is totally not bombastic at all. Let me start by saying that no matter how much you wrote on it, I made NO assertion about Lanfear. Thank you for that measured response...

The points that you pick apart (Lanfear, old weaves) are just examples. As to channeling, when you know much less about something than other people, it helps sometimes to learn what they are capable of. The current AS don't know much about what the AoL AS could do, and just knowing about those things might give them some ideas on things to research and try.

If Birgitte were a common soldier back then (an NCO or what have you), then why did a Forsaken talk to her? Or single her out for retribution? She must have done something to warrant that attention. And, she might have heard something - when a country like Iran (just an example) shuts down its telecommunications systems and something big is going on in the country, reporters listen to the words of any old person on the street. Why do they listen to these unimportant "nobodies" when they're not military personnel or government figures? Because when you have no idea what's going on, even the ramblings of a "nobody" are very useful. Because otherwise, you don't even have that clue as to what might be going on.

Birgitte doesn't know anything? Thanks for that info! Obviously with your inside knowledge of the series, you should just spare us all the waiting and start revealing who killed Asmo, how Rand might beat the DO, and whether Mat makes it to the end with both eyes...