Weird Posts

Homegrown banners on PDD

I’m a little late this year, but here is the annual call. We’re looking for your Homegrown photos! The guidelines are the same as always. We’ll rotate Homegrown images in that extremely horizontal and hard-to-fit-a-photo-into space at the top of the page during next week’s festivities.

The Assassination of Allen R.

Brother on brother nerf violence as Jim attempts to assassinate Allen inside Gonzo Science headquarters. Both men use a full-auto Stampede ECS. In addition Jim deploys an impenetrable “Captain America” shield.

The Smelt shall rise again!

For anyone who has ever seen (or heard of) the May Day Parade in Minneapolis and wondered why we don’t have anything of the sort in Duluth, do we have some news for you!

The Magic Smelt Puppet Troupe formed in 2011. At the nucleus are newish Duluthian Jim Ouray, bringing 30 years of experience with In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater (Minneapolis) and local musician and visual artist Anton Jimenez-Kloeckl. They’ve offered free stilt-walking and mask-making classes and are presently holding costume and puppet production workshops which will culminate in the Run, Smelt, Run! Parade and Party on April 22.

Video Archive: Dukes of Hubbard Live at Schooners in 2002

You’d never know what would happen next at a Dukes of Hubbard show (circa early 2000s). On stage, they would mix Phish with Kenny Loggins, then beatbox. Or play Ween followed by a Beatles medley and other antics. Or Jane’s Addiction followed by Herbie Hancock, while trading instruments and doing shots. And with Trudy (good dog, may she rest in peace) lounging off to the side. Some nights were more of a variety show than a usual set of music.

Wild Bill’s Run premiering at MSPIFF

Thursday, April 19th at 7pm at the St. Anthony Main Theatre in Minneapolis. Tickets are available here.

Chester Creek Grows Giant Pulsating Brain

Mellow Iceberg Rides

The scene down at the lake these days.

A Floating Rock in Lake Superior

I wish I’d gotten more footage for an even better view of this typically quirky Duluth sight. But I had to wade in to get this and I froze my ass off doing it, so this is what you get.

What’s the deal with those horns?

If you scroll through this slideshow displaying statues of Leif Erikson you will notice Duluth’s statue has something most of the other statues don’t have. Go ahead, I’ll wait …

So, did you notice? If you read the headline you already know what it is: horns. What’s more, if you read this article by UMD journalist Madiha Mirza, you will learn that Duluthian Stefan Guttormsson, president-elect of the Icelandic American Association of Minnesota, believes our statue should not have horns.

Of course, if that’s true, does it also mean the Minnesota Vikings’ logo is, um, wrong?

Obscure Duluth Logomania

Nicole Meyer came up with the creative project of making a logo for every lake in Minnesota. At one logo every day, she figures it will take her 27 years to finish.

In the spirit of that, it might be interesting to see what kind of logos Duluthians could come up with for places like Goat Hill or Casket Quarry.

So here’s an open invitation to consider your favorite people, places and things in Duluth that no one would ever consider commissioning a logo for, and make one. How about a logo for “The Path” – the place across the street from Morgan Park Middle School where kids go to smoke? For the zip code 55812? For Restormel Street? Pick your favorite noun and go for it. The more obscure the better. Upload them to the comments of this post.

This is not a competition, it is only an exhibition. Please refrain from using the word “branding” at any point. That word makes everyone sick.

Name that Goo

After digging out my car yesterday, I saw this yellow stuff that had dripped off of it into the snow. I also saw it in almost every spot in the street after cars drove away. I can’t imagine all the cars on our block are leaking antifreeze, or that tiny dogs snuck under each car to pee.

Anybody else see it or know what it is? Let the conspiracy theories begin.

Cinnamon Roll is a loving cat

Let me start off by saying that I am already easily amused, and the sleep deprivation is not really helping in that matter.

So, I was reading the DNT’s Pets of the Week article, and found a picture of Cinnamon Roll the cat waiting to be adopted. Most of the time, these pictures are of animals looking super cute begging to be adopted, but Cinnamon Roll’s expression made me laugh. “Adopt me, or don’t. Whatever.”

Being easily amused (refer back to point A), I whipped up some simple edits that made me laugh – maybe they’ll make you laugh too (if not, try sleep deprivation).

Duluth needs a monster of its own

Earlier today I was reading about the Red Dwarf of Detroit, a harbinger of doom that’s been haunting the Detroit area for hundreds of years. It’s described as “a small child-like creature with red or black fur boots” that has “blazing red eyes and rotten teeth.”

Other communities have monsters that are unique to their location. Point Pleasant, WV has the Mothman. Southern New Jersey has the Jersey Devil. Botetourt County, VA and Mattoon, IL have the Mad Gasser, who was more of a serial killer really but I’m still including it here.

Mayor Ness wants to get the population back up to 90,000. Maybe some good old-fashioned mass hysteria is what we need to put this town back on the map.

If Duluth had a monster of its own, what would it be like? When would would it appear? Where would it appear? What would it be called?

Marooned in Pack Ice Off Deception Island

Images from Diorama-rama 5

Well, somebody had to.