What's a "snobbit" anyway?

A snobby hobbit? A small snob?

Are You Ready For A Walk?

"If you are ready to leave father and mother, and brother and sister, and wife and child and friends, and never see them again –- if you have paid your debts, and made your will, and settled all your affairs, and are a free man –- then you are ready for a walk."
--Henry David Thoreau

Soooo, maybe you're not quite ready for a walk, but maybe a nonchalant jaunt would do you some good. That's why PDD presents:



Nonchalant Jaunt II
A 25+ mile hike along Duluth's Skyline Parkway
Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004

We'll meet at the head of the Mission Creek Trail at 8am. To get there, take Highway 23 (Grand/Commonwealth Avenue) and turn up 131st Avenue West. Go past Fond du Lac Park and follow the street until it ends in an open field. Wait patiently for others to show up.

There's only one eating establishment along Skyline -- the Buena Vista. We won't get there until probably two o'clock. That means a picnic breakfast/lunch will be in order. There are a ton of great picnic spots along the way, so pack some food.

Wacky hijinks guaranteed.

why is voting important?

i watched oprah yesterday--her audience comprised entirely of women, ages 20 to 70 or so, who had never voted.

oprah was passionate in her entreaties. she and her guests worked hard to show and tell the women why they should care:

"it's your VOICE!"

"until not very long ago, black people and women were legally barred from voting; it's disrepsectful for us NOT to vote!"

"vote or DIE!"

etc.

but those pleas only motivate so many people.

what about intellectual cynics who say, "the electoral college decides it anyway. my vote is pointless."

or truly naive people who say, "politics bore me. government doesn't affect me."

or rightfully jaded folks who say, "nothing in my broke-ass life is going to change, regardless of who's president, senator, mayor, or city councilor. no one will do shit for me but ME."

how do you look people like that in the eye and SHOW them--give them honest, concrete reasons for--the importance of voting?

A League of My Own

I was contacted by the local chapter of the League of Pissed Off Voters today to let me know that they endorsed Charlotte VanVactor, my favorite political candidate and the best ex-wife I've ever had. I didn't know a lot about the league before today, but the more I learn the more I like.

Check 'em out for yourself.

Anyone in Chicago on Sunday?

I am the Company Manager for Blue Man Group (blueman.com) in Chicago and wanted to pass along an offer for free tickets. I have seen posts about people friends in Chicago and just in case anyone is up for a road trip here's the info.
Complimentary tickets are available for Blue Man Group for the performance
on Sunday, October 3rd at 1pm. If you have anyone that might be interested,
please have them send an email to [email protected] no later than
Friday, October 1st at 4pm. The email should include the first and last
name that the tickets should be held under as well as the number of tickets
desired. An email confirmation will be sent by the end of the week. If you
do sign up for tickets, please make sure that they will be used.

those dirty so and so's

Ohio, the next Fla?


Ohio's republican secretary of state has issued an order (three days before the registration deadline) to throw out all voter registration forms printed on paper less then 80lb. Coincidence that dem-leaning areas have seen a 250% rise in voter registration, with tens of thousands of new voters in a race expected to be closer then FL 2000?

Oh yeah, the state sent out 40lb forms to those requesting them. Cute, huh

(stolen shamelessly from MEFI)

Coincidence? I think so.

I was thinking of going to see the Handsome Family at the Fine Line Music Cafe on Nov. 6, but then I remembered that Duluth's first UFO convention is on the same day at the Lakeview Castle. I think I'll stay in Duluth, but how's that for a win-win decision?

Pirate Presidency

In honor of tomorrow's visit by our Vice President--and since the Ripsaw won't hit the streets until after he leaves town--I thought it would be fun to post this today. It's an illustration Brian Barber did for my opinion piece in October's Ripsaw.
- Tony D.

Miss O'Malley is Turning 25

7:30 Pm September 29, 2004 Miss O'Malley is celebrating her birth with food and friends. If you are food or a friend come to the Crew Jones Mansion on Wed.

Don't know where it is? Call Miss O'Malley she'll tell you, and she'll talk about herself in the third person while doing so.

I knew him when he was nothing, and he hasn't changed a bit

So, guess who's on the Late Show with David Letterman tonight?

The PEZ MP3 Project

This is going to be the greatest use of technology ever!!


O.K. I tried to upload a pic but it didn't work.
I think this inventor is my soulmate.....

old skool fun

What do you get when you mix old skool video games and old skool Van Halen?

This: http://www.powerstrike.net/Tehkan/mamejump.html

Not the best flash, but funny anyway.

mayanaise!

this super awesome baby, maya jame, was born friday night at 11:52. she's my niece.

she is the first child, first grandchild, and first great-grandchild for a whole bunch of people. she has big black hair and she's so tiny.

Word of the day:Cockaigne

The depiction of the land of Cockaigne was a popular subject- allowing the narrator to fantasise on food for free - horses born with saddles and fish that leap out of the river and offer themselves as food. A poem in Dutch of 1567 describes (among other facilities) tarts that cook themselves and fences made of sausages.

This is much better.

Blah blah blah blah blah.

Blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah-blah blah; blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah blah.

Blah blah blah blah, "Blah blah blah blah blah."
Blah blah, blah blah blah, "Blah, blah blah?"
"Blah blah!"



Blah, blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.



Blah Blah.

gummy goodness

Allrighty, it is time. The stickers have come in. So... a few words.
1. It is one thing to SAY the stickers are 2.14 x 5.5 and quite another to hold them in your hand and go “Oh! It’s that big/small.”
2. This is “THE ACTUALL SIZE” of the sticker, Or is if you are seeing the same thing I am (2.14 inch by 5.5 inch)



3. In an effort to ensure no one feels gypped, ripped or in any way offended by the whole thing I’m a gonna restructure the price thingie just a little. They will cost .50 each, but if you can afford it I am asking for $1.00 each as they go towards a good cause (i.e. keeping this place up and running), let your pocketbook decide the cost.
4. To those of you who have already emailed me to order I will send pretty much this same info to you via email and you can let me know what you want to do.
5.To those who wish to see them in person I will be at, as well as Djing, Starfire lounge this week,
6. This is also the easiest way to pick up stickers you have ordered, if you want to arrange something else email me edgewood(at)gmail(dot)com
7. And before someone asks “why isn’t the sticker bigger?”, this is what I could afford to do so hush yer mouth.
Cheerio, questions comments?

