Blog Archive for September, 2011
Friday, Sep. 30, 2011 4:55PM EDT
U.S. woman sues Wal-Mart for overcharging 2 cents - and wins
Wency Leung
A judge in Westmoreland County, Pa., awarded Mary Bach $100 U.S. in damages, plus $80 in court costs
Friday, Sep. 30, 2011 4:15PM EDT
Racist – or just American?
Dave McGinn
People’s gut reactions to stereotypes may simply be because they’re used to seeing them in popular culture, study says
Friday, Sep. 30, 2011 1:10PM EDT
Teacher bans ‘bless you’ for sneezing kids
Zosia Bielski
The latest target of political correctness in the classroom appears to be the sneeze, specifically the seemingly innocuous ‘bless you’ some people offer after you’ve achoo-ed
Thursday, Sep. 29, 2011 7:58PM EDT
Why it might be OK to be 50 and pregnant
Tralee Pearce
A provocative article in the latest New York magazine asks us to look at the upsides of middle-age pregnancy. Find out what the majority of younger parents might be missing out on
Thursday, Sep. 29, 2011 4:53PM EDT
Google introduces its own brand of gaydar
Erin Anderssen
Type in a query about a celeb's sexual orientation and it gives you a 'best guess'
Thursday, Sep. 29, 2011 12:33PM EDT
Ottawa woman to live stream baby's home birth
Carly Weeks
Mother of two wants to broadcast the home birth to promote it as an alternative to the hospital and also to show women they have nothing to fear when giving birth
Thursday, Sep. 29, 2011 9:56AM EDT
iBuy? Tablet users more likely to spend, experts say
Dakshana Bascaramurty
Wednesday, Sep. 28, 2011 9:08PM EDT
Why do French feminists want to ban 'mademoiselle'?
Adriana Barton
It may sound like the most chic of titles, but feminist groups in France are calling for the ouster of a word they see as sexist. What honorific would they rather see instead?
Wednesday, Sep. 28, 2011 4:53PM EDT
Pippa Middleton inspires plastic-surgery procedure
Erin Anderssen
Many women are now requesting ‘the Pippa butt lift’
Wednesday, Sep. 28, 2011 1:12PM EDT
LeAnn Rimes: I'm a second mom, not a 'stepmother'
Wency Leung
'A family is a family,' the singer writes on her blog
Tuesday, Sep. 27, 2011 8:34PM EDT
Hallmark introduces job-loss sympathy cards
Adriana Barton
The company's six new cards feature funny and more meaningful sentiments
Tuesday, Sep. 27, 2011 3:01PM EDT
Couples flock to controversial Win a Baby radio contest
DAKSHANA BASCARAMURTY
Radio station’s prize of free treatment draws fire, and hundreds of desperate couples
Tuesday, Sep. 27, 2011 1:57PM EDT
Canadians living longer than ever, Statscan finds
Dave McGinn
Life expectancy at birth reached a new high of 80.9 years during the period from 2006 to 2008, up 0.2 years from 2005 to 2007, according to a new report from Statistics Canada
Tuesday, Sep. 27, 2011 10:01AM EDT
'Please place the item in the bag': Are self checkouts effective?
Zosia Bielski
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Monday, Sep. 26, 2011 8:15PM EDT
Stockbrokers more reckless than psychopaths: study
Wency Leung
In related news, a trader tells the BBC, 'I go to bed every night and I dream of another recession'
Monday, Sep. 26, 2011 6:34PM EDT
B.C. woman sues adult kids for parental support: Should she get it?
Zosia Bielski
Shirley Anderson already gets $1,500 a month from the Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security, but now she wants $750 from each of her four kids
Monday, Sep. 26, 2011 1:13PM EDT
More teens having unprotected sex: study
Dave McGinn
The number of young people in western countries having unprotected sex has risen sharply over the last two years, according to a new survey conducted to mark World Contraception Day
Sunday, Sep. 25, 2011 10:13PM EDT
Equipping toddlers with GPS: Safe or lazy?
Tralee Pearce
Yes, the same technology that tells you to steer your car into that dodgy cul-de-sac is being relied on to prevent missing children.
