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The article discusses ethical consumerism in the U.S. and its profitability for all. It cites related comments made by U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1937. It notes that the financial crisis has spawned the growth of socially-responsible investing and purchasing of fuel-efficient cars. It discusses the realization that group acceptance of such responsibility is good for the economy.

The article describes the best inventions of 2008 including: the Retail DNA Test; the Tesla Roadster, an electric car; the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter; Hulu.com, a network TV-show hub; The Large Hadron Collider; the Global Seed Vault; the world's first moving skyscraper, in Dubai; thin film solar panels; the 46th Mersenne Prime; and the Speedo LZR Racer.

The article highlights newly launched products in categories such as home audio devices, televisions and toys. Items reviewed include the Sennheiser MX W1 Wireless Headphones, the Mitsubishi LaserView TV and Disney's Ultimate WALL-E.

This article examines the daily food intake of three American teenagers as evaluated by nutritionist and author Marion Nestle. The teens' diets varied from one boy fed on home grown vegetables and cattle to another girl eating a fast food meal, but Nestle claims that they all needed to have more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

The article discusses successful nonprofit organizations, the impact they have had, and the people who started them. Wendy Kopp started Teach for America in 1990 which connects the worst American schools with the brightest young college graduates. Bill Drayton started Ashoka in 1980 which supports ambitious advocates with funding and networking. Jay Backstrand started VolunteerMatch in 1998 which uses the internet to connect those who are interested in community service with needy organizations.

The article discusses volunteer work in the U.S. The author states that in order for a republic to survive, it needs not only the consent of the governed but also their active participation. 2007 saw the highest rate of volunteers since the 1970s. The author explains this is because confidence in the government is low and people feel they can personally make a difference through community service. What 2008 U.S. presidential candidates plan to do to to boost volunteer work is also presented.

The article lists philanthropists and their activities around the world. David Rockefeller, former chairman of Chase Bank, has pledged millions to the Museum of Modern Art and Rockefeller University in New York City. Yu Panglin, a hotel tycoon in China and the country's top philanthropist, donates medical care to the poor in rural China. Pierre and Pam Omidyar, eBay billionaires, created a network to help connect people who want to give with those in need.

The article focuses on the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University shooting by Cho Seung-Hui. The events at Virginia Tech are described as well as Cho's past behavior at the university and the court-ordered psychiatric evaluation of him. Several professors and students commented on their impressions of Cho, ranging from being disturbed to trying to reach out to him. The reaction of students concerning Virginia Tech's accountability concerning warnings about a gunman are mentioned. INSET: Perfectly Legal.

This article discusses radio disc jockey Don Imus, the racial slur that offended a Rutgers University women's basketball team, and the media rules regulating what can be said on the air. The author purports that we live in a culture where racially and sexually edgy material is often considered brilliant comment, even art.

The article profiles several users of social networking web sites like YouTube.com, Facebook.com, and MySpace.com, and discusses how each user has utilized the web sites. Profiled users include Lane Hudson, the first person to break the story of former Florida Representative Mark Foley's inappropriate emails sent to a congressional page. Also profiled are Pakistani photographer Ali Khurshid, signal officer Captain Lee Kelley, and campaign worker S. R. Sidarth.

The article looks at a variety of new automotive concepts and developments. Included are the battery powered Testa Roadster that does 130 m.p.h. and travels 250 miles on a charge, a natural gas powered motorcycle that gets 108 m.p.g., a vehicle that gets 3,145 m.p.g. of gas, and a battery recharger operated from inside the car.

This article focuses on how high school students are best served by researching colleges to find their perfect match, rather than getting caught up in the prestige of an Ivy League name. Research shows that success in the job market is based on a student's success at the college of their choice, not on the brand of their education. The article suggests that parents should adopt a more open approach to the college search, understanding how much has changed since they were students. INSET: Free Tuition for Smart Kids.

The article addresses the alleged massacre committed by U.S. Marines in the town of Haditha, Iraq. On November 19, 2005 24 mostly unarmed Iraqi civilians were killed. The incident, and its alleged cover-up, are being investigated by the military. Many feel that what happened in Haditha is a reason for the U.S. to pull troops out of Iraq; others feel that it demonstrates a reason to stay.

