I'm in the system now.

Just got home from my appointments with the good old social service people. That's welfare I guess. I was very impressed with how smoothly things went. The first appt. was with Health Care Access. John was my counselor and he was great. I handed over all my financial info and their office takes care of the rest. Minnesota care has been hit hard with cuts but at least it will be something.

After John I headed upstairs to the free clinic. Dr Bergeron was equally pleasant and will take care of referring me to the Oral Surgery doc. She also refilled the Lortab prescription which was good news since the last one was wearing off.

So I am fairly optimistic that I won't be stuck with a $15,000 doctor bill. Time will tell.

I am going to make an appearance at the Starfire Lounge tonight, straw in hand and a new GrandpaBoy disc that I got out of the free box at KUWS.

10,000!!

At about 11:30 this morning we will have our 10,000th hit. Woo-Hoo! Of course 9,000 of them are from the Cheat.

A message from Donny Ness.

Wellstone World Music Day
In Duluth!!!

Saturday, October 25th, 7:30-9:30
Mitchell Auditorium at St. Scholastica


Donations to Wellstone Action and "Carry It Forward" Documentary accepted.

Dear friends,

Saturday, October 25th represents the one year anniversary of the loss of two of our country's great leaders and four others who were part of our extended family of progressive minded people. The loss of Paul and Sheila Wellstone, as well as our friends Mary, Will, Tom, Marcia and the pilots, was devastating to us all.

One year ago, many of us in the progressive community came together in solidarity to grieve, to console, but most importantly to pick up the torch that Paul had left us and to continue his fight for justice in our country. That cold and somber October night in 2003 we gathered together at Mitchell Auditorium, less than 8 hours after the plane went down, to share in our loss and our sadness. But from that gathering came a great force of goodwill, and power, and a force of will to capture his spirit in our actions. It was a magical moment that I will never forget - and if you were there, I'm sure you feel the same.

This Saturday will be revisiting the site of that initial ad-hoc memorial, Mitchell Auditorium at the College of St Scholastica, on the one year anniversary for a celebration of the lives of Paul and Sheila Wellstone. We are adopting the theme of a celebration taking place that very day in the Twin Cities - we are contributing to the first annual Wellstone World Music Day right here in Duluth. Starting at 7:30 we will have a 90-120 minute program featuring local musicians, speakers, and a VERY special presentation of a 15 minute preview of the upcoming Wellstone documentary “Carry It Forward"being put together by a team of talented folks in the cities. I've seen a clip and it is really amazing - you don't want to miss this. For more information on the documentary or to make a contribution check out their web site: www.carryitforward.org

After the program we are encouraging folks to attend one of the music performances in various participating venues around town to carry on the celebration of the spirit of Paul's life by enjoying the talents of our local musicians.

The venues and artists are as follows:

Beaner's - Audrey & Boku Frequency
Fitger's - Haley Bonar
Amazing Grace - Sticky Nickle (aka Tom Feldman)
Pizza Luce - Levitate
We will be asking for donations at the door at Mitchell Auditorium and the proceeds will be split between Wellstone Action and the "Carry It Forward" documentary project. Give whatever you are comfortable giving, but please do not feel like you must contribute - it is strictly voluntary.

Andy Smentkowski and I have been organizing the event to this point. Unfortunately my time has been compromised with other projects including Laura and I are opening a Vintage Clothes and Gifts store at 205 E Superior St (our grand opening is this Saturday - come and check it out!), plus work and council business - not to mention the campaign. Anyway, lets just say this event on Saturday will have a very casual feel to it, which from my perspective is just fine - its just a way to bring friends together to celebrate the lives of our heroes. Please do not feel offended if you were not involved in the planning or in the program. If we would have had more time to pull this off it would have been more professionally done - and we would have covered all the bases - but there is only so much time in a day. So, I hope folks will be willing to cut us some slack if there are a few hitches in the production.

Finally, I need help to pull this thing off. I will be having a short organizational and volunteer meeting on Wednesday, Oct 22nd, at 5pm at the Oberstar Campaign office (222 W 1st St) to take care of all of the last minute details. It would be great to have 10-15 folks here to help organize details for the event and to help distribute posters around town.

The other way that you can help is to send this e-mail far and wide to every person you might think is interested in such an event. That would be a huge help!

Thanks everyone. Take care and God bless you all,

Donny

With a little help from my friends.

The reality of drinking through a straw for 6-8 weeks is really sinking in now.

