centexhairysub

I have just finished reading the Bridgemont saga from start to finish again... I just find something each time I go back through this story to admire and enjoy even more... I hope that you continue to enjoy writing this saga for a long time to come. It has become one of my all time favorite stories period. Hope you are surviving that bruising election tone in Missouri, unfortunately here in Texas the idiots really do seem to hold sway.....

That BITCH... I just know that Elizabeth has been keeping dear old mom all drugged up so that she can keep control of the family fortune but I bet in a year from now or even less; that control won't be so solid or even there... I can't wait to see Wade and Elizabeth slug it out toe to toe and face to face. I think that PrivateTim has a good question as well; we have seen Trevor and Beau from time to time and now have Travis as well; have to wonder if they will be getting more expanded roles down the line. I think everyone is missing a big upcoming event, the visit and discussion between Wade and his father next week... I realize that with the latest revelation about the evils of Elizabeth, it is easy to overlook but this is the second or third chapter that has casually mentioned this upcoming visit... I have a feeling that this is gonna be an interesting meeting....

The new chapter of Odyssey is up and was just the touch I needed to end the weekend on a bright note. I am so glad to be rid of Conway, although I actually expected there to be more of a fuss about his departure. I have to admit, I never even thought about him trying to get rid of the good Dr. Jackson, but should have seen it coming. I can't wait to see Maidstone's face when the ship arrives in the Far East without his stooge aboard. Conway maybe trapped on this island for months, so he will have no way to get any notice to his boss. I do wish there had been someway to trip him up more so that Granger had more ammunition to confront Maidstone when he arrives after him. I can't wait to see what the next part of the voyage brings Granger and his crew. Rio is a great place, and I am sure it was even back then... Has to make me wonder what kind of trouble they can find to get into when they arrive...

Completely enjoyed the latest chapter of Paternity; I just love this whole series so much... I have to say that Will seems to understand what is going on with Jeanine and how the actions of others contribute to her problems much more than some of the adults in her life. Of course, we don't see anything from the therapist point of view but I would have to question the decision of putting a patient with significant issues in the middle of one of the most traumatic events all year; Thanksgiving dinner with the family... At least looking in from the outside, it appears that Robbie and JJ are doing more damage to Jeanine than helping her. Ella, John, and several others are going to have to accept the fact that Will is in most aspects now an adult. As several others have mentioned, I don't think Will is going to have the same issues that many of his peers are going to have. Will is probably not going to care so much about how he dresses; what is cool; or how popular the people he hangs out with are in other peoples minds. Will has never been one to follow the path set by others and I don't see a move to a new school or area changing that. Will appears to be the kind of person that will find friends that have intrest similar to his own and will not make friends based on a predetermined group of people just because they have money or status bestowed by others.

Okay, while I would really like to see Wade's side for a while as well; I don't think that Will's story is done here. I think Will has accomplished his goal of a certain level of freedom, but we need to see what he does with it and how he fits in with his new surroundings. I think it is really important at some point before this story is over to either demonstrate that Will was ready for this level of freedom or he still needs to have more supervision. I really think to just end Will's side of the story now and make him second fiddle to Wade's side would be leaving the ending out of his part of Paternity.

Well, I can't say anything about 90210 because I watched neither the first one or the new one but Gossip Girl is actually well written and directed. The acting is often over the top but then it is often called for because of the " DRAMA "... That being said, much of Gossip Girls storylines can be traced to several plays by William Shakespeare, so not sure your argument against teen drama really holds up with it. Good writing and plot development should transcend the age of the people in the stories. Often, when we find we dislike a person or setting in the story; it isn't that person or setting but what that aspect of the story brings up in our own life. Of course, this isn't always true by any means, I truly despise Calvert, from the Mark's own Bridgemont series; and can't really find anyway a person like him has ever related to my own life... I know this will horrify some but Will, as he is written, is actually more mature than a large percentage of gay men that I know at twice or thrice his age...

Another great chapter from what is the best story online in my opinion, I just treasure each chapter like a sailor of the time would have treasured fresh water; it just quenches the soul... I reallly like how Granger handled the situation with the men from his previous crew that was fighting. I have to think he will handle the rest of the situation with two left behind and Conway just as effectively. I do have to agree with Granger, the three that got away may have wished they were hanged before their twenty year sentence of hard labor on a plantation is up... I have to wonder how Granger will be able to convice Conway to leave the ship, you just know that he will... It will also be interesting to discover how Maidstone will take it when Granger and his ship arrive without Conway aboard... I await eagerly the three way with Somers and Calvert. I have always found Calvert to be utterly unappealing, for whatever reason, and really look forward to the addition of Somers to his and George's bed. I guess Mark see's something in Calvert that completely alludes me because like a bad penny, he keeps showing up. The letters the Viceroy will be sending with Granger will hopefully be like a calming balm and help to smooth Granger's next couple of stops. The mail will be off-loaded and be in the hand's of the Viceroys in those locations before Granger probably meets with them. I look forward to Granger's further adventures with true anticipation...

