Month: February 2023

The Memphis Grizzlies host the L.A. Lakers at FedExForum tonight at 6:30. This upcoming game caused me to learn something about how TV coverage of games works.

The game will be broadcast nationally on TNT. In the past this season, when TNT broadcast Grizzlies games, you had no choice but to watch them there – they had exclusive broadcast rights.

My producer friend tells me that is not the case with tonight’s game. TNT’s contract with the NBA specifies that it gets 6 exclusive games per team per season. Because TNT wants all the Ja Morant it can get its hands on, it’s already burned through its 6, with more than a month left. So, TNT will broadcast the game tonight… but so will Bally Sports South, the home of most Grizzlies games.

So, if you live in the Mid-South, I encourage you to tune into Bally and listen to the announcers who know the Grizz the best – your friends Pete, Brevin, and Fish. Grizz fan watching from out of market? No prob, tune into TNT in that case.

LeBron has been ruled out for tonight’s game and he may be out several weeks with a foot injury.

Weather nerd alert… tomorrow is the last day until November 24 that the normal high temperature here in Memphis will be below 60. Of course, the weather in Memphis is rarely normal, and today it will be beautiful… MWN expects a sunny day, no chance of rain, high 75, low 57. This would be a great day to call in “sick” to work.

Speaking of being sick… a few people have expressed concern over my coughing fits over the past few days. No, I don’t have COVID. On Thursday, someone smoking Black & Milds sat next to me for 3 hours. My lungs are still processing the effects.

The 2023 Music Fest lineup dropped yesterday. CEO Jim Holt says surprise additions are coming soon.

Memphis Magazine’s Vance Lauderdale has a look back at Levy’s Ladies’ Toggery at Main and Union.

From the Memphis Beer Blog: Memphis Made Brewing’s Give Back Wednesdays help local nonprofits

DJ Tree will play the Blind Bear this Friday at 10.

The monthly Downtown Neighborhood Association meeting is tonight at 5:30 at the Withers Gallery on Beale. Carolyn Banks from A Tour of Possibilities will speak. Her organization offers African-American historical tours of Memphis.

That’s it. Not a very newsy week thus far. Back tomorrow.

Penny’s Memphis Tigers PROBABLY punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament with a 76-73 win over Cincinnati. At 22-7, with wins over Nebraska, Stanford, Ole Miss, Auburn, and Texas A&M, I don’t see how the tournament committee could deny Memphis, even if the Tigers lose their two remaining games.

What are those two remaining games?

• Thursday, March 2 at SMU in Dallas. TV: ESPN2
• Sunday, March 5 vs. 2 Houston at FedExForum. The legendary 1972-73 team will be honored and it will be “Stripe the Forum” day. 11 AM. TV: CBS

Let’s speculate for a moment. Say Memphis beats SMU and Houston, wins 2 games in the AAC tournament, then loses in the tournament finals to Houston on a neutral court. They’d finish 26-8 with wins over the Power Five schools listed above. Would that be enough for a 7 seed? The advantage of a 7 seed (as opposed to an 8 or 9) is, you’re guaranteed not to see a 1 seed during the opening weekend of March Madness.

All right. Usually I have a long list in Evernote of things to post about, but not today. Let’s see what news I can scrounge up…

Local on Main will do a crawfish boil next Sunday, March 5 from 2 PM until they run out. $15 gets you a pound of crawfish plus all the fixins, and there will be $15 beer buckets too. Cornhole and Rock, Paper, Scissors. Not sure who will be boiling the crawfish (that can matter A LOT) but I will find out this week.

Today is National Kahlua Day.

Already in the upper 60s as I type this before the sun comes up. MWN predicts a high of 75 and a low of 48. Any rain will happen before 9 AM.

Bella DuBalle, a drag performer, hostess, and drag show coordinator at Atomic Rose, spoke to ABC 24 about the incredibly stupid and narrow-minded new state law concerning drag performances. Rose’s manager Charlie explained that the venue would need a strip club license to continue operating drag shows. The club is technically within the Beale entertainment district and the combination of strip club license + liquor license isn’t allowed there. “This is our lifeblood,” said DuBalle.