I just wanted to post a little thank you to everyone who has sent well-wishes or helped me out in any way. You know who you are. Extra special thanks go out to Nick, Cathie, Barrett, Dana, Sharon, Mike L., Missy and Tom. I am probably forgetting someone so forgive me if I did. These Hydrocodone pills make me a bit fuzzy.

I figured out last night that my Thanksgiving is going to be through a straw and that will probably be the saddest part. Gobble-gobble, oh and I look like Paul Lundgren now, very sad.

All is Nearly Well with the Cosmos.

Things are falling into place. If you're seeing this message, that's a good thing. Have patience. And keep posting.

these 2 will get the "puncher"

Attention Blogoids and Blogites

Timmberrrrr! We have officially exceeded our bandwidth allowance! We are so popular. Anyhow, it doesn't matter because today we're in the process of upgrading, making PDD an unstoppable force. And so, you may notice later that the site is down temporarily. But don't fret--it's not going the way of the Shor and Scotty's ability to eat solid food. It'll be back online so fast you might not even notice, and when it returns, a new era of opportunities will begin.

In the meantime, those of you with the ability to post should continue to do so. Nothing will be lost.

Note: we are currently working on the upgrade, and there is a hell of a lot to learn.

I went to Minneapolis and all I got was this broken jaw.

The night was going so well. Saw a bit of Lucinda Williams, then went to the Entry for Junior Senior and Electric 6. After the show we headed back to the Mainroom for some good ol dancing. The night was so great we were gonna have one more drink at the Saloon. Then it happened. The gentleman asked for a lighter, twice and followed it up with a blow to my left Jaw. Now I have wires and rubber bands.

When the anesthesia wears off I will give you all the fun details of the weekend. We really did have fun, really.

mammories...where do i start?

how bout the low video shoot. this poor star got a bloody nose in the mosh pit. get that! moshing to low. too cool

Memories.

I hold both Low's set during A Very Duluth Christmas, and the millenium New Year's Eve party as my favorite NorShor memories by far. Ca-chee and I danced to "Just Like Christmas," and Starfire, I'm glad that you mentioned that there was fake snow, because I've always thought that that was a figment of my imagination--like I was remembering it as being more beautiful that it really was. I'm happy to know that it was actually that beautiful. Likewise, the love and happiness in the air during the millenium party was definitely worth remembering. There's nothing better than a huge theater full of people who are relieved that the world isn't going to blow up. Afterwards, we all went to the Voyageur Motel, and it was snowing big fat flakes for real. No one was on the street. It was incredible.

Certain shows need no explanation to the people who were there. Giljunko at Homegrown 3. Mayfly at Duluth Does Dylan. Any of Lindquist's birthday parties.

It was so amazing a few years back when EVERYBODY would ALWAYS dance no matter who the band was. Donny Ness would charge down into the mezzanine and inform all the people sitting at tables that they would have to move, and then he'd recruit people to stack the tables and chairs. Then, we'd all get funky and groovy, usually to the amazement and utter delight of the band. This was what set the Shor apart from practically any other venue in the state.

I wish I had been at that amazing Sadies show where no one showed up. I once asked the Sadies themselves about it, and not only did they remember it, but they appreciated it too.

Reading the comment about O'Malley ending up in the ER reminded me of the two occasions I wound up in the ER after a night at the NorShor. The first was the time I got locked INSIDE the main theater. It was after an art show at the Limbo Gallery--too much wine, too much trust. Mr. Lundgren and I entered the main theater through the back of the gallery, and soon, viola! We're locked in and trapped. We climbed out through a small opening in the avenue side exit, and I got my hand slammed in the pigeon-shit-encrusted steel door. Then, we entered the mez again, and I drank and danced all night with a bloody hand before going to the hospital for a tetanus shot.

The second time was much more serious. It was at the second (I think) Undergroundhog Day, when Cave Music played. Charging the stage while inspired by the inital bars of "Dead Dogs Must Die," I rolled my ankle. I didn't care. Cave Music was playing. I freaked out the rest of the night and drank a lot. When I got home, I took off my shoe and the pain was excruciating. I stayed up all night in agony, then went to the ER the next morning. My foot wasn't broken, but I'd torn a lot of soft tissue, and had to be on crutches for a few weeks. It didn't heal completely for about 8 months. That was both dumb and awesome.

