Gossip on the street (which I have not confirmed) is that a Memphis restaurant got busted Friday night for running an illegal speakeasy. Meaning, at 10 PM, the mandated closing time for restaurants under Health Directive No. 11, they turned off all outward indications that they were still open, but if you knew, you could still get in and drink. I won’t name the restaurant, but it is not located Downtown.
4537 fans watched the Memphis Tigers struggle to pull out a win against the Arkansas State Red Wolves yesterday at the Liberty Bowl. I am not surprised it was close. A-State is a good team! They will likely get to a bowl, if there are bowls this season, which there probably won’t be.
Leave it to the Tennessee Vols to screw up the first Saturday of college football season without even playing a game. They had to cancel scrimmage yesterday because 44 players were unavailable. The head coach said “seven or eight” (you’d think he’d know the exact number) players had tested positive for COVID-19, and others were out due to contact tracing concerns or injuries. Sounds like the ‘rona is tearing through Tennessee’s team in a way that usually only the Florida Gators can.
Memphis 901 FC drew with Birmingham last night at AutoZone Park.
I saw an early draft of the Blind Bear’s new menu, set to roll out toward the end of this week. Just let me say this… the past 8 years, people walking out of the Peabody Place parking garage onto the Main Street Mall have asked, “Where are we going to go drink, Blind Bear or Silly Goose?” The new question is going to be, “Where are we going to go eat, Blind Bear or Majestic?”
News from the World Championship Hot Wing Contest, whose People’s Choice award went virtual last weekend:
Part of the event last week was to raise much needed funds for @RMHMemphis and our 24 competition teams came through in a BIG way! Thanks to their fundraising efforts and the support of people like you, $17 thousand was raised for the families of Ronald McDonald House!
— World Championship Hot Wing Contest & Festival (@WCWingContest) September 4, 2020
I have to brag for a minute. Overnight, I TRIPLED my lifetime income as a paid writer for Medium.com! Readership of the articles I wrote caused four cents to trickle into my September earnings, on top of the two cents I earned for the month of August.
Here’s the way I look at it… that 16-foot-long, 1200-pound crocodile who lies in wait in the Nile River and dines on an endless buffet of wildebeest, zebra, and antelope was once a 3-inch long hatchling. He struggled to learn how to close his mouth at precisely the right time, and one day he got it right and caught his first prey, a dragonfly.
My time as a well-paid writer will come, but for now, I gotta eat my dragonflies.
And with that, I will bring this post to an end. Labor Day can be a slow news day, so it may be Tuesday before I’m back with more news.
I made a first visit to Downtown Liquors and Wines on Madison near Main yesterday afternoon. The prices are very reasonable! They have a good selection and really took advantage of every inch of space in that little shop. If you live in the area and have not checked it out yet, please do! The shop is just to the east of Winfield’s clothing store, and Mr. Winfield is the new owner.
One tip: Not only do you step up to get into the shop, but there’s an additional step up once you get inside. That second step can be easy to miss when you have a face mask on, so be careful!
I stopped by the Blind Bear last night. Jeannette told me that now the Bear is a full-service restaurant, they’re going to roll out a new menu toward the end of next week. “We’re going to have a ribeye and shrimp sub,” she said, and I noted that in my phone. Now that I’m home typing this post, I wonder if that means they’re going to have a ribeye sub and a shrimp sub, or both on one? Either way sounds good.
Speaking of menus, new Downtown gumbo shop Ben-Yay’s rolled out its full menu yesterday. Here’s a look (click or tap for larger, zoomable size):
Ben-Yay’s is at 51 S. Main, next to Family Dollar, in the building that used to be DejaVu. I see they’ve retained one of the DejaVu dishes under the name DejaVu Special” – fried catfish topped with crawfish etouffee, the dish Chef Gary Williams called The Arkansas Outlaw when he owned the place. Nice to see gator on the menu in the form of bites, a po’boy, and gator sausage.
Those of you new to Memphis who want to jump into the food scene here should check out this A to Z list by the Daily Memphian’s Dan Conaway. I’d add a few more:
Amazing Island Club at Bardog
Duck Fried Rice at South of Beale
Lobster Pronto Pup at Rizzo’s by Michael Patrick
Also, Silly Goose should be on the Pizza list (for now, you’ll have to get it to go)
All right, people. We’ve got a situation tonight I want to warn you to expect in advance. The Memphis Tigers host the Arkansas State Red Wolves in a nationally televised game on ESPN tonight at 7. Many of you are going to want to watch the second half while dining at your favorite restaurants.
That’s where we have a problem.
You see, the current health directive says that restaurants must close to in-person dining at 10 PM. College football games don’t typically get over in three hours. There is no “but you can stay open until the end of the game” exception in the health directive. I have little doubt that Code Enforcement is fully aware of the game time and will be out for surprise inspections tonight, looking to cite restaurants that serve past 10.
