Fans mash up #DisneyStarWars movies

[View the story "Fans mash up #DisneyStarWars movies" on Storify]

Storified by CBC News Community · Wed, Oct 31 2012 07:05:40

Disney announced yesterday that it would buy Lucasfilm, the company behind the Star Wars movies, for $4 billion US in cash and stock.

Disney buying Star Wars maker Lucasfilm - Arts & Entertainment - CBC NewsDisney is paying $4.05 billion to buy Lucasfilm Ltd., the production company behind Star Wars, from its chairman and founder, George Luca...

And buried in the press release about the acquisition was the news that Star Wars Episode 7 would be released in 2012. George Lucus talked about the deal and the future of the Star Wars movies in a video posted on YouTube.

The Future of Star Wars Moviesstarwars

Ewan McGregor, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel, mused about appearing as a hologram, or maybe a Force-ghost, in Episode 7.

Wonder if they will need any Obi-Wan Hologram action??!#ep7 #donthecloakagain #thesearenotthedroidsyourlookingfor#movealongmovalongEwan McGregor

Some Star Wars fans were worried about what Disney taking over Star Wars and releasing more movies could mean.

Disney + Star Wars Ep. 7 is gonna suck harder than Sandy's huge stormy buttholeMatthew Inman

Worst thing about this Disney/Star Wars thing is that George Lucas will still be a creative consultantAndy Levy

Watching the nerd reaction to the Disney/Star Wars news has been like watching the 5 stages of grief at warp speedAkela Cooper

Does this mean Leia is now a Disney princess? She'll have to go get her nails done with Ariel and lend Pocahontas her metal bikini. #fierceSimon Pegg

The amazing thing is, Steve Jobs bought Pixar from... George Lucas.John Gruber

Disney bought Lucasfilm. I hope they don't commercialize Star Wars.pourmecoffee

Disney owns Marvel, Star Wars and Indiana Jones. If they buy Farrah Fawcett, D&D and my parents' divorce they'll own my entire childhood.Rogers Cadenhead

The parody accounts that people have created for various Star Wars characters had some fun with the news.

When I left you I was but the learner, now *I* am the Mouseketeer. #disney #starwarsDarth Vader

Just moving Walt from the cryogenic freezer to the carbonite freezer #StarWars #Disney #StarWarsDisneyBoba Fett

Is this how I will lokk like in the Disney Star Wars movies...? http://pic.twitter.com/ZcLuMmeuLeia Organa Solo

I, for one, welcome our new mouse overlords.Han Solo

Kind of hard to maintain your image as a ruthless, planet-destroying Galactic Empire when your new boss is a mouse. #StarWars #DisneyDeath Star PR

Lucasfilm was bought by Disney, there is no way I am wearing Mickey Mouse ears.Darth Vader

Too late, Darth.

A new villain, Disney and George Lucas have created http://pic.twitter.com/vhTJEBCqYoda

The Vader in Mickey Mouse ears was just one of dozens of mash-up images created out of the news.

My favourite #DisneyStarWars mashup photo. http://pic.twitter.com/zDolcSjmJohn Harris

Disney gives new meaning to multiple suns... #DisneyStarWars http://pic.twitter.com/PQgATnYqSimon Young

Oh Star Wars. Oh God. http://twitpic.com/b8vab9October Jones

This isn't the first time Star Wars and Disney have collided.

Think it can't be worse? Imagine Jar Jar Binks returning in #Episode7. #DisneyStarWars #LucasFilm http://pic.twitter.com/TXSIpG62Globalsupport365

The hashtag #DisneyStarWars was trending with people mixing the two franchises together.

Alice in Wookieland #disneystarwarsJamelle Bouie

Jar Jar will be digitally replaced by the crows from Dumbo. #DisneyStarwarsPhil Plait

"It's a Parent Trap!" - Han Solo on the planet Disneyworld #DisneyStarWarsEloy Corral II

Not sure about the selling of Lucasfilm to Disney, although I can't wait to see the Emperor's New Groove in 2015. #DisneyStarWarsSimon Pegg

It was enough to make you break into song.

Be our guest, Be our guest. Put our freezer to the test. We will use it on Skywalker, but Han Solo is the test. #disneystarwarsJim Crone

There is just one moon and one golden sun,Better treat me right or they'll be Alderaan. #starwars #disneyDarth Vader

"Walking around on those - what do you call 'em? Oh - feet!" - R2-D2 #DisneyStarWarsanne t. donahue

But, wait a minute, Disney isn't just amusement parks and cartoon musicals. Disney bought Pixar and they made Toy Story. Disney bought Marvel and they made The Avengers. Those could be awesome!

"Mr. Solo, my name is Nick Fury. I'd like to talk to you about something called The Avengers Initiative." #DisneyStarWarsDave Itzkoff

Imagine the script writers behind Toy Story 3 giving that level of care, attention, and love to the Star Wars universe. #anybodybutlucasDieter Bohn

The company that gave us The Avengers & Wall-E are TOTALLY going to screw up the company that gave us The Phantom Menace and Crystal Skull!Michael D. Thomas

Star Wars VII really isn't going to be the same... #disneystarwars http://pic.twitter.com/VNrUgGEZDan Moore

Forget new Star Wars, the most exciting prospect for me about Disney buying Lucasfilm is a Grim Fandango movie by Pixar. #DisneylucasKurt Brookes

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Which CBC host is the ultimate pumpkin carver?

Four CBC News Network hosts battled with pumpkin seeds and goop to make it to the grand pumpkin-carving contest finale.

Carly Agro, John Northcott, Jay Scotland and Scott Peterson each had their own unique strategy. Agro hoped to win over those frustrated by the NHL lockout. Northcott banked on his pumpkin's size to wow the judges.

In the end, after votes from more than 20 judges in the newsroom and control room, one pumpkin won by "a very clear majority."

Agro's NHL-lockout pumpkin, complete with chains wrapped around it, won the contest.

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Hamilton band creates viral video sensation

A collaboration between Hamilton's Young Rival and Michigan artist James Kuhn is quickly turning into YouTube's next big thing.

The band discovered Kuhn's blog via reddit in the fall of 2011.

"We saw his work, and right away we knew we had to get this guy to do a video for us," said frontman Aron D'Alesio.

Bassist John Smith reached out to Kuhn, and asked if he was interested. He was, and so began the long process of piecing together the video.

Kuhn would lip sync performances to tape, and then mail DVDs back to the band from Michigan.

"He's definitely an old-school guy," D'Alesio said. "John just kept getting all these packages in the mail."

Smith then edited the video — which promptly blew up on YouTube and Reddit. In just ten days, it had amassed over 600,000 hits.

"We wanted a video people would be interested in watching more than once and sharing," D'Alesio said.

Goal achieved. To put things in context, the song received almost 200,000 hits in just 24 hours from Oct. 28 to Oct. 29.

The track is from their newest record, Stay Young. It's undeniably catchy — something that helped it along on its viral video journey.

It also makes the whole enterprise a bit creepy for some.

"It just weirds some people out," D'Alesio said with a laugh.

"But that's kind of the point. We just wanted to make this thing unstoppable."

For more on Young Rival, visit their website.

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Pumpkin zombies invade New York Botanical Garden

CBC News Community team, from left to right: Andrew Yates, Andrea Lee-Greenberg, Lauren O'Neil, John Bowman

If you're part of the CBC News community, you're likely to meet one of us: we're the folks working to produce and promote your stories. Read more about us.

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Gangnam Style Halloween house gains momentum on YouTube

The sounds of Korean rapper Psy's infamous Gangnam Style song are being pumped from a house decorated for Halloween in Leesburg, Va., about 50 kilometres west of Washington D.C.

Video of the light display and musical feature can be seen on YouTube.

More than 1.5 million viewers have thought it worthwhile to hear the tune again.

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Vulcan, Alta., looks to attract the next generation

For roughly 25 years, Vulcan has been clinging to its bond with Star Trek as being the home of Spock — relying on it to bring people to the southern Alberta town.

But town Coun. Judy Sanderson says it's no longer enough.

"It's stagnant, hate to say that, like every other small Prairie town, not moving ahead," Sanderson explained. "[The town] needs something to kick forward."

Vulcan, Alta.

That kick is a rebranding plan that will build on the Star Trek theme.

The goal is to make Vulcan the most technologically-advanced rural town in Canada.

"Star Trek is what brings the people here — technology will hopefully be what brings people to stay," explained Leslie Warren, with the Vulcan Business Development Society.

The town plans to make several improvements, including sprucing up its tourist centre, revitalizing downtown and building a state-of-the-art convention centre.

Business owner Sandra Locken says the idea is taking off.

"We are appreciative to Star Trek brand and what it's done.… Move it forward, create industry and business keep our young people in town engaged," Locken says.

The town is currently looking for private investors that are interested in taking Vulcan to the next generation.

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Gangnam Style Halloween house gains momentum on YouTube

The sounds of Korean rapper Psy's infamous Gangnam Style song are being pumped from a house decorated for Halloween in Leesburg, Va., about 50 kilometres west of Washington D.C.

Video of the light display and musical feature can be seen on YouTube.

More than 1.5 million viewers have thought it worthwhile to hear the tune again.

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Donations pour in to see Brad Wall grow Movember moustache

Brad Wall included an old photograph of him with a moustache, on his donation page. The premier of Saskatchewan is promising to "grow a mo" if he raises $3,000 by Nov. 1. (Movember.com)

Less than a day after challenging people to donate for prostate cancer research, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall is attracting the attention of people who want to see him in a Movember moustache.

By mid-day Saturday, Wall was already two-thirds of the way to his goal of raising $3,000. If pledges reach the target amount, Wall has promised to grow a moustache in November.

He said he had been keen to participate in the past, but that advisors told him a moustache wasn't a good look.

"The staff just thought that would be terrible," Wall said Friday. "They'd seen pictures of me in a moustache from back in the day and they were pretty convinced this was not a good idea."

"I hope you will help me ignore their advice and cruel comments," Wall wrote on his donation page. "If I raise $3,000 before November 1, I will grow the mo."

Wall said that if he does, people may not be impressed.

"Maybe it does look dumb. They should realize, especially men over forty, what is actually dumber is not getting tested," he said, referring to the importance of prostate testing.

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Hanging 'Chads' emerge in Saskatchewan election

Anyone who remembers the controversy surrounding the Florida count for the 2000 U.S. election — and the critical issue of 'hanging chads' — will appreciate the election dilemma faced Wednesday by officials in a Saskatchewan community where a new form of the 'hanging chad' problem emerged.

