Editor’s Note: We take a break from hard news every Saturday morning to let Hermina Hermelinda Obregon, a.k.a. Miss Mingo, share her insights with readers. She’s a recovering newspaper reporter living in a bungalow off Duval Street in Key West. At least that’s what her official biography says, if you can believe that. She answers the pressing questions of the day about life, the news, and the best happy hour prices.
DEAR MISS MINGO:
I have a reporter friend who tells me that you just won some big-time journalism award. Can you tell us about that?
Happy For You in Hialeah
Dear Happy:
I’m pretty happy about it, too.
Yes, my column won First Place in the annual Sunshine State Awards of the Florida chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
It was in the category of: Blog, Newsletter & Digital-First Writing.
I’m especially pleased considering all the terrific journalists we have in Florida. It’s an honor to be included among them.
Speaking of which, you don’t have to take my word for it. Check out this list of winners, and what I think you’ll appreciate is that there is a lot of great print, digital and broadcast journalism happening here:
List of Sunshine State Awards winners
DEAR MISS MINGO:
Does this make you the first avian journalism award winner? Or maybe was there a carrier pigeon or some other bird so honored before you?
Puzzled in Pinellas
Dear Puzzled:
Um, you know I’m not a bird, right? No matter how the crazy editors at Tropic Press choose to illustrate each of these columns. Miss Mingo is just — excuse my French — my Nom de plume.
Actually, if you read the fine print in my biography, you may also have some questions about my reality at all.
DEAR MISS MINGO:
Nom de plume! Plume! Really? That is very punny!
LOL in Lakeland
Dear LOL:
No, really, that’s what pen names are called in French. I wouldn’t make up something like that! (Well, I would, but I didn’t have to.) Not sure, but it’s an expression that’s been around for ages, probably dating all the way back to when writers used quill pens which were, of course, made from feathers.
DEAR MISS MINGO:
If we’re done with all this self-congratulatory promotion—nice that you got a writing award and all, but maybe you should get back to actually writing? So, here’s a legit question to get you started:
Is it true that Donald Trump plans to force all his Cabinet members to start wearing Trump wigs?
They already seem to worship him, so wouldn’t this be a logical next step? They could be just like members of the British Parliament, since they seem to treat Trump like their monarch.
Sarcastic in Sarasota
Dear Sarcastic:
Actually, members of Parliament stopped wearing wigs a while back. In fairness, I didn’t know that, either, until I did a little digging in order to answer your question.
I would put nothing past Trump, though. He likes to spread his brand over everything, like a stray dog marking his territory, although less pleasant smelling.
He did, in fact, buy dress shoes—Florsheims—for his Cabinet members—and seems to have gotten the sizes wrong, which is why they walk around like they’re wearing clown shoes.
And what other footwear should clowns wear, anyway?
Got a question for Miss Mingo? About life, the news, or clever ways to avoid paying bar tabs? Write to her at MissMingo@Tropic.Press
Want to know more about Miss Mingo? How she got her start? And whether she really lives with two cats—Deadline and Dateline—and a pet iguana named Skippy? You can find her official biography, such as it is, here. If you’re bar hopping on Duval Street in Key West and spot an intriguing woman in a pink hat that you suspect might be Miss Mingo, you can always offer to buy her a Cuba Libre. Will it actually be her? Is there an actual her? Life’s a mystery.
And now, some shameless advertising…
The official Tropic Press Store is now open and ready for business. You can order your very own Miss Mingo merch online. All sales are final. Check out the store here:
Congratulations Miss Mingo. You are doing a great public service by giving the bird (no insult to your flock) to folks like Trump. Keep on pecking.