Month: November 2014

Categories
Sports Tiger Blue

Three Thoughts on Tiger Football

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

• Go ahead and say it: “November’s here and the University of Memphis football team is tied for first place.” After two rather seismic upsets last Saturday in the American Athletic Conference — Temple over East Carolina and UConn over UCF — five teams find themselves atop the league standings with 3-1 records, including the Memphis Tigers. (Making the loss to Houston on October 11th sting a little extra.) Several dominos must fall precisely for the Tigers to win their first conference title in memory, but how nice to have the conversation, to speculate about a championship — in football! — as the leaves turn red and orange.

Late last Friday night — Halloween, remember — Memphis coach Justin Fuente said that, after East Carolina, “there isn’t a nickel’s worth of difference between anyone else” in the American. By the time the Owls finished off the 21st-ranked Pirates the next day, Fuente had some believers. (And Tiger fans had a new reason to fret over this Friday’s tilt in Philadelphia.) Memphis has a distinct advantage over the season’s final four weeks in that the Tigers do not play ECU or UCF, until last Saturday the American’s standard bearers. (UCF’s loss to the Huskies was the Knights’ first defeat in league play. Ever.) You have to believe that the league champion will be the team — among those 3-1 now — that wins its remaining four games. UCF and ECU play each other. Houston and Cincinnati play each other. That leaves Memphis as the league-leading outlier, tasked with facing three teams already saddled with at least six losses . . . and Temple. Big game this Friday night. Huge.

Justin Fuente

• The story of the season remains the Tiger running game. Memphis rushed for 243 yards against Tulsa, the fifth time this season the U of M has topped 200 yards on the ground, all victories. Brandon Hayes galloped for 197 yards — a career high — and is now within 35 yards of becoming the eighth Tiger running back to gain 2,000 yards for his career. Hayes’s 51-yard jaunt late in the first half against Tulsa gave Memphis the lead in what had become an uncomfortably close game. His 30-yard touchdown with 10 minutes left on the clock clinched the win for the Tigers and the first wining streak (if but two games) of the season.

And Saturday night was simply Hayes’s turn in the spotlight. Jarvis Cooper and Sam Craft each had 100-yard efforts before Hayes. And sophomore Doroland Dorceus was on his way before a season-ending injury against Ole Miss in the fourth game of the season. The ball carriers may change, but the offensive line has remained a constant, particularly the four Tigers who have started every game: tackles Al Bond and Taylor Fallin, guard Tyler Uselton, and center Gabe Kuhn. It’s no coincidence that the same team that leads the American in scoring (36.2 points per game) also leads the league in rushing (206.0 yards per game). Memphis and Cincinnati, it should be noted, have allowed the fewest sacks (10) among AAC teams. Particularly with cold weather’s arrival, the strength of an offensive line is a premium component to winning football games. Memphis seems to be in good hands (at least ten of them).

• Cold, blustery weather, Friday night, and (maybe) Halloween limited attendance at last week’s game to 26,846. (The lure of national TV trumps any concession to local high school football competition.) But the Tigers’ attendance average after four home games — 33,342 — ranks third in the American, behind only East Carolina (44,755) and UCF (40,156). If the figure holds through the end of the season, it would be the program’s largest attendance average since 2005, when the Liberty Bowl hosted an average of 39,991 for DeAngelo Williams’s final college season. With the Tigers all but certain to secure bowl eligibility (one more win) and possibly competing for a conference championship, the games against USF (November 22nd) and UConn (November 29th) become more and more attractive. The trick, of course, will be convincing local basketball fans that late November is still football season.

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Guess Where I’m Eating Contest 44

If you don’t know this one, you may not be from around these parts …

Screen_shot_2014-11-03_at_9.23.31_AM.jpg

The first person to correctly ID the dish and where I’m eating wins a fabulous prize.

To enter, submit your answer to me via email at ellis@memphisflyer.com.

The answer to GWIE contest 43 is the vegetable plate at Bryant’s, and the winner is … Brad Parrish.

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Robert Pera ruins Halloween for Jordan Adams

Last night after the Grizzlies’ 71–69 road win over the Charlotte Hornets—and yes, that was a real NBA final score—rookie Jordan Adams (who hasn’t played a minute yet this season) turned his thoughts towards leftover Halloween candy. Robert Pera chimed in. Twitter is the best.

I can sneak you some leftover Skittles, Jordan. We’ve got a whole bowl on our dining room table.

Categories
Opinion Viewpoint

Vote No on Amendment Three

State Senator Brian Kelsey is a sponsor of Amendment 3. Like Senator Kelsey, I am opposed to a state income tax. Unlike him, though, I am opposed to Amendment 3, which would establish a constitutional prohibition of a state income tax.

Kelsey offers a number of arguments against Tennessee adopting an income tax, and I agree with them. I think the costs outweigh the benefits, and I have reasonable fears that a new source of revenue will be a great temptation to politicians, Republican and Democrat, to spend more in order to buy our votes.

