Rockin' around the manger scene, have a happy holiday.

So I had this "conversation" with some family members at a Christmas party about why I don't put up Christmas decorations. They found it absurd that I don't join in and "celebrate" the "holiday" by decorating (I am going to be using a lot of quotation marks to imply sarcasm). I just don't get it......this is an American holiday tradition and it has nothing to do with the actual celebration itself. We are celebrating the birth of Jesus, our Savior. Not evergreen trees. Not strings of lights. How do these things get people in "the Christmas spirit".....whatever the heck that is. Is it feeling good about yourself? Is it the sense of accomplishment? Is it being in a different surrounding?.......like I said, I do not get it.

I would say that doing something that Jesus would do should be the thing that "gets you in the Christmas Spirit". If Jesus were around today would he be wasting time and resources on a Christmas tree?.....No!.....no way!....he would probably say that it's foolish. I would rather take the money and time that would go into the decorating and use it wisely......like give it to the poor.....or help a family that's in need......or whatever, just something other than that.

Am I being overly dramatic.....maybe a little.
Am I being a little mean.....maybe.
Am I being sarcastic.....definitely......But my point is this: I shouldn't be labeled as weird or different or a scrooge just because I don't like decorating. That's not fair to me.

An argument for another time: Why do we buy presents for ourselfs and our family's......it's not our birthday celebration. Jesus said in the Bible: Whatever you do for the poor, you do for me.....that sounds like a good birthday present to me.

Carrie's Wedding Day

Let me tell you about my day....my little sisters wedding day.

It all started with a dream that I had the night before. I dreamed that on my way to my sisters wedding I get into a terrible car accident and die, and I have to watch her ruined wedding day from a ghostly presence in the distance....weird dream.

So, in the morning I get up, I get ready, pack up and leave. I get half way to the wedding and my truck shifts to 2nd gear while I'm on the freeway all by itself and I cant do over 40 mph. The transmission is on the fritz. I get off the freeway and somehow made it to the wedding at snail speeds.

The weather has to be mentioned. It was windy and cold, normal for Michigan this time of year.......outside wedding....yep...enough said.

The wedding was great, Adam did a great job, and everything went as smoothly as possible. Then I had to ride all the way to my parents with a tow truck driver. Not to put down tow truck drivers at all. This guy was nice, but like most of the men in his profession - he was the bee's knees and he was a talker......long ride to my parents house.

Then we unpack, what was packed for the second time and go home, change clothes, then it's off to the Aleshire family ritual when all of the family is in town.....Bowling

After bowling I stop by my friends house for a millisecond, and my other friend calls me to help him with a flat tire.......that's a fiasco because the tire was rusted to the rotor.....and that brings us to 4:00am.

Whew......long day.....it was fun and great and terrible and relaxing and stressful and joyful and annoying......and I wouldn't have changed it for the world.

The Dark Knight........Rides A Yellow Schwinn?

So if you read my last post, then you know that I was recently robbed. Well, tonight I got home late and I couldn't sleep so I did what every normal person does when they can't sleep......fight crime?

Yes, armed only with an old yellow Schwinn, flash light and cellphone, I set off ......umm.....peddled into the night. I really just wanted to get out of the house and it was a nice night.....but it turned into something more. I started thinking about how the theif did it. Did he recon certain houses? Is he on foot or in a car? Is it just some kid or any actual seasoned burglar?.......I figured if he pulled this off on a semi major road, it had to be the perfect time.....3 maybe 4 a.m.......I was determined to solve the case.

I started refining my surveillance to darker streets and older vehicles that don't have automatic locks. Yes, I took the time to do this. I went up and down every street from Trenton to Ford Line and from Eureka to Dix.......not a soul in sight.

Yes, in the early morning hours on Sept 1st, 2011, the streets of Southgate were safe.........or I've just gone a bit crazy.......or maybe a bit of both, who knows.

It was a nice night though...........

A thief in the night

I'm on edge, I can't sleep, I'm paranoid. I keep looking out the window whenever I hear a noise.

Somebody has something that was mine, and that makes me so angry I'm sweating just thinking about it. I can't even conceive the idea of going into someone else's car and taking something from them, and then just getting away with it.....I would be over run with guilt.....I would see the persons house everytime I drove by, maybe even see the person whom I stole from, and I would be reminded of my evil doings on a daily basis. I'm not trying to say that I'm some perfect person, I have flaws and I sin too. I just couldn't do that.

Part of me is trying to just let this go because its just a stupid little contraption, a stupid little physical thing that probably would've broken in another handful of years anyways. But another part of me wants to go street by street and house by house tearing things apart until I find the little rat that did this.

I need to sleep.......goodnight all.

The Time of Your Life

"Maturity is the time of life when, if you had the time, you'd have the time of your life." - Unknown

6 months......it's been almost 6 months since I sat down at a computer and opened up this account to even just read other friend's blogs, which I enjoy. Let alone, write on my own blog. I've been busy.

I've finally quit my part time job....well not completely - but soon I'll be done and on my own. It's a risk, and I've finally determined that I have to take it to fully commit to making my own business work.

