salamangkero

What are the bugs other people are finding? I tried your code and it works fine, only there were warning during compilation: warning: [serial] serializable class Rps has no definition of serialVersionUID public class Rps extends JFrame ^ 1 warning which, I've read, can be fixed by adding any static, final and long field named "serialVersionUID" in your class: <ANY-ACCESS-MODIFIER> static final long serialVersionUID = 42L; Basically, that's all the "problem" I ever encountered; is this it or was there, altogether, something else?

Even back then, when I still thought the universe was exactly Sir Isaac Newton's clockwork deterministic world, I had little trust in astrology. True, I did consider that there may be something to it, however, I also deemed it impossible to keep track of a system, like the universe, while, at the same time, being part of the system. In any case, when I learned about quantum physics' probabilistic universe, I totally gave up much hope for astrology or anything that attempts to divine the future through celestial objects. You also might wanna see this thread I made back then, detailing why a lot of "expert" astrologers nowadays should not be trusted. Say, I'm born in June 21, 1986. Care to tell me my sign in the Classical Zodiac?

I usually daydream even while doing something. I guess it's part of multi-tasking.In any case, often, I imagine people close to me, dying. It is grim and morbid, I know, but I suppose it also helps me evaluate the importance of some people in my life.Sometimes, though, I also mentally choreograph fight scenes should an expected unexpected gunman burst through the office doors or if an anticipated unanticipated earthquake rips through the city.Yeah, I guess you could really call me morbid

I don't think the ashes from a cremated human body is enough to create a diamond of a size "cool" enough. Also, if you wish to have your Lifegem flung out into space, I think you will die sooner than you can buy the ticket to "heaven" After all, it is no inexpensive affair to send anything out of the atmosphere, to say nothing about getting orbit clearances or permit to "litter" the outer space. It's cool, I guess, if it were really possible, or, at least, plausible. However, couldn't you have chosen a much more mundane funerary arrangement? Personally, I, too want to be sent to space. Mummified, preserved and sealed in a satellite, I would be watching over my home planet until the day I return. (Yes, I will return so, please, on my resurrection day, paint eggs, bury them in the sand and enjoy chocolate bunnies to welcome my return) Players of Final Fantasy VIII might recognize the imagery; it is of Adel, the sorceress sealed and sent into orbit. Well, what really got me was that it's be a really nice work of art. However, as I am aware that it is not possible, I would settle for building my own mausoleum cum library cum museum. I'd build a place with a really large atrium and my "satellite" coffin would hang from the ceiling. Of course, I'd want to be embedded in glass or resin or some other transparent material. Again, funerary arrangements culled for Final Fantasy VIII; it's Adel's containment chamber inside the Lunatic Pandora. More realistically, however, I'd be happy to settle for a really tall obelisk gravestone, perhaps something as tall as that pylon in front of the White House. If possible, bury my casket upright, not on its back like people usually do. I'd also want my casket to be surrounded by at least five inches of sand on all sides. I dunno, I just like sand. No, I don't want to be burned. Like the ancient Egyptians, I believe I will need an intact vessel for me when I return

Hmmn... tough question. Lessee... my parents had sex on their wedding day and one of my dad's sperm met up with my mom's ripe ovum. The sperm fertilized the ovum, which led to it changing into a blastocyst, a foetus and, eventually, an infant nourished by its mom via an umbilical cord. On the summer solstice, a series of uteral contractions expelled the infant out into the world. That is why I was born.Really, people, cause and effect. Why answer a why-type of question with "Because we are meant to <insert verb here>" If someone asks for the cause of an event, do you give the effects of that event?I think the question you were looking for is, "What is your/our purpose in life?"I've recently watched Avenue Q and in its finale, a song called "For Now", it basically communicates that it doesn't really matter if you know your purpose in life or not. After all, nothing is permanent. A dream of the past may change in the future. I mean, look, can you really plot out your course in life? What if something unexpected happens? Is it so essential to your well-being to seek the future instead of living for the next few moments?No, really, I was born because my parents had sex and my mom was very careful with her pregnancy. That's all there is to my birth

