Aussie man shares photos of giant golden orb spiders hidden near his country home - and reveals the chilling reason the mothers keep males stuck in their thick webs

Man shares terrifying photos of golden orb weaving spiders living near his home
Queensland man discovered the spiders in Mareeba in Far North Queensland
He compared the 'incredible' strength of the golden orbs web to fishing line
The web will vibrate to attract the spiders prey, catching small birds and bats

A man has shared terrifying photos of the gigantic golden orb spiders that build webs as strong as 'fishing line' near his country home.

The man, who resides in the small town of Mareeba in Far North Queensland, posted the spine-tingling photos to Reddit on Wednesday.

He said the spiders' 'incredibly strong' webs were extremely difficult to break with human hands, comparing the strength to fishing line.



'If you're not paying attention and walk into one, you'll know about it', he said.


'It's a unique sensation walking into a super strong web in the dark.'

The man explained the giant spiders were not aggressive unless you got too close, but said messing with their web or bumping into them was a sure way to get bit.

'They have venom, it isn't toxic enough to kill a person but it will hurt a lot and for a while after,' he wrote.

'Friends who have been bitten have told me it's extremely painful, some can also have an anaphylactic reaction and die.'

Golden orb weaving spiders are known for building large, strong nets that vibrate to attract their prey, sometimes ensnaring bats and small birds.

The spiders will remain in their webs day and night, and protect themselves from bird attacks by securing their webs with multiple, overlapping layers.



The man explained both the spiders he snapped were females and were surrounded by smaller males on the webs.

'She keeps a couple of tiny boyfriends on the web, and she eats them after copulating - they are her snacks', he said.

The females are the larger of the species at 4 to 4.5cm long and can grow to a leg-span of 15cm, with the males measuring just 5 to 6mm.

The Mareeba resident described a terrifying interaction he had with a 10cm long golden orb spider down by a river a few weeks ago.

'My dog came barreling up the riverbank just as I was inches away taking a picture, she knocked one of the anchor webs that was tied to the grass I was standing on, the orb nearly launched at me, ready to bite', he recalled.

Other Reddit users shared similar experiences in the comments of the thread.

'If you haven’t walked face first into one of these webs in the dark you never grew up in Australia', one commenter said.


The man said he discovered the golden orb spiders and their gigantic webs near his country home in Mareeba, Far North Queensland (pictured)

'Anyone who lives in rural areas in QLD will remember running into these in the dark playing 'spotlight' as a kid. Good times', another said.

'The webs they do are incredible. You can see that golden thread clearly in this pic. It's also really strong so you'll know if you walk through it', a third shared.

'Super strong webs. Those bad-boys can eat small birds and bats', another said.

The spiders are typically found in forests and woodlands, coastal sand dunes and shrub land, with Queensland being home to three different species.

The specie is reluctant to bite humans, with symptoms of the golden orb's bite causing swelling, numbness and mild pain, only occasionally nausea and dizziness.

WHAT ARE GOLDEN-ORB WEAVING SPIDERS?
Golden orb's are large spiders with silvery-grey to plum coloured bodies and brown-black, and often yellow banded legs

They build large, semi-permanent orb webs that vibrate to attract their prey

The species are found in dry open forest and woodlands, coastal sand dune shrub land and mangrove habitats

Sydney is home to two species, which can be found in the Botanical Gardens and the Homebush Bay area of the city

The spider preys on flies, beetles, locusts, wood moths and cicadas, sometimes even small birds or bats that get caught in their sticky nests

They are reluctant biters, with symptoms including swelling, numbness and mild pain, occasionally nausea and dizziness

Source: The Australian Museum

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... sland.html

[mrvictor]

Tiger Father Upends Stereotype By Caring For 4 Cubs After Mom’s Death, Surprising Researchers



With tiger families, it’s the mother who provides the parental care. After giving birth to cubs, for two years they stay near her side, learning hunting and survival skills. Then they head off on their own.

But since a tigress died of unknown causes at Panna Tiger Reserve in India this May, the father tiger has been exhibiting “rare behavior” by caring for the four cubs beyond the usual protector role. He’s been observed hunting a sambar deer and sharing the prey with the young. He’s been heard calling to the cubs in communication.

