Paul Ryburn's Journal

The Thomas Edison of beer drinking:

The Memphis Tigers will hold a 901 Day celebration next Thursday, September 1, at Grind City Brewing. The U of M athletics office is billing it as “Tigers on Tour.”

Cat’s Ballroom will host a free cha cha class at Fourth Bluff Park on Saturday, September 24 from 6 to 7 PM. You don’t need a partner or dance experience.

DJP, originally from Springfield, Missouri, comes to Eight & Sand for a guest DJ session Friday night. He is the 2011 winner of BET/Smirnoff’s Master of the Mix reality show. He’s toured with Jazzy Jeff, 311, Garbage, and Lit.

The DM has a preview of this weekend’s Grind City Fest, to be held Friday and Saturday at Grind City Brewing.

The dream of Kevin Durant in a Grizzlies uniform appears to have come to an end. He’s rescinded his trade request away from the Brooklyn Nets.

It’s Can Opener Day and I will celebrate by opening some cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Attention WREG: Third and Mallory is NOT Downtown

The Ruby Bridges Reading Festival happens Saturday at the National Civil Rights Museum. Free books for kids, along with magic, storytelling, music, and more fun.

Action News 5 has a behind-the-scenes look at the Peabody Duckmaster.

Check out these new pictures of Jupiter taken with the super-hi-res James Webb telescope.

That’s it. Back tomorrow.

When the going gets tough, apparently the county clerk goes to Jamaica.

County clerk Wanda Halbert announced that her offices would be closed to the public this week so her staff could catch up on a backlog of work. However, Halbert is not at the forefront of this effort, fearlessly leading her team in the charge up a mountain of tasks to tackle.

She told WREG that she was on vacation. According to sources, she went to Jamaica.

She was evasive, saying she was “working from home” and when asked where “home” is, she said she could have a home anywhere she wanted.

The state comptroller commented that Halbert going on the trip shows “a complete lack of awareness” and “a lack of leadership and concern for her staff.” He also said it shows a lack of respect for the citizens who elected her and now find themselves without the services of the clerk’s office this week.

County Commissioner Mark Billingsley has consulted with the county attorney’s office to ask what would have to be done to recall Halbert.

The next two items are from The Vitals, Memphis Medical District Collaborative’s monthly newsletter. Sign up to receive The Vitals here.

If you work at ALSAC, LeBonheur, Regional One, or Southern College of Optometry, check out MMDC’s Live Local program. It can provide up to $2000 toward a new lease in the Medical Center District or one of its surrounding neighborhoods.

The MMDC will hold a Fall Fitness Series in Health Sciences Park:

• There will be Zumba in the Park with David Quarles Saturday, September 24 and October 29
• Yoga in the Park will happen Wednesdays at 5:30 PM in September and October

YOGA!

A woman was shot to death on Madison Avenue in The Edge District yesterday.

The Redbirds host the Charlotte Knight tonight and it’s Nacho Average Tuesday. Every ticket includes a complimentary order of ballpark nachos. The first pitch is set for 7:05.

The Southern Lodging Summit comes to the Renasant Convention Center today and tomorrow.

Wyly Bigger plays the Memphis Farmers Market this Saturday from 9:00 to 11:30 AM.

That’s it for now. I’ll be out playing trivia at the Blind Bear tonight at 7:30. Back tomorrow with more news.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Memphis Grizzlies are the latest team interested in a trade for Kevin Durant. Durant let the Brooklyn Nets’ front office know last month that he wants to be dealt to another team. Memphis has an attractive assortment of draft picks to offer, including 6 first-rounders in the next 5 years. The Memphis front office is said to be reluctant to include Desmond Bane or Jaren Jackson Jr. in such a trade, but if they want Durant here they may have no choice.

-Rant Brothers “Mo” and “Du” in Beale Street Blue has a nice ring to it.

Floyd Mayweather partied in Downtown Memphis at The Cadre Building Friday night.

