Welcome to an extra edition of the mailbag where you will find some of the comments, questions and ideas sent recently by readers of this newsletter or our publications. They are edited for space and clarity.
“Some coder could solve a huge problem/issue/pain for many of us early voters (Early voting, Oct. 21, 2024). I will need a new remote control as I am wearing ours out turning out the blah blah blah. We could be installing GEO FENCING on our electronics (thanks Bigs) to corral the craziness of too much noise pollution from politicians. We who have decided, voted, mailed or dropped off our ballots but still have to suffer through hours of bad political ads would be glad to rent, lease or buy some program/system/device to help in the quest for quiet. This technology would be seismic for sanity and to encourage early voting. It would upset the geo political applecart for television and radio spending, but that money could be better spent on some human good and not ear-damaging folderol.” - Rex
The technology certainly exists, and it would benefit the politicians. You are correct that the only ones impacted negatively would be the TV and radio stations that garner the bulk of the political advertising, which is the answer as to why this hasn’t been implemented. - Shane
“My dad tells the story of a church we attended where the pastor kept going 65 minutes with the service (Short meetings, Oct. 29, 2024). The church board president told him, ‘Pastor, we're paying you to do this in 60 minutes.’ The next few weeks, the pastor went about 55 minutes. The church board president told him, ‘Pastor, we're paying you for 60 minutes.’ ” - Brad
Ever wonder why a church service is typically 60 minutes when studies show that a person’s attention span won’t last that long? Sounds like a good column idea. - Shane
“I enjoyed reading your guidelines for holding successful meetings, especially the introductory paragraph about the pastor who times the length of his sermons and proudly announces those times (Short meetings, Oct. 29, 2024). It reminded me of a preacher who once said that he was never intimidated when members of his congregation kept checking their watches while he preached. It did bother him, however, when they pulled out a calendar!” - Bob
What if all the patrons set alarms on their smart watches or smart phones for one hour? Those would not be the chimes anyone would want to hear in a church. - Shane
“In 1986, Gov. Branstad appointed me director of a new department called the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. This included the Iowa Arts Council, State Historical Department, Public Television, State Library and Terrace Hill — all the ‘fun’ divisions. I decided to schedule a weekly staff meeting on Mondays at 8:30 a.m. with an agenda (Short meetings, Oct. 29, 2024). For the first month, each weekly meeting got longer and longer until we were running into the noon lunch time. After a month of way-too-long staff meetings, I moved the start time to 11 a.m. Guess what? By noon, we had finished and were on our way to lunch!” - William
Ever wonder if the meeting still would have been done by noon if you started at 11:45 a.m.? - Shane
Have a thoughtful Thursday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com |
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FROM KCCI: Iowa voters weigh in on presidential election results ...READ MORE
FROM WHO-TV: Baccam concedes Iowa’s 3rd Congressional district race ...READ MORE
FROM WOI-DT: Iowa election results could be unofficial until December: Here's why ...READ MORE |
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Clear Mortgage meteorology
Dry weather through Friday. Rain chances Friday night into Saturday. Temperatures stay mostly above average.
For help with pre-approvals or refinancing, get in touch with Originating Branch Manager Carrie Hansen at carrie.mortgage. |
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| Read the latest CITYVIEW | | | FOOD DUDE
Hessen Haus has romance on tap
James Joyce wrote novels that were often incomprehensibly complex. He also wrote about aesthetics with precious simplicity. For example, he defined romance as that which transports one to another time or place. ... | | | READ MORE |
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Mushrooms: brain food, or brain feeders?
