Who Gets What?

Experienced opinion-gatherer Jeff Lewis talks about two Indiana statesmen, Senators Bayh and Lugar, both having recently passed away.

Among topics are challenges facing polling organizations, how salience affects responses, whether the census (and, by extension, polling organizations) will find utility by using the internet, and dysfunction in present-day Washington, D.C.

Ray Moistner is Executive Director of The Indiana Hardwood Lumbermens Association which represents wood from start to finish: planting, extracting, replacing, cutting, shipping, protecting and manufacturing into finish products.

Much here that John and Morton did not know: that Indiana, for example, replaces 2.3 trees for every tree removed, that we are not deforesting like Brazil, that out-of-state marauders stole Indiana timber until Ray's association lobbied to make such thefts a felony, and much more.

Carol Rogers helps to manage Stats America, used by more than 1 million persons a year to quickly find practical data for decision making.

In Indianapolis, even up-to-the-minute pot hole data is available.

Data, of course, provides information, but not always answers. Why, for example, is Indiana in the top three states attracting incoming college freshman, but most of them leave us.

This conversation also includes information about the 2020 Census.

Our guest, Glen Kwok, CEO of The International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, is a world leader in developing and promoting the finest emerging violinists.

In this stimulating interview he talks about careers of violinists, modern violins which duplicate the sounds and effectiveness of those made by the old masters, as well as the unique phenomenon that the Indianapolis competition, scheduled every four years, is the best in the world, though not always seen as such by the home town.

James Glass has spent most of his life studying and protecting historic buildings.

As one of the first staff members of The Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission, and as a doctoral student whose thesis topic was the history of one of the first preservation acts of Congress, James knows his stuff.

Naturally, Morton challenges assumptions about the value of old properties, a common element in our series of conversations.

Tom Akins was principal timpanist of The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra from 1965 to 1991. He wrote a history of the ISO called "Crecsendo" (1930-2005) and "Behind The Copper Fence" about the dynamics of an orchestra, playing his instrument, working with other musicians, tuning, and even the ISO softball team.

He told us how a person with only two arms and two legs manages four drums in a concert, especially in a concerto for timpani.

Judge Judy, interesting estates, classic automobiles, women in the law, trailers, the Wabash river, litigation, are some of the topics covered in this wide-ranging conversation with 50-year attorney John Gambs of Lafayette, Indiana.

Not mentioned is the restaurant menu item, The Gambs Burger. (Yes, a real restaurant offered this real burger.)

Mike Furnish is a "white hat," a referee of Indiana high school football games. Within the profession, he is a leader, having been active in associations and as a teacher of rules to new officials.

Mike also is past president of Special Olympics Indiana.

Here we learn how a crew operates, the personal challenges and rewards, and how Peyton Manning butchered a coin toss.

James Johnson, CEO of The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, converses with Morton and John about hiring musicians, the correlation between young persons who played an instrument and their love of music as adults, how musicians are hired, the role of video images, and financial dynamics between management and musicians.

In his view, transparency and pizza make a difference.

Howeypolitics.com, a thorough, popular, award-winning internet news service in Indiana, was started by Brian, an inevitable evolution of journalism that started with his grandfather, then his father, then a news clipping service, and, now, daily and weekly emailed newsletters, by subscription, plus a web site with several dozen contributors.

And this question: will philanthropic or government-sponsored news replace for-profit business models?