Christopher Street

The Buzz, backing me up.

There is a really great article in the Buzz about which Vampire, Spike or Angel, has the greater capacity for goodness and is more deserving of being the one to fulfill the Shanshu prophecy. It is a fine analysis and I encourage its reading. However, I am going to paste the part here that is relevant to **my** analysis of the Buffy finale.

Cause, you know, it's all about **me**. :)

" The last glimpse we had of Angel and Buffy was presented during the series finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Angel, having only recently exiled his son to suburban mediocrity and leaving behind the comatose form of the woman he’s spent two years claiming to love, arrives in Sunnydale. One might expect a person who’s just deflected a "nefarious world-domination scheme" that cost him his woman and son to be a bit, well, devastated, sad, regretful, depressed even. Instead, Angel quips happily about how much he has missed watching Buffy in action and enjoys a post-bad-guy-slashing smooch.

Wasting no time, Angel moves right in on Buffy inquiring about the state of their relationship, whether there’s a future for them, and how could she really have any feelings for "Captain Peroxide". He is especially perturbed by the news that Spike has his soul and goes on at some length about everyone getting their soul now, how he was first, and now everyone is going to want one. "What, are you twelve, or something?" queries Buffy. And rightly so, the reaction to the news that Spike was ensouled could have been many things; concern, confusion, a desire for details (after all, if Spike has a soul without "clauses" perhaps he could get one too), elation that there was another powerful force for good. It was none of these. Angel was more concerned about his perceived loss of status, of not being special. "

I do love it when someone says what I am trying to say, only better.

RIP Buffy

I watch more TV than anyone I know. It's true. Always have. I mean, I am sure that there are some folks in, you know, homes that watch more than I do, but as for your regular, run of the mill people, I think that I take the cake. I have been accused of watching anything just to watch and that is true. To this day, if my husband asks me to turn the TV off, there is palpable nervousness on my part. A world where the TV is off? Shudder

I haven't kept a log of my viewing over the years, of course, so my estimates are rough. But between those first notes of "Sesame Street" in the late 60s to this afternoon's installment of "General Hospital", there have been thousands upon thousands upon thousands of hours watched. A quick tally, completely unscientific, yields over 80,000 hours. Almost 5 million minutes. 281 Months. Over 3000 Days. I have watched literally everything, good, bad, ugly. I spent about 20 minutes today and came up with the following, not nearly complete, list:

Ally McBeal, Boston Public, Charlie's Angels, The Six Million Dollar Man, General Hospital, Ryan's Hope, Days of Our Lives, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, Spin City, Sports Night, Lou Grant, Hill Street Blues, Cheers, Frasier, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, Little House on the Prairie, Full House, Another World, Santa Barbara, The Eddie Capra Mysteries, Dallas, Titans, Friends, Seinfeld, Will and Grace, Ned and Stacey, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Bewitched, CSI, CSI:Miami, The West Wing, ER, LA Law, Moonlighting, Family Ties, Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, Three's Company, Taxi, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, the Dukes of Hazzard, the Donny and Marie Show, The Rockford Files, The Girl With Something Extra, The Cosby Show, St. Elsewhere, Roseanne, Adam-12, Dragnet, Barnaby Jones, The Carol Burnett Show, My Three Sons, The Partridge Family, The Bionic Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Fall Guy, The A-Team, Real People, All In The Family, Sanford and Son, M*A*S*H, Newhart, The Bob Newhart Show, The Rookies, Chico and the Man, Police Woman, Starsky and Hutch, One Day At A Time, Welcome Back, Kotter, Eight is Enough, Barney Miller, Vega$, Mork and Mindy, Alice, CHiPS, That's Incredible!, House Calls, Flo, Trapper John, MD, WKRP in Cincinnati, Benson, Different Strokes, Hart to Hart, The Jeffersons, The Facts of Life, Dynasty, Simon and Simon, 9 to 5, Kate and Allie, Hotel, Guiding Light, Night Court, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Remington Steele, Diff'rent Strokes, Who's the Boss, Golden Girls, Growing Pains, Valerie/Valerie’s Family/The Hogan Family, My Sister Sam, A Different World, The Wonder Years, My Two Dads, Mad About You, Dear John, Coach, Empty Nest, Anything But Love, Partners, Head of the Class, NYPD Blue, Doogie Howser, MD, Murphy Brown, Home Improvement, Wings, Hearts Afire, Evening Shade, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Lois and Clark, 21 Jump Street, Ellen, Cybill, Firefly, Angel, Chicago Hope, Gilmore Girls, American Idol, Sex and the City, Manchild, Coupling, Lucky, Queer as Folk, The Sopranos, DC, 24, Ed, The Shield, Alias, American Dreams, Presidio Med, Scrubs, Mister Sterling, John Doe, Fastlane, MDs., The Incredible Hulk

I don't say this because I am particularly proud. There are certainly better things that I could have been doing with my time. I say this so that the following statement will be meaningful, will have weight. I say this so that you will take me seriously when I say--

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the best show that I have ever seen.

