An Apple a Day...

I believe that the Macintosh is superior to the Microsoft PC in almost every aspect, but especially those of hardware and software. I have used Macintosh computers for almost three years, and have found them to be the best computer no matter the application. Although often portrayed as the underdog, the Macintosh has now become a leader in the computer industry, both in terms of technology and of innovation. No longer does one have to take a huge risk to switch to the Mac. Despite this, Industry and Academia are just starting to realize the potential of the Macintosh.

In addition to being superior in hardware and software, Macs are also highly rated in customer satisfaction. As John C. Wood observes, “Additionally, we note a finding that we did not encounter in this study. Namely, not one participant in our study was unhappy with their Macintosh computer. On the contrary, all of the individuals were enthusiastic – die-hard – users” (14).

There are many reasons to buy a Mac. First, there's usability and intuitiveness. The Macintosh is designed to be easy to use. In a perfect world, the easier to use system would win out over the competition, but this has not happened with the Macintosh. Instead, most users are stuck with  an operating system that forces them to hit a button labeled “Start” to turn off their computer. Most users have simply accepted this poor design over time, not knowing that there is a better alternative, or simply not willing to leave the comfortable confines of what they know.

Most of the power of the Macintosh lies in it's operating system. OS X (the operating system that Macintosh computers run) is based on a UNIX core. Technology reviewer Jan Ozer finds that, “OS X is equally impressive. Connecting to the Internet via Mindspring or an Ethernet connection was a breeze, and I was able to successfully load and run Microsoft's Office Suite, as well as Final Cut Express and the iLife suite...” In addition to being easy to use, OS X is also very stable. Because the OS is based on UNIX (which has been around since the dawn of the computing age) Macintosh users experience far fewer crashes or program freeze ups than their PC counterparts. The dreaded but often used “Ctrl+Alt+Delete” shortcut, so depended on in Windows, can be forgotten once one begins to use a Macintosh. OS X also offers the welcome advantage of being susceptible to far fewer viruses than the PC, making it a far more dependable and durable machine.

A Macintosh also makes it easier to be creative. Most high end professional video and  image editing software is available only for the Macintosh. The Macintosh has built in tools such as the Digital Color Meter and the system wide color profile settings that were designed specifically with artists in mind. Even the user interface is designed using neutral colors, so as not to affect color perception when an artist is editing images.

So, if the Macintosh offers all of these advantages, why is there not a massive rush to snatch up every Mac available? The PC crowd offers many reasons why the Macintosh is a second rate choice, and most of these arguments can be broken down into two categories: price and compatibility. We'll start with price.

In his buying guide entitled “How To Buy A Pc.”, Brian Kennedy points out, “Most of the world uses PCs, so they're cheaper, have more software and more plug-and-play peripherals.” and “PCs also tend to be less expensive than Macs that have the same features.” Macintosh computers can be expensive when compared to their PC counterparts, but I think a basic principle of economics holds true: “You get what you pay for.” This is the case with the Macintosh. Macintosh computers are known to last longer than their PC counterparts. There are two reasons for the Macintosh's unmatched longevity; the quality of the components and the fact that it contracts fewer viruses. There are ten year old Macintosh computers still selling for two to three hundred dollars, something you will not find in the realm of the PC.

Lastly, and most importantly, compatibility. According to Brian Kennedy “PCs account for more than 85% of the desktop computer world; Macs represent a mere 10%. That's why software developers (especially game companies) make a lot more programs for PCs.” For a long time, major software packages were available only for the PC.  This is one area where PC proponents held the upper hand for a long time, but this in no longer the case. Macintosh users now account for a large enough percentage of users that software developers are giving them quite a bit of consideration. As stated earlier, Microsoft's Office suite can be run natively on the Mac. Every day, more and more work is done through web browsers reducing the need for specialized software. And if that wasn't enough, the Macintosh can even run Microsoft Windows for the ultimate compatibility.

These are the two main reasons for not buying a Mac, and I believe that the other reasons are quickly becoming fewer and less relevant as time passes. David Beckman and David Hirsch also share this belief. They conclude that,

Every few years we nostalgically look at, and sometimes write about, the Macintosh. Invariably, we conclude that most of Macintosh's features are better than conventional Windows, but not so much better as to overcome Windows warts. Things are different now. It used to be difficult to mix a Macintosh into a Windows network. No longer. It is pretty much plug and play. There used to be many must-have programs that only ran on Windows. That is becoming less and less true now.

Keeping all of this in mind, I would recommend a Macintosh to any friend or family member without hesitation. It is the obvious choice for someone seeking an easy to use, yet powerful and stable machine.

