Shelf Life

I have fallen in like with a trio of shelves that travels with me and hangs around my hotel room. No more relying solely on whatever drawers or shelves (in whatever sanitary condition) come with the room. Shelves-to-GO are a deck of three sturdy but lightweight reinforced mesh shelf units with straps and hooks on both sides that can be hung in a closet, or joined together to hang against a door. Unhook, and the shelves collapse (clothes and all, if you like) to fit into most standard carry-on bags.

Hercules Inc. wants to carve at least a $200 million niche in the fresh fruit- and vegetable-packaging market within the next five years. Last week, the Wilmington company introduced a new type of polypropylene film that will allow produce to "breathe" - a technological advantage that Hercules says will improve the appearance and double the shelf life of veggies and fruit. Developed over a five-year period, the FreshHold system involves controlling the atmosphere inside the package.

Most U.S. pharmaceutical donations to poor countries consist of "essential drugs" and arrive well before their expiration dates, but a substantial amount are still of little or no use, according to a new study by the Harvard School of Public Health. The study, being published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, is the first comprehensive look at the sometimes contentious issue of overseas drug donations. In the past, such donations by industry have ranged from lifesaving to what critics say were little more than mass dumpings of old and unsellable products in return for tax write-offs.

Given Nick Lowe's substantial backlog of old favorites, the announcement early in his Keswick Theatre show Sunday night that he'd be devoting a substantial chunk of the evening to showcasing songs from his latest album, The Old Magic, could have been cause for concern. But not to worry, Lowe assured the crowd: "If you cut me open, you'll find one word written through me like a stick of rock — quality entertainment. " Like the hard candy to which he likened himself, Lowe's music is sugary but sharp, sweet to the taste but with edges that can wound.

What sacrifices we make for the sake of speed. Take oats. Look at those fallacious flakes that pass for modern oatmeal. Even the noble look of the weighty Friend on the label can't disguise the anemia of a processed product that has all the appeal of culinary dust. Quickness is its one asset, and for that we have given up flavor, chewiness, aroma and much of the pleasure inherent in a grain that has been providing comfort and health since prehistoric times. The only commonly available oatmeal retaining any quality of oats has been dubbed "old- fashioned," as if flavor had somehow become passe.

When Robert Beelman walks into a supermarket, most of the times he's disappointed by the mushroom displays. "They're usually blotchy and deteriorated," he said. "I would think most shoppers would just walk right by. " But not Beelman. The Pennsylvania State University food scientist has just received a $35,000 grant from the state Department of Agriculture to examine ways to increase the shelf life of mushrooms. Beelman - and the Department of Agriculture - hope that an improved product will increase demand, and thereby increase employment in the state that has the largest mushroom production in the country.

With mascara and other makeup, less is usually more - especially if it's been hanging around. "Most women will keep cosmetics for a while and use them for special occasions," says Sam Fine, author of "FINE Beauty. " But colors fade and bacteria counts blossom when cosmetics are kept past their prime. Cosmetics' shelf life varies from product to product, and manufacturers rarely offer expiration dates. "Anything powder-based, like foundation, that has been opened can go for about two years," says Tina Hodak, of Famous-Barr department stores in St. Louis.

Dear Anne and Nan: While traveling last summer, I had my hair done by a hairdresser who gave me a recipe that uses things ordinarily found in the kitchen to treat hair and remove buildup of hair spray and rinse. I neglected to make a note of the ingredients and have forgotten what she said. Could you possibly know what she was referring to, and if so, please pass it along? - Doris Long, Emporia, Kansas Dear Doris: Our favorite hairdresser gave us the following recipe: Combine 1 gallon distilled water, 1 cup lemon juice (fresh or bottled)

I KNOW THAT I'm one of the few people outside of the Phillies front office who believes that general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. played his hand wrong. This isn't where anyone expected the Phillies to be - not 11-12 and a rung out of the cellar in the National League East. But as frustrating as things presently are, I look at how the Phillies arrived here, and I ask myself, what could Amaro have realistically done differently? I'll get hundreds of suggestions, and if change in real-life Major League Baseball were as easy as it is in Fantasy League Baseball or arm-chair general managing, 99 percent of them would be right.