Wow. I don't see how this works. I mean, we all know that we, humans, do require water, lots of water, to be able to survive. However, does it really make any difference how much we drink at what time of the day? Sorry to be skeptic but, until I see a study that actually proves the therapeutic effects of imbibing one liter of water the moment you wake up, I'd file this tidbit of "fact" under a mental folder marked "insignificant" It sounds like a hype, or something on its way to being one. Nowadays, we are being bombarded with trivia that all but cavepeople know but are passed off as revolutionary. Hey, did you know that antioxidants in apples can help in preventing cancer? Did you know tomatoes, rich in antioxidants, can aid in the prevention of cancer? Did you know that iron in bitter gourd can improve blood circulation? Really, there is an abundance of stuff out there that our ancestors already knew to be beneficial, only, people are touting it as something new. Like before, we're no closer to a cure. We're no closer to prevention either, if I might be audacious enough to claim. We only have fancy terms for the good stuff in fruits and vegetables our ancestors already knew. And now this? Drink water at daybreak; you'll have a healthy glow, be full of energy and away from normal diseases. I'm not even gonna say anything about healthy glows since it's an unquantifiable, qualitative property. Lessee... it is generally known that well-hydrated people can sustain water-losing activities, like perspiring, digestion, locomotion, pushing, pulling and exertion of force, more than dehydrated people. Is that energy enough? Try lifting weights with a thirsty man. Chances are, you'd appear to have more energy than the poor guy. Away from normal diseases... lessee... What are normal diseases anyway? Coughs and cold? Influenza? AIDS? Genital herpes? Is immunity something we can attribute to drinking water at dawn? Or is it more like a combination of well-hydration, good nutrition, regular exercise and healthy living? Sorry for "venting" but I don't really see the point right now nor can I verify its effectiveness. As they say in Wikipedia, "Citation needed"

Heheh. Epic Movie. Yeah, I've seen it. Not much sense, but a whole lot of laughs. I must admit, though, it's not as hilarious as its predecessors, still, it's still a good laugh for someone with a dirty mind.Have you seen it? I especially liked the part where they have to convince Aslo to join in their campaign Have you heard Silas talk? "In nomini patri, et filii, et espiritu santi, magna cum laude" Well, no one can accuse him of not speaking Latin :PI don't think I'll be buying Wonka products for a while. I don't like the ending, by the way.Y'know what, if it were not that funny, I wouldn't like it. It's more like MTV meets the Scary Movie series. There's too much singing and dancing, if you ask me. I'd almost wanted to scream out, "Enough singing, get on with the jokes already!"

It is different from the other theories that once you time travel, you won't find yourself in that reality as you were, so if you went back in time to see yourself as a baby, the baby you wouldn't be there since the adult time traveling you is already occupying the universe. So if you had the ability to time travel in the past and met your double, what would stop you from yanking your double into time traveling with you? The two of you would only need to go back a few minutes, and the two of you could meet your third double. You could snag them and then repeat the process, assuming there was room in the time machine. I'm not sure if the Delorean was a four seater or not. Through this process, you could create an army of yourself, all with nearly the same memories, dreams, ambitions, loves and dislikes. Think of the possibilities. Besides like Michael Keaton in Multiplicity, where all of you would take turns living as one person and doing chores and going to work, other applications exist as well. You could create an army of you. The flaw exists that since personality changes depending on environment, the doubles could start to become more unique. This could lead to a rogue double who doesn't believe in what you have built, and wants to be the only you in existence. The other problem is, that if one double commits a crime, another double could take the fall. Also, if you have a significant other, you're going to have a heck of a time figuring out a way to share them. Hmmn... lessee... considering that we also assume: ...then yes. It is quite probable. Ah, now this is a much more interesting question. The ideas presented regarding one-man, multiple-copies team/group/army is quite good, really. However, I do remember posing the question myself to another friend of mine: If you could go back in time, would you "make out" with yourself? Obviously, the question is completely irrelevant to heterosexuals Ah, yes. I know, quite sick really, still, it gives a whole new angle to loving yourself, huh? Anyway, it also calls to mind a certain webcomic concerning clones from a bleak future returning to the present. Seriously speaking, though, I think creating an army of yourself is gonna create problems. You'd have to remember that these very people have the same drives, the same goals and the same ambitions. While it is good for teamwork, it's also the very idea of communism. Now, I don't want to insinuate anything about communism but my point is that an army of yous is not likely to succeed if you believe in the need for a leader or a centralized command. If you think you're fit to be a leader, chances are, your clones think the same too. On the other hand, if you're waiting for someone to take the reins, chances are, so are your clones and you'll end up waiting for something to happen, which is not, I believe, part of the formula for world domination. In my humble opinion, chances are quite slim that anyone could successfully build, sustain and forward an army of one's self Two is a manageable number, though. I'm looking forward to meet my future self. Or my past self, whichever. Yeah, I know, I'm sick

