Month: January 2016

Late yesterday afternoon one of my Facebook friends posted that she had a bug with sinus problems and heavy coughing. I commented, “I have that too!” and then realized I was the 20th person to comment. It’s going around Downtown. Anyway, that’s why I haven’t posted much the past two days. Feeling much better now.

There will be an MLK Day parade Monday from 10 AM to 12:30 PM. The parade will originate on Main at A.W. Willis, head south on Exchange and turn left at Exchange, then turn right and head south on Second to the endpoint, the National Civil Rights Museum.

The Redbirds have announced that Mike Shildt will return as the team’s manager for the 2016 season. Shildt finished 2015 with a 73-71 record.

One of the winning Powerball tickets was believed to have been sold in Munford, a suburb of Memphis in Tipton County. My next-door neighbor in college was from Munford. Hey Shane, if you won, can I have some money?

If you want to be one of the first to meet our new mayor, Jim Strickland, he will be at the Downtown Neighborhood Association meeting Tuesday, January 26 at Downtown Central BBQ. 6 PM social; 6:30 meeting.

There’s a hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean. In mid-January. This is not normal at all. I have a feeling my friend Mary will be a big fan of this hurricane.

The Grizzlies play Detroit tonight at 7 and the Knicks on Saturday. If you’re one of the first 4000 fans in FedExForum Saturday, you get the first of four pieces of Mt. Grizzmore: Tony Allen. Tonight the lobby store will have the Grizzlies Infinity Scarf on sale for $20 (regular $28).

RVC Outdoor Destinations has submitted an ambitious plan for a conservancy for Mud Island River Park.

Silly Goose is my happy hour plan this afternoon. Jessica’s sister is in town, having lived in France the past 10 years. All Jessica’s regulars are excited about meeting her. I’ll do Blind Bear after that most likely, although I will avoid the poker table so if I have any leftover germs from being sick I won’t pass them around on the cards.

CharveyMac is one of the best live music acts in Memphis. I had heard about him since 2010 but he rarely came Downtown. When he played a date at the Green Beetle in 2012, I immediately thought, “I can definitely understand why people talk about this guy so much. He’s the real deal.”

Still, given my laziness about going east of Danny Thomas, I rarely got to see Charvey. Smart restaurant and bar owners in Midtown and East Memphis realized, “This guy is a guaranteed crowd. If there’s a chance to get him for a weekly deal, I better do it.” With Charvey booked solid, his Downtown dates were few and far between. I caught him at Beale Street Landing once last summer. When the Silly Goose added live music to its local beer Tuesdays, they got Charvey one day a month.

However, one of Charvey’s weekly gigs, Elfo’s, recently closed. That opened up Wednesdays, and Daniel from the Silly Goose jumped at the opportunity. Charvey will playing at the Goose every Wednesday from 10 PM to 1 AM, beginning January 20.

Kudos to Daniel on this nice live music catch for hump days at the Goose. I’ve said it a million times – he may be a fun guy and he is definitely a good guy to have drinks with, but Daniel is also one of the sharpest businessmen in Downtown Memphis.

I also love the 10 PM start time. That is not past my bedtime and I plan on being there most weeks.

I’ve been offline for most of the day, in bed in a NyQuil-induced haze, trying to run off whatever bug seems to be trying to get to me. When I just couldn’t stand being in bed anymore, I attempted to move 86 photos from our BBQ team’s shared iCloud folder to my phone to the Dropbox account I use to stage my posts. Let me tell you, that was not a lot of fun, and I’m not sure whether it was a tedious process because of the NyQuil or because it was a tedious process. I’m going to look around for a tool to automate that.

Back tomorrow with some news, I hope.

 

Sorry I didn’t post on my lunch break, but it’s been a weird day. Those of you in the 2007-11 Rapscallions/Ques Brothers friend group, I may be texting you shortly…

I want to thank the three people with extensive BBQ competition judging experience who generously volunteered their time and taste buds yesterday. Thanks to them, the Moody Ques got an honest critique of the product we are putting out. The cookteam stayed up all night Saturday preparing two pork shoulders, and the judges arrived at pitmaster Frank’s house at 10:30 AM Sunday for a simulated BBQ Fest presentation.