Today is National Eat a Peach Day.  I celebrated a day early with a Razzle-Dazzle shot at the Blind Bear last night. That’s a fresh peach slice in a shot glass full of blue raspberry moonshine.

WREG reports that more than a dozen cars were broken into on the Sheraton Hotel’s lot last night.

That’s it. Not a terribly newsy Monday. Back tomorrow with more.

You saw Yadier Molina play his rehab games here earlier this month… now get his bobblehead! The first 1500 through the gates at AutoZone Park this Friday, August 26, will get one. The first pitch vs. the Charlotte Knights is at 7:05.

A Memphis police car was rear-ended by a trolley at North Main and Court yesterday at about 11:30 AM. No officer was in the car.

Memphis 901 FC took a loss to Birmingham Legion 4-2 last night. However,  Memphis remains in second place in the USL Eastern standings, with 51 points. Louisville City, in first, has 55 points, and the Tampa Bay Rowdies, in third, have 48.

The National Civil Rights Museum opened its Rosenwald School exhibit. The schools provided an education for Black children from 1912 to 1937.

Trap jazz by the Que’ludes and friends comes to Carolina Watershed tonight at 7:30.

A man was reported critically injured as shots were fired near Front and Nettleton about 1:30 this morning. He was transported to a nearby hospital and that section of Front was temporarily shut down while police swept the area for shell casings.

That’s it for today. If it’s raining around 11 I’ll stay home today and catch up on things. If not I’ll head to Blind Bear for brunch. Back tomorrow with more news.

Downtown is about to get an exciting new addition. Bryan and Sophie  Duffel, longtime residents of South Main, noticed that there aren’t that many public courses in Memphis where you can work on your golf game. To address that need, they are opening Birdie’s. It will feature three golf simulators with wraparound 15-foot 4K screens. The space will include a restaurant and a full-service bar with golf-themed cocktails. Birdie’s will be in 493 S. Main in the former Obsidian space. They are shooting for an October opening.

Congratulations Bryan and Sophie! Y’all, please check out this business when it opens. You can play a full 18 or you can work on individual aspects of your game, with feedback from the simulator system. If you don’t golf at all, you can hang out at the bar. (Hey, you guys gonna have PBR?) Bryan and Sophie live and breathe South Main and want to do something to make the neighborhood even more fun.

Today is Raiford’s Day. From 5 to 9 PM, come dance to the sounds of DJ Bizzle BlueBland in honor of the legendary Robert Raiford. The party will be on the street in front of 14 S. Second and around the corner in Floyd Alley. Gandy’s Grub Hub food truck will be on site. Let’s go disco!

The Silly Goose now has a smart TV in order to give its customers a wider range of viewing options than just what’s on cable. Yesterday I was in there and the bartender put a movie on. There were some Indians in it and I think maybe a dog.

If you have an iPhone, an iPad, or a Mac running MacOS Monterrey, you need to update your device now.

Blast from the past: An old favorite, the Mexican pizza, returns to the Blind Bear this Monday. As I understand it, the pizza will be available only at happy hour on Mondays.

I found the menu for Supper Club on 2nd opening next week. King crab tenders? Yummmmm! They’ll do a brunch Saturdays and Sundays 11 to 3, although I don’t see a menu for that yet. Their cocktail list includes “Manehattan.” (that’s not a typo)

Cooper-Young Beerfest is set for Saturday, October 22. OK, longtime readers already know what I’m about to say and can skip the next paragraph.

If you go to festivals to see and be seen, if you go to get your photo in the society pages, CY Beerfest is maybe not the festival for you. On the other hand, if you go to a beer festival to learn all you can about beer,  to talk to the very people who made the beverage you’re sampling, to come away with a list of fabulous small breweries within a day’s drive that you want to visit, you’ll likely come away thinking Cooper-Young Beerfest is the best beer festival in Memphis.

