25 November 2009

The Backup Bedside Gun Rack for Home Protection

I have been consulting recently with a firm looking for new innovative ways to market their product online.  The product is called The Backup and it is the only gun rack that I have found that puts you in the position to protect your home from an intruder from your bed in a matter of a second.  Other methods for home invasion are just not going to work when you are sleeping in bed. 

Anyway, I'm happy to help this company out in thinking in new ways.  Let me know what you think.

There is a video of it here on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsV50T5uEyw&feature=player_embedded

You can buy it online for $39.95 with free shipping and handling in case you are interested: http://www.home-backup-protection.com/buy/shopping_cart.php

I have placed a description of the product below.  If you have any ideas on how to market it uniquely (dare I say virally) then please comment back or email me.

--

The Back-Up is a rack that allows you to keep your shotgun within easy reach. Many people keep their guns on a bed stand, under a bed, in a closet or standing in a corner. However, none of these locations are safe because they do not give you easy access to your defensive tool when you really need it. Protection is effective only when it is readily available and easily used. Our unique patented design gives you quick and easy access to your protective device, while conveniently staying out of the way.

03 November 2009

Great Opportunity for Mid-South Non-Profit Leader

Just read this in the Memphis Daily News here: http://www.memphisdailynews.com/editorial/Article.aspx?type=digest&date=11/2/2009

Inner Circle to Sponsor Nonprofit Exec. Membership

Inner Circle of the Mid-South will sponsor one membership for a local nonprofit executive through its "Join the Inner Circle" scholarship program.

Nonprofit executives are invited to submit a video entry describing their organization, its mission and why an Inner Circle membership would be beneficial to achieving that mission.

Entries should be submitted by Friday at http://join.theinnercircle.com. The three finalists will be notified Nov. 16 to set up personal interviews. The winner will be announced Dec. 7.

Inner Circle is an international peer advisory group franchise. It serves as an interactive think tank, offering monthly facilitated peer group sessions for business owners and executives to provide insights, experiences, connections and advice.

The membership is valued at $5,800.

For more information, visit www.innercirclemidsouth.com.


12 May 2009

Stax Founder on why Sk8Mud

Great articulation. Have to post it here and then tweet it out.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T


From: sherman
Date: Tue, 12 May 2009 16:12:57 -0700 (PDT)
To: <eric.mathews@gmail.com>
Subject: [The Gates of Memphis] New comment on SK8Mud.

sherman has left a new comment on the post "SK8Mud":

When we were working on raising money for the Stax Museum, I met with a suburban banker--much like Skatelife meets with people behind the scenes all the time. He insisted we should build the Stax Museum not on its original site, but on Beale St. where "the people were." This was inconsistent with our vision for building a monument to the greatest soul record label on its original site.

The reason why you would build a skatepark on the 100 year empty spot at the end of mud island is it would be a major worldwide attraction for skaters from all over the world to "skate on the Mississippi." This would be the only spot on the largest river in the U.S. to skate. It would be a major visitor draw to Memphis & Mud Island, unlike the current situation. Memphis & regional skaters would also be able to enjoy this amenity in droves.

There is no reason why a cafe or snack bar cannot work there. In fact, I would love to be able to grab a bite to eat, a coffee or beer, and watch the skaters there. It will be an awesome experience for those who want to sit on the floating dock & watch from Beale St. too.

Joggers can currently use that space. So can walkers. Very few do.

Post a comment.

Unsubscribe to comments on this post.

Posted by sherman to The Gates of Memphis at 6:12 PM

Sk8Mud Info

This gives you a look at the Sk8 Park on Mud Island -- I hope that we can get the Sk8 Park built there and have a culminating experience such as hosting the X-Games upon completion.
 
For more on the debate on both sides see the Gates of Memphis Blog:

20 April 2009

Mercury Supporting LaunchMemphis and Entrepreneurship at TechFuel

Mercury Technology Labs proudly supports LaunchMemphis and the TechFuel to be held Thursday.

What happens when you
--fly in two top thinkers in innovation, culture, technology, and media for a panel discussion,
--retain the services of an international renown DJ,
--serve up good food and drink,
--get great supporters of entrepreneurship like Southern Growth Studios and MPACT Memphis
--and invite entrepreneurs, technologists, and new media mavens to chill for two hours?

You get the extravaganza LaunchMemphis calls TechFuel.

I hope you will take the time to join us, Adrian Ho, C.C. Chapman, and DJ Mr. White for an evening unlike any other served up in Memphis.  The event will be held Thursday, April 23rd from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at EmergeMemphis (516 Tennessee Street, Memphis, TN).  It will be a great time for you to meet with your fellow technology, social media,  and startup enthusiasts.  There is no cost to attend, but we ask that you RSVP on Facebook here http://www.facebook.com/events.php#/event.php?eid=74847833872 or to techfuel@launchmemphis.com.


