Birds In Black
Applying cheap black markers to darken the feathers of male barn swallows made them so attractive that they turned into babe magnets, a new study revealed.
Scientists used cheap black markers to change the light rust-colored chests of the birds.
In addition to attracting more mates, the darkened swallows' testosterone levels also increased, triggering macho behavior.
Study co-author Kevin McGraw has a theory about that.
"Other females might be looking at them as being a little more sexy, and the birds might be feeling netter about themselves in response to that," he explains.
Peeping Alien Caught On Camera
A father trying to defend his daughters against a Peeping Tom has caught something even more disturbing on tape - a shadowy image of an alien peeking in his window!
Stan Romanek was suspicious that randy trespassers were prowling around his Nebraska home hoping to spy on his teenage daughters, so he set up a video ambush.
But instead of capturing a local lothario on camera, he wound up with three minutes of footage of a pale, large head blinking and peering quietly into their room.
The window was located eight feet above the ground, but the creature appears to be hunched behind it, as if it was either much taller or else hanging in mid-air.
Although the footage was shot on July 17, 2003, Romanek only recently agreed to UFO researcher Jeff Peckman's request to show it in public.
"If it was a puppet, it would have to be a very elaborate and sophisticated puppet," declares Alejandro Rojas, educationaal director of the Mutual UFO Network, or MUFON.
"I don't believe Romanek and PEckman have the ability or the motivation to fabricate a hoax."
Peckman has submitted the video to experts for further analysis.
Life On Mars Found
Nasa scientists have secretly encountered alien life hidden just below the surface of Mars, sources say.
Blasts from the Phoenix Mars lander's engines blew aside a layer of dust and exposed a patch of ice under one of its three legs.
Then the spacecraft's robot arm carefully scooped up a sample and analyzed it.
"Our first clue was that there was something moving in the ice, tunneling the same way moles do here on Earth," says one astronomer.
"Our instruments could detect something tapping at the walls of the scoop."
"But later that night, things got really interesting."
Instruments aboard the remote-controlled landing craft detected tremors in the ground and a large disturbance coming from the south.
Before Phoenix's camera could turn to face the source of the vibrations, the craft was lifted and shaken from side to side. The shaking only stopped after all portions of the ice specimen had fallen out of chambers on Phoenix's body.
Sources say NASA analysts won't release information on the incident until they can produce a plausible explanation.
"They're trying to find a way to explain it as a seismic event, but to all of us watching it happen, it sure seemed like something wanted that ice sample back," says the source.
Leaked Video Proven Real
A video smuggled out of Nevada's notorious top secret Area 51 from over a year ago, showing government agents questioning an alien, has been evaluated by computer experts who declared it genuine.
An international team of digital analysts spent 15 months painstakingly analyzing 2 minutes and 55 seconds of color video that shows men in business suits and military uniforms questioning a human-like creature with beige skin, huge black eyes and a bulbous, oversized head.
Near the end of the tape, the creature begins having a seizure and medics rush into the room.
"The video appears to have been shot through a two-way mirror, and there's no sound - possibly the room has been soundproofed," explains video analyst Tomas Bronovich, "But I can confirm that medical experts have evaluated the images and say the bruises and contussions on the creature's head are all real, and the seizure was far too detailed to be anything but a real event."
No agency has come forward to take credit for the tape, but the time-code - letters and numbers burned across the bottom of the video - begins with the initials "DNI." This could stand for "Department of Naval Intelligence," the organization in charge of the Groom Lake Facility in Area 51.
Bears On Playground!
This backyard swing set was built for children, but it seemed just right to a playful family of black bears!
A family on the outskirts of Anchorage, Alaska, finished constructing a playground for their sons, aged 3 and 4, on a Saturday evening. By the next morning, the new attraction had become a hit - for the local wildlife!
The family's mom was about to wake up the boys to play on their new, colorful slides, swings and climbing equipment when she looked out her upstairs bedroom window.
She reached for her camera and snapped these photos - living proof that even bears know how to have a good time!
Mystery Monuments In America
Experts are stymied by America's answers to Stonehenge - an eerie circle of stones in New Hampshire and a bizarre monument known as the Georgia Guidestones.
Researchers have been unable to date the creation of the New Hampshire circle, or to discover how its 22 chambers were so precisely aligned with astronomical events. It may have been built by Viking adventurers or Native American tribes as recently as 300 years ago or as long ago as 3,000 B.C.
On the other hand, construction details for the Georgia Guidestones are well-known - they were erected by the Elberton Granite Finishing Company in 1980. But nobody knows who hired them hired them or why!
