Month: June 2005

Le Tour – C'est Arrivé

Lorin Olsen

In six days, Lance Armstrong will ride the last stage race of his career. The Tour de France begins next Saturday. And my excitement is building! Will Lance win a seventh consecutive Tour de France? I sure hope so. Lance will face a number of challenges this year. They include:
– The Discovery Channel team lost an important lieutenant in the mountains when Vatcheslav Ekimov crashed during a training ride. His loss will be felt keenly during the team time trial.
– Many of Lance’s former teammates will be working against him. Floyd Landis will ride for Phonak this year. Floyd was a major reason for Lance’s success in the mountains during the 2004 tour. Roberto Heras will once again be riding for Liberty Seguros. Bobby Julich and Dave Zabriskie will be riding for Bjarne Riis and Team CSC.
– Jan Ullrich seems more committed than ever to defeating Lance.
– Ivan Basso had a great Giro d’Italia. And he wants to win le Tour. Lance will have his hands full defending against Ivan – especially since Basso has finally shown that he can time trial.
But Lance has some great assets on his side. These include:
– Six of his eight teammates are returing from previous Tour wins.
– Lance is joined by new teammates who will make a big difference. Paolo Savoldelli won this year’s Giro d’Italia. Along with Jose Azevedo, Paolo Savoldelli brings unparalled climbing credential to the Discovery Channel team.
– Lance rides with one of the most successful team managers of all times. Johan Bruyneel has led a team that has won the Giro d’Italia, the Vuelta a Espania and six Tour de France campaigns.
– Lance has won six straight Tours. He knows what it takes to win.
– Lance is the only cyclist who has stared death in the face and come out on top. He has a decided mental advantage in this regard.
– This is Lance’s last tour. I can’t think of a greater incentive to win than to go out on top.
Will Lance win? I think he can. I pray he does.
-CyclingRoo-

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Thank You, Podfather!

Lorin Olsen

If you read my last post, you know that I’m listening to a replay of Adam Curry’s Daily Source Code. And this episode is quite an epiphany for me. So many thoughts are coalescing. Many things may emerge from the fog that is my meandering stream of consciousness.
But as I mused and listened, I caught Adam saying something important.

“I think it is time to make a corner turn on P2P, particularly for podcasting. So, until something else comes along that we all agree makes sense, I fully intend to implement BitTorrent and support it – and I hope you all do too.”

I am sure that Adam never saw my recent post. But Adam gets it. I can’t wait for the BT DSC.
-CyclingRoo-

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Gnomedex 5.0 – Timeshifted

Lorin Olsen

There are moments when the importance of events become clear. This morning is one of those momemnts. I’ve been listening to Adam Curry and the Daily Source Code since January of this year. And I’ve been listening to Gnomedex (courtesy of Chris Pirillo’s feed) every day of this week – except yesterday. I had to work at Arrowhead Staadium last night. We were doing the last fundraiser for my daughter’s AAU basketball team. So I missed Adam’s closing keynote. I was bummed. But my kids and their success are far more important than even the most monumental of technical achievements.
Well, I got up this morning and what did I find? DSC 200 captured Adam’s keynote. So I was able to hear the keynote even though I couldn’t catch Chris’ feed in real-time. Now that’s the value of podcasting. I can catch the important news/content w/o sacrificing the other more important things. I can have my cake and eat it too.
So as I’m listening to Adam kick off DSC 200 with a Sgt. Peppers mashup, I realized that I needed to stop the stream so that I could formulate a couple of the preceding sentences. And now that I look at what I’ve written, I need to clean up some of the punctuation – and spelling. So I’ve paused the recording and I’m typing away.
This is so reminiscent of what Adam does on his Source Code podcasts. You’ll hear his phone ring. He’ll tell the audience to wait a few minutes. Then in one second, he is back to talking. Obviously, Adam has stopped recording, had an hour-long coversation with someone else (or spent an intimate moment with his wife) and then he’s picked up where he left off. So broadcasts can be shifted in time at both ends. Both in production and in replay. Now this is the real value of podcasting.
But audio misses one important element: video. We don’t get to see what’s going on. Usually, that’s not very important to me. I’m legally blind (not totally blind). So whenever I go to conferences, I listen rather than watch. So I have attended Gnomedex in the same way that I would attend any other conference; I’ve heard everything I would normally hear.
But I have missed one key thing: Scoble is dancing to the mashup. Now that’s gotta be a vision. Umm, maybe it’s better that I didn’t see this! 😉
-CyclingRoo-

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So Adam, Will You Use BitTorrent?

