Goodbye...

Sometimes, there's a time you must say goodbye // Though it hurts you must learn to try
("Here In My Heart" by Tiffany)

Yes. I've made a decision. My relationship with a girl has just broken. I think it will be better for us. 5 years of relationship were filled with a lot of fights and disagreements. So it will be better to break-up. I thought I never really understood what she wanted, and she never understood the way I wanted.

I believe both of us will find a better person. So, goodbye girl. Don't cry and don't feel sad. I know it's hard for both of us. But I will always be a friend of yours. Thank you for the time we have spent together. I never will forget it.

Rencana...

Berhubung saya sudah terlalu sering melakukan posting blog dengan bahasa Indonesia maupun bahasa Inggris, saya berencana dalam beberap waktu ke depan membuat posting dengan menggunakan.... BAHASA JAWA.....

Ya, tak seharusnya saya melupakan bahasa Jawa. Bagaimanapun dari saya kecil, sekolah SD, SMP, SMU sampai kuliah, saya lebih banyak berkomunikasi menggunakan bahasa Jawa. so, tunggu aja posting saya selanjutnya.

Jelang Balap 2009

Jelang balap MotoGP 2009, tak ada salahnya melakukan sedikit prediksi atau bahkan ramalan. Well, prediksi saya tentang musim 2008 yang saya harapkan lebih seru, ternyata salah. Pasalnya saat balapan kurang 3 seri saja, Valentino “The Doctor” Rossi sudah memastikan gelar juara dunia. Para rookie macam Jorge Lorenzo dan Andrea Dovizioso memang sudah mulai panas, sayang masih terksesan kurang konsisten. Bagaimana dengan musim ini?

Rossi, Casey, dan Dani

Persaingan utama tampaknya masih bakal didominasi oleh tiga rider ini. Pertarungan antara sang juara bertahan, Valentino Rossi, runner-up musim lalu, Casey Stoner, dan juara ketiga Daniel “Dani” Pedrosa tampaknya tetap bakal jadi pertarungan utama.

Rossi yang musim lalu, sempat tidak diperhitungkan membuat kejutan dengan tampil konsisten. Mesin Yamaha yang ia pakai memang masih kalah bertenaga dibandingkan Ducati milik Stoner, namun ia berhasil menutupinya dengan skill yang luar biasa. Bagi saya, Rossi masih pembalap dengan skill terbaik saat ini.

Stoner yang sangat difavoritkan musim lalu, justru berulang kali ketiban sial. Jatuh dan jatuh saat ia justru berada di posisi terdepan. Akibatnya, The Doctor pun dengan leluasa mengambil alih posisinya. Itu masih diperparah kondisi tangannya yang sebenranya masih cedera dan baru dioperasi akhir tahun lalu. Tapi, kini tentu tangan tersebut sudah pulih dan rasanya ia sudah tentu siap untuk bertarung lagi. Apalagi mesin Ducati terbaru diyakini bakal lebih dahsyat lagi.

Bagaimana dengan Pedrosa? Saat latihan pra-musim 2008, ia sempat mengalami cedera akibat terjatuh. Akibatnya, ia tidak bisa menguji mesin baru (dengan katup pneumatis) Honda secara keseluruhan. Ia juga tak percaya sepenuhnya dengan hasil pengujian rekannya, Nicky Hayden. Dari awal hingga pertengahan musim, Pedrosa lebih memilih menggabungkan mesin lama (katup pegas) dengan rangka motor tahun 2008. Hasilnya, tidak mengecewakan. Ia menjadi pembalap paling konsisten selama separuh musim. Bahkan untuk pertama kalinya, dalam keikutsertaannya di kelas tertinggi, Pedrosa bisa memimpin klasemen sementara.

Sayang, Dani terjatuh saat seri Sachsenring, Jerman. Sesudah itu prestasinya jadi angin-anginan. Ia bahkan sempat absen saat seri Laguna Seca., AS. Hal ini masih diperparah buruknya performa ban Michelin yang ia pakai. Ia pun memilih berganti ban Bridgestone di seri-seri akhir. Di seri-seri akhir itu pula, ia resmi mengganti motornya dengan mesin baru dengan katup Pneumatis, sayang belum sepenuhnya sempurna. Kini kita tunggu, apakah Dani sanggup menyamai Alex Criville sebagai satu-satunya pembalap Spanyol yang bisa menjadi juara dunia di kelas tertinggi, sekaligus menyejajarkan dirinya dengan The Doctor sebagai pembalap yang bisa menjadi juara dunia di 3 kelas berbeda.

