Author Archives: Jeff

Dec 24

A highway created and a state un-clinched

Posted on Thursday, December 24, 2015, at 10:14 AM by Jeff

November 21, 2012: Well, this sign on new 20 didn’t last long. It will be replaced with one reading “North 71 South 471 / Storm Lake / Early”. Iowa Highway 196 probably died today. [OR NOT: see bottom] The highway running … Continue reading →

Posted in Highway Miscellaneous | Comments Off on A highway created and a state un-clinched
Dec 23

Photo 28,000

Posted on Wednesday, December 23, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

June 8, 2015: US 67/State Street heading toward I-74 in Bettendorf. The view ahead will change as part of the I-74 bridge construction project. It’s hard to tell how many standalone I-74 shields with the state name will remain after … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous, Sequences | Comments Off on Photo 28,000
Dec 22

At least the number is in the right place

Posted on Tuesday, December 22, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

January 30, 2012: This sign on I-35 in Texas could have an interstate shield in its future, I-14, running west along US 190 to Fort Hood. Embedded in the five-year highway bill recently signed into law is designation of more … Continue reading →

Posted in Highway Miscellaneous | Comments Off on At least the number is in the right place
Dec 21

Reverse-engineered football brackets, analysis for 2015

Posted on Monday, December 21, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

After the Iowa high school football playoffs ended, I took the finals and started working backwards to create a post-hoc bracket for the season. I had two tools I didn’t last year: The IHSAA published a list of qualifiers in … Continue reading →

Posted in Sports | Comments Off on Reverse-engineered football brackets, analysis for 2015
Dec 19

Carmike theaters now charging sales tax

Posted on Saturday, December 19, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

I don’t go to the movies as often as I used to, partially because I no longer have a theater in walking distance, partially because so much out there is uninteresting dreck*. So it was a surprise when I went … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Carmike theaters now charging sales tax
Dec 18

New Mapquest de-emphasizes county lines

Posted on Friday, December 18, 2015, at 10:14 AM by Jeff

Yet another website redesign takes away something inherently obvious in the name of … what? After rising to dominance in the late 2000s, Google Maps has steadily grown fat and happy in the 2010s, and by “fat” I mean resource-hogging, … Continue reading →

Posted in Maps | Comments Off on New Mapquest de-emphasizes county lines
Dec 17

Hardcore gaming, meet hardcore farming

Posted on Thursday, December 17, 2015, at 10:15 AM by Jeff

“Farming simulator is way bigger, more fun than you think” from Vice: I’ve done many challenging things in games recently, from slaying hordes of humanoid rats in Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide, to beating the magic-casting game Magicka 2. But the most … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Hardcore gaming, meet hardcore farming
Dec 16

If nominated I will not run; if elected I will not serve

Posted on Wednesday, December 16, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

A reversal of sorts from Monday’s blog item about Branstad: Second Swaledale write-in candidate turns down council seat Is it possible more tiny towns in Iowa will end up disincorporating because they can’t get people to run the town? This … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on If nominated I will not run; if elected I will not serve
Dec 15

A sense of humor, the DOT has

Posted on Tuesday, December 15, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Drivers on major Iowa highways yesterday were greeted with a batch of “Star Wars”-related messages encouraging good traffic safety practices. Did you know “Star Wars Episode VII” comes out Friday? (he typed, while a Star Wars-themed Ford commercial played on … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on A sense of humor, the DOT has
Dec 14

Branstad now nation’s longest-serving governor

Posted on Monday, December 14, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

For Iowans born after 1974 (including myself), Terry Branstad has run Iowa for more than half our lives. Now his record for longest-serving governor in US history is official. On Monday, Terry Branstad will have been Iowa’s governor for one … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Branstad now nation’s longest-serving governor