indi + rani = noe | kei

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Lifehacker just pointed to a four-year old entry on how to fold a newspaper:

Real Simple magazine has an old but good step-by-step guide to folding an unwieldy broadsheet newspaper for easy reading on the go. It's really just a matter of a few well placed folds, but if you don't already have a good folding strategy, this post is a great starting point. On the other hand, if you're a newspaper-folding pro and your methods differ from Real Simple's guide, let's hear all about how you make it work in the comments.

Of course, my first reaction was the same as some of the commenters: “What?? Next we’ll be taught how to blow our nose!” But actually it’s quite informative, and I notice that it’s exactly how my dad would read the paper.

Of course, he never taught me how to do that, and I’ll probably never need to teach my kids how to do it. “Fold a newspaper? Are you insane, Dad?” Instead, they’ll be reading on their Readius:

And that’s the point: My use of the newspaper is bound up in my memory of my father reading the newspaper. We as children mimic adults, so it was a sign of maturity for me to read the newspaper—or rather, for me to master the newspaper. That didn’t mean just reading it, but handling it—folding it, creasing it, carrying it under my arm, swishing it in the air when I turned a page, tut-tutting at the goings-on of the world.

Another moment yesterday elicited the same thought: Banished to the kitchen I was listening to the Wimbledon Men’s Final on the radio while my wife watched it on the TV. Of course, it’s vastly preferable to watch it rather than listen to it, but still the atmosphere created by the commentator on the radio was so powerful, his descriptions so flawless and compelling, that I found myself preferring it to the easy visuals of the TV.

What’s more, it took me back to those schooldays clustered around the radio listening to the second-half commentary of soccer matches on Saturday afternoon, or, radio under pillow after lights-out with the volume on 1, following an evening UEFA Cup tie between my team and some exotic-sounding team from behind the Iron Curtain. It was so magical, so dramatic, the inflexions of the commentator so perfect, I am forever transported back to those moments whenever I hear sport being described in real time on radio.

Of course my wife thought me absurd for prefering audio over visual. And I readily accept it is. But it’s like newspapers: beyond the obvious argument that some formats trump others in certain situations (newspapers over computers in the bath; cellphones over newspapers on crowded transport), there’s also the fact that we connect emotionally to the formats, not just because of habit, but because they evoke deeper feelings—to the past, to familiarity, to a sense of habit and ritual.

Most debates about newspapers nowadays are about when they’ll die out. I don’t believe this will happen, because they represent a format that still trumps others in certain situations. But beyond the practical there’s an emotional element too, and perhaps the challenge of ‘old’ media is to capture some of these emotional connections—newspapers strewn around in Starbucks, free, throwaway radios for listening to commentary at big games—in order to inject fresh life into the medium.

After all, it’s not just about reading yourself up-to-date. It’s about the physical pleasure of reading, of feeling at peace and in the security of a familiar habit.

Reading: How to Fold a Broadsheet Newspaper

Technorati Tags: newspapers,radio,media,web 2.0

Just downloaded and installed the new beta version of Skype, and am now removing it. Why? Because it’s humongously big, and doesn’t have any option I could find for reducing its footprint. Compare this:

with this:

(and notice the Compact Mode option that I couldn’t find in the 4.0 version.)

What bothers me is that Skype already know this is a problem. Try to download a different version of Skype after the beta, and you’re confronted with a (rather creepy) questionnaire as they try to find out why you’re doing what you’re doing. One of the answers:

Well, d’oh. If you knew that was a problem, then why not make it an option to reduce the screen size? Compare this to something like Google Talk, which couldn’t get any smaller:

or even some of those twitter clients. I know the video is supposed to be great on the new version of Skype, but if you’re not actually running video, what’s the excuse for such a desktop-hogging client? I can’t think of one.

Saya memiliki kebutuhan untuk mentransfer dana secara seketika antar rekening dari beberapa bank yang berbeda. Biasanya tidak menjadi masalah karena umumnya bank-bank ini tergabung dalam jaringan ATM Bersama. Masalah baru timbul jika transaksi melibatkan BCA. BCA adalah salah satu bank yang nasabahnya paling banyak di Indonesia, dan dengan demikian cukup banyak transaksi yang melibatkan BCA. [...]

Menurut situs Dirjen Pajak, tagihan kartu kredit dikenakan bea materai. Kalau tidak salah, besarnya adalah Rp 3000 untuk pembayaran sebesar Rp 250 ribu sampai Rp 1 juta, atau Rp 6000 untuk pembayaran di atas Rp 1 juta. Pembayaran kartu kredit di bawah Rp 250 ribu tidak dikenakan bea materai. Biaya ini akan ditagihkan pada tagihan [...]

Punk? Not dead after all. Apparently the festival we're playing at has it sorted. That's a relief. I was worried there for a moment... except I'm curious about the Nazi the connection to it all.



* : adapted from a favourite piece of Singapore bus-seat graffiti that said: "HARDCORE WILL NEVER DEATH!"

The aforementioned bad ear days persist. So this weekend might be an interesting experiment in the aural research dept. Recent Etc sessions have shown that at least playing loud (not the cause of my symptoms I am told) evens things out. This way I drown out the interference that's created irksome whistles and clangs in my right ear over the last few days.

What I currently get through my right ear:

* a harmonized and pitched-up version of all I hear. It gets disorientating especially with all the high frequencies plastered across the most polished and radio-played pop hit ballads. These create an internal mad Free Jazz whistling accompaniment that's potentially tortuous.
* heightened hearing of high-frequencies FAR AWAY - even at low volumes. One of my colleague's is unaware that whistles under his breath. I've only just discovered he does because I hear it from about 20m away! He sits in his own office two partitions and one wall away from me. How's this possible possible? Last night, Whitney Houston on the radio at a Bkt Merah Lane stall drowned out the clatter, chat and radios of at least FIVE other stalls separating.

