Paul Ryburn's Journal

You can meet the leaders of The Daily Memphian, Memphis’ new online publication by locals for locals, tonight at Loflin Yard at 6:30. This is your chance to ask them any questions you have. Geoff Calkins, Jennifer Biggs, Otis Sanford, Eric Barnes and other staff members will be there. The first 50 people to arrive will get a free beer.

The City Council has voted to reinstate Beale Street Bucks. This means there will once again be a cover charge to get on Beale during peak times on weekends. The Bucks program, when in place last year, was found to be very effective reducing fights and stampedes on the street. The Bucks program will be implemented by the Downtown Memphis Commission. Specifics of the program (cost, what days and times) have yet to be worked out.

Birmingham has asked Bird to remove its scooters from the city. The issue is that they do not have a business license to operate there. That is not the case with Memphis, where Bird worked with the City Council to come in properly. Although Bird is operating properly here, it doesn’t mean the scooters are being used properly here. Yesterday I saw a guy on a Bird scooter blow through a red light at Main and Gayoso at about 15 MPH. People don’t seem to understand that they are supposed to obey traffic laws on those things.

The annual Cooper-Young Fest is this Saturday. This is one of the city’s largest block parties, and it actually spans many blocks, with Cooper being blocked off from Central to Meda. Holly has a really excellent guide to Cooper-Young Fest on the I Love Memphis Blog. Pay special attention to the notes about parking, which can get insane down there during peak hours. Expect to do a lot of walking, as you may have to walk nearly a mile from your car to the festival. Also, she’s exactly right that cell service will be unavailable during the peak hours. Just too many people and too many signals for the cell towers to be able to handle. Despite all that, there’s a reason this festival draws over 100,000 people a year – it’s a lot of fun.

Great news for baseball fans: The Redbirds have partnered with KTG USA to offer $1 Dugout and Field Box tickets for Friday’s playoff game, and if necessary Saturday and Sunday’s games. Get tickets here.

The Redbirds, by the way, took Game 1 of the PCL Championship Series yesterday by a score of 10-4.

Two pieces of Amazon news: First of all, they are launching one-hour grocery delivery in Memphis. Delivery is provided through Whole Foods, and beginning today Amazon Prime customers can get free delivery on orders of $35 or more.

One of my favorite days of the year when I was a kid was going to the lot with my mom to pick out our Christmas tree. Soon, kids may not know that joy. Amazon will sell and ship live Christmas trees this year.

Last night I heard from someone who lives in the area that a traffic light is going in at Riverside and Georgia. That is a dangerous intersection, as people try to turn left from Georgia onto Riverside. Further complicating the fact is that almost no one obeys the posted speed limit of 35 on that part of Riverside. A traffic light will slow them down. I was told this is a temporary solution, and the ultimate goal is to build a roundabout there.

There will be a traditional Vietnamese festival at Crosstown Concourse Saturday, September 22 from 6 to 9 PM. Dragon dance, moon cakes, lanterns, kids’ crafts. Free to the public.

A local food truck is going to be on national TV next week. Soi Number 9 will be on Andrew Zimmern’s show “Big Food Truck Tip” on the Food Network next Wednesday, September 19 at 9:30 PM.

The Memphis Business Journal has a photo gallery of the new Trader Joe’s in Germantown that will open Friday.

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

Purple Haze is temporarily closed for two weeks following ANOTHER shooting at the club this past weekend. The club has been the scene of multiple shootings and fights the past year. Haze supposedly has “strict security measures” but the shooters were somehow able to circumvent them and get the guns in anyway.

You know, I used to really enjoy going to Purple Haze late at night. Back around 2013 I would go over there with the Blind Bear folks after the Bear closed at 3. It was a lot of fun and I got to hang out with my service industry friends. The last time I went, though, which was probably around two years ago, I didn’t feel safe at all in there. It felt like the wild, wild west in there, a place to which law & order did not extend. I haven’t been back since and fear for my friends who go there after they get off work. Haze is developing the reputation that the Plush Club had for years, and they need to clean it up or shut it down.

