Month: November 2008

A few months ago, I put up College Logo Watches and College Logo Jewelry sites, which sold watches and jewelry for U.S. colleges and universities.  They have been very successful, so this week I’ve taken the next steps, creating watch and jewelry stores for pro football and pro basketball teams.

As with most of my past sites, these are storefronts allowing you to easily find items sold on Amazon.com. Secure payment and shipping are handled by Amazon, so you’re protected by the policies of the Internet’s most experienced retailer. I never see your credit card number; all I get is a summary of what was ordered, without your name or any other identifying information.  I hope you enjoy the new sites and find them useful.  The items on these sites, and the college sites, would make great Christmas presents.

Woodchuck Granny Smith is the Fire Sale today.  Good job!  Wonder if management read my blog yesterday complaining about the Fire Sales.

Just saw on Facebook that Shelton Clothiers is offering 20% off all purchases, excluding custom orders, through November 15.  They have a great selection of suits, sport coats, dress shirts, ties, slacks, casual wear, club wear, polos, belts, wallets, and more.  If you want to do some fall shopping for yourself, or pick up an early Christmas present, this is a good chance to do it.  They’re located on the Main Street Mall just north of Peabody Place.

Yesterday I walked to China Restaurant for lunch, and on the way there I ran into one of Downtown’s well-known panhandlers.  This is the guy who used to go around asking for money, claiming it was for St. Jude.  “Hey, man, I just want to talk to you for a minute,” he said.  “Can you help me find a job?  PLEASE, man.  I don’t want to be the way I am anymore.  Please.  Help me.  I’ll do anything.  The only thing I can’t do is heavy lifting because of my back.  I just want to work so I can stop living like this.”

I’m not anywhere close to 100% sure he was being sincere, but I’m not 100% sure he was lying, either.  The way I figure, as long as I’m part of an effort to get panhandlers off the street, it’s my duty to try and help them when they express a desire to turn their lives around.

It has happened before.  Last year there was a very annoying panhandler nicknamed “The Singer” who would sing for passersby or people sitting on restaurant patios, and then demand a tip.  One day around the first of the year, he decided he wanted a better life for himself, and asked for help.  He got two jobs, one of them washing dishes at a well-known restaurant on Second Street.  He still sings, but now he sings on his way to work, and he doesn’t ask anyone for money anymore.

If anyone wants to take a chance on this guy, e-mail me (paul@paulryburn.com) and let me know how he can get in touch with you.  He says he’ll take anything, but I think it would be best if he had a regular job, with regular hours and a regular paycheck.  As opposed to “come by the shop every week or two and I’ll pay you $7 to mop up,” which I think would only enable whatever bad habits he has.  It doesn’t necessarily have to be full-time, but at least regular part-time.  Also, if you work for an agency that could help him, let me know and I’ll pass on that info too.

Don’t take this as a recommendation for him – he’s been scamming people for far too long for me to be 100% sure he’s legit.  I definitely would not hire him for a position that involves handling money, or for a position like security guard that involves protecting other people’s property.  But something about my past couple of interactions with him makes me think there’s a chance to turn him around.  He believes society has failed him and that’s why panhandles so aggressively.  Maybe this is a chance to show him that society will help him, if he’s willing to work provide for himself.

E-mail me at paul@paulryburn.com if you’ve got a job or a lead on a job for this guy.

Memphis Limelight had a post yesterday on LoLo’s Table, the friendly restaurant on Monroe next door to McEwen’s.  They’re under new ownership, and have made a lot of changes.  You can click through to Limelight to read the complete report, but here’s a quick summary:

• Free food one surprise night a week (bet the Nuh-Uh Girl starts hanging out there)
• HDTVs to watch football
• Happy hour 4:30-6:30 M-F with specials including $2 PBR
• Downtown lunch deliveries
• Thursdays are Downtowners’ Nights with 15% off the check

Hmmm, I don’t have plans for this evening.  I think I’ll check out their happy hour this afternoon.

