cross_my_hooks asked:

First off let me paint you a picture: I am the eldest of three kids. I am at a university for art, my sister is in a prep (highschool) school for medicine planning on going to med school after undergrad. We are a middle class family. We aren’t too poor but not too rich; we can afford nice things like a school trip to greece my sister went on, Fees for Honors clubs, etc. I am very active on my campus. As a family we are in no debt (except for bills/loans for my college, which every one has), my mother manages our finances very well. All in all we are a very happy, content, smart, and capable. My sister is getting straight A’s in school, I graduated with honors, my parents are both college grads. I think they are very capable of raising a child, because both my sister and I have no real life problems, etc.
All this leads to the fact that my brother is one of those kids you see on Maury or Oprah or (god forbid) Dr. Phil: He is THAT kid that beats up on his parents/siblings, who is violent, disrespectful, plays violent games all day and night, doesn’t care about his grades, doesn’t listen to and talks back to his parents,defiant of any authority, always tries to piss someone off, annoying, acts like he has no reason to respect any one in the world pretty much failure at life. Now, my parents have raised two dedicated, respectful, hardworking daughters who value life, education, and sucess. It seems that my parents will not keep a consistant disciplinary style/routine to keep him on track. It as if they do not care. I know my brother is capable of achieving things if he puts his mind to it. Unfortunately he doesn’t care. And, as of right now, I do not care what he does as long as he stays out of my way. Like I said, he is disrespectful and threatening. There was a point where I felt if I didn’t defend myself I would have gotten the crap beat out of me and I am 21 years old (he is 14, and very very strong, and taller than me…which doesn’t say much about me….he pretty much knocked me almost off balance, and if i had hit the floor i am sure I would have had a black eye)
I don’t know how to approach my parents to tell them there is something wrong, seriously wrong, i know they see it but i think they just don’t care any more. It seems like they discipline him when ever they feel like it. I think its because they are fed up with it too, and it seems as long as they don’t have to deal with it, it’s fine. Which annoys me, because then when I ask him or tell him not to do something he is defiant to the point of threatening me.
I know I do not know how to raise a child, but I want to know how to approach my parents and tell them there is something wrong. Five of us have to share this house, which is quite small, and I am sick of dealing with it. I would try to separate myself from it by making this a place where I just shower and sleep on my holiday break, but none of my friends are here and my highschool friends have all moved away.
I wish I knew a way to talk to them and what to say about his behavior. I know they see a problem they just don’t want to deal with it. Please, if you got through all of this, please help me approach them. I don’t want to be forced to live with a person who frustrates me so and with people who do not want to discipline him.

Thank you, so much, if you have any answers.
thank you for answering my question, its the fact that I don’t think my parents really want to deal with it, or want to say out loud that there is a problem..I agree perhaps I should be more direct. But thats all it is, its just talk…nothing is ever done. again thank you.

Bear asked:

I’m looking to travel in 2009, going to Tuscany. I assume Rome would be the cheapest to fly into, but Florence would be closer to where I want to be.

Anne2 asked:

We usually travel by way of Charleston, West Virginia, and the newer highways, but we plan to go back in late Sept to show new family member the fall leaves. I Notice the eastern part of the state (pocahontas) county starts to change in late Sept. What road do we get on in Virginia to enter Pocahontas county, West Virginia? I know color display, is better in early Oct, but you take vacations when you can get them.
Thank you.

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If the area is flat, with average wind speed, how fast would nuclear fall out travel?