USA TODAY articles from November 2004

USA TODAY archives from November 2004

Would Kerry cut Social Security 80%?(Your Life)(U.S. presidential candidate John F. Kerry)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Although Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry has not laid out a plan to reform Social Security or to solve its fiscal problems, he has said he would consider "making sure that high-income beneficiaries don't get more out than they pay...

"Presidential Cycle" helps investors.(Your Life)
November 1, 2004... Pocketbook issues always have played a key role in deciding presidential elections, and, mindful of that reality, candidates for the nation's highest office spend enormous amounts of time, energy, and money during the campaign season trying to...

Are George W. Bush & Teresa Heinz Kerry the perfect match?(Your Life)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... If politics were a beauty contest, Pres. George W. Bush and First Lady hopeful Teresa Heinz Kerry would come in first place, according to a poll by the independent global market research company GMI, Inc., Seattle, Wash. In the online...

Third-party politics probably not a factor.(Your Life)(presidential candidate Ralph Nader, 2004)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Most voters will not be listening to Ralph Nader and his third-party platform for one simple reason, points out California-based political analyst Walter Stone. The voters see a clear choice between the Democrats and Republicans and will not be...

Black vote vaulted "first" JFK.(Your Life)(election of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, 1960)
November 1, 2004... With Pres. George W. Bush and Sen. John F. Kerry both after the African-American vote, a recently unearthed recording reveals how Martin Luther King, Jr., regarded blacks' influence in an earlier presidential contest. According to a transcript...

Disagreements keep democracy intact.(Your Life)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The amount of friendly disagreements about politics is keeping democracy strong in the U.S., concludes a book co-authored by political scientist Paul Johnson of the University of Kansas, Manhattan. Political Disagreement proposes that,...

How religion affects elections.(Your Life)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Several issues that could affect the outcome of the presidential election hinge at least in part on religion, notes visiting assistant professor of religion Amy Lotion of Swarthmore (Pa.) College. "It's still rare to have a Catholic run for...

Clergy's open letter on same-sex unions.(Your Life)(Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing)
November 1, 2004... Although the Federal Marriage Amendment already has been defeated in both the Senate and House, the debate continues. As such, a coalition of faith leaders has released an Open Letter in support of marriage equality. Functioning under the...

Jim Crow legislation finally in jeopardy.(Your Life)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... A report on the present-day legacy of segregation in the public schools, issued by the Jim Crow Study Group at the University of Arizona, Tempe, has generated legislative action in Louisiana and Missouri. Other states are expected to follow....

Tougher laws decrease drunk driving.(Your Life)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Young drivers in states with more restrictive licensing laws had lower rates of heavy drinking and driving under the influence of alcohol than those in states with less restrictive laws, points out the report "Graduated Driver Licensing and...

Is America ready for a sex makeover TV show?(Your Life)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... "Sex Inspectors" is the first TV show in history to put cameras in the bedroom of ordinary people and have their sex lives critiqued--and spiced up--by two "sexperts" (American advice columnist Michael Alvear and British therapist Tracey Cox)....

Time again for flu shots.(Your Life)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... As the flu season heats up, the American Lung Association has launched its online "flu shot locator" at www.lungusa.org to help more people find and obtain flu vaccinations in their neighborhoods. "Approximately 200,000 hospitalizations...

Storage tips for boaters.(Your Life)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Soon it will be time to make sure your warm-weather toys--especially boats--do not deteriorate during the "hibernation" season. There are a few simple measures for winterizing and protecting that can pretty much guarantee your water sporting...

Fantasy football costs businesses millions.(Your Life)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The nation's employers may be hit with an unexpected "tax" tied to the 2004-05 National Football League season. It is the cost of wages paid to the legions of workers taking time during office hours to manage their fantasy football league...

Agriculture Census results are in.(Your Life)
November 1, 2004... Half of America's farms and ranches have Internet access and nearly 39% report using a computer for their farm business, according to data released from the most recent Census of Agriculture. "These data illustrate the importance of the...

Executives thankful for interesting work.(Your Life)
November 1, 2004... When people sit down for Thanksgiving dinner, they often express appreciation for their family, friends, and good health--but what are they grateful for on the job? Forty-three percent of advertising and marketing executives polled said they...

