News Around-The-World (29 January 2004)

• A Malaysian man in the Kuala Pilah district has been injured when his recharging mobile phone exploded beside him while he was sleeping. He was reportedly 'scalded in the buttocks'.
• The Russian Orthodox Church has rejected a recent request by a young follower to have chess declared - the 'work of the devil'.
• Norwegian Sveinung Hobberstad traveled to Ghana to meet Sylvia, the woman he fell in love with on the Internet. Surprise! Turns out she's a real princess - and he soon he will become an African king!
• A 47-year-old beggar has been arrested in Brno, Czech Republic for dressing up in bright green clothes and claiming he was - the 'Water Fairy'. He was busted for taking money from kids skating on a lake in order to guarantee the ice wouldn't break.

Up And At 'Em! (29 January 2004)

These days they zip you in and out of the hospital in no time, right? Well, it seems it's for the good of your health - prolonged bed rest can actually be bad for you. Medical experts say muscles and bones get weak rapidly after patients spend as little as one week in the sack. That's why hospitals insist patients' get up and move around, even after major surgery.
Source: "Boston Globe"

Still Busting Their Chops (29 January 2004)

Remember Mike Rowe from Victoria, BC ... the guy who got Microsoft's goat by starting up a Website called MikeRoweSoft.com? Now he's selling the 15-page threatening letter and other materials he received from Microsoft on eBay - and the current bidding is up to $500. Meantime, his thorn-in-the-side Website is still up and running ...
For more info check out the MikeRoweSoft.com website.

National Puzzle Day (29 January 2004)

Today is "National Puzzle Day", celebrating one of our favourite pastimes. Here's a few real puzzlers for you to solve ...

• A cabin, locked from the inside, is perched on the side of a mountain. It is forced open, and 30 people are found dead inside. They had plenty of food and water. What happened? [It's an airplane cabin. The plane crashed into the mountain.]
• Joe wants to go home but can't, because the man in the mask is waiting for him. What's Joe doing? [Playing baseball.]
• A man marries 20 women in his village but isn't charged with polygamy. Why not? [He's a priest marrying them to other people, not to himself.]
• A man is alone on an island with no food and no water, yet he does not fear for his life. How come? [The island is a traffic island.]
• Jenny wins a race but she doesn't get to keep the trophy. Why not? [She's a horse.]

Buzzwords (28 January 2004)

New terms leaking into the lingo -

• 'Drunch' - A combination lunch and dinner that starts out as a late lunch but then runs into the dinner hour, often fuelled by an abundance of liquid libations.
• 'Matrixed Environment' - A supposedly efficient work structure in which employees answer to a 'department head' but most of their work is assigned by a 'project manager', thereby providing two bosses for the price of one.
• 'Carried a Bag' - Marketing speak for a seasoned sales veteran who has traveled extensively. ("She knows her stuff - she's carried a bag for Acme Products for over 8 years now.")

Beware Of Red Leaves (28 January 2004)

Danish researchers have produced a plant that can help detect hidden landmines by changing its colour from green to red when its roots come in contact with explosives. Scientists at a Copenhagen biotech firm have worked on the genetically-modified plant for nearly 3 years, hoping their creation will help reduce the number of people killed or injured from forgotten explosives. Some 100 million unexploded landmines are believed to still be buried in about 75 different countries.
Source: AFP

Trivia (28 January 2004)

Q: What's the world's most cosmopolitan city, based on the number of languages spoken there?

A: London UK, where an estimated 307 languages are spoken.

Q: You suffer from 'peladophobia'. What are you afraid of?

A: Bald people.

Q: What is -273 degrees Celcius known as?

A: 'Absolute zero'.

Nic' Fit News (27 January 2004)

• University of Michigan researchers have found that high school seniors who smoke are 12 times more likely to still be smokers at age 35, compared to those who never light up in high school.
• Duke University researchers have developed a liquid nicotine solution that can be added to a beverage to satisfy nicotine cravings. So instead of a nicotine patch, you can just add a drop or two to your beverage, offering the possibility of a beer and a cigarette in a single sip!