Loved all three of these songs and thought they matched up to the moments perfectly.... God, I was so sick of the bleached blonde hair on some of those wannabees......

I laughed my ass off during this chapter; it was just freaking great... I really like how Will went down and talked to JP. He, thanks to Wade, approached the discussion in a very mature and well thought out way. Will pointed out the issues he had with what JP said and then he and JP both clarified their points. It was a very mature display of communication skills. I really like how Stef was so clued in to what the " kids " are wearing. He had picked up the perfect in pants for Will to try and make sure he wasn't out of place. I just loved Darius's advice about the mirror pep talk and have to say that I didn't think it backfired at all... LOL... Will got a hot college guy at his first Menlo party. I do have to wonder how Pat will play it the next time they meet up; and you just know that they will again during the winter break. Well, Will has his first friend at Menlo, maybe; but he definitely has his first enemy. I know the Will " haters " will be out in force talking about how he just brings it on himself, but I don't see how anything, other than spilling the drink, that happened at the party was Will's fault. Noah already seems to be a cool guy and Carter has already proven to be a racist bully. Have to wonder what the problem with Ella is going to be??? I had hopes that Ella would not be the kind of person that was sucked into the superficial side of life with sudden access to wealth, but that doesn't seem to be the case from this brief view. Hopefully, she was just nervous about introducing Will into her group and that made her drink a little more than normal and react the way she did. I have to say that doesn't appear to be the case but here is to hoping. It is obvious that Ella isn't absorping what she should be from her exposure to Claire and Isidore. Neither of those classy ladies would have allowed the scene to develop the way it did; even back in high school Claire had her stuff together. I am glad that Will was able to resolve part of his issues with Darius; always amazing to me how being in a fight together or against each other can bring two men together... Obviously, I just don't have the right level of testosterone for that to make sense to me... Can't wait to see who Will seduces at Wade's family Thanksgiving... LOL...

I was so excited to awaken this morning and find a new chapter of Odyssey posted and waiting to be read. I devoured it in only a few minutes then went back and enjoyed it again a little slower to pick up anything I missed the first time around. It was magnificient... I really do believe that the Bridgemont series is the best series of stories on the internet in any genre. I just believe the level of detail and writing make it unmatched anywhere... I love how Granger is able to keep his cool even after Winkler was able to confirm his previous information from Cavendish. Granger will allow Conway to keep up his game and set a trap that pulls him down and maybe even provides evidence that will tie Maidstone to the scheme. Granger will give Conway enough rope to hang himself and maybe even damage his boss as long as his actions do not directly risk the safety of the ship or it's crew. I really liked how Granger removed Conway from being in charge of the midshipman; this is a group that would be preyed upon by someone like Conway. Granger always watches out for those under him. Mark, I do hope that you got some rest and was able to recharge your batterries. Your are such a truly talented writer... and that support staff of yours isn't bad either....

Thanks be to God, Granger is back...

I really liked the new chapter. We got to see at least partially the steps that Brad went through to reach his decision about Will's future. I was glad that we got some idea of how he came to that suprising decision. This is the first time in a while that we saw how Brad's therapy has made a real difference in how he relates to others. JP made this great speech that should have given everyone a roadmap on how to come together; then all hell breaks loose just a few minutes later. I know Robbie and JJ missed the speech but someone should have headed them off before it reached that level. Does Darius seem lost to anyone else? It's like he made this great decision to really help out that deserving kid get into the Naval Service Academy; then he just seemed to lose his way. Is there something more going on there then we realize? Great chapter to keep us on pins and needles Mark, hope the sabbatical is going well and you are getting some much needed down time.

Bravo........ The new chapter is up and is really a feel good one...

This is so well said and so right to the point....

I think that several people have called Will on his actions, not just Brad. Claire, Tiffany, Jeff, and JJ have all called Will to task at times for a multitude reasons. The problem with that is both they and Will know that no matter what he has done, Brad and to some extent Robbie have behaved worse than Will has. I am not going to argue the point with those that seem to believe Brad is a saint and Will is Satan incarnate, neither is true... My issue is that Will is behaving in my opinion more maturely, especially over the last six or eight chapters of this story, than Brad has been. Brad's win at all cost attitude and some of the decisions he has made are for me just indefensible. Will has made mistakes but he is suppose to be the one making mistakes, learning, and growing; yet Brad seems to be making more mistakes and worse ones to me. Will isn't mature and ready to really run his whole life; the problem is that Brad clearly isn't either...