Friday, Sep. 23, 2011 4:54PM EDT
Harvard asks students to sign a 'kindness pledge'
Carly Weeks
But not everyone approves of the move to encourage civility and camaraderie on campus
Friday, Sep. 23, 2011 1:25PM EDT
Mark Zuckerberg hires SNL's Andy Samberg to impersonate him
Dave McGinn
At Thursday's annual f8 conference, Zuckerberg hired SNL's Andy Samberg to impersonate him
Friday, Sep. 23, 2011 11:03AM EDT
Ranting Starbucks barista frets about career prospects, but rants again
Zosia Bielski
Mere hours after getting the boot from Starbucks for his feisty YouTube rant about the chain on Tuesday, the 25-year-old former barista was at it again with a follow-up video
Thursday, Sep. 22, 2011 11:29PM EDT
Taking kids to protests - is it irresponsible?
Tralee Pearce
A recent Toronto protest over proposed cuts to subsidized child care saw pint-sized activists taking over city hall. But some are questioning whether children should be allowed to participate in political protests they may not even fully understand. Where do you stand?
Thursday, Sep. 22, 2011 1:17PM EDT
Italian parents call on lawyers to evict 41-year-old son
Wency Leung
The 41-year-old man refuses to leave the parental home, and even demands his parents do his laundry
Thursday, Sep. 22, 2011 11:11AM EDT
Women who fear childbirth more likely to have C-sections: study
Dakshana Bascaramurty
It might have been hearing your sister's blood-curdling screams when she went through 12 hours of labour.
Wednesday, Sep. 21, 2011 8:54PM EDT
Experts slam cage-fighting match with eight-year-old boy
Adriana Barton
An organized cage-fighting event in Britain has outraged health experts after a match featured two boys aged 8 and 9. How did such young kids end up in the ring?
Wednesday, Sep. 21, 2011 5:46PM EDT
Teenagers text even in their sleep
Dakshana Bascaramurty
Sleep-texting is a real thing, and young people are likely to send nocturnal non-sequiturs
Wednesday, Sep. 21, 2011 12:36PM EDT
Flight passenger 'humiliated' by hairdo security check for weapons
Wency Leung
Dallas hair stylist Isis Brantley says she was humiliated when security staff at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport singled her out because of her voluminous, afro-style hair
Wednesday, Sep. 21, 2011 10:03AM EDT
For Generation X, it's all work and no kids, study finds
Tralee Pearce
Gen Xers should be at the prime of their lives and careers, stepping into crucial leadership roles and starting families, according to a release by the researchers. But that's not the reality
Tuesday, Sep. 20, 2011 8:40PM EDT
Kids using the F-bomb: Is it really so bad?
Adriana Barton
Author Jill Kargman is taking heat for praising her daughter's swearing in public
Tuesday, Sep. 20, 2011 5:17PM EDT
Butt out, Cruella: Should movies with smoking be rated R?
Erin Anderssen
Forget taking your seven-year-old to 101 Dalmatians. Or your 14-year-old to any Lord of the Rings movie.
Tuesday, Sep. 20, 2011 12:37PM EDT
Obese people may be wired differently for impulse control: study
Dave McGinn
The study sheds more light on how important blood sugar levels are when it comes to anyone who is trying to lose weight, since even non-obese people ached for doughnuts when their levels were down
Tuesday, Sep. 20, 2011 9:18AM EDT
Online dating and politics don't mix: study
Zosia Bielski
People are more likely to offer up that they are overweight than divulge their political stripes on online dating sites, according to a new American study
Monday, Sep. 19, 2011 8:34PM EDT
No redheads allowed: Sperm bank rejects 'ginger' donors
Adriana Barton
Customers rarely go for redheads, the world's largest sperm bank says
Monday, Sep. 19, 2011 4:19PM EDT
Go on and drool: Money makes us salivate, study finds
Zosia Bielski
Research has now confirmed it: People will literally salivate over sports cars and money, says a new study
Monday, Sep. 19, 2011 2:59PM EDT
Surprise? Women can be sex addicts, too
Dave McGinn
Approximately 8 to 12 per cent of people seeking sexual addiction treatment are women, but the number of women with the addiction is likely much higher, because women are less likely than men to seek out treatment, according to a new study
Monday, Sep. 19, 2011 9:24AM EDT
Study finds overconfidence beats being accurate
Wency Leung
If you think the younger generations seem more cocksure than ever, science may prove you right.
