Author: paulryburn

If you’re a Big Brother fan, Sid Vicious will be back on MemphiSport Live on AM 560 this morning at 11:30. Former pro wrestler “Sycho” Sid is the father of Frank on Big Brother, and has been providing analysis of the show. If you’re not in town, you can listen via the TuneIn Radio website, or the TuneIn iOS or Android app.

Kooky Canuck is having a watch party for the Canada vs. USA soccer match Monday at 1:45 PM. During the first half, the beer special will be $2.50 Molson Canadian. During the second half, the special will be $2.50 Bud and Bud Light.

Downtown’s National Night Out party, which is happening Tuesday 6-8 at the Memphis Farmers Market pavilion, has added some entertainment. World-famous Mr. Roy Hughes of Roy Hughes Entertainment will supply a DJ from 7-8. I heard something about a keg of Ghost River beer too. National Night Out is a chance to meet and thank the police officers who keep Downtown the safest precinct in Memphis.

Bleu will have popular Memphis DJs spinning during the months of August, September, and October. It kicks off with DJ Superman on August 22. No cover. View the full lineup here. Bleu is located in the Westin Hotel, across the street from the FedExForum.

For years I’ve heard that the Olympic Village is a big sex party. In this Daily Beast article a former Olympian spills the beans about sex and about other things that go on. I need to train for the 2016 Summer Olympics so I can hook up with some Romanian gymnasts.

 The alcoholic version of Dippin’ Dots. Yes, please.

Last night I drank lots of beer. That’s not unusual, except it was free beer. Congratulations to my friend Bob on his 13th plate, and to my friend Joe on his 6th plate at the Flying Saucer. 1 plate = 200 different beers consumed, known as a trip around the Ring of Honor. You get a $100 party tab when you complete a plate, but the amount goes up when you complete multiples. Joe had $150 for his 6th plate, and Bob had $200 for his 13th. The party was almost my plate party too, which would have been my 6th, bringing the tab to $500 total; but in the end, we had to agree to disagree on the guest list. (Well, you know…) My party will happen soon, although we’ll have to figure out what to do since the big screen – with the Olympics on – covers my plate. I’m already 55 beers toward my 7th plate, and I haven’t even had my 6th party yet.

Really looking forward to tonight. Two of my friends got married in a small, private ceremony on Christmas Eve. Since most of their friends had gone out of town to be with family, they delayed their wedding reception for today. It will be held at a Downtown venue and there will be an OPEN BAR!!!!!!!!! Wednesday night at trivia, the groom asked me where the best place was to buy PBR in bulk, so they definitely have their guests in mind. Between the double plate party and the reception, I’m drinking for cheap this weekend.

I had said I was going to pre-game for the reception at 4:30 at the Saucer, but scratch that. I hate to be inconsistent but I feel I have to, because I’ve come up with a better plan. The new plan is to pre-game for the reception at 4:00 at the Saucer. That sounds much better, don’t you think?

Today is the first day of a tax-free weekend in Tennessee. Clothes and school supplies under $100 are sales tax-free through the 5th, as are computers costing less than $1500. Keep in mind that this applies not only at big-box retailers like Target, but at locally owned shops like Lansky at the Peabody. They have plenty of shirts under $100, and you don’t have to pay sales tax on them this weekend. Although the tax holiday was designed to help students get what they need to start the school year, you don’t have to prove you’re a student or buying for a student to get the savings. Action News 5 has more details.

I’d like to point out that tube tops are clothing items, and nearly always under $100. Why not take advantage of the tax-free weekend to stock your wardrobe for Tube Top Month 2013? It’s only 8 months and 21 days away.

You can be off to see the Wizard tonight at the Orpheum – the wonderful Wizard of Oz. The classic 1939 family fantasy film will be shown on the big screen tonight at 7:15.

