OCTOBER 31 - Births

1711 - Laura Bassi, Italian scholar (d. 1778)
1724 - Christopher Anstey, English writer (d. 1805)
1737 - James Lovell (delegate), American educator (d. 1789)
1795 - John Keats, British poet (d. 1821)
1815 - Karl Weierstraß, German mathematician (d. 1897)
1825 - Charles Lavigerie, French cardinal (d. 1892)
1831 - Paolo Mantegazza, Italian neurologist (d. 1910)
1835 - Adolf von Baeyer, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1917)
1860 - Juliette Low, American founder of the Girl Scouts (d. 1927)
1875 - Eugene Meyer, American businessman and newspaper publisher (d. 1954)
1875 - Vallabhbhai Patel, Indian freedom fighter and statesman (d. 1950)
1887 - Chiang Kai-shek, Nationalist Chinese leader, former Republic of China president (d. 1975)
1887 - Newsy Lalonde, National Hockey League player (d. 1970)
1892 - Alexander Alekhine, Russian chess player (d. 1946)
1895 - Basil Liddell Hart, British military historian (d. 1970)
1896 - Ethel Waters, American singer and actress (d. 1977)
1912 - Dale Evans, American singer and actress (d. 2001)
1914 - Joe Carcione, American consumer advocate (d. 1988)
1917 - Thomas Hill, Canadian actor
1918 - Ian Stevenson, American parapsychologist
1920 - Dick Francis, Welsh novelist
1920 - Helmut Newton, German photographer (d. 2004)
1920 - Fritz Walter, German footballer (d. 2002)
1922 - Barbara Bel Geddes, American actress (d. 2005)
1922 - Illinois Jacquet, American saxophonist (d. 2004)
1922 - King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia
1925 - John Anthony Pople, English chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2004)
1926 - Jimmy Saville, English entertainer
1927 - Lee Grant, American actress
1928 - Cleo Moore, American actress (d. 1973)
1929 - Eddie Charlton, Australian snooker player (d. 2004)
1929 - Bud Spencer, Italian actor
1930 - Michael Collins, astronaut
1931 - Dan Rather, American television journalist
1933 - Phil Goyette, National Hockey League player
1936 - Michael Landon, American actor (d. 1991)
1937 - Tom Paxton, American singer
1939 - Ron Rifkin, American actor
1939 - Tom O'Connor, British comedian
1942 - Dave McNally, Major League Baseball pitcher (d. 2002)
1943 - Paul Frampton, English physicist
1944 - Kinky Friedman, American musician and novelist
1945 - Brian Doyle-Murray, American comedian and actor
1945 - Russ Ballard, English rock singer/songwriter, guitarist (Argent)
1946 - Stephen Rea, Irish actor
1946 - Norman Lovett, British actor
1947 - Deidre Hall, American actress
1947 - Frank Shorter, American runner
1949 - Bob Siebenberg, American drummer (Supertramp)
1950 - John Candy, Canadian comedian and actor (d. 1994)
1950 - Jane Pauley, American news anchor
1952 - Bernard Edwards, American bass player (CHIC) (d. 1996)
1953 - Michael J. Anderson, American actor
1954 - Ken Wahl, American actor
1955 - Mark Roesler, American businessman and lawyer
1958 - Jeannie Longo, French cyclist
1958 - Brian Stokes Mitchell, American singer and actor
1959 - Neal Stephenson, American author
1959 - Mats Näslund, National Hockey League player
1960 - Luis Fortuño, Puerto Rican delegate to Congress
1960 - Mike Gallego, baseball player
1961 - Peter Jackson, New Zealand film director
1961 - Larry Mullen, Irish drummer (U2)
1961 - Alonzo Babers, American runner
1961 - Kate Campbell, American musician
1963 - Mikkey Dee, Swedish musician, drummer for Motorhead
1963 - Dunga, Brazilian footballer
1963 - Johnny Marr, English guitarist and songwriter (The Smiths)
1963 - Fred McGriff, baseball player
1963 - Dermot Mulroney, American actor
1963 - Rob Schneider, American actor
1964 - Marco van Basten, Dutch footballer
1964 - Marty Wright, American professional wrestler
1964 - Darryl Worley, Country Music Artist
1965 - Annabella Lwin, British singer (Bow Wow Wow)
1966 - Adam Horovitz, American singer (Beastie Boys)
1966 - Koji Kanemoto, Japanese professional wrestler
1966 - Joseph Boyden, Canadian novelist
1968 - Antonio Davis, American basketball player
1968 - Vanilla Ice, American rapper
1969 - Mike O'Malley,American Actor
1970 - Linn Berggren, Swedish singer (Ace of Base)
1970 - Rogers Stevens, American guitarist (Blind Melon)
1970 - Mitch Harris, American guitarist (Napalm Death, among others)
1971 - Alphonso Ford, American basketball player (d. 2004)
1971 - Ian Walker, English footballer
1971 - Toby Anstis, British radio presenter
1972 - Shaun Bartlett, South African footballer
1974 - Muzzy Izzet, Turkish footballer
1976 - Piper Perabo, American actress
1977 - Séverine Ferrer, French singer
1980 - Eddie Kaye Thomas, American actor
1980 - Samaire Armstrong, American actress
1981 - Irina Denezhkina, Russian writer
1981 - Frank Iero, American guitarist (My Chemical Romance)
1982 - Tomas Plekanec, National Hockey League player
1982 - The Cheeky Girls, British-Romanian singers
1986 - Christie Hayes, Australian actress
1990 - Lil' JJ, American comedian
1991 - Jordan-Claire Green, American Actress