Since members of other shoulder teams read my blog, I am not going to go into detail about the feedback we were given. In general terms, they told us what to never tell a judge again, what to talk about in more depth, and tweaks we needed to make to our shoulders. However, they said that the taste of the shoulders was right there where it needed to be. “You’re not going to win in 2016,” the judges told the cooks. “However, you’re on the right path. If you keep doing what you’re doing, if you keep holding practice cooks, if you keep entering regionals, if you keep tweaking your cooking, in about 3 years’ time you are going to be one of the big dogs.”

That is very exciting news. If we can become one of the top cooking teams, the Moody Ques really will be the total package. We have dominated the Best Booth category the past four years, winning two firsts and never finishing lower than third. We have always been known as a booth where there is a good party. We’re a younger team, with average age in the 30s (although we have people of all ages on the team), which I think is an asset. If we can add some cooking awards in the years to come, we really will have it all.

If you would like to be a member of the Moody Ques for 2016, shoot me an email at paul@paulryburn.com and I will put you in touch with the team leaders – wait a minute, they named me Director of PR, so I AM one of the team leaders now. We also have sponsorship opportunities available. Why not hitch your wagon to a team that is on the way up?

On to the news: Uber will partner with TransLoc, a company that provides public transit data, to combine Uber rides and public transportation to ensure a seamless commute. Memphis is one of the first two markets in which the partnership is being tested. They picked a good test case with our city, because it is hard to imagine a city Memphis’ size with a worse public transportation system.

The Commercial Appeal interviewed Lily Brooks O’ Bryant, the young lady sharing the lead role in Matilda at the Orpheum this week.

There’s a reporter position open at WHBQ-TV.

The Peabody will be at the Who’s Hiring Career Fair tomorrow at Memphis Botanic Garden, 10-3. If you want to work for the historic hotel, come submit a resume.

There will be a forum on race and sports at the National Civil Rights Museum Sunday, the day before MLK Day. Two Sports Legacy Award winners, Jalen Rose and Tamika Catchings, as well as the Grizzlies’ Matt Barnes will take part in the discussion. (credit Memphis Daily News)

In the spam folder this morning: “She’s expecting more from your mating meat?” and “Practice in Bed Olympics more!” Spammers really go to extreme lengths to try and get their stuff past filters.

The college football national championship, Alabama vs. Clemson is tonight. Keeping with my policy of rooting for SEC schools not named Ole Miss or Tennessee, I will be pulling for the Crimson Tide. Somewhere in a bar at or near McAllen, Texas, BBQ team legal counsel Bama Lawdog will be cheering for the Tide as well.

In case you’ve been living in a cave today, David Bowie passed away at age 69. I don’t listen to his music a whole lot but I respect what he brought to the history of music the past 50 years. The man was never afraid to be himself. He is a role model in that respect.

Happy birthday to Memphis’ own Grindfather, Tony Allen, who turns 34 today.

Felicia Suzanne’s is now accepting reservations for Valentine’s Day. Nothing against Felicia’s but you won’t see me there. After what happened on Valentine’s Day last year, I am never making plans for that stupid holiday again. V-Day is on a Sunday this year. I guess my Valentine’s Day dates will be John D, Otto, and the New York Times crossword puzzle at D-RANKS with B-RAD.

If you want to watch Shaq Goodwin foul out, the Tigers host Temple at FedExForum at 7 Wednesday.

I found a Twitter account called Tacos (@TWEETLIKEATACO). If you like tacos you should follow it.

Home from work, time for beer. I considered walking down to Max’s Sports Bar to watch the national title game, but I have decided to keep it close to home. Melissa Monday at Bardog is first up, then Blind Bear

One of the great things about being Downtown is that there’s so much opportunity to learn new things from friends. Yesterday I was in Bardog for brunch and my friend Jason came in. “My favorite sport is probably one you have never heard of. It’s foot golf. It’s a combination of soccer and golf. You try and kick the soccer ball in the hole. Obviously the holes are bigger than on golf courses.” Yesterday was the finals of the foot golf world championships, and Team USA, organized by the American FootGolf League, defeated Argentina to win the 2016 world championship.

