Paul Ryburn's Journal

If you live in Memphis, you know that there are a large number of “ghetto rides” on the streets here. Those lime-colored Crown Vics and Roadmasters with the 26″ wheels and the decals bragging about the size of their wheels, spinner rims, and other ghettofabulous accessories. Well, now there’s a place where you can upload and share photos of these cars – get on Facebook and “Like” Ghetto Rides of Memphis. They ask that you edit out license plate info before uploading.

MIFA Store just received a huge donation of brand new, brand name shoes all priced at $10 and under. New Balance, Saucony, Reebok, Born, Sofft, Clarks, etc. 910 Vance M-F 7:30am to 4pm. This is a great chance to get some new sneakers while supporting a local charity. Goodwill and Salvation Army are great too, but the difference is, when you shop at the MIFA Store, every dollar spent goes right back into Memphis, helping Memphians through the huge variety of services MIFA offers.

I received a comment about the house on Jackson I photographed the other day… one of my readers thinks it may have been a synagogue at some point. He noted that the architecture looks like a synagogue, and if you look at the top of the building in the middle there appears to be a worn-out Star of David.

One of my reader sent a link to photos of the sexiest women of Romania and I thought I’d share the link. Notice that the first photo contains a tube top bikini.

That’s all for now… cannot wait to get to Pint Nite tonight.

I had previously promised to watch the USA vs. Ghana soccer game at Calhoun’s, if bartender Lauren would wear a tube top.  So I hopped on a trolley and got there at 12:30, right as they opened.  There were already a few people at the bar, including Mikey and John D.  As I grabbed a seat next to John D, I noticed that one person was missing – Lauren.  “She’s on her way,” the regulars told me.  I ordered a PBR.

25 minutes later, as I finished up my PBR, she still wasn’t there.  I checked her Facebook page and read that she wasn’t feeling well.  I was starting to suspect that the regulars knew she wasn’t coming in and were feeding me the “she’s on her way” line to keep me there.  I tabbed out and walked north to the Saucer.

Right after I ordered my first beer, I got a text from Mikey.  “Lauren’s here in a new red tube top and she’s mad that you aren’t here.  She bought it and wore it just for you.”

“Send photo,” was my response.  A couple of minutes later, I received photos of Lauren in a tube top.  She really was there!  The match was about to start, and a storm was threatening.  I texted back that I’d come there at halftime.

Saucer was not bad.  They had the sound on.  The bar was full, but it wasn’t packed to the point where there were long lines for the restroom or people constantly bumping me.  Management realized the place would be busy due to the game, and put three bartenders behind the bar instead of just one as they usually do on Saturday afternoon.

Halftime came, and I tabbed out and headed south.  As I walked south on Second, I saw a “stairway to nowhere” at Second and Vance.

I got to Calhoun’s, and sure enough, there was Lauren, in a red tube top.

I watched the second half, and the extra period that resulted when regulation ended in a 1-1 tie.  Ghana won in the extra period.  It’s a shame we’re eliminated, but Ghana played very well and deserved to advance.

After the game, I was hungry.  I’d been wanting to try Ferraro’s, the new pizza place in the Pinch, so I rode a trolley up there.  As I hopped off the trolley, my friends Suzy, Tammy and Lynn pulled up.  They were there to try the place too, so we grabbed a table outside.  I got the stromboli.

Stromboli was very good and I highly recommend it – it’s their signature item.  PBR on tap for $2.50 is a good thing too.  I bet before long, they have a good bar business in the evenings.

One suggestion I have for them, though, is to put a server on the floor to take orders.  You had to go to the bar to order everything.  When I went to get a second PBR I had to wait in line behind a guy who was taking 47.8 minutes to decide what he wanted on his pizza.  Empty PBR glass = not good.  That’s a minor issue, though.  Overall I very much enjoyed the place, and will be back for sure.  Here are a couple of pics of the outside of the building.

As we were eating, we noticed a cool-looking house across the street on Jackson, next door to Westy’s.  We were trying to figure out what’s up with the place – does anyone still live there?

After that, I rode back to Lynn’s condo and we hung out on her patio.  She lives at the River Row condos at 107 S. Front.  They have a really cool patio/courtyard area, which I’d seen many times from the rooftop of Barton Flats but I’d never actually been there.  Had a good time hanging out, although it’s definitely mosquito season.  Time to buy some Off.

From there I went next door to Barton Flats, where my friends were on the roof.  I drank a beer and created a new Foursquare addict, then my friend Lee and I made a stop at the Saucer.  By then I’d been out for 13 hours straight, so I decided to call it a night.

Think I may take the netbook to the Saucer today so I can play a little poker online.  I had a good time playing in a Razz tournament yesterday.  Today I think I’ll try my hand at a Razz cash game.

I haven’t had a chance to check out Ferraro’s Pizzeria & Pub in the Pinch yet, but the Hungry Memphis blogger at the Memphis Flyer got by there and took pics.  Check it out. Man that food looks fantastic!  After I watch the USA vs. Ghana game, I may take a trolley north and give Ferraro’s a try.

Good night but an early one last night… hit Trolley Night on South Main, then headed north to the Saucer, then (after formulating an escape plan with a couple of friends) moved on to Kooky Canuck.  Was home before midnight.

Playing a Razz tournament on PokerStars as I type this.  Heading out to watch the USA-Ghana game in a little while.  I better see the tube top I was promised or my game watching venue of choice will change.

