Objectives are the criteria for the decision—the specific details of what the decision is to accomplish. We establish these objectives once we state the purpose of the decision and agree upon the level at which it is to be made. We do this before discussing alternatives, sometimes even before identifying alternatives. Decision analysis is the antithesis of identifying a course of action and then building a case to support it. Instead we are moving from what needs to be accomplished toward the alternative that can best accomplish it. For example, if we want to hire a new executive, we are more likely to make a good choice if we first identify the qualities of an ideal candidate and then begin the interviewing process. No experienced manager needs to have this reasoning spelled out. Objectives are clear measures of the ends we want to achieve, for only with clear measures can we make reasoned choices.

My Consultancy–Asif J. Mir - Management Consultant–transforms organizations where people have the freedom to be creative, a place that brings out the best in everybody–an open, fair place where people have a sense that what they do matters. For details please visit www.asifjmir.com, and my Lectures.

Today, last day of November, was a good day. I went to Cades Cove, in the Smokies, in the rain, and still came out with a number of good photos. I am kind of excited, too bad I only post two a day at flickr, there are already 20 ahead inline. They will be up before the end of the year. But this post is about a good day in October. Some of my Best here.

If you’re looking for mobile content we’ve got a fantastic array of games, video and tunes.

With every genre of music from hip hop to bollywood, dance to celebrity we can cover your every whim and fancy. Featurting artists like Black Eyed Peas, Shakira, Cheryl Cole, Dizzee Rascal, Leona Lewis & Tinchy Stryder we can make that mobile sound like a night at the O2.

Our games section throbs with the latest titles including Sims Castaway, Medal of Honour and Metal Gear Acid.

If it’s mobile software you need, we’ve got shelves so stocked they sag at the edges, including wayfinder GPS, call recorder pro and online currency converters.

Why not give us a try, click here

Parent page: Service Functions – XML (QTP, VBScript) 

What is XSL? The Extensible Stylesheet Language.
An XSL script is a set of transformation instructions used by an engine (often, web browser, but could be any other processing program as well) to produce a new document based on XML input document. The original document remains unchanged.
The output document format can be another XML, HTML, or plane text.

How XSL could be used in test automation?

XML files verification

Manual verification of XML file contents and structure is a very tedious job, and only small-sized files could be  tested that way. Implementation of XML parsing script requires time and does remove the need to manually go over comparison logs. Each XML structure to compare will require creation of a separate script.

Having displayed XML-based data records as a structured and color coded tables on a web-page tester can go through a hundreds of records in just a few minutes.

Example.

XML verification example // hyper-link is temporarily unavailable

XML log to Web-page report transformation

It’s very convenient to generate and store execution logs in XML format. That could be Test Execution Logs, File Comparison Logs, Data Processing Logs, anything. However, XML tree view is not screen or paper friendly. Producing logs directly in HTML format creates extra maintenance issues.

Using XSL scripts allows transforming XML log files into easily viewable, content-rich, navigation-enhanced, and printer-friendly web-pages. Same XML log could be displayed in a variety of forms (detailed, summary, fail reports, etc)  by quickly switching  to different XSL templates.

Example.

Text File Compare Report example // hyper-link is temporarily unavailable

Documentation and references.

XSLT Questions and Answers

XSL Transformations 

Converting XML to HTML using XSL

Reference Cards

 “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.”  Corinthians 9:15

We continue to give thanks to God as we celebrate this season of giving.  Let us remember that it is God Who instituted the giving process.  He gave us the greatest gift ever given to mankind, the gift of His Son Jesus Christ.  There are not enough words to describe the gift we have all been given in Christ Jesus.  The gift of Jesus is truly a gift that keeps giving in our lives daily.

Each of us has been given the ability to give.  God gives to mankind daily through His love, provision, protection, and forgiveness.  Because God is such a giver of gifts, we too are able to give to others in various ways.  God is our example of giving.  And He desires His children to be givers.

God has blessed each of us to not only think of ourselves, but to think of others.  We have been given so we can give.  Giving is a privilege that reaps more than we could ever comprehend.  God encourages giving because of the powerful effect it has on our lives and those to whom we give.  Its benefits are endless!