Seth Godin had a great post today wondering why more companies don’t put as much marketing into hiring for open positions as they do into marketing their product.  Most companies, he says, just go through the motions and put in 10% of the total effort all companies expend in hiring, and wind up with people in the bottom 90% of the employment pool.  The companies that get the top 10%, the best of the best, he says, put in 90% of the effort to find and retain these people.

Although I’ve said I’m on hiatus for hunting from full-time, permanent positions until November 10, I’ve had a few recruiters contact me, saying, “If you change your mind and want to start back early, here are the details of a few positions we have.”  I don’t mind them doing that.  But the position descriptions tell me nothing about whether I would want to work at those companies, because they’re all the same.  “We’re looking for someone with 5-8 years experience as an enterprise developer, with an emphasis on ASP.NET, SQL Server, and (C# or VB.NET, depending on the position).  Knowledge of Java, CSS, Apache server, and MySQL are pluses.  Candidate is required to have a complete understanding of object-oriented development, must be able to process workflow diagrams, must be able to work in a fast-paced environment as a member of a team.  We offer full benefits including 401(k), health plan, and vacation.”

You know what?  That kind of generic job description tells me NOTHING about whether I would actually want to work there.  What kind of environment is it?  Is it constant stress from one day to the next?  Or is it a place where people can relax while they work?  Is it a suit-and-tie place, or can I wear jeans and sandals like I did at the last job?  Are there good restaurants nearby where I can enjoy my lunch break?  Are the people who work in the department fun and interesting, and people I can learn from?  Are they sticklers about punctuality, or do they give employees latitude as long as the work gets done?  I live Downtown – how far of a commute will I have to work?  Any possibility of telecommuting on some days, to save on gas?

It amazes me that hiring managers don’t think to include answers to those kinds of questions in their job descriptions.

So, yesterday marks three weeks since I was laid off.  I told everyone I was not going to start seriously job-hunting until Monday, November 10.  I’ve used the extra time off to really build up my new websites – I’ll be rolling out four new ones tomorrow, as a matter of fact.  I’ve probably been working more than 40 hours a week on them.  But I’ve been doing it at my pace.  If I find myself wide awake at 6:30 AM, I get started.  I felt like taking a half day off after the election, and I did.  Today I ate lunch at China restaurant on Jefferson, and afterward I felt like taking a walk… and I realized that the boss doesn’t mind if I take an extra long lunch break before I get back to work, because I’m the boss now.

The commissions I make from my websites are rapidly accelerating.  I told my health guru AL how much I made in October and she was astounded.  It’s not enough to support me full-time yet, but it’s headed in that direction, which motivates me to work on my sites even more.

Considering what I have written above, I have decided to extend my hiatus from hunting for full-time permanent jobs until December 1.  The only reason I’ll consider applying for something sooner than that is if the position is truly outstanding in some way.  In the meantime, I’m going to work hard for myself, enjoy some time with my friends, and remember what it feels like to be alive.

Leinenkugel Red is the Fire Sale today, after Turbo Dog yesterday and Shiner Bock the day before.  I haven’t seen the list for the rest of the week, but based on their patterns I bet I can name the Fire Sales for the rest of the week – Abita Amber, Killian’s Red, and LaBatt Blue, not necessarily in that order.

After they raised the Fire Sale price to $2.75, they promised us they were going to do a better job picking a larger selection of Fire Sales, going through all the draft beers (except the ones that were prohibitively expensive) before starting over through the list.  For a while they did that.  Now it looks like they’re back to the old pattern of several boring, generic red and amber beers, plus Turbo Dog, LaBatt Blue and occasionally Flying Dog Doggie Style, repeated week after week.

Meanwhile, three blocks up the street, Bardog Tavern has PBR all day for $2.50, all day every day (and $1.50 Mon-Fri 5-7).  A little farther in the opposite direction, Calhoun’s has PBR all day, every day for $1.50.

