The Daily Buzz

[ca-news-daily-buzz]

Man in rabbit suit attracts attention waving on London bridge

[A screenshot from a Facebook video shows a man in a white rabbit suit waving at motorists on a busy U.K. highway. Photo: I AM White Rabbit/Facebook]

Now that Halloween is over and the creepy clowns have seemed to disappear, you can breathe a sigh of relief. 

That is, until you see someone in a mysterious white rabbit suit waving at you along a foggy U.K. highway.

That’s what people in South West London have been witnessing once a month for the past year. The man behind the suit, who is about six feet tall, adorns the costume with a colourful vest and scarf. Then, on the first day of every month, he stations himself on the Barnes Bridge early in the morning and waves at vehicles for an hour. The man claims he’s been appearing on the bridge every month since last November. 

While some on social media have described the giant white rabbit as “sinister” and “creepy,” the man who wears the suit swears he’s just doing it as a means of artistic expression and inspiration. 

On his Facebook page, he reveals himself to be the alter ego of artist Spike McLarrity. His online posts read more like a motivational speaker than a menacing monster, encouraging people to embrace love and kindness. 

“Take time to breath, enjoy the beauty of the misty days, the unknown, the adventure that awaits you every day throughout this month of November,” he writes in a post published on Nov. 1, which includes a video of him in his suit on the bridge.

“White rabbits wisdom: Sometimes the mist can cloud our judgement, sometimes its difficult to see the answer we seek, sometimes we miss a moment, a portal of opportunities.”

According to his online bio, he’s performed at many high profile spots such as the Tate Modern art gallery and the Chinese Embassy in London, where he protested against the detention of the artist Ai Weiwei. 

It’s unclear if he has any plans to reveal his true identity. 

[ca-news-daily-buzz]

Watch gang of kangaroos invade family’s campsite

[A screenshot from a video shows a kangaroo inside an Australian family's caravan before it was pushed out. Photo: TripInAVan/Instagram]

An Australian family out on an adventure in their caravan managed to attract some furry and curious friends along the way.

Justin Lorrimer, his wife, Bec, have been travelling across the country with their three children in their mobile home for the past 10 months. While parked at the Jervis Bay Caravan Park, located 182 kilometres south of Sydney, they encountered some unexpected guests.

Last week, as the family got ready for a post-bath dinner, a kangaroo hopped into their mobile home and refused to leave. The long-legged creature poked around the small space as the young children watched with interest.

The encounter was recorded on video and posted on the family's Instagram account.

When the father tried to shove the creature out of the space, his attempts were unsuccessful. He even tried to coax it with an apple, but the animal had other intentions. Finally, he managed to push the kangaroo out the door, where it eventually leaped away.

The family wasn’t in the clear yet, though. The next day, they discovered a mob of around six kangaroos at their doorstep, all likely expecting some apples to munch on.

“I think word’s got out in the local kangaroo community that they can come in and have a bit of dinner,” the father says in an Instagram video.

"Only in Australia," the caption appropriately reads.

[ca-news-daily-buzz]

Suspect stops at In-N-Out burger during high speed chase

[Arizona police were in hot pursuit of suspect Joshua Adkins last Wednesday night when he suddenly pulled into an In-N-Out burger restaurant. Photo: Getty Images]

Escaping from the police can be hard work. A criminal could work up an appetite. One man trying to escape the law apparently got so hungry he decided to stop at an In-N-Out burger to order some takeout — in the middle of a high-speed chase.

Arizona police were in hot pursuit last Wednesday night of suspect Joshua Adkins, reports Fox10Phoenix.com. The 35-year-old was wanted on suspicion of unlawful flight from law enforcement, aggravated assault, domestic violence and unlawful imprisonment. 

Adkins was leading police out of Phoenix and into a suburb when he made a surprise move. Instead of staying on the highway and booking it out of town, the suspect turned into an In-N-Out Burger. 

Video footage shows Adkins’ white pick-up truck pulling up to the take-out menu, pausing — we assume to order — and then calmly driving to the pick-up window.

