Shopping Advice…
I have developed a slight Mountain Dew Throwback problem — a love for a soda that I grew up on, with NO HFCs. I avoid HFCs where possible.
But where can I find this tasty soda in Duluth? Do you know of a gas station or corner shop that still has some?
Video Equipment Scouting
Hello,
My name is Rob Larson, and I posted a couple of weeks ago about compiling a name list for future video production work in the Twin Ports. I currently live and work in the Milwaukee area, and I am moving with my wife to Duluth in a couple of weeks.
My business partner and I are taking inventory of our equipment and deciding what I will be bringing with me to Duluth. We currently use all sorts of fun stuff: Green screens, dolly tracks, the FigRig, the Sony HVR-V1U, updated NLE studios and editing bays, etc…
I would like to get a sense of the equipment available in the area, as well as who’s who in Twin Ports video production. I plan to hold a meeting in July to become better acquainted with individuals who would like to have steady commercial and narrative production work.
Anyway, I would like to leave most of our equipment in the Milwaukee studio, but I can’t service any of our increasing number of Twin Ports clients without good equipment. So this post is to ask, “who has what?”
Cover Story: Gay Getaways & Duluth
Somewhat difficult to find the story online, but click the picture and that will get you started, anyway.
Caroline Smith & the Good Night Sleeps
Performing at Beaner’s Central on Friday, June 12, at 8 p.m.
Listen to songs from their debut album Backyard Tent Set at https://www.myspace.com/carolinesmithmusic.
(I particularly dig the track “Clinch My Teeth.”)
Selling a sea kayak
I’m looking to sell my sea kayak (decent boat used like 6 times, hence the sale). Besides Craigslist, are there places in town that I should be posting physical fliers?
Dungeons & Dragons Mentor Needed
My 10-year-old, known by old PDDers as “Little Pirate”, wants to start playing “Dungeons & Dragons”. Can anyone help explain what “Dungeons & Dragons” is to him? He wants to play the game because he’s a HUGE Futurama fan.
And are there any D&D kids groups in Duluth?
Any Motorcycle Junkyards near Duluth?
Does anyone know of a junkyard near Duluth which has lots of old Honda motorcycles in it?
Great Lakes Documentarian
A friend of a friend is looking to buy a cheap but lake-worthy boat in Duluth. He’s an artist working on a project documenting threats to Great Lakes fresh water.
He wants to start in Duluth and work towards the Ocean. He is looking for somebody that hangs out with small-fishing-company-types, or lake-ecology-research-professor types that might get his quest for a boat started.
This is his website: www.recycledcarbon.com
Twig Renaissance Festival, June 13-14
The Olde World Renaissance Faire is next weekend, June 13 & 14. If you’ve never been, take some time to go. It’s great fun!
Last seen alive at 4 p.m.
The dog in the shadow somehow made it’s way onto I-35 in West Duluth today. I saw it when traffic stopped on the Grand Avenue onramp, where drivers waited patiently for it to merrily prance by.
I think some people wanted to get out and try to rescue the dog, but it seemed like a dangerous thing to attempt. The dog got to the bottom of the onramp safely and continued on its way. It could be anywhere by now. I’m sure whereever it is and whatever danger it’s in, it still has its tongue hanging out and its tail obliviously wagging as if so much fun has never been had.
(In case the owner is reading: If you’re still looking for Rover/Scrappy/ Whatever, I recommend the Irving area. Sorry I couldn’t get a better description or photo, my camera is slow and I had to watch traffic.)
Large-flowered trilliums
Have you noticed these suckers are everywhere this spring?
I must see eight dozen wild flowers for every tick I pluck off my socks. Not a bad ratio.
Clever Headline
This Saturday at Thristy Pagan:
Show starts at 6 with two fab. songwriter/performers. Bands start at 9 and go till 1am. Bring earplugs and noisemakers.
Old Knifey (Duluth)
Will Tolle (MPLS)
Holly Newsome of Zoo Animal (MPLS)
Three Song Sunday (Duluth)
Colder in Moscow (MPLS)
The Fontanelles (Duluth/MPLS)
The Unit Breed (Portland, OR)
Straight Lake State Park
If you ever wanted to see a state park before it’s a state park, here’s your chance. Straight Lake State Park is about two and a half hours away from Duluth, near Luck, Wisconsin.