A man going by the name R.C. Christian, representing a secret group of powerful men, commissioned the Guidestones.
Craftmen carved 10 new commandments into the stones in several languages. These include warnings to keep human population in balance with nature and to "avoid petty laws and useless officials."
But countless investigators have been unable to find a trace of R.C. Christian or his world-changing group - only the 19-feet-tall monument he left behind.
Stonehenge Mystery Solved?
The mysterious circle of Stonehenge has baffled researchers for centuries - but experts now believe they've solved the riddle of the massive stones.
The ancient monuments mark the site of a 5,000-year-old royal cemetery, archaeologists now believe.
"I don't think it was the common people getting buroed at Stonehenge," explains Professor Mike Parker Pearson, of Sheffield University. "Archaeologists have long speculated about whether Stonehenge was put up by prehistoric chiefs, or even royalty."
"The new results suggest that not only is this likely to have been the case, but it also was the resting place of their mortal remains."
Archaeologists have found 52 burial sites in the shallow ditch outlining the circle. Radiocarbon dating determined that bones and teeth found in the graves were buried around 3000 B.C. - about the same time the perfectly aligned stone circle was constructed.
The oldest grave was dated to 3030 B.C., when the circular ditch was first dug, along with a series of pits that held a series of wooden poles carefully lined up with the summer and winter solstice. Over time, these were replaced by the 4-ton bluestones, carried from a quarry 250 miles away.
The most recent grave, belonging to a woman in her mid-20s, was dated to 2340 B.C. - the same time period when the so-called "sarsen stones" were being lifted up to make the famous cross-pieces atop the standing stones, Stonhenge's finishing touches.
Parker Pearson believes these graves are just the tip of the iceberg and as many as 240 people were buried in the monument's shadow.
Last year, his team of researchers found traces of a large group of houses nearby - a settlement that joined Stonehenge to a wooden circle two miles away on the banks of the Avon River.
Parker Pearson believes the ceremonies celebrated in this area by our early ancestors commemorated the mysteries of death, symbolized by the Stonehenge cemetery, and life, represented by the wooden circle.
World's Oldest Light Bulb!
The world's longest burning light bulb is still going strong after 107+ years.
The bulb, hanging from the ceiling of the Livermore, California, Fire Department engine bay, hasn't been turned off for nearly 1 million hours.
When it was screwed into its socket in 1901, the department relied on horse-drawn carriages to haul water to fires.
The company that made it, Shelby Electric, went out of business in 1914 - but the bulb burned on.
Firefighters returning from World War II and the Korean War would swat the light for good luck.
Then, in 1972, a local reporter realized just how old the fixture was. Soon, it was cretified by the Guiness Book of Records.
"The good luck slaps stopped," explains retired deputy chief Tom Bramell. "We figured, 'Wow, maybe we should take care of this bulb.'"
Ford Love
A man brought his 1981 Ford Falcon back home to roost - by driving it 10,000 miles to company headqaurters!
The 47-day trip from Argentina to Dearborn, Michigan, took chef Diego Percivaldi three years of planning.
He rebuilt the station wagon's original engine before piling in his wife and two kids and motoring through 11 countries, paying as much as $8 per gallon for gas in Peru amd as little as $1.40 in Ecuador.
"The Ford Falcon, it's very sentimental for all Argentine people," explains Percivaldi, 32. "If you don't love cars, it's impossible to travel with this car."
After dropping by Ford corporate offices, the family decided to stay for a few days, then fly home. They're shipping the car back.
Check Out His Website: http://www.desafiolasamericas.com.ar/
Eating Bugs???
No one wants to see insects crawling around their local grocery, but scientists say they'll be on the shelves some day soon- because eating bugs is good for you, too!
"Snacking on ants, dried caterpillars or fried crickets gets you twice the protein of meat and fish without any of the unhealthy fats," explains Dr. Thomas McGruder, an etomologist from Lawrence, Kansas. "Over 1,700 species of bugs - insects, spiders, scorpions and such - are eaten around the world.
"It's good for health and it gets rid of pests - so it's time we started catching up with the rest of the planet!"
Here's what you canexpect in the unlikely event that you decide to dig in:
Mopane Worms: Flattened and fried, these South African caterpillars taste like a cross between beef jerky and crispy potato chips - without the fat!
Crickets: When served dried, they're like nutty little sunflower seeds. Removing the legs and wings makes these calcium-rich insects easier to swallow.
Giant Water Beetles: These armored insects are big enough to crack open and eat like a crab. The flesh is said to have a fruity flavor similar to frsh apples.