The theme for the Memphis Farmers Market tomorrow is Seed Spittin’ Good. There will be a watermelon roll for kids at 9 AM, with two age brackets (2-5 and 6-8) competing to see who can roll a watermelon the fastest. At 10:15 Cathy Faust from the Shelby County Extension Service will demonstrate how to make watermelon rind pickles. A Downtown bike ride will depart from the Farmers Market at 9. There will be life music by Jo Jo Jeffries (8-10) and Steve Smith (11-1).

Speaking of the Farmers Market, if you’re a fan of farmers’ markets and food trucks, you’ll probably enjoy this episode of WKNO’s Local Color. The Majestic Grille’s Deni Reilly co-hosts.

Paulette’s will have a wine dinner Tuesday, August 7. It will be hosted by wine expert Marne Anderson of Victor L. Robilio Co. and Gary Burhop of Great Wines & Spirits. The wines featured at the dinner will be wines that were rated between 90 and 92 by Wine Spectator. Courses will include Maytag Blue Cheese Souffle, Creole Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, Pan Seared Quail, Tandoori Dry Aged Beef Tenderloin, and Peach Raspberry Champagne Sabayon Gratinee. $59 per person, plus tax and service charge. More details/reservation link here.

Last night a buddy of mine was at the Saucer, and he commented on my blog post yesterday about Chick-Fil-A. I’d written how the buzz they generated this week was a marketing coup on par with New Coke. He knows some of the top people at Chick-Fil-A, and told me, “What they were doing was not marketing. They really believe that and aren’t ashamed to admit it. If you apply to purchase a Chick-Fil-A franchise, they check you out to make sure you believe what they believe. They do a complete background check. They check around and see who your family and friends are. They’ll want to talk to your pastor.”

Hmmm… makes me think… Downtown doesn’t have a Chick-Fil-A. Think I should apply to be a franchisee? “I don’t go to church on Sunday, so I don’t have a pastor for you to talk to,” I could tell them. “But you can talk to Lisa from the Majestic, Christina from the Saucer, and Jeannette from the Bear. They’re my regular Sunday Fun Day bartenders. By the way, that’s why I’m really excited about opening your franchise, as opposed to, say, Starbucks or Burger King. Since your stores are closed on Sunday, it won’t interrupt my day of drinking. Oh also, about the people I hang out with on Sunday Fun Day? Yeah, some of them are gay. I hope that’s not a problem for you.” I’m sure my application will sail right through the approval process! Check back soon for details when and where the Downtown Chick-Fil-A will be opening.

If you had money deposited with Full Tilt Poker when the government shut down that site for U.S. players, here’s a site to bookmark. The Poker Players’ Alliance has a Players Repayment Resource Center which will keep you informed of the latest news on how to reclaim your funds.

Almost the weekend… Not sure what I’ll be doing tonight. Need to rest up for the big wedding reception I’m attending tomorrow, but I’m sure I’ll get out for a little while. There’s more news to come, so check back this evening. There may be another post.

Before I start with the news, I want to say something about the Chick-Fil-A controversy that happened yesterday. I think this is the most brilliant marketing campaign since Coca-Cola introduced New Coke in 1985. True, they alienated 50% of the public, but the other 50% came out and supported them like never before, and also put the company name all over social media. Even those who who vehemently opposed Chick-Fil-A were putting the company name out there. I’d estimate one in about every seven tweets I saw yesterday was about the company. You can’t buy exposure like that for any price.

I’m not saying I agree with Chick-Fil-A’s stance, by the way. I think their food is mediocre and I support gay marriage. From a publicity and marketing standpoint, however, what they did was remarkable.

A new group called the Mississippi River Chapter of the Surfrider foundation will hold its first event tomorrow, Friday, August 3. It will be a meet & greet and riverfront cleanup at 6 PM, with the statue in Tom Lee Park as the gathering spot. This group got its start when several people were walking around Tom Lee Park during BBQ Fest and noticed the amount of trash accumulating on our waterfront. They were saddened that the trash detracted from Memphis’ beauty during an event that draws so many tourists to town. Later they also noticed the trash on the cobblestones, and trash that accumulates on the waterfront after rain storms. They decided to take action. Several of the group are from San Diego, and having seen the success of the grassroots Surfrider Foundation there, they decided to start a Memphis chapter. At the meet & greet/cleanup tomorrow, they’ll have all the needed equipment, plus refreshments and good times.

