Just walked home on my lunch break and what did I see but…

(This post has been edited, see below) 

Well-known Downtown panhandler Willie Norfleet in the back of a squad car!!!  Not sure what he did but it looks like he’s going to get a limo ride to 201 and a free place to stay for the Easter holiday.  Willie can usually be seen “working” Court Square and right outside Walgreens (which just happens to be across the street from CeCe’s Liquors).  I had him thrown in jail myself a few years ago after he made some extremely obscene comments to two female British tourists.  Will be nice to have a vacation from him.

Edit:  Just got back to work and told two of my co-workers – one who has been harassed by Norfleet and our VP of Marketing who hasn’t had the pleasure of his acquaintance – that I just saw Willie in the back of a squad car.  The marketing VP immediately exclaimed, “Are you serious?  He’s been indicted?”  Heh.  She thought I meant the OTHER bum named Willie who hangs around Downtown, or will until July 31 anyway.

Winter may be over, but…

A lot of people missed the holiday lights Downtown this year.  A meeting is being set up to plan holiday lighting Downtown for winter 2008, especially on the Main Street Mall and Court Square.  Creative ideas and energy are needed from Downtowners.  The meeting will be in the back room of Bluefin from 5-6 PM Tuesday, April 8.  Call 575-0546 or e-mail bennett@downtownmemphis.com to RSVP.

GOOD Friday?

If Good Friday is such a GOOD Friday, why do I have to go to work today?  I mean, I like my job, but I like sleeping until 10:30 AM more. 

Yesterday afternoon Mike King and I trained the new Downtown security patrol personnel, and it went much better than expected.  The trainees were way into our presentation, and when they learned they had color photos of our top 10 bums, they couldn’t wait to see them.  Many of them recognized some of the bums on the list – Willie and Melvin in particular, for those of you who know who they are – and they even had additional information on some of them that we didn’t have.  I got the impression that they are ready to hit the streets and interrupt business as usual for Downtown’s career panhandlers.  I believe we’re finally at a turning point, and can’t wait to see what happens during the next three months.

BFF news:  My BFF got her nose piercing taken out and got a new piercing in the middle of the side of her face.  Not sure what to think of it… the nose piercing was hella sexy.  The side-of-her-face piercing is just kinda there, like a small town in the middle of the Arizona desert.  I’m sure that her mini-me Lara probably has an appointment with the piercing parlor to get a piercing in the side of her face as well.

Beer report:

Previous total:  $737.50

Beers 133, 134, and 135 by my count (and Saucer’s count hopefully to be adjusted still):
Kronenbourg 1664 draft $4.50
Hornsby’s Draft Cider bottle $4.00
Pete’s Wicked Ale $4.00
Tip:  $12.50 x ~30% = $4.00
Total:  $16.50

Grand total:  $754.00

I have it on very good authority that the Corkscrew on S. Front (next to the new Blue Monkey) will re-open sometime between April 1 and April 10.

Hung out at the Saucer for several hours last night, then moved to the Red Rooster for “Rock Out With Your Cock Out” night.  I’m thinking about doing the same thing tonight as well… Saucer in the early evening to get my 3 plate beers done, then on to the Rooster in time to catch the 8:40 Arkansas game and the 8:55 Memphis game.  (plans subject to change)  Go Tigers!  Go Hogs!  Also, the Tennessee Vols play the American Eagles this morning at 11:15.  Go Eagles!

Hot wing festival coming to South Main Saturday, April 26

The Southern Hot Wing Festival will take place in the South Main Arts District from 10:30 AM to 6:00 PM Saturday, April 26.  It will be on the block between G.E. Patterson and St. Paul, which is the block where the Arcade is.

Looking at their website, it looks like it’s not too late to enter if you’re a hot wing cooking expert.

Event will benefit the Ronald McDonald House.  Admission to the festival is $1, or free with donation of a canned food item for the House’s pantry.

This is bum patrol to Major Tom

This afternoon at 3:30, Mike King and I get to train the new Downtown security patrol personnel, who will be targeting panhandling, for an hour and a half.  We have color handouts for them, including a condensed version of my panhandling gimmicks page and a color map showing the locations that attract the most panhandlers.  We also have a handout for them called “Our Favorite Bums,” where we list our picks for the 10 biggest hustlers/scammers in the Downtown area, describing their modes of operation.  We have color photos of 8 of them.  Jumper Cable Guy, Sharp Dressed Bum, the parking lot scammers, the guy who stands outside Walgreens and makes lewd comments to women… we want to make sure the security patrol gets to know all these fine citizens of Downtown Memphis.

We’re also going to take a minute to describe one of the homeless guys who walks around down here but doesn’t bother anyone, and discuss how his mannerisms differ from those of the aggressive professional panhandlers.  We want the security patrol to be able to recognize the harmless homeless and leave them alone.

Beer report:  The Saucer managed to lose ALL THREE of my receipts for beers I consumed Tuesday night.  Great job, guys!  A couple of other UFO members told me their receipts hadn’t been scanned either, so I’m figuring maybe they’re a day behind on all of them.  I’ll give them a day to catch up.  But my patience with the Saucer is running REAL thin right now.  It’s a good thing my BFF works there or otherwise I might be tempted to take away the Saucer’s status as my #1 bar.

