Opinion & Columns

The thrill of motorcycling is the point, the counter-narrative to the bubble-wrapped life of modern America.

“He couldn’t hide the fact that he was the smartest person in the room. He was the opposite of ‘folksy,’ which was fine in my estimation—I have always felt ‘folksy’ was often phony, and that was a charge that could never be made against Dick Lugar.”

Buyouts and layoffs at The Indianapolis Star beg questions about what the city would look like without it.

“If a man or woman, at the end of their long and difficult day, wants to smoke a joint and relax, that does not impinge upon my happiness in the least.”

“Indianapolis wasn’t always eager to associate with Vonnegut. Once upon a time, many in our city found him vulgar, obscene, and weird.”

The immigrant I knew best went to church, volunteered as a Boy Scout leader, and helped his sick neighbors.

Anniversaries may be an odd occasion to celebrate, but any reason to spend time with my wife is a good one.

“I suppose even the exhilaration of preaching in a cowboy hat would wear thin after a while. I could try it and see, but even Quakers have their limits.”

“Charley has only one set of Case kitchen knives, so I might have to buy them before the 23rd to make sure no one else snatches them up. Otherwise, my wife will be getting a garden hose.”

“We’re a bit busy scooping poop and mopping pee every day.”

Paging Dr. Salb.

Show me a Hoosier who’s not excited about basketball season and I’ll show you a Kentuckian.

“The pendulum will swing to the center, the rumors of democracy’s death will have been exaggerated, and we can return to obsessing about the Kardashians. This is my dream.”

“This was back in the days when nuns wore habits, before they got sneaky and went undercover, dressing like the rest of us to blend in and catch us sinning.”

“I’m not sure when bungee cords were invented, but they weren’t around when I was a kid, and I think my life would be pretty meaningless without them.”