Dev : Informix Inner Select

What if you are trying to create a virtual table for SQL?

As per standard database query, usually we would write something like:

SELECT some_fields FROM (SELECT selected_fields FROM table1) vtable

But in Informix, one of the much used relational database worldwide (but which I do not really like to use), had to be written in a slightly different way:

SELECT some_fields FROM TABLE(MULTISET(SELECT selected_fields FROM table1)) vtable

That's all. Not too much difference, but gosh, why on earth it has to be so complicating. Haha~~~

Penang Trip - Cousin's Wedding

An almost whole week of holiday, finally back in Melaka recharged or at least recharging. Got my father's car "kissed" another car in Penang, spent RM600 for the repair, really something unforgettable. But that was another story liao... Lets get back to the topic.

Wow... My cousin's wedding was something really amazing I tell ya. For those who are not married yet, including myself, you'll get yourself and your partner amused, amazed and inspired... Rumours said that a whopping RM70k was spend on the wedding itself. The dinner itself was already RM40k, RM1000 for each table. BMW M3 as the wedding car, not one, but two M3s, one convertible M3, one standard M3.

Let me post some photos and video to do the talking.

The bridegroom and his "beast".

The "beast" from the front.

Grand entrance in a five star hotel.


Table is penuh.... Not including the food.


Sorry la.. My camera snaps like shit in the dark.


M3, the dream car.

"Retired..."

Finally, after months of busy schedule, today is the day I "quit", I "retired"... for the whole week I mean, before the next project comes in.

It shall be a busy off week too, but at least with spending some time with my family in Penang for my cousin wedding which will be on next Tuesday. Congratulation bro.

So what more I can say? Happy holiday to me. :)

Dev : Java Send Mail

Ever wonder why your application did not send the email out? Your code seems fine, but still fails. Single mail address is OK, but when coming to a list of emails, you're getting "550 5.1.1 User unknown" or some other error stating that one or more emails are not valid.

Well, this feature is actually intended by Sun. But I still want to send the email to the valid emails and how do we overcome this problem? Simple, by just added an extra line to the email property will do.

Normally, we would tell the mailserver what is the values for "mail.transport.protocol", "mail.smtp.host", "mail.host" and such, we just need to add in this "mail.smtp.sendpartial" and the value for it is true. With this, although the exception will still be thrown, but those with valid email will received the mail.

Of course, if you have cater for a resend if exception occurs, better check your code and list of emails. You would not want valid email owners keep on receiving the same mail over and over again. :)

Traffic Lights Upgrade

Its been a busy month and I have no time to blog. But no matter how, I must blog this out today.

Traffic lights are like our car indicators. If we need to turn left, we need to light it up first to let drivers near us know that we will be taking a left turn soon. Same as traffic lights, where it function is to direct a smoother traffic and safer driving.

But the traffic lights on my way to go work, the traffic lights always turn red when I am on the junction or slightly before the junction. Same as today, should I stop or should I go? There are cameras installed and surely I won't make it because I had a few past experience that I got a "gotcha" from the camera even the light turn yellow when I'm on the line.

As today, I decided to be a good civilian to stop on yellow. But a car rush up from my back, seems like going to hit me although he had hit hard on his brake. Out of no choice, to avoid being bang by him, I stepped on my accelerator immediately and rush through the traffic light before it turn red. And guess what, I got another "gotcha". Shoot! Being in shot for being right!

I don't blame that guy, because he is like me, not knowing when it will turn red. What I hoping the authorities can do is that to upgrade its traffic light at least to have those blinking green lights before turning yellow and red. At least it is a indicator to let road user know early you are turning red. It is the least we can expect from the authorities other than being so effective summoning car parking.

You don't expect to put your indicator at the last 2 seconds before turning left without being bang right?

Dim Sum @ Damansara Jaya

Its a fine holiday morning and I woke up early. A perfect combination for a Du Lan... I mean Dim Sum breakfast in Damansara Jaya, PJ.

After sitting down in the restaurant, we ordered some varieties of steam and fried dim sum, a pot of nice Chinese tea and eventually trying to make ourselves enjoy and indulge with the nice environment, traditionally marble table and chair.

We slowly had our fried dim sum, but where is the steam one? Waited for 10 minutes, I asked the waitress in charge about our steamed breakfast. Ok, it finally came, but not in the way I wanted. I was expecting to be served with my order directly to me, instead, it came together with other dim sum on the tray for me to choose. Ok lor... better than nothing. We hungrily chunk in our food, while waiting for the last dish to come.

10 minutes later, I ask the girl where is my last order...
Another 5 minutes, I ask another waiter where is my last order...
Another 5 minutes again, I ask another waiter WHERE IS MY ORDER and he took my ordering slip for questioning...
Its had pass another 10 minutes and I ask the girl again about my order...
Another 5 minutes later, I ask the same question again...
At last, the waiter that took my ordering slip for questioning saw me start to get burning up, and he eventually came and apologized.

After finishing up everything (the thing still didn't come), I started to ask for bill, and guess what, It took them a mere 1 minute to come over for billing! I was so pissed that I told the lady, "Wah... ask for bill you come so quick, ask for food so long also no come.", and she started to give some excuse but I don't even bother to listen about it.

After getting the bill, I walk over to the cashier. Upon paying up, I saw the most shocking thing in my dim sum life. There is a notice stating "5% Service Charges, 5% Govt Charges". So bad service but they are still entitled for service charge?

In most Chinese owned shop, normally the boss or missus boss will be the one counting the money. So I told her directly, "I pay you 5% service charge, but I only got 2%. Where is another 3%?". And she replied that saying some of her staff are partimers and many of them don't understand cantonese. KNN... This mean that you already know that your service will be bad and you dare to charge me service charge somemore? I replied to her that I actually asked from your chinese staff, not your foreign partimers. She apologized and that all!

And finally when I got home, I noticed that something is bothering me on the receipt. When I look clearly, I that they extra charge all their customers! We are conned! Govt latest rounding ruling is that 1-2, 8-9 cent will be rounded to nearest 0 cent and 3-4, 6-7 cent will be rounded to the nearest 5 cent. But this shop eventually rounded up my 6 cent to the next 0 cent. Means they extra earned 4 cents from me. Where got fair? You should be charging me at 5 cent, yet you rob the 5 cent from me! And after some checking online, I don't even see this shop is listed in the govt 5% Govt tax ruling! What a fortune this shop is sucking up from its customers!

Wah lao! KNN, this shop, the main shop in Kuchai Lama and another branch in Damansara Uptown, I will ban ban ban... sipek dulan one breakfast!!!!!

Dig In Thief Out

Gerem!!! Our office had been broke in by some "uninvited guest" during the weekend! Hey pathetic bastards, return me my personal S$13 and some few RM coins for parking and my LCD! Imagine the losses and those information that kept in our head then transferred to the machines before everything is gone... argh.... You stole my love-shaped RM1!!!

My place... What a mess...

Damn it! They thought I keep gold in those folded plastic bags?!

Kesian Mike... His new 20" LCD (not even 2 weeks) suddenly vanished...

Tee... why you look so "blur"... I know my table is a mess...

See... Malaysian version of CSI. Found some fingerprints. God damn it! nail those bastards...