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Post by Girl Power on Mar 1, 2006 11:30:02 GMT -5
If you could be any actor or actress out of the Buffyverse who would you be? I would never want to be an actress. I wouldn't want to have to obsess about my looks like that. I modeled a bit in high school, and I hated it. Modeling and acting are mean and shallow businesses. I woudn't want to have to constantly worry about my weight and every detail of my appearance like that again. Plus, acting is full of rejection and cruelty, even for the successful people. I also think that being famous would be a nightmare. It draws the attention of creepy stalkers and invasive paparazzi. No thanks to that swap. I'm happy being me. The main thing I'd change if I could, is I wouldn't have this terrible back pain I've had since I had a car accident over 4 years ago.
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Post by Girl Power on Mar 1, 2006 12:01:44 GMT -5
Like a lot of people in the US, I consider myself spiritual, but not religious. My father was actually a minister. I was raised with a lot of religion and bible quoting. My own spiritual journey has been very active. I've read a lot, studied a lot, learned meditation, which I practice every day. I think it's myopic to believe in a religion just because your parents taught you that it's the right religion, or someone came to your door and told you that they have have the right religion. Every religion thinks that they are the only right way. Maybe all of them have some truth, or maybe none of them do. Who can tell? Unless you've actually died, you can't know what comes after death. Religions have been erected and perpetuated for power and personal gain. Even if a religion was started with spiritual truths, the organization eventually becomes corrupt on power and the desire to self-perpetuate. I've seen a lot of crazy stuff that goes on behind the scenes of different churches and spiritual organizations. While people have written volumes and libraries on theology, I think it's just conjecture and theory. I'm most interested in the testimony of people who have died and come back from the dead. To me, that is hearing it from the horse's mouth. I've read a lot on the subject. I've met a few people who experienced it for themselves, including my grandfather, a very religious, fundamentalist Christian. Across history, cultures, and religions, people who have had near death experiences have a few commonalities in their stories. They all say the same thing: that after death they see their lives flash before them and they are asked the same two things: 1. What have you learned? and 2. How well have you loved/treated others? Those are the two guiding principles I live life by. And if, in the end, it turns out that there is no God or life after death, I still think it's a good way to have lived. That's my story.
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Post by Girl Power on Mar 1, 2006 12:45:18 GMT -5
Ah! This is so much fun! I love your answers^^ - Okay, if you could go back to High School, what would you do different? Digi, I love speculation about going back to the past and doing things differently. It's so fun! First off, I really would not want to go back to high school, even if I could keep all the knowledge that I have now. I wouldn't want to have to sit in school all day, then have to go home to a long night of homework. I think we expect more from high schoolers than any other age group. At least in college, your classes are sporadic, even if you have to study a lot. And I'd hate to have to deal with politics of mean teenagers, cliques, etc. Mostly, I'd hate to be under the thumb of my family again. I've worked hard to make separations from the abusive members of my family and set healthy boundaries with my mom. But if I had to go back, there's a ton of stuff I would do differently. Where do I start? Oh God, I wouldn't get those bad 80s perms! What a waste of time and money! In fact, I would change everything about how I took care of myself in terms of food and daily routine. I know a lot more about how to feel good and look good with low maintenance. More protein, less empty carbs like pasta and potatoes. I wouldn't waste hours washing and blow drying my hair every day. It just took my time and damaged my hair. Then I could sleep an extra hour and a half every day. I was always sleep deprived in high school. I wouldn't have dumped that sweet boyfriend when I was 15. What a mistake. And if I found myself single anyway, there were several other guys who were devoted to me that I would give a chance this time around. I wasted too much time and energy on the unavailable bad boys back then. I'd be nicer to my mom. I'd invest some of my spending money in Microsoft (well, why not?) If life gave you lemons, what'd you make? Lemon meringue pie. I love that stuff! If you were a twin, would you have wacky adventures like the Olsen Twins? I'm glad I'm not a twin. I hope to never do anything like the Olsen twins. They might be rich, but they seem tortured. Look at their faces? Do they look happy? If you could be ANY demon on Buffy/Angel, who would you pick? I wouldn't want to be a demon, because I wouldn't want to be evil. So I guess if I had to be a demon, I'd have to be Spike or Angel. Or maybe I could be Darla with a soul. That'd be cool! I've recently been thinking that if I were a vampire, I'd go after all the child molesters and rapists in the world. If you have to kill someone, go for the people that need to be gone. I don't believe in murder. This is purely hypothetical.
