Category: Uncategorized

Friday update

Let’s start with a “just because” picture. I found this yesterday as I was researching an online article I’m writing:

Image by Jerzy Górecki from Pixabay

It has nothing to do with the content of this post, but it makes me happy.

Happy No Pants Day!

It’s the first Freebie Friday of the year at the Redbirds. The first 1500 through the gate get a free Redbirds free tote bag courtesy of Southern College of Optometry. Game time is 7:10 and the Durham Bulls are once again the opponent. Triple-A Baseball is doing 6-game homestands vs. the same team this year to minimize travel.

From Eater: The Lie of “No One Wants to Work”: Amid reports of a restaurant industry “labor shortage,” employees say all they really want are wages that make the risk worth it.

A Ja Morant docuseries will debut June 3.

Tonight is Music Knight at the Memphis Chess Club with musical guests Julia Goff & Lauren Thomas from Visible Music College.

Sigh… the Grizzlies lost to a crappy 20-47 Detroit team last night, and as a result return to 9th place in the West, a half game behind Golden State.

The yellow-and-black We Have Soul sign may have been rejected by the Design Review Board, but Memphis River Parks Partnership has plenty of other improvements to Mud Island River Park that will go forward.

Been a good week… earlier in the year, I told several good friends that I had a goal for myself. Intuition told me I was likely to hit my goal in the month of June, although it could be sooner. Yesterday I learned I hit my goal in April. So I’ll go out to celebrate after work, and one day next week I’ll probably treat myself to a nice meal out. Back tomorrow with more news.

Thursday update

Jerred Price, president of the Downtown Neighborhood Association, posted some news to Nextdoor last night: The yellow-and-black “We Have Soul” sign proposed for Mud Island has been denied by the Design Review Board. Many commenters thought the sign was ugly and out-of-touch with the character of our city. WREG has more info.

Friday lunches return to the Majestic Grille this week. They’ll have fish & chips, New England clam chowder, seafood flatbread, all your favorites.

With Mother’s Day coming up Sunday, I want to mention that you can pick up uniquely Memphis items at Feelin’ Memphis, the gift shop at 509 S. Main. What will you find there? Let me take a look through the shop’s most recent photo album. Paintings… books… inspiring wall hangings… honey… clothing… handbags… home decorations… glasses…. cocktail kits…. plants… home furnishings. Local gifts from great local folks.

Jane Roberts from the DM with another outstanding piece: Up to 66% of locals have COVID antibodies. Counting those who have developed antibodies from having had COVID and those who had the vaccine, we are approaching herd immunity.

The Grizzlies rolled past the Minnesota T’wolves last night in a high-scoring game, 139-135. That puts Memphis back in 8th place in the NBA’s Western Conference with a slim 0.5-game lead over the Golden State Warriors with 7 games remaining in the regular NBA season. Got next: Tonight at Detroit, 7 PM.

Arnold Perl, a longtime promoter of the city of Memphis, has died at 81. Perl was instrumental in getting FedExForum built as part of the Grizzlies’ agreement to move from Vancouver.

Cupcake Cutie owner Robert Clayton was interviewed about the Restaurant Revitalization Fund’s help in getting restaurant and bar doors back open. The SBA has said it will prioritize applications for businesses owned by veterans, minorities, and women.

Live at the Tracks returns to Central Station Hotel tonight. Kennard Farmer will provide the live music 6:30-9:30.

YOGA! If you’re looking for a workout for the mind and body, with beer, don’t forget that there’s an all-levels yoga class at Grind City Brewing every Thursday at 5:30. $16 or you can use your existing Downtown Yoga or ENVISION Memphis class package to pay. $2 off your first beer for yogis.

Loflin Yard will have a Mother’s Day brunch with mimosa specials this Sunday.

Memphis Chess Club will have a Mother’s Day chess party Sunday 11 AM to 2 PM. The special includes a 12″ pizza from their cafe and their entry-level Learn the Rules class. You can bring the entire family, although they encourage children to be at least 7 and accompanied by an adult.

