<p>Can't understand why the following takes place:</p>

<pre><code>String date = "06-04-2007 07:05";
SimpleDateFormat fmt = new SimpleDateFormat("MM-dd-yyyy HH:mm");
Date myDate = fmt.parse(date); 

System.out.println(myDate);  //Mon Jun 04 07:05:00 EDT 2007
long timestamp = myDate.getTime();
System.out.println(timestamp); //1180955100000 -- where are the milliseconds?

// on the other hand...

myDate = new Date();
System.out.println(myDate);  //Tue Sep 16 13:02:44 EDT 2008
timestamp = myDate.getTime();
System.out.println(timestamp); //1221584564703 -- why, oh, why?
</code></pre>

What milliseconds? You are providing only minutes information in the first example, whereas your second example grabs current date from the system with milliseconds, what is it you're looking for?
```
```
String date = "06-04-2007 07:05:00.999";
SimpleDateFormat fmt = new SimpleDateFormat("MM-dd-yyyy HH:mm:ss.S");
Date myDate = fmt.parse(date);

System.out.println(myDate); 
long timestamp = myDate.getTime();
System.out.println(timestamp);
```
```