Month: February 2007

(Edited to add: I just learned that student rush is only tonight and tomorrow – Tue and Wed.)

One of my regular blog readers sent the following, of interest to students/teachers who are interested in seeing Monty Python’s Spamalot at the Orpheum, which is playing today through Sunday:

You might want to let your blog readers know that there will be student
rush tickets available for Spamalot. I think they go on sale 20-30
minutes prior to the show’s start. Go to the box office and show a
student or teacher ID. I believe the price is $20 for two tickets.

Thanks for passing along the info.

Those of you who’ve seen me around town lately have probably been wondering to yourselves, “Is Paul EVER going to get a haircut? His hair’s been looking mighty scraggly lately.”

The answer is yes. This week. I’m going to a new stylist at City House Salon in the South Main district. And yes, I know my hair looks scraggly. It hasn’t been cut since November 2. For those of you who really have NOTHING better to do than read this blog, here’s a recap of my hair in 2006:

For most of the past year, I gave the stylist I’ve been going to carte blanche to do whatever he wanted with my hair. Generally this is what he has done:

The pic above was taken in mid-April, at the downtown crawfish festival. I won’t even venture a guess how many beers I had consumed by the time this pic was taken. I sure like to wear that shirt a lot, don’t I?

Anyway, that’s the way he cut it for most of the past year. I got my hair cut in May, then again on July 6 (I know that date because it’s the day after the Romanians returned to Memphis), let it grow for about eight weeks which is typical between haircuts, then made an appointment in early September.

“All right,” said the stylist. “This time we’re going to cut it a little bit shorter. Not SHORT, because I know you like hair, but shortER.”

I vetoed his idea. “Not this time,” I told him. “Halloween is not far away, and I need my hair to be long enough to wear in pigtails for my costume, as a Flying Saucer waitress.”

He thought it over for a minute. “All right, but JUST THIS ONE TIME,” he said. I assured him that after Halloween he could do whatever he wanted. So he trimmed my hair up but didn’t take any length off.

By late October, this is what my hair looked like:

Yes, I know what a complete doofus I look like there. I was posing a question to my blog readers, asking why Asians often make the V-sign when they pose for photographs. Anyway, by this point it was long enough to put in pigtails, I dressed up as a Saucer waitress and made $29 in tips, and after Halloween was over I made an appointment to get a haircut, on November 2.

Reaction to the new haircut was mixed. A lot of people said, “Great haircut, Paul, it looks MUCH better.” But there were also a lot of people who said, “NO! You cut your hair? WHY??? It looked so good long!”

Five days later, my friends and I decided to try EP Delta Kitchen, which had just opened. We took some pics and when I downloaded them, this is what I saw:

As I looked at that pic, I thought to myself, “You know, I’m starting to agree with the people who liked my hair better the way it was before.” The haircut I got on November 2 was a very good haircut… for someone else. It just doesn’t fit my personality, I think.

Around that time, I picked up a copy of the Downtowner magazine and flipped through it. There was an ad for City House Salon, which had recently opened, and I recognized one of the stylists’ names – I had met her in 1995 while at Club Six-1-Six for their Sunday disco night. The next day was the start of Spring semester classes, and her sister turned up as one of my algebra students at the U of M. I’ve been friends with both sisters ever since, even though I only bump into them around town occasionally.

So, I made a decision to give the sister who is a City House stylist a try next time around. But I needed to get my hair to grow back out long enough for her to have something to work with. So I resolved not to get another haircut until at least February 1st, and I’ve beaten that resolution by more than a week. I called City House and made an appointment for Wednesday – “bring chocolates,” the girl on the phone said. She could tell I was confused and added, “Just kidding… Wednesday is Valentine’s Day, you know.”

The good thing about the modern era is that I can construct visual aids using my computer. So, since she’s never cut my hair before, I’m printing out some photos. I have the April and November haircut photos shown above with “too short” next to them. Then I have the following photos:

These are listed as “minimum length from now on.” The first photo was taken for the RSDM website, and was taken about 7 weeks after I had gone in for a haircut. The second photo was taken about 7 weeks after the next haircut. I’ll have to be clear that in the second photo, I’m referring to MY hair as the minimum length, and not my buddy Chad’s. It was his plate party that night. I was about as wasted that night as I was at the crawfish fest.

