I’ve made a decision.
I’m not going to go out on Halloween. Not even for a little Saturday day-drinking.
Health Directive No. 13, said to be issued this coming week, will likely relax the restrictions on restaurants and bars in Shelby County, and rightly so. It’s time. Transmission rates are down and these places need to make their money. We can’t hold up because there’s a holiday several weeks away.
That said, I think a lot of bad decisions are going to be made on Halloween. Although it’s not quite Amateur Night on the level of New Year’s Eve, St. Patrick’s Day, and Music Fest, it’s close. People will be tempted to get out and get one really big party in before it turns cold. I anticipate there will be a lack of social distancing. A lot of people will use the holiday as an excuse to skip the mask, unless it’s a costume mask. Costumes will hake hand washing more challenging than usual.
As County Health Officer Dr. Bruce Randolph likes to say, just because an activity is permissible, does not mean it is advisable. I see his point as his advice relates to Halloween. So, I will gather up a few good writing topics, order some to-go food from a restaurant, and stay home. Also, when I go out the week of November 1-7, I am going to take extra care to keep 6 feet distance from those who did party on Halloween.
I’d like to encourage each of you to think about whether it’s worth it to be out on the 31st. If the urge to go out and have fun is too great to resist, go for it. But remember, not even Mr. Tangerine Man in the White House is safe from COVID.
From The Daily Memphian: Bar owners say it’s time for a midnight curfew. I would agree, but I also think it’s time to get rid of the stupid food requirements that accompany alcohol. I went to dinner with friends at Pontotoc Lounge last night. As I walked home the doorman and server at the Blind Bear waved at me. I wanted to go in for a quick beer and say hello to everyone, but there’s no such thing as a quick beer… it has to be a beer and food costing more than the beer. I am so sick of it all. That food purchase won’t make a damn bit of difference whether I or anyone else catches COVID.
Memphis plays SMU on ESPN2 at 2:30 today. Tennessee plays at 11, so I guess the old poots will be getting to Max’s early today to get their corner table. Big games today:
- 13 Texas A&M vs. 2 Alabama, 2:30, CBS
- 7 Auburn vs. 4 Georgia, 6:30, ESPN
I would say both games have national title implications, but is there even going to be a national championship game this year? Who knows.
Wanna be a hipster? Since I write for the Medium platform, I read a lot on there too, and the latest hipster trend on there is Stoicism. Not sure what that is? Wikipedia to the rescue:
Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium in Athens in the early 3rd century BC. It is a philosophy of personal ethics informed by its system of logic and its views on the natural world. According to its teachings, as social beings, the path to eudaimonia (happiness, or blessedness) is found in accepting the moment as it presents itself, by not allowing oneself to be controlled by the desire for pleasure or fear of pain, by using one’s mind to understand the world and to do one’s part in nature’s plan, and by working together and treating others fairly and justly.
But yeah, if you put “trying my best to practice Stoicism in today’s world” in your Medium profile description, you win big brownie points on there for being hip. You also win brownie points for “pronouns: he/him” (or “she/her” or “they/them”) in your profile.
One thing, though: If you practice Stoicism, I think it’s pretty much mandatory to grow a beard. Kind of like, it’s mandatory to grow a beard if you work at a craft brewery. I wonder if a lot of brewers are Stoics.
My earnings for September, my first full month on Medium, were $8.30. That sounds like crap but its actually very good. Some of the writers who routinely earn four figures a month on that website made in the range of $5 their first full month.
Memphis 901 FC wraps up its home schedule with a match against Birmingham Legion FC tonight at 7. Memphis is far out of the playoffs so this will be your last chance to see the squad until the 2021 season.
There’s a vegan pop-up on Lew’s Blue Note on Beale Street today 2-7 PM. Beyond Burgers, oyster mushroom burgers, vegan corn dogs, nachos, Italian Beyond sausage, Mexican street corn, and more.
Dumas Walker Band plays Tin Roof tonight at 6:30.
Coronavirus protections on Air Force One are being questioned following The Hate Pumpkin’s diagnosis with the illness this week. The pumpkin’s advisor Hope Hicks also tested positive and she was seen interacting with many people who were not wearing masks on the plane.
Although 14 days is a standard incubation period is 14 days, some people are debilitated by COVID-19 for weeks longer. Trump might be out of commission until after Election Day.
Back tomorrow with more news. Bardog and possibly Momma’s are on my tentative agenda for today.