The Cossitt Library was STILL closed yesterday for maintenance issues (A/C out). It leads me to a question for anyone in the HVAC industry who can answer.
When I lived in a high-rise, there were several occasions where the air conditioning was out for 1-2 weeks. The issue was that a needed part had to be shipped from California in each case. Why is California A/C central? Half the state doesn’t even need air conditioning! Email paul.ryburn@gmail.com if you have insight into this.
Having the library closed is not hurting my ability to write this blog, but it is hurting my ability to publish on Medium and earn money.
Backbeat Tours is the subject of Action News 5’s latest 5 Star Story.
Been wondering what’s up with that Pac-Man themed building on South Main near Huling? The DNA posted an update this week.
Level Up by Ryan Marsh will be a “barcade” with classic arcade games, pinball, classic video game systems, sports on 10 TVs, and a secret downstairs entrance. The downstairs will be a speakeasy with craft cocktails, live music, and comedy. Late summer is the hopeful opening date. For the full announcement, visit Downtown Neighborhood Association on Facebook.
Widespread Panic plays Radians Amphitheater Friday and Saturday.
Max’s Sports Bar will host a watch party for Karen Waldrup on The Voice tonight at 7. Karen has been a musical staple at the Farmers Market and other South Main venues for more than a decade.
My buddy Kendall recently redid Local on Main’s website and it looks great. Check it out.
Sad to hear that the Pizza Dis, Pasta Dat food truck was ransacked Saturday morning. The owner is known for hiring people with felonies who otherwise would have trouble getting work.
A bookstore is opening at 55 S. Main in the former Feast & Graze location.
E.T. will be this week’s free movie presented by the DNA at BRIDGES. 7:45 PM Thursday.
Thanks to Labelle Haven Baptist Church of Olive Branch for-coming out to the Union Mission to feed and preach to us last night. Their monthly meal of Salisbury steak in onion gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, and banana pudding is always received with a warm welcome.
Back tomorrow with more news.
It’s free to read this blog, but I gratefully accept tips! Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn Cash App: $PaulRyburn1 Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com
The weatherpeople have reintroduced the “muggy meter” to their forecasts. The feels-like reading will be in the 90s all week, and the actual temperature could hit 90 Monday and Tuesday.
I finally gave into temptation this morning and had a chocolate parfait from the Brazilian bakery at the Memphis Farmers Market. They had 5 flavors. The guy working the booth said lemon is his favorite but I got strawberry.
The city removed the park benches on the Union-Gayoso block of Main Street. I wonder if the benches’ frequent flyers were drawing complaints for making noise late at night? Or smoking weed? There was definitely a group that made that area their home.
The first 1500 fans in AutoZone Park tonight get a free Memphis Redbirds replica jersey, button-up, navy with the musical M logo. First pitch 6:35. Fireworks after the game.
WordPress ate half my post yesterday. If it seemed like it ended abruptly, that’s why. Between that and the library closing 20 minutes after opening, things just weren’t going my way.
Day 4 (final day) recap of the “good old-fashioned revival” at the Union Mission:
There were. no additional believer’s baptisms. The preachers had said they’d be thrilled if last night’s service was nothing but baptisms, so that may have been a bit of a disappointment for them.
A number of religious leaders from around the city who guest-preach at the Mission one day a month were lthere. Brother Ronnie Johnson from a church out in Nutbush gave the opening prayer.
A traveling group from the Korean Baptist Church came in and gave a video presentation. Seoul is the home of the largest Baptist, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches in the world. Koreans are grateful to America for saving their church in the 1950-1953 war. Now they want to repay the favor by helping restore American churches to greatness.
Most of the Koreans were in jeans, but a few wore traditional religious clothing. They did a song- and-dance performance with colorful props.
Atlanta preacher – whose name is Chris McDaniel- led us through about 6 songs on his keyboard.
Then David (Ford? Fort? Something like that) from Buckeye, AZ got up to preach. He’s much more of a fire-and-brimstone guy, preaching about JEEEEEsus, than Chris.
At one point David asked us to turn to the person next to us and pray for them. The “Interact with a stranger” thing is one of the things I hate about church. Especially in a homeless shelter. Fortunately my seat neighbors weren’t feeling it either.
Davjd called all the religious leaders in the room to the front, then told us if we need JEEEEEsus in our life, to come up and talk to one of them. About 30 people came up.
And that was it. No mass-saving like we had Tuesday. The service still went 45 minutes over. Most in the audience didn’t seem to mind but I did hear some complaining.
On to the news…
Sam’s Hamburgers at 7 N. Main had added a new side business: Humble Drip, serving coffee, tea, and pastries.
Well damn… Scottie Scheffler has been arrested while arriving to the second day of the PGA Tournament. Valhalla I am coming…
A suspect has pled guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Phil Trenary.
It’s 78.5 degrees in the Cossitt Library as I type this. Is the A/C broken?
Dream Magic Daily Market, a convenience store with a deli and cafe, is coming to the Exchange Building at Second and Madison. The store is being opened by a filmmaker who is making a film based on the building.
The Blues Museum on South Main has the first full-body hologram in Tennessee, the Flyer reports. It’s of bluesman Taj Mahal. You can ask it anything and it will use AI to respond.
Biscuits & Jams on North B.B. King opens Friday. You can wakey wakey with eggs & bakey, but the menu goes way beyond that.
Saturday I was talking to a well-known Downtown chef about mods – modifications people request to restaurant menu items they order. Mods have gotten WAY out of hand since the pandemic.