I also included one which I labeled “maximum length”:

That’s how my my hair looked in early 2001, right after I moved back to Memphis from San Diego. It’s about as long as I’d ever want my hair to get again. No plans to grow the goatee back.

When I was home in Little Rock for Christmas I told my mother of my plans to grow my hair longer again in 2007. “Some people like it short, others liked it better when it was long,” I explained. “But the important thing is, I have to like it.”

“Well,” replied my mother, “The important thing is that your employer likes it.” This is one of these issues on which my mother and I are about 10,000,000 light years apart. In my world, if my employer disapproves of my hair, then it’s time to get a new employer, not a new hairstyle. Fortunately it’s not an issue with my current job, or anyplace I’ve worked in the last decade.

So by the end of this week you’ll see me with shorter hair. SLIGHTLY shorter. At least, hair that doesn’t look like it’s just been through a tornado.

– I have yet another new post on my other blog, A Better, Bigger Deal. I’m really committed to posting Deals at least every 48 hours, so keep your eye on that one.

– Don’t forget, tomorrow – Tuesday – which is likely today by the time most of you read this – is opening night for SPAMALOT, the Monty Python musical at the Orpheum, a takeoff on the Holy Grail movie. It will be at the Orpheum until Sunday the 18th. Need tickets? Get them here.

– Pulse, the Pink Floyd tribute band, will be back at Neil’s this Saturday, February 17th. My co-worker Louis, the band’s drummer, tells me that the show has gotten so popular that Neil has hired a light crew to back them – Neil PAID for this – that should tell you how good these guys are. Cover has gone up two bucks to $7, because these guys are worth it. Come out and hear them. Show starts at 9.

– I’m considering a road trip to East Bumblefuck on Saturday the 24th… The Dempseys are playing TJ Mulligan’s Sixty-Four (Houston Levee at US 64) that night, and for some reason I’m kinda curious what goes on in East B.F. and may show up. If anyone from that part of town (or my part of town) is interested in joining me, let me know. I’ll have to take it EXTREMELY easy on the alcohol (two drinks and that’s it) because TJ’s 64 is about a 20-mile drive from where I live.

– That’s all for now… Saucer waitress Earring Girl kept bringing me beer (why does she DO that?) this evening, so I’m finding it hard to type right now. More to come later…

Before we get started: Thanks to my regular bartender Josh I’ve updated my post on my other blog, A Better, Bigger Deal. 30 GB iPod Videos for $219.

These are a few of the very impressive organizations that had booths at the Mpact Memphis/Volunteer Memphis Non-Profit Expo last month. All of them, of course, do a lot of good for the community, but I picked out the several listed below as my favorites.

Door of Hope in Midtown, helps the homeless take the first steps back to a normal life. “The purpose,” their brochure explains, “is not to give overnight shelter or feed the hungry.” Other organizations in town fill those needs. Rather, it says, “Door of Hope’s purpose is to offer friendships – one-to-one relationships that are transformative for both participants.” Their mission is “to provide a welcoming place where people living on the streets may come to learn healthy living skills and to build positive relationships with other people.” Having followed The Homeless Guy’s blog for several years, I’ve learned that this is something the homeless need much more than a free meal or a dollar.

What does the Door of Hope request from volunteers? “Make a friend. Play a game of Scrabble.” Share a meal, a conversation, a laugh with the homeless who come in. That’s all. I know a lot of downtowners who read this blog often wonder what they can do that’s positive and constructive to address the homeless problem: This looks like a good place to start. They don’t seem to have a website so I’ll list their phone number (901-725-1140) that you can call for more information. (Hope that’s OK with Door of Hope – if you don’t want your number online let me know and I’ll remove it.)

Kids-N-Technology is a place where kids build their own computers and take them home. It gives kids 8-17 the chance to design, build, configure, upgrade, troubleshoot and repair personal computers, and they get to keep the computers. They also have a program that allows kids to earn certifications in computer technology and participate in a summer internship program. Their mission, stated in their literature, is to “provide an exceptional opportunity for underprivileged children to experience a prestigious pre-college technology program that provides an unparalleled learning experience that will last a lifetime.”