DECEMBER 12 - Births

1712 - Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine, Austrian military leader (d. 1780)
1724 - Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood, British admiral (d. 1816)
1745 - John Jay, 1st Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1829)
1779 - Madeline Sophie Barat, French saint (d. 1865)
1783 - Ner Alexander Middleswarth, American politician (d. 1865)
1786 - William L. Marcy, American statesman (d. 1857)
1799 - Karl Briullov, Russian painter (d. 1852)
1805 - William Lloyd Garrison, American abolitionist (d. 1879)
1806 - Stand Watie, American Confederate general (d. 1871)
1821 - Gustave Flaubert, French writer (d. 1880)
1845 - Bruce Price, American architect (d. 1903)
1849 - William Kissam Vanderbilt, member of the Vanderbilt family (d. 1920)
1863 - Edvard Munch, Norwegian painter (d. 1944)
1864 - Paul Elmer More, American essayist (d. 1937)
1866 - Alfred Werner, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1919)
1870 - Walter Benona Sharp, American oil baron (d. 1912)
1875 - Gerd von Rundstedt, German field marshal (d. 1953)
1876 - Alvin Kraenzlein, Olympic gold medalist (d. 1928)
1887 - Kurt Atterberg, Swedish composer (d. 1974)
1892 - Herman Potočnik Noordung, Austro-Hungarian-born rocket engineer (d. 1929)
1893 - Edward G. Robinson, American actor (d. 1973)
1900 - Sammy Davis, Sr., American dancer (d. 1988)
1903 - Dagmar Nordstrom, American composer (d. 1976)
1903 - Yasujiro Ozu, Japanese film director (d. 1963)
1904 - Nicolas de Gunzburg, magazine editor and socialite (d. 1981)
1905 - Mànes Sperber, Austro-Hungarian-born writer (d. 1984)
1907 - Roy Douglas, British composer and orchestrator
1909 - Karen Morley, American actress (d. 2003)
1914 - Patrick O'Brian (Richard Patrick Russ), British author (d. 2000)
1915 - Frank Sinatra, American singer and actor (d. 1998)
1918 - Joe Williams, American singer (d. 1999)
1919 - Olivia Barclay, British astrologer (d. 2001)
1919 - Dan DeCarlo, American cartoonist (d. 2001)
1923 - Bob Barker, American television game show host
1924 - Ed Koch, Mayor of New York City
1927 - Honor Blackman, British actress
1927 - Robert Noyce, American inventor (d. 1990)
1928 - Chinghiz Aitmatov, Soviet-born Kyrgyz writer
1929 - John Osborne, British dramatist (d. 1994)
1929 - Toshiko Akiyoshi, Japanese musician
1930 - Bill Beutel, American Journalist (d. 2006)
1931 - Lionel Blair, British actor and choreographer
1932 - Bob Pettit, American basketball player
1934 - Miguel de la Madrid, President of Mexico
1938 - Connie Francis, American singer
1940 - Sharad Pawar, Indian politician
1940 - Dionne Warwick, American singer
1943 - Dickey Betts, American musician (The Allman Brothers)
1943 - Grover Washington, Jr., American saxophonist (d. 1999)
1944 - Jean Doré, Quebec politician, mayor of Montreal
1946 - Emerson Fittipaldi, Brazilian racing driver
1946 - Paula Wagner, American film executive
1948 - Tom Wilkinson, English actor
1949 - Rajnikanth, Indian actor
1949 - Bill Nighy, English actor
1950 - Billy Smith, National Hockey League goaltender
1952 - Harbance Singh (Herb) Dhaliwal, Canadian politician
1952 - Cathy Rigby, American gymnast
1953 - Bruce Kulick, American guitarist (KISS)
1954 - Liz Claman, American television anchor
1956 - Johan Van der Velde, Dutch cyclist
1957 - Sheila E., American musician
1957 - Robert Lepage, Quebec playwright
1962 - Tracy Austin, American tennis player
1962 - Mike Golic, former NFL football player
1964 - Sabu, American professional wrestler
1966 – Mike Rayburne II, Great Dad
1967 - John Randle, American football player
1968 - Laurie Williams, Indian cricket player
1968 - Sheldon Mydat, English entrepreneur
1970 - Jennifer Connelly, American actress
1970 - Madchen Amick, American actress
1970 - Regina Hall, American actress
1972 - Hank Williams III, grandson of Hank Williams
1972 - Nicky Eaden, English footballer
1972 - Kevin Parent, Quebec singer and songwriter
1972 - Brandon Teena, American hate crime victim
1974 - Nolberto Solano, Peruvian footballer
1975 - Mayim Bialik, American actress
1975 - Craig Moore, Australian footballer
1976 - Dan Hawkins, British guitarist (The Darkness)
1977 - Orlando Hudson, American baseball player
1977 - Bridget Hall, American supermodel
1978 - Monica Barladeanu, Romanian actress
1978 - Nicole, Erica and Jaclyn Dahm, American triplet Playboy models
1979 - Garrett Atkins, American baseball player
1979 - Nate Clements, American football player
1981 - Jeret Peterson, American aerial skier
1982 - Dmitry Tursunov, Russian tennis player
1983 - Katrina Elam, American singer
1983 - Brad Smith, American football player
1984 - Daniel Agger, Danish footballer
1989 - Harry Eden, British actor

Job Posting :

Amputee photo model wanted
Reply to: job-250310226@craigslist.orgDate: 2006-12-17, 5:16PM CSTHand and/or leg amputee photo model wanted. Serious enquires only. Please, email me with what kind of amputation you have and the type of prosthesis that you wear. Cheers,
Location: Dallas
Compensation: to be discussed
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Please, no phone calls about this job!
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
OK to repost to Job Developers for Persons with Disabilities.

Not ever day you see this type of listing.

Saddam Hussein sends letter

Saddam Hussein Farewell Letter Urges Iraqis Not to Hate U.S.-Led Forces
"I call on you not to hate because hate does not leave space for a person to be fair and it makes you blind and closes all doors of thinking,'' said the letter, which was written in Arabic and translated.

How Rollovers Work

By far the deadliest risk facing SUV, minivan, and truck occupants is a rollover accident. According to NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), more than 280,000 rollover accidents are reported each year, claiming more than 10,000 lives annually.

