Dana Bell

A week after the Microsoft Launch of Windows Vista, and I can only remember a couple of the new features on the latest PC OS. I did take notes, though.

When speaking of operating systems, most users, even power users, don't really know what's "under the hood", that makes it better, or if it's needed. Sure, we hear the claims, faster, more secure and other subjective terms. Not enough. Even if it is faster or more secure, the thing that sells will be the user experience. Sure, Vista will spread, but much of it may simply be the OS that comes packaged with the new computer; instead of XP. The rest will be what other software will force upgrades to Vista. There are a few features of Vista that are notable, though not necessarily note "worthy".

Gadgets
The first is the use of gadgets, which are mini-applications or services that take their space on the desktop. While tauted as the latest improvement in Windows, it's really no more than another application, that could have been developed, within or for Windows XP, 2000, or maybe Windows 98. It need not be tied to an OS.
Being the cynic that I am, I view gadgets and gadget technology with the same scepticism as Browser toolbars, or other background applications (spyware) that services require you run to be able to access some other service. With the demo of the Travelocity demo, it doesn't take a cynic to see where gadget technology will take you, to new levels of spam.

Alt-tab
Another much publicized feature of Vista was the switching between, and the visual display of programs running by pressing Alt-Tab. While it does show off some nice graphic effects, after a couple views, I just yawn. That feature, however, does have some deja vu associated with it. Wasn't there an XP powertoy that did something like that? And there's a similar Firefox plug-in that does that for their browser. Not so new after all.

Search
The indexed search system in Vista is really a nice feature, something that really is needed. They did a good job on this one, but I still wouldn't qualify this feature as an operating system feature. Any application could generate an index of all common files on the system and search from it; several graphics and audio packages do this. Running it as a service that monitors all file operations, and it could keep the index synchronized. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if someone did create such an application. Shucks, I might even try my hand at that.

I'm still wondering where an OS upgrade benefits me. The toys don't impress me and there doesn't seem to be any new thing in the way it better operates the computer for the user. And there is one area that does need some attention, fonts. What will impress me is better handling of fonts.

Fonts - an OS issue
Yes, I find it somewhat disturbing that after a decade of Windows, they are still using much the same font registration and loading system to use fonts in Windows applications. I've seem many font utilities that can display and use fonts loaded from font files. There's no reason that Windows can't employ a similar system for loading and use font files. Now that is an operating system issue. Of course, if that did happen, that would be groundbreaking.

Enron Technology
That's not to say there weren't any OS features added. In Vista, Office, and Exchange, "Enron Windows" has been expanded. If that technology had been in place during Enron, we might still have an Enron, and all the corruption that it embodied. While the technology has valid benefits and can secure a company's confidential and proprietary information, it can also be used to bring white-collar crime to a new level. Not only can emails be wiped from the systems of every computer in the company, wi-fi can reach out to other systems.

In short, it appears that Vista is just another version of Windows. But, then, I haven't used it, so it's too soon to tell. Unfortunately, I don't have a reason to get it, so it will be some time before I can report my first hand experiences and that's the point.

I'm still musing over all of my Launch notes, but since I only have a few minutes, I thought I would start with a side note.
Among the handful of neat/new things about Vista, one of the best ideas presented in the Vista launch, is the ability to easily add or change the meta data of certain files. Things like author, keywords, and the like can be changed on the main screen in Vista.

I use the term idea for a reason; there is a catch. If you use this feature on some of your photographs, particularly Nikon NEF files, Vista can destroy important camera meta data on those camera raw files. Stephen Shankland writes about it on a cnet site, and Microsoft explains it in its knowledge base

It was never mentioned in the presentation. Nor was it mentioned that apparently Microsoft isn't really going to fix this problem. They are asking the camera manufacturers to fix it. It appears that the fault lies with the proprietary camera raw formats, and Microsoft isn't going to take these non-standard formats into consideration when it opens these files.

Reminds me of my frustration with some of Microsoft's non-standard extensions to html a few years ago.

I just returned from the Microsoft Office 2007 Launch in Dallas. I have notes for several entries on the Office system, Vista, and Microsoft in general. I'm going to take some time to process them, though and want to just give my confession. While I was in Dallas, I had some drugs.

I had the remnants of a head/chest cold when I went, so combined with the uncomfortable bedding (Hotels don't have waterbeds), I didn't sleep well at all. Mentally, I just couldn't focus. As I walked through the convention center, I saw other people crowded around and participating so I stood in line. As the crowd began to clear, I saw the signs, first "Regular", then "Decaf". I grabbed a cup and filled it up with Regular, added 2 creams and 2 sugars.

I've been addicted to caffeine before, and it was a difficult habit to give up, but I was clean for several years. You might not consider caffeine to be a "drug", but if you try to define the term, it certainly could be one. If addiction determines what a drug is, caffeine certainly fits the bill, as does sugar, high fat foods, and possibly even a favorite dish. If "mood-altering" defines a drug, then all the same things could also pass the test.

