We all keep these apocryphal stories of people who have lived over 100 years in the back of our minds. We note what these centagenarians say about what made them live so long. Like these idyits little nostrums will work for us, right? Between genetics, climate and geography, and just the luck of the draw, you'd expect that any fool would understand there's no formula. But we're gullible, right? "One cigar a day and a glass of wine." "I never took any medicine, not even an aspirin..." "It all had to do with my diet: locusts, pumpkin pips, tortoise meat, wild herbs, dried fruit and coffee for breakfast..." And G21 has a barge to sell you.

PERFUME, Shelf Life: It's only about 12 to 14 months. Heloise from A to Z reports this, (Putnam, 1992), and adds that "Heat makes a fragrance evaporate and the more alcohol in the product the shorter its shelf life..." But come on! Who do you know who keeps a perfume for over a year? ******* In Gerard's Herball, The Essence thereof distilled by MARCUS WOODWARD, from the Edition of Th. JOHNSON, 1636 (Crescent Books, NY, 1985) G21 gleaned this gem: "Wheat groweth almost in all the countries of the world that are inhabited and manured, and requireth a fruitfull and fat soile, and in dry ground (as Colmella reporteth) it groweth harder and better compact: in a moist and darke soile it degenerateth sometime to be of another kinde." Gerard's Herball was originaly published in 1545. We really don't make this stuff up.

FAX NIKITA is looking for your STRANGE BUT TRUE facts. Send them into G21 FAX NIKITA with the "Subject" line marked: "Nikita." We'll print them during the week.