It was the best written, best acted, smartest, funniest, most heartbreaking, most romantic, scariest, wildest, most gruesome, most challenging, most awe-inspiring, most engaging, most thought-provoking, most...it was the most everything.

I said a few weeks ago that I get frustrated with I am unable to be as eloquent as I want to be in this venue and this is a case of that. I want to say so much about this brilliant cast, this brilliant writing team, that brilliant Joss Whedon. But whatever I say, won't be enough. There aren't words big enough for how good this show was. And there aren't words big enough for how much I will miss it.

I have some thoughts about the finale, but since they are spoilery and I am sure that more people than me have TiVo, I'm hiding them.

OK, the finale. Overall, I thought it was quite good. Specifically, (+) things I liked, and (-) things I didn't:

(+) Slayers, slayers, everywhere slayers. There are those that are calling this a deus ex machina, a cheap contrivance to put a bullet in the head of an ill-conceived and poorly-paced season. I disagree. To quote my favorite watcher, I thought it was bloody brilliant, on a show level and on a meta level because it now allows for many, many stories to be told within the slayer framework. It allows the franchise to grow in exciting new directions. And it allows Buffy to still be a hot chick with superpowers, which is always of the good. Kudos on the twistiest of the plot twists.

(+) Faith and the Principal. OK, first, a big shout out to Robin Wood for being a principal that survived an apocolypse at Sunnydale High. Been a while since that happened. And let's hope that he has more surprises for Faith ahead--if the proposed spinoff comes to fruition, what a great watcher he would be.

(-) Anya/Xander. OK, I was expecting her to go. Frankly, I thought that she was at risk the entire season. I thought that Xander's reaction was a little stoic. I mean, I guess that there's a certain adrenaline rush that accompanies saving the world and I am sure that watching the town you grew up in get literally sicked into the mouth of Hell is a little hard to process, but still. I thought that it was a little too easy. If you look at the early draft of the shooting script that is floating around the Internet, that line was apparently originally Anya's--talking about a dead Xander--and it rings truer for her.

(+) Giles. Good to finally see Giles being Giles. For most of the season, Giles was so poorly written that I feared that he was some sort of corporeal agent of the first, sent to engender chaos and dissent. He put inappropriate pressure on Buffy and was uniquely useless. But he--or rather Joss--found his voice last night and made me remember why I used to love him so much.

(+/-)Angel.Who was that, exactly, that David Boreanaz was playing? Cause it wasn't Angel. Maybe Angel's jocular cousin, Rufus. But not Angel. Angel was never--never, never, never--that relaxed. Never much with the joke-making. He was playing it so fast and loose that there that he actually reminded me more of a fluffy-puppy Angelus than Angel. And that scene about the soul--"I started it--the whole having a soul"--was hysterically funny, yes, but so out of character that it was startling to me. Also, for those of us that watch that other show, I am happy to see that Angel's deep and abiding love for Cordelia lasted at least as long as it took the slayer to lean in for a smooch. Six months ago she was his great love, now she's in a coma and he's making time with the Slayer, all china-pattern picking out. Hmph.

However, having said that, it was important that Angel be there for a couple of reasons, and neither of them are because I think that David Boreanaz is the hottest man on the planet. First, Joss had said that he wanted to give Buffy and Angel fans some closure and I think that he did that pretty well. He also opened up the possibility of a happy ending down the road for them. And then he had him leave--and that was what he should have done, because this show isn't about him anymore. There may be more story to tell for these two, but it needs to be told on the other show.

(+)Spike Well. That was impressive, with the big beam of light and the sucking of Sunnydale into the hellmouth. It provides an interesting counterpoint to Becoming, part II. In that episode, the evil Spike saved the world, or at least helped. This time, good, soul-having Spike ended the world, or at least his little corner of it.

I was also confused as to why Spike told Buffy that she didn't love him, when all indications are that she does. I personally think that he was trying to lessen the gravity of the moment, trying to not have to think about being loved back by his slayer, so that he could concentrate on his task--becoming a champion, possibly sacrificing the life that he has worked to build to achieve the redemption that he craves. If he were loved by the slayer, he might be tempted to give in--to throw in a "Last Temptation of Christ" metaphor, he might be tempted to come off the cross to make a life with his girl. So he pushes her away--and saves the world.

(+) Willow Loved the hair. Loved it. Also loved that she was forced to face her demons head on and that she came out the other side unharmed. My Willow has been harmed enough. I still hate Kennedy, though. Willow needs to find a better girlfriend.

