We are making public our referral incentive program!

Get $100 CASH when you refer a 15-computer or more business to us for IT support. 5 computer-clients will give you $25, 10 computers-$50 and 15…WOW $100! Payable upon first payment from the referred company. Referred company MUST agree to use Warwick Data Solutions as their IT Provider. A “15-computer” client refers to a business with AT LEAST 15 ACTIVE COMPUTER STATIONS. Please email Warwick with any questions! This can be the company you work for OR any company you know needs IT help!

I met this guy in Kiev, Ukraine when I lived there. He used to play in the metro underground tunnel near where I lived. Very humble guy. It looks like he’s graduated from playing in the Metro! It stopped me in my tracks when I heard him. He was playing a number of Bach pieces as well. He did play all 4 seasons as well. It was amazing. This performance doesn’t do him justice, though it’s still really good!

Even if you’ve decided that fixing your computer problem yourself isn’t for you this time, you still need to figure out exactly what your problem is and how to communicate that problem to whichever local computer repair professional you’ve decided on hiring.

“My computer just isn’t working” isn’t good enough, I’m sorry to say. I know, I know, you’re not an expert, right? You don’t need to know the difference in SATA and PATA to effectively describe your particular PC issue to a PC repair pro.

Follow these simple tips to ensure that the person you’re paying to fix your computer has a clear understanding what the problem actually is:

Be Prepared Before Visiting or Calling

Before you start unhooking your computer or before you pick up the phone to have a tech come out to your home or business, you need to make sure you’re prepared to explain your computer problem.

If you’re prepared, you’ll describe your problem to the computer repair person more clearly which will make he or she better informed of your issue which will probably mean that you’ll spend less on getting your PC fixed.

The exact information you should be prepared with will vary depending on your problem but here are several things to keep in mind:

• If you have an error message: What’s the exact error message on your screen?
• If you don’t have an error message: What exactly is your computer doing? “It just doesn’t work” isn’t helpful information.
• When did the problem start happening?
• Did anything else happen at the same time the problem started? (i.e. a blue screen of death, smoke coming from the computer, virus warning, etc.)
• What have you already done to troubleshoot the problem?
• Has the problem changed since it first started happening (i.e. computer shuts off more frequently, error message appears at a different time now, etc.)

I recommend writing all of this down before you head out the door or pick up the phone.

Be Thorough and Specific

I touched on this a little in the Be Prepared Before Calling or Visiting tip above, but the need to be thorough and specific is extremely important! You may be well aware of the trouble your computer has been having but the computer repair person is not. You have to tell the whole story in as much detail as possible.

For example, saying “My computer just quit working” doesn’t say anything at all. There are millions of ways a computer might “not be working” and the ways to fix those problems can vary tremendously. I always recommend stepping through, in great detail, the process that produces the problem.

If your computer won’t turn on, for example, you might describe the problem like this:

“I hit the power button on my computer and a green light comes on the front of my computer and on my monitor. Some text shows up on the screen for just a second, which I don’t have time to read, and then the whole thing shuts off. The monitor stays on but all the lights on the front of my computer case turn off. If I turn it on again, the same thing happens over and over.”

Communicate Clearly

Communication is key to properly describing your PC issue to a computer repair professional. The entire reason for your visit or phone call is to communicate to the service person what the problem is so he or she can properly resolve the problem.

Your basic person-to-person communication rules apply here like elsewhere in life: speak slowly, enunciate properly, and be nice!

If you’re describing your problem over the phone, be sure you’re calling from a quiet area. A barking dog or screaming child is unlikely to help anyone understand your problem more clearly.

Don’t Get Emotional

No one likes computer problems. Believe me, sometimes a computer repair person learns to hate computer problems even more than you, even if it is his or her job. Getting emotional, however, solves absolutely nothing. Getting emotional frustrates everyone and works against getting your computer fixed quickly.

Try to keep in mind that the person you’re talking to didn’t design the hardware or program the software that’s giving you problems. The computer repair professional you’re hiring is simply knowledgeable about these things – not responsible for them.

You’re only in control of the information you’re providing so your best bet is to take another look at some of the tips above and try to communicate as clearly as you possibly can.