Works Cited

Beckman, David, and David Hirsch. "Big Mac Attack." ABA Journal 90.12 (2004): 60-68. Academic     Search Complete. Web. 11 Nov. 2011.

Jordan C. Wood, et al. "Self-Admitted Pretensions Of Mac Users On A Predominantly PC University Campus." Educational Media International 47.1 (2010): 1-17. Academic Search Complete. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.

Kennedy, Brian. "How To Buy A Pc." ON Magazine 6.7 (2001): 44. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.

Ozer, Jan. "ESCAPE From Freedom." Emedia -- The Digital Studio Magazine 16.8 (2003): 48. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 Nov. 2011.

We See Genius

  When most people think of a “geek”, a stereotypical image will most likely pop into their head. A lanky, skinny guy, with buck teeth and glasses, walking awkwardly down the hall. He might be wearing plaid pants (held at an abnormal height by suspenders), a striped shirt, and tall socks escaping his tight fitting dress shoes. Geeks are commonly held to be losers with no life. Part of this is due to the way they act. They never go to dances, football games, or parties. Instead, they stay at home and do weird things, like read, study, and program computers. Therefore, the thinking goes, they must not be very interesting or have anything useful to contribute to society. Right?

This stereotypical view is one that is held by my friend Alton Wampler. He said that when he thinks of a geek, he sees someone who “is really obsessed with schoolwork and getting good grades, and doesn't take time to have fun.” He also says that a geek “does a lot of work with computers and stuff that no one really understands.” His description of a typical geek includes glasses, a graphing calculator, and flash drives.

The Wikipedia definition also does a lot to advance this commonly held view. Wikipedia defines a “geek” as “a person obsessed with intellectual pursuits for their own sake, who is also deficient in most other human attributes so as to impair the person's smooth operation within society.”

My view of a geek, however, is much different. Part of this has to do with the fact that I consider myself a geek. I don't wear tight fitting pants or walk around with a graphing calculator in my pocket (those belong in a backpack), but I am still often called a “geek” by my friends. This is mostly because of my interests in academics and computers. I read computer manuals for fun, thus making me very geeky; or so say the people around me. But, although my friends make fun of me, they're very happy they know me when their computer crashes. They know that I can help them, because this is my area of study and expertise.

So, instead of defining a geek as someone “with no life”, I would say that a geek is someone who is extremely dedicated to a particular subject matter that just happens to be perceived as abnormal by the large majority of people. I think geeks are able to separate those things that are important from the things that aren't, and will pursue those things that are most likely to benefit them in the future. A geek is willing to sacrifice his perception by society to do something great.

A good example of this would be Steve Jobs. Perceived by the rest of world as a loser, Jobs dropped out of Reed College during his first semester so that he could “stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting” (Stanford University). One of these was a calligraphy class that would later inspire the beautiful fonts on the Macintosh. Jobs' invention of the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, have literally changed the world by making the internet more accessible to people no matter where in the world they are. Although most thought Jobs' obsession with technology was “weird”, he made an impact in the world through his dedication and commitment to something he was passionate about.

Essentially, I believe that being a geek is about being different, and I think that the following poem, entitled “Here's to the Crazy Ones”, sums it up very well.

Here's to the crazy ones

The misfits, the rebels, the trouble makers

the round pegs in the square holes

The ones who see things differently

They're not fond of rules,

and they have no respect for the status quo

You can quote them, disagree with them

glorify or vilify them

About the only thing you can't do

is ignore them

because they change things

They push the human race forward

While some may see them as the crazy ones

We see genius

Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world

Are the ones who do

(Apple Inc.)

Works Cited

Apple Inc. Apple Steve Jobs The Crazy Ones – NEVER BEFORE AIRED 1997 YouTube, 01 Feb. 2009. Web. 24 Oct. 2011

“Geek.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia. Web. 13 Oct. 2011

Stanford University. Steve Jobs' 2005 Commencement Address YouTube, 07 Mar. 2008. Web. 28 Oct. 2011

Wampler, Alton. Telephone Interview. 22 Oct. 2011

People are People

(This is an essay that I wrote for my ENG-111 class at Virginia Western)

