Friday update: Vegetarian nachos, Pickin’ Party and more

Vegetarians have a new dish to eat Downtown. The Rendezvous teamed up with The Chubby Vegetarian to create a new menu item, vegetarian BBQ nachos. They top Brim’s corn chips with red beans and rice, then smother it in cheese sauce and pickled jalapenos. It’s a complete protein. They went through several iterations in the kitchen before coming up with the perfect recipe.

Nancy Apple’s Pickin’ Party, a staple at Kudzu’s for many years, has returned on Thursday nights at a new location, The Dirty Crow Inn, 8-11 PM. It’s musicians playing all original music. Just bring your guitar and join the circle on the patio, and wait your turn to play a song or jam along with others.

James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt perform live tomorrow night at FedExForum.

Celebrate National Farmers Market Week this Saturday at the Memphis Farmers Market. Great chance to thank a farmer for bringing their locally grown food to us. Live music by Steve Smith 8:30-10 and Megan Carolan 11-12:30. The Farmers Market happens under the pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson every Saturday from 7 AM to 1 PM.

There will be a block party at Memphis Farmers Market Squared this coming Wednesday, August 9, 4-7 PM in Court Square. There will be a live performance by Charles Streeter and The People. There will also be live painting by Siphne Sylve, MEMpops, free photos at the Amurica photo booth, a beer garden, fun games, and of course sales by Memphis Farmers Market vendors.

Congressman Steve Cohen will host a Town Hall meeting 10 AM tomorrow, Saturday, August 5, at the Callicott Auditorium at Memphis College of Art. Steve will discuss health care and other issues that matter to Ninth District residents.

Thrilled to receive the receipt of payment for entry email for the Moody Ques into Best Memphis Burger Fest. We are discussing having two or three practice cooks between now and October. We tend to do well at Burger Fest, especially in the Bloody Mary and Veggie Burger categories. I’m not a cook but as a former judge at the festival, I will assist any way I can.

As has been the case with almost every week of the presidency, Trump has had his worst week ever. Forced to sign a veto-proof Russia sanctions bill. The Russian prime minister called him weak and incompetent. News that Trump wrote Don Jr.’s statement about meeting with the Russians. Approval ratings hit an all-time low. Announcement came out that a grand jury was impaneled several weeks ago to look into Russian interference in the 2016 election. And those are just the highlights. Trump supporters said the de-wussification of America would begin once Trump took office. Hey, how’s that going?

Week’s almost over. This could be an interesting weekend. Back tomorrow with more news.

Thursday update

Yesterday I posted an Action News 5 article that said an arrest had been made in the Downtown Creeper case, but a South Main resident commented that it is not the same man as the one who has been lurking in that neighborhood. Their creeper is said to be a white male in his mid to late 40s.

The extremely popular beginner sushi class returns to Memphis Made this Sunday from 2 to 4. This is a hands-on class. You’ll learn how to make the perfect sushi rice. They’ll teach you to make popular sauces, including eel sauce, Bang Bang sauce, and more. You’ll get two rolls to eat, one made by the teachers and the other made by you. You’ll learn where to shop, what to buy, and how to serve raw fish and seafood at home according to health department standards. You’ll get a cheat sheet to take home that is filled with tips, tricks, and recipes. Register for the class here.

There are plans to redevelop a ravine in The Edge, once a rail line, to be a community space and amphitheater.

WALRUS is the featured entertainment tonight at the Peabody rooftop party. $10 to get in, ladies and hotel guests free before 7. Admission includes a buffet of items from the Capriccio Grill menu. Drink specials will be Mystery Margaritas and Firefly cherry zing moonshine.

Side Street Steppers will perform tonight at Tacos & Tunes on the patio at Felicia Suzanne Restaurant. $2 tacos, $5 drinks.

Ghost River at Main and Crump will have a first-time food truck tonight parked outside their taproom: Lynnie’s Links and Drinks. Geeks who Drink trivia at 7 tonight.

It’s the final weekend for RiverPlay, the pop-up park on Riverside. You have until Sunday to come out and play.

DeNeuville Learning Center is hosting Brains, Brews & BBQ at their center at 190 S. Cooper Saturday, August 19 from 6 to 9 PM. This will be a trivia night (max 6 people per team) and participants get BBQ and beer from local home brewers and Memphis Made as well. Buy tickets here ($30 per person). DeNeuville is a non-profit learning center providing education and support to women with limited financial resources.

