MJ85

I'm just thinking that those wishing and hoping for an epiphany should keep on dreaming. But that's just me.

Well...the park where I work will be having a long - and certainly busy - weekend. And...I'll be working every single day of it. And the two days before, too!

I think, given what he's already done so far, probably the only consequence likely to stick is the one that calls for a "skull-and-crossbones" emoticon. Then again, I'd say there's a difference between a "consequence" and "things not turning out exactly the way he wants". A prime example would be, if he got his desired emancipation and started at Menlo School...only to discover that he's so so miserable there that he's practically begging to go back to H-W. Something like that, versus a consequence - like if he'd gotten his original drinking punishment instead of what he did get. Basically...a consequence would be something intended to work against him, while things just not turning out would just happen that way by chance.

I kind of hinted at this before - when I stated that Brad is essentially, no longer even a person. Even with regards to family - "it" is no longer thinking in terms of family, but rather in terms of problems to be solved. There's no traces of humanity at all, anymore. I'm seeing comments here about coming around before it's too late - I'd argue that, it's already too late. If "Brad" is going to stand against the rest of the family, then they might as well parlay that to its natural conclusion - cast the bum out (even if only temporarily)!

Ohh, OK - I remembered it was one of the two (Brad/Robbie), but didn't have time to check before work this morning. Doesn't change my general point, though.

It's strange. We're underway with Will's attempt at emancipation, yet...it still feels like we're going through the motions of moving forward, probably because we've all predicted the reactions of all the key players involved already. I feel like I'm waiting for a truly big, "surprise!" to really factor in here. Having a sheriff's screw up mess things up for Will just seemed kinda...lame. As to Matt - if I remember right, wasn't he denied the chance to hook up with Robbie a couple years back? No wonder he's taking their side. If I was Wade, I'd be "cutting him off" that night.

Isn't there some kind of copyright notice or tag that appears at the bottom of a chapter after it's posted here?

I kinda felt like this chapter was just nudging things forward - I was expecting to see at least some kind of fireworks already.

Unless, that was the point. Now, who would stop right there...?

So... "any competent attorney", would simply overlook the fact that she ordered the creation of what amounts to kiddie porn, let alone allow her to use it for her arguments. Ummmmm.........WHAT????????????

But Will has no knowledge of this sort of thing having been done before from the family...right? Even if that were to happen, I'd think that all Will will see is Michael having been given a severance package and then just happening to turn up dead - he won't see that the family arranged the whole thing unless he's told so. (In other words, it won't do a thing for his trust issues.) And...what do you think the odds of that happening are?

From the reviews: You mean...The Machine Formerly Known As Brad? (Y'know, Prince took back his name earlier that year...somebody's gotta have a "formerly known as" moniker! ) Yeah, every time we see "it", the less and less humanity "it" has. Then again...for all "it" crows about reputation, reputation, reputation, "it" is certainly lucky that neither the eras of Facebook nor Twitter...maybe not even MySpace, have begun yet. Will divorcing his parents...yeah, as I was reading, I saw it coming. It made me think of another, possibly even more famous (more famous than Will) teen-ster who decided to divorce their parents: But as for moving...frankly...by Will having to move, even if he does successfully divorce his parents (I say "his parents" to mean in every sense of the word, meaning including Robbie but not including "grand-" anything.) ... by him moving, it's like he's the loser. Who says Will has to be the one to move, assuming he does end up moving?

LOL...I think we can dub this the Bottoms Page (with only one known exception).

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...I wonder what her new, um, man...had to say to her after that concert.

Gee...I wonder how they'd both feel if suddenly something happened to him and him alone?? I'm getting the feeling that the rest of this story is going to be nothing than extended misery...

Like Joe, I also have to be in the right sort of "mood" to be able to write. That's one of the big things that's keeping me from starting my entry for the Friends & Enemies anthology, despite having pretty much all the ideas I want for it already. I haven't really been in a "mood" to write in some time - the last time was in April, when I wrote You Sure You Want to Do This? in a week's time. Then along comes May, along with a new full-time job and several other of life's distractions... P.S. Joe, if you happen to read this, feel free to send some encouragement my way...

Mikie...Brian...tell me if I'm reacting the right way: *facepalm*

From left to right: Brian (wrathofmagneto), Me, Mikie. Brian joined us not long after Mikie and I met up in Ann Arbor a little after 12 noon. I couldn't resist getting a picture of the three of us. We asked a mall security guard to take it for us - his only request was not to stand with our backs to the doors, because the mall is "private property". Whatever... We met up at Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor, walked around inside for a little while, then went downtown for a little more walking around. Mikie showed me a couple vintage shops, and we ate at an Italian restaurant there. (Great place to eat if you go for that in Ann Arbor, BTW.) Oh yeah...we also stopped in a new age bookstore. They happened to have a "Gay/LGBT Studies" section, from which I bought Brotherhood: Gay Life in College Fraternities. Funny thing is, when Mikie pulled up he ended up parking right next to me, hehe. A great time was had by all!

You're thinking Will's the villain rather than Jeanine, aren't you??

My guess is, a combination of late hours and not quite shaking off the tense dinner from earlier.

Settle in for the ride, eh? Promises, promises...

I think it's worse than that. With so many comments of being "out-of-character" throughout this story so far...I think it's to the point where Brad has been so totally devolved as a character, that...there really isn't even any character to him now. All he is now, is Plot Movement, on two legs. Whatever, however, the plot would call for him to react - BAM! That's how he reacts. And, it may even be contagious - spreading to other members of the family as well. This is really turning out to be a story filled with so many characters...and yet driven, and rigidly controlled, by Plot. And...sorry Mark, but I believe that that is greatly to its detriment.

His sister sounds very trashy... It does sound like you might need to do something really drastic to pry her away, though.

You know...not too long ago there was talk of Jeanine being the one to be killed in 9/11. But...who says, she even needs to live to see 9/11?

Yeah...I'd have to say that it's your mum who's not 100% willing to accept that you're gay ...and this is her...back-handed, I guess? Way - of trying to disprove you being gay as far as she's concerned.