Yes, it is. But, in all fairness to the parents, they went to a professional and said “we don’t know what to do”, and the professional said “do this, I know what I’m doing” Now, I think that they should say “I disagree with the professional”, but we are all very forward thinking people, we have no problem with challenging authority. Not everyone is like that.

True. And, while I know I made it sound like they were evil, vicious, bloodthirsty fuckmeats, I do believe they are acting in what they think might possibly be the child's "best interest".

HOWEVER, I maintain that, through their spinelessness, they are inadvertently psychologically torturing him.

In an ideal world I could swoop in, magnificent cape snapping magnificently in the wind, alight on his roof and pose, arms akimbo and tell him in stentorian tones "Fear not, young one...I shall rescue you from your travails and take you to a place where you shall be accepted for who you are and encouraged in your voyage of self-discovery. You shall be surrounded by tolerant, intelligent, kind-hearted people...the best of humanity. Away with us now to...BUFFISTA ISLAND!"

Lacking the power of flight, a magnificent cape and Buffista Island, all I can do is crouch, gargoyle-like, at my monitor and bitterly mutter "Your parents are sheeplike fucktards with cottage cheese for brains."

Extra bummer...the kid can't even hear me do that.

If it's any consolation, I picked up The Charterhouse of Parma at the library this weekend because I hadn't read it and thought "I wonder if Susan has read this--I can't wait to read it and hear what she thinks about it." Seriously, that was my rationale.

Unfortunately, I haven't read it yet! I'm really woefully behind on the classics of "my" era that I should've read by now. I keep saying, for example, that this will be the year I finally read War and Peace. But I feel like I need to clear the decks for a month or so and not read anything else so I'll have enough energy and focus to devote to it, and that's tough to do. Maybe I'll tackle it after I finish the WIP but before I start Book 2.

Um, how is pink “gender neutral”. Green and purple, yes, but pink?

Well, hence the air quotes. Basically she's trying so hard to be genderblind that she winds up getting him the most outrageously girly stuff she can find. It's both endearing and hysterical.

You know what I love about the Buffistas? You guys are cool about learning new things and talking about them. I feel like many adults stopped wanting to discuss ideas after they left college -- even teachers! And that makes me a sad Emily.

HOWEVER, I maintain that, through their spinelessness, they are inadvertently psychologically torturing him.

oh, yes, I totally agree. I didn't mean to imply otherwise. I was just trying to make the point that it seems that everyone is blaming the parents for torturing the kid, but I think that they're in a bad place as well.

You can play with whatever you want, you can dress however you want, you can look at whatever color you want. But, just in case, here's how to punch someone.

Hah! This is why I love Miracleman!

I had this awful and very realistic dream that for some reason I had moved out of my fabulous apartment and into a very very sketchy basement studio in a building that was full of like, crack addicts, so I was scared to walk through the halls. It was very depressing! I was so glad to wake up and be like "Whew! Not my life!"

But I ALSO had a dream that we had built this...buffistas community center building? Apparently it was near wherever I was (not sure if that was Seattle), but everyone else too! Magic transporter beams? Who knows! Liese was living in part of it and teaching music lessons. And I was trying to remind everyone that now that we had it, we didn't need to find any other place to hold Prom.

Well, hence the air quotes. Basically she's trying so hard to be genderblind that she winds up getting him the most outrageously girly stuff she can find. It's both endearing and hysterical.

oh, I see, sorry! We need a sarcasm emoticon. Or at least I do :)

I dreamed that I ended up with five or six cats. Also, swimming to Guam. Or rather, to the left, but I was hoping I would end up at Guam eventually. And I remember looking at a clock and thinking, "Oh hell, now I have to swim to Puerto Rico and back before work, and I should really be on the road in an hour."

I like meara's better, not least because mine contained no other Buffistas.

I don't think I can stand to listen to the NPR spot but yeah I blame the doctor. Most people would apply lethal electric shocks to strangers if a guy in a white lab coat told them it was OK.

I love all of you right now. Especially Burrell. It's one of the things that *instantly* warmed me to The Riches, that the youngest son wears makeup and dresses, but his parents are completely fine with that.

It makes me so proud of Burrell, and Aimee and MM, and really all of us. Gives me hope for the future, it does.