A partially mummified hadrosaur discovered by a teenager in North Dakota may be the most complete dinosaur ever found, with intact skin that shows evidence of stripes and perhaps soft tissue, researchers said on Monday.
Enough of the animal remains to show it ran quickly and was far more muscular than scientists believed such dinosaurs were.
"It's sort of King Tut meets T. Rex," paleontologist Phil Manning of the University of Manchester in Britain said in a telephone interview.
The creature is fossilized, with the skin and bone turned to stone. But unlike most dinosaur fossils, tissues are preserved as well.
This includes large expanses of the animal's skin, with clear remains of scales.
"This is not a skin impression. This is fossilized skin," Manning said. "When you run your hands over this dinosaur's skin, this is the closest you are going to get to touching a real dinosaur, ever."
The remains of the hadrosaur, dubbed Dakota, were found in 2000 by Tyler Lyson, then 17, on his uncle's ranch in North Dakota.
The hadrosaur, a plant-eating dinosaur that walked on two legs, lived 67 million years ago, during the late Cretaceous Period.
Lyson contacted Manning. The National Geographic Society, which helped pay for the expedition, will air a television program about the team's work on Sunday.
Manning had the team remove the monstrous specimen almost intact, with just the tail in a separate block.
It weighed close to 10,000 pounds (4,500 kilograms).
They persuaded the Boeing Company and NASA to use a huge computed tomography, or CT, scanner in Canoga Park, California, that is usually used to scan space shuttle parts.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Chinese Man Dies of Bird Flu
A 24-year-old man from eastern China has died of the H5N1 strain of bird flu in the first case in the country since June, bringing the death toll from the disease to 17.
The man, surnamed Lu, was taken to hospital in Jiangsu province on Tuesday with a fever and died on Sunday, Xinhua news agency said, adding he had had no contact with dead poultry and there had been no reported poultry outbreak in the province.
"The local government has adopted relative prevention and control measures. All of the 69 people who had close contact with Lu have been put under strict medical observation. So far, they have shown no signs of symptoms," the report said.
With the world's biggest poultry population and millions of backyard birds roaming free, China is at the centre of the fight against bird flu. The country has had 26 human cases.
Scientists fear the bird flu virus could mutate into a form that could pass easily from person to person, sparking a global pandemic.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said Chinese authorities had informed them about the case and they were in touch with the Ministry of Health.
"It looks like MoH is doing the right thing in terms of follow-up action," WHO spokeswoman Joanna Brent said, referring to the surveillance of his close contacts.
"At this stage we don't have any more information about how he (Lu) would have contracted it," she said.
The man, surnamed Lu, was taken to hospital in Jiangsu province on Tuesday with a fever and died on Sunday, Xinhua news agency said, adding he had had no contact with dead poultry and there had been no reported poultry outbreak in the province.
"The local government has adopted relative prevention and control measures. All of the 69 people who had close contact with Lu have been put under strict medical observation. So far, they have shown no signs of symptoms," the report said.
With the world's biggest poultry population and millions of backyard birds roaming free, China is at the centre of the fight against bird flu. The country has had 26 human cases.
Scientists fear the bird flu virus could mutate into a form that could pass easily from person to person, sparking a global pandemic.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said Chinese authorities had informed them about the case and they were in touch with the Ministry of Health.
"It looks like MoH is doing the right thing in terms of follow-up action," WHO spokeswoman Joanna Brent said, referring to the surveillance of his close contacts.
"At this stage we don't have any more information about how he (Lu) would have contracted it," she said.
Praying for Rain
Devout Greek Cypriots converged on Orthodox churches on Sunday to pray for rain to end a crippling drought that threatens to empty the Mediterranean island's reservoirs by the end of the year.
"If we all pray with deep faith the Almighty shall heed us," Cyprus Archbishop Chrysostomos II said in a circular sent out to all churches, quoting from the Gospel of St. John.
"There is nothing else we can do but pray, that's all we have left," said pensioner Pantelis Ioannou, 68, as he emerged from a chapel under cloudy skies in a Nicosia suburb.
Dwindling rainfall has forced authorities to drill down to precious underground water deposits which have taken thousands of years to accumulate.
On Friday reservoirs were on average 7.9 percent full, the main reservoir holding only 2.0 percent of its capacity, according to official data. Without rain, that reservoir will run dry in less than a month, authorities say.
Two desalination plants meet about 45 percent of the island's needs.
"If we all pray with deep faith the Almighty shall heed us," Cyprus Archbishop Chrysostomos II said in a circular sent out to all churches, quoting from the Gospel of St. John.
"There is nothing else we can do but pray, that's all we have left," said pensioner Pantelis Ioannou, 68, as he emerged from a chapel under cloudy skies in a Nicosia suburb.
