Hey Mac people, if you love yourself some Twitter, you’ve got to try out the free Nambu client application. It’s hot. This app requires the most recent update to Leopard (10.5.8). If you have that, read on. If you follow any Lists, this app becomes super handy.

1. First, download the app from their homepage: nambu.com.

2. Install it & set up your Twitter account.

The app should look something like this after installation. (Bling!)

3. Next, toggle the view style in the top left corner of the window. I prefer the view below.

Alternate view (Nambu for Mac)

4. If you subscribe or follow any lists, click Lists in the left menu. Above the tweets you’ll see a handy dropdown menu to follow a particular list

You can follow Lists quite handily in the Nambu app for Mac.

The app’s most unique offering is its mute feature. Right click any person to put them on mute. You can also mute specific hashtags like #worldcup or #USA, if for some reason you’re not into sports.

The people who run the Internet recently identified two differences* between texting and Tweeting.

Reason #1: Tweetin’ & drivin’ is legit. Yo.

It will soon be illegal to text while driving in Kansas. It won’t be – as my friend Noah points out – illegal to take a shot of the sunset and share it over TwitPic with yo’ Tweeps. While driving.

No matter how much more involved Tweetin’ and drivin’ might be, apparently Kansas lawmakers think it’s important to ban only one medium from drivers, in lieu of imposing a greater law against distracted driving. Kansas will become the 28th state to carry a ban on texting for drivers. Since I live in Kansas City, it’s only fair to mention that within the last year Missouri instituted a law to illegalize texting for drivers 21-and-under.

Reason #2: Twitter isn’t the new e-mail thread.

If you’re Tweeting back-and-forth between a friend or perhaps a dorm-room-full of your old college buddies, please start an email thread, a Google Wave or (really) anything less public. It’s safe to assume that your followers don’t carry that same unfiltered love for the North Dakota women’s lacrosse team** that you and your college buds apparently do.

Twitter may seem appropriate for all sorts of conversations to those who’ve signed up for an account in looking for the new Facebook, but it shouldn’t replace some of the more functional qualities of a good text message. Or – dare I say – phone call.

Twitter is what you make it.

I’ve found it hard to write this post, actually. Twitter is an open medium. Each update, for the user, is really what she makes of its 140 characters. I suppose an unfollow – be it potentially offensive – is an option for someone like myself who prefers not to filter through back-and-forth banter. I’d be interested to hear what readers have think about these sorts of Twitter threads.

______

* Not for real. J/k. J/k.
** It is always appropriate to carry on long Twitter conversations about Taylor Swift.

“Young Giant” from Queens Club

“Young Giant” from Queens Club
fresh stuff / released on March 23.
Tooth&Nail Records

Electronica rock pop awesome. Go buy it on iTunes & support Kansas City music! If you are familiar with MGMT, Passion Pit or Arcade Fire, I would classify Queens Club in the same genre.