USA TODAY articles from January 2009

USA TODAY archives from January 2009

Stock prices soar with "Super" ads.(YOUR LIFE)(Super Bowl commercial)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... When TV viewers like a company's Super Bowl commercial, the price of the firm's stock goes up, according to a study by researchers at the University at Buffalo (N.Y.) and Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. Keep in mind, though, that the study was...

College football playoff system a no-go.(YOUR LIFE)
January 1, 2009... The debate about switching to a playoff system to determine college football's national champion again is in full force. In fact, Pres.-elect Barack Obama has expressed support for such a change, and this season's deadlock among Oklahoma,...

Economy needs nearly trillion-dollar input.(YOUR LIFE)
January 1, 2009... The economy needs at least a $900,000,000,000 boost over the next two years, according to a detailed economic recovery plan released by the Institute for America's Future, Washington, D.C. With payrolls plunging, retail sales dropping, and...

CFOs see recession lasting another year.(YOUR LIFE)(chief financial officers)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Chief financial officers in the U.S. and around the world are more pessimistic than at any time in the history of the CFO Magazine Global Business Outlook Survey. A majority say their firms will post losses and slash spending and employment in...

Economic woes caused by temp agencies.(YOUR LIFE)
January 1, 2009... Before we can resolve the economic crisis, we need to understand how we got into it, then get out and stay out, advises Erin Hatton, visiting professor of sociology at the University at Buffalo (N.Y.), who indicates that there is plenty of...

Keynes would support federal intervention.(YOUR LIFE)(John Maynard Keynes )(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... As the Federal government rescue package continues to make headlines, the famous late British economist John Maynard Keynes would have favored such a plan but not under the label "bailout," indicates Roy Weintraub, professor of economics at...

Pres. Obama to be pressed on oil costs.(YOUR LIFE)(Barack Obama )(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... A transportation specialist has produced what he contends is a better estimate of the dollar amount spent on U.S. military activities needed to ensure a reliable flow of oil from the Persian Gulf to American cars and trucks. Mark Delucchi of...

Bush's parting gift to Big Oil.(Your Life)(George W. Bush)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... The Bush Administration has announced a generous parting gift to Big Oil in the form of new oil shale regulations, maintains Amy Mall, senior policy analyst for the Natural Resources Defense Council, Washington, D.C. The Department of the...

Keeping promise on green-collar jobs.(Your Life)
January 1, 2009... During his campaign for the White House, Pres.-elect Barack Obama proposed an economic plan that would create 5,000,000 jobs in environmental industries. These so-called "green collar" jobs do, in fact, present the next frontier for U.S....

Capt. Kidd shipwreck becoming a Museum.(Your Life)(Captan William Kidd shipwreck site)
January 1, 2009... The Capt. William Kidd shipwreck site and three other underwater preserves in the Dominican Republic are being turned into no-take, no-anchor "Living Museums," where cultural discoveries will protect precious corals and other threatened biology...

A green deal for transportation.(Your Life)
January 1, 2009... In early 1942, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt's Administration directed the entire U.S. auto industry to make a sudden and wholesale switch from producing cars to churning out tanks, armored cars, tank...

Hottest hairstyles for new year.(Your Life)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... What is going to be hot--and not so hot--in women's hairstyles for 2009? According to celebrity hairstylist Philip Pelusi, last year's trendiest looks, such as the beehive and bob, are over. He contends that ladies no longer will spend hours in...

Does "Twilight" prove vampires are real?(Your Life)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... The hit movie "Twilight" not only may entertain moviegoers, it has the potential to encourage viewers to believe in vampires, says Glenn Sparks, professor of communication at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. "Research on paranormal...

Time to tap the energy way up North.(National Affairs)(Alaska)(Cover story)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHILE ALASKA IS celebrating 50 years of statehood, we recognize that we still are a young state that is experiencing some growing pains. Yet, we remain committed to seeking opportunities to become more...

Up for the challenge?(STATE OF THE NATION)
January 1, 2009... FOR THE FIRST TIME in decades, the Democrats completely will be in charge of the Executive and Legislative branches of government. While they nominally were in charge during Pres. Bill Clinton's first two years, the presence of a number of...

