Thursday update

Former Memphis Grizzly Tony Allen has signed to play in the Big 3 basketball tournament this summer. He’ll play on a team called 3’s Company that includes other well-known former NBA players such as Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers.

Restaurant toolbox for sale at a great price:

PornHub-branded yoga mats are a thing.

The Memphis Flyer takes a look at the craft beer boom that has exploded in this city in the past 10 years.

Congratulations to the folks who operate FedExForum. It has been rated the number-one NBA arena by fans.

New details have been revealed of the Downtown Dream Hotel going in at 122 S. Main, the former Royal Furniture space.

Specials going on at the Blind Bear this week:

  • Southern greens chowder: cup 6/bowl 8
  • Catfish po’boy: blackened or fried, lettuce, tomato, pickles, Cajun aioli, fries or tots 14
  • Ribeye dinner: 10 oz. hand-cut, rosemary mashed potatoes, sauteed spinach 28

Good Facebook page to follow if you’re a fan of local history: Things that aren’t in the Memphis area anymore

The Lobbyist, Jimmy Gentry’s restaurant in the Chisca, is six months old. It’s already been through a menu change and has received additional seating on the patio.

Today is National Fried Chicken Day. Gus’s is the obvious choice to celebrate, of course, but I’d also recommend Jack Pirtle’s because it’s owned by awesome Downtowners. The closest Pirtle’s locations are near Thomas and Chelsea and near Poplar and Cleveland.

DJ Epic headlines tonight’s Peabody rooftop party. 6-10 PM, $15 to get in, $30 to go VIP.

I’m on Instagram Threads now. Follow me at @paulryburn.

Tuesday was the hottest day in the recorded history of our planet. Global average temperature was nearly 63 degrees.

Anime Blues Con comes to the Renasant Convention Center Friday-Sunday.

Storyboard Memphis looks back at the 1978 Memphis fire and police strikes.

Louise Page plays the Summer Acoustic Series at Caption by Hyatt tonight.

There’s a teacher hiring mixer this evening at Carolina Watershed.

There will be a pop-up yoga and tea workshop Saturday at 2 at Downtown Yoga. There will be an all-levels yoga class followed by a cup of herbal tea with herbalist Nadia of Black MajesTEA. Afterward, there will be a Q&A and you’ll have the chance to purchase loose tea blends to take home.

Tomorrow will be a night of soulful blues and jazz at South Main Sounds for Richard Wilson’s “Promised Land” record release show. 7-9 PM.

Chris Hamlett’s rooftop sunset shindig happens this Saturday at Old Dominick Distillery.

I’m trying Memphis Public Libraries’ interlibrary loan system for the first time. I had Post Office by Charles Bukowski sent to Downtown’s Cossitt Library and I’m about to go pick it up.

That’s it for now! Back tomorrow.

July 5 update

The Downtown Neighborhood Association’s Summer Movie Series kicks off tomorrow night, Thursday, July 6. The movies will be shown on the patio of the Cossitt Library (Front and Monroe) and picnic baskets are encouraged (no glass please). They’ll kick off the movie series with Little Shop of Horrors tomorrow.

Now, as for the start time of the movies… I’m not completely clear on that. The flyer for the series says the movies will begin at sunset and then adds, “(approx 7:30p)”. But the sun sets tomorrow at about 8:16. So I dunno. My best advice is, get there at 7:30 but don’t be surprised if there’s a wait.

Derrick Rose will wear number 23 for the Grizzlies. It will be the first time since D-Rose played college ball for the Memphis Tigers that he has worn that number.

From Food & Wine: The tragic way Monterey Jack cheese got its name

From Memphis Beer Blog: Grind City Brewing brings some extra heat to Memphis summer with Jalapeno Poppy’s in cans

Want the best deal on fast-food shoestring fries? Taste at Home says to get the large fries at McDonald’s.

Three teens are accused of breaking into cars near Ida B. Wells (Fourth) and Peabody Place about 10 Monday night.

There’s a Main Street Trolley jigsaw puzzle you can buy online.