Google announced today [april fools] that in honor of the Mayor of Topeka, Kasas changing it’s town’s name to “Google”, that Google, was changing it’s name to “Topeka” as of 1AM (Central Daylight Time) April 1st

Google’s decision [april fools] did not come lightly said Google [april fools]…

“We didn’t reach this decision lightly; after all, we had a fair amount of brand equity tied up in our old name. But the more we surfed around (the former) Topeka’s municipal website, the more kinship we felt with this fine city at the edge of the Great Plains.

In fact, Topeka Google Mayor Bill Bunten expressed it best: “Don’t be fooled. Even Google recognizes that all roads lead to Kansas, not just yellow brick ones.”

For 150 years, its fortuitous location at the confluence of the Kansas River and the Oregon Trail has made the city formerly known as Topeka a key jumping-off point to the new world of the West, just as for 150 months the company formerly known as Google has been a key jumping-off point to the new world of the web. When in 1858 a crucial bridge built across the Kansas River was destroyed by flooding mere months later, it was promptly rebuilt — and we too are accustomed to releasing 2.0 versions of software after stormy feedback on our ‘beta’ releases. And just as the town’s nickname is “Top City,” and the word “topeka” itself derives from a term used by the Kansa and Ioway tribes to refer to “a good place to dig for potatoes,” we’d like to think that our website is one of the web’s top places to dig for information.

In the early 20th century, the former Topeka enjoyed a remarkable run of political prominence, gracing the nation with Margaret Hill McCarter, the first woman to address a national political convention (1920, Republican); Charles Curtis, the only Native American ever to serve as vice president (’29 to ‘33, under Herbert Hoover); Carrie Nation, leader of the old temperance movement (and wielder of American history’s most famous hatchet); and, most important, Alfred E. Neuman, arguably the most influential figure to an entire generation of Americans. We couldn’t be happier to add our own chapter to this storied history.

A change this dramatic won’t happen without consequences, perhaps even some disruptions. Here are a few of the thorny issues that we hope everyone in the broader Topeka community will bear in mind as we begin one of the most important transitions in our company’s history:

• Correspondence to both our corporate headquarters and offices around the world should now be addressed to Topeka Inc., but otherwise can be addressed normally.
• Google employees once known as “Googlers” should now be referred to as either “Topekers” or “Topekans,” depending on the result of a board meeting that’s ongoing at this hour. Whatever the outcome, the conclusion is clear: we aren’t in Google anymore.
• Our new product names will take some getting used to. For instance, we’ll have to assure users of Topeka News and Topeka Maps that these services will continue to offer news and local information from across the globe. Topeka Talk, similarly, is an instant messaging product, not, say, a folksy midwestern morning show. And Project Virgle, our co-venture with Richard Branson and Virgin to launch the first permanent human colony on Mars, will henceforth be known as Project Vireka.
• We don’t really know what to tell Oliver Google Kai’s parents, except that, if you ask us, Oliver Topeka Kai would be a charming name for their little boy.
• As our lawyers remind us, branded product names can achieve such popularity as to risk losing their trademark status (see cellophane, zippers, trampolines, et al). So we hope all of you will do your best to remember our new name’s proper usage:

Finally, we want to be clear that this initiative is a one-shot deal that will have no bearing on which municipalities are chosen to participate in our experimental ultra-high-speed broadband project, to which Google, Kansas has been just one of many communities to apply.

Posted by Eric Schmidt, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Topeka Inc.”        [and what day is it today?....you guessed it April Fool's Day]

come on Google…some people MAY be “fooled”….not this guy…remember last year? “CADIE” was the AI that Google had developed….that was a good one, more believable! Hat’s off to the LARGE CORP that is Google for still being “Child-like”!….KUDOS!…can’t wait for next years jolly joke!

Being in Tech Support myself, I thought this was pretty dern funny….

“Dear Tech Support,

Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed a
distinct slow down in overall system performance, particularly in the flower
and jewelry applications, which operated flawlessly under Boyfriend 5.0..

In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as
Romance 9.5 and Personal Attention 6.5, and then installed undesirable
programs such as

NFL 5..0,
Fishing 3.0 and
Hunting 4.1.

Conversation 8.0 no longer runs, and Housecleaning 2.6 simply crashes the
system.