That’s all the news I can find. If I see Butt Slut #1, she’ll probably tell me, “YOUR BLOG SUCKED TODAY, PAUL,” as she usually does when I do a short post. I wonder if she realizes, she’s one of my top candidates for a plus-one if I win a trip on The Price Is Right Live? She should be extra nice to me for the next 33 days.

Back tomorrow with more news, if there is any.

I’m going to start off with a couple of linky links for those of us going to The Price Is Right Live at the Orpheum on April 1:

• List of active pricing games
• Price Is Right strategy by a game theorist

The strategy guide is not comprehensive for every pricing game, but it does contain some interesting nuggets. For one thing, if you are last to act on Contestants’ Row, you should bid $1 higher than the previous high bid. Research shows this strategy works about 54% of the time. The reason why is that people tend to bid low, not wanting to overbid which is an automatic loss.

Then there’s Showcase Showdown where you spin the wheel and try to get as close to a dollar as you can without going over, with the winner advancing to the Showcase. I’ve seen the first person (of 3) to spin stay (refuse a second spin to add to their total) on as little as .55. Game theory says that strategy is not optimal. You actually want to spin again on as much as .65 if you have two people to spin after you.

I’ll make one other observation, this one having nothing to do with game theory. When there’s a Showcase with a boat as one of the prizes, it’s always the second Showcase. Why? Because that way, it can’t be passed. Nobody wants a friggin’ boat.

The Blind Bear’s new Saturday/Sunday Hung Over Like a Bear brunch menu rolled out yesterday. A few highlights:

• Paul’s Meatloaf Sandwich: Yes, it’s named after me! The meatloaf comes between two slices of Texas toast with sides of fried okra and mashed potatoes. $14
• Mac’s Big Vol Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon, sausage, biscuits & gravy, hashbrown casserole, and an orange slice. $16. I bet this will become my friend Davis’ favorite brunch item, based solely on the name.
• Avocado Toast: Sunny side up egg with a balsamic drizzle atop steamed spinach, onions, tomatoes, peppers, avocado, Texas toast with breakfast potatoes. $16. At first, this new menu item scared me a bit, because the most batshit crazy woman ever to brunch at the Bear LOVES avocado toast. But she’s been gone from Memphis for more than a year now. I think this is a fine menu addition.
• Chicken & French Toast: Two jumbo whole wings over apple pie moonshine French toast. $16. Chicken & waffles is the most overplayed brunch dish ever, so I’m excited to see the Bear doing a unique take on it rather than bringing it back directly. Plus, with French toast, the kitchen’s capacity to turn out that dish isn’t limited by the number of waffle irons they have.
• Blackberry moonshine pancakes: Ole Smoky blackberry moonshine pancakes with blackberries, scrambled eggs, and bacon. $16. The Bear is known as the best place in the city to get flavored moonshine. It’s fun to see them incorporating that into their menu.
• Ole Smoky moonshine shots, by the way, are only $4 during brunch.

The Grizzlies BEAT SOME ASS on Western Conference first-place Denver last night, winning 112-94. That pulls Memphis within 5 games of Denver and opens up a 2-game lead over third-place Sacramento. Our guy Xavier Tillman Sr. totally kept up with Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic on the court. Next up: LeBron, AD, and the L.A. Lakers come to town Tuesday.

Reminder: The Tigers host Cincinnati at 1:00 on ESPN2.

Today is For Pete’s Sake Day. Cheers to my buddy Pete who used to be my neighbor down the hall and my other buddy Pete who I used to beat at pool at the Saucer all the time.

There’s an Elvis on Mud Island meme generator but Elvis is turned sideways.

All right. It’s a bit of a slow news day, so I’m out after only a handful of news items. Heading to Bardog at 11. My friends Randy and Theresa can’t make it today because they have stuff to do around the house. I think Butt Slut #1 will be there, though.

Oh, hey, you want some butt slut news? There are 5 of them now and they’ve started taking on military ranks. For example, Butt Slut #1 is now “Captain Butt Slut.” Although, continuing to call her “Butt Slut #1” is still perfectly acceptable too.

