Daily Umbrella Jan. 20: What cold meds work?; Wonder Bargain of the Week; how much sleep?

Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026

Good morning to you!

We seem to have too many things in this great big world. And, we seem to have too much quantity of each of them. Don’t believe me? Take a trip to Costco.

I also find this to be true when I stop at a convenience store for a can of pop. There aren’t any. Seriously. All I want is 12 ounces of my favorite soda. Instead, I have to choose between 1,000, 5,000 or 10,000 ounces. I need to use the store’s restroom just thinking about it.

Speaking of that restroom, this is where the opposite holds true. Many public bathroom items are simply too small, and you need to use more than one. Let’s start with the obvious one. Is there any task that could be completed with one toilet paper square. Any?

Then you step up to the sink and wash your hands underneath the auto water dispenser — that you have to restart five times. Is 3 seconds long enough to wash anything? The soap dispenser seems to shoot out more liquid than the faucet does. That one-to-one ratio doesn’t work.

Surely, the paper towel dispenser will solve this problem. Nope. One paper towel barely dries your fingers. So, you pull out three more to get the job done. Then you wipe your hands on your pants on your way out the door. They are clearly not the quicker-picker-upper.

Well, bathroom supplies are not the only things that are packaged too small. How about those coffee creamer singles? Yes, all .375 fluid ounces of them. Does anyone use just one?

I feel shortchanged with those individually wrapped cough drops, too. Sure, there are 80 drops in a bag, but how far does one go before you crunch it like the owl in the Tootsie Roll Pop commercial? I now start with two.

Some chewing gum seems skimpy, too. No longer does gum come in the Hubba-Bubba-size packages. So, I sometimes opt for two.

Anyone remember Tic Tacs, the hard mints in the plastic boxes with the flip-action hinged lids? These little rip-off artists were first produced in 1969 and, believe it or not, are still available in a variety of flavors in more than 100 countries. They may be “The 1½ Calorie Breath Mint,” and that cool plastic box may contain 38 mints, but a single .49-gram mint is practically worthless.

OK, I clearly missed some. What items do you feel are so small that you need two or more for each use? Send me a note and let me know.

Have a terrific Tuesday, and thank you for reading.

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

Read more of Shane Goodman's columns here.

News headlines

FROM KCCI: Iowa lawmakers consider bill expanding access to ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine. Iowa lawmakers are considering a bill that would change how some prescription drugs are dispensed, allowing Iowa adults to obtain them without seeing a doctor. Supporters say the proposal is about personal freedom and undoing government overreach from the pandemic. Some doctors warn it could remove critical safeguards meant to protect patients from harm. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: What cold and flu meds actually work? Cold and flu season is in full swing, and if you’re suffering from symptoms, you likely just want to find some relief. But walking down the pharmacy aisle can be overwhelming between the long ingredient names and various brands. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Des Moines community honors Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy in a church he visited 67 years ago. Sixty-seven years after Martin Luther King Jr. visited a Des Moines church, community members returned to the same property Monday to honor his life and legacy. King spoke in Des Moines in 1959, telling the crowd, “We must all learn to live together as brothers in this world, or we will all surely die together as fools.” ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: Russia batters Ukraine’s power grid again as officials seek momentum in US-led peace talks. Russia bombarded Ukraine with more than 300 drones and ballistic and cruise missiles in its latest nighttime attack on the Ukrainian power grid, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday, as Moscow gives no public sign that it’s willing to end the invasion of its neighbor anytime soon. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE NATION: Christian leaders urge protecting worshippers’ rights after protesters interrupt service. Several faith leaders called urgently for protecting the rights of worshippers while also expressing compassion for migrants after anti-immigration enforcement protesters disrupted a service at a Southern Baptist church in Minnesota. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE STATE: Storm Lake man finds new life in vintage tractor passion after lifesaving kidney transplant. Terry Argotsinger has over 70 antique John Deere tractors. He started collecting them in the early 90’s. “I set a goal of finding an ‘A’ John Deere for every year that they were built, which is 1934 to 1952. And so I do. I have one of each of those. Then I started the line of greens and yellows. So, I have a 330, 430, 530, 630, 730, and 830 John Deere,” said Terry Artgotsinger, owner of True Green Tractor Supply. ... READ MORE

Clear Mortgage meteorology

We warm up a bit today, with light snow chances tonight and Wednesday evening. Frigid air pours in Friday and Saturday.

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

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

Best Local Apartment Complex

1. Tempo East Village Living

2. The Parker at Seventh

3. City Square Lofts

See all of the results

Tuesday touts
"Thermal shock" is the dreaded enemy of tender meat. That is why smart recipe writers always tell us to let steak-pork chops-chicken wings, etc. come to room temperature before cooking. It's amazing how many wing joints do not heed this advice, or don't know about it.

Wonder Bargain of the Week
The superb Istanbul Grill Café and Bakery (their mixed grill platter is pictured) offers a bargain Valentine’s Day dinner for two. It includes a choice of two entrées, two appetizers, two sides, two salads and four pieces of baklava for $79.95. Reservation required.

Deals today
• Ham and beans with cornbread is today's special at Crouse Cafe (115 E. Salem, Indianola).

• Grilled cheese sandwiches are $1.59 on Tuesdays at Kwik Star.

• It's steak night at Grand Junction (1970 Grand Ave., West Des Moines). Steak, salad and potato $13.99.

• Guesthouse Tavern and Oyster (9500 University, West Des Moines) offers fried chicken dinner special on Tuesdays, $17-23, plus half-priced whiskey pours.

