7 ideas to help apple's ping (possibly) survive
Fri, Sep 3 2010 02:28 PM
| personal, technology, social media, music, favorites, lists, apple
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let's just go ahead and state the obvious (as a matter of full disclosure): i. love. apple.
plain and simple, i'm a huge fan of the little tech company in cupertino. i'm firmly planted on the apple bandwagon and i don't plan on getting off any time soon. i don't like the moniker "fanboy", because it assumes an ignorant/blind following. rather, my allegiance to apple is based on over 10 years of superior products. i trust apple. they simply make amazing, beautiful products, so i'm able to trust that when they release new products, they'll be in accordance with their long track record of almost exclusive hits.
but i'm also honest about their misses. yes, the cube just didn't work. the messagepad never really made sense. the flower power imac was atrocious. a handful of software releases have just not been useful. yes, apple's had some misses and near-misses.
so where does apple's new social music network, ping, fall into the equation? well, it's probably way too son to truly know. less than 48 hours into the launch of the service, many have written it off and they certainly have ample ammunition to support their argument. but i'm far from prepared to say it's doomed.
apple simply needs to make some big changes and i think it could take off the way they've imagined. i've created a list of 7 ideas that could greatly improve ping and make it a viable social network.
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15 albums i'll always love (and a heartfelt facebook diatribe)
Thu, Sep 2 2010 01:30 PM
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dante alighieri stopped too soon. you see, in his classic, the inferno, he depicts 9 circles of hell. but alas, there is actually a 10th circle. what resides in this deepest circle of endless torture?
facebook memes and games.
yes friends, those who engage in mafia wars or farmville (or any other game) or those who tell you to repost this message if you really love jesus dwell in the darkest pit of virtual hell. basically, anything that requires a regular & concerted effort to suck one's time (and others' time) while partaking in the black hole known as facebook are a special breed.
agreeing to disagree, pt. 2: principles of civil discourse from don miller
Wed, May 5 2010 08:02 AM
| general life, personal, church, emergent, jesus, christian subculture, theology, popular culture, politics, current events, lists
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yesterday, i posted some thoughts on the phrase, we'll just have to agree to disagree, referencing the following tweet by @midrash_lr:
my basic premise, of course, was that while i agree with the fundamental value inherent in his statement, it's a bit utopian. there are simply times when the conversation devolves into something other than a healthy exchange when one or both people cease to work within the spirit of mutual respect and learning.
Let's end, "We'll have to agree to disagree." This ends the convo. Instead let's try "good men can disagree" & ctn the convo.
midrash_lr
midrash_lr
my basic premise, of course, was that while i agree with the fundamental value inherent in his statement, it's a bit utopian. there are simply times when the conversation devolves into something other than a healthy exchange when one or both people cease to work within the spirit of mutual respect and learning.
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7 big ideas for little rock
Sat, Jan 9 2010 10:12 AM
| art, general life, personal, arkansas, church, little rock, christian subculture, favorites, lists
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a couple days ago, i picked up the current issue of the arkansas times, which is their annual natives guide to pulaski county. the cover story was a series of "big ideas" written by various people of (quasi-) prominence in little rock and surrounding areas. the list included some ideas i love (bringing a nice independent movie theater downtown, churches without barriers), some good ideas that could use some tweaking/fleshing out (creating a light rail system, increased revenue sources for parks) and ideas that are just plain unfeasible (tearing down i-630, which is an excessive solution to a real problem). after reading their list, i put myself to the task of coming up with my own list of "big ideas" for little rock. here's what i came up with.
a vote for democracy: derek webb to release "democracy: vol. 1"
last year, when derek webb released his album, stockholm syndrome, several "tiers" were sold with various combinations of physical copies, digital copies, t-shirts, dvds, stickers and other assorted items. in several of the upper tiers, one of the intriguing inclusions was voting and, ultimately, free downloads of a promised 2010 project called democracy, vol. 1. this would be a monthly demo project in which he would record one cover of a song as voted by the fans.
