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.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Santa Gets Pie on the Face
A college student accused of shoving a pumpkin pie into the face of a shopping-mall Santa Claus has been charged with misdemeanor assault.
Clint Westwood, 22, said he "lightly smooshed" the pie into the man's face Wednesday and shouted, "What do you think of that, Santa?"
Westwood, a drama student at the University of Montana, was charged Friday. He said he videotaped the encounter and plans to include the clip in an upcoming film.
He said that after the pie ruckus, he expected to approach Santa for a signature on a film-release form, but police arrived first.
"It's a good thing he didn't wait around, because I think Santa would have laid him out," said Sgt. Travis Welsh of the Missoula Police Department.
Westwood said he and companions had waited for a girl about 15 years old to finish sitting on Santa's lap before the pie hit his face, "but then we just decided it would be funnier if she was still sitting there."
Clint Westwood, 22, said he "lightly smooshed" the pie into the man's face Wednesday and shouted, "What do you think of that, Santa?"
Westwood, a drama student at the University of Montana, was charged Friday. He said he videotaped the encounter and plans to include the clip in an upcoming film.
He said that after the pie ruckus, he expected to approach Santa for a signature on a film-release form, but police arrived first.
"It's a good thing he didn't wait around, because I think Santa would have laid him out," said Sgt. Travis Welsh of the Missoula Police Department.
Westwood said he and companions had waited for a girl about 15 years old to finish sitting on Santa's lap before the pie hit his face, "but then we just decided it would be funnier if she was still sitting there."
Giant Truffle Auction Goes for $330,000
A Macau casino mogul bid a record $330,00 at auction Saturday to win a giant white truffle dug up in Tuscany, organizers said.
Billionaire Stanley Ho made the winning bid for the 3.3 pound truffle during an auction staged simultaneously in Florence, London and at Ho's Grand Lisboa hotel in Macau, said auction organizer Giselle Oberti.
The price bested the previous record for a truffle of $212,000, she said.
The unusually heavy truffle was dug up last week by truffle hunter Cristiano Savini, his father Luciano and dog Rocco in Palaia, a town about 25 miles from Pisa. The Savinis said Rocco started sniffing "like crazy" when he zeroed in on the fungus.
Guinness World Records lists a 2.86 pound white truffle found in Croatia in 1999 as the biggest.
Truffles usually weigh from 1 to 2.8 ounces apiece. Slivers of white truffles, with their strong aroma, are prized in Italy to flavor pasta sauces and rice dishes.
Proceeds from the auction were to go to an Italian organization that helps sufferers of genetic diseases, a group that helps street children in London and Catholic charities in Macau.
Calls to Ho weren't immediately returned late Saturday.
Billionaire Stanley Ho made the winning bid for the 3.3 pound truffle during an auction staged simultaneously in Florence, London and at Ho's Grand Lisboa hotel in Macau, said auction organizer Giselle Oberti.
The price bested the previous record for a truffle of $212,000, she said.
The unusually heavy truffle was dug up last week by truffle hunter Cristiano Savini, his father Luciano and dog Rocco in Palaia, a town about 25 miles from Pisa. The Savinis said Rocco started sniffing "like crazy" when he zeroed in on the fungus.
Guinness World Records lists a 2.86 pound white truffle found in Croatia in 1999 as the biggest.
Truffles usually weigh from 1 to 2.8 ounces apiece. Slivers of white truffles, with their strong aroma, are prized in Italy to flavor pasta sauces and rice dishes.
Proceeds from the auction were to go to an Italian organization that helps sufferers of genetic diseases, a group that helps street children in London and Catholic charities in Macau.
Calls to Ho weren't immediately returned late Saturday.
Fighting AIDS in Iran
Iran is fighting the spread of the AIDS virus by treating sufferers for free but taboos about the issue in the Islamic Republic are hindering efforts to raise public awareness, Iranian health officials said on Saturday.
Injecting drug users are the main risk group in Iran, which is on a heroin smuggling route to the West from the opium fields of neighboring Afghanistan, the world's number one producer of the opium poppy, the officials said.
But some health officials are concerned about the rising number of sexually transmitted cases of HIV.
More than 16,000 people suffer from HIV/AIDS in a country with a population of about 70 million, Deputy Health Minister Moayed Alavian told a conference. But he also said some estimates put the number of sufferers at 70,000.
"From this figure (of 16,000), 66.7 percent are injecting drug users," he told a conference at Tehran University to mark international AIDS day.
He said the Health Ministry faced challenges in fighting HIV/AIDS because of the social stigma attached to the disease and the fact that the subject was considered a taboo.
"There are also social and cultural limitations in providing education on how to prevent (the disease) and informing the public," Alavian said.
Injecting drug users are the main risk group in Iran, which is on a heroin smuggling route to the West from the opium fields of neighboring Afghanistan, the world's number one producer of the opium poppy, the officials said.
But some health officials are concerned about the rising number of sexually transmitted cases of HIV.
More than 16,000 people suffer from HIV/AIDS in a country with a population of about 70 million, Deputy Health Minister Moayed Alavian told a conference. But he also said some estimates put the number of sufferers at 70,000.