ENCOURAGEMENT:  God gave His indescribable gift to us!  Giving produces blessings!  When we give to others, we are giving to God and He is pleased!  Giving to others gives glory, honor, and praise to God!

God loves a cheerful giver.  Take the time to give and make a difference in the life of someone else!

Abraham Maslow

Do we understand love? Do we understand the true meaning of selfless love? Do we truly care about others for who they are? Or are we pushing our own agenda when we talk about love?

Do we teach love? Are we examples of love that others can learn from? Do we demonstrate it in our actions? Is our love merely sentiment or does it come from the heart and soul?

Do we create love in hostile circumstances? Do we generate a presence in which love is experienced by others?

These questions are of significance in a world that is manifesting a lot of hostility, mistrust, intolerance. Without genuine, serious love, we can only expect things to get worse. Are we going to be part of the problem or the soluton.

Alright friends, step away from the pie.  Time to feast on the word of God.  (I hope you had a great Thanksgiving.  I did.)

Let’s study President Eyring’s fantastic talk this week, shall we?  President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency spoke during the Sunday morning session of General Conference and his talk was called “Our Perfect Example.”  I was immediately drawn into his talk in the introduction:  “Different as we are in circumstances and experiences, we share a desire to become better than we are.”

“The message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is that we can and must expect to become better as long as we live.”

“Love is the motivating principle by which the Lord leads us along the way towards becoming like Him, our perfect example.”

“I hope you will go out today looking for opportunities to do as He did and to love as He loves.”

You can read the talk here, watch it here, or listen to it here.  It’s also on page 70 of the November Ensign.  (Go here for GCBC information.)

I know you’ll really like this talk.  Please share some of the things that you learn or think or notice as you study it.  I love reading all your great insights.

Last week we celebrated Thanksgiving Day. Most of us celebrated with turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, and stuffing. But some may have chosen a different fare. Whatever you ate, I hope you took a moment to give thanks before your meal—thanks for your family, for your home, for your friends, and especially for eternal life.

Your first question might be: Why do I need to give thanks?

The short list: Creation, salvation, eternity.

So the question is: How do you give thanks? Since we all “give thanks” by eating a big dinner on the fourth Thursday of November, I thought I would provide a few other ideas from God’s example to show how we can give thanks the rest of the year.

I can show thanks by following God’s example: Giving. Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God gave what he had, Jesus, so I could be forgiven for my sins and be made a part of God’s family. If I am thankful for God’s gift of redemption, I can follow God’s example by giving of myself, my possessions, those things I value most, to help others find peace and hope. I can show my thankfulness by supporting my church and missionaries who are spreading God’s Word to others.

I can show thanks by following God’s example: Loving. “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10). Most often we love someone because of something they did for us, but God’s love is without a prior cause, not because of anything we have done, or can do, or will do. This love we have received from God, providing a sacrifice for our sins when we could not redeem ourselves, demands a response from us. John continued, “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (4:11). Jesus said, “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:44,45). We can show our thanks by extending the love of God to others as we have received it, without reservation or condition.

I can show thanks by following God’s example: Serving God. In the wilderness, Satan tempted Jesus by offering the world’s riches and power in return for his worship. Jesus responded, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only” (Luke 4:8). The world provides many enticements to turn our attention from God. It could be the continual acquisition of possessions and money. Other enticements include popularity, fame, and power. Jesus understood the seductive power of these things, and so He warned his listeners, “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Luke 16:13). When I follow God’s example, I serve God and place my relationship to God first, trusting God for the rest.

I can show thanks by following God’s example: Serving others. As my example, Jesus served those around Him. He used His power to minister to others—healing, comforting, restoring. People came to Jesus because they knew He was willing and able to help them. I follow God’s example by serving others, as well. “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10). When I use my gifts, whether hospitality (which includes cooking, by the way), encouragement, teaching, and administration, among other gifts, to bless those around me, I am being faithful and following God’s example.