The 8-month-old cubs are being carefully monitored by conservationists, and currently look healthy, active, and neither hungry nor stressed, Mongabay has reported.

“The tiger visits these cubs regularly, and his behavior shows that he is not a threat to the cubs. We have seen the cubs playing with the male tiger and sharing kills,” Panna Tiger Reserve director Uttam Sharma told Mongabay-India.

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/male-ti ... -behavior/

Maine Man Tried To Pay $200 Bail With Counterfeit Bills: Sheriff

The suspect tried to pay with two counterfeit $100 bills, but he was denied bail and was returned to jail with the additional charge of forgery.



WATERBORO, Maine (AP) — A man in Maine tried to post $200 bail with counterfeit bills, according to the sheriff’s office.

Deputies responding to a report of a stolen vehicle in Waterboro early Sunday morning stopped a man walking nearby, the York County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook post. They determined that he was not involved but arrested him on an outstanding warrant for theft from a Walmart, Sheriff William King said.

The man said he had enough money to post $200 in bail but when the bail commissioner arrived, he tried to pay with two counterfeit $100 bills.

He was denied bail and was returned to jail with the additional charge of forgery.

The man was able to post $100 in bail later in the day, the sheriff’s office said. His court date is scheduled for Aug. 4.

Court records do not indicate if the man has an attorney to represent him. A working phone number for the man could not be found.

[lush]

Weird Fun Facts About Everyday Things
Posted on July 13, 2021*

Do you know how long the average person sits at a stop light? Or why it seems like the Coca Cola from McDonalds actually does taste better? The answers are 6 months and stainless steel containers instead of plastic bags. Here’s the explanation on those and more everyday weird fun facts for you.

Stop Lights for Life


For six months of your life that is. The average person sits at a stop light for six months of their lives. Is that jarring to anyone else? Six months out of each of our lives, we sit in the car waiting for a light to change? For each time we stop at a stop light, we spend about 75 seconds waiting. What an everyday weird fun fact.

McDonald’s Coke is Special


The thing is, McDonald’s and Coca Cola have been working together since 1955. Their close relationship works for both companies and the syrup that McDonald’s uses for its soda fountains is shipped via stainless steel containers and not in plastic bags.

Lots of Trees for Lots of Toilet Paper

Trees are cut down everyday, whether for paper products or construction. For toilet paper specifically, it’s a lot of trees that are cut down, like 270,000 trees a day. And that’s just for toilet paper. Even before 2020, us Americans used a lot of butt wipe, a whopping 34 million rolls a day.

Cap’n Crunch has a Real Name

And there’s a reason behind the name Cap’n Crunch, of course. His real name is Ferdinand Magellan and his ship was called the S.S. Guppy. When the cereal debuted in the 1960s, it came out that kids preferred crunchy foods to soggy ones, hence the name, Cap’n Crunch.

Why T-shirts?


Did you know that t-shirts were invented 100 years ago? Cooper Underwear Company began advertising their newest product, t-shirts, to bachelors who couldn’t sew or replace buttons. They originally came out as all white and were quickly trendy.

Pencils Write a Lot of Words

According to reports, a pencil can write around 45,000 words and draw a 38 mile long line. That’s a lot of lead for one pencil.

The Most Widely Printed Book

The most widely printed book is the IKEA catalog. Can you believe it? The store has a very easy to use website but there are 208 million copies of this book printed every year, which surpasses the Bible, Quran, and the Harry Potter series. The catalog varies slightly depending on where you see it because it attempts to follow the culture and norms of the country that it’s printed for. The IKEA catalog is printed in over 72 regions.

Keyboards Slow Down Your Typing



A fun fact I share with you, as I sit here, typing. Ugh. The letters on a keyboard are situated in a certain way, and have you ever wondered why they aren’t in alphabetical order? This method of keyboard organization, if you will, was developed as a way to slow down typists. Typewriter users back in the day became so skilled with their craft, that they were jamming the typewriters that they were typing on. The QWERTY method, also known as the QWERTY keyboard, actually helped to keep the machines from breaking down, and that is why it’s still used today. (Interestingly enough, plenty of people have no issues speedily typing along, apparently no matter what the keyboard layout looks like. Not that we know any different.)