“I have a title within the butt slut organization,” I told a friend a couple of days ago. “But it doesn’t fit into the classic military structure. I’m the Big Bad Butt Slut Booty Daddy.” (So, to all my freaks out there, Big Poppa Paul is your hookup. Holla if you hear me.)

“You’re kinda like the President of the United States is to the U.S. military,” my friend said. “You’re not a butt slut yourself. But you’re the Commander-in-Chief of the butt sluts.”

Let’s finish this up with a video of the man who inspired my title within the organization. (this is one of the great pro wrestling promos of all time, but WARNING: NSFW):

Back tomorrow with more news.

It’s a classic 1-2 matchup at FedExForum tonight at 7. The Denver Nuggets, in first place in the Western Conference, come to town to take on the second-place Memphis Grizzlies. Grizzly Bear Blues has a preview. TV: Bally Sports South

Oddly, our main adversary in this game is not even in town. The Grizzlies are 6 games back of Denver for first in the West. A win would only incrementally help Memphis catch the Nuggs in the standings. The real problem is that the third-place Sacramento Kings are hot on the Grizz’ heels at 7.5 games back of first. So the most important reason Memphis needs to win is to keep distance between themselves and the Kings.

Sacramento defeated the L.A. Clippers last night 176-175 in 2OT. It’s said to be the second-highest combined score ever in an NBA game.

Tonight is Varsity Spirit Night at FedExForum. The first 5000 through the gate receive a Grizz Girls poster.

191 Collabs will be at the arena selling hyper-local Grizz garments tonight.

Just what the world needed: McBroken, a website that tells you the status of the ice cream machine at every McDonald’s in real time. It can prevent you from leaving your local McD’s disappointed because you didn’t get soft-serve ice cream.

Anyone else getting swamped with Instagram notifications on their phone? Even in the case of my best friends, I don’t care who added to their story. I don’t care who posted for the first time in a while. I don’t care who Instagram thinks I may know.

Three schools are the leading contenders to land Bronny James, LeBron’s son: USC, Ohio State, and Oregon. Coach Penny offered Bronny a scholarship to Memphis but it’s unlikely he’ll accept.

NPR has the true story of why many Christians eat fish on Friday. It’s not what you might think. Henry VIII, an Englsih king who had no qualms about meddling in religious affairs, was involved.

Patio Porkers, formerly a part of Memphis in May BBQ Fest, is moving to Beale Street this year. 30 teams will compete to determine who has the best backyard BBQ. The competition meat turned in must be ribs. Saturday, May 20 will be the date and it’s open to the public. The winning team gets $1000 and a trophy. More info

The coffee shop in Young Rock season 3, episode 10 is actually the carriage house of the Woodruff-Fontaine mansion.

Vintage heart-shaped cakes have been the #1 request at Primas Bakery + Boutique on South Main lately. In response, they’ve added a vintage cakes section to their online menu. Online pre-orders require 48 hours’ notice.

The Tennessee Vols’ baseball coach has been suspended as possible NCAA violations are being investigated. That school is such a laughingstock.

Interesting post from the Blind Bear last night:

“You do not want to miss this Friday’s Burlesque show! This Friday will be the last Burlesque show!  Come see our modern twist on a classic burlesque show with 3 beautiful ladies performing throughout the audience accompanied by live music from James and the Ultrasounds.”

(emphasis mine in the paragraph above)

People are already asking me, “Paul, why is the Bear ending burlesque?” I don’t have any official word from management, but I’ll venture a guess based on what I’ve heard from the bartenders.

Several years ago on the TV show Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and his team of experts rescued a gay bar that I believe was in Las Vegas. Like many gay bars, it had a drag show, and this one was fabulous. The performers were dressed to the nines and played their roles perfectly.

So, what was the problem, then?

The drag show was too good. People were paying attention to the show and not their drinks. Also, people didn’t want to step in the queens’ way to get to the bar to order. So sales went down during the shows. So did bartenders’ tips.

Again, this is just speculation on my part, but I suspect Bear burlesque may have had a similar issue.