In 2003, 35.7 percent of fatal SUV crashes resulted in a rollover. That same year just 15.8 of fatal passenger car accidents resulted in a rollover. What this statistic points out is the fact that SUVs are much more likely to rollover in a serious accidents. Compounding the issue is the fact that SUVs often carry heavy loads with make them even more top-heavy and thus are more likely to be involved in rollover accidents.
Causes of Rollover Accidents
Rollover accidents are directly related to a vehicle's stability in turns. That stability is influenced by the relationship between the center of gravity and the track width (distance between the left and right wheels). A high center of gravity and narrow track can make a vehicle unstable in fast turns or sharp changes of direction--increasing the odds that it will tip over once it begins to skid sideways. The problem is most pronounced in 4-wheel-drive pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles, which have a higher ground clearance for off-road driving.

Most fatal 4WD rollovers are single-vehicle accidents that occur on weekend nights. The drivers are most frequently males under 25, and alcohol is usually involved. In three out of four fatal rollovers, the victims were ejected from the vehicle, indicating they weren't wearing a seatbelt.
Rollover Accident Risk Rating SystemNeither cars nor trucks are subject to a federal rollover standard, though pressure for such a requirement has been building. To help predict which vehicles might have a greater likelihood to overturn in single-vehicle accidents, NHTSA introduced a rollover rating system in 2001. Reported on a five-star system, the rollover ratings are based on an engineering analysis of each vehicle's center of gravity and the width between the front tires. The results are compared with police accident reports for confirmation. In its rating system, five stars equals a rollover risk of less than 10 percent, while one star indicates a greater than 40 percent rollover risk.

Gerald Rudolph Ford jr - July 14 1913 - December 26 2006

Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. (July 14, 1913 – December 26, 2006[1]) was the 38th President (1974–1977) and 40th Vice President (1973–1974) of the United States. He was the first person appointed to the Vice Presidency under the terms of the 25th Amendment; and, upon succession to the presidency, became the only person to hold that office without having been elected either President or Vice President. Prior to becoming Vice President, he served for over eight years as the Republican Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. Ford was the longest-lived President.
The Ford administration saw the withdrawal of American forces from Vietnam, the execution of the Helsinki Accords, and the continuing specter of inflation and recession. Faced with an overwhelmingly Democratic majority in Congress, the administration was hampered in its ability to pass major legislation, and Ford's vetoes were frequently overridden. Ford came under intense criticism for granting a pre-emptive pardon to President Richard Nixon for his role in the Watergate scandal, and was subsequently defeated narrowly by Democrat Jimmy Carter in the 1976 presidential election.
Naval service in World War II



Ford in uniform, 1945
Ford received a commission as ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve on April 13, 1942. On April 20, he reported for active duty to the V-5 instructor school at Annapolis, Maryland. After one month of training, he went to Navy Preflight School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where he was one of 83 instructors and taught elementary seamanship, ordnance, gunnery, first aid, and military drill. In addition, he coached in all nine sports that were offered, but mostly in swimming, boxing and football. During the one year he was at the Preflight School, he was promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade on June 2, 1942, and to Lieutenant in March 1943.
Applying for sea duty, Ford was sent in May 1943 to the pre-commissioning detachment for the new fast aircraft carrier USS Monterey, at New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey. From the ship's commissioning on June 17, 1943 until the end of December 1944, Ford served as the assistant navigator, Athletic Officer, and antiaircraft battery officer on board the Monterey. While he was on board, the carrier participated in many actions in the Pacific Theater with the Third and Fifth Fleets during the fall of 1943 and in 1944. In 1943, the carrier helped secure Makin Island in the Gilberts, and participated in carrier strikes against Kavieng, New Ireland in 1943. During the spring of 1944, the Monterey supported landings at Kwajalein and Eniwetok and participated in carrier strikes in the Marianas, Western Carolines, and northern New Guinea, as well as in the Battle of the Philippine Sea[9] [5]. After overhaul, from September to November 1944, aircraft from the Monterey launched strikes against Wake Island, participated in strikes in the Philippines and Ryukus, and supported the landings at Leyte and Mindoro.
Although the ship was not damaged by Japanese forces, the Monterey was one of several ships damaged by the typhoon which hit Admiral William Halsey's Third Fleet on December 18-19, 1944. The Third Fleet lost three destroyers and over 800 men during the typhoon. The Monterey was damaged by a fire, which was started by several of the ship's aircraft tearing loose from their cables and colliding during the storm. During the storm, Ford narrowly avoided becoming a casualty himself. After he left his battle station on the bridge of the ship in the early morning of December 18, the ship rolled twenty-five degrees, which caused Ford to lose his footing and slide toward the edge of the deck. The two-inch steel ridge around the edge of the carrier slowed him enough so he could roll, and he twisted into the catwalk below the deck. As he later stated, "I was lucky; I could have easily gone overboard."
After the fire the Monterey was declared unfit for service, and the crippled carrier reached Ulithi on December 21 before proceeding across the Pacific to Bremerton, Washington where it underwent repairs. On Christmas Eve 1944 at Ulithi, Ford was detached from the ship and sent to the Athletic Department of the Navy Pre-Flight School at Saint Mary's College of California, where he was assigned to the Athletic Department until April 1945. One of his duties was to coach football. From the end of April 1945 to January 1946, he was on the staff of the Naval Reserve Training Command, Naval Air Station, Glenview, Illinois as the Staff Physical and Military Training Officer. On October 3, 1945 he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander. In January 1946, he was sent to the Separation Center, Great Lakes to be processed out. He was released from active duty under honorable conditions on February 23, 1946. On June 28, 1963, the Secretary of the Navy accepted Ford's resignation from the Naval Reserve.
For his naval service, Gerald Ford earned the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with nine engagement stars for operations in the Gilbert Islands, Bismarck Archipelago, Marshall Islands, Asiatic and Pacific carrier raids, Hollandia, Marianas, Western Carolines, Western New Guinea, and the Leyte Operation. He also received the Philippine Liberation Medal with two bronze stars for Leyte and Mindoro, as well as the American Campaign and World War II Victory Medals.[10]
Presidency, 1974–77
Accession
My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over.—Gerald R. Ford, August 9, 1974.[21]