From Fox Chattanooga: The hunt for Memphis river monsters

I was asked yesterday a couple of times, if the mandatory mask mandate is allowed to expire, will I continue to mask up in public? My answer is this:

  • I’d keep a mask in my back pocket
  • Anytime I entered a business that continued to require or request masks of its own accord, I would be happy to put mine on, and their mask policy would not factor into my decision to patronize the business;
  • Anytime a person approached me for conversation, and I got the sense (spoken or otherwise) that he or she would be more comfortable if I were masked, I will happily put mine on;
  • Anytime I find myself in an extremely crowded space, I will consider putting my mask on;
  • If I find myself around a lot of children, who are not yet eligible to be vaccinated yet, I will consider putting my mask on (although not being around children sounds like a better solution);
  • Otherwise, no, my default value would be, I will not wear a mask, even when indoors.

That’s it for today. We’ll see if Dr. Randolph shows up to the noon COVID task force press conference with any news about next week’s health directive. Back tomorrow with more.

Happy Cinco de Drinkooooo!

Before we get to Cinco de Mayo news, I want to share a link to a kick-ass book I found this week as I was working on my professional writing.

Naval Ravikant is the founder of AngelList, and an early-stage investor in companies like Uber, Twitter, Clubhouse, and Postmates. He does a podcast on the pursuit of wealth, good judgment, and happiness.

One of Naval’s biggest fans, Eric Jorgenson, combined his collective wisdom into a book. Naval gave him permission to publish, with one stipulation – the price had to be free.

I’m more than halfway through and it’s one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Here’s a link to the PDF. You don’t even have to supply an email address to get it. Just open the link and start reading.

On to the news… it’s Cinco de Mayo, or as I call it, Cinco de Drinko! Where St. Patrick’s Day is for the amateurs, Cinco is for the professionals. Holly compiled a list of Cinco specials on the I Love Memphis Blog. A quick look at some of the Downtown ones:

  • $3 tacos for $9 at Maciel’s (street, seafood, and fajita tacos included)
  • The outdoor seating area will be back open at Slider Inn Downtown, with taco and drink specials
  • $5 apps and margaritas at Rumba Room. 2-for-1 tequila shots
  • Tug’s will have Cinco specials all day

There will also be Cinco specials at the Redbirds tonight. $5 for three carne asada street tacos (THREE for $5? That’s a screaming deal) and $5 margaritas. Gates at 5:45, first pitch at 6:45. The Durham Bulls are the opponent.

Jane Roberts from the DM has speculation that the stupid distancing restrictions in restaurants and bars will become recommendations in Shelby County around mid-month. I hope you’re right, Jane!

In other COVID news, the city has a new promotion going on called Shot for a Shot. Prove that you’ve been vaccinated and you’ll have a shot to win a Chevy Camaro, a Chevy Colorado, a Nissan Altima, or a Nissan Rogue… or if you don’t like any of those cars, pick another car of equivalent or lesser value.

The COVID news ’round these parts is mostly good, but there is one red flag I noticed… according to COVID Act Now, our next-door neighbor Fayette County is back in the red zone with 25.7 new cases/day/100k residents. That affects Shelby County because they send their hospital patients here.

A temporary We Have Soul billboard has been proposed for Mud Island. Most of the reaction I’ve seen from locals on Twitter has not been very positive. Kinda looks like it belongs on a construction site. Or a crime scene with lots of yellow and black tape, which for this city is certainly appropriate.

The 5 Spot in the back of Earnestine & Hazel’s will host The Painted Knife Drag Review with Musical Guests Heels and Model Zero Saturday, May 15. $10 cover.

Road closures for BBQ Fest start today. They include

  • Riverside Drive from Union to Georgia
  • Beale Street from Wagner to Front
  • Wagner Place from Beale to MLK

The roads will reopen Tuesday, May 18.

MATA is looking to hire 100 bus drivers and they’re dangling a $3000 bonus to make it happen. This is a job seeker’s market.

The Broom Closet will host an Introduction to Energy Work class Wednesday, June 2. $10 fee. Hmmm I might consider attending that one.

Two canoe teams are looking to break the Mississippi River speed record and of course, that means they’ll pass by Memphis. The record to navigate from the river’s origin in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico is 18 days.

From WREG: The chicken wing shortage is real in Memphis, and prices are going up too. Yes, from what I observed, this has been very true.

