MetaFilter posts tagged with iowa

K-E-Y! Y? Because We Will Bury You

wendell — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 16:52:43 -0800

Exactly 50 years ago today, Soviet Premier and Cold War Villain Nikita Khrushchev was denied a visit to Disneyland. He was in Southern California as part of a cross-country tour of the U.S.A.* (Can you imagine an enemy of the US doing that today?). The reasons for the denial? Security Logistics and Time Limitations (you have to devote a whole day for The Magic Kingdom). Instead, he visited a sound stage at 20th Century Fox (shooting "Can Can") and a housing development in a San Fernando Valley suburb. The next day, he got a warmer, but semi-stunned, reception in San Luis Obispo, CA. Not the only place that welcomed him. Farmers in Coon Rapids, Iowa were happy to show off American agriculture in an event recently commemorated.
*Look Inside book at Amazon link for more content. Also lots more coverage in the L.A. Times' Nostalgia Blog)

Full of LGBT, not RBHT!

ericbop — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 07:52:49 -0800

First, there was the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck. Now, everyone's favorite super-premium conglomerate-owned sticking-to-its-righteous-roots ice cream company has transformed "Chubby Hubby" into Hubby Hubby (only in VT, only for September), in support of same sex marriage, which is legal in Vermont as of this month. No word yet whether Iowa-based Winnebago will follow suit with a specially-named RV.

Everything's Better With Butter

ericb — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 22:43:39 -0800

'Artisanal butters' are favored and appreciated by cooks and gourmands -- especially those crafted by "garage entrepreneurs" from Maine [video]* and Vermont (churned by Diane St. Clair and favored by Thomas Keller at his noted restaurants, The French Laundry and Per Se). Butters from Canada, France, Ireland and elsewhere are also cherished. In related news:

"With enough butter, anything is good." Nora Ephron Talks About The Joy of Butter. No Michael Jackson Sculpture in Butter at the Iowa Fair.

All Hail the Butter Cow

Muddler — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:06:17 -0800

It's nearly state fair time and you know what that means - B u t t e r Sculptures! Yes, year after year several fairs contract with artists to sculpt meltable works of art. Perhaps the most famous is the Iowa State Butter Cow, carved year after year since the early 1900s. Of course, with butter art comes rivalry. Not to be outdone, state fairs in Minnesota, Texas, New York...oh, the list is long...each display these chilled masterpieces. However, this year Iowa has taken the rivalry to a new level and not without controversy - The Iowa State Fair has decided that this year they will do a Butter Michael Jackson.

I'm nobody, I'm the king of rock and roll

Potomac Avenue — Mon, 04 May 2009 23:46:37 -0800

Los Marauders live on Public Access TV Fans of the Psychobilly genre will remember them as making one perfect album, released on LP only in 1991 inexplicably by indiepop label Teenbeat Records (defunct) . Now (well, since 2006) we can for the first time see what they look like in interviews and onstage. Full 28 Minutes of Wigglin' on Myspace

Vermont legalizes same sex marriage

booksherpa — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 09:18:02 -0800

Today, the Vermont Legislature voted to override Gov. Jim Douglas' veto of a bill allowing same sex marriage, making Vermont the 4th state in the nation (and the second state this week) to legalize same sex marriage. Vermont is the first state to do it legislatively; it happened in the other three states via court ruling.

Iowa overturns gay marriage ban

XQUZYPHYR — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 07:35:29 -0800

The Iowa Supreme Court has just unanimously declared the state's ban on gay marriage to be unconstitutional. "The decision strikes the language from Iowa Code section 595.2 limiting civil marriage to a man and a woman. It further directs that the remaining statutory language be interpreted and applied in a manner allowing gay and lesbian people full access to the institution of civil marriage." (full summary PDF) The ruling effectively legalizes same-sex marriage in the state of Iowa.

Requiem for the Mighty Wurlitzer

thanotopsis — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:36:24 -0800

A recently divulged casualty of the Iowa floods (previously covered on Mefi here) is the Mighty Wurlitzer organ at the Paramount Theater. The pictures are pretty awful, and the video is even worse. If you grew up in Cedar Rapids any time in the last 80 years, you'll have heard the Wurlitzer on at least one occasion. Cedar Rapidians are vowing to "Return and Rebuild". "It’s ready for you– This Palace of Splendor with its acre of seats. The rare paintings are hung, the sculptures are in place, the deep carpet is waiting for the tread of thousands who will come to marvel at the countless wonders!" …The Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette and Republican, 1928.

Not Loving That Dirty Water

thanotopsis — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:16:06 -0800

Hoping for the best for Mefites in eastern Iowa. I was CR born and raised, and just watching the feed on KCRG is ...disturbing. It looks like the height of the Cedar River is estimated at 25.4 feet, and it hasn't crested yet. They've lost a railroad bridge downtown so far, and the news feed keeps tracking the rise of the river by standing outside the studio and watching the water approaching. Of course, it's not just Cedar Rapids. They're going to close 30 miles of I-80 (the highway that runs from New Jersey to San Fransisco). They're evacuating areas of Corralville. Vinton is under water. They're being asked to not flush the toilets in Decorah. Stay dry, people.

May 25 tornado, Parkersburg, Iowa

ArgentCorvid — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:03:13 -0800

The (U.S.) National Weather Service has released its report on a strong tornado that occured in Iowa the evening of May 25th. On the evening of May 25th, 2008 a tornado rated at EF5 (estimated wind speed was around 205 MPH!!) obliterated half of the town of Parkersburg, Iowa. Eight people have died, and 70 were injured. Here is a PDF containing incredible pictures of the damage (taken by employees of the NWS during their survey). there are a bunch more pictures on flickr, as well.

