January 30, 2013 by justin
in Book Review, Recent Posts
Courtesy of Beaverdale Books Review by Cathryn Lang Touchstone Books 1/22/13 $24.99 320 pp. We are nearing Super Bowl Sunday, and what do we look forward to the most? Yes, of course, those memorable commercials. Former ad man and New Yorker contributor John Kenny has written his debut novel about
Read More →New voter ID laws and voter purge rules proposed by Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz and Republican legislative leaders impose an unconstitutional burden on the right to vote. These vote-suppressing laws and rules will only disenfranchise many low-income, elderly and minority voters along with new immigrant citizens. In a
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January 30, 2013 by justin
in Sound Stage
In the 2003 film “Lost In Translation” Bill Murray’s character is in Japan to shoot a commercial wherein his only line is: “For relaxing times, make it Santori Time.” Well, Des Moines, for relaxing times, make it Thankful Dirt time. The band is anchored by the duo of Darren and
Read More →‘NI NO KUNI: WRATH OF THE WHITE WITCH’ (E10+) **** Namco Bandai PlayStation 3 When Level-5 (the game developer responsible for the “Professor Layton” series) and Studio Ghibli (the animation house responsible for “Princess Mononoke” and “Spirited Away”) team up, you know the result will be something special, and “Ni
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January 28, 2013 by justin
in Featured Story, Iowa Watchdog
DES MOINES – Iowa leaders have yet to crack down on where and how welfare dollars are used, putting the state at risk of losing at least $6.6 million in federal dollars next year. States have until 2014 to find ways to police where welfare recipients make transactions under a
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January 25, 2013 by justin
in Featured Story, Iowa Watchdog
DES MOINES – Iowa’s teacher-preparation programs fail to produce graduates who are ready to lead a classroom, according to a new study that has quickly drawn criticism from some educators. The National Council on Teacher Quality released its “2012 State Teacher Policy Yearbook” this week, giving Iowa overall grades for
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January 23, 2013 by justin
in Featured Story, Food Dude
Andrew Meek makes a short list of people responsible for turning the local culinary scene into a source of civic pride. At the turn of millennium, Meek and John Ross’ Sage brought the public a level of service and fine dining that had only been available at private clubs. That
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January 23, 2013 by justin
in Cover Story
When MTV announced its presence in August of 1981 with The Buggles “Video Killed the Radio Star,” it seemed like a simple declaration of truth: Technology changes. Music video was here to stay, and it was just a matter of time before radio would fall by the wayside. Sure, it
Read More →‘DMC: DEVIL MAY CRY’ (M) **** Capcom Xbox 360 It’s the age of the reboot, and even gun-toting demonslayers are not immune to the occasional reimagining. Corny, albino-haired Dante has been reborn as aloof, brunette Dante amid the objections of outraged fanboys everywhere. However, those who abstain from this latest
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