Hoosierist

Question: How much do those fancy helicopters the TV stations use cost?

For years, the Mozel Sanders Foundation’s Thanksgiving-dinner program has been the go-to event for people who want to do something more constructive on Turkey Day than stuffing their faces and watching TV.

Haunted leftovers, cupcake allergens, and the very rich. Ask The Hoosierist.

What are the Indianapolis Public Library’s most checked-out books? And more of your queries answered.

“In most companies, there are guys who make a little and others who make a lot, but at least they don’t have to shower together.”

Q: I was stunned when John Mellencamp divorced supermodel Elaine Irwin a couple of years ago. What ever happened to her?

Q: Is there any place in this town to get an old manual typewriter fixed? My grandfather’s 40-year-old model broke, and he refuses to use anything else.
Allison W., Indianapolis

From The Libertine to Recess and Oakleys to Bluebeard, Korean to Latin and sushi to steak, our critics choose the cream of Indy’s dining crop.

When every other person passing you on the Monon offers some sort of greeting, it gets pretty old.

Q: I understand that the orangutans for the Indianapolis Zoo’s new exhibit are already holed up on the grounds someplace. Where are they staying, what do they do all day, and can I see them?

Victoria W., Indianapolis

Q: What can the astronomers at Butler’s Holcomb Observatory actually see? Indy’s light pollution is so bad, I can only make out a few stars from my backyard.

Jason H., Indianapolis

Q: Recent surveys place Indiana among the fattest states and high on the list for smoking. Are there any surveys that rank the state high for something good?

Q: Do we have mountain lions? I have a relative in Southern Indiana who insists they’ve returned.

Benjamin C., Indianapolis

Q: Someone told me that the restaurant where I eat pork tenderloin sandwiches is serving a fake—something called a pork fritter. What, exactly, is an “authentic” pork tenderloin, and are they really that hard to obtain? 

Q: I read that my license to carry a handgun is no good in Ohio. What gives?

Hank M., Carmel