Vice President Ford is sworn in as the 38th President of the United States by Chief Justice Warren Burger as Mrs. Ford looks on.
When Nixon resigned in the wake of the Watergate scandal on August 9, 1974, Ford assumed the presidency. Immediately after taking the oath of office in the East Room of the White House, he spoke to the assembled audience in a speech broadcast live to the nation. Ford noted the peculiarity of his position: "I am acutely aware that you have not elected me as your President by your ballots, and so I ask you to confirm me as your President with your prayers."[21] On August 20 Ford nominated former New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller to fill the Vice Presidency he had vacated. Rockefeller was confirmed by the House and Senate.[22]
Nixon pardon
On September 8, 1974, Ford gave Nixon a full and undeserved pardon for any crimes he may have committed while President.[23][24] In a televised broadcast to the nation, Ford explained that he felt the pardon was in the best interests of the country and that the Nixon family's situation "is an American tragedy in which we all have played a part. It could go on and on and on, or someone must write the end to it. I have concluded that only I can do that, and if I can, I must."[25] At the same time as he announced the Nixon pardon, Ford introduced a conditional amnesty program for Vietnam War draft dodgers who had fled to countries such as Canada.[26] Unconditional amnesty, however, did not come about until the Jimmy Carter presidency.[27]
The Nixon pardon was highly controversial. Critics derided the move and claimed a "corrupt bargain" had been struck between the men.[3] They claimed Ford's pardon was quid pro quo in exchange for Nixon's resignation that elevated Ford to the Presidency. Nixon's chief of staff, Alexander Haig, did in fact offer a deal to Ford. Bob Woodward, in his book Shadow, recounts that Haig entered Ford's office on August 1, 1974 while Ford was still Vice President and Nixon had yet to resign. Haig told Ford that there were three pardon options: (1) Nixon could pardon himself and resign, (2) Nixon could pardon his aides involved in Watergate and then resign, or (3) Nixon could agree to leave in return for an agreement that the new president would pardon him. After listing these options, Haig handed Ford various papers; one of these papers included a discussion of the president's legal authority to pardon and another sheet was a draft pardon form that only needed Ford's signature and Nixon's name to make it legal. Woodward summarizes the setting between Haig and Ford as follows: "Even if Haig offered no direct words on his views, the message was almost certainly sent. An emotional man, Haig was incapable of concealing his feelings; those who worked closely with him rarely found him ambiguous." Despite the situation, Ford never accepted the offer from Haig and later decided to pardon Nixon on his own terms. Regardless, historians believe the controversy was one of the major reasons Ford lost the election in 1976.Ford's first press secretary and close friend Jerald terHorst resigned his post in protest after the announcement of President Nixon's full pardon.[

