more dis-embodied brains damn it!

OK, this weather has finally gotten to me. I'd firstly like to say that I haven't posted in awhile and it's only due to a lack of a BRAIN! Yepperz that's right, my brain (or parts of it) have been out wreaking havoc on heros and really hot space ladies. I guess my brain found some sympathetic monkeys but then some ,probably republican, space-hero jerk had to come along and laser the containment jar....grrr...poor my brain...now I'm cloudy, wet (not complaining on this one) and BRAINLESS!!
If any pdd'ers come across my brain at cub or terrorizing a quilting circle or hovering menacingly surrounded in an eerie purple iridescence over a playground, please get it for me. ..Until then, I've substituted a mixture of extra-firm tofu from the co-op, some gumi worms and an old casio led watch I had laying around...Actually works pretty well, I'm always on time and relatively flavorless without a sauce of some sort. Actually, if I could come to think of it, being brainless isn't all that bad, I'm mainly concerned about everyone who has to deal my my dis-embodied brain floating outside their window...Satisfying it's many and diverse purient interests. So please do our perfect little town a favor and try coaxing it with talk of ancient astronauts, pictures of victorian steam powered space ships or wave an Eames swag lamp hypnotically until you can throw a muslin tarp (no plastic please) over it and email me.

I've been working on my photos. I'm selling some prints (below) if anyone is interested.

    

    

    

Gallery o' Geeks

Pictures from the 2004 Geek Prom are now viewable at Geek Prom dot com. Enjoy

Vuja De...

It's that peculiar feeling you've never been here before.

Movie Mania!

I have had movies on the brain lately. Recently I became a 1/3 member of a Netflix subscription and this has been wonderful so far. Now I don't have to go to the Movie shop and stare blankly at the stacks and wonder what the hell I want to watch. Instead I line up my choices online while reading reviews and recommendations. The trouble with this is I WANT MORE! I want to go to the Theaters and see first run Indie movies and art films. I want a drive-in theater. I want to drink while watching my films.

Well my friends are you in luck.

Several good things are happening or will soon be happening in Duluth to scratch our cinematic itch.

1. The NorShor is opening their screen free of charge to anybody that would like to show a movie. In today's Duluth News Tribune Wave section is an article about it. This is a nice new option in town. The movies will be free and this will offset the new higher prices of hooch at the Shor.

2. The Duluth Public Library has also been showing monthly movies in that really green room in the basement. I went to the first one and received a 5 dollar gift card for Caribou Coffee. I am not sure if this will continue through the summer but it is a nice addition. Smuggled booze might be noticed in the stuffy environment.

Now comes the fun part.

3. Movies and music in the park. This has been my dream for some time but I am finally going to do it. Initially I wanted to have this take place in Leif Erickson Park but that would have meant dealing with the city, finding a big screen, raising money, blah blah blah. Now I want to do it at the Sailboat Park. That is the name I am giving the park located at 7 Avenue West and Superior St. The city refers to it as a triangle but it is so much more. The shape of the structure protects from the wind and the noise of Superior St is deflected. It will comfortably seat 30-40 folks and the walls are white, so no screen needed. As far as music goes I envision completely acoustic performances for a half hour or so till it gets dark enough to start the flick.

Movies will be chosen by a diferent person each week and that person will also pick the music act and introduce the movie. I think Tuesdays will be a good day to do this and I want to start as soon as possible. This saturday we may have a dry run to see how it works, weather permitting of course.

Does anyone have a video projector?

4. You may all be aware of the new movie Theater being built next to the DECC. I for one am very excited about this but I think we need to let the owners of CEC Theaters know that we want more. We want more than the same Hollywood Shlock playing at two or three of their theaters. By my count they will now have 35 screens in the Duluth/Superior area. I have heard that they plan on turning the Haines Rd Theater into a second run venue which would take eight screens away from new movies but that leaves 27 screens to program.

I proprose that we form an informal lobbying organization to bring better movies to the Twin Ports. I believe that there is more than enough support to make it work. If anyone out there would be interested in forming this group with me send an email.

So there you have it. Four reasons to be excited. Is there anything I missed?

5. How could I forget. Free Range Film Fest

Bye Bye, Miss American Pie...

I suggest catching up with Frontline on PBS this evening to watch their "The Way Music Died." Sounds like it's going to be a pretty provocative program on the direction of the music industry over the last thirty years...obviously critical of the record execs who wouldn't know talent if it bought them lunch...which is why we have acts like Britney Spears, and any number of rediculously overrated and overhyped lip sync money makers who've come down the pipe in the last few years...I think it's on at nine...