Oh, hi. I think I also found your other thread. So, the romance is gone, hm? I guess my most romantic experience was a one-week love affair. There's this guy who's been a contact on a local social networking site for over three years. During that time, we know virtually nothing about each other apart from the fact that we're both gay, liked yaoi and are single. That and the usual ASL. He doesn't usually go online, which makes it harder for us to communicate. Well, to begin with, we don't have much to talk about since we are, for all intents and purposes, complete strangers. One spring day, he came online and, as luck would have it, we both had some free time. I hinted that maybe it's high time we finally met offline. It was unspoken but we're both aware that both of us were single, available, looking and, specifically, prospecting each other as potential life partners. We watched a movie, had dinner together, strolled together and he invited me to his dorm. Nothing (sexually speaking) happened between us back then but we had a chance to chat with each other, offline, and learn more about each other. Before I left, we shared a (long and torrid) kiss. The week that followed saw us getting to know each other more. I guess the most romantic time I've ever been through went like this: Him: So, have you ever been in love before? Me: Ah, it's kinda complicated, actually. Him: Oh? How come? Me: Well, I fell in love with my best friend... <insert a long story here> ...but when I finally confessed to him, he turned out to be straight. Absolutely straight. Him: So how were things after that? Me: Well, there was an awkward silence between us for about a month but, pretty soon, things went back to normal, only, he knew I liked him more than as a friend. Him: Do you still like him? Me: I loved him, actually. I still do... although, now, I've stopped expecting he'd return my feelings for him. Generally, I'm just content to love him without wanting him for myself. Pretty messed up, huh? Him: What would you do if he, uh, turned gay or said he wanted you? Me: Heheh, that'd never happen, god forbid it does. Him: But what if god grants he does? <insert pensive silence here> Me: I dunno. I guess I would be more shocked than happy. After all, I have given up hope on him already. Still, I hope it doesn't happen, especially now that I'm dating you. <insert pregnant pause here> Him: If that happens, I'm gonna give you to him. Not because I don't love you but because I know that, in your heart, there's still a place for him, even if you don't recognize it yourself. I don't wanna bother posting what happened in that one-week romantic roller coaster. It didn't work out, to be sure, but I do consider it to be the most romantic experience in my life. That someone would actually step aside for a love that's not meant for them... I mean, I've never expected to be the recipient of such a thoughtful gesture. It really warmed my heart

My heart reaches out to you. Of all the people in the world, I have a soft spot in my (black) heart for victims of sexually-transmitted HIV. Well, after what you just posted, things that happened in my life seemed a whole lot more trivial now... Uhm, no. I'm happy for myself that I haven't experienced this yet. Although I do tend to dream about my best friend getting killed whenever I've had a bit too much to drink. I'd wake up crying and looking forward to hearing his voice, getting an IM from him or seeing him in person, anything to make sure he's alright. Well, I know I seemed like a total lunatic every time I did that. For what it's worth, and coming from a total stranger, I'm quite sorry for your loss. My heart reaches out to you too. Yes, some insensitive people do talk about replacing friends (or lovers, when it comes to that) as easily as replenishing one's wardrobe. "You'll find someone like him," or, "There are a lot of fishes in the ocean," unaware that they are unconsciously insulting the memories of the dear departed. Oh god, the memories... I've had failures in college, quite inexcusable ones at that. I lacked fortitude and the will to resist... uh, distractions. As a result of my own weaknesses, I have failed in some subjects, which, ultimately, led to my taking an extra year in college. I suppose I'd also consider this the worst experience I've had in my life. It was really a depressing time of anxiety and paranoia; questions popped into my mind like, "$#!+, what happens to me now?" or, "How am I gonna break the news to my parents?" or, "If I get expelled, what other courses can I take?" or, "If I run away from home, where can I go?" It was also the only time I've attempted suicide. Fortunately (or unfortunately, back then) some pharmaceutical company botched its job and I just fell ill. I remember holding acrimonious sentiments for my daily glass of milk and multivitamins for foiling my planned escape. Still, for now, I guess it opened my eyes that, perhaps, things aren't quite so bad; that maybe, just maybe, I survived to fulfill some purpose in life. Uh, no. I still haven't found my purpose but I do look at life quite differently now. With your posts about contracting HIV, having best friends killed or getting molested by people you trust, I feel as though there are a lot of things I should be thankful for. Thank you, I guess, for sharing your worst experiences. I'm not happy because everyone else is in misery, just to be clear; I'm just grateful that I'm comparatively okay and that I'm seeing a brighter side to my life right now. Again, thank you guys

Hmmn... I gotta admit, we have never tried ordering pizza on washing days... maybe I should try it sometime. Still, who on earth eats pizza during cold or wet weather? Oh well, maybe there's something in it that I'd only find out if I try

