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Wednesday, July 30, 2025
Good morning to you! 

I consider myself to be accepting of new technology, both at home and work. I like gadgets, and I like to experiment. As a young man, I was quick to buy CD players, Blu-Ray disc players, Macintosh computers and car alarms. At home, now, I have installed web-based cameras, smart plugs, garage door opener apps, smart TVs and more. And, at work, we were early advancers in the conversion to computer pagination, website development and digital editions. But, in recent years, I have developed a desire for simpler times. Don't get me wrong. I still love technology. I communicate more with Alexa and Siri than some people. But when technology fails to work as it should, I can’t help but wish for things the way they were. Here are a few examples.

Our current washing machine has a lot of bells and whistles. Sensor technology. Deep fill options. A myriad of temperature settings. Energy efficiencies I don’t understand. More spin speeds than I can count. Soil level options that seem senseless. A noise-reducing motor that I do like. And more jets, nozzles or spray arms than a car wash. It all seems great — until I press the start button and an error code pops up. I spend a few hours on YouTube trying to find a solution but then end up calling an appliance repair guy and a spending several hundred bucks for the fix. I don’t recall having problems with prior machines like we have had with this one.

This past weekend, we were downtown Des Moines and I parked my vehicle on the street. I have used the new parking meters several times and have the current app downloaded, or at least I thought I did. The app didn’t work. My credit card was rejected for no apparent reason. And I had a person impatiently waiting behind me to enter her info for her spot. Ten minutes later, I got it to work, but I was longing for the days when I could simply take one second and drop a quarter in the slot.

Over the weekend, I parked my vehicle in our detached garage. I don’t have a garage door app on my phone for these openers, but I do have a keypad lock on the entry door that has worked wonderfully — until now. The next morning, the lock would not accept the code, and, consequently, the door would not open. The garage door remote openers were on the visor in my truck, which was inside the garage. So, now what? I tried all the keys on my key ring. Nothing. I grabbed the loose keys in the junk drawer in the kitchen. None worked. Then, eventually, I remembered that the garage door opener has an exterior keypad. I searched through my passwords and found one that worked. I walked into the garage with a smile on my face and swapped out the batteries on the lock. It still didn’t work. I was longing for the days of a simple metal key, which I will certainly have on my next lock.

I can’t help but wonder what will happen when the Internet goes down for an extended period. How will we do laundry, park our cars or get in our garages? I don't think Siri or Alexa will have the answer. I hope I will.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305

See more of Shane Goodman's columns here.

 
News headlines

FROM KCCI: Ankeny centenarian turns the big 105. An Ankeny woman is getting used to celebrating milestone birthdays. On Tuesday, Velma Chestnut turned 105 years old. The year Chestnut was born, 1920, women had just earned the right to vote, and prohibition was just beginning. Despite living through countless history-making moments, Chestnut credits her longevity to "not overdoing it." ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: Special Election for Madison County Auditor moves forward after objection denied. A Special Election to fill the role of Madison County Auditor is officially set for Aug. 26, following a final vote Tuesday morning that cleared the last hurdle standing in its way. A three-member panel made up of County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Heather Stancil, who called in over the phone, County Attorney Stephen Swanson, and Sheriff Jason Barnes unanimously voted to deny an objection to the citizen-led petition that called for the Special Election. That decision solidified the county’s path forward in allowing voters – not appointees – to choose their next Auditor. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Woman in custody after overnight shooting in Southwestern Hills neighborhood. Des Moines police arrested a suspect Tuesday in connection to a fatal overnight shooting in the Southwestern Hills neighborhood. 19-year-old Amarianna Findley-Murry has been charged for carrying a dangerous weapon as an ineligible person, a serious misdemeanor, according to a news release. Officials say Murry also faces additional charges unrelated to the incident. ... READ MORE

 