How do you give thanks? I know how you can! Recognize God’s gift to you, then respond by following God’s example and giving, loving, serving God, and serving others. The world will be a much better place because of your response to God’s gift.

Just a note: Thanks to Jack and Pat McKinley for the gift of the new nativity set on our front lawn. Drive by some evening and see the beauty.

On Sunday afternoon we celebrated the life of our good friend Beverley Crowell. It was wonderful to have so many people join together with us to remember her. Since I came to Ebenezer Presbyterian, Beverley has been an encouragement and a source of laughter. We all will miss her greatly.

One reason I enjoyed her so much is that she reminded me of my own mother, another person who loved to laugh, entertain, and make people happy. As a special tribute to Beverly and to her family, I am reprinting here a poem I wrote for my mother. Once again, our loss is heaven’s gain.

Many people say to me
“Your laugh’s so bright and full of glee.”
I tell them, “It’s not mine, you see.
My precious mom gave it to me.”

Oh, please don’t think her life sublime
with fun and laughter all the time.
She made ends meet, but there were times
she had to count out every dime.

Though everything was not the best,
with my mother we were blessed.
She made sure we were fed and dressed
And spread her cheer to every guest.

How did she smile and seem so glad
even when she felt so bad,
when it seemed she would explode,
struggling under life’s hard load?

Even so my mother laughed
and danced and sometimes acted daft.
For us she took her hurt and pain
and gave it back with joy again.

Ready smile and hopeful dreams,
laughing till I burst my seams,
love of music, love of dance,
These are my inheritance.

I’ve been working on the assignment for the last few days, and I’ve discovered that it’s tough.  There are so many parts to your identity, how do you decide which are important enough to write about?  Obviously, you know some parts that you definitely want to cover.  I knew right off the bat I wanted to talk about reading and writing.  And I figured that gaming was a good thing to talk about, especially while I was procrastinating on the assignment a few nights ago by playing on my Xbox.  But there were some things that didn’t make the cut due to the page count, even though they are very important to who I am.  For example, I originally mentioned switching to English in academia, but I did not say where I come from or why.  In fact, I barely even talk about school, even though being a student is a large part of who I am right now.  And while I talk a lot about reading, do I once mention the fact that I have worked at the library for years?

Even after I’ve decided what I want to talk about, I’ve had to cut out some of the little embellishments I originally added.  The five pages wasn’t enough room for most of the story about biking.  I was part of Westgate’s Cycling Team back in high school.  I once came dead last because a friend of mine was racing with me.  I was in better shape and would’ve beaten her by a long shot, but I was so happy to have someone at the back with me that I stayed with her to chat; she beat me on the last hill because I braked and she didn’t.  Or how about the fact that our team always won, not because we had the best bikers (although we had a lot of really fast people), but because there were so many of us, we filled in all the rest of the positions and got more points.  Strength in numbers.  I’m still surprised that after four years in a row, the other schools didn’t catch on.  Maybe they did after I was finished high school, but I know they didn’t at the time.  Anecdotes like these, while entertaining, just couldn’t make the cut.  The former, while illustrating part of my identity, didn’t add enough for the assignment.  And the latter one was more about my school than my self, so it had to go as well.

Unfortunately, these cuts have not been limited to the embellishments alone.  I’ve had to cut whole chunks out of what I originally wrote.  Gone are the three paragraphs devoted to reading, writing and gaming respectively.  In their place is one paragraph combining the three, and then a lot more discussion about how they form my humanist identity.  This is a real shame, as I really liked the original discussion.  But that discussion took up too much room which was needed for other things.  (The line about me switching to English was part of this discussion.  As of right now, it’s gone).

I’m sad that I’m cutting out my last paragraph to make more room earlier in the paper.  The paragraph in question reads like this: “This assignment is also turning me into a subject.  With the five page limit, I can only look at certain aspects of myself; there is not enough space to write about everything.  And while looking at those aspects, they are fragmented.  It’s very difficult to bring gaming into the discussion about biking.”  Hopefully I’ll be able to work parts of it back into the assignment at a later date.  But as of right now, while I like it, it isn’t a strong enough ending.  So out it goes!!!

