mmike1969 Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 You know, I think we need a poll. I love polls! Who, amongst our lovely forum posters, has their panties in a twist because: I Vote #1,2, 5. 1 & 2: They ARE bad parents! 3: I've seen some pretty mean and BIG squirrels ! 5: Obviously, they are stil drinking coffee that comes from a can. They need to switch to whole bean that they grind at home. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davewri Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 (edited) Round one goes to Will. Steff, JP and Wade are on Will's side and the "Golden Boy" is going to need all the help he can get. The war has just begun and Brad is the kind of man that does not like to lose to anyone. Fasten your seat belts, Mark is taking us on a ride........ Edited April 30, 2012 by davewri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centexhairysub Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 You know, I think we need a poll. I love polls! Who, amongst our lovely forum posters, has their panties in a twist because: 1. Brad and Robbie are crappy parents who failed to step up to the plate when the third member of their trifecta (and the person actually parenting no matter what fantasy lives in Jeremy's head), Jeanine, became unable to function. And remember kids, these are rich and powerful men who can fly off for a lovers vacation any time they want, but can't manage to be home for dinner with their childern. 2. Brad and Robbie are crappy parents because they left their son with a total stranger, not for just a few hours while at work, but while they left the country. 3. Look, a squirrel!! Fiction dudes, fiction. 4. My panties are not in a twist, Sweetpea. I think Brad and Robbie have been "Parents of the Year" award winners and Will is the worst teenager ever. And he should be told that everyday for the rest of his life. 5. Coffee is getting a bad rap. Life would be wonderful if Robbie switched to tea. Or learned how to metabolize roofies better. *sigh - I need a vacation I can go along with all of them except number four... In no way have Brad and Robbie even been marginally good parents in the last couple of months... I am not saying they are the worse parents ever because obviously they are not, but they have done nothing to help Will deal with what happened in Paris; and I think Sharon is one hundred percent right; they have done nothing to compensate for the fact that the primary care giver for all of their children suddenly went MIA, because of post partum depression. PS... I am not telling my other personalities about the fact Sharon says this is fiction... I am having them focus on the pretty squirrels... PPS... Tea is always better than coffee... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Arbour Posted April 30, 2012 Author Share Posted April 30, 2012 I can go along with all of them except number four... In no way have Brad and Robbie even been marginally good parents in the last couple of months... I am not saying they are the worse parents ever because obviously they are not, but they have done nothing to help Will deal with what happened in Paris; and I think Sharon is one hundred percent right; they have done nothing to compensate for the fact that the primary care giver for all of their children suddenly went MIA, because of post partum depression. PS... I am not telling my other personalities about the fact Sharon says this is fiction... I am having them focus on the pretty squirrels... PPS... Tea is always better than coffee... Damn. I wanted to "like" this post but I ran out of "like this" checks for the day, so I'll have to post it instead. Centex, I owe you a "+". An error occurred You have reached your quota of positive votes for the day 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Arbour Posted April 30, 2012 Author Share Posted April 30, 2012 You know, I think we need a poll. I love polls! Who, amongst our lovely forum posters, has their panties in a twist because: 1. Brad and Robbie are crappy parents who failed to step up to the plate when the third member of their trifecta (and the person actually parenting no matter what fantasy lives in Jeremy's head), Jeanine, became unable to function. And remember kids, these are rich and powerful men who can fly off for a lovers vacation any time they want, but can't manage to be home for dinner with their childern. 2. Brad and Robbie are crappy parents because they left their son with a total stranger, not for just a few hours while at work, but while they left the country. 3. Look, a squirrel!! Fiction dudes, fiction. 4. My panties are not in a twist, Sweetpea. I think Brad and Robbie have been "Parents of the Year" award winners and Will is the worst teenager ever. And he should be told that everyday for the rest of his life. 5. Coffee is getting a bad rap. Life would be wonderful if Robbie switched to tea. Or learned how to metabolize roofies better. *sigh - I need a vacation I vote for all of them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Arbour Posted April 30, 2012 Author Share Posted April 30, 2012 You show up in school on Monday, and I’ll try and blow that monster cock of yours. Don’t think, though, that I’m ever gonna let you fuck me with that thing. If that’s the price, dude, you’re staying gone. Love, Ryan. BTW, I thought that was one of my better lines. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrivateTim Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 BTW, I thought that was one of my better lines. Freakin' A Arbour, don't throw your arm out of socket pattin' yourself on the back I actually thought the Ryan interaction was cute and fun, but not unexpected, at least not from me. The kind of person you've painted Ryan to be is someone, while he might have that tough exterior (a defense mechanism) he is really a sweet kid and someone you'd always be able to rely on to have your back. On a side note..... Will should reflect on Ryan's situation with his father and then ponder whether or not his (Will's) father loves him..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Arbour Posted May 1, 2012 Author Share Posted May 1, 2012 Freakin' A Arbour, don't throw your arm out of socket pattin' yourself on the back I actually thought the Ryan interaction was cute and fun, but not unexpected, at least not from me. The kind of person you've painted Ryan to be is someone, while he might have that tough exterior (a defense mechanism) he is really a sweet kid and someone you'd always be able to rely on to have your back. On a side note..... Will should reflect on Ryan's situation with his father and then ponder whether or not his (Will's) father loves him..... Yeah, Will should, but he probably won't, because 14 year olds don't do that. Besides, just because your friend's dad is an asshole, that doesn't make your own father any better. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
