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Messages - sullyceltic
16
« on: July 01, 2001, 04:55:20 PM »
Re: WInston Churchill on "Sobriety"
wow. now that i like. i'm going to have to
remember that one. there are a few old
girlfriends that i'd love to use that one on!
(just kidding)
[email protected]
(can the mets do anything with runners on this
season? - we think not!... LOL)
17
« on: July 01, 2001, 08:09:21 PM »
parents
yeah, i appreciate what you have to say
bostonbrave. i only know my side of the
story. i'm just now beginning to understand
what was going on with my parents that
led them to decide to put me in straight.
i guess my "never again" statement would be
about appreciating my parents and their efforts.
no parent is pefect. no kid is perfect. i think that
my parents did pretty well raising us, despite
the numerous issues that existed between them.
and yes, i was mad for a while. but now i'm just
thankful that i have a decent life. whatever in the
past has occured, i don't arrive here - a happy 30
year old - with out it.
18
« on: July 01, 2001, 08:02:39 PM »
Re: Parents
yes, elle, i believe that my father has been able to
accept what happened to him during the "straight experience". i live several states away from my
dad now and don't get to see him nearly as much as
i would like to, but through our phone conversations,
i know that he knows.
he is more and more aware now of the specific ways that
both he and my mom were duped, lied to, and pressured into becoming walking infomercials for "straight incorp".
thankfully, my dad has always made baseball and football the number one things in his life. because of that he can see things a little more clearly than your garden variety "straight-preacher", which my mom was for a long time.
my dad is a lot more understanding and smypathetic to
what we kids had to endure in there - and i am to him as well. the parents had no idea what we we're being fed, we had no idea what the parents we're being fed. that along with the "no talking bad about the program" and "no talking behind backs" rules being shoved at us constantly, it's a miracle that my dad and i have even talked about straight at all.
my dad knows. my mom doesn't. so where does that leave me? - right here, waiting for the 2001-2002 NBA season to get underway, and hoping that the Boston Celtics can turn it around, get into the playoffs and make some noise!!!!
it was hell in there. what i respect most is that my dad admits that that is true. if there were still open-meetings on
friday night, my mom would probably go.
love ya mom, love ya dad.
sully's email: [email protected]
19
« on: August 01, 2001, 06:45:34 PM »
Re: Death at Tranquility Bay (Teen Help), Jamaica
i am still just really bothered by this story.
it hits here hard because i know that it could have
been any of us.
i can think back to the group that i was in and all
of the kids that were suicidal. there were lots of them.
several from the group over the nearly two years
i was there went on to kill themselves after getting
out of the grasps of the "re"-program.
i have been thinking a lot about valerie ann.
this story/situation is just wrong from every angle.
i hate it i hate it i hate it!
i appreciate facekhan posting that. i have since obtained
the phone number of the families attorney and the
number of that former police officer who was involved
in the "4 a.m. abduction". the news outlet that i work for
is no CNN, but i'm going to see if i can bring this to
the people that get their news from us.
20
« on: December 01, 2001, 04:45:18 PM »
boston people
hey kaydeejaded, i was in stoughton, 12/87-9/89... were you there then???
my name is rich. i "copped out" off of fifth phase a few days before my 18th
birthday. i hated that place. i hated turning onto evans drive every morning.
that place sucked.
my mom was one of the "strong" parents. strong so that even after i left, she
continued to particepate in the monday and friday night festivities, and kept
her house open to take newcomers. i think i can count on one hand the number
of times i have stayed there since then.
send me an email sometime. [email protected]
no, there are not a whole lot of boston folks on here,
but there are a few and i'm here!
-sully
21
« on: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM »
Re: duped parents
couldn't agree more, jeff. our stays, of whatever length, at
whatever program, were thanks in large part to the clever
and tricky manipulative ways of the folks that marketed these
warehouses to the parental public with any kid over twelve who had skipped school even once.
some parents are still brainwashed. people have posted on here a lot saying that their parents still believe that the program was the best thing they ever did for their kid.
my parents are split on the issue.
the rules are what made everything happen. the environment of paranoia is what got things accomplished in there. in both the parent raps and in our group, fear is what held everything together. i have come to believe that all of rules were concieved long ago and experimented with in programs before us - and are being tested even today.
"as I slooshied, i knew such lovely pictures"
-Alexander deLarge
A Clockwork Orange
22
« on: July 01, 2001, 08:09:21 PM »
parents
yeah, i appreciate what you have to say
bostonbrave. i only know my side of the
story. i'm just now beginning to understand
what was going on with my parents that
led them to decide to put me in straight.
i guess my "never again" statement would be
about appreciating my parents and their efforts.
no parent is pefect. no kid is perfect. i think that
my parents did pretty well raising us, despite
the numerous issues that existed between them.
and yes, i was mad for a while. but now i'm just
thankful that i have a decent life. whatever in the
past has occured, i don't arrive here - a happy 30
year old - with out it.
