Offbeat Article

Sasquatch videos create buzz for B.C. app maker

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 31 Juli 2013 | 22.56

Two videos of apparent sasquatch encounters near Mission, B.C., are capturing media attention, but they might just have more to do with the marketing plans of a B.C. software company than real sightings of the legendary creatures.

PlayMobility claims the Bigfoot videos were submitted anonymously after the company issued a call-out for footage of legendary creatures. The company then posted them to YouTube and featured the videos on the website for its Legend Tracker app

In one video, the zoomed-in camera lens focuses on a dark, hairy-looking figure off in the distance by a lake.

The app-maker claims the video was submitted by a couple who were hiking on a logging road above Mission, B.C.

"When taking photos of the scenic views, they spotted something moving. Even though they were a fair distance away they were still able to zoom in enough to see something standing upright. Bear? Man? Something else?" the description says.

In the second video, a group of tourists stand on what appears to be a logging road, snapping photos and shooting video at a figure close by in the woods. One the tourists ostensibly submitted the video to Legend Tracker.

"This tourist was visiting Mission, B.C, Canada. Someone in the group witnessed something large moving in the woods. Those that didn't run away stayed to get a better look, many photos and videos were taken before the large hairy biped ran towards the group then away," the post on the Legend Tracker site said.

The realistic-looking videos have begun to make the rounds in social and mainstream media, sparking discussion.

While some viewers have been asking for more information about the locations where the videos were shot in order to look for evidence of the sasquatch, others are denouncing the videos as obvious hoaxes.

PlayMobility bills the Legend Tracker app as a location-based treasure hunt that rewards successful seekers of legendary beasts with augmented reality prizes.

For example, a player in Kelowna can track Ogopogo to the right spot on Okanagan Lake, and then gets to use the "sonar" feature to detect the lake monster as it swims.

The Legend Tracker app also has an augmented reality prize that shows a sasquatch walking through the forest as the user points his or her phone at the right location in the woods.

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Cop selfies' blog ignites digital narcissism debate

[View the story "'Cop selfies' blog raises questions about digital narcissism" on Storify]

Storified by CBC News Community· Tue, Jul 30 2013 14:58:43

Tumblr

Single-serving tumblrs are like fortune cookies; sometimes they're silly, sometimes they'restrange and sometimes they make no sense at all. More often than not, they'regood for little more than a quick chuckle, but every once in a while, a Tumblogpops up that prompts us to ask some questions.

'Cop Selfies' is one of those blogs.

copselfies"Let us be plain: Cops are comic objects. And not just in film, not just in comedies. They are comic objects, period." - Evan Calder Will...

Like many a viral sensation before it, the blog's URL is being shared among friends like wildfire this week. Many are unsure as to why. but it's clear that self-taken photos of police officers in uniform (the more duckface the better) are captivating the web.

Cop Selfies is easily my favorite blog at the moment. Do yourself a favor. #whyisthissofunny #copselfieschelsea michael

so I followed a tumblr of cop selfies yesterday & I decided I am pleased with this decision pic.twitter.com/01YwrTTsScem twerk

You're totally looking at the Cop Selfies tumblr too...right? copselfies.tumblr.comAmericanShortFiction

Copselfies.tumblr.com is exactly what it sounds like -- an aggregation of self-portraits posted online by police officers, usually in uniform and on the job.

The style of self-portrature falls squarely into the realm of the "selfie," which is a newer term used to describe quick cell-phone snaps taken of one's self either in a mirror...

Tumblr

Cop selfies... pic.twitter.com/S7rNn8qznWEmily

... or with one of the now-ubiquitous front-facing cameras found on most smartphones.

Tumblr

The notion of the selfie (also known as GPOY -- gratuitous picture of yourself) has been a topic of much discussion and debate in recent years as smartphones have become more accessible and the act of stopping to create a self-portrait loses some of the taboo it once held.

And yet, selfies are still seen by many as narcissistic and vain -- a sign of our culture's obsession with technology, celebrities, and the self.

Selfies: Narcissistic, Empowering, or Just Fun?Rembrandt painted dozens of self-portraits over a lifetime, but a kid with a smartphone can match that output in an afternoon. And it's n...

