Blog Kelindas Facebook?

Teman saya si Gentole mengeluh; "Fesbuk itu nge-distract. Temen-temen blogger gw jadi jarang posting."

Maksudnya dia ya nyindir saya juga. Dan saya juga tiba-tiba nyadar, blog ini semakin sepi. Sama seperti Gentole, blognya juga semakin sepi (dengan level berbeda tentunya, dia sih dari 100 komen per hari jadi 20 per hari, dasar orang terkenal hehehe piss Gen). Tapi apa benar gara-gara fesbuk? Blognya dia, misalnya, baru saja pindah ke segmen yang lebih serius, yang mungkin mengagetkan pembacanya. Sedangkan saya, mungkin karena tulisan yang jelek dan semangat posting sebatas hangat-hangat tahi ayam; maksudnya, frekuensi tidak jelas dan jarang pula.

Tapi memang teman-teman blogger saya juga pada menghilang. One by one. Mungkin benar kata Gentole; "di fesbuk, status aja dikomen...", dan teman saya yang lain, Yosie, juga bilang; "posting kok di blog, di notes dong, biar seru". Himawan sempat berinovasi dengan mempublikasikan blognya di fesbuk, dan mengeset notesnya untuk selalu mem-publish posting baru di blog. Tapi beberapa hari yang lalu saya lihat statusnya di fesbuk tentang niat istirahat ngeblog. Mungkin karena kesibukan atau apa, cuma Tuhan dan dia yang tahu. Seperti saya, dia juga bukan heavy fesbuker, jadi saya gak percaya dia beralih ke fesbuk. Tapi kok pengumumannya di fesbuk, bukan di blog? Ada lagi si Mona. Kadang posting di blog. Kadang di notes. Saya nggak tahu sampai sekarang kategorinya apa; what makes a post deserve to be in notes or blog. Mungkin Mona mau tampil seimbang dan gak pilih kasih hehehe

Gara-gara celetukan Gentole itu, saya jadi nyadar, ternyata di situ toh sisi "kapitalis"-nya fesbuk. Baru-baru ini saya baca kalau fesbuk, twitter, dan sejenisnya, adalah salah satu bentuk sosialisme dan komunisme baru. Semua orang ngelakuin hal-hal komunal; ngebentuk kaukus di fesbuk, ngumpulin massa di twitter, protes lewat fesbuk, sampai nyatuin informasi dengan wiki. Bentuk sosialisme baru ini bukan hanya karena fesbuk dan twitter, tapi karena internet, produk si kapitalisme sendiri. Fesbuk udah sukses membantu menggalang dukungan pembebasan Ibu Prita. Tapi, di sisi kapitalisnya, fesbuk seperti supermarket serba ada yang mematikan usaha warung-warung sekitar. Chat, foto, share status, notes, kaukus, fan page, dll, yang tadinya disediakan oleh masing-masing "warung" website berbeda, sekarang ada di fesbuk.

Jadi bagaimana website-website itu mau survive? Dari warung-warung yang saya lihat, belum ada yang bisa survive kalau ada supermarket atau mart di sekitarnya. Biasanya pada ganti ke bisnis lain; laundry atau tempat makan. Di sini analogi warung gak bisa dipakai lagi buat blog, jadi saya juga gak tau solusinya. Cuma saya masih kepikiran, jangan-jangan perubahan yang dibawa internet bukan menuju kultur "we are all writers" seperti prediksinya Milan Kundera, yang dijadiin header blognya Gentole, tapi justru ke tradisi "we are all status updaters, or tweeters"?

Why Indie

Some friends asked me what indie music is. Maybe because I mentioned it once when I found out that they listen to Glenn Fredly and Bryan Mcknight. A friend confused of what “indie” is; it’s not a genre, it’s just a kind of paradigm, when the musicians choose not to sell their creation to major label with their huge capital, but prefer instead a less-known record company with less money and whatever modest promotion it does to introduce the album to public. So he can’t distinguish the sound of indie from mainstream music. The other friend thought that indie music means a band that plays indigestible songs with their leather jacket and untidy hair. *sigh

Anyway, it occurred to me that I don’t even know what “indie” exactly means as well. Why do I listen to indie music? To be different? To be cool?

But I can recall why I listen to indie in the first place; because I’m not satisfied with mainstream music from major labels. Not because I’m such an idealist that I refuse to contribute to more profit for those corporations. I like mainstream too. Only most of the music stay for a short time in my head. I used to listen to radio and MTV much that I know all the newest songs. But that new songs, particularly hits, will be played over and over again, not only in the media, but also at malls and restaurants and cafes. Even if they’re not, I will play them again and again and again. And I’ll get bored on day three.

