Feed: Buffy Anne Summers, aka - AggScore: 47.3

Not Getting My Ya Yas

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Well … I just wanted to drop by and say, not unlike Richard Wilkens in Season 3, I haven’t been getting my ya yas lately and have been having trouble turning my frown upside down. As Snyder would say, ‘unacceptable!’

But the long and short of it is that I hurt my back. The pain goes down into the leg when I’m sitting at the computer, so I haven’t been feeling too creative lately. Not making a lot of progress on anything really.

But hopefully, I will be back sometime soon with a real post. Just started on Season 5 again, or I will (most likely) tomorrow.

Buffy is about to take on Dracula!!!

oh yeah, if you got ‘em, enjoy ‘em

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Oh yeah. I forgot season’s greetings and good tidings and all of that.

I really don’t want to be one to say that darker days are coming … but, you know … from beneath you, it devours …

So regarding Happy Holidays: if you got ‘em, enjoy ‘em.

Regarding My Last Obama Post & Future Plans

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Regarding My Last Obama Post & Future Plans

I don’t know how it happened, but apparently some people got the impression that I would stand by Obama no matter what, and they are angry with me now. I can’t even bring myself to approve some of the comments. Sorry.

It wasn’t oodles of folks. I haven’t done all the things you are supposed to do to promote this site, and I haven’t been posting all that often, and of course I’m not currently getting the kind of traffic it would take to get oodles … but it was enough to get my attention.

I’m sorry guys. But I am not going to keep lending my support to any leader when they start doing too many things I just don’t believe are right. I can put up with it some, here and there, but this has been a lot. Whether you realize it or not, Obama has not been — in many respects — the champion of putting our country back on the right path.

So, I am sad this holiday season. Saddened by the potential that has been lost, by all those (including me) who were naive enough to think Obama stood for something more than he has proven, and somewhat sad that I ever ventured forth and supported him on this blog in the first place.

Next year, I hope to be contributing to this blog more frequently, and I hope to be sticking more to the subject and closely related, i.e., Buffy, Whedon and other creatives closely associated. I can’t guarantee anything.

For those who have suggested I go start a strictly political blog instead, I am considering it. I doubt I will do it, but I am considering it. It won’t be instead, though, but in addition to.

I also hope to redesign the site sometime in the coming year, and maybe publish a bit more of my art — I’m actually considering just doing some portraits, and/or sculptures, of the characters of Buffy, not for profit, just for amusement, yeah, for fun. I could use some of that. I’ll have to investigate what sort of legal implications that may have, but I think, as “fan art” for non-commercial purposes it should be pretty doable.

If there are any takers out there, I may even offer your artwork a spot on the blog.

Anyhow, thanks to a few of you for your comments, and well, to the rest of you too I suppose.

Dear Mr. President,

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It has been a long time, I know. I guess that is largely because I hardly know what to say to you anymore.

Is there anything anyone can say or do now without being at risk of being declared a threat to national security? Without the risk of being detained indefinitely and without trial?

At first, I excused you because you had such a hard road. And then because of your lack of experience in Washington. And then, simply because I could not bring myself to let go of the dream that you would turn and finally bring the change we could really believe in.

I had high hopes.

So did many others. All for naught.

You have betrayed everyone who believed in you. Not once, but many times now. Not only that but you have literally fought for the opportunities to do it. You have betrayed us all. You have betrayed this nation, you have betrayed our traditions, our laws and our constitution.

Your worst critics were right. Like Junior before you, you are just another tool. I see that now.

Knowing that, as surely you must, and being the first African-American president in our history and knowing the history of blacks in this culture, I can’t even imagine how you can look yourself in the mirror now.

And those of us who supported you?

We were tools too. We were simply the worst sort of fools.

http://www.salon.com/2011/12/16/three_myths_about_the_detention_bill/singleton

Oh well. Nevermind.

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I’m back on Season One of BtVS, and it occurred to me to mention my confusion about The Witch episode. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.

Supposedly, Amy’s mother changed bodies with her, and while in her mother’s body, Amy says something like “a couple of months ago I woke up in her body,” and yet there is an apparent effort earlier to convince us that Amy at school is really Amy.

Or so it seems to me.

Buffy apparently thinks so, and there’s that early scene where the camera cuts instantly from Amy at school to someone casting a spell at her home.