About the Speakers

Adrian Ho, Founding Partner, Zeus Jones (Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area)
Adrian Ho is a founding partner at Zeus Jones. At Zeus Jones we believe actions speak louder than words, that modern brands are defined by what they do not what they say. We built our company around these beliefs. A company where strategy, creativity, design, digital expertise and user-experience flow directly into each other to solve business problems.  Adrian was formerly director of strategic planning at Fallon in Minneapolis.  Prior to that, Adrian worked at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners and at Anderson & Lembke both in San Francisco.  Adrian's thinking has been recognized by the IPA and EFFIEs. He is a former AAAA account planning committee member and co-chair of the national planning awards program.   Adrian is a regular speaker and writes about the evolution in brands and branding along with developments in technology at http://zeusjones.com/blog.
Web: http://www.zeusjones.com
Video: http://www.vimeo.com/384568
Blog: http://zeusjones.blogspot.com/

C.C. Chapman, Co-founder and Managing Partner, The Advanced Guard (Greater Boston Area)
C.C. Chapman is a new media maven and digital dad living in the Metro Boston area who loves public speaking and working with people to understand the future of media.  He is the Co-Founder and a Managing Partner of The Advance Guard. Formed in October 2007, The Advance Guard is a new media consultancy that creates radical marketing programs using emerging technology and community platforms. With offices in New York and Boston, their clients include American Eagle Outfitters, Coca-Cola, HBO, Verizon FiOS, Warner Bros and St. Martin¹s Press.
Web: Advanced Guard: http://www.theadvanceguard.com/
Blog and Podcast: Managing the Gray Blog: http://www.managingthegray.com/
Whitepaper on New Facebook: http://www.theadvanceguard.com/about_face_white_paper/

19 March 2009

Mathews: Speaking at UrbaNexus Event in Memphis

Next American City » Newsletter


Join Next American City from March 19 in MEMPHIS as we present the next installment of our URBANEXUS series! Full details below.

the SALON: The New Face of Civic Engagement

March 19, 6-8:30 PM
Stax Museum of American Soul Music
926 McLemore Avenue, Memphis

Join Next American City for the next installment in our URBANEXUS series. The salon will feature a collaboration between seven local representatives discussing the role of civic engagement in moving Memphis forward. Each presenter will use 4 slides per minute for 4 minutes to share how their organizations are making creative approaches toward civic engagement. An audience Q&A and a reception will immediately follow the presentations.

Admission is free for all attendees. RSVP and subscribe now at americancity.org/urbanexus/memphis.

Gwyn R. Fisher joined MPACT Memphis as Executive Director in August 2008. While previously serving as a law clerk, Gwyn published several articles on changes to the bankruptcy laws and helped implement a financial literacy training program in area high schools. She has served on the University of Memphis Law Review and is a 2008 graduate of Leadership Memphis’ FastTrack Program. She has also worked with Common Ground Memphis, Greater Memphis Greenline and United Methodist Neighborhood Center’s Refugee Relocation Program.

Eric Mathews is a devoted community member with interests in changing entrepreneurship and community engagement in the Mid-South region of the United States. He is the co-founder of Mercury Technology Labs LLC, a for-profit venture creation company and is also the co-founder of LaunchMemphis, a non-profit organization to support spontaneous entrepreneurial action.


Cardell Orrin does a broad range of community-based consulting through his company, Linx Consulting. In 2004, he co-founded New Path Political Action Committee, to get more people engaged and involved in the political process. Since that time, New Path PAC has helped a diverse set of 13 candidates run for a broad range of local offices.


Tim Sampson is the Communications Director for the Soulsville Foundation, the nonprofit parent company that operates the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Stax Music Academy and The Soulsville Charter School. He began work with the organization as a public relations consultant in 1998 with the Ewarton Board of Directors. He is the founding editor of The Memphis Flyer and former editor of Memphis magazine. He has been a freelance journalist for 20 years.

Derwin Sisnett is the Executive Director of the Power Center CDC, a Community Development Corporation in the Hickory Hill community. Aware of the social, economic and educational needs of Hickory Hill, the Power Center CDC recently sponsored and developed Power Center Academy (PCA), a charter middle school that focuses on entrepreneurship, financial literacy and high technology. The Power Center CDC partners with regional and national organizations to support the needs of the Hickory Hill community.