But the best ER story from the NorShor was when 3-D Jesus v. 2.3 Beta accidentally clobbered the Raven with his guitar onstage. Hardcore as only a NorShor rawk star can be, the Raven went to the ER, got x-rayed, found out her jaw was broken, then came back to the Shor to self-medicate with tequila.

Beauty, beauty, beauty.

No Fucking Way!

Going to see low tonight in Mpls at the Triple Rock with my sweetie. We are staying 2 nights at a hotel and everything. Besides Low we were going to take in a movie or two and just play it from there. Well much to my delight I just found out, via Chuck, that Electric Six is playing at the 7th St. Entry with a band called Junior|Senior. I knew this weekend was going to rock. If we have enough endurance we may go see the Handsome Family on Sunday night.

Where's the memories?

I was hoping a flood of NorShor memories might make their way onto the site. Maybe ya all just need a friendly prodding.

Memorable concerts

1. The Sadies on a cold sunday night with 30 other folks. No one left until their 2 1/2 hours set was over. I have a tape.

2. Johnathon Richman on a hot steamy summer night. Chris Monroe opened the show with slides and comedy.

3. Two Tulip Sweet & Her Trail of Tears shows. One drunk, one not, both brilliant.

4. The Handsome Family, also a cold winter night with a blizzard on its way. We accidentally payed them twice and I slipped a spooky doll into their guitar amp.

So many memories. Now I am getting sad.

a long walk revisited.

click on thumbnail for more.

NorShor. More.

Wow. News spreads fast. The Luce was packed last night (farewell Derrick.)

Read what people are saying.

Peter Scholtes

Dane Petersen

Duluth News Tribune

i don't know what to feel.

It is true. The NorShor is closed. Now what?

I have a million memories from the NorShor. One that really sticks out was from the "Very Duluth Christmas" show some years back. Father Hennepin, the Black Labels and Gild all did short sets. Barton Sutter read some poetry. The Emcee had a filthy mouth but then Low played. At the very end of their set we made it snow on stage and everyone danced to "Just Like Christmas." That is the only time I have ever seen anyone dance at a Low show.

That is the magic of the NorShor Theatre.

She will be back. There will be more memories. Anyone have a spare million bucks laying around?

Oh Ipod, why do you torture me so.

Oh Mr. or Ms. Ipod
why do you torture me so?
with your sleek lines and heavenly glow.
10, 20 40 gigs now
what to do?
what to do?
I have delayed my pleasure for so long
well no more
today
is
the
day

The Results Are In!

Congratulations Jamie! You are the hottest Ness brother.

hanging out.

Hail to the Radiohead!

We made it home safe and sound. We saw some old friends and made some new ones. Low kicked ass and of course, so did Radiohead.

Mr Godsey. I left a little care package for you and your lovely wife taped to the bottom of a phone booth somewhere in Manhattan. Contact me for the coordinates.

Oh and yes, that is Phil's autograph. I tried to find Colin and ask him to record my answering machine message but realized it was the free vodka talking.

audio post powered by audblog

audio post powered by audblog

Jackhammers, sirens and new guitars.

Hola from NYC.

Some things I have seen.

1. Thick brown smog.
2. Loads of hippies dancing to Radiohead.
3. A very drunk young woman puking on a pretty ladies shoes. The pretty lady then nearly
puked herself.
4. A really loud Radiohead, sounding great.
5. Alan's new Fender 12 string guitar purchased at 30th St. guitars.



Haven't done much else. This morning we went back to Veselkas for brunch. They have really wonderful Blintzes and peroges and beet salad and borscht. Now I think I might wander down to the Mac store and look at all the toys. My continuing obsession with Ipods needs to be fueled.

For Fritz Sven Gunter I mean Hans.

it's so early

here we go.
to the place where the planes park.
to the square park.
where the bands play.
and the kids say.

two more songs. two more songs

Start spreading the news.

Supergrass has cancelled their appearance with Radiohead this Thursday and Friday at Madison Square Garden. Guess who's filling in? We leave thursday!!!

friends.

does anyone do this Friendster nonsense? should i even bother?

seems like everyone out here in sunny Californ-IA buys into this stuff. and the Midwestern kid is the last one check it out...

c'mon folks-- are you Friendstered? is it worth it? can i be your friend?

i just woke up from a nap, and actually had to wonder if it was the same day that i fell asleep in.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes.

HowdY!

