Paul Ryburn's Journal

The Court Square laptopping experiment didn’t work out.  Not because of the bums, because it was so bright outside.  I couldn’t see my computer screen, although I could see the dust on my computer screen quite well.  After only a few minutes I gave up and walked home.

I may not be a big fan of Sarah Palin, but I do admire her great fashion sense.  Check out the awesome scarf she’s wearing in this picture.

Let’s see what’s going on in the Flyer this week:

p. 22:  Good article on what will become of the old Marine Hospital next to the National Ornamental Metal Museum.  They plan on turning it into some really unique condos, and reconnecting it to the rest of Downtown, so that there’s an easier way to get there than getting on I-55 and taking the Metal Museum exit.  I toured these buildings at the Memphis Flyer’s Best Of party, and they are very, very cool.  If you’re thinking of buying a condo (and you can still find someone who’ll give you a mortgage in this economy) you need to check this place out.

p. 26:  There will be a walking tour of Cotton Row this Saturday from 1 to 3 PM, given by eight former Cotton Row workers.  More info on the Cotton Museum’s website.  Great chance to learn some Memphis history.

There’s also a Southeastern Indian Heritage Festival at Chucalissa Saturday and Sunday.

p. 30:  THE DEMPSEYS AT HUEY’S THIS SUNDAY!!!!!!!  (Hey, don’t forget, it’s Caps Lock Day, I’m entitled to do that.)  No place is better for catching the Dempseys up close and personal.  Show starts at 8:30.

p. 46:  Info on the grand opening party at Orleans on Front (formerly Cayenne Moon) Thursday and Friday nights.  Both nights there will be free food and *drinks (heck if I know what the asterisk means) from 8 to 9 PM both nights.  I wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up?

Also on p. 46, a great article on Bardog Tavern, with an interview with Aldo Demartino, its owner.  You’ve got to check out Bardog if you haven’t already… it’s exactly what a neighborhood bar should be.  I’m in there most every night.

p. 55:  There’s a unit on the 9th floor of the Claridge being rented out for $825/month.  It’s unusual to see a condo unit rented out for under a grand.  I hear this building was refurbished when it went condo and the units are super nice.  Someone needs to jump on this.

p. 57:  Another rental bargain, a loft on the first floor of the Paperworks for $950 a month.  It’s a 1050 SF unit.  I think I may have been in this one before.  It’s super, super nice and I can’t believe it’s renting for less than a thousand bucks.  Again, someone needs to jump on this.

Hey, where did Free Will Astrology go?  That’s the one astrology column I actually read.  Here’s the link to their website.

All right, I’m getting back to work now.  Doing some stuff with the Zend Framework for PHP, in order to prepare for incoming freelance work, and to prepare myself for possible future projects.

Last night, the St. Jude scientists and their friends played trivia under the name “Paul Ryburn’s BFFs.”  A couple of people on my team suggested that I should get royalties for the use of my name… maybe 10% of that team’s earned points should be counted toward the Rapscallions’ total.  Sounds about right to me… I’ll talk to Pete the Trivia Guy about it next week.

TODAY’S REASON TO DRINK: IT’S CAPS LOCK DAY.

Great website someone forwarded me yesterday:  www.palinaspresident.us

Restaurant.com is running a new promotion for 60% off their gift certificates. Normally their $25 face-value gift certificates are $10, but through October 26 you can enter SAVOR as the promo code at checkout and get them for $4. Downtown restaurants that are part of this program include Big Foot Lodge, Blue Fin, Blue Plate Cafe, Cafe 61, Circa, Green Beetle, Ground Zero, LoLo’s Table, McEwen’s on Monroe, Onix, PaPa Pia’s, the Pier, Safari, Sauces, Silky O’ Sullivan’s, Stella, Superior Bar, and TGI Friday’s.  A few of the many other Memphis restaurants that participate are Bari, Brookhaven Pub, Cafe Ole, Cozymel’s, Dish, Equestria, Fox and Hound Sanderlin, Grove Grill, Harry’s Detour Midtown, Jim’s Place East, Mantia’s, Napa Cafe, Patrick’s, Petra, River Oaks, Robilio Sidecar Cafe, Ronnie Grisanti’s, Roustica, and Tucker’s.  You can click the link and search for even more of your favorite restaurants.

Mpact Memphis and Memphis College of Art will host Creative Conversations, bringing together local arts leaders to discuss working creatively in all industries, and to stress the need for entrepreneurship to advance creativity.  Smart City Consulting’s Tom Jones will lead the discussion, and panelists include Gary Backaus (archer>malmo), Karen Blockman Carrier (Automatic Slim’s, Molly Fontaine’s, Do, Beauty Shop), Eric Mathews (Mercury Technology Labs), Pat Mitchell Worley (Memphis Music Foundation), Chris Reyes (Ninjacat), and Joann Self Selvidge (True Story Pictures).