Sadly, Adkins’ bold, fast food exploits were short lived. He was apprehended nearby after ditching his vehicle and attempting to enter a locked house.

[ca-news-daily-buzz]

Looking for a place? This B.C. cancer survivor will pay you $1,500 to be his roommate

Are you looking for a place to live in the Metro Vancouver area, but are sick and tired of listings featuring sky-high rent and outrageous landlord stipulations?

If so, this particular listing by a Coquitlam, B.C., resident may be just what you're looking for - providing you're willing to show a little compassion.

As Kelowna Now reports, 32-year-old Brice Royer has posted an unusual ad listing on Craigslist in search of a roommate to occupy a single bedroom in his home. 

What makes this living arrangement unique is there’s no actual rent to pay, and if you’re the right fit Royer will even be willing to pay you $1,500 dollars a month minimum to live there.

Royer is a stomach cancer survivor who’s still dealing with chronic fatigue while he recovers. The listing states he’s specifically “looking for a compassionate, kind, sensitive, and gentle roommate” and one “who can be here for basic support during the day and 5 overnights in case of emergency.“

The ad also states potential roommates wouldn’t be responsible for facilitating Royer’s medical or personal health needs. 

Instead, the right roommate would ideally be there to keep him company while he recovers, and also assist in duties like cooking simple meals and helping him handle the occasional bit of paperwork.

This isn’t the first time Royer has made headlines for eye-catching Craigslist ads. He’s previously put out an ad selling unconditional love for zero dollars and also helped raised the funds necessary to purchase a 300-square-foot solar-powered home for a single mother in need as well. 

Top image via Craigslist 

[ca-news-daily-buzz]

Girl gets head stuck in pumpkin in front of entire family

[Kristy Ralphs’ daughter, Rachel, got her head stuck in a giant pumpkin / YouTube]

A classic Halloween tradition took a frighteningly funny turn when a teenager decided to get a little too close and personal with the inside of a pumpkin. 

Kristy Ralphs was filming her family preparing to begin carving pumpkins when her daughter Rachel noticed something special about her particular piece of produce.

“Isn’t it so cute! I can like fit my head in it,” Rachel can be heard saying, before immediately confirming her suspicions by attempting to shove her entire head straight into the over-sized squash.

Her mother seems doubtful at first that she’ll fit, but perhaps that very doubt was enough motivation for Rachel to bravely commit all the way.

She’s soon victorious, proudly wearing her pumpkin crown on her head, but that victory soon turns into dismay when she quickly realizes her head is firmly stuck in place.

Her amused siblings look on while her brother attempts to free Rachel from the jack-o'-lantern’s grasp, all while she can be heard yelling in dismay from inside.

Her father also chimes in, jokingly mentioning, “honestly, I think it would be appropriate to call the fire department.”

Thankfully there was no need to call the authorities, and Rachel was eventually able to work her way out her unusual predicament safe and sound.

And as for when asked why she decided to stick her head inside the pumpkin in the first place?

“I just thought it would be funny,” she said. 

[ca-news-daily-buzz]

“Alien” life lay be hiding inside Ontario mineshaft

[New reseatch suggests that ancient waters in a northern Ontario mineshaft are home to microscopic alien life. Photo: Barbara Sherwood Lollar]

Isolated pools of ancient water sit bubbling 2.4 kilometres beneath the earth’s surface in northern Ontario — and they may contain life. 

The age of the waters was first identified by scientists in 2013, reports the National Post, when researchers ran tests in a mine near Timmins, Ont. and discovered that the water had been isolated from the earth’s surface for up to 2.7 billion years.

Now, researchers have found that those same waters have an unusual life-support system, reports the Globe and Mail. This discovery suggests that the waters may contain organisms that, although not technically alien to Earth, could be similar to what scientists hope to one day find on Mars. The research team, made up of scientists from University of Alberta and McGill University, found that the waters contained far less of the element sulphur than was expected. They hypothesize that the missing sulphur is being used by bacterial microbes as a source of energy.