This Friday, October 1st

Cartoon Art Show at the MAC by Gonzo Scientist Jim Richardson. There will be beer tasting hosted by Lake Superior Brewing (!) and goodies provided by Whole Foods Co-op and Northern Waters Smokehaus. Featuring musical guests Sloe Lorus, Crew Jones, and The Housing Project. Reception 6-8, music from 8 on.

So I, er, found this note the other day, and it amused me, especially when you think of the process of making salsa





Yeah that seems about right

Nonchalant Jaunt II

As many longtime PDDers will remember, one year ago (on Sept. 27, 2003), a crew of bloggers set out on a quest to walk from one end of Duluth to the other. The 26-mile feat was accomplished, and the triumphant party of six was quickly recognized as better than everyone else.

The journey began at the Wabegon Supper Club and followed Commonwealth Avenue, Grand Avenue, Superior Street and Scenic Highway 61 to the Lakeview Castle. It took about eight hours, with long stops at the Gary New Duluth Senior Center, the Sunshine Cafe, R.T. Quinlan's Saloon and Pizza Luce (along with a few other stops that were more brief).

Of course, I mention all this because we're going to do it again -- taking a different route -- and, as usual, you are invited.

More details and maps and crap will be posted next week, but for now all you need to know is:

Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004
Nonchalant Jaunt II
A walk along Skyline Parkway, from the Mission Creek Trail to Seven Bridges Road

Is it me...

...or can this e-mail be interpreted in several different ways?

>
>
>
Tom,

Thank you very much for the invite! I really wish I could come, however I have my daughter to myself this weekend.

Have a great time,

xx
>
>
>

Paul Lundgren's Everything-You-Need-to-Know Review of:

1) "Who's Afraid of Virgina Wolff" is one of the best written plays EVER, in case you didn't know.
2) Renegade Comedy Theatre's performance is outstanding, however, it is also THREE AND A HALF HOURS LONG. Get comfortable.
3) They sell beer at Renegade!!!

Sweet dreams!

Fun on the Island

If you haven't been to Madeline Island, you are missing out on quite the drinking experience... I'm not talking about Tom's Burned Down Cafe or the ritzy Beach Club... I'm talking about the Island Oasis... instead of turning right off the ferry dock to go into town, take a left, drive about a mile, and look for a house with neon beer signs in the window, and you'll have found the true treasure of Madeline Island... the Island Oasis.

Run by Bud, who also does boat tours of the islands, the menu is quite simply beer, beer, and more beer. Hours vary, and with an open container law on the island (as long as you're not driving), drinking can last far into the wee hours of the morning. One of the only bars that I've ever run into that has a combo record-player/8-track player with flashing beat lights, the tunes are great, and the company is better. Watch for the deer that Bud feeds wandering into the yard, and enjoy the quiet peace of the island with a walk down to the lake.

Just remember, you're drinking in Bud's living room... Crazy things can happen at the Island Oasis - make sure you check it out...

And if you're not doing anything for Thanksgiving, come to Bud's. My friends and I are cooking Thanksgiving dinner for anyone who happens to show up... bring your blaze orange and your blankets, because we're aiming to have a great time!

the cathode feys

marc gartman's band THE CATHODE RAYS are playing this saturday at the norshor with BOY GIRL BOY GIRL and BLITZEN. the bands will play their usual show-tune-inspired geek-math-jizz-rock. i would link to the norshor website but y'all don't need to look at that.

10pm, 21+, $4.

a'ight.

the Bad Lands

Ran down to the Bad Lands in SD this past weekend+. here are a few of the photos

jesus was a revolutionary

jesus--

wrong on social services.

wrong on crime.

wrong on defense.

wrong for america.

http://gwbush04.com/v.php?f=jesuswrong

He's Drunk, He's Nationwide

Slim Goodbuzz, longtime reviewer of bars for Duluth’s Ripsaw magazine, is now also a featured columnist for Ruminator, a St. Paul-based magazine with a national readership.

Goodbuzz’s first Ruminator column appears in the magazine’s September/October issue. His review of ‘R’ Place Bar & Grill, a “dingy old bar on State Road 13 in South Range, Wisconsin,” describes how a golden retriever there performs a lewd impression of what “the girls in Hurley do.”

Goodbuzz began reviewing Twin Ports-area bars for the Ripsaw in 1999. His first book, “Perverse Verse: Filthy Limericks From the Head of the Lakes,” was published last fall by Whoppin Unlimited. A Slim Goodbuzz message board and drinking guide was launched earlier this year at www.slimgoodbuzz.com.

Goodbuzz can also be heard on the radio every Thursday at 8 a.m. during an interview segment on “The X106 Morning Show.” Broadcasts can be heard in Duluth and Superior on 106.3 FM and in neighboring communities on 104.3 FM.

Ruminator is a bimonthly magazine with a primary focus on reviews of literary fiction and serious nonfiction books. It was founded in 1986 as the Hungry Mind Review. The bimonthly magazine is available in Duluth at Northern Lights Book & Gift.

Oh Baby Baby it's a Wild World

I'm sure you've all heard about it already, but this has got to be the funniest news story of the year. With this being in the running somewhere, maybe like 18th place but worth an honorable mention.

it finally happened

enjoying a beautiful saturday morning, watching television and trying to remember what exactly happened that night before, something happened to me. something i thought i was going to be able to avoid. something so heinous and awkward i wouldn't wish it upon my worst of enemies.

someone came to my door asking if i had found jesus...

initially i wanted to tell the kind man that i not only knew him but the he can do one hell of a keg stand, but his innocence had a profound effect on me. it was like i was frozen in my doorway. standing there with my beer stained t-shirt and a slightly dishevelled expression i could do nothing more than nod and hope this would end. what lasted maybe a minute felt like an eternity (no religious pun intended). as the man got back into his minivan i held his pamphlets and thought about what had just happened. they finally got me....does this mean i have to go to church now?

