Month: August 2023

On Saturday, September 2, there will be a Day One Celebration for the grand opening of the reimagined Tom Lee Park. From the event’s listing on Facebook:

Come celebrate the best in us on Day One at Tom Lee Park. Look forward to great food and drinks, dancing, singing, culture and never-before-in-Memphis immersive experiences.

From 11.00 AM – Celebrate the opening of Tom Lee Park:

– 11.00 AM – Gather at the top of the Carlisle Cutbank Bluff (where Vance Ave meets the Bluffwalk) to join a celebratory parade down the bluff.

– 12.00 PM – Watch the formal ribbon cutting at AutoZone Plaza.

– 12.30 PM – Join an interfaith blessing of the park led by Church Health. Blessings will be for the peace and healing of our city as we seek to use this park to be the best of who we are in Memphis.

From 1.00PM – Enjoy a full day of park life with FREE programs, activities and experiences:

– Kids can enjoy free face-painting and temporary tattoos in the playground.
– Get to know your new park by joining a guided walking or nature tour.
– Take home a special memory from the exclusive Day One photo opportunity.
– Be the first to sink a 3-pointer under the Sunset Canopy with basketball skills games.
– Break a sweat with guided workouts at the Fitness Zone.
– Get zen and join a yoga class at Sunset Canopy. If you want some more beats with your downward dogs, hip-hop yoga will also be offered.
– Remember your schoolyard days with Double Dutch at Sunset Canopy.
– Learn about the stories, myths and creatures of the Mississippi at Riverfront Storytime.
– Learn to juggle and hula hoop like you never have before with guidance from professional circus performers.
– Celebrate your new park with special hourly toasts of a signature Day One drink.
– Bust a move with dancing led by the experts.
– Put your moves into practice to Memphis music from Garry Goin and friends.

Don’t miss these special moments:

– All Day – 4 on 4 Grass Volleyball Tournament by 901 Volleyball. Team registration is available with 901 Volleyball
– 5.00 PM – The MP3 Experiment: a massive participatory social experiment produced for the first time in Memphis.
– 6.00 PM – A special acapella performance led by Theaster Gates at his new sculpture A Monument to Listening.

I mentioned that Hal and Julie Lansky would have book signings Saturday and Tuesday from 1 to 3 at Lansky at the Peabody. Here are a couple of other events this weekend celebrating the late Bernard Lansky’s most famous customer, Elvis Presley:

• Today (Friday, August 11) 1-3 PM: UNLOCKED book signing with Kristi Emmons
• Today 2-6 PM: Forever Dainty x Lansky 126 permanent jewelry pop-up
• Sunday, August 13: Lansky vintage truck parked at the Peabody valet entrance for photos

Hulk Hogan turns 70 today.

Bounty Bags will be back at Memphis Farmers Market this Saturday from 8 AM to 1 PM for $20. These bags will contain vendor-donated goodies and gift certificates.

Also at the Market, there will be a wine pull featuring bottles of wine for $25 (must be 21+ with valid ID). Both special promotions will be available at the Market’s information table. Proceeds for this fall fundraiser go directly to the Market.

An affordable cottage community is coming to Uptown.

Thieves targeted a gas station under construction at Crump and Florida last night. A stove was stolen from the new Shell station.

Got an early errand to run this morning, so I’m going to cut this post off here. Back Saturday with a lot more news.

Penny Hardaway’s Memphis Tigers men’s basketball nonconference schedule has been released, and oh boy, does it ever look good!

The Tigers will play in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in Nassau, Bahamas over the Thanksgiving holiday. The first game will be against Big Ten powerhouse Michigan on November 22. Subsequent opponents could include Arkansas, Stanford, North Carolina, Texas Tech, Villanova, or Northern Iowa.

Before that, Memphis will play Missouri on November 10. Quality opponents in December will include Ole Miss, VCU, Texas A&M, Clemson, Virginia, and Vanderbilt. The Tigers are loaded with opportunities to build a resume to impress the NCAA tournament seeding committee.

Max’s Sports Bar posted a pic of its new dessert, which will be ready soon:

• On the left, a bottle of Malort.
• On the right, a big jar of Trendy Treats’ Freeze-Dried Treats (they appear to be freeze-dried Starbursts)
• In the middle, what looks like sangria… but it’s not fruit soaked in wine. It’s what appears to be the freeze-dried Bursts soaked in Malort.

