“A Different Christmas Poem”

I dedicate this poem to all the men and women of the US Military that are not able to be home with their family this Christmas season!

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
 I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
 My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
 My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
 Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
 Transforming the yard to a winter delight. 
 The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
 Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
 My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
 Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
 In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
 So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn’t loud, and it wasn’t too near,
 But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
 Perhaps just a cough, I didn’t quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
 My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
 And I crept to the door just to see who was near. 
 Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
 A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
 A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
 Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
 Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
 Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child. 
 ”What are you doing?” I asked without fear,
 ”Come in this moment, it’s freezing out here!
 Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
 You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!”
 For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
 Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire’s light
 Then he sighed and he said “Its really all right,
 I’m out here by choice. I’m here every night.”
 ”It’s my duty to stand at the front of the line,
 That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
 I’m proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
 My Gramps died at ‘ Pearl on a day in December,”
 Then he sighed, “That’s a Christmas ‘Gram always remembers.”
 My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ‘ Nam ‘,
 And now it is my turn and so, here I am. 
 I’ve not seen my own son in more than a while,
 But my wife sends me pictures, he’s sure got her smile.
 Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
 The red, white, and blue… an American flag.
 I can live through the cold and the being alone,
 Away from my family, my house and my home. 
 I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
 I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
 I can carry the weight of killing another,
 Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
 Who stand at the front against any and all,
 To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.” 
 ”  So go back inside,” he said, “harbor no fright,
 Your family is waiting and I’ll be all right.”
 ”But isn’t there something I can do, at the least,
 ”Give you money,” I asked, “or prepare you a feast?
 It seems all too little for all that you’ve done,
 For being away from your wife and your son.” 
 Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
 ”Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
 To fight for our rights back at home while we’re gone,
 To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
 For when we come home, either standing or dead,
 To know you remember we fought and we bled.
 Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
 That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.”

The need for better customer service.

I went to Bestbuy in Chesapeake Square last night to look at an iPhone charging base. The Bestbuy website said the store had them in stock and they were about $15 cheaper than the Apple store.

I get to the store and search for the stand and I can’t find it. I enlist the help of one of their employees. She checked the website and found the sku, then checked their inventory. Their system said the store had 5.

Searched out on the floor and couldn’t find it. She went in the back stockroom and said that she could not find it. I guess it could be possible the items were stolen or a database error. Maybe.

Only suggestion I got was go to bestbuy.com and order it. Why should I? Your store computers and the web say you have them in stock.

Maybe the clerk did try her best to look for it but I doubt she tried very hard. In fact, they were not believing me at first when I told them they were suppose to be carrying it.

When I deal with someone in public and I can tell they have gone out of their way to make me a satisfied customer I will continue to deal with that person. When I can tell that I am an interruption into their otherwise boring existance behind the sales counter, I don’t go back.

I usually find this store is lacking in customer service or inventory to begin with. I like the store at Greenbrier much better. In fact I had a very good customer service experience this week there when I exchanged my TV I purchased. I called one store and was told they could not put my name on one to hold until I could get there. Mike, the manager of the Greenbrier store, told me he would do so and I was able to make my exchange with no problem.

There are people out there trying to give good customer service. They are just buried under all the bad apples.

TV problem solved

After doing some online research I discovered there is a thing called backlight leakage with LCD tv’s. That appears what I was witnessing on my set.

So I exchanged it for another set this evening. I’m glad I did. Perfect picture!

HDTV question

The TV I purchased this weekend is the LG 32LH30. I am noticing when I switch input sources and before I turn on the external device that the upper and lower right corners appear brighter than the rest of the screen.

Is this normal on some sets or should I swap the set out?

When I am viewing TV, PS3, etc the picture looks great. Just noticing this when screen is blank with no video source.

I can’t get Best Buy on phone today I guess Manic Monday is going on. I am going to go by a store on the way home and look at their display to see if I notice the same thing tonight.

I am new to LCD HDTV technology so any info is greatly appreciated.

State-wide smoking ban Dec 1st

First off. Let me say I know smoking is a bad habit. I also understand that there are people who don’t like being around it.

I’m a smoker. I have quit before. Picked it back up, getting ready to quit again soon. No smoking in new car is helping a lot with the goal. I’ve never been a “militant” smoker, someone that has to light up no matter where I am at.

I just wanted to state my objection to the following has nothing to do with the pros and cons of smoking. It has to do with our lazy, cowardly society as a whole.

December 1st starts the statewide smoking ban in Virginia in restaurants and bars in the commonwealth.

I’m sure we are going to have cheers and applause when this goes into effect.

All of the cheering section is nothing but a bunch of cowards.

Cowards for not stating to an establishment I do not like smoking and will no longer come here with smoke. No, they couldn’t do that. They had to hide behind politicians to have a law passed to state a legal product cannot be consumed in public. You even have some community governments going so far as to tell citizens they cannot smoke in their own homes. I am sure if more of these people had spoken up the business owners would listen if they believe it’s in their best interests to do so.

I do find it interesting that the goverment get tax revenue from said product. However, once you purchase the product you can’t use it anywhere unless you are in the woods?

It is getting so easy for more and more government regulations of our daily life. So easy, in fact, that one day when all personal choices are regulated and controlled, I wonder if anyone will miss the freedom of choice?

I went to a bar this weekend. Terrible watered down drinks, and someone named Jim that thought he could sing. I left after my ears couldn’t take no more. Let’s have the government state how drinks are to be made and who can sing karoke music.

A couple of local establishments are looking at creating smoking sections in their restaurants that are closed off completly to keep their smoking customers. That can be a good thing.

Maybe that’s what some business’ should have done already.

What’s next that we want the government to regulate? Bathing and grooming?

Next the goverment will tout how they are saving lives from 2nd hand smoke while at the same time the other hand is collecting taxes off this evil, disgusting product.

What hypocrisy. If this is such a bad product and so dangerous why not outright ban it and stop taking tax revenue from it?

I seem to recall from history the government outlawed alcohol. Did nothing more but help establish the underground and mafia.

When I do quit again which I hope is before the end of December, I am sure I will enjoy not smelling the smoke. I remember the last time I quit I smelled it 20 yards away on people. It will be nice to be away from it then.

I just do not agree with how the freedom of smoke was brought about.

So when you are cheering about the goverent disinfranchising one segment of society just remember: you might be next.