Some new features on PDD have popped up this week. You probably noticed the PDD Poll on the right side of the page. It would be cool to change that at least weekly so if anyone has any ideas please send them to Barrett or myself. There can be up to 10 items in the poll and the stats can be displayed in several ways.

J.J. Lee's corner is our other new feature. Mr. J. besides being a talented alcoholic also has a flare for MSPaint. His drawings are too great to let slide down into the blog archives so we gave him his own little gallery.

This is only the beginning. If you have any ideas for further changes or cool links drop us an email.

chapped nose.

been sick the whole weekend with a horrible head cold. it's been sunny outside today, but my head throbs, my nose is chapped from using cheap Kleenex and my bed has seemed more inviting than the out of doors on a sick day like today.

i've been catching up on my reading, which is nice. just finished Jonathan Lethem's stunning "Fortress of Solitude" and started Neal Stephenson's "Quicksilver."

and i've rediscovered the Jayhawks' "Rainy Day Music". i bought it when it first came out, listened to it exactly once and then filed it away. how did i not pay any attention to this when i first got it?!? i only wish it had rained all day, as it would have been fitting weather to listen to such a lovely, melancholic album.

the hazmats rawk!

well, kind of...by way of street rap we took 2nd but everyone was great! congrats to all!!! it should be an annual thing.

Ida Ida Ida

Tell everyone! Ida is coming. Due to email outages the Ripsaw did not do the music feature that this band deserves, so shout it in the streets "Ida is coming! Ida is coming! Ida is coming!" Norshor Theatre 9PM Tuesday October 7th with Fred Thomas and the Marc Gartman Low Documentary. What a deal.

Liz from Ida will also do her childrens show at Barnes and Noble, 6:30 October 7th.

skinny legs and all.

hi. i'm scott.

The Starfire moniker was given to me by JR Hartley about 7 years ago in a thank-you note for a mix-tape I had made him. He gets free Starfire t-shirts for life.

I was a paramedic when I moved to Duluth 11 years ago but quit that 4 years ago when the heartburn became my constant companion. I have lots of gory stories which I tell occasionally at house parties. I also have too many sad stories which I hardly ever repeat.

Now days I work as an embroiderer, a janitor, a D.J. and a landlord. I also nanny when called upon by that quiet rawk band.

Until recently I was an affirmed bachelor and happy with that. Now I am quietly blogging so as not to wake my new love. MMMMM-I should be snuggling I guess.

A Good Time Was Had By Some.

Leave it to Slim Goodbuzz and Whoppin Unlimited to host an art show that is actually a kegger, which eventually degrades into a food fight, and then degrades into a fist fight. Many thanks to all who came, and to all who bought books and/or art. Thanks as well to Sherman and the Infamous Dr. Thunder, who took the most blows and wrestled that guy to the ground. And thanks to everyone for realizing that the situation was not serious enough to bring out the road flares.

Now it's time to clean up. That gallery looks like the party aftermath from Sixteen Candles. I expect to find Long Duk Dong passed out under the table.

someone loves the father.

My band Father Hennepin sold a CD online today. I am so happy.

Look who bought your CD at CD Baby today:
------------------------ SHIPPED ON 2003-10-02 :

1 copy of Father Hennepin: Crooked With Gin to:

NAME: Luis Alejandro Lorente Rubio


Thank you so much Luis. Gracias pepe.

I'm Barrett Chase now.

Ca-Chee and I went for lunch at Sara's Table and it was really good. About 2/3rds of the way through one of the servers came up to the table and asked me if I was Barrett Chase. I said I would love to be Barrett but that no I was not. It then dawned on me that she was the author of this. A while back Barrett made a comment on his blog about her writing. I think she is holding a grudge.

I almost had dessert but changed my mind. I wonder what Barrett would have done?

Death by Blowjob.

I was hating my decision to enter the Rock&Roll Kamikaze but tonight I changed my mind. Chip, Stav and I found our happy place. I am the ONLY guitar player in the band, very strange. Funny what a distortion pedal can do for your confidence.

So anyway, I want to call ourselves "Death by Blowjob!" I would settle for "Earth Rider" but time will tell. We play at 11:30PM at the NorShor so get yerselves out.

night-er-morning.

Marc Gartman likes Low. He liked them so much he called them up and asked if he could make a documentary. They said yes and Marc has been hanging around since. He toured Europe and the East Coast, He has been to Duluth several times and performed at Elegy more than anyone. Hell, he even played banjo on "Trust."


