USA TODAY articles from January 2003

USA TODAY archives from January 2003

It's time to redefine your priorities. (Your Life).(work-life balance)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Whether you are a workaholic in the office or at home, it may be time to rethink your priorities and find a healthy balance between your job and your personal life. Chet Rispoli, director of Career Development Services, Temple University,...

Planet will avoid future food crisis. (Your Life).(say agricultural scientists Luther Tweeten and Carl Zulauf)
January 1, 2003... Luther Tweeten and Carl Zulauf, agricultural scientists at Ohio State University, Columbus, maintain that there will be enough food to feed world populations 50 years from now and into the next century. Negative population growth by 2050 will...

Employer's stability key for job applicants. (Your Life).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Signing bonuses and company cars may have won over last year's job seekers, but today's applicants are more interested in a firm's staying power. In a survey developed by Robert Half International Inc., a Menlo Park, Calif.-based staffing...

Your retirement won't look like your parents'. (Your Life).
January 1, 2003... Retirement planning often focuses on the need to save for retirement, how to do so, and how to stretch out your retirement dollars. All are worthy subjects, but what exactly are you retiring to? What will your retirement look like? What is your...

Many employees are stretched too thin. (Your Life).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Workers today may have too much to do and too little time to do it, a survey by OfficeTeam, a Menlo Park, Calif.-based staffing service specializing in highly skilled administrative professionals, suggests. Seventy percent of executives polled...

Tight deadlines can cause creative blocks. (Your Life).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Looking for a bright idea? Give yourself some time. In a survey of advertising and marketing executives by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service that provides marketing, advertising, creative, and Web professionals on a project...

What how you chew reveals about you. (Your Life).(survey on chewing gum habits, likes and dislikes)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... When it comes to satisfying the urge to chew, Americans have a myriad of choices, but most reach for gum. According to a study on chewing habits conducted by the Wrigley Company, when given the choice about what will fulfill their craving, 75%...

Self-doubters tend to be more materialistic. (Your Life).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... People with chronic self-doubt probably are more likely to define personal success by having the biggest house on the block or a new luxury car. An Ohio State University, Columbus, study found that individuals with enduring feelings of...

Cell phone security not as tangled as the web. (Your Life).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... With more and more cell phones practically becoming handheld computers capable of sending and receiving e-mail, the Internet, and photographs, just how protected are these mobile machines from hackers? "Cell phone networks are not public...

Bad marks for school restrooms. (Your Life).
January 1, 2003... With the school year well under way, attention is turning from the traditional three "Rs" (reading, writing, and arithmetic) to the fourth "R"--school restrooms. A national survey of parents conducted on behalf of Kimberly-Clark Professional by...

Multipurpose furniture solves space problems. (Your Life).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... For the space-challenged room, homeowners consider it essential to make every square foot count. As a result, furniture makers are continually finding new ways to incorporate more than one function into a single piece. "Furniture is the...

People lack first aid knowledge. (Your Life).(first aid professionals comment on most common mistakes, make recommendations)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Curad, maker of adhesive bandages, in conjunction with the American Safety & Health Institute (ASHI), surveyed 200 first aid trainers concerning the general public's knowledge and preparedness when it comes to first aid. "When faced with a...

Taking medications by your (internal) clock. (Your Life).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Aspirin in the morning? Asthma medications at night? Your internal body clock could set the optimal time to take medications, suggests the Mayo Clinic Women's Health-Source. In a 24-hour period, body functions vary. Your heart rate and...

Beware sweaty athletic jerseys. (Your Life).(changing out of workout clothes right away helps prevent illness)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... A sweaty athletic jersey is a favorite hangout for bacteria and viruses that can grow quickly and possibly become a source of illness, warns Luis Palacios, assistant professor of family practice, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical...

Addicts can "kick" habit while asleep. (Your Life).(use of "Ultrarapid opiate detoxification")
January 1, 2003... Not including the emotional and psychological costs, the economic expenses of drug and alcohol abuse in the U.S. are estimated to be at least $98,000,000,000 a year. For many who are addicted to heroin, a controversial, but effective, procedure...

