Sherman Hill residents are gearing up for another round of Doors to the Past this month, and live music will accompany the walking tours of one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods. Set to perform this month are Max Wellman on Sept. 21; Ortonville Circus, Sept. 29; and Bill Matykowski on
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Posted September 11, 2013in Sound Notes
Posted September 11, 2013in Sound Check
Mary McAdams “When You Dive” Independent The best part about “When You Dive” is what happens from the first song to the second. That’s not to say that the rest of the album is a disappointment, but everything that comes after rests upon the table that those first two songs
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Posted September 11, 2013in Food Dude
Theories, dangos and meatballs
Twenty three years ago, civic leaders asked Mario Gandelsonas to visualize future development of the city. That architectural theorist, a devout French Post Structuralist, made drawings of Des Moines inspired by his plane ride over town. Those convinced him that the Des Moines River could be transformed into a Seine-like
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Posted September 10, 2013in Rap Sheet
Posted September 04, 2013in Tech Talk
Microsoft big loser of tablet tech
Last week Steve Ballmer surprised the tech world by announcing that in 12 months he will be stepping down as CEO of Microsoft. According to the rumor mill, Ballmer is not so much retiring as being gracefully shown the door due to the failure of Microsoft’s Surface line of tablets.
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Posted September 04, 2013in Belly Up To...
Valley Junction’s Hawkeye haven, the Longest Yard
Two occurrences exist in life that cause my dad emotions of disappointment: death and the Hawkeyes. I’ve watched him yell, cheer and roll his eyes at the TV screen during regular season games, bowl games and the various arrest warrants issued to many unlucky players on the team, but throughout
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Posted September 04, 2013in News of the Weird
Queen of the night The conflicted double life of Israeli Orthodox Jew Shadar Hadar, 34, might be as formidable to manage as that of an international spy. Though deeply and defiantly religious, around midnight he typically “trades his knitted white yarmulke” for a “wavy blond wig and pink velvet dress”
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Posted September 04, 2013in Film Review
Espionage everywhere
“Closed Circuit” 3 stars Rated R 96 minutes Drama Starring: Eric Bana, Rebecca Hall, Jim Broadbent Gaping plot holes don’t prevent this nearly current espionage thriller from grabbing its audience and keeping them hooked all the way to its socially volatile ending. As the title hints, England’s CCTV (Closed Circuit
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Posted September 04, 2013in Food Dude
Andreas 3 and Fernando’s add to Mexican scene
Mexican restaurants cluster in Des Moines. In the early to mid 20th century, Valley Junction was synonymous with Mexican food. Around the end of the last century, a six-block stretch of East Grand and Hubble avenues housed more superb Latino cafés than the rest of the metro combined. Before the
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Posted September 04, 2013in On The Tube
Motor-psycho club
“Sons of Anarchy” returns for another dose of brutality and tenderness. Season five of “Sons of Anarchy” ended in a blaze of betrayal and violence. Just when it seemed things couldn’t get any more intense for the California motorcycle club, here comes season six (Tuesday, 9 p.m., FX). Club leader
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