I could really see Will leaving with JP and Isidore and JJ living with Claire and Jack... It would bring the action back to the City, where it belongs...

Mark have you considered that your muse might be trapped in a ship floating in the Atlantic??? LOL... Find a balance and make yourself happy, we will be here waiting...

I have voted not sure. I mean if Michael showed up and tried to kill Will and Brad gave his life saving Will, that would be a redeemable act. The problem I have with Brad is that over the last few stories he has seemingly become so ego driven that he is willing to sacrifice anything and do anything to win. Even back in " Be Rad ", Brad was anal in his behaviour but he has become almost sociopathic over the last few stories. I don't even really believe he killed to protect his kids and family but to win, the protection gave him a way to rationalize it to himself but the winning seemed to be more important to him than anything. " Man in Motion " and " Bloodlines " were the two stories that I really seemed to find Brad engaging and personable. In both of those, Brad acted in a manner that lead you to believe his family was the most important thing in the world to him. His behaviour humanized him and made him more enjoyable for me. Although, I will say that I commented during both stories about Brad's offhand comments about Robbie and how it was borderline abusive. That being said, Brad seemed to be more evenly balanced and open in those stories. I don't think we are just seeing Brad's behaviour from Will's point of view. JP, Claire, Stef, Wade, and others have all reacted to Brad in negative ways; Will has a narrator has emphazised that but doesn't change the fact they view his actions with negative connotations. No one can win all the time. It is how we handle defeat and the compromises that occur in your work, personal, and all aspects of your life; that shows what kind of person we are. Brad is turning into Brian for me to some extent. He is becoming more of an aggravation rather than just an annoyance. Brad can be saved but only under the sure guidance of Mark's soft touches.

Well, Will is going to win in the end no matter if he wins the emancipation or not... The people that really count have figured out that Brad has gone so out of bounds that he isn't even really fit to run his own life much less anyone elses. Brad is completely ego driven and his behaviour in this matter simply showcases that. It is easy to see why Brad would be great in business; but like so many that are, his family skills are just not on the same level. In the past he balance his life better but after the battle over Omega and with ABC; Brad seems to have lost touch with the really important parts of his own life. Robbie seems to have decided after all the problems they have had in the last few years to simply allow Brad to act in a manner that ruptures so many of the family dynamics. I really have to wonder if they can ever be repaired in this saga. Robbie seems to be willing to risk a complete implosion of not only his immediate but extended family to feed Brad's ego. As I have stated before, Brad has never been one of my faves in this saga, but he is quickly becoming one I love to hate... Claire, who has always been one of my faves, is proving to be a worthy successor to JP... Will, who has acted like a bratty teen for a while, seems to be learning how to relate to his father on Brad's level; always hard for a parent to have a mirror placed in front of themselves... It seems to me that some people are getting so wound up in their reactions to this story that they may need to take a break more than Mark does... Mark, I hope that all this drama isn't causing any unnecessary stress. I hope you can get to a point that you feel okay with stepping back and recharging your batteries and then coming back with a story even more drama filled... LOL...

I need like ten more likes today, hate that I only have five a day... I have worked with so many young adults, mostly ages 15 to 24, that have parents that really believe " because I said so " is something that makes sense and is right... I have rarely if ever had that turn out to be true. Tim is right about one thing, even more so in Texas than California, your parents can basically kill you and get away with it because they are your parents... I have always believed that is the dumbest idea possible. I personally believe that no one should be allowed to have a child until they can prove that they are physically, financially, emotionally, and mentally fit to have a child; of course, the population growth would drop to damn near zero under those conditions but... Several people have pointed out that Brad loves his children so much that he killed people in a previous story to protect them; well, I think that is laughable. Brad killed them because he was going to win at all cost and they got in his way. He may have even convinced himself that he was doing what he was doing to protect the kids but in reality; Brad decided that he was going to " win " no matter what the cost was. For me, this is how Brad's actions truly differ so much from JP's actions for me. Yes, JP has had people killed, but he did so truly to protect his family or those he loved and cared for. Brad did it to complete a victory over an opponent that was already beaten. I really believe the fact that so many people care so deeply about not just this story, but the whole CAP saga, is a sign of the immense talent that Mark has as a bard. A bard is so much more than a writer or a storyteller. Historically, a bard had a place of honor among the highest of the high and was truly revered. I really believe Mark has the talent and deserves the title of bard...