Cool Coffin (27 January 2004)

South African inventor Pieter van Rensberg has developed a 'refrigerated coffin' that can keep an unembalmed body fresh for up to a month. Why? The gizmo reportedly has good insulation and is relatively cheap to operate, so in Third World countries it could slash the cost of preserving a body long enough to arrange a funeral.

Getting A Glow On (27 January 2004)

Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Poppin' Glow is marketing glow-in-the-dark ice pops called 'Lick'em Lights' - yup, a popsicle that lights up much like those glowing necklaces you see at concerts. The product has been available regionally for a couple of years, and the company is now planning several other food products that glow. The biggest problem - convincing consumers that putting a glowing object in your mouth is safe.

Parts Dept (27 January 2004)

'Body Bucks: How to Sell Your Body to Science While You're Still Alive' is the latest and wackiest course offered by the year-old online New Canoe University, based in Sausalito CA. Instructor Bob Heyman claims that by selling bodily fluids and participating in medical experiments, you can earn $20,000 or more per year.
For more info check out the New Canoeu website.

The Price Of Virginity (27 January 2004)

Strapped-for-cash 18-year-old co-ed, Rosie Reid of Britain's University of Bristol, is selling her virginity to the highest bidder on the Internet to pay her college tuition. She's already received over 400 bids ranging up to $17,500, but wants to clear the entire projected $28,000 it will cost to complete her education. Quote: "My virginity was something really valuable, yet ... something I could do without."

Reasons To Party... (27 January 2004)

According to the 'International Thomas Crapper Society', today is "Thomas Crapper Day", in honour of the man who invented the toilet flush mechanism, on the anniversary of his death in 1910. Thomas Crapper & Co became engineers by appointment to the 'throne' of England.

Strange-But-True Laws (27 January 2004)

• In Athens, Greece a driver's license can be lifted by law if the driver is deemed either 'poorly dressed' or 'unbathed'.
• In Thailand it is illegal to leave your house if you are not wearing underwear. And you must wear a shirt while driving a car.
• In Norway you may not spay your female dog or cat. However, you may neuter males.
• In France no pig may be addressed as 'Napoleon' by its owner.
• According to a British law passed in 1845, attempting to commit suicide is a capital offence. Offenders could be hanged for trying.
• Israel's Supreme Court has ruled that a prison inmate cannot have an inflatable female doll in his cell.

The Fortunes Of Flirting (26 January 2004)

Author Lisa Hadaday claims flirting with co-workers gives you a much better boost than a cup of coffee. 'Flexing your flirt muscles', she says, is a better work-out than going to the gym because it increases self-esteem and makes you more productive.

Getting Ripped Off At The Tank (26 January 2004)

Florida officials are warning motorists to be on guard against a scam in which thieves are stealing credit card info using an electronic device placed inside gas pumps. The device steals the credit card information, but doesn't interrupt the sale or flow of gasoline. When the shysters later remove the device, they can make use of the credit card numbers it has copied. It's a similar scam to one recently found in Southern Ontario, where cash machines in banks were being bugged.
Source: "Tampa Tribune"

Deere Season (23 January 2004)

A trio of British retirees is planning to do something never done before: drive around-the-world on - tractors. Their 'Tractor Global Quest' through 5 continents and 34 countries on 3 vintage machines is planned to begin in May, 2005.

From The Poll Vault (22 January 2004)

• 66% of divorce lawyers polled say that the most dangerous new threat to a marriage that's emerged in the past 30 years is - the personal computer.
• 62% of married couples admit they at least occasionally have trouble getting along with their spouses.
• 32% of single women say they are most likely to carry a condom when they go to a party, 26% say they bring one to a bar, 15% to a concert, 11% on a first date, and 9% say they carry one to work.

To Tell The Truth (22 January 2004)

Israeli mathematician Amir Lieberman has developed a lie detector small enough to fit into eyeglasses that was originally designed for military, insurance claim and law enforcement use. But now American company V Entertainment is hoping to repackage the technology for personal and corporate applications.

