Paul Ryburn's Journal

I mentioned yesterday I decided to download The Great Gatsby (free on Project Gutenberg) to prepare for the Blind Bear’s August 27 Gatsby party. By 10:30 I was done with my morning chores – this blog, breakfast, checking my writing stats, playing Wordle and Globle’s daily games. I had no plans until 1 PM, so I decided to start on the book.

I finished 75% of it by the time my friends texted “we’re at Bardog, join us” at 1. It was such an easy read. The last time I read it, it was assigned by a teacher to me when I was 15. At that age, I had no concept of what adult relationships were like. Also, I hadn’t read about ’20s gangsters like Arnold Rothstein, Al Capone, and Salvatore Maranzano who profited off Prohibition, so I didn’t have the basis to understand Jay Gatsby’s “business.”

Also, it was nice to read one of the “classics,” knowing

• I wouldn’t be called on to discuss it in a classroom
• I wouldn’t have to write a paper on it
• I wouldn’t have to take a test on it

If there’s a book you were forced to read in high school but nevertheless kinda enjoyed it, try re-reading it through a set of adult eyes. Most books published before 1926 have had their copyright expire, so you can read them for free on Project Gutenberg.

Lots of eyeballs are on TVs on Christmas Day, and there is always a full slate of NBA games on TV. The Memphis Grizzlies had never been on any of those slates, though. They could have changed that using one of two strategies.

A) Convince about 15 million people to move to the Memphis region, making this a large TV market so they’d be considered for Christmas games even if their teams played like crap (see: 2021-22 New York Knicks and L.A. Lakers)

B) Play such compelling and exciting basketball that they become must-see TV, even as a small-market team

The Grizzlies chose option B) and it’s paying off. It’s not official yet, but rumors have the Grizzlies playing the Golden State Warriors on Christmas. Ja Morant and crew, y’all tie a pretty red bow around that can of ass-whoopin’ and attach a tag that says, “To Draymond. Love, Memphis.”

From the DM: The Caption by Hyatt’s Talk Shop lounge hopes to appeal to locals as much as guests. The lobby bar is a full coffee and cocktail bar and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can build your own toast and build your own cocktails (well, the bartender still has to mix it up, but you choose your booze, flavor, and mixer).

Deep Roots play brunch at Loflin Yard today from noon to 3.

It’s an evening with Vince Gill featuring The Voice’s Wendy Moten tonight at the Orpheum at 7:30. Tickets are $49.75-$125.

That’s it for today’s news. Back tomorrow.

You may have noticed a new form of transportation on and around Main Street the past few weeks. Veo‘s vehicles look like bikes, but they are actually seated scooters. Like Birds and other e-scooters, they are useful for navigating urban areas. The Veo scooters provide more stability than standing scooters and are compatible with a wider variety of human body types. It costs $1 to unlock a Veo Cosmo scooter and 39 cents a minute to ride. Read the “Veo comes to Memphis” press release

The Millennium Tour: Turned Up! comes to FedExForum Saturday, November 5. Artists scheduled to perform include

• Bow Wow
• Mario
• Kari Hilson
• Lloyd
• Pleasure P
• Bobby V
• Sammie
• Ying Yang Twins
• Dem Franchize Boyz
• Lil Scrappy
• Travis Porter
• Crime Mob
• Trillville
• Day 2

Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday, August 19 at 10 AM.

Downtown 1920s-style speakeasy Blind Bear is throwing another of their fabulous theme parties later this month. Come dressed to August 27’s Great Gatsby Soiree as though you were

• Gatsby
• Daisy
• Invited by Gatsby himself to one of his parties and you want to impress the people there

DJ AD will supply the live music, starting with music that will make you feel like you’re in the Gatsby movie. She played the Bear back in February. I didn’t make it that night, but I was told she was excellent and I missed out! Don’t make the mistake I did!

Velvetina’s Burlesque is scheduled for the Gatsby party too. More details to follow on that one. Photographer Jamie Harmon and the Amurica photo booth will be at the party taking pics.

Want to read The Great Gatsby to prepare for the party? No need to drop some dollars on a copy at your local bookstore or on Amazon. The novel entered the public domain at the end of 2020. Project Gutenberg has it in several different formats for free (HTML, EPUB, Kindle, plain text).

