Hoosier lore

Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi vows to get tough on gun crimes with something called Project EVICT:

The Frugal Hoosiers blog calls out The Gary Post Tribune for being for a suspension of the state sales tax on gasoline (because that money just goes into the general fund) but against suspending the federal tax on gasoline (because that money is dedicated to highway maintenance):

We always see or read about the heroic efforts to save a city or a neighborhood. But we seldom think about the life-gets-back-to-normal-drudgery aftermath:

Some of the sandbags used as a barricade to stop flood waters from pouring into Nick Cuthbertson's home are still stacked in front of his small house.

Well, this is interesting. "Shortbus" is an unrated film with sexually explicit scenes. It's the kind of movie some would call obscene and some would not. In 1973, the Supreme Court more or less gave up on obscenity and decided it should be based on what an "average person" would consider "community standards."

Poor Bluffton. It got to be trendy for just a few months:

Starbucks Corp. has announced company-operated stores in Indianapolis and Bluffton are on the initial list of locations to be closed as part of the coffee retailer's massive streamlining plan. A store on West 16th Street in Indianapolis and another on North Main Street in Bluffton will close by the end of the month.

The world is getting to be such a serious place that I'm glad there are still a few silly things left, like this Wells County 4-H Fair opener:

The Bluffton Fire Department's “Greased Pig” contest saw children in different age groups compete to see who could catch a greased pig in the shortest time. Over 100 entry forms were completed by youngsters eager to test their skills in the mud at the horse and pony arena.

Ah, remember the "family farm," which politicians regularly praise the virtues of when they're taking billions from us to give to corporate agriculture? Add another to the list of myths and illusions we're paying to maintain: the one about the "family of four" that takes a day off to enjoy a leisurely day at the ballpark. From 1991 to 2006, the NFL's average ticket price jumped 147 percent. It was up 110 percent in the NBA and a whopping 151 percent for major league baseball.

A 1 percent food and beverage tax is being proposed in Richmond, and restaurant owners are not happy about it:

"My concern is there will not be enough business," said Galo Molina, who owns The Olde Richmond Inn, Galo's Italian Grill, and 5th Street Coffee & Bagels in Richmond.

Some of us believe that a few guns, in the hands of responsible teachers and administrators, can contribute to school safety. This guy , overreacting in a case of mistaken identity, doesn't help make our case:

A South Bend elementary school teacher was arrested Thursday for reportedly threatening three neighborhood kids with a shotgun.

And one of the children -- a 10-year-old girl -- is supposed to attend the school where the man teaches this fall.

Indianapolis Star columnist Matthew Tully takes a ride up north and asks a good question: What's all the fuss about the Toll Road?

This column probably would be more interesting if I'd found anything to complain about: A traffic jam. A pothole to rival those that marked Indy's streets this spring. An obvious sign of mismanagement.

Anything.