Prairie Paradise from Patrick Gannon on Vimeo.

Hey! Winterset shout-out!

On the map, Des Moines, Iowa, is a middling metro area in the middle of a vast inland ocean of corn. Corn as far as the car can drive.

But in the city’s East Village, life is strangely uncornlike. A walkable warren, quirky and fun, snuggles below Iowa’s monumental, gold-domed Capitol.

via Fresh, hip and happening Des Moines – KansasCity.com.

But there’s more. One of the first people to call the river by its European name was the French Jesuit missionary and explorer Jacques Marquette. He’d encountered natives of the Peoria tribe at the confluence of this river and the Mississippi. Asking about other tribes who inhabited the river basin, the local natives told Marquette this branch of the river was controlled by Mooyiinkweena. Marquette interpreted that as a local variation on ‘moingona.’ According to one linguist, however, mooyiinkweena actually meant ‘shit-face.’ The local tribe members had apparently been insulting their neighbors.

via river of monks | gregfallis.com.

“LOCAL” DOES NOT EQUAL “GOOD.”

Local equals local. For instance, there are many coffee shops around. One of the local coffee shops invariably has a huge line, and locals know to go there only if you have some extra time. The coffee is good, but not amazing. Are they extra kind there? No. Do they greet people? No.

The local Dunkin Donuts is faster. They’re not much more kind (I mean, they’re not unkind, but they just do what they do with little beyond the script). Is that good? Depends on what you want.

via Do Local Businesses Deserve Your Money?.

Wow! I’m sad it took us so long to discover this place. It isn’t much from the outside, but there is a small parking lot that will fit 10-12 cars that is well-lit. They have the inside decorated with souvenirs from El Salvador and it really is interesting to look at. Don’t get me wrong, I love to sip a glass of wine and enjoy the ambiance of a popular, overpriced, crowded restaurant, but sometimes it isn’t about the experience and it’s all about the food. And you’ll get lots of good food here. The restaurant seats about 12 parties. We arrived about 6pm with no wait.

via Eat Play Love Des Moines!: A little bit of El Salvador, big taste!.

Everywhere is what you make of it. Des Moines has great stuff that would be cool anywhere. RAYGUN would be cool in any city. I will put our humor and style up against anyone in the country. Gong Fu Tea would be cool in any city. Same for Eden, for Seed, for Domestica, for Ichi Bike, for Zombie Burger. It’s not just “cool for Des Moines.”We need to stop worrying so much about national lists, about marketing campaigns, or about attracting outside businesses. We just need to support the talent we already have, and encourage talented people who are already here but not doing anything to do something.There is an ocean of untapped talent in Des Moines.

via 10 or so questions from Ben Gran: Interview with Mike Draper, RAYGUN.

via The Next Workplace Revolution – Jobs & Economy – The Atlantic Cities.