Perfect Wrenshall Day

My day started out with a family get-together which was a lot of fun. Here is my nephew doing his thing on the swing.



I then traveled to the country to the film festival. (http://www.freerangefilm.com)



While I was there the fog was hovering over a field filled with hay bails, with the moon shining through the clouds. I probably took 75 photos of this. I still have no idea which one(s) I like best. But this one is one of the better ones.



To me the festival is summed up in this photo. Nothing like hay bails to section off the seating.



BTW: I'm addicted to black and white photog-y now. Secondly, I showed up around 10pm to the film festival, and most everyone cleared out before the last film, which was definately the best that I saw. Tis a shame. (no idea on the quality of films pre-10pm.)

FRFF Tonight, Tomorrow

This is the weekend for the Free Range Film Festival in Wrenshall.
Directions, schedule, etc are on the web site.

I hear there will be a popcorn machine.

Ellen: The Follow-up

I just got back from meeting my friend Ellen in Grand Rapids. I must say that overall it was a very pleasant visit. Bringing along my friend Maria sure helped with conversation. Maria was successful in minimally offending her throughout the night. Luckily, Ellen was not so nearly the Christian fanatic as she came off to be. At first I was quite worried because she was wearing a shirt with a quote about God with large cross in the background. But she was kind of one of those progressive "do good" christians. We ate at Brewed Awakenings, a real cool coffee shop/sandwich shop i would highly recommend. We dissed Bush and company. Then, we tried to go bowling, but the bowling alley was closed at 8 o'clock on a Thursday evening. But Maria did get a free pair of new socks out of the deal. We took pictures in front of the Judy Garland House. And We finished the evening with a visit to DQ. Overall not bad. I'm still alive. And no mention of marriage. And i'm no christian. Not to bad for one night.

Movies at sailboat park

Some of the cheesiest sci-fi I've ever witnessed. It's so bad it's funny. That's my recommendation for the next showing... you?

Look Ma, No Wires!

Ahh technology. I am sitting upstairs at the Brewhouse as I type this completely free of wires. My new Powerbook G4 is performing flawlessly courtesy of the Brewhouse WiFi. I love gadgets way more than I should.

By the way I purchased my new puter from Smalldog.com and I enthusiastically recommend them. I purchased an Apple refurb which saved about 500 bucks and comes with a one year warranty.

Cheers.

Splitting heirs

Turns out that where Ralph Nader is having trouble getting signatures, republicans are there to help hoping that he'll split the democratic vote.
Well, two can play that game! RECRUIT PEROT!!!
Okaaay, never thought I would be saying that... back to work now.

Ahead of the curve

Apparently, PDD is on to something. (If you need to register, go here.)

Big lay-offs at work today - and amazingly I was not one of them (HR hates me). I feel sad for the laid off people, but I guess I'm happy that I still have a job. Survivor's guilt I guess.
Then I drank beer at the Anchor and watched Catwoman. It was pretty horrible, but since I'm a comic-geek, I had to see it (and Halle Berry's pretty).
Sleepy time now, and set an alarm for tomorrow - go me.

PDD Poll Results

Is Kelly:) Real?

Yes [50 votes, 53.19%]
No [44 votes, 46.81%]

Wow. Old-school.

This picture was taken July 11 in Superior's Allouez neighborhood; the sign has recently been changed.

I don't know if this is a tax-exempt church, but if it is, I guess it recently dawned on the congregation that the IRS considers this type of promotion of a political candidate to be a prohibited activity.

Working Blue...

...has been updated with new material.

Here we go.

she's almost sea worthy

 
boat rides this weekend

So i had this friend named Ellen in 7th grade when i lived in Leesville, LA. She wasn't a great friend or anything. I had her in an english class of mine, and she was kind of the class nerd. She didn't have very many friends. I knew her for about one year. After 7th grade, my family moved to Bemidji, MN. I haven't seen my friend Ellen since that summer when we ran into each other and exchanged addresses. Now she lives in Illinois. We kept in contact fairly well and wrote letters every so often. Our contact ended 5 years ago, and i hadn't heard from her since. About three months ago, i got a letter from Ellen. She told me that she runs the youth group at her church now and hopes to someday attend seminary. She also told me that she was going to be in Northern Minnesota in July. She was going to be heading up a bible camp group. When she was in the area, she wanted to meet in person. I thought that it might be cool to meet up with an old friend. So i wrote her back saying that it would be alright, but in my head i never thought it would work out. Well, i get this call today from her. She is in Minnesota and wants to meet up. I thought this was all kind of weird but okay until she said that her bible camp group wanted to meet me too. And that they want me to marry her. But she told me that we'd have to meet first and take it slow. I didn't know what to say. I don't know when this whole thing became a date! I am supposed to meet her at the Burger King in Grand Rapids on this Thursday at 9:30 pm. It's gonna be awkward. I hope she doesn't try to save my soul when she learns more about me.

