So, I finally got around to releasing that EP.

The one that I said that I’d have done for my art opening at Beaner’s last month.

Well, it’s online.  And free.  For a while, I’m sure.

Bone Black: Improvisations on Amplified Harmonica

It’s raw, warty, and immediate.

Check it out.

Sammy Macon.

P.S. I’m playing at Bob’s sale on Sunday, 3/22.  When do I play, Bob?

in response to my email to them about the possibility of a train from Mpls/St.P to Dlth.

Hi Baci,

Thanks for writing to us; we’re excited about the train (maybe?) coming to town as well.

We’ve had some contact in the past with Duluth folks about bringing car sharing there and in the short term it might not be feasible (there are certain costs associated with the business model which are fixed no matter how many cars there area) without some major community or governmental investment, which is probably not feasible in this fiscal climate. However, we, too, believe that with a strong transportation link between the Twin Cities and Duluth (we have a car nearby the train-station-to-be in Minneapolis and will likely have one at the station when it opens later this year) it will better facilitate car sharing in Duluth. We’d probably also look to launch it at local colleges (UMD, Saint Scholastica) which draw a lot of students from the Twin Cities.

We haven’t talked about cooperative maintenance, but this is something we could look in to in Duluth. One of the costs of car sharing is having someone locally available 24 hours a day to be on-call if there is a problem with the car (we can take the calls centrally but if there is an issue with the car itself—a dead battery, &c.—we need someone to be able to get to it). In any case, we hope that a train to Duluth comes to fruition, and soon, and once it is actually happening we’ll keep in contact with you and others about a car at the Depot.

And I don’t know about trail mix and sleeping bags (sleeping bag sharing? Not quite.) but I think that a canoe/bike/ski rack would be imperative.

–Ari

Ari Ofsevit

ario@thenec.org

HOURCAR Program Manager

Neighborhood Energy Connection

624 Selby Avenue

Saint Paul, MN 55104

t: 651.221.4462 ext. 138

f: 651.221.9831

www.thenec.org

www.hourcar.org

tools for energy-efficient living

Taking advantage of the nice weather today, I went for a walk in Leif Erickson Park, where I found several of these “installations” for lack of a better word. If you can’t quite make it out, these are eggs stuffed into pantyhose and thrown up into a tree.

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“QED”, starring Brian Matuszak & Cheryl Skafte, and directed by Minden Anderson.
March 20-22 at the Shack
Good food, great show!
Call (715) 392-3463 and reserve your spot soon!

Has anyone in Duluth ever held a Really Really Free Market? If so, has it worked?

I’ve always found the concept interesting and exciting, and with many people being affected by job loss and economy woes, it might be helpful for a lot of people. Plus I think Duluth has enough of the sort of DYI population to be able to host a fairly successful one. Are there people who would be at all interested in putting one on? I obviously couldn’t do it myself, I don’t know much about organizing big events in Duluth, but if there were people who did I would definitely be into doing it.

For those who don’t know a RRFM is basically what it sounds like – an open air market where everything is free for the taking. People bring usable things that they don’t want/need anymore and would love to get out of their house/apartment, set up a little area on a table or a blanket or just the grass, and then anyone who comes to the market can take whatever they want–no bartering, trading, or money allowed. Other things that people integrate into it are free food (giant potluck!), free groceries, free entertainment (drum circles, musicians, storytellers, dancers), free games, free plants (spider plants anyone?), free services (haircuts, bike repair by a collective, etc), free art made on the spot, etc. It’s basically just a big fun market day.

Info on How to Hold a RRFM
Awesome Photos & Article of a RRFM
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Hey everyone!
I am a UMD student and RA on campus and recently I have been working night and day to bring ‘Earth Hour’ to UMD and Duluth Minnesota! If you don’t know about ‘Earth Hour,’ basically it is a global initiative that asks citizens to turn off the lights of their homes/businesses from 8:30-9:30 p.m. on March 28th as a way to vote ‘Earth’. If you would like to learn more about ‘Earth Hour’ the official website is: http://www.earthhour.org/

With ‘Earth Hour’ fast approaching I hope that Duluth businesses and households will support ‘Earth Hour’ and vote ‘Earth’ by participating in one hour of darkness. I thought one of the coolest things about ‘Earth Hour’ can be found in big urban areas such as New York City where the lights to the Empire State Building are cut, or in Sydney Australia where you can watch the lights of the infamous Opera House go dark. ‘Earth Hour’ shows not only that we can work together to achieve sustainability in Duluth and in the World, but is also a great reason to spend time with your loved ones. Not that there isn’t reason to go out on a scenic Duluth night already, but there is something intimate about an hour of darkness.