UPDATE: I was just shown a post from an employee at Purple Haze, saying “in case you haven’t been watching the news, my co-workers and I are now unemployed and looking for jobs.” Have they shut down permanently? I will try to find out more details when I get out today.

If you’re curious about the ancient practice of Tai Chi, Downtown Yoga is hosting a four-week beginner’s class September 18-October 9. Sign up here.

Songwriter Jordan Booker, originally from Indiana and now based in Nashville, will give a free concert at the Tin Roof tonight at 8 PM.

Memphis’ conference rival UCF lost a marquee nonconference matchup today. It was announced that UCF vs. North Carolina is being canceled due to Hurricane Florence, expected to hit the Carolinas on Thursday. NC State’s home game against good ole West Virginny has also been called off, and Duke is heading to Baylor early.

The Orpheum is warning that fake tickets are being sold for Hamilton. The show is a Broadway craze like no other, and the only way to be guaranteed a seat is to be a season ticket holder.

In other Orpheum news, Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite will play there at 8 this evening.

Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel is the half-off whiskey at Belle Tavern this week.

The Redbirds take the field in Fresno tonight for Game 1 of the Pacific Coast League championship series. The Flyer’s Frank Murtaugh reports that Stubby Clapp, a native of Windsor, Ontario, has become a talking point since the Toronto Blue Jays announced that their manager would not be returning in 2019.

MakeUseOf has a handy list of apps to help you identify a song when you only know a few of the words or can only hum it.

You can now pre-order bop bags with the images of Donald Trump and his boss Vladimir Putin.

That’ll do it for now. Back tomorrow with more.

At 2:05 yesterday, the Redbirds began what was scheduled to be a 7-inning Game 4 in the Pacific Coast League playoffs… but it went 10. Behind in the bottom of the 7th, the Redbirds scored on a sacrifice fly to tie it up and send the game into extra innings. The 8th and 9th went scoreless, and then Oklahoma City scored two in the top of the 10th… but then the Redbirds scored three to take the series and advance in the playoffs. Memphis will play either El Paso or Fresno in the PCL Championship series. The Redbirds will play the first two games on the road in the best-of-five series, returning to AutoZone Park Friday for Game 3, and (if necessary) Games 4 and 5 Saturday and Sunday.

Tonight’s the first week for MN MF’N F, Monday Night Football, and Local has a wing special.

Sunday & Monday Night Football. Our award winning wings are all you can eat!! Just $15. Buffalo or Spicy Tikka Masala pic.twitter.com/2CTEF9POXx

— Local Gastropub (@localgastropub) September 9, 2018

Tikka Masala wings? Hmmm I do have a $25 Local gift card I’ve never used. I may have to check this out.

The South Main Association has its monthly meeting tomorrow night at 11 West Huling, a former Nabisco warehouse. There will be four speakers: Doug Carpenter, founder and principal of DCA; Bill Ganus, owner of Edible Memphis; Cara Greenstein, founder of Caramelized lifestyle blog; and Cristina McCarter, founder of City Tasting Tours. The SMA will provide light appetizers, wine, and beer. 6:00 social, 6:30 presentation.

This weekend I received confirmation that people have been arrested for DUIs on Bird scooters. While they are fun, always keep in mind you are operating a motorized vehicle on a public roadway and are expected to obey traffic laws.

Ed Weathers shows he gets what’s really going on in this Memphis Flyer editorial: Look up, not down. Completely accurate.

All right, short post today. Tired because I stayed up way late last night catching up with a friend. Back tomorrow with more news.

Yesterday, with the aid of an umbrella, I walked down to the Ghost River taproom for the Downtown debut of the New Wing Order food truck. New Wing Order is a multi-time championship team from Southern Hot Wing Fest, and they decided to turn their winning ways into a business.

