Hi there, Tumblr…kinda forgotten about you…no worries! I’ll be back =)

There are quite a few things that have fascinated me lately. One of those “things” is twitter. Specifically, I’m talking about the effect this particular social network has had on many of my friends and “followers”.

twitter –verb (used without object)

1. to utter a succession of small, tremulous sounds, as a bird. 
2. to talk lightly and rapidly, esp. of trivial matters; chatter. 
3. to titter; giggle.  
4. to tremble with excitement or the like; be in a flutter.

Does that definition strike you as funny or interesting or telling? Maybe. Maybe not. However, I have found that lately, it has become an obsession and somewhat of a “Long Con”. Referencing of course one of the best TV shows, “LOST”, I think that twitter has become exactly that, a long con.

“What Ryan?!? You LOVE twitter!” you say. Yes, I do! However, as with anything in this life, especially social networks and technology, we have to take it with a grain of salt. One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone says something like, “Twitter? It’s pointless; it’s just like Facebook!” Here’s where you are wrong, oh denier of change! (That was pointed, I’m sorry!)

Let’s look at the facts. On Facebook you are able to connect with a LOT of people (over 500 million active users). By that statistic alone, you can “friend” practically anyone you can think of. To date, twitter only has 175 million registered (no stats on active users). That’s 500 million versus 175 million. That’s a big ratio when speaking in millions. On Facebook, you get a mutual “follow back” when you accept or have an accepted “friend request”. On Twitter, however, it’s not an automatic, immediate “follow back”. The other person has to take the initiative to follow you back.

All this to say that we have been conned to expect immediate responses in this immediate-response culture we find ourselves. Facebook has therefore caused us to expect things instantly. In a social network where we are talking “lightly and rapidly, esp. of trivial matters”, we can’t expect the same level of sophistication as we get from a totally intertwined social network, like Facebook.

Therefore, the con has come into play with Twitter. Once you realize that Twitter is no longer a place of self-edification and rather a place to give your “titters and giggles”, you’ll find yourself enjoying this social network a lot more.

Please, take with a grain of salt. :)

This could be really cool! Take a look toward the northern horizon around 8pm…until about 2am… Enjoy!

Looking at my 2010 Tweet Cloud (20 of the most used words in 2010), I begin to wonder what it all means. A lot of things can be said about one’s “cloud”. Similar to Google’s most recent English Genome Project, the words used most often can define trends in someone’s life. I want to point out a few, and see what my Twitter has revealed about me in 2010 and what I should strive for in 2011.

So, my top 10 tweeted words in 2010:

10. Wedding - I’m not surprised that “wedding” made my top 20 words tweeted in 2010. I attended 14 weddings this year. 14! I enjoyed them all (but not the price tag :D) and have learned so much from each of them. But that’s a different blog for a different time!

9. Family - Family is very, very important to me. I absolutely love my family. Was I ready to move out? Yes. Do I love being on my own? Yes. But there is something SO wonderful about family; even with our differences and quirkiness(es), I still return to Spartanburg for church and Sunday lunch at Nana’s, EVERY Sunday I can. I can’t resist my family!

8. Lunch (and Dinner) - I love food. :) I’m a fan of enjoying a good meal, so I’m not surprised that these two words are in the top 20 tweeted this year. Heck, I even had a BBQ blog for awhile. Enough said about that.

7. Thanks - You can never underestimate the power of thankfulness! One of the most difficult things I struggle with is humility and humbleness (Micah 6:8). Once we humble ourselves and realize that we’re nothing, then we’re forced to be thankful for the very life that we have been given.

6. Watching - I’m a Television fanatic. I watch TV, I blog about TV, I talk about TV (thanks to all my friends who had to listen willingly and unwillingly!) With this year being the finales of two of arguably the best series (Lost and 24) of the decade, no wonder “watching” was in my top 20 tweets.

5. Awesome - I love life, and I look for the best in every situation! Life is awesome, whether or not it seems to be the “by the book” definition of awesome. I embrace life and everything given to me, it’s a part of my personality type (ESFP)!

4. Time - Does it slip away, ever? We all have so much of it, right? Of course I jest, but we all do wish for more of it; whether it’s for the moment in which we’re living, to complete tasks or projects or homework, or simply to enjoy life as it’s given, we want more of it. I’ll try to not let time slip away as much.

3. Happy - Henry Albright said “A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.” Not that happiness and positivity are one in the same, but I believe they are directly related. As one increases, so does the other. Accuracy and attitude, as my boss always points out, will lead to success in anything attempted.

2. Morning -  We’re given an incredible opportunity every single day, and we so often look past it! The morning marks the beginning of a brand new opportunity, a brand new chance, and a brand new day. I’ve always preferred sunrises over sunsets; I guess it reminds me of God’s redeeming love in giving us all a new chance! 2 Corinthians 5:17

1. Love - My most favorite of all my tweet words is “love”! Whether it’s tweeting with a good friend of mine about how much we love love (it’s love that we love), or simply stating my affection for life, love is so important. God is love, and if love is 1 Cor. 13, then God is all those things. Finally, if we are created in His image, then we should strive to be all those things as well. I love love.

Life As We Know It

This new film has just won “Top 5” in the category of “Chick-Flicks” in my book. And that says a lot, considering the company it keeps. My Top 5 chick-flicks, in no particular order, include the likings of The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, You’ve Got Mail, The Holiday, and now, Life As We Know It.

But what sets apart this film from the plethora of chick-flicks out there? Its ability, just like the titles listed above, to really capture the audience, making them believe that this absolutely unbelievable situation, believable. I laughed, I cried, I was angered, and I was happy. The emotional roller coaster that is Life As We Know It is what sold it for me.

If you haven’t seen it, it is absolutely worth the $9-$10 to check it out (even cheaper during the matinee).

I would love to know your thoughts, as well!

Thanks for reading/watching/listening!

- T. Ryan

Check out this link. As a professional in higher education, I would love to hear your thoughts/responses to this article found in the Chronicle of Higher Education. Thanks to Forrest Stuart for the website!

That’s right! I am a television fanatic. One of my absolute favorite comedies, which won 3 Emmy Awards this past year, starts back tonight! Are you a fan of Modern Family??

I think that I was riding in my dad’s red pick-up truck, standing in the front seat!

Like most tumblrs out there, I’m going to give this a shot. Sometimes my tweets are way too long to post, and I never have enough to post that warrants a long blog post. So here goes a shot at tumblr. Follow me, read me, comment me, whatever it is you do on tumblr.