Illustrator CS3 Problems to resolve

When I do design, I hate switching between my right brain (for creativity) and my left brain (for logical thinking). So I tend to clear up all the technical issues about design before I move ahead my design work. Right now I have these tasks that need to resolve, some Illustrator CS3 related while some Photoshop CS3 realted:

Photoshop CS3 related

• Figure out how to color correct a bunch of photos before working on composition.
  Match the color in different images using Match Color command
  

Illustrator CS3 related

• Flow text around graphics.
  Here's the solution.
  
  
• Separate Text from text path
  Turn outs it's more like you select a corner handle, and the drag a text area. It's very much link to the text flow
  
  
• Hot Linkage between Photoshop CS3 and Illustrator CS3
  This is in fact MUCH EASIER than I thought, and works even with my Portable version of Photoshop CS3 and Illustrator CS3. Here's how you do it:
• In your Windows Explorer, make sure that psd file is associated to your Photoshop app. In my case I associated it to Photoshop CS3 portable.
• In Illustrator, select the imported psd object, and thus select the menu [Edit][Edit Original]
• Photoshop will be laoded, and so will your psd document. After you finish editing, save.
• When you get back to Illustrator, there will be a message saying that the source has change and ask for update confirmation. Accept it you got the modified psd object. Awesome.
  I also found an awesome new feature in Photoshop CS3 for creating DuoTone photo from color photo. Just select [Image][Adjustment][Black & White]. This gives you much better control on converting photo to duotone. Awesome.
  
  
• Add a think border to photo (from Photoshop)
• Short cut of Illustrator CS3. These short cust makes me feel like I am playing musical keyboard when working on graphic, but hell they are essential when I do a lot of graphic manipulation.
• Export Photoshop Path to Illustrator. This is easy.
  
  
• Copy layer between two Illustrator document.
  This is supposed to be the solution.
  But actually I found a better solution: use the [Edit] [Paste in Front] will paste the objects that I copied from one document to the new document and keep the position of all items.
  
  
• Create transperant Glass effect in Illustrator
  This site would be a good start .... keep searching ...
  
  
• Learn how to use Live Color and Color Guide effectively.
  This awesome video demonstrates what Live Color is about.
  
  
• Figure out how to consistent join two object
  Couldn't believe that I keep forgetting how to do it:
• Select the two objects you wan to join.
• Bring up Pathfinder, click the union icon on "Shape Modes"
• select menu [Object][Expand Apperance...]
• done.
  
  
• Find out how to modify effect history.
  Turns out the solution is pretty straight forward : Just bring up the "Appearance" Window and modify all the applied effects.