i've come a long way of understanding the purpose of existence and i thought to lay down the conclusions. These are not original ideas but the result of putting together ideas from leading thinkers (e.g. philosophers).
So here we go.
Life has no purpose in itself only we, people, we're giving it one.
Life is just what happened as a result of natural selection rules describe by Charles Darwin.
We don't have a specific role to fulfill for the well being of the Universe.
So the first thing to note is that each one of us should find its own purpose in life. My personal take on this is that we, as a species, should evolve in order to find better solutions to our biggest problems.  There is no shortage of problems that needs to be solved just to have a better chance at surviving on long term instead of becoming extinct as dinosaurs did.
Since we want to apply these philosophical thoughts in our day to day life we must keep in mind that our skills are not equal for all of us. Even if we can acquire new skills one will be better at some stuff and worse at others. So my approach is that you use the skills you have and improve of that instead of trying to fix  a lot of the others you are very bad at.
Now connecting the dots we should contribute to the evolution of the humankind in the domain where we can according to our skills.
To put it as simply as we can, we should find the job that we like and have the skills for and do it well. We should be proactive so instead of just doing what we are asked for to try to find any other thing that we may find important to do to improve our product.
We should also change the job when this is not driving the improvement of our skills anymore.
There is a huge gap between solving the biggest problems of humankind and doing well some job but even so i think there's at least a sketch of connecting the higher purpose with the rather ordinary one.
So we would be happier if we would just do our job well having in mind the direction that we should all evolve in order to be better equipped for tackling the biggest problems.
The idea of advancing in career is wide spread but what i want to stress is the reason or direction of doing it. That is not for money or status but ultimately for the future of our kind.
And since we're not all Einstein we should do it step by step. First we train our own skills, then we evolve our team and if we are really capable can spread the knowledge in our industry/field

Stockholm travel plan

Gamla Stan (Old Town)
http://www.visitstockholm.com/en/see--do/attractions/gamla-stan/
- Nobel museum

Fotografiska
http://www.visitstockholm.com/en/See--do/Attractions/fotografiska/

Viewpoints:

Fjallgatan

Monteliusvagen

Subway:
90 out of 100 stations are painted

Open air museum:
http://www.skansen.se/en/kategori/english

Rosendal palace:
http://www.visitstockholm.com/en/See--do/Attractions/rosendal-palace/
located in Djurgarden island

Tekniska museet:
http://www.visitstockholm.com/en/see--do/attractions/the-national-museum-of-science-and-technology/

Seek the opportunities

Here's another item from a series I would sometime like to put together in a story.
Someone told me today, referring to a general context, that you should seek the opportunities not the shortcomings. Of course, you should be moderate (see post VIRTUE NO.1 MODERATION) in ignoring the threats but getting back to the good parts i don't see it other but beneficial to focus on them. Once the basic needs are fulfilled the higher ones depend much on the way you think about them. It's a problem related to our mindset: you can't really avoid the issues and take advantage of the opportunities in the same time. We are always biased in one direction or the other.
And because of that, and because i'm biased in the other direction :), I suggest that seeking opportunities has to be a better option than seeking difficulties. It's harder of course but it must be the way to go.
So SEEK OPPORTUNITIES.  
To try and put together the posts written by now I would say:
You, the reader should not believe it's true what I'm telling here but think about it and judge by yourself. And what I propose you to think about for now is that you should be moderate but with a bias to the seeking of opportunities. In a broader sense you may put is like this: to have a positive mindset.

Virtue no.1 : moderation

"Some things are better than others.
We should have preferences that leads us into one future over
another but when these preferences drives us too hard and too
fast because we have overrated the difference between these
futures, we are at risk.

When our ambition is bounded it leads us to work joyfully .
When our ambition is unbounded it leads us to lie, to cheat,
to steal, to hurt others, to sacrifice things of real value.
When our fears are bounded we're prudent, we're cautious
and we're thoughtful. When our fears are unbounded and
overblown we're reckless and we're cowardly.

The lesson i wanna leave you with from this data is that our
longings and our worries are both to some degree overblown
because we have within us the capacity to manufacture the
very commodity we are constantly chasing when we choose
experience."

Dan Gilbert at TED talk "Why are we happy?"

A lesson about moderation

Believe nothing.
No matter where you read it,
Or who said it,
Even if I have said it,
Unless it agrees with your own reason
And your own common sense.
—Buddha

JAVA code in JAVA Server Pages

Using (more than a few lines of) code in JSPs is bad practice. For one reason, you mix logic with presentation. This is the reason you should use a Model 2 framework. But here's another one: you cannot debug JSP code. Of course you can insert prints to figure it out what's happening but if there's pretty complex code there you will surely miss a debugger.

A new beginning

Yes, i finished school ... actually it's more like: I finished school, yupiiii !!! Theoretically I could post more often now, since I do not have to go to school in the week-ends but stay home surfing the net endlessly (to read: searching and learning from technical articles). To sum up, I have learned a bit about security, met real teachers and not really teachers. Now that it is over, I can focus on the thing I'm trying to learn for a while now. That is building web apps the right way.