Bananas are a Fruit

Duh, right? But did you know that bananas are a berry? Because of the outer skin, the fleshy middle, and the innermost part of a banana that has the seeds, this fruit technically qualifies as a berry. This fruit checks off all the “berry” boxes, if you will. Kiwis and watermelon also technically fall into the berry category. And because of the definition of a berry, and what constitutes a berry, strawberries are not considered a berry at all. Now that is a shocking weird fun fact.

Barbie has Unrealistic Proportions


And from the mouth of every woman in America, “Duh.” No but honestly, even her head is crazy disproportionate. Barbie’s head is such a large size that if she were real, she wouldn’t be able to walk or lift up her head. Because her waist is so teeny tiny, at only 16 inches, it would be 4 inches thinner than her head!

Bubble Wrap as Wallpaper?

It’s true. Back in 1957, two engineers wanted to create a textured wallpaper and they wanted it to be affordable for everyone so they thought to use bubble wrap. The idea didn’t really take off, though. In 1960, IBM need to ship some fragile data processors and the wanted to make sure they used something that would protect their equipment, and their answer? Bubble wrap.

How cool are these weird everyday fun facts? Which one is your favorite?

Man in China reunited with son snatched 24 years ago


A Chinese man has been reunited with his son after a 24-year search that saw him travel over 500,000km (310,000 mi) on a motorbike across the country.

Guo Gangtang's son had been snatched aged two by human traffickers in front of their home in the province of Shandong.

His son's disappearance actually inspired a movie in 2015, which starred Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau.

Child abductions are a big problem in China, with thousands taken every year.

According to China's Ministry of Public Security, the police were able to trace the son's identity using DNA testing. Two suspects were later tracked down and arrested, said a Global Times report.

The suspects, who were dating at the time, had planned to kidnap a child with the intention of selling him for money, said a report by China News.

After spotting Mr Guo's son playing alone outside his home, the female suspect identified only by her surname Tang grabbed him and took him to the bus station, where her partner, named as Hu, was waiting.

The couple then took an intercity coach to neighbouring Henan province and sold the child there.

Local media reports say Mr Guo's son was found still living in the province.

Mr Guo and his wife cried and hugged their son when they were reunited in Liaocheng, Shandong, on Sunday, state media CCTV reported.

"My baby, you came back!" said the mother, whose name was not released, in a video of the reunion.

"Now that the child has been found, everything can only be happy from now on," Mr Guo told reporters.

Mr Lau, who got to know Mr Guo while preparing to play him in the film Lost and Love, congratulated him.

"I'd like to say to Brother Guo that I admire your persistence," he said, according to the South China Morning Post.

After his son was abducted in 1997, Mr Guo reportedly travelled to more than 20 provinces around the country on the back of a motorbike chasing tip-offs.

In the process, he broke bones in traffic accidents and even encountered highway robbers. Ten motorbikes were also damaged.

Carrying around banners with his son's picture on them, he is said to have spent his life savings on his mission, sleeping under bridges and begging for money when he ran out of cash.

He also became a prominent member of missing-persons organisations in China, and helped at least seven other parents reunite with their abducted children.

[Fivetide]

Behold! The Anus: An Evolutionary Marvel


Sea cucumbers have one of the more interesting — and multifunctional — anuses in the animal kingdom.
Comstock Images/Getty Images

You can listen to the 10-minute news item/podcast here: https://www.npr.org/2021/06/17/1007710451/behold-the-anus-an-evolutionary-marvel

The anus is an evolutionary marvel. But how and when did this organ evolve into what it is today? Today on Short Wave, Maddie tries to get to the bottom of these questions with The Atlantic's science writer Katherine Wu.

For more of Katherine's reporting, check out 'The Body's Most Embarrassing Organ Is an Evolutionary Marvel' from The Atlantic.