But these are policy arguments, about which reasonable people can differ. Everyone would like to have their policy preferences embedded in a constitution, but to settle a policy question by using the state Constitution to prohibit all future reconsiderations is, at best, imprudent.

We can never know the future, and we surely cannot control it.

The federal government can — and often does — impose new costs on states. It will almost surely provide less money to states as it finally begins to deal with massive annual deficits, a massive national debt, and unsustainable social programs like Medicare and Social Security.

And the federal government sends Tennessee a lot of money. Intergovernmental transfers make up 38 percent of Tennessee’s current revenue, and much of that is federal money. One large chunk of that money, for example, is for highway construction and repair. The Federal Highway Trust Fund is, however, teetering on insolvency. Something needs to give. I doubt that Congress will increase the gas tax again, and it cannot make up the difference through general revenues without increasing the national deficit and debt, which I assume the supporters of Amendment 3 would oppose, as I would.

What funds will Tennessee use to cover new costs and decreasing national largesse? There is only so much that a sales tax can bear; sales taxes already produce more than 50 percent of our state’s revenue. Kelsey notes that Illinois had to increase its income tax by 67 percent. Can he know that Tennessee will not have to increase its sales tax by as much or more?

In other words, fiscal conditions, due to circumstances beyond our control, could get to the point where an income tax is actually more just — and less harmful — than the alternatives.

Again, I am not for an income tax now, but I do not know, and neither can Senator Kelsey, whether new circumstances will change these practical calculations and judgments.

Kelsey argues that the absence of an income tax attracts new residents and employers. Policy questions, however, involve many variables and considerations. Consequently, they ought to be left, as much as possible, to the legislature, which has the flexibility to adapt to changing conditions and public opinion. That is what legislatures are for.

The purpose of constitutions, on the other hand, is to establish the structure of the government that will make and implement policy decisions. A specific constitutional ban on income taxes makes the policy completely inflexible. No matter how dire the circumstances, the legislature could not even consider an income tax without first successfully removing the prohibition through the cumbersome amendment process. Kelsey is probably right when he says passing this amendment will, in effect, be banning an income tax “forever.”

Supporters of Amendment 1 argue that abortion policy ought to be determined by the elected and representative legislature, rather than by judges (interpreting the state Constitution). If a policy involving questions of individual rights should be left to the legislature, then a strictly practical matter, such as how the state raises revenue, surely ought to be.

Instead, Kelsey urges Republicans to use their democratically elected majority to deny all future democratically elected majorities the right to deliberate and legislate on the question of income taxes. Neither Republicans nor Democrats should take this astonishingly anti-democratic bait.

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

The Creamery Memphis: gelato with a twist.

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

What is the most unlikely flavor combination you can think of? Got something? Whatever your crazy idea is, Will Johnson of the Creamery Memphis will turn it into ice cream.

Johnson is a self-taught chef who gained experience working in various restaurants around Memphis, including Stone Soup Café and the former Restaurant Grace. “I don’t have any formal education other than working with some amazing chefs around the city,” he says.

Johnson created the Creamery Memphis two years ago when he began selling wholesale gelato to local restaurants. Then, six months ago, he became certified to sell directly to customers. He has gained a following, selling fresh scoops and pints at the Cooper-Young Community (CYC) Farmers Market and Madison Growler Shop’s new “Beer-lato Happy Hour.”

“I don’t have a store front. I really want to use these venues to force people to come out. I feel if I work really hard on these flavors, I’ll get a little following, and they’ll have to buy tamales, they’ll have to buy tomatoes. You know, you can’t just walk past everything here [at the CYC Farmers Market] and not buy some tamales,” he says, pointing to market vendors near him.

His networking mentality led to a new opportunity last month, when market patron Angelina Mazzanti tasted Johnson’s Guinness-flavored gelato and asked if he had ever considered crafting gelato from local beers. She introduced him to her boyfriend, Madison Growler & Bottle Shop manager Taylor James, and the two men brought “Beer-lato Happy Hour” to the Growler Shop, where customers can taste and buy gelato made with local and regional beers and coffees.

Justin Fox Burks

Will Johnson

Johnson says he doesn’t think ice cream should be limited to the standard flavors. “We’ve run some cool stuff before like charred jalapeno and goat cheese. Our savory items are really fun,” he says. “I just want to open up Memphis’ mind to different types of food.”

Some flavors that have graced Johnson’s creative menu include unique varieties like peanut butter curry, smoked cheddar, and chocolate balsamic, alongside some more familiar flavors like vanilla chai, caramel macchiato, and lemon drop. His Beer-lato menu includes combinations like “Abita root beer with bone marrow” and “Yazoo Fall Lager and popcorn.”

Johnson says he derives inspiration from customer suggestions and from local products and produce. He says the employees at Joe’s Wine & Liquor help him choose the booze for his alcoholic flavors, and he asks James for suggestions for the Beer-lato menu.

