The photoshop lasso tool is the same as Micrografx paint-on mask.  Both can be feathered. Both can be saved.  Both have the option of creating a layer (object) from what you mask.  Both have editable names for layers that you can doubleclick on to rename.  Both have histories of actions so you can undo what you did at any point in the image editing and remove that one line and reconstruct up to that point again. Micrografx could do all of the above since 1995. Many of the above features were lacking in the early versions of Photoshop and added 8 years later in version 7.

Aggressively marketed, Adobe eclipsed all competition in the mid-to-late 90s. Now, with its recent purchase of Macromedia, it will dominate all -- including the web where its ubiquitous but sloooooooooow loading pdf used to be its only major presense.  Macromedia Dreamweaver ruled the web developer's roost, with its suite that included Flash animation and Macromedia freehand, plus more.  Now it is all Adobefied! You will be assimilated!

I took a picture of Hero taking a picture of Marten giving his testimony of his first few months on STF.

 Melissa held a meeting at Shin Chun's house in Austin, to let people know about STF's new program for 2006-07.  STF is tweaked more each year, and less knees are getting hurt and more people are benefitting tremendously from the STF experience.  I'm really glad Roland is in charge of 1st year STF.  He's a very smart guy and got a really big heart.  Fundraising increases gradually from 4 hours a day over time, til it tapers off at 8 hours a day.  They have SuperChallengeTimes where for brief times they go full out, but that is a measured and short burst.

They get together for monthly workshops and have big ones 3 times a year.  It's challenging, but geared to be bearable. They have a group membership in YMCA nationwide and go work out 3 times a week.  Sundays are spent at local churches or blessed family's homes.  Vitamins and healthy food are in, megadoses of eternal fastfood are out.

We heard from Hero and Sylvia and Jinhan and Will Bowles and me and Frank Davis and the Rogers couple. Sacha answered a bunch of questions from Jeremy Rogers.  Everyone else just wanted Jeremy to shut up so we could eat lunch. When someone said, "Let's eat!" Jeremy's hand shot up and he asked, "So, what do you eat on STF?"

SHUT UP JEREMY! WE WANT TO EAT!

We are going to Austin today because there is an STF miniworkshop tomorrow for prospective STFers.  They are opening up a witnessing center in Austin! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaay. About time. Long overdue.  There should have been a center there 30 years ago.  Well, there was one there 30 years ago, but they should have kept it there.

Melissa Davis and her whole family came over yesterday. It was great to see her again. She's going to be a captain on STF -- third year.   What a powerhouse!

14 people are coming up from Houston.  Hero and Sylvia and some other people are coming down from Dallas. Then there are the Hill Country people, and they will be there. It should be a lot of fun.

Today we clean out the shed (which is more like a garage -- it's pretty big.) We are going to haul off stuff to the dump and get the shed all spiffy looking and nice.

Today we also pick up our BRAND NEW 50 INCH PLASMA SCREEN TELEVISION! OH YES! WE ARE SUPERBOWL READY AFTER TODAY!  My husband got a big Christmas bonus from his boss to get a big plasmascreen TV.

It's 5:40 in the morning -- everyone is still asleep.  The computer room is quiet and dark, except for my monitor glowing in the predawn hours.

Many thoughts are running through my head, but I don't necessarily want to share all of them.  I'm worried about our 2nd generation. I'm worried about people keeping faith.  I know how difficult it is to untangle the complicated world we live in, and how easy it is to slide into horizontal thinking that unplugs from the Principle and wanders into the nefarious nethergloom of what-is-this-all-about-anyway, forsaking clear and concise answers in order to explore.

While exploration is good and learning is great, dissolving the Principle is neither. My heart aches because I cannot be everywhere at once, helping people to clearly understand Father's words and navigate this labyrinth we call life safely and securely through parenthood and beyond.  I am so grateful to Dae Mo Nim -- it is incredible that she passed on into Spirit World early, so that she could lay a foundation to prepare for our True Parents.  Heung Jin Nim also -- I barely thought about the Day of Victory of Love this year.  To die at age 17 in a car wreck and to go into Spirit World so early -- it's so sad.  I saw his wife and son years ago at his gravesite, on a Korean holiday where they honor the dead.  He told me his biggest regret is that he cannot hug his son.

Life is long.  The answers are complicated.  There are many false paths and dead ends that look good.  It's really valuable to cling to the truth and let it illuminate your path.  Father's words will ring clear every time, if you open your mind enough and put down your own cultural biases enough to enter into the realm of eternal truth.  It's sad that for a lot of 2nd gen, they tune out the Principle like an overplayed commercial, because it was delivered to them without understanding, so they eventually presumed it offered no understanding.

Truth is not always obvious.  Understanding it even less so.  It takes effort and prayer, and a brutal honesty that few want to turn inward on themselves.  In order to recognize what is true, you have to be pretty true yourself.  Everyone thinks they are true and honest, because that is what they want to believe.  No one wants to think that they are short sighted, or blinded by the world around them and it's viewpoint, or are hypocritical and self centered, or all of the above. But in fact, we are. Father's words cut through all that like a knife and let all the poisonous pus out of our souls that we thought was just normal.  We try to pick it up again and put it back inside ourselves, we are so used to it.  We don't want to change our frame of reference or risk having to sacrifice for that of which we are not certain.  It's easier to believe that we are right so we don't have to change too much and so we can just go on with whatever our daily plans are, and our longterm plans, whether or not they jive with Father's words or the Principle.

