USA TODAY articles from August 2006

USA TODAY archives from August 2006

Expanding boundaries for family getaways.(Travel)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Family travel is on the rise this summer, according to an American Express travel agent poll, as vacations are expanding beyond the traditional getaways to include newer, broader, and more active and meaningful travel plans. Agents point out...

What is Kabbalah really all about?(Worldview)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... An explosion of interest worldwide in Kabbalah has helped fuel an all-out media frenzy. The involvement of high-profile celebrities like Madonna and Demi Moore has stirred the pot of controversy, with many conflicting ideas about Kabbalah...

Core beliefs unite Catholics.(Religion)
August 1, 2006... Catholics' faith in God is steady, but their faith in the Church and its leadership constantly is in flux, according to Catholicism in Motion: The Church in American Society by James D. Davidson, professor of sociology at Purdue University,...

The real reason(s) we don't take vacations.(Getaways)
August 1, 2006... It's vacation-planning season. As usual, though, while your friends and coworkers are booking their family beach trips and golf getaways, you are in the middle of another long hot summer of slogging away at your desk. It does not seem fair. The...

New passport law could delay trips.(Vacation Cruises)
August 1, 2006... Travelers without a passport must pass on any cruises outside of the U.S. starting in late December, no matter what kind of great deals they land for their next vacation, points out Bob Levinstein, CEO of CruiseCompete.com. After a...

Farmers who plant more crops.(NOTEWORTHY)(environmental effects)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Farmers who plant more crops and till the land less can increase irrigation coverage and have a profound effect on climate, suggest scientists from the Lawrence Livermore (Calif.) National Laboratory. "Nearly all models used to predict climate...

Ninety-five percent.(NOTEWORTHY)(women and hunting)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Ninety-five percent of females say it is okay for women to hunt even though only 23% actually have, according to a survey by Responsive Management, a research firm specializing in wildlife and outdoor recreation. While men hunt for the...

Problem gambling.(NOTEWORTHY)(is hereditary according to a study)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Problem gambling runs in families, reports a study by the University of Iowa, Ames. Moreover, there is an excess of alcoholism, drug disorders, and antisocial personality disorder in families with pathological gamblers. "Something is being...

Less than half.(NOTEWORTHY)(project success)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Less than half of an organization's projects always or often meet their goals, maintain respondents to a nationwide survey by the Philadelphia, Pa., consulting firm Kepner-Tregoe. Some 46% say their project teams often are not given clear,...

Terrorist attacks.(NOTEWORTHY)(economic impact)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Terrorist attacks targeting specific companies cost those firms an average of $401,000,000 in stock value per incident, maintains a study by Ohio State University, Columbus. "There's a dramatic and reliable negative impact on stock prices as a...

A pattern of behavior.(NOTEWORTHY)(leadership failure)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... A pattern of behavior that provides new insights into the failure of business and government leaders to correct or cancel failing projects has been identified by researchers at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, Durham, N.C. It was...

Some 54% of the U.S workforce.(NOTEWORTHY)(lack passion in their work)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Some 54% of the U.S workforce is considered "disengaged," lacking energy and passion in their work, asserts a study conducted by The Gallup Organization, Haverford, Pa. These apathetic individuals are costing U.S. businesses more than...

More than 94%.(NOTEWORTHY)(on United States citizenship)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... More than 94% of those polled say that having U.S. citizenship makes someone "truly American," reports a study by Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. More than 90% insist that speaking and writing English well and a willingness to pledge...

New evidence to explain.(NOTEWORTHY)(Duke University's research on osteoarthritis)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... New evidence to explain how the body's natural joint lubricant prevents the wear and tear that can lead to osteoarthritis has been uncovered by engineers at Duke University, Durham, N.C. The findings may lead to new methods for treating...

Well-dressed women get better service.(Retailing)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... If women want the best possible service at a clothing store, they had better be looking fashionable and well-groomed before they hit the mall. A study by Ohio State University, Columbus, found that well-dressed women receive the friendliest...

Security precautions worth remembering.(International Travel)(safety measures of traveling business executives)
August 1, 2006... "Effective security precautions require a conscious awareness of one's environment, as well as the need to exercise prudence, judgment, and common sense," stresses Michael McCann, former Chief of Security for the United Nations. "This is...

Show business! Irving Berlin's Broadway.(Entertainment)(exhibition at The Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, Tex.)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... As one of the country's most beloved songwriters, Irving Berlin (1888-1989) left a treasured legacy to popular music. Composing over 1,500 songs, including the patriotic and theatrical anthems. "God Bless America" and "There's No Business Like...

Young gridders must stay cool.(Athletic Arena)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... For thousands of youth football league players around the country, summer means the beginning of preseason practice. To educate parents, coaches, and the players themselves on how to prevent heat-related illnesses during sweltering weather, the...

Help wanted: nuclear physicists.(Homeland Security)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... At a time when more nuclear physicists are needed to develop technologies for homeland security and meet expected growth in the nuclear power industry, the nation's universities are producing fewer of these researchers, cautions Ed Hartouni, a...

We can see the sun from both sides now.(Solar System)
August 1, 2006... The hidden face of the sun is fully visible for the first time, thanks to a technique developed at Stanford (Calif.) University. Only half of the sun--the near side--directly is observable. The far side always faces away from Earth and...

We can tell when you're lying.(Psychology)
August 1, 2006... When trying to lie your way through any situation, keep a tight rein on your zygo maticus major and your orbicularis oculi. They will give you away faster than a snitch--or so says social psychologist Mark Frank, whose research on human facial...

Drinking, drug use among newlyweds.(Controlled Substances)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... While it is the husband among newlyweds who has more influence on whether the couple engages in heavy drinking, it is the wife who appears to be in the driver's seat when it comes to determining her partner's marijuana use, according to...

