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Today is the finals of the International Blues Challenge. It starts at the Orpheum at noon, with doors opening at 11 AM. Tickets are $42.50 (while supplies last) and an IBC pass will also get you in. There will be a silent auction at 11 AM. The best self-produced CD winner will also be announced at this show. The best blues in the world are right down the street today.

There are a few more IBC events to wrap things up. Tonight at 8:30 there will be an all-star Jam with Dennis Jones at the New Daisy on Beale Street. At 10 there will be a VizzTone Blues Party at Rum Boogie Cafe. That party will be hosted by by Bob Margolin featuring Candye Kane, Laura Chavez, Little G Weevil, Dennis Gruenling, Long Tall Deb & Colin John, Bob Corritore, Gina Sicilia, Gracie Curran, Tad Walters, Chuck Cotton, Richard “Rosy” Rosenblatt. $5 cover.

Tomorrow there will be a Blues Brunch at 10:30 at the Majestic Grille. Out-of-towners, if you’re undecided about this, GO. The Majestic has one of the best brunches in the city.

Got an update from someone who dropped by Earnestine & Hazel’s last night and talked to people who work there: They plan to be open every day now, although they may not be open for lunch. This is mere speculation on my part, but if you want to experience E&H as it has existed for the past 22 years, you might want to do it sooner rather than later. Actually, it could be argued that E&H as it existed for the past 22 years no longer exists, now that a few key employees have been let go. I don’t want to name names but they were as much a part of the place as the jukebox and the records on the walls. If any of those let go are reading this: My heart hurts for you and if I can do anything to help you, please let me know.

I mentioned that all three of Aldo’s restaurants are selling party packs for Super Bowl parties at home. Add one more restaurant to the list: Central BBQ. They’ve got meat trays, sandwich packs, wings, and more. They suggest calling your preferred location as soon as possible to reserve your order. The phone number for the Downtown location is (901) 672-7760.

Two games at the FedExForum this weekend. Tonight at 7 the Grizzlies take on the Houston Rockets, a back-to-back after getting a road win over the Rockets last night in Houston. Tomorrow the Memphis Tigers host the USF Bulls at 1 PM.

Almost time for my usual Saturday Bardog stop. Not sure if Panda will be back or if we’ll have one more week of Brooke, but either way I won’t be disappointed. Got a double birthday party to attend for two friends at the Blind Bear at 9, so I’ve got to be careful to wake up early if I take a midday “halftime” nap. Outta here for now. Congratulations to the blues artists who made it to the finals.

Last night I received a message from one of my Twitter followers. She’d tried to go to Earnestine & Hazel’s last night but it was closed, and she asked if I knew what was going on. I didn’t, but several people on South Main gave me details. Here’s what I have been told (this came from customers, not anyone who works there):

• They let two employees go, and as a result have been closed several nights a week
• They are taking cash only now
• They were open Monday but were closed other days this week.

If I learn more about what’s going on there, I will update.

Eric Clapton has been announced for an April 30 Mud Island Ampitheatre concert. Tickets will go on sale next week.

WREG reports that a bad odor has been leaking from Family Dollar on Main. It has been smelled next door at DeJaVu, and the chef is worried it will turn away his customers. A lawyer whose office is nearby has also complained that his clients smell the odor as soon as they walk into his lobby.

Bad news for those who purchase with plastic:

• FBI warns stores to prepare for more credit card hacks
• Tiny Bluetooth card skimmers will make you hug your debit card

That’s all for now. I am SO ready for this weekend and will be out at the usual spots a little before 6.

Brrr it’s cold outside! This morning I learned something that Northerners probably already know: When it’s well below freezing, don’t leave the house with wet hair. I had to stop for gas and by the time I finished pumping, I had icicles forming in my hair.

Tonight is Thirsty Thursday, the weekly pint night at the Downtown Central BBQ location. Yazoo is the featured brewery this week, and there will be $3 pints of its Gerst beer. 22-ounce bombers of the brewery’s limited-edition 10-Year IPA will be available as well, although probably not for $3. Central puts out complimentary “bar bites” during the event. Tonight they will include pork butt sloppy joes, fried chicken skins, and possibly BBQ poutine. More info here. Free food? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

The Orpheum has announced a lottery for $25 tickets to Wicked, which will run January 29-February 16. 2 1/2 hours before each performance, people can show up at the box office and have their names placed in a lottery drum. 30 minutes later, names will be drawn for a limited number of $25 orchestra seats, cash only. Limit two per winner, and winners must present valid photo ID at the time of signing up and when claiming their prize.

