Author: paulryburn

I saw this story on CNN’s website at lunchtime and it was too funny not to pass along:  Three chihuahuas cornered a full-grown cougar in a garage in Los Angeles.  Barking loudly, the tiny chihuahuas kept the 100+ pound cougar cornered for 45 minutes until animal control officials arrived.

So I guess there is good reason for them making such a racket all the time.

There are conflicting reports of what happened to the cougar once it had been trapped.  One report said it was released into the wild; a second report said it had to be euthanized; and a third report said that once released, it put on makeup and a tube top and got a seat at the bar at Spindini.

The Orpheum will show the classic movie Animal House this Friday at 7:15 PM.  Before the movie begins, there will be a Best Toga contest, judged based on audience reaction.  Winner will receive two tickets to the sold-out Eddie Vedder concert Saturday at the Orpheum.

If you’re a member of Mpact Memphis, you receive a dollar off admission to the movie.

If you bring your ticket stub to the Red Rooster after the movie Friday, you receive free cover and a special for a pizza and a pitcher for $12.

The Best Toga contest should be fun… don’t forget, however, that I’m judging a Best Tube Top contest Saturday night.  Details on that to come.

This weekend I finished reading my second book on the Amazon Kindle application on my iPhone. Wrestling at the Chase: The Inside Story of Sam Muchnick and the Legends of Professional Wrestling is the best pro-wrestling book I have read.  Anyone who grew up watching pro wrestling in the 1980s will enjoy it

It focuses on the St. Louis wrestling territory that operated from the late 1950s to 1983.  The author, Larry Matysik, started as an errand boy for the promotion’s owner, Sam Muchnick, in the early 1960s, and eventually became a commentator on the weekly TV show.  The St. Louis territory was considered one of the most important territories in the National Wrestling Alliance, and its main championship, the Missouri Heavyweight Championship (created in 1972), was seen as a stepping stone to the NWA world title.

The author learned from Muchnick how to run an honest wrestling promotion.  Muchnick was known in the business as one of the few promoters who didn’t cheat wrestlers on payoffs, which were done as percentages of the gate.  There are even photos of payoff sheets from a 1978 TV taping in the book, showing how much was taken in and how much was paid to each wrestler, the main eventers getting the most, the semi-main eventers getting not quite as much, and the preliminary wrestlers getting a set payoff of $70.  Muchnick served as president of the NWA through 1975, and used all his power to protect the championship.

The book then covers the downfall of the NWA and the wrestling territory system in the late 1970s and early 1980s, you know, around the time when tube tops first became popular.  Once Muchnick stepped down and other promoters took the presidency, the championship was manipulated for the interests of individual promoters, rather than for the good of the entire organization.  Giant Baba of Japan bought himself a short title reign for $25,000; a reign was given to Dusty Rhodes as a thank-you to Florida promoter Eddie Graham; a reign was given to Tommy Rich as a thank-you to the Georgia promoter.  Long-term champions Harley Race and Ric Flair frequently lost on countouts and disqualifications, which made them look weak and would not have been allowed under Muchnick.  By the mid-1980s it was obvious that the NWA was falling apart, and WWF owner Vince McMahon was able to come in and sign away the best wrestlers and get his product on TV in local markets.

(Interesting fact in the book:  Vince wanted to be a wrestler, but his father, Vince Sr., who owned the WWF until 1983, wouldn’t hear of it.)

There are profiles of many of the wrestlers who made their mark in the territory, including David Von Erich, “Wild Bill” Longson, Joe Millich, “King” Bobby Shane (who gave Jerry Lawler his gimmick when he left for Australia), Jack Brisco, Dory Funk Jr., “Bulldog” Bob Brown, Rocky Johnson (father of The Rock), Dick Murdoch, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Andre the Giant, Dick the Bruiser, and Bruiser Brody (known as King Kong Brody when wrestling in St. Louis).

Lots of good stories.  One was about a 1980 Bruiser Brody match.  It was to be a “squash,” a match in which the other wrestler – a “jobber” or “jabroni” – is supposed to get clobbered and his job is to make the star, Brody, look as good as possible.  But, as The Rock would say, this guy didn’t know his role.  Pre-match, Brody stomped around the ring and barked.  The jobber at this pojnt should cower in fear of the wild man.

But this jobber didn’t.  He started barking too.  In fact, he got right in Brody’s face and barked.  Brody pulled the referee aside and said, “Stay out of my way, I don’t want you to get hurt.”  Then he proceeded to “shoot” on his opponent, meaning he legitimately punched, kicked and beat the tar out of the poor kid for about 5 minutes, then finally pinned him.  The kid was so afraid afterward that he ran to the dressing room, grabbed his gym bag, and ran out of the building for fear of a further beating backstage.  Lots of good stories like that in the book.

Highly recommended to anyone who’s a fan of old-school wrestling.  Five stars.

Coming soon:  Stuff happening at the Orpheum and MIFA.