“We typically think of intelligence as something that requires a brain, but fungi show us there are other ways to solve problems,” co-author Yu Fukasawa said in a statement. “They have memories, they learn, and they can make decisions. Quite frankly, the differences in how they solve problems compared with humans is mind-blowing.” (Sci Tech Daily)
"In a surprisingly large number of cases, insects are not acting of their own free will in a way that benefits themselves or even their species. Instead, they have become 'zombies,' controlled by barely visible fungal puppet masters that direct the insects’ behaviors, steering them into optimal conditions for dispersing infectious spores. While these fungi were described in the scientific literature as early as the mid-1800s, the extent and precision of the behavioral control that they exert on their unfortunate insect hosts — and the mechanisms they use to do so — are only just starting to be appreciated." (The Scientist)
Thursday specials
• Irina's Steak and Seafood (650 S. Prairie View Drive, West Des Moines) offers a steak special with choices on Thursdays. Choose one: prime filet mignon, New York strip or baseball cut sirloin, plus one selected side, $25
• Sirloin steak dinners are featured specials today at Sully's Irish Pub (860 First St., West Des Moines), Front Row (9956 Swanson Blvd., Clive), and Winn’s Pizza and Steakhouse (122 W. Ashland Ave., Indianola)
• Thursday nights, Moroccan couscous — lemon chicken, beef keftas, five vegetables, harissa — are $17 at Purveyor (505 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines)
• Eastside Eddie’s (3517 E. 26th St., Des Moines) Thursday special is a hot beef sandwich with green beans, $10
• Sprockets (2314 University Ave., Des Moines) offers a breaded pork tenderloin special on Thursdays for $9.99
• Kids eat free at Scornovacca’s (1930 S.E. 14th St., Des Moines) on Thursdays
• Mariscos El Pirata (6050 S.E. 14th St., Des Moines) offers $2 off all sushi on Thursdays
• Chuck's (3610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines) has karaoke tonight from 6 p.m.
• ShortE's BBQ (8505 Chambery Blvd., Johnston) has $1 smoked wings Thursdays.
• Cyd's Catering has a football "pre-game meal deal" that includes crudité with tomatoes, shrimp cocktails, corn chips and three dips, bourbon meatballs, dry rubbed chicken wings and fudge brownies to feed four - $100.
• It's prime rib night at Flying Mango (4345 Hickman Road) and burnt end pork belly night at Whatch Smokin (Luther).
• Fresh Thyme (2900 University Ave., West Des Moines) is selling pineapples for $2.99 through Tuesday. The store's pineapples are consistently the best in town.
• Fareway is offering free turkeys, 10-14 pounds, with $50 or more of in-store purchases this week. They also have USDA Choice T-bones for $8.88/pound.
• Amruth Indian Grill (9974 Swanson Blvd., Clive), a recent Tuesday Tout, offers an all-you-can-eat dosa (gram/rice flour crepes) buffet on Thursdays 5:30-9 p.m. $18.95. This locally owned store is the raj of south Indian cuisine, and dosa is its prophet.
— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com |
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The 2024 results ...
CITYVIEW's Best Of Des Moines® | | | Best Local Preschool
1. Generation Next Child Development Center and Preschool
2. Grace Preschool
3. Lutheran Church of Hope Preschool
Cast your votes in the 2025 Best Of Des Moines Poll now! Open until Nov. 22. Results to be published in the February 2025 issue of CITYVIEW. |
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| Weekly Fuel Report | | | The price of regular unleaded gasoline fell 5 cents, averaging $2.85 across Iowa according to AAA.
Crude Oil Summary
The price of global crude oil rose this week on the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) by $3.73 per barrel over last week, currently priced at $72.19.
Brent crude oil rose by $3.11 and is currently priced at $75.53.
One year ago, WTI crude sold for $81.54 and Brent crude was $87.31.
Motor Fuels
As of Wednesday, the price of regular unleaded gasoline averaged $2.85 across Iowa according to AAA.
Prices fell 5 cents from last week’s price and are down 24 cents from a year ago.
The national average on Wednesday was $3.11, down 3 cents from last week’s price.
Retail diesel prices in Iowa fell 4 cents this week with a statewide average of $3.34.
One year ago, diesel prices averaged $4.42 in Iowa.
The current Iowa diesel price is 23 cents lower than the national average of $3.57.
Wholesale ethanol held steady and is currently priced at $2.16.
The current Des Moines Terminal/Rack Prices are $1.93 for U87-E10, $2.13 for Unleaded 87 (clear), $2.31 for ULSD#2, $2.59 for ULSD#1, and $1.82 per gallon for E-70 prices. |
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| Featured home for sale | | | |
$450,000
3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2,341 square feet
3784 N.E. 70th Ave., Ankeny
Surrounded by nature, this unique home provides quiet peace on one acre. This well-kept updated older home (1935) was moved from Beaverdale to this Ankeny acre in the late 1970s to its new home at 3784 N.E. 70th Ave. This acre is formerly part of the Ankeny Stage Coach Line/Stop; the original Farm Home next door was built in 1868. This listing IS DIFFERENT from the many homes on the market in Ankeny today. ...
