hermansaksono

I hate when companies changed their logo just for fancy’s sake. Some recent logo changes were good (BII, Excelcommindo) because logo adjustment were necessary to suit their new philosphy. But take Indosat for example, it’s new logo is making Indosat looking like a weak newcomer in communications industry. And list goes on.

But the award for worst new logo goes to SCTV for it lame ass logo hyped as Satu untuk Semua. Not only it looks amateurish, its philosphy doesnt seem to serve anything.

Even worse, 20 were poisoned during the logo’s launch event. The culprit: Boxed Rice that was served during the event!

My office is just a few feet away from the famous UGM’s Roundabout (aka. Bunderan UGM), which is a popular venue for UGM students to protest against…. everything. So, everytime SBY’s administration is proposing something, I have to hear annoying march and disturbing oration. It’s not that I against them, because most of the time I go for their views. It takes quite sometime for me to realize what they are doing wrong. It’s not the content that makes me sick, but the presentation that stirs me (and the rest of Jogja community) away.

We live in a world where package is everything. Where package overshadows the actual content. By saying that, I didn’t mean that you should protest against Sumadi’s appearing on Kedaulatan Rakyat collumn every single edition, and wearing a pink and cuddly outfit. For non Jogjakartans out there, Sumadi is the person who owns the largest selling newspaper in Jogja, Kedaulatan Rakyat. And yes, he appeared on every single edition of KR.

I’m saying that student protest should package their statement in an effective manner as possible to achive the ultimate goal(s). Shouting and yelling is not effective at all. It is, infact, very ineffective.

Therefore, I decided to write several tips for student protester out there on: ‘How to protest in an effective way’:

1. You protest to raise awareness on certain issue to the public, press, or even better international community. Don’t mix your personal sentiment to the government with the protest. It’ll make you looking like an emotionally-unstable student who has no life. TIP: Try to appeal the public by doing something that appeals them (doh!). Don’t give away flower becuse it is so overused and thus making it very ineffective.
2. Dress and groom nicely. The other day I saw a lead protester wearing a green army jacket that seems hasn’t been washed since it was bought. And don’t get me started how ugly the hair looks. You may think that people doesnt judge the way you look, but the truth is they DO. TIP: Take a bath before protesting. If you dont take a bath often, take a regular bath a week before protesting. Wash your hair. Put on some Nivea moisturizer (or even better: Body Shop’s Tea Tree Oil Mattifying Moisture Gel&mdhash;pictured right) to enhance your skin’s complexion. On P-day, wear a clean clothes. Tucking your shirts will helps.
3. Make a nice protest boards, because a good and visually engaging protest boards can be as effective as a good oration. Don’t just write a lame-ass phrases and write it on a piece of cardboard. TIP: Ask a friend majoring in communication and/or graphic design to design a complete visual communication tools. It doesn’t has to be expensive, but it has to be visually effective.
4. Be a good PR. Practice your speech few days before protesting. As a friend who you think a good speeechwriter to help you wrting your speech.
5. Drop happening-art. It sucks, weird, and making you looking like an emotionally-unstable student who has no life.
6. Behave. Manner does matter. Act like a responsible adult.
7. Be creative. Design an integrated concept for your protest. Create a distinct visual identity. This will helps people to recognize what you are fighting against.

Well thats about it. Happy Protesting!

To be honest, I’m impressed how Yogyakarta’s Governor, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono 10th performs lately. I’m not a big fan of his, but his recent moves shows a bold direction where our crowded dan human-resource-rich province is heading, namely with the recent development of infrastructures and commerce facilities.

Recently, the local newspaper writes a report on possible hurricane in Southern Yogyakarta beaches. Thay said, that it will be a big hurricane and may cause a major damage.

I didn’t expect the government to do anything, because thats what they normally do in the past: always late in anticipating any disasters. However, I was suprised when I read today’s paper, where Sultan start commanding many organizations to prepare for the disaster, in case it does happens.

I’m impressed. If he keep on impressing me like that, I might eventually voted him.

Provided that our legislative body changed the status of my Province…

Is it just me, or nowadays perfumes doesn’t lasts long? I just bought this brand new Boss In Motion perfume (or some fashion elitist might call it Eau de Toilette, but its potato potato to me), and this thing only last for a 1-2 hours. That is mad.

I want my hard-earned S$73 back.

There are certain songs that made you cry, even though you feel completely ok. Same thing happens to me the other day. I was listening to this song called Smile which was sung by Michael Jackson (ok get rid of those questioning eyes, some people might call him a child molesting plastic, but he has done many wonderful song, so give-him-a-break season starts now).

Anyway, the song is about how to cure you sadness with smile, how to make you feel magnitudes better with just a simple smile. I started to imagining how the music video would be, because this great song (which was dedicated for Charlie Chaplin, CMIIW) never got the opportunity to be visualised into music video. However, for no obvius reason, I started to get all teary.

Soo, I imagined the video started with a bunch of commuters sitting on subway, early in the morning, going to work, feeling lonely and forgotten. Imagine low saturated, high contrast video. To make things short, it ends when the sun starts shining, and they saw many cute and funny things, and these bored commuters start smiling and all.

Okay it may sounds really lousy, but believe me, it would be a great video. Its just I suck when it comes to explaining things in a non-oral way.

This should be my first post on this blog. Here, you will find my personal rants, a tad of random thoughts, and some annoying quick-facts. Please note that this blog represents my very inner ego, which, quite frankly doesnt represents me in real life.

Anyway, have fun!

Herman