Category: Uncategorized

WREG reports that a car crashed into a building at Second and Peabody Place around 9:00 last night. It looks like the car crashed into the entrance of the ServiceMaster/Terminix building. A reporter on the scene speculated that the crash may have been the end result of a police chase.

There was also a report of multiple gunshots fired in the “raceway” that is Beale between Front and Riverside a little after midnight. But then, that’s every weekend now, isn’t it?

Jaren Jackson Jr. will sit out today’s game at Portland to rest up, following two big performances in his return last week.

James Aycock’s COVID Week-in-Review is particularly excellent this week. He hit the nail on the head – mass vaccination sites are effective for about 1/3 of the population. For another third, however, we must build relationships and meet people where they are re: getting the vaccine. This is the only way we’re going to get to herd immunity.

Black Lives Matter Memphis is holding a Protest for All Black Lives today at the National Civil Rights Museum at 1 PM. It is an event to stand in solidarity with Columbus, Knoxville, and other communities terrorized by police action.

Memphis Modern Market happens at Loflin Yard beginning at 11. Art, goods, and vintage products by local artists and makers. Also, Grassfire Bluegrass Band plays there at noon.

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

I want to start off with a tweet from independent COVID data analyst James Aycock. This tweet makes me sad, and it should make everyone who cares about the Memphis community sad.

The number of new people vaccinated has fallen off a cliff. We’re looking at our lowest numbers since February. This is a huge problem. pic.twitter.com/jOJeulYjk5

— James Aycock 📢 (@firstresponses) April 23, 2021

How do you solve this problem? I’m going to suggest a solution, and sadly it’s going to sound like I’m kidding, but I’m not.

“Free $5 Chalupa Combo Box with vaccine card dated today or yesterday”

From my days teaching at the University of Memphis, it’s my observation that a certain percentage of this community – I’d put the number at around 35% – JUST… DOESN’T… CARE. They’re not going to go get the shot, not because they’re anti-vacc but because they’re anti-turn off the TV, get off the couch, and go do something. They’re not going to read anything about COVID safety. If it doesn’t entertain them in some way, they’re not going to pay attention. They’re the portion of the community that thinks mediocrity is good enough, an attitude I despised as a teacher.

Unfortunately, we don’t get to herd immunity without them.

So we have to step into their shoes, think like they think, and address “what’s in it for me.”

On to the news…

Earlier this week I posted a tweet by Grizzlies TV announcer by Pete Pranica. It was about a GoFundMe for LaVelt Hill, a longtime usher for sections 103 and 104 at Grizzlies games who needs a kidney transplant. This morning the fundraising drive made The Daily Memphian. Team owner Robert Pera chipped in 10 grand, Marc Gasol contributed $5000, and JaMychal Green put in $2000.

Sign of the times: The Silly Goose has DJs this weekend for the first time in over a year. If you’re fully vaccinated, get out there and dance, dance, dance. If you’re not fully vaccinated, go get vaccinated then get out there and dance, dance, dance.

Oh by the way… a little birdie told me that the Goose is about to redo its menu for the 3768th time since they opened, and that the hummus is coming back.

The point guard of the future, Ja Morant, held off the man many consider the current best point guard in the NBA, Damian Lillard, for a 130-128 Grizzlies victory over Portland last night. Ja scored 33 and Jaren Jackson, Jr. added 23 in his second game back. The Grizzlies continue to hold a narrow 1-game edge over Golden State and San Antonio for 8th in the West. Memphis and Portland meet again in Portland at 3 PM Central Time Sunday.

Good to hear: Memphis hotels are seeing increased bookings as the pandemic subsides

One last reminder: Earth Day Riverfront Market today 1-6 PM

Piper Down Music plays Carolina Watershed today 2-6 PM.

Turnstyles plays Momma’s tonight at 7.

