Weird Posts

Short Circuit at Teatro – Saturday

Duluth Short Circuit

An evening of experimental electronic music featuring Tim Kaiser, Low Gain and Talking Computron.  Ethereal sonic landscapes, 8-bit Game Boy mayhem and circuit-bent mash ups for all ages. Tell your nerdy neighbor!

Ensculptic — Minnetrista, Minnesota

Ensculptic Ensculptic interior

The name of this house is “Ensculptic,” which is short for “environmental sculpture in plastic.” Most people prefer to call it the “Mushroom House,” “Flintstone House,” “Hobbit House” or simply “That Weird House in Minnetrista.”

The place is now known as “The Foam House” on Houselogic’s “7 Crazy Houses” list.

Maria Bamford is officially a freak

Former Duluthian Maria Bamford and her series of Target ads made AdWeek’s 30 freakiest ads of 2010.

Stuffed at the Toga

OK, seeing you guys know everything … what’s the story behind the stuffed “animals” (ground hogs? gophers?) at the Club Saratoga. I’ve “only” lived in Duluth 25 winters and every time I’m in there (did I just out myself as a Toga regular?!) I wonder about their origin. Anyone have the knowledge?

Tinsel Fairies, Circadian Nations, Electric Graveyard Afterlife, Indulge, and Poetry Motel (featuring Patrick McKinnon, Howlin’ Andy Hound, Matthew Livingston)

What: Tinsel Fairies, Circadian Nations, Electric Graveyard Afterlife, Indulge, and Poetry Motel.

When: Friday, Nov. 12 at 10pm

Where: Norm’s Beer and Brats: 1901 Broadway St., Superior, WI

$5 cover. Proceeds go to support the “Oil and Congress Don’t Mix Campaign” and the “Citizens for Corporate Accountability” 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Straw Poll: Who Shocked the World More?

I woke up today with an otherworldly, twilight zone-like feeling similar to the one I had in November of 1998, like where I had to check multiple news sources to see if I was understanding the election results correctly and then check back again to make sure. Shocked I tell you. Shocked.

My question to the PDD brain trust: What was more shocking Jesse’s win or Chip’s? And you can do a “where were you” personal memory or two if you want for color and flavor.

Love, Wild Goose

A few questions regarding sagging pants

In news out of Chaska: Some old guy was arrested for starting a fight with a younger dude over his sagging pants.

Question #1: Was “sagging” ever “in style”? Because rampant sagging has been going on for at least 15 years now. If this is a trend, shouldn’t it go away at some point?

Question #2: Although most people will generally concede that folks should be left alone to dress as they want, how acceptable should it be to be openly annoyed by saggers?

Da Houze of Flavor

DaHouzeOfFlavor

I guess I have a knack for walking past this building whenever a new sign is going up. (Like in 2006, when the Hip Hop Candy Shop opened; this is the same building, different storefront.)

Anyway, someone standing in the doorway told me Da Houze will be a record store and will open in a few weeks. So there’s the scoop. It’s on Fourth Street and First Avenue West.

The question that occurs to me now is, if it’s “Da Houze,” shouldn’t it be of “Flavah”? Is it just me, or should houses be of flavor, and houzes be of flavah?

William Canning — traveling evangelist known in Duluth for his strange gyrations in Canal Park

Apparently, according to the video description on YouTube, some guy named Jon was vacationing in Duluth in the 1990s and came across a fellow “making some very strange moves” that were “too good to pass up,” so he videotaped it. Earlier this summer, he uploaded it to YouTube.

As it turns out, I have the scoop on who the “man dancing in Canal Park” is.

If today is your birthday …

Increased personal magnetism and charisma are not with you this year. Relationships are not very stimulating and a focal point for you and your pets. Creative endeavors are likely to suck. New responsibilities and duties are part of your life this year, and at times you can feel a little burdened by them, get over it! However, you can benefit greatly from the increased doses of vitamins needed to keep you alive, as you are an old person now.

Today’s birthdays include:
Thomas Wolfe
Gore Vidal
Chubby Checker
Ashlee Simpson
and … Mr. DeafYet — AKA — Big ‘old’ House Bob.

26-hour Renegade Improv Marathon starts this weekend!

This is our official trailer for this weekend’s 26-hour Renegade Improv Marathon.

26-hour Renegade Improv Marathon

Renegade Improv’s Friday and Saturday night crew is teaming up with the New Class to bring you the very first Renegade Improv Marathon.

Fred Tyson – High as a Mother!

Duluth Turban Lady, 1997

In 1994 I worked for six months at the Holiday Stationstore at 3401 Grand Ave., next to Wheeler Fields. The store closed around 2003 and the building is empty now. As you can imagine, there were a number of characters that frequented the store. One of them we called Turban Lady.

Sinkholes come to Duluth

Maybe a month ago a hole appeared out of nowhere on the avenue in front of our house. Not a pothole mind you, more like a door leading to a banquet hall. I myself have examined it, as well as just about every curious soul in the neighborhood. I’ve even seen people throw their trash in it.  At this point it’s roughly a foot in diameter, but opens up into quite a cavernous void directly below the asphalt. My wife can insert her leg up to her hip and fully extend it.