President's File
December 2010

(The President's message will occasionally be writen by editor Patrick Libert)

Hooray for the Holidays!

By Patrick Libert

I love this season

My cheerful disposition is in part due to the fact that all the outdoor chores are finished; leaves gathered and mulched, flower beds cleaned up, and last but not least, NO MORE MOWING! Then, there is the mesmerizing late afternoon light on a sunny day as the sun approaches the rim of the nearby ridge. The warmth of that light is only visible in the Fall. Of course, there is the anticipation of holiday gatherings, beginning with Thanksgiving’s copious (if not gluttonous) family dinner and ending with the celebration of another year gone by. I wish you a most enjoyable and healthy holiday season.

Near the End

The January DACS.doc will be my last issue as Managing Editor. It is time for somebody new to take over and hopefully derive as much knowledge and pleasure as I have for the past three years. It is not a difficult task; it only requires time and attention to detail as well as a love of writing.

Interested candidates should contact us at dacsboard@dacs.org as soon as possible. We have all the tools you need to be the next Editor.

Pandora

I am delighted to include Drew Kwashnak’s enthusiastic review of Pandora in this issue. I have been using it for a year and find it to be an excellent music streaming application. I had hoped to expand my listening to a larger part of my home but my 1995 Panasonic TV refuses to die and yield the space to the latest flat screen digital set, which would incorporate the Pandora streaming. I occasionally watch segments of Dancing With The Stars but not owning a weapon, I would have to throw a rock through the screen. I will just have to wait until the aging Panasonic components decide to jolt their last impulse.

Facebook

There has been a lot of press recently regarding the demise of email, as we know it. Personally, I can confirm that several contacts have switched from email messages to personal messages on Facebook. Whereas I have no assurance that an email message will be read quickly by some, if I send a personal message via Facebook (not a posting on their wall) I will receive a reply. I think that this is great. As long as one carefully sets up the Facebook privacy preferences, I am not concerned. We’re entering a new age of communication, why not embrace it and stay connected. The more we communicate, the less opportunity there is for conflict and misunderstanding.