Coach Penny has offered Bronny James a full scholarship to play basketball for Memphis in 2023-2024. Bronny, 17, is a 6’3″ combo guard who happens to have a rather famous father named LeBron. He’s considered a 4-star prospect.

From Food & Wine: Chicken wing prices fall to pre-pandemic levels

Southbound will play a live music brunch show at Loflin Yard the day before Labor Day.

Belle Tavern is doing a service industry night Tuesdays from 7-10 PM. $9 gets you a Jager shot + a Miller High Life.

St. Jude is hiring a manager – social media.

The Grizzlies will hold a 901 Day Bash on the FedExForum plaza on September 1 from 5 to 8 PM. Lots of live music, a Jookin’ battle (must pre-qualify), dunk tank, face painting, wrestlin’ showdown, sneaker bar offering free sneaker cleanings, and food trucks.

Today is International Bacon Lovers Day.

Union between Front and Riverside will be closed for at least 90 days for the demolition of the fire station and the beginning of construction work for the new Brooks Museum of Art.

That’s it. Back tomorrow with more.

The DM reports that Bally Sports will release a streaming service next month that will let viewers stream Grizzlies games without a cable subscription. The cost will be $19.99 a month and you get Nashville Predators games too.

The Downtown location of Aldo’s Pizza Pies has expanded its delivery range to include all of Mud Island. Order here

Southland Casino across the river is hiring a sous chef for its sports bar.

Did you know that Aldo’s Downtown has $4 pizza slices, $4 pints of beer, and $5 garlic knots Mondays from 5 to close? Pretty sweet deal.

Today is National Hot and Spicy Food Day. My recommendation would be the tinga tacos at Maciel’s.

Today is National Bow Day. I am pretty staunchly anti-tie, but if you must wear one, make it a bow tie from Memphis-based Mo’s Bows.

And it’s International Talk Like Jar Jara Binks Day.

You can’t make this sh*t up: A Memphis woman ordered a box of cigars, got 100 Tennessee license plates instead

The Bugaloos play Slider Inn Downtown this afternoon at 6 and Tequila Mockingbird plays there Saturday at 6.

Lalah Hathaway plays the Cannon Center Saturday night.

LaZeez Shawarma will be the food truck at Health Sciences Park today from 11:30 to 1:00.

Big Wheel plays Tin Roof on Beale Saturday evening.

That’s the news for today…. back tomorrow with more.

we got what we wanted dray. 😤 @Money23Green https://t.co/fsJPffUBii pic.twitter.com/ti8PAdtMyC

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) August 13, 2022

The Memphis Grizzlies’ 2022-2023 full-season schedule is out, and never in the organization’s 26 years of existence have there been so many national TV appearances. 28 of the 82 regular-season games will be on ESPN, NBAtv, TNT, or ABC.

It’s confirmed: The Grizzlies will travel to San Francisco to face Golden State on Christmas. Furthermore, the game is getting the primo time slot – 7 PM on either ABC or ESPN!!!!

The Phoenix Suns will come here to play the Grizzlies in the annual MLK Day game Monday, January 16 at 5 PM.

Another important game is an away game. On March 7, the Grizzlies travel to L.A. to play the Lakers the night the Lakers retire Pau Gasol’s number 16. Pau was drafted by the Grizzlies in 2001. He was the team’s star player until 2008, when he was dealt to the Lakers in a trade that included Memphis being sent the rights to Pau’s brother Marc Gasol.

Congratulations to everyone in the Grizzlies organization on putting together a squad that is compelling TV.

Live at the Tracks returns to the upper deck of Eight & Sand, the lounge inside Central Station. To kick off the season’s live music series, they’ll have Ted Horrell & the MNC tonight starting at 6:30.

The August meeting of the Downtown Neighborhood Association will be held in a place where there’s great music and great food – the Rumba Room. But, take note – the monthly meeting won’t be on the fourth Tuesday of the month as is normally the case. The meeting will be Monday, August 22 at 5:30 PM. Learn about Latin dance and view a slide show with Downtown development news.