Sales Of Shreddies Soaring (22 January 2004)

Thanks to concerns over privacy and identity theft, the paper shredding industry is booming. According to the 'National Association for Information Destruction', the industry has been growing by up to 20% annually over the past few years.
Source: "Chicago Tribune"

Mind Expansion (22 January 2004)

German researchers claim they've disproved the conventional belief that the adult brain does not change in size except to diminish from aging or disease. Their study suggests that juggling and other visual skills that take time to master may actually increase the size of your brain.

Driving Whiz (22 January 2004)

A British con man has been sentenced to 9 months in prison after pleading guilty to - impersonating other people for their driving exams. Danny Sorhaindo has passed the UK's extremely tough driving test some 99 times, charging his 'clients' $1,000 apiece for his expertise. He was finally caught by the London cops and charged with 'conspiracy to obtain property by deception'.

Buzzwords (21 January 2004)

New terms leaking into the lingo -

• 'Thrivers' - A marketing term for people in their 50s who are still interested in new music, but tend to buy CDs rather than download it. Record companies are trying to capitalize by creating 'new grey music' specifically aimed at the over-50 market. (Train, Uncle Kracker, Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Clay Aiken, etc)
• 'Nicotini' - A nicotine-laced martini, offering all the 'benefits' of a cigarette but ingested in a more PC way, now that smoking is banned in many bars.
• 'Parallel Parenting' - A system of raising children in which each member of a divorced couple assumes specific parenting duties but avoids contact with the other.

Singing's The Thing (21 January 2004)

Singing strengthens the immune system, according to research at the University of Frankfurt in Germany. Scientists tested the blood of people who sang in a professional choir before and after a 60-minute rehearsal of Mozart's "Requiem". They found that concentrations of both antibodies in the immune system and the anti-stress hormone hydrocortisone increased significantly during the rehearsal.
Source: "Journal of Behavioral Medicine"

Martian Toys (21 January 2004)

California Institute of Technology is making some green off the red planet. Cal Tech runs the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA and patented the rovers sent to investigate the surface of Mars. Now its licensing their images for commercial use. In fact, models of the 6-wheeled 'Spirit' rover are already on toy store shelves.
Source: AP Science

Virtual Crowd (21 January 2004)

Thousands of Indonesians now make a living by - arranging crowds. The industry has flourished ever since mobs took to the streets in 1998, ousting former president Suharto who had previously banned all demonstrations. Nowadays, mobs of angry students, urban or rural poor people, supporters for a cause, or opposition can all be rented for a price. Professional demonstrators each get a stipend circa $2 to $6, a boxed lunch and a bottle of water.
Source: Reuters

Too Stupid For Us To Make Up (21 January 2004)

• A New Zealand train engineer has gone on indefinite stress leave after running over - a garden gnome. The gnome was placed on railway tracks south of Auckland as a practical joke, but the Tranz Rail driver thought he had killed a child and reported it to police.
  Source: AFP
• A Ugandan man has been stabbed - over a piece of roast chicken. Apparently the man, who runs a chicken roasting stall, saw a friend grab some chicken without permission. When he asked him not to eat the profits, the 'friend' pulled a knife and stabbed him. The suspect is thought to be an opium smoker.
  Source: "The Monitor"
• Winston Churchill's pet parrot 'Charlie', which he bought in 1937, is now 104 years old - and still cussing the Nazis. Observers at the garden center where the bird now lives say that some of her favorite sayings are 'F- Hitler' and 'F- the Nazis'. And she still has the grand old man's inflection!
  Source: "Jack Magazine"
• Microsoft Corp has sicced its lawyers on 17-year-old Mike Rowe of Victoria BC. His crime? Running a Website with the domain name 'MikeRoweSoft.com'. But the evil empire's interference may have backfired - now the kid's getting a quarter-million hits a day at the site, where he's taking donations for his 'Defence Fund'.
  Source: "The Register"

Scientists Say (20 January 2004)

A compendium of recent 'discoveries' ...

