HAVE a Holly Jolly Christmas… it’s the best time of the year… (with the possible exception of BBQ Fest). Come to the newly-renovated Handy Park at B.B.King Blvd. and Beale Street this afternoon from 4:30 to 6:30 for a Downtown Memphis Holly Jolly Holiday Celebration. Santa will be in his socially distanced snowglobe (sigh) for free photos, and you can grab a free hot chocolate and listen to some holiday tunes.
The Memphis Symphony Orchestra will present the 2020 Magic of Memphis Holiday Spectacular Saturday, December 19 at 7:30 at the Cannon Center. Tickets are $20-25 and are now on sale.
Action News 5 has a post on how to get the most out of the virtual St. Jude Marathon happening this week, whether you are a runner or just a fan.
You’re invited to attend the Tom Lee Park Groundbreaking Ceremony for the upcoming renovations Wednesday, December 9 at 3 PM. Mayor Jimbo from Mempho and other dignitaries will be there. Register here
Health Department director Dr. Haushalter said in yesterday’s COVID-19 press conference that the department closed In Love, the club on Winchester that threw the massive party in an outdoor tent the Saturday after Thanksgiving. So that “for the safety of our staff and guests, we’re closing until the 17th” post was a bullshit PR move. They did not voluntarily close.
There will be free city-run COVID testing sites the next three weekends. This weekend’s free testing will be 8:30 AM-5:00 PM Satutday-Sunday at Tiger Lane and at Poplar Healthcare (3495 Hacks Cross). There is no charge and the testing is for those who are symptomatic or asymptomatic.
Dr. H gave information about 303 contact tracing interviews conducted during the month of November to people who had tested positive for the coronavirus.
- 76% of those continued to go to work for at least one day after they were symptomatic
- 40% of those continued social activities such as meeting friends
- 3% continued school activities
So we have people mumbling, “I don’t understand why the bars are still open in the middle of a surge.” THE BARS ARE NOT THE PROBLEM!!! It’s people who know they might be sick and who are going to work anyway! If you have a cough, STAY HOME! If you have 99.4 fever, STAY HOME! Especially those of you who have paid sick days. You are not being an admirable company man or woman by coming to work when you might be ill. You are endangering your co-workers.
Dr. Bruce Randolph, County Health Officer, gave updated guidelines about quarantining. A person is put in quarantine when they have been in recent close contact with someone who has tested positive.
- The old CDC guidelines were to quarantine for 14 days. That is still preferable. BUT –
- Under the new guidelines, you’re only required to quarantine for 10 days without a negative test.
- Under the new guidelines, you can end your quarantine at 7 days if you go get tested at the end of that period and it comes back negative.
Terri Lee Freeman is stepping down as head of the National Civil Rights Museum, a position she has held for six years. She will assume leadership of a museum of African-American history in Baltimore. Her last day will be February 3.
If you run out of gas and need to flag down police officers to transport you to get some, here’s a word of advice: Don’t leave your meth pipe in your vehicle’s center console.
It’s Holiday Market Weekend out at Boxlot in The Edge District.
Wiseacre will release a new beer at both its taprooms at 1 today. It’s called Jean de Lis and is described as an Ice Pick Style Lager. It’s a French-leaning lemon and black tea lager that comes in at 5% ABV.
I’ve been studying the best writers on the Medium writing platform this week, and one of their tools is to insert a quote here and there from a widely respected source – to name a few, Barack Obama, Oprah, Buddha, Lao Tzu, Zig Ziglar. Therefore, I would like to wrap up this post with a quote from Buddha.
“We’ll get you so drunk in our BBQ booth, you’ll have a seizure and die” – Buddha
It just seems wrong to stay home on Bartender Appreciation Day, so I’ll be out after work. Back tomorrow with more news.