Posted August 13, 2014in Film Review
“The Hundred-Foot Journey” 3 stars Rated PG 122 minutes Drama Starring: Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayal The foodie-romance genre has been oddly absent from American cinema lately. It’s been seven long years since “Ratatouille” (2007) reminded audiences about their taste buds. Even then, that was an animated kids’ movie
Read More →The Muffs “Whoop Dee Doo” Burger Records It’s usually not a good sign when a band takes an extended hiatus from releasing new music. But any reports of The Muffs’ demise have been greatly exaggerated. A decade after their last release, Kim Shattuck, Ronnie Barnett and Roy McDonald have not
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Posted August 13, 2014in The Sound
The key in life is to continue learning. Not every decision that doesn’t pan out is automatically a mistake, as long as you can take something away from it. It’s that ability to learn and grow that’s got Katelyn Epperly where she is now. The Des Moines native has been
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Posted August 13, 2014in Food Dude
Some of the folks who love the Iowa State Fair refuse to eat there. Each year I hear from readers who find the fair’s concessions disgusting, unhealthy or overpriced. So the first week of that big event seemed like an appropriate time to revisit a couple institutions that offer something
Read More →Single show tickets for the Des Moines Symphony’s 2014-2015 Masterworks Season go on sale Monday, Aug. 18. This year’s season includes performances of Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” and Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, as well as selections from Mozart, Chopin and Dvorak. Single show tickets range from $15 to $55 and are available
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Posted August 13, 2014in Civic Skinny
Dick Olson, a good mayor, a good guy and a good neighbor, died last week in a car crash in Maine. He was 85. This is from Jim Duncan: “Dick Olson was a tough guy. He defined the term. He grew up without parents, raised by grandparents who spoke no
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Posted August 13, 2014in Locker Room
In life there are ups and downs. A lucky few will travel around the world, perhaps see the Eiffel Tower, while others will simply go around the corner as they walk the dog. The same goes with sports. Some will make it to the professional level while others are destined
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Posted August 13, 2014in Cover Story
My first memory of KISS is from second grade in Dubuque. My best friend at the time was a kid named Toby Benson, and Toby’s parents were much cooler than mine. While my dad was listening to Neil Diamond and Billy Joel, Toby’s parents were taking him to Ratt concerts
Read More →Several weeks ago, Civic Skinny shined the light on some of the goofiness in the Iowa Republican Party platform. I have been waiting for a similar review and enlightenment on the Iowa Democratic Party platform for 2014 It contains more than 430 items of support and opposition. Moses would have needed a forklift to deliver all
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Posted August 13, 2014in Political Mercury
It started as instinct. I was 10. I didn’t have the words to summon an explanation. But I knew it, felt it. These are my places — the places along the journey to celebrated destinations. My father was a music professor at Simpson College in Indianola, which afforded our family
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