• Curbin' Cuisine (1325 S.W. Oralabor Road, Suite 200, Ankeny) offers a cheeseburger and fries for $7.99 today.

• Mullet’s Norwalk offers a free kids meal per adult meal on Tuesdays 4 p.m. to close.

• Mickey's Irish Pub (50 S.E. Laurel St., Waukee) has a special $7 half-pound burger with a side all day Tuesday.

• Kelly's Little Nipper (1701 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines) offers a "Tendy's Tuesday" pork tenderloin basket with a drink for $11.50.

• Eastside Eddie's (3517 E. 26th St., Des Moines) has a Tuesday special cheeseburger with fries, tots or salad and a drink for $10.

• Beaver Tap (4050 Urbandale Ave., Des Moines) offers $7 breakfasts and $8 burgers Tuesdays.

• Pelican Post (265 50th St., West Des Moines) offers a special smashburger with cheese, fries and a draft beer for $10 on Tuesdays.

• Johnny's Italian Steakhouses have a beef stroganoff special on Tuesdays, $14 including beverage.

• Smoking Goat Pub (3015 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines) hosts 222 BBQ today from 5-9 p.m.

• Baklava is half priced Tuesdays at Istanbul Cafe and Bakery (3281 100th, Urbandale).

• Red Robin stores are featuring a $10 cheeseburger with an "endless side" on Tuesdays.

• Jethro's Tuesday special is 2 pounds of bone-in smoked wings for the price of one.

• Paula's (524 Elm St., Valley Junction) runs a Tuesday special hot beef sandwich for $13.50.

Kids meals are half price till 2 p.m. today at Machine Shed (11151 Hickman Road, Urbandale).

• Taco Tuesday brings serious discounts to La Familia (1610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines), all Taco John's, all Abelardo's, all Fernando’s, Malo (900 Mulberry St., Des Moines), Beaver Tap (4050 Urbandale Ave., Des Moines), Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road, Des Moines), The Continental (407 E. Fifth St., Des Moines), Gilroy's (1238 Eighth St., West Des Moines), Jack's Place Grill & Bar, (6112 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines) and both Faustino's.

• Hy-Vees offer $5 tenderloins on Tuesdays.

• Today is beef and noodles day at Maxie's Supper Club (1311 Grand Ave., West Des Moines).

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

Featured in the current issue of CITYVIEW

POLITICAL MERCURY
Fox News’ Gutfeld, his national panelists, mock small-town Iowa House candidate’s weight

By Douglas Burns

Fox News host Greg Gutfeld and his orbiting panelists relentlessly mocked the weight of a Dunlap, Iowa, Democrat, a rural middle- and high-school band teacher and candidate for the Iowa Legislature, in a viral three-minute national broadcast recently.

The barbs aimed at Dunlap City Councilman Benjamin Schauer, who is running in Iowa House District 15, were incessant and cruel, and the piece has generated comments in a range of online forums, including The Daily Caller. ...

Featured home for sale

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Sports headlines

FROM ESPN: Mendoza, Hoosiers cap perfect season, win first national title. As No. 1 Indiana entered Hard Rock Stadium on Monday night to compete for the school's first national title on No. 10 Miami's home turf, the Hoosiers carried with them the confidence of their head coach, Curt Cignetti -- and the baggage of the program's heavy history as one of the worst in college football. ... READ MORE

FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Titans finalizing agreement to hire Robert Saleh as next head coach. The Titans are hiring 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh as the franchise's new head coach, according to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter. A deal is not yet complete, but is close. Saleh and the Titans met on Monday and two sides wanted to move forward towards an agreement, which is expected to be finalized soon. ... READ MORE

FROM YAHOO SPORTS: Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns respond to boos at MSG after skidding Knicks lose ugly to Mavs. A New York Knicks skid reached what fans can only hope is its nadir Monday in a blowout loss to the hapless Dallas Mavericks at home. This once again — and repeatedly — led to boos from the crowd at Madison Square Garden. ... READ MORE

2009: Barack Obama is inaugurated. On a freezing day in Washington, D.C., Barack Hussein Obama is sworn in as the 44th U.S. president. The son of a Black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas, Obama had become the first African American to win election to the nation’s highest office the previous November. … READ MORE

2020: First confirmed case of COVID-19 found in U.S. Following a rapid spread from its origin in Wuhan, China, the first U.S. case of the 2019 novel coronavirus, which causes a disease known as COVID-19, is confirmed in a man from Washington State on Jan. 20, 2020. … READ MORE

2021: Kamala Harris becomes first female vice president. Kamala Harris makes history when she is sworn in as the 49th U.S. vice president on Jan. 20, 2021, becoming the first woman, the first Black American and the first Asian American to occupy the office. … READ MORE

www.history.com

Birthdays and notables

These celebrities were born on this date: Blueface, Evan Peters, Skeet Ulrich, Alex Sampson, Kazimir Crossley, Gary Barlow, Buzz Aldrin, Dena Kaplan, Tyler Herro, Rainn Wilson, Paul Stanley

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

Morning chuckle

The answer to the last riddle: Why do keyboards never sleep? THEY HAVE TWO SHIFTS! - Gail Tomlinson. Or, They are too "keyed up"! - Carolyn Rogers, Anne Lentz-Gagen. Or, Because there’s always someone tapping on them. - Sharon Hill Watkins. Or Because they are always at play. - Bill Snyder.

Today's riddle: Scientists have finally discovered exactly how much sleep a human needs. How much is it?

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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