Quebec toddler charms with snowboarding skills

Dec 31, 2012 | 2:00CBC News Montreal at 11 Saltimbanco wraps Video

CBC News Montreal at 11 Saltimbanco wraps Dec 31, 2012 | 2:00The Cirque du Soleil's longest-running show takes its final bow.

Dec 31, 2012 | 9:58CBC News Montreal at 11 CBC News: Montreal Late Night - December 30, 2012 VideoClosed Captions available

CBC News Montreal at 11 CBC News: Montreal Late Night - December 30, 2012 Dec 31, 2012 | 9:58Late Night News from Montreal

Dec 30, 2012 | 0:31Video Police investigate STM bus hit Video

Video Police investigate STM bus hit Dec 30, 2012 | 0:31Man in a wheelchair survives hit by STM bus

Dec 29, 2012 | 27:52CBC News: Montreal at 6:00 CBC News: Montreal - December 29, 2012 VideoClosed Captions available

CBC News: Montreal at 6:00 CBC News: Montreal - December 29, 2012 Dec 29, 2012 | 27:52CBC TV News, Weather and Sports from Montreal

Dec 29, 2012 | 1:38CBC News: Montreal at 6:00 Toddler snowboarder Video

CBC News: Montreal at 6:00 Toddler snowboarder Dec 29, 2012 | 1:3818-month-old Nevek snowboards down the big kids' hill.

Dec 29, 2012 | 29:59CBC News Montreal at 11 CBC News: Montreal Late Night - December 28, 2012 VideoClosed Captions available

CBC News Montreal at 11 CBC News: Montreal Late Night - December 28, 2012 Dec 29, 2012 | 29:59Late Night News from Montreal

Dec 28, 2012 | 6:11CBC News: Montreal at 6:00 Applebaum talks about his promises Video

CBC News: Montreal at 6:00 Applebaum talks about his promises Dec 28, 2012 | 6:11Michael Applebaum sits down with CBC's Andrew Chang.

Dec 28, 2012 | 30:32CBC News: Montreal at 6:00 CBC News: Montreal - December 28, 2012 VideoClosed Captions available

CBC News: Montreal at 6:00 CBC News: Montreal - December 28, 2012 Dec 28, 2012 | 30:32CBC TV News, Weather and Sports from Montreal

Dec 27, 2012 | 2:20News Digging out Video

News Digging out Dec 27, 2012 | 2:20Massive snowfall breaks records in Montreal.

Dec 28, 2012 | 29:59CBC News Montreal at 11 CBC News: Montreal Late Night - December 27, 2012 VideoClosed Captions available

CBC News Montreal at 11 CBC News: Montreal Late Night - December 27, 2012 Dec 28, 2012 | 29:59Late Night News from Montreal

Dec 27, 2012 | 30:32CBC News: Montreal at 6:00 CBC News: Montreal - December 27, 2012 VideoClosed Captions available

CBC News: Montreal at 6:00 CBC News: Montreal - December 27, 2012 Dec 27, 2012 | 30:32CBC TV News, Weather and Sports from Montreal

Dec 27, 2012 | 7:06News CBC sits down with Mayor Applebaum Video

News CBC sits down with Mayor Applebaum Dec 27, 2012 | 7:06CBC's Andrew Chang talks to Mayor Michael Applebaum

Dec 26, 2012 | 1:55CBC News Montreal at 11 The good old hockey game Video

CBC News Montreal at 11 The good old hockey game Dec 26, 2012 | 1:55Habs defenceman Josh Georges invites fans out for a shinny game in Verdun.

Dec 27, 2012 | 0:06News Stuck in the snow in Montreal Video

News Stuck in the snow in Montreal Dec 27, 2012 | 0:06CBC Montreal host Debra Arbec gets some help from her colleagues after getting stuck in the snow.

Dec 27, 2012 | 29:59CBC News Montreal at 11 CBC News: Montreal Late Night - December 26, 2012 VideoClosed Captions available

CBC News Montreal at 11 CBC News: Montreal Late Night - December 26, 2012 Dec 27, 2012 | 29:59Late Night News from Montreal

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German magazine mistakenly publishes ex-U.S. president's obit

Germany's respected news weekly Der Spiegel mistakenly published an obituary Sunday for former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, hours after a family spokesman said the 88-year-old was recovering from illness.

Bush was hospitalized in Houston, Tex., Nov. 23 for treatment of a bronchitis-related cough and moved to intensive care on Dec. 23 after he developed a fever. On Saturday, spokesman Jim McGrath said Bush was moved out of intensive care into a regular hospital room again after his condition improved.

'All newsrooms prepare obituaries for selected figures. The fact that [it] went live was a technical mistake.'—Der Spiegel tweet

The unfinished obituary appeared on Der Spiegel's website for only a few minutes Sunday before it was spotted by internet users and removed.

In it, the magazine's New York correspondent described Bush as "a colorless politician" whose image only improved when it was compared to the later presidency of his son, George W. Bush.

"All newsrooms prepare obituaries for selected figures," the magazine said on its Twitter feed. "The fact that the one for Bush senior went live was a technical mistake. Sorry!"

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Quebec toddler charms with snowboarding skills

Dec 30, 2012 | 0:31Video Police investigate STM bus hit Video

Video Police investigate STM bus hit Dec 30, 2012 | 0:31Man in a wheelchair survives hit by STM bus

Dec 29, 2012 | 27:52CBC News: Montreal at 6:00 CBC News: Montreal - December 29, 2012 VideoClosed Captions available

CBC News: Montreal at 6:00 CBC News: Montreal - December 29, 2012 Dec 29, 2012 | 27:52CBC TV News, Weather and Sports from Montreal

Dec 29, 2012 | 1:38CBC News: Montreal at 6:00 Toddler snowboarder Video

CBC News: Montreal at 6:00 Toddler snowboarder Dec 29, 2012 | 1:3818-month-old Nevek snowboards down the big kids' hill.

Dec 29, 2012 | 29:59CBC News Montreal at 11 CBC News: Montreal Late Night - December 28, 2012 VideoClosed Captions available

CBC News Montreal at 11 CBC News: Montreal Late Night - December 28, 2012 Dec 29, 2012 | 29:59Late Night News from Montreal

Dec 28, 2012 | 6:11CBC News: Montreal at 6:00 Applebaum talks about his promises Video

CBC News: Montreal at 6:00 Applebaum talks about his promises Dec 28, 2012 | 6:11Michael Applebaum sits down with CBC's Andrew Chang.

Dec 28, 2012 | 30:32CBC News: Montreal at 6:00 CBC News: Montreal - December 28, 2012 VideoClosed Captions available

CBC News: Montreal at 6:00 CBC News: Montreal - December 28, 2012 Dec 28, 2012 | 30:32CBC TV News, Weather and Sports from Montreal

Dec 27, 2012 | 2:20News Digging out Video

News Digging out Dec 27, 2012 | 2:20Massive snowfall breaks records in Montreal.

Dec 28, 2012 | 29:59CBC News Montreal at 11 CBC News: Montreal Late Night - December 27, 2012 VideoClosed Captions available

CBC News Montreal at 11 CBC News: Montreal Late Night - December 27, 2012 Dec 28, 2012 | 29:59Late Night News from Montreal

Dec 27, 2012 | 30:32CBC News: Montreal at 6:00 CBC News: Montreal - December 27, 2012 VideoClosed Captions available

CBC News: Montreal at 6:00 CBC News: Montreal - December 27, 2012 Dec 27, 2012 | 30:32CBC TV News, Weather and Sports from Montreal

Dec 27, 2012 | 7:06News CBC sits down with Mayor Applebaum Video

News CBC sits down with Mayor Applebaum Dec 27, 2012 | 7:06CBC's Andrew Chang talks to Mayor Michael Applebaum

Dec 26, 2012 | 1:55CBC News Montreal at 11 The good old hockey game Video

CBC News Montreal at 11 The good old hockey game Dec 26, 2012 | 1:55Habs defenceman Josh Georges invites fans out for a shinny game in Verdun.

Dec 27, 2012 | 0:06News Stuck in the snow in Montreal Video

News Stuck in the snow in Montreal Dec 27, 2012 | 0:06CBC Montreal host Debra Arbec gets some help from her colleagues after getting stuck in the snow.

Dec 27, 2012 | 29:59CBC News Montreal at 11 CBC News: Montreal Late Night - December 26, 2012 VideoClosed Captions available

CBC News Montreal at 11 CBC News: Montreal Late Night - December 26, 2012 Dec 27, 2012 | 29:59Late Night News from Montreal

Dec 26, 2012 | 30:32CBC News: Montreal at 6:00 CBC News: Montreal - December 26, 2012 VideoClosed Captions available

CBC News: Montreal at 6:00 CBC News: Montreal - December 26, 2012 Dec 26, 2012 | 30:32CBC TV News, Weather and Sports from Montreal

Dec 26, 2012 | 0:16News RAW: Truck catches fire Video

News RAW: Truck catches fire Dec 26, 2012 | 0:16Highway 20 closed near Boucherville

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German magazine mistakenly publishes ex-U.S. president's obit

Germany's respected news weekly Der Spiegel mistakenly published an obituary Sunday for former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, hours after a family spokesman said the 88-year-old was recovering from illness.