Women ignoring checkup guidelines. (Your Life).(statistics on gynecological exams, pap tests)
January 1, 2003... For years, physicians have recommended that women older than 18 visit their physician for an annual checkup and Pap test. Yet, a survey conducted on behalf of the Vagisil Women's Health Center (VWHC) discovered that 17% of respondents are not...

Responding to terrorism: conscription is not the answer. (National Affairs).(Column)
January 1, 2003... BEFORE SEPT. 11, 2001, it had been 60 years since the U.S. homeland had come under attack. As they did after Pearl Harbor, Americans turned to the military for their defense, but now, in contrast to the past, they are finding security in a...

Is terrorism's threat overblown? (National Affairs).(Column)
January 1, 2003... THE THREAT of terrorism in the U.S. is not over, but Sept. 11 may have been an anomaly. Intelligence agencies are unlikely to uncover an impending attack, no matter what they spend on human intelligence, because it is virtually impossible to...

Can we be safe and free? The dilemma terrorism creates. (Law & Justice).
January 1, 2003... HOW MUCH FREEDOM are Americans willing to give up in exchange for safety from terrorists? Street criminals? Other lawbreakers? At what point does the loss of privacy and freedom of speech and movement outweigh the perception of added security?...

Republican opportunities, democratic dilemmas. (State of the Nation).
January 1, 2003... THE LAST TIME the Republicans controlled the Executive Branch and both houses of Congress was 50 years ago, after the 1952 election. The Republicans of that era had only a modest agenda and were largely defined by their willingness or...

Pakistan: strategic ally or unreliable client? (Worldview).
January 1, 2003... TWO MONTHS after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Pres. Bush praised Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, for showing "ever greater courage, vision, and leadership" in supporting the U.S. war against terrorism, including the...

The irony of Bali terrorism. (World Watcher).(bombing has devestating effect on economy, Indonesia)
January 1, 2003... THE OCT. 12, 2002, bombing of nightclubs in Bali has turned ,the world of travel and tourism in Southeast Asia upside down. Bali had always been an island of tranquility in Indonesia. Its history dates to the powerful Madjapahit empire that...

Post-September 11 financial planning. (Economics).
January 1, 2003... OF ALL THE IMPACTS Sept. 11 has had on U.S. society, its most-profound effect has been on the American psyche. It has shaken the faith so many had in the validity of their conceptions about virtually everything. Never before in my nearly...

September 11 and the workplace. (Business & Finance).(comparative analysis of survey results before and after terrorist attacks on United States)
January 1, 2003... SEPT. 11, 2001, represents a watershed moment in U.S. history. The lives of every American changed in an instant, never to return to the way things used to be. Yet, in the end, while the tragedy will remain etched in the minds of the world, the...

E-filing: truth or promises? (Economic Observer).(Internal Revenue Service benefits from electronic filing of income tax returns)
January 1, 2003... THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE really wants you to file tax returns electronically. Its goal is to have 80% of all returns filed electronically by 2007. The IRS promises quicker refunds than if you file by mail. Mailed returns face the...

Asking responsible questions is a patriotic duty. (American Thought).(United States Senator and Vietnam Veteran discusses U.S. foreign and military policies)(Column)
January 1, 2003... The U.S. finds itself--thanks to the effort and sacrifice of all Americans--the sole superpower on the of the planet. With this unique status come burdens and responsibilities that extend far beyond our borders. Our choices at home directly...

The anticelebrity, the media, and the public. (Words & Images).
January 1, 2003... IN THE AGE OF CELEBRITY JOURNALISM, the anticelebrity--the celebrity who won t behave like one--is the villain the media love to hate. All most of us know about celebrities is what we read and see in the press and on television. The sports or...

The Medici, Michelangelo, and the art of Florence. (Museums Today).
January 1, 2003... BETWEEN 1537 AND 1621, the first four Medici grand dukes of Florence--Cosimo I, his sons Francesco I and Ferdinando I, and his grandson Cosimo II--presided over a spectacular flowering of the arts and sciences, exemplified by the pioneering...

