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Pizza for breakfast?

I know what you're thinking: pizza? For breakfast? But the truth is that you can crack open last night's leftovers in the a.m. if you want to.

I know lots of women who skip breakfast, and they have a ton of different excuses for doing it. Some say they don't have time, others think they're "saving" calories by eliminating a meal, still others just don't like breakfast food.

But the bottom line is, eating in the morning is crucial when you're trying to trim down. "Eating just about anything in the range of 300 to 400 calories would be better than nothing at all," says SELF contributor Katherine Brooking, R.D., who developed the super-easy eating plan for this year's SELF Challenge. And even pizza can be healthy if it's thin-crust, loaded with veggies, and you stick to one slice.

Breakfast is one meal I never miss (my favorite morning combo includes Fage nonfat yogurt topped with fresh fruit and low-carb granola, yum!), and the same goes for most weight loss success stories.

Research shows that eating breakfast revs up your metabolism, keeps you from overeating later in the day and may even help sleekify your abs. Researchers at the University of Southern California at Los Angeles found that breakfast skippers have bigger tummies than those who regularly have a morning meal.

So eat something in the morning, anything. I know plenty of pals who end up forgoing it altogether to have just coffee or cola. I say, try heating up last night's leftovers-it may sound crazy, but if it works for you, do it!

Bonus: I find if I tell myself, "You can always eat it tomorrow," I put away the leftovers instead of eating more that night. Try it...you may save yourself some prebedtime calories. And watch your body reap the fat-burning benefits. What are your favorite breakfast foods?

Want to buy a mammoth?

California resident Nancy Fiddler has put for sale on eBay a mastodon skeleton that takes up most of her garage. The minimum bid -- $115,000 (57,000 pounds).

Her family's relationship with the Ice Age relative of the elephant has run its course.

Fiddler said they need the money an online auction could bring, and her son would prefer to build hot rod cars in the space the creature now occupies.

The Fiddlers also would like to use their sauna, which in the last four years has served as an additional repository for the huge plastic casts containing the animal's bones.

"We needed a safe, dry place," Fiddler said, explaining why they chose to sacrifice the sauna. "The mastodon takes precedence."

Mastodons, which stood 10 feet (3 metres) tall with trunks and tusks, migrated to North America about 15 million years ago and ranged all over the continent with saber tooth tigers, giant sloths and American camels. All met their extinction about 10,000 years ago.

A ranch hand discovered a mastodon tooth on the Fiddler ranch in northeastern California in 1997. Excavation revealed a rare, nearly complete mastodon skeleton that included everything but the tusks.

"It's a beautiful specimen," said paleontological consultant Bruce Hanson, who helped move the skeleton to the Oakland Museum of Natural History, where it was on display for several years.

After the museum made a replica, the Fiddlers moved the mastodon to the tasting room of a California wine bar. Then it found its way to their garage.

One paleontologist said he was sceptical that the Fiddlers would get as much as they want for the mastodon.

"What is it going to do? Sit on someone's mantle?" said Mark Goodwin of the University of California Museum of Paleontology. "I would prefer to see it donated to a museum. This is our fossil heritage."

Battling cell phone spam

Mobile phone users are receiving more unwanted and costly text messages. » Any way to fight it?

Contain your Wi-Fi signal

Reader Mike Waters writes: I am concerned about Wi-Fi security. One of the most basic ways to secure a wireless signal seems like it would be to reduce the strength in "uncontrolled" areas so no signal can be received. I would like to be able to REDUCE the range of my home Wi-Fi network so it just covers my house! As it is I can receive signals almost 2 blocks away! Is there any safe, reliable way to do this? Remove tha antenna from the hub, wear a tinfoil hat?

Sure enough, there is, but not on every router. Hop into your router management system (either through a program you installed when you set up your router initially or by typing the IP address of the router into your web browser), and poke around. Every router is different, but you'll likely find the option to reduce radio transmission power under advanced settings or somewhere else in the wireless configuration section. On Linksys routers, for example, look for "Output Power" under the Advanced Wireless tab. Remember, though, that not all routers include this feature (not even all routers from the same vendor).

Like Mike suggests, lowering the total power output of your router can do a good job at keeping the signal from spreading too far outside your house and down the street. However, this method comes with some caveats. The big one: By lowering signal strength you may inadvertently lower the signal too much so that you don't cover your entire house. Wireless signal is finicky, and the just-fine signal strength on one floor may be barely acceptable a single story up. You may very well drop your connection altogether in the far corners of your home, so experiment before you etch this setting in stone.

