Author: paulryburn

After 4 days in a row in a cubicle, I planned on a peaceful, relaxing day today with no set plans. But just now I got a message that changes everything. The PBR Liberation Army has requested my help at Bardog at noon. When called to serve, one must not argue or question it. One must go and serve to the best of one’s ability. There is cold beer trapped in that keg at Bardog, and if I don’t set it free, who will?

Compared to lower floors, I pay a slight premium in rent at Number 10 Main because my apartment has a river view. So, this morning I got up and looked out the window.

Can I get a refund?

The Cotton Bowl is tonight, with the Arkansas Razorbacks taking on the Wildcats of Kansas State. Former CA writer/current sports writer for The Daily Dan Wolken has a column about where he sees the Razorbacks next year. Would not mind seeing that prediction come true. Let’s get through tonight first, though. It’s time to CALL THOSE HOGS!!!

After five days of renovations, Bardog Tavern has re-opened and claims to be the best-looking bar Downtown. I’ll try to get in there tomorrow and take a look… if it’s anything big maybe I’ll post pics. Good to have Bardog back. It was definitely missed by many this week.

Many of my readers travel for a living, or are involved in the air travel industry in some way. I thought they might be interested in this app I found on a mailing list today: Airport Monitor Lite. It lets you track the departure and arrival times at up to 7 airports.

The MemphisWeather.net 2012 calendar is now on sale on CafePress. It has beautiful images of Memphis weather. Buying a calendar is a great way to support a local meterologist and entrepreneur who keeps us informed on MemphisWeather.net, Facebook, and Twitter.

If you’re a Redbirds fan and want to keep up with news about the team from now until the time the season starts, there’s a new radio show for you. AM 560 will carry the Redbirds Hot Stove radio show Tuesdays at 6 PM through April 3. It will be hosted by play-by-play man Steve Selby and former Redbird/Cardinal Bo Hart.

The City Council has passed an ordinance restricting dumpsters in the public right-of-way Downtown. Read about it here. Glad to see it. There used to be one in Scratchy Alley that stank to high heaven and attracted vagrants, pigeons and rats.

Part 3 of the Memphis Beer Beat blog’s interview with Ghost River brewmaster Chuck Skypeck is up. He talks about experimenting with different styles, collaborating with other brewers, and whether he thinks there’s room for another craft brewer in Memphis.

In the past I’ve written about anniversary parties at the Downtown Saucer, with prizes and specialty beers. Well, for those of you who are unfortunate enough to live in the suburbs, now it’s your turn. The Cordova Saucer will have its 6th birthday party on Saturday, January 21. There will be tappings of rare beers from Stone, Sierra Nevada and other breweries. At 8 PM FreeWorld takes the stage. Admission is free, must be at least 21. The Saucer is at 1400 N. Germantown Parkway in a bland looking strip mall that looks like all the other bland strip malls in East Bumblefuck. Good luck finding it.

Plans for tonight: Without going into too much detail, let’s just say it will be a very interesting night for those who played on the Rapscallions trivia team between June and August (and who did not play on a team that opposed us during that period). We’ll also be celebrating the birthday of our friend Air Traffic Mike, who’s in town for the weekend. I’m looking forward to hearing his opinion of the Saucer’s Moscow Mule. Also, those of us with good taste in college teams will be doing one more thing tonight: CALLING THE HOGS! Work week is over, time to get the weekend started.

Managers at the Saucer have to pass several tests to complete training. Clearly none of them is a spelling test.

Correction: I posted a photo of the banner on the Silly Goose patio announcing a Grizzlies watch party for Sunday, January 6. Sunday is actually the 8th, and that is indeed the date of the game and the watch party. Tip-off time is 8:30 PM.

Local Gastropub is celebrating its 2nd birthday this Sunday. Starting at 5 PM there will be $2 domestics, $2 sliders, and $2 Fireball.

