Month: December 2025

It’s the night when people who can’t handle their alcohol come out to play. A night of expectations that fail to get met. Of projectile vomiting. Of explosive diarrhea. Of breakups. Of DUI arrests. Of overinflated cover and parking and rideshare charges. Of crying. Of losing your wallet or your keys or your phone. Of being crowded into a bar like sardines. Of cheap, shitty champagne.

Have fun with that. For some, NYE is the real Friday the 13th.

How fast do champagne corks fly?

Slider Inn will have brunch all day on New Year’s with half-price Jameson slushies.

As I mentioned earlier, Bardog will do brunch on New Year’s. Opening time, according to Bardog’s parent company’s weekly email, will be 10 AM.

Music City Bowl: Illinois 30, Tennessee 28. Illini coach Bret Bielema put on a master class in clock management in the final minutes.

Waterski, barefoot, wakeboard, or wakesurf the mighty Mississippi on New Year’s Day – SkiFreeze

Back tomorrow with more news.

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Today is Bacon Day.

Memphis Chess Club has announced it will be open regular hours (7 AM-9 PM) New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. That means it’s MCC to start NYD for me! The chess club has released its specialty cocktail list for January:

Chicago: A brandy-based sipper with a little kick.

Champagne Cocktail: Bubbly and bright with a side of sparkle.

Americano (Low-Proof): Light, bittersweet and the precursor to the Negroni.

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The Brass Door, Downtown’s Irish pub, will have a “midnight in Dublin” New Year’s celebration. Dublin is 6 hours ahead of Memphis, so the big moment will occur at 6 PM our time. Now that’s a New Year’s party concept I can get behind… you can get out and party and get home before Amateur Night even begins.

BUT THE DOOR ISN’T THE ONLY BAR CELEBRATING DUBLIN THIS WEEK: “The Dubliner” will be this week’s burger of the week at Momma’s. Angus beef, bacon, cheddar, lettuce, onion, Guinness mayo.

GRIZZLIES ON NATIONAL TV ALERT: Tuesday’s 7:00 home game vs. the Philadelphia 76ers will be broadcast on NBC/Peacock. Free Superhero Ja Morant & Jaren Jackson Jr. Lunchbox to the first 3000 fans through the gate.

Penny’s Tigers are on national TV this week too: Their 3 PM home game hosting North Texas this Wednesday will be on ESPN2.

Memphis Filling Station is having a Music City Bowl watch party Tuesday 4:30-7:30. Go Fighting Illini! Make “NEXXXXT YEEEEARRRR” start for the Tennessee Vols a couple of days early!

Back tomorrow with more news.

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It seems like I can’t go anywhere these days without my trolls making new friends.

Bardog will do brunch the morning of January 1st. That means an opening time of 11:00 rather than the typical weekday time of 7:30, giving staff extra time to recover from the “Bardog Royale” New Year’s Eve party the night before.

The Grizzlies are in our nation’s capital for a 5 PM game today with the Wizards. TV: FanDuel Sports

Flying cars exist now.

What makes an organization a cult?

Back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
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Severe weather is expected to move into the Memphis metro Sunday afternoon and evening. That’ll be the end of the 70+ degree temperatures we’ve been enjoying.

The civil rights museum will throw a huge celebration on Monday, January 19, the 40th anniversary of the holiday celebrating Dr. King’s birthday.

The 25th was Santa’s day, but the 26th was Santi’s day. Aldama dropped in a career-high 37 to carry the Grizzlies past Utah. I wonder if he played Santi Claus at the company Christmas party?

The Grizz improved to 15-16 and ninth place in the West with the win. 7th-10th place is the play-in zone.

The only college football game you watch to see the sponsor is today. Miami, OH and Fresno State square off in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl at 3:30 on the CW Network.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I took advantage of the nice weather and stayed out… it was so wonderful to catch up with friends. Friday I entered the Room in the Inn lottery and got chosen to spend the night at a church on Jackson just past Alex’s. Spaghetti, green beans, banana pudding, 10 hours sleep, sausage egg and cheese biscuit, back Downtown.

One more night out tonight before the weather goes to hell in a handbasket. Back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
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At Earnestine & Hazel’s yesterday, I was told about a Christmas delight I’d never before heard of: A Baltimore lemon stick. It’s a thick (nickel diameter) stick of peppermint inserted inside half a lemon, then pulled out and sucked on. Anyone else heard of this holiday treat?

