Paul Ryburn's Journal

Does your work have a content filter that blocks some of your favorite sites?  Here’s a possible way to do an end-run around the filter.  There’s a new service called WebToMail that will e-mail to you any web page you request.  Here’s how it works:

1) Send an e-mail to send@webtomail.co.cc, with the URL of the site you want to see in the subject line.

2) Wait a few minutes, and the requested web page appears in your e-mail Inbox.

By the way, I found this service through LifeHacker, a site that’s definitely worth bookmarking.  The LifeHacker blog has tons of posts about sites and products to make your life more productive.  Worth checking frequently – it’s updated even more often than my blog is.  I checked it last night at 6:30 before going out, and when I checked it again this morning, there were 5 new posts.

Update Fri 7/31:  The assault actually happened in the parking garage across the alley.  The woman was talking on her cell phone, so she was somewhat distracted and not paying attention to her surroundings.  The individual described below followed her into the garage and assaulted her as she was waiting for the elevator.

I’ve also learned that the suspect is middle-aged.  A reader saw him out this morning and thought “crackhead” until he saw the outfit described below, with the badge.  Everyone be on the lookout for this guy.

I was e-mailed a report today of a woman who was assaulted outside of the One Commerce Square building Downtown.  When she got off work, she walked out the alley entrance, followed by an African-American male, 5’10”, slim, short hair, in a white shirt, dark dress pants, with a badge clipped to his waist.  He then assaulted her in the alley.

This is the second time I have heard of someone fitting this description following/attempting to assault people as they were leaving work.  Also, I work in the Falls Building a couple of blocks away at Front and Court, and we had a woman quit last week because she thought someone was following her to her car.

If you work in the Downtown core, please use extra caution as you walk to your cars.  Take the extra time to avoid cutting through alleys.  The police have been notified of this individual and hopefully he will be caught soon.

Posting on my lunch break from the Second Street Branch Office.

For those of you who miss Wednesday trivia nights at McGuinness, there’s a new place to play trivia right up the street. The Corner Bar at the Peabody (Second at Union) does trivia every Wednesday night starting at 8 PM. I’ve heard it’s pretty fun, and I’ve also heard it hasn’t been very well attended the past few weeks (partly my fault for forgetting to blog it), so you may have an opportunity to swoop in and claim some easy prizes. As opposed to playing trivia Tuesday nights at the Saucer, where you have to compete against 20-some-odd teams, the most formidable of which being the Rapscallions. The Rapscallions picked up another first-place win last night, bringing our total gift certificate stash to $410.

Congratulations to Lansky Bros., the clothier in the Peabody Hotel, which received an achievement award from MR Magazine, a New York fashion trade magazine, last week. The magazine’s Uptown/Downtown awards notes those fashion retailers who have shown innovation in their work. Lansky Bros. received the award because of the Downtown Memphis store’s influence on fashion around the world. More info in this Daily News article (you’ll have to scroll down, it’s the fifth story). In addition to their most famous client, Elvis, the store has clothed other music legends as well, including B.B. King, Johnny Cash, Isaac Hayes, and Robert Plant.

Last night I heard that the Bennigan’s and Steak and Ale chains have filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and will close immediately. Wow… Steak and Ale… that’s a chain I thought would never close. I remember eating at the Little Rock Steak and Ale when I was about 3 years old. The MBJ reports that the Bennigan’s on Poplar will stay open, because it is a franchise store that is not owned by the corporation. No word on the Steak and Ale further down Poplar.

The MBJ also reports that Downtown condo sales have turned around, at the brisk pace of 21 units last month, on par with June 2007, and up from an abysmal 8 units sold in May.

Plans for the night: I’m going to meet up with some friends at Blues City to catch The Dempseys at 8:00. Apparently this is a weekly ritual of theirs. “We go watch the Dempseys and drink,” they told me, “and once we’re sufficiently drunk enough we walk down to EP’s and do karaoke.” Note that when we get to EP’s, I won’t be singing, just observing those who do.

Two days until I announce the BFF of the Month for August.  BFF candidates who want to make a last-minute case for themselves better do it quick.

