Custom Pager for GridView

mjsaims posted on October 29, 2009 15:07

I created my own grid with a load of customizations; it inherits from GridView. It renders its own pager below and/or above the grid. This is done by overriding the Render(HtmlTextWriter writer) method of your grid and doing something like this:

// Render our custom pager if we are configured to use it.
if(CustomPagerConfig.Enable && (CustomPagerConfig.Location == VerticalLocation.Top || CustomPagerConfig.Location == VerticalLocation.Both))
	RenderCustomPager(writer);
...
base.Render(writer);
...
// Render our custom pager if we are configured to use it.
if(CustomPagerConfig.Enable && (CustomPagerConfig.Location == VerticalLocation.Bottom || CustomPagerConfig.Location == VerticalLocation.Both))
	RenderCustomPager(writer);

The call to RenderCustomPager() makes use of an object that holds configuration and style settings. This object is an inner property of my custom grid (i.e. PersistenceMode.InnerProperty) and is defined as such:

public class CustomPagerSettings
{
	#region Members:
	private string _linkDelimiter = "  ";
	private string _ellipses = "...";
	private int _maxLinks = 15;
	private int _ellipsesThreshold = 2;
	private string _currentPageCssClass = string.Empty;
	private string _alternatePageCssClass = string.Empty;
	#endregion


	#region Properties:
	/// 
	/// 
	/// 
	[Browsable(true)]
	[DefaultValue(false)]
	public bool Enable { get; set; }

	/// 
	/// 
	/// 
	[Browsable(true)]
	[DefaultValue(VerticalLocation.Bottom)]
	public VerticalLocation Location { get; set; }

	/// 
	/// 
	/// 
	[Browsable(true)]
	[DefaultValue(15)]
	public int MaxLinks { get { return _maxLinks; } set { _maxLinks = value; } }

	/// 
	/// 
	/// 
	[Browsable(true)]
	[DefaultValue(2)]
	public int EllipsesThreshold { get { return _ellipsesThreshold; } set { _ellipsesThreshold = value; } }

	/// 
	/// 
	/// 
	[Browsable(true)]
	[DefaultValue(" ")]
	public string LinkDelimiter { get { return _linkDelimiter; } set { _linkDelimiter = value; } }

	/// 
	/// 
	/// 
	[Browsable(true)]
	[DefaultValue("...")]
	public string Ellipses { get { return _ellipses; } set { _ellipses = value; } }

	/// 
	/// 
	/// 
	[Browsable(true)]
	[PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty)]
	public Style PagerStyle { get; set; }

	/// 
	/// 
	/// 
	[Browsable(true)]
	[DefaultValue("")]
	public string CurrentPageCssClass { get { return _currentPageCssClass; } set { _currentPageCssClass = value; } }

	/// 
	/// 
	/// 
	[Browsable(true)]
	[DefaultValue("")]
	public string AlternatePageCssClass { get { return _alternatePageCssClass; } set { _alternatePageCssClass = value; } }
	#endregion
} // End class.

The page that uses/hosts the grid contains Markup as such to instantiate this configuration object:

<CustomPagerConfig Enable="true" 
	Location="Bottom"
	MaxLinks="10"
	Ellipses="..." 
	EllipsesThreshold="2" 
	CurrentPageCssClass="pagerCurrentPage"
	AlternatePageCssClass="pagerAlternatePage" >
	<PagerStyle
		BackColor="#eeeeee" 
		ForeColor="#4444cc" 
		BorderColor="#999999" 
		BorderStyle="Solid" 
		BorderWidth="1px" 
		Font-Size="10pt" 
		Font-Names="Verdana" />
</CustomPagerConfig>

Then the code that uses this configuration information to actually render a custom pager is shown below:

private void RenderCustomPager(HtmlTextWriter writer)
{
	// If we don't have multiple pages, then don't render thte pager.
	if(PageCount <= 1)
		return;

