Dave Potokar Cleveland Creative Designer Blog

Twas The Night Before Christmas

'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
THEY LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT,"

This poem was written by a Marine stationed in Okinawa Japan. The following is his request.

PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities.

Filling My Gas Tank

Just wanted to share with you, a picture of my piggy bank after putting gas in my car the other day!

Surviving the 1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING ! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms...WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them! Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment.

Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law! This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good. and while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were. Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!

Raising Boys...

The following came from an anonymous Mother in Austin, Texas...

Things I've learned from my boys (honest and not kidding)

1.) A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq. ft. house 4 inches deep.

2.) If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they can ignite.

3.) A 3-year-old boys voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant.

4.) If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42 pound boy wearing batman underwear and a superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can, to spread paint on all four walls of a 20 X 20 ft. room.

5.) You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on. When using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way.

6.) The glass in windows (even double-pane) doesn't stop a baseball hit by a ceiling fan.

7.) When you hear the toilet flush and the words "uh oh", it's already too late.

8.) Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke, and lots of it.

9.) A six-year old boy can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 36 year-old man says they can only do it in the movies.

10.) Certain Legos will pass through the digestive tract of a 4 year old boy.

11.) Play dough and microwave should not be used in the same sentence.

12.) Super glue is forever!!!

13.) No matter how much Jell-o You put in a swimming pool you still can't walk on water.

14.) Pool filters do not like jell-o.

15.) VCR's do not eject "P, B &J" sandwiches even though TV commercials show they do.

16.) Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.

17.) Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.

18.) You probably DO NOT want to know what that odor is.

19.) Always look in the oven before you turn it on; plastic toys do not like ovens.

20.) The fire department in Austin, TX has a 5-minute response time.

21.) The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy.

22.) It will, however, make cats dizzy.

23.) Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.

24.) 80% of Men who read this will try mixing the clorox and brake fluid.

Women will pass this on to almost all of their friends, with or without kids.

a) For those with no children - this is totally hysterical!

b) For those who already have children past this age, this is hilarious.

c) For those who have children this age, this is not funny.

d) For those who have children nearing this age, this is a warning.

e) For those who have not yet had children, this is birth control.

I have two boys 3 and 2 years old...ahhh the truth is now out!! What are some of your kids most memorable moments of hilarity?

WARNING! ADULT THEMED! Not For those without sense of humor!

click image to view

All of us who work in the advertising world will get a real kick from this video showing when the world of marketing, public relations and advertising all collide in a brutally honest sketch that left me laughing outloud!

WARNING! this video contains adult language and themes. That said, Enjoy!

Title: Truth In Advertising
Size: 4MB

You will need quicktime to view. click the image above to view.

Make sure your speakers are turned down if you are in an office...there, I've fully warned you!

I'd love to hear some of your boardroom horror stories or funny meetings that took place - of course keep names to yourself!

A View From Our Studio Now Can be Yours!

Cleveland Skyline Picture

Here's a unique and beautiful view of downtown Cleveland that isn't your "typical" stadium and ballpark skyline panoramic. If you are looking for something a little more classy to hang in your apartment or office lobby, take a look at my photographer's Best View of Cleveland. Hal Stata captured a different angle of downtown that you may not of noticed before. My personal favorite are the black and whites.

By the way, this litho really is one of our awesome views from the newly renovated, and up and coming, Superior Viaduct. The home of the new Stonebridge Condominiums, Ponte Veccio, SPACES Art Gallery, and of course…yours truly, Dave Potokar.com! Stop by for your own personal viewing and a drink! We'd be happy to give you a tour.

BabyfaceCards.com...The holiday rush!!

Unbelievable how this time of year sneaks up on us. BabyfaceCards.com (my ecommerce store) is smack in the middle of the holiday card rush. What a fun endeavor this card company has been. Not only do I get to talk to great people, I am getting the chance to create something memorable for my customer.

The responses, once people get their cards, are truly fantastic and make doing the work even more rewarding. You have to check out the testimonial page on our site...they really are fun to read. We even have some voice testimonials for your listening pleasure!

The little side designs that started out as favors for friends and family, has really skyrocketed the last 12 months of being in business. We've been in the black since the 2nd quarter and have had over 150,000 visitors to the site. What's even more amazing is that every day, 600 people come to the site and spend and average of 4-5 minutes browsing.

I have learned an enormous amount about what it takes to run, design and maintain an e-commerce website. The man-hours are endless and the optimization and maintenance never ends. Nonetheless, it is extremely rewarding and look for us to launch our other new products in the upcoming year.

By the way, you can still get your cards in time for the Holidays with overnight or 2nd day shipping. :) Nothing like a shameless plug for your own business. See the site for details: www.babyfacecards.com

Life...

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming WOOHOO what a ride!

Wonderful Holiday

Well another Thanksgiving has come and gone and it was fantastic! Of course more food than a body can consume and good friends and family make this one of my favorite holidays. In the first week of October, my son Jack started his 3rd birthday by breaking his leg. "no more monkeys jumping on the bed!!"

Today he was a very happy 3 year old as he got his cast off his little leg. His soon to be 2 year old brother, Nate is now ready for some real wrestling with his big brother.

As we steam forward towards the Christmas Season, i'd like to list a few of the things I'm truly thankful for:

1. My beautiful, talented and hard-working wife, Christine.
2. My two beautiful children, Jack and Nathan - who, with just a glimpse of their innocent, loving faces, can make any bad day seem trivial.
3. My loving family, friends and community
4. Good Health....No more broken limbs Jack, at least not until you catch that winning TD pass in the Superbowl!
5. Great co-workers whom make it a pleasure to come to work everyday
6. The Cleveland Browns...well, at least the chance they give me to see "NFL" football from my season tickets. ;)

Before we know it, the holidays will be behind us and once again our noses will be to the proverbial grindstone. Until then, take a little time to slow down and enjoy the people, places, and things that are nearest and dearest to your hearts this upcoming holiday.

I know I will be soaking it all in this year with two little boys who now know who Santa is!!