old_contents: import time
  import random
  
  def ts_microseconds():
      return int( time.time() * 1000000 )
  
  def generate_id():
      return random.getrandbits(64)
  
  print 'timestamp: ' + str(ts_microseconds())
  print 'random id: ' + str(generate_id())
  
new_contents: import time
  import random
  
  import MySQLdb
  
  def ts_microseconds():
      return int( time.time() * 1000000 )
  
  def generate_id():
      return random.getrandbits(64)
  
  # reference to database connector
  def get_db_connection():
      return MySQLdb.connect('localhost', 'zipkin', 'kinect', 'zipkin')
  
  db = get_db_connection()
  
  print db
  
  
  # print 'timestamp: ' + str(ts_microseconds())
  # print 'random id: ' + str(generate_id())
  
subject: connect to mysql database