USA TODAY articles from July 2005

USA TODAY archives from July 2005

Americans' love affair with dolphins.(YOUR LIFE)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Dolphins are America's darlings, according to a poll released by the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, Alexandria, Va. Forty percent of U.S. adults name dolphins as their favorite aquarium animal. They especially are popular among...

Fewer teens seek summer jobs.(YOUR LIFE)
July 1, 2005... An improving economy and a shortage of foreign workers almost guarantee that teenagers seeking summer jobs will find employers welcoming them with open arms, suggests an analysis of the seasonal job market by the global outplacement firm of...

Disneyland celebrates 50th Anniversary.(YOUR LIFE)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Walt Disney Resorts is commemorating 50 years of theme parks with an 18-month global celebration. On July 17, 1955, Walt Disney hosted the opening of Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. Today, there are 10 Disney parks, with an eleventh--in Hong...

July 4th celebrations endanger hearing.(YOUR LIFE)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Americans love to celebrate July 4 with firecrackers, music, and marching bands, but too much noise pollution may lead to a loss of hearing, points out a Ball State University, Muncie, Ind., audiologist. "I don't think people realize how much...

How does 100 mpg sound?(YOUR LIFE)(2005 National Tour de Sol )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... A modified hybrid vehicle recently broke the 100-miles-per-gallon barrier in the 2005 National Tour de Sol held in Albany, N.Y., while a student team from West Philadelphia (Pa.) High School took top honors with its purpose-built hybrid...

Make children "backseat drivers".(YOUR LIFE)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... In 2003, an average of six children under age 15 were killed every day in motor vehicle crashes; 694 more were injured. That is why the National Transportation Safety Board, Washington, D.C., has been working to promote its child passenger...

Congress should butt out on steroids.(Your Life)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Congress should be amending the U.S.'s failed foreign policy--not wasting time investigating private steroid use in sports, declares Andrew Bernstein, senior writer for the Ayn Rand Institute, Irvine, Calif. He insists that "Adult citizens of a...

Tiger's effect on the links.(Your Life)
July 1, 2005... Tiger Woods' phenomenal golfing success and buffed-up physique have brought weight-lifting and physical fitness into the realm of professional and competitive golf in addition to putting more feet--and more socioeconomically diverse...

Ladder accidents injure over 200,000 annually.(Your Life)
July 1, 2005... When working around the house this summer, be aware that one of the most potentially hazardous tools has no electrical cord, gas engine, whirling blades, or multiple moving parts. Yet, it sends more than 222,000 people to emergency rooms each...

Safe biking tips for summer.(Your Life)
July 1, 2005... So what if you're no Lance Armstrong, six-time winner of the Tour de France. Even beginning cyclists should be armed with health information that can help reduce strain, injury, and infection, says Luis Palacios, associate professor of family...

Root out lawn and garden tool hazards.(Your Life)
July 1, 2005... For many Americans, working outdoors on the lawn and in the garden is a great way to exercise and relax. However, safety experts warn that, if caution is not employed with lawn and garden tools, you could wind up spending more time indoors,...

Guarding against insect invasion.(Your Life)
July 1, 2005... To help homeowners best protect against a variety of insects this season, Charlie Duckworth, insecticide expert with Spectrum Brands--a manufacturer of lawn and garden care, insect repellent, and household insect-control products--offers the...

See a doctor before traveling.(Your Life)
July 1, 2005... As the 2005 travel season swings into high gear, the American Society of Travel Agents, Alexandria, Va., announced survey results showing that, while 56% of U.S. travelers plan an itinerary for vacation, just 19% seek advice from a health care...

Is travel going to the dogs?(Your Life)(Product/Service Evaluation)(Industry Overview)
July 1, 2005... Some 74% of U.S. households include companion pets, U.S. Census Bureau statistics show. Dogs, cats, horses, turtles, rabbits, you name it: Pets are popular these days in all shapes, sizes, and breeds. As their popularity has increased, a trend...

Liberty vs. equality.(STATE OF THE NATION)
July 1, 2005... THE CURRENT SOCIAL SECURITY DEBATE is fixated upon numbers: When will the system go bankrupt? Should the cap on taxable wages be raised? Should benefits be indexed to protect low-income workers? What will be the rate of return on private...