MemphisWeather.net predicts a mostly, sunny clear day with temperatures a little below normal but still quite pleasant. 72/52 with north wind. Might wanna take a light jacket if margaritas on a patio are your Cinco plans.

I’m gonna get back to reading that Naval Ravikant book until it’s time for work. After I get out this afternoon, it will be holiday celebration time. Back tomorrow with more news.

Tuesday update

Good morning! Today is Star Wars Day, but around these parts it’s the day of the Twitter embeds. I didn’t plan it that way. It just happened. If your work blocks Twitter and you’re reading this on a work computer, might want to disconnect your phone from Wi-Fi for a minute and pull up this post there to get the full effect.

Photo and story from FOX 13:

From the DMC:

A look at the City Council:

I’ll say it again… I betcha anything Dr. Jeff Warren, who’s on the COVID task force, was responsible for that stupid rule a couple of health directives ago that bartenders wear a full face shield as well as a mask. Fortunately that was turned into a recommendation after only 4 weeks.

From WREG: BBQ Fest will kick off a smaller Memphis in May this year. BBQ Fest is May 12-15. Tickets must be purchased in advance and masks will be required. The festival will have fewer teams and will be more spread out to allow for social distancing. Many teams, mine included, are taking the year off.

From the CA: Developer Tom Intrator is seeking outside investors for his planned redevelopment of the Pinch District

A loss to the NY Knicks last night dropped the Grizzlies to 9th place in the West, a half-game back of Golden State. Remember, 7th-8th place teams only have to win once in the play-in series; 9th-10th place teams have to win twice. So Memphis really needs to claw its way back. Got next: 7 PM Wednesday at Minnesota.

It’s Opening Night at the Redbirds. Tonight, as will be the case every Tuesday this season, your ticket includes a free order of Ballpark Nachos. Upgrade them to BBQ Nachos for a small surcharge. The opponent tonight is the Durham Bulls. I’ll try to cover Redbirds promotions daily on this blog, but if you want a complete list for this homestand, OurSportsCentral has it.

From the CA: The Redbirds want to make summer feel normal

A Beale Street cover charge is under discussion once again.

From Local 24: Memphis is seeing more hotel bookings than other cities. “Kevin Kern” of Memphis Tourism is quoted.

David Sweat of the Health Department indicated that the upcoming health directive will be discussed in this week’s COVID task force press conferences. I wonder if we’ll hear anything about it today? I have a feeling that the change I want to see the most, completely unrestricted bar seating, won’t happen as soon as the next directive. I hope I’m wrong.

Back tomorrow with more news.

Monday update

There’s great news on Nextdoor this morning. The city has started installing speed humps at crosswalks on Riverside, and it’s reported that cars have to slow down to a near stop to make it over the humps.

Farther north on Riverside near the I-40 interchange, a Renew at Riverview resident posted a photo of an overturned car yesterday evening. It was unclear whether the car belonged to one of the drag racers or someone trying to get out of the drag racers’ way. I should have turned on the police scanner as soon as I saw that photo, but I didn’t think of it.

The Broom Closet at 552 S. Main will host a ghost hunting class on Sunday, June 27 from 7 to 9 PM. Stephen Guenther, founder of Historical Haunts, will share his techniques. This is an enhanced version of a presentation he gives at conventions. The event will wrap up with a paranormal investigation in their historic building. Cost is $10 per person and this is an age 16 and over event.

AutoZone seeks a Corporate Recruiter to work at its Downtown Memphis headquarters Store Support Center.

Jell-O Shot Jenga is a thing now.

Marketing campaign fail: Hackensack, New Jersey is trying to draw shoppers to its downtown area. Their strategy? They’re rebranding the area, referring to it as The Sack.

Better marketing: Between 8:00 and 11:59 PM tomorrow, score a free crunchy taco at Taco Bell because the moon will resemble a taco.

If you’re a Daily Memphian subscriber, they have an in-depth profile of the Memphis Police chief nominee, “CJ” Davis. Although there were a lot of transparency issues in the candidacy process, I have to say it looks like Davis has a lot of forward-thinking ideas.

The Grizzlies host the New York Knicks tonight at 8.

MPD is investigating a fight between several women that broke out on Beale Street shortly before the bars closed Saturday night/Sunday morning. Ah, things are getting back to normal post-pandemic.