If you want to play foot golf locally, Jason told me that Riverside Golf Course has added foot golf. It’s available Saturdays and Sundays after 1, and you can play 18 holes for $15/$12 under 17. There are ball rentals too if you need them. The cups are 21 inches in diameter.

Yesterday afternoon after a few bar visits, I decided it was time for a huarache from Maciel’s Tortas and Tacos. I didn’t order anything but the huarache, having learned that one by itself is enough to fill me up. The owner said, “Paul, have you seen our expanded menu? Let me give you a seafood taco to try.” He put a second box in my bag along with the box containing my huarache. Here’s what I found:

Yummy shrimp cooked in spices with a big slice of avocado in a tortilla. This was every bit as good as I imagined it would be. I’ve posted a photo of a huarache before but in case you missed it, here’s the one I ate yesterday:

Some people will shy away from the huaraches, saying “I’ve never heard of that before; it’s not on Taco Bell’s menu so I don’t know what it is, and I’m afraid to try it.” Don’t make that mistake. They’re the best thing on the menu, with the chorizo huarache being my favorite.

Weatherbug tells me it is 23 degrees outside as I type this. The Moody Ques have a practice judging at 10:30 this morning, and this is really putting our new cooker to the ultimate test. If it can hold temp when the weather is below freezing, we have nothing to worry about if it’s rainy and 52 at BBQ Fest. The cooks told me they are bringing our old cooker Bevo back for one of the spring regionals, and Bevo will serve as a backup to our new cooker at BBQ Fest.

We have a shared folder on iCloud where the cooks have put photos they have taken this weekend. Sometime this week I will get them up on the Moody Ques website and do a post. Obviously I will be careful not to reveal any secrets that the judges pass on to the team.

No one won Powerball last night, so the jackpot will hit the 10-digit mark – surpassing one billion dollars – by Wednesday’s drawing. The thing is, most people don’t know what to do with that kind of money, and I’ve heard that many lottery winners go broke within 5 years. Thank goodness when I was involved in MPACT Memphis a decade ago, I met a very talented and respected wealth manager. If I win the lottery, I am handing the money to him and telling him, “Nobody touches this without your approval. If I propose to do anything with the money and you tell me it is a bad idea, I will listen.”

Of course, I would give myself a generous monthly allowance, I would buy a new car, and I would start looking around for a penthouse apartment in the Downtown core. I might also think about renting crash pads near Overton Square and Cooper-Young as well. Probably I would start spending a couple of months in the most beautiful city in the United States and the one I called home for six months in 2000, San Diego. I might consider being an investor in a bar if the next Aldo/Daniel/Max came along (my wealth manager would be heavily involved in those meetings though). Of course, my mother would get a check. I’d drop a million on St. Jude. I’d arrange a meeting with the people who run Hospitality HUB to discuss what we can do to make Memphis the leading city in the U.S. in terms of services and temporary housing offered to the homeless. I’d contact the people who run the farmers market and ask if they have a wish list.

I’d spend a lot of time in bars. Yes, I would still drink PBR.

I’d quit my job and write this blog full-time. However, I would quit my job the right way, giving two weeks notice and offering to be available for questions via phone or email after that.

I would offer to become the BBQ team’s permanent sponsor at $10,000 per year, offering $20,000 the first year so we can acquire, own and store assets, rather than renting assets or buying assets and then throwing them away at the end of the festival. I wouldn’t have any requests in return for the money, other than “make sure hot girls get in the booth.” Plus maybe a request that at least some of the kegs are PBR.

I’d probably become a regular at the poker rooms in Tunica. I wouldn’t fly to Las Vegas to gamble, but I’d pay for a trip out there with a friend of mine who is an expert on that city. I’d see how many Congressmen I would need to bribe to legalize online poker for real money. If real money poker became legal, I would be smart about it and play at tables with buy-ins that match my skill. I would not go to the high-roller room and sit down with Phil Ivey for $100,000/$200,000 blinds. That would be a way to go broke fast.

(Edited to add: I thought of a few more things.

I would make as large a donation as legally allowed to the Bernie Sanders campaign. I wouldn’t have any expectation in return for the money; my only message would be “Go get ’em, Bern.”

No I would not spend any money on hookers.

I’d contact the Church Health Center and ask if they have a wish list.