Sekarang, mesin penumatis Honda tampaknya lebih siap bersaing dengan Yamaha dan mesin desmodromic milik Ducati. Jadi kita tunggu pertarungan ketiganya musim ini.

Lorenzo dan Dovizioso

Pembalap lain yang harus diwaspadai oleh 3 pembalap terbaik musim lalu adalah Jorge Lorenzo dan Andrea Dovizioso. Lorenzo membuktikan kelasnya sebagai pembalap dengan kemampuan hebat dan juga pantang menyerah. Ingat, saat ia dibekap cedera, ia masih nekat ikut balapan meski saat turun dari motor harus dipapah dan naik kursi roda di atas podium. Didukung mesin Yamaha yang makin OK, Lorenzo bisa jadi ancaman tersendiri. Apalagi bukan rahasia kalau Lorenzo dikenal tidak akur dengan rekan senegaranya, Dani Pedrosa.

Nama Dovizioso juga tak bisa diremehkan. Musim lalu, ia hanyalah pembalap di tim satelit Honda, yang tentu saja fasilitasnya tak sebaik tim pabrikan. Namun, ia berhasil mengungguli prestasi pembalap tim inti yang juga mantan juara dunia 2006, Nicky Hayden. Musim ini, Dovi resmi digaet oleh Repsol Honda untuik mendampingi Dani Pedrosa. Dengan dukungan teknis dan mesin terbaik milik Honda, rasanya tidak mustahil Dovi meraih prestasi terbaik. Rasanya ingin saya melihat Dovizioso kembali berduel dengan musuh lamanya di kelas 250 cc, Lorenzo.

Nama lain

Nama lain yang patut dijadikan kuda hitam adalah Toni Elias, Sete Gibernau, Nicky Hayden, dan Loris Capirossi. Elias kembali ke tim lamanya, Honda Gresini di mana di situ dulu ia meraih prestasi terbaiknya. Sementara Hayden, kini mendampingi Stoner di Ducati. Juara dunia 2006 ini memang harus dilihat seberap cepat dia beradaptasi dengan motor barunya. Kalau ia sanggup beradaptasi dengan baik, bukan tidak mungkin ia kembali tampil konsisten dan kembali merebut gelar juara dari mantan rekan satu tim-nya di Repsol Honda tahun 2003, The Doctor.

Sementara itu pembalap veteran Sete Gibernau, kembali ke lintasan setelah tahun lalu memilih pensiun dan berada di belakng layar. Kenapa ia patut diperhitungkan? Ingat Gibernau adalah sosok dibalik pengembangan Ducati. Faktor pengalamannya juga tak diragukan lagi. Sekarang tinggal, kita lihat apakah “kutukan” yang pernah ditimpakan oleh Rossi masih manjur musim ini> Ingat juga di musim 2004, Rossi sempat menyumpahi Gibernau bahwa Gibernau tak akan menjuarai satu seri sama sekali.

Bagaiaman dengan Capirossi? Pembalap paling toku di MotoGP ini, tampaknya masih tanda tanya mengingat motor Suzuki-nya tak sebaik para pesaingnya.

Rookie

Dari sekian banyak rookie yang bertarung musim ini, layak disebut dua alumni 250 cc, Mika Kallio dan Yuki Takahashi. Sayang memang, Alvaro Bautista dan Marco Simoncelli, yang saya anggap dua pembalap terbaik di kelas 250 cc musim lalu masih harus bertarung di kelas 250 cc.

Kallio memang sempat memimpin klasemen sementara kelas 250 cc musim lalu. Ia dengan cerdik memanfaatkan keteledoran Bautista dan Simoncelli yang sering bersenggolan dan terjatuh. Sayang di seri-seri akhir, ia tampak angin-anginan. Ketika itu, faktor motor yang jadi penentunya. KTM miliknya kalah bersaing dengan Aprilia dan Gilera. Tapi kini, di kelas tertinggi, Kallio bergabung dengan tim satelit Ducati, di mana motor Ducati memang dikelnal dengan power yang luar biasa. Tinggal menunggu, apakah ia sanggup beradaptasi atau tidak.