'Tis the season to be tempted.(Your Life)
November 1, 2004... If you are tempted by festive parties and treats lurking around the office cooler this season, a University of Iowa, Iowa City, heart care specialist has suggestions that can help you cut down on calories or balance them with exercise during...

Tips for a top-notch turkey.(Your Life)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Whether you follow the current low-carb craze, are watching calories, or plan to stick to a traditional feast--turkey is the perfect protein. With Thanksgiving on the horizon, Butterball Turkey, Downers Grove, Ill., offers the following tips...

Stress-free holiday shopping.(Your Life)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Here are 10 tips from Lennox, Inc., Lawrenceville, N.J., for taking the stress out of holiday shopping: * Make a list of everyone who is to receive gifts and include ideas for the perfect presents--keep in mind personalities, hobbies,...

The president and the terrorist: does George W. Bush have business ties to Osama bin Laden?(National Affairs)
November 1, 2004... "... Isn't it a concern that [former Pres. George H.W.] Bush, having traveled the world soliciting business for a giant defense contractor with deep ties to Saudi sheiks who funded Al Qaeda... may have been whispering into the ear of his...

The U.S.'s befuddled approach to the war on terrorism.(Worldview)
November 1, 2004... BY JUNE, 2004, virtually all government experts on terrorism agreed that Al Qaeda would strike the U.S. in the coming months. The experts were wrong, again, because Al Qaeda has become decentralized, narrowly focusing on regional targets...

America as Western Europe.(State Of The Nation)(Column)
November 1, 2004... RARELY DOES ONE PRESIDENTIAL election decide the future of the country. Three in American history come to mind: the elections of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, Franklin Roosevelt in 1932, and Ronald Reagan in 1980. It is not clear if the 2004 version...

How political ignorance threatens democracy.(American Thought)
November 1, 2004... AN INFORM ELECTORATE is a prerequisite for democracy. If voters do not know what is going on in politics, they cannot rationally exercise control over government policy. Inadequate voter knowledge has two major negative implications. First, it...

Setting the record straight concerning low voter turnout.(Life in America)
November 1, 2004... EVERY YEAR as Election Day approaches, especially during presidential campaigns, critics of American politics decry low voter turnout. They note that it has declined steadily since the halcyon days of the 1960s. Some trace that drop to the...

An American mentality.(World Watcher)(evaluation of political risk in the U.S.)(Business Environment Risk Information model)
November 1, 2004... IN THE FOREIGN INVESTMENT and globalizing world, political risk is a critical factor in go and no-go decisions and in projecting management needs to deal with the vagaries of social and cultural environments. A variety of models are employed to...

Journalism's high-tech revolution.(Mass Media)(Column)
November 1, 2004... LOOKING DOWN FROM the window of Air Force One, the U.S. often looks small and vulnerable to me, just as it did that morning of Sept. 11, 2001. Was it really more than three years ago? Sometimes, it feels like only yesterday. For reporters...

Medicare cuts endanger hemophilia sufferers.(Medicine & Health)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... THE PRESCRIPTION DRUG and Medicare Improvement Act of 2003 has one major flaw--reimbursements on medical supplies and home health care. The problem is that legislators are embracing a new reimbursement model without fully understanding its...

America as captured on canvas: an extraordinary exhibition of one of the foremost private collections ever assembled brings to life a vibrant nation through its captivating people and breathtaking landscapes.(Museums Today)("American Masters from Bingham to Eakins: The John Wilmerding Collection" at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.)(Biography)
November 1, 2004... AMERICAN MASTERS from Bingham to Eakins: The John Wilmerding Collection" showcases one of the most important private collections of 19th-century, American art. The exhibition of 51 paintings by 26 artists displays works by such talents as...

Frogs: A Chorus of Colors: this is "a fascinating and fun exhibition that explores the incredible diversity of this important group of amphibians which has been roaming the Earth for more than 200,000,000 years, at least as long as the dinosaurs.".(Focus on Nature)(American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York)
November 1, 2004... THE EXHIBITION, "Frogs: A Chorus of Colors," featuring more than 200 live frogs from over 17 countries, introduces visitors to the colorful and richly diverse world of these complex amphibians through an exploration of their evolution and...