The finding is significant because it would mean that water, sulphur and radioactive elements can support life without sunlight or atmospheric oxygen. Environments with these three components are present on other planets, moons, and asteroids. 

In a press release, the research team explained why their finding increases the chances of finding life on a planet like Mars: "Because this is a fairly common geological setting on modern Mars, we think that as long as the right minerals and liquid water are present, maybe kilometers below the Martian surface, they may interact and produce energy for life, if there is any."

And if there is life on Mars, it may be hidden deep, deep down below the surface.

[ca-news-daily-buzz]

Dog swallows metal pole and survives

[Photo: Framlingham Vets]

Here’s a dog that takes the top prize for weird things swallowed without causing any serious damage.

Framlingham Vets in the U.K. posted an eye-catching photo to Twitter. It shows an x-ray of a dog’s body with what appears to be a long stick running through it.

“Guess the foreign body removed from a dog today?” the tweet reads, along with the hashtags #vetlife #dogseatweirdstuff.

It turns out a four-month-old Labrador swallowed the metal pole from a windmill garden ornament. After his owners noticed the half-eaten ornament in his kennel, they rushed him to the vet.

The dog’s surgeon, Dr. Ben Garland, says the pup didn’t appear to be in any pain when he was brought in, aside from being a bit “dribbly” and “embarrassed.”   

Dr. Garland managed to take out the 45 cm pole from the dog's stomach during a 45-minute procedure. The operation involved making an incision in the dog’s neck to remove the pole, which was lodged behind its windpipe.

"I've removed a lot of things from dogs' stomachs, but nothing quite as spectacular as this," he told the BBC.

The pup managed to avoid any organ damage and was released two days after his surgery. The windmill, on the other hand, didn’t survive. 

[ca-news-daily-buzz]

Is this $200 toque worth the cost?

[A pricey new toque made of Merino wool, muskox wool and cashmere has become a hit online after selling out its first limited edition run. Photo: Frontier]

If you’re looking for an exorbitantly expensive way to keep your head warm this winter, Toronto design house Frontier has just the thing: a $200 toque.

Before you pass out from sticker shock, you’ve got to know that this ain’t your granddaddy’s plain, old tuque. According to Frontier, it’s been tested by ice sculptors, Zamboni drivers, butchers, and backcountry hikers, and was handcrafted by a Toronto “master knitter” from Merino wool, muskox wool and cashmere, and took 18 months of research and development to create. 

So does all of this add up to a $200 value? Considering the hat’s first limited edition run of 100 toques has already sold out, the answer seems to be yes.

The hat comes from Toronto-based “creative exploration” company Frontier, and is “an exploration of Canadian history, material science, fabrication techniques, production processes, and economic systems” and “an argument against disposable fashion and for a return to craftsmanship in every sense.” 

[Photo: Frontier]

An ambitious tuque, to be sure.

But if you think $200 buys you a choice of colours, think again. The Frontier toque comes in black with a red lining. Period. One of its biggest selling points is the layer of muskox wool, also known as Qiviuq, qiviut, or, in Inuktitut syllabics, ᕿᕕᐅᖅ. It’s special because it doesn’t shrink and is stronger than sheep’s wool but softer than cashmere.

And if muskox wool isn’t Canadian enough for you, the Toronto Star reports that the tuque also has a quote by Canadain philosopher and intellectual Marshall McLuhan on the inside brim. It reads: “The criminal, like the artist, is a social explorer.”

Visit Frontier’s online shop to get your name on the list for the next run of the most expensive — and perhaps most pretentious — toque in town.

[ca-news-daily-buzz]

Police post adorable photo of baby getting pulled over

[Police in England posted this image of a toddler being questioned for drinking and driving. Cheshire Police/Facebook]

A life with young children can be unpredictable.

At any given moment, they can be throwing a tantrum, hurting themselves or getting pulled over by police. The latter actually happened to one family’s toddler and police managed to capture the adorable moment.

