Category: Uncategorized

And it truly is a good Friday! That’s because a good Friday was preceded by a good Wednesday… the type of Wednesday when the boss came by and said, “Paul, in case no one’s told you, we’re closed Friday and Monday.”

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love my job. However, I also love Bardog! My first opportunity to be there on a weekday morning since MLK Day… I don’t see how I can pass that up. I plan on being there at 8 sharp, hungry for an egg and cheese slider, add ham, and of course a cold PBR.

You know, every morning I do a gratitude practice, in which I see myself expanding my energy out into the universe, inviting my best future version in. The influence of that best future version caused me to not only kick ass at work this week, but also to have my most lucrative professional writing month ever in the month of March. However, that best future self likes to have fun as well, and I plan to have that experience, today in the Downtown core and tomorrow in South Main.

Talk about a system that will be working overtime: MPD has implemented its first gunshot detection system. It was installed in Orange Mound around noon on Wednesday, March 31. By 4 PM it had already detected a dozen gunshots. Analysts who receive the data determine whether the noise really was a gunshot – so yes, there are people who literally get paid to play “gunshots or fireworks.” A federal grant will pay for the system for 3 years. After that, if MPD finds it effective at fighting crime, it could be written into the city budget.

Developer Tom Intrator plans a new five-story structure at 386 S. Main. There will be commercial space, always in high demand in South Main, on the ground floor, and 30 apartments on the floors above. Some of the apartments will have balconies, which you don’t see much on that part of Main.

It’s The Daily Memphian’s turn to write an article about Memphis Farmers Market’s opening day tomorrow. 61 vendors will be on hand including 12 new ones. I was asked yesterday if they have fresh flowers… YES they absolutely do! Don’t forget your masks because they’re still required, and volunteers may remind people of the need to social distance.

The virus isn’t done with us yet… we got notified Wednesday night that there’s a COVID case in our building. So grateful that I found an opportunity to get vaccinated. If any of my readers are undecided about getting the vaccine, feel free to reach out to me at paul@paulryburn.com or on social media. I won’t preach at you or guilt-trip you… I will just respectfully lay out the reasons I decided that getting vaccinated was worth it.

If you won’t take my word on why you should get the vaccine, just ask Rev. Al Green, who got his second dose this week. From Action News 5: “He said the shot was painless, so much so that he didn’t even realize the nurse had given him the shot when it was over.” Yep, that’s exactly how mine was.

Ironic that today is National Walk to Work Day and it’s a day when I don’t get to do that. I suppose I could walk through my work building on the way to Bardog.

The Grizzlies host the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight at 7. The Grizzlies currently sit in 9th place in the Western Conference. This year the 7 through 10 seeds play play-in games, although you’re in much better position with a higher seed. The way I understand it, the winner of the 7-8 game advances to the playoff, and the winner of (the loser of the 7-8 game) vs. (the winner of the 9-10 game) game advances. In other words, it’s double elimination if you’re a 7 or 8 seed and single elimination if you’re a 9 or 10 seed.

MATA routes 2 and 32 will provide rides to the Pipkin Building for vaccines next week. Action News 5 story Note that route 2 is the Madison line and is accessible from Downtown.

Bailey Bigger plays Momma’s tonight at 7. Prior to that she’ll play South Main Sounds 5:30-6:30.

Josh Waddell plays Carolina Watershed tonight at 7.

An interesting item I found in Morning Brew’s Sidekick newsletter: 100+ challenges to make you more focused, confident, happy, calm, or resilient.

Do I have any readers out there who are big-time into Reddit? I’m convinced it would be a great source of article ideas for me to write about professionally on Medium. I just never have been able to fit my mind around how to use Reddit effectively.

Former Speaker of the House John Boehner’s book will be out later this month. Bet that’ll be an interesting read. Excerpt in POLITICO Magazine

That’ll do it. Back tomorrow with more news.

