Category: General

The other night, we watched the lighting of the "Holiday" tree at Rockefeller Center in New York.  It's an annual tradition at our house.  We listen to the different performers give their sometimes great, sometimes not-so-great renditions of "Holiday" songs and we wait for the lighting of the tree.

This year, I felt bad for Al Roker as he had to (with a straight face, mind you) explain that it is a "green" "Holiday" tree this year.  He explained that it was an 84-foot-tall Norway spruce that was nearing the end of its life.  It was lit this year with 30,000 LEDs instead of light bulbs, that they had installed solar panels on the roof of Rockefeller Center, and that it was even cut down with a hand saw to save on carbon emissions.

Give me a break!  It's not a Holiday tree, it's a CHRISTMAS tree.  It might have been cut with a hand saw, but it was probably being held up by a 100-foot-tall diesel-powered crane at the time.  It was driven from Connecticut to Rockefeller Center on a diesel-powered truck, and was lifted into place by another exhaust-belching crane.

Pretty soon, it won't be at all acceptable to cut down a Christmas tree at all, even if it was a tree grown in a nursery for the express purpose of being harvested and placed in someone's living room to create a seasonal fire hazard.

MY tree is a Christmas tree and it, too, is green.  It was made from petroleum and steel in what I am sure was a very industrial process and it NEVER ONCE was alive to remove any carbon from the atmosphere.

Take THAT, you politically correct holiday wreckers!  And Merry Christmas!

When I woke up on Thursday morning to fly home from Washington DC, I was excited actually.  I was tired out from all of the walking and learning and singing and the many other things I had done in my few days in the DC area.  It just felt like it was time to go home.

I woke up plenty early to catch my flight, took a quick shower, packed the last few items, and checked out of my hotel room.  The hotel where I stayed has a Delta e-check-in computer at the front desk, so I decided to check in and save a step at the airport.  But for some strange reason, it wouldn't let me check in.

When I got to the airport, I decided to try to save time again by checking in at the self-check-in kiosk.  I swiped my SkyMiles card and the stupid kiosk told me that it couldn't find any flights for me.  What the??

I went to the nice lady at the check-in counter and gave her my SkyMiles card.  She swiped it, and SHE couldn't check me in.  WHAT THE??

It took her about 2 minutes of trying to figure things out before she looked at the travel date on my itinerary.  It wasn't until Thursday, 6 DECEMBER.  WHAT THE????

That's when I realized that I had probably clicked the wrong thing in the online booking tool when I originally made my reservations.  I had clicked one month too low in the drop-down list box and then had simply selected the first Thursday of the month for my return flight.  I wasn't scheduled to fly home for almost a month!  BIG oops!

The extremely nice lady at the check-in counter then went to work to find a way for me to get home.  The next flight to Atlanta was full, but the flight after that would still get me home before 4:00 that afternoon.  I would have to HURRY back from the airport to teach my class at UVSC that evening, but I would still make it.  The lady was even nice enough to save me some money.  She could switch my ticket directly to the flight I wanted to be on for a change fee of over $350, since there were no "cheap" seats left on that flight.  Instead, she switched me to a later flight that still had cheap seats for a change fee of $75 and then she switched me to the earlier flight for a change fee of $50 since I had a same-day confirmed flight.  My stupidity had cost my company $125, but that's a heckuvalot cheaper than staying in hotels and paying for meals for A MONTH.

During my layover in Atlanta, they changed the gate (and concourse, might I add) of my departing flight, but I made it back to Salt Lake, and the plane even landed early!

I picked up my baggage (some of the FIRST off the plane!) and ran right out and got on a bus to the FIRST stop in long-term parking.  I breezed out of the parking lot and headed south to Utah Valley...

...

...not knowing that there was a BYU football game starting in a couple of hours at Lavell Edwards Stadium.

I ended up being a half hour late for my class because of that stoopid traffic.  I was able to call someone in the UVSC math lab who said they would tell my class that I was on my way.  Apparently, they never did, because when I showed up, there were only three students left.  Thanks a lot, Math Lab Guy.

After class, I was finally able to go HOME.  I was VERY thankful just to be home again.