Of course, there are kinks to be worked out with any new restaurant, including food trucks. When I got there at 4, they weren’t serving yet because they were having problems with their generator. I got a Ghost River Grindhouse cream ale – which I was happy to find was on a $4 special – and waited it out. About 5:30 they got everything running and opened for business.

A long line developed within minutes. I had been watching from the patio and got down there right after they opened, so I avoided the line.

They explained to me that they had a limited menu, since they’re still working everything out. Makes sense. My buffalo wing nachos would have to wait for another day. The good news was, they did have 15 wing flavors, 3 flavors of fries, and a seasoned salad. For those curious about the wing flavors, they are

Signature flavors
Memphis Buffalo (award-winning)
Tennessee Teriyaki
Lynchburg Hot
Cajun Honey Hot

Seasonings
Backyard BBQ
Lemon Pepper
Garlic Parmesan
Ragin’ Cajun

BBQ sauces
Mild
Hot
Chipotle Honey
Alabama White

Buffalo sauces
Classic
Hot
Inferno

Because I had their signature flavors during the tasting I attended back in March, I decided to try other things on the menu. However, if you’re a wing fan I would encourage you to start with the signature flavors. The Memphis Buffalo sauce is what won them their Southern Hot Wing Fest championship, combining heat and a nod to Memphis’ BBQ tradition.

I inquired about the Inferno wings and was told, “they’re so hot, I can only eat 2 or 3 of them.” I decided not to take the chance. I ordered 6 wings with the Buffalo Hot Sauce.

My BBQ team pitmaster Kris made me a big fan of Alabama White BBQ sauce earlier in the year, so I ordered six of those as well. The fries were available as classic fries, Cajun fries, or garlic parmesan fries. I got the garlic parmesan.

One thing to note: These are breaded wings, unlike many wing restaurants that serve them naked. Very good though. The hot sauce was not too hot, making me wonder if I should reconsider the Inferno wings next time I visited the food truck. Love that Alabama white  sauce. The garlic parmesan fries were a hit too. You get celery with each wing order, which my troll liked because it’s the same color as her hair. You can request ranch, blue cheese, or jalapeno ranch dipping sauce.

For my vegetarian and vegan readers, New Wing Order has an avocado taco that I got to try at the tasting in March and it is yummy.

I started the day with a walk to the Farmers Market about 10 in the morning. The forecast said there might be a little rain later in the day, so I took the umbrella, thinking how stupid I must look carrying it around in the sunshine. I wasn’t looking stupid on the walk back from Ghost River, though. Almost as soon as I stepped onto the sidewalk on Main Street, it started pouring.

Although my hair stayed dry, the wind was blowing rain onto my shorts and sandals, and I decided that a walk all the way back to the core was not a good idea. So I stopped off at my home away from home on the south side, Max’s Sports Bar, to wait out the rain. I got a seat at one of the tables against the back wall facing the bar. The line at the bar was 2-3 deep, and it was unavoidable that people trying to get down the center aisle would brush up against me. Anyplace else, I would have been incredibly annoyed. But at Max’s, it’s just part of being there. We’re all friends there and we’re all there to watch sports.

Also, I have to give compliments to Mike the bartender. No matter how busy it was at the bar, no matter how many people were clamoring for his attention, he always knew when I was down to about 3 sips left of my beer, and asked me, “Another one, Paul?” I appreciate the way Mike, and really all of the staff at Max’s, take such good care of the regulars.

The Memphis loss to Navy was disappointing. It’s going to be tough for Memphis to get into a position to be the Group of Five representative in a Big Six bowl now.

I couldn’t dwell on the Memphis loss for long, though, because I had Arkansas to watch. They played the Colorado State Rams starting at 6:30. My friend Krisma, a fellow Hogs fan, came in and we watched the game together. It turned out to be the second disappointment of the night, with Colorado State coming from way behind to beat Arkansas 34-27. “I was hoping we wouldn’t be the doormat of the SEC this year,” she said.

