Spotify Sucks

This is not my salty feeling toward Spotify in delisting my personal album which I released one year ago through third-party publisher due lack of earning streaming and my income to renew my music on official stores and streaming services such Spotify. So It has nothing to do as a producer,  but more than as Internet music hoarder and digital file collector.

There was a time when I really like digging new music through downloading many album on Mp3boo. A curated International album music for various genre for people who like downloading "free" music. And yes, album I downloaded are pirated version for Internet communism like me. The usage of Last.fm in early 00s was often to use as getting recommendation and exchanging taste of new musical spectrum toward each other of members. 

Obviously back then Spotify were not available on my country so the idea to bring digital files into my phone was the way of enjoying music. After downloading and tagging the album without worrying of data usage of scrambled songs if you are free member of Spotify. What am I? Too poor to pay? Yes I was. And moreover, there was iTunes already that actually can be used to "buy" music for me. But the idea of paying digital files didn't get me, and I rather collect physical release even though it was so pricy and I could get one each month.

 Instead paying for subscription which I did. I feel there is something "threatening" to use Spotify toward my digital playlist for my library curation. Some tracks and albums I saved are expired and gone. Of course these songs aren't well known and sometime obscure artist who put their album for short period time because the licensing usage of contract with third party publisher is not cheap. And surely, there are successful artist who manage their album who can pays the annual contract and also there are popular artists that has sustainable fan base and thing like replay value.

What really make Spotify sucks, I guess if you want to support your favourite musician, you just start playing your favourite song one thousan times in order they can get paid and that doesn't suck at all. Instead complaining the way people can access music easily while supporting the artist. My point is the way arranging, organising, and curating your own personal music play list that you can access anytime by having "physical" digital file on your storage. Either you rip it through your CD album that you bought or just sharing on any music enthusiast forum you like. 

Anyway, I am not an expert in music culture or too snob knowing the differences of under-rated music scene, but seeing your collection is still there (on Internet) and not removed anytime, it just what the point of having digital file or share exchange. I don't care if it hurts the artist, because Streaming is still being there, also there are always many ways to support them. 

14 September 2018

My beef with Indonesian Religious Soap Opera

There is a reason why someone hate something, especially for something inevitable that we can't run away. That is television and it's program. No matter how far person don't want TV present at their home, people still are attracted to glowing screen with moving object that tells many stories. I know that YouTube is not TV or even Netflix. Both are still have TV characteristics where TV is more cheaper device that completes somebody house like living room and bed room. I am not a TV person but still use it as backdrop sounds from silence whenever I need noise to feel something accompanied. 

Since I have a wife who likes watching TV and it's soap opera. I tried to step in to her entertainment level where like it not I have to tag along accompanying her watching her show which is mostly teenage soap opera and one particular thing I really hate that “religious soap opera” which gets my nerve every time its broadcasted and ironically this makes me hate-love relationship with the show that I am gonna write here about my beef. 

I realize that TV show I like are basically enhanced soap opera that caters the targeted audience who are considered as “smart” enough for a show with great production value and I can recognize what makes “do and don’t” in presenting storyline where cliche’ and overused tropes that always exist in all of soap opera. 

Indonesian is basically loves supernatural elements in its society and its still related with symbolism that wrapped in religion. Something good vs evil, believer and non-believer, logical and illogical in their entertainment. The last characteristic does not exist in Indonesian religious soap opera. The trope where the main character is usually what you can find it on :how to make shitty character 101” book which seems always depicted as consistently good and have no character development, and this applies to antagonist characters where later is being punished by his/her deeds after doing evil stuffs to our main character in the last 10 minutes before the show is over. 

So why I bother I am writing about this, its simple because watching these soap opera rots my brain and its like a cancer for eye that never stop projecting the stupidity of religion representation as plot solver on mass media that majority from low to middle class Indonesia who watch all day. 