So when is Amy Amy and when is Amy her mother? And how does any of this make sense?

Okay, I admit, it doesn’t have to make sense, and there are other episodes that have developments that don’t make a lot of sense (heck, there are other things about this episode that don’t make a lot of sense), but this one bothers me for some reason.

I guess it’s because this isn’t a minor plot point. It was a “not-making-sense” major plot point that was glaring at me from the very first time I watched the episode.

What do you think? Am I completely out of it? Does it make sense and I just can’t see it?

Do you even care?

And something else I realized recently. You know how so many times you watch a show or movie, and the character does something dumb or doesn’t do something obvious and you think, gee, give me a break, so-and-so wouldn’t do that?

Well, it may not be particularly good TV- or movie-making, but the realization I had recently is that a fair number of people I’ve known really do do the dumb thing or don’t do the smart thing when they are near panic.

It’s easy for us to sit on our couches or in the theater and think no one would do that because we aren’t the ones being chased by the blood-craving monster from hell, but if you or I are ever in that kind of situation, as far as I’m concerned, all bets on always making the obvious choice or conducting ourselves with wise behavior are off!

So maybe it’s not quite as unrealistic as one might at first suppose. Next time I notice something like that, so long as it isn’t over the top, I’m thinking I may give the writers a pass.

Yeah, I had nothing this time out. I guess I just wanted to keep it light this time.

Oh well. Nevermind.

There’s Something In The Air …

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As some of you know, I’ve occasionally used this blog to promote a political point or two.

And so it shall be this time out.

But no particular point this time … except that I believe it is worthwhile to be part of your community, to be part of the process, no matter how small that part may be.

Okay?

So … I’ve neglected so far to comment (here or elsewhere) on the “Occupy Wall Street” movement, purposefully in part, because I’ve been watching and waiting to see if this country is really ready for the change that some of us have hoped for for so long.

I’m still not sure, but I thought I’d mention something all the same.

Over the years, I’ve written many letters to many leaders — to presidents, CEO’s and so forth — and in spite of the perennial claims of many of the American people that we are powerless, that there is nothing we can really do, in my personal experience, it is the furthest thing from the truth.

I know this because I have received personal responses from three very famous writers, three very recent presidents and have seen political policies change as the result of two of my letters. I’m not going to go into detail. That is not my purpose, but I know what I know.

And what I know is that there is still power in language, there is still power in speaking out, there is still power in the well formulated argument and the well-turned phrase.

So … even if you are unable to protest with those who are risking so much, because of your health, because of obligations to family or friends, or some other commitment, that doesn’t mean you can’t be part of this if you’d like. You see, you can call, you can speak and if your reading this, you can probably write fairly well, too.

This may be a once in our lifetime opportunity to be heard in a way that Washington and much of the rest of the world will not soon be able to forget or dismiss or belittle. It just may be.

So if you have the ability, if you have the will, if you can bring yourself to put 1% as much on the line as the protesters are, then wouldn’t you like to?

Why wouldn’t you? Right now. Why not sit down and write your congressional representative, or call, or write a blog post if you have a blog?

If you’ve ever felt like you had something to say about public finance of political campaigns, or the free market, or jobs, or energy, or the exploitation of labor, or crippling Federal debt, or holding corporate criminals and war profiteers truly accountable — or stronger regulation of Wall Street, or healthcare or breaking a few of the mega-corporate strangleholds that are choking so many — then now is the time to speak your mind.

This isn’t about politics anymore. It’s about being part of something bigger than ourselves, something that might actually make a difference to our lives. It’s about people.  It’s about you and your future and the future of your kids and the future of this country and this world.

And there is most definitely … something in the air …

Well? Do you? Do you have something to say? Now is the time, while there still is time.

Rape, Feminism & the Buffyverse

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Hello! I’m back! Well, for this post anyway … (who knows, maybe it will become a trend).

Anyhow, I came across a blog post the other day, written by a self-identified feminist, bashing Joss Whedon for excusing a rapist in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She was quite adamant.

The rapist in question was Spike. Her complaint was that by allowing Buffy to continue to have a relationship with Spike after his attempted rape in Season Six, Joss was essentially and unforgivably negating the seriousness of rape.