There is a theology in Christianity and likely other religions that any consumption of alcohol is a sin. That may be a definitive characteristic in their view, or it may be due to the assumption that anyone drinking alcohol does it to get at least a buzz. Or it may presume that it is a drug because it's consumption is you depend on for normal survival. Caffeine could fit that one too.

There probably is a line to draw somewhere between what is a drug and what is not. The better question might be what is abuse, whether alcohol, drugs or caffeine. I don't subscribe to the alcohol is a sin theology, but the Bible gives repeated warning about it. Nor would I say caffeine is okay. I think the wisest thing is to look at what it is, and what it does.

I try to make choices based on simple guidelines. Here's just a couple.
Health: Is it unhealthy?
Addiction: Is it something that I will depend on?

Having had 2 cups of strong Starbucks coffee today, I will most likely have some withdrawal symptoms like a slight headache. I could drink coffee again tomorrow to minimize those. But then, that would mean that caffeine will become more of a drug to me.

Now, what about shopping?

A few days ago I looked at a cardfile program and verbally wondered if it could be done in Access. Well, yes, and it's rather simple.

Here's the steps I followed.

1. Create the table. I used cardID, cardTitle, cardNotes and cardDate. You could add others depending on what you want to use it for.

2. Create a form using the form wizard, all fields from the table, and the justified option. Add a few records to see how it works.

3. Create a lookup combo box on the form using the combo box wizard, to Find a record based on cardID (hidden) and cardTitle.

4. Open the form in Design View, select the combo box you just created and Format > Change To > ListBox and make it several lines tall.

5. Select the cardTitle text box and click the ellipsis for the Event AfterUpdate. From the dialog, select the code builder and VB should open. Add Me.Refresh in the middle of the routine where the cursor should be. Close VB and view the form.

Select the card you want to view from the ListBox and it will be displayed automatically. Try adding another card and see that it is added to the list when you click anywhere else.

There's a lot more you can do with this. You'll want to arrange the fields the way you want, color them to make them stand out, or not. Sort the entries in the ListBox. Make the cursor Goto a certain control (i.e. cardNotes.SetFocus) after you select the card you want. Make the lookup box the full height of the form, and you may even want to add due dates, or categories to the record for filtering later. This is just a start. A quick start.

This is an easy one. Since I'm not at my home computer now, I created it from memory and it took less than 5 minutes, but I'll give you 10 minutes.

I've watched the computer business since its early beginnings in the early 1980's, and computer values are at a peak. In the last few months, I've enjoyed numerous betas, trials, some freebie software from giants like Microsoft and Adobe. And now, in Dallas the day after tomorrow, Microsoft will be dishing out free copies of Office 2007 at a Microsoft Launch to get people to start using it.

Commercial software companies are doing their best to compete with the ever expanding range of software solutions available at little cost. With two fairly successful versions of Microsoft Windows, Microsoft is now having a hard time trying to sell Windows upgrades. With Linux being prominent as Internet servers, more power users are turning to that platform and Microsoft is feeling some of the heat. That's not to say Microsoft, Adobe or any other major supplier is hurting. What is hurting is their need to hike or keep prices high enough to make the profits they need, and those high prices are turning even more heads.

With knowledgeable users having so many options, computer retailers are having to target two groups at opposite ends of the spectrum with the corporate structure and their demands for servers, server software and bulk PCs at one end. On the other end are people that don't know anything about a computer. Ironically, in many cases, that may also describe the corporate types as well. In the eyes of these suppliers, ignorance is a valued characteristic.

But, then, I'm something of a software junkie, so I'll be getting my copy of Office 2007. And, yes, I'll be grateful. Well, maybe thankful would be a better word. I don't need it, but I like to see how things work.

When speaking with non-designers about graphics, it is often easy to forget how little they know about graphics. The most that most people know about graphics is the resolution. High resolution is good; low resolution is bad.

Unfortunately, it is not that simple. Without taking the time to include illustrations, some of this may not be so obvious, but it's something I'd like to try to start explaining. Consider this a first draft.

dpi and Resolution
When a graphic artist thinks about resolution, he is very often thinking about the dpi of a bitmap image. And while the higher the dpi, the better, measuring in dpi alone can be misleading. A 600 pixel x 800 pixel screen image at 72 dpi and a 600 pixel x 800 pixel screen image at 300 dpi, is the same image. On computer, the issue is not the dpi. 600 x 800 is 600 x 800. The total pixel size of an image is the determining factor. The computer screen only displays in one resolution.

The difference is in reproduction. The dpi (dots per inch) translates to image size and resolution when printed on a inkjet or laser printer. If you print this image at 72 dpi, it will be larger, but lower resolution. If you print the image at 300 dpi, it will be smaller but higher resolution.