50 Things We Know Now - That we didn't know this time last year

50 Things We Know Now (That We Didn't Know This Time Last Year) 2006 Edition
By JEFF HOUCK The Tampa Tribune
Published: Dec 26, 2006
You know how it is.
You go through life thinking you've got your head wrapped around the world and all of its knowable information.
Then one day you read that since 2005, scientists have discovered more than 50 new species of animals and plants on the Southeast Asian island of Borneo. These new members of the List of Animals We Previously Didn't Have a Clue About include a catfish with protruding teeth and suction cups on its belly that help it stick to rocks.
Go back for a second.
A bucktooth, rock-climbing catfish. With suckers.
We'll understand if at this point you wish that your brain were an Etch A Sketch so you could shake it clean and start over.
Even more mind-numbing: Tons of cool new discoveries wash ashore in the media tide each year but fall through the cracks, what with all the coverage of Britney Spears' undies and Tom Cruise's wedding.
Consider this list - culled from dozens of news stories from 2006 - your chance to catch up.
1. U.S. life expectancy in 2005 inched up to a record high of 77.9 years.
2. The part of the brain that regulates reasoning, impulse control and judgment is still under construction during puberty and doesn't shift into autopilot until about age 25.
3. Blue light fends off drowsiness in the middle of the night, which could be useful to people who work at night.
4. The 8-foot-long tooth emerging from the head of the narwhal whale is actually a type of sensor that detects changes in water temperature, pressure and particle gradients.
5. U.S. Protestant "megachurches" - defined as having a weekly attendance of at least 2,000 - doubled in five years to more than 1,200 and are among the nation's fastest-growing faith groups.
6. Cheese consumption in the United States is expected to grow by 50 percent between now and 2013.
7. At 68.1 percent, the United States ranks eighth among countries that have access to and use the Internet. The largest percentage of online use was in Malta, where 78.1 percent access the Web.
8. The U.S. government has paid about $1.5 billion in benefits to thousands of sick nuclear-weapons workers since 2001.
9. Scientists have discovered that certain brain chemicals in our tears are natural pain relievers.
10. FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover wrote a drooling fan letter to Lucille Ball in 1955 to tell her how much he enjoyed an episode of "I Love Lucy." "In all the years I have traveled on trains," he noted, "I have often wondered why someone did not pull the emergency brake, but I have never been aboard a train where it was done. The humor in your program last Monday, I think, exceeded any of your previous programs and they have been really good in themselves."
11. Wasps spray an insect version of pepper spray from their heads to temporarily incapacitate their rivals.
12. A sex gene responsible for making embryos male and forming the testes is also produced by the brain region targeted by Parkinson's disease, a discovery that may explain why more men than women develop the degenerative disorder.
13. Ancient humans from Asia may have entered the Americas following an ocean highway made of dense kelp.
14. An impact crater 18 miles in diameter was found 12,500 feet under the Indian Ocean.
15. Americans spent almost $32 billion on toys during 2005. About a third of that was spent on video games.
16. A new planet described as a "super-Earth," which weighs 13 times as much as our planet, exists in a solar system 9,000 light-years away.
17. A gene for a light-sensitive protein in the eye is what resets the body's "internal clock."
18. Australian scientists discovered a polyrhachis sokolova, which is believed to be the only ant species that can live under water. It nests in submerged mangroves and hides from predators in air pockets.
19. Red wine contains anti-inflammatory chemicals that stave off diseases affecting the gums and bone around the teeth.
20. A substance called resveratrol, also found in red wine, protects mice from obesity and the effects of aging, and perhaps could do the same for humans.
21. Two previously unknown forms of ice - dubbed by researchers as ice XIII and XIV - were discovered frozen at temperatures of around minus 160 degrees Celsius, or minus 256 Fahrenheit.
22. The hole in the earth's ozone layer is closing - and could be entirely closed by 2050. Meanwhile, the amount of greenhouse gases is increasing.
23. Scientists discovered what they believe to be football-field-sized minimoons scattered in Saturn's rings that may be debris left over from a collision between a comet and one of Saturn's icy moons.
24. At least once a week, 28 percent of high school students fall asleep in school, 22 percent fall sleep while doing homework and 14 percent get to school late or miss school because they overslept.
25. Women gain weight when they move in with a boyfriend because their diet deteriorates, but men begin to eat more healthy food when they set up a home with a female partner.
26. Some 45 percent of Internet users, or about 60 million Americans, said they sought online help to make big decisions or negotiate their way through major episodes in their lives during the previous two years.
27. Of the 10 percent of U.S. teens who uses credit cards, 15.7 percent are making the minimum payment each month.
28. Around the world, middle-aged and elderly men tend to be more satisfied with their sex lives than women in the same age group, a new survey shows.
29. The 90-million-year-old remains of seven pack-traveling carnivorous dinosaurs known as Mapusaurus were discovered in an area of southern Argentina nicknamed "Jurassic Park."
30. A group of genes makes some mosquitoes resistant to malaria and prevents them from transmitting the malaria parasite.
31. A 145-million-year-old beach ball-sized meteorite found a half-mile below a giant crater in South Africa has a chemical composition unlike any known meteorite.
32. Just 30 minutes of continuous kissing can diminish the body's allergic reaction to pollen, relaxing the body and reducing production of histamine, a chemical cell given out in response to allergens.
33. Saturn's moon Titan features vast swaths of "sand seas" covered with row after row of dunes from 300 to 500 feet high. Radar images of these seas, which stretch for hundreds of miles, bear a stunning likeness to ranks of dunes in Namibia and Saudi Arabia.
34. Scientists have discovered the fastest bite in the world, one so explosive it can be used to send the Latin American trap-jaw ant that performs it flying through the air to escape predators.
35. Janjucetus Hunderi, a ferocious whale species related to the modern blue whale, roamed the oceans 25 million years ago preying on sharks with its huge, razor-sharp teeth.
36. DNA analysis determined the British descended from a tribe of Spanish fishermen who crossed the Bay of Biscay almost 6,000 years ago.
37. Marine biologists discovered a new species of shark that walks along the ocean floor on its fins.
38. Most of us have microscopic, wormlike mites named Demodex that live in our eyelashes and have claws and a mouth.
39. The common pigeon can memorize 1,200 pictures.
40. The queens of bee, ant and wasp colonies that have the most sex with the largest number of males produce the strongest and healthiest colonies.
41. By firing atoms of metal at another metal, Russian and American scientists found a new element - No. 118 on the Periodic Table - that is the heaviest substance known and probably hasn't existed since the universe was in its infancy.
42. A "treasure-trove" of 150-million-year-old fossils belonging to giant sea reptiles that roamed the seas at the time of the dinosaurs was uncovered on the Arctic island chain of Svalbard, about halfway between the Norwegian mainland and the North Pole.
43. Sleeping in on Saturday and Sunday can disturb your body clock, leaving you fatigued at the start of the week.
44. Migrating dragonflies and songbirds exhibit many of the same behaviors, suggesting the rules that govern such long-distance travel may be simpler and more ancient than was once thought.
45. During the past five years, the existence of a peanut allergy in children has doubled.
46. Photos taken of Mars in 1999 and 2005 show muddy sand, indicating there may have been a flood sometime between those years.
47. A python was the first god worshipped by mankind, according to 70,000-year-old evidence found in a cave in Botswana's Tosodilo hills.
48. Red wines from southwest France and Sardinia boast the highest concentrations of chemical compounds that promote heart health.
49. One of the most effective ways for athletes to recover after exercise is to drink a glass of chocolate milk.
50. Researchers from the University of Manchester managed to induce teeth growth in normal chickens - activating genes that have lain dormant for 80 million years

