MIllennium

[methodwriter85]

A figure skater in a Mini Cooper? There's a more gay stereotype out there...I'm just having a hard time coming up with it.

 

JJ's collection of Louis Vuitton purses? Lord knows JJ could afford them. LOL.

 

You gotta admit though Mark, I have their perspective cars nailed. Although the JJ selection comes courtesy of Tommy B, who mentioned Mini-Coopers being driven by some Malibu kids. I saw the 2005 one and I was like, "Damn, that's totally JJ." The car is just flashy enough for JJ, without being over-the-top, and it's also got a European flair that someone like JJ(who probably admires the European figure skating world over the American one) would go for. I can't see JJ driving some American muscle car- that'd be more Darius. Will's more an Hummer SUV-type. JJ's a total compact Euro car type. At the same time, it also illustrates how JJ sort of sticks out in the crowd, not getting the type of car that's typical for young American guys to want to have.

 

John will drive a BMW, while Marie will drive a Prius. I get the feeling that John will be the conservative preppy of that group, while Marie will buck against her mother and become a stoner bohemian hippie girl. One of the running themes in CAP is how much cars reflect the driver, and that's how I see that.

 

Alright, so back to the story...I really enjoyed the fireworks, and the comparison to the story characters who did not make it to 2000. Really heartening. There was so much hope in the United States at the start of 2000 for the new coming decade, and by 2001 a lot of that got shattered with 9/11.

[PrivateTim]

...

Re ch 9:

 

Well, I can think of one reason as to why Robbie can't just fire Carson... Carson could sue Anders-Hayes for sexual harassment and would probably win.

 

And while we are at it, WTF is Robbie sleeping with an employee??? There is not a single Good HR person in this space/time continum that would of allowed that to happen in the first place.

 

I am guessing you don't work in "the industry".

 

The rules are completely different. It doesn't matter what state or federal laws say, Hollywood operates on its own rules and gets away with it because the town is so small, no one can afford to burn bridges.

 

The casting couch isn't just for above the line people.

[PrivateTim]

Okay, am I the only one that sees a problem with Brad taking this kid after giving the church a huge donation??? I can just see some right wing blowhard saying he bought the kid from this church... I think he is doing the right thing but just see where this could give ammunition to someone going after him.

 

When is the next chapter coming out? Today?

 

:D

 

I think the part you don't get maybe is no one gives a crap about these kids except the private agencies that help them.

 

Mark talks about forms and blah blah blah, but they aren't placing kids in foster situations, there are no courts, no social workers, these kids come and go as they please unless the agency helping them has rules about how many times you can split and come back. Some places just offer temp places to stay over night ( Jeff Griffth Youth Center ) and some that are longer term that have strict rules ( Covenant House ).

 

In Drew's case, no one is looking for him, no one cares where he is. His picture isn't on any milk cartons and no Amber Alerts.

[PrivateTim]

Okay, through Ch. 30 and I really wanted to wait until I got through more chapters, before I commented, but I'll explode if I try to hold it in more.

 

Brad it still an out of control, selfish, self absorbed bully and son of a bitch. It is his way or the highway. The deal he made with Robbie was 30 days and then if either one wanted to stop seeing other people, they'd stop. But Robbie actually had THAT deal forced on him, bullied on him by Brad. Robbie said he didn't need to do it, but Brad forced him to just like he forces his will on everyone.

 

Forgive me if I don't shed tears for a 37 year old billionaire with a 9 inch cock and hard body.

 

He should have been in therapy years ago.

 

Brad acts as if this whole issue was Robbie's fault.... oh gives that "no one's perfect" spiel and he is willing to accept 3% of the responsibility, but the way he treats people and lets his temper flash I give him equal share of the blame for the initial problem and the lion's share of the problems since then.

 

He is such a selfish bastard, he hasn't stopped to wonder how his problems with Robbie have effected his kids. He asked one offhanded question to Darius, big whoop. Even though he didn't finish with Matt, he got way far beyond decent and appropriate.

 

And the whole episode with attacking Ferrari is a major outburst worthy of mandated anger management much like his attack on Billy where he ruptured one of Billy's testicles.

[mmike1969]

you have issues Tim... And this is not the first time it's been told to you.

.

.

.

if you have something to say, just Say It! Stop holding back

[methodwriter85]

Forgive me if I don't shed tears for a 37 year old billionaire with a 9 inch cock and hard body.

Don't forget that Brad also has found the secret to anti-aging, as he looks like he's 27. I'm betting that when Will grows up, everyone will think they're brothers instead of father and son. LOL.

 

No, but I have to admit, I'm with you on this. I got really pissed at how Brad didn't even seem to care about what this was doing to his three sons. He gets some inkling of care about his kids later, but for this month or two, Brad was really just a total self-absorbed ass.

