This sequence totally weirds me out. Which was part of the point. It is disturbing the stories we hang onto, and it is an awfully difficult thing to get through.

I was told this once after a breakup. To be honest, I do (or did), and so it was honest. But things like that are still difficult to experience.

Even I have to work to read some of these strips, but they do make sense. And the idea that some of us act obsessively rather than logically, and others see the logic of the situation but act in denial of it.

Which is kind of what separates Bruno from many (most?) written characters. Generally characters are written to not be self-aware, written to be victims of their own nature. She’s very aware of her nature, and is a victim of her not being able to act in a way that makes herself happy as a result.

Man, breakups always suck, almost more-so when you still both deeply care about each other. I did find this a good opportunity to slip in a little more depth to Donna’s character. That she also has a history of depression, and has managed to leave it mostly behind.

It always makes me laugh when emotional or romantic moments are interrupted by things which end up seeming ridiculously out of place: cars honking, knocking over a box of cereal, fire alarms. In this instance, it’s also gross because cats are simply cats.

Sometimes this happens to me (except I usually feel a bit bad about it) where I’m sarcastic or joking beyond reason, and the person I’m speaking with takes me seriously. Unfortunately, my instinct is to keep pushing the joke/sarcasm, which only makes me feel worse when they (usually) still don’t get it.

Bruno has no problem with this. :)

Back at UMass I got a really nasty letter about this one. Someone had read this strip without reading any strip before it and felt I was saying that all lesbians are into deviant S&M practices.

I actually managed to iron the whole conflict out, and later even met the woman, and it was all good.

How’s that for an undramatic story! :)

This strip always makes me giggle. Both that she’d use a compact, simply because it kinda’ opens the way a badge would, but that Donna would then ask the VERY good question.

Here again is why Donna is awesome.

The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth. It’s an interesting thing in that this philosophy is very much ingrained in our culture. Although we stray further and further from it, as we become more a culture of self-greed, it is still all over movies and everything — that being humble and thinking of others first is the only princess who will get swept up by her knight.

but it’s still a Christian construct, and also, where is the line drawn? I am a big believer in a certain level of hedonism, of truly devouring the moment and enjoying it, and also thinking of yourself as much as others.

Anyhow, just rambling. No real point.

This strip may have come from the fact that, although I drink sometimes and have gotten drunk on occasion, I am not a regular drinker. And there is nothing less fun than being sober around someone drunk who thinks it would be fun to do something stupid or awful.