The Christmas Loot from 2009

What a wonderful season of gift-giving it is! Here’s a run-down of what I received this year:

From my parents:

Three journalism books:

• City Room by Arthur Gelb of the NYT

• Bias by Bernard Goldberg

• Arrogance by Bernard Goldberg

That makes four books I’ve received since August that decry (and detail the decline of) the media industry. I wonder if people are trying to tell me something?

• A spiffy new wallet and smallet.

• A hypo-allergenic comforter.

• Blessed financial assistance.

• The Pearl Harbor soundtrack (perhaps the most beautiful music in the world)

• A fan.

• Two sets of fine sleepwear.

From my brother:

• The Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince DVD

From my sister:

• Cable Caddy

From my grandparents:

• Blessed financial assistance.

From Shele and Bobby:

• Blessed financial assistance.

From David Layfield and Debbi Ann:

• A Persian bookmark

Filed under: Uncategorized

The difference a link can make

In just a few hours my blog went from an average of 20 views a day to more than 5,000. And it was all because of one link.

Two days ago I wrote this post because I was curious about who was on the most TIME magazine covers in history.

I figured another news site, Gawker.com, might find the information I found intriguing, especially because the post was somewhat relevant (the end of the year, Obama’s record-breaking pace, etcetera).

I submitted my link to Gawker’s tips inbox, and a few hours later it was published on Gawker.com.

Later that day I was surprised to get an e-mail from a producer with the NBC Nightly News who asked me to call right away to verify that it was I who had researched the numbers and created the chart. He said he wanted to include a short blurb about it that evening.

And, sure enough, just a few hours later, my blog Teqnolog was mentioned by Brian Williams in this primetime clip. It was after watching that clip that I first realized I had multiple personalities.

By the end of the day traffic to my blog had skyrocketed far beyond the norm. In fact, Teqnolog was listed as #1 on WordPress.com’s list of the fastest growing blogs. The post was listed in WordPress.com’s top 50 posts of the day.

It wasn’t until the next day that I realized the story had been spread online.

I found the same story on Yahoo! News, Asian News International, The New Nixon, and even USA Today and the New York Post. Those, and quite a few other blogs and online news sites.

Now that’s what I call a viral post.

Here’s a look at the difference in Teqnolog’s traffic:

Filed under: News & Journalism, Observation

More of a reporter than Superman?

I don’t think I’ve ever received a higher honor as a journalist than being named before Clark Kent.

Filed under: News & Journalism

My commencement speech at Lee University:

The following is the transcript of the speech I gave to the Lee University student body in April 2009 at Senior Reflections Chapel:

Who knew that when I got my acceptance letter from Lee University I would end up writing front page stories for a daily metropolitan newspaper, climbing Mount Sinai, and perhaps most importantly of all, getting my hands on a Paul Conn bobble-head.

So when I was asked to speak tonight, my initial reaction was one of thrilled excitement. And then I read what we were supposed to speak about: our story. The story of our experience at Lee University – what we learned, how we changed, etcetera.

And this slightly scared me. I was prepared to make three points and give a speech that you might hopefully remember years down the line.

But… instead, it’s my story. I don’t know how to talk about myself. In fact, I feel like I’m equipped to talk about anything but myself. And so I’ve labored for days trying to pinpoint those key memories that might provide just a five-minute glimpse into the last four years.

So here it is, the most concise graduation speech you’ll ever hear:

Filed under: In Retrospect

Should I ask out my dream girl?

So, my coolest discovery today is a new website called Hunch.com. Essentially, you can ask it any question and it will help you make a decision.

By answering ten questions, Hunch compiles your answers and gives you a percentage. For example, I asked the question “Should I ask out my dream girl?”

89 percent can be pretty persuasive.

Check it out, ask it a few questions, or choose from the pre-selected queries by topic. Trust me, you’ll like it… it’s a hunch.

Filed under: Humor

I’ve officially entered battle…

There’s a special spot in my heart for fictionalized stories that include real people, acquaintances and friends. Likely, it’s because that used to be my writing genre of choice during my high school days.

Regardless, it’s come back to bite me, and I can’t say that I’ve been more pleased. My improv teammate David Wirt just published the fifth part of his improv battle series and pits me against Tyler Langford. Enjoy the read:

The dull smell of humanity breathed gently, pressed by the breeze onward, entwined with the blare of brass horns and the chuff of horses straining against bridles.

Sunlight gleams through pennants and banners, proudly emblazoned with the images of animals that most of the assembled crowd had never, nor would ever, see.

A squat man in a multi-colored jerkin and a floppy hat several sizes too big for his head steps forward from a shaded lean-to with an inflated sense of self-importance that is only slightly diminished by his woefully itchy tights.

Filed under: Humor

How long would a dolphin last in a sea of lemonade?