It is, legally, already a state park, but don’t look for big brown road signs to help you find it. The tiny yellow marker pictured above is all I found. (And when I asked people at a convenience store a few miles away for directions, the best advice I could get was “try asking at the library.”)
There’s an old ATV trail that runs through it (can’t drive those in there anymore) but otherwise there are not really any established trails, maps, parking spots, campsites, ranger stations, etc. (There are little flags here and there that show where some of those things might go some day.)
It is quite a nice lake, so I do recommend it. I wouldn’t say you should drive the 120+ miles from Duluth for this single purpose, but if you’re in the area, check it out.
Lake Superior Circle Tour Presentation
On Saturday, June 13 at 1 p.m., Lake Superior Magazine‘s own Paul Hayden will present an informative program about traveling the Lake Superior Circle Tour.
The presentation is free and open to the public, but please pre-register as space is limited. A second showing will be scheduled at 2:30 p.m. if attendance requires. The presentation will be held at the offices of Lake Superior Magazine, 310 E. Superior St. in Duluth.
For more information or to register, please call 218-722-5002 888-BIG-LAKE, or e-mail reader @ lakesuperior.com.
Fishing hole?
I am looking for a family-friendly place to fish from shore. Somewhere relatively close to Duluth would be best. Any suggestions?
Saturday June 6, 2009 @ The Redstar
Good place to buy a used canoe?
I’m thinking about buying a canoe and would like your advice on the best local places. A used canoe would be perfectly fine as long as it is not going to leak. I’ve heard some of the outfitters up by the boundary waters sell used canoes from time to time but don’t know where or when to look for these sales. Any recommendations about places to avoid would be welcome too.
Save the Date: Father’s Day at the Zoo
Boyz II Dadz 9th Annual Father’s Day at the Zoo
First 200 through the gates are free. Free Train Rides. Free Face Painting. Free Family Snapshots. Much more.
Rain or Shine. Everyone Welcome.
Kia Sucka-Palooza
I suspect there may be a resurgence of the “thumbs down” feature after this post, but I’m in a bind, and any car and/or relationship advice would be greatly appreciated!!!
I need to decide what to do with my currently inoperative car. Should I fix it and hope for a few more good years before driving it to it’s death? Or should I float it out on Lake Superior and set it alight, putting it out of it’s misery with a Viking funeral?*
* This is more of a metaphor really… I wouldn’t actually shove my car into Lake Superior, as it would be horribly toxic for our water source.
(more…)
Open Letter
Dear manufacturers of pretty much every electronics product,
Thank you so much for including a plastic sleeve for the owner’s manual. It would truly be a shame if such an important document as an owner’s manual were to ever be damaged by dust or spilled liquids during the two minutes between it coming out of the box and getting jammed into a file cabinet.
Sedaris preview?
What you can expect Monday, or not expect.
https://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/jun/02/author-headline-goes-hyere-and-hyere/
DNT Watch: Headline changes, but little else
Yesterday the Duluth News Tribune online version printed an article on Edison Schools which is listed in the search above. I am not sure if it was in the paper version or not, because I rarely read that except for the headlines when I see the paper, or on weekends. And yes, I do subscribe, weekends only, but I want to support the paper especially for the many fine people I know and care about who work there.
So in the search that I screen-shotted (if that’s a proper term) above I noticed two articles on the same report on Edison schools. The thing is … it’s the same article. So they changed the headline, good. But there is no retraction, no correction, and the article’s substance is essentially the same: no more analysis, interviews, or balance brought to the piece. I am not a journalist by any means, but for me, this doesn’t really pass the smell test. I mean there are, I suppose, a thousand or more families in this community involved in Edison schools and maybe a couple thousand more at other area and regional charter schools. That should be enough people who are affected to get the story out properly in a balanced and factual manner, shouldn’t it? And if not then I say don’t cover it at all because something this critical of an organization requires level headed reporting in order to be responsible.
A final note … anyone who clicks on the new “version” won’t see all of the critical comments from me and nearly a dozen other readers on the first piece. Naturally, they weren’t included in the update. Thin skinned much DNT?