Hello.

Hey PC users: If you're one of those people who likes to post pictures, but don't want to resize them for PDD, you might want to try Hello, yet another member of the Google family. Hello has a function called BloggerBot, which you can use to make picture posts on PDD. It's pretty easy to use once you get it set up.

I'm using Hello to make this post. Well, I was at first. I see only two problems.

1. You can't make a title.
2. When you hit enter, the post publishes. So you can only make one paragraph, unless you want to use Blogger to go back and edit, which is what I'm doing now.

Anyway, it's something to look at. I think the best thing is that when you click the picture above, you can see a larger version of it.

A new way to vent your spleen!

In the interest of keeping PDD a happy and warm place, I'd like to offer a quick invite to a new way to spend more of your time on the internet. http://www.pist.com ! Yes here we welcome angry cold people. From dirty tricks and intra-cubie warfare to office sex and reviews of hateful memos, PIST.COM is your online home for un-abashed venting and no-holds barred ranting.

Just go and register....if you want to join the pist.com ranks, you could become a cry baby and administer the forums, disgruntled and post reviews or articles or one day even become POSTAL and have the keys to the whole site. Revel in the dark side.

Short(s) Notice

It didn't look like a beach day earlier, but as of 4:10 p.m. it's 95 degrees out there. I'm throwin' on the ol' Speedo and headin' to the Point after work. See you there.

Apparently someone doesn't like Duluth

I just read this article in the paper today - it's hysterical! Apparently someone has an anti-Duluth website and the city is contacting it's attorneys! Holy over-reaction Batman!

Voyageur Voyeur

I just got a letter from a guy in New York who wants to come to Geek Prom and is looking for inexpensive lodging. I recommended the Voyageur Lakewalk Inn. Then I did some research and found this.

Duluth Rocked

Someone sent me a press release about this a while back, but for some reason I didn't post it. Check out duluthrocked.com and listen to samplings of local bands from the 1970s, and maybe buy the compilation CD. The one they sell on the site is Volume 3, I'm not sure what happened to 1-2, or what was on them.

I'd really like to see some photographs from past times in the Duluth/Superior scene. Peter Scholtes of Complicated Fun recently posted some ultraswank images of Morris Day and other Minneapolis funk legends from the '70s. I know we were never that cool, but does anyone out there have any pics from the olden days? Hell, I'd like to see some shots from the Cove in 1978. This is the perfect venue to share them, if you got 'em. Don't be shy.

Be careful out there

So, last year when the waves picked up and people were getting swept out in the lake, I was skeptical. I'd been in the lake with even bigger waves and never had trouble swimming back in. Then there was the boogie boarding hero who saved a number of people.

I was just out there with a kayak and a boogie board, and there were several people having trouble getting back to shore at the tot lot beach. Myself included. Now I'm not trying to claim the throne of 2004 boogie boarding hero, but I did help someone in. With a boogie board. They're really quite useful! Then she screamed at her friend "I'm never swimming in this lake again!!!"

Somethings definitely going on in that water. Maybe it's all the extra bird poop. I didn't check today's fecal coliform warnings, but I sure swallowed a lot of water. Mmmm

As we were leaving there were a bunch of fire trucks, a rescue boat, and ambulance heading farther out on park point. Not good. Watch yourselves PDDers. Remember, swim parallel to the shore, perpendicular to the rip current, wait an hour after eating, always have a buddy with you, and use that sunblock.

A perfect way to raise a generation of prudes...

It's all lies! I'm perfectly healthy (no hunch-back or anything)! ;)

happy perfectduluthbirthday foggy!

This Land is Whose Land?

You must watch this.

Perfect Duluth Weekend

So,
 
-50 hours of fun, sun, parking cars and excellent music...
-barely 4 hours of fitful sleep...
-talking sh$t w/ c-freak, Mr. Boo, and the rest of the working staff over the motorola...(it's surprising what's good for a laugh when you get punchy from being overworked, sunbaked, and just plain wore out)
-That One Guy, Low, Devil in a Woodpile, and Savage...
-Random Radio filling in the voids between bands...
--Perfect Duluth Weekend
 
thanks to everyone.
 