• Scientists say that ... people born in good economic times live longer than those who aren't. A new Dutch study finds that as little as a 10% improvement in the Gross National Product adds about 3 years to the average person's life.
• Scientists say that ... when people say 'uh' they are signalling a shorter pause than when they say 'um'. Stanford University researchers say we have grown to understand this not only as speakers, but as listeners.
• Scientists say that ... shining light on the back of your knees can help ease jet lag. Research published in the journal "Science" finds that your body's circadian clock can be manipulated by focusing bright light on the area behind the knees - known as the 'popliteal' region. The treatment supposedly also works on insomnia, winter depression (SAD), and other time-related disorders.

Dumb-Looking Dinners (20 January 2004)

Food presentation has reportedly become almost as important as quality and flavour in the trendiest upscale restaurants. Among odd presentations recently spotted - mozzarella soup served from a medicine dropper, duck plopped on top of a decoy, caviar balls attached to antenna wire, swordfish on a sword, ravioli in a soap dish, and drinks served from an atomizer like perfume. Perhaps the weirdest of all is featured at a new restaurant called 'David Burke & Donatella' in NYC - 'angry lobster' served on a bed of nails, with dessert on doll-sized little stoves. Detractors say the presentations are getting silly and make the food hard to eat.
Source: "Wall Street Journal"

For The Record (20 January 2004)

• Shutter-happy photo-radar cop Stephen Thomas has busted 329 speeders in Sheffield UK in just 5 hours - that's 1 speeding ticket every 58 seconds on average. His total haul - about $35,000.
• A giant omelette has been prepared in Uzes, France for the annual fair celebrating the truffle, an extremely rare black mushroom that's rooted out by specially trained pigs and dogs. A giant frying pan measuring 3.7 meters (12 ft) in diameter was used to cook up some 3,200 eggs and 3.5 kilos of truffles. By the way, the price of truffles (tuber melanosporum) has recently risen to 1,000 euros per kilo ($560 per lb). No wonder it's nicknamed the 'black diamond'.
• A 12,000-square-foot penthouse duplex in NYC's soon-to-be-completed 80-story 'Time Warner Center' will be the most expensive condo ever sold in the city (and perhaps the world) at an astounding - $42.5 million!

Diamonds Are A Cow's Best Friend (19 January 2004)

A diamond merchant in Limbudi, India whose cow swallowed a small bag containing 1,722 diamonds has been administering laxatives and waiting for days hoping everything will, er ... work out. So far, Dilubhai Rajput has been able to retrieve 310 of the gems by groping in the dung with bare hands. For some unknown reason, the bag containing the loot was left in a haystack.
Source: "Hindustan Times"

Surgical Complication (19 January 2004)

A 33-year-old Leeds UK man recently had heart-bypass surgery during which part of a large leg vein had to be removed to replace a blocked artery in his chest. Before the operation, a tattoo on his leg read 'I love women', but after the incision was sewed up the tattoo read - 'I love men'.
Source: "The Independent on Sunday"

Amazing Facts (19 January 2004)

• The only golf course on the island of Tonga has an unusual hazard - monkeys. There's no penalty if one steals your golf ball.
• A 30-second spot on this year's "Super Bowl" runs $2.25 million.
• Only 7% of teenagers learn about sex from their parents.

Hangover Remedy? (16 January 2004)

A new over-the-counter drug called 'Chaser' purports to be a natural remedy for hangovers. It's made from vegetable carbon plus calcium carbonate, the active ingredient in common stomach remedies like 'Tums'. Directions tell users to place 2 tablets under the tongue before consuming their first drink, and more later if the binge continues. The cost is about a buck a tablet, which might seem reasonable if not for the fine-print disclaimer: "Chaser will not prevent intoxication and is not intended to treat or prevent the consequences of excessive alcohol consumption."

How To Complain (16 January 2004)

Fed up with a product or service? "Consumer Reports" editor Todd Marks says you've got to learn to complain properly if you want to get results. Here's a few tips ...

