Taking it up to another level

It's interesting to realize how much I've learned about life and things for the past five years. Just when you think you get a good grasp of something, something else is coming your way which forces you to repel your own confidence and gasp to find out that you actually know nothing. There are layers of sky to be found beyond what is seemingly the highest sky to reach. Ah, we humans are indeed ignorant beings...

While it is good to admit our limitation, it is better and much challenging to break that limitation. Didn't we as toddlers never fear of falling when we learn to walk? What would happen if we gave up trying? I for example might not have written this posting if I refused to keep on learning to walk.

This kind of confidence is what I'm trying to gather. To tell you the truth, I have long aspired to become a writer. I want to write articles on subjects (I think) I know well or familiar with. But too often I chicken out whenever I read someone else's writings. I keep thinking "Oh my God, I don't have as much as knowledge on this area as this guy does; What do I have to offer to the readers then?" This kind of thought combined with my habits of postponing doing things does not do any good to realizing my dream.

And as always, I actually know the cure to my problem: JUST DO IT! NOW!!!
But fighting laziness - the mother of all evil - is what's more important, really. It sure is the biggest fight for anyone, as Rasulullah PBUH once said. And the timing couldn't be more perfect: Ramadan, the high time for all confessing to be faithful to Allah to fight their nafs.

Who'll be the winner? We'll see. Happy Ramadan, everyone!

Major brand faces business threat from local biz

Source: Unknown

A 101-on-Benchmarking case study

Toll blessing

Senangnya pagi ini jalanan cukup 'sepi'. Thanks to the new toll tariff, perhaps?

Blackle = Google ; Google ≠ Blackle

I know about Blackle <www.blackle.com> for the first time from someone's posting on a mailing list. It's the black version of Google. I'm not being a racist here, but that explains the searching engine quite literally. It is said that Blackle saves energy because the screen is predominantly black. There's even a theory saying that this Black Google would save 750 Megawatt-hours a year.

I (almost) always go for this kind of energy-saving action thing, but personally I don't think this one would work for me. Not with my desk facing the window and the sun glares to my face, making me twitch everytime I have to see the pitch dark Google in front of me. So, I can only wish the best to Blackle and any of you who go for it.

A letter to J.K. Rowling

Dear Ms. Rowling,

I've just finished reading your infamous latest novel, Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows.
I know, thousands of people have been through with your novel for ages and they may have winced at me the moment they read my statement, but alas, buying a book in my country is a luxury to many (including me). I must wait for some time before I could lay my hands on your book and believe me, it's worth the waiting.

My praise goes to the part when Harry was bitten by Nagini and he and Hermione almost got caught by Voldemort. How the elder wand turned out to belong to Harry, you pulled it neatly in your novel. I even shed my tears when the image of people dear to Harry showed up as he drew the Stone.

Now that I've done with the book, I am entering my post-Potter depression* like so many people out there. I pray that you shall be enlightened to make another Harry Potter's adventure so that this burden, this misery, this pain, can be lifted from us all.

Sincerely yours,

Your fan in misery


*The empty feeling that comes from finishing the seventh book in the Harry Potter series and realizing there will be no more.

Bule-bule Pada Lieur

Hotels and bars on Indonesia's resort island of Bali have been hit by an alcohol shortage due to an import problem, officials said Monday. The tourism industry is worried that the shortages could impact the number of foreign visitors, said Djinaldi Gosana, executive director of the Bali Hotel Association.

We draw out the spirits and there goes the Bules in the state of mess. *wink

For details, read this.


Note:
bule = a calling name for white foreigners
pada lieur = going dizzy

Prime Minister to the rescue

Yuri Sato, a researcher at the Institute of Developing Economies of the Japan External Trade Organization on the signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono:

"Japan and Indonesia can complement each other. By forming a partnership, Japan and Indonesia are trying to avoid the situation where their markets are flooded with Chinese electric appliances."

Yeah. It looks to me more like someone is just set on fire. Four Chinese companies have won contracts to build four coal-fired power plants in Indonesia with a total capacity of 2,870 megawatts out of 10,000 megawatts Indonesia's planning to have. Japan definitely has a problem.

Full article can be found here.

Ayo, Rek!

Menjelang libur akhir pekan yang panjang, tiba-tiba saya jadi kangen pada kota kelahiran saya. Saking kangennya sampai pingin nyanyi:

Rek ayo rek mlaku mlaku nang tunjungan
Rek ayo rek rame rame bebarengan
Mangan tahu jo' dicampur nganggo timun
Malam minggu gak apik digowo nglamun

Ngalor ngidur liwat toko numpak motor
Masih untung nyenggal nyenggol ati lego
Sapa ngerti nasib awak lagi mujur
Kenal anak'e sing dodol rujak cingur

Jo' dipikir koen podho gak duwe sangu
Jo' dipikir angger podho melu aku
Cah ayo cah sapa gelem melu aku
Cah ayo cah golek kenalan cah ayu

Sayang saya nggak bisa ke sana *sigh
Anyway, have a nice long weekend to you all!!!