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Post by Justhad on Mar 1, 2006 12:54:50 GMT -5
Darn.. I guess I should pick other questions...
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Post by Girl Power on Mar 1, 2006 12:57:19 GMT -5
I'm curious about California. How many places have you lived in Cali? Is it the best place in the US to live ever? Name something you do NOT like about your area. Thanks. Until I was 9, I lived in a rural town in northern California. When my parents divorced, we moved to Sacramento. My mom moved us to South Korea when I was 12 because she fell in love with a Korean man (who is now my stepdad). We moved back to Sacramento when I was 13. I went to college in the San Francisco Bay area. I lived in Oakland, Berkeley, and Emeryville, which is on the edge of the bay. I loved the Bay Area, but after a while the crowds and inconvenience got to me. I've also lived in Santa Barbara. It's gorgeous and amazing there. In fact, Joss Whedon has said that Santa Barbara is where Sunnydale would be. SB is on the ocean with all Spanish architecture. I lived in the eastern, inland part of the LA area. The pollution gave me a headache every day. I live in San Diego and absolutely love it. The real estate is more expensive than I'd like, but otherwise it's perfect for me. The weather is gorgeous. I'm a few blocks from the beach. The people are pretty nice. I can't think of anything I don't like. Some parts of San Diego, like La Jolla and Del Mar, are elitist and snobby, but I avoid those areas. I have also lived in Philadelphia, Washington DC, Minneapolis, and Washington state. I like California the best of all. It's more laid back with better weather.
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Post by Girl Power on Mar 1, 2006 12:58:54 GMT -5
Darn.. I guess I should pick other questions... Oh no, Hadley, I'm just about to get to the more in depth questions, like yours and capnperoxide's. I'm sorry! I wasn't ignoring you, I swear!
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Post by Girl Power on Mar 1, 2006 13:16:25 GMT -5
**Gosh! I'm so excited! I'm a huge Maria fan!! I don't know what to say, Hadley. I appreciate your kindness and support. I spent all evening thinking about your amazing questions. You really made me think. Most of my other answers are things I've already thought about. But you challenged me in a great way. So please don't think that I was ignoring your questions! They just required me to go inward for a bit. Who do you think exhibits the greatest example of 'girl power'? Hadley, I think this is the hardest question I've had. I've answered it in some ways already. But the ultimate of all time? I thought about this last night and I think it's individual. It's whoever speaks to the individual woman. For a woman who is out of touch were her own sense of self and sense of power, then an aggressive role model can help her learn to be assertive and take care of herself. Tragically, I've counseled countless women who have basically been socialized to be victims of abuse. So many families and religions still teach women that they must endure abuse and rape from their partners or families. I've been shocked at how many women believe that they need to keep trying harder to not provoke an abuser. Meanwhile, he abuser is this narcissisitic, sometimes psychopathic horror of a human being. And the women fail to get angry or give the abuser any responsibility for the abuse. It's the craziest thing I've ever seen. Listening to hour after hour of sotries about different women being beaten, raped, and imprisoned by husbands, boyfriends and fathers gave me a whole different perspective on just how much pain is still being inflicted in this world. For women who have no sense of self and belief in their own right to stand up for themselves, Xena, Tina Turner, or Hillary Clinton might be good examples of female assertiveness. But of course, some women are angry and abusive themselves. This is not a male trait, it's a human problem. Women who are selfish and cruel can learn from the female power of compassion and empathy. Kuan Yin, Mother Theresa, Mother Mary are good role models for that. I think that Oprah is a great balance of so many female qualities, from personal power, to empathy, generosity, philanthropy, devotion, self-care, and openness about her own demons. Here is a woman from the least powerful group in our society, an impoverished black girl. Yes somehow she believed in herself enough to pursue education and career, ultimately becoming the opening for a movement of massive personal growth of the mainstream of our society. Damn. She's just incredible. More answers are coming for you, Hadley. These really have required me to dig deep.
