Born And Raised In The South...,: 2015

Thursday, December 31, 2015

New Year's Toast

New Year Toasts

As we start the New Year,
Let's get down on our knees
to thank God we're on our feet.
~ Irish ~

Stir the eggnog, lift the toddy,
Happy New Year, everybody.

Here's to the bright New Year
And a fond farewell to the old;
Here's to the things that are yet to come
And to the memories that we hold.

As you slide down the banisters of life,
may the splinters never point the wrong way.

Here's to you a New Year's Toast
May your Joy ne'er see a Sorrow's Ghost.

In the New Year,
may your right hand always
be stretched out in friendship,
but never in want.
~ Irish ~

May we live to learn well,
and learn to live well.
May you live as long as you want,
and never want as long as you live.

In the year ahead,
May we treat our friends with kindness
and our enemies with generosity.

Let us resolve to do the best
we can with what we've got.
~ William Feather ~

May all your troubles during the coming year
be as short as your New Year's resolutions.

May it be the best year yet for you
And everything prosper you may do.

May the best of this year
be the worst of next.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring happy bells across the snow;
The year is going, let him go.
~ Alfred Lord Tennyson ~

Source: mamarocks.com

The Legend Of The Holly

The Legend Of The Holly

The news of Christ's birth soon spread throughout the land. King Herod had heard of the glorious event and, feeling threatened by this new King of Kings, had sent his soldiers in pursuit of Him. Joseph gathered together his little family and fled from Bethlehem .

As they were traveling down an old dirt road, Mary heard the sound of the soldiers behind them. Knowing that they would be searching for a man and woman with a baby, she decided to hide her child until the soldiers had passed.

Looking quickly around, Mary felt her heart sink within her. There was nothing nearby but a bare little holly bush. Every second, the hooves of the soldier's horses thundered nearer and nearer. In desperation, she placed her precious child beneath the bush and prayed.

But then, a wondrous thing happened. The scraggly little plant burst forth with a crown of glistening, thorny leaves. The spikey leaved bush formed a roof over the baby, hiding him completely. When the soldiers rode by, they saw only the couple who appeared to be childless and continued on their way, leaving the Christ Child in safety and peace.

It was then that the Babe blessed the holly so that it would always remain green ... a symbol of hope and immortality to all. And the berries the holly bore would always be blood red. For of all the plants that grow, the holly alone, for one brief moment,
had held the Christ Child in its heart.

Source: mamarocks.com

Monday, December 21, 2015

Memphis Pyramid The Tomb Of Doom

The Memphis Pyramid, initially known as the Great American Pyramid, formerly referred to as the Pyramid Arena and locally referred to as The Pyramid, was originally built as a 20,142-seat arena located in downtown Memphis at the banks of the Mississippi River. The facility was built in 1991 and was originally owned and operated jointly by the city of Memphis and Shelby County; Shelby County sold its share to Memphis in April 2009. Its structure plays on the city's namesake in Egypt, known for its ancient pyramids. It is 321 feet (98m, about 32 stories) tall and has base sides of 591 ft; it is by some measures the tenth tallest pyramid in the world.

Pyramid and view of Wolf River

The Memphis Pyramid has not been regularly used as a sports or entertainment venue since 2004. In 2015, the Pyramid re-opened as a Bass Pro Shops "megastore", which includes shopping, a hotel, restaurants, a bowling alley, and an archery range with an outdoor observation deck at its apex.

Riverside Drive Entering Ramp of I-40 to Arkansas With View Of Pyramid

Construction:

This photo of Bass Pro Shop is courtesy of TripAdvisor

The "Great American Pyramid" was conceived originally by Mark C. Hartz, a Memphis artist in about 1954. The project originally included three pyramids located on the south bluffs of Memphis overlooking the Mississippi River. The larger of the three would have been 2/3rd scale of the Great Pyramid of Memphis, Egypt. Because the flanking structures would have been scaled at 2/3s the size of the main pyramid. The project languished for three decades until Mark's younger son, Memphian Jon Brent Hartz, resurrected the concept. Mark C. Hartz, who was well known for his architectural renderings, rendered a new bronze glass-glazed pyramid. After years of negotiations, the younger Hartz's concept was adopted by entrepreneur John Tigrett as a symbol for the city of Memphis. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on September 15, 1989 and the building was opened on November 9, 1991. The construction of the building was managed by Sidney Shlenker, part owner of the Denver Nuggets and several entertainment companies, who Tigrett had brought to Memphis to develop tourist attractions in the building. Originally, there were plans for a shortwave radio station broadcasting Memphis music, an observation deck with an inclinator along the side of the building, a Hard Rock Cafe, a music museum, and a theme park on Mud Island along with other things. However, the plans were scrapped because of a fallout between Tigrett and Shlenker and the latter's financial difficulties.

View Of Pyramid From Mud Island and Downtown Memphis

Various Former Uses And Events:

The Pyramid was the home court for the University of Memphis men's basketball program, and later for the National Basketball Association's Memphis Grizzlies. However, both teams left The Pyramid in November 2004 to move into the newly built FedExForum. It was also home to the Memphis Pharoahs of the AFL.
The arena hosted the 1993 Great Midwest Conference Men's and Women's basketball tournaments, the 1994 and 1997 Southeastern Conference men's basketball tournament, the 1996 and 2000 Conference USA men's basketball tournament, and the 2003 Conference USA women's basketball tournament. It also held the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament in 1995, 1997, and 2001.