-- in case you are wondering who i am, my name is cody and am currently attending umd. i came across the blog while in my web design class and found myself reading your entries quite often. so -- here i am........blog on....

P-R-O-T-E-S-T!!!!

Hillmeyer had a great idea for a Starfire Lounge, a full night of PROTEST MUSIC. So we are going to do it on Thursday, October 28th. That is the last Thursday before the general election and we need to make some noise.

I do need some help though. What is your favorite PROTEST SONG? Would you like to come down to the Lounge and play some music. Would you like to register voters that night? How about making a poster to promote the event. Any help or suggestions on making this a succesful event are appreciated.

Most importantly GET OUT THE VOTE!

pentagon conspiracy video

so i can't ever seem to make this link work but it's worth the cut and paste job to check this out.

http://www.freedomunderground.org/memoryhole/pentagon.php#Main

WWBD?

Top 10 Reasons Why Beer is Better Than Jesus
(Anonymous...aka, someone forwarded it to me & there's no name on it)

10. No one will kill you for not drinking beer.
9. Beer doesn't tell you how to have sex.
8. Beer has never caused a major war.
7. They don't force beer on minors who can't think for themselves.
6. When you have a beer, you don't knock on people's doors trying to give it away.
5. Nobody's ever been burned at the stake, hanged, or tortured to death over his brand of beer.
4. You don't have to wait 2,000+ years for a second beer.
3. There are laws saying that beer labels can't lie to you.
2. You can prove you have a beer.
1. If you have devoted your life to beer, there are groups to help you stop.

The Wolf Says What I Feel

That's a whole lot of water.

My home town of Austin, MN was flooded last week. According to my family on the scene it was the worst flood on record. I you wanna see more pictures go here.

None of my relatives took on any water but my brother did rescue a Truck Driver on I-90 with a boat.

El Beanero

El golpe de cinco años de Beaner comienza hoy.

The Many Faces of Paul Lungren

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I'll let Paul's expressions speak for themselves.
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Dance Paul, DANCE!

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Unbeknownst to many, Paul Lundgren not only possesses unrivaled literary skills but on Friday night he also treated some lucky folk to his unique and unmatched combination of acrobatics and freestyle jazz dance moves.
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Going Off the Rails on a Crazy Train

Now I know what to do the next time I run into some crazy street preacher who won't leave me alone... ;)
Respond To Religious Harassment By Singing Show Tunes

Avast! It be Talk like a Pirate Day!!!

Turn ye heading to the International Talk like a Pirate Day website, else ye be a bilge rat!
-Cap'n Dirty Morgan Cash

Big Lake Brewfest...

(sorry, I'm not good enough to figure out how to use Hello so I can post pics yet, so insert your own Big Lake Brewfest picture here.)

If y'all are looking for something to do pre-Turtles/Parr this fine evening, give this a shot...might just be the perfect start to an evening of fine Duluth Music...


Looking like the usual brewfest fare, with a slight twist...my buddy Germ (Chris German) has his homebrew stand on display for the edification and amusement of both experienced and novice homebrewers alike, and there's going to be a raffle for a homebrew starter kit donated by our friends at Last Chance Liquor. With the introduction of the homebrewers booth, the event this year is taking a slightly new direction, serving to bring more cohesion to the surprisingly large enclave of homebrewers in the area.


I'll be totin ice, helping out the brewers (I have dibs on helping out with the Viking's booth, dammit) during the event and in between glasses of beer. Speaking of, the Wessman (sp?) has banned all glass on the floor, so you'll get a plastic cup at the door, and your token Brewfest Glass when you leave...

all proceeds are being donated to the local chapter of the Junior Achievement, which is a very worthy cause...


If you can grab tix pre-event, they'll be $20 and then $25 at the door if yer not so lucky...
runs from 4-8, so you'll be back on this side of the Bong well in advance of the Parr/Turtles dealio. I'll most likely be relaxing with even more beer and either The Usual Suspects, or Lost In Translation...


Please think of the children and come drink some beer!
see ya there, perhaps...

Badlands

Taking off tomorrow to head to the Badlands for a few days, pics to follow. Have a new wide angle lens I'm looking forward to trying out. Hope everyone's weekend is pleasant.



Meanwhile here is a (not too nice) reminder from the archives, of what is around the corner. Depending on how you look at it, either rest your liver up for the upcomming season, or, get it in training early. Rumor has it it will be a good winter.

For Lithis:

After your fondling, thought you might like this:



It's a tape measure, shot with macro.

Hmm, I feel strangely compelled to add this link : seven

View Prints

Fear not the Slow Dancing Umbrella

Local Blogger hasseled by the man.

I was just standing in line at the "Ghetto Bank" when there was a sudden commotion out front. When I peered out the window I noticed 2 squad cars and our Geek King was surrounded. He was carrying his Fencing Foils and when I saw him earlier and I noticed the cops had confiscated those.

Is this all post 911 hysteria? Can a Foil be considered a dangerous weapon?

Damn the cops if they took him away for carrying those around.

I guess its OK to carry a gun though.

Hopes and Fears - LOST!

Keane - now ponces forever (if they weren't already before).

Un-instead of Paul.
Cancelled at the Quest Club.
5pm
The French Kicks played alone at the 400 Bar.
I can't wait for next Wednesday.

[Instrumental]

God Loves Little Girls

Sing a song... play guitar... make it snappy.

what does "happy" mean?

allow me to bring the room down for a moment...

last night shannon asked me, "are you ever happy?"

i didn't--still don't--know how to answer.

i have moments of absolute joy, usually while experiencing music in some form. if the bill withers' song "use me" comes on KOOL 101.7 at the right moment, i'll detach from reality and wonder aftewards how i drove from point A to point B. i struggled not to bawl--out of extreme joy--during the cmt tribute to johnny cash. crew jones made me high on wednesday.

a beer or two usually enhances such emotion. if i smoked weed, those transcendent moments might grow in depth and frequency (which is why i don't smoke weed--i already have enough trouble avoiding the gentle comfort of a couple beers for more than one day).

but what baseline exists for happiness? what does it mean to be "happy"?

can i brood, existentially ache, and be happy, all at the same time? can there be happiness in consistent, even willful, melancholy? is being "happy" necessarily better than being some other way?

it seems like such a simple concept, but i can't wrap my mind around it.