	if(CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle != null)
	{
		if(CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.Width != null && !CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.Width.IsEmpty)
			writer.AddStyleAttribute(HtmlTextWriterStyle.Width, CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.Width.ToString());
		else
			writer.AddStyleAttribute(HtmlTextWriterStyle.Width, FrameStyle.Width.ToString());
		if(CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.Height != null)
			writer.AddStyleAttribute(HtmlTextWriterStyle.Height, CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.Height.ToString());
		if(CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.BorderStyle != BorderStyle.NotSet)
			writer.AddStyleAttribute(HtmlTextWriterStyle.BorderStyle, CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.BorderStyle.ToString());
		if(CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.BorderWidth != null)
			writer.AddStyleAttribute(HtmlTextWriterStyle.BorderWidth, CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.BorderWidth.ToString());
		if(CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.BorderColor != null && !CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.BorderColor.IsEmpty)
			writer.AddStyleAttribute(HtmlTextWriterStyle.BorderColor, CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.BorderColor.IsKnownColor ? CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.BorderColor.Name : ("#" + CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.BorderColor.Name.Substring(2)));
		if(CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.BackColor != null && !CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.BackColor.IsEmpty)
			writer.AddStyleAttribute(HtmlTextWriterStyle.BackgroundColor, CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.BackColor.IsKnownColor ? CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.BackColor.Name : ("#" + CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.BackColor.Name.Substring(2)));
		if(CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.ForeColor != null && !CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.ForeColor.IsEmpty)
			writer.AddStyleAttribute(HtmlTextWriterStyle.Color, CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.ForeColor.IsKnownColor ? CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.ForeColor.Name : ("#" + CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.ForeColor.Name.Substring(2)));
		if(CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.Font != null && CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.Font.Name != null)
			writer.AddStyleAttribute(HtmlTextWriterStyle.FontFamily, CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.Font.Name);
		if(CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.Font != null && CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.Font.Size != null)
			writer.AddStyleAttribute(HtmlTextWriterStyle.FontSize, CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.Font.Size.ToString());
		if(CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.CssClass != null)
			writer.AddAttribute("class", CustomPagerConfig.PagerStyle.CssClass);
	}

	// These are variables that are used to determine if ellipses and links are displayed for NEXT and PREV.
	int totalPages = PageCount;
	int maxPages = CustomPagerConfig.MaxLinks;
	int currentPageIndex = PageIndex;
	int firstDisplayedPageIndex = _firstDisplayedPageIndex;
	int lastDisplayedPageIndex = (_firstDisplayedPageIndex + maxPages - 1) >= totalPages ? (totalPages - 1) : (_firstDisplayedPageIndex + maxPages - 1);

	// Determine if various links should be rendered...
	bool renderNext = false;
	bool renderPrev = false;
	bool renderEllipsesNext = false;
	bool renderEllipsesPrev = false;

	// Determine if NextLink should be rendered.
	if(lastDisplayedPageIndex != (totalPages - 1))
	{
		renderNext = true;
		renderEllipsesNext = true;
	}
	else if(lastDisplayedPageIndex == (totalPages - 1) && lastDisplayedPageIndex == currentPageIndex)
	{
		renderNext = false;
		renderEllipsesNext = false;
	}
	else if(lastDisplayedPageIndex == (totalPages - 1) && lastDisplayedPageIndex != currentPageIndex)
	{
		renderNext = true;
		renderEllipsesNext = false;
	}

	// Determine if PrevLink should be rendered.
	if(firstDisplayedPageIndex > 0)
	{
		renderPrev = true;
		renderEllipsesPrev = true;
	}
	else if(firstDisplayedPageIndex == 0 && currentPageIndex != 0)
	{
		renderPrev = true;
		renderEllipsesPrev = false;
	}
	else if(firstDisplayedPageIndex == 0 && currentPageIndex == 0)
	{
		renderPrev = false;
		renderEllipsesPrev = false;
	}

	writer.RenderBeginTag(HtmlTextWriterTag.Table);
	writer.RenderBeginTag(HtmlTextWriterTag.Tr);
	writer.AddStyleAttribute("text-align", "left");
	writer.AddStyleAttribute("width", "10%");
	writer.RenderBeginTag(HtmlTextWriterTag.Td);

	if(renderPrev)
	{
		int linkTo = PageIndex - 1;

		// linkTo is an index, we must write the link with the page number.
		linkTo++;

		HyperLink link = new HyperLink();
		link.Text = "Previous";
		link.NavigateUrl = string.Format("javascript:__doPostBack('{0}','Page${1}')", this.ClientID.Replace('_', '$'), linkTo.ToString());
		if(!string.IsNullOrEmpty(CustomPagerConfig.AlternatePageCssClass))
			link.CssClass = CustomPagerConfig.AlternatePageCssClass;
		link.ToolTip = string.Format("Go to page {0}", linkTo.ToString());
		link.RenderControl(writer);
	}

	writer.RenderEndTag(); // End the first Cell/Td.
	writer.AddStyleAttribute("text-align", "center");
	writer.RenderBeginTag(HtmlTextWriterTag.Td);