I have advance knowledge that the $2.75 Fire Sale at the Saucer today is Dos Equis Special Lager, so I may very well be there open to close.  Going to hang out with the gang and play pool for a few hours, then after they head out I plan on pulling out the laptop and building more websites.  I have two more on deck that I could potentially finish today.

If the Fire Sale were anything other than Dos Equis Lager, though, I would head south to Calhoun’s in the late afternoon.  They are doing weekly shrimp boils which I hear are tremendously good.  If you’re hungry, that’s my recommendation for dinner.  Not positive about the start time, but I’d guess sometime after 5 PM.  If it’s later there’s Buzztime Trivia to keep you entertained.  I’ll try to get down there next Sunday for some shrimp.

Lots of people were Downtown last night for the Gibson 5K.  The Nuh-Uh Girl and the Nuh-Uh Sister ran the race and attended the after-party, and one of the organizers asked the Nuh-Uh Girl if she got food.  “Of course she got food,” said some guy standing behind them, who she didn’t even know.  “Did Paul get pictures for his blog?”

And finally, here’s a pic of Erin in a tube top.

For the second time today, it’s time to roll out a new website.

Ballet Flat Boutique sells ballet flats in all colors, styles, and brands.  Like Hobo Bag Boutique which I rolled out earlier today, this store is created in association with Amazon.com, so you’re protected by their world-class secure checkout and return policies. I never see your name or credit card number, just a summary of what was ordered and how much commission I earned. This is one of several niche stores in women’s fashion I’ll be rolling out this month, to help organize things better and help women find items quicker than they would on Amazon.

I built most of this site at the Saucer this afternoon.  I got some weird looks as people wondered why I kept surfing a store selling women’s shoes.

Okay… as a thank you for putting up with two website commercials in one day, you get a tube top pic.  Here’s a pic of Stephanie in a tube top dress.

Just registered the domain names for my next two sites.  I don’t feel like sitting in front of a computer right now, though… guess I’ll work on them tomorrow.

Coming soon – the June Downtown Alive! lineup, and pics of the Nuh-Uh Girl eating.

Last Thursday, my friend Shane took the Kookamonga Challenge at Kooky Canuck.  If he ate the 7 1/2 pound burger, including 4 pounds of meat, in an hour or less, he’d get it for free.  Over 2,000 people have attempted the challenge, but only 5 have been successful.  Nevertheless, we were rooting for Shane.  “He’s a big guy,” one friend commented.  “If any of us can do it, it’s Shane.”

Owner Shawn Danko delivers the burger to Shane.

Shawn introduces Shane and asks for a “READY, SET, GO!” from the audience.

Shane digs in

That’s a BIG burger.

Early on, Shane was making good progress.  He finished a quarter of the burger in 10 minutes and looked on track to win the challenge.

Kooky Canuck employee Meghan (not to be confused with Shane’s lovely wife Megan) takes a break to watch the Challenge.

Shane slowed down noticeably about the 30-minute mark.  After about 40 minutes, he indicated that he was done, with half the burger still to go.

As my friend Susie would say, “FAIL!”  He’s in good company though – 2,000 others have done the same.  I’m sure I’ll be back in Kooky Canuck sooner rather than later to take more pics.  Hmmm… Tuesday marks the 3rd anniversary of the day I met blog reader Mendi, at Kooky Canuck.  She had a tube top on at the time.

Just finished my next website.  Building a site that sells women’s shoes on my laptop at the Flying Saucer has caused me to get some funny looks from passersby.  Those sites pay my bar tab though.

Time to go eat.  May post again later.

Time to roll out my latest web shopping storefront.

Hobo Bag Boutique sells women’s hobo bags in a variety of colors, shapes, fabrics, and brands.  From Jessica Simpson to Vitalio Vera to COACH to zebra and giraffe print bags, this site has ’em.  As with most of my sites, it’s in association with Amazon.com. They handle the checkout and shipping, with their world-class secure checkout process and return policies, so your private information remains safe. I never see your name or credit card number; all I get is a notification of what items were ordered, and how much commission the store made for the sale.  I hope you enjoy the store.  This is another store where I’ve spent hours digging through Amazon’s categories, putting together a store full of items you might miss if you browse Amazon directly.

Big thanks, by the way, to Christina from the Red Rooster, who showed me an iPhone app Wednesday night that helped me zero in on small niches in women’s fashion.  I have between 6 and 15 more store ideas to develop as a result of using that app.  Christina, by the way, was wearing a tube top when she told me about it.

Let’s get to the other news… first of all, I now have a Facebook page I can link to.  It’s facebook.com/paul.ryburn

Steely Dan plays Mud Island on August 14, and tickets are now on sale at Ticketmaster.  Miley Cyrus plays the FedExForum on October 21.  Tickets available beginning today (usually they release them at 10 AM, as I type this it’s not 10 yet) at the FedExForum website.

The South Main Association is cleaning up South Main NOW, as I type this, through noon today (Saturday).  If you live down there, get out there and help them!  International meeting planners arrive in Memphis for their annual conference, so we want our city to look its best so they’ll throw some business our way.