The Midtown World Billiards Championship, sponsored by Memphis Made Brewing Co., comes to Young Avenue Deli Tuesday, August 30. 8-ball, 16-player bracket, winner of best 2 out of 3 games advances to the next round. Memphis Made draft and can specials all night.

The Court Square mimosa fest is back for its fall edition Sunday, October 16.

Supper Club on 2nd opens next Tuesday. It’s located at 85 S. Second next to Automatic Slim’s. This place is too different from what Memphis has known before for me to able to sum it up in 3 or 4 sentences. Just click the link.

ABC 24 takes a look at the newly-renovated Alcenia’s, which survived more than a year of being closed due to the pandemic.

Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country plays Loflin Yard tonight at 8:00.

Today is National Fajita Day and Pinot Noir Day.

The renovated Downtown YMCA reopens today with a ribbon cutting by Mayor Jimbo from Mempho at noon.

Allen Weisselberg, for many years the CFO for the Trump Crime Family Organization, pleaded guilty this morning to 15 felonies related to tax fraud. As part of the deal, he has agreed to testify against the Trumpster’s real estate company. You know Donald is fuming and referring to his former business associate as a “rat” this morning.

That’s it for today. Back tomorrow with more news.

Today from 10 AM to 6 PM, there will be a job fair at the Westin Hotel to hire employees for Penny Hardaway’s new restaurant there. They’re hiring for many positions. If interested, bring a resume.

The Daily Memphian reports that the demolition of Fire Station No. 5 at Front and Union will begin in the next 60 days. The station is being torn down to make way for the relocation of the Brooks Museum of Art.

If you think that the plans for Tom Lee Park, the Brooks, and Mud Island River Park are ambitious, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Memphis Magazine has a look at riverfront development plans from the 1960s.

Oh noes! Dodge will discontinue its gas-powered Charger and Challenger models next year. That is certainly bad news for folks who like to drift, do donuts, and perform other stupid car tricks in the middle of Downtown intersections at 3:00 in the morning.

There will be no NBA games on Election Day. It’s part of a push by the league to encourage fans to get out and do their civic duty. The full season schedule will be released today.

A recent poll found that a benefit workers would like to be offered is hangover leave. Based on sample size, it could be extrapolated that 59 million Americans would like to be offered such a benefit.

You have a chance to name Downtown’s newest dog parK:

Wine on the River Memphis returns on October 1 from 5 to 9 PM. It will be in a new location this year, on Riverside Drive between Union and Beale. Tickets go on sale this Friday.

Memphis 901 FC has an away game at New Mexico United tonight at 7. They’ll be back home Saturday.

About to get outside for a few minutes and enjoy this cooler weather. Back tomorrow with more news.

If you want to vote in the Memphis Flyer’s Best of Memphis 2022 poll but you haven’t done so yet, better hop to it. Wednesday at 5 PM is the deadline to submit your ballot. The winners will be announced in the September 29 issue of the Flyer.

Yesterday was another disgusting Memphis day – high 94, low 79, heat index reached 106 at one point – but relief is on the way. MemphisWeather.net says to expect a high today only in the upper 80s, with a northeast breeze. Scattered showers midday, with rain chances increasing today and tonight. Tomorrow’s high will be only 80.

However, the heat is going to get worse in the long-long-long term. Axios reports that a new study is out suggesting that an extreme heat belt will form in the central U.S. in future summers. Areas from Texas and Louisiana to extreme southern counties in Minnesota and Wisconsin will experience at least one day each year by 2053. Want your kids to be rich in the future? Send them to air conditioning installation and repair school.

To celebrate Elvis Week, the Majestic Grille will be playing Elvis tunes all week long. They’ll also show his movies on the big screen.

