"Practically perfect in every way" calls to mind Julie Andrew's portrayal of Mary Poppins, who, of course, described herself in those very words. Of course, she hung out with a chimney sweep and penguins, so her street cred as a mental health expert is on the lighter side.

You can tell how well a child will score on standardized math and English tests by looking at the length of their fingers, according to new study in the British Journal of Psychology.

Richard Grove, 73 years old and a robust 6 feet tall, set out with confident strides across a laboratory floor the other day. His first five steps went great.

Joey Fatone is the "fat one" no more.

The European Space Agency released new high-resolution images last week of the martian landscape. The pictures show an up-close view of valleys half a mile deep, which could have been formed by flowing water or ice.

Dear Abby: What is the inside secret to men? I'm a 25-year-old, attractive woman, and I'm confused. There's this guy I'm interested in, and although I believe he's flirting with me, I still have no number or date. (This guy is single.)

ST. PAUL, Minn. - During rehearsal, the boss meanders backstage, singing to himself. He doesn't so much wander as he circles like an approaching jet.

Over the next few months, you can have "Nothin' but a Good Time" with "Jesse's Girl" like it was the "Summer of '69." Break out the Aqua Net; the '80s are back for the summer concert season.

LONDON (AP) — Singer Susan Boyle was being treated for exhaustion at a mental health clinic Monday after taking second place in a TV talent competition that turned the humble church volunteer into a global star, the show's producers and a newspaper said.

Dear Abby: I went through a bitter divorce a few years ago after my wife, "Cassie," had an affair. During the divorce I confided a lot in Cassie's sister, "Lisa." We had always been close friends, but one thing led to another.

Friday, July 11
Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Primarily because of your effort, an accomplishment that seemed impossible will become a fait accompli. It is something that will benefit you as well as those you love.

Dear Abby: I am a single parent, although I never intended to be. Last fall, I was asked to baby-sit a 14-year-old boy. He has been in my custody ever since. His mother abandoned him. Only in the last month have I actually gotten legal custody of him from Social Services. The problems he had prior to being with me have caused me legal expenses I never could have imagined. (They are all paid now.)

Thursday, July 10
Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Guard against attempting to blame a scapegoat for a problem of your making, because angry reactions will turn people away from you and the support you once had will be gone.

Wednesday, July 9
Cancer (June 21-July 22) — It is essential to partner with reliable associates and not those who may be fun but always hinder your progress. A poor choice will take you on wild-goose chase, as well as tarnish your reputation in the process.

This is going to be one busy summer for Elizabeth Turnbull.
The 2000 graduate of The Governor's Academy in Byfield is working "almost full time" for O'Neil Fine Builders of Beverly, a build-and-design company. And she's also building the house she will live in when she goes to graduate school at Yale University in New Haven, Conn., in August.

Going gluten free probably never will be easy.
That's because those pesky proteins common to wheat and other grains can show up in the most unlikely places, from sour creams and chocolate milks to salad dressings and dips.

One of Anna Mamakos' favorite childhood memories involves waking up in the wee morning hours on Greek Easter Sunday.
Her mother, a Greek immigrant, would already be hard at work in the kitchen of their Amesbury home, preparing the traditional Easter feast her extended family would gather to enjoy that afternoon.

The first time Abigail Auer attended a Passover Seder, she was eager to make a good impression and asked the hostess — also her future mother-in-law — to suggest a dish she could bring.
Auer, who is Roman Catholic, spent hours chopping and pureeing squash for a casserole.

If the contents of your spice cabinet have been around for a year or more, it's time for a fresh start.
Herbs and spices are the miracle workers of delicious cuisine. But over time they lose their intensity, meaning that 2-year-old bottle of dried oregano hiding in the back of the cupboard won't add much pizazz to your pasta.

NEW YORK (AP) — Rapper Remy Ma isn't letting jail derail her wedding plans.
The Grammy-nominated artist aims to marry her fiance, fellow rapper Papoose, at the city's Rikers Island jail while she awaits her sentencing for shooting a friend she suspected of stealing $3,000, lawyer Ivan Fisher said.

Two chefs. Three ingredients. Twenty-four hours.
As if things aren't already hot enough in the kitchens of area restaurants, local chefs are going head-to-head once a week in their own version of The Food Network's "Iron Chef."