Gallery of Sweaters

Leslie Hall models her sweater collection here.


(Thanks to Linda for the hot tip.)

Artcars

These artcar pictures make me so ashamed to drive a dark green minivan. I have a hot glue gun. Now I just need a theme.

How much is that Doggy in the window?

Meet Francis. She is a puppy that was abandoned and was not well cared for before that. I picked her up on Saturday night and briefly entertained the idea of keeping her. Alas I am not a dog person but she is such a sweet puppy. So I thought I would offer her up for adoption to you , my Blogging friends. She seems very healthy, I have no idea if she has had her shots and she is definitely not "fixed" yet.

Everybody that meets her loves her but who doesn't love a puppy.

If you want any more info shoot me an email. I will have to enter her in the Animal Allies system soon so don't wait.



Here are Chuck and Lorika after the DFL Convention playing with Francie.

Happy Birthday Bob!

It's Dylan's birthday...

"Escape from Iraq"

So this guy who was captured and held prisoner for a month or whatever... The first thing I thought of when I saw him was this: He's not afraid of dying. Watch all the video clips (there's a dateline special about it coming up). And you'll see, not once was he afraid, not once did he not believe he was coming home. When he's sitting in the car with his captors, on TV, a position most likely to terrify your average person, he calmly says to the camera "They attacked our convoy." and "I can't say anything else".

Motive? Publicity... political gain... I have no idea. The only thing I know is that guy was as 'calm as a Hindu cow'.

The Need For Civil Disobedience...

I have had a long standing affinity for intelligent, intellectual acts of Civil Disobedience for quite some time...I regard some forms of C.D. as being little subliminal messages that let society know that there are people out there who try to keep the populace thinking a little bit beyond what's handed to them on CNN or FOX...

I stumbled across the Freeway Blogger while perusing my regular media watchdog...

A friend in Emerald, WI has sent me a picture or two of an overpass on I-94 headed toward Hudson. There are about four or five overpasses that have "Support Our Troops" spray painted on the westbound side of the overpasses. Someone had cleverly obliterated the "T" and "R" in "Troops" on the last overpass, making it appear to read "SUPPORT OUR OOPS."

take a gander and see what you think.

enjoy...

Kaufman Goofin on Elvis...

Andy Kaufman apparently pulled off one of the biggest pranks in history...According to a Yahoo story from yesterday (I think) the man is still kickin in NYC...andy kaufman returns

Web Poll Results

Which Van Halen album kicks the most ass?



1. I [8 votes, 14.81%]
2. II [7 votes, 12.96%]
3. Women and Children First [4 votes, 7.41%]
4. Fair Warning [5 votes, 9.26%]
5. Diver Down [14 votes, 25.93%]
6. 1984 [16 votes, 29.63%]

If you're not loving, you're not living.

Thank you Calvin Johnson for reminding me why I like music. Thank you for making us all sit on the stage and making the drum riser the stage. Thank you for playing that Little Wings song even if you didn't really know it. Finally, thank you for being as weird as you are.

Please come back to Duluth again soon.

Time for Bible Study

Get back to the basics at thebricktestament.com.
There's something for fans of new and old testament alike. Oh-that-wacky-wacky-Bible.

scavenging can be fun

my roomy foggy gets cred for this sweet find. she and her crew were rooting for antiques in a "vacant" cabin up the shore.

Fred

This is my second attempt to post an image for the first time. To make it worth your while either way, I present this link to all things Fred: www.fredsociety.com

Calvin Johnson-TONIGHT!

I have been a fan of Calvin Johnson for some time. I discovered him first through the Halo Benders and worked my way back to Beat Happening. He is from Olympia, WA. which I have long thought Duluth needs to emulate. He also started K Records, home to many great artists.

So get off yer ass and head down to the MAC. More info here.

John Holden, local poetry slam god opens and I have a snazzy playlist on the iPod for in between things.

See you there cats.

A Great Sandwich.