Hopefully I’ll be able to finish the assignment tonight.  And hopefully I’ll be happy with the final product, even with all of the cuts I’ve had to make!

Nobody seems to have written this up succinctly, so I am doing so. Here’s an quick example of how you would call the Twitter API with jQuery, and return some results. I also illustrate the basic javascript to iterate through an object’s collection of properties (something else nobody ever seems to explain).

Create several files…

1. Create “twitter.htm” – this will be your webpage. You can open it locally – it will still work.
2. Create “twitter.js” – this will be your javascript file.
3. Create “twitter.css” – this will be your stylesheet.
4. Download jQuery from it’s homepage and copy alongside the other files.

Contents of the Files

Here’s what needs to be in each file. If you’re wondering why this example is being done in so many files, it’s because this is how you SHOULD do it – I get fed up with seeing examples on the web where code is tacked together in one big file, which encourages bad practice among those learning from it. Also, you’ll notice I’m not messing around with the output – just doing the bare minimum to present the results. This is by design too.

twitter.htm

<html>
<head>
	<title>Twitter Test</title>
	<script src="jquery-1.3.2.min.js"></script>
	<script src="twitter.js" language="javascript"></script>
	<link rel="stylesheet" href="twitter.css" />
</head>
<body>

<h1>Twitter Test</h1>

<div id="twitter"></div>

</body>
</html>

twitter.js

function search_tweets_callback(data){
	if (data.results){
		for(var i=0; i<data.results.length;i++){
			$("#twitter").append("<ul>");
			for (var j in data.results[i]){
				$("#twitter").append("<li>" + j + " = " + data.results[i][j] + "</li>");
			}
			$("#twitter").append("</ul>");
		}
	}
}

function search_tweets(term){
	$.getJSON("http://search.twitter.com/search.json?q=" + term + "&callback=?",{}, search_tweets_callback);
	$("#twitter").append("<li>Called Twitter...</li>");
}

function init(){
	search_tweets("jonbeckett");
}

$(document).ready(function() {
	init();
});

twitter.css

BODY {
	font-family:Georgia;
}

Reminder – remember to copy the jQuery javascript file into the same directory as the above files, or nothing will work.

Investigation into West London Mental Health NHS Trust  Care Quality Commission, July 2009

Click on the report title to gain direct access to the full-text of this report

Abstract:

This reports on an investigation into West London Mental Health NHS Trust that was triggered by concerns about the trust’s response to suicides within the trust. The investigators carried out two unannounced visits to see the environment in which care was being delivered, how staff engaged with service users and interview staff and managers. The findings are discussed under the following headings: national context; the trust’s history and role; providing a safe environment and protecting people from harm; enabling good outcomes for people through high quality care. The report concludes that one of the things that a trust must do is to learn the lessons from serious incidents and take action to prevent the same things happening again; the system that the trust had in place to do this was seriously flawed. A number of recommendations are made.

Lancashire Care staff can request the full-text of this report, email: susan.jennings@lancashirecare.nhs.uk

Today’s suggestion is to support what is basically the freedom of the press and/or personal expression via the written word especially.

Anyone who has followed my Blogs would know that there have been cases where a Blogger has been imprisoned for his/her views. This has been so of Christians in Islamic countries for example.

Supporting the right of expression via the written word is something I do via my Blogs. I report news of Christian Bloggers and those who witness for Christ that are persecuted.

See also:

www.internationalpen.org.uk

A response to reading ‘365 Ways to Change the World,’ by Michael Norton

Available on the wiki you will find documentation on how to start using the latest 1.6 beta to develop for iPhone, Android, and Palm with the same HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code.  I hope this helps you creating the apps that you want.

I’m still working on getting Blackberry development to work the same way as the others but I’m close to having something that works.

I’m also uploading 1.6 beta6.  It makes some small fixes related to the Images directory in the project.  If you are using beta5 you should upgrade.

In this example we’re looking at sending a server request to update data from a Flex DataGrid after a user has edited a field. What we want to do is automatically save the data to the backend when a user leaves an editable field.