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Post by Justhad on Mar 1, 2006 13:16:27 GMT -5
Darn.. I guess I should pick other questions... Oh no, Hadley, I'm just about to get to the more in depth questions, like yours and capnperoxide's. I'm sorry! I wasn't ignoring you, I swear! Oh! Ok! I didn't know if I'd done something wrong or not... I hope they're ok Maria - thanks for looking them over
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Post by Girl Power on Mar 1, 2006 13:33:45 GMT -5
How did you get into your line of work? Well, I have several lines of work. I'm a writer. I've ghost-written several books and co-authored a couple more. People always told me I should be a writer when I was growing up. I resisted it. I thought there was no money it. Plus, I hate when people put me in a box or tell me what I should do. I have authority issues. I wanted to be a lawyer who represented women in divorces. That desire started when I was 10 year old as a result of my parents very ugly divorce. Then it morphed into wanting to be a high powered corporate attorney when I was going through my super shallow high school faze. In college, I decided that I wanted to prosecute child molesters. It's ironic, because later that's what my sister ended up doing. But when I got into he pre law classes in college, they bored me to tears. I only enjoyed writing the papers. I also realized that I didn't enjoy conflict. I had always thought I liked it, because I was raised at it and I was good at it. So I changed my major to English literature. I became instantly happier! It's amazing how good it feels when you find yourself on the right path. As far as the therapy line of work, I've been writing professionally for almost 10 years. I've had a lot of therapy and done personal and spiritual healing work ever since I graduated from college. My personal goal has always been to be happy. I was not happy growing up in a very cruel, compassionless family. My own path has made me want to write books to help people, especially women, heal from abuse and trauma. More recently, I've wanted to write relationships books. So I pursued my masters degree a few years ago. My husband and I are about half way through with our first relationship book. The book I"m the most proud of doing up to this point is one I did a major rewrite on a few years back. I wrote over half of the content, and put in some of my favorite inspirational quotes. It's called Life as a Daymaker by David Wagner. It was a ghost project, so my name isn't mentioned in the book, but it is very representative of my philosophy and writing. What do you think is your most inspirational quote? I thought about this question for a long time last night, Hadley. I have tons of them, but I think the one that inspires me the most living in this nasty world of pain is one from Angel: I don't have the exact quote on this computer, but it goes something like this: "There must be people who act like the world is the way it should be, to show it what it can be." Angel to Connor.
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Post by The Second Evil on Mar 1, 2006 14:23:26 GMT -5
What's your view on having Plastic Surgery? Chocolate Ice Cream or Strawberry? When did you have your first kiss? Do you like drinking milk? What's your favourite Michael Jackson song?
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Post by AngelAficionado on Mar 1, 2006 15:15:23 GMT -5
Show and tell day at BtVSFigs: What would you bring, and what would the story behind it be? Has Serenity changed your opinion of Firefly as a show? I remember a while back you weren't all that taken with it.. Simon or River Tam? Traditional bow and arrow, or mechanical bolt-thrower (sorry, I'm on a slight Serenity buzz here)? What would constitute a perfect date for you? On the flip, what's the worst date you could imagine? What do you look for in a friend? Do you sometimes feel that academic studies are unfairly viewed as "superior" to creative endeavours? Thanks!
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Post by Girl Power on Mar 1, 2006 16:40:20 GMT -5
If you could meet with anyone dead or alive who would it be? Jesus. I'd love to know if he existed in any semblance of how the bible tells it. And I'd love to hear it from the prophet's mouth, so to speak, without two thousand years of corrupt church elders filtering the message for their own ends. What literary character would you compare yourself to? I had to take a break to think about this question. That's really hard. I came up with Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing. I relate to how she is fallible, but fun, clever, and tries to do the right thing. If you could give the women of the world one super power, what would it be? The power to let go of their fantasy of love and to love others just as they are. And on that note, what was your reaction to the end of "Chosen" where girls around the world were given the power to "fight back?" [/quote] I especially loved the girl in the trailer who stopped her father from beating her. I also loved the little leaguer who got that feisty look in her eyes. But, honestly, I was mainly concerned with the battle and with Buffy having the support. I loved to see all those insecure Potentials get the power. But I've never really thought of it in the terms of the women of the world fighting back before. That's a lovely way to look at it. With so much violence against women the whole world over, it'd be nice if we had the physical power to stop it.