Writer Brian Droitcour is one of many who have refuted the notion that selfies convey arrogance, writing that "narcissism is a pathological obsession with the self that inhibits the recognition of others... The real narcissists are the ones who never take selfies. They imagine their self as autonomous, hermetic--too precious to be shared."

Selfies and Selfiehood | on WordPress.comI love the word "selfie"! People used to call pictures of themselves GPOY-Gratuitous Pictures Of Yourself. But that tag has disappeared f...

Grace Gordon agrees, writing for Medium.com that the vocal outcry against selfies is disproportionate to the massive increase in the amount of selfies we're witnessed recently.

Mars Curiosity snaps a selfie for Twitter followers, NASA ... - CBCMars Curiosity snaps a selfie for Twitter followers, NASA. by Lauren O'Neil Posted: September 10, 2012 3:30 PM Last Updated: Septem...

#SELFIE (Instagram Music Video)sylviemanaigre01

Sisters live-tweet arrest after baseball field dashView the story "Sisters live-tweet arrest after baseball field dash" on Storify] Storified by CBC News Community · Tue, Jul 02 2013 14:59...

"Possibly spurred on by any number of technical or cultural developments (documented in greater detail here by Kate Losse) - wider adoption of Instagram, an upgrade on the iPhone 5 front-facing camera - these self-portraits, love it or leave it, are becoming more and more frequent," wrote Gordon last month.

"Unfortunately, the disdain for this form of self-expression seems similarly unstoppable and to me, totally misplaced."

Who Are You Mad At: My Selfie, Or Yourself?On a Tuesday night recently (or Wednesday morning), circa 4am, I woke up inexplicably, extremely alert and unable to get back to sleep. T...

So it seems strange, almost, that in a culture with so many people self-concious about self portraits, Cop Selfies is getting such a postive response.

Are police officers immune from selfie shame, or are the images simply so absurd that they're comedic?

Tumblr

"Ican't stop looking at this new Tumblr CopSelfies andI have no idea why," wrote Death and Taxes' Alex Moore, pondering if "maybe it's because ithumanizes an archetype we're used to seeing as inhuman."

Something about this Cop-Selfies tumblr actually makes cops seem more human & multidimensional. Pretty refreshing: bit.ly/164aQqiYoni Riemer

cop selfies are unnerving because we KNOW cops are not people, and yet they share some of our most basic customs #tcot #gopafgncaap

There's vanity to be found in power, power flexed. copselfies.tumblr.comKennedy Ryan

Let us be plain: Cops are comic objects. And not just in film, not just in comedies. They are comic objects, period. copselfies.tumblr.comJiska

Come on admit it if you were a cop you'd take selfies too (P.S. we all take selfies)Silvia Killingsworth

The blog has been posting prolifically for days now, but it stands to reason that not all of the selfies will remain up. There is evidence on Twitter that some police officers and citizens are unimpressed with the project.

I was featured on a tumblr page for Cop selfies... baha! pic.twitter.com/33palswuJFRae

Attn @wacopolice RT @BuzzFeed: Cop Selfies is the best tumblr ever --> copselfies.tumblr.com pic.twitter.com/dlCjwZqZSnHeather McAnear

For their part, copselfies has volunteered to remove the images of any officer who contacts the site's administrators.

Tumblr

What are your thoughts on police officers taking self portraits? Are cop selfies inappropriate, or simply a harmless sign of our times? Weight in below.

Mamapop

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hinterland Who's Who beaver vignette found in archives

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 30 Juli 2013 | 22.55

Two of four iconic mini-documentaries on Canada's wildlife once feared lost have been recovered from the CBC Archives — the loon and the beaver.

The Canadian Wildlife Service created the "Hinterland Who's Who" series, which had its television premiere 50 years ago.

The distinctive soundtrack of the Flute Poem opens each black-and-white vignette, followed by the narration by professor and author John Livingston to educate Canadians about the country's diverse wildlife.

The National Film Board produced the public service announcements, but neither organization had copies of the original set.