Dwindling rainfall has forced authorities to drill down to precious underground water deposits which have taken thousands of years to accumulate.
On Friday reservoirs were on average 7.9 percent full, the main reservoir holding only 2.0 percent of its capacity, according to official data. Without rain, that reservoir will run dry in less than a month, authorities say.
Two desalination plants meet about 45 percent of the island's needs.
Expanding Tropics Could Spur Storms
Earth's tropical belt is expanding much faster than expected, and that could bring more storms to the temperate zone and drier weather to parts of the world that are already dry, climate scientists reported on Sunday.
"Remarkably, the tropics appear to have already expanded -- during only the last few decades of the 20th century -- by at least the same margin as models predict for this century," the scientists said in the current edition of Nature Geoscience.
Scientists forecast the tropic belt would spread by about 2 degrees of latitude north and south of the Equator by the end of the 21st century. That amount of tropical expansion has already occurred, and was confirmed by five independent ways of measuring it, the report found.
For mapmakers and astronomers, there is no question about where the tropic zone ends: it is at 23.5 degrees north and south of the Equator at the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer, boundaries determined by Earth's tilt on its axis. These tropical borders are the furthest point from the Equator where the sun shines directly overhead at the summer solstice.
But climate scientists define the tropic band by what happens on the land, in the water and in the air, and that is what is changing, the study said.
"Remarkably, the tropics appear to have already expanded -- during only the last few decades of the 20th century -- by at least the same margin as models predict for this century," the scientists said in the current edition of Nature Geoscience.
Scientists forecast the tropic belt would spread by about 2 degrees of latitude north and south of the Equator by the end of the 21st century. That amount of tropical expansion has already occurred, and was confirmed by five independent ways of measuring it, the report found.
For mapmakers and astronomers, there is no question about where the tropic zone ends: it is at 23.5 degrees north and south of the Equator at the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer, boundaries determined by Earth's tilt on its axis. These tropical borders are the furthest point from the Equator where the sun shines directly overhead at the summer solstice.
But climate scientists define the tropic band by what happens on the land, in the water and in the air, and that is what is changing, the study said.
Deadly Salute
A 200-year-old cannon wheeled out by Indian villagers to greet a visiting minister exploded after being overstuffed with gunpowder, killing two men, a newspaper reported Thursday.
Residents of Badoli village in western India's Rajasthan state had planned the gun salute Tuesday evening to welcome Kirodi Lal Meena, a state minister, the Times of India reported.
The minister left immediately after the accident, which also injured six other people.
Residents of Badoli village in western India's Rajasthan state had planned the gun salute Tuesday evening to welcome Kirodi Lal Meena, a state minister, the Times of India reported.
The minister left immediately after the accident, which also injured six other people.
Get High on Hersheys, Almost
New mint packets being sold by The Hershey Co. look nearly identical to the tiny heat-sealed bags used to sell illegal powdered drugs like crack, heroin and cocaine and glorify the drug trade, a Philadelphia police official said.
Ice Breakers Pacs, nickel-sized dissolvable pouches with a powdered sweetener inside, hit store shelves in November. The packets, which come in blue and orange plastic slide-up cases, are similar enough to drug packets that a child familiar with the candy could mistakenly swallow a heat-sealed bag of drugs, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector William Blackburn told the Philadelphia Daily News for an article published Friday.
"It glorifies the drug trade," he said. "There's really no reason that a product like this should be on the shelf."
A spokesman for the company, based in Hershey, Pa., pointed out that each pouch — made by two dissolvable mint strips — bears the Ice Breakers logo.
"It is not intended to simulate anything," said spokesman Kirk Saville.
Saville would not directly respond to questions about whether Hershey has plans to change the product's appearance or whether anyone in law enforcement or inside the company has previously raised a concern about it.
Ice Breakers Pacs, nickel-sized dissolvable pouches with a powdered sweetener inside, hit store shelves in November. The packets, which come in blue and orange plastic slide-up cases, are similar enough to drug packets that a child familiar with the candy could mistakenly swallow a heat-sealed bag of drugs, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector William Blackburn told the Philadelphia Daily News for an article published Friday.
"It glorifies the drug trade," he said. "There's really no reason that a product like this should be on the shelf."
A spokesman for the company, based in Hershey, Pa., pointed out that each pouch — made by two dissolvable mint strips — bears the Ice Breakers logo.
"It is not intended to simulate anything," said spokesman Kirk Saville.
Saville would not directly respond to questions about whether Hershey has plans to change the product's appearance or whether anyone in law enforcement or inside the company has previously raised a concern about it.
A Toilet is Just a Text Away
First came SatNav for lost drivers. Now there's "SatLav," a toilet-finding service to help people caught short in central London.