The article looks at former U.S. President Bill Clinton and his efforts to fight obesity in the U.S. The Clinton Foundation, the American Heart Association and the nations' three biggest beverage manufacturers, including Coke, Pepsi, and Cadbury Schweppes, announced an agreement to begin rolling back America's growing obesity epidemic by removing high-calorie, sugary drinks from U.S. schools and replacing them with more nutritious options.

The article discusses Joseph's relationship with Jesus. A growing interest in Joseph is reflected in recent books that fill out the narrative only hinted at in the Bible's brief mentions of him. Howard Edington's "The Forgotten Man of Christmas: Joseph's Story," combines biblical analysis with material suggested by additional reading. From almost the moment the gospels were set down, early Christian communities, church fathers, Pontiffs and random laity have colored in the lightly sketched character of Joseph.

This article reports on Samuel A. Alito Jr., U.S. President George W. Bush's nominee for the Supreme Court. Alito has spent the past 15 years as a judge on the Third Circuit Appeals Court. Goodwin Liu, a professor of constitutional law at the University of California, Berkeley, characterized Alito's approach to the law as formulistic and mechanical. The author compares Alito to current Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

The article looks at how the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush is planning on recovering from the recent political turmoil caused by the indictment of Vice President chief of staff I. Lewis Libby, the indictment of Republican House majority leader Tom Delay, the failed Supreme Court nomination of Harriet Miers and ongoing criticisms related to the war in Iraq. The article suggests that the recent problems have awakened the administration from its sense of infallibility. According to the author, the Bush administration will implement a "back-to-basics" strategy that will focus on traditional Republican issues.

Focuses on the controversy surrounding the teaching of evolutionary biology and intelligent design in American public schools. View of U.S. President George W. Bush that lessons in evolutionary biology should be combined with a discussion of intelligent design; View of intelligent design supporters that the theory provides a subtler way of finding evidence of God's fingerprints in nature that traditional creationism; Review of how evolutionary biology is regarded as one of the best supported ideas in science; History of the conflict regarding what theory should be taught in American public schools; Comparison of intelligent design theory to evolutionary biology; Review of how each theory would be taught in the classroom.

Focuses on being a thirteen-year-old teenager. Belief that 13 marks a significant age between childhood and adulthood; Survey conducted of 13-year-olds, suggesting a more pessimistic outlook on life and the U.S.; Emergence of the term "teenager" after children stopped working in factories and started growing up in sheltered environments; Observation that today's teenagers are less likely to smoke, drink, do drugs, get pregnant, commit a crime or drop out despite parental fears that children today face more threats.

The article reports on dotcom entrepreneurs Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom's next endeavor. The businesses Skype and Kazaa are companies that they founded and have already sold. Their latest idea was called the Venture Project and now is referred to as Joost. Software development is in the works for this free, real time, network quality, interactive television viewing from thousands of channels.

The article discusses janitors, their salaries, and the living wage movement. Janitors who live in cities where janitors are unionized and have collectively negotiated salaries make significantly more than those who do not live in such cities. The Service Employees International Union's Justice for Janitors campaign is also examined.

The article looks at loopholes in United States taxes associated with the synthetic fuels industry. The Congress budget-reconciliation bill contains provisions for rolling back the price of a barrel of crude oil, which benefits a small group of investors and companies because synthetic fuel produced from coal is dependent on government tax credits. The Internal Revenue Service rule for transforming coal into synfuel to get tax credit requires only that the substance be chemically altered in some way. INSET: WHAT'S IN THE FINE PRINT.

The article discusses the fiscal policy of U.S. President George W. Bush and the outlook for the federal budget. The President plans to use his State of the Union address to talk about fiscal restraint. His aversion to big government programs will be emphasized while "earmarks" are inserted into legislation. Statistics are given showing the projected deficit and government spending across categories. Information is given about the number and cost of pork-barrel projects included in this year's federal budget.

The article reports on the U.S. mania for Christmas shopping, even as Americans have more debt and more expenses. The day after Thanksgiving is the start of a competitive race for consumers to find good deals that may not make retailers any money. Included are discussions of energy costs, inflation, housing, stock prices and job growth.

A chart is presented listing former "Time" Person of the Year award winners and their connection to 2008 U.S. President-Elect and Person of the Year for 2008 Barack Obama including former U.S. President Bill Clinton, French politician Pierre Laval, and civil right's activist Martin Luther King Jr.

