Archives for September 2010

Rush, Music and Authenticity

Yesterday, I used Rush as an example of an entity that has successfully nagivated multiple industry disruptions… one that doesn’t get stuck on packaging.

Here’s an interview that was done yesterday before the concert in Atlanta, that shows they have the authenticity part down as well. [Read more…]

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Slave to the Packaging

Rush – one of the world’s greatest bands – has been snubbed yet again by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Not even a nomination, some 11 years after becoming eligible. At this point, not getting in becomes a bigger badge of honor. Who cares about a bunch of dinosaurs, anyway? What could you learn from them?

I mean, when they started, 8-track was still in vogue, and so was vinyl!

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Artificial Boundaries

For a moment, think about how the music industry has changed through that period. Bands like Rush used to tour constantly. While on the road, they’d write the songs for the next album, often in the tour bus (or rental cars!) They’d jump off tour, spend three weeks in the studio cutting the album, then get back on the road. Every six months, a new album would arrive, a pace that would be considered insane today. [Read more…]

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Speed Saves

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A gunman fired several rounds in a University of Texas library today. (I don’t think I have to recount the very sensitive issue with you… the rest of the media is sure to dredge up the story of the sniper in the tower.)

The interesting piece for me today is how technology changed both the event and the reporting of it. [Read more…]

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Mute

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A friend of mine just shuttered his blog.

He’s a fantastic writer, even if he weren’t my friend. He didn’t publish every day, but every day he published was worthwhile. He’s a storyteller who works in multiple media, and he’s interesting.

And now he’s mute, because his employer doesn’t want him blogging. [Read more…]

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What Makes the Good Stuff Good

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Quality is a hard thing to wrangle. (Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was an attempt to figure it out.)

We know it when we see it, but getting from A to G either takes a leap of faith, or relies on assumptions we never truly examine.

So I am challenging them. [Read more…]

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Mystery Journalism Theater 3000

The boxes are blurring and the silos are stirring. Welcome to a Brave New World of journalism.

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I’ve maintained that while newspapers are in trouble, journalism isn’t going anywhere. (No, it’s not going to TV, which is floundering through its own business model issues.) There will always be a place for the activity of sharing information and analysis in a timely manner. However, because the price of delivering that information has so radically upended the business model, it may take a while to figure out exactly who gets paid, by whom, and how. [Read more…]

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The Key to Networking

{{myquote|The best way to build a network is to be the kind of person other people would want to network with.}}

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