Bush was hospitalized in Houston, Tex., Nov. 23 for treatment of a bronchitis-related cough and moved to intensive care on Dec. 23 after he developed a fever. On Saturday, spokesman Jim McGrath said Bush was moved out of intensive care into a regular hospital room again after his condition improved.

'All newsrooms prepare obituaries for selected figures. The fact that [it] went live was a technical mistake.'—Der Spiegel tweet

The unfinished obituary appeared on Der Spiegel's website for only a few minutes Sunday before it was spotted by internet users and removed.

In it, the magazine's New York correspondent described Bush as "a colorless politician" whose image only improved when it was compared to the later presidency of his son, George W. Bush.

"All newsrooms prepare obituaries for selected figures," the magazine said on its Twitter feed. "The fact that the one for Bush senior went live was a technical mistake. Sorry!"

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Visit your aged parents often, China orders children

Visit your parents. That's an order.

So says China, whose national legislature on Friday amended its law on the elderly to require that adult children visit their aged parents "often" — or risk being sued by them.

The amendment does not specify how frequently such visits should occur.

State media say the new clause will allow elderly parents who feel neglected by their children to take them to court. The move comes as reports abound of elderly parents being abandoned or ignored by their children.

A rapidly developing China is facing increasing difficulty in caring for its aging population. Three decades of market reforms have accelerated the breakup of the traditional extended family in China, and there are few affordable alternatives, such as retirement or care homes, for the elderly or others unable to live on their own.

Earlier this month, state media reported that a grandmother in her 90s in the prosperous eastern province of Jiangsu had been forced by her son to live in a pig pen for two years. News outlets frequently carry stories about other parents being abused or neglected, or of children seeking control of their elderly parents' assets without their knowledge.

The expansion of China's elderly population is being fueled both by an increase in life expectancy — from 41 to 73 over five decades — and by family planning policies that limit most families to a single child. Rapid aging poses serious threats to the country's social and economic stability, as the burden of supporting the growing number of elderly passes to a proportionately shrinking working population and the social safety net remains weak.

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New Year's possum drop gets go-ahead, minus live one

A New Year's Eve possum drop that attracts thousands of people to a tiny western North Carolina town will go on this year, with one big change: it won't involve a live possum.

The Asheville Citizen-Times reports Thursday that Brasstown, N.C., will have the event Dec. 31 but with a different guest of honour.

During past drops, the possum was suspended in a see-through box covered with tinsel and lowered to the ground at midnight.

Last month, a judge ruled a state agency lacked authority to issue a permit for the drop. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals had sued, calling the event illegal and cruel.

Clay Logan has been doing the drop for years. He says he's considering using a stuffed animal or maybe road kill this year

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Visit your aged parents often, China orders children

Visit your parents. That's an order.

So says China, whose national legislature on Friday amended its law on the elderly to require that adult children visit their aged parents "often" — or risk being sued by them.

The amendment does not specify how frequently such visits should occur.

State media say the new clause will allow elderly parents who feel neglected by their children to take them to court. The move comes as reports abound of elderly parents being abandoned or ignored by their children.

A rapidly developing China is facing increasing difficulty in caring for its aging population. Three decades of market reforms have accelerated the breakup of the traditional extended family in China, and there are few affordable alternatives, such as retirement or care homes, for the elderly or others unable to live on their own.

Earlier this month, state media reported that a grandmother in her 90s in the prosperous eastern province of Jiangsu had been forced by her son to live in a pig pen for two years. News outlets frequently carry stories about other parents being abused or neglected, or of children seeking control of their elderly parents' assets without their knowledge.

The expansion of China's elderly population is being fueled both by an increase in life expectancy — from 41 to 73 over five decades — and by family planning policies that limit most families to a single child. Rapid aging poses serious threats to the country's social and economic stability, as the burden of supporting the growing number of elderly passes to a proportionately shrinking working population and the social safety net remains weak.

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Starbucks cups ask for unity on U.S. 'fiscal cliff' talks

The world's biggest coffee chain is asking employees at cafes in the Washington, D.C. area to scribble the words "Come Together" on cups for drink orders. CEO Howard Schultz says the words are intended as a message to lawmakers about the damage being caused by the divisive negotiations over the "fiscal cliff."

It's the first time employees at Starbucks cafes are being asked to write anything other than customers' names on cups.

While companies generally steer clear of politics to avoid alienating customers, the plea to "Come Together" is a sentiment unlikely to cause controversy. If anything, Starbucks could score points with customers and burnish its image as a socially conscious company.

This isn't the first time the coffee chain is using its platform to send a political message. In the summer of 2011, Schultz also asked other CEOs and the public to stop making campaign contributions until politicians found a way to deal with a crisis over the debt ceiling that led to a downgrade in the country's credit rating.

For the latest push, Starbucks is taking out an ad in the Washington Post on Thursday showing a cup with the words "Come Together" on it.

The "fiscal cliff" refers to the steep tax hikes and spending cuts set to take effect Jan. 1, unless the White House and Congress reach an agreement to avoid them.

As for whether customers will be confused by the "Come Together" message or understand that it's related to the fiscal cliff, Schultz said in an interview that there's wide public awareness about the negotiations and that Starbucks will use social media to explain the effort. The Seattle-based company says test runs at select stores showed operations wouldn't be slowed.

Schultz says the message is a way to underscore the damage being done to the "consumer psyche and behaviour" by the talks. Although he says Starbucks sales haven't been affected, he points out that Wal-Mart Stores Inc. CEO Mike Duke warned that fears over the fiscal cliff could cause Americans to pull back on holiday spending. Early figures have shown a relatively weak shopping season.

As for the negotiations, Schultz isn't taking any sides on the issues of tax increases or spending cuts.

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Man laments lack of skaters at free ice rink he built

The Calgary man who created a giant outdoor rink on his property for free public skating says he's just missing one thing to make his winter scene complete — skaters.

Last month, CBC News reported that Norm Price had transformed his property into a giant free public rink.

'I need skaters.'—Norm Price, operator of free ice rink

Price has spent a lot of time this winter in a full snowsuit and fur hat blowing the snow off his new rink.

"It is cold," said Price.

"We've got great lighting in the evenings. We've got two hockey nets; we've got a place for you to warm up. We've got hot chocolate, hot dogs, all sorts of goodies. We've got nice clear ice. We just had it flooded a week ago."

Now Price is just waiting.

"I need skaters," he said.

Norm Price says he has hot chocolate, hot dogs, candy and two hockey nets but no skaters. (CBC)

Even his neighbour from up the road, Serge Arseneault, is wishing for some. One day on his way by Price's rink, he spotted him struggling to clear the ice. Now he has started driving his Bobcat over to Price's on heavy snow days to help.

"I want some people to come in for skating right now," said Arseneault.

Price is counting on this holiday week to draw skaters. On Wednesday, he served free hot chocolate.

"Bring your family down, bring your friends down, bring your neighbours down," he said.

Price's outdoor rink is just off McKnight Boulevard on 84th Street in the city's northeast.

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$50M Lotto Max winner a Thornhill, Ont., grandma

It will be a very happy holiday indeed for a woman from Thornhill, Ont.

Susan Flam won the $50-million Lotto Max draw from Dec. 21.

The homemaker and fundraiser said she discovered she had won when she stopped into check her ticket as she bought some groceries.

Flam, in her 60s, said she is still shocked by the win.

"For me, this is the best pay it forward I could ask for," Flam said. "This is not going to change my life — it's what I can do for others that will make me happy."

Flam accepted her prize today, in the company of her husband and close friends, in Toronto at the OLG headquarters, where she was presented with her cheque.

The mother of two and grandmother of five had her winning ticket scanned at a supermarket in the town of Innisfil, near Barrie, Ont., over the weekend.

"We were heading up north for a holiday visit and stopped to get some supplies," she said. "We didn't expect anything like this to happen. When we discovered we had won $50 million, I couldn't breathe and my husband couldn't speak. It still hasn't sunk in."

Cashier Haileigh McDonald saw Flam scan her ticket at a self-check machine on Saturday. Minutes later the machine started indicating that a large prize had been won.

McDonald said the woman called her husband over, thinking she had won $50,000. He checked it again.

"He checked the ticket again, and I was like, 'That's $50 million dollars,' and she was like, 'No, no that can't be right,'" McDonald said. "I said, 'Count the zeroes, that's $50 million you just won.'"