Well, don’t that make your mouth just water!

Dos Hermanos Kitchen in the Cossitt Library will have a Grand Re-opening celebration Tuesday, August 15 with new, extended hours.

The Cossitt Library will also have a photography series next week:

• Tuesday, August 15, 5-7 PM: Photography 101 with Bobby Donaby
• Wednesday, August 16, 5-7 PM: Portrait workshop with Brandon Dill
• Thursday, August 17, 5-7 PM: Printing photography workshop with Buck Billings
• Friday, August 18, 5-7 PM: Photography panel hosted by Ena Esco
• Saturday, August 19, 10-4 PM: National World Photography Day

The Memphis Flyer has a story on the Skol-astic Book Fair coming up at the Soul & Spirits taproom this Saturday.

Mayor Jimbo from Mempho is considering suing Hyundai and Kia for making cars that are so easy to steal.

The Downtown Neighborhood Association has announced its August meeting. It’ll be from 6 to 8 PM Tuesday, August 15 at Century House, “a new kind of social club,” at 151 Vance.

Party Planet headlines the Peabody’s Thursday rooftop party series finale tonight. DJ Epic will perform too and there will be a special guest appearance by American Authors. $25 general admission, $50 to go VIP. VIPs get their own private lounge area with a buffet-style prime rib carving station, a crab cake station, a pulled pork sandwich station, and the hotel’s famous bread pudding.

MLGW at Main and MLK has an Accountant II position open.

National Master Graham Horobetz teaches a class at Memphis Chess Club tonight from 5:30 to 6:30. Free for club members, $15 non-members. A rating of 700 or above is advised to take this class.

Keenya and Yella P. play South Main Sounds Friday night at 7. Two solo sets plus a joint set.

I more or less completed my training for work yesterday. Next week I will work the tour company’s ticket booth on the patio of Alfred’s from 11 AM to 2 PM Monday-Friday. That’ll give me some experience talking to tourists and selling Memphis tours before I start leading those tours myself.

Back tomorrow with more news.

I got up early, so you get a post after all. The most important Memphis news today is the weather.

* Remain weather aware *
Multiple rounds of storms today, some capable of high wind, hail, and a tornado.
1. Mid-morning/early aftn – low threat
2. Late afternoon – few severe storms likely
3. After midnight – possibly severe also
High: 89, wind: S/10-15 mph pic.twitter.com/hBPy23g22T

— MemphisWeather.net (@memphisweather1) August 9, 2023

Tigers vs. Tigers: Memphis and Clemson’s men’s basketball programs have booked a home-and-home for the next two seasons.

The Memphis Flyer’s Michael Donahue has photos from a recent friends-and-family night at Bishop featuring a new chef, Christopher Zelinksi, and a new menu.

Authors Hal and Julie Lansky will have a book signing at their clothing store Lansky at the Peabody Saturday, August 12 and Tuesday, August 15, both 1-3 PM. Hal and Julie are the son and granddaughter of Bernard Lansky, the man who clothed Elvis. They will sign

• Come on In, Young Man!, a children’s book detailing the relationship between Bernard and the future King of Rock & Roll
• Lansky Bros. Clothier to the King Book

The Flying Saucer will sell an Elvis-themed Duvel snifter glass as their annual tribute to the King. It goes on sale Wednesday, August 16 at 7 PM. PRO TIP: Get there at 6:40 and tell your bartender or server you want to order the glass as soon as the clock strikes 7.

I HATE USPS SO MUCH!!! One of my blog readers in the Northeast sent me a care package about a week ago. She emailed me the tracking number, and the website said it would be here Friday, August 4. Well, today is Wednesday, August 9, and the website says the package has finally left the Jackson, MS distribution center (where it spent all weekend) and is on to its next stop – which I would like to believe is Memphis. Although, the U.S. Postal Service being what it is, the next stop is as likely to be Oklahoma City. Or Thailand. Or Jupiter’s moon Ganymede.

WWE Monday Night RAW returns to FedExForum on August 28.

The DM has a list of Memphis’ deadliest streets and most accident-prone intersections. No Downtown intersection made the list; the closest is East Parkway and Poplar. Third and Union are the two streets with the most fatalities, but I doubt those occurred on the Downtown portion of those streets.

