Month: July 2022

Action News 5 has a video tour of the new and improved Hospitality Hub opening next month at 590 Washington. There will be expanded day services, including helping clients get important documents including birth certificates and photo IDs. The Hub Hotel will provide a place to stay for women and children experiencing homelessness.

Kerry and Galway will face off in the GAA All-Ireland Final this Sunday and The Brass Door will open at 9 AM for the broadcast.

Today is National Hot Dog Day. My top recommendations would be the Daily Dog at Bardog (toppings change daily) and the Double Dog, add chili and cheese, at Dyer’s.

53 years ago today, the first humans walked on the moon.

Ghost Town Blues Band plays Blues on Beale in Handy Park tonight, 7 PM. This is a free all-ages show.

Fans of pinewood derby, you can race tonight with a beer in your hand (or without one) at Soul & Spirits Brewery, 845 N. Main. It’s adult pinewood racing club Derby and Ales‘ first time at the brewery. Registration is from 6:00-to 6:45 with races starting at 7. There will be prizes for the fastest 3 cars and Best in Show.

The Will Tucker Band plays the Blind Bear Saturday from 8 PM to midnight.

Tomorrow should be a big night at the Peabody as very popular band WALRUS headlines their rooftop party.

There’s a free tarot share tonight at The Broom Closet from 7 to 9.

There’s an Excessive Heat Warning for Shelby County today. Highs of around 100 are expected with the heat index rising above 110. Be careful if you go out. Back tomorrow with more news.

River City Records reports that they just landed a treasure trove of hip-hop and ’90s alternative CDs. Better get by there today if you’re interested before they get picked over.

Something weird was going on at the intersection of Main and G.E. Patterson yesterday. The traffic light facing southbound Main traffic was steady green – but it was also flashing red, at the same time, in the same direction. Never seen that one before!

Did you know that STIX has sushi-making classes? They’re $40 per person. You learn to make one of three rolls, and you get a free bottle of ginger dressing or yum yum sauce to take home. Email stix901@stixonline.com to inquire about classes.

DGX was reported to run out of plastic bags yesterday. A friend of mine had to use his pockets to carry his purchased items away. What the f….. ?

Let’s all hope tonight’s Major League Baseball game is tied after 9 innings. According to newly-adopted rules, the game won’t go into extra innings. Rather, a mini-home run derby will determine the winner. Three players from the NL and AL will get three swings apiece. The league with the most home runs wins.

The Memphis Redbirds have had a former player in every MLB All-Star Game since 2003. The Memphis Flyer composed a Redbirds alumni All-Star team.

Speaking of the Flyer, their annual Burger Week kicks off tomorrow and runs through the 26th. Enjoy some of the best burgers in the city for only $6.99. The event benefits Memphis Tilth, supporting an economically sustainable and socially equitable food system. Downtown participants include

• Huey’s
• Loflin Yard
• Flying Saucer

Southland is the closest casino to Downtown Memphis. Action News 5 has a look at the casino’s new hotel rooms.

Cameron Smith, who won The Open Championship Sunday, is nearing a move to join LIV Golf. I know some people don’t like LIV because there are Saudi investors, but I’ll tell you the way I see it. When there’s competition for talent, the talent benefits and gets paid handsomely. When there’s no competition (as was the case before LIV popped up), talent has to toe the line, do what The Man (the PGA Tour) says, and accept what The Man is willing to give them.

The DM has updated details about the man who allegedly threatened to shoot everyone coming out of the Yo Gotti concert at FedExForum Friday night. Investigators believed he planned to carry out the threat from his apartment in the Chisca. He’d broken out an east-facing window and had multiple firearms inside. Initially charged with Commission of the Act of Terrorism, he now 30 charges of criminal attempt of first-degree murder and 30 charges of possession of a firearm to be used in a dangerous felony. Why 30? Because he had 30 rounds in his rifle by his window. More from Fox 13 News

It’s National Daiquiri Day. My recommendation would be a Call-a-Cab at Wet Willie’s.

Cordelia’s Market is throwing a party Wednesday from 5-7 PM to welcome Muddy’s Bake Shop and Las Delicias to the grocery store. There will be samples everywhere. Muddy’s food truck will be on site and Las Delicias will serve food by the pound inside the store.