I'm talking pure dots here. You could enlarge a 300 x 400 image to 600 x 800, but in effect the quality of the image is still 300 x 400, since all those extra dots are created out of thin air and don't actually create any new details in the image. That's why it is important to keep the original image in its created size until you know how you are going to use it. Anytime you reduce an image, you are throwing away dots, dots that you can't get back by re-enlarging.

lpi and Printing
In addition to the dpi reproduction of an image, there is lpi. That is the printing reproduction resolution. When a graphic is printed, the print process does it's own conversion to a dot pattern, where lpi stands for the numbers of lines of dots per inch. The printing lpi ranges from about 120 - 200 or more for commercial offset. In order to have the best quality conversion to printing lpi, the finished graphic should be at least 1.5 times the print resolution. Thus, a 300 dpi image would be used for 200 lpi printing.

Bitmap or Vector
All of the concern about bitmap images is due to the fact that bitmap images are simply color dots (squares, actually) placed proportionally on a grid to represent the photo. Since there is so such thing as a half-dot, the image will appear jagged where dots attempt to align on an edge. If everything you do is for the web, that may be all you need to be concerned with since computer monitors are dot-based devices.
If you're printing, however, you'll want to use vector graphics for anything but photos if possible. In short, vector graphics are digitally drawn objects, normally printed on a postscript device.

Various programs create vector, bitmap or combined images. Selecting the correct program, or file format is critical to getting the quality image that you want.

Fonts
By default, modern font files are all vector based, so in order to maintain vector quality, they must be in their native format. Type formatted in a page layout program preserves the vector characteristics of the font. Similarly, type created in most drawing programs will usually be vector. Cases where this type can be converted to bitmap is in graphics programs such as Photoshop. Note however, if you attempt to use a custom color, the image must be broken down into component colors of CMYK, and represented by dots.

Drawings
Drawings made is programs such as Illustrator are also vector based. That is not to say you cannot create bitmap characteristics in an illustrator. Some of Illustrator's effects are bitmap.

Photos
Realistic photos are primarily bitmap images, and there is very little you can do to make them into vector artwork. Things like clipping paths can be preserved in photos, but they are separate items that can be created or imported from other vector programs.

Effects
Shading and gradients are two things that are often combined with other images to enhance them. While they are bitmap effects, you may have to take special steps to make sure that the vector images that they are a part of are not also rasterized or converted to bitmap images.

Flattening
Most graphics programs now use layers for the different elements in an image or graphic. When you use the program to flatten the image, in most cases, the flattened file is a bitmap version of all layers combined, even though some of them may be vector objects. Backup and think twice before flattening. Once the file is written to disk and the program is closed you may not be able to get the vector objects back.

File formats
Often people may be misled by demanding their artwork be in various formats. Used to be that EPS files were the thing to ask for, since they are vector images. The problem is, again, not that simple. EPS can contain both vector and bitmap images. Nowadays, the same presumption is being made about PDF files. PDF files, however, can also contain both vector and bitmap images. The same is true of AI. Since many items contains both vector (type and drawings) and bitmap (photos), these formats are often the most logical choices. It all depends on how you create the files, and the options you use when saving or exporting. Of course, with the combination of various files and formats, transparency is another issue, but that is another dragon to slay.
P.S. Present day JPEG images never contain vector artwork. It is a bitmap format designed specifically for photographers and photographs.

Creating quality infinitely reproducible art is a process with a lot of elements to consider. The above contains just some of the things you need to be concerned with for the highest quality graphics. If it were that easy, anyone could do it. Once you know how it all works, you'll be on the way to a less worry-free life as a graphic designer.

Tip Summary

• Use high resolution original images (larger image sizes)
• In press reproduction, the image dpi should be at least 1.5 times the lpi being used in printing.
• Use Vector artwork for drawings and text
• Maintain vector artwork when adding bitmap effects and creating files for output.

Unlike writing a novel or technical manual, blogging is a daily struggle. While I may be pleased with one entry, the next three or four may be considerably less "flowing". In those times, I'm tempted to begin procrastinating, but I know that once I stop, it'll be hard to get started again. I just have to make the most of what I've got.

On some days, the words just flow. On other days, you have to skip over a dozen ideas because they are too time-consuming or demand too much energy doing the necessary research. If I am going to maintain a regular schedule, I have to come up with and organize a new subject every day. To really stay on top of the game, in your peak, every day, you need NOT do it every day. Yes, instead, organize and prepare multiple entries in advance.

Some blogging software, like the b2evolution that I use, will allow you to create draft versions of entries. If you can keep it organized, that's one way to stay ahead, but I discovered another tool that I may be using to maintain my blogging notes. Chosen as PC World's top pick today, AZZ Cardfile is an ideal solution to sorting my list of blog cards. Yes, I write my ideas down on index cards during the day. Expanding on an idea requires me to find that card (now or later) and add some notes to it.

AZZ Cardfile is like the Windows card file program of a decade ago, on steroids. You can create a card-file, and add multiple cards to it, each with a title. The text on each card can also be formatted, and you can even add images. The one thing that this little gems lacks is the ability to select card files from a list. You do select the cards that are in the list, but if you have multiple lists, you have to close/open each one.