Please note that I have tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but
to no avail.

What can I do?

Signed,

Desperate.

DEAR DESPERATE,

First, keep in mind,
Boyfriend 5.0 is an Entertainment Package, while Husband 1.0 is an operating
system.

Please enter command: ithoughtyoulovedme.html, try to download Tears 6.2,
and do not forget to install the Guilt 3.0 update.
If those applications work as designed, Husband 1.0 should then
automatically run the applications Jewelry 2.0 and Flowers 3.5.

However, remember, overuse of the above application can cause Husband 1.0 to
default to Grumpy Silence 2.5, Happy Hour 7.0, or Beer 6.1.
Please note that Beer 6.1 is a very bad program that will download the
Farting and Snoring Loudly Beta.

Whatever you do, DO NOT under any circumstances install Mother-In-Law 1.0
(it runs a virus in the background that will eventually seize control of all
your system resources.)

In addition, please do not attempt to reinstall the Boyfriend 5.0-program.
This is an unsupported application and will crash Husband 1.0.

In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have limited memory
and cannot learn new applications quickly.. You might consider buying
additional software to improve memory and performance. We recommend Cooking
3.0 and Hot Lingerie 7.0.

Good Luck!

Tech Support “

Planning on recycling your Christmas tree…OH MY GOSH!….did I say CHRISTmas tree!

ok…thought this was pretty cool!

ANOTHER one of Dave Ramsey’s GREAT bits of advice!

“Another year and another set of resolutions. If you’re like most Americans, you’ll probably forget your goals by mid-February. So how do you make your resolutions actually happen this year?

First, keep in mind that goals are dreams; but don’t stop at just dreaming. Turn your dreams into bite-sized pieces that will gradually create a big event in your life. If you’re waiting on an outside variable to change your life, you have a long wait. You have to do something. It’s your responsibility to fix your life, not someone else’s. It’s time to sit down, make some goals, and take control.

Goal setting is how you win. Once you’ve made your resolutions, they will drive you forward. The goals will motivate you to seek activities that will help you succeed. It’s not always fun, but those exercises bring you closer to your goal and make you a winner.

If you want to actually achieve your goals this year, then consider the following:

1. Be specific.
   When setting goals, be specific in what you want to achieve. Vagueness will only cause you to feel overwhelmed, and you will just give up.
2. Make your goals measureable.
   In order to know if you achieved the goal, it must be measurable. For example, if you want to lose weight, don’t simply write down “lose weight” as a goal. How much weight do you want to lose? Or don’t just write “spend more time with family.” How much time do you want to spend with your family every night?
3. Are they your goals?
   Only you can set your own goals. If your spouse, co-worker or friend sets a goal for you, you’re not going to achieve it. Taking ownership will give you more incentive to meet your goal.
4. Set a time limit.
   Setting a time frame will help you set realistic goals. For example, if you want to save more money, list how much money a month you want to put into your savings account.
5. Put them in writing.
   Putting your goals in writing will make you much more likely to achieve them. Write down your goals and review them often. This will give you motivation to make them a reality.

This is the process to succeed. Successful people reassess their lives and then start living intentionally, in writing, on paper, on purpose. Make your resolutions a reality in 2010.”

see this article on Dave Ramsey’s website

Screen shot of virus alert

Today we had several calls that AVG, a commonly used Anti-Virus suite, was reporting that LogMeIn.exe was a Trojan.horse.vundo.jl VIRUS!!!

LogMeIn is a VERY Reputable company and they host the REMOTE TOOL that we use to access our client machines remotely. Due to the very nature and abilities of LogMeIn or any other remote tool for that matter, it MAY appear as a Malware Infection. We assure you that it is not and we have had this issue with multiple Anti-Virus suites including the biggest, Norton’s Anti-Virus and McAfee Anti-Virus….and now, AVG.

AVG is still a GREAT anti-virus suite and I assure you that this is a common mistake and not really the fault of LogMeIn OR AVG…sometimes legit stuff gets cornered JUST LIKE some of your legit emails make it into your SPAM mailbox…very same priniciple!