Even though she is very excited and grateful, Flam says what is truly important is health and happiness.

"Money isn't important," she said. "This is a very wonderful gift we've been given, but I'm not an extravagant person. As long as I know everyone is well, that's what matters to me."

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'Moose Sex Project' aims for love corridor between N.S., N.B.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada has launched a fundraising program in the Maritimes over Christmas to help moose find their way to some cross-border love.

The program, dubbed "The Moose Sex Project," is aiming to raise $35,000 to buy a narrow strip of the Chignecto Isthmus — a strip of land between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

"Our hope for this narrow section of land ... is we keep it open for large animals so the moose in New Brunswick can go over and make friends with the moose in Nova Scotia."—Andrew Holland, Nature Conservancy of Canada

Andrew Holland, spokesman for the conservation group, says creating a corridor for wildlife may allow more of the New Brunswick moose population to cross over to Nova Scotia and find mates.

The Nova Scotia mainland moose have been endangered since 2003, and the conservancy says that ensuring corridors between provinces may help preserve the declining population.

He says the total purchase would create a corridor of about 100 hectares along the narrow strip of land.

The group currently has secured five properties in the Chignecto Isthmus Natural Area, which total more than 332 hectares, and is awaiting the funds to complete several purchases to complete the corridor.

New Brunswick a source of moose mates

Holland says Cape Breton moose haven't been finding their way to the mainland due to the difficulties of crossing the Strait of Canso and the population is concentrated in the north of the island.

That means the agency is looking to New Brunswick's healthy population as a potential source of mates for the Nova Scotia moose.

"Moose populations in New Brunswick are quite healthy and continue to be healthy," said Holland.

"Our hope for this narrow section of land ... is we keep it open for large animals so the moose in New Brunswick can go over and make friends with the moose in Nova Scotia."

The conservation group notes that in addition to moose, other mammals and bird species such as Canada lynx, bobcat and northern goshawk can use the corridor between the two Maritime provinces.

Holland says the area is also a potential nesting site for American black duck, green-winged teal and wood duck.

Rare plants are found on the Nova Scotia side of the Chignecto Isthmus including the Halberd-leaved tearthumb and lesser wintergreen.

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Shopping the stores, but buying online

Traditional stores are getting sick and tired of providing the showrooms for online retailers and not getting the sale.

It's called "showrooming" and it's costing retailers dearly.

In a competitive retail landscape, some customers come into a store and gain information and assistance from the sales staff, but go online when it's time to actually make a purchase. Bricks and mortar stores pay for staffing, real estate and displays, but don't see all of the benefits.

It's already been a factor in the demise of U.S. retailer Circuit City. Some stores are starting to fight back, with promises to match any other prices online. But retailers like Best Buy, Sears and others know they're facing an uphill battle.

The CBC's Havard Gould looked into the issue and filed this report. Click the player above to watch it, or click here to watch it in a new window.

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$50M Lotto Max winner a Thornhill, Ont., grandma

It will be a very happy holiday indeed for a woman from Thornhill, Ont.

Susan Flam won the $50-million Lotto Max draw from Dec. 21.

The homemaker and fundraiser said she discovered she had won when she stopped into check her ticket as she bought some groceries.

Flam, in her 60s, said she is still shocked by the win.

"For me, this is the best pay it forward I could ask for," Flam said. "This is not going to change my life — it's what I can do for others that will make me happy."

Flam accepted her prize today, in the company of her husband and close friends, in Toronto at the OLG headquarters, where she was presented with her cheque.

The mother of two and grandmother of five had her winning ticket scanned at a supermarket in the town of Innisfil, near Barrie, Ont., over the weekend.

"We were heading up north for a holiday visit and stopped to get some supplies," she said. "We didn't expect anything like this to happen. When we discovered we had won $50 million, I couldn't breathe and my husband couldn't speak. It still hasn't sunk in."

Cashier Haileigh McDonald saw Flam scan her ticket at a self-check machine on Saturday. Minutes later the machine started indicating that a large prize had been won.

McDonald said the woman called her husband over, thinking she had won $50,000. He checked it again.

"He checked the ticket again, and I was like, 'That's $50 million dollars,' and she was like, 'No, no that can't be right,'" McDonald said. "I said, 'Count the zeroes, that's $50 million you just won.'"

Even though she is very excited and grateful, Flam says what is truly important is health and happiness.

"Money isn't important," she said. "This is a very wonderful gift we've been given, but I'm not an extravagant person. As long as I know everyone is well, that's what matters to me."

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A double-double dose of generosity

The coffee ran hot and so did the good will at one Tim Hortons drive-thru in Friday afternoon.

In total, 228 customers in a row paid it forward, meaning they picked up the bill on the next person in line.

Troy Thompson, who manages the restaurant, said the energy among the staff and customers was infectious.

"They were calling out the numbers, 'We're at 162,' and they made a really big deal of it," he said. "I think that's what helped keep it going because nobody wanted to be the one who broke that streak."

Thompson said the streak lasted for about three hours, but ended when one man opted not to pay for three coffees ordered by the person behind him, even though his order of four coffees was paid for by another customer.

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World fails to end after Mayan calendar runs out

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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World fails to end after Mayan calendar runs out

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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Study suggests hands evolved to fight

A study from the University of Utah on Wednesday suggested that the size and shape of human hands evolved not only to manipulate tools, but also so that men could form fists and fight.

The study explored two facets of the fist — one, that it causes more harm to opponents, and, two, that a clenched fist buttresses hands from damage to fragile bones, muscles and tendons.

According to University of Utah biology professor David Carrier, this finding could be an answer to evolutionary questions concerning humans and innate violence.

"The role aggression has played in our evolution has not been adequately appreciated," he said.

Delicate destructive hands

Compared to our simian ancestors, humans have delicate yet destructive hands with smaller palms and fingers, and longer, stronger, more flexible thumbs. That structure enables the formation of a fist, which gives humans, particularly males with their stronger bone structure, an obvious evolutionary advantage among the great apes.

"There are people who do not like this idea, but it is clear that, compared with other mammals, great apes are a relatively aggressive group, with lots of fighting and violence, and that includes us. We're the poster children for violence," said Carrier.

'We're the poster children for violence.'—University of Utah biology professor David Carrier

Forming a close-handed battering ram allowed early human males to protect their mates and property by hammering opponents with a fist, which acted as an effective weapon in the hand-to-hand combat arsenal.

"An individual who could strike with a clenched fist could hit harder without injuring themselves, so they were better able to fight for mates and thus more likely to reproduce," said Carrier.

"If a fist posture does provide a performance advantage for punching, the proportions of our hands also may have evolved in response to selection for fighting ability, in addition to selection for dexterity."

Fists pack more punch

In an effort to record the impact of a punch, Carrier had 10 men with martial arts training hit a punching bag with slaps, shoves and punches.

Carrier found that a strike with a fist contained 1.7 to three times more force than an open-handed slap.

Also, in order to determine how human fists provide strength and stability, in a way that apes with their bigger palms and longer fingers can't, Carrier measured how much pressure a hand can take when it is clenched and unclenched.

"Because the experiments show the proportions of the human hand provide a performance advantage when striking with a fist, we suggest that the proportion of our hands resulted, in part, from selection to improve fighting performance," said Carrier.

The report also argued that fists are used as displays of threats. Carrier said that the reflexive response to anger is to form a fist to cause intimidation.

"More than any other part of our anatomy, the hand represents the identity of Homo sapiens. Ultimately, the evolutionary significance of the human hand may lie in its remarkable ability to serve two seemingly incompatible but intrinsically human functions," said the report.

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World fails to end after Mayan calendar runs out

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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Child-snatching eagle video created as student project

Three students in 3D animation are sure to get a perfect grade after a video depicting an eagle snatching a toddler in a Montreal park went viral and generated discussions around the world.

Normand Archambault, Loïc Mireault and Félix Marquis-Poulin, students at Centre NAD, have come forward to claim responsibility for the overnight sensation.

The video "Golden Eagle Snatches Kid in Montreal" shows a large bird swooping down from the sky above Mont Royal Park and pick up a child with its talons. The bird travels several metres before dropping the toddler and flying away.

The camera then zooms in on the child, who is crying but seems to be uninjured.

The video garnered over five million views in one day.

Archambault said his team came up with the perfect equation to get people to talk about their work.

"We brainstormed some ideas of what is viral online," said Archambault. "Everything that is animal related and baby related are super popular so we tried to bring both together and make something extraordinary that wouldn't happen every day."

The video took the students 400 hours to create.

The school grades the project according to the amount of views each video receives. Videos that exceed 100,000 views get a perfect score.

Centre NAD's production simulation workshop has gained attention for other hoax videos in the past, including one of a penguin appearing to escape from the Montreal Biodôme.