The Breakaway Bardog 5K is only 17 days away, but there’s still time to register. The run through historic Downtown Memphis will start at Bardog at 9 AM Sunday, August 19, and money raised will benefit St. Jude. First 350 to register get T-shirts and beer mugs. After the race, stick around for Bardog’s 4th birthday party.

Time Magazine posted a list of twenty gymnasts to watch during the women’s individual events this week. Note that three of the gymnasts are from Romania.

Time for Thursday night outdoor party roundup. Kid Ego plays the Peabody rooftop tonight, with sepcial guest DJ Hollywood Raiford. 6-11 PM, ladies free before 7, $10 cover includes your first drink. This is the third-to-last rooftop party of the season.

One of the last authentic juke-joint bands, the Daddy Mack Blues Band, will bring a down-home feel to the Madison rooftop tonight. 7-11 PM, $7 cover, cash bar and small plates available.

Parmalee plays the Rebel on Beale country concert series tonight at Handy Park, corner of Third and Beale. All ages, free to get in, starts at 7:30.

In other Thursday events, the Orpheum is showing Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid as part of its Summer Movie Series tonight at 7:15. $7 adults, $6 kids.

It’s National IPA Day. Several IPAs on Fire Sale at the Flying Saucer. Also, 8 Green Flash beers will be on tap today.

Sports trivia with Kevin Cerrito starts at 8 at the Green Beetle. They’ll have a special on buckets of 16-ounce Miller Lite punch-top cans.

Former Memphis Tiger Will Barton has signed a lucrative endorsement deal with Under Armour. Barton was the Tigers’ star last season and entered the NBA draft as a sophomore. He will play for the Portland Trail Blazers this year. Way to make that money Will! You deserve it!

Programming note for this weekend… I’m going to skip my usual Saturday noon appointment at Panda’s bar at Bardog. The reason for this is that I have a wedding reception to go to at 6 that evening, and out of respect for my friends I’d prefer not to show up absolutely trashed. (On the other hand, I don’t see the point in showing up absolutely sober either, so I’ll probably pre-game at the Saucer around 4:30. After all, it’s on the way to the reception.)

Last night I couldn’t decide whether to go to bingo at Brass Door or trivia at Blind Bear… so I went to the Saucer, where I could drink beer until I made up my mind. I finished my 50th beer toward my 7th plate. That means when I swipe my card at the UFO computer tonight, there will be a $5 bar tab waiting for me as a milestone prize. After giving it some thought, I decided trivia at the Bear was the way to go. We had our largest team to date, and won the first-place prize of $50 in Bear Bucks.

It’s election day and I’m casting my vote for more tube tops! I’ll be out enjoying discount IPAs after work.

The Memphis Daily News reports that customers at Downtown restaurants Mesquite Chop House and Spindini are being handed an iPad-based digital wine menu and beverage application when they sit down at the table. Diners can view product descriptions, tasting notes, and recommended food and beverage pairings. That’s really cool. In 2012 a wine list no longer has to be a static, paper-based document. View the Daily News article here.

I’ll post my usual summary of Thursday parties tomorrow, but I just want to remind everyone that Hollywood Raiford will be the special guest DJ at the Peabody rooftop party tomorrow. Let’s get some atmosphere up in here! He’s going to need more on the dance floor, so come on out and see him. He’ll make you feel more than welcome!

The Downtown Memphis Commission has announced that Downtown Dining Week will happen again this year, from November 11-17. Over 25 restaurants will offer 3-course dinners for the low price of only $20.12. In the past, some of Downtown’s finest restaurants have participated in the week, giving diners an incredible deal. Over/under on how many dinners the Nuh-Uh Girl will eat that week is 12.

South of Beale has announced a new nonprofit of the month for August. For the entire month, there will be a line on your check where you can write in a donation for SOB’s adopted nonprofit. This month donations go to the Memphis Chapter of the American Liver Foundation. Please donate! I may need their help someday!