If you run into Kamala Harris today, buy her a drink, for today is National Veep Day. 49 years ago today, Gerald Ford became the first U.S. vice-president to accede to the presidency without ever having been voted into executive office.

“The Grindfather” Tony Allen avoided prison yesterday when he was sentenced for healthcare fraud. The former Grizzlies guard/small forward got time served, community service, and supervision.

The Memphis Flyer has details on what participating restaurants are doing for its Burger Week, which begins today. Through Tuesday, get some of the city’s best burgers for only $6.99.

Tuesday Tussle at Blind Bear was a BLAST last night! The game of the week was Spelling Bee and they managed to have a lot of fun with a subject many of us dreaded in school. It developed a sense of camaraderie throughout the room. Kudos to GM Erin for thinking way outside the box, both in terms of activity and start time. Also kudos to Billy on being an engaging host.

That’s all I have time to type right now. Gotta get to an off-site work training at Tamp & Tap. After that, I may avoid getting soaked on the walk home by stopping to visit Jess at Local. I’m gonna have to drink slow, though; I’ve only got enough for one PBR and I’ll have to use quarters to tip. Anyway, I’ll be back tomorrow with more news.

Jaren Jackson Jr. had 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks last night as the U.S. Men’s Basketball National Team defeated Puerto Rico 117-74 in an exhibition. This is the first of 5 exhibitions for the USA team before it heads to the FIBA World Cup. Next up: vs. Slovenia 2:30 PM CDT Saturday (TV: FS1).

I’ll try to get FS1 put on at Bardog Saturday afternoon if the other regulars aren’t watching that stupid horse racing channel.

Former Grizzly Tony Allen is scheduled to be sentenced in New York City on charges of healthcare fraud.

Today is International Cat Day.

2009 Elvis Tribute Artist Champion Bill Cherry performs at the Halloran Centre this Saturday. He’ll do his take on 1977’s Elvis in Concert – The Final Tour. Tickets are $65-$100.

NYC rapper & record producer Large Professor performs at Eight & Sand Lounge Friday night.

Eric Hughes plays The Central BBQ Sessions at Central BBQ Downtown tonight at 6.

Couple of pieces of Blind Bear news. First of all, they have announced their weekly “Features” (specials):

• Pasta e fagioli cup 6 / bowl 8
• Lamb meatballs ragu – creamy polenta, tomato ragu 22
• Baklava cheesecake – 10

As is always the case with their specials, they have them until they run out. So if you come tonight, your chances of getting baklava cheesecake are better than if you wait until Saturday.

Next thing – you know how they’d been doing Throwdown Thursday, where guests play games for the chance to win a $25 gift card? They’d been doing it 3-7 during happy hour. Cards Against Humanity was a commonly-played game for that event. Last week was supposed to be a spelling bee, but they never had enough guests show up to begin.

Well, the event has been resurrected as Tuesday Tussle. Play games to win gift cards 9 PM-12 AM Tuesday. That’s an unusual time and favors people in the service industry. Slurring Spelling Bee will be this week’s game and the host will be Billy (if you hang out at the bar down the street, you know him).

There will be drink specials, including $7 Casamigos shots, during the Tussle.

It’s very possible I will take tomorrow off from posting. I could be out as late as midnight trying to win gift cards, and tomorrow I have a work training at 9 AM. You do the math. I gotta sleep sometime.

Yesterday I went on the Memphis Mojo Tour by Backbeat Tours. It was the final of Backbeat’s regular tours I had been asked to take in order to understand how to sell and promote the tours.

The Memphis Mojo Tour is unique among the company’s offerings in that the 90-minute tour is led by a local musician who serenades guests with Memphis music.

Musician/tour guide Kathryn Brawley Suda gets the crowd fired up with a song at the beginning of yesterday’s Mojo Tour

Some of the places we saw yesterday included

• Early homes of Elvis and B.B. King (only a few blocks from each other)
• Sun Studio, where Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis first recorded
• Stax Museum and the Soulsville neighborhood
• Overton Park Shell, where 19-year-old Elvis opened for Slim Whitman in July 1954
• National Civil Rights Museum
• Chisca Hotel (now apartments), where DJ Dewey Phillips became the first DJ to play Elvis (and tricked him into an interview)

Some of the songs we heard included

• “Li’l Red Riding Hood” by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs (did you know Sam the Sham is still alive?)
• “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding
• “Blue Suede Shoes” by Carl Perkins
• “In the Midnight Hour” by Wilson Pickett
• “Respect” by Aretha Franklin (did you know another artist recorded it first?)
• … and, of course, “That’s All Right, Mama” by Elvis

I couldn’t believe how much information and entertainment they packed into that 90-minute tour (well, 95 – it went a few minutes over). What an incredible value for the price they ask!