In the CA this week:  Meet Andrew Coins, sous chef at the Peabody

Also in the CA:  The Horizon, the new apartment (formerly condo) building at 717 Riverside, is running into problems.

Also in the CA:  A judge’s ruling means a hip-hop club won’t be able to open in the old Pat O’Brien’s space on Beale.

In the MBJ:  Developer Phil Woodard is seeking a loan to purchase 456 Tennessee St., next to the Memphis Flyer buiding, and develop it into an event space similar to the Cadre Building.  There would also be 5,000 SF of office space.

Need some new suits?  Shelton Clothiers is offering a package deal of 2 suits, 1 blazer, 1 pant (or 3 suits) for $895, which is $300 off the full price of $1195.  Or, you can buy a single suit for $295.  Alterations are always free.  Offer good for a limited time.

Got lots more to post, including Kookamonga Challenge pics, a tube top dress pic, and pics of the Nuh-Uh Girl eating at Tuesday night’s art opening, so check back.

I hoped to post tube top pics, but instead you get pics of trees that have been felled by the storms that just rolled through here.  I came home to find trees down outside my apartment building at Madison and Main, and there are also trees down in Court Square.

Made it safely home… I had a haircut appointment at Rachel’s at 5, and obviously I was about 10 minutes late for that.  I stayed off the 240 near Airways, knowing that would be a mess.  Took Airways north to Ketchum which turned into Ball which turned into Norris where I could get on the 240 much more safely.  Was OK after that.

I also just received an update on Facebook that the windows have been blown out of D’Edge Gallery in South Main.  I hope none of the artwork was damaged.

Added 6:10 PM:  Via Twitter, I’ve learned that southbound Danny Thomas is blocked at Vance due to a tree down.  There’s also something, possibly a roof, in the intersection of Fourth and Vance.

Here’s what’s happening on the Thursday night party circuit tonight.

Jessie James and Garry Goin and G3 will play the Peabody rooftop tonight. Garry Goin and G3 were the excellent house band at EP Delta Kitchen for most of the time it was open. $5 cover, hors d’oeuvres buffet, cash bar, ladies free until 8.

Lynn Cardona will be on the rooftop of the Madison with a wide selection of jazz and soul standards, plus neo-soul originals. Doors open at 5:30, $7 cover, cash bar, tapas menu. (Edit: Just got word that this has been canceled due to inclement weather that is expected to move through the area tonight.)

For post-rooftop entertainment, look no further than the Saucer, where The Dempseys will play starting at 9:30 PM. $3 cover, 70 beers on tap and another 125 in bottles, hot waitresses in miniskirts.

The Dempseys will play the Madison rooftop next Thursday, by the way. I believe that may make them the only band to play the Madison and the Peabody rooftops in the same season (they’re booked to open for Cowboy Mouth at the Peabody on July 23).

The Red Rooster will name another Chicklette of the Week and give away a prize to the winner of their “You Got the Look” contest. I think it’s a Coach purse, although I’m not 100% sure about that. From what I’ve seen and heard, the Rooster has the best male/female ratio of any post-rooftop party, so guys would be smart to bypass the club in Peabody Place and continue south to the Rooster.

My agenda includes a haircut at 5 (it’s been 12 weeks… can barely see to drive), then at 6:30 I’ll head to Kooky Canuck to watch my friend Shane attempt the Kookamonga Challenge. If he can finish their burger (4 pounds of beef, 7 1/2 pounds with fixins) in under an hour by himself, he’ll get it for free and he’ll get a spot in their Hall of Fame.

Hey, maybe I just figured out why Kooky Canuck keeps Meghan on the payroll… to ensure that people lose Kookamonga Challenges. Listening to her run her mouth induces a vomiting reaction in most people.

After the challenge is over I’ll hit the rooftop if it’s not raining, then the Saucer for the Dempseys’ first set.  Hmmm may go to the Rooster tonight too… with their “you got the look” contest going on, it might be a good night for some tube top watching.

I’ve had a couple of people respond to my post on Wednesday night at the Red Rooster, saying, “The 25 cent PBR and Miller Lite is awesome, but there’s a cover? If there’s a cover charge I’m not going.”

I don’t get that. Look, let’s do a little math here. I drank 8 PBRs last night. That means my total cost would have been the $5 cover + (8 x 25 cents) for beer = $7.00 before tip.

Compare that with Calhoun’s, a bar Downtown known for cheap PBR. Suppose I had gone there for 8 beers instead. My cost would have been $0 cover + (8 x $2) for beer = $16.00 before tip.

Even if you were to have as little as 3 PBRs, you’d still come out ahead – $5.75 Rooster vs. $6 Calhoun’s.

So, who cares if there’s a cover? You make it back on the beer.

Nothing against Calhoun’s by the way, they’re a great place to hang out too.  They were just the logical bar to use for a comparison, since PBR is involved.

I had fun last night and plan on going back next Wednesday. Hopefully Christina started a trend and there will be lots of tube tops there next week.