I’d visit New York, San Francisco, and Seattle, three places I have never been to. Of course in New York I would stay in Manhattan. I have my friends Robo and Shobo there to show me around.

I’d visit Chicago for the first time in 19 years. I would go sometime between June and August because I can’t stand cold weather. I have several friends there to show me around. A visit to Honky Tonk BBQ would be on the list, of course.

I’d visit Montreal for the first time in 14 years. Once again, between June and August.

I would not take a skiing vacation because I hate cold weather.

I might drop some cash on programs teaching inner-city kids to code.

I’d buy four season tickets for the Grizzlies to be shared by my friend group and me. Do they sell season tickets for the seats where you get free food and beer for the first three quarters? Because if they do, those are the ones we’re getting.

I’d be a willing investor in an Indian restaurant for Downtown. That is something we are missing down here and really need.

Same for a pho restaurant.

I’d be a willing investor in a shuttle connecting Downtown, Overton Square and Cooper-Young, but only if it ran until 3:30 AM seven days a week.)

All right, enough about the lottery for now. It’s time to jump in the shower and get ready for Sunday Fun Day. D-RANKS with B-RAD at the Blind Bear is first up. Since the cooks will be out later today and I need to get a full report on what happened at the practice judging, I will keep the Fireball to a bare minimum. Back tomorrow with more news.

If you’re a soccer fan, the Brass Door is opening early to show games. They have Arsenal vs. Sunderland at 9 this morning (which does you no good considering it’s 9:16 and I haven’t published this post yet), and Man U vs. Sheffield at 11:30.

Felicia Suzanne’s has a few spots open for their communal cooking class on Thursday, January 28 (well, at least they did at the time they tweeted it yesterday afternoon). Call 901-523-0877 to find out how to claim your spot.

South Main Sounds at 550 S. Main is having a special event Friday, February 5 from 8 to 11 PM. Nashville country musician Jordan Allena will have a performance celebrating the release of her upcoming EP. Jordan is a regular on the stages of Nashville’s most popular music halls and country bars. She will entertain you with a mix of modern and outlaw country music. That morning, look for a special performance from her on WREG Live at 9.

MemphisWeather.net released climate data for December. The average high was 63 degrees. In December! That’s 11 degrees above normal for the month, and is more consistent with November or March weather.

Downtown Yoga is offering a workshop with Daphne Larkin Tuesday from 5:30 to 7 PM. It’s about freeing your practice through deep opening of your hips and some other stuff. It’s said to help you move beyond a series of asanas/poses that are disconnected into a seamless flow. Look, I don’t speak the language of yoga at all, so if this sounds interesting, go to the class schedule and click on the workshop title for a full description. There is a $20 fee.

The Liberty Bowl featuring Arkansas’ victory over Kansas State was said to be a historic success, with a sellout crowd of 61,136 and hotels across Memphis booked to capacity. The bowl had the highest TV ratings of the non-Big Six bowls. Records were set for sales on Beale Street that weekend and the president of the Beale Street Merchants Association called it “the biggest and best bowl week ever.” Not at all surprised the Hogs and their fans would be involved in such a success.

From Food & Wine: We just don’t need robot bartenders. I could not agree more. I mean, I can see an advantage – machines don’t need tips, so I would walk out with more money in my wallet. However, a big part of the reason I go the places I go is because the bartenders have become my friends, and I enjoy seeing them. Robot bartenders might work in some parts of the city, but not Downtown.

Speaking of my favorite bartenders: Team FML at the Blind Bear has expanded and is now team FMLS (Feeny, Mary, Lacey, Stacey). Here are L and S from last night:

Stacey has acclimated herself to bartending the Bear faster than I have ever seen anyone. Of course, it helps that she’s been training with the best (B-RAD) on Sundays.

The Memphis Flyer’s 20 under 30 issue comes out Wednesday. You can mingle with the 20 at a Flyer party at the Rec Room on Broad that evening. It’s open to the public and Flyer parties are always a lot of fun.

From Bleacher Report: Sacramento’s basketball arena is so crappy that former Memphis Tiger/current L.A. Laker Tarik Black didn’t even get a locker when his team visited the Kings. His stuff was lying on a chair next to the door. Sacramento is getting a new arena next year.