In the rural municipality of Swift Current, voters were choosing a new council.

At the end of the night, returning officers confirmed that they had a 'Chad' problem: Two candidates — both with the first name Chad — had tied for the last spot on council with 54 votes each.

Officials checked their counting four times and there was no doubt they had a tie.

Chad Tait and Chad Salter were left hanging while officials looked up the rules on how to cope with a tie.

Initially each candidate was prepared to concede the race to the other, but officials then went to the rule book.

According to Saskatchewan's regulations on local elections, in the event of a tie, a winner is chosen using a random draw.

So an official wrote their names on two pieces of paper and drew the winner's name: Salter.

He said it felt strange to win by a lottery, after putting so much effort into a campaign.

"You had gone out and done some door-knocking and talked to people and tried to generate the votes," Salter said. "It seemed a little bit comical, I guess, that it came down to pulling a name out of a hat."

Tait said he was pleased the rural municipality had a good voter turnout, about 60 per cent.

Both were asked, but neither would say if they voted for themselves or their opponent.

The rural municipality of Swift Current is about 225 kilometres west of Regina.

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Gangnam Style Halloween house gains momentum on YouTube

The sounds of Korean rapper Psy's infamous Gangnam Style song are being pumped from a house decorated for Halloween in Leesburg, Va., about 50 kilometres west of Washington D.C.

Video of the light display and musical feature can be seen on YouTube.

More than 1.5 million viewers have thought it worthwhile to hear the tune again.

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From opera house to Manitoba farmhouse

A pair of opera stars who fell in love while travelling abroad and singing decided to trade in their tuning forks for pitchforks, leaving the stage to settle on a farm in Neubergthal, MB.

CBC Manitoba's Reg Sherren visits the couple at their home in the latest edition of the Only in Canada series.

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Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei covers Gangnam Style, in handcuffs

Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei is the latest to go Gangnam Style — but in a trademark act of irreverence, he's thrown in a pair of handcuffs and a poke at Chinese censors.

In a video posted on YouTube, Ai sports a neon-pink T-shirt, black jacket and dark sunglasses and energetically mimics rodeo-style dance moves made famous by South Korean rapper PSY, whose original video became an Internet sensation.

Ai said he and several friends made the video Wednesday and uploaded it overnight. In one scene, he swings two pairs of handcuffs while dancing. The video also was posted on Chinese websites, but censors apparently had scrubbed it off many of them by Thursday morning.

Ai told The Associated Press on Thursday that he decided to make the video after learning that the family of his friend Zuoxiao Zuzhou, a famous rock star in China, was losing their home to a demolition crew. The artist said he thought a little humour could alleviate some of the frustration felt by the Chinese public.

"Our happiness is constantly being taken away from us, our homes demolished, we are always controlled, passports can be taken away from us, and all these can affect our happiness," Ai said.

"However, every morning we have the opportunity to give others something to laugh about. Laughter is important."

The video is titled Grass Mud Horse Style, in Chinese, a sly insult Ai coined as a stab at the country's Internet censors. The Chinese characters are homonyms for a vulgar slur.

Ai was detained without explanation for three months last year, apparently as punishment for his political activism.

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Obama on NHL lockout: 'Get this done'

President Barack Obama was asked on the Tonight Show on Wednesday if he could "pull some strings" to end the NHL lockout, and he pulled no punches.

The question was submitted by a viewer and was met with much laughter from the studio audience, but Obama insisted: "I do have a comment on this.

"Every time these things happen I just want to remind the owners and players: You guys make money because you've got a whole bunch of fans out there who are working really hard — they buy tickets, they're watching on TV.

"Y'all should be able to figure this out. Get this done."

Obama gave a similar answer almost exactly one year ago on the same stage when asked by host Jay Leno about the NBA work stoppage. The league and its players' association would eventually come to an agreement, resulting in a 66-game regular season in 2011-12, 16 fewer than the norm.

Obama, who has famously been said to wind down his nights with sports highlights, was also asked for a World Series prediction.

Taking another opportunity to highlight rival Mitt Romney's opposition to the auto bailout that he favoured, Obama responded: "I will say that I spent a lot of time in Detroit lately. And I didn't want to let Detroit go bankrupt. [So] in this particular World Series, I may be a little partial."

The interview was taped before Game 1, won in convincing fashion by San Francisco.

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UN chief Ban Ki-moon 'jealous' of Gangnam Style's PSY

It was bound to happen. Two powerhouses of South Korea met Tuesday in New York for the first time.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and rapper PSY lavished praise on one another during a photo opportunity at UN headquarters.

'I'm a bit jealous. Until two days ago someone told me I am the most famous Korean in the world.'—UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

The South Korean pop singer, whose smash video for his song Gangnam Style has gone viral, was quick to joke with reporters about the encounter.

"So now you have first and second famous Korean in the same building," PSY said.

Ban joked that he now feels overshadowed by the star, whose video has scored more than half a billion views on YouTube.

The UN chief even risked a few of PSY's trademark dance moves from the video, prompting peals of laughter from the singer.

PSY told reporters he was touched that Ban had watched his video. He called the meeting a momentous occasion for him — even better than when Gangnam Style hit No. 2 on the Billboard Top 100 chart.

South Korean rapper PSY doubles over with laughter as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, an admirer and fellow South Korean, attempts to learn the Gangnam Style dance. (Sara Brittany Somerset/CBC)

The UN chief said the Korean pop star was "cool" and "energetic."

"He's so energetic he can help to end energy crisis," he said.

Ban's office said the encounter was arranged because the two men were mutually interested in meeting one another.

His spokesman, Martin Nesirky, told reporters that although the secretary general usually deals with weighty issues involving conflicts and wars, he also thinks it's important to engage other parts of society.

Ban joked that he was envious of the South Korean rapper.

"I'm a bit jealous. Until two days ago someone told me I am the most famous Korean in the world. Now I have to relinquish. I have no regrets," Ban said.

With files from The Associated Press

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Google cameras map popular Grand Canyon trails

Google and its street-view cameras already have taken users to narrow cobblestone alleys in Spain using a tricycle, inside the Smithsonian with a push cart and to British Columbia's snow-covered slopes by snowmobile.

The search giant now has brought its all-seeing eyes — mounted for the first time on a backpack — down into the Grand Canyon, showcasing the attraction's most popular hiking trails on the South Rim and other walkways.

It's the latest evolution in mapping technology for the Mountain View, Calif., company, which has used a rosette of cameras to photograph thousands of cities and towns in dozens of countries for its Street View feature. With a click of the mouse, Internet users are transported virtually for a 360-degree view of locales they may have read about only in tourist books and seen in flat, 2-D images.

"Any of these sort of iconic, cultural, historical locations that are not accessible by road is where we want to go," said Ryan Falor, product manager at Google.

Google announced the trekker earlier this year but made its first official collection of data this week at the Grand Canyon.

The backpacks aren't ready for volunteer use, but Google has said it wants to deploy them at national forests, to the narrow streets of Venice, Mount Everest and to ancient ruins and castles.

The move to capture the Grand Canyon comes after Apple chose to drop Google Maps from its mobile operating systems and opted to use its own mapping program that was derided for, among other things, poor directions and missing towns.

Steve Silverman, operations manager for Google didn't directly address the competition in saying: "Just trying to document a trail, it's going to be hard to beat this."

Google launched its Street View feature in 2007 and has expanded from 5 U.S. cities to more than 3,000 in 43 countries. Google teams and volunteers have covered more than 5 million miles with the Street View vehicles on a scale that other companies haven't approached, said Mike Dobson, president of Telemapics, a company that monitors mapping efforts.

"You could safely say that it's a standout, well-used application and they don't really have any competition," he said.

As the sun rose Monday, Luc Vincent, Google engineering director, strapped on one of the 18-kilogram backpacks and set down the Bright Angel Trail to the Colorado River — a nearly 16-kilometre hike that goes from 2,103 metres in elevation to 732 metres. He hiked back up from Phantom Ranch, which can be 30 degrees warmer than at the rim, through the South Kaibab Trail and also gathered data on other trails.

Google's Trekker is about 1.2 metres in height when set on the ground, and when worn, the camera system extends about 60 centimetres above the operator's shoulders. (Rick Bowmer/Associated Press)

The so-called trekker captures images every 2.5 seconds with 15 cameras that are 75 megapixels each, from the rest areas, the steep switchbacks, the change from juniper trees to scrub brush and the traffic that moves aside as a courtesy to mule riders.

The GPS data is limited, so Google must compensate with sensors that record temperature, vibrations and the orientation of the device as it changes, before it stiches the images together and makes them available to users in a few months, Falor said.

Hikers that were on the trail when the data was gathered will have their faces blurred — an attempt by Google to ensure privacy. Street View has run into problems in places like Europe and Australia for scooping up information transmitted over unsecured wireless networks.

A removable hard drive on the trekker stores the data gathered at the Grand Canyon. Tourists looked at the trekker strangely this week, as if it was something from outer space.

Sharon Kerfoot, a first-time visitor from Alberta, said being able to view the terrain ahead of time, gauge the difficulty of the hike and know just how wide the path is would benefit those considering a trip to the Grand Canyon. She and a group of friends headed down the same path as Vincent but on mules, not foot.

"I think it's an excellent idea to give people a broader perspective on what they're getting into," she said.

What the images won't tell visitors is how much water they should carry down the trails, how to prepare for temperature changes, what type of food to bring and how much, and how best to protect the natural resources, park spokeswoman Maureen Oltrogge said.

"Stitched together with other information out there, the technology could be valuable," she said.

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Clark Kent rants about journalism, quits Daily Planet

[View the story "Clark Kent rants about journalism, quits Daily Planet" on Storify]

Storified by CBC News Community · Mon, Oct 22 2012 14:23:41

Both comic book geeks and journalists were buzzing about the latest issue of Superman today as his mild-mannered alter ego Clark Kent quits his job as a reporter for the Daily Planet.

Clark Kent quits The Daily Planet and bemoans the state of journalism in his newsroom resignation speech. http://bit.ly/TNqjTIRomenesko

In Superman #13, Kent gets chewed out by his boss Perry White for not having filed a story in a week. Kent gets philosophical about journalism, saying, "Why am I the one sounding like a grizzle ink-stained wretch who believes new should be about-- I don't know, news?"

"Times are changing and print is dying medium," says White.

OMG Clark Kent, thank you. #THANKYOU http://pic.twitter.com/ZRpXCKzkNMMan

But the journalism business being what it is, some in the media said that Kent would more likely be fired than quit.