It's a shareware program that runs $19. I'll give it a show for a month or so and see how it works. I could build (or find) a simple Access database that would be just effective. Even if it doesn't work for me, it may be just what you need. The important thing is get organized, and be prepared. Not just in blogging, but in any other project you have.

I came across the word adhocracy quite by mistake, although I've seen it in action on many occasions. The Office Life has this definition:
Adhocracy [n.] A minimally structured business where teams are formed as they are needed to address specific problems.

The Wikipedia definition notes that
"Adhocracy is very good at problem solving and innovations and thrives in a changing environment. It requires sophisticated and often automated technical systems to develop and thrive."

Project-based organizational structures can be more focused on tasks that need to be started, developed and completed rather than on developing a system that needs daily maintenance. I have seen many such "task-forces" that are successful, however, in business, this is not so definite. Organizations use a form of adhocracy in the formation of "committees" to look at various issues. In theory, these committees should be equally successful, however, in practice they lack some of the key ingredients necessary for development and execution of a adhocratic approach to problem-solving.

Instead of including specialists that cover every aspect of the projects, such structure only include leaders of departments just because their department will be affected.
Many of the members are there to make a show of the process.
And finally, instead of shifting control to experts in their respective fields, administrators are there to preserve their powers.

Wordspy's citation using this word really shows the twists that can come about in such a system.
"One beginning point might be to compel the attorney general actually to manage the Justice Department and its investigative agencies in accordance with laws and executive orders going back to shortly after the Civil War. But other laws and traditions have given the U.S. attorneys considerable independence, making the Justice Department a scattershot 'adhocracy' rather than a tightly run, top-down bureaucracy."
—David Burnham, "The F.B.I.," The Nation

More from Wikipedia...
"Alvin Toffler noted in his book Future Shock that adhocracies will get more common and are likely to replace bureaucracy in the near future. He also wrote that they will most often come in form of a temporary structure, formed to resolve a given problem and dissolved afterwards. An example are cross-department task forces.

"Downsides of adhocracies can include "half-baked actions", personnel problems stemming from organization's temporary nature, extremism in suggested or undertaken actions, and threats to democracy and legality rising from adhocracy's often low-key profile."

The one area where incompatibility is a reality is in computers. Computer manufacturers and software developers build computers to be incompatible. Maybe not always intentionally, but they often have no intention of designing a system to be compatible with nothing but the latest.

Playing off of my last two entries, lets look at the browser war. Internet Explorers' competition has built features into their browsers that IE is just now getting around to including in IE 7. The only thing is IE7 requires XP, while the others don't.

Having done a lot of programming, I know that software can very often be written to take advantage of the features of a new operating system, or hardware configuration, without requiring them. A little more effort may be involved, but it's very possible. However, it is becoming more prevalent for developers to limit their code to a single operating system, or version. I suspect much of the development is done based on arrangements with those OS developers.

For example, much of open source software supports multiple versions and operating systems, while commercial software is targeted to the latest OS versions at the time. Think about the irony in that.

Not only is it common to code for a particular OS, but now more developers are developing to isolated file formats, and refusing to make their programs downward compatible. Much of the software upgrades now are done in order to be compatible with newer file formats, not because of some new features. It's the software equivalent of planned obsolescence. And then to make it even more of a necessity, some applications, like QuarkXPress and InDesign won't read a file that's more than a couple versions back.

My philosophy in this area has been to hang on as long as possible. It wasn't until some of the software I was going to use required XP last year that I got it. Though I have Office 2003 installed and will be getting 2007 next week, I'm still using Office 2000 applications.

I'm not saying you should never upgrade or that everything should always be compatible, but do look before you buy and be aware of the restrictive nature of what package you are considering. You might be able to open the latest and greatest with your new version, but consider that your upgrade may force those you share files with to upgrade.

Compatibility is a strange phenomenon. In many areas, compatibility is not that big of a deal. In an effort to make things work, we can adapt to less than ideal situations.

In marriage, that is particularly true. Compatibility has a lot to do with how tolerant you are of someone squeezing the toothpaste in the middle or staying out late. A lot really depends on what really matters. Does the other person matter, or is the love you once felt more directed toward your own concerns, desires? Are you wanting more from a marriage than you should?

Courts will give you a divorce based on compatibility issues, although it may really mean you don't have the selflessness you need to sustain a marriage relationship. Someone once said that any two Christians could marry and if they were committed to the Lord, they could make it. I believe it.

A relationship with Jesus trumps all others in importance, but with a growing relationship with Him, we are able to enhance the other relationships we have. If the two love the things that Jesus loves, those two have hearts that are truly compatible. If you are unhappy in your relationships or with your circumstances, developing a relationship with Jesus might be the best place to start.

In a Microsoft Windows world, there's a wealth of options to choose from for software. In our Internet world, there's also an ocean of free software you can use for surfing, messaging and searching the waves of the information superhighway.

Despite the wide range of choices, so many find and start using a single program and soon begin to swear by it, though they may have never used any of the competing applications. Don't do that. If you want to get the most from your software, computer and use of the internet look at them all.

