NCIS Duluth: Kathy Laster’s Happy Place

Twenty-eight minutes into episode 8 of the new CBS crime drama NCIS: Hawaii, characters start dropping the D-word. Before the 29-minute mark, Duluth is mentioned four times. It almost feels like the writers were peppering it in just for the sake of getting mentioned on the silly website in Duluth that catalogs such things.

Accordion Steve rocks!

Went to the Julebyen Christmas Village in Knife River via a great train ride last Saturday and was enthralled with all things Scandinavian; the high spot was a talented funny Finn from Da Rengch named Steve Solkela —— from singing opera to “Play That Funky Music” he has it all covered. And did I say funny? Writes his own songs about Palo and saunas and, let’s face it, all the good things in life. Go see this guy and you’ll be smiling and clapping within two minutes!

Duluth’s Best Bread announces second location in soon-to-be former Blacklist space, crowdfunding campaign underway

Brothers Michael and Robert Lillegard of Duluth’s Best Bread say customers are eating faster than they can bake. The video for a new crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo includes the long-anticipated announcement that the Lincoln Park bakery is adding a second location in the Downtown Duluth space presently occupied by Blacklist Brewing. Blacklist is planning a move into the former Carlson Book building.

Video: Black Wolf in Voyaguers National Park

This isn’t the first time a Voyageurs Wolf Project trail camera has captured footage of a lone black wolf, but it’s still relatively rare and this clip is the best one.

The Voyageurs Wolf Project is focused on understanding the summer ecology of wolves in Voyageurs National Park, about 100 miles north of Duluth.

Oshkigin Spirit of Fire

The story of how the past century of fire phobia has really mucked up our forests isn’t new, but this new 16-min video with gorgeous photography tells it in a personal way. Featuring Vern Northrup of Fond du Lac, Damon Panek of Red Cliff, and Lane Johnson of the Cloquet Forestry Center.

 

“Duluth on Duluth”

Back in 2000 George Killough, then an English professor at the College of St. Scholastica, edited the book “Minnesota Diary, 1942-46” the journal of Sinclair Lewis during the time he lived in Duluth.

Adventures of the Little Pats: Hockey

Project SULTAN: A 13-Year-Old’s Plan to Take Over the World

At age thirteen in 1981, I made plans to take over the world. I would form a military organization with a network of secret bases, to destabilize the nations of the globe so I could seize power. The Reagan administration had me scared of nuclear annihilation — a civilization gone mad. The only moral response was to end war by taking over the world. So I wrote a manifesto, detailed my plans, and designed superweapons. I kept these in folders in a three-ring binder in my top dresser drawer. Today, four decades later, one of those folders survives. It is titled “SULTAN: Bases, Robots, Missiles.” It contains my megalomaniacal manifesto, my plan’s diabolical steps, and some blueprints. The other folders are missing. I have a good idea what happened to them, or should I say, who happened to them.

The opening page reads: “This is a highly-classified, top secret notebook, full of my plans for world conquest, and absolute domination of the planet. Anyone (without whom I have first given specific directions) reading this book shall be dealt with accordingly. – Jim Richardson, Future Earth Emperor.”

Lake Superior Aquaman Fashion Week

 

(On the ‘gram @lakesuperioraquaman)

Trampled by Turtles and Caamp – “Alone”

Trampled by Turtles performed at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado this past summer with the folk trio Caamp. The groups joined together for this performance of TBT’s “Alone,” from the 2012 album Stars & Satellites.

Bits of Bly: August Sun

The five-part series of clips from a 1997 Robert Bly interview from KUMD concludes with the poet reciting his poem “August Sun.”

The Hermits – “Peel”

Duluth-based grunge band the Hermits released a debut music video this week. The song “Peel” is from the group’s EP titled If; the video was shot by Grayson Nolan.

Cross-country skiers push for Duluth to be ‘fluoro wax-free city’

As the national SuperTour race hits Spirit Mountain in Duluth this weekend, Minnesota Public Radio delves into the potentially harmful effects of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances found in the fluorinated ski wax used by elite cross-country ski racers.

Bits of Bly: The Time of Grief

In part four of the 1997 Robert Bly interview from KUMD, the poet talks about the future of American poetry.

Postcard from the lobby of Duluth’s McKay Hotel

This undated postcard, published by Bloom Brothers Company of Minneapolis, offers a view of the lobby of the Hotel McKay, which stood at 430 W. First St. in Downtown Duluth from 1901 to about 1965.