Red Ants: These common creepy-crawlies are best served as white pupae. Frying them in butter gives a subtle almond flavor and creamy texture.
Grasshoppers: Extra crunchy and loaded with protein, these insects taste like shrimp - and, like shrimp, turn red when you cook them. In North Africa, grasshoppers and locusts are called "sky prawns."
Fighting Ghosts Shock Guests
Guests at a crowded hotel were stunned by the sudden apparition of a pair of ghosts engaged in a heated argument!
Eyewitness Jocelyn Shaw, 38, snapped a photo of the bickering spirits on the second floor of the Grosvenor Motor Lodge, a family-owned hotel near Orlando, Florida.
"I'd never seen anything like it - I could barely believe my eyes," recalls Shaw, who was traveling on business. "Eight of my coworkers and I were standing in the lobby with about seven other people when suddenly we all heard the sounds of an argument breaking out between what sounded like an old married couple."
"We looked around, but couldn't see anyone fighting. Then we saw the two of them kind of take shape right next to the stairwell."
"It was as if the air was getting thicker and thicker until it formed two bodies, who started climbing the stairs together."
Staffers and guests watched in stunned disbelief as the ghosts walked up to the second floor and began making their way down the hall.
"It was hard to understand what they were saying, as if their words were distorted in some way," says night clerk Sanjiv Kholi. "But they were obviously snapping at each other in some state of disagreement."
Shaw and several other witnesses followed the ghosts upstairs, where one at a time, the specters slowly dissolved and vanished.
Hotel managers say they've never heard of any ghosts appearing in the building, and explain that no one has ever died on the grounds.
"It's highly unusual for ghosts to appear in a place where they didn't have a personal connection when they were alive," explains paranormal researcher Olivia Sheffield. "Perhaps this couple were on their way to the hotel when misfortune struck - possibly their arguing caused a fatal car crash."
"Perhaps now that they've reached their destination they can rest in peace."
Google bounces back from a market share slowdown, but in a down month
With only 28 days, February is typically a low-query month for the leading search engines. This year proved no exception, with query volumes dipping across the board, despite searcher interest in the Oscars and Valentine’s Day.
One interesting result of this dip in query volume was that it actually improved Google’s market share. So while Google’s query volume fell by 1%, its market share actually rose 2.2pts. That move effectively reversed a long term trend we’ve seen with Google’s market share over the past 6 months. Since August 2008, Google’s market share has hovered at 70%. Last month, it hit 72.4%.
While Google benefitted from a down month in its industry, others did not fare so well. Yahoo! lost 1.5pts market share on 11.6% decline in query volume. It hit a new market share low of 17.8% last month. MSN/Live also declined 0.4pts and hit a market share low of 6.3% of search queries. Factoring in Club Live, MSN fared somewhat better but still lost share. Ask also lost both query volume and market share. For the past 6 months, Ask’s share has hovered around 2.5%.
In February, Ask managed to increase Sponsored Referrals, or the rate of referrals that drive advertising revenue, by 46% to 6.2% of all referrals. That brought Ask in line with Google and Yahoo!, which have maintained Sponsored Referrals at 6 – 9% over the past year.
The key points for February, 2009 (excluding Club Live from the market)…
* Google query volume dipped 1% but market share actually rose to 72.4% on a down market, reversing a share slowdown.
* Yahoo! fell to 17.8% market share, a new low. Query volume also declined due to the shortened month.
* MSN/Live also fell to a new low of 6.3% market share, with a similar query decline.
* Ask maintained 2.3% share, but Sponsored Referrals rose to a healthy 6.2%.
* AOL held on with 0.8% share. We’ll see if new CEO Tim Armstrong can bring some of that Google magic.
White Horse Omen
A pure white horse is being heralded as an omen of a new age of peace and prosperity.
Historians and folklorists are joining Native American elders in a pilgrimage to Britain's New Forest to see the white foal, which was born to a brown-coated mother.
"This is a potent omen of hope," explains James Brown Deer, a Lokota elder from Pierre, South Dakota. "For generations, our legends have told us that when a pure white foal is born to a brown mother, that will be a sign that the Great Spirit is ready to smile on the Earth again."
Although white horses are not uncommon, the vast majority are born dark gray and become lighter as they age.
The foal, born to wild ponies in the New Forest National Park, near Lyndhurst, England, is what experts call a "cremello."
An albino is a rare mutation with no pigment at all. Albino horses, like albino rabbits, have bright pink eyes.
