Welcome to the Friday 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.
“Well, your columns are often good for a laugh. In fairness, however, the average politicians are probably good at being timely and making points quickly in meetings with their teams (Short meetings, Oct. 29, 2024). It is speeches and town halls and interviews that show whether they can answer a question, let alone complete a sentence or not. Word salad is a phrase that is being used these days. I hope this kind of talking is not the future of our country.” - Donna
Regardless of the politician, I am afraid word salad will be the future. - Shane
“I'll plead a little bit guilty at one time or another to most of the seven items you note (Instructions, Oct. 30, 2024). Because manuals/instructions are so poorly written and edited, especially for products under $150, why waste time with them? Then there are automobile manuals that are hundreds of pages and often written by non-Americans and not well edited. When our grandson was about 12, he started reading car manuals as a way of dealing with boredom while traveling with his family. Interestingly, he understands them!” - Chuck
Maybe he can show me how to turn off the alarm sensor in my truck cabin that a trapped moth keeps setting off at 3 a.m. - Shane
“Shane, I enjoyed your morning brief about instruction manuals, and, yes, I’m guilty of not reading until after I get baffled (Instructions, Oct. 30, 2024). But, I recently discovered the auto manufacturers are not including user manuals. This has happened at the same time the dashboard has become all digital and contains more options for customization. Auto manufacturers are saving money by not printing the book, but browsing the internet might not always be the solution for problem solving.” - Len
And browsing the internet while driving is definitely not the solution. - Shane
“Hey, Shane. When I worked in the computer world, we used to say that instruction manuals were written in Swahili and translated to English by Japanese (Instructions, Oct. 30, 2024). Someday, we will get good instruction manuals that everyone understands.” - Tom
It’s good to have a dream. - Shane
“The pictures of the parts are poor and not proportional (Instructions, Oct. 30, 2024). And why are there always parts left over?” - Brad
The real question is, why do we keep those extra parts? – Shane
Have a fantastic Friday, 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: One dead, 3 injured in wrong-way crash on Interstate 35 ...READ MORE
FROM WHO-TV: Kum & Gone: new owner Maverik might re-brand Iowa gas stations...READ MORE
FROM WOI-DT: Iowa Board of Regents share progress on elimination of DEI in the state's public universities...READ MORE |
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Clear Mortgage meteorology
Dry weather continues today. Rain chances return tonight into Saturday, though amounts look light. Next rain chance comes next Tuesday.
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 | | | SOUND CIRCUIT
Joe Bonamassa
Guitarist and blues singer Joe Bonamassa recently surpassed yet another blues record — this one for having the most No. 1 Billboard Blues albums. He’s amassed 28 No. 1 rankings throughout his career, more than any blues musicians in the history of Billboard Music.
And the musician’s record he surpassed? His own. ... | | | READ MORE |
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The dish on noodles
Buldak, aka "fire noodles" or "black noodles," are one of the fastest growing food products in America. They are South Korea’s answer to Japanese ramen, but far spicier. Japanese slang for Koreans translates to “garlic eaters,” and that is meant to be derogatory. Japanese food is the most delicate of all Asian cuisines. Too delicate for garlic, let alone super hot chilies. Walmart is "all in" on the buldak sensation offering many versions and expecting sales to double this year. (WSJ)
Which came first, the recipe or the food? After seven years of research, the Nagano Soba Industry released their recipe for instant soba, to compete with ramen: "Cover dried noodles in hot water and microwave 3 minutes." They explained that it took seven years to get the proportions of buckwheat and wheat flours just right before the recipe worked. (NHK)
Strawberry fields, forever. A Japanese robotics company reported that their bot-bees were 90% more efficient at pollinating strawberries than real bees. Bee populations diminished 20% last year world wide. Pesticides are mainly blamed. So far, the bot bees are only used in greenhouse pollination. It seems they are more sensitive to bad weather than real bees. (NHK)
Weekend specials
• Olympic Flame (514 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines) hosts belly dancers Friday nights.
• Vietnam Cafe (Merle Hay Mall Food Court) now has a weekly, not monthly, Friday buffet. 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. $18.95 with pho included
• Bawarchi (6630 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines) offers Friday through Sunday specials on paneer kebabs, chicken curry and goat curry.
• Mickey's in Yale (217 Main St., Yale) has hot beef sandwich lunches and all you can eat fish dinner specials today.
• Fresh Thyme (2900 University Ave., West Des Moines) is selling 12 ounce packages of bacon for 99 cents Saturday, limit of one. The store will also host a holiday open house Saturday.
• Chicago Speakeasy (1520 Euclid Ave., Des Moines) offers BBQ beef and marinated roast beef sandwiches on special for Friday lunch.
• Bianchi’s Hilltop (2829 Hubbell Ave., Des Moines) has a lunch special on Italian roast beef sandwiches at $12.
• 801 Chophouse (801 Grand Ave., Des Moines) has Sunday supper specials that deliver deep discounts on filet, prime rib and red king salmon dinners.
• Lzaza (1409 23rd St., Des Moines) has a Sunday buffet including Punjabi khadi pakora, channa masala, aloo palak, mixed veggies, goat vindaloo, chicken korma, rice, two biryanis, chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken, aloo chips, veggie samosas, salad, fruit truffles, seviyan, naan and chai.