"From this figure (of 16,000), 66.7 percent are injecting drug users," he told a conference at Tehran University to mark international AIDS day.
He said the Health Ministry faced challenges in fighting HIV/AIDS because of the social stigma attached to the disease and the fact that the subject was considered a taboo.
"There are also social and cultural limitations in providing education on how to prevent (the disease) and informing the public," Alavian said.
Get Jailed for Tight Clothing This Winter
Iranian police will crack down on women in Tehran flouting Islamic dress codes with winter fashions deemed immodest, such as tight trousers tucked into long boots, an officer was quoted as saying on Saturday.
"Considering the start of the cold season and its special way of dressing, police will start early next week a drive against women who wear improper dress," Tehran police chief Ahmad Reza Radan was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA.
"Tight trousers tucked inside long boots while wearing short overcoats are against Islamic codes," the police chief said.
"Wearing a hat or cap instead of scarves is also against Islamic dress codes."
Police officials were not immediately available for comment. The Iranian week begins on Saturday.
Police regularly clamp down on skimpier clothing and looser headscarves in the summer. Usually this is for just a few weeks but this year the campaign has run into the autumn.
There has not recently been a move against winter fashion.
Enforcement of Islamic dress codes that require women to cover their hair and disguise the shape of their body with loose overcoats has become progressively sterner since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to power in 2005.
Women found dressing inappropriately may be warned or, particularly for repeat offenders, can be taken to a police station and fined. Police this year have also cracked down on men sporting what are considered "Western" spiked haircuts.
"Considering the start of the cold season and its special way of dressing, police will start early next week a drive against women who wear improper dress," Tehran police chief Ahmad Reza Radan was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA.
"Tight trousers tucked inside long boots while wearing short overcoats are against Islamic codes," the police chief said.
"Wearing a hat or cap instead of scarves is also against Islamic dress codes."
Police officials were not immediately available for comment. The Iranian week begins on Saturday.
Police regularly clamp down on skimpier clothing and looser headscarves in the summer. Usually this is for just a few weeks but this year the campaign has run into the autumn.
There has not recently been a move against winter fashion.
Enforcement of Islamic dress codes that require women to cover their hair and disguise the shape of their body with loose overcoats has become progressively sterner since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to power in 2005.
Women found dressing inappropriately may be warned or, particularly for repeat offenders, can be taken to a police station and fined. Police this year have also cracked down on men sporting what are considered "Western" spiked haircuts.
Jessica Simpson Lips
A representative for Jessica Simpson has denied reports that the singer has had lip injections, after a photo surfaced this week of Simpson sporting plumped-up lips.
The photo, taken by paparazzi at Los Angeles airport (LAX), caught Simpson smiling, and sent the gossip sites and tabloids into a flurry over what type of surgery or injection the 27-year-old has had done.
"Jessica did not have anything done to her lips," her representative told People.com.
"She tried Restylane some time ago and did not like the way it looked or felt, so she has not had anything done since."
In an interview with Glamour magazine in October 2006, Simpson confirmed trying lip enhancing products, saying, "I had that Restylane stuff. It looked fake to me. I didn't like that... It went away in, like, four months. My lips are back to what they were. Thank god!"
The photo, taken by paparazzi at Los Angeles airport (LAX), caught Simpson smiling, and sent the gossip sites and tabloids into a flurry over what type of surgery or injection the 27-year-old has had done.
"Jessica did not have anything done to her lips," her representative told People.com.
"She tried Restylane some time ago and did not like the way it looked or felt, so she has not had anything done since."
In an interview with Glamour magazine in October 2006, Simpson confirmed trying lip enhancing products, saying, "I had that Restylane stuff. It looked fake to me. I didn't like that... It went away in, like, four months. My lips are back to what they were. Thank god!"
Chiken Pox Might Affect Spice Girls Tour
The Spice Girls' tour has been put in jeopardy after Geri Halliwell's daughter contracted chicken pox.
Geri's 18-month-old daughter Bluebell has been flown back to the UK because Geri is terrified she and the rest of the band — Victoria Beckham, Mel C, Emma Bunton and Mel B — might catch the highly-contagious disease before their world tour starts on Sunday.
A source close to the singer told Britain's The Sun newspaper: "Chicken pox is very contagious and when Geri noticed the spots on Bluebell she panicked and warned the rest of the girls. Older people who get chicken pox sometimes develop shingles, which could wipe the band out for weeks.
"And it's not only them who are at risk. Bluebell has played a lot with Victoria's sons Cruz and Romeo lately. Mel B's baby Angel could get the bug too, and she is only eight months old."
Geri — who is busy rehearsing for the 'Return of the Spice Girls' tour which kicks off in Vancouver, Canada — has revealed the group's children are always playing together.
She said: "Bluebell loves hanging with the Beckham boys. Cruz and Bluebell have play dates, and Romeo — well, he is just gorgeous with her."
Geri's 18-month-old daughter Bluebell has been flown back to the UK because Geri is terrified she and the rest of the band — Victoria Beckham, Mel C, Emma Bunton and Mel B — might catch the highly-contagious disease before their world tour starts on Sunday.