Are shelters the answer to family homelessness? (Life in America).(Cover Story)
January 1, 2003... FAMILY HOMELESSNESS is undergoing a marked transformation and entering a new stage of unprecedented growth. After shifting from an emergency housing problem in the early 1980s to one of sustained poverty during the 1990s, homelessness is on the...

The future of school choice. (Education).(school vouchers and educational tax credits)
January 1, 2003... IN UPHOLDING the constitutionality of the Cleveland voucher program in Zelman v. Simmons-Harris in June, 2002, the Supreme Court affirmed that it hardly constitutes a government establishment of religion if religious schools are among the...

Seeking agreement on international climate policymaking. (Ecology).
January 1, 2003... JUST A FEW of the leading emitters of greenhouse gases--the United Kingdom, Germany, and Russia--have met their Rio de Janeiro Convention on Climate Change targets and are on course to meet their Kyoto Protocol goals. Nevertheless, most...

Discovering the genetics of autism. (Medicine & Health).
January 1, 2003... NOT TOO LONG AGO, the parents of a child who was diagnosed with autism were overwhelmed with disheartening information. They were told that their offspring might have to be institutionalized, that he or she would never be able to be a...

Exploring heaven & hell. (Religion).(Column)
January 1, 2003... FOR PEOPLE who argue that human life ends with physical death, the transformation of a butterfly may seem an irrelevant, if interesting, image. However, for those of us who believe in eternal life, it is a sign of the hope we have in another...

Communication technologies that will change our lives. (Science & Technology).
January 1, 2003... COMMUNICATION ERA undertakings dominate postindustrial economies. Since the late 1970s, knowledge, information, education, and entertainment enterprises in the U.S. have accounted for over 50% of all jobs. Today, this group of activities...

Baseball's rubber room. (Sports Scene).(Column)
January 1, 2003... "WHOM THE [BASEBALL] GODS would destroy, they first make mad." My personal fixation with how long loyal fans have to wait for a World Series title started when I was eight while watching the 1968 Fall Classic on TV. The announcers mentioned...

What's holding up high-definition TV? Three major problems remain unresolved: stations unable to afford new equipment have resorted to less-expensive resolution; disagreements concerning protecting digital contents appear headed for Congressional action; and opponents of mandating digital TV tuners in new sets are threatening to take the issue to court. (Mass Media).
January 1, 2003... ALTHOUGH high-definition television's promise of wide, movie-like pictures with natural color and crisp, sharp detail was first proposed more than 20 years ago, only in the last few years has its promise approached reality. Eddie Fritts,...

Golden newbies golden oldies: will some of 2002's smash hits receive the same long-lasting acclaim as a number of Hollywood classics being reissued in DVD format? (Entertainment).(short reviews of new movie recordings)
January 1, 2003... MOVIE BUFFS find themselves enjoying the best of all possible worlds ever since DVDs have rocketed to the forefront of the home entertainment market. Blockbuster films are reaching video stores much faster than they did in the past, in many...

A big fat Greek smash hit. (Reel World).(My Big Fat Greek Wedding)(Movie Review)
January 1, 2003... "MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING," Nia Vardalos' autobiographical tale of a crazy Greek-American family getting crazier when she falls in love with a non-Greek, easily qualifies as the "feel good" movie of 2002. While shot on a modest budget of...

Where there's smoke ... (What's New?).(First Alert Ultimate Smoke Alarm from BRK Brands Inc.)(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 1, 2003... * All too often, the continuation of the above title is "there's fire" That's why one of the key home safety devices for protection of one's family should be a smoke detector/alarm. According to the National Fire Protection Association, 75% of...

Bar none. (What's New?).(Longbow bar lock from Intromark Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... * Burglaries and home invasions are an ongoing nightmare for apartment dwellers and homeowners alike, The loss of property is bad enough, but the physical danger of having someone break in while you and your family are there is even more...

Cozy in the cold. (What's New?).(thermal underwear)(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 1, 2003... * Winter, wonderful winter! The oppressive summer months are nothing more than a bad memory now. Anything even approaching 50[degrees] we consider a heat wave. The next 12 weeks are to be treasured tike no other time of the year. Every flake of...