Action News 5 employee and Downtown Memphis resident Matt Infield had his car stolen this week. Not surprisingly, it was a Hyundai.

The DM’s Jennifer Biggs has the recipe for Calvary Waffle Shop’s fish pudding. Biggs points out that the dish is unfortunately named and it’s actually more of a casserole.

Something you don’t see often: Snow swirling around the HOLLYWOOD sign

Southbound traffic from the I-55 bridge will be reduced to one lane until fall.

Tonight is Open that Bottle Night.

City Council members questioned Memphis in May officials about how they’re going to keep Tom Lee Park from being damaged during Music Fest and BBQ Fest. The number of BBQ teams in the park will be reduced from 232 to 150.

That’s it for today. I’ll lead off at Blind Bear at 11, then over to Bardog at 1 for brunch with my friends Randy & Theresa. Back tomorrow with more news.

Downtown bar moment of the week: Yesterday a couple sitting next to me asked for “the vodka with the bird on it.” It took the bartender a couple of minutes to figure out they were asking for Grey Goose.

Save the date: South Point Grocery will have its 1-year anniversary celebration Saturday, March 4. Here’s what will be going on that day:

• Free burgers and hot dogs
• Live music by Bri Marie beginning at noon
• $5 deli sandwiches
• Grecian Gourmet pop-up
• Beer samples from Memphis Made
• Food samples from local vendors – Elise Dessert Company, OH Grate, Las Delicias, and more
• In-store specials
• South Point merchandise and gift card giveaways

Out in The Edge, Chef Tam’s Underground Cafe will add a grab & go just in time for spring. Perfect for customers who want great food but need to get in & out fast.

With the expansion, Chef Tam’s is hiring.

• Cashiers start at $13.75/hour
• Hosts $14.50
• Servers base pay $8.50 – with tips $17-$35

Stop by the cafe for an immediate interview.

Comedian Taylor Tomlinson performs at the Orpheum tonight.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers recently went on a darkness retreat to contemplate his next career move. ESPN explains: What’s a darkness retreat?

Memphis Magazine’s Ask Vance column had a look back at the Britling Cafeteria which opened at 155 Madison in 1921. I wonder if the group that now sits at the corner table at Max’s Sports Bar had a table there.

Feast & Graze will have its next Toast & Jams brunch with DJ A.D. on Sunday, March 26. The first brunch was said to be a runaway success. Tickets are $67 and space is limited. You get unlimited table-side-served dishes and complimentary drinks.

Let’s have a look at stats site FiveThirtyEight’s updated NBA predictions. The Grizzlies

• Are considered the current second-strongest team in the West (behind Denver)
• Are considered the current fourth-strongest team in the NBA (behind Denver, Boston, Milwaukee)
• Have better than a 99% chance of making the playoffs
• Have a projected record of 50-32
• Have an 18% chance of making the NBA Finals
• Have an 8% chance of winning the NBA Finals

The Grizz didn’t help their playoff odds last night, though. They dropped one on the road at Philly, 110-105.

Food & Wine has a look at Pozole Rojo (red pozole). It’s been a soup special at Bardog lately.

DJ Tree will play upstairs at IBIS, 314 S. Main, 9 PM to close Saturday.

Toby Sells of the Memphis Flyer reports on upcoming proposed Downtown development projects.

• A skybridge from AutoZone’s building (It’s the STORE SUPPORT CENTER Toby!!! Not the headquarters!) to the Downtown Mobility Center currently under construction
• A second boat dock off Greenbelt Park
• A co-working space at 635 Madison in The Edge that is expected to have a koi fish theme

Penny’s Memphis Tigers will be short a man the rest of the season. Keyonte Kennedy is said to be out with “a non-basketball injury.” Except, in a sense it IS a basketball injury. Kennedy, frustrated over the loss to Houston on Sunday, punched a wall.

Let’s put my Tiger fandom aside for a second. If this had been a story about a Tennessee Vol, I would have done an entire post making fun of him and also the UT coaching staff for recruiting him. I hope Keyonte’s rehabilitation from injury includes not only medical treatment, but an anger-management curriculum as well.

