Category: Mount Vernon

Unemployed – It’s not so liberating

July 16th, 2007 · · Mount Vernon, Technology 4 comments - Tags:

Okay, the first week or two of being unemployed were kind of nice. Accomplished a few menial tasks around the house, put in the outside faucet, and generally played housewife.

Now I’m 1.5 months into this experience, and I’m tired of it. I want employment. Better yet, I want to employ myself. I’m still scouring Monster.com, HotJobs, classifieds, and everyone I know, but I can’t find anything around here that I fit or that provides anywhere near the income I had.

I’m feeling good about my resume and my abilities though. If/when something pops-up, I will be able to present myself well. My experience and ability to learn new things will help me in my ever-elusive pursuit. Just have to convince interviewers of that fact.

Heck, I taught myself the ins and outs of GSM phone service. I busted my hump and they created a position for me, so I must have done something right. Bernard took me under his wing and kicked me in the right direction while I was feeling my way around Linux and “adminning”.

I’ve taken an advert out in the Sentinel to test the waters for PC service. We’ll see how many more calls I get on that in the next few days. That would be awesome to do for a living, but we’ll see how it goes.

Today, I launch Dan’s PC Service

July 13th, 2007 · · Mount Vernon, Technology One comment - Tags: ,

In today’s Mount Vernon Sentinel, my advertisement for a startup PC service business begins running. Granted, it is a soft start, but I don’t want to dive in headfirst and hit concrete.

There are multiple repair/installation shops in town and all are doing well. As a matter of fact, a couple are expanding. In my favor – I have no overhead, I am my own boss, hours are what I make them, I will be much cheaper than any of the other shops currently in operation, I don’t treat people like idiots when they ask PC questions.

Hopefully I will at least be able to help a few clients secure their PC’s and perhaps clean them or help them stay clean of malicious code.

Please pray for my endeavor and hope my phone blows up with phone calls.

Oh, customers@danvoyles.us if you want to refer anyone.

🙂

Journalism – Is it worth a shot? Sure.

July 12th, 2007 · · Mount Vernon No comments - Tags:

The Mount Vernon Sentinel has a listing for a “general assignment” writer here in town. I’m going to submit my resume.

Yes, I know I’m a geek, and you should too if you know me very well. Writing has always been something that I enjoy however, and this could be my shot. My grammar, spelling, and punctuation are great. I love creating. Submitting my resume can get me laughed at by their staff at worst, right?

I know, everyone loves hearing their own voice (writing). Grammar, spelling, and punctuation are pretty much moot points given spell-check and grammar-check. Still, I have nothing to lose by pursuing my dream.

Maybe I can be successful and make a career of it. At least I would enjoy what I do instead of being stuck in an office all day or working an assembly line. Both are fine for some people, just not me.

I know reporting isn’t all sunshine and roses, or chasing down excitement and scandal. It also isn’t assembling widgets day in and day out. Routine is good, but it can quickly lead to a rut.

Kids’ Alley at Salute to Freedom

June 27th, 2007 · · Illinois, Jaycees, Mount Vernon No comments - Tags: , ,

In one week the Mount Vernon Jaycees will bring back Kids’ Alley to the Salute to Freedom. For the past several years there has been little other than concessions and fireworks at the Salute. Different people have conflicting stories about why the Jaycees gave control of the Salute back to the city/Tourism Bureau, but we are back with entertainment for kids this year.

We have created skee-ball, tic-tac-toe, a basketball shoot, ducky pond (for small children), face-painting, dart toss/balloon pop, and a frisbee throw. There should be no shortage of activities to keep the kids busy until the fireworks display begins at dusk.

There will be prizes given to every participant, with larger prizes for successful participants. There will also possibly be a trade-up option where 3 small prizes can be traded for a medium, and 3 medium prizes for a large prize. We have yet to firmly decide if we will offer the trade-up option yet.

Thankfully, we did spend more on prizes than most people will expect. There will be no super-cheap “spider-ring” prizes at our booths. Everyone will get a prize, and we believe they are good prizes.

The games will cost $1/each/try. We believe that is a fair cost to have some entertainment and a guarantee you won’t walk away empty handed.

We were just informed this evening that we will have a handmade American flag afghan to be raffled off as well. Tickets for this drawing will be $1/each as well, or 6/$5. It is a little warm for an afghan right now, but it does look nicely done.

That’s my summary of the Jaycees activities at the Mount Vernon Salute to Freedom on July 4th. We will open with the gates at 5PM and stay open as long as we have prizes, or until the fireworks display starts.

So, B&B’s are bad, yet we have how many Payday/Title loan joints?

May 26th, 2007 · · Mount Vernon 2 comments - Tags: , , ,

I read somewhere that the rule of thumb is one or two within a mile stretch, the neighborhood is in a decline; three or more, roll up your windows and lock your doors. Next time you’re driving through Crack (Mt.) Vernon, count how many you can find. Get the whole family involved, make a game of it. Then when you’re done with that, count all of the pawn shops and dollar stores. Now add it all up. Now divide by 11.6 (total square miles in the Mt. Vernon city limits). Come back and tell me what you get.

Bed and Breakfasts = Bad

Hair Salons (remember that one?) = Bad

Steakhouse/Package Liquor = Bad

I think you get the idea.  Predatory lenders that charge an average of 300-400% interest, pawn shops and dollar stores everywhere you look? We’re sort of fine with those.

Have you ever driven through East St. Louis? No, I don’t mean passing it by on 64 on your way to St. Louis, I mean through it. I have. Know what they have lots of? Payday/Title Loan shops, dollar stores and pawn shops.

How about instead of getting our proverbial panties in a bunch over a bed and breakfast or a restaurant that wants to serve (*gasp*) alcohol, let’s focus our concern where it really belongs.

I know someone out there is reading this and is just itching to jump in and say I’m biased against poor people, I want to close down all the pawn shops and dollar stores, etc. Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but I’m not. My point is that we need to fight to improve our image. All of the bitching and general douchebaggery needs to stop.  We all need to get our heads out of our collective asses and think. We also need to realize and accept that we can’t please everyone all the time. However, that is no reason for an entire city to remain stagnant. Shut up, get over it and let’s move on.

XOXO,

Emily