Browsers
In the browser market, there are several viable options and most have been doing things that Microsoft is just now getting around to adding to their later Internet Explorer. To review the most widely used alternatives, check out these:

Firefox is Internet Explorer's stiffest competition. The browser is based Mozilla code and support a wealth of plug-ins. Search engines for Firefox are also easier to find. It's been using tabs for some time, though IE is just now getting around to add it to theirs.
Opera is another option. It is a lightweight browser that will work on some older PCs. There's also an Opera Mobile for you cell phone. Of course, it also uses tabs.
Slim Browser, Avant and Netscape are other options to look at.

Email
Email software is the same way. I avoided using Outlook from the beginning since it is so frequently targeted by malware. I've been using Pegasus for probably a decade. Some options are Thunderbird, Eudora, Opera Mail and web-based services. If you'd like, you can read about them at the Ice House, but my suggestion would be to try them out.

Search
The third most common internet "application" is your search engine, though its not really a client application. It is a choice you can make, however.
Google is probably the most popular search engine today. It is so popular that it's now a new word in the English vocabulary, and sites all over the world are littered with Ads by Google. For that and other reasons, I Don't Google. Instead, try Yahoo or Hakia. Other options are Ask and Dmoz.

With search bars in most new browsers, you can select a multitude of special purpose search engines for things like movies, weather, maps, and recipes. There's search-able dictionaries, encyclopedias, and wikis. If you have a web site, there's also a wide selection of applications you can use for your blog, forums, and other enhancements.

Spend a little more time and explore all your options. You'll learn more about what you can, and you'll probably learn more how to use the one you choose.

In our locality, we subscribe to the weekend edition of the local news. That gives us Friday, Saturday and Sunday issues. The highlight of the weekend is in the Sunday comics. That's the only section I read faithfully, and the comic that I'm most likely to cut out and post somewhere is the Dilbert comic.

Dilbert has a way of exposing the reality of modern business in a humorous way. He is insightful in his ability to characterize what I see where I work. Almost makes me wonder if he used to work there. The scary part is they must teach these crackbrained ideas somewhere. However, I'm not going to say much about Dilbert now, since I'd like to devote a lengthy entry to Scott Adams observations.

Ingrained in the management techniques and thought processees is the jargon of business, a collection of words that management types like to use in order to sound like they know what they are talking about. Earlier today, I came across an interesting game that can be played during meetings that may help you identify some of these phrases.

The game is at http://elsmar.com/level2/Bingo.html . In this game, you use a preprinted 5 x 5 bingo card with common business jargon phrases in each box. When you hear that phrase, check off that box. For shorter meetings, play for 5 in a row or four corners. For seminars and town hall type meetings, an X or a black out could be a real challenge.

There is also a variation of the card, but for a more realistic version, I would suggest you compile your own list of phrases from the common speakers in your meeting. Then arrange the most common phrases around the edges, with the most bizarre blurts near the center. This is really needed to give you a challenge.

Another thing that I've observed is that certain managers like to repeat certain phrases. A simpler game that might work better with this would be to list those phrases and then score a certain number of points for each time that phrase is used in the meeting.

Yet another variation that might interest you would be to create one of these games from phrases you use yourself. Might teach you to watch your jargon... Might not....

Much of a Christian's life is spent considering whether or not this or that is a Christian thing.

Obviously, there are the most obvious things. But, there are a lot of things that are not so obvious. Some of them are only labeled based on our own prejudices and feelings. If we tend to be more strict, anything that suggests breaking some traditional view is definitely non-Christian. A girl calling a boy for a date would be one. Taking a nap on the beach with someone of the opposite sex. Missing church is a sin. If we are more liberal, we will tend to overlook the less obvious, and excuse any objection with "There's nothing wrong with...".

The problem with both of these decision making processes is that they are subjective, dependent on our own experiences, our own thoughts. The same thing goes for Christian as for non-Christian. God's thoughts are not our thoughts. His ways are higher than our ways.

While you may think that I'm being too technical when I say we need to look in the book, that is exactly what the book is for. His words guide our path. When you look at the biblical text, what God has to say and show us is often more liberal and more conservative than our own isms.

There is a biblical example of a woman sleeping at the foot of a man she wasn't married to. That's wrong, right?
I've been accused of being gracious, but I sometimes wonder if I am gracious when God wants something more. Politeness and civility go a long way in maintaining a peaceful environment. Please, no swords.
What about the way we dress. We object to nudity and pornography, but are our provocative clothes and adornments similar to that of the seductive women mentioned in Proverbs?
What about name-calling? If Proverbs calls people fools, can't we tell someone that they are an idiot? Or should we just talk ABOUT fools.
What about prejudice? The Bible says Cretans are lazy gluttons. What about that? Our own culture defines how far Christian thought should go.

We tend to build walls around our own faith, expanding it beyond what the scriptures say. On the one hand, we will say something is wrong because it looks like this, or might lead to something else. On the other, we overlook every warning of temptation and end up falling in a pit. If we were to maintain a biblical world view that is more definitive of what the Bible actually says, we might have more impact on the world.