Today is Bikini Day.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is expected to launch a Twitter competitor called Instagram Threads tomorrow. It’s said to be an alternative for people who don’t like the recent changes Elon Musk has made since buying Twitter. The cool thing about Threads, as compared to other Twitter wannabes, is that you don’t start at square one – you bring in your followers from Instagram.

Flying cars are about to be a thing.

Yesterday afternoon I tried a new item on the Blind Bear’s revised menu, the Smashed Burger. It replaced the Jager Burger which had mushrooms, pepper jack cheese, and Jager BBQ sauce with a more traditional offering – twin patties cooked thin with a generous amount of cheese (I think cheddar), sauteed onions, smashed Bear sauce, lettuce, and tomato.

I took a bite and the first thing I noticed was the juiciness. I’d give it a 10 out of 10 (and I’m a former burger festival judge, so I’m qualified to rate juiciness). By contrast, I wouldn’t have given the predecessor burger better than a 7 for juiciness (and depending on who was cooking, some nights I’d go as low as a 5). Big improvement.

I will note that the burger was so juicy that it caused the bottom bun to break apart after a few bites. This is not a terrible thing; just make sure you have ample napkins before you dig in.

As for the taste, I am going to do a comparison rather than a rating on a 1-10 scale. What a good burger “should” taste like is quite subjective, and one person’s 9 is another person’s 6.

The first thing I did, before giving the burger a try, was pull off the two tomato slices. I generally don’t like tomatoes on burgers and I didn’t feel that they complemented the other ingredients on this particular burger.

With the tomatoes gone, this burger tastes more similar to McDonald’s Big Mac than any other burger with which you would likely be familiar. Don’t get me wrong, the Bear’s burger is of much higher quality than McD’s, but if you get a Mac Attack now and then, I think the Smashed Burger would satisfy your appetite.

Delicious. Would definitely get again – perhaps as soon as today. Next time I’ll get it with Nate’s tater tots on the side instead of fries.

That’s it for today’s post. Back tomorrow, probably.

July 4 update

Kenneth Lofton Jr. put up 21 points and 13 rebounds as the Grizzlies beat the Philadelphia 76ers 94-92 to open NBA Summer League last night. Next game: vs. Oklahoma City Wednesday at 6 PM on NBAtv. It’s likely to be a first look at Chet Holmgren, picked second by the Thunder in the 2022 draft, who missed all of last season.

From City Discovery Hub: The best 13 dog-walking areas in Memphis

Today is National Barbecue Day. If you’re not grilling out at home, Central BBQ at St. Martin and Butler (behind the civil rights museum) is my recommendation. Get a half order of BBQ nachos and an order of smoked wings. Blues City Cafe at Second and Beale is always a good bet too. “The Best Meal on Beale” combo platter (ribs & catfish with sides) is the way to go there.

I love a good Caesar salad as much as anyone but July 4 is an unfortunate day to celebrate National Caesar Salad Day. Nothing green belongs on a plate today.

The 2023 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest is today.

  • Women’s contest: 9:45 AM Central, ESPN app and espn.com
  • Men’s contest: 11:00 AM Central, ESPN app and ESPN2

There was an armed robbery, carried out by three teenagers, at Main and Vance Friday night.

Memphis Magazine presents the history of the Sterick Building. This is a long but good read.

409 South Main will host a Labeled & Loved Moms’ Night Out on the evening of Tuesday, July 18. This free event allows mothers of kids with disabilities (any age or diagnosis) to network with other moms who understand. More info about Labeled & Loved

That’s it for today’s post. My plan is to be at Bardog at 8 AM. I’ll wander over to Blind Bear when it opens at 3. Happy Fourth. Back tomorrow.

Monday update

Let’s have an update on how that box of Swiss chocolates is coming.

Yep. Empty. I ate the entire box in one day!

Beans, beans, good for the heart. The more you eat, the more you… It’s National Beans Day. My recommendation would be a side of baked beans to go along with your favorite entree at Central BBQ. The red beans and rice at Ben Yay’s would also be a good call.

It’s also American Redneck Day. My suggestion for a place to celebrate would be Millington.

