Translating Minnesota Nice
Written and directed by Samuel T. Weston, whose goal is to shoot 20 short videos in 2016. One down, 19 to go.
Shot in Duluth by Corey Lehman. Featuring Weston as “Vern” and Justin White as “Greg.”
Price Check: Cuisinart Griddler Grill
When you decide a Cuisinart Griddler is the most valuable appliance in your home, you will find yourself mollycoddling it like a 4-month-old tot. This brushed stainless steel grill functions as a contact grill, panini press, full grill, full griddle, or half grill / half griddle. It has a hinged floating cover that adjusts to the thickness of hamburgers, paninis or steaks.
The cooking plates are removable, reversible, nonstick and dishwasher-safe, with an integrated drip tray to collect grease. The two temperature controls make it easy to cook eggs and steak at the same time. It’s also BPA free for those concerned with the health effects of potential poisonous packaging.
Here lies the third feature for the Price Check series where we compare prices on basic, practical products and services around Duluth and Superior. The prices below reflect the rate the establishment charges with tax included. Minnesota and Duluth sales tax total 7.875%. Wisconsin and Douglas County sales tax total 5.5%. (more…)
Comics on my Mind
Local artist and design teacher Darren Houser presents on his work, among other presentations at the Martin Library at UMD, organized by Pat Maus.
A recent event at UMD spotlighted comics as a scholarly and artistic pursuit. (more…)
This Week: teenyboppers, slowcore merchants, cult members
Here’s a bit of what you’ll find on this week’s PDD Calendar:
Former teenybopper and noted Trump booster Aaron Carter sings for his supper at the Red Herring for the second night in a row, the seventh annual Eat Downtown Restaurant Week kicks off at over 20 local establishments, suspense writer Brian Freeman releases the latest of his Duluth-set novels, a LOWcal band plays a gig, the best regional high-school hockey players show off their stuff at Amsoil Arena and Charlie Parr and Coyote fundraise for Spirit of the Lake Community School with a show at Karpeles Manuscript Museum.
It’s Bockfest 2016 in the Fitger’s Courtyard, Fame the Musical opens at the Duluth Playhouse, Moors & McCumber let their latest recording loose into the wild, those crazy kids Romeo and Juliet are lovin’ it up at Lincoln Park Middle School, Cloud Cult brings its act to Duluth, the Ides of March cover bands are upon us, the 2016 Duluth Women’s Expo features pampering aplenty and kids with special needs can get a chilled-out sesh with the Easter Bunny.
Roe Family Singers – “Sail Away Ladies”
Roe Family Singers return to Duluth on March 12 for a concert with the Holy Hootenanners at Teatro Zuccone.
Grocery Evolution
There is an evolution of grocery shopping that occurs during a lifetime, if you didn’t grow up on a farm or hunting shack living off the land. It starts when you’re a kid and your parents drag you along to the Piggly Wiggly, Red Owl or wherever.
They try to ram you into that cold metal seat on the cart, facing the opposite direction of traffic, but it never quite works out. It doesn’t take much kicking and screaming to get mom to let you loose, so you can scamper all over the store and knock things over.
It’s not your fault. You don’t want to be there; you were brought against your will. A tantrum is to be expected.
Also, as long as you are being held hostage on this mission, it only makes sense to grab all the low-hanging snack food and try to use it as a bargaining tool. If mom will simply buy a box of individually wrapped corn syrup wads, you’ll stop tugging on her pants to constantly beg for them. It’s a fair deal.
Eventually, of course, your parents smarten up and lock you in the car. Soon you become old enough to be left home alone, and it’s at that point you enter a long period where you never go to the grocery store. Food is just delivered to you and magically appears in cupboards. This is the halcyon period of your sustenance-acquiring existence. (more…)
Selective Focus: Dirty Snow
Hugh Reitan, “Snowmen”
We’ve had prettier Selective Focus features, but there can be an unusual beauty in ugliness, even humor, as Hugh Reitan’s image above demonstrates (or there’s just abject horror as with Aaron Reichow’s current submission). (more…)
Kraig James – “Afterbloom”
Kraig James & the Campfire Stars are releasing a new song each month in 2016 for a project called Campfire Americana: Volume 1. This is the second track, available for download at kraigjames.com/music. The video was shot in Ely.
Gaelynn Lea to appear on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series
Duluth musician Gaelynn Lea has been chosen as the winner of National Public Radio’s Tiny Desk Contest. NPR asked musicians from across the country to send a video of an original song, performed behind a desk. Specifically, the contest was seeking “a song and a sound that felt original and a performance that felt inspired.” Among 6,100 entries, Gaelynn Lea was the favorite. Below is her audition video.
Logo Design and WordPress Site Developer in Duluth
I’m a small business owner/consultant looking for someone to help me with branding, and to refresh my current WordPress website. Anyone have a list of local folks that they would recommend?
Minnesota 2016 Caucus Results
Minnesota Republican Party
Marco Rubio – 41,397 | 36%
Ted Cruz – 33,181 | 29%
Donald J. Trump – 24,473 | 21%
Dr. Ben Carson – 8,422 | 7%
John R. Kasich – 6,565 | 6%
Write in – 207 | 0.18%
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
Bernie Sanders – 125,635 | 61%
Hillary Clinton – 78,317 | 38%
Uncommitted – 1,067 | 0.52%
Write in – 213 | .1%
Martin O’Malley – 153 | 0.07%
Rocque “Rocky” de la Fuente – 53 | 0.03%
(more…)
In the Mourning
[This post originally contained an embedded video that is no longer available at its source.]
