I'm just asking...

Was Scarlett really manipulative or just doing what she had to do to survive? Gone With the Wind is showing tomorrow night at the Orpheum, the perfect setting for this movie.

Scarlett Quote: "As God is my witness, as God is my witness they're not going to lick me. I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, I'll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again."

Also of interest, the Dave Matthews Band will play this Saturday night at Autozone Park but I understand tickets are sold out. "Satellite" is my favorite Dave Matthews song. Embedding was disabled on Youtube so you have to click the link below to hear the song.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmegYNGWwyc

Balconies

I talk a lot about my rooftop, which if you've ever been to it or seen the pictures I've posted on this blog you understand why it is a popular subject. However, there are a lot of smashing balconies (not enough of them sadly) downtown that are great and summer time is the best time to enjoy them if you have one. This is more of a picture post, so enjoy.

Chicken

While out walking Poppy near Bluff City Coffee on S. Main, we saw this bumper sticker. I have to tell you that chickens are thin on the ground downtown, we generally do not see them unless they're on a plate. But I like the fact that this person brakes for them whenever they see them trying to cross the road. If I were to see a live chicken walking across the trolley line I suppose I would brake for it as well but I can't speak for Poppy. If you like to eat chicken, especially fried chicken then visit Gus's; the official name is Gus's "World Famous" Hot & Spicy Fried Chicken at 310 S. Front St. The original one is in Mason, TN and there are now several scattered about the suburbs. This is a no-frills hole in the wall wedged between a new condo project on the north side and what appears to be another condo project looming on the south side.

More Sushi

I stand corrected by a reader. There is another sushi resturant, Sekisui, downtown in Holiday Inn Select at Union and Second. It has been there a long while and I did actually go to the Sekisui website to see if it was still there and looked at the "Make reservations online" list and saw this on was not on the list so I assumed it was no longer there. But if you look on the "locations" page it shows this one. Thanks for bringing it to my attention and the good news is it's still there! Please visit the Sekisui website - Jimmy Ishii is a very busy man....
http://www.sekisuiusa.com/newsekisui/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=3&id=21&Itemid=32

Advice from Bluefin

If you like Sushi, you're options for it downtown are Bluefin at 135 S. Main on the Main Street Mall... and that's it. The good thing about it is that although there is no other choice for sushi, Bluefin cranks out really good sushi in a cool atmosphere. I like to call it the Japanese Disco - step in one eveing and you'll see what I mean. Visit their website (which is complete with that certain kind of dance music)
http://www.bluefinmemphis.com/bf/

Beale Street Caravan Takes You to The Blues

If you like Blues music, check out the Beale Street Caravan radio show. Located downtown in the ground floor of the Shrine Building, they broadcast a weekly show on over 100 US affiliates and over 100 worldwide affliliates.

Listen here to get the idea:

Hi-res (Cable, DSL)Lo-res (Modem)

Go to their website to search for stations and get more information:

http://www.bealestreetcaravan.com/index.cfm?ID=2.2

The Rumba Room

South Main certainly continues to be a hot spot of activity. The space next to Pearl's Oyster Bar is being built out to house The Rumba Room (that's just fun to say) which is apparently an event space for Salsa Memphis events as well as private functions. Visit the Rumba Room website at http://www.memphisrumbaroom.com/ as well as the Salsa Memphis website http://www.salsamemphis.com/index.html.
Just for kicks here's a quick salsa overview:
On counts 1, 2, and 3, the leader steps forward, replaces, and steps backward. On count 5, 6, and 7, they step backwards, replace, and step forward again. The follower does the same, but with forward and backward reversed, so that the couple goes back and forth as a unit. This basic step is part of many other patterns. For example, the leader may dance the basic step while leading the follower to do an underarm turn.
The following variants of the Basic step may be used, often called breaks.
Forward break: Starting from either foot, step Forward, Replace, In-place, counting 1,2,3 or 5,6,7
Back break: Starting from either foot, step Backward, Replace, In-place, counting 1,2,3 or 5,6,7
Side break: Starting from either foot, step Sideways, Replace, In-place, counting 1,2,3 or 5,6,7