• Be polite.
• Make sure you complain to the right person.
• Rehearse what you're going to say in advance.
• Back up your complaint with documentation.
• Remind the company that you are a loyal customer.
• Make it clear what it will take to satisfy you.
• Document all conversations.
• Escalate your complaint up the chain of command until you get a response.

The Price Of Happiness (15 January 2004)

It seems money may be able to buy happiness after all - but it costs nearly $5 million, according to a poll for Yahoo! Personal Finance. That's the amount the average person would need to buy their dream home and vehicle, and have the vacations and lifestyle they aspire to. But don't hold your breath - stats show it would take someone with an average income about 94 years to earn this amount.

Latest Geekwear (15 January 2004)

A company called ScotteVest has unveiled the 'solar-powered gadget jacket', a garment that charges cell phones, PDAs, Game Boys, MP3 players and most any other mobile device its wearer slides into its inside pockets. The jacket has 2 small solar panels that snap onto its shoulders to convert the sun's rays into energy, which is then fed to a hidden battery pack about the size of a deck of cards. The batteries are wired to all the pockets, which can have almost any mobile devices plugged into them. When it hits the market this spring, it will retail for about $300.

Lucky Charms Aren't (15 January 2004)

Psychologists at Britain's University of Hertfordshire say lucky charms may work - but only in the minds of those who carry them. The first-ever study on the topic found that carrying a charm has absolutely no effect on the chances of choosing winning lottery numbers, for instance, but 30% of those tested felt their luck had improved. Bottom line - a lucky charm can make a real difference in its owner's confidence.

Web Goodie (15 January 2004)

The "Paranormal Olympics" are coming! When? If you don't know, you aren't qualified to compete. Are you the most psychic person in the world? Take the preliminary test right here ...
For more info check out the Paranormal Olympics website.

Buzzwords (14 January 2004)

New terms leaking into the lingo -

• 'Hand-Me-Ups' - Used clothing passed from a younger to an older person. ("Mom, have you seen my new jeans? Like I haven't even worn them yet!")
• The 'No-White Diet' - A diet that's becoming increasingly popular even though no one can take credit for inventing it - it's being passed by word-of-mouth. It's simple - you eat nothing white, such as sugar, flour, pasta, potatoes, etc.
• 'Sad Grad' - Someone who's recently graduated, but is deeply in debt with student loans and has few employment prospects.

Ribbons Roundup (14 January 2004)

With the "People's Choice Awards" Sunday, we're now into the height of 'awards season', meaning a slew of celebs are going to be parading across our screens wearing all kinds of ribbons supporting one cause or another. But which colour ribbon means what?

• Blue: Anti-Censorship on the Internet, or Chronic-Fatigue Syndrome.
• Green: Can stand for Energy Conservation, Open Records for Adoptees, Marijuana Legalization, or Organ & Tissue Donation.
• Pink: Breast Cancer Awareness.
• Purple: Anti-Violence Campaigns, or Campaign for Quality Blood Supply.
• Red: AIDS & HIV Awareness.
• Yellow: Support for Overseas Troops.

Too Stupid For Us To Make Up (14 January 2004)

• Three Polish poachers are facing animal-cruelty charges for forcing a giant pike - to drink champagne.
• To give an air of 'reliability and professionalism', employees at Holland's Finance Ministry have now been banned from wearing - white socks.
• A Chinese farmer who paid 20,000 yuan (about $2,000) for an arranged marriage quickly discovered that his new bride was really a man - when her (his?) fake breasts fell off. The blushing bride has been arrested.
• Police in the northern Indian state of Madhya Pradesh are being encouraged to grow a moustache to make them look more 'authoritative'. There's even a salary bonus - an extra 65 cents a month.
• German police are investigating a man who returned a newly purchased computer to a store because instead of computer parts it was full of - potatoes. OK, that's dumb. This is dumber - the store became suspicious when they replaced the machine free-of-charge but the guy returned a short time later with another potato-filled PC.
• A 45-year-old Spring Hill, Florida woman has been charged with drunk driving - in her motorized wheelchair. She was busted after she hit a van at 3 mph.
• Police in Tokyo, Japan have charged two men with stealing electricity. One briefly unplugged a neon sign to recharge his mobile phone. The other unplugged a vending machine to charge his portable music player. The total electricity stolen by both is estimated at - $0.0094 worth.

