We shall talk election predictions today.

   The 2014 midterms only are three-and-a-half weeks away.  Some have perceived, here in Indiana, a lack of enthusiasm about these “mid-terms.”

   Indiana’s Congressional districts have been gerrymandered. Whether the creative carving of districts is by members of the Republican Party—as now in Indiana—or Democratic Party—as was the case in the past—gerrymandering, the drawing of district lines to favor one party, is wrong. The Republican…

   “That bastard Royko!” the voice croaked from behind me and nearly caused me to spill the beer sipped. I set down my cigar and turned around. I recognized the voice.

   The ghost of the Honorable Mayor Richard J. Daley, who ran the City of Chicago from 1955 to 1976 was an ethereal presence a few feet away.

   Hizzoner looked around the basement for a moment, then at the table, laptop, and mini-fridge, as well as the 19-inch Hitachi color TV I bought new in 1985. “You sit down…

   In Sunday’s edition of the daily newspaper of the City of Indianapolis, columnist Matthew Tully and Opinion Tim Swarens wrote “two views” about whether Mayor Gregory Ballard should seek a third term.  Tully’s side of the dueling columns—big surprise—was “Mayor should pursue another term.”

   The opposite view, written by Swarens, would be a delineation, one would infer, of the “down” side of Mayor Ballard’s first seven years as Mayor. Such an inference would have been invalid.…

   Once in a while, a person has to take a breather.
   We have been on the air every week with a new Show since June, 2012, according to my calculations.
   We shall be back on the air with Civil Discourse Now next week, October 11.  This week, however, is a time to rest a little, tweak the gear, and gather thoughts for the October 11 elections preview show and then, on October 18, the Body, Mind, Spirit Festival.

   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…

   When I was in high school, Kokomo had one head shop. At least, Kokomo had one head shop of which I was aware. The little store was on Sycamore next to where the Sipe Theater once had stood. At least one parking space was occupied during hours when the store was open. Word had it that the Kokomo Police Department and the Howard County Sheriff coordinated in surveillance of the store. They took photographs and wrote down names and license plate numbers of the store’s customers. Presumably…

   Someone got through the website and spammed ads for various products. From what I can tell, the products were footwear and nothing related to a fetish.

   One could say I was “wired” to be a lawyer.

   When I was five ro six I watched television shows about trials. “Perry Mason” seemed like a joke, relative to law. Other shows seemed more realistic. When high-profile cases took place, with their sketch-artists’ renditions of that day’s events—the trial of the Chicago Eight, then Seven, is a good example—I listened to the details.

   When I shopped for colleges, I did so largely with the idea of a major that would feed into law…

   What would the city and people of Indianapolis do without the Colts®  and the Pacers®?

   The past couple of months I have expressed paranoia about those franchises’ owners. If they detect any “spare” change rattling about in the City’s coffers, there appears a new need for monies for one or another of the teams.

   To the best of my knowledge, no one has been shown the books of YOUR Indiana Pacers®. The Pacers®  had built for them a new arena in 1999, now called Bankers Life® …

   In the early 1960s, Indianapolis had more than one daily newspaper. Writers from the Indianapolis Times won a few Pulitzers before the paper shut down in 1965. The Indianapolis Star was a decent paper, although very conservative for my tastes. Still, the reporters covered local stories well, and tried to act as a check on local corruption and local politicians. The sports section was pretty good, too.  On Sundays that section was thick with good coverage of major sports and, each May, the…