Random

Then: Knight Creative Communities Initiative, 2008:

Technology, Tolerance, Territory, and Talent. These four T’s are the base for building a more attractive environment for economic growth, according to Dr. Richard Florida and a growing number of other internationally known researchers.

In 2007-2008, the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation in connection with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation led a process to build on these assets in the Twin Ports….

Now: Alec McGillis, “The Ruse of the Creative Class,” The American Prospect 4 January 2010.

[It] is wrong, [Florida’s former manager] says, to see any conflict in Florida’s dire pronouncements on the places that bankrolled this success, because he hadn’t promised prosperity in the first place. “He wasn’t really making prescriptions,” Frantz says. “This wasn’t Jesus Christ throwing the money men out of the temple; this was an academic. He was a fucking college professor, and you’re hoping to resurrect Canton, Ohio? Yeah, good luck with that.”

We talked a little about the Knight Creative Communities Initiative project back at its inception. Florida sounds like a classic snake-oil salesman, but I note that people who participated in the project seemed to feel it was valuable in spite of his contribution/lack thereof. I’d be interested to hear what people had to say about the project–and its broader goals of community revitalization–now.

I am wondering if there are any good travel agencies in the area (or which ones are better and why)? Planning to go to Europe this summer and need a little “professional help”…thanks!

What do you think about this idea?

Any musicians interested in a 7PM – 9:30 PM gig on New Year’s Eve?
Contact me: click on Guy

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVKk3EHfP7Y

Does anyone have a key to the armory? I figure all of us non-native Christmas refugees could set up camp there and have our own non-family celebration. I’ll bring the Charlie Brown tree. Who knows the Linus speech? I recall driving 60 miles to Mankato during the Halloween blizzard to make it to an old college roommate’s house, knowing we wanted to be in the old neighborhood for four days of snow fun. It took 3 hours. I was younger, stupider, and perhaps not now as motivated to take on the weather with my car. Home is an hour south of the TCs. A string of 43 straight appearances will be broken. Lamentations?

Overheard in Target, 10 p.m. Dec. 22 amid Christmas shoppers. I probably wouldn’t have thought this was so funny before I had kids.
Indignant college-age woman to second indignant college-age woman:
“It’s just so, like, what a freakin’ 6-month-old would say!”

Farmer Doug and Lois Hoffbauer , who sell xmas trees out of the farmer’s market, are offering these free trees to their neighbors. How nice is that?

Two down-on-their-luck tramps, Vladimir and Estragon, fill their days as painlessly as they can as they wait for someone named Godot to show up. Godot, they believe, will be able to explain their interminable insignificance, or put an end to it. (more…)

I haven’t skated for 20 years (and wasn’t so great then) but want to learn. Anyone know of adult lessons in Duluth? Thanks!

My mom lives in the Twin Ports and I’m trying to think of a good gift card to somewhere/something that I can get for her (I won’t be in town). Does the DECC have gift cards? Any ideas? She isn’t in to spas… Thank you!