Wide World Of News (13 January 2004)

• Calgary multimillionaire Phil Sprung Sr is suing fish & wildlife officials for unlawfully raiding his ranch near Okotoks in 2001 and seizing his unusual pets - a female moose named 'Murray', a raccoon named 'Rascal', and 'Tarzan' the poker-playing monkey.
• Couples in the Philippines capital of Manila are being asked to start sharing the tub at bath time as part of a new water conservation drive.
• A German brewery has developed a beer containing vitamins and minerals that it claims are designed to slow the aging process.
• The Vatican has criticized a Catholic priest who's been lined up as a contestant on Italy's latest "Big Brother" reality show.

Retailing 101 (13 January 2004)

Studies show that most purchasing decisions are made within 5 seconds, and about 70% of them are impulsive. That's why retailers display toys at eye level -- children's eye level. It's also why shopping baskets are often scattered throughout a store. And the reason for today's nearly silent cash registers? To help you forget you're shelling out your hard-earned moola!

No Advantage To Venting (13 January 2004)

Guess what? It seems the age-old idea that venting your anger will help to get rid of it is nothing but a load of BS. In several recent studies, researchers have found that actions such as punching a pillow may actually increase anger and stress. Why? Venting apparently reactivates the area of the brain that hosts anger, thereby causing even more aggression.
Source: "Men's Journal"

Caveat Emptor (13 January 2004)

M-LAW (Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch) has announced the winners of its 7th annual 'Wacky Warning Label Contest' which tracks absurd warnings that are only placed on consumer products to avoid lawsuits. This year's dumbest warnings ...

1. A bottle of drain cleaner with the warning, "If you do not understand, or cannot read, all directions, cautions and warnings, do not use this product."
2. A snow sled with a label which says, "Beware: sled may develop high speed under certain snow conditions."
3. A 1-ft-high storage rack for CDs which warns, "Do not use as a ladder."
4. A fishing lure with the warning, "Harmful If Swallowed".
5. A smoke detector labeled, "Do not use the Silence Feature in emergency situations. It will not extinguish a fire."

Vehicular Equivalent Of No-Tell Motel (12 January 2004)

'Zip Cars', vehicles that can be rented by the hour, are now available on several US college campuses including North Carolina, MIT, Princeton and Harvard. What's perhaps even more innovative about the hourly rental system is that vehicles can be pre-booked up to a year in advance on the Internet, and students are issued electronic cards to open the doors on their rental.

Somebody's Watching You (12 January 2004)

Truant students and secret teenage lovers beware! Parents will soon be able to track their kids 24/7 using secret bounce-back SMS messages. The new 'Text Track' technology will instantly reveal a mobile phone's location while the user remains totally unaware. The child tracking service is about to be offered in the UK for a set-up cost under $100 with a per-check fee of about 55 cents. Previous kid tracking systems used GPS satellites and cost upwards of $1,000.

Bug Zapper (9 January 2004)

Florida inventor John Cunningham has patented a new 'germicidal mailbox' that sterilizes incoming letters through irradiation. It looks like a standard metal mailbox but is fitted inside with an ultraviolet light that zaps mail for about 15 minutes, thereby killing any cooties. The US Postal Service has performed a similar process on White House and congressional mail ever since the anthrax scare in 2001.
Source: Reuters

Your Old Machine Just Became A Doorstop (9 January 2004)

Sony Corp has reportedly developed a technology that boosts the audio recording capacity of its Mini-Discs from the current 80 minutes to a whopping 40 hours. The new disc is the same size as current discs, and new recorders will be able to accommodate both the new and old discs. It's estimated that global sales of Mini-Disc players and recorders from all manufacturers have totaled about 80 million since the devices first went on sale in 1992. Sony expects to sell more than 7 million 'Mini-Disc Walkmans' worldwide in its current fiscal year.
Source: AP

Fighting Fraud (9 January 2004)

New casino chips with built-in 'radio frequency identification tags' (RFID) will enable casinos to spot counterfeits and monitor the behavior of gamblers, allowing them to check that big winners are not cheating the house. The technology may also someday be used in banknotes, so banks and stores will easily be able to check for counterfeit money. In fact, the European Central Bank was planning to use it in euro banknotes, but opponents suggested it could also be used to track consumers' spending habits.
Source: "New Scientist" magazine.