No. 25 Frogs Stymie NIU's Vaunted Rushing Attack In 37-7 Poinsettia Bowl Win

No. 25 Frogs Stymie NIU's Vaunted Rushing Attack In 37-7 Poinsettia Bowl Win
QB Jeff Ballard runs for three touchdowns, throws for one more.
Dec. 19, 2006
Final Stats Notes Photo Gallery
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Penned in by a bunch of tough Horned Frogs, Garrett Wolfe had nowhere to run.
The national rushing leader was held to 28 yards, a whopping 130 below his average, and No. 25 TCU won a Poinsettia Bowl mismatch against Northern Illinois 37-7 on Tuesday night.
While Wolfe was repeatedly stuffed by one of the nation's best defenses, led by end Tommy Blake, Horned Frogs quarterback Jeff Ballard ran for three touchdowns and threw for another.
Ballard looked more like a running back as he scored on runs of 10, 1 and 6 yards. He threw a 6-yard TD pass to tight end Brent Hecht and finished with 258 passing yards.
TCU's Lonta Hobbs rushed for 114 yards and one TD.
TCU (11-2) won 11 games for the third time in four years, all under coach Gary Patterson. NIU finished 7-6.
Wolfe, a senior from Chicago, came in leading the nation with an average of 158.3 yards rushing and 178.9 all-purpose yards.
The Horned Frogs, though, were fourth nationally in run defense after allowing only 67.6 yards per game. TCU kept alive its string of not allowing a 100-yard rusher, one of only four teams to do so this year.
Wolfe, who carried 20 times, came dangerously close to his career-low of 24 yards set in his first game, the 2004 season opener. The Huskies had only five first downs and 60 yards of total offense, compared to 23 first downs and 456 yards for TCU.
Wolfe was thrown for losses on four of his 10 carries in the first half, when accounted he for just 8 yards.
The Huskies had minus-13 yards and went three-and-out six straight times before Dan Nicholson completed a 62-yard pass to Matt Simon on third-and-12 from the Huskies' 11-yard line in the second quarter. All that did was set up a missed 51-yard field goal by Chris Nendick.
NIU got to the TCU 18-yard line late in the third quarter before turning the ball over on downs. The Huskies gained 52 yards on that drive; up until then, they'd gained only 45.
NIU's only score came when John Tranchitella returned a blocked punt 32 yards with 14:14 left. Jarret Carter blocked Brian Cortney's punt and the ball bounced back toward Cortney's hands, but Tranchitella swooped in and grabbed it.
NIU blocked two punts and a PAT.
Hobbs scored on a 4-yard run on TCU's first drive.
Early in the second quarter, Ballard dropped back to pass on third-and-9 from the NIU 10. He scrambled left, cut inside and then dove into the end zone. Chris Manfredini kicked a 25-yard field goal as the clock expired for a 16-0 halftime lead.
Ballard scored twice in just less than 3 minutes in the third quarter for a 30-0 lead. He ran a 1-yard keeper, then added a 6-yard run when he rolled left, couldn't find a receiver and tumbled into the end zone.
Ballard was 19-of-29 passing. Nicholson was 6-of-18 for 80 yards, with one interception.
The game drew only 29,709 on a cold night at 70,000-seat Qualcomm Stadium.
Among the fans were San Diego Chargers running backs LaDainian Tomlinson, who went to TCU, and Michael Turner, who played for NIU.
With TCU winning, Turner will have to wear Tomlinson's No. 5 Horned Frogs jersey around Chargers headquarters.
The Poinsettia Bowl is sponsored by the San Diego County Credit Union.

Santa Tracking and Mail

NORAD
According to the NORAD Santa Tracking website[1], Santa is 'tracked' every Christmas Eve with the same equipment that tracks the presence of aircraft entering North American airspace. In addition, the Canadian Armed Forces regularly officially announce on Christmas Eve that Santa is "escorted into Canadian airspace by jet fighters", apparently to keep with the spirit of the night.

----- Santa's Mail -----
Many children write letters to Santa, usually to tell him what gifts they wish to recieve. Many of these letters get sent to the small town of North Pole, Alaska near Fairbanks. In 2005, 120,000 letters arrived from 26 countries, not counting the thousands with no return address. Those that do have return addresses usually get a reply and a North Pole postmark in a holiday effort that has delighted children all over the world for decades.
Letters trickle in year-round in the community of 1,600, where light poles are curved and striped like candy canes and streets have names such as Santa Claus Lane and Kris Kringle Drive. Around Thanksgiving, they start pouring in by the thousands each day as Christmas approaches. Even stampless letters get through, a rare exception for the U.S. Postal Service.
When parents and other adults write their own Santa replies, put them in a stamped, self-addressed envelope and tuck them into a larger envelope addressed to the Fairbanks post office, these are sent to the children. In other cases, the volunteers, called "Santa's Elves," reply to any letter with a return address. Either way, replies get a North Pole postal cancellation mark, complete with a half-moon drawing of Santa's face. The Fairbanks post office also stamps the postmark on thousands of Christmas cards and packages diverted through Alaska from outside the state each year.
Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks also runs a Santa letter project. Santa's Mailbag was started in 1954 by base weather forecasters. In 2005, more than 4,000 letters were received and followed up with replies from base volunteers. Many of the letters came from children of military families stationed in the lower 48 states and abroad, but civilian children also are welcome to write.

Christmas

Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday that marks the traditional birthdate of Jesus of Nazareth. Christmas combines the celebration of Jesus' birth with various other traditions and customs, many of which were influenced by ancient winter festivals such as Yule[1] and Saturnalia. Christmas traditions include the display of Nativity scenes and Christmas trees, the exchange of gifts and cards, and the arrival of Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. Popular Christmas themes include the promotion of goodwill, giving, compassion, and quality family time.
Christmas Day falls on December 25. It is preceded by Christmas Eve on December 24, and in some countries is followed by Boxing Day on December 26. Some Eastern Orthodox Churches celebrate Christmas on January 7, which corresponds to December 25 on the Julian calendar. December 25 as a birthdate for Jesus is merely traditional, and is not thought to be his actual date of birth.[2]
Christmas is celebrated in most countries around the world, owing to the spread of Christianity and Western culture, along with the enduring popularity of wintertime celebrations. Various local and regional Christmas traditions are still practiced, despite the widespread influence of American and British Christmas motifs disseminated by film, popular literature, television, and other media.
----------------------> definition per wikipedia

How can you help James's Family

To our readers:
For the last several days, thousands of you have sent condolences and shared your feelings over the tragic loss of CNET Senior Editor James Kim. Your outpouring of support has been overwhelming.
We at CNET would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of you around the globe who wrote in. Your expressions of goodwill have been comforting through this difficult time.
If you wish to write to the Kim family directly, you can do so at JamesandKati.com. Many of you have also expressed a desire to make donations. The Kim family is working on setting up an official fund. In the meantime, you can make out checks to "The James Kim Memorial Fund" and mail it to this address:
The Kim Familyc/o CNET Networks235 2nd StreetSan Francisco, CA 94105
Sincerely,Jai SinghEditor in chief and senior vice president, CNET

