Paul Ryburn's Journal

A two-block neural nexus has been announced to be built at Union and Ida B. Wells/Fourth. What’s that you ask? It’s a combination of live, work, stay, and public spaces producing an environment conducive to the fast development of AI technology.

Former veep Kamala Harris will speak at the Orpheum on January 15. The stop is part of Harris’ national book tour. Tickets go on sale this Friday. Order her book: 107 Days

Today is National Have a Bagel Day. Hive Bagel on S. Front is the place to celebrate Downtown. Although, this holiday makes me miss hanging out at Otherlands in Midtown.

Beer recommendation: I was just at Bardog, where a rep commented that High Cotton Sandy Claus has been selling like wildfire. Description on Untappd: “Winter Seasonal. Brewed with Pecan Sandies Cookie finished with in-house roasted pecans, cinnamon, and nutmeg.”

An Uber Eats driver is accused of stealing several packages from a Downtown apartment building’s lobby after dropping off McDonald’s to a resident.

University of Memphis AD Ed Scott asked Nick Saban for a reference before hiring new head football coach Charles Huff.

Get deals before & after Grizzlies games. Nice to see Max’s Sports Bar’s shuttle to and from FedExForum is back.

Ireland is the 2026 Memphis in May honored country.

My chances of getting in Room in the Inn tonight look decent, so I’m gonna give that a shot. If I don’t get picked, I’ll head to Earnestine & Hazel’s and see friends. I haven’t had a night out in a while and I need one badly and I need to get it in before the wind chill drops to 9 Sunday morning.

Back tomorrow with a Frupdate.

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Ja Morant is buying 250 Grizzlies fans tickets to Friday’s 7 PM home game against the Utah Jazz. Want to get in on that action? Be in FedExForum’s Grand Lobby today at 2 PM. First come, first served, limit 2 tickets per adult.

Once a Coug, always a Coug: Grizz rook Cedric Coward is having the time of his life playing alongside all of his teammates, but especially Jaylen Wells who also played for Washington State.

The CA speculates on when there might be an In-N-Out Burger location in the Memphis area. There are now three in Middle Tennessee.

Take a quiz: What dog breed is right for you? I got “greyhound.” But the correct answer is “cat.”

In case you don’t keep up with world news, Cambodia and Thailand are fighting.

Back tomorrow with more news.

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Feeling much better today.

The DMC is sponsoring a week-long pop-up holiday shoppe at suite 175 of the 100 Peabody Place office tower December 16-22. There will be 12 local vendors curated by local entrepreneurs. Gourmet hot cocoa bar, holiday workshops.

WhatNow reports that Soul & Spirits Brewing at 845 N. Main is expanding its outdoor presence with a new patio, a dog park, and an area for food trucks.

Cheers to Ghost River on Beale on their recent 100 on their health inspection.

Beginning this Thursday, Itta Bena will offer its customers a complimentary valet service.

Ballet Memphis’ The Nutcracker is at the Orpheum this weekend.

Back tomorrow with more news.

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The chess club is closed today for maintenance. I relocated to the Saucer but that is not as good an environment for composing blog posts. So I’m gonna keep this brief.

Memphis Tigers football plays NC State in the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa on Friday, Dec. 19.

Our city’s own Liberty Bowl on Friday, Jan. 2 will feature the Navy Midshipmen vs. the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Full bowl schedule

Sorry, y’all,, my Parkinson’s is acting up really bad today. I’ll try again tomorrow.

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HOOOOO HOOOOO HOO HOOSIERS! My friend Randy is a happy man this morning after Indiana upset Ohio State to claim the Big Ten title and presumably the top seed in the college football playoff. The CFP selection show is at 11 AM today on ESPN.

Gift shop Feelin’ Memphis at 509 S. Main is having a Jingle and Mingle today 1-4 PM. Free hot chocolate and apple cider. Free goodie bags to the first 60 people. Special visits by Ron Olson, David Lynch, and Jade Miller. Live music, holiday discounts. Also stop by Muse and Old South Florist nearby for holiday open houses.

The Grizz host Portland today at 5 and it’s Adoptable Pet Night. TV: FanDuel Sports

Memphis Medical District Collaborative has a holiday market today noon-3 at Ugly Art, 635 Madison. Free gift wrapping. Boys’ choir and DJ. Food, cocktails, hot chocolate.