MATA is cutting its service to Grizzlies games. It had a route that picked up riders from 7 stops in the Memphis area and took them to the FedExForum for $8. Fox 13 has more details.

Plans for tonight: Completely undecided, as I’ve been recently in the past on Wednesdays. Options: 1) Brass Door Bingo at 7:30. I feel bad about not getting out to see Diamond Dave sooner, and I’m curious about the British take on the game. 2) Trivia at the Blind Bear, 8 PM. It’s been a lot of fun to have people from the old team back together recently, and I hate to miss a week. 3) Just stay at the Saucer and work on beers for my plate. I’ll pass the 50-beer threshold toward my 7th plate tonight. 4) The new option, Aldo’s Pizza Pies, where I can get $3 cans of 16 oz. PBR.

At any rate, it’s good to have so many options in Downtown Memphis. Out for a quick lunch now, then back for a fun afternoon doing stuff with mod_rewrite.

(Edit: Tuesday 7:10 AM: Once again I forgot to hit Publish after typing the post last night after work… sorry…)

Once again, enough news to justify a second post…

Earlier this week I posted there would be a Great Gatsby party at the Blind Bear within a month, but I couldn’t remember the date. Today they posted the date to Foursquare – Thursday, August 23. More details to come.

The episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives that was taped at Rizzo’s Diner back in May is scheduled to air Monday, August 20 at 9 PM. “Party details to follow,” the diner posted to Facebook.

Double J Smokehouse and Saloon has added three new BBQ pizzas to their menu: Pork, chicken, and kielbasa sausage. Pizzas are 12″ in diameter and sell for $10.

I’ve learned more info about what the Flying Saucer will do for National IPA Day this Thursday, August 2. In addition to multiple IPAs on Fire Sale for $3, there will be an 8-tap takeover by Green Flash beers on the Saucer’s draft wall. May I suggest the Abita Turbo Dog tap as one that could be taken over by a Green Flash beer for the day (or better yet, forever)?

Yesterday was the first day of school for Grizzlies Prep Academy. 75 sixth-grade boys have committed to the rules of this prep school, with the goal of 100% of them to become college-ready. The school is partly funded by the Grizzlies. They are looking for volunteers to come at lunch time and tell the students about their job, or to lead a Tuesday evening reading group. This WREG story has more info about the school and how to volunteer.

This L.A. Times article has more info on Full Tilt Poker refunding the money of U.S. players. Most likely, players will have to apply to the Justice Department to retrieve their money. The good news is that PokerStars, which has acquired Full Tilt and which paid back its U.S. players promptly, has settled with the government in full without admitting fault. This means PokerStars will be eligible to apply to offer online poker once again when the U.S. makes it legal. PokerStars is prohibited from hiring top Full Tilt execs who have been named in criminal indictments or civil laundering cases. These names include well-known poker pros “The Poker Professor” Howard Lederer and Chris “Jesus” Ferguson.

Memphis in May has posted two full-time positions that are available: Program Assistant and Receptionist. View the openings here.

Beer time at Saucer. Undecided whether I’ll play poker at Blind Bear at 8. First 10 people to check in for poker on Foursquare get an extra point toward the final table.

If you had an account on Full Tilt Poker before the government blocked U.S. players from the site on April 15 of last year, there’s good news: You’re going to get your money back. PokerStars, also blocked on April 15, 2011, paid back its U.S. players in a fairly timely fashion, but Full Tilt appeared to be illiquid and unable to pay. PokerStars recently acquired Full Tilt’s assets, and will pay the U.S. government $547 million over a period of three years. Part of this money will be used for repayment of $150 million to U.S. residents who played on the Full Tilt site. More details here.

The Silly Goose has purchased a new 70″ TV, and it will be on the wall in time for football season. The new TV will be hung where the projection TV was in the past.