Scientific uncertainties and policy controversies over global warming.(National Affairs)
July 1, 2005... HOW SHOULD WE develop public policy on global warming? In view of the scientific uncertainties and the policy controversies, it would be sensible to go one step at a time. First, let us try to understand the issues, then army the policy...

Setting a new course on climate change.(Ecology)
July 1, 2005... GLOBAL CLIMATE POLICY affects the world's economic, energy, "and environmental policies. Climate change does not recognize borders. It is a shared responsibility for all nations. Global climate policy requires a level of diplomatic intensity...

The grand old spending party.(Economics)
July 1, 2005... Pres. George W. Bush has presided over the largest overall increase in inflation-adjusted Federal spending since Lyndon B. Johnson. Even after excluding spending on defense and homeland security, Bush still is the biggest-spending president in...

Democracy is opposition.(WORLD WATCHER)
July 1, 2005... Pres. George W. Bush, right on target in his talk to Russia, said in the context of the former USSR's controlled states in the Baltics: "All free and successful countries have some common characteristics--freedom of worship, freedom of the...

America on the defensive.(Worldview)
July 1, 2005... AMERICA WAS, until recently, the world's sole Superpower. However, this concept has lost its relevance and meaning: The world now is multipolar. Although the U.S. prevails in nuclear kill capacity and maintains troops in 135 of the world's 192...

Hare Krishna comes of age: the movement has matured into a mainstream religion after years of tumult and scandal--but escaping the past never is easy.(Religion)
July 1, 2005... SUPER BOWL SUNDAY, and Boston is fixated on its Patriots. Yet, here, in the city's chic Back Bay neighborhood, I am with just about the only people not thinking of football. Here, as most pregame parties are starting, a horn sounds, and a...

Learning from China.(ECONOMIC OBSERVER)
July 1, 2005... COULD THE AMERICAN DREAM IN CHINA become a nightmare for the world? Millions of Chinese already are living like Americans. Although these U.S.-style consumers only are a small fraction of the population, China's claims on the Earth's resources...

Philanthropy: investing in America's freedom and progress.(Life in America)
July 1, 2005... PEOPLE THINK WE Americans are generous because we are rich. I contend we are rich because we are generous. Voluntary giving in this country guarantees--and always has guaranteed--economic growth. The widely shared impulse to give sustains...

The battle against breast cancer.(Medicine & Health)
July 1, 2005... THERE STILL ARE PLACES in the world where breast cancer and other life-threatening diseases are talked about in whispers--if they even are talked about at all. During my two-year term of service as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Hungary, I...

Baseball as America.(Museums Today)(Cover Story)
July 1, 2005... The traveling exhibition "Baseball as America" showcases a whopping 500 treasures from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Cooperstown, N.Y., dating from the game's early roots in the 19th century to the present day. It offers a...

The all-name All-Stars.(Athletic Arena)
July 1, 2005... I READ ALL the baseball box scores every day. While in Moscow recently, I kept up online. It is a hobby--and an addiction. Going through the boxes, it is clear that the names--not statistics--are what make for fascinating reading. Just in case...

Big time in the little league: for managers, coaches, players, and parents alike, nothing quite can compare to a season on the youth circuit.(Athletic Arena)
July 1, 2005... Pitching line for my son's Little League debut: one inning, four runs (none of them earned; the ball never left the infield), no hits, and too many errors to count. Despite his 0-1 record, he'll start our next game--and not because his father...

Combatting commotio cordis.(SPORTS SCENE)
July 1, 2005... WHEN INJURIES OCCUR to young boys and girls in athletics, parents usually think of knees, ankles, or shoulders--not the heart. Commotio cordis, which can strike suddenly in sports such as baseball, softball, lacrosse, and ice hockey, now is...

Sunshine showdown: American consumers are getting burned once again as manufacturers and the Food and Drug Administration continue to squabble over the delayed approvals of a number of new sunscreen products.(Science & Technology)(Industry Overview)
July 1, 2005... THE REST OF THE WORLD benefits from a variety of sunscreen active ingredients and effectiveness rating systems that are not available in the U.S. The Food and Drug Administration has promised to give American consumers more options, but...

Oil and food security linked.(EYE ON ECOLOGY)(Industry Overview)
July 1, 2005... FROM FARM TO PLATE, the modern food system reties heavily on cheap oil. Threats to the oil supply also are threats to the food supply. As food undergoes more processing and travels farther, the system consumes ever more energy each year. The...

