It's rather like "Making the Band 4" (MTV, 10 p.m.), except that instead of Diddy, there's the returning judges panel of Robin Antin, Ron Fair and Lil' Kim. Hosted by Mark McGrath, whose "Fly" is a tryout song, the drama once more is all about living together and those unplanned trips in an ambulance.

On another new reality series, "My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad" (NBC, 9 p.m.), kids and their fathers compete to prove the old schoolyard taunt and eventually win money. Among the challenges: Human Dart Board, Spinning Discs, Snake Bobbing, Uphill Battle, Target Practice, Quiz Round, Scorpion King and something called Paper Boy Shoot-Out. Dan Cortese hosts. What good can come of this? Well, at least it has delayed the start of "The Baby Borrowers."

The two-hour season finale of "Dance War: Bruno vs.

Blue eyes study find DNA link

If you have blue eyes, chances are you could be related somehow to Brad Pitt, Frank Sinatra, and the estimated 300 million other people on this Earth who also have blue eyes. That's the finding from researchers at Copenhagen University in Denmark, who have determined that every person with blue eyes descended somehow from one person whose genes mutated about 10,000 years ago. Before then, everyone had brown eyes. The mutation blocked the pigment responsible for making brown eyes, resulting in a blue iris. Scientists began this research in the 1970's, when they studied a family with three generations of blue eyes. They were able to pinpoint the exact spot in their genetic make-up that gave them blue eyes. When they compared those genes to over 150 people around the world with blue eyes, they all had the exact same DNA in that specific region of the blue-eyed gene.

Carole Wilkinson - creator of the last dragon in China

I've had lots of letters from Asian girls saying how much Ping means to them, and how nice it is to reconnect with their heritage through a Chinese heroine," the author, Carole Wilkinson, says. "Though she also strikes a chord with older readers, particularly women, who relate to Ping's feeling that she isn't good at anything."

Ping, who begins as an illiterate slave, possesses no exceptional abilities other than persistence, courage and love. It is these that make her the last, and greatest, Dragonkeeper in China. She frees Long Danzi from his dungeon, where his mate has died, simply because she loves animals and learns to her horror that the Emperor is about to sell him to a dragon hunter for body parts. As they flee together, Ping learns that he can speak, read and perform magic.

Millions Without a Voice

All bar voting from prison, then go on to bar participation while on parole or probation. Two states, Maine and Vermont, allow prisoners to vote from behind the walls, as does Canada and a number of other countries.

The politicians and pundits are all abuzz with the massive turnouts in the primaries and caucuses. There are increasing percentages of women participating, and initial reports point to more young people. The youth vote is particularly important, as young people have less invested in the status quo and can look with fresh eyes at long-standing injustices that disenfranchise so many. In this context, one of The Sentencing Project's predictions bears repeating here: "Given current rates of incarceration, 3 in 10 of the next generation of black men can expect to be disenfranchised at some point in their lifetime.

Field Hockey Back on Track with Win Over Dartmouth

The Crimson (8-8, 4-2 Ivy) went up early and dominated against Dartmouth (5-10, 1-5), sharing the lead for less than two minutes and eventually pulling away, 3-1, to stay in the hunt for a share of the Ivy League title. Freshman back Maggie McVeigh kicked off the effort when she slammed in the first goal six minutes into the game. Though recorded as unassisted, the first goal—like the entire game—was a team effort. McVeigh's first shot drew Dartmouth goalie Ashley Heist out of the cage. The ball rolled to sophomore midfielder Kristin Bannon, who passed it to junior forward Tami Jafar. Jafar's ensuing shot was deflected back to McVeigh, who knocked home the ball to get Harvard on the scoreboard. “We came out and did what we planned to do and went through with our game plan," co-captain Jana Berglund said.

The North County Times welcomes submissions to the Community Forum ...

