An atheist group that recently won its fight to buy ad space for signs on Bloomington city buses was denied in Indianapolis.
The group, known as the Indiana Bus Campaign, filed a federal lawsuit that said Bloomington Transit's policy of not allowing controversial material violated the First Amendment.
There was quite a drama in South Bend. A man climbed a TV tower, and a three-hour standoff with police ensued. The South Bend Tribune published a rather dry -- that is to say, dull -- account of the incident, which it identifies as coming from a WSBT-TV report:
I just did a blog post yesterday about the couple of hundred million the Obama administration is "saving" while spending trillions, and I did an editorial about the $8 billion set aside for high-speed-rail development. Today comes the news that more billions are being spent to save police jobs across the country. So when a story like this comes along, my first reaction is: Why is the state making such a big fuss over peanuts?
When Graham Richard was mayor, his preference for the policy-wonk part of the job over the public-appearance part was an issue. Even I got into the act. This is from an editorial I wrote in 2003: "There is something about leadership that Mayor Graham Richard still doesn't get. In voluntarily seeking the public arena, he was entering into a contract with the electorate that requires him to be visibly engaged in the community's issues.
What paragons of fiscal restraint we have in Washington:
A challenge that President Obama made to his Cabinet in April resulted in cost-cutting measures that more than doubled the original $100 million target, his administration said Monday.
At his first Cabinet meeting, Obama asked Cabinet members to find $100 million in savings in 90 days. The deadline passed last week with no announcement, and the White House responded to reporters that information was being compiled.
Eight Midwestern governors, including Indiana's Mitch Daniels, have signed a memorandum that sets up the Midwest Rail Steering Group, which plans to lobby hard for a share of the $8 billion set aside by the federal government for high-speed rail projects. They plan to pursue a system that would connect 12 metropolitan areas with Chicago as the hub, but they're a little sketchy on the cost.
While some of you have been wasting your time worrying about who was going to win "American Idol" or "Dancing With the Stars" or even (the more traditional among you) the NFL or the NCAA, you've been ignoring the great and wonderful Annual World Peashooting Championsip. This year marks the 39th annual contest. Pictured below is one of the contestants.
QT says his latest film "Inglourious Basterds" might take its title from the 1970s B-movie "Dirty Dozen" ripoff "Inglorious Bastards" but it is not a remake. It is, instead, Tarantino's version of a Spaghetti Western set in Nazi-era Europe. Goody, can't wait. A lot of the discussion about the film centers on the misspellings in the title, which most observers conclude is "just one of those Tarantino things" he does to stand out.
I know what some of you will be thinking when you read about these two artifacts from a bygone era -- what a perfect match!
HAMMOND, Ind. - A box of horse manure and nearly intact copies of the local newspaper have been found in two copper time capsules contained in the cornerstone of the Masonic Temple.
The box of manure had a note saying future generations might not understand its significance as automobiles replaced horses. Har, har, some sense of humor they had way back then.
Today's evidence that the End Times might be nearer than we think:
Michael Jackson fans have launched a campaign calling for the superstar to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
[. . .]
Is President Obama an economic illiterate?
Obama professes to believe in free market economics. But no one expects his policies to reflect the unfettered capitalism of a Milton Friedman. That's too much to ask. Demonstrating a passing acquaintance with free market ideas and how they might be used to fight the recession--that's not too much to ask.
U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-South Carolina, typifies what's wrong with the Republican Party these days as it struggles with being the minority party:
DeMint, speaking on ABC's “This Week,” said Congress and the White House need to “slow down and get this right.”
Central Indiana libraries have recently reported surges in patronage. Indiana's summer festivals, including the Three Rivers Festival, have had spikes in attendance. And now the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore says it had 27 percent more visitors last month than during June 2008:
Today, we test your powers of observation and deduction. You've probably heard about the town manager in Florida who was fired when it was discovered that the manager's spouse was a porn star. The town is defending the move because it feared governance would be difficult "with all the disruption and interruption," which is, oops, just what it has since news of the firing broke. Anyway, your quiz today: Which one is the porn star?
It's fun to read about the president's foot-in-mouth moment and the apparent crashing-and-burning of national health care, but here's something truly astounding, which was buried inside the morning paper:
Two groups of Chinese researchers have performed an unprecedented feat, it was announced today, by inducing cells from connective tissue in mice to revert back to their embryonic state and producing living mice from them.
I hope city and county officials are paying attention to other taxing units. The Allen County Public Library, it is reported, plans to flat-line spending to meet property and income tax deficits. In some places, it's even tougher:
Is that a lighter in your bra, or are you just hot to see me?
Toni Huber and some friends were waiting by an alley near 141st and Wabash in North Hammond when two men allegedly robbed them at gunpoint.
Shots were fired as the offenders drove off.
The answer to the question posed at the very beginning of this article is so obvious it shouldn't need to be asked:
What businesses should and should not be allowed into downtown Newburgh?
Not in line for co-worker of the year:
A Clark Circuit Court employee contacted a building supervisor after she showed up for work several times to find her chair wet. She was shocked to learn it may have been caused by a maintenance worker who was allegedly urinating in the chair. He was arrested after police reviewed footage from a hidden camera appearing to catch him in the act.
Thank goodness cooler heads prevailed, leading the Senate to defeat a national reciprocity measure allowing gun owners with permits to carry their concealed weapons across state lines. Otherwise, I might have had to fight my way to work through crowds of armed, angry Buckeyes just itching to cause trouble in the state they love to hate. As Sen.