So, if a restaurant kicks you out in the middle of the fourth quarter, please be understanding. They’re trying to keep their doors open in the middle of a pandemic. If you have the ESPN app on your phone, get logged on in advance so that you can watch the final minutes in your car in the parking lot, or on the walk home if you’re a Downtowner dining at a neighborhood restaurant.
Chris Burns, a writer/vlogger for sneaker site ARCH, visited Downtown boutique Stock & Belle to look for clothing to pair up with his new kicks from Downtown L.A. sneaker manufacturer COMMUNITYmade.
I’m taking a break from Bardog brunch this morning. I’ve had inspiration for an article to write for Medium, this one about beliefs, for over a week now, but I didn’t really put the entire thing together until this morning as I lay in bed. So I plan to spend much of the day writing. I’ll be out at Blind Bear about 8 this evening to watch the Tigers. GTG and I’ll be back tomorrow with more news.
It’s official: The NBA named the Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant 2019-2020 Rookie of the Year. Ja received 99 of 100 first-place votes, the sole dissenter voting for the 2019 draft’s top pick Zion Williamson. Ja’s teammate Brandon Clarke finished 4th in the vote, an accolade not only for Clarke, but for the front office who took the 4th best player with the 21st pick.
There will be a vegan cookout on the patio of Lew’s Blue Note Bar & Grill at 341 Beale Saturday from 1 to 7 PM. Menu items include smoked vegan burgers, vegan ribs, vegan Italian sausages, vegan hot dogs, and vegan brisket. Grab & go is preferred, but a few patio tables will be available and the inside of the restaurant will also be open for socially distanced seating.
The Kentucky Derby finally happens tomorrow. Lifehacker has your streaming options for the race. No stands filled with seersucker suits and fancy hats this year.
Slider Inn Downtown has released its live music schedule for this weekend.
Today: The Dantones 6-9 PM
Saturday: Brimstone Jones 1-4 PM; Compact Main Street 5-9 PM
Labor Day: DJ Alpha Whiskey 4-8 PM
As your number-one source of news and information about the Edge District, it is my pleasure to notify you that there will be an unveiling at Edge Motor Museum, 645 Marshall, at noon on Saturday. Can’t make it to the museum in person? No problem, they’ll stream the ceremony on @edgemotor Instagram.
Treat Yo Self… Walgreens has buy one, get one free pints of Haagen-Dazs ice cream with your card this week. Got a pint of Dulce de Leche waiting for me to get home from work this afternoon.
Tin Roof will have a College Football Saturday brunch tomorrow and every Saturday during the season from noon to 5. They’ll have the games on all the TVs, a new brunch menu, and bottomless mimosas. How ridiculous is it that this event is legal under the health directive, but having a socially distanced PBR on Max’s Sports Bar’s spacious outdoor patio is not permitted?
Reminds me… I changed my mind and did a Shelby County COVID-19 task force press conference recap yesterday afternoon. Keep scrolling after you get done with this post to read it. Quick summary of the points readers of this blog care about:
It will likely be September 21 or later before any decision is made about allowing limited-service restaurants to open or loosening restrictions on full-service restaurants
However, I did pick up (from the tone and body language of health officer Dr. Bruce Randolph) a sincere desire that the numbers continue to move in the right direction, so re-opening can proceed
The task force would consider reopening limited-service restaurants in certain cases where the majority, but not all, of the five criteria in Health Directive No. 11 are met
End of an era: Taco Bell is phasing out the Mexican pizza later this year. Shredded chicken items will be gone too. Items that are most effective at giving customers “the shits” including the bean burrito will remain.
I have had an awesome latter half of the week. Wednesday I published a third article on Medium.com, this one for people who keep a journal of their dreams as I do. I showed how to create an electronic index of dreams to enhance their handwritten journal, leading to a deeper understanding of the symbols used in their dreams. I then illustrated how I used this system to dig deeper into one of my own dream symbols, alligators.
Overnight Wednesday night, an editor for one of Medium’s content publications, The Innovation, saw my post and sent me a message inviting me to apply to have my article included in The Innovation. I applied yesterday morning, and four hours later it was accepted. Progress! From what I’ve read, it’s somewhat unusual for a writer with such a small portfolio to receive that kind of invitation.
I also learned of some freelancing work I should easily qualify to do once I have a couple months’ professional writing experience under my belt. It could turn into a side hustle income spigot I can turn on as much or as little as I want and need.
My reptilian brain must be working overtime this week, because one of the Medium posts I have on deck involves crocodiles.
Off to work. I am going to curb my going-out to some extent this weekend because I want to work on my writing and because of the stupid restaurant regulations. Back tomorrow with more news.
Well, I was wrong, there was enough newsworthy information in today’s COVID-19 news conference to warrant an afternoon post.
