What Slows Windows Down?

Introduction

Any computer user that's owned and installed software onto their computer knows that the more you install, the slower the beast runs. Most also know that it's not just quantity and that what you install plays a large factor in how slowly your computer runs.

The aim of this article is to find out what types of application slow down a computer the most. I'm going to be measuring the“speed” as the time it takes to shutdown, restart and get back to desktop (with auto-login) and start an application in the computer's start-up settings.

The Process

To make sure the tests are fair, I installed XPSP2a Professional (release1) onto a Microsoft VirtualPC 4 (sp1) virtual machine and cloned the hard disk images for each test I'm going to run. Each VM will be running on its own,without any other applications running on the host operating system except notepad, so I can record the results.

To measure performance, I'm going to be using Microsoft BootVis, an application to time the load-times of each element of the system so users can remove the offending items or otherwise disable things that are taking too long. BootVis will tell me how long the system takes to boot from start to finish and I shall deduct the time the fresh install takes to boot. I will then have a percentage delay that each application adds to the system.

I'm going to run each test three times and take the mean to eradicate any discrepancies.

Read more at The PC Spy

Responding to Hoax Emails

What do you do if you get an email that you know is a hoax?

If you receive a lot of hoax and other garbage emails, it can be tempting to fire off an irate reply condemning the sender for his or her foolishness. Serial hoax-forwarders might actually deserve such a reply. These email pests consistently refuse to check before forwarding even when recipients repeatedly point out their gullibility. However, the majority of people who forward a hoax email do so in good faith and perhaps simply need a bit of guidance on the issue from a more Internet savvy individual.

That said, I think there is a right way and a wrong way to go about providing this guidance. Here's what works for me:

Read more at Hoax-Slayer

Build a PC with the Best Bang for the Buck

August 14, 2006
By Jason Cross

Typically, our Build It systems are purpose-built. Designed to do something and do it well, they're laser-focused on providing a single optimal, but realistic, solution. Perhaps it's a money-is-no-object Gaming PC or a Media Center PC. But the very nature of the PC is to be flexible and customizable, and we realize that not everyone can have their needs pigeonholed into these purpose-built PCs. Some of us just need a good general-purpose PC that can handle almost any task. Many of us use our PCs for a whole wealth of activities, and need something that's great for typical office desktop applications, downloading music and video, syncing up with a music player, burning DVDs, lightweight video editing, playing games, watching movies, editing photos…and most DIYers will want it to be able to run Windows Vista well. With this edition of our Build It series, we strive to recommend system components for just such a PC. The idea is simple: Rather than picking a price point or a particular task and optimizing a PC for it, we'll examine each part in the broad context of a general-purpose PC, choosing the component that falls into that magic spot where performance and features intersect with price.

This is one of our most popular Build It configurations, and it always generates plenty of heated discussion. We hear everything from, "Thanks for the article, that's exactly what I was looking for," to "You should have used a cheaper CPU," or "You need a more powerful graphics card." Naturally, different users have different needs and desires. If you don't play any games, you might opt for a sub-$100 graphics card. If you do a lot of video editing, you'll want a bigger hard drive and maybe a faster CPU.

Read more at Extreme Tech

10 Memory Tricks for Elementary Students

Article provided by Sylvan Learning Center

It's not just parents who could use a memory boost; children can brush up on their recollection skills, as well. From kindergarten through third grade, your child can use memory techniques to remember lists and simple grammatical rules. Below are ten memory tips that will help your child excel in school and in life.

The alphabet system. Help your child associate images that are represented by the letters of the alphabet. This is a great method for remembering long lists of items in a specific order, and a useful tool for your child to practice alphabet order. For example, "A is for apple, B is for boy."

The link/story method. Help your child invent bizarre or funny stories to link items he needs to remember. For instance, if he needs to learn primary colors, have him develop a story such as: "The yellow bird grabbed its red parachute and flew into the blue sky."

Acronyms. Have your child make a word out of the first letters of the item to be recalled. For instance, the letters that spell HOMES represent each of the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.

The journey system. This system uses landmarks on a journey. To remember the first four presidents of the United States, take this journey: On our way to Washington, we saw our friend Adam, who wanted to go to Jeff's house to play a new video game called Mad (Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison).

Movement learning. Songs that include movement help children remember the song's vocabulary. "Heads, shoulders, knees, and toes" is very effective.

Excitement and sound. When reading a book aloud, adding inflection and excitement to the story will help your child remember it. "Fee, fi, fo, fum," boomed the giant in "Jack and the Beanstalk." Children will pick up the emotion of the story through the words that you act, and their increased interest will help them retain more of the information.

Rhyme and rhythm. This is an effective tool for remembering dates or simple grammatical rules. Example: "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." Or: "I before e, except after c."

The number/shape mnemonic. With this system, your child builds imaginary pictures and uses numbers to represent the shape of the object. The number seven could be a boomerang, for instance.

Color code. The use of color is linked strongly to memory. If your child needs to remember the original 13 colonies, have them color-code a United States map.

Acrostics. In a poem that is an acrostic, the first or last letter of each line combine to spell out a word or phrase. Here's an example:

Reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Earth needs us to do our best to keep things clean.
Caring for the planet is everyone's job.
You can do your part to save the environment.
Collect metal, paper, and plastic for recycling.
Litter free is how it has to be.
Everybody should work together to keep the planet clean.

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/departments/elementary/default.aspx?article=10memorytricks

10 financial urban legends
By Bankrate.com

The Basics

Writing checks in red ink won't prolong the float, and yes, you really do have to pay income tax. Here's a look at these and other lingering myths

Every now and then you read about a retiree snookered in a Nigerian bank scam, or some nitwit marched off to jail while still insisting the income tax is illegal, and you just shake your head and wonder who could believe that guff.

Unfortunately, a lot of people.

Just ask Barbara Mikkelson, co-founder and researcher at Snopes.com, a Web site dedicated to the destruction of urban myths. Mikkelson spends a lot of time getting to the bottom of financial tall tales that she encounters.

So does Catherine Williams, vice president of financial literacy at the nonprofit credit counseling agency, Money Management International. Williams has a slew of oddball beliefs folks have shared with her during the company's educational seminars.

"We get into situations where we can't pay our bills, and we become like 3-year-olds: the 'dog ate my homework' routine," she says of Americans' willingness to latch onto urban legends. "We want to believe there is some excuse, and something will bail us out of still owing the money."

Read more at MSN Money

Chichi's letter to Tim...

June 22, 2005

Dear Tim,

Yesterday when Juliet told me that Madam Dormitorio wanted me to sign an excuse letter for you from CAT, I was in pain knowing what this means to you.

Tim, as a mom who loves you so dearly and who takes care of you since birth, I really want the best for you. Many times I felt so frustrated when I cannot give you a lot of things and permit you activities that you want. How I wish I can take away that epilepsy in just a whim. I wish you can have that leadership training you want. I know how much you can learn as much I have learned and enjoyed the one that I had. I understand how you must have felt. You are a young bright high school kid, eager to explore the world of possibilities. I wish you can ride a jeepney by yourself, swim by yourself, go places, drive, play basketball without the fear that fatigue may set in and puff up that seizure.