For my service industry readers: 10 cities with the best tippers. NO, Memphis did not make the list. Number one: Denver.

CeQuita Monique plays a Jazz Jam pop-up concert at Center for Southern Folklore this afternoon at 2.

Today is National Cotton Candy Day.

Charles Huff is the new head football coach at the University of Memphis. He’s a former associate head coach and running backs coach at Bama. He’s also known as a top recruiter.

Cordelia’s Market will have a holiday open house 5:30-7:30 PM Wednesday with more than 20 local vendors.

MemphisWeather.net posted that a light wintry mix is possible 3-10 PM today. Extra care should be taken on bridges and elevated roadways.

The Memphis Irish Society will have its 2025 Ceili (party) at Memphis Made Brewing 1-4 this afternoon. Irish dance lessons, silent auction, raffle. $10 at the door.

Back tomorrow with more news.

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Today is Bartender Appreciation Day.

The Grizzlies host the L.A. Clippers tonight at 7. There’s a Friday Buckets & Brews ticket special. Fans in attendance get a pair of City Edition sunglasses. TV: Action News 5

Drew & Ellie Holcomb’s Neighborly Christmas comes to the Orpheum tonight.

Silly Goose will open at 8 AM tomorrow for the race.

CARB UP: Kooky Canuck will have $9.99 all-you-can-eat spaghetti today.

Check out details of former Memphis football HC Ryan Silverfield’s new deal with Arkansas. He’ll make $6.5 million this year.

Christmas music by the MDs will headline a tacky sweater party Saturday at 6 at Downtown Wiseacre.

Half a dozen galleries will be open for Saturday’s Edge District Art Crawl. 5-9 PM.

Free pics with Santa tonight and next Friday night 5-7 on Beale Street.

Take a survey on what you’d like to see in the Cossitt Library’s West Wing renovation.

Union Ave. between Danny Thomas and B.B. King is already closed for the race tomorrow.

Cyrena Wages plays Hotel Pontotoc’s Garden Stage Saturday 6-9.

Celebrate Christmas with C.S. Lewis at the Halloran Centre Saturday. 2 PM and 7:30 PM performances.

Enjoy salsa by the fire including a free dance lesson from a Rumba Room instructor at Fire Pit Friday today 4:30-6:30 in Tom Lee Park.

There will be a holiday artists’ mixer tonight 6-8 at Contemporary Arts Memphis, 652 Marshall. Free food by Chef Eli, free drinks, some NICE door prizes.

No update tomorrow because of the race. Back Sunday.

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Peppermint cake at the Memphis Chess Club

Looking for a warm, cozy place to work or chill? Try the mezzanine of the Memphis Chess Club. Heat rises. When it’s 70 in the main dining area, it’s about 76 up there.

The latest CBS Sports bowl projections have Memphis vs. Arkansas State in the Birmingham Bowl Monday, December 29. For the Liberty Bowl in Memphis on January 2, they project TCU vs. Tulane.

Today is National Cookie Day. Makeda’s at 301 Jefferson, Cookie Plug and Butteriffic on Second, and Insomnia Cookies on Beale Street would be my recommendations to celebrate.

Get 20% off food now through Sunday at the following restaurants when you show your St. Jude race registration, bib, or medal.

• Bardog, 73 Monroe
• Aldo’s Pizza Pies, 100 S. Main
• Slider Inn, Mulberry at Talbot
• Momma’s, E.H. Crump Blvd. at Kentucky

RIP Steve Cropper of Booker T & the MGs.

Back tomorrow with a Frupdate.

I gratefully accept tips: 
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Last night the regular first-Tuesday-of-the-month guest preacher at the Union Mission canceled. The reason was that he and nearly his entire family had come down with COVID.

It’s still around, folks. Just a reminder.

Let’s look at college football games of interest this weekend:

Friday

• Troy at 25 James Madison, Sun Belt championship, 6:00 PM, ESPN
• 24 North Texas at 20 Tulane, AAC championship, 7:00 PM, ABC

Saturday

• 11 BYU vs. 4 Texas Tech, Big 12 championship, 11:00 AM, ABC
• 3 Georgia vs. 9 Alabama, SEC championship, 3:00 PM, ABC
• 2 Indiana vs. 1 Ohio State, Big Ten championship, 7:00 PM, FOX
• Duke vs. 17 Virginia, ACC championship, 7:00 PM, ABC

Itta Bena will have a Veuve Clicquot dinner Thursday, December 11 at 6:30 PM. Four courses paired with champagne, plus a warm welcome. $150+. Reserve your spot

Today is Green Bean Casserole Day. If you celebrate, invite me!