	RenderPagerPageLinks(writer, renderEllipsesPrev, renderEllipsesNext);

	writer.RenderEndTag(); // End the second Cell/Td.
	writer.AddStyleAttribute("text-align", "right");
	writer.AddStyleAttribute("width", "10%");
	writer.RenderBeginTag(HtmlTextWriterTag.Td);

	if(renderNext)
	{
		int linkTo = PageIndex + 1;

		// linkTo is an index, we must write the link with the page number.
		linkTo++;

		HyperLink link = new HyperLink();
		link.Text = "Next";
		link.NavigateUrl = string.Format("javascript:__doPostBack('{0}','Page${1}')", this.ClientID.Replace('_', '$'), linkTo.ToString());
		if(!string.IsNullOrEmpty(CustomPagerConfig.AlternatePageCssClass))
			link.CssClass = CustomPagerConfig.AlternatePageCssClass;
		link.ToolTip = string.Format("Go to page {0}", linkTo.ToString());
		link.RenderControl(writer);
	}

	writer.RenderEndTag(); // End the third Cell/Td.
	writer.RenderEndTag(); // End row.
	writer.RenderEndTag(); // End table.
}




private void RenderPagerPageLinks(HtmlTextWriter writer, bool renderPrevEllipse, bool renderNextEllipse)
{
	if(renderPrevEllipse)
	{
		HyperLink link = new HyperLink();
		link.Text = (1).ToString();
		link.NavigateUrl = string.Format("javascript:__doPostBack('{0}','Page${1}')", this.ClientID.Replace('_', '$'), link.Text);
		if(!string.IsNullOrEmpty(CustomPagerConfig.AlternatePageCssClass))
			link.CssClass = CustomPagerConfig.AlternatePageCssClass;
		link.ToolTip = string.Format("Go to page {0}", link.Text);
		link.RenderControl(writer);

		writer.Write(CustomPagerConfig.LinkDelimiter);

		int linkTo = PageIndex - CustomPagerConfig.MaxLinks;
		if(linkTo < 0)
			linkTo = 0;

		// linkTo is an index, we must write the link with the page number.
		linkTo++;

		link = new HyperLink();
		link.Text = CustomPagerConfig.Ellipses;
		link.NavigateUrl = string.Format("javascript:__doPostBack('{0}','Page${1}')", this.ClientID.Replace('_', '$'), linkTo.ToString());
		if(!string.IsNullOrEmpty(CustomPagerConfig.AlternatePageCssClass))
			link.CssClass = CustomPagerConfig.AlternatePageCssClass;
		link.ToolTip = string.Format("Go to page {0}", linkTo.ToString());
		link.RenderControl(writer);

		writer.Write(CustomPagerConfig.LinkDelimiter);
	}

	int pageLinksToRender = Math.Min(CustomPagerConfig.MaxLinks, PageCount);

	for(int pageIndex = _firstDisplayedPageIndex; pageIndex < (_firstDisplayedPageIndex + pageLinksToRender); pageIndex++)
	{
		// Current index should be rendered NOT as a link.  And can have its own style.
		if(pageIndex == this.PageIndex)
		{
			if(!string.IsNullOrEmpty(CustomPagerConfig.CurrentPageCssClass))
				writer.AddAttribute("class", CustomPagerConfig.CurrentPageCssClass);
			writer.RenderBeginTag(HtmlTextWriterTag.Span);
			writer.Write((pageIndex + 1).ToString());
			writer.RenderEndTag();

			// If this is not the last link to render, then output a delimiter after it.
			writer.Write(CustomPagerConfig.LinkDelimiter);
		}
		else
		{
			HyperLink link = new HyperLink();
			link.Text = (pageIndex + 1).ToString();
			link.NavigateUrl = string.Format("javascript:__doPostBack('{0}','Page${1}')", this.ClientID.Replace('_', '$'), link.Text);
			if(!string.IsNullOrEmpty(CustomPagerConfig.AlternatePageCssClass))
				link.CssClass = CustomPagerConfig.AlternatePageCssClass;
			link.ToolTip = string.Format("Go to page {0}", link.Text);
			link.RenderControl(writer);