But these are just wishes which I am powerless to grant. God in His goodness and mercy, in loving kindness, in His wisdom has other plans for you. There is no fathom to the pain and hurt I feel every time you have a seizure. It is my prayer for you that this thorn will be gone forever. I may be powerless but I am not hopeless, Tim. We have a God who is merciful and gracious and wise. He knows your every seizure and frustration. He does not sleep at all. We may not understand what is happening. But He does. Someday we will exult Him as we will come to know that His decision is indeed wise. But for now, let us continue to trust Him.

When we will sign up the exemption letter, it is with due consideration to the people around you. Your teachers and your classmates want you to be exempted not because they are cruel but because they care so much about you. They are not confident of what they have to do when an attack comes and they have that fear that because of ignorance they could do something worse to you. We have to be considerate of them also.

Tim, Daddy and I are proud and have great admiration for you because you are not sulking in your condition. Please keep it up. As a family we will continue to pray and trust in the goodness of God. We will pray too for more opportunities for you to use your God given abilities without the physical jeopardy. We may not always be there but be assured of our love and support.

Tim, please continue to be the boy that you are – gentle, loving, generous, adventurous, determined, obedient and God-fearing. Continue your pursuit to know God and to do His will.

May He reward you soonest.

I love you,
Mommy

Leader's Insight: The L-Laws of L-Leadership
Leadership for the rest of us.
by Angie Ward, columnist

Throughout my years as a ministry leader, I've had the opportunity to enlist dozens of volunteers for the Kingdom's work through my church. And every time—whether it's a prospective youth volunteer, small-group facilitator, or clean-up crew member—I hear the same response: "But I'm not a leader!"

This response is usually coupled with some other explanation as to why they don't consider themselves leadership material: "I don't know anything about teenagers!" "I'm not an extrovert!" "I've never done this before!" and other "Send Aaron instead!" responses.

Long ago, I gave up trying to convince them otherwise. Instead, I just tell them that it'll be easy, because they only have two main responsibilities:

1. Love people.
2. Think like a leader.

For the hesitant and the nervous, I call them the L-Laws of L-Leadership. And when I break it down into those two simple principles, it's amazing to watch a person's guard come down as their enthusiasm goes up.

Read more at CT Leadership Journal

Sex & the City of God
How do we respond to a corrupted culture? Two faulty examples and a better one.
by Mark Buchanan

Over the next year, Leadership, along with sister publications Christianity Today and Books & Culture, will feature articles that explore the relationship between church and culture, specifically the question: How can the church be a counterculture for the common good? This effort, funded in part by the Pew Charitable Trust, is called The Christian Vision Project. Mark Buchanan provides the first article in this series.

Jonah is my favorite prophet, and for no better reason than our uncanny resemblance. I'm bald and I figure him bald—why else his emotional tumult over how shade-dappled or sun-scorched his head? I'm short and I imagine him short: a stumpy, wiry guy, all that peevishness compacted tight as a nail bomb. He loved comfort and resented interruption, and that runs pretty close to my own bias. He was possessive, evasive, defensive, obsessive. Things not unknown to me.

Jonah is my least favorite prophet, and for exactly the same reason. He reminds me too much of me. I long to be Daniel-like in wisdom, Isaiah-like in righteousness, Ezekiel-like in faithfulness. I want the courage of Elijah, the endurance of Jeremiah, the long-view of Zechariah. I dream of standing down kings and outrunning horses, commanding drought and deluge with a word, calling down woe like thunderbolts and blessing like manna.

But I'm plagued with Jonah-likeness.

Read more at CT Leadership

Heard and Not Seen

Q: How do you address issues of stage presence without seeming as though you are more concerned about appearances than authentic worship?

A: The worship leader exists to support the function of worship and guide the worship team. We need to teach our worship teams how to encourage the congregation to worship. Stage presence during worship is an important part of that. There are three core areas when teaching stage presence.

1. Clarify the worship team's purpose. We need to be clear about the purpose of our lead worshipers in congregational worship. Our role is to connect the congregation to God, then stay out of their way. Your church's philosophy of ministry, including the role of worship, should be taught and reinforced at every worship team meeting, rehearsal, prayer, before and between services. Constant, gentle, clear reminders are necessary to keep the team on track. It's not something that can be communicated and established in a single one-time meeting.

2. Eliminate distractions. There are countless distractions that can occur onstage. Inappropriate movement is distracting. The best policy for movement is to move only as needed. Nervous movement is also distracting, so you should address the actual causes. Try to eliminate movement that doesn't fit the setting, and coordinate all movements.

Rehearse entrances and exits. Make sure people know when and how to walk on/off, as well as where to go and how to get there. You may even put tape on the stage to mark team members' spots when there are many changes.

For churches that broadcast or tape the service, the director/producer needs to visualize movement and instruct everyone. No one on stage should ever cross a camera angle, such as behind the pastor.

Personal appearance can be a distraction. Every member of the worship team should be putting the focus on God. The worship team should appear as an ensemble; attention should not be drawn to any individual.

Lack of confidence can also be distracting. This can spring from several causes, including being unprepared, lacking skill, or being afraid of being in front of people. Singers and musicians must know their words and learn their music. Songs not well rehearsed are uncomfortable to sing and a hindrance to team members trying to lead the congregation.

3. Be authentic. Emotion is a powerful communicator, and forced emotion is a powerful detractor. Ask the worship team to think about their relationship with God and let the music filter through that. Ask them, "How has God changed your life? What does this message mean to you?"

As opposed to performing a song, we need to make the song a vehicle for people in the congregation to express their personal relationships with God. Think about those who are receiving the message and how important it is that they understand that God loves them, that the Holy Spirit can change their lives, and, most importantly, that he is worthy of worship.

Christ's presence in someone's life will be their greatest treasure; nothing else compares to that. An effective worship leader spends more time worshiping off the stage than on it.

Rick Muchow is worship pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California.

Copyright © 2006 by the author or Christianity Today International/Leadership Journal.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2006/001/16.75.html

The Nearly Wed's Fight Club

April 1, 2002

"For our next session I'd like you to come with something to fight about. I won' t take sides. I just like to watch people talk, and then I'll offer some feedback."

That usually gets the couple's attention. It makes for lively, interesting premarital counseling. It's also effective.

I have been doing this "come-and-have-a-fight" technique for seven years. It started when I moved to a new pastorate on the coast of Maine. Our picturesque, high-steepled church sits on the village green. It's the focal point of our town. Locals drive by every day, and vacationers pass by on their way to the beach. Through the years many young women have apparently said to themselves, "When I get married, I want it to be in that church." So, we do a lot of weddings, 40 to 70 each year.