Short on time, so short post today. Don’t forget that the quarterfinals of the International Blues Challenge are still going on and there are $10 wristbands on Beale that get you in all the IBC venues today.

The Peabody’s Corner Bar has revised its happy hour specials, which run from 5 to 7 PM Monday-Thursday. They have something different each night. Here’s the lineup:

– Monday is 3×3 Monday Mania, with a selection of martinis, margaritas, and mojitos for $3 each.

– Tuesday is Blues, Brews, and Booze for Tennessee Tuesdays with a selection of Tennessee beers and spirits for $3 each. The options change but examples from last night include Yazoo Hop Project #73 and Prichard’s Fine Run. There is live blues music.

– Wednesday is Winedown Wednesday with a selection of house reds and whites for $2.50, $5, and $7 each.

-Thursday is Girls’ Night Out with a selection of pink drinks for $3.

Former CA writer Dan Wolken (@DanWolken on Twitter) tweeted a very interesting map: Where college basketball teams recruit. You can filter by conference, team, or position.

I’ve been forgetting to ask my readers to follow this link and vote for Copeland Coaching to receive a $25,000 small business grant. I’ve mentioned my friend Angie Copeland, who has been mentoring job seekers for 9 years, a few times on this blog. I’ve known her for the entire time she has been coaching and she is a valuable resource to turn to for advice. If you would take a minute to vote for Angie I would appreciate it very much.

With recent law changes in Mississippi, Tennessee has the most restrictive beer cap in the Southeast. Anything over 5% ABV brewed in Tennessee is considered liquor by the state. This hurts area brewers because some of their best craft brews are well above 5%. Find out how you can help fix the beer cap here.

The Memphis Flyer 20 Under 30 issue is out. I haven’t seen the full list yet, but congratulations to radio host Chris Vernon’s sidekick Jon Roser on his inclusion. Roser is one of the people who keeps it real in Memphis.

I notched a win at the Tuesday night Blind Bear Texas Hold’em game. It was a weird night. We had flops of 3-3-3 twice in one night, very unusual. I had starting hands of 7-2, 7-3, 7-4, and 7-3 in a row. Those are among the worst hands in full-table Hold’em and it’s amazing that I won given all the garbage I was dealt. However, I was also dealt pocket Kings a couple of times and those helped a lot. I added another $50 gift card to my stash, although the real value of poker night is all the wonderful friends I have made there, much more so than the prize winnings. By the way, the rumor that I bought a round of pepper jack mac & cheese for the bar with the $50 is not true.

In case you missed my morning update, don’t forget that there’s some great music on Beale tonight at the IBC! $10 wristbands!

Just a quick note to remind everyone that the quarterfinals of the International Blues Challenge are tonight and tomorrow on Beale and surrounding clubs. This is an international competition that bands had to qualify for in advance, so everyone competing is quite talented. There is a $10 wristband on sale tonight that will get you in all the clubs where IBC bands are performing. This is one of your best chances of the year to hear some great live music, so if the blues are your thing, take advantage of it.

There’s a Grizzlies game Groupon going on right now. You get a game ticket, a T-shirt, and a bottomless popcorn in the deal.

Friday is National Beer Can Appreciation Day. The Flying Saucer (both Downtown and Cordova) will have a variety of canned craft brews available from 11 AM to close.

The Flyer’s Hungry Memphis blogger discovered a Chinese restaurant inside City Hall. Amazing that I’ve lived Downtown for 12 years and never knew about it.

Bardog Tavern is offering a package for $99.99 that will feed 8-12 people for a Super Bowl party at home. It consists of

20 wings
20 original Memphis sliders
20 hot dog sliders
chorizo cheese dip
spinach & artichoke dip
homemade chips

Stop by the tavern at 73 Monroe or call 901-275-8752 to place your order.