“Yeah, looks like we’re the Tennessee Vols of the SEC West,” I replied.

Despite the bad day for my teams, it was a reminder how much fun College Football Saturday at Max’s is. I will be back soon!

Last night’s Pacific Coast League playoff game at AutoZone Park was postponed due to bad weather. Game 4 of Memphis vs. Oklahoma City will be played at 2:05 today as a 7-inning game. If necessary, Game 5 will start 30 minutes after the end of Game 4.

That’s it for now. Back tomorrow with more news.

The Memphis Redbirds came back in the bottom of the ninth last night, scoring 3 runs to beat the Oklahoma City Dodgers, 5-4. The Redbirds take a 2-1 advantage in the playoff series and could win it tonight. Tonight’s game at AutoZone Park will have fireworks after the game.

Tickets are now on sale for the Cooper-Young Beerfest. This festival, to be held on Saturday, October 20, features 35 breweries from around the region as well as beer from local homebrewers. In my opinion, this is Memphis’ best beer festival because you aren’t there to see and be seen; you’re there to sample, ask the brewers questions, and learn all about the beer you are drinking. Tickets are $45 and they go up to $50 October 1.

Yesterday I tried one of Pontotoc Lounge’s lunch specials. Every Friday they have their burger for $6 from 11 to 2.

 

This was no Big Mac. It was a gourmet burger, with grilled onions, pickles, and a sweet sauce. It was so juicy too, and so big that I couldn’t finish it. I was also pleasantly surprised to see my $6 included fries. A lot of places, when they run burger specials, run the special on only the burger and fries are extra. Pontotoc does it right.

Plus, Perjorie T. Roll got to stand on a butcher board, which always makes her happy.

Pontotoc Lounge has the $6 burger every Friday. They also have $6 specials at lunch Wednesdays (chicken casserole) and Thursday (Mississippi pot roast).

On the way down there, I met a boxing coach who is trying to use boxing as a way to get kids off the streets and keep them out of trouble. (Click for a larger image to view the sign)

If any of my readers feel like talking to him and possibly supporting what he does, Coach McKinnon told me he’ll be at the corner of Main and Beale most every day.

The Grizzlies are moving fully to mobile ticketing this season, and there will be no more option to print tickets at home or store them as a PDF. This will reduce problems with lost, stolen and fraudulent tickets. I wonder how it will work for people who have the old-style flip phones that can’t display images, though? Or people who forget to bring their phone to the game.

The Peabody Hotel’s bakery and deli has announced its ice cream flavor of the month for September. In observance of the hotel’s 149th anniversary, it will be a cake batter ice cream with shortbread cookie pieces and swirls of raspberry jam.

Downtown Memphis is getting a second Lisa’s Lunchbox location. Many Raymond James employees were making the six-block trek to the popular deli on South Front Street, and they expressed to the staff there that it sure would be nice to have a Lunchbox location in their building. Kickin’ chicken spaghetti every Wednesday!

From the Today Show: Mustard pizza is a thing. That’s a pizza that uses mustard as its base rather than tomato sauce. Sure, I could get behind that.

I’m going to be spending a lot of time on the south side of Downtown today! I’m leading off at the Farmers Market, then over to Earnestine & Hazel’s to say hello to Clarence. Then my “DAWG” John D and I made plans to switch our usual Saturday spot from Bardog to Max’s Sports Bar for one week only (he’s friends with the bartender apparently). Then at 4 I will head to Ghost River for the New Wing Order Downtown grand opening. The buffalo wing nachos are high on my list to try. Pictures tomorrow probably.

Memphis has lost one of its true greats in the restaurant, bar, and nightclub scene this week. Bud Chittom passed away this week at age 67. In recent years Bud has grown Blues City Cafe and Club 152 into highly successful businesses, and he was involved with the re-opening of Earnestine & Hazel’s and the Five Spot following Russell George’s death. I knew Bud best from Club Six-1-Six which was my spot back in the ’90s. Bud was always very kind to me, always complimented me on the blog when he saw me around town. Rest in peace, Bud. Memphis is better in many ways, and many people have a lot of cherished memories, because of the businesses you built.