A weakness for Iowa

quadog — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 22:30:49 -0800

…you are brilliant and subtle if you come from Iowa and really strange and you live as you live and you are always well taken care of if you come from Iowa. That's what Gertrude Stein had to say about Iowa. There's more at the "home away from home for wayward expatriate Iowans".

Generational politics

orthogonality — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 16:09:07 -0800

The times, they are a-changing? [pdf]: A Survey of Iowa State University Students' preferences in the presidential primaries. [spoilers inside]

A large-scale survey of Iowa State University students (sample size was 2,185 out of 26,160 enrolled students which represented 8% of all enrolled students) showed an uncharacteristically high level of student interest in the upcoming Iowa presidential caucuses with ... 58% (921) of those registered to vote indict[ing] that they intend to participate in January 3, 2008 caucuses.

Dem., first choice: Barack Obama, 58%; Hillary R Clinton, 14%; John Edwards, 11%; Bill Richardson, 9%; Dennis Kucinich, 4%; Joe Biden, 3%; Christopher Dodd, 1%. Rep.: Ron Paul, 27%; Mitt Romney, 24%; Mike Huckabee, 15%; Rudy Giuliani, 13%; Fred Thompson, 10%; John McCain, 10%; Tom Tancredo, 2%. Of especial interest is the gender breakdown in candidate support (look at Rudy!) and the high percentage of students who found particular candidates, in the students' preferred party, "unacceptable". You'll have to go to the pdf for those numbers.

Giant Waves Over Iowa

geos — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 05:15:33 -0800

Undular Bore Waves

But what the heck / You're welcome / Join us at the picnic ...

kyrademon — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:06:18 -0800

The latest victory for gay rights occurs in ... Iowa?

Blandlands

roll truck roll — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 12:25:00 -0800

Blandlands. Videoblogger Aaron Valdez (previously) has entered his minimalist phase. These short, wordless scenes of suburban landscapes are quiet meditations on beauty and decay. Great for people who don't have windows in their offices. Other Valdez offerings include The Life and Times of Robert Kennedy Starring Gary Cooper, America's Way, and Subterranean Homesick 41 Frame Delay Blues.

The Creation in Krylon

madamjujujive — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 20:26:45 -0800

Paco Rosic is nearing completion of a one-half scale replica of the Sistine Chapel in Waterloo, Iowa - all painted with about 2,000 cans of spray paint.

"I am the only drunken pirate running for office in this great nation."

Navelgazer — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 11:01:43 -0800

"I would have your wife right in front of you. I would smoke the last of your glaucoma medication. Then I will surely drink your liquor cabinet dry. However, know this my friend. I will never break an oath to uphold the public trust. My affidavit will be signed in my own blood. A Pirates crimson mark, with real binding effects into my after life. Laugh if you will then ask yourself if you could do it." James Hill is running for congress in Iowa's first district. He accepts no money from anybody.

Bust a squirrel deal, face the squirrel wheel

Astro Zombie — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 12:49:13 -0800

Why did I annoy that black squirrel in Council Bluffs? I hope they don't put me in their special haunted jail.

More casualties of war

Tablecrumbs — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 19:09:24 -0800

Explosion at Iowa Army Ammunition Plant Interesting to note, this plant which is just a few miles from my hometown remained relatively dormant after the cold war ended.

The Oxford Project

JPowers — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 20:20:25 -0800

The Oxford Project: in 1984, Peter Feldstein photographed every single citizen in the town of Oxford, Iowa (676 pictures in all). In 2006, he attempts to do it again.

bleat bleat

thirteenkiller — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 14:12:44 -0800

The vision: a federally funded 5-acre enclosed rainforest, supposedly the world's largest, will make Coralville, Iowa into a world-class destination city and ignite the imagination of its heretofore benighted citizens. The problem: a federally funded rainforest. In Iowa. Read some entertaining background and analysis on the inspiring project here and here.

Howard Dean Assassination

mecran01 — Sat, 24 Jan 2004 09:05:45 -0800

Whatever happened to Howard Dean? "He was assassinated by Bill and Hillary with the assistance of Chris Lehane, the political hit man who first worked for Kerry and now backs Clark.
Desperate to keep control of the Democratic Party, the Clintons used their negative researchers and detectives to the ultimate and generated a story-a-day savaging Dean. The Vermont governor, not ready for prime time, cooperated by being thin-skinned, surly and combative. "
caveat: I'm not trolling, but as a democrat I find this interesting. Ok, nauseating.

the wonderful world of polls

calwatch — Mon, 19 Jan 2004 21:44:00 -0800

Exit polls are back from the dead. After a total failure in both the 2000 and 2002, exit polls return to the national election scene, with the Iowa caucus exit poll results (PDF). But can the new team overcome the strong distrust of the previous organization?

Scott County, Iowa

lazy-ville — Tue, 07 Oct 2003 13:40:16 -0800

Scott County, Iowa A very informative website about Scott County, Iowa. Including, but not limited to, Meet Meet Your Motor Grader Operator and Scott County's most wanted.

Sloppy Joe, Slop Sloppy Joe

emelenjr — Thu, 21 Aug 2003 12:53:50 -0800

For students in one Iowa school district this year, it's "sit down, shut up and eat your lunch." The principal says it curbs the noise level and makes sure kids eat all of their meal. Because if there's one thing this country (not to mention the rest of the world) needs, it's more fat kids.