Clicks of the Day: Wednesday, April 11, 2012 Edition!

Welcome to Wednesday, April 11 2012’s Clicks of the Day!

    Edmonton/Alberta/Canada

  • Briscoe sentenced to life for Courtepatte murder
  • “Michael Briscoe has been sentenced to life with no parole for 25 years for the first-degree murder of 13-year-old Nina Courtepatte. Charges of sexual assault and kidnapping associated with the 2005 killing were conditionally stayed. Briscoe, 41, was found not guilty in the murder of Ellie May Meyer, who was killed two days earlier.”

    It’s insane how long it takes for sentencing in these cases to happen.

  • Alberta Election 2012 interactive video: Ask the party leaders questions over coffee
  • “Wouldn’t it be cool to sit down for a chat with party leaders for the 2012 Alberta provincial election? Well, now you can. By stitching together four separate videos, Edmonton Journal videographer Ryan Jackson puts you at the same table with the leaders of the Progressive Conservative, Wildrose, Liberal and NDP parties You can pick which candidates you’d like to hear from on five hot topics. So, grab a cup of coffee and join the conversation.”

    Very, very cool. Great use of multimedia.

  • Alberta Leaders Debate 2012: What to expect
  • “The leaders’ debate on April 12 is shaping up to be the most exciting in decades, and it will be covered unlike any other Alberta election in history. The debate, moderated by Global’s Gord Gillies and CTV’s Carrie Doll, will take place at Global Edmonton studios from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. It will broadcast on TV and radio and livestreamed and live-blogged on Global’s websites in Edmonton, Calgary and Lethbridge.”

    Tune in everyone!

  • Alberta, Saskatchewan singled out for lazy tack on climate change
  • “Some provinces are taking the climate change issue seriously with wide-ranging policies to reduce fossil-fuel emissions while others – specifically Alberta and Saskatchewan – are heading in the wrong direction, says a new report by one of Canada’s leading environmental advocacy groups. Both B.C. and Quebec have introduced economic incentives to shift to cleaner choices through carbon taxes, says the report, and Quebec has moved to cap and reduce industrial emissions. Meanwhile, it says, Ontario’s Green Energy and Economy Act has resulted in billions of investment dollars in clean energy production and created thousands of jobs at the same time the province is shutting down coal-fired power plants. But Alberta and Saskatchewan, which continue to rely “on polluting fossil fuel industries” are “laggards” that have the country’s highest greenhouse-gas emissions, and relatively weak laws and incentives for clean energy, says the report.”

    Let’s do better, Alberta.

  • Budgets cuts mean 100 fewer food-safety inspectors in Canada
  • “Canada’s food-safety inspection force will shrink by as many as 100 inspectors — cuts the workers’ union says will have an impact on the safety of food purchased by Canadians. The union representing food inspectors says the cuts, to be implemented over three years to help save the Canadian Food Inspection Agency $56 million in operating costs by 2014-15, will reverse increases to the inspection force that were put in place in response to the deadly listeriosis outbreak in 2008.”

    Hopefully our food can just be made safer.

    World

  • Murder charge is filed in killing of Trayvon Martin
  • “George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer in Florida, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin… “We did not come to this decision lightly,” said Florida State Atty. Angela Corey at a news conference in Jacksonville. Alluding to the intense publicity surrounding the case, she added, ‘Let me emphasize that we do not prosecute by public pressure or by petition.'”

    Such an intense case.

  • Syria promises to adhere to deadline, cease military fighting
  • “Syria promised to stop fighting in time for Thursday’s deadline for a ceasefire brokered by special envoy Kofi Annan but reserved the right to respond to any aggression, a significant hedge against any end in the fighting that has convulsed the nation for more than a year.”

    We’ll see.

  • Indonesian earthquake triggers panic but no tsunami
  • “A large earthquake shook the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Wednesday, causing widespread panic and fear of a repeat of the 2004 earthquake and series of tsunamis that killed 230,000 people.”

    Scary. Glad it wasn’t worse.

    Health/Science

  • Cleaning and flossing teeth correctly is the key to ridding our mouths of bacteria
  • “Most Canadians know that maintaining good oral hygiene keeps teeth free from cavities and prevents gum disease. But they get failing grades on proper brushing and flossing, and poor daily practices not only wreak havoc in the mouth, they may also contribute to heart disease and stroke, pneumonia and low-birth weight babies.”

    I really should floss more.

  • Alcohol ‘Sharpens Men’s Minds’ Claim Scientists
  • “Scientists have found a novel use for beer goggles – they make men brainier. According to researchers from the University of Illinois in Chicago, men who enjoy a tipple (or two) are better at solving brain-teasing quizzes and coming up with imaginative solutions to problems, compared to their sober counterparts. Although this theory goes against popular belief that alcohol hinders analytical thinking and stifles rational thoughts, scientists discovered that creative thoughts begin to flourish after four units are consumed (the equivalent of two pints of beer).”

    Lol.

