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New DECC Arena
I think that the new DECC Arena is uglier than the original. What architectural style is it in? Looks like ‘Early American Trailer’ to me. Too bad something so big and so expensive is so ugly.
Skunk
Dog: Direct hit in the face with skunk in back yard.
Human: Let her in not knowing this had happened.
Dog: Foaming at mouth like Old Yeller, getting slobber all over the floor.
Human: Out you go.
We got the dog cleaning part down. Just wondering how we might ever get this smell out of the house. Please advise. And don’t tell me the spray eventually breaks down, yada, yada. This is horrid.
Competition in the corn maze business
Engwall Florist, Greenhouse & Garden Center is growing a 52,000-square-foot corn maze that will open Sept. 10 at its Hermantown Road location.
Engwall’s Corn Maze at the Garden Center will be the closest corn maze to Duluth … at least that I’m aware of. Silver Brook Corn Maze is in Wrenshall and opens Sept. 17.
Engwall is partnering with the Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank, donating a dollar from each paid admission to the corn maze.
Nazi sighting
So I’m driving down Michigan Street at 8:45 tonight, and walking down the sidewalk toward the main entrance of the Depot is this guy dressed in full Third Reich regalia. I’m talking military-grade Lederhosen, swastika arm-band and even an olive flack helmet, walking like he’s got a stick up his ass. I did overcome the urge to yell obscenities or throw things out the window, but I couldn’t resist slowing way down and gawking. I mean, who does that?
I considered that maybe the Playhouse is doing some thing involving the holocaust, but in that case don’t they have dressing rooms? Who in their right mind would be caught dead in that get-up outside? Then my co-worker suggested that maybe he was going to attend one of the court-ordered group sessions for drunk drivers they have at the Depot and trying to make some political statement. But that just begs the question, what kind of person has that stuff laying around in his closet?
I’m compelled to wonder, is this something ugly that blew in on a tall ship, or just some local dumbass making an idiot out of himself?
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
This may be a long shot, but I am hoping PDDers can help. Last night I had two wicker chairs stolen off my front porch by Eighth Ave. E. and Seventh St. Normally, I wouldn’t mind, but these chairs were my great grandmother’s, so they have some sentimental value to me.
They are a darker green with green- and white-striped cushions (although one of the cushions I found in the neighbor’s yard, so one is missing). One is a rocking chair and the other looks the same, but it’s just a regular chair.
I can’t imagine people carrying them around too far, as they are kind of heavy, unless they took them away in a car. I have scoped out the neighborhood, but have not found any sign of them. I’m hoping they weren’t ditched on the side of a street and someone else picked them up thinking they were free for the taking.
If you could keep your eyes out for them, I would greatly appreciate it. If you are the dirty rotten scoundrels that took them, please put them back where you found them. I just don’t understand why people do this type of thing — it really irks me. Thanks for your help!
DSL Slowdown?
We use Qwest DSL and for the last two or three weeks we have been having weird slowdowns. Most of the time, web pages load almost instantly but sometimes a page takes so long to load that we get a “can’t find the server” message. It’s not site dependent and we haven’t changed computers, DSL modem or router. It’s almost like we are getting a busy signal or something. Anyone else who uses Qwest DSL (especially in the Woodland area) experiencing these slowdowns?
Bat Girl & the Walrus
Has anyone else been following their romance in the personals of the Reader? It’s better than watching daytime soaps! The Walrus sounds like quite the romantic who is actively pursuing his love, Bat Girl. Who are they? What’s the back story? There was no ad in this week’s Reader from them but I am a total fan.
Need Fun!

I don’t get it. Is the billboard telling me I need fun in Hulk/Caveman language? Does Roper’s need fun people to facilitate a positive atmosphere and therefore generate more customers? Does the billboard proclaim that people in general need to have fun in their lives? Is there really someone (like Mr. Norman Fell in Three’s Company) named Roper? Or does the place belong to all people who rope things, in which case the apostrophe is misplaced? This is what I’m asking you.
Canal Theft Park
It always sucks to have something stolen from you. Recently (within the past 3-4 days) I was sitting down on the north side of the pier right by the bridge with some friends, when I walked away to go back to my car, realizing: Oh wow, I forgot my backpack! So, not even 5 minutes had passed, and when I went back to get it, it was gone. I thought, “Oh, someone just picked it up and will read my contact info on the inside and call me later.” That never happened. It was a black Duluth Pack that was given to me from my girlfriend, and then inside was my favorite pea green sweater ever, my iPod Classic, and then my headphones. In the front pocket was a whole lot of fun stuff too. So, I’m just saying, if anyone has it, please return it. I’d be so thankful and probably give you a few bucks for being an awesome person and returning it. If I find you wearing it, I’m going to have to punch you.
