Thomas Haworth

Does Cameron have a future in research?

Consider the Tiger Mom joke made!

The answer to Kenji's question is a resounding "YES!" I grew up in s similar culture in Indiana, and self-flagellation is required. About everything. I once was informed that I earned a 99/100 on a Physics exam. I worried about what I did wrong.

What is the local company interested in renting screen 1?

Speaking from my own experience of visiting the town in rural Indiana outside of which I grew up, I understand why Alec is adamant that he will not return to Sunnyside to live. Any time I visit the town, which I occasionally do to visit my mother, I can feel the oppression I escaped when I left to go to college. I had loving and supportive parents, and I can not and will not live there again for any reason whatsoever. That said, Alec has not even considered asking Finn to Washington. Finn can always say no. Alec has decided that Finn and Finn's family are not enough to make him stay in Sunnyside. Is Alec enough to make Finn leave?

This is classic clinical depression. Running all the scenarios is a way to try to get certainty in an uncertain world. Alec spent his life in Sunnyside having little or no control, and this is a way of feeling control. Demiurge, you nailed it.

In the scene with his mother, Alec finally broke the hold his mother had on him. He needed to demonstrate to her and to himself that she does not have a hold on him any more.

Dare I hope that Alec's mother dies before he gets there?

Sadly, Finn has never understood Alec's problems. When it comes to dealing with their small town, Finn has two advantages over Alec other than his parental and brotherly support. First, Finn was not born in town. He has a remote, but real perspective of the world outside of their town. Second, and perhaps more importantly, Finn, being a multi-sport athlete has been able to hide his differences until recently. Alec has never been so lucky. Alec is tense at all times. Feeling wrong 24/7 will do that to one. If it seems I am looking at this through my own experience, I am. My brother could make it look like he belonged in our small town in Indiana. I could not. I still envy him. Alec's leaving may make it possible for him to return at some future point, but I understand why he must leave.

I will be very interested in where our author takes this story. Shirley Jackson's tale ends here.

Maybe vindictiveness is the correct response. Who takes their sick kid to a robbery?

I had wondered about Council involvement. As soon as Reilly's Kappa status was seen by his father, it would make sense that the father would send a message to the top. Reilly's existence was a threat to the power of the High Council. People in power do not react well to such threats. It would not surprise me if Reilly's treatment at the hands of his father was at the direction of someone high up.

At the risk of falling down a conspiracy theory rabbit hole, it strikes me that Northman may already be in cahoots with the Russians. Alternatively he's just a misogynist who hates that CJ worked for Hilary Clinton. After all Northman has been around long enough to have worked under her as Secretary of State.

I do not find it so surprising that Ridley's mother or other adults don't know what to do with Ridley. Ridley's problems started long before his father's injury, though it made things much worse. I suspect the guidance counsellor is the adult who understands Ridley best. He just knows that nothing he can do will fundamentally help the situation. Ridley does not fit in the culture of the town or of the school, and has given up even trying to fit. Other students, parents, teachers, administrators may see this as Ridley implying that there is something wrong with the town and school. In my experience people do not react well to such an implication. I am finding this story compelling and heartbreaking at the same time. A rousing "Good Work!" to the author.

An off-the-wall question: Does the protective instinct in werebears extend to the bear god?

Marcus is showing his inner child (pun intended). What 10-11 year old wouldn't be scared in this situation? I suspect that Rieka's attempt to do the ritual early will prove her undoing.

The scene at the art competition is very telling. The father's over-reaction makes me ask what the father is protecting himself from.

Samuel betrayed him. Lenny called him a monster -- and he believed Lenny.

Nice way to end an excellent story.

Is anyone going to contact the Arnold family?

Am I just being paranoid in thinking that the Supreme Alpha Taylor’s Beta wolf, Justin may be in cahoots with Christopher Arnold?

I love that Ethan has now made the fact that he and Wayne are together the fault of all the other students.

Before we leave the topic of education in civics and the US Constitution, I'd like to make one other observation. Education in the US at all levels is now hurried. 'Good' parents now insist on getting their children into school at the earliest moment, keep them busy with scheduled activities at all times, have them take all AP courses imaginable, get them into the best colleges (resorting to bribery if necessary), and want them to complete a Bachelor's degree in three years or less. This schedule means that the young people have no time for knowledge to settle in and become wisdom. I am in the middle of re-reading the early CJ saga and am currently in Travels. César and Brett showed their real love of CJ by making him take the summer off. My experience tells me that sometimes the old adage about 'less haste--more speed' is true.

Is Brandon's presence interacting with Ethan' and Aiden's powers? It seems odd that their powers are different when in his area.

Helene still gets violent when crossed. Anger issues much? Its a good thing Gus is away from her; she may may very well have eventually put an end to Gus's career by injuring him in a way he could not recover from.