P.J. Morton’s Watch the Sun Tour comes to the Cannon Center Wednesday evening. DJ Arie Spins will perform as well.

My legs are in really bad shape and I think I’m going to take another day off from going out and enjoy the air conditioning and streaming services. Back tomorrow with more news.

The 2022 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby will be on ESPN tonight at 7. Here’s the bracket. He’s a longshot at age 42, but as a Cardinals fan, I will be rooting for Albert Pujols.

FedEx is moving its data to the cloud and getting rid of its remaining centralized data centers. As someone who has a background in IT, I can tell you this is a wise, wise, wise decision and worth the extra effort it takes to move the data.

From Hot New Hip Hop: Yo Gotti addresses the threatened shooting of people leaving his Birthday Bash last Friday. The threat came about 3 hours after the show ended, so attendees were never in any real danger.

Interesting article from FiveThirtyEight: Is coaching an NBA Summer League team a springboard to becoming an NBA head coach? It was for the Grizzlies’ Taylor Jenkins and 10 other head coaches in the league.

Today is National Sour Candy Day. My writing assistant Perjorie T. Roll recommends Trolli Sour Bite Twisted Crawlers.

You can take part in a celestial sound bath tonight at 6:30 at the Broom Closet.

I didn’t go out yesterday, and as a result I enjoyed a restful, peaceful, air-conditioned night’s sleep and my bad legs feel somewhat improved. Only thing was, I had my least favorite nightmare again – I was back in 12th grade (despite having my college degrees) and had to write a 10-page paper on classic British literature. I couldn’t do Shakespeare because he’s been done to death. I was required to do footnotes or end notes instead of parenthetical citations, which are so much easier, and I had to turn in my 3×5 note cards along with the paper. School really made me hate British lit. I must have had this dream 30 times over the years.

Back tomorrow with more news.

A man was arrested in the 200 block of South Main Saturday morning at about 2:45. He had just had a bad breakup with his girlfriend and told people he wanted to kill himself and everyone coming out of FedExForum, where the Yo Gotti Birthday Bash was going on. The man was cut on his hand, apparently from punching an apartment window, and weapons were found in his apartment. Police took him for medical treatment and evaluation. He’s charged with the commission of the act of terrorism.

Sad story. I hope he gets the help he needs. Threatening innocent people is never the solution to a problem.

Kenneth Lofton Jr. scored 27 points and 12 rebounds as the Grizzlies closed out Summer League with a 90-87 loss to San Antonio. By the way, I’ve called him “Kenny” on here before – I’ve since found out that he doesn’t mind that, but prefers being called “Junior.” Will Junior be able to play center at the NBA level at only 6’6″? Draymond Green is the same height and plays center when the Golden State Warriors put their “death lineup” on the floor.

Memphis 901 FC took a home loss to Louisville City FC 2-1 last night. That drops Memphis to third in the Eastern Conference (38 points) behind Tampa Bay (39) and Lousiville (42). 901 FC needs to stay in the top four to clinch a spot in the playoffs in October. Fourth-place Pittsburgh and fifth-place Detroit City each have 34 points. Teams get 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw, and 0 for a loss. If two teams are tied in points, the cumulative goal differential throughout the season is the tiebreaker.

The DM has coverage and photos of the Ida B. Wells memorial groundbreaking that happened yesterday. It was announced that going forward, July 16, Wells’ birthday, will be a state holiday.

The CA has a look at Curtis Givens’ All-White Affair that happened yesterday on Mud Island.

There’s a risk of storms with gusty winds and heavy rain today. Bring on the storms, I say, if it will cool things down for a while.

Alexis Jade and Sarah Spain play Loflin Yard’s Coach House today at noon.

I’m going to stay home today. Between my bad legs and 32 days without effectively-working air at home (which ended Thursday), I am exhausted and behind on my to-do list. Sundays Downtown aren’t nearly as much fun as they were 5 years ago, so this is the perfect day of the week to rest. I’ll be back out tomorrow, and I’ll be back with another post if there’s any news to report.

