I am what I write

Watching Mario Teguh in Metro TV irritates me a bit. Hehehe… Yeap. I saw this guy talking about “dream” on his show called “The Golden Ways”. It is not because he says something wrong about it. Well, probably there’s nothing wrong with it (at least if he puts it in a right context). But the concept that he talk about is merely just theoretical and less practical. For example, he encourages the audience to have dreams and try to achieve it. But, what then? How to implement it in daily life?

I watch this show with my parents and I said to them, “I am sure that I am a better motivational speaker than Mario Teguh.” Hahahaha…  I also talk about dreams and goals to my students. But, I try to make it as clear as possible and as practical as possible. I usually quote the words of Brian Tracy or Stephen Covey to motivate my students.

For example, when talking about goals, I asked my students to write down his goal and then I quote Brian Tracy, “A goal that is not hand written is merely a wish”. Then, I also explain that a goal can be anything. It doesn’t have to be a career achievement, amount of money, houses, or cars. It can be anything; such as goals about families, socials, knowledge, etc.

After having a goal set, what else should we do? We have to do the first thing first. Okay. First Thing First is the concept that I learn from Stephen Covey. In our daily life, we usually have some tasks to do. Stephen Covey differentiates these tasks into two entities; important task and urgent task. What is the definition of urgent? It’s easy. An urgent task is something that if we don’t accomplish it soon, then we will miss the moment. So, urgent is about time. For example, hanging up a phone is an urgent thing to do. If you don’t do it soon, you will miss it. Urgent and Important are different. So, what is the definition of important? Well…. An important task is a task that supports our goal. That’s why we need to write our goal down at the first time. By writing it down, we make it clear what is important to us. When we are dealing with our task in a daily basis, always try to remember the goal that we write. If the task helps us to accomplish our goal, then it is an important task. If it is not, then, it is not important and we can stop working on it.

Urgent task is easier to do because it is easier to see. Most people trapped on their urgent tasks and easily forget the important ones. Those people will never accomplish their goals. Important task is harder to do because it is harder to see. Sometimes, we even face difficulties on knowing what tasks are important. That’s why we need to have a clear goal. Always remember that every task that supports our goal is an important task, and so otherwise.

So… I think it is easy to remember. First, we have to differentiate a goal from a wish. The best way to do that is by writing our goal down. Second, remember that urgent task differs from important task. We have to focus on important task, not on an urgent one. And then, we have to be discipline on doing all of those important tasks that we have defined.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008
19:06 @Zooby Burger

The day didn’t go as I wanted….

I planned to write something in English today. I italic the word “something” because I want to emphasize that it’s different from “anything”. Yes. It is different. And this paper, a thing that I am working on, is excluded from the “something” that I talk about.

Actually, I spend lot of days thinking about something that I want to write. There are many subjects that pop in my mind. It varies from a light to a heavy one. But I don’t know why I couldn’t just let myself to start. The reason I finally work on this writing is because I just want to push myself to write, at least, anything. Hopefully, this paper leads me to write another subject, a subject that I truly want to write.

For your information, it is really really not easy for me to start writing. I really need to push myself this hard to make me write. Seriously  So, probably now you begin to ask: why do I push myself this hard just to write a piece of paper? The answer is quite easy. It is the way I practice my English. I want to improve my writing skills in English to, at least, the same level as writing in Bahasa Indonesia.

Well, I read so many books. I learn from a lot of people. And they all talk about the same thing when it comes to learning. The best way to learn anything is, they all said, by practicing. In the past few months, I read and listen a lot of books. [Yeap. I read and listen. Some books that I read are audobooks. An audiobook is merely a book which read and recorded in audio format. All of the audiobook I listen are read by its author]. And I can mention at least two books that talk about practicing; they are “Outliers” and “Brain Rules”.

The first book, Outliers, is a book about successful people who were able to reach their maximum potentials and went far beyond everyone else. The word “outliers” itself comes from statistics. In statistics, the data that go far beyond the average value are called outliers. I really paid attention on reading the book when I open a chapter about The Beatles, since I am one of their fans. It said that before The Beatles launched their first album (1962), they perform 8 hours a day for about two years (from 1960-1962).