The Beale Street Christmas parade on Saturday, December 13 has been moved up an hour to 1:00 PM. That’s likely because of the 2:30 tip that day for Tigers-Louisville basketball.

Tonight the Tigers host New Orleans at 7. TV: ESPN+

Amber Rae Dunn, Sydney Carty, Zach Borenstein, and Ashtyn Miller play Songwriter Night at South Main Sounds Friday at 7. On Saturday, you can catch Amber and her band at Central BBQ Downtown at 6.

MPD is ready to keep Downtown safe and the traffic flowing Saturday for the St. Jude Marathon.

Back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
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Saturday is going to be a HUGE day Downtown, with

• The St. Jude Marathon (and half-marathon, 10K, 5K, etc.) in the morning
• Bars crowded all day with people watching conference championship football games
• Memphis vs. Baylor men’s basketball at 3:30 at FedExForum
• The annual Stumbling Santa pub crawl, over 1000 expected, departs from Flying Saucer at 7 PM
• NEEDTOBREATHE at the Orpheum

Allow EXTRA, EXTRA, EXTRA time driving Downtown that day, especially between 6 AM and noon, and expect to pay EXTRA, EXTRA, EXTRA to park and to walk EXTRA, EXTRA, EXTRA far from your parking space to your destination. But you know what? If just one kid beats cancer without their family receiving a bill, it’s worth every bit of the EXTRA, EXTRA, EXTRA. Check out the guide to navigating the marathon.

Bardog will open early for the race at 7:30 with bartenders Magic Mike and (back for one day only) Allie Cat. I plan on being there supporting the runners by drinking PBR.

The University of Memphis is without a football coach as Arkansas hired Ryan Silverfield on Sunday.

The Grizzlies have added two games to their schedule after being eliminated from the NBA Cup:

• Dec. 12 vs. Utah
• Dec. 15 at L.A. Clippers

Tonight the Grizz play at San Antonio at 7. TV: FanDuel Sports

Vandy 45, Tennessee 24… I bet the Vols will fall out of the CFP Top 25 tonight. I hope they get invited to a bowl on the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia.

Classic horror movie fans, check out this article about Monsters on Beale.

Earth has a new most populous city – Jakarta, Java, Indonesia.

Jay’s Coffee and Cuisine will have its grand opening of its Memphis location Friday at 11. 122 Gayoso in the old Tamp & Tap space.

The South Main Association has its holiday party at Havenhaus next Tuesday. DJ Alpha Whiskey, “epic” raffle, drinks, snacks. Free for SMA members, $30 non-members.

Soul & Spirits will have a Swiftie Party next Friday, December 12 to celebrate TSwift’s birthday. Bracelet making and themed sandwiches, drinks, and trivia.

The Peanut Shoppe is now open 7 days a week through Christmas.

Sorry for no post Sunday-Monday. Nothing major is/was wrong. Rather, it was death by a thousand cuts as many little nuisances popped up. The wind was killing me, my backpack got so full I had trouble putting it on, one of my hangouts got unexpectedly busy Monday and another was unexpectedly closed. Today I am considerably less stressed out.

It’s too cold to stay out, so the Mission is gonna get my 6 bucks tonight. Back tomorrow.

I gratefully accept tips: 
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Pre-sale tickets are now available for Baron Von Opperbean, the “immersive experience” being installed on Mud Island. The first phase of the museum opens Saturday, March 7.

A body was found Friday morning at Danny Thomas and Jefferson.

Today is Jerry “The King” Lawler’s 76th birthday.

Today is Small Business Saturday. I recommend celebrating with a little shopping at Feelin’ Memphis, 509 S. Main.

Fresh off a 38-19 Egg Bowl win, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is expected to announce his plans for the future today. LSU is said to be throwing money at him. Just don’t take a huge step backwards and return to Tennessee, Kif.

Recovering from a case of food poisoning. Rough night last night. It seems to have passed today so I’ll be out.

Back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
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