I’ll skip the “Buy me a PBR” button today because I’d rather you donate to LaVelt Hill’s GoFundMe. Back tomorrow with more news.

The big news of the past 24 hours is that the two youngest Lawson brothers have committed to the Memphis Tigers. Chandler, a sophomore transfer from Oregon, and Johnathon, a highly-touted high school senior, are the younger brothers of K.J. and Dedric who played under Pastner and Tubby. Chandler is a power forward/center and Johnathon is a wing.

It’s all up to you now, Penny. Sweet Sixteen (or farther) or bust. No excuses. Get it done.

From the DM: Older brother K.J. played a big role in convincing the younger brothers to represent their hometown.

There will be a Ribbon Cutting for the new Craft Axe Throwing location at 344 Floyd Alley out in The Edge District from 11:30 AM to 1 PM today.

StyleBlueprint has updated its guide to The Edge with the latest information. Nice to see that neighborhood getting some love.

Even more news from The Edge: The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile will make a stop at the Edge Motor Museum, 645 Marshall, Saturday from 11 to 2.

From the Memphis Flyer: Booze to-go could remain legal through July 1, 2023. Legislators recognize the drinks as a valuable revenue stream as restaurants recover from COVID. The drinks would still have to be sold in closed containers and alongside food.

Riverside Drive will be closed to vehicles beginning at 9 AM tomorrow. This isn’t a permanent closure, but rather for the one-day Earth Day Riverfront Market. Note that if there’s rain, the market will be postponed until May 1. MWN has the rain mostly ending by midday, so we’ll see.

Someone cut down trees along 200 yards of public land along the river below the edge of Martyrs Park on March 10. No permit had been issued to cut the trees.

The DM’s Jennifer Biggs gave Sugar Grits a try in her latest New Eats column. Oh, YUM. Those Charleson cheese grits topped with blackened shrimp and Andouille sausage look amazing. I have got to get in there soon. Why don’t I ever think to go there for lunch after I get off work? Gonna stick a post-it note on my work monitor to remind me next week.

The Grizzlies play Portland on the road tonight at 9, one of three times they’ll see the Trail Blazers in the next 7 days.

The Old Daisy on Beale was hit with a $7K MLGW bill for January and February. The time span covered includes the winter storm when there were numerous water leaks around town.

There will be a Cars on Main event tomorrow at Court Square 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM. If you are more of a night owl, there will be a Cars on Riverside event featuring drivers drag racing, shooting guns and doing donuts 10:30 PM to 2:30 AM.

Not a Downtown thing but worth a mention based solely on name value: Return of Shitfest: Worst Musicals Ever at Black Lodge in Crosstown tomorrow.

Time to go kick some ass at work, then it’ll be the weekend. I’ll start off in the Downtown core then possibly make my way to Max’s Sports Bar when it opens. Back tomorrow with more news.

Leading off with a donation request from Grizzlies TV announcer Pete Pranica:

LaVelt has been the usher by the Grizzlies bench for years and has become a good and trusted friend. He needs our help right now. #GodBlessLaVelt https://t.co/Vzo6tfLrYW

— Pete Pranica (@PetePranica) April 21, 2021

Edible Memphis posted a new coffee shop alert yesterday: Good Morning Gorgeous, open inside Court Square Recordings at 123 South Court. The recording studio in that building will up and running by May, and the idea is that the artists will be given opportunities to be baristas in the coffee shop to pay for their studio time. They feature Sey Coffee from Brooklyn, straightforward espresso-based offerings, tea, and vegan chocolates according to the folks at Edible. Follow the new coffee shop on Instagram.

The new coffee shop is right down the square from my friends at River Time Market & Deli, so you could easily visit both in a morning or afternoon.

Downtown’s Irish pub The Brass Door is the latest public house to announce that they will re-open soon. I will post more details as I get them.