I believe that people are people, no matter how different they may seem at first. I believe that people, no matter where they live, what language they speak, or what their background they possess, ultimately have the same thoughts, feelings, joys, and needs.
This summer, I went on a missions trip to Poland with my church. On this missions trip, I met a variety of people. At first, most of these people seemed radically different from me. They didn't look like me, they spoke a language that was foreign, and they ate strange food. But, during the week we were there, and as our team ate with them, played with them, and talked with them through translators, I made a discovery. Despite our seemingly radical differences, we actually had a lot in common.
One of the most powerful ways of relating our team had was through sports. The majority of the time we were in Poland was spent in a small village called Szaflary. Over the course of the week, we played hours upon hours of soccer (fütból) with the people of that village. During these games, our relationships with the people grew exponentially. At the beginning of the week, when we met on the field, there were awkward handshakes all around. By day number two, handshakes had turned into fist bumps, and by the end of the week, we were sharing brotherly hugs with this group of people that we had just met several days prior. I believe that the joy of sporting and the human need for companionship allowed our team to transcended the language barrier and build meaningful relationships across cultures.
Another way our team connected with the villagers was through music. Music has been called the “Universal Language”, and this proved to be true once again. During our time in Poland, we sang many songs with the people of Szaflary. Some of the songs they sang, we knew the lyrics to, and vice versa. We would sing along with each other when we could, and sit and listen quietly when we couldn't. I cannot describe the incredible sense of connection and community that I felt as I stood singing those worship songs while the person next to me sang along in another language . Once again, the music was something that both our team, and the villagers could understand on a deeper level than language.
Although similar joys are a powerful point of connection, I believe that similar needs connect us all on an even deeper level. Joys may change, but needs do not. Needs such as family, friends, food, and shelter are universal to all people, no matter their position in life. Overall, I believe the greatest need is to have purpose in one's life. I believe I have found that purpose, and it is my desire to use my life to share it with as many people as possible.

Poland Recap

Poland. What an amazing, awesome, and wonderful trip. But also a bit different in some ways.

When people think of a missions trip, most likely images start to pop into their heads. Most likely these images include mud huts, poverty, and perhaps many people coming to know Christ.
But, our mission trip to Poland didn't match this mold. In fact, it was much different.

Now don't get me wrong, the people we were working with in Poland were still very poor, but they weren't as poor as a lot of the people we had worked with before in Romania. The people in the village we were working in (which was called Szaflary) were mostly Christians. Jerry Goss (the missionary that we were working with) has instilled the concept of stewardship in their lives.

A lot of what we did during our time there was just to fellowship with the believers in that village. Our team ran a VBS/day camp for the kids, and several of us played volleyball with the teenagers and young adults. During our time there, we had one young man re-dedicate his life to Christ, and one young woman become a believer.

Now, it would be easy to look at that and become discouraged. Compared to the response that we saw last year, this would seem to be disappointing. But what if we take a closer look? Justin Krehbiel who stayed behind in Romania last year, has since been able to tell us, that of the many we believe gave their lives to Christ during last year's trip, he only knows of one who is really changed in lifestyle. This gives me hope that maybe this one in Poland was genuine. I believe that the concentrated time we spent with the body of believers there truly made a difference.

So, I would like to give you the answer to three questions that I have been asking myself since we returned.

First: “How did God use me?”
I believe God used me to connect people back at home with our group. I hope people were and are able to feel a part of what God is doing in Poland by hearing and reading about what he did on this trip. But, I feel God taught me much more than he used me on this trip.

So, “What did God teach me?”
The biggest thing God taught me this week was how the church is one. No matter the barriers of language or geography, we are still united. I felt on this trip that I connected more with the church in Poland than on my trip to Romania last year. I think that had to do with the amount of time we spent with believers in the village. In addition to us going to the village each day, the believers from the village would also come to our hotel at night to have a time of sharing and fellowship. For me, these were some of the most powerful times of the whole trip. It was amazing to hear each person share, some in English, and some in Polish. The music is always amazing to me, hearing the music in two, three, or even four languages.

Lastly: “How did God change me?”
This week, God changed my perspective on prayer. Sometimes when I pray for people, I feel so detached from them, that after a while, I get discouraged and quit praying for that particular person. Most of you have heard the story, but for the benefit of those who haven't, I will repeat it.
Three years ago during Fuge camp, we were asked to write the letter “Z” on our hand to remind us to pray for a baby named Zachariah. Well, during this trip, we worked closely with that baby's father and mother. The baby ended up dying, but Andrei (the baby's father) and his wife now have a powerful ministry helping the people in their village. It was just amazing for me to see that connection... that from half a world away, I was praying for this baby, who's father I would meet three years later. Crazy.
So, two things I would challenge you with. Get rid of preconceived notions. Missions can take on many different forms, including discipleship and fellowship. Also, when praying don't be discouraged, even if can't see the connections immediately.