Realtor Jan Stehl
Iowa Realty
515-229-2156
jstehl@iowarealty.com
See the listing here.
| | | See More Homes For Sale |
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| SOLD: Featured commercial real estate transaction | | | 4755 N.E. 14TH ST., DES MOINES
SALE DATE: 2024-08-09
SALE PRICE: $2,700,000
SELLER: HOUSBY MACK INC
BUYER: BAM HOLDINGS LLC
ACRES: 1.750
SQUARE FEET: 7,410 |
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 | Tallgrass Theatre Company. “Charlotte’s Web.” Nov. 8-24. Seedling’s Children’s Theatre at Tallgrass Theatre presents The Children's Literature Association named this "the best American children's book of the past two hundred years," and Joseph Robinette, working with the advice of E.B. White, has created a play that captures this work in a thrilling and utterly practical theatrical presentation. All the enchanting characters are here: This is a beautiful, knowing play about friendship that will give your actors a great opportunity and your audience an evening of enchantment.
https://tallgrasstheatre.org
Des Moines Playhouse – Kate Goldman Children’s Theatre. “Last Stop on Market Street.” Nov. 8-24. Guided by his veritable force-of-nature Nana, CJ travels a little closer to his roots and sees that things are not always what they seem. Based on the Newbery Medal-winning book and with a spectacular, spirited score by Motown legend Lamont Dozier and his son Paris Ray Dozier, you’ll find yourself dancing in your seat as you enjoy this vibrant story about connecting to your community.
https://www.dmplayhouse.com/events/last-stop-on-market-street
St. Augustin Parish. “Fauré Requiem” this Friday at 7 p.m. French composer Gabriel Fauré anchors a stellar program of music featuring the talents of choral singing and musicians, many from the Des Moines Symphony.
https://staugustin.org/#tabContent_3651220
— John Busbee, The Culture Buzz
http://theculturebuzz.com |
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Featured in the current
issue of Ankeny Living magazine | | |
Meet Emma Feldhans
Middle school choir is her game.
By Ashley Rullestad
Emma Feldhans is a proud Ankeny alumna, starting her school career in the district at Crocker Elementary and graduating from Ankeny High School in 2017. She went on to Iowa State University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in music education and started co-teaching sixth- and seventh-grade choir at Parkview Middle School in 2021.
“As part of my role, I also co-direct Intensity, one of the junior varsity show choirs at Ankeny High School. Music has always been a passion of mine, and I enjoyed many years as a student participating in choir, band and theater.” ...
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FROM ESPN: College Football Playoff, bowl projections after Week 10 ... READ MORE
FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Patrick Mahomes Offers Update on Ankle Injury Entering Chiefs-Broncos Week 10 Clash ... READ MORE
FROM CBS Sports: Class of 2026 QB Cole Leinart, son of Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart, commits to SMU ... READ MORE |
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1944: FDR wins unprecedented fourth term. On Nov. 7, 1944, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is elected to an unprecedented fourth term in office. FDR remains the only president to have served more than two terms. … READ MORE
1991: Magic Johnson announces he is HIV‑positive. On Nov. 7, 1991, basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson stuns the world by announcing his sudden retirement from the Los Angeles Lakers, after testing positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. At the time, many Americans viewed AIDS as solely a gay white man’s disease. Johnson, who is Black and identifies as heterosexual, was one of the first sports stars to go public about his HIV-positive status. … READ MORE
1940: Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapses. The Tacoma Narrows Bridge was built in Washington during the 1930s and opened to traffic on July 1, 1940. It spanned the Puget Sound from Gig Harbor to Tacoma, which is 40 miles south of Seattle. The channel is about a mile wide where the bridge crossed the sound. Sleek and slender, it was the third longest suspension bridge in the world at the time, covering 5,959 feet. … READ MORE
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| Birthdays and notables | | | Happy birthday, Carl Voss!
These celebrities were born on this date: Adam DeVine, Christopher Knight, Greg Tribbett, Joni Mitchell, Lorde, Lucas Neff, Morgan Spurlock, Tinie Tempah, Tommy Thayer, Yunjin Kim, Zach Myers
SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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The answer to yesterday's riddle: What kind of face do pilgrims make when they’re in pain? Pil-grimace!
Today's riddle: Where did the first corn come from?
Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or West Des Moines/Jordan Creek, Waukee or Norwalk Living magazines, contact:
Martha Munro
Account Executive
Office: 515-953-4822 ext. 314
Mobile: 515-321-5246
martha@iowalivingmagazines.com
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www.biggreenumbrellamedia.com.
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