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Can't wait to play true classics on my Pentium 4...

Just because Buffy is partly a farce, does not make it bad. Half of Shakespeare's plays were farces. You have to listen to the dialogue, with it's double entendres, comic timing, and cultural references, or watch the way the show toys with our expectations about the horror gendre. It really is ingeneous.

Also, while she may not be Meryl Streep, Sarah Michelle Gellar is a fine actress. So are the rest of the cast. Again, you have to remember that the show is part farce -- most of the time they're not supposed to be taking themselves too seriously. But to really appreciate what they can do, you have to watch some of the seriously dramatic scenes. In SMG's case, for example, that might include scenes such as when Buffy's mother died (I've never seen it done better), or when Buffy is going to sacrifice herself for her sister Dawn, or when Buffy is sitting with the "dying" robot girlfriend (which was an obvious nod to Of Mice And Men).

To give you more of an idea, I'll close with some samples:

===

[Buffy's Watcher, Giles, is watching auditions for the school talent show...]

BUFFY: If it isn't the great producer!

XANDER: Had to see this to believe it.

GILES: Oh. You three.

BUFFY: The school talent show. How ever did you finagle such a primo assignment?

GILES: Our new Führer, Mr. Snyder.

WILLOW: I think they call 'em 'principals' now.

GILES: Mm. He thought it would behoove me to have more contact with the students. I did try to explain that my vocational choice of librarian was a deliberate attempt to minimize said contact, but, uh, he would have none of it.

BUFFY: Giles, unto every generation is born one who must run the annual talentless show. You cannot escape your destiny.

GILES: If you had any shred of decency, you would have participated, or at least, um, helped.

BUFFY: Nah! I think I'll take on your traditional role... and watch!

XANDER: And mock!

WILLOW: And laugh!

BUFFY: O-kay. I think maybe we better leave our Mr. Giles to this business he calls a show.

(The three of them get up and start back up the aisle. Principal Snyder is waiting there for them.)

BUFFY: Principal Snyder!

SNYDER: So. We think school events are stupid, and we think authority figures are to be made fun of.

BUFFY: No! No, we don't. W-unless you do.

SNYDER: And we think our afternoon classes are optional. All three of you left campus yesterday.

BUFFY: Yeah, but we were fighting a demon...

SNYDER: Fighting?

BUFFY: Not fighting.

XANDER: No, we, uh, left to *avoid* fighting.

SNYDER: Real anti-social types. You need to integrate into this school, people. I think I just found three eager new participants for the talent show.

BUFFY: What?

XANDER: No!

WILLOW: Please?

SNYDER: I've been watching you three. Always getting into one scrape or another.

BUFFY: Well, we're really, really sorry, but about the talent show, pleeease, you can't make us...

SNYDER: (interrupts) My predecessor, Mr. Flutie, may have gone in for all that touchy-feely relating nonsense, but he was eaten. You're in *my* world now. And Sunnydale has touched and felt for the last time.

XANDER: Can I just mention, that detention is a time-honored form of punishment?

SNYDER: I know the three of you will come up with a wonderful act for the school to watch. And mock. And laugh......at. (leaves)

XANDER: No!

===

Here are some more that I like:

The evil, powerful Glory first meets Buffy

The dying Monk explains how they created Buffy's sister

Buffy meets Dracula

The Mayor gives a graduation speech before he ascends to demonhood

Buffy is given the ability to read minds (V.O. = voice over = thoughts)

Buffy reading the teacher's thoughts to one-up an annoying classmate

Buffy's roommate Kathy is annoying, and too nice -- she must be evil

Watchers Wesley and Giles are captured by the demon Balthazar

Buffy's impression of Ghandi

Willow is nervous about her new skills at witchcraft

Three would-be-evil nerds have hired a demon to rob a bank

Just because Buffy is partly a farce, does not make it bad. Half of Shakespeare's plays were farces. You have to listen to the dialogue, with it's double entendres, comic timing, and cultural references, or watch the way the show toys with our expectations about the horror gendre. It really is ingeneous.

Also, while she may not be Meryl Streep, Sarah Michelle Gellar is a fine actress. So are the rest of the cast. Again, you have to remember that the show is part farce -- most of the time they're not supposed to be taking themselves too seriously. But to really appreciate what they can do, you have to watch some of the seriously dramatic scenes. In SMG's case, for example, that might include scenes such as when Buffy's mother died (I've never seen it done better), or when Buffy is going to sacrifice herself for her sister Dawn, or when Buffy is sitting with the "dying" robot girlfriend (which was an obvious nod to Of Mice And Men).

To give you more of an idea, I'll close with some samples:

===

[Buffy's Watcher, Giles, is watching auditions for the school talent show...]

BUFFY: If it isn't the great producer!

XANDER: Had to see this to believe it.

GILES: Oh. You three.

BUFFY: The school talent show. How ever did you finagle such a primo assignment?

GILES: Our new Führer, Mr. Snyder.

WILLOW: I think they call 'em 'principals' now.

GILES: Mm. He thought it would behoove me to have more contact with the students. I did try to explain that my vocational choice of librarian was a deliberate attempt to minimize said contact, but, uh, he would have none of it.

BUFFY: Giles, unto every generation is born one who must run the annual talentless show. You cannot escape your destiny.

GILES: If you had any shred of decency, you would have participated, or at least, um, helped.

BUFFY: Nah! I think I'll take on your traditional role... and watch!

XANDER: And mock!

WILLOW: And laugh!

BUFFY: O-kay. I think maybe we better leave our Mr. Giles to this business he calls a show.