Wouldn't it be more realistic for Clark Kent to be laid off from the Daily Planet, rather than quit? http://jimromenesko.com/2012/10/22/clark-kent-quits-the-daily-planet/Mike Madden

In the new issue of Superman, Clark Kent quits the Daily Planet. In reality, he'd be laid off or looking for a PR gig: http://pic.twitter.com/Syr1cl3fRobTornoe

As Clark Kent quits his job, a New Yorker cartoon I have pinned to my desk: http://pic.twitter.com/dY6nNZXwJames Bradshaw

And it seems there's no shortage of journalists looking to fill Kent's spot, even if it means relocating to Metropolis.

Reporter job opening on The Daily Planet as Clark Kent (Superman) quits! http://m.usatoday.com/article/news/1648921J-Source

Reporters are calling up journalism profs, such as Alfred Hermida of the University of British Columbia here, to get their take on the Man of Steel's exit from the media.

Highlight of the day: Interviewed by @jeffreybgray on Clark Kent leaving the Daily Planet in new 'Superman' http://usat.ly/RPjtgPAlfred Hermida

Maybe Clark Kent is leaving the Daily Planet because they made him write nothing but top-ten lists about the 90s.Jason Schreier

Clark Kent throws a Newsroom style hissy fit and quits the Daily Planet http://jimromenesko.com/2012/10/22/clark-kent-quits-the-daily-planet/Charlie Spiering

Clark Kent quit the newspaper business because he was tired of printing the "on the other hand" to truth, justice and the American wayWill Bunch

Of course, Superman isn't the only comic book hero working in the media.

Clark Kent quits The Daily Planet: http://afitz.co/QCgmtN No word on Parker & The Daily BugleAlex Fitzpatrick

This isn't the first time Kent has left, or been kicked out of, the Daily Planet.

Historical fact: In the 1970s, Clark Kent was also a TV anchor. He's switched jobs before. http://bit.ly/RQndP7Capitol_Ideas

Someone tell shocked media outlets that Clark Kent leaves the Daily Planet every few years. It's not a big deal. http://pic.twitter.com/U9B5pNr1dcuniverse

And was Kent even that good a reporter?

Good riddance! Unethical hack http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2012/06/27/severe-ethical-breaches-superhero-journalists/ RT @arbesman: Clark Kent has quit The Daily Planet. http://bit.ly/RdyQCeEd Yong

Clark Kent has resigned from the Daily Planet. I'm amazed he didn't get the sack, he hardly files anything: http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2012/10/22/clark-kent-superman-comic-book-series/1648921/Dan Wainwright

Maybe some of his adversaries would be interested in getting into the media business.

Superman gets venture funding for a new media start-up, and the term sheet has only one provision: KNEEL BEFORE ZODMichael Roston

Lex Luthor announces seed funding for what he bills as the next http://Breitbart.comMichael Roston

If you want to get a sneak preview for yourself, USATcomics has posted an excerpt from Superman #13 on Scribd: 

Superman Issue 13 Exclusive PreviewAn exclusive preview of DC Comics' Superman issue 13, by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Kenneth Rocafort. by USATComics in Comics, comic...

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Obama's 'horses and bayonets' quip trends after debate

[View the story "Obama's 'horses and bayonets' quip trends after debate" on Storify]

Storified by CBC News Community · Mon, Oct 22 2012 20:16:06

#debate2012 HORSES AND BAYONETS http://pic.twitter.com/9UyZjuOYMegan King

During the third and final debate of the presidential campaign, U.S. President Barack Obama criticized Republican candidate Mitt Romney's grasp of military policy.

Romney asserted that the U.S. Navy was smaller than at any time since 1917, saying that the navy required more ships, and that the air force is older and smaller now than it had been since it was created.

Obama responded by telling Rommey: "We also have fewer horses and bayonets because the nature of our military has changed."

The internet quickly seized on Obama's comment, tweeting and making memes.

That quiet we are currently experiencing for this brief interlude is the Internet firing up its collective Photoshop #HorsesAndBayonetsGuiltyHumanCentipede

"A Dressage-Based Foreign Policy: Equistrian Fetishism in the Romney White House" #HorsesAndBayonetsFirst Author

"Obama rainbow unicorn" | quickmeme "Quickmeme

Let's talk about #horsesandbayonets shall we? http://twitpic.com/b6lo5fRyan Broderick

Another decommissioned American military vehicle. #horsesandbayonets http://www.flickr.com/photos/87971452@N00/512482887David

My Little Trojan Ponykipperfrog

#horsesandbayonets is the new snakes and laddersAdam Braun

My great-grandfather was a US Cavalryman in World War 1. We have his bayonet, if the government needs it back. #HorsesandBayonetsRich Gallup

"Horse and Bayonet Romney" | quickmeme "Quickmeme

Several people made official-looking campaign ads featuring bayonets and horses.

Vote Romney 2012 for more #HorsesAndBayonetsalthinkaboutit

I thought this was funny. #horsesandbayonetsmssmartysocks

Others had a different take.

#horsesandbayonets http://twitpic.com/b6lqjvMark Connelly

My contribution on the bayonets comment: #horsesandbayonets http://twitpic.com/b6llqqJeremy Dunck

Dude is talking out of both sides of his mouth.. #horsesandbayonetsOMAR EPPS

Stephen Harper has asked his military chiefs how many horses and bayonets Canada has in case of a match up against Romney's America.Arthur Simeon

#horsesandbayonets: trending topic, and probable Halloween costume craze.Cindi Leive

Going out for Halloween on a horse, with a bayonet in one hand, a binder full of women in the other, dressed as Bane, yelling "Kony 2012"Ghosty Hawken

#horsesandbayonetsbmorelikeme

Hahaha I love that #horsesandbayonets is trending. Can't wait to see SNL this weekend after this debate.❤Allison

The Marines still use bayonets. Cowboys still ride horses. 'Merica. #horsesandbayonetsCasey Kelley

Dear #Obama, We are quite happy with our horses & bayonets, thank you. Signed, #RobbStark http://bit.ly/electionparody #debates http://pic.twitter.com/aARemdJORachael Thomas

One does not simply have fewer horses and bayonets. #debate http://pic.twitter.com/1xB0cu5qWillie Myers

you should actually do it. RT @mrLBF: get your HORSES & BAYONETS t shirt!!! http://pic.twitter.com/Zs7tZhE0Blossom.

We know how this guy is getting to #UFC154. #horsesandbayonets http://pic.twitter.com/439HTX28UFC

This picture nicely sums up the three themes of each of the presidential debates. Stick with CBC.ca for complete coverage of the U.S. Election on November 6.

Big bird. Binders. Bayonets.jsindal

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Rare scotch sets record price

An extremely rare bottle of Glenfiddich single malt scotch has sold at auction in Toronto for the Canadian record price of $52,000.

Only 11 bottles of Glenfiddich Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve 55 year old scotch are known to exist — and now one of them belongs to Dave and Paurie — a scotch loving couple from Etobicoke, Ontario who revealed only their first names after placing their winning bid.

Canada's lone bottle of Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve was the first item up for bid Friday in the Vintages auction at Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto.

More than 1,100 lots of rare wines valued at $2.3 million will also be offered for bidding at the two-day event.

All proceeds will go to Wounded Warriors, a not-for-profit organization that assists and improves the quality of life of wounded Canadian soldiers and their families.

This is the 11th annual auction put on by Vintages, the fine wine and premium spirits division of the Ontario liquor board.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ottawa boys rock it out with Springsteen

Rock legend Bruce Springsteen created a once-in-a-lifetime experience for two local boys when he invited them on stage during his Ottawa concert Friday night.

The Boss himself hauled Stuart Bradley, 7, and his brother Peter, 8, on stage to join him in performing Waitin' On A Sunny Day before 19,000 fans at Scotiabank Place.

Their dad Scott, a long-time Springsteen fan, brought a video camera with him, but handed it to a stranger standing next to him to record the event because he just wanted to watch it all unfold for himself.

The video has since been posted on YouTube.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tom Hanks drops 'F-bomb' during live TV interview

[View the story "Tom Hanks drops 'F-bomb' during live TV interview" on Storify]

Storified by CBC News Community · Fri, Oct 19 2012 09:11:46

Tom Hanks F-Bombbustedcoverage

Coming up next, I'm sitting down with Tom Hanks to talk about his riveting new movie Cloud Atlas! Stay tuned @gma ! #cloudatlasElizabeth Vargas

Actor Tom Hanks got a little too into his role for an upcoming movie during an interview with Elizabeth Vargas on Good Morning America.

Vargas asked Hanks about the accent he uses for one of the characters he plays in the movie Cloud Atlas. Hanks responded by talking in character and then accidentally uttered an obscenity, or as just about everyone on the internet says, "dropped an F-bomb".

Imgur

(Above, a picture of Hanks in Cloud Atlas).

Hanks quickly apologized on air, as did Vargas. Then he took to Twitter to reiterate his apology.

For GMA, spesh kowtow for Lizzie V for WHAT DID I JUST SAY??? Oops! In character! Sorry! HanxTom Hanks

Some of his fans responded to his Tweet and they didn't seem to mind.

@tomhanks :) you're awesome. I said same word once not realizing my kid was right behind me. I reacted same & I wasn't in character.Anabella Poland

@tomhanks Its ok, Tom. Could see how mortified you were. People do it. Still love you :0)Karen O'Lone-Hahn

@tomhanks it's okay! You're Tom Hanks! So nice, everyone knows you would never mean to do it! It was obviously an honest mistake.PrincessCuppycake

Actress Denise Richards also weighed in.

@tomhanks there was actually something quite endearing about your eff up..Denise Richards

Meanwhile, Gawker obtained a statement from ABC which reads, "This morning Tom Hanks accidently [sic] used an expletive during a live interview on 'GMA' with Elizabeth Vargas. They both immediately apologized on air, and the show was corrected for the all subsequent feeds."

Over on Reddit, the video was posted multiple times, and Redditors weighed in.

I am looking forward to the day when nobody even bats an eye when a curse word is uttered in the media. It probably won't happen in my lifetime, but, someday.jeebus_krist

This already exists. It's called 'not America'.Gsicht

This is why I love Tom Hanks and the best part was that he really didn't seem concerned.murthis

On Twitter, many responded with jokes and sarcasm. Others commented that it was only because Hanks was beloved that he was able to escape serious criticism for his language.