The soap opera I mention is serialized soap opera that arises among the popularity of ghost horror show with conventional formula like ghost haunting people and chase them. These show producer wanted to adapt new things in their supernatural show where eventually they use religious aspects (in Islamic teaching) where the storyline consist of troubled and corrupted main character who is overly evil where later his/her funeral procession get trouble and punishment from “god” that often depicted as many various absurd way to our evil main character fate where the god become so hostile toward his/her body. You will find scenes something like exploding graves filled with blood or insects, shrinking grave while being smited from storms and thunder are particular major plot reasoning why the after effect from our main character deeds in their life that depicted as despicable, horrible, and the most shittiest person ever live in thematically background that are targeted toward lower class of audience which happens in viewer reality something like sneaky traders, cheating or being cuck, greedy powerful person, or simple ungrateful little piece of shit main character who can’t handle living in poverty where later the main character will do anything to get what they want. 

In each episode that insults viewer intelligence, everything looks like cheap way to reflect the audience lack of critical thinking on how someone’s life judged based on funeral procession. “god” here is nothing than thunder and storm who will kill the bad MC and punish them by using ridiculous unexpected plot device that related with MC sins before punished in funeral procession. The bad guy usually get broke if they are corrupt traders, getting poisoned, getting road kill or getting special personalized natural disaster. Moreover if the MC is adulterer who cuck, it’s usually getting un-curable genital disease. 

Strangely, I usually end up watching the show and barely can’t stand into middle of episode because I feel sick with character writing and how stubborn the good character (they are often being supporting character). The bad guy probably read this kind of “The subtle art of not giving a fuck” as guidance in evil way. So I changed my TV channel and ask why wife to tell me when our main character will be punished where this part is something I will laugh my ass off watching the bad guy getting played by god awfully writer depicting how hard and suffering for bad Moslem people after they die. Sometime I feel more like watching comedy than supernatural horror religiously wrapped torture, just imagine watching SAW but with dead body. 

Not to mention that almost all of episode there is “Ustadz” or religious figure which happens to be there fighting god wrath by asking people to forgive the bad guy sins where in the earlier show everyone getting a flashback about the despicable dead body in front of them. The ustadz ask people to pray together and magically its calming the universe and nature. Later he just copy-paste any verses from Islamic scriptures saying and preaching with rhetorical and full of Arabic buzzword reminding everyone to not doing the same thing like our bad guy or they will end up the same. 

In the end, this kind of show is about reflection of morbid reality on how shitty person may exist in real life too. And how the writer makes religious symbolism to become a joke for “woke” viewers but also torture porn at the same time for regular viewer replacing the horror element which can’t be distinguished in the title true message. Is is pure religious or just entertainment, one thing I am pretty sure its just actually a cash grab milking the reality into a fantasy. 

 9 September 2018

Review : Dead Island Definitive Edition - Exotic Vacation with Zombies

Just played Dead Island Definitve Edition and finished the campaign mode. I am gonna review it on the web but here random thought about it: 

The story line is basically about zombie outbreak in exotic island named Banoi Island where four immune survivor that consist of Kanye west, Sane Vaasmontenegro, Asian chick who know chemistry who work in the hotel and That walking dead character who wields katana are going to find a way to escape from the outbreak.

Its open world game where it has graphic with photo realistic but shamefully, the characters animation are so lame with great voice acting. Imagine NPC characters cant act and have weird emotion. The quest are kind of chore and you can find it in many open world games but the thing that differentiates this game than other how satisfying using throw-able weapon instead fires random gun in order to defeat hordes of zombie. 

Story wise the game can be similar with many movies about zombie outbreak but this time happens in exotic island and you are as player is free to explore and have thrill in quite calm and relaxing stroll in killing zombies, find various people and environment.

The elements of rpg, four playable characters, looting and crafting system are the good thing about the game. This is kind of game that you can compare with Far Cry 3 while in FC3 you are stuck in island full of pirates and mercenaries. Dead Island gives you various zombies as something to fight against beside little bit of people. Players need to prepare for more time to finish the campaign if they want to max the stats of game, where 24 hours my life being has been stuck on Banoi Island with various locations like its city, slums, and jungle. Throwing stuffs into zombies is fun thing to do. 

