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Replicas of Columbus’ ships the Nina and the Pinta are docked at the riverboat harbor for the next week. These are the most authentic replicas ever made and they’re open for public tours. Read more about the ships here.

The Flyer’s Memphis Beer Beat blog has an interview with Andy Ashby, one of the organizers of the Cooper-Young Regional Beerfest that happens today. Read it here. This is part 1 of a 2-part interview. I’ll say it one more time: If you go to only one Memphis beer festival a year, make it this one. This is the only festival to which I take a notepad because there’s so much to learn about beer.

Speaking of Andy, he has a new So you’re going to the beer festival? blog post up. There are still a few tickets available, but my advice is, you better get there right at 1 if you plan to get one.

Ghost River brewery is now selling their Golden Ale in bottles. Currently it’s only on sale at the brewery’s dock at Main and Crump.

Exciting morning around here. Laundry, upgrading my MacBook to Parallels Desktop 7. I’m going to head to the Saucer in a little while to pre-game for CY Beerfest. If anyone wants to split a cab down there, meet me at the Saucer around 12:30.

This Sunday, October 16, Delphinium Boutique on G.E. Patterson will host a Make-Over Party from 3 PM until close. Professional makeup artists will be giving free Bare Ecscentuals makeovers. All Bare Ecscentuals products will be 10% off. Everyone who RSVPs by Friday (call 901-522-8600 to RSVP) will receive a free gift. In addition, there will be food, catered by South Main resident Gloria Maloney. Free food? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

Guys, if you’re less than thrilled about hanging out at a boutique while your lady gets her makeover, walk down the street to Max’s Sports Bar. They have the NFL package with all the games, a big deck out back, and $2.50 PBR.

The Fuel Cafe food truck has been set up Downtown for the past couple of days. Today it is parked at Front and Peabody Place. Follow it on Twitter at @fuelfoodtruck to keep up with its whereabouts on future days.

Short post today, because I have to grab lunch and run errands. I’ll be at the Silly Goose’s Pink Party tonight (starts at 8, date auction at 10, $5 cover and proceeds from auction and certain drinks going to breast cancer research). Will probably pre-game for the pink party at the Flying Saucer.

The Silly Goose crowned a new mayor on Foursquare tonight. Here are pics of mayor Rebekah erasing the old mayoral announcement and putting up her own. The Queen Mayor is dead, long live the Queen Mayor:

Dr. Jodi Rump’s Main Street Dental has a really unique fundraiser going on right now. For $30, they will put a pink jewel in your teeth. All the proceeds go to breast cancer research. More info, and photos of the jewels, can be found on Main Street Dental’s Facebook page.

This would be a great accessory for tomorrow night’s Pink Party at the Silly Goose.

The fundraiser reminds me of a debate I once had. I was sitting on the patio of Sleep Out Louie’s with my friends Kit, Kelly, Shane and Leigh. We were discussing whether the proper pluralization of “tooth” in Memphis was “tooths,” “tootheses,” or “teetheses.” A subsequent poll of Downtown Memphians in their native habitat (i.e. we polled the bums) indicated that “teetheses” is preferred, so that’s what I used here in the post title.

Does anyone else think the inside corner spaces – those on a corner, facing an interior rather than an exterior wall of the garage – should be marked “Compact Cars Only?”

Last night as I pulled into the garage in my Saturn SC2, there was a huge, full-sized SUV parked in the interior corner space of level 2. It totally created a blind corner for anyone in a regular-height car. As I rounded the corner, I honked several times to announce my presence, but still came within about a foot and a half of hitting a car coming in the opposite direction, who had cut the corner. She had no idea I was there, nor I her.

Seems like this has been happening more and more lately. If it’s happened to you too, shoot me an email at paul@paulryburn.com. Maybe we can get a group together to ask the garage to make the interior corner spaces compact cars only. If the garage won’t do it, maybe we can at least convince the Residence Inn to tell their valets to stop parking big SUVs and trucks in those spaces. It’s a big safety hazard and I’m surprised it hasn’t caused a wreck yet.

I’ve received more information about the Pink Party happening Thursday night at the Silly Goose. As I mentioned previously, the party starts at 8 PM, with a $5 cover. All proceeds from the cover, along with proceeds from certain drinks, will be donated to the cause.

Also as previously reported, there will be a dating auction at 10 PM. I’ve now learned that local restaurants have donated gift cards, mostly in the amount of $100, for auction winners to use on their dates. Restaurants that have donated include

• Flight
• Papa Pia’s
• Texas de Brazil
• Spindini
• Mesquite Chop House
• Blue Fin
• Bangkok Alley
• Itta Bena
• South of Beale

If any other restaurants want to jump on board, give Daniel a call at the Goose. He’s looking to add one or two more.

Should be a fun party for a good cause. The flyer is below (click for larger image):

I’ve written about several beer festivals in Memphis this year, but the best one of them all happens this Saturday. The Cooper-Young Regional Beerfest will be held from 1 to 5 PM.