Dmitry Medvedev, prime minister of Russia and number 2 behind Putin, called President Trump an “incompetent player” who will be “liquidated” by the U.S. establishment. Medvedev pretty much called Trump a bitch and he isn’t wrong. As the Washington Examiner points out, this is more or less a traditional Russian threat and it came from Putin. The sanctions vote in Congress proves that Putin’s useful idiot in the White House is no longer useful.

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

Wed update: Slider and beer deal, big news for The Edge, Grit Grind Night, arrest made in Downtown Creeper case and more

A new Wednesday night beer and burger promotion begins at the Flying Saucer tonight. On Flight Night 2.0 you can get 3 beers and 3 sliders for $16.

Looks like a pretty good deal! Speaking of the Saucer, you can catch the Eric Hughes Band there at 9:30 Saturday.

Ghost River Brewing Co. at Main and Crump is doing a Flight Night of their own on Wednesdays, when you get 4 flights for the price of 3 4-7 PM. Hot’N’Heavy Dogs will be on site at the Ghost River taproom this evening.

Huge. huge, huge news for The Edge District this week. The developer who re-made the Chisca Hotel into apartments and retail space plans to remodel the old Wonder Bread bakery at 400 Monroe into 286 apartments and a 480-space parking garage, along with 150,000 square feet of apartments and retail. The developer, who sees The Edge as “the hole in the donut” between Downtown and the Medical Center, owns several other parcels in the area.

Pam & Terry make their debut at The View rooftop bar atop the Residence Inn by Marriott at the corner of Main and Monroe Saturday 6-9 PM. They’ll have Shuffle Grit Thursday and Friday.

Grit Grind Night returns to AutoZone Park on Saturday, August 30. The Redbirds will celebrate the Memphis Grizzlies that evening. Mario Chalmers and Tyreke Evans will be out at the ball park to sign autographs and throw out ceremonial first pitches. Grizz, the Claw Crew, the Grizzline, the Grizz Girls, and Grizzlies Grannies & Grandpas will be there too. The Redbirds will be wearing special Grizzlies-themed jerseys which will be auctioned off after the game, the proceeds benefiting the Redbirds Community Fund. Gates will open at 5 with first pitch at 6:30.

Work Local, the partnership between the city and Hospitality HUB to connect the homeless with opportunities to work to clean up litter and blight, is expanding. Previously the program operated on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Now they are adding Mondays. 217 people have participated in the program so far, with 12 going into job training programs and 5 being placed in permanent jobs.

An arrest has been made in the Downtown Creeper case. The Creeper had a history of driving a white truck around South Main, parking it when he saw a woman, following her, saying inappropriate things, touching himself. This is believed to have happened to at least three different victims.

An exterior renovation is planned for 47/49/51 S. Main, which houses Family Dollar and DeJaVu.

In Good Company, a monthly event where you can meet up with other creative types, happens tomorrow night 5:30-7:30 at Cafe Keough.

The Sandlot will be shown for free at the Orpheum tomorrow afternoon at 3:30.

Defense Secretary and former Marine General Jim “Mad Dog” Mattis was recently interviewed by a high school newspaper. The young journalist did a killer job asking questions and Mattis offered so much wisdom. Whether you are liberal or conservative or somewhere in between, this is a fascinating read.

There is a movement on Twitter to draft Mattis to run for president in the next election cycle. Not only would he be a great choice, but there’s also this:

That’s it for now. Few more hours of work then Silly Goose happy hour. Back tomorrow with more news.

Tuesday update

Clayborn Temple has announced more films in its schedule for the 15 Film Series. Thursday’s Film is Entre Nos, exploring a Colombian mother’s journey with her two children to Queens, New York, to be with her husband. However, her husband abandons her, leaving her and the kids to fend for themselves. Eventually she finds an unusual way to make money via the city’s recycling. The film is hosted by Midsouth Immigrant Advocacy, and was chosen to highlight the many struggles and obstacles immigrants face in the U.S. There will be a block party at 6 Thursday prior to the showing of the film.

The South Main Association has announced its August meeting on Tuesday, August 8 at The Front Porch, 251 Riverside Drive. Dorchelle Spence, vice-president of the Riverfront Development Corporation, will speak on topics including the natural beauty and resources of our riverfront. She will take questions as well. Light snack buffet from 6 to 7 PM, and a cash bar will be available. Free for SMA members, $10 for non-members.

Downtown Yoga posted that a new six-week introductory Ashtanga class begins Saturday, August 6 at 3 PM at a cost of $60. Only problem is, August 6 is not Saturday. If interested, call the studio and ask if the class is Saturday or Sunday. YOGA!

