August 06, 2014 by justin
in Belly Up To...
Every friend group needs a go-to spot outside of their living space. For the “Friends” crew, it was the Central Perk; for “How I Met Your Mother” it was MacLaren’s Pub. There are four requirements to finding your group’s own special place: the environment needs to allow for conversation (i.e.,
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August 06, 2014 by justin
in The Sound
We’ve had to deal with 311 a bit longer than everyone else. For most of the music-listening world, 311 seemed to start around 1995, with the release of its self-titled album that contained the mega hits “Down” and “All Mixed Up.” But by the time the rest of the world
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August 06, 2014 by justin
in Film Review
“Get On Up” 3 stars Rated PG-13 138 minutes Biography Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis, Dan Aykroyd Awesome! Between Chadwick Boseman’s riveting portrayal of James Brown and the film’s pitch-perfect kaleidoscopic narrative form, “Get On Up” is the kind of musical biopic that audiences await with baited breath. Aside from
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August 06, 2014 by justin
in Locker Room
The oil is bubbling. The heat is rising. The kids are on leashes. That’s right, it’s time to brave the humidity and get out there for this year’s Iowa State Fair. It is no different out at fairgrounds this year as an array of contests and activities take over the
Read More →Courtesy of Beaverdale Books Review by Fay Jones Little, Brown and Company 7/8/14 $26 393 pages When the world as they know it starts to crumble, Frida and Cal begin their own transformative journey for both survival and security, but above all, toward hope. Abandoning L.A. for the wilds of
Read More →Perspective Jeff Mizanskey, 61, is a poster child for one well-known criticism of mandatory-minimum sentencing laws — that nonviolent marijuana users (and small-time sellers) may wind up doing decades of hard time and, in fact, more time than some sociopathic offenders serve for heinous offenses. Mizanskey is 20 years into
Read More →Even if you don’t know Seth Anderson personally, you’ve probably witnessed the fruits of some of his efforts. Originally born in Nebraska, Anderson’s trekked around the country, with stops in Kansas and Chicago most notably before settling down here in Des Moines. Now Anderson busies himself with a litany of
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August 06, 2014 by justin
in Political Mercury
U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, says the federal government should keep confidential the location and identities of the 139 undocumented, unaccompanied immigrant children who have come to the state in the last year. Releasing the information, as some Republicans are demanding of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Huge week for Des Moines hotels and restaurants
The National Junior Olympics came to town last week. Unless you were in a hotel lobby or somewhere around Drake Stadium, you might not have known. It didn’t register with the city’s daily newspaper. The reporters and editors didn’t even mention it in their “Area Events” listings. That’s a pity,
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