RyanHarne.com

Working is a curious thing in our culture. To some it holds the key to living - to others it is the drudge that keeps them in bed Monday morning. Neither approach is wrong. It is not necessarily correct to maintain the standard, American Protestant work ethic that working hard will bring a great bounty and greater relief; that is a piece of culture, not a natural law.

I always try to enjoy my work. From the days of frying onion rings, to scanning documents, to helping students, to doing research, to today’s assortment of research and teaching tasks, I look for something to make tedious tasks, or barely appealing tasks, more manageable. But, as I get closer to full-on graduate research and teachingstuffs, I want to make sure I am doing what I want to do. I don’t believe that working as hard as possible, no matter what chore it may be, will bring me happiness, nor do I believe that a salary and vacations and consumer products could compensate for an insufferable work environment. My desk must be a sort-of extension of the enjoyment of home.

In Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech, graduate students shoot for acquiring either a GTA (graduate teaching assistant[ship]) or a GRA (research assistant) because it pays for everything and provides a pays-the-bills stipend. As I’ve clearly become more attached to research efforts, a GRA is more appealing. Even more so when considering that with a GTA I would be consumed with taking care of students and grading their work and tossing around their emails before I was able to work on my own research; it seems that being a GTA is almost two jobs, whereas a GRA thrusts you straight towards your degree and a greater depth in the research.

I discovered that state budget cuts are severely limiting the number of GTAs that VT’s ME Dept. will dole out and my search for a GRA became even more intense. Unfortunately, my main sources of acoustics professors seemed to have no new funding to speak of. Within hours of getting these negative replies, my hopes sunk to ground level. Per recommendation of another professor, I began writing some emails to be sent to ME professors outside of the Vibrations and Acoustics Lab for a potential GRA in their field. But that would be a prime example of forcing myself to swallow a job that didn’t suit my taste; and, when it comes to research, a certain dedication is necessary in order to have any success and fulfillment. You can’t mindlessly crunch numbers in a research area for long until you start going postal.

To my luck, and entirely serendipitously, I discovered that an acoustics professor not only has new funding but, after a quick discussion with him, may very well want me on board this new project. We meet tomorrow to talk about specifics and my own research interests. There is no certainty to this meeting, only potential. Still, potential is what I need right now, not waiting for a GTA offer letter that may or may not arrive. And, with work in acoustics, I can work in a field that I intended on pursuing anyways. Win-win. So, we’ll see.

Philanthropy comes in many forms and sizes. For a cause requiring an expert group to tend and repair, financial donations work best since the expertise takes inordinate time, patience, and diligence, often academic when referring to a medicine, for example. Yet, you’d be surprised how positive a result basic philanthropy can produce on a smaller scale. When you attack a smaller scale problem, you can quickly remove the middle man and get to work immediately. Even if it is a widespread problem, personal intervention can produce an instant gratification for both the giving & receiving parties.

Dave Eggers’ 2008 TED Prize address shows the product of a simple initiative to attack a small problem - poor writing skills in K12 children from that local SFBay area. The success of this effort is remarkable, but not unbelievable. Were similar efforts undertaken where one-on-one attention is given and positive values are reinforced, it’s not unlikely that other unrecognized social ills could be resolved.

A free basketball camp teaching sportsmanship to its participants; a digital art center where children are encouraged and allowed to just let loose; and, closer to home, a science and math tutoring center pretty much with the same foundation as Eggers’ creation. These are ideas that, in all likelihood, are already in action, but not in the numbers they should be. Community involvement is key to a safe environment for children, it’s a form of tearing down the ridiculous class segregation present in most American cities. As children interact, ignoring their demographics both financial and ethnic, in a creative environment, an equality is reached and goals are pursued that benefit the group rather than personal promotion.

Don’t misconstrue this as socialism - people working together in communities is something intrinsic in democracy and a thriving republic. A peaceful environment is maintained through community interaction and not white picket fences or 4-story SUVs. Though most of my tutoring experiences has been for pay (for peanuts, mind you), helping students on a personal level is far, far, far more enjoyable than trying to coordinate a group learning environment. Group learning is good, too, but change happens one person at a time. It’s also significantly more satisfying for both involved when just two people are working together.

Anyways. Eggers’ talk is worth watching.

I see quite a bit of Virginia from the comfort of my 4-inch-wide, titanium rail, 165 gram racing saddle. And, trust me, it’s actually quite comfortable. A faux leather cover with magical cushioning below - combine that with a proper bib short + chamois, and I could ride (and do) for thousands of miles.

Anyways, I notice a major difference in environment when I travel for these collegiate cycling races. The terrain loses steep grades and you could look for miles through the clear blue sky and see nothing resembling a mountain. Apart from Virginia Tech, it seems no other Atlantic Coast Cycling Conference [ACCC] school has its home base in the Appalachian Mountains. I would have to travel to the Rockies to compete in collegiate events containing such mountainous terrain.

However, it has become clear to me (and has been made clear to me) that I need to get out more. Get out of Virginia, get out of the east coast, get out of the country. And so I will.

Today, I applied for a U.S. passport. I was expecting a turnaround of 90 days but the guy at the post office said that if I don’t receive it (and my birth certificate, which they temporarily confiscated) back in about 40 days then I should contact them immediately. Has the Dept. of State become efficient? What a remarkable turn of fate, that a government agency would increase its output.