The other caveat is that even if your signal doesn't drop out, it will likely slow down throughout your house, even when you are relatively close to the router. As signal strength decreases, the signal-to-noise ratio falls as well, which means you'll lose more data and suffer through more re-transmissions as interference gets worse, lowering the overall speed of the connection. (Neighbor networks may overpower yours, even.) This may not be a big deal, in fact you may not even notice it, or it may have such an impact that it makes your network unusable. Again, you'll have to experiment to find a setting that keeps the network relatively confined to your house while still giving you enough bandwidth to work comfortably in.

Regardless of whether you throttle your wireless radio's power output, don't rely on this as your sole means of Wi-Fi security. Use wireless encryption, set a strong administrator password, and change default settings as described here.

Healthy fast-food breakfasts

You know those time-crunched mornings when you're starving and an Egg McMuffin seems like the only fast-enough solution? But you know it's a 300-calorie, 12-grams-of-fat freeway to diet disaster? Turn into the McDonald's anyway (or a handy facsimile). There actually are fast-food ways to start the day that won't wreck your waistline.

These choices will tame your appetite (with extra protein), curb afternoon cravings (with a hit of fiber), and even help you concentrate (that protein-fiber combo supplies the brain with a steady stream of energy). Use this cheat sheet when you need a wakeup fast.

McDonald's
There are a couple of options with enough fiber and protein to fill you up and keep you going:

• Fruit n' Yogurt Parfait with Granola
  160 calories, 2g fat (1g saturated), 5mg cholesterol, 85mg sodium, 1g fiber, 4g protein
  
• Snack Size Fruit and Walnut Salad
  210 calories, 8g fat (1.5g saturated), 5mg cholesterol, 60mg sodium, 2g fiber, 4g protein

Starbucks
You'll find two good high-flavor choices here:

• Spinach, Roasted Tomato, Feta, and Egg Wrap -- it's a little high in fat but compensates with lots of fiber and protein.
  240 calories, 10g fat (3.5g saturated), 140mg cholesterol, 730mg sodium, 7g fiber, 13g protein
  
• A Skinny Latte and a package of SB's dried fruit and nut mix. The latte's made with nonfat milk and a shot of sugar-free syrup. (Try the caramel or hazelnut: yum!)
  Latte (12-oz. "tall"): 90 calories, 0g fat (0g saturated), 5mg cholesterol, 125mg sodium, 0g fiber, 0g protein
  Fruit/nut packet: 150 calories, 9g fat (1g saturated), 0mg cholesterol, 100mg sodium, 2g fiber, 4g protein

Jamba Juice
Two groups of smoothies will be your wake-up call as long as you add a soy protein booster. For just 30 more calories you'll get an extra 7g of tummy-taming, brain-fueling protein.

• Any 16-oz. "Jamba Light" smoothie
  150-160 calories, 0-0.5g fat (0g saturated), 5mg cholesterol, 210-220mg sodium, 2-3g fiber, 6g protein
  
• Any 16-oz. "All Fruit" smoothie
  200-220 calories, 0-0.5g fat (0g saturated), 0mg cholesterol, 5-20mg sodium, 4g fiber, 1-2g protein

Dunkin' Donuts
Make this your last resort but if it's the only choice, go for:

• Egg and Cheese English Muffin Sandwich
  280 calories, 9g fat (4.5g saturated), 140mg cholesterol, 1010mg sodium (yikes -- that's why it's your last resort), 1g fiber, 15g protein
  
• If the smell of doughnuts gets to your head, order 4 Powdered Cake doughnut holes (Munchkins in DD-speak).
  260 calories, 15g fat, 7g saturated fat, 10mg cholesterol, 210mg sodium, 2g fiber, 3g protein

Burger King
Keep driving until the competition appears. BK is behind on banning risky trans fats, and we recommend avoiding it until the place smartens up.

Is breakfast really worth the bother? You bet. Not only does eating it help keep you slimmer and smarter, but skipping it can make your RealAge as much as 3 years older. So it's definitely worth knowing your best AM road-food options.

Testing electric toothbrushes

I'm fanatical about dental hygiene, and one of the few places technology really collides with this area (that is, the mouth) is in the realm of electric toothbrushes.

I put three of the highest of high-end electric toothbrushes to the test over the last two months. Here are my thoughts, but please remember, this is just the opinion of one man and one mouth.

Philips Sonicare FlexCare RS930 with sanitizer - Sonicare is one of the best known lines of electric toothbrushes, and it's come a long way since its earliest days. The brush head vibrates back and forth rapidly but in a narrow range, using sonic technology to help get gunk off of teeth. It's a very light and maneuverable brush, and after your 2-minute cleaning cycle, your mouth really does feel clean. (Obviously I have no scientific and quantitative measure to determine exactly how clean each of these brushes got my teeth.)