James Kim 1971-2006

James Kim--family man, gadget fan
By Greg SandovalStaff Writer, CNET News.comPublished: December 6, 2006, 6:04 PM PST
More Video:
Watch the CNET TV tribute to James Kim
James Kim was a respected expert on cutting-edge digital devices, an owner of a trendy clothing store and a lover of the futuristic-sounding music known as electronica.
Yet, according to friends, most of Kim's life revolved around old-fashioned values: sacrifice, friendship and family. Those who knew him say they aren't surprised that Kim, in the last act of his life, demonstrated the ultimate expression of devotion to his wife and daughters.
The body of the 35-year-old Kim was discovered Wednesday in a rugged wilderness area in southern Oregon. He had set out across snow and ice with only tennis shoes to protect his feet. He had eaten little in the seven days since his car got stuck.
"Anyone that knows James will tell you that he would do anything to protect his family," said Jason Zemlicka, a friend of 10 years and former co-worker. "I know him, and he must have believed he was going to get somewhere."
Friends and co-workers now mourn Kim but say they will celebrate his success at helping to accomplish his most important goal during that desperate week in the woods: the rescue of his wife, Kati Kim, and the couple's two daughters, Penelope, 4, and Sabine, seven months.
"I have had the privilege of knowing James since our days together at TechTV," said Joe Gillespie, executive vice president at CNET Networks and a former co-worker of Kim's while the two were at the now-defunct cable channel. "And while I have many fond memories, I will honor forever what he set out to do last Saturday. He is a true hero to all here at CNET."
Indeed, he was praised for his resourcefulness by authorities in Grants Pass, Ore., who organized the search and described his efforts as "superhuman." According to interviews with Kim's in-laws, he lifted his family's spirits by acting as if they were all just on a campout.
Friends say that they couldn't think of anyone who could have fared any better than Kim in the same situation. He was known as a problem solver and a man with unlimited energy who never lost his cool. Kim was raising a family and holding down a full-time job as a product reviewer for CNET, while operating two retail stores with his wife and working on a book for McGraw-Hill about Microsoft's new digital-music player, the Zune.
"He was always trying to learn more, always gorging himself on new information...I don't think James slept much."
--Jasmine France, CNET co-worker
Kim was a "rising star" in the gadget community, said Lindsey Turrentine, Kim's supervisor at CNET. He had built a loyal following among geeks, music fans and the gadget-obsessed with his insights on MP3 players and other consumer devices.
Jasmine France, an associate editor at CNET who worked for Kim, said he spent most of his workdays amassing knowledge about the latest music players, mining the Web for new facts and talking on the phone with vendors or the many sources he had accumulated.
"He was always connected," France said. "He was always trying to learn more, always gorging himself on new information...I don't think James slept much."
There are plenty of hyperachievers in the world, but what made Kim special, said France, is that amid the chaos of his daily routine, whether he was testing a new gadget or shuttling between his two stores or carting his children to the park, he always had to time to ask about her life.
She said she shared a rare relationship with Kim. "How many people are friends with their boss?" wondered France.
Kim earned his friend's respect by the way he treated people, but many of them revered him for the way he cared for his family.
how to helpMemorial fund
CNET editor in chief thanks readers for their support and gives details about how they can help the Kim family.
Zemlicka, who worked with Kim at TechTV during the mid-1990s, was introduced to his wife by Kim. Zemlicka asked him to be one of his two best men at his wedding.
Zemlicka says he admired Kim's taste in music, as well as his discipline and dedication to his passions--specifically his family.
Four years ago, Kim, Zemlicka and their group of friends discovered golf, and Kim fell in love. Not only did he enjoy the game, he also basked in the camaraderie, Zemlicka said. But when daughter Penelope was born, Kim gave up the sport and never looked back, Zemlicka said.
"He wouldn't even sneak away for a few hours once in a while to play nine holes," Zemlicka said. "The truth is that it wasn't that big of a sacrifice--hanging out with a bunch of guys. James had more important things to tend to. He taught me to be a dedicated husband. He's always putting his wife and kids first."
Felix Magtoto, a UPS driver who delivers to the store the Kims own in San Francisco's Noe Valley district, often bonded with Kim over the importance of family. Both of Magtoto's daughters worked for the Kims, and the two men frequently discussed the pleasure of being the lone man in a house full of women.
On the stoop of Magtoto's house, the two men sometimes sipped Hennessy and smoked cigars, and Kim would ask the 53-year-old Magtoto for advice on being a father and husband.
"I saw myself in James," Magtoto said Wednesday after learning of Kim's death. "I liked him because he loved his family the way I love my family. Whatever it took, he wanted to give them everything they needed."
Related News.com coverageJames Kim found deceased
CNET TVJames Kim : Video Retrospective
More news from around the webRemembering James KimUpdate: CNet's James Kim Found Deceased James Kim found deceased in Oregon wilderness

James Kim

No TWiT This Week
Submitted by Leo Laporte on Mon, 2006-12-11 04:18.
It's been a really tough week for the TWiTs. I had planned to do a memorial show for James, but it was just too close to home for several of the guys, so we've decided to give it a pass this week.
Becky Worley joined Amber and me on net@nite, however, to talk a little about James, and the search effort which she helped with. I'll post that show early so you can listen to that instead of TWiT.
Thanks for understanding. See you next week.

http://www.news.com/
Wife, daughters of missing CNET editor found alive
By Leslie Katzhttp://news.com.com/Wife%2C+daughters+of+missing+CNET+editor+found+alive/2100-1028_3-6140118.html Story last modified Mon Dec 04 16:29:28 PST 2006


The wife and daughters of missing CNET senior editor James Kim have been found alive and airlifted to a local hospital, authorities announced at a press conference in Merlin, Ore., Monday afternoon.
James Kim left the car on foot two days ago to seek help and has not been found, the official said. The search for him continues.