Gonna be a hot one today. MemphisWeather.net says it will be muggy and windy with a high around 85.

Sign the pandemic is nearly over: L.L. Bean reports that pants with buttons and zippers are now outselling pants with drawstrings or elastic waists. Thanks to Morning Brew for the info.

Here’s a video of one of the biggest traitors ever to work in a presidential administration, Gen. Michael Flynn, botching the Pledge of Allegiance:

He was what, a three-star general? And he doesn’t know the words to the Pledge? Sounds like a five-star piece of shit to me.

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

Sunday update

TEDx Memphis comes to the Levitt Shell October 30. You have until June 15 to apply to give a talk. Talks must be no more than 18 minutes in length.

The South Main Association will have its monthly South Main Social at Wiseacre Brewing Co. at B.B. King Blvd. and Butler Ave. Tuesday, May 11 at 6 PM. Speakers will include

  • Wiseacre co-founder Kellan Bartosch
  • Big River Market owner Nick Barbian and architect Ryan Morris
  • South Main Nutrition owner Kim Derryberry
  • Good Fortune Co. owners Arturo Leighton and Sarah Cai

The event is free for SMA members, $20 for non-members. Join the SMA here. Due to COVID restrictions, an RSVP does not guarantee a spot at the event.

By the way, I was out from 11 AM to 8:30 PM yesterday at several different venues. My general observation was that people were observing social distancing about as much as drivers on I-240 observe the speed limit. And really, that’s fine. Anyone who wants a vaccine has had plenty of time to get one. It’s time for the remaining distancing restrictions to go away.

Here’s a link to James Aycock’s COVID Week-in-Review for this week. The most alarming statistic: Not even 11,000 people were vaccinated last week, down from 35,000 four weeks ago. James also shares a New York Times article with insight into vaccine skepticism.

Former Memphis Tigers running back was selected number 150 in the NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. Gainwell was one of the stars of the 2019 team that went to the Cotton Bowl before sitting out the 2020 season.

Rizzo’s by Michael Patrick is looking for an energetic part-time host or hostess to work 3-4 shifts per week.

Cinco de Mayo is Wednesday! Any Downtown restaurants or bars doing specials for Cinco de Drinko? Send ’em to me at paul@paulryburn.com or on Facebook and I’ll compile a list. Remember, folks, St. Pat’s is for the amateurs. Cinco is for the pros.

Reminds me… Tuesday is the one-year anniversary of Shelby County moving into Phase 1 of re-opening. The preachy Facebook “health experts” nearly lost their shit that places would be open for dine-in on Cinco de Mayo. Bars were not allowed to be open during Phase 1, but this is before the health department understood there are no bars in Tennessee – there are limited-service restaurants, two of which served me drinks on Cinco last year.

WREG has video of the St. Patrick’s parade on Beale yesterday. Also, the article notes that the annual Africa in April festival will be rescheduled for August of this year.

There’s a Pre-Mother’s Day Brunch at Butterific Bakery & Cafe, 488 S. Second, noon to 4 today. Brunch by Situational Cravings, day drinks by The Pop-Up Bartender, 2 PM speech by Lady Shea of Power Gospel 99. All moms will receive a gift bag and vendors will be on site selling Mother’s Day gifts.

It’s Sexy Sunday featuring Paula Raiford and DJ Mo at Carolina Watershed today 3-9. $10 cover.

Grassfire Bluegrass Band plays Loflin Yard today at noon.

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

Saturday update

Apologies for no post yesterday… simply put, I ran out of time!

I’ll start off with a dining recommendation. Thursday I got to sample a piece of octopus from Curfew, the creation of chef Fabio Viviani in the new Canopy Hotel across from the ballpark. It was really good! I expected it to be tough and chewy, like squid/calamari. It wasn’t chewy at all – it was tender and the flavor was outstanding. From the menu:

Spanish Octopus – celery slaw, crisp potatoes, n’duja vinaigrette $21

There’s a May Day St. Patrick’s parade on Beale Street from 3 to 4. “Social distancing of parade spectators and the wearing of masks is highly encouraged.” Yeah I don’t see the social distancing thing happening. I hate to be negative but I don’t think this is the brightest idea, particularly because parades are events that attract children (none of whom have been vaccinated yet). I want an economic stimulus for Beale Street and its surroundings as much as anyone, but this would’ve been better had organizers waited until June.

