‘The Good Girl’
Courtesy of Beaverdale Books Review by Shirley Shiffler Mira Books July 29, 2014 $24.95 350 Pages With her debut novel “The Good Girl,” Mary Kubica has received well-deserved comparisons to [...]
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Posted August 27, 2014in Book Review
Posted August 27, 2014in Your Money
Someone please buy The Des Moines Register!
I can’t take it anymore: The endless updates in Civic Skinny on the sagging circulation and slow death of The Des Moines Register. Enough already. Mr. Gartner, pool your money with the likely [...]
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Posted August 27, 2014in Film Review
John Lithgow and Alfred Molina get married in ‘Love Is Strange’
“Love is Strange” 3 stars Rated R 94 minutes Comedy Starring: John Lithgow, Alfred Molina, Tatyana Zbirovskaya Although it suffers from a glaring third-act jump that makes you wonder where [...]
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Posted August 22, 2014in Iowa Watchdog
Iowa agency issues extra unemployment checks; tries to keep it quiet
DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Workforce Development may have trouble managing money, but at least its management understands the importance of politeness. In early March, the agency, which oversees unemployment claims [...]
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Posted August 20, 2014in Iowa Watchdog
Drunk teacher wins unemployment benefits; gets to keep license
DES MOINES, Iowa — If Dennis Pagel had taken a box of school supplies while working as a teacher at Dallas-Center Grimes Middle School, he could have gotten in serious trouble. [...]
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Posted August 20, 2014in Center Stage
A do-over done Latin-style
Broadway loves a do-over. The Tony awards include “Best Revival,” and every season sees former hits rejiggered. “South Pacific” may have been a smash in 1949, but there’s a streamlined [...]
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Posted August 20, 2014in Belly Up To...
Blue Moon Dueling Piano Bar: not your average live show
One piano is good. Two pianos are better. But two pianos, a drum set, maybe a guitar and definitely some comedic relief in the form of parodies and improvised songs? [...]
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Posted August 20, 2014in Book Review
‘The Mountaintop School for Dogs and Other Second Chances’
Courtesy of Beaverdale Books Review by Harriet Leitch Houghton Mifflin August 5, 2014 $24 304 Pages It took a while, but eventually this book started to fascinate me. At first [...]
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Posted August 20, 2014in Your Money
Paid for by taxpayers in… Polk County.
Amount: $871.84 To: Dowco Valve Company Inc. For: One kunkle valve Amount: $1910 To: CDW Government (Illinois) For: Two Kodak scanners Amount: $544.86 To: People Works Staffing For: Payment for [...]
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Posted August 20, 2014in Film Review
Straight man — funny man — both
“The Trip to Italy” 4 stars Rated PG 98 minutes Comedy Starring: Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon, Rosie Fellner You couldn’t pick two more entertaining companions for a cinematic road trip [...]
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