Uh, ok. I'm sure it's different when someone's actually showing you the steps.
Another interesting development just a few doors down from the looming Rumba Room is the work at Pepperite Printing which has been downtown a very long time. They are re-bricking their exterior and it's been neat to see what's been hiding behind the stucco-like facade. Visit their website at: http://www.pepperite.com/aboutus.htm

Tom Lee Park Part II - Beale Street Landing

Ok - I'm not sure how I failed to catch the fact that there is a $30 MILLION DOLLAR project underway on the north end of Tom Lee Park but I did. This is the Beale Street Landing project which will add four acres to the park and is projected to be completed by 2010. If you've ever noticed the very small wetlands area at the north end of the park then you know how this is possible. Plans include a boat landing, restaurant and pedestrian islands making access to the water possible.

Work in Tom Lee Park

I feel inadequate. I'm the blogger and I'm supposed to be finding things out and telling you about those things. I see there is work being done on the north end Tom Lee Park. It appears the old obelisk has been ground up and is now in a neat pile. The old obelisk was adorned by the inscription "Tom Lee, A Very Worthy Negro" so it's fitting that it's now a pile of rubble. Besides which the great new (about 2 years old) installment near the south end of the park is a proper memorial for a hero.

A Break on Sundays

Ciao!
Spindini at 383 S. Main is advertising a Downtowner's Night every Sunday night from 6 - 11pm. Times being what they are, I'm all for anyone wanting to give people a break. They will have featured red and white wines for $5/glass, Moretti on draft/$3.50 (Peroni is a better beer but ok), Wood Fired Pizza's, which are very good for $10.99, Calamari or Ravioli/ $5 and various other specials. Remember also that they have a great patio/deck so it's now possible for all the boulevardiers to see you swanning about at this hotspot.

Talbot Heirs

Wedged in between The Flying Fish and a convenience store on Second Street is the small and privately owned Talbot Heirs Guesthouse. And I should mention it's across the street from The Peabody, which would be its antithesis I imagine. Thought it was worth a mention since it is the busy tourist season. Each of the rooms in this diminutive hotel has a kitchen - that would be enough to sell me on staying there. The rooms are all different in that they are decorated in their own unique style. If I were coming to Memphis and they had a room available I would definitely look into staying here.Visit their website for 360 degree views of their rooms, rates and more information. http://www.talbothouse.com/index.shtml

What Would General Washburn Think?

I had no idea General Washburn's Escape Alley went so far east into downtown's suburb, The Edge. I happened to notice this today on my grueling 1.5 mile commute to work. General Washburn's Escape Alley is located in the core of downtown and then apparently skips and picks back up near Marshall. This alley is so named to commemorate the Union General's escape from Nathan Bedford Forrest down an alley during the Civil War's Second Battle of Memphis in 1864. This part of the alley in the Edge looks like some kind of forgotten artist colony - drive back there if you dare.

Weird art (fishstick?) in General Washburn's Alley "East".

I do not understand this thing.

Solo at Lolo's

Saturday night after the Redbirds game I walked down Monroe and almost past Lolo's. I used to eat lunch or have drinks there a lot and then just kind of became a hermit in general. I went in to say hello to my friend Anderson who poured me a drink called The Anderson; this makes it very easy to remember. It's rum, pineapple juice, cranberry juice and grapefruit juice which was just perfect on a sweltering summer night. Anyway, it made me wonder why I don't stop in more often, especially since they are only steps down the street in that cozy space. Anderson was telling me they have a new fantastic chef. Their menus and information are on their website: http://www.lolostable.com/

Lolo's dining room (I was there very late - they were about to close)

New Place to Caffeinate

A new coffee shop (?) called Beignets Cafe appears to be on the verge of opening at G.E. Patterson and Mulberry just across the street from Calhoun's. I'd be interested to know if they want to be minimalist like Cafe du Monde (chichory and powdered sugar eveywhere) or if they'll have a more extensive repertoire. Soon we'll all know.

