May 2010 Posts

Emergency Protest against Flotilla Murders 5pm Tuesday

On Tuesday, June 1, at 5 p.m., peace and justice activists in Duluth will gather at the Federal Building to denounce the Israeli government’s assault on the Gaza Freedom Convoy and call for an end to U.S. aid for Israel.

A Winter Downpour + Atlas Mts. + Hotel Coral Essex Saturday!

A Winter Downpour | Sat. June 5th @ Thirsty Pagan Brewing

A Winter Downpour made its Duluth debut this past May at “New Band Night” during the Homegrown Music Festival. Now we take the second step in becoming a certified Twin Ports band by crossing the bridge for our second show and playing at Thirsty Pagan. Hope to see you there. This is a free show. Plus our friends Atlas Mts. and The Hotel Coral Essex are joining us.

Sat. June 5th @ Thirsty Pagan
10pm | 21+ | Free
A Winter Downpour | Atlas Mts. | Hotel Coral Essex

The Hold Steady in Hayward July 2

We’re so excited, we’re doing back flips here! Of course, this is leading to serious injuries and skyrocketing group insurance rates, but here’s the skinny:

Community radio station WOJB is presenting The Hold Steady with special guests The Whigs from Athens GA and Milwaukee’s best kept secret, Jaill in concert July 2 at the Lac Courte Oreilles Convention Center, four miles east of Hayward at the junction of County Highways B & K.

And only 20 bucks in advance! Tickets are available at www.wojb.org or by Visa/MC over the phone at 800-776-3689.

Bill and Ted’s Oil Drilling Adventure

Stupid stupid stupid oil industry! If you thought all this crap was bad today, it was equally bad in 1979 (“equally bad” as in “the exact same fucking problem”).

That was Then, This is Then

Historic Duluth Armory photos

Historic Duluth Armory featured Paul Metsa and Danny Fox, the 2008 winner of the Hibbing Dylan Days singer/songwriter contest for the May 30 open house.

Click for more photos

Rubber #@$! Chicken presents David #$@%! Mamet’s “American $#&*!@# Buffalo”

May was a great time for homegrown music. June is shaping up to be the month for homegrown theater.

Rubber Chicken Theater presents
“American Buffalo” by David Mamet
June 3-5, 10-12, 17-19
7pm at The Venue at Mohaupt Block.
Directed by Minden Anderson
Featuring Tony Barrett, Brian Matuszak and Tate Haglund-Pagel
218-213-2780, rubberchickentheater.com

Beating a very dead horse

Confederate grave, Holly Springs, Mississippi, June 2007.

The News-Tribune had a nice editorial Sunday encouraging people to take time out to remember that Memorial Day was intended to include an element of solemnity, paying homage to those who have died in the service of the United States. I’m no jingo, but I generally embrace those sentiments. The editorial board erred in citing the nonprofit usmemorialday.org’s characterization of the origins of the tradition, however: “That inaugural Decoration Day, on May 30, 1868, drew some 5,000 Americans who helped place flowers and flags on the graves of more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery,” the group claims, imagining a scene of national reconciliation.

Things to Do Memorial Day Weekend

Big weekend ahead. Got plans? Here are some suggestions, assuming that you’re not heading off to hibernate at your cabin on the lake … though if you are reading this now, you really should be outside.

Dad’s Day Perfect Present

Mugs for sale via Etsy.com. The perfect Dad’s Day gift.

Ceramic Art by Lenni

WTF?!? (Puppy Edition)

A warning to all dog owners out there: some asshole is going around Duluth’s Lakeside neighborhood poisoning dogs (DPD, DNT, Strib, Fox21, MPR). Unlike the dog-napper rumors, this appears to be real.

Watch your doggies, bring them to the vet if you notice symptoms, and keep an eye out for suspicious people giving your pets “treats.”

Humor on Campus

I saw this on a UMD bulletin board among all the “House for Rent” and “For Sale” fliers. It made me laugh.

Are you talkin’ it off or walkin’ it off?

So, I’m walking down East Third Street, minding my own business, and a middle-aged man with a goofy smile on his face asks me: “Are you talkin’ it off or walkin’ it off?”

Is that some kind of expression? What could it possibly mean? Did I hear him right?

I’ve found that it’s best in these situations to just say something quickly and politely while continuing to walk, so I just said, “Walking it off,” and kept going.

But now that interaction is bugging me. The only implication I can think of is that maybe I’m supposed to be walking off a hangover, which I guess sort of makes sense. But how would somebody talk off a hangover? And since I wasn’t talking, shouldn’t it have been obvious I was walking it off?

One more week to apply for PDD sales position

Don’t forget, the deadline for the Perfect Duluth Day sales position is Friday, June 4th.

See the job description here.

Wonderbuzz Records @ TPB

Show w/ the Branditos, the Fontanelles & the Western Ridge + a limited amount of hand screened music compilations (done by Glen Maloney) featuring 14 songs (by Jordan Taylor, Sara Softich, the Branditos, and me) and some noise and stuff.

See ya!

Roscoe’s Pioneer Bar

This post originally contained a video about Roscoe’s Pioneer Bar on Blip.TV. The video was eventually removed from the source.