By chance, the footage had been saved by a former CBC employee, who donated the film cans to the archives.

That made it easy for CBC archivist Colin Preston to dig them up when the CBC was asked to search for them.

"I just had to trot downstairs, pull the can out, look on the screen and there was the loon," said Preston, who subsequently unearthed the beaver footage from the archives..

The search continues for the moose and gannet, along with the original French-language set.

With files from the CBC's Alexandra Gibb and Sadiya Ansari

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Skunk saved from Toronto traffic as 'Iced Capp' removed

A Toronto skunk was found wandering in traffic with a Tim Hortons Iced Capp cup early Tuesday.

Tony Smyth, CBC Toronto's overnight videographer, was on Don Mills Road at Highway 401 when he spotted the skunk wandering in and out of traffic with the empty 'Iced Capp' container on its head.

"He was trying to get it off with his little paws and bumping off the curbs," Smyth said. "Obviously, he couldn't see a thing."

A City TV cameraman, Bert Dandy, walked up to the skunk and pulled the cup off. The animal ran into the bush.

"You see the strangest things on night shift," Smyth said.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hamilton couple invents self-teaching dictionary

Written By Unknown on Senin, 29 Juli 2013 | 22.56

Justin and Annmarie Page sit at the kitchen table of their east Hamilton redbrick, beaming over freshly printed copies of their new book.

The couple's first title isn't a memoir or a work a fiction. Rather, it's a dictionary — coil-bound with a black, red and white cover — specifically designed for people who are learning how to read.

"This is the people's book," says Justin, excitement booming in his voice. "We call it the 'U-Can' because with it, you can to teach yourself to read."

He's confident of this because he's used the tool himself. Justin (born Tracy LeQuyere) describes himself as a "functional illiterate" who plodded his way through school and couldn't read until age 33.

Now 62, he says the process of putting the book together has expanded the number of words he can reliably read almost five-fold, from 1,300 to over 6,000.

'Sensible' design

With around 7,000 words, the U-Can Dictionary has much fewer entries than the your average Oxford or Merriam-Webster tome. Annmarie, who essentially wrote the book, listed each word with its simplest, most commonly used definition.

But what distinguishes the Pages' dictionary even more is how it's laid out. Like in any dictionary, its entries are organized by letter. In the U-Can, however, they are divided down even further. Under each letter, the one and two-letter words come first, allowing readers to pick up foundational words and syllables before moving on to more challenging fare.

The Pages designed the dictionary to be as user-friendly as possible. (Cory Ruf/CBC)

"You have to learn those 500 words before you go any further — because that's logical, sensible, meaningful, understandable and no one's disagreed," says Justin.

The book, he says, has other features that make using it even handier. The alphabet is listed at the bottom of each page, functioning as a sort of legend to help readers flip between passages more easily. All of the words used in the meanings, he adds, are defined elsewhere in the dictionary.

"We just empowered the functional illiterate to go after the words that he knows. Now that I know where they are, I just have to know how to spell them. I just have to learn them. And that's the whole magic of this book."

Ongoing campaign

The U-Can Dictionary is the next chapter in Justin's three-decade-long crusade to reduce illiteracy in Canada. In the mid-1980s, he, along with fellow ex-con Rick Parsons, founded Beat the Street, a program designed to help people who fell through the proverbial cracks in the education system to teach each other how to read.

"I started the literacy program because I'm smart. I knew that dirty little, stinkin' bikers and bag ladies and those people will help each other," he says, purposely invoking the slang of the day. "So we would get a scumbag who knows how to read to teach a bag lady who doesn't know how to read. And it worked."

Beat the Street worked so well that it was replicated across Canada, attracting millions of dollars government funding and charitable donations. In addition, the duo's efforts won them the Order of Canada in 1989.

The honour didn't diminish Justin's fire for the cause. He rhymes off statistics about how many Canadians can't read well and speaks emotionally on what effect poor literacy has not only on one's job prospects, but also one's self-esteem.

"When some kids, they don't get it, they cry," he says. "It's full of shame. It's full of embarrassment. You hand me joke? All of my life, people go, 'Hey, want to read a joke?' I was the joke, because I couldn't read it."

