Daily thoughts of a Downtown Memphis resident
The organizer for today’s Downtowners for Obama
Couple of pics from Trolley Tour last night:
Here’s a pic of my BFF
Here’s a pic of Meredith in a tube dress.
All right, got a lot to get done today, so gotta run. If I have time this evening, I’ll post a recap of the Downtowners for Obama event.
Several people have e-mailed asking me, “What’s the deal with that new shop on Front Street, at Gayoso across from Barton Flats and AutoZone?” So today as I was walking back from free pizza at the Orpheum, I stopped in. It’s called Big Ono Bake Shops and it’s a Hawaiian bakery.
They have enormous rolls and loaves, made with their slightly sweet Polynesian recipe. Featured breads include
The rolls and scones are enormous and easily enough for two people to split. The loaves are even more enormous and were designed to make “absolutely delicious sandwiches,” one of the owners told me.
They also carry Kona coffee by the cup, $1.75 for your choice of classic, chocolate macadamia nut, vanilla macadamia nut, or hazelnut.
But as far as I’m concerned, this is the most important thing they carry… MOUNTAIN DEW!!! That means I will be a frequent visitor to Big Ono. They carry a lot of other canned and bottled drinks as well – “we try to carry products you don’t see everywhere else,” said the co-owner.
Open 6 AM to 3 PM Monday-Friday. Never been to Hawaii but I bet there are a lot of tube tops there.
In other news… at the Orpheum I heard about a coming attraction that sounds interesting, a musical called Avenue Q that features humans and puppets singing songs like “The Internet is for Porn.” Hmmm… that sounds like fun. It runs September 30-October 5.
Also heard that Lantana Projects will be back soon with new art exhibits, including one that involves art made out of FAA flight charts. Bet my friend Air Traffic Mike will enjoy that one.
All right, time to get back to work on The Most Boring Project on Earth for four more hours, then it’ll be the weekend.
It’s the last Friday of the month, which means all the art galleries and other shops on South Main will open from 6 to 9 PM for South Main Trolley Art Tour. Many of them will put out appetizers, cocktails, and wine, and you can expect to hear a few bands playing on the streets. If you’re a South Main Association member you get free burgers and Boscos beer (not a member yet? Bring $25 and they’ll sign you up).
I’ll be there. Hopefully I’ll be viewing a lot of my favorite kind of art – tube tops!
Lunchtime. Time to walk down to the Orpheum and eat some free pizza.
Members of one of the local kickball teams found this puppy in Willow Field yesterday after their weekly game:
He was pretty skinny when they found him. After a bath and some food, he turned out to be a very well-behaved little guy. They believe he is a mix of German shepherd
The person who is currenly keeping him doesn’t think it’s fair for him to be in her tiny apartment all day, so she’s trying to find him a home. One of the sweetest dogs she’s ever met, she says. Really smart and healthy, just needs a few good meals.
If you’d like this puppy to be yours, shoot me an e-mail at paul@paulryburn.com and I’ll put you in touch with the people who have him. Guys, keep in mind that dogs are chick magnets – take this little guy on a walk through the park, and you may find that cute girls in tube tops come up to you and want to meet him.
In conjunction with the Downtown Alive program, the Orpheum is giving away free pizza
The Orpheum is also doing a special dinner-on-stage Saturday, June 28 at 6:30 PM. $50 gets you a 3-course meal with a special selection of wines, plus an all-access backstage pass that lets you wander the halls. There will also be a question and answer session and Broadway trivia contest.
In other news: Don’t forget about the NBA draft party tonight at the FedExForum at 6. The Memphis Grizzlies
Just received a text from Mikey the Camera Nazi, who is at the Center City Commission attending their monthly board meeting. He told me that they have voted to extend the Downtown safety patrol for another 12 months.
The patrol, which started April 1, was brought on mainly to target aggressive panhandling in the Downtown core, which had really gotten out of hand. They have done a FANTASTIC job. I’d estimate panhandling has been reduced down here by 85-90%. If I’m out for a few hours, these days I see a couple or three panhandlers on the streets, where I used to see 15 or 20 in a similar time frame. They have a number you can call if you witness or experience aggressive panhandling (901-281-9146), and they’ll be there on their bikes in minutes. A lot is screwed up in Memphis – just read the papers – but this is a rarity, a program that is truly effective.
THANK YOU to the CCC for voting to extend the program, THANK YOU to CDA the security company that has provided these outstanding officers, and most of all MUCH THANKS to the officers themselves. Keep up the good work, and I’m thrilled to have you around for at least another year.
Sitting here at the Saucer laptopping
I’ve been e-mailed more BBQ Fest rumors and comments, and will post them later today or tomorrow. Right now, back to the office for an exciting afternoon of data extraction and transformation.
I just finished my third Squidoo article, or “lens” as they’re called on that site. I had previously written a tutorial on left and right English in pool to complement the training materials I sell in my online store How to Learn Pool. Well, now I went back and added a second tutorial, on top and bottom English, or follow and draw as they’re more commonly known. You can use follow and draw to control where the cue ball ends up after it strikes the ball at which you’re shooting. This allows you to set up your next shot and run the table. Check out the new tutorial on draw and follow here.
Here’s a link to a Squidoo article I really like that I didn’t create: An argument over which is better, tofu or bacon. Needless to say, I vote for bacon! (Health guru AL groans. Don’t forget to send me questions for our new regular feature, “Dear Health Guru AL.”)
