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V-day UMD 2010 Events!

The V-day Calendar for this year has been finalized! V-day is a global movement to end violence against women and girls. Money raised by these events will be donated to PAVSA (Program of Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault) who provides survivor-centered services to people of Southern St. Louis County.

V-day 2010 Calendar of Events

Events Co-sponsored by The UMD Women’s Resource & Action Center and The Kirby Program Board

Any One of Us: Women’s Words from Prison

Presented by   V-day UMD 2010

Monday, February 15th 6PM

$2 with one non-perishable food item, or $3 without

UMD Kirby Student Center Rafters

“Any One of Us: Words From Prison” evolved from a decade long writing group with Eve Ensler and 15 women at Bedford Hill’s Correctional Facility. This piece is a collection of stories from the raw voices of fierceness and honesty written by the original 15 women combined with writing from women in prisons across the nation moving forward toward healing, understanding, and change with the ultimate goal of using their writing and voices to impact policy, laws and treatment of incarcerated women. Together these writings reveal the deep connection between women in prison and the violence that often brings them there. Performed by UMD students.

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Vote for a nationwide grant for Duluth YMCA, Camp Miller

YMCA Camp Miller is up for a grant opportunity through Pepsi Refresh Project.

Go to www.refresheverything.com/YMCACampMiller and vote once a day (once per e-mail address) for the month of February and Camp Miller could win this grant!

Any and all who help the camp by voting daily will get a chance to come try out a high ropes course if the camp receives the grant!

Duluth KCWV-TV Channel 27

Have any of you noticed Duluth has a new broadcast TV station? Is anyone able to get decent reception of it?

The station runs programming from the My Family TV network, which features “programming to entertain, educate and edify,” including “uplifting spiritual” shows. In other words, a bunch of preaching and paid programming with some Andy Griffith and Bonanza mixed in.

Wax Your Runners! Laskiainen!

Laskiainen

Laskiainen

Laskiainen Finnish Sliding Festival
Feb. 6 & 7 at Loon Lake Community Center in Palo, Minn. (more…)

Annual Food Queries: Throwback; Paczki

I’m looking for two seasonal foods:

1. Any stores with Mountain Dew Throwback still in stock … a gas station, a grocer — anything. This is number 1 priority.

2. Pepsi Throwback. Same deal. The no-HFCs is attractive to me. (more…)

Maria Bamford reads Perfect Duluth Day

Mpls/St.Paul magazine, Feb 2010

Mpls/St.Paul magazine, Feb 2010

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James Fallows on Cirrus as Game Changers, 9 Years On

This was interesting to me. On the Plane Conversations blog, author Alan Howell reviews a 2001 book by Atlantic contributor James Fallows called “Free Flight: From Airline Hell to a New Age of Travel.” In the book, according to Howell, Fallows says that the Klapmeier brothers of Duluth’s own Cirrus Design created the first of three major innovations that would change the way people travel. How did the prediction stack up?

In the last nine years, how did James Fallows’ case studies fare?

To date, Cirrus has manufactured and sold more than 5000 aircraft and has been the number one, best selling aircraft in the past decade – not bad for a start-up company with a non-conventional design. Like other aviation companies, Cirrus has been severely impacted by the economy but will survive in some form. The aircraft has been too successful and the market will continue to demand new models with improved technology.

Read the whole article here: Free Flight: What has happened since James Fallows wrote the book

Nerd Gang!


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U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals says prisoners can no longer play Dungeons & Dragons in prison, because it “promotes gang-related activity.”

The only thing hazardous about D&D are possibly the 4-sided dice if you happen to step on them! I think activities like this are harmless, and could provide an alternative to prison gang culture (and it uses math!). Some of my coworkers think that if you’re in prison, you shouldn’t be allowed to game. I think everyone can agree that despite what Jack Chick tells you, D&D is not a gang. Thoughts?

Jason Vincent new Fox 21 news director

FOX21 news director
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Hearing voices in the parking ramp

I’ve had the occasion to park in the Tech Village ramp a few times in the past week, and while I was able to exit promptly each time (unlike others’ experiences), I did notice something odd about the machine that takes validated tickets as you drive out.

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Rubber Chicken Radio Hour has a permanent home at The Shack

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The Rubber Chicken Radio Hour has a new permanent home at the Shack in Superior. (more…)

Bart Band

NiceBearsSmall

Forum on “The Struggle for Abortion Rights”

THE STRUGGLE FOR ABORTION RIGHTS: a panel discussion
—————————————————-
Sunday, January 24 at 7pm
Duluth Building for Women at 32 E. 1st St.
(basement meeting room)
—————————————————-
To mark the anniversary of the historic Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, you’re invited to a panel discussion on abortion rights. Speaking will be Heather Bradford, Chere Suzette Bergeron and Linda Gokee-Rindal. After the presentations there’ll be an open discussion period.