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: Tsunami waves hit Japan, Hawaii and Alaska after an 8.8 magnitude quake off Russia. A tsunami sent powerful waves toward coastal areas of Russia’s Kuril Islands, Japan and Hawaii and Alaska after a powerful, 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia early Wednesday. Warnings are also in place for Alaska and other coasts south toward New Zealand. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE NATION: Officials work to unravel how and why gunman carried out deadly attack on NYC office building. Investigators are piecing together more details about how a former high school football player who blamed the game for his mental health problems carried out a deadly attack on an office building that is home to the NFL. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE STATE: Iowa veteran makes it to Maine on Appalachian Trail. Iowa veteran Joedy VanVelzen made it to Maine on the Appalachian Trail, the final state in a journey of nearly 2,200 miles through 14 states. He surpassed the 1,900-mile mark last week and called it the “toughest week of the journey so far.” That’s when VanVelzen and his hiking buddy Greg, a fellow veteran through Warrior Expeditions, were hiking through the White Mountains in New Hampshire. ... READ MORE

 

Clear Mortgage meteorology

Storm chances lasting into this evening. Heavy rain and flooding will be concerns. Cooler air moves in after.

For help with pre-approvals or refinancing, get in touch with Originating Branch Manager Carrie Hansen at carrie.mortgage.

 
Pollen tracker
 
Tree pollen: None
Grass pollen: Low
Ragweed pollen: None
 
The 2025 results: CITYVIEW's Best of Des Moines®
 
Best Local Dance Club
 
1. The Garden
 
2. Miss Kitty’s
 
3. Denny Arthurs
 
See all of the results
 
 

Woebegone Wednesday
Modern warfare? Sen. Joni Ernst reported to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that USAID, for U.S. security in Ukraine, gave a “trade mission for a condiment manufacturer” approximately $94,000, a “pickle maker” around $148,000, an organic coffee and tea producer approximately $255,000, a vineyard pulled in $89,000, and an “artisanal fruit tea company” collected $104,000. USAID also awarded a “specialty biscuit and confectionery company” around $678,000 — nearly the same number of taxpayer dollars as the aforementioned food grants combined — and a meatpacking plant approximately $319,000. USAID “failed to provide any of these documents” to Ernst’s staff beyond an “in-camera review.” USAID also claimed national security exemptions to avoid disclosing controversial charges on its public “foreign assistance” tracker. (WSJ)

McDonald's was the worst performing stock on the Dow in June. It made up about half its June losses so far in July after trying to adjust to customers' eating healthier, according to analysts.

Deals today
• Hy-Vee Market Grilles are running a breakfast special Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. of three choices of two eggs, two strips bacon, two sausage links, two pancakes or two slices toast for $5 through Aug. 3.

• Exile (1514 Walnut St., Des Moines) offers a $12 burger basket with fries and a beer on Wednesdays. 

Beaver Tap (4050 Urbandale Ave., Des Moines) offers $8 French toast or pancake breakfasts and $2 tacos, $9 wraps and $10 half pounds of wings on Wednesdays. 

• Johnny's Italian Steakhouses have a chicken Madeira special on Wednesdays before 4 p.m., $15 including beverage.

• Smoking Goat Pub (3015 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines) has a $10 classic burger and beer all day. 

Felix & Oscar's is celebrating its 50th anniversary with buffets all July. $18 or two for $30. Kids $10, under 4 free. Wednesday is a pasta, salad and bread bar.
 
• Gilroy's (1238 Eighth St., West Des Moines) has all you can eat fried chicken dinners on Wednesdays $21.99 after 5 p.m. Damon Dotson will play on the patio there from 6 p.m. tonight.

• Haiku (1315 31st St. , Des Moines) lets kids 11 and under eat free with adults on Wednesdays. Hot sour soup and eggrolls are comped today with lunch entrees.  

• Wednesdays bring steak night to Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road, Des Moines). Steaks are cooked to order with salad, potato and bread, $14.99.

• Angry Goldfish (2301 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines) offers hot beef sandwiches with mashed potatoes and gravy for $11.50 on Wednesday. 

