Big Secret

In the 1970's, before women were allowed to sign up for combat duty, a man was bragging to his friends about how his sister disguised herself as a man and was able to join the army.

"But, wait a minute," said one listener, "She'll have to dress with the boys and shower with them too. Won't she?"

"Sure," replied the man.

"Well, won't they find out?" asked his friend.

The man shrugged and replied, "But who will tell?"


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Where were the Xanadu houses?

The Xanadu Houses were a series of experimental houses built to showcase computers and automation in the home. The architectural project began in 1979, and during the early 1980s three houses were built in Kissimmee, Florida, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, and Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the United States.

The houses were notable for being built with polyurethane insulation foam rather than concrete, for easy, fast, and cost-effective construction, as well as for being ergonomically designed, containing some of the earliest home automation systems. The last of the houses were closed and demolished in 2005.


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Study: Oregano oil works as an insecticide

ALGIERS, Algeria (UPI) -- Algerian scientists say they've found oregano oil works as well as synthetic insecticides to combat infestation by a common beetle found in stored cereals.

The researchers say not only does oregano oil work well in fighting infestations of the beetle Rhizoppertha dominica, but it has none of the associated side effects of synthetic insecticides on the environment.

Oregano, a member of the Lamiaceae family of plants, has been known to be a natural insecticide by apparently inhibiting egg laying and larval development. But the researchers said their study marks the first time oregano oil has been looked at as a viable alternative to synthetic insecticides.

Chahrazed Boutekedjiret and colleagues from Algeria's National Polytechnic School identified 18 components in oregano oil that combat pests and found the greater the concentration of the oil used, the more effective it was.

"It is feasible that, in the near future, these natural insecticides will replace synthetic insecticides and add considerably to more environmentally friendly insecticides on a large scale," said Boutekedjiret.

The findings are reported in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.


Copyright 2008 by United Press International
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Help for Damaged Hair

Health and Beauty Tip

Give your hair time to repair itself. Keep the heat off by letting your hair air-dry as often as possible. If you must use a hair dryer, use a nozzle to put some distance between you and the dryer's heat.

New moms tested for HIV infection

LONDON (UPI) -- Hundreds of new mothers in Britain are being tested for the HIV virus after learning the doctor who delivered their babies has the deadly virus.

Women who had Caesarean section births at two hospitals in Essex were sent letters urging the tests to determine whether they contracted HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, The Daily Mail reported Friday.

Tracy Cause, 33, from Leigh-on-Sea, said she found it unbelievable that someone working with mothers and babies could be infected with HIV and potentially passed along the virus.

"The letter from the hospital said they were aware it could be upsetting but that doesn't even come close," Cause said.

Basildon Hospital in Essex sent 126 warning letters and 66 were mailed to patients at Southend Hospital.

The doctor worked at both of the hospitals between 2006 and 2007 but reportedly was moved to a "risk free" role, the newspaper said.

Dr. Stephen Morgan, Basildon medical director, said, it was "rare" for an infected healthcare worker to infect a patient.

A Health Protection Agency spokesman said patients were being asked to contact a helpline for a "consultation where they will be offered advice, counseling and a blood test."


Copyright 2008 by United Press International
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What powers did Billy Batson gain when he said his magic word?

When newsboy Billy Batson spoke the anagrammatic magic word "Shazam!" to transform himself into the mighty Captain Marvel, he gained the wisdom of Solomon; the strength of Hercules; the stamina of Atlas; the power of Zeus; the courage of Achilles; and the speed of Mercury.

What happened to Thor's Oak?

Thor's Oak was an ancient tree sacred to the Germanic tribe of the Chatti, ancestors of the Hessians, and one of the most important sacred sites of the pagan Germanic peoples.

The tree stood at a location near the village of Geismar, today part of the town of Fritzlar in northern Hessen, and was the main point of veneration of the Germanic deity Thor. Its felling in 723 A.D. marked the beginning of the Christianization of the non-Frankish tribes of northern Germany.


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