I don't want to be a pastor-for-hire. It's important that I minister to each couple before performing their wedding ceremony. In my last parish, a small country church, I did far fewer weddings, four to eight a year. I would meet with each couple for five or six counseling sessions prior to their wedding. I would toss out topics over the weeks, hoping to hit on something I could help with.

"Have you talked about children?"

"Will you both work outside the home?"

"Have you come up with a workable budget?"

"How do you handle differences?"

"How were anger, affection, and gender roles handled in your families growing up?"

The most meaningful sessions were when the couple disagreed on something and started talking about it with each other in front of me. I got to see a slice of their relationship and could offer them some feedback and coaching. Best of all, it felt like ministry—pastoral counseling even!

Now I simply do not have time to toss out topic after topic. How a couple fights tells me how they will handle most of the problems of married life. So I decided to cut to the chase, or should I say, the fight.

I now do three sessions with each couple I marry. The first is to get to know them, learn their story, and share our wedding-planning notebook; the second, to watch them fight; and, a third session to plan the ceremony (assuming the fight goes okay). I have done this with approximately 200 couples, and I'm not bored with it yet. Couples often tell me that they find it helpful.

Ready to rumble

Here's how a typical fight session goes: I ask the couple if they have something to "discuss." It could be an issue between the two of them, or I suggest they could each come with one thing they would like to discuss with their partner in my presence.

Usually they laugh a little nervously and say, "Well, one thing." Occasionally a couple objects. "We don't have anything to fight about." These couples worry me most.

"Isn't there something you could tweak a little in your relationship?" I'll say. "Or, if you could ask one thing of your partner that would make your relationship a bit better, what might it be?" If they're still resistant, I gently say, "Tell me about your style of handling differences. When you do have talks that get off the track, even just a bit, what happens?" One of them usually jumps in at that point, and we're off.

I always ask couples to turn their chairs toward each other, so they are sitting face to face. I sit in a third chair, centered approximately five feet away. If they have something good to discuss, they usually forget I am in the room after about a minute. This is especially true if I avoid looking directly at them.

This sounds strange, but it works. I look down at the floor between them. For some reason this puts couples at ease. They are not as nervous as they would be if I were looking right at them. Occasionally I glance up to observe body posture and nonverbal communication, but usually I look into the area between them or down at my notepad, where I take a few notes for feedback time.

On my notepad I chart some of the crucial exchanges, key sentences, or phrases ("I don't see why you had to buy that!"). Then I jot down the response, either the exact words or things like "defensive response," or "apology," or "counter attack" ("You buy a lot more things than I do!"). I keep a list of positive and negative things that I see and may wish to share at the end.

Some couples take my invitation to fight quite literally. They let it all hang out: anger, put-downs, defensiveness, and shouts of frustration ("I can't believe you're saying that!").

The one who brought up the issue goes first. If they have trouble getting started, I tell them, "Pretend you're around a kitchen table, and you've just said to your partner, 'I'd like to discuss something with you.' Take it from there."

I pay close attention to how the talk begins. Researcher John Gottman, who studies couples' communication, reports that discussions usually end the way they began. If couples get off to a good start, without personal attacks, accusations, or put-downs, they usually end the conversation feeling closer together. Gottman calls this avoiding a "harsh start-up."

If I see a harsh start-up, I do not interrupt. In fact, I try not to jump in at all until discussion has come to a natural conclusion or a dead end. Often partners will get defensive, interrupt each other, or tell each other they're just plain wrong. They go back and forth. And I, like a spectator at a tennis match, watch as each side tries to score points and hit winners.

When to break it up

Often the talk is a rehash of a dead-end argument they've already had. When they run out of gas, I ask if they feel they have made any progress. Usually the answer is "No, this is where we're stuck."

At that point I use one of two interventions.

1. The Banner Technique. This is designed to move couples to the feeling level and to promote empathy between them. I ask each of them to picture themselves making a banner with a slogan that expresses how they feel about the issue. It also might state their bottom line position. Their banners might say things like, "I feel left out" or "It's our money now, isn't it?"

This exercise clarifies succinctly what they are asking of their partner. It can also be helpful for the combatants to guess what is on the other's banner: "What I think yours says is, 'Don't forget me!'"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Planning a Fair Fight: Advice I give couples before they step into the ring.

Most couples won't have a referee for their disagreements, so I give the soon-to-be-marrieds some guidelines for their bouts at home.

1. Avoid stumbling into a heavy subject. Make an "appointment" to talk about important topics.
   
   
2. Avoid harsh start-ups. Start gently. Conversations usually end the way they begin.
   
   
3. Say "Tell me more." Avoid an initial defensive reaction to your partner's issue.
   
   
4. Take turns speaking. Share your perspectives one at a time, using the expresser/listener technique. Ask, "Is there more?"
   
   
5. Use "repair attempts" with your partner. Offer some apologies, humor, soothing comments, admissions of fault or responsibility.
   
   
6. Speak as equals. The field is level, so don't talk up to or down to your partner.
   
   
7. Some disagreements can't be solved. Learn which issues cannot be solved and therefore must be managed.

—RK

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once they have come up with their slogans, I ask them to respond to each other's banners. This is a critical moment.

Do they respond defensively or empathetically? Does he say, "I'm sorry I left you out of that decision. I can see how that would hurt"? Does she say, "We agreed that I would handle all the finances!"?

The goal is to hear them respond to each other in a gentle, understanding, and empathetic way. When this happens it is magical and grace-filled.

2. The Expresser-Listener Technique. The idea here is to go one at a time. Again, the person who brought the issue goes first. That one is the Expresser and the other becomes the Listener.

The Expresser's job is to "speak the truth in love," to state his or her side of things clearly but respectfully. I urge them to say it so that it lands between them and not in the other's mid-section.

The job of the Listener is to say, "Tell me more. Is there more?" This person is to avoid offering rebuttal (until later), ask only neutral, clarifying questions, and keep saying, "Tell me more."

Once there is no more, I ask the Listener to respond empathetically. I say, "Is there anything there you can agree with, validate, or affirm?" Often the Expresser has done such a nice job expressing the issues without personal attacks that the Listener naturally responds empathetically.

Scoring the match

Once I have tried an intervention or two and watched them try it, I again say to them, "How are you feeling now?" Most of the time they feel better because they have been heard by their partner. Often the answer is in their body language. Are they leaning back exasperated or with arms crossed in frustration? Or are they open and leaning in toward each other?

Before we close the session, I share with them a few of the things I've jotted down. It is important to affirm them in as many ways as I can. My goal is not to make them feel bad about their communication.

On the contrary, I want them to feel good about the skills they have and the ways their love for each other shows through, even when they disagree.

I always affirm evidences of their kindness and respect for each other, and what Gottman calls "repair attempts." These are things one partner does in the midst of the discussion to soothe the other—a touch, a smile, an apology, or a light-hearted joke. Repair attempts keep the fight from escalating and remind the couple of their love and affection for each other.