Seth Agranov, former operator of Best Memphis Burger Fest, tagged me in a post this morning. The folks who bought the rights to run a burger festival from him have re-branded it Burgerfest Memphis and have a tentative date of October 27th. The location of the festival is unclear at this time. The logo has a drawing of the Liberty Bowl and says “Tiger Lane,” but the Facebook post announced a location of Bobby Lanier Farm Park in Germantown. That’s a bye week for the Tigers so a game wouldn’t preclude the use of Tiger Lane. I’ll post more details as I get them.

That date for Burgerfest Memphis is later in the fall than they’ve had it in the past. On October 27, you’re looking at normal temperatures of high 71/low 50. If that day is normal or above, everything will be fine. Just got to hope a cold front doesn’t pass through and drop it down into the 30s.

The playoff series, tied at 1-1 between the Memphis Redbirds and Oklahoma City, comes to AutoZone Park tonight. Game time is 7:05 and the first 1500 people get a 2018 playoff rally towel. There is a special cookout ticket that includes burgers, hot dogs and all the trimmings, a free ticket to Game 4 on Saturday, and a free ticket to Game 5 on Sunday (if necessary).

The Peabody is bringing back its Sunset Happy Hour Fridays and Saturdays this month 4:30-8:30 PM. It’s free to go up to the hotel’s rooftop and watch the sun set, and libations will be available for purchase.

I don’t know if I have any readers who go to the Memphis Farmers Market and who own dogs, but in case I do, you’ll want to be at the Market tomorrow where the theme is Treat Your Beasts. Vendors at the Farmers Market sell dog treats made from natural, locally-sourced ingredients, and there are also meat vendors who will sell you a bone for your dog. Free pet-sitting is available while you shop. Featured sponsor Hollywood Feed will have a booth there tomorrow. M4, the Mini-Mobile Metal Museum, will bring the Metal Museum’s smithy and casting to the Market. Kids can get their oink on in the crafts booth 8 to noon, and there will be live local music all day. The Market runs 8-1 every Saturday under the pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson.

YOGA! Tomorrow there will be an all-levels yoga class on the rooftop of Old Dominick Distillery, followed by “mimosas” with Old Dominick products. $15 includes the class and one specialty cocktail. Check in at 10:30, yoga at 11, cocktails following yoga.

The Brass Door is inviting the public to come watch the USA vs. Brazil soccer friendly at 6:30 this evening.

There will be a free concert outside the Halloran Centre for the Performing Arts next Wednesday, September 12, from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Kirk Whalum will be presented with his Brass Note.

Project Green Fork is seeking a Program Manager.

The Travel Channel will be filming at LUNCHBOXeats tomorrow and they are inviting the public to come be on TV. Filming will happen 12:30 to 2 PM.

A man was killed after being hit by a train this morning at South Main and Virginia Avenue.

Disney on Ice presents Frozen is in town for the weekend at FedExForum.

The New Daisy has announced Hoobastank will play on November 16.

Rhonda Vincent and the Rage play the Halloran Centre tonight.

Memphis in May has announced an open call for visual artists to submit work for its 2019 salute. Rather than honoring a country this year, the month-long festival is honoring Memphis for the city’s bicentennial.

So, today I find myself with an important decision to make.

A couple of days ago I blogged that my friend Dennis, who climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise money for St. Jude a couple of years ago, is making a trip to Everest Base Camp to further raise money. Yesterday I got an email from Dennis with an offer to come along…

No, not for me to come along.

