Starbucks, Trump, Merry Christmas

So Trump talks about boycotting Starbucks over the cup design.

Look, Starbucks can put whatever design it likes on its cups. Whose business is that? It is perfectly ok if they don't put Merry Christmas on it. Put "Happy Holidays" on it, or whatever. He did say "who cares".

Now, just what is the big fuss about "Merry Christmas". We don't force you to say Happy Budda Birthday right? (and that date varies, some time in May). Actually nobody has a clue exactly when Jesus was born. (I mentioned before already: Jesus didn't tell anyone to celebrate his birthday, no one ever bought him a Christmas gift, ok?)

So don't vote for Trump because he will make you say Merry Christmas: "If I become president, we're all going to be saying Merry Christmas again, that I can tell you. That I can tell you. Unbelievable."

Look, Thanksgiving is not here yet, people. No hurry to even talk Christmas.

Pyramids as Joseph's Grain Storage?

Ben Carson thinks the pyramids are Genesis's Joseph's grain storage, not Pharaoh's tombs. See here.

This is ridiculous. Scientists have mountains of evidence indicating these are tombs. I expect neurosurgeons to be smart people.

Well he is on top of polls now. That article reads "Four national polls currently show Carson ahead of Donald Trump, largely thanks to his support among Evangelicals."

Sadly, these evangelicals supporting him do not think science knowledge is of any importance. Alas, the 2nd place guy is not no better. Look, are you going to put someone who has poor science knowledge be commander-in-chief, with no prior political experience?

Huckabee isn't much better, saying a volcano blast is more than one hundred years of human activity. See here.

We need a president that understands global warming and know some basic science!

Learn C "the hard way"

I came across this book stand out among the bookstore's bookshelf.

Seems like some reverse trend of ..For Dummies books. The author actually opens the whole book up on the web so you can look here.

Now, you decide if you want to endorse this book or learn C from it.

Its Exercise 0 says: get Ubuntu Linux if you're on Windows, and install XCode if you are on Mac (and search online for "installing xcode")

and it also warns against an IDE: Don't use an IDE. An IDE, or "Integrated Development Environment" will turn you stupid.

Exercise 1: where is that #include statement needed to compile puts?

The rest of book... seems to put things out of order of how I would introduce things... uh hem, I saw // this is also a comment, sorry but that is C++.

So I think... this hard way book is just a bit too confusing and not necessarily hard. Yes, C runs fine in Windows too, the author seems to think Linux is the only viable OS in the world. There are plenty of C tutorials out there, I'd go online to search for "learn C" instead of buying this book. and I beg to differ that an IDE turn you stupid.

JSON formatting

JSON is such great alternative to XML as Javascript natively understands it. But it can also get complicated... and there is no description like XML describing what you are looking at. And on the java side, there are many tools too. For example: Jackson. see http://www.mkyong.com/java/jackson-2-convert-java-object-to-from-json/.

A formatter definitely can help you look at it in a clearer way. Here are some:

http://jsfiddle.net/AndyE/HZPVL/
http://www.freeformatter.com/json-formatter.html

Here is jsfiddle that you may find useful.
http://jsfiddle.net/AndyE/HZPVL/

Madman shooting again

Before I comment on yet another mad man shooting on campus, first I want to stab one (last) time for Windows 8.

Once upon at time there was a cartoon on the News app that I wanted to alt-print-screen to download but I couldn't. In the cartoon, there was one guy saying something like "Gun Control! We need less guns". The next frame is another guy that says "No, we need MORE guns! Gun laws are useless." Then the next frame says, "See you after the next massacre."

Here we are. How true is this cartoon.

Another unknown man just wants to be known by shooting people then himself. Some details here.

Just how do you prevent such tragedy, everyone carry a firearm to everywhere as "the only way to stop a bad man with a gun is a good man with a gun?"

Some guys say "It is not about gun laws it's about mental illness". Maybe true, but why is the guy legally having so many guns.

And no, I don't think teachers should bring guns to school. I cannot agree more with this gentleman. http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/05/opinions/parini-donald-trump-guns/index.html.

And how many people died in this incident? 10. Many more died in separate incidents in Chicago alone in one day and many of those are probably NOT about mental illness.

Enough of this. People should be working as hard as president-wanna-bes on taking action to implement buy-back program or do what it takes to get guns out just like every other sensible nations out there.

If every household has at least 1 person killed by madmen with guns, perhaps this nation finally will realize.

See you at after the next massacre.