The DM’s Jasmine McCraven has a review of Yo Gotti’s Birthday Bash at FedExForum. Special guests included Boozie BadAzz, Lil Durk, Lil Uzi Vert,  JT, GloRilla, Blac Youngsta, Mozzy, JB, EST Gee, Moneybagg Yo, and Lil Mago.

Huge soccer match tonight Downtown. USL Eastern Conference #2 Memphis 901 FC (38 points) hosts #1 Louisville City FC (39 points). A home win would put Memphis atop the conference standings. Kickoff time is 7:30.

If you’re looking for a place to pre-game for soccer, the Ghost River taproom on Beale has a lot going on this afternoon. New Wing Order will debut their latest menu offering, Philly cheesesteak egg rolls, specials on Ghost River beer, giveaways of tickets to the game and 901 FC merchandise, and a special appearance by Al Kapone. There will also be a meet & greet with 901 FC goalkeeper John Berner.

Insomnia Cookies on Beale is getting a head start on celebrating National Ice Cream Day this Sunday. Get 1 free scoop with any purchase in-store or for delivery (but not available for pickup orders).

The Memphis Grizzlies are holding auditions for several of their support teams Saturday, July 23 at the Collage Dance Center, 505 Tillman. Auditions include

• Grizzlies Grannies & Grandpas, over-50 dance team, 8:00 AM registration, 8:30 AM auditions
• Blue Bunch, 7-17 dance team, 10:30 AM registration, 11:00 AM auditions
• Claw Crew, marketing team, 1:00 PM registration, 1:30 PM auditions

Catherine & Mary’s is seeking a general manager. Here’s the description they posted to social media:

As the general manager for an Enjoy AM restaurant, you are the head of a hospitality driven team. You will provide inspiring leadership to a team of workers that can motivate them to deliver outstanding experiences for guests. Through training, systems, and inspiration, you will ensure amazingly crafted and executed experiences for every guest. You will work with your team to develop strategies that reduce costs and increase sales within the company.

You can email resumes and inquiries to nick@enjoyam.com.

Mayor Jimbo from Mempho says he is uncomfortable with the city guaranteeing all of the bond debt for public spaces that are part of the One Beale project. The City Council passed a resolution doing exactly that, but Strickland has to sign the resolution. The mayor is comfortable guaranteeing about $5 million, but not all of it ($10 to $14 million).

There’s now a three-digit number you can call for mental health emergencies: 988

Not Downtown but worth a mention: ALDI is rumored to be coming to Midtown. Exact location is not yet known.

From WREG: Harbor Town residents are shaken up after car break-ins and shots fired early Friday morning. I would love to know what percentage of Mud Island residents have had their car broken into at least once in the past two years.

Also from WREG: An arrest has been made in the April 10 shooting outside The Green Room on Beale. The shooting happened around 2 AM. 17-year-old Cedquedrick Williams had a warrant issued for his arrest and was found to be incarcerated in Mississippi. He will be tried as an adult, a $500,000 bond has been issued, and extradition is being arranged. Question: If Beale Street security hadn’t called it a night about 1, would a 17-year-old have been allowed on the street at the hour the shooting took place?

Good Wikipedia reads if you’re into The Open Championship (golf) broadcast on TV this weekend: Young Tom Morris and Old Tom Morris

Interesting note for my fellow pro wrestling fans: WWE Monday Night RAW will be rated TV-14 from now on. Since 2008 it was rated TV-PG. The new rating will allow for edgier content.

Heading to Bardog to catch up with friends I haven’t seen in a while. Back tomorrow with more news.

Been wanting to check out the Green Beetle’s new food truck? Today could be your day! It’ll be in Health Sciences Park from 11:30 to 1:00. It’ll be selling cheesy fries, dirty bird fries, chicken bites, and a selection of chicken sandwiches and burgers. Menu

The Grizzlies’ Summer League loss to Boston yesterday put them out of the race to compete in the league’s championship game. Their final game in the league will be against the San Antonio Spurs, 5 PM Saturday, on ESPN.

Tonight is Yo Gotti’s Birthday Bash at FedExForum. Based on past lineups, the event would seem to be the place to catch the stars of 2023.