I'm in the middle of a problem with T-Mobile. Sometimes, I receive text messages (or phone calls) from wrong numbers. Sometimes, I've given my cellular phone number to friends or acquaintances or students or cast members that text me instead of calling me and I have to tell them that I don't have text messaging on my calling plan and that each text message costs me 15 cents. They don't text me any more, but it's still an annoyance that I was charged 15 cents for something that I didn't request and that I have absolutely no control over.

I called T-Mobile Customer Care last week and argued with a person I couldn't understand (he needed to speak more slowly and enunciate) and this person's supervisor. The bottom line was that it's "not currently possible" for T-Mobile to block text messages from my account. I sent an email to T-Mobile's customer care explaining how this was not acceptable to me and received the following response:

Dear DeShawn Smith,

Hi DeShawn, my name is ***** and thank you for contacting T-Mobile and giving me the chance to help you today. I see you emailed online customer care about blocking text messages. I know how frustrating it is to receive unwanted messages, I am sorry that you are considering cancelling your service because of this safety feature.

Regrettably, DeShawn we cannot block text messages as this is our primary way of providing you with updates, passwords and reminders; you will not be charged for any text messages sent from T-Mobile. This is done for your security to ensure that you are notified of any account changes to help protect against unauthorized changes. I am sure you would be unhappy if someone made changes to your plan without your permission and we never notified you.

It is not possible to adjust any text messaging charges DeShawn, I am sorry you were not aware of this before. Please alert the police if you are being harassed for that would be a legal matter.

DeShawn if you cancel before your contract end date there would be a $200.00 Early Termination Fee for a $400 total. If you still want to terminate your service your request must be done over the phone as we are not able to do so via email. I regret I am unable to fulfill your request today. We value your business and our customer care team is on hand seven days a week to discuss your service.

If you have any new questions DeShawn, please reply referencing case # #######. You can call business care toll free at 1-800-375-1126 or 611 then SEND from your phone and we will be happy to help you. Thank you DeShawn, for being a valued T-Mobile customer since September of 2006.

Sincerely,
******* *. Rep ID ########
Customer Care Specialist
T-Mobile USA

Yes, that email was completely useless. It didn't give me any information that I didn't already have. I was relieved that he didn't cancel my contract (I hadn't requested that my contract be canceled, just that I wasn't going to continue after my contract lapsed), but I wasn't given a satisfactory reason for the lack of ability to block text messages. So this morning, I sent this response back to customer care:

Case # #######

Thank you, *****.

What you are telling me makes absolutely no sense from a logical standpoint. My previous cellular phone service blocked all text messages, yet still sent me text messages about updates, passwords, and reminders and did not charge me for the text messages. Another previous cellular phone service did not charge me for the first dozen (or so?) text messages I received each month, realizing that I was probably receiving text messages meant for another number or that sometimes, inconsiderate people would send me text messages even though I had specifically asked them NOT to do so. If the first option is not available, why would the second option not be available? It's really not a difficult thing.

I never requested that my contract be canceled before the contract end date, so I'm certainly glad you were unable to fulfill what was incorrectly perceived to be a request.

As a software engineer and Certified Information Systems Security Practitioner, (https://www.isc2.org/cgi-bin/content.cgi?category=97) I am constantly concerned with the security of software. I am always looking for the latest exploits and attacks and how they could be used to compromise the security of the software that I write. I know how easy it would be for a hacker to write a simple script that could send a flood of hundreds, or even thousands of text messages to a phone number (via a service such as Yahoo! Instant Messenger) that would each appear to come from a different number, therefore making the "feature" of blocking single numbers useless against such an "attack." Someone would need only my cellular phone number to write such a script and cause hundreds of dollars worth of charges to appear on my account without my consent. From a security perspective, not allowing a customer to block text messages not originating from T-Mobile is a potential nightmare.*

I know that you are a customer care specialist and that your job is to handle jerks like me who call/email and complain about things that you have absolutely no control over. Is there someone else that I could contact in a product management or marketing type role (i.e. NOT customer care) that would be able to discuss this situation with me?