Shooting for a May 1 opening: South Main Nutrition. They’ll be in the same building as The Arcade, Broom Closet, South Main Book Juggler, Walking Pants, Cheesecake Corner, and Max’s. From their About description on Facebook: “We are your local Nutrition Club for Loaded Teas, Meal replacement shakes, vitamins, probiotics, energy boosts and more.”

There’s a lot for sale fronting Vance, and with a narrow strip of land fronting both Abel and Allen Streets east of B.B. King Blvd. 10-15 years ago this block was Crackhead HQ, but now with the South of Forum/South City development going on, this is one of Downtown Memphis’ prime parcels. It’s currently a car lot but the owner will clear it all off upon sale.

From Fast Company: These architects popularized the open office. Now they say the open office is dead. Fuck the open office. And especially fuck every office design firm that’s ever sold a CEO on the idea of open offices.

The Memphis Flyer has an update on Good Fortune Co., set to open in the former South of Beale space in July. Ramen and dumplings will be the main focus.

Massey Lane Release Party this Friday at Carolina Watershed featuring Avon Parks 7-11 PM. Free show.

I don’t know if I have any readers from Olive Branch, but if I do, get ready, you’re in for a treat. RAWK’n Grub food is coming to the Valero gas station at 4949 Bethel Road. Favorites from the old food truck and some new creations will be served, including the Blue Suede Shoestring Fries, the Patty LaMelte, the Don’t Go Bacon My Heart, and ZZ Tapas.

The Patty LaMelte with smoked Gouda pimiento cheese

Memphis made it into UK newspaper The Guardian: Pipeline tells Black Memphis landowners: Sell us the rights to your land or get sued

Jaren Jackson Jr. made his return last night. It wasn’t a pretty game, and that’s totally okay! Memphis wasn’t expected to beat the Clippers on the road. The Grizzlies drop to 29-28 (.509) and continue to hold a one-game lead over Golden State and San Antonio for 8th in the West.

In the news: French wine tasters fear for their livelihood after COVID dulled their sense of taste and smell

Sheyna Gee performs at tonight’s edition of Central Station Hotel’s Live at the Tracks 6:30-9:30. The concert series is free to the public. Sheyna will be at South Main Sounds and then Momma’s tomorrow if that works better for you.

That’s it for today’s post. Another day of crap weather. I don’t feel much desire to get out. Back tomorrow with more news.

Derek Chauvin was held accountable yesterday. He was found guilty on all three counts in the death of George Floyd: second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Following the verdict, the prosecution moved that Chauvin’s bail be revoked. With the presumption of innocence gone, the judge granted that request and Chauvin was remanded into state custody. He’ll spend several weeks in prison before he returns for a sentencing hearing. The most serious charge could earn him 40 years.

The Blue Wall of Silence has come down. Cops can no longer do whatever they want and expect to get away with it.

Want to make some serious money? The Peabody posted this to Facebook yesterday:

In the coveted position of Lobby Bar bartender at the historic Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis, you will be taking orders, preparing and serving beverages and light meals to guests in a courteous and efficient manner according to hotel specifications.

Here’s the full Facebook job listing.

The Memphis Flyer reports that The Paramount is scheduled to open in May. The new restaurant at 265 S. Front is slated to open the weekend of BBQ Fest. It will feature Derk Meitzler’s Highway 61-themed menu, 24 local beers on tap, and local restaurant legend Mac Edwards as hospitality director. The meats will be locally sourced. Sounds like a sure winner.

From Insomnia Cookies:

limited-edition Cookie Nachos just dropped for 4/20!

18 Chocolate Chunk Minis drizzled in Chocolate Cookie Butter, caramel or chocolate sauce + candy toppings of your choice. available in-stores & for local delivery for 1 week only starting today. http://bit.ly/37AV6jZ

happy 4/20, Insomniacs!

Get your Cookie Nachos at the Downtown location at 200 Beale.