Team effort

Justin decided to ask his wife, with whom he's raising two boys, Jack, 6, and Michael, 17, to help him make his dream of a self-teaching dictionary a reality.

"Originally, I wanted no part of this," says Annmarie, an avid reader who, as a child, consulted her Charlie Brown dictionary for fun. "I said to him, 'What the hell are you doing? Writing a dictionary?'"

'We were like druggies, knocking on our friends' doors, asking 'Hey, do you have the words?' —Justin Page

But eventually Annmarie, 43, got onboard with the project. "It's Justin's passion," she says, "and I needed to get it out for him."

Together, the couple enlisted friends to pore over thousands of words to determine which ones would make the cut. "We were like druggies, knocking on our friends' doors, asking 'Hey, do you have the words?' Justin laughs. "And then we'd go count them in the car."

The process of whittling down the definitions, Annmarie says, was onerous as well.

"I had this all done with the meanings and he says to me, 'Can you make them shorter?' And I said, "Are you serious?'"

"I drove her crazy," Justin chimes in. "That's what she's trying to say."

'Powerful' book

Three years on, the Pages have finished copies of the book in hand. They elected to have the book published by Inclusion Press, a Toronto imprint that Marsha Forest, the late activist and educator who inspired Justin to learn how to read, co-founded.

"It's still a little unreal," says Annmarie. "We waited so long to get it and now that we have it, it's beautiful. I carry it around everywhere and I show everybody."

They have also entered into an agreement with Wal-Mart to have the retail giant stock 10,000 copies on its shelves. Justin hopes the exposure will get the book into the hands of as many new readers — both young and old — as possible.

"Knowledge is words and words are power," Justin says. "This is the most powerful book in the world because if you can master this, you've got everything."

The U-Can Dictionary ($20, plus shipping and handling) is available on Inclusion Press's website. People in Hamilton who wish to have the book delivered for free can order it by calling the Pages at 905-538-9133.

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tattoo artist surpasses world record

An Edmonton tattoo artist says she has surpassed the world record for inking the most tattoos within a 24-hour period

Dianne Lopez wanted to break the Guinness World Record of 801 as well as raise funds for the Edmonton Humane Society. She started her attempt at Duke's Bar and Grill in north Edmonton at noon on Saturday and finished at noon today.

Lopez was able to complete between 811 and 815 tattoos, short of the 1,000 she set as her goal, but enough to break the world record.

Dianne Lopez says she surpassed the world record of 801 tattoos in a 24-hour period. (CBC)

"Really exhausted but excited at the same time," she said.

"That was the whole point, just to challenge myself, see if I'm able to do it and we raised a lot of money for the humane society, so that's the best part."

For a minimum donation of $20, Lopez gave each person a tattoo of a dog paw mark or an infinity symbol.

In order to qualify for the world record, she had to ink tattoos of a certain size with a bit of shading.

Click on the image to see more about her attempt in a report from the CBC's Travis McEwan.

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tatooine Star Wars set menaced by giant sand dune

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 28 Juli 2013 | 22.55

The movie set built in the 1990s that represented Anakin Skywalker's fictional home city in Star Wars Episode I: the Phantom Menace is being consumed by a giant sand dune. The buildings of Mos Espa on the planet Tatooine were left behind in Tunisia after the film was shot in 1997. Since then, the film set has been a popular tourist destination.

However, tourists who want to visit should go soon, as the edge of the dune has reached the first of the iconic, Bedouin-style buildings.

Ralph Lorenz, an astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, has been studying the dune's progress, and recently wrote a report about it. He spoke to As It Happens about why a scientist would care, and whether he's rooting for Mos Espa or the sand dune.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tatooine Star Wars set menaced by giant sand dune

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 27 Juli 2013 | 22.56

However, tourists who want to visit should go soon, as the edge of the dune has reached the first of the iconic, Bedouin-style buildings.

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Windsor woman aims for jigsaw puzzle world record

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 26 Juli 2013 | 22.56

A Windsor, Ont., woman is pursuing the Guinness World Record for most jigsaw puzzles completed and she's asking for the public's help.

