Bitching Posts

Where are the roller derby fans in Duluth?

May 18, 2012 22 Comments

As a Harbor City Roller Dame, it baffles me that we are yet to reach our goal of selling out tickets at the DECC Pioneer Hall since playing there the Fall of 2010. Many skaters are involved in or support the local arts and music scene. We are professionals that live and work in this community. The Dames give back by selecting a local charity to receive a financial contribution and/or volunteer our time.  So it begs me to ask: Why is roller derby not as popular or successful in Duluth as it is in say Minneapolis or even smaller towns like Grand Rapids, MN?

Larger cities support multiple teams and are still successful. While locally we’ve seen numbers fall in the last year as our competitiveness has enhanced (we were undefeated until last month’s bout). Roller derby continues to gain popularity across the nation but is slightly stunted here. We need our fans to show their continued support and find ways to reach other demographics to spread the love of derby in Duluth. Our performance is bolstered by the encouragement of our sports enthusiasts.

Does the PDD community have any thoughts on what we can do to fill our seats? Comments? Feedback?


Events

Women Musicians in Homegrown

May 07, 2012 47 Comments

Did anyone notice the low number of female performers at the Homegrown Music Festival this year? I did. There seemed to be about eight male performers for every one female. If you don’t want to count just look at the steering committee, it’s pretty representative of the entire festival. There are a few  wonderful women and a bunch of men.   

The ladies are around performing with a variety of styles unique to themselves and Homegrown!  They may be harder to find in that giant Homegrown Field Guide, but if you looked closely you’d find some on Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday, not peak days.  Often these women have to be underground, persistent or be extra bad ass, which they are, to get noticed. They often try harder and get less recognition. 

I don’t want to start a fight, maybe just a good discussion, I’m just saying we noticed.


Music ,

Parking Lots and Trees

May 07, 2012 2 Comments

This article sums up something that’s been needling me about downtown Duluth. All of the parking lots the hospitals seem to think they need could be greatly improved with a smattering of trees.

MinnPost: “Needed to fix parking blight: Lots of trees“


Random ,

Butt Litter @ Homegrown

May 01, 2012 4 Comments

So, at Sacred Heart for Homegrown, and outside the doors, right next the a cigarette disposable receptacle, this guy (with a large beard) clearly flicks his still burning cigarette out on the ground, at the church no less.  Now, I’m a smoker too, but is it really that hard to not litter the place with cigarette butts? Gosh, I guess I thought at least people going to Homegrown could care just a ‘wee’ bit better than this … end of rant.


Uncategorized

I wonder if Hibbing knows yet

Apr 27, 2012 14 Comments

MPR Story: Bob Dylan awarded National Medal of Freedom

“The release continues to describe Duluth native Dylan as…”

I’m waiting for a retraction but we’ll see what happens.


Random ,

TxT Tix

Apr 25, 2012 20 Comments

I’m wondering, why is Homegrown punishing Trampled by Turtles fans by making them pay an extra $20 to get in? Isn’t having to wait in line for 24+ hours going to be bad enough?


Music ,

Bars Near UMD and CSS Campuses

Apr 23, 2012 21 Comments

Is there a city ordinance that prohibits businesses in the neighborhood around the University of Minnesota Duluth and the College of St. Scholastica from having full liquor licenses? Why is it that the nearest bar to campus is Burrito Union and not something around Woodland or by V.I.P. Pizza? Anyone have any ideas on that?


Random ,

Why can’t this happen at Bayfront?

Apr 06, 2012 5 Comments

New St. Paul fest starting out big

Two bands that have packed Xcel Energy Center in the past will stretch out on St. Paul’s Harriet Island this summer as headliners for the River’s Edge Music Festival, an inaugural two-day event whose organizers hope will draw 40,000 people daily.

Arty metal kings Tool and bohemian jazz-rockers the Dave Matthews Band — mainstays of the summer concert circuit — will top out the June 23 and 24 lineups, respectively. Some of the other 30 or so (mostly rock) acts assembled by concert promoter Live Nation include the Flaming Lips, Mutemath, Coheed and Cambria, Brand New, Diplo, Scissor Sisters and local bands Poliça and Motion City Soundtrack.


