Paul Ryburn's Journal

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.

Hari’s, the restaurant on Main that serves Indian food, burgers and more, was reviewed in the Commercial Appeal. I need to check that place out this weekend. I love Indian food, and am not afraid of extra spice.

Ferraro’s Pizzeria & Pub has announced that they will show UFC 116 tonight on two big screens. Lesnar vs. Carwin… that’s gonna be a good fight. As a pro wrestling fan, I guess I have to root for Brock in this one.

The Orpheum is inviting the public to a “Stage Door Soiree” on Thursday, July 8. For $25 you get to go backstage for a tour. You also get food from the Majestic Grille, Ghost River beer, and entertainment by DJ Witnesse. Call 901-525-3000 for tickets.

Also, on the 8th, the Flying Saucer has announced that Tom Schlafly of Schlafly brewery will be at the bar at 6 PM. If you’re into beer, this is a good chance to come talk to an expert.

Speaking of the Saucer… last week I mentioned that there’s a “Ghetto Rides of Memphis” Facebook group, where people take pics of ghetto cars with the big rims, lime green paint, etc. and upload them. Sunday afternoon/evening, the window seats at the Saucer are likely to offer you lots of ghetto ride photo opportunities. The windows facing Second are probably the best but you really can’t go wrong with any window seat.

Tuesday the 13th is the day of the next SMA meeting. It will be at Muse at 517 S. Main, with featured speaker John Moore, the president and CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber. Social at 6, meeting at 6:30. Cash bar, and complimentary hors d’oeuvres provided by Beignet Cafe. Free food? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

Fun night last night… started with a couple of Labatt Blues at Kooky Canuck for their Canada Day celebration. Then I headed to the Peabody rooftop, where Lauren and Ashley waved our group up front to dance to Aquanet. Lauren unfortunately wasn’t wearing the tube top dress I photographed her in earlier in the week. After rocking out to Poison’s “Unskinny Bop” and Warrant’s “Cherry Pie,” I walked over to Bardog, where a friend tried to convince me that Poland is the new Romania.

Starting to see “office closing early, weekend has started” tweets from friends… think I may have to shut down Twitter for the afternoon so I don’t have to see those.  At least, once 5 PM gets here, I’ll have a super-sized four-day weekend to look forward to…

Tube Top Month was supposed to come to an end tonight.  I took a survey and the best tube top of the month was deemed to be

However… this time around we have Tube Top Month Extended.  It’s overtime.  It’s extra time.  It’s sudden death and you are still in the running.  Until 11:59 PM Monday, July 5, you have the opportunity to knock Lauren off her perch.  Will you step up?

(Edit:  Thanks to Moody who e-mailed that the Netherlands-Brazil game is Friday.  The e-mail from Bardog said “Saturday 7/2.”)

If you’re looking for a place to watch the World Cup match this Saturday at 9, Bardog Tavern has gotcha covered.  They’ll be open at 8, with $3 Guinness during all games, 3 HDTVs, sound on.  Remember, even though it will be July 3 it will still be Tube Top Month Extended, so wear a tube top and jump up and down a lot when your favorite team scores.

In other news, in case you missed it:  Woot will be acquired by Amazon but will continue to operate as an independent division.

First of all, huge congratulations to the city and Bass Pro Shops for getting a deal done for the Pyramid. I admit I wasn’t always a supporter of the project, but after hearing a presentation from outgoing CCC president Jeff Sanford in 2009, I was won over. It will bring 1,000 jobs to Downtown Memphis and will transform the nearby Pinch/Uptown neighborhood. There are still city, county and state hurdles to be cleared, but it looks like this will finally move forward!

Canadian celebrity recording artist Val Halla, from Regina, Sasketchewan, will perform at Kooky Canuck tomorrow night, July 1, as they celebrate Canada Day. $2.50 34 oz. Labatt Blue draft, $2.50 Black Velvet shots. The Montreal steamie will be back, as well as a special on the Canadian Trio consisting of a Canadian Burger, Poutine, and Nainamo Bar. “Dress up in Canadian attire,” says their event listing on Facebook. I traveled to Montreal several years ago in August, and saw plenty of women in tube tops, so I think that must be what they mean by “Canadian attire.”

Lansky at the Peabody has several new Robert Graham MLB shirts. They have a shirt with autographs from the 2009 World Series champions stitched in, and they have themed shirts and cufflinks for the Cubs, Cardinals, and Yankees.

I saw a link on Twitter about the dos and don’ts for getting blog coverage. It is spot on and small business owners and PR people need to read.

Still not sure what my plans are tonight… not in a stay-home mood though so I’ll probably go out.