USA TODAY articles from January 2012

USA TODAY archives from January 2012

How pervasive are your sexual thoughts?(YOUR LIFE)(Brief article)
January 1, 2012... Men may think about sex more often than women do, but a study suggests they also think about other biological needs, such as eating and sleeping, more frequently than women do as well. Moreover, the research discredits the persistent stereotype...

Better race relations reflected in marriage.(YOUR LIFE)(Brief article)
January 1, 2012... The number of marriages between African-Americans and whites has increased rapidly since 1980, outpacing the unions between whites and other ethnic and racial groups, including Latinos, Asian-Americans, and American Indians, points out a study...

Depressed moms pass it on to kids.(YOUR LIFE)(Brief article)
January 1, 2012... A hormone associated with love and produced naturally in the body can help protect children from the negative effects of maternal depression, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of...

Talented women still hitting glass ceiling.(YOUR LIFE)(Brief article)
January 1, 2012... Bioscience organizations are at risk of losing top female talent, which could impact their success negatively, according to Catalyst, New York, a nonprofit membership organization expanding opportunities for women and business. Its study looks...

Are Men Being Neutered by Society?
January 1, 2012... In the NBC drama "Parenthood," character Joel Graham represents a growing number of American men: the stay-at-home dad whose go-getter wife brings home the bacon. On the show, Graham usually is content building furniture in the backyard and...

Focus on testing hurts health students.(YOUR LIFE)(Brief article)
January 1, 2012... High school health education classes fail to help students refuse sexual advances or endorse safe sex habits when teachers focus primarily on testing knowledge, asserts a study by Ohio State University, Columbus; the University of Kentucky,...

Diamonds leave planets out in the cold.(YOUR LIFE)(Brief article)
January 1, 2012... A planet comprised of diamonds may sound lovely, but you would not want to live there. A study presented at the annual American Geophysical Union suggests that some stars in the Milky Way could harbor "carbon super-Earths"--giant terrestrial...

"Superbugs" Ravage U.S., but Not Europe
January 1, 2012... Despite significant gains in limiting the spread of hospital acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the U.S. still has one of the highest MRSA rates in the Northern Hemisphere--putting it far behind other developed European...

Surgeons should start tweeting operations.(Your Life)(Brief article)
January 1, 2012... Surgeons should add their voices to social media circles and online discussions, while faking care to understand fully the potential security and medical-legal implications of such an act. That is the message from two pediatricians, Philip Glick...

U.S. and China Still Going Nuclear
January 1, 2012... Due to increasing costs of production, a slowed demand for electricity, and fresh memories of disaster in Japan, production of nuclear power fell in 2011, according to a Vital Signs report from the Worldwatch Institute, Washington, D.C. ...

Apps and Spirituality a Mixed Blessing
January 1, 2012... Smartphone apps that deliver everything from sacred Christmas and Easter music to reminders to attend worship to scriptures for meditation can be potent tools for spiritual growth, but such technology also has the potential to diminish worship...

We Continue to Beef Up Big Time
January 1, 2012... Global meat production and consumption have increased rapidly in recent decades, with harmful effects on the environment and public health as well as on the economy, according to the Worldwatch Institute's Nourishing the Planet project,...

Winter robins seeing red.(Your Life)(Brief article)
January 1, 2012... Red breasted robins are a classic symbol of the winter months and have adorned Christmas cards for more than a century. Ornithologists studying the feathers of Erithacus rubecula have discovered that the red breast reveals more than simply the...

It Is Not the End of the World ... Is It?
January 1, 2012... Earthquakes and hurricanes struck the East Coast within days of each other; there were extreme droughts in one part of the nation while floods devastated another part--and who could forget last winter's "Snowmageddon"? Violent weather and odd...

Snowflakes Are Thin and Flat for a Reason
January 1, 2012... We all have heard that no two snowflakes are alike. Kenneth Libbrecht, professor of physics at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, will tell you that this has to do with ever-changing conditions in the clouds where snow crystals...

Another Government Scheme That Needs Fixing
January 1, 2012... IN HIS BOOK, Fed Up, Texas Gov. Rick Perry claims that Social Security is "set up like an illegal Ponzi scheme." He explicitly compares Social Security's financing to the type of serious shenanigans "that sent Bernie Madoff to prison,"...

