DocBook Publishers schema approved to Committee Working Draft

I'm proud to announce that the DocBook Publishers SubCommittee presented the specification for the DocBook Publishers schema to the DocBook Technical Committee. In the meeting, the motion to approve the specification to DocBook TC Working Draft was carried!

So what does this mean?

Prior to this, the specification was "locked up" in the subcommittee as it was being developed. Now that it is an official DocBook TC Working Draft, it will be available for public review for the first time! We would appreciate any and all feedback! I'll post a link as soon as it's available.

This specification would not be possible without the diligent work of:

• Keith Fahlgren, O'Reilly Media
• Norm Walsh, Mark Logic Corporation
• Dick Hamilton, XML Press
• John Pedersen, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
• Jim Earley, Flatirons Solutions Corporation
• Jirka Kosek
• Dave Pawson, Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB)
• John Hanratty, Reed Elsevier
• Gary Hoffman
• Scott Hudson, Flatirons Solutions Corporation

We hope this specification will make it easier for the publishing industry to produce multi-channel content from DocBook XML!

Highlight of the Inauguration Speech

I found President Obama's closing statement to be the most interesting and impactful:

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

I found it interesting, because the recurring verse in our family's life this year has been Joshua 1:9

9"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

We have also been memorizing the book of James, and I found these verses (James 1:2-5) particularly poignant today:

2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

5But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

May God bless America and President Obama with faith, endurance, wisdom, peace and prosperity.

DITA Learning in the new Adobe Technical Communications Suite!

Adobe just announced a new Technical Communications Suite, and has included support for DITA Learning!

Full support for DITA standards

Take advantage of DITA 1.1, including support for Bookmap, Indexing, and Glossary specifications, and use the DITA 1.2 Learning and Training Content Specialization (beta) to develop compelling training content.

I'll definitely have to give this a try. The DITA Learning Content subcommittee is in the process of putting together more real-world examples using this standard that we've developed over the past several years. Maybe I'll try to put that together using the demo!

Enjoyed the John Williams composition for the inauguration

More Obamination

Unbelievable. I happened to be perusing iTunes and noticed a custom album that is on the "hot list". It's an album called "Songs about Obama". I have no idea if any of it is any good (looks like a lot of rap to me), but here's the list of songs:

It's a New Day 3:39 will.i.am It's a New Day - Single  $0.99
Obama Song  4:09 Michael Franti & Spearhead Obama Song  - Single  $0.99
Vote for Hope (feat. Barack Obama) 4:49 MC Yogi Vote for Hope - Single  $0.99
Yes We Can 3:16 Obamabots Yes We Can - Single  $0.99
Black President 4:28 Nas Nas  $0.99
Yes We Can 2:36 The Power Of O Yes We Can  $0.99
World of Friends (Song for Obama) 4:50 Garrison Davis World of Friends (Song for Obama)  $0.99
Work to Do (Obama 08) 5:15 Kidz In the Hall Geniuses Need Love Too  $0.99
We Want Obama 3:02 We the People We Want Obama  $0.99
We Believe 3:10 Chubb Rock Obama We Believe  $0.99
Barack Obama 4:12 Cocoa Tea Yes We Can  $0.99
If I Was President (Live) 3:49 Wyclef Jean If I Was President (Live) - Single  $0.99
Vote Vote Obama Vote 4:25 Henry Love Vaughn Vote Vote Obama Vote 08  $0.99
This Incredible Moment - Full Version 2:59 DEE And The SOT Obama Victory Song 'This Incredible Moment'  $0.99
There's No One As Irish As Barack Obama 3:28 Corrigan Brothers There's No One As Irish As Barack Obama - Single  $0.99
Rock Obama (Mahalo America) 4:19 Scott Katsura Rock Obama (Mahalo America)  $0.99
Our Colors Won't Run (Obama for America) 5:02 Nigel George OUR COLORS WONT RUN (Obama for America)  $0.99
Obama You 3:38 Joey Pearson Obama You  $0.99
Obama Vote Song-2008 4:11 Jeff Logan & Various Artists Obama Vote Song-2008 - Single  $0.99
Obama Time 4:29 Madame Star Obama Time  $0.99
Obama Rock (Save Our Country!!!) 3:37 The Obama Mamas Obama Rock: Save Our Country!!! - Single  $0.99
Obama Power: A Song for Barack 2:38 Lou Del Bianco Obama Power: A Song for Barack  $0.99
Obama Obama 3:31 Millennium Obama Obama  $0.99
Obama Obama 5:10 Dynamq Obama Obama - Single  $0.99
Obama Gonna Get It 3:46 The Steelers Steelers Love You (featuring Obama Gonna Get It)  $0.99
Obama for Change 4:38 Michael Droste Obama for Change  $0.99
Obama for Change 5:36 Kenge Kenge Obama for Change - Single  $0.99
Obama Anthem - Yes We Can (Come Together) 3:11 Talat & Various Artists
Obama Anthem - Yes We Can (Come Together)  $0.99
Obama 2:48 Washington Salsa Band For the Presidency  $0.99
Obama 3:04 Pistol Opera Obama - EP  $0.99
Obama 8:04 Extra Golden Hera Ma Nono  $0.99
Obama 3:20 Rankin Cobra Obama  $0.99
Obama 5:00 Ridi Obama - Single  $0.99
O! Oh! Obama! 3:57 La Compagnie Créole O ! Oh ! Obama ! - Single  $0.99
O-B-A-M-A , Obama (Obamagroove) 5:08 Joseph "Ziggy " Modeliste O-B-A-M-A, Obama (Obamagroove)  $0.99
New Beginning 3:34 Luke Parkin Anthony Ross and Maris Moon Obama 08 Version  $0.99
Mr. Obama (Tribute Campaign Song) 3:26 Tony Ballard Mr. Obama - EP  $0.99
I'm Standing Up With Barack Obama 1:22 Rodger Collins I'm Standing Up With Barack Obama  $0.99
Goin' Places (The Barack Obama Song) 4:50 Ozzie Bostic Goin' Places (The Barack Obama Song) - Single  $0.99
God Bless Obama and Supporters 4:27 Dishu Productions The Making of History: Barack Obama  $0.99
Change the World (Tribute to Obama) 2:58 Nikko Change the World (Tribute to Obama)  $0.99
Change 8:04 The Evangelist Ulus Dye Jr. Singing Change for Barack Obama  $0.99
Black President Obama 3:27 Mad White Jamaican & Splurt & Obama Black President Obama - Single  $0.99
Barack Obama Victory Song 7:42 SamO and the band JFC Barack Obama Victory Song  $0.99
Barack Obama My Heroes 5:00 Roy Medina Barack Obama - My Heroes - Single  $0.99
Barack Obama (Root Version) 4:40 Blakk Rasta Barack Obama - EP  $0.99
Barack Obama 3:34 Soca General Time F4 a Change  $0.99
Barack Obama 3:55 French Fries Barack Obama - Single  $0.99

Personally, I prefer "The Presidential Rap" that came out during the Reagan era about The Gipper!

So, we know that the media and music industries are both worshiping this man, and people on the street are almost proclaiming him a messiah!

Those are some pretty big expectations to fulfill. I was in an American Politics class in college, and one of the key papers we wrote was about the unrealistic expectations placed on ANY candidate in this modern era -- basically that any modern president will be "unsuccessful" or unpopular because of the loads of expectations placed on them. That said, they tend to bring it on themselves when they make tons of exaggerated promises that they can't fulfill!

Well, Mr. Obama, I sure hope your promises of "Change" are for the better. I'll go on record right here and now: I don't think things will really change. Look at his cabinet: it's primarily the same Capitol Hill gang from Clinton. It'll be business as usual, except that the Democrats will push their social agendas through at the cost of the American taxpayer. Our debt will continue to skyrocket, the economy will keep swirling toward the bottom of the toilet.In four years, I'll be able to say "I told you so."

I'm more than happy to be proven wrong, but at this point, I remain firmly skeptical.