The sixth great extinction.(Eye On Ecology)(scientist predict a mass extinction is on the way)
November 1, 2004... ALMOST 440,000,000 YEARS AGO, some 85% of marine animal species were wiped out in the Earth's first known mass extinction. Roughly 73,000,000 years later, lane quantities of fish and. 70% of marine invertebrates perished in a second major...

The quandary over mental illness.(Psychology)
November 1, 2004... IN 2001, there was an important event concerning the decades-old struggle between critics of psychiatry and worldwide institutional psychiatry. The Fifth International Russell Tribunal on Human Rights in Psychiatry--of which the author was a...

Lunatics, authors, and getting black on white.(Reel World)
November 1, 2004... I RECENTLY WAS AN INSTRUCTOR at a writers' conference. Like most authors who are not named Stephen King, I need a day job. That would be teaching film theory and history, at Ball State University, although I do the occasional writers"...

The death penalty as delineated by the Old Testament: from Adam and Eve to Cain and Abel to Noah and the Flood to Abraham and Sodom to Moses and the Ten Commandments, Biblical passages trace the roots for how modern society deals with the execution of killers.(The World Yesterday)(Cover Story)
November 1, 2004... AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY of Americans support a death penalty for those--and only those--who deserve to die. These same citizens also embrace the Constitution, which ensures equal protection under the law, commands due process, and forbids...

Brown vs. Board of Education: celebrating a half-century of hope.(Education)(end of educational segregation)
November 1, 2004... WHEN THE HISTORIC Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education was issued in 1954. I was a sophomore at Morehouse College in Atlanta. The response of the university's hierarchy and professors, along with the shared thoughts and debates...

No news is good news.(Words & Images)(media relations)
November 1, 2004... IN CHINA AROUND 1160 AD, there was an enormous public appetite for inside news about the government. Private reporters who were connected with these sensation-seeking newspapers--which, at the time, were handwritten--often were accused of...

Life at the end of the Reaganomics rainbow.(Economics)
November 1, 2004... SINCE RONALD REAGAN'S death, man inspiring speeches have been delivered and adulatory" articles written about his presidency. Few of the tributes, however, have recognized Reagan's greatest achievement, which was indispensable to the U.S....

A "singular" tax penalty.(Economic Observer)
November 1, 2004... FORGET THE MARRIAGE PENALTY. Fact is, singles get a worse break from the tax code than marrieds do. Worse yet, sometimes you can be treated as a single even if you are married. Here are some of the most egregious problems singles face. ...

Let's fry up that big bird.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)
November 1, 2004... The Southern custom of deep frying turkey has gained in popularity across the U.S. in the past few years. Those of us who had never heard of this style of cooking couldn't imagine taking a beautiful Thanksgiving turkey out into the backyard and...

Lighting the way for our troops.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Though we're used to seeing single candles in windows at Christmastime, they've recently become a year-round accessory. During Colonial times, colonists placed candles in their windows to tell soldiers and weary travelers they were welcome in...

Elegant functionality from Nambe.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... There's something special about Christmas decorations. But we're not just talking about any decorations--we're referring to those from Nambe, Santa Fe, N.M. Its museum-quality collection of tabletop and gift accessories consists of metal,...

Life just gets sweeter all the time.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)
November 1, 2004... Looking for e sweet, elegant gift for the holidays? Look no further than Joseph Schmidt Confections, San Francisco, Calif., for an incredible selection of delectable chocolates. Known for its innovative creations and chocolate sculptures, JSC...

Top shelf all the way.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Never cut corners on liquor--always go top shelf. With that in mind, and the fact that 'Tis Almost the Season for holiday celebrations--we zeroed in on a couple of gift sets designed to enhance America's favorite cocktail--the martini. ...

The unstoppable spongebob revolution.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)
November 1, 2004... It's an obvious understatement to say that cartoons have changed dramatically since we were kids. Far be it from us to take sides and claim that one generation's animation holds sway over another's. However, we will go on record as stating that...

Enjoying video games galore.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)
November 1, 2004... If you look at the top of most kids' wish lists, you are bound to find new titles for their gaming systems. We looked at a bevy of the latest releases and they're sure to please this holiday season. Based on the immensely popular...

