How to stop losing text you type because of a glitch or browser crash

This article is dedicated to myLotters at www.mylot.com . However, it is equally applicable to anyone who frequently deals with online forms such as those you encounter when doing postings at forums. Ever closed a tab accidentally, only to lose the long response you have typed? Ever wrote a long reply and posted it only to encounter a server error? Ever spent a good hour sharing your life story only to have your written thoughts lost due to a browser crash? Well, enters the "Textarea Backup" script. I cannot take credit for this script as it is written by Dan Brook. What this script does is that it retains text entered into text area fields. The backup is transparent. You will see the effect of the script kicking in when the page is reloaded for whatever reason - be it browser crash, unintended exit, server error, etc. When you enter text into a text area, it is saved under the following conditions: At each keystroke. Every second. When the text area loses focus. The stored text is then dropped when its form is submitted successfully. It doesn't even matter whether you have shut down your browser or switched off your computer, your last text will be retained. Of course, if you are typing something illegal into the form, you wouldn't want to install this script that may help retain evidence of your criminal activities. But hey, we are all clean here, aren't we? So if you deal with online forms frequently, I would strongly suggest this script. This is a definite must for myLotters as it will save you a lot of frustration when you encounter the ever-persistent message glitch. Oh yes, not to mention the invalid characters glitch. And the discussion posting glitch. And the.. well, you can make up your own list. :P The script is available at http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/7671 . This article assumes that you are using Firefox as your browser. If you are not, it's time to change. You can get Firefox at http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox . To use this "Textarea Backup" script, you will need to install the Greasemonkey firefox extension first. Just go to https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/748 and click on the "Install" link. If you think all this sounds troublesome, I assure you it is not. It's just a few mins of work at most and the benefit is tremendous. Specially for gmail users: Go to Tools >> Greasemonkey >> Manage User Scripts... Then edit your textarea backup script and add this line to it. http*://mail.google.tld/mail/* This will prevent the script from e.g. backing up your gmail address fields and all. I am using an older version of the script myself and remarks for the new version seem to suggest that this has been fixed. Whichever, I think it doesn't hurt to play it safe. :P

