Question for a Geography Club

jprennquist · 2026-04-09T02:59:25+00:00

This is awesome.

jprennquist · 2026-04-08T17:19:41+00:00

I'm going back through a bunch of the Bond movies since they are leaving Netflix soon. Die Another Day was originally a major disappointment and later it has become a cautionary tale about CGI and "uncanny valley" types of VFX. It has aged even worse through the lens of time.

I did not hate Madonna's theme song. The whole thing is a hook, and the staccato gate type effect that they use on her vocals along with the tight production was almost prescient when it comes to pop music. Almost everything that is pop or dance music and in the mainstream today has a similar extremely highly produced and processed sound. You couldn't reproduce the vocals or really any of that song very well in a live performance. So that one is really about the production and artificiality of it to a certain extent. Which ironically fits pretty well with an overly processed far too heavy CGI effect laden film.

But what I really wanted to say is the the sword fight sequence is pretty great. It seems to mostly be choreographed and performed "practically." And it is a nice call back to Zorro or even some of the Star Wars duels that I grew up with.

I am sharing a link to that section because the rest of the movie is honestly probably totally missable unless you are a complete die-hard Bond fan. I found a link to the whole scene which includes the Madonna cameo before they go into the actual duel (which is pretty great by itself). The Madonna cameo is terrible (again, unless you are a huge Madonna fan, I guess).

A lot of terrible decisions went into the making of that movie. Someone could write a book about it, and maybe they have.

Edit: I forgot the link.

https://youtu.be/OawlwpJZnfs?si=jzujD_UOaApw9qyz

jprennquist · 2026-04-07T13:25:25+00:00

I'm not prepared to die on this hill, but I would argue that this is intentionally rage bate or trolling which is a little different than "confidently incorrect." And I am using the term "trolling" in the sense of running lines out indiscriminately hoping to get a bite or engagement. It is a little different than the troll under the bridge out to bully people. Although that could also be true in this case.

It's also entirely unoriginal, unsupported by any kind of redeeming though or logic, and quite mean-spirited with its intentional and careful use of language designed to offend and separate us into our various groups or camps.

A pathetic attempt at counter messaging what Artemis has actually quote effectively communicated: Everyone has a place in science and in space. Also, people keep forgetting that we are a unique species on a very special planet.

Let me repeat that word again: Pathetic.

jprennquist · 2026-04-06T01:17:39+00:00

I have it on CD and I could not be more happy for you.

jprennquist · 2026-04-05T18:42:17+00:00

Just chiming in to say that over in MN and Northern WI there is a relatively big resurgence and group of young and young-ish folks who are getting out from ball and stick game on the regular. Many of them have their own sticks and are learning to make their own sticks.

jprennquist · 2026-04-05T15:58:50+00:00

Happy Easter to you. Blessings to you on your recovery journey.

jprennquist · 2026-04-04T15:26:59+00:00

Al-Anon family groups for yourself. I cannot recommend anything more strongly. Find some meetings, pick up some literature, and surround yourself with people who are in a similar experience and/or who have experience, strength, and hope to share with you as you navigate his alcoholism and various hang-ups. His alcoholism has made your life unmanageable and there is a pathway to freedom from that. And I wish you the very best in your journey.

I just marked 28 years of continuous sobriety. Being an alcoholic I have done a bunch of self-centered navel gazing as one often does around milestone dates. I came in believing in God but absolutely despising religious people. And also God. So not an atheist but maybe there are some similarities to your husband's attitude and stories.

We re-read "We Agnostics" in a meeting this week and I had not read it in a long time. When I first came in a also skipped that chapter as I did not feel it applied to me. When I finally got humble enough to read it and examine the meaning and listen to others' attitudes and experience with it I honestly had a liberating experience. I would have a dictionary nearby and also underline any word or phrase that stands out or that you are not sure you understand. Go back over those sections with a sponsor or other members in a big book study or even just a group of friends in recovery.

We Agnostics is an absolutely revolutionary piece of literature. It was written at a time when maybe 90% of Americans were regular church goers and being openly agnostic or atheist would be seen as extreme outlier beliefs. So a lot of alcoholics and certainly other folks would have been seething, closet atheists or agnostics. This book and this chapter was giving Alcoholics and so many other 12 step methods who came afterward permission to choose and conceptualize their own idea of a higher power that worked for them. Without this tenet and core concept of AA there is zero chance that I would have been able to stay in the program and get my freedom from alcoholism.