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2009 in review: albums
Wed, Dec 30 2009 04:16 PM
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i just wrapped up an ongoing series called 25 in the 2000s. if you want to catch up on the series, you can begin with the introduction here and the move to the following posts:
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2009 in review: songs
Tue, Dec 29 2009 03:58 PM
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i just wrapped up an ongoing series called 25 in the 2000s. if you want to catch up on the series, you can begin with the introduction here and the move to the following posts:
25 in the 2000s: things that shaped the aughts
Sun, Dec 27 2009 04:24 PM
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this is final post in an ongoing series called 25 in the 2000s. if you want a bit of information about the series, you can find the introduction here.
in another blogger's recent appraisal of the past decade, it was described as "the decade that snuck up on us." his main thesis was that the decade started off very well, with relative peace and tranquility. and then…9/11. from there, we've seen war, political scandal and various disease outbreaks. but the blogger concludes that, all in all, the decade has seen more light than dark. i share that point-of-view and look back rather fondly. both personally and in terms of news-worthy moments, i think it's been a decade worth remembering. in remembering, i decided to compile a list of anything that in any way shaped the decade. so, these aren't just news stories or technological advances or any specific "category" of list item. these are simply things that shaped the aughts.
25 in the 2000s: albums
Sun, Dec 27 2009 02:06 PM
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this is part of an ongoing series called 25 in the 2000s. if you want a bit of information about the series, you can find the introduction here.
i truly believe that the 2000s are the greatest music decade ever. that revelation should come as a surprise to those who know my deep and abiding love for the 90s. so that should make it even more emphatic. if you look back over the last 4 or 5 decades, there are very definable styles and descriptors. the 70s had disco, the 80s had new wave and punk, the 90s had grunge and pop. but nothing can be so finitely pinpointed over the past 10 years. and that's actually a good thing. of course, for music historians—who like to simplify and categorize—that's not so great, but the decade was, in fact, an outstanding time to listen to music. ultimately, what made the 2000s significant is that is was more of a melding of styles from the past several decades. it built on the dance music from the 70s while dabbling in the new wave of the 80s while still harkening back to plenty of angst from the 90s (and that's not even touching on the 50s and 60s which were so important in the decade in music). so, these albums represent all these things. it's a little all over the place, but that's exactly what made the 2000s a great time for music lovers.
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25 in the 2000s: songs
Fri, Dec 25 2009 04:25 PM
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this is part of an ongoing series called 25 in the 2000s. if you want a bit of information about the series, you can find the introduction here.
picking 25 songs from an entire decade is akin to putting 25 needles in a colossal haystack and saying, "find them." so, undoubtedly, my list is incomplete and flawed, at best. one point of clarification, though, for this list is that this—more than any of my lists—is a combination of a few factors. a good 60% of this list is purely what i like. so, there's some of these songs that i've not seen on anyone's list, but i just love them (i.e. roll to the middle by sara groves). another 30% consists of songs that had a significant impact. in others words, whereas i like every single song on here, there are songs that, even on the same album, i liked another song personally better, but the chosen song's impact was too significant to leave off (i.e. rehab by amy winehouse). the other 10% are songs that i haven't found myself putting into particularly heavy rotation, but they're just good, so i was compelled to include them (i.e. since u been gone by kelly clarkson).
25 in the 2000s: one-hit wonders
this is part of an ongoing series called 25 in the 2000s. if you want a bit of information about the series, you can find the introduction here.
it's difficult to talk about an era of music without bringing up the topic of one-hit wonders. while the conversation is inevitable, it's much more difficult to pin down exactly what defines a one-hit wonder. one on hand, it's a band who comes out of nowhere, blows up with one song and then we never hear of them again. and then, there's the bands that are legitimately good bands, but just happen to only have one song that really hits the radio waves. and then, there's the bands that have had some minor hits, but had one particular song that just blew up. this list will deal with all of those. there are some songs/bands on here that almost pained me because they're a legitimately great band (like my #1), but definitionally, they are a one-hit wonder. so, here it is.
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25 in the 2000s: cover songs
Sun, Dec 20 2009 05:54 PM
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this is part of an ongoing series called 25 in the 2000s. if you want a bit of information about the series, you can find the introduction here.
ah, the cover song. we are all magnetically drawn to the power of someone doing a song previously done by another artist. it's truly unexplainable. from the newly interpreted beauty to the refreshing newfound angle to the downright funny, cover songs are a musical phenomenon that cannot be denied. so, here's my list of the 25 cover songs that rose to the top of the aughts.