Log on. (What's New?).(ecologically efficient firewood from Worldwise Inc.)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 1, 2003... * We're certainly not greenies, but we like the concept of "sustainability," a principle that goes "beyond conservation [to maintain] the planet's natural functions, resources, and beauty" or so says Worldwise Inc., San Rafael, Calif. In other...

Umbrella defense. (What's New?).(titanium umbrella from Totes)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 1, 2003... * Any old umbrella will keep the water off in mildly rainy weather. Come a northeaster or other wind-driven storm, though, and protection can disappear in a mess of bent spokes and inverted covering, fit only for depositing in the nearest trash...

A bagful of bags. (What's New?).(totebags from Eagle Creek and Loving and Co.)(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 1, 2003... Nowadays, it's all about bags. As long as they can help it, airline passengers are shunning check-on luggage, cramming everything into carry-ons to avoid the aggravation of waiting for the carousel finally to get around to disgorging their...

On a roll. (What's New?).(compactable luggage cart from Products Finishing Corp.)(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 1, 2003... * We don't know anyone who actually enjoys airports. No matter how much you anticipate a trip when departing or can't wait to get home when it's over, the airport experience is invariably a downer. While you can't do anything about the...

Keeping I.D. at hand. (What's New?).(Identification and Boarding Pass Holder from Travelon)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... With security consciousness a constant and security checks well-nigh universal, especially when traveling, the demand to produce identification is a frequent occurrence. Digging into pockets or purses on a regular basis can become a hassle when...

Inflationary sleeping. (What's New?).(new collapsable air mattress bed from Aero Products International Inc.)
January 1, 2003... * By now, the concept of an inflatable mattress that can serve as a spare bed is no longer a new one. Insofar as the people being put up on it, though, there are many who are not exactly crazy about sleeping on the floor, especially those who...

Furniture for little ones. (What's New?).(from Delta Enterprises Corp.)
January 1, 2003... * When you have kids, there never seem to be enough hands to handle all the tasks at hand. This is especially true of infants. Well, at least one chore has been rendered obsolete by Delta Enterprises Corporation, Brooklyn, N.Y., makers of the...

Ironing out difficulties. (What's New?).(irons from Braun Inc., and Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex)(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 1, 2003... * Most wives or significant others might be as likely to throw an iron at the head of anyone who gave it to them as a gift as they would be to say "Thanks" Yet, if they took the time to really examine the FreeStyle Textile Protector Steam Iron...

Pik a winner. (What's New?).(products from Water Pik Technologies)
January 1, 2003... * Mention Waterpik to most people, and the immediate image that comes into their minds is that of the device that spurts water between one's teeth, much like a dentist's irrigator does, in order to get impacted pieces of food out. Well, yes,...

Tunes on the go. (What's New?).(CD carrying cases)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The increased portability of CD and DVD players means that discs will be traveling along with them. The problem is to transport those discs safely so that they do not scratch, break, or warp. The latter is a particular danger if they are left...

Return to yesteryear. (What's New?).(Crosley 1940s Turntable and Philco Turntable CD/Cassette)(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 1, 2003... * We all know the frustration that comes with dropping a couple of grand on a new computer system only to discover it's completely out of date a mere six months later. Well, imagine that frustration factor trebled and you'll begin to understand...

Mail me a movie. (What's New?).(Netflix Co.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... If you're tired of the hassle of dealing with your local video store, taking the chance that the picture you want to see is there when you want to see it, and watching late fees pile up if you can't get it back on time, there's a better way to...

Come in, star command. (What's New?).(Motorola teams up with Walt Disney Co. to introduce new two-way radios)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... * Last holiday season, we extolled the virtues of a line of two-way radios (aka walkie-talkies) from Motorola, Libertyville, Ill., which are perfect for staying in contact with your partner and/or kids at amusement and theme parks, the beach,...