The thoughts of God are higher than the thoughts of man. If we want to know what His thoughts are, we need to study His book.

Another web review

Having reviewed the TylerPaper web site yesterday, I reminded myself that I hadn't reviewed UTHCT since it's relaunch. One of the most impressive local web sites here in Tyler is now that of The University of Texas Health Center at Tyler. It was redesigned last year and launched in December I believe.

I'm employed there in a different department, and never did like the "swoops" they adopted. Technically, they are difficult to manage in print media, and personally can look amateurish if not done right. What it does in a website, however, is give the site some shape and character. Those curved lines and the image outlines are what give the website its character. Combine those with those boxy buttons and it doesn't look so bad, or so unnatural.

The overall design is well thought out and quite functional. The links at the top and to the right are logical, and the highlight links do just that, highlight the news items and items of interest. The rotating image links at the right are small enough to not be disturbing and yet noticeable enough to make you interested.

Some of the inside pages of the site are also impressive, most with a custom headline graphic. On some other pages, you can tell they are database driven pages. Departmental pages use a unifying page structure, which is a good thing. On the other hand, the directories are simply lists of names, numbers, although databases can do more that just list things.

That it's a database driven site is a good thing. That means it can be kept up to date by those in the know. The content management system is simple and effective but I'm more impressed by the design and integration of the graphics.

...

Overall, the site design and content is exceptional. Technically, it's a model site as well. If you'll look at the bottom of a page, you will notice a XHTML 1.1 icon. Click it and it will validate the page on the World Wide Web Consortium site. Today, there were two errors, but I'll bet they will be fixed before you try it.

The Tyler Morning Telegraph unveiled its new web site today, and I obviously went straight to the computer to check it out. You will have to consider that I've visited their old site on numerous occasions. The new tylerpaper.com is a tremendous improvement over the old.

The site has a left side index of categories, both news and commercial that follows you through much of the site. Of course, preferring salesmanship over service, the top links are to Autos, Jobs, Real Estate, while links to the News, Sports, Business sections are a couple page clicks down in the list.

That's just another proof that the news media is not as much about news, keeping us informed, as it is about selling advertising, although that may be an economic necessity.

The top of each inside page includes breadcrumbs. Simple, but useful for getting your bearings if you surf the site at all. The banner includes a search, and an easy to read weather note on temps and a link to more.

It looks like the inside of a newspaper; it's busy; it has narrow columns; and it has distracting advertisements. Of course, a newspaper should look busy to some degree, although I prefer a more organized and aesthetic site.

Four columns is not unusual, but the blending, or lack of blending of different types of material in each column is confusing, and annoying. A less is more concept might prove to be more practical and appealing.

There's the sectional links (Local, World, Sports, Business), the special section links (rants, outdoors, arts), the ad sections (Auto, Jobs), separate sections for Top Jobs, Top Homes, Online Extras, Site Services, the Section links, (News, Sports, Business), the Immediate Links (Breaking News, Top Stories, Sports again), a couple of front page teasers, and advertisements. It's enough to make you dizzy.

It's a newspaper. You would think they would know that you can't cram everything on the front page. You would think they would imitate some of the proven traditions of journalistic layout. The individual sections are semi-organized, but as a whole it a potpourri of links. Just having an ad on page one is a commonly accepted taboo, in my opinion, although I suspect that is more an advertiser/retailer issue. Too much Ice Cream will make you sick; too much Peltier makes me sick.

Considering design, I would hope that this site is just a work in progress. It lacks a lot in organization, color, spacing, and graphics. But, then, just having a little less could make it much more. Technically, it's also a failure. It's designed for Internet Explorer, for users with wide screens and that have the browser maximized. Narrow the screen in Firefox and some content on the right side overlaps the left. The biggest failure is its non-compliance with W3C standards. If you visit http://validator.w3.org/check, and enter the tylerpaper.com URL, you will see a list of 265 errors on the front page. That non-compliance is the biggest reason that web sites aren't compliant with more than one browser variant.

Of course, there are some bugs in it, as you might expect from a new site. Some of the links are broken in the inside pages, including the Obituaries page, which is yet another thing you get to from the front page.

Again, considering where they came from, I'll give them a kudos.

Years ago, the stock market was something for the wealthy to invest in. Today, with much of American business going "public", most everyone has some kind of investment in the stock market. At every turn, there's a philosophy about how to play the stock market, as if we are all in the game. My question is, "Should we play the stock market at all?"

For the Christian, I think we need to look at the ramifications of investing in the stock market. By blinding investing in the stock market, whether with individual stock or mutual funds, we are dehumanizing the economy. We don't look at what work people are doing to give us some return on our investment.

We could pass it off as "We are giving someone a job." The problem is we have major restaurant chains all across the country that have demanded cheaper labor laws and are taking advantage of people with limited skills. There's big box stores that manipulate the system to get the best earnings ratio for investors. Ironically, the most profitable companies tend to be the most abusive, and I'm not talking about the futures market here.