The second book, Brain Rules, is a book about how our brain works. It is written by John Madina, a scientist who is specialist on Brain Studies. The book said that every brain is wired differently, depends on our activities. It said that when we are practicing something, for example practicing playing basketball, it doesn’t just have an effect on our physical shape. What more important is it is effecting the way our brain wired. A great basketball player like Michael Jordan probably has all physical ability needed to play baseball. However, his brain isn’t wired in a way good baseball player’s are. That’s why he failed on his baseball career.

There are a lot of other books that also talk about why practicing is the best way to learn something. A motivational speaker like Stephen Covey and Brian Tracy also said that. In every book that Brian Tracy writes, he always says something like, “Do this over and over again until it become automatic”.

So, even if I have to spend nearly two hours just to write this piece of paper, I know that I have learned something right now. I have just practiced my writing skills, something that I have to do more often. And today, finally, I write a paper  It is not the kind of paper that I planned. But, it’s okay. I will try to write again as soon as possible.
20:41

Ngeliat iklan konser Michael Franks di TV gue jadi pengen dengerin lagi lagu2 Michael Franks. Ternyata banyak lagu-lagu yang gue sangat-sangat familiar tapi nggak tau judulnya, diantaranya “The Lady Wants to Know”, “Antonio’s Song”, “Tiger in The Rain”, dan “Popsicle Toes”.

Buat yang nggak tau Michael Franks, ya… kalo nggak salah sih kira2 dia ngetop dari tahun 70-80an lah. Lagu-lagunya smooth-Jazz gitu dengan bossanova di bassline-nya, well kadang2 masuk ke swing juga sih dikit. Yang pasti, lagu-lagunya slow dan easy listening… tapi buat dinyanyiin susahnya minta ampun…

Okay… diantara lagu2 itu, gue mau bahas lagu “Popsicle Toes”. Tadi malem gue dengerin lagu ini dan gue coba cari chord2nya. Gue nggak bisa ngomong apa2 lagi deh setelah gue nemuin chord2nya…

APA SIH MAUNYA LAGU INI???

okay. gue ceritain aja deh. Kalo lo dengerin lagunya, lo akan ngerasa lagu ini gampang banget untuk didengerin dan KAYAKNYA lurus2 aja kalo kuping lo nggak peka. Tapi kalo lo coba nyanyiin tanpa iringan musik, biasanya nadanya lari. Artinya… ini lagu tuh sebenernya MIRING PARAH….

Jadi gini, rata2 lagu itu cuma pake 1 nada dasar. As you can see di beberapa partitur musik, biasanya tertulis Do = C, Do = G, dsb… atau untuk nada minor, biasanya tertulis La = A, La = E, dsb. Artinya, chord-nya berubah-ubah dengan nada dasar yang tetap sepanjang lagu.

Nah, di lagu Popsicle Toes ini… gue nggak ngerti di mana nada dasarnya. Yang gue tau, di bagian intro, gue main di B7. Kalo lo main rythmnya, lo harus main di B MAJOR. Tapi kalo lo mau improvisasi melodynya, lo harus main di B MINOR biar masuk. Okay… udah mulai berasa RESEnya? Ini mah belum apa-apa. Untuk nada B major, normalnya masuk ke C# minor. Tapi di lagu ini, dia pake kunci C#7 (ini mayor). Well, masih belum apa2 juga lah… masih banyak lagu yang kayak gini.

Tapi pas masuk ke reff….. tiba2 rythm-nya juga harus masuk ke B MINOR dengan nada dasar yang (menurut tebakan gue) di Do = A. So, dia mulai pindah nada dasar secara tiba2. NGGAK SOPAN. Di reff ini… pas gue masuk di A mayor… tiba2 A-nya harus berubah jadi A-minor… dan masih terdengar lurus2 aja nih lagu… padahal nada dasarnya BERUBAH LAGI ke Do = G.

Masih di Reff… tiba2 nada dasarnya masih harus berubah lagi. Di sini gue bingung… kalo gue ambil Do = F (dengan memulai di G minor) itu masuk. Tapi ternyata si Michael Franks ngambilnya di Do = C (mulainya di D minor). Terus…. tiba-tiba C-nya juga harus berubah jadi C-minor. Masuk Do = Bb. Terus ke Bb-minor, yang tentunya gue menebak ini udah di Do = G#. Tapi ternyata gue SALAH. Karena itu nggak masuk kalo lo lanjutin ke Eb9….. tiba2 dengan seenaknya kuncinya baru masuk di D7!!!! artinya, nada dasarnya udah berubah lagi. TAPI KE MANA??? gue nggak tau. Yang pasti, itu masuk2 aja…..

