House of Hope - south side

One Sunday I decided to check out the scene at House of Hope. I should've went in for church services.

I've become a fan of "Bar Rescue"

In general, I'm not a fan of "reality TV" however as of late I've become a fan of Spike's Bar Rescue. The host of the show Jon Taffer visits many failing bars around the nation and then attempts to turn them around. Sometimes the changes take and sometimes the changes don't.

Only in one case did Taffer walk away before rescuing the bar. Often when introducing the bar in trouble the narrator often note that a respective bar pull back the doors, and bust open the books and made a call to Bar Rescue. But since this is about TV no one made a call probably they had to get the attention of producers to say "Hey come check out our bar, we're in trouble".

I often laugh when Taffer and his experts - who are usually other bartenders & cooks - get livid because the workers at these bars prove themselves to be not very good with sanitizing their work areas. I realize that a clean establishment helps make customers welcome but Taffer's performances in those instances seem over the top and hilarious.

Most of what you see in these episodes makes for good TV. Besides if everyone just agreed with each other - bar staff and consultants alike - it wouldn't make for good TV. It's takes drama and conflict and sometimes creative editing. I write in editing because I recognize there are also two sides to every story, what you see on TV may not be what really happened.

Even then however, the business aspects of Bar Rescue is fascinating. Food keeps customers in the bar, if you pour too much alcohol that's pouring money down the drain, you can create a narrow enough passageway where people must interact socially, and on & on. In talking about Taffer's experience rescuing a bar is often noted on the series as not just a business but a science.

As stated earlier some of the changes Taffer has made to these many bars have taken and some haven't. In some instances the owners and management were too stuck on a concept that wasn't working. And perhaps in some instances Taffer missed his mark anyway. Besides you can't get it right all the time!

Still I hope aspiring bar-owners are taking notes on what it takes to run a successful bar. Perhaps Taffer can inspire future "bar scientists". :P

Ask A Manager: how should students pick a college major?

When I was in school, if only someone could've counseled me on what I should've studied. And at that what I should've studied to set myself up for success in the long run. Well it's that and it's something that I should've sought for myself.

If only young people were reading this blog. Some are smart enough to do what I wish I did. And then you had some like me - while I was still in high school - who are still trying to figure that out. Indeed you need not figure it out in high school lots of students have changed majors, however, the sooner you figure it out the sooner you're done with college.

I wrote this comment in the post at Ask A Manager:

I have no regret about majoring in political science. Before I finally got a BA I also attended a community college and I should’ve taken some business classes although it likely would’ve affected what I’d have majored in before I transferred to a university. I didn’t entirely plan at all what I would do when I graduate, but sometimes I wish I had hit the ground running as far as jobs before I crossed that stage. Perhaps I’d be in a better position today.

Also the classes I took were great, but as far as my political science curriculum I wished there were more “governing” classes. Perhaps classes that would translate into a job in the real world and not more or less academic courses.

What I've had to learn is that college is too expensive these days to flip, flop, and flounder. Have a game plan and things will come up so make some adjustments. Of course while you're in school get some work experience especially internships in the field of your choice.

To be honest I was up for some internships but either the grades weren't right or there were some complications to ensure that it was good for college credit. Just some missed opportunities.

The main thing is, college is what you make of it if it's what you want to do. Get what you will out of it, especially learning and certainly preparing you for a career in the field of your choice.

Also, part of me still wouldn't mind going back to school and get a master's. Not sure in what yet, but when I first filed papers to take a major of political science one thing I certainly entertained doing was teach. Still wouldn't mind although I recognize that a college professor doesn't just teach. Of course that still depends on the school.

HuffPost: Black-Owned Businesses Are Quietly Powering Detroit's Resurgence, But No One's Talking About It

Today we're going to again visit the great American city of Detroit, Michigan. Apparently there's a story no one really discusses and apparently it doesn't only involve young white entrepreneurs:

The largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history has also stirred up interest in success stories. Though no one person will fix Detroit, some people have received well-deserved attention for their work to improve the city. A New York Times article last month highlighted hot spots in the Corktown neighborhood, and a story in the same paper earlier this year heralded small businesses.

But something's missing from those pieces, and from many other articles that examine the city's resurgence: black Detroiters, who make up 83 percent of the population.

Stories that claim entrepreneurs are building, revitalizing and even saving Detroit focus primarily on white professionals, often younger and new transplants to the city, a trend that's palpable and frustrating for locals. When journalists and readers criticized the Times for leaving blacks out of its Corktown story, the paper's public editor addressed the lack of diversity in a follow-up, and the writer said she regretted not including a black-owned business. (A more recent Times story takes a wider-ranging view.)

It's not difficult to find a black business owner to speak with, though. There are more than 32,000 in the city, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures from 2007. Many, particularly those who have kept their businesses going on shoestring budgets, feel excluded from conversations about Detroit's revival and overlooked when it comes to getting access to funds and resources.

"I think, for the most part, black-owned businesses are not getting a piece of the pie," bookstore owner Janet Jones told The Huffington Post. "What about people who have been doing the hard work of living and working and having business in Detroit for the last 20 years?"

What do you think?

Megan McArdle: Part-Time Workers Deserve the Shift, Not the Shaft

To start this piece from Bloomberg's Megan McArdle isn't dismissive of low-wage retail jobs. Indeed the argument here is that right now it's difficult to find a full-time job to make a decent income. Another argument is mandating how much a business should pay their employees could cause more harm than good.