The following Sunday, January 15, AutoZone Park will host the annual Cardinals Caravan in the park’s club level. Former 2011 Redbirds Tyler Greene and Pete Kozma will appear, along with prospects Zack Cox and Ryan Jackson. Former Cardinals John Mabry, Alan Benes and Cal Eldred will also join the Caravan along with Cards broadcaster Rick Horton. Doors open at 5:30, program starts at 6:30. There will be a silent auction to benefit the Redbirds’ RBI and STRIPES Program. Season ticket holders and kids under 14 will be able to get autographs. Free admission, and there will be complimentary food and soft drinks. Free food? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

VIP Passes are now available for Memphis in May Beale Street Music Fest. The passes get you 3 day entry, with access to raised and covered platforms at the stages and a private area in the Blues Tent. You’ll also have access to complimentary light snacks, beer, wine, water and soft drinks. At the outdoor stages you’ll have access to private restrooms. You’ll receive a copy of the festival poster, autographed by artist George Hunt, and you’ll have in/out privileges all weekend. There are options with and without parking. Buy the VIP passes here.

If BBQ Fest is more your thing, there are V.I.Pit Passes on sale for that festival. Passes get you 3-day admission with in/out privileges. You’ll have knowledgeable guides to show you around, and you’ll be invited to up to 6 championship teams’ booths to eat BBQ and get grilling tips. There will be a private area with light snacks, soft drinks, beer and wine. You’ll receive a special welcome from the fest’s Volunteer Chairman, and you’ll get a goodie bag to take home with you. As with Music Fest, parking and non-parking options are available. Get them here.

The annual Pi Kappa Alpha convention is in town. Nothing against the Pikes – they’re nice guys – but from what I remember, last year’s convention packed the Flying Saucer with 100-200 extra dudes in the evenings. Not really what I look for in a bar. My plan is still to start at the Saucer for after-work beers, but if they arrive in large numbers the Blind Bear or possibly the Goose will be my backup plan. Time for beer!

Saturday night the public is invited to party at the oldest business on Beale. A. Schwab, the dry goods store that has been on the street since 1876, is throwing a 77th birthday party for Elvis from 6 to 10. Party will be in the newly cleaned-up second story, and will feature Amy LaVere, the Jason Freeman Band, the Memphis Dawls, Dan the Man, and Hanna Star. $5 cover. Beer and light refreshments will be sold.

The Memphis Union Mission is expanding. They go before the Land Use Board next week in an attempt to purchase the 3.1 acres behind their building at 383 Poplar. Best of luck to the fine folks at the Mission in expanding their capabilities to serve those in need. If you want to support the Mission you can do so in a variety of ways here.

Bloggers: If you want to learn how to better promote your blog using social media, you might want to attend the WordPress Meetup at EmergeMemphis tonight at 6. Details here. Even if you’re using a blogging platform other than WordPress, there should be plenty of useful info for you.

Not a local story but too funny not to link: A Colorado woman, believed to be drunk, visited an art gallery. There she proceeded to pull down her pants, punch a hole in a $30,000,000 artwork, then slide down the artwork and urinate on herself. The work was by Clyfford Still, one of the leading figures of Abstract Expressionism in the 20th century. She did $10,000 worth of damage. Full story here.

Those who hang out in the same joints I do: Anyone else read that and think that woman’s behavior is much like that of someone we know?

Rick Santorum finished a close second in the Iowa caucus this week. According to this article, Santorum wants to eliminate all birth control and believes that sex should be avoided except to procreate, even among married couples. Does anyone else read stories like this and think the GOP is playing mind games with us? They parade all these nut cases – Palin, Bachmann, Perry, Cain, Santorum – around the media. I think they’re hoping that the general populace will decide that the eventual candidate – Romney – seems downright sane and reasonable and centrist by comparison, convincing independents and conservative Democrats to vote for him.

Last night I was at Blind Bear when their weekly trivia started. The two people next to me at the bar asked me to play on their team. “I’m retired from trivia,” I told them. “I don’t do it anymore.”

“Come on, play,” they said. “We just want to have fun. If we win you can have the gift certificate.” So I relented and played with them. The result?

$50 will buy a lot of PBR at the Bear. Thanks to my teammates from last night for inviting me to play. Enjoyed it.

Plans for tonight: Just a quiet evening at home. And by that, I mean I’m going to go to the Saucer and drink a Moscow Mule. Haven’t had one since Sunday.