The tour wrapped up at 3:05 and I stopped by the Blind Bear for a visit. While there, I checked my Gmail and was delighted to see an email giving me my work schedule for August 8-21! I’m gonna get some hours!

This week, I’m free except for training with the company VP on our computer systems on Wednesday. Of course, if she wants me to pick up any other shifts this week, I’ll happily agree. Saturday is the only day I have firm plans.

Monday-Thursday of next week, I’ll be at our company’s kiosk on Alfred’s patio from 11 AM to 2 PM. The idea there is, if we have someone out there who can talk to passersby and answer questions, we’ll make a lot more sales on the spot. So I’m gonna get PAID to talk to tourists during ELVIS WEEK! Love it!!!

… And yeah, it’s outside. The heat index will probably be around 109 most of the time I’m at the kiosk. I’ll probably get soaked by a torrential rainstorm walking to or from work one of these days. But you know what?

• I’ll log zero hours a week sitting in a cubicle;
• There are no stupid corporate “Agile” or “Six Sigma” practices for selling tours. You just have fun selling them; and
• I have 0% chance of a lengthy commute home because some dumbass drove 80 MPH through ponding water and slammed into a retaining wall

Another perk of the new job: I have the most interesting co-workers imaginable! So far I’ve met

• a semi-retired stand-up comedian
• a retired Navy vet who just may be the best storyteller I’ve ever heard
• the co-worker I already knew, who spent years in a business promoting regional music and culture
• a musician who sits on historic preservation boards

… And I’m the blogger of Downtown Memphis for the past 19 years. Really, I fit right in. I’ve found my people.

I’m not yet scheduled to lead tours, but I’ve been told I will be soon. At least a dozen friends have said they can’t wait to take a tour from me. I will probably steer them toward the Discovery Tour because of the air-conditioned bus and the Central BBQ snack, although the Beale Street Tour and the Historic Downtown Memphis Tour are options too.

Yesterday I found out a couple of pieces of information I wanted to pass on to my readers…

I got to Beale Street about 25 minutes before the Mojo Tour was scheduled to begin, so I decided to stop in A. Schwab and look around a bit. You  may recall that the new owners installed an old-fashioned soda fountain after they bought the place from the Schwabs in 2011. There you can get sundaes, shakes, malts…

And you can also get the cheapest beer on the street. I saw people carrying around plastic cups of 16 oz. domestic beer (didn’t catch what variety) for only $3. Not only does that price beat touristy Beale Street bars, but it also beats some of the Downtown bars locals frequent, including Bardog and Max’s Sports Bar.

While I was riding the bus on the Mojo Tour, I solved a recent mystery that was on this blog. I had been told there was a restaurant – “something bistro” – at Jefferson and Manassas, known for really good craft burgers and street tacos. Yet I couldn’t find it on Google Maps or StreetView, and people who worked in the area told me no such restaurant existed on that corner.

Yesterday I saw the restaurant from the bus window, and it’s called BT Bistro and it is at Jefferson and Pauline, not Manassas. I found the menu and they do indeed have craft burgers and street tacos at very reasonable prices.

Let’s see what other news we’ve got…

Cocozza, the red sauce Italian restaurant on Mud Island, now has online reservations through their website. However, if your party is 5 or more, they ask that you call 901-609-1111 to make reservations. You can also call the number to get put on the wait list. The bar and patio areas are first-come, first-served.

The Memphis Tigers rolled to an exhibition win in the Dominican Republic yesterday. The Tigers were short-handed for the game, several players apparently having eaten some bad salmon.

Today is the first day of school for Memphis-Shelby County Schools.

Action News 5 has a look at the Jehovah’s Witness convention at Renasant Convention Center this week. The theme of this year’s convention is exercising patience.

