Hoosier lore

The heat:

Color me extremely disappointed with Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels right now:

Omigod, state government has shut down! Are you prepared for the end of life as we know it, as the big, gaping hole of anarchy opens wide to swallow us all? Actually, the longer the Democrats stay away, the less mischief the General Assembly can create. Any big or important bills that missed deadlines for action can be introduced as amendments later on, so nothing really crucial is likely to be left undone. Maybe that's why Gov. Daniels is so nonchalant:

The student newspaper of my alma mater says union protesters in Indiana and other states are to be commended for their "peaceful protests" against "what they believe to be an injustice," but, really, something "should have been done about it in November."

The Indianapolis Star reports on how the pressure on Mitch Daniels to take a stand on illegal immigration is growing, from both sides:

“We would absolutely love to hear what he says about this bill. It's one of our top priorities in the tea party movement,” said Monica Boyer, a leader of Kosciusko Silent No More. “It will show courage. It will show strength. Silence is never good on an issue like that.”

A bunch of college students get together to drink. Some of them are over 21, and some are under:

Police arrested three Notre Dame students on felony charges for providing alcohol to minors early Sunday morning, according to South Bend police logs.

One 19-year-old male was also arrested on a misdemeanor charge for the same offense. Of the three arrested on felony charges, one was 21 years old and two were 22.

My fellow libertarians, here's a spending cut that seems petty and counterproductive even to me:

Jurors in some Lake County cases won't get free lunches while serving because budget cuts have forced judges to halt a practice of using public money to feed them.

The changes affect Lake Superior Civil Division Courts but not jurors serving in the better-funded Lake Circuit and Lake Criminal Courts.

Often, when somebody protests the inappropriateness of an ad campaign, it's a case of too-delicate sensibilities unable to find a sense of humor. But the protesters complaining about the billboards put up by the Hacienda in South Bend have a point: The Jonestown mass suicide is probably not the best way to sell cocktails. The billboards were taken down, and a compay representative tried to explain the goof:

Indianapolis has the dubious distinction of experiencing one of the largest increases in gas prices in the nation this week, a trend that seems "a mystery" that some felt "could not be explained." . Why?

Fuel wholesaler Karl Kelb said the spate of warmer weather probably brought on a decision by many stations to raise prices.

Disheartening development on the "Tame that federal budget by targeting every program but ours" front.  The U.S. House this week voted to kill $450 million in funding for the F136, an "aleternaate engine" for the new Joint Strike Fighter. This does not please the Terre Haute Tribune-Star, which notes the 200 high-paying jobs that would not be added at the local General Electric susidiary:

It isn't just in Indiana that teachers unions are fighting off challenges from the governor and legislators. It's happening in New Jersey, Wisconsin, Nevada, Florida.