Dr. Bruce Randolph, Shelby County Health Officer, wanted to stress that any changes to the current health directive are unlikely to occur until approximately two weeks after Labor Day. This is because this week, we have the triple whammy of schools being back in session, people attending football games, and the long weekend. The health department wants to see what the results look like on the other side of those events before making any decisions. The virus has a 14-day incubation period, so it sounds like limited-service restaurants will remain closed until at least September 21.
Sam Hardiman of the CA asked, if all other factors continue to head in the right direction after Labor Day, but the positivity rate remains above 10%, will the health department consider allowing limited-service restaurants to reopen? (THANK YOU SAM!!!) Dr. Randolph said the parameters are listed in the health directive, and that all 5 parameters do not have to be met for the health department to consider making changes.
The health department’s David Sweat noted that an analysis of the surge in the month of July found that the 21-30 age group was far and away above any other as a driving force of the virus. They more actively acquired it and transmitted it. Sweat appealed to those in that age group to avoid gatherings where 6 feet of distance is not possible, to follow the mask ordinance, and to practice good hand washing protocol.
Sweat pointed out there are currently less than 2500 active COVID-19 cases in the county, whereas many days in July that number was over 6000. Both he and Dr. Randolph agreed that this weekend is an inflection point. Behavior this weekend and the results produced from it will affect whether we are allowed more freedom going forward.
Dr. Randolph wanted to point out that it will be quite a while before we can return to that way things were: people crowding bars, seated shoulder to shoulder at movie theaters, attending large gatherings.
Dr. Randolph pointed out that some American Conference schools are not allowing fans at football games at all, while Memphis fans have the privilege of attending the Tigers game Saturday night. He requested that fans who attend that game observe all safety measures so that they continue to have that privilege. Dr. Randolph reminded everyone that tailgating will not be permitted at the game.
Asked if higher attendance could be allowed at Tigers game if the data continues in the right direction following Labor Day, Dr. Randolph said that is unlikely to be under consideration. The 12-foot distancing rule feels proper at an event of this type.
Randolph also reminded the public that placing people in quarantine is the sole purview of the health department, not of schools or employers. There are entities that seem to think they can implement their own quarantine and contact tracing policies. That is incorrect.
Sweat noted that we do not have a candidate vaccine, one that has displayed efficacy in tests. However, we can go ahead and set the groundwork for distributing the vaccine once one is ready. Setting up the groundwork takes a while in terms of getting permits and identifying distribution locations. The influenza vaccine will be used as a proxy to help get set up.
Sweat said that when a vaccine is ready, essential workers in safety, law enforcement, and health care will be the likely targets of the first doses.
The vaccines under testing are multi-dose – you get the vaccine, wait a few weeks, then get a second vaccine. This differs from the flu vaccine where one dose is good to get you through the season.
Sweat also gave some statistics. Co-morbidities were present in a large number of COVID-19 deaths, with cardiac conditions (including high blood pressure) a factor in nearly 78% of cases, diabetes in 40%, and respiratory conditions in about a quarter. However, the deaths are still COVID-19 deaths.
Minority populations continue to be over-represented in deaths. 88.6% of deaths occurred in patients 55 and over.
Those were the important takeaways. Back tomorrow with more news.
Let’s do another trivia question, one that is extremely relevant this time of year here in Memphis. What color attracts mosquitoes twice as much as any other color? Answer at the end of this post.
COVID ruins everything: The Peabody laid off 57 employees. Revenue is way down because many people are canceling or postponing travel plans because of the pandemic. The ducks, considered essential employees, were not among the layoffs.
Hospitality HUB will soon open a daytime plaza for the homeless at 590 Washington. There will be a water station, bathrooms, and ports where they can charge handheld devices. In summer there will be a misting area, and in the winter heating stations will keep guests warm. There will be an office nearby where the HUB will offer its services. The old vehicle inspection station on an adjoining lot will be torn down to make way for an emergency shelter for women.
A permit has been filed to turn 64 S. Main into a lifestyle hub. That’s the building just north of City Market near Main and Union. The owner says possible uses could include co-working, pop-up retail, and group dining events. A rooftop patio is under consideration as well.
It’s a grand week for the University of Memphis, which received a world ranking for the first time ever by the Wall Street Journal.
Trivia answer: blue. I don’t expect much from the COVID-19 task force press conference at noon today, so I will probably wait until morning and include any relevant news in tomorrow’s post. Back then with more news.
I didn’t take detailed notes on the Shelby County COVID-19 task force press conference yesterday, but near the end, Health Department Director Dr. Haushalter was asked, Labor Day weekend is coming up and there are going to be football games and other events. What are some things we can do to stay safe and prevent spread? Her answer:
Make prudent decisions about the events you attend over the long weekend. If you have cardiac or respiratory disorders, diabetes, or if you are over 55, ask yourself, do you really need to go to these events, given your enhanced risk?