[Mark Arbour]

JJ's collection of Louis Vuitton purses? Lord knows JJ could afford them. LOL.

 

You gotta admit though Mark, I have their perspective cars nailed. Although the JJ selection comes courtesy of Tommy B, who mentioned Mini-Coopers being driven by some Malibu kids. I saw the 2005 one and I was like, "Damn, that's totally JJ." The car is just flashy enough for JJ, without being over-the-top, and it's also got a European flair that someone like JJ(who probably admires the European figure skating world over the American one) would go for. I can't see JJ driving some American muscle car- that'd be more Darius. Will's more an Hummer SUV-type. JJ's a total compact Euro car type. At the same time, it also illustrates how JJ sort of sticks out in the crowd, not getting the type of car that's typical for young American guys to want to have.

 

John will drive a BMW, while Marie will drive a Prius. I get the feeling that John will be the conservative preppy of that group, while Marie will buck against her mother and become a stoner bohemian hippie girl. One of the running themes in CAP is how much cars reflect the driver, and that's how I see that.

 

Alright, so back to the story...I really enjoyed the fireworks, and the comparison to the story characters who did not make it to 2000. Really heartening. There was so much hope in the United States at the start of 2000 for the new coming decade, and by 2001 a lot of that got shattered with 9/11.

 

I'm not buying the Hummer either...it's too butch. But I'll worry about that later.

 

 

 

Okay, through Ch. 30 and I really wanted to wait until I got through more chapters, before I commented, but I'll explode if I try to hold it in more.

 

Brad it still an out of control, selfish, self absorbed bully and son of a bitch. It is his way or the highway. The deal he made with Robbie was 30 days and then if either one wanted to stop seeing other people, they'd stop. But Robbie actually had THAT deal forced on him, bullied on him by Brad. Robbie said he didn't need to do it, but Brad forced him to just like he forces his will on everyone.

 

Forgive me if I don't shed tears for a 37 year old billionaire with a 9 inch cock and hard body.

 

He should have been in therapy years ago.

 

Brad acts as if this whole issue was Robbie's fault.... oh gives that "no one's perfect" spiel and he is willing to accept 3% of the responsibility, but the way he treats people and lets his temper flash I give him equal share of the blame for the initial problem and the lion's share of the problems since then.

 

He is such a selfish bastard, he hasn't stopped to wonder how his problems with Robbie have effected his kids. He asked one offhanded question to Darius, big whoop. Even though he didn't finish with Matt, he got way far beyond decent and appropriate.

 

And the whole episode with attacking Ferrari is a major outburst worthy of mandated anger management much like his attack on Billy where he ruptured one of Billy's testicles.

 

 

 

Don't forget that Brad also has found the secret to anti-aging, as he looks like he's 27. I'm betting that when Will grows up, everyone will think they're brothers instead of father and son. LOL.

 

No, but I have to admit, I'm with you on this. I got really pissed at how Brad didn't even seem to care about what this was doing to his three sons. He gets some inkling of care about his kids later, but for this month or two, Brad was really just a total self-absorbed ass.

 

I think that it's easy to see Brad as a complete idiot during that time frame, since that's more or less what I was going for. Look at Brad in "Bloodlines" (where he was a really good step-father to Matt) and "The Box", where he was impulsive yet sympathetic and supportive of Stef. Then contrast that to the Brad of this story, where he's totally unstable. The difference is that he basically lost his partner, and now he's adrift. He's one of those people who needs that partner to anchor him.

 

If you've ever been in a relationship and been dumped (or even ended it yourself) and dealt with that horrible pain of feeling unloved, or seeing the person you loved with someone else, think about that, and how it may have twisted you around and made you a person you normally weren't. You may not have been as externally extreme as Brad, but ramp it up to "soap opera" level and think about whether the overall frantic nature of his actions are truly that out of character. (Regarding the Ferrari: sometimes guys do crazy things when they're drunk, and sometimes that can be a good thing) Even then, when he's freaking out, he still handled the thing with Father Tim and the guys pretty well. He was generous, and I thought he showed a lot of sensitivity to Father Tim and what he needed.

 

As for the kids, they weren't really a central theme here, and I didn't spend a lot of time on the minutiae of their relationships. I do know, from personal experience, that at their ages (13-17) they tend to get more involved in their own lives. They're kind of like cats: they want attention and love when they want it, and only on their terms. I think they would have largely tried to block out what was happening with Brad and Robbie, except for those bonding moments. I tried to show two of those, the trip to Hawaii and Brad's lunch with Darius, as an example.