A source close to the singer told Britain's The Sun newspaper: "Chicken pox is very contagious and when Geri noticed the spots on Bluebell she panicked and warned the rest of the girls. Older people who get chicken pox sometimes develop shingles, which could wipe the band out for weeks.
"And it's not only them who are at risk. Bluebell has played a lot with Victoria's sons Cruz and Romeo lately. Mel B's baby Angel could get the bug too, and she is only eight months old."
Geri — who is busy rehearsing for the 'Return of the Spice Girls' tour which kicks off in Vancouver, Canada — has revealed the group's children are always playing together.
She said: "Bluebell loves hanging with the Beckham boys. Cruz and Bluebell have play dates, and Romeo — well, he is just gorgeous with her."
Busted Sports Hunter
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Director Bruce Thompson was charged with hunting deer on private land without permission and illegal possession of a deer in connection with a Nov. 17 incident in which he allegedly killed a deer on private land without permission.
Investigators determined based on evidence and witness accounts that both misdemeanors were committed unintentionally. However, New Mexico law does not make allowances for lack of intent. If convicted, Thompson faces $400 fines and up to 6 months in jail for each offense. He also could face a civil penalty of $250 to reimburse the state for the deer.
"I have cooperated with the investigation and I will accept the consequences of my honest mistake," Director Thompson said. "I apparently used an incorrect entry in my GPS unit while conducting my hunt, but that is no excuse, and I expect to be treated like any other hunter who unintentionally violates wildlife regulations."
According to investigating conservation officers, Thompson allegedly killed a buck deer the afternoon of Nov. 17 on the Diamond T Ranch west of Roswell in Lincoln County.
Investigators determined based on evidence and witness accounts that both misdemeanors were committed unintentionally. However, New Mexico law does not make allowances for lack of intent. If convicted, Thompson faces $400 fines and up to 6 months in jail for each offense. He also could face a civil penalty of $250 to reimburse the state for the deer.
"I have cooperated with the investigation and I will accept the consequences of my honest mistake," Director Thompson said. "I apparently used an incorrect entry in my GPS unit while conducting my hunt, but that is no excuse, and I expect to be treated like any other hunter who unintentionally violates wildlife regulations."
According to investigating conservation officers, Thompson allegedly killed a buck deer the afternoon of Nov. 17 on the Diamond T Ranch west of Roswell in Lincoln County.
Arm Wrestling Competition
More than a hundred contestants have been gathering in Warsaw for the arm wrestling World Cup.
It's the eighth edition of the Nemiroff World Cup and contestants compete in seven weight categories from sixty three kilograms to more than ninety five. One of the stars of this year's event is John Brzenk, the Guinness Book of Records' World's strongest man.
Gatorade Inventor Dies at 80
Dr. J. Robert Cade, who invented the sports drink Gatorade and launched a multibillion-dollar industry that the beverage continues to dominate, died of kidney failure. He was 80.
His death was announced by the University of Florida, where he and other researchers created Gatorade in 1965 to help the school's football players replace carbohydrates and electrolytes lost through sweat while playing in swamp-like heat.
"Today with his passing, the University of Florida lost a legend, lost one of its best friends and lost a creative genius," said Dr. Edward Block, chairman of the department of medicine in the College of Medicine. "Losing any one of those is huge. When you lose all three in one person, it's something you cannot recoup."
His death was announced by the University of Florida, where he and other researchers created Gatorade in 1965 to help the school's football players replace carbohydrates and electrolytes lost through sweat while playing in swamp-like heat.
"Today with his passing, the University of Florida lost a legend, lost one of its best friends and lost a creative genius," said Dr. Edward Block, chairman of the department of medicine in the College of Medicine. "Losing any one of those is huge. When you lose all three in one person, it's something you cannot recoup."
Winter Show in the Night Skies
Derrick Pitts, chief astronomer and planetarium programs director of the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, said there's plenty for amateur star watchers to appreciate.
Although Jupiter rules the summer sky, it begins to fade around late September. By November, the planet Mars makes its way into the evening sky, rising in the east just after sunset, Pitts said. Come December, Mars is at its closest position to Earth, appearing as a rosy, non-twinkling star.
Early risers will be greatly rewarded by the jewels of the morning sky. As November rolls in, Venus, Saturn and Mercury show up about 45 minutes before sunrise.
"The morning sky is a great time to observe because the overnight temperature change typically has removed a lot of humidity and haze," Pitts said.
The fall and winter sky is filled with starry constellations. Cygnus the swan, as it is known in summer and fall, morphs into the Northern Cross on the northwest horizon in December. Cygnus is the main constellation of summer, Pegasus owns the fall, Orion the winter and Leo is king of the spring sky, Pitts said.
Perennial favorite the Big Dipper hangs in the northern horizon in October and by December appears to stand on the tip of its handle.
Of the dozen or so annual meteor showers, the Geminids is one of the most spectacular. It will take place in the wee hours of December 14.
"The Geminids is really a hot meteor shower," Pitts said. The meteors fall at medium speed, so they're easy to locate, he added.
The Geminids can be seen from anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, though you'll want to get away from city lights if possible. In truly dark skies, you may be able to see 60 to 120 meteors per hour.
