RyanHarne.com

Don’t get me wrong - I love the Drowsy Poet here in Candler’s Station. However! when Liberty students are abundant, the decibel ratings peak and, I may be overstating but, I believe I can even distinguish a hint of sonic distortion from the unnecessary volumes I experience here. Even still, the summer months are no calmer; high school students flock here for their hot chocolates and first experiences with true caffeine. They are loud as well. But more so annoying; high school students tend to get loud and annoying. Either way - collegiate clamorers or grade school hooligans - my reading is always disturbed by spontaneous outbursts. ::sigh::

Tonight I randomly saw a film. Mean Creek is a (likely unheard-of) small, independent film starring the underling brother of Macaulay Culkin. I can’t recall another movie addressing the classic high school “what if?”. For those populous groups of us who were mercilessly picked on in middle/high school, at least once we considered the possibility of casually disposing of the bully that gives us grief. What if you had the chance, a real chance? The film does a fine job of depicting the likely result (boy, what a spoiler) but little more. There are clearly intense and emotional points in the movie that bring your emotions to a boil; but apart from the occasional highlights of Confucian wisdom, there are scant traces of theatrical brilliance. But for one second, I’ll take off my intellectual mask and bluntly remark on the film: it got me thinking for a few seconds, I’m glad I spent my $1.50 there tonight as opposed to whatever else $1.50 would purchase me…

A gallon of fuel? No, diesel is $1.90 here. Perhaps a few candy bars. Ok, so Mean Creek is better than a few candy bars. A few cheap candy bars. That needed the clarity.

The loudness only increases as the night wears on. Fortunately, I am wearing out and I depart.

Oh my, it is Friday. Certainly, I enjoy my new job/co-op; but how could the bright and redeeming light of Friday not be felt just the same? I bask in this Friday’s glow.

Rumbling down the highway in the diesel Jetta is even more amazing now. Offsetting the booming engine and rattling interior components is my iPod pounding through some new speakers I recently installed. I was shocked (well, not so much) to find the surrounds on the stock speakers had literally deteriorated around the cone woofers. It was time to suck it up and fix a long Band-aid-ed wound. I’m pleased to say that this was no seat-of-my-pants fix; I did it the right way, all by myself. I suppose that means I deserve a cookie or something. Maybe a latte.

I shouldn’t be proud of myself just yet. Nearly three weeks after I get back to home from school, I still have not unpacked narily a thing. I can just imagine the possibilities of use the extra floor space could provide ::visions of random boxes and bags filling the currently occupied spaces…currently occupied by boxes and bags::.

Salt: A World History got better and better as it wound down. After the greater portion of the book was completed, generally a chronological synopsis of salt’s presence in world history, the story turned to salt’s social influence as well as the modernization of sallt-making. The latter portion was very fascinating and I’ll admit to being drawn into the pages as if I was a “Sodium Awareness” t-shirt-wearing freak myself. It’s a pleasant read if you’re open enough to digging through a lot of stuff you may not care to add to your knowledge bank.

I’ve been reflecting over the recent surge of donations and giving to relief organizations aiding in the tsunami victims of greater South Asia. There is no better way of describing the comradery and mutual benevolence of people as when someone offers a hand to help another in a time of need. It’s fantastic that such a response is being witnessed, not only in America but across the globe. From Apple and Amazon to small church congregations scattered across the states; people are opening their wallets to reputable organizations that are able to hit the front lines of this effort.

Sec. of State Powell said that American generosity to the dominantly Islamic and Hindu region that is suffering could assist in healing relations. It isn’t a disguised issue, but America is generally not appreciated in those regions of the world - we don’t exactly have similar foreign policy and our approach to living is more individualistic as opposed to communal subsistence. However, I would doubt the occasion of significant change of opinion about Americans after monetary gifts flood their region. I would suppose that our reputation among the Middle Eastern peoples is in need of dire repair compared to what exists for South Asian groups. But I think the point of all of this giving is, in fact, not an expectation of higher returns. Love that demands payback is mutiny and entirely dishonorable.

I urge you to give to such relief organizations all that you feel led to. This is certainly a disaster in our history that grieves for aid and healing. Act if you so wish.

“You don’t want to combine acetaminophen and ibuprofen often unless you’re really sick… otherwise you’ll be on eBay shopping for new kidneys.” - Bruce

Officially, I am a member of the PPD. While I could leave that open to broad interpretations [woah! ... Philadelphia Police Department!], I will explain that today was my first day at Parker, Powertrain Division. And it was great.

Not great as in mind-blowing or expectation-shattering, but great along the lines of “that was considerably better than I expected.” Being honest, the last few days prior to now, I had become very apprehensive about this job and what I may have been getting into. Yes, the commute is long and I’ll be, once again, the lone-man-out, but how will I be accepted and intertwined into these people’s communities? Now I think, “what was I so worried about?”

Every person I’ve met is glad I’m there; while some may just appreciate my work-accomplishing ability, I am confident that most of the people seem sincere. And I’m already working on a project! And it’s not all by myself! Had I worked at Framatome in the same position all of my life, I would have never discovered the existence of teamwork; the tedious task of scanning documents there was disastrous for a thriving mind such as mine. So, I’m happy I’m at Parker for a while; I will enjoy a semester away from homework.

Thanks to Rianna for a first-day “dry mocha,” as I call it. “Not enough to tell it’s mocha, but just enough to tell it’s sweeter.” Thanks, Ri!

Ah, yes; the subject heading is exactly, as written, what I saw on a license plate today. Hmm…

And I would say, “It’s about time!” My New Year’s Resolutions include, but are not limited to, finally getting my site through its well-deserved transformation. This includes, but is not limited to, moving to WordPress and blogging from my Mac.

The second part is already happening. Yes, that’s correct; I’m using DreamWeaver on my Mac. However! it is through Virtual PC meaning even my typing lags behind a reasonable pace (yes, the 2002 DW release was OS-limited and lame). I guess that getting DW MX 2004 is on my list of resolutions also.

Tonight I grabbed some hot espresso (say chau-fee) at B&N while continuing on the latest read Salt. It’s an interesting book but it’s slow going; particularly slow due to the random punctual errors that I find which truly inhibit the understanding of a particular passage. I’m learning to ignore these editor-related discrepancies, however, and I continue to press on.

It was great to, once again, sit in for a show of the LiveWire. Mark wanted me to do the Cici’s Pizza bit too, my first experience with that. Radio is fun; I’m sure I’ll see much of it while I’m in town with this co-op.

Oh, and I spent my New Year’s Eve talking on the phone with the people I had planned on spending it with. How oddly appropriate.