[methodwriter85]

Damn, I didn't convince you on either the Hummer or the Mini-Cooper, Mark? Alright if not a Hummer, I gotta insist on at least some kind of SUV-type car. SUV's were big for the affluent kids to have in a circa 2004 high school, because it allowed you to drive around friends and Will comes off as a popular guy. So I'm still thinking a fully tricked-out SUV for Will(complete with a tv and dvd player), and some Euro compact car for JJ. (Remember, Tommy DID say that some of the Malibu kids do indeed drive Mini-Coopers.) One of the things I really like about the way in which you do the car selection is that it feels right for the character's age, social circle, generation, and temperament, rather than the cars just being the cars you'd wish you had. I hope you keep up with that, Mark- choosing cars based on the character, not on what hot car you wanted to have circa 2004. I'm not seeing either of these kids driving around in BMW's, as an example. Too small for Will's surf gear and too stuffy and boring-looking for JJ. Are you at least with me on the BMW for John and the Prius for Marie, Mark?

As for Brad, I like that he completely lost it, without realizing that he'd completely lost it. The sledgehammer was so over-the-top and I gotta admit I really loved that scene. LOL.

 

As for the other stuff...I guess if you put it like that, I can see how that works. JJ's dealing with figure skating, and likely fending off the harassment and snubbing he's getting at Malibu Middle. Darius is busy getting tail and trying to get into college. And Will was dealing with the rise and fall of his first romance. I could see it as they were trying not to pay attention to it by burying themselves into their own deal. And being that they're teenagers, they might be upset, but they're not going to go to Daddy and Pop for every little upset they have because at that age, you start trying to work things out on your own. More likely I could see Darius throwing himself into the party scene and not coming home to deal, JJ taking on extra skating practice, and Will is probably just moping around listening to Blink 182 and Korn in his bedroom when he's not surfing or going to school.

Edited December 4, 2010 by methodwriter85

[Mark Arbour]

Damn, I didn't convince you on either the Hummer or the Mini-Cooper, Mark? Alright if not a Hummer, I gotta insist on at least some kind of SUV-type car. SUV's were big for the affluent kids to have in a circa 2004 high school, because it allowed you to drive around friends and Will comes off as a popular guy. So I'm still thinking a fully tricked-out SUV for Will(complete with a tv and dvd player), and some Euro compact car for JJ. (Remember, Tommy DID say that some of the Malibu kids do indeed drive Mini-Coopers.) One of the things I really like about the way in which you do the car selection is that it feels right for the character's age, social circle, generation, and temperament, rather than the cars just being the cars you'd wish you had. I hope you keep up with that, Mark- choosing cars based on the character, not on what hot car you wanted to have circa 2004. I'm not seeing either of these kids driving around in BMW's, as an example. Too small for Will's surf gear and too stuffy and boring-looking for JJ. Are you at least with me on the BMW for John and the Prius for Marie, Mark?

As for Brad, I like that he completely lost it, without realizing that he'd completely lost it. The sledgehammer was so over-the-top and I gotta admit I really loved that scene. LOL.

 

As for the other stuff...I guess if you put it like that, I can see how that works. JJ's dealing with figure skating, and likely fending off the harassment and snubbing he's getting at Malibu Middle. Darius is busy getting tail and trying to get into college. And Will was dealing with the rise and fall of his first romance. I could see it as they were trying not to pay attention to it by burying themselves into their own deal. And being that they're teenagers, they might be upset, but they're not going to go to Daddy and Pop for every little upset they have because at that age, you start trying to work things out on your own. More likely I could see Darius throwing himself into the party scene and not coming home to deal, JJ taking on extra skating practice, and Will is probably just moping around listening to Blink 182 and Korn in his bedroom when he's not surfing or going to school.

 

You're on the right track . I'm thinking Will will end up with a Chevy Tahoe, not too dissimilar from Matt's GMC, or something like that, but we'll see. The Mini Cooper may work for JJ.

[methodwriter85]

Makes sense. When I think about it, Hummers would have made more sense for a snobby, flashy, overly macho jock, like Luke Ward on the O.C. Will's more in the vein of a cool skater/surfer kid who probably likes to camp in northern CA during the summer when he's not doing Habitat for Humanity to build his college apps. So I'm redacting the Hummer idea. It'll be a much less flashy kind of SUV.

[B1ue]

Not necessarily snobby, but certianly flashy. Hummers and their little brothers, H2s and the like, are not subtle cars, and go a long way towards being pure ostentation, especially for city driving. They're an absolute hell to park, for one thing, and right about now, it's going to start being very popular in California to not be a gas guzzler. Gas prices are about to double between now in the story and when Will is of age to get a license, and an extremely unpopular war is about to be unleashed over what's perceived to be oil envy.

 

Will's never going to have anything smaller than a pick-up truck, but why not that? I kind of read him a bit differently than you do. More private. Not unpopular or a loner, but he probably has school friends and then one or two others than can keep up with him in his interests. It'll be those closer friends he'll come out to, and that he'll spend time with on the weekends. The rest are more or less interchangable to him.