Now he is coming back to debut his documentary titled "Closer Than That." Ida and Fred Thomas will play after the movie. What a night. See you there.





Off topic. I try not to turn my heat on until November 1rst but last night was quite a test. My fingers and nose are cold and I need a down comforter.

a weirdo came to the party...

but a good time was had by all. thanks to everyone who came.

You are acquainted with smut peddlers.

Paul Lundgren and Barrett Chase would like to invite you to a book release kegger for the first title from their publishing company, Whoppin Unlimited.

The book is called Perverse Verse: Filthy Limericks From the Head of the Lakes. It features 72 filthy limericks written by Slim Goodbuzz, and 23 illustrations drawn by 12 perverts from the region. The illustrations are part of a month-long art exhibit, which opens the night of the book release kegger.

The big event happens on Friday, Oct. 3, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Washington Gallery, 315 N. Lake Ave., in Duluth. There will be free beer, free food and free love. The books cost eight bucks, but no purchase is necessary.

We hope to see you there, and, as usual, we hope you leave your children at home.

Monday, monday.

1. 2 cups of coffee.
2. 800 mg of Ibuprofen.
3. Hot shower and shave.
4. Cold bike ride to work.


ah, mondays.

audio post powered by audblog

audio post powered by audblog

audio post powered by audblog

audio post powered by audblog

Jaunt Update in text

I successfully walked my promised portion of the Nonchalant Jaunt, from the Wabegon Supper Club to the Sunshine Cafe--a total of 9.54 miles. Now, unfortunately I must go to work, completely against my will. I want to jaunt.

It was a tearful goodbye on Grand Avenue, as the rest of the crew carried on after a hearty Sunshine lunch. Good luck, jaunters. You are all undeniably hot.

Pick up a couple of dead voles for me.

audio post powered by audblog

audio post powered by audblog

Oh blessed be.

Woo-Hoo!

Reminder! The Nonchalant Jaunt is starting tomorrow morning at 8AM! All are welcome to join in for the whole walk or any part of it. We start way out west at the Wobegon Bar by the Mont Du Lac ski area and will pretty much stick to Grand Avenue-Michigan St-Superior St route. If you want updates on our whereabouts you can check in on us right here. We will be making regular Audioblog posts.

Good news, the Tattoo festival is happening at the Lakeview Castle this weekend so there should be some fun freaks when we arrive. The Castle also makes a mean Caucasian.

Back Online, Baby

We're back up and running--I feel like I've just been paroled. Now all you blogoids and blogites start posting like you mean it.

Blogger is Fucked

You may be noticing that nothing is being updated on Perfect Duluth Day, even though people are posting. The only thing I can come up with is that there is some glitch with Blogger, even though Blogger is not reporting anything at this time. I'm contacting Blogger to see what's up, and some other fellow blog-people to see if they're experiencing the same problem. More later. Until then, keep posting--your writing will go up soon.

From the Ripsaw Kiosk.

I helped put this event on a few years back and I have seen an early cut of the film. It is really haunting. If you read this and have time to check it out I highly suggest it.

ELEGY—two YEARS AND two DAYS AFTER Travis Wilkerson’s documentary of ELEGY, the 25-hour drone concert for Michael Lenz will be given a pre-screening on Sept 23. Open musical drone cooperative will follow until 11pm sharp. All ages are welcome to the pre-screening and encouraged to participate in the drone. Film will start at 9:21pm sharp. Admission is free. NorShor Theater, 211 E. Superior St., Duluth.

Curiosity

Admit it. We've all wanted to know what goes on in that little blue building in Duluth's friendly West End. Luckily for us, this kind of information is widely available. (Note: you might not want to follow this link at work.)

stormy.

hey, who took those wicked weather photos at the top of the page? they're brilliant!

off to see Scottish lads Mogwai at the Fillmore tonight. joy of joys.

it's hot in California this week. really, really hot.

hot topics.

-Why is my inbox being flooded with junk mail for the "the porno extravaganza?"

-The rock-n-roll-kamikaze bands have been formed. 18 in all, I am in band#15 with bridgette baker, chip rogers and stravros glitsos. With a name like Stavros we can't lose.

-Ca-Chee is researching the exact distance of our Nonchalant Jaunt and will get back to us today.

-The second annual Cruiser Bike Poker Ride was a huge success yesterday. Met some great folks, drank at 5 local establishments and mostly dodged the rain drops. I had the worst poker hand in the group.

