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July 31, 2013 by justin in Book Review

‘One and Only’ speaks to single-child parents

Courtesy of Beaverdale Books Review by Harriet Leitch Simon and Schuster June 11, 2013 $24.99 209 pp. Parents of “one and only” children will find “One and Only: The Freedom of Having an Only Child, and the Joy of Being One” enlightening and reassuring in many respects. The author, Lauren

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July 31, 2013 by justin in Sound Stage

Single Ladies and Walking Sluts

Gathering together for the third time in Des Moines, a group of forward-thinking ladies and gentlemen (but mostly ladies) marched downtown to the State Capitol as a part of the annual Slutwalk Des Moines this past Sunday. Helping raise awareness about victim shaming and hoping to drive home the idea

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July 31, 2013 by justin in Guest Commentary

Iowa’s bumper crops: gospel, farce and folly

Yes, the Iowa precinct caucuses for the 2016 presidential election are still some 30 months away — January 2016. But the zaniness of the caucus process and zealotry of the religious/political right in Iowa is in full flower — with all the quirks and folly that made the 2012 caucuses

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July 31, 2013 by justin in Food Dude

The sports bar with a wine cellar

Wine Spectator’s annual “The List” is out with mega star restaurateur Thomas Keller on the cover. It honors 3,793 restaurants worldwide deemed worthy of its awards for wine excellence, including 14 Iowa cafés. For measuring purposes, 73 restaurants won the distinction in Las Vegas, 24 in New Mexico, 21 in

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July 31, 2013 by justin in Your View

Illuminating Civic Skinny

Your Civic Skinny column, (July 18) suggested that Chrysalis is irresponsible in our spending. I’d like to set the record straight. Chrysalis is one of few organizations for which 100 percent of every contributed dollar is returned to organizations in our community. No donations (individuals, corporations or foundations) pay any of

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July 31, 2013 by justin in Center Stage

Open Circus is worth a peek

Let’s face it. Not everyone in Des Moines is destined to be rich and famous like Iowa natives Ashton Kutcher, Brandon Routh, Corey Taylor, Nate Ruess and Elijah Wood. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have your moment in the spotlight to show off what you’ve got — or sometimes

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July 31, 2013 by justin in Tech Talk

Make Web-based zines with Flipboard

After years of swimming against the tide, I finally broke down and bought a tablet last week. While I still feel they have little value outside of watching videos and surfing the Web, tablets are an extremely convenient way to share multimedia content and cut back on paper use. Outside

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July 31, 2013 by justin in Belly Up To...

The Gramercy Tap has it all

They say it’s important in life to “stop and smell the roses.” From our passing cars, we too often overlook the charms of the city streetscape — the tiny but significant details that give a community its identity. So, when exploring a city’s core, it’s best to park the car.

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July 31, 2013 by justin in Joe's Neighborhood

The closed case

Come and sit next to me in the back of the room. Don’t worry; you won’t have to say anything. Yes, I know it’s after work hours, and we should be at home with our families. Oh, I’m sorry; you were actually going to the bar to hang with your

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July 31, 2013 by justin in Rap Sheet

On the clock

Play the “Name that Crime” Quiz!   KICK SOME BRASS Two men got into a fight at the 1200 block of East 22nd Street on July 22 at 12:30 p.m. One of the men came to the other’s girlfriend’s house. He was told to leave but refused. Instead, he punched

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