Paul Ryburn's Journal

Justin Fuente, co-offensive coordinator at TCU, will be named the new head coach of the Memphis Tigers today. I hadn’t previously heard of him, but here’s a review of the hire on Coaches by the Numbers. They gave the hire an A-, not bad. Welcome Coach Fuente!

Lauren Lee of Fox 13 tweeted (@laurenleefox13) about the hiring process. At one point Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain was the frontrunner for the job, but according to Lee, talks with his agent Jimmy Sexton got contentious. U of M search committee member Brad Martin told Sexton, “You’re not dealing with R.C. anymore.” LOVE IT!!! Seriously, I hope this is the beginning of a new and exciting era for Tiger football.

Congratulations to Memphis Music Foundation’s Pat Mitchell Worley on being nominated as one of Billboard’s Women in Music. Pat is the director of development and communications at the Foundation, and in the past has worked for the Blues Foundation, MPACT Memphis, and as a freelance music journalist. When I was on MPACT’s board I got to work with her and she is a super lady. More on her nomination here.

The Green Beetle has a new promotion going on: Buy a Miller Lite and get a special Memphis Tigers pint glass.

Memphis Magazine’s Vance Lauderdale has an interesting article about the Gerber department store on Main, which stood in the space now occupied by Springhill Suites. The store opened in 1880 and saw the heyday of Downtown Memphis shopping, even adding the city’s first escalators in 1949.

Today Memphis has to say goodbye to one of the classiest guys in the NBA, Shane Battier. He’s been signed by the Miami Heat. Thanks for all you did in your second run here Shane, and I hope there’s a championship ring in your future.

Stuff going on tonight: Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the FedExForum, and the beer/dessert pairing at the Saucer (see last night’s drunk post for the listing of desserts). Tickets still available for both.

Just a quick reminder if you didn’t see my last post… freezing fog is possible in the morning and that is a serious cause of wrecks. Be extremely careful. Go in late if you can, work from home if you can. Turn on the weather on TV before deciding your commute.

OK serious announcement over. This is Paul’s Drunkass Post. This is a traditional lunchtime or after-work “news update” post except not at either of those times. And drunk. This post is brought to you, by the way, by the USS Arizona, not a Naval ship but the dog of the day at Bardog. It’s got black beans and rice and pico atop it. And some other shit I think.

Let’s go to the news before I finish this dog and pass the fuck out. I found out the menu for the Saucer’s beer and dessert pairing. Jefferson stout ice cream, pecan tart, apple cobbler, Bourbon balls, pecan cheesecake + 5 beers. Well, +4 beers, because I assume the Jefferson Stout counts as one of the five.  $20/$25 non UFO members. Call 901-523-8536 for a ticket. Still a few left. It’s at 8 PM Thursday, December 8. That’s today by the time most everyone reads this.

The Blind Bear, the new speakeasy Downtown in the former Bar None space, is now on Twitter at @blindbear901. Join Jamie, Jeannette and Colin on Twitter. They also have a Facebook page and if you “Like” it you’ll get an invite to a special grand preview.

What the crap else is going on… well, if you’re a female you’re in luck. Christine by Shelton Clothiers is shutting down, as previously mentioned, but they ordered some new shit and didn’t have time to cancel it. So tomorrow night – tonight I guess, since I’m posting after midnight, Dec 8 – they’re having an extra 10% off their 50% off sale. That’s 60% for those of you bad at math. (Or would it be 55%? Meh, who cares.) They’ll have snacks too and will be open til 7:30. Free food? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up and eat the whole damn store.

Men – drop your woman off at Christine’s and come hang out at Shelton down the street, also open til 7:30. Beer.

Metal Museum will have an open house 12-5 this Sunday the 12th. Interactive activities 2-5. No charge to get in, 10% gift shop discount, 20% for members.

I need to do this more often. Time for bed. If they do the USS Arizona as the Dog of the Day again tomorrow you should get it.

I’ll start this lunchtime blog post with a gift suggestion for the Grizzlies fan in your life: A Tony Allen “All Heart, Grit, Grind” hoodie. The Chris Vernon Show started selling this logo as a T-shirt last spring, and it was a massive success. Now he has the logo on a limited amount of hoodies. Go here to see the hoodie and to order.

Seth who writes the Best Memphis Burger blog stopped by Kooky Canuck recently and gave their Four Cheese Burger a try. He really liked it and gave it 4.5 stars out of 5, although he said it’s “more like a 4.8999.” Read the review here. I agree about the Four Cheese Burger. Usually I’ll add either mushrooms or bacon as a topping, depending on my mood.