Westminster City Council launched a new mobile phone text message service that will guide Londoners and tourists to their nearest public lavatory.
Anyone who sends the word "Toilet" to 80097 will receive a reply giving details of their nearest public convenience.
Student Gail Knight, 26, came up with the idea for an innovation competition run by the council.
"When I'm out with friends we're always ducking into McDonalds or department stores to use their loos but we feel a bit bad about it," she said. "I thought a text service would be really useful for people on the move."
The service is available across the Westminster, an area that includes many of the capital's most popular sights, such as Big Ben, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace.
Unlike in-car devices that rely on satellites to pinpoint someone's location, the SatLav uses mobile phone technology.
All that comes at a price, however. Rather than spending a penny, people will be charged 25 pence ($0.52) per text.
Westminster City Council launched a new mobile phone text message service that will guide Londoners and tourists to their nearest public lavatory.
Anyone who sends the word "Toilet" to 80097 will receive a reply giving details of their nearest public convenience.
Student Gail Knight, 26, came up with the idea for an innovation competition run by the council.
"When I'm out with friends we're always ducking into McDonalds or department stores to use their loos but we feel a bit bad about it," she said. "I thought a text service would be really useful for people on the move."
The service is available across the Westminster, an area that includes many of the capital's most popular sights, such as Big Ben, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace.
Unlike in-car devices that rely on satellites to pinpoint someone's location, the SatLav uses mobile phone technology.
All that comes at a price, however. Rather than spending a penny, people will be charged 25 pence ($0.52) per text.
Girl Scout Awarded, After 69 Years
A Girl Scout who failed to receive a Golden Eaglet Award because she woke up with the mumps finally got the accolade — 69 years later.
Faith Iames Schremp, 86, joined Girl Scouts in 1938 and earned all the proficiency badges needed to win the award.
But the morning Schremp, of Wausau, was to leave for Girl Scout Camp, she woke up with the mumps. Attending camp was the final rite of passage in earning the award.
Schremp said she was heartbroken.
That is until Fran Raley, CEO of the Girl Scouts of the Fox River Area, presented Schremp with her long-deserved award Saturday during the Girl Scouts' 2007 Holiday Folk Fair.
Receiving the Golden Eaglet Award, the predecessor to the Gold Award, is the highest achievement in Girl Scouting.
Daughter-in-law Dee Schremp, of Appleton, a former Girl Scout leader, knew of the pins importance to Schremp. She worked with Raley to track down an Eaglet pin at Girl Scouts of the USA without success. They also were outbid on eBay for a discontinued pin, which fetched $800.
However, Raley remembered there was a pin embedded on an art project near the entryway to the scouting office.
An artist extracted the pin and had it repaired at a jewelry shop.
Faith Iames Schremp, 86, joined Girl Scouts in 1938 and earned all the proficiency badges needed to win the award.
But the morning Schremp, of Wausau, was to leave for Girl Scout Camp, she woke up with the mumps. Attending camp was the final rite of passage in earning the award.
Schremp said she was heartbroken.
That is until Fran Raley, CEO of the Girl Scouts of the Fox River Area, presented Schremp with her long-deserved award Saturday during the Girl Scouts' 2007 Holiday Folk Fair.
Receiving the Golden Eaglet Award, the predecessor to the Gold Award, is the highest achievement in Girl Scouting.
Daughter-in-law Dee Schremp, of Appleton, a former Girl Scout leader, knew of the pins importance to Schremp. She worked with Raley to track down an Eaglet pin at Girl Scouts of the USA without success. They also were outbid on eBay for a discontinued pin, which fetched $800.
However, Raley remembered there was a pin embedded on an art project near the entryway to the scouting office.
An artist extracted the pin and had it repaired at a jewelry shop.
Competitive Eating
Planning to gorge yourself this Thanksgiving? Don't flatter yourself, amateur.
As Americans stuff themselves with turkey on Thursday, professional eaters will take center stage in a nationally televised competition, gobbling 20-pound birds in eight minutes.
While some shudder at the sight of contestants racing to devour food at a time when a third of Americans are obese, competitors just shrug.
"Doing it once in a while isn't bad for you, when you do it responsibly," champion eater Tim Janus said.
Others have had their fill of such events.
This fall, the University of Iowa canceled its annual corn-eating contest, held the week of the Iowa-Iowa State football game. Many saw the contest as a fun nod to the state's hallmark crop, but Phillip Jones, Iowa's vice president of student services, viewed it as an act of gluttony.
"It was something I thought was reasonable based on the data and stories I've seen about obesity and the proportion of people who are overweight," Jones said. "I don't know ... if it is dangerous, but it was a symbolic gesture to get people to address changes in our lifestyle."
Last year, organizers of the World Pie Eating Championship in Wigan, England, gave in to pressure from health advocates and cut back on contestants' consumption.
