Some More TweetDeck Functionality

Just a couple of more things about TweetDeck that I really like. I think you will too. First up TwitScoop.

TwitScoop allows you to see what are the most current “hot topics” being discussed on Twitter. As you can see by the picture the listing is displayed in the form of a tag cloud. This means that the bigger the font, the more popular the topic.

To activate TwitScoop simply click on the icon to the immediate right of the magnifying glass icon at the top right of the TweetDeck screen and the tag cloud column will be displayed.

This can be an excellent tool for two purposes. First it can be used for market research. By observing what gets talked about over time, you can identify markets that are growing.

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What’s Your Approach to Life?

One of my favorite humorous quotes goes like this: “There are three kinds of people in this world. Those who can count and those who can’t.” I wish I could remember where I originally heard this, but every time I think of it I chuckle.

I guess I’m one of those who can count. I believe there are three fundamental approaches to life and I’ve identified all three in this post. Which approach you adopt determines the quality of life you live.

Overreaching Optimism — The Glass Half Full

This approach to life is a fanatically up-beat point of view. It is not so much positive as it is radically anti-negative. So much so that the overreaching optimist often becomes superstitious about any kind of negative expression. The cloud must always have a silver lining. Always. There can be no exceptions.

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SNJ032809–A Night of Bassists

Todd Smith (@ToddSmithPhoto on Twitter) asked me the other day for some good recommendations for jazz bassists. So I decided to share some of my list with you all tonight. Hope you enjoy.

Ron Carter

From Wikipedia:

Ron Carter (born May 4, 1937, Ferndale, Michigan) is an American jazz double-bassist. His unique sound has made him a long sought after studio man. His appearances on over 2,500 albums make him one of the most-recorded bassists in jazz history, along with Milt Hinton, Ray Brown and Leroy Vinnegar. Carter is also an acclaimed cellist who has recorded numerous times on cello. He also has recorded a large body of classical work, and he contributed to the film score for Desperate Characters (1971).

4-waltz-ronblue

A nice jazz waltz. ♫ http://blip.fm/~3jhl6

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FriendFeed from the Beginning

OK. So you’re kind of sold on FriendFeed. The problem is that you’ve heard that there is a rather steep learning curve. I don’t know how steep it is, but making your way around FriendFeed does take some getting used to. Because of that, over the next several weeks, I’m going to start from the beginning and show you how to make the most out of your FriendFeed account.

I’m going to assume that you have already set up your FriendFeed account, but if you haven’t then go to http://friendfeed.com now and click on the “Join” link, then follow the instructions. Once your FriendFeed account is set up come back here and we’ll get started. Go ahead. I’ll wait right here.

Welcome back. Let’s get started.

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TweetDeck Groups — A Life Saver

I’m currently following over 600 people on Twitter. No one can do that. No one. Yet I’m doing it. How? Look on below.

The first strategy I use is what I call a dip in – dip out strategy. You can’t follow every individual tweet that passes by in the twitter stream. You wouldn’t get anything done all day. Instead you occasionally dip into the stream of all your friends and respond to those things that interest you, then you leave for a while. Broadcast a post or two that you think will bring value to all your friends, and respond to individuals who reply to you. Reply to individuals that post interesting info. This keeps you in touch with your stream of friends yet allows you to go on with your life.

The second strategy works to make sure I don’t miss anything important. TweetDeck allows you to create groups. Go to the icon at the top of TweetDeck and click on the one that looks like two people (one standing behind the other). This will bring up a window that allows you to establish a group. Type in the group’s name and a listing of all your friends will be displayed.

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What’s Getting in Your Way?

Are you struggling with attaining the life you want? Does satisfaction always seem to lie just outside of your grasp? So many conversations I’ve had with friends and colleagues recently have centered around how dissatisfied with life they are. These feelings seem to be exacerbated during a down economy.

Often it can feel like life conspires to keep us from our goals. We see nothing but roadblock after roadblock. During these times it can be a huge temptation to simply give up and quit struggling for outcomes that seem impossible to achieve.

The reality, however, is often different than our perceptions. Regardless of the current economic situation, or our own personal circumstances, you and I are responsible for the outcomes in our lives. Truth is the real roadblocks in our lives are far more mental than actual. Here are 5 roadblocks that can keep you from achieving your dreams and a suggestion or two about what to do to break through each one.

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SNJ03-21-09: Great Trumpeters Other Than Miles

I was informed by a friend of mine in a conversation this week that he did not know that Miles Davis played the trumpet. He then confessed that he had very limited knowledge about jazz. So as a public service to him, I thought I’d expose him to some great jazz trumpeters other than Miles.

Let’s start out with a little Chet Baker:

From Wikipedia:

Chesney Henry “Chet” Baker Jr. (Yale, Oklahoma, December 23, 1929 – Amsterdam, Netherlands May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhorn player and singer.

Specializing in relaxed, even melancholy music, Baker rose to prominence as a leading name in cool jazz in the 1950s. Baker’s good looks and smoldering, intimate singing voice established him as a promising name in pop music as well. But his success was badly hampered by drug addiction, particularly in the 1960s, when he was imprisoned.

He died in 1988 after falling from a hotel window.

My Funny Valentine

Nice arrangement. Mellow and easy on the ears. ♫ http://blip.fm/~3915z
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FriendFeed and Twitter the Internet’s Dynamic Duo

I love Twitter. I’ve had so much fun meeting new people and getting to know them through this social networking site. I’m also a huge fan of FriendFeed. I’ve found so many fascinating web sites and slices of information through this great site. But I’m torn between the two. Dipping into the information stream that is created by these two sites can be a lot like trying to take a shower at the bottom of Niagra Falls.

It’s really easy to get overwhelmed, so I’ve been thinking about how to manage the use of these two sites so that you don’t get squashed at the bottom of your information “shower”. The key, in my thinking, is to understand the best use of each site and then limit my use to reflect those purposes. Let me explain:

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TweetDeck: Twitter’s Star Player

If you’ve been using Twitter for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed that there are some key players in the Twittersphere. Three of the most popular are AlertThingy, TWhirl, and TweetDeck.

NOTE: AlertThingy is releasing a new version sometime today so I may give it a try in the near future and report on my findings in a future Twitter Tuesday post.

I originally started using TWhirl when I first started getting active on Twitter. Then I tried TweetDeck and have never gone back. With one exception, which I’ll cover later, TweetDeck immediately stole my heart and loyalty. Here’s why:

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What Gets You Up In The Morning?

No, I’m not asking about what kind of alarm clock you use. I’m asking what is it that causes you to wake up and put your feet on the floor and get ready to take on the day?

There are typically one of three elements that force us from our beds. They are:

1. Tradition

This is basically getting up because it’s not possible to sleep all day, every day. So you get up in the morning and go through the motions. Have some breakfast. Take the kids to school. Go to work or return home and do your daily chores. Simply operating on autopilot and not really being driven by anything other than “It’s what I do.”

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