A super blast from the past.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)
November 1, 2004... Arcade-type games are all the rage this season and leading the way is Jakks Pacific, Malibu, Calif. Adding to their tremendously popular line of TV Games, new titles for this season include Ms. Pac-Man, Spider-Man, Atari Paddle Games, and...

Radica is way radical.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)
November 1, 2004... Who says today's kids don't get enough exercise because they are too busy vegging out in front of the television set? Certainly not the folks at Radica USA, Dallas, Tex., whose interactive Play TV line not only is a blast, it keeps youngsters...

Turning game time into brain time.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)
November 1, 2004... There's really no denying the fact that kids love video games, but should we be concerned when very young children play the games designed for their older siblings? One of our favorite companies has answered a call from parents to provide safe...

VrRoom zooming in the living room!(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)
November 1, 2004... It used to be that only grown-ups and teenagers got to have all the fun by getting to fly radio-controlled airplanes. Little kids, though, finally are in the mix thanks to the VrRoom Zoom indoor and outdoor plane from Jasman Incorporated,...

All hail Hasbro!(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)
November 1, 2004... Prompted by the runaway success of VideoNow--the first-ever kid-friendly portable, personable video player, Hasbro, Inc., Pawtucket, R.I., has taken it up a notch with VideoNow Color ($75). It offers the hottest names in children's...

Read me a story ... then another and another.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)
November 1, 2004... Described as "the next best thing to a parent's lap," Story Reader, from Publications International, LTD, Lincolnwood, Ill., is an electronic storybook reader for kids aged three to eight. Children only are required to turn pages--neither...

Charged batteries close at hand.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Especially at this time of year, batteries seemingly are needed for everything. Too bad that you can never find them, and when you do, they're as likely as not to be low on power. No longer, at least if you have the Igo Battery Center ($24.99)...

You can't match matchbox.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)(matchbox vehicles still enchant)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Man's enduring attachment to the automobile is never more evident than when little boys--most likely joined by their fathers--play for hours with their Matchbox cars and trucks. As a tip of the cap to Matchbox's 35th anniversary, Mattel, Inc.,...

The humanoids are here.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)
November 1, 2004... For those who are convinced that the U.S. leads the way in technological innovation (the Japanese not withstanding), competition has arrived from a surprising source--North of the Border. WowWee Ltd., Quebec, Canada (with an assist from their...

Let your kids make the K'Nex-tion.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... If there's one thing all kids--boys and girls alike--love to do, it's build things. And there's no better place for them to work out their construction inclinations than with a few building sets from K'Nex Industries, Inc., Hatfield, Pa. ...

Bubbly fun in tub town.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)
November 1, 2004... Winter may be in the offing, but, no matter what the weather, there's no keeping the little ones away from bubbles or out of the bathtub. Enter Funrise Toy Corp., Woodland Hills, Calif., makers of the Gazillion Bubble Machine and Tub Town...

A master view of times gone by.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)(View-Masters still have a place)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Some items--deservedly so--seemingly have been around forever, like, for instance, View-Master, which this year enjoys its 65th anniversary. To mark the occasion, Fisher-Price,. East Aurora, N.Y., has issued a View-Master 65th Anniversary Box...

Could there be a horse in the house?(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)
November 1, 2004... We know that kids love to play dress-up. We know that kids love to pretend that they are dinosaurs, horses, or fairies. Well, Right Brain from big Boing Toys LLC, Sausalito, Calif., has combined the two with Get-Up: The Wearable Sound-FX...

Trail biking with the best.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)
November 1, 2004... When we think of the great outdoors, our mind can't help but drift to the American Northwest, which is sort of strange since we've never been anywhere near there. Nevertheless, to us at least, if there is one place to engage in outdoor...

Speedy stunts on reverse tricycle.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)
November 1, 2004... The latest in dare-devil excitement for youngsters? How about a really cool contraption that looks something like an oversized reverse tricycle. Salton, Inc., Lake Forest, Ill., has introduced a new line of three-wheeled bicycles called WRFF...

Good for going ... and staying.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)
November 1, 2004... Jeep Consumer Products is a registered trademark of DaimlerChrysler Corporation, So, it's a safe bet that the folks over there know a thing or two about putting out quality modes of transportation. Actually, we weren't looking for a car,...