Yeah, Pizza Hut is good. We also ordered from Pizza Hut delivery once and the delivery person was delayed due to a road accident en route to us. (No, he wasn't involved but it did knot up the traffic, effectively delaying him 20 minutes) They didn't have to bring the manager, though. The guy himself said it's free.Actually, we're pretty humanitarian (or my family was) so we asked him if there's any penalty for him for delivering it late. He replied, though, that he won't have to suffer for it. After all, the accident was, well, unanticipated, as accidents are wont to be Anyway, the management pays for it so we can, at least, bite into our pizza in peace and without guilt.As a side note, we know of a certain chicken et al fastfood that makes a habit of penalizing its employees heavily. Oh, never mind what I said.Anyway, it really sucks that Domino's are gonna pull of a cheap trick like that. I mean, not all people who avail of their service are aware of the loophole. And not all people actually surf webpages of pizza companies. If they're gonna make promises, they better make sure they fulfill them and not come up with lame excuses like "Oh, the roads were slick and wet and it was unsafe." In my opinion, it should be a calculated risk for any sensible pizza delivery service, not a marketing ploy to lure people into thinking they have a chance at free pizza when they don't. Blah!

Hmmn... programming here is subject to a lot of interpretations. For one, people outside the IT industry often confuse programming with computer literacy. A few of the common fallacies are: Programmers are no more than good typists. I don't know about you but, when I was a student, I was besieged by my mom into typing some documents for her: contracts, inventory lists, sales reports etc. She'd draft the stuff on paper then ask me, the almighty Computer Science student to type and print it out for her. This fallacy is often seized upon by member of the older generation who could see nothing beyond equating computers with typewriters. Programmers make l33t kewl WEBSITES!!! LIk teh HAXorz. Ugh, please. Some people who know nothing else but their Friendster, Myspace, Multiply or Facebook account often fawn when they find out I'm a programmer. Ppl: "Do you have a website?" Me: "Why, yes, I do." Ppl: "Whoa! That's so kewl! So, what's your Facebook account?" Me: "Uh... I don't have any." Ppl: "Aheheh... I see... Uhm... okies, nice meeting you (noob)" Programmers WILL leave the country. This is something we share with nurses. Really, allow me to add another thing, programmers ALWAYS earn big bucks. (Well, maybe we do, but let's not exaggerate. I'm not made of f*c<!ng dollars!) Programmers make corny jokes. Maybe we do, maybe we don't. We share this fate with mathematicians, scholars, physicists, chemists, nerds and geeks. Programmers can and will repair their friends' PC's Uh... no. Only if I really love you. A lot. A whole lot. And no, I generally don't make websites for free either. No, I won't help you with your MySpace. Overall, though, programmers in our country are generally a respected lot. Of course, as techie and technical people, non-IT people usually run to us, if not blame us, if something goes wrong. The solution, then, is a combination of tact, skill, politics, diplomacy, agility, dexterity and, not to forget, programming skills. All too often, some programmers do tend to turn out troublesome code then wonder why, fifteen years later, they're still working in the same hellhole. Not that I'm implying or insinuating anything on anyone, though, especially myself. Au contraire, I do turn up with troublesome code from time to time

I used to have this problem too, before. I'd look at a person's eyes, notice their teeth, scrutinize their zits, if they have any, look at their nose, study their ears and, generally, let my eyes wander all over their face. People would ask me then, "You're not paying attention, are you?" and I'd answer, "Yeah... no wait, what was that again?"See, the fact that one looks or scrutinizes another person's physical appearance means that one's attention is drawn towards the other person's face. In other words, the problem is not in where the eyes are focused, rather, its is where the attention is focused. For me, the problem was solved when I really listened. When you put your mind into it, you wouldn't care about how people would react or how you look like looking at them. Instead, you'd be conjuring pictures in your mind as you try to visualize what they're really talking about.When I asked a friend how I look like (physically) when they talk to me, they said, "Oh I dunno. Your eyes are roaming... one moment, they're connecting with mine, another, they're drawing figures in the air, then they'd crawl all over my face but, generally, they flicker.""Flicker?""Yeah, they don't move in smooth continuous curves, rather, they move jerkily, like, uhm... like REM cycle." REM cycle, is the stage of sleep when the eyes flicker under closed lids, which coincides with what we call "dreaming". Anyway, she went on to say that my eyebrows move a lot, almost independent of each other, and that my eyes are the most evident cue that I am listening, or reacting, to what she's saying.Anyway, the only suggestion I can give is try not to think too much about it. The more you focus on the objects of your gaze, the more you lose focus over the conversation that really mattered. A friend of mine once imparted to me a fable, which you may find helpful:The centipede and the crow met. Said the crow, "How on earth do you crawl smoothly, with all those legs?" The centipede replied, "I dunno. I just do it." Said the crow, "It must be hard to control all those limbs," and with that, flew away. The centipede pondered over this. It tried to think on how it was able to control all those legs. Awkwardly, it took a few steps but, now, it noticed that some legs were lifting on their own. It tried to be conscious of the movement of each and every leg. That poor centipede has walked funny ever since.