Sunday, Sep. 18, 2011 11:22PM EDT
Should students be graded on character?
Tralee Pearce
The focus on testing doesn't teach children what it 'means to be a successful human,' one educator says
Friday, Sep. 16, 2011 6:01PM EDT
A single spank isn't domestic violence, court declares
Wency Leung
A Florida appeals court quashes an injunction against a man who spanked his 14-year-old daughter
Friday, Sep. 16, 2011 12:56PM EDT
It's game over for the theory that video games help your brain
Dave McGinn
A new study shows why all the previous studies that "proved" the cognitive benefits of gaming are wrong
Friday, Sep. 16, 2011 9:59AM EDT
Tell-all cheater sites: The new battleground for exes
Zosia Bielski
"BE FOREWARNED, HE'S SCUM. RUN FAR AWAY."A New York lawyer is suing two ex-girlfriends after they took to the website liarscheatersrus.com with not-so-subtle allegations like that.
Thursday, Sep. 15, 2011 8:54PM EDT
Why do 'lactivists' want to ban baby formula advertising?
Tralee Pearce
The ongoing breastfeeding v. formula debate has taken an interesting turn this week, with 'lactivists' targeting advertising for baby formula as unethical. Find out why these mothers are taking offence at what's being sold
Thursday, Sep. 15, 2011 4:18PM EDT
Is a dementia diagnosis grounds for divorce?
Erin Anderssen
Televangelist Pat Robertson says separation is acceptable because Alzheimer's 'is a form of death'
Thursday, Sep. 15, 2011 12:48PM EDT
Storm over Bachmann's HPV vaccine comments continues to brew
Carly Weeks
Michele Bachmann unleashed a storm of controversy and stirred tinfoil hat-wearers everywhere this week when she claimed that a vaccine to guard against cervical cancer is dangerous and could even cause mental retardation
Thursday, Sep. 15, 2011 9:34AM EDT
Oh, snap: U.S. ambassador writes 'open letter to jerks'
Dakshana Bascaramurty
"A jerk is someone who shows no respect for other people, because they dress differently, talk differently, or were born with skin darker or eyes shaped other than the local standard," he wrote.
Wednesday, Sep. 14, 2011 8:49PM EDT
Goodbye dairy, hello coffee: Why did Harvard create a healthy eating guide?
Zosia Bielski
Experts at Harvard have released their own version of the U.S. MyPlate guide, citing powerful agricultural interests as having too much influence on its division of food groups. What else does Harvard think the government got wrong?
Wednesday, Sep. 14, 2011 6:09PM EDT
‘[Your name] topless:’ How Google searches can embarrass you
Dakshana Bascaramurty
It’s called ‘guilt through algorithmic association,’ and it can potentially cause you public embarrassment without any effort on your part
Wednesday, Sep. 14, 2011 2:00PM EDT
Are sex workers, genital mutilation appropriate in student planners?
Wency Leung
Internationally recognized days are meant to raise awareness of weighty topics. But what if your children are too young to handle them?
Wednesday, Sep. 14, 2011 9:50AM EDT
Is family consumerism the root of all evil?
Tralee Pearce
You try to make up for being away by bribing your kids with presents.
Tuesday, Sep. 13, 2011 7:46PM EDT
Does a revamped IKEA shelf spell the end for books?
Carly Weeks
The furniture giant recently announced it was redesigning its signature Billy bookcase with deeper shelves, fuelling speculation that they will be better for holding knickknacks and ornaments than good ol' books. Will you like the new design?
Tuesday, Sep. 13, 2011 4:16PM EDT
Going too far: Facebook troll jailed for tormenting grieving families
Erin Anderssen
In a unique case in Britain, a 25-year-old man has been sent to jail for 18 weeks for posting mocking video and messages about teenagers who had died and were being memorialized on sites such as Facebook
Tuesday, Sep. 13, 2011 10:40AM EDT
Women more likely to recall what men with deep voices say: study
Zosia Bielski
Study shows women's memory is sensitive to men's voice pitch, which is a significant factor in mate choice because it can hint at testosterone levels and genetic quality, evolutionary psychologists suggest
Monday, Sep. 12, 2011 9:38PM EDT
Madonna responds to ‘hydrangea incident.’ Not with an apology
Dakshana Bascaramurty
The pop legend has released a silent film in which she makes it clear how much she really hates those flowers
Monday, Sep. 12, 2011 7:10PM EDT
MBA hopefuls: Watch your Facebook privacy settings
Zosia Bielski
Almost a quarter of school admissions officers troll applicants' personal pages, a survey finds
Monday, Sep. 12, 2011 1:44PM EDT
Pot? Booze? That’s your teen, not mine, parents say in new study
TRALEE PEARCE
Before you sneer at all those other kids out there who are doing drugs and drinking, you might want to have a frank talk with your own.