You probably will never be able to buy a Whataburger in Downtown Memphis, but you can purchase one of its condiments to use at home. Cordelia’s Market is selling Whataburger’s Spicy Jalapeno Ranch used on the Monterey Melt at its restaurants. You can use it as a dip or use it to top chicken, beef, or vegetables.

A drag brunch is coming to the Hard Rock Cafe every other Sunday from noon to 2 PM beginning August 7. The event is organized by past DNA president Jerred Price and will be emceed by Holly Walnutz. The chef will create a brand-new brunch menu for these events.

Curtis Givens’ All White Affair happens at Mud Island River Park Saturday.

Ivana Trump, Donald’s first wife and mother of Don Jr., Ivanka, and Eric, has died at 73.

My A/C is back on!!! I caught a lady in the office yesterday morning, and she sent someone up that afternoon. It’s 68 degrees in my apartment with practically no humidity,

Back tomorrow with more news.

Early voting for the Shelby County general election begins tomorrow. If you early vote, you can vote at any location. Here is a list of early voting locations. If you’re Downtown, the Shelby County Election Commission at Second and Poplar is the closest place. The Memphis Flyer has an election guide.

WREG has full video of the Shelby County District Attorney debate – Amy Weirich (R, incumbent) vs. Steve Mulroy (D).

Mayor Jimbo from Mempho will seek a third term if voters approve a referendum allowing the city mayor and council members a third term. Currently those offices are term-limited to two terms. I will vote NO on the referendum. That’s not a reflection on Mayor Strickland. It’s just my belief that Memphis needs public servants, not career politicians.

BarWare celebrates its third birthday this evening with DJ Tree supplying the tunes.

Sean Fresh DJs tonight at Sage. Doors open at 5 for dinner and music starts at 7.

Max’s Sports Bar has added a Malort wall of fame. Take a shot of Malort there, and they’ll take a Polaroid of your face afterward and put it on the wall.

The Downtown Neighborhood Association has announced that their July membership meeting will happen Tuesday night, July 26, and you’ll want to come hungry. It’ll be at the Rendezvous with free food and drinks for members. Speaker to be announced.

The Grizzlies play a Summer League game vs. the Boston Celtics today. It’ll be on NBAtv at 2:30.

By popular demand, River City Records has added cassettes to its inventory. Come shop for tapes like it’s the 1980s.

New Wing Order has brought back its MANEgo Jalapeño Wings for its July-August special. These are made with fresh mango, jalapeño, garlic, and a blend of ingredients and spices. It’s a marriage of tropical influences and Memphis heat. Get them at the restaurant at 341 Beale (inside Ghost River) or on the food truck.

Eric Gales comes to the Cannon Center December 1. Tickets go on sale to the public tomorrow at 10 AM.

Auditions for the Grizzline drum squad will be held at 9 AM July 30 at FedExForum. What they are looking for:

• 18 and up
• Skilled percussionist
• Able to read sheet music
• Reliable transportation
• Personality when performing
• Works well on a team

Thompson Square and Ray Fulcher play a free KIX on Beale show tonight at 7 at Handy Park.

Stacks and Jack play Live at the Tracks tonight from 6:30 to 9:30 at Central Station.

DJ EPIC plays the Peabody rooftop party tonight from 6 to 10.

The Points Guy has a very thorough review of the new Caption by Hyatt.

Day 32 without effectively-working air conditioning. It’s really aggravating the circulatory problem in my legs. Last night I had to call a Lyft to get home from the Blind Bear, even though it’s only 3 blocks away, and I needed help getting out of the back seat. I need to stay home a few days and let my legs rest, but who wants to be cooped up in an 83-degree apartment?

Back tomorrow if the heat doesn’t kill me.

A word of advice to anyone considering moving Downtown into a large apartment community: Before you sign a lease, get on Google Reviews and sort by “Newest First.” The reason I advise you to do this is that several Downtown apartment communities have been bought by out-of-town investment companies in the past few years. They get rid of existing management (often people who live in the building themselves) and install corporate property management who have little compassion for tenants. I have reason to believe at least one apartment community may be outsourcing its maintenance management to India to lower costs (but also lowering tenant satisfaction).

