Category: Uncategorized

Let’s talk for a minute about the Memphis Tigers’ chances of receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament; meaning, they get in even if they don’t win the AAC tournament in March.

Coming into today’s showdown at Houston, the Tigers’ record is 13-8. Teams have gotten at-large bids into the tournament with records as bad as 18-14 in recent years. But, those 18-14 teams

• Had top-5 strength of schedules
• Had quality wins against highly ranked teams
• Did not have any “bad” losses to lousy teams

The Tigers’ strength of schedule is not great and they have several bad losses. If they finish the season with 14 losses, they can forget the NCAA tournament and probably won’t even make the NIT. Realistically, they need to limit their losses to 10 if they want an NCAA at-large bid. That means they can eat a loss in the AAC tournament plus one other.

And it can’t be today’s game at Houston. This is Memphis’ chance to get a road win against a team that is likely a top-four seed in the Big Dance. The committee won’t be able to deny that’s a quality win. Bracketology-wise, the Tigers will move from “not even in the conversation” to “on the bubble” with a win today. Probably Penny’s team would land on the “first four out” line with a win, and then they’d have the rest of the season to do work to move to the right side of the bubble.

I may have been critical of Penny at times this season – particularly, his negligence educating his team on the benefits of getting vaccinated – but I am one hundred percent Team Penny today. I want a Memphis win. I want a blowout Memphis win. I want to watch the Tyler Harris Show. I want Duren to be a monster at the rim. I want DeAndre Williams to be the baddest version of himself.

Oooh… it’s National Lost Penny Day though… hope that’s not a bad omen for the Tigers.

You can catch the Tigers vs. the Cougars on ABC at 2:30 this afternoon.

Hmmm… with my Bardog brunch buddies in New York for a Billy Joel concert, today would be an ideal day to do something different. I haven’t watched a Tigers basketball game at Max’s Sports Bar yet this season. Maybe today should be the day.

By the way – I heard from a part-time employee that Max’s Sports Bar is gearing up to do crawfish on Saturdays – not today, but soon.

There was a report of a man armed with a gun at Huey’s in the 10:00 hour last night.

Today is the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre party at the Blind Bear, starting at 8. 93 years ago this weekend, the Chicago Outfit headed by Al Capone murdered 7 members of Bugs Moran’s North Side gang in an attempt to solidify control of Chicago’s illicit liquor business. The Bear will celebrate with

• Prizes for best gangster and flapper outfits
• Photographer Jamie Harmon will be there to take your pic to hang in the dining room and your mug shot to hang near the front door

My mug shot

• The Amurica photo booth will be parked outside so you can climb in and take fun pictures (tips appreciated)
• FreeWorld will return to the Bear – the FULL BAND, not a Kaleido subset of the band
• Set dinner menu that includes a bottle of champagne – $45 for 1 person or $90 for 2 people

The Grizzlies are on the road at Charlotte tonight for a 6:00 game. Local TV coverage on Bally Sports Southeast.

Ja Morant was drafted onto Team KD Thursday night for the NBA All-Star game. Here’s a look at the teams:

Team KD

• Starters: Joel Embiid, Ja Morant, Jayson Tatum, Trae Young, Andrew Wiggins (team captain Kevin Durant will not be able to play)
• Reserves: Devin Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns, Zach LaVine, Dejounte Murray, Khris Middleton, LeMelo Ball, Rudy Gobert

Team LeBron

• Starters: LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Jokic
• Reserves: Luka Doncic, Darius Garland, Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, Donovan Mitchell, Fred VanVleet, James Harden.

I’ll be rooting for Ja Morant and Team KD, of course, but it looks like LeBron drafted a much stronger team. Makes me think, ten years from now when these guys’ playing days are over, I’d much rather have LeBron in my front office than Kevin Durant.

Wonder how Team KD will work it with two starting point guards? Make Trae Young the primary ball handler while Ja plays off the ball?

Prediction: Team LeBron 182, Team KD 165 (All-Star Games are rarely defensive masterpieces)

Elite Total Wellness is seeking a Medical Assistant for their office on South Front Street. Must be a team player with a willingness to learn new things. Tina would be an awesome person to work for!

Little Italy Downtown is looking for part-time and full-time help. They need someone who can perform basic tasks like food prep, taking customer orders, and cleaning with little supervision. Experience is a plus, but if you’re willing to learn, they’re willing to train. They’re closed Monday and Tuesday and there are no late nights – they close at 9 (giving you plenty of opportunity to walk across the street to Max’s for a beer). Fill out an application and meet the owner (Ricky) and the manager (Jeff) 2-4 PM Thursday or Friday. Generous pay and daily tips.

The Washington Post has a statistical analysis of Super Bowl squares. Basically, if your square is any combination of 0, 7, and 3, you’re in line to make that money; any other number and you’re screwed. The square with the highest expected value is 0/0; if you have that square it’s time to abandon team loyalty and root for whichever team is playing defense.

I was in the Blind Bear for lunch yesterday and a local author was showing off copies of her new book: Have You Ever Been This Girl by Deon Smith. It’s the story of three women’s ups and downs and is available in paperback or on Kindle.

