Archive for ‘Opinion’

  • Small World: Dissent abroad and home

    By Henry Precht BN Columnist Whatever channel you tune into for the evening news, you are almost certain to see a segment on people — fists raised, throwing stones, setting fires — who are demonstrating against their government or against other folk demonstrating for the government. With a little experience, you can tell the source […]

  • Uppermost House: Admiring the diaper changer

    By S. Peter Lewis BN Columnist My wife and I invited a young married couple over for supper a couple of months ago. They were close friends and thus had no need to knock. When we heard them click open the door from the garage and come thumping into the mudroom, we stopped fussing about […]

  • Small World: Fighting off peace

    By Henry Precht BN Columnist The United States faces a grave crisis.  One threatening our economic wellbeing and modern political system. We seem destined for a ruinous enemy deficit. If President Obama has his way, Iran and America, after 35 years of enmity, may be headed for reconciliation — a serious diminution of tensions, constant […]

  • Dark side of the sun: The mail must go through, maybe

    By Mike Corrigan BN Columnist Three recent news items which may be related… PODUNK, ME 04444 — Federal agents yesterday arrested Mildred Crump, 82, at her home. The charge was Personal Use of the U.S. Mails. “We caught her mailing private letters again. Let’s just say the lady has been warned before,” said Ted Fish, […]

  • Dark Side of the Sun: Doctor, I have this pain…

      By Mike Corrigan BN Columnist I heard again the other day Texas Gov. Rick Perry contending that the United States has “the No. 1 medical system in the world.” I wonder, by what criteria is this assessment made? We do spend the most, that’s for certain; in spending we are No. 1 by all […]

  • Small World: The Allure of Power

    By Henry Precht BN Columnist Do you ever wonder what happens to the personalities of people who are elected to high office? They might start out as one of us, but quickly are transformed into superior beings, laws unto themselves. It’s not a Left-Right, East-West or developed-undeveloped thing. Men and, I suppose, women — although […]

  • Uppermost House: Down over the banking

    By S. Peter Lewis BN Columnist “I meant to hit the brakes, not the gas,” the lady from Massachusetts said to me as soon as we all realized I wasn’t dead. New Year’s morning and my friend Sara and I stepped politely off the trail in our cross-country skis to let a cavalcade of snowmobiles […]

  • My Irish Up: Problem-solving is not our strong suit

    By Mike Corrigan BN Columnist One of the more significant characteristics of an authoritarian society is its willingness to distort the truth while simultaneously suppressing dissent. — Henry A. Giroux Lying consistently, “on message,” with a straight face (or better, in a stern and scolding tone), with power nodding its approval behind the scenes, and […]

  • Earth Notes: Issues and perils of nuclear energy

    “Nuclear power is an unforgiving technology. It allows no room for error. Perfection must be achieved if accidents that affect the general public are to be prevented.”— Carl Hocevar, Scientist, Union of Concerned Scientists By Peter Bollen Guest Columnist Nuclear power, or nuclear energy, is the use of exothermic nuclear processes to generate useful heat […]

  • Small World: You can go home again, but…

    By Henry Precht BN Columnist Our clan — nine of us with an age range of 70 years — decided to dig down and inspect our roots. That meant a week-long visit over Christmas to Savannah, Ga., a place a majority of us had never visited and where only one (me) had grown up. That […]