The Nonchalant Jaunt

Won't you join us next Saturday, September 27th for a walk across Duluth? More details to come but we will start at the Wobegon bar and end at the Lakeview Castle. Why? I don't know why. It's Lundgrens idea. Out of towners are encouraged to join us (chuck, sharyn?)

ok i'm here

being a newbie & an oldie (re: computers used to be as big as a house) please bear with me.
so hi to yous that i know & luv and glad to meet the rest of you all.

Double Posting Problem

Please accept my apology for double posting the previous message. It seems that when I merely 'preview' my post, and then go back to change something (like the title), it actually gets posted. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. Is this a common problem or is it just me?

JUMP TO GLORY

During my misspent youth in Duluth, my pals and I used to hang out at Lester River (and it's western branch Amity Creek), swimming at the Big Deeps and the Railroad Bridge, among other places. This past July, a couple of my friends (the fools!!) decided they needed to recapture the thrills of yesterday by jumping once more from the Railroad Bridge. Their hijinks can be viewed at the following site.



One of the participant's knees are still all screwed up. I warned him.

AAARRRGGGHHHHH!

You are a Pirate Second Class

Do you remember the last time you took
a chance? I do. It was when you decided
to leave the security of your mother's womb
and headed for the bright light. It's time
to head for the next bright light, my friend.
Creativity is not your strong suit. You
are good at doing what you are told to do
and that, in itself, is a gift. It's not a
gift to you, mind you, but rather a gift to
those who will be there to tell you what
to do. You like long walks on the beach and
cuddling, but would never admit that to your
Guy friends who think you are okay but can't
always remember your name. Tapioca pudding
seems a bit extreme for a fellow such as
yerself, what with all the bumps and stuff.
It's a good thing ye be on a pirate ship,
otherwise, ye'd would be walkin' because ye be
positively pedestrian. Have a nice day.

What's Yer Inner Pirate?
brought to you by The Official Talk Like A Pirate Web Site. Arrrrr!

An anniversary.

7 years ago (or so) I asked a gentleman named Tim Nelson if I could play records at his Brewpub once a week. I gave him a couple of mix-tapes that I had made, he thought about it and said no. I was a little bit crushed but he kept listening to those tapes and a year later (or so) he called me up and said "let's give it a try."

Now, 6 years later the Starfire Lounge is going strong. I thought it might die when they banned the smoking but now it is smoke free and busy. Tonight we will celebrate with some extra DJ's on the roster, a cask conditioned Starfire Pale Ale on tap and the return of the T-Shirts.

Thank you Tim and Rod and Dave and Mike and Jeff and all of the staff for letting me control the music for all these years. Thank you to all the D.J.'s, especially LumpyG (my fact checkin' cuz) and Tim Anderson for holding down the fort when I hit the road with that band. In the future we may stay open a bit later. Ouch, my head hurts with the thought of it.

See you tonight.

It was free at first...

Hello fellow bloggers and fans.

The good folks at Doteasy have been hosting our little forum for the low, low price of FREE. That is until maybe tomorrow when we will exceed our bandwidth and the whole site will be shut down till next month, unless we start paying. That means 8 dollars a month every month till they charge us even more.

We do get a bunch of new options if we pay the 8 bucks and I think we should. Hell, I will even cough up the dough just to keep us online.

Other ideas might include the selling of snappy t-shirts which I would be happy to make at my job. Maybe a PDD party is more your style. If we all kicked in a couple of bucks we could keep the party rolling into the next realm.

Please feel free to leave your ideas in our handy comment section.

a first day.

I saw C. Godsey today while biking home. Me, out of breath. Him, sporting the way cool styles of his Jeep. I almost bought a Jeep once.

walk, bike, bus.

I sold my car today. If you see me walking down the street, don't feel sorry for me. I am happy. If you see me lugging my amplifier and guitar down the street, feel free to stop and say "get a car!"

I have been without car a few other times and it is amazing how quickly you can adjust. I am lucky to live within 2 blocks of an organic coop and a liquor store. Work is 14 blocks away, my favorite bars are no more than 16 blocks away and the closest beach is 5 blocks away.

Life is good!

Can i bum a ride to the movie theatre tomorrow?

snake in the theatre.

In case you don't already know, the Black-eyed Snakes are playing at the NorShor tonight. Not only that, it is 18 and up. How cool is that. Let's watch the college kids get nuts.