Why democracy matters.(American Thought)
January 1, 2009... IN 1996, I WAS ELECTED by the people of Nebraska to be the 36th person to represent their state in the U.S. Senate, and became the 1,841st senator to have served in that body. I thought it might be appropriate to share some of my observations...

The Ark of civic virtue.(American Thought)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IMAGINE, IF YOU WILL, a community where, in many ways, time as stood still. Everyone shows up for work at the appointed hour, does what they are expected to do, and does it well. Accountability trickles down, but it...

The literary Lincoln.(AMERICAN HISTORY)(Abraham Lincoln)
January 1, 2009... LONG AGO, THERE LIVED in the backwoods of the then-Middle West a young man who had been born in a log cabin in 1809. He grew up without schooling and never had traveled except through a few rural counties. When his father, Thomas Lincoln, a...

Living the New York dream: who is behind the scenes subsidizing the "Sex and the City" lifestyles of Generation Y?(Lifestyles)
January 1, 2009... FOR THE POST-COLLEGE graduate, living in New York City--the city of dreams and opportunity--is no easy feat. As twentysomethings, we sacrifice having any semblance of savings to survive, albeit glamorously, in a city that promises so much...

Where is marriage going?(CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY)
January 1, 2009... IT WAS BAD ENOUGH when the divorce rate in the U.S. reached epidemic proportions and single parenting became commonplace. Now, more and more Americans are developing a tolerance for same-sex marriage. New York recognizes such marriages, and the...

On the run to nowhere.(Life in America)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "OH, WE DON'T have a runaway problem here." Those were the words of a cab driver who was taking me to a big-city airport. The exact location is irrelevant, as I hear the comment all the time--and everywhere. The...

A revolution revisited.(WORDS IMAGES)
January 1, 2009... IN THE EARLY 1960s, television was a relatively new medium and the chaos surrounding this technological revolution was about the same as we now are experiencing with the new media and the so-called digital revolution. New technology was...

Through a back door darkly: new mental health insurance requirements: costly and mandatory mental health coverage sneaks through in the Federal bailout bill.(Psychology)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IT HAS THE KIND of intuitive appeal that should make thoughtful people skeptical-mandatory insurance coverage for all mental illnesses by all companies that cover mental illness at all. What images come to mind?...

Solar power coming to a boil.(EYE ON ECOLOGY)
January 1, 2009... AFTER EMERGING IN 2006 from 15 years of hibernation, the solar thermal power industry is experiencing a resurgence, with plenty of new capacity coming online worldwide. During the 1990s, cheap fossil fuels, combined with a loss of state and...

Over the top: supporting The Great War.(USA Yesterday)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] JOAN OF ARC raises her sword--"Joan of Arc Saved France. Women of America, Save Your Country," reads the poster that bears her image. A stem-faced Statue of Liberty clutches the flame of freedom and points her...

The Real Pirates of the Caribbean.(The World Yesterday)
January 1, 2009... THE CLASSICAL AGE of piracy comes to life in "The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship," an interactive exhibition that has more than 200 artifacts on display, including everyday objects, personal items, and treasures from...

Backstage pass.(Focus on Music)(Backstage Pass: Rock & Roll Photography)
January 1, 2009... ROCK 'N' ROLL IS an attitude, not a genre. Rock can be serious cool--Chuck Berry's quiet defiance. Mick Jagger s sneer, and the masculine bravado of Led Zeppelin. It can wink. Witness almost any image of the young, knowing Elvis Presley. Rock...

Wounded cities.(Focus on Terrorism)(Leo Rubinfien exhibition)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ON THE MORNING of Sept. 11, 2001, photographer Leo Rubinfien was in his Manhattan apartment two blocks from the World Trade Center and watched from up close as the two hijacked jets struck the Twin Towers--and yet,...

Will a Democratic White House remake the USDA?(Science & Technology)(United States Department of Agriculture)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I DO NOT KNOW what I am going to be doing come Inauguration Day on Jan. 21, but I would like to share a few thoughts about where the USDA has been over the last eight years and offer a road map of sorts of the major...