Dan…. tiba2… dengan bass-line yang mirip ke blues… masuk ke intro lagi di B7. Berulang lagi dari awal….

yang gue kesel dari lagu ini sebenernya bukan miring2nya. Kalo lagu2 lain mah kelihatan kalo udah miring. Artinya, dari pendengaran aja udah berasa banget kalo lagunya miring. Tapi lagu ini tuh kedengarannya lurus2 aja… dan bukan lagu2 yang kedengarannya memiliki tingkat kompleksitas yang tinggi.

Kalo lagu-lagu CHICK KOREA, Al Jarreau, atau bahkan Dream Theater…. itu mah nggak heran kalo miring. Emang kedengerannya juga udah ribet. Kalo Popsicle Toes… beuh… dengerin aja deh…

Bisa streaming di sini:
http://www.imeem.com/indigored/music/NgFU0chr/micheal_franks_and_yael_popsicle_toes/

Kedengerannya mah enak… tapi coba lo nyanyiin tanpa iringan musik… kalo nggak fals, berarti lo hebat. hehehehe….

On the 10^th of December 1948, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was first declared by United Nations. Long time before 1948, there was no what so called “human rights”. If you were powerful enough, you could use the power to take someone’s belongings. It was included their assets, their spouse, or even their life. But in 1948, The Nations all over the World had gathered and agreed to declare The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They all believed that there was thing that basically owned by individual since they were born and it was Human Rights.

I have read the declaration myself. I am of the opinion that there are some points which are vague and ambiguous. However, the idea of human right itself has really quaked the world. It creates a new point of view on seeing the world.

Moreover, despite of its vagueness, the implication of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is apparent; everyone has responsibility to ensure themselves not to steal anybody’s rights on everything they do in their life.

So… in this occasion, I wish to say, “Happy Human Rights Day!”

Hopefully, we won’t get bored on having the responsibility of ensuring the implementation of human rights all over the world….

Hmm… sekarang jam 3 pagi… dan gue lagi malas tidur.

Beberapa jam yang lalu, gue jalan-jalan sama 2 orang temen deket gue: evan n iman. Jarang2 tuh pergi bertiga gitu. Biasanya, gue sama iman aja (kadang2 +harry). Atau, gue sama evan aja (kadang2 +meiga, +martina, or +arie).

Seru juga sih. Makan DUREN!!! Terus nongkrong di bubur ayam suka bumi. Huahaha…. nggak ada tempat laen apa? Tapi emang susah sih nyari tempat makan yang buka sampe pagi.

Gue butuh sih ketemu sama temen-temen gue kayak gitu. Belakangan ini gue gampang banget suntuk…. parah…. Udah gitu, produktivitas gue minggu ini drop parah. Gue (hampir bisa dibilang) nggak bikin apa2 minggu ini…

Nggak rekaman multimedia, nggak bikin modul, beberapa konsep yang pengen gue buat masih kabur…. rencana gue untuk bikin beberapa tulisan juga nggak gue lakuin. Nggak ada buku yang gue baca… nggak ada audiobook baru yang gue dengerin… gue nggak ngapa2in minggu ini…. parah.

Pagi ini, rencana gue adalah mulai menata ulang rencana-rencana gue… dan berusaha ngebalikin energi hidup gue lagi. Well… kalo sekitar seminggu lagi/lebih lo ngeliat tulisan baru di blog ini yang jauh lebih berbobot dari tulisan ini, berarti gue berhasil ngebalikin energi hidup gue lagi.

so… liat aja nanti deh ya

sekarang…. tiduuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr……….!!!!

Huahahaha…..

sumpah ini bikin gue ketawa ngakak!!!

Guys, you’ve got to see this:

Lagu gue ada di beberapa situs…. bisa didownload… bahkan ada yang dijadiin RINGTONE!!!

buka ini:

http://www.airmp3.net/search/wisnu_o_p_s/mp3/a2

di situ gue liat ada banyak juga list lagu gue.