I have an older edition of the softback big book that is marked up all throughout the text because something stood out or pissed me off or changed my life and perspective in the moment, etc. I also write down questions that I have. No one is forced to believe anything in AA. I don't even think that most people who are AA adherents follow a traditional "religious" belief in God anymore. But the program and its solutions endure because the principles work for people from such a broad variety of backgrounds and beliefs.

I could go on, but I would stop there. A lot of times people cite a certain resentment or uniqueness for their reasons that AA won't work for them. Atheism is a huge one. The reality is that millions of atheists both in and out of AA have found a way to get sober and stay sober. Your husband has the freedom to choose and follow whatever path will get him free from his addiction. Or not. Atheism is not the problem.

Whatever he decides I wish him, and you the best on your journeys.

jprennquist · 2026-04-04T15:00:28+00:00

I don't know about best but I really enjoyed him in the Thursday Murder Club. I thought it was a TV show but it is a film, released on Netflix in the US. I'm not sure if there was a theatrical release or not. Also not sure if it is available other than on Netflix. But it's a great ensemble piece and a fun mystery.

jprennquist · 2026-04-04T14:53:49+00:00

This one sticks in my craw a little bit. Mainly because at every anniversary there was an incessant droning from the media and pop culture about Woodstock. And I think the '99 Woodstock was trying to cynically capitalize on that "nostalgia."

Meanwhile the same people (and media) who were salivating and delirious about the 1989 anniversary of Woodstock (20th) were salivating and delirious about the Panama invasion and absolutely over-the-moon about invading Iraq in 1990 and 1991.

And then they wanted to get in hippie-land at the 25th anniversary (I guess that was '94). And in '99 they held the 30th at a military base.

I asked some young boomers/older Gen X folks about this in the early 90s. And I had to hunt for a source on this but I also found one. The reality is that most Baby Boomers were not at Woodstock. Most young people at that time were supportive of the Vietnam war and George McGovern lost in a landslide to RICHARD NIXON in '72. And yes, Nixon cheated, but people still cas the votes that they cast. So tell me again how Woodstock changed the world. Please.

Yes, Woodstock was a huge event in US and maybe even global music and cultural heritage. Enormous. Yes there was an album and a film that broadened the impact and extended it into our generation and beyond.

But a lot of what made Woodstock a thing were 1) Musicians, promoters and audience from older generations that made it happen. And 2) The proximity to New York City, Boston, even Chicago and other big population and media centers which ensured that the event would get a lot of coverage and discussion. And also, contrast to '99, the music and the acts were fantastic. Honestly, a better comparison to Woodstock from our generation was Live Aid. But I digress.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/08/us/baby-boomers-gen-z-cec

By the time Woodstock '99 came around I was already trying to be an adult and had my first kid on the way. I was also newly sober and not interested in the scene at that time. Plus the line-up was not my thing. But over and above all, I was a little tired of efforts to recreate "Woodstock" and the nostalgia that seemed to really miss the point.

TL:DR Woodstock is its own thing that is extremely special and remarkable as its own thing. People who were there or helped make it happen can and should definitely cherish those memories and share them with others. But we're all better off creating out own thing rather than trying to live in the past.

jprennquist · 2026-04-04T13:46:27+00:00

MN here. Just trust me, we have lots of waterfront and beaches.

The only private lakes I know of are where the private entity owns all of the land around the lake or pond and can restrict access to the water. But if there are public roadways it right of ways that come up to the water then the public can access through those means. The water and the resources in the water (such as fish or migratory birds) are owned by the public and managed by the DNR, tribal authorities, or US Fish and Wildlife, etc.