Competitors converged on the northwestern English town for 15 years to see who could eat the most meat pies in three minutes. But organizers changed the rules in 2006, presenting the award to the person who could eat a single meat pie in the fastest time. They also added a vegetarian category.
In the U.S., the International Federation of Competitive Eating organizes about 80 eating contests a year, including The Turkey Bowl, scheduled to air Thursday on cable's Spike TV.
The group's chairman, George Shea, said competitive eaters are athletes who train for their sport, working to improve jaw strength and increasing their stomach capacity.
"This is an entertainment product that has its roots in fairs and festivals and not a celebration of excess," Shea said. "It's a comedic thing -- a combination of Coney Island hucksterism and sports commentary."
Janus said criticism of his sport demonstrates that people misunderstand the nation's obesity problem.
"Most of us are pretty thin and in pretty good shape. To say we're bad examples is misleading," the 5-foot-10, 165-pound Janus said.
A 30-year-old stock trader from New York City, he competes in about 30 contests a year and holds records in several categories, including tamales (71 in 12 minutes) and cannoli (28 in 6 minutes).
Dr. Lee Kaplan, director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Weight Center in Boston, said concerns over the link between the contests and obesity aren't well founded.
"I think these competitions are somewhat caricatures of eating behavior ... and don't have much relevance to the obesity problem," he said.
Brian Wansink, a food science and psychology professor at Cornell University, compared competitive eaters to other extreme athletes.
"It's the same sort of person who, let's say, would train really hard and compete really hard in a marathon," said Wansink, author of "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think."
"It has the same level of competitiveness and compulsiveness," he said. "One we label crazy and one we label as noble, but in reality it's the same sort of process that drives both these people."
Shea said there's no reason to be embarrassed about such events.
"Seeing these guys go at a 20 pound turkey is like poetry," he said. "It's like a dance."
As Americans stuff themselves with turkey on Thursday, professional eaters will take center stage in a nationally televised competition, gobbling 20-pound birds in eight minutes.
While some shudder at the sight of contestants racing to devour food at a time when a third of Americans are obese, competitors just shrug.
"Doing it once in a while isn't bad for you, when you do it responsibly," champion eater Tim Janus said.
Others have had their fill of such events.
This fall, the University of Iowa canceled its annual corn-eating contest, held the week of the Iowa-Iowa State football game. Many saw the contest as a fun nod to the state's hallmark crop, but Phillip Jones, Iowa's vice president of student services, viewed it as an act of gluttony.
"It was something I thought was reasonable based on the data and stories I've seen about obesity and the proportion of people who are overweight," Jones said. "I don't know ... if it is dangerous, but it was a symbolic gesture to get people to address changes in our lifestyle."
Last year, organizers of the World Pie Eating Championship in Wigan, England, gave in to pressure from health advocates and cut back on contestants' consumption.
Competitors converged on the northwestern English town for 15 years to see who could eat the most meat pies in three minutes. But organizers changed the rules in 2006, presenting the award to the person who could eat a single meat pie in the fastest time. They also added a vegetarian category.
In the U.S., the International Federation of Competitive Eating organizes about 80 eating contests a year, including The Turkey Bowl, scheduled to air Thursday on cable's Spike TV.
The group's chairman, George Shea, said competitive eaters are athletes who train for their sport, working to improve jaw strength and increasing their stomach capacity.
"This is an entertainment product that has its roots in fairs and festivals and not a celebration of excess," Shea said. "It's a comedic thing -- a combination of Coney Island hucksterism and sports commentary."
Janus said criticism of his sport demonstrates that people misunderstand the nation's obesity problem.
"Most of us are pretty thin and in pretty good shape. To say we're bad examples is misleading," the 5-foot-10, 165-pound Janus said.
A 30-year-old stock trader from New York City, he competes in about 30 contests a year and holds records in several categories, including tamales (71 in 12 minutes) and cannoli (28 in 6 minutes).
Dr. Lee Kaplan, director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Weight Center in Boston, said concerns over the link between the contests and obesity aren't well founded.
"I think these competitions are somewhat caricatures of eating behavior ... and don't have much relevance to the obesity problem," he said.
Brian Wansink, a food science and psychology professor at Cornell University, compared competitive eaters to other extreme athletes.
"It's the same sort of person who, let's say, would train really hard and compete really hard in a marathon," said Wansink, author of "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think."
"It has the same level of competitiveness and compulsiveness," he said. "One we label crazy and one we label as noble, but in reality it's the same sort of process that drives both these people."
Shea said there's no reason to be embarrassed about such events.
"Seeing these guys go at a 20 pound turkey is like poetry," he said. "It's like a dance."