County Mayor Lee Harris dropped a hint that as of May 15, most of the remaining stupid COVID restrictions will become recommendations.

Looking for a job in the hospitality industry? There will be a job fair Tuesday at the convention center, with more than 40 companies represented.

From the Memphis Flyer: Race becomes crisis point at U of M Law School. The disaffected faculty member who is resigning is the wife of Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris. She claims that well-qualified Black applicants were overlooked for promotion in favor of whites with fewer qualifications.

A word from our Congressman:

Talk about dancing on someone’s grave! Memphis’ annual Juneteenth celebration on Friday-Saturday, June 18-19, will move to Health Sciences Park which used to house a statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest. He and his wife are still buried there. That is just fucking fabulous.

In addition to being May Day, today is also Beer Pong Day.

The Downtown Neighborhood Association is in talks to get the mobile COVID-19 vaccination unit to our neighborhood. It will help reach Downtowners who are unable to make it out to the city’s vaccination sites. If you take advantage of the opportunity, you’ll get a free MemPop. Sites and dates will be announced soon.

Rizzo’s seeks a Salad Chef. Punctuality and the desire to learn (from one of the very best) are highly desirable traits.

Catherine & Mary’s is hiring a bartender. Fabulous opportunity to get your foot in the door at the Andrew Ticer/Michael Hudman family of restaurants.

There are volunteer opportunities open at the Memphis Farmers Market.

DJ Superbrad plays the Blind Bear tonight at 9. That should be fun. It’s time to dance again! $10 to get in, free if you know the password. He’ll be spinning ’70s-2000s.

The Grizzlies got a rough win over Orlando last night. That puts them back in sole possession of 8th place in the West, a game lead over San Antonio and a game and a half over Golden State. The Grizz are now two and a half games behind Portland for 7th. Got next: Memphis travels to Orlando for a rematch tonight at 7.

Apple’s AirTag went on sale yesterday. With an iPhone 11 or later, locate your keys or other items you misplace frequently.

Slim & Husky’s got a mention in Food & Wine’s The Best Pizza in Every State for Tennessee.

Well, damn… the Chair of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UT Health Sciences was arrested in a drug bust that netted weed, crack, scales, and guns. The professor got hit with a resisting arrest charge too. He was one of 9 people busted.

Eric Hughes plays Momma’s tonight at 7.

Today’s music lineup at Carolina Watershed: The Michael Brothers at 2 and Shufflegrit at 7.

FreeWorld plays Rum Boogie Cafe tonight 8-12 and Blues City Cafe tomorrow 8-12. Blues City is the band’s “home base” and the place where they freestyle and get creative the most. Highly recommended if you can stay up that late on a Sunday.

Longshot is back open again. Its new hours are Tuesday-Saturday 5- midnight.

From Local 24: Yes, you can eat cicadas, but not if you’re allergic to shellfish. Uh… no thanks.

Taking a break from Bardog Saturday brunch for a while until we can all sit at the bar without any restrictions. I’ll be in South Main today, leading off at the Farmers Market followed by one of Earnestine & Hazel’s, Max’s Sports Bar, or Slider Inn. Back tomorrow with more news.

Thursday update

Random thought to start off this post: The writers of the 1970s hit Good Times should’ve written an episode where Jimmie Walker’s character moved to the great state of Virginia.

Then they could have called him Va. J.J.

Perjorie T. Roll and I got a look at the Silly Goose’s new hummus plate yesterday.

A big bowl of hummus with celery, radishes, several different colors of maters, and pita bread. Easily big enough for 2 or 3 people to share.

The Memphis Bacon & Bourbon Festival is back! It’ll be September 10 at Beale Street Landing. The festival is what the name says it is: Bacon-inspired dishes from top Memphis restaurants, paired with distilled spirits. All COVID regulations will be observed, although hopefully there won’t be any by that time. Proceeds will benefit the Memphis Farmers Market. Festival website

Davidson County (Nashville) has announced it will end all business restrictions May 14. Why can’t we in Shelby have nice things too? Keep the mask mandate for a little while longer if need be, but it is high time to get rid of the 6-foot-distancing rule as a mandate. Let individuals and businesses decide for themselves what is safe.