David Bird, a McGill University professor of wildlife biology, had said earlier that he doubted the video's authenticity.

Bird said he has never heard of an eagle grabbing a child.

"The public has nothing to fear from bald eagles in that regard of picking up their babies, and for that matter, even their pets."

Several people in online communities had guessed that the video was a hoax created using computer-generated images.

This is the second time in the past few days the public was fooled by a Montreal-based hoax.

Last week, CBC's satirical radio show This is That tricked Canadians with a fictitious story about a proposed bylaw requiring dogs to be trained to understand commands in French and English.

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Lobster pinches on menus despite record-low prices

People in Atlantic Canada can scoop up a lobster for as little as three dollars a pound these days, but restaurants aren't serving the same deals.

The region is seeing a glut of lobster this year, sparking roadside sellers to offer their product for $5. If people go directly to the wharf, they can buy a lobster for a record-low $3.

But the same can't be said at restaurants in the Halifax area, who are charging significantly more for their lobster dinners.

At the Five Fishermen restaurant, a pound-and-a-half lobster dinner is currently selling for $39. At the nearby Press Gang, it's going for $43. Diners at McKelvie's will pay $35 for the lobster supper.

Geoff Irvine of the Lobster Council of Canada said one of the reasons for the difference the number of people who handle the lobster, including shippers and distributors, who have to be paid.

"There's a whole value chain that we can work back on that. But at each stage – the first buyer, the local distributor, and the food service operator – have contribution margins. It's profit."

Irvine estimated a $30 plate of lobster would only yield a profit of about $3 at a restaurant.

Restaurants are also losing a bite out of their profit because the cost of so many other products is soaring, said Luc Erjavec, a spokesperson for the Canadian Restaurant and Food Services Association.

"It doesn't matter whether you're looking at beef, diary, alcohol, electricity, rent, taxation, wage rate, they're only going up," he said. "While the price of lobster may fluctuate and cushion the operator from a further price increase."

Erjavec and Irvine agree restaurants set their prices based on what they believe people will pay.

With files from Bob Murphy

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Ontario man says he's cracked WW II carrier pigeon code

An Ontario man says he has solved something that's stumped even Britain's top spy agency. He says he's cracked the code of a secret message dating back to the Second World War that was attached to the skeletal remains of a war-time carrier pigeon.

Before satellites, before computers, before cellphones — there was the pigeon.

Highly trained, incredibly skilled carrier pigeons delivered messages between allied troops in Europe.

A quarter of a million pigeons were deployed during the Second World War.

But sometimes even pigeons became casualties of war.

One ended up in a chimney in Surrey, England, and was never found until David Martin and his wife Anne recently started restoring their house.

"Down came the leg with a red capsule on it with a message inside," said Martin. "Unbelievable. Unbelievable. It was like Christmas. We couldn't believe it"

Inside the red capsule was an encoded message: 27 blocks of five letters each.

Code breakers at Britain's top spy agency haven't been able to figure out what it means.

But Gord Young of Peterborough, Ont., believes he has.

And even though Young is sick with the flu, he was anxious to interpret the first block of letters in the message.

It says, "artillery observer/spotter at K-sector Normandy."

Young is a history buff. He deciphered the message using a book of codes from the First World War. He says the message is written in simple military shorthand.

"This is shorthand. The acronyms are shorthand," he told CBC News.

The message is all about German troops and artillery locations in Normandy and Young says he figured it out in less than 20 minutes.

So why couldn't the British spy service?

Young says it was probably fooled into trying to crack a sophisticated super-spy type code when the one in front of them was really very simple.

"I suspect they were looking for Sir William Stevenson-type of coding rather than simple basic artillery [code] so they can drop shells on the Panzer tanks that are charging the British line."

The British government remains doubtful that Young has cracked the code.

But it is interested in looking at his findings.

With files from the CBC's Joan Leishman

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Man changes last name to HeadsetsDotCom for $45,000 dollars

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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Windsor's outdoor patios to remain open through January

In what could be seen as another sign that winter hasn't really arrived yet in Windsor, the city will allow outdoor sidewalk cafés to stay open until the end of January.

Coun. Fulvio Valentinis said council extended the deadline while staff work on a report to regulate winter patios.

"What we don't want is people abusing that, just creating a holding zone, a place to throw your cigarette butts. That's what the downtown BIA was concerned about," Valentinis said. "They want some festive decorations, some greenery, make sure they're clean. Don't just stack chairs out there."

Environment Canada says chances of a white Christmas in Windsor are slim to none.

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How to keep your Christmas tree alive longer over the holidays

By Flannery Dean, CBC News

Posted: Dec 18, 2012 7:28 AM ET

Last Updated: Dec 18, 2012 9:52 AM ET

 

Nothing makes it feel like the holidays quite like the scent of a natural Christmas tree. For those who love the evergreen smell but can't abide the falling needles and the mess of a slowly dehydrating tree, help is at hand. Here are some expert tips for improving the overall indoor lifespan of your natural tree.

First things first: make sure you buy your tree from the grower directly and not from a wholesale lot, said Evelyn Clarke of SugarLane Bush Christmas Tree Farm in Dundas. Wholesale lots cut their trees early, said Clarke, often starting as early as October.

By contrast, growers cut their trees much later in the season.

"We start to cut around November 23 and 24," said Clarke. She and her husband Winston have been selling Christmas trees for 40 years.

Extra time with roots in the ground makes a big difference to the health of a Christmas tree.

"A fresh tree from the grower is going to last three to four to five weeks, because it is a fresh tree," she added.

This year, trees may last even longer because of the Hamilton area's wet fall, she said.

"We had a rainy fall so the trees are heavy [with moisture] and haven't winterized, so they'll keep longer," said Clarke.

Another tip is to carefully choose the type of tree you buy. Clarke suggests any variety of fir tree as being the hardiest.

"Scotch Pine used to be the best, but growers aren't growing them anymore. They have too many diseases."

Once you've brought your tree home, cut away the bottom few inches of the base. Clarke likens the thickness of the cut to a hockey puck. This exposes a fresh section of the tree at its base so that it can absorb water more easily. (If you plan to put up the tree as soon as you get home, ask the tree lot attendant if they can make the cut for you.)

Once you've trimmed the base and mounted the tree, place the base in water to keep the tree hydrated. Depending on the size of the tree, the amount of water should be anywhere from one to two litres.

"Keep topping up the water—don't let it go dry," said Clarke who advises people to check the water level regularly.

If the water reservoir does go dry, you'll have to take the tree down and cut off another section of the base.

Clarke says you can also add to the water one tablet of aspirin for a smaller tree, or a couple of tablets to a larger tree, to help preserve its freshness.

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Court date set for Ikea monkey battle

The owner of Darwin the Ikea monkey will be in court next week seeking to have the animal returned to her.

Yasmin Nakhuda says she's been devastated ever since her pet was taken away and will appear in Ontario Superior Court on Thursday, Dec. 20, hoping to have Darwin allowed back home.

The Japanese macaque made international headlines when he was found wandering in the Ikea parking lot in north Toronto last Sunday, wearing a stylish shearling coat.

Nakhuda said she left Darwin in the car while she visited the store and he managed to escape.

The monkey was later taken to the Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary, in Sunderland, Ont.

The motion seeks to have Darwin returned or "the alternative, an order granting the plaintiff reasonable access on a schedule to be fixed by this court."

In her motion Nakhuda argues the monkey was "unlawfully" taken from her.

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Australian wins worker's compensation over sex mishap

An Australian court has ruled that a bureaucrat who was injured while having sex on a business trip is eligible for worker's compensation benefits.

The Full Bench of the Federal Court ruled Dec. 13 in favour of the woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, and rejecting the appeal of the federal government's insurer, ending a five-year legal battle.

The woman was hospitalized after being injured in 2007 during sex with a male friend while staying in a motel in the town of Nowra, 160 kilometres south of her hometown of Sydney.

During the sex, a glass light fitting was torn from its mount above the bed and landed on her face, injuring her nose and mouth. She later suffered depression and was unable to continue working for the government.

Her claim for worker's compensation for her physical and psychological injuries was initially approved by government insurer Comcare, then rejected after further investigation.

An administrative tribunal agreed with Comcare that her injuries were not suffered in the course of her employment, saying the government had not induced or encouraged the woman's sexual conduct. The tribunal also found the sex was "not an ordinary incident of an overnight stay" such as showering, sleeping and eating.

Government's views on woman's conduct irrelevant, judges say

That ruling was overturned in the Federal Court in 2012, when Judge John Nicholas rejected the tribunal's findings that the sex had to be condoned by the government if she were to qualify for compensation.

"If the applicant had been injured while playing a game of cards in her motel room, she would be entitled to compensation even though it could not be said that her employer induced her to engage in such activity," Nicholas wrote in his judgment in favour of the woman receiving compensation.