Let there be light.(Science & Technology)
July 1, 2005... EVERYTHING WE SEE, most of what we do, and much of what we feel is touched by light. For more than a century, electric lighting has expanded our lives at home, work, and leisure. Indeed, try to imagine our modern times without readily available...

When dinosaurs dominated: ancient creatures arrive from China: A new exhibition "tells the story of how the planet changed while dinosaurs ruled the Earth--and how this affected the evolution of dinosaurs and other life.(The World Yesterday)
July 1, 2005... "DINOSAUR DYNASTY: Discoveries from China" introduces North American dinosaur enthusiasts to the prehistoric creatures that ruled large tracts of Asia for 165,000,000 years. The exhibition features fossils and life-size cast reproductions from...

The threat from attack attorneys is no joke.(Law & Justice)
July 1, 2005... MANY OF US have wondered over the years what the difference is between satire and reality in the American legal system. I have the answer: one year, 11 months, and 10 days. Let me explain. On Aug. 3, 2000, The Onion--America's favorite...

News media is MIA on vital issues.(WORDS IMAGES)
July 1, 2005... NO MATTER HOW AMBIVALENT or angry Americans seem to get, the one constant belief is that the news media will act the role of the Fourth Estate, protecting them from the greed and excesses of special interests both in and out of government. Most...

Modern America and the diminishing individual.(American Thought)
July 1, 2005... The impudence, indifference, and self-centeredness evidenced by some Americans are symptomatic of a contemporary national malaise. This behavior largely is attributable to social change brought about by the combination of physical circumstances...

Groucho and Leo in the soup.(REEL WORLD)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)(Critical Essay)
July 1, 2005... THE MARX BROTHERS' "Duck Soup" (1933) is one of the watershed films of American cinema. No less a comedy artist than Woody Allen calls it "probably the best talking comedy ever made," and uses an extended clip from it to anchor one of his own...

Swim ways for summer days.(WHAT'S NEW?)(Swim Ways)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... In these hectic times, it seems we're always on the go. It's nice to come across a company that makes such enticing pool and beach products that we can't help but take a little time to stretch out and unwind. Swim Ways, Virginia Beach, Va., has...

Wham-O is wowsville.(WHAT'S NEW?)(Slip 'N Slide Obstacle Course from Wham-O Inc.)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... Have you ever seen kids have as much fun as they do on Slip 'N Slides? Seems to us about the last thing we would want to do is run and dive onto the ground to slide through ice cold water from the hose, but the children do it--with shrieks of...

Kool-Aid Freeze Factory.(WHAT'S NEW?)(Kool-Aid Freeze Factory from Wham-O)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... It's such a simple idea: Kids love Kool-Aid, frozen treats, and creating their own concoctions. Put them all together and you've got the Kool-Aid Freeze Factory from Wham-O, Emeryville, Calif.---a fun way to enjoy ice pops and slushies in...

Super Soaker SoakerTag frenzy.(WHAT'S NEW?)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... Already well known for its ability to achieve incredible soakage at maximum distances, the Super Soaker brand by Hasbro, Pawtucket, R.I., has added three new SoakerTag Elite water blasters to its already indomitable line. (Introduced early...

Bell brings the best to bicycling.(What's New?)(Bell GelTech Seat, Bell Night Charger, Bell TotalFit Speedometer/Pedometer/Calorie Counter from Bell Sports)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... In years past, whenever we needed a bicycle helmet for ourselves or the kids, there was no need to look any further than Bell Sports, Santa Cruz, Calif., with an unmatched collection of colorful and top-quality headgear for cyclists of all ages...

Insect control can be a lifesaver.(What's New?)(Cutter Advanced Insect Repellent from Spectrum Brands)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... With mosquito season in full swing, we need to remember that these insects are more than just pesky--one bite can lead to an infection that can cause serious illness or even death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which...

Cool down your cook-out.(What's New?)(Outdoor Patio Fan from Holmes Group)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... Creating a comfortable outdoor living area can be a challenge. So often, the delicious smell of the barbecue brings with if the nuisance of a smoke-filled patio, while warmer weather attracts all sorts of annoying insects that buzz around the...

Teeny Towels keep convenience at hand.(What's New?)(Teeny Towels from Parents of Invention)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... If one thing is for certain, it's that life is messy--especially for children. When you're out and about, it isn't always possible to run to a restroom to wash up. A convenient solution comes from Parents of Invention, Reseda, Calif., in the...