So, the world I will see. Gradually. Probably starting with Europe or South America. Or Canada. I do hope to do some international cycling as well; obviously not with competition in mind, but how can you turn down the opportunity to climb the Alpe d’Huez where Lance Armstrong once destroyed the peloton, the beautiful Tourmalet, or the leg-numbing Hautacam? Thinking about doing some cycling in Europe is making me all smiles. I might even consider a mountain biking expedition through Peru…

And speaking of traveling. This week I am going to Cupertino so that I can receive guidance from Apple and those Apple authorities that I listen to. Then the following weekend I will be racing in Charlottesville on the beautiful UVA campus. And later in the year, I have just begun working on plans to head over to Los Angeles for Jeremiah & Arthur’s fantastic ceremony. A’traveling I will go.

It’s time for me to close Google Earth and start making some marks in my soon-to-be-approved passport. I’m looking forward to all that is to come.

Sometime today I received an invitation to become a fan of a band on facebook. The name sounded familiar and was actually the album title that some high school friends of mine chose for their full EP release in early 2003. Sure enough, two of those guys from the band are the rockstars I befriended throughout high school when I knew them.

Kenny Kominic, the man who developed a most refined percussion musicianship during his high school years, not only in himself, but also in his underclassmen progeny, seems to have focused on vocal ability in the intervening years. Ryan Johnson, who introduced me to Goldeneye and bb guns, hasn’t lost the impressive guitar-string-induced callouses of years gone by. The new band, The Chuck Shaffer Picture Show, is both a good listen and, to their credit, marketable. From Savory’s “Wait A Minute” semi-hit, at least to us 18-year-olds, to The CSPS’s MySpace tracks - they have come a long way.

Remarkably, Kenny and Ryan did not significantly waver from their goals of pursuing music at higher levels. In contrast, I struggle even keeping up a hobby. Through elementary, middle, and high school, I attempted to play some rec league sports, namely basketball and soccer. Yet, one-by-one, those interests dwindled until my senior year in high school when I was still playing basketball, but really only for fun. I couldn’t shoot a free throw to save my life. In high school and even much before, I was adept with guitars and played daily. Those musicianship cares waned long ago. Some time passed from that loss before I got into cycling in the beginning of 2007. The scheduling freedom of this past summer allowed me to immerse myself in the activity and then eventually consider it on a competitive level.

I realize now that cycling isn’t something I will do with any grande success. It will be a life-long hobby that I will enjoy from the daily commute to the pounding weekend rides of my later years. I’m too old to pursue a “new thing” and realistically expect it to bear fruit; people with talent outside the usual educated-into-you realms nurture those abilities when they are still in adolescence. As time goes on, we are less willing to take risks for fear of failure and for fear of negating our expensive educational experiences. Also, as time goes on for people interested in athletic activities, our bodies degenerate making us less capable of competing with the kids who started pounding their bones and muscles long ago, according to their parent’s demands. It’s no wonder that university is so frantic and academically challenging - the level of skill and proficiency that a university student gains in 4 years (assumably) is carefully and patiently gathered by athletes and musicians who began their training at much younger ages. When the time comes for companies to select their new hires, everyone is just as well trained - accountants, cyclists, engineers, basketball players - but the athletes and performers have more confidence in their well-grounded abilities compared to those who just raced through 4 years trying to discover something marketable in themselves.

What Kenny and Ryan have done, and are doing, is exemplifying their commitment to one goal that was first planted in their early youth. Despite the early disasters of their first stage performances and the seemingly kind socialization to get real and focus on their higher education, they both maintained their passion for music and developed their skills patiently, patiently waiting for a time to shine.

Well, since high school, the internet has given just about everyone a time to shine and The Chuck Shaffer Picture Show is taking advantage of the opportunity. May it go with them well. I can’t imagine the many dedicated hours they have intently practiced and sought greater musical perfection. It’s such a great story when the friends of your youth finally make it to the big time. Bravo.

I had to check to see when the last time was that I had written here. The intervening time has been no less than enjoyable, exhausting, and educational. The spring break period was mainly spent in Atlanta with Becky, both of us doing our share of work across the table. So, of course, that period was enjoyable. Then, I was in Philadelphia for a cross-conference cycling race, look for ECCC week 2 in the link. Those 3 days were exhausting due to the traveling, the torrential rains, and the frigid & wind-battered races. Fortunately, the team time trial Sunday, though absolutely freezing, was exciting and encouraging. Finally, the academic sphere of my life has been working overtime to make up for… well, not making up for anything in particular. Maybe academics is always running at a pace just greater than my endurance threshold. Likely so.

On March 4, one of my Atlanta days last week, ryanharne.com celebrated its 5th birthday. I had known that the anniversary would fall during my trip, but my company kept my rapt attention during the Atlantatime so that I misplaced the event reminder. Perhaps I will celebrate this evening, marking the 5th year and 1st week of ryanharne.com. You should, too.

As a final point, while in Atlanta I drink coffee each morning that I make from a french press. That method of preparation can turn a crap cup of coffee into a delicious, crema-covered brew. I ended up buying a french press for home use after my first Atlanta visit but making it at my home is inconvenient because we don’t have a steaming water tap. I have to boil the water on the stove before I can get the brew going. If anyone knows of a cheap way to quickly steam water, not involving the microwave, then please pass along your tip.

Ok. Some engineering students are probably wanting some system dynamics help. Afterwards, be confident that I will celebrate ryanharne.com’s 5th&1.