The Last Day in Poland

Wow, this week has flown by. I can hardly believe that we are leaving Poland tomorrow morning!
First of all, there will be no blog from Claire and Joseph today. Everyone is pretty worn out, and we have to leave at 06:00 tomorrow morning. I, however, decided to push through, and bring you another blog post.
This morning we awoke and went down to breakfast for the last time. It was the usual meat and cheese fare that we have grown used to.
After lunch we packed our stuff into the vans which had just arrived. There was little bit of concern about how long it would take us to make it to Krakow, the town we flew into. It usually is a two hour trip from where we were near Zakopane. The cause for concern was a bike race (called the "Tour do Poland. And no, I'm actually serious) that was going through the town of Zakpane. So we started off, thinking we might have to sit in traffic for four hours. Thankfully, we beat the traffic, and had no problem getting to the hotel. We unloaded our luggage from the vans, and then went out to see the sights. We went to a castle, the square, the cloth hall, and a few other prominent landmarks around Krakow.

Then, my group (which was a subset of the whole group) went to eat dinner. Jerry took us to this restaurant that looked like a hole in the wall from the outside. We went inside, took a set of steps down, and went way back under the street it seemed. It was crazy and awesome. Melissa Andersen ordered fish, and she got fish all right. A whole one, with the eyes still in it. We started laughing, making fun of it, and taking pictures. Doug said, "You guys cut it out! Don't act like a bunch of hicks!" Ha-ha.

After dinner, we had a time to just debrief, and talk about how the week had gone.
After that, we went back out into the town for about an hour to see Krakow at night.

As I write this, it is 00:43 in the morning, and we have to leave the hotel at 06:00 tomorrow. I should be getting to bed. Goodnight!

Our Last Day in Szaflary

Today was our last day in the village of Szaflary. We piled into the vans after breakfast this morning to make the daily trip down. When we first got there, we took a minute to greet the kids, and then took some of the older ones to play soccer and volleyball.

We had a great time like yesterday, giving each other a hard time the entire time, and smack talking. We had the usual Polish Sausage for lunch, along with a special type of cheese that they cooked on the grill. Once lunch was done, Mrs. Carter, a translator named Monica, and I took food to two holocaust survivors that live in the village. They were overjoyed to see us, even on this, the third day of us bringing them food. One lady said it better than any of us could. She said "You must care a lot about us to come so far to visit us!"

Also today, the Roma people put on a cultural performance for us with song and dance and traditional costumes. After we were done, Claire, Pate, Amanda, Courtney, and a few others from our team put on a cultural American performance, and taught them the Electric Slide.
On the ride back down the mountain, we got close to topping a record for Jerry's van. We managed to squeeze 22 people into his nine passenger van. The record stands at 23.
After we ate dinner, we had group share time with the Christians from Szaflary. It was a great time of sharing, but what impacted me the most was when one of our Polish translators said that he thought it was a shame that a group from America has to come all the way to Poland to work with the Roma like the Christians in Poland already should be doing. Also, he said that he is ashamed of the way that most Polish people have treated the Roma, and that he is going to work hard to break that stereotype. What he said about the Polish and Roma peoples is also true of us in America. It made me realize how important it is to reach out to those around me every day.

Now, I'll turn it over to Claire and Joseph...

Hello friends and fans! This is Claire and Joseph for the last time. Don't be sad, for we will return home soon and you will be able to hear of our escapades and adventures in person. Today was our last day in the village. It was such an amazing day!

As you all may or may not know, the Tour de Poland is passing through our area right as we speak. (true story) Today, we were on our way to the village as a few of the racers rode by. Mark Andersen couldn't let the opportunity to join the race slip by. He demanded that the van be pulled over so he could jump out and begin racing. A moment before he exited the vehicle, he looked both ways before crossing traffic. From across the road, a brilliant idea came to his mind. This was going to be a family adventure. He yelled for the entire family to join him and soon enough, the entire Andersen family was going to make history.

The Andersen family consisting of Mark, Beth, Katie, Dillon, Melissa, and Ian are the first family to attempt the Tour de Poland on foot. Mark should probably be on mile 47 by now. The others unfortunately did not have such luck. In fact, they are not with us anymore. Beth was apparently "in the zone" when she tripped over a log and barrel rolled off of the snow capped Carpathian Mountains. Fifty yards back, Dillon accidentally ran into an electric fence. Ian took a wrong turn and encountered the still raging Polish Beast that nearly obliterated Doug and Ricky the day before. Katie and Melissa sadly did not make it very far in the race. Around mile 1.5, inflammation began to occur in Katie's shins. Crippled by the excruciating pain, Katie had to be carried on Melissa's shoulders. A freak storm came over the mountains and the two sisters were struck by lightning. Last but certainly not least, Mark was approaching the finish line when the camera man from helicopter covering the breaking story dropped his camera on his head. Mark's idea did not turn out to be so brilliant after all. However, Mark, Beth, Katie, Dillon, Melissa, and Ian will forever be remembered as brave heroes. They have become legends and inspiration for people all around the world.