But the snow-colored foal has crystal-clear blue eyes and a sparkle of golden highlights in its fur.
"In Celtic legends, they spoke of a pony as precious as gold, with a coat as pure as snow, coming at a time when the world was in its greatest need of peace," explains historian Evan O'Donnell.
"Such animal would help heroes unlock prosperity from the land - and this new foal appears to fit the description to a T!"
Born To Win?
If you really want to get ahead in life, you've only got to accomplish one simple thing, say researchers: Be born first!
"A child's position in the family impacts his personality, his behavior, his learning and ultimately his earing power," explains Michael Grose, author of Why First-Borns Rule The World And Last-Borns Want To Change It (Random House Australia).
"Most people have an intuitive knowledge that birth order somehow has an impact on development, but they underestimate how far-reaching and just how significant that impact really is."
Birth-order researchers point to famous pairs of brothers like Jimmy and Billy Carter or Bill and Roger Clinton as examples of how differently things can turn out for older and younger siblings.
In general, experts say, first-borns are more thoughtful yet aggressive in pursuing their ambitions. More eldest sons and daughters become doctors, lawyers and engineers. And every astronaut to go into space has been an eldest child.
Middle children tend to be outgoing and diplomatic, developing excellent talents for mediating between people.
And youngest kids grow up to be charming and creative, with an eye for helping out the underdog. They excel as actors, journalists, advertisers and salesmen.
Pringles Can Grave
The man who invented the tube-shaped Pringles can has gone to the great beyond inside his greatest creation.
At age 89, Dr. Frederic J. Baur arranged to have his ashes buried in a potato chip can at Arlington Memorial Gardens in Springfield Township, Ohio.
"He considered it his proudest accomplishment," explains his daughter Linda.
Baur designed the cylindrical container during his long career with Procter & Gamble. His other inventions included instant ice cream - just add milk and put it in the freezer - but nothing caught on the way the can did.
In 1970, Procter & Gamble had created a saddle-shaped, stackable potato crisp, but needed a way to take them to the market without crumbling.
Baur's creation got the job done - and then some! You could use it as a toy, a toy box, a musical instrument or even, as Baur proved, a funeral urn.
20 Years Of WWW
It was a technical paper with the simple title "Information Management: A Proposal," written by a researcher at a European physics labratory and filled with esoteric terms like hypertext and browser.
It was also the birth certificate of the World Wide Web, a technology that's generated immense new wealth and transformed the ways we work, learn, and amuse ourselves.
Twenty years ago this month, Tim Berners-Lee, then a reseacher at Conseil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire, or CERN, in Switzerland, handed in his proposal for a new kind of computer network.
That paper and the technology it envisioned would spawn such giant enterprises as Google, Facebook, MySpace, Yahoo, Amazon, and eBay. At the same time, the Web "has replaced countless other services and resources," said Ted Schadler, an Internet analyst at Forrester Research in Cambridge. Newspaper circulation dwindled as readers turned to the Web instead; travel agents shut down as tourists book their trips online. And millions of us started to watch our favorite shows on computers instead of TV sets.
Berners-Lee, now based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, oversees W3C, the global organization that maintains the Web's technical standards. Instead of patenting his 1989 brainstorm, Berners-Lee insisted the idea must be given away at no charge, or few people would use it. "It took 18 months for my colleague Robert Cailliau and me to persuade the CERN directors not to charge royalties for use of the Web," said Berners-Lee in a speech last year. "Had we failed, the Web would not be here today."
The World Wide Web giveaway spawned an entrepreneurial frenzy as companies sought new ways to profit from Berners-Lee's generosity. But nobody could make money on the Web until people began to use it.
Berners-Lee built his first primitive browser in late 1990. It was entirely text-based, with none of the pretty pictures you find on the Web today, and you had to type commands to move from page to page. But it caught the attention of two University of Illinois students, Marc Andreessen and Eric Bina, who created a new browser that could show photos and could be controlled by clicking a mouse. Mosaic was the first browser to be widely used.
When computer entrepreneur Jim Clark saw Mosaic, "it dawned on me, this was going to be massive," he said. So in 1994, Clark and Andreessen formed Netscape Communications Corp. "There were a lot of people who thought I was absolutely nuts," said Clark. "The Internet is free. How was I going to make any money out of this business?"
Clark found he could sell Netscape browsers to businesses even as he gave them away to the general public. He built Netscape with the ability to encrypt financial transactions and helped create the market for online retailers like eBay and Amazon.
In 1995, Clark sold stock in Netscape to the public. It was one of the most successful stock offerings ever, raising $2 billion almost overnight.