I'm happy to have been a valued T-Mobile customer since September, 2006. I can assure you that I will continue to be a valued T-Mobile customer until September, 2008 when my current contract expires. Unless something is done to make me a HAPPY T-Mobile customer before September, 2008, I will opt against renewing my contract.

Thank you,

DeShawn Smith

*Please do not misconstrue this hypothetical situation as a threat of any kind. As a Certified Information Systems Security Practitioner, I am bound by a code of ethics that would preclude me from any such illegal or unethical behavior.

We'll see what they have to say. I doubt they'll ever give me the contact information for anyone who can actually make any kind of decision. If anyone reading this has T-Mobile and wants to invite me to send them 10,000 text messages within a 24-hour period as a proof of concept, it would be a fun exercise to try. If you invited me to write a script that would send you 10,000 text messages, it would be neither illegal nor unethical behavior to do so. Of course, don't do such a thing unless you have unlimited text messaging as part of your rate plan.

One opportunity I just couldn't pass up while in the Washington DC area was the chance to sing with the Alexandria Harmonizers.

My first big Barbershop event was the 1998 International convention in Atlanta, Georgia.  I was singing with the Saltaires Show Chorus, the Wasatch Front chapter of what was then called the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America, Inc.  (S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A), now the Barbershop Harmony Society.  The Alexandria Harmonizers won the chorus competition that year.   My chorus came in 9th.

I became quite active in Barbershop singing.  I sang with the Saltaires for almost 3 years, I tried many times to get my own quartet together (with varying levels of success), and at one point, I even directed the Utah Valley Skyline Chorus, the Utah Valley Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society.

When I found out that my hotel was only a couple of metro stops away from where the Alexandria Harmonizers rehearse, I decided to stop in for a Tuesday evening rehearsal.

It was a lot of fun.  I had almost forgotten what it was like to sing with a large group.  I had almost forgotten how much I love and appreciate good harmony.

They were very welcoming.  They even gave me a "I Sang With the Alexandria Harmonizers" button and sent a postcard to me to thank me for coming and singing with them.  A very class act!

I received the following (unedited for your enjoyment) email a few minutes ago:

We are at search and selection of both experienced, highly qualified employees, and young, creative and perspective specialists in marketing. We clearly realize that the success of our company  are our employees, and therefore creation for them of maximally favorable conditions to maintain and improve their professional level is in our opinion not less important task.
We appreciate such merits of employees as initiative, leadership, ability to work with people, striving for self-improvement. Employees with such merits have an excellent opportunity to make successful career at us.
If you wish to work in our team, if you are ready to active and dynamic work, we invite you to acquaint yourself with vacancy.
The preference is given to employees with knowledge of foreign languages.
To apply for this job, please send the following information to <email address redacted>

1 Full name
2 Address of residing
3 Contact Phone numbers
4 Languages
5 Part time job/Full time

Thank you and we are looking forward to cooperate in long term base with you all.

Wow.  Too bad I'm happily employed.  This one is almost too good to pass up.

Almost.

I visited two very large church buildings while in the Washington DC Area. Both were amazing in their own way.

I first visited the Washington DC LDS temple. It's a strikingly beautiful building. I heard people talk about what it looks like from the beltway at night, but until you see it, it's really beyond description. A few years ago, while heading to Legoland with my family, I drove around a bend in the freeway and saw the San Diego temple with its white stone and shining spires, and it was certainly an awe-inspiring sight, but it pales in comparison to the sight of Washington DC temple as seen from the beltway. It really seems to be hovering in the air over the road. It's truly amazing.

Inside, it's a beautiful temple as well. It's a bit dated in its colors and fabrics, but it's beautiful nonetheless. The cut glass windows extending from bottom to top along both sides of the temple are amazing. It's a little different from other LDS temples in that it doesn't have a chapel where you go to wait for the start of a temple session. Instead, people meet outside the dressing rooms, and then proceed directly upstairs where a brass sign with lights shows you which room to go to for the next endowment session. Most temples have seats on either side of a central aisle, but the Washington DC Temple has uninterrupted rows of seats.

