Of Human Interest: News lite

CAINE GETS BEST LINE NOD

The greatest one-liner in the history of the movies, say the British, comes from an outraged Michael Caine in "The Italian Job" -- "You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off" as a fellow crook destroys a van by blowing it up.

The London Telegraph also reports the poll of 1,000 movie fans decided the runner-up was Clark Gable as Rhett Butler in "Gone With the Wind," who told a desperate Scarlet O'Hara, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn."

The cult British comedy "Withnail And I," in which two drunk unemployed actors leave London for a holiday in the north, came in third place for the remark, "We want the finest wines available to humanity, we want them here and we want them now," delivered by Richard E Grant as Withnail.

The survey was done to mark the Orange Word screenwriters' season at the British Library.

SURVEY FINDS ONE-THIRD HAVE HILL AND BILL RELATIONSHIPS

A Woman's Day and America Online survey "The Secret Life of the American Woman" finds 38 percent of respondents compare their love life to that of former first couple, Hillary and Bill Clinton.

Coming in second was the love life of Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt at 35 percent.

Some 58 percent of the more than 816,000 respondents said they would choose to have a fantasy date with their husbands over hunky actor George Clooney (21 percent), Brad Pitt (13 percent) and Denzel Washington (8 percent).

Thirty percent said Gwyneth Paltrow's long legs are more desirable than Jennifer Lopez's backside, at 25 percent, Madonna's arms, 22 percent or Tyra Banks' bust, 23 percent.

WELLS' BOOK COMMENTS COSTLY

It looks like New York Yankees pitcher David Wells is going to take a sizeable hit in the wallet.

The New York Times reports Wells will be slapped with a $100,000 fine for controversial comments he made in his new book, "Perfect I'm Not! Boomer on Beer, Brawls, Backaches and Baseball."

The newspaper, citing an unidentified source, reports Wells has agreed not to appeal the fine, which will go to the Boys and Girls Club.

In advance copies of the book Wells wrote he was "half drunk" when he pitched a perfect game in 1998, and speculated on steroid and amphetamine use by major league players. The book also included disparaging comments about some of his teammates.

VERB: IT'S WHAT YOU DO

A federal program designed to root preteens and 13-year-olds from their nests in front of television and video game console is headed for Los Angeles next month as it makes its way across the country.

The VERB program visited Miami, Green Bay, Wis., and Houston in the past month with programs like Nickelodeon's Wild and Crazy Kids Activity Zone and promotional stunts.

The program run by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is formally named VERB. The "VERB" is not an acronym, it's the part of speech and means doing something -- anything.

The program is in its third year and despite a decreasing budget its leaders say its campaign against obesity and other risky behavior among 9-13 year olds -- known as tweens -- is reaching children.

Health officials say so far the numbers look good. The goal was to reach 40 percent of the kids -- and it looks like it will hit 60 percent.

(Thanks to UPI's Les Kjos in Miami)