Aldo’s Pizza Pies is also offering a game package that feeds 8-12, for $89.99. You get

2 appetizers
family-style house salad
3 large specialty pizzas

Call 901-577-7PIE or stop by 100 South Main to place your order.

That’s the news for now. I’ll be out at the Blind Bear at 8 for their poker night. I’m getting low on gift cards so I need a win tonight.

Roughly 1000 members of the country music and radio industries will be in town this weekend. They are here for Country Cares, a seminar that gives participants a look at the mission of St. Jude through tours, patient panels, and sessions on how to make radiothons a success. They will be here through Sunday the 19th. Welcome to all!

The Memphis Tigers host UConn at 6 PM at the FedExForum today. The game will be nationally broadcast on ESPN. UConn, ranked at the beginning of the season, has stumbled a few times, but a win over UConn would still be considered a quality win by the NCAA tournament committee.

A friend of mine had a really sweet dog show up on her doorstep in East Memphis a few days ago. My friend took her around the neighborhood to try and find the owners, but no luck. The dog gets along fairly well with other dogs and with cats, can be walked on a leash, and is housetrained. My friend has two other dogs and a cat, so she can’t keep her. Would anyone like to adopt this dog? If so email me at paul@paulryburn.com and I will put you in touch. My friend is willing to help with the cost of shots and spaying if needed. If no one adopts her within a few days, she will have to go to the shelter where her future would likely be grim.

Looking for a job? Hard Rock Cafe is looking for an experienced kitchen manager.

Retired pro wrestler/Twitter legend The Iron Sheik now has his own alarm clock app. Wake to the sounds of Sheikie Baby yelling at you. This morning he tweeted that he is more genius than the Steve Jobs and the Lanny Poffo for developing this app.

Want to be a vendor at Memphis Farmers Market? Here’s how. Deadline for applications is February 8.

Kooky Canuck announced that there will be an all-Canadian showcase for the International Blues Challenge at the restaurant at 11:30 AM next Thursday, January 23.

For those who appreciate tube tops as much as I do, might want to check out this post on the Hot Chicks with Douchebags site.

That’s it for now. Working from home while I wait on a car repair that was supposed to happen two weeks ago but didn’t. I’ll be out about 6 to watch the Tigers game.

Good luck to former Memphian the Nuh-Uh Sister, who is in L.A. filming an episode of Jeopardy as a contestant today.

Wet Willie’s bartender Jessica Braddy was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Disease in December, and Beale Street is holding a fundraiser for her. All the get-in-(almost) all-of-the-Beale-cubs wristbands sold on Friday, January 17 will be donated to paying for her care. Also, Jessica Braddy Benefit and Silent Auction will held on Friday, January 17 at Wet Willie’s with music by Eric Hughes and other musicians. Wet Willie’s will match every dollar donated. If you can’t make it to the fundraiser, you can donate here.

The Shelby County Health Department is now offering free flu vaccines.

Lansky at the Peabody is having their biggest sale ever. Here’s what’s on sale:

50% OFF All BONOBOS Pants
50% OFF Select Mens/Womens TOMS shoes
Large Group of Sportcoats 40-50% OFF
Large Group of Outerwear 40% OFF
Large Group of Sportshirts 50% OFF (including select styles from Southern Tide, Thomas Dean, Bugatchi, Stone Rose)
Leather Jackets 40% OFF
Select Group of Nat Nast/Robert Graham 40% OFF
Select Group of Shoes – Up to 75% OFF
50% OFF SEC Collegiate Sportshirts

If you can’t make it to the store, email sales@lanskybros.com with your sizes/brands/styles interested and they will send you photos.

The MBJ reports that Hard Rock Cafe is moving into the building at 126 Beale. That building is the former home of Republic Nightclub, EP Delta Kitchen, and Elvis Presley’s Memphis.

After getting knocked out at poker last night, I watched the Kentucky-Arkansas game, which went into overtime. Tied at 85-85, the Hogs missed a three-pointer with about 3 seconds left… and then sophomore Michael Qualls put it back in with a SportsCenter Top 10-worthy dunk. That left the Wildcats with 0.2 seconds to pass the ball the length of the court and tip it in. However, the Wildcats threw the ball too high and it hit the arena’s ceiling scoreboard, considered out of bounds. That gave the Razorbacks the ball with 0.2 on the clock and that was the game. So much fun to see John Calipari screaming at the refs, the timekeepers, anyone who would listen. View the video of the dunk and reactions here.