Bleacher Report gave the Houston Rockets a D grade for their 4-year, $80M acquisition of Dillon Brooks. “We may have a new winner for the worst contract this offseason,” BR’s staff wrote.

On the other hand, BR gave the Grizzlies an A for maxing out Desmond Bane.

According to Nextdoor, a man scaled a wall at River Tower condo and went for a swim in the pool in his underwear. Security asked him to leave.

The DM has a look at Promise, which is bringing soul food back to South Main for lunch, dinner, and Saturday brunch. Plans to expand to Sunday are in the works. A menu for children is available.

Also in the DM: Seven former Memphis Tigers will play in NBA Summer League. Golden State in particular will be a team to watch, with Kendric Davis and Lester Quinones on the roster.

One interesting note: Emoni Bates, the 49th pick in this year’s NBA draft, will play for Cleveland in Summer League. Remember when he was recruited to Memphis in 2021 and analysts said he was sure to be a lottery pick?

Alicia Keys comes to FedExForun Wednesday night.

There will be Nerd Trivia at Grind City Brewing Co. Wednesday beginning at 6:30.

Twitter users now have limits on the number of tweets they can see per day – 1000 (unverified users) or 10,000 (verified). Thanks a lot, Elon. It’s being done to fight data scraping.

That’s it for today. Not sure if I will do a July 4 post tomorrow. Bardog opens at 8 and I plan on being there.

Sunday update

My friend Randy spent much of June on a business trip to Europe, inspecting his company’s overseas facilities. Yesterday he and his wife Theresa returned to Bardog with a gift bag. Two of those gifts were for me.

Can-of-pickle is a thing in Germany, apparently. Not pickles plural, but pickle singular. I guess folks be cruisin’ down the autobahn over there and be all like, “I sure could use a pickle right now.” So they exit as Das Circle K and pick one up from the refrigerated section.

We opened the can and Butt Slut #2 put the pickle on a plate and cut it into pieces for us to try. It tasted like… well, a pickle. It was a good pickle, for sure, but not incredibly different from the pickles we have here in America.

“Should we save a piece of pickle for Butt Slut #1?” I asked. She was at work and wouldn’t be at Bardog until about 3:00.

“No, she hates pickles,” Butt Slut #2 said. Later, when she got there, Butt Slut #1 confirmed that she hates pickles. She finds their texture and taste gross. It is now my life’s mission to force-feed Butt Slut #1 a pickle.

Dammit! I had Bardog’s burger sliders later that afternoon. I should have saved some slices of the German pickle to put on the sliders.

Randy also brought a box of Läderach Swiss chocolates for each of the butt sluts and for me.

WOW that is a good looking box of chocolates! Almost seems a shame to eat them.

Pam from River Time Market & Deli posted that she is closing the store at the end of July. The challenges of owning a business, especially ones involving older Downtown buildings and infrastructure, became more than she and her husband Bill can handle. However, there are several pieces of good news to come out of this:

  • Pam is going to keep her online market & catering menu going. It’s all fresh, just heat and eat, perfect for busy area workers, parents, and students.
  • Pam will continue serving breakfast at a restaurant a short walk from the current River Time location – details to be announced soon.
  • Bill will enjoy a well-deserved retirement.

Dillon Brooks will be a Houston Rocket next season. The Grizzlies executed a sign-and-trade that will bring The Villain $80 million over the next 4 years. The Grizzlies get a trade exception that will allow them to go over the salary cap to sign a player in a future year. They also get a guard, Josh Christopher, who was the 24th pick in 2021’s draft.

There was a photo shoot at Tom Lee Park yesterday.

Not a very newsy morning. That’s all for now.

Saturday update

Two big pieces of Memphis basketball news lead off this morning’s post.

First of all, Desmond Bane will become the highest-paid player in team history. He signed a 5-year max extension this week. He will make $207 million over those years, an even bigger contract than Ja Morant signed a year ago.

The deal will possibly push the Grizzlies into the NBA’s luxury tax in 2024=25.