IF you’ve gotten a message about LogMeIn being an infection, please use these steps below to ADD LOGMEIN to your EXCEPTION LIST (Applies ONLY to AVG)

1. Double-click on your AVG icon down at the bottom right hand side of your screen in your task bar
2. Once the screen is up, please double-click on “Resident Shield”
3. At the bottom of the “Resident Shield” window, click on the button “Manage Exceptions”
4. Under the “Manage Exceptions” window….click the button “Add Path”
5. This will bring up a window where you’ll need to browse for the LogMeIn folder
6. This folder will be located in the following path…My Computer>Local Disk (C:)>Program Files>LogMeIn
7. Simply select the LogMeIn folder and click “OK”….
8. Click “OK” again and you’re done!
9. Call us 615-424-1614 if you run into any problems!

Early today (December 18, 2009) we started receiving reports that a commonly used AVG Anti-Virus suite was reporting that it had found a Trojan virus with LogMeIn. LogMeIn is our remote tool and due to the nature of ALL remote tools, they can appear as a Trojan virus. The particular CLAIMED infect is “Tojan.Horse.Vundo.Jl”. Please follow this LINK that will instruct you on adding this reported infection to your EXCEPTION list. We apologize for the inconvenience and LogMeIn and AVG have been notified.

Person of the Week!

This time we’ve chosen our pal Brenda Underwood. Brenda has always worked hard at making sure that WDS knows what’s going on tech-wise at the facility. That “facility” is Claiborne & Hughes Health Center, one of our loyal clients.

Brenda always seems to have an exceptionally good attitude and we especially noticed that recently. It wasn’t too far off that we had a technology meltdown at Claiborne. There was a new system integration that was a very big deal and in the midst of the migration from an external company, AND our implementation of a content filtering system, we ran into some big issues that we were unsure where they were coming from.

On that fateful day, many were set to be onsite over the weekend…when the stuff hit the fan, Brenda was the one who stayed behind working hard with us to get everything working. It wasn’t our favorite moment, but we certainly think a lot of Brenda’s character in fighting to get the end result, and for that, we think she deserves “Kudos”!

SO…WAY TO GO BRENDA for your good attitude and drive to see the job through!

We also think highly of Brenda’s technical skills. She may not be replacing us anytime soon, but in this advanced world of technology, if you can follow directions properly, you’re in!

Thanks Brenda for all you do!

~Staff of Warwick Data Solutions

Click the pic to get ahold on MagicJack

Back awhile ago I learned of “MagicJack”, the revolutionary new “gadget” developed to take the place of an ever changing VoIP market. For those of you that don’t know, VoIP of Voice over IP (Internet Protocol) is basically where you transfer voice “packets” of information over the internet/network. There are more well known VoIP carriers that do a lot of the same thing that MagjcJack does, Vonage or Comcast are just a couple that you may have heard of. The difficulty of these is voice quality. That is what they all strive for. When MagicJack hit the market, there was a good “sweeping” affect that it had. You were looking at just $19 PER YEAR…GREAT PRICE…but not so fast! MagicJack IS great, it gives you lots and lots of features, free call forwarding, caller ID, voice mails come in your email, and many many more things that come standard when you’d have to pay for them with your local phone company. The CATCH is the quality. Though the long distance (international) has been better than most all carriers that we’ve ever had, the local calls leave a bit to be desired. I have had a number of people and family members tell me that it sounds like a poor cell phone connection to them when I am talking on my MagicJack. This happens about 25-50% of the time. The other 50-75% of the time it is nice and clear, though I rarely have a completely crystal clear conversation with my MagicJack…SO, if you are looking for an identical replacement to your regular landline at the same quality but cheaper price, you’re looking for quality in all the wrong places. The quality is compromised because of several different issues, you’re going over the internet, there’s lots of other internet traffic riding along the same “road” as your phone call, there’s interference, plus you’re having to go through USB ports and you have to keep your MagicJack unit close to the back of your computer which is a proverbial super highway of interfering signals! Landlines are basically a dedicated line that’s designed just for phone calls…and BAM…you get better call quality. There are a couple of other shortfalls of the MagicJack…one is that you must have it connected up to a working computer…and two, they currently are NOT ABLE TO PORT your existing phone number over to your MagicJack device. The was a HUGE issue for me, and still is mind you! No one at MagicJack seems to know when they are going to be able to port numbers over from your existing service to theirs…though they are saying sometime in 2009, which is WAY too vague for me! One more thing, the MagicJack is high maintenance. I am forever having to restart my MagicJack and perform the “fixes” which is a file you must download and run to upgrade the actual device. That’s pretty lame, but let’s look at what the MagicJack is designed for…and that is VERY INEXPENSIVE phone service that you can use with your existing phone with not too much headache!…and that’s why I still use my MagicJack. It saves me a TON of money, and since cell phone service is so reliable these days, I can deal with the frustrations, since cost is my main goal. Got any questions about MagicJack, see their website for yourself, and take their 30 day trial!

