Recommendations Posts

I need a gym floor …

… so my kid and I can race these cars around at the speed at which they are intended.

Emerson? Washington? Where’s a good gym floor in Duluth that some dad off the street can access these days?

PDD Gift Guide 2023

Welcome to the 2023 PDD Holiday Gift Guide, an annual tradition that highlights products made in Duluth and the surrounding area. You’ll find 16 gift ideas here, but the comment area is open for suggestions.

Art Opening in the Deeps of the Rathskeller

The Rathskeller was home to art and imagination as Kat Ford’s art was on display.

The Hometown of Daniel Greysolon Sieur du Lhut: A Travel Guide

Part 1: Background

About five years ago I came across the article Du Luth’s Birthplace: A Footnote to History. In 1966, the author visited the French village where Duluth’s namesake was born and documented the few traces of him that remained. The article is well researched (all the quotes from Sieur du Lhut used here are taken from it) but the images are low resolution scans of black and white photos taken more than 50 years ago. I wanted to see more of what the place actually looks like.

Sir Ernest Shackleton goes out for Bloody Marys


 

The lake is out there somewhere in this desolate wasteland at the peak of human endurance. Pro tip: If downtown is closed up because of blizzard conditions, the Boat Club is still open because it’s part of the Fitger’s hotel, and they’re all trapped in there eating each other, but it’s open. A great place to hole up here in the last outpost of civilization during the snowmageddonpocalypse. That is a vat of pepper-soaked vodka. Bloody Mary review: 9/10.

Digital piano repair person needed

Duluth music weirdos,

Who can repair my 17(?)-year-old Technics SX-PR51? It turns on, but that’s it. I’m sure it needs a circuit board thing or a new fantambulator or something. I would rather pay an individual than pay Schmitt Music, but I’ll do what I have to do.

Local podcast challenging to listen to

… and I don’t mean in terms of the audio quality.

This Duluth-based podcast has international reach. What They Don’t Tell You About Being a Survivor is “a podcast that builds community amongst those affected by trauma, with the purpose to promote healing and social change.” What makes it challenging to listen to is the intensity of the topics, the intensity of the personal experiences shared. According to the website …

PDD Gift Guide 2022

Welcome to the 2022 PDD Holiday Gift Guide, highlighting products made in the Duluth area that one might wrap in paper and put under a tree. It features 15 items, as usual, but the comment area is open for limitless other suggestions. Or email the editors at info @ perfectduluthday.com.

Celebrating the 9 o’clock Meltdown

I don’t know Crystal Abernethy well, though I am filled with a deep respect and admiration for her work and her commitment to making a thing. The 9 o’clock Meltdown was a good companion when I was a radio listener. I missed it when it went away, briefly, without realizing that it moved online. There, it’s still a great companion.

See a just-published interview with Crystal on Voyage Minnesota for more.

First time author from Duluth

My name is Nick Campanella. After ten years of typing, editing and revising, I’m proud to say I am now a published author with a successful book called Path of Affliction.

Sonofmel at Earth Rider after the Rhizomes and Poliça

It was a busy weekend in Duluth, despite the rain that postponed the Fourth of July events.

Saturday I missed the Rhizomes, who played in Two Harbors. Crankily, I have decided that I will only be indoors in places with cavernous, flowing air, until the pandemic has subsided. (For more information about the pandemic that is still going on, no matter how many people you see walking around without masks, visit the Minnesota Dashboard. We’re doing okay — COVID hospitalizations are definitely flat, but variants are increasingly resistant to the vaccine.)

Lake Superior College Wolf Fair

I attended the wolf event at Lake Superior College.  It was awesome, a blending of art, science, and indigenous cultures, with representatives from the International Wolf Center, the Wildlife Science Center, Timber Wolf Alliance, Wildwoods, and the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission.

Lake Superior Eats Lesser Bodies of Water for Breakfast

Lake Superior is the biggest lake on Earth. And it’s the best. Want to fight about it?

If you’re like me, sometimes you mention Lake Superior in conversation, and you find yourself saying, “Lake Superior is the biggest lake in the world — by surface area! But if you’re judging by volume, the biggest lake is Lake Baikal!” But screw that. It’s time to take a stand. Now I say, “Lake Superior is the biggest lake in the world and those other janky lakes can suck it.”

What is a Lake?

The issue is nuanced, which triggers me. The definitions we use for lakes are arbitrary. I looked it up on Wikipedia and it just made me angry: “Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean.” Is it not obvious that oceans also lie on land? What is an ocean on, if not land? The ocean is not bottomless. The bottom of the ocean is land — they checked. Another irritating part of the definition is that lakes are “surrounded by land.” Now, don’t tell me oceans are not surrounded by land. There is no difference between oceans and lakes. The definition of a lake as “laying on/surrounded by the land” means oceans are, in fact, lakes.

Accordion Steve rocks!

Went to the Julebyen Christmas Village in Knife River via a great train ride last Saturday and was enthralled with all things Scandinavian; the high spot was a talented funny Finn from Da Rengch named Steve Solkela —— from singing opera to “Play That Funky Music” he has it all covered. And did I say funny? Writes his own songs about Palo and saunas and, let’s face it, all the good things in life. Go see this guy and you’ll be smiling and clapping within two minutes!

A Record Collection Autopsy

Once more through the trove of treasure from Gabriel’s Books in Lakeside. In addition to finding awesome old records and books, you should know, if you have kids: “All children, from birth to high school graduation, may pick out a book for free, each time they visit our store.” They are well-worth a visit.

Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!