The datagrid fires off an event when the user is done editing. Setting up a handler for  DataGridEvent.ITEM_EDIT_END can be done right on the MXML or in ActionScript. The MXML version is very straight forward.

<mx:DataGrid 
id=”dg”
dataProvider="{dgCollection}" 
itemEditEnd="endHandler(event)"
editable="true">

The problem here is that this fires before the datagrid updates the data provider with the edits. In this case the endHandler function only has access to the original values.

As Paul Robertson notes in his article on this the DataGrid registers its own handler for this event. When adding event handlers you can optionally add a priority, and in this case the DataGrid handler is –50 in priority and our endHandler is using the default 0. Which means our function fires before the datagrid’s function.

In order to gain access to the updated results on the dataprovider we need to register our handler AFTER the datagrid updates the provider. To do this we need to switch over and user the ActionScript moethod of handler registration instead of the MXML style.

We register our handler in ActionScript with a priority less than –50

dg.addEventListener(
    DataGridEvent.ITEM_EDIT_END, 
    endHandler,
    false,
    -100);

Now when endHandler fires it will be accessing the updated values

Here is the complete code

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<s:Application xmlns:fx="http://ns.adobe.com/mxml/2009"
               xmlns:s="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark"
               xmlns:mx="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/halo" minWidth="1024" minHeight="768"
              creationComplete="creationCompleteHandler(event);">
    <fx:Declarations>
        <mx:RemoteObject id="ro" destination="DGSource" result="resultAllEvents" />
    </fx:Declarations>
    <fx:Script>
        <![CDATA[
            import mx.collections.ArrayCollection;
            import mx.events.FlexEvent;
            import mx.rpc.events.ResultEvent;
            import mx.events.DataGridEvent;
            [Bindable]
            private var dgCollection:ArrayCollection;
           private function creationCompleteHandler(event:FlexEvent):void
            {
                dg.addEventListener(DataGridEvent.ITEM_EDIT_END, endHandler,false,-100);
            }
            private function resultAllEvents(evt:ResultEvent):void
            {
                var e:ArrayCollection = evt.result as ArrayCollection;
                dgCollection=e;
            }
            public function endHandler(event:DataGridEvent):void
            {
                ro.saveOrUpdateEvent(dg.selectedItem);
            }

        ]]>
    </fx:Script>
    <mx:Button x="168" y="10" label="Get Events" width="343" click="ro.getOperation(‘findAll’).send();" height="21"/>
    <mx:DataGrid
        dataProvider="{dgCollection}" 
       id="dg" editable="true"
        >
        <mx:columns>
            <mx:DataGridColumn headerText="Date" dataField="date"/>
            <mx:DataGridColumn headerText="Title" dataField="title"/>           
        </mx:columns>
    </mx:DataGrid>
</s:Application>

Chanel items have always represented style and sophistication, and a Chanel handbag is no exception. Whether you’re buying accessories, fragrances, or purses from this brand, you’re certain to feel both timeless and fashion forward. Here are some of the purse selections from this season that you’ll unquestionably want to pay attention to.

If you love color, you’ll love the new Chanel handbag line for the season; the Cruise collection features colors like lavender, which goes well with a simple white shirt and fitted jeans, or a sundress and stylish flats. Of course, you can wear the bag with a more conventional dress, but this accessory will make anything you wear look more classy and sophisticated.

Different Occasions

The multi-pocket reporter bag is another great Chanel handbag that you will want to check out if you’re always rushing to appointments and want to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything. These bags are somewhat larger than those in the Cruise Collection, and you’ll be able to keep all your items arranged with all the different compartments that are in the purse. The White Bucket handbag is another great selection if you’re looking for a larger Chanel handbag; it’s made of quilted leather, which is a design that is a true sign of Chanel.

If you’re searching for a Chanel handbag that is specifically for evening wear, you might want to take a look at the satin evening purse. The chain purse handle woven with black leather makes the purse both graceful and trendy, and the purse even has a lipstick holder and mirror, which means you won’t have to carry your compact or additional makeup with you, which could clutter your bag.

