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Special report

Last mission to repair the Hubble telescope
Hubble space telescope discoveries have enriched our understanding of the cosmos. In this special report, you will see facts about the Hubble space telescope, discoveries it has made and what the last mission's goals are.
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Video report

For their own good
Fifty years ago, they were screwed-up kids sent to the Florida School for Boys to be straightened out. But now they are screwed-up men, scarred by the whippings they endured. Read the story and see a video and portrait gallery.
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Multimedia report

Rays fan guide to the Trop
Here are some insider tips to Tropicana Field and area information.
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Home Front

Briefs and news of note

By JUDY STARK
Published January 28, 2006

When wiping's too much work

New from Clorox: Anywhere Hard Surface daily sanitizing spray. The company claims the spray kills 99.9 percent of bacteria "when used as directed." And the directions say: Spray it, don't wipe it, just walk away. That's supposed to make it easy to use it daily. Clorox claims you can spray the baby's pacifier and hand it to the little one two minutes later without rinsing. Our take: It smells like bleach, no question. It's $2.99 for a 22-ounce bottle.

Put your pillow to the test

Time to check your bed pillows to see if they're past their prime, which they probably are if they're more than two years old. The test: Fold the pillow in half and place a tennis shoe on top. If the pillow throws the shoe off, there's life in it yet. If it just lies there with the shoe on top, that pillow has had it. Hollander Home Fashions, the nation's largest pillow manufacturer, says aging pillows may contain high levels of dust mites, which interfere with breathing disorders, asthma or allergies.

Stand on your own three feet

Plug your iPod into the TriPod, a three-legged speaker that's 51/2 inches tall and weighs just 2 ounces. It also accommodates MP3 and CD players and digital cameras. The ball head is adjustable. Powered by one AAA battery, the TriPod can stand or lie flat on a desk, and the legs collapse for storage or travel. It's $40 at zelco.com.

Put poinsettias out to pasture

This is the weekend: Time to get rid of the Christmas decorations, once and for all. Those poinsettias are looking like the ghosts of Christmas past, so either plant them or dump them. They need good light away from drafts, moist but not soggy soil. Once the colored bracts fade and drop, the plant can be cut back and moved outdoors.