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Greetings. Happy Holidays and Welcome to our Newsletter! We wanted to share the many photos we have taken of places, people and things throughout the country and beyond. Each month our headline photo will be something new and different. The caption will present a small explanation. We hope you enjoy. Keep in mind, we don't want to waste your time. Articles will contain generally less than 250 words. Please have a look and give us your feedback. By all means, forward to a friend using the link at the bottom of the Newsletter. Thanks. Questions? Send me an email!

Thank You for Your Service

I recently read Thank You For Your Service as a result of an interview with the Author, David Finkel.  I was so moved and literally brought to tears in the first two chapters that I needed to share it with you.  Yes, sadly, I admit, I have been one of the millions of Americans that tend to ignore the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. That doesn’t mean that  I don’t appreciate the troops, respect their bravery and honor their service, I certainly do.  I recognize that getting sent back a 3rd, 4th or 5th time to serve yet another tour of duty is beyond comprehension and more than any man or woman deserves. 

But it never hit me - I mean really hit me, until I read this book. The impact these wars have had on the 2 million men and women who have been sent in harms way, the toll they take, the innocence they lose, it is unforgivable.  Nearly 500,000 have returned with post-traumatic-stress-disorder (PTSD) an invisible disease that destroys men, woman and families. 

There is no bright light at the end of this tunnel. There won’t be until all our men and women return home and begin to heal.  A process which is so excruciating that it is difficult to imagine.  The guilt that these brave men and women live with upon returning home is unbearable.  The delays our system has created in providing support is unforgivable.   I think about what we are doing, why we are doing it and when we might stop the cycle. 

I urge you to take the time to read this book.  At a minimum, spend some time with Warrior Writers and see what some of these brave warriors have written.  Warrior Writers is an opportunity for veterans to communicate their feelings, not just for their own healing process but for us as well.  Order a book or support an author on this site to support their efforts.

If there is something you can do over the Holidays, make a contribution to one of these organizations.:

• Iraq And Afghanistan Veterans Of America Inc.
• Hugs Project 
• Veterans of Foreign Wars National Home for Children
• The Coming Home Project
  
  

Communicating With The World

Software is no longer stand alone.  The ease of connectivity, the standardization of communication methods and the requirement for just-in-time everything demands that our software allow for the sending and receiving of data to and from your customer, partner or your vendor. Much of this is done automatically behind the scenes.  There are data transfers that fire in the middle of the night. Often times data is exchanged in real time.  Sometimes decisions need to be made in the middle of the exchange.  Sometimes forms need to be completed, documents need to be parsed, PDF’s need to be created, XLS files need to be built, Invoices need to be emailed.  And it doesn’t stop there. 

We have government agencies that report valuable information like fuel costs.  Our systems retrieve current fuel costs so as to allow rating systems to properly charge for fuel usage.  Information on containers coming in the ports is automatically retrieved and logged.  Rail car movement is tracked by bar codes as they pass a signal or station.  Equipment availability is retrieved and mapped to analyze inbound and outbound transportation. Banking ACH  transactions are sent for automatic deposits.  Payments are accepted for items purchased.  Emails are automatically sent. Email messages are received and attachments are extracted and stored automatically. Interactive voice response systems provide real time information over the phone. Web forms are completed, responded to and logged.

The possibilities for communication between systems is powerful. Review how you are required to communicate with your customers, vendors and partners and consider more productive options.