How Thais Prevent Vote Buying
From solemn Buddhist prayers and "black magic" rituals to stiffer fines and longer jail terms, Thailand is going to extraordinary lengths to ensure a clean election this month.
Few analysts believe it will make any difference in the Southeast Asia nation with a long history of patronage and rampant vote buying.
But Kasem Wattanatham, election chief in the northeast province of Buriram, hopes supernatural forces will prevail where more worldly efforts to fight vote fraud do not.
Kasem called in a 90-year-old faith healer to lead 200 officials and police in a "black magic" ceremony where they swore not to breach election laws.
"We are all Buddhist. We all believe in supernatural powers," he said before the faith healer led the group in prayers inviting spirits and gods to hear their oath.
"I will show no bias toward any party or politicians. If I show any bias then I deserve any karma that may come to myself and family," the group chanted.
"If I perform my duties righteously, then may my family and I (will) be happy and prosperous."
Academics estimate up to 20 billion baht ($600 million) will be spent on handouts, gifts and bribes to voters in the December 23 election held more than a year after the bloodless coup that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The coup leaders who promised to clean up Thai politics after ousting the former billionaire telecoms tycoon have made eradicating vote buying a top priority.
Last month, in a ceremony organized by election officials at Bangkok's most sacred Buddhist temple, representatives from 11 political parties took an oath pledging to refrain from vote buying.
Few analysts believe it will make any difference in the Southeast Asia nation with a long history of patronage and rampant vote buying.
But Kasem Wattanatham, election chief in the northeast province of Buriram, hopes supernatural forces will prevail where more worldly efforts to fight vote fraud do not.
Kasem called in a 90-year-old faith healer to lead 200 officials and police in a "black magic" ceremony where they swore not to breach election laws.
"We are all Buddhist. We all believe in supernatural powers," he said before the faith healer led the group in prayers inviting spirits and gods to hear their oath.
"I will show no bias toward any party or politicians. If I show any bias then I deserve any karma that may come to myself and family," the group chanted.
"If I perform my duties righteously, then may my family and I (will) be happy and prosperous."
Academics estimate up to 20 billion baht ($600 million) will be spent on handouts, gifts and bribes to voters in the December 23 election held more than a year after the bloodless coup that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The coup leaders who promised to clean up Thai politics after ousting the former billionaire telecoms tycoon have made eradicating vote buying a top priority.
Last month, in a ceremony organized by election officials at Bangkok's most sacred Buddhist temple, representatives from 11 political parties took an oath pledging to refrain from vote buying.
Voting, Siberian Style
For some Siberian voters, election day began with a dip in an ice-cold river.
"Cold water invigorates. We are making our choice with a healthy body and healthy mind," Alexander Zelyenetsky, leader of the "Polar Bears" swimming club in the Siberian region of Altai, said after emerging through a hole in the ice of a local river.
His choice, like that of many others in Russia, is Vladimir Putin. The 55-year-old president is by far Russia's most popular politician after presiding over eight years of an economic boom.
Pollsters say Putin's United Russia party -- which also boasts a polar bear as its logo -- will win an overwhelming victory in Sunday's parliamentary election.
Lyudmila Pistsova, a 28-year-old accountant in the Altai regional capital Barnaul, also cast her vote for the party that has put Putin top of its list of candidates.
"It seems like the only party that can really help our region," she said.
The ballot is seen as a referendum on Putin, who aims to retain influence after stepping down as president in early 2008 and says a strong mandate from voters will give him that right.
Voters in Altai, a region nested between the Kazakh steppe and the mountains after which it is named, arrived early. They ate cheap pastries sold at polling stations and enjoyed a 10 percent discount offered by tailors and cobblers nearby.
"Cold water invigorates. We are making our choice with a healthy body and healthy mind," Alexander Zelyenetsky, leader of the "Polar Bears" swimming club in the Siberian region of Altai, said after emerging through a hole in the ice of a local river.
His choice, like that of many others in Russia, is Vladimir Putin. The 55-year-old president is by far Russia's most popular politician after presiding over eight years of an economic boom.
Pollsters say Putin's United Russia party -- which also boasts a polar bear as its logo -- will win an overwhelming victory in Sunday's parliamentary election.
Lyudmila Pistsova, a 28-year-old accountant in the Altai regional capital Barnaul, also cast her vote for the party that has put Putin top of its list of candidates.
"It seems like the only party that can really help our region," she said.
The ballot is seen as a referendum on Putin, who aims to retain influence after stepping down as president in early 2008 and says a strong mandate from voters will give him that right.
Voters in Altai, a region nested between the Kazakh steppe and the mountains after which it is named, arrived early. They ate cheap pastries sold at polling stations and enjoyed a 10 percent discount offered by tailors and cobblers nearby.
98 Year Old Geisha
Pictures of Kokin graced newspapers across Japan after her 98th birthday this year.
