On Being a Hoosier
Before I went to Sweden I considered myself an American from Indiana. Since returning home, I realize that instead I’m a Hoosier first.
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Art and Life
Both two and three-dimensional art, film, and everything in between: Middle Indiana’s visual expression is a burgeoning element of the social scene.
Video: Lockdown Interview Featuring: Bubba Fontaine
Tim McLaughlin, of Hapless Guitar Photography, launches his video series chronicling what’s going on among the artists, creators, and musicians in the Greater Indy scene. In episode #1, McLaughlin sits down with filmmaker, editor, director, and guitarist Bubba Fontaine.
On the Trail, Day Two: A Sample of Kentucky’s Bourbon Region
Day 2: Bardstown: Maker’s Mark and the Talbott Tavern January 4, 2020 [dropcap]I[/dropcap] was the first one to get ready for what was going to be our principal day in Bourbon Country. I got up at about 6:15 a.m. (maybe a small annoyance to Gabby and my parents) and did my ritual of showering and …
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On the Trail: A Sample of Kentucky’s Bourbon Region
Day One: Down South to Louisville January 3, 2020 When I was four years old, my mom, dad and I paid a little visit to the Maker’s Mark distillery in the small city of Loretto, Ky. This was around the time when the Kentucky Bourbon Trail concept was getting off the ground, and also when …
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My Relationship with Air Travel
I was 35 years old when I stepped onto an airplane for the first time. When I tell people that, about half of them pop their eyes in disbelief. The other half shrug their shoulders and say something to the effect of, “Yeah…I get that.” I’ve been a rural Hoosier all my life. Everywhere I needed …
Falling Victim to the Artful Dodger
Maybe if the thieves hadn’t pick-pocketed Wendi’s purse, my feelings about London would be different. The fact remains, however, that they did. London, consequently, proved a rotten place to visit. It happened in that literal “blink of an eye.” Standing near the Wellington Arch in London’s Hyde Park, my fiancée, Wendi, lifted her arms …
Heartbreak at Abbey Road
Standing at Abbey Road does create a slight connection to that moment fifty years ago, but it also demonstrates Time’s power to wall us off from history. Ten years ago, I signed onto Beatlemania. I was 40 at the time browsing the aisles at a nearby Best Buy when I spotted the Beatles CD’s on …
Three Seconds in Sweden: What I Learned About Race
I have always considered myself a tolerant, open-minded progressive. Life in the United States perpetuated that myth, allowing me to remain ignorant of my biases, especially those regarding race. But my first day in Sweden ripped that illusion to shreds. It happened in the span of three seconds. Standing in line in one of Växjö’s …
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The Myths of Swedish Socialism
I can’t tell you what’s different between a visit to a Swedish or American doctor. I can tell you, however, that when I hear Americans use the word “socialism” to describe places like Sweden, they’re getting it wrong. Both sides are getting it wrong. For me the problem is always the medical bills. There’s the …
Why Trains are Better than Cars
In Sweden, I saw the kind of train and rail system we would probably have here in Indiana had we not dismantled it in order to sell cars and build Interstate highways. It’s a choice with a far-reaching impact, one that often keeps me home rather than traveling around the state. For 12 days, …