March 01, 2017 by Brent Antisdel
in Joe's Neighborhood
Bundled against the cold, with a pink pussy hat, pink gloves and pink scarf, the woman looks over the crowd of 26,000 gathered at the foot of the Iowa State Capitol. She raises the bullhorn to her mouth and calls out: “WHAT DOES DEMOCRACY LOOK LIKE?” Wow. Not really a
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March 01, 2017 by Brent Antisdel
in Center Stage
Just how big of a splash has local theater made during the last decade? The best measure may be how far the ripples have reached. Community stages in Ames, Winterset, Newton and Ankeny have all recently upped their games — to enthusiastic applause. A case in point came over the
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March 01, 2017 by Brent Antisdel
in The Sound
Michael Keaton is the star of Alejandro Inarritu’s 2014 film “Birdman.” But during the course of the two-hour film, it becomes increasingly clear that that most important co-star isn’t Edward Norton, Emma Stone or Naomi Watts — it’s Antonio Sanchez’s drum score. It’s an ever-present force, amping up tensions setting
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March 01, 2017 by Brent Antisdel
in Art News
Many of the famous quotes about gold diminish it. “All that is gold does not glitter” (J.R.R. Tolkein); “Health is real wealth not gold.” (M.H. Gandhi); “Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul.” (Democritus).” All those great thinkers and humanitarians lost the battle
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March 01, 2017 by Brent Antisdel
in Tech Talk
A common misconception of the First Amendment is that the constitutional right to freedom of speech applies in all situations. People who have this belief live a backward life and think they can be as crass as they wish, wherever they desire, and there will be no repercussions. In terms
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March 01, 2017 by Brent Antisdel
in Belly Up To...
Sebastian, the crab from “The Little Mermaid,” summed it up best when he sang how it’s better under the sea. But the famous crustacean probably didn’t know about an Altoona restaurant/bar that brings an underwater experience to land — with great food and drinks to boot. Uncle Buck’s is an
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March 01, 2017 by Brent Antisdel
in People & Pets
Four cats and Ashley Sholes When Ashley Sholes gets home, she has four furry friends acting as a welcoming committee. “They greet me at the door,” she says. “They follow me around, and they definitely keep me entertained.” Sholes is an avid animal lover, but she insists she isn’t necessarily
Read More →‘Encircling’ “Encircling,” by Carl Frode Tiller, is the first book in the Encircling Trilogy. It’s about a man, David, who wakes up and doesn’t remember who he is. He then places an ad in the paper encouraging people to write to him in hopes that it will ignite his memory.
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March 01, 2017 by Brent Antisdel
in At Home With
But it’s time to move on Tucked in the countryside of Elkhart a few miles outside of Des Moines and slightly east of Ankeny is a house without a mortgage, a foundation or zoning restrictions. Inside it are two young professionals simply trying to figure out life in their tiny
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