I spent a few hours in the country out past Rossville today and while the setting was peaceful and beautiful with nature just bursting at the seams all over the place, I still think a Mississippi River sunset is spectacular. Therefore, I could not help posting a picture of tonight's sunset:

Dogs and Redbirds

Here are some photos of the Humane Society's decorated dogs on display at Autozone Park this weekend. There are 75 of them as I mentioned in an earlier post and there are a lot of really creative and whimsical dogs. The Redbirds won the first game of yesterday's doubleheader against Omaha but lost the second game last night. It was still fun to be there. Autozone Park is so fantastic looking and such a nice experience; I sometimes forget just how great an asset it is to downtown. At last night's game the players on both teams were wearing old-style baseball uniforms in honor of the Negro Leagues.

Splashes of Color

The oracle is silent today. Here are some random images of downtown details with which to content yourself.

Dog Daze at Autozone

Tomorrow and Sunday at Autozone Park the Memphis Humane Society will have on display 75 decorated dogs by local artists. After this weekend all 75 dogs will be placed at locations throughout the city. Then in November they will all be auctioned off as a fundraiser for the Memphis Humane Society. They are 44 inch black labs in honor of Buddy one of the dogs rescued after Huricane Katrina. I believe you must purchase a ticket to one of the Redbirds games to get in to see the dogs. Call 937-3902 to find out for sure. Incidentally, my dog Poppy is a Humane Society dog and my very best friend.

Chalkboard

The Center City Commission's annual luncheon was held today. The keynote speaker was Maurice Cox, Director of Design for the National Endowment for the Arts. He spoke about urban planning and revitalization and gave a few suggestions we may consider for our downtown. Among those were to make one-way streets into two way streets (if they aren't working), allow traffic on the Main Street mall (if our mall is dead) and keep the riverfront public and accessible. Here are a couple of links if you're interested in riverfront issues (and if you live downtown you should be): http://www.friendsforourriverfront.org/2005/02/lets-talk-about-vision.html or http://www.memphisriverfront.com/

But the thing he said that really caught my attention was mention of a community chalkboard. This chalkboard he spoke of is in downtown Charlottesville, VA and is called the First Amendment Monument. It's in front of their City Hall and is 54 feet long and 7.5 feet tall. The public may write on this monument anything at all - afterall it's a shrine to free speech. I'm trying to envision a chalkboard in front of our City Hall and what the General Public might dash off on it makes the mind reel. How fun would that be? Here is a link to the monument photos http://www.tjcenter.org/monument/photos/.

Walking Down Main Since 1977

By now you must have heard there are several options the City will be considering regarding allowing cars back on Main Street. If you live down here you also have no doubt noticed some people think Main Street allows cars now - mainly people with out of state tags. The Main Street mall has been closed to traffic since 1977 but those who support allowing cars back think that it will encourge more retail in the area. The options include accomodating cars and trolleys as far as I know. The Center City Commission is hosting a public meeting this month to present the options and get feedback. Their recommendation will go to the City Council in the fall. According to a Memphis Flyer online pole, as of today, 34% voted yes to allow cars, and 65% voted no.

I Really Want the Trolley To Work

The trolley system schedule is a bit hit or miss. I say this because for the past couple of weeks I've tried to use it since I live and work on the trolley line. I live in the downtown core just off Main and work in the medical district just off Madison so it's perfect for me. Some days I got to the trolley stop and waited less than five minutes for the next trolley going to the medical district, other days I waited 25 minutes or more. Today I spent 30 minutes of my hour lunch waiting (16 minutes) and riding (14 minutes) the trolley back downtown. This isn't conducive for those on a tight schedule - which is everyone isn't it? More often than not after waiting too long I've given up and gotten in my car. The MATA website says the Madison trolley runs every 12 minutes Monday - Friday from 6am - 6pm. I'm here to tell you that as badly as I want that to be true it sometimes just isn't. Too bad, so sad.
http://www.matatransit.com/RidingMATA/TrolleyService/tabid/64/Default.aspx

Here's a math problem:

If Memphistanista lives 1.5 miles from work and decides to drive there driving at a speed of 40 mph, how long will it take her to get to work?