But to build a happy marriage is difficult, and to be a good parent is even more difficult.  Father's words really clearly explain to us how to do that. It does involve us sacrificing our opinion, and often, our lifestyle.  But the long term benefits are incalculable. The downside of not doing so is pretty disasterous.  And this is why I worry for our 2nd gen.

In True Parents hearts
Aunt DJ

A new year is approaching.  I have a very good feeling about 2007.  I have been a member of this movement for 30 years, and despite all of the difficulties we faced, I never gave up hope, though I never expected to see change in my lifetime.  I figured it would take about 500 years for the Kingdom of Heaven begin to take root.  I based that thought on the fact that America was started with the earlieast Pilgrims coming to the Eastern shoreboard around 1620.  My aunt is a descendant of William Bradford.  In 13 more years, it will be the year 2020, and I can clearly see how much the continent of America has changed in that 400 year period.

I also grew up before and after the era of segregation in America -- so I personally experienced the dramatic changes that 50 short years can bring socially.

Now, much to my amazement, Bishop Milingo's efforts are taking root in the hearts of thousands of Catholic priests worldwide, and a movement is afoot to have married priests -- which is a very good idea -- otherwise the Catholic church is just going to continue to be led by gay old men who are going to die, and whom people are already getting fed up with dealing with.  It's sick when you hear of another pedophile priest uncovered, as some 40-year-old grown man lets it be known that he was molested by a priest that he trusted when he was a young altar boy.

There are many devoted Catholics who truly love God and Jesus and their faith. There are many priests who are sincerely devoted to their church and calling, and who know that priests need to be married if the Catholic church is going to survive.  This is a phenomenally revolutionary stance.  The completion of the tours led by Christian ministers is definitely making impact.

I feel sorry for those who think our movement is just an isolated pocket unconnected from the real world.  The water has started boiling, and we were the ones who put the heat on. There are going to be some amazing changes in the coming decades.  Get ready to rock.  God is kicking ass.

My Kinsasha, Congo
experience was like the signing of the Jerusalem Peace Declaration, forever
etched in my heart.  I will forever be telling the story.

The Democratic
Republic of the Congo has been a communist country for a long time.  On the day
of our event, the first election in 40 years was being held.  Many U.N. troops
had been in place for a long time, cruising the country – preparing for civil
war.  Rev. Tokuno and Mishel, his assistant, had prepared an incredible event. 
It was held in a government building – attended by, it looked like a thousand
people.  They were well dressed, well mannered and patient.  We and the message
were enthusiastically received.  At the end of the day, the election was
contested.  There was no winner announced.

Our team went
across the river the next day and returned the next.  When we returned, we were
invited to meet with the Vice President, Manywa.  He sent several vehicles of
military to escort us to his compound.  He spoke to each of the five clergy
individually.  "Why are you here?"  he asked.  "You are different religions,
from different parts of your country.  What brings you together here in
Africa?"  We told him it was to read the message of the Peace Kingdom that Rev.
Moon received from God.

"I was out of the
city on election day," he said.  "I was preparing for war.  I am a warrior, I
have thousands of soldiers ready to fight.  I do not know peace.  I do not know
what peace looks like; but on my phone back here I heard the word "peace" in my
mind.  I didn't know what it meant – it confused me.  When I arrived here I
turned on the television set and saw your gathering on peace.  I wanted to meet
you.  I heard you speak.  I have decided "I will not fight – I am going to stand
for peace.  I want my children to know peace.  I want my country to know
peace."   He stood in front of me and a golden light shone through his eyes. 
"He is a good man"  I could feel in my spirit. 

Let there be Peace on Earth, and let it begin with US!

This is Palau.

My friend and her little boy and her husband moved here.

It is gorgeous.

I want to go there.

They are starting tours there.

If you want a hell yeah vacation in an awesome place, go to Palau.

I am finding out how much it costs to get there right now!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOYESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!

TIME WHEN I CAN AT LAST PLAY

CHRISTMAS SONGS!!!!!

well I am sorry I've been neglecting my xanga. I'm doing most of my posting on deviantArt.

www.corazondedios.devaintart.com

I got a new camera for my birthday -- but in truth I miss my Konika Minolta z-3 very much.  I love the way that camera handles lighting and shots -- its a dream machine. Chung Hwa, enjoy!

At any rate, the Canon S3 IS is proving a challenge to learn, but it's producing some decent shots.  I am happy with what I've been able to do with it. 

 I like his blue face. 

One feature I really liked was the shutter speed of 1/3200 of a second.  I love capturing water -- this camera did not disappoint.  This was taken on this camera's first day at Galveston.  It did well. This is not even the fastest shutterspeed on this shot.

Well, I can't seem to upload any other photos into this post, I I am going to go to bed.

Marry Christmas to all, and to all a Good NIght.

We went to NASA today.  This is Mission Control.

These are prize winning NASA longhorns raised by local 4-H students. 

LINDE AND MARTIN GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SATURDAY!!!!

Martin receiving diploma from the Dean of the School of Radio Film and Broadcast, University of Texas. 

People ate all the barbeque they could handle.  It was Martin's birthday, also -- we celebrated appropriately.
 Martin is an avowed carnivore.