Holla' if you like open source software

So, I'm really not that much of a computer nerd, but I am aware of this little phenomenon called "open source software." I'm no expert, but basically it's software by the people, for the people! And that means it's free (but donations are always welcome).

I'm appreciating it anew today because I recently got a new computer. I sucked it up and had Microsoft Office 7 installed on the system, but what I didn't realize until just the other day is that I bought Office basic. Meaning, though I do have Word, Excel, and Outlook, I am missing FrontPage and PowerPoint. Those are two programs I actually have to use for work, too!

So, I was debating about what to do, and even called my friend John to get his advice (which was great. I kept trying to copy the old program files but thankfully he told me that madness was futile and wouldn't work.) But then I started wondering if there was an equivalent to either program.

Thankfully, there is! The "equivalent" for FrontPage is called Nvu ("New View") and you can get it at http://www.nvu.com. The "equivalent" for PowerPoint is called Impress and you can get it as part of OpenOffice at www.OpenOffice.org. (They also have replacements for Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, CorelDraw, and I'm not sure what else.) I put equivalent in quotes because it's not super helpful to think of them as replacements. They are different. But for all intents and purposes, they do the same things. Sometimes, you might argue, they even do it better.

So far, everything is working perfectly. You can even save things in Microsoft-compliant formats. For example, even though I'm creating a slideshow presentation in Impress, which is a totally different program, I can save it in a format that PowerPoint users can handle without any problems.

You probably know that Google is on top of this whole software thing as well. They have created web-based versions of these software programs, as well as web-based email and calendars. I'm sure that's the way it's going...

I am happy for the creativity and development of companies like Microsoft, but I have to admit my little heart leaps when there are democratic solutions like this available.

Update on the letter: Kudos to the NAE

Evangelical Body Stays the Course on Global Warming

Rebuffing Christian radio commentator James C. Dobson, the board of directors of the National Association of Evangelicals reaffirmed its position that environmental protection, which it calls "creation care," is an important moral issue.

Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, and two dozen other conservative Christian leaders, including Gary L. Bauer, Tony Perkins and Paul M. Weyrich, sent the board a letter this month denouncing the association's vice president, the Rev. Richard Cizik, for urging attention to global warming.

The letter argued that evangelicals are divided on whether climate change is a real problem, and it said that "Cizik and others are using the global warming controversy to shift the emphasis away from the great moral issues of our time," such as abortion and same-sex marriage.

If Cizik "cannot be trusted to articulate the views of American evangelicals on environmental issues, then we respectfully suggest that he be encouraged to resign his position with the NAE," the letter concluded.

he Rev. Leith Anderson, the association's president, said Saturday that the board did not respond to the letter during a two-day meeting that ended Friday in Minneapolis. But, he said, the board reaffirmed a 2004 position paper, "For the Health of the Nations," that outlined seven areas of civic responsibility for evangelicals, including creation care along with religious freedom, nurturing the family, sanctity of life, compassion for the poor, human rights and restraining violence.

On Friday, the association's board approved a 12-page statement on terrorism and torture. Anderson said that Cizik gave a report to the board on his work in Washington as vice president for governmental affairs and that there was no effort to reprimand him. "I think there was a lot of support from me, from the executive committee and from the board for Rich Cizik," said Anderson.

(Article Source: By (AND) - www.andnetwork.com)

Conservative Christians... you baffle me

So James Dobson and the conservative evangelical crew have written a little letter about Rich C. at the NAE. Read the letter here. Seriously, read it. It's very fascinating. It gives me a strange sense that history is unfolding in my midst when I read it. Indeed, a major change is taking place, and it's impossible to guess what the outcome will be.

I've met the head of the NAE before. It was as part of a group that focuses on helping American Christians find ways to alleviate the suffering of people in poverty. I was and continue to be, all about that. I was proud of him for being involved. A powerful Christian leader in DC could be doing a lot of things other than spending time on helping the poor. That was good to see.

I've been to meetings on Capitol Hill. One time at a meeting in a Senate office building, I was approached about Christians in leadership being part of the solution on climate change. Very little was being done. Ever since then, I've been happy to hear whenever more is being done.

But the most fascinating part of the letter is this... and I have to thank Sojourners in DC for highlighting this letter and this portion in particular.

They wrote:

"... we have observed that Cizik and others are using the global warming controversy to shift the emphasis away from the great moral issues of our time, notably the sanctity of human life, the integrity of marriage and the teaching of sexual abstinence and morality to our children."

Oh... my... God. They did not really write that, did they?!

The great moral issues of our day are (very narrowly defined) sanctify of human life (ABORTION), the integrity of marriage (NO GAY LOVE) and the teaching of sexual abstinence and morality (SEX IS PLAIN BAAAD!)

Sometimes it's hard to believe how different Christians can be from each other, because I wear the CHRIST nametag too but I feel like I have almost nothing in common with these misguided freaks.

The sanctity of life... how about defining that as it relates to issues like Iraq, Afghanistan, poverty, Hurricane Katrina victims still living in squalor, inner cities abandoned because of racism, the horrible travesty of public education in thousands of U.S. cities...

The integrity of marriage? Cool, if you're excited about that, if you've found the One, then cool. But Jesus did not harp on this. He mentioned it once. He also mentioned selling all your possessions once. Who has the hardened heart?

Teaching our kids sexual abstinence and morality? Again, what in the world is this preoccupation with SEX? How about we teach our kids love, tolerance, patience, integrity, honesty, generosity. These things don't making loving Jesus impossible or even compromised. They make loving Jesus real and tangible.

Ugh. The whole thing is disgusting. I am so tired of powerful Christians intimidating each other. I am tired of ideologies being used as a heavy vehicle for rolling over and smashing other people. (A moderate Democrat or Republican is often mercilessly berated by their own party.)

Anyway, I guess that's a whole 'nother conversation... I just find this letter very telling and very disturbing. Dobson is probably planning a coup as we speak.

Ann Coulter calls Edwards a faggot

This incident was so, so inappropriate.... remind me again why this woman is famous? She is the political equivalent of Paris Hilton. I love hearing that some of her advertisers split and some publications pulled her column. John Edwards is a lawyer... he should sue her for defamation. That would be fun (albeit a huge distraction from anything that matters).

Whether she's talking about Democrats or Al Qaeda or whatever other stuff she talks about, she thinks she's so hilarious. Well she's actually a little hate inciter, and I can't stand her. Blah. Go away, Ann.

If you aren't convinced, check this out:

Women's Voting

During an episode of Politically Incorrect, she said: "I think [women] should be armed but should not vote... women have no capacity to understand how money is earned. They have a lot of ideas on how to spend it... it's always more money on education, more money on child care, more money on day care." She also once said: "It would be a much better country if women did not vote. That is simply a fact. In fact, in every presidential election since 1950 - except Goldwater in '64 - the Republican would have won, if only the men had voted."

Don't tell me she's joking. She puts so much truth in her joking. That's why she's a VICIOUS NUT!

The Uncyclopedia

The Uncyclopedia - The content-free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Wow. Did people really spend this much time to make something this random into a spoof that is this close to the real deal? lol This is the best thing ever.