RyanHarne.com

On the NYC spring break trip, the northward discussion was well engulfed in conversation about Macs and iPods and the like. One such topic was specifically about podcasts. When they were the big news of iTunes 5, I subscribed to a few to check it out. Almost immediately I had downloaded hundreds of megabytes of free audio. And almost immediately, I was overwhelmed in a swamp of rubbish I wish I hadn’t put on my computer. While there was potential for the technology and medium, at the time (at least, for what I was able to scavenge up) the quality was absent.

Thus, while traveling north on interstate 81, Nicholas told me of some of his favorite podcasts. I made sure he repeated the list to me, at a minimum, three times, since I often have a shabby short term memory. Once I was in NYC and close to an internet connection, I subscribed to them. One of them was the BBC “In Our Time” show. I am hooked. I frequently check out some of the others he mentioned, but by far this has been the best [free] podcast I’ve come across. (Although, there is nothing to say it should forever retain its throne - I challenge you to tip me in on your favorite podcasts).

Their material, eloquence, and pace are all superb. I usually break up an episode into 3 or 4 sittings due to me schedule (it’s tough trying to pay attention to this genius podcast while I have assignments and due dates and studying all trespassing into my relaxed thought) but it is ever-so worth the time. My stringent podcast standards are no match for the level of satisfaction I am slain with. After really digging my toes into this show, I am considering tossing off some of the other podcasts I’ve discovered until they fully get their act together. (Particularly, I love Nic Harcourt’s “Morning Becomes Eclectic“, but I have a tough time sitting through almost an hour of an artist interview because I eventually feel passive - nearly like watching television).

So, podcasts aren’t so bad after all. However, despite my new digital loves, I need to put the headphones down and get to bed. This week is offering some pleasant revelry - International Week, etc. etc.

At the starting line of this semester, I was prepared for smooth sailing, or at least a minimum of violent surf. On one front that is certainly the case - my courses are progressing painlessly but still have the expected, occasional turbulence. However, the portion of college living, perhaps life in the general respect, that is causing my capsizing warnings to flare up is the sect I have often had the least trouble with - planning for the future.

I will say that this week has witnessed the satisfying (though, not entirely desirable) culmination of a few planning worries. Rather, things that had kept my heart racing for a given period of time. Right now, I can take a long, deep breath and let it out along with some of the stress associated with the recent months. I’ll hang on to some of the stress in case I need a motivational boost in the near future. Just in case.

This thunderstorm outside is a red herring; I call its bluff. Things are ok.

Without having been asked for expressed, written permission, I starred in a dream last night. Someone in my publicity department dropped the ball on this one. What am I paying these people? Oh, that’s right. Absolutely. Nothing.

So, in this dream, I wrote a book, became an overnight success (as if I needed the help; I MEAN, I’M ENTIRELY SELFLESS), and ended up on Letterman. I’m ok with the success and fame, but Letterman… meh. But, if Andy Samberg can do it, why couldn’t I?

But as my friend woke from his dream and my fame faded to grey, it appears Mother Nature was ready to once again balance the scales between my success (though, fabled as it may have been) and misfortune (how sweet it is). Walking to the bus this evening, it began to rain. Blacksburg (The Other Windy City™) started to endure severe winds. The rain came down but the wind made sure it came down horizontally; thus, I shifted the umbrella to take the impact of the wind and roaming rain. My umbrella was ok for the first few seconds of the ordeal, but Nature won (per usual). The wind became enough that, no joke, it eventually pushed my umbrella almost shut. It was more humorous at the time than how I recall it at the moment. While the rain struck my cheeks, I actually started to smile at the bitter irony. Oh, bitter irony, I know ye so well.

Oh, and my book? It was called The Chronicles of Ryan Harne. No Less.

Last week served an overwhelming amount of great lectures to attend. I’ll admit that even my Industrial Design History/Theory class was more interesting and provoking that usual. So, the iTalk gobbled up a significant portion of fine audio that I hope I’ll listen to again one day to appreciate to a higher level. (The special lectures I’m sure; the course lectures, not so sure).

Tonight, I very unexpectedly ended up at another lecture. This one was by Talib Kweli, someone who was previously unknown to me before I was redirected from going to my room to going to Squires Commonwealth. His plane was late, so we waited for about 40 minutes in the auditorium. I had my iTalk ready for the occasion - you never know when the material will be presentable in a manner that you wish you could remember at a later time.

