Mar 28

The world of tomorrow

Posted on Friday, March 28, 2014, at 4:00 PM by Jeff

The first episode of “Futurama” aired on TV March 28, 1999 — 15 years ago today.

/shakes cane at younger animated shows

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Mar 27

Iowa State’s history in the Sweet 16 and beyond

Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2014, at 1:33 PM by Jeff

The Iowa State men’s basketball team is in the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in school history. It has been to the Elite Eight once in the modern era, and Final Four once ever. Yet that only merits third place in Sports on Earth’s list of “tortured fans” of the 2014 Sweet 16, behind Wisconsin and Virginia. Looking back at the Cyclones’ basketball performances at this level, there is a strong case to top both of them.

1944 Final Four. Only eight teams participated in the tournament. Big Six Conference champion Iowa State beat Pepperdine in Kansas City and would play Utah next in Madison Square Garden. Tom Hager wrote in The Ultimate Book of March Madness that Utah was given “little chance against the Cyclones” and was even asked to have luggage ready for departure after the game. “After dumping their belongings in what was meant to be Iowa State’s room, Utah pulled off another shocker to give Iowa State an early return home.” Utah won the championship.

Continue reading →

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Mar 27

North Liberty is finally getting a high school

Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2014, at 12:48 AM by Jeff

The catch: It’s going to be part of the Iowa City school district. The district awarded a design contract Tuesday for a building that would open in 2017. The new high school will be on the east side of North Liberty, at the intersection of Dubuque Street and North Liberty Road. (Remember, everything west of Jones Boulevard is part of Clear Creek-Amana.)

Here’s to hoping the district calls it North Liberty High School, or at least Iowa City North, instead of some other name.

Stories: Iowa City Press-Citizen, Cedar Rapids Gazette

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Mar 26

Norman Borlaug statue dedicated

Posted on Wednesday, March 26, 2014, at 4:02 PM by Jeff

Coverage from the Register and Gazette on Tuesday’s event in DC.

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Mar 25

In which I am mentioned very vaguely in the Atlantic magazine

Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2014, at 11:05 AM by Jeff

In the April 2014 issue of the Atlantic, and already online, there is a long piece by Adam Doster called “Fighting Over the Field of Dreams.” It’s about the field and the Ballpark Heaven development. About three-fifths of the way through, the writer reaches the backlash to the plan — and drops a line about my column from last September.

Without irony, a columnist for The Des Moines Register expressed concern that the development would facilitate the area’s “Disneyfication.”

In the end, he appears to understand my point of view: The place is different from some anachronistic Disney streetscape. It genuinely tricks you.

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Mar 24

License Plate Letters — CGS

Posted on Monday, March 24, 2014, at 9:22 PM by Jeff

It’s been a while since I updated this. I haven’t been out much.

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Mar 24

But it won’t make the writing on ‘Girls’ any better

Posted on Monday, March 24, 2014, at 10:51 AM by Jeff

Lena Dunham’s character on the HBO series “Girls” has been accepted into the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. This may be inspired by the fact that one of the show’s story editors has an MFA from the workshop (NSFW-ish, both for the explicitness endemic to most discussion about the series and a picture of said editor in hipster glasses).

I would bet that even Iowa City is going to be a culture shock for the character. I wonder if there will be scenes set there.

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Mar 23

What a game

Posted on Sunday, March 23, 2014, at 7:56 PM by Jeff

ISU’s fourth Sweet Sixteen ever!

Wow!

UPDATE: Of the teams in the 2014 Sweet Sixteen, the only one with fewer appearances than ISU there is Baylor with three.

This post has been edited.
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Mar 22

Another profile of Hallie Christofferson

Posted on Saturday, March 22, 2014, at 10:07 AM by Jeff

It’s tournament time, and I have been/am sick, so I don’t have much. So, for the weekend, here’s a nice story from the Ames Tribune on Hallie Christofferson. When the women’s season ends, it will really close the last chapter on Exira High School.

UPDATE: No other word for that 55-44 loss but “brutal.” (Maybe “discombobulated.” Or “AAAAHHHHH.”) Christofferson got a long standing ovation. ESPN columnist Mechelle Voepel was at the game, possibly in anticipation of 2-seed Stanford playing in front of a hostile crowd Monday. Sigh. (Making things worse, there’s 1-3 inches of snow in the forecast. We bought your movie, Elsa; make it stop!)

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Mar 21

We are Iowa State

Posted on Friday, March 21, 2014, at 11:33 PM by Jeff

The good news is, the Cyclones did not go out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and tied the mark for most points in the tournament so far with a 93-75 win over NC Central.

End good news.

The unwavering patience of the damned, indeed.

UPDATE 3/23: Does this count as an SI jinx?

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