'Employers should have an understanding of their responsibilities and how to support their staff.'—Comcare spokesman Russ Street

In the Full Bench decision upholding Nicholas' decision, Judges Patrick Keane, Robert Buchanan and Mordy Bromberg agreed last week that the government's views on the woman having sex in her motel room were irrelevant.

"No approval, express or implied, of the respondent's conduct was required," they said.

It is not yet clear how much compensation the woman will be paid.

Comcare was on Monday considering an appeal to the High Court, Australia's highest legal authority, Comcare spokesman Russ Street said.

"The issue is a significant one," Street said in a statement. "Workers need to be clear about their entitlements and employers should have an understanding of their responsibilities and how to support their staff."

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Hobbit author university course in high demand

The first-ever course on Hobbit author J.R.R. Tolkien at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis., was so popular, the university is thinking of expanding it.

The course was taught for the first time this fall as part of the university's celebration of the 75th anniversary of The Hobbit being published. And class wrapped up just before the film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, was released Friday.

The class, which filled up fast with mostly seniors who had first dibs, looked at Tolkien as a whole, not just the popular Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Students took their final exam this week, and the course was so well received, Marquette is considering more in the future.

Joe Kirchoff couldn't get into the course. It was full and he wasn't on the literature track.

Undaunted, the 22-year-old political science and history major lobbied the English department and others starting last spring and through the summer and "kind of just made myself a problem," he said. His persistence paid off.

'You really come to understand the man behind it.'—Joe Kirchoff

"It's a fantastic course," said Kirchoff, a Chicago native. "It's a great way to look at something that's such a creative work of genius in such a way you really come to understand the man behind it."

He and the 31 other students can now boast of their authority about the author who influenced much of today's high fantasy writing.

It's the best class I've had in 27 years here ... for student preparation, interest and enthusiasm," said English professor Tim Machan. "And I can throw out any topic and they will have read the material and they want to talk about the material."

Able to study author's manuscripts

Marquette is one of the main repositories of Tolkien's drafts, drawings and other writings — more than 11,000 pages. It has the manuscripts for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, as well as his lesser-known Farmer Giles of Ham and his children's book Mr. Bliss. Marquette was the first institution to ask Tolkien for the manuscripts in 1956 and paid him about $5,000.

Andy Serkis, who plays Gollum, arrives for the premiere of the movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in New York. (Carlo Allegri/Reuters)

The university acquired the collection after it hired William Ready in 1956 to build its literary collection. Ready, who became interested in Tolkien after reading The Hobbit, in turn hired Bertram Rota, a London rare book dealer, to serve as the agent for Marquette.

Rota wrote to Tolkien and asked for his original manuscripts. Tolkien happened to be worried about his retirement finances and agreed to the sale. Tolkien died in 1973.

Ready left Marquette in 1963 to head the library at McMaster University in Ontario. The department of special collections and archives is now named for him. Ready died in 1981. Other significant collections are at the Bodleian Library at Oxford University in England and Wheaton College in Illinois.

Though Tolkien classes aren't unusual nationwide, Marquette students had the added bonus of being able to visit Tolkien's revisions, notes, detailed calendars, maps and watercolours on site at the school's archive. And they got a lesson from the school's archivist Bill Fliss.

"One of the things we wanted to impress upon the students was the fact that Tolkien was a fanatical reviser," said Fliss said. "He never really did anything once and was finished with it."

Scripts, artwork 'really beautiful'

Chrissy Wabiszewski, a senior English major, described Tolkien's manuscripts as art.

"When you get down and look at just his script and his artwork in general, it all kind of flows together in this really beautiful, like, cumulative form," Wabiszewski said. "It's cool. It is just really cool to have it here."

The class also looked at Tolkien's poetry, academic articles and translations of medieval poems; talked about the importance of his writers' group, the Inklings; and explored what it meant to be a writer at that time.

"We've ... tried to think about continuities that ran through everything he did," Machan said. His students were also required to go to three lectures that were part of Marquette's commemoration.

The Hobbit, a tale of homebody Bilbo Baggins' journey, is set in Tolkien's fictional realm of Middle-earth and takes place 60 years before The Lord of the Rings. The movie released Friday is the first of the trilogy, with The Hobbit: There and Back Again set for release on Dec. 13, 2013, and a third film to come out in the summer of 2014.

Wabiszewski said it's clear her classmates weren't just taking the class as a filler.

"I definitely expected the enthusiasm from everybody but just the knowledge that everybody brought into the class, it's cool," she said. "We really have a smart group of people in that class who have a lot to offer."

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Court date set for Ikea monkey battle

The owner of Darwin the Ikea monkey will be in court next week seeking to have the animal returned to her.

Yasmin Nakhuda says she's been devastated ever since her pet was taken away and will appear in Ontario Superior Court on Thursday, Dec. 20, hoping to have Darwin allowed back home.

The Japanese macaque made international headlines when he was found wandering in the Ikea parking lot in north Toronto last Sunday, wearing a stylish shearling coat.

Nakhuda said she left Darwin in the car while she visited the store and he managed to escape.

The monkey was later taken to the Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary, in Sunderland, Ont.

The motion seeks to have Darwin returned or "the alternative, an order granting the plaintiff reasonable access on a schedule to be fixed by this court."

In her motion Nakhuda argues the monkey was "unlawfully" taken from her.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

The top 12 internet characters of 2012

[View the story "The top 12 internet characters of 2012" on Storify]

We took a look through some of our most popular stories over the past year and pulled out 12 of the internet-famous characters our audience responded to most.

Storified by CBC News Community · Thu, Dec 13 2012 17:49:12

imgur: the simple image sharerImgur

In covering the daily news of internet culture and social media over the past 12 months, we here are the CBC Community desk have stumbled upon hundreds of fascinating characters.

Some of the ones we told you about on our blog were inspiring, some were hilarious, and some were straight up puzzling. But what each of these characters had in common was that they sparked a major response -- in us, in you, and in people all around the web.

We took a look through some of our most popular stories over the past year and pulled out 12 of the figures our audience responded to most.

Here are our top 12 internet characters of 2012.

12. Poodle Moth

undefinedStaticflickr

It's the image that launched a thousand quips:A fuzzy, winged creature with golden horns and a set of eyelashes out to theresits with its hands (paws?) clasped on a surface of indeterminate size.

Tweeters let their imaginations run wildover what has been dubbed "the Venezuelan Poodle Moth" online in late August.

At time of writing, they are still divided over whether the poodle moth is adorable or terrifying.

11. Teen Girl Fashion Model Grandpa

Offbeatchina

Liu Xianping, a 72-year-old Chinese man, became an unlikely fashion icon after modeling pieces for his granddaughter's online female clothing shop Yuekou.

Offbeat China reported in November that "reactions from local netizens havebeen overwhelmingly positive" and English-speaking audiences were similarly charmed.

Sales to the shop reportedly increased five-fold after the photoswere uploaded.

10. Dancing Australian Hurdler Michelle Jenneke

Imgur

19-year-old Australian junior hurdler Michelle Jenneke had a stellar performance at the AAF World Junior Championships in July, but it wasn't her hurdling skills that had people talking -- it was her unique warmup routine.

Footage of her dancing went viral, earning Jenneke the internet-bestowed title of "world's sexiest hurdler."

Twitter wedding proposals ensued.

Dancing Australian hurdler captivates the web - Your CommunityMeet the Community Team CBC News Community team, from left to right: Andrew Yates, Andrea Lee-Greenberg, Lauren O'Neil, John Bowman If yo...

9. Balpreet Kaur, the bearded Sikh woman who taught Reddit a lesson

Tumblr

Balpreet Kaur is a young Sikh woman whose photo was taken at an airport,posted online, and then ridiculed by hundreds on Reddit.

After taking to the site to defend herself (so eloquently that her original tormenter feltcompelled to apologize to all Sikhs everywhere), the Ohio State University student became an unlikely internet hero and poster-girl for alternative beauty.

Bearded Sikh woman teaches Reddit a lesson - Your CommunityView the story "Bearded Sikh woman teaches Reddit a lesson in tolerance" on Storify] When a photo of Sikh university student Balpreet Kau...

8. Hologram Tupac

Storify

'Holographic' Tupac Shakur wows Coachella crowd - Your CommunityMeet the Community Team CBC News Community team, from left to right: Andrew Yates, Andrea Lee-Greenberg, Lauren O'Neil, John Bowman If yo...

At the end of an April 15 performance at the California festival, Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg (now known as Snoop Lion)  were joined by a 'holographic' Tupac Shakur, who died in 1996.

The use of the late rapper's image and the technology itself both sparked plenty of discussion, as well as multiple hashtags and parody accounts.