But Kokin wasn't too thrilled with the festivities focused on her age, for she is a geisha, elegant entertainers of traditional music and dance usually feted for their grace and pretty looks.
"I was given a red blanket and cushion, but I've put them away somewhere," Kokin told Reuters in an interview, referring to the gifts traditionally given to the elderly.
"It was mortifying," added Kokin, her small frame wrapped in an olive-green kimono with a pink sash and her hair styled.
Her hands wrinkled and her hearing faltering, Kokin nonetheless takes pride in being Japan's oldest practicing geisha, preserving a tradition which is fast losing its popularity in the modern age of hostess clubs and karaoke.
Born Kayo Kaburaki on September 24, 1909, Kokin became an apprentice geisha as a young teenager in Tokyo and almost quit not long into her career at the time of World War Two.
"When I became a geisha, the war intensified. I thought of quitting and marrying someone, but he was sent to Sumatra.
"He never came back."
Since then she has worked hard, training in music and dance during the day and livening up dinner parties at night.
Contrary to perceptions that geishas are prostitutes, they are entertainers trained in classical arts who also pamper the elite by pouring sake and engaging in witty conversation.
Long ago, she recalls, geishas were the object of constant affection among men with the aesthetic ideal of "iki", which included playfulness, who hired the entertainers by the time it took for an incense stick to burn out.
"I would be cooling myself on a bench in the summer with nothing to do, and someone would ask me if I was free and offer to pay for one incense stick.
"People would ask for me, even if it was just for an hour."
But Kokin wasn't too thrilled with the festivities focused on her age, for she is a geisha, elegant entertainers of traditional music and dance usually feted for their grace and pretty looks.
"I was given a red blanket and cushion, but I've put them away somewhere," Kokin told Reuters in an interview, referring to the gifts traditionally given to the elderly.
"It was mortifying," added Kokin, her small frame wrapped in an olive-green kimono with a pink sash and her hair styled.
Her hands wrinkled and her hearing faltering, Kokin nonetheless takes pride in being Japan's oldest practicing geisha, preserving a tradition which is fast losing its popularity in the modern age of hostess clubs and karaoke.
Born Kayo Kaburaki on September 24, 1909, Kokin became an apprentice geisha as a young teenager in Tokyo and almost quit not long into her career at the time of World War Two.
"When I became a geisha, the war intensified. I thought of quitting and marrying someone, but he was sent to Sumatra.
"He never came back."
Since then she has worked hard, training in music and dance during the day and livening up dinner parties at night.
Contrary to perceptions that geishas are prostitutes, they are entertainers trained in classical arts who also pamper the elite by pouring sake and engaging in witty conversation.
Long ago, she recalls, geishas were the object of constant affection among men with the aesthetic ideal of "iki", which included playfulness, who hired the entertainers by the time it took for an incense stick to burn out.
"I would be cooling myself on a bench in the summer with nothing to do, and someone would ask me if I was free and offer to pay for one incense stick.
"People would ask for me, even if it was just for an hour."
The Sporting Year 2007
Sports fans have a high threshold for misdeeds. However, 2007 featured several buzzworthy stories that could turn off some fans forever. Memorable scandals drove searches all summer long, culminating in August when Atlanta Falcons star quarterback Michael Vick was sacked for his involvement in a dogfighting ring.
Around the same time, basketball ref Tim Donaghy fouled up the NBA's buzz, which was coming off LeBron James' playoff heroics and an influx of new talent via the draft. Donaghy's role in a gambling ring damaged the integrity of a league already waist-deep in image problems. And just when we thought heralded rookie Greg Oden would jump in and build some positive buzz, he went out for the season with a bum knee.
Speaking of bums, baseball's steroid problem caused pinpoint search spikes throughout the year. As player names surfaced in various investigations, searches would surge. One notable exception was Barry Bonds, the center of the steroid storm. We weren't surprised that fans ignored baseball's new home run king, and the dearth of Bonds searches spoke volumes.
But amidst the scandals, there were a few sports stories that warmed the hearts of searchers. The Indianapolis Colts' triumph in Super Bowl XLI spurred interest in Peyton Manning, Tony Dungy, and of course, the commercials. And let's not forget everyone's favorite Super Bowl flop-searches on "rex grossman sucks" still linger in Buzz.
Always lacking in sports searches is soccer. Sure, we saw spikes for UEFA, Euro 2008, and Copa America, but nothing that indicated feverish interest from American shores. Well, that changed this summer when ultra-famous footballer David Beckham came to America. Becks' on-field accomplishments weren't so hot, but he did manage to warm a few casual sports fans to the joys of soccer.
