Heartbroken news: promising teen shot dead

My heart is broken as I read this: news.

A young talented teen who just performed at the Obama inauguration shot dead... by a bullet not intended for her. And there has been over 40 people shot dead in January alone. If statistics is of any value, and that there were over 500 homicide last year, there will be 450+ people out there breathing right now who will be shot dead by the end of this year. (and you can be one of them)

There will be people who say, "look, Chicago has tougher gun laws and look at those numbers" and then cry gun laws are useless as they embrace gun owner associations. Their reasoning is this: look if bad people have guns, we better have guns.

The talk of gun control is talking about banning high round clips and some semi-automatic weapons... That's a good first step. However, even that is facing challenge after people who lost their loved ones speak out, even Senator who got shot speak up. Waita minute, what kind of gun killed that talented teen and many others? They are probably regular hand guns and no one is talking about restricting them.

I don't feel safe. So do kids I suppose. If kids don't feel safe, how can they grow up correctly and not end up in vicious cycle of gang violence?

In addition to gun control, we need law-and-order restored in our neighborhoods! Are there enough police out there? Are there cameras all over the place to watch over the street corners? We perhaps need propaganda-like posters all over saying: "If you kill, you will be in jail" posters with gruesome pictures all over. A lot more need to be done.

Android 8 vs 16

Android API version 8 means the popular 2.2. There have been 9 versions after that and now the latest is at 17. See here for the version history. Android is changing frequently! Ooh, it is named after delicious-but-high-calorie things alphabetically: Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo... Ice Cream Sandwich

Which one you like better?

The one on the left is version 8. (2.2). It has buttons that looks like buttons (with various gray gradients). The "Toast" also has rounded corners. The one on the right is version 16. (4.1). Ok, the modern UI features FLAT buttons, and RECTANGLE Toasts. Come on it doesn't look as nice. I thought only Windows make things uglier with subsequent releases.

New phone: Nexus 4

My old Huawei Comet is lightweight, small, trusty but low-end phone. Once upon a time I peaked someone in the CTA playing Angry Bird on a modern phone I am like gee, how come Angry Bird does not look like that in my phone. And when I look at the kinda blurry pics taken, hmm, I can use something slightly better. And as an Android enthusiast, I deserve a good upgrade for a new higher end phone. Should I get the Samsung Galaxy III (or the Mini)? or the Nexus right from Google? Head-to-head reviews indicate that Nexus and Samsung Galaxy are very comparable. Gee, the Samsung is so expensive! Ok, the price determine that the Nexus is a better choice. This is a highly wanted product on Google Play. Frequently it is in SOLD OUT status, and I waited 2 months for it. But your local phone dealer may have it, yea they probably want you to renew contract and adhere to them forever.

Both the Samsung Galaxy 3 and the Nexus have one problem though: it is BIG to carry around. Why modern phones are so big? Ok so it is easier on the eye you say? But why do you have to watch videos on it? Get a 7-inch or 10-inch device for that. My sole complain is the size.

The Nexus's battery is not detachable! The SIM card is a Micro version and you need to poke it with a staples to open up the fragile tray. Not sure if I like this design.

Pics and videos: sure it can do better than the old phone, but don't expect phones to replace your trusty Canons yet. It even has a flash.

But when you compare head to head with an IPhone... I am sorry to say this Android, but the IPhone does look even better. I am not sure what exactly is missing here.

And I am saddened to find out some of my apps don't work well on large phones... yes, I didn't test on big phones and didn't bother to find bigger icons for bigger layouts. Some of my apps not just look bad but crashed. Ok, let me open up the code, get logcat ready and see what exceptions get thrown... Hey, all I need is re-compile and didn't have to touch the code and it now works?! What's up with backward compatibility at binary level? When I have time I will try to fix the look of some of my apps.. with larger icons and better handling... That layout thing... sometimes is hard to tweak to make it look right.

Not everyone needs modern expensive phone. A lower-end one actually provide most of what you need. Save your $ if your phone is working fine... unless you develop apps too.