 

My Best Green Man Pic

 
I was way too laid back and sunbaked to carry a camera around.  Nontheless, this pretty much sums the whole thing up.

my perfect duluth day

Was out near the steam plant taking photos around bar close last night. Drunk people are anything but clever. . . "Yes, as a matter of fact I am taking a picture so it WILL last longer."

Pure genius.
 
 
 

Sweet. They made a bobble-head doll for Wally.

Damn I loved those Wally the Beerman "buy-for-less" Budget Liquor TV ads ten years ago. Now, my hero has a bobble-head doll. Most fitting tribute ... ever.

Green Man cometh.

I will be heading up to the Green Man shortly to set up Random Radio (93.5fm). We will commence broadcasting around Noon and continue on through Sunday at Noon. We should cover West Duluth pretty well so give it a listen.

Or, buy a ticket and get on up to Spirit Mountain. There are some pretty great bands playing and the price came down after Willie cancelled.

out.

Fun with Flash!

I went to **CENSORED** and picked up some Avery "Insertable Plastic Dividers" Basically colored folder dividers. They are made of light see-through plastic. My project is to tape the colored plastic over my flash. I basically have filters for my flash. I've also thought of putting these over my flashlight to make a colored spotlight for my night photography.
 
"Clean" Flash:

 
Filtered Flash:
        
 
Best $1.77 I've spent on my camera

PDD

I came up to Duluth yesterday because I knew the weather would be great. And it was absolutely beautiful. I drove up the North Shore, swam in Amity creek, hung out at Hawk Ridge, walked around Canal Park, viewed some of the classic cars on Superior street, and ate dinner at the Hacienda del Sol. The best part was seeing my favorite bridge on Seven Bridges Road get ripped to shreds by this monster. A perfect Duluth day!

going underground

So the other day I stopped by the local Inn and nailed a parchemnt to the wall..."party forming for dungeon adventure" I was contacted by a half elf rouge, and a comely one to boot, and we stole away to seek our fortune in the dank abyss of the chester creek tunnels.

We were confronted with many horrible monsters, the gelatenous cubes being most unfriendly.

The trip is not without it's lovely ascpects and we soon found ourselves deep in the infernal abyss...by walgreens...the ruins of previous civilizations lay, half buried, in the silt of time

At the end of the deepest tunnel we found the way blocked by a nearly unsurpassable trough. The rouge's climbing ability was good and we continued. Finally in a clearing, we found the throne of the creek king. He likes to quaff from a Colt from a 64. ANyone up for more urban adventuring?

dumpsta diva.

ATTENTION!!!!

Big orange dumpster at 717 E 8th St. is chock full of goodies for you to take. DO NOT go in the Blue dumpster which is full of Dooglas dirty diapers. This dumpster will be on site till Saturday.

Thank you for your attention.

german low

On Low's last tour a German dude named Sebastian Schrade followed us around with a bunch of cameras. He has now edited that footage into a 50 minute Documentary called Low in Europe. You can view a Trailer right here.

Teen-age hi-jinx or political anarchy - you decide...

Everyone has different opinions and different ways of expressing those opinions, and that's what makes ninjas so sweet. Sometimes you just have to go out and do things that others don't see the point of. Does the yuppie gay guy in San Francisco like being in the same parade as the gay guy in the leather zipper-mask? No, but he knows that the gimp is just expressing his opinion differently. So can't we learn a lesson from the gimp and yuppie and all just get along?
Bad Cat once found 1,300 PVC crosses on the lawn of the Cathedral (some abortion protest), and Bad Cat may or may not have been involved in turning every one of those crosses upside down a few hours before Sunday mass. Some may have viewed this as a "hate-crime" against the church, whereas others saw it as a crazy teen-age prank (perpetrated by a 26 year old woman).
The point is, expressing yourself sometimes means doing stupid/crazy/silly things. So let's stop all the political name-calling, and get on with stupid/crazy/silly stories! Bring 'em on!!! Ever try to set a flag on fire - and burn yourself? Did you throw red paint at someone wearing fur? (or fake fur - oops!) Did you make a big deal about protesting something, and find out you had your facts wrong? Come on and spill!