Interesting: How We Survived COVID-19 in Prison

Over on the Island, Terrace at River Inn has $6 champagne glasses Thursday 5 to 9 PM.

If you drive or walk down G.E. Patterson Avenue this week, be sure to check out the new neon sign outside Max’s Sports Bar! It looks super snazzy and lets people know there’s a place to watch the games.

Couple of schedule updates. First of all, Momma’s posted this to Facebook:

Thanks for your patience while we’ve been working what makes the most sense for our crew right now. This means a few things:
⠀
⏰ We’ll be open Wednesday thru Sunday from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.
🎉 As soon as we open, it’s Happy Hour
🍺 $4 Pint Night on Wednesdays
💭 Trivia will move to Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. (starting 5/6)
🎸 We’ll still have LIVE music on the patio Fridays & Saturdays at 7
🍳 We’re serving our breakfast menu (minus flapjacks) ALL DAY LONG
🌟 Sunday Bingo will move to 5 p.m. (starting this weekend 5/2)

Over in Court Square, River Time Market & Deli has reset its hours to 8:00-3:30 Monday through Saturday. Their regulars were missing them on Mondays!

Random thing I learned yesterday: You can order a 40 lb. bucket of duck fat on Amazon.

After beating Portland twice on the road, the Grizzlies lost to the Trail Blazers at home last night. That puts Memphis in a tie with San Antonio for 8th in the West and 1.5 games back of Portland for 7th. Next up: A home game vs. Orlando tomorrow at 7.

Today is National Shrimp Scampi Day. You can get it at the Blind Bear!

Condo for sale on Carolina Avenue – I have been in this condo and it is very nice.

MPD has initiated a Slow Down Memphis program to combat reckless driving and drag racing. They’ve confiscated over 60 cars this year. I’d like to see the program have a permanent weekend night presence at Wagner and Beale.

Max Kaplan & The Magics play Tug’s Courtyard tonight 6 to 9.

Robusto by Havana Mix hosts 3BC Live: Ladies Night Out tonight starting at 6. It’ll feature a DJ set by Big Sue. Can’t make it out? The event will stream live on Facebook.

Tonya Dyson plays Central Station Hotel: Live at the Tracks tonight 6:30-9:30.

In the national news: Feds execute search warrant at Rudy Giuliani’s home. At least partly, it has to do with Giuliani’s dealings in Ukraine.

Here’s a transcript of President Biden’s first address to a joint session of Congress last night. Isn’t it refreshing to have a president who can speak in complete sentences?

That’s it for now. Got a rainy walk across the street to work this morning. Then I’ve got a longer rainy walk down the street to Blind Bear. Back tomorrow with more news.

Wednesday update

Yesterday Gov. Bill Lee announced that he was ending the public health emergency he had declared in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With vaccinations available to all adults, Lee said the pandemic is now a “managed public health issue.” Beginning today, the 89 Tennessee counties with state-run health departments won’t be able to issue mask mandates or put restrictions on businesses.

As for the other 6 counties with their own health departments (including Shelby), Lee is calling on them to end all restrictions on businesses and mask mandates no later than Memorial Day, which falls on May 31 this year. City COO Doug McGowen said in the noon COVID task force press conference that it’s too early at this stage for Memphis/Shelby County to consider discontinuing the mask mandate, and that we’ll have to see where we stand on the vaccination numbers closer to Memorial Day.

Chief McGowen said the city and county legal teams will investigate whether they have the authority to keep a mandate in place even when it contradicts a governor’s executive order.

We shall see what happens. I personally wouldn’t mind wearing a mask for the remainder of the summer if the other stupid restrictions on businesses could be removed.

Max’s Sports Bar will host its last crawfish boil of the season this Saturday. So, it’s the last time you’ll have to hear me say that Glaze’s crawfish boils are the best in town, with just the right amount of spice and sides of corn, sausage, and taters. The first batch comes out right around noon. The crawfish wash down perfectly with Purple Drank from Max’s frozen slushee machine!