Max Haben shot this video “one cloudy Saturday morning in Duluth without much direction.”
Off-Broadway ice fishing
Nice Fish, Mark Rylance’s play based on the poetry of former Duluthian Louis Jenkins, made its off-Broadway debut at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn on Feb. 14 and continues its run through March 13. An article in The New Yorker notes Jenkins’ poems, “which are syncopated reveries about bologna sandwiches, sea lions, and the meaning of life, are integral to the Nice Fish script.”
Rylance won an Oscar on Sunday for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the Steven Spielberg film Bridge of Spies.
Minnesota’s First Presidential Primary
“In Minnesota, the Democrats are all for Wilson so far as the candidates for delegate are concerned. The crazyquilt presidential primary law has befuddled everybody from the rummy to justices of the supreme court. Only Albert B. Cummins, senator of Iowa, and Henry D. Estabrook of New York, are before the Republicans for their “preference.”
Full story text below: (more…)
Short Shorts Film Festival 2016 Winners
The PDD documentary Honeycomb Hideout won First Place this weekend at the Duluth Playhouse’s annual Short Shorts competition.
See the first, second, and third place winners after the Read More link.
(more…)
Behind the Curtain at Duluth.com
Duluth.com got a pretty sweet write-up today by the Duluth News Tribune.
Duluth.com is dedicated to celebrating all things Duluth. Duluth.com highlights sustenance, adventure, fun, and the people of our community because each business, person and activity contributes to Duluth’s unique brand.
Whatever you do: Duluth.com
This Week: Rhinos, Robots, Cats and Caucuses
Politics and civics grab the headlines this week with caucus after caucus after caucus after caucus after caucus taking place throughout Minnesota on Tuesday. In the realm of literature, Lucie Amundsen talks about all things poultry at her Locally Laid book launch on Wednesday. At the same time, the Walker Art Center’s Internet Cat Video Festival screens at Zinema 2. Chickens or cats, take your pick. If that’s not enough variety, more than 100 robotics teams from across the region compete at the DECC Arena on Saturday.
Two new theater productions open on Thursday. UMD’s Dudley Experimental Theater stages a drama about rhinoceroses taking over a French town, while the Underground presents a comic opera by Gilbert and Sullivan that follows a band of immortal fairies.
In the realm of music, the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra pays homage to the mythical god Wotan on Saturday, then its three youth orchestras roll out the lollipops on Sunday. The Red Herring Lounge counters those shows with Minneapolis’ Bad Bad Hats on Saturday and 1990’s teen sensation Aaron Carter on Sunday.
I don’t believe in God, yet she is always with me
I was on a trail run the other day in the woods near my house when God spoke to me. He said, “Who cooks for you?” When I didn’t respond he said it again, “Who cooks for you?” So I replied, “We eat out a lot.” Yes, on that particular occasion God was a Barred Owl. (more…)
Map of the Day: Duluth’s Canal Parking
After a ridiculously warm weekend, it seems like spring has arrived early. Before you know it, thousands of Minneapolis-types like myself will be driving up Interstate 35 to the cool shores of Gitche Gumee.
Since its post-industrial low point a few decades ago, Duluth has built Canal Park into one of the top-drawing tourist spots in the state. It’s definitely a great place, but I continue to be amazed by how much prime Canal Park real estate is occupied by pavement for storing cars. After a visit last fall, I made this map and found there are 21 acres of surface parking in Canal Park. (more…)
PDD Quiz: February 2016
[This post originally contained an embedded quiz created on the platform Qzzr. It is no longer available at its source.]
February 2016 is almost over and it’s time to see if you were paying attention! Take the quiz about events in and around Duluth over the last month.
Our next quiz will be on March 13 and, since that’s near the ides of March, we’ll be looking at the history of disasters in the Duluth area.
Send your suggested quiz questions (and answers) to lawrence @ perfectduluthday.com by noon on Wednesday, Mar. 9.
2016 MN State High School Hockey Brackets
The AA and A boys hockey tournament seeds and brackets are set. #1 seed Hermantown plays its quarter final game Wed. at 6 p.m. vs #8 seed Dassel-Cokato. Grand Rapids seeded #4 and will play #5 seed Bemidji in the AA quarterfinal game at the X at 8 p.m. Thursday. Good luck to all the teams!
Creep. Weirdo.
I can’t remember ever knowing who I am or believing I belong.
Moving story, bro, but what’s your point? A lot of people occasionally wonder who they are. We all sometimes feel out of place.
Right. But I mean I have no idea who I am. I mean I have never (literally not ever) felt like I belong among other humans. Oh, and sometimes when I’m trying to figure out that stuff I feel like part of me was from Duluth — from this place — long before I started living here. That’s pretty weird.
I come from people who lived in Duluth for a while and loved it and contributed to it and died and are buried in dirt here. My maternal great-grandpa, George Beck, was Duluth Central principal for about 30 years, then helped found WDSE-TV. Mom grew up in McGregor and often came over on the train to visit him and great-grandma (Leila) Beck. Mom got a Duluth Business University degree and worked at the air base for a while. Dad graduated from UMD in 1970, the same year I was conceived at 927 West Fifth Street. Great-grandma died in ’81; Great-grandpa went in ’91; their bodies are at Forest Hill Cemetery. (more…)