Month: September 2006

Okay … this will be the last mention of the Elvis Cup (unless it can tell us who really murdered John Benet Ramsey). But we thought you should know that it’s now available on eBay. Starting bid is $56,000. Happy bidding!

Those creative folks behind the hype for Craig Brewer’s soon-to-be-released Black Snake Moan have come up with a cool gimmick: You’re invited to create your own Moan preview trailer by downloading various audio and video modules and reassembling them — or by adding your own. Go here for details.

Last week, police department officials were pretty embarrassed when they discovered the fire hydrant on the sidewalk outside their K-9 unit was fake — placed there years ago so the dogs would have a nice place to pee.

But a nonworking hydrant violated an ordinance requiring hydrants within certain distances of public buildings, so now the city is going to pay $20,000 to have a real hydrant installed. That’s a real pisser.

But if you want a hydrant for your little pupster, a company appropriately named Yuckos offers faux hydrants for a mere $375. If you splurge for one and plunk it down in your front yard, just hope the fire department knows it’s not hooked up if your house catches on fire.

Halloween is almost upon us, as evidenced by all the ghoulish décor now on sale at drug stores. But if you want to see what a real witch looks like, head to Audubon Park on Saturday, September 9th, for an open-to-the-public Open Lunar Circle.

Anyone can join in the celebration, regardless of religious beliefs. Dress comfortably and bring a chair or blanket. Drums and noisemakers are also welcome. The group gathers at dusk in the park area across from Theatre Memphis.

A week which began with one surprise event on the Tennessee Waltz front has ended with another. Four days after state Senator Kathryn Bowers’ unanticipated decision to stand trial on charges of bribery and extortion, her already convicted Senate predecessor, Roscoe Dixon, saw his judgment day deferred for a full month – until October, on Friday the 13th. Dixon’s lawyer Coleman Garrett asked for the extension of today’s scheduled sentencing because of “personal reasons” that, as explained from the bench by presiding judge Jon McCalla, involved a serious illness involving Garrett’s younger brother, hospitalized in Jackson, Mississippi.

Tim DiScenza, the government’s chief prosecutor, offered no objection to the postponement but stressed as did McCalla, the need for Dixon’s team to keep to the newly scheduled October date. In a brief conversation with reporters afterward, Dixon, who had looked more tense Friday morning than he had during his earlier trial, acknowledged that his personal circumstances were “tough” but said he would endure through whatever came next.

Tom Lee, the riverman who rescued 32 people from a capsized steamer in 1925, will soon have not one but two memorials in the riverfront park that bears his name.

The obelisk damaged in the 2003 windstorm has been relocated several hundred yards south of its former location, which makes it look larger because of its proximity to the river. Orange tape circling the monument is scheduled to be removed this month after lights are installed.

A second memorial depicting a scene from the actual rescue will be installed in October, according to the Riverfront Development Corporation. It will be at the northern tip of the park where the old monument was erected in 1952. The artist is David Alan Clark.

Hummingbirds have incredible internal clocks. These tiny birds, (you could mail eight with a single stamp), have been known to visit the same place at the same time year after. If you want to learn more about these elusive creatures, visit the Strawberry Plains Audubon Center in Holly Springs, Mississippi. They’re hosting the Hummingbird Migration Celebration today through Sunday. For details, go here.