Point guard Derrick Rose, a member of the 2008 Memphis Tigers team that nearly won the national title, is the newest Grizzly. His deal is for 2 years and is said to be worth $6.5 million.

I have some VERY important PBR news to share with you: Ben Yay’s sells the most delicious beer in the world, Pabst Blur Ribbon, during its happy hour Monday-Friday 2 to 6 PM.

Today is International Chicken Wing Day.

I tried the new spinach artichoke dip at Blind Bear yesterday.

Cheesy and full of yummy goodness. Probably the first full serving of vegetables I’ve had in a while too. The dip is part of their new dinner menu (see Thursday’s post).

People have been asking: Is the Bear’s Hibernation (late-night) menu gonna be revised too? No, and in fact, that menu is gone. The dinner menu applies from 3 PM until the kitchen closes at 2 AM.

Today is the first day of the Blind Bear’s new brunch menu (11 AM to 3 PM – see Friday’s post). Don’t forget that your girl Cinnamon is working a rare Saturday day bar shift there. I won’t be there during brunch hours (might pop in later) but if I did, I’d get the hashbrown bowl with sausage, mushrooms, bell peppers, and mozzarella.

DJ Tree will be at the Bear all weekend playing the tunes. 10-2 tonight, 7-midnight Sunday, 10-2 Monday.

There are fireworks at AutoZone Park following tonight’s Redbirds game. The first pitch is at 6:35.

Al Kapone is mixing two sounds of Memphis to create a blues rap album.

Today is the next-to-last day of Frozen at the Orpheum.

Australia has become the first nation in the world to allow shrooms as a prescription medical treatment.

I’m heading out to Bardoh brunch with my friends Randy & Theresa for the first time in 3 weeks. It sounds like Butt Slut #1 won’t be able to join us today but maybe she’ll change her mind. Back tomorrow with more news.

 

South Main Trolley Night, Blind Bear brunch menu and happy hour, and more Friday news

Tonight is the last Friday of the month, so it’s once again time for South Main Trolley Night. The shops, galleries, and restaurants of the South Main Arts District will stay open until 9 or later. Some will offer free appetizers, free booze, discounts, and/or specials. It’s a wonderful way to mingle with your neighbors and support local businesses.

Tonight there will be live music on the trolleys themselves:

  • 6:00-6:45: Sky King
  • 7:00-7:45: Natalie Hall
  • 8;00-9:00: Alice Hasen

Birdie’s virtual golf studio will celebrate the season with a special patriotic-themed cap you can buy at Trolley Night: white fabric with red and blue lettering.

Following Trolley Night, Zernell a.k.a. Grimy, a Chicago DJ who syncs beats to disco or to his city’s house music, will perform at the Central Station Hotel’s Eight & Sand Lounge from 9 to 1.

As I mentioned previously, Raneem + Living in Color will perform in Slider Inn Downtown’s backyard for Trolley Night.

Bourbon fans heading to Trolley Night, you’ll want to stop by Max’s Sports Bar for some of their new Maker’s Mark Private Selection “South Main Whi-SKI.”

Got lots more Blind Bear news today. In case you missed it, I posted their new dinner menu in yesterday’s post.

First up – Blind Bear is doing something fun each night for happy hour, which runs from 3-7 PM Monday-Friday:

  • Moonshine & Martini Mondays – $5 moonshine / $8 Tito’s martinis
  • Tacos & Tequila Tuesdays – $5 tacos / $5 margaritas
  • Wine Down Wednesdays – $15 half-bottles / $15 charcuterie boards
  • Throwdown Thursdays – “The silly little games we play. $25 gift card to the winner.”
  • Freeballin’ Friday – ½ off Bear Balls app with a $10 purchase

I’m unclear what is meant by Thursday’s promotion. They’ve been doing Texas Hold’em at 7:30 on Thursdays. I don’t think they’d insult the poker players by calling their activity a “silly little game.”

Are new games to be added to the mix? I’ll find out more and let you know.

Pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey? Musical chairs? Dodgeball? Ooooh yeah, dodgeball, that could be a ton of fun.

I tried the current special at the Bear, fried catfish with a Cajun cream sauce over mashed potatoes and mixed greens.