Yesterday at work I couldn't stop thinking about Tempeh Reubens. The Scenic Cafe has a pretty decent Tempeh Reuben but who can afford to eat there all the time. So I began planning. Bread is easy, a nice Rye. Cheese, Swiss of course, sliced thin. Tempeh, I purchased the White Wave-Five Grain variety. Saurkraut, any variety will do but hoemade is best. So this leaves us with the most important part, the sauce. I was going to go the easy route and buy some Thousand Island Dressing but V-Nick intervened. So I thought about getting some sort of Amy's dressing but nothing seemed right. Then the big breakthrough! Julie Zimmerman was at the Co-op shopping and I asked her what to put on my Reuben. She suggested a Sour Cream and Horseradish mixture, VOILA!

Now making a Tempeh Reuben is pretty easy.

1. Cut the Tempeh in half lengthwise.
2. Fry the Tempeh in some butter (mmm butter.)
3. Prepare the bread by buttering the outsides.
4. Place the bread, butter side down in pan, place Swiss Cheese and Tempeh on top, cover with other piece of bread, butter side up.
5. Brown both sides until cheese is melty and delicious.
6. Remove sandwich from pan and take off the bread piece away from the cheese.
7. Slather with Sour Cream/Horseradish mixture and preheated Saurkraut.
8. Replace bread and cut in half.
9. Enjoy.


Anyone else have good sandwich ideas?

The White Post

Sick...

I hate it when you're sick and trying to fight it off. The sick just won't let go; and it keeps pummeling you and making your life hell for a few days. You can't sleep, you can't or don't want to eat, and working-forget about it. That's the worst. Concentration is a minimum, you're stuck, sicking away and feeling horrible, not only because you genuinely feel like hammered shit, but because everyone around you is soon going to be in on this very un-funny joke. If they're not already, you're going to give it to them in the form of whatever it is that you have.
When I was a kid, I used to go through major spells of sick. Sometimes, they'd have to take me to the E.R. and the only way they could bring my fever down was to put me in ice water. That obviously didn't sit too well with me. I can remember screaming bloody murder as my folks and the nurses and doctors attempted to keep me calm and hold me down. Not an easy task. It's kind of eerie for one of my first memories. All I could see was white. White walls, white tub, and white faces behind white masks; the panic and screams that I heard in my head being my own. The merciless grip of cold as the ice and water surrounded me.
As I got older, those spells and their intensity diminished. I still get sick, but not as bad as I used to. I'm still afraid of water, though.

check, check, check

It's easy and fun, take your name, turn it vertical and assign a band name to each of the letters. This is Sharyn's idea


Split Lip Rayfield
Cure
Old 97's
Trip Shakespeare
T. Rex


Lambchop
Uncle Tupelo
Negativland
The The

Poll Results

Whose absence will leave the deepest, darkest hole in your existence?

1. Monica [4 votes, 9.76%]
2. Ross [3 votes, 7.32%]
3. Rachel [4 votes, 9.76%]
4. Chandler [8 votes, 19.51%]
5. Phoebe [14 votes, 34.15%]
6. Joey [8 votes, 19.51%]

I had my first zombie dream last night

The setting: A cocktail party at the old Dark Horse Theater in Duluth.

In attendance: my parents, former baseball superstar Tony Gwynn and about 25 strangers.

The only thing I remember before the zombie part is that, while it was exciting to meet Tony Gwynn, I had nothing to say to him. "Hey, nice job hitting the baseballs," was about the best thing I could come up with, so I just said nothing.

Suddenly, I started to notice that more and more people at the party were developing pale skin and wild, bloodshot eyes. One of them was my mother. She came over and told me she was going to turn me into a zombie too.

I told her I didn't want to be a zombie, but she started pointing out all the benefits of becoming a zombie, and it started to sound pretty good.

Then I noticed my dad wasn't a zombie yet. I asked my mom about this. "Oh, your father is so stubborn," she told me. "He never wants to do anything fun."

My dad came over and told me that, while it's fun to be a zombie, it's also important to be responsible. "Do you think Tony Gwynn could have won all those batting titles if he was zombified all the time?"

"Probably not," I said, "but at least zombies have something to talk about."

Saturday Afternoon Madness

Homegrown was fun, and the balmy Saturday weather rocked just as much as the music. I'm still not a videographer, but here's a little something I whipped up -- pasty-skinned rock stars taking a rare voyage into the sunlight and enjoying life, Dullyouth style. It's a 15.7 Mb download, WMV format.

Here's a big, ugly Quicktime version for people with big, ugly Macs. (20Mb -- and the WMV version is much, much better. View that one if you can.)

And now to put "Rock Lobster" on the hi-fi and slather on the aloe vera lotion. Man, I am burned to a crisp.

