March 2010 Posts

Early Notice: Duluth Library media sale May 7 & 8 (and 2 more library fundraisers)

1. Media Sale
Duluth Public Library Green Room, during Library open hours: Friday, May 7 | 12 to 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 8 | 11 to 5 p.m.

Treasures of the Earth Green Goods, Craft and Art Fair

Head to the Unitarian Church, 835 W. College St, this Saturday (3/27) between 10 and 3 p.m. to visit a unique marketplace of items made locally made of recycled materials or natural (mostly local) material. Over 25 local and regional artists will have all kinds of neat things – jewelry, felted items, baskets (pine needle and birch), painted rocks, rag rugs, jewelry, glass items, and much more. Honey and tea will also be available. The Peace Puppets will greet people and share enviro tips between 11 and 1 p.m. The church will also have a Used Book and Movie Sale during this fair.

For more Duluth local art and gift fairs (with no distributors, no non-local or artists from beyond about 60 miles of Duluth) go to Wendyupnorth.com. Thanks for supporting the abundant local creative energy we have right here.

SPArty {spa party} Fund Raising Event

SPArty {spa party} n. A ladies only evening of wine, comedy, shopping, eating, limo riding, massages, and manicures! A fund raising event for the Four Rivers Foundation.

Professional comedy act by Comedy on the Rox. Fashions by Moxie Shoppe. Chocolate by 185Chocolat. Wine by Barefoot Wines. Rich Event Center Main Street, Floodwood. Friday, March 26, 2010 6:00 PM.

Purchase tickets at www.richcatering.com

Thank You President Obama (UPDATED x 3)

Thank you for the health care bill; I would have preferred a public option but I’m sure we’ll get there. But I really appreciate the fact that this bill protects the little guy from getting screwed by insurance companies – nice to know I can sick now without getting dropped. Hopefully my costs will go down too. I also appreciate that this bill cuts the deficit. I’m glad Oberstar quit playing chicken and voted for it.

I gotta say that it’s pretty hilarious that the right-wing fringe thinks this bill will end the world. If my grandma gets sent to any death panels I’ll let you know. Eek, socialism!

I also want to say thank you for the “Cash for Caulkers” tax rebate for the new windows and insulation I bought. That reduces my oil consumption and saves me money. It’s about time the government did something for the people that also helps the country as a whole. A refreshing approach, after all, despite what the glibertarians say, government is good.

Next up: financial reform, and immigration! If you thought the crazies were going crazy over health care, it’s time to put on some popcorn. And brace yourselves for another wave of right-wing violence and racist rhetoric. Hell of a party they’re running.

Voting Democratic in 2010,

Jim Richardson

UPDATE: A couple of pertinent fun links to share. Here is “An open letter to conservatives” which I take as a studiously hyperlinked treatise on why, even if you have no love for Democrats, the game has become one of keepaway from the crazy. And then here is some more on escalating threats of rightwing violence.

UPDATE x2: Some perspective on deficit hawk hysteria here. Right wing violence/vandalism tracker here. Republican Eric Cantor’s claim of his office getting shot at debunked here.

UPDATE x3: A full to bursting catalog of the recent right wing rhetoric of violence, and here is some additional commentary. Provocative stuff. Y’all ready for the immigration debate?

Obama’s going to need our help, and that includes voting in more, and better, Democrats. If we can keep Republican gains to a minimum in 2010, we are well-positioned to send them entirely packing in 2012.

We got your back sir!

In Search of a Legend

I’m working on a documentary that will explain, once and for all, how awesome Duluth is. (In case our friends at Google didn’t already know.) But I need one last thing.

I’ve heard from many reliable sources that an anonymous jokester posted a billboard on the edge of town that read: “Will the last person to leave Duluth please turn out the lights?” But I’ve never seen a photo that documents this.

If anyone has a photo of this important piece of Duluth history, please let me know. The future of our entire city depends on it. (Not really. But it would be nice to have.)

Trampled by Turtles TV Special @ Teatro Zuccone

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Thursday, March 25
Social at 7PM in the atrium lobby of the Zeitgeist Arts Building.
Concert screening at 8PM in the Teatro Zuccone live theater.
This event is free and open to the public. Limited seating available.
Drink specials!

To celebrate the launch of The Playlist a new PBS show celebrating the local arts scene, we will be screening the full PBS concert edit of a live Trampled by Turtles show (with band interviews) recently recorded at Pizza Luce in Duluth.

People attending will have a chance to win two free tickets to one of the TBT shows @ First Avenue in Minneapolis in April!

The Play-List on WDSE/WRPT helps you connect with loads of regional arts opportunities with a weekly show on PBS. Starting April 1, Thursdays at 9 PM, watch for live music in the studio every week, behind-the-scenes tours with area theater companies, visual and literary artists, arts events and more. Submit your ideas on our website at theplaylistonline.org

What’s on your playlist? Also check us out on Facebook.