Pyramid Just Past Auction Bridge To Mud Island

The Pyramid was the site of the WWF St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House pay-per-view, in 1999.
It also hosted the boxing mega-fight between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson in 2002, which Lewis won by a knockout in the eighth round.

Hernando Desoto Bridge beside Pyramid (The "M" Bridge)

Filmmaker Craig Brewer used the building as a sound stage for his film Black Snake Moan in late 2005.

Hernando Desoto Bridge Night View Overlooking Mud Island

From 2002 to 2006, the annual Church of God in Christ international holy convocations were held here.
In 2002, the arena hosted a concert, commemorating the 25th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death.
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band performed what is reputed to be the last concert ever in the Pyramid, on February 3, 2007.

Troubles And Closure:

The vacant Pyramid pictured in 2010.

On the Pyramid's opening night, the arena floor flooded because of inadequate drainage pumps, and the entire arena began to flood causing stage hands to sandbag the entire perimeter to preserve the electrical runs under the stage. The arena was also assumed to be NBA ready; however, when the Memphis Grizzlies came to town, it was discovered that the cost of upgrading to NBA standards made it more practical to build an arena tailored specifically for the NBA. As a result, the $250 million FedExForum, home of the Memphis Grizzlies, was built and opened in 2004.

Tom Lee Park and Riverside Drive and View Of Downtown with Pyramid at far Left.

The City of Memphis contract with the Memphis Grizzlies forbade the use of The Pyramid without the team's approval, and as a result, it went dark. A committee headed by Memphis businessman Scott Ledbetter studied possible uses of the arena in 2005, and considered such uses as converting the arena into a casino, an aquarium, a shopping mall, or an indoor theme park. In November 2006, Congressman-Elect Steve Cohen (D-Tennessee) suggested that he would attempt to open a "Mid-American branch" of the Smithsonian Institution in the building. However, these plans were never realized. In the end, the committee on the building's future recommended that it be used for "destination retail" which would create more jobs and new tax revenues.

Riverside Drive and View Of Downtown Memphis With Pyramid on Left at Wolf River Harbor

Imagery:

In 2011, a drawing of The Pyramid – alongside images of iconic structures from Tennessee's three other large cities (the AT&T Building in Nashville, Knoxville's Sunsphere, and the Tennessee Aquarium of Chattanooga) – was incorporated into the standard design of Tennessee's state-issued driver's licenses.

Future Use:

In October 2005, media speculation began to focus on an aquarium or a Bass Pro Shops superstore as the most likely long-term tenants of the arena. In 2008, the city and Bass Pro Shops reached a "tentative" agreement, short on details, but based on an intent to develop the then-abandoned structure. On June 30, 2010, after 5 years of negotiating, Bass Pro and the City of Memphis signed an agreement for a 55-year lease for a Bass Pro Shops megastore. In addition, the redevelopment plans include revitalizing the Pinch District, which is the neighborhood east of the Pyramid. The city invested $30 million to help with the seismic retrofitting of the structure which was funded by sales tax revenue in the surrounding area. Bass Pro began renovations and construction in October 2012 and opened to the public on April 29, 2015.

Source: wikipedia

Memphis Bass Pro Shop In The Pyramid

Bass Pro Shops:

Bass Pro Shop In The Memphis Pyramid, Memphis, TN

Bass Pro Shops (Outdoor World) is a privately held retailer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor recreation merchandise, known for stocking a wide selection of gear.

Bass Pro Shops and Redevelopment:

Interior of the Pyramid on Bass Pro Shops' opening day

In October 2005, media speculation began to focus on an aquarium or a Bass Pro Shops superstore as the most likely long-term tenants of the arena. In 2008, the city and Bass Pro Shops reached a "tentative" agreement, short on details, but based on an intent to develop the then-abandoned structure. On June 30, 2010, after 5 years of negotiating, Bass Pro and the City of Memphis signed an agreement for a 55-year lease for a Bass Pro Shops megastore. In addition, the redevelopment plans include revitalizing the Pinch District, which is the neighborhood east of the Pyramid. The city invested $30 million to help with the seismic retrofitting of the structure which was funded by sales tax revenue in the surrounding area. Bass Pro began renovations and construction in October 2012 and opened to the public on April 29, 2015.

Indoors at The Bass Pro Shop

In addition to the retail store itself, Bass Pro at the Pyramid is home to an archery range, shooting range, and laser arcade. The building also includes an Uncle Buck's Fishbowl and Grill with a bowling alley and a saltwater aquarium. The tallest freestanding elevator in America takes visitors to The Lookout at the Pyramid at the apex of the building, where they can take in the view on an indoor and outdoor observation deck or get a bite to eat at the "Sky High Catfish Cabin"; a restaurant, bar, and aquarium at the top of the building. At the base of the Pyramid is a 100-room hotel known as the Big Cypress Lodge. Bass Pro at the Pyramid contains 600,000 gallons of water features and the largest collection of waterfowl and hunting related equipment in the world.

View of The Indoor Aquarium at Bass Pro Shop

One million people visited the Bass Pro Pyramid between the grand opening in April 2015 and July 8, 2015. Due in part to this large success, Bass Pro is considering adding a zip-line and a second hotel to the Pyramid.