Beer lovers: LifeHacker reported on a new text messaging service this morning that will help you learn more about the beer you’re drinking. It’s called BeerText.us. You text the name of your beer to 315-679-4711 and the service will text back a description, ingredients, and alcohol content. I put that number in my phone’s Contacts as soon as I saw it! Can’t wait to try it tonight as I work on beers 47, 48, and 49 for my 7th plate at the Flying Saucer.

This isn’t Downtown news, but I want to mention it anyway because I know many of my friends like to stop at CK’s Coffee Shop for late-night food on the weekends. The Memphis Business Journal reports that 10 Memphis-area CK’s have been closed very suddenly. However, if you go to the Poplar/Evergreen CK’s, you’re in luck: That one had a different owner and remains open.

That’s all for now… I discovered that my sandals have a hole in them, so it’s time to hit Payless for a new pair. I’ll be out tonight around 6 as usual.

Like to eat at Kooky Canuck? Like saving money? Then mark Wednesday, August 29 on your calendar. On that day, Kooky Canuck will match every dollar on your purchase of a gift card ($10 minimum). Card sale starts at Kooky’s opening time of 11 AM. Double the dollars you can spend on delicious food like the Maple Flank Steak, the Poutine, or my new favorite the Yonge Street Burger.

(Note to those who will be Downtown on the 29th and are friends with the Nuh-Uh Girl: Expect multiple texts from her asking you to run by and pick up some cards for her, before they run out)

A&R Bar-b-Que has a new website. Not only is the entire menu on there, but you can order online and pick it up from their location at N. Third and Court. They have a pretty extensive menu, so even if pork shoulder and ribs aren’t your thing, you should be able to find something on there that you’ll like.

One thing I forgot to mention in my lunchtime post is that the Blind Bear is planning a Gatsby party. It’s less than a month away, so start planning your 1920s fashion. I’ll try to get more details. I need to remember to pull up Evernote when people tell me this stuff.

Douchebag alert: Former UT head basketball coach Bruce Pearl is joining ESPN. He will be a men’s college basketball analyst, commentating on games throughout the season. The Bruchebag was fired from UT last year for committing recruiting violations, lying to the NCAA about those recruiting violations, telling others to lie to the NCAA, and just being a big douche. The NCAA gave him a 3-year show-cause penalty, of which the upcoming season is year two, so no college can hire him as a head coach without facing penalties itself. I must say I am not excited about seeing Douchey Brucey back on TV. At least we won’t have to look at that ugly orange jacket.

Now that the Memphis Flyer’s Best of Memphis voting has concluded, I’ll share how I voted in some select categories:

Best Grocery: City Market Yeah I know it sounds like I’m voting for CLOSEST grocery, but City Market deserves it. They have Indian food in the refrigerated/prepared food section. They have all kinds of snacks I’ve never seen before in their international foods section. They have a good deli. They have the two most important items of all, Mountain Dew and PBR. They stay open late. I’m a huge fan of their selection and convenience, and am happy to give them my vote.

Best Patio: Silly Goose In previous years I’ve voted for the Majestic (don’t worry, you’ll be hearing about them before this post is over), but the addition of the awning pushes the Goose to the top in my book. Next year, though, I may have to swing my vote to Aldo’s Pizza Pies because of those mist fans.

Best New Bar: Blind Bear This one was one of the easiest votes on the entire ballot. What’s not to like about the Bear? Speakeasy theme, PBR on tap, pool table, Sunday brunch lasts until 6 PM, Tuesday poker, Wednesday trivia, outdoor patio, fantastic veggie plate, pepper jack mac & cheese, awesome staff… I could go on and on.

Best Place to Sing Karaoke: I wrote in NOWHERE!!!!! Karaoke sucks. Although, I like the people at the Double J and probably would have voted for them, had I known they were going to revive karaoke on South Main at the time I voted.

Best Local Website: memphisweather.net I’m a big fan of the radar, the forecasts, and Erik’s explanation of weather events in non-technical terms. Their Twitter account (@memphisweather1) helps keep me aware of bad weather moving in. Great iPhone app too.

