Try initializing your variables at the beginning. This helps to keep track of your variable names and ensures that the scope of the variable reaches outside of the braces.

class Overtime{
public static void main(String[] args)throws Exception{
	
String omout = "";//init vars
String omin = "";
String otout = "";
String otin = "";


 if(overm.equals("yes")){

	    System.out.print("Time-in: ");
	omin=b.nextLine();//get omin
	    System.out.print("Time-out: ");	
        omout=b.nextLine();//get omout

}



 if(overt.equals("yes")){

	System.out.print("Time-in: ");
    otin=b.nextLine();
	System.out.print("Time-out: ");	
    otout=b.nextLine();

}

I ended up using:
android:noHistory="true"
in the manifest


http://developer.and...ent.html#nohist

Quote

Whether or not the activity should be removed from the activity stack and finished (its finish() method called) when the user navigates away from it and it's no longer visible on screen — "true" if it should be finished, and "false" if not. The default value is "false".
A value of "true" means that the activity will not leave a historical trace. It will not remain in the activity stack for the task, so the user will not be able to return to it.

seems to be working as desired

so ive seen how to stop and activity but I want the user to go back to the beginning. Is there an easy way to have all activities quit.
A couple of places say to close each activity along the way and each one seems to have a different take on how to do this. Im confused, any more insight

So im trying to use the setContentView in the onCreate() to specify that I want to use the custom view but I am having trouble deciphering what I need to change based on the link. It looks like they are trying to query the information whereas I have mine in an array. Here was my old code:

 
 setListAdapter(new ArrayAdapter<String>(this, R.layout.screen2,lNames));
	 ListView lv = getListView();
	 lv.setTextFilterEnabled(true);

	  lv.setOnItemClickListener(new OnItemClickListener() {
	    public void onItemClick(AdapterView<?> parent, View view,
	        int position, long id) {

So I figure I need to have

 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
         android:orientation="vertical"
         android:layout_width="match_parent"
         android:layout_height="match_parent"
         android:paddingLeft="8dp"
         android:paddingRight="8dp">

     <TextView
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Some text above the listView" 
        android:textSize="25dip"
        android:gravity="center"
        android:layout_margin="15dip"/>
     
     <ListView android:id="@android:id/list"
               android:layout_width="match_parent"
               android:layout_height="match_parent"
               android:background="#00FF00"
               android:layout_weight="1"
               android:drawSelectorOnTop="false"/>

    
 </LinearLayout>

and

 setContentView(R.layout.screen2) 

but how do I bind the lNames array to this view

Thanks for your reply. I'll research this and post back with any questions