Reilly Grant

Lately I’ve found myself spending more and more time on Facebook. Probably in an attempt to keep in touch with the people I wish I were seeing more often in real life (or meatspace as some would call it). It makes me feel like a bit of a hypocrite since I’m always talking about how much I hate Facebook and here I am actually updating my status more than once a day. I must admit that it is a good diversion and a way to keep in touch with people, but it won’t replace an actual conversation. Preferably one face to face.

So, if you’re my friend (sorry, I’m not looking for new ones) send me an email, give me a call. If you’re around town, maybe we can hang out. Get me off Facebook and into real life!

Graders really should compare handwriting between homeworks turned in to prevent people doing other people’s homework, in case a different person does it every time. Of course, if you’re comparing handwriting you should do it in good light, such as outside on a bright sunny day. If the handwriting samples are on pizza, however, one mustn’t leave it out too long in the sun or else the writing may become difficult to read due to melted cheese.

My thought processes at 1AM… Who needs drugs when you can just be tired.

Use them. Also, stop signs. Stop at them.

Ever since I started driving I’ve noticed how often people don’t follow the rules of the road. Come on, it’s for your own safety. Thousands of people die in car crashes and from getting hit by cars every year. That’s more than 9/11, or the Iraq war, or SARS, or Swine Flu or any of the other big headlines.  Slow down, use your signals, for god sake don’t drink and drive and we can all get where we’re going safely.

End rant.

I picked up a new theme.  It’s called pixel.  I’ve made some slight modifications to suit the format to my liking but it’s otherwise unchanged.  Tell me what you think.

Thank you Chinese spam.  I learned a new word today: obtrude.  It’s a synonym to “intrude,” but sounds weird.  I’ll probably never use it.

Congratulations to myself and the rest of the Penn Class of 2009. It’s been a fun ride.  Thank you to all my friends and family who came out to see us graduate.  Some highlights:

• Eric Schmidt’s speech was awesome.
• Mayor Nutter’s was too.
• Amy Gutman’s speech flew away at just the right moment.
• Tassels are really annoying when they keep blowing in your face.
• Black robes get really hot in the sun.
• They seemed to have lost half the name cards for people who’s last names start with the letter ‘G’.

I’m noticing a similarity between the humor in Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire and Ozy and Millie.  A lot of panels are funny because the punch line is completely random, unpredictable, and in fact, makes very little logical sense.  Complete nonsense, but I at least find it hysterical.  Maybe I like it because it’s such a surprise.  Here’s an example: (continue reading…)

Browsing the updated “Links” section of the Dominic Deegan website I was reminded of the comic Ozy and Millie.  I’ve seen this one around and thought it looked cute but never really sat down to read it.  Tonight I decided to give it a go.

Starting a new comic got me thinking about comics in general and I came to the following thought:  Why are there so many child philosophers?  FoxTrot, Calvin and Hobbs, etc. all carry messages about life, religion, politics and philosophy but they’re all about kids.  What kind of kid cares about world peace and congresional legislation?  Of course, sometimes that’s part of the joke.  Beyond comics, characters in Japanese anime and manga are for the majority about high-school aged yet they face mystic evils, interstellar wars and entrance examinations.  Maybe it’s the age group they’re trying to target, maybe it’s that adults are boring.  Plenty of narratives have been built around adult characters.  But, maybe it is the youth and innocence of a younger soul that can be more easily shaped by the story.

Anyways, I forsee that I’ll be enjoying my new temporary addiction.  At least I don’t have any classes to go to.

As of 11AM today I am done with exams and, as a senior, college.  For a while at least.  Eventually I’ll go back to school for a Ph.D.  Till then, however, it’s all free time and paychecks.  Maybe now I guess I’ll get started on all of those other things I’ve been meaning to do.

I’ve started to post some of the pictures that I have up on Picassa Web to this site. I think it’s better to have it all together even though the gallery plugin I found for Wordpress is not quite as powerful as Picassa. (Hey, it’s Google, you just can’t compete.)