(The three of them get up and start back up the aisle. Principal Snyder is waiting there for them.)

BUFFY: Principal Snyder!

SNYDER: So. We think school events are stupid, and we think authority figures are to be made fun of.

BUFFY: No! No, we don't. W-unless you do.

SNYDER: And we think our afternoon classes are optional. All three of you left campus yesterday.

BUFFY: Yeah, but we were fighting a demon...

SNYDER: Fighting?

BUFFY: Not fighting.

XANDER: No, we, uh, left to *avoid* fighting.

SNYDER: Real anti-social types. You need to integrate into this school, people. I think I just found three eager new participants for the talent show.

BUFFY: What?

XANDER: No!

WILLOW: Please?

SNYDER: I've been watching you three. Always getting into one scrape or another.

BUFFY: Well, we're really, really sorry, but about the talent show, pleeease, you can't make us...

SNYDER: (interrupts) My predecessor, Mr. Flutie, may have gone in for all that touchy-feely relating nonsense, but he was eaten. You're in *my* world now. And Sunnydale has touched and felt for the last time.

XANDER: Can I just mention, that detention is a time-honored form of punishment?

SNYDER: I know the three of you will come up with a wonderful act for the school to watch. And mock. And laugh......at. (leaves)

XANDER: No!

===

Here are some more that I like:

The evil, powerful Glory first meets Buffy

The dying Monk explains how they created Buffy's sister

Buffy meets Dracula

The Mayor gives a graduation speech before he ascends to demonhood

Buffy is given the ability to read minds (V.O. = voice over = thoughts)

Buffy reading the teacher's thoughts to one-up an annoying classmate

Buffy's roommate Kathy is annoying, and too nice -- she must be evil

Watchers Wesley and Giles are captured by the demon Balthazar

Buffy's impression of Ghandi

Willow is nervous about her new skills at witchcraft

Three would-be-evil nerds have hired a demon to rob a bank

Just because Buffy is partly a farce, does not make it bad. Half of Shakespeare's plays were farces. You have to listen to the dialogue, with it's double entendres, comic timing, and cultural references, or watch the way the show toys with our expectations about the horror gendre. It really is ingeneous.

Also, while she may not be Meryl Streep, Sarah Michelle Gellar is a fine actress. So are the rest of the cast. Again, you have to remember that the show is part farce -- most of the time they're not supposed to be taking themselves too seriously. But to really appreciate what they can do, you have to watch some of the seriously dramatic scenes. In SMG's case, for example, that might include scenes such as when Buffy's mother died (I've never seen it done better), or when Buffy is going to sacrifice herself for her sister Dawn, or when Buffy is sitting with the "dying" robot girlfriend (which was an obvious nod to Of Mice And Men).

To give you more of an idea, I'll close with some samples:

===

[Buffy's Watcher, Giles, is watching auditions for the school talent show...]

BUFFY: If it isn't the great producer!

XANDER: Had to see this to believe it.

GILES: Oh. You three.

BUFFY: The school talent show. How ever did you finagle such a primo assignment?

GILES: Our new Führer, Mr. Snyder.

WILLOW: I think they call 'em 'principals' now.

GILES: Mm. He thought it would behoove me to have more contact with the students. I did try to explain that my vocational choice of librarian was a deliberate attempt to minimize said contact, but, uh, he would have none of it.

BUFFY: Giles, unto every generation is born one who must run the annual talentless show. You cannot escape your destiny.

GILES: If you had any shred of decency, you would have participated, or at least, um, helped.

BUFFY: Nah! I think I'll take on your traditional role... and watch!

XANDER: And mock!

WILLOW: And laugh!

BUFFY: O-kay. I think maybe we better leave our Mr. Giles to this business he calls a show.

(The three of them get up and start back up the aisle. Principal Snyder is waiting there for them.)

BUFFY: Principal Snyder!

SNYDER: So. We think school events are stupid, and we think authority figures are to be made fun of.

BUFFY: No! No, we don't. W-unless you do.

SNYDER: And we think our afternoon classes are optional. All three of you left campus yesterday.

BUFFY: Yeah, but we were fighting a demon...

SNYDER: Fighting?

BUFFY: Not fighting.

XANDER: No, we, uh, left to *avoid* fighting.

SNYDER: Real anti-social types. You need to integrate into this school, people. I think I just found three eager new participants for the talent show.

BUFFY: What?

XANDER: No!

WILLOW: Please?

SNYDER: I've been watching you three. Always getting into one scrape or another.

BUFFY: Well, we're really, really sorry, but about the talent show, pleeease, you can't make us...

SNYDER: (interrupts) My predecessor, Mr. Flutie, may have gone in for all that touchy-feely relating nonsense, but he was eaten. You're in *my* world now. And Sunnydale has touched and felt for the last time.

XANDER: Can I just mention, that detention is a time-honored form of punishment?

SNYDER: I know the three of you will come up with a wonderful act for the school to watch. And mock. And laugh......at. (leaves)

XANDER: No!

===

Here are some more that I like:

The evil, powerful Glory first meets Buffy

The dying Monk explains how they created Buffy's sister

Buffy meets Dracula

The Mayor gives a graduation speech before he ascends to demonhood

Buffy is given the ability to read minds (V.O. = voice over = thoughts)

Buffy reading the teacher's thoughts to one-up an annoying classmate

Buffy's roommate Kathy is annoying, and too nice -- she must be evil

Watchers Wesley and Giles are captured by the demon Balthazar

Buffy's impression of Ghandi

Willow is nervous about her new skills at witchcraft

Three would-be-evil nerds have hired a demon to rob a bank

Just because Buffy is partly a farce, does not make it bad. Half of Shakespeare's plays were farces. You have to listen to the dialogue, with it's double entendres, comic timing, and cultural references, or watch the way the show toys with our expectations about the horror gendre. It really is ingeneous.

