Monday, August 10, 2009

Open Thread #103

Let's jump-start a little activity here.  This is the first open thread since February.  I know...kinda sad.

49 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's too late - this blog is dead.

Anonymous said...

This blog is dead.
Why did you kill it?
I see you lifted the ban on "anon" postings.

Anonymous said...

What happened to all the good business news this sight used to bring us?

Matt BK said...

I've been pretty impressed with how polite people have been to me when I've been on my bicycle lately--I wonder if this has to do with more people being out on the road this summer?

bjmoney said...

As more people feel the noose of recession around our necks, maybe they are thinking more about their health.

Anonymous said...

To kind of reiterate what someone else said earlier in another thread - it would be nice if someone could post some photos of new developments, or anything happening in GF.

Anonymous said...

about time...glad the anons are back. Much more comments. this blog was rollin when the ban came and it literal killed it quick. Hope we can salvage it.

Anyone read Chuck Klosterman?

Anyone buying Brittany tickets?

Matt BK said...

bjmoney, I think it may have more to do with it being cheaper than driving rather than health-related. I guess we'll see when it gets colder out.

I would go see Britney if it was less than $10 a ticket. I think she might be worth seeing once, but it's summer and I'm a little light on cash.

Maybe if we send photos to GFG he'll put them up?

Anonymous said...

This blog got beat out by Tuy's blog it looks like.

Anonymous said...

wonder why the change of heart. the place i work at used a touch screen system for months that did not work. some can't admitt defeat and "man up to it"

Anonymous said...

Finally, we can get back to the important discussions, like which do you prefer:
Dugan's Legs or Walder's awesome chest? Or Chmil's overall super sexyness?

local boy said...

I like Chmiel. Also, there is another hottie whose name I don't know. This blog is likely dead. Sad.

Anonymous said...

this guy has some grand forks stuff www.abesauer.com

Anonymous said...

Anyone else notice how Denny's has turned into a shit hole here in GF? I normally think Denny's is OK (Fargo's is pretty good), but the service is so bad here, time and time again, I refused to go back. Seems like the parking lot is always empty.

I guess I prefer Walder's "awesome chest."

Anonymous said...

Since this blog's lull, a lot of info regarding The Alerus Center has been blown out of the shadows and backrooms and plastered across media all over the region. With that in mind, I offer two topics for discussion...

Does anyone think The Alerus center would have ever been approved by voters if the knew that to get a major arena concert event, the city would have to take all the risk away from promoters, and virtually guarantee them a sell out?

I think the answer is no.

How can The Alerus pursue other events with crazy deals like the Britney Spears guarantee looming over their heads? I would think they can't attempt to land more dates until the numbers are in on Brit'...and they better not!

I think it's a very good thing that this blog is now allowing anon posters again. Without the blogosphere, the Alerus secret subsidies would have never been revealed and we would still be reading silly articles about Alerus Center "profits". Bloggers also forced The Herald to reveal details of Alerus Center guarantee incentive contracts, also.

Nice job people! Democracy in action. Hold local officials and the media's feet to the fire!

Anonymous said...

What else is being hidden ? Coruption is running wild in town. Follow the money and you will find the nest of rats. Wht Britney ? We will lose a cool million $ .

Anonymous said...

I posted a positive opinion challenging the constant naysaying about the Alerus' affect on the GF and UND communities. For some reason it wasn't posted. That's being hidden!!

Anonymous said...

"GF and UND communities", can you be more specific? What blogs or media outlets are you talking about? Post your Alerus Center "positive opinions" here. I know I'd love to see them.

Anonymous said...

Hooray for the anonymous posting! Now chickshit crybabies can post their conspiracy claims without fear of retribution again! If you asshats had any balls at all, you'd write a letter to the Herald and sign your name to it. Afraid of losing your job? If there was any truth to what you say and you had the backbone to stand up for it, you'd be safe as safe can be.

If the owner of this blog had any scruples at all, he'd have shut it down before going back on his word not to open it up to this garbage again.

Anonymous said...

wow...someone needs a hug

Anonymous said...

This is FAR more entertaining.

Vote: Dugan

Anonymous said...

I hope the chickshit crybaby above who complained about chickshit crybabies recognizes the irony of his posting anonymously.

Anonymous said...

Agreed. I think that the chickshit crybaby who complained about chickshit crybabies is clearly the biggest chickshit crybaby of them all.

Dear Chickshit Crybaby: If you are so bothered by this blog, why are you reading it and posting childish rants on it? Oh, and please have some balls and sign your name next time...unless you're afraid of loosing your job or something.

POT = KETTLE

Anonymous said...

Who cares what names people post under? I'd like to see this blog get rolling again.

All posters are anon, who cares???

Anonymous said...

did anyone go to the Frolf420 thing? Anyone hear how it went?

toby said...

I hate the Olive Garden. Please bring us Hooters.

Anonymous said...

I'd love to read a Marilyn Hagerty "EAT BEAT" review of Hooters.

The mind reels...

Anonymous said...

The decor was a cheery orange and white that matched well with the bubbly waitresses and their more than ample cleavage.

Anonymous said...

It's hard to believe Olive Garden's bastardized Italian fare hasn't been duplicated by some intrepid local restaurateur.

Matt BK said...

I'm not sure what I would have thought of the Alerus if I had been here when it was voted on--what was that like, was it a huge debacle?

Anonymous said...

It was just a flurry of lies, deception, and misinformation on the part of the supporters. If The Herald were doing their job, they would pull out the projections from that time period, and compare it to actual numbers now that there are 8 years of history. The supporters had no game in the campaign stage, their m.o. was to simply belittle citizens who opposed the project and label them "naysayers".

