PrivateTim

"conservative" "liberal" are the wrong terms to think in. Traditional and progressive are better labels. Parents send their kids to H-W knowing they are going to get a no nonsense, tough, traditional education. There is no touchy feely good-hearted-ness because you really tried. The kids are expected to hit high standards. A lot of the parents are ones who send their kids there to give them their best shot at the best colleges in the country. I am sure there are parents who send their kids there because of the high achieving sports programs, but even then I think it is one more avenue to get them to top schools like Stanford, etc. And ditto for the artsy types who want to go to NYU or USC for film, Carnegie Mellon and Juilliard for a BFA acting and Northwestern and BU for drama.

But if her parents were hippy dippys who got (or were already) affluence Raine would be at Crossroads or Oakwood, not the ultimate establishment school in L.A.

My thoughts that I somewhat touched on in my review. I find Ryan's reaction interesting. In my experience most straight guys are more freaked out by kissing a gay guy (or straight) than being sucked by, fucking or even sucking themselves. Kissing is more intimate than just recreational sex. I know he'll come around though and when Ryan gets shit for Will not being in school a few days from his peers, he'll come around even faster. Raine could be preggers (the story is called "Paternity" after all), but no parent of a 14/15 year old at Harvard-Westlake is going to let their daughter have a baby. Even if her father was president of Pro-Life L.A. you'd be surprised at how views change when it is personal, not theoretical. As to Will and his fathers, that little scene in the study and the resulting new bodyguard, etc wouldn't have even been skirmish in the battle I had with my father for two years in high school. One of the major problems I think is that Brad and Robbie have no moral authority when it comes to their kids. They know their parents smoke bud so that undermines their "respect my authoriah!" (or any authority) posturing. They know Brad was rowdy and drank in high school and I don't recall Brad ever having a conversation with Will about why it was BAD that he drank in high school, that it led to his Uncle Billy's death and that Brad now regretted some of the things he did in high school looking back from an adult standpoint. I knew my father had been a bit of a wild man when he was younger (knowing his friends from that age and hearing their stories), but when he sat me down (the day after I came home drunk from my first high school party my freshman year) and told me he had made mistakes, he didn't want me to make the same mistakes and that getting busted by the police or sheriffs department could take away everything I valued at that time (playing HS sports, future college admissions, especially Annapolis, respect of my grandparents and more), I listened because he acknowledged his mistakes back then AND I had never seen him doing anything illegal or shady; no drugs, no drunk driving, no cutting corners in business, not murdering people even if they deserved it etc. He had moral authority even if I was pissed at him for a couple of years, I still had respect for him and his moral authority. His deeds followed his word and I noticed. Expanding on the battles between fathers and sons, I think it depends on what the relationship was like before they entered the high school years, what else is happening with the kid and what the home is like in general. My father and I were close before the war started and closer when it ended. I wasn't a rebellious kid, I was a straight A honor student, three sport letterman, active in school government, active in my church youth group and popular in my peer group. I am not sure what precipitated the rough two years with my father (end of 9th grade to end of 11th) other than maybe my growing up, being too smart for my own good, my youthful arrogance and stubbornness. I am not sure what brought the feud to an end, whether it was my mother's intervention, my grandparents, my maturing a bit (just a bit), all of the above or what, but that summer between my jr and sr years was good and so was my senior year. The big break through came on that first trip back from college for Thanksgiving. I had been away at school since early August by that point and I had grown up a lot in that four month period and realized how much my family meant to me and I think that separation did the same thing for them. Even though I'd seen them in that four month period because they came to more than a few of my water polo games, it was different being back in my old room and old house. It made me see the house as more than that and made me appreciate the distinctions between a house and a home. I am confident Will and Brad will get there too.