 

Why would he camp in Norcal when there are perfectly good places a lot closer? It'd be like driving to Virginia from Boston. And that's for the shorter plausable trips.

 

He is such a selfish bastard, he hasn't stopped to wonder how his problems with Robbie have effected his kids. He asked one offhanded question to Darius, big whoop. Even though he didn't finish with Matt, he got way far beyond decent and appropriate.

 

What I always found most squicky about Brad's whore period of coping was when he messed around with Will's surfing coach. Yes, they were both consenting adults (barely), but the kid was pretty much totally Will's friend when it came to relating to members of the family. No one else had a claim on him. Even more than the outrage some might have had over "you slept with Dad's other son, who's been hitting on you and every other adult he's come into contact with and making quite a bit of headway with that list!", I would have hit the roof over "You slept with MY friend!" It'd have been especially bad if Will had had a crush on...Jordan I think his name was.

[PrivateTim]

What I always found most squicky about Brad's whore period of coping was when he messed around with Will's surfing coach. Yes, they were both consenting adults (barely), but the kid was pretty much totally Will's friend when it came to relating to members of the family. No one else had a claim on him. Even more than the outrage some might have had over "you slept with Dad's other son, who's been hitting on you and every other adult he's come into contact with and making quite a bit of headway with that list!", I would have hit the roof over "You slept with MY friend!" It'd have been especially bad if Will had had a crush on...Jordan I think his name was.

 

A good point on the surf coach. I think of Brad as very much as a sexual predator sometimes in that he only cares about fulfilling his needs.

 

I know you can not seduce the unwilling, but knowing how the male libido works and then stimulating people to the point where they do something that the might not have wanted to do before you pushed the buttons seems sleazy. Knowing that Fr. Tim wasn't a simple horn dog and that he had issues with casual sex, yet going ahead and pushing the temptations I thought was wrong. Ditto for the surf coach and just because of the issue of seducing a straight, young guy, but as you mention, someone that Will is possibly (likely?) polishing his trophy over. And the same thing for Ky. Ky is like a lot of Asian guys I have known, especially having gone to Berkeley, not terribly promiscuous. The fact that Ky and Jordan (?) were younger and Fr. Tim inexperienced makes it seem even more predatory.

Edited December 4, 2010 by PrivateTim

[methodwriter85]

Not necessarily snobby, but certianly flashy. Hummers and their little brothers, H2s and the like, are not subtle cars, and go a long way towards being pure ostentation, especially for city driving. They're an absolute hell to park, for one thing, and right about now, it's going to start being very popular in California to not be a gas guzzler. Gas prices are about to double between now in the story and when Will is of age to get a license, and an extremely unpopular war is about to be unleashed over what's perceived to be oil envy.

Really? I still think Will's going to want an SUV, but more of a low-key, laidback kind. I don't really think there was an honest backlash to SUV's until the economy tanked in '08. The SUV era peaks around '04. And I'm going with Mark on the Chevy Tahoe. It was still cool to drive an SUV around, even with the Iraq War going on, at least among high school and college kids. It wasn't until gas became 4 dollars a gallon that things changed on that, I think. Plus, it's not like Will's going to have to worry exactly about paying for gas when it becomes 2 dollars a gallon circa 2005. (God, I remember when people bitched about paying 2 dollars. Geez. Seems crazy now, huh?)

 

Plus I addressed what you're saying by suggesting that Marie gets a 2004 Prius, and she can be the one lecturing the boys on driving gas guzzling cars when she's not away at college protesting the lack of vegan food choices in the cafeteria. I can see Marie becoming a bohemian hippie type as a means to assert her indpendence against Claire, who I'm betting good money treated her like a designer dress-up doll during childhood. That'd be pretty funny- Claire being so used to giving fashion tips to everybody, and her own kids and nephews shooting her down because...well...what teenager really wants to shop with their mother/aunt?

Will's never going to have anything smaller than a pick-up truck, but why not that? I kind of read him a bit differently than you do. More private. Not unpopular or a loner, but he probably has school friends and then one or two others than can keep up with him in his interests. It'll be those closer friends he'll come out to, and that he'll spend time with on the weekends. The rest are more or less interchangable to him.

Hmm, that's an interesting. I guess because the whole Be Rad crew, as well as Matt Carrswold, were so into playing the popularity game that I figured Will would want to try and be the social king at his school as well. That's a good point though- this isn't Gunn High or the University School, and from what I understand about Malibu High, it's a more laidback kind of school anyway where people are a little more relaxed about the social status deal. So I can see what you're saying here- Will won't be an outcast like JJ, but he won't be Homecoming King, either. He won't be throwing huge ragers, but more like small intimate gatherings around the bonfire.