Police in Cheshire, England, posted a photo to their Facebook page on Oct. 21 of a tiny person seated in a pink miniature car on a residential street. The child is flanked by a police car and two officers and one of the officers is kneeling down next to the model vehicle.

“Officers asked the driver’s parents if she had been drinking,” the caption reads. “They replied she had a couple of bottles that morning.”

The snap was soon flooded with hundreds of comments online, which included many that praised the police for making an effort to connect with the community.

“Let's not forget that the police's job includes engaging with the public to increase awareness of their work and confidence,” wrote Gareth Lees. “Well done guys, I also love it!”

Others left cheeky reactions.

“I'm glad you caught her,” quipped Danny Heywood.

“Speeding, underage driving, driving not in accordance with their licence, throw the book at them I say,” wrote Jim Oliphant.

“No McDonald’s for at least a week.”

[ca-news-daily-buzz]

Student facetiming his girlfriend catches armed robbery on camera

[A Texas student was brutally assaulted in his room, all while his girlfriend watched helplessly via FaceTime nearly two hundred miles away. Photo: Baylee Luciani via KXAN]

A Texas college student’s routine video chat with his girlfriend took a frightening turn when armed robbers suddenly burst into his room and began assaulting him.

Austin Community College student Yale Gerstein, 19, was talking to his girlfriend on FaceTime when he heard an unusual sound coming from outside his door and decided to investigate. 

That’s the moment three men suddenly charged inside and started beating him with their pistols, all while his girlfriend watched helplessly nearly two hundred miles away in Dallas, Texas.

Gerstein’s girlfriend, Baylee Luciani, initially thought he was playing some sort of practical joke on her, but soon realized the gravity of the situation she was witnessing on camera.

“I was scared because they were saying, ‘I’m going to blow your head off, I’m going to kill you,’ ” she told KXAN. “I’m like wow … seriously watching an armed robbery happen to somebody that I care about.”

[Photo: Baylee Luciani via KXAN]

That’s when she told her father to call 911, while she began taking screenshots as evidence. She captured images of the robbers holding a pistol to Gerstein's head and looking directly into the camera.

“You are looking down a barrel of a gun hoping that you don’t see a bullet,” said Gerstein, describing the incident to KXAN. “Just don’t get shot, just don’t get shot … that was on my mind.”

The thieves, who still remain at large, eventually made off with thousands of dollars in musical equipment.

There was one specific item that Gerstein lost in the robbery that he says hurts the most.

“I had just finished my first album that I was working on as a solo artist,” he said. “That’s all lost in someone’s possession who doesn’t even know what they’re holding.”

[ca-news-daily-buzz]

Barack Obama reveals he was mocked by daughter on Snapchat

[U.S. President Barack Obama, left, tells talk show host Jimmy Kimmel about his introduction to Snapchat courtesy of his 15-year-old daughter. Randy Holmes/ABC via Getty Images]

He might be the commander-in-chief of the United States of America, but President Barack Obama is not immune from the scorn of a teenager.

On Monday, the soon-to-be outgoing president shared a story with American talk show host Jimmy Kimmel about how he discovered he had been exposed on the popular social media application known as Snapchat by his youngest daughter.

Sasha, 15, was the first one to show her father how the app worked, and she did so by taking him through the different filters users can apply to their posts. Obama concurred with his wife, Michelle, that Snapchat was an interesting tool for younger generations.  

"And I started talking to Michelle about the implications of social media and what all this means … [And I] come to find out [Sasha] was recording us the whole time, and then sent [the recording] to her friends afterwards: 'This is my dad lecturing us on the meaning of social media,’” he said.

To add salt to the wound, Sasha took a snap of herself looking checked out as he spoke.

The president made a point of noting that both his wife, who also uses Snapchat, and 18-year-old daughter, Malia, “loved” the ridiculing post.

It’s doubtful that Sasha’s patronizing snap will ever surface — it hasn’t been made public and messages on Snapchat are automatically deleted after a short period of time.

