Categories
1991 Pulitzer nominee American Culture

III. Free-lance Picketers Finally Clean Up

Mirthology column, 1st run Wednesday 9 May 1990 in the Arkansas Democrat By Ben S. Pollock Copyright 1990 Ben S. Pollock (The finale, Part 3, go back to Part 1 or Part 2) * * * Because the teenager was not easily discouraged, Y.D. reminded wise Oscar Hapgood of a self-reliant cowboy, and so years […]

Categories
1991 Pulitzer nominee American Culture

II. So Many Burning Issues, So Little Time

Mirthology column, 1st run Wednesday 9 May 1990 in the Arkansas Democrat By Ben S. Pollock Copyright 1990 Ben S. Pollock (This is Part 2, back to Part 1, go on to Part 3) * * * Young at heart, Oscar Hapgood was a match for his budding flower children, 11-year-old Duff McDuff and the […]

Categories
1991 Pulitzer nominee American Culture

I. ‘Hop-along’ Prepares to Pass the Torch

Mirthology column, 1st run Wednesday 2 May 1990 in the Arkansas Democrat By Ben S. Pollock Copyright 1990 Ben S. Pollock (This is Part 1, on to Part 2 and finally Part 3) * * * The older stories were the favorites, and 11-year-old Duff McDuff and his teen-age friend Y.D. often insisted on them […]

Categories
1991 Pulitzer nominee Poetry

‘Watch for Hail’ when Life’s a ‘Bed of Roses’

Mirthology column, 1st run Wednesday 18 April 1990 in the Arkansas Democrat By Ben S. Pollock Copyright 1990 Ben S. Pollock Retirement had been no bed of roses for Mildred Lynch Pierce Fenner Smith, especially since it was not voluntary. The recent visit from the governor, however, meant an escape from leisure. Mildred reprimanded herself […]

Categories
1991 Pulitzer nominee Life Lessons

Pay Attention, You Will Be Tested Later

Mirthology column, 1st run Wednesday 4 April 1990 in the Arkansas Democrat By Ben S. Pollock Copyright 1990 Ben S. Pollock NEWS ITEM: A national survey of experts has shown sex education classes thoroughly teach biological aspects of the subject. However, educators have found children also need to learn the relationship of sexuality to society, […]

Categories
1991 Pulitzer nominee News, Spin

White Males Easily Run Afoul of Taboos

Mirthology, 1st run Wednesday 28 March 1990, Arkansas Democrat’s Mid Week Magazine By Ben S. Pollock Copyright 1990 Ben S. Pollock Caption for illustration by staff artist Steve Scallion: Artist’s rendition of Andy Rooney in a high-top fade. Rooney had recently suffered some big-time misunderstanding. [“CBS” is “burned” in above Rooney’s left ear; he’s wearing […]

Categories
1991 Pulitzer nominee Body, House, Yard, Street

Drawing’s on the Blank Side of My Brain

Mirthology column, 1st run Wednesday 21 March 1990 in the Arkansas Democrat By Ben S. Pollock Copyright 1990 Ben S. Pollock Research in the 1950s found the left and right halves of the brain have different functions, and experiments in the 1960s proved the left hemisphere is in charge of logical number crunching — straight-line […]

Categories
1991 Pulitzer nominee School & University Life

Book Solves Drug Abuse! See Page 103

Mirthology column, 1st run Wednesday 14 March 1990 in the Arkansas Democrat By Ben S. Pollock Copyright 1990 Ben S. Pollock MIRTHOLOGIST’S NOTE: In the interest of broadening the appeal of this publication, I am turning over this space for a tryout column by psychologist Seymour Sock, Ph.D. Sock, one of my best-educated characters, knows […]

Categories
1991 Pulitzer nominee Body, House, Yard, Street

Where Do You Go When You Want Humane Care?

Mirthology column, 1st run Wednesday 7 March 1990 in the Arkansas Democrat By Ben S. Pollock Copyright 1990 Ben S. Pollock Waking up with a stopped-up ear is a nuisance. You know the cause — the previous week’s head cold — and that it’s not infected — no pain. Yet, the ear needs fixing, because […]

Categories
1991 Pulitzer nominee American Culture

So Big Bro’s Not Listening — Everyone Else Is

Mirthology column, 1st run Wednesday 10 January 1990 in the Arkansas Democrat By Ben S. Pollock Copyright 1990 Ben S. Pollock Everybody at work knows my business so well that sometimes I’m the last to find it out. I mean, if privacy is a constitutional right, what’s left? Today, for example, I called on a […]