From BuzzFeed: 21 times women destroyed men with the #WasteHisTime2016 hashtag. So tempted to comment on this but I better not.

All right, that’s all the crap I can find to throw on the blog this morning. Typical Saturday for me, with brunch with Bloom and John D at Bardog at 11, then over to L’s bar at the Blind Bear around 1:30. Plans for tonight TBD but given the weather I am not likely to venture south of Peabody Place. Back tomorrow with more news.

We had one last night yesterday with our friend Air Traffic Mike before he and his brother John headed back to New Jersey. We were sitting at the bar at the Silly Goose, and he said something that really made a lot of sense: “You know Pauly, the thing about living in Downtown Memphis is that things can get bad, but they can’t stay bad for long. On a bad day, all I have to do is look on Foursquare or send a text, and I soon find myself among friends.”

This is so true. If there’s one thing I hope my readers have learned from this blog, it is that Downtown Memphis is one of the easiest places to meet people and make friends – not just acquaintances, but real friends who will be there for you when you need them. Come back soon, ATM and John.

Jennifer Biggs of the Commercial Appeal reviewed Maciel’s Tortas and Tacos this week and she had several pieces of good news: The restaurant plans to offer second-floor seating soon, as well as patio seating when the weather gets warmer. The owner will also expand the menu at that time, and start selling beer once his permit goes through. Great place, great food, great prices!

The Harlem Globetrotters return to FedExForum on Saturday. There will be performances at 1 and 6 PM.

Also Saturday, “Love Me Tender: The Great Elvis Love Songs” happens at the Cannon Center at 7:30 PM. Tribute artist Terry Mike Jeffrey will join the Memphis Symphony Orchestra for this performance.

There’s a Transgender Services Specialist position open at the Memphis Gay & Lesbian Community Center. It’s full-time salaried with benefits. Apply by January 22 by submitting a cover letter, resume, and 3 references to info@mglcc.org.

The Grizzlies have signed former Memphis Tigers guard Elliot Williams to a 10-day deal. The Grizzlies start a six-game homestand tonight, and these games are vital to determining the rest of the Grizzlies’ season. If they do not do well, it may be time to make some trades. The Grizzlies are currently selling a SmartPass that gets you in 7 games, including the MLK Day game, for $49. $7 a game, that’s not bad!

Big weekend for the cooks on my BBQ team, the Moody Ques. Three certified and very experienced BBQ Fest judges have volunteered to have us walk through a pork shoulder presentation as if it were Saturday morning at BBQ Fest. They are going to give our cooks completely honest feedback on what they are doing right and what areas they need to improve. They are also going to load our cooks up with plenty of insider tips. We have regionals coming up in Atoka and Southaven, and if we can use the information we gain this weekend to snag a cooking trophy in April, that would be sweet indeed.

The Real Wine Julia, a blogger who knew the late Ben Carter well, has a farewell to the wittiest of wine writers post that is worth a read if you knew Ben or read his writing.

There’s a petition to henceforth refer to a Jack and Coke as a “Lemmy.” I have to admit that makes more sense than naming an element after him.

Robo reads/stalks my blog on a daily basis.

Cafe Pontotoc reopens today at 4 PM. It has been closed this week.

From Mashable: How many people do online daters communicate with before finding a relationship? But the real question is, how many people do Fuckbook.com users (see post earlier this week if you don’t know what I’m talking about) communicate with before they get laid?

CRAP! I’m seeing tweets that NXT at Minglewood Hall is sold out already. I hadn’t bought my ticket yet! Shows that Memphians know good pro wrestling when they see it though. (Edit: Now hearing that more tickets have been added)

Time to hit Publish and eat my chicken I bought at the Kroger deli. I’ll be out after work, not sure where yet.

The Daily News has a great, must-read article on Miss Cordelia’s and the changes there since the current GM came on board 18 months ago. He realized the Mud Island grocery store didn’t work trying to be a “little Kroger” and started paying more attention to what customers wanted. Cordelia’s is often the first to carry local products after the farmers market, often stocking those products the day after sampling, with about 50 local vendors represented. They have an in-house butcher and are expanding the meats offered. They also have an in-house florist. Prepared meals offered at the grocery have doubled. They have added a growler station and will sell wine when it becomes legal to do so later this year. I haven’t been to Miss Cordelia’s in over a year, and this article makes me think I need to get over there very soon, maybe this weekend.