Wear a mask, and bring an extra as a backup in case your mask gets wet or soiled
Practice social distancing
Remember to refrain from activities like shaking hands and hugging
Constant hand washing; at events where that is not possible, bring hand sanitizer
Keep the volume of your voice at a reasonable level when out at sporting events; yelling and singing spread the virus further
Only remove your mask to eat or drink, and then put it right back on
Also at the press conference, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris announced a program called Senior Tech Connect that will facilitate virtual visitation at nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Grants will fund digital devices such as iPads and headphones to make it easier for residents to connect with their loved ones. All facilities in the area have received an email inviting them to apply for a $5000 grant.
Dr. H noted that we are at the beginning of a critical time, as we were back in June when the daily new case numbers started to rise. Our actions the next couple of weeks will determine whether Shelby County sees another surge in new COVID-19 cases, or whether the number continues to plateau or drop. The elusive “R,” the reproductive rate of the virus, was driven all the way down to 0.82 a couple of weeks ago, but has now surged above 1 again. Getting that number below 1 is essential to controlling the spread of the virus.
I want to ask a favor of media members who read this blog. Could someone please attend one of these COVID-19 task force press conferences and ask
What’s the formula for R? How could a citizen of Shelby County independently compute R from data made publicly available from the health department?
I mentioned that one of my suggested organizations to connect with at the virtual Exposure Memphis event was A Tour of Possibilities. I had not heard of that one and made sure to check it out. This is an organization that gives African-American history tours of Memphis. “We embrace the often uncomfortable and tragic parts of our history but we also celebrate the resilient and inspiring future of Memphis,” says the website. Stops on their tours include
LeMoyne-Owen College
Ernest Withers Collection Museum & Gallery
Elmwood Cemetery
Beale Street
National Civil Rights Museum
The Pyramid
The riverfront
Robert Church Park
Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum
Soulsville USA
STAX Museum of American Soul Music
Clayborn Temple
All tours except the Memphis Caravan Tour are currently suspended because COVID RUINS EVERYTHING.
The New Wing Order food truck has announced its Flavor of the Month for September.
Happy 901 Day to all our Memphis friends! What a perfect day to debut the September special – MANEgo Jalapeño Wings! Made with fresh mango, jalapeño, garlic, and a special blend of ingredients and spices, they’re packed with tropical flavor and that Memphis heat. pic.twitter.com/ONUar7QEwy
New Downtown business, or at least one I didn’t know about until yesterday: Allen’s Kayaking Adventures. They offer kayaking and canoe trips on the Mississippi River and in the Wolf River Harbor 7 days a week. Beginners are welcome. Guides are trained in CPR and certified by the American Canoe Association. Tours range in length from an hour to multiple days.
Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dr. Joris Ray announced yesterday when he would be comfortable letting students return to in-school learning: When the number of new coronavirus cases in Shelby County is in the single digits for 14 consecutive days. Number of new cases, not positivity rate. Well, that obliterates the goal of getting the kids back in person after fall break, and I’d put it at better than 50/50 that the entire 2020-2021 school year is virtual. New COVID-19 case numbers are unlikely to fall to single digits and stay there until about 10 weeks after a vaccine is widely available in the county.
Didn’t Mayor Harris say, in a press conference around July 9, that the county was closing the bars “to provide comfort to parents and educators” as we anticipate the start of in-school learning? Well, if that’s not going to happen now…. just sayin’.
The design board will hold a hearing about the proposed water fountain at One Beale this afternoon at 4.
Time to eat! I brought home a veggie plate from the Blind Bear last night to have food in the house for today. With veggies like tater tots, pepper jack mac & cheese, and fried okra, I have the complete range of nutrients covered. While waiting on my order, another patron asked where my troll was and told me my troll brings a lot of joy to the world.
That’ll do it for today. I plan on publishing my third Medium article today and will have a link for you in tomorrow’s post, along with all the Downtown Memphis news.
Trivia question: The easternmost point of the United States can be found in which state? Answer at the end of this post.
Exposure Memphis, presented by New Memphis and Independent Bank, happens virtually on the HopIn platform from 4 to 7 this afternoon. This is a day of opportunity for people who want to be more plugged into the heart and soul of our city. Over 75 organizations will be represented and you’ll be able to chat about ways to get involved.
From 4:00 to 4:45 Exposure will host a panel discussion called “Be the Change Our Nonprofits Need,” where you can learn how to effect the change you want to see in this community through volunteering. From 5:30 to 6:30 PM there will be an “Ask Me Anything” panel of people who love Memphis who will answer your questions about our city. There will be live performances throughout the evening.