Meteor showers come from comets, concoctions of carbon dioxide, rocks and dirt. A comet eventually warms up in its orbit around the sun and then discards its "dust bunnies," as Pitts called them. Earth cuts through that path and, as the comet dust falls into the heavier atmosphere nearer Earth, the meteors begin to glow.
Although Jupiter rules the summer sky, it begins to fade around late September. By November, the planet Mars makes its way into the evening sky, rising in the east just after sunset, Pitts said. Come December, Mars is at its closest position to Earth, appearing as a rosy, non-twinkling star.
Early risers will be greatly rewarded by the jewels of the morning sky. As November rolls in, Venus, Saturn and Mercury show up about 45 minutes before sunrise.
"The morning sky is a great time to observe because the overnight temperature change typically has removed a lot of humidity and haze," Pitts said.
The fall and winter sky is filled with starry constellations. Cygnus the swan, as it is known in summer and fall, morphs into the Northern Cross on the northwest horizon in December. Cygnus is the main constellation of summer, Pegasus owns the fall, Orion the winter and Leo is king of the spring sky, Pitts said.
Perennial favorite the Big Dipper hangs in the northern horizon in October and by December appears to stand on the tip of its handle.
Of the dozen or so annual meteor showers, the Geminids is one of the most spectacular. It will take place in the wee hours of December 14.
"The Geminids is really a hot meteor shower," Pitts said. The meteors fall at medium speed, so they're easy to locate, he added.
The Geminids can be seen from anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, though you'll want to get away from city lights if possible. In truly dark skies, you may be able to see 60 to 120 meteors per hour.
Meteor showers come from comets, concoctions of carbon dioxide, rocks and dirt. A comet eventually warms up in its orbit around the sun and then discards its "dust bunnies," as Pitts called them. Earth cuts through that path and, as the comet dust falls into the heavier atmosphere nearer Earth, the meteors begin to glow.
Baking Soda Can Save the Planet
In recent months, PopSci has covered various scientists' plans to curb global warming through carbon sequestration, mainly by feeding it to algae to make biofuel, or burying it underground.
Today, a company called Skyonic announced a novel new system, Skymine, which uses the carbon dioxide emitted from smokestacks to make baking soda. According to Skyonic CEO Joe David Jones, the system will be powered by waste heat from factories, and will produce food-grade baking soda.
There's still quite a bit of work to be done to make the current system viable on a large scale, but the baking soda idea offers solutions to some of the economic problems posed by other carbon sequestration methods.
For starters, according to Jones, the stuff can be sold for home or industrial use or buried harmlessly in landfills or abandoned mines.
Jones apparently got the idea for the SkyMine system while watching a Discovery Channel show with his kids. He pulled out an old college science textbook and immediately turned to a passage about converting C02 to baking soda. He'd found it interesting years ago and highlighted it for future reference.
Today, a company called Skyonic announced a novel new system, Skymine, which uses the carbon dioxide emitted from smokestacks to make baking soda. According to Skyonic CEO Joe David Jones, the system will be powered by waste heat from factories, and will produce food-grade baking soda.
There's still quite a bit of work to be done to make the current system viable on a large scale, but the baking soda idea offers solutions to some of the economic problems posed by other carbon sequestration methods.
For starters, according to Jones, the stuff can be sold for home or industrial use or buried harmlessly in landfills or abandoned mines.
Jones apparently got the idea for the SkyMine system while watching a Discovery Channel show with his kids. He pulled out an old college science textbook and immediately turned to a passage about converting C02 to baking soda. He'd found it interesting years ago and highlighted it for future reference.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Yeti on Mount Everest
A U.S.-based television channel investigating the existence of the legendary Yeti in Nepal has found footprints similar to those said to be that of the abominable snowman, the company said on Friday.
A team of nine producers from Destination Truth, armed with infrared cameras, spent a week in the icy Khumbu region where Mount Everest is located and found the footprints on the bank of Manju river at a height of 2,850 meters (9,350 feet).
One of the three footprints discovered on Wednesday is about one foot long, or is of similar size and appearance as shown in sketches of the mystical ape-like creature believed to live in snowy caves, the TV company said.
"It is very very similar," Josh Gates, host of the weekly travel adventure television series, told Reuters in Kathmandu after returning from the mountain.
"I don't believe it to be (that of) a bear. It is something of a mystery for us," said Gates, 30, an archaeologist by training.
Tales by sherpa porters and guides about the wild and hairy creatures lurking in the Himalayas have seized the imagination of foreign mountain climbers going to Mount Everest since the 1920s.
Several teams have searched for it and some have even claimed to have discovered footprints.
But no one has actually seen the creature nor has it been scientifically established that the Yeti exists.
Gates said the footprints on lumps of sandy soil, which would be sent to experts in the United States for analysis, were "relatively fresh left some 24 hours before we found them".
"This print is so pristine, so good that I am very intrigued by this," Gates, flanked by his team members, said adding the findings would prompt more investigation into the Yeti.
Destination Truth chronicles some of the world's notorious crypto-zoological creatures and unexplained phenomena.
Some local sherpas believe that the Himalayas are abodes of strange creatures and consider the Yeti as a protector while others say it is a destroyer.
