methodwriter85

When it comes to the ice, JJ is secure in himself. When it comes to everything else, he's always the overshadowed brother that people don't like as much, and that's why he acts the way he does. JJ either doesn't know how, or can't put in the effort, to have real friendships with people, and so he does what he can to get attention from people all the while knowing that he's more of a court jester than anyone actually liking him. School should be interesting, especially when JJ and Will have to clean the cafeteria as the school requires of their students. And when JJ has to convince the school to let him take 5 to 6 weeks off for meets in November, December, January, and February/early March. Matt's a junior and the team captain. Gathan is the new kid on the block who's a freshmen. It's called "sports hazing". Nothing all that out of the ordinary. That Matt grew up an only child who's never had any kind of sibling rivalry to deal with might play into this as well. Suddenly Gathan's the new darling everyone in the family is cooing over, and I can't imagine he's cool with it.

I gotta admit, I think the idea of having sex with a straight guy is a flattering one, because it's like you're so desirable that you can convert a straight guy. It's a definite fantasy. Having heard what the actually reality is- that for the most part a straight guy is just really horny and will do anything, isn't quite as romantic. As a friend who liked having sex with straight guys once told me, "I can give him a blow job, but I can't make him fall in love with me." For that to happen, it's extremely rare and usually only happens between two men who've loved each other as friends for a lifetime, a love strong enough that it needs to be expressed in physical terms.

JJ reminds me of myself in ways that can be VERY uncomfortable at times. He wants friends, but he doesn't really know to be a good friend and doesn't put in the effort. So JJ maintains these superficial friendships that give a semblance of intimacy, but eventually they get bored and JJ's at square one, and he'll do anything to get attention from people, even if it's a bad kind of attention. I'm sure he thinks he's Alistair Crownbeam's best friend now, and JJ will bug the hell out of the guy until the guy wants to throttle him. Then when Alistair drops him to the curb, JJ will get yet another chance to be the wounded victim, and never really get why he has such a hard time making good friends when he's such a nice guy. I basically stuck to that script until I was about 17. Something tells me it'll take a long time for JJ to grow out of that pattern, too. The lack of socializing due to his figure skating ain't going to help this, at all.

I think in regards to Matt; it's part Matt being the big upperclassmen hazing the freshmen, and part Matt being an only child who is used to the spotlight and never had to deal with sibling rivalry.

Chapter 42 -When Will decides to call JJ off on the way he made himself a pariah at Malibu. JJ reminds me of myself in so many ways, and not all in the best ways. -At Stanford's hockey practice, where Matt is a total dick to Gathan, pissing him off. "My Way' by Limp Bizkit -When Will reads Tony's email to him, and immediately feels like crap. "Loser" by 3 Doors Down

An 1980's gym coach. I'll be in a pair of short-shorts, a pink polo shirt, high socks, converse sneakers, white headbands and wristbands, and a whistle.

*Shrugs* I have faith in you, Mark. In the mean time, it's fun to speculate, given certain patterns we've seen in the story and certain characteristics of the characters. One thing is for sure- when we hit 9/11, you're going to write it pretty poignantly. If I ever had any doubt about that, the Matthew Shepherd storyline killed it.

Yeah. Mike Vogel is pretty hot, but in kind of a douchey way. It's funny though, because when Mike Vogel was younger, he had more of a sweet twinky look to him. I think getting rid of the surfer haircut and bulking up douched him out.

I'm sure Mark will be careful with how handles it. I also think that if someone actually is in the Towers, they'll get out safely. 9/11 is more likely to effect the family in terms of who goes off to fight in the War on Terror. Gathan's friends are especially screaming "Future Iraq War Veterans". Mark will continue writing; just CAP itself will end at some point. But that's at least four stories off- we still need to through 9/11 and see JJ and Will go through high school and their early/mid-20's. I kinda like the idea of 2008 being the "end point", but we'll see how it goes. It's more speculating about how you see the characters developing...this is what I'm leaning towards now for two characters... Darius graduates from Santa Clara University and his ROTC program in 2004; goes off to Iraq. He does survive because he's Robbie's favorite child, and I think no one wants to see Robbie grieving over a dead child. I think 9/11 would make him more determined to prove how American and patriotic he is, and we already know that he's interested in the military. JJ graduates from HW in 2004; delays college for two years while he trains for the Olympics. When '06 doesn't yield gold, he'll move on to something else- maybe going to Tisch in New York City for college? I can definitely see JJ loving New York City. JJ as an aspiring stage actor in NYC could yield some very interesting stories. We already did the whole "L.A. actor" deal with Armand, so that could be something different, comparing the difference between pursuing an acting career in Late 2000's New York City vs. 1970's Los Angeles. I could see Stefan throwing a viewing party for JJ when he debuts as "Guy Who Discovers Murder Victim While On A Jog" on Law and Order. LOL. That'd be too funny. My school had a guy who debuted as "Guy Who Cries Because He Lost His Trust Fund", and we made SUCH a big deal about it.