  • Dental X-rays linked to brain tumours: U.S. study
  • “People who get regular dental X-rays are more likely to suffer a common type of brain tumour, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday, suggesting that yearly exams may not be best for most patients. The study in the U.S. journal Cancer showed people diagnosed with meningioma who reported having a yearly bitewing exam were 1.4 times to 1.9 times as likely as a healthy control group to have developed such tumours.”

    Ah good news for me, I rarely go for dental exams, lol.

  • Some Folks Just Can’t Help Being Nice, Study Suggests
  • “Being nice may be in your genes. That’s according to a new study that found that genes are at least part of the reason why some people are kind and generous. Researchers at the University at Buffalo and the University of California, Irvine assessed the behavior of people with different versions of receptor genes for two hormones — oxytocin and vasopressin — believed to make people nicer.”

    So that also means if someone’s evil they just unfortunately got bad genes, lol.

  • Teamwork made Man brainier, say scientists
  • “Learning to work in teams may explain why humans evolved a bigger brain, according to a new study published on Wednesday. Compared to his hominid predecessors, Homo sapiens is a cerebral giant, a riddle that scientists have long tried to solve. The answer, according to researchers in Ireland and Scotland, may lie in social interaction. Working with others helped Man to survive, but he had to develop a brain big enough to cope with all the social complexities, they believe.”

    We are social creatures… aren’t we?

  • Experiment: “If Anyone Wants to Talk About Anything, Call Me” (or Text If You Prefer)
  • “All of us can get lonely at times. It’s part of human nature. What some may not realize is living alone and being single are trends on the rise in the United States, as articulated by “The Disconnect: Why Are So Many Americans Living By Themselves?”, a fantastic read from The New Yorker. How do we combat feelings of loneliness? Some turn to technology, which is ever-connecting us. But sometimes that’s not enough. And sometimes, technology can make us feel even more lonely. We may be connected online, but offline may be different… Inspired by this random note, I thought I’d try the same, but by posting that message to my Facebook subscribers and Twitter followers. I provided my Google Voice number to keep my “real” number private, though Google Voice very cleverly routes those texts and calls to my “real” phone. I added that if people prefer, they can text instead. What happened? I was inundated with messages, mostly texts interestingly, some 118 in all in three hours last night (more coming in today). I received 7 phone calls, 6 of which I took. One landed in voicemail, though I texted that person back and we had a conversation.”

    Really interesting…

    Technology/Social Media

  • Seeking Robots to Go Where First Responders Can’t
  • “In the event of another disaster at a nuclear power plant, the first responders may not be humans but robots. They may not even look humanoid. The Pentagon’s research and development agency is to announce a competition on Tuesday to design specialized robots that can work in disaster zones while operating common tools and vehicles. And while such tasks may well inspire humanoid designs, roboticists say they may also lead to the robotic equivalent of the Minotaur — a hybrid creature that might have multiple arms and not just legs but treads.”

    That’s cool! (Until the robots become aware and destroy mankind).

  • Should Canadians embrace the digital wallet in a future without cash?
  • “The recently announced end of the penny and the proposed launch of digital-chip currency are sure signs we are entering the era of the ‘digital wallet.’ But the question is, will Canadians embrace virtual money and personal identification over cold hard cash and the ID cards we now carry? A digital wallet refers to a mobile phone that uses wireless technology for in-person identification or financial transactions. This means you could store your debit card, credit card, and all ID information in your phone and access it with a few taps on your screen. Read it on Global News: Global News | Should Canadians embrace the digital wallet in a future without cash?”

    Too much privacy risk.

  • U.S. Alleges E-Book Scheme
  • “The U.S. accused Apple Inc. and five of the nation’s largest publishers Wednesday of conspiring to raise e-book prices, in a case that could radically reorder the fast-growing business. In a civil antitrust lawsuit, the Justice Department alleged that CEOs of the publishing companies met regularly in private dining rooms of upscale Manhattan restaurants to discuss how to respond to steep discounting of their e-books by Amazon.com Inc., a practice they disliked. The executives also called and emailed each other to craft a solution to what one of them called “the wretched $9.99 price point,” the suit said. “As a result of this alleged conspiracy, we believe that consumers paid millions of dollars more for some of the most popular titles,” said Attorney General Eric Holder.”

    Tsk. Tsk. Bad companies.

  • Google+ Rolls Out New Look
  • “Google announced on Wednesday that it is rolling out a significant redesign for its social networking platform Google+, which will allow users to create a more customized experience on the site. The company said it will introduce a variety of new features to the site in the next few days, from customizing apps and the navigation bar to more flexibility with profile pages and pictures. In addition, the update introduces a new Explore page that posts what’s interesting and trending across the site. Google+ will now offer profile pages that will include bigger photos, a la Facebook’s Timeline, and feature a chat list that puts friends front and center on your page. Another major update involves how users can navigate around the news stream.”

    Interesting. Will this encourage me to use Google+ more? Not sure yet.