Also from Action News 5: Oh Sweets Skincare opens in Downtown Memphis

Check out this TikTok about the new Downtown Mobility Center.

Base-brawl!

Here’s a list of golfers who will be playing in the FedEx-St. Jude Championship in Memphis later this week. Want to watch the tournament without the Memphis heat and stupid golf course dress codes? The place to be is Birdie’s on South Main.

And finally, let’s wrap this post up with wisdom from a barmat.

The U.S. Women’s National Team is out of the World Cup. After a 0-0 draw with Sweden, the match went to a penalty kick shootout, which Sweden won 5-4

Pole vaulters soared over Beale Street yesterday.

Elvis Week, marking the 46th anniversary of the death of The King, kicks off Wednesday. The Memphis Travel website has everything you need to know.

There’s Sunset Jazz at Court Square tonight from 6 to 8 featuring Paul McKinney.

Memphis Flyer Burger Week happens August 9-15 and showcases some of the city’s best burgers at the price of only $6.99. Downtown restaurants participating include

• Belle Tavern
• Earnestine & Hazel’s
• Huey’s
• Loflin Yard
• Sunrise

Full details will be in the Flyer issue that hits the stands Wednesday.

Taylor Swift fans: Grind City Brewing Co. will host an End of the Eras Tour party this Friday from 6 to 10 PM. Swifties are invited to dress up and join in for an evening that will include

• Music videos from the tour’s set list
• Themed drinks
• Free raffles
• Selfie station
• Paper Plate Pavilion food truck
• Snow cones sold by SnoJunt

The event is free and pet-friendly.

Historian Willy Bearden will give a presentation on Memphis music this afternoon at 2 at Elmwood Cemetery. The event will be held inside the cemetery’s chapel and the cost is $20.

Leather Duchess, a rock & roll quartet from L.A., plays the King’s Palace Tap Room on Beale Street Friday night at 10.

British country star Sasha McVeigh plays Tin Roof on Beale Friday night.

Worth a Lyft or an Uber: Wax & Wine: Soul Records + Global Wine + Southern Chefs at Stax Museum of American Soul Music this Friday night. Co-presented by The Edge District’s Rootstock Wines. Kelly English, Phillip Ashley, and Craig Richards will provide the cuisine. DJs will play rare vinyl from a private collection.

That’s it for now. Going on my 5th and final tour for work training this afternoon from 1:30 to 3:00. On the way home I’ll probably stop at Blind Bear for a couple of PBRs. Back tomorrow if there’s any news to report.

This is going to be a somewhat short and disjointed post, I am afraid. The reason why is that I am a bit exhausted after the two Downtown Memphis tours I trained on yesterday. They were fun and informative, but a lot of walking and the mosquitoes were out for blood. Literally.

The guide to the Beale Street walking tour I took yesterday afternoon was someone I’ve known for years and is someone who knows regional culture and music well. I learned from her how to tie the different eras of the street together – the pre-Civil War years, the “Black Main Street of America” years, the Saloon Row years, the W.C. Handy years, the Elvis years, the 1980s rebirth.

The ghost tour I took last night led us through the South Main district, including past a private Victorian mansion, the Green Beetle, Earnestine  & Hazel’s, a lost 1850s graveyard, and the Orpheum. They prefer their tour guides to have paranormal experience, so I probably won’t be conducting this one. However, I need to be familiar with it to describe it on the phone and via email.

There’s a new chef at Bishop, the French restaurant inside Central Station. He has revamped the menu while keeping favorites including the Bishop burger.

Today is International Blues Music Day. My recommendations would be B.B. King’s at Second and Beale (The Blues Trio at noon, Flic’s Pics at 4, the All-Star house band at 8) and Mr. Handy’s Blues Hall Juke Joint further down the other side of the street.

30,000 bikers are in town this week for the 46th National Bikers Roundup in Liberty Park.

Good morning! The weekend starts dry & muggy with sunshine, so temps will rise quickly. We’ll see highs in the mid 90s; heat indices 105°+. Stay hydrated! A chance of storms arrives after 5pm with a level 1 severe risk for gusty wind in a few storms. Not all see rain though. pic.twitter.com/wqll6KEjI4

— MemphisWeather.net (@memphisweather1) August 5, 2023

BET has named the Memphis mayoral election as one of five to watch.