Income Inequality Nonsense
January 1, 2012... IN GOOD TIMES, the America, public can be forgiving. During the so-called Roaring Twenties, the scandals associated with the Harding Administration did not interrupt a 12-year period of Republican domination. During the 1990s, the...

If the Invisible Hand of the Free Market Is Dead, Has Capitalism Been Buried along with It?
January 1, 2012... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "BIG BANKS Hurt by Struggling Consumers"--so reads a recent l headline on the front page of the Financial Times. Many would be outraged, believing that the headline should be turned on its head: "Straggling Consumers...

Lengthy Discussion, Anyone?
January 1, 2012... CHITCHAT IS TAKING OVER our lives to the extent that we are losing the ability to converse at length. E-mail, texting, and the omnipresent iPod have forced us into increasingly shorter exchanges, the consequences of which have an impact on our...

Retirement: It Is a Scary New World out There
January 1, 2012... IN THE IMMEDIATE postwar years, funding the American Dream seemed a lot simpler. More citizens could rely on the traditional pension plan from their employers--as well as on Social Security--without having to listen to dire predictions of its...

Restoring a Fundamental Freedom
January 1, 2012... BOEING IS A GREAT American company. It recently built a second production line--its other is in Washington state--in South Carolina for its 787 Dreamliner airplane, creating 1,000 jobs there so far. Who knows what factors led to its motivation...

ObamaCare Remains on the March: What May Be a Ray of Sunshine for Patients Likely Will Burden a Number of Small Companies with Additional Compliance Rules and Paperwork to the Point of Bankruptcy
January 1, 2012... AMID ALL OF THE talk about health care reform, an interesting law that goes into effect in 2013 largely has gone unnoticed. It is called the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (PPSA), and was passed in March 2010 as part of the Patient Protection...

Reframe Your Resolutions
January 1, 2012... WE ALL KNOW the drill: we write a hopeful fist of New Year's resolutions to start exercising, lose weight, learn a new language, make more money, or be better parents or lovers or spouses. Yet, these resolutions often do not last much longer...

A Crisis at the Tap
January 1, 2012... EVERY DAY, millions of people across the U.S. simply turn on the tap to access clean water, fulfilling basic household needs from drinking and bathing to watering the lawn. Few think about what it takes to deliver that water, and even fewer know...

Is Renewable Energy Looking at Nine Miles of Rough Road?
January 1, 2012... THERE ARE MANY important issues facing us as we straggle to replace unsustainable forms of energy with renewables. First off, we need to keep the true meaning of the word "sustainability" in mind and look beyond its figurative uses and...

World Monuments' Watchdogs: This Year's "Watch" Entails 67 Sites in 41 Countries and Territories. These Locales "Vividly Illustrate the Ever-More Pressing Need to Create a Balance between Heritage Concerns and the Social, Economic, and Environmental Interests of Communities around the World."
January 1, 2012... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SINCE 1996, the biennial World Monuments Watch has drawn international attention to cultural-heritage sites in need of assistance, helping to save some of the world's most treasured places. The list is assembled by an...

Confusion at the Top: Does the Obama Administration Even Understand the Constitution-Or the Bill of Rights-When It Comes to Executive Power and the War on Terror?
January 1, 2012... PRES. BARACK OBAMA campaigned for office largely on the claim that his predecessor had shredded the Constitution. By the Constitution, he could not have meant the document signed on Sept. 17, 1787. Article II of that parchment begins with a...

States Keep on Slugging
January 1, 2012... SOUTH CAROLINA'S most recent anti-immigration act serves as yet another example of a state legislature's attempt to usurp Federal authority in regulating immigration affairs. In June 2010, legislators passed Act No. 69, which requires local...

Lessons-And Warnings-From the Libyan Intervention
January 1, 2012... IN MID FEBRUARY 2011, protesters in Libya began opposing the regime of Col. Muammar Qaddafi that had ruled the nation for four decades. The protests in the cities of Benghazi and Zentan became violent, and then quickly spread to the capital of...

A School for Girls
January 1, 2012... A SCHOOL FOR GIRLS by Louisa May Alcott. Don't we wish. Don't we wish it was an Alcoa story. It is not. This actually is a tale about war--the one in Afghanistan, and the women there. It is, maybe, the fundamental story in human existence,...