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Post by mothperson on Mar 1, 2006 16:49:54 GMT -5
Do you have an emergency plan/kit for a major earthquake?
Have you ever not baked any cookies out of a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough, but eaten the whole thing raw?
If you had the power to change one aspect of the human psyche, what would it be?
You're on the Poseidon, and you can only save one person out of the following three: Martha Stewart, George W. Bush, Hilary Clinton. Which?
We are totally dependent on China now for all our toys. Thoughts?
What are your favorite flowers?
Okay, least objectionable insect?
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Post by BuffyFanOne on Mar 1, 2006 16:59:15 GMT -5
Seeing as it is your screen name and ties directly into your profession, How do you feel about the Spice Girls? They sorta' brought the phrase "Girl Power" into public conciousness but I can't decide if it was in a positive way.
PS: I am a huge Mariah fan too. Great answers so far!!!
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Post by Girl Power on Mar 1, 2006 17:26:41 GMT -5
LOL, I don't think I rate fandom, but I appreciate the support! I'm just a dorky 35 year old with a mad action figure habit. I'm glad to be among friends who understand the action figure thing. No one else I know gets it! Sharon, your questions and Hadley's were the most intimidating. I couldn't choose a Spike moment and wasn't sure if I could explain my love of Sting with any rationality. With Hadley's, I really had to think things to figure out my answers. That's why it took me so long to answer you both. Hey Maria, Since we have some things in common already (esp. the long answer thingy) I know you'll have some detailed answers to these. - Favorite Sting song and why? Fragile is my favorite. The lyrics are amazing, but that's not why I love it. It's the music. It has this exquisite Spanish guitar. Every notes resonates through my being. It's hypnotic. I feel like I'm floating when I listen to it. Sting's solo work is very seductive and spiritual. I feel like it is transcendent as no other music I've ever heard. Sting's music has added a beauty and texture to my life that I would never have known otherwise. It's like a door to a dimension I couldn't have seen any other way. Does that makes sense? All other music is just music to me. His is an elevating experience. Favorite Spike moment and why? This one was really hard for me to choose! I love them all, even when he was being so sick and dysfunctional with Buffy in season 6. One of my favorites was in season 4 when Spike came back to Sunnydale and gave his little speech standing on the hill as Buffy walked away, then as he says, "cuz the big bad is back, and this time -" then the Initiative soldiers blast him with the tasers and he falls to the ground convulsing. But I love his magnanimous moments too, like his speech to Buffy in the bedroom in Touched. "You're a helluva woman." His refusal to reveal Dawn as the Key when Glory is beating him in Tough Love. His glorious finale in fire in Chosen. I also loved the Just Rewards episode, with he and Angel taking on the Necromancer. "I'm his date." And when Spike is in the Necromancer's body and Angel cuts off his head, so Spike's head is sticking out of the Necromancer's body, and Spike admits that the guy's been dead since his head hit the table, so Spike's been fighting Angel with the body. LMAO. Everything with Angel was great. Everything with Buffy was great. OH! The one my husband always talks about is in Triangle when the Troll asks Xander and Spike where he can get some succulent babies and Spike asks Xander all casually, "What do you think? Hospital then?" In that same episode when Xander's complaining about how Willow doesn't like Anya and Spike says, "I know what you mean, not a lot of people got Dru." Then Xander says, "Well, she was crazy." LMFAO. See, you get me started on Spike and I can't stop! If you had to re-live one day over and over again, tell us about it. I don't know if I'd want to live any day over and over, but if I had to, I'd want it to be with my husband and dog. That's pretty much how most of my days are anyway. Maybe the day when I almost met Sting, but couldn't get up the nerve to introduce myself. Then I'd work up the nerve to introduce myself. Cole or Dr. Christian Troy (reasons)? Cole all the way. I think Christian is a really awful person. He might be hot-looking, but he's a callous, vicious narcissist. Cole had anger issues, and the pesky demon thing at times, but his love for Phoebe was pure. Plus, I liked his hair better then. Favorite restaurant in California,-best thing to have there? My favorite one is up in Santa Barbara. It's called the Sojourner. Everything there is awesome. I especially love the tempeh tacos, Indian daal, and all their salads. In San Diego, my favorite restaurant is Onaami. It's an amazing Japanese buffet. It's even my stepdad's favorite restaurant, though he lives up in Sacramento. What perfect moment of happiness would make you lose your soul? Gosh, I hope none! Lots of things make me happy. But seeing my grandfather again would be amazing. He was the inspiration of my life and I still miss him every day. The world is worse off without him, in my opinion. At least my world is. Which Sex and the City gal are you most like (of course, why) I think I have Samanth's courage (but not sluttiness), Charlotte's heart (but not penchant for rules and traditions), and Carries tendency to analyze and question. But, I hope I'm not as shallow as any of them. I love how both Samantha and Charlotte dress, but not Carrie. I don't like anything about Miranda.
