Cityview | Central Iowa's Independent Weekly

‘Twas the night before...

Our annual Christmas classic returns

The waterbug had grown old and weary. And he was alone. He was the only one of his kind left in the house. He knew he would never survive the next spring cleaning. He could not scurry away from the poison sprays anymore. Still, the waterbug had been so clever in his youth, and he had lived so long, that now he was the senior creature in the house. He knew that he had a last duty to perform.

So, as Christmas Eve approached, he called a meeting of all the creatures in the house. They met at a dark joint in the woodwork. It was a place that had happy memories of youth for the old waterbug. Once he had gathered with old friends here. Now all the old friends were gone. The waterbug did not recognize any of the young creatures who began to assemble around him.

There was a pair of silverfish, shameless and brazen because they had grown up in one of the popular novels on the bookshelf. An insolent young spider came. Her web was deep in a stereo set. She greeted the old waterbug with: “Hey, old daddy... what’s happenin’?” Three ladybugs arrived, carefully made up and proud of their beauty. A cricket who lived in the television set came in and began acting like a game show host.... Read More>>

John Mauro’s in. Is Vilmain out? Who’s Gordon Gammack?

Revolving doors: Skinny hears Teresa Vilmain is hanging it up as the key adviser to Chet Culver’s re-election campaign, throwing that effort into still more turmoil. Earlier, Andrew Roos left as campaign manager. Still earlier, John Kirincich made what turned out to be just a cameo appearance as head of the campaign. Vilmain’s contract is up at year-end, a friend says, and she isn’t renewing. Why would she leave? “Usually, when an adviser leaves a campaign, it’s because her advice isn’t being listened to” says a political vet and Vilmain pal. At the moment, the top person on the Culver campaign seems to be Jesse Harris, whose title is deputy campaign manager and who — like Vilmain and unlike Kirincich and Roos — knows Iowa and Iowa politics. ...

And Skinny hears that Gunnar Olson, one of the best of the young Des Moines Register reporters, is leaving for a PR job at the transit company. It’s a new position — more than 200 people applied for it — and it offers more security than can be found these days in a newsroom. With continuing furloughs and uncertainty at the Register, he told a friend, “I felt like I was playing chicken with my future.”...Read More>>

Get off your rear and ring in the New Year

Why not celebrate New Year’s Eve in a big way this year? Christmas is almost over (by the time you read this) and you’ve made it through another tough year. Now it’s time to let your hair down to usher in a new decade.

So unless you’re home nursing a baby or a broken hip, there really is no good excuse for maintaining the boring tradition of falling asleep in front of the television and waking up just in time to see the ball drop in Times Square before shuffling off to bed.

Lame.

Get off your rear and ring in the New Year on Thursday, Dec. 31. In addition to great live music, many concert events include free champagne toasts, food (from appetizers to full-course meals) and door prizes. One even includes a wedding.
What more can you ask for?

Well, we can’t arrange that. But you won’t find it sitting at home alone....Read More>>

2009 — A great year for customers

2009 was a fabulous year for consumers as restaurants improved their games and cut their prices. Django began offering $1 oysters at happy hour and started a “no corkage fee” policy that spread. Splash, Fleming’s and Alba initiated sensational discounts on appetizers. Fixed price dinners at Bistro Montage and Centro offered better choices and lower prices, with more vegan offerings in Centro’s case. Half price wine nights at Dos Rios and Dish spread. Chuck’s upped its free jazz lineup. Free wine tastings escalated...Read More>>”