I’m not talking about: I’ll take the burger as it comes, with fries, but can I get ranch instead of ketchup for dipping? That’s a normal mod.
What I’m talking about: I’d like the burger, turkey patty instead of beef, Swiss cheese instead of American, no onion, add mayo and mustard, but can I get the mayo in a cup on the side, fries very lightly salted and extra crispy?
I hear this kind of order ALL THE TIME.
And you know what’s really ridiculous?
The person with no mods except a different dipping sauce tips 25%.
The person with a million bazillion mods zeroes out the tip line.
If what I just described sounds like you, do us all a favor and EAT AT HOME!!!!!
Catherine & Mary’s seeks a line cook with at least 2 years experience.
From Beale Street Bears: The Grizzlies would be an ideal landing spot for Golden State’s Klay Thompson. There’s a good possibility the Warriors will break up their Big Three in the offseason.
The Redbirds host Gwinnett at 12:05 this afternoon.
The Molly Ringwalds will bring the’80s hits to this Thursday’s Peabody rooftop party. If you pay extra for the VIP section this week, here’s the menu: Crab Cakes, Lobster Mac Croquettes, Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp, Blue Cheese & Bacon-Wrapped Meatballs, Mushroom & Truffle Arancini, Goat Cheese & Honey Triangles
DNA will show Jurassic Park for free at BRIDGES Thursday night at 7:45. A food truck will be on site.
I attended day 3 of the “good old-fashioned revival” at the Union Mission last night. It started off with the guy who got baptized Monday night getting a certificate documenting his achievement. He could hang it on his wall, except he’s homeless and therefore has no wall.
Then the Atlanta preacher led us through about 6 songs on his keyboard. In the early ‘90s he was in a nationally known country/Southern rock band called Confederate Railroad. But, he said, he got no joy out of his life of music, drugs, and girls, and he didn’t understand at the time it was because he didn’t have Jesus in his life.
Then the Arizona preacher came up and preached a sermon, which was followed by the usual ending we get to so many of these chapel services:
All heads bowed, all eyes closed.
If you know that you know that you know that you know that you’ve been saved, that you’ve accepted Jesus into your heart, raise your hand. (He told us less than 50% of the audience raised their hands.)
If you’ve never been saved, and you feel you’re ready to accept Jesus, come up and let us pray with you.
They gave out thin red and blue paperback books to the 25 or so that came up, books that are kind of orientation guides to being “saved.”
The weather forecast suggests I should take tonight off from staying at the Mission, but I’ve come this far; I guess I might as well see this “revival” thing all the way through. Otherwise I’ll wonder what I missed.
Back tomorrow.
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Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com
Well, I survived the second night of the “good old-fashioned revival” at the Union Mission last night. It started with the Mission’s lead pastor performing a “believer’s baptism.” Then the preacher from Atlanta leading us in about 6 songs on the piano. Then he told us a very personal story about God’s forgiveness
Next, the preacher from Phoenix delivered a sermon and then invited people who felt they needed to be prayed for to come up front.
Tonight or tomorrow- can’t remember which- we’re supposed to have visitors from a Korean church who don’t speak any English. We also have visitors from Calvary, the city’s other major men’s mission. And we have visitors from the local churches that send speakers to the Mission throughout the month.
For the second night in a row, there was nothing in the revival that made me feel peer-pressured. I’m still gonna continue to sit in one of the back rows the next 2 nights, though.
The only thing I disliked was this guy about 22 sitting next to me who was giggling throughout the service. WTF is wrong with people?
On to the news…
Pools are fun. Summer is fun. Especially if you’re a member of the South Main Association. Their May Social will be a pool party atop the roof of the Hyatt Centric Tuesday, May 21.
Just heard a rumor that poker night at Bardog may be coming back.
Friday is Bike to Work Day. Ride by stations around town to pick up a free breakfast.
ABC 24 investigated why the Madison and Riverfront trolley lines are still out of commission. All trolley lines were shut down following a 2014 fire, but the Main Street line was brought back into service in 2018.
The Memphis Grizzlies will pick ninth in the 2024 NBA draft. I predict they’ll trade the pick and Ziaire Williams for an established 23-24-year-old center. One intriguing trade target that’s been mentioned: Jalen Duren, the former Memphis Tiger who has built a solid career with the Detroit Pistons.
Speaking of centers, Moussa Cisse will be back in Tiger blue this fall via the NCAA transfer portal.
Attention dog owners: Court Square is not an off-leash dog park!!! Please use The Barking Lot at Main and Jefferson if you want your dog to run unleashed.
Some of bars Downtown now carry cannabis-infused seltzer with CBD and Delta-9. The drink runs about $8.
Last night was night 1 (of 4) of the “good old-fashioned revival” in the chapel at the Union Mission. I walked in with a lot of skepticism. I saw religious revivals as exercises in crowdthink and expected to be peer-pressured to stand up and declare I’d been “saved.” I sat in the far back to avoid individual notice by the preachers or by audience members way into the service.
Really, it was not bad. There were two preachers, one from Arizona, one from Atlanta. They tag-teamed the service in a way that reminded me of Silky’s dueling pianos. There was singing and the preachers told us their personal stories. The mood was lighthearted, upbeat, even celebratory. I never felt pressure to say on do anything.
Rain is in the forecast, so I’m scrapping my plan to stay out tonight and will be there for night 2 of the revival at the Mission.
Back tomorrow with more news.
It’s free to read this blog, but I gratefully accept tips! Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn Cash App: $PaulRyburn1 Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com
