Is Holistic Medicine Better for Pregnant Mothers?

Many expectant mothers these days are opting to go the traditional route when it comes to going through pregnancy, labor, and childbirth.  Some choose natural options because they don’t like the idea of being medicated while they’re carrying or delivering a child.  Others simply prefer to have a baby as women did for thousands of years before “modern” medical practices were implemented.  Some feel that a holistic approach to pregnancy and childbirth is better for both mother and child.  With so many people doing it old-school, you may be starting to wonder if sticking with western medicine is really worth it.  So how can you tell which is better? Read more

Are Salaried Jobs Just a Way to Skirt Labor Laws?

Anyone who has worked at a corporate job is probably well aware of the phenomena of salaried workers that are expected to stay late nights and show up on the weekends.  This point is hilariously illustrated in the movie Office Space (1999), a film that became a cult hit largely due to its sarcastic portrayal of the foibles of middle management, the prevalence of “failing up”, and the shabby way in which low level employees are often treated in a corporate setting.  In short, it spoke to a group of people disillusioned with the corporate mentality as it applies to employees.  And in many cases, corporate staffers have reason for their disdain; with the bottom line being the top priority, employees often seem to get the short end of the stick, especially when they’re salaried. Read more

Safety Comes First with Modern Cars

Although there have been many advances in automotive safety since the first cars hit the roadways (without even a seatbelt!), there have been several improvements to technology just in the last few years, and there are more on the way.  Some people may be skeptical about the prospect of using technology for safety purposes, especially since cell phones usage while driving has made roadways a lot less safe for many drivers.  But the truth is that for every device in a car that might distract drivers, automakers are seeking ways to combat the potential negative effects and make them usable in a manner that complies with roadway safety.  So here are just a few of the options that modern car makers have found to keep their vehicles as safe and user-friendly as possible. Read more

Are DUI Laws Fair?

Let’s just start by saying anyone who takes the risk of drinking and driving probably gets what is coming to them if they get pulled over by law enforcement and ticketed for the offense.  Most people would probably prefer not to learn this lesson the hard way by, say, causing an accident that ends with the death of the family in the other car and a lifetime in jail for the offending driver.  In that case you would wish you’d gotten off with only a DUI.  But most people have a drink, think they’re stone sober, and get pulled over only to find that they’re blowing a 0.04% blood alcohol concentration (BAC).  But wait!  Isn’t the legal limit higher than that…like everywhere?  And this is the crux of the problem. Read more

Salvage on the Open Seas

You may be familiar with a show on the Discovery Channel called Treasure Quest, in which a team of marine salvage experts works to authenticate wrecks, often in order to claim the salvage rights that could lead to fame and fortune (even though they usually don’t, considering how expensive salvage operations are).  Although teams that engage in salvage often have to contact local governments in order to dive on a wreck, those that are in international waters are generally considered fair game (at least by many so-called “treasure hunters”).  In truth, there are plenty of laws in place to govern the salvage of these watery graveyards.  The problem is that they can be hard to enforce since every nation has different rules and regulations when it comes to maritime law. Read more

The Real Price of Gold

Historically speaking, gold has been a source of both inspiration and discrimination.  You’ve probably heard of the golden rule; he who has the gold makes the rules.  But the truth of the matter is that gold has always driven mankind to extremes.  It has been used to create beautiful pieces of art and jewelry, but it has also led to enslavement and slaughter.  And the price that man is willing to pay for gold goes beyond any monetary value it may have and strikes at the heart of what drives a consumer society: greed. Read more

Google Drops Lawsuit against U.S. Government

You may remember a little tidbit that was in the news last year about Google suing the U.S. government for non-competitive practices.  In point of fact, they filed suit against the U.S. Department of the Interior, which was at the time seeking expanded services and security for messaging (basically, the government is looking for more secure ways for employees to make calls and send emails and text messages).  However, when Google put in a bid in reply to the government’s Request for Quotation (RFQ), they were turned down flat.  Of course, Google wasn’t about to give up their chance at a multi-million dollar purse to go along with the contract (not to mention the opportunity to apply for future RFQs), so they decided to sue on the grounds that the government was being “unduly restrictive of competition”. Read more

Should International Business Adopt One Language?

Anyone who has worked in a company that operates on an international level (whether through offices in multiple countries or business partners around the globe – or both) knows that communication can sometimes be a problem.  Not only do businesses often have to rely on translators to conduct their transactions, but even those that purposely hire employees that speak multiple languages may have trouble with things getting “lost in translation”.  And of course, there is also the problem of heavy accents and unknown colloquialisms, idioms, and slang fouling up the works.  Some people feel that the only real solution is to adopt an international language of business, and for most the standard has become English. Read more

The Problem with Pesticide Drift

There are a lot of environmental problems surrounding modern methods of farming.  For one thing, soil used to grow crops is saturated with chemical fertilizers that seep into the surrounding bodies of water (ground water and nearby rivers and lakes, for example) only to damage the delicate ecosystems that these water supplies support.  Then there are the harmful pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and so on that penetrate the very crops themselves, entering our bodies through the food we eat and the clothes we wear, working who-knows what kind of damage through years of exposure.  But at least we can take comfort in the fact that only miniscule traces of these toxins ever reach us.  Right?  Actually, thanks to the drift phenomenon, you may be getting a bigger dose than you bargained for. Read more