For those of us who fondly remember Cafe Roux by Michael Cahhal on Front Street, the DM’s Jennifer Biggs has a recipe for its chicken and sausage gumbo.

In 1977 after his death, CBS released Elvis in Concert from his final tour. Today at the Halloran Centre, 2009 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist champion Bill Curry will recreate that show, rocking the Aztec Sundial suit. Show times are 3:00 and 6:00 PM and tickets are $65-$100.

That’s all I’ve got today. Back tomorrow with more news.

If you’ve thought about adopting a pet recently, right now you can name your own price and possibly save a life. Memphis Animal Services, as of yesterday afternoon, had not even one empty dog kennel. They don’t want to have to put perfectly healthy and sociable animals to sleep. So, for the rest of August, when you adopt a pet from MAS, you can name your own adoption fee.

If you can’t make a long-term commitment to a pet but you want to help keep a shelter animal alive, they are looking for two-week fosters. You can fill out the foster application online, in advance, so when you come in you don’t have to wade through a bunch of paperwork. What to expect when fostering a pet

The Majestic Grille’s Friday lunch special, fish & chips, has proved so popular that they have started offering it as a lunch special on both Thursdays and Fridays.

In honor of the contributions of All-Star player and social activist Bill Russell, the NBA will retire number 6 across the league. Players who currently wear the number, including the Lakers’ LeBron James, will be allowed to continue wearing it, but it won’t be able to be assigned to a player going forward. Russell played from 1956 to 1969 and led the Boston Celtics to 11 championships during those years. Russell died last month. He was mentioned in Kurtis Blow’s 1983 hit Basketball:

Bill Russell didn’t take no junk
And Darryl Dawkins got a monster dunk
To the hoop, y’all
In yo’ face

This afternoon at 3 PM at the Halloran Centre for the Performing Arts, Ted Torres Martin recreates Elvis’ 1973 concert Aloha from Memphis. It was broadcast on satellite around the world. Ticket prices are $60-$85.

Yubu plays Slider Inn Downtown (I’m assuming the outdoor patio) tonight at 6.

The Woodruff-Fontaine House hosts Cold Supper, Hot Whiskey, and a Touch of Fever tonight from 6 to 9 PM. This will be an Old Dominick whiskey tasting, paired with summer food. There will also be tours of the mansion, set up as it might have been during the 1878 yellow fever pandemic. $60 per person. Of course, since booze is involved, this event will be 21 & up and you’ll be asked to present ID.

Starting next week, SIlly Goose will streamline its hours a bit: They’ll open at 2 PM Monday-Friday but will retain their noon opening time on the weekends. They’ll have happy hour Monday through Thursday.

Here’s a link to the FedEx-St. Jude Invitational leaderboard for those of you interested in that tournament. Did you know that the TPC Southwind golf course has a border collie who acts as a maintenance dog?

Today is Vinyl Record Day. I recommend a visit to River City Records on the Main Street Mall.

Briarcrest High School’s choir opened for Foreigner at the Orpheum last night. The band works with local schools in the cities they visit to support music education.

Grape. plays the Ghost River taproom at Main and Crump tonight from 6 to 9.

Streetdog Foundation has its annual Bow Wow Luau this Saturday from noon to 4 at Loflin Yard.

• Leashed dogs are welcome
• $25 donation to Streetdog gets you a limited-edition glass. Get that glass filled for only $3 a serving noon to 4 – includes draft beer, wine, well drinks, slushies
• Doggie fun area
• Photo booth
• Silent auction
• Cake
• Best collar contest for dogs

The Memphis Redbirds take the field at 7:05 tonight vs. the Indianapolis Indians. They will be the Memphis Turtles for tonight’s game, and the first 1000 fans receive a free Memphis Turtles T-shirt. A specialty ticket gets you access to an all-you-can-eat spread of mac & cheese, bacon bits, buffalo chicken, ham, broccoli, green onions, mushrooms, jalapenos, hot dogs, chips, soda, and water. $24 dugout, $21 field box.