Answer: Less than 30 minutes

Tomatoes, Farmer's Market and Spanglish

Ripley tomatoes are here and can be found everywhere but I bought mine yesterday at the Farmer's Market downtown, of course. These tomatoes are so good that they're the kind you eat plain (ok, maybe with salt and pepper) or as the main ingredient of a sandwich (white bread, mayonnaise, salt and pepper). In honor of this star of summer I made a tomato themed brunch with some Downtown Farmer's Market purchases. One of my favorite movies is Spanglish with Adam Sandler. He plays a chef and in one scene he's at home making an egg sandwich using good white bread, cheese, lettuce, tomato, bacon and mayo; the egg is fried over easy. He finishes making the sandwich, cuts it in half and you see the yolk spill out but he doesn't get to eat it. That was not my fate today thankfully. My take on it was ciabatta bread (from the farmer's market which was very, very good), over easy fried egg, cheddar cheese, butter and ripley tomatoes. Naturally, since this was brunch I also made a Bloody Mary in keeping with the tomato theme.

Downtown 4th of July

Last night's finale.

The Red, White and Blues 4th of July celebration was last night in Tom Lee Park. The building I live in has the best vantage point for this spectacle and by the time it was dark the roof deck was packed with people who had come up to watch the fireworks being shot off from the tip of Mud Island.


You can just see the fireworks that were set up dotting the end of the island.




It was actually somewhat cool last night and was really nice outside. I can't remember the last 4th of July that wasn't sweltering.

Fourth of July

Happy Fourth of July! Everyone should be out grilling, visiting and having a good time. I was invited to the Far East today - Midtown. For the past 30 years Central Gardens has hosted a neighborhood parade and party to celebrate on Vinton Avenue. Senator Cohen was on hand to speak and representatives from the Memphis Fire Department and Memphis Police were there as well. Here are some photos:

Little Patriots.

I will post the downtown celebration tomorrow.

Bike Night on Beale Street

Wednesday night is bike night on Beale Street. This ritual starts as soon as the weather gets warm and runs through the summer. I usually don't participate in it though I hear it every Wednesday - even from blocks away. I decided to walk down there last night to see what goes on. The street was lined down both sides from Second to Fourth with gleaming, shiny bikes and bikers. I asked what happens on bike night and was informed that nothing really happens as much as it's just one night a week when bikers ride down and park on Beale Street to hang out. It was orderly and fun seeing people who share an enthusiam for bikes out there showing off their rides. I wish that all of the downtowners I see zipping around on their Vespas and Vespa-like scooters would form a group and ride straight down Beale and park together and hang out next to the Hell Raisers. That would make my summer.

Cool helmet.

Investing in Good Times

If you've been down Tennessee Street anytime in the past year you've no doubt seen this little installment on the old Tennessee Brewery. This character looks a whole lot like one of the Ugly Dolls to me.


Ugly Dolls can be found in bookstores and gift shops around town. The one above is called Jeero. Some other Ugly Doll names are Chuckanucka, Wedgehead and Black Icebat but there are many others. I digress. I am attracted to some graffiti. Interestingly, I was in a shop today on S. Main and among their gift shop items they have a book about graffiti, actually it was a coffeetable book with a lot of pictures of graffiti and not so much text. If you go to Amazon.com you will find quite a lot of books devoted to the subject with titles like "Uncommissioned Art", "Off the Wall" and "The Art of Getting Over." Disclaimer: I do not advocate going around vandalising property by spray-painting graffiti all over the place. It exists in the world and I'm only commenting on it.

South Main Strut

This store front at 524 S. Main (near G.E. Patterson) has posted a couple of signs in the window that say "Strut: Coming August 2008". The "r" in the word strut is shaped like a high heeled shoe so I'm going to make a quantum leap in logic to deduce that this will be a women's shoe store. I don't like to assume anything though so if it turns out to be something else don't be surprised. Tyiese Scarpa, a women's shoe store http://www.tyiesescarpa.com/, is right across the street from this place but so far it's the only shop dedicated to women's shoes downtown. Muse http://www.museinspiredfashion.com/, which is next door to Tyiese Scarpa, has a few shoes as does Mode du Jour http://www.modesomain.com/Accessories/index.html
just down the street.