Paul Ryburn's Journal

Good Lord. #suzy #yellowtubetop

I took the day off today.  Wanted to get the car in the shop and get it looked over.  I’m driving to New Orleans in a couple of weeks and want to be sure the car is road-worthy.  Let’s see what I can find to write about…

Ferraro’s Pizza has announced that starting next Monday, July 12, they will have a happy hour from 5 to 7 PM with a dollar off beer.

The Smoking Up High series continues next Monday, July 12, on the Madison Hotel rooftop.  There will be a selection of fine cigars from Havana Mix for you to buy, or you can bring your own.  There will also be a rooftop tapas menu to complement the cigars, and a cash bar.  Reservations are recommended because space is limited – 901-333-1224.  The series continues through September and is normally held the first Monday of every month, but was moved in July due to the Fourth.

The World Cup final will be Sunday afternoon at 1:30 PM.  Are any Downtown bars doing specials for this event?  Let me know at paul@paulryburn.com and I’ll post a list.

It looks like AntiDuckface.com is going in alphabetical order for their “50 states of duckface” extravagnza.  Last I checked they were on the K’s, so it will probably be a day or two before they make it to Tennessee.  I have it on good authority that at least one TN duckface pic has been submitted.

The Peabody has tweeted that it’s hiring for the following positions: bell captain, bell person, cocktail server, banquet bartenders & servers, banquet beverage captain, front desk supervisor, front desk agent, Corner Bar bartender, room service server, room service cashier, Capriccio Grill cook.

Today is National Fried Chicken Day.  Lunch/dinner recommendations:  Gus’s, Miss Polly’s on Beale, Alcenia’s.

After I get the car back, may meet a friend for lunch and some pool… will be at the Saucer at 7 for trivia.  Don’t forget that it’s also Bardog Tavern’s pint night, with all pints $3 from 7 PM to close.

Last week someone asked me how to develop good websites using Front Page 2003.  The only answer I could come up with was, “Stop using Front Page 2003.”

Over the weekend, one of my favorite sites, Lifehacker, did a round-up of free WYSIWYG web design tools.  WYSIWYG stands for What You See Is What You Get, meaning the way the page looks as you design it is the way it will look on the Web.  In other words, you don’t have to know HTML to use these tools.  One in particular, is free and highly rated, and worth a look if you need create a website.  It’s called KompoZer and it lets you switch back and forth between design mode and HTML mode, which is nice because if you know a little HTML you can tweak the design.

While I’m discussing site design, I want to rant on a few things:

– It’s almost never a good idea to include Flash.  iPhones and iPads can’t see Flash, and neither can search engines.  There would need to be a compelling reason for me to include Flash in the design of a website in 2010.  “It looks really cool” is not a compelling reason.  Maybe Flash could be used to show a demo of how a product works, but even then, why would you not just upload a video to YouTube and embed it instead?

– It’s almost never a good idea to include animated GIFs.  I would only say include them if it’s a “picture is worth a thousand words” type situation that helps your website tell a story.  Including animated GIFs simply for the sake of “I have animation on my site, how cool is that!” makes a site look amateurish.

– Scrolling news tickers should also be avoided unless there’s a compelling reason.  If the news ticker is well integrated into a site’s design, and is used to direct a reader’s eyes to important, can’t miss items, that’s fine.  However, many of the ones I see on websites seem to be included simply for the purpose of “I have a scrolling news ticker on my site, how cool is that!”

The problem with FrontPage 2003 is, it encourages the use of these animated GIFs, scolling tickers, and other garbage to make really bad websites.  I can’t tell you how many websites I’ve seen in 2010 that were made with FrontPage 2003 and look like they were designed in 1997.

One more comment… consider a content management system rather than designing a website from scratch.  WordPress just released its version 3.0.  It’s completely free and it has caught up with other CMSs like Drupal and Joomla.  It allows you to create web content using an editor similar to Microsoft Word, and you can apply templates known as “themes” to display the content the way you want on your site.  Thousands of free themes are available for you to use.  You can download WordPress from wordpress.org and host it on your own site, or you can have them host it for you at wordpress.com.  (Disclaimer:  WordPress.com sponsored my BBQ team, how cool is that!)

