Saturday update: Optimal Dirty Santa strategy and much more

I’d be willing to venture a guess that at least a few of my readers are attending a Dirty Santa party tonight. For those not familiar, every attendee brings a wrapped gift, often limited to a certain dollar amount. A drawing is then done to determine the order in which each person selects a gift. When it’s your turn, you have two options: You can open a new gift, or you can steal the gift of anyone who went before you, in which case they open another gift. Obviously the person in the best position is the person who goes last, because they’ve seen all the gifts except one. Statistical analysis site FiveThirtyEight has determined the optimal strategy for your turn in Dirty Santa, regardless of where you are in the order.

Barboro Alley, the alley running from Front to Second between Union and Gayoso, is gettin’ pretty!

This is great. Ten years ago that alley was poorly lit and not safe to walk down at night. One of my friends got knocked out in that alley and had his wallet stolen Memorial Day weekend 2006. And now the alley is well lit, there are cameras, there are entrances to Belle Tavern and The Lofts at Barboro Alley, and now an art installation is going in. Big win for the Downtown core.

Sports fans: The Daily News’ next Newsmakers Seminar will feature newsmakers in Memphis sports. It will happen at the Brooks Museum on Thursday, January 26. Tom Bowen, the athletic director at the University of Memphis will be the keynote speaker. Panelists will include Steve Erhart, executive director of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl; Craig Unger, GM of the Memphis Redbirds; and Jason Wexler, president of business operations for the Memphis Grizzlies. Following the program, there will be a wine and cheese reception.

Jojo’s Mad World Love tour is coming to the New Daisy Sunday, April 16. Tickets are $25 with a VIP meet and greet ticket for $125.

Elmo Makes Music with Sesame Street Live is in Memphis this weekend at the Cannon Center. Performances are at 10:30 and 2 today, and 2 tomorrow.

Singer/songwriter and storyteller Dr. Rice Drewry plays the Center for Southern Folklore tonight at 8. $10 cover.

Yesterday I posted that the $25 million the city and county are investing to build infrastructure in The Pinch would come from neither the city’s general operating fund or from property tax revenue. So where is the money coming from, then?. The city’s CFO says most of it is coming from sales tax collected in the Downtown Tourism Development Zone.

Random thing I learned from Twitter yesterday: Have you ever seen coins placed on a gravestone? You shouldn’t touch them. They were left by a veteran paying respects to a fellow serviceman or servicewoman. It’s a way to let the world know that the deceased person has been visited.

Over $55,000 collected from the Beale Street Bucks program will be donated to several local charities. The program was put in place to address overcrowding and safety on Beale on Saturday nights. There was a $10 cover charge to get on the street, and those who paid received a $7 voucher to spend in Beale restaurants and shops. The remaining $3 went toward administering the program. After the program was implemented, there was a $30 reduction in safety issues.

Some of the $7 vouchers went unredeemed, which is where the $55,000 comes from. Charities receiving donations from this pool of money will be announced every Thursday. Among the first of the recipients is Porter-Leath, the primary resource for Memphis’ at-risk children and families (and presenter of Rajun Cajun Crawfish Fest, and beneficiary of the Stumbling Santa toy drive). Also receiving a donation is the Blues Foundation’s Handy Artist Relief Fund (HART Fund), which covers health care costs for aging blues musicians without insurance.

Downtowners, if you have a reason to travel to Midtown, stop by 901 Grille and Market at East Parkway and Central and see the new place that our friends Sunny and Hamida (owners of City Market) opened. Grab you some wings, a burger, a salad or a pita while you’re out that way.

Give the gift of Rizzo’s this year. Starting Monday, Rizzo’s gift certificates will be available for purchase. You get $10 off any purchase of $50 or more. Who wouldn’t want to find Rizzo’s in their stocking this Christmas?

High Cotton has announced that they have reached their limit for supplies they can take to Gatlinburg given the size of the truck they are renting, and can no longer accept any additional donations. Don’t forget that they are opening the taproom early for their Navy vs. Army Watch Party this afternoon. They will be giving away 75 High Cotton Navy glasses and 75 High Cotton Army glasses. Central BBQ will have its food truck parked outside.

The Bar-Kays and Confunkshun will play the Cannon Center as part of the first annual Freedom and Funk Celebration Weekend on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend. The event will be on Saturday, January 15 at 8 PM and will be hosted by Stan “The Man” Bell.

Thank you to my apartment building Number 10 Main for a fine Friday night at their holiday party. Amy LaVere, John Paul Keith & their band provided the tunes. We had ham, brisket, shrimp, salmon, pork tenderloin, turkey… pretty much all of the meats. I was well fed by the end of the evening.

People are starting to talk of a winter storm event coming through here next Sunday evening. Now, that would be the perfect time for a winter storm. The ideal winter storm starts about 10 Sunday night, so that everyone gets to enjoy their weekend, then dumps enough snow and ice so that offices close, but not so much that bars close. Bardog has $2 Fireball when it’s snowing!

Here’s the problem with that, though: The source I trust most, MemphisWeather.net, says in its forecast that for the week including next Sunday, “Temperatures near average; precipitation above average.” The average low for Sunday, December 18 is 34. It may snow or sleet but it ain’t stickin’ unless the temperatures drop to well below average.

Time to head to the Memphis Farmers Market winter market! I’m hoping there is a vendor selling jellies or preserves, since I now have a PBR toaster and need something to put on my toast. After the Market I will spread a little sunshine at Earnestine & Hazel’s, if anyone pre-gaming for the noon Tigers game wants to join. Back tomorrow with more news!