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July 27, 2016 by justin in Joe's Neighborhood

Old surfers

The old surfers float out just beyond the harbor, waiting, patient, lions in the tall grass. The noses of their surfboards are high up out of the water while they sit on the tails, their faces turned to the sea. The waves roll in. No one moves. Then, a larger

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July 27, 2016 by justin in Your Money

Paid for by taxpayers in…

City of Des Moines To be paid on 7/14/2016 Amount: $3,750 To: Ennis-Flint For: Five gallons of traffic marking paint Amount: $750 To: Des Moines Police Department For: New body armor for an officer Amount: $376.80 To: Tritech Forensics For: Blood and urine specimen collection kits (25 of each) Amount:

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July 27, 2016 by justin in Locker Room

Up, up and away

If you haven’t seen the majesty of 100 hot air balloons filling the Iowa sky with a cascade of colors on a peaceful summer night, you need to make it priority No. 1 to get to the The National Balloon Classic in Indianola. Step out of your air-conditioned house and

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July 27, 2016 by justin in Sound Circuit

From Madam Jules to Justice

Julia “Madam Jules” Mahlstadt has been performing on Des Moines stages for years. Whether as the voice of a band or as a solo singer-songwriter, Mahlstadt’s vocals have been heard on virtually every music venue’s stage in town at one point or another. But now she’s undertaking something that is

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July 27, 2016 by justin in Art News

Still relevant

Jordan Weber is one of the lucky artists to whom the perfect time comes. His art had long been dealing with African-American stereotypes and subject matter before Ferguson, Baltimore, Baton Rouge, Minneapolis and Dallas inspired billionaire financier George Soros and Taco Bell heir Rob McKay to pour big money into

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July 27, 2016 by justin in Tech Talk

The crowded field of web browsing

It is amazing how open the world seems once you realize you have options. Once you discover life exists beyond high school, you can do whatever you want, and for that matter, be who you truly want to be. Whether it be about an apartment, a car, a washer/dryer, or

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July 27, 2016 by justin in Political Mercury

King could use N-word daily, still get re-elected here
At this point, the congressman is a mirror on all of us

Ladbrokes, a Goliath bookmaker in the United Kingdom, and organizations like it, lay odds on almost anything. If visiting London, you can bet on the U.S. presidential election, who will win and what party will prevail (the gaming ratios range, but Hillary Clinton is favored). The oddsmakers sometimes go into what are

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July 27, 2016 by justin in Guest Commentary

Of E.B. White, croquet balls and the press

  Writer E.B. White has a well-deserved warm place in the hearts of millions of people. It would be nice if his writing  also had a place among those who place profits ahead of informing people. White (1899-1985) gave us Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little and gave The New Yorker

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July 27, 2016 by justin in Sound Check

The Maytags

  “Love Lines” Independent   Make no mistake, The Maytags are straight baby-making music. Formed by frontman Dustin Smith as a way to indulge in his funky R&B side, the band quickly established itself as one of the most consistently popular acts in the city. “Love Lines,” the band’s debut

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July 27, 2016 by justin in Belly Up To...

Ready, set… GT’s

It’s nearly the end of July, and there aren’t any coats hanging from the Ducati motorcycle that’s been transformed into a coat rack, which hangs from the wall at GT’s, a neighborhood lounge on Ingersoll. The bar is decorated in a racing theme in which helmets are arranged in various

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