Like the other two brushes, the FlexCare includes a built-in timer. This one pauses at 30-second intervals to let you know when to move to a new quadrant of your mouth. While the FlexCare is a capable brush, it's the sanitizer that seals the deal. This is a small unit attached to the charging base that blasts ultraviolet light onto the brush heads to kill bacteria on them. I wish you didn't have to disassemble the brush to use the sanitizer and it was easier to tell if the UV light was actually on, but otherwise I was impressed with the device. Bonus: The FlexCare is the only brush in this roundup that uses a lithium-ion battery instead of Ni-MH. Price tag: $169

Ultreo - The new kid on the block. Unlike all other brushes, Ultreo really uses ultrasound to clean teeth, and you can see the difference by just looking at the brush head. In the center of the bristles, there's a bare, orange pad. According to Ultreo, this pad actually cleans your teeth even if the brush isn't touching them. Of course, the bristles don't hurt either.

Overall, I liked the Ultreo fairly well. It's light and comfortable, and the charging base is incredibly inconspicuous. It was extremely gentle compare to other brushes, which might be why my teeth just didn't seem quite as clean after several weeks of testing. Unlike the other brushes, the Ultreo doesn't offer any additional operation modes (like a "sensitive" setting), and the charging indicator was very difficult to read. It's perfectly capable, but I preferred the FlexCare in the end. Price tag: $169

Oral-B Triumph with SmartGuide ProfessionalCare 9900 - I've used a Triumph (sans SmartGuide) in the past, so I have tons of tooth-on experience with this model. The Triumph offers a round brush head that rotates back and forth (not around and around) in a tight range. It provides good cleaning and is easy to maneuver in your mouth.

But the Oral-B brush is loud and vibrates a lot. It feels like someone's going to work in your mouth with a small jackhammer. That said, the results are good - teeth end up nice and clean - but using it is not exactly pleasant.

The 9900 includes a small monitor that you can put in your bathroom so you can time your brushing for the recommended two minutes. The timer didn't do a whole lot for me, but I did appreciate having a waterproof clock next to the sink.

Still, I wouldn't mind the Triumph if it wasn't for one big problem - the charging base collects all manner of white toothpaste residue and gunk, which gets all over the bottom of your toothbrush and the countertop and creates a huge mess. One bright spot: You can find the Triumph with the SmartGuide for a mere $100 if you shop around. Price tag: Less than $100

White killer whale spotted

The white killer whale spotted in Alaska's Aleutian Islands sent researchers and the ship's crew scrambling for their cameras.

The nearly mythic creature was real after all.

"I had heard about this whale, but we had never been able to find it," said Holly Fearnbach, a research biologist with the National Marine Mammal Laboratory in Seattle who photographed the rarity. "It was quite neat to find it."

The whale was spotted last month while scientists aboard the Oscar Dyson, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research ship, were conducting an acoustic survey of pollock near sea lion haulout sites.

It had been spotted once in the Aleutians years ago but had eluded researchers since, even though they had seen many of the more classic black and white whales over the years.

Fearnbach said the white whale stood out.

"When you first looked at it, it was very white," she said Thursday.

Further observation showed that while the whale's saddle area was white, other parts of its body had a subtle yellowish or brownish color.

It likely is not a true albino given the coloration, said John Durban, a research biologist at NOAA's Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. That's probably a good thing -- true albinos usually don't live long and can have health problems.

Durban said white killer whales have been spotted elsewhere in the area twice before: in 1993 in the northern Bering Sea around St. Lawrence Island and in 2001 near Adak in the central Aleutians. There have also been sightings along the Russian coast.

While Alaska researchers have documented thousands of black and white killer whales in the Bering Sea and the Aleutians during summer surveys, this was something new and exciting, Durban said.

"This is the first time we came across a white killer whale," he said.

The scientists observed several pods over a two-week period. The white whale was in a family group of 12 on a day when the seas were fairly rough. It was spotted about 2 miles off Kanaga Volcano on Feb. 23.

The ship stayed with the whale for about 30 minutes.

"Everybody actually came out and was taking pictures," Fearnbach said. "It was a neat sighting for everybody."

The whale appeared to be a healthy, adult male about 25 to 30 feet long and weighing upward of 10,000 pounds.

Ancient tomb found

Road construction on the western Greek island of Lefkada has uncovered and partially destroyed an important tomb with artifacts dating back more than 3,000 years, officials said on Wednesday.