I also hear that a LARGE snake might make an appearance. Oh, and the nudity, always the nudity.

NEW

Hello, this is my first Blog at this site. I'm a former Duluthian, now living in the Cities. I saw Johnny Cash at the Duluth Arena around 1973 or so. Sorry to see him go.

Thank you Johnny.

Johnny is with his June now and I feel like I have lost a grandpa. Let's meet at the Roundup and play all the Johnny in the jukebox, over and over again. 6 or so?

#1

Hi. Reverand Matt will be the first to receive his post card. His idea for a post card was, "an image of a postal employee sorting the mail, with the very postcard you've drawn in his hand! He might have a perplexed look on his face."

I started one and hated it and then started another. So the lucky Reverand will get two postcards for the price of one.

I am so sleepy now.....

night.

Thursday picture.

Should I?

In the aftermath of the primary election I was thinking to myself, should I help Bergson? He was not my first or second choice but he is probably going to be better than Bell and he sure as hell has to be better than howdy-doty.

Well, so, anyway when preparing a post the other day about getting out to vote I searched for websites on the candidates and was amazed to see that most of them did not have one. As of 10 minutes ago www.herbbergson.com is still available. Then I started thinking about the success Howard Dean has had with blogging and how it is FREE! That would seem to fit into Herb's campaign strategy and it is pretty damn easy to set up and post to daily.

So, should I give him the idea? I know people on his campaign and I have his cell number. Or, should I register the domain myself and taunt him? I only wish I could get more excited about his candidacy and maybe I would if he became a blogger.

What do y'all think?

Are there any more of these?

Duluth | Dull-youth
Superior | Inferior
Superior | Siberior
NorShor Theatre | Norse Whore Theatre
Center for Personal Fitness | Center for Personal Fatness
Fond du Luth Casino | Fondle-youth Casino
Electric Fetus | Electric Penis
The Lamplighter | The Limplifter
Anchor Bar | Wanker Bar
Androy Hotel | Android Hotel
The Capri | The Crapi
The Capri | The Debris
The Reef | The Queef
The Palace | The Phallus

There are no new ideas.

When I go on tour with a band called Low I send a lot of postcards. In the beginning I bought postcards, then I found free ones and after that I just started making my own. It helps the long drives and nights in the hotel pass more quickly and it brightens someones day when they get something other than junk mail.

Today, via Mass Distraction I came across a website by this guy. I like the idea of making art based on a suggestion so I had an idea. The first five folks that send me a thought or an idea for a post card and their address will get an original postcard from me. I will post it on the site before I mail it so everyone can view my progress, but the original is yours. If this works out O.K. I will do it again when the mood strikes me.

Send me an email if you are interested. Nothing like a deadline to get something done.

Good night.

Duluth for Dean!

Jim Richardson of Gonzo Science fame is having his second Dean for Prez party tomorrow. Below is his email invite:

I am having my second Howard Dean for President party this Thursday, Sept. 11th, from 4-8 PM. Please come if you are already a Dean supporter or if you just want more information! Like last time there will be high quality Dean video playing on the computer the whole time (different video than last time), as well as a festive party. I have also scored a video tape of the Democratic candidates debate last week that will play on the VCR.

This event is BYOB and pot luck; I don't have a lot to spend this month on beer and food (I gave it to the Howard Dean campaign) so bring what you are able! If you haven't already done so, please check out www.deanforamerica.com. Thank you! Come one, come all; let's do something POSITIVE on September 11th this year.

The address is 626 N. 8th Ave. East.

the unveiling of the elegy.

in the spirit of Starfire, i offer some shameless self-promotion.

the KUMD in-studio session that took place before the Elegy event back in September of 2001 has been released by the good folks (or should i say, singular, folk) Chairkicker's Music. Remember Elegy? We're almost at the two-year anniversary.

i didn't really have much to do with the disc actually, though i did write some stupid words on the inside.

go buy yourself a copy. please. it's for a good cause. there's some good music on it. and it'll make me very happy. thanks.

all for Michael Lenz, lest we forget.

Just goes to show you never can tell.