Rackcdn

Tom Hanks dropped the F-bomb on Good Morning America. This will upset/enrage people more than when we blew up Alderaan. #GMADeath Star PR

Tom Hanks dropped an F-bomb on GMA today. Good morning indeed! #HanksForThatDoug Benson

Tom Hanks Drops F-Bomb on Good Morning America. Authorities Say No One Survived the Blast.Mark Campbell

Tom Hanks said it wasn't optimal that he dropped the f-bomb on Good Effing Morning America.Dave Justus

Tom Hanks said the #f-word on #GMA . The #American youth is now surely destined for destruction, unhappiness and failure. #hypocrisyTuukka Pasanen

@nprnews THE HORROR! Tom Hanks talks like a real human being!Worser

Breaking News: Tom Hanks shocks America with live TV f-bomb, the same one the average American uses 15-20 times a day.Gerasimos Manolatos

ok, so tom hanks dropped an f-bomb on GMA. interesting. y'know what, i don't give a crap. i seriously dont. in fact, i think that's awesome.Anthony Lewis

Not only does @tomhanks take some pretty awesome fan photos, but he also dropped the f bomb on GMA. Why? Cuz he's Tom Hanks people! #duhLaura Kamada

"Tom Hanks Lets F-Bomb Slip on Good Morning America." I can't believe this headline is higher than the actual bomb in Beirut.Ben Greenman

Tom Hanks. Poisoning the mind of children one f-bomb at a time.Captain America

Only Tom Hanks can say the F word on live national TV and people laugh it off. Only if I can be as cool as him someday....Chris Berdan

@OpieRadio he said it and my sons eardrums exploded. thanks tom hanks. a lawsuit will followcel

Warmup:I'm not the pheasant pluckerI'm the pheasant plucker's mateI am only plucking pheasants'cause the pheasant plucker's running lateJeffrey Umberger

@JeffreyUmberger Maybe that's what Tom Hanks was trying to say this morning.Dave Justus

Tom Hanks was so not sorry dropping an F bomb. I think that was one of the greater things I have watched.Aaron Zaremski

Tom Hanks can do NO wrong. What ever he did, it was somebody else's fault. End of story.devon sawa

Only Tom Hanks can get away with saying F*%$ on Good Morning America. And maybe some little baby or Jesus.N. Bennett Marble

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rare scotch sets record price

An extremely rare bottle of Glenfiddich single malt scotch has sold at auction in Toronto for the Canadian record price of $52,000.

Only 11 bottles of Glenfiddich Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve 55 year old scotch are known to exist — and now one of them belongs to Dave and Paurie — a scotch loving couple from Etobicoke, Ontario who revealed only their first names after placing their winning bid.

Canada's lone bottle of Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve was the first item up for bid Friday in the Vintages auction at Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto.

More than 1,100 lots of rare wines valued at $2.3 million will also be offered for bidding at the two-day event.

All proceeds will go to Wounded Warriors, a not-for-profit organization that assists and improves the quality of life of wounded Canadian soldiers and their families.

This is the 11th annual auction put on by Vintages, the fine wine and premium spirits division of the Ontario liquor board.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tom Hanks drops 'F-bomb' during live TV interview

[View the story "Tom Hanks drops 'F-bomb' during live TV interview" on Storify]

Storified by CBC News Community · Fri, Oct 19 2012 09:11:46

Tom Hanks F-Bombbustedcoverage

Coming up next, I'm sitting down with Tom Hanks to talk about his riveting new movie Cloud Atlas! Stay tuned @gma ! #cloudatlasElizabeth Vargas

Actor Tom Hanks got a little too into his role for an upcoming movie during an interview with Elizabeth Vargas on Good Morning America.

Vargas asked Hanks about the accent he uses for one of the characters he plays in the movie Cloud Atlas. Hanks responded by talking in character and then accidentally uttered an obscenity, or as just about everyone on the internet says, "dropped an F-bomb".

Imgur

(Above, a picture of Hanks in Cloud Atlas).

Hanks quickly apologized on air, as did Vargas. Then he took to Twitter to reiterate his apology.

For GMA, spesh kowtow for Lizzie V for WHAT DID I JUST SAY??? Oops! In character! Sorry! HanxTom Hanks

Some of his fans responded to his Tweet and they didn't seem to mind.

@tomhanks :) you're awesome. I said same word once not realizing my kid was right behind me. I reacted same & I wasn't in character.Anabella Poland

@tomhanks Its ok, Tom. Could see how mortified you were. People do it. Still love you :0)Karen O'Lone-Hahn

@tomhanks it's okay! You're Tom Hanks! So nice, everyone knows you would never mean to do it! It was obviously an honest mistake.PrincessCuppycake

Actress Denise Richards also weighed in.

@tomhanks there was actually something quite endearing about your eff up..Denise Richards

Meanwhile, Gawker obtained a statement from ABC which reads, "This morning Tom Hanks accidently [sic] used an expletive during a live interview on 'GMA' with Elizabeth Vargas. They both immediately apologized on air, and the show was corrected for the all subsequent feeds."

Over on Reddit, the video was posted multiple times, and Redditors weighed in.

I am looking forward to the day when nobody even bats an eye when a curse word is uttered in the media. It probably won't happen in my lifetime, but, someday.jeebus_krist

This already exists. It's called 'not America'.Gsicht

This is why I love Tom Hanks and the best part was that he really didn't seem concerned.murthis

On Twitter, many responded with jokes and sarcasm. Others commented that it was only because Hanks was beloved that he was able to escape serious criticism for his language.

Rackcdn

Tom Hanks dropped the F-bomb on Good Morning America. This will upset/enrage people more than when we blew up Alderaan. #GMADeath Star PR

Tom Hanks dropped an F-bomb on GMA today. Good morning indeed! #HanksForThatDoug Benson

Tom Hanks Drops F-Bomb on Good Morning America. Authorities Say No One Survived the Blast.Mark Campbell

Tom Hanks said it wasn't optimal that he dropped the f-bomb on Good Effing Morning America.Dave Justus

Tom Hanks said the #f-word on #GMA . The #American youth is now surely destined for destruction, unhappiness and failure. #hypocrisyTuukka Pasanen

@nprnews THE HORROR! Tom Hanks talks like a real human being!Worser

Breaking News: Tom Hanks shocks America with live TV f-bomb, the same one the average American uses 15-20 times a day.Gerasimos Manolatos

ok, so tom hanks dropped an f-bomb on GMA. interesting. y'know what, i don't give a crap. i seriously dont. in fact, i think that's awesome.Anthony Lewis

Not only does @tomhanks take some pretty awesome fan photos, but he also dropped the f bomb on GMA. Why? Cuz he's Tom Hanks people! #duhLaura Kamada

"Tom Hanks Lets F-Bomb Slip on Good Morning America." I can't believe this headline is higher than the actual bomb in Beirut.Ben Greenman

Tom Hanks. Poisoning the mind of children one f-bomb at a time.Captain America

Only Tom Hanks can say the F word on live national TV and people laugh it off. Only if I can be as cool as him someday....Chris Berdan

@OpieRadio he said it and my sons eardrums exploded. thanks tom hanks. a lawsuit will followcel

Warmup:I'm not the pheasant pluckerI'm the pheasant plucker's mateI am only plucking pheasants'cause the pheasant plucker's running lateJeffrey Umberger

@JeffreyUmberger Maybe that's what Tom Hanks was trying to say this morning.Dave Justus

Tom Hanks was so not sorry dropping an F bomb. I think that was one of the greater things I have watched.Aaron Zaremski

Tom Hanks can do NO wrong. What ever he did, it was somebody else's fault. End of story.devon sawa

Only Tom Hanks can get away with saying F*%$ on Good Morning America. And maybe some little baby or Jesus.N. Bennett Marble

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rare scotch sets record price

An extremely rare bottle of Glenfiddich single malt scotch has sold at auction in Toronto for the Canadian record price of $52,000.

Only 11 bottles of Glenfiddich Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve 55 year old scotch are known to exist — and now one of them belongs to Dave and Paurie — a scotch loving couple from Etobicoke, Ontario who revealed only their first names after placing their winning bid.

Canada's lone bottle of Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve was the first item up for bid Friday in the Vintages auction at Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto.

More than 1,100 lots of rare wines valued at $2.3 million will also be offered for bidding at the two-day event.

All proceeds will go to Wounded Warriors, a not-for-profit organization that assists and improves the quality of life of wounded Canadian soldiers and their families.

This is the 11th annual auction put on by Vintages, the fine wine and premium spirits division of the Ontario liquor board.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tiny, 3-lb chihuahua designated 'dangerous dog'

A Windsor, Ont., chihuahua that can easily fit inside a purse has been designated a dangerous dog after a letter carrier claims it bit her on an ankle.

The woman didn't want to make a big fuss about it, but her manager decided to file a police report on the dog attack based on Canada Post policies.

The designation means the owner is required to muzzle Molly, which weighs three pounds, and display a dangerous dog warning sign on the property because officials say "it's a danger to society."

"We don't even know if we can find a muzzle because her mouth is so tiny," said owner Mitzie Scott.

Mitzie and her husband Jason own the dog and said the designation is a joke.

"We have to warn people upon coming onto our premise that we have a vicious dog on site," she said.

The city is also forcing the couple to purchase a $1-million insurance policy on the chihuahua.

"It just seems so severe to me. We love the dog and we can't get rid of the dog, but also that's a very expensive monthly expense," said Mitzie.

Mitzie said her husband was doing yard work when it happened.

"I didn't realize when I let the dog out that he had the side gate open and she kind of snuck out the front," said Mitzie. "I didn't see anything, I just heard her bark."

Soon after the alleged bite, city and health officials arrived at the home and quarantined the dog, she said. The couple wanted to appeal the decision because they didn't see the bite mark, a picture or even a medical report.

Mitzie said the dog has never bit anyone before.

"I didn't know what my dog did, maybe my dog jumped up and scratched her," said Mitzie "I didn't see it, I just took her word for it."

Coun. Ron Jones is on the city's licensing commission and said this is not as silly as it may sound.

"Nowhere in the bylaw does it indicate that a dog has to be 50 pounds to be designated as a dangerous dog," said Jones

The decision is not sitting well with Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis. He's concerned about the attention this story is starting to get.

"Media is going to have fun with this one, and we'll probably get national attention on this one as well." said Francis. "Unfortunately, the owner of the dog, in my opinion, based on the information that has been shared with me, demonstrated mitigating factors that would have given the licensing commission opportunity to consider other options."