OMG so very, very good. The catfish was crispy and the sauce delicious, but the greens were the clear standout on this plate.

Availability was said to be through today or “while supplies last.” The Bear has not been terribly busy for dinner the past two nights, so I suspect you’ll still be able to get this special today.

Now let’s have a look at Blind Bear’s new Bearly Awake Brunch menu, which debuts tomorrow. It will be available from 11 AM to 3 PM Saturdays and Sundays.

Brunch Drink Specials

Bloody Mary – 5

Mimosa – 5

Ole Smoky moonshine shot – 4

Bottle mimosa – 20

Brunch Starters

Wings – 8
Three seasoned, jumbo whole wings, roasted and fried with ranch or blue cheese
Tossed in Jack Daniel’s Glaze or Buffalo

Mama Bear cinnamon roll – 10
Cream cheese icing, diced bacon

Featured soup – 6 / 8

Brunch Mains

Breakfast tacos or burrito – 14
Soft tortillas, scrambled eggs, cheese, sauteed onions and peppers, sriracha aioli, bacon or sausage, breakfast potatoes

Breakfast sandwich – 12
Fried eggs, bacon, cheddar, sriracha aioli on Texas toast with breakfast potatoes

Early Rise Hibernation Fries – 14
Seasoned fries, spiced ground beef, bacon, pepper jack, jalapenos, tomatoes, ranch, sunny-side-up egg

Mac’s Big Vol’s Breakfast – 16
Scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon, sausage, toast, breakfast potatoes

Salmon hash – 24
Blackened salmon on a bed of breakfast potatoes topped with a sunny-side-up egg and balsamic reduction

Chicken & French toast – 16
Two jumbo whole wings over apple pie moonshine French toast

Hashbrown Bowl – 15
(Build your own)
Includes 4 toppings
$0.75 each additional topping

  • Bacon
  • Sausage
  • Turkey sausage
  • Shredded chicken
  • Ground beef
  • Salsa
  • Tomato
  • Onion
  • Bell pepper
  • Jalapeno
  • Mushroom
  • Ranch
  • Cheddar
  • Pepper jack
  • Parmesan
  • Cheese sauce
  • Mozzarella
  • Sour cream

As with the dinner menu, the farther away you get from the date of this post (June 30, 2023), the more likely menu items and prices are to change.

On to general news…

Today is National Food Truck Day.

Terrible news! Beer makes humans more attractive to mosquitoes.

Sunset Jazz returns to Court Square this Sunday from 6 to 8 PM, this time featuring Gary Topper.

The Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions this week.

That’s all the news I have the time and energy to report this morning.  Back tomorrow.

New Blind Bear dinner menu and Thursday news

The Blind Bear did indeed update its dinner menu yesterday. Rather than posting a pic of the menu that would require you to do a lot of pinch-zooming with your fingers to be able to read it, I decided to type it for you. Here ya go:

Apps

Blind Bear Balls – 12
Fried panko breaded pepper jack cheese, marinara

Hibernation Fries – 14
Seasoned fries, ground beef, cheese sauce, bacon, jalapenos, tomatoes, and ranch. Try it with Nate’s tots

Spinach Artichoke Dip – 14
House-made salsa, sour cream, tortilla chips

Hibernation Dip – 12
Ground beef, bacon, jalapeno, tomatoes, queso, tortilla chips

Tacos – 15
(choose 3)
Bang Bang Chicken – Asian cucumber
Ground Beef – Cheddar, lettuce, tomato, sour cream
Tequila Chicken – Don Julio sauce, pepper jack, lettuce, tomato

BBQ Chicken Egg Rolls – 12
Cabbage, pepper jack, Jack Daniel’s sauce, Chinese hot mustard

Wings – 8
Three jumbo whole wings
Seasoned, Jack Daniel’s glaze, or buffalo

Mains

All sandwiches served with seasoned fries or Nate’s tots

Smashed Bear Burger – 18
Double patties, cheese, sauteed onions, lettuce, tomato, smashed Bear sauce, brioche bun

