Aaron Ewer

We are always recruiting for drivers and our best ad responses always come from the Craigslist post that I run every few days. The problem with Craigslist readers is that you have a braod spectrum of applicants, from guys with a masters degree to retired fellows to girls looking for extra money without having to pay for a babysitter. I never know what I’m going to get when I answer the phone.

Tonight I had a call from a young lady that said she had a question to ask before I went into the details of the job. She asked if not having a social security card would be a problem? WTF? So then she goes on to explain that she is here in America on a student visa, and that students are not supposed to work for the first year they are here on their visa. After they have been here for that first year, then they can apply for a social security card. so she’s not supposed to work but she wants a job with my company. Um, no, but thanks for calling.

Actually, I am not that familiar with visas and green cards, but I can tell you that I will never knowingly do anything to try to circumnavigate our immigration laws. I will have to check on that visa stipulation about not working the first year - I’ve not heard of that before and I’m not sure I understand the logic in it. But I do know that if you don’t have a social security card, you can’t work for me.

I’ve been percolating on a business idea that involves advertising for small businesses and I think the time is getting ripe to launch it in the next year or two. I won’t go into the details here, but it involves a custom made display for use in regional malls and I think I finally came up with the design that would work for my idea.

I’ve been looking at the mall kiosks and pushcarts and know that what they have available at the malls now won’t really adapt well for my use. So I started looking online for companies that make displays and found the Godfrey Group. I like their web site because it has lots of photos and good ideas of what other people have designed and use for their businesses. Of course, most of what is out there was designed for trade show displays. But I think it can be easily adapted for use in the malls, too.

I clicked on their tab for custom designs and found a lot of good information. And the Godfrey Group has a best price guarantee. So I can’t go wrong working with the Godfrey Group to fine tune my display design and get my new business launched early next year.

The “Legally Speaking” show has a variety of legal specialties represented on the show, so callers have a good chance of reaching someone who can answer just about any kind of question. One of the lawyers on the radio show specializes in personal injury cases and he handled a call the other night while I was listening that brought up some issues that I hadn’t considered but he must hear it all the time. What happens after a car wreck and you can’t work and have to pay your bills?

Obviously the common advice is to have set aside savings to carry you through emergencies like this. But I know a lot of people, if not most people, just don’t have the money to put enough away to handle a serious emergency. If the accident is not your fault, then most people are going to want to get a lawyer and sue the other people and their insurance company. But that can take over a year to get to court. So what do you do in the meantime?

What the lawyer suggested was getting in touch with a company that provides funding based on their opinion of whether you have a good enough case to win in court. It;s not that hard to look at the other court cases out there and see what kind of settlements they have awarded and compare the facts of your case to the ones that have already been successful. So if this lawsuit finance company thinks you have a good case, they advance you the money you need to pay your house payment or rent, keep the lights one, etc.

I’ve been working on a web site for a group of local lawyers who have their own radio show on the AM talk radio station here, 1510 WLAC. The cool thing about AM radio is that late at night the broadcast signal goes really far and this show can be heard in 33 states and 3 countries on a regular car or truck radio. Plus it is broadcast live on the internet, so it can actually be heard all over the world.

It’s an interesting show - the lawyers take calls on the air from real people and help them explore their options and explain their legal standing. You can learn a lot from listening every week.

My cell phone is too much for me to handle. I have to admit it, but I hate no idea ow to use three quarters of the features and options that are on it. I don’t even know how to take a picture with the damn thing.

Although I’m not that big a fan of the downloaded ringtones and fancy wallpapers, I came across a website that had a really catchy tune that was available as a downloadable ringtone. So, I thought, “It will be pretty unique and even maybe a conversation starter, so I’ll give it a try.” There were multiple screens and info fields to fill in, so I worked my way through mot of them. Then it came down to the question of which type of cell phone do I have? Well, on the front of the phone it says, “Nokia” and that is all it says anywhere on the phone or in the 4 thousand option menus built into the phone display. I have absolutely no idea what damn model number this is and no idea of how to find out.

So forget about the cute ringtone I wanted. I guess I should feel fortunate that the damn thing rings any tune at all and allows me to talk on it.