Thursday update

Have you ever made reservations at a small restaurant, then no-showed without bothering to call and cancel? Here’s an article on the ripple effect that has. It takes one minute to have the courtesy of looking up the phone number and calling in the cancellation. Even if you have to cancel at the last minute, it should still be done, because then the restaurant can accommodate walk-ins at the table(s) you had reserved.

Congratulations to my fellow Memphis blogger Holly Whitfield of I Love Memphis. She was recently named by Southern Living as a Southerner of the Year for 2016. The magazine selected 50 people who are doing good in the South.

First 10,000 people in the gate for the Grizzlies-Thunder game this evening at FedExForum get a Grizzlies rally flag presented by FOX Sports Southeast. Game time is 7 PM.

Running late for your Megabus departing Downtown’s North End Terminal for Dallas? No problem, just call in a false police report. Concerned he and his girlfriend would miss their bus, Kirk Stuart of Austin called the Memphis police and warned that his brother was going to do a “Muslim thing for Allah” on the bus. By the time MPD arrived, the bus had already departed, and the Arkansas State Police were notified. The bus was stopped and searched and no threat was found, and the FBI later developed Stuart as a suspect. He faces up to five years and a $250,000 fine. Oh, and because that bus crossed a state line, that makes it a federal offense.

For some reason I want to wad up a paper napkin and throw it at Mr. Stuart…

Got an addition to the list of places that will be open during the day on New Year’s Day. Last night I paid a quick visit to Max’s Sports Bar, and Bjarni told me they will open at 11 on New Year’s. There will be a full slate of NFL action as well as many college basketball and NBA games. No shortage of sports to watch at Max’s to kick off 2017!

The Belk Bowl is on ESPN at 4:30 today. The Hogs vs. The Hokies. Bret Bielema vs. Justin Fuente. I kind of hate to root against the man who restored Memphis football to prominence, but Arkansas is my team. It’s time to CALL THOSE HOGS!

2016 claims one more victim: The inventor of the red Solo cup has died.

That’s it for now. Undecided as of yet where to watch the Arkansas game.