South Side Supper Club (the band, not a supper club) is back at Belle Tavern tonight from 7 to 10, as they are the first and third Tuesday of every month.

Saw this on Facebook: Best boyfriends according to zodiac signs. Ranked number one of the twelve signs: Scorpio! Yep we are awesome! Line forms to the left, ladies!

Neat thing I discovered recently: You can use Google StreetView to explore the Shelby Farms Greenline. This is excellent! Now I can travel the Greenline while sitting at the Blind Bear sipping on a PBR, without having to do all that running or biking!

Don’t forget that National Night Out is tonight at Front and G.E. Patterson. Free food and beverages, with donations to the MPD North Main Precinct appreciated. I may have to miss it due to a friend in town. I guess standing outside in near-90 degree temperatures and Pirtle’s Chicken would be as good as a “remember what you missed about Memphis” as anything, but she’d probably prefer something indoors. Outta here for now, back tomorrow with more news.

Monday update: Eclipse parties, National Night Out and more

A solar eclipse will happen on Monday, August 21, with Memphis getting about 90% coverage. Over the weekend I learned of two watch parties celebrating the eclipse. Ghost River will have a free watch party from 11:30 AM to 2 PM. Bring your own chair, lawn chair, or blanket. Memphis Mojo Cafe and MEMPops will be on site, and the taproom will be open if you’re thirsty. Starting August 4, they will be selling eclipse-watching glasses for $3. At 5 PM they will have an “I Survived the Solar Eclipse” party.

By the way… over the weekend Ghost River posted a list of beers they currently have at the taproom, and they came up with one of the most clever beer names ever. They have a gose on tap, which they named Howzit Gose. Great name, great style of beer. I need to get down to the Ghost River taproom to drink some Gose soon.

On the 21st, LYFE KItchen will host a twilight luncheon from noon to 2 to celebrate the eclipse with a thematic menu and a champagne toast. More info

I strongly suggest taking the 21st as a vacation day, not only because it is the eclipse, but also because it’s the day after the Breakaway Bardog 5K and Monroe Avenue Fest. It will be nice to have that as a recovery day. I’m taking Friday the 18th off too, because a four day weekend is nice to have every once in a while.

I learned a little inside secret at a great Downtown business. Saturday a friend offered me a spicy cashew which was really good. “It’s from the Peanut Shop,” he told me. “They don’t normally carry them, but if you call them in advance they can make a batch. They can make any nut spicy. It’s a Mediterranean seasoning they use.” Hmmm, useful information to know. I love spicy food.

The SMA sent out a list of vendors donating food to National Night Out tomorrow from 6-8 PM under the Farmers Market pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson: Aldo’s Pizza Pies, A Moveable Feast & Hog Wild, The Arcade, Café Pontotoc, Cash & Carry Wholesale Grocery, Dirty Crow Inn, Jerry Lawler BBQ & Grill, LYFE Kitchen + Chisca Bar, Majestic Grille, Malco Theaters, Margie’s 901 Homemade Ice Cream, Cakes & Treats, Memphis Farmers Market, Pirtle’s Fried Chicken, Pyramid Wine & Spirits, Rizzo’s, and Stepherson’s On The Go. Michael Clayton will perform a magic act, and Semi-Average Joe and Taylor grace will perform live. The food and entertainment are free but donations to the North Main MPD substation are appreciated. Be sure to thank a police officer if you attend!

Cafe Pontotoc has officially confirmed that the restaurant will indeed close in several weeks, after their employees have had time to find other jobs. They are looking for someone to make Cafe Pontotoc their own.

Miss Cordelia’s is hiring two office managers, a cafe team member, and a full-time prep cook. Apply in person. In other Miss Cordelia’s news, Kebob and El Mero Taco will be the food trucks on site there Wednesday from 5 to 8.

The Peabody is up for Best Historic Hotel in USA TODAY’s Readers’ Choice poll. Vote here.

That’s it for now. Today doesn’t seem as Monday-ish as most Mondays, which is good. Back tomorrow with more news.

Saturday recap: Big Baller Board, tour of Jerry Lawler’s on Beale

It’s that time of year. Yesterday I pulled up a seat at the bar at Bardog at 11 AM and slapped a Benjamin on the bar.

“I hope you don’t think you’re getting change for that,” said Bloom.

“No, it’s for the kids,” I said. Three weeks from today, the Breakaway Bardog 5K and Monroe Avenue Fest will raise money for St. Jude. They are taking donations in advance. Anyone who donates $100 or more gets their name on the Big Baller Board at Bardog. My donation got my name on the board.

