The fair as therapy

So I park my car at the fair this past Thursday and am greeted by a little towheaded boy. "Been playing outside?" I asked him, trying to keep a few feet between us. He was about 4 and looked as if he had been dipped in cherry snow cone juice and then rolled in dust. He didn't answer, but rather just kept looking at me, as his mother (or his sister - she had a tough-to-read look about her brought on, I'm assuming, by her perfecting the Mountain Dew-Marlboro Red diet) shoved him out of the way. She had stuffed a bite of food in her mouth and stuck a finger in the air to signal it would take her a second to work it down. "Beat it, you little dirtball," she told the boy, who scurried away. Then she said the two words she'd been waiting all year to say: "Seven bucks." >> more

Smear job is all talk

Jim Nussle insiders say the Iowa Congressman and gubernatorial candidate has shrugged off the threat of negative publicity by fellow candidate Bob Vander Plaats, not because some of the things that are being whispered about him aren't true, but because if Vander Plaats really wants to get down and dirty, Nussle's people are going to drop a bomb on him. "He doesn't want to go there," said a top Republican operative. "And he won't. You don't want to ruin a guy's life, but we have enough to put him away." When asked in what context "put him away" was being used and what the implications are, this individual would only say, "There has been a lot of research done on Bob's history, and if this is the way he wants to play it, we'll bury him." So why haven't they attacked yet? Most consider Vander Plaats a fly in the ointment. >> more

By Jim Duncan
CVFDude@aol.com

In the mood for quiet outdoor dining, we visited Tandoor recently. We love South Asian cuisine and Tandoor serves some of Des Moines' best. Still, we've never been able to understand why no one seems to use the lovely Tandoor patio, while one across the street has been packed for decades. >> more

By Michael Swanger
michael@dmcityview.com

The Maintenance Shop in Ames just released its fall schedule and, as usual, it's chock full of eclectic local and national acts that are sure to appeal to a variety of music lovers.

This year's lineup is anchored by Texas country music legend Billy Joe Shaver, who will make his M-Shop debut on Oct. 15. Showtime is 8 p.m. Shaver became famous during the 1970s for writing songs for country music outlaws like Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings, but his lengthy career has inspired generations of songwriters. Earlier this year, some of those artists, including Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Guy Clark, Joe Ely, Robert Earl Keen, Todd Snider and Dale Watson, got together to record "Tribute to Billy Joe Shaver - Live." Get your tickets early for this show as it's expected to sell out quickly.

Next to stuffing our face with fried foods and watching the parade of circus freaks along the Midway, we Iowans like to take in a free concert or two at the Iowa State Fair. It appeals to our frugal nature, you might say. But as many of you already know, free music isn't always quality music. So before you invest a few hours of your time listening to some has-been or never-was plod his or her way through another hair-pulling rendition of "I Will Always Love You" or "Old Time Rock 'n' Roll," we thought we'd give you the lowdown on which acts you may or may not want to see. >>more