Dennis has invited Perjorie T. Roll to accompany him on his trip. “Perjorie would have stops in Philadelphia, Qatar, Kathmandu, Lukla (including an exhilarating flight into the worlds most dangerous airport), Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, Dingboche, Lobuche, Gorakshep (the original Everest Base Camp), Everest Base Camp, and a side trip up Mount Kalapatthar to see the sunrise over Everest’s peak,” Dennis wrote. He said she would fit in a carry-on bag on the plane and in a backpack hiking up the mountain, and that (connectivity permitting) he could send back a picture of the day to put on the blog. As Dennis points out, not many trolls have been to Mt. Everest, and it would be a great way to raise awareness for his fundraising for St. Jude.

The downside is that I’d be without Perjorie for two-thirds of the month of October and I would miss my little troll terribly. I also need to find out if my BBQ team has any interest in doing Burgerfest Memphis. If there’s a Moody Ques event during the time she’s overseas, that could be a deal-breaker. She is too valuable an asset to the team to miss an event of that magnitude.

Also a concern is, what if she gets lost over there and I never get her back? I trust Dennis completely, and since she’ll be in a carry-on, lost luggage is not a concern. However, Everest is a dangerous environment, and it’s possible that an emergency situation will arise in which the protection of a plastic figurine is not the highest concern. I could get another troll, but there’s only one Perjorie. She’s my scar, a remnant of a deep injury, but an emotional one rather than a physical one. I wish I could say more but this is a public website so I won’t.

I’m going to think about it over the weekend.

Headed to Pontotoc Lounge here in a bit where they have their burger as a $6 lunch special 11 AM to 2 PM. Back tomorrow with more news.

Saturday will be a big day for dog lovers Downtown. The new Mud Island dog park, sponsored by Hollywood Feed, will open that day.

The Dr. Bill Herd Jazz Ensemble will perform at Pop-up Sunset Jazz at Court Square this Sunday from 5 to 7 PM. Food trucks will be available for those who are hungry.

Construction is coming to Poplar and Danny Thomas. The Memphis Business Journal reports that the Union Mission is building a facility west of its current 383 Poplar location that will comfortably house and feed 350 people in a variety of spaces.

There will be a free performance of Shakespeare’s Two Gentlemen of Verona Friday, September 21 at 6 PM at Beale Street Landing.

Cemetery Cinema will return to Elmwood Cemetery on Friday, October 5 with a double feature to get you in the mood for Halloween. The gates will open at 5:30, and you can enjoy rides on mule-driven buckboards around the cemetery as costumed characters talk about those who are buried there. At 6:45, once the sun has set, the first movie will begin, being projected onto the roof of the cemetery’s historic 1852 cottage. The films will be The Wolf Man (1941) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935).

Gizmodo has a list of 9 apps you should try if you want to learn something new every day. I have installed Curiosity and Blinkist and am enjoying them so far.

My trivia team won for the third week in a row at Blind Bear. Early on, Elton John was on the TV in front of us in one of his snazzy outfits, and Cady commented, “Elton John is like an elegant Ric Flair.” Then she said, “That should be our team name.”

By now you’ve probably all heard about the op-ed piece in the New York Times yesterday, written by an anonymous senior official in the White House. It confirms one of the major points of Bob Woodward’s book, that White House officials have to contain President Trump’s impulses to avoid situations that would endanger national security. I wonder who this person is. Pence? Mattis?

That’ll do it for now. Back tomorrow with more news.

A year or two ago, I posted about my friends Dennis and MaryPat who climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise money for St. Jude. They are regulars at the Downtown Flying Saucer, and the Saucer was very supportive of their cause, helping them to raise well over $10,000.

So anyway, this morning I was looking at my notes in Evernote, thinking, “I have NOTHING to post today.” Well, I have one item that would be fine among 10 other items in a daily update post, but isn’t significant or time-sensitive enough to warrant a post of its own. “What am I going to do? I already took Monday off. If I skip posting multiple days in one week, people start to worry about me.”

Right about then, I checked my phone, and there was a text from MaryPat. She said to see a copied text from Brandey, one of the managers at the Saucer, and to help get the word out.