I had dinner with my health guru AL at Automatic Slim’s last night.  I had coconut-encrusted salmon topped with wilted spinach and a purple cabbage slaw.  It was one of the best meals I had in a while.  AL had the chicken and absolutely loved it.  First time I’ve been to Slim’s since changes took place behind the scenes, and although there haven’t been any major changes to the restaurant itself yet, it’s obvious they’ve got some serious talent in kitchen.

AL says she’s going to make a me a list of foods to eat to improve my metabolism.  Stuff like buying frozen vegetables from Kroger and adding them to soup.  Hmmm.  Okay.  I’m sitting here eating a cherry Hostess fruit pie and drinking Mountain Dew as I type this.

The South Main Association will meet next Tuesday, November 11 at Jay Etkin Gallery at 6 PM.  There will be a presentation on the Downtown dumpster pilot program and plans for recycling.  The 2009 SMA board will also be presented.  Food courtesy of Frank’s Market and Deli, cash bar.  Free for members, $5 for non-members.

The 8th annual Hollywood Casino St. Jude Red Carpet Bash is this weekend – Saturday, November 8 from 7 PM to 1 AM at Hollywood Casino in Tunica.  Shawn and Lana Danko who own Big Foot Lodge are the chairs for this event, so there’s a reason for Downtowners to come out and support.  Black tie optional ’80s event with Dr. Zarr’s Amazing Funk Monster and DJ Tree; live and silent auctions; dinner; complimentary beer and wine; cash bar.  Tickets are $100 in advance (call 901-373-5051 or e-mail contact@eatatbigfoot.com) or $125 at the door.

I have another idea for Big Foot’s owners to raise money for charity – you know those old-fashioned carnival dunk tanks, where you throw softballs at a target, and when you score a hit, the person inside the tank gets dunked into the water?  Put your bartender Meghan in one of those.  There are a lot of people who would be willing to pay a lot of money to dunk her ass repeatedly.  Throw some piranhas in the tank and we’ll pay even more.

Tug’s on Mud Island is having their first anniversary party Monday, November 10 from 5 to 10 PM.  Complimentary tastings from the menu, and half price drinks and beer.  Free food?  I wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.  Currents across the street is also celebrating its first birthday and is offering several of its signature entrees for $29 any day in November except Thanksgiving.

Yesterday was a beautiful day.  I was going to take my laptop to the Saucer and work, but after seeing that they put Turbo Dog on Fire Sale AGAIN (it was only last Tuesday when it was the Fire Sale) I decided not to.  They’re getting back in a pattern of driving regulars away with one terrible Fire Sale selection after another.

Lots of work to do today.  Yesterday I had ideas for four new websites, all of which I hope to roll out by tomorrow.  That’ll keep me extra busy.  Happy birthday to my friend Eric who does a lot of good community outreach work for the Grizzlies.  I’ll be at the Saucer for happy hour, then maybe at Jillian’s for trivia ($2 Bud and Bud Light, $3 cherry/grape/Jager bombs).

Feel like reading about our next President?  Here are links to books by or about President-Elect Barack Obama (it feels so good to type that):

Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance was Obama’s first book, written in 1995 at the dawn of his political career.  It’s not about his father’s life, but rather about Obama’s journey through life.  He traveled to Kenya after learning about the death of his father to find out more about the African side of his family.  He discusses race from the perspective of someone who has been part of many cultures.

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream was given to my by my mother as a Christmas present in 2006.  This is the book that convinced me to support Obama rather than Hillary Clinton in the primary, and it has led me to believe that he will use the presidency as a bully pulpit to improve Americans’ lives as no president since Theodore Roosevelt has.  If you want to see where President-Elect Obama plans to take America over the next four (or hopefully, eight) years, this book is a good place to start, as he talks about uniting all races, uniting the rich and the poor, and making America a respected world citizen again.  I highly recommend this one regardless of your political orientation.