Book review: "The Great Book of Amber" by Roger Zelazny

This is one of the best fantasy series I have ever read and I only lament about finding it so late. "The Great Book of Amber" is actually 10 volumes in 1. In order, they are "Nine Princes in Amber", "The Guns of Avalon", "Sign of the Unicorn", "The Hand of Oberon", "The Courts of Chaos" , "Trumps of Doom", "Blood of Amber", "Sign of Chaos", "Knight of Shadows" and finally, "Prince of Chaos". The series can effectively be sliced into 2 parts - each one taking 5 books. The first 5 volumes traces the adventure of Corwin from he woke up and not knowing who he was to his turning down the throne of Amber and creating a second Pattern himself. Volume 6-10 follows Merlin, Corwin's son, from his "education" in shadow Earth to his eventual succession to the throne of Chaos. Both are written from the first person's point of view and I have quite a soft spot for this style. Part 1. I think the story is simply fabulous. It was the creation of a new universe that revolves around Amber as the center (if you ignore the primal pattern). The concepts of shadow, Trumping, etc never cease to amaze. I feel the author milked them for what they were worth and he did it very well. It is also impressive how he managed to come up with so many versions of the story from different characters' points of view as the plot was revealed bit by bit by each prince and princess of Amber. One thing that did not quite go well with me was the way he described the scenery changes as Corwin manipulated shadow when traveling through worlds. He did it too often and spent too much time on it - so much so that I felt it was pointless to try follow through the visualization. I just needed to know the start and end point, and that Corwin was manipulating shadow. This was especially patience-testing in book 5. There was one thing I didn't quite understand. When Oberon repaired the Pattern in the same book, he predicted that a shadow storm will extend from Amber to the Courts of Chaos. That was why he sent Corwin ahead to the battle at the Courts of Chaos and had the Jewel of Judgment delivered to him. If that storm of chaos was indeed coming all the way from Amber to the Courts, how then did Oberon's funeral procession get on with such ease? If the storm was like a traveling entity instead of an enlarging one, then it followed that Oberon must have succeeded in repairing the pattern - otherwise, Amber would have already dissolved into Chaos. The characters were speculating about the outcome of the Pattern repair even after seeing the procession - so this was one thing I don't quite get. Another thing was that when "The Courts of Chaos" ended, hence concluding part 1 of 2, I felt like strangling the author. Though I am not Corwin and Corwin did turn down the throne voluntarily, I still feel cheated (for lack of a better word) somewhat that the unicorn chose Random as the next King eventually. It just screamed "WRONG! WRONG!! WRONG!!!" in my mind. I would still prefer it if the author just made up something and made Corwin the King. Part 2. Given that I hated the author for ending book 5 that way, I was not willing to indulge him for a good part of "Trumps of Doom". The suspense was irritating when I was trying to confirm who the character narrating the story was. Uncles were mentioned so this narrowed down the likely possibilities to be either Martin or Merlin. The latter definitely seemed more likely since Merlin has a dual heritage that could be better exploited for an interesting story. However, I would be lying if I say I like such father-son continuations. I hate it. I prefer the story to stay within the generation. Usually, books written about subsequent generations turn out bad. I have practically fallen in love with Corwin as I followed his character built-up through the first 5 volumes. I still want him; I don't want his son. :P The styles of writing are so similar that if you just look at styles per se, you would have thought it is still Corwin, and not Merlin. That said though, after finishing the entire series, I guess I like Merlin too lol. I love the introduction of the Logrus. Suddenly it seems that being an Amberite is not that cool after all. Without the Jewel of Judgment, ignoring the sorcerous skills Bleys, Fiona or Brand (not to mention Dworkin and Oberon) have, an Amberite can only Trump in and out. Yes, being practically immortal with wolverine-like ability is neat, and manipulating shadows is awesome, but that's that. Comparing the Pattern with the Logrus, the former seems to pale with respect to the magical prowess granted the initiated. In fact, everything that an Amberite can do, a Chaosite can too, and more. Frakir and Ghostwheel are very neat introductions too. Especially Ghostwheel, this machine AI construct is really adorable. I am jealous of Merlin though. He seemed to have everything handed to him on a platter. He was practically born with a silver spoon in his mouth and life really wasn't half bad for him. There are many other interesting characters too but I won't do a character analysis here. One thing that I find hard to accept is how the author "ruined" Corwin who was the hero of part 1. I can't accept that Dara basically imprisoned him ever since the Patternfall war. This is just so wrong. I was even hoping that Corwin would have an at least medium sized role to play in part 2. It is ridiculous that Merlin was the one who ended up rescuing him from his prison near the end. Why suffer Corwin to such indignation? The latter 6 volumes contain a lot of new information and I feel that not enough time was devoted to capitalize on it. I had the impression that the author was tired of writing and just want to quickly get things over with. Particularly, the ending for the last book, and ultimately the Amber Chronicles, is a real loser. Why the rush? If the same effort given to the first 5 volumes was to be given to the last 5, I think it would do the new juice more justice. There are quite a few over-stretched mini-plots in part 2 that make the story less credible - or more sloppy if you want to look at it this way. There are also enough glaring typo and grammatical errors that I am inclined to believe that the person proof-reading the books was not doing his job. In conclusion, the Amber Chronicles are a must-read. If you enjoy the fantasy genre, you *must* read these 10 volumes. In fact, I won't be surprised if you have already read them. Book 1 came out in 1970 - that's even before I was born. :P

University of New South Wales closing its Singapore campus

It hit the headline of Straits Times today that the University of New South Wales (UNSW) is closing down its Singapore campus. Given that it has barely started operating (just a few months thus far), it came as a shock to both students and staff. Some were crying, some were crying - the only common denominator is that no one was happy. I do not know what caused this decision though it is likely that the change of leadership at the helm triggered it. No matter what the reason is, I feel that this does not only make a dent in Singapore's reputation - even more so, it reflects badly on UNSW. After all, they are the ultimate decision maker who had committed to this project. No one pointed a pistol at them to force them to sign above the dotted line. Lecturers were assigned here and a whole new building is being built. I have one word to describe UNSW - IRRESPONSIBLE. The new leadership claims that they have already pumped in millions of dollars and it makes no sense to continue escalating this loss. They slapped themselves and did a U-turn just because they have only achieved half their targeted figure for enrollment. Isn't this still too early to tell? I want to think that it was not some 2 min decision when the former leadership gave the go-ahead for the Singapore campus. So now the ship got a new steering wheel and acted immediately to capsize the boat. I do hope that this is not some personal vendetta against Singapore. We are really quite a nice and friendly country. Treat us right and you will enjoy our friendship. We are not some free and easy travel package that you can put together and dismantle any old how. Take care UNSW, so when are you closing down your Australian campus? Stay cool. ;-) Related link: Students shocked by UNSW Singapore campus closure

