RE: can't set both mode-line color and default frame font?

[Drew Adams]

> customization within Emacs should always
> take priority over the external environment.

"should always" - hmm

I'm not necessarily arguing against such a rule, but your supporting reason
for it is...?

Emacs already takes the context ("external environment") into account in
many ways - from your locale settings to your environment variables. Those
existing behaviors argue against your blanket statement. Unless they are all
wrong also.