Monday, Sep. 12, 2011 8:49AM EDT
U.K. schools ban skirts to combat 'hemline creep'
Wency Leung
Tired of rebuking their pupils for hemline creep, some schools are taking the drastic measure of banning skirts altogether, in favour of trousers
Sunday, Sep. 11, 2011 9:23PM EDT
Chronic back pain? Researchers think they can block the culprit gene
Tralee Pearce
Medical researchers believe they've found a way to remove the so-called HCN2 gene responsible for chronic back pain
Friday, Sep. 09, 2011 6:17PM EDT
Is home-schooling a better option than public school?
Erin Anderssen
A new study found that home-schooled children who follow a curriculum ado better than their public school peers
Friday, Sep. 09, 2011 3:02PM EDT
Schweddy Balls ice cream to hit store shelves
Zosia Bielski
Ben & Jerry's releases a flavour based on the Saturday Night Live sketch in time for the holiday season
Friday, Sep. 09, 2011 9:56AM EDT
Would you linger over a fireplace at McDonald's?
Zosia Bielski
With the news that McDonald's is spending $1-billion to spruce up 1,400 Canadian locations with fireplaces, plasma screens and professorial leather armchairs, the question is will Canadians slow down over their fast food
Thursday, Sep. 08, 2011 8:50PM EDT
Does smoking pot make you skinny?
Tralee Pearce
A study finds that people who don't smoke marijuana are more likely to be obese than those people who hit up a bong more a few times a week
Thursday, Sep. 08, 2011 7:14PM EDT
Talk about burning bridges: Fired Yahoo CEO drops the f-bomb
Wency Leung
Less than a full day after Carol Bartz was fired as Yahoo's chief executive officer, she offered her uncensored take on what happened
Thursday, Sep. 08, 2011 1:01PM EDT
Think Contagion is pure Hollywood fiction? Think again, experts say
CarlY Weeks
The new movie follows the path of a lethal virus that quickly goes global
Thursday, Sep. 08, 2011 9:39AM EDT
New app rents your washroom to near-strangers
Zosia Bielski
A new smartphone app lets folks rent out the washrooms in their homes to near-strangers with full bladders for chump change.
Wednesday, Sep. 07, 2011 7:33PM EDT
A teacher's message to parents: Trust us, please
Madeleine White
Celebu-teacher Ron Clark's lengthy open letter to parents of students has everyone on both sides of the parent-teacher relationship talking. Find out what he wants parents to know for the new school year
Wednesday, Sep. 07, 2011 5:46PM EDT
Mom faces possible jail-time for son's library laughter
Madeleine White
A 20-year-old single mom is preparing for a jury trial to fight against a disorderly conduct charge she received after she was ejected from an Atlanta library because her son was laughing
Wednesday, Sep. 07, 2011 12:43PM EDT
Should not disclosing herpes be a crime?
Wency Leung
A Toronto man has been charged with sexual assault for not telling partners that he has genital herpes
Wednesday, Sep. 07, 2011 9:55AM EDT
Doubts raised over study linking miscarriage and painkillers
Tralee Pearce
Pregnant women who use a certain class of painkillers face an increased risk of miscarriage, according to a new study out of Montreal.
Tuesday, Sep. 06, 2011 9:00PM EDT
150 half-siblings? Sperm donation creates superfamilies
Madeleine White
Critics say sperm banks need to be regulated to prevent accidental incest and a shrinking gene pool
Tuesday, Sep. 06, 2011 5:06PM EDT
Is knowing a Big Mac is 540 calories really going to stop you from eating it?