#HOLOHologram Tupac

7. Mysterious 'goat man' of Utah

Storify

A man dressed like a goat, crawling on his hands and knees among a herd of real, wild goats has been spotted by multiple people in Utah this summer -- and the web became curious.

Many had fun with the Goat Man, assuming his identity with fake Twitter accounts and Facebook fan pages.

UPDATE: Mysterious 'goat man' baffles wildlife officials in Utah - Your CommunityCBC News Community team, from left to right: Andrew Yates, Andrea Lee-Greenberg, Lauren O'Neil, John Bowman

Utah wildlife officials later identified the goat man as a 57-year-old hunter from Southern California.

6. Sour Face McKayla Maroney

Storify

McKayla Maroney was considered a top contender for a gold medal in the vault after the U.S. women's gymnastics team won the team gold medal this summer, but the young athlete's attempt fell short. She ended up with a silver instead and she was not impressed -- or so her face would indicate.

Gymnast McKayla Maroney's sour face at silver medal wins on the web - Your CommunityMeet the Community Team CBC News Community team, from left to right: Andrew Yates, Andrea Lee-Greenberg, Lauren O'Neil, John Bowman If yo...

5. Ikea monkey

Storify

One of Canada's splashiest internet characters is the Ikea Monkey who shot to fame just this week out of a parking lot in Toronto.

The rhesus macaque monkey was found Sunday afternoon wearing a diaper and a miniature shearling coat.

He has since become an international superstar.

Ikea monkey runs amok on Twitter - Your CommunityView the story "Ikea monkey runs amok on Twitter " on Storify] Storified by CBC News Community · Mon, Dec 10 2012 04:27:38 A pet monkey w...

4. Botched Fresco Woman

Storify

An elderly Spanish woman's August attempt to restore a fresco depicting Jesus Christ turned her into a world-wide laughing stock, but her work went on to become one of the most recognizable images of 2012.

'Fixed' fresco face fiasco fuels funnies - Your CommunityView the story "'Fixed' fresco face fiasco fuels funnies" on Storify] Storified by CBC News Community · Fri, Aug 24 2012 09:01:01 An elde...

Cecilia Jimenez's restoration of Ecce Homo, which many found to be humourous, now attracts crowds of tourists to her small town in northeast Spain -- so many so that she reportedly sought royalties for the work in September.

According to the Spanish newspaper El Correro, the octogenarian hired a lawyer to copyright the image, which a BBC correspondent likened to "a crayon sketch of a very hairy monkey in an ill-fitting tunic."

3. NASA Mohawk Guy Mohawk Ferdowsi

Storify

The landing of the Mars Curiosity Rover this August was a major victory for modern science, but it would appear as though many viewers of NASA's Mission Control live stream failed to notice what was happening on the red planet.

They were too distracted by stars on one handsome young scientist's head.

'NASA Mohawk Guy' rockets to fame - Your CommunityMeet the Community Team CBC News Community team, from left to right: Andrew Yates, Andrea Lee-Greenberg, Lauren O'Neil, John Bowman If yo...

With his red-tinged, star-flanked Mohawk and striking good looks, Ferdowsi stood out among his blue-shirted brethren at NASA, and the internet took notice in big way.

Storify

2. Psy

Tumblr

34-year-old South Korean rapper and reality TVpersonality Psy (whose real name is Jae-Sang Park) is the man behindinternational viral sensation and most-viewed YouTube video of all time "Gangnam Style" -- you know the one. It's got millions aroundthe globe obsessed with his moves, style and and music.

We followed up on our August story about Psy with a top 10 Gangnam Style parodies post in September, but could easily have done 100 more.

Psy will go down in history as one of the internet, and then pop culture's biggest success stories of all time.

The top 10 'Gangnam Style' parodies - Your CommunitySep 18, 2012 ... The top 10 'Gangnam Style' parodies .... Our Top 10 TIFF 2012 Star Spotting submissions from the CBC Community...

1. The Mars Curiosity Rover

undefinedTwimg

Of all the characters we followed this year, the Mars Curiosity rover was the most written about. While not technically an autonomous being, the internet gave Mars Curiosity a life of its own through parody Twitter accounts like SarcasticRover and image macros galore.

Businessinsider

NASA even gave the rover its own voice with an official @MarsCuriosity Twitter account. It now has over 1.2 million followers.

Here are a few of our favourite Mars Curiosity stories from 2012.

Hushed Mars Curiosity discovery sparks wild predictions - Your CommunityView the story "Hushed Mars Curiosity find inspires hilarious predictions" on Storify] The Mars Curiosity rover has made a discovery "for...

Curiosity rover shoots Mars with a laser #PewPew - Your CommunityView the story "Curiosity rover shoots Mars with a laser #PewPew" on Storify] Storified by CBC News Community · Mon, Aug 20 2012 09:08:14...

NASA crew behind Mars Curiosity rover answer questions on Reddit - Your CommunitySo far, mine is this one. -Keri/@KeriOnMars Does Curiosity get wake-up songs every morning like the other Mars rovers got? If so, what ha...

Mars rover photos spark UFO speculation - Your CommunityView the story "Mars rover photos spark UFO speculation" on Storify] Storified by CBC News Community · Thu, Aug 23 2012 14:33:18 It was b...

Unfortunately, we couldn't include every internet character we were fascinated with this year. You'd be reading all night! Here's a list of some we might have included if the list went on.

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No, dogs don't have to be bilingual in Montreal

A fictitious story about a controversial Montreal bylaw proposal requiring dogs to be comfortable in the country's two official languages has rippled through the realms of social media and fooled even some seasoned news sites.

The story, a deadpan parody crafted by CBC Radio's This is That, went viral this week after the show posted a segment on its website about the "untenable chaos" that was rife in Montreal dog parks because some animals were receiving commands in French and others in English.

An interview featured a man with a French accent posing as a councillor and answering the host's questions

The show's website included a quote from a phoney Montreal city councillor, Benoit LaDouce.

"Dog parks in our city are chaotic and communication is at the heart of the conflict," the fake city official is quoted as saying.

The post spread quickly on Twitter and within hours had hundreds of re-tweets. It was picked up by social media aggregator Digg and linked to by the Drudge Report and a blog post on New York Magazine.

The latter later issued a correction, stating: "Apparently this is a fake news story produced by a fake news show. So, never mind."

This is That staff watched in awe as the story was gobbled up by social media and diffused internationally overnight.

Some tweeters immediately saw flaws in the story. Others expressed outrage that Quebec had gone too far on language policy.

"We obviously feel for the City of Montreal and city council who are probably getting some calls right now. We feel bad that that was an outcome of this, but it's a joke. A pretty funny one," said This is That producer Chris Kelly.

City officials did acknowledge they were getting an abnormal amount of calls this morning.

They directed callers to the show's website.

"The priority is making sure people understand their elected officials are not working on making dogs bilingual," said Jonathan Abecassis, spokesperson for Montreal Mayor Michael Applebaum.

"The priority is managing the city and fighting corruption."

Kelly said the response to the story has been overwhelming.

The show, self-described as a current affairs program that "doesn't just talk about the issues, it fabricates them," has seen some of its segments go viral before by unwitting social media trollers, but not on this scale.

"The overarching truth that we've noticed about this style of stuff is we live in a very knee-jerk age and people sometimes don't take the time to go beyond the 140 characters," Kelly said.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

The top 12 internet characters of 2012

[View the story "The top 12 internet characters of 2012" on Storify]

We took a look through some of our most popular stories over the past year and pulled out 12 of the internet-famous characters our audience responded to most.

Storified by CBC News Community · Thu, Dec 13 2012 17:49:12

imgur: the simple image sharerImgur

In covering the daily news of internet culture and social media over the past 12 months, we here are the CBC Community desk have stumbled upon hundreds of fascinating characters.

Some of the ones we told you about on our blog were inspiring, some were hilarious, and some were straight up puzzling. But what each of these characters had in common was that they sparked a major response -- in us, in you, and in people all around the web.

We took a look through some of our most popular stories over the past year and pulled out 12 of the figures our audience responded to most.

Here are our top 12 internet characters of 2012.

12. Poodle Moth

undefinedStaticflickr

It's the image that launched a thousand quips:A fuzzy, winged creature with golden horns and a set of eyelashes out to theresits with its hands (paws?) clasped on a surface of indeterminate size.

Tweeters let their imaginations run wildover what has been dubbed "the Venezuelan Poodle Moth" online in late August.

At time of writing, they are still divided over whether the poodle moth is adorable or terrifying.

11. Teen Girl Fashion Model Grandpa

Offbeatchina

Liu Xianping, a 72-year-old Chinese man, became an unlikely fashion icon after modeling pieces for his granddaughter's online female clothing shop Yuekou.

Offbeat China reported in November that "reactions from local netizens havebeen overwhelmingly positive" and English-speaking audiences were similarly charmed.