Great news for Downtown. A recent City Council ordinance bans aftermarket modified mufflers that make cars super loud, like we hear Sunday afternoons/evenings as well as other times during the week. Violators get not just a citation, but they get dragged into court where the judge can order a mandatory replacement. There’s community funding in place for the replacements, so car owners won’t be able to protest they can’t afford to get it done.

You know what I’d like to do sometime? Interview a loud person. Not necessarily somebody who drives a car with one of those mufflers, but it could be. Or someone who talks loud enough in a restaurant for the entire room to hear. What benefit do you get from being so loud? Why do you feel the need to announce your presence to all within earshot?

If I can’t get a loud person to answer these questions, do I have a psychiatrist or psychologist out there who could?

Plans have been submitted for the first building that will be part of The Walk on Union complex. In addition to its namesake street, the building will border Danny Thomas, Gayoso, and a new street being called “Fifth Street.”

The city got some great news yesterday. Memphis has been accepted into a federal vaccination program that will bring 21,000 additional COVID-19 vaccines and the support to administer them, bringing the total number of vaccines available in the county this week to more than 50,000. Memphis is one of the first cities to become part of this program. Other participant cities are Milwaukee and St. Louis, as well as Greenbelt, MA and Gary, IN. It’s part of President Biden’s plan to have vaccines within 5 miles of everyone. Presidential leadership! Thank you Joe!

Carolina Watershed will host an Easter Funday this Sunday starting at 2. Free Easter egg hunts, sectioned off by age. Adam Levin of Heart Memphis Music will perform live. Brunch 11-3, lunch/dinner menu after that.

Following their NIT win, three Memphis Tigers players have entered the NCAA transfer portal: Boogie Ellis, Damion Baugh, and D.J. Jeffries.

The Sheraton Hotel seeks a Controller. This looks like a night position.

The DM has an article on the Orpheum’s upcoming “Hidden” tour, to take place April 29. Participants will get to look inside the organ chamber and see basements multiple levels deep. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – the folks at the theater would not have time to do this if the season were in full swing. This is a virtual tour. Tickets

Today is National Burrito Day.

Quick and inexpensive snack attack idea from the trolls & me. All of this stuff can be purchased at DGX:

Mendatius with the fresh peppers, $2.95 for a resealable bag of about 10. None of these peppers are hot, by the way, not even the purple one.

Socially Distant Perjorie with a 16-ounce tub of French onion dip ($2) and a 4.25-ounce bag of jalapeno kettle potato chips

So good. The spiciness of the kettle potato chips is balanced by bites of the peppers. Of course, everything gets dipped in the sour cream.

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

Memphis 901 FC’s 2021 regular-season schedule is out. The season kicks off on the road at Birmingham May 15, and the club has 5 away games on the road before opening at home June 16. The regular season lasts until October 30.

So, that Tug’s employee who claimed he was robbed and kidnapped, then later admitted he falsified a police report… he’s Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins’ stepson. Updated WREG article | CA article

Holly has lots of good info about this year’s Memphis Farmers Market on the I Love Memphis Blog.

The Downtown Neighborhood Association will host a “Plant the Town Red” community beautification event Saturday, April 24 at 10 PM. Both DNA members and the public are invited to participate. Volunteers will plant flowers at the 4 Victorian Village entrance signs.

On this Friday, April 2 which is Good Friday, a Stations of the Cross procession will depart from St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and will stop and pray at various historical and religious sites around Downtown. Sites will include the Civil Rights Museum, WLOK Radio, Clayborn Temple, and the Ida B. Wells Memorial. The twelfth site will be the Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was murdered. The procession will depart St. Patrick’s (Fourth at MLK) at noon, but participants are asked to be there by 11:45 and to follow all COVID safety protocols. Following the Stations, participants are invited to St. Patrick’s 3 PM Good Friday service.

FiveThirtyEight’s 2021 MLB predictions are up. Bookmark the page if you’re a baseball fan, because it’ll be updated after every game.

Damn… OnlyFans had a 75% profit margin last year, making $300 million in profit on $400 million in revenue. To put that in context, grocery stores typically have a profit margin of 1-2%.

The NFL season will expand to 17 games this fall. Per the collective bargaining agreement, one preseason game will be dropped.