Once again, a prime-time NBC series will be filmed in Memphis. The third season of Young Rock, chronicling the development of Dwayne Johnson AKA The Rock, will be filmed here September through February. An all-local crew will be hired for set construction and management.

The Rock’s father, Rocky Johnson, wrestled in Memphis when The Rock was a child, winning the prestigious Southern Heavyweight Championship in late 1976. When The Rock signed with the WWF in 1996, talent development agent Pat Patterson sent him to Memphis Wrestling to get some experience. Working under the name Flex Kavana, The Rock won a tag team championship with Brian Christopher.

Central Station Hotel is now hiring for the following positions:

• Chef de cuisine
• Sous chef
• Banquet chef
• Line cooks
• Hosts
• Servers
• Bartenders
• Backservers

Benefits associated with these positions include

• Competitive pay
• Health, vision, and dental insurance
• Opportunity for growth
• Hilton team member discounts
• Paid time off (all positions)
• 401(k) with matching
• Employee referral bonus program

Email lingold@centralstationmemphis.com to apply.

Saturday, July 16 is Ida B. Wells’ 160th birthday, and there will be a celebration of her life and the groundbreaking of Phase II of the Ida B. Wells Plaza. It’ll happen at noon Saturday at the corner of Beale Street and Ida B. Wells Street (formerly South Fourth Street) and the public is invited.

The DM reports that Big River Market, the new convenience store at 516 Tennessee, had its soft opening Monday. It has a grab & go and wine and next week it’ll have a staffed coffee bar. This week it’s open noon to 7.

This would be a great year to book a trip to Europe. For the first time in 20 years, the euro has fallen to the point that 1 euro = 1 dollar.

The U.S. Justice Department is investigating the PGA Tour for anticompetitive behavior. Banning golfers who participate in LIV events could be seen as monopolistic on the part of the PGA Tour. (I’ll make a second pro wrestling reference here: If you want to get a baseline for the government’s case against the PGA Tour, read about the investigation of the National Wrestling Alliance in the 1950s.)

Rain is passing through Memphis as I type this, and although it’s delaying my grocery run to Walgreens, I LOVE IT. Anything to help keep the temperatures in the 70s a little longer.

I want to say it again: Velvetina’s Pop Culture Trivia is the most fun bar trivia night I have ever played. She has all the little touches, including a Monty Hall suit and a game show music soundtrack in the background. Prizes are awarded per round, not just one time at the end, so you have multiple chances to win. She’s at the Blind Bear every Tuesday night at 7:30 and I believe she’s also starting to pick up other trivia night gigs around town.

StyleBlueprint looks at the best cheap eats in Memphis. Downtown is represented by Cozy Corner’s 2-bone rib plate and pork sandwich plate and Maciel’s 3-taco combo

More new images from the James Webb telescope

Today is National French Fry Day. Brass Door and Flying Saucer would be my recommendations to celebrate.

Songwriter Night returns to South Main Sounds, 550 S. Main, this Friday at 7 PM. Nia Nicholls, a country star from the UK, will perform, as will Abbye West Pates, Katie Shelton, and Dave Kellebrew.

Wyly Bigger will perform on the porch of South Point Grocery this Saturday at noon.

Cassie Bonner will play Soulin’ on the River at Fourth Bluff Park Friday at 7. There will be food trucks and a full bar, and coolers and picnic baskets are welcome.

JD Westmoreland plays Downtown Local tonight from 6 to 9.

Shar & Flamingo King play King & Union Bar/Grocery Thursday from 6 to 9.

That’s it for today. Back tomorrow with more news, unless I overheat.

New Wing Order has announced some new menu items for its restaurant inside the Ghost River taproom at 341 Beale. These include

• Classic chicken salad
• Loaded potato salad
• Jalapeno popper dip
• Chicken salad sandwich
• Buffalo chicken gyro
• Cucumber dip
• Several wing flavors previously available only on the food truck.

They’re open for dinner Wednesday-Sunday and lunch Friday-Sunday.

There will be a free Pour & Paint event at South Main Artspace, 138 St. Paul, on Trolley Night, Friday, July 29 from 7 to 9 PM. This event will feature acrylic pour painting, which allows for the creation of paintings with natural flowing patterns. This will be an all-ages event.

