News and Current Affairs Posts

SOPA/PIPA Info

Jan 18, 2012 10 Comments

Welcome back to your regularly scheduled Perfect Duluth Day programming. For roughly 24 hours, PDD was blacked out to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Protect IP Act in the U.S. Senate, co-sponsored by senators Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar.

Now that the silence is over, rant and rave all you want in the comments.

Here are some news links:

Fox 21: “Websites Black-Out in Protest of Possible Internet Censorship”
MPR: Delegation responds to Internet piracy bills
AP: Wikipedia editors question site’s SOPA blackout


News and Current Affairs, Politics

What Canal Park Brewing Company will look like

Jan 17, 2012 33 Comments

Canal Park Brewing Co. is expected to open this summer. Construction is underway and Wagner Zaun Architecture’s designs look like this.

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News and Current Affairs, Restaurants , ,

Puebla Service Project fundraising ideas?

Jan 16, 2012 11 Comments

Hello Duluthians! My name is Astrid Mazariegos. I am a second year pharmacy student at UMD.

This year I am coordinating a trip to Puebla, Mexico. Usually, only students from the College of Pharmacy Twin Cities campus participate. However, this year I wanted to promote this great opportunity in Duluth. So far I have 15 classmates who have signed up.

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News and Current Affairs

Save Ann’s Home! MLK Day march for housing rights

Jan 13, 2012 8 Comments

Background: Ann Lockwood is the owner of a modest East Hillside home. She walks with a prosthetic leg after a major medical crisis that also cost her a good-paying job. Ann is now at risk of losing her home to foreclosure by State Farm Bank, even though she is working again and able make consistent mortgage payments.

Please join us on Monday, MLK Day, at 10am to send this message from our community to State Farm: 1. cancel the sheriff’s sale of Ann’s home, and 2. provide Ann with a fixed-rate loan modification she can afford. Gather at 8th St and 7th Ave E, then march to the Washington Center to join the main MLK Day celebration.

This kind of people power is saving homes across the country, and we aim to do the same for our neighbors in Duluth.

What: Save Ann’s Home — March for housing rights

When: Monday, January 16, 10 to 11 a.m.

Where: Meet at the corner of 8th St & 7th Av E, march to the Washington Center

Who: Project Save Our Homes, Loaves & Fishes Community, Minnesotans for a Fair Economy, and hillside neighbors

More on Facebook, and check here for a complete listing of MLK weekend events.


Events, News and Current Affairs

Going through the Change

Jan 12, 2012 12 Comments

I’ve been having hot flashes. No, not that kind of hot flash. And if it were, I sure wouldn’t be writing about it here. I am talking about something more insidious: a societal hot flash.

Is anyone else losing patience with media references to “unseasonably warm” temperatures? This is a record-busting winter on all counts.

Case in point, Little Angie’s: “Opulent Ice House Coming Soon: December 9 Until Thaw!” High-end cocktails to be offered in a lounge made of ice blocks. But today I noticed the piled shards of melting ice scattered around the enclosure. They just couldn’t get the thing built.

For more ranting about the Duluth climate-change experience, including a couple of photos, please see my latest Nature of Modern Life blog post.

(And, yes, it would seem that the joke is on me. Winter is here today. Gone tomorrow? We’ll see.)


News and Current Affairs, Outdoors, Restaurants

Cravaack New Hampshire Dodgeball

Jan 10, 2012 11 Comments

Of all the obvious jabs at Minnesota 8th District Congressman Raymond “Chip” Cravaack for moving to New Hampshire — which reached a fever pitch today for the New Hampshire primary — this is definitely the funniest. (Note to moderators, it’s blatantly partisan, certain to test the new commenting policy).

Not sure if the movie clips are fair-use or not so I suppose it could get yanked at any time.


News and Current Affairs, Politics

Days when we owned media are numbered

Jan 09, 2012 7 Comments

The Blockbuster store on Central Entrance is closing; what video shops remain? See DNT.

How long until I won’t be able to own my media any more?


News and Current Affairs

Monday, January 9 – City Inauguration Festivities

Jan 05, 2012 3 Comments

In the past, the swearing in ceremonies were a very small part of the State of the City activities. This year we’ve decided to try something different in order to give City Councilors their own event, allowing the newly elected councilors to be the focus of that event. So, next Monday, I will have a very short outdoor inauguration at noon at City Hall. That evening, the council inauguration will be held at 6 p.m. at Clyde Iron Works, the ceremony starting at 6:30. As a reminder, the councilors being sworn in include Jay Folse, Sharla Gardner, Jennifer Julsrud, Garry Krause, Linda Krug and Emily Larson.

At 7 p.m. there will be a reception featuring live music by Teague Alexy and the Boomchucks. All these events are free and open to the public — we’d love to see you there!


Music, News and Current Affairs, Politics

Explorations Abroad: China

Dec 28, 2011 3 Comments

This looks like fun. Some friends of mine are going. Deadline is on the horizon! –db

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Events, News and Current Affairs, Random

Drunk in the Midwest

Dec 28, 2011 16 Comments

From the Star Tribune: “Why are we more boozy?”

“Many residents in the Upper Midwest are descendants of northern Europeans, and that’s an area of heavy alcohol consumption,” said Peter Nathan, a professor at the University of Iowa who has been studying alcohol use patterns and effects for more than 40 years. “The long, cold winters keep people inside more than in other parts of the country, so that contributes, as well.”


News and Current Affairs

Thank you, solstice revelers!

Dec 22, 2011 2 Comments

Thanks to all the pagan drummers and bonfire tenders, the sun came back up this morning. From Park Point, it was rising right over the mouth of the Amnicon River. Where was your solstice sunrise?

Here are a few musings on the topic.

Happy winter!


News and Current Affairs, Outdoors

Merry Christmas, Lake Superior

Dec 21, 2011 3 Comments

MPR: $300M initiative to clean up Great Lakes

Congress has approved $300 million to continue a multiyear program aimed at fixing some of the Great Lakes’ most severe environmental problems. Some of the money is expected to benefit Lake Superior and Duluth.


News and Current Affairs

Is the Last Place on Earth ruining Duluth?

Dec 07, 2011 642 Comments

[This post originally featured a video from the Northland’s NewsCenter that is no longer available.]


News and Current Affairs

Goodbye Habeas Corpus

Dec 06, 2011 39 Comments

The Senate has voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act , which contains a provision that would allow the military to abduct American citizens, on US soil, without charges or trial, indefinitely. Ex CIA analyst Ray McGovern discusses it here. Both Minnesota senators voted yea. This is a big deal!


News and Current Affairs

William (Billy) Harper found dead at UMD

Dec 06, 2011 1 Comment

Billy Harper UMD studentUMD  released the name of a student found dead in his dorm Monday. William “Billy” Harper, 19 from Coon Rapids, was discovered dead in his room at Heany Hall on Monday. Lisa Erwin, chancellor of student life, says it appears he died of natural causes.  Billy Harper was enrolled in the Labowitz School of Business and Economics. He was very active in sports and talented football player in high school. My prayers are with his friends and family.


News and Current Affairs, R.I.P.