Accessories That Enhance

Of course, to complete your look, you can also buy some of the extraordinary fragrances that Chanel has to offer, such as the legendary Chanel No. 5, CoCo Chanel, or newer fragrances like Chance and Allure. These fragrances add an extra touch of femininity to your look, and will make you feel even more certain as you carry your Chanel handbag around the city.

If you want to know where you can find these bags at discounted prices, you might want to check out the various sites on the internet that have this type of handbag for sale where you’ll find prices that are much more affordable than what you would pay at major retailers, or even on the Chanel site or store. You can also take part in an online auction for a Chanel handbag by visiting some of the stores that Ebay has to offer. This way, you can place a bid that you know you can make good on, and can keep up with how often others are bidding so that you can get the item you want. Happy shopping!

As readers of this Blog would know, I have been reading ‘The Reformers and Their Stepchildren,’ by Leonard Verduin. I have now completed this book and maintain that this is a book that should be read by all Reformed believers. It is a brilliant treatment of both the Reformers and those who sought a more ‘radical’ reform, in order to bring the church back to that which was modelled on the New Testament example.

Verduin deals with many of the disputed areas between the Reformers and the Stepchildren, and in so doing shows how the Reformers chose to go only so far in their work of reformation and indeed how some chose to back peddle in some areas. As much as I respect many of the Reformers (if not all), I have always been saddened by their refusal to fully reform the church/separate from it, and to set up a church based on the New Testament model, which was something the stepchildren also sought. The Reformers treatment of the stepchildren will always be a blight on their legacy also.

Read this book without being biased either way and allow the truth of the Scriptures to determine the path on which you walk. There is much food for thought in this book and a real challenge for Reformed believers throughout.

Got this Video from a friend at work.
So impactful.
Makes you think about what sort of example you set for your children,
they are so impressionable.
What about the movies or TV programs they watch; even cartoons, hmmmm
Wonder where they picked up that behavior?

Chanel items have always represented style and sophistication, and a Chanel handbag is no exception. Whether you’re buying accessories, fragrances, or purses from this brand, you’re certain to feel both timeless and fashion forward. Here are some of the purse selections from this season that you’ll unquestionably want to pay attention to.

If you love color, you’ll love the new Chanel handbag line for the season; the Cruise collection features colors like lavender, which goes well with a simple white shirt and fitted jeans, or a sundress and stylish flats. Of course, you can wear the bag with a more conventional dress, but this accessory will make anything you wear look more classy and sophisticated.

Different Occasions

The multi-pocket reporter bag is another great Chanel handbag that you will want to check out if you’re always rushing to appointments and want to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything. These bags are somewhat larger than those in the Cruise Collection, and you’ll be able to keep all your items arranged with all the different compartments that are in the purse. The White Bucket handbag is another great selection if you’re looking for a larger Chanel handbag; it’s made of quilted leather, which is a design that is a true sign of Chanel.

If you’re searching for a Chanel handbag that is specifically for evening wear, you might want to take a look at the satin evening purse. The chain purse handle woven with black leather makes the purse both graceful and trendy, and the purse even has a lipstick holder and mirror, which means you won’t have to carry your compact or additional makeup with you, which could clutter your bag.

Accessories That Enhance

Of course, to complete your look, you can also buy some of the extraordinary fragrances that Chanel has to offer, such as the legendary Chanel No. 5, CoCo Chanel, or newer fragrances like Chance and Allure. These fragrances add an extra touch of femininity to your look, and will make you feel even more certain as you carry your Chanel handbag around the city.

If you want to know where you can find these bags at discounted prices, you might want to check out the various sites on the internet that have this type of handbag for sale where you’ll find prices that are much more affordable than what you would pay at major retailers, or even on the Chanel site or store. You can also take part in an online auction for a Chanel handbag by visiting some of the stores that Ebay has to offer. This way, you can place a bid that you know you can make good on, and can keep up with how often others are bidding so that you can get the item you want. Happy shopping!