When I do offer some coaching, I want to keep it balanced. If I urge one partner to try and do something a little differently, I always balance it with something for the other one to keep in mind.

I affirm them for having the courage to let me see inside their relationship, for trusting each other and me enough to do that.

There are a number of advantages to my planned-fight technique. For me, it saves time. For the couple, it gives them a safe place to address a big issue, if they choose. It's honest. Several weddings have been wisely postponed or called off based on this session.

And the couple gets a taste of marriage counseling, taking some of the fear out of it should they need it later, after they've gone a few years and a few rounds.

Rich Knight is pastor of First Parish Church in York, Maine. Rich@firstparishyork.org

Copyright © 2002 by the author or Christianity Today International/Leadership Journal.

Dan Brown's Gift to the Church

Rather than ignore or boycott The Da Vinci Code, Christians now have a great opportunity to share their faith—and to sharpen their own beliefs in the process.

By Dr. Jim Garlow | posted 04/25/2006

When I first heard about The Da Vinci Code a few years ago, I figured nobody would believe author Dan Brown's ridiculous claims—including the allegation that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and that they had a child. After all, I thought, it's just a novel. Pure fiction.

I was wrong.

The book has gone on to sell over 40 million copies, and is now poised to release as a major motion picture on May 19. And many people do believe the story; a recent poll showed that 17 percent of Canadians and 13 percent of Americans think its claims are true.

So, how should Christians respond to all of this, especially as the movie brings the Code to the fore of the cultural conversation?

Read more at Christianity Today

The Da Vinci Code

Decoding The Da Vinci Code
This special section from Christian History & Biography includes a wide range of articles that dispute the alleged "facts" of Dan Brown's popular piece of fiction.
from Christian History & Biography

Dan Brown's Gift to the Church
Rather than ignore or boycott The Da Vinci Code, Christians now have a great opportunity to share their faith—and to sharpen their own beliefs in the process.
by Dr. Jim Garlow | posted 04/25/06

Review Coming May 19 Murder in the Louvre. Clues in Da Vinci's paintings. A religious mystery. Will the film, directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, be faithful to the book? Read our review on May 19, when it opens in theaters.

THE DA VINCI BLOG Dan Brown Encourages Debate But Da Vinci Code author says it's not his responsibility to clear up any controversy. Plus: Da Vinci sequel slated for '07; new book uses Da Vinci for evangelism; Catholics unfazed by Brown's claims; and more. by Josh Hurst | posted 05/01/06

Other Articles

Down with Da Vinci! I can't think of a better way to respond to the upcoming movie, The Da Vinci Code, than with mass boycotts, angry protests, and noisy picket lines. That is, unless I hear some better ideas…

REVIEW Breaking the Da Vinci Code A handful of books have come along to debunk Dan Brown's best-selling fictional novel (did we say fictional?). Now here comes an insightful documentary to do the same—and it does so quite well. by Angie Ward | posted 05/31/05 Not Rated

Cracking the Code So the divine Jesus and infallible Word emerged out of a fourth-century power-play? Get real. by Collin Hansen | updated 04/26/06

Editor's Bookshelf: Da Vinci Dissenters
Four books try to break, crack, or decode the deception.
from Christianity Today | posted 06/15/04

Thanks, Da Vinci Code
The book sends us back to Christianity's "founding fathers"—and the Bible we share with them.
from Christianity Today | posted 11/14/03

Why the 'Lost Gospels' Lost Out
Recent gadfly theories about church council conspiracies that manipulated the New Testament into existence are bad—really bad—history.
from Christianity Today | posted 05/21/04

The Da Vinci Rejects
What other publishers could have done to respond to Dan Brown's bestseller. A parody.
from Christianity Today | posted 06/16/04

The Da Vinci Code, Corrected
Why the "lost gospels" were really lost
from Christian History & Biography

Speaking in Code
A roundup of the many anti-Da Vinci Code books from Christian publishers.
from Christianity Today | posted 06/16/04

The Good News of Da Vinci
How a ludicrous book can become an opportunity to engage the culture.
from Christianity Today | posted 01/05/04

A Hammer Struck at Heresy
What exactly happened at the famous Council of Nicea, when the Roman emperor convened some 250 quarreling Christian bishops?
from Christian History & Biography | posted 07/01/96

Christian History & Biography Issue 85: Debating Jesus' Divinity
The Council of Nicaea and its bitter aftermath.
from Christian History & Biography


http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/special/davincicode.html

Decoding The Da Vinci Code

I guess Christians should be flattered. Who knew the Council of Nicea and Mary Magdalene could be this hot? Thanks in large measure to Dan Brown's fictional thriller The DaVinci Code, early church history just can't stay out of the news.

If only a more worthy work could have prompted such attention. Brown first grabbed the headlines and prime-time TV in 2003 with his theory that Jesus married Mary Magdalene. But The DaVinci Code contains many more (equally dubious) claims about Christianity's historic origins and theological development. It's left to the reader whether these theories belong to Brown's imagination or the skeleton of "facts" that supports the book.

Brown claims "almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false." Why? Because of a single meeting of bishops in 325, at the city of Nicea in modern-day Turkey. There, Brown argues, church leaders who wanted to consolidate their power base (he calls this, anachronistically, "the Vatican," or "the Roman Catholic church") created a divine Christ and an infallible Scripture—both novelties that had never before existed among Christians.

Christian History and Christianity Today magazines have covered the subject widely, and we've compiled the articles below.

Christian History & Biography Issue 85: Debating Jesus' Divinity
The Council of Nicaea and its bitter aftermath.

Editor's Bookshelf: Da Vinci Dissenters
Four books try to break, crack, or decode the deception.

Speaking in Code
A roundup of the many anti-Da Vinci Code books from Christian publishers.

The Da Vinci Rejects
What other Christian publishers could have done to respond to Dan Brown's bestseller.

Why the 'Lost Gospels' Lost Out
Recent gadfly theories about church council conspiracies that manipulated the New Testament into existence are bad—really bad—history.

The Da Vinci Code, Corrected
Why the "lost gospels" were really lost

Thanks, Da Vinci Code
The book sends us back to Christianity's "founding fathers"—and the Bible we share with them.

Breaking The Da Vinci Code
So the divine Jesus and infallible Word emerged out of a fourth-century power-play? Get real.

The Good News of Da Vinci
How a ludicrous book can become an opportunity to engage the culture.

A Hammer Struck at Heresy
What exactly happened at the famous Council of Nicea, when the Roman emperor convened some 250 quarreling Christian bishops?

Christian History
Readers respond to The Da Vinci Code

Film Forum: Talking About Revolutions
What religious critics are saying about The Matrix Revolutions, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, Elf, Brother Bear, The Human Stain, In the Cut, Shattered Glass, Mystic River, Radio, Veronica Guerin, and the upcoming Return of the King, and Da Vinci Code films.