Without Kennedy, the Tigers closed out Wichita State 83-78 last night. Will that be enough to get them off the playoff bubble? Next up: at home vs. Cincinnati, Sunday 1 PM.

Today is World Bartender Day.

It’s also National Tartar Sauce Day. The Majestic Grille and Local on Main both have good Friday fish specials. It’s fish pudding day at Calvary Waffle Shop. If fast food is more your thing, there’s a Captain D’s and a Long John Silver’s near Third and Crump.

And it’s National Tortilla Chip Day. No question about it, Maciel’s is the place to go. Get ’em with the guac or the chorizo cheese dip.

That’s the news for now. Back tomorrow with more.

The Memphis Flyer’s cover story this week is where to find great pizza in Memphis. Among the Downtown pizzas profiled:

• P.R.E.A.M. from Slim & Husky’s – white sauce, spinach, pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms, red onions on a thin crust
• Grandma’s Pizza from Little Italy – sauce, mozzarella patches, pick your toppings
• Farm Daddy from Silly Goose – garlic cream sauce, chicken, scallions, mushrooms, smoked bacon, mozzarella, Parmesan
• Thud Butt from Little Bettie’s Pizza Kitchen inside Wiseacre Downtown – mortadella, black pepper honey, pistachio stracciatella, homemade cheesy mayo

If you have no idea what stracciatella is – as I did not – Wikipedia to the rescue.

WHAAAAATTTTT?????? The school lunchroom pizza at Max’s Sports Bar – the VERY same one you ate as a 7th-grader – didn’t make the list?

DJ Mylon will spin the tunes at Blind Bear this Saturday from 10 PM to 2 AM.

5:39 AM: A train, probably Amtrak’s City of New Orleans, just rolled through my neighborhood. “i bet my friend Tawanda is saying, ‘there goes old toot toot right now,'” I thought. Down here, the train is our rooster.

Ready for some pre-season soccer action? Memphis 901 FC takes on the Memphis Tigers at 9:45 AM Saturday at the Billy J. Murphy Athletic Complex.

The Shamrock Shake is back on McDonald’s menu.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson says the Grizzlies are the best trash talkers in the league.

The NBA is back in full swing tonight, the All-Star break now over. The Memphis Grizzlies travel to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers. The game will be nationally televised on TNT at 6:30.

Penny’s Memphis Tigers hit the road tonight too. They tip off at Wichita State at 6:00, nationally televised on ESPN2.

The Tigers are looking a little better in Joe Lunardi’s ESPN Bracketology. Memphis has moved up to the first team listed in First Four Byes and is a projected 9 seed.

Two Downtown book clubs have sprung up in one month. A few days ago I told you about the Boozy Bear Book Club which will meet at Blind Bear for the first time tonight. But now, Soul & Spirits, the brewery on the far end of North Main, will do a book club the first Friday of every month – so, March 3 – in their Low Tones room from 5 to 7 PM. This club is a little different in that they don’t tell you what to read. They’ll merely provide a quiet space to read whatever book you’re working on, drink a great craft beer, and talk to other book lovers.

Memphis Parks & Recreation is looking to fill hundreds of summer jobs and is taking applications today. Kids ass young as 15 can apply and adults can too.

Today is National Chili Day.

Dancing with the Stars on tour is at the Orpheum tonight. Tickets are $49.50-$125.

Sam Angel Original Arts on the ground floor of 10 S. Main will hold a visual abstraction art opening exhibit Friday from 4 to 8.

Action News 5 looks at The African Place in Uptown in its latest 5 Star Story.

There’s a blizzard warning for parts of Los Angeles County today. No I’m not kidding.

Grizzly Bear Blues: The vision with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. is materializing

Ivanka and her husband have been subpoenaed in the investigation of the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

It’s possible I may not do a blog post tomorrow morning, because I’d like to stay out a bit late and catch Joey Barrett at Blind Bear. If not tomorrow, I’ll be back Saturday with more news.

OMG I’m typing this at 4:52 AM and the temperature outside is 70. In FEBRUARY. Memphis weather, mane. I guess this means it’s gonna snow Friday.