 

I agree that Will is going to be out, but more in a general, "I'll tell you if ask me" way. Not walking around wearing rainbow flags or anything. Definitely don't see him trying to cover it up in any way like Brad and Matt tried to during their high school years. I've asked around- a guy could generally be open about being gay at Malibu High without getting harassed about it. Which will be a departure from the usual teen story that Mark writes, where the guy is desperately trying to cover up being gay because they'd get a lot of crap for it.

 

Why would he camp in Norcal when there are perfectly good places a lot closer? It'd be like driving to Virginia from Boston. And that's for the shorter plausable trips.

See, this is where my whole, "I'm from the East Coast" deal comes in. I keep forgetting how big Calfornia is. PA is about five hours across and that seems just huge to me- I think CA is at least twice as big. Although in my defense, it does seem like the family likes going up to NorCal, so I could see him wanting to go there.

 

I would have hit the roof over "You slept with MY friend!" It'd have been especially bad if Will had had a crush on...Jordan I think his name was.

 

Agreed on that. Jordan was of age, but him being Will's friend/coach was a little squicky.

[KYE]

I think that it's easy to see Brad as a complete idiot during that time frame, since that's more or less what I was going for. Look at Brad in "Bloodlines" (where he was a really good step-father to Matt) and "The Box", where he was impulsive yet sympathetic and supportive of Stef. Then contrast that to the Brad of this story, where he's totally unstable. The difference is that he basically lost his partner, and now he's adrift. He's one of those people who needs that partner to anchor him.

 

If you've ever been in a relationship and been dumped (or even ended it yourself) and dealt with that horrible pain of feeling unloved, or seeing the person you loved with someone else, think about that, and how it may have twisted you around and made you a person you normally weren't. You may not have been as externally extreme as Brad, but ramp it up to "soap opera" level and think about whether the overall frantic nature of his actions are truly that out of character. (Regarding the Ferrari: sometimes guys do crazy things when they're drunk, and sometimes that can be a good thing) Even then, when he's freaking out, he still handled the thing with Father Tim and the guys pretty well. He was generous, and I thought he showed a lot of sensitivity to Father Tim and what he needed.

 

As for the kids, they weren't really a central theme here, and I didn't spend a lot of time on the minutiae of their relationships. I do know, from personal experience, that at their ages (13-17) they tend to get more involved in their own lives. They're kind of like cats: they want attention and love when they want it, and only on their terms. I think they would have largely tried to block out what was happening with Brad and Robbie, except for those bonding moments. I tried to show two of those, the trip to Hawaii and Brad's lunch with Darius, as an example.

 

Brad has been my favorite character in the CAP series of stories. I think you've done a great job in showing how screwed-up the whole thing with Robbie, plus the business attack, and dealing with his own mid-life crisis has effected him... sexually, emotionally, and mentally. I may not agree with some of the things Brad has done during this period but I can understand why and would not expect all of his actions to be completely rational. Plus it has made for a great story. As for Robbie's Ferrari, I thought it was a great symbol in the story. Brad attacks apart of Robbie's decision to open the relationship and also a symbol of Robbie's mid-life crisis by attacking the Ferrari. Remember before this throughout his relationship with Brad, Robbie had driven a toyota pickup, drastic change within a few days of Robbie wanting to screw around. Plus Robbie standing Brad up for someone else after all these years thus opening old wounds of their High School and college days mixed with alcohol, to me it was just a real cool reaction of how much Brad was hurting. It was as if he was hitting Robbie or at least hurting him, a form of revenge...Great symbolism.

 

As for the kids and their own lives, you were very much on the mark. I noted this when Brad takes Will all the way to Hawaii and Will immediately goes and hangs out with his friend instead of Brad was square on the mark of how a teenager would react. Plus you've pulled the kids back in just enough to let it be known they are wondering what is going on. If Jeanine was the narrator of the story (and I am glad she is not) I'm sure there would be numerous conversations between her and the kids as to what is going on. At the same time that Brad and Robbie are on a rocky road Jeanine has also found a lover after all these years of just being their mom probably also has somewhat complicated the kids situation from a parental stand point. But they all have school, Darius is really into the dating scene, Will has the surf (plus thing with Drew) and JJ has skating. These boys have busy lives to keep their minds occupied.

 

As for this chapter there was alot of good takes from it and I agree the reflection on past charaters as the new millennium starts was great. Cody seems to be a very big recurring person in Robbie and Brad's lives and that causes me concern and the potential issues that he may cause the guys. Grrrrrr. of course this is because Cody is my least favorite character.