Takahshi setali tiga uang dengan Kallio. Ia terlihat kurang konsisiten saat berlaga di kelas 250 cc dan bahkan lebih parah karena hanya sanggup bertarung di papan tengah. Mudah-mudahn saja kehadirannya untuk mengisi posisi Dovizioso bisa mendongkrak prestasinya.

DownThemAll

Sebelum saya memulai tulisan kali ini, ada satu hal yang perlu saya sampaikan. Tips yang saya sampaikan di bawah ini lebih saya tujukan untuk anda pengguna browser Mozilla Firefox.

Apakah anda termasuk suka berkelana di dunia maya? Suka mengunduh berkas-berkas berukuran lumayan besar?

Fasilitas download manager yang disediakan Firefox bagi saya terasa kurang cepat dan kadang berkas yang kita unduh (terutama yang berukuran di atas 1 MB). Sebagai alternatif, kita bisa menggunakan beberapa download accelarator seperti Internet Download Manager, Free Download Manager, atau Download Accelarator Plus.

Tapi saya tidak tahu apakah perangkat-lunak yang saya sebutkan di atas benar-benar free, dan juga yang saya sebutkan di atas hanya dapat digunakan di atas sistem operasi Windows. Lalu bagaimana dengan pengguna sistem operasi lainnya seperti Linux? Pertanyaan lainnya, bagaiman jika kita sedang menggunakan komputer di warnet tetapi, tidak ada satu komputer pun yang di dalamnya terinstall salah satu perangkat di atas?

Di atas sistem operasi Linux kita bisa saja menggunakan akselerator berbasis teks, yaitu wget, tetapi hal ini bukan solusi yang mudah bagi pengguna pemula. Ada solusi lain?

Untunglah di dunia open source terdapat begitu banyak solusi. Kini dengan add-ons bernama DownThemAll (DTA), kita bisa menggunakan download accelerator yang bahkan langsung terintegrasi ke dalam browser Firefox apapun sistem operasi yang anda pakai..

Instalasi DownThemAll (DTA)

Pertama, pastikan komputer yang anda pakai terhubung dengan internet (ya iyalah, masa mau download tapi ga tersambung ke internet??). Lalu, masuklah ke alamat berikut:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/201

Pilih opsi Add to Firefox untuk mengunduh dan langsung menginstallnya di dalam komputer yang anda gunakan. Jika anda menggunakan komputer warnet, jangan kuair, instalasi DTA ini tidak memerlukan hak admin.

Setelah terinstall, lakukan restart browser Firefox.

Jika anda akan mengunduh suatu berkas, lakukan klik kanan, lalu pilih Save Link with DownThemAll. Tentukan lokasi folder penyimpanan, dan tunggu hingga proses pengunduhan selesai.

Gambar 1 Download menggunakan DTA

Tunggu hingga download selesai

Gambar 2 Progress download yang terjadi

Sekedar berbagi pengalaman, penulis pernah mengunduh sebuah berkas MP3 menggunakan Download Accelarator Plus, namun ternyata hasilnya ternyata berkas korup.Saat penulis mengulangi download berkas yang sama menggunakan DTA, hasilnya lebih valid (tapi bukan Valid Hardja, lho).

Sebagai penutup, penulis tidak bertanggungjawab jika anda menginstal DTA di komputer warnet lalu anda dimarahi oleh admin warnet tersebut.

Lou Pearlman

Louis J. Pearlman adalah seorang yang dikenal karena mengangkat gerombolan boyband seperti Backstreet Boys, N Sync, O-Town, LFO, dan Natural. Anehnya hampir semua artis yang pernah diorbitkannya menuntutnya dengan tuduhan ia mengambil lebih banyak keuntungan dari si artis.

Tahun-tahun berikutnya, perusahaan yang ia dirikan, Trans Continental Records dinyatakan bangkrut. Upss, tunggu dulu. Ia juga diduga melakukan penipuan, penggelapan uang, dan pencucian uang, serta membuat laporan palsu untuk Trans Continental.