The problem is, not all majors are boring and not all indies are long-lasting. I’ll try to explain with the best logic I can. Major labels look for profits. Profits are greater when sales are higher and tours are bigger. Therefore, the music is designed to meet the taste of greater number of people. It doesn’t mean that most people have cheesier taste (if there is ever cheesy and sophisticated taste category in music). But greater number of people means wider range of different tastes; from simple three-tone-two-refrain song to a complicated synthesized orchestra. So majors need to reach the wider range possible; the best choice is the average, the median; who will favor not too simple yet not too complicated music. Is that correct?

I know I’m not capable enough to lecture about music. Excuse my shallow interpretation, for both mainstream and indie have various genres for everyone's taste. But that’s what mainstream music is for me. Easy to like but easy to forget. So when I listen to not-so-familiar rhyme or style of music, I try to be patient enough to wait to like it. Once I like it, it would stay longer in my head; a month if I’m lucky, but a week is already a record.

Maybe it’s sad that once again arts is valued based on numbers - the length of time it stays in my top list; just as income and property used as a variable to count happiness in capitalist America, which we always criticize in class. Indie and major, they’re no different in my case; both are valued by numbers.

I look for an excuse and stop at the most comforting one, the one from a friend who asked what indie is; listen to music that sounds good to you, brings the most enjoyable arts to you. I can’t make them believe that indie music is better. But indie music teach me one thing; there are loads of good music out there, they are not delivered to your living room through TV commercial, to your bedroom through the radio programme. They’re out there waiting to be discovered; from a friend, an acquaintance’s gig, an opening band in a big concert. Just as you can’t wait passively for the best things to happen to your life. You go for it, not wait for it.

Karaoke Time and Getting Old

What's so special about karaokeing? To sing a song? Definitely. To ease stress? Might be.Socialization? Yeah it works. So karaoke is best for every one who likes to sing, needs entertainment, and looks for some fun.

I'd be in the socialization category. I go karaoke to enjoy my time with friends whom I consider close enough to let them hear my "beautiful" voice and tease me after that.

And of course, since it's a socialization process, I prefer every one else singing along with me through the song. And I will also sing with anyone holding the microphone when I happen to know the song. The more people sing the song, the more credits I give to the song in terms of "socializing tracks". Anyone who sings a less known song is expected to skip to the next song soon because no one enjoy listening to an unfamiliar song sang not by the original singer.

So for me, karaokeing would be the moment I switch my taste to mainstream music (this is music snob speaking). No Interpol, no Bruce Springsteen (he's not famous in Indonesia), no Jens Lekman, no Wilco, even no Beatles, because none of the people I went karaoke with ever sing Beatles. The only acceptable songs are popular dangdut (I mean like Bang Toyyib or SMS or Jablai, which every one knows), boybands, and some decent pop like Jason Mraz or James Morrison.

That's what I thought. But when I went karaoke about two weeks ago, I realize that not all my theories are true. Yes I had to switch to mainstream (I just found out the newest American Idol is David Cook; the last American Idol I saw was won by Jordin Sparks, and I just realized how beautiful Rihanna is, although I never like her hairstyle), and surely anyone who sings a "snobby" song is forced to change it soon after the second refrain. What amazed me is the songs I considered mainstream apparently are not mainstream at all; most my karaoke mates sang less boyband, dangdut, and James Morrison. The most songs sang are Rihanna's, of which I know is Umbrella only.

I think I'm getting old. No, maybe that's because I went karaoke with friends who are younger than me. Well only one and three years younger. But I don't know most songs they sang; the ones by David Cook, Rihanna, Bow Wow (no longer "Lil", where have I been?). No, it's not me getting old. I'm just getting more snob and watch (M)TV less. What happen to me and MTV? I used to watch it after school and enjoy every program. I knew every new song. Well, maybe I am getting old, as old people like my parents, my older sister and brothers no longer keep up with new artists, albums, and genres. They stick to the music from their era. However, I don't. I also listen to music from decades ago because there are loads of great music back then.

Anyway

Some people don't think snobbism during karaoke a big issue, particularly the ones in the different cateogry. Two of my classmates, both are older than me, said that they hate people singing along with them during karaokeing. "It's my song," one of them told me. "The song is my choice and I don't want other people sing it too." I think these two fall into the karaoke maniacs category. My suspicion was confirmed when one of them told me that he has karaoke at home and his mom stay up until midnight just for karaokeing. Ok, it's in the family.

