Ten free (or cheap) programs every mac user should have on their computer.

1. Dropbox 

Online file sharing/syncing.  Basically this free (up to 2g storage) program tricks your mac into thinking a remote folder is on your box, and manages to sync and store your files online.  It works on both windows and mac, so its great to have if you have varied work environments.

2. Quicksilver

This program changed the way I use a computer, it is an application launcher and so much more.  It allows you to do anything that would take you minutes to do with your mouse with a couple quick key combinations.  If you own a mac and you don't have quicksilver, then you don't own a mac.

3. Glims Safari Plugin

I just found this one recently.  It adds several important features to safari and tweaks some basic settings.  It lets you see thumbnail previews on popular search sites, gives you the option of a full screen mode, and lets you search from the address bar.  Its very handy.

4. Boxee

Boxee is like Front Row, but it doesn't stink.  Boxee's coolest feature to me is that you can watch internet tv from almost any major site, Hulu, CBS, NBC, CW, etc.  You can use Boxee to watch Netflix instant watch movies and it works with your apple remote.

5. Google Notifier

Mail and iCal are great, but I have dumped them for Google Notifier.  GM puts a few icons in my menu bar and notifies me whenever I get a new email message.  Its actually very handy and makes Gmail and Gcal feel more like something on your system.

6. Caffeine

This is a neat little (and I mean little) program that keeps you computer awake.  It puts a coffee cup icon in your menu bar and when you click it it keeps your computer out of sleep mode.  Very helpful for watching movies.

7. Teleport

This program allows you to control other Macs on your network with one mouse and keyboard.  I put my macbook on my desk next to my iMac, fire up teleport and I never have to take my fingers off of my iMacs mouse and keyboard.  It also allows you to copy and paste between computers and drag files from one to the other.  Very Useful.

8. Evernote

Evernote is like my online brain.  It syncs the little tidbits that I collect across my different comptuters.  There is a windows version, a mac version and even an iPhone version.  Its really quite handy and worth a look.

9. Camouflage

I hate a cluttered desktop.  I almost always use a black and white desktop picture and try to keep my desktop as empty as possible.  Still, it tends to become a dump for anything that doesn't know where else to go.  Enter camouflage, fire this program up and your desktop junk disappears (not really, you just can't see it).  To access your desktop files, just double click on any empty part of the desktop. 

10. SuperDocker

This is a leopard only program that allows you to customize your dock.  If you want a leather or a wood 3D dock than this is the program for you.  It also allows you to put spacers between dock item (my favorite feature) and toggle between the leopard (3d) and Tiger (2d) style dock.  

Some Things I Am Thinking About

A lot has gone on in the last couple weeks, and a whole lot has been going on in my mind.  I love being a fundamentalist, and I am about as firmly settled in fundamentalism as any twenty-five year old can be settled in anything, but still some things about our small little camp alarms me.  I have been thinking a lot lately about my tendency to judge anybody who doesn't agree with me as the enemy.  Specifically, if I take a stand on something and I know some one opposes me, I have a terrible tendency to think that person is the enemy of truth.

The other day, Amanda and I watched "Fireproof" which I absolutely loved.  It was one of the very few movies that has ever made me cry and I am going to recommend it to people as often as possible.  It really made me like Kirk Cameron more which is what got me thinking.  

You see, Mr. Cameron and I wouldn't agree on many issues, if he went to my church I would have a tendency to look down on him as subversive and see him as the enemy of what I am trying to do.  Now I am not saying it is wrong to take a stand or have a doctrinal direction or even to think that you are right about something, but what I am saying is that its wrong of me to make people my enemy because we don't see everything eye to eye.

There is only one scriptural tool that I can use to judge another's spirituality - that is the fruits of the spirit.  If some one displays the fruits of the spirit (and as far as I can tell Kirk Cameron does) than I have no right to judge his externals.  

These are just some things that have been crossing my mind lately.