Bang Bang Chicken Sandwich – 17
Crispy chicken, Bang Bang sauce, Asian pickled cucumber, brioche bun

Chicken Vodka Parmesan – 17
Breaded chicken, Tito’s tomato cream sauce, mozzarella, spinach

Steak Sandwich – 20
Ribeye, crispy shallots, rosemary mash, Meukow cognac peppercorn cream sauce, garlic parmesan bread

Gangster Philly – 17
Steak or chicken, peppers, onions, mushrooms, provolone cheese, hoagie bun

Quesadillas – 15
Peppers, onions, cheddar & pepper jack cheese
Chicken bacon ranch
or
Seasoned ground beef

Salmon Caesar – 18
Pan-seared salmon, romaine, croutons, parmesan cheese, Caesar dressing

Spinach & Artichoke Grilled Cheese – 12
Spinach-artichoke dip, mozzarella, tomato
Add bacon – 1

NOTE: Menu items and prices are accurate as of June 28, 2023. They tend to change up the menu about once a year, so if you’re viewing this in the distant future, I can’t promise you they will have these exact items or that the prices won’t have gone up.

Also, the Bear has a special this week until Friday or they run out: Fried catfish filet served on a bed of mashed potatoes and mixed greens with a Cajun cream sauce. I saw a couple of the specials come out yesterday and they are BIG pieces of catfish.

I think, while they have them through Friday, you can get Tony’s mixed greens subbed as a side. The greens I saw yesterday had big yummy chunks of pork in them. Sorry, vegetarians.

There’s also a new brunch menu at the Bear and I will try to get it typed up before it takes effect Saturday. By the way, if you go for brunch that day, I hear there’s gonna be a rare Cinnamon appearance behind the bar on a weekend.

If you’re a fan of Local on Main but haven’t been there in a couple of weeks, I think you’re going to like what you find. They’ve installed a bar rail across the patio that allows customers to sit on a high bar stool, rest their drink on the rail, and look out over the Main Street Mall.

Live music coming up at Slider Inn Downtown:
Tonight: 30 Minute Ego
Tomorrow, for South Main Trolley Night: Raneem + Better in Color

Robert Dozier, a member of the 2008 Memphis Tigers basketball team that nearly won the NCAA title in 2008, will return to Memphis July 15 to play in the Big3 tournament, the DM reports. Dozier, now 37, will play for the 3 Headed Monsters.

Ena Esco, the Innovator in Residence at the Cossitt Library, is starting a live podcast series. Her guest this month will be actor and social entrepreneur Bertram Williams Jr. Catch her live at the podcast studio on the second floor of the library today at 5.

Today is National Waffle Iron Day. My suggestion to celebrate would be a  Boston Cream Pie Waffle, a Fluffernutter Waffle, or a Cinnamon Sugar Donut Waffle from Bedrock Eats & Sweets at Main and Vance.

Tonight is Whet Thursday at the Metal Museum. Food trucks, games on the lawn, metalsmithing demos.

Catherine & Mary’s is hiring a bartender and a back server.

There’s a rooftop workout on the top of Old Dominick this evening. $23. The class includes a workout by Basecamp Fitness, yoga by SANA Yoga Studio, and an Old Dominick cocktail to cool down. With a predicted high of 101, would the yoga class qualify as Hot Yoga?

Not Downtown but worth a Lyft or Uber: Simpsons Brunch at Black Lodge, 405 N. Cleveland, this Sunday from 11 to 3.

Catch the original play Save Our Music at the Halloran Centre this Saturday.

The Hospitality HUB is open as a cooling center today from 9 AM to 10 PM. It’s on Washington Ave. a couple of blocks east of Danny Thomas. MATA is providing free transportation there. 901-297-1680 for assistance with transportation.

Damn, someone in the Oakleigh subdivision of Germantown is throwing such legendary pool parties that they made both the Daily Memphian and the Commercial Appeal, and not in a good way. The neighbors are pissed off.

———–

I applied for a remote job Monday that I would really like – one that would draw upon both my teaching and technical abilities. It’s with a company I won’t name but whose mission is similar to that of LinkedIn Learning.

