B1ue

Huh. My grandfather used to work there when it was a steam engine shop. I didn't realize it was the same area. Okay, so, here's some real economic truths. LA has about three industries left that bring taxable money into it. We used to have porn, but that went away, so now we have Hollywood. We have tourism. And we have the logistical pipeline represented by the ports of LA and Long Beach, which are individually the first and second biggest intermodal ports in North America, and combined are bigger than the next three biggest ports. Killing that lift capacity for a flipping park is stupid. I do understand the need. The gentrification that can happen once the LAITC is closed (and it is inevitable that it will be) will bring billions of dollars into the pockets of developers, and will partly reshape the demographics of Central Los Angeles. I'm not certain that's a good thing, but its a thing that will happen sooner or later. Also, the LA river yard is still in operation. Much of it did, indeed, get turned into a park, but the tracks themselves are being used by BNSF, UP, and Amtrak on a daily basis.

Hey. They could force Mary Ellen into dressing up as a scullery maid and guiding the tours!

I don't know why ME would bother to lie though. She doesn't actually need to get married to access her trusts, correct? Only have a child, like Wade, right? Matt would do just as well as Alex for that. Hell, so would Trevor, although I could see her refusing to name paternity there (and letting her reputation as a slut cloud the issue beyond recovery). The only reason ME would lie about Alex being the father is if she had to get married for some reason, since he would be one of the few who would marry her out of automatic reflex, and I'm hard pressed to think of a reason why. She couldn't have known for sure that she would get away with negotiating an open marriage, so the consequences of tying the knot might have been quite severe to her lifestyle and interests.

The scars would be a problem for, say, runway modeling, but I was picturing him more as a magazine ad kind of guy, in which there is photoshop. As far as scrutiny, he works under similar conditions right now, and is starting to realize how good looking he is becoming. I think by the time all this took place, he'd be fine. At the very least, there are underwear companies that would love to snap up someone well known to the gay community, even if he himself is mostly straight. They probably wouldn't use him much, since I don't think he'll bulk up beyond "tightly muscled" even if he does gain extra height, but a celebrity shoot or two would draw in some extra attention. Edit: That or he could one-up Will and become a porn star. That would depend on if they have a rivalry at that point, or if the rest of the family were constantly comparing him to his "mature, settled" younger brother.

I assumed JJ would go into acting or modeling, or both, after he retired from skating. He has the looks and the contacts for either, although he'd have to hit a couple more growth spurts in order to go very far with modeling.

I stand by my assessment. But you may have something about our definitions of boyfriend differing. I don't have a deep well of experience where long term relationships go. I don't have anything against such arrangements, they've simply never come my way, and I never pursued them with any enthusiasm. So I see Alex and JJ's relationship through that lens. And Alex makes decent arm candy, can hold a conversation, is enthusiastic about JJ's interests and career, and is good in bed. Plus, his mere existence wigs out the more annoying members of JJ's family, which cannot be overlooked. He's also a twerp, in that he doesn't seem to have a strong grasp of actions beget consequences, and is SO SHOCKED when consequences come calling, on top of being fairly selfish unless someone is calling him on it 24 hours a day. But that particular pair of personality traits would be true of the vast majority of people JJ might date. So, starter boyfriend/teenage romance. Have a couple "first times," a few really cool dates, let it all peter out, move on within sixth months, tops. And then the next boyfriend or girlfriend will (probably) have so much less pressure attached to it, because you know you can handle yourself in intimate situations like holding hands at the movies. Edit: If by "boyfriend" you thought I meant "someone with which he could have a deep, meaningful, lifelong relationship which will transcend time and whatever partners either might have for the rest of their lives" ala JP and Stef, then hell no. No no no no. I doubt JJ will speak to Alex ever again past the six month mark. If you thought I meant that, then no wonder you thought I was crazy.

Happens to all of us, Sharon. He's an intelligent person, he's bound to say something any of us might agree with from time to time. Although, in fact, I do think JJ caved a little fast, and also that he should have been more wary of Maryellen than he seems to be, if only because handing potential blackmail material to someone you KNOW is untrustworthy is not a best practice in my mind. Then again, her and Elizabeth already had as much as they needed to ruin Alex and JJ's reputations already, so its not like doing the deed would make anything any worse, and including her might make things better (not that JJ is thinking along those lines, and I find it a little strange that he isn't). I will agree that JJ objecting to Maryellen on moral grounds is a hilarious thought. Plus, what exactly is she doing within these chapters that is so objectionable? I'm pretty sure this pregnancy took everyone by surprise, and its not like she's marrying Alex for his money. And she's being both honest and agreeable with Alex while they negotiate the terms. This could all be going down so much worse. Final thought: Alex is a twerp. A nice enough guy for a starter boyfriend, but JJ can do better. Note, I said "nice," not "decent," "good," or even "kind." Edit: "moral high ground"? Really?