I, like, really agree, like, y'know, totally Some people have really strange outlooks in life. For example, when people find out that I have a website, they'd gush like it's the coolest thing on earth. Well, I have to admit, it is kinda cool somewhat to know how to build a website. Still, it irks me that they'd go, "Oh *BLEEP*, no kidding? Oh my gawd, you're so cool!" Okay, so maybe I should be happy about that one but the next one irritates me. "So, like, you have a Myspace/Facebook/Multiply account?" "Uh... no." "Oh, ah... uhm... I see... Heheh. That's cool." (read: Yuck, noob) I dunno whether to feel pity, indignation or bemusement. Just a while ago, I also came across a splendid forum thread that, of all things, rants about how people mispronounce words like it's a matter of grave consequence. Language, methinks, is a means to communicate and, really, it doesn't matter how you pronounce a word so long as you understand each other. In my opinion, anyone who claims to not understand a mispronounced word is as stoo-pid as someone who throws away toast on the grounds that they used margarine instead of butter. Besides, language is pretty much dynamic and any language purist who insists on keeping words as they are should probably know well enough to use "hath" instead of have, "twa" instead of two, "auld" instead of old or "thy" instead of your. Sheesh, some people can be so shallow sometimes. Oh yeah, over here, standards of beauty is still often based on the color of one's skin. Nobody likes to admit it (of course, nobody likes to look stoo-pid) but they're there alright, spurning their darker skinned lovers in favor of fairer skinned crushes. Sad, really.

It's called placebo, which basically means a harmless substance (or methodology) purported to have beneficial results. If the results are subjective and cannot normally be measured by any standard "yardstick", like pain, drowsiness, perceived energy or vitality, this usually works for conditioned or gullible consumers. Consider the BioDisc. It is, for all intents and purposes, a coaster, though there are claims that it is an "energizer". Water poured over it is energized. A glass of water standing over it for at least 6 hours is energized (sometimes de-chlorinated) and a BioDisc left overnight in your fridge is sure to energize allthe contents of your fridge. Regarding the product, there is much sensationalist hype on the propaganda detailing energizing water. It lists benefits that are purely subjective and perceptual. It is said to enhance the taste of food and drinks but we all know one man's (or woman's) meat is another man's (or woman's) poison. It also claims to assist in the intake of nutrients, relieve pain, reduce stress, increase blood oxygenation, delays fatigue, improves sleep, hydrates or detoxifies the body. Note that, for average consumers, none of these can be verified with scientific instruments. After all, who among us have medical diagnostic equipment in our home accurate enough to measure oxygen level in the blood, measure nutrient absorption rate or toxicity? There is another product that, when I was a kid, was pretty much a hype in our country. The Ernie-form, sometimes known as the Ernie Baron Pyramid, is a tetrahedron composed of 6 long aluminum tubes. The exact science behind its operation is unknown (as it is nothing more than a charlatan's con-job) but it has been detailed as a device harnessing cosmic energies. There had been lots of claims about the device: it prevents food from spoiling; it energizes whatever is inside the tetrahedron (surprise, surprise); it has also been used by uncrupulous feng-shui "consultants" to improve the chi flow in a house. It is also said to be a battery charger, a blade sharpener and, surprisingly, a cheese and salted egg maker. Ha! Can your BioDisc do that? The most sensational claim, however, was that it makes a person intelligent and, for a while, there was a spawn of students wearing tetrahedra on their heads (a suspension system anchored at the bottom three vertices roughly positioned the brain at the center of the device) Really, a lot of these "New Age" energy-based devices are no more than inventions of individuals gifted with immensely creative imagination (and the gift of gab, might I also add) Most, if not all, of the time, the effects are perceptual and purely subjective. Testimonials of recoveries are played up while dissenting stories of disappointment were invariably hushed down. I say, the human mind is powerful enough to bring about physiological changes; much can be changed by one's outlook in life. Perhaps the only use these placebo technologies have is in assisting scatter-minded consumers to have something to focus their positivity on. Oh yeah, I'm selling some gravel, ahem, minerals. Perhaps you'd like to avail of a cure to AIDS, cancer, the common cold or terminal narcolepsy?