I find Ryan's reaction interesting. In my experience most straight guys are more freaked out by kissing a gay guy (or straight) than being sucked by, fucking or even sucking themselves. Kissing is more intimate than just recreational sex. I know he'll come around though and when Ryan gets shit for Will not being in school a few days from his peers, he'll come around even faster. Raine could be preggers (the story is called "Paternity" after all), but no parent of a 14/15 year old at Harvard-Westlake is going to let their daughter have a baby. Even if her father was president of Pro-Life L.A. you'd be surprised at how views change when it is personal, not theoretical. As to Will and his fathers, that little scene in the study and the resulting new bodyguard, etc wouldn't have even been skirmish in the battle I had with my father for two years in high school. One of the major problems I think is that Brad and Robbie have no moral authority when it comes to their kids. They know their parents smoke bud so that undermines their "respect my authoriah!" (or any authority) posturing. They know Brad was rowdy and drank in high school and I don't recall Brad ever having a conversation with Will about why it was BAD that he drank in high school, that it led to his Uncle Billy's death and that Brad now regretted some of the things he did in high school looking back from an adult standpoint. I knew my father had been a bit of a wild man when he was younger (knowing his friends from that age and hearing their stories), but when he sat me down (the day after I came home drunk from my first high school party my freshman year) and told me he had made mistakes, he didn't want me to make the same mistakes and that getting busted by the police or sheriffs department could take away everything I valued at that time (playing HS sports, future college admissions, especially Annapolis, respect of my grandparents and more), I listened because he acknowledged his mistakes back then AND I had never seen him doing anything illegal or shady; no drugs, no drunk driving, no cutting corners in business, not murdering people even if they deserved it etc. He had moral authority even if I was pissed at him for a couple of years, I still had respect for him and his moral authority. His deeds followed his word and I noticed.

Milo.

I am not familiar with A Rent Boy Named...... What was it about it that it could not be published here? Or at Nifty?

I do love the story, but I am not sure God's messengers speak in 17th century English

Wow, sex in their tent on the float trip, I never saw that one coming It was freaking hot and not unrealistic based on some of my high school misadventures. I hope Ryan stays cool and doesn't freak out later. The only thing I have a hard time believing is that Brad wouldn't be already up at 5AM everyday with or without an alarm clock. Someone with major business interests on the east coast is just used to being up early, being on 6AM conference calls, etc. I do think that Brad and Robbie need to figure out how to sit Will down and have a conversation with him. And if Will starts to pull his teen angst routine, they need to remind him if he wants to be treated as an adult, he needs to act like it. I am a little surprised Shiloh didn't stop when she saw Ryan, most HS kids when they get busted having sex, even busted by a peer, freak out a little.

Who believes anything a goat has to say..... they are only useful for making stews and tacos....

Ummm, Chase Field is what,14 years old? Angel Stadium is one of the oldest in baseball. It opened in 1966. Despite a "renovation" in 1998, there is nothing they can really do to put lipstick on that pig. It needs to be blown up and replaced.

At this point in their relationship, Brad and Will, it isn't too different from my father and I. We were close through my freshman year and then when I started to drive as a soph all hell seemed to break loose as I became more independent. It wasn't all bad times, but it wasn't until I came home that first vacation in college for Thanksgiving that things seemed to have moved on to a better relationship. Brad will never be his mother, but I think sometimes kids who were brats grow up to be stricter with their kids wanting to keep them from "making the same mistakes".

I think that observation misses how different a teen can be at school with his peers and then at home. At points Will seems to think he is a senior already, but he isn't. And even when he IS a senior in high school, he will still have a lot of growing up to do.

Carl is at Stanfurd, he may be a lot of things but stupid is not one of them. Not even the football players there are stupid. I think Brad has a right to be frustrated with Will. Will has been given more freedom, latitude and advantages than most kids his age and yet he wants more. He's also been given more attention than a lot of kids get from their parents. He might feel neglected these last couple of months, but his life is nothing like Ryan's. I was hoping his exposure to Ryan and his family would lead him to see how great his family has been in comparison.

