Politics and Religion

We've seen how religion can factor into United States political races in recent years. The Republicans have enjoyed significant success due to that factor. However, a recent poll indicates that they are losing ground, as now 47% of Americans perceive them as religion friendly. With that said, religious conservatives are still a source of strength for the party given that only 26% of Americans say Democrats and religion friendly.

It's interesting to note that both parties went down--have conflicts abroad caused this? The article mentioned some religious organizations have made global warming a priority, which could benefit Democrats. Religious conservatives will remain a vital source of strength for Republicans, but it seems they won't be as dominant as they have been in recent years.

Chinese Workers Enjoy More Vacation than American Workers

That's right--it's an interesting fact that I had no idea about until I read this article. Some claim that American workers simply don't value vacations, yet many people complain about a lack of time with the family. It's also interesting to note that France has a higher productivity per hour than America.

The U.S. tends to be fairly productive simply due to the number of hours worked. The greater amount of vacation time is attributed to the greater power of unions abroad. Would more vacation increase U.S. productivity enough to justify more time off? It's tough to say, although I wouldn't bet it would.