… Finally Friday … January 5 th 2007

Engineering marvel could be tribe's savior Sights at 4,000 feet to beckon thrill seekers By Greg Lavine HUALAPAI INDIAN RESERVATION, Ariz. - One of the world's largest natural wonders will soon be home to an engineering marvel. In late March, the Hualapai Nation plans to open the $30 million Skywalk, a glass-bottomed bridge that will jut 70 feet over the Grand Canyon's edge. The massive U-shaped steel structure now sits 20 feet from the cliff's edge. It will take up to 18 hours to ease the million-pound, horseshoe-shaped walkway into place, said Mark Johnson, Skywalk's architect. Skywalk, located at Grand Canyon West, will allow visitors to peer 4,000 feet straight down through the floor to the canyon's bottom. The attraction is part of the Hualapai tribe's effort to become a tourist destination. Going on the Skywalk will be a $25 add-on to all Grand Canyon West tour packages. The cost is included in some of the premium tour options. "This will feed our tribe," said Robert Bravo, a member of the Hualapai tribe and part of Grand Canyon West. "This will support our children.“ Salt Lake Tribune

Holy grail' of flu vaccine injections to be tested By Fiona Macrae December 30, 2006 12:00am The Daily Telegraph SCIENTISTS are on the verge of producing a revolutionary flu vaccine that works against all major types of the disease. Described as the "holy grail" of flu protection, it would fight off all strains of influenza A, the virus behind both bird flu and the nastiest outbreaks of winter flu. Two injections could give long-lasting immunity, unlike the current vaccine which has to be administered every year. The jab, which will be tested on humans for the first time in the next few months, would also be quicker and easier to make, meaning vast quantities could be stockpiled against a global outbreak of bird flu. Constant changes in the virus's appearance have until now made it impossible to create a single effective vaccine. A new one is made each year to protect against the particular strains circulating at the time. In addition, the virus used in the jab is grown in hen's eggs - a time-consuming process that yields just one shot of vaccine per egg. The new version would be grown in huge vats of bacterial "soup", with just two pints of liquid providing 10,000 doses of vaccine. The breakthrough was achieved by scientists at the British biotech firm Acambis, working with Belgian researchers. NEWS.com

14-Year-Old Crosses The Atlantic Alone London, England (AHN) -- Michael Perham, 14, has earned the distinction of being the youngest person to cross the Atlantic single-handedly. A student at Chancellor's School in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, he started his journey from Gibraltar on November 18 and spent 6 weeks alone on the open sea. He is scheduled to land in Antigua today, where he will be welcomed by a delegation from the island's Government. Michael was followed in a separate boat by his father, Peter. His spokesman, Kizzy Nkowcha said: "There have been so many setbacks there cannot possibly be any more. He will definitely be arriving in Antigua at around 2 pm British time." Michael's mother, Heather Perham, said the difficulties during his journey had made her son grow up quickly. She said: "If there was a problem, he knew that he just had to get on with it and sort it out. He has proved that obviously he is mature enough to do that, and we are all incredibly proud of him." She adds: "I did get quite scared when I found out he had to tie a rope around his waist and dive into the water to fix something, and when he was talking about sharks. But you cannot expect your kids not to go out. You don't want them staying at home, fixed to the computer. They need to be out there, fulfilling their ambitions, otherwise life will pass them by. I just wish more kids had the opportunity to do these things." She said that Michael kept in touch with his friends via e-mail. As early as 7 years old, Michael already started sailing. He has also completed Royal Yachting Association courses in dinghy sailing and windsurfing.

11-Year-Old Boy Attends California State UniversitySan Francisco, CA (AHN) -- California State University-East Bay campus has its youngest student ever - an 11-year-old boy from Oakland, California. According to MediaNews, Terence Candell Jr. was just 10 years old when he started college. Dr. Sally Murphy, the general education director at the university, said she helps make sure Terence doesn't take classes that are too late in the night or too early in the morning. Additionally, the college authorities are also cautious to provide him with faculty they feel would be "sympathetic to how an 11-year-old may think." The child prodigy was involved in high school-level work by the age of six at Candell's College Preparatory Academy in East Oakland, which was founded by his father. He also took his SATs when he was nine.