Well I was rather disappointed actually. I don't find the staff at the Ritz snooty at all, Wade would have known that when you stay at a Ritz you let the staff take your bags to the room and you tip them $10 or $20 (depending on how cute they are) and you try to look at bored as possible while doing it..... oh and you would wander down to Union Square not up Interesting set-up for the CO River trip.... Brad isn't getting it, Will isn't going to be relaxed on the trip and I hope we get to hear from Mary Ellen... maybe a pissed off phone call And okay, maybe I DID like the chapter a little but the staff at the Ritz really is nice...

Dang!

Bite your tongue! I LIKE the pace right now. If Arbour sped up the pace he might finish the CAP series one day and as far as I am concerned that just ain't happening. I want his arthritic fingers typing away from Shady Pines 30 years from now as CAP enters 2008......

Well my heart hardly bleeds for Will. I understand him, relate to him, but in the universe of kids who really have it tough, Will is not up there. His family is not in the 1% they in the 1% of the 1%. So if he thinks he's been ignored the last two months or six weeks, so what. We are only three months removed from Paris and the pole dance and kidnapping. Even though it has been a year since we read PMS, in CAP time it has only been three months and as recent as August they were hovering around Will, sending him to a shrink, etc. Wasn't there even a surf trip somewhere in there in the last three months CAP time? I do think he has partial justification to demand a little attention, but he also has that young teen, "the world is all about me" attitude that he needs to get over.

Dang! One's getting away! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRUsMP6ww98

I think he is just busy.......

I think we will see a different Will after the CO River trip. In fact I think the story will pivot after the CO River trip. I like seeing old names too. We see a lot of Stef and I suspect we are going to see a bit of JP shortly. It was nice to see Isidore mentioned, I always adored her. John has been conspicuously absent or maybe around, just not mentioned. I also look forward to another Will and Shane interaction. I think it could be a good thing for both of them, not sex, just a friendship... not that a steamy scene wouldn't be welcome, but that isn't why I think they could be good for each other. Shane needs gay friends and Will needs gay friends his age, people he can be friends with, his age without the pressures of sex.

JJ hasn't exhibited any out of control behaviors to worry about. He doesn't do the things Will does. I am sure if he started to pull the crap Will does, he'd get extra scrutiny too and unlike Pat who I think would cover for Will with Brad, I suspect Michael would rat out JJ in a second to brown nose to Brad.

I kind of wondered if in Wade's plans was using the old slum buildings for missions..... but then again I also thought about Kimpton who takes old hotels and turns them into luxury boutiques.... I am wondering what is up with Brad and Robbie.... it sounds like they have more plans then just NOT going to St Barts, it sounds like they have active plans to do something else maybe with the family. Maybe a family retreat to Colorado or someplace to remove the distractions and have a real pow wow. I don't think the fight is going on too long, it is pretty realistic. I battled with my father my entire sophomore year and part of my junior year. I lucked out with my teen, but then circumstances were different. I like the play with Shane Jackson, it would be nice for Will to know some gay teens and nice for Shane to get some support or comfort too. I am looking forward to the CO river trip and hope we get to see Alister again, Will's buds from junior high and especially what is going to happen with Ryan and Will in those cool desert nights

Has anyone seen this? I'm Christian Unless You're Gay Rather inspiring.

Hey, dat's what I said! From my review..... There are always two sides to every story, everyone is pissed off at Robbie for not taking Will's call and everyone, including and especially Will, are assuming it was to spite Will. Has no one ever missed a cell phone call before and not known it? This story is in 2000, cell phones were not as sophisticated then as they are now. There were very few multi-line screens on cell phones back then. As a result texting was not ubiquitous yet and seeing missed calls wasn't as easy. I still don't like the idea of Kristin and Gathan back together. It just makes no sense to have a girlfriend in Ohio when you are a freshman in college in Palo Alto. I also agree about the remake of Freaky Friday, the Jodie Foster version was much better.

Moving Columbus to Quebec makes more sense. The NHL wants to keep trying to develop and engage the west coast and the south/southwest.