Envision Health Club and Spa, the health club on the top floor of the Cadre Building at Second and Monroe, has their second annual holiday open house tomorrow from 5 to 8. Food and drink, music by the Allied Standard. Given that they’re a health club, they usually have some healthy (and tasty) treats. Free food? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

The Memphis Newspaper Guild, the union to which many Commercial Appeal employees belong, has learned that nine CA employees will be laid off. Actually, the number may be more than nine, because they were not notified about non-guild employees. More info about the layoffs on Mediaverse. The layoffs will occur 5 days before Christmas. Way to stay classy, CA. If I were a CA employee (even one who survived the layoffs) I’d get my resume current and put feelers out about other job opportunities in my field. Not a real stable place to work IMO. The new paywall may destabilize things further.

Forecast for tonight is upper 20s with patchy freezing fog late. That means everyone needs to be extremely careful driving to work in the morning. Freezing fog is as dangerous as freezing rain – actually more so because people don’t see any precip falling and don’t think to slow down. I remember when I worked in Arkansas, and I took the Riverside-I-40 on-ramp at 50 as normal (sign suggests to slow to 25) and my car fish-tailed all over the place and I missed the concrete wall by less than two feet. I later found out it was freezing fog. Freezing fog also recently caused a 50-car pileup near Nashville.

Flipboard for the iPhone was released this morning. I’d heard great things about it from iPad owners, who told me it was a way to keep track of news and social media updates in a visually appealing format. I downloaded the app, but couldn’t create a custom Flipboard – nor could thousands of others. The increased traffic crashed their servers. Scalability fail! I hope they get it working soon, because I am eager to play with the app.

All right, lunchtime. Will be out somewhere tonight, not sure where.

Mayor Wharton says he’d like to see 380 Beale, currently the home of Club Crave and formerly the home of the Plush Club, shut down for good. The club is at the northeast corner of Beale and Fourth, just outside the Beale Entertainment District. There has been a pattern of shootings and stabbings in and around the club dating back to the mid-1990s. Both mayor and nearby merchants think the club may be “cursed” and that no business that operates there can escape the pattern of violence. ABC 24 has more here.

I have to agree. When Plush was shut down, the plan was to make it a family-style Jamaican restaurant. That never happened (or if it did, it happened so briefly that many people never even knew the restaurant was open). Within months it was back to thugs and guns. I think 380 Beale would make a beautiful parking lot, and I applaud our mayor for taking what is surely a controversial stance in regard to this building.

The Peabody and its four Lansky stores are running a contest and there are lots of prizes to win. To enter, you have to go here between now and December 16 at 2 PM. You have to do four things:

• “Like” the Peabody Ducks on Facebook
• “Like” Lansky 126 on Facebook
• Give your first and last name
• Give your email address

Prizes include a one-night stay in a Peabody Suite (on a night between December 17 and 29), a pair of TOMS shoes from Lansky 126, a Peabody Duck tie and cufflinks from Lansky at the Peabody, a Vera Bradley tote from Lansky Lucky Duck, and Dinstuhl’s candies from Lansky’s Newsstand.

If you go to the Peabody, don’t forget about their 25% off Foursquare checkin special at Capriccio Grill (excludes alcohol, tax and tip, $25 maxmium savings). They tell me that if it goes well, they’ll consider doing other specials – perhaps a mayor’s special at the restaurant, or a checkin special at Corner Bar.

I heard about a couple of Downtown tourism marketing jobs that I wanted to pass on. The first is a Graphic Designer position with the Great American Steamboat Company. This is the company that will bring overnight riverboat cruises back to Memphis, docking at the soon-to-be-finished Beale Street Landing. They recently acquired office space in the Downtown core. They’re looking for someone with web design and online marketing skills, in addition to graphic design.

There’s also an online content and PR specialist position open with a travel/tourism firm. If you want to get into tourism marketing, including social media and mobile apps, this sounds like a good job for which to apply.

The Fuzzy Brew blog has a good article on the Flying Saucer’s beer and dessert pairing Thursday night. Five beers, each paired with a dessert, and speaker Will Mestayer from Lazy Magnolia brewery.

Another chance of snow in the forecast tonight. MemphisWeather.net’s blog has the details. Just a dusting in the early AM, with temperature likely to stay 33 or higher. Dammit snow if you’re not going to fall in amounts/temperatures that will close office buildings, don’t bother!

On my way to the Saucer for a beer. (Edit: Oops, I posted we have a home game vs. Miami. It’s actually AT Miami.)

