Tuesday update

Ja Morant won the NBA Most Improved Player of the Year award yesterday. In typical Morant fashion, the first thing he did was give credit to his teammates, his coaches, and everyone who pushed him to be better. He also said he thought his teammate Desmond Bane should have been more seriously considered for the award. Ja becomes the first player ever to win Rookie of the Year and Most Improved Player.

Tonight Ja takes the next step to become the first player to win Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Player, and an NBA championship as the Grizzlies host the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5. The game will be nationally broadcast on TNT at 6:30 tonight.

The Grizzlies are throwing a party two hours before tip-off. The Grizzline drum line will be on Beale Street, and Garry Goin & the Grizzlies House Band will perform on the FedExForum plaza. There will be DJs in the arena’s main lobby and Terrace level. Kameron Whalum will sing the National Anthem. At halftime, trapeze artists Duo Transcend will perform. Also performing during the game: Grizzlies Grannies & Grandpas, Grizz Girls, and the Grizzline.

Here’s a look at tonight’s growl towel:

I was very happy to see Boston eliminate the Brooklyn Nets in 4 straight. The main reason I don’t like the Nets is the way Kyrie Irving was a little bitch about getting vaccinated. Not a Ben Simmons fan, either. Glad the Grizzlies avoid high-maintenance divas like those two.

Don’t forget that tonight is the Downtown Neighborhood Association monthly meeting, 5:30-7:30, Withers Gallery on Beale. Carolyn Michael Banks with Tour of Possibilities will speak. While it lasts, there will be free wine, beer, and food. Free food? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

Memphis Made Brewing Co. has announced their annual Hopped festival for Saturday, May 14 at the brewery at 768 S. Cooper. First 100 people get a free glass. There will be special-release beers and live music. The Gourmade and Soi #9 food trucks will be on site. Free admission. This could be something fun to do while the judges are in the booths down the road at BBQ Fest.

Aldo’s Pizza Pies is hiring a pizza cook.

Yesterday I read one of the best posts ever on question-and-answer website Quora. Do you know someone who is a habitual liar? Someone who often claims “I never said that” when you remember them saying it quite clearly? Someone who claims you did things that you know you never did? This post may be an eye-opener for you.

Today is National Pretzel Day. My recommendation would be the two big soft pretzels with your choice of two dipping sauces (queso, cream cheese, or spicy mustard) from the Flying Saucer.

This is gonna be the longest copy-paste from Facebook I’ve ever done here, but I’m doing it because it’s an opportunity to make life better for homeless women and children:

Creating Kindness, One Blanket at a Time!
Cotton Row Uniques has teamed up with Fish and Associates Financial Services to help collect blankets for Hospitality Hub of Memphis.
This Drive has been organized by Fish & Asociates and will go on through May 20th, 2022.  We have brought in several blanket/throw options for this drive.  Also we will be giving a percentage of proceeds from the sells to Hospitality Hub.
Here is the link to purchase on line and just mark “local deliver” and we will deliver directly to Fish & Associates and we will take care of everything else.
The Hospitality Hub has served as the region’s single point of entry for homeless individuals since 2007. The Hub meets people “where they are” and assesses their individual needs, connecting them with stabilizing resources. We leverage our extensive community partnerships and internal programs – such as Outreach, Work Local (jobs) – to provide shelter, benefits, identification and case management.
The Hub is thrilled to be opening our Hub Campus at 590 Washington Ave later this year. This new development will allow us to greatly expand Hub services, provide a Day Plaza for the community and open the region’s first barrier-free, trauma-informed women’s shelter.
With women comprising 37% of the city’s homeless population, and only 6% of the available beds open to women, our team has struggled for years to find shelter for women. Our new shelter is designed to facilitate healing from trauma and introduce immediate stability to unsheltered lives. Barrier-free shelters operate on the premise that homelessness is not an individual choice or attributed to personal disposition. Rather, the HUB recognizes homelessness as the result of a mix of economic, structural and societal factors that affect society’s most vulnerable. In order to promote safety and healing, the shelter will have a Quiet Room, Family Room, Salon, a large outdoor space and several places to be alone.
We will allow each woman, or child, to choose a throw blanket upon entry, immediately giving them something warm and cozy to call their own. To gather 150 blankets before opening, Fish and Associates have graciously offered to hold a blanket drive now through May 20th.
And, two local boutiques, Cotton Row Uniques, located at 4615 Poplar Ave, Unit 3, Memphis, 38117, and Diane’s Art Gift & Home, at 1581 Overton Park Ave, Memphis, 38112 have stocked blankets especially for this drive.
Donations can be dropped off at Fish and Associates, 633 Oakleaf Office LaneMemphis, TN 38117 between April 20th- May 20th, 2022 or the retailer can drop off for you. They are open Monday-Thursday, 8 am – 5pm and Friday 8am – 2:30 pm.

Reading speculation on POLITICO Playbook this morning on what will happen if the Trumpster returns to Twitter, soon to be owned by free-speech advocate Elon Musk. Many Republicans think it would be the worst thing possible for their chances to take the House and the Senate in the midterm elections in November.

From Axios: Everything Elon Musk wants to change about Twitter

A New York judge has held the Trumpster in contempt of court for not handing over requested documents. He’ll be fined $10,000 a day until he does.

Back tomorrow. GO GRIZZLIES!!!