You can volunteer by donating money, volunteering to work with the kids, sponsoring a child, or coming on board as a business partner. Check out their website at www.kidsntechnology.net to get more info or to volunteer.

COMEC, the Commission on Missing and Exploited Children notes that 1.5 million children per year disappear from their homes for various lengths of time. 1 million of these are runaways, and 85% of the children who are sexually or otherwise exploited are missing from home at the time they are victimized. COMEC fights back with educational programs to prevent children from becoming victims, assistance in the location and identification of missing children, and the production of free photo IDs for parents that can be used to assist the police in the event of a search.

For more information and volunteer opportunities, visit their website at www.comec.org. Their literature says they have a Speaker’s Bureau that speaks to public, private and civic groups and PTAs about child abuse, child neglect, parental kidnapping, missing and exploited children, and teen substance abuse, so this might be a really good match for people with speaking and presentation skills.

The man at the South Memphis Alliance table really impressed me with his enthusiasm. He told me about their mission, to build an information network of community organizations to promote better services, education, and civic engagement. He stressed that there has been too much greed and corruption in the city and it’s time for a grass-roots movement to take Memphis back. Programs include a youth intervention project, youth wellness academy, family services, a SafePlace project for youths in crisis, a financial education assistance program, a neighborhood association development program, and a program to help low-to-moderate income people get every dollar of tax relief to which they’re entitled.

If these sound like programs you’d like to work on, the Alliance would be eager to work with you, whether or not you live in South Memphis. Contact them through their website at www.SMAweb.org.

The last organization, the only one I’ve previously mentioned on this blog, is New Path Memphis. New Path encourages young leaders to step forward and become part of the Memphis political scene. A non-partisan group, they support both Democrats and Republicans who believe as they do that “leaders should keep foremost in their minds the needs of their constituents and their role as servants to the people.” They provide services to these candidates including strategic planning, research, marketing, image development, fundraising and campaign management. I remember this organization from its start a few years ago, when they helped a dynamic young woman named Tomeka Hart win a seat on the city school board, ousting a 17-year incumbent who seemed to me to be more interested in his personal aggrandizement than the good of the children.

Within the organization they’re looking for volunteers to do event planning, fundraising, graphic design, member and volunteer recruitment, and technology/website management. On particular campaigns they’re looking for people to do database development/management, door-to-door canvassing, phone canvassing, work at poll locations, and people who will put a yard sign in their yard. Their website is www.newpathmemphis.org.

Yesterday I was surfing the Memphis Flyer’s site and noticed an article saying that former Shelby County mayor Bill Morris may be running for mayor of Memphis. That really surprised me. “Isn’t Bill Morris retired?” I thought to myself. “He hasn’t been involved in politics for 12 years. And I thought he and Mayor Herenton are friends – why would he run against the mayor?”

Well, after reading Thaddeus Matthews this morning, it makes more sense. Thad speculates that Morris is in the race at the invitation of King Willie, in an attempt to split the opposition vote enough ways to allow Willie to retain his mayor’s office. It’s speculation but it makes a lot of sense to me. Morris is well-liked and respected and would take a lot of votes away from Carol Chumney, Herman Morris and the other candidates.

I haven’t figured out who I’ll support for mayor… but it won’t be King Willie and it won’t be Bill Morris. Willie has done a lot for downtown but lately it seems like he’s more interested in doing for himself and his friends. It’s time for him to go.

Couple of things before we get to the main topic:

1. There’s a new post on my other blog, A Better, Bigger Deal. Today’s topic: How to find iPods below the manufacturer’s suggested retail price.

2. Correction to a previous post where I said that NTN Trivia is gone from Sleep Out Louie’s: It’s not gone, just suspended. They plan to close for renovations for a little while at some point in the next few months, and when they reopen NTN will be back. Glad to hear it, although I still have to question whether SOL is making a good move closing for renovations right as two other locals’ bars, Bar Dogs and the downtown Blue Monkey, open for business.