Best Service: Bardog I get three steps in the door and there’s Amanda or Melissa or James or whoever’s working holding up a mug of PBR for me. I got a whole new understanding of how ingrained great service is in the Bardog culture when I walked into its sibling restaurant, Aldo’s Pizza Pies, this weekend, and whoever saw me first of Josh or Kyla was holding up a PBR. There are a lot of restaurants Downtown with really good service, but you just can’t beat Bardog.

Best Sports Talk Radio Show: The Chris Vernon Show I didn’t realize how much I missed listening to Verno and Roser on the drive home until he changed stations and times. Now he’s on from 11 to 2 weekdays on 92.9 FM. I tune in on my iPad whenever I get the chance.

Best Steak: Majestic Grille It’s hardly the first time I’ve mentioned this on the blog, but for new readers I want to reiterate – you simply must get by and try a filet prepared by Chef Patrick Reilly.

Best Place to Get a Martini: Majestic Grille It may not have a reputation as a martini bar, but I’d put its martinis up against anyplace in town. In particular, I’m a big fan of the strawberry basil martini. I’m not the only one either – one of my regular readers has been trying to panhandle a strawberry basil martini from me for a couple of weeks now.

I also voted for the Majestic for Best Brunch and Best Restaurant. Zach for Best Grizzly and Best Local Athlete – yeah he was out hurt for most of the season, but based on his community work he got my vote. Max’s for Best Sports Bar. Paula & Raiford’s for Best Place to Dance. I voted for myself for Best Blog (hey, you can’t get Tube Top Month just anywhere, ya know), but I really hope that Best Memphis Burger makes the top three. Seth deserves it for all the work he’s done enlightening the public about burgers, as well as planning the burger fest at Minglewood which is now two months away. Tony Allen for best Twitter account.

My hardest category was Best Sushi. Blue Fin, Bangkok Alley, and Thai Bistro are all really good. I honestly can’t remember which one I voted for.

All right, I’ve been typing long enough. It’s Pint Nite at the place that got my votes for Best Beer Selection and Best Bar. Better get down there.

Former Memphis Tiger Antonio Anderson will host a celebrity basketball game this Saturday, August 4, at 12 noon at Streets Ministries, 430 Vance. In this post, Anderson describes what he’s been through since he left the University. While I’m sad to hear that a medical condition brought an end to his playing days, I’m very excited to learn that he’s turning toward a career in coaching. Antonio was a team leader who displayed a very high basketball IQ, so coaching is perfect for him. This game is to support his new nonprofit, the Antonio Anderson and Friends Skills Academy. He said in his post that Joey Dorsey and Chris Douglas-Roberts will be there. The @memphisroar Twitter account lists Willie Kemp, Shawn Taggart, Jared Sandridge, Penny Hardaway, and Elliot Perry for the game as well.

This morning I saw a very good Memphis Chamber article about 10 young professionals cooking up success in Memphis. It is exciting to see this city take so many steps forward.

Need a job? The Memphis Public Library posted a huge number of jobs on their site. It looks like this is a weekly thing, so you may want to bookmark the site and check back next week.

The Nielsens indicate that the Summer Olympics opening ceremony was the most watched opening ceremony in Olympic history. Unfortunately it was also the worst opening ceremony in Olympic history.

Jamie has decided on the grand prize for the current poker league at the Blind Bear. Last time it was an iPad, but this time Jamie is going to do something different. The prize will be $500 in gift cards – a $100 card for the Blind Bear plus four more $100 cards for nearby restaurants. Great way to support local businesses. The idea came from Puckett, who I believe is currently near or at the top of point standings. You earn 1 point for showing up and additional points for 1st-3rd place over a 12-week period. At the end, the top nine point earners get invited to the final table, winner takes the grand prize. There are still 3 weeks left in the current league, and a lot of people are hovering around ninth place, so if you’ve played a couple of times you still have a shot at getting a seat at the final table. Jamie says there may be opportunities for bonus points the last three weeks. Poker happens every Tuesday at the Bear at 8 PM.

