February 04, 2015 by justin
in Film Review
Thrillers, especially modern ones, tend to follow a basic pattern. The audience is given a portion of the story early and allowed to try and figure out the rest as the film develops. Usually, viewers are trying to read the clues and figure out whodunit or some variation therein. Then
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February 04, 2015 by justin
in The Sound
Minneapolis has a well-earned reputation for pumping out quality music. Legendary acts like Prince or the Replacements are the most obvious examples, but they’re hardly the end-all. Hit up a club any night of the week there, and you can see the direct descendants of acts like those performing throughout
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February 04, 2015 by justin
in Political Mercury
Iowa Nice Guy and Mount Carmel native Scott Siepker, who blends satire and passion for rural Iowa on social media, has delivered something of a video love letter to agriculture with his with his filmmaking team’s latest release — “Farmer Nice.” Now up on YouTube, and going viral with close
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February 04, 2015 by justin
in Joe's Neighborhood
The smell of clean causes your nose to flare when you enter the room. Sharp. Astringent. With an undertone of earthy. A fine wine. Laughter crosses from over the busy side of the counter. It’s mixed with distant barks and the sounds of people clipping, trimming, talking. When it is your
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February 04, 2015 by justin
in Your Money
Amount: $225.51 To: Starch & University West Pet Clinics For: Canine vaccinations Amount: $448 To: State Chemical Solutions For: Air fresheners Amount: $39.95 To: Stivers Ford Lincoln Waukee For: Tire alignment Amount: $176.70 To: Sun Badge Company For: Police officer badges Amount: $296.55 To: Televend Services Inc. For: Prepaid fax
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February 04, 2015 by justin
in Center Stage
It takes a professional to weather a blackout. The lights quit unexpectedly midway through the first act of “The Elephant Man” — perhaps this had to do with the blizzard outside — yet Bob Baskerville kept on, unfazed. As Gomm, head of the hospital providing sanctuary to the deformed title
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February 04, 2015 by justin
in Food Dude
This year Bacon Fest coincided with Super Bowl week, creating a perfect storm of hyperbole. The pork belly celebration marked its eighth year as a bona fide tourist attraction by passing several milestones. Ticket buyers came from 10 foreign countries and 40 different states. Those are Drake Relays-like numbers. The
Read More →Say what you will about Dead Horse Trauma’s music — the band is a divisive one artistically — but there’s no debate about how hard the band works at its stage show and the promotion of the same. Now for a look at what the hardest-working act in Des Moines
Read More →Des Moines-based publishing company Meredith Corp. announced a profit increase of almost 30 percent in the second quarter, the same day it announced its acquisition of Shape magazine from American Media. Meredith will put its first issue of Shape out in May with a starting publishing base of 2.5 million.
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A ‘dirty’ deal on those burdensome regulations
By Randy Evans You hear a lot of politicians talking these days about burdensome government regulations. Gov. Terry Branstad is one of them. But a proposed regulation moving through state government leaves citizens with the clear impression that the state is engineering a change that is advantageous to certain businesses
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