But if the post ever does come to light, it would mark a rare Snapchat appearance for the 55-year-old leader.

[ca-news-daily-buzz]

Halloween clown costumes frowned upon in parts of Alberta, Ontario

[A jurisdiction located north of Toronto is warning residents to leave their clown costumes at home this Halloween. Didier Messens/WireImage via Getty Images]

Some regions of Canada have a message for trick-or-treaters this Halloween: Stop clowning around and leave the clown costumes at home.

The creepy clown trend, which has been sweeping across North America, seems to have made a dent in public consciousness. And now, clown costumes are no laughing matter for at least one Alberta school district and a region located north of Toronto.

Fort McMurray Public School District announced last week that showing up to school as a clown, creepy or otherwise, would be forbidden.

Supt. Doug Nicholls said in a statement that officials came to the decision after looking through various local and international reports of threats being made by people dressed in the trendy costume. Some students in Fort McMurray, Alta., were already spooked by online kidnapping threats posted on social media earlier this month. Four people were eventually arrested, but no charges were laid.

“I was informed that there were some students speaking about being unsettled about scary clown outfits,” Nicholls told the Edmonton Sun in an article posted on Oct. 21. “The bottom line is we want everyone to be comfortable with what is for many a very enjoyable event.”

In Ontario, York Region issued a news release advising residents to refrain from wearing "creepy clown costumes” this Halloween. "Keep your clown costumes at home," the statement read, according to an article by the Toronto Sun published on Oct. 25. “Call 911 if you see anything suspicious or dangerous."

There is no word yet on what affect this will have on clowns planning to attend children’s birthday parties.

[ca-news-daily-buzz]

Unaware B.C. cyclists compete in race while black bear eats berries in a tree

A hungry black bear enjoying a delicious snack from above was a surprise spectator during a recent race in British Columbia.

Andy Weststeyn was filming cyclists competing in the MEC Triathlon Sprint in Coquitlam, B.C., on Sept. 10 when he spotted an unusual onlooker perched in some trees overlooking the race.

Video shows the bear enjoying a meal of fresh berries in some tree branches located right above the racetrack, all while the competitors passing below remain completely oblivious of its presence.

The peckish animal appears to finally get its fill and eventually climbs down from the tree and carries on its way.

Top image via YouTube

[ca-news-daily-buzz]

Photographer transforms his three-year-old daughter into Wonder Woman

[Josh Rossi Photography]

For most kids, Halloween means patching together an outfit with the help of mom and dad, then hitting the streets to ask strangers for sugar. For one three-year-old girl, however, this particular Halloween entails a $1,500 handmade costume and an insane photo shoot with her over-the-top, super talented dad.

Nellee Rossi happens to be the daughter of Josh Rossi, a professional photographer and digital artist. According to a YouTube video detailing the whole process, Nellee is pretty excited about the new Wonder Woman movie due out next summer. Being the super dad that he apparently is, Josh decided to transform his daughter into a pint-sized Wonder Woman, using the art of costuming, photography, and photoshop.

First, Josh ordered a custom leather outfit from McGrew Studios in Salt Lake City to create Nellee’s hand-stitched costume. Fulltimephotographer.com reports that Nellee and her mom closely studied the movie trailer to nail that pensive superhero look. 

[Josh Rossi Photography]

The photo shoot itself took several hours and revolved around nap time. A team of assistants and Nellee’s pregnant mom held her in the air to make it appear as if she was flying.

[Josh Rossi Photography]

Finally, Josh stitched the images together and used some digital magic to create a truly stunning series of images of the fiercest Wonder Woman we’ve ever seen!

[ca-news-daily-buzz]

Father writes ironic permission letter to let son read book about censorship

[A man reads a 1953 hit novel by Ray Bradbury, which delves into a world where books are banned. Michael Thurston/AFP/Getty Images]

It seems the message behind Ray Bradbury's science fiction novel Fahrenheit 451 is still taking some time to settle in. The dystopian tale, published in 1953, details a world where books are outlawed and burned. Bradbury wrote it as a reaction to the extreme political climate of 1950s McCarthyism.