23
« on: July 01, 2001, 08:02:39 PM »
Re: Parents
yes, elle, i believe that my father has been able to
accept what happened to him during the "straight experience". i live several states away from my
dad now and don't get to see him nearly as much as
i would like to, but through our phone conversations,
i know that he knows.
he is more and more aware now of the specific ways that
both he and my mom were duped, lied to, and pressured into becoming walking infomercials for "straight incorp".
thankfully, my dad has always made baseball and football the number one things in his life. because of that he can see things a little more clearly than your garden variety "straight-preacher", which my mom was for a long time.
my dad is a lot more understanding and smypathetic to
what we kids had to endure in there - and i am to him as well. the parents had no idea what we we're being fed, we had no idea what the parents we're being fed. that along with the "no talking bad about the program" and "no talking behind backs" rules being shoved at us constantly, it's a miracle that my dad and i have even talked about straight at all.
my dad knows. my mom doesn't. so where does that leave me? - right here, waiting for the 2001-2002 NBA season to get underway, and hoping that the Boston Celtics can turn it around, get into the playoffs and make some noise!!!!
it was hell in there. what i respect most is that my dad admits that that is true. if there were still open-meetings on
friday night, my mom would probably go.
love ya mom, love ya dad.
sully's email: [email protected]
24
« on: July 01, 2001, 04:49:45 PM »
Re: HI EVERYONE
welcome aboard there angie!
nice to have you with us!
[email protected]
25
« on: August 01, 2001, 07:51:10 PM »
Re: Death at Tranquility Bay (Teen Help), Jamaica
i'm curious as to how you hear about this, facekhan.
i work in a pretty news-heavy environment in my line
of work and heard nothing of it. i even brought it up
to some of my co-workers and they seemed unphased
by it. perhaps todays shooting rampage in california is
"better" news. (remind me to get another job NOT IN THE
NEWS BUSINESS) what a sick industry this is....
but thanks for posting that!!! i was horrified to see all of
these cookie-cutter websites for all of these places that
are "out of the US". showing kids playing basketball, and
sitting in rooms together, laughing. GIVE ME A BREAK!!!
these are all run by power-hungry maniacs who profit from the torture of teenagers who probably smoked pot two or three times.
i have a hard time believing in God these days, but i know that i will be praying for the soul of Valerie Ann Heron tonight.
26
« on: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM »
Re: Anybody like drinking beer and listening to Pink Floyd?
yes lestat, i like to party too.
i like to get together with my friends,
watch the red sox win, or the yankees
lose, and drink some frozen margaritas.
i like to being hanging out with a nice girl,
listening to some van morrisson, drinking some
white wine. yes! doesn't get much better than that!
i couldn't agree more with you on the "no intake is a bad
intake" thing too. when i was in straight newengland, there
were so many kids who came through there that should never have been in that place. scottm could verify this too.
we had money, that's what they wanted - that's what everybody wants! (did you see the three signings that the
colorado avalanche just made yesterday!!!! this whole
world is based on the almighty dollar)
that's why, to get away from all of the insanity, i likr to be
with my best of friends, bill, liz, julia, alex, dana - all of them - on a sunday night, drinking margarita's at the margarita place down the street, enjoying the summer night.
it is right then and there that i am living my life. i am not working, no one is telling me what to do, and most importantly, i am with the people that care about me the most - who i care about the most as well.
now THAT is what MY life is all about!
(sorry for the emotion, LOL)
[email protected]
27
« on: July 01, 2001, 04:09:40 PM »
Re: Anyone remember how many ceiling tiles in Bergen County?
yeah, (motivating, motivating) i can relate!!!
ceiling tiles was one way of passing the time.
in new england, counting the large white painted
bricks that made up the wall was another one.
also, trying to get a concrete count on actually
how many chairs there were in the building.
oh the things we did to pass the time in that place!
i would sometimes imagine the whole group just getting
up and running. at one point there was talk among the
"misbehavers" that there was going to be a big "run".
i don't remember that ever happening.
but check this out, and ANYONE who was in new england
at the time would remember...
during open meeting, the mic's being passed around, and
it gets to the parents of a kid who was being restrained the better part of the last 4 days or so. he stands up and yells
"coming back home"!!!!! all the parents applaud, all the 5th
phasers chase him as he bolts for the back door. he didn't make it. (mid-88, i think)
but, i know what you're talking about, kimberly.
passing the time was a hard thing to do. i sometimes
used to pretend that it was a movie. and that we'd be done shooting this "scene" in just a minute, then we'd all go outside, smoke, and go back to wherever we wanted to.
my intake was december 20th 1987. those first months
were cold on the outside and on the inside. i used to wonder
if we (newcomers) could make a sign to get someone's attention from the bus - and have them "bust us out".
we'll back to lunch... mandarin tofu w/vegtables... yum!!!!