The article presents vocational guidance for unemployed executives. The article comments that a large number of executives are unemployed, resulting in more competition regarding available executive positions. The significance of wording a résumé with important key words as well as seeking out a professional to review the résumé before submitting it to an employer is also discussed.

This article profiles various families in different social economic backgrounds and offers financial advice for each. A married couple who live in a retirement community is profiled. The financial advice included changing their stock-to-bond ratio. A 35 year old phlebotomist who declared bankruptcy was given advice to set priorities and improve earning power. The financial advice for a business owner of a decorative-glass company was to seek a loan for a project.

The article discusses how the Japanese haiku style of writing is thriving in U.S. popular culture. Haiku has become popular in several media products including literature, music, and the Internet. Examples of haiku media products include the website Twitter.com, the book "Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure, and the periodical "Smith."

The article covers technology concepts from Microsoft Corp. Co-founder Paul Allen and ex-Apple executive Jory Bell. Allen is working on the FlipStart and Bell the OQO2. Both items are said to be more portable than laptops and more powerful than cell phones. Research and development specifications, price, ease of typing and marketability are compared between the two tech items.

This article reports on the reasoning behind Harvard University's controversial liberal arts curriculum. The curriculum includes required subject areas like Societies of the World, Ethical Reasons, and the United States and the World. Harvard will no longer require that students study history. Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania have implemented similar curriculums.

The article discusses the rise of professional video-gaming in general and focuses on professional video-gamer Johnathan Wendel. Wendel has become an endorser and branding figure for video-game manufacturers. He has partnered with companies like Creative, XFX, Abit, and Zalman to put his stamp on video-game hardware and accessories. DirecTV announced formation of a Championship Gaming Series with a $1 million prize. Major League Gaming chief Mike Sepso says 2006 was a high revenue year.

The article discusses the Internet portal company Yahoo!, its efforts at increasing advertising revenue, and its corporate reorganization so as to compete better with its rival, Google. Yahoo! wants to focus on advertising revenues and audience numbers. The company announced Panama in January 2007, a new advertising platform that gives advertisers more control over their campaigns. Yahoo! also reorganized its workforce into three distinct business units and has refocused its mission.

A chart is presented which shows how Americans spend their time. Included is an examination of family patterns, work time, free time activities and time for personal care.

A group of charts and maps are presented which shows what Americans believe about God and their religions. Included are the results of a survey on how our religious beliefs shape our politics and the distribution of our religious sects.

A chart is presented which shows salaries in the United States, including is a list of the occupations expected to decline or grow, median salaries, a comparison with European work week, and the number of tax returns for each income level.

This article presents a statistical analysis of the population of the United States. In 2006, women slightly outnumbered men, Caucasians were the overwhelming majority and Hispanics remained the fastest growing minority in the country. Immigration approached a historical high, along with the percentage of smaller families and more educated people. Americans are also getting married at an older age or not at all.

This article presents a statistical analysis of the demographics of the United States. In 2006, over three fourths of the U.S. population lived in a metropolitan area, concentrating in areas such as New York, California and Illinois. The least populated state, Wyoming, has a smaller population than the entire Harrisburg, Pennsylvania metro area. Loving County, Texas, remained the least populated county in the lower 48 states, while the migration westward continued.

The author examines Web 2.0 companies, the name given to start-ups such as YouTube Inc. and MySpace.com, and their profitability in the wake of Google Inc.'s 1.65 billion purchase of YouTube Inc. Particular focus is given to Farecast.com, Zillow. com and Yelp.com. The author also focuses on strategies these start-ups employ to increase profitability and attract a potential buyer.

This article discusses how smells impact shopping behavior. The latest technique for putting consumers in a spending mood is to fill the air with a seductive scent. ScentAir, one of several firms that design scents for retail settings, has designed scents for companies like Westin and Sony. Other businesses are signing on too, some choosing scents that carry apt connotations for particular products they want to sell, a technique called billboarding. The demand for these olfactory services is stimulated by a growing body of research that demonstrates how smells affect consumer behavior. INSET: AROMA POWER.

