Paul Lundgren
Fiber Optics: The Final Frontier
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=389qaOnhm7k
Some of the Google Fiber videos from a few months ago never made it to PDD. Since there seems to be renewed interest in the subject following the release of Google Goes to Twin Ports, it seems like a good time to highlight some of the good work put out by a wide variety of people. The director of the above video is 14 years old. (more…)
Naming Rights and Personal Bias
For some reason I have the following broad scope of opinions about the new stadium/arena names.
Amsoil Arena – Fine by me. Sounds OK.
Target Field – Kind of dumb, but I can deal with it.
Mall of America Field – Kill me now.
Am I the only one with these blatantly hypocritical feelings?
By the way, Mall of America Field is at the Metrodome, in case any of you are unaware. The name change happened kind of quietly last year, but apparently some Teflon fabric panels will soon be placed on top of the dome to make it painfully clear.
Forest tent caterpillars in southern Minnesota — March to Duluth begins!
I came across several of these disgusting silken mats of forest tent caterpillars on Sunday in the Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area, about 160 miles south of Duluth. I’m sure there’s some larvae busting from egg masses somewhere in the northern part of the state, too, but I haven’t seen any yet.
I think next summer is when things should start to get really gross around here, with a peak in 2012 … although I haven’t heard any official predictions yet. Anyway, it probably wouldn’t hurt to get stocked up on tin foil and dish soap, or whatever is supposed to keep the ravenous little beasts from chewing your trees bald. Perhaps someone can fill us in on good dish soap substitutes that are better for the environment but still make the “army” retreat. (It’s smart the way they invade every 10 years … just long enough for us to forget all their weaknesses.)
Equal Xchange — Stage Presents
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mekr86GOj8I
Directed by Edgewood Smith
Another selection from the 2010 Homegrown Music Video Festival.
Name That Trail: The gravel one that goes from 63rd Avenue West, behind the zoo and under Ely’s Peak, out to I-35
Have you walked, biked, snowmobiled or whatevered this trail? It starts/ends just off of North 63rd Avenue West and Greene Street (though technically there are random sections of it that pop up further east) and goes west out to Beck’s Road and I-35, where it gradually disappears.
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Population of Duluth: 1860 to 2000
Update: A more recent version of this chart with 2010 and 2020 figures and additional notes is now available.
I can’t remember ever seeing a graph of Duluth’s population over time, so I made one. The results of the 2010 U.S. Census aren’t in yet, but the state demographer estimated a population of 85,220 in 2008, so perhaps a slight dip can be expected.
The topic for discussion: What is the ideal population for Duluth?
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Trinity of Spring: Complete
I have it on good authority that A & Dubs is now open, completing the Trinity of Spring. This is A & Dubs 62nd year in business.
Deer break into the Stout Ale House in Menomonie, Wis. — patrons were ironically watching Milwaukee Bucks game
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15n8PPNVglQ
Above is surveillance video from May 2. Watch as two bucks smash through the doors.
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A Homegrown Tradition: Getting your picture taken with people while enthusiastically giving them thumbs up
2010 Edition — starring Barrett Chase
Sunday — Rich Narum and Emily Norton
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Snowgroan
Best Homegrown weather since 2002!
Homegrown Schedule Changes
If you’re using the Homegrown Music Festival Field Guide to chart your course, please note the following changes:
Wednesday, May 5 – Although it’s referred to as “Lakewalk Night,” you might not want to use the Lakewalk to get from the Canal Park venues to Fitger’s or vice versa. The part of the Lakewalk between Endion Depot and Fitger’s will be closed to allow workers to repave it. The Homegrown steering committee didn’t see that coming.
Thursday, May 6 – The Fractals are not playing at the Brewhouse at 11 p.m. The What Four will be playing. These bands were switched after the schedule was printed.
Friday, May 7 – Dead Man Winter had to cancel its gig. Consequently, the Keep Aways will be playing at 10 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. at Twins Bar.
Jeffrey James O’Laughlin and Ashley Northey have switched slots for Friday night. So O’Laughlin will be playing at Sir Benedict’s Tavern on the Lake at 11 p.m. and Northey will be playing at Carmody Irish Pub at 10:15. Also, Northey has been playing with a band lately, and that band has a name now — the Sweet Virginias.