The prince has new shoes.(What's New?)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... If it can be boiled down to just one thing, agility is the ability most needed to play tennis or, to put it more precisely, play tennis well. So, our ears naturally perked up plenty when we got wind of the new T10 shoe from Prince Sports, Inc.,...

Riding the wave is simply beautiful.(What's New?)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... Maybe it's an overreaction from a floral-deprived childhood--Dad was the family gardener and he insisted exclusively on greenery--but as soon as warm weather hits, we're more than ready to fill the yard with bright, beautifully colored flowers....

Stepping like a star.(What's New?)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... There are a lot of choices on the market for practicing dance steps using bulky mats, but Wham-O, Inc., Emeryville, Calif., has come up with the innovative Star Steps dance lights to get your kids up off the couch and moving. Star Steps...

Block the sun, not the fun.(What's New?)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... Although the primary cause is known--excessive sun exposure--skin cancer is increasing at a faster rate than any other cancer. Overexposure to sunlight in childhood widely is accepted as the underlying cause and experts believe that, by...

Keeping it high and dry without getting soaked.(What's New?)(Dri-It Humidity Absorber from Sphinx Adsorbents Inc.)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... Where we live in the Northeast, as in many parts of the country, one of the biggest nuisances of this time of the year is the humidity. We fight back with expensive to own and operate dehumidifiers, which only work if you remember to keep their...

Museum memo.(Brief Article)(Directory)
July 1, 2005... What's new in museums around the country? Among the more interesting exhibitions on view are: Baseball Show 2005, Harrison Works, Chicago, through July 11. Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries, American Museum of Natural...

Reach new heights of cordless convenience.(What's New?)(Pole Pruning Saw from Black & Decker)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... Even when pruning trees, we like to keep our feet firmly on the ground, and thanks to the 18 Volt Rechargeable Pole Pruning Saw from Black & Decker, Towson, Md., we can. This lightweight (under 10 pounds) wonder makes ladders and step stools...

Skybox Rookie Fridge proves perfect roomie.(What's New?)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... An essential for dorm living, a refrigerator can keep a coed sane, whether in need of a cold soda, midnight snack, or just a break from the dining hall fare. New from Maytag, Newton, Iowa, is a customizable mini-fridge on wheels--the SkyBox...

You can survive dorm life.(What's New?)(Dorm Survival Kit from Barbara K Enterprises)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... Even though it seems like the kids just got out of school, it's not too early to be planning what to bring to college. Anyone who has ever lived in a dorm knows that even the simplest project can be impossible without basic tools. Remember the...

Stay in step with wood.(What's New?)(Cosco Home & Office Products Rockford Series 2-Step and 3-Step Wood Step Stools)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... There's just something about wood--perhaps its textured, rich surface or eye-catching grain patterns--that make it appealingly irresistible. We especially enjoy when the wonders of wood are used in unanticipated ways and unexpected places--take...

You've watched the film now feel the force.(VIDEO GAME)(Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... How many times have you seen "Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith"? Well, here's your chance to stop being a spectator, get off your landing struts, and fly into the adventure. The video game by the same name puts the lightsaber into...

Discovering the next American Idol.(What's New?)( American Idol Digital Camcorder from Digital Blue)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... No one can argue with the popularity of the hit Fox series "American Idol." While not everybody will have the chance to audition for the hot show, anybody can create and star in a music video with the help of the American Idol Digital Camcorder...

Bad News: The Decline of Reporting, the Business of News, and the Danger to Us All.(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... BAD NEWS: The Decline of Reporting, the Business of News, and the Danger to Us All BY TOM FENTON REGAN BOOKS, HARPER COLLINS 2005, 247 PAGES, $25.95 Four decades as a journalist and foreign correspondent for CBS News make Tom Fenton...

The Einstein Almanac.(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... THE EINSTEIN ALMANAC BY ALICE CALAPRICE THE JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY PRESS 2005, 176 PAGES, $24.95 Do not let the title scare you away from picking up this book. It is a virtual treasure of biographical and historical facts, centering...

Oh, God!(PARTING THOUGHTS)
July 1, 2005... RELIGION SEEMS TO BE a hot topic today, as the Evangelicals take credit for electing George W. Bush. Then, too, the old saw about evolution and creationism keeps coming up, despite hard evidence of the former. Likewise, there is the...