Vincent Marshall, 39, was arrested today at the Central Parking lot at Main and Peabody Place, according to this My Eyewitness News story.  A couple told police that after they had parked at the lot, Marshall walked up and told them the machine that takes parking fees was broken, but that he’d take their $7.  After giving it to him, the couple called police, believing that they had been scammed.  MPD verified that Marshall did not work for Central Parking, and hauled him off to jail.

I did a search for Marshall on jssi.co.shelby.tn.us, and was not surprised by his arrest record, which includes:

• 6 counts of criminal trespass
• 6 counts of criminal impersonation
• 4 counts of possession of drug paraphernalia
• 4 counts of theft of property less than $500
• 3 counts of disorderly conduct
• 2 counts of burglary – motor vehicle
• 2 counts of obstructing a highway or passageway
• 1 count of panhandling
• 1 count of failure to appear
• 1 count of domestic assault – bodily harm

This is pretty typical of the arrest records of the panhandlers and scammers who beg as a profession in Downtown Memphis.  In fact, I hate to say it, but Marshall’s record is shorter than others I have seen.

Just think… the next time you park a car Downtown and someone approaches you for money, this could very well be the type of person you’re giving it to.  JUST SAY NO!  Give to organizations that support the homeless if you want to help.

Last night I did Pint Nite at the Saucer, where my Hawaiian Shirt Paradise store received a testimonial from my friend Bicycle Bobby. “I bought a shirt from the store,” he told me, pictured below. “It is by far THE BEST Hawaiian shirt I have ever owned.” That is not faint praise by any means – Bicycle Bobby owns about 150 Hawaiian shirts.

He found it in the “Parrots” category (Hawaiian shirts with parrots on them). He says that authentic Hawaiian shirts that are made in Hawaii run on the small side, so it’s not a bad idea to order one size larger than you usually wear.

The Saucer started to get real crowded about 9:30 – for some reason it was a frat party in there early on – so I decided it was time for a change of venue. “I want to go someplace a lot quieter,” I thought. “Hmmm, Meghan’s the bartender at Big Foot tonight, so there won’t be anyone at the bar… I’ll go there.” Sure enough, all the bar seats were open when I arrived.

Meghan told me that the Travel Channel will be at Big Foot Friday afternoon, to film an episode of a new show, Man vs. Food. No doubt the show will focus on people’s attempts to down the 4 lb. Sasquatch burger (7 1/2 lb. with condiments) in one hour or less. There will also be a panel of scientists debating whether bartender Meghan is indeed a member of the bigfoot/sasquatch manimal species.

While there, I noticed that Matt from McGuinness (there were two Matts, this is the shorter one with the goatee) was training to be a bartender at Big Foot.  Great decision to put him behind the bar… that will bring a loyal Saucer regular/Saucer staff/former McGuinness regular crowd in.  I hope they give him some night shifts.

The Orpheum is having a costume parade for its Friday, August 1 showing of Gone with the Wind. It will be a hoop skirt parade, with ladies in Civil War-era outfits getting to parade across the stage before the start of the show.

There will be another costume event at the Orpheum later in August… details to come on that one, I have a reason for holding up the announcement for a few days.

The Orpheum Summer Movie Series, by the way, has been doing very well. The showing of “Steel Magnolias” drew 700 people, even though the movie was being shown on TV at the same time. I hear lots of ladies made it a Girls’ Night Out. They had $3 cosmos for sale. Another 800 showed up for “The Sound of Music” the following night. Those classic movies look great on a classic big screen. Entry is $5 each, and all movies start at 7:15, except “Rocky Horror Picture Show” on September 19 which will start at 8. Ticket packages of 10 tickets for $40 are available.

Time to get some stuff done on my next website, then grab some lunch.  Back later.

If you look at the upper left corner of this blog, you’ll see the newest feature, What’s the Fire Sale? Every day, the Flying Saucer puts one of their draft beers on “Fire Sale” for $2.75, except Monday, when it’s Pint Nite and most drafts are $2.75.  But which beer?  That’s the burning question.  Since I work Downtown – and a few other friends of mine do too – we will attempt to answer that question.  Every day I’ll walk by and see the Fire Sale posted on the chalkboard, or friends of mine will text it to me.  I’m set up to Twitter the Fire Sale to my blog, so as soon as I find it out I’ll provide the info.

