over dinner one evening.
__________
It was a thought mentioned out loud, one of those “Oh, wouldn’t it be cool to have a great little place that…”
__________
It was a seed.
A seed that has been planted. It is our dream to become a hub of cultural creativity by creating an open, loving and diverse environment that mutually supports free, respectful expression in a variety of art forms. … Oh yeah! And we sell really great coffee and food, too!
OMega Smoothies
All OMega Smoothies include hemp nut, a little nut with a big blast of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. All smoothies are non dairy made from natural fruit juices that contain no artificial sugar.
Al Natural $3.95
Continental Divine
Made with apple, strawberry and banana all natural fruit juice.
Cosmic Cranberry
Made from cranberry and apple cherry all natural fruit juices.
Smoothies with Elixirs $4.95
Down Under pineapple, orange, banana fruit juice blended with Maca root. Maca is an ancient Peruvian root that has been used for centuries to help boost the libido and enhance stamina.
Grassroots Apple juice blended with Emerald Energy (Contains Spirulina, Barley Grass, Kelp, Pectin, Klamath Blue-Green Algae, Royal Jelly, Soybean Lecithin, Rice Bran, Chlorella)
Emerald Goddess Pineapple, Orange, Banana, Femme Emerald Energy (Original Emerald Energy ingredients including Dong Quai, Wild Yam, and White Peony). Dong quai and white peony are known to help balance hormones and to help cramping during menses. ( not for pregnant, lactating women or pre-menstrating girls)
Active Evolution Apple, Cherry, Raspberry juices blended with Ruby Reds (Contains more than 50 nutritious ingredients including: fruit and veggie concentrates, enzymes, probiotics, antioxidants, fiber and more.)
Organic $4.95 (Elixir boost add $1)
Raspeberry Rapture Organic Raspberry fruit juice blended with hemp nut.
Nutritional Spikes
Vita-Boost All the essential daily vitamins,
with fiber
Immunizer Stimulate your immune system with a special blend of Echinacea and Goldenseal Root.
Energy Burst A burst of energy with Gingko Biloba, Ginseng, Gotu Kola and Vitamins B6
and B12.
Memory Surge Improve mental performance with Ginko Biloba, Bilberry Leaf and Choline Citrate.
Fat Burner A special blend of active fat burning ingredients including Chromium Picolinate, Vitamin B6, Potassium.
Calcium Plus Maintain good bone health with Calcium, Iron, Folic Acid and other healing herbs.
Protein Power Soy protein to build muscle and may reduce the risk of heart disease.
Booking Info
Please send demo/sample CD to:
1301 Locust St., Suite D
Des Moines, IA 50309
*Do not send Electronic Press Kits
House Sound consists of:
2 - Speakers
2 - Mics on boomstands
8 Channel Head
2 - Monitors w/separate amp
A revolution has to start somewhere — why not over a cup of coffee? 
Linda Shepley and Denise Diaz, co-owners of the Ritual Cafè 
DENISE DIAZ, 42, lives in Des Moines, Iowa.
She is an owner of The Ritual Cafe in downtown Des Moines, located at 1301 Locust Street.
The Ritual has been there for three and a half years.
A staple of the cafe is regular life music.
The New American Dream Trivia Question:
To win a round button that says, "Bush Is Lying About What He Knew," be the first one to correctly answer the following.
Denise Diaz would rather be ....
a. Somewhere in Dubuque b. At Spaghetti Works c. Cooking on TV d. Trying out for American Idol e. In Cicily, Alaska f. Washing dishes, away from the crowd
NAD: Denise, hello, thank you for taking the time for this.
How does an oatmeal, hemp granola, yogurt, yogurt w/hemp granola cafe go over in downtown Des Moines?
DENISE DIAZ:
It requires a lot of explaining on our part.
Once we explain that hemp food contains no THC, people lose interest even though it is healthy food for them.
NAD: Where are you from? What were you doing before the Ritual?
DENISE DIAZ:
I was born here in Des Moines and raised in Valley Junction in West Des Moines.
Before the ritual I was roasting and managing Java Joes Coffee house downtown Des Moines.
NAD: Which came first, the music or the omelette?
DENISE DIAZ:
MUSIC
NAD: Would you like to choose one of these to answer, elaborate on?
I don't ask this to make fun. I ask because I really seek the answers.
— Are UFOs real?
— Did we land on the moon in 1968?
