Weird
Matt O., Brian P. and Brad N.
I used to think comedian Brian Posehn (center) would be the perfect actor to play the role of local musician/tattoo artist Matt Osterlund (left), but now I’m seeing a resemblance to local musician/restaurant propagandist Brad Nelson (right).
Duluth Pipe-smoking Trend
While my data collection process might be flawed (data gained mostly by conformation bias) there sure seems to be a recent uptick in Duluth pipe smokers.
I am talking about the briar pipe, burley and latakia type of pipe smoker not the glass and green type. While pipes are a distant third to cigs and cigars, I have run into 6-8 pipe smokers just in the past two months and many more over the past year. Usually 35-45 types, all who appear to have penises.
While this might be borderline PDD topic material I am interested if anyone else noticed or is paying attention. Duluth in general has been a pretty bare place for pipe tobacco since the shop on First Avenue West shut down. Buttes in West Duluth is the only shop that sorta has real pipe tobacco that I know of. Maybe add it to your business plan to make a buck or two.
Any smokers the way of the briar out there in PDD land?
Wild Grinch Chase
I’m looking to borrow a Grinch costume for my junior high choir concert in December. A fellow teacher told me that she saw two different marching bands with a costumed Grinch at the Christmas City of the North Parade on Friday. Of course, I wasn’t there, but does anyone remember which two marching bands might have had a green, Grouchy Santa monster marching with them? I hear one of the bands was in blue uniforms with an S on their chests.
If no one went to the parade, does anyone know of a wacky uncle or a costume shop that might have this particular costume? The concert is coming up fast!
Yet another LPOE Post
Can someone explain the sign now in the window at the Last Place on Earth stating that on April First they will stop selling incense and start selling marijuana?
Tiny Bird Living in a Big Box
This bird is living in the Home Dept Store in Duluth. Or it was a few days ago anyway.
At first I just caught it out of the corner of my eye, thinking it was a figment of my imagination, then I discovered it was real. Then, and this is the best part, a lovely clerk in a bright orange smock caught me and my daughter looking for the bird and she started to tell us its remarkable story.
(more…)
The Big Year Christmas Eve in Duluth
So, I’m fairly sure that no one has mentioned on PDD before that the 2011 movie The Big Year, which screened locally at Zinema 2, has a brief reference to Duluth. (Laura Erickson did mention it on her birding blog, though.)
The shot above is followed by a restaurant scene that is supposed to be in Duluth but is obviously not. (more…)
Perfect Duluth Beard
Duluth breeds good beards. As Novembeard commences, here is some local inspiration for your month-long beard growing festival.
The rules of Novembeard are simple.
- Shave on November 1.
- Don’t shave November 2-30.
Add your own Duluth facial hair icons and chart your beard progress in the comments.
Look for a guy with a goat skull on his head…
I found an interesting discussion about a possible video-game/real-life event happening over at /r/duluth/. Maybe we can help solve this mystery? (more…)
All publicity is good publicity?
From the front page of Fail Blog. I don’t remember that particular quote, but the sign itself looks awfully familiar.
Remembering the Duluth Bicycle Tree
An old “Where in Duluth?” post reminded me of the “Bicycle Tree” near the College of St. Scholastica. Eight years ago, or longer, a collection of bikes started growing on a tree … or whatever happened. I actually never saw it, I only heard about it. Fortunately, Tony Rogers has a whole gallery of photos from 2004.
The DOY Podcast, Episode Two
In the second installment of DOY, we go “Behind the Music” with one of Tony’s earliest and most formative recordings, Nate relives church-function sexual discovery, and Jody weighs the importance of his dog’s testicles. Other non-factual topics range from reptilian shapeshifters to Box Car Willie’s lust for children and a mysterious Hardy Boy named Nan. (more…)
Photog seeking props
I’m working on a little side project, more or less some product shots. I’m looking to borrow a few items that I haven’t been able to turn up while thrifting which has been mind boggling seeing as how they are pretty common items. Well, for the most part. I think I should only need these for a day, two tops. (more…)
Do we at least have the Duluth record?
Apparently, the record for heads on a single sunflower plant is in the low 100s. This one from PDD’s West Duluth Headquarters only has about 25 heads — which the Internet tells us is actually rather common. Anyway, some critter chewed this sucker down last night, so our attempt at the record has fallen considerably short.
Confusing enough?
This sign is on the entrance to the Green Door Lounge in Beaver Bay. I guess it means that even though the place is going to be closed on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays, it will still be “open” on Mondays and Tuesdays … with the quotation marks maybe indicating that they are “open for suggestions” or something. Maybe that’s how the “new hours” work.
Drones?
Did anyone see the “drone-like” plane fly over Bayfront Park on Saturday during the Harvest Festival? The same thing flew over the July 4th Parade in Superior. Any idea what it is?
Late Summer Swim at the Cutest Little Beach in WI
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=872Wf6FV240
Things I saw.
Slacklining and Swimming at Uncle Harvey’s Mausoleum
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vBVwXht9zQ
Duluth’s megalithic ruins. I’d taken a spot of footage late last winter, and I’ve been looking forward to a summer shoot just like this to complete a video exploration of the Cribs, aka Uncle Harvey’s Mausoleum. Sure enough these kind party people let me video their fun-loving attempts to best a wiggly slackline here on the late summer date of Sept. 9.
The water was very cold, it must be said, but I seem to have experienced a bodywide mutagenic change that can take it. I look forward to a shoot next summer with warm, crystal clear water; maybe I can get video even farther down in and around this quintessentially Duluth structure.
The Perilous Inlet 1 & 2
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqlQXrBMkcM
[Part two of this video series is no longer available.]
(Regular readers may recognize the first couple of minutes of part 2 as I already released those, teaser-style, not too long ago. Now the gruesome conclusion may be shown.)
Welcome to Washburn, Wisconsin!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnUb12y-_uE&feature=youtu.be
Obama sucks; defeat the liar
The latest campaign sign to add to PDD’s collection of whack-job yard art is this one on Highway 13 near Washburn, Wis.
Who cares?
This Duluth campaign sign from 2001 is my all-time favorite. I think what Dan Williams might have intended to suggest was that he was the answer to the question — he cares. But no one took it that way.
Williams was running for the Fourth District City Council seat. He was knocked out in the primary by Roger Reinert and Neill Atkins. Atkins eventually won, topping Reinert by 18 votes.
Adding insult to injury.
Maybe you don’t live in Lakeside and missed this on Saturday. Well: there it is.
McPants on Fire?
I’ve been watching that god-awful fortress of a retaining wall around the London Road McDonald’s slowly bulge outward over the past months with a mixture of bemused amazement and horror. Now comes word via the News Tribune that the wall is being knocked down and rebuilt … as part of a cosmetic enhancement? (more…)
Guy Challenge
I was at the DQ in Superior the other day. I think maybe the men’s room is designed for aliens. Anyway, next time you’re there see if you can reach the TP dispenser while sitting on the throne.
Hang gliding in Duluth
Have you ever seen someone hang glide in Duluth?
I think I did once, but it might just be a weird dream I had back when I was kid. What I remember is that I was at the Little League baseball end-of-season carnival/Olympics, or whatever it was, at Wheeler Fields. It would have been about 1984. I think I saw some guy launch off the hillside where “The Wall” is on Skyline Drive, and then land on one of the baseball fields at Wheeler.
Is hang gliding just a dying sport in general, or is there something about Duluth — maybe the lake winds are too unpredictable and strong or the hills aren’t high enough to produce a good “ridge lift” or whatever — that makes hang gliding here rare or impossible?
And whatever happened to the guy with the hot-air balloon?