Frankly, I don't think this is the major issue. True, Google could have detected that there is, indeed, something wrong, something fishy with a certain person's subscription. However, what is wrong is that they have not informed the subscriber of it outright. Instead, the poor guy had spent effort to put it on his site and got excited by revenue-increasing clicks (genuine or not) only to find out that those clicks were not to be cashed in anyway. If there is something wrong, wouldn't the ethical thing to do be to inform the user within days of the discovery of the anomaly that there is something wrong? They shouldn't let a person's earnings reach up to 99, only to forfeit his subscription to adsense. After all, not all of those clicks could have been faked; some might have been real clicks, which generated money, money Google milked of its unwitting subscribers before telling them off. I dunno about you guys but, if it's anything, Google will only be loyal to you if you are an asset to them. Got a page that rakes in the hits? They'd probably overlook a thing or two for you. Only starting up on Adsense with a page that generates one or three clicks per month? Not a chance

I think it is only human nature to exercise an advantage one holds over the rest of humanity. Day after day, there are dexterous people in the streets employing their nimble fingers in thievery, con men using their persuasive power on helplessly gullible citizens or agile cat burglars restoring precious space to a house or museum. It is only natural to assume that one who discovers he/she has the power of flight will use it, though it is still debatable whether they'd pull off a Superman/Peter/Nathan Petrelli stint and be a hero or use it for less moral and more mundane stunts. If I could defy gravity, of course I would and, yes, I will use it for selfish purposes. To be sure, I won't aspire to be a celebrity for superficial journalists looking for an easy scoop/exclusive or a specimen for intensely curious scientists who, probably above all things, wish to be the first to discover how to make the rest of humanity fly. Instead, I plan to employ stealth and silence with flight, that I may reach places I'm unlikely to access earthbound, acquire possessions otherwise unavailable to me or commit petty crimes I would not have done without a viable escape routine. Most probably, I'd hang the occasional rapist, murderer, thief, drug pusher, con man, rebel, terrorist or politician on top of buildings. I've always wanted to decorate the Empire State's red light with corpses of those most of humanity would rather have dead. Maybe I'd even go to the southern part of our country and, one by one, adorn the trees with the hanging (or hanged ) bodies of terrorists. I'm no humanitarian Clark Kent, that's for sure. I'm more like General Zod, using my power of flight to change the world to my liking; it is only a coincidence that I also don't like terrorists any more than the next guy. However, if I'm gonna have to use technology to fly, like jet packs or, heaven forbid, capes and underwear, I'd probably be a bit more careful with what I do. After all, if it's something technological, odds are the power of flight is not exclusively mine

Well... there's always the undying "Hello world." :(No, seriously, since you have knowledge of primitive classes, making GUI's and querying in SQL, you might wanna start with a tracker.My first actual project was an inventory manager; basically, it's no more than an interface to the database. If you buy some stuff, you click on "Buy Items" etc. If someone buys things off you, you click on "Sell Items" and, aside from updating the inventory, also prints out a receipt for the buying consumer.Well, you can do that or its variants, something like a project manager. I think I've also done one of these, only in PHP. Basically, you define projects and subdivide that projects into tasks, themselves capable of being subdivided into more specific tasks. Of course, for both projects, you'd need an authentication system and, for some inexplicable reason, uses tend to like having profiles in those applications. I mean, the application doesn't really need to know your position or what you look like but, I suppose, having a profile soothes any identity crisis the potential users may have I mean, maybe they'd think it harsh if the application told them, "Look, I just need your username and password, ok?"All kidding aside, what I'm saying is that if you're eager to get cracking, I suggest you try doing an interface to a database. I mean, yeah, it's simple and all that (No, it isn't. People like to change their minds and keep asking for more features as the project drags on ) but of course, we can't really expect non-IT people, like salespersons, admins or project managers to do queries themselves :)In any case, best of luck on your first program!

Hmmn... conceited girls, huh?I once rode a bus home and there was this cute girl I passed by as I got onto my seat. Being gay, of course, she didn't catch my attention :(Over here, riding a bus works like this: (just in case we're doing it differently ) First, you get on the bus, you pay the conductor and he/she hands you your tickets. It is imperative that you hold onto your tickets for the duration of the ride because ever and anon, an inspector boards the bus and, well, inspects if you have your ticket. If you do, good for you, you're a wondrous citizen. If not, you're gonna have to cough up cash again to buy you another set of tickets.Anyway, an inspector boarded the bus, it (the bus, not the inspector) rolled a bit and, on the next stop, the aforementioned girl attempted to disembark. The conductor politely asked to see her ticket. She said she's getting off. The conductor, in the chance th girl misheard, repeated that her tickets are needed. She said she has already paid and she's getting off. The conductor insisted and, this time, the girl blasted, "Do I look like a beggar to you? I can buy your )@mn3d bus and your f*c<!ng tickets anytime!" to which the stoic conductor replied, "That's good. May I see the proof of your purchase of the f*c<!ng tickets?""You want proof," seethed the girl, "I'll give you proof" and she stalked to the back of the bus, grabbed a ticket at random (Our buses have lousy trash disposal systems. Lazy passengers tend to "safeguard" their tickets by inserting it into a random crevice in the seat cushions, the windows, holes in walls or curtains, etc), returned with a hasty stride and would have slapped in right at the conductor's cheeks. Only, the conductor was prepared and caught her arm (Really, who thinks it's not clich??)The conductor pried the tickets from her hands and she bolted for the door, shouting obscenities and, here, even the conductor stooped down to her level; I believe they kept up a lively conversation between the two of them In any case, I heard the conductor murmur afterwards, "F*c<!ng tickets and they're not even valid!"Moral lesson here, methinks, is that beauty can get you only so far. I don't like conceited girls but for girls that know they're beautiful and use that to boss other people around, I feel only hatred. No, my being gay has nothing to do with it

