It's Better When You're Not Alone

Chris Robinson

This life is great, and it's better when you're not alone. When you have wonderful experient, it wouldn't matter if there is no one to share my happiness.
~ Bono

When you need to speak on behalf of your society, your people, say it loud with style. With attitude. So the world would listen to you. Rock n' roll is a good way to carry the good cause to the world's attention. When you're into it, don't just do it for the sake of the fashion of rock n' roll. Do it with good cause.

We Can Be Heroes Just For One Day

~ Jakob Dylan

Just when you thought this day was another shitty one, you then see this opportunity to help others. What would you do? Ah, let them have the same shitty day as you do. Or decide to do something for them to make them please. Do good thing. A little thing. And be a hero even just for this day.

You Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise

~ Judas Priest, You Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise

You're young, you're wild, and you're free. So many foolishness you made within this age. It all seemed so rightful to do, yet, mostly, you ended up deep in trouble. As a matter of fact, trouble seemed so cool during those times. Girls love the guys who's in trouble and that's the reason you looked for trouble. But, after all those days, what did trouble get you?
~ Kurt Cobain

How many times does your teacher, friend, coach, parent, told you to just be yourself? Even in so many advertising tried to tell you the same thing. But you just don't get it. It's hard to understand what these guys are saying. Until you hear Kurt's words on it.
~ Shanon Hoon, Change

When I got tired of keeping up my dreams, I listened to Shanon Hoon's advice. Then I'm up again not to stop dreaming. It's funny though that Shanon had to die very young. But anyway, I take his advice and go on with this life. There are days that you have your deepest thought broken. Stuck with difficult obstacles that you can't get over with. I listened to this song and get up again.

It's amazing how dreams can keep you alive and go on living. Sometimes when you dream it strong enough, the dream appeared so real that you already feel like living it. That's the time when you won't let go. You won't let any obstacles ruin all the wonderful feeling you had having this dream alive. So keep on dreaming boys, and stay alive.
~ Chris Martin, The Scientist

The advertising of Levi's torn out jeans series said that Life Is Never Easy. Oh, how I agree with that. So I lived this life with that thought in mind. As far as I recall, nobody said it was easy. Nobody said life was easy. But, hey, is there anybody every told me that it will be this hard? Oh, Chris Martin knew it very well. He has spoken my mind.

At some point you know that you will have to struggle hard to fight this life we live in. And when things got worse, what you can do is just to be prepared for the worst. So now you know it that life is this hard. It is this hard. Then be prepared for it. Prepare for the hard life.
~ Rush, Working Man

Hell, I used to get up at five in the morning and get to work at seven. And to make it worst, I finished working at six in the afternoon and get home almost nine in the evening. Yes, two hours on the road. It's really true that I haven't got a living working like that. In fact, I got old while going to work.

If you want to continue living like that, fine. But stop whining about having no life. Because eventually it is your choice. If you want to have a living then get a life. I said that to myself and start to find another job. Actually my dream is to have my own business and be my own boss. But in achieving that dream, I need to find a way. And one way I know to achieve it is to be a working man. It's okay I guess. As long as I know what I'm doing and I know where I am getting to.

No. Life is not all about working. You have the right to socializing, make friends, play, traveling, and do more things that you like. You have a dream to achieve and working is just the way to get you there. So, try to find a new job or start your own business. It's hard I know. But it is harder to get up at seven and go to work at nine having got no living and working all the time.
~ Bon Jovi, Save the World

I got my diploma, start working with a small company, and later got my degree in the finest university. And where am I now? Still working from eight to four for other institution, get my salary everymonth just to pay the bills. So I guess Bon Jovi is right. You don't have to go to the finest school and spent much of your money (or your parent's money) just to work eight to five to pay your monthly bills. You still don't get any richer than that.

I heard that someone so successful like Robert Kiyosaki also tell you not to go to school. As a matter of fact, you will learn real knowledge and real skill from the real life. Not at school. Even advertising guru Paul Arden also said that you'd better go to work than going to school. But, he said, if you don't know what to do, okay, then go to college. The thing is, in the real life, it's not your degree that determines how successful you'd become. It's your own sweat that does.

I say, if you are lucky enough to go to finest university and get a degree, it's great. Use that oportunity as best as you could. But you should remember what Bon Jovi told you, it's the sweat on your old collar, your hard work, that's your real Ph.D. I will (remember it).
~ The Rolling Stones

Again, Paul Arden in his book said that, Wish, is something like oh, would it be nice if... That is a wish. While a Want, is if you want it strong enough, you will squeeze your last drop of sweat to get it realized. But it's not always working. Mick Jagger knew it.

So, if you really want something and tried hard to make it happen but it didn't, don't worry. It happened all the time to all people in this world. The Rolling Stones had eased our mind of it. Though, if you realy tried hard enough, sometimes you will still get something. It might not be what you want at the first time, but it most probably will be the one you need. Okay, so what is a Need?