I mentioned that there’s a onesie bar crawl today, but I can’t recommend it much because it’s organized by out-of-towners. Well, good news: There’s now a Onesie Day by locals, for locals, on the Downtown calendar. It’ll be Sunday, February 20 at Atomic Rose. Start off at 11 with a chef-prepared brunch in your pajamas. At 12:30 Bella DuBalle will host a delightfully diverse drag show, followed at 2 by bingo with Pattie O’ Furniture with great prizes for the winners.

Mayor Jimbo from Mempho sent out his weekly newsletter yesterday and raised the possibility of selling MLGW in order to take power lines underground. Nine days after the ice storm, there are still thousands without power, and this is hardly the first time in recent history such a thing has happened. Jimbo makes it clear he’s not advocating for such a move yet, but the idea at least needs to be explored.

Deion Sanders’ Jackson State team will play the 2022 Southern Heritage Classic after all.

Professional Bull Riders are in Memphis at FedExForum tonight.

As I posted earlier in the week, poker has returned to the Blind Bear Thursday nights at 7:30. One hand I played exemplified everything I love about poker. The blinds were 400/800 and I had about 8000 in my chip stack. Action was folded around to the man to my right, who bet 2000. I looked down and saw

Ace-King

“Big Slick,” the best unpaired starting hand. in Texas Hold’em. I sure as hell was not folding that. But with 3200 already in the pot, I didn’t have enough chips to play the flop, turn, and river properly. In that case, the best move is all-in. I moved in with my 8000 chips, my opponent called, and he flipped his cards over.

His hand: Ace – Queen

“Big Chick,” the second-best unpaired starting hand. His call was a great one – he just happened to run into one of the very few hands that has A-Q dominated.

The flop: 3- Queen – 6

Ouch! One of the three cards in the deck that could have helped him showed up. He took the lead with a pair of Queens.

The turn: King

I improved to a pair of Kings, taking the lead. I’m about a 91%-9% favorite to win the hand.

The river: Queen

My opponent hits his trip Queens and I’m out of the game. But at least I went out in style! That hand was poker at its finest and made me realize how much I missed it. I’m not saying I’m gonna play every Thursday – particularly if the Grizzlies or Tigers are on TV – but that was fun!

Plans for today: Yeah the more I think about it, a trip to Max’s Sports Bar feels like the right move. I’ll have to deal with falling temperatures, north wind, and flying monkeys, but it feels like I’m overdue for a visit. I’ll bring Perjorie T. Roll to bring the Tigers good luck and to ward off evil. Back tomorrow with more news.

The NBA trade deadline passed at 2 PM yesterday, and the Grizzlies did not make a move, one of only a handful of teams to do so. Memphis went on to beat Detroit last night, 132-107. The win pulls the Grizzlies within 2.5 games of Golden State for second place in the West.

I haven’t checked FiveThirtyEight’s statistical NBA model since the first of the season. It’s updated after every game. Let’s see what it says… Memphis is >99% to make the NBA playoffs. They’re at 12% to make the NBA Finals and 4% to win the championship.

BarWare will offer a four-course Valentine’s Day dinner for $69 this weekend, with seatings at 7 PM tonight and 6 and 8 PM Saturday. Check the restaurant’s Facebook page to view the menu.

The Downtown Neighborhood Association has announced its February meeting. It will be at Grind City Brewing Co. on Tuesday, February 22. Enjoy river views while hearing from City Councilman Mickell Lowery, a former DNA president. Members get one free beer and there will be a food truck on site.

You need some New Wing Order snacks in your life for the Super Bowl! They’ll be at Soul & Spirits on N. Main 1 to 5 PM Saturday, and in addition to their usual menu, they’ll be selling Jalapeno Popper Dip and Buffalo Chicken Salad for $10 each.

There’s a flaw in Tennessee’s new license plate which renders them unreadable by police license plate readers.

ABC 24 has a look at the evolution of Memphis Jookin.

The Westin hosts The Pre-Valentine’s Day Jazz Jam tonight from 6 to 9. The first 25 ladies will receive a gift from Strictly Jazz.

That’s it for this post. Tired today. Stayed up late playing poker. Back tomorrow.

I’ve confirmed with the owner that poker will return to the Blind Bear tonight at 7:30. Texas Hold’em on real felt poker tables, free to play, Bear Bucks for the top finishers.

Do you need to get some great local craft beer in the house for that football championship game that’s happening on Sunday? Downtown brewery Wiseacre can help with that! They’ll deliver beer to your door on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Deliveries go out at 5 PM. They deliver within a 10-mile radius and there is no delivery fee. Order beer for delivery

Cordelia’s Market has edible flowers just in time for Valentine’s Day. They’ve also done a produce reset, adding items like organic rainbow chard and organic bok choy.

The Memphis Tigers got an 80-69 win over Tulane at home last night. That win improves Memphis to 13-8 and 7-4 in-conference. That jumps the Tigers to 3rd in the AAC, 2.5 games back of league leader Houston and 1.5 games behind second-place SMU. The Tigers can’t let their foot off the gas, though, because three teams (Temple, Cincinnati, and Tulane) trail Memphis by only one-half a game.

Next up for the Tigers: A trip to #6 Houston, where they will play on ABC at 2:30 Saturday. Memphis might still have a slim chance at getting an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament if they can pull off a road win against a Top 10 opponent. Houston suffered an unexpected loss to SMU this week and hopefully they’ll still be reeling from that loss Saturday.