"There is a kind of mysterious creature that lives in the Himalayas," said Ang Tshering Sherpa, chief of Nepal Mountaineering Association in Kathmandu, who hails from the Khumbhu region were Mount Everest is located.
A team of nine producers from Destination Truth, armed with infrared cameras, spent a week in the icy Khumbu region where Mount Everest is located and found the footprints on the bank of Manju river at a height of 2,850 meters (9,350 feet).
One of the three footprints discovered on Wednesday is about one foot long, or is of similar size and appearance as shown in sketches of the mystical ape-like creature believed to live in snowy caves, the TV company said.
"It is very very similar," Josh Gates, host of the weekly travel adventure television series, told Reuters in Kathmandu after returning from the mountain.
"I don't believe it to be (that of) a bear. It is something of a mystery for us," said Gates, 30, an archaeologist by training.
Tales by sherpa porters and guides about the wild and hairy creatures lurking in the Himalayas have seized the imagination of foreign mountain climbers going to Mount Everest since the 1920s.
Several teams have searched for it and some have even claimed to have discovered footprints.
But no one has actually seen the creature nor has it been scientifically established that the Yeti exists.
Gates said the footprints on lumps of sandy soil, which would be sent to experts in the United States for analysis, were "relatively fresh left some 24 hours before we found them".
"This print is so pristine, so good that I am very intrigued by this," Gates, flanked by his team members, said adding the findings would prompt more investigation into the Yeti.
Destination Truth chronicles some of the world's notorious crypto-zoological creatures and unexplained phenomena.
Some local sherpas believe that the Himalayas are abodes of strange creatures and consider the Yeti as a protector while others say it is a destroyer.
"There is a kind of mysterious creature that lives in the Himalayas," said Ang Tshering Sherpa, chief of Nepal Mountaineering Association in Kathmandu, who hails from the Khumbhu region were Mount Everest is located.
Drinking Binge
Two out of three Australian women binge drink, with some knocking back more than 11 alcoholic beverages in a single sitting, according to a survey.
The online survey of 2,000 women, by the Australian Women's Health magazine, found that two-thirds of respondents admitted to downing more than five standard units of alcohol while out with friends, the definition of bingeing.
Fourteen percent of respondents admitted to drinking between 16 to 20 drinks in a single night while about seven per cent said they had knocked back more than 20 drinks in a sitting.
The survey results were published in Australian media.
Australia, producer of world-renowned beers and wines, has a strong drinking culture, where not buying a "shout" or a round of drinks when out with friends is socially unacceptable.
According to the Alcohol Education Rehabilitation Foundation alcohol misuse and abuse in Australia costs the economy more than $7.6 billion a year.
"We are seeing signs of increased numbers of women admitted to hospital after binge drinking and we are paying for the cost through the burden on the health system," said Australian Drug Foundation director Geoff Munro.
"It's another sign that Australians are very tolerant of unsafe drinking."
The online survey of 2,000 women, by the Australian Women's Health magazine, found that two-thirds of respondents admitted to downing more than five standard units of alcohol while out with friends, the definition of bingeing.
Fourteen percent of respondents admitted to drinking between 16 to 20 drinks in a single night while about seven per cent said they had knocked back more than 20 drinks in a sitting.
The survey results were published in Australian media.
Australia, producer of world-renowned beers and wines, has a strong drinking culture, where not buying a "shout" or a round of drinks when out with friends is socially unacceptable.
According to the Alcohol Education Rehabilitation Foundation alcohol misuse and abuse in Australia costs the economy more than $7.6 billion a year.
"We are seeing signs of increased numbers of women admitted to hospital after binge drinking and we are paying for the cost through the burden on the health system," said Australian Drug Foundation director Geoff Munro.
"It's another sign that Australians are very tolerant of unsafe drinking."
Hot Wind Turbines
Many wind turbines mounted on homes in British cities are contributing to global warming, not fighting it, according to a new study.
And although many environmentally-friendly homeowners also hope to cut their bills by generating their own power, most micro-turbines will never save as much money as the equipment costs, according to the study by the Building Research Establishment Trust.
"In large urban areas such as Manchester, even with very favorable assumptions about efficiency, lifetime and maintenance, micro-wind turbines may never pay back their carbon emissions," the report says.
"Even in the most favorable location considered in the study, there is no financial payback within the expected life of the systems, with the current system and electricity costs."
The study analyzed the likely performance of three of the most common household wind turbines in Manchester and Portsmouth in England and Wick in Scotland.
In many cases -- and across most of Manchester -- more climate-warming carbon dioxide is produced in the manufacture, installation and maintenance of the turbines than they save by generating "green" power over their expected lifetime.
"These studies have shown a large variation in the expected CO2 payback periods from a few months in good locations to situations where they never pay back, in poor locations," the report says.
Only those climate-conscious homeowners in the best locations in the two smaller cities studied can expect to save more carbon dioxide than their turbines are responsible for producing.
And although many environmentally-friendly homeowners also hope to cut their bills by generating their own power, most micro-turbines will never save as much money as the equipment costs, according to the study by the Building Research Establishment Trust.
