a Steve King year
Iowa’s new 4th congressional district chose its representative a year ago, and here’s what it got: a blizzard of sound bites that sometimes provoked national condemnation, partial successes on conservative [...]
Read More →Ah, the power of fresh powder
Sledding is one of the most favored physical (outdoor) activities in the winter months. It combines resistance and cardio training that inevitably leaves everyone involved sweating through his or her [...]
Read More →‘Divergent’ is more than a ‘Hunger Games’ knock-off
Courtesy of Beaverdale Books Review by Julie Goodrich Simon and Schuster Oct. 1, 2013 $28 304 pp. “Divergent” is the next big thing in dystopic fiction — complete with conflicted [...]
Read More →The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its inductees for 2014. While there will always be annual talk of the snubs — no Hall for Deep Purple or N.W.A. [...]
Read More →Rush-minute could soon end
One thing that denotes a city from a major metropolitan area is an extensive mass transit system. While Des Moines’ labor force may worry about our daily “rush minute,” cities [...]
Read More →Honoring the wrong pianist
This year’s “Kennedy Center Honors” (Sunday, 8 p.m., CBS) celebrates jazz innovator Herbie Hancock, guitarist Carlos Santana, movie star Shirley MacLaine, opera singer Martina Arroyo and pianist Billy Joel for [...]
Read More →Paid for by taxpayers in… Polk County
Amount: $2,150 To: Lister Industries For: Purchase of parking barriers ($50 each) plus $100 in delivery fees. Amount: $132.79 To: Loffredo Fresh Produce Company Inc. For: Purchase of bananas [...]
Read More →New Social Club unveiled
A strong contender for Weirdest Theater Ever would be “Jerry Springer: The Opera,” which sets Springer’s sleaze to song. Now, where did I catch the show? Why, at the Des [...]
Read More →Max Wellman “You Must Believe in Spring” Independent Lou Reed and Metallica got together a couple years ago to collaborate on an album called “Lulu.” It was an unmitigated disaster [...]
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