Top New Terms Of The Past Year (9 January 2004)

1. Metrosexual - a straight guy who's into stylin'.
2. Flash Mob - a group that gathers at a predetermined location to perform some brief action.
3. Google (as a verb) - to search for something on the 'Net.
4. Poo-X - any dog that's a Poodle cross.
5. Wife Acceptance Factor - features added to any gizmo to make it more appealing to women.

King Mike (8 January 2004)

Australian researchers say an Englishman who's been living Down Under for 38 years is the rightful heir to the British throne. They claim Queen Elizabeth II's ancestor, Edward IV, was illegitimate due to his mother's affair with an archer. That would put Michael Hastings, a direct descendant of Edward IV's brother, the Duke of Clarence, ahead of Elizabeth in line to the throne.

Scientists Say (8 January 2004)

A compendium of recent 'discoveries' -

• Scientists say ... refrigerators may be indirectly making us sick. French researcher Jean-Pierre Hugot thinks common bacteria that survives in chilled food may be causing an unexplained rise in the incidence of Crohn's disease over the last 50 years - about the same amount of time we've been counting on refrigeration to protect foods from spoiling.
• Scientists say ... split-ups hit women harder than men. A new British study finds that women's mental health doesn't seem to recover from their last partnership split, no matter how long it's been. And it becomes worse as the number of splits increases.
• Scientists say ... walking just 8 blocks a day can slash your risk of dying by more than a third If you have diabetes. And the new study from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention finds that diabetics who walk 3 to 4 hours a week can slice their risk in half.
• Scientists say ... spending money is hard work. University of Texas analysis of several international surveys finds that the more money you have, the more time you need to manage it and spend it, which means you have less time for other stuff. Bottom line - the richer you are, the more stress you feel about time.

A Real 6-Pack (7 January 2004)

Oregon's Portland Brewing Company is marketing a new beer called 'Governator' as a tongue-in-cheek tribute to California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The commemorative extra bitter ale comes in a 22-ounce bottle with a label featuring a body-builder. It's only available in California.

Baby Love (7 January 2004)

As an experiment, Swiss researchers at the University of Basel played recordings of baby cries and laughter to adults, then measured their brain activity using MRI. Adults who were parents showed far more response to sobs than giggles. On the other hand, childless adults reacted more to baby laughter than cries.

Honest, It's Right In Front Of You (7 January 2004)

A company called iBIZ Technology Corp has announced plans to market its new 'VKB' ('Virtual Keyboard') in the first quarter of this year. The gizmo attaches to a PDA and projects a laser image of a full-size computer keyboard onto any surface where the handheld is placed. This allows the user to input text without an actual physical keyboard. There are no mechanical moving parts whatsoever, just a projected image.
Source: "OverClockers Club"

Did You See This "Csi" Episode? (7 January 2004)

A bullet fired straight up can reach an altitude of up to 2 miles. As it falls back to Earth, it can reach a speed of up to 700 feet-per-second. Any projectile traveling above 200 feet-per-second can penetrate the human skull. The danger zone of a falling bullet is anywhere within a radius of a mile-and-three-quarters.
Source: "The Oregonian"

Backtracking (6 January 2004)

According to a University of California at Berkeley study, fitness freaks can reduce stress on their knees by jogging or walking ... backwards. The study notes that the safest way to do this is with a forward-motion partner.

Word Ban (6 January 2004)

Each year, Michigan's Lake Superior State University selects words and phrases that should be banned from the English language for being too 'trendy, trite, euphemistic or just plain inaccurate'. The 2004 losers include ...