Lorin Olsen

“Podcasting is the salvation of BitTorrent.”
What a great thing to hear from the “Gilmor Gang” panel discussion at Gnomedex 2005. Dave Winer challenged Adam Curry to use BitTorrent to solve his bnadwidth issues. Adam responded that he does not want to become the “poster child” for a technology that is viewed as bad or illegal. While I understand Adam’s concerns, I love the challenge he received from the rest of the panel. Dave Winer reminded Adam that his use was completely legal and non-infringing. Consequently, he asked Adam to accept the same challenge that Adam made to Steve Jobs.
So who wants to bet on whether Adam will use BitTorrent as a distribution option for The Daily Source Code?
-CyclingRoo-

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Microsoft Extends RSS Under Creative Commons

Lorin Olsen

Wow! I’m listening to Chris Pirillo’s audio stream from Gnomedex. I am hearing some really great stuff. Microsoft’s Dean Hachamovitch showed IE 7. And he also discussed Microsoft overall engagement in RSS. As of 12:00 PST, Microsoft will be posting (on their website) a number of proposed extensions to the RSS specification. And Microsoft is releasing these “extensions” under a Creative Commons Attribution license. This is fabulous! Of course, we need to start seeing Microsoft products with RSS enablement. And we will need to see who endorses and adopts Microsoft’s extensions. But by releasing these extensions under a Creative Commons Attribution License, Microsoft has taken a huge first step in “inviting” everyone else to participate.
During Q&A, it was clear that some audience participants were not terribly happy with Microsoft. But I think much of their concern is historical rather than real. One of the audience members asked which “community process” would be used to enhance and extend these RSS extensions. Scoble jumped in and offered a Channel 9 wiki as the means to start the dialog. What impresses me with this is the fact that Microsoft was discussing and working _with_ the audience in real-time.
Gosh, this whole “community thing” might actually work. Let’s all drop the “Borg” talk and move on. If our industry can allow IBM to become a principal open source provider, then we can certainly allow Microsoft the opportunity to join in community processes to extend RSS. Let’s think of the industry as a neighborhood. Just because the folks on the corner didn’t participate in last year’s BBQ doesn’t mean we shouldn’t invite them to the party this year.. After all, Microsoft will be able to bring a lot of good stuff to this year’s event. 😉
I’m psyched. This just confirms some of the wonderful things that I heard at the Technology Summit back in the spring.
-CyclingRoo-

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The Microsoft Imprimatur

Lorin Olsen

As we have all been suspecting, Microsoft is going to unleash a whole lot of things at Gnomedex. Yesterday, Microsoft released a new beta of its AntiSpyware software. I’ve installed it on all of my Windows systems. And it seems to be working great. But more software and more news will be upon us shortly. Robert has hinted that an “across-the-board” sweep of RSS and tagging functionality will be announced today.
I, for one, can’t wait. Many of you will quibble with Microsoft on matters of technical merit. And those quibbles might becomes anguished wails when it comes to Microsoft’s aggressiveness (usually at the expense of others). But few would argue with one simple fact: when Microosft gets on board with a particular technology, then that technology has received the virtual papal imprimatur. Up until now, Microsoft has been tacitly involved in both RSS and tagging. Microsoft has sat by while Apple has stormed many beaches (or will shortly with iTunes 4.9). With today’s announcments from Microsoft, I expect a whole lote of “cool tech” will become part of the mainstream.
Of course, much of my speculation is dependent upon the means by which these features will be distributed. If Microsoft offers RSS and tagging features as purchasable upgrades to exisitng products, then it will take the next PC purchase cycle (i.e., the next couple of years) to make these features ubiquitous. But if these features are integrated into existing versions (via service packs???) and available via Windows Update, then these capabilities will become ubiquitous in a very short time.
So the gauntlet is now thrown down. Which big company can bring cool new features to the forefront faster. WIll Microsoft bring RSS and tagging to the masses first or will Apple bring podcasting to the masses first. This should be an interesting lesson in channel management.
-CyclingRoo-