Holiday extension. (What's New?).(Air Tech Deluxe 5 in 1 Game from Franklin Sports)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 1, 2003... There's always talk at this time of the season of how the post-holiday blues and blahs are likely to take hold in January. Not in our house! Besides observing the 12 days of Christmas, which culminates with Little Christmas the first week of...

The right light. (What's New?).(Verilux HappyEyes floor lamp from TechnoScout; fluorescent light bulb from Globe Electric Co.)
January 1, 2003... * For readers, the search for the proper lamp may be compared to the quest for the Holy Grail--unending and frustrating. Finding one the right height that directs light where it is wanted without glare can prove difficult, with bad choices...

Let there be light. (What's New?).(battery-powered lights from Zelco Industries Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... * Students who have to take notes in a dimly lit lecture hall or toil into the wee hours in their dorm rooms as roommates are trying to sleep share a common need--sufficient light to be able to write, read, etc. Laptop computer users have a...

Alleviating arthritis. (What's New?).(Thermoskin Arthritic Gloves from United Pacific Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... * Arthritis is one of the most-debilitating and painful physical conditions striking people of all ages, but particularly the elderly. Affecting virtually any joint, as well as the neck and spine, it is perhaps worst when it afflicts the hands,...

Pin it up. (What's New?).(new art publications by Olivia from Ozone Productions)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... We've always been big fans of old-time pin-up art (yes, it is art), especially the work of Rolf Armstrong, Earl MacPherson, Billy DeVorss, and, of course, the undisputed king of capturing the provocative pose, Alberto Vargas. The in-your-face...

Thanks for reminding me. (What's New?).(Magnetic Notepads from Gallison)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... There are those of us with perfect memories. For the rest of the world, helpful reminders are needed when it comes to things to do, appointments to keep, groceries to be shopped for, etc. Fortunately for them, Magnetic Notepads from Gallison,...

Hang it all. (What's New?).(line of Ultimage clothes hangers from Contico International)(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 1, 2003... * Of all the things commonly found around the house, the humble hanger might be expected to be the one least subject to change. Nonsense, say the people from Contico International, St. Louis, Mo. What they have done is taken the basic concept...

Going straight. (What's New?).
January 1, 2003... * Hanging pictures, shelves, mirrors, shutters, drapes, or any other items that have to be straight can be a frustrating task, necessitating rulers, tape measures, levels, pencils, and, invariably, a balancing act atop a ladder, trying to keep...

The write stuff. (What's New?).
January 1, 2003... We once had a college roommate who always studied by candlelight, insisting that he was "going to be the next Abraham Lincoln." The future 16th president also was known to hone his rhetorical skills as a poor youth by scratching out words on...

Hide in plain sight. (What's New?).(the Oxo Good Grips Toilet Brush from World Kitchen Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Fastidious households count a toilet bowl brush among the necessities, but it's hardly the sort of thing you want to decorate your bathroom. Invariably, it is stuffed into an under-the-sink cabinet or the back of a linen closet, making it...

A whale of a mouse. (What's New?).(new computer mouse from Humanscale Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... * The computer has brought many benefits into our lives, but carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive-motion conditions definitely are not included. Accordingly, where mankind once sought to build a better mousetrap, now the aim is to build...

Guts & Glory.(Book Review)
January 1, 2003... BY LAWRENCE SUID UNIVERSITY PRESS OF KENTUCKY 2002, 748 PAGES, $29.95 Pres. Dwight Eisenhower once warned us about the dangers of the "military-industrial complex." Lawrence Suid's book, however, is about the military-movie industrial...

Teacher: the One Who Made the Difference.(Book Review)
January 1, 2003... BY MARK EDMUNDSON RANDOM HOUSE 2002, 278 PAGES, $23.95 Although Mark Edmundson is now a professor of English at the University of Virginia, he once was a student indifferent to everything but football, pool, and alcohol. Edmundson detested...

Well, what do you think about that? (Parting Thoughts).(author explores ideas and how we form them)(Column)
January 1, 2003... WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT, the world is run by ideas. They do have consequences, and, generally, it is people with a philosophical bent who supply those ideas. For example, millennia ago, the thinkers in ancient Athens had much to do with the...