You can be part of the event and have a chance to win. Share what you love about Memphis on social media, mentioning @TheNewMemphis and tagging #ICelebrate and your favorite Memphis organization. At 9:01 PM a winner will be revealed, earning $500 for themselves and $500 for their favorite organization.
You can preview the organizations that will be involved in Exposure. Advance registrants were able to answer a questionnaire and receive a tailor-made list of organizations they should seek out at the event. My list included Innovate Memphis, Memphis Public Libraries, The Memphis Flyer, Friends of the Library, A Tour of Possibilities, and Experience Downtown. I know about the first four already and I’ve been experiencing Downtown for 18 years. A Tour of Possibilities is new to me, though, and I will check them out today at the virtual event; if I don’t make it to the event I’ll do a little web searching and give you a report tomorrow.
Happy 9/01 Day! Got one more 9/01 Day special to report: Huey’s is selling 22-ounce jumbo margaritas for $9.01 today. You can get one delivered when you call in your order in advance, or you can have one with your meal at one of Huey’s locations.
A glance at ESPN’s football schedule for this week reveals that COVID-19 is doing wonders for the exposure of non-Power 5 schools. Memphis is arguably the biggest name playing this weekend – well, second to Army, I suppose, given that Army is a service academy and has past national championships. Memphis has done more in the past decade than just about any other school playing, though. They kick off Saturday at 7 vs. the Arkansas State Red Wolves on ESPN.
The CA has a first look at Ben-Yay’s, the new Cajun restaurant and gumbo shop on the Main Street Mall. Ben-Yay’s is in the middle of its soft opening right now, with grand opening and reveal of the full menu on Friday.
I published my second article on Medium yesterday, this one a fun way to trick yourself into drinking more water. I have a third article in the works, a longer article (10 minutes plus) on how to enhance your handwritten dream journal with a supplemental electronic index. That one should be up toward the end of the week.
In case you’re wondering where I’m going with this writing gig: Yes, I make a little money directly from Medium, but my main goal is to get 10 articles written as soon as possible – by the end of September, or at least October 15, is what I have in mind. That will get me in the habit of writing. It will also give me a portfolio to show to businesses that will allow me to apply for freelance gigs.
The past few days I’ve read that the big money these days is writing chatbot scripts. Let’s say you visit an online toy store, and a question mark icon at the bottom right of the screen asks if it can help you. It engages you in a conversation that helps you pick out exactly the right toy for your child. However, you’re not talking to a human. You’re talking to a bot that parses what you type and appears to respond intelligently. If you’ve ever read a “choose your own adventure” book, you understand chatbot scripts. Anyone need one written? I’d be willing to cut you a good deal in order to get the professional experience writing one.
Trivia answer: Alaska. One of the islands in the Aleutian chain lies on the other side of the International Date Line. No humans live on the island but millions of seabirds do, and it is monitored for volcanic activity. The island lies only about 70 miles from the westernmost point of the United States, another island known for wildlife.
Possibly back this afternoon with a COVID-19 press conference recap. Back tomorrow with more news.
I tried the Blind Bear’s new breakfast hours yesterday morning. Since they re-licensed as a full-service restaurant last week, they are now opening at 7 AM, seven days a week, for breakfast. A couple of notes I wanted to pass on:
First of all, they have baloney breakfast sliders! As best as I can recall, that is a menu item unique to the Blind Bear among Downtown restaurants. My apologies for not getting a photo!
Secondly, I learned that although you can get your grub on at 7, you can’t get your drank on that early. “We can’t serve you alcohol until 10 on Sundays,” bartender/server Mark told me. “State law. It’s 8 AM the other six days of the week.” I pulled out my phone to see what time it was. 9:59. Glad I didn’t come down here earlier, I thought. A minute went by, and Mark took my food order then popped a PBR open.
I want to comment on one other thing the Bear has done that I think is really smart. Rather than remove all seating from the bar, they put yellow CAUTION tape around the entire bar area. It communicates “don’t sit here, don’t stand here,” reinforcing the signs hung throughout the restaurant that you must be seated at a table to be served alcohol in compliance with Health Directive No. 11.
One other note about the Bear: They have ended all their contracts through corporate food delivery services like GrubHub, UberEats, and DoorDash. However, you can still get the Bear’s food delivered exclusively through The Lifter. That’s the golf cart shuttle and food delivery service run by a great Downtown entrepreneur. Put this number in your phone and give The Lifter a call the next time you need a ride somewhere or need food delivered: 901-563-6650.
Apparently Blind Bear’s menus still appear on some of the corporate food delivery services’ websites. Jeannette has contacted every one of them and told them she has ended their partnership with them. They just don’t care!