Film Forum: Critics Rocked by Jack Black, Gored by Tarantino
Religious press critics attend The School of Rock, Kill Bill—Vol. 1, Out of Time, The Station Agent, and Wonderland. More reviews arrive for Luther, Secondhand Lions, and Matchstick Men. Plus: More Passion debate, farewells for Elia Kazan, a report from the Chicago Film Festival, and director Ron Howard takes on the heresy-laced Da Vinci Code.


WEBLOGS
On the following articles, you'll have to scroll down to find the Da Vinci items:

Weblog: Will Iraq Turn to Shari'ah?
Plus: More on Kelley, The Passion, Da Vinci Code, Billy Graham plans revival in Missouri, and articles from online source around the world.

Weblog: Time Goes Gnostic
Plus: Christmas, Carl Henry, more Gnostics, and other articles from online sources around the world.

Weblog: Newsweek Goes to Sunday School
And learns about all the women in the Bible, who have been there for millennia.

Weblog: Marriage Amendment Introduced in Senate
Plus: Graham Staines murderers appeal, Christians like gambling, but not psychics, and Homer Simpson ministry.

Weblog: Bethlehem Prepares for Dour Christmas
Plus: Tons more on Christmas, the lies of Da Vinci, State Department's religious freedom report, Christian video games, and hundreds of stories from online sources around the world.

Weblog: Catholics Boot Episcopal Ceremony Over Presiding Bishop's Pro-Homosexuality Comments
Plus: Hiding gay bishops under poetry readings, Christianity vs. Islam, and other stories from online sources around the world.


http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/special/davincicode.html

E-mail safety

If it sounds too good to be true, then it's probably isn’t

Forwarding virus warnings and prize draw chain e-mails can get you more than you bargain for, but never what you intended or hoped for.

Most of these types of e-mail are scams or nuisances, some are even damaging and by forwarding them you are adding to the problem and becoming a perpetrator of e-mail abuse.

Basic safety and netiquette when forwarding e-mail

Don’t send or forward e-mails to people or add them to your “round robin” e-mail list without asking them if they want to be included. They may not want to hear every joke you think is funny or what your dog did last week and the e-mail address you have on file for them may be a work e-mail address, for instance, to which this type of personal e-mail could range from an annoyance to actually getting them into trouble.

If you must forward the information contained in an e-mail, unless the entire content is vital (an ongoing conversation for instance), always cut and paste the specific information you want to share, removing the multiple carriage returns that often appear “>>“ and other information, like e-mail addresses and names etc. (this goes for all online posting and instant and SMS messaging).

Never forward the contents of an e-mail from a friend or colleague without their prior permission, especially if it carries a disclaimer. Likewise, if you do not want others to forward the contents of your e-mails, tell them. Here is a general disclaimer you can add to your signature file or cut and paste into your e-mails:

This communication (including any attachments) is intended for the use of the intended recipient only and may contain information that is confidential, privileged or legally protected. Any unauthorized use or dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please immediately notify the sender by return e-mail message and delete all copies of the original communication. Thank you for your cooperation.

Just forwarding (or cutting and pasting) the entire content of a forwarded e-mail (especially one that has already been forwarded many times) means that the e-mail headers and therefore the e-mail addresses of everyone who has ever sent and/or received that particular e-mail will be visible. Nobody wants to have their e-mail address advertised and leaving this type of information intact puts the owners of those e-mail addresses at risk from spammers, online predators and a host of other cybercriminals and malcontents.

The most efficient way to prevent this from happening in the first place is to use the “Bcc” option in your e-mail client. The "Bcc" field (unlike the “To” and “Cc” fields) prevents multiple recipients of an e-mail seeing any of the other e-mail addresses the message was sent to - they only see their own.

Most security warnings sent by e-mail, such as virus alerts, are hoaxes. Unless you have received a security warning from a legitimate anti-virus organization (that you signed up for), you can be 99.9% positive that the information is fraudulent. You must check the information you receive before you decide whether or not to send it to someone else. Forwarding security alerts without verifying their accuracy can cause annoyance, panic, damage to others’ computers (some virus hoaxes erroneously instruct a user to delete vital files from their operating system or actually contain a virus themselves) and embarrassment - when you find out that the information you just e-mailed to everyone in your address book is a hoax.

When you receive an chain e-mail (even from a trusted friend):

• Don’t forward it to anyone else.
• Reply to the sender (if you know them) without including the contents of the original e-mail and politely ask them not to send you any more. If you do not know the sender, ignore the e-mail and report it as spam.
• If you simply cannot bear not to forward a chain e-mail (and we understand that some people cannot ignore them), send it to us: chainmail@wiredsafety.org and we will deal with it for you. If the chain e-mail tells you to send 10 copies to 10 different people, that’s fine - send us 10 copies.

However, please remember this. No chain e-mails are legitimate, credible companies do not conduct their marketing in such a haphazard fashion. Chain e-mails cannot bring you fortune or cause bad luck, they will not make you rich and you will never get that luxury holiday. They are lies, at best mischievous at worst (like virus hoaxes) designed to cause worry and disruption.

Finally, if you truly want to help disadvantaged children, endangered species or support another charity or movement, go to their Web site[s] and make a donation or sign up as a volunteer. You can use a search engine to find them, it takes about the same amount of time and effort to run a search as it does to forward a questionable e-mail. If you really want to tell a friend or loved one that you care about them, don’t do it with a junk e-mail that has been repeatedly forwarded. Tell them yourself, write a personal note - from your heart or, even better, tell them face to face.

http://www.wiredsafety.org/safety/email_safety/chain_email.html

Computer hoaxes, rumors and urban legends

What they are and what you can do about them

We aren't strangers to urban legends. The crazed stalker of couples in lovers' lane. The baby alligator brought back as a souvenir from Florida that, when flushed down the toilet, lived and hunted in the sewers. Some legends live on from one generation to the next. (Do we even have lovers' lanes anymore, and aren't alligators a protected or endangered species?)

Real or hoax? You be the judge

Remember Mikey, the Life cereal kid who wouldn't eat anything? Well, you may also remember the rumor (totally unfounded) about twenty years ago that he died while eating Pop Rocks (the effervescent candy) when he drank a can of soda and his stomach exploded. (I wrote my senior thesis on that and other business rumors.) Rumors, especially those that sound believable, have abounded for centuries. It isn't any different in cyberspace. In fact, they move faster online than they ever could offline.

Someone went to a movie and sat down on a hypodermic needle that had been left on the seat. She then contracted AIDS. Someone else was drugged by a beautiful woman and woke up in a bathtub filled with ice to find a kidney missing. (Apparently it had been removed and sold to someone who needed a kidney transplant.)

But most good hoaxes and rumors have three main ingredients- they could happen, they touch something we know about or think is true (people can get HIV from an exposed infected needle, and people are desperate for transplant organs), and they feed on fear (getting HIV/AIDS, being drugged by strangers, dangers of having sex with strangers, etc.).

