Stories by Mike Masterson

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: Dark into light As most of us recognize should we spend enough years on this planet, there are events in our lives that can't be explained, even by medical professionals. Readers know I've come to call these phenome... May 16, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: Cheer medical innovation I've been spending considerable time lately on padded treatment recliners in dentist and dermatology clinics. It's all part of my war on the inevitable physical ailments bent on overwhelming me as I a... May 15, 2021

OPINION | MIKE MASTERSON: Court reversal What in the name of rudimentary jurisprudence was up with Pulaski County Circuit Judge Tim Fox's initial refusal--then sudden agreement--to allow a reporter into his hearing last Friday? His reversal... May 11, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: Some wisdom The wise have learned information gleaned from social media is often suspect. Yet I occasionally discover undeniable truths posted there. The deceptive allure of socialist government has increasingly... May 9, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: Big peace at Big Cedar Some enjoy escaping the seemingly endless covid grind with a two-week cruise. Others prefer road trips to attractions in and around major cities, or perhaps an all-inclusive island resort with steel d... May 8, 2021

OPINION | MIKE MASTERSON: Signaling virtue We're hearing plenty in the national media of the phrase "virtue signaling." I consider it a euphemism for a person or company that holds itself up as an example of righteous superiority over other A... May 4, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: Prince of Gilbert May presents an opportunity to observe Mental Health Awareness Month. I can't imagine a more appropriate tribute than remembering the positive influences one developmentally disabled man from Gilbert... May 2, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: John Paul's legacy I happened across the following column from September 2011 about the official papers of my late uncle John Paul Hammerschmidt, the 13-term congressman from the 3rd District, having been delivered to t... May 1, 2021

OPINION | MIKE MASTERSON: A cruel world Little wonder I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 25 years ago. Any person who's loved bacon and sugar across a lifetime can't expect to be named the poster boy for dietary nutrition. And according ... April 27, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: How we oughta be "There is nothing more beautiful than someone who goes out of their way to make life beautiful for others."--Mandy Hale Imagine a family of next-door neighbors that would make the Brady Brunch, the P... April 25, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: Forgoing transparency Don't the voting, taxpaying citizens of our state deserve to know who living outside our state is paying to influence who is elected to our state Supreme and Appeals courts? Of course we should know ... April 24, 2021

OPINION | MIKE MASTERSON: Coming home During the coast-to-coast career years in cities ranging from San Diego to Phoenix, Chicago, Ohio and New Jersey, I frequently would lapse into longing for the charms of my native Arkansas. Sure, the... April 20, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: Getting squirrelly Since my semi-historic bird-feeder wars of more than a decade past, I've harbored a negative impression of squirrels. I didn't appreciate the way they could outsmart me, even after I tried every imag... April 18, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: Godspeed, young Conrad Jeanetta's mid-20s granddaughter, Kylie, had just started her job as a nurse in Joplin. She'd found an ideal little home to rent, and her partner, Conrad Tyrrell, was preparing to join her from Fayett... April 17, 2021

OPINION | MIKE MASTERSON: Avoiding disaster As the season for pools, rivers, creeks and beaches approaches, I feel the need to republish this cautionary piece each spring, as my mind invariably turns to that terrible June afternoon when I turne... April 13, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: Abandoned truth The Bible says truth will set us free. If that's the case, I'm surprised many across the planet nowadays aren't bound in chains in the darkest dungeon. Figured that might get your attention this morn... April 11, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: Bias, hypocrisy on display Name-calling, accusations of racism carelessly flung in every direction and those who hypocritically cherish their own brand of bigotry as superior sadly have become epidemic across our once United St... April 10, 2021

OPINION | MIKE MASTERSON: Secure our rights Arkansans who value their right to bear arms should pay close attention to--and wholeheartedly support--the proposed state constitutional amendment known as Senate Joint Resolution 13, offered by Sen.... April 6, 2021

OPINION | MIKE MASTERSON: Sense of belonging Easter seems an appropriate time to reflect on a comment by former Governor Mike Huckabee who says, in order to live a fulfilled existence, we each need a sense of belonging to something larger than o... April 4, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: Answers forthcoming? I've always preferred to delve into widely diverse issues and subjects that catch my attention. That includes the occasional column about mysteries behind the appearances of many unidentified flying ... April 3, 2021

OPINION | MIKE MASTERSON: Watchful waiting One of my valued relationships after 74 years of life wouldn't have merited mention 40 years ago. I'm talking about Harrison urologist Dr. Scott Ferguson, whose chosen field of medicine I suspect pro... March 30, 2021

OPINION | MIKE MASTERSON: Under attack They're baaaack, fellow citizens. Those political persuaders clad in tailored suits and shiny shoes continue to gnaw away at our state's vaunted Freedom of Information Act. The unfortunately ever-bus... March 28, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: Females behind bars While my sympathies have never rested with criminals justly imprisoned for their actions, I've also gained awareness of how many older females our nation incarcerates, on charges ranging from from dru... March 27, 2021

