Etc...

Give me a buzz, OK?

Cheating on tests is as old as formal education itself. But now some students in Thailand have come up with a new wrinkle: using pagers hidden in their underwear to signal the correct answers to a multiple-choice exam. Last week, 58 students and four teachers at Ramkhamheang University in Bangkok were caught and could be sentenced to two years in prison and $2,300 fines each. So, how does one cheat with a pager? A single vibration if the first choice is the right answer, two if it's the second choice, and so on.

From Fort Lauderdale, Fla., comes word that diver Viola Cady Krahn is to be among the 15 people inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame later this year. That's nice, you say, but so what? Well, in addition to her various aquatic accomplishments, she's 101 ... and was still competing last year.

'Mankind is led into the darkness beyond our world by the inspiration of discovery and the longing to understand. Our journey into space will go on.'

- President Bush, on the loss of the shuttle Columbia and its crew.

With winter in full swing, many people like to contemplate vacations. For the luxury-minded, Condé Nast Traveler magazine has released its 2003 Gold List of the world's best places to stay. Based on a survey of 28,000 subscribers, the magazine rated hotels and resorts in such categories as location, service, and food. The top 10 getaway spots, and their overall scores on a 100-point scale:

1. Singita Private Game Reserve; Sabi Sand Reserve, South Africa 96.0 (tie) Boyer Les Crayères; Reims, France
3. The Peninsula; Hong Kong 95.8
4. Table Bay Hotel; Cape Town, South Africa 95.5 (tie) Ritz-Carlton; Chicago
6. Four Seasons Hotel; Istanbul, Turkey 95.4
7. Post Ranch Inn; Big Sur, Calif. 95.2
8. Huka Lodge; Taupo, New Zealand 94.9
9. Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan; Bali, Indonesia 94.6
10. Amandari; Bali, Indonesia, 94.5