Prospective Indonesian Movie Coming Up!

Pertamanya gara-gara baca novelnya Aditya Mulya yang judulnya "Jomblo", selanjutnya saya jadi sering sekali baca karya-karya yang diterbitkan oleh penerbit Gagas Media. Salah satunya adalah novel yang masuk kategori chicklit karya Icha Rahmanti. Tahu kan "Cintapuccino"?

Siang ini di radio saya dengar soundtrack untuk film Cintapuccino. Yup, novel laris itu sudah difilmkan dan akan tayang akhir Agustus ini. Lagu yang dipakai untuk soundtrack sebenarnya lagu lama. Itu tuh, lagunya Yana Julio yang berjudul "Selamanya Cinta". Tapi lagu itu diaransemen dan dinyanyikan ulang oleh d'cinnamons sehingga sekarang lagunya jadi bergaya akustik. Wuih, keren banget lho jadinya lagunya. Jadi sangat berjiwa. Soulful lah, kalau bahasa Padangnya :P. Pas banget untuk dijadikan soundtrack film ini.

Akhirnya karena penasaran siapa yang main di film ini dan sebagainya, dan sebagainya, saya search di Google. Ternyata ada website khusus untuk film ini lho. Dari website-nya saja saya sudah bisa lihat betapa seriusnya film ini akan dikomersialkan. Dan sponsornya itu lho, ck ck ck, berendeng euy! Cukup pantas untuk dimasukkan dalam daftar film untuk ditonton nih.

Catatan Tanggal 8 Agustus 2007

Election Day

Rabu, 8 Agustus 2007 menjadi hari bersejarah bagi DKI Jakarta karena hari itu merupakan hari dilaksanakannya pemilihan umum kepala daerah tingkat I DKI Jakarta secara langsung untuk pertama kalinya. Fiuh, akhirnya hari pilkada datang juga, setelah sekian lama Jakarta mengingatkan saya pada masa-masa kampanye ketua senat semasa kuliah dulu: Penuh spanduk dan stiker. Rasanya sumpek karena ke mana mata memandang, spanduk dan wajah-wajah para cagub & cawagub saja yang tampak.

Antisipasi pun telah dilakukan oleh Sutiyoso selaku gubernur dengan menyatakan bahwa tanggal tersebut dinyatakan sebagai hari libur, agar warga Jakarta dapat dengan leluasa menunaikan hak pilihnya. Maka Jakarta pun kemarin menjadi sedikit lengang. Sedikit, karena tidak semua kantor ikut libur. Kantor saya termasuk yang ambigu, alias tidak jelas apakah libur atau tidak. Berhubung ada pekerjaan yang harus saya kerjakan, maka saya pun berangkat ke kantor usai ke TPS (tempat pemungutan suara). Syukur tidak ada antrian di TPS. Entah mungkin karena saya datang siang atau memang tak semua orang ikut pilkada, TPS terasa jauh lebih sepi dibandingkan TPS pada saat pemilu.

Yang menyebalkannya, malam harinya saya ditanya oleh orang rumah bagaimana saya mencoblos lembar pemilihan. Saya bilang, yang saya coblos nomornya. Ih, saya ditertawakan karena cara saya mencoblos dianggap salah. Yang benar (menurut dia) adalah gambar wajah cagub/cawagub yang dicoblos. Ah, masa sih? Padahal alasan saya mencoblos nomornya adalah agar lebih terlihat dan lebih rapi. Waduh, ya maaf deh kalau ternyata saya salah. Tapi yang paling sebal, saya merasa seperti orang idiot karena tak tahu cara mencoblos yang benar. Sebal.


Gempa Bumi

Malam harinya Jakarta diguncang gempa! Sekitar pukul 00.04, gempa hingga 7 skala Richter terjadi dengan pusat gempa berjarak sekitar ratusan km saja dari Jakarta. Saya baru setengah jam tertidur ketika ranjang saya terasa bergoyang-goyang. Sontak saya bangun dan mencoba menyadari apa yang terjadi. Ketika goncangan gempa masih juga berlangsung, saya pun turun ke lantai bawah seraya memanggil adik saya yang masih di kamar. Yah, ada kira-kira satu menit guncangan gempa berlangsung. Vertigo saya pun agak kambuh karena kejadian itu. Mudah-mudahan tidak ada gempa susulan dalam waktu dekat ini.

Beberapa orang yang tanggap telah merencanakan untuk mengadakan pelatihan menghadapi bencana gempa Minggu besok (12/8) di pelataran utara Senayan. Hm, mungkin saya perlu ikut pelatihan ini. Kita tidak pernah tahu kapan musibah menimpa kita, bukan?