Rating : 8/10
Difficulty : Normal
Finished : 15 November 2018

My Gaming History So Far : A Retrospective of old-school and Modern Games Culture

Playing video games becomes that 25% of my daily activity currently after a long hour of work in baking. After building approximately $ 1500 PC gaming rig, my hobby to follow latest trend of gaming for next-gen (or current gen) becomes my personal satisfaction alongside collecting and adding more games on my Steam library. Playing AAA titles and paying for legal right of video game copy was not my thing back in college. I spent most of my study break time playing MOBA on my toaster PC besides bunch of retro games on Emulator.

There are a lot of debate in regard video game console fanboyism. Surely, PC is the true master race comparing current any console nowadays by any mean. No matter how big buzzword those console technology and capability to offer. Nothing beats PC grandiose except some parts that sounds too gimmicky or just brand-loyalty for particular console owners who mostly regarded based on target audience and matter of interest. For example if you are a Nintendo fan boy who is targeted toward young gamers, or likes to play cinematic games from Japan for mature audience, just get Sony Playstation. 

Speaking of Nintendo, its one of my childhood where most of that times, Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) had many various arcad-ish game I used to play in video game center where its popular among kids in my neighborhood because we play them every afternoon by paying little money for half or one hour renting on the spot. I was also familiar with many SNES and Sega console games, in late 90s, video game culture in Indonesia was slight different. Not everyone can afford to have console in middle class family, except I remember that I had NES console which my dad bought with this pirated cartridge that contained 100 games. 

There was a Playsation 1 or X that amazed me when it arrived in our neighborhood video game center. I still remember the first PSX game I saw was Tekken 1 with this 3D graphic where every kids stunned how advanced the sytem showed. I think I am going to talk about this video game center culture next time. Playsation X was game changer, that what I want to say. 

In early 00s I barely seen any computer or PC gaming except there was kind of big Internet cafe or LAN perhaps that served Counter Strike but I never had a gut to use computer because I thought if you are beginner, you will give the PC viruses if you dont know how to handle this "console" which is too costly to rent and too expensive to afford. Stepping ahead, Playstation came along replacing PS X with better computer graphic and more immerse gameplay. Also, there was X-Box which was not too popular in Indonesia. 

There was missing link for me following and having interest in video game for one decade because I spent 2003 to 2010 in boarding school where later in my senior year I was interested and hooked with PC. I started to focus in learning how to "compute" with PC especially Windows operating system like XP and Windows 7. So, I didn't follow any Playstation 3, X-box  or whatever Nintendo console has been released because I was distracted to understand how PC works.

So back in college in early 10s, I couldn't afford to get any consoles because I had no idea how I can get started to be that gamer or game collector. Its also because of those console are too pricey and its games that aren't something average college student can afford to get only one title where its equivalent of one semester college fee. 

The fact I can play simple old PC games or online by pirating these games is my reason not to own console. Even though I have this toaster PC spec, I thought by having only entry PC you can barely playing any console and AAA title but I was so wrong. It required more hardware and need to get killer PC rig to run games properly. So I get stuck with online games where endless grinding is inevitable just like stuck in a loop. 

I used to like narrative video games with solid game play from PS X era where even though technology had not reach its peak at the time, but those games are too fun and memorable for me which I never had the chance owning the console. And then comes a time this three year, I finally have my own work and get decent income to afford a rig instead of console. So I started saving my money to get something what I really wanted. A highest ground of video game level. Owning PC master race. 

By the time I got the chance to have my own console like PS 4, X-Box or any console Nintedo has been released. I prefer to build my own PC because being adult and realizing something "vote with your own wallet"is rational choice. Its not same like my childhood wish list where I just wanted collecting video game cartridge or owning a console where in the past, fun is just what kid looking for. But adult me want more, So... even though I was so late in this one decade from 2010 to 2018, I also start saving to buy AAA titles to enjoy what latest video game technology and development have to offer. 