 Curbin' Cuisine (1325 S.W. Oralabor Road, Ankeny) offers traditional gyros for $7 Wednesdays. 

• Wine bottles are half price on Wednesdays at Trostel's Greenbriar (5910 Merle Hay Road, Johnston). The Continental (407 E. Fifth St., Des Moines) also has half priced bottles on Wednesdays. 

• G Mig's (128 Fifth St., Valley Junction) offers a special chicken Parmesano dinner today with salad and garlic bread for $19.25.

• Barntown's (9500 S.E. University Ave., West Des Moines) Wednesday specials are a pound of chicken tenders with fries and two sauces for $11.99, plus $13 core pitchers of beer.

• Wednesday is Biryani Festival at Chowrastha (5910 Ashworth Road, West Des Moines). Buy two and a third is free.

 Tacos Mariana's (1305 University Ave. , Des Moines) and The Station (3124 Ingersoll) have specials on tacos today. 

• Village Inns offer free pie with entrees on Wednesdays. 

• It's lasagna day at Maxie's Supper Club (1311 Grand Ave., West Des Moines), breaded pork tenderloin day at Eastside Eddie's (3517 E. 26th St., Des Moines), and barbecue ribs evening at G Migg's (128 Fifth St., Valley Junction).

• Panka Peruvian (2708 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines) has live jazz Wednesday. 

• Chuck's (3610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines) offers $5 off pizza on Wednesdays.

• Bordanaro's (6108 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines) has a Wednesday-Thursday only special on carryout pizza. They start at $6.50 for a 10-inch cheese pie. Each ingredient added is an extra charge, but this pretty much adds up to half-price pies.

• Gilroy's (1238 Eighth St., West Des Moines) has fried chicken specials tonight.  

• Kwik Stars' Wednesday special is eight pieces of fried chicken for $10. Their fried chicken is ridiculously good for a convenience store.  

• On Wednesdays you can get any burger with fries for $10.99 at Tito's Lounge (3916 N.W. Urbandale Dr, Urbandale). 

• Jethro's have $9.95 BPT sandwiches, including a side of choice, on Wednesdays. Because tonight is an Indiana WNBA game night, the West Des Moines Jethro's has a "Fever Reliever" special of any two appetizers on the Happy Hour menu and two pints of domestic beer for $22. 
 
• Hy-Vee Market Grilles are offering a cheeseburger and fries  Wednesday special for $8.
 
  Price Choppers have sales on Colorado peaches at $1.99/pound, red or white grapes at $1.99/pound and Tide Simply at $2.99/32-ounce bottle through Monday.

 Fresh Thyme (2900 University Ave., West Des Moines) begins a week-long sale on Atlantic salmon fillets at $6.99/pound and King salmon fillets at $21.99/pound plus BOGO offers on 300 items. 

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

 
 
Featured in the current issue of CITYVIEW
 

POLITICAL MERCURY
We will all be dead by 2030, credentialed forecast on artificial intelligence predicts

By Douglas Burns

Photography by Jason Walsmith

The opening line of AI 2027, a forecast about the exponential explosion of artificial intelligence, is jaw-dropping.

“We predict the impact of superhuman AI over the next decade will be enormous, exceeding that of the industrial revolution.”

But as the forecast from insiders in the artificial intelligence industry continues, that first line diminishes into the mild and blithe and unforgettable past. It becomes a distant quaintness with the turning of but a few pages.

AI will become even more adept at “thinking” for itself and, soon, will outthink us, then kill us, the report predicts.   ...

 
Read more
 
Featured home for sale
 
Post listings here for $50. Contact jolene@iowalivingmagazines.com for details.
 
$654,900

2909 Crest View Circle
Norwalk, IA 50211

Welcome to your dream walkout lot, nestled on a serene cul-de-sac with breathtaking pond views! Brenner Built's Abbigail plan in Norwalk sits on a 0.37-acre lot that backs up to a pond offering peaceful, private living. This home features impressive curb appeal and custom finishes throughout. ....