Driver take away my worries of today and leave tomorrow behind...

Any requests?

So I bring my Powerbook to Starfire Lounge every week and it really comes in handy. In the old days if someone requested a song I did not have they were out of luck. Now I can fulfill just about any request in the world.

Is there anything you wanna here tonight? I'm here till 1 AM.

out--

Last chance....

to eat with LP and me at the Mexican restaurant chain, which in English would be called boobies.

I promised LP that we'd go eat at Chi-Chi's before it closes on Sunday, and I decided that tonight's the night; we hope to sit on the deck.

I also promised LP that I'd invite Dr. T, Berv, Sherman, et. all, so consider this is your official invitation. We'll be there at about 6 p.m. If you can't make it, don't sweat it. When eating with LP, it tends to be "the more the mayhem" rather than "the more the merrier."

Rolling numbers, rock and rolling, got my kiss records out...

perfect duluth day | clean your plate mister

just so's ya know the pdd stickers could be in as early as Sat. (of course they also could take another 6 weeks) so if you want them at the intro price of $1 each and haven't talked to me yet do so now, edgewood(at)gmail(dot)com

This is the last I'll bug ya about it till they arrive.

Call out the instigator, there's something in the air.

Say it ain't so.

This has me puzzled. Who are these people that like gw so much? How can they feel like he is making us safer? Do these folks not read? I realize I surround myself with very Liberal folks but I still just don't get it.

The sign vandals turned themselves in. Read all about it.

Finally, Punk icon Johnny Ramone passed away yesterday from prostate cancer. R.I.P. sweet punk brother.

I possess a strong command of assess

Remember that job I posted here last week?

Well, I just finished a phone interview for the position. I actually didn't apply for the news ass. job, but recently applied for another position which was filled by the previous news assistant.

Does anyone have one of those speed typing programs I can borrow? I'd like to practice some in case I get to the next round of test taking.

Wish me luck!!

If I gotta be damned you know I wanna be damned...

Don't Forget To See Paul!

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Not that anybody needs reminders, I'm sure - but just so that no one forgets...!
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This is mildly entertaining...

So I just finished Jake Slichter's So You Wanna be a Rock & Roll Star(great book, highly entertaining) and then shuffled on over to Semisonic's web page to take a look around. I found this photo in their gallery from Feb 2000. Is that a Donnie Ness sign I see in their rehearsal space? OMG!!!1! kewl... :)

i popped my bob dylan cherry

i bought my first bob dylan cd last night--blonde on blonde.

i've gone through many of the requisite white-boy obsessive music phases: the beatles, zeppelin, ac/dc, hendrix, etc., with abbreviated phases of punk rock, minneapolis stuff from the '80s, and other genres.

a serious johnny cash period has segued into dylan.

and i have questions:

are nashville skyline and john wesley harding worth buying?

is the royal albert hall '66 show as good as it's supposed to be?

what's the dylan stuff to avoid?

has anyone taken the time to make a "dylan does duluth does dylan" mix? a mix--or the closest possible thing--of the originals that are covered on duluth does...?

Driver's seat, oo-ooo. Driver's seat, yeah.

Gonzo Science Housewarming Event

Housewarming / Meet Allen Richardson event, Friday night at the brand new Gonzo Science Headquarters. Gifts accepted. Email [email protected] for hillside street address. Yes we know Paul L. is reading that night, but you can do it all.

Ooooooooo, I can read your mind...

Hour 20 - I'm barely awake. However, Making Fiends made me laugh hard enough to drive the sleep away.

Ma, I'm tired o' the killin'

When I let go of your throat - sweet throttle

Could anyone please please please point me at a source that has a "Freak Out" mp3? I'm looking for that disco song that goes "Awwwwwwwwww - Freak Out!" Anyone know who did it?
Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi (aka PDD), you're my only hope.

Meanwhile, back at the Brewhouse...

A moment of uncertainty.

Perfect Nuclear Day

Nothing like a relaxing day at the beach in the shadow of the nuclear power plant!
While you were all frolicking at Wisconsin Point and Park Point we headed out of Chicago for the Indiana Dunes which is very relaxing when you ignore the image of possible nuclear disaster just up the shore.

It's where I'm gonna go when I die... when I die!!

Additionally, in non-Norman Greembaum news:
- 122'30" : As everyone knows already, Hayden appears as a ghost beside Yoda and old Obi-Wan at the end of the movie.

Dart in yer ass!!

Vote Today

Bad Cat! wanted women with biceps, so here ya go. Please remind your friends that the primary elections are today. Go out and vote. Polls are open until 8pm. Julie has the low down on the wheres, whens, whats, and hows.

Go-cart Motzart was checkin' out the weather charts...

Natural Born Douchebags

So I was clicking through the ever-popular Rock and Roll Hall of Douchebags yesterday, and lo and behold -- Vinnie and the Stardusters have made the cut.

Congratulations, guys! We always knew you were douchebags!

Ride, ride, ride... would you let it ride!

Get out of Jail Free card

Woo hoo! Power went out downtown today! I was the first to ditch work. It's kinda like when you where in high-school and there was some mythical "ten-minute" rule that if the teacher didn't show up by ten minutes everyone could leave, but that never happend.
However, a power outage did - and is there a better excuse to ditch work and go to the bar early (two days before a major software release)? No, I think not.
*hic*

He's obsce-hee-hee-hene!!

Query

This has been really bothering me for awhile, and I'm sure someone out there can at least come up with a good speculation, if not an out and out answer.

Question: Why is it the owners of the Norshor Theatre decided to ditch the beautifully designed norshor.com, and instead go with norshor.biz, the design of which, uh, speaks for itself?