methodwriter85 Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Wait, when have I ever indicated that I didn't think Jeanine did the bulk of parenting for the kids in CAP? I thought I was fairly consistent in the expression of my belief in that, although I qualified that by saying that each parent tended to focus more on one of the children- Robbie on Darius, Jeanine on JJ, and Brad on Will. In any event...I don't know, the impression that I'm getting is that they WERE active and involved parents, especially around the time of If It Fits, but as Darius got into high school and Will and JJ kinda went off into their own tweenage things, they got less involved, which then got excerabated by the events of Millenium as they had to step up their corporate game. It would make for an interesting story for Wade to decide to "scale down" his lifestyle in order to be more of an active parent, which can and does happen. I had a teacher who used to run a pretty successful construction business, but then he realized that he wasn't able to spend enough time with his kids, so he sold it off and became a teacher at their school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B1ue Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Or worse BOTH parents on deployment as can actually happen these days. That shouldn't happen, but I suppose anything is possible. My sister and her husband are rotated through their deployments so that one is always at home. Now, one could be on maneuvers for several weeks while the other was deployed; that happened a couple times I can think of. Of course, now that the army has well and truly broken my sister, she'll have a bit more time on her hands soon enough. Let's just hope the same doens't happen to my brother-in-law. Maybe they were able to work it out because they were in the same branch? Oh, and option 2. Being busy and succesful are not crimes, even if it's occasionally tough on the kids. On the other hand, JP, Sam, and Isiodore managed, and none of them were stay-at-homes (possibly work from home, but not stay at home). Tea is a conspiracy to make me, personally, fat. I can drink coffee black, but tea demands cream. Especially Chai tea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
methodwriter85 Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Oh, and option 2. Being busy and succesful are not crimes, even if it's occasionally tough on the kids. On the other hand, JP, Sam, and Isiodore managed, and none of them were stay-at-homes (possibly work from home, but not stay at home). Because Sam sleeping with Brad's boyfriend and Isidore letting Billy get away with murder equals "managed." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Arbour Posted May 1, 2012 Author Share Posted May 1, 2012 Because Sam sleeping with Brad's boyfriend and Isidore letting Billy get away with murder equals "managed." You demand perfection? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
methodwriter85 Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 (edited) Nah, just certain boundaries like "you don't sleep with your kid's boyfriend" and the like. Although I kind of always thought that the upbringing that they had was supposed to represent the off-beat, 1960's/1970's style of parenting, where everyone was free to be you and me and the like. This is the Helicopter Parent generation, but we haven't really encountered much of that. Although I guess it makes sense that these are supposed to be high-powered people who can't be all up in their kid's grill all the time, but I don't know- I kinda would have thought that after seeing what happened to Billy, Brad and Robbie would have been more interested in teaching their kids what the word "no" is. Edited May 1, 2012 by methodwriter85 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddydavek Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 What a forum. Reading it is like riding a roller coaster. Thanks to all! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrivateTim Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Tea is a conspiracy to make me, personally, fat. I can drink coffee black, but tea demands cream. Especially Chai tea. So drink different flavored teas...... do you have a Ten Ren near you? Nah, just certain boundaries like "you don't sleep with your kid's boyfriend" and the like. Although I kind of always thought that the upbringing that they had was supposed to represent the off-beat, 1960's/1970's style of parenting, where everyone was free to be you and me and the like. This is the Helicopter Parent generation, but we haven't really encountered much of that. Although I guess it makes sense that these are supposed to be high-powered people who can't be all up in their kid's grill all the time, but I don't know- I kinda would have thought that after seeing what happened to Billy, Brad and Robbie would have been more interested in teaching their kids what the word "no" is. I think you get too hung up on these labels sometimes like "Gen Y" or "Helicopter Parents", just because there are weird examples of what people do and someone slaps a label on it doesn't mean everyone does it. There are a lot of people who raise their kids in more traditional settings. And not every parent leaves a successful career to "hang with their kids more", that would be the exception not the norm. I have a good friend who when we were growing up we used to kid about sightings of his father. He was a top CV surgeon and he worked his tail off. Ryan seldom saw his father in normal circumstances and there was hardly a holiday where he wasn't called away. But what was the doctor supposed to do? Throw away 14 years of training? And throw away a true talent that helps people? Parents make tough decisions all the time trying to balance priorities. Did JP manage? If the product was Brad and lots of people think Brad is the worst parent ever, isn't that what he learned from JP? And Isidore managed? One of her kids died because she wasn't plugged in enough to know what was going on and what was happening between Brad and Billy. Sam...... well what can you say about Sam, he was a complete mess.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centexhairysub Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 As a parent, you do everything you can for your child. You stand behind them; sometimes next to them; and when the situation calls for it, in front of them. You love them, you help them, you scold them, you correct them; and you do all of these things through the laughter and tears both equally. That all being said; the one thing you cannot do, is live your childs' life for them; their mistakes are there own and they have to claim them and be responsible for them! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Arbour Posted May 1, 2012 Author Share Posted May 1, 2012 There's another issue here as well, and that's that kids can often sense in their parents problems that they may not even know about. Brad's been working some pretty heavy hours now, and that's significantly different than his life prior to Omega. What Will is seeing from his own perspective is probably a much bigger problem for Brad, if he takes the time to stop and realize it. Brad's balance is out of whack. It was only a matter of time before that seriously messed up some of his relationships. He's lucky it hasn't screwed him up with Robbie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ85 Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 He's lucky it hasn't screwed him up with Robbie. I have to think that's in large part due to Robbie taking most of that ride along with Brad. Then again...with even Robbie calling him on some of the decisions he's made a couple chapters back, maybe even that luck is about to run out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
methodwriter85 Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 (edited) There's another issue here as well, and that's that kids can often sense in their parents problems that they may not even know about. Brad's been working some pretty heavy hours now, and that's significantly different than his life prior to Omega. What Will is seeing from his own perspective is probably a much bigger problem for Brad, if he takes the time to stop and realize it. Brad's balance is out of whack. It was only a matter of time before that seriously messed up some of his relationships. He's lucky it hasn't screwed him up with Robbie. That kind of jibes with the impression that I've gotten- Brad and Robbie were once more active parents with their kids, especially up to about 1995 with If It Fits, but as Darius got ready to graduate from high school and JJ/Will entered their teens, both the parents and the kids had less time for each other. And then the events of Millenium happened, and damn. I think you get too hung up on these labels sometimes like "Gen Y" or "Helicopter Parents", just because there are weird examples of what people do and someone slaps a label on it doesn't mean everyone does it. There are a lot of people who raise their kids in more traditional settings. Right, but one function of CAP has been about reflecting period quirks and mindsets. The song that Mark picked to represent how JP, Sam, and Jeanine were raising their kids was "Make Your Own Kind of Music" by the Mamas and the Papas. I'm just saying. Edited May 1, 2012 by methodwriter85 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ85 Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 (edited) Eh...there's something about Jeff's brand of cocky that, I dunno...something about the way he combines hot and cocky didn't really jibe well. Like...he seems like the kind of guy who could say he's not trying to cause problems, and even mean that honestly - yet still end up causing problems anyway just by being there, just because of how he is. Edited May 1, 2012 by MJ85 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sat8997 Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 I vote for all of them. You are so easy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Arbour Posted May 2, 2012 Author Share Posted May 2, 2012 Eh...there's something about Jeff's brand of cocky that, I dunno...something about the way he combines hot and cocky didn't really jibe well. Like...he seems like the kind of guy who could say he's not trying to cause problems, and even mean that honestly - yet still end up causing problems anyway just by being there, just because of how he is. Yeah. What you said. You are so easy. Like we didn't already know that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddydavek Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 The manic poster wrote in reply to a review about the fast posting schedule: Aww. I love coddling you. ;-) Seriously, I knew we'd have to hyperpost through this part of the story; it's just too sadistic not to. If I was that bad, I'd be CJ. :-) In the last few weeks, CJ comes up with some excuse about his computer problems and waits an extra week to post..... For everyone knocking Brad, his latest e-mail as revealed in this chapter shows he has begun to get it, at least from Will's POV. Will's latest adventure with the cab driver certainly proved to be unsatisfying for him and perhaps he will be a little more discriminating next time. Of course, the chapter ended before Will actually called his dad. But with the rate of posting, I can't complain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Arbour Posted May 2, 2012 Author Share Posted May 2, 2012 The manic poster wrote in reply to a review about the fast posting schedule: Aww. I love coddling you. ;-) Seriously, I knew we'd have to hyperpost through this part of the story; it's just too sadistic not to. If I was that bad, I'd be CJ. :-) In the last few weeks, CJ comes up with some excuse about his computer problems and waits an extra week to post..... For everyone knocking Brad, his latest e-mail as revealed in this chapter shows he has begun to get it, at least from Will's POV. Will's latest adventure with the cab driver certainly proved to be unsatisfying for him and perhaps he will be a little more discriminating next time. Of course, the chapter ended before Will actually called his dad. But with the rate of posting, I can't complain. The thing with the cab driver was basically Will screwing up and making a bad decision, but not a horrible one. I'm trying to decide if it was actually a sign that he's getting more mature. Before you tell me I'm nuts, ask yourself this. Have you ever had sex with a guy just because you were lonely? And afterwards, you felt kind of bad about it, but not terrible? That the whole thing was just a little slutty, even though no real harm was done? It's an interesting transition from the "oh my God, I'm so in love with you" attitude most young teens have about the guys they mess around with. I think this was really his first casual sex partner where it was actually casual. I'm not sure what to think about it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B1ue Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 Wrote a fairly long rant, and posted it, but you know? The hell with it. Helicopter parents are a middle class phenomenon. The upper class, like Brad, have personal assitants to do the helicoptoring for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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