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New Technorati Look

Lorin Olsen

It’s official. The public beta of the new Technorati is now over; Technorati has been updated with a totally new look and feel. In his announcement, David Sifry notes that this “… has been primarily a user interface refresh and facelift.”
And what’s my opinion on the changes? Well, I like the facelift. The front page seems more inviting – especially with the goofy superhero motif. 😉 Of course, I’ll have to play with some of the new functionality to really make an informed assessment. But it does look like searching other tag-centric services (like Flikr, furl, and del.icio.us) has been improved.
And Technorati now supports watchlists. This is not a new thing for me as I get some of this functionality from my RSS reader (Sage). In addition to the functionality from Sage, I am really loving 24eyes. The 24eyes dashboard gives me a great “heads-up” view of the daily news. And it’s a hosted web site that I can access anywhere on any browser on any platform. So the new Technorati watchlist functionality is not immediately needed by this user. But for those who don’t have an RSS reader, the Technorati functionality should meet most of your needs.
-CyclingRoo-

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Pass the Musical Baton

Lorin Olsen

I got a great reply from Kari concerning my recent “Music that Matters” post. And it seems that Kari and her friends have been playing a game called “Pass the (Musical) Baton.” Each person who “has the baton” must post answers to some basic musical questions. And then they must “pass the baton” to someone else
Well, I haven’t gotten the baton, yet. But I will post my answers, nonetheless.
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Amount of music on your computer?
2,454 songs, 6:16:28:38 total time, 9.09GB (as reported by iTunes)
Currently listening to?
Grown Backwards, David Byrne: This is an excellent (if offbeat) album. It carries a lot of the traditional eclectic feel of the Talking Heads. But it is a much more mature album with a much more adult and introverted feel.
The Eleventh Hour, Jars of Clay: I can’t hear enough of this album. I have loved Jars of Clay since their original, self-titled album. And in many ways, they’ve never paralleled the original work. “Flood” is still one of my favorite songs of all times. This album is a wonderfully sonic and literary album. Every song speaks to a part of this middle-aged man.
Blue Belly Sky, The Waiting: This was one of The Waiting’s very first albums. It was re-released in the late nineties to much fanfare. I particularly love “Staring at a Bird.”
I listen to all sorts of other songs, every day. And in addition to these albums/artists, I swap in the occasional podcast. My current (and favorite) podcasts include: I.C.M. Raw, Rachel’s Choice, Lifespring, Evil Genius Chronicles and Earthcore (a podcast novel).
Five songs that mean a lot to you?
The Waiting – Too Many Miles: This song speaks to every “tired” Christian who has no energy left to avoid the Almighty God. Instead of running from God’s presence, the song urges the listener to do anything in order to stay with Him.
Keith Green – Love Broke Through: This song was released shortly after I became a Christian. Throughout my college years, this song reminded me of what God did for me and just how wonderful He is. I cannot listen to this song without returning into His presence. Keith Green wrote songs that were difficult to listen to. While they were wonderful musically, they always challenged you to be more “real” in your walk with Christ (and through the world). Keith’s words have always been able to stir my spirit to greater devotion – and earnest repentance.
Five Iron Frenzy – Dandelions: This is a tear-jerker for me. It speaks to how I see myself. I am a child with nothing of value to offer to my God. Yet He looks at my paltry offerings and He is thrilled with them. And this song is a constant reminder of how I should receive the offerings that my four children lay at my feet. I pray that I can show how truly thrilled I am with everything they give to me.
PfR – Pray for Rain: My spirit rises whenever I hear the opening guitar-work of this song. I need God to pour out His rain onto my arid soul!
Jars of Clay – The Eleventh Hour: It’s never too late to turn (or return) to God. This song heralds our willingness to allow God to fundamentally transform us – before it’s too late!
Top five albums?
For Him Who Has Ears to Hear, Keith Green: This was one of the first Keith Green albums I ever bought. After wasting a year at college, this album provoked me to seek Christ’s purpose for my life. Dear God, please let me turn to you every time I hear Keith’s simple message.
The Eleventh Hour, Jars of Clay: This album is so rich with praise and thoughtful reflection. It is sonically superior to any “commercial” album you have ever heard. And the vocals are provacative in every way. I become lost in rapture every time I listen to this album.
The Waiting, The Waiting: This album contains song after song of unbridled joy. God’s love is “Never Dim.” And we can raise our “Hands in the Air” as we accept God’s judgement and His mercy. I love this band. And while I may like some of the songs from their other albums a little more, I feel that this is one of the best rock/praise albums I have ever heard.
Caedmon’s Call, Caedmon’s Call: This is one of the most amazing acoustic albums of all time. Every song is delivered crisply and candidly by this Austin-based band. They proclaim God’s simple message with tight harmonies and even tighter guitar-work. While I generally prefer heavy bass and driving percussion, this album delivers a message that reaches my spirit.
The Late Great PfR, PfR: I really wanted to avoid a “Best of” collection. But I couldn’t select just one album from PfrR. I just wish that Joel could add some of the tracks from his latest album. Fortunately, I can build my own mix with “Amsterdam” included.
Last album bought?
X&Y, Coldplay: OK. I’m one of the suckers that bought this album. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a good album. But it sounds so much like Parachutes and Rush of Blood. There is nothing new to provoke the soul. It deserves a few more listens before I give a definitive review. But right now, it’s not getting a lot of “rotations” on my playlist.
Recent discoveries?
I’ve been out of the pop music scene for a while. So I missed David Byrne’s “world music” albums. I’m enjoying these very much. After a college-life filled with the Talking Heads, it’s great to hear David is still making experimental (and good) music.
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And I pass the baton to Rick.
-CyclingRoo-

