WINIK SAVANT PapanVs Special ^ pending on the individual. Let's say that you blink every five sec­ ]|ligence J onds. That's 12 blinks a minute, 720 blinks an hour and 11,520 blinks in a 16-hour day awake. Considering 365 days as a year, 111 ^ if you live to the age of 100, you I'm a 44-year-old woman will have blinked more Behind The Scenes who considers herself a than 420 million times! The Navy's peal JAG, Reap Adm. Donald Guter (c), good-hearted, productive (No wonder we have Joint David dame* Elliott and . member of society, and I've times when we can bare­ ike most Americans since Sept. 11, says, never wanted to have chil­ ly keep our eyes open.) "I have great respect for the military." But the actor, who plays dren. Others tell me people Navy Cmdr. opposite Catherine Bell on the hit should have'children so you L have someone to take care I have a question CBS show JAG, boasts: "We were patriotic before it was fashion­ of you when you're old, so AM —tfleh about historical epithets nrewiiiM | « he able." Still, seven years on the show have changed Elliott, 41: "I'd I MHitlfy you have someone to fill wcn n A exandeP t seriously consider a military career if I were younger," he tells us. your life with happiness, so Great." I can see suck-ups And the real Judge Advocate General's legal staff would clearly you and your husband have buttonholing Alexander and love to have him: When Elliott visited the Pentagon to see them, a connection, and so forth. telling him, "Man, you're re­ he was mobbed. "It was like the Beatles had landed," he says. Elliott HI Obviously, these are selfish (•PtaVMI ally Great!" But I can't imag­ adds that he's proud of how closely the JAG cast adheres to military reasons, having nothing to ine anyone telling Ivan he practice and proud of the show's ability to "find the humanity in this do with the interest of the was Terrible, and I feel in my bones that no one in­ rigid system with lots of rules." But most of all, he's proud to por­ child! Why do you think peo­ ple have children? sulted Vlad the Impaler to tray one of them. Noting that many of the servicemen he met while says 111 —A.A., Naples, Fla. his face. Who decides these filming on an were later deployed in the Persian Gulf, thingsP he adds: 'This is not like the career I have. This is life and death." I think people have children for all the wrong reasons—includ­ —M. Caron, New York, N.Y. Save On Heating Bills New Show Makes ing the ones you stated—but it PUSattT Cal1 me Pri^ of fame! For­ works out OK anyway, even if tunately, when Americans have Science Fun For KMs the new parents are in for a teen- humiliated their leaders in the 11 hen it comet to science, sy bit of disillusionment along press, none of the terms has be­ American kids often lag the way! And I don't think come permanently attached to behind students from other W they're as selfish as they sound: their names. Otherwise, we'd be industrialized nations. But what stuck with historical figures such if they saw science as an exciting The gift of life is implicit and process of discoveryP That's surely more than enough. as Rudolf the Sluggard (France), Malcolm the Maiden (Scotland), the concept behind DragontlyTV, But I also believe that life Sergius the Pig Snout () and a weekly PBS series that shows without children can be just as real kids (aged 9-12) having fun Henry the Impotent (Spain). good and sometimes better, de­ doing real science, such as trying to get electricity from a pending on what you do with Answer to last week's puzzle: emember last winter's heating cow. It will premiere next your time and money. (And We asked readers to decipher the numbered bills? Here are some money- Saturday; check focal listings. you'll have much more of both, message below on the left. The Periodic Rsaving tips from Owens Corning And visit www.dragontlytv.org of course!) Consider how much Table of Elements decodes it. As shown on and the Department of Energy: on the Web for information, effort parents expend on their the right, it says: "Bravo, I am so smart ideas and more experiments. •If your home was built before children, and for years on end. and sharp!" 1980, add insulation to the attic. If you pay that much attention •Use a humidifier to feel warmer. The Scoop On Threats to your husband and work that 5 as 23 8 B Ra V O Keep relative humidity at 20%40%. gnorance breeds fear, so it makes hard at making friends, your life 53 95 16 8 1 Am S O •Buy a programmable thermostat; sense to stay informed about bombs will be filled with another kind lower the heat when you'll be away. 62 18 73 60 Sm Ar Ta Nd and bioterror. The Nuclear Threat of joy. I 16 1 18 15 S H Ar P (Each degree can save 3% on your Initiative—a joint project of former bill.) When home, wear a sweater. Sen. Sam Nunn and media mogul Ted And close vents in unused rooms. How many times do one's It you have a question or comment for Marilyn VM Sa­ Turner—just launched www.nti.org, •Plug drafts, seal holes in heating eyes blink during a lifetime? vant, who is listed in tha "Guinness Book of World a Web site designed to help people Records" Hall of Fame for "Highest KJ," send it to: ducts and install storm windows. —Brandan Cole Yates, Ask Marilyn, PARADE, 711 Third Ave* New York, N.Y. learn a little (or a lot) about threats For more, get a free Energy Savers San Antonio, Tex. WOT7. Or send e-mail to marHynSparmdexx>m (please we face. You'll find daily global news, Our eyes blink fairly regularly: include name, city and state). Due to volume of mail, booklet. Call 1-800-363-3732. personal replies are not possible. Mall without a a research library and other features. every two to 10 seconds, de- return address won't be processed.

PAOE 14 • JANUARY 13, 2002 • PARAOf MAQAZINC