travlbug

Wow. The most I ever got out of a classified was a used sofa.

Susan is right: In his own way, Steven is doing his best to help Puppy. (He may not always go about it the right way, as when he outs Jensen without permission, but his heart is in the right place.) Despite his fussing, Steven even helps the naked gay boy in the shower. (Horrors! ) Steven's tearful reaction to his having bullied David also shows a good heart. (Further, it shows his capacity for growth.) However, cliffies suggest an evil heart. (The exorcism will now commence!)

Your medical care is as good as your doctor. As a private concern, Greenstone likely uses the cheapest doctors/ psychologists/ psychiatrists possible; and while this approach is fine for the vast majority of issues, it's not fine for when a keener insight is required (you get what you pay for). Puppy's misdiagnoses have had a tremendous negative impact on his self image and have led to inappropriate and ineffective treatment. Basically, Puppy has been institutionalized in his thinking. Further, his ignorance on so many issues shows Greenstone's negligence in providing an appropriate education (he has even been deprived of sex education); and one has to wonder why he is forced to attend his tiny Greenstone classes rather than being allowed to attend a local school (where he would have had exposure to same-age peers and more general [common knowledge] information). Being institutionalized, ignorant, and overmedicated has likely made Puppy more controllable but has stunted his growth as a person: He has shown amazing resilience and adaptability now that he is being allowed to grow. Good to see the stepbrothers improving their relationship, with Steven teaching Puppy about masturbation, with the boys weathering their first fight, with Steven's acceptance even if Puppy's gay, and with Steven offering to cut Puppy's hair. (Yes, Steven, grooming behavior is utilized by primates to promote/assist in social bonding. 😂)

Puppy, on entering the bedroom, has an epiphany triggered by Steven's semi-naked body. (Self knowledge is a good thing. 😊) He certainly doesn't mind that Steven, next morning, wears only underpants in his quest for toast. Steven is contrite (despite his refusal to apologize) after hearing a bit of Puppy's story. While the statement "I don't hate you" isn't a rousing endorsement, it is certainly an olive branch. Puppy's experiences at the mall remind us how sheltered (i.e., deprived) he really is, though they are also a yardstick as to how his life is changing. Further, even though his anxiety breaks through, he shows himself capable of persevering despite it. (He has his own brand of courage in facing his fears.)

On top of Steven's baseline insecurities, a new sibling means sharing his parents and receiving that much less attention--a time-honored reason for the first sib to "hate" the new arrival, no matter the age. (When my baby sister was born, my parents gave me a punch-a-ball and a rubber duckie and cleverly told my 3-year-old self that they were gifts from my sister. I loved her immediately! ) Steven's anger at Puppy may resolve, or at least improve, when he sees that his parents don't "abandon" him, or love him less, because of his new brother. (One can hope.) I love how background exposition is provided in a way that feels natural, with Max answering Puppy's stored-up questions in a meaningful, peaceful setting. My sadness is reserved for Cindy, who has basically lost a brother and who has no happy ending in sight. (The juxtaposition between Cindy and Steven's responses to Puppy make the situation all the more poignant.)

We still don't know the narrator's name or the contents of his classified ad, so more good things to come. Stewie pushes a finger where the sun never shines, though it's not clear if he does it overtly or covertly. What is clear is that the narrator doesn't call him on it, and neither mentions it over the rest of the evening. (Don't stew, Stewie, just ask: You might have more in common than you thought!)

I could see the water-color illustrations in my head as Lucy's adventure played out! "And the Caldecott Medal goes to...."

I'd been wondering for a while why Kyle's grandparents hadn't reached out to him, so I appreciate that the situation is mentioned in this chapter. He might consider a meeting with his sibs before reaching out to the grandparents. My husband's parents used to live in Las Vegas, and we never had a problem visiting them during the summer. We'd use their house as home base to go on bookstore safaris. (You wouldn't think it, but at one time, Las Vegas was a bookstore mecca. [RIP Amber Unicorn.]) One sad bit of reality: Psychopaths tend to run in families, not because of a "psychopath gene" but because of gene groups which predispose to psychopathy. The children forcibly produced by the Greene brothers' rapes will need to make a moral decision on whether to have children themselves. Thanks, @kbois, for gifting us with another wonderful tale. I will be looking forward to your shifter novel with great anticipation! (Can't wait until Skippy learns he can turn into a poodle! 😂)

