For as swanky as Black Water is you’d think they would check their signage better.

Prince! Yep, it really is him.


more videos here:
http://www.thedailyswarm.com/headlines/watch-while-you-can-prince-rehearsal-videos-1984/

I took this picture at about noon yesterday … What’s wrong with this picture? I noticed about 5 things right away, maybe there are more.

New amazing fake meat!

Animal rights group Peta said: “As far as we’re concerned, if meat is no longer a piece of a dead animal there’s no ethical objection.”

The time to spend money we don’t really have is upon us. So why not give that money from the future to our friends and neighbors?

With that sentiment in mind, the folks at Perfect Duluth Day have compiled a selection of locally produced goods and services to add to your shopping list. Click on the pics below for details about each item.

This fabulous showcase is by no means comprehensive, of course. We at PDD would like you to contribute to it through the comments. If you know of a local something special for that special someone, let it be known.

thanks to max fleisher

I visited my parents yesterday and my mother told me she had a gift for me. She produced a bottle of sloe gin and a bottle of grenadine, the contents of which had both been partially consumed.

The two bottles have been in my parents coat closet for many years. The theory is that they were leftover from my brother’s wedding reception in 1985.

I’m pretty sure the grenadine should go straight down the sink, although I’m kind of wondering if corn sweetner and citric acid blended with various preservatives tastes any different after two-and-a-half decades.

The sloe gin, on the other hand, needs to be consumed and enjoyed in excess. Does anyone out there have a parent with some vermouth in the closet? We should get together for cocktails.

And by the way, what’s your favorite sloe gin drink?

A special holiday edition of PDD’s photo geographical identification competition sensation thing or something.

As usual with “Where in Duluth?” there is no prize for being the first to identify the location of this photo, other than bragging rights.

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I’m cleaning out my parent’s garage. This is free. Complete schematics and owners manual included. It’s in Esko, please e-mail me at sugarfreek at hotmail if you want to check it out. I could deliver it for gas money.

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LOST PARK POINT KITTY

Found on Park Point, it’s black/grey/tan and looks to be in great shape.

This poor bird died on impact but it sure left a nice piece of art on the Saint Mary’s skywalk.

This behemoth was about 30′ long and aptly named.

I took a one-mile walk with the dog this evening. Litter found (and picked up / disposed of properly) along the road:

- Minnesota trailer license plate

- The back of a child-size guitar

- Walgreens receipt for three pounds of epsom salts, nothing else ($3.44)

- Note reading: OFFICE MAX

- remains of a Deli Express sandwich container

Lost Cat

My wife and I found this cat in a parking lot along (ironically) Garfield Ave last night. I just brought him to the animal shelter. He was super-friendly and had been de-clawed and neutered. He’s mostly black, with a white chin and “socks” on all four feet. Figured I’d post because I know if I’d lost one of my cats I’d want someone to do the same. At the very least I hope he’s re-adopted.

To the Mr. or Miss. who put this note on my car window Thursday night / Friday morning … you’ve got the wrong VW Golf.

Man this note leaves a lot of questions…

er..yeah mom, be sure to knock next time.
excerpted from this master piece .

Three recent observations on the “greening of Duluth” Or green positioning, anyway.

Note: Over the last couple of days I have realized that the things we do and say online really matter, even if it’s just meant as a fun tirade or rant, the tone can be very easily misinterpreted and send a distorted message. I think that happened with this post. I have taken out almost all of my own notes and commentary as they obviously missed the mark and were possibly misleading. Plus, all along, even as I was planning this, I really wanted the focus on the images, anyway. Words got in the way.

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I saw this one on Monday — a rubus of some sort (raspberry? cloudberry?). A few weeks from now should be a tasty time for a hike.

This picture is hanging in the men’s room on the main floor of the Union Gospel Mission. And that’s amazing all in itself, bathroom decorating decisions. But there’s more … clearly it’s an architectural conception or rendering of a long forgotten plan for a place called “Hope Center.” Many of you will recognize the proposed site and the buildings involved. I used to work in one of them so I find this especially compelling and mysterious for that reason … also amusing, the happy strollers depicted for scale or mood, people in architectural drawings always just seem like life is going perfectly, don’t they?