Calhoun’s Sports Bar & Grill on GE Patterson has changed their happy hour. Now, between 4:30 PM and 7 PM Monday-Friday, they’re doing buy one, get one free domestic bottles. Yet another great happy hour in Downtown Memphis!
Word is that RiverArtsFest, the fall arts festival in the South Main district, will undergo some changes for its second year, according to the Memphis Business Journal. The fest will be held November 1-2 this year, and this year the north boundary of the festival will be extended a block farther, to the 500 block of South Main (it was GE Patterson last year). Over 240 artists have applied for booths already. Local artist George Hunt will be designing the festival poster, and they’ll have an opening night party October 31 at the National Civil Rights Museum.
Art on Tap, the beer tasting/fundraiser for the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, has been announced for 2008. It will be Friday, September 5 from 6 to 9 PM. Disco
Today I read on the New York Times’ site that the city of San Francisco plans to bestow a very much deserved honor upon our President, George W. Bush
This is an evening post, but it isn’t a drunk post because I haven’t been out yet. Went to AutoZone (yes, I did business with the evil empire, forgive me) and bought a new brake light and a screwdriver to install it. If I can’t figure it out myself, my BFF
I wanted to pass along updated information on the Downtowners for Obama
Gray Sasser, chairman of the TN Democratic Party, will be there and has offered to speak.
Keith Norman, chairman of the Shelby County Democratic Party, will be there.
John Branston, senior editor of the Memphis Flyer, will speak.
Most likely Rep. Steve Cohen will attend as well.
If you want to attend, RSVP details are below.
What: Downtowners for Obama
Where: The Majestic Grille
When: Saturday, June 28, 2008 @ 3 PM (note time change from 5 PM)
Join your downtown neighbors during this historic campaign to help build a united volunteer organization in our neighborhood that will register new voters and build support locally. We’ve had an unprecedented primary season that built a grassroots infrastructure in all 50 states — not just for Barack, but for all of the Democratic candidates. Now it’s time to bring all of that energy together for our common cause of change. All across the country, Democrats, Independents, and even Republicans are tired of the politics of the past and are looking for new solutions to the challenges we’re facing as a nation.
That’s why we’re launching a nationwide day of action on June 28th called “Unite for Change”. All across the US, volunteers will host “house meetings” with the express purpose of reaching out and bringing folks together who supported all of the Democratic candidates (and those who are just tuning into the process now).
From the beginning, this campaign has been about ordinary people reaching out and building the bonds of community — empowering one another by coming together to make change. With the general election approaching, it’s more important than ever to keep this momentum going. No matter what your affiliation, this is a great opportunity to learn more about the candidates and their stance on some of the major issues in this campaign.
For more information or to volunteer please email me at clay.thompson@chrobinson.com or call 901-619-7053 and leave a message.
Please RSVP to this event by following this link: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4gp9k
One other note: Given that it’s Tube Top Month, a few females have asked me, “Is it appropriate to wear tube tops to this event? Where can we get Obama tube tops?” To answer those questions: Of course it’s appropriate to wear tube tops to this event. I can’t find any official Obama tube tops for sale, but you can buy a solid colored tube top at American Apparel at Main and GE Patterson (you could buy them online from the Tube Top Boutique, but there probably isn’t time) and then take them to my friend Josh who has a screen-printing business out of Winfield’s (Main at Madison, open approx. 11 to 7). Josh has your choice of four Obama campaign images he can print on the tube tops. He can do any other type of clothing printing too. If interested shoot me an e-mail (paul@paulryburn.com) and I’ll send you Josh’s number.
A blog reader who is on a BBQ team said he heard the following from a Memphis in May board member about what will happen to BBQ Fest next year:
Again, still a rumor, but it sounds like this came from a very reliable source. The good news for my team is that it looks like we’ll automatically qualify for 2009 because of our 3rd place shoulder finish. But it looks like 2008 will be the last party year for BBQ Fest. We have cool potential sponsors we’re talking to for next year, so maybe we’ll have the only party booth left and will have lots of cute girls in tube tops who want to hang out with us. I can’t blame MIM for wanting more revenue from the teams, but it kinda sucks that teams will be required to kiss corporate ass whether they want to or not.
If this turns out to be what happens, I will likely do BBQ Fest with my team, but skip all the other Memphis in May events in protest.
In other news… the car failed inspection again. When I paid Saturn $1000 to do all that work, they failed to notice a brake light was out. Just great. I’m not taking it all the way out there again. Anyone know a good Downtown garage where I can drop it off and get it fixed Thursday or Friday?
Downtowners for Obama update to come later today.
Country music isn’t my thing, but for those who are into it, I wanted to pass along this announcement from the Red Rooster. With bike night on Beale 1 block up the road on Wednesdays, this will probably draw some good business. I may not be into country, but girls in tube tops and boots can be kinda hot.
Come kick off the 1st Wednesday
Coors Country Night
at the Red Rooster with 93.5 The Rebel.
Join Coop & the Gang, the 93.5 crew, this Wednesday from 9-11
for some boot scootin’ boogie.
Ladies get in FREE all night.
50c draft
64oz Rooster Booster $8
Get ready to drink, dance and
have some fun with your
BOOTS ON THE BAR.
