This Weekend's Schedule

Tuesday - 7:00pm - Grizzlies v Lakers - FedExForum
Wednesday - 6:00pm - Grizzlies @ Wizards - FSTN
Wednesday - 7:00pm - Tigers @ Houston - No TV Coverage
Wednesday - ? - BrianC Birthday - TBD
Thursday -
Friday - 6:00pm - 9:00pm - South Main Art Trolley Tour Night - S. Main
Friday - 7:00pm - Sister Hazel - Minglewood Hall
Saturday - 6:00pm - Grizzlies @ Knicks - SportSouth
Saturday - 7:00pm - Tigers v. So. Miss - FedExForum
Saturday - 8:00pm - Slave to the Metal Festival - New Daisy Theater
Sunday - 11:00am - 2:00pm - Soup Sunday - FedExForum
Sunday - 2:00pm - 6:00pm - AbunDance - Playhouse on the Square

Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo named to the USA National Team !!

Congratulations to the Memphis Grizzlies Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo for being named to the 2010-2012 USA National Team !! They will compete in world games which include competitions like the FIBA World Championship in 2010 and the 2012 Olympics in London (if we qualify).

Here is the full list of 27 of the NBA stars that made it:
Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies)
O. J. Mayo (Memphis Grizzlies)
Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets)
Carlos Boozer (Utah Jazz)
Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors)
Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers)
Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic)
LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets)
Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat)
Deron Williams (Utah Jazz)
Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers)
Amar’e Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns)
LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland Trail Blazers)
Chauncey Billups (Denver Nuggets)
Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Eric Gordon (Los Angeles Clippers)
Danny Granger (Indiana Pacers)
Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia 76ers)
Al Jefferson (Minnesota Timberwolves)
David Lee (New York Knicks)
Brook Lopez (New Jersey Nets)
Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Kendrick Perkins (Boston Celtics)
Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls)
Gerald Wallace (Charlotte Bobcats)
Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Toxic Garbage Island and BPA

Somewhere north of the Pacific Ocean, 7 days sailing from the nearest landmass lies the "North Pacific Gyre", a vortex created by little wind strong high pressure systems. Trapped in the gyre is a toxic garbage island about twice the size of Texas. It is not an island garbage dump floating in the sea but a gargantuan messy soup of plastic bits and pieces accumulated from years and years dumping of plastic waste: bags, bottles, containers, stryrofoam, ship garbage, etc.

The world produces 7 million tons of plastics a day. Roughly 100 billion polyethelene plastic bags are produced in a year in North American alone. About 46,000 pieces cover a square mile.

Plastics are non-biodegradeable, however, it does go through photodegradation meaning it breaks down into smaller and smaller parts but it's still all plastic. Plastics contain chemicals believed to be potentially toxic, particularly bisphenol-A (BPA). BPA is the building block of polycarbonate plastics. Some Type 3 and Type 7 (seen as a number and arrows symbol on plastic containers) may leach BPA. BPA can contaminate the environment either directly or through degradation of products containing BPA, such as ocean-borne plastic trash.

When plastic is broken up into tiny particles, it also acts like a sponge for other toxic pollutants in land and water. Red and orange plastic particles are favored and ingested by most marine animals because they look like shrimp or plankton. Humans receive BPA thru plastic lining of cans and plastic bottles. Scientists contend that BPA is in our diet and there is low-level but regular low-level exposure.

Recent studies indicate BPA links to genetic, reproductive diseases and cancer. More studies and contentious debate is ongoing. Chemical industry experts say that until BPA is proved to have ill effects it should continue to be manufactured and used, because it is economical, strong and offers unique features.

If you are concerned, what can you do ?

• Don’t microwave polycarbonate plastic food containers. Polycarbonate is strong and durable, but over time it may break down from over use at high temperatures.

• Polycarbonate containers that contain BPA usually have a #7 on the bottom. Type 2 or Type 5 are recommended.

• Reduce your use of canned foods.