Today is Easter PRAISE GOD~ for HE IS RISEN….He is RISEN indeed! It is the day that we celebrate the rising of Jesus Christ our Lord, the Son of God. There are many in the world that know and honor this time. As believers we pay homage by remembering what Christ went through for us, dying on the cross and on the third day rising and conquering death, so that we might know Him intimately! What a sacrifice! “For God SO LOVED the world [you] that He gave is ONLY SON, that whosoever believes in Him, will NOT perish, but have EVERLASTING LIFE”! (John 3:16)

What a beautiful day it is that we celebrate this GREAT FEAT that Christ overcame for US. Dying on the cross for our sins…for US…That’d be me and you!…yes…YOU! I know MANY people who’s names I’d put here, but it’d take a while.

I went to Church today as well a good many of you did. Why did you go? To feel good about yourself? Did you go just because you go every week? Did you feel the significance of today, Easter? I am saddened that my Church was almost TWICE as full today, but next Sunday, we’ll be back down to our normal numbers. Going to Church on Easter is NOT going to get you into Heaven. For that matter, going to Church EVERY WEEK won’t either. There are SO MANY things in life that we WORK SO HARD TO ACCOMPLISH in hopes that it’ll somehow pay ransom for all the bad things we’ve done…right? That, after all, is our mentality. I am going to charge you with something. Maybe you have thought about it, maybe you haven’t. I want to challenge you that ALL the things that we SHOULD do that are the right things to do (i.e. going to Church, being honest, doing the right thing in general, etc) come as a RESULT of a relationship with Christ! IF you fill yourself with Him, you will NOT be able to contain the good inside of you and it will overflow from you! What a CONCEPT! The Bible makes it clear that our very best, is as filthy rags to Christ! It also makes clear that “ALL have sinned and ALL fall short of the Glory of God”. According to this, no matter WHAT we do or how GREAT we think it is, we might was well be handing God a box of horse dung and ask Him to accept it as payment for getting into Heaven. Christ died for ALL. Believe in Him, because He is the ONLY ONE that will fill that missing link in your life.

I don’t expect everyone to believe or even care about what I am saying, even some will be angered, but I am speaking to those that this message was meant to find…That message is “Stop wasting your time and make that decision to follow Christ, because it is the ONLY way you can be truly happy, no matter what you have physically, whether that be money, fame, or ALL the things in the world…because ALL of those things, you will leave behind when you leave this life. Make the right choice.”….I know I have.

You want to talk more about this…it doesn’t matter who you are, email me…and I’ll be happy to walk with you and any questions you have

I post things on this blog that are pertinent to my business AND my life. What you see here IS what Warwick Data Solutions is. I will never shy away from what IS in order to be politically correct or to not offend anyone.

Google played it out well, but note that what us to suspicion was the fact that there had been NOTHING about this technology before it was turned “on” suspiciously ON APRIL 1st!

We were also giggling at the “brain scan”…made to make people look funny as they drive down the street or on their lunch break with their cell phone placed to their forehead! HA…that part gave it away!

Here’s what Wikipedia says about CADIE:2009

CADIE

When using Google Books or GMail, a user would come across an announcement dated March 31, 2009 at 11:59:59, declaring a new “Cognitive Autoheuristic Distributed-Intelligence Entity”. CADIE is also mentioned on the gBall FAQ page: “Google’s new CADIE technology will interpret the data obtained from each ball to provide useful tips to owners”. There is also a link on Google’s Homepage for CADIE, and a blog entry in Google’s official blog.