Despite its differences, the spirit I felt there is the same as that I've felt in other temples. The same spirit of calm and peace prevails. I'm truly glad I took time out of my busy sightseeing schedule to attend the temple in the DC area.

Adjacent to the temple is a visitors center. They had an exhibit about the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It was fun to see some things and learn about the choir. It was also neat to remember some of the roots of my own testimony of the restored Gospel--roots tied in part to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

The other "large church" that I visited was the National Cathedral. It was amazing in its own way. I love stained glass, and because of that, the National Cathedral was a treat for me. I took lots and lots of pictures of stained glass. My favorite window turned out to have a piece of moon rock in it.

An additional treat was provided by a small choir that was rehearsing before the afternoon mass. The choir was made up of about 10 children and a dozen adults. Together, they filled the cathedral with heavenly sound. It was amazing to look into the children's faces as they sang. One of the children--the only girl--mesmerized me as I could see how much she was enjoying and feeling the music she was singing.

After leaving, I circled the cathedral looking for the "Darth Vader" gargoyle on the outside, but not knowing where it was, I never did find it...which was sad, since I was wearing a Darth Vader tie that day.

Hello. I'm DeShawn, and I'm an addict.

It all started when I was very young. At first, it was a drinking problem. I seemed to want nothing but the bottle. I then moved on to soft foods like oatmeal and strained peas. But my troubles were only beginning. These were only gateway foods that led to harder foods like uncooked vegetables, casseroles, and breads. Pretty soon, I was dabbling in more exotic foods like cookies, cakes, candy, and soda. Before I knew it, I was eating steak and lobster and chasing it with cheesecake.

I know that I'm addicted, because if I go without food, I get all of the classic withdrawal symptoms. If I go without food for prolonged periods, I become irritable and anxious. I start to have uncontrollable cravings and can even feel depressed. I get weak and shaky. These symptoms become progressively worse until I finally cave in and sometimes end up binging until I feel that comfortable, full feeling inside.

It gets worse around the holidays. I find that I'm not always satisfied by regular foods and drinks and I find myself indulging in hardcore foods like turkey dinners and Honeybaked hams. I find that I'm surrounded by temptations: Candy canes, chips and dip, chocolate, divinity, nut brittle--I can only hold out for so long before I find myself satisfying my cravings. I find that I spend a good portion of my income on food. I've surrounded myself with people that also seem to not be able to go for more than a few hours without food--more classic signs of addiction.

I've only been off of food since this morning and already I'm starting to feel that telltale emptiness inside that will only continue to grow and grow, gnawing away at me until I eat something. Is there any hope? Is there a 12-step program or a patch or counseling that will rid me of this food problem?

This is my story. I'm DeShawn, and I'm an addict.

The National Mall is Museum Central. Just the Smithsonian alone has the American History Museum, the Natural History Museum, Arts and Industries Museum, the Hirshhorn Museum (with the famous Goose Statue just behind *snicker*), the American Indian Museum, the Air and Space Museum, the Stackler Gallery, the African Arts Museum, the Freer Gallery, the Remwick Gallery, the Postal Museum, and the Reynolds Center American Art Museum and Portrait Gallery, all within a mile of the National Mall. And don't forget the Smithsonian Castle, which is no longer a museum, but an information center.

The first museum I saw in Washington DC was the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. I felt like a kid in a candy store. In the entry way alone were various space capsules from the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo eras and the Spirit of St. Louis. Old planes, new planes, neat space stuff... I was amazed.

Among the best things in the Air and Space museum was the Wright Brothers' plane. No, not a replica. THE Wright Brothers' plane. It has been recently re-covered with new canvas, but other than that, it's the actual plane that made history. Wow.

Another section looked like an aircraft carrier. Film loops on large screens made you feel like you were at sea, just without all of the motion sickness.

The American History Museum is closed for renovation, so they brought some things from there to the Air and Space Museum as part of a temporary exhibit called "National Treasures." I was elated to see Kermit the Frog near the beginning of the exhibit. Each thing I looked at made me oooh and aaah as I saw the Eniac, Ray Charles' coat, George Washington's military uniform, Marilyn Monroe's gloves, C3P0 and R2D2, Louis Armstrong's trumpet, a sunstone from the Nauvoo LDS temple, Glen Miller's piano, and the famous signpost from the television show M*A*S*H.

