tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-115990972011-11-30T20:28:11.926-05:00Opinion columns by Mike North, columnist for News Publishing Co.Mike Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08194621580488544647noreply@blogger.comBlogger141100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11599097.post-84602606014513903042010-06-20T18:40:00.002-04:002010-06-20T18:49:15.306-04:00

The Riverbend Festival is one of Chattanooga’s premier events. I enjoy the 4 Bridges Art Festival, Riverfront Nights, the Nightfall Concert Series, The Chattanooga Market and many other events. I look forward to Riverbend though, more than any other local happening. Every year while the fireworks are lighting up the night following the last performance I’m already anticipating next year’s

Mike Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08194621580488544647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11599097.post-46344124943545451042008-03-30T14:54:00.001-04:002008-03-30T14:57:29.481-04:00

The air was brisk and there was a strong breeze blowing in from Farnell Bay. Duffels, backpacks and weapons were stacked on the ground with red tape wrapped around them to indicate to whom they were issued. Under one tree a young Marine sat holding his infant boy, his wife next to him. In the grass under the sun sat another Marine with his grandmother, grandfather and girlfriend. A small group of

Mike Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08194621580488544647noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11599097.post-1142820206610507452006-03-19T21:02:00.000-05:002006-03-19T21:03:26.630-05:00

Unlike the character in the above named song by Jimmy Buffett, I have never had a desire to sail upon blue ocean waters. I’ve never made a fortune smuggling marijuana, nor felt as if I were a pirate born two centuries too late. At no point in my life have I gone on a two-week bender or moved in with a younger woman.My life doesn’t resemble that of the character in this song. But at forty-five

Mike Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08194621580488544647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11599097.post-1137111793123180682006-01-12T19:19:00.000-05:002006-01-12T19:23:13.140-05:00

One of the pleasures of writing for a newspaper is being able to shed light on people or topics that deserve attention. We often focus our attention on negative things – bad policy, corruption, abuse of power, favoritism or violations of ethics. Whistleblowers and journalists serve an important function – they help keep our system of government clean. Radio talk show host Jim Hightower once said

Mike Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08194621580488544647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11599097.post-1116717997574336212005-05-21T19:24:00.000-04:002005-05-21T19:26:37.580-04:00

We use an old pleasantry when people tell us they have enjoyed working with us or having us over for dinner. “It’s been a pleasure,” they say, and we respond, “The pleasure’s been all mine.” I had the opportunity to oversee one of the best departments at Standard-Coosa-Thatcher, the spooling and winding department at the Thatcher Plant in Ridgedale. I first worked with, then supervised

Mike Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08194621580488544647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11599097.post-1116238509357013672005-05-16T06:13:00.000-04:002005-05-16T06:15:09.360-04:00

Anyone who cares deeply about an issue or issues has thought sometime that if they were king for a day they could set the world straight. Well, I don’t think I could set the world straight – in fact, I feel a bit like country music singer Gene Watson – the more I live, the more I learn just how little I know. But I know how I would like to see things work.Here’s a quiz -- if I were king for a day

Mike Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08194621580488544647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11599097.post-1116238386399389512005-05-16T06:10:00.000-04:002005-05-16T06:13:06.403-04:00

My son talks to his friends via instant-messenger service on the internet. Everyone using it chooses an alias, or screen name. They also attach photos of themselves and complete a profile. One of the questions on the profile asks for marital status.A drop down menu offers the following choices: single, married, long-term relationship, single, but not looking, single and looking, separated,

Mike Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08194621580488544647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11599097.post-1114893629943108652005-04-30T16:38:00.000-04:002005-04-30T16:40:29.946-04:00

WARREN FARRELL has authored a new book called “Why Men Earn More,” and he has some interesting information regarding the wage gap. Women may indeed earn 80 cents for every dollar a man earns, but there are reasonable explanations.According to a recent book review by John Leo, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that companies paid men and women equal money when their titles and

Mike Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08194621580488544647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11599097.post-1114368627137804922005-04-24T14:49:00.000-04:002005-04-24T14:50:27.140-04:00

Comedian George Carlin had a bit he called “The Seven Words You Can’t Say on Television.” The routine revolved around profane words that were banned by the Federal Communications Commission. Mr. Carlin’s words were objectionable, but today we live in a politically correct society that wants to ban perfectly acceptable words.The first dirty word is “discrimination”. Once, a man with discriminating

Mike Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08194621580488544647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11599097.post-1113782134634188472005-04-17T19:53:00.000-04:002005-04-17T19:55:34.636-04:00

A recent NBC – Wall Street Journal poll shows that 55% of respondents oppose private accounts as a part of social Security reform. The media trumpets opposition to private accounts at every turn. But other numbers from the same poll are being largely ignored.A majority said they knew the system was in need of a fix, and 65 percent said they were open to changing their minds about Bush’s plan. Far

Mike Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08194621580488544647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11599097.post-1113156017145618602005-04-10T13:57:00.000-04:002005-04-10T14:00:17.146-04:00

IN GERMANY, an unemployed person is listed in a government database. Prospective employers can browse the database looking for someone who might be qualified to work for them. Because of the growing strain on Germany’s generous unemployment benefit system, the laws have been revised to require that a person accept a job for which they are qualified, or else lose their unemployment benefits. So

Mike Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08194621580488544647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11599097.post-1112569159949722332005-04-03T18:58:00.000-04:002005-04-03T21:41:33.406-04:00

I’ve watched day after day as pollsters tell us how many Americans opposed the Schindler’s efforts to save their daughter Terri Schiavo’s life. I don’t have a lot of confidence in these polls.One example is an ABC poll question which began, “Schiavo suffered brain damage and has been on life support for 15 years.” How many of the poll respondents knew that Terri’s “life-support” was a feeding

Mike Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08194621580488544647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11599097.post-1111663474903772902005-03-24T06:23:00.000-05:002005-03-24T06:24:34.906-05:00

A lot of wind was expelled (orally, of course) explaining why George Bush won the election and the GOP gained control of both houses of Congress. Pundits representing a spectrum of ideas offered their analyses – it was moral concerns, success in getting out the vote, or the new voting bloc of “security moms” that put GW over the top. Pollster John Zogby has a different take. He

Mike Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08194621580488544647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11599097.post-1111604391634120382005-03-23T13:49:00.000-05:002005-03-24T09:20:15.390-05:00

In My Humble Opinion is boldly entering the blogosphere. Not because of recent news regarding the impact of blogs, not because a blog is easier to maintain than a web site, nor because it’s the hip thing to do.I’m moving my column to the web log format because it is technologically better than the traditional web site format – much in the same way that a 2005 Nissan Altima is better than a Ford

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