For those of you who don’t read my blog over the weekend, there was a reason I went out to the Blind Bear for breakfast yesterday: I was celebrating! Friday afternoon I published my first article on curated content website Medium, entitled Overcome Panic and Feel at Ease at Networking Events. Saturday morning I woke up to an email from Medium indicating that they needed my tax information. That meant enough people had read my article that I was earning royalties, making me a published professional author! I have several more articles in the pipeline, and I will post links upon their publication. Feel free to share the networking article with anyone you think should see it.
The Memphis Tigers’ football season is looking a little less bright. Star receiver Kenny Gainwell is reported to have opted out of the season. Can’t blame a young man with NFL aspirations for avoiding exposure to a coronavirus that could end his pro career before it begins, but damn… that may be enough to keep the Tigers out of the Top 25.
A number of restaurants will have $9.01 deals tomorrow, on $9.01 Day. Downtown options include
Automatic Slim’s, 901 Martini
Catherine & Mary’s, pasta
Cupcake Cutie, buy one get one half off
Gray Canary, oysters
SOB South Main, duck fried rice!!!!!
Also, City Tasting Tours will give $9.01 off tours and Feast & Graze charcuterie delivery service will have $9.01 off boxes.
The Orpheum will offer $9.01 mini-golf on stage September 3-7.
Looking at the Shelby County Health Department COVID-19 data page this morning, the 7-day average of new cases has plateaued in the low-to-mid 160s. That is below the 180 number needed to reopen limited-service restaurants and hopefully remove some of the restrictions on full-service restaurants. The rolling 7-day positivity rate, after bouncing around like a ping-pong ball for the past week, has hit 11%, a new low for August. 10% is the target for loosening restaurant restrictions.
Forecast: 70% chance of showers and thunderstorms today and tomorrow. 60% Wednesday. Well, that sucks. At least all the highs this week should be below 90.
Time to head in to work. Back tomorrow with more news.
If you’re not reading James Aycock’s COVID-19 analysis on Twitter (he goes by the handle @firstresponses), you are missing out on some excellent work. He presents facts hidden in the data that you don’t find anywhere else, such as change in rate of testing vs. change in rate of new COVID-19 cases. He provides an alternate look at where we really are in the fight against the virus, so that we don’t have to depend solely on a government agency’s spin on the data. He typically does a mid-week report on Wednesday, and an end-of-week report on Saturday. Here his thread for Saturday, August 29.
Aycock rallies his readers around an idea I completely agree with: Residents of Shelby County would do much better fighting virus spread as a whole if we set a common goal which we could rally around, each citizen taking pride in working toward its achievement. COVID-19 certainly sucks but in it, there is a huge opportunity: For our community to see itself as one, rather than as separate from each other. Just think how far we could advance as a society, not just eliminating a virus but in many other ways, if we all learned this important lesson.
Aycock’s suggested goal for which to strive: To wipe out the virus in Shelby County to the point that kids can attend school in person after fall break. A visit to the Shelby County Schools website reveals that fall break is October 12-16, so we would have about six weeks to work on this goal as a community.
Okay. I want to play devil’s advocate here. I promise you I’m not trolling (I have a representative who handles that for me). Serious question:
How do you get people to rally behind the goal of getting kids back to school in person after fall break, when many those people don’t have any children, are not themselves educators, and don’t otherwise have any connection to the school system?
Think about the guy around the corner who throws legendary Labor Day cookouts. There’s bratwurst, there are ribs, there are burgers. Needless to say, there is beer, lots of beer, and a well-stocked liquor cabinet. Last year there was even an ice luge for people to do shots off of. People who want to cool off can take a dip in the pool, and he has several TVs for those who want to watch the games that are on. Last year 82 people showed up. It’s the guy’s claim to fame, the one day of the year he is somebody in his community.
How do you convince him that kids attending school in person are more important than his party, when he has no kids himself? How do you convince any of the 82 people who had a blast at the 2019 Labor Day party that they should skip the 2020 version and stay home?
Imagine, if you will, a smokin’ hot 22-year-old with luxurious long hair, sparkling eyes, perfect skin, full lips, and a rocking body. Last year, during her first year when she could legally drink, she discovered that she was the center of attention at the club. Guys stared at her, bought her drinks, asked her out. One dude even offered to buy her a car… she turned him down, but how cool was it that he offered? Of course, attention from men was not the real reason she wore those tight, sexy clothes on Saturday nights… it’s because she knew all of her friends were secretly jealous of her, and she wanted to rub salt in their wounds. Saturday nights were the crown jewel of her week, the three hours or so out of an otherwise dull existence when she was a star. She longs for more of those nights, but the health department closed the club. There’s a second club that’s not as good, but still open because it has a full-service restaurant license. But it closes at 10, and well, DUH, everyone knows only losers go out that early!
Now, we can all hope our young, pretty friend finds higher ambitions in life. However, right now, she is who she is, and she’s as capable of spreading COVID as you are. How do you convince her that she should give up her 15 minutes of fame so kids can attend school?