As I believe her condemnation takes the characters and situation completely out of the context of the story universe Joss created, here is my response:

First, when Spike attempted to rape Buffy, he had no soul. However much his feelings for Buffy and the chip implant may have changed him, he was still without a soul.

I’m not going to go into exactly what that means. I don’t know. I’m not sure Joss knew. But it is made quite clear throughout the series that its meaning is profound, at least within the Buffyverse.

So, no soul.

Second, the relationship that developed between Spike and Buffy after the attempted rape — the relationship that this feminist blogger found so objectionable — only began after Spike had a soul, had felt the pangs of conscience for what he had done and had sought redemption.

But my most important point above, I think, is that this relationship between Buffy and Spike developed between Buffy and soulful Spike. In other words, it was not a relationship with the same entity that attempted to rape her. That, as many familiar with the explications within the Buffyverse should recall, was a demon that merely possessed the memories and personality of its former inhabitant, but did not embody the true essence of the actual person, i.e., the soul.

In other words, Buffy did not develop any further relationship whatsoever with the demonic version of Spike that tried to rape her, but only with the ensouled version of Spike, who was an altogether different entity even if he did remember all the terrible things that the demon entity had done prior to his body being reensouled.

This is what I meant above by my statement, “her condemnation takes the characters and situation completely out of the context of the story universe Joss created.”

I generally have nothing against feminists or feminist writers (or bloggers). I was largely raised by a feminist and consider myself a feminist in most respects, but this condemnation of Joss was simply wrong-headed and is an example of how some feminists can sometimes take things too far.

Granted, there is nothing perfect, nor terribly consistent, about the Buffyverse. Nevertheless, anyone drawing a portrait of Joss’s moral shortcomings, based on how he has his fictional characters behave, ought to at least have the decency of coloring within the lines, so to speak.

That’s my opinion anyway. Thanks for visiting. And if you’ll comment and let me know how you see things, I will appreciate.

Whedon: Recent News & Resources

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Since I have been remiss about blogging lately, I decided to gather a few items here for your perusal. Hope you enjoy.

Comic-Con 2011: Joss Whedon talks “Avengers,” “Buffy” on Broadway | Hero Complex — movies, comics, fanboy fare — latimes.comThe ensemble of A-list actors starring in his upcoming "Avengers" movies makes a better team than the actual Avengers in the Marvel comic book that inspired the film, director Joss Whedon told fans at his Comic-Con International panel Saturday afternoon. Joss Whedon: Avengers, Buffy, Firefly and more! videoApple Byte: Get ready for a 15-inch ultrathin MacBook Pro Apple’s not done revamping its notebook line. The iPhone 5 may only be a month and a half away, and we’re already seeing cases for… CNET Top 5: Netflix alternatives Five 5 ways to watch movies that don’t involve Netflix. CBR TV @ CCI: Joss Whedon on “Buffy: Season 9″ & “The Avengers | Comic Book Resources VideoJoss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and director of Marvel Studios” “The Avengers,” spoke with CBR”s Kiel Phegley at Comic-Con International in San Diego about the upcoming “Buffy: Season Nine” comic series, juggling his work on “Avengers” with the comic”s new season and his plans to dial back the widescreen action from “Season [...]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer — More Soon

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I said I was going to blog here again, and about Buffy, and I will, but not just yet.

You see, just as I posted that last notice, an unanticipated project came along and has been taking up all my time.

So sorry. I know there are only a few of you who care, but you care deeply about Buffy the Vampire Slayer and pretty much love to read just about anything anyone has to say on the topic. Sadly, there’s just not enough Buffy going on these days.

Well, there are the comics, of course, but you probably know what I mean.

Soon. I hope.

Me Again

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Hi. Anybody miss me?

Oh well. Prophets and geniuses never appreciated in their own time, and all that. Yeah. That’s the ticket.

Anyhow, I expect to be back, occasionally, posting on this blog — assuming I can find the time and energy. Not so much because I have all that much to say, but because I’ve missed it. Just a little. I didn’t think I would, but I have.

I still don’t expect to be posting often, but I thought I’d give the very few of you who care, the heads up. It’s me again. I’m back. Sort of.

And yeah, I’m even likely to be talking about Buffy some of the time …

Hope you’ll watch for it.

Take it easy.

Later.