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My wife and I recently spent some time as volunteers at Camp Coast Care, one of the organizations helping rebuild our beloved Coast. It is a combined effort of the [...]

Everyone seems to have an opinion on public education and the solution to the problems. Is it because most of us have spent time in a public classroom and have [...]

The New Year is exciting. It is a time of anticipation and hope for the year to come and a reflection on the year that has passed. There is always [...]

This year marks the 50th anniversary, of Brown vs. the Board of Education, the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision ruling 'separate but equal'' unconstitutional. A few nights ago, I attended [...]

Dear Editor: Wally Northway's August 6th article on the stock market, 'Market Questions Abound,' was interesting and informative. There is a 'white elephant' in the room that few financial gurus [...]

As a young boy, I loved seesaws. We would take a long oak plank and place it over a wooden sawhorse. Because I was a skinny kid, weighing less than [...]

Every day, I hear more comments critical of the big oil companies. Americans are angry as gasoline prices rapidly approach $3 a gallon--and beyond. I have been critical, too. For [...]

Like most Mississippians, my wife and l were very troubled by the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. In the days after the historic storm made landfall August 29, 2005, we [...]

In a recent Dilbert cartoon, Dogbert welcomed employees to his work-life balance seminar. He first reviewed the employees' priorities: family, job, exercise, vacations, must-do's, medical, eating, hygiene, sleep, romance and [...]

John D. Gartner has an interesting theory on why America is so rich and powerful. 'The Hypomanic Edge' is an engaging read for those who study human behavior, for businesspeople [...]

Four years ago, the price for a barrel of crude oil was in the $24 range. Now it is pushing well past $60. I've been wondering if it could hit [...]

Momentum Mississippi and other economic development programs are essential for Mississippi being competitive with other states in attracting jobs. I ask Gov. Haley Barber and the Mississippi Legislature to realize [...]

Eight years without an increase in the federal minimum wage! The purchasing power of minimum wage was 31% less in 2004 than the purchasing power of the minimum wage in [...]

Publicly-held corporations and small businesses are very different animals. I have very few individual stocks in my modest portfolio. Like most middle-class Americans, my limited investments are primarily in bonds, [...]

I've been thinking about cars. It's spring, and that means the weather is perfect for rolling down the windows or putting the top down on whatever you drive. Automobiles changed [...]

It is surprising that some issues strike a responsive chord and others do not. Of the columns I wrote this past year, the topic of retirement evoked the most response. [...]

Our field of reference--how we view the world and feel about things--is determined by our experiences, knowledge and, to some degree, our intellect. If we view the same situation as [...]

I have voted in every presidential election since 1952. Of course, I am taking the liberty of counting my 'straw votes' in public school presidential elections. A very talented elementary [...]

In 1964, the year I began my career in education, the Minimum Foundation Funding for Mississippi's public schools provided a beginning annual salary of $3,300 for teachers having a degree [...]

It strikes me that American society is becoming increasingly polarized in both politics and in social issues. Polls, news reports and anecdotal evidence indicates that we have become a divided [...]

Retirement is a rather recent phenomenon, in terms of history. Upton Sinclair's, 'The Jungle,' published just after the turn of the 20th century, paints a vivid picture of the immigrant [...]

A decade or so ago, Laurence J. Peter created quite a stir with his book, 'The Peter Principle.' An over simplification of his theory was that persons in bureaucratic institutions [...]

Contractors and architects are two groups of professionals that arc high on my list of admired people. I could have enjoyed being a builder, but I lacked the necessary skills. [...]

As an old educator, I read an alarming statistic related to our adult reading habits. With the exception of newspapers, magazines and work documents, 93% do not read. Only 7% [...]

In my other career life. I was a schoolteacher and principal for 27 years. I learned early that children responded positively to being involved in the decision-making process. When they [...]

A comedian once joked that in a perfect world, persons who live in gated communities would have to ask permission to come out. Have you ever noticed that much of [...]