[johngriffen]

I sometimes get REALLY DEPRESSED reviewing the news these days.
It's always about a global pandemic threatening life as we know it,
protests around the world, stupid politicians, natural disasters,
or some other really bad story.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Welcome to The mobi weekly news magazine
IN OTHER NEWS
WEDNESDAY JULY 14
What is it?
Here is your chance to become an "ACE REPORTER" for our weekly news magazine.
It is your job to fine weird, funny or "good feel" stories from around the world and share them with our readers in our weekly magazine

How do you play?
Just post a story that you have come across that made you smile, laugh, feel good...
BUT NOTHING DEPRESSING

EXAMPLE POST

​Naked sunbather chases wild boar through park after it steals his laptop bag

A naked sunbather was seen chasing wild boar through a park after it stole his laptop bag.
Amusing photographs from Germany show the man running after the animal to try and claim the plastic bag back.
But the cheeky boar and its two piglets appear to be too quick for the sunbather, who can't keep up with their speedy little trotters.
As the incident unfolds, groups of friends and family sat on the grass watch on and laugh.
Heads are seen turning in surprise and amusement in the hilarious photographs.
The incident happened at Teufelssee Lake - a bathing spot in the Grunwell Forest in Berlin, Germany.

Rules:
Each Edition of IN OTHER NEWS will be open for 7 days...
You can post as many stories as you like, but you will only get paid for One Story in any 24 hour period
So in other words, you can only earn WRZ$ once a day.
Each news day will start when I post announcing it
OR at:
9:00 AM CHICAGO TIME (UTC -5)
2:00 PM GMT (UTC -0)
on those days I space out and forget to post or can't due to Real Life
Stories may be accompanied with images - but No big images, please! 800x800 pixels wide maximum
Videos are allowed, but please keep them short, and post a short summary for those that don't like to click on videos
No Duplicate stories - Where a post has been edited resulting in duplicates, then the last one in time gets disallowed.
And please limit this to reasonably family friendly stories

Reward:
Each news story posted that I feel is acceptable (must be a real story, too few words or simply a headline are not considered acceptable) will earn you 50 WRZ$
If you post multiple stories on any given day, you will only earn 50 WRZ$ for the first story of the Day
All payments will be made at THE END of the weekly news cycle.
Special Bonus - Each week I will award "The Pulitzer Prize" for the best story of the week
The weekly winner of the "The Pulitzer Prize" will receive a 100 WRZ$ bonus
It's just my personal opinion, so my judgement is final

So help bring GOOD news to the members of mobi, and join our reporting team...

IN OTHER NEWS

[ozswede]

First baby beaver born on Exmoor in 400 years is spotted on film after species that had been hunted to extinction was reintroduced 18 months ago

The first baby beaver born on Exmoor for 400 years and on National Trust land has been spotted on film after previously being hunted to extinction in Britain. The young beaver known as a kit has been captured on camera on the National Trust's Holnicote Estate in Somerset. Footage from a static camera captured the six-week-old kit swimming with its mother, back to the family lodge, while she stopped to nibble a branch.


Camera footage has captured shots of the first baby beaver to be born on Exmoor for 400 years, the National Trust said


This latest beaver find comes just 18 months after the conservation charity undertook its first licensed enclosed release of two Eurasian beavers in its 125-year history


Footage from a static camera captured the six-week-old kit swimming with its mother, back to the family lodge, while she stopped to nibble a branch

This latest beaver find comes just 18 months after the conservation charity undertook its first licensed enclosed release of two Eurasian beavers in its 125-year history.

Jack Siviter, one of the rangers on the Holnicote estate said:

'We first had an inkling that our pair of beavers had mated successfully when the male started being a lot more active building and dragging wood and vegetation around the site in late spring. The female also changed her usual habits, and stayed out of sight, leaving the male to work alone. It was then several weeks until we spotted her again, and this is when our suspicions were confirmed that she had given birth, due to having very visible teats.

'We are particularly pleased for our female, nicknamed Grylls due to her survival instincts, as she didn't have the easiest start to life being orphaned at an early age. As a first time mum she seems to be thriving and it's great to see her with her new kit. The family should now stay together for the next two years before the kit will naturally want to go off to create a new territory of its own.'

A keystone species missing from the British countryside since they were hunted to extinction during the sixteenth century, beavers are playing a new and vital role in watercourse and flood management on the estate and creating an environment that is attracting more wildlife and diversity of species.