His topic was “The State of Hip-Hip Today”, from what I was able to glean from the evening. But to be honest, and very honest, he had no thesis or motif to his talk, apart from the fact he said we both need to be ultimately self-conscious and ultimately community-conscious - a tactic that still bewilders me, particularly so because he continually jumped the fence to passionately contradict himself. Altogether, he spoke for 17 minutes, almost 60% less time than I had waited for him to arrive (but I can’t blame his flight being late).

I eventually left and took myself to Bollo’s to do some studying and advance homework. It wasn’t wasted time sitting at the Talib talk, certainly not a waste because I enjoy hearing people’s opinions verbalized; speaking what is inside of you often helps clarify what you believe and feel, and the transformation of a vague thought into a fervent realization is often enjoyable to witness. (For example, think of major political rallies, the reasonable, non-violent ones, where an ideal is preached and the preacher becomes “emboldened”, as it were, more and more throughout the talk, and therefore becomes more of an influential speaker).

So, I suppose… thanks to Abigail for dragging me to the talk.

Since I am unable to sleep while wearing my contacts (this would be a physical complication because they get “foggy” upon waking and demand to be replaced with glasses after that), my daily routine generally begins with me wearing my tortoise-shelled specs. That still isn’t a defined reason for starting the day with glasses, but factor in the meager sleep I glean during the week and weekend and note I have several large holes in my day at the beginning and very ending of the week that are prime real estate for napping. Thus, I got in bed today for a nap sans contacts. No mess to undress, so it would seem.

Anyways, so, I napped. That introduction was superfluous, by the way. I napped for three hours and when I woke up I realized I had slept through an afternoon thundershower that was trickling its last droplets of ferocious precipitation. I get the impression that the thundershower was perfect backdrop for my sleep. My dreams were oriented towards curiously violent subjects. One of them was the typical I’m-fighting-with-my-brother-when-we-were-kids dream that was filled with an enormous amalgation of real and anti-reality memories of the randomly times we went tooth to tooth as kids.

The second paragraph was superfluous, too. But the nap was great. Really great, I will admit. However, now I must run to a special meeting to prepare arms to fight to remove the ridiculous Tablet PC requirement for incoming freshmen.

So, I guess the lighting/thundering background will be good for something more. Let’s cross our fingers, comrades.

On a Saturday morning, today in fact, I was up at 7am and out the door just before 8. Apart from the instances of early-morning departures for relaxing destinations, this almost never occurs. But there is much to be done today and much to be handled with finesse.

For instance, yesterday I welcomed a new member into my Mac household. After some discussion with Apple Social Services, I was able to adopt a delightful 30 pound ball of joy into my warm arms. You see, Indigo wasn’t getting the best of attention at its old residence and was in desperate need of love and companionship. It runs OS X Tiger very well, but is in great need of RAM (hint!). I was hoping to set this machine up to run Folding@home (or any of the distributed computing projects underway), if possible, but it really does need more RAM before it is usable for that operation. At the very least, sitting on a shelf in my room is a far better home than under pastel dust.

I suppose that really doesn’t pertain to today’s activities, although I do plan on seeing what is possible on the machine with minimum RAM when I get an opportunity this afternoon. Most of my tasks today relate to an incredible amount of catching up I need to do with reading and just generally comprehending the current course topics. When I begin to feel one step behind the professor, I frequently get an urge to binge read the text.

But, the true reason I woke up early this morning was to go speak to Renae at Bollo’s about a summer (or maybe sooner) job. My Empo job may not be continuing during the summer, at least not summer session two, so I need more employment. Obviously, I am a regular at Bollo’s and a lover of the establishment - I do what I can to support it and point people there for the absolute best in Blacksburg’s coffee market. Almost all of the current Bollo’s people know me by name but I’ve never really chatted with Renae, the owner. She seems to be a task-oriented person and in the past I’ve felt discouraged from breaking her concentration with a greeting when I see her at Bollo’s; yet, many people tell me that she is a fabulous person and is great to work with. I would believe it; business is often consuming and I would expect it takes people with both extreme focus and extreme enthusiasm to make sure it works.

When I entered the coffee shop this morning, I spoke with her about working in the near future. After a few seconds, she said, “Oh, you’re Ryan. I’ve been waiting for you.” At the time, I wasn’t sure how to respond to it, but I must say it was rather flattering to hear that from her.

I begin training in mid to late April. Howsabout that? (Thanks Erin, Nik, Felicia, etc).