Two days until the Trans-Siberian Orchestra performs at the FedExForum. This musical spectacle appeals to people of all generations, and is a great place to take a date or to take the family. Get tickets here. I did a longer post about TSO a couple of months back, but if I had to describe it in one sentence, how about “sort of a holiday rock opera with amazing light show.” It’s really a one-of-a-kind spectacle that will get you in the holiday spirit. Go see it.

Insider tip for those coming to the show, and for everyone else too: Kooky Canuck would be a good place to stop before or afterward. They will be celebrating National Brownie Day all day Thursday with three special deep dish brownies cooked in skillets. You can choose from Triple Fudge, Peanut Butter Swirl, or Mint Brownie.

Looking for a unique backdrop for a holiday pic with the family? AutoZone Park is offering its facility for photos this Saturday. Families can have their photo taken by a professional photographer between 1 and 4 PM, and photos will be delivered via email. Families will also have the opportunity for their name to be put on the park’s marquee sign. Call 901.722.0298 or e-mail allison.rhoades@memphisredbirds.com to schedule a family photo for Saturday.

(Geez, that’s three family-friendly items in a row. What is this blog turning into? Maybe we need to start Tube Top Month six months early.)

The Little Tea Shop, which has been closed for a month, is reopening. Details here on the Memphis Daily News blog.

The Brass Door unveils its new menu today. New items include Shepherd’s Pie, Pimento Macaroni and Cheese Fritters, and Smoked Salmon on Boxty.

So, it looks like San Diego State will be invited to the Big East. You know, because nothing says “East” like San Diego. Meanwhile, Memphis will still be on the outside looking in. Thanks a lot, R.C.!

Sorry for no meaningful new content on the blog since Saturday… haven’t been feeling well and have spent a lot of time in bed reading books on the Kindle Fire. If you’re a pro wrestling fan, there’s a biography of Bruiser Brody that is really, really good. I’m about two-thirds of the way through it now.

Reminds me, I mentioned the TuneIn Radio app that I installed on my Kindle Fire that lets me listen to radio stations all over the world. If you don’t have a mobile device, you can listen on the TuneIn website. I told a friend who just got back from an Australia trip about this, and he was excited to be able to listen to one of his Brisbane radio stations on the Web.

So, I figured out what I’m going to do with my old iPhone 3G, which has sat on my coffee table for the past three weeks since my iPhone 4S arrived. I’m going to give the old phone to a teacher who still has a non-smartphone flip model. Ive been told the 3G will still fetch money on eBay, but I’m too lazy to list and sell the thing. And besides, it’s a good way to support our teachers who don’t get all the appreciation they deserve. Normally I wouldn’t waste blog space on this, but maybe it will inspire others to do nice things for teachers, and besides, she asked, “Are you going to put this on your blog, Paul?”

All right, time to eat some crap at Quizno’s and then spend a fun-filled afternoon with Microsoft Access. I’ll be out somewhere tonight, no idea where.

Yesterday I was standing at the bar, and a woman came up and ordered two glasses of orange juice. “Do you want anything with them?” asked the bartender.

“No, just the orange juice,” the woman said.

“If she’s a Downtowner,” I smiled and thought, “she’s concealing a flask.”

The St. Jude Marathon is taking place as I type this. I looked out my window this morning and saw the runners lined up down Fourth Street. Then, when I went on my Mountain Dew run to Walgreens, I looked down Madison and saw them running up Third Street. Best of luck to all the runners!

It’s a big day down here. This morning you’ll see runners all over Downtown. Tonight it’ll be Santas. Stumbling Santa starts at the Flying Saucer tonight. Hundreds of pub crawlers dressed as Santa will stumble from bar to bar over the course of the evening. If you want to participate, show up at 6:30 in a Santa suit with a toy to donate.

In between, there’s the SEC championship game. LSU vs. Georgia, on CBS at 3 PM. I guess I’ll show up early at the Saucer to watch. I’ll be cheering for LSU in this one. That’ll make my friends Zane, Air Traffic Mike and Lil’ Kim happy… not so much a certain MILF who I’m not sure still reads my blog.

There’s also a Tigers game tonight. Memphis hosts Austin Peay at the FedExForum, 7:30 PM. If you’re coming Downtown for this or any other event today, I’d allow a little extra time to get down here. Streets will be jammed.

Marathon runners: The Brass Door, the Irish pub on Madison across from the First Tennessee building, has happy hour prices for you all day, as well as free hot tea and coffee.

