The Belleville (Ill.) News Democrat said:

An article in Fort Collins, Colo.'s The Coloradoan included this passage:

An eDiets.com survey in 2004 found only 30 percent of those who made a fitness resolution kept it until February and about 20 percent held strong for six months or more.

"A lot of people come in with a specific goal, and once they reach it, I won't see them again until they need to do it again," said Tyson White, a trainer at Fort Collins Pulse. "Most of the New Year's resolutions are where people want to look a certain way."

We know it's important. That's why so many make the promise to themselves and their loved ones that they will drop a few pounds and start living healthier.

But why is it so hard to keep the positive momentum of the New Year rolling along?

"Generally, you can tell within the first 30 minutes when someone comes in that they won't be here next month," said White, who has been training clients for three years. "You want to treat them the same as everyone, though, and show them what the options are if they stick with it."

According to a Web site aimed at the health club industry, only about 14 percent of the American population holds a health club membership.

Tips for choosing a fitness club from AARP.

Consumer protection is a big issue for the fitness industry. Help the public learn your state's consumer protection laws and help consumers ask better questions before coughing up hundreds of dollars for a gym membership. Here are examples of Maryland's, Missouri's and New York's health club laws, just to get you started.

An online site for fitness club owners says personal training is trending upward while enrollment in aerobics classes is declining.

The National Safety Council said:

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the United States.

Starting Jan. 1, 2007, new state laws, including [those in] Illinois, New York, Minnesota, Massachusetts [PDF], New Jersey and Connecticut will require residents to have carbon monoxide detectors in their homes and commercial residences. Other states will soon enact similar laws.

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning can happen within a matter of minutes and is responsible for [more than] 500 deaths per year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Learn more about the dangers of carbon monoxide.

The Chicago Sun-Times explained:

A new state law requires carbon monoxide detectors in houses, condos and apartments by Jan. 1. Exempt are homes not heated by natural gas or other fossil fuels.

CO detectors are sold at Home Depot, Wal-Mart, hardware stores, etc. Prices range from about $20 to more than $60. Different models plug into the wall, are connected to the building's power line or run on batteries.

Like smoke detectors, CO detectors emit loud alarms when set off. Some devices also have digital readouts stating CO concentrations in parts per million. Some devices detect both smoke and carbon monoxide.

State law requires smoke detectors in homes, and Chicago and some suburbs also require CO detectors.

Here's how the new law likely will be enforced, according to the Illinois state fire marshal: If a fire department is called to a home, firefighters will check to see if there are working smoke and CO detectors. If not, the homeowner will be given a warning. Firefighters will come back later and issue a citation if the owner still hasn't complied. Violators are subject to a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,500 fine.

The Bowl Glut

The Wall Street Journal pointed out:

There are a record 32 bowls this season, up from 28 last year and 18 about a decade ago. As TV networks have found a way to make money on even mediocre matchups, a winning record during the regular season is no longer a prerequisite for being picked. This year, seven teams with 6-6 records were chosen, as were 13 teams with 7-5 records. Just to find enough teams to fill the slots, the NCAA this spring had to pass an exemption allowing teams with .500 records to go to a bowl.

Of course, the top-shelf bowls -- including the five Bowl Championship Series matchups as well as games like the Gator Bowl and the Holiday Bowl -- have no trouble attracting the best teams and selling out stadiums. And even many of the newer, lower-profile games sell at least 70 percent of their seats. But with some bowl sales slowing -- last year, 18 of them saw attendance declines, and overall bowl attendance dropped by about 5 percent, according to the Football Bowl Association -- it's fueling a broader debate over whether the current postseason format works.

I have purchased two refurbished computers in recent years and both have worked out great. The New York Times ran a piece on this trend, which saves money and makes environmental sense, too.

The story included this passage:

According to the National Safety Council, three-quarters of all existing computers are sitting in closets and other places where they are no longer being used. Besides the closet option, there are two other main solutions: disposal and recycling.

Disposal, however, is the hardest on the environment. In May, New Hampshire became the fourth state -- after California, Massachusetts and Maine -- to ban the disposal of all video display devices from landfills and incinerators. Two months later, Minnesota passed a law prohibiting the disposal of monitors in the trash.

As for the recycling option, many localities offer programs. But the best recycling route may be the one back to the source: Many manufacturers now take back old computers free, and some of their parts can be reused.

What is behind the trend in baby names? Parents are choosing names that sound like our great-grandparents'. In the last two years, the lists of the most popular names in America have included Sophia, Olivia, Grace, Hannah, Sebastian and Oliver. Biblical names, such as Noah, Jacob, Caleb, Thomas, Joshua, Eve and Rachael are also increasingly popular.

You can go here to see the most popular name in the year you were born. You can also see how the popularity of a name has changed over time. You can even see the state-by-state rankings for first names.

To the first one of you to name your new child "Nelson," after Nelson Poynter, I will send a cheap but meaningful gift. I will need photographic proof. Dogs, cats, gerbils and such are not eligible. Humans only, please.

IVillage's BabyNameWizard said the names to watch in 2007 will be celebrity inspired, including:

Emmett. Following the popularity of retired football star [Emmitt] Smith, who took home the top trophy on TV's "Dancing with the Stars."

Miley. A strong candidate for the out-of-nowhere role thanks to "Hannah Montana" star Miley Cyrus.

Addison. 2006 was a breakthrough year for Addisons as a character on "Grey's Anatomy" propelled the name out of Madison's shadow and into the the spotlight. It's clearly one of the hottest names of the year and an example of some of the strongest trends in naming. Androgynous surnames that contract to girlish nicknames are a soaring sub-genre. Even the baby step from Madison to Addison illustrates the constant but cautious hunt for novelty.

Shiloh. Thanks to Brad and Angelina.

Try have to see Yahoo's cool interactive Buzz List of 2006. You choose the category (news, celebrity, sports) and it gives you tons of lists, showing month by month what the top search words, names, phrases were.

The International Federation of Journalists said 2006 was the deadliest for journalists and media workers worldwide, with at least 155 murders, assassinations and unexplained deaths.

The group, which represents more than half a million journalists in more than 100 countries, said Iraq is the most dangerous place to work, with 68 media staff killed, bringing the total since the war began in 2003 to 170.