Aug. 6 Daily Umbrella: Who is the birdbrain?; tensions erupt in Madison County; a girl standing in the middle of a tennis court?

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Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025

Good morning to you!

Birdbrain. It’s not a name most of us want to be called. Yes, birds have small brains, but does that mean they are dumb? Maybe. Maybe not.

Yesterday morning, I was awakened by a familiar thud on my bedroom window. I had a good guess what it was, and I was correct. There, lying motionless on the deck below, was a bird that apparently thought it saw a clear path into my home but instead collided head first with a pane of glass. The glass won.

Most of you have dealt with similar situations. In fact, according to allaboutbirds.org, about 1 billion birds die from window strikes in the U.S. each year. But why? Well, according to the site, birds apparently crash into windows “because they see reflections of vegetation or sky, or they see through the glass to potted plants or vegetation on the other side.” These collisions are most frequent at dawn and dusk. Hence, my morning wake-up.

The website says there is one additional reason, and it may surprise you. Birds will also crash into windows due to “reflection aggression,” which sometimes happens when birds see their reflection in a window and attack it. I have dealt with this, and it can be annoying. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, it seldom results in a dead bird.

Back to the full-speed crashes of birds into windows. The bird’s brain may not be the problem. The bird’s skull is. The skull of a normal bird usually weighs about 1% of the bird's total body weight. In comparison, a human skull weighs about 8% of the body. This may explain why I can crash through my patio door head first without a blemish while the bird that rammed into my window won’t be doing anything again.

Meanwhile, some of us humans choose to punch each other in the head, and we even pay money to watch some people knock other people unconscious. The knuckles of the boxers are covered with 12-ounce gloves, but the impact is undoubtedly severe.

If that’s not enough, many of us also tune in on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and watch some of the world’s biggest and best athletes slam their skulls into each other on football fields, with only a mere layer of plastic and foam protecting them.

And we mock birds for having little intellect? I guess we know who the real birdbrains are.

Have a watchful Wednesday, and thanks for reading.

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

See more of Shane Goodman's columns here.

FROM KCCI: Tensions erupt as Madison County votes to seek outside legal counsel, skirting county attorney. The Madison County Board of Supervisors has taken a significant step in addressing ongoing tensions by voting 2-1 to hire outside legal counsel. The decision follows months of discord between Board Chair Heather Stancil and County Attorney Stephen Swanson, with the latest dispute centering on the handling of a vacancy in the County Auditor's Office. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: Iowa company tasked with making ribbons for Iowa State Fair. From baked goods to livestock shows, there are several contests to compete in to win a ribbon at the Iowa State Fair. Thousands are handed out every year, and they’re made right here in Iowa. The process is seamless. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: West Des Moines extended stay hotel residents forced to vacate after fire. People living in 90 housing units had to move out on a whim after a fire broke out at Westown Parkway Residences Monday afternoon, according to the Polk County Emergency Management Agency. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: Trump’s envoy meets Putin ahead of Russia-Ukraine peace deadline, the Kremlin says. Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Wednesday, the Kremlin said, days before the White House’s deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or potentially face severe economic penalties that could also hit countries buying its oil. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE NATION: As Trump cracks down on college student visas, other countries see opportunity. In China, wait times for U.S. visa interviews are so long that some students have given up. Universities in Hong Kong are fielding transfer inquiries from foreign students in the U.S., and international applications for British undergraduate programs have surged. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE STATE: Miracle Riders leave Sioux City on annual motorcycle benefit trip. A group known as the Siouxland Miracle Riders took off from Sioux City Monday on a motorcycle benefit ride to Nova Scotia, Canada. The group will ride more than 5,200 miles over the course of two weeks. ... READ MORE

Clear Mortgage meteorology

Getting hotter through the week. Slight storm chances today and Thursday. More chances late Saturday into Monday morning.

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: Moderate

Ragweed pollen: None

The 2025 results: CITYVIEW's Best of Des Moines®

Best Local Distillery

1. Iowa Distilling Company

2.Revelton Distilling Company

3. Foundry Distilling Company

See all of the results

Woebegone Wednesday
What do aging hippies do anymore? Here's a clue. Smoothies, once a staple of the organic hippie diet, have become a luxury item in Los Angeles and the Hamptons. The high-end grocer Erewhon is even making some in collaboration with high end brands and celebrities. Erewhon’s summer pop-up in the Hamptons sells 20-ounce smoothies for $20 with hippie names like Velvet Rope, Raw Linen and Zero Gravity. "Righteous man." And that’s become a deal with other “far out” people paying $30 for vitamin- and nutrient-enriched, guru-blessed smoothies elsewhere in the Hamptons, Malibu and Laguna Beach.

Wallace House wants to be called by Wallace Centers of Iowa. By any name, it is one of Iowa's greatest tributes to The Woebegone. It concludes its summer farm to table dinner series tonight, "inspired by Iowa State Fair classics" with Gabriel Kerr in charge of the kitchen. They are already posting an autumn series which kicks off with a garlic event Oct. 1.

Deals today
• Hy-Vee Market Grilles are running a weekday breakfast special of buy one, get one half priced.

• 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.

• 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 younger 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 Alfredo 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, Des Moines) 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) and turkey bacon melt day at Eastside Eddie's.

• 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.

• 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 Drive, Urbandale).

• Jethro's have $9.95 BPT sandwiches, including a side of choice, on Wednesdays.

• Waterfronts are featuring tuna on tonight's Wednesday special.

