Hoosier lore

After getting nice mentions in a couple of attempts to rank the best colleges, Indiana University again makes the list of Top Ten party schools. Yeah, it's just a gimmick, but it still says something we ought to pay attention to, And, granted that college drinking is a problem, I'm not sure this is the answer.

Lowest circle of hell, no debate.

Should we make application of the death penalty swifter by shortening the appeals process? We have another execution scheduled for Aug. 31, which would contribute to our record-setting year. It's not that the state has suddenly become bloodthirsty, but that a lot of appeals are running out at the same time; the guy next up committed his crimes back in 1985.

There are still efforts to mine John Roberts' Indiana childhood for clues to his philosophy and personality, including this bizarre one, the purpose of which seems to be to explore the possibility that living in an area that once had exclusionary neighborhood covenants and a nearby race riot would somehow make Roberts a racist judge eager to dismantle civil rights law. "I think it's legitimate to look at the past if it tells you anything about the person.

Some thoughts on Evan Bayh's quest for the White House:

The current Sen. Bayh is a moderate, while his father, though certainly never a far-left liberal, was in the ranks of Senate liberals.

And the younger Bayh seeks an entirely different designation among Democratic presidential contenders on the political spectrum.

The news that Hoosiers Without Helmets (watch for the opening of a new chapter near you) are dying at a much faster rate than motorcycle riders in other states is spurring the predictable calls for change.

I hate to see editorials like this one in the Indianapolis Star because they remind me that I've written plenty of them in my career. The editorial writer didn't have anything in particular to say but felt compelled to write about the issue anyway. The result is a wishy-washy mishmash of nothing. And I still want to know what people think about Redskins.

Sure, you can support the troops. Just be sure you're prepared to pay the price.

This must be one of those stories where the authorities know a whole lot more than is revealed in the news stories, like maybe the whole family is dangerous and the best thing is to get the kid out of there. Otherwise, it's hard to see the heinousness of a woman selling her baby for a pittance to the grandparents who have done most of the raising of the baby anyway.

Esther Schneider, new director of the Hoosier Lottery, gets the award for most outrageous statement of the year so far. "We have a moral obligation to make sure our games are fair." A MORAL OBLIGATION to make gambling FAIR? Look, it's already the fairest enterprise in the state: We all have exactly the same chance to squander our hard-earned money on a fool's game.