I have also talked to local restaurants about serving candlelit dinners from 8:30-9:30 p.m. on March 28th. So far we have had many tentative “yes” replies but Sara’s Table at 1902 E 8th Street is the only one who has fully committed to ‘Earth Hour’ by spending the hour with a dark dining area lit only by candles. We hope that on March 28th you can support local restaurants who are participating in ‘Earth Hour’ as a way to further your vote for Earth.

I will add more restaurants to this post as we hear from them.

Overall I believe that Duluth is a city that can make a difference, and participating in ‘Earth Hour’ is something that could really demonstrate where we stand when it comes to global sustainability. And with such beautiful natural scenery surrounding our city, global climate change is something that could forever change our beautiful area and make it something less than a memory. It is these thoughts that not only bring me fear, but hope. A hope that we can make a difference, and that difference I feel may begin in the form of ‘Earth Hour.’ So I hope you will join me by turning off your lights and power on March 28th from 8:30p.m.-9:30p.m and vote not only for Earth but for Duluth also.

Thank you for your interest in bringing ‘Earth Hour’ to Duluth and your efforts in making this a more beautiful world.

Together We Can Fight For Global Sustainability
Let Our Voices Be Heard Through The Darkness

Today is Pi Day (3.14) – now recognized by the US government!

ok, well, i am too, but if you’ll notice around the 50 second mark (and many other times) you should see a monroe print in the background.   so when you mention her name, be sure to say “chris monroe, an artist who’s work was featured on national television…”   although i’m sure her work has appeared on tv many a time.

geeks on hgtv

(and why can’t i embed facebook videos?)

Does anyone know of any Duluth summer bands?

Biwabik, MN 1909

Can you help me get on the bandwagon?

I ventured out to the brand-spanking-new Menards in Hermantown today. I wandered through about half the store, and around every corner the same thought crossed my mind: Holy cow, this is so spookily identical to the West Duluth Menards, I’m expecting to see the I-35 viaduct in front of me when I walk out the door.

Now, I know big chains have cookie-cutter stores, but if you go from, say, one Target to another, there generally are some pretty significant differences in layout, displays, etc. The big, new Menards in my Wisconsin hometown is very different from the West Duluth store. But that’s not the case in Hermantown. It’s eerie. Everything I saw – pet supplies, seeds, insulation, garage-door openers, checkout lanes – was in exactly the same proximity to each other as in the West Duluth store. There are a few cosmetic differences – but not much.

What makes this even more odd is that – correct me if I’m wrong – the West Duluth store was adapted to fit the old Shoppers City structure, so conceivably that should have been kind of a unique setup in the Menards chain. Maybe the company really liked it and wanted to duplicate it. In any case, go see the identical twin Menards for yourself.

—–Original Message—–

To: Austin area Web Professionals

From: Bill Cullifer, Executive Director – World Organization of Webmasters
(WOW)

Re: Call for Participation: Web Professional Interviews

The eleven year non-profit professional association WOW
(http://www.webprofessionals.org) is seeking to interview a handful of area Web professionals for its series of blogs and websites. We are interested in knowing how life is today and how you manage your day. If you can spare 5-10 minutes please contact me at bill@joinwow.org

Also, if you’re in need with staying current on Web trends check out the Web Professional Minute podcast at http://www.webprominute.org

In return for your time we will send you a new Web book.

Bill

Best,

Bill Cullifer
Executive Director
World Organization of Webmasters (WOW)
www.joinwow.org
bill@joinwow.org

(The show plays at Teatro Zuccone, NOT the PlayGround)
We run tonight (13th) and the 14th. Also NEXT weekend, Thursday the 19th- Saturday the 21st.

http://www.duluth.com/articles/index.cfm?page=view_article&id=62364&property_id=36

For more related content visit the Duluth News Tribune

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/pages/dntattic

This is my very first time doing this, so please bare with me…

YOU SHOULD BE HEARD!                                                                                                                                                                                             

I bought a house so I would have a place to build a recording studio. Well, Bar None Recording and Graphics is up and running (still with a couple of fine touches to deal with!)and we’re looking for local musicians who want to make a decent demo! We have 32 tracks, effects, a vocal booth and a drum tank. We also feature sleeve design, logo design, even t-shirt design!