All right, time to get some work done.  I think I’ll take my laptop up to Court Square at lunchtime and use the free Wi-Fi to work.  We’ll see if I can run down my entire battery (about 2 hours) before I get tired of all the bums and pigeons.

Home from trivia.  The team finished out of the money this week.

There’s a sign outside Orleans on Front, formerly Cayenne Moon, saying this Thursday-Friday is their grand opening and to come on by for free food ‘n’ stuff.  I’ll try to make it by.  Thursday is also trivia night with Mikey and Pete the Trivia Guy at Jillian’s (the night got switched from Wed.)

The Saucer is doing Oktoberfest Friday, kicking off with the blessing of the kegs at 7.  There will be a brat eating contest and a beer tasting.

Ballet Memphis will have an open rehearsal this Thursday the 23rd at the corner of Union and Main in the Radio Center Flats, 66 S. Main, at lunchtime from 11:30 to 1.

Join the Memphis Grizzlies next Monday, October 27, at the Fox & Hound Sanderlin to watch the undefeated Tennessee Titans vs. Peyton “washed-up has-been” Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.  There will be wings, ribs, and the chance to learn about participating in the Grizzlies’ mentoring program.  It starts at 6:30.  More details here.

I have more stuff to report but I’m drunk and eating spaghetti and meatballs from Bardog Tavern.  Check back for the rest tomorrow.

Free food at Orleans on Front… I wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up?

I set a new record yesterday – FIFTEEN beers at the Flying Saucer for Pint Nite.  On top of that, it was actually a very productive day.  I got there right after it opened at 11 AM, and worked on my laptop for about five hours, putting together a new website which I hope to launch soon.

I also arranged a business meeting at the Saucer, which took place about 4 PM.  To briefly summarize, in 2002-03 I programmed a new concept in personal finance software, invented by a guy who audited one of my Computer Literacy classes at the U of M in the late 1990s.  We never could figure out how to market the thing, though, and so mentally I had written it off as time wasted.  However, the program came back from the dead last month, when we were informed that we had received the patent we applied for years ago.  So the inventor drove in from Nashville, and we spent two hours discussing what to do with the program.  It looks like I may end up writing an e-book about it, explaining how it works and why it’s a breakthrough in personal finance.  People who like what they read in the book can then buy the program.

The meeting ended at 6, and I thought to myself, “Wow.  I just worked 7 hours without a break.  I deserve a beer.”  Then I realized I was already holding a beer.  And it was my 9th beer.  That meant that my record of 14 beers at Pint Nite was definitely within reach.  So I went into the other room, sat on the benches with my BFFs Jenny and Michelle, and downed a few more.  I ended up hanging out at the bar with my vote for Best Memphian of 2008, Sam from the Red Rooster.  By 9:30 I had polished off beer #14, and ordered beer #15 to break the record.

Needless to say, this morning was a rather fuzzy morning.  The combination of Mountain Dew and Claritin-D is waking me up though.  49 e-mails in the Inbox.  Got several freelance work inquiries I’ve got to answer today.  I’ll be working from home, as opposed to going to one of the branch offices.  About 6 I’ll head to the Saucer for the usual Rapscallion domination and first-place win at trivia.

Launch Memphis and LunaWeb will host BarCamp Memphis on November 7-8.  The theme of this event is “Business and Technology in FLUX,” and this will be an event with no predetermined agenda – the participants will decide it.  It will be a place where entrepreneurs with knowledge to share can share it, and a place where people can come to learn what they don’t about entrepreurship.  In the ever-shifting world of technology, you either change or you fail, and this will be an event where people can discuss how to keep up with the times.  Anyone with something to contribute or a question to ask is invited.  $40 fee, but there are ways to get in for free (for example, if you’re a blogger – yay).

Here are some potential topics:

• Forget Rails; it’s Grails time
• Crowd Clout
• Mobile Mania
• The World without a Browser
• Digital Lifestyle Lubricants
• LeftOut on LinkedIn – Mystery of the Universe #9

You can register for the event here.  It’ll happen at Emerge Memphis, at 516 Tennessee in the South Main district.  November 7 will be a pre-event gathering, and then the heavy lifting will be done on the 8th.

My only problem with BarCamp Memphis is, it’s not at a bar.  Kind of a misleading name.

Working at the Saucer.  Been here since 11.  Got started developing a new website, which I will probably announce to the public before the end of the week.  About to have a business meeting here, regarding a program I co-wrote 5 years ago which was recently approved for a patent.  Contemplating going for my 14-beer Pint Nite record today.  The drunkasses who got cut off yesterday after doing 7 shots and 7 beers each in 2 hours are back.  Should be an interesting afternoon.