The problem that refuses to leave.(Law & Justice)
January 1, 2009... "... The mood of the American public has darkened and become much less accepting of mass immigration." PARTISAN CONTROVERSIES concerning immigration policies quickly emerged as hot-button issues during the 2008 political season, but the...

Firing up the hot stove.(SPORTS SCENE)(Hot Stove League )
January 1, 2009... GLOBAL WARMING REPORTS to the contrary, winter is in full bloom here in the Northeast and it's absolutely freezing outside. Such bone-chilling weather can mean only one thing--no, not that Al Gore is in hibernation, but rather that baseball's...

There's always hope.(Medicine & Health)(multiple sclerosis patients)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I WAS DIAGNOSED with multiple sclerosis almost 18 years ago on Valentine's eve. At the time, the MS verdict essentially was hopeless. "You'll never walk again," the doctor declared, before adding, "Life as you know...

Getting serious.(Entertainment)(comedians playing darker character roles)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "... The strongest argument for letting comedians play darker parts is that, despite the stereotype concerning tragedy's superiority, many would argue that comedy is more significant." IN RECENT YEARS, a handful...

Stepping out of character.(REEL WORLD)(Limelight)(Shopgirl)(Movie review)
January 1, 2009... KNOWING THAT MY FAVORITE "golden age" comedian is Charlie Chaplin, while Steve Martin holds that distinction for modern-day funnymen, one of my students asked what was each's most underrated movie, and could I make any connection between the...

Don't bark nonsense at the big dog.(Business & Finance)(midlevel executive reporting)
January 1, 2009... SUCCESSFUL MID-LEVEL executives of large organizations usually are smart, type-A people aspiring to top company positions--but they are not there yet. These up-and-coming leaders are decisive, self-confident, quick-thinking, and, often,...

Don't agonize just ergonize.(WHAT'S NEWS?)(Ergonizer )(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... "Wouldn't life be so much easier if you were organized?" Whether we use that line to admonish our children or to remind ourselves, there's no arguing with the logic. Though we do know some people who live their lives in a tremendously ordered...

Saving energy in a powerful way.(WHAT'S NEWS?)
January 1, 2009... Whether for environmental reasons or economics, many of us are looking for ways to conserve energy. Having more knowledge about which appliances consume the most electricity and how to run them more efficiently will help us to reach this goal....

Time goes by as never before.(WHAT'S NEWS?)(ECOlogical Calendar)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Now in its fifth edition, the ECOlogical Calendar--printed with soy-based inks on recycled paper--seeks nothing less than to revolutionize our concept of time. Unlike the Gregorian calendar's gridlike format, the ECOlogical Calendar's colorful...

Seeking sanctuary in the bedroom.(WHAT'S NEWS?)(Raksha Bella Organic Textiles)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... If your bedroom is your sanctuary, your bedding ought to reflect the tranquility you seek. With subtle patterns in a soothing palette, the Classic Collection from Raksha Bella Organic Textiles, Berkeley, Calif., reminds us of the quiet...

Tap water never had it so good.(WHAT'S NEWS?)(Clear20 Water Filtration Pitcher )(Vite Plus Single Wall Sports Bottle )
January 1, 2009... As the bottled water industry continues to take a beating these days, more and more people are turning back to their faucets as a source for environmentally friendly--and inexpensive--drinking water. Even though most municipalities go to great...

The Staples serenade: "My Style, My Way".(WHAT'S NEWS?)(M by Staples)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Staples has set out to reinvent office supplies with "M by Staples," a new collection that offers high-end quality and style--without the high prices. The Framingham, Mass., company hopes to reach customers on an emotional level--hence the "My...

Rails-to-Trails is the way to go.(WHAT'S NEWS?)(Rails-to-Trails Conservancy )(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Is there a runner in your life who always is in search of the next new trail? Give him or her a Rails-to-Trails Conservancy guidebook, complete with maps, points of interest, and directions. Is there an avid cyclist in your midst who needs new...

Let the juices flow with toastmaster.(WHAT'S NEWS?)(Juiceman Jr from Maxim-Toast-master)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... While we're making resolutions for healthful eating, let's not forget about Juiceman Jr!, the Automatic Juice Extractor from Maxim-Toast-master, Lake Forest, III. If you're ready to juice up your diet with added vitamins and minerals, turning...