The find is a miniature version of the large, opulent tombs built by the rulers of Greece during the Mycenaean era, which ended around 1100 B.C. Although dozens have been found in the mainland and on Crete, the underground, beehive-shaped monuments are very rare in the western Ionian Sea islands, and previously unknown on Lefkada.

The discovery could fuel debate on a major prehistoric puzzle — where the homeland of Homer's legendary hero Odysseus was located.

"This is a very important find for the area, because until now we had next to no evidence on Mycenaean presence on Lefkada," excavator Maria Stavropoulou-Gatsi told The Associated Press.

Stavropoulou-Gatsi said the tomb was unearthed about a month ago by a bulldozer, during road construction work.

"Unfortunately, the driver caused significant damage," she said.

She said the tomb contained several human skeletons, as well as smashed pottery, two seal stones, beads made of semiprecious stones, copper implements and clay loom weights. It appeared to have been plundered during antiquity.

With a nine-foot diameter, the tomb is very small compared to others, such as the Tomb of Atreus in Mycenae, which was more than 46 feet across and built of stones weighing up to 120 tons.

But it could revive scholarly debate on the location of Odysseus' Ithaca mentioned in Homer's poems — which are believed to be loosely based on Mycenaean-era events. While the nearby island of Ithaki is generally identified as the hero's kingdom, other theories have proposed Lefkada or neighboring Kefallonia.

Stavropoulou-Gatsi said the discovery might cause excitement on Lefkada but it was too soon for any speculation on Odysseus.

"I think it is much too early to engage in such discussion. The location of Homer's Ithaca is a very complex issue," she said.

Fake memoir exposed

Two years after the fall of James Frey, a publisher has again been conned by a memoirist with a life that proved too bad to be true.

But as with Frey's "A Million Little Pieces," the debunking of Margaret B. Jones' "Love and Consequences" is unlikely to change an industry where the handshake and the heartfelt vow have long been good enough to commit a story to print.

"The author-editor relationship is so much one of trust and I don't think that can change," says Nan Talese, who published Frey's book through her own imprint at the Broadway Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.

"It's a business where honesty prevails 99 percent of the time," says literary agent Laurence J. Kirshbaum, the former head of Warner Books. "We have to rely on the close, good-faith relationship between author, agent and publisher. The fact that there's a glitch once in every 150,000 titles doesn't mean you change the whole system."

In "Love and Consequences," Jones writes about growing up as a half-white, half-Native American girl in South-Central Los Angeles in the foster home of Big Mom. One of her foster brothers, she writes, was gunned down by Crips gang members outside their home. Jones also claimed she carried illegal guns and sold drugs for the Bloods gang.

Less than a week after the book was published, Jones' story came apart after her older sister, Cyndi Hoffman, saw an article about the author in The New York Times and contacted Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA). Margaret B. Jones is actually a pseudonym for Margaret Seltzer, who is white and grew up in a well-off area of San Fernando Valley in California with her biological family. She attended a private Episcopal day school and never lived with a foster family or sold drugs for a gang.

The publisher has recalled all copies of the book and canceled Jones' tour, which was to begin Monday. Penguin's senior vice president of publicity, Marilyn Ducksworth, said that anyone who bought "Love and Consequences" would receive a full refund by returning it to the retailer.

Praised as "humane and deeply affecting" by The New York Times' Michiko Kakutani, the memoir had a first printing of 24,000, and about 19,000 had been shipped. Sales figures were unavailable; as of Monday night, the book ranked No. 450 on Amazon.com.

Riverhead also published Frey's "My Friend Leonard," a best-selling sequel to "A Million Little Pieces" that itself included numerous fabrications. Riverhead eventually dropped Frey, who is scheduled to publish a novel, "Bright Shiny Morning," this spring with HarperCollins.

Riverhead vice president and publisher Geoffrey Kloske said that no one asked Seltzer for official paperwork such as school records, which might have discredited her story, but he noted that the author submitted letters and photographs and a recommendation from a former professor.

"She even had someone claiming to be one of her former siblings. There was a substantial amount of supporting evidence," he says. "We rely on our authors. Hopefully, this will inform our future actions, but we're going to continue to rely on them to tell us the truth, and promise to tell us the truth."

Asked if Riverhead was considering legal action — author honesty was contractually obligated — Kloske declined comment.

Paul Bogaards, head of publicity for Alfred A. Knopf, said that after the revelations emerged about Frey the publisher held an editorial meeting. A more cautious approach was urged — "The more fantastic the life, the more questions need to be asked," Bogaards says — but no formal changes were enacted.

"If an author is determined to defraud the public, he or she will find a way to do so," Bogaards says. "I don't see us, or anyone else, really doing anything differently. Look, this is a business where publishers don't even test recipes in the cookbooks."