Yang menarik perhatian saya, bukan hanya itu. Setelah sempat buron, ia akhirnya ditangkap pada tanggal 14 Juni 2007. Dan tahukah anda di mana dia ditangkap? Ternyata dia ditangkap di Indonesia.

Songs of My LIfe (Part 3)

23. Until The End of Time – Foreigner

Another reunion album. Foreigner were back in 1995 with this single. I loved it (and am still lovin' it)

24. Always – Air Supply

Another romantic song from this Australian duo. Just listen to it.

25. Dreaming (Tell Me) – Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force

A ballad from Malmsteen/Turner era. The strangest thing is the title in the bracket. I still don't know why the title is “Tell Me”. There isn't any phrase “Tell Me” in the lyrics. None at all.

26. Close To You – Whigfield

A hit in 1994/1995 of a Danish singer who used to perform a pop-dance music. But not in this song.

27. Babe – Caught In The Act

Another song from the boyband era. This one was from Caught In The Act. An old STYX”s song. It was before the year 1999 when it was finally revealed, that their member, Elloy De Jong, had a special relationship with Stephen Gately of Boyzone.

28. All Out Of Love – Human Nature

Back to my year in Junior High School. This cover version of Air Supply's is the one I consider to be the best version of all (even if it is compared to the original Air Supply version).

29. Dearest – Ayumi Hamasaki

The track that introduced me to Ayumi. This one was the closing theme of Inuyasha. A few weeks after, I finally bought her album that featured this song.

30. Lea – Toto

I never had a crush on a girl named Lea. I just loved this song. It was on the first Toto's album to feature Joseph Williams on lead vocal. He sung it in a really different vocal style. It didn't sound like Joseph Williams at all. Some Toto's fans even didn't believe it was Joseph singing. They thought it was the writer, Steve Porcaro, singing it. Until Toto finally made a confirmation that it was Joseph's voice in it.

31. Always – Michael Kiske

If I had to choose the best rock singer of the world, I might choose Michael Kiske, a former Helloween's singer. He and also their drummer, Ingo Swichtenberg) were fired from the band after having a “war” with two other members. This on is from Kiske's solo album that was dedicated to the memory of Schwictenberg who finally committed a suicide by crashing his body to a running train.

32. Love Conquers All – Deep Purple

It was when Joe Lynn Turner came to Deep Purple to replace Ian Gillan. Turner was former Rainbow (which was also founded by Deep Purple's gutitarist at the time, Ritchie Blackmore) singer. Some fans disliked the album that featured this track, Slaves and Master cause I sounded more like Rainbow than Deep Purple. But I guess this ballad is beautiful.

33. Memories – Within Temptation

The song that made me fall in love to this Dutch band. A gothic rock band. Listen to the beautiful voice of Sharon Den Adel

34. Wish You Were Here – Blackmore's Night

I was wrong when I thought it was Within Temptation's. This was really a song from Blackmore's Night, a band founded by Ritchie Blackmore after leaving Deep Purple once again and disbanded Rainbow for the second time. The singer is Candice Night

35. We Could Be In Love – Brad Kane & Lea Salonga

A duet of an Australian and a Philippines singer. This brought my memories to my pre-teen age and also to some times ago in a village in Demak. This was the anthem of our team. Haha.

36. Take Me To Your Heart – Michael Learns To Rock

My favourite song from the album with the same name. This was originally a song from a Chinese singer/actor, Jackie Cheung (Chang Shieh Yu), entitled Farewell Kiss. Please differ him from Jackie Chan (Chen Lung). They're not the same.

37. Lady In Red – Chris De Burgh

I often heard this one on radio, but I still didn't know who the singer was. I finally found who is him when I bought a compilation album including this song.

38. Before The Dawn – Judas Priest

Until this day, this is the only rock ballad track that Judas Priest ever released. See and hear the different side of one the biggest heavy.metal band in the world.

39. I'm All About You – Aaron Carter

My favourite from Aaron Carter's. His voice is almost similar to his brother, Nick of the Backstreet Boys.

40. A View To A Kill – Duran Duran

The song for a James Bond Movie with the same title. This was the only James Bond's soundtrack to became number one in Billboard chart. I really love this song. Sadly, this was also the last time Duran Duran made a record with Roger Taylor on drums and Andy Taylor on guitars before reuniting in 2003.

