The Perilous Inlet
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7rTiTQI5N0
Three years in the making, the completed 14-minute masterpiece.
I suggest watching it with the sound off since we could not eliminate the camera noise without losing the underwater noises.
The perilous inlet is a death trap for ships and subs, yet life continues. Starring Playmobil toys, G.I. Joes, and introducing Lake Superior as itself.
We’ve released this in segments over time, so if you’re sick of it do NOT watch this final edit. Featuring the Playmobil ship vs. the giant alligator, the Playmobil sub vs. the giant squid, and the GI Joes vs. frozen existential horror, now with more death.
Cult – Feature film to be shot in Duluth
Hi, my name is Lance Karasti. I’m currently working on a feature film about an extremist cult that is manipulated by their insane leader into performing a group suicide. Two of the members try to stop it and break down how things got that bad. The film examines many themes, and is a character study of the cult leader. (more…)
Best Duluth Internet Provider?
Since Charter just jacked up its rates for cable Internet from $35 to nearly $50/mo., I was wondering if anyone has a recommendation for a good high-speed internet provider that does not require a land-line phone. I need the service at my home for my laptop PC.
Vietnamese Lotus Inn closing
The Vietnamese Lotus Inn will close on Saturday, Feb. 2. It almost lasted 10 years, having opened at 1314 Commonwealth Ave. in the summer of 2003.
GPS Instruction
Is anyone out there savvy with a Garmin? This fella needs some instruction and he’s looking to hire someone to walk him through his device.
Are Duluth schools really this stupid?
The school just called my wife to come and pick up our 5th grade son. Why?
He pretended to shoot someone with his finger! Remember when you were a kid and you would point at a playmate and say bang? If you do this now, in Duluth, you get suspended. Really? Is there a list of gestures published by the school board that will result in getting kicked out of school?
New old Nordic ski trails at Spirit Mountain
Have you checked out the newly redone cross country ski trails at Spirit Mountain? Thanks to a lot of hard volunteer work, the trails have been redesigned and brought back to life.
Lots of details at my Best North Shore blog.
Where in Duluth? — Some easy ones
From time to time on PDD we like to play a little game called “Where in Duluth?” The first person to name the location of the photo wins bragging rights.
Since this one is so easy, it will be followed up in the comments with a few more easy ones, because it just seems like the right thing to do.
Office Supply Scams
I thought these scams went away years ago but I guess not.
I answer the phone a lot for the small company I work for, and in the past couple of months we have gotten about three different phone calls asking about refilling our copier supplies. We like to do business locally, and I know our supplier personally so I knew these people weren’t legit. But I thought I’d share it with all of you so you don’t get taken by this scam.
When they called our office they tried to talk to me like they knew me, then said, “Can we get the model number of your printer we misplaced it?” I then asked, “May I ask who’s calling?” and one caller actually said, “I’m your worst nightmare, B!&$h” Then hung up. While entertaining, still somewhat scary.
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Concerns surrounding the American Indian Community Housing Organization
I am a community member of the Duluth area and I wanted to voice a couple of things that have been concerning me as well as some things that have been brought to my attention surrounding the American Indian Community Housing Organization.
I know that the community was really excited when AICHO’s Gimaajii Building at 202 W. Second St. opened this past spring. I had very high hopes as to what this venue could do for the people, especially the urban Native Americans within Duluth.
As time has passed and the excitement and buzz about what this “could” be has since faded, I have heard from several current and former tenants of the Gimaajii Building that they have felt there is a lack of spiritual understanding from many of the staff members including the current executive director. They have felt that anything “cultural” that has taken place there has been more for show than for the people it serves.
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“Parr flexes songwriting muscles that few artists ever attain.”
This week in City Pages reporter Natalie Gallagher talks to Duluth’s Charlie Parr about his new album Barnswallow.
The 1962 UWS Football Squad
Today on PDD we present the 1962 gridders from the “Wisconsin State College Superior,” now known as the University of Wisconsin-Superior. Why? Well the fine folks at UWS’ Jim Dan Hill Library have digitized copies of the Gitchee Gumee, the college’s yearbook — from its inception in 1909 through 1972, when it ceased publication.
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This week: smoothies, skating, skiing and bad fashion
Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.
Today you can learn about making healthy smoothies at the library, of all places. This is part of their Cabin Fever Reliever series.
On Wednesday there’s free open skating at the Duluth Heritage Sports Center for those who want to be active indoors and a Headlamp Ski Tour at Hartley and a Night Ski Race at Spirit Mountain for those who want to be active outdoors.
The Northland Figure Skating Competition will be at the Amsoil Arena Thursday through Sunday with hundreds competing individually and in teams.