If you can’t make it to Bardog to donate, you can donate online. Do me a favor… there are teams competing to see who can raise the most donations. If you don’t already have a team when you donate online, I would appreciate it if you would select “Send Bob to the Dunk Tank” from the “Are you donating toward a team?” dropdown list.

After Bardog I got lunch at Havana’s Pilon, the Cuban place at Madison and Second. I got the Picadillo, the ground beef, over Congri black beans and rice with a side of boiled yucca. Huge portion for $8. Great value.

After lunch I headed to the Blind Bear, where I was joined by my friends Jeremy and Jeana. Jeremy and Jeana were recruited to join the Moody Ques back in March by our Deputy Director of Public Relations. “We just went by Bardog,” Jeremy told me. They showed me a photo.

Not surprised at all to see a BBQ teammate join me on the Big Baller Board. The Moody Ques are the most giving, caring BBQ team in Memphis.

After we finished our beers, Jeremy and Jeana asked, “Do you want to walk around Beale Street with us?” I hadn’t been to Beale in a while and it was a beautiful day out, so I came along. On the way there I noticed that the Silly Goose, now able to serve drinks on its area of Peabody Place, had added umbrellas to the tables out there, providing much-needed shade.

We walked down Beale looking for a place to go. “King Lawler’s?” Jeremy suggested. Believe it or not, as big a wrestling fan as I am, I had actually never been in Jerry Lawler’s bar. Beale Street just is not on my radar very much. Happy for a chance to check the place out, I agreed.

“You’ve never been here? I’m going to see if Randy will give you a tour,” Jeremy said. I knew immediately who Randy was.

Randy Hales was the founder and booker of Power Pro Wrestling that operated in Memphis in the 1990s. He is currently the manager of Jerry Lawler’s place on Beale. While the servers went to get Randy, I ordered a large Budweiser (they didn’t have PBR on draft) and the Deputy Director of Public Relations tried on a crown.

Being a sports bar, there were many TVs at Jerry Lawler’s, most of which were tuned to the ESPN family of channels. However, a few of the TVs showed classic moments from Memphis wrestling. In 1982, NWA World Champion Ric Flair came to town and he got some company as Lance Russell interviewed him:

Randy came over and introduced himself and the four of us went downstairs. I was like a kid in a candy store, and having read Lawler’s autobiography, I had lots of questions. Randy told stories about Jackie Fargo and how “The King” got his nickname. He told us how “Soul Man” Rocky Johnson’s son wanted to break into pro wrestling in 1996. Not wanting to ride his dad’s coattails, he took the name Flex Kavana. His first match was in Kennett, Missouri, right down the road from Jeremy and Jeana’s farm. When he got good enough to get called up by the WWE, he took his dad’s first name and his grandfather Peter Maivia’s surname: Rocky Maivia. Eventually he would shorten his ring name to The Rock.

I got to sit on the set of The Jerry Lawler Show, which ran for many years on Channel 5. I interviewed the Deputy Director of Public Relations of my BBQ team, who chose to stand on the coffee table.

Back upstairs, I sat on The King’s throne.

Back at the bar following the tour, I thought to myself, WHY HAVEN’T I BEEN COMING HERE? How many lifelong fans of pro wrestling have a wrestling-themed bar, owned by a living legend of the business, a quarter mile walk from their home? I get it that the clientele is mostly tourists, but just think of the conversations I could have in there, trading memories and stories. I’m not saying I’m going to make it my main hangout or anything, but I can see myself in Jerry Lawler’s place a couple of times a month. I want to try the deep fried ribs sometime. My friend Eric Hughes plays live music there from time to time, so perhaps I will go see him.

Thank you so much Randy for the tour, and thanks to Jeremy and Jeana for the idea.

Excellent Saturday. Now it’s time to follow it up with an excellent Sunday.

 

Street drinking and Saturday news

The cold front has passed through and this weekend we can expect sunshine with highs in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 60s, unseasonably cool for Memphis this time of year. Great weekend for patio drinking… or street drinking! When the pedestrian promenade opened on Peabody Place last month, everyone was under the impression that the Silly Goose would be able to serve drinks to people sitting in their section of the promenade. However, a nearby business (gosh I wonder who that could be) complained to the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, who informed Goose staff that they had to apply for a separate permit to be able to serve on the promenade. Yesterday I was in there for happy hour, and the bartender told me the permit had just arrived.