CADIE technology is also used to generate “senryu” (a type of Japanese poem similar to haiku) based on search terms for certain Japanese queries.

The Google Search homepage has a link to the CADIE announcement which states that “For several years now a small research group has been working on some challenging problems in the areas of neural networking, natural language and autonomous problem-solving. Last fall this group achieved a significant breakthrough: a powerful new technique for solving reinforcement learning problems, resulting in the first functional global-scale neuro-evolutionary learning cluster.” The page links to the blog below.

On mobile devices, a link shows up to Brain Search, which uses CADIE technology to “index your brain”. This is how it all looks like from a mobile device.

…these are supposedly the real “words” of CADIE

April Fool’s joke played by Google? Maybe….maybe not!

CADIE is the first Cognitive Autoheuristic Distributed-Intelligence Entity (CADIE)

Here’s what Google has to say~

Research group switches on world’s first “artificial intelligence” tasked-array system.

For several years now a small research group has been working on some challenging problems in the areas of neural networking, natural language and autonomous problem-solving. Last fall this group achieved a significant breakthrough: a powerful new technique for solving reinforcement learning problems, resulting in the first functional global-scale neuro-evolutionary learning cluster.

Since then progress has been rapid, and tonight we’re pleased to announce that just moments ago, the world’s first Cognitive Autoheuristic Distributed-Intelligence Entity (CADIE) was switched on and began performing some initial functions. It’s an exciting moment that we’re determined to build upon by coming to understand more fully what CADIE’s emergence might mean, for Google and for our users. So although CADIE technology will be rolled out with the caution befitting any advance of this magnitude, in the months to come users can expect to notice her influence on various google.com properties. Earlier today, for instance, CADIE deduced from a quick scan of the visual segment of the social web a set of online design principles from which she derived this intriguing homepage.

These are merely the first steps onto what will doubtless prove a long and difficult road. Considerable bugs remain in CADIE’S programming, and considerable development clearly is called for. But we can’t imagine a more important journey for Google to have undertaken.

For more information about CADIE see this monograph, and follow CADIE’s progress via her YouTube channel and blog.

Still waiting…….

I did what you told me…

I sent the email to 10 people like you said.

I’m still waiting for that miracle to happen.

OK….so there are GOOD people out there that forward “chain” letters. I mean, hey…I even did once, maybe twice! Don’t feel bad, just don’t send forwards ANYMORE! Seriously, do you know ANYONE who ever got free money from Microsoft for forwarding emails? What about the free sets of clothes from GAP clothing stores? AHHHH and who can forget the “don’t open an email marked “Happy Christmas” or it’ll “wipe out your credit cards!” Seriously, get real people! Did you know there’s a bunch of sorry excuses for people out there in the cyber world collecting your email addresses? What about the myriad of SPAM that we all get in our email?

You know, Dave Ramsey gives GREAT common sense tips for managing your money. Just as well, Dr. Asa Andrew has some GREAT common sense tips for managing your health and diet. For all intents and purposes, let’s PLEASE use some common sense in our lives! We HAVE to front more of it due to our overall LACK of common sense wafting down the ranks from “up top”. Need I say more?

here are a few good tips:

~Check ALL emails that you want to forward for interesting reasons at “Snopes”. Here’s the web address that’ll make you seem smarter (or not so naive)

~DON’T believe some silly persons attempt that you are going to receive “bad luck” if you don’t forward something to at least 10 people. I mean COME ON! Remember who’s in control, some emailing moron? or our God in heaven?

~Stay with the old adage of “If it’s too good to be true, it most likely IS too good to be true”!

This week’s “Person of the Week”

We’d like to introduce Kim Wilson. Kim works at Grace Health Center of Franklin. Grace is no longer a client of ours due to a buy out, but we felt that we should shed some light on Kim.

Here’s what we’d like to point out~…Kim is always a happy smiling face for us to see. We mention a lot about smiling faces, but that’s because it means a lot during these “doom and gloom” times all over the media

There are a few times that the new IT isn’t able to handle an onsite call for the facility and we do get called up for “action” occasionally, but rest assured, when we show up, Kim’s always willing to take a sec and let us know what’s “going on”! She’s got a sweet southern spirit that’s infectious. Thanks Kim! It always brightens our day to see you there!