Conclusion: "Ultimately, this comes back to the weak job market. As long as the demand for low-skilled labor significantly lags the supply, workers will continue to struggle. Unfortunately, legislators can’t mandate a strong labor market. So we’re apt to end up mandating more labor market rigidity instead."

Via Instapundit!

These jobs are going away...

According to this article. It includes newspaper reporters, mail carriers, print workers, and even travel agents. I don't understand why farmers and flight attendants are going away. I would imagine they're always necessary in some capacity, food isn't going to grow and care for itself and passengers on a flight need attention the pilots can't get to them. Hopefully all these predictions won't come to fruition.

Wrestling nostalgia again

[VIDEO] I was about to get excited last night when watching Monday Night Raw last night I heard a familiar tune and it meant that the wrestler Sting might return to wrestling in a WWE ring. Instead what I saw was a commercial which featured Sting in a WWE produced video game. But the tune as it was presented was perfect, it should even be a recorded theme for Sting should WWE want to evoke those WCW memories.

Sting was a stalwart of WCW until it was purchased by WWE (which sometimes I still refer to as WWF on this blog) and refused to work for that company even as many of his colleagues had. For a few years he had been a star in TNA - Total Nonstop Action Wrestling which you may often see on Thursdays on SpikeTV. Earlier this year he left that company.

I've found some rumors that suggest he could come to WWE but so far he's talked about his former tag team partner - the man who became the Ultimate Warrior who's since passed away - and his likeness to be seen in a wrestling video game. Beyond that who knows what the future may hold for the Stinger!

BTW, I've been watching wrestling for a long time. Long enough to remember that Sting wasn't always this "Crow'" like character. He was often seemingly a colorful surfer dude character with color ring attire and facepaint in addition to a short haircut which was blond. I barely remember or even noticed that slowly his appearance began to change with longer and darker hair although the character when I started watching Sting was largely in tact.

Things changed when the NWO (New World Order) came along and according to the angle at the time no-one trusted Sting because the NWO had started parading around an impostor. Things came to a head at a WCW PPV and the distrust was certainly there as Sting's partners in an 8-man tag match didn't trust him in spite of him attacking his impostor.

Now that helps sets up this video and sets his full turn into the "Crow" like character. He starts dressing less colorfully and is often seen in black & white. Facepaint ring attire and all with much more dramatic music. It was a dramatic turnaround and Sting did much less talking and more swinging with a baseball bat as he continued to fight the NWO. Anyway before his full turn he gave a promo that further sets his storyline along.

BTW, sometimes in wrestling storylines could change in the blink of an eye and sometimes they are plans that are executed in advance. Who knows Sting's eventual change in appearance was planned in advance or this was his wish who knows. But it sure made watching WCW at one point in time compelling.

ALSO, I'm stilling trying to figure out the "Insane Icon" era in TNA. Sting was often referred to as an icon, but at some point he started emulating The Dark Knight's version of The Joker as portrayed by the late Heath Ledger. However Sting is still considered the good guy right?

FINALLY, it appears Sting may well find himself in a WWE ring. If this article is to be believed perhaps he may have one more match and at that against the Undertaker!

Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool

This oasis of a busy city is located on the north side's Lincoln Park - an expansive green space not far from the Magnificient Mile. I spend some time here and recall it being a true oasis and perhaps a place to relax.

One could sit here and listen to some music just to watch the pond or some waterfalls nearby. It's very quiet aside from the people strolling around. And apparently it's used to weddings as well.

I have some video that I'm working on shot on my iPhone. Perhaps I need to figure out a 15 sec version of a video to share here. I promise it will be relaxing.

Here's a website about this National Historic Landmark.

Gizmodo: My Month With 2004's Most Exciting Phone

Wow! The Motorola Razr from 2004 was the most exciting phone of its time. It certainly was a nicely designed phone and 10 years later it's a flip supplanted by these so-called smartphones. Imagine still using a Razr in 2014 even after using a smartphone especially an iPhone.

And then it hits me, if you use certain services such as AT&T it's difficult to switch to another phone just by placing the SIM card into the other phone. When I upgraded to the BlackBerry early in this decade I learned I couldn't just move the SIM back to my Razr. And the iPhone would make that more difficult.

Still at least this reporter for Gizmodo tried it and well refers to this experience as "razr burn" (via Instapundit). Ya know I could believe it as most flips doesn't have the amenities of a smartphone. While the camera phone was a great idea when it was first manufactured back it became common it wasn't like today's camera phones.

Still now I would like to try for a month with merely a flip phone like I used to. BTW many of the mobile pics taken between 2007 to about 2009 were from my own Motorola Razr.

C-SPAN Cities Tour - Jackson: Civil Rights Museum Special Collections

[VIDEO] Another reason to visit Jackson, Mississippi in the future. I've made many trip to the Magnolia State especially to my family's hometown of Mound Bayou, Mississippi in addition to other locales such as Port Gibson, Louisville, Greenville, and Tunica. In addition to at least passing through Vicksburg and Tupelo.

The places I've yet to visit in that state is Hattiesburg which has a family connection, Biloxi, and of course Jackson. A few years ago I had the opportunity to pay a visit to Jackson, however, time constraints nixed that opportunity!

C-Span speaks with Mississippi's Museum Division director of collections Cindy Garner who discusses the many items connected with that state's role in the Civil Rights Movement. So if there is going to be a Civil Rights Museum in Jackson, paying the capital city of Mississippi would be a worthwhile trip.