Music and Protocols
I thought I would balance out this week with one long feature article and two songs. These songs were stuck in my head for a while and I thought that writing them down would get them out. I found this week’s read to be enlightening and a good background on the internet and the potential of blockchain technology.
What I’ve Read:
Beyond the Bitcoin Bubble | NYTimes Magazine
At first brush, this long feature seems to recap the recent rise of bitcoin and its alternate counterparts. Dive a little deeper and you’ll get a history lesson on the internet. The story explores the open protocols used in email and web browsing, as well as the private services that are built on top of those protocols, such as Facebook and Twitter. It’s fascinating to imagine what the internet would have been if there were open protocols for identity. I guess we’ll find out if blockchain technology goes mainstream beyond just another means for people to speculate on the market.
What I’ve Heard:
Repercussions | Bea Miller
When I first heard her name, I thought Bea was a folksy indie female singer in her 30’s, kind of like a less famous Zoey Deschanel. Upon further research, I learned that she is an 18 year old singer that got her break from The Voice. I also discovered that I already heard a few of her songs through my Spotify playlists. My current favorite song of hers is Repercussions. Something about the way she sings the line, “I don’t care about… the repercussions” makes me want to sing along with her.
Dead | Madison Beer
I thought the premise for this song was especially clever when I first heard it. The song does a 180 on the traditional romantic cliche of not being able to live without your significant other. I might have actually chuckled to myself during the lines, “You say you can’t live without me / So why aren’t you dead yet?/ Why you still breathing?”