The difference between a rumor and a hoax is that while hoaxes are planned fakes, rumors may be believed and innocently passed on. But since once a hoax is passed on by people who believe it, it becomes a rumor.

Computer virus rumors are common cyberhoaxes

E-mail hoax messages warning about some new virus hazard arrive in our mailbox daily. While some are true, many are not. A lot of people are fooled, though.

What Can You Do About It?

Luckily, there are several great resources you can refer to when you get your next e-mail announcing Armageddon, especially e-mails announcing the latest viruses. These sites will help you decide what to pay careful attention to and which to just ignore.

Before you forward any e-mail proclaiming the latest virus, check it out. It's good Netiquette and a good way to preserve your credibility. And if you know someone who's rumormongering in cyberspace, tell them, too. (Otherwise, ignore anything they send you, or tell them to remove you from their rumor mailing list).

Follow this link to find out more about chain e-mail and virus hoaxes and what to do about them >>

http://www.wiredsafety.org/internet101/hoaxes.html

Blog Sites, Profile Sites, Diary Sites or Social-Networking Sites

Parry addresses parental concerns

Everyone calls them a different name, but it’s where kids are flocking (adults are too). They are a combination of a diary, a personal ad and a cyberdating Web site. I often call them a public diary on steroids. Recently, I have been receiving a large number of inquiries from schools, parents, regulators and the media about social-networking Web sites.

Questions about myspace.com and what to do if you have a problem

WiredSafety and MySpace.com

I decided that it was important to address parent concerns and answer their questions. In connection with this we have agreed to provide our safety content and help to the largest and most popular of these sites, MySpace.com.

I did this because they cared more than the other sites I contacted. When I explained the problems parents were reporting and we had spotted, they asked for help in improving safety at the site and building a section for parents’ questions. That’s what we do. We help everyone surf more safely. And MySpace.com is helping us do that.

MySpace.com and other similar sites are designed to allow people to share their creativity, pictures, and information with others. Sometimes people do this to find romance. Sometimes they do it to find friends with similar interest. While this may be okay for adults, it is not okay for kids.

MySpace.com recognizes this, and prohibits anyone under 14 years of age from using their website. Unfortunately, while they may set rules to keep younger kids off the site, they can’t prevent kids from lying about their age, pretending to be 14 years of age or older. To address this, MySpace.com has developed special software to review the profiles of their members, to try and find anyone under age, based on information the members post about themselves. It’s not perfect, but it does help spot the underage members.

While MySpace.com is doing its best to keep your children from using their website and lying about their age, it’s up to parents to do their job too. Parents need to talk with their children about not sharing personal information online. Personal information includes pictures, names and addresses, schools they attend, cell and phone numbers and many other less obvious things, such as the name of their school team, ethnic background and even a mall near your house. (You can learn more about how to talk to your kids and what you should be asking at WiredKids.org or WiredSafety.org. I am an Internet privacy and security lawyer and founded the all-volunteer Wired Safety Group. We can help you if things go wrong online, or you just have questions. We provide information, education and one-to-one help for victims of cyberabuse.)

We at WiredSafety.org are developing a special program just for parents concerned about their kids using social-networking and online dating sites. It will teach you what you need to know about finding out if your child has a profile on one of these sites, how to review them and remove them, if you want to. It will also help you if your child is being cyberbullied using one of these sites or members from these sites, or is cyberbullying others.

So what do you, as a parent, do? First you need to find out if your child has a page on one of these sites. The best way to find out if your child has a profile on this or another similar site is to ask them. If you’re not sure that your child is being honest with you, you can search MySpace.com (or the other sites) using their e-mail address, or by searching for their school. (You click on “search” and enter their email address or full name in the appropriate search box.)

If you find that your child has a profile on the Web site, you should review it. It’s amazing how much you can learn about your child by reading their profiles. Does it contain personal information, such as their full name, address or phone numbers? Has your child posted photos? Are they photos of themselves or someone else? Are they sharing poems they write or provocative comments about themselves or others?

If you want the profile removed (you must remove your child’s profile if they are under age), first ask your child to remove it themselves. If that doesn’t work, MySpace.com has a section explaining how to remove a page. If you find someone who is underage, you can report it there as well. It’s not as easy a procedure as the other Web sites.

While MySpace.com is working hard to keep kids off their Web site, ultimately, protecting your child is your job. But you have lots of help. At WiredKids.org and WiredSafety.org thousands of volunteers donate their time to helping parents and children surf responsibly and safely. And we will be building a few tutorials help parents and their children understand how to be careful when communicating publicly online.

A good things to do is to ask your kids why they created the profile. You might learn that they wanted to share their thoughts with others, make new friends or even allow others in their school to get to know them better. But not all of their motives are as noble or safe. Some may be interested in meeting new romantic interests or role-playing inappropriately online. And when a young preteen lies about their age posing as a seventeen year old at the site, that can be a serious problem. Others in their late teens might approach your child thinking they were older. That’s bad for everyone.

If you discover that your child is posting provocative comments or inappropriate images online, it’s time for the tough talk. The one about stranger dangers and how that cute fourteen year old boy they meet online may not be cute, may not be fourteen and may not be a boy. (Parents of young boys need to understand that their children are equally at risk. About one-third of the cases of Internet sexual exploitation are men exploiting boys.) Our children need to realize that there are real risks relating to meeting strangers offline, including murder.

The first confirmed murder victim by an Internet sexual predator was thirteen when she died, three years ago May 2002. The risks are real, not matter how smart, sophisticated or tech savvy your kids are. We recommend the book, A Girl’s Life Online, by Katie Tarbox. We are also developing a few videos for teens teaching them about standard ploys used by Internet sexual predators to lure a young boy or girl into an offline meeting or sexual exploitation situations online.

It’s not easy raising children anymore. It is even harder when the parent is expected to be expert in Internet, cell phone and interactive game risks. The good thing is that you’re not facing these challenges alone. We’re here to help.

Just remember that while your kids may know more than you do about technology, you know more about life. And you are allowed to set the rules and enforce them. You’re still the parent! There is software you can install that will record what your kids say and post online. There is even one that will e-mail you reports at work. The ones I like best are made by Spectorsoft, and can be found at software4parents.com or spectorsoft.com. But don’t use them just to spy on your kids. Treat them like a security video camera in the corner of a bank. No one views the tapes unless and until there is a break-in. Do the same here. Check the program reports if something goes wrong. It will collect whatever you need for evidence and to help your child if something goes wrong.

Also, check your parental control programs. Many, such as AOL’s and MSN’s, can block access to social-networking Web sites. or other sites you think are inappropriate for your younger child. There are many other products you can purchase to block sites as well. (Check out software4parents.com to learn about and purchase some of these.) Just remember that the best filter is the one between your children’s ears.