My professor for Modern Western Culture gave us an odd challenge Tuesday for extra credit: he asked us to contact Sea World and ask how long a dolphin could last in a sea of lemonade.

Here’s the e-mail I sent to SeaWorld:

Hi, I know it’s an odd request, but my humanities professor at Lee University in Cleveland, TN was talking about Charles Fourier in class. Fourier said that he believed the seas would one day desalinize into lemonade. Our professor, Jason Wolfe, challenged us to find out how long a dolphin would last in Lemonade for extra credit. Is there any estimate or idea? Please e-mail me back. Thank you for your help, -Harrison

During class today I received the following response:

Filed under: Humor

My speech to the Lee University student body

The following is the transcript of the speech I gave to the Lee University student body in April 2009 at Senior Reflections Chapel:

Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

When you’re searching for something, anything, to talk about at chapel and all that comes to mind is the college benediction, you might feel at a loss.

But in fact, I think our benediction, shorter than a Twitter message at 123 characters, deserves a message all its own.

Let the words of my mouth… be acceptable in thy sight.

As a journalism major, I’ve found that the words we speak: in print, on camera, and especially online, have tremendous impact across continents, and decades.

Filed under: In Retrospect

The 75 best photos from my camera

Looking back through thousands of images, I bring you the absolute best. These are the photos that make up my collection of emotion, adventure, celebration, joy and sorrow.

Take a look at my best 75 photos to date after the jump.

Filed under: Photography

Amy Beth So Fabulous!

If you don’t know Amy Beth Bullard, you need to know her.

She’s probably the sweetest person you’ll ever meet, and she’ll go out of her way to make you feel dandy in a way no one else can.

I finally hit the big time now: Amy Beth’s blog: Ministry So Fabulous!

After I was blessed to receive the Communication & the Arts departmental award this morning, I found this post on her blog.

Amy Beth’s blog in general is a gift straight from the heart. She knows how to write. So check it out, and bookmark it while you’re there.

Filed under: Observation

No ordinary Spanish test

I walked into my Spanish class at Lee University last week and was the last person to sit down and grab a copy of the second test in the course from the professor, Dr. Carmen Guerrero.

It’s never quite natural that every eye in the room is focused on you when you sit down to take a test, and that’s exactly how I felt.

And then I saw why.

Every student received a test that was about a student at Lee named Harrison:

“Harrison is a student at Lee,” read the first box on the test. “He is taking Spanish classes and now he is learning about love relationships, people personalities, and finances. Help him solve all the situations he has to go through.”

How flattered I was!

All eight word questions included Harrison in some new predicament needing help from other classmates in the class.

It was a test I’ll not soon forget. It’s quite an honor, you know, when everyone else’s grade depends on you

Filed under: All in good fun

The Illustrated Me

I’m always flattered by the various renderings of me produced by various artists I’ve come across.

Here are my favorites from throughout the years:

1. This was a comic produced of me and my friend Rachel for our high school newspaper. Unfortunately, because the full comic was so big, it was never printed. See the full strip here.

2. This skillfully-mastered image of my head was produced by graphic designer Chris Sirico for use as an illustrated headshot in my college newspaper.

3. This colorful comic was made by Jordan Holt as part of his Blackfox Comics series. See the full strip here.

4. This door decoration of my head and antennas was created by a mysterious Lee Clarion editor. When I returned to my office I found it etched on the glass with magic marker.

5. This illustration was crafted by Kevin Puett, a high school friend. It shows me in the classic “Mud & Guts” shirt given to every runner on our cross country team by our late coach, Buck Carney.

6. This spud’s for me. Lee Clarion designer Daniel Diffenderfer drew this Mr. Potato Head image that looks strangely like me.

Filed under: All in good fun

Chased by a stranger at 2 a.m.

I left the Student Media Lab in the student union slightly before 2 a.m., ensuring the doors were locked before climbing onto my bike with three copies of the newest Lee Clarion along for the ride.

What would happen, I wondered, if for some odd reason I was abducted on my way home and all I had left was the three Lee Clarion newspapers? Perhaps, as I was sailing along the highway, I would throw pages of the papers out the car window, hints of my trail left behind for police to one day find.

As I turned off of Church Street, how little did I know that my fears would soon seem truer than I could ever believe.

While I passed the public library on my bike, I noticed a white car slowly pulling toward me, and as I came nearer, a window rolled down and a man gestured toward me.

Filed under: Sudden Scenario

Thanks for the photo credit

Isn’t it nice to walk into a room and see a picture you took hanging on the wall?

I just spotted one such framed photograph on a quick excursion to the Lee University Office of Publications on the third floor of the Higginbotham Administration Building.

Granted, it’s not a thirty-inch gold frame displaying my shot exclusively, but it is an honor to have a piece of history up on that wall.

The picture, as you can see below, was a shot I took of my roommate in October 2007.

Filed under: Observation