Newslog #11

Audacity of 'austerity,' 2010 Word of the Year
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101220/ap_on_re_us/us_word_of_the_year
'Austerity" is defined in the New Oxford American Dictionary as, "difficult economic conditions created by government measures to reduce a budget deficit, esp. by reducing public expenditure." This easily relates to 2010, in which many countries, like Greece and the United States, each went through a financial crisis. Unemployment increased worldwide and economies suffered. John Morse, president and publisher of a Springfield, Massachusetts dictionary, said that 'austerity' hit over 250,000 searches on its online website this year, making the word extremely popular. Another reason for this word's popularity is because Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster's editor-at-large, said that the top ten words this year were all related to a news story.


I am not surprised that 'austerity' was the top word of 2010. Although I had never heard of the word before coming across this article, its definition is very appropriate to describe the various economic crises that have occurred around the world this year.

Newslog #10

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays? Americans Divided on That, Too
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/12/18/merry-christmas-or-happy-holidays-americans-divided-on-that-to/


Should stores greet their customers by saying "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays?" A poll this year shows how divided Americans are on which phrase is appropriate. Forty-nine percent of those polled said that stores should say "Merry Christmas," while forty-four percent of people said that "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings" is appropriate. A Dallas church has developed an online "Grinch List" of stores that don't greet their customers with "Merry Christmas." Also, a poll by the Public Religion Research Institute, along with the Religion News Service, made the realization that this debate also splits up Democrats and Republicans; sixty-four percent of Republicans think "Merry Christmas" should be said in stores whereas fifty-eight percent of Democrats believe "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings" should be said. Lastly, PRRI/RNS reported that more Americans would watch movies like "It's a Wonderful Life" than go to church on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

In my opinion, those who think that "Merry Christmas" should be said in stores are ignorant. These people are still convinced that America still runs by the church-and-state method. They think that Christmas is the only holiday celebrated during December by Americans, when in reality, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are also celebrated. "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings" should be said to customers because that pertains to people of all religions or those who don't observe any religious holidays.

Newslog #9

TV Watching is Bad for Babies' Brains
http://health.yahoo.net/articles/parenting/tv-watching-bad-babies-brains

Studies have shown that babies who watch television are more likely to have delayed cognitive development and language. Statistics show that babies who watched an hour of television per day had developmental scores 1/3 lower at 14 months than babies who barely watched television. Many think this is because parents and babies who watch television waste time that can be spent on talking, playing, and interacting, that are needed for development. Even educational shows, like Sesame Street, were found to have no redeeming factors. Scientists at New York University School of Medicine-Bellevue Hospital Center found that parents whose children watch non-educational television shows don't spend as much time reading or teaching them.

Although watching television doesn't always have much of a positive impact, I don't believe that children should stop watching it completely. Even after the study, I firmly believe that educational shows are beneficial for children. Even if lessons are not on paper, that doesn't mean that they don't help with development.

Newslog #8

Airline Hiring Back 'Overweight' Flight Attendants

http://news.travel.aol.com/2010/12/02/airline-hiring-back-overweight-flight-attendants/

Last year, Air India fired ten women flight attendants due to their weight. They are currently running low on crew members, so the airline offered nine out of the ten women their jobs back. The women would have to meet the airline's stiff requirements that will be based on the person's height and weight if they wanted their jobs back. Air India says that by this time, the crew members have been given plenty of time to lose weight. Under these terms, three women agreed to come back to the airline.

On a side note, in August, Turkish Airlines told twenty-eight of their flight attendants that they have six months to lose weight or else they would be replaced. Thirteen women and five men decided to leave under these conditions.

Air India and Turkish Airlines had no right to fire some of their crew members based on appearance. If overweight people are allowed on planes as passengers, then there is no reason why overweight people cannot be crew members. All that should matter in this case is whether or not a crew member is doing their job properly.