I had a slice of my favorite Silly Goose pizza yesterday, the Louisiana Saturday Night:

Good stuff like tasso ham and Andouille sausage in a Cajun cream sauce with a little heat. By the way, if you were in the Goose last week, you may have noticed a few products were out of inventory; that situation has been completely resolved, so come get your drank on!

Grizzlies on National TV Alert (but you’ll have to stay up late): Memphis continues on its Road Trip From Hell with a visit to the L.A. Clippers tonight. The game will be broadcast on NBATV. Tip-off is 9 PM. Jaren Jackson Jr.’s status has again been upgraded from doubtful to questionable. This would be a perfect game for JJJ to find his footing on the court. The Grizzlies aren’t expected to upset the 41-19 Clippers at home, so a less-than-optimal performance from Jackson wouldn’t harm Memphis’ record.

New in Action News 5’s 5-Star Stories: The history of Memphis Railroad and Trolley Museum

Venmo users: You will soon be able to buy, sell, and store popular cryptocurrencies through the app

Good day to visit The Peanut Shoppe on Main… it’s National Chocolate-Covered Cashews Day.

Redbirds tickets for the month of May go on sale today.

Congratulations to the Memphis Tigers women’s soccer team, who scored an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. They kick off against Utah Valley State on the 28th.

Loflin Yard hosts Memphis Modern Market Saturday from 11 to 5. From their FB listing: “Come by and shop art, goods, vintage, and more created and sourced by local artists and makers!”

No need to squeal your tires as you drive down the street to this Bananas Foster Pie cooking class, because it’s online. Maybe BBQ Fest will make Bananas Foster an ancillary category in 2022.

Tyler Booth will perform live at Tin Roof tonight for Bikes on Beale. Show begins at 6:30.

That’s it for today. Time for a 39-degree caffeine run to Walgreens. I’ll probably stay home after work at least today and tomorrow and avoid these chilly temperatures. Back tomorrow with more news.

From Action News 5: Safety concerns arise as police investigate deadly carjacking. You know, as bizarre as it sounds, when I first heard of the shooting, I hoped it was gang members shooting at each other, and it just happened to take place Downtown. But no, it was thugs with guns out on the street, preying on an innocent victim who happened to be stuck in heavy traffic.

A couple of comments here. First of all, the time of this carjacking illustrates how badly we need FedExForum and Orpheum events back at full capacity. If we had them, there likely would have been cops at the intersection of Main and Peabody Place directing traffic at 10 PM Saturday.

Second, the police have let thugs get away with speeding, reckless driving, and noise pollution for the past year. By not cracking down hard on those crimes, cops might as well have hung a “crime committed here” sign in the heart of Downtown. They’re tempting the criminals, saying, go ahead, see what more you can get away with.

This is the least safe I’ve felt Downtown since 2006. Now that pandemic restrictions are starting to go away, I’d like to spend some nights in South Main at Max’s, Earnestine & Hazel’s, and (once it reopens next week) Longshot, but I question whether I’m going to feel comfortable walking home at 11, 12, 1. Never before did I ever give that a second thought.

The Commerical Appeal has an article on Acer Edge, the folks behind the knife-sharpening booth at the Farmers Market. Local restaurants like The Bar-B-Que Shop and Dory avail themselves of the service on a regular basis.

Posted by the Downtown Memphis Commission yesterday:

Calling all cocktail lovers 🥃

Are you an Enjoy AM cocktail connoisseur?

This Wednesday, April 21, @thegraycanary will host their monthly cocktail dinner. Enjoy a welcoming cocktail from 6:00 pm-6:30 pm followed by a four-course dinner with cocktail pairings for $75/person.

Call (901)249-2932 or visit the link below to reserve your spot!

https://resy.com/cities/mem/the-gray-canary?date=2021-04-21&seats=2

Holly from the I Love Memphis Blog took a breakfast trip to CIMAS, the new restaurant in the Hyatt Centric. They’ll expand to lunch, dinner, and bar service this Friday.