  
See the listing here.
 
See more homes for sale
 
SOLD: Featured commercial real estate transaction
 
10056 HICKMAN COURT, CLIVE
SALE DATE: 2025-03-18
SALE PRICE: $4,950,000
SELLER: MARC 1 HOLDINGS LLC
BUYER: HB CLIVE OWNER LLC
ACRES: 1.108
SQUARE FEET: 4,763
 
More transactions
 
Featured in the current
issue of Indianola Living magazine
 

Meet Nathanael Smale
Returning to where it all began.

By Becky Kolosik

A familiar face is back at Indianola Community School District, and he is ready to make music.

“ICSD is where I found a second home during my college days and early career,” Nathanael Smale, new high school vocal teacher, says. “I’m excited to be in a place where there is such strong support for the arts — especially music.”

Smale has a deep appreciation for music. ...

 
Read more
 
Sports headlines
FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Jon Gruden insists he isn't done coaching during Lions camp appearance. Jon Gruden resigned as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders — his last formal football coaching job — in Oct. 2021 after the release of a trove of emails that he sent from 2010 to '18 containing racist, misogynstic and anti-LGBTQ remarks. Now, less than four years later, he confirmed that he still wants to make a football comeback, even if it doesn't happen at the NFL level. ... READ MORE
 
FROM ESPN: NYC shooter targeted NFL headquarters, claimed to have CTE. A gunman who killed four people at a Manhattan office building before killing himself was trying to target the headquarters of the NFL but took the wrong elevator, officials said Tuesday. ... READ MORE
 
FROM YAHOO SPORTS: Caitlin Clark injury update: Fever star to miss 14th regular-season game, remains out with right groin issue. Caitlin Clark has played in 13 games this season. The Indiana Fever superstar will now miss her 14th regular-season game, and 15th game overall since the opener. Clark was listed out for Wednesday's matchup against the Phoenix Mercury, according to IndyStar's Chloe Peterson. Clark remains sidelined with a right groin injury. ... READ MORE
 

1965: President Johnson signs Medicare into law. On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signs Medicare, a health insurance program for elderly Americans, into law. At the bill-signing ceremony, which took place at the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri, former President Harry Truman was enrolled as Medicare’s first beneficiary and received the first Medicare card. ... READ MORE

1974: Under subpoena, Nixon surrenders Watergate tapes. Under coercion from the U.S. Supreme Court, President Richard M. Nixon releases subpoenaed White House recordings—suspected to prove his guilt in the Watergate scandal—to special prosecutor Leon Jaworski. The same day, the House Judiciary Committee voted a third article of impeachment against the president: contempt of Congress in hindering the impeachment process. The previous two impeachment articles voted against Nixon by the committee were obstruction of justice and abuse of presidential powers. ... READ MORE

1999: “The Blair Witch Project” released in theaters. On July 30, 1999, The Blair Witch Project, a low-budget, independent horror film that will become a massive cult hit, is released in U.S. theaters. ... READ MORE

 www.history.com

 
Birthdays and notables
 

These celebrities were born on this date: Christopher Nolan, Lisa Kudrow, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hilary Swank, Laurence Fishburne, Vivica A. Fox, Gina Rodriguez, Jaime Pressly, Hope Solo, Paul Anka, Terry Crews, Delta Burke, Buddy Guy

SUBMIT: Send your local birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

 
Morning chuckle

The answer to the last riddle: Why was the bad bowler nicknamed Lightning? THEY NEVER STRIKED TWICE! OR, THEIR STRIKES WERE UNPREDICTABLE! - Carolyn Rogers, Irving Stone, Gail Tomlinson, Rex Post

Today's riddle: What did one bowling pin say to another?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

 

To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or CITYVIEW magazine, contact:

Aaron Burns
Advertising Sales Manager
Office: 515-953-4822 ext. 330
Mobile: 712-310-3860
aaron@dmcityview.com

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