In the 1960s, most touchdowns in the NFL seemed to be celebrated by fans with little show from players. A player might toss the ball to the ref and be greeted by a couple of teammates on the jog back to the bench. In the 1970s, TD celebrations by players became more prevalent. Billy “White Shoes” Johnson was most notable. With time, the celebrations became almost choreographed. The NFL had to intervene with rules to limit what had become a time-suck for the viewer at home.

   One type…

   I would like to thank the folks at New Wineskin Ministries who allowed us to stream live from the “Taste the Difference” festival yesterday.

   My description, in this blog yesterday, did not do justice to what we experienced. Sure, the festival involved celebration of foods from different cultures and places, but there was much more. Pastor Mark Brown spoke with us about the community work they do in what probably is the most culturally and ethnically diverse part of Indianapolis.…

   “Taste the Difference” is a festival that celebrates foods from different cultures and places. “Civil Discourse Now” will stream live from Taste the Difference, from New Wineskin Ministries, at 4501 West 38th Street from 11 am to 1 pm. Folks from the Taste Festival will join us, as well as John Strinka, a very sociable gentleman and veteran guest of The Show, from the Socialist Party.

   Of course we shall be joined by regular contributors Kimann Schultz with her witty and fun…

   Is Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard a Kurt Russell-type character?

   In the 1980 film “Used Cars,” a used car lot owner is threatened with prosecution for false advertising after a television ad is altered, by people connected to her lot’s competitor, to claim her lot has a “mile of cars.” The movie was promoted, in part, by a photo shoot in Penthouse magazine, the box office ticket sales were mediocre, and Wikipedia tells me it has gained cult status.    Kurt Russell plays an…

   Today’s “Civil Discourse Now,” from 11 am to 1 pm, will stream live from Coffee Brake, 6215 Allisonville Road.  Coffee Brake is located in the strip shopping center on the northeast corner of 62nd Street and Allisonville Road.

   Our guest panelists will include Christina Hale, Indiana State Representative for the 87th District. We also will have "Fashion News and Muse" from Kimann Schultz, and Tyler Rayl on Sports.

   We encourage any candidates for political office to be on…

   My friend Abdul-Hakim Shabazz blogged yesterday about poverty and economic mobility in the context of his experience as a tutor when he was an undergrad. The upshot was some people want the work done for them—they want the minimum wage raised and a social safety net in place for those unable to meet life’s basic needs.

   I understand Abdul’s belief that people should work hard and earn what they need. I agree there should not be an incentive for people—or other entities—to work the…

   The Easley Winery is located at 205 North College Avenue, on the northeast corner of College and Ohio, in downtown Indianapolis. The winery’s website, easleywinery.com, not only lists the wines made by the company, but tells the story of how the winery came to be.

   We will shoot from 11 am to 1 pm Saturday.  Kimann and Mike Schultz will be our guests and taste the wines available. Kimann’s weekly segment, “Fashion News and Muse,” will be a special, live edition.

   Democratic…

   A people who value liberty should not allow their government to utilize court fines as a source of revenue. Elected officials would be tempted to create more laws to elicit more fines to haul in more revenue.

   Ferguson, Missouri, recently hit by riots and the national press corps after an unarmed black teenager was shot by a white police officer, derives twenty-one percent (21%) of its general revenue from traffic fines. That is one revenue source that has expanded, as others for…

   Apparently, folks who live in Broad Ripple are deadbeats. We believe ourselves “entitled” to public safety.

   The September, 2014, issue of “Broad Ripple Community Newsletter,” carries an article by Elizabeth Giffin titled, “Keep Broad Ripple Safe” in which she reports about some reactions to the “multiple incidents of violence” that arose this summer in Broad Ripple.  “The Broad Ripple Ripple Village Association (BRVA) then turned to Internet fundraising site Go Fund Me as a…

   The future is not here yet. However, we can try to to anticipate changes.

   The word "media" is the plural form of "medium." I am annoyed when I hear someone say "the media is..." or otherwise employ the noun "media" with the singular form of a verb. 

   This is not simply a matter of grammar. When people talk about "the media," the implication is a monolith, a giant glob that rolls through our days and devours as it spins untruths a/k/a lies. "The media" takes on an…

   The Kokomo Tribune (pronounced, by most locals, TRIBune) was an afternoon paper. When it was delivered, my mother would grab it to read about whomever had received a speeding ticket, filed for divorce, or died. She was into gossip. That newspaper was important, to me, for its coverage of local sports and, later, the occasional photograph or item about some debate award or other thing I had received.

   For national or international—i.e., “real”—news, my old man received The…