February 19, 2014 by justin
in Civic Skinny
Troy Bishop, the executive director of the Polk County Republicans, quit unexpectedly the other day, and in the story about it The Des Moines Register wrote: “The capable April Linder is filling in for now on organizing the March 8 county convention, party insiders told The Register.” Apart from the
Read More →
February 19, 2014 by justin
in Cover Story
America needs a good five cent cigar, a chicken in every pot and a president like Tom Vilsack. The former Iowa governor and current U.S. Secretary of Agriculture represents the type of political figure who may be what America needs most — a leader who possesses extensive executive experience, a
Read More →
February 19, 2014 by justin
in Joe's Neighborhood
Let’s be clear up front. I am not a fan of fans. Even the idea of “fans” conjures a group of normally sober Iowans, good people, suddenly sprouting bright school colors as they perch on bar stools or couches, their eyes intently focused forward while surrounded by a sea of
Read More →
February 19, 2014 by justin
in Film Review
“Winter’s Tale” 2 stars Rated PG-13 118 minutes Drama Starring: Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Russell Crowe It’s a testament to Colin Farrell’s ineffable appeal as an actor that his warm-hearted performance keeps the audience awake during producer/screenwriter-turned-director Akiva Goldsman’s otherwise somnolent adaptation of Mark Helprin’s romantic fantasy set in
Read More →Clark (Steve Zahn) is a disgraced academic with bipolar disorder. Russ (Christian Slater) is his perpetually exasperated con-man brother, just out of prison for fraud. This odd couple starts an ethically questionable business that can alter the way people act, based on Clark’s experimental research on “adrenalized implantation.” In the
Read More →Amount: $2,060 To: Advantage Companies For: Payment for services on the Vital Records microfilming and digitizing project. Amount: $788.55 To: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1868 For: Payment to cover half the earnings for support staff for the pay period Jan. 25-Feb. 7 at $22.53
Read More →Olson-Larsen Galleries’ current exhibition of paintings, drawings and prints by Byron Burford, Jules Kirschenbaum and Cornelis Ruhtenberg is a homage to three of Iowa’s greatest painters of the 20th century. Walking through this show on opening night, I overheard a wistful conversation that ended: “They don’t make painters like them
Read More →Our Cold, Dead Hands The semi-obscure Florida Statute 790.15 took center stage in January following a Miami Herald report of a resident of the town of Big Pine Key who routinely target-shoots his handgun in his yard, with impunity, to the consternation of neighbors. The statute permits open firing on
Read More →
February 19, 2014 by justin
in Locker Room
If you’re someone who thinks a curler is just one of the many tangled torture devices your girlfriend keeps under the sink, and a broom is something her mother uses to fly over for a visit, then you are not familiar with one of the greatest winter sports ever created.
Read More →
