Columns

When I was 13 I lived with family on Hancock County road North 25 West, near the second concrete bridge across an unnamed small creek or ditch north of West 500 North.

One of the things on my bucket list is to be fluent in another language. In the past I’ve taken lessons in French, Spanish and Hebrew and I wasn’t very successful, assuming I wanted to do more than say “Hello,” “Goodbye,” or most importantly, “Where’s the bathroom?”

With the “Barbie” movie kicking up sparkle dust, I’d like to go on record thanking Barbie for my brief foray into sewing.

I subscribe to several health publications and most of them offer some advice on avoiding medical scams. A few years ago, a dermatologist in Southern California avoided jail time by the skin of his teeth. He had been marketing an app for smart phones that emitted both a bluish and reddish light, which he claimed would cure acne. Dr. Smith sold about 20,000 of these. Now, ironically, he has a blotch on his once-unblemished medical record.

As summer winds down and the days grow shorter, there is a certain anticipation in the air. The fields of Indiana begin to transform, taking on a golden hue as the corn reaches its peak of maturity. It is a time when the sweet aroma of corn growing in our vast farmlands fills the senses, reminding us of the upcoming harvest season and the bittersweet notion of our children returning to school.

The turquoise backpack with flowers and a pink owl is jammed full with long-sleeved shirts, jammies, socks, underwear, a unicorn stuffie, and one slightly-used sketchpad. She’s packed and ready to go.

There’s been so much in the news lately about whether Artificial Intelligence (AI) can think, learn, and even replace human thinking. It is currently being tested whether we like it or not.

Last week, I shared with you some of the most common inquiries I have received from readers over the past 25 years about the writing of humor. Here are a few more.

The fair is not my scene … outdoors in the sun, crowds of people, bees circling hot garbage cans, dizzying sounds and lights, eating and walking at the same time. Even the slightest breeze will have me chewing on my flyaways along with my pork tenderloin. Not to mention, fried foods and farm animals make for a particularly noxious aroma in the summer heat.

Over the years, I have written about 1,200 columns. I find that people are curious about the humor writing process. So, this week and next will not be humor columns; they will be columns about humor. Here are some of the most common questions I get.