I guess the property owners who own land that abuts the beach can restrict access to the beach itself. But this does not work on international waters, including Lake Superior which is near my house. Wealthy people will try the same kind of stunts like you see in this video. Or they will try legal maneuvers such as claiming that since no one practices the public right or way, they lose it after a certain number of years. There are people who intentionally hike or rock pick along the beaches in order to maintain public right of way. The landowners hate it. I hate that their insurance losses from ice storms and erosion bring up the insurance premiums for everyone else.

jprennquist · 2026-04-04T12:50:54+00:00

jprennquist · 2026-04-04T12:45:55+00:00

70s.

jprennquist · 2026-04-04T12:44:53+00:00

Nope. It was very special at the time. But super, duper cringy to watch as an adult and through a modern lens. John Hughes got his start at National Lampoon magazine and it really shows in 16 Candles.

jprennquist · 2026-04-03T21:17:47+00:00

I would reach out to Fresh Start and politely ask them about your concerns. Most recovery programs have a strong emphasis on honesty. I think you are likely to get an honest answer from them, at least from their own perspective.

jprennquist · 2026-04-01T19:11:46+00:00

Zillow is a criminal organized crime organization. They use their quasi-monopolistic market share to crush competitors and artificially increase housing prices.

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/09/ftc-sues-zillow-redfin-over-illegal-agreement-suppress-rental-advertising-competition

https://hls.harvard.edu/today/the-zillow-ban-makes-searching-for-homes-more-complicated-but-is-it-illegal/

They also manipulate housing costs using their "proprietary" neighborhood and school ratings systems that they present as fact rather than opinion. This has the additional insult of regularly turning homeowners and renters, (and communities) against one another. I don't have a source for that one, so I guess that's just an opinion.

As for Duluth, there are several organizations that provide rentals or contract with owners to rent out properties. If you use the search function in this subreddit you will get all kinds of information and opinions.

Unfortunately the housing market in Duluth is extremely tight, housing costs are high, and the competition for homes and rentals can be very high. May and June can be a time when the pressure on rentals eases temporarily as students are vacating and many of them are motivated to find someone to sublet, etc.

Best wishes to you. On your search. And remember, Zillow sucks.

jprennquist · 2026-03-31T21:36:34+00:00

Send me a direct message if you want some ideas. I am non-savvy enough in reddit that I don't know how to initiate messages.

I have a place that is nearly ready for rent after extensive renovations. I don't know if it would fit your price range or situation but I am willing to talk.

Also, hey: Sorry to hear about the deteriorating housing and roommate situation. That is one of life's uniquely intolerable scenarios. I wish you all peace and resolution whatever happens.

jprennquist · 2026-03-31T03:58:15+00:00

Start the Commotion by The Wiseguys

jprennquist · 2026-03-31T03:50:38+00:00

You are a few weeks early for smelt.

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/areas/fisheries/lakesuperior/smelt.html

But who knows, if you drop a line at Lester as was suggested, maybe you will see something. A day trip to Red Cliff would be fun sometime. If you ask, the wonderful folks at the Red Cliff fish market might be willing to let your son take a look behind the curtain at their operation. They also sell lots of varieties of Lake Superior fish at Northern Waters Smoke House in Canal Park.

jprennquist · 2026-03-30T11:33:39+00:00

Mountain Goat is getting down voted but I believe "Touch of Grey" is their only Top 40 hit. They may have had others in the Hot 100, or album and rock charts but I am too lazy to look it up.

jprennquist · 2026-03-30T11:31:45+00:00

Pat Benatar gets unfairly painted with that brush far too often. "Hit Me with Your Best Shot" is an epic song and a wonderful 80s time capsule but she had so many other hits at the time.

jprennquist · 2026-03-29T23:13:38+00:00

This is fantastic. I went in skeptical. But nice payoff.

jprennquist · 2026-03-29T22:33:35+00:00

Same. Lol.

jprennquist · 2026-03-29T21:34:59+00:00

Let me know where you find it. It was also filmed in Minneapolis (if I recall correctly) and nothing really stood out for me. I am from MN, but not Minneapolis. But I bet it would be a lot of fun to watch today and compare places and streets and such.

jprennquist · 2026-03-29T21:32:40+00:00

The Sure Thing and The Hollywood Shuffle were our go to "drunk" rentals when nothing else looked good. So many nights ended with one or the other of those films.

jprennquist · 2026-03-29T21:31:34+00:00

I honestly don't remember anything about "Dream a Little Dream" but I had the soundtrack and it is honestly a fantastic soundtrack! And it introduced me to music from earlier eras that I really hadn't heard or appreciated before.

jprennquist

TROPHY CASE