Dennis is embarking on a new adventure, planning to conquer Mt. Everest this time, once again to raise money for St. Jude. The Saucer stepped up to support. Every Wednesday at the Saucer is glass night, where you can buy a special glass to keep along with your beer, usually from a brewery that supplies the Saucer. For the entire month of September, beginning tonight, a portion of the sales of every Wednesday night glass will be donated to St. Jude. Glass night starts at 7 PM, although if you’re a Master of the Universe (5 plates or more) you can buy them earlier than 7.

The money goes straight to St. Jude and Dennis and MaryPat do not take a cut – it all goes to the kids. If you like beer and are looking for a way to support this great cause, come on out to the Saucer tonight or one of the next three Wednesdays.

The Phantom returns to the Orpheum tonight as the theater’s 2018-19 Broadway season kicks off this week. Love Never Dies, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sequel to Phantom of the Opera, runs tonight through Sunday. It’s set 10 years later, and the Phantom has escaped the Paris Opera House and has made his way to New York. The Flyer’s Chris Davis has more on the musical.

Beale Street’s historic Hunt-Phelan House is on the market. The 5 bedroom, 10 bath mansion was built in 1828 and is selling for $3.5 million.

The official team store of Memphis 901 FC is now open for business online.

Airbnb has generated $650,000 for the city of Memphis in the first year since the city started charging a short-term room occupancy tax.

There’s a job opening at the Redbirds. They are looking for a Director of Premium Sales.

Local Gastropub posted that it will carry NFL Sunday ticket this year at both locations. There will be beer bucket specials as well as burger and wing specials. During brunch they have bottomless mimosas.

The National Civil Rights Museum will host a storytime for kids ages 2-5 tomorrow from 10:30 to 11:30 AM. The theme will be the Underground Railroad.

The Commercial Appeal has the story behind the Memphis Tigers football team’s pro wrestling-inspired turnover robe.

Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Bob Woodward has a new book coming out about life in the Trump White House. I didn’t buy Omarosa’s book but I will probably buy this one.

That’s it for now. Back tomorrow with more.

I don’t do a whole lot of shots anymore, but yesterday I made an exception and I am glad I did.

Ole Smoky has a new flavor of moonshine out. This is Butter Pecan Pie Moonshine and it just may be the best shot I have ever had. So yummy. They have it at Bardog.

Memphis 901 FC posted video of a very successful exhibition soccer match at AutoZone Park last night.

What a day. What a #901Day.

We’re here.#Memphis901FC | #DefendMemphis pic.twitter.com/J532NYPXju

— Memphis 901 FC (@Memphis901FC) September 2, 2018

The Mississippi River Monsters catfishing tournament kicks off at Bass Pro at the Pyramid this Friday, September 7. Winner gets a $30,000 Tracker Grizzly boat, motor and trailer.

A friend of mine mentioned that he tried to go to Tailors’ Union/The Pocket, the new Downtown speakeasy that will become a private club on September 14, but was denied entry because he had shorts on. Keep that in mind if you plan a visit to the place. I wonder if the private club concept is going to make it in Memphis. I have heard almost no buzz about it in the circles in which I run. I personally have no interest in joining.

Check out Bluff City Coffee’s Sandwich of the Month for September:

Our Sandwich of the Month is a Bluff City Coffee classic–the Hummus & Portobello! This hearty sandwich has grilled portobello mushroom & roasted red peppers paired with your choice of our roasted red pepper or garlic hummus. Served on your choice of bread with chips & a pickle. pic.twitter.com/qvhGmvFNqx

— Bluff City Coffee (@BluffCityCoffee) September 1, 2018

I don’t know if I have any vegetarians who read this blog, but if I do, you could take a class at Downtown Yoga and then have a short walk up the street to Bluff City for this sandwich.

The Glenn Miller Orchestra, widely considered the most successful big band of all time, will perform at the Orpheum on Friday, February 8, 2019. Tickets are on sale now.