Seen James Kim? Contact the SFPD at 415-558-5508 during normal business hours and at 415-553-1071 after-hours. The Pacific Northwest call center for the case can be reached at 1-800-452-7888.
According to the official speaking at the news conference, the conditions of Kati, Penelope and Sabine are not yet known. More details are expected at a press conference at 5 p.m. PST, which CNET will stream live.
At approximately 1:45 p.m. PST, search-and-rescue officials were notified that a vehicle and a female waving an umbrella were spotted by a helicopter search crew near the Rogue River in the area of Bear Camp Viewpoint off Bear Camp Road, according to a statement from Oregon State Police. This location is near the Curry/Josephine County line in Josephine County.
The official speaking at the press conference said that the helicopter had been hired by family members.
After searches in Oregon's Curry and Douglas counties, new information on missing CNET senior editor James Kim and his family narrowed the search back to the Bear Camp area in Josephine County, according to reports Monday.
A cell phone tower received a signal from one of the family's cell phones at about 1:30 a.m. on Sunday near Glendale, but officials say the signal is only an indicator the family could have been within 26 miles of Glendale at that time, according to a report in The Oregonian.
Glendale is located off Interstate 5, south of Roseburg, where the Kims were confirmed to have stopped at a Denny's restaurant on the night of Saturday, November 25.
The search for the Kims continued through the weekend, with search-and-rescue teams from the ground and air checking secondary rural routes in southwest Oregon, state police said.
Helicopter support was to be discontinued at darkness Sunday, but ground search crews were prepared to continue searching into the evening, according to a police statement.
The 35-year-old Kim, his 30-year-old wife, Kati, and daughters Penelope (4 years) and Sabine (7 months) left their home in San Francisco last week on a Thanksgiving road trip to the Pacific Northwest. Before the sighting at the Denny's in Roseburg, they had last been seen earlier that day in Portland, Ore., according to the San Francisco Police Department's missing persons' report.
Kati Kim
Approximately 40 state and federal personnel were searching remote area roads on Sunday, according to Oregon police. Some of those roads are difficult to travel, described by authorities as narrow and curvy with steep bordering embankments. Sno-Cats are assisting with the search in sections covered with up to 6 inches of frozen snow.
Private resources secured by family members, including helicopters, have been assisting in the hunt, and friends and family have traveled to Oregon to join the search. Loved ones have also set up a Web site where the public can receive updates on the Kims and share their thoughts.
Meanwhile, hundreds of CNET readers have sent e-mails and posted notes of concern and support on the site's message boards. Some have mapped out possible routes using navigation devices, and others in the Oregon area have joined the search effort. In March, a lost family was found safe after surviving 17 days in their snowbound RV in a remote area of southwestern Oregon.
Following confirmed sightings last Saturday night of Kim and his family at the Denny's in Roseburg, search efforts shifted north to Douglas County, Oregon police said Saturday morning.
Search efforts had been busy in Curry County, the location of Gold Beach, the family's reported destination for last Saturday evening. But after a multiagency search involving snowmobiles, a Sno-Cat and a UH-60 Blackhawk, among other helicopters, there was still no sign of the Kims' 2005 silver Saab 9-2X station wagon with California personalized plates of "DOESF."
Those fruitless efforts, combined with news of the Denny's sighting in Roseberg at about 8 p.m. on November 25, gave Lt. Dennis Dinsmore of the Curry County Sheriffs' Department "no indication in any way that they ever reached" his county.
"We're going to start backing away from the investigation," he said, adding that the search will shift to roads off state Highway 42 instead of Highway 38. Both are common routes taken to get from Interstate 5 to the Oregon coast.
Officials from the sheriff's office in Douglas County, where Roseburg is located, could not be reached for comment. But the Denny's sighting was confirmed in a press statement, and Dinsmore said the family's stop at Denny's had been corroborated by employees and a credit card receipt.
The National Guard, California Highway Patrol, Oregon State Police and Coast Guard are all participating in the search. In addition to patrolling highways running from Interstate 5 to the Oregon coast and along Highway 101, Oregon State Police troopers say they are checking hotels and resorts on the south coast.
Douglas County sheriffs have already done an extensive search of area roads, including Highway 42 from the Winston area to Myrtle Point in neighboring Coos County, according to the statement. Further search options are being explored.
According to Oregon State Police, about 100 tips had come in to a Pacific Northwest call center in Salem, Ore., as of Sunday afternoon. The number for the line is 1-800-452-7888.
Ryan Lee, a longtime friend of the Kims, told the San Francisco Chronicle that he had brunch with the Kims in Portland on Saturday. The Kims told their friend they planned to stop by a clothing boutique in Portland before driving to Gold Beach, where they said they had a hotel reservation at the Tu Tu Tun Lodge for Saturday night.
The hotel reportedly received an early-evening phone call from the Kims, saying they would be arriving at the hotel later than expected. They never showed up.
James, Penelope and Sabine
Inspector Kim Lewis of the SFPD's Missing Persons Unit said the last call recorded from James Kim's cell phone was made to a friend in San Francisco at 3 p.m. and suggested that the call to the hotel may have been made from a landline.
While some Saab models come equipped with the OnStar vehicle security and communications system, the model the Kims were driving did not offer OnStar as an option, said Mike Weinstein, a detective with the Portland Police Bureau's Missing Persons Unit, who said he also confirmed that information with OnStar using the Kims' vehicle identification number. The car did not have a LoJack car security system, either, Weinstein said.
Information provided by family members indicates that the car may have visible recent damage extending forward from the driver's door along the left quarter panel and wheel area, according to Oregon State Police. This damage was the result of a previous traffic-related incident in which the driver's door was reportedly repaired, but the other noted damage may still be visible.
On Saturday, the day the Kims were last seen, weather conditions in Southern Oregon were very hazardous, according to a spokesman for the Curry County Sheriff's Department.
At CNET, James Kim is a senior editor covering digital audio who also co-hosts a weekly video podcast for the Crave gadgets blog. He has been writing a book on Microsoft's Zune MP3 player. Formerly, he was an on-air personality on the now-defunct cable television network TechTV.
He and his wife own two stores in San Francisco--Doe, a clothing store in the city's Lower Haight area, and the Church Street Apothecary in the Noe Valley neighborhood, where they live. Kati Kim also worked at CNET from 1998 to 1999.
The family was driving a 2005 Saab station wagon with license plate "DOESF."
The family was expected to return to San Francisco on Monday, November 27. When both James and Kati failed to show up for appointments on Tuesday, November 28, co-workers began to worry for their safety. The Kims are known for keeping in touch daily with their friends and co-workers, either by phone or e-mail.
Those with information about the Kim family's whereabouts are asked to contact the SFPD immediately--at 415-558-5508 during normal business hours and at 415-553-1071 after-hours.
CNET News.com's Greg Sandoval and Jennifer Guevin contributed to this report.
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