Multiple organizations will present Rockwalk Day in The Edge District on 901 Day, Thursday, September 1 from 5 to 9 PM. The following will happen:

• Choose901’s 901 Day party at The Ravine
• DJ Alpha Whiskey on The Inkwell’s patio
• Amy Lavere, DJ RMZI, and the Rico’s Kickin’ Chicken food truck at Edge Plaza
• DJ BizzleBlueBand, DJ Ayo Tunes, the Smoke and Ice food truck, and games at Edge Triangle

Rockwalk will be an ongoing live event series that celebrates all the cool things happening in the neighborhood. Event schedule coming soon. 2022 is The Edge’s best year ever!

Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert said the clerk’s office will be closed for two weeks to get caught up on the backlog. Wait, didn’t she say she was fully caught up a couple of weeks ago?

Today is National Bratwurst Day. My recommendation would be The German Plate at Flying Saucer, consisting of two bratwursts with sauerkraut and German potato salad.

It’s also National Rum Day.

This WREG story about problems at the Almadura Apartments in Midtown has more info on something I learned earlier this summer: You cannot legally withhold rent because your landlord has failed to fix your air conditioner.

From ABC 24: Clothing shop Lansky Bros. sees its largest influx of Elvis fans since the pandemic

Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the Republican Party’s most outspoken critic of the Trumpster, faces Trump-endorsed Republican Harriet Hageman in a primary for Cheney’s seat today. Polling has shown Cheney likely to lose today.

That’s the news for today. Stay dry, everyone.

The Commercial Appeal’s Jennifer Chandler published a list of six boozy frozen cocktails you have to try in Memphis. Two of the six are available Downtown: The sake slushie from STIX (available in original, watermelon, peach, and green apple flavors) and the Jameson Slushie from Slider Inn.

I can’t believe two summer classics, the Call-a-Cab from Wet Willie’s and the Purple Drank from Max’s Sports Bar, didn’t make the list. I love the way Purple Drank lives up to its name: It’s purple and it’s a liquid beverage you can consume and you (probably) won’t die.

Labor Day is 3 weeks from today. Men’s Journal has a list of last-minute Labor Day trips you can book, and the Hyatt Centric on Beale Street made the list.

The 2022 candlelight vigil in memory of Elvis is tonight at Graceland. Watch live starting at 8:20.

Still nothing official from the NBA, but we have this from a noted authority on the league:

2022 NBA Christmas Day schedule, per @ShamsCharania

– Bucks vs. Celtics
– Sixers vs. Knicks
– Suns vs. Nuggets
– Lakers vs. Mavs
– Grizzlies vs. Warriors

Can’t wait 🍿 pic.twitter.com/ZS33Y4RBVV

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 14, 2022

Sounds like the Grizzlies will play Golden State in the late game, probably in San Francisco, probably a 9 PM Central tip time. What day of the week is Christmas this year? … Sunday. You better go ahead and put in for vacation for Monday the 26th if it’s not an official office holiday where you work.

Will Zalatoris is no longer the most successful golfer never to win a PGA Tour event. He won the FedEx-St. Jude Invitational in Memphis yesterday. He’ll move on to the next leg of the playoffs, the BMW Championship in Wilmington, Delaware, this coming weekend.

Perjorie T. Roll found a good sports-related Facebook page this weekend that she wanted me to pass along to my readers. The Sports Troll, providing snarky sports-related memes and commentary and breaking news. It looks like the page’s owner is all fired up for the beginning of NFL season.

Temperatures will still be seasonal early this week, but MemphisWeather.net has some great news: Winds becoming north at 10 MPH today. Nature’s air conditioning should feel great! Get ready for Wednesday, though: Heavy rain and storms are possible.

Jeeps on Beale returns to Beale Street tomorrow night.

The Broadway adaptation of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird comes to the Orpheum tomorrow through Sunday. Tickets are $29-$125.

That’s all for today’s news. Back tomorrow with more.