This event is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by Socialist Action and the UMD Reproductive Justice Collective. Bring a friend!
pro-choice

Wilco-Ashes of American Flags

ashes
The Wilco folks contacted us about screening their newish documentary by Brendan Canty (Fugazi) and Christopher Green. This film will screen one time only at 7:15 on Thursday Jan 28th. We will also be giving away two free tickets to their upcoming show at the DECC. Cost is 6.50.
Also want to remind folks about the upcoming screening of Buster Keaton’s The General with a new score written and performed by Marc Gartband. This Friday & Saturday at 7:30p.m. For tickets head to Zinema 2

Geek Prom rip off or homage?

“First ever Geek Prom set for Tango’s Ballroom”

https://centralwisconsinhub.wausaudailyherald.com/article/20100115/WDH0501/1140390

Saturday Night

Jazz and blues with a little pop

At Sara's Table Wine Bar Event

At Sara's Table Wine Bar Event

iFilms at the Duluth Library- Free, 3rd Sat. at 1:30

You can see the listing at www.duluth.lib.mn.us
Country Teacher will be shown on Sat, Jan 16.

Lily the Black Bear

I have found the most wonderful work distraction.  Not that it’s wonderful to be distracted from work, but I can’t take my eyes off of this webcam. 

Lily the Black Bear at the North American Bear Center in Ely is just days away from having her cubs.
She is in hibernation and you can watch it all unfold on the den cam

For the most part she’s just snoozing away … zzzzzzzzzz

I’m also addicted to other Ely, MN cams like:  Fall Lake and Birch Lake 

Question.

Has anybody done the math on what Superior and Duluth bars are geographically closest to each other? I’m thinking Schultz’s and Quinlans. Am I right?

Dog-friendly Duluth

I was reading comments to convince my girlfriend, and saw one reader post that Duluth is sooo dog friendly.

We have just moved from the Twin Cities and I have struggled finding dog-friendly places. Where we lived in the Cities, there were huge dog parks with hiking trails where we could safely let our dog off-leash (and get exercise ourselves), dog-friendly businesses to visit, dog day cares, cafes you could bring your dog, and a lot of special events. (It probably helped that there are publications like Sidewalk Dog to point you in the right direction).

The one tiny dog park in Duluth is inadequate to say the least (we won’t visit again), and while I’ve heard about the Superior Hiking Trail, in many places in Duluth it seems too close to roads to feel comfortable letting my dog off leash (also am not sure how easy it would be to hike it in the winter).

So, dog owners — what are your tips for great places to bring your dog? Where can you let your dog off-leash? I work in Duluth and am staying in Cloquet until we find a permanent place to settle, so am curious about any Cloquet/Esko tips as well.

Thanks!

“I am truly sorry about my hair; it’s always been that way.”

7wQEll

Stand strong Conan.

I realize this is PDD…

but if anyone could make a perfect day in Superior, the Animal Rescue’s van has cashed in its chips… can anyone help? Per Facebook:

OUR VAN IS KAPOOT…PLEASE HELP!!! ARF”s Van is kapoot…if anybody could please help us out by donating either a van or a truck with a topper to help us bring the animals to and from necessary veterinarian appointments, it would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!!! Please call Bill at (218)525-7382

Traditional Ojibwe Opening Ceremony for UMD Library Exhibit

“Lewis and Clark and the Indian Country,” a national traveling exhibition, is on display in the UMD Library fourth floor rotunda reading room. The public is invited to a traditional Ojibwe opening ceremony in UMD’s Weber Music Hall at 6 p.m. on Friday, January 15. The ceremony will include drumming, prayer, and welcome statements at the Weber, followed by a reception and viewing of the exhibit on the fourth floor of the UMD Library. Refreshments will be provided by Friends of the Duluth Public Library. Call 218-726-8130 for more information.

The exhibit, which tells the story of the explorers’ historic 1804-1806 expedition from the point of view of the Indians who lived along the route, is available for viewing during all hours when the UMD Library is open. You can learn more about the exhibit and check the library hours by going to the UMD Library web site:

https://libguides.d.umn.edu/lewisandclark

Convince my girlfriend

Help me convince my girlfriend that we should move to Duluth. Why do you love living in Duluth?

Doin’ the wash

Where’s a good Laundromat in Duluth? I live in the Central Hillside, but am willing to travel a bit. I was using the one next to Burrito Union, but my clothes seem to smell after washing them there. The new Maytag place on 4th Street is nice, although spendy (and usually busy). What do you suggest?