[email protected]
28
« on: June 01, 2001, 11:55:48 PM »
music
yeah, elle, i liked those films too. castaway was alright.
nowhere near as good and as important as a clockwork
orange - only my opinion.
on the music thing at straight...
they were so strict about it! the only somewhat "cool" song that they let us sing was "eye of the tiger" by
who is it - survivor, right? ironic name.
we were not allowed to listen to any music at all. until
you reached third or fourth phase, i forget now.
but with having newcomers at your house and being driven around by your parents, or someone else's, all the time, you had very little time to listen to anything.
i remember when i was there, running an errand for some executive staff member, and this other 4th phaser and i went out in his jeep and blasted the music.
i've felt soooo much more appreciative of music ever since that place.
the no music thing was all part of the environment of control that they created. i very distinctly remember being stood up on a monday night review, thanks to
a concern put in on me by somebody, and being blasted because i was listening to NWA. now, as i write this, and contemplate my 30th birthday coming up in a few weeks, i can tell you i don't listen to that kind of music anymore - not regularly anyway. but at that point,
staff banned any music that was in anyway violent, and
told all of us on third phase and up to report others who we would "catch" listening to _________.
in case you're wondering, i don't think that i was punished in anyway for listening to NWA. i was just told not to do it again, and to use better judgement when deciding what to listen to. just call me 655-321!
as far as the songs we sang in group.. they were "real horror show". "fire and rain" was always an open meeting favorite. "straight-incorp" one i liked (LOL).
cats in the cradle until the day i die will transport my
mind and soul back to the warehouse of insanity located at 53 evans dr, stoughton, ma.
someone sometime ago drew a comparison to the songs being like the "commercials" for the program. the kept us occupied while they schemed what to do next. also, i think that they were there so that we were constantly
focused, with as little time to think our own thoughts as possible.
did somebody say "a clockwork straight"?
my best, sully
[email protected]
29
« on: June 01, 2001, 09:38:43 PM »
a clockwork straight
yeah, i guess we never had our eyes locked
open like little alex did in the movie.
but the straight tried to "cure" me, much
like the government did in the 1971 classic.
one thing that i believe everyone, kids and parents
alike, can identify with is the scene where they
hold a demonstration to show how much "better"
alex has become. he is confronted by a guy who
insults him, ridicules him, then beats him, and
finally humiliates him by making alex lick the
bottom of his shoes.
after that, a woman wearing only a pair of underwear
walks in. alex reaches up to touch the woman, but begins to feel sick, and falls fo the ground in pain.
o.k., now how i can relate to that is like this: the first part is like when i would be stood up in group, yelled at,
and humiliated. if i did the slightest thing wrong, i would be blasted and embarrassed in front of my peers.
the second one, in this way: remember all the stupid rules? who can forget?? no this, no that. well, what about the whole "contact with the opposite sex" stuff, and how restricted that was? hell, we couldn't even talk to eachother until 4th phase (yes, i know, third if we worked or were at school together). but do you see the relationship between them? they broke us down. the broke us to the point of where i was afraid to even look at a girl in the building or on of the busses because i was scared that i would be yelled at. - truly, a clockwork straight. all that was missing was the beethoven!
alright, now for the parents, at the conclusion of that
scene in "a clockwork orange", the gentleman asks:
"any questions"? the prison chaplain stands and confronts the man on that the boy (alex) has not choice, that he has been altered to behave this way, and that when a man cannot choose, he fails to be a man. the gentleman, at that point, blurts out something like this: "the point is - it WORKS"!!!! followed by thunderous applause from the room.
sound familiar, dad?
i know of what the parents were being told. and it was all based on that: don't question, just let straight do it's job.
oh, i can hear the 9th symphony now, the slow part, that leads up to the "ode to joy", what beautiful music.
parents and kids alike. we were all duped, and fed a bunch of lies. the parents bought them first, then we kids did. we did cause we wanted to get out and never get back in again. something else we have in common with alexander delarge from our favorite movie.
i do not resent my parents at all for putting me into straight. i am thankful that i still get along with them.
it's pretty easy to do when you live 900 miles away though.
my mom is still thinks straight was a.o.k. in her book, but my dad knows what was going on in there.
plus, my dad likes the Celtics - just one of the many
good things about my dad.
30
« on: June 01, 2001, 04:18:59 PM »
i'm still here
hello one and all! sorry that i have been away for a while. it has been nice and busy at the job, which i love.
now that the basketball season is over, i guess i can sit back down at the old computer and do some posting.
wes's "a clockwork straight" had got me curious about kubrick's 1971 classic. so, i've dusted off my copy of "a clockwork orange" and "viddyed" it a few times, though usually by myself and not with any of my droogs or other malchicks around.
has anyone else seen the movies recently? for me, it brought back a lot of those feelings that i had in straight... the paranoia, fear, desperation...
but what i found most fascinating in the movie is the commentary it makes on what do do with people like "little alex". now most of us were not into the old "ultra violence" like the character in the movie, but
society dealt with us in a very similar manor - that is,
to store us away for a while, break us down, and try to reform us.
i think that beacuse of my straight experince, there will always be a little "clockwork orange" in me, in all of us for that matter.
the film also leaves a good discussion to follow...
what do you do with someone like "alex". someone who is a "bad person", who needs to be "cured". what do we do with them? the answer in the late 1980's was a warehouse in stoughton mass. called straight new england.
anyway, sorry to go off on this, but has anyone seen the movie recently? and have any thoughts on it?
viddy well then droogies! viddy well! i'm off to listen to a bit of the old "ludwig van".
feel free to email me if you'd like:
[email protected]
best regards,
Sully
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