I love that the story switches to the victims' point of view, and the basement scene does an excellent job of portraying their feelings and circumstances. I love that Greene's decision to duct tape Kyle's wrists ultimately proves his undoing: Without the duct tape, his wrist would have been too swollen to pull through the cuff, and the tape creates the space for Kyle to escape. (Further, without his Houdini training or gun practice, Kyle couldn't have killed Greene. However, what really makes Kyle a hero is his perseverance: Despite complete exhaustion and pain, with a head wound and self-inflicted broken thumb [to effect his escape], he dives for the gun, takes aim, and does what's necessary, and he does all this without a second thought. It's just the right thing to do.) I've sent Bruce a gift card for a free steak! 😉 But Jett gets the real prize. 🥰

And lest I forget.... Many thanks, Ivor, for another wonderful story. Your gift with words is very much appreciated.

Amazing how just a few people can diminish life for everyone--how much better life becomes with the removal of just a few bad apples from the school power structure. Jackson and Renolds get off easy, being fired but avoiding charges. (Principal Abbot was an incompetent boob and deserved to be replaced.) Sad to hear that Wayne's father is forced to serve his entire sentence, but he leaves prison with no restrictions. (If he were released on parole, I'm sure that the bad guys who put him in prison would have arranged for him to violate the parole.) Good luck, Jerry, you're still young and--being a good guy--are sure to find happiness. I presume that Wayne spends his 3-week disappearance on a vision quest, or other spiritual quest, on Comanche lands; and he is now ready to commit himself to Ethan, body and soul. (As if there were ever any doubt. ) And Ethan (you dog!), you have found your perfect mate. Woof! And they all lived happily ever after--in California! (@weinerdog, I'll see you at Mysterious Galaxy, my favorite San Diego bookstore! I'll be the customer who looks like a hamster. )

John Howard Davies is the only Oliver of the silver screen to look in need of a good meal. (Dickie Moore actually had chubby cheeks!) That said, I echo the sentiment! ❤ As an aside, if anyone is wondering why Benny Hill went off the air, this little guy axed his show as a grown-up BBC producer. I guess he didn't want any more! 😂🤣😉

"Romano" was sloppy, purchasing the house under his own alias, and the combination of Nikki's remembrance and modern technology has led the police directly to the bad guys' door. (I'm amazed at the power--and reach--of today's high tech, but I'll never lose my love for the "ratiocination" of the golden-age detectives!) My big fear is that the situation will devolve into a hostage standoff and/or actual injury to Kim and Kyle, especially with the Greene's cornered and with "Marc Greene" likely refusing to be taken alive (just to go back to prison).

So heaven is the true "bait and switch"--a self-selecting trap for bigots and the intellectually straightjacketed, not to mention televangelist audiences (or is that redundant? 😂). Now watch, someone will complain because I said that televangelist audiences are going to heaven. The Devil wears Prada? Actually... I love that Lucifer uses the Socratic method in response to Gabriel's queries! (That's why they called him Socra-tease! ) I'd ask how Gabriel woke up in Hell to begin with, but @kbois would probably answer with another question! 🤣

"This may be a hard chapter to read. Mentions kidnapping, rape, incest, corruption, blackmail and murder." I'm trying to figure which of the 7 deadly sins did NOT make it into the Greene brothers' repertoire! 😅 "Double the evil / double your fun"--with apologies to Wrigley's gum. No wonder "Marc Greene" was able to accomplish the impossible! I can't even imagine what a kidnap victim goes through. (I keep thinking of John Paul Getty III and Konerak Sinthasomphone.) Knowing that the Greenes intend to kill them, Kyle and Kim have nothing to lose in a no-holds-barred attempt to break free, but I doubt they'll escape without help.

Sad that some people have to be threatened to do what's right. BTW, Jerry's sperm donor is a Klootzak!