If you child is being bullied by another child online, check the terms of service first. If the bullying violates the Web site’s terms of service, report it to TOS and the offending comments and/or profile will be removed. If something serious occurs and you need to reach out to law enforcement, let them know that WiredSafety.org is here to help them, if they need it. Cyberbullying is a growing problem. You can learn more about it, as well as how to prevent and handle cyberbullying incidents, at our StopCyberbullying.org and InternetSuperheroes.org. We also has a report line link for victims of cyberbullying, their schools and parents where specially-trained volunteers assist victims of cyberstalking, harassment and cyberbullying without charge.

If schools are looking for a presentation or program to address their students’ posting inappropriate profiles or using these Web sites. while underage or other parent concerns, they should visit WiredKids.org or Teenangels.org. Schools may find many of their students using a particular Web site If the students are under 13, please notify MySpace.com’s help staff and their profiles will be removed immediately. Working together with schools and parents, we may be able to keep our kids off of Web site that are inappropriate for young children and teach them to make good choices online and offline.

http://www.wiredsafety.org/internet101/blogs.html

How to help your kids use social networking Web sites more safely

Published: March 9, 2006

You may already know that blogging—keeping a public "Web log" or personal journal online—is common among teens and even younger kids.

Now kids can also create personal Web pages on social networking Web sites hosted by services like MSN Spaces, MySpace, Friendster, Facebook, and others. These Web pages can often be viewed by anyone with access to the Internet.

With these services, which are extremely popular among teenagers, kids can fill out profiles that can include:

•	Photos
•	Videos
•	Personal information such as full names, locations, and cell phone numbers

Often the services that host the social networking sites provide several different ways for people to communicate with one another, including blogging and instant messaging features.

Kids use social networking sites to connect with kids who might live halfway around the world and with kids whom they pass every day in the hallways at school.

Social networking can provide a helpful way for kids to express their emotions or even to perform unofficial background checks on other kids they meet at parties and at school. For example, after they meet another kid in person, a kid might visit that other kid's Web site to find out if he or she might be someone they'd like to be friends with.

Unfortunately, the information that kids post on their pages can also make them vulnerable to predators.

Here are several ways you can help your kids can use social networking Web sites more safely.

•	Set your own house Internet rules. As soon as your children begin to use the Internet on their own, it is a good idea to come up with a list of rules that you all can all agree on. These rules should include whether your children can use social networking Web sites and how they can use them. For more information on setting rules, see Using family contracts to help protect your kids online.
•	Ensure your kids follow age limits on the site. The recommended age for signing up for social networking sites is usually 13 and over. If your children are under the recommended age for these sites, do not let them use the sites. It is important to remember that you cannot rely on the services themselves to keep your underage child from signing up.
•	Educate yourself about the site. Evaluate the site that your child plans to use and read the privacy policy and code of conduct carefully. Also, find out if the site monitors content that people post on their pages. Also, review your child's page periodically. For more suggestions, see Tips on blogging safely for parents and kids.
•	Insist that your children never meet anyone in person that they've communicated with only online, and encourage them to communicate only with people they've actually met in person. Kids are in real danger when they meet strangers in person whom they've communicated with only online. You can help protect your children from that danger by encouraging them to use these sites to communicate with their friends, but not with people they've never met in person. It might not be enough to simply tell your child not to talk to strangers, because your child might not consider someone they've "met" online to be a stranger. For more advice on protecting your children on the Internet, see Online Predators: What you can do to minimize the risk.
•	Ensure your kids don't use full names. Have your children use only their first names or a nickname, but not a nickname that would attract the wrong kind of attention. Also, do not allow your children to post the full names of their friends.
•	Be wary of other identifiable information in your child's profile. Many social networking sites allow kids to join public groups that include everyone who goes to a certain school. Be careful when your children reveal this and other information that could be used to identify them, such as where they work or the name of the town they live in, especially if it is a small one.
•	Consider using a site that is not very public. Some social networking sites allow you to password-protect your site or use other methods to help limit viewers to only people your child knows. With MSN Spaces, for example, you can set permissions for who can view your site, ranging from anyone on the Internet to only people you choose.
•	Be smart about details in photographs. Explain to your children that photographs can reveal a lot of personal information. Encourage your children not to post photographs of themselves or their friends with clearly identifiable details such as street signs, license plates on their cars, or the name of their school on their sweatshirts.
•	Warn your child about expressing emotions to strangers. You've probably already encouraged your kids not to communicate with strangers directly online. However, kids use social networking Web sites to write journals and poems that often express strong emotions. Explain to your children that these words can be read by anyone with access to the Internet and that predators often search out emotionally vulnerable kids. For more information, see 10 things you can teach kids to improve their Web safety.
•	Communicate with your children about their experiences. Encourage your children to tell you if something they encounter on one of these sites makes them feel uncomfortable or threatened. Stay calm and remind your kids they are not in trouble for bringing something to your attention.
•	Remove your child's page. If your children refuse to abide by the rules you've set to help protect their safety, you can contact the social Web site your child uses and ask them to remove the page. You may also want to investigate Internet-filtering tools (such as MSN Premium's Parental Controls) as a complement to—not a replacement for—parental supervision.

Do you want more information on helping protect your child on the Internet? See Kids and the Internet: Frequently asked questions.

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/children/social_web.mspx

My Space: Warning Children About Online Dangers

Yesterday afternoon, I was interviewed by CBS News for a story on MySpace. The social networking site announced plans for running new publics service announcements to educate its users about the potential dangers online. And the company hired Hemanshu Nigam, formerly of Microsoft and before that the Justice Department, to become its new chief security officer.

This can only be good, because there are dangers on the Internet, and MySpace has certainly seen its share. The big concern has been online predators, who seem to be exploiting all the information that many people have put up on my MySpace. Indeed, the new ad campaign is part of a program from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Advertising Council, and NewsCorp, which owns MySpace, Fox Interactive Media, and more.

MySpace in particular makes it very easy for people to post personal information – from pictures to music to all sorts of information, and then makes it easy to search this data. And that can lead to all sorts of problems. Of course, MySpace is hardly alone in this threat -- though it is the largest social networking site in the country -- and sexual predators are not the only problem. We’ve also seen problems on the Internet ranging from fraud to identity theft to “cyber bullying.” The Internet is the greatest conduit of information we’ve ever seen, and it offers lots of new ways for people to connect with one another, so it’s not surprising that some of it turns out to be wrong, inappropriate, or just plain dangerous.

We want our children to use the Internet, but we want them to use it sensibly. My perspective is that we need to teach our kids that the Internet is like a very large city. There are all sorts of good things, but also some bad things and a few very bad people. I’ve very concerned about anyone who posts too much personal information online, and that is especially true for children and teens.

Kids especially shouldn’t give out their home address and phone number online, and I think they should be particularly careful about chat rooms, because it’s impossible to really know who is on the other hand of a chat conversation. And they should NEVER meet with anyone who approaches them in a chat room, especially without parents around. Even with children who should know better, I think you should reinforce these rules on a regular basis.
I talked to CBS News about it, and a small bit of the conversation ended up in a couple of different stories that ran in stories in Baltimore, Michigan, and others. Here’s eWeek’s coverage of the story.