Nothing personal man but I'd dearly love to be the guy ahead of you in the dentist's waiting room. If I knew, I'd have moaned in pain, gnashed my teeth or let out a bloodcurdling scream for something as minor as oral prophylaxis. I don't like dentists either but they're usually not ones I'd like to get into an argument with; they can easily get their own back along with surgeons and hairstylists. Still, I doubt it qualifies as fear. I think I'm pretty much a normal person. I'm not afraid of heights where there's no danger involved. I mean, if I were on the 60th floor, I can comfortably look out a tall glass window. However, put me on a tightrope at the same height and, well... let's just say things take on a strangely different angle. Really, I guess I only have mortal fear of one thing, which I'm not even sure exists, which makes it even creepier. Of course, I'm not gonna divulge it but I guess you could compare it to a kid in fear of the Boogeyman. If the thing is real, all the more reason to fear it. Thing is, I'm not sure if it's real and it's not as nonsense as the Boogeyman. Ah, never mind. I'm not sharing anyway

I've been wondering, for the past month, how much of the Harry Potter series is actually JK Rowling's idea, that is, pure, unadulterated ideas. Er... lemme elaborate. Before the last books came out, there already are film adaptations of the first few books. Sometimes, I wonder, would Rowling have made the story run a different course had someone other than Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint or Emma Watson been casted? Would her last two books, The Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows have been significantly different if the special effects of the first movie were better or worse than they originally were? Let's not limit ourselves to Rowling's work. Animč fans might know about two popular manga series: Bleach and Naruto. Bleach started as a manga by Kubo Tite. It was still unfinished when its animč version was aired. For the most part, initially, the series was faithful to the manga story. Now, seeing how the animation studio has rendered the Bleach characters, the colors they have, the voices they own, the personality projected on screen, would Kubo Tite have altered the manga to accomodate those changes? Would the author's original story have been influenced, if not altered? When the animč series was in danger of nearing the manga storyline, the animation studios did a tried and tested (and, oftentimes, failed) technique, which was to go on a filler arc, that is, a storyline that is not in the manga and (supposedly) should not affect the original story. Game-wise, it's a lot like a side-quest. In this filler spree, certain characters had gained new powers. The operating principles behind the weapons of some characters had been explained (for example, a weapon's special powers is claimed to be based on the ability to draw or inject poison, another weapon, a sword, has the power to absorb and inflict injuries) and these concepts were not in the manga. In other words, by claiming how a particular item works, has the animation studio ruined what plans the author might have for those weapons? Suppose the original weapon was really based on kidou (magic) and not poison? Suppose the other sword was not really supposed to be a healer-type of sword? If things are that strange for Bleach, it is worse for Naruto. Indeed, many people have the notion that 50% of the series is adherent to the manga storyline while the other 50% are no more than filler sprees. Again, these filler episodes have a damaging effect. Some characters gain abilities early on while other, more competent, superior characters, gain a similar ability through hard work and training, at a much later point in time. I wonder how the author feels about the animation studios second-guessing the abilities or spells supported by the characters he/she himself made. Would the author have changed his original plans for the work? Or would he/she simply ignore the film/TV adaptations and go on writing, leaving the problem in the hands of the animation studios? When I presented this possibility to my friend, he said, "Yeah, it is distinctly possible. Maybe someone though, "$#!+, this old headmaster they casted is hot, maybe I'll make him gay, maybe I'll let him have a lover of sorts," so, really, the original story could have been changed to accommodate an imagined lover for a gay old geezer." I promptly felt nauseous. From another friend, "If I'm writing a novel and they tell me they're gonna make it into a move starring Jake Gylenhaal, I'd definitely turn it into an erotic story." And we sighed wistfully.

