QueenOfMemphis's blog

So after getting official word that Parkland would be closed tomorrow, I posted a blog about it here to let people know. But I just got the new official word that the water issue has been resolved and Parkland will indeed be open tomorrow. So I hastily deleted the first entry, not wanting to leave a false headline up. And a blog titled "Parkland open tomorrow" would be, like, the ultimate un-news to anyone who hadn't seen my first entry. But then I got to thinking I should say something about the disappearing blog for those who had seen it...

Sorry. Think I'll leave the breaking news to the pros from here on out. :)

I'll be quiet now.

As the result of an investigation spanning just over two months, we now have indisputable proof that bloggers do, indeed, exist in three dimensions. After years of general acceptance by the scientific community that bloggers were entities created solely of bits and existing only in the realm of cyberspace, our investigators have accumulated sufficient evidence to turn that long-accepted theory upside down.
 
The following bloggers, commenters, and readers have actually materialized as real, live human beings and have been spotted at least once at Memphis on Main since April 3, 2007 (in alphabetical order):
 

A Bartender You Know
And now for something completely different
Anonymous
Dan Fielding
Eggs Ackley
Former UC IMC Junkie
Gamera
Glock21
IlliniPundit
James Mortland
Karen Foster
Kevin Sandefur
Laura Sandefur
Matt Gladney
Ractivist
Run4cvrlib
Wandervogel
Wayward
Xian
A couple of folks whose names I don’t remember (apologies!)
And of course, yours truly.

 
While these elusive creatures may venture in at any time, the period with the highest frequency of blogger-spotting occurs on Tuesday evenings starting around 4:45-5 p.m. and generally lasting around 3-4 hours. They tend not to arrive or leave in groups, but do have a tendency to gather together while on the premises, and have even been observed rearranging furniture in order to promote their social rituals.
 
It really is fun. And as Eggs said in a now-put-to-bed thread, it’d be fun to see if we can get a better showing next Tuesday. So this is just me trying to stir things up a little to see if we can’t get on a few more calendars. Hey, where else are you going to hear phrases like “thread necrophilia” spoken out loud?

With two people you get a conversation. With three, you start to get the makings of a party. :)

A weekly get-together is no doubt too often for some, but I think we've got enough interest to see a few folks show up 'round happy hour time each week. Some other cool ideas are being tossed around, too, and I'm certainly not claiming any kind of exclusive license on social gatherings.  But meanwhile, I had an absolute blast last week and I'm eager to do it again. So for now, let's just call Tuesdays blogger night at MOM's, and maybe some of those other ideas will brew up along the way, too. 

Cheers!

When:  Tuesday, April 3
Where:  Memphis On Main.
Who:  IP.com folks and the wider CU Blogging community
Why:  Why not?

Somewhere around the 100th comment on a different topic here, I brought up the idea of declaring an IP.com night at MOM's. I just think it would be fun to have a place and time where we're likely to cross paths with other folks who post here and elsewhere in the local blogosphere.

A few folks have said, "Let's do it." That's enough for me.

Others have asked, "Why limit it to just IP.com?"  Why, indeed? Let's spice up the party by inviting all bloggers from the C-U area!

So I'm declaring next Tuesday from 4-7 as the inaugural launch of See-You Bloggers Happy Hour. If even a few folks drop in and say, "Yeah, let's make this a regular thing," we'll make it a regular thing. If no one shows up--well, I guess I'll figure out it wasn't such a cool idea, after all.

This is a totally informal thing, open to bloggers, commenters, readers, and even trolls.   

Please come on down to say hey. It's even O.K. if you don't want to drink alcohol. Your contribution to the lively social exchange is all we're really looking for. Heck, we won't even hold out on the free popcorn.

UPDATE (4/2): This is promising to be a mighty interesting evening, with the distinct possibility of a couple of "Oh, that's you?!" pleasant surprises in the mix. I'm ready to predict a minimum of 10 folks showing up tomorrow night, and it could be upwards of 30 if most of the "maybe's" can make it. Cool.

UPDATE BY IP:  Bumped to the front as a reminder.

The March 2007 issue of "Central Illinois Business" has an article titled "Profits up in Smoke: Ban has dramatic effect on C-U bars."  Owners of Rock's, Tumble Inn, Blind Pig, Esquire, Office II, and Melody Music are cited in this article.

A few highlights:

-Business at Rock's has slowed considerably, and they're wondering where the all of the non-smokers are who promised to come out after the ban.

-The Tumble Inn reports that their recently added patio (described in the article as a "smoking haven") is indeed helping them to retain their customer base. They've seen no influx of new, non-smoking customers.

-Esquire anticipates a reduction in its current staff of 32 employees if the decline they've been experiencing continues for another month.

-Office II is reporting a significant decrease in sales since the ban went into effect.

-The owner of the Blind Pig expects people will adapt to the ban over time, but notes that smaller bars tend to lack the resources to weather long spells of reduced income. Depending on how long the market takes to adjust, he anticipates that some of these smaller bars may have to close their doors. 

-Melody Music (supplier of jukeboxes, video games, and pool tables) reports a notable decline in bar business in C-U but that "business in bars in Savoy, Tolono, Rantoul, Philo and Mahomet has dramatically increased."

I'm sorry I don't have a link to share, but all I have is a hard copy of the article.