The Grizzlies travel to Detroit Rock City tonight to take on the Pistons at 6. The game will be televised locally on Bally Sports Southeast.

From WREG: How do Super Bowl squares work? I got introduced to squares early in life. When my mom worked at the Arkansas Gazette, the employees there did squares for Arkansas Razorbacks football games. One Saturday, the second quarter ended with the Hogs’ score ending in 7 and Baylor’s score ending in 4 and my mom won $25.

City Councilman Worth Morgan wants to change city ordinance, allowing MPD to pursue super speeders, drivers going more than 25 MPH over the posted speed limit.

Old Dominick is planning a crawfish and cocktails on the rooftop event for Saturday, March 5.

Elmwood Cemetery is hosting Memphis Street Names: Part 2 this Saturday at 10. Learn the story behind street names like A.W. Willis, Kate Bond, Overton, Austin Peay, Park, and more. Wait, Park was named after a person? I always assumed it was so named because it borders Audubon Park. Tickets are $20 and masks are required for admission.

Shelby County’s 7-day rolling average for new COVID cases per day fell to 501 yesterday. When we drop into the low 460s – which could happen today – we’ll be below the 50 per day per 100K population threshold at which the CDC recommends even fully vaccinated people mask. Several states – blue states, even – are announcing an end to mask mandates.

That’s the news for today. Not sure if I’ll return to the poker table tonight. Depends on who shows up. Back tomorrow with more news.

The Memphis Flyer reports that The Peanut Shoppe is getting close to opening in its new location at 121 S. Main. That’s next door to Margie’s 901 ice cream shop in the Pembroke Square building on the Main Street Mall. If all the inspections and government red tape happen on time, it should be about 3 weeks.

B.B. King’s club on Beale will be closed this coming Sunday through the following Wednesday as they will be installing all-new walk-in coolers.

Sugar Grits posted a construction alert saying that for a little while, customers will have to enter through Peabody Place rather than through its main entrance on Second Street.

The plans to build a convention center Loews Hotel on the Civic Center Plaza have been scrapped, the DM reports. If you’re a subscriber, Rob Moore has an analysis of why the deal didn’t happen. Long story short: Costs rose to the point where it was no longer feasible to move forward with the project.

Hasan Minhaj, the host and creator of Netflix’s The Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, is coming to the Orpheum April 4. This will be a mobile phone-free show and you must place your phone in a Yondr pouch to attend.

Speaking of mobile phones… any MacBook/iPhone owners out there whose texts aren’t syncing to their computer since upgrading their iPhone to iOS 15.3? Maybe I need to check and see if there’s a MacOS upgrade I need to install.

I saw a Valentine’s Day Challenge on Facebook yesterday: Swap phones with your spouse for the day to prove your transparency in the relationship. LOL I bet I know one husband who would be terrified to take that challenge.

February 24 is World Bartender Day, and Memphis Spine & Sport at 372 S. Main is offering a special deal to those in the service industry on that day. Receive a new patient appointment for $39, plus you get a free laser treatment with your first adjustment. Call 901-453-6080 to make an appointment. (Hat tip to Jeannette from Blind Bear for the information)

For those of you who are addicted to world geography game GeoGuessr, I composed a list of cheat sheets that can help you figure out where you are. Stop signs are your friend!

I got a pleasant surprise yesterday. I had heard that rates for heating were going up 30-40% this winter. Given that it was cold nearly all of January, I expected a huge MLGW bill. But no – it was only $4 more than my December bill, and remember, it was 70 outside for much of December.

Paulette’s has posted its Valentine’s Weekend Menu available Friday, Saturday, and Monday, February 11, 12, and 14.

Soul & Spirits brewery on North Main has released Thirteen, inspired by Big Star’s song by that name. Here’s what the brewery had to say about the new beer:

Our Czech Style Pilsner is a light lager beer with a rich malt character that resembles rustic bread. We use Czech floor malted barley and Memphis’ perfect water in a traditional decoction. A firm bitterness from t

he Czech hops and a slight grassy note, that is well balanced and refreshing.  Our standard pour is smooth liquid to the pour line with a creamy big head. This lager originates from Plzeň, in the Czech Republic; however Pilsner Urquell is the only beer that can truly be called a Pilsner as it is located within the city,

The DM reports that for the second time in 20 years, residents in public housing in Uptown are being temporarily relocated. Many residents love their current homes and don’t want to be forced to move.

Former DNA president Jerred Price reported on Nextdoor that 2300+ letters have been sent by concerned citizens to the mayor and City Council. The concern is about the new hills being installed in Tom Lee Park, specifically that they will impede river views from Riverside Drive.

The Grizzlies pummeled the L.A. Clippers last night, 135-109. In 3rd place in the West, Memphis retains 4 games of separation from both the 2nd-place Warriors and the 4th-place Jazz. Marcus Morris of the Clippers was ejected from last night’s game for punching Ja Morant.

Second-year Grizzly Desmond Bane, having already been picked to play in the NBA’s Rising Stars competition, will also participate in the 3-point contest during All-Star Weekend. Bane is shooting 41% from beyond the arc this season.

