Posted December 23, 2015in Duffy
Posted December 23, 2015in On The Tube
Mexifornia dreamin’
“Bordertown” Sunday, Jan. 3 (Fox) Series Debut: “It’s about time we did something about immigration — the Southwest belongs to retired art teachers and meth-lab entrepreneurs!” So begins “Bordertown,” the long-long-delayed animated comedy from “Family Guy” producer Mark Hentemann, with a cultural-consulting assist from Lalo Alcaraz (“La Cucharacha” cartoonist) and
Read More →
Posted December 23, 2015in Political Mercury
Is King secretly telecommuting as Texas congressman?
Somewhere between the western Iowa town of Kiron and Washington, D.C., Steve King lost his way. And he apparently woke in Texas, with barbeque sauce smeared on his cheeks, the twang of two-steppin’ tunes ringing in his ears, and oil, black gold, Texas tea, rushing through his veins to the heart
Read More →
Posted December 16, 2015in Cover Story
Return of the Franchise
We could recap how we got here — six monumental films; countless multimedia spinoffs, including books, videogames and television series, just to name a few; clothing, costumes, and a culture unto itself; put simply, the most iconic entertainment franchise of all time — but we’ll just get right to it:
Read More →
Posted December 16, 2015in Locker Room
Four on the floor
This Saturday, Wells Fargo Arena will once again be the centerpiece of Iowa hoops fans’ attention when the men’s basketball teams from Iowa, Iowa State, the University of Northern Iowa and Drake University gather at Wells Fargo Arena to face off in the annual grudge match known at the Hy-Vee
Read More →
Posted December 16, 2015in Center Stage
Straight, white and berserk
The set keeps things plain, but not the pajamas. Designer Tim Wisgerhof restrained himself, deliberately, for the interiors of “Straight White Men.” He worked as if from Sears-&-Roebuck, using mostly brown and beige. He put up artwork by Andrew Wyeth, who celebrated Americana. But midway through the first sequence (the
Read More →
Posted December 16, 2015in Book Review
‘Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War That Changed American History’
“From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli” are the beginning words of the Marine Corps Hymn. These words make little sense until you read about the first Barbary war. It is called the Forgotten War because that is what it is — seldom referred to in the
Read More →
Posted December 16, 2015in On The Tube
Tooned in
“F Is For Family” Friday, Dec. 18 (Netflix) Series Debut: Comedian Bill Burr was slinging (smarter) anti-PC rants long before a certain GOP presidential frontrunner hijacked the practice, and his new animated series is the most hilariously profane revelation since Netflix’s own “Bojack Horseman” — he only had to set
Read More →
Posted December 16, 2015in Your Money
Paid for by taxpayers in…
Paid in November Amount: $1,969.64 To: Pitsco Inc. For: General supplies Amount: $13,826.10 To: Juicebox Interactive For: Purchased services Amount: $3,957.50 To: Ahlers & Cooney PC For: Legal services Amount: $1,475.92 To: The Des Moines Register For: Purchased services Amount: $193.61 To: Rieman Music For: Equipment Amount: $124 To: Mulch
Read More →
Posted December 16, 2015in Sound Notes
Local metal studs Green Death have recently announced that the band has signed to David Ellefson’s EMP Label Group. EMP A&R director Thom Hazaert was introduced to the band through Slipknot front man Corey Taylor after Taylor invited Green Death to play Knotfest earlier this year. EMP has already announced
Read More →