Perfect Duluth Beach Wednesday

The last time I called a Perfect Duluth Beach Wednesday the weather immediately turned crappy. Well, I don't quit easy.

Let's go to Park Point after work. Bring your concealed alcohol and your polka-dot singlet, bring your kites and water balloons, bring your Frisbees, portable grills and boom-boxes. Arrive at 5:30ish, or whenever you can make it. If it takes you an hour to bike there and you'll be late, so be it. If you get off work early, start building a sand castle and wait for someone to arrive and occupy it with you.

The meeting point will be ... oh ... somewhere around the Beach House at the end of Minnesota Avenue. See you there.

I'm kicking myself this morning.

Dang. I should have bought the playing cards.
I wonder whose face is on the joker.

i just got searched by a BCA agent!

they searched the saddlebags on my harley!!! i went out earlier for a smoke and walked over by the loonies and walked back to the loading dock and went in the building. then i get a call to go to ticketing and this thug shows me his cred & says there was suspicious activity by my bike. asks me what's in the bags! i say stogies and my sweatshirt. he says let's have a look! jeezus h christ on a cross!! police freakin state!!

Baron von Pumpkin

"Baron von Raschke is a jewel. I always hoped my daughter would marry a guy like him, and I hope all her kids are like him."
-- Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

All the people need to know about the Baron is available here, including his appearance this Saturday at the American Legion in Eagle Lake and his gig as the featured guest speaker at the Lady's Auxilliary Annual Regional Meeting at Bethany Lutheran Church in Lake City this September.

Oh, and his Perfect Duluth Day was when he appeared in the Low video "Shame."

Why does he have to come here?

Evil approaches. Will you be protesting? I will be. Below are two events I know of.

A "Yes to Freedom, Yes to Justice, Yes to Peace, No to Bush" rally will run from 4-5 p.m. in front of Duluth City Hall. A number of community leaders will attend, including Duluth City Councilors Laurie Johnson and Russ Stewart. The event is sponsored by Progressive Action.

Grandmothers for Peace and Women in Black will gather at the Fifth Avenue West bridge over Interstate 35 in downtown Duluth to protest the Bush administration and policies. Participants should wear black and bring signs or banners.


I am more inclined to hang out with the Women in Black but will prolly end up at the Duluth City Hall. Look for me with the big Pace Flag.

I hate it when I'm right.

So I had this theory that W. would for whatever reason would be elected for a third term. Either by repealing the amendment that limits presidential terms, or some other unknown means. I haven't been proved right yet, but I did just see a news segment talking about possible plans to post-pone novemeber's elections in case of a terrorist plot. How interesting. Of course it's nothing unless it actually is delayed etc etc.

I just think it's interesting how close to a dictatorship America really is.

Autoerotic Death

I'd like to thank Mimi Smartypants for alerting us to this.

This, on the other hand, we could have gone without knowing.

proof

that bigger is better

George W. Bleghaahahgsh

Well, George W. Bush is coming to Duluth next Tuesday. Looks like he planned the trip because he knew I would be out of town. ;) Anyone want to throw a pretzel for me?

can ya help me out?

I am looking to borrow/rent an RV for the Green Man Festival. Random Radio will be broadcasting from Noon Friday till Noon Sunday and we need a space to do it from.

The first year we used a tent which was OK till the torrential rain and winds forced us to shut down. Last year LumpyG broadcasted from inside the Chalet at Spirit Mtn. This was OK but hidden.

So this year we need a trailer or an RV of some sort. It does not need to be too fancy, just enough to protect from the elements and give us a spot to rest.

If you have an RV or can hook us up with someone that does drop me a line.

Starfire Story

a neighbor up the street thought Tony could publish this.

I Otter get to work.

Rock, Paper...

Judge: ONE PAPER!
Saddam: TIGER HAND! RAWR!!!!! RAWRR! rar. Hahaaa, hi. Tiger Hand. Come on! You Know! ... You don't know Tiger Hand? Tiger Hand beats paper. Like totally beats paper. Always

Maybe it's just the fact that I'm tired and sick, but this totally cracked me up...
Rock, Paper, Saddam

Making My Wishes Known

"Summum first introduced the public to Modern Mummification in 1975. Since that time, Summum has continued to research, develop, and refine the exoteric and esoteric art and science of Modern Mummification. Today, Summum is the only organization in the world to offer this remarkable and distinguished service."

And it only costs $67,000.