Happy News Year.

I haven't done a News linkdump in ages and since I'm stuck at work with no students today, I have lots to catch up on.

First up is yet another victim of the "It's me!" scam where an elderly man gets bilked for 10,000,000￥. When he saw his son over New Years, he realized that the person to whom he'd been sending money FIVE TIMES is the wrong guy. How tough is it to ask the caller for his name before you send him millions of yen?

Doggy Style is a rather good pun used to increase hits to this article about a Human/Canine fashion show where Dog owners can parade down the platform with their pups. One of my friends is always doggedly pursuing the latest trend for his ダックスフンド (Dachshund) but I doubt if even he'll opt for yoga or aromatherapy. (Yoga? What, dogs need a new position to lick their privates? Aromatherapy? The only scent dogs are interested in is the smell of other dogs butts.)

Mammoth news for Japanese scientists who get to inspect a 13,000 year-old Siberian mammoth. Most startling news is that it had a saddle!

All the other news has to do with death, scandal and disaster. So I'll leave you with a comparison between Buffy characters and Republican politicians!