Anatomy of a Rocket

-Sturdy cro-moly steel road frame with braze-ons for linear pull or cantilever brakes on the seat stays and fork.
-14-18 tooth cogs on a flip-flop hub (fixed gear on one side and freewheel on the other).
-Sun Ringle 26 inch rims with 26X1-1/4 pizza cutter tires pumped up to 120 psi.
-Wellgo pedals on a decent three-piece crank set.
-36 tooth Big Ring.
-Moustache handlebars mounted upside down with aero brake levers, all wrapped up in black cushion tape.
-A comfortable racing saddle.
-A good set of linear pull or cantilever brakes. (If you have linear pull brakes, you won't be able to use the sleek aero levers, so you'll have to use cantilever brakes, which are easier to set up than linear pull, but are a little more labor intensive in the long run.)
-Bearings, Grease, and brake cable.
-Piece it all together accordingly (make sure you use the right tools, or take it up to Brynn, he's good with a wrench.)...
-Take it out and ride...

Ssssssscaryfassstttt!!!


This is a similar bike recipe used by bike messengers all over. It's light, compact, low maintenance, and...FAST if you want it to be. It's not what yer ride looks like (unless you happen to be Starfire, and you pedal round on a delicious red fat tire cruiser...), it's what's on it that makes it fast.

A dream o mine. I'll have to suffice with my Mule for now: a Schwinn aluminum S-95.4 hack w/ Michelin center slicks, Spinergy carbon fiber rear wheel and Manitou fork.

Kicball showdown at high noon.

There has been some talk about the Friday night bands actually having a shot at winning the annual kickball game. That is about all it is, TALK. They will never win! Long live saturday.

Currentt odds, Saturday favored 3 to 1 with a total run over\under at 11. Wagers will be taken until 11:50am. See Mr. Lindquist.

Chester Bowl | Noon | Sat. May 8th

5 homegrown pictures.

Next Time...

Out of respect for th rest o the blogger krew...I'll post the link to the picture...sorry...newbie @ this thing, and I didn't think about the bandwidth issue.

day two.

Thanks to everyone that came out to the Twin Ports Brewery. The only hitch to the evening was Tony Bennett's illness, he had to stay home and ache and blow his nose. His spot was abley filled by Ryan Deblock.

Tonight is the "official" kickoff at the Starfire Lounge. We will cut a ribbon, schmooze with the Mayor and drink Homegrown Hempen Ale. The fine folks at the Brewhouse are rolling in some more beer stations so the wait for hempy goodness will be much shorter.

The Cacophones will be performing around 10 or so and local music will be blaring out of the speakers all night.

Heads Up

Keeping with a tradition begun last year, the Lake Superior Cacophonic Choir will be performing at Fitger's Brewhouse on Thursday night at the Homegrown kickoff edition of Starfire Lounge. I'm not sure if this post is an invitation or a warning, but it will happen and it will be utterly mint.

Also, of course a bunch of people including myself will be playing some hot Rawk and/or Roll Devil Music. So come on down and help kick off the biggest birthday party of the year.

PDD Poll Results

Who would you rather get beat up after school by?

1. Buddy Hinton [6 votes, 12.77%]
2. The Gooch [41 votes, 87.23%]

note: the results of this poll were skewed by the absence of Violet Rutherford as an option.

Satan?

Is it me, or is this guy really Lucifer incarnate? And what's with the freaky hand gestures? I think he's trying the old Jedi Mind Trick on us...

"These aren't the facts you're looking for..."

And so it begins.

Homegrown starts early again this year so that we may get everybody a slot. Tonight also marks the first time that Homegrown has gone over the bridge.

Twin Ports Brewery | 1623 Broadway, Superior, WI.

8pm | Swimming with Nancy
9pm | Tony Bennett (solo)
10pm | Sleepfarmer
11pm | Dirty Thirty
12am | State Champs

So take a nap, eat a good dinner and head over to Sup-town. 5 bucks for just tonight or buy your weekend wrist band for 15 bucks.

till then.

The most geeky thing I've ever heard.

A friend sent me this today: May the 4th be with you

Support Our Oops...

A friend sent this to me a while back. He lives a little ways east of the Cities in Emerald, WI. This apparently appears on every overpass between Emerald and the state line. It origionally said "Support Our Troops," but someone has cleverly obliterated the T and R in troops...

FAQ

I showed perfectduluthday.com to a friend yesterday. She took one look at the navigation options on the top of the page and said, "What comes up if I click 'fag'?"