Music

Reduced Parking Access to Lakewalk?

Mar 12, 2012 17 Comments

For the second time in as many weeks, I attempted to park near the Beacon Point Condos only to find parking severely restricted. Why do I feel like I’ve been taken in a give an inch, take a foot situation? It was bad enough the city permitted Beacon Point in the first place, but it was allowed under the premise that we’d all still have the same access to the area and so on. But I’m left feeling like an Apache who was told his reservation needs to be moved, and oh yeah, now it’s smaller too.

I’m not a native of Duluth. I moved here specifically for the availability of public land, parks, trails, etc. A piece of our freedom has been diminished, if anyone else cares. The big property taxes paid by the owners of Beacon Point appear to have swayed the local parking bureaucrats into closing the parking lot gate over the stormwater tank. Am I missing something here? Runners, walkers, and anyone else should have a fair opportunity to park in this area.


Random , , ,

Litter on the Lakewalk near East High School

Feb 10, 2012 23 Comments

I am a resident on Gilliat Street and live adjacent to the Lakewalk, which runs from 42nd to 40th avenues east. When walking on the Lakewalk recently I was appalled by the amount of litter from fast food restaurants, etc. in the stretch of Lakewalk behind Ordean and also the stretch from 40th going east.

There are garbage cans placed at intervals along the Lakewalk, but it is still obviously too difficult for some people to use them. There have been school lunch milk cartons, cigarette butts, Culver’s wrappers, Taco John’s wrappers, McDonald’s, used condoms, etc.

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Random , , ,

And you thought apartments were expensive in Duluth …

Nov 30, 2011 44 Comments

Zygi buys new apartment in NY


News and Current Affairs, Sports

Indian giver?

Nov 26, 2011 10 Comments

Would someone tell me what Brad Bennett said yesterday on his 710 AM talk show re: “Indian giver?” A friend of mine (who is Caucasian) said it was disrespectful, insulting and racist.


Uncategorized

50 Below advice

Nov 25, 2011 197 Comments

Moderator’s note: One year after this post was published, and three months after bankruptcy proceedings, 50 Below Sales & Marketing was acquired by ARI Network Services and Emerald Connect. The company continues to develop websites and provide e-commerce services in Duluth. There have been no public complaints by employees since the acquisition.

I’m seeking a little help from the PDD community. I work for 50 Below Sales & Marketing and, like everyone else there, I haven’t been paid in over a week. That’s roughly 300 people who have had to get through Thanksgiving without the money they earned. Some have gone even longer due to bounced checks.

I don’t really want to get into how this came to be, maybe someone else can step up with that info if anyone is curious. What I’m here for is some advice on what (if anything) I can do. I’m sure everyone will see their money at some point but that’s not enough. Who do people recommend I talk to to try and make sure we don’t get screwed again? Lawyers? I hear they cost money. Unions? Some kind of labor group?

Any thoughts are welcome.


Uncategorized

Developer has new student housing/retail plan for Woodland Middle School site

Nov 20, 2011 14 Comments

The DNT ran a story today detailing a new mixed-use residential/commercial plan for the site of the former Woodland Middle School. The developer bought the site from the school district in September. You may be familiar with the developer’s other projects like Boulder Ridge and Campus Park.

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Politics, Restaurants ,

She Gets Things Done

Nov 16, 2011 77 Comments

On Tuesday, November 15, after a long day of working on my unfinished, but indisputably kick-ass, novel, I cracked an adult beverage and logged onto the Internet to make my usual rounds.

On Perfect Duluth Day, I found a post by City Councilor-elect Jennifer Julsrud, titled “Duluth’s Plumbing Needs Big Fix,” regarding Duluth’s aging water infrastructure. Accompanied by a short YouTube video (serious people talking seriously about water, serious music playing in the background), the post listed a series of upcoming community meetings that were to be held on the subject.

Naturally, this irritated me greatly. As far as I was concerned, this was just the latest example of Duluth’s tendency to be serious one minute about issues that actually need attention, and the next minute to stampede giddily off in pursuit of unneeded, but very expensive, luxuries that we want RIGHT NOW-as if the money we spend on the luxuries has no relation at all to the money we need for necessities.

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Politics