• Price Choppers have sales on Colorado peaches and NW cherries at $1.99/pound, red or white grapes at $1.88/pound and Tide Simply at $2.99 each through Monday.

• Fresh Thyme (2900 University Ave., West Des Moines) begins a week-long sale on tuna or swordfish steaks at $10.99/pound, large eggs at $2.99/dozen and Kandy melons at $2.99.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

Featured in the current issue of CITYVIEW

FEATURE STORY
Buffalo Bill, Des Moines and the Iowa State Fair

By John Busbee

By the time the shows ended their 33-year run, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West had played to more than 50 million people. It was the spectacle of the era, performed for European royalty to salt-of-the-earth people in America’s Heartland. With its popularity, William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody became the most recognized figure of his time. He headlined his Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Exposition in more than 3,000 locations. One location was Des Moines and, once, the Iowa State Fair, was significant.

He returned to his Iowa birth state many times, presenting his spectacle show in 36 Iowa communities. His show, including its predecessor, Buffalo Bill’s Combination Acting Troupe, regaled Des Moines throngs 13 times between 1879 and 1916. Specters of those unforgettable times still reverberate in the capital city’s legacy. ...

Featured home for sale

Post listings here for $50. Contact jolene@iowalivingmagazines.com for details.

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1560 N.W. 102nd St.
Clive, IA 50325

Wonderfully maintained family home in established, quiet Clive neighborhood. First floor features open white kitchen with center island that leads to family room with vaulted ceilings and brick fireplace. Plus, formal living room and dining room, all with brand new carpet. Private oversized deck is semi covered with pergola and overlooks fenced backyard. ...

See the listing here.

See more homes for sale

SOLD: Featured commercial real estate transaction

10513 BUENA VISTA COURT, URBANDALE
SALE DATE: 2025-03-24
SALE PRICE: $1,975,000
SELLER: TOBY A GEIGER REVOCABLE TRUST
BUYER: VOCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTER INC
ACRES: 2.390
SQUARE FEET: 15,030

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Featured in the current
issue of West Des Moines/Jordan Creek Living magazine

SWAP promotes water quality
Coffey uses rainwater for native lawn.

By Jackie Wilson

The front lawn of Evelyn Coffey’s West Des Moines home reveals a prairie-like garden, with wildflowers and native plants. The best part of it? She hasn’t watered her plants once this year with the garden hose — even during the near-drought conditions in early June.

Coffey took advantage of the City of West Des Moines’ Stormwater Assistance Program (SWAP), which provides cost-share funding to residents who install native landscaping, rain gardens, rain barrels and other stormwater best practices that promote water quality.
Coffey and her family lived in both Hawaii and California, where lawns weren’t a big deal. Once she moved to Iowa in 2021, she didn’t want a manicured lawn. ...

FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Celtics trade recently acquired veteran to fall below second tax apron. The Boston Celtics are trading veteran forward Georges Niang and two second-round picks to the Utah Jazz in exchange for rookie guard RJ Luis Jr., according to a report from ESPN's Shams Charania. ... READ MORE

FROM ESPN: ESPN to get NFL Network, rights to RedZone from NFL for equity stake. ESPN is acquiring the NFL Network and other National Football League media assets, including the linear rights to the league's popular RedZone channel, in a deal that will see the NFL get a 10% equity stake in the all-sports network, it was announced Tuesday night. ... READ MORE

FROM YAHOO SPORTS: Athletics C Shea Langeliers posts historic 3-HR game in first career appearance as leadoff hitter. Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers made his first career appearance as a leadoff hitter Tuesday, a change A's manager Mark Kotsay said he hoped would get the team off to "a quick start, hopefully." Mission accomplished. ... READ MORE

1787: First draft of Constitution debated. In Philadelphia, delegates to the Constitutional Convention begin debating the first complete draft of the proposed Constitution of the United States. ... READ MORE

1926: Gertrude Ederle becomes first woman to swim English Channel. On August 6, 1926, on her second attempt, 20-year-old Gertrude Ederle becomes the first woman to swim the 21 miles from Dover, England, to Cape Griz-Nez across the English Channel, which separates Great Britain from the northwestern tip of France. ... READ MORE

1945: American bomber drops atomic bomb on Hiroshima. On August 6, 1945, the United States becomes the first and only nation to use atomic weaponry during wartime when it drops an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Approximately 80,000 people are killed as a direct result of the blast, and another 35,000 are injured. At least another 60,000 would be dead by the end of the year from the effects of the fallout. ... READ MORE

www.history.com

Birthdays and notables

These celebrities were born on this date: Geri Halliwell, Vera Farmiga, Ever Carradine, Leslie Odom Jr., M. Night Shyamalan, Soleil Moon Frye, Jason O'Mara, David Robinson, Dane DiLiegro, Robin van Persie.

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

The answer to the last riddle: What is the most depressing thing about tennis? A WALL IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN YOU! OR, The net when I jump over it. - Irving Stone. Or, Because there are so many faults! - Gail Tomlinson. Or You have to win 3 and lose 3 to get to love! - Bill Snyder. Or, you start love love and go downhill from there! - Rex Post.

Today's riddle: What do you call a girl standing in the middle of a tennis court?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or Ankeny, Altoona or Bondurant Living magazines, contact:

Angela Ossian
Account Executive
Office: 515-953-4822 ext. 307
Mobile: 515-979-5585
angela@iowalivingmagazines.com

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