The biting incident happened in August while the postal worker was on her Matthew Brady Boulevard route in east Windsor.

The city's licensing commission rejected an appeal by Molly's owner, Jason, to reverse its decision.

"I don't want to sound like I'm not taking responsibility because it's my fault, she slipped out," Mitzie said. "She's three pounds, sometimes accidents happen. I just thought the consequences were just so extreme."

The couple thinks a warning for the first offence would have been an appropriate punishment.

Should small dogs be designated as a danger to society?

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mars Curiosity rover gets first taste of Martian dirt

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has taken its first bite of Martian soil and dug up a mini-mystery for scientists: a bright white speck amid the reddish dirt.

The rover took its first scoops of soil earlier this week — samples of which will be analyzed to determine whether the Red Planet was ever favourable for microbial life — and found the odd fleck in a windblown and sandy area NASA has dubbed Rocknest.

It looks out of place, but scientists said Thursday it's likely native Martian material. It is only one millimetre in size and was spotted after the rover used its mechanical scoop to dig up some dust.

This bright particle was found in a dusty patch of Martian soil dubbed Rocknest by NASA's Mars Curiosity Rover this week. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS )

The discovery comes after the team found a 1.3 centimetre-long piece of light-toned material on Oct. 7, which they later determined was debris from the spacecraft itself. But the tiny white granule is likely not a foreign object, scientists said Thursday.

"We plan to learn more both about the spacecraft material and about the smaller, bright particles," said Curiosity project manager Richard Cook of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, in a statement.

"We will finish determining whether the spacecraft material warrants concern during future operations. The native Mars particles become fodder for the mission's scientific studies."

Analyzing for signs of microbial life on Red Planet

Curiosity has been scooping samples from "Rocknest," a 2.5-by-five-metre patch.

It used a motorized, clamshell-shaped trowel — one of several tools on the end of its robotic arm — to scoop up a bit of dirt.

Earlier this month, it took its first two samples, which were not analyzed, but were passed through the rover's equipment to scrub its internal surfaces.

The aim was to cleanse the equipment to make sure the sample analyzed was clearly Martian, without any residual materials from Earth.

The third sample, taken on Oct. 16, was picked up by the rover's robotic arm and was the first to be delivered to CheMin, a device that identifies and measures mineral composition, NASA said on Thursday.

More samples will be taken and used to cleanse its other analytical instrument, called the Sample Analysis at Mars, or SAM, similar to CheMin.

Afterwards, later samples will be delivered to SAM, which analyze the material for hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon — elements associated with life.

With files from the Associated Press

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tiny, 3-lb chihuahua designated 'dangerous dog'

A Windsor, Ont., chihuahua that can easily fit inside a purse has been designated a dangerous dog after a letter carrier claims it bit her on an ankle.

The woman didn't want to make a big fuss about it, but her manager decided to file a police report on the dog attack based on Canada Post policies.

The designation means the owner is required to muzzle Molly, which weighs three pounds, and display a dangerous dog warning sign on the property because officials say "it's a danger to society."

"We don't even know if we can find a muzzle because her mouth is so tiny," said owner Mitzie Scott.

Mitzie and her husband Jason own the dog and said the designation is a joke.

"We have to warn people upon coming onto our premise that we have a vicious dog on site," she said.

The city is also forcing the couple to purchase a $1-million insurance policy on the chihuahua.

"It just seems so severe to me. We love the dog and we can't get rid of the dog, but also that's a very expensive monthly expense," said Mitzie.

Mitzie said her husband was doing yard work when it happened.

"I didn't realize when I let the dog out that he had the side gate open and she kind of snuck out the front," said Mitzie. "I didn't see anything, I just heard her bark."

Soon after the alleged bite, city and health officials arrived at the home and quarantined the dog, she said. The couple wanted to appeal the decision because they didn't see the bite mark, a picture or even a medical report.

Mitzie said the dog has never bit anyone before.

"I didn't know what my dog did, maybe my dog jumped up and scratched her," said Mitzie "I didn't see it, I just took her word for it."

Coun. Ron Jones is on the city's licensing commission and said this is not as silly as it may sound.

"Nowhere in the bylaw does it indicate that a dog has to be 50 pounds to be designated as a dangerous dog," said Jones

The decision is not sitting well with Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis. He's concerned about the attention this story is starting to get.

"Media is going to have fun with this one, and we'll probably get national attention on this one as well." said Francis. "Unfortunately, the owner of the dog, in my opinion, based on the information that has been shared with me, demonstrated mitigating factors that would have given the licensing commission opportunity to consider other options."

The biting incident happened in August while the postal worker was on her Matthew Brady Boulevard route in east Windsor.

The city's licensing commission rejected an appeal by Molly's owner, Jason, to reverse its decision.

"I don't want to sound like I'm not taking responsibility because it's my fault, she slipped out," Mitzie said. "She's three pounds, sometimes accidents happen. I just thought the consequences were just so extreme."

The couple thinks a warning for the first offence would have been an appropriate punishment.

Should small dogs be designated as a danger to society?

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Baby elephant rescued from pit in Kenya

Video of a Kenya-based conservation group rescuing a baby elephant from a water-filled pit has become an internet sensation after it was posted to YouTube last week.

In the five-minute video, posted by the not-for-profit Amboseli Trust for Elephants on Oct. 12, a group of people work to free the eight-month-old calf after first chasing its mother away.

After several failed attempts, the rescuers manage to get a rope around the baby elephant before pulling it out of the pit. They then guide the calf towards its mother in Amboseli National Park, located in southern Kenya near the border with Tanzania.

"Luckily the report came in early in the morning and we were able to get there quick before the mother was forced to leave by herders arriving to water their cattle," the group wrote in the video's description.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Huge eyeball found on Florida beach likely came from swordfish

Experts say a giant eyeball that washed up on a Florida beach last week likely came from a swordfish.

Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission say they based their conclusion on the eyeball's colour, size and structure, along with the presence of bone around it. Genetic testing will be done to confirm the identification.

Wildlife officials say swordfish are commonly fished at this time of year in the Florida Straits offshore of South Florida. That's where the softball-sized eyeball turned up Wednesday. Officials who examined the eyeball said it appeared to have been cut out by a fisherman.

The discovery and photos of the big eye created a buzz on the Internet.

"Something like this gets the public very excited about the mysterious realm of the ocean," said Heather Bracken-Grissom, an assistant professor in the marine science program at Florida International University in Miami.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Binders full of women' remark in U.S. debate sparks Twitter frenzy

CBC News Community team, from left to right: Andrew Yates, Andrea Lee-Greenberg, Lauren O'Neil, John Bowman

If you're part of the CBC News community, you're likely to meet one of us: we're the folks working to produce and promote your stories. Read more about us.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Free gun offered with engagement ring in U.S.

An U.S. jeweller is offering free rifles for husbands-to-be who spend at least $1,999 US on an engagement ring at his store.

The free rifle for a ring deal starts Thursday and runs until the end of October. (iStock)

Jeweller Harold van Beek told KCRG near Cedar Rapids, Iowa, that he wanted to "do something for the boy who doesn't like to hunt for diamonds but likes to hunt for deer."

The deal at Jewelry By Harold in North Liberty starts Thursday and will run through the end of October.

The rifle offer is subject to Iowa laws on gun ownership. Those barred include felons and addicts.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

CBC's Peter Mansbridge goes Gangnam Style

Peter Mansbridge busted out his best dance moves in a parody video of the South Korean pop song Gangnam Style, alongside members of the Ontario-based Stratford Shakespeare Festival.

The chief correspondent of CBC News can be seen singing and imitating the horse-riding dance of rapper Psy — whose song has become a worldwide hit inspiring countless parodies — in a cameo appearance with the cast and crew of 42nd Street and The Pirates of Penzance.

Mansbridge posted a link to the video on Twitter, saying, "Be kind. I know I can't dance or sing but it's all good fun for a great Festival Theatre!"

The Gangnam Style parody was posted to YouTube on Monday under an account that appears to belong to Jay T. Schramek, an employee with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Giant eyeball found on Florida beach likely from swordfish

Experts in Florida say a giant eyeball that washed up on a beach last week likely came from a swordfish.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Monday they based their conclusion on the eyeball's color, size and structure, along with the presence of bone around it. Genetic testing will be done to confirm the identification.

Wildlife officials say swordfish are commonly fished at this time of year in the Florida Straits offshore of South Florida. That's where the softball-sized eyeball turned up Wednesday.

The discovery and photos of the big eye created a buzz on the Internet.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Swimming with tuna suggested as tourist draw

Adult tuna can weigh more than 500 kilograms. (CP)

Prince Edward Island tourism operators could make big money offering people a chance to swim with tuna, says an American author and professor.

Carl Safina, who teaches at Stony Brook University, was in P.E.I. this fall filming a documentary with a Nova Scotia film crew. While on the Island he swam with a group of tuna off of North Lake.

Safina said being in the water gave him a different sense of the giant fish, which typically weigh in at between 200 and 500 kilograms.

"I think it would really change people's relationship with these fish in a way that is similar to what people do on coral reefs. There are a lot of fish on coral reefs. But the big money is in letting people dive on reefs and letting them just see how the fish really are," said Safina.

"There's an opportunity in P.E.I., and maybe even in parts of New Brunswick, to actually get in the water with these really, really amazing giant fish."

Tuna swim would be expensive

Ross Keus took Safina out to the waters off North Lake on his boat The Neptuna.

Keus wanted to show Safina and his film crew that there are plenty of fish in the area and that the hook and line method is the best way to catch the fish. Safina has been lobbying to have the Atlantic bluefin tuna named an endangered species.

Keus doesn't expect swimming with tuna as a tourist attraction will take off any time soon.

"There's the issue with the liability insurance," he said.

There is a lot of activity on the water when there are tuna in the area, said Keus. There is a commercial tuna fishery with hook and line, a tag and release program, and the herring fishery.

"Divers could get caught in nets, and if there happens to be a person fighting a tuna on a hook and line, the line is zipping tight and it could cut through you quite easily," he said.

Keus said if this idea was to ever take off it would cost about $5,000 per person to swim with the tuna in order to cover insurance costs.

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World's 3rd largest pumpkin weighed in Cape Breton

A small town in Cape Breton weighed one of the biggest pumpkins in the world Saturday afternoon.

Hundreds of people turned out for the annual pumpkin weigh-in in Millville, N.S.

Many on hand were interested in one pumpkin in particular, a monster grown by Carl Graham of Donkin, N.S.