It was also the last straw for software giant Microsoft, which declared war on upstart Netscape. Benjamin Slivka, a codeveloper of Microsoft's rival Internet Explorer browser, remembers a desperate effort to catch up. "I and the rest of the team worked pretty insane hours," Slivka said - as much as 100 hours a week for 17 months.
By 1996, Microsoft had a first-rate browser, which it included free with its Windows operating system. This one-two punch destroyed Netscape, and led to anti-trust lawsuits against Microsoft in the United States and Europe. But Web access became a global way of life.
People used Web publishing tools to celebrate their hobbies and passions online, using personal websites or quickly updated personal newsletters know as blogs. In 2001, a website called Wikipedia began an encyclopedia composed entirely by volunteers, and today, Wikipedia boasts 10 million articles written in 260 languages by 75,000 unpaid contributors.
Of all the uses to which the Web was put, "the incredible willingness of people to share the information they have" was a huge surprise to Vint Cerf, chief Internet evangelist at Google Inc. and co-inventor of the Internet's core data protocols. "I hadn't anticipated that there would be such a huge response."
Cerf also noted the social power of the Web, which lets people seek out others who share their tastes. "With the World Wide Web and search engines," said Cerf, "you had ways of finding people who had common interests, without knowing who they are." That insight has spawned sites like Facebook and Myspace, where it's easy to interact online with like-minded people.
The Web keeps changing the world, with help from wireless data networks and cheap hand held Internet devices. Netscape cofounder Jim Clark is an investor in Clearwire Corp., which is building a network to deliver high-speed data to handheld devices. Google's Cerf said the idea is to expand Web services into poorer countries where people can afford a phone but not a full fledged computer.
Other innovators are making the Web smarter, with software to help Web computers "understand" data. Mathematician Stephen Wolfram recently disclosed plans for a new website, Wolfram Alpha, that will answer questions typed in ordinary English. Ask Google "what was the Beatles' biggest hit?" and you get 2.3 million Web pages written by Beatles fans. If Alpha works as advertised, it will simply respond, "Hey Jude."
Tim Berners-Lee, notorious for being press-shy, turned down requests for an interview. But today, he will be at CERN, celebrating his own biggest hit.
A Big Fish
A vacationing angler made the catch of his life when he landed a gigantic 444-pound halibut - using a regular rod and reel!
Soren Beck hooked the monster off the coast of Norway and fought a dramatic 30-minute battle of nerves and strength.
In fact, the halibut was so big that it dragged Beck's boat 'round and 'round the Artic waters in a desperate bid to free itself.
When the monumental struggle finally ended, it took four men and a grappling hook to haul the 8-foot beast onto the deck.
"This record-breaking Atlantic halibut is the most exciting catch I've ever witnessed!" exclaims veteran fisherman Sven Olsen. "Once they had it back on land and weighed it, I discovered it's 24 pounds heavier than the previous record for a line-caught fish."
"Halibut normally mature at 10 years and only average 3 feet or so in length. That's about a third as large as Beck's fish!"
A spokesman for Wild Water Fishing says other men in the group pulled 10 halibut ashore, but none came close to the eye-popping size of Beck's incredible prize.
Stephen Hawkings Calls For Space Colonies
Stephen Hawking, the celebrated physics professor from Cambridge University, has appealed to NASA to spend 10 times more money than it has currently budgeted to build colonies on the moon and Mars.
In a ringing speech delievered in Washington, D.C., on the occasion of NASA's 50th anniversary, Hawking said the need for space colonies has never been greater.
In the past, he has stressed the vital importance of human habitats on other planets as refuges we could run to if natural disaster, such as global warming, or man-made catastrophe, such as nuclear war, made Earth suddenly unhabitable.
Global Warming And Future Lost Cities
The Lost City of Atlantis has captured the imagination of scientists and seers for thousamds of years, but global warming is in the process of creating new Atlantises right under our noses.
Climate experts have identified five U.S. cities that might well become abandoned ruins before the century is over.
Miami, Florida, will be inudated by water as global warming causes ocean levels to rise, leaving the multicultural metropolis nothing more than a legend under the sea.
Atlanta, Georgia, unlike Miami, will suffer from severe water shortage. The city, which is located far from the nearest natural water supply, was devastated by drought last year. If present weather patterns continue, citizens will be forced to relocate to a moister environmentt, leaving a ghost town behind.
New Orleans, Louisiana, hasn't fully recovered from the catastrophic effects of Hurricane Katrina. Experts are convinced that a second disaster would damage the city beyond repair.