Also, while she may not be Meryl Streep, Sarah Michelle Gellar is a fine actress. So are the rest of the cast. Again, you have to remember that the show is part farce -- most of the time they're not supposed to be taking themselves too seriously. But to really appreciate what they can do, you have to watch some of the seriously dramatic scenes. In SMG's case, for example, that might include scenes such as when Buffy's mother died (I've never seen it done better), or when Buffy is going to sacrifice herself for her sister Dawn, or when Buffy is sitting with the "dying" robot girlfriend (which was an obvious nod to Of Mice And Men).

To give you more of an idea, I'll close with some samples:

===

[Buffy's Watcher, Giles, is watching auditions for the school talent show...]

BUFFY: If it isn't the great producer!

XANDER: Had to see this to believe it.

GILES: Oh. You three.

BUFFY: The school talent show. How ever did you finagle such a primo assignment?

GILES: Our new Führer, Mr. Snyder.

WILLOW: I think they call 'em 'principals' now.

GILES: Mm. He thought it would behoove me to have more contact with the students. I did try to explain that my vocational choice of librarian was a deliberate attempt to minimize said contact, but, uh, he would have none of it.

BUFFY: Giles, unto every generation is born one who must run the annual talentless show. You cannot escape your destiny.

GILES: If you had any shred of decency, you would have participated, or at least, um, helped.

BUFFY: Nah! I think I'll take on your traditional role... and watch!

XANDER: And mock!

WILLOW: And laugh!

BUFFY: O-kay. I think maybe we better leave our Mr. Giles to this business he calls a show.

(The three of them get up and start back up the aisle. Principal Snyder is waiting there for them.)

BUFFY: Principal Snyder!

SNYDER: So. We think school events are stupid, and we think authority figures are to be made fun of.

BUFFY: No! No, we don't. W-unless you do.

SNYDER: And we think our afternoon classes are optional. All three of you left campus yesterday.

BUFFY: Yeah, but we were fighting a demon...

SNYDER: Fighting?

BUFFY: Not fighting.

XANDER: No, we, uh, left to *avoid* fighting.

SNYDER: Real anti-social types. You need to integrate into this school, people. I think I just found three eager new participants for the talent show.

BUFFY: What?

XANDER: No!

WILLOW: Please?

SNYDER: I've been watching you three. Always getting into one scrape or another.

BUFFY: Well, we're really, really sorry, but about the talent show, pleeease, you can't make us...

SNYDER: (interrupts) My predecessor, Mr. Flutie, may have gone in for all that touchy-feely relating nonsense, but he was eaten. You're in *my* world now. And Sunnydale has touched and felt for the last time.

XANDER: Can I just mention, that detention is a time-honored form of punishment?

SNYDER: I know the three of you will come up with a wonderful act for the school to watch. And mock. And laugh......at. (leaves)

XANDER: No!

===

Here are some more that I like:

The evil, powerful Glory first meets Buffy

The dying Monk explains how they created Buffy's sister

Buffy meets Dracula

The Mayor gives a graduation speech before he ascends to demonhood

Buffy is given the ability to read minds (V.O. = voice over = thoughts)

Buffy reading the teacher's thoughts to one-up an annoying classmate

Buffy's roommate Kathy is annoying, and too nice -- she must be evil

Watchers Wesley and Giles are captured by the demon Balthazar

Buffy's impression of Ghandi

Willow is nervous about her new skills at witchcraft

Three would-be-evil nerds have hired a demon to rob a bank

Just because Buffy is partly a farce, does not make it bad. Half of Shakespeare's plays were farces. You have to listen to the dialogue, with it's double entendres, comic timing, and cultural references, or watch the way the show toys with our expectations about the horror gendre. It really is ingeneous.

Also, while she may not be Meryl Streep, Sarah Michelle Gellar is a fine actress. So are the rest of the cast. Again, you have to remember that the show is part farce -- most of the time they're not supposed to be taking themselves too seriously. But to really appreciate what they can do, you have to watch some of the seriously dramatic scenes. In SMG's case, for example, that might include scenes such as when Buffy's mother died (I've never seen it done better), or when Buffy is going to sacrifice herself for her sister Dawn, or when Buffy is sitting with the "dying" robot girlfriend (which was an obvious nod to Of Mice And Men).

To give you more of an idea, I'll close with some samples:

===

[Buffy's Watcher, Giles, is watching auditions for the school talent show...]

BUFFY: If it isn't the great producer!

XANDER: Had to see this to believe it.

GILES: Oh. You three.

BUFFY: The school talent show. How ever did you finagle such a primo assignment?

GILES: Our new Führer, Mr. Snyder.

WILLOW: I think they call 'em 'principals' now.

GILES: Mm. He thought it would behoove me to have more contact with the students. I did try to explain that my vocational choice of librarian was a deliberate attempt to minimize said contact, but, uh, he would have none of it.

BUFFY: Giles, unto every generation is born one who must run the annual talentless show. You cannot escape your destiny.

GILES: If you had any shred of decency, you would have participated, or at least, um, helped.

BUFFY: Nah! I think I'll take on your traditional role... and watch!

XANDER: And mock!

WILLOW: And laugh!

BUFFY: O-kay. I think maybe we better leave our Mr. Giles to this business he calls a show.