There was a report of an armed bar fight around 11:30 last night very close to where I live in the Downtown core. One of the two men had a gun. If you go to a bar in Memphis, please don’t take it as a personal offense if security wands you or pats you down for weapons. They’re just trying to keep you safe. It sucks that it’s this way, but people carrying guns is just a fact of life in this city.

The CDC has issued new COVID guidance: Most people do not need to quarantine if exposed to a known case. The exceptions are places like jails and nursing homes where people are together in tightly-packed living settings. It’s still recommended that people who ARE a known case (i.e. they tested positive) isolate for 5 days and mask up for 10 days.

POLITICO Playbook reports that the classified documents from the Trumpster’s presidency that he took home to Mar-a-Lago may contain information about U.S. nuclear weapons. That could be a problem considering who Trump’s best friend is (hint: rhymes with “tootin'”).

That’s all the news for today. Back tomorrow.

The Green Beetle will temporarily close beginning next Monday, August 15, to install a new floor and make repairs to their building. They say they have a great contractor, but still, the repairs will take about 4 to 6 weeks to complete. Management is asking those of you who are Beetle fans to get by there this week and show the staff some love.

The Silly Goose has announced some new theme nights starting this week.

• Swim Night, Thursdays after 9 PM. No pool needed. Synth & dance.
• Flip Night, Fridays from 7 to 11 PM. Choose a beverage, win the coin toss, win a drink. Ask your bartender for more details.
• DJ Night, Fridays and Saturdays after 9 PM. No cover for ladies until 11 PM.

I swear I’m not making this up: The Microsoft Excel World Championships were broadcast on ESPN2 this week. Not the most boring sport in the world (that would be golf), but close.

Blind Bear trivia note: Local teacher Monsieur Davenport will fill in as host next Tuesday while regular host Velvetina is away. He’ll have pop culture questions along with questions on current events and history, and since it’s Elvis Week, he’ll do a deep dive into the life of The King. The fun starts at 7:30.

Dark article from Lifehacker: How to befriend crows and turn them against your enemies

Good news for those of you who live in East Memphis: Legendary Downtown breakfast joint Sunrise Memphis is opening a second location at 5469 Poplar in the old Blue Plat Cafe location.

The DM reports on a new game called You Can’t Say That: Memphis Mane Edition. It’s funded by a Kickstarter account. For example, you might have to get your teammates to guess “trolleys” without saying tracks, whistle, Main Street, or ride. If someone says a forbidden word, everyone goes, “Naw, mane.”

Louise Page, Madaline Collins, and Alexis Taylor play South Main Sounds, 550 S. Main, tonight from 7 to 9 PM.

All right. Golf is boring, but in honor of the kids of St. Jude and in memory of my buddy Mac who volunteered at the FedEx-St. Jude tournament for years, I’ll make a prediction for this weekend. Xander Schauffele -14, winning by one stroke.

Back tomorrow with more news.

A federal judge ruled that three golfers – Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford, and Matt Jones – did not deserve a temporary restraining order that would allow them to play in the FedEx-St. Jude Invitational, a leg of the PGA Tour playoffs, this weekend in Memphis. The golfers did not establish harm, knowing they would be very well compensated for playing on the LIV Tour.

The DM reports that ownership of the Memphis Redbirds has changed hands for the second time in a year. They were one of 10 teams purchased by private equity firm Silver Lake.

Yesterday was the funeral service for my friend Connor Hunt who worked for Tandem Restaurant Partners and who was killed in a car accident July 31. I didn’t make it to the funeral but I heard people called the Hogs there. That would have made Connor so happy.

Yubu, Amber Rae Dunn, and Kennard Farmer provide the live music at this Saturday’s Memphis Farmers Market from 8 to 11 AM.

Perjorie T. Roll had a peach cobbler shot at the Blind Bear yesterday.

It’s a slice of peach with peach moonshine, topped with apple pie moonshine. Yummy!

The Memphis Grizzlies and G-League affiliate the Memphis Hustle are holding an open call for emcees. You audition via YouTube. Must be available to work preseason, regular season, and playoff games.

Today is National Duran Duran Appreciation Day.

A woman who was once charged in the murder of Greater Memphis Chamber CEO Phil Trenary has been linked to another shooting that happened in May of this year.

