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Health: Research done at the European Space Agency indicates that if you don’t use your back muscles regularly, they “turn off” and become inactive. People can reactivate the muscles through visualization techniques and exercise. Astronauts often suffer from back pain.

USA: Molly Ivins hits the nail on the head. What. A. Mess. W. Has. Made.

USA: Cell phone customers are getting nickled-and-dimed by telecoms, as T-Mobile, AT&T Wireless and others charge customers directly for Federal fees. Congress intended the telecoms to pay the fees themselves. Clever accountants realized that by passing the fees through to customers, the fees would count as revenue. This practice makes a wireless phone bill long and difficult to read. “The explosion of line items has made it all but impossible for consumers to compare rates and shop around,” FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps said in March. “You need a lawyer and an accountant — preferably both — to root out what you’re being charged for and why.” FCC docket number 04-208 would require telecoms to build the fees directly into their rates, so that wireless consumers know exactly what they will be charged for their plans.

Tech: At least 20 US universities offer free or cheap online music to their students. Rhapsody has most of these schools, but Duke made a deal to distribute iPods to 1800 students, most of whom are incoming freshman. Duke upperclassmen are unhappy that they can’t get an iPod. Other students compain that the $500K in funds could have paid for something else, like student financial aid or better campus security. Schools usually tack on a student fee to cover the download service. The university lawyers see this as a way to keep the RIAA from suing the university and its students.