			// If this is not the last link to render, then output a delimiter after it.
			writer.Write(CustomPagerConfig.LinkDelimiter);
		}
	}

	if(renderNextEllipse)
	{
		int linkTo = PageIndex + CustomPagerConfig.MaxLinks;
		if(linkTo > PageCount - 1)
			linkTo = PageCount - 1;

		// linkTo is an index, we must write the link with the page number.
		linkTo++;

		HyperLink link = new HyperLink();
		link.Text = CustomPagerConfig.Ellipses;
		link.NavigateUrl = string.Format("javascript:__doPostBack('{0}','Page${1}')", this.ClientID.Replace('_', '$'), linkTo.ToString());
		if(!string.IsNullOrEmpty(CustomPagerConfig.AlternatePageCssClass))
			link.CssClass = CustomPagerConfig.AlternatePageCssClass;
		link.ToolTip = string.Format("Go to page {0}", linkTo.ToString());
		link.RenderControl(writer);

		writer.Write(CustomPagerConfig.LinkDelimiter);

		link = new HyperLink();
		link.Text = (PageCount).ToString();
		link.NavigateUrl = string.Format("javascript:__doPostBack('{0}','Page${1}')", this.ClientID.Replace('_', '$'), link.Text);
		if(!string.IsNullOrEmpty(CustomPagerConfig.AlternatePageCssClass))
			link.CssClass = CustomPagerConfig.AlternatePageCssClass;
		link.ToolTip = string.Format("Go to page {0}", link.Text);
		link.RenderControl(writer);
	}
}

Screenshot 1:

Screenshot 2 (configured to show a limited number of page links):

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The Pain of Perfection

mjsaims posted on August 23, 2009 21:20

I was going through some old files on some drives and found something I wrote back on 2005/10/05. It is titled "The Pain of Perfection".

I've felt it all. I've heard everything.

But now all around me are echoes of the same meaningless thing; each iteration weakens its meaning even more than the previous. This just keeps going seemingly without end. This sound started inside of me and that is when it meant something; it meant the most anything has ever meant. When it left me and started repeating out in the world, its meaning became nothing. Hearing this meaningless echo out in the world negated the happiness that I once felt when it started within me; my past was the result of deception. Over years, I have learned to displace it. It was just another boring drone for all of us to hear while every day passes by. I've watched others get excited over it and I could never understand why. To me, their drama was without cause. I felt as if those people were not intelligent enough to understand the true nature of the endless echo; how deceptive and trivial it really was. Oh it must be good to be clueless. Happiness comes easy that way.

Then without any premonition, the echoes quickly moved back inside of me. This thing is no longer meaningless; I never thought this could happen. This has proven to me that anything is possible. After so many identical repetitions, this thing appears to be totally new; as if I've never heard it before. It isn't the sound that has changed; it must be my perception of it. I have been desensitized to it logarithmically, but somehow now all of my senses are overloaded and I am feeling it beyond all that imagination can possibly provide.

I never knew the meaning of perfection until now. Every infintely complex aspect of this thing speaks softly together to create the simplest word: "perfect". I now know what it is. And of course in no way am I deserving of such a thing. The only one worthy of such a thing is you; but you are the only one who, by nature, cannot experience this perfection. You can not have the one thing that only you deserve; and it is this tragedy that hurts me. Every echo now pounds from within my heart to pull at my hollow, numb body to deliver the unbearable pain throughout me. I feel this because I am not worthy of perfection; this most beautiful thing is back inside of me, and I feel too much. Happiness does not come easy this way.

Posted in: Inspired , Inspired , Inspired , Inspired , Inspired , Inspired , Inspired , Inspired Tags:

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Very Busy Lately (like the last 4 months or so)

mjsaims posted on August 23, 2009 21:06

I've been working 10 to 12 hour days and also working both Saturday and Sunday for a few hours each day. This has been going on for the past 4 months or so. I haven't been able to write, read, program, or anything. Just work, eat, then fall asleep on the couch. I have some really awesome books I want to read; I have a sweet idea for a website I would like to create, etc. The project I'm working on (an invoicing system) is supposed to be done within the next few weeks or so. Then I should have time to post more on my blog. Thanks all for the comments. I'm glad you find it interesting. There are many fundamental concepts that never even cross our minds because we are taught not to see them. And we are too distracted by garbage to see learn them on our own. It's ok to enjoy the media garbage that surrounds us; but always remember that it is only entertainment. Even the news is a business so...don't swallow anything without questioning it.