As nature's engineers, they are a natural solution to help tackle the biodiversity and climate crisis. Since their introduction, the beavers have been busy creating a dam complex made from trees, mud, stones and vegetation.

This has helped slow the flow of water through the catchment, creating ponds and new channels to hold more water in the landscape as well as storing and filtering water to help clean it before it flows downstream. By holding water back beavers can play a role in reducing the impact of floods and droughts both of which are expected to become more frequent with climate change.

The felling of some of the trees has allowed more light to flood into the woodland floor where ground flora such as sanicle and marsh marigold is now lush and green, while also helping with natural woodland succession building in resilience and creating different habitats to attract other wildlife.

This new wet woodland habitat is now a more diverse habitat offering more food and shelter benefiting and attracting a wide range of wildlife including amphibians, bats and insects such as dragonflies, and birds like sparrow hawk, grey wagtail, heron, moorhens and kingfisher.

The beavers have also stripped bark from non-native conifers to create deadwood habitats which are good for bats, owls, woodpeckers and invertebrates.

Ben Eardley, Project Manager for the National Trust at Holnicote, said:

'The transformation of the habitat has been remarkable. To go from dry unmanaged woodland to a more open wetland complex in such a short time has not only boosted the variety of wildlife that we're seeing on the estate, but also numbers. This is really important because the beaver are doing a lot of what we want to see in terms of conservation and land management. They are letting the light and the water into the site, helping natural processes and providing opportunities for a host of other wildlife.'

Source, with the video

Video of woman styling hair in packed Florida sports bar goes viral

Although many people can relate to having a hair emergency, not everyone is willing to handle it at a bar.

That was the solution one woman had when she stopped by Duffy’s Sports Grill in Miami this weekend, according to a viral Instagram video shared by Only in Dade, a lifestyle media company that’s dedicated to chronicling "The Good - The Bad - The Funny" in Dade County.

In the video, the woman in question is using a heat-styling brush to smooth out her hair while she stands off to the side of the busy sports grill.

While the post didn’t provide much context, commenters joked that the woman’s public hairstyling display isn’t all that unusual with Miami’s humid weather. On the opposite end, critics argued that the woman should have chosen a bathroom to re-style her hair for privacy and sanitation reasons.

Others saw the humor in the woman’s multitasking skills, including DJ Jony Privat, who wrote: "I bet a croqueta she does her laundry at the beach."

[prokroustis]

Kissing in Ancient Greece: A Greeting and Sign of Respect


The two most common greetings in ancient Greece were kisses and handshakes.

In ancient Greece, kissing was not considered strictly romantic or intimate; rather, kissing was a often a greeting between acquaintances and could be used as a sign of respect.

On World Kissing Day, Tuesday, read on to discover how kissing was performed in ancient Greece.

Kissing in Ancient Greece

Ancient Greeks would often kiss each other and had distinct social rules for where these kisses would be placed on the body, depending on status and the relationship between the two people involved.

Kissing was also certainly considered a sign of affection, as in many of Homer’s works, kissing is used to illustrate a deep bond of friendship or kinship. Often, parents were described as kissing their children in order to show their love, and men who were close friends would also kiss.

Images depicting kisses also showed up in mythology, particularly in relation to satyrs and nymphs.

One common greeting in the ancient Greek world was a kiss. This could be on the hand, the cheek, or the lips.

An ancient Greek historian named Herodotos of Halikarnassos, who lived between 484 and 425 BC, describes kissing as greeting between the Achaemenid Persians, who had conquered many of the countries on the Mediterranean Sea.

“When one [Persian] man meets another on the road, it is easy to see if the two are equals; for, if they are, they kiss each other on the lips without speaking; if the difference in rank is small, the cheek is kissed; if it is great, the humbler bows and does obeisance to the other.”

Although in the modern world kissing is associated with romance and intimacy, this was not the case in ancient times. When kissing was meant to be romantic, it was frowned upon if done in public. If women initiated romantic kisses, it would be taken as a sign of promiscuity or other negative attributes.

The ancient Greek handshake

Out of all the gestures of greeting used until recently around the globe, the handshake is the most widely used. This rang true in ancient Greece, where the handshake was the most commonplace greeting in the country.

