etc...

SORRY, I'M NOT THAT HUNGRY

Everyone knows a piece of chocolate candy that has melted remains sweet, even if it's gooey. But what about the other extreme: one whose structural integrity remains intact because it has been frozen? Answer: Uh-uh, at least in the case of a Hershey bar that was found encased in 2-1/2 feet of ice earlier this year at the South Pole. It was left behind by a member of Adm. Richard Byrd's 1939-41 expedition to the site, and now is headed for a museum display. The bar was a prototype for military field-ration meals and, while energy-rich, was designed to taste "just a little better than a boiled potato" so it wouldn't be eaten frivolously.

On the other hand, there's the eminently edible chocolate-covered replica of a Formula One racing car crafted last week by pastry chefs from Orentano, Italy. The confection, honoring the automaker Ferrari and champion driver Michel Schumacher, was made from cream pies and almond paste.

When almost 1.8 million students head off to college for the first time in a couple of weeks, what they'll miss most is spending time with family and loved ones, according to Bank One Corp.'s First USA Financial Index, which polled incoming freshmen nationwide. At the other end of the scale: "mooching" money - perhaps because only 1 in 10 students said he or she would rely solely on parents to cover tuition, fees, and other expenses. About a third will finance their education through grants, loans, or scholarships, and half said they will use a combination of sources, including some parental help. What new college freshmen said they'd miss most when they go off to school this fall, according to the First USA Financial Index:

Family/loved ones 33%

Friends 20%

Home-cooked meals 9%

Having laundry washed 9%

Private bathroom/shower 6%

"Mooching" money from parents 4%

Compiled from wire service reports by Robert Kilborn, Stephanie Cook, and Matthew