Or are they just some geezers like me?

I don't mind getting old. And I realize I'm the only one responsible for myself becoming a music snob. All I need to do is changing my karaoke-for-socialization theory. Or should I consider shifting to karaoke maniacs category? I'm a snob, why should I compromise with others' taste? The answer, as usual, is to be pragmatic; depends on the situation, right? :)

Dunia Tanpa Kabel

Pernah membayangkan? Gak perlu lagi ngatur posisi komputer, televisi, radio, kulkas, dsb agar cukup jaraknya ke stop kontak. Gak perlu bawa-bawa charger (ponsel, laptop, kamera, PDA) kalau mau traveling. Gak perlu perlu kuatir kalo kabel-kabel itu suatu hari bakal rusak dan harus beli baru lagi.

Mungkin gak si? Saya sih gak tau tentang teknologi, apalagi jaman sekolah nilai fisika saya di bawah rata-rata. Tapi melihat perkembangan teknologi sekarang, apa sih yang gak bisa. Lagian, anggap aja ini request pelanggan untuk produsen peralatan listrik dan gadget.

Situasi saat ini; kabel tampak bertumpuk di sekitar colokan listrik. Kalau gak rajin dibersihkan, kabel-kabel ini jadi tempat ngumpulnya debu. Emang sih, di kantor (dan katanya di rumah-rumah di negara maju dan yang desainnya rapih... well, gak tau ya, saya gak pernah tinggal di luar negeri atau di rumah yang didisain arsitek), kabel listrik disembunyikan di lantai atau dinding. Tapi kalo kabelnya sudah fixed, jadi gak bisa menata ulang ruangan dengan gampang, yang cukup sering saya lakukan.

Jadi bagusnya, antara tv dan colokan gak perlu ada kabel bukan :)

Lain lagi charger. Sekarang kalau mau traveling, charger-charger kunyuk itu tidak kalah penting dari celana dalam dan sikat gigi. Saya bahkan punya tas khusus buat para charger, berhubung harus bawa charger laptop yang cukup besar (ok there's this small thing called netbooks now, but what's the size of the charger? same as ever!).

Kalau travelingnya cuma sehari dua sih gak masalah (itupun kalo gadget-nya lagi full-bat dan pemakaian normal), kalau lebih? Ada gak sih, hape atau charger yang gak butuh kabel atau listrik? Jadi tinggal dijemur (seperti baterai?) atau ditiup-tiup seperti balon. Atau dikasih makan? Err..whatever >=[

Soal kabel rusak. Foto di samping adalah earphone ke-6 yang saya pakai sejak punya MP3 player tahun 2006. Dan yang ini juga rusak! !@#$%^ Dua kabel kecil itu harusnya menempel pada dua bulatan kecil di lempeng penutup itu (excuse my not-so-technical language). Tadinya yang copot cuma satu kabel, tapi dalam usaha saya masangin kembali si kabel yang copot ke tempatnya, kabel satunya juga copot! Jadi gak napsu lagi ngebenerin.

Akhirnya saya meng-google wireless earphone. Hasilnya, sejauh ini baru sennheiser yang memproduksi wireless earphone, dengan harga...ehm...hampir 6 juta (second!). Ada sih, wireless earphone yang lebih murah, buatan Cina, yang pake teknologi bluetooth atau infra red, tapi curiga kualitasnya kurang, coz teknologi yang dua ini kan buat transfer data, bukan musik.

Lagipula, kok agak susah ya nyari wireless earphone yang gak membuat saya kayak makhluk luar angkasa :(

Ada saran?

Prisoners' Dilemma of Pemilu

Hint: si itu adalah orang yang gw gak pengen dia terpilih



Note:

1. Hint bisa disesuaikan dengan tujuan Anda ikut pemilu. Anda memilih agar seseorang bisa terpilih atau agar seseorang tidak terpilih? (jadi makna pemilu sebenarnya apa sih???)
2. Setelah mengetahui tujuan Anda ikut pemilu, Anda tinggal mengganti si itu: orang yang Anda ingin ia terpilih atau tidak terpilih?
3. Tentukan pilihan Anda sesuai tujuan. Lalu Anda dapat menyesuaikan isi tabel di atas.
4. Kesimpulannya: ikut pemilu gak nih?? Gak usah pusing mikirin hasil. Hasilnya ya ditanggung sendirilah. Jangan percaya sama teori saya. Wong saya udah lama gak belajar matematika…eh ini rumus matematika atau teori politik atau psikologi sih???