This may be useful to some of my readers: LinkedIn launches Volunteer Marketplace, a place to connect and help out with nonprofits.

The Memphis Car Show is this weekend at the Cook Convention Center. Here are the details:

Friday & Saturday: 10 AM-9 PM
Sunday: 10 AM-5 PM

Adults 13+ are $8
Seniors 62+ are $6
Military with ID are $6
Children 6-12 are $6
Children 5 and under are free

Sunday is Family Day. Kids 12 and under are free with paying adults.

Meanwhile, over at the Cannon Center, there will be a nationally televised boxing card on Saturday.

That’s it for now. I’ll probably lead off at the Silly Goose after work around 6, then walk over to Blind Bear to continue my journey through the new dinner menu. Getting some good pics for the next PBR Review post.

Recently I came across an email that said that certain events that had occurred had caused a minor kerfluffle. It was the first time in my life I could recall “kerfluffle” used in a sentence, and I looked it up on Dictionary.com.

kerfluffle

row, disturbance, c.1930, first in Canadian English, ult. from Scot. curfuffle.

It wasn’t wrong before I heard the word again. Wiseacre Brewery has announced that their KERFLUFFLE Oatmeal Stout is now on tap at the Flying Saucer. Tonight’s 7:30 trivia game has a bonus round where you could win a chance to take a tour of the brewery.

Going to the Grizzlies game tonight? Get there early if you want a Grizzlies scarf. They are free to the first 5000 fans. Last week’s headphone giveaway ran out in 15 minutes. Game time is 7 and Oklahoma City is the opponent.

Pretty smart to do those giveaways. They get people in the arena early, paying $10 for an extra beer they’d get for $4-5 if they pre-gamed at a bar down the street.

Uptown news: Sidewalk repairs on North Main between Henry and Keel beginning tomorrow. The repairs are funded by the Main2Main project that will connect Memphis’ Main Street with West Memphis’ Broadway.

From Lifehacker: Why You Make Bad Decisions when You’re Attracted to Someone. I’m tempted to email this link to a few people with the subject “2013: Your Year in Review.”

I’ll be at Tuesday night poker at the Blind Bear at 8. I may show up a little early to try one of the Bear’s new menu items. I had the crab cakes last night and they were fabulous; I will discuss them soon in a Paul’s PBR Review, but if you’re a fan of seafood do not wait for my review to come out to try these.

Hopefully everyone will play nice at poker tonight and no one will start a kerfluffle. Happy Tuesday everyone and Go Grizzlies!

Tickets for the American Athletic Conference men’s basketball tournament are now on sale. The tournament will be held at FedExForum March 12-15 and you can get tickets here. One of the good things about Memphis’ move to the AAC is that the championship game will be at 5 PM on Saturday the 15th. No more awful 10:30 AM start time for the final game as we had in Conference USA.

Speaking of the AAC, congratulations to Memphis Tigers forward Shaq Goodwin on being named the AAC’s Player of the Week. It’s the second time this season Shaq has won the award.

A new Dishcrawl is being planned for Downtown on Wednesday, February 19. It will be a Savory Chocolate Crawl. Diners will walk from restaurant to restaurant to enjoy treats that are dipped, filled, or covered with chocolate. I imagine there’s hardly a wife or girlfriend out there who wouldn’t appreciate a ticket to this crawl as a Valentine’s Day gift.

Local brewer Wiseacre received its distilling license today. That means that the brewery will be able to produce beers greater than 6.2% in alcohol by volume. By Tennessee law those beers are considered liquor, so a different license is needed.

Chris Vernon announced this morning that Marc Gasol has been medically cleared to return to practice. It looks like the Grizzlies are only a couple of weeks away from having their best player back on the floor.

That’s the news for now. I’m home from work and on my way out. My first stop will be Flying Saucer for a few Pint Nite beers. Then I will walk over to the Blind Bear for dinner. I have four gift cards that I won at poker and I plan on using them this week to try out the new menu items. I’ll post photos of my food to social media, and start gathering up photos for a Paul’s PBR Review of the Bear in about a week.