On a more technical note, we have to congratulate Kim on a “Job well done”. Kudos are in order! Kim recently had asked me if I could install a new pci-modem on her mother’s machine. I did offer a little troubleshooting help, but no….Kim had already figured it out. After a short bout of chatting, we both agreed that her mother’s modem had bitten the dust! We just happened to have a new one laying around and we gave it to her with our best wishes! “Kim”, we said…”You can do this…listen closely and I’ll tell you how to put this thing in!” OH…Listen she did! I got a call a few days later. NOT only was her mother’s issue fixed…and done BY KIM…but she didn’t even need to consult us during the process! WOW….not everyone has the confidence to open up a machine for the first time and replace a component…AND be successful doing so! The modem now works GREAT!

Warwick Data Solutions would like to say “Thanks Kim, for being an encouragement to those that are a little less bold to open up that old metal box!”

We appreciate you and hope that you continue to bring that light into the world!

CHEERS!

~staff of Warwick Data Solutions

I think it’s safe to say that “Life” is most certainly NOT “a box of chocolates”! All of us struggle through economic hard times that are more “local” if you will, though a lot of folk are struggling with the more detrimental nationwide economic downturn. I have a local economic hard time… This week, I have lost 3 clients…YUK!It’s my first “break-up” as I call it, and I am sure it won’t be my last. So for those of you having financial hardships and have had to let people in your company go…well, that’s understandable, you do as you must. My break-up seems to be over a break down in communication, at least that’s what I think, since those who have parted ways don’t seem to be letting on as to why a move was necessary. Sadly, I don’t think it has anything to do with finances or the economic downturn. That’ll slap a small business owner into shape, hey? SO, it’s back to the old drawing board to re-evaluate what I do and how I go about doing it. As one can only do when calamity strikes, right?

When you’re a small business owner, your company is HUGE and you aim for it to function as a well oiled machine, right? SURE…there’s only one problem, you ARE THE COMPANY! You are the President, the office manager, the bookkeeper, the CPA, the operations officer, the scheduler, the personal assistant, the board of directors, the geek, the janitor, the child-care, the courier, the consultant, the advertising agency, the field tech and the list goes on and on…not to mention you have to be the husband (or wife in some cases), which involves a HUGE amount of responsibilities anyway! WHEW!…it gets really tough when you think about it. I’d be lost without God controlling it all and on this earth, I would NOT be successful without my wife, for sure!

For those of you out there that have decided that it’s time to part ways, I can only say that with just a little bit of communication, issues very easily could have been avoided. Many of my clients know FULL WELL that if you don’t communicate with me, you’re likely to be upset about something at sometime. NO ONE can be happy with anyone all the time, I mean, I think my wife is the very best wife in the entire universe and I still have moments when I am unhappy with something she’s done ~ but where are we if we don’t communicate about it? Nowhere, is your answer. One sided moves that affect the other side are often passed off with a simple phrase~ here it is! There’s a common misconception in the business world that “it’s just business”. I HATE that phrase. It’s NEVER just business. That statement usually only rings true for one party, while the other side is usually left holding the bag of “not goods”, if you know what I mean. Communication in life, while taking consideration for the other side’s asperations and being a judge of the heart, is always the way to go. I am not saying that parting ways is never a good idea, but if both sides are honest about things, then a true seperation MAY BE the right plan of action….however, there are MANY times in life that there is a seperation of a relationship and it is all too often because someone failed to kindly share frustrations with the other side. I can’t change anyone, but I can change what I do. Always look in the mirror for the problem! TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AMERICA for your own downfalls and then make a change! It is the healthy choice that I have to make that will seperate me from a defeatest attitude and that of a winner! Brush the dust off and get right back up! Kudos to those of you out there that take the time to communicate, even when it seems like “just business”!

PC vs. Mac Battle ~ a transformation

Thought this was something for the imagination of Mac and PC lovers:)

Many of you know Nathan Green ~33, a good friend of mine, who has been struggling with terminal bile-duct cancer for the last 4 months. Nathan passed away peacefully last night (Dec. 20th, 2008) around 11:13pm at his home. His wife Christy needs some prayer right now. Can we stop from our busy schedules and remember those, like Christy, less fortunate during this time of year? Some of you have personally asked how he’s been doing along this 4 months. Thanks for your care and time enough to share your concerns, they are very much appreciated.