The Air and Space was the one museum I visited twice. I just couldn't get enough of that place. Tonight, they open an exhibit they were working on. The exhibit is all about commercial aviation.

I also visited the Natural History Museum. The mammals exhibit was very cool--LOTS and LOTS of stuffed mammals of all shapes and sizes. The geology area was definitely my favorite part. I can say that I've seen the Hope Diamond, though it was less than I had hoped it would be.

The National Archives was another great place to visit. The reverence and awe I felt as I saw the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights really can't be put into words. Those documents are the foundation of the country I call home. They may not be perfect, but I believe that divine inspiration led to their creation.

Another awe-inspiring museum is the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Ever since I served in The Netherlands and Belgium and regularly met people with tattoos on their forearms that had survived the holocaust, I've been fascinated by it. The permanent exhibition at this museum is amazing. It follows the plight of the Jews through the rise and fall of the Nazi party. The artifacts include a path paved with cobblestones from the Warsaw Ghetto, a rail car that carried Jews to one of the many camps, a room full of shoes taken from Jewish prisoners... Each time I really reflect on what happened in the Nazi so-called "Final Solution," I'm staggered by the complete disregard for human life and dignity.

The hall of remembrance in the Holocaust Memorial Museum is a beautiful place with candles lit below the names of the many concentration camps and a flame on a granite block containing earth removed from each concentration camp, taken from where crematory ash was discarded. This was one of my favorite places in all of Washington DC.

Other neat places that deserve mention:

I had to see the US Capitol building. I took pictures of it at night as well as right at sunset one evening. The light was perfect, and I got some postcard-worthy shots. I might even make one picture into a puzzle. Yes, I know! I know! I'm planning on posting the pictures on Flickr eventually!

A less-well-known place on Capitol Hill is The Grotto. It's the only somewhat natural place left in the area. It appears to be a place where natural springs bubble up through the ground, or at least, they did at one time. It's a small green, untamed piece of land in an otherwise meticulously planned and landscaped area.

Union Station was a good place to have dinner. The arched roof seems SO high. I estimated it at about 50 feet. It's actually almost double that at 96 feet tall. The panels in the ceiling are gilt with 70 lbs of gold! It's unbelievable that they created such an amazing building way back in 1908.

The same lady that gave us this wonderful blooper said something else quite funny this morning.

The topic, I know, is not funny. An assistant hockey coach at UVSC apparently was in the wrong place at the wrong time yesterday morning. He was shot in front of the Village Inn at 106th South in Sandy yesterday.

This morning, the lady on the radio, in dramatic fashion, said "The man FATALLY DIED."

I know I say stupid things all the time. Fortunately, those stupid things aren't sent out on the airwaves with 5000 watts of power behind them. That's one of the reasons I'm not on the radio, though I do have a face for radio...

The National Mall is all about monuments and memorials. Oh yeah, and museums. But that's another post.

I visited:

Albert Einstein Memorial - What's not to like about Albert Einstein? What's not to like about a bronze statue of Albert Einstein that is more that 3 times life size? The papers on his lap contain three equations: The photoelectric effect, the theory of general relativity, and the equivalence of energy and matter. One of my very favorite Einstein quotes is inscribed here:

The right to search for truth implies also a duty; one must not conceal any part of what one has recognized to be true.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial - The massive granite wall inscribed with 58,256 names of those that died or are still listed as missing in Vietnam. Interestingly, the confirmed dead have a diamond next to their name and the missing have a cross. If a missing person is later confirmed dead, a diamond is superimposed on the cross. If the missing return alive, the cross is to be circumscribed by a circle, but this has not yet happened. It's staggering to see so many names. Here, I spoke with two veterans volunteering at the site who know men whose names appear on the wall. I thanked them for their service. I'm also thankful that I never had to live through a time of war where I could be drafted into the military. I pray that my sons will never know such a time, though I fear that they may. I visited two nearby statues, The Three Soldiers and the Women's Memorial are also a part of this memorial.

