Friday update

The Grizzlies are back on TV tonight. They have a pre-season road game against the San Antonio Spurs tonight at 7:30 that will be broadcast on Fox Sports Southeast. Suggestions for bar owners/managers who have Comcast: Put a sticker on the back of your remote that says “Grizzlies are on 831” so bartenders won’t have to hunt through the channels to find it.

We’re a week away from regular season Opening Night at FedExForum. The Grizzlies will take on the Chicago Bulls on Friday, October 25 at 7 PM and all fans in attendance will receive a Grizzlies growl towel.

Bruce V of the Memphis Flyer has an excellent op-ed piece in this week’s issue: Take me to the PILOT. It seems that poor little Raymond James, which wanted to move its offices out east, couldn’t afford to do so on the measly $7.2 billion it brought in last year. So it had to panhandle the city to finance its move, getting a $3.2 million PILOT. This is not why the PILOT program was created. Shame on the EDGE board for pandering to corporate America.

While we’re on the topic of corporate America, here’s a list of the most hated terms among engineers and developers. Yes to every single one of these. “Agile” most of all. About 80% of companies that say they’re “doing Agile” aren’t actually doing Agile, although there are a few that get it right, like Lokion down the street from me at Main and Union. My one minor gripe with this list: They forgot that “action items” has a brother named “deliverables.”

Here comes Rusty aaaaannnnnddddd… they’re off. But Rusty isn’t going to come much longer and the greyhounds aren’t going to get off much longer. We’re approaching the end of an era. An agreement between Southland Casino Racing and the Arkansas Greyhound Kennel Association specifies that live dog racing at the park will be phased out entirely by 2022. The move shouldn’t hurt Southland much, since these days it is so much more casino than dog racing track. Besides, from what I’ve heard recently, it’s kicking all the Tunica casinos’ asses.

As you know, I have not been the biggest fan of Bird and similar e-scooters down here. However, this new development is one I can get behind:

The scooters are seated, making them considerably safer. Also, you can’t just park them anywhere you feel like it; you have to dock them at one of Explore’s hubs. Now, this is a scooter program I would actually consider using. Kudos to Explore for an excellent addition to Memphis transportation.

Happy weekend, YOGA! Downtown Yoga has two special workshops coming up tomorrow, Saturday, October 19. At 1 PM guest instructor Ruben Del Bosque will teach a Mystic Vinyasa Flow class. The practice focuses on lessons from the Peruvian Medicine Wheel and begins and ends with the breath. Cost is $20.

Then at 4, del Bosque will lead The Liquid Spine Workshop. This practice will relieve stress and tension while enjoying an open heart and… oh, I don’t do yoga-speak very well, just click the link if you want to read the class description. Cost for that one is $35.

Phillip Ashley Chocolates has signed a contract with the new Central Station Hotel. They will provide candies for turndown service, as well as client and thank-you gifts, and at some point Phillip Ashley Chocolates will have a small presence on the restaurant menus as well.

Max’s Sports Bar has added a Bourbon Cider Slush to warm you up on these fall days while you watch football and the MLB playoffs.

The Memphis Tigers football team will once again be on national TV tomorrow night, hosting Tulane at the Liberty Bowl in a 6 PM game on ESPN2. After that game ends, switch over to ESPN to watch Alabama stomp Tennessee into the ground in a game that begins at 8 PM.

“Like” River Time Market & Deli on Facebook to find out which soups the deli on Court Square has as their daily specials. Blast! I missed white bean & ham yesterday. That is one I really want to try.

It’s Songwriter Night #128 at South Man Sounds, 550 S. Main, tonight at 7. Come hear Stephanie Addington, Aaron Lessnard, Katrina Burgoyne, and Yolanda Harper perform original music in an intimate setting.

Fans of the Cousins Maine Lobster food truck: It’ll be Downtown at Ghost River Brewing Co. tonight beginning at 5.

Roll over, Beethoven: Robert Moody and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra Unplugged present Beethoven Inside Out tonight at the Halloran Centre. Tickets are $35.

I’d like to close this post with one of the classic songs of the 20th century. Perhaps the MSO will perform this at a future concert.

Off to work. After work I’ll get out to Blind Bear and later Max’s Sports Bar on this beautiful fall day. Back tomorrow with more news.