-MJ

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Replacement for FindControl()

mjsaims posted on June 20, 2009 17:14

A utility method to use in place of FindControl() in an ASPX or ASCX to recursively search for a control inside of a control's control collection. It is designed to search all siblings before diving down into each of their child collections:

protected T FindControlRecursive<T>(string id, Control parentControl) 
	where T : Control
{
	T final = default(T);

	// Search all children of the parent control.
	foreach (Control control in parentControl.Controls)
	{
		if (control.ID == id)
		{
			final = control as T;
			break;
		}
	}

	// Search each child's Controls collection.
	if (final == default(T))
	{
		foreach (Control control in parentControl.Controls)
		{
			if (control.HasControls())
				final = FindControlRecursive<T>(id, control);

			if (final != default(T))
				break;
		}
	}

	return final;
}

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Serialization Utilities

mjsaims posted on June 20, 2009 16:22

The following methods can be used to persist an object (as long as it is serializable) to an XML file and then load it back in at another time.

public void SerializeObjectToXmlFile(string filePath, Type type, object data)
{
	System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer s = new System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer(type);
	System.IO.TextWriter w = new System.IO.StreamWriter(filePath);
	s.Serialize(w, data);
	w.Close();
}


public T DeSerializeObjectFromXmlFile<T>(string filePath)
{
	T result = default(T);

	System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer s = new System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer(typeof(T));
	System.IO.TextReader r = new System.IO.StreamReader(filePath);
	result = (T)s.Deserialize(r);
	r.Close();

	return result;
}

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Enums: Utility Methods

mjsaims posted on June 20, 2009 16:17

Here are a couple helpful utility methods for working with enumerations in C#:

NOTE: I just noticed that pasting code which includes generic syntax (using the angle brackets "<" and ">") doesn't display correctly. I'll correct this soon.

/// 
///	Given a specific integer value, this will return the enumeration that holds that value.
/// 
/// The Type of enumeration you want.
/// 
/// 
public static TypeofEnum IntToEnum<TypeofEnum>(int number)
{
	return (TypeofEnum)Enum.ToObject(typeof(TypeofEnum), number);
}


/// 
/// Given a specific string value, this will return the enumeration that holds that enum name.
/// 
/// 
/// 
/// 
public static TypeofEnum StringToEnum<TypeofEnum>(string stringValue)
{
	return (TypeofEnum)Enum.Parse(typeof(TypeofEnum), stringValue, true);
}


/// 
/// GENERIC ENUM RETRIEVAL: 
/// NOTE: When binding the Dictionary to a control, specify the control's DataBound ValueField as "key" and the TextField as "value".
/// 
/// Type of the enumeration whose values you want.
/// Returns the Description string and the enumeration name as a string.
public static Dictionary GetEnums_NameAndDesc()
{
	Dictionary ret = new Dictionary();

	string[] names = Enum.GetNames(typeof(T));

	for (int i = 0; i < names.Length; i++)
		ret.Add(names[i], Enum.Description((T)(Enum.Parse(typeof(T), names[i]))));

	return (ret);
}


/// 
/// GENERIC ENUM RETRIEVAL: 
/// NOTE: When binding the Dictionary to a control, specify the control's DataBound ValueField as "key" and the TextField as "value".
/// 
/// Type of the enumeration whose values you want.
/// Type of the enumeration value. (its underlying type...which is Int32 by default)
/// Returns the underlying type value (by default is an INT32; such as 1,2,3...etc) and the description string.
public static Dictionary GetEnums_ValueAndDesc()
{
	Dictionary ret = new Dictionary();

	string[] names = Enum.GetNames(typeof(T));

	for (int i = 0; i < names.Length; i++)
		ret.Add((ValueType)(Enum.Parse(typeof(T), names[i])), Enum.Description((T)(Enum.Parse(typeof(T), names[i]))));

	return (ret);
}

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A Commericial Reveals the Common Human Sickness

mjsaims posted on May 12, 2009 06:57

We are slaves to our feelings. Another form of control that is rampant without the awareness by most people... I just watched a commercial where a girl with a really bubbly personality is telling a story of a kid who walks into Best Buy and said he wanted to buy something really special for him mom for mother's day. She showed him a little gadget that displays pictures on a keychain. She mentions how he can put pictures of the two of them on it. Then she says "I can picture his mom opening the gift and thinking my son loves me". She ends the commercial with the statement "Everyone thinks about their mothers".