The best pro wrestling brand in the United States, NXT, is coming to Minglewood Hall Thursday, February 5. NXT champ Finn Balor will be there, as will Women’s champ Bayley. Samoa Joe, Apollo Crews, and tag champions Dash and Dawson. Doors at 6:30, show at 7:30. NXT is the developmental brand of the WWE, but the action there is far better than what is on Raw or Smackdown.

The Memphis International Auto Show happens at the Cook Convention Center from Friday through Sunday.

The MBJ has photos of the new restaurant Michael Hudman and Andrew Ticer plan to open in the Chisca.

Plans have been approved for Loflin Corner, a neighorhood bar and event space at East Carolina and Florida, in the neighborhood southwest of South Main that is now known as South Junction. The Design Review Board found the property would be an asset to the neighborhood and would raise property values as well.

The Redbirds are looking to hire an inside sales rep for season tickets.

Toney Armstrong is retiring as MPD Director on January 31. He will take a job as Director of Security for St. Jude.

Good podcast by Memphis-based career coach Angela Copeland this week: She interviews Dorth Raphaely, GM of the business behind popular sports website Bleacher Report.

The Mississippi River is expected to crest at Memphis tomorrow at 39.8 feet, a day earlier and a foot lower than expected.

You can now take men’s pole dancing classes at a studio out in Bartlett. Well, yoga is no longer the form of exercise I am least likely to pursue.

Sad to hear of the passing of Pat Harrington, who played Schneider on One Day at a Time. He was 86.

Pizza Hut has unveiled its own clothing line. Oh. My. God.

Time to get loose as a goose. A silly one. There may be a third Thursday update when I get home tonight.

Up early this morning. I have the time and I have the news, so you get a morning post.

A new hotel may be coming to South Main. The Daily News reports that a Homewood Suites has been proposed for the site of 139 Vance, with the entrance facing Vance between Mulberry and Second. The hotel would be six stories and would fill in a lot that has been vacant as long as I can remember. When I was a traveling corporate trainer I stayed in Homewood Suites a few times and really enjoyed it.

Very sad to read that Memphis lost one of its best food and wine bloggers recently. Ben Carter passed away at his home at age 39. Ben’s blog Benito’s Wine Reviews was a well-respected source for information about wines. In addition, Ben did freelance work. I was thrilled when Ben contacted me in the spring of 2014 and inquired about coming to the Moody Ques’ booth at BBQ Fest. He was writing an article for Serious Eats and wanted to talk to the cooks and take photos of our booth. Rest in peace, Ben; as the Commercial Appeal writer said, Memphis has lost a man who lived life to the fullest.

GLO Airlines is giving away a trip for two to New Orleans. Winner gets round-trip airfare and three nights at the Dauphine Orleans hotel in the French Quarter.

The things I learn about while hanging out at the bars of Downtown Memphis… Most of my readers are on Facebook.com. But did you know there’s a site called Fuckbook.com? I was told about this last night and pulled up the home page in my phone’s browser. “Join and meet people now,” it said, with a form to fill out to join, including checkboxes where you can indicate whether you are looking for a male, female, or couple. I’m trying not to judge people who are registered on this site (98% of whom I’m guessing are male). Trying……………. trying really hard……………………….. nope, failed. I am totally judging.

(DISCLAIMER #1: If you are stupid enough to pull up this site on a work computer, I am not responsible for what happens to you.)

(DISCLAIMER #2: I am not responsible for malware/viruses downloaded to your computer due to the use of this site.)

(DISCLAIMER #3: I am not responsible for your name appearing on a public list after Anonymous hacks Fuckbook.com.)

Get familiar with Memphis in May’s honored country this year by learning these top ten funny Canadian expressions.

Time to go out for a rip, where I will hang a roger at the Circle K and pick up a two-four. No, actually, it is time to get in the car, drive to work, and spend the day making Ajax calls and converting arrays to JSON. Possibly back at lunchtime or after work with a second post, so check back.