"In large urban areas such as Manchester, even with very favorable assumptions about efficiency, lifetime and maintenance, micro-wind turbines may never pay back their carbon emissions," the report says.
"Even in the most favorable location considered in the study, there is no financial payback within the expected life of the systems, with the current system and electricity costs."
The study analyzed the likely performance of three of the most common household wind turbines in Manchester and Portsmouth in England and Wick in Scotland.
In many cases -- and across most of Manchester -- more climate-warming carbon dioxide is produced in the manufacture, installation and maintenance of the turbines than they save by generating "green" power over their expected lifetime.
"These studies have shown a large variation in the expected CO2 payback periods from a few months in good locations to situations where they never pay back, in poor locations," the report says.
Only those climate-conscious homeowners in the best locations in the two smaller cities studied can expect to save more carbon dioxide than their turbines are responsible for producing.
Cycling Ministers
Indonesia plans to make ministers from around the world use bicycles to get about at the U.N. talks on climate change in Bali to help offset the event's carbon emissions, an environment ministry official said on Friday.
Delegates from nearly 190 countries will gather on the resort island on Monday to launch a concentrated effort to hammer out a new deal to replace the Kyoto Protocol, a pact to curb global warming that expires in 2012.
To help offset an estimated 47,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide expected to be emitted during the 12-day event, the government will clear the conference site of cars and lay on about 200 bikes instead to help people move around the area, Agus Purnomo said.
"We want people to leave their cars at the main gate and switch to bicycles," Purnomo, the meeting's executive chairman, told a news conference.
"To prevent people from melting in the sun, we will ask everyone to wear light clothes and short sleeves."
Purnomo said the estimated emissions figure included carbon dioxide emitted by flights to and from the island and by the use of electricity to power air conditioners.
More than 10,000 people including official delegates, activists and journalists are expected to show up at hundreds of sessions sprawled across the island's Nusa Dua area.
Delegates from nearly 190 countries will gather on the resort island on Monday to launch a concentrated effort to hammer out a new deal to replace the Kyoto Protocol, a pact to curb global warming that expires in 2012.
To help offset an estimated 47,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide expected to be emitted during the 12-day event, the government will clear the conference site of cars and lay on about 200 bikes instead to help people move around the area, Agus Purnomo said.
"We want people to leave their cars at the main gate and switch to bicycles," Purnomo, the meeting's executive chairman, told a news conference.
"To prevent people from melting in the sun, we will ask everyone to wear light clothes and short sleeves."
Purnomo said the estimated emissions figure included carbon dioxide emitted by flights to and from the island and by the use of electricity to power air conditioners.
More than 10,000 people including official delegates, activists and journalists are expected to show up at hundreds of sessions sprawled across the island's Nusa Dua area.
Crocodile Tears
Ukrainian officials summoned a vet Friday to determine whether a crocodile, captured after six months on the run, was comatose or dead.
"The crocodile is showing no signs of life. We are not specialists and, to be honest, we don't know whether it's dead or alive," Nikolai Ranga of Ukraine's Emergencies Ministry said in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk.
"The vet is coming to see the crocodile tomorrow."
The crocodile, nicknamed Godzilla or Godzi, was captured alive this week after escaping from a traveling circus in May.
The reptile had been spotted several times lurking around industrial sites near the city of Mariupol, on the coast of the Sea of Azov. But it repeatedly eluded search teams.
It was finally found basking in a pool at a thermal power station, where the water was warmer than the nearby sea.
Ranga said the crocodile was then taken 100 km (60 miles) by car to Donetsk where it was freed into a fire service tank.
"We did what the specialists told us and poured in water at about 25 degrees (77 Fahrenheit)," he said. "We really do not know what to do next."
The crocodile's owner, quoted by the daily Segodnya, said he could only collect it Monday because of circus commitments.
"The crocodile is showing no signs of life. We are not specialists and, to be honest, we don't know whether it's dead or alive," Nikolai Ranga of Ukraine's Emergencies Ministry said in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk.
"The vet is coming to see the crocodile tomorrow."
The crocodile, nicknamed Godzilla or Godzi, was captured alive this week after escaping from a traveling circus in May.
The reptile had been spotted several times lurking around industrial sites near the city of Mariupol, on the coast of the Sea of Azov. But it repeatedly eluded search teams.
It was finally found basking in a pool at a thermal power station, where the water was warmer than the nearby sea.
Ranga said the crocodile was then taken 100 km (60 miles) by car to Donetsk where it was freed into a fire service tank.
"We did what the specialists told us and poured in water at about 25 degrees (77 Fahrenheit)," he said. "We really do not know what to do next."
The crocodile's owner, quoted by the daily Segodnya, said he could only collect it Monday because of circus commitments.
Mafia Boss Arrested
Italian police burst into the room of a suspected Mafia mobster in Sicily and arrested him as he watched a television show about the arrest of a Mafia boss, investigators said Friday.
Police said Michele Catalano was watching the concluding chapter late Thursday of the TV mini-series "The Boss of Bosses," recounting the arrest in 1993 of real-life Cosa Nostra leader Salvatore "Toto" Riina, when he was detained.