Upon submission of my application, they sent back an acknowledgment email along with a PowerPoint presentation about the company’s “culture code.” They described the presentation as partly a summary of shared values among staff and partly an employee manual.

Uh-oh, I thought. In my experience, when a company spends a lot of time promoting its “culture” to prospective employees, that tends to be a BAD BAD BAD sign.

Not so with this company.

I’ll give an example. They basically have one rule: Use good judgment.

Debating whether to take a sick day? Use good judgment.

Feel the need to jump on personal social media on company time? Use good judgment.

When I got to the end of the culture code PPT, I emailed the company and told them it was the best corporate orientation document I had ever read. And I wasn’t kissing ass. I was being honest.

I’ve applied to about 10 remote jobs and 2 local (almost 3, but one job closed by the time I revised my resume). Again, if you hear of anything I might be interested in, feel free to send it my way. My background is in computer science but I would MOST DEFINITELY be interested in hearing about jobs outside that realm. Especially ones that draw on my abilities to write, teach (adults), connect people, and inspire people.

My A/C won’t cool below 74 this morning, so I’m going to take the MacBook on the road while I get someone in here to look at it. Back tomorrow with more news.

Wednesday update

Check out this SWEET new library card and keychain card I got yesterday!

Super Grizz! LOVE IT!!! I applied online for an electronic library card last month, which gave me access to some awesome resources, including 50,000+ ebooks and LinkedIn Learning. Yesterday I went to the Cossitt and upgraded it to a physical card. All I had to do was show a valid ID with a Memphis address on it. Now I can check out books from any Memphis Public Libraries branch.

After getting the cards, I took the MacBook upstairs to take advantage of the library’s Wi-Fi (and air conditioning). There was a kids’ camp up there and they were watching a presentation on the Air Force. Then they built an augmented reality module on iPads using Reality Composer. It was pretty interesting!

The CA asks, what is coffee soda? Hayes McPherson, owner of Comeback Coffee, explains.

Get ready for extremely hot and muggy weather for the rest of the week. WREG’s weather team predicts 94/78 for today, 101/81 for Thursday, and 102/79 for Friday. Those are actual temperatures, not heat indices.

The Downtown Crowne Plaza is looking for a sales coordinator.

WREG reports that there are fewer drag-racing and reckless driving incidents in Memphis this year than there were last year. Sure doesn’t seem to be the case Downtown! On Saturdays in particular I hear engines revving and tires squealing all hours of the night.

A citizen recently recorded video of a Dodge Charger doing donuts in the intersection of Ida B. Wells (formerly Fourth) and Gayoso while cops sat by in an MPD cruiser and did nothing. The video was recorded around 11 PM Sunday. Occupants of the Charger were seen hanging out of the windows.

Food & Wine named the best BBQ in every state. Downtown’s Cozy Corner represented Tennessee well, along with Midtown’s Payne’s.  Less than an hour drive are Helen’s BBQ in Brownsville, TN and Jones BBQ in Marianna, AR.

The Downtown Memphis Commission is hiring an economic development coordinator.

From a site called PlayEasy that connects people with sports event organizers: How the revitalization of Memphis has transformed the city into a national sports destination

MPD is investigating a rash of car burglaries at the Chisca Apartments.

The Bike Hub at Downtown’s new Mobility Center at Front and Beale is anticipated to open August 5. Membership will be open to those who commute to their Downtown job via bike and who need additional space to store their bike. Members will have 24/7 access to the hub via a secure access card, and only members will be allowed to enter. Membership will start at $20 per calendar year and will allow members to park up to 2 bikes.

Terrible news: Former Arkansas Razorback QB Ryan Mallett has died of drowning while on vacation in Florida. Mallett was the nephew of one of my BBQ teammates on The Ques Brothers.

Members of the Sweet Cheeks BBQ team, winner of the Shoulder division at BBQ Fest this year, spoke to the CA’s Jennifer Chandler and offered some tips for grilling out with pork this July 4 weekend.