If you haven’t made it out to Edge Alley at 600 Monroe yet to check out the biscuits, the coffee, and the shopping, Place at the Table has a review you need to read: Breakfast at Edge Alley

Clean Comedy Experience comes to the Halloran Centre with shows at 4 and 8 today (tickets $20-45). This is your chance to get some laughs without having to hear any offensive words (you know, the kind of words you would hear if you attended one of White House communications director Scaramucci’s press conferences). It’s comedy with honor, class, and dignity.

Bigger Music comes to the Ghost River taproom tonight from 6 to 9. Baily Bigger brings the acoustic guitar and vocals, and Wyly Bigger brings piano and vocals as they perform some of their originals as well as their favorite covers. There is no cover charge to get in and this is a family-friendly show.

The times for the 3-on-3 basketball tournament for the Memphis Police and Fire Departments have been announced: 4-7 PM today and 2-5 PM tomorrow. Come out and cheer the people who keep us safe.

Memphis Parkour will give a demonstration tomorrow, Sunday, July 30, at Your Inner Yogi, 10 N. Second #102, from 1 to 2 PM. The Parkour demonstration will be across the street in Court Square as part of their “Move Memphis!” weekend. The goal is to promote Parkour as a healthy and safe form of recreation that promotes fitness. Pre-register here to get in a raffle for prizes.

By the way, when I clicked on that link, I saw that Your Inner Yogi currently has an intro deal running: 2 weeks of unlimited classes for $19.

The area’s largest and most requested bridal show returns to the Cook Convention Center tomorrow: the Memphis Pink Bride Wedding Show.

The FDA is considering lowing nicotine levels in conventional cigarettes to non-addictive levels. So let me get this straight… right now I can go out and buy a product that is known to contain addictive levels of a drug, and the use of that product has been shown to take years off the average person’s life. But I can’t go to an online poker site, have them pull $5 plus a 50 cent table fee out of my PayPal account, and enjoy three to six hours of a poker tournament, with the chance to win more than my entry back if I survive into the money (potentially many many times more if I’m the last player standing)?

BBQ teammates, if you did not receive an email this week, let me know. We are restructuring the team a bit and gearing up to compete in Best Memphis Burger Fest. There were rumors that the team was finished, but that was merely a momentary lapse of reason.

The Mooch finally forced Reince Priebus out of the White House yesterday. Politico has the analysis. So much fun to sit back and watch all the infighting among the wackadoos. Donald, you’ve outdone yourself; this is the best season of The Apprentice yet, and great job getting it on all cable networks rather then just restricting it to NBC.

That’ll do it for now. Off to the usual Saturday spots.

Friday update #2

I’ll start off today’s second blog post with a random rant. There’s a skill kids aren’t taught in school, but probably should be: How to read maps (doesn’t have to be a paper map, can be a map app on a mobile device) and establishing a good sense of where north, south, east, and west are. It kills me when I give people directions and I’m like, “So you go two blocks east on Union and…”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know which way is east.”

“You see that thing over there? That’s the river. If you’re going toward the river you’re heading west. You know this because West Memphis is on the other side of the river. So if you want to go east you figure out where the river is and go the opposite direction.”

It’s a skill that’s probably less important now that GPSs are common, but I’m still glad I learned it. Kind of like, I’m glad I learned how to do long division even though I have a calculator on my phone.

Update on tonight’s Redbirds games: Gates open at 5, last night’s suspended game starts back up at 5:35, then tonight’s game begins. I posted all that this morning, but here’s an important update: Since Thirsty Thursday ($2 select draft beers around the park) was interrupted, it continues tonight! Also since tonight is Ladies’ Night, $3 wines available to ladies during both games. Yay Redbirds for giving their fans a wallet-friendly ballgame experience. Here’s a link to the Redbirds’ rain policy.

@FrankMurtaugh had an interesting stat: All nine St. Louis Cardinals who started last night’s game were former Memphis Redbirds.

Tonight’s one-night only appearance by Austin-based smoked meats and Texas BBQ producer Micklethwait Craft Meats at Memphis Made Brewing is a big deal apparently. The Memphis Flyer has coverage of Micklethwait’s trailer tour through the U.S., and the event is mentioned by Chris Herrington in The 9:01 as well.

Heh. I looked up Micklethwait’s Austin restaurant and the hours are “11 AM – til it’s gone.” That’s a sure sign that there is good BBQ there. Wonder if my friend Chicken Fried Steak Rodger will put the mutts in an Uber and head out to Memphis Made for some Texas BBQ tonight.