So, Colin Powell endorsed Obama.  I’ve been reading analyses of this development, and most political writers don’t think the endorsement will sway a lot of voters to Obama; most people who would be influenced by the endorsement one way or the other have already made up their minds.  Where it may help is in the defense/military industry area of northern Virginia, which is a state McCain absolutely cannot afford to lose.  If Obama carries the Kerry states plus Iowa (where he’s way ahead), that’s 259 electoral votes.  Virginia’s 13 would put him over the 270 needed to become president.

I’ve heard a lot of people say, “election night is going to be a long night.”  Not necessarily.  Virginia, Ohio, Florida, and North Carolina are all in the eastern time zone.  If any one of those gets called for Obama (and he’s leading in the polls in all four right now), we pretty much know who the new president will be.  If McCain wins all four, or if they’re too close to call, then it could indeed be a long night, but I’m betting we know who the new president will be by 8-9 PM Central time.

I’m now thinking I may wait until Monday, November 10 to start devoting all my energy to job hunting.  Previously I had said November 3, but am leaning toward taking the extra week for several reasons:  1) I want 3 weeks to explore the freelance market, and the possibility of earning an income there, as opposed to full-time salaried work; 2) I want the extra week to work extra hard on Saving Consumers Time and two more website ideas; and 3) There will likely be a big celebration the night of Tuesday, November 4, and it’d be nice to stay up late without having to get to work the next day.  That said, I am going to let recruiters know that I’m available if anything exceptional comes along, and it looks like I’ll be talking to someone about an exceptional full-time position as early as this week.

By the way, I’ve updated my resume to include the past year’s experience.  Feel free to forward a link to anyone who may need .NET, PHP, WordPress, SEO, or Web 2.0/social media development work done.

Tonight is “Relaxing with Miles and Mickey” at the Majestic Grille, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM.  The University of Memphis Downtown Music Initiative will do a tribute performance of “Relaxin’ with Miles,” featuring David Spencer, Gary Topper, Sam Shup and Alvie Givhan.  Music starts at 5:45.  During the performance, artist Mickey Hollis will paint live to the music.  His work is currently on display in the Majestic’s Innovators’ Room, so be sure to go back there and check it out.  There will be complimentary hors d’ouevres by Chef Patrick Reilly, and cocktail specials.

Free food?  Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

The website work I have to do today seems to lend itself well to the Second Street Branch Office, so I’ll head there at 11 when the branch office opens.  Check back, I may post from there later in the day.

I found a really cool freeware utility last week called AnVir Task Manager that laptop users may be interested in.  I grabbed it because too many programs were loading upon startup, and it seemed to be a highly-rated startup manager.  However, it has another interesting feature as well… it displays your hard drive’s temperature in the taskbar.  My laptop’s hard drive tends to run between 38-45 degrees Celsius (100-113 Fahrenheit).

At the Monroe Avenue branch office… just completed my 10th article for Saving Consumers Time.  This one addresses the issue of health, life, and dental insurance for those who are self-employed, between jobs, or work for a company that does not provide those benefits.    An issue I’m investigating for my own purposes, as well as to help SCT’s readers.

Will head to the other branch office soon.

I added a new article to Saving Consumers Time yesterday.  This one reviews three good laptops under $1000 – a Toshiba Satellite that is loaded except it has last year’s processor (which is still fine for the average user), a loaded 17″ HP laptop, and a MacBook under $1000 that would be a great computer if you add some extra RAM.

Hung out at Bardog for a few PBRs last night, then hit the Saucer to catch Funk de Ville.  Was going to meet up with some people on Beale later, but realized I didn’t have their number in my phone due to the PBR-induced haze I was in Tuesday night.

Stuff I want to do at lunchtime while I’m off work:

• Eat soul food at Alcenia’s.  Never been.
• Eat tapas at Safari.  Haven’t been yet, except for the SMA meeting.
• Sit on Blues City Pastry’s patio during lunchtime, work on my laptop, and watch people walk by.  Perfect weather for it this week.

What Halloween parties are going on Downtown this year?  The only one I know of so far is Big Foot on the 30th, and my apartment building’s party and a few other private ones.  If you know of any that are open to the public, let me know and I’ll blog them.  Don’t forget to check out Skank-o-ween for Halloween costumes.

One of my favorite authors, marketing guru Seth Godin, released his new book, Tribes, this week.  In his latest blog post, he tells you how you can get the audio version for under a dollar on iTunes, or for free if you register at Audible.com.  Or, if you want to buy the print version, click the image of the book to the left, and it’ll take you to Amazon.

You can also buy a Seth Godin action figure if you’re a fan.  They’re available at the Action Figures Collector Shop.

Check out this article on The Googleplex, Google’s main office campus in Mountain View, California.  Employees get free breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.  They also get perks like free haircuts, and electric scooters are available to zip them around campus if they don’t feel like walking.  There are ping-pong tables when they need a break from coding, and if things get too stressful, they can schedule a massage for a nominal fee.  Also, note that the employees pictured are wearing T-shirts and jeans.