Now, I did a google search on this project and came up with a goose egg, nothing on this. Which made me even more curious about all of this. My questions are: 1) When was this to have happened? The fashions and cars in the image got me thinking mid 80s, also that would measure up with my memories, because anytime after that I bet I would have remembered this. 2) Why didn’t it happen? And (for extra credit) 3) Are there other abandoned or not yet realized plans out there similar to this one? I mean clear plans like this one, not some wild dream sketched on the back of a cocktail napkin — I’ve got a few of those around myself.

This cute little Pug was wandering around the neighborhood this morning. Trying to find it’s owner. Found in the area of 12th Ave East and 7th St.

Some father’s day notes …

I read this great book (above) to my daughter at the dentist’s office yesterday. Working with fathers for my “real” job, I notice these things like how medical offices are decorated and set up, many are very friendly to mothers (great), but some are a little daunting for dads (too bad). It’s wonderful that in addition to providing great quality and accessible health care, the Lake Superior Community Health Center also makes an extra little effort like this to make dads feel comfortable and welcome at their kids’ appointments.

I read a lot of books for kids and adults about dads, this book was really great I had never seen it before. I think it would make a good father’s day gift for a dad of school age kids, or one who appreciates crafty art like Steve Jenkins’ paper cut images in the book ….

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If you’re missing the roof (and attic, I suppose) of your big white wooden bird house, it washed up on the shore of Connor’s Point.  According to Google, the coordinates are 46.744684,-92.093196, but don’t hold me to that.

The dog in the shadow somehow made it’s way onto I-35 in West Duluth today. I saw it when traffic stopped on the Grand Avenue onramp, where drivers waited patiently for it to merrily prance by.

I think some people wanted to get out and try to rescue the dog, but it seemed like a dangerous thing to attempt. The dog got to the bottom of the onramp safely and continued on its way. It could be anywhere by now. I’m sure whereever it is and whatever danger it’s in, it still has its tongue hanging out and its tail obliviously wagging as if so much fun has never been had.

(In case the owner is reading: If you’re still looking for Rover/Scrappy/ Whatever, I recommend the Irving area. Sorry I couldn’t get a better description or photo, my camera is slow and I had to watch traffic.)

Magician Kelvin Saline brings his Magic Village to events of all kinds. Kelvin’s “magical extravaganza” features audience participation, comedy, ventriloquism, and magical illusions which he has been performing for over 30 years. Kelvin keeps to the traditional types of magic and illusions through appearing, disappearing, sawing through a live person, escapes, and several original tricks that delight young and old. Saline performs for corporate, college, school, fair, and community events including weddings!

“You’ll never see another town like Duluth.  It’s not a tourist destination, but it probably should be.  Depends what season you’re in there, though.  There are only two seasons:  damp and cold.  I like the way the hills tumble to the waterfront and the way the wind blows around the grain elevators. The train yards go on forever, too.  It’s old-age industrial, that’s what it is.  You’ll see it from the top of the hill for miles and miles before you get there.  You won’t believe your eyes.  I’ll give you a medal if you get out alive.”

Bob Dylan,
Rolling Stone #1078, May 14, 2009

I was driving down Lake Avenue yesterday morning when I noticed a kid, maybe 7 or 8 years old, who – in my opinion – had just intentionally chucked an old basketball down the hill from about Fifth Street.

For a brief moment, the ball and I were traveling side-by-side (the ball, unfortunately, going against traffic in the uphill lane). When I stopped at the four-way stop at Fourth Street, the ball, of course, kept on going. I glanced in my rear-view mirror and saw the kid jumping up and down – again, I think in joy at watching the thing sail downhill, and not in protest of an unfortunate lesson in physics and topography.

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I don’t know if anyone has ever seen/read this or not (I imagine there might be a copy at one of our libraries), but I stumbled on it on archive.org:

http://www.archive.org/details/climateofduluthm00richrich

note the pre-lift bridge on the cover, plus there’s a few other neat old photos inside, plus some interesting reading, and some interesting old data…

LOST
I dropped my camera at the Main Club last night and didn’t realize the  memory card popped out until today. Anybody find it?

FOUND
Someone lost a Nikon lens cover at the Main Club last night. It’s available at the bar.