— Did Bush knock down the towers?
— Was Paul Wellstone's death an accident?
— The Oklahoma City bombing? Wasn't that just another U.S. government terrorist exercise? Or not.
— Waco. We burned kids, right? You can see flames shooting out of the tanks. Or not.
— Is Bigfoot real?
— Is there a God?
... What makes you think that?
DENISE DIAZ:
Are you setting me up?
I do believe UFOs are real.
How do you think all these aliens got here anyway?
NAD: How did you survive the Bush years?
DENISE DIAZ:
Xanax, red wine and a lot of political dissent.
_________
What is most important to
me is ending the wars.
NAD: Do you anticipate having to survive the Obama years, struggle through — or do you have hopes for something better?
What do you think about the election of Obama?
Do you have high hopes?
Hopes at all?
Why? Why not?
DENISE DIAZ:
To me, it always a struggle ...
However, I am pleased with the election of Obama.
I hope Obama will lead us to a peaceful place.
What is most important to me is ending the wars.
Restoring faith and trust in our relationships with other countries.
Yeah, I have real high hopes ....
NAD: Please tell us more about yourself, the things you have done, what you would like to do, what you did today.
What did you absolutely have to get done by noon today?
How about by Christmas 2009?
DENISE DIAZ:
Today I had the day off so I slept in.
Got up made a cup of wonderful ritual coffee and soaked in the wonderful aromas.
I am getting ready to take my dog, Sasha, for a walk in the woods ...
NAD: What does the "Ritual" in Ritual Cafe mean?
DENISE DIAZ:
Instead of a routine, make it a ritual.
Make it holy... Do what you do with intent.
Every moment is a celebration of life.
NAD: Are you making a political statement through your presence?
DENISE DIAZ:
Hell yes.
NAD: Are you having fun?
DENISE DIAZ:
Hell yes.
NADD: What else would you like to add? What else should I have asked?
DENISE DIAZ:
Peace, love the American Dream!!!!!
NAD: Please insert a link here to something you would like linked to, with a brief tag re: where that link goes:
DENISE DIAZ:
www.ritualcafe.com (hippest coffeeshop on the planet)
www.iknowimnotalone.com (a musicians search for the human cost of war)
www.theunapologeticmexican.org (radical blog from some crazy chicano with brilliant insight)
If you search the archives below, you will find, in a sort of order [last to first], interviews with:
Deanna Taylor, Green Party activist, teacher, in Salt Lake City
Rossie Indira-Vltchek, writer, filmmaker in Jarkarta, Indonesia
Nora Barrows-Friedman, Pacifica reporter in Gaza
Delaney Bruce, Friends of Peltier
Keith McHenry, co-founder of Food Not Bombs
Michael Sprong, South Dakota Catholic Worker
Brian Terrell, Des Moines Catholic Worker
Bob Graf, One of the Milwaukee 14
Loren Coleman, Bigfoot researcher
Monty Borror, Sci-Fi artist from Virginia
David Ray, Great American Poet
Jack Blood, radio show host, in Austin, Texas
Danny Schechter, A Real Reporter
Bob Kincaid, host, Head-On Radio Show
Tony Packes, Animal Farm Radio Host, Keeping An Eye on Big Brother
Richard Flamer, Working With the Poor in Chiapas
David Ray Griffin, 9/11 Truth activist author
Barry Crimmins, U.S. comedian, author, social activist
Bret Hayworth, political reporter for the Sioux City [IA] Journal
Lisa Casey, publisher of website All Hat No Cattle
Joe & Elaine Mayer, activist couple in Rochester, Minnesota
Fr. Darrell Rupiper, U.S. priest revolutionary
Whitney Trettien, MIT student, Green Party activist
Meria Heller, radio show host
Phil Hey, professor, poet
John Crawford, book publisher
Steve Moon, Iowa Bigfoot researcher
Carol Brouillet, California social activist, 9/11 Truth
Russell Brutsche, Santa Cruz artist
Kevin Barrett, professor, radio show host, 9/11 Truth activist
A'Jamal Rashad Byndon, social activist in Omaha
Chris Rooney, Vancouver, Canada Catholic Worker, website publisher
Marc Estrin, political novelist, from the left
Peter Dale Scott, poet, professor, author, activist
Anthony Rayson, anarchist zine publisher, works with prisoners
Alice Cherbonnier, editor of The Baltimore Chronicle, an independent newspaper