Grab an umbrella or a raincoat: Showers and storms are likely after noon today. That’s not a bad thing, though. The rain will keep temperatures from getting much above 90 today. Once a cold front clears the Memphis metro tomorrow, it’s expected to be much less humid outside.

The Redbirds host the Indianapolis Indians tonight at 7:05.

Sunset Jazz returns to Court Square this Sunday from 6 to 8 PM. Frog Squad will perform and there will be food trucks and a bar truck. Lawn chairs are encouraged.

Bass Pro at the Pyramid will hold a hiring event this Thursday from 10 AM to 7 PM. Check out a list of Memphis openings. If you’ve dreamed of being an Archery Technician or a Camo Apparel Sales Associate, Bass Pro has the career for you.

Singer/storyteller Cecil Yancy performs at the Hard Rock Cafe tonight.

That’s all for today. Back tomorrow with more news.

The FedEx-St. Jude Invitational, the first leg of the PGA Tour playoff, happens at Memphis’ TPC Southwind this week. Here’s a look at the odds and the field. Golfweek has Thursday tee times and streaming info.

The tournament’s field could change today, though. Three PGA Tour players who jumped to Saudi-backed LIV Golf this summer and were subsequently banned by the PGA Tour head to court today. Taylor Gooch, Matt Jones, and Hudson Swafford seek a restraining order allowing them to play in the FedEx-St. Jude Invitational, and should they advance, the next two rounds of the playoffs.

“Hudson Swafford.” Golfers always have the very whitest of white-people names.

South Main Association members, don’t forget tonight is your monthly social at Good Fortune Co. at 6 PM. Complimentary Asian dishes and cocktails.

The Memphis Redbirds return to AutoZone Park to play 6 games against the Indianapolis Indians tonight. First pitch is at 7:05. It’s Nacho Average Tuesday, so each ticket includes a free order of ballpark nachos.

Olivia Newton-John passed away at the age of 73.

(Is that guy playing the keyboard or is he having a seizure?)

A Chicago company wants to put a zip line adventure park on Mud Island. The City Council will see a presentation (PowerPoint!!!) on the idea this morning.

Elvis Week, the 45th anniversary of the week Elvis Presley passed away, kicks off today.

The County Commission voted to seek state oversight of the Shelby County Clerk’s office. Many Memphians have been driving around with expired vehicle tags, risking being pulled over, because Clerk Wanda Halbert’s office was not getting tags mailed out in a timely manner. Halbert declared the tag crisis under control last week.

Today is National Veep Day. 48 years ago today, Vice-President Gerald Ford became the first holder of that office to ascend to the presidency via resignation.

MPD has released a photo of suspects involved in an early morning shooting on Sunday near Beale and B.B. King.

All but one charge have been dropped against a man who threatened to stick a gun out of his window at the Chisca apartment building last month and shoot people leaving the Yo Gotti & Friends concert.

The FBI raided Mar-a-Lago, the Trumpster’s private resort, yesterday. Probable cause was obtained due to the evidence that the former president may have been stashing classified documents there.

That’s the news for today. Back tomorrow with more.

The DM had an article this weekend about the Urban Bicycle Food Ministry, a volunteer group that prepares nutritious burritos and then bikes to Downtown and Midtown locations to feed the hungry. They ride and hand out burritos every Wednesday night and breakfast burritos every Saturday morning. They operate out of the kitchen at First United Methodist.

The article notes that inflation is hitting the burrito ministry along with everyone else. At the beginning of the year, the ingredients to make a meat-and-bean burrito cost 33 cents. Now they cost 82 cents.

If you’d been alive in the year 1200 and attempted to visit Paris, or Vienna, or Constantinople, you’d have found physical walls around those cities, designed to keep invaders out. The DM reports that Memphis suburb Olive Branch, Mississippi will install virtual walls. License plate cameras will read plates at the city’s 24 entrances and report to Olive Branch PD in real time when the owner of an entering vehicle has a warrant. This sounds an awful lot like “Big Brother is watching” to me.

Today is National Cat Day.

Gunshots were fired near Beale Street and B.B. King Blvd. around 3 AM Sunday.

There was also a shooting at Hernando and Vance in the 5 PM hour Saturday. That left a man in critical condition.

The FedEx St. Jude golf tournament happens at Southwind this week.