Sales to the shop reportedly increased five-fold after the photoswere uploaded.

10. Dancing Australian Hurdler Michelle Jenneke

Imgur

19-year-old Australian junior hurdler Michelle Jenneke had a stellar performance at the AAF World Junior Championships in July, but it wasn't her hurdling skills that had people talking -- it was her unique warmup routine.

Footage of her dancing went viral, earning Jenneke the internet-bestowed title of "world's sexiest hurdler."

Twitter wedding proposals ensued.

Dancing Australian hurdler captivates the web - Your CommunityMeet the Community Team CBC News Community team, from left to right: Andrew Yates, Andrea Lee-Greenberg, Lauren O'Neil, John Bowman If yo...

9. Balpreet Kaur, the bearded Sikh woman who taught Reddit a lesson

Tumblr

Balpreet Kaur is a young Sikh woman whose photo was taken at an airport,posted online, and then ridiculed by hundreds on Reddit.

After taking to the site to defend herself (so eloquently that her original tormenter feltcompelled to apologize to all Sikhs everywhere), the Ohio State University student became an unlikely internet hero and poster-girl for alternative beauty.

Bearded Sikh woman teaches Reddit a lesson - Your CommunityView the story "Bearded Sikh woman teaches Reddit a lesson in tolerance" on Storify] When a photo of Sikh university student Balpreet Kau...

8. Hologram Tupac

Storify

'Holographic' Tupac Shakur wows Coachella crowd - Your CommunityMeet the Community Team CBC News Community team, from left to right: Andrew Yates, Andrea Lee-Greenberg, Lauren O'Neil, John Bowman If yo...

At the end of an April 15 performance at the California festival, Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg (now known as Snoop Lion)  were joined by a 'holographic' Tupac Shakur, who died in 1996.

The use of the late rapper's image and the technology itself both sparked plenty of discussion, as well as multiple hashtags and parody accounts.

#HOLOHologram Tupac

7. Mysterious 'goat man' of Utah

Storify

A man dressed like a goat, crawling on his hands and knees among a herd of real, wild goats has been spotted by multiple people in Utah this summer -- and the web became curious.

Many had fun with the Goat Man, assuming his identity with fake Twitter accounts and Facebook fan pages.

UPDATE: Mysterious 'goat man' baffles wildlife officials in Utah - Your CommunityCBC News Community team, from left to right: Andrew Yates, Andrea Lee-Greenberg, Lauren O'Neil, John Bowman

Utah wildlife officials later identified the goat man as a 57-year-old hunter from Southern California.

6. Sour Face McKayla Maroney

Storify

McKayla Maroney was considered a top contender for a gold medal in the vault after the U.S. women's gymnastics team won the team gold medal this summer, but the young athlete's attempt fell short. She ended up with a silver instead and she was not impressed -- or so her face would indicate.

Gymnast McKayla Maroney's sour face at silver medal wins on the web - Your CommunityMeet the Community Team CBC News Community team, from left to right: Andrew Yates, Andrea Lee-Greenberg, Lauren O'Neil, John Bowman If yo...

5. Ikea monkey

Storify

One of Canada's splashiest internet characters is the Ikea Monkey who shot to fame just this week out of a parking lot in Toronto.

The rhesus macaque monkey was found Sunday afternoon wearing a diaper and a miniature shearling coat.

He has since become an international superstar.

Ikea monkey runs amok on Twitter - Your CommunityView the story "Ikea monkey runs amok on Twitter " on Storify] Storified by CBC News Community · Mon, Dec 10 2012 04:27:38 A pet monkey w...

4. Botched Fresco Woman

Storify

An elderly Spanish woman's August attempt to restore a fresco depicting Jesus Christ turned her into a world-wide laughing stock, but her work went on to become one of the most recognizable images of 2012.

'Fixed' fresco face fiasco fuels funnies - Your CommunityView the story "'Fixed' fresco face fiasco fuels funnies" on Storify] Storified by CBC News Community · Fri, Aug 24 2012 09:01:01 An elde...

Cecilia Jimenez's restoration of Ecce Homo, which many found to be humourous, now attracts crowds of tourists to her small town in northeast Spain -- so many so that she reportedly sought royalties for the work in September.

According to the Spanish newspaper El Correro, the octogenarian hired a lawyer to copyright the image, which a BBC correspondent likened to "a crayon sketch of a very hairy monkey in an ill-fitting tunic."

3. NASA Mohawk Guy Mohawk Ferdowsi

Storify

The landing of the Mars Curiosity Rover this August was a major victory for modern science, but it would appear as though many viewers of NASA's Mission Control live stream failed to notice what was happening on the red planet.

They were too distracted by stars on one handsome young scientist's head.

'NASA Mohawk Guy' rockets to fame - Your CommunityMeet the Community Team CBC News Community team, from left to right: Andrew Yates, Andrea Lee-Greenberg, Lauren O'Neil, John Bowman If yo...

With his red-tinged, star-flanked Mohawk and striking good looks, Ferdowsi stood out among his blue-shirted brethren at NASA, and the internet took notice in big way.

Storify

2. Psy

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34-year-old South Korean rapper and reality TVpersonality Psy (whose real name is Jae-Sang Park) is the man behindinternational viral sensation and most-viewed YouTube video of all time "Gangnam Style" -- you know the one. It's got millions aroundthe globe obsessed with his moves, style and and music.

We followed up on our August story about Psy with a top 10 Gangnam Style parodies post in September, but could easily have done 100 more.

Psy will go down in history as one of the internet, and then pop culture's biggest success stories of all time.

The top 10 'Gangnam Style' parodies - Your CommunitySep 18, 2012 ... The top 10 'Gangnam Style' parodies .... Our Top 10 TIFF 2012 Star Spotting submissions from the CBC Community...

1. The Mars Curiosity Rover

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Of all the characters we followed this year, the Mars Curiosity rover was the most written about. While not technically an autonomous being, the internet gave Mars Curiosity a life of its own through parody Twitter accounts like SarcasticRover and image macros galore.

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NASA even gave the rover its own voice with an official @MarsCuriosity Twitter account. It now has over 1.2 million followers.

Here are a few of our favourite Mars Curiosity stories from 2012.

Hushed Mars Curiosity discovery sparks wild predictions - Your CommunityView the story "Hushed Mars Curiosity find inspires hilarious predictions" on Storify] The Mars Curiosity rover has made a discovery "for...

Curiosity rover shoots Mars with a laser #PewPew - Your CommunityView the story "Curiosity rover shoots Mars with a laser #PewPew" on Storify] Storified by CBC News Community · Mon, Aug 20 2012 09:08:14...

NASA crew behind Mars Curiosity rover answer questions on Reddit - Your CommunitySo far, mine is this one. -Keri/@KeriOnMars Does Curiosity get wake-up songs every morning like the other Mars rovers got? If so, what ha...

Mars rover photos spark UFO speculation - Your CommunityView the story "Mars rover photos spark UFO speculation" on Storify] Storified by CBC News Community · Thu, Aug 23 2012 14:33:18 It was b...

Unfortunately, we couldn't include every internet character we were fascinated with this year. You'd be reading all night! Here's a list of some we might have included if the list went on.

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'Death Star' petition to prompt White House response

An online petition on a White House website to secure resources and funding to build a Star Wars-like "Death Star" by 2016 has gathered 26,447 signatures and will spark a response from the Obama administration.

The government website We the People was created to allow people to petition the U.S. federal government to take action on a range of issues.

The authors of the petition began their quest on Nov. 14 and passed the goal of 25,000 signatures on Thursday. Any petition that surpasses the 25,000 mark will be reviewed by the White House staff and will receive an official response.

"We the People helps the White House understand the views of the American people and have a focused and civil conversation with them," explains the White House website.

The authors of the petition rationalized the strange request for a Death Star — a doomsday weapon capable of destroying planets, which featured in the film Star Wars — by stating that the benefits of such a craft would boost job numbers and aid in national defence.

"By focusing our defence resources into a space-superiority platform and weapon system such as a Death Star, the government can spur job creation in the fields of construction, engineering, space exploration, and more, and strengthen our national defence," said the petition.

Each petition must cross two critical thresholds in order to be effective. First, it must meet a minimum number of signatures for it to be publicly listed and searchable, and second it must meet the 25,000-signature mark within a month in order to garner a White House response.

"From time to time President Obama may respond directly to petitions, but we expect most of responses to come from other administration officials," says the website.

According to the website, anyone 13 years or older with an email can start a petition seeking federal government action.

Many other petitions on the website fall short of the 25,000 signatures.

A petition for Obama to approve the Keystone XL pipeline raised 1,674 signatures.

Medical marijuana petitions were dwarfed by the Death Star, as a petition to have the plant used for medical purposes in all 50 states received 4,345 signatures.

