March 16, 2026 by Brent Antisdel
in Stray Thoughts
City leaders in Des Moines are making it difficult to understand why they selected the new police chief, considering how they have imposed a code of silence about their recent $975,000 payout to one of the candidates who did not get the job. The payout and, even worse, the sealed
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March 10, 2026 by Brent Antisdel
in The Culture Buzz
From Iowa’s cultural epicenter, Mainframe Studios at 900 Keosauqua Way in Des Moines, Iowa comes your Listener-supported Community Voice, the Award-Winning indie radio station, KFMG-LP 98.9 FM (streaming simultaneously at www.kfmg.org), bringing you music, literature & cultural content. Quote of the Week – “It’s funny that we think of libraries as
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March 10, 2026 by Brent Antisdel
in Stray Thoughts
The offices of the Des Moines Register’s opinion staff were mostly empty when my telephone rang late one afternoon about 15 years ago. The guard at the lobby security desk said two men were there and hoped I had time to meet with them. I said sure and invited them
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March 05, 2026 by Brent Antisdel
in Morain
When it comes to the First and Fifth Amendments, I’m a Jeffersonian Jeffersonian. The amendments are two of the ten in the Constitution’s Bill of Rights. Thomas Jefferson didn’t write them, since he hadn’t yet returned to the U.S. after serving as Minister to France by the time James Madison
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March 04, 2026 by Brent Antisdel
in Feature 1
Water is the name humans give to the tasteless, odorless chemical bonding of two hydrogen molecules with one of oxygen — H2O. Don’t let its simplicity fool you. It is the molecule that made all life possible on Earth. Comprising roughly 60% of the human body, water acts as
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March 04, 2026 by Brent Antisdel
in Feature 2
Country music is a genre that music enthusiasts either love, hate or tolerate. Critics cite country as too twangy for their taste. Those who like it, love it and want some more of it. They appreciate the no-nonsense, understandable lyrics and simple, relatable melodies. Songs that leave off the ‘g’,
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March 04, 2026 by Brent Antisdel
in Business Feature
Across retail, food and service industries, a noticeable shift is happening. Consumers are increasingly drawn to small, specialized businesses — places that offer craftsmanship, sustainability, personalization and a sense of connection that mass-produced options often lack. Think vintage and resale shops. Artisan bakeries. Custom upholstery studios and eco-friendly refill stores.
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March 04, 2026 by Brent Antisdel
in Civic Skinny
It’s a well-known stereotype to those who frequent Iowa’s roadways that, even though most every Iowa winter comes with ice, snow, sleet and whatever a snow-squall is, drivers in the area suddenly forget the rules of driving when the conditions take a turn. A survey by RVWindshieldReplacement.com (sounds like they’ve
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March 04, 2026 by Brent Antisdel
in Political Mercury
Speaker of The House Mike Johnson is just wrong on his decision to deny a request from the family of the late civil rights leader and presidential candidate Jesse Jackson to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol. Historical precedents swing both ways on this. Dick Cheney and Charlie Kirk didn’t lie
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March 04, 2026 by Brent Antisdel
in Film Review
When was the last time a studio movie made you genuinely uncomfortable? Not in a jump-scare or gore-centric way, but in a “wait, did they just go there?” way that lingers in your brain for days? Gore Verbinski’s “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” poses that question repeatedly, and the
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