OPINION | MIKE MASTERSON: Godspeed, Paul I've written previously about what each of us leaves behind that makes this troubled world a better place than the day we arrived. The late Paul Smith, who artfully managed the daily machinery of thi... March 23, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: A different U.S. The Alicia Patterson Foundation in New York selected my proposal in 1975 to fund a year of traveling America during the bicentennial year where I'd regularly plug in my electric typewriter and create ... March 21, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: Passion for horsemanship Paul Roten of Harrison doesn't consider himself a horse whisperer. He prefers being known as a man who practices "horsemanship" by using body language, hand gestures and subtle pressure. After studyi... March 20, 2021

OPINION | MIKE MASTERSON: The foundling Editor's note: This is a revised version of a column originally published in 2014. It's 8:30 p.m. March 20, 1965, in Chicago. Arctic-like temperatures hover around 8 degrees as Ceasar Johnson steps o... March 16, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: To the county line The year was 1980. I was 34 and wrapping up a seven-year tenure as executive editor of the Hot Springs Sentinel-Record daily newspaper and looking forward to joining the Los Angeles Times as a staff w... March 14, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: Hollowing out our FOIA Most citizens aren't aware our state's once nationally respected Freedom of Information Act of 1967 has dwindled to a mere shadow of its original self. This vitally important law became effectively n... March 13, 2021

OPINION | MIKE MASTERSON: A bird in hand Hard to believe February has faded and we are well into March, which means spring is around the corner. Grayish-brown lawns soon will be blooming along with lime-green tree branches. We also are seei... March 9, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: Endless pleas Yet another urgent solicitation arrived in my inbox today. The political pleas for my money come every morning from many directions since well before the election. In every instance I am warned if I ... March 7, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: Nods from God The extraordinary events over my own lifetime led me to conclude that, while we can't pretend to know the ways of our creator, his involvement in our lives is readily apparent when we open our eyes an... March 6, 2021

OPINION | MIKE MASTERSON: Life with Benji Loading story body... March 2, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: What's his name? The bane of forgetfulness becomes inevitable if you live long enough. We decline from once-vivid recollections to problems remembering everything from names to why we entered a room. That's been the ... February 28, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: Blowing off steam All I want is for our America to once again become the nation that strives for honorable, effective government rooted in individual liberties and support for all its law-abiding citizens. Sounds simpl... February 27, 2021

OPINION | MIKE MASTERSON: Laughter needed Can't speak for you, but I could have benefited of late from a lot less stress and lots more belly laughs. Love of laughter being in my nature, it's unnatural when I can't enjoy chuckles and laughs o... February 23, 2021

OPINION | MIKE MASTERSON: Golden years Upon reaching 62, I chose to wait four years before reaching full retirement age and claiming Social Security. Today, I'm glad I did. Not only was I able to draw considerably more each month by delay... February 21, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: Gary's GodNod Based on feedback, many of you appreciate the dozens of columns on the mysteries of GodNods I've been sharing for years. I've always believed we too seldom hear in this politically-obsessed society a... February 20, 2021

OPINION | MIKE MASTERSON: At the Capitol I try to pay attention to news of what our Legislature is concocting after they arrive in the capital city. While much of what elected public servants do can seem like irrelevant ego-stroking, I occas... February 16, 2021

OPINION | MIKE MASTERSON: A tragic number An Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll says just 16 percent of Americans surveyed believe democracy is working well or extremely well. And that's among persons of all... February 14, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: Triangle in the sky Reader Paul Gray of Conway responded to my recent call for Arkansans who've shared a UFO encounter. And his unusual experience years ago is as credible as they come in my view. "You solicited readers... February 13, 2021

OPINION | MIKE MASTERSON: Endless anxiety How much more troubling news in an endless stream of the stuff do you suppose this freedom-loving nation can absorb before we collectively crack? Several obvious examples: Covid-19 strikes and ravag... February 9, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: Year of my gun Each year the federal government releases the number of guns found at checkpoints on airline passengers or their carry-on luggage. Last month that report again made headlines. In 2020 the number of c... February 7, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: Realign for equity Since moving back to my hometown of Harrison in 2015, and being a former Harrison High School Golden Goblin, I've assumed the unabashed role of a homer. We even bought blue-and-gold seat cushions and... February 6, 2021

OPINION | MIKE MASTERSON: Teach respect As a father and grandfather, I've come to believe there are fading moral and ethical principles we are wise to salvage for our young if they are to enjoy fulfilling adult lives. Among such traits is ... February 2, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: When God nods In 2015 I met over pancakes with then 93-year-old Virginia McAllister and her son, Lonnie, 67, both of Fayetteville, to write about what has become perhaps my most fascinating GodNod account. Wheneve... January 31, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: Asking to die I've reported on any number of cases over the years where the subject was either an innocent incarcerated or one who'd initially avoided prison for crimes committed. However, valued readers, I've nev... January 30, 2021

OPINION | MIKE MASTERSON: Bias defined I discovered the AllSides Media Bias Chart last week. It pretty well confirmed my observations in recent years that much of our national media has chosen political sides, rather than striving to remai... January 26, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: On free speech The principal at Cordova High School in Tennessee found himself on paid administrative leave the other day after his remarks in a nine-minute video to his homeroom class about the need for free speech... January 24, 2021

OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: Taking the shot We weren't certain what to expect other than the typical prick of a needle when Jeanetta and I showed up at the North Arkansas Regional Medical Center last week to receive our initial Pfizer covid vac... January 23, 2021