• When possible, opt for glass, porcelain or stainless steel containers, particularly for hot food or liquids.

• Use drinking bottles or baby bottles that are BPA free.

• Recycle and don't reuse
  

Click this to see a graphic of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch


Sources:
www.wikipedia.com
www.vbs.tv Episode: "Toxic Garbage Island"
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=plastic-not-fantastic-with-bisphenol-a
http://www.medicinenet.com/plastic/article.htm
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/media/questions/sya-bpa.cfm
http://www.recyclenow.org/r_plastics.html

New Downtown Businesses - Heard and Rumored

• Aldo's Pizza Pies (Pizza Family Resto) - 64 S. Main. - Spring 2010
• Lenny's (Fastfood) - Peabody Place - Spring 2010
• Central Station Park (Community Garden, Green Area & Recycle Center) - Front St. - TBD
• Front Street Trolley Extension - Rumored
• Memphis College of Art - Fall 2010
• Besso’s (Coffee and Gelato Bar) - Spring 2010
• Ozzie's Restaurant and Sports Bar - Beale St - Rumored
• The Horizon Condominiums - Riverside Drive - Foreclosure
• Cafe Eclectic - Harbortown - Feb 2010
• City Market Groceries & Deli - 66 S. Main (Radio City Flats Grd level) - May 2010
• AIA-Memphis - South Main - March 2010

If you hear of any new downtown businesses opening in the near future, let us know.

Panhandling and Dead Squirrels

Here are some creative ways to stop panhandling:

1. Throw a dead squirrel into the vehicles of people who give money to panhandlers. People are turned off by stinking squirrel carcasses in their cars so they will stop giving money to bums. Though we might run out of squirrels downtown, which apparently is the trend at the moment. Maybe this suggestion is only good on Squirrel Days.

2. Get an job application form from your local fast food or supermarket and put it in an envelop. When a panhandler asks you for money, give him the envelop. Maybe he'll stop and fill out the form and apply for the job. Though he may need to ask for more money to buy a pen or a suit.

3. Give them coupons. Don't trash your Sunday paper coupons, cut them up and categorize them. Throw away coupons for Tylenol or Pepto-Bismol. Give the rest to panhandlers. In a way you won't feel guilty for not giving to legitimate homeless poor people, but they can use these coupons to save on food and stuff and they can't use it for alcohol or drugs.

This Weekend's Schedule

Tuesday - 5:30pm - SMA Rally in Support of Pan Handling and Single Beer Sales Ordinances - Center City Commission
Tuesday - 11:00am-2:00am- Kooky Mardi Gras - Kooky Canuck
Tuesday - 6:00pm - Mardi Gras Party - Beignet Cafe
Tuesday - 6:00pm - Annual Mardi Gras Push Parade and Klub Krawl - Beale St
Tuesday - 7:00pm - Grizzlies v Sun - FedExForum
Wednesday - 6:00pm - Tigers v Tulane - CSS
Wednesday - 7:00pm - Grizzlies v Raptors - SportsSouth
Thursday - 9:00pm - Dynaflow (No Cover) - Earnestine and Hazel's
Friday - 7:00pm Grizzlies v Heat - FedExForum
Saturday - 7:00pm - Tigers v SMU - FedExForum
Saturday - 9:00pm - Danny's Bday - Downtown

Happy Squirrel Day

Been a long time since there was a post in this blog.

Anyways, I came across a story of a dead squirrel in South Main. What's up with these squirrels? Do they still exist downtown? There have been known incidents of squirrels attacking humans with bagels, maybe it there is a squirrel serial killer on the loose?

Squirrels are from the family Scuiridae, which include chipmunks, priarie dogs and woodchucks (aka Ground Hogs). It's been murderously cold lately, could the squirrel have succombed to the weather? Ditch Ground Hog Day, maybe we should use the squirrel as a fortune teller of the weather. Let's have a Squirrel Day. If the ground squirrel comes out of its burrow and dies, then we know that the temperature is murderously cold. Happy Squirrel Day.