When looking back on the early days of her mother's battle with Alzheimer's disease, Ann Scannell remembers a coat. Her mother would say again and again that she liked Scannell's coat, as if seeing it for the first time.

Whether you celebrate Easter with brunch, lunch or dinner, the holiday is filled with food traditions that include family favorites and ethnic dishes.
But two traditions stand out.
Throughout the day, the classics — hard-cooked Easter eggs and a regal ham — often find their way to the table.

BURBANK, Calif. (AP) — Minnie Driver says she's got the bump.
The 38-year-old actress and singer confirmed during an appearance Thursday on NBC's "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" that she's pregnant with her first child.

Our latest Cook of the Month, 7-year-old Annie Siemasko prepares one of her favorite dishes, a cinammon roll cookie. Annie discovered her love of cooking over the last year, and would like to grow up to be a baker.

Annie Siemasko knows she's talented.
It's not an ego thing for the 7-year-old from Newburyport. She just knows that she's a gifted baker.
"I'm not trying to brag, but I am really good," said Annie, clad in her pink chef's hat and matching apron as she baked last week in her kitchen at home.

LONDON (AP) — The coroner overseeing the inquest into Princess Diana's 1997 death yesterday called her butler back to court to explain inconsistencies in his testimony.
Lord Justice Scott Baker asked Paul Burrell to return to explain statements published by The Sun newspaper in which he purportedly says he did not tell the full truth to the inquest investigating the Paris car crash that killed Diana and her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed.

NEW YORK (AP ) — Like father, like son?
The 4-year-old son of "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin wasn't at all alarmed when he was recently bitten by a baby boa constrictor, according to his mother.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — If it truly is a pleasure just to be nominated for an Oscar, Alan Menken must be Hollywood's happiest man.
The co-composer of songs from Walt Disney's musical hit "Enchanted" has three of the five nominations in the original-song category going into Sunday's Academy Awards.

NEW YORK (AP) — Lindsay Lohan is following in the footsteps of the most famous blond bombshell of them all — Marilyn Monroe.
In the issue of New York magazine now on sale, the 21-year-old star of "Mean Girls" and "Freaky Friday" poses nude for photographer Bert Stern in a recreation of one of Monroe's most famous photo shoots, done shortly before she died.

Studded tires for bikes? Sure. You can also get chains if you want to join the intrepid cyclists who commute to work on two-wheelers during the winter, or who just want to have fun in the snow.
"I've been riding a bicycle for my main transportation for over 30 years. It's a force of habit," says John Schwenker, a 51-year-old aerospace engineer from Boulder, Colo., a place where winter conditions aren't too different than they are here.

NEW YORK (AP) — More than 80 performers and other celebrities have signed a statement supporting Grammy-winning Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz after two Venezuelan concerts were canceled because of his criticism of Hugo Chavez.

Our guest list is filled with family friends who have children living at home. Is it proper to send a single invitation to each household, or do the children need their own?
This really depends on the age of each child. For families with grade-school children, it's perfectly acceptable to send one invitation to the entire household. On the inner envelope, be sure to include each family member's name, such as "Mr. and Mrs. Bryan, Niki and Jacalyn." This will help eliminate any confusion about whom the invitation is intended for.

LOS ANGELES — Hannah Montana mania has already conquered TV, the music industry and the touring world. Now it's taken over the film industry — for one week.
Last Friday, theaters nationwide premiered "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert," a 3-D film version of the sellout tour — and already, tickets for the film are in short supply. Clearly the "Hannah Montana" brand — which started as a Disney TV series but has branched out into multiplatinum albums and stage shows — hasn't reached saturation point.

Itchy, flaky skin,.chapped hands and cracked lips are conditions that many people think they just have to put up with during the winter months.
And while wintry conditions can.irritate and chap the skin and lips, these symptoms also can be signs of eczema, an inflammation of the skin often caused by underlying allergies that result in skin hypersensitivity.

Even if you don't know a lot of personal trivia about Ken Jennings, you probably know of his six-month stint on "Jeopardy!" in 2004.
Jennings won $2.52 million for providing more than 2,700 correct responses during 75 episodes. His second-place finish in the 2005 Ultimate Tournament of Champions bumped that total up to $3.02 million.