Wow. It seems salad is a fave around here. So I'm also gonna post my unhealthy version of something that should have been healthy. Basically, a vegetable salad has three components: Leaves Lettuce is, oftentimes, a mainstay, though I have watched a few shows on TV where they use other leafy greens. Cabbages are a good substitute. At least once, I have heard of some people who use, uh, weeds. For your safety, though, use lettuce until you consult an herbologist regarding other edible leaves, Professor Sprout, maybe Dressing This is, methinks, optional. Sometimes, you'd just wanna taste the crisp and cool lettuce and veggies without any interfering flavors. Most of the time, however, a salad dressing serves to bring together, or harmonize, the taste of all the other ingredients. Thousand-Island dressing seems to be a popular choice. Those on a tight budget over here usually make do with mayonnaise. You can also try these two: Orange juice, cinnamon powder, vinegar (just a small amount) and oil (sesame or olive is good) Pesto and mayonnaise (mix well) Hoisin sauce and mayonnaise (don't mix. You may omit the mayo, if you so desire) Toppings, for lack of a better name These go above and in between the leaves. Mostly, it can be whatever you want, limited only by your sense of taste An ideal salad for me would have the following: Fish flakes (Tuna, tilapia, blue marlin or catfish will do fine) Crab meat and/or fat Chicken tempura strips, chopped, if necessary (breaded chicken will also do) Chicken skin, fried or roasted Shrimp or prawns, cooked and shelled Squid rings, breaded and fried Mussels, blanched and shelled Bacon and/or ham bits Pork rind cracklings (yes, the un-healthiest food available to us here) Lechon (roasted pork) meat and/or rind, chopped Century eggs, Hard-boiled quail eggs or chicken eggs, sliced for century and chicken eggs Tomato, sliced Carrot, sliced, diced or sticks Cucumber, sliced White onions, sliced (raw red onions irritate my palates) or ringed, breaded and fried Pineapple chunks Corn kernels Raisins Green Peas Sweet bell Pepper, strips Black olives, sliced Cheese, diced or grated Unflavored jelly, cubes (I don't like this but I think Wendy's salad bar offers these) Croutons Instructions Is this really necessary? 1. Basically, you tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Cover the bottom of the plate with them. 2. Heap in the toppings 3. Pour the dressing 4. Mix, if you want, but I recommend serving it as it is. As you can probably see, the easiest meals tasty enough for me are, usually, a hodge-podge of leftovers Oh, seriously, could you really comfortably eat a salad with all that? Well, I think I could, only, I have never tried it. It'd be a heaven-sent miracle if I find all of those stuff in our fridge

That sounds quite scary. For one, it means that god is not really promising people an eternity in heaven Rather, he is leasing heaven (or energy) to the faithful and, when the time comes that god's energy gets depleted, he'd evict those poor souls right out of heaven and obliterate them, that is, reclaim those energies. I was thinking about this last night, amidst the screams of "Happy New Year!" and the blood-curdling yells of "Yaaah! My fingers!", and I've wondered, maybe heaven as you defined it, is not exactly an eternal place, rather, it could very well be transitory, say, like another universe. So, see here, god creates universe A and promises his creation that those deserving citizens of the land get to go to heaven, universe B, when they die. So people in universe A die and get holed up in universe B. Now, let's say universe A collapses, which turns all its matter into energy, that is, raw material for god's creations, and, from this immense amount of energy, god creates universe C. Now, he creates life once again but now, instead of pulling energy from himself to create life, he first dumps heaven into universe C. Do you see what I'm getting at? Good people get to be part of the "new kingdom"; in other words, heaven is like the waiting room for the next universe and that those who gain admission to heaven automatically get to live on in the next universe while those unrepentant sinners of the world get destroyed and, in the next universe, get turned into space dust. Now, after creation, I suppose the process of reproduction automatically draws energy from God, I mean, c'mon, we're gonna have sex sometime; we can't keep asking god to send us babies carried by storks or something. Somewhere down the line, those people will have to do the labor themselves (pun intended) I dunno. These thoughts of mine are, to me, quite analogous to an eternal contest. Those who survive one round get to go on to the next round. Each round works such that the number of contestants increase per round (though the number of survivors don't ) Well, it has been said many times before, maybe we are in a giant chessboard (or worse, pool table) and god, if he/she/it exists is only playing games to while the eternity away and alleviate his boredom. Whatchuthink?

It does make some sense but, for this to go on forever, the creator, whoever he/she/it is, needs to have infinite energy (which, to a degree, is how a lot of religions describe the creator, all-powerful, whatnot) for repeating the cycle of creating and destroying universes will, if your concept of heaven is sustained, eventually drain (or worse, kill) the creator of his energies as more and more people gear up for an eternity in heaven, that is, hoarding all that energy for themselves Either that or the creator has to ensure that only a limited number of people enter heaven by introducing rules and laws for admission. Sometimes, I wonder if heaven, if it did exist, is getting overcrowded and Satan was introduced into the system to stem the inflow, so to speak