Yesterday I went to Kooky Canuck for their Independence Day celebration, and I saw this banner on the door:

They’re giving away a cruise on Thursday, July 8 at 8 PM!  Better run out and buy a tube top bikini in case you win.  Even more importantly, they will have 34 oz. Super Cold Bud Light for $2.50!!!  I honestly don’t care that much about winning a cruise, but cheap beer will get me in the door every time.  See you there!

The Salty Dogs, a group that meets at Bardog Tavern every Monday night for a run, will be meeting even though today is a holiday for many people.

The Salty Dogs meet outside Bardog at 6:50 every Monday and go on a run, usually about 3-5 miles, sometimes shorter or longer depending on the weather.  The run ends back at Bardog, where the group enjoys discounted PBR and food specials.  If you’re looking for a way to get in better shape so you can rock a tube top, you’re welcome to join them.  You’re 100% guaranteed not to see me on the run (exercise? no thanks) but there are a lot of good people in this group.  Good way to make some friends and stay healthy at the same time.

For those who really want to torture themselves, the Dogs also have a 7 AM Wednesday run.

The Commercial Appeal has a “crime report” article about the arrest of Sketch Artist Bum, who allegedly approached a couple at 4:30 this morning Downtown and offered to draw their picture.  The female works as a waitress.  The CA reports that SAB saw a chance to grab her tip book and take off running, but her boyfriend and the police apprehended him.  He’s been arrested “Illegal sales and exhibitions in pro. area” four times and once for “viol itinerant vendor/peddler” in the past two years.  As is the case with most of our regular bums, SAB is not homeless – he has a place in the Klondyke neighborhood in North Memphis.  This guy has been hanging around Downtown doing the sketch artist gimmick for a while.  If he approaches you, tell him you’re not interested in being sketched, and walk away.  Hopefully he’ll be locked up for a while.

Friday night, I may finally get to hear a band I’ve been wanting to see in concert for three years.  Jeffrey and the Pacemakers will play Escape Alley Sundry Friday, July 9 from 7 to 9 PM.  They are a ’60s British Invasion cover band, playing songs from the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, the Animals, the Who, and other bands of that era.  I love that music… I’ve had several opportunities to see them before, but every time, something came up.  I hope my calendar remains clear this Friday so I can go.

MarksMenus posted on Facebook that when you go out to eat tonight, look on their website or mobile app so you can find out where to get a free appetizer.  Now I know why the Nuh-Uh Girl ordered an iPhone.

Speaking of the Nuh-Uh Girl, what do you think heaven would look like to her? I think it would look something like this: Eat your way through 63,000 square feet of foods of every type, from Greek to Japanese, American to Mexican and from hot wings to steak from white tablecloth chefs to fried chicken cooks, to barbecue pitmasters to peanut farmers.  Save the date, because October 9 will be heaven on Earth for the Nuh-Uh Girl, as The City Taste comes to One Commerce Square Downtown.  More details about the event on their website, and you can go here to “like” them on Facebook.

In celebration of Independence Day, AntiDuckface.com is doing a 50-part series of stupid-looking duck faces across all 50 states.  I have a duck face photo I need to send them, but can’t decide if it should count as a Mississippi duck face or a Tennessee duck face.

I want to apologize to Chef Michael Patrick for missing his cookout on top of Number 10 Main last night… I was headed that way, but received an SOS from a friend at the Saucer and went back there.  I got a free beer out of the deal, but I’m sure I missed some great food and maybe a tube top or two.

Having a good holiday Monday so far… I’m a member of the poker training site PokerVT.com and have spent the morning watching videos.  Today I’ve been taking notes as pro Bryan Devonshire plays a HORSE tournament (HORSE = a mixed game of Hold’em, Omaha Hi/Lo, Razz, Stud, and Stud Hi/Lo).  Good way to learn strategy for several games at one time, and see how his strategy changes as the final table gets shorthanded and as he gets heads up with his final opponent.