The Memphis Tigers host Tulane tonight at FedExForum. Tonight is the Military and First Responders Game. It is also the Silva Foundation Game for prostate cancer research. The tip-off is at 7 and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+. One thing I got wrong in a previous post: The Top five teams, not four, in the AAC will get first-round byes in the conference tournament. That makes tonight’s game and the next three games on the road (Houston, Cincinnati, SMU) very important.

South Main Hemp is doing a Valentine’s Day Giveaway. One lucky person will receive a basket ($100 value) filled with CBD, Delta 10, and hemp goodies. How to enter

Memphis Physical Therapy on N. Front has a full-time medical receptionist position open.

Good read: Beale Street – A Witness to History

Starbucks fired 7 Memphis employees, including at least one from the Downtown store, who had plans of starting a workers’ union. Starbucks claims the workers were fired for rules violations not related to their plan to organize. The Downtown worker claimed the company rarely enforced the policies he was accused of violating, and has brought a case to the National Labor Review Board.

Today is Chocolate Day and Pizza Pie Day and you can get it all done on the Main Street Mall. Hit DInstuhl’s near Peabody Place for chocolate then walk about a block north to grab a pizza pie at Aldo’s.

I try to publish these posts by 9 every morning, but this one was so chock full of news that I had to go into overtime. Back tomorrow with more.

Last night I discovered the best item on Maciel’s Tortas and Tacos’ menu. That’s saying a lot, because everything on the menu is really, really good.

This is the gazpacho salad. It’s made with lettuce, mango, cilantro, tomato, onions, avocado, and grilled steak. Look at that photo. Could they have POSSIBLY fit any more steak in that box? All the flavors came together beautifully and the chipotle dressing was superb. 10 out 10, would get again, would strongly recommend. For those of you who never stray away from the tacos section of the menu, you’re missing out!

All right. On to the next thing. Mostly I’m preaching to the choir here. Feel free to show this to your friends who don’t eat out much and who therefore are not familiar with how things work.

Let’s talk about people who walk into a bar and sit down at a table. After two or three minutes, no one has come by to take their order. They get up and leave. The next day, they leave a one-star review of the bar on Yelp or Google Reviews and say, “The service here is trash.”

Applebee’s is a restaurant. Chili’s is a restaurant. O’Charley’s is a restaurant. At those places, you are greeted by a host or hostess. They walk you to a table and inform a server that they have a new customer. The server then comes over and takes care of you.

Bars, however, are different. Except during peak hours, they generally don’t have someone at the door to greet you. You seat yourself. If a server doesn’t come over to your table within about 5 minutes, then the bartender is most likely working by herself. In that case, you should go up to the bar area and place your order there.

How can you tell if an establishment is a restaurant or a bar? It’s most likely a bar if any of the following words appear in its name:

• Bar
• Pub (or “public house”)
• Lounge
• Tavern
• Saloon
• Speakeasy
• Beer
• Ale
• Any type of liquor (e.g. whiskey, gin, etc.)
• Roadhouse
• Joint
• Inn (if the business is not also a hotel)

If having to seat yourself and go to the bar to place your order bothers you, that’s totally understandable. Simply don’t visit these types of establishments. But don’t leave bad reviews on them simply for being what they are.

The Orpheum announced yesterday that one of the true legends in the world of music, Smokey Robinson, will be there April 7. This announcement is so new that they don’t even have the concert listing on their website yet. Tickets go on sale this Friday.

Bourbon fans, get ready: McEwen’s on Monroe will host a Buffalo Trace Advanced Tasting Class by Whiskey University. Buffalo Trace is the oldest continually operating distillery in North America and the third largest bourbon distiller in the world. In this class, you will sample nine ½-ounce shots of Buffalo Trace bourbons. These include

• Weller Special Reserve “McEwen’s Pick”
• Weller Antique 107
• Weller 12
• Blanton’s Single Barrel
• Hancock’s President’s Reserve
• Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel
• Stagg
• Jr. Barrel Proof
• Eagle Rare “McEwen’s Pick”

While sampling these bourbons, you’ll learn about the three bourbon mash bills offered by Buffalo Trace: Wheated, Mash Bill #1, and Mash Bill #2. Cost for the class is $125. If you have a bourbon lover in your life, tickets to this class would make an amazing Valentine’s Day gift.

The Downtown Neighborhood Association posted a construction alert yesterday: As work on Tom Lee Park continues, the temporary bluff walk connection at Vance Park will be closed through April when the new, permanent connection opens.

Bill Dries of the Daily Memphian is reporting that The Who will play FedExForum May 13. That’s Friday of BBQ Fest week (and Friday the 13th).

A Facebook friend of mine recently asked, what IT skills should I learn to be qualified for a lot of jobs? I’m not in IT anymore, but I still get newsletters from IT recruiters, and I’ll tell you what I am seeing – there are a lot of Microsoft SQL Server jobs open right now, both local and remote positions. SQL Server is an enterprise-level database server. If you have Windows, you can download it for free (go to this page and grab the Express version) and there are plenty of good free tutorials online. Even if you don’t learn the Microsoft-specific stuff, knowledge of the SQL database query language is a boost to any resume.

Also, one of my favorite tech writers, Flavio Copes, recently published a roadmap to becoming a web developer in 2022 that is worth a read.

The Grizzlies host the L.A. Clippers tonight at FedExForum at 7. Local TV coverage on Bally Sports Southeast.