The New York Times has an interesting interactive article: How much hotter is your hometown than when you were born? I entered the place where I was born, Little Rock, Arkansas, and my year of birth. When I was born Little Rock averaged 59 days a year with temperatures of 90 degrees or higher. As of 2018 Little Rock averages 80 days with temps above 90. By the time I’m 80 years old, Little Rock is forecast to have a range of 81 to 112 days with temps above 90, with the most likely scenario being 103 days.

High Ground News has an article on the art of local craft beer. Breweries work with designers to come up with attractive can art that catches the eye of potential customers.

A new riverboat will launch at Beale Street Landing next month with cruises to New Orleans.

Most of my readers have tomorrow off, I would assume. If you’re trying to figure out what to do on a Sunday when you can stay out late, my suggestion would be to catch FreeWorld’s weekly gig at the Blues City Band Box on Beale. This is where they have the freedom to jam and do their most creative stuff, and the entire band is there, rather than Kaleidoscope or KaleidoWorld which are subsets of the band’s members. Showtime is 9:00 I believe. Might be a good idea to get there at 8 and have some Southern grub at Blues City Cafe next door.

Time to talk college football

Memphis 66, Mercer 14

The Tigers scored a record 56 points in the first half and must have put their third string and walk-ons in for the second – a smart coaching move even if it meant Memphis didn’t run up the score much more. This was a feel-good win that fired up the Tiger fan base, but let’s face it – this is what it’s supposed to look like when you face an FCS opponent. We won’t know if Memphis is truly good until next week’s road game vs. Navy. A win there and the Tigers belong in the Top 25 and can look toward another 10-win season and giving Boise State a run for its money as the best in the Group of Five.

By the way, I love the Ric Flair-inspired turnover robe that players get to put on after forcing a turnover. Whooooooo! It’s a heck of a lot better than a trash can.

Arkansas 55, Eastern Illinois 20

Same as above. The Hogs are supposed to blow out cupcake opponents, and they did. The Razorbacks have a ridiculously easy nonconference schedule, the toughest opponent being Tulsa. They’ll get 4 wins out of that. Can they get two more against SEC opponents and get bowl eligible? And how far has this program fallen where 6 wins and an appearance in the Taxslayer Bowl a desirable result?

West Virginia 40, Tennessee 14

Thank you, thank you, thank you to good ole West Virginny! There is nothing I hate worse than the Vols going on a winning streak the first few games, and we have to hear “IT’S GONNNN BEEEE ARRRRRR YEEEEAAARRRRRR” from their idiot fans. A loss to the Mountaineers will shut them up. Well, it will shut them up until they beat Eastern Tennessee State and UTEP, after which they’ll start going, “Well, hail, son, ’em one-loss teams, they get to the playoffs all the time! Hail yeah, all we got to do is run the table and we’re in! IT’S GONNNN BEEEE ARRRRRR YEEEEAAARRRRRR!” Then Florida will beat them by 21 and Tennessee fans will slither back under their rocks until 2019.

If you don’t want to read about politics, you can go now

A week ago I posted that some of my best Twitter sources indicated that it would rain indictments this past week (August 27-31), with the two biggest names to be indicted being Roger Stone and Don Jr. That didn’t happen. My sources say that’s because indictments at that level would have taken the spotlight off remembering an American hero, John McCain. They pushed back a week until his funeral was over. Tuesday and Wednesday could be wild days. They want to get this done no less than 60 days before the midterm elections. 60 days would be this Thursday.

Prediction: This will be the week Trump goes absolutely batshit, not only on Twitter, but on a live mic. Crazy to the point that even Republicans will start wondering if he is mentally healthy enough to be president. In my opinion, that discussion should have started when he referred to white supremacists as “some very fine people,” but better now than never.

U.S. Senate candidate Phil Bredesen will host a town hall at Rhodes College on September 13. This was originally set to be a debate against his opponent, Marsha Blackburn, but Blackburn is too much of a coward to face the people who would be her West Tennessee constituents if she wins the seat.

All right. That’ll do it for now. Back tomorrow with more news.