Master - apprendre par coeur

De cand astept sa-mi testez capacitatea memoriei - estimez ca e scazuta, cativa KB in cel mai bun caz, si aia deja ocupati cu numarul propriu de telefon, vreo 2 pinuri de card etc. . Acel moment a sosit. Ocazia a venit din partea unui examen pe care il am azi la Master: Auditului Sistemelor de Securitate Informatica. Materia incepe cam asa: Auditul de securitate informatica este un instrument de managent, de verificare si monitorizare a sistemelor de management al securitatii informatice. Si daca nu e elocvent, mai spun doar ca: "Cercetările şi studiile referitoare la auditul în domeniul tehnologiei informaţilor se referă atât la auditul propriu-zis, incluzând aspecte teoretice şi metode practice de abordare, cât şi la domeniile auditate, incluzând studii şi analize referitoare la aplicaţii şi sisteme informatice, sisteme informaţionale, date, informaţii, cunoştinţe, fluxurile acestora în cadrul organizaţiilor, precum şi între organizaţii şi mediile în care operează." - imi cer scuze pentru cei care s-au prins de la prima fraza, desi probabil ca vor renunta la citit si nu vor mai ajunge pana aici.

Stack overrun

Aici se face diferenta intre stack overrun si stack overflow. Stack overflow e atunci cand spatiul alocat de OS programului pentru stiva este depasit, de obicei prin recursivitate infinita sau prin definiri de variabile locale prea mari. Stack overrun e un caz de depasire a bufferului si inseamna ca se aloca un buffer pe stiva unei functii iar datele venite din exterior sunt mai mari decat spatiul destinat bufferului ajungand sa suprascrie alte portiuni de stiva, cum ar fi adresa de revenire. Un atac stack overrun se realizeaza apeland o astfel de functie cu un parametru care va suprascrie peste adresa de revenire salvata de program adresa unui cod dorit de atacator (de exemplu un shellcode care permite atacatorului sa preia controlul masinii). Wikipedia numeste stack overrun stack buffer overflow

Smile, breath and go slowly

“Smile, breath and go slowly.” - Thich Naht Hanh, Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk

Acum, pe bucati:
“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” - de acelasi autor; s-a demonstrat experimental ca zambetul poate genera buna dispozitie, nu doar invers. In plus, o persoana bine dispusa e intotdeauna mai agreabila si mai eficienta decat una posomorata.

Respiratia - aici e cam evident, nu? :) - echivalent cu zicala: "I: Cum urci 1000 de trepte? R: Treapta cu treapta". E o tactica de a aborda obiective ce par indepartate daca privim finalitatea. Privind de fiecare data nu la greutatea de a ajunge la capat, ci la urmatorul pas pe care trebuie sa-l facem, intr-un final vedem si linia de sosire. Respiratia e o metafora despre cum sa savurezi fiecare pas pe care il faci.

Partea cu "Mergi incet" da ritmul pentru atingerea obiectivelor relativ dificile/realizabile pe termen lung; in general, entuziasmul initial consuma energia si poate duce la renuntare cand sunt intalnite noi obstacole neprevazute initial; ca si la maraton, o data ce partea esentiala din drum a fost parcursa, ritmul poate fi accelerat.

Inspirat dintr-un articol de pe zenhabits.net

java goodies

Referitor la eterna poveste pass-by-reference and pass-by-value - versiunea Java, mi se pare ca tipul asta explica cel mai bine http://www.yoda.arachsys.com/java/passing.html

la ce bun Information Cards?

de ce mi se pare grozav ca s-ar putea accepta la un moment dat autentificarea pe situri cu astfel de carduri?
1. nu mai trebuie sa introduc/tin minte parole. as fi mult mai fericit daca nu ar mai trebui sa scormonesc prin mail dupa parole, sa ma folosesc de functionalitatea de 'parola uitata' etc.
2. no more phishing. nu mai am de ceva vreme acces la primul cont de mail de pe yahoo din cauza unui astfel de atac -> a trebuit sa-mi fac altul, din fericire nu aveam informatii indispensabile acolo

migratia de iarna

Revin cu un nou episod despre plecatul-venitul din/in firma. Mai mult depre plecat. S-a format un obicei prin care cel care pleaca sa dea un mail la toata firma. Astept sa se formeze obiceiul prin care se face cinste celor care raman :) . Intr-o singura seara s-au trimis 3 mailuri. Al 4-lea a fost cel mai la obiect: expeditorul nu pleca, dar ne-a informat ca am putea sa schimbam obiceiul, si anume sa dea mail cei care raman, am avea fiecare mai putine mailuri de citit. Si aproape ca nu a fost gluma :) .Astazi am mai primit un mail de la revedere. Sper ultimul pe saptamana asta.