Let’s check out the weather for Saturday… MWN: Increasing high clouds, starting off in the lower 50s rising to the mid 70s. Weatherbug: Low of 51 that morning becoming mostly sunny and 77 during the day. Looks like a South Main kind of day for sure.

The Kentucky Derby is Saturday. Anyone doing any Derby drink specials Downtown?

The Redbirds will partner with Academy Sports + Outdoors for a special Mother’s Day experience at the ballpark Sunday, May 9. All moms get an ice cream treat and get to run the bases with their kids after the game. All moms will also be entered to win giveaways every inning from great local businesses like Academy Sports + Outdoors, Buff City Soap, Buster’s Liquors & Wines, Cupcake Cutie, and Lululemon. The first 1000 moms will receive a carnation. There will also be a special ticket (dugout $39, Budweiser Bowtie Bar $50) that includes a Mother’s Day brunch 11-1. The Bowtie Bar ticket includes bottomless mimosas.

From Vox: Why the iOS update 14.5 is such a big deal. TL;DR: You’ll be able to opt out of apps tracking your data and sharing it with third parties.

From the DM: St. Jude is committing $11.5B to expand research and treatment for children. The hospital will create over 1400 new jobs.

The Grizzlies are back home at FedExForum tonight. They host Portland at 8. If you’re going to the game, you can now eat in your seat. That restriction was quietly relaxed while the team was on the road.

It’s International Noise Awareness Day, which I’m sure plenty of Chargers and Challenger drivers will observe here in Memphis.

A national wing shortage is hurting local businesses. Yes, I have most definitely noticed this in wing prices at restaurants.

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

Tuesday update

The Orpheum has announced Alton Brown‘s “Live: Beyond the Eats” tour is coming March 16, 2022. From the theater’s website:

Alton Brown is hitting the road with a new culinary variety show. Audiences can expect more comedy, more music, more highly unusual cooking demos, and more potentially dangerous sciencey stuff. Prepare for an evening unlike any other and if Brown calls for volunteers … think twice.

Hyatt Centric’s Beck & Call rooftop lounge has been open for neighborhood meetings and special events this month… Saturday Beck & Call opens its doors to the public.

Memphis Tigers center Moussa Cisse has entered the transfer portal. Former Memphis Tiger Tyler Harris, who used the transfer portal to go to Iowa State last year, is coming back to Memphis. You win some, you lose some, I guess. These kids are here to audition for the NBA, and you can’t blame them for seeking the grandest stage they can find to do just that.

The L.A. Dodgers are offering a fully-vaccinated zone where you must show a completed vaccination card or (for children) a negative COVID test within the past 72 hours to be admitted. Fans in this zone do not have to comply with social distancing rules, although they are asked to wear their masks when not eating or drinking. Will we see more of this across the U.S.? Will we see more of it specifically at indoor venues, where it would make the biggest difference?

Couple of pieces of news about STIX, the Asian restaurant on Second… first of all, if you’re a fan of their ginger dressing, you can now take it home with you for $7 a bottle.

Also, this month, STIX is donating $1 from every Downtown Roll and every Collierville Roll sold to the Greater Memphis United Chinese Association. STIX’s owner knows first-hand the value of a diverse workforce, and is disgusted by the recent violence against Asian-Americans. Read more of his thoughts

DNA members: Don’t forget, you have a meeting featuring Congressman Steve Cohen tonight at the Hyatt Centric from 5 to 7.

The U.S. Census results, as pertains to seating in the House of Representatives, are out.

Gaining 2 seats:

  • Texas

Gaining 1 seat:

  • Colorado
  • Montana
  • North Carolina
  • Oregon
  • Florida

Losing 1 seat:

  • California
  • New York
  • Michigan
  • Pennsylvania
  • Ohio
  • Illinois
  • good ole West Virginny

Just found out something as I went on my morning Mountain Dew run to Walgreens… that $5 Walgreens gift card you get when you complete your COVID vaccination card at their pharmacy? It’s technically not a gift card. It’s $5 in Walgreens cash rewards when you spend at least $1 in store. So you get your $5 off on the subsequent visit, not the one where they scan the card. No big deal, but just make sure you take enough cash to cover your purchase when you get the card scanned.

Watching LAPD stand off with a murder suspect on Facebook Live. Gonna hit Publish and include the remaining news in tomorrow’s post/