Max’s Sports Bar has been jam-packed every Saturday in the fall since it opened almost 13 years ago. It’s the place for Downtowners to watch football because Max’s has over a dozen TVs and all the sports packages. He tapes signs to each TV letting customers know which games will be on which sets, so they can select where to sit. That is, if they can find a place to sit, which they won’t if they get there more than 30 minutes after the first kickoff. There are buckets of Miller Lite and there are chocolate salty ball shots and there are BBQ nachos and there’s the guy who always says “Next year, that’s gonna be ARRRR YEARRRR” after Tennessee loses to Georgia State.
For many people, those Saturdays are the 14 best days of the year. Furthermore, if those Saturdays don’t happen, their good friend could be forced to close the business he has owned nearly all of his adult life, joining Lucky Cat Ramen and Midtown Crossing Grill on the list of beloved recent COVID casualties. Most of the regulars at Max’s don’t have kids, so how do you convince them that they should lose their gathering place at least for one season, and possibly for good, so kids can go back to school?
I hesitate to label any of the people/stereotypes above as selfish, although I realize many others would. We’re all here on earth to discover and experience that which fulfills us. For some, it may be working to discover a cure for cancer. For others, it may be shaking their ass at a club at 2:25 in the morning. Neither experience is more “right” or “wrong” than the other.
On the other hand, I do believe COVID was sent to us as an opportunity to see the entire human race as our family, rather than only the people we share a home with, or only the people we share a bar table with. If that is indeed the case, we are largely failing at our opportunity.
All right, now that I’ve pissed off just about everyone, let’s get on to the Sunday news…
The Daily Memphian has coverage of Memphis 901 FC’s march to end racism and their boycott of last night’s scheduled match. Super proud of my city’s football club. Let me reprise what I said two paragraphs ago. The events of 2020 are an opportunity to see the human race as our family, rather than only the people we share a skin color with.
A few days ago I discussed Microsoft Rewards as a way to get about 100 bucks a year in Walmart or Target gift cards for spending a few minutes a day doing Bing searches. Got another suggestion… install the ReceiptPal, ReceiptHog, and FetchRewards apps on your phone and scan grocery and drug store receipts. Based on what I’ve seen so far, each will amount to about a $100 Amazon gift card a year and you can scan the same receipt in all three apps.
I tried a Blind Bear receipt the other day but apparently the apps don’t accept receipts from barslimited service restaurants full service restaurants. “Not a real receipt,” said one of the apps. Next time I go in, I will show that to Jeannette. If it’s not a real receipt, does that mean I can stop paying my tabs there?
Travel + Leisure magazine gave our fair city some love in its article 9 stops you should make on a Great River road trip. Of course, the four major river cities made the list. In case you’re wondering what smaller cities are recommended, they are
Headwaters, MN
Lake Pepin, WI/MN
Dubuque, IA
Marianna and Helena, AR
Natchez, MS
If you’re looking for a way to entertain yourself at home today, the Indie Memphis Youth Film Fest is happening online.
For my readers who are casual pro wrestling fans: One of the most significant happenings of the year closed this Friday’s episode of Smackdown:
Heel Roman Reigns, managed by Paul Heyman. This is going to be AWESOME.
Biden’s lead is starting to slip. When FiveThirtyEight first launched its presidential election tracker, Uncle Joe was listed as “favored” to win, scoring the victory in 72 of 100 simulated elections, a number which went up to 73, but which has now slid down to Biden being “slightly favored” with 69 victories out of 100. Over on RealClearPolitics, Biden’s average lead in battleground states is 2.7%, down 2 points from just a couple of weeks ago, and his lead in Michigan has shrunk to 2.6% which is downright scary. If any state is a must-win state for Biden, Michigan is likely it. Slightly better news: If any state is a must-win state for Trump, it’s Florida, but Biden is up by 3.7% there.
One final comment on COVID-19: I certainly understand businesses raising prices in response to the pandemic. However, I also understand economics. If I like business A and business B equally, but I can buy a product at business A for 25% less than at business B, I am generally going to buy that product at business A.
That’s it for today. About to head out to business A to buy one of those products, along with a side of unwanted fries. Back tomorrow with more news.
This week I mentioned that I’ve been working on a side hustle, and I would have more to say soon. Well, the time has come. I am now a published writer on Medium, a site “for readers, writers, and the insatiably curious.”
Feel free to share the post with anyone you think would benefit from reading. It’s about a trick I learned a long time ago, in my very early years Downtown, to survive and thrive in an environment that can be quite intimidating for introverts.
I’ll come back and say more about my side hustle at the end of this post, but first, let’s get on to the news.