    Business/Consumer/Media/Economy

  • Wal-Mart braces for Target’s foray into Canada
  • “With Target Corp. opening its doors in Canada next spring, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is likely to do what it does best — slash prices — to protect its share of a multibillion-dollar market it has dominated for nearly two decades. The world’s largest retailer has already taken the offensive, putting into motion an aggressive expansion plan of its own before Target’s northern incursion.”

    I am very excited to shop at Target! Walmart better step up its game! :D

  • CBC’s Dispatches and Connect with Mark Kelley get the axe as broadcaster tastes first round of cuts
  • “The budget axe came down on the CBC Tuesday, as the TV news series Connect with Mark Kelley and CBC Radio’s Dispatches were both cancelled as a result of Ottawa’s cuts to the public broadcaster in the latest federal budget. Over the next three years, CBC will eliminate 650 full-time positions, with 475 of them coming in this fiscal year. The CBC will shed 256 jobs, Radio-Canada 243 jobs and corporate services 151. The reductions represent about 7% of the broadcaster’s workforce of 8,900.”

    So bad… :(

  • Fashion for rent: Canadian-based businesses making shopping for that perfect outfit easier
  • “When that next big event rolls around, many women – despite having what may look like a full closet – seem to sometimes still find themselves in the same-old predicament of having nothing to wear. So now some Canadian businesses are offering ladies what men have been able to do for many years: rent instead of buy their fancy attire.”

    Such a neat business idea. :)

    Environment/Space/Animals

  • Rare photo of lynx using Banff highway overpass delights wildlife experts
  • “He weighs in at up to 14 kilograms, but thanks to his enormous feet shaped almost like snowshoes, looks as though he is floating on air as he ambles along the snow. His legs are long and powerful, his coat is thick and grey, and the patches of fur that frame his face look like the kind of beard sported by aristocrats. When Trevor Kinley opened up his e-mail earlier this week, he saw the subject heading “A Little Morning Surprise” and the photograph of the majestic beast. “You can’t help but be struck by how beautiful it is,” says Kinley of the March 28 photograph of the animal known as the Canadian lynx.”

    Fantastic shot. So cool.

  • Do Super-Intelligent Dinosaurs Roam Space? One Scientist Thinks So
  • “New scientific research raises the possibility that advanced versions of T. rex and other dinosaurs—monstrous creatures with the intelligence and cunning of humans—may be the life forms that evolved on other planets in the universe.”

    What a cool theory!!

  • This gross fish is 400 million years old
  • “The coelacanth, a “living fossil” fish that predates the dinosaurs, is some 17 million years older than previously thought, scientists have found. The earliest known skull of a coelacanth, unearthed in Yunnan, China dates the fish in its current shape to about 400 million years ago, according to research by the Chinese Academy of Sciences published on Tuesday in Nature Communications.”

    Definitely gross looking but so interesting.

    Weird News, Other News & Fluff

  • Push The Red Button To Add Drama Flash Mob by TNT Benelux
  • “On April 10th, Turner Television Network station, TNT Benelux brought a dramatic surprise on a quiet square. The TV station placed a red button in a quiet square in Flanders in Belgium. A flashy arrow hovered above the button that said, “Push to add drama.” Of course very few would even consider it as most individuals passed it by; however, for the people that did have the courage to press it go a wonderfully fun surprise. Their tagline: We know drama. And this is how we announced it.”

    This is an incredible marketing campaign!!! Wow.

  • Rare, Unexplained Daytime Fireball Scorches Texas Sky
  • “A great ball of fire streaked across the Texas sky during the daytime last week, much to the surprise of thousands of people who witnessed it. So bright that it looked “like a little piece of the sun falling,” as one San Antonio resident told the local news station, the rare daytime meteor event was yet another example of the scientific mystery known as spring fireball season.”

    Interesting.

  • [Video]: Anderson Cooper has another giggling fit
  • “You might remember from last summer, Anderson Cooper reporting on the story of French actor Gerard Depardieu urinating on the floor of a plane which resulted in uncontrollable giggling. Well, it happened again. This time Mr. Cooper was reporting on the obscure Polish holiday of Dyngus Day and found the words “Pussy willow” a little too funny. The giggling starts at 1:35.”

    LOL oh my gosh. If we can’t handle these ridiculous stories he should really stop doing the Ridiculist segment, LOL. Hilarious!!!

  • [Video]: ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ sung by the movies
  • “A super cut of movies that sing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing”.”

    Lol. The Obama Sexy and I Know it one was better. But wow, I just can’t imagine how long it takes for people to compile these clips.


Thor and (or) Loki Photo of the Day:

Battle for H20.


Have your say on some of these Clicks of the Day’s!

Leave a comment!

Linda

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

If you're Edmonton area, subscribe to my newsletter for hyperlocal recommendations on what to do, eat, and things to know this week!
If you're Edmonton area, subscribe to my FREE newsletter for hyperlocal recommendations on what to do, eat, things to know this week, and more!