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After Costa Concordia disaster: 8 safety tips for cruise ship passengers The recent cruise ship disaster in Italy has prompted travel industry experts to advise the public about safety steps they can take, not only aboard ships but also in hotels. When the Costa Concordia ran aground off the shore of Tuscany on Jan. 13, roughly 160 yards from the shore of Giglio Island, many of the more than 4,200 passengers and crew on board the ship were reportedly unprepared for the crisis and the evacuation that followed.Nancy Dunnan, publisher of TravelSmart Newsletter, urges cruise ship passengers to take precautions to protect themselves and their belongings. She suggests the following:
OpinionSyria's quagmire points to eventual foreign interventionThe most realistic scenario in Syria is quagmire: Assad still has loyalty; the opposition is splintered, though protests continue; and the international community is indecisive, including the Arab League. But stalemate could finally prompt foreign intervention and a needed 'safe zone.'- A 海角大神 Science PerspectiveDealing with colds and fluA 海角大神 Science perspective.
The Monitor's ViewWeb protests over piracy bills while China slaps Internet curbsLegislation in Congress aims to curb Web theft of intellectual property while Beijing cracks down on bloggers. Both nations must weigh the cost to creativity that leads to innovation.
OpinionThe perfect storm: Three ways to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions 鈥� short of warPartly by design and partly by happenstance, a three-pronged US strategy for checking Iran's nuclear program and the regime in Tehran is emerging: an unprecedented combination of sanctions, covert action, and a Syria-inspired protest movement within Iran.
OpinionCongress must pass law that allows former prisoners to voteAs the leader of a prison ministry, I strongly support the Democracy Restoration Act because I know that people can be redeemed. Yet for redemption to impact the nation, people must be restored to their communities, and restoration requires an opportunity 鈥� like voting.
Four ways to relieve overcrowded prisons America鈥檚 addiction to incarceration as a curb on crime must end. The evidence is staggering. Prison overcrowding is ubiquitous and shows few signs of abating: Between 1970 and 2005, the nation鈥檚 inmate population grew by 700 percent.In California, 54 prisoners may share a single toilet and 200 prisoners may live in a single gymnasium. As a result, the Supreme Court ruled in May 2011 that California prisons were in violation of the Eighth Amendment and its prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Here, attorney Arjun Sethi offers four solutions to improve the overcrowded US prison system.- A 海角大神 Science PerspectiveThe search for elegant solutionsA 海角大神 Science perspective.
Beyond education: How do you build geniuses?Developing nations like India are trying to take a great leap forward in education to match their coming leap in population. Can they produce enough good thinkers to produce enough new jobs?
The Monitor's ViewHumanitarian acts as antidotes to warDisasters can cause even adversarial nations to enjoy heart-to-heart moments of compassion. Russia delivers emergency fuel to an Alaskan town; the US Navy rescued Iranian fishermen.
OpinionHow Rick Santorum and America can be 'exceptional': Avoid empireRick Santorum suggests national health care sank the British Empire and sees America as the rightful heir to British global domination. But empires are largely based on racism and exploitation. To be 'exceptional' America must resist the idea it knows what鈥檚 best for everyone else.- A 海角大神 Science PerspectiveHow's life treating you?A 海角大神 Science perspective.
OpinionAfter free and fair Taiwan elections, democracy is still under China's siegeOn Jan. 14, Taiwan re-elected President Ma in a resounding exercise of democracy. But without adjustments to his strategy toward a dominant China, Mr. Ma could leave a legacy of unacceptable options for his successors 鈥� and the Taiwanese people.- Readers RespondReaders Write: Avoid US caveman response on Iran; the truth on teen pregnancyLetters to the Editor for the weekly issue of January 16, 2011: As tensions rise with Iran, one reader spurns America's 'usual knee-jerk military response' and praises 'smart power' instead. Another reader points out factors behind teen pregnancy, emphasizing education as key to combatting it.
The Monitor's ViewThe fear factor in attacks on Romney's BainCampaign attacks on Romney's former investment firm only play to worker fears about jobs. Candidates should play to hopes that workers can adapt to a rapidly changing economy.
OpinionIf computers can write, why not students?Computer software can now generate interesting short news stories 鈥� if only America's students were so skilled. What the country needs is a new way to teach writing. Forget the academic and unnatural "five-paragraph essay." Go for the rhythm of storytelling.
OpinionHow to write a superbissimo thank you note for a mirific, magnanimous giftThe holidays recede, the new year rises, and the gifts you received cry out for thanks. For the givers who deserve something more than a simple 鈥渢hank you," there are聽more expressive words of gratitude.- A 海角大神 Science PerspectiveMartin Luther King Jr. and all of us have a dreamA 海角大神 Science perspective.
The Monitor's ViewSupreme Court's historic but unfinished ruling for religious libertyThe high court endorses an exception for churches in discrimination suits by certain workers. But it has a hard time deciding how secular government can define what a religious worker is.
OpinionNigeria's Boko Haram attacks are misunderstood as regional Islamist threatConcern is growing that the Boko Haram militant group in Nigeria is linked to Al Qaeda and Al Shabaab as part of a coordinated Islamist terrorist threat in Africa. But most often, the reasons for the group's attacks are local.