That quote that I put at the top is interesting to me, and it really shows how mature you really are if you apply it to your life. Everyone has always told me that I am "very mature for my age"....whatever, I make the same stupid decisions as everyone. When it comes down to business or pleasure(or sleeping in) I don't always choose business....which has to change now that it's going to be my full time job.

There are few of opportunities presenting themselves to me, and I know that it's God.....it has to be, I don't have the money for advertising. And I have a lot of ideas and plans that I'm dreaming up. I'm excited and scared, but I know that I have a higher power on my side - and that's the only thing that keeps me from going insane.

Away

Have you ever been on a vacation and the only thing that you can think about is home? I never have until today. I'm out of town at the moment, we are in Acme Michigan at the Grand Traverse Resort. There's nothing to do here except spend money on stuff, swim in the kid infested pool and some really lackluster outdoor events that we went to yesterday.

But that's the point - right? Isn't a vacation supposed to be about doing nothing? Want to know where the wife is? Doing the same thing that she does everyday. Working out. Yes she is in the resort gym. Now that's crazy, I would've went with her but I have the current viral epidemic thats going around, I can barley breathe as I write this.

Back to my main point.....I'm worried about what jobs are going on this week - I'm trying to plan ahead. I'm thinking about the snow that I will have to shovel when I get home. I'm thinking about all kinds of stuff.....I'm on vacation! So, this is my first step at relaxation, I'm browsing the internet, reading and writing this blog. I'm current reading Cash: The Auto-Biography (Johnny Cash) - It's good, OneBigHappy let me borrow it. I'm thinking that I will read a little bit and have some coffee.

Well, this has been the most humorless, pointless blog I've ever written. So I'll leave you with a short side note:

You know those dancing sign holder people, sometimes they are in a costume and they are dancing with the sign that points to the business that they want you to go to. Have you ever been driving down the street and seen one of these dancers and said to yourself, "Hey, I think I might just go get a pizza right now" or " Geez, I guess I do need my taxes done - and look I happen to have all of my tax documents with me!" - so you make an at speed turn into the place and actually buy their product? It just seems like wasted dollars on advertisement to me. They don't entice me into buying their product.

I love the ones that are totally not into it, they are on their phone texting some one and they are holding the sign under their arm. If you don't have a good work ethic when you're only job is holding a sign where people can see it - All hope is lost.

That is half of the current unemployment problem. So I say, don't cut dollars for education, increase them or at least leave them the same. The last thing that we need is less educated people.

(Vote for Hagaman 2015)

Don't take this the wrong way I actually agree with most of the changes that Gov. Snyder is making. It's just a joke.......is it really a joke if you have to explain it?

My thought for the day.

Peace.

Starbucks

Scene opens with Tom walking into a Starbucks chain coffee house. He walks up to the counter and is confusingly looking at the menu while waiting in line behind a slightly larger, balding man in a similar winter coat. The man finishes his order and then, almost as if human nature provided him with the knowledge of knowing where your recently ordered product appears before you, went to the "pickup area". This is the location at which you meet your destined drink and depart to your table of choice or exit the store, making sure to wrap your now "to go" beverage with the appropriate, free, cup sleeve. This man reaches this location as Tom walks toward the counter, still unsure of the proper drink to summons from the magical "pickup area". He pause for an acceptable amount of time before asking the clerk:

"How's the light mocha?......does it taste ok?"

The clerk, trapped in an awkwardly long pause, only responds with noises that insinuate that he in fact does not know the answer to the question.

Tom then interrupts the "caveman noises" coming from the clerk and says:

"What's good?....In your opinion."

The clerks attitude changes, as if his human body was just encompassed by an alternate spirit. He quickly says:

"Do you want my opinion? Or Starbuck's opinion?"

Tom pauses for a very brief second, and in this second he has determined and judged this clerks character. He has concluded that he has no desire to be in the current establishment and that his opinion may be, if not accurate, then at least somewhat amusing. So he decides to hear the clerk out. He says:

"Well...your opinion."

The clerk quickly, as if he already knew what Tom's response would be, says:

"I don't drink anything on this menu."

Tom, being somewhat amused by the clerks comment and failure to contain any loyalties to his current employer, chuckles under his breathe and says:

"Ok then, should I go to another coffee shop?"

The clerk says:

"Sure, if you want to."

Tom, kind of blown away with the last "cherry-on-top" comment, thinks to himself: "I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for this stupid gift card". Then Tom, as if he has just been defeated in an arm wrestling match, says:

"Just give me a Cafe' Mocha...Thanks"

".....for nothing" are the next words that Tom mutters in his head.

The clerk continues to ring up the order and then moves to the bar area to Tom's left and begins talking to what appears to be a regular in this self proclaimed crappy coffee house.

Tom then instinctively moves to the magical "pickup area" and awaits his settled upon beverage. Then prepares the cup in it's "to go" garb and carries it to his vehicle. The entire journey to his car he thinks of a witty way of writing about this on his blog....but comes up blank.

Order# 15614

Happy Saturday Everyone,

For some reason I love releasing my customer service debacles on this blog. I hope that its not boring for the 13 readers that I have.

