July 06, 2016 by justin
in Center Stage
Is this the birth of a star? Sydney Mancasola comes to Des Moines between assignments in Berlin and London, playing the title character in “Manon,” one of opera’s great tragic heroines. She commands the stage on the strength of her voice alone, a soprano that, even as it soars,
Read More →Tarvaris Jackson, an unemployed NFL quarterback, was recently arrested on charges of assault with a deadly weapon. The former Seattle Seahawk, 33, allegedly pulled a gun on his wife and threatened to kill her while he was intoxicated. He was booked into Osceola County Jail and later released
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July 06, 2016 by justin
in Food Dude
Soon after the last snow melted this spring, two of the most reliably excellent services in my life changed for the worse. Almost simultaneously, my postman stopped setting my mail either inside my porch door or in my mailbox; it’s now left on the doorstep, even if it’s windy or
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July 06, 2016 by justin
in Tech Talk
If you are about to endeavor on a multi-generational vacation, prepare yourself for an odd occurrence — our elders’ reluctance to give up the paper map. For millennia, the way to guide one’s journey was via drawn — then printed — paper maps. But now, apps and GPS-enabled
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July 06, 2016 by justin
in Belly Up To...
Jim Besler didn’t plan on owning The Thirsty Sportsman — in fact, he never planned on owning any bar. “I thought I was going to go to work in an office every day,” he said. But that’s not how it worked out. Instead, Besler, who studied accounting in
Read More →Hy-Vee is opening a clothing shop in its new Twin Cities-area store. The plan is for similar clothing boutiques to also open in two Des Moines-area stores later this year — one at 4605 Fleur Drive in Des Moines, and the other at 410 N. Ankeny Blvd. in Ankeny.
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July 06, 2016 by justin
in Joe's Neighborhood
“I’m not waiting in any more lines.” His voice rises uncontrollably as he faces off with the bored Paris train attendant at Gare Nord, a major railroad hub in Paris. “I’m not going back to the end of the line. Have you ever waited in a line? Answer me.
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July 06, 2016 by justin
in Sound Notes
“The Bride” The Echo Label As a story, “The Bride” follows a standard narrative arc: girl meets boy, boy leaves girl, girl embarks upon a journey of existentialist self-reflection and all-consuming metaphysical sorrow, girl meets new boy. It’s a tale that’s as old as time. And while
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July 06, 2016 by justin
in Locker Room
When Zac Brown sang about having his toes in the water and ass in the sand, it’s a good bet that he wasn’t envisioning himself doing so on an Iowa beach. Why not? Well, our beaches come with broken logs, busted fishing line attached to four-pronged hooks with “tetanus” written
Read More →The Maximum Ames Music Festival has announced its lineup for the 2016 festival, to be held Sept. 15-18. Headliners include pioneering gay country music artist Lavender Country, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and NWA member DJ Yella. Local acts showcased include Maytags, Electric Jury, The Host
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