Scottish Gaelic Lessons
Learn Scottish Gaelic! Come to Gaelic Happy Hour at Carmody Irish Pub and learn conversational Scottish Gaelic over a glass of whisky. $35/month, Mondays, 6 p.m.
Duluth Air Quality Survey
Did any of you get surveyed in the past couple weeks about air quality in our area? I was wondering if anyone could confirm that this was legit. I got a weird feeling about it and when asked for personal info I declined. The survey seemed very weak on content and I was handed a very unprofessionally printed raffle ticket ($500 shopping spree or something like that) after answering a few questions.
This may not be really appropriate for PDD, but I didn’t know where else to ask. Does anyone have any information regarding this survey? The recent home break-ins mentioned in the DNT article “Duluth police: Watch neighbors’ homes,” seem well targeted and a door to door survey would be a great way to get a look inside peoples’ homes.
This is probably just paranoia (I recently had some stuff stolen from a car), but I thought it was worth asking.
Stolen car stereo! $80 reward! Caution! graphic video on disc!
Not to laugh at other people’s misfortune … but … maybe posting it here will help them get their stereo back?
Park Point Questions
What is the longest freshwater sandbar in the world? Wikipedia’s Minnesota Point page says that Minnesota Point and Wisconsin Pont combined make the largest freshwater sandbar, and someone at UMD says Park Point alone is the longest. However, a Vista Fleet tour guide said that Minnesota Point was the second longest freshwater sandbar, and a Google search for “second longest freshwater sandbar” finds many references to Park Point. (more…)
Another opportunity for Amsoil
Superior-based Amsoil is paying $6 million for naming rights to the new arena at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. So, is $20,000 too much to ask to get the logo tattooed on a dude’s arm?
I mention this because a guy from Superior has taken out an ad on Craigslist offering his arm “to be tattooed for an advertisement.” Specifically, he notes it will go on his forearm and be approximately 2-1/2 inches by 7 inches.
St. Mary’s/Duluth Clinic double billing?
Have you ever been double billed by SMDC?
I received a bill from both St. Mary’s and the Duluth Clinic that didn’t go away after paying the clinic. My friend recently also ran into the same problem. Database glitch?
I should add the bill was exactly the same amount.
Stuff I Like – Father’s Day Edition
I like my Infantino baby carrier.
Originally we had gotten an infant sling carrier for Mrs. Goose to carry the baby around in but she didn’t like it, and it was a little too small for me to use, plus it seemed vaguely unsafe so it sat on a shelf and she got a another one that worked well for her and worked with breast feeding and nap time, etc. But we didn’t have one for dad. Then, sure enough, the other carrier WAS unsafe, we got a recall notice in the mail and I wouldn’t have even done it since, by then, he was over a year old and walking and we didn’t really need one, but hey … free stuff.
Animals left in cars
Now that it quit raining and we have sun and heat, please help spread the word about dogs in cars. Twice already I’ve seen dogs locked in cars; one with windows barely cracked and another closed tightly. Next time, I’m calling the cops.
And while I’m on the animal rant, what is it with dogs in the backs of pick ups but not in a kennel? It outta be illegal!
Duluth a progressive city?
I was having a conversation with a young friend of mine today and I said Duluth is not a progressive city. But you have to look at what you have said. So I retract that and will clarify.
At the forefront of Duluth doing what I would call progressive thinking is the organic farm movement. There are good urban gardeners and also friends of ours that moved out into the country who are now raising and selling their produce. And we have an up-and-coming arts and music scene. Beyond that it slips away.
The question would be: What is a progressive city? Obviously something is lacking for me. I’d like to see a kick the jams hit on making Duluth sustainable. And what does that mean? The first thing to do when there is a big task is do the first thing right. And because I think this town lags in any sort of alternative energy program. This is a purely symbolic gesture with some overtures of functionality.
Let’s put a fund together, I pledge 50 dollars and we research and get the best solar with windturbine street light and put it on Lake and Superior. You make that intersection run under it’s own power and I’ll take off my hat to ya.
What would that do? If you could make it work it would prove you could do it. It would give a visible indication of what you could do. What is hardcore sustainability? Air, water, food. What is citywide sustainability? Much bigger deal, but it would make a progressive community.