(The three of them get up and start back up the aisle. Principal Snyder is waiting there for them.)

BUFFY: Principal Snyder!

SNYDER: So. We think school events are stupid, and we think authority figures are to be made fun of.

BUFFY: No! No, we don't. W-unless you do.

SNYDER: And we think our afternoon classes are optional. All three of you left campus yesterday.

BUFFY: Yeah, but we were fighting a demon...

SNYDER: Fighting?

BUFFY: Not fighting.

XANDER: No, we, uh, left to *avoid* fighting.

SNYDER: Real anti-social types. You need to integrate into this school, people. I think I just found three eager new participants for the talent show.

BUFFY: What?

XANDER: No!

WILLOW: Please?

SNYDER: I've been watching you three. Always getting into one scrape or another.

BUFFY: Well, we're really, really sorry, but about the talent show, pleeease, you can't make us...

SNYDER: (interrupts) My predecessor, Mr. Flutie, may have gone in for all that touchy-feely relating nonsense, but he was eaten. You're in *my* world now. And Sunnydale has touched and felt for the last time.

XANDER: Can I just mention, that detention is a time-honored form of punishment?

SNYDER: I know the three of you will come up with a wonderful act for the school to watch. And mock. And laugh......at. (leaves)

XANDER: No!

===

Here are some more that I like:

The evil, powerful Glory first meets Buffy

The dying Monk explains how they created Buffy's sister

Buffy meets Dracula

The Mayor gives a graduation speech before he ascends to demonhood

Buffy is given the ability to read minds (V.O. = voice over = thoughts)

Buffy reading the teacher's thoughts to one-up an annoying classmate

Buffy's roommate Kathy is annoying, and too nice -- she must be evil

Watchers Wesley and Giles are captured by the demon Balthazar

Buffy's impression of Ghandi

Willow is nervous about her new skills at witchcraft

Three would-be-evil nerds have hired a demon to rob a bank

Just because Buffy is partly a farce, does not make it bad. Half of Shakespeare's plays were farces. You have to listen to the dialogue, with it's double entendres, comic timing, and cultural references, or watch the way the show toys with our expectations about the horror gendre. It really is ingeneous.

Also, while she may not be Meryl Streep, Sarah Michelle Gellar is a fine actress. So are the rest of the cast. Again, you have to remember that the show is part farce -- most of the time they're not supposed to be taking themselves too seriously. But to really appreciate what they can do, you have to watch some of the seriously dramatic scenes. In SMG's case, for example, that might include scenes such as when Buffy's mother died (I've never seen it done better), or when Buffy is going to sacrifice herself for her sister Dawn, or when Buffy is sitting with the "dying" robot girlfriend (which was an obvious nod to Of Mice And Men).

To give you more of an idea, I'll close with some samples:

===

[Buffy's Watcher, Giles, is watching auditions for the school talent show...]

BUFFY: If it isn't the great producer!

XANDER: Had to see this to believe it.

GILES: Oh. You three.

BUFFY: The school talent show. How ever did you finagle such a primo assignment?

GILES: Our new Führer, Mr. Snyder.

WILLOW: I think they call 'em 'principals' now.

GILES: Mm. He thought it would behoove me to have more contact with the students. I did try to explain that my vocational choice of librarian was a deliberate attempt to minimize said contact, but, uh, he would have none of it.

BUFFY: Giles, unto every generation is born one who must run the annual talentless show. You cannot escape your destiny.

GILES: If you had any shred of decency, you would have participated, or at least, um, helped.

BUFFY: Nah! I think I'll take on your traditional role... and watch!

XANDER: And mock!

WILLOW: And laugh!

BUFFY: O-kay. I think maybe we better leave our Mr. Giles to this business he calls a show.

(The three of them get up and start back up the aisle. Principal Snyder is waiting there for them.)

BUFFY: Principal Snyder!

SNYDER: So. We think school events are stupid, and we think authority figures are to be made fun of.

BUFFY: No! No, we don't. W-unless you do.

SNYDER: And we think our afternoon classes are optional. All three of you left campus yesterday.

BUFFY: Yeah, but we were fighting a demon...

SNYDER: Fighting?

BUFFY: Not fighting.

XANDER: No, we, uh, left to *avoid* fighting.

SNYDER: Real anti-social types. You need to integrate into this school, people. I think I just found three eager new participants for the talent show.

BUFFY: What?

XANDER: No!

WILLOW: Please?

SNYDER: I've been watching you three. Always getting into one scrape or another.

BUFFY: Well, we're really, really sorry, but about the talent show, pleeease, you can't make us...

SNYDER: (interrupts) My predecessor, Mr. Flutie, may have gone in for all that touchy-feely relating nonsense, but he was eaten. You're in *my* world now. And Sunnydale has touched and felt for the last time.

XANDER: Can I just mention, that detention is a time-honored form of punishment?

SNYDER: I know the three of you will come up with a wonderful act for the school to watch. And mock. And laugh......at. (leaves)

XANDER: No!

===

Here are some more that I like:

The evil, powerful Glory first meets Buffy

The dying Monk explains how they created Buffy's sister

Buffy meets Dracula

The Mayor gives a graduation speech before he ascends to demonhood

Buffy is given the ability to read minds (V.O. = voice over = thoughts)

Buffy reading the teacher's thoughts to one-up an annoying classmate

Buffy's roommate Kathy is annoying, and too nice -- she must be evil

Watchers Wesley and Giles are captured by the demon Balthazar

Buffy's impression of Ghandi

Willow is nervous about her new skills at witchcraft

Three would-be-evil nerds have hired a demon to rob a bank

Just because Buffy is partly a farce, does not make it bad. Half of Shakespeare's plays were farces. You have to listen to the dialogue, with it's double entendres, comic timing, and cultural references, or watch the way the show toys with our expectations about the horror gendre. It really is ingeneous.