The best socks on--and for--the planet.(What's News?)(Teko)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Teko, Boulder, Colo., a performance sock company specializing in environmentally sustainable materials and manufacturing processes, believes in performance beyond organic. It maintains that being planet-friendly takes more than green awards and...

Changing tees for the better.(What's News?)(Tees For Change)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Though nothing should surprise us anymore, we're often--let's just say--befuddled by the things we've seen people walk around wearing on their t-shirts. One company aims to change that by clothing the world in eco-friendly tees adorned with...

Create, build, and learn with Elmer's.(What's News?)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... In addition to supplying the familiar adhesives, Elmer's Products, Columbus, Ohio, offers a wide range of items for children (arts, crafts, and educational and licensed products) and adults (craft, hobby, office and home repair)--all designed...

Massaging out the kinks with Homedics.(What's News?)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... As we deal with the ordinary stresses of everyday life, whether they stem from work or taking care of the kids or just handling all the little things that need to be accomplished daily to make us functioning people, we're tired at the end of...

The joy of playing with all five senses.(What's News?)(Perfect Sense)(Repeat Pete)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... For games that encourage interaction and communication between family and friends, look no further than Patch, the family-owned Beloit, Wis., toy company that makes fun their business. Among their latest offerings is Perfect Sense, a game...

Thrill-a-minute challenges from K'nex.(What's News?)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... The thrill of construction sets never gets old. Taking a box filled with small, colorful plastic parts and turning them into a motorized roller coaster or a working dump truck brings a feeling of accomplishment. Watching your progress day to...

A Vtech journey full of fun and wonder.(What's News?)
January 1, 2009... When it comes to finding toys for infants and toddlers, our basic requirements are that the products be safe, fun, and entertaining. The best of all worlds is when we find items that encourage learning through play and help our little ones with...

What's it like to walk barefoot in Kenya?(What's News?)(MBT Physiological Footwear )(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Inspired by the way the Masai people of Kenya walk, and the fact that they have practically no knowledge of shoes--or of back or joint problems--Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) enables the body to stand and walk in the way nature intended. MBT...

Skoodlez stories an Internet hit.(What's News?)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Interactive sites aimed at children abound on the Internet. Though we need to be extremely vigilant when letting the kids online, some of these websites are indeed worthwhile, providing both education and entertainment in a way that continues...

Big wonders come in small packages.(VIDEO GAMES)
January 1, 2009... With college admission as difficult as it is today, SAT scores are of paramount importance. Students really can use an advantage when taking this exam and futureU: The Prep Game for SAT, from Aspyr, is a fun way to study for the big test that...

Grab a Tiger by the tooth.(What's News?)(ToothTunes Junior )(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Ensuring that children brush their teeth properly is a huge challenge. If we can teach them to do a thorough job at an early age, it will go a long way towards establishing habits that will preserve their dental health throughout the years. ...

"Oh what fun it is to ride ...".(What's News?)(Paradise Horses )
January 1, 2009... It seems at one time or another, every child dreams of owning a horse. Perhaps it's their sheer size and majesty that hold the irresistible appeal or maybe it's the desire to take care of these amazing creatures and feel the freedom and...

The Place To Be: Washington, CBS, and the Glory Days of Television News.(Book review)
January 1, 2009... The Place To Be: Washington, CBS, and the Glory Days of Television News BY ROGER MUDD PUBLIC AFFAIRS, NEW YORK 2008, $27.95, 384 PAGES [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When Edward R. Murrow and his "Murrow Boys" returned from...

The Post-American World.(Book review)
January 1, 2009... THE POST-AMERICAN WORLD BY FAREED ZAKARIA W.W. NORTON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK 2008, $25.95, 259 PAGES [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Having spent the first 18 years of his life in his native India before studying in the U.S. (with...

A habit worth acquiring.(PARTING THOUGHTS)(hobbies)
January 1, 2009... "IT'S NICE TO HAVE HOBBIES," someone remarked when I described what I did over my vacation. It was a "stay-cation," and there was ample time for the reading, writing, painting, and other activities that work too often crowds out of the...