Indiscriminate investments are the major reason that companies are developing indiscriminate policies in business and in dealing with employees. Very often, large companies and wealthy investors take advantage of the less fortunate. By controlling things, they attempt to control and dominate people.

At the forefront of this domination is Wal-mart. Under the guise of low prices, Wal-mart is taking over small communities all over the country. Their plans include ways to run small companies out of business and then hire those people at near minimum wage.

What about companies and immoral issues? What about support for homosexuality. Morality is not the all important issue to me, but it is an issue.

What about non-Christian companies? If you've read my article on The Shepherd's Guide, you know my answer. If not, you may remember someone asking this question, "If you love only those of your kind, how are you any better than others that do the same."

What about foreign companies, and foreign plants? Should we support the communist Chinese by frequenting the many dollar stores popping up all of the country. Should we be investing in those companies.

No, I don't advocate a "No Stock Market" law be added to the commandments. Christianity is not a matter of keeping human laws. It's a matter of keeping the laws of love. Is it love to invest in a company that takes advantage of others?

I'm not telling you what to do, other than to say, if you are going to be a Christian, you should give some thought to these kinds of things.

Loving your neighbor as yourself is closely linked to the golden rule, "Do unto others as you would others do to you." If we don't, as a church or as a society, we will end up committing societal suicide.

In Jesus' time, there was also a philosophy that we should "do not unto others as we would not that they do unto us." That's not the same thing, but it's a start.

I don't really remember when, but at one of my places of employment, I must have been contemplating some job change or something. When it became known, I was given this advice.

Put your fist in a bucket of water and take it out, after the water settles down see any difference?

The object of this hypothetical exercise was to demonstrate that individuals are not indispensable; that we don't matter separately; that somehow we must be a part of a larger unit to really matter.
Other than the fact that this exercise is rather pointless and silly (as is much of business philosophy), in most of my experiences the consequences have been just the opposite.

When I left a growing company in Mississippi and came to Texas, I returned about 6 months later to find that the company had moved to a smaller building and from that (then boarded up) building, they went out of business.

When I was fired from a local company here, I discovered later that they had lost their biggest and best customer and one-third to one-half of their business in less than a month after my departure. It was a business that I helped build with my skills and interest over several years.

There are other stories that are a little less dramatic, but I'm convinced that unlike the demonstration, I do matter. I make a positive contribution when I'm present; and it seems, a negative one when I'm absent.

No, I don't focus on myself. I prefer to keep quiet and instead focus on what I do in my job. I think that is the key. When the time came, they would begin to realize that I did a lot more than they thought, or that I would be more difficult to replace than initially anticipated.

It is true that there are some that make themselves out to be something great. And people believe it. But, when they are gone, they aren't really missed. In those cases, they really didn't make that much of a difference, like hot air, evaporated into space. Proverbs instructs, "A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards."

It's not the volume of words that really matters. It's the significance of what is being said. If there is some substance in what you say or do, your fist will be missed.

There is a west African proverb that goes thus, "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." You may remember a similar saying from one of our presidents. Theodore Roosevelt liked using this phrase and was recording as first quoting it in 1900.

In one paraphrase, Roosevelt thought that in order to accomplish anything great, "justice and generosity" must be combined with strength, as they "count most when shown not by the weak but by the strong."

Some will also attribute the saying to Roosevelt in relation to our nation's foreign policy. A well-armed military does have an impact on the prospects of peace or war. On a number of occasions, the world has seen what happens when you waken a sleeping giant.

And I suppose some members of the mafia may have quoted it as well. As portrayed in movies such as The Godfather, mafia gangsters don't say much. They walk softly and carry a big stick, or other weapon of destruction.

One might also use that phrase to advise others, "Don't let your enemies know what you know, have, or are capable of." Doing so weakens your ability to take action at the appropriate time. Your resolve doesn't need to be broadcast in order effectuate change. Bragging will only jeopardize your efforts.

The Sleeper

On numerous occasions I've heard talk show hosts, and preachers proclaim that to not have insurance is to be morally irresponsible. I still don't believe it. Insurance is one of the biggest evils of our modern society. It is a worldly assurance of our earthly "salvation". It is a declaration that the world's goods and promises will preserve us.

Not only does it show a lack of faith in the God of creation, it is generally a irresponsible use of the resources God has given us. We buy auto, home, life, health, dental, vision and others. If it's the company that you work for providing that, you may forget that if they didn't, they would be paying you more. Somebody pays. It doesn't come out of thin air.

We've been conditioned to believe that insurance is so vital and that insurance or some kind of "service contract" is the only way to secure anything when in fact it's the insurance company that uses your money every month. It's the insurance company that pays its investors dividends on your money. And in the end, it's the insurance company that determines what your settlement will be. And there's always a surprise. Higher rates, extra fees...