ESPN has a detailed description of how the NBA play-in tournament works. Long story short: Memphis will stand a much better chance of advancing to the playoffs if they finish 7th or 8th in the Western Conference than if they finish 9th or 10th. Following their double-overtime loss to Denver last night, the Grizzlies hold a one-game lead for 8th over Golden State and San Antonio.

The Memphis Flyer profiles JoBeth Graves of Grecian Gourmet Taverna.

Random thing I learned yesterday: Gruntled is a word. As in, the opposite of disgruntled. It means “pleased, satisfied, and contented.”

Memphis is about to have its first Black female police chief. Cerelyn “CJ” Davis, currently the chief of police in Durham, NC and a veteran of the Atlanta police department, will take the top role pending the approval of the City Council next month. I have to say that while she sounds like a fine pick, I agree with City Councilman J.B. Smiley that the selection process could have been more inclusive of the public.

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

It’s the morning after my second Pfizer COVID vaccine, and I am pleased to report NO side effects other than a sore arm.

I had been warned I might have a fever, headaches, muscle aches, and extreme exhaustion. As a precaution, I went to bed super early, before the sun went down. I left the air conditioner on, something I don’t normally do when the low is expected to fall into the upper 40s. I feel perfectly fine this morning. Ready to go kick ass at work here in a bit, then celebrate the first day of my post-pandemic life.

And YES I will keep wearing my mask until the health department says I don’t have to anymore. I understand that it may be possible to still spread COVID even if there is a very low chance I could personally come down with the virus.

I could be noble and say I got the shot for the kids, but that wasn’t really it at all… I got the shot so my friends in the service industry can hopefully soon work until 3 AM and make the money they didn’t make last year.

Edited to add one comment: If you’ve ever had to fill out forms at a Walgreens pharmacy, you’ll figure out real quick why the reader glasses display is located nearby.

Jaren Jackson Jr. has been upgraded from “out” to “doubtful” for tonight’s game against Denver. That is major news. If not tonight, soon…

The headline story in the DM this morning: 50 years ago, activists stopped an interstate from coming through Overton Park; now they may stop an environmentally racist oil pipeline. The leader of the National Poor People’s Campaign, Rev. Dr. William Barber II, stopped in Memphis yesterday to speak out against the Byhalia pipeline.

WREG has updated info on the homicide that occurred at S. Main and Peabody Place Saturday night. Sounds like the gunmen may have been trying to carjack a Monte Carlo SS. They have a photo of one of the suspects, who used a face mask to help conceal his identity.

Get ready for the Earth Day Riverfront Market this Saturday 1-6 at Beale Street Landing. Over 20 vendors + free skate rentals.

The NBA has warned teams to expect possible game postponements as a verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial will likely be handed down this week.

Today is National Hanging Out Day. Therefore, in the interest of being a good citizen who observes important holidays, I’ll drop by the Silly Goose for a PBR or two after work. Back tomorrow with more news.

Wow!!! Yesterday was definitely one of the best days we have had in a long time! We felt like humans for once – as if everything was back to normal! We were so emotional over the outpour of love and support we received! pic.twitter.com/jSn6AxhvDO

— The Peanut Shoppe (@mempeanutshoppe) April 17, 2021

Y’all, if you didn’t make it by Friday, please show The Peanut Shoppe some love this week. They’ve faced a difficult past few years. People have read about a peanut shop closing on Summer and mistakenly thought they closed too. The visibility of their entrance was blocked by construction for a long time. And now, COVID has reduced foot traffic on Main to a dribble. If you can’t make it there in person, you can order online.

Beck and Call, the rooftop bar at the Hyatt Centric, is hiring a Food and Beverage Manager.

Dennis O’Hagan’s Great Brewery Tour stops at Grind City Brewing Co. today at 2. He’ll play his own tunes, traditional tunes, and covers you rarely hear (Grateful Dead, John Prine, early college rock).