• 'Metrosexual' - a heterosexual man with a keen interest in fashion, shopping & grooming.
• 'Punk'd' - the name of the MTV prank show, which the banishment committee says would be better described as 'bamboozled', 'duped', 'flimflammed', or 'hornswoggled'.
• 'Bling-Bling' - the term for flashy jewelry or other luxury goods which originated in rap music.
• 'LOL' - the Internet short text message abbreviation for 'laughing out loud'.

The 10 Toughest Job Interview Questions (6 January 2004)

1. Why are you seeking new employment?
2. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
3. Why should we hire you?
4. What are your weaknesses?
5. What are your salary expectations?
6. How did you get along with your last boss?
7. Why do you want this job?
8. What are your strengths?
9. Tell me something about yourself.
10. Do you have any questions?

The Grandest Hotel (5 January 2004)

The luxurious new 2-bedroom 'Presidential Suite' on the 53rd floor of the Mandarin Oriental hotel in NYC is now officially the most expensive hotel room in New York (and perhaps the world) at $12,595 - per night. The 2,230 square-foot accommodations include a gourmet kitchen, formal dining room, living room, baby grand piano and panoramic views of Central Park and the Hudson River.
For more info check out the Mandarin Oriental website.

Coming Soon - Watching Paint Dry (5 January 2004)

The UK's Channel 4 has a new reality show called "Shattered" in which contestants will compete for big money (100,000 pounds) by attempting to - stay awake. The 10 hopefuls will be put through a series of endurance tests and challenges over 10 consecutive days. Each night the worst performing contestant will be eliminated. The person who copes best with sleep deprivation and best performs the tasks will get the money - and a much-needed rest.

How To Save A Lightbulb (5 January 2004)

The Institution of Lighting Engineers says the real killer of filament light bulbs is the dramatic change in temperature caused by - switching them on and off. The temperature change can entail more than 4,000 degrees F. This 'thermal cycling' causes cracks in the filament that eventually break it altogether, and is the reason lights usually go 'pop' when first switched on. The obvious way to avoid the problem is to leave the lightbulb on permanently. (You'll save a dollar-ninety-eight on bulbs ... but pay an extra grand to your utility company each year.)

Actual Auto Accident Reports (5 January 2004)

• "A pedestrian hit me and went under my car."
• "The other car collided with mine without giving warning of its intention."
• "No one was to blame for the accident but it never would have happened if the other driver had been alert."
• "The pedestrian had no idea which direction to go ... so I ran over him."
• "I had been driving for 40 years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had an accident."
• "I was taking my parrot to the hospital. It got loose in the car and flew out the window. The next thing I saw was his rear end and there was a crash."
• "I had been shopping for plants all day and was on my way home. As I reached an intersection a hedge sprung up, obscuring my vision."
• "I was on the way to the doctor with rear end trouble when my universal joint gave way causing me to have an accident."
• "To avoid hitting the bumper of the car in front I struck the pedestrian."
• "A truck backed though my windshield and into my wife's face."
• "I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law, and headed over the embankment."
• "The guy was all over the road. I had to swerve a number of times before I hit him."

Reasons To Party… (5 January 2004)

Today is "Twelfth Night", the eve of "Epiphany". Tomorrow is the "Twelfth Day of Christmas" or "Epiphany" (according to the carol, your true love should give to you '12 drummers drumming'.) Children in Mexico expect a visit from 'Los Tres Reyes' (The Three Kings) who bring gifts camel-back. In Italy, 'La Befana', a kindly witch, slides down chimneys on her broom to bring toys and goodies for kids. "Carnival Season" kicks off Tomorrow in many countries and lasts through "Shrove Tuesday".

Trivia (5 January 2004)

Q: "Epiphany" is also known as "Three Kings Day", traditionally the day the 3 wise guys showed up with gold, frankincense and myrrh. So what the heck is 'myrrh' anyway?
A: A natural compound secreted by shrubs, originally used for its aromatic qualities, but recently Italian scientists have found it may be useful as a painkiller.

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