 

Now I am ready for the business battle with Brad's wicked step-mother and Brian to start full force. :2hands:

Edited December 5, 2010 by KYE

[Mark Arbour]

Brad has been my favorite character in the CAP series of stories. I think you've done a great job in showing how screwed-up the whole thing with Robbie, plus the business attack, and dealing with his own mid-life crisis has effected him... sexually, emotionally, and mentally. I may not agree with some of the things Brad has done during this period but I can understand why and would not expect all of his actions to be completely rational. Plus it has made for a great story. As for Robbie's Ferrari, I thought it was a great symbol in the story. Brad attacks apart of Robbie's decision to open the relationship and also a symbol of Robbie's mid-life crisis by attacking the Ferrari. Remember before this throughout his relationship with Brad, Robbie had driven a toyota pickup, drastic change within a few days of Robbie wanting to screw around. Plus Robbie standing Brad up for someone else after all these years thus opening old wounds of their High School and college days mixed with alcohol, to me it was just a real cool reaction of how much Brad was hurting. It was as if he was hitting Robbie or at least hurting him, a form of revenge...Great symbolism.

 

As for the kids and their own lives, you were very much on the mark. I noted this when Brad takes Will all the way to Hawaii and Will immediately goes and hangs out with his friend instead of Brad was square on the mark of how a teenager would react. Plus you've pulled the kids back in just enough to let it be known they are wondering what is going on. If Jeanine was the narrator of the story (and I am glad she is not) I'm sure there would be numerous conversations between her and the kids as to what is going on. At the same time that Brad and Robbie are on a rocky road Jeanine has also found a lover after all these years of just being their mom probably also has somewhat complicated the kids situation from a parental stand point. But they all have school, Darius is really into the dating scene, Will has the surf (plus thing with Drew) and JJ has skating. These boys have busy lives to keep their minds occupied.

 

As for this chapter there was alot of good takes from it and I agree the reflection on past charaters as the new millennium starts was great. Cody seems to be a very big recurring person in Robbie and Brad's lives and that causes me concern and the potential issues that he may cause the guys. Grrrrrr. of course this is because Cody is my least favorite character.

 

Now I am ready for the business battle with Brad's wicked step-mother and Brian to start full force. :2hands:

 

What he said.

 

Except I like Cody.

[B1ue]

Really? I still think Will's going to want an SUV, but more of a low-key, laidback kind. I don't really think there was an honest backlash to SUV's until the economy tanked in '08. The SUV era peaks around '04. And I'm going with Mark on the Chevy Tahoe. It was still cool to drive an SUV around, even with the Iraq War going on, at least among high school and college kids. It wasn't until gas became 4 dollars a gallon that things changed on that, I think. Plus, it's not like Will's going to have to worry exactly about paying for gas when it becomes 2 dollars a gallon circa 2005. (God, I remember when people bitched about paying 2 dollars. Geez. Seems crazy now, huh?)

 

That's a general impression of the entire country. Californians were well ahead of that curve. And gas prices in Cal were at 2.00 and climing by 2003. We have a few extra taxes on our fuel, though nothing like say, Oregon.

 

Hmm, that's an interesting. I guess because the whole Be Rad crew, as well as Matt Carrswold, were so into playing the popularity game that I figured Will would want to try and be the social king at his school as well. That's a good point though- this isn't Gunn High or the University School, and from what I understand about Malibu High, it's a more laidback kind of school anyway where people are a little more relaxed about the social status deal. So I can see what you're saying here- Will won't be an outcast like JJ, but he won't be Homecoming King, either. He won't be throwing huge ragers, but more like small intimate gatherings around the bonfire.

 

Like I said, he always struck me as a bit more private and withdrawn, like Brad might have been if Ace was not his brother. Darius is class king, and if they'd been closer in age Will likely would be just like him, but as spread apart as they are Darius's reflected glory won't do as much for his own popularity.

 

And JJ might wind up popular yet. He's good looking, rich, happy-go-lucky, and driven in his sport. He's also comfortable around women, minorities, and people of every social strata, except for hockey players, against whom he is biased. When girls figure out he's basically a gay guy they can actually score with, they'll home in on him right quick, and there might be guys that aren't too proud to suck up to him in order to be near his harem. I guess it'll depend on how whiny he lets himself become.

 

See, this is where my whole, "I'm from the East Coast" deal comes in. I keep forgetting how big Calfornia is. PA is about five hours across and that seems just huge to me- I think CA is at least twice as big. Although in my defense, it does seem like the family likes going up to NorCal, so I could see him wanting to go there.

 

Which is why I made an east coast distance reference for you. This is another reason why we from California were so bemused by your insistence on one child living out of state. California is already three or four states, more like eight if we're talking New England states, hitting near every biome and economy type along the way.

 

They go to Norcal because there is something up there they can't get in the southland, their family. But a weekend trip just to go camping would involve about 12-14 hours of driving (both ways included), so by the time you got up there and set up, it'd be time to knock out, and then you'd have to pack up the next day. But in fairness, I had forgotten about his cousins. I could see him and a friend makng the trip up to Santa Cruz, with JJ dragged along kicking and screaming because Jeanine threatened them all to not leave him out so much.

