June 03, 2015 by justin
in Film Review
A couple weeks ago, I reviewed “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Honestly, though, I do not feel like I explained the situation fully enough: That film is one of the best I have ever seen. Now, we turn our eyes to “San Andreas,” the new disaster porn film starring Dwayne “The
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June 03, 2015 by justin
in Center Stage
Only a rare theater scene offers a gem like this for free. “The Real Inspector Hound” charges no admission as part of the Fine Arts Series at Westminster Presbyterian. Nonetheless it maintains the standard set this winter with “The Mountaintop,” a haunting meditation on Martin Luther King Jr. “Inspector Hound,”
Read More →This week marked the start of one of the summer’s most popular traditions, Zoo Brew at the Blank Park Zoo. From now until the end of August, head on down to the Zoo every Wednesday evening to check out live entertainment and beverage sampling. Admission is free with your Zoo
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June 03, 2015 by justin
in Political Mercury
U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron, said he’s been “turning up” his own focus on national defense and security in the wake of what he sees as alarming events. “I believe that we are at war with radical Islam,” King said. “They’ve declared that war against us. They keep announcing they’re
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June 03, 2015 by justin
in Joe's Neighborhood
Dave Parker died this past winter. You probably didn’t know him. He farmed with his uncle out near Mingo and lived alone in the old family farmhouse up on a hill. A big white clapboard house, with farm machinery spread out back, grain bins to the side, a carefully mowed
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June 03, 2015 by justin
in Food Dude
E.P. True Parkway projects a strange magnetic attraction for small town cafés wanting to test the market of suburban Des Moines. First came EP True Burger Café, an expansion of Route 169 Burger Café. Next was Patty Pat’s, which tried bringing the taverns (loose meat sandwiches) of LeMars to West
Read More →When officials in Richmond, California, learned in 2009 that 70 percent of the city’s murders and firearms assaults were directly linked to 17 people, they decided on a bold program: to pay off those 17 to behave themselves. For a budget of about $1.2 million a year, the program offers
Read More →Draught House 50 opened May 20 at 6240 Mills Civic Parkway in West Des Moines, in the building that formerly housed Bang Bang Mongolian Grill. After about five years of service, Bang Bang closed on April 5 for a remodel and opened as Draught House 50 under the same ownership
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June 03, 2015 by justin
in Tech Talk
In the business world, enough is truly never enough. Comcast isn’t satisfied being the biggest cable provider in the country, so it acquired NBC and is moving into the broadcasting business. PepsiCo doesn’t just produce soda, it also owns the entire line of Frito Lay potato chips, Quaker Oats, Gatorade
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