E/E - Entertainment / Electronics Section: Twitter? What's the big deal?
So here it comes, my rant. Lately in this thing I've had a couple of rants, I don't know why but certain things bug me. Last year I ranted about the economic stimulus package, not the package itself but the fact that they used part of the money to send out notifications by mail to tell everyone they could get a tax rebate. Not one, but multiple notifications costing millions in paper/print cost. I've ranted numerous times about the BCS and will continue to do so. Last entry I ranted about how the NHL is continually gone downhill since commish Gary Bettman has been in power. This time? Twitter.
Yes, Twitter. Now, I'll have to preface my point-of-view. I'm a Facebook guy. I love it's functionality (usually except for the new layout). I don't like MySpace because it seems so unorganized (although recent changes make it look more like Facebook). That and when Facebook first started as "thefacebook.com" (remember that?) it was for college students. At the time I was a college student so that was awesome. On these social networks, I started out on Friendster. Remember Friendster? Yeah, the OG social network that went no where because all you could really do is become someone's friend. MySpace was a step forward in that you could share stuff with your friends. Facebook was a step forward from that with a more professional look and feel and being able to do so much and communicate.
Now I'm not sure how Twitter started, but according to Nielson NetView it is now the third-largest social network. 7 million people. But I'm a Facebook guy so I look at it from a functionality point of view. So comparing it from my Facebook POV, all Twitter really is more or less is just the Facebook Status Update. The whole site. You can have "followers" who keep up with you like friends, but really all you do is update what you are doing in 140 characters or less. The whole site. That's all you can really do.
My rant is how is this so popular? How are celebs and politicians, the Library of Congress and even news outlets like CNN on Twitter? I would understand if the site did other things...or maybe I'm just too used to Facebook. Another thing is how people sometimes double things and have both Twitter and Facebook and on both their updates state the same thing or have them linked so they will read the same thing. It's like what's the point of having Twitter if all your friends are on something else and updating on something else already.
I really don't understand how stating "eating a ham sandwich" or "this bathroom really stinks" can make up a whole website.
Maybe I'm getting old and resisting change.
Or maybe I want something more than just 140 characters. Is this how things are going to be from now on? Are we just going to be limited to 140 characters? It really confuses me how media/news outlets are on Twitter. So basically just headlines are going to be the info we absorb. No one is going to be familiar with specifics, just snippets. We already have an abbreviated, narrow, and A.D.D. short attention span for everything now, Twitter really just emphasizes that fact.
So I'm making my stand, holding out on joining Twitter as long as possible.
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The Meat Tracks of the Decade (The 2000s)
It's the continuation of the series I started last month, reviewing my favorites from this past decade before the page on it turns. This edition has more of a rock persuasion. I'll first post last month's list and then go over this month's tracks.
Last Month:
-Fabolous's "Young'n (Holla Back)" (2001)
-Jagged Edge's "Where the Party At? (featuring Nelly)" (2001)
-Clipse's "Grindin'" (2002)
-Jay-Z's "La La La (Excuse Me Miss Again)" (2003)
-Youngbloodz's "Presidential (featuring Lil Jon)" (2005)
-Justin Timberlake's "My Love (featuring T.I.)" (2006)
-T.I.'s "What You Know" (2006)
-Shop Boyz's "Party Like a Rockstar" (2007)
-Rick Ross's "The Boss (featuring T-Pain)" (2008)
-Lady Gaga's "Just Dance" (2008)
This Month:
-Linkin Park’s “Pushing Me Away” (Original 2000, Remix 2002, Live 2007)
Ending track on Linkin Park's debut album Hybrid Theory, this song has always been my favorite from LP. From the strong, guitar-driven ballad of the original track, to the electronic-heavy remix, and then the solemn piano/vocal performance of the live recording, this song has had significance in the background of the goings on in my life.
-Jimmy Eat World’s “A Praise Chorus” (2002)
This song always brings me back to freshman year of college. So idealistic and naive. I never really thought about it until now, but the lyrics of the song sound if they me from now had a conversation with the me from back then. So much I would tell him. That and I always remember me and Ethan singing along to the "crimson and clover" part.
-Mae’s “Summertime” (2003)
Whenever I hear this song it brings be back to the Cali road trip in '05 when me, Adrian, and Mike went to the Holiday Bowl. Actually, any Mae song from Destination: Beautiful and The Everglow, but this song specifically. The Pacific Coast Highway from LA to San Diego, Huntington Beach at night, and "LA Blows." Awesome roadtrip, especially when we survived a 360 on the highway.
-Thrice’s “Stare at the Sun” (2004)
Great song from an awesome CD. Reminds me of Winter '04 going back and forth on I44 from Norman to Lawton and back.
-The Killer’s “Smile Like You Mean It” (2005)
I first heard this song on the once iconic The OC. The band is probably the most successful to ever appear on the show, and was probably helped by the show since it was at its peak at the time. Although "Mr. Brightside" was the bigger hit, this song is my favorite from that album.
-Fall Out Boys’s “Sugar, We’re Going Down” (2005)
One memory sticks out the most whenever I hear this song. My brother Mike singing this song mockingly with an ultra-high pitched voice. Hilarity!
-The Foo Fighters’s “Best of You” (2005)
Brings be back to the craziness that was the Summer of '05. It was the first real summer I spent the majority of my time in Norman since I was taking summer classes and working. This song was sort of described my struggles that summer outside of the classes and work.
-Taking Back Sunday’s “MakeDamnSure” (2006)
Probably my favorite song of the decade. Not sure why I like it so much, maybe because it came out as I was ending my college experience and because of the decisions that lay ahead after that period of my life. That and it's pretty awesome to rock to on the highway.
-The Starting Line’s “Island” (2007)
Another one of those songs that are awesome to rock out to on the highway. That and it sort of describes my need to get away from things sometimes.
-Anberlin’s “Godspeed” (2007)
I'm not sure what the band originally meant by the lyrics of the song, but I interpretted it as trying to avoid losing a hold of childhood. Not necessarily avoiding growing up, but trying not to lose what it feels like to be young. That's probably why I like the song so much. That and Cities is a pretty solid disc.
Next Meat Tracks will be a more mellow list of ten.
Stay tuned.
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