Posted September 30, 2020in Feature 1
“Is this heaven?” You probably remember the now famous “Field of Dreams” query, where a man who is experiencing some sort of an afterlife emerges from the Kevin-Costner character’s corn rows onto a baseball field. This man gets to suit up and play the sport he loves, which is something
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Posted September 30, 2020in Business Feature
Iowa is a political hotbed during most presidential election cycles with its first-in-the-nation status of the Iowa Caucuses. Because of that — and the fact that it is a General Election year — there’s bound to be workplace discussions about candidates, issues or politics, in general. Public and private employers
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Posted September 30, 2020in Civic Skinny
It pays to be a scofflaw. The proposed consent decree between the federal government and Dico — a decree in which the City of Des Moines would end up owning those 43 acres of polluted wasteland at the corner of MLK Parkway and 16th Street — is a great deal
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Posted September 30, 2020in Political Mercury
One of the last questions I asked President Barack Obama during an interview in his second term was this: Would he consider locating his presidential library and museum in Iowa? It’s not a silly or throwaway question, and the president answered it with great seriousness, because it is in our
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Posted September 30, 2020in Film Review
Charlie Kaufman is undeniably one of the greatest writers of his generation. “Being John Malkovich” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” are some of his most notable works, but it’s “Synecdoche, New York” that’s considered by many as one of the best films of the respective decade. However, if
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Posted September 30, 2020in Food Dude
A friend of mine, who teaches law in France every summer, says the success of Subway in that country baffles her. She asked her French friends “Why?” They told her they loved “the American concept of personal choice.” Subway invented an assembly line system in which the diner makes all
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Posted September 30, 2020in Joe's Neighborhood
The tree rests comfortably on the roof. Nonchalantly, really. Not a care in the world. Might as well be in a pushed-back recliner with feet up. Perhaps a cigar would be in order. Or at least one of those new cocktails that are so popular at the local bars. It
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Posted September 30, 2020in Center Stage
When last we left this fluid situation, the central Iowa theater scene reflected the national and international trends and responses in their art. Each company, with its own unique circumstances, was in seclusion to determine what could be done and when. From Des Moines Performing Arts, a dynamic performing arts
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Posted September 30, 2020in Des Moines Forgotten
I love radio. Faithful readers may recall my column earlier this year on the history of Ron Sorensen and KFMG. This month I’m opening the history book of Iowa broadcasting on another familiar voice for many of you — Dic Youngs, “The Ole’ Youngster.” His era was before my time
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Posted September 30, 2020in People & Pets
Ray is a playful and seemingly happy puppy with a tail that wags when he is pet. His cold, wet nose sniffs at your ankles. He’ll wrestle with chew toys clutched in his mouth. However, his toys don’t squeak, and he doesn’t play fetch. He can’t, because he’s both deaf
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