Rep. Matt Gaetz is said to face Justice Dept. investigation over trafficking an underage girl. Gaetz was one of the Trumpster’s most vocal supporters.

That’ll do it for today. Back tomorrow with more news.

Edible Memphis recently published its updated Farmers Market Guide, and guess what, folks… April will be here by the end of the week. That means that the Memphis Farmers Market season gets underway Saturday. The Market is under the pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson, behind the Power House movie studio, where it runs 8 AM to 1 PM every Saturday.

Those of you who’ve read this blog for more than 2 years can probably predict what I’m going to say next.

First of all, the Market is so much more than fresh produce. They have meat vendors, dog treats, hot sauces and Bloody Mary mix, pottery, bird houses, flowers, coffee, frozen treats, cheeses, breads… I’m probably forgetting a dozen more categories. They usually have some good food trucks onsite, and once the pandemic restrictions lift, they’ll have live music. This is seriously an unusually good farmers market. I’d rate it one of the best in the country.

“But Paul,” you might be tempted to protest. “I mean, no offense, buddy, but you have a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and a box of Pop-Tarts on your table. In the refrigerator, you have Mountain Dew. How could you possibly know a good farmers market from a bad one?”

Good question.

I tend to be a middle-to-late morning Farmers Market customer. However, one Saturday morning a few years ago I couldn’t sleep. So I walked down there at the ass crack of dawn (the Market opened even earlier, at 7, back then).

Guess who I saw shopping? Chef Michael Patrick (Rizzo’s) and Chef Felicia Willett (Felicia Suzanne Restaurant). If chefs from the best restaurants Downtown shop at the Market, don’t you think you ought to be shopping there too?

Due to pandemic restriction BS I only made it to the Market once in 2020. That’s gonna change. Announcing my plan for this coming Saturday:

• 10:30: Memphis Farmers Market
• 11:00: A nearby bar. Candidates are Max’s, Earnestine & Hazel’s, and Slider Inn Downtown.

The highly contagious P.1 variant of COVID, one of two which originated in Brazil, has made its way to Memphis. It ain’t over, folks. I’m not saying, don’t go out, but make a trip to a vaccine site part of your going-out as soon as you can. In the meantime, wear a mask. Parts of Europe are in a fourth lockdown right now because of these variant strains.

From the MBJ: After pandemic delays, the new, super-sized South of Beale is nearly ready to open

The Pet Hospitals’ Downtown location at 660 Jefferson is looking to hire a veterinarian.

Ever Given. That’s the name of the ship that was stuck in the Suez Canal. Just wanted to mention that for the benefit of my readers who will attend a trivia night this week.

Congratulations to Memphis’ AAC rival the Houston Cougars on making the Final Four last night. Unfortunately, my Arkansas Razorbacks did not join them, although they kept me up well past what has been my pandemic bedtime. FiveThirtyEight’s predictions give the Cougs an 18% chance to claim the national title.

Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum on N. Second will reopen next month. It’s right around the corner from Grind City Brewery, so some local history followed by a beer might be a plan you could make for a future Saturday.

Remember the Tug’s employee who said he was kidnapped and robbed after a Sunday night shift? Police believe he was lying. He told police he was actually driving around with the men looking to score some drugs. Throw the book at him! As many of my readers know, I’m not a fan of people who falsify police reports.

I’ve seen this a couple of times on social media but it’s worth repeating. It’s the Derek Chauvin trial. It’s the trial for the murder of George Floyd. But it’s not the George Floyd trial. Usually, I’m not one to get nitpicky over words, but in this case, it’s important.

Scrolling through Facebook Events to see if there’s anything worth writing about. Two crawfish festivals have “online” listed as their location. WTF?

That’s it for now. Time to go kick some more ass. Back tomorrow with more news.

LET’S GO TIGERS!

Memphis dominated Mississippi State to bring home the NIT championship, and I owe Penny and the team an apology by dismissingly referring to the tournament winner as The Best of the Rest this past weekend.

