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July 18, 2014 by justin in Iowa Watchdog

MN commissioner’s moonlighting raises conflict of interest questions

ST. PAUL, Minn. — His resume posted on the Iowa Public Employment Relations Board website stands out: “Conducted hundreds of grievance hearings and mediation sessions.” So does his  daily fee: $1,200 per day, plus “actual costs for meals, lodging and miscellaneous; IRS rate for mileage.” But what most distinguishes Josh

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July 16, 2014 by justin in Tech Talk

Long live King Content

Of all the innovations and gifts Bill Gates gave the world of technology, the one that has crossed over more than any other is the idea that “Content is King.” Written as part of an open essay in 1996, Gates’ proclamed that in order to succeed in the burgeoning online

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July 16, 2014 by justin in Political Mercury

Joni Ernst, meet your Snake River Canyon

With all that bread-bagging of shoes and hog castrating on the farm, life for a young Joni Ernst surely didn’t afford a lot of time for leisurely television. And in the 1970s, before the proliferation of cable TV and the development of modern satellites to reach into space and snare

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July 16, 2014 by justin in Civic Skinny

Sheriff sells Tirrell house; his trial is delayed. That $40 million buyers’ club refund explained.

Marty Tirrell Update: The Tirrell homestead in West Des Moines was sold last month at a sheriff’s sale. The sale followed a lawsuit filed against the sports-radio talker and serial defendant by Great Western Bank, alleging the Tirrells took out a $168,000 mortgage on April 1, 2011, and three years

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July 16, 2014 by justin in Center Stage

Out of the closet at full, funky roar

Twenty-somethings these days were raised on the Disney Renaissance. The great run began with “The Little Mermaid” in 1989 and may have ended with “Shrek” in 2001. Afterwards, instead of new movies, the kids got spinoffs. “Shrek the Musical” came in 2008, an attempt to duplicate the breakout success of

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July 16, 2014 by justin in Sound Notes

The Civic Music Association has named Peter Stevenson as its new executive director. Stevenson comes to the CMA from his previous position as the director of development for the Des Moines Symphony and Academy. Stevenson replaces outgoing executive director Carrie Clogg and takes over the role on Aug. 1. Your

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July 16, 2014 by justin in Art News

Holy books and chewing gum vaginas

“From Speaker to Receiver,” the Des Moines Art Center’s big summer exhibition, takes its title from linguistic theorist Roman Jakobson’s writings on semiotics and language. Curator Gilbert Vicario explains its purpose is to explore “how contemporary artists use language as a platform for the examination and critique of authoritative and

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July 16, 2014 by justin in Belly Up To...

The LiFT — your community bar

Going out on a Monday or Tuesday night is distinctly different than going out on a weekend night. On the weekend, you want loud dance music and shots; barhopping is the general rule, and if you stay in one place for too long it becomes boring. Going to a bar

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July 16, 2014 by justin in Cover Story

Bigger. Bolder. Better. Brewfest is back!

Cityview’s Brewfest has become a well-known and highly anticipated event in central Iowa. And while similar beer-tasting festivals have sprung up in Des Moines and across the Midwest, the thousands of Brewfest participants each summer are a testament that this event continues to set the standard. In other words, it’s

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July 16, 2014 by justin in News of the Weird

Rocking ‘Messiah’ Prominent theoretical chemist David Glowacki was ejected from a classical music concert at England’s Bristol Old Vic in June for disrupting a performance of Handel’s “Messiah” by attempting to crowd-surf in front of the stage. Dr. Glowacki, an expert in non-equilibrium molecular reaction dynamics and who is presently

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