Last night a few friends and I decided to go to Aldo’s Pizza Pies, but we made a huge mistake – we fooled around at the Blind Bear until 5:25, 25 minutes after Aldo’s opened. “It’s Sunday. Surely the bar won’t be full,” we reasoned. We were WRONG! Every seat at the bar was taken. We did manage to get some seats at the window though.

My friends left for karaoke at the Double J, and I decided I was more interested in eating a pie than watching a shitshow. I ordered the Bring Out the Gump, with garlic and oil, sundried tomato pesto, grilled shrimp, mozzarella, red onion and basil. I ate a couple of slices at the bar, then took the rest home. On my way out the door I handed my friend Beth a slice. One person who was with Beth earlier in the day was too much of a lightweight to make it to Aldo’s, and missed out on the chance for a slice of my pizza. Oh well.

While there, we saw someone order the vodka pie, and were very intrigued by the orange-tinted sauce on the pizza. It looked vaguely familiar, and after a few minutes my friend Katie Mac nailed it – “doesn’t that look like the sauce Bardog uses for their Penne Alla Vodka?” As someone who has taken the penne home many times as Paul’s Drunkass Food, I tend to agree. I will have to go back to Aldo’s this week and do some “research” on the vodka pizza to determine if Katie is indeed right about the sauce.

If you’re looking for a good place to watch the Olympics, I noticed that the Flying Saucer had 4 different channels of it on yesterday. Management was very good about responding to requests to change channels when particular sports came on. If you don’t mind cigarette smoke, Max’s Sports Bar’s 10+ TVs are always a good place for Olympic watching too.

It’s Pint Nite at the Saucer, so I’ll be there after work getting some beers done for my next plate. I doubt I’ll make the 7:30 poker game at the Goose, but you never know.

Have you taken a few minutes to vote in the Memphis Flyer’s “Best of Memphis” poll? Today is the last day. You can vote here.

Jimmy Lauck of the Little Tea Shop passed away Thursday, 30 years to the day after opening the restaurant. He’s survived by his wife Suhair. The restaurant will be closed until further notice. The Daily News has more details. Condolences, thoughts and prayers to Miss Su and the family.

Rizzo’s Diner has received its wine license, and will be selling a limited selection of wines in the $20-28 range.

Today is National Lasagne Day. Visit Spaghetti Warehouse’s Facebook page for a coupon good for $6 lasagne today.

The Grizzlies have re-signed center Hamed Haddadi. A very good move, in my opinion. He has proved he can go in for stretches of a third to a half of a quarter and give Marc Gasol time to rest. I see the big guy at the Saucer now and then, and he also has been known to get on Twitter and critique my choice of places to eat lunch. Haddadi’s signing will likely be the last move the Grizzlies make in the off-season.

The Belz Museum of Asian and Judaic Art is showing The Karate Kid at 12:15 and 2:45 today as part of its summer classic movie series. $6 adults, $5 seniors, $4 students. Price includes regular admission to the museum.

There’s a doubleheader at AutoZone Park today. The Redbirds take on the Round Rock Express in both games. Gates open at 3, first game starts at 4. There will be a birthday celebration for Rockey Redbird today too.

Plans for today: Brunch at the Majestic at 11, beer and pool at the Saucer at 12. We got to Aldo’s Pizza Pies right at opening at 5 yesterday and grabbed the best seats at the bar. That worked out well, so I may go back today. Possibly I’ll stop by the Blind Bear at some point too, and it’s not out of the question that I may head south to Double J tonight to witness Robo’s atrocious singing at karaoke night.

So, last night I watched the Olympics opening ceremonies. My opinion was, “You know, I’d probably really enjoy this if I were gay. But I’m not, and this is stupid.” First of all, you had those people dancing around in stovepipe hats in a performance that seemed to go on forever and ever. I thought about asking the Saucer to turn the sound on, but I thought to myself, this is bad enough with the sound off, why make it worse?

Then there was that James Bond sequence in which I guess we were supposed to believe that the Queenster was parachuting into the stadium from a helicopter. The only reason this was at all interesting was because I was hoping for an Owen Hart moment. Does that make me evil? Ugh. I realize they have to have the royal family on since the Olympics are in London, but what a waste. The only member of the royal family I really like is Prince Harry, who uses his royal status to get laid like a rock star.