Also, while she may not be Meryl Streep, Sarah Michelle Gellar is a fine actress. So are the rest of the cast. Again, you have to remember that the show is part farce -- most of the time they're not supposed to be taking themselves too seriously. But to really appreciate what they can do, you have to watch some of the seriously dramatic scenes. In SMG's case, for example, that might include scenes such as when Buffy's mother died (I've never seen it done better), or when Buffy is going to sacrifice herself for her sister Dawn, or when Buffy is sitting with the "dying" robot girlfriend (which was an obvious nod to Of Mice And Men).

To give you more of an idea, I'll close with some samples:

===

[Buffy's Watcher, Giles, is watching auditions for the school talent show...]

BUFFY: If it isn't the great producer!

XANDER: Had to see this to believe it.

GILES: Oh. You three.

BUFFY: The school talent show. How ever did you finagle such a primo assignment?

GILES: Our new Führer, Mr. Snyder.

WILLOW: I think they call 'em 'principals' now.

GILES: Mm. He thought it would behoove me to have more contact with the students. I did try to explain that my vocational choice of librarian was a deliberate attempt to minimize said contact, but, uh, he would have none of it.

BUFFY: Giles, unto every generation is born one who must run the annual talentless show. You cannot escape your destiny.

GILES: If you had any shred of decency, you would have participated, or at least, um, helped.

BUFFY: Nah! I think I'll take on your traditional role... and watch!

XANDER: And mock!

WILLOW: And laugh!

BUFFY: O-kay. I think maybe we better leave our Mr. Giles to this business he calls a show.

(The three of them get up and start back up the aisle. Principal Snyder is waiting there for them.)

BUFFY: Principal Snyder!

SNYDER: So. We think school events are stupid, and we think authority figures are to be made fun of.

BUFFY: No! No, we don't. W-unless you do.

SNYDER: And we think our afternoon classes are optional. All three of you left campus yesterday.

BUFFY: Yeah, but we were fighting a demon...

SNYDER: Fighting?

BUFFY: Not fighting.

XANDER: No, we, uh, left to *avoid* fighting.

SNYDER: Real anti-social types. You need to integrate into this school, people. I think I just found three eager new participants for the talent show.

BUFFY: What?

XANDER: No!

WILLOW: Please?

SNYDER: I've been watching you three. Always getting into one scrape or another.

BUFFY: Well, we're really, really sorry, but about the talent show, pleeease, you can't make us...

SNYDER: (interrupts) My predecessor, Mr. Flutie, may have gone in for all that touchy-feely relating nonsense, but he was eaten. You're in *my* world now. And Sunnydale has touched and felt for the last time.

XANDER: Can I just mention, that detention is a time-honored form of punishment?

SNYDER: I know the three of you will come up with a wonderful act for the school to watch. And mock. And laugh......at. (leaves)

XANDER: No!

===

Here are some more that I like:

The evil, powerful Glory first meets Buffy

The dying Monk explains how they created Buffy's sister

Buffy meets Dracula

The Mayor gives a graduation speech before he ascends to demonhood

Buffy is given the ability to read minds (V.O. = voice over = thoughts)

Buffy reading the teacher's thoughts to one-up an annoying classmate

Buffy's roommate Kathy is annoying, and too nice -- she must be evil

Watchers Wesley and Giles are captured by the demon Balthazar

Buffy's impression of Ghandi

Willow is nervous about her new skills at witchcraft

Three would-be-evil nerds have hired a demon to rob a bank

Just because Buffy is partly a farce, does not make it bad. Half of Shakespeare's plays were farces. You have to listen to the dialogue, with it's double entendres, comic timing, and cultural references, or watch the way the show toys with our expectations about the horror gendre. It really is ingeneous.

Also, while she may not be Meryl Streep, Sarah Michelle Gellar is a fine actress. So are the rest of the cast. Again, you have to remember that the show is part farce -- most of the time they're not supposed to be taking themselves too seriously. But to really appreciate what they can do, you have to watch some of the seriously dramatic scenes. In SMG's case, for example, that might include scenes such as when Buffy's mother died (I've never seen it done better), or when Buffy is going to sacrifice herself for her sister Dawn, or when Buffy is sitting with the "dying" robot girlfriend (which was an obvious nod to Of Mice And Men).

To give you more of an idea, I'll close with some samples:

===

[Buffy's Watcher, Giles, is watching auditions for the school talent show...]

BUFFY: If it isn't the great producer!

XANDER: Had to see this to believe it.

GILES: Oh. You three.

BUFFY: The school talent show. How ever did you finagle such a primo assignment?

GILES: Our new Führer, Mr. Snyder.

WILLOW: I think they call 'em 'principals' now.

GILES: Mm. He thought it would behoove me to have more contact with the students. I did try to explain that my vocational choice of librarian was a deliberate attempt to minimize said contact, but, uh, he would have none of it.

BUFFY: Giles, unto every generation is born one who must run the annual talentless show. You cannot escape your destiny.

GILES: If you had any shred of decency, you would have participated, or at least, um, helped.

BUFFY: Nah! I think I'll take on your traditional role... and watch!

XANDER: And mock!

WILLOW: And laugh!

BUFFY: O-kay. I think maybe we better leave our Mr. Giles to this business he calls a show.

(The three of them get up and start back up the aisle. Principal Snyder is waiting there for them.)