EmailCashPro - get paid to read emails

I first read about EmailCashPro in Singapore's Sunday Times . If I understand correctly, this is a homespun outfit that has been in operation since July 2006. Nothing awfully spectacular of course, just another of those paid to read emails programs. But I am paying particular note to this because of my obvious bias towards the island nation of Singapore that is somewhat known for credibility. At time of writing, EmailCashPro has 56,235 members. I wouldn't say that the size of the membership base is staggering - but it is not a one-man-two-members show either. Though it hails from Singapore, it is open to international members. Payment is by cheque and paypal only. I joined the program some 3 weeks ago and have received 8 emails to read thus far. I didn't keep score, of course - just basing it on the 8 personal points I have in my account. This comes up to be about 1-3 emails a week - hardly enough to be irritating, barely enough to be lucrative. Yet then again, you can ask for a payout of $10 via paypal as soon as you hit $11. So if you don't mind, just take it easy (and hope it doesn't fold up too soon :p). Remember those spam emails that waste your time and pay you nothing? Well, 2 more emails a week that pay you something surely won't hurt. If what I have said interests you, you can check out EmailCashPro at www.emailcashpro.com . Please do your own due diligence if you want to sign up - be it as a free member or as a paid Gold member. ;-)

Why bother what happens after you die?

This is not a religious discussion and I do not intend to discuss afterlife, rebirth, heaven, hell or purgatory. Just simple bread and butter, apple and orange. :P So, do you care what happens after you die? I mean, why even bother? I am talking about your name, assets, and perhaps, family and friends. Name - this would be your reputation and how you are remembered after your death. Let's bring up some notorious examples - Hilter? Pol Pot? Saddam Hussein? Their deeds may not be regarded favorably after their deaths, yet where are they now? Well, they are dead! For all the good lives they enjoyed, all they got was a mere bad name. What if there is no spiritual retribution? Why struggle so hard to keep a good name and conscience when being wicked, unethical and unscrupulous might instead grant you a life of luxury in this life that might very well be your one and only? Assets - this would be the vainglory that bloats up your head. I don't deny to be different - who don't want more money than you will ever need? Who don't want to buy everything and anything you fancy? Who don't want to shape the world to your liking by sheer weight of your resources? Yet what good is all this after you are dead? Your consciousness is erased completely when you breathe your last. Is there a way to still enjoy this material wealth? I seriously doubt. Family, friends - so now you are all happily living together, just like in a fairy tale. But what happens after you wave them bye bye as you choke on your spittle? Well, it is goodbye. They cry, they powder their faces, they turn up for your funeral. I won't say they will forget you right away. But give it time. Life is for the living, not the dead. Memory stays but it fades - sooner than you realize, you are forgotten. Why would you want them to remember you anyway - more self-important ego on your part? So, do you still care what happens after you are dead? Why bother to leave a good name or reputation? Why fuss over writing your will deciding whether your pink toothbrush go to your second daughter or third? Why worry if you are remembered at all after your passing? Here's some food for thought for you to work those lazing brain cells of yours! :P Related link: http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/1075662.aspx

Blogsvertise - earn $$$ by publishing reviews on your blog

Alright, mea culpa. I confess I do not know if this is just another of those scams or if it is indeed something that might really work out. I came across Blogsvertise which you can evaluate for yourself at www.blogsvertise.com . Basically, if you have a blog, you are in the running for a slice of the pie. Practically everyone has a blog - some have many, some have just one; some may even include the address(es) on their name cards, others feign ignorance. Regardless, what this site offers are review assignments from sponsors. Blogsvertise acts as the middleman and hooks you up with sponsors who want you to review their products/services/sites/etc on your blog. The neat part is that you are already blogging anyway. You might even have posted a review on what they are paying you to do without any prior tie-up. The main criterion of your blog entry cum review is a minimum of 75 words - hardly hard at all. Then toss 3 links and off you go, with the coins clanking in your pockets. So if you have not come across www.blogsvertise.com , you might want to check it out. Another boon to bloggers is the payment mode. Blogsvertise pays by paypal and paypal is available to most people around the world. Hence no matter which country you are in, you do not need to fret over e.g. cheques that can get unreasonably costly when you need to cash them. Especially with the current dark clouds looming over egold (paypal's friendly competitor), I feel safe and comforted. Beware though that Blogsvertise does not accept too-new blogs. I find mentions of 30, 60, 90 days as the minimum so the only thing I am quite sure of is that if your blog is too new, it might not be approved. But, if it is found to be of good quality (subjective of course), they might accept it on a case by case basis. So if you are feeling tantalized already, head over to www.blogsvertise.com and judge if it is something you want to experiment with. Good luck!