In a final ode to joy, the Boston Red Sox capped the year with a fantastic finish to the baseball season. They fought the New York Yankees all year long for searches. At season's end, the Yankees built buzz over their stunning collapse and messy management bickering. But in the end, the Red Sox triumphed over their hated foes in Search, thanks to their stellar on-field accomplishments.
So where do we go from here? Will UFC continue to destroy the last vestiges of boxing's buzz? Will NASCAR keep motoring along on a comfy plateau? What scandals and surprises await us in 2008? Those are just a few of the questions that will play a part in next year's always-evolving buzz riddle...
Around the same time, basketball ref Tim Donaghy fouled up the NBA's buzz, which was coming off LeBron James' playoff heroics and an influx of new talent via the draft. Donaghy's role in a gambling ring damaged the integrity of a league already waist-deep in image problems. And just when we thought heralded rookie Greg Oden would jump in and build some positive buzz, he went out for the season with a bum knee.
Speaking of bums, baseball's steroid problem caused pinpoint search spikes throughout the year. As player names surfaced in various investigations, searches would surge. One notable exception was Barry Bonds, the center of the steroid storm. We weren't surprised that fans ignored baseball's new home run king, and the dearth of Bonds searches spoke volumes.
But amidst the scandals, there were a few sports stories that warmed the hearts of searchers. The Indianapolis Colts' triumph in Super Bowl XLI spurred interest in Peyton Manning, Tony Dungy, and of course, the commercials. And let's not forget everyone's favorite Super Bowl flop-searches on "rex grossman sucks" still linger in Buzz.
Always lacking in sports searches is soccer. Sure, we saw spikes for UEFA, Euro 2008, and Copa America, but nothing that indicated feverish interest from American shores. Well, that changed this summer when ultra-famous footballer David Beckham came to America. Becks' on-field accomplishments weren't so hot, but he did manage to warm a few casual sports fans to the joys of soccer.
In a final ode to joy, the Boston Red Sox capped the year with a fantastic finish to the baseball season. They fought the New York Yankees all year long for searches. At season's end, the Yankees built buzz over their stunning collapse and messy management bickering. But in the end, the Red Sox triumphed over their hated foes in Search, thanks to their stellar on-field accomplishments.
So where do we go from here? Will UFC continue to destroy the last vestiges of boxing's buzz? Will NASCAR keep motoring along on a comfy plateau? What scandals and surprises await us in 2008? Those are just a few of the questions that will play a part in next year's always-evolving buzz riddle...
Ozzy's Stuff Raises $800,000
Heavy metal fans aren't usually seen making bids at high-end auctions, but they turned out in numbers to snatch up a coat with embroidered bats, sneakers with skulls on them and other items put up for sale by Ozzy Osbourne.
"We had Ozzy fans bidding against these sophisticated fine art buyers, which you don't see every day," said Darren Julien, whose company, Julien's Auctions, ran the charity sale Friday and Saturday. "For the most part the metalheads were outbidding the art crowd."
Bidders came from as far as Germany to try to buy belongings from the Beverly Hills mansion formerly owned by the rocker and former star of "The Osbournes" reality show.
Items featured on Osbourne's hit MTV show were the most popular, Julien said. The bat coat sold for $3,300, the skull sneakers brought in $2,625 and a pair of the rocker's trademark round glasses went for $5,250.
Julien said the "Ozzy factor" made ordinary items command big-ticket prices. An oversized coffee cup that Osbourne often clutched while the cameras rolled sold for $1,625.
A dog bed given to Osbourne's wife, Sharon, by Elton John brought in $2,375.
Fine art buyers were interested in items such as a sculpture by French artist Edouard Drouot ($10,500) and a painting by Gabriel Joseph Marie Augustin Ferrier ($5,312).
Julien said Osbourne almost did not want to part with his prized pool table because he cherished the memories of playing with his kids as they were growing up. The table eventually ended up on the auction block and it brought in $11,250.
The auction brought in $800,000 -- more than twice the amount Julien predicted. All proceeds from the sale go to The Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
"For a celebrity garage sale, it was pretty spectacular," Julien said.
"We had Ozzy fans bidding against these sophisticated fine art buyers, which you don't see every day," said Darren Julien, whose company, Julien's Auctions, ran the charity sale Friday and Saturday. "For the most part the metalheads were outbidding the art crowd."
Bidders came from as far as Germany to try to buy belongings from the Beverly Hills mansion formerly owned by the rocker and former star of "The Osbournes" reality show.
Items featured on Osbourne's hit MTV show were the most popular, Julien said. The bat coat sold for $3,300, the skull sneakers brought in $2,625 and a pair of the rocker's trademark round glasses went for $5,250.
Julien said the "Ozzy factor" made ordinary items command big-ticket prices. An oversized coffee cup that Osbourne often clutched while the cameras rolled sold for $1,625.