This commercial made me feel sick. It was carefully designed to instill exactly the opposite feelings that I experienced. Even if people believe this story to be made up, they still experience a warmness from it. It was designed to target the most sensitive aspects of the human psyche...a child's love for his mother.

But...all commercials...all advertisments no matter what form (television, printed ads, logos, symbols, actions, phrases/mantras) are designed to create feelings within you. Any many times the feelings are false or misleading. And remember...anything can be an advertisment; the news, a speech, a fashion statement, etc. What is the definition of an advertisment? What does it mean to "advertise"? Well...the word means "to make known" or "to bring to awareness", "to notify", or "to promote". And one definition includes the point of arousing desire by mentioning desirable qualities. So what we have is one word that is used to represent two different underlying concepts: one is to make known while the other is to control. How many people are aware of this difference? Confusion and a mislead understanding arises because of the combination of concerns into a single word. On one hand, an advertisment is passive and harmless. On the other hand, it is active and harmful.

A mantra or charm is a phrase that is repeated so as to eventually guide your mind in a certain direction. Advertisments are rampant with chimes, songs, and repetitive catch phrases. This technique is also used in the spiritual realm of religion. Symbols are pictures or visual representations that do the same thing. A symbol represents something; either physical or abstract. Companies select colors carefully to represent their products. Research has been done that shows the colors red and yellow trigger a sense of hunger more than any other color; this is why McDonalds and many other food companies use those colors. Color is also important in spiritual matters. Colors, just like sounds, symbols, charms, talismans, herbs, incense, oils, etc are carefully chosen because they influence the mind through their associations. Associations are the tools used to build the links in the chain of thought in the minds of the slaves.

It is important to note that the concept mentioned here ties directly into the concept mentioned earlier about controlling others not by changing their actions directly, but by changing their thoughts so that they perform those actions by their own will. Advertising clearly uses this concept. And this concept works.

What does it mean to sell something; be it a product or yourself (job interview, or date)? You are trying to instill a desire into your audience; a desire to satisfy some false urge which inadvertantly satisfies your own desire. This is exactly what it means to control others. By allowing yourself to be subject to countless advertisments, you are agreeing to allow others to control and shape you.

Basically, we need to become aware of the effects of our experiences and observations. We need to question the motives of the source of all experience. We need to be aware of what feelings we experience as a result of our observations and find the reason why we have those feelings.

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Finally Got My Blog Set Up!

mjsaims posted on May 7, 2009 00:06

Hello everyone. I finally got a blog set up and ready to use. I'm way too tired right now to actually put anything on it. So...I'm just posting this message and will actually post some real content as I come to it.

Ciao

if( x > y )
CallMethod();
else
CallSomethingElse();

function test()
{
 document.getElementById("blah").style.backgroundColor = "red";
}

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Thoughts on Control Issues - Part 2

mjsaims posted on February 10, 2009 16:13

See Part 1:

Imagine trying to get a large group of people to do what you want them to do. Imagine trying to enforce a set of your rules upon them. Some of the people would be negatively affected by your rules to a stronger degree than others; therefore you would have varying degrees of opposition. This is going to be difficult to do successfully. Unless you use a bit of social engineering.

This is what you do. You create the voice of your own opposition. You establish a group whose job is to oppose you. By setting up your own body of opposition (or illusion of opposition), you have moved yourself into a position of complete control.

By establishing a group who will do the fighting for the opposition, you have essentially stopped the common person from taking any action because the people now have a group that will fight for them (so they believe). The people will sit back and do nothing except support the group who they believe is fighting for them. So...what you have done is quell the opposition.

Also, by establishing a group to oppose yourself, you can now steer the people astray away from truely understanding the meaning of the battle. Each group can voice their arguments in legal terms and rhetoric that the average person doesn't fully understand. The lack of education among the common person is what allows this effect to thrive.

Another benefit you get for establishing your own opposition is the compromise effect. If you want to gain an inch against the people you should push for two inches. That way, when you settle for a 50/50 compromise, the people will be satisfied that you didn't get two inches. What you really got was 1 inch; exactly what you set out to achieve in the first place. You can see this effect happen all the time in our country. It is easily noticed when a law is proposed that sounds so ridiculously right-winged or left-winged that you can't believe some politician actually supports it.