Okay, let’s get down to business.

As I continued to flip through this week’s Memphis Flyer, I noticed something new and different in the ad for TJ Mulligan’s Pinch: On Mondays they’re doing Team Pictionary. Pictionary, in case you haven’t heard of it, is a game kind of like charades, except you draw pictures rather than use gestures. It’s very popular with groups of friends who do “game night.”

I gotta applaud Mulligan’s for trying this, because it really shows they’re thinking outside the box. There are people who wouldn’t go to a bar to watch a football game or hear a band, but they would go to socialize with friends over a fun game. So Mulligan’s will be creating a new set of regulars, and as the people nearby (who live in Uptown or Mud Island) come on Mondays and get used to the place, they may start coming other nights of the week as well. That’s how you build yourself up as a neighborhood bar.

Me personally, I doubt I’ll be showing up for Team Pictionary night, not when my beautiful waitresses at the Saucer are serving $2.50 pints that night. But, I think it’s a brilliant move, and if you enjoy game nights with friends, this sounds like it would be worth checking out.

(Edited to add: Don’t forget that today’s the last day you can buy $25 gift certificates on sale for $5, or $10 for $1.50, and get a bonus $10 certificate free, redeemable at some of Memphis’ most well-known restaurants – Big Foot, Stella, Cafe Ole, Blue Plate Cafe, McEwen’s, Bhan Thai, Dan McGuinness downtown, and over 60 more. Here’s the link:

Save 50% on Dining Certificates and get a $10 certificate FREE! Use code SWEETHEART at checkout. Offer valid through 2/10/07.

Note: The main subject of today’s post, The Happy Mexican, is NOT on the list of restaurants accepting these certificates.

Edited again to add: Just noticed that the original Gus’s Fried Chicken, in Oakland, TN, accepts these certificates. Didn’t see the downtown one on the list though.)

A couple of months ago I reported on a rumor that I had heard, that Las Margaritas in the Artisan Hotel in Midtown was looking to take over The Happy Mexican, the Mexican restaurant at 385 South Second, a few blocks south of Beale.

Well, as I flipped through the Memphis Flyer today I found an ad for the Happy Mexican, and at the top it read, “Your amigos at Las Margaritas have now moved to The Happy Mexican – new menu!” So it looks like the rumor was true. The ad also listed their specials, a very impressive list. Here’s what they’ve got going on:

• On Mondays, 2-for-1 small lime margaritas
• On Tuesdays, 2-for-1 domestic bottles
• On Wednesdays, 2-for-1 import bottles
• On Thursdays, 2-for-1 pitchers
• On Fridays, jumbo Top Shelf margaritas for $7.99
• On Saturdays, Ultimate and Presidente jumbo margaritas for $7.99
• Lime margarita happy hour 3-7 PM Tuesday-Sunday

Those are the specials, but you should still grab a print copy of the Flyer and look for the ad (page 12 of the special dining section in the middle), because there’s a coupon for a free appetizer with the purchase of two entrees.

The dining section also has a coupon for a free appetizer (looks like there are no strings attached) for Cafe Toscana out east on page 13. And on page 11 they have a picture of the “Shirley Burger” at the Lamplighter in Midtown, and it looks like Shirley makes a fine burger indeed. In all the years I’ve been in Memphis I’ve never been to the Lamplighter – guess I’ll have to add it to my growing to-do list of places to eat.

I haven’t been down there to confirm this, but other Sleep Out Louie’s regulars who I trust tell me that the popular Downtown bar has discontinued their NTN Trivia game.

For those of you who don’t know what NTN is, it’s a nationwide trivia game that is played in bars and restaurants. A typical game consists of 15 questions and takes 30 minutes. Questions appear on monitors tuned to the trivia channel, and people playing in the restaurants answer on blue wireless boxes – often called “crack boxes” because NTN Trivia is about as addictive as crack. Daytime games generally don’t have a theme, but during prime-time they’ll run themed games about celebrity trivia (which The Nuh-Uh Girl dominated at SOL), sports trivia, music trivia, etc. They also have a poker channel where players can participate in a simulated Texas Hold ‘Em game.