The Mess We've Left Behind
January 1, 2012... WITH THE WITHDRAWAL of its troops from Iraq, the U.S. government leaves behind a major crisis in the region--with 3,000,000 Iraqis displaced and desperate and tens of thousands of others in danger because they worked for the U.S. military. Many...

Child Sexual Abuse's Second Shame
January 1, 2012... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE RECENT scandals at Penn State and Syracuse universities, Brooklyn's Poly Prep Country Day School, Fenway Park, and now the Amateur Athletic Union, along with the intimations of possible cover-ups of child sexual...

Rescued by an Umbilical Cord
January 1, 2012... THE BIRTH OF a child, whether the first born or the fifth, is an exciting time for any family, but imagine the impact the birth of a sibling brings if, before his or her first step or word, that baby has the unique ability to change a life. That...

Mother's Little Helpers
January 1, 2012... FOLLOWING THE recent surge in media attention on moms and substance abuse, questions are being raised as to the reasons behind this alarming phenomenon--and how to prevent similar incidents from occurring. Starting news stories of mothers...

The Truth about These Touch Guys
January 1, 2012... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHEN MOST people think of bail bonds, they immediately imagine dark alley thugs and large, rough men wearing fedoras and smoking cigars. While not a glamorous image, it is one that has been sold to the public for...

... and Then God Created Evolution: Evolution Does Not Imply That There Is No God
January 1, 2012... THE GREAT evolution debate, which long has troubled American society, is driven by two passionate camps. On one extreme stand the Creationists, who maintain that evolution cannot have occurred because it belies a literal interpretation of the...

A Trip to the Great Beyond
January 1, 2012... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE EXHIBITION "Beyond Planet Earth: The Future of Space Exploration" offers a vision of the future of space travel as it boldly explores our next steps in outerspace, taking visitors on humanity's journey to explore...

Twice in a Blue Moon
January 1, 2012... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] OUR GLEAMING, beguiling moon is the largest object in the night sky--a magical companion-world--and an ancient symbol for love and evanescent beauty. It comes to us at the time of dreaming, disappearing and reappearing...

Where Super Sunday Started
January 1, 2012... THE NEW YORK TIMES, Herald Tribune, Daily News, Mirror, Journal-American, World-Telegram & Sun, Post, Long Island Daily Press, and Long Island Star-Journal were in the 21st (and, as it turned out, final) day of a delivery workers' strike...

A Guide to the Invisible Universe
January 1, 2012... BEGINNING WITH the pre-Socratic philosophers, thinkers focused on the components and elements they perceived in the universe. To these individuals, the universe consisted of people: nature; the Earth, sun, and moon: and empty space. Sir Isaac...

On the Road Again
January 1, 2012... THE ROAD STORY WAS nothing new when Miguel de Cervantes wrote what often is credited as the first novel, Don Quixote. in the early 1600s, while road pictures have been a movie staple since the early silents, such as Charlie Chaplin's nomadic...

Movies without Endings
January 1, 2012... IN RECENT YEARS, films with ambiguous or open-ended conclusions seemingly have been on the rise. Examples would include Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation" (2003), Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler" (2008), and Christopher Nolan's "Inception"...

Let It Snow
January 1, 2012... IT STARTED AS a smattering of applause late in the second period: then grew louder until a full-throated roar rose into the early night sky. It was snowing at the Winter Classic--this, of course, was a good thing. Tree, it wasn't the...

Put your heart into those resolutions.(WHAT'S NEW?)(Brief article)
January 1, 2012... If you're going to trumpet all of those New Year's resolutions about losing weight and getting in better shape, at least give yourself half a chance to make them come true--with a polar product that matches your dedication level and won't break...

Stop sitting on your overcoat.(WHAT'S NEW?)(Brief article)
January 1, 2012... Gone are the days of awkwardly draping your fine coat over your arm while browsing through a sweltering department store, or juggling it in a security line of holiday travelers, or trying to stuff it into an overhead bin, or the final indignity...