The organizers have told me it will be even better than last year, and let me tell you, last year’s was pretty good. I walked in last October and they gave me a generously-sized sampling mug (14 oz. I think). The majority of the beers served were not ones commonly seen in Memphis.

What really set this festival apart, though, was the opportunity to learn about beer. Early in the afternoon, I wandered into the education tent, mainly to get some shade. Once there, though, I found the brewer presentations to be fascinating. If you want to learn how to brew your own beer, or how beer is brewed in a medium-sized craft brewery, this is your chance. In addition, most of the brewers were in their booth when not presenting. The number of attendees is kept small so people have time to talk to the brewers and get questions answered.

The high point of last year’s event was the Vino’s (Little Rock) booth. They found an old recipe for Goldcrest 51, brewed in Memphis’ Tennessee Brewery in the early part of the 20th century, and re-created it. They also had a book for sale on the Tennessee Brewery and its history, based on research the Vino’s people did. I bought a copy, read it, and then passed it on, because I wanted as many Downtowners who live near the brewery as possible to see it. I don’t know where the book is today, but I imagine some of the regulars at Max’s Sports Bar would know. Anyway, that’s the kind of cool and unexpected stuff you will find at this event.

They’ll have food for those that need to get something in their stomach to make it through the 4-hour sampling. Central BBQ is on board. Yum!

I bought my ticket within 2 hours of the festival being announced. Tickets are still available, but the event could very well sell out before Saturday. Get tickets here and “Like” the festival on Facebook here.

Weather looks gorgeous for Saturday: Low 80s, no chance of rain. Downtowners: This is most definitely worth a cab ride. If anyone wants to split one, meet me at the Saucer around 12:30 Saturday. Hope to drink some beer with you at the fest.

Just got home from work. This sign was in the elevator:

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL $1.00 DRAFTS
Thai Bistro 147 Madison between Second and Third Streets

Ghost River

Fat Tire

Yuengling

Mich Ultra

Shock Top

Kirin

Great Sushi and Thai Food

Buck a beer? Heck of a deal.

The Green Beetle emailed me this morning with an exciting announcement. They are going to start a beer pong challenge on Wednesday nights. They hope to get enough people to have a full tournament. They will have special guest hosts from week to week. PBR is sponsoring the event, so they will have swag to give away, as well as PBR specials. PBR specials? Well well well! Sounds like the Beetle may become a regular Wednesday stop for me!

RiverArtsFest, to be held October 22 and 23 in the South Main Arts District, is taking applications for volunteers here. They have many different areas for which they need volunteers, so there should be something to suit everyone’s taste. Shifts are only a few hours long, and there are perks including a T-shirt and snacks.

Sign of the times: Man assaults wife for not “Liking” his Facebook status. Wow. I don’t mean to make light of this, because violence against women is never appropriate. However, it does illustrate that if you adopt one of my cardinal rules of life – “don’t get emotionally or romantically involved with people who are batshit crazy” – you tend to not find yourself in these kinds of situations. I hope she hits him back, with divorce papers, and gets the hell away.

The Peabody is hosting a California Wine Dinner Wednesday night in Capriccio from 6 to 8. Here’s the menu:

First Course:
Mussels in Garlic & White Wine
Frog’s Leap Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Napa

Second Course:
Pappardelle
Duckhorn Decoy Pinot Noir 20009, Anderson Valley

Third Course
Filet Mignon
Paradise Ridge Rockpile Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Sonoma

Fourth Course
Jack Daniel’s Bread Pudding

The dinner will be hosted by Ford Coleman of Athens Distributors. Cost is $55 plus tax and gratuity, and includes complimentary valet parking. Call 901-529-4199 to make reservations.

NCAA realignment news: The Big East appears interested in expanding to 12 football teams. Given that it only has 6, it appeared possible that Memphis might get an invite, despite our football team’s dismal record the past two seasons. A brief glimmer of hope that we might get into a BCS conference!

So, what did our incompetent athletic director, R.C. Johnson, do? He held a press conference and said that Memphis deserves to be in the SEC. No kidding, he ACTUALLY SAID THAT. Yeah I’m sure great programs like Alabama, LSU, Auburn, Arkansas and Florida would be thrilled to have their brand diluted by a team that lost by 44 to Arkansas State. R.C. is absolutely delusional. Worse, his comments let the Big East – a conference that might actually invite us, deserved or not – know that we are looking elsewhere. My God. Stupid stupid STUPID!

FIRE R.C.!!!

I’ll be at Pint Nite tonight around 6, celebrating the fact that as soon as the lockout ends, I deserve to be awarded a $14 million contract with the Grizzlies. Hope to see you there!

What’s up folks. I’m sitting here at the Silly Goose, having a self-made Bloody Mary from their Bloody Mary bar. I wanted to tell you about the All Pink party they’re having Thursday night. Starts at 8, dating auction at 10 (that will be entertaining), $5 cover. See flyer for more info.

I don’t own a single pink item. Maybe I’ll throw a red shirt and a bunch of bleach in the washer when I get home.