This has been a season where COVID threw everything off-kilter. Memphis had multiple chances taken away to craft an appealing resume to present to the NCAA tournament committee. Yesterday, the NIT commentators said several times, if Memphis had been invited to March Madness, they could very well be alive in the Sweet Sixteen or Elite Eight. Based on the ballgame I saw yesterday, I would completely agree. Those kids have made so much progress from the team I watched play Thanksgiving weekend.

There’s not one senior on this year’s roster, so Memphis could have all of the team, or at least almost all of it (not sure about Deandre Williams’ prospects of entering the draft) next year.

I listened to the police scanner last night to see if they were doing anything to combat violations related to Sunday afternoon cruising Downtown. I did, in fact, hear quite a few calls from the Union and Riverside area. Also, the police helicopter was in the air, flying low over Downtown in the 4 PM hour.

Limited tickets for BBQ Fest go on sale today. Note that you must purchase tickets in advance this year. They won’t be sold at the gate.

There will be a tree tour of Elmwood Cemetery Saturday at noon. There are over 1400 trees on the grounds, some of which pre-date the cemetery’s opening. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended, and masks are requested. Event will be canceled if rain. $20.

Last Monday I was feeling slight effects from my first COVID vaccine and that kinda threw my entire week off. This Monday morning I am wide awake and ready to kick some ass.

Arkansas vs. Baylor, 8:57 PM, CBS. Go Hogs. Back tomorrow with more news.

In memory of Beverly Cleary, I turned on the dawnzer to write this post. It gives off a lee light.

Turn on ESPN at 11 this morning, because Memphis plays Mississippi State for the NIT championship. Who will claim the title of The Best of the Rest? Memphis defeated Colorado State 90-67 in the semis yesterday.

From Wiseacre:

We teamed up with our hometown whiskey distillery to barrel age our regular Snowbeard in Old Dominick Barrels for over a year. The results are an even stronger version of our traditional winter warmer. This bourbon enhanced version is an even boozier mix of malt and hops. pic.twitter.com/ZZyyGgG4vw

— WISEACRE (@wiseacrebrew) March 27, 2021

PRO TIP: If you’re a person who sits at the bar when you go out, and you go outside frequently to smoke, bring a jacket even if it’s 90 outside. The reason why is that bar stools are a precious commodity in this era of two bar seats grouped together, six feet apart from other bar seats. If you don’t leave something on your seat to mark that you’re there, you risk losing it. It’s happened to friends of mine. People are pushy and demanding and will sit in an empty seat even if there’s a full beer, a phone, and keys in front of it.

The Arkansas Razorbacks are in the Elite Eight. They held off Oral Roberts 72-70 yesterday to advance. Next up for the Hogs: Baylor, Monday night at 8:57 on CBS.

I read a great Quora answer this morning that summarizes what it’s like to be targeted by someone with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Quora is quickly becoming my favorite social network. I may not be able to take a quiz to find out which lunchmeat most closely matches my personality like I can on Facebook, but I learn a lot more.

The Dirty Crow Inn’s pop-up restaurant at the 40et8 in West Memphis will have the Dirty Mac as its special today: Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickle, onion on a non-sesame seed bun.

Foster Village Memphis, a nonprofit that supports foster children and their caregivers, will have a Launch Party at Grind City Brewing Co. this afternoon from 3 to 6. Kids and dogs are welcome and there will be life-sized games. Food trucks will be onsite if you get hungry.

Johnny Maestro plays Carolina Watershed this afternoon from 2 to 6.

I can’t say I’m thrilled about a lot of this week’s forecast. 41 tonight? 50s/30s Wednesday-Thursday? C’mon, man! Please tell us that’s an early April Fool’s prank and the high is going to be 76!

That’s it for now. I have little desire to get out today and will probably stay home and write, and of course take a break at 11 to watch the Tigers. Back tomorrow with more news.

Let’s start off this Saturday post with an edition of “Don’t be THAT person.”

It’s not hard to find restaurant menus these days. Many restaurants have their own websites. Photos of restaurant menus can often be found on Facebook or Yelp. If they partner with UberEats or DoorDash, you may be able to find their menu on there.