If I'm not mistaken, in the projections, there were rodeos, monster truck events, and major concert events every frickin' month. Their strategy was to compare the feasiblty to markets with a population around one million.

The supporters, backed up by The Herald, also stated repeatedly that concerts events were the big profit centers, and the banquet/convention facilities were losers. But, the conventioners would be in town for multiple days, filling every bar and restaurant in town and the city would enjoy the mythical "economic impact".

Now, the mantra is, the convention center is the profit center and concerts are loss-leaders.

Again, if the supporters disclosed in the campaign stage that citizens would have to virtually guarantee promoters a sell out to bring acts to the market, does anyone think the center would have ever been approved? The simple answer, I believe, is no.

Also, supporters stated repeatedly that the center would not compete with local businesses. Now, commission members, city council members, and The Herald gloat about how well The Alerus' convention does competing against local businesses.

And, very simply, the more concert events the venue hosts, the more money the center loses.

Did you know that the citie's Economic Development Corporation's primary role is to funnel money to The Alerus?

It is exactly the conundrum that the "naysayers" predicted.

Anonymous said...

SAVE SMILEY! SAVE SMILEY! SAVE SMILEY! SAVE SMILEY! SAVE SMILEY! SAVE SMILEY! SAVE SMILEY!

dale said...

Meh. The reason this blog is quiet is that there's really not a lot going on around here, business wise. Which isn't too surprising, given the economic climate (regardless of the state of things in North Dakota, national chains aren't going to be expanding when they have little to no capital to do so.) For new places, though, I can say that the Broadway Bar & Grill in EGF has a tasty burger and Fat Tire on tap.

As for anonymity, if you missed the news last week, one's anonymous status only lasts as long as whoever you're posting about doesn't care. With last week's precedence in hand (an anonymous poster who made a couple disparaging remarks about an "NYC Skank" (google it) was identified by google with a court order,) if someone at the Alerus Center or city or whatever decides they want to know who's talking smack about them, your veil of secrecy isn't going to last.

Everything that you say and do online is tracked in some manner, so if you're not using an anonymous proxy or something, I'd take care out there.

Anonymous said...

Give me a break! Evaluating a city-owned, mismanaged, ill-conceived event center is wrong? Oh, I get it, posting facts and opinions anonymously is wrong. Gotcha!

dale said...

I don't think that there's a "right or wrong" aspect to that decision last week (well, I frankly think it's wrong, but that isn't the point,) so much as it is saying that just because you think you're not going to get caught posting something that you don't want to sign your name to, that is no longer the case.

Anonymous said...

OMG! Area Voices has been down all day! Know what this means? They're running reverse lookups on all us anon posters using our ISP's and they're going to blast us out of the shadows!

Know what this means? Now we'll all know the identities of the people who...
-Exposed The Alerus Center secret subsidies.
-Exposed the details that The Alerus is offeirng full guarantee incentives to promoters, and the dates aren't the work of Steve Hyman, like previously reported.
-Now we'll all know these very bad people who exposed the fact that the city attempted to stiff AEG out of over $300,000 for not adhering to the conditions of the contract they entered into on a Fleetwood Mac date.

These people are bad!
Bad people!

Anonymous said...

Hello Grand Forks! I have heard through the grapevine that an entrepreneur is working on creating a dinner theatre for downtown Grand Forks. Any thought or suggestions?

Anonymous said...

Thoughts? Yeah, the Grand Forks market won't support a dinner theater. Maybe on Saturday nights. What do you do the rest of the week besides generate expenses without revenues to offset them?

Anonymous said...

Agreed. Grand Forks doesn't have much of an appetite for the arts. It's too bad.

Anonymous said...

so I take it, you won't be going?

Anonymous said...

so und started up and its funny that students think they own this city. I put a young und boy in his place at the store today for being douch bag.

Anonymous said...

Who was resonsible for allowing a variance on the noise audience to Big Daddy's til midnight Saturday? The north end was kept awake thanks to that moron.

Anonymous said...

Wow. Let's just call this, "I'm bitter" site.

Are we upset because taxes are too high. Or would ANY taxes paid to support ANY civic project be too high?

Are UND students impolite? Or are you stuck in a job you hate and wish you were them.

Grand Forks can't support an enhanced Arts Scene because the people who say "we can't" are the same people who won't pay $8 for a ticket to the programs we DO have.

We can make this blog good again or we can just gripe.

Jared said...

What are they doing on the corner of Columbia and 32nd Ave? They have been working on it since the start of May and I haven't seen anything really going on...

GrandForksGuy said...

Jared, I was so curious about that project too when it first got underway. Unfortunately, it isn't any kind of commercial construction. It is a lift station or something of the sort. There used to be a smaller utility building on the property and I believe the city is replacing that. I've heard they've been having a very difficult time with this project because the dirt kept caving in. It looks like it is finally progressing now, though.

Anonymous said...

stabbing at Gillys last night. Supposedly members of the Ryan house downtown have been causing trouble at Gillys and it was them last night. Surprised it wasnt in the newspaper. Wonder if this will affect Gillys business?

Aaron C. said...

Around my neighborhood, a lot of the sidewalks in front of the houses have paint written on them that say "DO" followed by "PEC", "UKN", or "PEA". Does anyone know what this is about? It's on A LOT of the sidewalks so I was just curious. Thanks!

gfreside said...

Rumor of a NEW DEVELOPMENT:

A local radio station was talking about the old Hardees on what they called the "busiest intersection in the state". The rumor is that a new Mexican Restaurant will be there. No other details were provided.

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