The NBA trade deadline is Thursday and Grizzly Bear Blues has a trade deadline primer.

The DM’s Steven Johnson reports that Emoni Bates has returned to the Memphis Tigers after seeing a specialist about his back injury. Johnson also reports that my fellow November 18 baby Jalen Duren earned AAC Freshman of the Week honors and Josh Minott made the AAC honor roll.

You can learn to do soul line dances at the Hard Rock Cafe Wednesday at 6. This will be a recurring Wednesday event. Free to the public, free parking behind the building, hosted by the M10 Line Dancers. They’ll explore both the latest soul line dances and some classics.

I’ve been debating whether to mention this next item. I’ve had a few people saying, “We need to have a onesie bar crawl!” Turns out there’s one Downtown this Saturday but I have an important caveat: It’s organized by a national company – NOT locals. Bar crawls organized by out-of-towners have sometimes not lived up to their promises in the past (ask around about the New Year’s Eve bar crawl Downtown). I’m not recommending this crawl but I feel it’s worth a mention because

1. As I said, a onesie bar crawl has been requested, and this may be your only chance to participate in one this year; and
2. February 12 (Saturday) is at the peak of the slow season for bars. There aren’t likely to be a lot of people at the stops on the crawl that are not a part of the crawl. (None of the stops on the crawl are places that would be popular for early Valentine’s Day dates.) That makes it much more likely that the bars will honor what is advertised on the event’s Facebook listing.

Register and attend at your own risk. You won’t see me there.

I got up at 1:30 this morning to give myself time to get a full day of writing in while still going out at noon. Feels good to be back to being a morning person. Back tomorrow with more news.

Memphis Jookin: The Show Starring Lil Buck comes to the Orpheum Friday and Saturday. Lil Buck and his dancers will present a performance illustrating how the dance went from the streets into the clubs and became an international craze.

Tickets to the shows are $25-$55. Lil Buck and his crew will depart for a national tour following the Orpheum shows.

From TheNextWeb: The U.S. tech scene is becoming decentralized – the time is ripe for new startup cities. The 1990s are over and it’s no longer necessary to have your entire organization or infrastructure in one place. The article doesn’t specifically mention Memphis, but look at a few things we’ve got going for us:

• Start Co., an accelerator offering a variety of resources to help entrepreneurs grow their small businesses
• The FedEx Institute of Technology at the University of Memphis, producing cutting-edge research in technology
• Organizations like CodeCrew that rapidly develop the next generation of tech workers in Memphis
• A much lower cost of living than traditional tech hubs like Silicon Valley, Austin, or L.A.
• It’s easy to meet people and get connected to the community here

There’s no reason why Memphis could not be the next great startup city.

Olympic women’s ice hockey, USA vs. Canada, will be on the USA network at 10:10 tonight. That should be a good match.

MasterClass is offering a free video course on Black History, Black Freedom, and Black Love this month. The class is described as “The history you weren’t taught in school.”

Everyone knows about Pi Day on 3/14. But did you know today is e Day?

If you’re looking for something to do Downtown tonight, the River Rat Rounders poker league hosts Texas Hold’em tonight at The Vault at 6:30. Free to play. Winner gets $125, and those who make the final table get points toward competing in the quarterly league championship for $1000.

That’s it for now. Mondays are not typically heavy news days and this one is no exception. Back tomorrow.

Ja Morant dropped 33 in only 33 quarters of play yesterday afternoon as the Grizzlies sailed to a road win over the Orlando Magic, 135-115. The Grizzlies are comfortably in third place in the West, with 4 games separating them from both second-place Golden State and fourth-place Utah.

The Memphis Tigers got some revenge against UCF last night at FedExForum with an 88-60 win. The Tigers improve to 12-8 and 6-4 in conference. The Tigers are 6th in the AAC, but there’s some good news – they’re only a half a game back from third-place Temple. The Tigers should be looking to move into a top-four seed in the AAC tournament next month.

Robusto by Havana Mix, the cigar bar on Peabody Place, will hold a Super Bowl Bash hosted by Gurkha Cigars next Sunday. There will be deals, raffles, and giveaways. Kickoff time is 5:30 but you’ll probably want to get there early to get a seat and some swag.

Insomnia Cookies has 20% off online orders of $20 or more this weekend when you use coupon code VAL20. The discount applies to in-store pickup, local delivery, or nationwide shipping, but the order must be placed online. Red Velvet cookies are back for a limited time.

Blind Bear has a cook position available. Must be able to close, which means leaving work at 3 AM. Message the Bear online or apply in person,

From Food & Wine: The world of whiskey has its first African-American Master Blender, Victoria Eady Butler. Butler is the great-great-granddaughter of Nathan “Nearest” Green, a slave until 1865, who mentored Jack Daniel in whiskey distilling. It’s believed Green taught Daniel the “Lincoln County” method of filtering unaged whiskey.

MakeUseOf has an article that’s, well, useful, showing 3 ways to instantly create a new email address for yourself. You can create aliases of your main Gmail address to filter your inbox by messages’ To: address, protect your main address from junk mail, and set up a dedicated temporary inbox, among other purposes.

There were reports of shots fired overnight at Front & A. W. Willis Ave. and at 250 Peabody Place.