I won’t be staying home all day today though… if memory serves, we have Magan working day shift at Kooky and Jessica working day shift at the Saucer.  Two very good reasons to start early.  And there’s one very good reason to end late… I don’t have to go to work tomorrow!  I took the day off to have a 4-day weekend.  May possibly do poker night at the Goose at 9.

Right now, though, another hour of poker videos before I go out… wonder if the pizza place at Third and Peabody is open today?  If they are that might end up being lunch.

I knew I forgot to mention something in the last post.  South of Beale’s patio has been built and is now open for business.  There was a lively debate on Twitter about whether their patio should be smoking or non-smoking.  (I love how they use social media to get feedback from their most loyal customers.)  After many comments, they came up with a compromise:  Non-smoking patio, but the two tables on the sidewalk by the front door are smoking tables.  Win-win for everyone, although personally, I would have put the smoking tables in the back by the dumpster, so smokers can be in an environment that smells as good as they do.

Great place to dine al fresco in a tube top!  SOB’s summer menu is now on their website.

Friday I received several texts that the Flying Saucer had a new pool table.  I took a rare night off Friday night, but I went down there yesterday, and there it was.

Check out the side, where you put your money in:

How cool is this?  It accepts dollars.  No more running to the bar to get change!  Furthermore, you can choose between three options:  Regular play ($1.25 per game), timed play (where you pay for a certain amount of time rather than per-game), or speed play (no idea).

One rather interesting feature is that you can buy multiple credits at one time, as you would on a jukebox or video game.  I wonder what this is going to do to the concept of “putting quarters up” to call next game.  That’ll be harder to do if someone has 5 credits already in the table.

I played a couple of games on it, and it is a great table!  Shiny new balls, too.  Nice and smooth and flat.  I guess we won’t get to hear our inspirational leader/father figure call out “SAUCER ROLLLLLLL……” when his shot goes off course anymore.

Meanwhile, Mary Pat fulfilled her promise to wear a traditional ’70s lime green tube top.

Later in the afternoon, Brick walked by the Saucer window.  I know there have been plenty of Brick tube top pics already, but really, can there ever be too much Brick in this blog?

(Note: I had to re-take the photo 5 times before I got one she approved of.)

I took a break from the Saucer to eat dinner at Hari’s, the new Indian place on Main that was reviewed in the CA last week.  I had the chicken curry, which I requested they make spicy, and it was really good, perfect amount of heat.  The bread that came with it was different from the naan I’ve seen in most Indian restaurants, but delicious nonetheless.

Suggestion to those who live in the Downtown core:  Walk home down Main, not Second, this weekend.  People are shooting fireworks out of their car windows on Second.

Just a reminder that about two beer-related celebrations today:  The Flying Saucer will be unveiling new beers from 2 PM to midnight tonight, and “Samual Adams” (geez) will be the Fire Sale.  Down the street, Kooky Canuck will have 99 cent Bud Light draft all day.

Definitely will be staying away from ghettofabulous Beale Street for the Handy Park fireworks celebration.  Closest I’ll get will be the Saucer.  I have inside info where there’s a safe place to view the fireworks and eat food cooked by Chef Michael Patrick, so I may do that tonight.  It’s possible I’ll wander onto Beale late in the evening for FreeWorld’s Sunday night performance at Blues City.  They start at 10:30 and play into the wee hours.

Happy Independence Day everyone!  How wonderful it is to live in a country where we have the freedom to have Tube Top Month!

I feel bad for lifting two consecutive posts from links on the Hot Chicks with Douchebags site, but this is just too good not to post.  Oddly enough, it has nothing to do with hot chicks, nor douchebags.  It’s about dogs.

It’s after 9 PM and I haven’t gone out yet. Guess it’s time to throw on some clothes and go hunt for tube tops.

There are several marks of the male douchebag: The popped collar, the too-tight Affliction shirt, etc. But for women, nothing says “douchebaguette” more than the duck face. Someone made a video.

Note that there are a couple of tube tops in the video, so this does meet the standards for Tube Top Month Extended.