BUFFY: Principal Snyder!

SNYDER: So. We think school events are stupid, and we think authority figures are to be made fun of.

BUFFY: No! No, we don't. W-unless you do.

SNYDER: And we think our afternoon classes are optional. All three of you left campus yesterday.

BUFFY: Yeah, but we were fighting a demon...

SNYDER: Fighting?

BUFFY: Not fighting.

XANDER: No, we, uh, left to *avoid* fighting.

SNYDER: Real anti-social types. You need to integrate into this school, people. I think I just found three eager new participants for the talent show.

BUFFY: What?

XANDER: No!

WILLOW: Please?

SNYDER: I've been watching you three. Always getting into one scrape or another.

BUFFY: Well, we're really, really sorry, but about the talent show, pleeease, you can't make us...

SNYDER: (interrupts) My predecessor, Mr. Flutie, may have gone in for all that touchy-feely relating nonsense, but he was eaten. You're in *my* world now. And Sunnydale has touched and felt for the last time.

XANDER: Can I just mention, that detention is a time-honored form of punishment?

SNYDER: I know the three of you will come up with a wonderful act for the school to watch. And mock. And laugh......at. (leaves)

XANDER: No!

===

Here are some more that I like:

The evil, powerful Glory first meets Buffy

The dying Monk explains how they created Buffy's sister

Buffy meets Dracula

The Mayor gives a graduation speech before he ascends to demonhood

Buffy is given the ability to read minds (V.O. = voice over = thoughts)

Buffy reading the teacher's thoughts to one-up an annoying classmate

Buffy's roommate Kathy is annoying, and too nice -- she must be evil

Watchers Wesley and Giles are captured by the demon Balthazar

Buffy's impression of Ghandi

Willow is nervous about her new skills at witchcraft

Three would-be-evil nerds have hired a demon to rob a bank

Just because Buffy is partly a farce, does not make it bad. Half of Shakespeare's plays were farces. You have to listen to the dialogue, with it's double entendres, comic timing, and cultural references, or watch the way the show toys with our expectations about the horror gendre. It really is ingeneous.

Also, while she may not be Meryl Streep, Sarah Michelle Gellar is a fine actress. So are the rest of the cast. Again, you have to remember that the show is part farce -- most of the time they're not supposed to be taking themselves too seriously. But to really appreciate what they can do, you have to watch some of the seriously dramatic scenes. In SMG's case, for example, that might include scenes such as when Buffy's mother died (I've never seen it done better), or when Buffy is going to sacrifice herself for her sister Dawn, or when Buffy is sitting with the "dying" robot girlfriend (which was an obvious nod to Of Mice And Men).

To give you more of an idea, I'll close with some samples:

===

[Buffy's Watcher, Giles, is watching auditions for the school talent show...]

BUFFY: If it isn't the great producer!

XANDER: Had to see this to believe it.

GILES: Oh. You three.

BUFFY: The school talent show. How ever did you finagle such a primo assignment?

GILES: Our new Führer, Mr. Snyder.

WILLOW: I think they call 'em 'principals' now.

GILES: Mm. He thought it would behoove me to have more contact with the students. I did try to explain that my vocational choice of librarian was a deliberate attempt to minimize said contact, but, uh, he would have none of it.

BUFFY: Giles, unto every generation is born one who must run the annual talentless show. You cannot escape your destiny.

GILES: If you had any shred of decency, you would have participated, or at least, um, helped.

BUFFY: Nah! I think I'll take on your traditional role... and watch!

XANDER: And mock!

WILLOW: And laugh!

BUFFY: O-kay. I think maybe we better leave our Mr. Giles to this business he calls a show.

(The three of them get up and start back up the aisle. Principal Snyder is waiting there for them.)

BUFFY: Principal Snyder!

SNYDER: So. We think school events are stupid, and we think authority figures are to be made fun of.

BUFFY: No! No, we don't. W-unless you do.

SNYDER: And we think our afternoon classes are optional. All three of you left campus yesterday.

BUFFY: Yeah, but we were fighting a demon...

SNYDER: Fighting?

BUFFY: Not fighting.

XANDER: No, we, uh, left to *avoid* fighting.

SNYDER: Real anti-social types. You need to integrate into this school, people. I think I just found three eager new participants for the talent show.

BUFFY: What?

XANDER: No!

WILLOW: Please?

SNYDER: I've been watching you three. Always getting into one scrape or another.

BUFFY: Well, we're really, really sorry, but about the talent show, pleeease, you can't make us...

SNYDER: (interrupts) My predecessor, Mr. Flutie, may have gone in for all that touchy-feely relating nonsense, but he was eaten. You're in *my* world now. And Sunnydale has touched and felt for the last time.

XANDER: Can I just mention, that detention is a time-honored form of punishment?

SNYDER: I know the three of you will come up with a wonderful act for the school to watch. And mock. And laugh......at. (leaves)

XANDER: No!

===

Here are some more that I like:

The evil, powerful Glory first meets Buffy

The dying Monk explains how they created Buffy's sister

Buffy meets Dracula

The Mayor gives a graduation speech before he ascends to demonhood

Buffy is given the ability to read minds (V.O. = voice over = thoughts)

Buffy reading the teacher's thoughts to one-up an annoying classmate

Buffy's roommate Kathy is annoying, and too nice -- she must be evil

Watchers Wesley and Giles are captured by the demon Balthazar

Buffy's impression of Ghandi

Willow is nervous about her new skills at witchcraft

Three would-be-evil nerds have hired a demon to rob a bank

Just because Buffy is partly a farce, does not make it bad. Half of Shakespeare's plays were farces. You have to listen to the dialogue, with it's double entendres, comic timing, and cultural references, or watch the way the show toys with our expectations about the horror gendre. It really is ingeneous.