Like the general who sacrifices lives of his soldiers out of personal pride, these anti-desalination people seek to deprive all of us of a new potable water supply that is large, pure, reliable and sorely needed.By continuing our nearly-total dependence on imported water, we inevitably risk severe ecological damage to the sources of this water and the loss of much of the water itself. Therefore, reducing our dependence on imported water is both good water policy and good environmental policy.We desperately need to remove the stranglehold that outside water exporters have had on us for so many years. We cannot do it with conservation and recycling alone. But by combining those measures with the new water the Carlsbad Desalination will supply, we can achieve the water independence that I and many others have worked so hard to win.Robert L.

TONAWANDAS: County needs more doctors

In years past, doctors were willing to be on-call every night to build patient volume, but many new doctors aren't willing to adapt to that kind of lifestyle, Owens said."When we're recruiting for positions, many say they want to work in an office space," Owens said. "They want to work Monday through Friday, nine to five and don't want to round at the hospital. Typically, that kind of nine to five position worked at the hospital and rounded on weekends, but it's a different environment than it used to be."Olivia Smith-Blackwell, MD, started her practice in North Tonawanda six years ago and said her patient list has grown rapidly. Even so, starting a private practice is just as much about juggling the overhead as it is about good medicine, she said."I think it's challenging no matter where you set up," Smith-Blackwell said.

moon phase info

La Nina and severe weather in the Ohio Valley...there seems to be a bond between the two entities. Much like the bond between Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, or Daryl Hall and John Oates, or maybe even Ed McMahon and Johnny Carson. You get the idea. Just for review, La Nina is the abnormal cooling of the tropical Pacific waters that usually spells warm and wet weather for the Blue Grass state. But when that warm, moist air clashes with colder, drier air to the north, stronger-than-normal storm systems for mid-winter standards tend to be the result. The past tells us a La Nina pattern can be a recipe for trouble in this part of the world. Sure enough, history repeated itself on February 5th. The "Super Tuesday Outbreak" was one for the ages!

Now I won't rehash all the stats about that deadly night in this post (our links about that are on the weather page just below the forecast discussion), but I want to discuss how similar our current pattern is to another La Nina season: 1973-1974.

Leisure news in brief

Here are a selection of brief news items pertaining to arts, entertainment, culture and other fun things to do in your spare time:

Onalaska library movie screenings continueA new Thursday movie series sponsored by the Friends of the Onalaska Library continues at the Onalaska Public Library.The remaining schedule for "Friend-ly Flicks" includes the following:March 6: "Eight Below," PG, 2 p.m.; "Because I Said So," PG13, 6:30 p.m.March 13: "No Reservations," PG, 2 p.m.The movies, which are free and open to all, will be shown in the meeting room of the Onalaska Public Library, 741 Oak Ave. S. Free popcorn and drink provided by Kwik Trip will be served.

Acoustic duo offers mellow vibe at UW-LThe Seattle-based acoustic duo Everyday Jones will take the stage at UW-La Crosse at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 6, in the Cellar in Cartwright Center.

SHeDAISY's Hits CD Due Feb. 5

SHeDAISY will release The Best of SHeDAISY on Feb. 5 on Lyric Street Records. The 12-song compilation includes all previously-released material, spanning from their 1999 debut single, "Little Good-Byes," to a song inspired by Desperate Housewives, "God Bless the American Housewife." The trio of sisters has released six albums for the label so far, including a remixed version of their debut album and a holiday album. Four of their singles reached the Top 10 on Billboard's country chart. .

Cowboy-crazy in his automobile

For the last 15 or so years, the Rochester resident has decked out his automobiles with evidence of his support for one of America's most loved or unloved football teams.

"I want everybody to know how big a Cowboys fan I am," says Thomas, who is 45 and works at the University of Rochester in environment services.

"Big fan" may be an understatement, as it's hard to imagine someone at least someone in Buffalo Bill's territory more devoted to the team from Texas.

"He lives and breathes the Dallas Cowboys," says Fred Hardaway of Rochester, who describes himself as the second-biggest Cowboys fan in Rochester after Thomas.

Thomas' current car, a 2006 Cowboys blue Chrysler Pacifica, has "Dallas" twice in slanted large white letters on the rear windows, the two words in the name separated by the team's trademark star.