I’m not sure we need a scare campaign here, but we do need to better educate Internet users about the basic rules of safety. If the ad campaign on MySpace helps educate its users and other children about the dangers online, and teaches them to use the Internet properly, then everyone could win.

posted on Wednesday, April 12, 2006 9:14 AM by MichaelMiller

http://blog.pcmag.com/blogs/miller/archive/2006/04/12/933.aspx

Company Culture

What It Is And How To Change It

From F. John Reh,Your Guide to Management.

Company Culture

A culture is the values and practices shared by the members of the group. Company Culture, therefore, is the shared values and practices of the company's employees.

Company culture is important because it can make or break your company. Companies with an adaptive culture that is aligned to their business goals routinely outperform their competitors. Some studies report the difference at 200% or more. To achieve results like this for your organization, you have to figure out what your culture is, decide what it should be, and move everyone toward the desired culture.

Company cultures evolve and they change over time. As employee leave the company and replacements are hired the company culture will change. If it is a strong culture, it may not change much. However, since each new employee brings their own values and practices to the group the culture will change, at least a little. As the company matures from a startup to a more established company, the company culture will change. As the environment in which the company operates (the laws, regulations, business climate, etc.) changes, the company culture will also change.

These changes may be positive, or they may not. The changes in company culture may be intended, but often they are unintended. They may be major changes or minor ones. The company culture will change and it is important to be aware of the changes.

Assess The Company Culture

There are many ways to assess your company culture. There are consultants who will do it for you, for a fee. The easiest way to assess your company's culture is to look around. How do the employees act; what do they do? Look for common behaviors and visible symbols.

Listen. Listen to your employees, your suppliers, and your customers. Pay attention to what is written about your company, in print and online. These will also give you clues as to what your company's culture really is.

Determine The Desired Company Culture

Before you can change the company culture, you have to decide what you want the company culture to look like in the future. Different companies in different industries will have different cultures. Look at what kind of a culture will work best for your organization in its desired future state. Review your mission, vision and values and make sure the company culture you are designing supports them.

Here are some characteristics of company cultures that others have used successfully. Decide which work for your company and implement them.

• Mission clarity
• Employee commitment
• Fully empowered employees
• High integrity workplace
• Strong trust relationships
• Highly effective leadership
• Effective systems and processes
• Performance-based compensation and reward programs
• Customer-focused
• Effective 360-degree communications
• Commitment to learning and skill development
• Emphasis on recruiting and retaining outstanding employees
• High degree of adaptability
• High accountability standards
• Demonstrated support for innovation

Align The Company Culture

You need to align your company culture with your strategic goals if it isn't already.

• Develop a specific action plan that can leverage the good things in your current culture and correct the unaligned areas.
• Brainstorm improvements in your formal policies and daily practices.
• Develop models of the desired actions and behaviors.
• Communicate the new culture to all employees and then
• over-communicate the new culture and its actions to everyone.

Only a company culture that is aligned with your goals, one that helps you anticipate and adapt to change, will help you achieve superior performance over the long run.

©2006 About, Inc., A part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.

http://management.about.com/cs/generalmanagement/a/companyculture_p.htm

Leader's Insight: Put on an Unhappy Face
There are lessons in lingering in your discouragement.
by Gordon MacDonald, Leadership editor at large

From my journal: This morning a man I like very much informed me that he and his wife were going to leave our church for another one. His wife, he said, didn't feel accepted by our people and she'd found better in another congregation. So, he told me, they would soon be gone.

When the conversation ended and we'd parted ways, I felt a cloud of discouragement engulf me. A thick cloud, as a matter of fact. I felt badly for our church; I even felt badly for myself because I had really thought we (and I) had served him and his wife well. But I was mistaken. Thus the discouragement. Usually, I can shake such moments off, but this morning I decided to let the sensation of discouragement linger and feel it for a while.

I hope it doesn't sound arrogant to say that it's been a long time since I have felt deeply discouraged. That's not because everything has always gone right for me but because I have learned over the years how to manage life's low moments. I know how to set dark experiences in a larger, more optimistic context; I know how to draw upon past events that remind me that nothing is quite as bad as it might seem to be. But this morning I decided to let the discouragement wash over me and thus become reacquainted with what many others in spiritual leadership seem to go through every day.

Discouragement comes with the territory of leadership. A little of it humbles a person appropriately. An overdose paralyzes. It distorts perspective; creates fear; generates doubt; makes one feel a failure; erases the memory-bank of former blessings.

The bystander is often tempted to try to fix the discouraged person with cheery comments like "Get past it!" or "God has something better in mind." or "Go back and read about Elijah." Usually, none of this helps.

We deal with discouragement in many ways. Many simply surrender to the feeling and become immobilized for a while. That's one option.

Escape of a sort is another. Escape for me might be planning some trip (get me out of here), or buying something in an electronics store (make me feel good), or just kibitzing around in a way that appears to be productive but really isn't (there can be lots of mindless work in the ministry). How did I get here? I might wonder. Why am I not more appreciated? Where is God in all of this?

Escape for some might mean a delving into pornography, overeating, or wasting hours in front of the TV. Some cope with discouragement by finding someone to get mad at or by wallowing in a mood of complaining and whining. It's a great time to curse the evangelical movement.

Another option is just quitting—which I did in one discouraging moment many, many years ago when I was terribly immature.

Others had their own solutions. When Peter lost his courage on last-supper night he decided to go back to fishing. Elijah, of course, ran off to quieter places. Jeremiah just wept.

Barnabas will always be known as the champion of encouragement with his beautiful name which I envy (meaning offspring of encouragement). And I was reminded of him this morning when I admitted my melancholy on the phone to my wife, Gail. She immediately said, "Meet me at our favorite walking spot." I did, and soon we were stepping through the New Hampshire woods on a lovely spring day listening to the nearby Merrimack River crash its way among the rocks in the riverbed. By the time we finished our walk, I was lifted up. Gail had listened and then talked me into a better perspective and out of my blue mood. She did it not by preaching to me but by softly reminding me of God's nearness … even in the down-moment.

Discouragement is not supposed to be part of the high-adrenaline Christian life today. So there aren't many people with whom you would feel the freedom, should you need it, to acknowledge that your spirit is empty. I tasted the feeling this morning and was glad I did. Because for just an hour or two it re-sensitized me to all those wonderful men and women in various kinds of ministries who live with much too much discouragement day after day. I sure hope they have what I have: a spouse or friend, a place to walk, and a heart that's not so empty it can't be renewed.

Pastor and author Gordon MacDonald is chair of World Relief and editor at large of Leadership.

To respond to this newsletter, write to Newsletter@LeadershipJournal.net.

Copyright © 2006 by the author or Christianity Today International/Leadership Journal.
Click here for reprint information on Leadership Journal.
April 3, 2006

http://www.christianitytoday.com/leaders/newsletter/2006/cln60403.html