December 09, 2024 by Brent Antisdel
in Stray Thoughts
When and why did the United States turn into such a cesspool of hatred? Some people may disagree with that characterization. But events last week have or should put those questions front and center because the kind of cold-hearted reaction we have witnessed is disgusting. See what you think: About
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December 06, 2024 by Brent Antisdel
in Morain
Grandfathers and clocks have a lot in common. Remember the “Grandfather’s Clock” song? How the clock kept accurate time for the old man’s entire life? “Ninety years without slumbering, tick, tock, tick, tock?” We have a pendulum clock on the wall in our downstairs hall that rings the Westminster Chime
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December 04, 2024 by Brent Antisdel
in Feature 1
Christmas music floods the airwaves through our radios, Spotify and Apple Music playlists, or however you choose to listen to the holiday tunes year after year. While some think it criminal to start jingling bells before Thanksgiving, others begin rocking around the Christmas tree in their Halloween costumes. And all
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December 04, 2024 by Brent Antisdel
in Feature 2
Our Christmas classic for the holidays Publisher’s note: Forty-five years ago, when Michael Gartner was editor of The Des Moines Register, he walked over to the desk of writer Bob Hullihan and said, “How about writing me a Christmas classic for the holidays?” Hullihan said, “Sure.” And he did. It
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December 04, 2024 by Brent Antisdel
in Business Feature
Catching the latest flick at the movie theater has been a pastime for people of all ages, but with the advent of streaming services and the growing number of options for watching movies at home, many opt for a “movie night” while curled up on the couch. This holiday season
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December 04, 2024 by Brent Antisdel
in Civic Skinny
Political campaign money flowed into the Iowa’s U.S. House of Representatives campaigns this past election season. All four of the House seats were up for grabs in Iowa’s congressional districts. Republicans were aiming to retain their dominance in the state, while Democrats were hoping to flip two of the districts,
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December 04, 2024 by Brent Antisdel
in Political Mercury
I am Dave. If you are online at all, you are Dave. We all are. Human editors, real ones, survive at near-extinction levels. Seeing one at work these days is like watching a bald eagle glide a river canyon, one diving majestically for fish, the other for truth. For the
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December 04, 2024 by Brent Antisdel
in Film Review
Despite its star-studded cast and ambitious premise, “Red One” feels like a movie caught in an identity crisis, relying too heavily on generic action formulas while missing the spirit that makes holiday films memorable. The story revolves around the Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority (MORA), a secretive organization tasked
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December 04, 2024 by Brent Antisdel
in Food Dude
Jim Duncan will further reckon the year in food in his Daily Umbrella column the last two weeks of the month. www.thedailyumbrella.com December is the month of reckoning. We sum things up and calculate where we stand as a year ends and another looms. 2024 should go down as a
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December 04, 2024 by Brent Antisdel
in Des Moines Forgotten
I have very few fears in this world. My vertigo kicks in when I am inside a tall building and looking down (or looking up, for that matter). I also have a fear of being buried alive. In movies where there is a black screen and someone strikes a lighter
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