One side effect of the new public smoking ban will be the proliferation of no smoking signs. State rules require them to be affixed just about everywhere, so everyone knows there where smoking isn’t allowed. We just received a memo that new signs will adorn all doors into the Gazette, even though no one has [...]
Entries from June 2008
June 27, 2008
Friday Fan Mail
Thursday’s column criticizing landlords and property managers who are raising rental rates just as flood-displaced people are looking for housing drew a lot of response. Nobody took the side of greedy landlords.
Bob Elliot of Iowa City summed up the views of many writers:
“It’s pathetic that with all the heart-warming character and just plain humanity displayed bv the thousands of [...]
June 26, 2008
Grub — Flying Wienie
Sunday night I was lamenting to some flood-weary co-workers that I probably missed my chance to try the Flying Wienie, the iconic hot dog joint at the intersection of 8th Ave SW and 1st Street SW. You can’t miss it. It has a big, yellow airplane on the roof.
Judging by its address, I figured it [...]
June 25, 2008
Sleepover with Carlin
Monday morning, when I heard that George Carlin died, the first thing I thought of was a sleepover at a friend’s house back in 1981 or maybe 82.
My friend, who, I know, reads this blog on occasion, was the kid who had the first video game, a Bally system – far ahead of its time, by the [...]
June 24, 2008
Chrome Horse Rumors
Rumors that I and others have been hearing lately about the watery death of the Chrome Horse Saloon on 3rd Street SE have been greatly exaggerated, manager Mark Dukes declares on his blog:
There are ton of rumors going around about the Chrome Horse, most of them revolving around the fact the building is being bulldozed and [...]
June 24, 2008
Little Bohemia
I’ve had some e-mails lately from folks outside of CR wondering about the fate of Little Bohemia. Here’s a column I wrote on the bar published today:
The very first beer I drank in this town as a newly minted local was poured from a tap at Little Bohemia, the iconic brick tavern at 1317 Third [...]
June 23, 2008
What’s Scaring Us?
Everything, according to this AP piece:
Is everything spinning out of control?
Midwestern levees are bursting. Polar bears are adrift. Gas prices are skyrocketing. Home values are abysmal. Air fares, college tuition and health care border on unaffordable. Wars without end rage in Iraq, Afghanistan and against terrorism.
Horatio Alger, twist in your grave.
The can-do, bootstrap approach embedded [...]
June 20, 2008
Curbside Editorial
“Don’t Stare, Help” pretty much sums it up along 3rd Street SE in the flood ravaged New Bohemia neighborhood. Volunteers welcome. Gawkers, not so much.
June 18, 2008
Way to go Tess
It’s been tough to explain the flooding to my kids. But once my 6-year-old daughter Tess figured it out, and that kids like her were affected, she got to work.
Last weekend, she picked out two boxes of toys she wants to donate to kids who lost their stuff in the flood. She washed off some [...]
June 18, 2008
Please, Mr. President
I’m as excited as anyone about President Bush’s flood tour of Eastern Iowa. But I still think it’s worth giving the president some tips on what he should avoid saying as he speaks with locals.
Here are the top 5 things I hope the president does not say:
5. “I think ol’ Gov. Chetie is doing a heckuva [...]