Jodie Desbiens turned to puzzles when she quit drinking five years ago.

"I just decided to quit. I wasn't really an alcoholic. I liked to drink and party and I was young," she said. "It just wasn't so fun anymore and I started the puzzles.

"It's a hobby. It's calming and relaxing."

Her first was a tiger. She's since completed and glued together approximately 200 more.

Jodie Desbiens has finished more than 200 puzzles and is shooting for more than 1,000. (Jodie Desbiens/Facebook)

The biggest puzzle she's finished had 18,000 pieces and measures three metres wide and two metres high. The rain forest scene that took six months to finish hangs on her wall.

Desbiens can now finish a 1,000-piece puzzle in as little as a day or two.

"It all depends on the picture," she said.

In September of last year, she had finished 150 and wondered about a world record. Bored, she checked the Guinness World Record website and, sure enough, there is.

At that time, it was 238.

"I [wanted] to apply at 325," Desbiens said.

But even that number has since been shattered by Gina Gil Lacuna, of the Philippines. She's put together 1,028 puzzles.

"Oh, I don't care, I'm going for it," Desbiens said. "I'm young enough. I've got time."

Desbiens said she was aware of Lacuna's "puzzled mansion" and that Lucana was considering applying for the record. But Desbiens said she had heard rumours Lucana only had 300 puzzles.

"That's why I was going to apply at 325," she said.

This week, Desbiens logged onto the web again and posted a free classified on Kijiji asking people to donate puzzles in an effort to help her set a record.

Desbiens did say she's willing to pay a dollar or two for the used puzzles.

"I just thought, maybe more people would help and have them lying around and not using them," Desbiens said. "I go to a lot of yard sales and second hand stores."

Missing pieces from second hand puzzles present a bit of a problem. But that's not the worst.

"Some of the puzzles aren't the ones in the box," she said. "I thought I was doing a Winnie the Pooh puzzle for my grandson and it ended up being four women in dresses."

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mystery man buys 500 coffees

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 24 Juli 2013 | 22.57

Tim Hortons employee Pinky Lung tells another customer that coffee is on the house after a mystery man pays for 500 cups and leaves. (CBC)

It was coffee on the house all day Monday after a young man walked into a Tim Hortons on Jasper Avenue and paid for one day's worth of coffee — about 500 cups.

"We asked him his name and he didn't tell us," hostess Pinky Lung told CBC's Lisa McGregor. "He said he didn't want to tell anyone."

But as McGregor reports, the mystery man's act of kindess made a lot of people's day.

22.57 | 0 komentar | Read More

Anthony Weiner's alter-ego Carlos Danger becomes internet punchline

Comments on this story are pre-moderated. Before they appear, comments are reviewed by moderators to ensure they meet our submission guidelines. Comments are open and welcome for three days after the story is published. We reserve the right to close comments before then.

Submission Policy

Note: The CBC does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comments, you acknowledge that CBC has the right to reproduce, broadcast and publicize those comments or any part thereof in any manner whatsoever. Please note that comments are moderated and published according to our submission guidelines.

22.57 | 0 komentar | Read More

International competitors plow into Olds for world championship

Written By Unknown on Senin, 22 Juli 2013 | 22.56

Competitors from all over the world are in Olds, Alta., for the World Plowing Championships. (Nadia Stewart/CBC)

Competitors from 30 countries are in Olds this weekend for the 60th Annual World Plowing Championship.

The two-day event takes place at Olds College and is hosting a diverse range of teams. Competitors come from all over the world to try their hand at weed control and plowing straight lines.

This year's contestants hail from Austria, Kosovo and Lithuania to Kenya, Macedonia, Russia and Northern Ireland – to name a few.

While plowing would normally be considered hard work, this year's participants are finding the task even more challenging than usual because of wet soil.

"It's very dark and it seems to stick to the plow boards, which is difficult," said Anna May McHugh, a board member with the World Plowing Organization. "You've had a lot of rain and I believe that possibly that contributed to the soil being that much more moist."