They Catalano, 48, was suspected of being a senior commander serving under the latest "boss of bosses" Salvatore Lo Piccolo, who was arrested this month after nearly 25 years on the run.
Catalano faces charges of drug trafficking and extortion.
Lo Piccolo had taken over the reins of the Sicilian crime syndicate from Riina's successor Bernardo Provenzano, who was arrested last year after 40 years on the run. The arrests have seriously weakened the Mafia, police say.
Politicians and cultural figures criticized Channel 5's mini-series for portraying Riina as a hero and lobbied its owner Mediaset, belonging to former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, to take the final episode off the air. Mediaset declined.
Nicknamed "the Beast" for his brutality, Riina has been convicted on more than 100 counts of murder.
Police said Michele Catalano was watching the concluding chapter late Thursday of the TV mini-series "The Boss of Bosses," recounting the arrest in 1993 of real-life Cosa Nostra leader Salvatore "Toto" Riina, when he was detained.
They Catalano, 48, was suspected of being a senior commander serving under the latest "boss of bosses" Salvatore Lo Piccolo, who was arrested this month after nearly 25 years on the run.
Catalano faces charges of drug trafficking and extortion.
Lo Piccolo had taken over the reins of the Sicilian crime syndicate from Riina's successor Bernardo Provenzano, who was arrested last year after 40 years on the run. The arrests have seriously weakened the Mafia, police say.
Politicians and cultural figures criticized Channel 5's mini-series for portraying Riina as a hero and lobbied its owner Mediaset, belonging to former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, to take the final episode off the air. Mediaset declined.
Nicknamed "the Beast" for his brutality, Riina has been convicted on more than 100 counts of murder.
All Work and No Play Kills
A Toyota Motor Corp employee died of overwork after logging more than 106 hours of overtime in a month, a judge ruled Friday, reversing a ministry's earlier decision not to pay compensation to his widow.
The Toyota Labor Standards Inspection office, a local branch of Japan's labor ministry, refused to pay the widow the usual compensation for a spouse's work-related death, saying the man had only logged 45 hours of overtime in the month before he died, Japanese media reported.
But the court ruled that the employee had worked far more than that, said Yomiuri Online, a Japanese news website. The Nagoya District Court in central Japan said the ruling overturned the labor ministry's decision.
"We want to think of how to respond to this ruling by discussing it with relevant agencies," an official at the Toyota Labor Standards Inspection Office told Reuters.
The employee, who was working at a Toyota factory in central Japan, died of irregular heartbeat in February 2002 after passing out in the factory around 4 a.m.
"(The employee) worked for extremely long hours and the relationship between his work and death is strong," Yomiuri Online quoted Judge Toshiro Tamiya as saying.
Overworking is a serious issue in Japan, where an average worker uses less than 50 percent of paid holidays, according to government data.
In fiscal year 2005-2006, the labor ministry received 315 requests for compensation from the bereaved families of workers who died of strokes and other illnesses seen as work-related.
Toyota said in a statement it would further improve the management of its employees' health.
The Toyota Labor Standards Inspection office, a local branch of Japan's labor ministry, refused to pay the widow the usual compensation for a spouse's work-related death, saying the man had only logged 45 hours of overtime in the month before he died, Japanese media reported.
But the court ruled that the employee had worked far more than that, said Yomiuri Online, a Japanese news website. The Nagoya District Court in central Japan said the ruling overturned the labor ministry's decision.
"We want to think of how to respond to this ruling by discussing it with relevant agencies," an official at the Toyota Labor Standards Inspection Office told Reuters.
The employee, who was working at a Toyota factory in central Japan, died of irregular heartbeat in February 2002 after passing out in the factory around 4 a.m.
"(The employee) worked for extremely long hours and the relationship between his work and death is strong," Yomiuri Online quoted Judge Toshiro Tamiya as saying.
Overworking is a serious issue in Japan, where an average worker uses less than 50 percent of paid holidays, according to government data.
In fiscal year 2005-2006, the labor ministry received 315 requests for compensation from the bereaved families of workers who died of strokes and other illnesses seen as work-related.
Toyota said in a statement it would further improve the management of its employees' health.
Watch Out for What You Might Get for Christmas
The International Rhino Foundation has come up with a unique gift for under the Christmas tree that stands out from most of the other charity gifts on other -- rhino poop.
From Friday, the foundation will start an auction on eBay for four separate pieces of rhino dung, representing the four species of rhino living in zoos across the United States -- the White Rhino, Black Rhino, Sumatran Rhino and Indian Rhino.
The only rhino species not represented is the Javan Rhino which is so rare with only 60-75 of this species still around that obtaining dung was not possible.
"Everyone knows about rhinos, but not everyone knows that they are disappearing from the earth," said International Rhino Foundation Executive Director Dr. Susie Ellis in a statement.
"It might sound silly, but the money raised by the rhino poop auction will benefit conservation programs, raise awareness, and help us to save rhinos."
The top bid is expected for the poop from the Sumatran Rhino, which is the rarest of the four on offer with only 275 of them estimated to be remaining. The opening bid? $500.
From Friday, the foundation will start an auction on eBay for four separate pieces of rhino dung, representing the four species of rhino living in zoos across the United States -- the White Rhino, Black Rhino, Sumatran Rhino and Indian Rhino.