Also, while she may not be Meryl Streep, Sarah Michelle Gellar is a fine actress. So are the rest of the cast. Again, you have to remember that the show is part farce -- most of the time they're not supposed to be taking themselves too seriously. But to really appreciate what they can do, you have to watch some of the seriously dramatic scenes. In SMG's case, for example, that might include scenes such as when Buffy's mother died (I've never seen it done better), or when Buffy is going to sacrifice herself for her sister Dawn, or when Buffy is sitting with the "dying" robot girlfriend (which was an obvious nod to Of Mice And Men).

To give you more of an idea, I'll close with some samples:

===

[Buffy's Watcher, Giles, is watching auditions for the school talent show...]

BUFFY: If it isn't the great producer!

XANDER: Had to see this to believe it.

GILES: Oh. You three.

BUFFY: The school talent show. How ever did you finagle such a primo assignment?

GILES: Our new Führer, Mr. Snyder.

WILLOW: I think they call 'em 'principals' now.

GILES: Mm. He thought it would behoove me to have more contact with the students. I did try to explain that my vocational choice of librarian was a deliberate attempt to minimize said contact, but, uh, he would have none of it.

BUFFY: Giles, unto every generation is born one who must run the annual talentless show. You cannot escape your destiny.

GILES: If you had any shred of decency, you would have participated, or at least, um, helped.

BUFFY: Nah! I think I'll take on your traditional role... and watch!

XANDER: And mock!

WILLOW: And laugh!

BUFFY: O-kay. I think maybe we better leave our Mr. Giles to this business he calls a show.

(The three of them get up and start back up the aisle. Principal Snyder is waiting there for them.)

BUFFY: Principal Snyder!

SNYDER: So. We think school events are stupid, and we think authority figures are to be made fun of.

BUFFY: No! No, we don't. W-unless you do.

SNYDER: And we think our afternoon classes are optional. All three of you left campus yesterday.

BUFFY: Yeah, but we were fighting a demon...

SNYDER: Fighting?

BUFFY: Not fighting.

XANDER: No, we, uh, left to *avoid* fighting.

SNYDER: Real anti-social types. You need to integrate into this school, people. I think I just found three eager new participants for the talent show.

BUFFY: What?

XANDER: No!

WILLOW: Please?

SNYDER: I've been watching you three. Always getting into one scrape or another.

BUFFY: Well, we're really, really sorry, but about the talent show, pleeease, you can't make us...

SNYDER: (interrupts) My predecessor, Mr. Flutie, may have gone in for all that touchy-feely relating nonsense, but he was eaten. You're in *my* world now. And Sunnydale has touched and felt for the last time.

XANDER: Can I just mention, that detention is a time-honored form of punishment?

SNYDER: I know the three of you will come up with a wonderful act for the school to watch. And mock. And laugh......at. (leaves)

XANDER: No!

===

Here are some more that I like:

The evil, powerful Glory first meets Buffy

The dying Monk explains how they created Buffy's sister

Buffy meets Dracula

The Mayor gives a graduation speech before he ascends to demonhood

Buffy is given the ability to read minds (V.O. = voice over = thoughts)

Buffy reading the teacher's thoughts to one-up an annoying classmate

Buffy's roommate Kathy is annoying, and too nice -- she must be evil

Watchers Wesley and Giles are captured by the demon Balthazar

Buffy's impression of Ghandi

Willow is nervous about her new skills at witchcraft

Three would-be-evil nerds have hired a demon to rob a bank

Just because Buffy is partly a farce, does not make it bad. Half of Shakespeare's plays were farces. You have to listen to the dialogue, with it's double entendres, comic timing, and cultural references, or watch the way the show toys with our expectations about the horror gendre. It really is ingeneous.

Also, while she may not be Meryl Streep, Sarah Michelle Gellar is a fine actress. So are the rest of the cast. Again, you have to remember that the show is part farce -- most of the time they're not supposed to be taking themselves too seriously. But to really appreciate what they can do, you have to watch some of the seriously dramatic scenes. In SMG's case, for example, that might include scenes such as when Buffy's mother died (I've never seen it done better), or when Buffy is going to sacrifice herself for her sister Dawn, or when Buffy is sitting with the "dying" robot girlfriend (which was an obvious nod to Of Mice And Men).

To give you more of an idea, I'll close with some samples:

===

[Buffy's Watcher, Giles, is watching auditions for the school talent show...]

BUFFY: If it isn't the great producer!

XANDER: Had to see this to believe it.

GILES: Oh. You three.

BUFFY: The school talent show. How ever did you finagle such a primo assignment?

GILES: Our new Führer, Mr. Snyder.

WILLOW: I think they call 'em 'principals' now.

GILES: Mm. He thought it would behoove me to have more contact with the students. I did try to explain that my vocational choice of librarian was a deliberate attempt to minimize said contact, but, uh, he would have none of it.

BUFFY: Giles, unto every generation is born one who must run the annual talentless show. You cannot escape your destiny.

GILES: If you had any shred of decency, you would have participated, or at least, um, helped.

BUFFY: Nah! I think I'll take on your traditional role... and watch!

XANDER: And mock!

WILLOW: And laugh!

BUFFY: O-kay. I think maybe we better leave our Mr. Giles to this business he calls a show.

(The three of them get up and start back up the aisle. Principal Snyder is waiting there for them.)