Fight this.

I have a Steam account, a personal online library that is considered what must have for PC gamers starter pack which i didn't remember when I created the account in the first place and useless for years. So currently my library is expanding continuously, it comes from my impulsive of buying more and catching what I was missing. Those games aren't physical and more like digital library even though I actually want to collect physical game, but seeing console titles are too problematic and not too worth it to have. There is still satisfaction when I can afford to buy 100 titles from early 10 games which I just completed only 10 titles because how expansive and more times to finish those games, its not same thing like old-school I used to expect. 

I am Married Now

Marriage is important thing in life, "even fools want to get married" said my father. And I didnt really want it but realizing I hit mid 20s. Marriage becomes something I have to get in order to keep reality check because as productive member of society. Marriage is essential stuff that need to be done for people who are sane enough to be more responsible having a family. 

So, I just get married with a girl I knew for one year through introduction of my family, we had engaged too and ran this kind of relationship that made us into husband and wife in the end. We live happily ever after. End of story. Nope. 

Life goes on and I enter this new realm of stepping in one of life phase where mature-hood just get started and probably parent-hood what will I become to. Luckily my life state is on stable with decent earning and more stuff that I plan to get someday like having my own house. But family is not only staying on the house all the time. How about my plan "traveling round the world" and other impossible stuff to achieve. Some people said that marriage hinder someone dream to achieve, I guess it could be right because we need to put our attention to the closest one, the physical one. 

And also, marriage is about keeping love intact forever for couple. A concept where a less responsible boy becomes a responsible man, you know what I mean. I should learn how to love, what is love? Baby dont hurt me! No More!

(Not) So New Year Update

It almost two months since I don't post anything here on my blog.  I usually left a year resolution,  but realizing that I don't really follow along the thing I write. So I skipped that part this year.  There are many things that I want to note here,  some important one regarding about my personal life,  this blog direction (again) and also how I suppose make blogging hobby to be more fun.

To be honest,  my English skill is still mediocre and average because I feel that writing complex sentence with particular and precise grammar is not something I am good at.  So I always being stuck how I have to write properly. Seeing my post years back,  it makes me realized how suck I was in writing with good grammar.  But who cares, it's not like this blog is visited by someone. I want to put random thing here,  something I like to write and share my thought. 

So,  back to the things I want to note.  I am very grateful for my life right now because it's better.  I finally own my own store which is cake store and work as pastry in family business, something that I haven't decided to focus but in the end I follow along because this work can provide better earning and have promising career if I take more seriously,  so I finally decided to run on my own while I type this post waiting for Costumer in my store. 

Bakery was not my career choice because I prefer to work in tech or something related,  but no matter what universe decide,  it's find the way and also changing the life direction can lead into different fate I guess. But I don't want to leave my interest in tech especially in digital music production,  so I keep trying to find perfect time to keep me productive but realizing my time are spent in work and video game.  I need more to be precise how I can focus in many interest I want to put on.

So,  recently YouTube stopped its content creator program for channel who have less than one thousand subscribers and lack of views than they demanded. And my channel is one of them,  my videos aren't updated anymore and also I am not that good for begging subscribers to keep watching and streaming my music. 

After earning a couple of bucks that is impossible to live relying on YouTube Ads, I just let go my channel and decide to hide my most watched videos,  it's language project for college that I don't have interest to continue,  instead I put all music there because I narrow it as my personal music portfolio. So bye bye YouTube for money.

Speaking of money, besides getting decent earning from work.  I decided to start in investing. The word of investing always makes me roll my eye because it always sounds more shady and something that con people use. But hey,  I was wrong and I look into the good side of investing.  So I start to put my money for something that can productive than more spending by buying Steam Library games and adding more junks in my bedroom.

So,  there are things I want to focus,  my work,  my hobby, my productivity.  I guess I can start on my blog first.