EDUCATION
PDR started his schooling at Tallahassee Elementary School. After doing Primary there he went to Oceanview Elementary until Grade Six (excepting part of a year or so while that school was being renovated when classes there were transferred to Hampton Grey Elementary). Grades Seven through Nine were completed at Eastern Passage Junior High School, or as the ill-maintained sign often read “Eas ern Passa e Junior High chool.” After this came the Grades Ten, Eleven and Twelve at Cole Harbour District High School. Graduating there PDR was accepted to Computer Science classes at Dalhousie University. He dropped out and spent years waiting to be contacted by the elite society of wizards who operate secretly in defense of the world so they could train him to serve as their superheroic agent.
In his early youth PDR enjoyed learning and was able to keep up at an average (and occasionally higher) level with his school workload, though math had always been a problem and PDR nearly developed a phobia of flash cards. As he grew older PDR began to feel that the schools were not particularly interested in helping him learn as they were in making him prove he was learning by writing tests, which PDR was not so good at. PDR felt that since he was genuinely interested in leaning, it would be nice if they trusted him and did not pressure him with tests that simply put unwanted pressure on him. School apparently did not agree with PDR’s idea, hence the rift that came between him and smarts. PDR still does not quite understand how he got accepted to a university given his High School performance. It probably helped that he has the same name as a Professor working at that university. PDR failed all of his University courses save one. He did get that credit in German.
In the year 2012, quite fed up with the place he had been employed for many years, PDR applied to return to Dalhousie, this time with a focus on English rather than computer science, or any kind of science at all. While he still does not care much for how the school system is run and what they expect from their students, PDR takes a lot of enjoyment from attending lectures and being introduced to readings by his classes.
NATIONALITY
Though born a Canadian, PDR has declared himself an Independent Nation. The nation of Patrick D Ryall (population: PDR) is currently bordered on all sides by Canada. Though his nation has not yet been recognized by other nations, PDR tries his best to maintain good relations with them. Also, while Canada and America spell many things differently, PDR makes his spelling choices based only on his own preferences. For example, he prefers to spell some words (such as color) with no “u”, but some (like harbour) with the “u”. This is based entirely on PDR’s own preferences and he doesn’t care what you think.
Though declaring himself an independent nation was in fact a reflection of his aversion to nationalism, people still request that PDR choose things like a Flag or a National Anthem. To appease them, PDR chose the Tetris music as his Anthem and…
The Flag of PDR:
Also, the less said about the National Bird, the better.
RELIGION
PDR considers his faith to be 50% Christian, 40% Nihilist and 10% whatever it takes for those two to go together. While not anti-religious, PDR sees a lot of people who either use their religion for unhealthy purposes, or simply say they believe one thing and actually do not seem to. PDR has also seen many well-meaning people who dislike religion entirely, ignoring any and all good things about it to focus on the bad.
PDR was baptized as a Catholic and of largely Irish descent, so he will likely one day have nine children and attempt to kill his neighbors who worship the same peace-and-love-endorsing savior, but do it in a way that makes him hate them.
PDR thinks that God has done a good job with the universe for the most part, he just sometimes wishes he had been brought into it as a dog.
FAVORITES
PDR does not like to pick his favorite things as he finds this is limiting. “Why pick a favorite color when the multitude of them makes things so much better?” he might ask himself. With this in mind, PDR is abstaining from picking favorites, so you might as well not even ask.
PDR does however have some least favorites. These include: his least favorite mode of transportation (Cat sled. Very inefficient.); his least favorite thing to punch (The Hand of God. Why punch a hand? And one so much strong than my own no less?); and his least favorite reason to climb a mountain (“Because it’s there.” Just shut up, you idiots.). The word “least” is also not high on PDR’s favorite words list. “Twelfth” is pretty high on that list, though.
In his travels on the Internet, PDR has also discovered his favorite animated gif. He doesn’t know where it comes from, but it is this:
PHILOSOPHY
PDR believes he understands in full the meaning of the universe, but lacks the intelligence to explain it to anyone else. Often he will describe it as follows:
“Life is a joke and the punchline is ‘To get to the other side.'”