Book review: "Vittorio, the Vampire" by Anne Rice

Having read several books written by the author, I must say that this one is one of the most disappointing. In fact, I would go as far to say that it is a rather shoddy piece of work. At less than 300 pages, it is a slim volume that has more fluff than substance. Don't get me wrong though. The language is just fine - what's lacking is the content. The book started off with Vittorio boasting how powerful he was when compared to the others (I wonder really - can anyone be more powerful than "my" Lestat? :P). He then went on to talk about bits and pieces of his history from just before he became a vampire. The story feels really stretched - even for Anne Rice. So, a girl falls in love with a guy and then it results in the obliteration of the entire cohort of vampires. Let's not forget the mentions of angels who helped him and were not sure themselves if it was God's will or not. As I read on, instead of believing it (like when I immerse myself fully into a story), I found myself thinking it was really some lackluster ravings of a deranged guy. When I read that part where the author said she went to Florence to receive the manuscript from Vittorio, I almost burst out laughing. She really got carried away. At the end of the book, she tried to add a moral of the story that seems really out of place. A spark in everyone? It doesn't even have any direct relevance to the story. Granted that this book was written in 1999, this idea of a spark in everyone should have already got stale even by then. A spark? My foot! :P And he/she has the audacity to end with "Let me pay the price for you instead." This is the icing on the blood-red cherry cake. Is this supposed to be a new martyr in the making? Besides if you think about it, he sucking the blood from people and living in enviable bliss isn't even half sacrificial at all. Anne Rice is one of my favorite authors but I have to steel my heart for once and give this book a thumb down. Having said that though, I would still read this book (speed-read) even if I had known how bad it is - since I am a fan of her writings. So there, this book is for fans only. Otherwise, I would suggest you turn to other books by Anne - they are much, much better.

Book review: "Labyrinth" by Kate Mosse

This is not the first fiction story written about the holy grail, and it is definitely not going to be the last. If the likes of King Arthur and Merlin were to be used as yardsticks, then there will be many more stories of the grail to come. Yet despite being neither first nor last, "Labyrinth" is certainly one that can pull its own weight. When I started reading the book, one thing made me really uncomfortable - the author's use of the present tense. It is rare for the present tense to be chosen since a narration already bound into a volume is definitely of the past. If the intention is for the reader to be an invisible observer who leeches onto the characters while they make their every move, it strikes me as weird when the tense changed after the prologue. It never did revert even when the storytelling changed from Alaïs' viewpoint to Alice's. Since it happened only in the prologue, it is somewhat understandable - but nevertheless uncomfortable for me. Together with this, the other thing that struck me first was that the author has a genuine flair for "painting". The scenes, people and surroundings were all described so vividly that I can literally forget I am not "there" but "here". The story itself is fast-paced enough and I found myself led along willingly as I flipped page after page. The moment I put down the book, I can feel myself tugged back. I love pretty much everything about the book, that is, till the ending - which I felt made the story drop from a 8/10 to 6/10. I don't like the ending. I don't like the "real" meaning of the grail. It seems quite ridiculous for the grail to continue existing just so that someone can bear witness to the real history of events. Put it plainly, forgoing the mystique, the grail in the story is just an elixir discovered by some ancient Egyptians, that is capable of prolonging life. So, the creators of this elixir decided that it should be kept from those who might use it for wrong ends (fair enough), and that someone should be charged with the burden of keeping history books true. When this "secret" of the grail was revealed near the end, I find myself quite disappointed. Does it matter to me if it was A who attacked B first, or if we were once ruled by donkeys? Not a whit, to be honest. Why would one version of the history matter more than another, regardless of which is true or false? The present *is* the present and it is not dictated by the future. What has happened, has happened. Telling the world that something actually happened another way will not change anything. After all, life goes on, no matter what. Check out the book, it's beautifully written. I would say it is worth a place in anyone's library.