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

Back to training for work today. At 1:30 this afternoon, I am taking a one-hour Beale Street Walking Tour, and then at 8:00 tonight, I’m back to take a walking Ghost Tour of South Main. Both will be taught by experienced guides. I’ll get a feel for how those tours operate, so I can lead them in the future as well as sell them over the phone and email.

Saturday I have the day off, which will be good since I haven’t seen my Bardog friends in 3 weeks. Then Sunday I’m back to take my company’s other regular tour, a bus tour called Memphis Mojo.  This is a tour I won’t be leading in the future because all of its guides are professional musicians (and they perform on the bus). I still need to experience it in order to be able to sell it.

Then on Wednesday, I meet with the company VP to get trained on computer software and answering the phones. Hopefully, soon after that, I’ll get tours of my own to lead.

About 10 of my friends have indicated they want to go on one of my tours. As soon as I have dates and times, I’ll post them here and on Facebook. I’m gonna try to get a Monday tour since many of those friends are service industry folks.

On to the news…

The CA has a look at Downtown’s new Mobility Center, which opened yesterday. It takes up the block between Front and Main and between Peabody Place and Beale. It has 960 parking spaces and will have 11,000 square feet of retail on the ground floor. There will be spaces for electric vehicles to charge and a bike hub with 24/7 security.

Memphis Made Brewing Co. will host an Ale to Tail beer dinner at Central BBQ Downtown on Saturday, August 19 from 6 to 9 PM.

Appetizers will be served at 6 PM with dinner service beginning at 6:30, featuring a whole hog smoked by Craig Blondis. The hog will be complemented by Southern side dishes prepared by Melissa Griffith. These will include

• pimiento cheese tarts
• green goddess deviled eggs
• dill pickle fritter with comeback sauce
• Craig’s potato salad
• Roger’s hoecakes
• succotash with fresh veggies
• tomato pie
• Central BBQ desserts

These will be paired with Memphis Made beers including Fireside, GonerBrau, Cat Nap, and more. Purchase tickets

WKNO’s Behind the Headlines discusses the future of Downtown parks with Memphis River Parks Partnership president/CEO Carol Coletta. She discusses Music Fest feedback, damage costs to Tom Lee Park from Memphis in May festivals, and the future of Mud Island and Beale Street Landing.

Extreme Dwarfanators Wrestling comes to the Renasant Convention Center tonight. The show is a combination of little people and lucha libre tradition.

Pickleball 901 makes a stop at Wiseacre Downtown Saturday from noon to 8 PM.

Oh Sweets Skin Care has its grand opening at its new 65 Monroe Saturday at 3. Sip, shop, eat. Raffles and giveaways. I’ll be a couple of doors down at Bardog (73 Monroe) around that time, so swing by and say hello!

Keith Jackson, retired NFL player and broadcast analyst, will be the featured speaker at the Southern Heritage Classic Coaches Luncheon on September 8. The event will be at the Renasant Convention Center.

It’s International Beer Day. Grind City Brewing Co. has $5 drafts all day to celebrate. Doors open at 4.

It’s also National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. Today through Sunday at Insomnia Cookies on Beale, you get a free chocolate chip cookie with $5 minimum purchase. Customers must mention the deal in-store or add it to their online cart.

Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane handed out backpacks to Boys and Girls Club kids this week. Each backpack had a surprise in it – 4 tickets to a Grizzlies game this coming season.

Road stripe painted over dead raccoon on Getwell

The Blind Bear has its first Flapper Friday today, with $2 off all giggle water 3 PM- 3 AM. Giggle water was a slang term for cocktails in the 1920s Prohibition era. Giggle water menu

In other alcohol news, the Bear now has key lime cream Ole Smoky moonshine. I haven’t tried it yet but it sounds delicious. It’s only 35 proof, so one shot won’t do a lot of damage.

One other Bear announcement and this one is a bit surprising… they’re temporarily shutting down weekend brunch effective this Sunday, August 6. They want some time to reimagine brunch and create a better experience. In the meantime, they’ll open Saturdays and Sundays at 3 PM.

That’s it for now. Time for me to continue to read Memphis history to prep for the job. Back tomorrow probably.

Today and the next two days are the best time of the year to be a sports fan.

No, not because the NFL preseason is starting. Blah to that.