We’ve waited for a long time to get started, and I kniow it’s a long road ahead, but now is the time!                                  YOU SHOULD BE HEARD!

I’m just going to post this and see what happens … HAVE A GOOD ONE AND STAY KIND.

Listen to Final Edition this Friday, March 13 to hear a discussion with Mike Simonson about the current state of blogging and journalism.

Guests:
Barrett Chase of Perfect Duluth Day (that’s me!)
Beth Jett of Fox 21 (their website launched today)
Aaron Brown of Minnesota Brown (who also teaches journalism at Hibbing Community College)

When/Where:
KUWS 91.3 FM
Friday, March 13
5pm

7:00PM – 10:00PM

Mitchell Auditiorium

College of St. Scholastica

FEATURING…

:: Music :: LOW… CLEAR… YELTZI (Sara Softich+Jason Wussow)… TOM WEGREN

:: Spoken Word :: ELLIE SCHOENFELD (local poet)… THE KIDS OF LIFE HOUSE (a nonprofit organization that helps homeless kids get off the streets)

:: Cost :: V.I.P. SEATING ($20)… OPEN SEATING (Freewill offering)

TO PURCHASE V.I.P. TICKETS …

:: Call Galen White, 218-726-2517 ::

LATE-NITE…

:: More Music at Carmody Irish Pub! ::  RORY JAMES… THE TISDALES (10:00 PM – Close, Ages 21+)

 BROUGHT TO YOU BY….

Heading Home St. Louis County is a collaborative effort to end longterm homelessness. This endeavor involves a wide variety of people, including goverment employees, service providers, nonprofit partners, formerly homeless individuals, and community members like you!

just wanted to let everyone know we’ll have a limited edition (20 or so) cars & trucks t-shirt available at the ides of march show on saturday.

we should have s-xl with various colors available.

$10 gets you one of these sweet fuckin’ masterpieces.

half of all the proceeds are being donated to animal allies.

we’ll also have some handy dandy silkscreened posters as well. those will be free, but we’d be more than happy to take donations if you’re interested in helping some animals.

Come support theater and your community! We need to fill the seats….

I won’t be making a habit of promoting my Podcast but I was accepted in the iTunes store. The link is below. Subscribe and enjoy. You can also subscribe to my podcast and many others at the KUMD website.

Looking for some cheap laughs this Friday night? Come to PeasantWorks Porch above Hell’s Kitchen in Canal Park for an evening of improv comedy for only $5!

The area’s finest improv comedians provide high-caliber hilarity right off the top of their heads based on suggestions by you.

The show’s at 8pm; we can’t wait to see you there!

Love Feast Wednesday at Hillside Community Church 6-8 pm

Good food, good music, good company.  No expectations, no pressure, no judgment, only love.  I wouldn’t be telling you about it if I wasn’t planning on going myself.  We meet in the Historic Shrine Auditorium across from the friendly Cozy Bar and the CJM memorial.  Kids and big appetites welcome.  Oh … and if you play your cards right you might even be able to get one of these snazzy bumper stickers.  See you there.

Love, JP

In the shower this morning I was thinking about how the digital lifestyle is taking over my old analog self. I rarely play LP’s or CD’s anymore, Pandora and Podcasts are replacing radio, I read books on my iPhone, get recipes online and communicate with Facebook and Twitter. Many of these tools replace things I used to spend money on which is good for me but I wonder where this will all lead? Papers are going under, bands can’t sell nearly as many CD’s and I’m sure Publishers will see a loss in sales of books now that they are going digital.

I’m not sure what my point is but I am curious how others have adapted/adopted to the digital lifestyle. Is digital good for the human race?

While running errands today I came across this lovely piece of yard art. I’m posting it as a challenge, because I know you can do better. And because a piddly blizzard like today’s is no excuse to stay inside.

Announcing the PDD Wacko Yard Art Photo Scavenger Hunt

You have until 10 p.m. next Thursday, March 19, to post the most awesome yard art photo on this Web site.

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