I’ll try to have it up by mid-afternoon most days, often earlier.  Note that occasionally the Saucer runs out of Fire Sale beer and changes midday… most days you can depend on what you see on my blog being the Fire Sale, but don’t hold me to it.

Also, keep in mind this Fire Sale applies to the Downtown Memphis Flying Saucer only.  Each Saucer has the power to set its own Fire Sale, and I can’t cover them all.  For Downtown Memphians, though, hopefully this will be a valuable resource for one of the most important pieces of information to know on a daily basis.

The police are throwing us a party!  Next Tuesday, August 5, MPD will hold their third annual National Night Out at the South Main Substation, at the corner of Main and GE Patterson.  There will be a live DJ, food, games and fun.  MPD Director Larry Godwin will provide opening remarks, and we will also hear from Deputy Director Janice Pilot, Deputy Chief Steve Cole, Colonel Johnny Currin and Lt. Colonel Voretta Mhoon.

This is the 25th anniversary of National Night Out around the country.  NNO is designed to generate support for crime prevention, heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, strengthen police/community relations and neighborhood spirit, and send criminals a message letting them know that neighborhoods are fighting back.  Across the US there will be block parties, police presentations, cookouts, and other neighborhood-organized events.

Everyone is encouraged to turn on their porch light on Tuesday, August 5 in support of National Night Out.

Now and then I’ll be going about my business around Downtown, and people will stop me and ask to talk to me for a few minutes.  Lately many of the conversations have gone like this:

“Downtown will never be a real neighborhood until we have a grocery store.  I think you should make that the main focus of your blog, lobbying to get a grocery store down here.”

“What’s your opinion on the push to open Main Street back up to traffic?  I think it’s a terrible idea, with all the cruisers on the weekends.  I think you should use your blog to fight to keep Main Street closed.”

All great ideas.  But the thing is, this is MY blog.  I have to decide what issues I’m going to push.  Up ’til now, the fight against panhandling has been my main one.  The work there is not done yet, although the situation has improved.  I have to decide for myself which topics to stress.

We need more voices Downtown.  Let a thousand flowers bloom!  If you feel passionately about an issue, maybe it’s time to start a blog of your own.  It’s not hard, and if you do and it’s relevant to Downtown, I’ll link to it.  To help you get started, this morning I skipped brunch and created a 4-part tutorial on starting a blog:

• Part 1:  Pick a blogging engine to use
• Part 2:  Decide where to host your blog
• Part 3:  Tips for post ideas, traffic, and links
• Part 4:  Trackers and search engine optimization (SEO)

Hope that helps.  It’s time for everyone with a passion for Downtown to let their voice be heard about neighborhood issues.

A few days ago, I was walking to the Saucer, and passed legendary Downtown homeless person Scratchy on the sidewalk.  He had on a T-shirt that said, “the possibilities are endless.”

That’s our Scratchy.  Always an uplifting word for his fellow man.

Or in Scratchy’s case, always an uplifting word for the invisible fellow man who Scratchy talks to all the time.

I didn’t go out last night. For one thing, it’s just too hot outside to walk around much. For another, my new book on The GIMP, the free open source image editing tool which is on par with Photoshop, arrived yesterday and I made my way through the first three chapters.  The book recommended using my own images, taken with my digital camera, for the exercises.  I took several images that were poorly lit, and using The GIMP’s Colors -> Levels option, was able to make them look even better than Picasa can do.  Then I decided to have some Photoshopping – or in my case, GIMPing – old photos.  Here’s one of my first image projects, a pic of what Big Foot Lodge bartender/former BFF Meghan might look like if she got my name tattooed on her chest:

You can get a free copy of The GIMP here.  Make sure you download the Help as well as the program itself.  Note:  Either one of two things will happen.  Either you’ll get frustrated with it and give up after 15 minutes, or you’ll get addicted to it and nothing you planned to do today will get done.  Here’s a hint for you:  After you fire it up, go to the File menu and select File->New and create a new image, or FIle->Open to open an existing image.  The GIMP isn’t much fun unless you’ve got an image to work with.  I know that sounds like basic advice, but I sat there for a while thinking the Layers dialog was an open image, and wondering why I couldn’t do anything with it.

Probably skipping brunch again, because I want to play with the GIMP some more, and because I’ve got momentum going on my next site and don’t want to give that up.  I’ll be out later today, probably around 3:30.