Ryan Seacrest will take over as host of Wheel of Fortune as Pat Sajak retires. Vanna will stay on the show turning the letters.

Pepsi Colachup, a ketchup flavored with Pepsi, is a thing now.

Remember, today is greens day at Blind Bear. I heard Tony say something about a special of fried catfish with cream sauce with greens for today. I also heard him say they’re rolling out a new food menu this week.

I’m about 60% through Team of Rivals, a biography of Abraham Lincoln and his closest advisors, people who were once his rivals for the 1860 presidential nomination. It is a GREAT BOOK and I have learned a lot about managing people. A couple of takeaways I’ve picked up so far:

  • Lincoln was the master of “praise lavishly in public, criticize in private.” When Honest Abe did criticize his subordinates, he always left them a way out of the situation that allowed them to save face.
  • Lincoln was an astute observer of people and often noticed others’ negative traits before anyone else did. However, he did not pounce at the first opportunity to address those traits. Rather, he gave public opinion time to catch up.

Monday I applied online for four remote positions. One was teaching English to foreigners. After I filled out the application, the website asked me to take a quiz to assess how well I would deal with behavior problems in a classroom full of 1st- through 4th-graders. I didn’t realize I’d be teaching kids, and no longer wanted the job. Kids are not my cup of tea.

But, just for fun, I decided to take the quiz anyway.

I’m pretty sure I aced it! And the Lincoln bio was in large part the reason I did.

I was given 14 multiple-choice questions, each involving a case of a child in my classroom exhibiting undesirable behavior. I was asked to pick from multiple options to address that behavior.

Each time, I knew to pick the option that addressed the child privately, and which have him/her a chance to correct the behavior without embarrassing the child in front of his/her classmates.

If I have any CEOs reading this, I would recommend buying a copy of Team of Rivals for every person in your company who manages people. And give them time on the clock to read the book.

That’s it. Back tomorrow with more news.

Tuesday update

Beale Street Bears has an article on 3 ways Marcus Smart will help the Memphis Grizzlies. It sounds like he will fill needs as a backup point guard (replacing what Tyus Jones brought to the table) while also adding a strong defensive presence when playing on the wing (making up for what the Grizzlies lost in Dillon Brooks).

The more I read, the more I’m liking the trade. Looks like we could be looking at a Smart-Bane-Kennard-Jackson Jr.-Adams lineup to start the season and then a Morant-Smart-Bane-Jackson Jr.-Adams lineup once Ja is back from suspension.

Speaking of the Grizzlies, they’re hiring an IT security analyst.

Also, the Grizzlies picked up their team option on Xavier Tillman Sr. yesterday, a good move. X will make $1.93M this coming season.

Today from 11 to 1 at the Renasant Convention Center, EDGE will host a Loan Expo and will share plans for neighborhood business district revitalization. More than 20 local business owners will share how forgivable Inner City Economic Development (ICED) loans helped them. This event is free for the public.

Got a couple of pieces of Blind Bear news to pass along this morning. First of all, I hinted to you that greens would be coming this week as a special. I talked to Tony last night and he said Wednesday would be the day. He’s planning a mix of multiple kinds of greens, including collards. Also, he has a dish in mind with other food items that will complement the flavor of the greens.

Secondly, Memphis band The Pinch will play the Bear for the first time this Friday, June 30 at 8 PM. ’90s rock is their thing.

Today is National Ice Cream Cake Day. Get one at Margie’s 901 ice cream shop (formerly Maggie Moo’s) at 125 S. Main. Gallery

MATA will cut bus and trolley fares to 25 cents today due to a Code Orange alert for poor air quality.

FOX 13 weather is predicting highs of 100, 101, and 99 for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Heat indices of 110-115 are possible.

There’s a College World Series of Jello shots.

The next item is for my fellow pro wrestling fans who love Memphis.

Former WCW head honcho Eric Bischoff is one of those people we all love to hate, but cheers to him for getting his head shaved for the kids of St. Jude.

The A/C in my building has yet to be restored, so the MacBook and I are headed to the Cossitt Library at 10 to cool off. Back tomorrow with more news.