As referenced above, the What Four is not playing at Roscoe’s Pioneer Bar at 11 p.m. on Friday. The Fractals have moved to that slot.
Opening night of Homegrown and people are already breaking out their two-sided, laminated cheat sheets
Anyone interested in stalking Jess Hall this weekend? Here’s where to find her.
Happy Homegrown! Raise your glass, submit your banner photos, stick your tongue out, tell Gomez what to do.
In honor of the Homegrown Music Festival, Perfect Duluth Day is again featuring a week of photo banners related to Duluth’s annual celebration of rawk and/or roll devil music. (What that means is, the images you see at the top of this page — from May 2 to 9 — will be photos from Homegrown.)
If you want to submit a banner, it’s not too late. We can add new ones throughout the week. Just follow the same guidelines generally used to submit a banner.
Hippie Dick is a genius
Musical weaponry and optical gear by Dick Rosvall, on display at Respect Your Mother EarthFest.
Amazing career opportunity that will make someone wealthy and self-actualized
Seriously though, Perfect Duluth Day is indeed looking for a Part-time Media Sales Representative. Apply now to sell 2.5-inch squares.
(Comments to this post are closed to avoid some clown attempting to interview for the position that way.)
Teague Alexy is just trying to get a good clean high off a dirt cheap bottle of wine
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6igQfPTtr9o
In addition the Homegrown gig next Tuesday, May 3, at Carmody Irish Pub, you can also catch Teague Alexy …
Thursday, 4/29, regular ol’ gig at Carmody Irish Pub
Friday, 4/30, performing on Almanac North on WDSE-TV
Saturday, 5/1, Respect Your Mother EarthFest at Leif Erikson Park
Council says yes to purchase of NorShor
Predictably, it was a 6-3 vote. The easy part is over. Now the work begins. This ought to be interesting.
Challenge #1: Actually close the sale.
Challenge #2: If the strip club agrees to move out, will it open somewhere else? Wherever “somewhere else” might be, that’ll be a fun little controversy.
Challenges #3 through #209: Figure out how to fix the place up, get someone running it who can make it work, and everything that comes up along the way.
Chicken Spur
I first became aware two years ago that people refer to the Spur convenience store at the foot of the Blatnik Bridge in Superior as the “Chicken Spur.”
I found that out in the comments of a somewhat-related PDD post: “I’m old and I don’t understand anything, part one.”
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Literary events at St. Scholastica
Margaret Hasse and Norita Dittberner-Jax
Saturday, April 24 – 7:30 p.m.
Somer’s Lounge, College of St. Scholastica
Marilynne Robinson
Saturday, May 1 – 7 p.m.
Mitchell Auditorium, College of St. Scholastica
Both events are free.
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Mexico Lindo soft opening at Fitger’s
The news of Mexico Lindo’s soft opening leaked out in the comments to an old post on this site, but I missed that. I was out and about, though, and saw from Superior Street that someone was eating at a window seat.
It was mighty busy in there for a sort-of-unannounced opening, but there was plenty of staff on hand to deal with it. Predictably, a few things were spilled and confusion with how to place orders on the computer was noticeable, but all in all things went very well. The food was great. The Lindos Special ($11.25) could feed three people.
Modest Home Makeover
Last summer/fall, the Extreme Makeover Home Edition TV show came to town to build a new home for the Huber family in South Range. It was a wonderful thing, but several commenters on this website wrote that those efforts should continue without all the TV cameras and didn’t need to be so extreme.
A little something called Modest Home Makeover was started around that time, with the goal of raising $150,000 to build a new home for Rick & Brenda Hallfrisch. Fox 21 News did this story about it …
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bficTDGp_hw&feature=player_embedded
I bring this up now because volunteer meetings and fund-raising events are coming up soon. You can read about all of them at modesthomemakeover.com.
Duluth home-movie footage from 1938
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCKkFZFya_M
This 8mm home-movie depicts a 1938 fishing trip to Duluth.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WomRBtHElFM&feature=related