Change We Can Believe In: Barack Obama’s Plan to Renew America’s Promise is President-elect Obama’s latest book.  It continues his vision outlined in The Audacity of Hope, explaining how to fix the economy, keep America safe, and deal with issues like health care.  It also stresses the message that you are part of the solution.

The Essential Barack Obama: The Grammy Award-Winning Recordings is Dreams from my Father and The Audacity of Hope in audio-book format.  “A front-row seat to a sincere and admirable agenda,” writes one person who bought this product.

The American Journey of Barack Obama is a biography of the President-Elect by the editors of LIFE Magazine.  This is a good look at Obama’s journey from his early days all the way to the White House.  “A realistic and well-rounded view of Senator Barack Obama’s life as a man, husband, and father,” wrote one person who has read this book.

The Rise of Barack Obama is photojournalist Pete Souza’s account of Barack Obama’s rise to the presidency in pictures.  The photos cover the period from Obama’s first day in the U.S. Senate up to the Pennsylvania primary.  80% of the pictures have never before been published.  If you’re an admirer of Mr. Obama, this would make a great coffee table book.

Great Speeches by African Americans: Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Barack Obama, and Others contains contemporary speeches by Barack Obama, as well as some of the most famous speeches in history.  Others in the book include Fredrick Douglass’ “What, to the Slave, Is the Fourth of July?” speech, Soujourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman?”, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a Dream.”

I forgot to do one thing in my post earlier this morning – I forgot to congratulate Rep. Steve Cohen on winning a well-deserved second term last night.  In the interest of the kind of unity President-Elect Obama promotes, congratulations and best wishes to Sen. Lamar Alexander on his victory last night as well.

I’m going to start this post with a prediction for the 2012 presidential election:

President Barack Obama 56% and 516 electoral votes
Sarah Palin 29% and 22 electoral votes
A third-party candidate with libertarian views 14% and 0 electoral votes

Palin will carry her home state plus Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, and Oklahoma.  Obama will carry the rest of the nation.  No idea who the third-party candidate will be, but what the heck, I’ll take a wild guess… Jesse Ventura.

What a great night.  I started celebrating as soon as Ohio was called, after quickly doing a little math and realizing that California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii, surely in the bag for Obama, would get him to 270.  Others refuse to believe it until the polls closed in those states at 10 PM, and they were called for Obama at 10:00:03 PM.  We all gathered at Calhoun’s to watch the returns.  Here’s a pic of the gang, taken shortly after 10 PM:

Horrible pic of me, but great pic of everyone else on one of the nights we will truly remember for the rest of our lives.

I have to give the Republicans credit – John McCain was very gracious in defeat in his acceptance speech, and sounded like a true statesman.  The Republicans in the bar with us at Calhoun’s were also equally gracious – a Republican volunteered to take the picture above, as a matter of fact.

As for Obama, he sounded like a uniter in his speech, saying he hoped to mend fences with those who didn’t vote for him, and be their president too.  Certainly a different tone than George W. Bush’s acceptance speeches four and eight years ago.

The only thing I can’t understand is the state of Alaska.  The Senate race there hasn’t been called yet as of the time of this post, but it looks as though they’re going to give convicted felon Ted Stevens another ticket back to Washington.  My only guess why is that it’s a strategic vote – they know the Senate will surely expel him first thing in January, and that will open the door for Sarah Palin to run.

What a great night.  After decades of division and ugliness and nastiness toward one another, we’ve elected a man who can hopefully unite the nation.  I can’t wait for January 20 to get here.

… Calhoun’s.

I would’ve much preferred the Saucer, but I can’t justify being there all night when the Fire Sale (Shiner Bock) is so mediocre.  If I went there, I’d be left with the choice of drinking a beer I don’t really like that much for $2.75 a pint, or stepping up to Dos Equis Lager for $4.25 a pint, when Calhoun’s has $1.50 PBR.

I’ve been invited to Steve Cohen’s victory party too.  May stop by that.  Will probably hit Bardog on the way home.  I’m taking tomorrow morning off from my website work and giving myself permission to stay out late and celebrate.