Perfect Superior Day

Rough outline of the plan so far:
1) Leave work, head down Highway 2
2) Probably stop at President's, probably buy a 6-pk of Lake Superior Brew Co.'s St. Louis Bay IPA.
3) Plant chair in sand at Wisconsin Point.
4) Burn reciepts and old bills that have been accumulating for the last year.
5) Go for swim (east wind = warm water) warm self next to burning Visa reciepts.
6) Watch Packer game. Either at my house or at a tavern.

Let me know if you're in. Wow I see I've just been scooped by Edgewood!

Boogaloo duuudes... Carry the news!!

you don't have to die... you can live! Live!

anyone want to hit the beach? It is my birthday and I haven't swam the -cough- sultry waters od lac superior this year (to cleanse my life crystal another year) having been gone most of the summer, so barring an out and out thunderstorm if you want to brave to water park point at around 5:30ish.

And hey, has anyone seen the CD for sale at the Food & Fuel? (at least the one at St. Marie and Woodland, prob the others too) of old Duluth bands?

... Zilla!!

Dead Set On Destruction

You better not ruin my concert Friday!!!

Brrrrrrrrrrruce!!!

Vote in the Primary Tomorrow

Julie has information about when the polls are open and what you need to bring with you and contact information to find your local polling place. And if you are in St. Louis County First District (basically central Duluth from the Point up to the Mall, west to Piedmont and east to UMD) I'd encourage you to vote VanVactor tomorrow.

Puppy Love Counteracts Evil

View Prints

This Is As Political As I Will Get

Now You've Been Warned

Cathode Rays Swordfight Gay Blade Hollywood Guitar Band

It's anybody's guess what Marc Gartman's going to call his band, but ohhh did I like the sound of them recording at Sacred Heart last week.







Another photo from the sessions can be found on my site here.

A LEVER TO MOVE THE MIND

Virtual schizophrenia Ok, so I am not trying to be depressive but
this project is fascinating, even though it is still in the rudimentary graphics stage. As someone who has worked with people with mental illness this interested me, how about the rest of you? What am I talking about? A way to model what schizophrenia is like.

Will someone please think of the children!!!

" Rowboat Vets for Truth is here to share the real story, to correct the misleading use of our images, against our will, in paintings, woodcuts and pamphlets across the colonies.

The Rowboat Vets for Truth will counter the outrageous claims made by Mr. Washington and the liberal printing presses in Boston and Philadelphia.

We speak from personal experience - our group includes men who served beside Washington in combat against unarmed Germans on Christmas night, 1776. Though we come from different backgrounds, shoe menders, haberdashers, stable boys, candle holders to the wealthy. etc., and hold varying political opinions, we agree on one thing: George Washington lacks the potential to lead."

A lot of satire out there now, here's a good one from mad mag

I was at the Party Store Minnows show on Friday (tres bien) so missed the kamakazi show, how did it go?

Chris Monroe Turning Japanese

While I was searching for an appropriate picture for the pirate post below, preferably by our own Chris Monroe, I stumbled across this.

How do you say Perfect Duluth Day in Japanese?

Top Ten Pirate Pick-Up Lines

In preparation for International Talk Like a Pirate Day, September 19, I thought we should brush up a bit.

10 . Avast, me proud beauty! Wanna know why my Roger is so Jolly?

9. Have ya ever met a man with a real yardarm?

8. Come on up and see me urchins.

7. Yes, that is a hornpipe in my pocket and I am happy to see you.

6. I'd love to drop anchor in your lagoon.

5. Pardon me, but would ya mind if fired me cannon through your porthole?

4. How'd you like to scrape the barnacles off of me rudder?

3. Ya know, darlin’, I’m 97 percent chum free.

2. Well blow me down?

And the number one pickup line for use on International Talk Like a Pirate Day is …

1. Prepare to be boarded.

Vote for Duluth Music!

I realize I may be crossing the bounds of self-promotion but oh well what the heck...

There's an entry fee, but it goes to a good place and you become a member.
Cast your ballot now!
Black Eyed Snakes! The Dames! if thousands! Haley Bonar! (and any others I may have missed!)
(I don't know how to make a hyperlink on this blog, so please cut & paste the address below into your navigator).

Good luck to all the bands!
http://minnesotamusicacademy.org

For You Political Types

Politics being one of the staples of PDD, I thought perhaps a lot of you might enjoy what some of our fellow bloggers are doing over at New Patriot, a new community blog dedicated exclusively to political discussion.

"We believe dissent is patriotic. We believe America can be better. We're a group of Minnesota bloggers not content to sit on the sidelines. We're going to praise what's right in America, and change what's wrong: starting with George W. Bush."

New Patriot was launched on Labor Day by Chuck Olsen (of Blogumentary) and Mark Desrosiers (of Cheek).

Check it out.

Why ask Why

In all of this, the majority of the populace seems to be focused on the fact that we are BEING attacked and oblivious to the reasons as to WHY this is happening. The current administration (its not just W. a lot of people have their fingers in this pie for a lot of scurrilous reasons.) has a lot of people duped into thinking that the terrorists hate our freedom, hate our humvees and our baseball and our pornography and out houses in the hamptons.

To be attacked in this day and age is a response or a reaction to being provoked, oppressed or taken advantage of. (ex: WTO Seattle, Watts riots, Kent State, Venezuela...okay, these are more along the lines of civil unrest and disobedience, but you get the point.). What the 'terrorists' despise about 'us' is our involvement in Their lives, their countries…their CULTURE. Anyone who knows Islam knows it’s not just a religion. It's an entire way of life, which is what the true representation of Christianity would be if the bible were followed to the letter. Both paths speak of peace, compassion and complete submission to said religion…to God. Islam encompasses everything they do from the time they wake up to the time they go to sleep, what they eat, how they dress and treat each other. Islam even governs how they do business. I've actually been to a few Islamic (Arabic) countries and I've seen it in action and at its heart is one of the most beautiful paths one could follow.

For generations this country has lived under the belief that everyone wants to be us and if there exists a culture that is content to be left alone they must be crazy and torn asunder. We are in effect, through a couple hundred years of meddling for monetary gain and world status, systematically destroying everything that Islam holds dear and on the same token their whole culture. Granted, cultural evolution is a good thing, technological progress is a good thing, even commerce is a good thing but it should never be done at the expense of another society. What we (the white folk) did to the Native Americans (and the African American and so on and so on…) in the last few hundred years or so, we've also been doing to the Arab and Islamic culture. The main difference now is that we've pissed them off to the point that they feel they have no recourse to and the wherewithal (technology, ammunition, support, etc…) to actually do something…to fight back against that which they feel oppresses them!