Some of you are probably expecting me to go off on a rant against Sleep Out’s parent company, River City Management, for taking away NTN… but I’m not going to. I learned several months ago how much they were paying per week for it, and let’s just say it’s a lot. It was a business decision on River City’s part and I can’t blame ’em for making it.

Now, if they discontinue the $1 PBR on Sundays… THEN we’re gonna have a problem.

Enjoyed some good times on NTN over the past year though. Challenging worthy competition like PDS and Tracy… hitting #1 in the nation on a game I played after consuming three bottles of champagne and several duck farts… watching Skippy gloat after FINALLY beating me… and most recently I’ve been challenged by two employees of another nearby restaurant who play together under the screen name BIATCH.

This does present an opportunity for another bar in the Downtown core to pick up NTN and get a built-in regular following. Currently the only other location in the core that has it is TGI Friday’s, and you’re never going to see a lot of Downtown locals become Friday’s regulars; this ain’t Cordova, folks. Might be worth it for Dan McGuinness to look into it – if they did it’s virtually guaranteed that they’d yank some of my drinking dollars out of the hands of the Saucer. Bar Dogs, the locals’ bar scheduled to open on Monroe in May, might want to consider it as well – NTN could lead to them stealing a lot of business away from Sleep Out’s, especially considering Sleep Out’s is rumored to be closing for a month for renovations right around the time Bar Dogs opens.

Ho hum… it’s cold and not much is going on downtown tonight… I’ll probably stay in. Look for a couple of other restaurant/bar-themed posts this weekend.

… go read Guy Kawasaki’s blog instead. He has a good post today about bosses. I’ve been lucky enough to avoid the kind of bosses he talks about, but I’ve sure heard of many of them at the major corporations around town.

Net Impact pics from last night will be up soon. Happy belated birthday to Otto.

– I’m quoted in an article in today’s Memphis Daily News, covering the new Memphis Net Impact chapter launching tonight at EP’s. Writer Andy Meek did a great job explaining what the new organization is all about, and how other Net Impact chapters have made a difference. Please take a look at the article, and if Net Impact sounds of interest to you, stop by EP’s this evening. Since it’s a kickoff party, it’s a good chance to let the organizers know what goals you’d like to see them pursue in 2007.

– There’s a vote online to determine which city The Food Network’s Rachael Ray should next visit to film an episode of her “$40 a day” show. For those of you who haven’t seen it, she visits major cities and finds dining bargains. Now, I’m not a huge fan of Rachael (mainly because she’s a lousy tipper) but any national publicity for Memphis is good publicity – so please take a moment to click over to her site and vote for Memphis.

– Speaking of TV shows: Coyote Ugly’s Ultimate Coyote reality show, where they audition girls to become Coyotes who bartend and dance on the bar, will be filming its final round in Memphis all next week, beginning on Sunday the 11th. So if you want to see yourself on TV, head down to Beale.

– I’m deleting the spam from my Gmail account as I type this. Gmail has Google AdSense ads at the top of the page, which look at the page’s content and determine which ads would be best to display. So when I go to check my spam filter, I frequently find that Google has selected recipes involving SPAM for me to read. This morning it’s SPAM Vegetable Strudel. Yukkkkkkkk!!!!!!!

– Took my laptop to the Saucer last night and got much farther than expected installing and learning to use Drupal. By about 8:00 my work was done, and my friends Ken, Kenny and Rick showed up and we hung out and drank for a while. We watched in amusement as one of the male customers bought his waitress a rose. (They have a guy who walks through a couple of times a night selling roses.) When the waitress came over to see if we needed anything, we told her, “We were going to buy you a rose, but we decided to buy a round of Jager instead.”

– Hmmm… just saw an Evite for the Net Impact event tonight… fellow blogger Semi-Charmed Kat has responded that she’ll be there. For those of you meeting SCK for the first time, these are her favorite conversational topics: Ptolemy, Ptolemy, Ptolemy, Carnival, Ptolemy, Ptolemy, her breasts, Ptolemy, and Ptolemy.

And that’s all the news that’s fit to print. Back to work, hope to see you at Net Impact tonight.