Today, tomorrow, and Saturday are the return of ESPN8: The Ocho. Just about every kind of weird and unusual sport will be represented in 43 hours of programming. Just a few examples:

• A heads-up pinball invitational
• The USA mullet championship
• Air guitar championships
• Disc golf championships
• Tag
• Microsoft Excel world championship
• Arm wrestling
• Kickball
• Slippery stairs
• A pillow fight championship
• Corgi races
• River stone skipping competition
• Tetris
• Ultimate ninja world finals

It’ll be on the channel we think of as ESPN2 starting at 6 this evening and continuing through Saturday morning.

LEO Events, headquartered in The Edge at 411 Monroe, is hiring a marketing manager.

In celebration of National Disc Golf Day, the Flying Saucer will release a new Hex Mid Range Driver Disc this Saturday at 11 AM. The discs are limited-quantity and will sell for $22.

The South Main Association has announced its August South Main Social. It’ll be on the rooftop of the Old Dominick Distillery Tuesday evening, August 15, from 6 to 8. DJ Tree will provide the tunes and there will be bites from Old Dominick’s neighbor across the street, Gus’s Fried Chicken. There will be complimentary spirits too. Free for SMA members, $20 for non-members. Join SMA

Got a case of the nerves? The Cossitt Library has a unique solution: Read to the Dog. Lovie the therapy dog will be at the Cossitt branch Monday from 10:30 to 11:15 AM. Read to this loving, patient dog and you may be surprised at how much your anxiety decreases.

Want to own a grocery store with some great burgers? The DM reports that Roxie’s Grocery at 520 N. Third is about to be put on the market. $800,000 will be the asking price.

The basketball Memphis Tigers lost an exhibition game to the Dominican Republic National Team yesterday, 91-84.

Today is Grab Some Nuts Day.

Here’s a pic of the firecracker salmon with potatoes, green beans, and cherry tomatoes, a special at the Blind Bear this week:

I hear that Cards Against Humanity will possibly be the game we play during happy hour from 3 to 7 for Blind Bear gift card prizes. That game is becoming Old Reliable up there, the one game that adapts really well to bar play. Don’t forget, you have a rare opportunity to see Jeannette behind the bar for today’s happy hour.

New drone footage shows that the $60M renovation of Tom Lee Park is almost complete.

Wiseacre Brewing Co. seeks an area sales rep for the Memphis market.

Comedian Karious Miller comes to the Orpheum on Saturday.

From Storyboard Memphis: Lost History of the Orpheum, Part I

Love Power Live featuring Kennard Farmer Collective and String Quartet plays King’s Palace Cafe tonight.

The Trunk Monkeys play Slider Inn Downtown Saturday at 6.

That’s it. Back tomorrow with more news.

The next Women’s World Cup match for the U.S. Women’s National Team has been announced, and the start time is atrocious: Sweden vs. USA, 4 AM Sunday on FOX.

An Excessive Heat Warning has been issued for Shelby County today, with the heat index potentially climbing to 114.

Mick Jagger turned 80 last week.

Dos Hermanos Kitchen, the restaurant in the Cossitt Library at Front and Monroe, is doing Brunch on the Bluff this Saturday from 11 AM to 4 PM.

There’s a free Memphis trivia app for iPhone and Android. It’s called Na Bruh. I just installed it on my MacBook, which can run iPhone apps.

From the CA: Memphis feels closer than ever to Big 12 expansion, but is still stuck in purgatory

Black Lodge will hold a Pee-wee’s Playhouse marathon this Sunday. It’s free, all ages are welcome, and it starts at 3 PM.

The Blind Bear has announced its Features (specials) for this week:

• French onion soup
• Firecracker salmon
• Lemon cheesecake (by Keun Anderson)

They’ll have the specials until they run out. That means they’ll probably have them through Saturday, but if you want to make sure you don’t miss out, come Friday or earlier.

One more piece of Blind Bear news: Mama Bear herself, Jeannette, will pick up a bartending shift for Thursday happy hour (3-7 PM). It will be Throwdown Thursday where you can play games for a chance to win Bear gift cards – if enough people show up. Last week’s game would have been Spelling Bee – which, as a writer, would have given me a huge advantage – but we never had enough people to start. I guess it’s because so many people are out on vacation.

That’s it for today. Not a terribly newsy day. Back tomorrow.