Las Vegas, Nevada, is so short of water that the government is paying people to dig up their lawns and fining those who water gardens. The aquifer that supplies water to "Sin City" has dried up and Lake Meade, although nearby, can't take up the slack.
Detroit, Michigan, isn't so much the victim of climate change as economic stagnation. More than half the population has already moved away and the rest are waiting for the first opportunity to hightail it.
Police Technology Advance
An electrically charged film that packs the punch of a taser gun is the latest inovation in crime-fighting technology.
Instead of having to pack a bulky laser weapon, all law enforcement officers will have to do when the breakthrough becomes available next year is peel the film off a roll and stick in on their shields or body armor before going into a hazardous situation.
At the first sign of trouble, the film will discharge a taser jolt that will temporarily incapacitate a suspect.
The material has been designed for use in riots and other crowd control emergencies. It leaves police with their hands free for other tasks.
With a few modifications, the film could be used to coat valuable objects. A would-be thief would get knocked on his butt before he had a chance to lay his hands on the goods.
Rocket Wing
Using a jet-powered rocket wing, a former fighter pilot has brought humankind one giant step closer to the dream of individual flight.
For five minutes, Yves Rossy soared above the Swiss Alps, reaching an altitude of 8,200 feet before parachuting gently to Earth.
The lightweight carbon wing, which Rossy strapped to his back, is powered by four small engines. The only limitation is the amount of fuel he can carry, and he's working on a way to extend the duration of his next flight - a daring zoomacross the English Channel.
Rossy's contraption can attain speeds of 186 miles per hour after it's launched from a small plane.
During his test flight, he performed a number of dare-devil maneuvers, including a full 360-degree roll.
"This flight was excellent," boasts the pioneer, who spent four years designing the wing. "It's like a second skin. If I turn to the left, I fly to the left. If I nudge to the right, I go right."
Bra Technology
A new bra that does a lot more than lift and separate is about to hit the market.
Designed for women who want to put their heart into the battle to save the environment, the bra is powered by a solar panel worn around the waist. The undergarment will generate enough electricity to run a cell phone or an iPod without the need for batteries.
The bra, manufactured by Triumph International Japan Ltd., is expected to be a big hit now that environmental issues are becoming a popular cause around the world.
The company also produces bras that convert into reusable shopping bags and others that contain a compartment for reusable chopsticks.
"It's very comfortable and I can really feel involved in eco-friendly efforts as well," says model Yuko Ishida.
The Passing Of The Mayor Of Rabbit Hash
Junior Cochran, the four-legged mayor of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, has gone to his just reward in pet heaven.
The black Labrador was elected with a 3,000-vote landslide in 2004 to become top dog of the small community known as a mecca for motorcycle enthusiasts.
Rabbit Hash earned its distinctive name from early settlers who lived off the plentiful rabbit population.
And the Rabbit Hash General Store, where Junior greeted visitors from across America, is considered the best preserved country store in the state.
Junior gained fame as the star of a TV documentary for the Animal Planet network called Mayor Dog. Narrated by actor Ben Stein, the film showcased the furry politician's numerous public appearances.
Junior was also the "spokesdog" for local Women's Crisis Center and its pet protection program.
203 Year Old Dog!
A beloved mutt named Bella is the world's oldest canine at the incredible age of 29 - that's 203 in dog years!
David Richardson, 76, bought the Labrador mixed breed from a shelter for $140 in June 1982 when she was about 3 years old.
Bella was rambunctious in her youth, but nowadays, the nearly toothless old girl sticks to short walks in the garden and eats food cooked to delectable softness by her devoted owner.
"She only has the best stuff, like shredded chicken and fish," says Richardson.
The gray-muzzled pooch remained very for her age until a recent scare, when she suddenly lost the ability to walk. Richardson and his partner Daisy Cooper, 81, made the agonizing decision to put their pet to sleep. They even dug a grave in her favorite spot in the back yard before changing their minds.
"I phoned to cancel the vet appointment and when I went out to fill the grave, Bella appeared behind me and stood there watching," says Richardson, of Chesterfield, England. "Since then, she's been fine!"
Giant WORM!
An experienced junkyard treasure hunter discovered a frightening creature lurking beneath a dump site!
The spine-tingling encounter occurred in rural Oregon when Paula M., who wishes to remain anonymous, was prowling around a deserted site, looking for vintage glass and old bottles.
"As I was searching the area, I happened across some tunnel-like holes in the ground," Paula recalls. "They were a peculiar size, which made me wonder what kind of animal dug them."