The Memphis episode of Drinking Made Easy, starring Zane Lamprey, is on HDNet tonight at 7 Central. The show visited the Peabody, Boscos, Blues City Cafe, Silky O’Sullivan’s, and the Silly Goose. Check it out and watch Memphis’ bars and beverages get the publicity they deserve!

Breaking news: I’m seeing reports on Twitter that Zach Randolph will be out for 8 weeks. NOT GOOD NEWS AT ALL.

This weekend while I was at the Blind Bear, a local blogger approached me and asked me to take a look at his blog, Memphis Que. Niche food blogs are becoming more and more popular, and this is a good one. It will educate you about restaurants serving BBQ in the Memphis area that you never knew existed, as well as different styles of BBQ. Recent posts cover Vietnamese and Mexican BBQ, a West Memphis BBQ shop that uses CB radio to deliver to truckers, a soul food cafe on Brooks, a country bar in Millington serving ‘que, and well-known spots like Interstate and Cozy Corner. Writing style is laid-back and conversational, and photos of both the food and the restaurants let you know what kind of experience awaits you.

In the past I’ve butted heads with the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center about Downtown panhandling, but I have to hand it to them: They’ve scored a major coup for their 30th anniversary gala. Noam Chomsky will speak. Chomsky is a professor at MIT who has influenced the fields of linguistics, psychology, philosophy, computer science, and mathematics. He’s known for the Chomsky hierarchy and the universal grammar theory. No matter what you think of the MSPJC, this is a chance to hear one of the great thinkers of our era. See the MSPJC home page for more info/ticket purchases. Banquet is Saturday, January 14. Theme is “Living the Legacy of Nonviolence.”

It seems like the FedExForum is busy every night these days. Tonight the Memphis Tigers host the Tennessee Vols at 7. It will be a rematch of the Tigers’ 99-97 double OT win in Maui in November. Buy tickets here. It will be nice to not have Bruce Pearl’s douchey presence at the Forum. In the event the Vols win, I suggest a certain neighbor of mine keep her iPhone away from jukeboxes at bars.

Reminder to my friends who play poker: Bardog is closed today and tomorrow for renovations, so no poker in the Underdog Room tonight.

Last night I was walking down Peabody and I noticed this sign hanging on the Silly Goose’s patio:

Memphis will play a road game against the L.A. Lakers, and the Grizzlies will host a watch party at the Goose. Specials on Bud products. Game time is 8:30 Central.

Time for lunch. Plans for tonight: Bars.

The caucus and primary season for the Presidential election kicks off tonight in Iowa. Many people complain that the early states like Iowa and New Hampshire have too great a role in selecting the candidates. Well, I saw a comment on Twitter that is a great idea: Let the state that had the highest % of voter participation in the previous general presidential election be first to hold their caucus or primary… then second highest would go next, and so on. It would encourage citizens to go out and participate in the democratic process, to try and get a reward for their state. By using the previous general election participation numbers, you’d have almost 4 years to sort out the next election’s primary dates.

Of course, it’ll never happen. The chance of politicians doing something that makes sense is about as low as the chance of the BCS selection process making sense.

I ate at the Blind Bear for the second time last night. This time I chose one of the “Bear Cat” menu options, the Fried Bologna sandwich and a side. Since I didn’t have any black-eyed peas on New Year’s, I chose that as my side item.

Other choices for sides include sweet buttered corn, french fries, mac & cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, and green beans. The bologna sandwich was topped with cheese and BBQ sauce, and sells for $8. You can get a plate of four sides for $6.

The word I’m now hearing is that the Black Diamond closed because next-door gift shop Tater Red’s plans to expand into the space. That’s not officially confirmed but I heard it from a source who talked to Diamond doormen and bartenders this weekend.

The Grizzlies are at home at the FedExForum tonight, taking on the Sacramento Kings at 7 PM. Get tickets here.

Tonight’s the second week of poker with Jamie at the Blind Bear. Starts at 8, so come on by, I’ll be there! Trivia nights at Saucer, Goose, Green Beetle and Ferraro’s if that’s more your thing.