What really made me think the ceremony was designed for gay men, though, was the introduction of the countries. I sat there and patiently waited for the country with the hottest women on the planet – Romania. They finally get to the R’s and what happens? The camera focuses on this dude in a yellow jacket, who is supposedly a tennis star, almost the entire time. We don’t want to see him!!! We want to see the female gymnasts. I’m going to find out this guy’s name and boo him viciously every time he appears on TV.

The only saving grace was Sir Paul McCartney singing “Hey Jude.” Can’t argue with that. Would have been nice to see another British music legend, Sir Mick, who turned 69 day before yesterday. If I had designed the ceremony, the Sex Pistols would’ve performed “God Save the Queen.”

Check out this interview with The Iron Sheik about the Olympics. It’s much more interesting than the opening ceremonies were.

Okay, on to the news. This first event isn’t Downtown, but it’s not far away, and a Downtowner asked me to mention it. There will be a blood drive Monday morning from 8:30-11:30 at Harcros Chemicals, at 1585 Harbor Avenue on Presidents Island. If you have questions call 901-674-3611. Insider scoop: Stop for lunch at The Port at 1039 Harbor Avenue after you donate your blood.

Double J Smokehouse and Saloon is starting a karaoke night on Sundays from 7 to 11 PM. First karaoke night will be tomorrow. Now, long-time readers will remember how much I made fun of the Blue Monkey’s Saturday karaoke nights last year. However, I support what Double J is doing for the following reasons:

1) Sunday is a much better day to do it than Saturday. Saturday night is the main event of the week. You want your best stuff there. Saturday night is a good night to have a live band, a DJ, TV sound on during football season, no entertainment at all and just let people talk, or really, ANYTHING but karaoke. Karaoke is like lima beans: There’s a place for it on the plate, but no one is going to get super excited about it unless they’re a weirdo.

2) The fact that Sunday night is followed by Monday morning. Alcohol and a live mic are a dangerous mix. I’m not going to name names, but there were a few people at the Monkey who tended to get drunk and turn into complete and total shitshows on karaoke night. Those people have 8-to-5 jobs, so they’ll have to curb their drinking a good bit for Sunday at the Double J.

3) There most likely won’t be a regular texting everyone in his contacts, saying, “What are you doing right now? We’re all down here at the Double J. You should join us. Pretty much everybody we know is going to the Double J tonight. Double J, Double J, Double J.” (Don’t be surprised if you get a text when Dusty opens the Silly Goose early today though)

4) The fact that it’s a saloon may mean that the music selection is better than the average karaoke night. Maybe patrons won’t have to have their ears bleed as they suffer through performances of “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” and pretty much everything in Neil Diamond’s song book. Then again, I could be wrong; it has the potential to be worse too.

At any rate, it’s one more thing to do on a Sunday night Downtown. Maybe I’ll pop in one of these weekends and find out if Robo is really as awful a singer as I’ve heard. At least I can always count on getting some good grub and a cold PBR at the Double J.

It’s fireworks night at AutoZone Park tonight. The Redbirds play the Round Rock Express at 6:05, with fireworks to follow afterward. Tonight’s game is also a salute to first responders. If you’re a first responder, call 901-722-0270 for discounted tickets.

I have an idea for a TV commercial for Aldo’s Pizza Pies. Aldo could get The Rock to appear in the commercial with him. It could go something like this:

The Rock: “How many draft beer taps do you have on the wall?”

Aldo: “We have thir…”

The Rock: “IT DOESN’T MATTER how many taps you have on the wall!!! You have PBR in 16-ounce cans!”

Three pro wrestling references in one post. I’m on a roll today.

My plan for today is hopefully to get to Aldo’s right at 5 when it opens, so I can get a seat at the bar. Of course, I plan on starting the day at Panda Manda’s bar at Bardog at noon. Probably the Saucer at some point. Maybe Blind Bear later. In other words, Saturday.