If we did as many of our grandparents did, save our own money, take care of our own problems, over time we would have the resources to handle most any crisis. And if there is no crisis, we would have the money to spend or to leave to our children or their children. We would rather someone else take the responsibility.

On the other hand, there are many people that will take advantage of everything they can in order to bleed the insurance company. They are not unlike those who live as if society will take care of any problems we encounter. The mandatory auto insurance laws are one of the consequences of this kind of philosophy.

In general, the failure of people to take responsibility has penetrated the core of our culture. They are paying the cost; we are paying the cost. It may often be hidden, but it's high. Very little of what we pay out each month goes for something tangible. From taxes, insurance, interest and services, most of what we spend is for the preservation of this great society.

I've always liked starting religious exhortations with some mention of 1st century Christianity, as if that it the purest form. Why change now?

I was raised in a Baptist church and I wouldn't doubt that the clinic I was born in wasn't a weekend location for Baptist services. When I became a "born-again", "spirit-filled" Christian, one of the things that bothered me about Baptist services was the invitational hymn and the aisle-walkers.

For those of you who don't know much about Baptist tradition, in order to be saved in a Baptist you have to walk the aisle down to the front of the church in order to be saved.

The problem with aisle walking is not the act itself, but the many things that are ignored about it. Walking down the aisle doesn't insure that whoever it is has truly repented and made a decision about following Jesus. Based on observations of the lives of many of them, it's hardly the case. The gentle intimidation, mild conviction and public discomfort has a tendency to make you feel "religious", and thus saved.

The preacher will often point out that if you deny Christ before the world, He will deny you, as if your presence in the front of the church is a proclamation to the world. In reality, your willingness to stand up for the faith has to be tested in front of a world outside of the church.

Then, there are the Baptist revivals. They are not all like that, but I remember living in rural Mississippi where the annual hell-fire revival helped to save all of the 6-8 year olds in the congregation.

Yes, I AM a Christian and No, I'm not mocking Christianity. But, there is still a lot of dross in the church and its traditions, and I believe bringing it to light will help the world see what the church is, or should be all about. We need to see what being a Christian is all about. It's not the guilt, the conviction, the fear of hell, or walking down an aisle because God was speaking to your heart (pulling at your heart strings).

Jesus advised us to count the cost, to seriously evaluate the situation and make a thoughtful decision to trust Him. It's much more than believing that he exists and saying so. Jesus said, follow ME.

Abundant Life. What does it mean?

Most people live in survival mode.
They have a lifestyle that controls them in so much that their decisions in life are made to preserve their lifestyle. They will do all kinds of things to insure that their life is undisturbed.
Drug users do what they have to in order to insure that they get their drugs.
Gamblers do the same.
Just the average person will make their image central to what they must preserve in order to survive in whatever circle they are in. They will compromise everything in order to insure their social or economic status.
Assurance of survival is the highpoint of their life. When circumstances don't allow them to continue living as they want or previously did, they suffer various consequences, both physical and mental. That's a bummer. (That's death, dying, as the scripture might put it.)

Biblical Christians live in sacrificial mode.
They have a lifestyle that controls them, in so much that their decisions are made based on their lifestyle. They will do all kinds of things in spite of how it may disturb their life.
Compromise is not an option, just as survival is not an essential.
The highpoint of their life is something that isn't controlled by circumstances or anything in this world. That highpoint isn't even in this life.

One of the ironies of this is that Christians are often better able to survive life, even though they do very little to insure survival. They entrust their lives to God and He does all kinds of things to insure that their life is preserved.

This is what it means to be a stranger, alien. This is what it means to be peculiar, or weird.

While the Texas legislature was considering a bill to vaccinate school girls for certain viruses, our governor stepped in and issued an executive order making it law without lawmaker consideration. Our state, our nation, our localites and our world is increasingly moving toward dictatorships and socialist forms of government. The United States is doing that in large measure by simply ignoring laws, lawmakers and citizens, or by stretching their legal limits. In response, our legislatures are taking a policy of appeasement when it comes to such power-grabbing.

In this country, the court system took the lead in its rulings on such things as abortion, busing, and other issues. While legislatures had the ability to remove many of these people from the bench, they sat it out and continue to do so. They may insist that there is nothing we can do, when in fact, it's only an issue of not having the courage to confront.

City governments such as ours pass laws that prohibit us to have our trash cans next to the curb except for the time frame when trash collection runs. Then they repeatedly publicize it, warning that it is the "law". A law, in my opinion, that reflects the lawlessness in our government. When people hear of it, they forget that we are supposedly a government of the people, or look at it as something not worth addressing.

Much of our metropolitan government count on appeasement to get into power. They only offer token efforts for involvement. In fact, much of our local elections are held at a time when we are most involved in other things, not in November when most state and national elections are held, and when the most people vote. This arrangement along with "societies" such as control our overpriced public school systems insures that those systems perpetuate the corruption.

Puissance and appeasement is the most effective means of bringing about anarchy in the world. We saw it in the early 1940's worldwide. We see it today. Our ignorance is the fertilizer that makes it grow.