Posted December 04, 2019in Political Mercury
Scholten “talks common” in Iowa’s small towns. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress and a politician with an instinctive connection to younger and blue-collar voters, called for a “political revolution of working people” in a raucous rally for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders in Council Bluffs
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Posted December 04, 2019in Film Review
A thoughtful, textured contemplation of how we can effectively deal with our expectations, disappointments and imperfections Once upon a time, a long time ago, a man took off his navy-blue sport jacket and put on a red sweater. Then he took off his shoes and put on a pair of
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Posted December 04, 2019in Food Dude
It’s survived multiple fires, the deaths of two owners, other natural disasters, and the loss of parking lot access from Grand Avenue. Doing interviews lately about the lost restaurant traditions of Iowa, I started wondering what has not been lost but would be deeply missed if it was. This is
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Posted December 04, 2019in Your Neighbors
From biscuit feet to bananas, ballet offers high-energy action. In the beginning of Eleanor Danaan’s ballet life, the young dancer’s feet were shaped like biscuits. “They were… we call them biscuits,” she remembers. “That is when they are just like a claw. I had biscuit feet. But then you stretch
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Posted December 04, 2019in Joe's Neighborhood
Am I being punished for secretly liking romance novels featuring a pirate as the main character? Pick up backpack. Shuffle one step. Set down backpack. Breathe. Turn around to see if I’m somehow miraculously closer. I’m not. Pick up backpack. Shuffle one step. Set down backpack. Breathe. Turn around. Listen,
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Posted December 04, 2019in Center Stage
“The Four Days of xMas” gives one of the metro’s newest venues its holiday christening. A variety of Christmas-themed shows dominate the performance scene in our market this December. The Des Moines Community Playhouse, Ankeny Community Theatre, xBk Live, and Iowa Stage Theatre Company each have a show with “Christmas
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Posted December 04, 2019in At Home With
This “house divided” is still united. On a crisp, fall Saturday morning, the Palmers are getting dressed for the day. Beth and son Owen, 14, are getting on their Hawkeye team’s black and gold. Brian Palmer, Beth’s husband of 15 years, stands alone in his Cyclone’s cardinal and gold. Here
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Posted December 04, 2019in Iowa Artist
Avant garde meets farm boy. Don’t ask artist Frank Hansen to color coordinate one of his paintings to match the decor. With a mischievous and unapologetic smile, he explains how his unique artwork and vivid imagination evolved into the popular artist he is today. Growing up on a farm, Hansen
Read More →Imagine, receiving a phone call from the spouse of your business partner or star employee… “Grace is not coming into work today. She passed away last night unexpectedly.” A nightmare scenario on many levels. At a time when you are dealing with the personal and operational angst of losing a
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