John Weeden is the Executive Director of UrbanArt, a non-profit organization dedicated to building a dynamic, vibrant and nurturing community through public art and design. He is a graduate of Rhodes College, the Sotheby’s Institute and the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College, with a concentration on contemporary art. His approach to civic engagement stresses the direct participation of communities expressing their identity and vision for the future through art and design elements in the public realm.

Other participants include Dr. Charlie Santo of Coalition for Livable Communities and a representative from Sustainable Shelby.

Special thanks to our local sponsors, MPACT Memphis, Sustainable Shelby and the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development, and to our partners, Urban Land Institute, Coalition for Livable Communities and Community Development Council.

people + place + ideas + discussion + food + drink + people + place + ideas + discussion + food + drink + people + place + ideas + discussion + food + drink

Mathews: Speaking at UrbaNexus Event in Memphis



Join Next American City from March 19 in MEMPHIS as we present the next installment of our URBANEXUS series! Full details below.

the SALON: The New Face of Civic Engagement

March 19, 6-8:30 PM
Stax Museum of American Soul Music
926 McLemore Avenue, Memphis

Join Next American City for the next installment in our URBANEXUS series. The salon will feature a collaboration between seven local representatives discussing the role of civic engagement in moving Memphis forward. Each presenter will use 4 slides per minute for 4 minutes to share how their organizations are making creative approaches toward civic engagement. An audience Q&A and a reception will immediately follow the presentations.

Admission is free for all attendees. RSVP and subscribe now at americancity.org/urbanexus/memphis.

Gwyn R. Fisher joined MPACT Memphis as Executive Director in August 2008. While previously serving as a law clerk, Gwyn published several articles on changes to the bankruptcy laws and helped implement a financial literacy training program in area high schools. She has served on the University of Memphis Law Review and is a 2008 graduate of Leadership Memphis’ FastTrack Program. She has also worked with Common Ground Memphis, Greater Memphis Greenline and United Methodist Neighborhood Center’s Refugee Relocation Program.

Eric Mathews is a devoted community member with interests in changing entrepreneurship and community engagement in the Mid-South region of the United States. He is the co-founder of Mercury Technology Labs LLC, a for-profit venture creation company and is also the co-founder of LaunchMemphis, a non-profit organization to support spontaneous entrepreneurial action.


Cardell Orrin does a broad range of community-based consulting through his company, Linx Consulting. In 2004, he co-founded New Path Political Action Committee, to get more people engaged and involved in the political process. Since that time, New Path PAC has helped a diverse set of 13 candidates run for a broad range of local offices.


Tim Sampson is the Communications Director for the Soulsville Foundation, the nonprofit parent company that operates the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Stax Music Academy and The Soulsville Charter School. He began work with the organization as a public relations consultant in 1998 with the Ewarton Board of Directors. He is the founding editor of The Memphis Flyer and former editor of Memphis magazine. He has been a freelance journalist for 20 years.

Derwin Sisnett is the Executive Director of the Power Center CDC, a Community Development Corporation in the Hickory Hill community. Aware of the social, economic and educational needs of Hickory Hill, the Power Center CDC recently sponsored and developed Power Center Academy (PCA), a charter middle school that focuses on entrepreneurship, financial literacy and high technology. The Power Center CDC partners with regional and national organizations to support the needs of the Hickory Hill community.

John Weeden is the Executive Director of UrbanArt, a non-profit organization dedicated to building a dynamic, vibrant and nurturing community through public art and design. He is a graduate of Rhodes College, the Sotheby’s Institute and the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College, with a concentration on contemporary art. His approach to civic engagement stresses the direct participation of communities expressing their identity and vision for the future through art and design elements in the public realm.

Other participants include Dr. Charlie Santo of Coalition for Livable Communities and a representative from Sustainable Shelby.

Special thanks to our local sponsors, MPACT Memphis, Sustainable Shelby and the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development, and to our partners, Urban Land Institute, Coalition for Livable Communities and Community Development Council.

people + place + ideas + discussion + food + drink + people + place + ideas + discussion + food + drink + people + place + ideas + discussion + food + drink

18 March 2009

Memphis Startup nRange: Free GPS Rangefinder for Golf

Memphis has a new startup on the scene with product rolling out. A friend of mine has developed a Golf GPS rangefinder app that runs on your Blackberry called nRange. The app has comparable accuracy to the Sky Caddie devices that cost hundreds of dollars. The app is still free, since they are still testing it. If you want to learn more, go to http://www.nRange.com

17 February 2009

06 January 2009

The Gates of Memphis: Failure in 2009

Thanks to Roy for believing in LaunchMemphis and the "fail fast" methods the we try to instill in the community.

The Gates of Memphis: Failure in 2009