All this provides more evidence for my theory that there's a scientific reason why cynically-engineered SHRILL music is popular with the crass masses. MARIAH CAREY at a normal volume on colleague's radio: stood out a mile. Like dog whistles.

You want people to buy trash? Load the recording with jarring 1khz bits to wake their brains into temporarily paying attention to the white noise of the radio. Better still if you can get it a nano-tone out of tone (as shown by Kenny G, Celine Dion and the like). These little pokes prompt insensitive drones into briefly noticing music for a moment - and thus it is logged as being "memorable". It's a good trick.

Pity the effect tends to make me want to vomit, and thus incapable of enjoying many of the most massive selling records of our times.

Deserters Concert Schedule for Sat, June 28th 2006

2pm: Urbanscapes Festival, Sentul Park
9pm: Soho K.L, Mount Kiara

Who knows where North is on the map below? I left my (annotated) usual at home. Generally not a problem since I tend to know my way around in central K.L. (and what I like to eat/drink I.T.A), and anywhere else: it's way off the map anyway and others just know how to get there. Tomorrow night I stay at Faizal's. Spartan bassist. When he stayed at mine he opted to sleep on titled floor -no bed sheet- with my chunky phone as a pillow.

Etc June Jaunt #1

Alright for some. While tomorrow's long-planned Annexe Street Preachers show got canned, 3/4 of the scheduled bands managed to get other shows. Pinholes: sorted. Lightcraft and Deserters: both scored TWO for tomorrow. Even Annexe show instigator, Joe Kidd, played two sets in the last week - one with the esteemed Carburetor Dung (hoorah) and apparently another improv with Zai Kuning and a badly-disguised Chris Ho at the show named Vomit Blood.

Etc meanwhile has had to turn down two shows on account of previous commitments with Deserters in K.L. on the understanding that we had recording too and I was needed since other guitarist Bo was on call elsewhere. Now though, he'll be around since his other band, Seven, are on the Urbanscapes bill. I sighed when I typed that. Oh and recording is postponed. But at least I get to see what it's like to be in a band who get top Photoshop treatment for tomorrow's festival. Ugh.

Woah the malady lingers. My right ear has been not-100% for over a week now. At first I thought it to do with an irritating gust of wind from a fan blasting behind me in the office. Cue for my superior (Brent Jr) to demonstrate his expertise in man-things, telling me to "equalize" like he does when goes diving (with sharks and James Bond girls with harpoons I assume). It hurt when I followed his instructions.

Since then I've heard (usually through my other ear) of syringing wax, alcohol swabbing and Vinita's recent and unexpected sinus surgery, but according to the Doc none of this is required for me, and -thank feck- it's not Tinnitus. It's caused by inflammation on the eardrum from the flu I fought off last week. Am told the darn thing made its way up a tube from my neck to my ear. So, my ear has a cold? It makes me wobbly. Ear-drops and pills. No swimming or flying permitted.

Latest development: tuneless pitch-shifting whistles triggered by shite Chinese pop being blasted by Brent Jr.

Reminder: This is the third time a Doctor has remarked on my ear canal. Usually these bend (upwards)? Mine: quite straight (horizontal?). Does this account for my apparently excellent hearing which is generally a handicap since I don't do many hunter-gatherer activities. It would be good if it could detect the sound of lost money, gold or cheap guitars waiting to be retrieved. Unfortunately it sees me cursed with the ability to detect Celine Dion or Kenny G recordings being played within a 1/2 mile radius of me instead. How my goat is got.

When I was little, I always dreamed of flying. I wanted to see the earth from above. I dreamed of seeing the cloud closely. I read that book Around the World in 80 Days and thought that someday I’d fly around the world, too. Of course, just like most lower class Indonesians, I didn’t have [...]

so, aina really is sick. she didn't get better from two days ago. in fact, her sickness has gotten worse. we went to the pediatrician yesterday and it turns out that she has viral infection. she seemed normal during the doctor visit... she even flirted with other little boys (older ones, mostly) and tried to play with smaller babies in the doctor waiting room. but as soon as we got home, all hell broke loose.

she had no appetite. she had a hard time falling asleep, and all she wanted to do is being cuddled. you know, the typical baby problems when they're sick.

while waiting for the fever medicine to work, her fever reached 39ºC and was still going up. and you know those cooling pad that you put on baby's forehead? they don't work at all. the thingy got really hot and didn't do anything. we had to resort to the old fashion way: damp towels on armpits, head and crotch area. she didn't want to drink milk because her nose was stuffed...

hopefully, she gets better today. at least, last night she didn't wake up as often as the night before, which means she gets more rest. she's currently taking her morning nap. ari is catching up sleep. and i am going to knit -- something that i haven't done for months.

hello, i'm back! today was the first time i celebrated Mother's Day as a mother. and, after a long long break, i think it's a good time to start writing on this site again. so i guess, it was rather special.

to make it even more special, aina took her first walking step today. she was in front of the TV, watching Elmo from the Sesame Street. she was standing up, waving her hands here and there following Elmo's move, when all the sudden, she took two steps towards the TV's cabinet, then another two steps, then she finally reach the cabinet. no falling! yay!

(and she's also sick today... a bit of a fever. hopefully, she's feeling better by tomorrow).

happy mother's day, everyone!