How To: Disable Your Passport's RFID Chip All passports issued by the US State Department after January 1 will have always-on radio frequency identification chips, making it easy for officials - and hackers - to grab your personal stats. Getting paranoid about strangers slurping up your identity? Here's what you can do about it. But be careful - tampering with a passport is punishable by 25 years in prison. Not to mention the "special" customs search, with rubber gloves. Bon voyage! 1) RFID-tagged passports have a distinctive logo on the front cover; the chip is embedded in the back. 2) Sorry, "accidentally" leaving your passport in the jeans you just put in the washer won't work. You're more likely to ruin the passport itself than the chip. 3) Forget about nuking it in the microwave - the chip could burst into flames, leaving telltale scorch marks. Besides, have you ever smelled burnt passport? 4) The best approach? Hammer time. Hitting the chip with a blunt, hard object should disable it. A nonworking RFID doesn't invalidate the passport, so you can still use it. - Jenna Wortham WIRED

Hotel Chain Offers Massages for Dogs Jan 2, 7:07 AM (ET) By PHIL DAVIS SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) - Austin ricochets around the Ritz-Carlton hotel room, bouncing from bed to chair and leaping high to lick the face of his personal masseuse. He's an energetic 4-year-old pug, so there is a lot of wriggling as his "privileged pup" pet massage begins. But soon his eyelids droop and his tiny muscles relax under the soothing touch of Darlene Davison, the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota's spa director. "OK, sweetheart, OK. There you go," coos Davison, creator of the luxury hotel chain's latest indulgence - the $130 dog massage. Figure in the hotel's 20-pound weight limit and the additional $125 nonrefundable pet fee and the "privileged pup" plan comes out to a minimum of $12.75 a pound. And that's the basic package. For another $220 , the Ritz throws in gourmet dog biscuits, an in-room pet massage, a choice of nail buffing or nail polish, a souvenir photo, a brisk walk over Sarasota's scenic Ringling Bridge and a gourmet meal of organic stew and designer water served on a silver tray.

High Roller Updated: 15:01, Tue Jan 02 Rolls-Royce Motor Cars are set to unveil the new Phantom Drophead Coupé at the Detroit Motor Show on Sunday, January 7. Production of the new car will start at Goodwood in the summer of 2007.

Police: High-Priced Call Girls At Sugarloaf Country Club DULUTH, Ga. -- Authorities say two women have been arrested for prostitution in a case in which "dates" could cost as much as $10,000 . Forty-two-year-old Lisa Ann Taylor was arrested yesterday at her million-dollar home in the exclusive Sugarloaf Country Club area. District Attorney Danny Porter says she was charged with violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, also known as RICO. Porter says she also was charged with prostitution, keeping a place of prostitution and conspiracy to possess cocaine. The district attorney says her alleged partner, 30-year-old Nicole A. Probert, 30, of Lawrenceville was arrested on the same charges. He says both women are suspected of participating in "high-end" acts of prostitution in Gwinnett County and other states in which dates can cost $10,000. Taylor, who goes by the name Melissa Wolf on the site, boasts that she is "North America's Most Published Centerfold and one of Penthouse Magazine's Most Published Pets" on her personal Web site. Lisa Nicole

Tyson To Cops: "I Am Fucked Up" After Arizona arrest, ex-champ spoke of drug use, disheveled life JANUARY 3- -In a police interview following his arrest last week, Mike Tyson told cops he smokes cocaine that he packs into Marlboro cigarettes, is unable to roll his own joints, and gets "a little crazy" without the use of the antidepressant Zoloft. Tyson, 40, was arrested December 29 in Scottsdale, Arizona on drug possession and driving under the influence charges. In a taped interview with the Buckeye Police Department, the former heavyweight champion spoke about his drug use and how he is "fucked up." When Officer J.R. McKnight told Tyson he did not appear to be messed up, the boxer replied, "I know man but I am fucked up." Tyson "then followed the statement by laughing loudly,"