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Post by Girl Power on Mar 1, 2006 17:45:01 GMT -5
What's your view on having Plastic Surgery? I used to be against it, but I think that a lot of people have positive experiences. I try not to judge people's choices. None of us really know what it's like to walk in another person's shoes. In a society that values people so heavily on youth and appearance, I think that it makes sense that people would want to change their outward appearance. But clearly, the society is getting more and more shallow. Unfortunately, people use it to obsess even more about their bodies, which, IMO, is not the part that counts. I think that the increasingly obsession with external perfection is destructive to people's psyches and to achieving truly intimate connections and relationships with others. External beauty is a lie that many people fall for, over and over again. That is the problem. Chocolate Ice Cream or Strawberry? Chocolate is the best! But I also love Breyers strawberry ice cream. When did you have your first kiss? I was 13 and he though I was 15. It was his 18th birthday party. His name was Patrick and he was dreamy! And a fabulous kisser! *looks off in the distance* OK, I'm back. Do you like drinking milk? I drink nonfat, organic milk from cows that are treated well. I used to drink a ton of milk, then I went years without drinking it. Now I drink it more to settle my stomach or with chocolate. What's your favourite Michael Jackson song? I had a big crush on him when I was 13 and Thriller was so big. My favorites are The Way You Make Me Feel and The Man In the Mirror
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Post by Girl Power on Mar 1, 2006 21:45:05 GMT -5
Show and tell day at BtVSFigs: What would you bring, and what would the story behind it be? I think I've already shown and told it all. Pictures of my displays and my dog are the funnest for me to share with the board. Has Serenity changed your opinion of Firefly as a show? I remember a while back you weren't all that taken with it.. To be fair, I had only seen one episode of Firefly. A Firefly fan told me it was the worst episode of the show. I loved Serenity. I would like to watch the whole show on DVD now. I haven't gotten around to it yet. I like River. There's something about a petite little girl who unexpectedly kicks ass. Traditional bow and arrow, or mechanical bolt-thrower (sorry, I'm on a slight Serenity buzz here)? If I had to choose one to defend myself with, I'd go for the scary mechanical thing every time. What would constitute a perfect date for you? On the flip, what's the worst date you could imagine? Hey, I've already been on the worst dates I can imagine. The first one involved going to see Fatal Attraction (this was inthe 80s, when it was first in theaters). At the end of the movie, the guy looked at me and loudly proclaimed, "That's how women are!" Bad choice for a first date movie. Last date we ever had. The other one was much worse. I'd been trying to work things out with a guy I had an intense relationship with. He was really hot and cold. We went to the beach in Santa Barbara for a sunset picnic. As soon as I started unpacking the picnic basket, he got into one of his silent moods. Then as the sun set on this gorgeous beach, he said, "We gotta break up." I don't know what my ideal date would be. I don't tend to put much stock in things being some perfect way. In my experience, trying to make the form perfect usually raises expectations. When you have high expectations, you will always be disappointed. But my ideal "date" after 10 years with the same man would involve going to a good movie and a good restaurant, or eating one of his fabulous home-cooked meals. Cuddling would definitely be a must. We're big cuddlers. What do you look for in a friend? I have different kinds of friends for different parts of my personality. I'm pretty giving as a friend, so I've had a few too many friends who were takers. Now I try to be more aware of that earlier in a friendship. It's always nice to have things in common with friends, but what is more important to me is that they are kind and non-judgmental. I don't have time for people who are going to put me down. I don't do that to others and I don't put up with it from others. I like people who are fun and compassionate. But I have many different kinds