despre Information Cards

Cautand un subiect interesant pentru un proiect academic am revenit asupra tehnologiei Information Cards. Dupa ce am sapat sanatos, de, orice inceput e greu, am aflat in ce sta securitatea acestor carduri. Daca modul clasic de autentificare presupunea ca utilizatorul sa introduca o parola pentru a valida ca intr-adevar el e Gigel, cu Information Cards situatia se schimba. Secretul nu mai rezida in memoria unui utilizator uman ci intr-o cheie secreta pastrata de o componenta software numita Identity Selector (exemplu MS Windoz CardSpace care vine de-a gata o data cu Vista). Utilizand un Information Card pentru autentificare pe un site nu mai trebuie sa introduci o parola. Singurul lucru pe care trebuie sa-l faci e sa iti creezi un card specificand datele personale (se ocupat de asta Identity Selectorul) care vor constitui identitatea ta pe situl respectiv. Dupa care oferi cardul sitului pentru a te inregistra. Minunat, nu-i asa? Partea mai putin grozava e ca nu e inca adoptata de industrie aceasta solutie. Daca vedeti vreun site care accepta Information Cards, sa-mi spuneti si mie cat mai urgent ! to be continued ...

din seria Windows XP adventures: cat de bun e win explorer?!

Dupa ce vreme buna am muscat din tastatura si am plans pana cand se deschideau anumite foldere in XP am decis sa iau atitudine. Prima miscare mi s-a parut fireasca: am defragmentat partitia unde erau problemele. Dupa aproapte o zi in care HD-ul a rontait neincetat operatiunea s-a incheiat: rezultat = insesizabil (ma apucase plansul mai tare acum ca pierdusem 1 zi). Dupa aia miscarea radicala: reinstall de windoze ca avea si el o varsta ... Rezultatul il cunoasteti: iarasi lacrimi cand dadeam sa deschid folderele cu pricina. [paranteza] avea profu de mate o vorba cand aveam de rezolvat o problema relativ mai dificila: acum incepem sa gandim. In cazul meu s-au gandit mai multi (am prezentat problema unor colegi/prieteni). Sugestia pe care am pus-o in practica imediat ce am ajuns acasa: use another file manager, dude! and ... suprise! it works just fine ... Cu alte cuvinte mi-am instalat Total Commander si merge de n-are treaba cand e sa deschid folderele pe care abia mi le deschidea explorerul (pe windoze proaspat instalat).

migratia de primavara

La firma minunata la care lucrez, e ca-n gara. Si nu ma refer ca vin colegii din strainatate cu valizele direct de la gara. Pleaca oameni, mai si vin ce-i drept, dar tot nu ma simt foarte confortabil. Azi am aflat ca mai pleaca cineva. Acum realizez ca saptamana viitoare incepe cariera in Axway un alt coleg. Deci e 1-1 . M-am linistit. Deci ma astept ca de saptamana viitoare sa fie mai vesel.

Run, people, run!

Un articol ce merita luat in seama, despre beneficiile alergatului, aici. Neaparat a se verifica practic daca e asa sau nu. Cum spuneam si in primul post, IDEAS ARE GOOD, BUT ONLY IF YOU PUT THEM INTO PRACTICE. Inca un citat : PEOPLE JUST NEED TO BE REMINDED OF, deci in momentul in care simtiti ca fericirea scade sub nivelul de avarie, amintiti-va de articolul asta si luati-o la fuga.

7 days or 5 days ?!?

Why the hell they are called 7 days when they are only 5 ? Am i missing something here ?
Cumparai niste mini-croissante 7 days (5 la numar) . And i said to myself: WTF ???

am o veste buna si una rea ...

Vestea buna este ca s-a descoperit elixirul tineretii fara batranete. E, nici chiar asa! Dar daca faci exercitii fizice in loc sa ai o viata sedentara ai sanse maxime sa traiesti ceva mai mult decat media.
Vestea proasta este ca in 2012 se sfarseste lumea. Cel putin asa au prezis mayasii. Acu' ma mai gandesc daca ma apuc sa fac miscare. Ce rost mai are? Ca pana in 2012 o mai duc si fara.

Internet Explorer fix

Vi se intampla sa va crape Internet Explorer si jurati ca nu i-ati facut nimic? Pai eu zic ca e de la add-onuri. Uite cum se rezolva : te duci in Tools-> Internet options la tabul Programs si ai acolo un buton Manage Add-ons care deschide minunatul dialog unde poti sa activezi/dezactivezi add-onuri. Daca crapa bestia cel mai probabil o sa fie de la unul din adonurile care se incarca deci filtrezi dupa [...currently loaded...]. Dupa care iti faci o regula pentru gasit vinovatul : eu am dezactivat tot sa vad ca merge fara ele dupa care am inceput sa activez pana a crapat. Acum mai ramane sa stii in ce situatie crapa, ca altfel n-am facut nimic. La mine crapa fara gres cand incarca o anumita pagina.
Evident, un link din messenger, pentru ca altfel folosesc Firefox :D. Spor la reparat [sau foloseste Firefox :) ] .