I have lived in Duluth, MN. for 11 years now and one of the things I have always cherished is the ability to park either direction on residential streets. Sure I know it is illegal and most cities do not tolerate this behaviour but Duluth was always tolerant until today. I blame the students. They come back to town and the police feel the need to crack down. Is it not bad enough that I can find no parking when the collegiate darlings descend on my neighborhood? The least they could do is invite me to their parties that go on until dawn. I would not even complain if the parking tickets were still 6 bucks but it seems the administration is trying to act like a big city and has recently doubled the price of parking misdeeds. So in protest of my parking misfortune I will be paying my fine in pennies at the courthouse in the morrow. That will be 1800 copper buddies that I will sort out after I publish this post. I know the lady sitting behind the bulletproof glass has nothing to do with my situation but it will feel so good to watch her count them one-by-one.

On a more political note. It looks like Charlie Bell and Herb Bergson will be squaring off for the title of Mayor come November. Herb was the biggest vote getter followed closely by Chuck. Donnie Ness walked away with over 12,000 votes in his bid for reelection to the City Council. I like that Donnie, too bad he is not running for Mayor.

Finally, I am entering the Rock&Roll Kami-Kaze and NorShor College (Dis)orientation contest to be held on Saturday October 4th at the NorShor Theatre. Anyone can sign up and have your name tossed in a hat from which bands of 4 will be drawn. Those bands will then have 2 weeks to put together a short set of music which will be judged by local music lovers. Sounds like a hoot. Send Adam an email if you are interested

O.K. Sorry for the rant. I must count pennies now.

p.s. i bought a Hewlett Packard scanner today, model 3500c. On sale at Best Buy for 59 bucks. Watch out world.

Get out and VOTE!

Hey Kids it's primary day so get out there and do the right thing. Mayor, city council and school board are all on the ballots. We are one step closer to saying goodbye to Doty who has been mayor since I moved to this town. If you are unsure of where your voting location is this may help.

EEEK!

18.75 %

My weblog owns 18.75 % of me.
Does your weblog own you?

The interview chain.

Sharyn at Mass Distraction introduced me to this idea and now I pass it on to you.

How it Works

1. Send me an email, saying you want to be interviewed.

2. I will respond by asking you five questions.

3. You'll update your website with my five questions and your five answers.

4. You'll include this explanation.

5. You'll ask other people five questions when they want to be interviewed.



The 5 Five Questions.

1. What were your five favorite bands in junior high or high school? Do
you still like them?
U2, R.E.M, the Replacements, Gear Daddies, the Smiths, the Cure, Talking Heads, Urban Guerillas, Meat Puppets, Big Country, B-52's, Pylon.

I would have to go through my unalphebatized collection to think of any more. I still like them all.

2. When and what was the worst haircut you ever had, and how long did the
horror last?
My mother would say that my orange mohawk of last may is the worst week-long haircut of my life but I liked it. My own personal worst haircut was given to me 4 years ago at a local salon by a very nice but unskilled stylist. I went back on her day off for a repair job.

3. You can only listen to one album for the next year. What album will it
be?
"Let's go scare al" by the Gear Daddies. I love to sing along and it makes me feel young again.

4. What was the best live concert you ever attended? The worst?
Best? Thanks for the easy questions Sharyn. The best show that I always think of when asked is the Violent Femmes in 1986 at First Avenue. My friend Jeff was in a wheelchair because of a bad leg fracture so we got in first and left last. The band came out after the show and signed his cast and were very nice to us. The worst show was hands down Ted Nugent at the DECC in Duluth. I was there in a Paramedic capacity.

5. You have six months to do anything and live anywhere you want. Only one
place but no other limits. Where do you go and what do you do?
Belgium, definitely Belgium, in the Summer and Fall months with a bike and beer and chocolate and bread. Yes, Belgium.




Unrelated; I just heard that Warren Zevon passed away. Rest in peace. I saw one of his shows once. It was great.

And speaking of welts

No one ever said paintball was painless.

I have welts and I suck at Settlers of Cattan

Whew. What a day. Long morning of coffee and the New York Times. Major sweating and exertion on the Paintball fields, including two bright red welts on my thighs. I was "marked" many times today.

Dinner of Cilantro Pesto and a game of Cattan to wind up the day. My numbers did NOT come up. I will play again. I WILL win! I will own you all!!!!

Wonka Puppet Theatre

Here is a link to a fun site sent to me recently. It is a tribute to Jack White of the White Stripes. Speaking of the White Stripes they were on a rerun of Saturday Night Live last night. They are really friggin good.

I must stretch now before the big Paintball game.

You Are So Dead.

Who: Trigger-happy Mofos
What: Paintball
Where: Superior Fire Power
When: Sunday, Sept. 7, 2pm
Why: If You Have to Ask...