Cordelia’s Market announced a couple of partnerships with Memphis institutions this week. Beginning a week from tomorrow, the market will carry Muddy’s Bake Shop products including chocolate peanut butter bars, crispy rice treats, and take-and-bake pie crusts.

Cordelia’s announced that Las Delicias will take over their kitchen in the evenings. Monday through Saturday from 4 to 9, look for Las Delicias products in the grab & go and the hot box, including roasted poblano chicken, roasted red pepper spaghetti, and chipotle chicken.

Union Avenue between Riverside and Main has been given an honorary renaming for recently-passed Memphis radio legend Bobby O’ Jay.

Reba McEntire comes to FedExForum Thursday, November 17. Tickets will be on sale to the public this Friday.

The CA has 5 things to know about Yo Gotti’s Birthday Bash, which happens at FedExForum this Friday.

The Memphis Flyer has a look at the first-ever Memphis Hip-Hop Architecture Camp. Co-sponsored by the Downtown Memphis Commission, the camp is designed to bring more diversity to architecture.

DJ Tree will play the Blind Bear from 10 PM-2 AM Saturday.

Speaking of the Blind Bear, they have a new flavor of moonshine that Perjorie T. Roll and I tried yesterday:

Banana pudding moonshine! It tasted just like it. My new favorite of all the Bear’s moonshine flavors.

Blue’s Clues and YOU! Live on Stage comes to the Orpheum on Tuesday, December 6. Tickets go on sale to the public this Friday.

From MakeUseOf: How to screenshot an Instagram story without getting caught

The Memphis Grizzlies play the Brooklyn Nets in NBA Summer League action today at 5:30 on ESPN2.

If you haven’t seen the first image from the new James Webb space telescope, treat yourself and have a look. It’s beautiful.

The UN says India will overtake China as the world’s most populous country in 2023.

Hilton Garden Inn is hiring a banquet bartender.

Today is Cow Appreciation Day.

Just left another message with the leasing office about my A/C. At this point I’ve just about given up hope that anyone will listen to the message or care. Back tomorrow with more news.

A/C update: After 17 days of my A/C not working effectively and three maintenance requests that had been ignored, on Thursday, June 30 I caught a lady in the apartment building’s office who seemed to be a district manager.

She was very nice and helpful. She said she’d send maintenance up within the hour. She also said, since all 3 of my maintenance request tickets addressed the same issue, she was going to close out my June 13 and 16 tickets and the June 23 one would be the active one. She said I might receive email notifying me that the two older tickets had been closed.

That evening, I came home and the apartment was still hot. There was a standard maintenance documentation form on my kitchen counter. It read, “Parts on Hold Needs Freon.”

They didn’t come back Friday, July 1, leaving me without A/C during the scorching hot July 4 weekend.

Nor did they come back Tuesday, July 5. A number of my friends thought I should withhold my July rent; however, on the advice of a lawyer, I paid it. Air conditioning is not considered an essential landlord-provided service in Tennessee.

On Wednesday, July 6, I went down to the office to try to talk to a human again. However, there was a notice on the door saying the office was closed (sounded like permanently) and if we needed anything, to fill out a maintenance ticket in the online portal – precisely what I did June 13, 16, and 23 without result.

Thursday morning, July 7, about 7:30, I pulled up the emails notifying me that the June 13 and 16 tickets had been closed. There was a link inviting me to take a survey about my experience with the maintenance requests. I clicked on the link and opened the survey.

I gave them one star out of five straight down the line. In the comment box, I mentioned how my requests had gone ignored for weeks and I was extremely hot and unhappy.

About 8:35 that morning, I got a phone call from “No Caller ID.” Well, of course, I’m not answering that! An hour later I saw that the mystery caller had left a voicemail.

“Hello, Paul,” said a foreign-sounding (Indian?) voice. “I see that you are not satisfied with the job maintenance did on your air conditioner. I will send someone out today. If you need to talk to me, you can reach me at the number displayed on your caller ID [but it said No Caller ID]. Thank you and have a pleasant day.”