[B1ue]

A good point on the surf coach. I think of Brad as very much as a sexual predator sometimes in that he only cares about fulfilling his needs.

 

I know you can not seduce the unwilling, but knowing how the male libido works and then stimulating people to the point where they do something that the might not have wanted to do before you pushed the buttons seems sleazy.

 

Not sure I'd go quite this far. Horny, yes, but not a predator, though he does verge towards that title in his pain. They all went into it with their eyes open. I think it's only that Will probably had a crush on Jordan that bothered me. The hockey player he blew, for instance, didn't make me blink, though it was almost the same situation.

 

Knowing that Fr. Tim wasn't a simple horn dog and that he had issues with casual sex, yet going ahead and pushing the temptations I thought was wrong.... And the same thing for Ky. Ky is like a lot of Asian guys I have known, especially having gone to Berkeley, not terribly promiscuous. The fact that Ky and Jordan (?) were younger and Fr. Tim inexperienced makes it seem even more predatory.

 

He redeems himself a bit with Fr. Tim, albeit after he's calmed down some. Interesting that I hadn't quite thought about it in those terms.

 

Who was Ky? I can't remember him.

[PrivateTim]

Not sure I'd go quite this far. Horny, yes, but not a predator, though he does verge towards that title in his pain. They all went into it with their eyes open. I think it's only that Will probably had a crush on Jordan that bothered me. The hockey player he blew, for instance, didn't make me blink, though it was almost the same situation.

 

He redeems himself a bit with Fr. Tim, albeit after he's calmed down some. Interesting that I hadn't quite thought about it in those terms.

 

Who was Ky? I can't remember him.

 

Ky was the hot Asian boy from the GBLT and partially in Brad's defense, I'd have blown him too.

 

I didn't mention the straight hockey player because he went into the deal with his eyes (and pants) wide open.

[PrivateTim]

Makes sense. When I think about it, Hummers would have made more sense for a snobby, flashy, overly macho jock, like Luke Ward on the O.C. Will's more in the vein of a cool skater/surfer kid who probably likes to camp in northern CA during the summer when he's not doing Habitat for Humanity to build his college apps. So I'm redacting the Hummer idea. It'll be a much less flashy kind of SUV.

 

There is lots of camping in southern California, mountain, desert and beaches with good surf breaks.

 

Will is more likely to go with buds to Baja California and camp and surf at K-38, Harry's or Los Gaviotos.

 

And for a car a Toyota Forerunner or a Range Rover would be more common in Malibu unless JP sticks with the whole GM thing.

 

There is also ZERO chance of a surf rat like Will heading back east for school. He is more likely to go to USCB with it's surf break on campus and Rincon, UCSD above Black's Beach, UCI so he can surf Newport Beach and be near Drew, Cal Poly to surf Cayucos or at the outside UC Santa Cruz so he can surf Soquel, Capitola and Mavericks when it gets big.

 

 

Epic.

Edited December 5, 2010 by PrivateTim

[methodwriter85]

I'm still not seeing why Will would get on the anti-SUV movement just yet, even with California being ahead of the curve. Thanks for the Range Rover tip, Tim.

 

Didn't I basically already concede the point that Will would stay around California? Blue said of all the kids, JJ would be the most likely to leave the area for college, and I agreed with him. So we've got Darius and Will as the two who stick around, and JJ as the prodigal son. Cool. Sweet. Works for me!

 

As for JJ and popularity- it's possible, but you've gotta remember that he's never going to be around school that much- it's kinda hard to maintain friendships if you can't hang out that much. What I could see happening is that for JJ's senior year he decides to cool it with the competition circuit to focus on having a high school life, since '06 is still another year away, and he and Will can have fun with that final year of high school, just being brothers and hanging out.

 

But a weekend trip just to go camping would involve about 12-14 hours of driving (both ways included), so by the time you got up there and set up, it'd be time to knock out, and then you'd have to pack up the next day. But in fairness, I had forgotten about his cousins. I could see him and a friend makng the trip up to Santa Cruz, with JJ dragged along kicking and screaming because Jeanine threatened them all to not leave him out so much.

 

THAT could be a hilarious plot for Mark to write- some camping trip that Will and John decide to have, with JJ being dragged to come along with his Louis Vuitton carry-on bags. LOL

 

I realize that we're talking WAYYY too much about people who aren't even main characters yet....but eh. They're our age and I gotta admit I'm fascinated at how they're going to turn out, and how they're going to interact with events and trends I consider generational touchstones, like Xbox, Facebook, and the Virginia Tech Massacre.

Edited December 5, 2010 by methodwriter85

[PrivateTim]

I'm still not seeing why Will would get on the anti-SUV movement just yet, even with California being ahead of the curve. Thanks for the Range Rover tip, Tim.

