Posted November 20, 2012in Featured Story, Iowa Watchdog
DES MOINES — Iowa’s congressional candidates this election cycle spent more money than ever to expand their campaigns online, according to Federal Election Commission spending reports. But is anyone paying attention? The state follows a national trend in which the Internet has transformed the way politicians market themselves to voters,
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Posted November 14, 2012in Locker Room
“I guess I’m going for the Iron Farmer,” said Joe Short, who recently finished his first off-road duathlon after several years of knee pain and eventual surgery. With new cartilage in his knee, Short will join 7,500 others in the 34th Annual Living History Farms Race on Saturday morning. Hundreds
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Posted November 14, 2012in On The Tube, Recent Posts
The Rolling Stones evolve from villains in ‘Crossfire Hurricane’ With “Crossfire Hurricane” (Thursday, 8 p.m., HBO), the Rolling Stones have produced a worthy 50th-anniversary documentary. It chronicles the group’s journey from being “the band everybody hated to the band everybody loves,” in Mick Jagger’s words. We learn that the group
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Posted November 14, 2012in Game Day, Recent Posts
After leading the program to its first BCS-level postseason victory since the 1950s — the 2010 Orange Bowl, it wasn’t that long ago — coach Kirk Ferentz was rewarded in kind by the University of Iowa. Both sides agreed to a contract extension through 2020 with a remarkable, let’s-add-a-new-indoor-pool-to-the-mansion kind
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Posted November 14, 2012in Civic Skinny, Featured Story
Mike Gronstal is more powerful than ever. Gay marriage is a dead issue. Bob Vander Plaats is irrelevant. Bruce Rastetter has wasted a lot of money. Tom Harkin now has to decide whether to run. Steve King is in Congress for life. Leonard Boswell peaked the night he was robbed.
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Posted November 14, 2012in Cover Story
Anyone out there looking for a “whopperlicious” woman for only 100 bucks? Perhaps a “sexy, mature, busty and beautiful cougar on the prowl” is more for you. There’s also the “discreet, friendly, upscale, playful and intellectually sophisticated” dream girl for businessmen 40 and older. Those are just a few of
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Posted November 14, 2012in Recent Posts, Sound Check
Diamonds For Eyes ‘Catacomb Fires’ Independent Do you like Joy Division? Then Diamonds For Eyes may get it done for you. Now I’m not saying that the Des Moines four-piece is a Joy Division knock-off, or even that they’re necessarily trying to be. I am saying that there’s something reminiscent
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Posted November 14, 2012in Book Review, Recent Posts
Courtesy of Beaverdale Books Review by Barb Palar Little Brown and Company Oct. 23, 2012 $29.99 256 pp Looking for a holiday gift for a know-it-all who already has everything (and knows everything)? “The Onion” has dug up thousands of facts even the most encyclopedic of your relatives won’t know.
Read More →Cole Smithey review of ‘Lincoln’ fails Before today I was not familiar with Cole Smithey. But having read his review of “Lincoln” (Film Review, Nov. 8), I’d suggest you read his work before printing. His take on the movie comes across as unreconstructed Confederacy boilerplate. His writing was dominated by
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Maybe Iowa ain’t what it’s cracked up to be
1. Guy in his 50s, ballot in hand, abruptly asks a poll worker: “Which judge is for homosexuals?” Receiving no satisfactory answer, he says, “It’s a guessing game, huh?” and votes against lord knows whom. 2. Couple, apparently new citizens, is accompanied by a son or grandson to cast their
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