I ventured over to the zoo for a scout. I was alone. Just me & the animals. And they were all very social, as if they were saying “You are the first person we’ve seen in weeks. Play with us. Please!!” Well, except the Burrowing Owl, who got off his ledge and came right up to the window to hiss at me. Loosely translated I think he said “You fuck my wife? You fuck my wife!!??” It’s a nice zoo. A little sparse. But there are parts that are achingly gorgeous in terms of landscaping.

Hearts of Seasonal Darkness, a film maker’s brush with vitamin D deficiency.

We were in Duluth, our thick mittens were clumsy, the camera had too many small buttons, and there wasn’t time to slowly go insane.

Yeah I love art as much as the next guy, penguins on bicycles, fast food trash mounted to a wall, self portraits made with lard and pubic hair. Who wouldn’t want to spread the beauty? But why is sending blankets to Syria always last on everyone’s list? Isn’t that spreading beauty too? Saving those kids who lost their toes last night? I guess when it comes to Kickerstart, maybe art and modern folks in general, some of it comes over as a little masterbatorial, to me anyway. Big Lebowski, now that was a project worth doing.

Tell me I’m crazy.

“There can be two people coming from town to do different takes on a city.”

So you are coming to town to do “a take on a city?” I was much happier when we were your soundstage, almost could have been anywhere. But if you’re doing “a take on a city…” Well, I would expect more?

After revisiting the initial post, I really only see three potential non-supporters out of an entire community:

1) There’s my comment about the name being dumb -- I still honestly think it would get more support and a bigger audience with a little brighter name that has more meaning.

2) Jadiaz has to pass. Perhaps the last line is a little firm, but I didn’t get the feeling he hates the filmmaker.

3) Claire offers the reasons she’s not receptive along with a California alternative in “Salinas Sucks.”

All seem to be entirely personal opinion. All have an element of humor in them, at least IMHO. Oh, and Nicolai doesn’t like Kickstarter -- perhaps one more non-supporter, but maybe not -- I see humor there too.

That’s all, but it’s enough to trigger words like “fuck-tard” and multiple comments about haters and how irritable we are here. Even after the thread gets more constructive and intelligent, you can still find “haters gonna hate” and the like at the bottom, 70-some comments later. That’s crazy. I’ve never seen anything like that anywhere else I have resided for a substantial amount of time. But nowhere else I have lived had PDD or a community blog either.

Even if the few potentially negative-in-any-way comments were totally imprudent, I’m inclined to be much more concerned about the reaction to them, or in this thread-case, Adam’s post. It reminds me of seeing a driver get caught in an intersection, forcing a turn just as the light turns red. Then the waiting driver on the opposite side honks, gives the finger and goes ape shit because their own light turned green with a rear end still passing by, even though they’ve done the same thing many times themselves. I’m not scared of the late turner. The flipper-ape-shitter who can’t let it go scares me to death though.

My conclusion from this whole Horrible Duluth episode is that we could all take each other’s online comments with a bucket of road salt around here. Allow simple, personal opinions without blowing so much snow in your neighbor’s yard. I know it’s cold out at times, but it’s evident that some of us could use a little more time away from the computer too. And just chill out a little. Hence, the Sanka. (See what I did there with the seasonal slant?)

*Please note: This comment is just my own conclusion and opinion, not intended to offend, trigger any sort of evil or the necessity to buy mace. We all have struggles, regrets and communication issues at times when actual people aren’t in the equation. And frustration. Even our fearless Mayor has had “Clarence” moments online. We’re all human. Still. I think. Actually, the Mayor might have mutant powers.