Really? Because I have. I realize I hang out with a slightly younger crowd, and live in a beach neighborhood, but I wouldn't have thought you'd miss them entirely. And your friends would laugh someone out of someplace for the simple crime of wearing something pretty unoffensive? You must hang out with a lot of assholes. Can't say I knew much about "The OC." TV was, and is, something to be endured rather than enjoyed, so it is entirely possible I checked out on conversations related to the show without noticing them. But other than seeing ads for it, I can't remember anyone really talking about it. As Tim alluded to, when the OC isn't some foreign land, but instead just down the street, some of the glamour is lost.

Meh. Its alright on me, I suppose.

I don't watch TV. I don't even have TV at the moment. I will occasionally watch Netflix, but even that is pretty rare.

I'm pretty sure Zach is well aware his parents have faults and limits. The problem is that his parents aren't prepared to admit that in front of him.

Would that apply here? The litmus test for Kelo was potentially higher tax revenues and greater economic development, correct? What's going to generate higher tax revenues, an active loading facility with hundreds of locally employed workers (many of whom are persons of color) that is creating the lift capacity for more ships to use the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, or a park with about two dozen permanent jobs once it has been built? Even if the park IS more economically beneficial in the long term, it doesn't sound like the UP is fighting eminent domain as such, merely objecting to the fifth amendment clause of "just compensation" by saying that the land in it current use is worth a great deal more to the city and to its owners than the Army allowed for.

No kidding. 5 years ago, they might have handed it over without a qualm. Not now that the intermodal container business is more than the LA rail complex, but UP and BNSF, can handle. I did point out that the original report you linked was talking out of their butts regarding LATCIF.

Seriously? That was the best his parents could do? I could have run rings around someone like that at 16, and I'm the good kid. My sisters would have had him for breakfast. I'm amazed Zach kept from laughing at him, although I can see he came close a couple times.

Leaving aside the contradiction of terms that is "Top shelf Moonshine," Wade would never serve moonshine at Goodwell. Upon reflection, Nana might, so you could be right.

I have no thoughts on him personally. I like the look of his buildings though; people that want a neighborhood to share a collective aesthetic annoy me, particularly downtown neighborhoods. So the eye-catching contrast of his buildings actually appeal to me. I have not toured the insides of them, they are way out of my price range, so I cannot comment on that. I did roll my eyes at a couple elements of the article though. Gross (I think?) wailed over the lack of available affordable downtown housing, which is a particularly stupid remark. Driving 40 minutes, or riding a train for an hour, to get downtown is perfectly acceptable to Angelinos, which expands the circle of commutable living area quite far. Or to put it another way, you don't have to live exactly downtown to make use of that area for work or leisure, which means that affordable housing merely needs to be located close enough. Which is, in fact, the case for LA, and those lovely interstates maligned in the article is what keeps that true. In sum, the person heaping all the trash on the developer is an idiot. If he has a better way of using the downtown area that will keep it as vital as Palmer has managed, then he should present his business case. Bitching about the color of the ambulance saving you seems a bit silly.

I would guess that she toned it down a little to not ruffle Wade's feelings. No sense making him feel guilty after the fact. Plus, this is Elizabeth. If she can make it look like he did all this on his own, she'd go for it out of sheer habit, and getting Wade to put the final pressure on Hammer to go to Africa might be a way for that to happen.

I could see her for Ella. Is there a description of Elizabeth anywhere that you are working off of? I couldn't find one. I've always pictured her as 2000 era Heather Locklear.