(+) BuffyThe main theme of the show, from the beginning, has been Buffy balancing her calling with her desire to be a normal girl. From "The Gift", 44 episodes ago:

The vamp turns to dust. Buffy drops the makeshift stake and stares at the pile of dust as the boy continues to cower in the background.

Buffy pauses in the doorway.
BUFFY: That's what *I* keep saying.

And so, now, the slayer gets to rest. And apparently make herself into a plate of cookies. Whatever. She's earned it. Perfect ending for my girl. Perfect.

And so it ends.

28-15

I know it's early in the season. I know it doesn't mean squat. I know that.

But any day that your boys are on top of their league is a good day.

Live, from Allentown!

Spent today at my friend Todd's house playtesting two Buffy The Vampire Slayer role-playing scenarios which Todd will run at gaming conventions for the rest of the year. I got to play Willow in the first game, set in season three, and season four Tara in the second game. I TK'd a table into an escalator full of vampires and shrank a cave troll to about the size of a fear demon. It was an obscene amount of fun.

In the Slayer vein, check out the ScoopMe review of last week's Buffy. It's wicked insightful, especially regarding the current Buffy/Spike dynamic.

And here, I always thought I was a good Libra

You should be an Aries, Outgoing, Extravert,
Energetic, Dynamic, Courageous, Generous,
Strong, Extravagant but sometimes can be
arrogant, insecure, jealous, concerned with
looks and others' opinion


~*What is your TRUE Zodica sign?*~
brought to you by Quizilla

The oddest thing

Remember how yesterday I woke up and my watch said 4:00, which had no relationship to real time? Well, this morning, I woke up again--and my watch said exactly 4:00 again! It was closer to 6:15 than the 6:00 of yesterday, which I think makes it even weirder. I mean, it's not like I woke up at the same real time, which wouldn't be weird at all. But I woke up at the same fake time.

I think that's very odd.

And I think that I need to get a battery.

Tick..............Tock

One of my favorite things is to wake up in the middle of the night, look at the clock and realize that I still have several hours to sleep. It's decadent. I love it. So today, imagine how happy I was to wake up at 4 AM, fully three hours before my alarm was to go off. Here's how it played out.

I wake up, comfy, cool and warm at the same time, if that makes sense, still sleepy, but awake enough to know that I was awake. Hmph. What time is it, I wonder? So I look at my watch.

Yumm. 4:00. Yay. OK, going back to sleep now.

Nagging, back of my head. Something is wrong. What is it? Look at my watch. 4:00. OK. Back to sleep. No. No. Something is still wrong. What is it?

4:00. Why is the sun up?

The sun is up.

The sun is up?

I look at my watch again. 4:00.

I squint at the alarm clock. 6:00. No...

Not 6:00. That means I have to get up in less than an hour.

I look at my watch again. Still 4:00. I squint at the window. Sun still up. I squint at the alarm clock again. Still 6:00.

I reach for my glasses, so I can look at John's clock. Hmph. His clock says 6:00, too.

Once more--the watch, still with the 4:00.

Tick................

Tock..............

My battery is dying.

It's 6:00.

I have to get up soon.

It's not the middle of the night.

Damn.

Rhymes with "Ocean", people.

Okay, I'll admit it. I'm a little touchy when it comes to the Bee Gees. My Dad was a fan back in the day--and by "the day" I mean the many, many days before they became a phenomenon. I mean the days in the early 70s when the Bee Gees were making real, soulful, emotionally resonant, melodic, harmonic, bluesy music, days like 1974, for example, the year of "Mr. Natural", for my money the best album they ever, ever did.

I was hungry and I was cold
Had a father far too old
Couldn't make it to the place
He'd like to be
In a tree trunk in the park
He was living in the dark
Keeping other dogs like him
Company

And in the evening I'd go down
To a nightclub in the town
Try to get some bread
To make another way
Back to the park I'd go
Dig him out of the snow
You know he's lived a thousand years, day to day

So, I am a little touchy, a little picky a little...well, a little unreasonable at times. I know this. But folks, work with me here.

In 1977, Barry and Robin Gibb wrote a song which was recorded by Samantha Sang. You know the one. The lyrics went like this:

And where are you now
Now that I need you
Tears on my pillow
Wherever you go

It's just...

It's just what? What is the next word?

Well, if you are Destiny's Child...or Ryan Seacrest...or Kimberly Locke...or any number of additionally ignorant peckerwoods, well, that next word is apparently "emotions".

Except that it isn't. It's Emotion. Singular. Rhymes with Ocean.