The only rhino species not represented is the Javan Rhino which is so rare with only 60-75 of this species still around that obtaining dung was not possible.
"Everyone knows about rhinos, but not everyone knows that they are disappearing from the earth," said International Rhino Foundation Executive Director Dr. Susie Ellis in a statement.
"It might sound silly, but the money raised by the rhino poop auction will benefit conservation programs, raise awareness, and help us to save rhinos."
The top bid is expected for the poop from the Sumatran Rhino, which is the rarest of the four on offer with only 275 of them estimated to be remaining. The opening bid? $500.
Olympic Ticketing Blunder
The director of the Beijing Olympic ticketing department has been sacked in the wake of the chaos surrounding the second round of ticket sales for the 2008 Games.
The sale of 1.85 million tickets on a first come, first served basis was abandoned after less than a day last month when overwhelming demand caused the ticketing system to collapse.
Rong Jun admitted organizers had underestimated demand but his apology to the Chinese people earlier this month was clearly not sufficient to save his job.
Zhu Yan was introduced as his successor at a news conference on Friday.
Zhu, who works for the city government as head of the "Digital Beijing" project, said Rong remained with the department in another role.
"Rong Jun is still my colleague working with us," he said.
"In the past year the department has done a lot of fundamental work but ticketing is a complicated job which involves the policy, public interests and concerns, and technological solutions."
The sale of 1.85 million tickets on a first come, first served basis was abandoned after less than a day last month when overwhelming demand caused the ticketing system to collapse.
Rong Jun admitted organizers had underestimated demand but his apology to the Chinese people earlier this month was clearly not sufficient to save his job.
Zhu Yan was introduced as his successor at a news conference on Friday.
Zhu, who works for the city government as head of the "Digital Beijing" project, said Rong remained with the department in another role.
"Rong Jun is still my colleague working with us," he said.
"In the past year the department has done a lot of fundamental work but ticketing is a complicated job which involves the policy, public interests and concerns, and technological solutions."
Jennifer Love Hewitt is Engaged
Actress Jennifer Love Hewitt is engaged to be married to her boyfriend, Scottish actor Ross McCall, 32, Usmagazine.com reported on Wednesday.
"They got engaged last week," Hewitt's representative told Us exclusively. The couple is vacationing in Hawaii.
McCall gave Hewitt an antique engagement ring that has been in his family for over 100 years, it said.
Hewitt, 29, star of the CBS drama "Ghost Whisperer," received critical acclaim in the title role of the ABC Original Movie, "The Audrey Hepburn Story," based on the life of the Academy Award-winning actress.
"They got engaged last week," Hewitt's representative told Us exclusively. The couple is vacationing in Hawaii.
McCall gave Hewitt an antique engagement ring that has been in his family for over 100 years, it said.
Hewitt, 29, star of the CBS drama "Ghost Whisperer," received critical acclaim in the title role of the ABC Original Movie, "The Audrey Hepburn Story," based on the life of the Academy Award-winning actress.
Mobile Phone Killer
A death originally thought to have been caused by an exploding cell phone is now being blamed on a co-worker, who confessed to making up the story after accidentally striking the victim with a drilling vehicle, South Korean police said Friday.
The quarry worker, only identified by his family name Seo, was found dead Wednesday with a melted phone battery in his shirt pocket. Police and a local doctor who examined his body said a malfunctioning battery may have killed the man.
However, after preliminary autopsy results suggested damage to Seo's internal organs was too great to be caused by a cell phone explosion, police questioned the colleague who first reported Seo's death, said Min Kang-gi, a detective in Chungju, some 85 miles south of Seoul.
The man, identified only by his surname Kwon, told police that he accidentally killed Seo while backing up a drilling vehicle, acknowledging that the exploding cell phone story was a fabrication, Min said.
Kwon told investigators after the accident that he moved his vehicle to throw off police, but did not say he set the mobile phone on fire, Min said.
Police said the phone was made by South Korea's LG Electronics Inc., the world's fifth-largest handset maker.
LG said it knew all along that its cell phone was not the killer.
"LG rigorously tests all the products not only for functionality and design, but safety as well," the company said in a statement.
The quarry worker, only identified by his family name Seo, was found dead Wednesday with a melted phone battery in his shirt pocket. Police and a local doctor who examined his body said a malfunctioning battery may have killed the man.
However, after preliminary autopsy results suggested damage to Seo's internal organs was too great to be caused by a cell phone explosion, police questioned the colleague who first reported Seo's death, said Min Kang-gi, a detective in Chungju, some 85 miles south of Seoul.
The man, identified only by his surname Kwon, told police that he accidentally killed Seo while backing up a drilling vehicle, acknowledging that the exploding cell phone story was a fabrication, Min said.
Kwon told investigators after the accident that he moved his vehicle to throw off police, but did not say he set the mobile phone on fire, Min said.
Police said the phone was made by South Korea's LG Electronics Inc., the world's fifth-largest handset maker.
LG said it knew all along that its cell phone was not the killer.
"LG rigorously tests all the products not only for functionality and design, but safety as well," the company said in a statement.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)