Awesome Fest (“You have to be awesome.”) is a weekend long celebration of outdoor winter sports, indoor winter drinking, bad fashion, good music, and more. It runs Friday through Sunday at Mont du Lac.
And on Sunday there’s this football game and I hear tell some people are having parties because of it.
So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know!
Bookoo.com
Has anyone around here heard of a site called Bookoo? It appears to have a Craigslist feel to it, yet a closer look at the site tells me the buyers and sellers have some account ability similar to eBay.
Over the summer I was in desperate need of a transmission. I found one on Craigslist, met the guy at Dunn Bros., he being from Two Harbors and me from Superior. It was likely the only time I’d ever deal with this guy — clearly I’m buying as is. I gave him $250 in exchange for a hunk of metal he said ran before he pulled it out. The gamble paid off and the transmission works to this day. It seems to me that had I bought it from him off of Bookoo and it didn’t work I would be able to warn others of the gentleman’s bad dealings. I think I’ll sign the petition. Will you, my neighbor, join me at the world’s funniest yard sale?
Vacant houses in your neighborhood?
With the ongoing foreclosure crisis and rotten economy, there are lots of properties in Duluth sitting vacant, often leading to vandalism and neighborhood blight. In the meantime, more Duluthians than ever are suffering homelessness.
Loaves & Fishes and Project Save Our Homes are looking for help to identify vacant houses in the Duluth area, particularly bank-owned foreclosures. We will be using this information to push for policy changes to protect neighborhoods and address the problem of homes without people and people without homes. Any information would be helpful: addresses of course, but also if you know how long the house has been vacant (condemnation/eviction/foreclosure notice are usually posted on the door), if utilities are connected… and if you might help organize your neighbors to address the problem! Contact us by Facebook or email: [email protected].
I had a dream last night
I was in a cathedral, standing in the nave. The pews were empty, the building dark. It must have been night. Without warning, a choir’s song sliced through the hushed darkness, their voices intertwining to illuminate the room – a bright, pure light. I could see their faces, one thousand beautiful children, dressed in white. I stood there motionless, enraptured by their song, their words washing over me. The tune was bracingly enigmatic, yet hauntingly familiar – they sung a single phrase over and over:
Vincent Gargiulo is horrible. (more…)
Gage Salyards’ Healing Journey
Duluth photographer Gage Salyards is battling papillary thyroid cancer, but he still has plans to study with one of the most famous and renowned travel photographers on the planet, Trey Ratcliff, in New Zealand. Obviously all of his financial resources of late have been invested into regaining his health, so he’s doing what all the artsy folks are doing these days and reaching out to the Internet for help.
See his gofundme.com campaign to make a donation, and check out his portfolio and more information about his photography at eyeamgage.com.
His workshop begins on Feb 6, so the clock is ticking. As of this posting he is 3/4 of the way to his $10,000 goal.
Cold weather experiments at Great Lakes Aquarium
We’ve been conducting a variety of cold weather experiments at Great Lakes Aquarium this week. The location is just about perfect for it; right on the waterfront in Duluth with a door connecting our classroom lab to the outside.
This video should serve as a reminder to make sure your hair and your clothes are completely dry before heading out.
Ordering baby chicks anyone?!
I am looking to order baby chicks from a hatchery in February and I only want 10, but the minimum order during these cold months is usually at least 15 to 25. I am wanting to order some rare breed chickens such as Silkies, Polish, and some other Bantams. If you are interested in ordering some as well and want to go in on an order please let me know or if you know anyone locally that has these breeds I would be interested in that as well!
Duluth Album Releases in 2013
Breanne Marie
Six Strings of Peace & Sanity
(Jan. 1)
Available on Bandcamp
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Eric Swanson at Sacred Heart Studios
Duck Duck Punch
Human Chemistry
Truth No. (Jan. 15)
Available on Amazon
Dave Mehling
Broke Heart Songs (EP)
(Jan. 19)
Produced by Dave Mehling and Michael Morris; recorded at the Barn in Northfield
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Wildlife Rehab Report, 2012
We report the numbers of animals rehabilitated to the state every year at Wildwoods Rehab. (more…)
Children’s Entertainers
Does anyone know of any fun children’s entertainers in the Duluth area? Balloon animal artists, magicians, uni-cyclists — anything will do!
Muslim Journeys Bookshelf
FYI. Harold P. Erickson Library at Lake Superior College is among the 842 libraries and state humanities councils selected to receive the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf, a project of the National Endowment for the Humanities Bridging Cultures initiative. The twenty-five books and three films have arrived at the library. ALA will ship additional materials, including bookmarks, bookplates, and posters, in mid-February.