So, I walked home to eat lunch yesterday about 1 in the afternoon. I was not expecting what I saw and heard. The new Fat Tuesday location next door to my building had opened at noon. There was a drumline and at least 75 people congregated outside. When I left about 3, the crowd had swelled to more than 100. The crowd was even larger when I walked home from Blind Bear about 9:30. I had to weave through a maze of people to get to my front door.

Which is good, I guess. Fat Tuesday is an immediate hit.

I just feel bad for the folks in the northwest units (the ’01s) on the second and third floors of my building. Going forward, they ain’t never going to get no sleep. I live on one of the upper floors facing away from Fat Tuesday, and I could hear the crowd noise quite clearly as I went to bed last night.

Action News 5 has coverage of Fat Tuesday’s opening.

WREG has more info on The Garden Brunch Cafe, the new restaurant opening in the former Rizzo’s space at South Main and Butler.

I hope you didn’t give up booze for Lent, because today is National Margarita Day.

It’s also Supermarket Employee Day. Cheers to the folks at Cordelia’s Market and South Point Grocery.

Fox 13 is predicting a high of 80 today, which would break the day’s record by 4 degrees.

The 2023 Memphis Tigers football schedule is out. Non-conference opponents: vs. Bethune-Cookmam, at Arkansas State, vs. Missouri (neutral-site game in St. Louis), vs. Boise State.

Loflin Yard is hosting a Paint & Sip on Thursday, March 16. Limited seating. Drink specials. Your ticket includes art supplies.

From the CA: An ESPN analyst’s joke about DeAndre Williams’ age (he’s 26) touched a nerve for Coach Penny.

Feast & Graze has a new addition to its breakfast catering, The Breakfast Box. Each box has a ham & cheese sando, a yogurt parfait, and seasonal fruit. $10 each. Free delivery within 21 miles. Must pre-order catering 48 hours in advance.

College football commissioners are considering changes to shorten games.

• No more icing kickers with consecutive timeouts on the same down
• No more extending 1st or 3rd quarters if ended on penalty – the penalty would be assessed at the start of the following quarter
• Clock continues to run when the offense gains a first down, except within 2 minutes of a half
• Clock continues to run on an incomplete pass once the ref spots the ball

The Peabody has some love potions at its Lobby Bar through the end of February.

From the Morning Brew newsletter: Monopoly strategy

That’s it for now. Happy Ash Wednesday.

The big day is here.

For those who observe Lent (which I don’t), today is the last day to live it up before a 40-day period of austerity.

And as of today, Downtowners have a new place to live it up – and it takes its name from this very day. Fat Tuesday at 8 S. Main. That’s near the intersection of Main and Madison, just a quarter block south of Walgreens.

It’s also next door to my apartment building.

For those not familiar, Fat Tuesday is a daiquiri bar similar to Wet Willie’s on Beale Street. This is not the first time Downtown Memphis has had a Fat Tuesday. There used to be one in the old Peabody Place Mall that closed circa 2007

It’s a bit weird to have a daiquiri bar on a VERY residential block on Main. But then, we Downtowners do like our booze. Fingers crossed that the new business turns out to be a good neighbor and an asset to the surrounding community.

Bobby Weir and Wolf Bros play the Orpheum tonight. You may remember Weir from a little band called The Grateful Dead. HEADS UP: After the show, local jam band FreeWorld will play a rare Tuesday gig at Blues City Cafe’s Band Box.

Bardog Tavern has something new going on for weekday lunch. For $15 (but that includes soft drink or iced tea, tax, and gratuity) you get to choose from one of two daily specials:

• Monday: Al Pastor Tacos or Chicken Alfredo
• Tuesday: Country Fried Chicken or Taco Salad Bowl
• Wednesday: Sloppy Joe Sliders or Chicken Parmesan
• Thursday: Meatloaf or BBQ Grilled Chicken Sliders
• Friday: Pan Fried Atlantic Cod Tacos or Buffalo Chicken Wrap

Loflin Yard will do Crawfish Boil Sundays with live music March 19-April 30 from noon to 3 PM.

