that could bring peace, and then, BOOM! Nukey, nukey. Nope, Galactic war problem not going to be solved that way.

Oh, wait! There's one of them left. Oh. Nope. Problem not going to be solved that way either.

And just how much fun did Francesca Bueller sound like she was having giving that last "Fire," command to the weapons officer? Lots and lots of fun.

One of the things some people on LJ pointed out is how creepy the Eidolons actually are:

• they abduct hominids from Earth and genetically modify them to use as a kind of Praetorian Guard;

• their vaunted peace-making skills look an awful lot like

I think it's fascinating that Aeryn, the soldier, is one of the ones pushing for peace, but I wonder how far she's willing to hold to that before she decides that violence may well be the solution. Because negotiated settlements and genocide rarely work out well, I think...

I think it's fascinating that Aeryn, the soldier, is one of the ones pushing for peace

Violence hasn't helped, either.

I'd like Stark to use the line "can't we all just get along?" and then by shot at by all parties.

the business with Staleek....

Did that sound like anything you'd ever hear Staleek say? I got a very similar vibe to yours about all that.

The Eidelon did seem just as fond of giving orders as every other featured leader. He should definately add some new spin to Stark's crazy though.

I think it's fascinating that Aeryn, the soldier, is one of the ones pushing for peace

I think it's totally in character for her, though, going back to Different Destinations. She's always seemed, to me, to be completely committed to the idea that a Peacekeeper's true purpose is to keep peace (albiet using military superiority as the method). She likes violence, not war.

She likes violence, not war.

True. However, I'm waiting for her to step up and say that here, in this place, the best way to stop the war is through the targeted application of violence: either the reality or the threat.

We shall see.

I had a bunch of thoughts typed up but they got eaten. It mostly boiled down to Aeryn and John in leather = I'll be in my bunk.

And a more spoilerly comment everyone grabbing Stark (I always want to call him Sark) and forcing his mask off was extremely disturbing, and it seemed like afterward Aeryn and John were a little horrified.

I have to go put stuff in the mail when I get home so I can get Farscape.

In Re; Stark: I can see where some might get a rape vibe from the scene. On the other hand, rape doesn't involve forcing someone to do something for the good of all civilization, because they don't believe they are "good enough" to do it. Sometimes to good of the many outweighs the good of the one, or the few. (See the bombing of Coventry, and Winston Churchill) It doesn't make you feel any better about yourself in doing it, but there were no second chances.