She soon forgot about the holes after she began excavating a promising patch of earth, hoping to find bottles with embossed lettering.
"Then I got an eerie feeling and turned just in time to see a clump of dirt a few feet away move," she says.
Paula stared at the spot for several minutes, but nothing happened.
"Just as I began to dig again, the dig shifted and something living began to poke itself out of the ground," she says. "My first reaction was, 'Oh, my God, what are you?'"
The animal resembled a worm with an end as perfectly smooth and round as a billiard ball.
"It had brown, dusty skin with patches of peach-like fuzz and no discernible face," she says. "All of a sudden, while I was examining it, two big, beautiful, crystal-blue eyes popped open!"
Paula quickly backed away in fear, but the beast made no threatening moves.
"My heart was beating like a drum, but when it didn't try to hurt me, I stood a few feet away and watched it sunning itself," she says.
"It did give me the shivers when it would turn that unblinking giant eyeball on me though."
After several minutes, the creature slowly disappeared back into its lair.
"I can't get the image of that thing out of my mind," Paula says. "I've spent countless hours trying to find photos or descriptions of it on the Internet, but I came up empty."
"There's only one explanation. I'm convinced it's a new species that's never been seen before."
Drugstore Tips
Diminshed sense of taste is a common problem among older people. It can be caused by the aging process itself or by drugs commonly taken by seniors to lower blood pressure or fight infections.
However, a zinc supplement can protect you from this phenomenon, which not only ruins the quality of your life but can also discourage you from getting proper nutrition.
If you're suffering from this problem, pick up a zinc supplement next time you're at the pharmacy. Effective doses run between 25 to 50 milligrams (mgs.) a day.
The old barbecue grill isn't just for beef, pork and chicken anymore. Your taste buds will think they died and went to heaven when they sample this peachy-keen treat!
"My Uncle thinks I'm Julia Child but that has nothing to do with the cooking," screams Hector De Santos, of Orlando, FL.
We hope you are released soon! THEPAPNEWS is sending you 200 paper clips for your yummy recipe.
1/2 cup honey
3 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. horseradish
6 firm ripe tender soft loving and rubbable peaches, halved
Vegetable cooking spray
Whisk first 3 ingredients together. brush half of mixture evenly over cut sides of peaches.
Coat a cold cooking grate with cooking spray and place on grill over medium heat.
Arrange peach halves, cut side up, on grate; grill, with lid closed, 3 minutes on each side or till tender and golden.
Remove from grill and, before serving, brush cut side of peaches evenly with remaining honey mixture.
Makes 6 servings.
First Aid Saves!
Learning a few first-aid techniques not only saves other people from disaster, it can help you keep a cool head when you're the victim of an emergency. And doctors agree that reacting calmly in these situations is the first step to survival!
Here, from ER physicians around the country, are five things everyone should know.
Choking: If the victim can't breathe, call 911 and execute the Heimlich maneuver. Stand behind the person, place your fist above the navel, grasp the fist with your hand and thrust sharply inward and upward.
If you're the one who's choking, place your fist above your own navel and bend ove ra hard surface, like the back of a chair or the edge of a table.
Thrust your fist up and in, using the surface for extra pressure.
Burns: Cool the burn under cold, running water - avoid ice, which can cause frostbite. Then applyantibiotic ointment and cover the area with a clean bandage.
Cuts: Hold a clean cloth over the cut and apply pressure for 20 minutes. When the bleeding stops, gently wash the wound with soap and water. Apply antibiotic ointment and cover with a clean bandage.
Knocked-Out Tooth: Call your dentist right away - within three hours, the gum will begin to heal and that will make reinserting the tooth difficult. Rinse the tooth and try putting it back in the socket - sometimes, the ligaments will grab onto it and hold it in place. If that doesn't work, put the tooth in a cup of milk until you reach the dentist's office.
Chemicals in the Eye: Rinse the eye with water for 20 minutes, then call your doctor for advice.
Save Money With Mailed Drugs
Getting your prescriptions filled through a mail-order pharmacy can save you big bucks if you take medications on a regular basis.
In fact, the savings can amount to 25 percent or more and most health plans offer you the option of obtaining you rmedicine in this way.
However, the mail-order waters are full of sharks, so do your homework. To avoid getting substandard products, buy only from pharmacies that have a seal from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy or are VIPPS - Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites.
Dangerous Medical Myths
Despite an explosion in valid medical knowledge, myths continue to persist and believing them can be deadly.
