Thief-wary iPod users using subterfuge
NEW YORK, July 11 (UPI) -- New York iPod users have begun trying to hide or disguise their music players from muggers, one of whom killed for an iPod, the New York Post reports.
One of the first lines of defense against being robbed is to replace the easily recognized white "earbuds" that come with the devices, which cost as much as $420.
Many have switched to using large, home-style boxy earphones to listen to their favorite music, while 21-year-old Izaias Santos told the newspaper he keeps his player hidden in his pocket with the wiring beneath his shirt, the Post said.
New York police have recorded dozens of robberies of the players, the newspaper reports, including a July 2 incident in which 15-year-old Christopher Rose was stabbed to death during an iPod robbery.
Japanese can't get enough hula, ukeleles
HONOLULU, July 11 (UPI) -- The number of Japanese enrolling in lessons to study Hawaiian hula dancing and ukulele-playing has reached an all-time high, the Honolulu Advertiser reports.
The surge can be seen in both the number of Japanese tourists visiting Hawaii to learn and compete, but the number of people in Japan enrolling in classes in Japan.
"Over there (Japan) in the last 10 years the push and the popularity has tripled," said Frank Kawaikapuokalani Hewett, a competition adviser who also teaches hula in Japan. "It's like everybody is wearing aloha shirts."
Japanese tourists spend about $240 a day in Hawaii, said Kiyoko Tanji, general manager of Hawaii Tourism Japan, a marketing contractor for the state. Tanji estimated that the number of hula fans in Japan is 300,000 to 400,000.
Japanese student Chieko Kobayashi, 50, said learning the hula has stirred a desire to learn more about things Hawaiian, including the language, the ukulele and Hawaiian quilting.
Welsh teen wins JK Rowling interview
LONDON, July 11 (UPI) -- A 14-year-old from Wales has won a contest to do the sole interview with "Harry Potter" author JK Rowling prior to the launch of her latest book in the series.
Owen Jones from Cardiff was named the Ultimate "Harry Potter" fan Sunday night. He won the right to interview Rowling at Edinburgh castle in Scotland before Friday's launch of "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince," the Guardian reported Monday.
Jones correctly answered "Harry Potter" trivia questions.
Rowling, the world's first billionaire author, will read from her latest release live on Britain's ITV1 during the Friday launch. The taped interview will be broadcast Sunday afternoon.
The book is projected to sell 10 million copies worldwide the first day alone. The first five books have been translated in 62 languages and sold 265 million copies in 200 countries.
Expert to calm down anxious NYC dogs
NEW YORK, July 11 (UPI) -- New York City is hiring a celebrity dog trainer to teach volunteers how to calm rambunctious pups no one wants to adopt from city shelters.
Dog trainer Brian Kilcommons has contracted to train hundreds of volunteers in his method, which he uses to train dogs belonging to the likes of Diane Sawyer, Harrison Ford, Ashley Judd and Candice Bergen.
Under the deal, volunteers will devote two full days to learning from Kilcommons and then commit to training shelter dogs three hours per week for six months, the New York Post said.
"It's all about showing a firm, but fair, hand with the leash and reading the dog's body language," he said. "And you have to respect the dog's personal space. Most people walk right up to a dog. That's like me walking into your office and sitting on your lap."