Old winter's song: the nights are still long.(flashlights)(WHAT'S NEW?)(Brief article)
January 1, 2012... The days may in reality be getting longer but, to be honest, those winter nights don't seem to be getting any shorter. So, by all means, do not get caught in the dark. Weighing in at roughly three ounces and measuring just four inches long, the...

This bag certainly holds WhatchyaGot.(WHAT'S NEW?)(Brief article)
January 1, 2012... The quite aptly named WhatchyaGot bag offers a stylish and organized solution to the dilemma of clutter when on the go with your brood. Although technically a baby bag, it really can meet all of your carrying needs, as the 10 elastic loops...

What rover needs is a Throver.(WHAT'S NEW?)(Brief article)
January 1, 2012... Kids, pets, messes--they all seem to go together. Some days, trying to keep your furniture or car clean simply is a losing battle. Before reverting to those plastic slipcovers of yesteryear, consider the Throver ($99) from Crypton, Inc., West...

We Can Never Get Enough Nickelodeon
January 1, 2012... When children grow up watching television's Nickelodeon and Nick Jr.--and what kid hasn't?--the unique characters become their friends. The brand's extensive collection of DVDs, video games, toys, board games, etc., allows us to bring the...

VTech: The Place for Fun and Smart Play
January 1, 2012... Since 1980, VTech has been developing high-quality, innovative educational products that enrich children's development through fun and smart play. From infant playthings to reading systems, these electronic learning toys offer age-appropriate...

KNEX's Wild Combos Add Up to Great Fun
January 1, 2012... Combining the characters from the phenomenally popular Nintendo Wii game with the phenomenally popular building set, K'NEX was inspired by Mario Kart Wii to bring these favorites to life, allowing young fans to build tracks, karts, and bikes,...

Fisher-Price Continues to Entertain & Enrich
January 1, 2012... With toys designed both to entertain and enrich your baby's skills at various developmental stages, the products from Fisher-Price, East Aurora, N.Y., encourage learning and open the doors to imaginative play. Rock Star Mickey ($55) lets kids...

Eliminate quackups at the bathroom sink.(What's New?)(Brief article)
January 1, 2012... Even after you finally get them potty-trained, there's that ensuing dilemma at the bathroom sink--many young children still cannot reach the faucet to wash their hands--and it's hard enough getting the little ones dressed and fed in the morning...

This puts putting right up your alley.(What's New?)(Brief article)
January 1, 2012... It is said of golfers--hack-away weekend duffers, not the professionals--that it only takes one or two good shots over the course of 18 holes to get them back out there to try their luck again. So true, but what's also true is that those one or...

Mickey & Minnie's Magical Journey
January 1, 2012... Join a globetrotting tour of delightful destinations in Disney On Ice presents Mickey & Minnie's Magical Journey. Audiences come along on a fun-filled tour to four exciting lands filled with familiar friends. With Mickey Mouse and Minnie...

Shoes become golf cleats ... instantly.(golf shoes)(What's New?)(Brief article)
January 1, 2012... If your new product submission was being judged by PGA professionals and golf buyers with a criteria of aesthetics, uniqueness, consumer need, and overall value (and your submission was Insta Golf Shoes) you would be the proud creator of the top...

Starting the New Year with New Games
January 1, 2012... Nickelodeon Dance ($39.99) by 2K Play is designed to help kids stay physically active as they groove alongside their favorite Nickelodeon friends from "Dora the Explorer," "Go, Diego Go!," "The Backyardigans," and "The Fresh Beat Band" Featuring...

You'll be photo fabulous in no time.(Bamboo Capture Pen & Touch Tablet)(What's New?)(Brief article)
January 1, 2012... Editing photos just got a lot easier. Instead of using a mouse to navigate Photoshop, we switched to the Bamboo Capture Pen & Touch Tablet ($99) from Wacom, Vancouver, Wash. Ordinary digital photographs can become extraordinary as we are...

Get a beast of a charge with monster.(What's New?)(Brief article)
January 1, 2012... Is there anything more vexing than being stuck in an airport and not being able to charge all of your electronic devices? The new Outlets to Go Laptop Power Adapter from Monster is an ideal portable--it's about the size of a deck of playing...

Gentlemen, get your Motormouse running.(What's New?)(Brief article)
January 1, 2012... Some months back, we sang the praises of Motormouse--from David Bailey Developments Limited--the 2.4g wireless computer mouse that is PC and Mac compatible and designed with the iconic look of a sports car. Well, that sports car just got...