Graham's pumpkin was in the running to break the world record for the heaviest pumpkin, set by American Ron Wallace from Greene, R.I. earlier in the week.

Though the Cape Breton pumpkin was a monster, weighing in at a massive 821.5 kilograms, it wasn't enough to topple Wallace's record-setting 911.3 kilogram behemoth.

The world's three heaviest gourds will hit the Big Apple to be carved by master pumpkin carvers. (CBC)

Graham's pumpkin was so large, it took more than an hour to get the massive gourd into place to weigh it using a crane.

It was tricky business, the pumpkin had to be intact — without any blemishes — for it to qualify. In the end, Graham's pumpkin came in third.

"Just so exciting, I still can't believe it although the pumpkin went a little lighter than I would have liked, it's 1811 pounds [821.5 kilograms]," said Graham.

"I still can't help be very pleased and very happy with what I just did."

If no international challengers knock Graham out of the top three, then Oct. 20 he and his pumpkin will be in New York. The three heaviest pumpkins in the world will be carved by master carvers and put on display at the New York Botanical Garden.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Giant eyeball found on Florida beach may be from squid

Word that a giant eyeball washed up on a South Florida beach has created a buzz on the Internet and in the marine biology community.

The huge, blue eyeball may have come from a deep sea squid or a large sword fish, said Heather Bracken-Grissom, an assistant professor in the marine science program at Florida International University in Miami.

A man found the eyeball while taking a morning stroll along Pompano Beach just north of Fort Lauderdale. He contacted state wildlife officials, who took possession of the softball-sized eyeball.

As soon as pictures hit the Internet on Thursday, Bracken-Grissom said she started talking with her colleagues.

"Any time something weird and crazy washes up on the beach, it's definitely interesting," she said.

The professor and her colleagues concluded that the eyeball's lens and pupil are similar in shape to that of a deep sea squid. She noted that a deep sea squid's eyeball can be as large as a soccer ball and can easily become dislodged.

The mystery likely won't be solved until testing on the eyeball is completed at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg.

"It's going to be very interesting to see what the genetic analysis shows," Bracken-Grissom said.

She said news of the giant eyeball traveled quickly. Relatives from California even called, asking her opinion.

"Something like this gets the public very excited about the mysterious realm of the ocean," she said.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Giant eyeball found on Florida beach may be from squid

Word that a giant eyeball washed up on a South Florida beach has created a buzz on the Internet and in the marine biology community.

The huge, blue eyeball may have come from a deep sea squid or a large sword fish, said Heather Bracken-Grissom, an assistant professor in the marine science program at Florida International University in Miami.

A man found the eyeball while taking a morning stroll along Pompano Beach just north of Fort Lauderdale. He contacted state wildlife officials, who took possession of the softball-sized eyeball.

As soon as pictures hit the Internet on Thursday, Bracken-Grissom said she started talking with her colleagues.

"Any time something weird and crazy washes up on the beach, it's definitely interesting," she said.

The professor and her colleagues concluded that the eyeball's lens and pupil are similar in shape to that of a deep sea squid. She noted that a deep sea squid's eyeball can be as large as a soccer ball and can easily become dislodged.

The mystery likely won't be solved until testing on the eyeball is completed at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg.

"It's going to be very interesting to see what the genetic analysis shows," Bracken-Grissom said.

She said news of the giant eyeball traveled quickly. Relatives from California even called, asking her opinion.

"Something like this gets the public very excited about the mysterious realm of the ocean," she said.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Google Street View car driver answers questions on Reddit

[View the story "Google Street View car driver answers questions on Reddit " on Storify]

Storified by CBC News Community · Fri, Oct 12 2012 11:59:07

undefinedImgur

A Google Street View car driver did an "Ask Me Anything" interview on Reddit, on the same day the company announced its biggest ever update to the service. Google updated its special collections, as well as over 400,000 kilometres of roads around the world. Vancouver's Stanley Park, above, was one of the new places Google added to Street View.

Over on Reddit, the anonymous Google driver has over 1,600 comments so far, and plenty of insight to share about how Google takes those pictures.

Below are some of the questions GoogleDriver419 was asked:

Whats the funniest thing you've seen when driving?LaxBro4

Just people trying to be stupid for the camera. GoogleDriver419

What is an example of people being stupid for the camera?ILL_Show_Myself_Out

Mooning, pretending to fight each other, make duck faces, give the peace sign. GoogleDriver419

Any idea how long it takes data taken by your car to make it to google maps? I waved at a car and i have been waiting for it to update to my beautiful face.captainlvsac

Usually 6 months after I upload it. GoogleDriver419

It goes to us qc at randstad so we can license plate and face blur aftergerLdsmash

(QC refers to quality control).

Indeed. GoogleDriver419

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How often does StreetView update in certain areas? The longest delay between StreetView updates? My town hasn't been updated since 2008. The data says "Copyright 2012 Google", but the same car from the previous owner has been parked in my driveway before I moved in.SoundbiteProductions

The copyright usually would display the current year. As for updating, it all depends on how often that area is used with StreetView. GoogleDriver419

Does that mean if someone's address was 'streetviewed' extensively, they would re-image it?bman86

It would have to be viewed by several thousands of people before it really gets labeled as a point of interest. GoogleDriver419

One Redditor, Dog_River_Dave, asked, "Do you have a GPS with a pre-planned route that you follow? Or is it more willy-nilly?"

I get points A and B, as well as any major points of interest along the way. For the most part, the planning is up to us. Obviously we don't do like random side streets, we usually just have a quota of data to cache. The route is up to us. GoogleDriver419

I would have thought this would be carefully planned and heavily optimised...Conradical314

The starting and ending points are, and take into account the area and where they think I'll be going. GoogleDriver419

well yeah, but I thought the whole thing would be carefully mapped out, to hit the important areas and maximise 'importance' of areas, all while reducing backtracking etcConradical314

Indeed. That is part of our job, mapping the routes. Plenty of info is provided to help us. GoogleDriver419

Who does the random streets?chewp911

Well we have quotas to meet. If we need some extra data, we will hit some side streets to meet the quota. GoogleDriver419

This Instagram shot, by Twitter user @mariejoelle, shows what the current fleet of Google Street View cars in New York looks like. 

Photo by mariejoelleparent * Instagrammariejoelleparent

Does Google keep a backup archive of all the old streeview images? I think it would be cool for people to be able to eventually access those older streetview images and look at how things were 10, 20, or 30 years in the past.snermy

Well it is still a new system. But yes they will be archived. Google Maps is archived back to the 90's. GoogleDriver419

I notice that some streets with very expensive houses are not photographed. Why is that?auroraborememalice

Just coincidence. Roads are sometimes picked based on traffic flow and current interest online. GoogleDriver419

when you guys are taking updated pictures, do you try and go through at the same time of day as the original pictures?another-redditor3

The user went on to say "The only reason I ask is that I noticed pictures from clearly 2 different days on the same road, but the time of day in both pictures is almost exact. It seemed too strange to just be coincidence."

Usually it will be the same route as used before, so given the same timeframe, it could happen by coincidence. Other than that, there is software to help blend the images, which also tries to smooth out the differences in light levels. GoogleDriver419

What kind of GPS system does the computer have? Something custom from google?smellybottom

Google Maps lol. GoogleDriver419

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Nobel Peace Prize for EU draws criticism, jokes online

[View the story "EU's Nobel Peace Prize confuses and amuses the internet" on Storify]

Storified by CBC News Community · Fri, Oct 12 2012 08:18:05

The newest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize - joining the likes of Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi - is the European Union, the Norwegian Prize jury announced Friday.

European Union wins Nobel Peace Prize - World - CBC NewsThe European Union won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for its efforts to promote peace and democracy in Europe -- an award given even th...

The president of the European Commission declared it a victory for all Europeans.

It is a great honour for the whole of the #EU, all 500 million citizens, to be awarded the 2012 #Nobel Peace prize.Jose Manuel Barroso

Still, the surprising award choice was met with derision and disdain on Twitter and Facebook shortly after the award was announced.

The 2012 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to the European Union. I'm broke, unemployed and in crisis as well, so I'll expect mine shortly.Kelkulus

Alright. The European Union won the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize for contribution "to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe."Lest we consider the double digit employment in almost every EU state. Youth unemployment at 25%-50% in countries like Spain and Greece.So, can I win the Nobel Peace Prize if I get Brady Hoke and Mark Dantonio to sit down for a meal and sign peace accords?Gordon Chaffin

Now that the EU has won the Nobel Peace Prize, perhaps their debt will be hugely reduced with the Prize Money...#NobelPeaceJokeSUHEL SETH

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Regarding Nobel Peace prize to the EU: Doesn't the prize normally only go to recipients who are still living? WOCKA WOCKAPaul Wells

I hope that Greece doesn't try to take the EU's nobel peace prize trophy to the pawn shop this afternoon.mark d. jarvis

BREAKING - Runner-up for Nobel Peace Prize was Antarctica, "a continent that has always been at peace."Mark MacKinnon/马凯

Next year, the Nobel peace prize will be awarded to planet earth for not self-imploding #NobelPeacePrizeAsma I. AbdulMalik

At least the EU didn't win the Nobel Prize for economics.Binyamin Appelbaum

Just heard about the EU, and "all 500 million citizens" (@BarrosoEU) receiving the #NobelPeacePrize. Can I put that on my CV?Matt Tams

Wow! I won a Nobel prize! MT @BBCBreaking: #NobelPeacePrize "a great honour for all the 500 million citizens of Europe" http://bbc.in/SVXCJBAdam Roberts

Europe awards Europe the Nobel Peace Prize for being Europe.Jeffrey Goldberg

Here's what our European Union page looked like on the day the EU wins the Nobel Peace Prize: ironic? http://pic.twitter.com/M9pugfuwChannel 4 News

Some, however, praised the Nobel selection, saying that the EU deserves credit for cementing the end of war in Europe.

Snark about EU Nobel aside, it deserves huge credit for tugging so much of east and central Europe toward stable democracy after Cold WarDavid Bosco

Seriously, the EU has cemented the end of war within Europe, and that should not be taken for granted. #NobelPeacePrizeRobert Garisto

The EU is an unique project that replaced war with peace, hate with solidarity. Overwhelming emotion for awarding of #Nobel prize to EU.Martin Schulz

The EU won the Nobel Peace Prize for keeping the Europeans from fighting each other for 60 years. Something the Middle East should aspire toسلطان سعود القاسمي

Others felt the Nobel Peace Prize should be given to an inspirational individual, rather than an entity.