31. "Stacey's Mom" by Fountains of Wayne, 2003 I'm sure this will be used for the inevitable moment when a 17-year old Will hooks up with a middle-aged guy. It's CAP. It's like mandatory for him as a protagonist to have sex with guys old enough to be his dad. My bet would either be on Scott, Max, or Cody. 32. "Everybody's Changing" by Keane, 2004 Not their better-known song, but man I love it.

Alright, let's hear it for the class of 2004! Welcome, freshmen! (I was in '05, so I went through high school with the '04ers for most of it.) It'll be interesting to see if JJ can handle figure skating and a school like HW, and how he's going to negotiate the 5 or so weeks of school he's going to miss. I would seriously pay to be there when JJ has to spend a lunch period cleaning up the cafeteria. That'd be hilarious. I can see JJ looking at Will and spitting out, "I can not believe I let you talk me into going here. My pedicure is ruined!" In any event, from personal experience, siblings in the same grade or just a grade apart tended to be at constant war with each other. This should be fun. LOL.

It'll be interesting to see how JJ fits into HW, or whether or not he winds up dropping out and getting a tutor because they won't let him miss 5-6 weeks of the school year.

I'm going to level with you- I pretty much think music went on an uptick in 2003, and I prefer music from the mid-2000's over that of 2000. I think 2000 was a weird transition year where the late 90's boybands, Latin Pop explosion, and pretty girl princesses were still going strong, but were starting to grate. I think the only really good things going on musically that year would have been Moby and Eminem, at least in terms of what was hitting the mainstream. (Linkin Park didn't really hit until the end of 2000 and they were more of a 2001 band.) I also like the poppy punk things going on, as well as bands like Staind. It's why I've been pretty frustrated at having to soundtrack not just one, but two stories set in 2000. Mark's crammed three stories within the end-of-Millenium era, and I've essentially exhausted 1996-2000 music. I've had to branch out as a result, but god, it can get frustrating. There are times where there is a song I REALLY want to use, but it wasn't released until 2001 or 2002. I stick to the rule though because I want to use music that would have been around in the year that the story takes place. The rule used to be that the music would generally have to be from within three years prior to the year the story took place, but Mark packing Bloodlines in 1998-1999, Millenium in 1999-2000, and PMS in 2000 really kinda killed that rule. So I branch out into older tunes and non-conventional tunes as well, but I'm still really frustrated because I'm frankly pretty sick of this era and I want us at post-9/11 music already. I do think 9/11 definitely sounded the death knell of the late 90's pop boom, for sure. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed what I picked, though. Thanks. It's not that this era is a total wash, as you've seen here.

I'm kinda picturing Ryan Grafton as like a young Mike Vogel. (You might known him from such distinguished films as The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Cloverfield.) I remembered him mainly from "Havoc". It's only been recent this guy has gotten out of teenaged roles. He was in them for awhile. (His eyes are actually pretty blue- you just can't tell from this pic.)

Chapter 41 -When Will writes an email to Tony, who he still can't shake, and imagines a life with AIDS. -When Wade gets Will to think about how fortunate he really is as a young gay man without baggage about being gay, and that he can't play Russian Roulette with his life. "What's This Life For?" by Creed -When Gathan mopes about Kristin. (Dear god, does EVERYONE have to mope about their love interests?) Weezer. The Blue Album. End to end, an awesome album that perfectly describes teen angst. My sister downloaded and burned a copy of it for me, and the album was on repeat for me freshman year. -When JJ and Will start their 9th grade year at Harvard-Westlake, and don't exactly hit it off with the kids there. I basically adored Good Charlotte through those first two albums. Joel Madden was hot before he went overboard on the tattoos. -When Will thinks to himself that maybe it won't be so bad at Harvard-Westlake. "Degrassi Junior High Theme Song" Someone once described Degrassi Junior High to me as an 80's after-school special that never ended. LOL.

Happy birthday!