By noon that day I couldn’t stand to be in the hot apartment anymore and walked 4 blocks to the Silly Goose. It was a hard walk, because the heat has aggravated a circulatory problem in my legs that started in 2018. I was fatigued and dehydrated by the time I got there. At 12:38 “No Caller ID” called back.

“Hello, Paul,” said the Indian-sounding guy. “This is property management for…….. (paused about 5 seconds while he located my apartment building’s name). We were wondering when you were going to be home. I had a maintenance person stop by your apartment, but he didn’t have the right key to let himself in.” (And he couldn’t go get one from the leasing office, because they had closed it.)

I contemplated walking right back over there, but I was worried the 4-block walk so soon after the last one would be more than my legs could take and I might fall. When my condition was at its worst in October-November 2018 I fell a couple of times and had to be helped up.

So I told the guy, “I plan to be home tomorrow morning until noon. Would that work for you?”

“Yes, Paul,” Indian-sounding guy said. “I will send him out tomorrow.”

“MORNING,” I reiterated.

“Tomorrow morning. Thank you, Paul, have a pleasant day.”

I stayed home until 3:00 yesterday afternoon and no one came. When I came home about 10 yesterday evening, the temperature in the apartment was 83.

So I get another weekend in a sweltering hot apartment. Let’s have a look at the forecast:

• Today: 98/75. Heat index near 110.
• Tomorrow: 93/73. Lower humidity so maybe the A/C can catch up a bit and get my apartment down to a frosty 79.

Thanks for reading all that. If I seem unusually worn out and non-talkative when you see me out, now you understand why.

Tune into NBAtv tonight at 8:30 to see the Grizzlies’ summer league team play the L.A. Clippers.

Tonight is Country Music DJ Night at the Blind Bear from 9 to 1. DJ Superbrad will spin the hits. Apparently this is a big deal and a lot of people are talking about dressing up in Western shirts and cowboy boots. I’m very proud to say I don’t own any of that stuff. I’ll try to stay out late and see the spectacle.

Bleacher Report will hold a live, streaming interview with Ja Morant tomorrow at 4 PM. You can watch it here.

The Nate Smith Whiskey on You Tour comes to the Hard Rock Cafe on Beale tonight and tomorrow.

Rob & The Rockin’ 88s play Ghost River on Beale tonight.

If you’re a Daily Memphian subscriber, check out this article about Amplified Food Prep. Several of my friends use this service, love it, and say it has made them healthier. They make customized tasty meals that fit your dietary needs or meal plan.

ARRIVE Hotel was lauded as being especially dog-friendly in the DM’s article about 12 places you can hang out with your dog. There’s never a pet fee, and you don’t have to be a hotel guest to enjoy the lobby with your pup. The article lists several other outdoor spaces that are ideal for dogs, including Slider Inn Downtown’s backyard. Dogs are not allowed in the indoor areas of restaurants in Memphis, although I can tell you that regulation is widely flouted Downtown.

ABC 24 reports that Tom Lee Park construction is 40% complete. But that’s not the REAL news in this article. MRPP hopes the park will be ready to open in July 2023 – which means Music Fest 2023 and BBQ Fest 2023 likely WON’T be on the river. I suspect MRPP knew this was the real timeline all along.

Kashief, Bird Williams, and Karen Brown, with The Marcus Malone Band as the backing house band, will take the stage tonight at 901 Live! at the Halloran Centre. Tickets are $47.50.

Today is National No Bra Day.

SIsterly Too: A Framily Affair happens tonight at the Cannon Center.

The Mid-South Jewelry and Accessories Fair, which was supposed to happen this weekend at the Renasant Convention Center, has been postponed.

Huey’s is hiring cooks, servers, takeout runners, and hosts.

WWE head honcho Vince McMahon is reported to have paid $12 million in hush money to 4 different women to quiet sexual misconduct allegations. One of the women was a former WWE wrestler. It’s claimed that Vinnie Mac decided not to renew her contract in 2005 after she rejected further advances from him. Hmmm… Ivory and Molly Holly left the company in 2005.

Ready for Saturday brunch at an air-conditioned venue. Back tomorrow with more news.