That’s it. Not a terribly newsy day. Back tomorrow.

ESPN8: The Ocho’s lineup of sports was every bit as glorious as I expected. Events like championship air guitar and corgi races lived up to their potential, but an event I’d never heard of before had me glued to the edge of my seat – slippery stairs.

If I were the president of ESPN, I’d reduce golf coverage to one day a year and give the 30 or so weekends that would free up to The Ocho. Golf is boring.

I have to say I was disappointed that Jersey Shore’s Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino failed to make it past the first round of cornhole. Maybe you need to spend a little less time doing GTL and a little more time throwing bean bags, Sitch.

I wonder if Queen Elizabeth II gets the ESPN family of channels, and if so, if she got up early yesterday morning to watch the corgi races. The Queen loves corgis and has owned them all her life.

Let’s get on to the Downtown news… The DM reports that a popular Memphis food truck, Boujee Bistro, is getting a brick-and-mortar location. It’ll be on the ground floor of the Lincoln-American Tower in Court Square, in the space that was formerly Regina’s Cajun Kitchen. A menu I found on Google Images indicates Boujee Bistro has tacos, salads, wings, and burgers, as well as some dishes labeled “Extra Boujee” including smoked sausage and chili dogs.

DJ Mylon will provide the music at the Silly Goose tonight. Ladies don’t pay a cover charge until 11 PM.

The Memphis Grizzlies are hiring a social & digital content strategist.

The South Main Association has released additional details about Tuesday’s member social (6 PM) at Good Fortune Co.:

• There will be take-out-inspired bites (which is a bit weird, because Good Fortune doesn’t do take-out) including orange chicken strips, pad Thai, vegetable curry, steamed rice, and egg rolls
• Complimentary cocktails including yuzu mimosas, Sayuri nigori sake, peach jelly shots, moonshine Asian pear sake, Sho Chiku Bai filtered and unfiltered sake
• Plus their entire bar menu will be available for purchase
• Good Fortune is a small restaurant and will be subject to capacity restrictions, so arrive early

Today is International Blues Music Day. My recommendation to celebrate would be the Blues Hall Juke Joint next to Rum Boogie Cafe on Beale Street.

Juke box heroes, get ready. Foreigner comes to the Orpheum on Thursday.

That’s it for this post. Back tomorrow if there’s any news to report.

The Shelby County election of 2020 is in the record books. The big results:

• Challenger Steve Mulroy defeated incumbent Amy Weirich in the District Attorney General race
• County Mayor Lee Harris beat Republican challenger Worth Morgan to secure a second term
• Voters said no to a proposal that would have extended term limits, allowing the mayor of Memphis and City Council members to run for a third term
• County Clerk Wanda Halbert, whose office has had so much trouble mailing out license plates in a timely manner, won another term

Got a couple of pieces of news about partnerships Downtown groceries have formed to bring yumminess to their grab & go cases. South Point Grocery now carries salads by local company St. Clair Foods. Check out St. Clair’s complete list of potato, chicken, and pasta salads.

RAWGIRLS, the healthy-lifestyle restaurant on Second, has reached a deal to stock the cold case at Cordelia’s Market with their soups, salads, and pastas.

Yesterday was National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, and I recommended a trip to Beale Street for Insomnia Cookies. Turns out they’ll celebrate the day all weekend long. Get a free Classic Chocolate Chunk Cookie with any in-store purchase or any $6 or more online purchase (must add the free cookie to cart online). You can substitute a free vegan or VGF (vegan/gluten-free) chocolate chunk cookie if that’s your preference.

Today is International Beer Day and I recommend you celebrate it with the very best beer in the world. I am speaking, of course, about Pabst Blue Ribbon.

If you park monthly at Premier Parking, check your bank statement. There’s a Nextdoor thread where multiple people reported incorrect extra charges.

There will be a Whiskey, Bourbon, Cigar, and BBQ Festival on Beale Street November 18-19.

The Brass Door will show Arsenal vs. Crystal Palace today at 2 as Premier League kicks off.

Malaika’s “Wild Flower” release party happens tonight from 7-9 at South Main Sounds at 550 S. Main. Special guests Polly Carpenter, Priya Vani, Hasitha Ramanathan, and Walker Campbell will join.