The Daily Memphian had a chat with Orpheum president and CEO Brett Batterson about bringing Broadway back as well as other events. Touring Broadway shows require 100% capacity so it may be a while before those are fully back, but Orpheum classic movies on the big screen are already back, and other types of shows are on the schedule this fall.
Speaking of which, Grandma’s Big Vote, a musical stage play by William Gandy Jr. has been booked for the Orpheum’s sibling venue the Halloran Centre for the Performing Arts Sunday, October 25. Gandy’s purpose in this stage play is to convince people both young and old to cast their votes. His inspiration for the play was his grandmother, who lived to cast her One Big Vote at age 106 in the election of 2008.
Don’t forget that the Blind Bear opens for breakfast at 7 AM seven days a week. Yes, they’re still doing Hung Over Like a Bear brunch from 10 AM to 3 PM on the weekends, but classic breakfasts are available as early as 7. If you go on Saturdays or Sundays my buddy Mark will take care of you. You may remember Mark from Mr. Handy’s Blues Hall and Double J. Tip him well and if you love cats, be sure to mention that.
In other Downtown full-service restaurant news, Bardog now has online ordering. They’re using the ChowNow platform, and if it’s your first experience using that platform you can get 15% off your first order over $25 through September 30. If you prefer to dine in, you can do that as well, with both the main room and the Underdog now open.
Memphis Travel has a list of places to shop for musical instruments in our city. I’m glad they published the list because I would have never thought to tell tourists about one of the venues they mention: Vibe & Dime, the gift shop of Ditty TV at 510 S. Main.
In case you’re wondering if there is any college football today, the answer is no. Only three games were scheduled, all involving minor FBS conference schools. Two have been canceled and one postponed. Today shouldn’t have been a big college football day, though, COVID-19 or not; the season typically gets into full swing the Saturday before Labor Day, which is in September rather than August this year.
Look at the bright side, though… we’re six days away from Arkansas State vs. Memphis on ESPN… hopefully. Collierville High going from playing football (with media ban) to two players testing positive to going all-virtual in less than a week is a scary foreboding of what football season will look like this fall, I’m afraid.
On the COVID-19 front, a million antigen tests are on their way to Tennessee. Although these tests are a little less accurate than the testing in use now, they are cheap ($5) and rapid-result. Dr. Scott Strone, executive director of the College of Medicine at UTHSC, compares the technology to that used in pregnancy tests.
The same article notes that the replication rate of the coronavirus has risen from 0.89 (as reported by health department director Dr. Haushalter on Tuesday) to 0.95. Keeping it at or below 1.0 is a requirement for bars to be able to open. Let’s all wear our masks this weekend! The article also reports that testing has been at 70% or less capacity the last two weeks, so if you want a test you should be able to get one.
10:30 – photos and reflection at the “I Am a Man” mural, 398 S. Main
10:45 – arrive at National Civil Rights Museum
11:00 – team tour of National Civil Rights Museum
Supporters and the public are welcome to join the team on the tour with advance ticket purchase and staggered entry times. Masks are required. The next home match is Wednesday at 7 vs. Charlotte.
I don’t usually put real estate listings on here but a unit has become available in the highly-sought Wm. Farrington building at 413 S. Main. It’s a 1 BR/1 BA down the street from Puck Food Hall. Price is $225,000 and cost after property taxes, insurance, HOA and all that other crap is estimated at $1331 a month.
More about that side hustle
Medium is an outstanding subscription content site which I’ve been a paid member of on and off during the past two years. Recently I read several articles about becoming a published content author on Medium, and I thought to myself, there’s no reason I could not do this. I’ve got the writing ability, I’m not afraid of a little shameless self-promotion, and I like helping people.
Longtime readers remember that I had a side hustle once before, those Amazon storefronts that I ran through software called Associate-O-Matic. They siphoned a few commission bucks off people’s purchases through Amazon. It was perfectly legal but it wasn’t something I was passionate about, and I had to deal with software upgrades to 100 storefronts now and then. Articles, on the other hand, require practically no maintenance once they’re written and published.
My goal is to write 100 Medium articles by August 26, 2021. I have three more in Drafts right now. I’ll give you a teaser for one: After being told I should drink a gallon of water a day for a long time, I finally figured out a mind hack to do that. In a normal, non-pandemic year I would get over 80 reminders of that goal without ever having to set an alarm.
Eventually, I would like to create an information product or online course, thereby scratching the “teaching” part of my itch. Another possibility is to publish an ebook, which I have read is quite easy to do on Amazon’s Kindle platform.
One more thing I will add about Medium: If you are a programmer, web developer, or data scientist, you should most certainly check it out. They have some incredible contributors on there, and you’ll often find links to free ebooks at the end of articles.
That’s it for this Saturday morning. Time to divide a few hours between writing and laundry, then get out to my favorite full-service restaurants. Bardog and Blind Bear are both on my agenda today. Back tomorrow with more news.