The smallpox we gave the Native Americans pretty much quelled any chance of an uprising, and we’re making damned sure alcohol and drug addiction takes care of any insurgencies in the future all the while destroying a beautiful culture.

-I should note at this point that this is a theory…a plausible theory, based on historic research and personal experience, but one that hasn’t been explored by very many (read: the rest of the population that actually believes they're out to get us because we're 'free') people. I don't expect anyone to actually agree with this at all, but we as a country need to start asking WHY this is happening. The reason isn't what the talking heads tell you.

Thanks for reading…sorry so opinionated…and for the waste of bandwidth.

Oh, yeah...this is the 1,253rd PDD post.

CucumbAARRRRR Pirate

It's an annual tradition at work that my boss brings in items from his garden and I decorate using office supplies. I love my job.

Finally... news you can use.

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- A man who was trying to shoot seven puppies was shot himself when one of the dogs made the .38-caliber revolver discharge, deputies said.

Bradford was being treated at an undisclosed hospital for the gunshot wound to his wrist, said sheriff's Sgt. Ted Roy. Bradford said he decided to shoot the 3-month-old puppies in the head because he couldn't find another home for the shepherd-mix dogs, according to the sheriff's office.

On Monday, he was holding two puppies, one in his arms and another in his left hand, when the dog in his hand wiggled and put its paw on the trigger, making the gun discharge, the sheriff's report said.

The revolver and a rifle were seized from the home, deputies said. Deputies found three of the puppies in a shallow grave outside Bradford's home, Roy said. The other four appeared to be in good health and were taken by Escambia County Animal Control, which planned to make them available for adoption.

"That should never have to happen," said Bruce Rova, director of the Escambia County Animal Shelter. "There are so many options people have. We'll try to find them a new home."

i wanna i wanna i wanna

Hello all -

Anyone out there have a digital video camera they'd like to sell or know where I could get one that doesn't cost an arm & a leg? I'm not looking for anything special, just that it be digital, record on a tape of some kind (mini-dv, hi-8, standard 8, etc.) and be under $200. I've been keeping an eye on eBay, but I thought I'd give this a shot.
?

The Meat Purveyors

As they where just here I thought I'd point out his small link on the Onion

1000 American Dead - 10,000 Iraqi Dead

To Admire You From Afar Intro

Tonight I wish, Upon a star,
I’d stop admiring you, from afar.
To be standing next to you
My utterly strong feelings oh so true.
You are perfect, in my mind.
And you’re almost always kind.
The torture when you’re near,
The torture when you’re far.
The words of love, on my tongue like tar.
So irresistable, you are to me.
I wish I could make you see.
To cuddle up and hold you tight,
Is what I dream of every night.
Though you aren’t used to the sight,
To me this feels oh so right.
I loved you then, I love you now.
Why it’s not mutual, I ask how.
I’d be your girl, your one and only,
If I didn’t have to be so lonely.
The forbidden fruit, you are to me.
I treat you good if you would see.

Blogger, Blogger!

Little Ceaser's style.

This month my photos have the honor of being on display at Beaner's Central. If anyone is interested by all means go check it out!

The prints are available for purchase of $35. One thing you'll notice is how much they look better in person. Websized just plain doesn't do justice.

And now for something completely different...

A time-lapse music video filmed over a seven-day period, compressing the journey into less than 4 minutes. (Let it load all the way before hitting Play)

For Paul:

"Deep down, let's face it, all of us hate foreigners. It's quite natural when one lives in such a beautiful and perfect country as our own to hate and loathe those greasy-haired swivelling toadies from Europe and beyond. What worries me is that sometimes this hatred is so deep down that many of us forget about it, and instead of hitting Frenchmen and letting Dagos' tyres down, we are buying garlic-smelling French cars and eating filthy chunks of Wop dough in stinking Pizza parlours. Now I'm not saying that we should go out and burn down the nearest Eye-tie, Chink, Froggie or Pakki restaurant - I think the army should be doing that - but if we are going to keep this lovely country of ours beautiful, clean and deeply religious, we must remember that the Young Bigots Club is only a phone call away. They will come round at a moment's notice and tread on packets of Gauloises and throw Grundig equipment down the lavatory. Remember, Tolerance is a great British virtue - let's not waste it on Yids, Polacks, Wops, Krauts and Arabs." - Col. Sir Harry McWhirter M.C.C.,
Chairman The Bloody Bigots Club 1937-93

do open minds exist?

in the comments attached to a previous post, lundgren said this:

"Sweet. Once race and sexuality became off limits, I thought there'd never be another large group to discriminate against."

to which i say, in my best chris rock voice, "sheeeeyet."

every one of us who posts here displays deep and sometimes vicious bias on a regular basis. we discriminate every day in ways subtle and overt.

an open mind requires a lot more than being theoretically cool with gay people and black folks. it also requires acknowledging that george w. and drunk college jocks and suv-driving suburbanites are human beings. it's easy to dismiss disagreeable, mean-spirited, selfish ideas by negating the humanity of the people who hold them. it's far more thoughtful and honest and difficult to accept the humanity of a person despite their offensive qualities.

i know liberals--shit, i'm one of them--who are so bent on being "tolerant" or "colorblind" (and if there ever was a stupid, racist term, then "colorblind" is it) or "open-minded" that they're far more rigid and judgmental than some of the conservatives who they de-humanize at every opportunity.

i internally criticize people all day for their taste in music, the cars they drive, their race, their accent, the clothes they wear, the expressions on their faces, the people they hang out with, etc. i don't think i'm the only one. and i don't think i or anyone else is immune from such prejudicial, snobbish, insecure, self-righteous judgment.

open mindedness doesn't mean agreeing with every idea and loving every person; it does mean avoiding the same sort of lazy judgment it's meant to avoid.

we might all be better off if we just admitted that open minds don't exist; that we've all got biases, even though we'd rather not have them, and even if we're thoughtful enough to fight against them.

pdd branding

Allrighty, green light is blinking so step right up shoppers. The above design will be avaiable in bumper sticker format in 2 - 8 weeks, depending on when they get here. The size is 5.5 x 2.14 (would love to get the 8.5 x 2.75 but as an act of bloggerish support the first size is what I can do/afford). The cost, preorders accepted now at $1 each, once they arrive it'll be a whopping $1.50 (at least until cost is realized). Profits from this will go towards site costs. So... to preorder just drop me a note at edgewood [at] gmail [dot] com, order one, order 5 dozen and give as gifts... all I need to know from you right now is who wants them and how many. When they arrive I'll let you know and we can meet in a dark ally and exchange goods, or something less dramatic perhaps. Cheerio

Weekly Rotating Underground Resteraunt?

