Dreaming of Enterprise Web Development in Java

One of the first programming language that I studied in a classroom setting was Java. It was my introduction to Object Oriented Programming, which actually means that everything is already built and you just have to know which functions to access and pull together. Then you put your finished product on an application server and pray that it runs.

Back in those days, we did not have tools that made programming in Java easier. We had to code by hand and look up the functions in our half-a-foot thick reference books. It was very cumbersome for me.

Today we have Spring tool suites to make life easier, Spring is the standard model for programming in Java (most of the useful Java functions are in the Spring library). We have the java application server and the apache tomcat, for people who manage a lot of open source web applications on the apache server.

Although I am most comfortable in PHP now for web development, I would like to learn more about how Java evolved since I studied it. I would like to build rich web applications using Java. Java is still considered as one of the most robust programming languages out there - it is one of the most-trusted programming languages for building enterprise-level applications. Knowing how to develop in Java is still a plus factor in any developer's resume.

Happy coding, everyone!

Movie Night: The Soloist

When two great actors come together, they make a great movie. Give the great actors an amazing screenplay and you've got yourself a winner!

I don't think anyone could have played these roles better than Robert Downey, Jr. and Jamie Foxx. When Los Angeles Times columnist, Steve Lopez (Robert Downey, Jr.), discovers transient, Nathaniel Anthony Ayers (Jamie Foxx), playing a two-stringed violin at the foot of a statue of Beethoven - he saw an interesting story for his column.

But Nathaniel Anthony Ayers challenged him to be more than a writer, he became Steve Lopez's friend and taught him more about relationships than anyone has ever done in his life. As he learned Nathaniel's story, as he tried to help him regain his potential - he discovers a lost soul that just needed some understanding and a lot of love.



When I see transients in the streets of LA, San Francisco and yes, even in Orange County - I can sense heartbreaking stories behind their faces. Some of the homeless here in America have had amazing lives like Nathaniel who attended Julliard, an executive who has fallen on hard times, a divorced person who did not recover from the failure of his/her marriage - or just a lost soul with huge potential just needing someone to believe in him/her.

The value of being a friend is greater than all the wealth in the world. See the movie, it's already out on DVD - it was definitely an eye opener for me.

Give Water, Give Life

What if your $20 donation can give one person clean and safe drinking water for 20 years? $5,000 can build a freshwater well in a village and provide 250+ people with clean drinking water. $20,000 can sponsor a freshwater well and latrines at a school and serve 1,000+ students.

In these tough times, we may not have $5,000 much less $20,000 to spare for charity - but surely we can spare $20 to save a life. Charity:Water is a non-profit organization that builds wells that provide clean water for the people in Africa. They just launched a micro-giving website and are now accepting donations. Please help.

Water Your Brain

I found this trivia in an Arrowhead water bottle label:

Did you know that your brain is about 75% water? Drinking water throughout the day can help you stay hydrated and mentally alert.

Ok, maybe they taught us this in school at some point but when I read it I thought it was worth posting. I drink lots of water to help accelerate my metabolism. I feel refreshed when I drink water and it does not make me feel bloated like other drinks i.e. juice or soda.

But I didn't know that it helped my brain too. So this may be contributing to the ease of my mental multitasking as well. Wow!

Drink more water today! Be healthy and stay on top of your game.

Print a Shirt & Market Your Brand

I love t-shirts – they are one of my favorite marketing tools. Design a cool graphic that will promote your brand and then give them away as gifts to clients or if it's really good – sell them on your website. When your clients wear them, you get free advertising! I think this is especially helpful if you want to attract more people to your website – add your URL to the cool graphic and help your customers find you.

I am always on the look out for companies that do inexpensive screen printing tee shirt production. My sponsor LogoDogzPrintz.com can produce your order in five days. They don't charge for art fees or shipping. They are one of the industry leaders in screen printing and their services are very affordable.

Check them out and make a cool product or market your company today!

Corazon Aquino: World Changer

I remember being glued to the TV as I watched men and women lay down in front of tanks full of armed soldiers. I remember the world calling it the peaceful revolution - the EDSA revolution that dethroned the dictator who wanted to be king of the Philippines. And made Corazon Aquino, the first female president of our country.