The great thing about technology is that you don’t have to guess which of the websites just named you’ll find the restaurant menu. Just pull up Google and type in “(restaurant name) menu”.

The point is, there’s really no excuse these days for calling a restaurant and telling whoever answers, “I haven’t been there before. What chall got on the menu?”

Don’t be THAT person.

Interesting:

The Most Famous Person To Attend Each FBS School pic.twitter.com/FrDtKKNY3T

— Big Game Boomer (@ATL_boomer1990) March 26, 2021

Dixie Carter is more famous than Penny Hardaway? That’s a judgment call I might have to disagree with. I bet if Penny wasn’t the head coach at his own alma mater, he might have been given the nod here.

And yeah, Jerry Jones… owner of the Dallas Cowboys, but also a member of the undefeated Arkansas 1964 football team that should have been the national champions that year.

Huey’s is hiring, as are most restaurants.

Huey’s is hiring! We’re looking for cooks, managers, servers, hosts, food runners and expeditors (expo). Full-time and part-time positions are available at all nine of our locations. We offer competitive pay, flexible hours in a variety of shifts, a free meal during each shift and more.

Visit hueyburger.com/jobs to apply today!

I’ve known many people who work/worked for Huey’s. It’s corporate enough to have the advantages of being corporate, yet not so corporate that it isn’t any fun.

There will be a bicycle tour of historic Elmwood Cemetery at 2 PM next Saturday, April 3.

Breaking: COVID vaccine appointments at sites run by the city are canceled today due to the possibility of severe weather.

Beverly Cleary, the children’s author who gave the world Henry Huggins, Ribsy, Beezus, and Ramona, has died at 104.

That’s the news for today. This has been a weird week but overall there’s been more good weird in my life than bad weird. I really should stay home and write today but I think I’ll celebrate the end of the week at Bardog. Back tomorrow with more news.

Cheers to Jaren Jackson Jr. for being a leader. He’s the first Grizzly to say he’s stepped up and received the COVID-19 vaccine. The sooner we get to herd immunity, the sooner we can kiss these stupid restrictions goodbye altogether.

David Sweat, deputy director of the health department, announced in yesterday’s press conference that for the first time in calendar 2021, the virus’ reproductive rate is above 1. That means it’s growing exponentially again, although at 1.04 the growth is slow. He said it’s not near the point of concern yet, but if the trend continues, the stupid restrictions could be tightened. If you look at COVID Act Now and scroll down a bit, though, you’ll see Shelby County is doing considerably better limiting the virus than Tennessee’s 5 other largest counties.

City COO Doug McGowen advised that appointments for 16+ to get the vaccine should open up between noon and 2 PM.

Penny Hardaway’s Memphis Tigers beat Boise State last night to move on to the semifinals of the NIT. They’ll face fellow #1 seed Colorado State Saturday at 11 AM, with the game televised on ESPN.

Gorgui Dieng was mentioned in trade talks but the NBA trade deadline passed yesterday without the Grizzlies making a deal for their backup center.

The Orchestra Unplugged: Getting into American Music featuring the Memphis Symphony Orchestra is tonight at the Halloran Centre.

Memphis Chess Club has been posting some yummy looking photos of pizzas to their Facebook page lately. I left a comment asking if you had to be a club member to order food there, and they replied no, the public has the same access to their cafe as the members. I will have to stop by and take a pizza home soon.

The Commercial Appeal has a look at what will be different about BBQ Fest this year. My team The Moody Ques are taking the year off and I am 100% happy with that decision.

Out in The Edge, Grind City Brewing will hold a beer tasting at Craft Axe Throwing, 344 Floyd Alley, 2 to 4 PM tomorrow. Come sample 3-5 beers and vote for Beer of the Month. The Facebook event listing shows this as a free event.

Soul food restaurant Alcenia’s is profiled by The Tennessean as part of how 5 restaurants in the South survived the pandemic.

