Intgeration issues? Just Smook 'em together!

Just saw this interesting project being mentioned in TSS:
http://www.theserverside.com/news/thread.tss?thread_id=49313

Really like the features once I see them, hope it goes well, like the other interesting projects at codehaus.

Smooks can be used to:

• Perform a wide range of Data Transforms - XML to XML, CSV to XML, EDI to XML, XML to EDI, XML to CSV, Java to XML, Java to EDI, Java to CSV, Java to Java, XML to Java, EDI to Java etc.
• Populate a Java Object Model from a data source (CSV, EDI, XML, Java etc). Populated object models can be used as a transformation result itself, or can be used by (e.g.) Templating resources for generating XML or other character based results. Also supports Virtual Object Models (Maps and Lists of typed data), which can be used by EL and Templating functionality.
• Process huge messages (GBs) - Split, Transform and Route message fragments to JMS, File, Database etc destinations.
• Enrich a message with data from a Database, or other Datasources.
• Perform Extract Transform Load (ETL) operations by leveraging Smooks' Transformation, Routing and Persistence functionality.

Looks great for those very "interesting" integration projects between legacy system A and legacy system B. Will have to keep it in mind if I ever encounter such requirements in future projects.

Check it out at:
http://milyn.codehaus.org/Smooks

Unscrupulous scammers

Those conmen who call up parents claiming to have kidnap their kids should be dealt with the same way kidnappers are dealt with, by caning, fine, jail and deportation if they are illegal immigrants.

'The first thing I heard was a man say in Mandarin 'Lao Siong (brother), I kidnapped your son.'

http://tnp.sg/news/story/0,4136,164397,00.html