The Mid-South Farm & Gin Show happens this weekend at the Renasant Convention Center. Downtown Memphis loves the ginners! Such nice, down-to-earth people. Always a pleasure to have you in town.

Soul & Spirits Brewery on the far end of North Main has announced its St. Patrick’s Day Party for Friday, March 17.

• Green pints of beer
• Champs BBQ food truck serving Irish fare
• Blessing of the Beer at 6 PM
• Bagpipe band at 7 PM

I was watching ESPN yesterday and the following came up on the ticker at the bottom of the screen:

“Colts to hire Jim Bob Cooter as OC” (offensive coordinator)

Just based on the name alone, ol’ Jim Bob is qualified for a position with the Tennessee Vols.

First 6000 people at the Tigers’ 1 PM Sunday home game vs. Cincinnati get a free blue T-shirt. They’re asking all Tigers fans to wear blue to the game.

Riverside Drive between Union and Georgia will close tomorrow through July 1 for Tom Lee Park construction.

Congrats to South Point Grocery, winner of a recent Excellence in Merchandising award from Associated Wholesale Grocers.

There will be a book launch for author Mark Greaney at 2 PM Saturday at The Rendezvous for his new book Gray Man #12: Burner. Note that purchase of the book from Novel is required to get a place in line to meet the author.

Julianne Ankley and Schaefer Llana play South Main Sounds, 550 S. Main, this Friday at 7.

Gospel group the McCrary Sisters come to the Halloran Centre Friday night. Tickets are $37.50.

There will be a Sound Healing Meditation this Friday at Downtown Yoga at 7 PM. YOGA!

Cordelia’s Market hosts trivia this Wednesday at 6:30.

There’s a Mardi Gras Ball at the Cadre Building, Second and Monroe, this Saturday. Cajun food, cocktails, entertainment from a New Orleans musician.

For those of you who attend church, it’s Shrove Tuesday rather than Fat Tuesday. Eat some pancakes.

Food entrepreneurs: The Memphis Medical District has launched a Restaurant Resilience Accelerator.

The University of Memphis School of Law has an Administrative Assistant I position available.

That’s it for today. Happy Mardi Gras everyone. Back tomorrow.

Poor Jaren Jackson Jr. He was the last one to be picked for a team by captains LeBron and Giannis for the NBA All-Star Game. I know how that feels. I skipped first grade, so I was undersized compared to my classmates and as a result, I was frequently picked last for teams in P..E. class.

The difference is, Jaren makes $105 million over a span of 4 seasons and I don’t.

As usual, there was no defense at all in the game. Team Giannis (including Ja) beat Team LeBron (including Jaren) 184-175.

With the All-Star Break over, the Grizzlies travel to Philly to take on the 76ers Thursday at 6:30. TV: TNT

Penny’s Tigers lost to Houston 72-64 yesterday. I can’t imagine the NCAA tournament committee penalizing Memphis much for losing a road game to the #2 team in the country. The good news? Houston has to come here March 5 and play the Tigers in front of a rowdy FedExForum crowd celebrating the ’72-’73 Tigers that went to the Final Four.

The DM has a recap of yesterday’s Youth Villages Soup Sunday event.

Today is Hoodie Hoo Day in the Northern Hemisphere. Trouble is, it’s bordering on too warm to wear a hoodie – it’s 60 as I type this at 6:20 AM going to a high of 71. More like Shortsie Hoo Day.

Dammit I won’t get to pull Butt Slut #1’s hoodie over her head on Hoodie Hoo Day! She does lunch with her co-workers at Slider Inn Midtown on Mondays. I owe her one.

Gus’s Fried Chicken is coming to Ahwatukee, a suburb of Phoenix.

MATA is hiring trolley operators as well as fixed-route drivers and mechanics. $3000 sign-on bonus. They offer 401(k), health care, and in-house CDL training.

Little Rock’s own Joey Barrett plays the Blind Bear Thursday from 10 PM to 1 AM.

Former DNA president Jerred Price brings his Almost Elton John show to IBIS, 314 S. Main, Thursday at 8.