The U of M Law School is looking for a Visiting Assistant Professor for a nine-month appointment. A J.D. is required and teaching experience is a plus.

There’s an Easter egg hunt at Elmwood Cemetery tomorrow.

Carolina Watershed will host a DJ event tonight. DudeCalledRob, Tree, Mylon Webb.

That’s it for today. Whatever problem was wrong with my web hosting appears to have been fixed. I published a Thursday Update post late in the afternoon yesterday with a lot of good stuff. Keep scrolling if you haven’t seen it. Back tomorrow with more.

If you have ever dreamed about living on the Main Street Mall, my friends just put their condo on the market. It’s a 1 BR/1 BA in the One One O’Six Lofts at 92 S. Main. Here’s the listing. The condo comes with secure underground parking and you’d have a block walk or less to City Market, Local, Aldo’s Pizza Pies, DGX, and Blind Bear. The sellers are awesome people – they’re the couple who brought me blackeyed peas and  collard greens on New Year’s.

#1 seed Memphis takes on #2 seed Boise State in the quarterfinals of the NIT tonight. The game will be broadcast on ESPN at 8 PM from Denton, Texas.

NCAA tournament game times for the games Memphians are interested in for the Sweet Sixteen Saturday evening:

• #15 Oral Roberts vs. #3 Arkansas, 6:25, TBS
• #11 Syracuse vs. #2 Houston, 8:55, TBS

The DM’s Jennifer Biggs has the scoop on the upcoming reopening of the Majestic Grille.

From WREG: An employee of Tug’s Casual Grill on Mud Island was kidnapped and robbed as he got in his car following his shift Sunday night.

Live comedy returns to Local on Thursday, April 1. 8:00-9:30 PM.

WALRUS plays The 5 Spot, the back bar behind Earnestine & Hazel’s, Friday night. 8:00 showtime, $10 cover.

Memphis is in a 4/5 risk zone for severe weather today and points to the east and south are in a 5/5. Storms are rolling through this morning, but the biggest threat is a squall line expected to move through between 4 and 6 this afternoon. @memphisweather1 on Twitter is a good way to keep up with the latest weather info.

Eric Hughes Band plays Momma’s tomorrow at 6:30.

Wiseacre Downtown will have a drive-in movie showing of 50 First Dates tomorrow at 7. $35 ticket includes up to 6 people per car, 2 Coke products, 2 packs of theater candy, and 1 pack of Rendezvous popcorn.

Sunday is Superhero Night at Craft Axe Throwing at 344 Floyd Alley out in The Edge. Dress up as your favorite superhero and receive 15% off.

From the Memphis Flyer: Reactions are divided on Riverside Drive’s reopening. Many including DNA president Jerred Price support the move, but an SMA poll shows that the majority of residents were concerned about the reopening. What we really need is increased police presence Downtown, especially on Front and Riverside, and especially on Sunday afternoons and evenings. In particular the noise ordinance needs to be enforced with regard to loud modified exhaust systems.

Also from the Flyer: Memphis 901 FC’s home opener is set for June 16

There’s a Facebook group you can join called Memphis Community Against the Pipeline (MCAP) if you oppose the environmentally racist Byhalia Pipeline. For those of you who feel like there’s not much little guys like you and me can do to fight the system, remember that I-40 would run through Overton Park if not for little guys putting up a good fight.

Memphis Photography Club will host a Beginners’ Photography Class Saturday from 9 to noon. This class is a Downtown photo walk that will be very hands-on and that will show you how to transform ordinary-looking photos into professional shots. Advance registration for the class is essential.

The perks for being fully vaccinated are piling up. A dispensary in Michigan will give a free joint to those over 21 showing a completed vaccine card. Hey, now!

Today is Pecan Day, a good day to visit The Peanut Shoppe.

President Biden will hold his first formal news conference of his term at 12:15 today.

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

Having some trouble with the backend part of my blog this week. So there may be a post this morning (got plenty of news) or there may not be one until this weekend when I get some time to sort things out.

Sorry y’all. It’s been a weird week. But then, for the past 12 months, every week has been a weird week.