Some children require permission from their parents or guardians to read the book, which is filled with mild curse words such as “hell” and “damn.” One of those students happened to be the son of Daniel Radosh, the head writer of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. On Oct. 24, he tweeted the permission slip he wrote for his son in order for him to be allowed to read the novel for his book club. His message received more than 10,000 likes on Twitter. Here’s what he wrote:

“I love this letter! What a wonderful way to introduce students to the theme of Fahrenheit 451 that books are so dangerous that the institutions of society -- schools and parents -- might be willing to team up against children to prevent them from reading one. It's easy enough to read the book and say, 'This is crazy. It could never really happen,' but pretending to present students at the start with what seems like a totally reasonable 'first step' is a really immersive way to teach them how insidious censorship can be.

“I'm sure that when the book club is over and the students realize the true intent of this letter they'll be shocked at how many of them accepted it as an actual permission slip. In addition, Milo's concern that allowing me to add this note will make him stand out as a troublemaker really brings home why most of the characters find it easier to accept the world they live in rather than challenge it. I assured him that his teacher would have his back.”

Ironically, a book about censorship requires parental permission for a child to read it. Well, it appears this novel will likely make for an engaging book club meeting.

[ca-news-daily-buzz]

Hungry raccoons living under a deck make for creepy Halloween decoration

Don’t call pest control just yet, because if you have some critters on your property you might just be able to use them for decorations this Halloween.

For proof just watch what it looks like when a group of hungry raccoons living under a deck get up to when they’re offered a free meal. 

The dark ones require sustenance 

Create your own quick-n-easy haunted house this Halloween...with raccoons. pic.twitter.com/tweoMO1e5l

— Ziya (@ziyatong) October 22, 2016

The video, which was shared by Imgur user ‘LeeroyFistums,’ is making the rounds on the Internet and it is truly the stuff of nightmares.

The animal’s tiny paws reaching through deck boards for morsels of food resembles something straight from a zombie movie, and just like a zombie you likely wouldn’t want to be bitten by one of these creatures either.

It makes for a creepy visual that’s sure to scare some trick-or-treaters, although do keep in mind you’ll still have a bunch of ravenous raccoons to deal with come November 1st. 

[ca-news-daily-buzz]

Stephen Hawking warns A.I. could lead to destruction of humanity

[Physicist Stephen Hawking believes the development of human-like A.I. technologies could be the worst thing that’s ever happened to humanity. Photo: Getty Images]

Artificial intelligence is slowly creeping into our lives, and we can see it from the digital assistants living in our smartphones to the promise of fully automated vehicles in the near future.

But Professor Stephen Hawking is skeptical about whether AI will lead to the utopia the big tech companies are suggesting. 

At the opening of Cambridge University's Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence (LCFI), which hopes to answer some of the concerns around A.I. research, Hawking said, "the rise of powerful A.I. will either be the best, or the worst thing, ever to happen to humanity.”

He praised the institute and said it is “crucial to the future of our civilization and our species” and added, "it’s a welcome change that people are studying, instead, the future of intelligence.”

And if you think the concept of artificial intelligence is all science fiction and we aren't yet capable of making technology as intelligent as a human, you could be wrong. 

“I believe there is no deep difference between what can be achieved by a biological brain and what can be achieved by a computer,” he added. Hawking has a history of being cautious about A.I., particularly with a free will, stating that the technology could lead to the destruction of humanity.

“In the future, A.I. could develop a will of its own — a will that is in conflict with ours," he said. Hawking also has concerns that A.I. could be used to oppress others or to develop "powerful autonomous weapons." It isn't all doom and gloom, however. He also mentioned some significant benefits the technology could bring. 

"Perhaps with the tools of this new technological revolution, we will be able to undo some of the damage done to the natural world by the last one — industrialization. And surely we will aim to finally eradicate disease and poverty," he said.