Catherine & Mary’s is hiring a bartender. Full-time and part-time positions are available. Must have proven experience as a bartender and expertise in mixing drinks. If you know a second language, that’s a plus.

This DM article notes that the city has an agreement with Hospitality HUB that it will provide services as the city’s cooling and warming center in extreme temperatures, once its facility at 590 Washington is completed. So there will soon be cooling/warming facilities that are walkable from Downtown, as well as from the shelters at 393 and 600 Poplar. Mayor Strickland said he believes this is the last winter Memphis will have to use community centers as pop-up shelters.

Today is Dump Your Significant Jerk Day.

MLGW and Entergy employees, you can get 50% off at Huey’s today. You must show your company badge to claim your discount.

Here’s a link to James Aycock’s COVID Week-in-Review.

Today is the last day for Hadestown at the Orpheum. I’d link to the show’s page but I’m getting a “Server Error in ‘/’ Application” when I try to visit the Orpheum’s website.

Legendz of the Streetz is tonight at FedExForum. Rick Ross, Gucci Mane, and several other artists. Between that and Hadestown, traffic should be heavy on Downtown streets tonight. Allow extra time if you need to travel down here.

The Broom Closet will host a heart chakra-activated sound bath tomorrow at 6:30. The sound bath is said to inspire us to love more.

The Civil Axe Throwing on South Main has been softly open for a couple of months now, but Tuesday from 6 to 9 PM they will have their official grand opening AXE-travaganza.

• Music by DJ Mylon Webb
• Food and beer specials
• Throw for $20/hour
• Free giveaways: Grizzlies tickets, Civil Axe Throwing merchandise & gift certificates

Old Dominick will host a Super Bowl party next Sunday. There will be an open bar, stadium-style snacks, a mobile cigar bar, and giveaways.

Loflin Yard will host Galentine’s Day next Sunday at 6. DJ AD will provide the music and ladies can get half-priced wine and cheese boards.

That’s it for today. Back tomorrow with more news.

The University of Memphis is offering this city’s residents a chance to warm up and be entertained this evening. Claim your free ticket to tonight’s Memphis Tigers game vs. UCF beginning at 6 PM in FedExForum’s grand lobby. One free ticket per person and tickets must be claimed in person.

Tip-off is 7 PM, but you’ll want to be one of the first ones there. The first 5000 fans through the gate get a Larry Finch/Penny Hardaway commemorative coin. Some coin boxes personally signed by Coach Penny have been mixed into the door giveaways.

If you’re a fan of the game Wordle, Lifehacker explains how to download its HTML file so you’ll be able to play Wordle free for years. The New York Times recently acquired rights to the game, and while they say they’ll keep the game free “for now,” you know sooner or later it’ll go behind the NYT paywall. This hack will ensure you don’t get thwarted by a paywall for years.

A friend of mine expressed this opinion yesterday, and I agree so I want to share it here: It should be the law that any restaurant that offers ketchup or marinara as a condiment/dipping sauce also has to offer ranch.

Social media advice for local businesses: If you post to Instagram and say, “Link in bio,” don’t let it automatically cross-post to Facebook or Twitter. Post to those platforms separately and put the link directly in the Facebook post or tweet. Yes, that requires additional work, but you want to make it as easy as possible for your fans to find your links.

Chef Tam of Chet Tam’s Underground Cafe out in The Edge posted that her entire website is 60% off when you use the coupon code BLKHISTORY. Tickets are now available for a Father-Daughter Brunch & Paint at the Cafe Sunday, February 13, 1-5 PM, and for a Couples’ Valentine Brunch & Paint Monday, February 14 7-10:30 PM.

The Broom Closet on South Main has some discounts today and tomorrow:

• 20% off all tarot and oracle decks
• 20% off all TBC Gemstone Collection jewelry
• WV amethyst clusters, crystal clusters, crystal points, dyed crystal points, and fluorite specimens $4
• Healing stone packs $5
• Love chakra packs $5
• Love healing packs $5

These prices are in-store only, while supplies last.

The Grizzlies play a road game at the Orlando Magic at 4. Local TV coverage on Bally Sports Southeast. I wonder if Nate will do a little twerking at Amway Center this afternoon before he returns to Memphis.

Coach Isaiah Thomas drafted Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane to Team Isaiah for the NBA’s Rising Stars Showcase. Former Memphis Tiger Precious Achiuwa will also be on the team. Four Rising Stars teams will compete in a semifinals and finals game, and there will also be a timed shooting competition. Catch the action on Friday, February 18 on TNT.

Bleacher Report has a mock draft simulating next Thursday’s draft of 2022 NBA All-Stars onto Team LeBron and Team KD. The draft has Ja Morant as the third player chosen overall and the second selection onto Team LeBron.

Bleacher Report also had some good news for Grizzlies fans: There’s dissension within the Utah Jazz, the team closest to catching the Grizz for 3rd place in the West. Donovan Michell and Rudy Gobert of the Jazz are said to be “under each other’s skin.” Utah has lost 8 of its last 12 games and isn’t really in the top tier of Western Conference teams anymore.

Over on Mud Island, River Inn, Terrace at River Inn, Paulette’s, and Tug’s are all hiring. Benefits include

• 1 week paid vacation every 6 months
• Merit raises within 6 months
• Health insurance
• 50% meal discounts
• Flexible schedules
• Year-end bonus
• Career advancement
• Free parking

You may have heard there’s a rather important football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams Sunday, February 13. Hard Rock Cafe has posted its tailgate menu for that rather important game.