Breaking news: Greenbelt Park on Mud Island has been closed due to rising flood waters. The water is expected to continue to rise for a few more days, but not to the level that Island Drive will need to be close.

The Cardinals Caravan returns to AutoZone Park Friday, January 15 beginning at 6:30 PM, with doors opening an hour earlier. The event is free with first-come, first-served seating. Players and alumni will discuss current status of the Cardinals as well as the past, and then there will be a youth autograph session. First 400 kids 15 and under will get an autograph ticket guaranteeing them autographs from the participating players. Minor League Player of the Year Steven Piscotty and NL All-Star Michael Wacha will be on hand, as will alumni Stubby Clapp, Bo Hart, and Jason Simontacchi will be there, as will top prospects Patrick Wisdom and Carson Kelly.

There’s an official Grizzlies Watch Party tonight at 8:30 at Double J. The game is at Oklahoma City and will be televised nationally on ESPN. The Grizzlies Claw Crew will be at Double J with giveaways.

Felicia Suzanne’s has Wiseacre Wednesday tonight, with $3.50 locally-brewed Wiseacre drafts.

BBQ teams already know this, I’m sure, but this might be useful to some of my readers: The complete visual guide to pork cuts

I’m not sure if any of my readers do cleanses, but if there are some of you out there, there’s now a taco cleanse out there that you might want to try. It’s in the form of a book that shows you how to replace one meal a day with a vegan taco. The book begins with a taco quiz to help you understand what kind of taco-eating personality you have.

The New York Public Library has release 621,000 digital images which the public can use for whatever they want, royalty-free.

The Peabody is offering a Snowed in at the Peabody rate many days this month and next for $165 a night.

Done for now. Time for beer.

The annual Polar Bear Plunge and Chili Cook-off benefiting Special Olympics of Greater Memphis will be held at Mud Island River Park on Saturday, February 6 beginning at 10 AM with the chili cook-off. It’s $50 for teams to enter the cook-off and entry forms must be in by January 25. If you prefer to eat chili rather than cook it, you can be a judge for $5 and sample all the teams’ chili. There are many different varieties!

If you want to take a plunge in the frigid Mississippi River for charity, it’s at 3 PM. You must wear shoes, sign the waiver, and pay a $50 entry fee. You get the official plunge T-shirt with $50 in pledges raised, with more goodies if you raise a higher amount in pledges. Wear your wackiest costume for a chance to win the Golden Plunger.

I’m starting to feel like I sound like a broken record… I post about the same things every year. This time of year it’s the TEP gumbo contest, the polar bear plunge, and of course my annual reminder to show up early for Soup Sunday before the lines get long. However, I know for a fact that I have several readers who have been in Memphis less than a year, so it’s important to post all these Downtown events even though I feel like I’m repeating myself.

LYFE Kitchen has set a date for the opening of its Downtown location in the Chisca: Monday, February 1.

Here’s a useful health tip: Soak nuts in water before you eat them. Just as porcupines have quills, nuts have a natural defense against predators to help ensure that the nuts live to maturity. The defense is in the form of an acid that makes the nuts impossible to completely digest. However, soaking the nuts in water neutralizes the acid, which can aid digestion and lower cholesterol.

As for where to buy those nuts, you don’t even have to leave Downtown: Go to the Peanut Shop on the Main Street Mall between Main and Monroe. They have a large selection of nuts, chocolates, and candy. If you want to buy some next month for your Valentine, they have many decorative tins in which to present your gift. When you shop there, you support people who are not only local Downtown businesspeople, but some of the nicest people you will ever meet. I went in there in 2010 to buy Christmas candy for my mom, and to this day the owner still asks me “How’s mother?” when he sees me walking down Main Street.

Memphians may need this information soon: Here’s the fastest way to defrost your car windshield

Interesting article: How dance affects (and heals) the mind

Four new periodic elements have been discovered and there’s a movement to name one of them after Motorhead’s Lemmy. YES YES YES!

There’s an opening for a Building Maintenance Mechanic at Memphis International Airport.

GM is investing $500 million in Lyft, betting that in the future, people won’t own cars anymore.

That’s it for now. Happy birthday to my friend Air Traffic Mike, who has decided to stay in town for one more day. Hopefully I will get to do a birthday shot with him this evening.