I have spent about five decades savoring the new model cars that the 'Big Three' U.S. automakers roll out every year. Times, of course, have changed. The intense secrecy--and mystery--surrounding [...]

Our field of reference--how we view the world and feel about things--is determined by our experiences, knowledge and, to some degree, our intellect. If we view the same situation as [...]

According to The Journal of the American Medical Association, the direct and indirect cost of employee depression is $44 billion a year. An estimated 14 million Americans experienced clinical depression [...]

In too many businesses, the range of satisfaction for employee performance varies from superior to marginal to poor. One employee may have an excellent skill set of knowledge and/or technical [...]

My experiences have made me sensitive to the affects of a global economy on some American workers. Over the past few years, I have worked with several companies that came [...]

I've been thinking about cars. It's spring, and that means the weather is perfect for rolling down the windows or putting the top down on whatever you drive. Automobiles changed [...]

In my practice, I spend a lot of time in a consulting-counseling-coaching role to business owners and management. The work is tailored to meet their needs, and can range from [...]

I was talking with Ron Jones, the Mississippi Business Journal's general manager, a few weeks ago. He shared some interesting information about the newspaper's readers, which came from a survey [...]

Many Americans have mixed emotions about the federal government's homeland security efforts. In the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks, we began asking hard questions about how safe any [...]

In my other career life, I was a school-teacher and principal for 27 years. I learned early that children responded positively to being involved in the decision-making process. When they [...]

The dynamics of interaction are interesting and valuable in understanding employees, who tend to build microcosms of the world they live in as they go about their daily workdays. Turf, [...]

Sometimes we are fortunate enough to meet people who enrich our lives even by casual contact. I met such a person -- a remarkable man -- about eight years ago [...]

My experiences have made me sensitive to the affects of a global economy on some American workers. Over the past few years, I have worked with several companies that came [...]

Forget about the physical health benefits from walking. Walking renews the soul. I love the sights, sounds and smells when going for an early morning walk. I enjoy seeing birds, [...]

The article comments on a survey conducted by the University of Southern Mississippi which found that an increasing number of children are overweight or obese. This finding led to the forecast that the present generation could have a shorter lifespan and experience more health problems, due to poor diets and lifestyle habits. For business owners, this could mean higher healthcare bills and productivity losses for each obese employee.

Argues that every worker in the U.S. does not fit into a 40-hour week. Average number of vacation days for the worker; Advantages and disadvantages of proposed labor law changes; Issues associated with the 40-hour week.

Presents tips on personnel management. Common reasons given by employers for choosing to continue giving employment to employees who have problems with either work performance or interpersonal skills; Cost effective considerations; Advice on pre-employment strategies; Tips on firing employees.

Discusses the actions that should be taken employers to help their employees work through relief after the September 11, terrorist attacks in the U.S. Overview of stages of grief experienced by employees; Implications of unresolved grief for mental health; Problems that companies might experience when employees experience grief.

Commends the achievement of former Mississippi governor, William Winter. Position of Winter's administration over the state's controversial history; Admiration over Winter's non-political approach to the state's historical issues.

Focuses on the ethical responsibility of businesses to help their employees when it becomes necessary to downsize, restructure or close. Need for the employee to take responsibility for his work future; Importance of being a lifelong learner; Call for businesses to abandon their paternalistic practices.

Discusses the role of money on an individual's life. Definition of money in a survey economics class; Medium to meet an individual's basic needs of security, power, belonging, freedom and fun; Personal finances as major problem of those seeking counseling.

Presents some ideas that may be implemented, and questions that might be asked, when businesses are looking at creative solutions to complex time issues of women. Includes need for a 40-hour week employee or part-time worker; Percentage of the work that could be done from the employee's home; Non-traditional work week; Split work schedules.

Comments on the decline of customer service quality in the United States business community. Citation of events where poor customer service is exercised; Presentation of tips relevant to improving customer care and how to provide good services to customers.