This article focuses on Google's lengthening list of partnerships as it seeks growth and security. So far, Google has teamed up with Intuit, eBay, MySpace, and MTV. Google is betting that its new partnerships will strengthen its ability to live up to its $123 billion stock-market valuation. Google CEO Eric Schmidt comments on the need for partnerships. The push to partner comes as competition, including Microsoft and Yahoo!, is pushing back.

This article discusses Westerners who have converted to conservative Islam. Jamaal Harwood is profiled as a Canadian living in London, England who converted to radical Islam from Christianity. Harwood is part of a Muslim group known for its jihadist views, and the article discusses the trend of converts joining extremist Muslim organizations.

The article discusses Freedom of the Seas, the biggest cruise ship ever built. The Royal Caribbean cruise line boat cost more than $800 million to build, can accommodate 4,375 passengers, weighs 160,000 tons, and is 1,112 feet long. The ship offers services such as a high-end spa and gourmet dining. Some of the problems associated with a ship of this size are examined.

The article examines the alleged massacre of Iraqi civilians committed by U.S. Marines in Haditha, Iraq. A time line of events which followed, an illustration of the area, and the names of individuals involved are provided. The roadside bomb which sparked the incident, the subsequent actions of the Marines, media attention and the military chain of command are described.

This article discusses the development of a safe and inexpensive light-emitting diode lamp for developing countries. The lamp is solar-powered and safer than kerosene lamps which are a primary source of indoor air pollution and accidental fires in developing countries. The lamp was developed by Matt Scott and Amit Chugh, founders of the company Cosmos Ignite.

This article reports on negative reaction to the film "The Da Vinci Code" released in May 2006, said by many Christians to be blasphemous. Tactics directed against the film include banning it, as has happened in the Faroe Islands, hunger strikes, as in India, legal action, ridicule, preaching against it and showing films criticizing it.

The article provides advice on how to best plan the day for morning people and night owls. Included are times that are best and worst for creativity, problem solving, concentrating and rejuvenation. An inset offers a schedule of the best times to plan activities throughout the week to take advantage of others' internal clocks.

This article focuses on inventions involving toy robots. The ApriAlpha and ApriAttenda, invented by Toshiba Corp., can distinguish voices and recognize people and use that recognition to follow its target around. Takara of Japan invented the Walkie Bits, miniature turtles that walk around a mimic rhythmic patterns. Philips Research in the Netherlands invented the iCat, which can display different facial expressions depending on its mood. ZMP Inc. invented Nuvo, a 15-inch robot that can walk around, do tricks and take pictures from its cyclops camera lens.

This article focuses on inventions related to sports and outdoor recreation. LandRoller has invented a pair of skates with oversized wheels that angle inward to help skaters keep their balance. Cam Bresinger invented Nemo Equipment's inflatable tent, which has two supporting beams that are pumped with air and are virtually unpopable. Morey's Taloa III bodyboard, invented by Chris Taloa, has a stiff, lightweight polypropylene core and graphite rod for strength, and mesh reinforcement for optimal flexibility. Hydro Epic surfboards, invented by Mark Itnyre and Peter Mehiel, are hollow inside and have an extra-sturdy shell of a carbon fiber-Kevlar composite.

This article focuses on inventions related to health and medicine. Deborah Adler invented Target Pharmacy's new drug containers, called ClearRx, which are flattened out so crucial information can be read without turning the bottle. The LifeStraw, invented by Vestergaard Frandsen Group, uses many filters to remove contaminants to make water safe enough to drink. The ELI plug, invented by Randall Roberts, is a wireless cell-phone headset that plugs into hearing-aids. Ellis Developments Ltd. invented the Bioimplantable Device, an implantable internal bandage that helps patients swiftly recover from shoulder-joint-replacement surgery. Yoshiyuki Sankai invented the Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL), which is an exoskeleton support system that can help elderly and motion-impaired people walk.

This article focuses on inventions related to food and drink. The Topsy-Turvy planet invented by Bill Felknor allows people to grow certain vegetables upside-down and Greg Drouillard has invented natural-light labeling for fruit, which uses lasers to etch information onto the side of fruits and vegetables without damage. The TurboTap, invented by Matthew Younkle eliminates the need for bartenders to tilt glasses to avoid a big head. The Dream Taste glass pitcher invented by Gérard Michel removes trichloroanisole molecules from wine corks that can taint the wine. David Burke has invented a line of flavor sprays that mimic the taste of high-calorie foods but have no fat.