Louis Jenkins & Connie Wanek

Spirit Lake Poetry Series will present award-winning poets Louis Jenkins and Connie Wanek in Somers Lounge at the College of St. Scholastica on Saturday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m.

Stuff I Like

This is the first in a series of posts about things I like. I’m hoping it will spur others to write about things they like. So let’s get started.

1. My bad ass cruiser bike.

I inherited the frame of this Country Roads cruiser bike from an old tenant. It was missing the wheels but was otherwise in most excellent shape. So I took my newfound friend to Bryn the bike wizard and he decked it out with some new wheels, pedals and a tuneup. It was a great bike to ride but the gearing was not so Duluth friendly so I mainly pulled it out for special occasions like the Cruiser Bike Poker Rides we had way back in 2004. Some of you may remember the beating my knee took after a fall I took racing Dusty Olson up a Lakewalk hill.

After that accident my bike spent a couple years in the garage, sadly neglected. So this glorious spring I thought maybe I should get that bad boy out and about. I took it to Ski Hut and inquired about changing the front sprocket to something a bit more geared to our terrain and they delivered in a most awesome way. I am now able to tool up the hills in a seated position for the most part and we have become best friends again.

After a few rides I realized the only thing keeping this from being the sweetest bike in town was a basket. Hello Google! After some searching I found just the perfect thing. The Wald 157.

The Giant Delivery basket is one of the most enduring and iconic products in our catalog. Popular among messengers and paperboys (feel free to ask your father or grandfather about this noble profession), this basket is designed to carry large loads thanks to its stout legs, cargo bands, and heavy duty handlebar clamps. Three holes are provided at the bottom of the legs and spaced at 13.25, 14.25, and 15.25 inches (measured center-to-center of bracket pin to axle mount) to provide multiple mounting options.

No more sweaty backs from my overstuffed backpack, this baby will hold a couple bags of groceries and a 12 pack if you ask it to. Care must be taken with a full load as the steering gets a bit wonky but it is doable. Mainly I am picturing my basket loaded down with some beach towels, a growler, a frisbee and some extra layers for those cool Park Point nights. Man, I love this basket.

So there ya have it, stuff I like, a cruiser bike and a vintage wire basket. Watch out Duluth!

Nerd Nite 1.2 – The Ultimate Doctor Who Showdown – Round 3

Round 1 is done and Round 2 is still in voting, but here is Round 3 of the Ultimate Doctor Who Showdown. In Round 1 Sylvester McCoy prevailed over Paul McGann and Christopher Eccleston trounced Colin Baker. So here are your brackets now.

Round 3
Bracket # 4
Sylvester McCoy vs. Tom Baker
Bracket # 5David Tennant vs. Christopher Eccleston

Retribution Gospel Choir – “Workin’ Hard”

New video from Duluth’s hardest working band.

Upcoming Auditions!

Renegade announces auditions for the final two shows of its exciting 2010 Season: Sex Change and Reefer Madness

WHEN: Saturday, April 17
TIME:  10am-4pm … Sign up for a 5-minute audition slot
WHERE: Auditions will be at the Teatro Zuccone
222 E. Superior St.

Homegrown Music Video Festival, round 2

Homegrown Music VIDEO festival is BACK and this year we are giving you TWO WEEKS to create your masterpiece.

Kick-off is 8pm (SHARP!) on April 15 at Hell Burgers. Show up on time to draw your song from a beautiful top hat. You’ll have two weeks to create a music video from the randomly assigned song. Filmmakers of all ages are welcome and all filmmakers who turn in a finished DVD will receive a free pass to Homegrown. You may use previously shot footage but you can’t change the song in any way. Finished videos will be shown during Homegrown week.

E-mail Annie Dugan (annie at freerangefilm.com) if you are interested in participating or have any questions.

Missing Kitty

We accidentally left our door open during part of Sunday afternoon, and the young cat we were watching took the opportunity to disappear. Please keep an eye out for him. He’s a very nice cat named Ozzie. Thank you!

Ethan – 4017 McCulloch St. – 218-461-9180.

Mayor Ness in New York Times

The mayor’s jump in the lake to support Google Fiber made a splash in the New York Times. How about that?

UMD Alumni Composer Concert Tuesday

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010 – 7:30pm
UMD Alumni Composer Concert
UMD Weber Hall
Adult $8 – Senior $7 – Student $5 – UMD Student $3 – Alumni $2

This is new classical chamber music featuring a real PDD’er!

The concert features the music of 4 umd alumni composers: Robert Linnemann, Ryan Rapsys, Nick Mroczek and James Gould. All of the pieces are lyrical, varied and entertaining. Every composition is a world debut! The Gichigami Piano Trio is the featured group, but the umd woodwind quintet and other small ensembles will also play.

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