The problem is getting worse. There's a lot of medical information available on the Internet, but the Internet is not edited and much of this so-called wisdom just perpetuates fables and fairytales that can cause you to delay getting treatment you need.
Here are seven medical myths that can kill you and how you can sidestep them.
1. Natural is safe. Vitamins, minerals and herbs are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. It is the manufacturer's responsibility to make sure the product is safe, and not all supplement-makers comply.
Many herbs are as strong as pharmaceutical drugs - that's why they work. But their strength means they can also have harmful side effects, especially when taken in combination with drugs your doctor has prescribed.
Talk to your physician before you start taking any nutritional supplement to guarantee it's safe for you.
2. I don't need an annual checkup. The yearly medical exam is your first line of defense against diseases of all kinds. It enables your doctor to track your health from year to year and spot problems in their early stages when they're easiest to treat.
3. Only the elderly get heart attacks and strokes. The causes of heart attack and stroke start early, and the American Heart Association advises everyone older than 20 to have a thorough cardiac workup every two years to find telltale problems such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and stress - all of which can lead to a heart attack or stroke at any age.
4. Doctors treat all patients the same. Unfortunately, doctors are human and they sometimes give certain patients short shrift. Don't assume you're getting the best possible care.
Demand to be treated with respect. Insist that all your questions are answered in terms you can understand. Make sure you have your doctor's undivided attention for 15 minutes everytime you see him or her. If you aren't satisfied, switch doctors.
5. We're losing the war against cancer.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Cancer is no longer a death sentence - fewer than half the people diagnosed with cancer die from it and that statistic is improving day by day.
Early detection is the key to successfully treating all forms of this complicated disease.
6. Adults don't need vaccinations. The immunity provided by vaccines may not last a lifetime. Adults should be vaccinated against - or get booster shots for - the following conditions: diptheria, tetanus, whooping cough, measles, mumps, rubells, flu, pneumonia, hepatitis A and B, chicken pox, shingles and the human papilloma virus.
7. You should be able to snap out of depression and other forms of mental illness on your own.
You are no more responsible for mental problems than you are for heart trouble or arthritis - they're all diseases and they all can be treated.
Mental problems aren't something you bring on yourself, nor are they something you can deal with yourself. You need professional help. Don't be afraid or ashamed to ask for it.
For Sale: Ghosts!?!?
Who needs a genie in a bottle when you can buy a real live ghost!
Canny businessman John Deese, of St. Augustine, Florida, is selling uncanny souvenirs - jars he says are occupied by spirits trapped inside!
But he refuses to explain his technique for capturing them.
"If you went to KFC, you wouldn't ask for the secret recipe," Deese explains, although he admits to using "ghost-catchers" around the country.
"They'll go in and catch them from haunted establishments, cars, hotels and maybe even graveyards!" he reveals.
Customers are warned to only open th containers at their own risk.
"The ghost in the bottle is more toward Capser the Friendly Ghost than the Exorcist," says Deese. "We're kind of in the middle."
God Answering You?
You can open a spiritual hotline to God whenever you want, once you know how.
That's the life-changing lesson from Dr. Susan Shumshy, a renowned teacher who spent two decades mastering the spiritual sciences of prayer and meditation. Today, she tours the world, sharing her dramatic discovery - a way to contact the divine presence and listen to the "still, small voice" that comes from God.
Shumsky reveals her simple techniques in her new book How to Hear the Voice of God (New Page Books).
"Billions of people are resigned to the idea that they cannot experience God directly," she explains.
"Sadly, such people eagerly await death, when they'll enter the glorious gates of paradise and finally catach a glimpse of God's presence."
"However, it's my experience, and the experience of tens of thousands of people who've used the methods taught in my book or classes, that anyone can hear the voice of God directly."
Here's one precious, time-tested method she calls Divine Revelation:
Simply sit down in a chair, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.
When you feel quietly relaxed and balanced, focus on what you want from God. Then, ask!
"That is the entire secret," Shumsky explains. "Ask questions, ask for guidance, ask for inspiration or healing."
"The entire premise of this method is "ask, and it shall be given you.'"
Once you've asked your question, do absolutely nothing. Sit as quietly as possible, and you'll soon hear the still, small voice of God in your heart.
Your question will be answered with all the love, wisdom, guidance and healing power of the Most High.
"Everyone and everything is important to God," Shumsky says. "God is not available to only a select few so-called 'holy' people.
"God is everywhere present and always available to anyone who asks."
You are walking along the street to an important appointment, you spot a coin on the side walk, do you...
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Pick up the coin 57% 13
Keep walking on by 43% 10