Random

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

THE STRUGGLE FOR ABORTION RIGHTS: a panel discussion
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Sunday, January 24 at 7pm
Duluth Building for Women at 32 E. 1st St. (basement meeting room)
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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!

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

Jazz and blues with a little pop

At Sara's Table Wine Bar Event

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 

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?

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

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?

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!