Back in the days it was easier to sort out our music collection because it was only tapes and CDs, or those big black CD thing (vinyl was it called?). If it wasn’t in your room, most probably one of your siblings took it. Worse case scenario that your mom threw it away because she got sick of you playing the same tape/CD over and over again, or most likely she thought it was trashy. Better yet, maybe you misplaced it with your porn stash.
But that was then. Now we are in the digital age and instead of going to the music stores which is such a hassle, we download our music, thanks to the Internet (do you think we even care if it’s illegal?). With one click you are capable of accessing to God knows how many tracks. It’s like having absolute power at your fingertips. You name it, you got it. Just type in whatever you are searching for then click search, download and voila’. Simple, quick, and clean because it doesn’t get dusty like your old CD collection.
Though however, having too much power will consume you in the end-an overly used cliché. Yes, there is a downside to all of this downloading business. We tend to download too much. Starting out with downloading what we want, then through recommendation and lastly we go experimental. As a result, we have a super massive collection of junk MP3s.
Quite a bother I reckon. A collection of 5000 MP3s can be considered manageable. But what happens when it reaches up to 60,000, or 100,000? This amount of MP3s requires a lot of space for storage. Not to mention that you need space for other things such as work, pictures and videos especially the very well-organized, carefully selected for quality porn collection that you treasure so dearly.
Technically this isn’t much of a problem because we can effortlessly delete what we don’t listen to. But then again we hesitate to do so because we love our collection unconditionally, no matter if it is crap. We try to reason with ourselves that maybe it has some value. Besides that, we even try to recommend it to others. Too bad they were able to tell it was crap with just one run-thru.
Others resolve by turning to MP3 players to manage storage problem. It is easier and you can take or put it wherever your heart desires since most of it is now just the size of the palm of your hand. (Tuck it down your underwear for all I care.) Most of these gadgets can easily store up to 80GB worth of tracks. But still, organizing and such can be quite a chore. And, after much observation, I conclude that those lucky enough to own one, above 30GB of space tend to play on ‘shuffle mode’ because they can’t make up their mind in selecting the tracks they want to hear. ‘Have you tried click-wheeling through an artist list with over 1000 names?’ (Mark Harris). Makes perfect sense does it now?
The only possible solution is to carefully select what you are downloading. Don’t just go clicker-happy clicking at whatever you see. I’m not saying that its easy considering there is so much clown-music out there, and to tell the difference between one and another…don’t get me started. So please, if you claim that you have taste in music, be very picky. So that even when your music collection is expanding to the point that it’s starting to make your hard disk go bonkers at least it has value. Don’t let your sense in music decline. Act now or end up with a million tonnes of crappy-tunes.
Haikal out!
Sunday, June 24, 2007
+Audio Obesity
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
+23
Every year, there is one day everyone is looking forward too. Well, technically not everyone, but most people do. It is a day of celebration for how long you have lived and what you have accomplished. It represents a lot more than those wrinkles, grey hair, and ever growing waist line. Birthdays are the mark of what you have become since you were first brought into this world looking like a baby monkey with no hair. (I know because I looked like one)
Well, anyway, when we were all small, birthdays were the highlight of the year. Every year, without fail we would remind our families and friends about it. And as a kid, what I look forward too the most on birthdays were the presents! Transformers and GI Joe figurines was what I used to get, and yes, sometimes I would ask my parents for Barbie Dolls because they were my sworn enemy. They annoyed me so much especially that guy character, what was his name…Jack or John? I remember purposely burning my sister’s doll house along with the doll inside.
But that was then, and as I grew older I got less and now nothing. The funny thing is, that feeling of eagerness is gone too. I’m not quite sure why. Instead of birthdays being celebrated, I’d rather treat it as any other day. People my age, they celebrate their birthdays as if they’ve just won a million bucks. It’s either getting drunk enough to have a hangover lasting for a week, have a threesome or an orgy, buy their friends a fancy dinner or just spend the whole day with their partners. The objective is to have a total blast on that day, no matter what.
I recently turned 23, and for my birthday I played basketball with my friends.
There were a few whom asked if I’m celebrating or whatsoever but I just said no as if the day meant nothing. Mainly it was because my head was somewhere else, and usually this happens on my birthdays. On birthdays, people get drunk and try to kill themselves by pushing themselves to the limit with drugs or get laid- I on the other hand have FLASHBACKS- and it is really a set back.
My mind is like this factory where all the machines are running 24/7. It constantly thinks about something. And on my birthdays, it chooses to run the extra mile, exhausting me with questions regarding my achievements, my dreams and where am I heading and frankly speaking, I don’t like my brain.
Why? It’s simple - because I hate being reminded of my mistakes, especially by my conscience. Because firstly, I don’t think I’m the ideal son and I am so far away from being able to repay my parents for keeping up with my bullshit. I was the black sheep of the family (maybe still). Always creating a fuss for my parents, my brothers and sister, and sometimes my busybody aunts. In my demon days, I used to skip school, well everyday actually, got caught smoking wearing a school uniform, shoplifted a few times, never really ace-ed in academics, stole school properties and ran away from home. To think about what I’ve done, I think I was a pretty dumb teenager. I regret doing some of the stuff I did, though however it taught me a lot too. For example, if you want to runaway from home, make sure you got a lot of cash and a plan. You don’t want to be going sleeping on the bench in the parks. I was such a nuisance that one of my aunt managed to convince my parents that my body had been taken over by some evil spirit of some sort.
Dude~~~
Secondly, I think I still have a long way to go before I actually achieve my dreams of becoming somebody. However, I still have no idea what I want to be. Like yes, now I’m taking public relations as a major and I like it, but not enough to love it. It’s confusing really. What I know is I want to leave a mark of some sort when I die, and I would want people to remember me for that. But by doing what? I have no talent and I’m not really that smart either. Hell I don’t even have a hobby.
Thirdly, I think I’m lonely, sometimes. However, it’s not like I want to have a relationship or anything. Every now and then I just wish I have someone to talk to, who would listen and laugh at my lame antics. But then again I’d rather not - Typical male propaganda. There was someone I considered as special though (Well at least it was leading towards that). Too bad things didn’t work out. Time wasn’t working in my favor or maybe there is more to it than I know. So I think I’ll pause for now. But the feeling was good nonetheless, even if it was just temporary.
Lastly, I think I haven’t really changed that much compared to myself when I just graduated high school. Pretty much the same old me. Worse in fact, I am still the same trouble maker, I still like to mock at people, I smoke twice as much and I am a borderline-alcoholic. I don’t take drugs anymore though. So do I think I’m a better person now? No and I believe that’s a stupid question to ask. People tend to be biased when it comes to such questions and of course we want to be and feel good about ourselves in all ways possible, but seriously, who are we kidding? And why on earth am I asking myself these questions?
What have I learned throughout the 23 years I’ve been living all comes down to one thing – experience. It is utmost rewarding and it serves you in many ways. My parents talk to me more now and I can handle rejection or being denied of approval and I still yet have a long way to go till I accomplish whatever it is I want to. Even if I think I haven’t improved to being a better person, my experience states otherwise. As a conclusion to my meaningless thoughts, treat everyday like it’s your birthday.
Happy birthday Haikal!