BUFFY: Principal Snyder!

SNYDER: So. We think school events are stupid, and we think authority figures are to be made fun of.

BUFFY: No! No, we don't. W-unless you do.

SNYDER: And we think our afternoon classes are optional. All three of you left campus yesterday.

BUFFY: Yeah, but we were fighting a demon...

SNYDER: Fighting?

BUFFY: Not fighting.

XANDER: No, we, uh, left to *avoid* fighting.

SNYDER: Real anti-social types. You need to integrate into this school, people. I think I just found three eager new participants for the talent show.

BUFFY: What?

XANDER: No!

WILLOW: Please?

SNYDER: I've been watching you three. Always getting into one scrape or another.

BUFFY: Well, we're really, really sorry, but about the talent show, pleeease, you can't make us...

SNYDER: (interrupts) My predecessor, Mr. Flutie, may have gone in for all that touchy-feely relating nonsense, but he was eaten. You're in *my* world now. And Sunnydale has touched and felt for the last time.

XANDER: Can I just mention, that detention is a time-honored form of punishment?

SNYDER: I know the three of you will come up with a wonderful act for the school to watch. And mock. And laugh......at. (leaves)

XANDER: No!

===

Here are some more that I like:

The evil, powerful Glory first meets Buffy

The dying Monk explains how they created Buffy's sister

Buffy meets Dracula

The Mayor gives a graduation speech before he ascends to demonhood

Buffy is given the ability to read minds (V.O. = voice over = thoughts)

Buffy reading the teacher's thoughts to one-up an annoying classmate

Buffy's roommate Kathy is annoying, and too nice -- she must be evil

Watchers Wesley and Giles are captured by the demon Balthazar

Buffy's impression of Ghandi

Willow is nervous about her new skills at witchcraft

Three would-be-evil nerds have hired a demon to rob a bank

Some sattelites you don't want to de-spin - like phase 2 and phase 3 sattelites which spin with the earth (or at least they seem to). Of recent concern is AO-10 which apparently is de-spinning by itself. Actually I don't think anyone is too worried about AO-10 anymore since it is a sattelite literally plagued with problems - but it still works! (when its in sunlight that is). But you read about what guys did to get AO-10 and AO-40 running again its pretty amazing nasa like stuff.

Read all about it - here

I was away from my Mac earlier this week, so I didn't get to post in the previous discussion. Here's my $.02 :

1. My favorite NNTP client is a descendant of NewsWatcher, open source for Mac
2. My favorite Telnet client is a descendant of NSCA Telnet, open source for Mac
3. Want other examples? Try VersionTracker. And here's some more.
4. Want to write your own? Apple gives you the tools.

As the above poster pointed out, DSL emits imperial buttloads (bigger than your puny metric buttload!) of RF. Our ILEC is Sprint; after CStone had about a half-dozen of these "DSL" installs, Sprint figured it out and told them it was a service outside the tariff specs, it was causing noise on other lines in the same sheath, and they wouldn't be doing any more dry-pair installs for CStone as a result. There was a bunch of other maeuvering but I can't go into detail as it was specified that it was all "off the record" during the conversations I had.

My personal opinion is yes, it causes quality problems, but Sprint came down hard on it not because of the quality (which they manifestly don't care about, judging by my experiences with them) but because they realized they were missing out (they had several months yet until their own DSL service was launched).

CStone was recently bought by a regional CLEC/ISP/cableco, so theoretically they might get to slap their brand on CFW-provided DSL at some point. CFW's been doing DSL here since March of last year and (apart from various incompetence with actually getting an install tech out!) I love it to death. 768K for $70.00/mo. (384K for $50) -- my friends in Northern Virginia hate me :-)

Summary: Don't abuse it or you'll lose it.

I've never set up PGP because it's pointless. Until we get really good IP-level encryption and logically-impenetrable software (yeah, this *does* require that your assumptions are accurate) at a consumer level, PGP is a strong point...but surrounded by thousands of holes.

This is true, but misses the point.

PGP software should be seamless. I may be greedy, but I want zero effort on my part to use it.

You are being greedy. Public key encryption, like door locks, require a bit of effort to use. That said, I found PGP5's plugin for Eudora on Windows to be pretty close to seamless--point, click, enter passphrase.

Speaking of, why are we pushing pgp? gpg is a free, GLP'd implementation that doesn't involve patented algoritms. A much better option on Linux, anyway.

ssh without authentication...I shouldn't have to establish and propogate private keys then when
installing ssh. That would be nice.

The default setup just asks you if you want to trust this host when it seens a key it doesn't recognize. You can always say 'yes' if you want that level of security.

I have to use a remote college box via unencrypted telnet.

That's too bad. You could always ask them to install something safer...my remote college box turned out to have it installed already. :)

BTW, there is a version of telnet hacked up to use SSL (if it's available) which makes a nice drop-in replacement. I've only used the version that comes with Debian, and don't see the original off hand. However, you can get the source here, or read about it here. It requires support at both ends, though, so it's only helpful if the server admin is friendly.

Using the Mac SSH *is* a PAIN. Especially since BetterTelnet is the best Mac telnet, and I don't know whether it supports the same plug-ins that NCSA Telnet and NiftyTelnet does.

Hmm, what do you like so much about BetterTelnet? I gave up waiting for ssh support and switched to NiftyTelnet some time ago. I haven't had any trouble with it. (here's the encrypting version) BTW, the BetterTelnet faq seems to indicate that there is a working plugin, but doesn't say were to get it. That's an improvement over the last time I checked.

Just trying to help you feel less down on yourself. :)