While there's no money on the line, for many it is about claiming ploughing glory. For others, it's more about learning how to help their communities back home.

Improving food security

"One of the major things that we are looking at in this competition is plowing and the main reason is to check on food insecurity," said Batram Muthoka, a Kenyan competitor. "We are trying as a country, we are trying as a people to become food secure."

Some of Kenya's major crops include corn and wheat, and those fields need to be plowed well for optimal food production.

The team members work together with people from neighbouring countries to learn best practices and share the knowledge they learn.

By focusing on hard training combined with a give-back attitude, teammates are able to share what they've learned and help their communities.

"We get trained people to become trainers back in the country, and that has seen the growth, improvement and production of most of the crops in our country," he said. "Therefore, Kenya is becoming food secure out of these practices."

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

5 women aim to swim Lake Ontario end to end

Five women will attempt to swim across Lake Ontario lengthwise starting Tuesday morning, in a gruelling 305 kilometre relay they expect will take five straight days of non-stop swimming.

The swim will begin at 10 a.m. in Kingston and is expected to end in Burlington.

The women — who range in age from 18 to 61 — will swim in two-hour shifts through the day and night, sleeping and eating on an entourage of sailboats and zodiacs.

They hope to raise $300,000 for Plan International's 'Because I am a girl' campaign.

All of the women are accomplished long-distance solo swimmers. Colleen Shields, 61, Nicole Mallette, 48, Samantha Whiteside, 23 and Rebekah Boscariol, 18, have successfully completed the Lake Ontario crossing.

Eighteen-year-old Mona Sharari, the youngest member of the group, swam across the English Channel last year.

The length-wise crossing has never been completed, but the solo crossing from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Toronto has been completed 57 times, the majority of them by women.

The crossing was first completed by Marilyn Bell in 1954, when she was 16-years-old.

22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

72-year-old N.L. 'superman' lifts SUV off son-in-law

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 21 Juli 2013 | 22.55

A man in Salvage, N.L., is being called a 'miracle man' by some residents in the community for lifting a vehicle off his son-in-law, but he says he's no hero.

Cecil Stuckless, 72, said his son-in-law Frank Vatcher was in the garage replacing the brakes on his SUV when he asked Stuckless to go to the shed and get him a clamp.

While Stuckless was out getting the tool, he heard Vatcher cry out for help.

"He bawled out, he said, 'Cec, help me,' and when I turned around, the Jeep was on top of him," Stuckless said.

Without a second thought, Stuckless bounded into the garage and managed to lift the vehicle off the man, just enough for him to wiggle out from underneath.

He was rushed to the hospital, where he got 38 stitches in his head.

"If I wasn't there — if nobody was there — I'd say he wouldn't have done it, wouldn't have gotten out himself. I'd say he wouldn't make it," Stuckless said.

But he maintains that he's no hero, despite what some people in his community are saying.

"One feller come on yesterday and spoke to me about it and he said, 'What are you, Superman?'" Stuckless said.

"I said, 'B'ys, no, I'm not super, I just did what I could do — that's all that's to it.'"

Stuckless said he's never lifted anything that heavy before, but guesses he had a little divine intervention to help him save his son-in-law.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

5 women aim to swim Lake Ontario end to end

Five women will attempt to swim across Lake Ontario lengthwise starting Tuesday morning, in a gruelling 305 kilometre relay they expect will take five straight days of non-stop swimming.

The swim will begin at 10 a.m. in Kingston and is expected to end in Burlington.

The women — who range in age from 18 to 61 — will swim in two-hour shifts through the day and night, sleeping and eating on an entourage of sailboats and zodiacs.

They hope to raise $300,000 for Plan International's 'Because I am a girl' campaign.

Eighteen-year-old Mona Sharari, the youngest member of the group, swam across the English Channel last year.

The length-wise crossing has never been completed, but the solo crossing from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Toronto has been completed 57 times, the majority of them by women.

The crossing was first completed by Marilyn Bell in 1954, when she was 16-years-old.

22.55 | 0 komentar | Read More

Simpsons, Family Guy fans smell another cheap cartoon crossover

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 20 Juli 2013 | 22.55