I have a handful of resteraunts in Duluth that I like to frequent, but I'm getting sick of the same old these days. How about spicing things up around here as fall peeks it's head around the corner. I originally got this idea from a resteraunt in Myanmar (Burma) called the 7 sisters. you're greeted by wonderful happy hosts. You sit on the floor with tables low to the ground, with candles and good music. They start you out with appetizers & a list of the set menu they've made for that night. Every nite they've made something different. You tell them what you want & they bring out portions of different entrees that everyone dishes out of like Chinese food. Very communal. There is no check at the end. You just leave what you thought appropriate. So, i've had this idea for some time & was wondering what ya'll thought.... Would this work in Duluth as a resteraunt so to speak rotating weekly from one persons house to the next? Only open on say like a Tues night from 6-9. Ideally, a schedule could be arranged from a pool of people who wanted to host the event so you never got sick of one environment. It would be changing all the time. The host would cook up large batches of food & serve with a few of their friends. Costs could be recouped by donation basis. A different way to go out for a meal and a cool experience. Plus if you love to cook it's a great way to try some special dishes to share. Like a dinner party, but everyone's invited.

...Like a Hurricane

ROCK & ROLL KAMI-KAZE TRAINWRECK
Friday, September 10th | 8pm | $4 | Fitger's Tap Room

::: THE BANDS :::

BAND 1 (8:00pm)
Grady Larimer [email protected]
Jason Gundelach [email protected]
rachel Rolland [email protected]
Eric Gustafson [email protected]
Ryan Jazdzewski

BAND 2 (8:20pm)
James Monte
Kevin Simonson
Jim Saylor [email protected]
Peder [email protected]
Chad Salmela [email protected]

BAND 3 (8:40pm)
Jed Olson
Aaron Anderson [email protected]
Jim Hall
Jimmy Myers [email protected]
Matt Kearns [email protected]

BAND 4 (9:00pm)
Rob Wagner [email protected]
Tyler Scouton [email protected]
Nikki Moeller [email protected]
Bill Bushey
Jeremiah Brown

BAND 5 (9:20pm)
Leo Orsoni [email protected]
Patrick Nelson [email protected]
Nruce Woodman [email protected]
Jim Wilde [email protected]
Brennan Atchison [email protected]

BAND 6 (9:40pm)
Devin McKinnon [email protected]
Caroline Reesburg
Pete Ekstam [email protected]
David Aldrich
John Choi [email protected]

BAND 7 (10:00pm)
Jill Hall
Jason Ratacheck [email protected]
Kelly Roed [email protected]
Mark Lindquist [email protected]
Geoffrey Grinny

BAND 8 (10:20pm)
Prince Paul
Jonah Cannon [email protected]
Peder Olson [email protected]
Brett Mackenzie [email protected]
Will Adamczak [email protected]

BAND 9 (10:40pm)
Tony Derrick [email protected]
Scott Lunt [email protected]
Hobs
Mindy Johnson [email protected]
Nikki Carlson [email protected]

BAND 10 (11:00pm)
Chris Belz
Chip Rogers [email protected]
Max Moen
Nannon Jones
Shanna Willie [email protected]

BAND 11 (11:20pm)
Rebecca Farmer [email protected]
Maghan Jones [email protected]
Bryan Johnson
Dave Johnson
Mike Kollman [email protected]

BAND 12 (11:40pm)
Steve Johnson [email protected]
John Paul Marsh
Chad Kriske [email protected]
Mike Peterson
Blaise Taylor

BAND 13 (12:00am)
Richie Gunns [email protected]
Frank Nichols
Robb Welty [email protected]
Marc Gartman
Brad Rozman

BAND 14 (12:20am)
Stravros Glitsos [email protected]
Todd Gremmels [email protected]
Chris Halvorson [email protected]


For band member contact info, please email: [email protected]

listen

My friend Gonolius has a radio show. He plays only local music. You have to listen or move away from here, it's the law.

Here's some info from him:
--------------------------
KUWS - 91.3fm

Thursdays

10pm-12pm

395-1790 is the local number.

I dont remember the 800 number.

It wont suck like other local music shows.

I'm going to be trying to have guests in the studio about every week (except for this week). We can talk about whatever music project they have going on, or if they want to play a guitar or bang on stuff, thats cool too. It wont be till later when I have bands playing live on the air.

So if you or your band want to be on the radio, let me know. Or i'll contact you.

If you have any new music that you think should be played on the radio... send it to me!

Also... if you have any old local music... I WANT IT!

I want to start archiving all old local music (i'll take -anything- i can get, tapes, vinyl, dats, minidisc, etc) to play on the air ... and to make digital copies of (for a future website project with info on all past local bands).

Anything you have... let me know... you can email me at [email protected] or if you want, just mail it to...

KUWS Radio - Local Music Director
PO Box 2000
Superior WI, 54880

long-time listener, first-time caller.

Hi--I'm Mary, a former collegiate colleague of Maria's...ah, the vaguely-memorable times we shared in those hallowed halls of the UMD English department. (Well, technically there weren't really any halls, since we didn't really have a building, but you get the idea.) Anyway, she's been harping on me for about six months, telling me to post here. Today, my will finally broke. Maria is a stern taskmaster, to be sure.