Yes, Angry Bird (Star Wars) is more fun on my modern phone.

Response to "Why I Raise My Children Without God"

This is a parent's manifesto: Why I Raise My Children Without God

I applaud this article's honest, open thoughts. What are your thoughts? Come on, you have some.

1. God is bad parent and role model.
Waita minute, he did intervene as a parent. He kicked Adam and Eve out of Eden for not obeying. Wait minute, just for eating a certain not-allowed fruit? (Yes)

2. God is not logical
"Why did God allow this to happen" -> "It's not for us to understand". This is the great question of suffering. The classic answer is... if you know the answer you will be God yourself. Yes I know this is not so satisfactory. We just have to admit there are things we don't understand. I am sorry I don't have satisfactory answer either. This means: don't bother looking for an answer as there isn't one. The author is wishing God to be the true world policeman to stop bad things. If God had to intervene, and kill everyone doing bad things the world would have ended long ago. There is promise of Judgement Day... in which all things are resolved.
3. God is not fair
Answered prayer on silly things like winning a soccer match but denied the prayers of parents with dying children... I am sorry about children suffering and I am not sure if they can win soccer match just by praying alone. I am sorry I don't know how the prayer-answer system work, as I am not God.
4. God does not protect the innocent - See (2)
5. God is not present
One cannot actually prove or disprove he is here or not... because he is some higher being. But you can believe he is.
6. God Does Not Teach Children to Be Good
So this is about externally focused or internal structured... Yes, teach them to be internally structured good kids. I agree.
7. God teaches narcissism
"God has a plan for you." came from a little line in Jeremiah 29:11. Waita minute this is talking to Jeremiah (concerning the future of the exiled Israel people) and not you or me. But book authors infinitely enlarge this verse to give hope to the hopeless. This actually may not be a bad thing... but I wouldn't go so far to call it narcissism.

So we live in a world where there is no world policeman that stops bad things from happening. I wish that's the case but unfortunately it is not how the world works. Yes, We are helpless. We don't know when the next tragedy will come.

I would tell kids to practice their soccer. Do their best. (and that alone)

I would tell kids to be good not just because I'll watch them, or any higher being watching them (with hand gesture of 2 finger pointing to eyes then pointing at kid). (Just like the author)

Now for the suffering. We need sensible people who take real actions such as gun control(!) Are the psychological disturbed people getting enough help? (Something the government ought to think about)
People need to love their kids so they don't grow up resentful and be criminals.
For those who have extra $, donate to charity so you can do something that Jesus talked about: feed the hungry, give drink to thirsty, cloth the naked, etc. (Matthew 25:31-46)
You can make the world a better place...even you are no more special than the next creature around you.

And for daunting questions about God. Yes I know you have heard the book of Job, and I know you are lost in the text after chapter 2. Skip right into chapter 38.

Windows Annoyance (part 5)

In Windows XP, there was an convenient Show Desktop that minimizes everything that is running and give you the desktop, where you may put icons to quickly access your files. Oh it has been gone for a long time. The icon is gone, but the functionality is still there for Windows 7. You have to click all the way to the right-hand-side, to the right of the clock to get to it, and it is not even clear. See details here. Ok, I actually don't use this too much so I didn't even notice with a couple years banging on Windows 7, and this tradition carries to Windows 8.

Windows XP	Windows 7 & 8

I refuse to give in. Computer should work for me. Not the other way around. I want to add the minimize shortcut icon back down in the task bar.

A two line VBScript will do the trick:

Set shell = wscript.CreateObject("Shell.Application")
Shell.MinimizeAll

Ok, create such script, drag to the taskbar... Alas it doesn't work, it gives you a wacky popup instead.

To overcome this, you need to create a shortcut, then make that call: wscript.exe minizeall.vbs, and then you can drag to the taskbar. Find pretty icons in %SystemRoot%\system32\SHELL32.dll. You are a real old timer if you remember moricons.dll