You were not kidding. I'm reading the HW middle school handbook online. Therefore, we strongly discourage family trips that result in students missing school. Such absences undermine the ethos of commitment and disadvantage the student whose work is interrupted. Even if the school has been notified in advance of an absence for a family trip, the days missed are unexcused. Teachers are under no obligation to help a student make up missed work under these circumstances. The JJ situation seems murkier. It looks like missing school for school-sponsored athletic competitions is okay, but not if it's not school-sponsored. My guess would be that, for the 5 or so non concurrent weeks that JJ misses, JJ would hire a tutor who traveled with him and worked in tandem with his teachers, who would then fax the assignments to teachers. If you wanna go creative, they COULD buy a cam and JJ could conference with each of his teachers online.

It'd be great if you come back soon, but you deserve a break.

Model Phillip Fusco for Tony?

Blue, I was thinking about this, and the thought crossed my mind that as pissed off as JJ would be, he wouldn't have told the entire world what happened. Because by nature of being a figure skater with a family-friendly asexual Disney image, JJ would have to keep any sexual attachments, both straight and ESPECIALLY gay, under wraps. He might trust his family but I would bet his coach would drill into him the need for utter discretion in whatever he does, and I don't think JJ would risk the wrath of the Powers That Be if it ever got out that he wasn't as straight as an arrow. Much more likely: JJ would destroy his room in a fit of rage while screaming bloody murder, but never tell his family what he was so angry about. David prescribes JJ some Lexapro, or maybe Prozac. Then Jeanine would take him on a shopping spree at Bloomingdales for a new bedroom spread and furniture. Maybe a nice, new Burberry suit. That would be freaking hilarious- Jeanine looking around JJ's wrecked room and saying, "I think it's time we hit up Bloomingdale's again."

http://www.udreview.com/udpd-steps-up-tailgate-regulation-1.2641368 I love reading about how my alma matter has turned into a fascist police state where no students are allowed to have fun. J-walkers and tailgaters get punished, yet that same weekend three students were robbed by gun point and the UD police didn't give a damn because they don't make money off of them like they do fining students over ridiculous reasons. University of Delaware was once a great school, with lots of uniqe and great things about it. But in the school's singleminded attempt to kill off the party scene so that UD will be seen as a serious Public Ivy academic school, they've curtailed the freedom of their young adults to explore their boundaries, create fun memories that they'll laugh about when they're middle-aged and sitting in an office, and meet people in situations that they might otherwise never have met. College tailgating is a time-honored tradition, and gives people a chance to mingle and meet new friends. These freshmen will grow up, become alumni, and when they come back for Homecoming with their own kids while pumped full of nostalgia for their own glory days, their kids just might be persuaded to come here. It's an ingredient in creating a successful football team, healthy alumni giving, and the next generation of students. By making it so that your students are fearful of tailgating, you have essentially cut your nose to spite your face. Especially when you consider that UD has been talking for such a long time about how they want to move up a football division(with a planned stadium expansion to 30k). Guess what? Big-time football universities also have big-time tailgating. You can't have one without the other, and the fact that UD football attendence is down to 1998 levels pretty much speaks for itself. UD can give prize giveaways all it wants, but until students feel like they can tailgate without an arrest, the kids are going to stay away from the games.

I know you too well. JJ can just say he's Methodist or something when he starts wearing his cross to interviews and talks about how his Uncle adopted him as an orphan and Christianity gave him the strength to pursue a career... Of course, he'll probably also plug Students Against Drunk Driving. It'd make sense for that to be his volunteer work. According to Daisy, they'd love that.

On the other hand, I can't see Mark ever having a lead protagonist who was Mormon. Maybe a devout Episcopalian, but not Mormon given their stance on homosexuality. So maybe JJ flirts with Mormonism for a bit in 2002 but falls out of it by the time he's ready for his own story in 2006. We might not even follow 2002, so who knows? I would guess Mark is going to skip over 2002 once we have the 9/11 story and head straight into 2003 and the Iraq War. Makes the most sense. 2002 was the year of Enron, and we've already done corporate intrigue with Millennium. There could be the D.C. sniper, but I don't think that's enough to base a story around. And JJ isn't actually going to those Olympics, at least as a competitor.

This is from a while back, but I gotta say...told ya so. I KNEW someone would pick up on it being weird that Ella should look like Claire since Claire isn't actually a biological Crampton like Ella is. I kinda wonder if Ella is going to change her name to Crampton, but the Hayes name does seem to be losing its stigma because of Robbie, and hopefully when Gathan's the Mayor it'll be totally over by then.

Have a good birthday. You're a riot.