This leads to another effect...the effect of systematic desensitization that is used to control the people. If you expose people to a bad thought or idea that they have never even dreamed would ever exist (as mentioned above), it is quite a shock. This shocking effect is strong and the people will hold stong against it. But if a politician exposes this ideology again and again, it will become old news. Because it is old news, the people's opposition will not be as strong. The psychological weapon of repitition, which is a known technique in brainwashing, is used against you and you don't even know it. Have you ever heard a song on the radio that you hated but after hearing it so many times you actually come to like it or at least tolerate it? ...same effect.

...and you wonder why we have a two-party system. ...why is it that we elect delegates to be our voices for us. ...whenever there is a problem, the politicians set up a special committee (under their own control) to fight for us. ...why is it that popular vote doesn't matter. We are watching an act, a play, upon the world stage.

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Thoughts on Control Issues - Part 1

mjsaims posted on February 3, 2009 16:12

How do you control people? Well...You can force people to do your will. But applying force will usually result in an opposing force because nobody likes to be forced into anything. It makes people feel like they are controlled and that they are a slave to somebody else. Even if their will naturally coincides with yours, they still may turn in opposition just to spite you for trying to force them (depending on the nature of the situation).

Imagine a situation where their will does coincide with your will. This would be perfect. All you would need to do is give them a nudge, a reminder, and make them aware that they need to take action. And off they go! They are doing your will. But many times this is not the situation; especially if you want to control people to do something that is beneficial to you at their own expense. But hope is not lost; it is possible to create this situation through social engineering.

How do you get people to change their will or desire? You must change their feelings and thoughts. How do you do this? Well...people form their thoughts about the world (about their surroundings) based on what they observe in their environment. If they are exposed to more terror or scary events than usual, then they will think and therefore feel that their environment is dangerous and scary. If you remove all information regarding negative things, they will percieve their environment, the world around them, as a happy, safe, pleasant place. You can control what people think and feel by exposing them to different information...and the people won't have any clue that they are being manipulated and controlled; they will believe they are in control of their own will. You create the perception of a problem and then you provide the solution to that non-existant problem.

This is what the media does. The media (TV news, radio news, news papers) is where people are exposed to the information that shapes their view of the world. By broadcasting a specific viewpoint and leaving others out of sight and out of mind, you are shaping the thoughts and feelings of the public. You are controlling people without their awareness. It is no coincidence that all of our media sources in this country are controlled by large corporations that are tightly tied to politics. Through the media, we have been lead to believe our lives were in danger from terrorists, our American freedoms were at stake. We witnessed people in authority overreact to small events and create frightening drama out of nothing. We were put into a state of fear. We felt threatened. So threatened that we gave up some more of our constitutional rights and liberties for the sake of feeling safer against terrorists. So threatened that we supported a seemingly endless war in Iraq which is running the people of this country into the deepest debt ever imagined. Because of the war, we the people are sickly in debt to the bankers and corporations from which we borrowed all this war money. And the interest is ridiculous. Americans are slaves because we lack the knowledge of what freedom actually is. We are dumbed down and distracted by our busy lives and all the things corporate America dangles in front of us. The meaning of the word patriot has been changed for a reason...to control you. It used to mean a person who protects the people from the government (as quoted by this country's founding fathers who fled the corrupted throne of Britain to start a better existence upon this contenent). It now means a person who supports the government. This is the complete opposite of what it means and Americans are too stupid to understand that.

We are all slaves to the British throne. Do some research on the history of the Federal Reserve System...this is a history lesson that clearly reveals the enslavement of every American who thinks he is free.

Here is some interesting information that I've found:

Did you know all 44 U.S. presidents have carried European royal bloodlines into office? 34 have been genetic descendants from just one person, Charlemagne, the brutal eighth century King of the Franks. 19 of them directly descended from King Edward III of England. In fact, the presidential candidate with the most royal genes has won every single American election.

It sure would be an awkward family reunion. But, believe it or not, Barack Obama is related to both President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. OK, distantly related: Obama and Bush are 11th cousins. That's because they share the same great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents -- Samuel Hinckley and Sarah Soole Hinckley of 17th century Massachusetts.

That means Obama and former President George Herbert Walker Bush are 10th cousins once removed. Obama is related to Cheney through Mareen Duvall, a 17th century immigrant from France. Mareen and Susannah Duvall were Obama's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents and Cheney's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents.

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