Rowdy Franks plays Carolina Watershed today at 2.

Cool site I found this morning: StoryShots, which offers free summaries of nonfiction bestsellers. The menu of the book categories is at the bottom of the page, which is pretty terrible web design, but the summaries are good.

The Grizzlies got a nice win over the Milwaukee Bucks last night. They improve to 29-26 (.527) for the season. The Grizz have widened the lead over the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs for 8th in the West to 2 games. But wait, there’s more… the Grizzlies have now snuck up on the Dallas Mavericks to pull within 1 game of 7th place in the West. Next up is a road game at Denver tomorrow at 8.

From Fansided: Jaren Jackson Jr.’s return will break the Western Conference

This NPR story is long but a good read: The untold story of the SolarWinds hack

Cordelia’s Market is partnering with Dress for Success Memphis to host a spring cleaning this Friday, April 23, from 5 to 8 PM. Clean out your closet and help disadvantaged women achieve career success. Specifically, they are asking for

• Matching suits – jacket/pants or skirt – all sizes
• Interview-appropriate blouses
• Work-appropriate shoes – all sizes but especially 6-11
• Jewelry and scarves
• Briefcases, portfolios, work-appropriate handbags

They want clothing that is dry-cleaned before donation and no more than 3-5 years old. They would prefer donations to be on hangers.

Your donation is tax-deductible. Cordelia’s will be grilling out that evening. Bring 5 clothing items or 5 canned goods and get a free burger or hot dog. They’ll also give away tickets to the Lichterman Nature Center.

Ladies, it’s National Transfer Money to Your Daughter’s Account Day. You may want to make sure dear old Dad is aware.

Weather: Upper 30s Wednesday morning and highs in the 60s most of the week. Well that forecast looks like a pile of garbage. Normal for this time of year would be 74/54.

I watched a little of Prince Philip’s funeral yesterday. I’ve been reading about the Royal Family on Quora. You know who you rarely hear about, but is a total badass? Anne, Princess Royal, the second child and only daughter of the Queen and the late Prince Philip.

No additional news on the homicide that occurred three and a half blocks from my front door last night… if you’re not aware what I’m talking about, scroll down and you’ll see MPD’s tweets about it. As I’ve said before, look at the bright side… the shootings will depress property values and keep my rent down.

Holy crap, COVID Act Now has Shelby County’s infection rate at 1.18. That’s terrible! Here’s James Aycock’s always excellent (although this week, not what I hoped to read) COVID Week-in-Review. I’m happy to say I’m doing my part – this afternoon I take a walk to Walgreens on Union to complete my vaccination card.

Notable piece of good news in James’ summary: Deaths from COVID-19 dropped dramatically once vaccination started. That’s most likely, he says, because those at highest risk, our elderly, were vaccinated early in the process.

James also has news of a community canvassing project on Friday to help get out the word about vaccination.

Once again, if anyone is undecided about getting the vaccination, you’re welcome to email me at paul@paulryburn.com for an honest and respectful conversation on why I decided to get mine.

I’m not promising a post tomorrow, because I’m not sure how the vaccine is going to affect me. Whatever minor discomfort I suffer will be worth it though. Back with more news when there’s news to report and I feel well enough to report it.

This happened about 10 PM Saturday apparently. If I find out more I’ll have it in my Sunday update post.

The victim has been pronounced deceased at the hospital. Anyone with information pertaining to this homicide is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH.

— Memphis Police Dept (@MEM_PoliceDept) April 18, 2021

Health Directive No. 20 is in effect as of 12:01 this morning, and it is once again legal to dance in bars and clubs.

Of course, if some hot, sexy, single young lady comes up to me today and starts grinding her body all over me, I will have to tell her she can’t do that because she’s not in my close contact group.

Well, unless I develop amnesia and forget there’s a health directive out. Hey, amnesia happens to people all the time. If you don’t believe me, you need to watch soap operas.