Offsetting the rounds by tracking the pounds.(What's New?)(Brief article)
January 1, 2012... With plenty of cold weather still remaining before the change of seasons, it's easy to slip into our cozy sweaters and bulky clothes and overlook those extra pounds that we piled on during the holidays. Save for the dedicated few who are...

You've never been able to drive like this before.(What's New?)(Brief article)
January 1, 2012... From the first time we tried a TomTom GPS device, we couldn't believe we ever got around without one. Amazed by the technology that allowed a voice from our dashboard to tell us where we were and how to get to where we wanted to go, we followed...

Eco-friendly e-commerce.(What's New?)(Brief article)
January 1, 2012... AbesMarket.com is an e-commerce site offering an excellent selection of all-natural and eco-friendly products. Among our excellent finds were: * The Bamboo Wine Rack ($35) is an elegant, modern-design piece that proudly stores and displays...

Milk chocolate finally gets its due.(What's New?)(Brief article)
January 1, 2012... Move over dark chocolate; milk chocolate has gone gourmet--and in a big way. The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, San Leandro, Calif., has decided it's time to give milk chocolate its due by introducing its Gourmet Milk line: Sea Salt Escape....

Think Beka When Cooking Up a Storm
January 1, 2012... As we plan our get-togethers this year, we're going to try something a little more interactive. We're bringing back the fondue! Having just obtained the Korona ($99.95), from Beka, Hauppauge, N.Y., we love the modern look of the stainless steel,...

Oh, my aching back ... feels much better now.(Backjoy Core: The Back Orthotic)(What's new?)(Product/service evaluation)
January 1, 2012... Let's be clear from the outset: Backjoy Core: The Back Orthotic is not just a simple cushion, and it doesn't work like one. Back-joy is a patented medical device registered with the Food and Drug Administration. It will not cure your back pain,...

Getting the Most out of Life the Hi-Tec Way
January 1, 2012... Driven by a restless desire to ensure people make the most of life, Hi-Tec products are developed with the needs of customers in mind, with innovations coming from the need to understand how they're used. In other words, the Portland, Ore.,...

Nike LiveStrong Is Beauty in Motion
January 1, 2012... For no-nonsense gear that won't go out of style, the collection of LiveStrong apparel, footwear, and accessories provides great options. Warm jackets and Dri-FIT baselayers will help get you off the couch and out the door, while versatile...

Bonobos Wears the Pants in the Family
January 1, 2012... Established in 2007, Bonobos, based in NYC's Flatiron District, has grown to be the largest apparel brand in the U.S. launched solely over the Internet. Seeking to resolve the issue of ill-fitting trousers, the company initially offered men's...

A Lot More Than Just Bib Overalls
January 1, 2012... Since its beginnings 90 years ago, the Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Company has transformed itself from a small bib overall company to the largest workwear manufacturer in the world, offering a broad spectrum of garments ranging from work...

Try Trunki for a Funky Travel Experience
January 1, 2012... Academy Award-winning actress Salma Hayek and daughter Valentina spotted at Boston's Logan International Airport with Trixie the Trunki. Rocker Rod Stewart and son Alastair seen at London's Heathrow Airport with their trendy Trunki. Jillian...

1-2-3 Imagine! with Elmo & Friends
January 1, 2012... Where can your imagination take you? Anywhere you want to be! Audiences are invited to make a world of adventure come to life with Elmo, Abby, and friends as the stage lights come up on Sesame Street Live "1-2-3 Imagine! with Elmo & Friends?...

A Voice in the Box: My Life in Radio.(Book review)
January 1, 2012... A VOICE IN THE BOX My Life in Radio BY BOB EDWARDS UNIVERSITY PRESS OF KENTUCKY 2011, 201 PAGES, $21.95 Voices coming from the family's 1939 Zenith radio fascinated the very young Bob Edwards; he "longed for [his] voice to join...

Realizing It's Too Late
January 1, 2012... IT IS A TRUTH NEARLY universally denied--for at least the past 40 year--at one cannot have everything one wants, and certainly not in the order in which desired. This is, of course, heresy. I recall very clearly being told by teachers in...