"A good database should not have any triggers, nor should it have any foreign keys."

-- a DBA who should not be named, in a 4-hour-without-break meeting

Speaking of longish-without-break things, that was a long Easter Vigil service on Saturday. It started off with seemingly forty-five (seven, actually) readings -- when it reached the one-hour mark and they were still reading, you knew something was up -- which was then followed with the baptism of hundreds (forty-something, actually) of catechumens, and ended with what I guess you can say the normal eucharist procedure, by which it was already past three hours. Seriously, in my short Catholic career, that was the longest service I've ever attended.

It's like the Church is making a statement, "Dude, don't mess with us. You can complain all you want, break any of our rules all you like, in the end you have no choice but to do this. Because 'Our Savior has suffered so much for you -- didn't you watch that Mel Gibson movie? -- and you don't think you can spare a few hours for Him'?"

Anyway. Remember those days when programming was fun? When you worked overnight on your PC XT, staring at your CGA monitor, just to see if you could create a bouncing monkey using your beloved Basica? Remember how satisfying it was to show it off to your much impressed buddies? *Hey, it's not easy, you know, to create a realistic bouncing effect, what with the gravity and all*

Right. Well, news flash: those days are sadly over.

Burning question of the day:
"If we crossbred a cow and a chicken, would the hybrids be viviparous or oviparous?"

-- me after comparing beef satay and chicken satay

Attention Firefox users: v1.0.2 is out.

Current music: Velvet Revolver - Superhuman
Current mood: happy

Just because I handle stress better than you, that doesn't mean my job is less stressful.

Just because I don't complain as much, that doesn't mean I do less work than you.

Just because I get less cranky in the morning when lacking sleep than you, that doesn't mean I don't need enough sleep.

Just because I tolerate your bad habits more than you mine, that doesn't mean I like everything that you do.

Just because I finish a day's work and get to leave earlier than you, that doesn't mean you are a harder working employee.

Just because I can afford it, that doesn't mean I have to spend money on it.

Just because the mood below always says happy, that doesn't mean I always am.

Current music: none
Current mood: happy

...to have one entry a month. Oh wait. I did that. (Actually, no. I was just testing backdated entries.)

'Nuff said on how the Internet changes lives. Err, or not. I'll say this once more: the Internet has changed our lives. Well, at least mine and those of the people I know.

Thanx to the Internet now everyone is an expert. Oh, so you thought you'd found some piece of hot information and perhaps you would share it by forwarding to all the mailing lists you knew -- and earning a few credits in the process? I bet within minutes some guys would a) declare it a hoax by virtue of several URLs attached; or b) support it by providing a much more comprehensive compilation -- stealing most of your credits.

You wanna know how fast time flies? Check this out: last week I entered my sixth year of employment in this country. And, of course, I didn't realize it until I read Ibu Yosi's latest blurting. Considering how five is a special number, I guess the time is as good as any to look back and be a helpless romantic.

My ego as big as everyone else's, I don't usually forget things when they're about me. But with me getting older and older -- my fast-receding hairline can attest to that -- let's see if I get this correct.

It was roughly seven years ago, back in the uni days where everyone favored idealism and tried to reach for the stars, when a final-year student (that was me) remarked somewhat offhandedly to his neighbor (that was her) that he was gonna find a job in SG. It is interesting to note that our country was in the midst of its worst economic crisis in decades then, so you can't blame the neighbor for taking this "announcement" at face value.