A dog bed given to Osbourne's wife, Sharon, by Elton John brought in $2,375.
Fine art buyers were interested in items such as a sculpture by French artist Edouard Drouot ($10,500) and a painting by Gabriel Joseph Marie Augustin Ferrier ($5,312).
Julien said Osbourne almost did not want to part with his prized pool table because he cherished the memories of playing with his kids as they were growing up. The table eventually ended up on the auction block and it brought in $11,250.
The auction brought in $800,000 -- more than twice the amount Julien predicted. All proceeds from the sale go to The Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
"For a celebrity garage sale, it was pretty spectacular," Julien said.
Russians Now Own LiveJournal
The owner of LiveJournal, a blogging and social-networking site, agreed yesterday to sell the company to SUP, a Russian online media company, in the latest example of deal-making in the social-networking sector.
Financial terms of SUP’s deal with Six Apart, which owns LiveJournal, were not disclosed.
As part of the deal, SUP will create an American management company, LiveJournal Inc., to manage the social network’s operations. SUP will also form an advisory board that includes Brad Fitzpatrick, LiveJournal’s founder who now works for Google.
Though its biggest user base is the United States, LiveJournal has become exceedingly popular in Russia, finding about 28 percent of its audience there. Last year, SUP struck a licensing deal with Six Apart to manage LiveJournal.ru, the site’s Russian component.
Ever since the News Corporation bought MySpace in 2005 for $580 million and saw its value skyrocket along with the site’s popularity, media companies have seen social-networking as a field ripe for the picking.
Two months ago, Google and Microsoft dueled over the right to buy a stake in Facebook, the site du jour. Microsoft prevailed and paid $240 million for a 1.6 percent stake.
LiveJournal, which claims 18 million unique visitors a month, is one of the older social-networking sites, founded in 1999. It first became known as a site where users posted diary-like entries and could control who saw them. It has since established communities around various interests, including food, fashion and television shows.
According to the site, its users skew young — the bulk are 15 to 22 years old — and two-thirds are female.
Financial terms of SUP’s deal with Six Apart, which owns LiveJournal, were not disclosed.
As part of the deal, SUP will create an American management company, LiveJournal Inc., to manage the social network’s operations. SUP will also form an advisory board that includes Brad Fitzpatrick, LiveJournal’s founder who now works for Google.
Though its biggest user base is the United States, LiveJournal has become exceedingly popular in Russia, finding about 28 percent of its audience there. Last year, SUP struck a licensing deal with Six Apart to manage LiveJournal.ru, the site’s Russian component.
Ever since the News Corporation bought MySpace in 2005 for $580 million and saw its value skyrocket along with the site’s popularity, media companies have seen social-networking as a field ripe for the picking.
Two months ago, Google and Microsoft dueled over the right to buy a stake in Facebook, the site du jour. Microsoft prevailed and paid $240 million for a 1.6 percent stake.
LiveJournal, which claims 18 million unique visitors a month, is one of the older social-networking sites, founded in 1999. It first became known as a site where users posted diary-like entries and could control who saw them. It has since established communities around various interests, including food, fashion and television shows.
According to the site, its users skew young — the bulk are 15 to 22 years old — and two-thirds are female.
Boxing Robots
At Tokyo's 12th Robo-One Grand Championship match, two-legged robots jabbed, ducked, hurled balloons and even sang in their quest to become world champ.
Twenty-five finalist robots put up their fists to knock one another out of a ring on Saturday, showing off some of the latest moves originated by children, homemakers and other robot fans in the world's biggest robot market.
Hundreds of spectators clapped as robot "Arichyon," clad in Christmas lights, sang "We wish you a Merry Christmas." They then cheered when a robot with a penguin head toppled Arichyon over with a single punch.
Japan, home to 40 percent of the world's robots, is also fertile ground for amateur programmers, who invest serious pocket money and hours into making the ideal biped out of server motors, cameras, sensors and wires.
To win the tournament and the title of the world's strongest two-legged fighting robot, contestants need to be able to keep their balance while punching and dodging blows, and get up when pushed down.
Twenty-five finalist robots put up their fists to knock one another out of a ring on Saturday, showing off some of the latest moves originated by children, homemakers and other robot fans in the world's biggest robot market.
Hundreds of spectators clapped as robot "Arichyon," clad in Christmas lights, sang "We wish you a Merry Christmas." They then cheered when a robot with a penguin head toppled Arichyon over with a single punch.
Japan, home to 40 percent of the world's robots, is also fertile ground for amateur programmers, who invest serious pocket money and hours into making the ideal biped out of server motors, cameras, sensors and wires.
To win the tournament and the title of the world's strongest two-legged fighting robot, contestants need to be able to keep their balance while punching and dodging blows, and get up when pushed down.
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