of friends. Do you sometimes feel that academic studies are unfairly viewed as "superior" to creative endeavours? I don't know that they are. It depends on the situation. My husband is a very creative person. He was in advertising for many years. He's been the creative director of a couple of big ad agencies. Everything he does is creative. He speaks on creativity and innovation. He does creative work for Bill Murray's minor league baseball teams. I've learned a lot about creativity in the past few years. There can be a lot of money and respect in it. Doing well in school doesn't necessarily mean that you will do well in life. I got straight A's in college. But at the end of it, I looked at my transcript and all the A's I had toiled for over the previous 4 years. I was happy for a few minutes, then felt empty. I realized that I needed to search for happines on a different path than in academic achievement. That was the year that I started learning about meditation and spirituality. Eventually, that path led me to psychology as well. I see a lot of creativity and talent on this board. There are many ways that those skills and instincts can earn people big money out in the real world. I've seen it!
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Post by Girl Power on Mar 1, 2006 21:56:40 GMT -5
Do you have an emergency plan/kit for a major earthquake? Not so much. Earthquakes aren't really something we think about out here in California. They hardly ever happen, and when they do, they aren't generally much at all. I've only been in one big one, the 1989 Santa Cruz quake. I was in Oakland. It was big, but the aftershocks felt bigger, since they were under the fault my college sat on. But we didn't need any kits. Fires are a much bigger threat in California. But every area has its issues. Have you ever not baked any cookies out of a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough, but eaten the whole thing raw? Of course! That's how it tastes best. Why, just last week I bought a roll of Nestle Tollhouse cookie dough and ate it in a couple of days. If you had the power to change one aspect of the human psyche, what would it be? I would make people more empathetic towards each other. Since people can only feel their own feelings, they do not know and often don't care about what others are going through. They dehumanize other people, other groups, other cultures, and other countries. If we had to feel other's feelings, then maybe we'd wouldn't be so fast to emotionally and physically attack others, or ignore their suffering. You're on the Poseidon, and you can only save one person out of the following three: Martha Stewart, George W. Bush, Hilary Clinton. Which? Do I HAVE to save one of them? Really? I don't wanna. We are totally dependent on China now for all our toys. Thoughts? I'd say that we should stop buying toys, but that would be blasphemy! My husband is doing a whole new speech on the dangers of outsourcing and how all Americans have left to do ourselves is innovation. China scares the hell out of me. They commit genocide on their own people, and the rest of the world ignores it. We should not be in bed with them. What are your favorite flowers? White, pink and peach roses. Okay, least objectionable insect? Why ladybugs, of course! OK, after just over a day of this, I'll bet everyone else is as sick of me as I am.
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Post by lostguardian on Mar 1, 2006 22:46:18 GMT -5
Rent or Chicago? Pepsi or Coke? Buffy the vampire slayer or angel the series? Piper, Pheobe, Prue or Piper, Pheobe, Paige? Law and Order SVU or CI Cats or dogs?
Buffy Questions-- Amy madison good or evil? Spike or Angel? Who was best with Willow, oz, tara, or kennedy, or Malcolm:)? Best with Xander, Cordelia or Anya? Buffy or Faith? Should Joyce have ended up with Giles?
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Post by Willfan on Mar 1, 2006 23:05:51 GMT -5
Just wanted to say "cool"! I live in the Bay Area (well, going to colllege here in NY)...grew up in Cupertino (right near San Jose).
Okay....let's think of a good question. If they were to remake a Disney movie in live action, which one would you choose? Who would play in it, what would the tone be...would you change the story? What would it be rated (anything you want)?
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