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Music that Matters – To Me

Lorin Olsen

Rick has dropped the gauntlet once again. He went to Starbucks and bought one of their feature albums. In this case, it was a “favorite picks” compilation from Elvis Costello. So Rick has asked us to put together a single “favorite picks” CD album of for ourselves. That shouldn’t have been such a hard thing. After all, I did it for him once before.
But this time was different. First, the list had to be shorter. It had to fit on one CD. Second, the songs are not supposed to be historically or culturally important. Instead, I focused upon music that was meaningful to me. Sounds easy. I could just take my previous list and voila, right? Wrong. My previous list was a rapid stroll through pop music history. This was a walk through Lorin’s life. And I’m pretty complex. I can think of dozens of songs that have touched me – each and every year.
So I closed my eyes and thought about songs that would either define me or define how I felt at a particular point in time. Well, my first cut had over fifty songs. And each meant something. Knowing this was too large, I took out my mental scissors. As I cut, I asked myself whether the ommission of this song from my life would have left me a poorer soul. Yeah, I know that such a question is too subjective. But it got me to about twenty songs.
From there, it was a matter of tossing coins and re-listening to all of the songs. I reached seventeen songs. And these songs would fit on one audio CD. So I have burned the disk and printed labels. Here is the list:
1. Snoopy vs. the Red Baron / The Royal Guardsmen
2. Hotel California / The Eagles
3. Dust in the Wind / Kansas
4. Your Love Broke Though / Keith Green
5. The Power of Love / Huey Lewis & the News
6. Joy in the Journey / Michael Card
7. Faith Makes / Glad
8. Lead of Love / Caedmon’s Call
9. Dandelions / Five Iron Frenzy
10 Pray for Rain / PFR
11. Deeper / Delirious?
12. Too Many Miles / The Waiting
13. Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of / U2
14. Anything but Ordinary / Avril Lavigne
15. The Eleventh Hour / Jars of Clay
16. I Can Only Imagine / MercyMe
17. I Am / Nichole Nordeman
You may not recognize some of these artists. But they each touched me somewhere deep inside my spirit. Some remind me of a particular time (like “Snoopy vs. the Red Baron”). Others re-ignite my spirit to look beyond myself and my circumstances. Each of these songs merits paragraphs of explanation. Someday, I may take the time to record those paragraphs. But for now, I am content to hand the disk to Rick. And I am content to spend Father’s Day thinking about how my heavenly Father has blessed me beyond my comprehension – and my own merit!
Happy Father’s Day to all. Dad, I love you!
-CyclingRoo-

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