Warning, I am about to sail this thread into the murky waters of psychological speculation of made up people. Please correct me if I wander off course. Stef and Brad might not actually need the money, but how much credibility would they stand to lose if they didn't make that shift? I totally understand JP's position on this, but he's not exactly rational or dispassionate on the subject. I don't know that there is a middle ground for him, not on this topic. Its too central to his life's work, just as spotting trends and riding them to their crests is Stef's life's work. JP grew up relatively affluent, so he really doesn't see money or influence as very important. Some affluent do of course, but JP clearly doesn't, and since he's never been without it, it's never been something he thinks about. Does a mermaid think about water? Stef on the other hand had a different background, and thinks about that water all day every day to make sure that background is never able to touch him again. Further, JP wants Vietnam to have meant something. For the deaths of Andre and everyone to have had at least had the affect of turning us off pitched warfare forever. And this war on terror is proving that we apparently had forgotten that lesson (note: I am not actually making a claim here, just guessing as to how JP would see this). JP is going to hate with every fiber of his being anything and everything associated with this war, because this war is undermining and upending everything he's worked towards. As an aside, I think Stef and Brad investing in defense companies made them into convenient targets for now, but he's not going to be satisfied with being pissed off at them for long. Which perks my interest. Within the stories, when JP has gone off the rails, he's GONE OFF THE RAILS. We're talking about someone that drove another person to suicide over an office. I'm not certain how far he'll go for something like this.

So, I've been thinking about "California accents" for a bit now, and this latest chapter gives me a springboard to mention some further thoughts on it. Because, while Tim is correct in that there is a huge variation in phrases and saying between various parts of California, and I'm correct in pointing out the variations in speech speed, there is one commonality that tends to crop up in Californians. It's not 100% of the population, but it is a noticeable enough chunk that out-of-towners will comment on it when visiting California for the first time. It's pretty simple: there is a strong tendency to sound and talk like we're on happy pills. Not just "in a good mood," there is usually a definite suspicion of medication involved. Like I said, this isn't something you'll run into with everyone. But, for whatever reason, there's this cultural bias to sound and act happy all the time, within the limits of our class and station. Or, as one of my teachers once put it, to "act pink." I have come across no better way of expressing it. That's why Will screams out to be Californian as written, while JJ has a more international air even in the little narrator time he's had so far. I wonder if Mark did that deliberately? It's not something I ever thought about until it was pointed out by that one teacher, but it is strong enough that when I pick up on someone being a Native Californian, that's what I'm homing in on usually.

Will has defined his relationship to specifically include tomcatting around. I'm not sure how well that would work with real people, but in the story it seems to be stumbling along.

I wonder if Wade realized that one thing making Elizabeth happy was the ever so slight implication that he could be a little evil too? That's bound to cheer her for days.

Why though? Is this coming from your idea that JJ is one day going to become itinerant, wandering about the globe wherever he feels like going and doing whatever (and whoever) he feels like doing? Because, even if that happens one day, he's not there yet. He's too focused, and frankly too dismissive of other people as unimportant next to his goals. He's hardly the only character with that trait, but it is expressed especially strong in him. I don't think he'd be against picking up local slang or dialects, but in order to do that he has to interact with locals, and we've seen no evidence that he does that. The closest thing he has to peers are his fellow skaters, with whom his primary mode of interaction is three high snaps at fifty paces. The other people he lives with may eventually shift their language (I would be surprised if Matt didn't, at least) but they haven't yet. So I disagree about his speech shifting. He'll continue blundering on for a while, because his California slang is good enough to be getting along with for now. If anything, he'll defy that shift, if only to make himself stand out more, and really drive home his constant aura of, "I am better than you."

Consciously, I don't know. That's up to Mark to decide, so I'm not certain how he'd want to write JJ. I don't see why JJ would want to distance himself from his original accent, which probably wasn't all that strong to begin with (his grandfather is Parisian, his parents from California, the Midwest, and New Jersey, and all of them are polyglots and world travelers), but if Mark decides that is the case, I'll roll with it. Zach ditched his accent because he was ashamed of his origins, I ditched mine for similar reasons. Despite all the arguments that you've put forward that JJ wouldn't want to be associated with his family, we haven't really seen him think like that yet. Perhaps when and if that does occur, his speech will consciously shift. Unconsciously, I will agree that he'll pick up British idioms, and possibly part of Alex's accent. He may even start to sound like Wade. I doubt he'll pick up much Bostonian though. He would have to actually interact with someone form Boston for that to occur, and he doesn't seem inclined.

I can see that pretty easily. He stands out, his every particle of his being crying out, "I am better than you," although you have to be at least something of an acquaintance before he'll say that directly.