Okay, I have read the latestes chapter three times now and I still just shake my head and say, Damn... I am not going to get back into the argument of what lead up to this but will say that I am moving more and more firmly into Will's corner. I really am starting to wonder if Brad isn't having a breakdown. We all know about the mental issues that his mother suffered and some mental issues have genetic components. I have never been a huge Brad fan, I thought he was an ass in Be Rad and almost sociopathic in a couple of the more recent stories. JP has exhibited muderous tendencies to protect those he loves but Brad seems to have gone well past anything JP ever did. Robbie is what a few have accussed me of being on here, an enabler. Robbie needs to take a look at what is happening and realize that Brad's behaviour is tearing not only their nuclear family but their extended family apart. I was hoping that JP and Claire by their actions would jar Brad enough to realize what he stands to lose but I am starting to think Robbie maybe his only salvation; damn, he is in trouble. I don't think Brad realized it yet but it appears we are close to a palace coup in regards to dynastic succession. Brad needs to understand what is happening or he could lose his position as successor to JP in the family. I don't think that Claire ever really wanted that role, but I have always thought she was the best suited for it. Claire is all about family, in the end I don't think anything matters to her more; Brad has always been more ego driven. While Brad is concerned for the family; it has never been his top priority. Brad has always been about winning but sometimes with family other concerns have to top the drive to be the best. Mark, I don't know what you are doing right now but stop everything but writing. Wondering about how you are going to have this playout is killing me...

Damn... The new chapter of Paternity is up and well damn... I sort of thought that when he realized that everyone was aligned against him Brad would realize how he was acting and suddenly have a revelation but that just doesn't seem to have happened. I think that Brad is actually suprised that anyone else is taking Will's side in all of this. Mark made a point in a post earlier about how hard it is to deal with someone that is so much like yourself and I think that is really true. The biggest conflicts I have ever had is always with someone on my same wavelength, those that are really different from me seem to be easier to work with in the end. I was sort of hoping that Jack would step up and come down firmly on one side or the other. I can't seem Jack opposing Claire in the end but you know he has to feel for Brad and what he is going through. That is one reason I was hoping that Jack would say something, Brad and Jack have always been so tight that maybe he could have gotten through to Brad. Okay, I am about to head to bed so I will probably post more after I let my feeling marinate and reread the chapter in the morning...

Well, I really enjoyed the new chapter. Will seems to be getting all his ducks in a row. I thought Will's interaction with his lawyer and then with his therapist were well played out. I am sort of suprised that Will would not be more aware of the trust being held for him and more in tune with the family trust. In most families at this level of wealth, the kids are aware pretty early on how much money is there and when it becomes avaliable for their consumption. I sort of doubt the only trust that he has are the ones his grandmother set up, I am assuming Tonto but I guess really it could have been Marie Crampton as well. Marie always treated Brad as equal to Ace and Claire. I thought Jeff's reaction was a little sketchy. Did he come over as jealous or was he just preoccupied? I wonder who his date was with? Tony at midnight would be a great way to finish off Will's exciting day or start the next one. I can say, that I wish Will would stick to sex partners a little closer to his age, both Tony and Jeff are just outside that area. There really could be legal ramifications for both although I think the family would make sure that didn't happen. I get that Will is physically more mature than most of the other 14 year olds around, but every 15 or 16 year old in the state of California just turned straight? LOL... I am not sure but by their reaction and the very fact that Claire and Jack were there; I sort of believe that at least JP and Claire were already aware of Will's move against Brad. I think in a scene we haven't seen yet, Wade probably already told JP to give him a heads up and JP decided to bring Claire in as well. I might be wrong about Claire but I would just about bet Will's trust fund that JP already knew... Damn... I forgot to tell you great job Mark; I can't wait for the next chapter although I do think you owe us two from Bridgemont before the next Paternity

Oh please, he is a pussycat compared to the screwballs here in Texas... Hell in Texas, Todd Akin is almost to moderate to be in the Naz.. I mean the Republican party....

I really enjoyed the latest chapter of Odyssey. I can't wait for them to get further along on their voyage and for the real adventure to begin. I have a feeling that Granger will be substantially richer when he returns to England. I have to worry a bit about Freddie and Davina staying in England but with that heir to major title on the way, I don't see that the King had much choice. I guess it would be terrible for Davina and the child to die in childbirth, happened a lot back then. I know, I am just horrible. I do think that Caroline will be back in full force by the time Granger returns to England. I think she truly learned her lesson and will be more of a force than ever after she is back in society. I really hated to hear about Conway, like Granger there was something in his introduction that I really liked; now everything he does will have a hint of suspicion attached. I figured that Maidstone would have a spy or two aboard but a ship master can create a lot of havoc. I hadn't even thought about the man with the hook being a spy but he has sailed in those waters before so he could be tied to Maidstone as well. Drats, I liked him too... I am not sure but I almost think the midshipman's quaters may have some of the best story lines this trip... I hope that Kingsdale is given plenty of chances to shine... I for one, love the bagpipes...