A scientific fact.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Since you can't keep kids away from computers and computer games, why not give them their own electronic learning laptop? Oregon Scientific, Inc., Tualatin, Ore., has an extensive line of affordable, educational products that employ...

Kick it! Stick it! That puck is flyin'.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)(Can You Imagine has great toys )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... During lunch period in high school, we'd flatten an empty milk container and play soccer in the alcove outside the cafeteria. Such low-tech fun would never do today, not when kids can use the Kick It-Stick It Hover Action Air Puck from Can You...

He shoots ... he s-c.o.o.o.r.e.s!(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)(ESPN GameStation)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... At our house, there is driveway hockey and patio hockey outside, and hallway hockey, basement hockey, and living room hockey inside. While nothing's been broken, yet--talk about a Miracle on Ice!--using doorways, wood-burning stoves (minus the...

Patch proves perfect once again.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)(games from Patch Products)
November 1, 2004... The old reliables are... well... just that--old reliables. Each year, we're always sure to search out the latest line of games and puzzles from Patch Products, Inc., Beloit, Wisc. We're never disappointed. This season, Patch has ventured...

Trivia by the Pound, laughs by the hour.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Compact trivia that tips the scales is in store for anyone lucky enough to uncover Trivia by the Pound, the latest from Rumba Games, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Music, Literature, Pop Culture, Sports, Big Screen, Small Screen, and Christmas...

What's with all the hubbub?(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)(Hubbub: The Game of Sound, Mind and Body )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... As people continue to reclaim family time and stay closer to home, board games have made a come-back. Hubbub: The Game of Sound, Mind & Body ($29.95) from Hubbub, Inc., Northfield, Ill., is a newcomer to the field which looks to have some...

Bandai brings a lot to the table.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... For some perennial favorites and the next generation, don't forget to check with Bandai America, Cypress, Calif., your source for Power Rangers, Strawberry Shortcake, Tamagotchi Connection, and T'Neez. When Tamagotchi was released in 1996,...

Buster Brown a century later.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... "That's my dog Tige; he lives in a shoe. I'm Buster Brown, look for me in there, too" Gosh, talk about memories. You would be hard-pressed to find a baby boomer who doesn't recall that commercial slogan--or one who didn't own Buster Brown shoes...

Keeping your tiny tomatoes warm.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)(Tiny Tomatoes wool products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Nothing feels as soft, comfortable, and luxurious as cashmere, unless of course it's hand-knit kids' clothing (made with 100% alpaca wool that is machine washable) from Tiny Tomatoes, Herndon, Va. With chilly weather at hand, Tomatoes'...

What's your emergency?(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)(Miss Army LLC introduces the Miss Army Kit purse)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Today's on-the-go woman has to be prepared for anything and purses just aren't large enough to carry all she needs. Enter the Miss Army Kit from Miss Army LLC, Los Angeles, Calif. A mini-accessory that contains 16 features--flashlight,...

The sweet smell of Hawaii.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)
November 1, 2004... Have you ever been involved in some mundane task such as cleaning your home and started daydreaming about a tropical paradise? Well, with Malie Kaua'i, you won't actually be dreaming when that happens. Straight from Kaua'i, Hawaii, Malie...

DVD on the go.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)
November 1, 2004... What we really love about the high-tech electronics revolution is portability. No sooner does the latest marvel hit the shelves than a smaller, slimmed-down version--that still retains all the bells and whistles-is available as well. And the...

Now that makes scents.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... A revolutionary twist in home fragrance has arrived for the holidays. Scentstories, from Proctor & Gamble's Febreze, Cincinnati, Ohio, is a specially designed disc player that will have your house, apartment, or office smelling better than...

There's nothing like Caldrea clean.(What's New? Holiday Gift Guide)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... We've told you before about the many wonderful products of The Caldrea Company. Minneapolis, Minn., whose lines of aromatherapeutic products allow you to clean house, contribute to a healthy environment, and create a sweet-smelling home all at...

Thanks for the complaint.(Parting Thoughts)
November 1, 2004... WE ALL ARE GRATEFUL that our nation celebrates a special day on which to give thanks for our blessings. As a fundamental part of our Pilgrim heritage, we cherish Thanksgiving Day by making it a holiday, arranging free meals for the poor, and...