The problem with involving a lawyer is that a lawyer is an officer of the court and is obligated to report crime--in this case, the theft of the camera. Also, the theft was committed by the janitor, so there is no attorney-client privilege shielding the janitor in any way. The boys would have to omit information, or outright fib, in their dealings with a lawyer, and the lawyer would have to accept these circumstances, to make their association work. I love the cartoon! 🥰

Nothing like a disaster/emergency to clarify what's truly important in life. Now that Greene has shown his true colors, he will be intensely motivated to complete his new agenda, whatever that may be, or die trying, as I presume he'll never willingly accept a return to maximum security prison and a living death.

The video camera is stolen property, but it is not seized as part of an illegal search by a government agency: The exclusionary rule requires that evidence obtained through unlawful police activity becomes, for the most part, inadmissible in court. However, evidence unlawfully obtained by a private citizen is admissible. (Yes, the law is weird.) Any way you look at it, Jackson's goose is cooked. However, the evidence has to be provided in a way that will shield the boys (and janitor) from any repercussions. Yes, Ethan, you're in love with Wayne! (Do you really have any doubts? 🥰)

Actually, Greene has had decades to find out Kim's address....

A storm on the day of Greene's transfer? If his transport had been in an accident, could Greene have escaped? Could he have found Kim's address? Did he have enough time to reach the duplex? (The lawyer would have no motive for assisting Greene, so I doubt his involvement.) Ok, Kim, so tell me what you think of psychiatrists.... 😅 I love magic tricks! My favorite show as a child was The Magic Land of Allakazam (though Fireball XL5 was a close second): I blame Mark Wilson for a lifelong fascination with magic, and I have collected books and magic tricks/props for decades! Somehow, "knowing the secret" has never dimmed my admiration or appreciation for the ingenuity behind the "magic," and I completely understand Kyle and Jett's enthusiasm for a good magic show! 🥰

I can't help feeling that Ethan and Wayne should have informed Dad about the (more than) likely existence of an illicit film. Sure, he'd be angry, but if the kids can figure out that complaining would make the evidence disappear, then so would Dad: I'm sure he'd employ a different strategy. My biggest fear is that the kids will trying raiding Jackson's office on their own and get caught while doing it: In that event, they'll be the ones named as criminals. (If the janitor helps, the risk would certainly be less.) I like that Dad queries Wayne about his post-graduation plans. He is becoming a surrogate father while making sure that Wayne maintains contact with his real one. "He has given me his blessing to fly away." Wayne, if you don't know what your Dad means by that, then let me explain.... 😂

I can understand Kyle's distress, but taking it out on the one who loves you is a dubious strategy at best. Kudos to Jett for refusing to put up with Kyle's nonsense and doing something about it.

If the principal is Abbott, then Jackson must be Costello! 😂 Dad does an excellent job of presenting his case, and Abbott admits that he supports breaking school rules by having students view each other being paddled for the same infraction. (A tape recorder would have been handy.) Now, what actions will Abbott take about the irregularities in the paddling?🤔 "Next thing I knew I had skinned back his foreskin and was licking around the head and down the shaft." Clearly an example of mind control. The prison visit is interesting in that the reader is not privy to the actual visit--just the emotional aftermath. (So sad to hear that Wayne's Dad didn't even recognize him.) The visit also has a profound effect on Wayne beyond seeing his father: He experiences the prison viscerally, in terms of smell, and sees Ethan as a sort of savior. ("Without you sooner or later this breed would have ended up there." [I hate how he still views himself as a "breed."]) Further, the visit has solidified Wayne's love for Ethan, not to mention Ethan's place in Wayne's family: Wayne declares "It is time" and makes love to every part of Ethan's body--twice--before drinking his semen as an expression of, not simply love, but spirituality. ("I needed your essence inside me Ethan. I needed some of your special spirit. My grandma told me it was destined.") While Ethan wouldn't commit to loving Wayne when speaking to his father in the prison carpark, I wonder if he would change his answer on the basis of this subsequent deepening of Wayne and his relationship. 🥰 A film of the paddling? Jerry needs to come forward officially: A crime is going to be committed at the Mathers residence with the showing of the film, and the police will need probable cause to set up a sting. Yet, if Jerry refuses to be an official witness, what else can our boys do with this golden opportunity to catch the baddies red handed (and make them squeal like pigs about administration involvement)? What a cliffie! 😲

I'm sure that Bo would be even tastier jumping out of a boysenberry pie. I just hope he likes the color purple!