Call me old fashioned but I'd rather the Nobel peace prize be given to a great man or woman with a personal & inspiring struggle for peace.Iyad El-Baghdadi

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Twin toddlers fall asleep in their pasta

A.J. and M.J. spent a busy morning playing in the pool and building sandcastles on the beach, says their mother Johanne Stetka

By the time lunch arrived, the 22-month-old twins had a hard time staying awake to enjoy their spaghetti.

In the end, sleep won out over food.

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Bieber, Lavigne, Gosling all relatives, sort of

Call it the Canadian dynasty of teenybopper pop and movie stardom.

Genealogists at Ancestry.com say they've discovered teen idol Justin Bieber is a distant cousin of movie star Ryan Gosling and singer Avril Lavigne. Their family link dates back to some of Quebec's earliest settlers 400 years ago, the Utah-based company said Thursday.

Ryan Gosling. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

As if Bieber didn't have enough superstar genes, Ancestry.com also said he's a distant relative of singer Celine Dion.

"The great thing about family history is that you never know what you're going to find," said Michelle Ercanback, a researcher with Ancentry.com. "It was a very pleasant surprise."

Ercanback said researchers begun tracing Bieber's family lineage about a year ago by paging through teen-idol magazines to find biographical tidbits from the pop star.

What they say they found was that Bieber and Gosling are 11th cousins once removed, and Bieber and Lavigne are 12th cousins. They share common relatives Mathurin Roy and Marguerite Bire, the researchers said. Both were born in France in the early 1600s, married in 1637, and moved to Quebec, where Roy worked as a master mason.

Avril Lavigne. (Dan Steinberg/AP)

The genealogists also said Bieber and Dion are 10th cousins three times removed because they're linked to French couple Jacques Vezina and Marie Boisdon, who were born in the early 1600s. They moved to Quebec, where they died in 1687.

Ercanback said she didn't know if these celebrity links are "sufficient to point to the existence of a superstar gene."

In July, Ancestry.com announced they had found that President Barack Obama could be the descendent of an African slave, after an examination of his white mother's family history.

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Squirrel dinner preparation may have sparked Michigan fire

Authorities say a blaze that displaced dozens of people from a southwest Michigan apartment complex may have been sparked by a resident trying to cook a squirrel with a propane torch.

Fire Chief Jim Kohsel tells MLive.com that the resident apparently planned to eat the animal and was burning off its fur on a third-floor deck at the building in Ottawa County's Holland Township when the fire broke out Wednesday. Flames spread to the roof. Kohsel says eight apartments are destroyed and others damaged.

The resident's name wasn't immediately released.

Kohsel says a firefighter broke a toe. No residents were injured.

Resident Tiffany Camburn told The Holland Sentinel that she and her neighbors had to evacuate their apartments.

The American Red Cross arranged temporary shelter and clothing for displaced residents.

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U.S. teen's 35 backflips snags world record

Texas cheerleader Miranda Ferguson, 16, flipped her way into the Guinness Book of World records.

The high school junior broke the handspring record after doing 35 consecutive backflips during a halftime performance at her school's football game on Monday.

The hometown crowd counted and cheered with each backflip.

The previous record was 32.

"'My head isn't too bad, but my back is kind of sore. I'm sure I'm going to feel it tomorrow," she said soon after the completing the feat.

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Sesame Street makers ask Obama to take down Big Bird ad

[View the story "Sesame Street makers ask Obama to take down Big Bird ad" on Storify]

Storified by CBC News Community · Tue, Oct 09 2012 09:15:36

Barack Obama's campaign released a snarky political ad this morning sarcastically praising his opponent Mitt Romney for taking on the "criminal mastermind" of the Wall Street scandal, Sesame Street's Big Bird.

Big Bird - Obama for America TV Adbarackobamadotcom

Obama has also attacked Romney's proposed cut to federal PBS funding in his recent speeches. His campaign made one of his quote into what they hoped would be a viral image on Twitter.

President Obama on Mitt Romney's priorities: http://pic.twitter.com/xp3lsWJQtruthteam2012

Big Bird has had a busy few days appearing on Saturday Night Live (and making some decidedly unpolitical jokes about birds and "tweeting") and getting praise from 2008 Republican candidate Sen. John McCain on the Today show this morning.

Behind the scenes on how "SNL" handled the presidential debate and an appearance by Big Bird: http://nyti.ms/Rqx1zyThe New York Times

"I'm for an earmark for Big Bird." -@SenJohnMcCainTODAY

Today's ad had some support among Obama fans.

@BarackObama The Big Bird campaign is a FABULOUS strike back at Romney! Be more incisive and combative in next 2 debates.Mona Claire Ravin

I love that the Obama campaign has a sense of humour. Obama for America TV ad: Big Bird http://youtu.be/bZxs09eV-VcKeris Stainton

Reporters covering the election weren't impressed with the "Big Bird" ad and started asking the campaign some pointed questions about it. .

The Obama Big Bird ad looks like the work of a campaign in panic mode. It's crunch time, when voters get very serious, very smart. So, this?Terry Moran

NBC News Calls Obama's Big Bird Ad 'Absurd' [VIDEO] http://mediaite.com/a/hdkdpMediaite

Obama campaign source confirms my suspicion, Big Bird TV ad is not airing in any battleground states. Nat'l cable onlyChuck Todd

Via @maggiepolitico -- Obama camp is out this morning with a goofy video of the Big Bird variety: http://politi.co/PSsWSZPOLITICO

Politco later reported: "An Obama spokesman claims this is going on national cable and broadcast, during 'comedy shows.'  The spot was intended as parody. But ahead of the next debate, Obama's message so far has been a defensive posture, taking on items he clearly wished he had rebutted on the debate stage."

By mid-morning, Sesame Workshop (creators of Sesame Street and formerly known as the Children's Television Workshop) put out a response to the ad: 

Here's our response to recent campaign ads: http://bit.ly/QQQDyVSesame Workshop

The statement read: "Sesame Workshop is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization and we do not endorse candidates or participate in political campaigns. We have approved no campaign ads, and as is our general practice, have requested that the ad be taken down."

The ad seems to have backfired on the Obama campaign, giving Republicans fodder for their claim that the Democrats' campaign since the debate has been has lacked seriousness.

OBAMA 08: If you don't have a record, "you make a big election about small things" http://youtu.be/fTynx1hnfig (or in this case Big Bird things)Reince Priebus

The Obama Campaign Count: 8 mentions of Big Bird, 5 mentions of Elmo. 0 mentions of Libya and the economy: http://bit.ly/SJscUERNC

undefinedGop

BIG misread of electorate by Team Obama. Yes, folks love Big Bird. No, they don't want govt borrowing to pay for it. StupidTim Albrecht

Obama Jumps the Shark with Big Bird Ad http://nation.foxnews.com/obama-campaign/2012/10/09/obama-jumps-shark-big-bird-adFox Nation

So Romney is talking about Libya and Obama is talking about Sesame Street.John Podhoretz

I, for one, am disappointed that Sesame Street has demanded that Team Obama take down the idiotic Big Bird ad. Too few have seen it.RB

Unemployment, War, Debt, the economy and Obama is giving interviews to Nickelodeon and using Big Bird in ads? Pre-schoolers don't vote!MizAmerica

I don't think it's dumb for Dems to harp on Big Bird. But this ad has the stink of death to it.Jonah Goldberg

What do Barack Obama and Big Bird have in common? One is an imaginary flightless bird, and the other is just a puppet.James Taranto

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U.S. teen's 35 backflips snags world record

Texas cheerleader Miranda Ferguson, 16, flipped her way into the Guinness Book of World records.

The high school junior broke the handspring record after doing 35 simultaneous backflips during a halftime performance at her school's football game on Monday.

The hometown crowd counted and cheered with each backflip.

The previous record was 32.

"'My head isn't too bad, but my back is kind of sore. I'm sure I'm going to feel it tomorrow," she said soon after the completing the feat.

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Anne author had trouble with P.E.I. winters

A new edition of L. M. Montgomery journals contains twice the material of a 1985 edition. (Oxford University Press)

A newly released edition of the journals of Anne of Green Gables author Lucy Maud Montgomery includes details of some of her early battles with depression.

The new edition contains about twice as much material as a 1985 published version of Montgomery's journals, which was edited to offer a more upbeat version of her life. This new publication - The Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery: the PEI Years 1889-1900 - includes both happy and sad times, including some of her early bouts with depression.

Co-editor Elizabeth Waterston said the diaries show Montgomery had trouble dealing with Island winters.

"She could say I'm blue or I'm depressed or she could simply stop writing, that's the other interesting thing," said Waterston.

"There are gaps when you look at the dates and you see that especially in the winter, even the journals couldn't cheer her up."

The new collection also includes hundreds of Montgomery's photographs, placed just as they were in her handwritten journals.

For mobile device users: Do you empathize with L. M. Montgomery's troubles with P.E.I. winters?

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Skydiver eyes supersonic fall

Experienced skydiver and extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner hopes to take the leap of his life on Tuesday, attempting the highest, fastest free fall in history.

If he survives, the man dubbed "Fearless Felix" could be the first skydiver to break the sound barrier. If he doesn't, a tragic fall could be live-streamed on the internet for the world to see.

Rigged with cameras, the 43-year-old former military parachutist from Austria is scheduled to jump from a balloon-hoisted capsule 37 kilometres near Roswell, New Mexico, on Tuesday morning. He wants to break the record set in 1960 by Joe Kittinger, who jumped from an open gondola at an altitude of 31 km. Kittinger's speed of 988 km/h was just shy of breaking the sound barrier at that height.

Baumgartner, who has been preparing for the jump for five years, has made two practice runs from the Roswell area, from 24 kilometres high in March and 29 kilometres in July.

Felix Baumgartner prepares to jump during the first manned test flight for Red Bull Stratos earlier this year. (Jay Nemet/Red Bull Stratos/AP)

And while he and his team of experts recognize the worst-case scenarios — including "boiling" blood and exploding lungs —they have confidence in their built-in solutions. Those solutions are something NASA is watching closely. The space agency is interested in the potential for escape systems on future rocket ships.

Baumgartner's top medical man is Dr. Jonathan Clark, a former NASA flight surgeon whose wife, astronaut Laurel Clark, died in the space shuttle Columbia accident in 2003. Clark is dedicated to improving astronauts' chances of survival in a high-altitude disaster.

