December 2009 Posts

Your AM snowstorm road report

I just drove from the West End to the East Hillside. Here’s what I observed/experienced:

  • Visibility is very poor. This has improved quite a bit since I first set out, since the sun has come up. Mainly your enemies today are wind and blowing snow.
  • I-35 is quite clear, but slow going. I had to completely stop twice. I think the top speed was about 45, though it might have reached 50 for a moment.
  • Mesaba is a traffic jam. No surprise.
  • Second Street has a lot of snow on it. Also people are having difficulty finding their lane. There are three lanes on Second Street, and even in the best conditions it is wise to choose one. Thankfully, no one is doing that thing where you blow through the lights just as they change green. That would be stupid on a day like today.
  • Fourth Street is worse than Second Street.
  • The avenues are slippery and difficult to negotiate. As you’re spinning your wheels up them or sliding down them sideways, please take a moment to realize that this is why your house with an incredible view is affordable.
  • No matter how bad it gets, there’s always someone who is in a big effing hurry and thinks that tailgating will help. You will encounter that person today. Please try not to be that person today.

Please post your experiences and the road conditions for your part of the region in the comments. If you are somewhere that’s warm and doesn’t get snow, and feel the need to point that out in the comments, please realize that the rest of us are rolling our eyes and making the “jerk-off” gesture with our dominant hands

No-Bull Prize and anti-war march Thursday 12/10

A coalition of student activists from LSC, UMD and CSS have called for an anti-war protest in Duluth on Thursday, the day President Obama is scheduled to receive his Nobel Peace Prize. “You’ve got your prize, now earn it!” is the theme… they’ll be calling out the new Nobel Laureate on escalating the war in Afghanistan, as well as his recent decisions to launch more drone attacks inside Pakistan and station hundreds of US troops on the other side of the globe in Colombia.

No dreary speakers at this protest, just a little noise and fun street theater. Meet up at 4:30 PM at Lake and Superior in front of the Christmas… um, Holiday tree. Bring drums or buckets to bang on, and reflective clothes if you’ve got ’em for safety’s sake. And be ready to take it to the streets.

Biking the Bong Bridge

The Tisdales @ Rex Bar

rex12-15-09

Ledges Section of Lakewalk

I just learned this section of the Lakewalk is open. Does anyone know when it opened, or the story about volunteers working on it to meet a deadline? The Private Property signs are on 23rd Avenue East. The other signs are at the beginning of this section of the Lakewalk, at the end of 23rd. How about a sign that reads “Public Welcome”?

What’s wrong with this picture?

What's Wrong-copy

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.

Need Advice–Cleanest Fuel Oil Company

Anyone have experience with fuel oil companies in the Twin Ports? We’ve been using a company for the last several years, and when we had our chimney cleaned recently, the guy who did the cleaning pointed out there was a huge build-up of sulfuric acid in the pipe and even inside the furnace. He attributed this to the quality of the fuel oil we have been getting from the company we have been using (a company he says he has heard/noticed other such problems with).

So, my question–anyone have advice on a local company that delivers as clean a fuel oil product as possible?

Thanks

RIP Jack Rose

RIP Jack Rose

RIP Jack Rose

Jack Rose, guitarist extraordinaire, died yesterday of a heart attack. He was only 38. In September 2007, he played a rare show with Charlie Parr at Pizza Luce. Only a musician like Charlie could have gotten him to play a show like that. Besides his incredible talent, I will never forget how genuinely nice he was. His unexpected passing is our loss and the music community gains yet another deep hole. More info (as well as music/videos) is available at
http://pitchfork.com/news/37302-rip-jack-rose

New Year’s Eve @ The Rex

rex-091231-newyears

Trailer for “The Main” – a documentary

Check out this short trailer for the upcoming documentary, The Main! It takes place in the Duluth/Superior area. The doc should be screened in Duluth in the spring.

Sticker? I hardly know her.

PDDsticker

If you’d like a free Perfect Duluth Day sticker, there is a stack on the counter at the Electric Fetus store downtown. Grab one before they’re gone. Merry Christmas.

UPDATE: They’re gone. Read comments for details on alternate methods of getting a sticker.

Bridge Repair in Duluth: Must be some federal stimulous money involved

BridgeRepair2

Since I wrote a post last summer about rickety old bridges, I thought it was only fair to note that some new boards showed up recently on this little creek overpass in West Duluth. I’m not sure if the city is responsible or some industrious snowmobiler took things upon himself. Either way, I appreciate it.

Trying to pay for my local paper

I called the Duluth News Tribune a couple of weeks ago to ask if I could give them some money. They said no.

Since then I’ve sent a couple of emails and made more phone calls. The poor folks in the circulation department think I’m a crank. I’m not. I just want to pay for the local news I consume.

I told them I don’t want a paper edition of the News Tribune any more. I told them I’m no longer willing to stuff pounds and pounds of newsprint and glossy ads into paper bags each week.

I don’t want you to bring the paper to my door, I told them, because I read the paper online now. I want to pay you for that, I said.

The Rez – Dec. 12 @ Twins Bar – Free

The Rez will be playing at the Twins Bar on Saturday, Dec. 12. If you haven’t heard us yet, surf on over to

http://www.archive.org/details/therez2009-11-21.flac16

And Click play to hear our latest show! We are funky, we are jammy, come check us out. You will Dance!

http://www.facebook.com/rezmusic

Light and Love and Healing to you all,
-Patrick Arden McNally

The Efficiency of the Rocket Launcher Team Was Very Impaired

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