Nathan was a great realist and driving optimist. He was always very even-tempered and always reminding us what was real in this life.  The verse “A wise man avoids all extremes” from the Bible reminds me of Nathan. He loved deeply and with great loyalty. I could say a lot about Nathan, but as I have written a few blog entries in the past, I would be doing an injustice to Nate if I didn’t mention what he KNEW to be important and real in life. Nathan’s dying wish was for all to know the good news! My pastor noted a time when his daughter was only a week old and was found to have a potentially life-threatening disorder. He sat on the floor holding his little week-old daughter in his arms and said “If I could only take upon myself, what you have, I would do it without a thought…I would do it without a thought….”

Nathan would have me remind you that God sent his ONLY son to die for you. God had the power to take sin from us and place it on his son, his only son….to die, in your place…so that you would have the chance at an eternal life with God in heaven! At Christmas, the media and many others would wish us to forget or ignore what Christmas is about, in an effort to not offend anyone. No matter what the media does, no matter what you or I say, we will all one day stand before the Great Throne of God and account for what we have done. There are those of us like Nathan, who will pass onto eternity with Christ our Lord ~ for whom, MIGHT I ADD, we celebrate Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter for. How easily we forget from where we came, and what we have because of God’s blessing. There are some of us who will read this and know where they will go when they have completed the race of life on this earth. With these people I rejoice. There are some of us who will dismiss what I have to say and what Nathan had to say as rubbish or foolishness. For these people I cry and pray for. There are some of you who know of what I am talking about, but you recognize the hole in your life without a close relationship with Christ. HOW can we have that? HOW can we have relationship with Christ? OH IF YOU ONLY KNEW! We can have that relationship. Believe what you will. Maybe you think it’s all just a mental disorder ~ try me. Ask God to change your life….ask Christ to come into your life and change you, talk to Him, He’s listening.

Nathan in now free from cancer, free from our political correctness, from our sin, from the rubbish that is this world…He’s free and living in Christ’s presence now. What will you believe?

Nathan ~ I love you so much! And it is with a very heavy heart that I say I’ll miss you bud. God will take care of your Mom and Dad…your sister and Christy ~ we’ll do our best to hug those that you can no longer hold…enjoy yourself!

WDS Person of the Week

Warwick Data Solutions would like to take a moment and honor this remarkable man and woman. These BOTH are our “Person of the Week”. Reasons need no explaining

For some of you, you push forward through this holiday season with expectations, joy, hope, and some of you sorrow.  As we have just passed through Thanksgiving, there are many MANY things I have to be thankful for. God and His Son, Jesus, for providing us a point to this life….my wife who puts up with my weird hours and my technical rants…my amazing friends, and the world’s best family…and some of the BEST customers a guy could ever want! I want to make a special remark to someone who needs to have attention brought to them…

Christy Green has a husband, Nathan, who is dying from cancer. It’s a rare cancer and there’s not much hope for Nathan in this life…his hope will most likely pull him through to the next life, where he will be free. Christy has put forward the very BEST “foot” that one could imagine. I frequently have a lump in my throat when I read the daily updates on her husband, Nathan. She consistently points to the joy of Christ through this….WHO OF YOU COULD DO THIS?….Christy would tell me that it’s only Christ who gives her strength to endure the daily reminders that Nathan is moving on. This season I want to take this moment to commend Christy for her unsurpassed faith and hope in Christ, who is the true meaning of this season. Take a moment to look around you, hug and kiss those dear to you, share your heart with someone, say great things you’ve always been afraid to say, and be inspired by the same Spirit that leads Christy onward and upward.

Nathan, this is to you…we know you are still here, putting up with this world until you move onto a better place. I personally want to commend you for being a solid rock for Christy in this time, when you have every reason NOT to be strong. Push forward my friend and know the Love that is patiently waiting for you on the other side:)

Please remember Nathan and Christy Green this season, and may you learn from their trials…

read more and keep up to date with Nathan and Christy at CaringBridge