July 21 Daily Umbrella: Federal Warrants; Traffic Changes; Cacao Woes

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Friday, July 21, 2023

Good Friday Morning to You!

Welcome to the Friday mailbag where you will find some of the comments, questions and ideas sent recently by subscribers of this newsletter or our publications. They are edited for space and clarity.

“Hi, Shane. Instrumentals are now smooth jazz songs I feel (Instrumental songs, July 12, 2023). Since you mentioned Barry White’s ‘Love’s Theme’ from 1973, you may like R&B group Kool & The Gang’s ‘Summer Madness’ from 1974. This is still listened to a lot, so much so that on YouTube the song has been looped to create extended versions. Now, lots of people would smoke some weed or go cruising in their car while listening to it. I enjoyed it after a bad work day or to start the weekend off on a good, relaxing note (no weed necessary). Booker T & the M.G.'s ‘Green Onions’ always reminds me of my father, as he played that song along with ‘Bumpin on Sunset’ by Wes Montgomery. Your article has brought back many memories from my childhood. Thanks for the memories.” – PL King

Smooth indeed. Thanks for the suggested listens. - Shane

“Your column this morning struck a chord with me (Privacy Matters, July 17, 2023). In our daily online lives, we tend to migrate to the cheapest medium. We all congregate on ‘free’ services such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Truth Social, etc. What we fail to recognize is that if the product we are using is free, then we, the users, are the product. All of those web services routinely harvest our personal information and sell it to the highest bidder. The ACLU predicted this in a short video it produced 17 years ago. Today, it seems prophetic. https://youtu.be/RNJl9EEcsoE” - Bill

Everyone reading this should view that video. Thanks for sharing it, Bill. - Shane

“Shane, while I think I understand your main argument, your list of hypotheticals strikes me as beyond logic (Privacy Matters, July 17, 2023). If a person is concerned about invasion of privacy, why would he/she install a camera in the first place? A person doesn’t need their own camera, the potential exists for several cameras to be in the neighborhood and people who own them more than willing to share with law enforcement. Requiring a subpoena provides an opportunity to limit the use at the court’s discretion. How do you feel about telephone wire taps?” - Chuck

I installed cameras on my property for my own use, not for the government’s. If others choose to voluntarily share, I am fine with that. But your personal camera photos or video should not be for the government’s taking whenever it pleases. And, as you may guess, I am not a fan of wire taps either. I realize I am losing this battle, but I am going to continue to fight. - Shane

Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading.

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

CITYVIEW's Best Of Des Moines

CITYVIEW announced its 2023 Best Of Des Moines readers' choices Jan. 31. You can find all the results from the poll in the February issue of CITYVIEW magazine!

Best Ankeny Bar

1. Whiskey River

2. The Yankee Clipper

3. Good Times

SEE EVENT PHOTOS HERE...

Your Clear Mortgage forecast

Mostly dry conditions will be with us into the weekend, though there is a chance we'll see some isolated storms Saturday afternoon and evening. Heat really builds in next week, and we could see some 100s in southern Iowa Wednesday and Thursday.

For help with preapprovals or refinancing, get in touch with Carrie at carrie.mortgage.

Featured Home For Sale

Attention Realtors, post your listings here for $50. Contact jolene@iowalivingmagazines.com for details.

$359,900

1005 S.E. Meadowlark Drive,

Grimes, IA 50111

Gorgeous updated two-story home in excellent condition boasts more than 2,500 sq. ft. of living space. You'll be greeted by beautiful Bella hardwood floors that extend from entryway to hallway/bath/first-floor laundry/kitchen/casual dining area. Spacious kitchen features granite countertops/breakfast bar/SS appliances.

See more about this listing.

See More Homes For Sale

Demand for cacao, the main ingredient in chocolate, outpaces supply by a lot. A predicted El Nino year will cut production in West Africa, the world's chief source of cacao. Also the war in Ukraine and cuts in U.S. production of petroleum have spiked fertilizer prices. So cacao farmers are not using it, cutting crop yields. Cacao futures are up 32% year to date, making them one of the top five investments of 2023.

Tune in Saturday at 10 a.m. as Willie Farrell joins Kitchen Insider with lots of nostalgia for lost Des Moines. https://kfmg.org/

Monday is National Tequila Day, but because most Mexican cantinas close Mondays, it will be celebrated all weekend in Des Moines. A few great places for tequila specialties - La Familia (1610 Sixth Ave.), Viva (6101 Grand Ave.), El Fogon (1250 8th St., West Des Moines), Cocina Baja (1938 E. Sixth St.) and El Guapo (8950 University, West Des Moines) where one can also buy a large array of tequila fan ware.

— Jim Duncan

FROM KCCI: Several arrests made as 8 federal search warrants executed in the metro

DES MOINES, Iowa — Multiple law enforcement agencies executed several search warrants in the Des Moines area Thursday morning. Des Moines police tell KCCI they were searching for drugs and guns. READ MORE FROM KCCI

FROM WHO-TV: Cyclone basketball legend Dedric Willoughby dies at age 49

AMES, IOWA — The Iowa State University Athletics Department is reporting the death of a legendary Cyclone basketball player. Dedric Willoughby passed away on Wednesday at the age of 49, the school reports. A cause of death wasn’t listed.. ..READ MORE FROM WHO-TV

FROM WOI-DT Local 5: City of Des Moines looking for feedback on traffic changes in part of downtown

Engineers are looking at a plan to convert part of Grand Avenue and Locust Street. ...READ MORE FROM WOI-DT Local 5

2007: Final Harry Potter book released

1925: The “Trial of the Century” draws national attention. Schoolteacher John T. Scopes is convicted of violating Tennessee’s law against teaching evolution in public schools. The case debated in the so-called “Trial of the Century” was never really in doubt; the jury only conferred for a few moments in the hallway before returning to the courtroom with a guilty verdict. Nevertheless, the supporters of evolution won the public relations battle that was really at stake.

1970: Aswan High Dam completed. After 11 years of construction, the Aswan High Dam across the Nile River in Egypt is completed on July 21, 1970. More than two miles long at its crest, the massive $1 billion dam ended the cycle of flood and drought in the Nile River region, and exploited a tremendous source of renewable energy, but had a controversial environmental impact.