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...I have to do a phone interview tonight with a journalist from Business First.



How random.



Meanwhile, I might as well turn my phone off. My neighbors' landscapers are mowing... having a conversation, or even thinking, will be darn near impossible for the next hour...

"If at first you don't succeed, kill those that have and you'll increase your own odds of success."

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PhoenicianDream
05:20 Aug 31 2010

Hahaha evil genius! I like it.

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eMetiB226
16:57 Aug 31 2010

kill those that have and just take credit

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RedQueen
21:49 Aug 31 2010

That has GOT to be the most vampiric line of thought I have ever heard.



Congratulations. You have ascended...lol

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ThothLestat
22:16 Aug 31 2010

However, if they have earned their success the same way; they'll be expecting you.

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birra
22:44 Aug 31 2010

Dammit Thoth. I didn't consider that.



Well, add in to be sneaky and watch your back...

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...my workbench has been over-run with HP Pavilions and E-Machines this week.



Same story on each.. less than two years old, critical failures.



So these bargain computers are now going to cost their owners more than $100 each to fix - possibly $200 or $300 in one case.



People really need to stop throwing money away on consumer market technology. Unless they accept the fact that $400 they're putting down on one of these machines is going to be thrown away in 2 years and they'll need to put down $400 more.



Maybe I should just start that kind of a program - lease a computer for $200 a year... at the end of 2 years we replace it with a new one and move your data over.. hmmm...

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sahahria
13:39 Aug 29 2010

I know several business owners who would do this...

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birra
14:50 Aug 29 2010

Who would do what? Lease computers?



For businesses, leasing technology is a viable and cost effective option. Yes, you will pay a bit more over the course of 3 years than if you bought everything outright upfront, but considering the benefits to cash-flow, spreading out the payments and the fact you can refresh ALL of your technology every 3 years to stay fast and efficient, it really surprises me how few businesses do this.



And most leasing companies these days will look at any purchase over $500. That's one PC and LCD panel!



However, you need to be a business for those options. In the consumer market there really isn't any such help. Instead the manufacturers produce sub-standard products and engage in pricing wars. Sure, it might cost $100 less (most of that accounted for in the cost difference between Windows Home and Windows Pro editions) but the products are throw-away. The consumer never recoups the software cost and will spend just as much in 2-3 years when they have to replace their failed machine.

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Speaking with a friend yesterday that is the IT director of a local health management services group... they are owned by a larger corporate entity which makes all the money spending decisions.



His quote:



"I have no choice in where I get products from. It is a large corporation buying for multiple companies that all fall under their corporate domain. They buy everything from CDW and are paying over $700 for a desktop system I know I can get locally for less than $500. But that's the way it goes."



Yep... and it's another reason we pay so much for healthcare. Big companies won't seek out smaller, more flexible business partners in a local arena that could help them MORE than the larger national resellers can.



It's pathetic how small businesses are ignored and or stepped on in today's economy...

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PAGAN
19:43 Aug 21 2010

couldn't agree more on that, pathetic isn't strong enough a word though

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Holy SHIT! I did it! I completely recovered this customer's disk image in full from a failing hard drive and got her PC to boot as if nothing happened!



Damn... I'm getting pretty good at this. Heh.

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LadyKowe
00:31 Aug 21 2010

NICE! Now I know who to go to for help lol.

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Daire
01:44 Aug 21 2010

Did you try turning it on and off again?

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birra
02:27 Aug 21 2010

Several times - running it through all the necessary windows updates and clean-ups that people constantly put off...

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...honestly, the 6 year old P4 HP Pavilion has given you all she's got capt'n...There is more broken than working. It is NOT a good computer anymore, even if you're insisting it is.



It's not.



It's dead, Jim.



Let it go.



If you insist on having us repair it, realize up front that the fact it is going to die completely in about 3 months is not our responsibility.



Now excuse me while I Google if it is ok to hot-glue a bridge chip heat sink back on...

...this week was a trial in survival.



But, I made it.



So here is what next week holds for me...



...I'm going to catch up on paperwork, make sure all the invoicing is done. I'm going to clean my office, clean the office and start cleaning the garage.



Chickens go in on Thursday, so I am not going to my regular Thursday morning networking meeting - someone else will NEED to cover that.



One of these nights I'm going to head up to Niagara Falls, walk across the Rainbow bridge and go spend some quality time on the Canadian side of the ditch with my camera.



Those are the plans. Think you're going to thwart them?



All I have to say is, good luck trying.

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ThePinja
22:30 Aug 20 2010

Sorry the rainbow bridge is closed for repairs. Jk.

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birra
22:37 Aug 20 2010

I'll swim the gorge! Fuck the undertows!

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Morrigon
23:04 Aug 20 2010

HAR!!!!

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RedQueen
00:42 Aug 21 2010

You're too far EAST, dammit...lol

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...tough to keep spirits up working 6 hours with nothing to eat or drink in a humid, 100F+ environment knowing when I get back to the office, Morri won't be here...



...*sigh*

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Morrigon
23:17 Aug 11 2010

You need to take better care of yourself...

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guinevere
16:00 Aug 12 2010

you could have asked to feed from me :)

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birra
17:25 Aug 12 2010

Wha????



*shudders*

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ThePinja
22:29 Aug 20 2010

What morri said.



... Wow.

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