Posted March 11, 2015in The Sound
Reverend Horton Heat has spent the past 25 years melting the faces of anyone who strays too close. The act, consisting of Jim “Reverend Horton” Heath, upright bassist Jimbo Wallace and drummer Scott Churilla, serves as the gold standard for modern rockabilly, and the trio is lauded by fans for
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Posted March 11, 2015in Civic Skinny
Eleven people apparently have made the cut for second interviews with the Grassley pals who are screening applicants to advise him on whom to back for two open federal judgeships in Iowa. Yes, Chuck Grassley is a Republican and Barack Obama is a Democrat, but Grassley isn’t just any Republican;
Read More →In case you haven’t heard, the last couple of weeks have been pretty big concerning the future of the Internet. Net Neutrality, a term that means everything and nothing, depending on your web literacy, was for all intents and purposes cemented in the Federal Communications Commission’s book of regulations. The
Read More →100 years ago (February 1915) : Permission granted to J.C. Watson to “shoot two pounds of dynamite for breaking frozen ground” on the premises of C. Staves, 1730 York St., under the provision of the Dept of Public Safety. (Today the city does not have such a department.) Discussion: Should
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Posted March 04, 2015in Political Mercury
Newly installed U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, a Red Oak Republican, breaks with many conservatives in agreeing with President Barack Obama on a highly controversial element of White House-directed immigration reform. Ernst says she doesn’t think undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children should be deported. They should
Read More →It did not take the Iowa Legislature long to pass and implement a 10-cent-a-gallon gasoline tax increase: Jan. 12 to March 1. But it took them 10 years to eliminate the income tax I pay on my Social Security benefits. Why? Gary Thelen –West Des Moines Denny Arthur’s is
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Posted March 04, 2015in Food Dude
Cultural criticism is elitist by necessity. If critics praised that which was popular, they would be redundant. Academy Awards do not go to popular movies so much as to esoteric films. Only a brave critic would praise fast food before it becomes obsolete. Consider the original fast food genre —
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Posted March 04, 2015in Locker Room
The question is simple: Is it a sport or isn’t it? This month’s Mixology Night at the Science Center of Iowa will play host to 21st Century Gaming on Friday, March 6. “Mixology events are the first Friday of the month and are focused on engaging ‘lifelong learnings’ and bringing
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Posted March 04, 2015in Center Stage
Midway through our conversation, Kyle Brantzel started speaking in tongues. First he used a birdlike falsetto, then a gravelly basso, switching off without a hitch. “That’s how you’ve got to do it,” he explained, dropping back into his natural voice (with a hint of a Chicago accent). “After all, you’re
Read More →I love post-apocalyptic fiction. A shattered land, the sputtering hope and the triumph of heroes in the most desperate circumstances draws me in like a moth to the flame. In “The Country of Ice Cream Star,” award-winning author Sandra Newman delivers a stunning piece of post-apocalyptic literature, epic in scale
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