41. The Living Daylights – A-ha

The next series of James Bond movie. This was written and performed by this trio from Norway, A-ha. Although it didn't reach the same success as Duran Duran's, I still love this one.

42. Elang – Dewa 19

One of the last tracks to be recorded by Dewa 19 with Ari Lasso on vocal. I prefer this version with Ari than the new recorded version with Once on vocal. This could be my favourite from Ari Lasso's era. It was the first track to feature Tyo Nugros on Drums.

43. Wo Nan Kuo (I'm Sad) – 5566

A song from a Taiwanese boyband. I didn't even know why I loved this one. :).

44. Stay The Night – Chicago

Taken from the last Chicago's album to feature Peter Cetera's voice. I hate it when I heard Jason Scheff singing this. It's so bad.

45. Rosanna – Toto

A song about three girls. But David Paich, the writer, chose to “steal” Rosanna Arquette's name to be the title. It was included from Toto's biggest and best record of all time, Toto IV. This was the last time David Hungate ever recorded an album with Toto. He left before the release of the album and was then replaced by Mike Porcaro. I often played this song on my computer time after time. And my cousins began to love it too.

45. Will You Still Love Me – Chicago

The first Chicago's single that introduced Jason Scheff as their new bassist and singer (replacing Peter Cetera). I love his soft voice on this song. But, truly, I hate him when he sang some Cetera's song.

46. Faithfully – Journey

A classic from Journey. This was unusually witten solely by their keyboardist, Jonathan Cain (most of their hits were written by Steve Perry and Cain). Hear another beautiful soaring voice from Steve Perry.

47. Risalah Hati – Dewa

This was my favourite from “Bintang Lima” album. It was the first album to feature Elfonda Mekel aka Once on vocal. I also the story of the video. I didn't know who was the video star that time Until some years later I watched the video again, then I knew who he is. Yes, He is Indra Birowo. Yeah, he was not a famous star at the time.

48. You Come To My Senses – Chicago

This was another favourite from Jason Scheff era in Chicago.

49. This Night Is Gonna Last Forever – MSG

MSG's album was the very first album I ever bought. It was when Michael Schenker (formerly of Scorpions) was joined by Robin McAuley. He then changed his band name from Michael Schenker Group to McAuley Schenker Group. This track is still my most favourite among the others. The unique thing is that this track wasn't written by any members of MSG.

50. Satu – Dewa 19

This double-meaning lyrics song is my most favourite of Dewa 19's. It talked about love. But, I believed it was more meant to be the love from human for The Creator than a love from man to woman.

51. Untukmu Ibu – Exist

To close this session, I'd like to choose this ballad from a Malaysian band, Exist. My tears always drop everytime I listen to this. It really depicted what happened to my mother and always makes me remember her.

Songs of My Life (Part 2)

13. Words - Boyzone

It was my last year on Junior High School. Almost everyone at school were mad of this first number one of Boyzone.

14. As Long As You Love Me - Backstreet Boys

This was a hit when I entered Senior High School.

15. If I Let You Go -Westlife

My years on Senior High School had become a boyband era. This was may favourites on Westlife's first album

16. When You Love A Woman - Journey

Steve Perry is one of my favourite singer. This one is from the Journey's reunion album, Trial By Fire. Ironically, this album was their last record to feature Perry on vocal and Steve Smith on Drums.

17. My Love - Westlife

The song that fulfilled my first days on college. Taken from their Coast To Coast album. I bought it on the first week of its release.

18. Shape of My Heart - Backstreet Boys

Another song of my first days on college. Backstreet Boys is still my favourite boyband to this day.

19. Prisoner of Your Love - Yngwie Malmsteen

It was on The Seventh Sign album, which becomes my favourite album of Yngwie Malmsteen. There were nice voice of Mike Vescera and great drumming of Mike Terrana. The lyrics of this beautuful rock ballad were written by Malmsteen's former wife, Amberdawn.

20. Too Much Heaven - Jordan Hill

An old hits of the Bee Gees. I loved this cover version by Jordan Hill

21. Mama Don't You Cry - Steelheart

Once again, I'd like to dedicate it to my deceased mother. Although I can't say it face to face now. I miss you and I'll always be loving you, Mom

22. A Perfect Day - Duran Duran

From their album, Thank You. This time they were reunited with th originl drummer, Roger Taylor.