Anyway...I grew up in Ashland, went to college in Duluth, and shortly after graduation, moved to Helena, Montana. I've been here for about three years, but still keep up with the goings-on of "The Northland," and read PDD regularly. When my time's up here in about a year or so, I might be headed back that way...as great as milder winters and mountains can be, something in me cries for the big lake and for sub-zero temperatures. Once it's in your blood, there's no shaking it.

Nice to meet you all--and I promise not to make a nuisance of myself. (After this, at least.)

Derelection 2004

Yet another election website for your perousal...this time brought to us by those rascals at Cursor.org...

http://cursor.org/derelection.html

What hearty souls those sailors be!

Taken yesterday (Wed. 9/1) at about 6pm.

These guys really love to race! I've gone out a couple of times with 'em and believe me - they LOVE TO RACE! (personally I enjoy the out-on-the-water-drinking-beers-with-da-buddies type of sailing)

What about those college kids...?

Although obviously "Just out of college" has a rather unique opinion - especially given the fact that the Blog is called, "Perfect Duluth Day."

However, he (I'm assuming it's a dude, based on the tone of the post) does raise some interesting questions. How should these people be treated since they do bring in mucho dinero (sp?) to Duluth?

What about the creation of a "college rental zone" on the hillside or maybe closer to UMD? Should there be a gradual phase-out of rental housing on the hillside, and a zone set up especially for college kids, with tax incentives for landlords to contain the students in a central area of Duluth? Would that restore some order to say, east 4th street?

A bachelor and his plant....

What it's like

Barrett Chase dot com and I were wondering a while back what it would be like to get a Straight Razor shave. After some yellow pages searching we found the only guy in town that would help us out. Mike (forgot his last name) the Barber is not an old guy like you would think but just a guy that wants to carry on the old traditions. No, there is no more leather strap on which the razor is sharpened, a new clean blade is used for every customer. There is still lots of hot steaming towels and shaving cream.

The process takes up to 45 minutes and is more like a facial than a shave. I highly recommend it. So without further delay we present you with "What it's like, A Straight Razor Shave."

Shave [quicktime, low quality, 4.2mb]
Shave [quicktime, medium quality, 11.7mb]

Candy is dandy... But odd music is?

As one or two of you may be aware, there is an archive of a cool project over at 365 day project. Essentially it is one mp3 file per day for an entire year (2003 to be exact). And it contains some delightful stuff, and some stuff to make you cringe. All of it could be considered "Outsider Music", if it wasn't for the fact that there are some well-known names interspersed here and there... Orson Wells berating a recording engineer during taping of radio commercials, A few Van Morrison tracks from a "get the hell out of a bad deal" recording (guaranteed not to show up on any 'best of' collection for ol' Van). The long and short is I took the trouble of downloading the complete set of these... er, interesting tunes and am offering them up to you pdders. So take a gander at what the site has to offer, the whole set can fit on about 4 discs in mp3 format. All I ask is to be reimbursed the discs. (this is where I got the link to the WEBC Duluth jingle). If interested drop me a note at edgewood (at) gmail (dot) com.

Right... now for something wholesome



< / Bush >

I Heart Autumn...

Actually, this post has nothing to do with my hearting Autumn. I just liked the title. It's about one of the great traditions that occur during Autumn. Well, two great traditions, in fact. The first such tradition being that of college kids throwing obnoxiously loud parties at all hours during the week. The other tradition (which I am oddly quite fond of) is that of me calling the cops on said partygoers and throwers at 1:30 in the morning.

There is a house next door to my abode which is populated entirely by young college kids. Boys, mostly. In the past, the previous occupants of said domicile (also college kids) have hosted some ragers, which have provoked either me or my Lovely Bride to summon the local constabulatory, much to the chagrin of the Kids Next Door. We often warn them of the impending Police Action, which causes their guests to flee the house like rats off a sinking ship, which in turn causes me to giggle with delight. Once, we had the father of one of the kids next door (who was in fact providing alcohol to these kids, and making Dirty Old Man faces at the nubile young ladies in attendance) try to convince us that everything was cool, and that we should be cool.
This new group of kids are obviously amatuer partythrowers. They didn't bring down the wrath of the Angry Neighbor Who Has To Get Up And Roast Coffee At Six A.M. on this occasion, but I did notice that even though they seemed to have had a good start on the festivities, the event fizzled to almost nothing at about 1a.m., save one inebriated chap who insisted on hollering "YEAH!" every minute or so for about 15 minutes. After that, nothing. I heard kids going down the walk, car doors closing and ignitions...igniting, and then silence. At that point I was able to return to my sleep.

This short diatribe brings me to a question for you, my electronic peers:
Is it wrong of me to derive so much delight and satisfaction in summoning said constabulatory to thwart the children's attempts at belligerent fun during the week?
Fridays and Saturdays are fine. I can understand letting off a little steam after a hard week of pretending to study. I have been known to get boisterously drunk as some of you who actually know me can attest, so I'm not a total curmudgeon...yet.

thanks for reading...happy September.

Query

Anyone got a good recommendation of where to get a decent laptop (non-apple, sorry apple folks)?

it's all settled, then

during a recent game of boggle, sam and i stumbled across the word "lunt" in the dictionary and discovered, to our delight, that it means "to emit smoke."

this story confirms two things i knew anyway, but you all may not have already known:

1. sam and i are really kind of dorky.

2. starfire is smoldering.

so now you know!

For you Political Wonks

If you are a political geek like me, you want data and lots of it. I found this site - electoral-vote.com - which gives some very useful and well organized data on the presidential race based on what counts - electoral votes. None of these namby-pamby national polls which don't mean a damn thing. Yes, I know, most people hate the Electoral College on principle. That's fine. But it ain't gonna change before November 2. "Anyone who abandons what is for what should be pursues his downfall rather than his preservation." (Machiavelli)

The site gives a national map with trends and latest poll data. And if you click on a given state it gives the poll history and even gives a projection line based on the poll trend. Based on these trend data, the site even gives a projection map which predicts where the states are going to end up. Interestingly, based on polling data, Minnesota ends up in a dead heat. The creator cautions not to take the projection map too seriously until October.

Have fun!