Christmas Greetings...

Apple has a new "Get a Mac" ad on their website that I wanted to share with all 1 of my reader(s). I personally think these ads are funny and show the truth about Macs and PCs. I recently read an article "Mac users have used both Mac OS X and Windows. Most Windows PC sufferers*, in our experience, have little to no idea about the Mac." (http://www.macdailynews.com) That is the issue, most Mac users have made informed decisions after using both types of computers. Many (not all) PC users have never used a Mac. They should.

Too funny not to share....

This is too funny not to share. Idaho is the cultural center of the universe.

Minimum Standards...

Minimum standards, those exist in so many places. If I was going to attend college it would be assumed that I would have some understanding of how to read, write, and use a computer. There would not be a place really to learn that after the fact. As I have mentioned in my work I provide classes to people on how to use a tool that they need for their work. This is a tool that without they would not be able to work at all. This tool is computer based and so the classes are taught using computers. We have a great computer lab where I work newer machines that are connected to a fast network. Well, people come to these classes all the time without any understanding of using a computer. None. I have people in class that don’t understand the concept of opening and closing windows, in the environment of a computer operating system. This is ironic since the test that they take to be able to do this job is given on a computer.

When the Macintosh was released in 1984, twenty-three years ago the concept of windows and a computer desktop screen went mainstream. With the imitation of windows to copy the Mac and the prevalence of windows 95, 98, and Xp computers are everywhere. You can by computer supplies at the grocery store. I never took a computer class in school. I never took a typing class (if you watched me type you could tell). So for the most part I taught myself how to use computers and how to get along with them. The program that I teach people about, I learned that by sitting alone in a room and I listened to an audio tape of a class given in Arkansas about this program and tried to follow along on my own. So forgive me if I don’t have patience for people who are too apprehensive (lazy, unmotivated) to invest the time needed to learn computer basics and programs that they need to do their job. During the class I try my hardest not to show my displeasure, but afterwards I always have to vent.

There are basic things that everyone should know; in 2007 basic computer knowledge should be one of them. There are many places to get information many universities and colleges offer low-cost or free classes on subjects for non-degree seeking individuals and usually theses include computer classes.

FYI: This is my 130th post. Who knew I would last this long.

The Competition...

I listen to podcasts all the time when I travel for work. One of the podcasts that I listen to frequently is "This American Life". This past week there was an episode that dealt with an event that occurred here in Boise, ID. Here is the quote from This American Life,

"Thanh Tan was a TV reporter in Boise, Idaho, when her boss passed along what seemed like a hot news tip: a sex offender was working with kids at a local ice rink, as a hockey referee. But when she looked into it, she found out the crime was more than a decade old. Plus, the guy's statutory rape charge had been dismissed by a judge. So she never did the story. But her closest TV news competitor ran with it, making it "exclusive" breaking news, for days. Thanh tells the story of how it got on the air, and how it affected everyone involved. " Here is a link to the episode

It is an interesting story. It goes to show how perception can differ from the truth and how far some people will go to try to succeed. Here is a situation where an organization acted without thought to what would happen to the person they were talking about. Now I do not think that the person in question is innocent, but the reporters NEVER went to him to get the facts, because they wanted an exclusive. The story was so important that NONE of the other news organizations in Boise covered this story. 

Addition and Subtraction

I was reading a blog found through the Bloggernacle (it is fun to peruse the many offerings), there was a quote that I really liked that I wanted to share. The author was writing about learning about the Prophet Joseph Smith and may differing accounts that he had read. I think that this could be extended to any in-depth research of any organization, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

"Let me put it this way. You don't reject addition and subtraction because you learn about algebra and physics. For me it was the same way with LDS Church history. I didn't lose faith because I learned something more difficult to comprehend than what I started with. If anything, those people who were blatantly anti-LDS were easy to detect because they ignored other interpretations and critical contexts. That is one reason I have a hard time believing LDS Church history is damaging to a member's testimony unless they are looking for a reason. I am just as upset by those who reject the history because it doesn't fit their pre-conceived notions." Source: Straight and Narrow Blog

When people get on shaky ground due to something they have learned, then how solid was the ground they were on in the first place. I love reading new information from people all over the world and I spend time reading LDS related blogs. People all over the world/ internet are going to church, reading about the LDS Church in the media, correcting inaccuracies and sharing testimonies. I have a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it is True. Christ died for our sins and we can emulate Him and return to live with Him and our families someday. I love my family, they are such a blessing in my life. I know that it is through the restored priesthood that families are eternal.