Smokin’ some fine Herb

It’s been a while since we checked in on Evening Bulletin columnist Herb Denenberg. Denenberg, if you don’t remember, writes a daily column for my former employer called “The Advocate.”

Every once in a while the column is written with general consumer advice — it’s what Herb’s been doing for, like, ever — but most of the time the column takes a Q&A format, with questions submitted by readers. And yesterday’s questions were pure gold:

Question: Why are there so many different kinds of beetles?

Question: Have there been many great women writers of novels and other fiction?

Question: Is the Mid-Atlantic region, including eastern Pennsylvania, just a region that is going to continue to shrivel and dry up?

Question: How big can kidney stones be?

Question: Is it dangerous to go into a hospital on weekends or during vacation periods?

My answer, if anyone asked me, to all of those questions would probably involve 25 minutes of laughter. But Herb has an answer for every single question, without pause.

And, if you’re wondering, kidney stones can be as large as a golf ball.

How To Avoid Hospital B-Team [Bulletin, print only]