I haven't read this in Paul Arden's book, but I guess a need is something that you didn't think you want at the first time, but actually, if it is realized, if you get it, than it will make your life goes on.
Some quotes from the Stones’ guitar god are woven in, but some of these appear again later the book—e.g., Commandment 17: “Be Tough, Be Brave, and Don’t Give in to the Dictates of Authority” opens with a quote: “Ever since I left school, nobody has ever heard a ‘Yes sir’ from me. Apart from a few exceptions: in court and in jail.” It appears again in the section entitled “Aphorisms for Living Life the Keith Richards Way,” under “Authority.” It seems in such places that West is trying to maximize a surprisingly thin collection of materials, and the repetition almost convinced me to close the book and put on Sticky Fingers instead.

Source: http://therumpus.net/2009/06/the-tao-of-keith/

Keith Richards' Advice For "The B***h" Amy Winehouse

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards has offered troubled singer Amy Winehouse some free advice on kicking the drug habit.

"She should get her act together," the former junkie said during a round-table interview at the Berlin International Film Festival on Friday to promote Martin Scorsese's Rolling Stones documentary "Shine a Light."

The often-addled rocker paused, then added: "Apart from that, I have got nothing to say to the b****."

Winehouse, 24, entered a London rehab clinic last month in hopes of kicking a destructive habit that has overshadowed her promising career.

Stones frontman Mick Jagger, himself no stranger to pharmaceutical experimentation and resulting legal troubles, compared the drug problems of the present generation of Brit rock stars, such as Winehouse and Pete Doherty, to his early days when drugs became an integral part of the pop music scene.

"When we were experimenting with drugs, little was known about the effects," Jagger said. "In our time there were no rehab centers like today. Anyway, I did not know about them."

Those Bad Boys Of Rock And Roll Are On A Mission

By: Vin DeWolfe

The group members, Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee, Mick Mars and Vince Neil are well known for their bad-boy capers and hard rocking lifestyles. From the very start, these guys have either made trouble or problems found them. On their first circuit in 1982, they were actually apprehended at the Edmonton International Airport as they had on their spiked stage clothes through customs. Officials at the airport impounded everything the group carried that they believed indecent or unsafe. No worries for the group though, it was all a publicity stunt and it worked like a charm!

Throughout the 1980's, Mötley Crüe was involved in a seemingly unending bouts of loose females, substance abuse and run-in's with the law. One night in 1984, an allegedly drunk Vince Neil was involved in a horrid head-on crash. His passenger, Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley of the group Hanoi Rocks was killed in the accident. Neil was sentenced to thirty, but spent a meager 18 days imprisoned for the incident. Later, the group turned tragedy into music and released box sets irreverently named "Music To Crash Your Car To".

The alcohol & drugs were overtaking their lives in a major way. In 1987, Nikki Sixx actually was thought dead from an over-dose. His heart stopped and that could have been the end for him. Fortunately for Sixx, the paramedics did not give up and gave him 2 shots of adrenaline to his heart. Obviously, he lived to tell the story. This small incident gave the group the stirring for the song 'Kick Start My Heart' from the 'Dr. Feelgood' release.

It wasn't long after Nikki's near-death experience that the bands managers stepped in. It was time for a serious intervention if this band was going to keep moving forward. The managers denied the group to go on a European tour, dreading that more than one would die on the tour. The reality of their conduct and the effects must have hit them where it hurts. All the members eventually got themselves sober. While the others preferred to go into a rehabilitation program, Mars chose to deal with his habituations on his own.

Despite their epic battles with addictions throughout the 1980's, they still managed, in some way, to piece together a few best-selling releases. To this day songs from the releases, 'Shout At The Devil', 'Theatre Of Pain' and 'Girls, Girls, Girls' get alot of airplay. But it was not until '89, with a clean and sober band that they were at long last able to produce a number one album, 'Dr. Feelgood'. Everybody, even the band guessed that their sober attempts were much improved over anything they had done before.

The 90's bestowed more trouble for the band. They published their 6th studio album, 'Decade of Decadence' in '91 and it reached the number 2 spot on the charts. Then, in 1992, Neil either left the group or was fired, depending on who you listen to. He was promptly replaced and the band published a self-titled album that achieved #7 on the charts. Finally, in '97, the group reunited and released yet another recording, 'Generation Swine'. The disk didn't do very well commercially, which led to them departing their record label, Elektra.

In '98, since their contract with Elektra had expired, the band found themselves in a unique place. They are one of the very few groups to have full control both over their catalogue of masters and publication. With this new power, the band re-released all of their albums and included many demos and previously unreleased material.