There’s another gift card sale coming to Downtown Memphis that is an incredibly awesome deal. On Monday, December 12, Kooky Canuck will sell $50 gift cards for $25 each. The format is very similar to the sale at the Majestic that happened last Wednesday: You have to be there in person to buy them (no phone orders), so if you can’t make it, find someone to go buy the cards for you. Cards can’t be used until after the first of the year. Sale starts at 11 AM. Well, I guess the Nuh-Uh Girl will be driving people crazy on the 12th, calling everyone she knows, going, “Can you buy some cards for meeeee?”

Insider tip: Kooky has a lot of menu items kids like, such as s’mores you make at the table, skillet cookies a la mode, and giant ice cream sundaes. You could spend $25 on one gift card and be able to take the family out for a fun dinner!

Tickets for the Red Hot Chili Peppers February 3 concert at FedExForum are now on sale. Get ’em here.

Resting up and hydrating this morning and early afternoon. According to the weatherman’s forecast, the probability of a shitshow is quite high tonight. Gotta get ready.

Multiple sources have confirmed that the Grizzlies will play one pre-season game at home, prior to the start of the shortened regular season on Christmas. On December 16 the Grizzlies will host the New Orleans Hornets at the FedExForum. The team will then travel to New Orleans for a pre-season road game on the 21st.

News you can use: Here’s a list of holiday shipping deadlines for many major stores, broken down into regular, express, and fastest shipping. I found the list in this post on Lifehacker, an excellent site to bookmark or subscribe to.

The Plaintiffs Trio will play a free concert in the Cavern, the Brass Door’s underground live music space, tonight at 9. However, don’t show up fashionably early: The Irish pub will be closed from 4:30 to 9:00 tonight.

One of the few vacant buildings left in the South Main Arts District was 498 S. Main. It’s a one-story building that had black finishing on the outside. I used to peek in the windows, and in between the blinds I could see a collapsed ceiling, and elements of a nautical theme. I always kinda hoped the owners of the Cove would buy the building and open a second location, but it’s not to be. The Memphis Business Journal is reporting that architecture firm UrbanArch has purchased the building. They will make it their office after repairing the ceiling and making other renovations. Always good to have more people working Downtown! Insider tip: After work, walk around the corner to Max’s Sports Bar to watch sports and enjoy one of the 10 beers on tap. May I recommend the PBR?

If you plan on driving Downtown tomorrow, keep in mind that it’s the St. Jude Marathon/Half Marathon and that many streets will be blocked. Expect delays.

Speaking of the race, if you’re running, there are a lot of “carb up” restaurant specials going on tonight. Here’s a list. If I had to make one pick from this list, it would be the Mardi Gras Pasta from King’s Palace Cafe. That is one of the best dinners on Beale. For value carbing, you can’t beat the deal at Kooky Canuck: $5.99 all you can eat spaghetti. (Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up for that special, claiming she’s running the race.)

This is the only day of the weekend for which I don’t have plans; nevertheless, I’ll be out somewhere. Time to grab a quick lunch and count down to the weekend.

So, I had the date wrong on that Twitter interview I mentioned yesterday. It happens today at 2 PM, not yesterday as I’d posted. It’s with Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay, presented by the Redbirds. Follow @memphisredbirds and @jonjayU to see the interview.

Big news from a radio station headquartered Downtown: Sports talk radio station AM 730, with studios located on Beale Street, will become Yahoo! Sports 730 next Monday. Several weeks ago, the station had its Fox Sports affiliation pulled out from under it, leaving 730 with exactly one program, the Chris Vernon Show. Determined to fight, Vernon looped his show (live 3-6 CST) night and day, giving advertisers and sponsors additional exposure. There was so much support for Verno that Yahoo! Sports saw an opportunity. AM 730 will benefit from the network’s programming, and Verno will keep his afternoon slot. Congratulations to all involved with the show – looks like things have worked out and the station will be stronger than ever! More info about the change on Verno’s blog.

The Memphis Business Journal reports that the Riverfront Development Corporation is making changes to Beale Street Landing to meet budget. Among the changes: Planned concrete terraces will be changed to grass. Glad to see they’re finding a way to get this done, so we don’t have a half-finished project sitting on the Mississippi welcoming visitors.

APG Office Furnishings, in the ground floor of Barboro Flats, has its grand opening and ribbon cutting party from 5 to 7 tonight. Always good to see new businesses opening Downtown! Now if only a certain bar owner would hurry up and open his pizza joint in the other half of Barboro’s ground floor!

I get to attend a mandatory benefits meeting this afternoon. Woohoo. I’m trying to look at the positive side: Could be worse, at least it’s not a mandatory karaoke meeting. Getting my hair cut after work (when’s the last time I had a haircut? July I think?), then will be out at the bars.