Signing off from Poland, for the last time :(
Joseph Wampler and Claire Guilliams (Undefeated pingpong doubles champions)

A Story Connected With FUGE

To start with, let me clarify this for anyone who may have had a misperception about the blog. Everything Claire and Joseph have been writing is fiction, and what I write is what actually happened during the day. I did not get left behind in the airport, Matt does not have a massive head wound, and Doug and Ricky did not start a stampede of cattle (today's edition). I have allowed Claire and Joseph to post these bits of humor as way to lighten the sometimes serious mood of this blog. Just to make sure there are no misunderstandings, I will be moving their segment to the end of each blog post.
So, I want to tell you guys about something really cool. Several years ago at Fuge, during a missions emphasis on the Roma people group, we were told about a Roma child called Zachariah who was very sick. The Fuge staff asked us to write a "Z" on our hand with a permanent marker, so that when we saw the "Z", we would remember to pray for baby Zachariah. This week we are working with that baby's parents, in the village (Szaflary) were they live in! The parent's names are Andrei and Ola. Their baby did end up dying, but they now have a powerful ministry in the village. Andrei is now the leader of the church in the village. It's just amazing to see this connection. Sometimes when you sit in a pew and hear about these people, you might send up a quick prayer, or drop a few bucks in the offering plate, but not really think on the reality of the matter. It's really struck me this week how real these people are. These are real physical interactions, not just hearing about it second or third hand. The IMB missionary we are working with (Jerry Goss), was also featured in some of the Fuge missions emphasis videos about the Roma people group.
Now, the rest of what happened today.
We left the hotel in Banska Wyzna and went back to the village of Szaflary. We arrived and were a little disappointed to see that most of the guys that we had played soccer with yesterday were not there. So, we had and impromptu worship service, praying especially for Andrei and his work in the village.

We then cooked and ate lunch. We had some amazing organic bacon. Each slice was about a quarter-inch thick and tasted delicious.
After lunch we played a huge game of volleyball. It was hilarious, we were smack talking each other the entire time. Mr. Andersen was absolutely hilarious. Justin gained the nickname Pele for his soccer like volleyball moves. Ricky Wampler (6'7") kept stuffing everyone. There were some awesome saves.

On the way back up the mountain, we broke this weeks previous record of fourteen people in a nine passenger van, and went with twenty. Sometimes you've just got to do what you've got to do. The van record in twenty four, so we may see what we can do about that.
We then came back to the hotel, ate dinner, and had our nightly share time with the believers from the village. During our worship service, one Roma man rededicated his life to Christ, and one Roma lady became a believer.
So far it has been an awesome time, and I'm looking forward expectantly to what God will do tomorrow.

Now for Claire and Joseph's Blog

Greetings fans! Claire and Joseph here, back by popular demand! Today was an absolutely fantastic day for everyone except for Ricky Wampler and Doug Hayes. Ricky and Doug were taking a walk down the road to the local convenient store when Ricky spotted a cow begging to be milked. Being the type that Ricky is, he simply could not bear the thought of a cow remaining un-milked for more than a seven hour period. Ricky headed towards the un-milked, Polish Bovine when Doug put his foot down on the situation. "Ricky, I think we need to think through the matter at hand first before any action takes place," Doug hesitantly told him, "we do not know if there is any potential for aggressive behavior." After a moment of thought, Ricky exclaimed, "Let's go!" while grabbing Doug by the arm and dragging him towards the Polish Beast.

Ricky approached the seemingly harmless cow while it stared back in return. Moments after Ricky began her milking session, this cow no longer seemed so harmless. She began bucking, kicking, and mooing to warn her herd of her current danger. Before Ricky and Doug knew what had happened, Doug felt a blow to his pancreas, knocking him flat on the ground. Before Ricky was able to give him aid, he too was dropped to the ground with severe pain in his lower left extremities. Helplessly they attempted to inch their way towards civilization. Thankfully, Katie Andersen spotted them and heard their faint cries for help and was able to carry them back to safety.

Ricky and Doug are a little sore, but their blood pressure and spirits are still high. We will be sure to keep you all posted on their recovery. Our team is both excited and sad about our last day in the village tomorrow. We have truly had an amazing week thus far.

Signing off from Poland, until next time,
Claire Guilliams and Joseph Wampler (STILL REIGNING Polish pingpong doubles champions)