That’s the news for today. Glad to see some rain moving through. Back tomorrow.

It’s Election Day in Tennessee. Here’s a link where you can find your polling location and sample ballot. Remember, on Election Day you have to go to your designated polling precinct – you can’t just show up at any location as you can for early voting.

If you knew Connor Hunt and Brian Coletta, our two friends who were killed in a car crash early Saturday morning, here’s an updated list of memorials and benefits this weekend:

• Thursday (tonight): Memorial vigil at Ben-Yay’s 7:30 PM
• Saturday: Public memorial at Growlers 6-10 PM
• Saturday: Memorial after-parties 10 PM-close at Zinnie’s and CANVAS (Tandem Restaurant Partners will match donations to go to the Hunt and Coletta families)
• Sunday: Celebration of Life at Carolina Watershed 4-10 PM
• Sunday: Celebration of Life After-Party at Blind Bear 10-close

Donations for funerals & expenses can be made at any of these events or online at GoFundMe.

Funny thing: Yesterday about 11:30 AM, I was sitting in front of my laptop when I heard a zzzzzzzzzziiiipppppppp as if someone were brushing against my living room window blinds from top to bottom. It scared the crap outta me. Connor, was that you? It totally seems like the kind of thing you’d do.

If you want to shop for Christmas gifts early, here’s a very Memphis gift to give: Lego’s The Great Pyramid of Giza. It has 1476 pieces and will retail for $130. It unfortunately doesn’t come with a Bass Pro Shops logo for you to stick on the side.

Brilliant tech invention I learned about yesterday: a mouse mover. It jiggles your mouse, causing your status to appear as “Active Now” rather than “Last active 24 min 37 sec ago.” I can think of all kinds of uses for this.

Jennifer Biggs of the DM reports that frozen, heat & eat Coletta’s pizza is now available at Grind City Grocer, 60 S. Main (ground floor of The Washburn Apartments). Biggs notes they have cheese, pepperoni, veggie supreme, ’round the world, and BBQ pizza.

In the same article, Biggs linked to a podcast her co-worker Chris Herrington recently did with Chef Meredith Clinton. Clinton is the chef at Black Sheep, operating out of 409 S. Main, and is the mind behind the Lucky Cowboy speakeasy in the basement.

Interesting note: Chef Clinton says Good Fortune Co. down the street has amazing wings. That is the second time in a 24-hour period I have heard someone say that. They’re called “GFC Wings” and are made with Sichuan honey butter, sesame, and scallion.

By the way… there’s a premium topping on Good Fortune’s menu, an add-on to their noodle dishes, called “Send Noods.” Can someone explain to me what that is? Do people pay an extra $3 to add more noodles to their noodles?

The Gray Canary is hiring a server.

The city of Memphis will begin a conversion to LED street lights next month. LED lights are brighter than standard street lights, making it harder for criminals to operate under the veil of darkness.

11 golfers on the LIV Tour who were kicked off the PGA Tour for playing for the competition, have filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour. They’ve asked for a restraining order that would allow them to appear in the playoffs for this year’s FedEx Cup. Those playoffs come to Memphis next week.

The 20 most popular LinkedIn Learning courses are free to access through the end of August.

Canopy by Hilton is hiring a front desk agent.

South Bound headlines tonight’s Peabody rooftop party, 6-10 PM.

Redemption Church at 340 S. Second is having a back-to-school community day Sunday, August 7, from 10:30 AM to 2 PM. Free food, school supplies, baby formula, backpacks, and gas cards. Want to support this effort? Cashapp the church at $Redemptionnow and mark your donation “Back to school” in the memo. (h/t DNA Newsletter for this piece of info)

Today is National IPA Day. Flying Saucer, where there are many India Pale Ales to choose from, would be my recommendation to celebrate.

Today is also National White Wine Day. My recommendation would be to visit new wine shop Rootstock at 644 Madison in The Edge District and find a bottle from a small-production, family-owned winery to take home with you.

It’s also National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. Insomnia Cookies on Beale would be my recommendation to celebrate.

That’s it for today. If I’m still out at Blind Bear at 11 PM, I’ll have them put on the corgi races on ESPN8: The Ocho (ESPN2). Back tomorrow with more news.