Lincoln Memorial - It looks a lot smaller on the back of a penny! This incredibly white and very large memorial is best seen at night. Inside the memorial, above the statue of Abraham Lincoln are the words:

IN THIS TEMPLE
AS IN THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE
FOR WHOM HE SAVED THE UNION
THE MEMORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
IS ENSHRINED FOREVER

In addition, the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural Address are found in galleries to the left and right of the Abraham Lincoln statue.

Korean War Veterans Memorial - This one is spooky at night! A set of statues depicts a squad on patrol dressed in full combat gear. The wall next to the statues has pictures of soldiers, equipment, and people involved in the Korean War sandblasted into it. A low wall nearby lists the nations involved in the Korean War and a pool nearby has casualty statistics inscribed in granite blocks. Among the UN nations involved, there were almost 680,000 killed and almost 1.8 million injured in this war, with almost 100,000 captured and nearly a half million missing. This brings home the message in silver on the adjoining black granite wall: Freedom Is Not Free."

National World War II Memorial - This was likely my favorite memorial. I visited it late at night, during the day, and at dusk. It's a newer memorial, having only been dedicated in 2004. The Freedom Wall section of the memorial has 4048 gold stars, each representing about 100 Americans who died in World War II. 56 pillars represent each US State and Territory whose people were involved in the war. On one side, an entrance is dedicated to the Atlantic theater and on the other side, an entrance is dedicated to the Pacific theater of the war. It's a striking memorial, decorated with wreaths, bas relief sculptures, notable quotes from notable World War II figures, and lots and lots of water. Near the Washington Monument, a granite block is inscribed with the words:

HERE IN THE PRESENCE OF WASHINGTON AND LINCOLN. ONE THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY FATHER AND THE OTHER THE NINETEENTH CENTURY PRESERVER OF OUR NATION, WE HONOR THOSE TWENTIETH CENTURY AMERICANS WHO TOOK UP THE STRUGGLE DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR AND MADE THE SACRIFICES TO PERPETUATE THE GIFT OF OUR FOREFATHERS ENTRUSTED TO US: A NATION CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.

Toward the reflecting pool to the south, on either side, an engraving of Kilroy can be found! Kilroy was here!

Washington Monument - It's 555 feet tall, but looks much taller! It's really unbelievable when seen in person. I didn't know that it was started BEFORE the Civil War. It's been there for a long, long time. When it was finished in 1884, it was the tallest structure in the world and remained so until the Eiffel Tower was completed. Just walking around the National Mall, the Washington Monument draws your eyes toward it from any direction. It was also the first part of Washington, DC that I saw...as I flew into Reagan National Airport. Maybe next time, I'll make it up to the observation level.

Thomas Jefferson Memorial - If he weren't already larger than life in my mind, the bronze statue of Jefferson inside this memorial would have made him that way. The best parts of this memorial, to me, were the various inscriptions in the statue chamber of the memorial including two of my favorites:

I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.

We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, that to secure these rights governments are instituted among men.

George Mason Memorial - This one is smaller and a little off the beaten path. He withheld his signature from the United States Constitution because it did not abolish slavery.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial - This one goes on and on and on and on. There are four large outdoor areas, one for each of his terms in office. Five water areas depict the crash of the economy that led to the Great Depression, The Tennessee Valley Authority dam-building project, World War II, Roosevelt's death, and a retrospective of Roosevelt's presidency. Amazing sculptures and quotes are scattered throughout the memorial.

District of Columbia War Memorial - Another smaller memorial near the reflecting pool between the Lincoln Memorial and the World War II Memorial honors the citizens of the District of Columbia that served in The Great War.

Wow... I think that's the list. I didn't have my camera at some of the memorials, so I'm sure I'll remember some better than others. Many of the memorials MUST be seen at night for the best effect, especially the Korean War memorial. It was fun to see many of them at different times of day.

It made me wonder what it would be like to come around a corner and see a huge statue of yourself. Not that it actually happened to any of the people depicted in statues in the memorials, but I'm sure it would be unsettling.

It also made me appreciate the many who died in securing liberty for me.