I did talk to the mini-me who waited on me Tuesday, and she remembered the $11 Holy Grail Ale that I drank and paid for.  She said she’d vouch for the purchase of those beers.  If they’re not caught up tonight I’m going to go to management and complain.  I had said I wasn’t going to do that, in order to get the true cost of a plate, but 1) this is ridiculous and 2) if too many beers get lost, it will endanger the date it looks like we’ve picked for my plate party and Rapscallion Party VII.

Previous total:  $723.00

Beers 130, 131, and 132 by my count (and who the hell knows what the Saucer’s count is anymore):
Coors Light draft YUKKKKKKK $3.25
Asahi (at least it was better than Coors Light) $4.25
Hornsby’s Hard Cider (not a bad value at 6% ABV) $4.00
Tip:  $11.50 x ~30% = $3.00
Total:  $14.50

Grand total:  $737.50

Back later today with info on a new festival coming to Downtown Memphis next month.

Wed update: Movie contest, recommended comedian and band that I’ve never heard of, Easter egg hunt, library closing

I’m starting off today’s post with a request for a little help from my readers. Please watch the YouTube movie below,

(Edit:  Crap, it’s not loading.  Go here to watch the video.)

then go to ArtsMemphis.com and vote for it.  My friend Harmony Stewart is a semifinalist in their film competition, and she needs your votes for her film “Blues” (which is the YouTube video shown here).

In other news… my friend AngieDawn sent out an e-mail that went something like “OMG OMG OMG Eddie Izzard is coming to Memphis.”  Eddie Izzard is a comedian.  I’ve never heard of him but according to Angie he’s awesome.  You can read more about him and why you should go see his show on Angie’s blog.

Now that I’ve recommended a comedian I’ve never heard of, let me follow it up by recommending a band I’ve never heard of.  My friend/trivia teammate Eric writes that a band called 500 Miles to Memphis will be playing at the Buccaneer this Sunday the 23rd.  Eric says they’re a punk/rockabilly band that he digs with 2.5 shovels.  You can read more about them on their website.  Hmmm.  The pic on the front page of their site shows the lead singer holding a tallboy can of PBR.  That’s a good sign.  Eric guesses they’re named 500 Miles to Memphis because that’s the approximate distance from their home town of Cincinnati.

Sunday the 23rd is also Easter Sunday, so I’m sure you know where I’ll be that morning… in a bar, drinking mimosas and bloody marys.  It will be week 2 of our brunch rotation at the Majestic.  However, this week plans are screwed up afterward, as the Saucer will not open until 5 that day.  Hell if I know why, from what I remember last year Easter was as busy as any other Sunday.  But, when they do open at 5, they’ll have an Easter egg hunt.  Find an egg, get a free beer.

Not sure what I’ll do between 1 and 5 that day.  Maybe go outside and sit on the blocks on Beale and drink a Call-a-Cab if the weather is nice.  But the current prediction is high 51, low 35 and rain, so that plan is not very likely.  March Madness will be on and the Tigers will likely be playing a second-round game on Sunday, so that will figure into things.  Hmmm.  Maybe McGuinness for a bonus Sunday with Amy… hmmm… Big Foot has $5 34 oz. Blue Moons, that’s an option as well… absolutely not walking farther south than Linden to watch the game when there are good places to watch it in the Downtown core.

Back to the Easter egg hunt… dammit, every year we say we’re going to do this and then forget!  There’s been a long-standing plan to buy a bunch of large-sized plastic eggs, hide those little 50 ml “airplane bottles” of cheap booze in them, and then hide the eggs in Court Square for the bums to find.  Hey, bums deserve to have a little Easter fun too.  Hmmm maybe Saturday.

In the CA this morning:  The Downtown branch of the public library, the Cossitt branch at Front and Monroe, will close July 1.  King Willie says the closing, along with four others around the city, is part of a move to “reposition assets.”

Random commercial jingle from the past before I head to work:

“The Defender sees lots of alien ships
The Defender sees lots of radar blips
Every blip is a ship
On a body-snatching trip

Now it’s up to Defender to save them
Defender, a great Atari game!”
– Atari commercial advertising Defender video game cartridge, June 1983

Tue night trivia and beer report. Also: Monkey, Hoop’s

Congrats to the Rapscallions, who pulled out the comeback of a year for second place.  After two rounds, we had 39 out of a possible 93, and were losing to the Saucer Girls team among many others.  But we came back with an almost-perfect round three to move into second place and pick up $25.  That brings our total to $300, assuming I finish my plate in time.  Which reminds me – it’s time to start planning a date for Rapscallion Party VII, will e-mail the team tomorrow.

Couple of things I heard tonight:

First of all, I heard that the Blue Monkey is at least 3 weeks away from opening, as they have a little more construction to be done.  They definitely plan on opening the doors before Memphis In May, but would like to open a few weeks prior so they have time to do a dry run.

Also heard that Hoop’s Bar now has a sake (Japanese rice wine) machine.

The mini-me waited on us tonight.  Her personality is actually tolerable when her big buddy isn’t around.  Beer report:

Previous total:  $697.25

Beers 127, 128, and 129 (but 122, 123, and 124 according to the Saucer):
Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat draft $4.25
RedHook Blonde draft $4.00
Monty Python’s Holy Grail Ale bottle $11.00
Tip:  $19.25 x ~ 30% = $6.00
Total:  $25.25

Grand total:  $723.00