Carly Weeks
Major fast-food chains in Britain have agreed to post nutrition data on menu boards
Tuesday, Sep. 06, 2011 12:54PM EDT
Is the planking trend over? Not for Vogue Italia
Wency Leung
To the delight and disgust of fashionistas, the magazine has published a photo of model Stella Tennant, dressed in a waist-cinching corset and high heels, planking on a table
Tuesday, Sep. 06, 2011 9:14AM EDT
Frenchman ordered to pay ex-wife $14,000 for dreary sex life
Tralee Pearce
While a lack of passion has ended many a marriage, a French court is pushing the boundaries of who's to blame - and how much it should cost them
Monday, Sep. 05, 2011 6:00PM EDT
Grieving mother told to remove pictures from cubicle
Madeleine White
A court rules there was nothing wrong with employer telling woman to stop talking about deceased daughter
Monday, Sep. 05, 2011 1:59PM EDT
Infidelity no longer top cause of divorce: survey
Madeleine White
For the first time in eight years, extramarital affairs falls from the top spot in a U.K. poll
Sunday, Sep. 04, 2011 10:53PM EDT
Is it time to say goodbye to the gastropub?
Tralee Pearce
A bestselling British food guide wants to do away with the now common term
Friday, Sep. 02, 2011 5:51PM EDT
Why we overeat even when the food doesn't taste good
Madeleine White
Once eating a particular food becomes a habit, people are powerless over it and will keep doing it even if they think it tastes disgusting, researchers discover
Friday, Sep. 02, 2011 12:36PM EDT
Is this Glee star glamorizing domestic abuse?
Erin Anderssen
Heather Morris sports a giant black eye in an edgy photo shoot
Friday, Sep. 02, 2011 9:54AM EDT
Surrogate, adoptive or birth: When should a mom qualify for mat leave?
Erin Anderssen
A New York woman is suing her bosses after they cut her maternity benefits to just five days because she had her twins with a surrogate. Five days is what a parent adopting a child gets at the pharmaceutical company, compared to 13 weeks if a woman carries the baby herself.
Thursday, Sep. 01, 2011 8:48PM EDT
Hear her roar: Breastfeeding may make moms a bit bearish
Tralee Pearce
Breastfeeding moms are more likely to demonstrate "mama bear" aggression than those who feed their tots formula, according to a new study
Thursday, Sep. 01, 2011 4:44PM EDT
Honest dad gives up $50,000 after amazing slapshot mix-up
Erin Anderssen
A young boy made a winning shot - but the raffle ticket was in his twin brother's name
Thursday, Sep. 01, 2011 12:44PM EDT
Porn actor/sex-ed teacher allowed to keep teaching
Erin Anderssen
Benedict Garrett, a.k.a. Johnny Anglais, also works as a stripper and naked butler
Thursday, Sep. 01, 2011 10:44AM EDT
Do you Tweet, text, BBM, or - gasp - call?
Dakshana Bascamurty
At the end of that perfect first date, before you parted ways, she said, "Call me."
Erin Anderssen
Erin Anderssen writes about mental health, social policy and family issues. She is a five-time National Newspaper Award winner, and the co-author of New Canada, a book about young Canadians based on a Globe and Mail series.
Follow Erin on Twitter @ErinAnderssen
Adriana Barton
Adriana Barton is based in The Globe and Mail’s Vancouver bureau.
Follow Adriana on Twitter @AdrianaBarton
Zosia Bielski
Zosia Bielski joined The Globe in 2008; she writes about sex research, social media and pop culture.
Follow Zosia on Twitter @ZosiaBielski
Wency Leung
Wency Leung is a general assignment reporter for the Life section.
Follow Wency on Twitter @wencyleung
Amberly McAteer
Amberly McAteer is The Globe and Mail's community editor in Features - including Life, Travel, Style, Arts and Books.
Follow Amberly on Twitter @amberlym
Dave McGinn
Dave McGinn writes about fitness trends for the Life section and also reports for Globe Arts.
Follow Dave on Twitter @Dave_McGinn
Tralee Pearce
Tralee Pearce has been a reporter at The Globe and Mail since 1999, starting as a writer in the paper’s Style section.
Follow Tralee on Twitter @traleepearce
Amy Verner
Amy joined the Globe and Mail as the paper's style reporter in March, 2007.
Follow Amy on Twitter @amyverner
Carly Weeks
Carly Weeks has been a journalist with The Globe and Mail since 2007.
Follow Carly on Twitter @carlyweeks