 

Didn't I basically already concede the point that Will would stay around California? Blue said of all the kids, JJ would be the most likely to leave the area for college, and I agreed with him. So we've got Darius and Will as the two who stick around, and JJ as the prodigal son. Cool. Sweet. Works for me!

 

As for JJ and popularity- it's possible, but you've gotta remember that he's never going to be around school that much- it's kinda hard to maintain friendships if you can't hang out that much. What I could see happening is that for JJ's senior year he decides to cool it with the competition circuit to focus on having a high school life, since '06 is still another year away, and he and Will can have fun with that final year of high school, just being brothers and hanging out.

 

If JJ is really good, really really good, the odds are higher he'd go train in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center where USA Figure Skating is headquartered. He could go to Colorado College there.

 

An interesting side story could be Tiffany, who begins taking JJ to his meets gets bored just hanging out and starts judging at competitions. That could be a way for JJ to go to an Olympic games with credentials without upsetting history. It would give him access to the Olympic Village and he could run into all kinds of athletes.

 

Ditto for Brad or Robbie. They could become water polo referees and get involved when Will starts playing.

[methodwriter85]

An interesting side story could be Tiffany, who begins taking JJ to his meets gets bored just hanging out and starts judging at competitions. That could be a way for JJ to go to an Olympic games with credentials without upsetting history. It would give him access to the Olympic Village and he could run into all kinds of athletes.

 

 

Also, to go with "history", a number of the Malibu High Class of 2005 went off to schools in Colorado...so...I'm just saying.

 

JJ's probably destined to have a really bitchy rivalry with Johnny Weir. And it'll be hilarious.

 

I could see Brad and Robbie arranging for JJ to at least visit the 2002 Olympic games in Utah, to cheer him up a little after he realizes that he just doesn't have the credentials to get into '02.

 

As for '06, I really, really hope that JJ runs into this guy at Torino:

 

 

Jeremy Bloom. *drools*

Edited December 5, 2010 by methodwriter85

[Daisy139]

I second the Jeremy Bloom plot. Wouldn't that be nice

 

Two sidenotes on getting credentials for the Olympics -

Tiffany won't be judging in Salt lake City if she doesn't already have a history as a judge. It takes a long time to become a judge at international competitions, and extremely long to become one at Worlds or Olympics. If she isn't already judging at Worlds and other major competitions, she won't get into SLC.

Re: JJ going there anyway - he could be a volunteer. They pick volunteers per sport, and sometimes people with skating experience get priority. And if Stefan Schluter gives the OC a nice phone call and promises sponsoring, JJ is practically hired I would say. However, he would only have access to the rink that way, not the Olympic village (but there would be ample opportunity to run into other athletes that would be close to the skating rinks - hockey players, speed skaters, and whatever else would have been in proximity).

 

 

[methodwriter85]

If she isn't already judging at Worlds and other major competitions, she won't get into SLC.

 

I never got the impression that Tiffany got that far into figure skating. She was just giving lessons at a rink. I'm assuming that Tiffany is just a regular coach for a kiddie company, which is why Tiffany passed JJ on to El Segundo because she realized he was too good to just bum around the LA Galaxy skating rink. It would explain why Tiffany's trying to get pregnant now- she either retired by her early 20's or she was just never good enough for a serious career. It would actually be an interesting running plot if Tiffany was trying to vicariously live through JJ, hence pumping him full of the Olympic Dream that ain't going to come true until at least '06.

 

It'd be cool to see JJ at the '02 Olympics, watching and learning from the masters. I'm glad he wouldn't get into the Village though- from what I understand, it's one big orgy, and JJ would be newly 16...and...no. Now, if we're talking about when he's 20 at Torino, that'd be an entirely different ballgame.

 

And thank you for your thoughts, Daisy! Mark always welcomes technical input from people whenever he dips into a field that he's not particularly an expert with, and I'm glad we have you here to make sure Mark depicts the figure skating culture in a believable manner. You've already helped- like pointing out that JJ can't already be a Junior, that coaches wouldn't really be bandying about the "O" word for a 13-year old year old for an Olympics over six years away or pointing out the impossibility of JJ making the 2002 Olympics. It's pretty valuable info, and we're glad to have you here!

Edited December 8, 2010 by methodwriter85

[PrivateTim]

Also, to go with "history", a number of the Malibu High Class of 2005 went off to schools in Colorado...so...I'm just saying.

 

JJ's probably destined to have a really bitchy rivalry with Johnny Weir. And it'll be hilarious.

 

I could see Brad and Robbie arranging for JJ to at least visit the 2002 Olympic games in Utah, to cheer him up a little after he realizes that he just doesn't have the credentials to get into '02.

 

As for '06, I really, really hope that JJ runs into this guy at Torino:

 

 

 

Jeremy Bloom. *drools*

 

Bloom bleh.... This guy.