• Chuck's (3610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines) has live music from Jonas Woodstock from 6-9 p.m. Friday and with Charlson Trio Saturday, 6-9 p.m.
• Whatcha Smokin (Luther) specials are prime rib dinners $29-39 on Friday night and full pound beef rib dinners $45 on Saturday.
• ShortE's BBQ (8505 Chambery Blvd., Johnston) offers pulled pork sandwiches with fries and a drink for $12 Fridays.
• Raising Cane's will give 20 customers free chicken for a year as part of a promotion for the fast food chain's first DSM store, set to open Nov. 12 at 6079 S.E. 14th St.
• Josh Gingery will be at Cheese Shop Monday, Nov. 11 with wines from Rosenthal Wine Merchant. That Upper East Side shop pioneered the idea of terroir mattering in wines and has a reputed collection of European wines. $75 includes seven wines and snack pairings. 6 p.m.
• Aldi stores are selling frozen Honeysuckle turkeys for 77 cents/pound and lamb shanks for $5.99/pound through Tuesday.
— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com |
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The 2024 results ...
CITYVIEW's Best Of Des Moines® | | | Best Local Cleaning Company
1. The Queen of Clean
2. Elite Cleaning of Des Moines
3. Two Mops and a Bucket
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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| Featured home for sale | | | |
$459,900
5 bed, 3 bath, 1,774 square feet
1814 Third Ave. S.W., Altoona
Stunning one-owner Craftsman style ranch with over 3,100 square feet built by Kimberly Development is like new! Let's start with the perfect family neighborhood close to schools, shopping and Highway 163. When you pull up to this home, you will quickly notice the Kimberly quality, from the Hardie Plank siding paired with coordinating stone and shake to the extensive professional landscaping you won't receive with new construction and greeted by your cozy/covered front porch. ...
See the listing here.
| | | See More Homes For Sale |
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| SOLD: Featured commercial real estate transaction | | | 214 N.W. CHAPEL DRIVE, ANKENY
SALE DATE: 2024-08-13
SALE PRICE: $1,350,000
SELLER: ANKENY ACRES LLC
BUYER: TT&C COOPERATIVE HOUSING
ACRES: 0.882
SQUARE FEET: 10,240 |
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Featured in the current
issue of North Polk Living magazine | | | The race is on
Residents share their passion for reaching the winner’s circle.
By Lindsey Giardino
Preston Schmidt explored various sports as soon as he was old enough, but none truly captured his attention — until he turned 8.
One day, a group of close friends suggested he try wing kart racing. They noted that he was “fearless,” and they thought it would be great at the sport.
“We had no idea what we were getting into, but we thought it was worth a shot,” Preston’s mom, Amanda, says. “So, we found a used wing outlaw kart, got some gear and jumped in feet first.” ... | | | READ MORE |
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LOCALLY: Drake’s women basketball team celebrated double ring night with a 58-point second half to shake off a quick and physical St. Louis team, 95-70. Ava Hawthorne had a breakout performance with career highs across the board, and Anna Miller showed off some impressive three-point range to match her stellar inside game. Drake had four players in double figures, and none of them were named Katie Dinnebier.
THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: Bengals 34, Ravens 35
FROM ESPN: NFL midseason predictions: Playoffs, MVP, 2025 draft ... READ MORE
FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: LeBron James Explained Why He Loved Heated Moments With Ja Morant in Lakers' Loss ... READ MORE
FROM CBS Sports: 49ers' Nick Bosa says he hasn't heard from NFL about fine for wearing MAGA hat: 'It was well worth it' ... READ MORE |
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1895: German scientist discovers X‑rays. On Nov. 8, 1895, physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (1845-1923) becomes the first person to observe X-rays, a significant scientific advancement that would ultimately benefit a variety of fields, most of all medicine, by making the invisible visible. … READ MORE
1887: Doc Holliday dies of tuberculosis. Doc Holliday—gunslinger, gambler, and occasional dentist—dies from tuberculosis. Although he was perhaps most famous for his participation in the shootout at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, John Henry “Doc” Holliday earned his bad reputation well before that famous feud. Born in Georgia, Holliday was raised in the tradition of the southern gentleman. He earned his nickname when he graduated from the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery in 1872. … READ MORE
1962: Sun sets on the Ford Rotunda. On Nov. 8, 1962, the famous Ford Rotunda stands in Dearborn, Michigan for the last time: the next day, it is destroyed in a massive fire. Some 1.5 million people visited the Rotunda each year, making it the fifth most popular tourist attraction in the U.S. (behind Niagara Falls, Smokey Mountain National Park, the Smithsonian, and the Lincoln Memorial). … READ MORE
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| Birthdays and notables | | | Happy birthday Wayne Johnson and Christianne Jordan-Rigaud today and Aaron Burns on Sunday!
These celebrities were born on this date: Gordon Ramsay, David Muir, Bonnie Raitt, Parker Posey, Alfre Woodard, Gretchen Mol, Tara Reid, Lauren Alaina, Matthew Rhys, Kazuo Ishiguro, Rickie Lee Jones, Bucky Covington, Giancarlo Stanton, Mary Hart
SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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The answer to yesterday's riddle: Where did the first corn come from? The stalk brought it!
Today's riddle: What did the Mayflower sailors play when they were bored?
Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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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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