Fear, worry, and guilt haunt female smokers.(Nicotine Addiction)
August 1, 2006... Women who smoke are more concerned about their habit and their ability to quit than men, yet both sexes appear misinformed about smoking and its link to cancer, maintains a study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest...

Women in dark on men's storage habits.(Firearms)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Many couples with small children living at home not only disagree about how they have firearms stored, but about the number and types of guns they possess, shows a study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Because of those...

Are most wives sexually restless?(Marriage)
August 1, 2006... Statistics on affairs are notoriously unreliable. Since Kinsey's watershed study reported that 29% of wives and 50% of husbands had affairs by the time they were 40 years old, other research has put the stats as low as 15% of women and 25% of...

Winslow Homer: American Illustrator.(USA Yesterday)
August 1, 2006... Although he is counted high on the list of preeminent painters in the U.S. during the last half of the 19th century, Winslow Homer (1836-1910) spent the first eight years of his professional career, beginning at age 19, working as a graphic...

Outdated laws hurt women.(Law & Justice)
August 1, 2006... With 77,000,000 baby boomers entering their 60s, retirement is on everyone's mind. While Congress is focused on general reforms to company pensions, a new book suggests policymakers should examine Federal laws that threaten the welfare of the...

Summer's ripe for food poisoning.(Barbecues & Picnics)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Summertime, and the eating--and cooking--is easy. However, remember to follow basic food safety rules for barbecues and picnics. The Mayo Clinic Health Letter offers suggestions to reduce the risk of food poisoning: Plan ahead. Thaw meats...

Itchy is normal--tender is not.(Insect Bites)
August 1, 2006... Itchy, red swollen bumps on the skin are an all-too-familiar summer sign that bugs--and bug bites-are flourishing. That annoying itch may be a good sign, however. "Itchy is normal. Tender is not," when it comes to bug bites, notes Robin Carder,...

Drops preferred over oral antibiotics.(Swimmer's Ear)
August 1, 2006... Antiseptic or antibiotic ear drops should be the front-line treatment for people suffering from swimmer's ear, while restraint should be exercised in using oral antibiotics, according to treatment guidelines issued by a panel of specialists...

School break reading sharpens skills.(Education)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... For kids looking for ways to stimulate their brains this summer in preparation for going back to school, "Have fun, relax, enjoy yourself, read a book or two, and don't worry about the upcoming tests next school year," advises Jill May,...

Recreational water illnesses a threat.(Swimming Pools)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Swimming pools are a great way to stay active and cool during the hot summer months. Pool water, however, sometimes can be a source of more than just good, clean fun. Germs such as cryptosporidium, giardia, pathogenic E. coil, and shigella can...

Keeping kids well during summer fun.(Medicine & Health)
August 1, 2006... Summer fun quickly can give way to unexpected health issues, note pediatricians at California's Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Palo Alto. As director of advocacy at the hospital's center for healthy weight, Lisa Chamberlain...

Misinformation flying about avian flu.(Pandemics)
August 1, 2006... A leading specialist on biosecurity asserts that public misinformation about a possible flu pandemic must be corrected through accurate communication. "There has been a litany of suggested preparations, but many of them are ridiculous," insists...

The Print, the Pear, and the Prostitute: Art, Politics, and Society in 19th-Century France.(The World Yesterday)
August 1, 2006... Louis-Philippe, the Orleanist "citizen-king," ruled during the period of France's July Monarchy (1830-48). A devoted husband and father of eight, he promoted the image of a bourgeois family man and defined his rule as representing...

Emerging dog disease lacks a vaccine.(Pets)
August 1, 2006... Canine influenza virus has been detected in dogs from three states using a new test that employs DNA technology to provide rapid, accurate diagnosis of this highly contagious disease. The School of Veterinary Medicine's Lucy Whittier...

Detecting mold behind wallboards.(Science & Technology)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Radar technology may soon make obsolete the slow, destructive, and expensive methods now used to detect hidden moisture and mold behind wallboards, according to a report released by the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology Institute,...

Frivolous lawsuits prove discouraging.(Legal System)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Only 16% of American adults trust the legal system to defend them against baseless claims, maintains a survey commissioned by Common Good and conducted by Harris Interactive. Moreover, 54% do not trust the legal system, and 76% agree that fear...

Are there loopholes in environmental law?(pollution)
August 1, 2006... A self-regulation program intended to reduce pollution may encourage some companies to clean up their acts, but participation should not be considered a signal of superior environmental performance, according to a study by a team of researchers...

Cyber sleuthing for hot jobs.(Computers)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Computer forensics graduates have been in high demand for jobs with law enforcement since the field first appeared, but that demand is growing even greater as private firms begin recruiting cyber investigators. Marcus K. Rogers, an...

Where have all the butterflies gone?(Nature)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Cold, wet conditions early in the year have caused the summer of 2006 to be the worst season for California's butterflies in almost four decades, reports Art Shapiro, professor of evolution and ecology at the University of California, Davis....

Summer corn as winter fuel.(Ecology)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Corn growing in farm fie the U.S. this summer could be an energy-efficient, environmentally sound fuel for heating homes this winter, according to a study by a graduate student at the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences at...

A master plan desperately is needed.(Environmentalism)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... A series of worldwide natural disasters illustrates the need for humankind to better coexist with nature, claims civil engineer John M. Tettemer, author of Creating the National Environmental Master Plan--2006. The onslaught of hurricanes,...

Bottled water's leaky logic.(Conservation)
August 1, 2006... THE GLOBAL consumption of bottled water has reached more than 154,000,000,000 liters annually, up 57% from six years ago, report researchers Janet Larsen and Emily Arnold of Earth Policy Institute, Washington, D.C. Even in areas where tap water...