I own a business and I strive for 100% customer satisfaction - It's not an option for a good business, it's a requirement. It makes me so angry when companies that you feed your money to wont give you the time of day - or they are rude - or they just don't care. It's insanity.

This is my latest fight: I ordered four HP 92 ink cartridges - I received four HP 94 cartridges. All that I want is the correct order.....not too hard right. But this company that I order from (at least once a week, sometimes more) doesn't have a phone number (I know, rediculous right?) so they will only communicate via email. Stupid, that's what that is. Well they just wont respond to me, and in the mean time, it makes me look bad because my clients are waiting.

Here's the thread:

On Fri, Jan 21, 2011 at 11:13 AM, Thomas Hagaman wrote:

Hi - I ordered four HP #92 and I received four HP #94. Are they the same cartridge?

Thanks for your time.

- Tom Hagaman

_______________________________________________________

On Fri, Jan 21, 2011 at 7:25 PM, Thomas Hagaman wrote:

Hi,

I emailed you about this order at 11:13am this morning - I have a client waiting on this order and if its wrong, I need the correct order ASAP. I ordered four HP 92 and received four HP 94.

Thanks

- Tom Hagaman

___________________________________________________

On Sat, Jan 22, 2011 at 1:42 PM, Thomas Hagaman wrote:

Good Afternoon,

I have done some research on my own and found that these cartridges are not the same and cannot be used in my clients printer. I would like the correct cartridges sent to me as quickly as possible.

I use your site almost exclusively for ink purchases, but with this lack of quick response to your clients I am considering going with one of your more expensive competitors because they will respond to emails in a timely fashion and they have a phone number.

If your only means of communication is going to be email then you need to respond to it quickly. Within a few hours would be acceptable, thats not a ridiculous request - that's good business. I respond to my clients, via email, within an hour - in this age of technology thats not very hard.

Please let me know that this matter is going to be handled.

Tom Hagaman

Am I being too hard on them? - I mean if you called a company on Friday morning and left them a message wouldn't you expect that they would call you back that day?

What do you think?

The Flip

Just because I love bashing companies that screw over the consumers....Here's the latest Tom vs. The World:

I got a Flip Ultra HD for Christmas.........Christmas 2009. Well it's not working right all of a sudden, and wouldn't you know it - just weeks after the warranty expired. Awesome.

Here's the online chat (for those of you who have nothing better to do)

Lindy Pres S. (29971) has joined this session.

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
Hi, I have a Flip UltraHD and the battery died while I was filming - when I recharged it the video that I was filming is not there and the amount of time that the video was is missing.....if that makes sense.

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
I have deleted everything off of the device and it only has 1hr 02 min left - which is way less than it used to have.... Can I reset the device to factory defaults somehow?

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
So, your concern is to regain full record time of the camcorder, right?

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
yes

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
Alright.

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
Let me help you with this one.

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
By the way, is this your first time to contact us regarding this device or question?

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
yes it is

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
Thanks. May I know what State or Country you're from?

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
Michigan, United States

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
Kindly look underneath the device, look for the model number and the possible version. Also, include the serial number.

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
Flip UltraHD (2nd Generation) Model: U2120B

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
Serial: MB0921805990

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
Thanks for that.

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
What operating system or version of Windows is used on this computer?

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
Windows Vista

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
Service pack 1

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
Thanks.

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
I would like to give you a link that gives you the steps on how to fix this problem.

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
Is that alright with you?

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
ok

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
yes

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
Here is the link:http://www6.nohold.net/CiscoFlip/ukp.aspx?vw=1&docid=56112267de184b20a70ff485759361
d2_KB20625_EN_v1.xml&pid=4&respid=0&snid=1&
dispid=0&cpage=search

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
I have already tried that

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
it didn't fix the issue

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
Okay.

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
Are you willing to delete the contents of the camcorder?

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
I have already deleted everything

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
so yes

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
Okay.

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
Please plug it into your computer.

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
ok - done

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
Now, click on Computer and look for the Flip drive.

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
Please delete everything inside the Flip drive.

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
ok

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
thats done

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
Now, unplug the camcorder and check the record time.

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
now it says 1hr 03min

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
gained 1 min

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
it used to be almost 2 hrs

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
I plugged it back in and it said that it needed to update the camera software and it started installing it automatically

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
after that ...it now says 1hr 02min again

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
Have you powered it on and off 8 times alternately?

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
yes

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
If that is so, then the device may already be defective.

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
When did you purchase the device>

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
just a little bit over a year

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
Do you still have the receipt of the device?

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
I probably do, I don't know where it is at the moment

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
Because the device may already be defective.

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
ok, but I thought that it only has a 1 year warranty

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
Yes, based on your serial number, it is already out of warranty.

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
so there's nothing that you can do?

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
If you still have the receipt showing it is not more than a year old, we can have it replaced.

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
I just told you that it's over a year old - but just barley

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
which is usually when devices stop working - about the minute that they are out of warranty

from Lindy Pres S. (29971) to All Participants:
We have actually tried all the possible solutions.

from Thomas Hagaman to All Participants:
yes - I understand. I'm the one stuck with a faulty device that's out of warranty. Here's a solution: make a better product.