I met her once, she signed a book written by my classmate for me. When I first saw her, I was struck by her simplicity. She had no airs, no designer gowns or hundreds of pairs of shoes - she had her yellow dress and a mother's smile. She ran the country as best as she could - the blanket of terror shrouding the country disappeared. People learned to speak their minds without fear of encountering the army that "took care" of activists.

She changed our world and yet she remained a woman of faith through it all. She prayed the rosary openly, she went to mass - her faith was part of who she was. It equipped her with the strength to run a country, taking up the cause her husband started before he was assassinated. Until her dying days, she trusted God and she found peace in the end.

As I watch videos, look at photos of the masses paying their last respects to a beloved president - I felt tears in my eyes. She was a great woman who did not let politics taint her faith - an inspiration, a world changer.

Farewell, Madam President! May more Filipinos follow in your footsteps and be unafraid to change the world - starting with the country they call home.

ShopWiki.com : The Helpful Shopping Place

My husband and I have absolutely no sense of direction. Even with Google maps printed out, we still get lost at times. I've been thinking of getting a GPS device for us. I'm the type of shopper who researches about products before I buy. If I am lucky, I find a very helpful website with a buying guide like ShopWiki.com - if not, I call my techie cousin and he patiently explains everything to me.

Summer is here - time for road trips and I appreciate the fact that ShopWiki.com has recommendations on what we may need for these as well! I tend to do last-minute packing and we end up having to buy some stuff along the way as we need them.

My friends have been tempting me to go camping - and I've only gone once in my life, when I was very young and my parents took care of everything. So much for knowing what I need to prepare! We were at the mall last weekend and we ended up looking at tents, fishing rods and outdoor equipment. There were so many to choose from - so ShopWiki.com's recommendation section is very helpful to me.

I don't really consider myself as an outdoor-type of person, but I think I just might enjoy camping out, stargazing and just being one with nature - as long as we don't encounter bears or snakes. I do love traveling and exploring so summer is one of my favorite seasons because it's warm and the sun is out. Just perfect!

Happy summer everyone and happy shopping ;)

Be a World Changer: Live to Serve

Do you know William Wilberforce? He was an ordinary man who lived 200 years ago in England. He served in parliament and was a good friend of William Pitt - the youngest prime minister in the history of England. Before I watched the movie entitled, "Amazing Grace," I didn't even know his name - now he will always be a hero to me.

William Wilberforce was the man who changed the world when he spent 20 years of his life trying to pass a bill to abolish the slave trade. He held on to the statement that God created all men to be equal.

He came from a wealthy merchant family, as a small boy he was influenced by John Newton - a former slave trader who became a priest, the composer of the hymn called Amazing Grace. John Newton condemned the slave trade and encouraged his young pupil to continue his work to abolish it when Wilber came to him for advice as a grown man. His mother did not approve of his closeness to the priest and kept him away from the old man growing up. He eventually lost his faith in the vices of the world - he gambled, drank and lost himself in the night life of England.

Then one day God found him. William Wilberforce felt God's pardon and changed his life. He lived to serve God by changing the world and fighting for those who could not fight for themselves. But he fought a peaceful war - in parliament, with signed petitions and debates. He resisted the temptation of using violence to achieve his goals. It took him 20 years, but he succeeded.

And society was never the same again - he gained a measure of equality for the oppressed slaves of his time. It is an amazing story that will tug at your heart and inspire you to be a world changer in your own way today. Is your mind saying no? Listen to your heart, it knows you can do it. Be a world changer, for resources go to http://worldchangersresources.com/ - what started as a movie is now a movement.

Dare to make our world a better place today!

Projectors in 1080p

One of the essential equipment for a production with a huge audience is a large screen projector - a 1080p projector would be even better. Notice how major sports events like basketball and baseball have screens for fans in the stands to have a closer view of the game? I have seen these big screens in concerts as well. It enables fans and audiences who are farther away from the stage to experience the event as though they are seated closer. I also noticed that the better the production, the sharper the images on these projector screens. People have 1080p HDTVs at home, when they pay more to see a show live – they should get at least the same quality of TV in the event!

With the advent of man caves and very big screen TVs - comes the rise of the home theater, experience a movie as if you were at the theatre from the convenience of home. Are you a movie buff? Do you want a big screen 1080p projector for your own home theater? 1080pprojector.com has a variety of 1080p projector products for your home or small business. It also offers product reviews, detailed specification and photos to help you decide on your purchase. Check out their site today!

Happy shopping, everyone!