Soul & Spirits, the brewery on the far end of North Main, has the following February specials:

• Cupid Chocolate Stout 4-pack $17
• The Love Pack: 2 Cupids, 1 Love Vibration, 1 Riverside $17
• 4-packs of Hopperbolic 25% off

The Michael Brothers play the Blind Bear tonight 8 to 12.

From WREG: Memphians without power are filling Downtown hotels

Fox 13 has an explainer about how Beijing, a city that typically doesn’t get a lot of snow, can host the Winter Olympics.

Yesterday was the 60th anniversary of the opening of St. Jude.

From WREG: How MLGW decides who gets power restored first. People who live on Mud Island have complained that they should be higher up the priority list. Think about it: Mud Island has zero traffic lights and its only real infrastructure is 1 grocery store and 1 pharmacy. That doesn’t sound like a priority area. MLGW advises that, much like drinking all day for four days at BBQ Fest, power restoration is a marathon, not a sprint.

There will be an artist reception for the Black Soliloquy exhibit at Urevu Gallery tonight 5:30-7:30. The exhibit spotlights the work of Black artists from Nigeria, Ethiopia, and the U.S.  You’ll be able to meet the artists at this drinks reception.

Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets, scheduled for the Cannon Center next Wednesday, has been postponed. Pink Floyd’s drummer and his backing band will be rescheduled for the fall of 2022.

Phrase I am completely sick of hearing: “Out of an abundance of caution.” Can we retire that, please?

Forecast is sunny with a high of 38. Not great for February, but I will take it! I need the sun to melt all this ice on the Main Street Mall. Walking around has been dangerous the past two days! My plan is to lead off at Blind Bear, then mosey over to Bardog about 2. Back tomorrow with more news.

Check back in this space between now and noon as I will update Downtown business closings for today, Friday, February 4. (Disclaimer: I try as hard as I can to build an accurate and complete list, but once in a while I get incorrect info. Calling the business is recommended if you need to be 100% certain it’s open or closed.)

Closed:

• Atomic Rose (tonight but they plan to open Saturday and Sunday)
• Baron’s Man Cave
• Big River Crossing
• Brass Door
• Cordelia’s Market (closed due to power outages; they will update social media if anything changes)
• Paulette’s (closed due to power outages; they will update social media if anything changes)
• Rachel’s Salon and Day Spa
• River Time Market & Deli
• STIX
• Stock & Belle
• Tug’s Casual Grill (closed due to power outages; they will update social media if anything changes)

Open:

• Aldo’s Pizza Pies Downtown
• Arcade
• Automatic Slim’s, at 11, for brunch
• Bardog Tavern (opened at 8 AM – Underdog downstairs opens at 11)
• Blind Bear, at 11, for brunch
• Chef Tam’s Underground Kitchen, 11 AM-4:30 PM, half-off for MLGW workers
• Flying Saucer
• Green Beetle
• Huey’s
• Loflin Yard
• Majestic Grille
• McEwen’s
• Memphis Chess Club (for lunch; closing 1 PM)
• Paula & Raiford’s Disco (9 PM-3 AM)
• Pontotoc Lounge
• Robusto by Havana Mix
• Slider Inn Downtown (Slider Inn Midtown will be closed due to lack of power)

We got the expected ice storm yesterday. In the Downtown core, the surface-level temperature hovered around 33-34 all morning, making for a slushy walk when I got out at noon. However, the temperature higher up was a little colder, causing ice to form on tree branches.

This tree at Main and Gayoso had a large branch on the ground. It’s a good thing a car was not parked there.

Here’s a video by ABC 24 of a tree blocking lanes on Riverside Drive.

Around 1 PM the temperature dropped below freezing, and the Main Street Mall and roads iced up. Power lines started to be affected. The Downtown core never lost power but Mud Island did. At its peak, 137,000 in Memphis were without power and Mayor Strickland declared a state of emergency. Some people may be without power for several days,

MemphisWeather.net posted that early morning temps were in the mid-20s Friday. Temps will struggle to make it to freezing today, so what’s on the ground is likely to remain on the ground all day. I bet a lot of offices will remain closed or work-from-home today as this morning’s commute is more dangerous than yesterday morning’s.

Looking out the window, it appears that Second Street has been de-iced. Monroe Avenue has patches of ice but is passable.

Very few restaurants were open in the Downtown core yesterday. I didn’t go to Bardog Tavern but was told by lunchtime, there was barely room to stand in there.

Silly Goose missed out on a lot of money by not firing up their pizza oven until 4 PM. That’s especially the case on snow days but it’s true most weekdays, given that they’re located in the ground floor of an office tower, plus they’re a block walk from AutoZone headquarters store support center.

One especially bad result of the ice storm is that the PBR delivery truck couldn’t make it, causing the Blind Bear to run out of the greatest beer ever made. I switched to a local product, Grind City Tiger Tail, a malt liquor I found quite refreshing. At $6 per pint and a 7.5% ABV, you get plenty of bang for your buck with a Value Drinking Index of 20.

Thanks to wonderful friends who made sure I got home last night without having to traverse the icy Main Street Mall. And now, let’s get on to the news.