The sales tax holiday in Tennessee is underway and continues through Sunday. No sales tax this weekend on clothes, school supplies, and art supplies costing $100 or less, or on computers costing $1500 or less.

I had a cross-bred jalapeno/Thai chili pepper last night. The grower wasn’t trying to be the Luther Burbank of peppers, but they were growing next to each other and it just happened. Let’s just say I was drinking water for about 15 minutes after I sampled the pepper.

Rut roe:

“This week has been Trump’s worst week ever as president,” I thought last Friday, “until next week.” That proved to be true. Also, thinking the same thought today seems relevant.

That’s it for now. It’s my second post today, so keep scrolling for more.

Friday morning update

A new homeless women’s workplace/shelter is being planned for 333 Adams. It will be called The Merging Bridge and you can help support it by attending or cooking for a chili cook-off Saturday, September 2 from 11 AM-2 PM. Entry fee per team (1 to 4 people) is $40 and goes up to $50 August 11. Team spots are limited so do not delay to enter your team.

Tin Roof will have a Wet ‘n Wild Party Saturday 11:30-6:30. 22 foot water slide, DJ Stringbean, tiki bar, promo girls from Fireball and SoCo with shot specials, prizes and giveaways. There will be patio food including burgers, hot dogs, and turkey legs. Tickets are $5 on the website or $10 at the door.

The third annual Memphis Grilled Cheese Festival has been announced for November 5 at the Hi-Tone. Teams will compete to see who makes the best grilled cheese and tomato soup. Nice to see them move this festival forward a month. On November 5, the average high in Memphis is 67 so unless we hit a cold front, it’s still festival weather. In previous years it’s been in December.

Last night’s Redbirds game had to be suspended due to weather. It will resume tonight at 5:35 PM, followed by a second 7-inning game. Fans who had tickets for last night can exchange them for a ticket to a future game. Fans who have tickets for tonight get to see both games.

Memphis Farmers Market has announced its 2017 Farm Fest at Loflin Yard Sunday, September 24 from 5 to 8 PM. Star and Micey will be the live entertainment. You will be able to enjoy food from some of Memphis’ finest restaurants, and Wiseacre beer will be served. A new vendor at Farm Fest this year will be Old Dominick Distillery, providing two signature cocktails. Another new vendor is Kendra Scott Jewelry, offering a $50 jewelry pull. Every piece of jewelry will be guaranteed to be worth $50, but some will be worth much more.

Speaking of the Farmers Market, watermelons are in season at this Saturday’s market. Live music by Tod Nations 8:30-10 and Melinda Milligan 11-12:30. The Market happens every Saturday at the corner of Front and G.E. Patterson under the pavilion, 7 AM to 1 PM.

Trip-hop skate night happens tomorrow, Saturday, July 29, 7-9 PM at RiverPlay. The Arepa 901 food truck will be on site.

Local Memphis has a great story on the fundraiser to repair Maciel’s Tortas and Tacos that was held at Rizzo’s last Sunday. New timetable on reopening Maciel’s is 5 weeks.

Wrestling fans: ESPN has announced a date and time for a long-awaited “30 for 30” documentary. “Nature Boy” will examine the life of multi-time NWA, WCW, and WWE world champion “Nature Boy” Ric Flair. They interviewed numerous people for the documentation including current WWE performer and Flair’s daughter, Charlotte Flair, as well as The Four Horsemen, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, and Mick Foley. Watch a full trailer here.

Speaking of wrestling, one of its slang terms is “cutting a promo.” That’s when you get on the mic, bash your opponents, and tell the world that you (and your clique, if you have one) are the best in the world. Currently, the world’s best at cutting a promo is not even a wrestler, but rather a fighter: Conor McGregor. However, new White House communications director Anthony “Mooch” Scaramucci is starting to give McGregor a run for his money. Mooch cut a promo on Reince Priebus and Steven Bannon last night, calling Priebus a “paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac” and said “I’m not here trying to suck my own cock” like Bannon. “I’m not trying to build my own brand off the fucking strength of the president.” Damn. This is a White House official, speaking in an official capacity. And you know his boss LOVED it. Then again, if it leads to Priebus and Bannon being booted out of the White House, I guess I’m with Team Mooch for the time being.

Overnight the Republicans’ final effort to kill Obamacare failed 49-51 with Sen. John McCain, “The Maverick,” casting the deciding no vote. FiveThirtyEight has analysis.

Time for work. Possibly back at lunchtime with a second post.