Fears of spinning out of control

The No. 1 fear is a breach of Baumgartner's suit, which could cause potentially lethal bubbles to form in his bodily fluids, a condition known as boiling blood. There are also risks he could spin out of control, causing other problems.

This death-defying venture is being sponsored by energy drink maker, Red Bull, which has funded other extreme athletic events. The project's team of experts has a plan for almost every contingency. The spacesuit and capsule were tested in the early skydiving practice runs. The company won't say how much the project, called Stratos for stratosphere, is costing.

But whether Baumgartner can make what he vows will be his final jump depends on the weather. A cold front that brought winds to the area this weekend prompted the team to move the planned Monday jump to Tuesday. Even the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, 320 kilometres to the north, was forced to cancel its opening mass ascension of more than 500 balloons on Saturday morning because of the high winds. Those balloons took off Sunday, but winds in the 15 km/h range and above remain in the forecast for Roswell all week, and the jump can only be made if winds on the ground are less than three km/h.

Still, Baumgartner's team remained optimistic about getting the mission off the ground.

"From what we are looking at so far, we are on schedule (for Tuesday)," meteorologist Don Day said at a media briefing Sunday.

Weather permitting, Baumgartner will be lifted into the stratosphere around 7 a.m. MT by a helium balloon that will stretch 55 storeys high. Once he reaches his target altitude, he will open the hatch of his capsule and make a gentle, bunny-style jump. Any contact with the capsule on his exit could break open the pressurized suit that will protect him from temperatures as low as –57 C and a lack of oxygen. He hopes to reach a speed of 1110 km/h to break the sound barrier.

Baumgartner, who has made more than 2,500 jumps from planes, helicopters, landmarks and skyscrapers over the past 25 years, promises this jump will be his last.

He says he plans to settle down with his girlfriend and fly helicopters on mountain rescue and firefighting missions in the U.S. and Austria.

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Human scarecrow battles birds in post-graduation gig

Jamie Fox makes £250 a week chasing hungry birds away from a farmer's field. (Martyn Fox/PA)

A recent graduate gaining fame as the human scarecrow is already being described as outstanding in his field.

Jamie Fox may not have thought his post-university days would be spent chasing partridges and pheasants out of rapeseed fields in Norfolk, England -- but the young man tells local media it's not a bad job.

"I usually take an assortment of weapons in the form of instruments," he said in a BBC radio interview Monday. He added that he sketches, listens to podcasts, snaps photos and hones his ukulele skills when the skies are clear.

Fox has described his job as a battle of wits, explaining that the birds are rather clever and seem to be able to tell when he's off his guard.

"I dozed off last week and as I woke up there was a whole group of them just staring at me," said the graduate, who uses everything from cowbells to accordions to drive the birds away.

Fox admits that the job isn't what he had in mind when working toward his degrees in English and Music.

"I don't think anybody likes to imitate inanimate objects," he joked, adding that no one aspires to be an alarm clock or a microwave.

Have you ever accepted an opportunity completely out of your field, or unrelated to your education? What's the oddest job you've ever taken on? 

Would you sign up as a human scarecrow?

(This survey is not scientific. Results are based on reader's replies.)

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Price is Right male model search names winner

A Boston man has triumphed in an online competition to become a male model on The Price is Right.

The long-running show, now hosted by comedy star Drew Carey, announced on Friday's episode that Rob Wilson of Boston had landed the role, which lasts for one week beginning Oct. 15.

The Price is Right, which celebrated four consecutive decades on the air in September, announced a contest searching for its first male model over the summer. Hundreds of hopefuls flooded the initial Los Angeles casting call held in late August. A five-part series about the model search streamed on the classic game show's website.

The field of competitors was eventually narrowed to 26 contestants who were required to compete in challenges, including penning and singing lyrics for The Price is Right theme song. Viewers then voted for their favourite.

Both the original version of The Price is Right (which aired from 1956 to 1965) and the relaunched version (broadcast by CBS since 1972) have employed female models to showcase and demonstrate items and prizes available to be won on the game show.

Men have served as models in certain instances, including the show's announcers and visitors from other CBS shows making "crossover" appearances.

With files from The Associated Press

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'Cardboard Playdium' inspired by Caine's Arcade

A Toronto warehouse for creative types was transformed into a cardboard funhouse on Saturday, when the Centre for Social Innovation invited children and their parents to set up and play home-made arcade games inspired by a heartwarming viral video.

The social enterprise organized the Global Cardboard Challenge as a tribute to nine-year-old Caine Monroy, whose cardboard gaming constructions in Los Angeles became the subject of a short documentary. The short became an online sensation over the summer, logging millions of views.

The do-it-yourself arcade projects were brought together to the Artscape Wychwood Barns, where adults and children were encouraged to assemble and play each other's creations in a 650-square-metre "Cardboard Playdium."

Patrons were able to buy "Pay What You Can" Fun Passes, with the suggested donation being $2.

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Price is Right male model search names winner

A Boston man has triumphed in an online competition to become a male model on The Price is Right.

The long-running show, now hosted by comedy star Drew Carey, announced on Friday's episode that Rob Wilson of Boston had landed the role, which lasts for one week beginning Oct. 15.

The Price is Right, which celebrated four consecutive decades on the air in September, announced a contest searching for its first male model over the summer. Hundreds of hopefuls flooded the initial Los Angeles casting call held in late August. A five-part series about the model search streamed on the classic game show's website.

The field of competitors was eventually narrowed to 26 contestants who were required to compete in challenges, including penning and singing lyrics for The Price is Right theme song. Viewers then voted for their favourite.

Both the original version of The Price is Right (which aired from 1956 to 1965) and the relaunched version (broadcast by CBS since 1972) have employed female models to showcase and demonstrate items and prizes available to be won on the game show.

Men have served as models in certain instances, including the show's announcers and visitors from other CBS shows making "crossover" appearances.

With files from The Associated Press

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#CanadianBondMovies trends on Twitter

[View the story "#CanadianBondMovies trends on Twitter" on Storify]

Storified by CBC News Community · Fri, Oct 05 2012 12:40:39

undefinedImgur

Here in Canada, some Twitter users decided to add a little bit of maple syrup to the celebrations with the #CanadianBondMovies hashtag.  The CBC Community Team's contribution is above.

Will Dixon appeared to be the first one to kick off the fun with this tweet:

CasinoRama Royale #CanadianBondMoviesWill Dixon

Followed by another:

A Two Four Is Not Enough #CanadianBondMoviesWill Dixon

Soon, other Twitter users joined in.

For Your Eyes, Goalie #CanadianBondMoviesAndy Daglas

Live and Let Live #CanadianBondMoviesJaime Weinman

The Mountie Who Loved Me #canadianbondmoviesChelsea Novak

Quantum of Syrup #canadianbondmoviesCaptionWritingPerson

The World is Not Enough was a popular pick to riff on.

The World is Nunavut. #CanadianBondMoviesluca nicastro

To Curl Is Not Enough#CanadianBondMoviesJordan Boyes

Poutine Is Not Enough #CanadianBondMoviessmrtmnky

So was On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

On Her Majesty's representative, the Governor General's Secret Service#CanadianBondMoviesSteven Skinner

On Her Marg Delahunty's Secret Secret Service #CanadianBondMoviesMarcel St. Pierre

On Her Majesty's Secret Wheat Board #CanadianBondMoviesemmet matheson

Still, others joined in:

A View to Parliament Hill #CanadianBondMoviesTim Parent

The Northern Daylights #CanadianBondMoviesMatej Novak

Tim Hortons Never Dies #CanadianBondMoviesGeoff King

Thunderpuck #canadianbondmoviesAndrew Bolte

Die On Danger Bay. #CanadianBondMoviesJeremy Wiebe

Winters Are Forever #CanadianBondMoviesMichael Badejo

Skydome of Solace #CanadianBondMoviesJordan Boyes

Octopussy, only rewritten as a multigenerational tale of loss and family betrayal in an isolated Maritime community. #CanadianBondMoviesmadhava

From Russia with, if not Love, a Smug Civility #CanadianBondMoviesPaul Mather

The Jour After Demain #CanadianBondMoviesKyle Davidson

Thunderbeaver #CanadianBondMoviesDavid Pearson

Octopusseh? #CanadianBondMoviesJames Nadiger

Never Say Lockout Again #CanadianBondMoviesGeoff King

Nickelfinger #CanadianBondMoviesMichael Gilson

#CanadianBondMovies LoonrakerJeff Geady

The Civil Servant Who Loved Me #CanadianBondMoviesDay Nim Ree

Codfinger #canadianbondmoviesJean Petr

Prorogue another day #CanadianBondMoviesSH

GoldenEh #CanadianBondMoviesAaron Cameron

Die Another Day (12:30 in Newfoundland) #CanadianBondMoviesJohn Sobey

Quantum of CSIS #CanadianBondMoviesMarlene Spatuk

Please Live and Let Die, Thank You #CanadianBondMoviesMattNat

#canadianbondmovies You Only Robocall Twice #cdnpoliStephen Lautens

The Man with the Registered/Unregistered Long Gun #CanadianBondMoviesGeoff King

Doctor Notwithstanding Clause #CanadianBondMoviesChristos Tsirbas

A few multiple entries as well, including one from CBC's Tom Harrington.

Thunderbay, To Russia With Espo, Lune Moonraker, The Blackfly Who Loved Me #CanadianBondMoviesTom Harrington

The Man With the Golden Puck -- The Syrup Who Loved Me -- Leafraker -- From Rimbey With Love #CanadianBondMoviesRyan Kenny

Others played up the apologetic nature of Canadians.

Dr. Sorry #CanadianBondMoviesMichael Badejo

Quantum of Sorrys #CanadianBondMoviesGeoff King

And, in truly Canadian fashion, Will Dixon commented on his own trend.

Starting the #CanadianBondMovies hashtag and watching it become a top trending topic in Canada yet lose two Followers? Pricelessly Canadian.Will Dixon

@wcdixon Also very Canadian? Politely and yet passive-aggressively complaining about it. ;) Thanks for instigating the lulz.Kyle McKeown

@kyle_a_m Guilty and well played, sir.Will Dixon

Who did you like the most as 007? Which Bond villain was the coolest? Which film in the series is your favourite?

Take our poll on cbcnews.ca below to weigh in, and see who others picked for their favourites.

Global James Bond Day: Vote for your favourite 007 and villians - Your CommunityA feature documentary exploring the creation of the 007 films will be released on Global James Bond day to coincide with the 50th anniver...

Happy 50th Anniversary to @007 James Bond! #JamesbondDayfashionweeknyc

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