The reservation book that was taken from Rizzo’s several days ago has been returned.

Longshot is doing another all-inclusive special for the Cincinnati Bengals vs. L.A. Rams championship game happening on February 13. $56 gets you

• Frito pie
• Coconut curry cauliflower
• Honey gold fried chicken
• 3 drink tickets

Seats are limited, so call 901-701-7494 to make your reservation.

Tug’s Casual Grill fans, mark your calendars for Mardi Gras specials Tuesday, March 1. They’ll have gumbo, red beans & rice, shrimp & sausage jambalaya, a shrimp po’boy, and a muffalini. Drink specials will include a hurricane, a voodoo lemonade, and a Bourbon Street martini.

From Media Referee: Former NBA championship team member Richard Jefferson believes that Ja Morant can guide the Grizzlies to championship contention

From the DM: Jaren Jackson Jr. is no longer a longshot for Defensive Player of the Year. He leads the NBA in blocks this season with 121. His teammate Ja Morant praised Jackson for being able to guard all five positions and for often being assigned to guard the other team’s best shooter.

Today is National Quacker Day. Get your souvenir rubber duck at the Peabody gift shops.

The Breakfast Club will perform ’80s rock, New Wave, and dance tunes Saturday at the Hard Rock beginning at 7.

All right. I’ll update the list of closings (and late openings) that I’m aware of at the top of this blog until about noon. After that, I’ll post closings on Facebook and make the post public so you can see it even if we aren’t connected on there. Back tomorrow with more news.

SNOW DAY!!! Or rather, ice day. Here’s a list of Downtown closings.

• Baron’s Man Cave
• B.B. King’s
• Big River Crossing
• Brass Door
• Cadre Building
• Dr. Bean’s Coffee and Tea Emporium
• Elmwood Cemetery
• Flying Saucer
• Gould’s
• Green Beetle
• Harbor Town Pharmacy
• Huey’s
• Itta Bena
• Majestic Grille
• Old Dominick Distillery
• Paulette’s
• Rachel’s Salon
• River City Records
• River Time Market & Deli
• Robusto by Hava Mix
• Sage
• Slider Inn Downtown
• South Main Book Juggler
• STIX
• Sunrise Memphis
• Sun Studio
• The Vault

Cordelia’s Market will close at 6 PM with its cafe closing at 3 PM.

I’ll update this list through about noon today as I learn of more closings.

Here’s the updated ice forecast from the National Weather Service. Memphis has moved into the 0.5-0.75 inch band.

Some ice impacts rule-of-thumb:

0-0.25: Smaller limbs damaged, a coating on your car and minor power outages

0.25-0.5: Larger limbs damaged, roads starting to become slick. More power outages

0.5+: Numerous trees down, roads coated in ice and major power outages#BePrepared pic.twitter.com/3QCQdwBdru

— NWS Memphis (@NWSMemphis) February 3, 2022

Ice is already accumulating on power lines, trees, and overpasses. Out in Midtown, it’s reported that a massive tree has fallen at Central and McLean and is blocking the roadway.

The reserve players for the NBA All-Star Game will be announced today at 6 PM on TNT. Ja Morant is already in as a stater.

The Memphis Tigers’ road game, scheduled for tonight in Cincinnati, has been postponed until February 15 due to a winter storm warning in Cincy.

Sage has started doing WCW (Wine, Conversation & Whiskey) Wednesday evenings 5-10. Half off wine, $2 off whiskey, and DJ Alpha Whiskey supplying the tunes.

Very sad day in Memphis yesterday: A man shot his girlfriend late Tuesday night, killing her. He then kidnapped their 2-day-old daughter and threw her into the Mississippi River near the Mud Island boat ramp. The newborn drowned. The man has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

The Majestic Grille is partnering with Enchante to offer Valentine’s Day bouquets delivered to your table at dinner. Simply order on Encante’s website and put in their address, 145 S. Main, for delivery and use the coupon code MAJESTIC for $15 off. The Majestic still has some seats available for their four-course wine dinner and optional wine pairing that night. Call 901-522-8555 to make reservations.

South Main restaurants Good Fortune Co., South of Beale, and Pontotoc Lounge are teaming up to offer a Lunar New Year pub crawl from February 4-28. You earn a pub crawl “dollar” by trying a themed drink from a participating bar. Once you earn six pub crawl dollars, take them to Good Fortune Co. for a Lunar New Year T-shirt. The pub crawl will have its official kickoff, including a traditional Lion Dance, at 4:30 PM Saturday at Good Fortune.

Action News 5 has a sneak peek of the newly-renovated Cossitt Library. Not only will you be able to check out books, you’ll be able to record a podcast or listen to music there. The library will offer meeting rooms and there will even be a cafe with patio seating. This all sounds excellent but I sure am sick of “soon” as the reopening date.

Memphians won’t get to see “Prime Time” Deion Sanders coach in the Southern Heritage Classic this year. Jackson State announced it is pulling out of the Classic due to a newly-adopted agreement with its conference. Its opponent, Tennessee State, was not happy with the announcement.

Stay home today if you can, and if you have to get out on the roads, take it REAL slow. There’s already been an accident with injuries this morning on Union near AutoZone Park. Back tomorrow with more news.