Stuff. You have it. You love it. You hate it. You have no place to put it. But you accumulate more of it all the time. Old birthday cards. Copies of Animal Farm . Photographs of friends you couldn't pick out in a lineup. The coil pot someone (maybe you) made in first grade. Threadbare Wallace & Gromit T-shirts with marinara stains on the sleeve. Fourth-place trophies. Boxes of instant oatmeal so far past their shelf life, they qualify as ancient grains. Empty bottles of Malbec (or Bud Light)

I KNOW THAT I'm one of the few people outside of the Phillies front office who believes that general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. played his hand wrong. This isn't where anyone expected the Phillies to be - not 11-12 and a rung out of the cellar in the National League East. But as frustrating as things presently are, I look at how the Phillies arrived here, and I ask myself, what could Amaro have realistically done differently? I'll get hundreds of suggestions, and if change in real-life Major League Baseball were as easy as it is in Fantasy League Baseball or arm-chair general managing, 99 percent of them would be right.

Given Nick Lowe's substantial backlog of old favorites, the announcement early in his Keswick Theatre show Sunday night that he'd be devoting a substantial chunk of the evening to showcasing songs from his latest album, The Old Magic, could have been cause for concern. But not to worry, Lowe assured the crowd: "If you cut me open, you'll find one word written through me like a stick of rock — quality entertainment. " Like the hard candy to which he likened himself, Lowe's music is sugary but sharp, sweet to the taste but with edges that can wound.

Stuff. You have it. You love it. You hate it. You have no place to put it. But you accumulate more of it all the time. Old birthday cards. Copies of Animal Farm . Photographs of friends you couldn't pick out in a lineup. The coil pot someone (maybe you) made in first grade. Threadbare Wallace & Gromit T-shirts with marinara stains on the sleeve. Fourth-place trophies. Boxes of instant oatmeal so far past their shelf life, they qualify as ancient grains. Empty bottles of Malbec (or Bud Light)

I have fallen in like with a trio of shelves that travels with me and hangs around my hotel room. No more relying solely on whatever drawers or shelves (in whatever sanitary condition) come with the room. Shelves-to-GO are a deck of three sturdy but lightweight reinforced mesh shelf units with straps and hooks on both sides that can be hung in a closet, or joined together to hang against a door. Unhook, and the shelves collapse (clothes and all, if you like) to fit into most standard carry-on bags.

Got milk? Not Lisa Montgomery, a raw-food expert and chef from Royersford. Nor does she have anything to do with meat, gluten, sugar, alcohol, caffeine, or peanuts. Ten years ago, she cleansed her kitchen cupboards of the processed foods she believes were harming her health. She began eating raw foods and found she felt better. Now she's a go-to girl in the raw-foods field; to cooking demos and monthly potluck raw dinners she has added a new series of books on the raw-food lifestyle.

In college basketball, there are no constants. Players arrive with a shelf life. Eventually, they're leaving - but usually not all at once. At Cheyney University, this season's women's team is brand new. There's not a returning veteran in the group. Cheyney coach Marilyn Stephens, in her third season at the school, knew this was coming - more or less. In 2009-10, eight of her 10 players were seniors. They lost another player to academics, and another decided to concentrate on track.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You will overhear something that affects a friend of yours. The information is fair game, especially if it protects someone you care about. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You have made the most of your situation. You've found a way to maximize the good parts. Don't change now - it's working for you. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You're almost there. Take a deep breath and stay on it for just a little while longer. The payoff will be worth it. CANCER (June 22-July 22)

The Atlanta Hawks made significant improvement under Mike Woodson. They just wondered how much farther he could take them. Woodson was let go as coach of the Hawks yesterday, just 4 days after the team was swept out of the second round of the playoffs by the Orlando Magic. General manager Rick Sund, after consulting with the ownership group, decided not to offer Woodson a new contract. So ended a 6-year coaching tenure in which the Hawks won just 13 games in his first season, then improved each year, including three straight playoff appearances.

VANCOUVER - This is Olympic drama, served warm, with a shelf life of 16 days. Dominant U.S. racer Lindsey Vonn yesterday revealed that she suffered a right shin injury last week, the result of a violent crash during a slalom training run in Austria. It could knock her out of all five races. She has not skied since the injury. She will try today. That might be tricky, since, as of yesterday, she could not bear the pain of buckling her ski boot. The injury is right above where the boot's top meets her shin, on the outside of her leg. This, potentially, is awful news for Vonn, and her team, and her country's medal hopes.

Congressional Democrats have made modest progress in their efforts to limit pork-barrel spending projects known as "earmarks. " And then there's Rep. John Murtha (D., Pa.). Murtha is chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, a post in which he has earned the title as Pennsylvania's "King of Pork. " In last month's defense bill alone, Murtha led all House lawmakers by sponsoring 23 earmarks worth $76.5 million. In a career spanning nearly 40 years, Murtha has directed billions back to his Johnstown-area district.