The Grizzlies host the Milwaukee Bucks tonight at 7. Giveaway: City Edition scarf. TV: FanDuel Sports.

Today is National Whiners Day.

Work for “the U Club”: The University Club of Memphis seeks a tennis pro.

Mid-South Dueling Pianos provide the live music at the Saucer tonight. 8-10.

Back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
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There’s one thing that sucks about Christmas in Downtown Memphis… waiting for the bars to open at 5 PM. Tick, tock, tick, tock…(sad face)

This year, however, we have 360 fewer minutes to wait. Earnestine & Hazel’s opened at 11 AM today. No special Christmas food menu, just Soul Burgers and good vibes and ghosts and football on TV. They will be open tonight until 1 AM.

Congratulations to South Main gift shop Feelin’ Memphis on winning the DMC‘s holiday storefront competition.

A pop-up called Lucha Wine Bar returns Sunday to JEM Fine Dining.

Catherine and Mary’s is hiring a line cook.

Merry Christmas. Come to E&H and have a PBR with me.

I gratefully accept tips: 
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Grizzlies forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr. is the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week. This is the second time in his career JJJ has received that honor. Congratulations, Jaren!

The Grizz are in Utah tonight for an 8:00 PM CST game against the Jazz. TV: FanDuel Sports

Brandon Clarke won’t be available to help Memphis get it done tonight. He’ll be out several weeks with a calf injury. He’s only been healthy for 2 games this season.

The Trumpster has signed an executive order reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule 3 drug. That doesn’t make weed legal in this ass-backwards Southern state, but it does acknowledge that weed isn’t dangerous in the ways that drugs like heroin and cocaine are.

The Liberty Bowl parade on Beale Street is always the day before the football game… and guess what… due to the Liberty’s late placement on the bowl schedule this season, WE GONNA HAVE A PARADE ON NEW YEAR’S DAY!!!!! It starts at 3 PM. I’m assuming Navy is bringing its band. That’ll be a blast!

The MemphisWeather.net blog looks at the potential for record high temperatures this week.

Break out the aluminum pole: Today is Festivus.

I’m staying out tonight!!!!! Back tomorrow.

I gratefully accept tips: 
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Two Memphis River Parks Partnership employees in their work truck were robbed at gunpoint this morning around 3 near the Shell station at Crump and Florida.

The Grizzlies have an 8:30 road game at the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight. TV: Peacock

There was an observance of National Homeless Memorial Day in Morris Park yesterday.

I tried Bardog’s newest dessert, Chocolate Overload Cake, Saturday:

This is a must-try for chocolate lovers. The photo above (click it to zoom in) doesn’t begin to do it justice.

The Orpheum will show classic Christmas movie It’s a Wonderful Life tonight. Prior to the movie, there will be remarks by the daughter of Donna Reed. Toy drive for Porter-Leath.

Penny’s Memphis Tigers host Alabama State tonight at 7 at FedExForum. TV: ESPN+

I will try to post this week, but Parkinson’s disease + holiday depression is not a good combination. Maybe the warm weather will help.

I gratefully accept tips: 
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Some Memphis fire stations are decked out in Christmas lights, including Downtown’s Station #5 at 400 Adams Ave.

The Memphis Tigers looked like a massive turd sandwich in the Gasparilla Bowl yesterday, losing to NC State 31-7.

Alabama won its rematch with Oklahoma yesterday to kick off CFP action. The Crimson Tide advance to the Rose Bowl January 1, where they’ll play 1-seed Indiana in a quarterfinal game.

More CFP first-round action today

• 10 Miami at 7 Texas A&M, 11:00 AM, ABC, ESPN
• 11 Tulane at 6 Ole Miss, 2:30 PM, TNT, HBO Max, truTV
• 12 James Madison at 5 Oregon, 6:30 PM, TNT, HBO Max, truTV

The Grizzlies host the Washington Wizards tonight at 7. There’s a Hoops and Hoodies ticket deal. TV: Action News 5, FanDuel Sports

Penny’s Tigers travel to Starkville this afternoon for a 3:00 game at Mississippi State. TV: ESPN

Tour the international space station

A Muppet Show 50th anniversary special is coming February 4.

From WREG: Why Downtown Memphis is a great place to work remotely

Back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
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