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25 in the 2000s: movies
Thu, Dec 17 2009 07:50 AM
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this is part of an ongoing series called 25 in the 2000s. if you want a bit of information about the series, you can find the introduction here.
often, the story of a culture, a people, a time period is shared through cinema. movies transcend moments and create timeless asides from normal life. so it was over the last 10 years. during that time, the theater has seen the best of times and the worst of times. yes, we've had to sit through quite a few michael bay movies, but at the same time, we've had the pleasure to enjoy some of the truly great cinematic works of all-time. with that said, here's my favorite movies of the aughts.
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25 in the 2000s: tv shows
this is part of an ongoing series called 25 in the 2000s. if you want a bit of information about the series, you can find the introduction here.
you absolutely cannot talk about tv in the 2000s without immediately turning to reality television. it's certainly the hallmark of the decade and reveals a lot about cultural attitudes and values. but even beyond reality tv (which you'll find over in and over in my list), tv, in general, reveals the cultural climate during a time period. so, with this list, my selections should tell you something about both the decade and the lens in which i viewed it (both literally and figuratively).
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25 in the 2000s: sports moments
Tue, Dec 8 2009 08:15 AM
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this is part of an ongoing series called 25 in the 2000s. if you want a bit of information about the series, you can find the introduction here.
one of the hallmarks of any time period is a reflection on what occurred in the world of sports. naturally, the 2000s are no different. while it's still hard to completely put its impact in historical context, the 2000s certainly had many memorable moments and were defined by some of the greatest athletes of all time: lebron james, peyton manning, albert pujols, shaquille o'neal and many more. so, here's a look at the greatest sports moments of the last decade
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25 in the 2000s: technological innovations
Wed, Dec 2 2009 09:29 AM
| photography, t.v., technology, graphic design, music, favorites, popular culture, science, iphone, current events, lists
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this is part of an ongoing series called 25 in the 2000s. if you want a bit of information about the series, you can find the introduction here.
in technology standards, 10 years is a very, very long time. innovative people and programs are constantly looking for new ways to connect people, spread information and make life easier through advances in technology. in this list, i've used technology in the broadest sense: science, mechanics, computer, social media, etc. so, here's the best in what's happened in technological innovation over the last 10 years.
25 in the 2000s: religious stories
Sun, Nov 29 2009 01:29 PM
| personal, movies, news, emergent, christian subculture, theology, favorites, lists, church, jesus, music, popular culture, current events, politics
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this is part of an ongoing series called 25 in the 2000s. if you want a bit of information about the series, you can find the introduction here.
it seem as if the last 10 years have been a particularly explosive and salient time in the world of religion. from a new pope to the brazen use of religion in political campaigns to the culture of islamic suspicion since 9/11, religion has been at the forefront of conversation and headlines. in the following list, i'll talk about the good, the bad and the ugly of the decade in religion.
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25 in the 2000s: an introduction
Sat, Nov 28 2009 10:00 AM
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the year: 1999. your shopping list: several flash lights, 4 or 5 large packs of batteries, a few cases of bottled water, nonperishable food items, a swiss army knife and several boxes of zombie repellant.
why? y2k, of course.
yes, in 1999, the world prepared itself for the certain meltdown of all that we had previously known as organized civilization. now, we find ourselves in 2009—a decade later—still waiting for the world to come to a screeching halt. while we're waiting, though, i thought it would be a good time to bask in what has been a great decade: the aughts.
twitter me this: 5 twitter gripes
i love twitter.
for a lot of different reasons. it's fast, it's streamlined, it's connective, it's educational, it allows regular exercise in brevity, it's ADD-friendly, it's bridge-building, it's uniquely expressive. :) it's all this and more.
but.
i do have a handful of gripes. there's several things that consistently bug me on twitter. one of the beauties of twitter is that it's not too strictly-defined, so you can use it for whatever purposes you might have. so my list of gripes is highly personal. it isn't like these things are violations of some kind of twitter equivalent to the code of hammurabi or the 10 commandments. and while i do think my list is probably shared by a large number of twitterers, it's still necessary to say that it's just sorta "one of those things" kind of deals for me and maybe not for anyone else.
