Yeah, but how much of an undo button is the complete happiness clause?

This is a creature who is now tortured all the time. His conscience stops him from doing what his nature (vampyric nature) is driving him to do (kill and eat people), while he feels guilty over all the people he has already killed. He's got an insatiable bloodlust, an insatiable conscience, and a horrific past. How is this vampire, who needs blood to stay alive, and wants to kill, almost as much as he does not want to kill supposed to reach this level of happiness?

I'm saying it seems like a technical undo button that you'd put there because there was some benefit to having a built-in undo button and a reduction of The Consequences of Magic is the best reason I can come up with.

Oh, I think I see the escape clause differently. I don't actually see it as an escape clause even, I just use those terms, because that's how it's always discussed.

To me, the soul-losing seems more like a result, rather than an undo button. In other words, it just happens. The curse fails if the vampire gets completely happy. The curse is fueled by vengeance, and the point of the curse--vengeance's aim--is to make the vampire suffer for his crimes for all eternity. If he gets happy, he defeats vengeance. Vengeance is the power that summoned the soul from the ether in the first place. Once it's defeated, the soul goes back out.

That probably makes no sense to anyone other than me.

edited to speak English good.

It makes total sense to me. Of course I agree, so I might be biased about the sense-making.

Not really news, but Joss says the buffyverse will definitely be back on tv one day: [link]

ETA: Possible casting spoilers for Veronica Mars and Lost in the sidebar of that page.

Maybe it is the animated series...

Or maybe it's the Spike movie he spoke to Tim about.

Maybe it is the animated series

I hope so. It sounds better to me than any likely spinoffs (except maybe Ripper). Always has.

Jesus, anything but a fucking spike movie. How long can they keep flogging that undead horse?

I'm tired of grading exams. Nothing much happening on the list, so I might as well amuse myself. Here are my top 10 things I learned from watching Buffy and Angel. Sort of in order.
10. When there's a knock on your door, don't say "Come in," say "Who is it?" And keep Mr. Pointy handy, just in case.
9. You don't have to be a superhero to be a hero (sounds like the tagline for a movie I didn't see).
8. Crucial victories are won not by the strong, but by the smart.
7. The only way to cope with really serious things is to not take yourself too seriously.
6. You won't last long without friends.
5. We each have a responsibility to fight for what's right, in proportion to the gifts we've been given.
4. We bear responsibility for the damage we do, but forgiveness makes it possible to bear that burden.
3. Knowledge is power.
2. The demon within each of us cannot be hidden nor destroyed, but it can be conquered.
1. Ugly monsters aren't as dangerous as human beings who choose to hurt rather than help.