A proposal to investigate and publicly condemn organ harvesting from Falun Gong believers in China had 10,054 votes.

In the 2001 census, 21,000 Canadians put down their religion as Jedi Knight

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McCartney fronts Nirvana at Sandy benefit concert

Rock legend Paul McCartney was among the headliners in New York City at a benefit concert for superstorm Sandy, fronting a reunion of the surviving members of the grunge band Nirvana.

The former Beatle and Wings superstar was joined on stage at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night by Nirvana's Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear.

It was the first time the three Nirvana members had played together in 20 years.

Other artists raising money for people affected by Sandy included the Rolling Stones, Billy Joel, the Who, Eric Clapton and Bon Jovi.

News of McCartney fronting the Nirvana reunion sparked a mixed — and at times heated — response ahead of the concert, which was televised, streamed online, played on the radio and shown in theatres around the world.

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Votes from internet pranksters lift Kim Jong-un to win Time's Person of the Year

[View the story "4Chan votes Kim Jong-Un to top of Time's Person of the Year poll" on Storify]

Storified by CBC News Community · Mon, Dec 03 2012 18:08:26

Nyheter24

It's been a good week for North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un through the lens of internet pranksters.

First, The Onion declared him 2012's sexiest man alive, and nowhis name is topping Time's "Person of the Year" poll thanks to 4Chan.

Members of the notoriously mischievous online image board community began encouragingeach other to vote for Kim shortly after Time opened their annual poll to thepublic last Monday.

4 the lulz: I think Kim Jong Un should be named @TIME's Person of the Year! Vote now | http://ti.me/SMFugk #POY2012Stephan Schielke

Operation: "KIM JONG UN FOR TIME'S PERSON OF THE YEAR." If you're not voting, you're making our supreme leader cry.http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2128881_2128882_2129192,00.htmlCygnus Vesalius

"So 4chan is, successfully, voting Kim Jong Un Time's Person of The Year." It's not too late to vote. #inspiration http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2128881_2129111,00.html?aSEAN 3:16

Swedish news service NYHETER24 captured thefirst thread on the forum at 9 p.m. CET. It read "Please, can not we doour noble leader Kim Jong-un to Times Person of the Year 2012?"

Nyheter24

The anonymous poster received a quick and enthusiasticresponse. More posts, and plenty of action followed - so much so that Kim nowleads the poll with a whopping 3,143,099 votes (likely with the help of automated voting scripts.)

Kim's next-closest competitor is Egyptian PresidenMohamed Morsi with 392,548 votes, followed by young Pakistani blogger MalalaYousafzai with 233, 146.

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"Operation: Kim Jong Un For Time's Person of the Year," as the mission is being called, appears to be a success, though it doesn't necessarily meant that Kim will be given the award. Time is careful to note that the publications editors will have the final say in choosing their person of the year.

Many are celebrating the victory and congratulating 4Chan nonetheless.

So, TIME magazine are doing a vote for person of the year and Kim Jong Un is top. Well done 4chan.Puke Larker

It is hilarious and ridiculous that 4chan is leading the charge to make Kim Jong Un the popular vote Time Person of the Year. #LoveItKyle Volenik

In other news, 4Chan is doing what they do best and rigging the Time Person of the Year vote. Kim Jong Un is their man- http://ti.me/TvlRdiNabil Fahim

Oh 4Chan you never cease to amaze me. Making kim jong un time magazines people of the year http://pic.twitter.com/KEQc7dpu__dirtydan

Now THIS is social in action. Reddit and 4chan team up to vote Kim Jong Un the Times Magazine person of the year. http://www.reddit.com/r/ImGoingToHellForThis/comments/13um49/calling_all_filth_team_up_with_4chan_and_bring/Rob Barac

Others, unaware of the massive plot, are confused or upset by the poll's results.

3 million votes that kim jong il should be times person of the year? did he force every north korean to vote for him?Patrick Flinn

Umm Kim Jong Un, the new leader of North Korea, has a 96% yes vote in the online Time "Person of the Year" user poll?? That's suspicious...David Winger

There's no way Kim Jong Un should be named @TIME's Person of the Year! Vote now | http://ti.me/SMFugk #POY2012Johnnie Xu

@slone The fact that Kim Jong Un(acceptable) is the top vote getter, proves how F***ED UP this country is.Wgg Films

Kim Jong Un received nearly 10x more votes for Time's "person of the year" than anyone else. That's not fishy at all. http://pic.twitter.com/Qif3tqkzOkGoDoIt

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This isn't the first time 4Chan has gamed a Time poll, either.

Just two years ago, the website's founder moot (Christopher Poole) was voted 2009's World'sMost Influential Person after amassing more than 16 million votes, beating out the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama, Bernie Madoff.

Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews - TIME.comIn a stunning result, the winner of the third annual TIME 100 poll and new owner of the title World's Most Influential Person is moot. Th...

Geoffreygolden

Not only did 4chan users boosted the then 21-year-old's rank in this case, but they were able to collectively influence the order of nominees to spell out an inside joke with the first initials of their names.

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Time did admit at the time that they had detected several attempts to hack their site, but appeared unfazed enough to hold their poll online in subsequent years. It looks like 4Chan is ready to take another crack at it.

What are your thoughts on public online polls? Are they still of any relevance, or does the ability for people to troll and manipulate them make polls worthless to attempt? Give us your thoughts below.

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Fans react to Paul McCartney joining Nirvana for Sandy benefit concert

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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New Brunswick chases man for $264 from 1997

A Minto man is upset that the New Brunswick government wants him to recover $264 in social assistance overpayments dating back to 1997.

Ron Powers received a letter recently saying the province's Department of Social Development's recovery unit discovered an accounting error. Apparently, Powers was given an extra $264 in 1997.

Powers said the department's tactic is just further proof of the province's struggling finances.

"Every time I think of it, I can't get that picture out of my head of medieval times when they come to your door and take the guy, shake him down. That's all I see out of it," he said.

"I see they're desperate, they need money and they're going to strike at the heart of the low-income earners because of the big guys, the guys that aren't paying their fair share."

He said he hasn't been on social assistance for more than a decade.

Powers also said he never received a notice that he owed the government money when the alleged overpayment occurred. But he said after 15 years, he doesn't have any documentation to prove or disprove whether he actually owes the money.

The letter he received said Revenue Canada has agreed to hold back any income tax refunds or tax credits that he claims and will pass the payment back to the provincial government.

As Powers points out, the provincial government has been looking at ways to erase its massive deficit.

Finance Minister Blaine Higgs announced earlier this fall that the projected deficit is now $356 million, nearly double the estimate in March.

The Alward government has already announced some small tax increases, spending cuts, civil service reductions and plans to sell off some surplus provincial buildings.

Jean-François Pelletier said New Brunswick's recovery unit is trying to collect $14.5 million in overpayments. (CBC)

As a part of the deficit-fighting plan, the Department of Social Development formed the specialized recovery unit.

The group has been ordered to track down more than 3,000 people who owe the province money.

Jean-François Pelletier of the Department of Social Development said the recovery unit is necessary to help recoup some of the money the province is owed.

"Because of the economy of the province, because of the fact that this is taxpayers' money we're talking about — $14.5 million in tax money that was given to people that the province needs to [recoup]," he said.

So far, the unit has recovered more than $500,000 that the government paid out by mistake.

Pelletier could not answer how far back the province will go back to find overpayments,

But Powers said if he has to pay, he wants the provincial government to give him 15 years to come up with the money.

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Smart car parking tale gets rough ride with readers

A Halifax driver who thought her Smart car was a ticket to free parking downtown is getting dinged online.

Margot Melanson used to park her micro-car in front of Province House, near her work. She could squeeze into a spot between two vehicles at the parking meters, without getting a scratch or paying a dime.

She told her story to CBC News last week, and it touched a nerve with readers. There were more than 240 comments as of Monday afternoon. She has some admirers, but many people are outraged with her, and some are downright nasty.

"I didn't sleep very well last night," Melanson told CBC.

Melanson took a different route to work on Monday. She left her Smart car in a parking garage and walked.

"I was truly afraid to bring it downtown today. I was frightened someone would do something to it," she said.

Melanson was issued only one $25 ticket in three months. Parking authorities were stumped.

Now, the city says Melanson was parking illegally. Her bumper would normally sit about six or seven metres from the parking meter, which is too far.

"The front of the vehicle can't be farther than one metre from the rear of the parking meter," said Michaelyn Thompson, a spokesperson for the Halifax Regional Municipality.

With all of the publicity, it wouldn't be surprising to see parking officers writing up the next Smart car that pulls the same trick.

Melanson doesn't know when she'll venture out with her car again. She says she learned a valuable lesson: If you find a good place to park downtown, keep it to yourself.

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