Wisnu O. P. S. - Mencari Cinta Yang Sempurna mp3 download
Wisnu O. P. S. - So Much In Love mp3 download
Wisnu O. P. S. - In The Still Of The Night mp3 download
Wisnu O. P. S. - My Classic mp3 download
Wisnu O. P. S. - Lullaby And Good Night mp3 download
Wisnu O. P. S. - Desperado mp3 download
Wisnu O. P. S. - But I Lie mp3 download
Wisnu O. P. S. - Nice Love mp3 download
Wisnu O. P. S. - Song for Fatin mp3 download
Wisnu O. P. S. - Happy Birthday Cherry mp3 download
Wisnu O. P. S. - Lagu Nuri mp3 download
Wisnu O. P. S. - Jazzy mp3 download
Wisnu O. P. S. - Izinkan mp3 download

(sebenernya ada 3 lagu yang bukan lagu gue. No. 2, 3, n 5)

Terus kalo search di tagoo, hasilnya gini:

http://tagoo.ru/search.php?search=%22Desperado%22 (liat no. 9)

sama

http://tagoo.ru/search.php?search=lagu (liat no. 1)

Terus di:

http://www.mixturtle.com/archive/W/14.html

liat no 152

Ada nama gue di situ: WIsnu O. P. S.

Coba aja buka:

http://mixturtle.com/search-results/88467/wisnu-o_-p_-s_.html

dan lo akan dapetin daftar serupa tentang lagu2 gue.

======================================

Okay… gue emang udah nge-upload semua lagu-lagu gue di wisnuops.net

Well… emang itu adalah tempat gue nulis puisi…. n lagu. Gue ngebebasin semua orang untuk bisa nge-download lagu gue.

Yang ada situs2 itu sebenernya belum semuanya. Lagu terbaru gue (waltz of my heart) juga nggak ada di situ. Hahaha… tapi lucu juga.

Apa artinya hayooo? “Dos moi pou sto kai kino taen gaen” itu bahasa latin yang kira-kira kalo diterjemahin ke bahasa inggris artinya “Give me a place to stand, and I will move the world”. Tau nggak kutipan ini gue ambil dari mana? Ini adalah kutipan dari Archimedes (menurut literatur sih begitu ya).

Okay… emang sih belum tentu bener kalau Archimedes bener2 ngomong gitu. Yah… dia kan hidup ratusan tahun sebelum masehi. Jadi, menguak kepastian tentang dia emang susah banget. Kita lebih banyak tahu tentang Archimedes ya dari tulisan2 orang lain. Contohnya, gimana kita bisa tau kalau dia bener2 bilang “Noli turbare circulos meos” (don’t move my circles) ketika tentara Romawi masuk dan mau membunuh dia? (more…)

Ada cerita kocak nih. Lupa gue dapet dari mana…

Jadi ceritanya gini…. ada seorang pengusaha. Usahanya sukses banget, duitnya juga banyak banget. Tapi, dia bukan orang yang taat sama agamanya. Nggak pernah ibadah, melanggar perintah agamanya, macem2 deh.

Tiba-tiba, pas masuk bulan promosi (pas lagi sibuk2nya), si pengusaha ini jatuh sakit. Dia mengalami koma. Nah.. pas koma itu… dia “diundang” tuhan untuk melihat-lihat sorga dan neraka.

Si pengusaha itu dateng ke sorga. Dia kaget banget karena melihat, di sorga, semua orang yang menangis sedih. (more…)

Gue punya kasus klasik nih. Persoalan ini (katanya) udah ada setidaknya sejak buku “summa de arithmetica …” (Luca Pacioli, Venice, 1494) ditulis. Gue sendiri tau kasus ini dari buku “Descartes Dream: The World According To Mathematics” (Philip J. Davis & Reuben Hersh, 1986). Okay, persoalannya, yang gue modifikasi sedikit, seperti ini:

(more…)

Apa yang dimaksud dengan induksi dan deduksi? Yang akan dibicarakan dalam tulisan ini bukan semata-mata cara pengambilan kesimpulan dalam sebuah paragraf, ya! Pada tulisan ini, akan dibahas mengenai metode berpikir induksi dan deduksi yang biasa digunakan untuk menyimpulkan sesuatu.

Induksi adalah (more…)