Etc...

Call me whatever you like

Let's say you're single but have an eye out for available persons of the other gender. Along comes a researcher who asks you to look at a photo gallery of such people - each nice-looking and with a name such as Andrea, Kathy, and Nicole, or Chris, Jeff, and Rick. Then you repeat the exercise with the same faces but different names, such as Darlene, Joan, and Lauren, or Curt, Mark, and Sean. Would the same people be as appealing both times? Not necessarily, according to results of a study reported in New Scientist magazine. Massachusetts Institute of Technology linguist Amy Perfors found the response quotient in each case rose or fell depending on whether the vowels in the name were formed at the front or back of the mouth.

Since Walt Disney opened his Magic Kingdom in 1955, vacationers have flocked to Disney destinations, both in California (where Disneyland will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year) and in Florida. It's not surprising, therefore, that Disney operates half of the nation's top 10 family travel attractions, as determined by Zagat Survey, a leading provider of leisure information. In compiling the list, Zagat and Parenting magazine surveyed more than 11,000 travelers, asking them to rate family attractions on the basis of child appeal, adult appeal, public facilities, and service. The most popular attractions and the location of each:
1. Disney's Magic Kingdom (Orlando, Fla.)
2. Epcot (Orlando, Fla.)
3. American Museum of Natural History (New York)
4. Disneyland (Anaheim, Calif.)
5. Central Park (New York)
6. Disney-MGM Studios (Orlando, Fla.)
7. Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)
8. Disney's Animal Kingdom (Orlando, Fla.)
9. Bronx Zoo (New York)
10. Yosemite National Park (Yosemite Valley, Calif.)