I’ll share a bit of business wisdom I read on Medium yesterday: The two-pizza rule. It is a rule first made popular by Jeff Bezos of Amazon. If two pizzas are not enough to feed everyone at your meeting, you’ve invited too many people. That’s a great rule and it should apply to Zoom meetings as well even though there’s no pizza.

Great news for the Memphis Tigers: Landers Nolley II and DeAndre Williams will return next season. It’s possible Memphis could get Moussa Cisse back too if he doesn’t get picked in the NBA draft.

Following a win over the Chicago Bulls, the Memphis Grizzlies continue to hold a one-game lead on 8th place in the Western Conference. The difference is that the team in 9th has changed. Former Tiger James Wiseman and the Golden State Warriors are now the closest team behind the Grizz. Memphis will travel to Milwaukee for a showdown with the Bucks tonight at 8.

As a professional writer, I do a fair amount of web searches. Last August, I switched my default search engine to Bing so I could take advantage of the Microsoft Rewards program. As of this week, I had accumulated enough points doing searches to earn a $25 Walmart e-gift card. I mean, if it’s something you’re going to be doing anyway, might as well get paid for it, right? Plus, I can still access Google whenever I want by typing www.google.com in the address bar.

I also earned a $10 Amazon gift card from the ReceiptPal app, taking photos of my Walgreens and DGX receipts. Again, it’s free money. It’s true, some corporate marketing team somewhere knows I like Mountain Dew and Cinnamon Toast Crunch a lot, but I really don’t care. I’m willing to trade that info for $10.

Just in time for spring, Memphis Made Brewing Co. has a new session IPA out called Kitten Nap. It’s brewed with Calypso and Lemondrop hops for a fruity, citrusy taste. Its ABV weighs in at 4.8% so this beer won’t have you passed out under the kitchen table after two of them the way some IPAs do.

Website owners: Be careful where you get your images. The owner of a wrestling site I read searched Google Images for a photo to use for an article about Wrestlemania. He was contacted by a lawyer, saying the image was the property of a big-shot photographer, and that he could be liable for damages up to $150,000. The website owner had to settle out of court. It’s a total racket, but it’s a legal one. There are seriously lawyers who employ people to spend all day long doing image searches. It’s the online version of ambulance chasing.

The image at the top of this post, by the way, is from Unsplash, a site full of photos that are free for commercial or non-commercial use. So I’m good.

Happy Saturday, YOGA! There will be Vinyasa Yoga on the Patio today at Central Station from 11:15 to noon. Class cost is $16 or free if you’re a hotel guest. If you’re a member of ENVISION Memphis or Downtown Yoga you can use your package to pay for the class. If you’re hungry following the class (does yoga give people the munchies the way smoking weed does?) you can stay for the hotel’s fabulous brunch, or hit the food trucks next door at the Farmers Market.

There will be a talk about Victorians & Dinosaurs today at the Mallory-Neely House, 652 Adams, at 6 PM. The Victorians were the first to make the discovery of dinosaurs a big deal. $10 per person with a capacity of 20.

Twitter seems to be down as I type this, but if you follow COVID news, keep an eye on James Aycock’s (@firstresponses) account later today. I’m interested in his analysis of the COVID cases spiking to the 260s day before yesterday and the 180s yesterday. Several more days of 180+ would be cause for alarm and a sign that Dr. Randolph might re-think letting go of a lot of the remaining mandatory restrictions next month. Please go get vaccinated so we don’t have to delay the Roaring 2020s!

I plan to spend a fair amount of time at the Farmers Market and South Main bars in the Saturdays to come, but today I have business to tend to close to home. Bardog will be my lead-off, where I will dance with Perjorie T. Roll (part of my close contact group) to the jukebox. Then over to the Silly Goose, which I have been absolutely loving this past week. Back tomorrow with more news.