Similarly, humor plays an important part in PDR’s beliefs. For example, PDR has in the past laughed at things that many people thought inappropriate because this is how he rolls. Deal with it. If you have a problem dealing with it, try laughing at PDR. Also, PDR feels that anyone who can’t take a joke deserves to be made fun of even more, in part so they will learn that jokes won’t end the world, but also because it is mean and funny.
BORN PREMATURE
PDR was born one month (to the day) before his projected due date. This resulted in him being a very small baby. It is also possible (and perhaps likely) that this premature birth resulted in the inferior cognitive abilities he possesses to this day. In a way, having spent one month less than most in gestation, PDR has been in existence a month less than most others the same age, so he can use that as a bit of a salve when feeling old.
PDR enjoys the fact he was born early and will bring it up whenever an excuse presents itself. This urge is only tempered as PDR’s birthday approaches, when PDR will stop mentioning his birthday altogether, in the hopes people will ignore it.
CONVERSATION
PDR doesn’t tend to swear very often and some people are surprised when they eventually hear him do so. The confusion lies in that, while PDR isn’t prone to swearing when he is angry nor littering swears throughout sentences for no reason (the two most popular causes among the “normals”) he considers those words to be words just like any others, that is to say they are tools to use when he is conveying a point. Thus he’ll use them when he sees fit, though it is generally only when quoting someone or in situations where he thinks it would be funny. Otherwise, his philosophy is “Fuck swearing.”
PDR often makes up his own expressions to allow him to express his thoughts. Some examples:
- “What the chunks is that?”
- “Mother of Pies, this sucks.”
- “Holy Chimps!”
- “You’re a mother trafficking cod stacker!”
While they do help him express his thoughts, it is rarely in a manner that makes other people understand them.
BLOOD TYPE
PDR’s blood is A, RH Positive. That is one A+ that the schools shan’t take away.
OCCUPATION
The following is a mostly complete listing of jobs that PDR has worked in roughly chronological order:
- Babysitter.
- Lawnmower for the elderly and infirm.
- Carnival set-up guy.
- Guy who walks around the bingo tent and hands out cards and stuff.
- Cleaner.
- Painter.
- Superstore shopping cart pusher.
- Security guard.
- Mover.
- Flyer inserter.
- Grease monkey for local newspaper.
- Supervisor at that same newspaper.
- Restaurant delivery driver (Current occupation).
PDR is waiting for either Superhero or Paladin to become a viable occupation. Until that day, PDR’s dream would be to paid for the kind of things he does on this very site: Writing/Drawing/Filmmaking. If paid to do it, he might even try to do it well.
PRONUNCIATION
PDR’s last name “Ryall” is pronounced like “Rye-uhl”. It’s kinda like one syllable, which he thinks makes it a diphthong. It’s kinda like the first half of the more common Irish name “Riley”. It rhymes with “smile”. And also with “vile”. And “necrophile”.
SEXUALITY
PDR is currently a Heterosexual Male, Level One. Upon gaining enough experience points to reach Level Two, PDR intends to get the “First Base” skill. In any case, PDR doesn’t tend to do much about his sexuality in one way or the other. And neither does anyone else, really.
HOBBIES
PDR has a array of interests that span the spectrum from “loser hobbies” to “pop-culture” (which of course just means, loser hobbies with mainstream appeal). Though, in recent years, there has been a tendency for “geek culture” to be a popular cultural scene, PDR has no particular allegiance to that field. He may share many of the tastes of that group, but he does it on his own terms. PDR loves comic books very much, enjoys a lot of movies and television (his collection can be seen here), and reads a lot of novels (seen here), though he is quite a slow reader. PDR also says he likes computer and video games, but doesn’t play them a whole lot, so he might be faking to look cool. Or perhaps he simply avoids them because he sucks at most games that aren’t Mortal Kombat, Tetris, or old-school adventure games like the Space Quest and Quest for Glory series. A nice way for PDR to keep in touch with gaming is by watching Video Games Awesome.
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES
PDR has a freckle on the top of his eyelid.
See?
WEAKNESSES
PDR has only one weakness, but doesn’t want to reveal it, in case it falls into the wrong hands. To learn what it is, click here.
OTHER INFO
If you feel this list was entirely too structured to be called a random list of facts, perhaps this randomer list would be more to your liking.
If you want to know about the comicbook character profiles PDR has done for the Marvel Appendix site, check this one out.