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pick six: 90's songs you don't know but should
as you might be able to tell, i'm a fan of recurring blog series. for example, "music you should know", "what's in my [proverbial] 6-disc changer" and so on. as you also might be able to tell, i don't always follow through very well on these series. my good intentions and good ideas tend to fizzle out.well, with all that said, i think i'm going to start another one. in this case, it's called "pick
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rolling stone's 100 greatest singers of all time
i love lists. you know, kind of like i love lamp. but in this case, lists...so, when i stumbled across rolling stone's 100 greatest singers of all time, i was, needless to say, very intrigued and thoroughly enjoyed perusing said list. as with any list, there are plenty of points of agreement and plenty of points of "what??!!" basically, rolling stone—instead of just making a list of the prettiest
2008 in review: it's in the numbers
ok, i know it's more than a week into 2009, but i've been meaning to post this blog since the first couple days of the new year. so, just humor me here people. (by the way, the idea of this post came from rob and you can check his 2008 in numbers here.)family5: years of marriage5: years to further confirm how much i love christen1: year old is how old lucy turned in may (wow...)1: kid to start the
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2008 in review: best movies
alright, so, i've given you my top 10 lists for music and now, like every year, it's time to drop my top 10 movies of 2008.all in all, it was an 'eh' year in movies. with that said, though, there are quite a few movies i haven't been able to see yet that i assume would easily find their way onto my list (a few that would literally make it as high as #1 or in the top 5, unless they're colossal disappointments,
top 10 buzzwords of 2008
speaking of lists...i completely forgot to link to time's list of top albums of 2008 (not that a list that puts lil' wayne at #1 is all that credible...), along with their mammoth list of everything imaginable.one of the lists that caught my attention was the top 10 buzzwords of 2008. i think those are always interesting, but with this one, i was struck by the accompanying illustrations. they were
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2008 in review: best albums/songs
as i mentioned last week, i love lists. i love to make them. i love to read them. i love to talk about them. so, as promised, i've made my list of top albums and songs of 2008 (as i do every year). and, as i've done the last couple years, i've thrown up a quick, super simple website where you can view my list of best albums of 2008.on the website, you'll find my best crap of 2008 and then, because
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a serious moment: top 10 grossest foods...
here at beingryanbyrd.com, i like to make sure that all my posts are hard-hitting and gravely serious. so, i hereby present: my top 10 grossest foods.look, i know you've all been dying to read this kind of in-depth and personal insight from me and that was keenly brought to my attention today by a friend. she spoke. i listened.most people would never guess that i might just be the world's pickiest
i [heart] music
there's a word for me and my incessant new music discovery process: obsessive. it's true. for me, music isn't just a background pleasantry or something to play in the car. music is a powerful medium that i find deeply connective and stirring.with that said, i've noticed here in the last several months that i've had an unusually ferocious appetite for new music (even for me). my quick count for the
|||lt;i|||gt;god|||lt;/i|||gt;songs
for me, music is the most powerful medium for shaping me emotionally, intellectually and theologically. music has been powerful in shaping the way i see the world and how i form theologies. at various points in my life, music has caused me to radically rethink certain theologies and begin the process of completely ditching others.i set forth to create a list of songs that have been particularly theologically
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never-aging 90's albums
one of the most dangerous things to do is to quantify a promise. here's an example: i will run 2 miles every tuesday for the next 3 months. i've a.) made a promise to run, and b.)i've quantified the amount of said promised running. the issue here is that it's difficult to ever live up to the promise. it's basically the same reason you can't ever get a straight answer out of a politician. they know
performing songwriter
one of my favorite artists of all time is derek webb. i'm sure i will find plenty occasions to blog about him in the future. i was very excited and intrigued to come across performing songwriter's list of '100 most influential independent artists of the past 15 years' (in honor of the magazine's 15th anniversary). the list includes some of the most unbelievable indie artists with some of the most notable