Silky’s will have a Mardi Gras party on the patio this Tuesday with a crawfish boil and beads.

The Broom Closet is hosting a New Moon Sound Bath tonight.

That’s it. Happy Presidents Day to those of you who have it off! Back tomorrow with more news.

Now that I’m going to The Price Is Right Live at the Orpheum on April 1, I’ve been paying close attention to the prizes they give away on the show. I have to ask myself: How much of this crap would I actually want? Let’s examine:

The cars

The last time I drove a car was October 24, 2018. Not having a car is total freedom to me. No insurance bill to pay. No monthly parking garage fee. No driving the car every couple of weeks just to keep it from falling into disrepair from lack of use. Do I really want to give up that lifestyle?

Camaro – This sounds like a dream prize, right? Wrong. Have you ever listened to the description of the Camaros they give away on the show? 2-liter engine. It is a SIN in my opinion (and generally I don’t even believe in sin, but that’s a topic for another post) to put a 2-liter engine in such a fine car. I realize cars can do more with less engine than in the ’80s when I bought my first one. But if it’s a Camaro, I want a 5-liter V8.

Then there’s the fact that a car is an income-consuming asset – you have to pay for gas and to insure it. State Farm thought my last two cars (Saturn, VW Jetta) were boring and therefore my premiums were low. That would not be the case with a Camaro. Their actuaries would possibly worry that I’d be out doing donuts in the intersection of Second and Monroe like all the other fools in this town.

Hyundai Elantra – It would be stolen within the first month of my owning it. Don’t understand why? Read this.

Kia Soul – See Hyundai Elantra. They are cool cars though. I got to ride home from Sunset Symphony in a Soul one time years ago.

Chevy SUV – like Price Is Right Camaros, these are sinfully underpowered. 1.4 liter is the typical announced engine size. Driving such a car would make me feel like a mom picking up the kids from band practice. In my opinion, any Chevrolet product with less than a 2.5 liter engine should be called the Nova – because in Spanish, “no va” means “doesn’t go.”

I’ll be back with future installments of things I could win on The Price Is Right Live: the trips, the cash, the random crap. But now, let’s get on to the news.

Blind Bear is trying something new – a book club. The first meeting of the Boozy Bear Book Club will be this Thursday, February 23, from 7:30 to 10 PM. The topic of discussion this Thursday will be The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis (I first saw the Facebook event listing for the book club after having “a few” beverages and thought the title read, “The Sharts.” That made me laugh really hard). Allison Douglass will host the book club meeting.

South Main gift shop Feelin’ Memphis will be closed through March 1 so they can knock down a wall and expand into the space next door that was their holiday pop-up shop. Can’t wait until March? No problem, you can shop online.

Today is National Chocolate Mint Day. My favorite ice cream flavor!

Memphis could hit 76 on Wednesday, tying a record.

Longest-lived American president Jimmy Carter has entered hospice care. Carter is 98 and left office 42 years ago. As recently as 2 years ago he was building Habitat for Humanity homes.

Smart City Memphis thinks the Main Street Mall is shameful and offers a solution to fix it.

KWAM 990 has an interview with Bryan Duffel who is opening Birdie’s indoor golf & bar on South Main. The revised projected opening date is said to be before The Masters in April. Duffel points out that you can complete 18 holes of virtual golf in far less time than it takes for 18 holes of real golf.

Congrats to Jaren Jackson Jr., recently elected a Vice-President of players’ union NBPA.

Happy 43rd birthday to former Grizzlies player and Tigers assistant coach Mike Miller.

That’s it for today. Headed to Bardog where there will be sports on TV but NO NFL FOOTBALL! YAY!!!!!! Remember the schedule for today:

• Tigers at 2 Houston, 2:00 PM, ESPN
• NBA All-Star Game, Team Giannis vs. Team LeBron: Draft at 6:30, game at 7:30, TNT. Ja will be a starter and Jaren will come off the bench.
• And best of all, NO NFL FOOTBALL!!!!! Some stupid golf tournament is on though.

Back tomorrow with more news.