Scientists: 115-year-old's brain worked perfectly

A Dutch woman who was the oldest person in the world when she died at age 115 in 2005 appeared sharp right up to the end, joking that pickled herring was the secret to her longevity.

Scientists say that Henrikje van Andel-Schipper's mind was probably as good as it seemed: a post-mortem analysis of her brain revealed few signs of Alzheimer's or other diseases commonly associated with a decline in mental ability in old age.

That came as something of a surprise, said Gert Holstege, a professor at Groningen University, whose findings will be published in the August edition of Neurobiology of Aging.

"Everybody was thinking that when you have a brain …

Saw 70-foot wave, thought about Titanic Passengers wonder why cruise ship didn't dodge storm

NEW YORK -- When a "Boom!" on a cruise ship awoke him, the firstthing that crossed passenger Robert Clark's mind was "the Titanic."

In a panic, he and his wife and 7-year-old daughter ran to areception area and found passengers from flooded cabins, bunchedtogether and wearing life preservers -- some of them cryinghysterically. They soon discovered that the thunderous disruption wasa freak 70-foot wave that smashed windows, sent furniture flying andripped out whirlpools on the Norwegian Dawn.

"We were going back and forth, up and down. And then, 'Boom!' "Clark said.

Clark and his family discussed their ordeal Monday after theNorwegian Dawn, carrying about 2,000 …

DINING; READERS' CHOICE

BEST RESTAURANT

MILKYWAY

Free of the cramped darkness of the Bannock basement, MilkyWay has made a huge mark in Boise's downtown dining scene. With two levels, the most unique chairs and tables, one of the best bartenders in Boise, one of the best chefs in Boise, a huge wine list, big patio doors that open onto a patio worthy of any European square and the Frim Fram Fellas playing a couple nights a week, what could be better? The Boise Weekly staff eats there regularly. If for no other reason than the jalapeno shrimp bites.

2. Smoky Mountain Pizza & Pasta

3. Berryhill & Co.

BEST NEW RESTAURANT

MAI THAI

In the former digs of many of …

Notre Dame ends 15-year bowl drought

Notre Dame ended a 15-year drought without a college football bowl title on Wednesday, beating Hawaii 49-21 in the Hawaii Bowl.

Quarterback Jimmy Clausen set Notre Dame bowl records with 406 yards passing and five touchdowns to lead an efficient performance by the Fighting Irish.

"I told the team that's the only thing I wanted (for Christmas). I just wanted to win a bowl game," Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said.

"I heard it a hundred times in the locker room after the game and they wanted to know what I was giving them for Christmas. I told them: 'a flight home.'"

Golden Tate had six receptions for 177 yards and …

Get rid of hard water marks in shower

Hard water leaves its mark on shower walls and glass showerenclosures in the form of crusty little white lime deposits thatsometimes seem impossible to remove.

Here are a couple of secret formulas that should help:

**Sodium carbonate is the chemical you'll want to use. It's thebase for many cleaners and is the primary ingredient in washing soda.If a …

'No End in Sight,' A Direct Hit on Iraq War Makers

The script of Charles Ferguson's "No End in Sight" wouldcertainly be in the hands of prosecutors in the event of impeachmenthearings. The documentary is a furious, if quietly stated,indictment of the president and all his men in re the debacle thatour adventure in Iraq has turned into. Ferguson builds a compellingcase of bad judgment, error, stubbornness, arrogance, all of itadding up to a mess with no end in sight.

It's also, most impressively, an evocation of that horror.Astutely edited by Chad Beck and Cindy Lee, it assembles adepressing cascade of imagery from the war: the tanks pullingthrough the dusty, ancient towns; the young Americans scootingthrough the ruins in …

Guard Wounded in Blast at Israeli Game

A security guard who shielded others when he picked up a firecracker that was thrown during a basketball game will still have the use of three fingers on his mangled hand, a hospital official said Tuesday.

Yoav Glitzstein has been called a hero for grabbing the homemade explosive before it could go off and possibly wound some of the players, coaches and fans at the Jerusalem basketball stadium.

The explosive was thrown less than two minutes before the end of Sunday's game between Hapoel Holon and Hapoel Jerusalem in Israel's top professional league.

The live TV broadcast captured a loud boom, followed by a small cloud of white smoke and the sight of …