Those nominees have been pending before the Senate for an average of 165 days, or almost five and a half months.

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing

Five days on his roof almost cost Jordan his life, as he told NPR's Talk of the Nation (excerpted in this edition of JazzSet).

NPR: Marlon Jordan: Summer Vibes In Colorado

The last time Apple traded to similarly lofty levels in mid-October, the stock reversed to close lower for four out of the next five trading days, losing more than almost 7%.

FORBES: Apple Stock Surging, Expect Profit-Taking

Double that effort by exercising for an hour a day for five days and the risk for stroke drops by almost another 25 percent.

CNN: Study: Exercise cuts stroke risk by almost half

One cause was the continuing deterioration of loan performance as mortgage rates have risen: almost one in five subprime mortgages are now delinquent by more than 30 days or in foreclosure.

ECONOMIST: The subprime meltdown, continued

However, the newest research published in the current issue of the American Heart Association's journal Stroke shows just half an hour of moderate exercise five days a week reduces the risk for stroke by almost 25 percent.

CNN: Study: Exercise cuts stroke risk by almost half

The mice that were directly injected showed an almost 50% increase in new bone formation in the skull after only five days of treatment.

BBC: Cholesterol drugs 'treat osteoporosis'

The result is that trade ministers next week have five days to reach a series of complicated political compromises after almost two years of stalemate.

ECONOMIST: World trade talks: The Cancun challenge | The