“This week, I called [James] up and asked him what kind of beer he would want to drink when eating pancakes,” Johnson says. “It resulted in Shock Top Honey Bourbon Pancake gelato.”

“I take suggestions [for flavors]. Not everything that I make is good,” Johnson says. “If someone wants something, I do it. If it doesn’t sell well, it doesn’t sell well, but that person is guaranteed to come and try their flavor, and if they like it, it’s amazing.”

One attempt that bombed: fried chicken-flavored gelato. “It was awful,” he says. “I used chicken stock, and there was maple syrup in there. I really tried to mimic a chicken and waffles kind of thing. I will never do that again.”

But when it comes to trying out funky flavors, Johnson says the sky is the limit: “It’s kind of like, who is going to stop me?”

So, what is next for this adventurous gourmand? Johnson says he would eventually like to create a non-profit restaurant, but his immediate goal is to open a charcuterie. “I would like to open a charcuterie, doing it really well, on a very small scale,” he says. “Fundamentals of cooking, making things like hand-made tomato paste and encapsulated flavored oils. We can make our own bacon, cure our own meats, and smoke our own fruits and vegetables.”

Gelato from the Creamery Memphis is sold at 30 local restaurants, including Stone Soup Café and Rizzo’s Diner. Stop by “Beer-lato Happy Hour,” Thursdays from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Madison Growler Shop, or visit Johnson’s booth at the CYC Farmers Market to order a scoop ($3), pint ($5), or gelato sandwich ($4).

To see which flavors will be on Johnson’s menu or to place an order, visit www.facebook.com/thecreamerymemphis.

Categories
News The Fly-By

Q&A with Thorne Peters, Marijuana activist

CREDIT: Chris Shaw

Chris Shaw

Thorne Peters

Thorne Peters entered the public eye in 2009, when he made local news for operating a “420” friendly nightclub in Millington. The self-proclaimed “Poet Laureate of Planet Earth” was an easy target for local media when he turned down a guilty plea and decided to do 19 months in jail while waiting to go to trial.

Now that he’s a free man, Peters hasn’t exactly put away the pipe. Instead, he’s turned into a full-blown marijuana activist, actively selling and smoking weed on his YouTube channel while calling out everyone from Judge Joe Brown to Barack Obama on what he considers to be unfair marijuana laws in America.

We caught up with Peters to find out about his latest project, the “Cannabag Challenge,” a spin-off of the ALS ice bucket challenge that involves dumping a bunch of pot on your head in the name of marijuana law reform. Peters recently posted a YouTube video of himself partaking in the challenge and calling on others to follow suit. — Chris Shaw

Flyer: What inspired the Cannabag Challenge?

Peters: I had seen the ice bucket challenge raise awareness about the crippling disease ALS, and it occurred to me that there are far more people who are going to suffer from the laws against cannabis than will ever suffer from ALS. I realize it comes across like we are party crashers, but sometimes that’s what you have to do. There are people whose lives are being destroyed by these laws. I’m always looking for ways to express the outrage I have over these restrictive laws on cannabis. I’ve done the challenge here with seven people, and I encourage everyone else to do it.

This isn’t without precedent. In 1972, when I was in the fifth grade, we had a book drop across the schools of America in protest of the Vietnam War.  I was 10 at the time, and the war had already gone on for 10 years. It seemed like I was on my way to being one of the casualties they showed on the battlefield. We all dropped our books, and a month later, the peace talks were negotiated. It felt like we had really done something. Even if I’m the only one who ever does the Cannabag Challenge, the point has been made.

Have you thought of moving to a state where weed is decriminalized?

The battle isn’t in California or Denver. It’s in Memphis. And don’t kid yourself by thinking that pot is legal in California, because it isn’t. There are all kinds of people getting arrested in California for weed all the time. Pot is not legal anywhere on the face of the earth, not in Colorado and not in Washington, because people are still in prison for using or selling marijuana.

“Decriminalized” is a word that means nothing to me. Decriminalizing means what? Medical marijuana means what? People go to prison and stay in prison over this every day. All of these propositions that are 15 pages long are unnecessary. My proposition is two words — legal pot. That’s it. When a pothead is arrested, the pothead is the victim. How can you be the victim and the criminal?

Since you’ve been out of jail, have you had any other run-ins with the law?

I tried to have one on 4/20 of this year. I went down to the courthouse to smoke, and I had heard from a lawyer friend that they were planning to arrest me for disturbing the peace and disorderly conduct but not for the pot. I’m going to return on April 20th with dealer weight and make them charge me with a felony. It’s not that Galileo was such a genius. He just had the balls to stand up during the Inquisition and say “Wait a minute, morons.” People don’t remember the name of the prosecutor who threw a book down in court to prove that the room wasn’t moving, but 500 years from now Galileo’s name will remain.

And that’s what you hope to achieve with marijuana reform?

Yes, I’m going to be the Galileo of pot. I want to be the Moses of pot and say, let my people go. Or I’m just going to be the random person who just keeps getting thrown in jail and people make fun of, and some day people will figure it out.