Now, see, this seems like a minor point to many of you. But, just like the woman that couldn't spell her own occupation, I think that if you are going to record a song, or announce the title of a song on national television, or sing the song in a talent competition..well, you should have to at least know the name of the freaking song.

What a weekend!

Wow--that was the busiest non-Gencon weekend that I can remember.

This weekend we had a gathering in DC of many of the folks that participate in the fora at tivocommunity.com. Yes--another of those weird people on the internet getting together for a weekend things. As those sorts of things go, though, this one was a huge success.

We started out on Saturday at the main, sanctioned, catered gathering, the centerpiece of the weekend. We had rented a space at a restaurant and had the event catered--too expensive, in retrospect, for the quality of the food. The space was good, though--large and open and I guess if you consider the price to have included the space rental, then it isn't all that much. Still, I joked that the next time we get together, we'll just come to my house and I'll cook. I could make us a feast with the kind of money that we all spent. Anyway, the atmosphere was good, everyone liked my name tags and the TiVo swag was well received.

After, some of us went to dinner--yes, yes, yes--all we did was eat. :) We went to dinner at the Washington Cafe on Mt. Vernon, off of Thomas Circle. Since I used to live in that neighborhood, it was a bit like coming home for me. It was nice. After that, we went to the Capitol Steps, which is such a touristy thing to do--but, wow. I had seen them in 1993 and didn't remember that they were *that* funny. Of course, now is a good time for them as there is plenty of material to pull from! After that, some of the group went for a snack--I think a beer snack, since they were going to the CapBrewing company--but I am old and so I decided to no join them.

Today, we spend the morning walking--and I do mean that literally--the mall. We walked from the Lincoln--or in my case, the memorial bridge, since that was where I left my truck--to the Capitol Building. I don't wear a pedometer, but my friend tells me that that is about two and a quarter miles.

I didn't walk back. A lovely man with a horseless carriage was kind enough, for an $8.00 fee, to return me to my car.

After collapsing for a three hour nap, I met some of the folks one last time for dinner. We went to Copeland's in Annapolis where I had a yummy steak and some yummier bananas foster. The mushrooms were skanky, though. That makes twice in the last three times that I have ordered them that they have been nasty. I think that I will not order them again.

So that was my weekend. Busy, busy, busy. And more expensive than I can really afford--I spent money this weekend like I used to, like I actually had money to spend. I have three appointments, though, this week so--let's hope that I make some M-O-N-E-Y.

Think Green for me, willya?

Do you believe in miracles?

That's the question being talked about on a message board that I frequent. One of the board regulars believes that his nephew has been cured of cancer by God's divine intervention. So, he wonders, do the rest of us believe in miracles?

That got me thinking. Most of this post was a response on that message board, which I have since deleted, because I don't much like people on the Internet anymore. Rather than just let all that thinking I did be for nothing, though, I thought I would post the answer here.

Well, the short answer is yes, I do. I believe that I have seen God's direct
intervention in a life that is important to me. And I believe that it is
totally possible that this is what happened with the original poster's nephew. However,
having said that, I think that the *idea* of miracles raises some interesting
questions.

Here’s the thing that I think is interesting about miracles. In order for us
to accept that a miracle is God’s direct intervention, I think that we have to accept one
of a couple things:

Either:

God is fallible. In this theory, God is powerful, yes, but things sometimes
escape His attention. Prayer alerts God to the problem and he fixes it. I
call this my God is a Really Good Manager theory. Good managers are proactive,
yes, but they are also properly reactive when things that aren’t right are
brought to their attention. Good managers fix things that go wrong. However,
if God were infallible, things wouldn’t go wrong to begin with.

--or--

God is manipulative and cruel. Under this theory, God is all knowing and all
powerful. With this as the given, when bad things happen, they are sanctioned
by God--if God knows everything that is happening, and can control or stop any
of it at any time, then he allows bad things to happen. He chooses where to
intervene, making the occasional new friend in the process. This is my God as
Machiavelli theory.

Now, I can’t support that Machiavellian God. Doesn’t ring true for me. So I
choose to believe #1. God isn’t perfect. He’s way better than us, though, and
he is generally well-intentioned and tries to intervene as is possible.

But, there are so many folks that can’t accept a fallible god, and so I have
to question them: if God is infallible, why did the nephew get cancer in the first
place? If it wasn’t an accident--because God can’t have accidents--then why? I
know, we can’t know the ways of God, God confounds, etc. But, really--do you
really think that we have a God that *gives* people cancer just to turn around
and cure them?

There is a poet named Carl Dean who won the Pulitzer Prize last year for
poetry for a book called Practical Gods. One of the poems, "The God Who
Loves You" addresses this very topic. I have reprinted this poem in this journal before, but I think it's worth another look.

The God Who Loves You

from Practical Gods Penguin Books