Like pizza?  A pizza place in the Pinch is having its grand opening party tonight.  Ferraro’s Pizza & Pub at 111 Jackson features New York-style pies and homemade stromboli.  They have PBR on tap, so this is clearly a Downtown business that understands what its customers want.  You can “like” them on Facebook to keep up with the latest news from Ferraro’s.

Mashable had an article yesterday about a plugin for Foursquare that is sheer genius – Avoidr.  Avoidr lets you make lists of people you’re trying to avoid – exes, annoying people, douchebags, etc. – and then you can use their web interface to see where in the neighborhood those people are.  I know a lot of Downtowners who will find this tool useful.

Mashable also had a post that is a collection of WordPress 3.0 resources.  I’ve read a little about WP 3.0 and I am becoming convinced it is the CMS of the future.  Everyone is going to be using it, or a tool like it, in 3-5 years.  Congrats to local tech ninja Otto on getting mentioned not once, but twice, in Mashable’s post.

Rehab Disco posted on Facebook that their downstairs bar, Rockbottom, has added an Internet jukebox and an ATM “for your Downtown get-down.”

I’ve been forgetting to include Country on Beale in my Thursday night run-down of events, probably because I’m not into country.  Hollywood Disco has announced that they will have a COB after-party every Thursday night from 9 to 2.  Hollywood Disco is 18 and up Thursday and Friday, one of the few clubs in the city where you don’t have to be 21 to get in.

Bardog Tavern has announced they will open an hour early, at 11 AM, on Saturday, to accommodate those who want to watch the World Cup.  They have $3 Guinness during WC games.  I’ve been told that Wednesday morning when they opened early for the USA-Algeria game, it was about as busy as a typical Saturday night around midnight.  Wow.

Congrats to the Peabody Thursday night parties on being named one of the top 10 rooftop bars in the US by Gadling.

I’ll be at Trolley Night on South Main tonight, with appearances by local sports mascots and belly dancers.  Temps are still expected to be hot and sticky, so a tube top is advisable attire if you’re thinking about coming down.  I’ll have the camera with me and am looking for some tube top pics to post to the blog, so stop me if you have one on.

Tonight I hung out at the Saucer, pregaming for the Peabody rooftop party.  But then my friend Frank came in and I ordered another beer.  Then my friend Lee came in and I ordered another beer.  Then I tabbed out and got ready to go, and John Bragg from Circa Foursquared that his sliders and Coke Cake had gone on the menu.  I decided to pass on a night of tube top hunting and eat instead.

The Coke Cake was truly Mount St. Cake.  I’m now stuffed, have a food hangover and am about to get the best sleep I’ve had in weeks.  As I ate the cake, I thought, “The Nuh-Uh Girl is my neighbor, maybe I should take half of my cake home and leave it as a surprise on her doorstep.”  Then I reconsidered and ate the rest of the cake myself.

The Majestic Grille shot me an e-mail today and announced that they will have the game on the big screen Saturday.  Their full brunch menu will be available until 3, and they will also have the following specials until final whistle:

$3 wells
$2 domestics
$3 imports
$4 wine by the glass
$4 bloody mary
$4 mimosas
$14 Majestic mimosas (bottle of Champagne & carafe of OJ)

I’ve already committed to watching the game at Calhoun’s (with an out clause if the Saucer fire sales Dos Equis Lager), but if you’re still deciding where to watch the game, this would be a good place.

Home from work.  Good day today… next month’s business trip got moved back a couple of days and I like the new arrangements a lot better.  Details to come.  Time to go out for some drinks and some tube top hunting.  Not 100% positive that I’ll make it to the Peabody rooftop, but knowing that Muck Sticky will be performing certainly increases the likelihood that I’ll go.

I woke up this morning and got on Facebook.  One of my Facebook friends had posted a pic of Downtown’s biggest female douchebag (I won’t name names, but she’s appeared on this site in a tube top within the past month) making the duckface as she posed for a pic.  I guess it’s time to link to AntiDuckface.com again.

To quote from their site:

you know that face you make when you’re about to take that perfect picture of yourself for the internet?

you know, the pose where you push your mouth out in that sort of pout / kiss face to make it look like you’ve got big pouty lips, a super-defined jawline, and model-quality cheekbones?

it’s called “duckface”

STOP DOING IT.

IT ISN’T SEXY.

YOU LOOK STUPID.

REALLY, REALLY STUPID.

Indeed.

I’m probably not going to have time to do a lunchtime post today – gotta drive Downtown and run a couple of errands.  So here’s an early post… there will be fireworks after the Redbirds game tonight.  In addition, they will have $1 hot dogs all night to celebrate King Cotton’s 75th anniversary.  Game starts at 7:05, first 2,000 fans in the gate get special fireworks glasses.  Dollar hot dogs?  Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

Also, in case you haven’t heard, the Downtown fireworks display on July 4 will take place on Beale Street, rather than on the river as usual.

It will be quite hot for both of these fireworks displays, so ladies, tube tops would be the recommended attire.

Lauren has convinced me that I need to watch soccer at Calhoun’s on Saturday. She told me that if I committed to come to Calhoun’s, she’d buy a new tube top to wear.

I did give myself an out though.  If the Flying Saucer fire sales Dos Equis Lager on Saturday, that overrides Lauren’s tube top.  Otherwise, I’m at Calhoun’s for soccer.