In 1999, Tommy Lee departed the band to engage in his own solo calling and to avert further battle with Neil. He was substituted and the group continued to tour and hit the studio, but fell short of genuine success. Sixx also went his own direction and played for the bands "58" and "Brides Of Destruction". It took five years, but the band finally did reunite and got busy recording a fresh compilation release called 'Red White & Crüe'. They also went on a couple of tours, including their '05 tour, 'Carnival of Sins' and the 2006 'Route of All Evil' tour that they co-headlined with the group Aerosmith.

Just last month, Mötley Crüe published their latest album, 'Saints of Los Angeles'. Critics say the recording is some of the best stuff they've ever produced! It's a severe flash-back to the band's earlier style and a welcome one at that. It appears these "bad-boy" rockers are still going after their original mission to shake the world as hard as they can.

Salesman With Typewriter

Saat bersosialisasi di sebuah pesta pernikahan, saya ditanya kerja apa sekarang?

Dengan sedikit ragu karena khawatir tidak mudah untuk dipahami, saya pun menjawab singkat "Copywriter." Benar saja, kerabat saya itu setengah bingung menanggapi pekerjaan yang saya sebutkan. Saat ingin menerangkan lebih lanjut, saya teringat kata-kata seorang ahli periklanan yang menggambarkan copywriter itu adalah seorang salesman, atau tenaga penjualan, namun alat penjualannya adalah dengan tulisan. Mesin ketik.

"Salesman with typewriter," tambah saya pada sang kerabat. Ia agak paham juga gambaran pekerjaan saya. Sebetulnya menurut Steve Slauntwhite, pekerjaan copywriter tidak hanya sebagai salesman, namun juga sebagai marketer, product development, serta researcher. Anyway...

Visual Journal

Jika Anda kesulitan untuk menulis jurnal keseharian Anda, gunakan kamera.

Roland Barthes di tahun 80-an bahkan pernah menyampaikan bahwa masyarakat sekarang sudah berubah menjadi masyarakat visual. Artinya lebih mudah untuk menangkap informasi berupa visual non verbal. Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa penggunaan foto sebagai alat komunikasi akan menjadi semakin lumrah. Ada juga yang berpendapat bahwa tulisan juga sebetulnya dilihat secara visual. Namun bentuk tulisan adalah bahasa verbal.

Kiranya saat ini pilihan untuk menggunakan kamera sebagai alat untuk 'menulis' jurnal Anda merupakan pilihan yang masuk akal. Saya pun sebetulnya membuat juga jurnal visual, namun blog yang ini saya gunakan khusus untuk tulisan saja.

Photography Sebagai Alat Perjuangan

Kapan Indonesia menggunakan foto sebagai alat perjuangan?

Sangat menarik melihat semangat "The American Dream" ikut dibangun dengan bantuan image-image yang dramatis berupa foto-foto yang dipublikasikan secara luas melalui media-media cetak. Contoh paling kuat dalam sejarah saat ini mungkin foto para prajurit Amerika yang sedang memancangkan bendera pada perang melawan Jepang di Iwojima (walaupun belakangan terbukti foto itu ditata sedemikian rupa).

Kemudian saat Amerika menyerang Iraq untuk kedua kalinya, pemerintah Amerika dengan sangat brilian mengirimkan para foto jurnalis dengan sistem embedded, atau terpadu dengan pasukan yang sedang berperang. Hasilnya, penyerangan ke Iraq yang kontroversial itu pun tergambar secara sangat heroik sekali melalui foto-foto yang dramatis.

Dunia fotografi di Indonesia seharusnya sudah waktunya melihat fotografi sebagai alat propaganda yang kuat. Fotografi bisa dijadikan alat penanda idealisme suatu bangsa. Seseorang menyebutnya sebagai 'News Icon'. Sebenarnya ada beberapa karya foto Indonesia yang bisa dijadikan 'News Icon'. Contohnya adalah foto Soekarno yang sedang berorasi lengkap dengan seragam safari bertaburan tanda jasa, peci hitam, kopiah hitam, dan kaca mata hitamnya. Kemudian foto Bung Tomo yang juga sedang berorasi. Atau ada beberapa foto lainnya juga.

Sayangnya, para fotografer Indonesia sekarang -- bukan tidak sadar akan powerfulnya sebuah foto -- tapi mereka sepertinya kurang memiliki idealisme yang kuat saat ini untuk membuat karya fenomenal yang bisa membangkitkan semangat 'Impian Indonesia'. Banyak fotografer berkualitas tingkat internasional yang lahir di negara ini. Namun tingkat persaingan mereka lebih banyak di ranah komersil.

OK, sekarang wacana ini mulai mengemuka tapi belum mendapatkan bentuk, seperti apa sih 'Impian Indonesia' itu? Inilah saatnya bagi para fotografer di Indonesia, untuk mampu membangun semangat ini. Wujudkan image-nya secara nyata supaya dapat dicapai oleh semua bangsa.

Saya tunggu Anda untuk menghasilkan foto yang fenomenal. Bangkitkan perjuangan Indonesia!
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