The first nearly-universal way of greeting someone, portrayed for the first time in the arts of ancient Greece, has now been suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic after thousands of years of use.

The oldest indication of the handshake as a gesture of greeting is an ancient Greek sculpture, specifically one found on a funerary naiskos from the grave of Agathon and Sosykrates.

Dating from approximately the fifth century BC, the relief sculpture, showing three figures, is exhibited at the entrance Cloister of the Kerameikos Archaeological Museum in Athens.

References to handshakes can also be found in Homer’s Iliad, which dates to roughly the year 800 BC. The gesture is described in that work variously as a symbol of agreement or oath, an offer of comfort to the bereaved, or as a pledge of trust.

Significantly, a handshake in ancient Greece meant that the two parties were equals: Gods shook hands with gods, warriors shook hands between them, and athletes shook hands as a sign of acknowledging respect for their rivals.

[Fivetide]

Unopened Legend of Zelda game from 1987 sells for $870,000


This photo provided by Heritage Auctions shows Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda.
An unopened copy of Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda that was made in 1987 has
sold at auction for $870,000. Heritage Auctions in Dallas says the video game sold
Friday, July 9, 2021. (Heritage Auctions via AP)

An unopened copy of Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda that was made in 1987 has sold at auction for $870,000.

Heritage Auctions in Dallas said the video game sold Friday.

The auction house said it was a rare version that was created during a limited production run that took place during a few months in late 1987. The Legend of Zelda is a popular fantasy adventure game that was first released in 1986.

“The Legend of Zelda marks the beginning of one of the most important sagas in gaming; its historical significance can’t be understated ... it is a true collector’s piece,” Valarie McLeckie, Heritage’s video game specialist, said in a statement.

In April, the auction house sold an unopened copy of Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. that was bought in 1986 and forgotten about in a desk drawer for $660,000.

[goldie0608]

Grandmother Given 10 Percent Chance of Survival Beats Severe COVID Complications: 'Walking Miracle'



A grandmother beat COVID-19 and pancreatitis, which was a complication of the virus, after being given just a 10 percent chance of survival.

Alisa White, 61, from Long Island, New York was admitted to Huntington Hospital in January where she stayed for six months in order to undergo life-saving surgeries, ABC 7 reported.

The grandmother of 11 developed severe pancreatitis from complications due to COVID and was placed in a medically induced coma as doctors worked to clear out her infection. She endured seven surgeries throughout her hospital stay, according to the outlet.

White was given an estimate of a 10 percent chance of survival. Dr. Demetrios Tzimas said in a press conference captured by CBS New York, "She's really a walking miracle."

"Unfortunately she had such bad pancreatitis, most of her pancreas died, and she had a dead organ in her abdomen," he said, later explaining that they removed as much damaged tissue as possible for a human to survive.

Appearing at the press conference with a mask on, White told Dr. Tzimas, "I want to thank you, thank you very much for saving my life."

She added, "How many times could I have died? So many times I could have died."

Doctors presented her with a gift card to Texas Roadhouse, one of her favorite restaurants, on Tuesday so White could take her children and grandchildren, according to ABC 7.

https://youtu.be/4RblDvjUsLs

In a pickle: Pakistan police detain 19 after being denied free burgers

Workers at the trendy chain Johnny & Jugnu in the eastern city of Lahore were rounded up and held for seven hours overnight.

Published
Jun 14, 2021, 6:53 pm SGT

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (AFP) - A group of police officers in Pakistan flipped out when a takeaway joint refused to hand over free burgers, detaining all 19 staff at the branch.

Workers at the trendy Johnny & Jugnu chain in the eastern city of Lahore were rounded up and held for seven hours overnight on Saturday (June 12), leaving behind unattended kitchens and hungry customers.

"This is not the first time something like this has happened with our kitchen teams at our restaurant, but we want to make sure this is the last," the fast food chain said in a statement published on social media.

The beef started when staff at the restaurant refused a "request from a very high profile special guest".

Restaurant staff told AFP that most of those arrested were young people, including many university students.

Following outcry among fans, nine police officers involved were suspended yesterday, senior provincial police official Inam Ghani said on Twitter.

"No one is allowed to take the law into his own hands," he said.

Pakistan's police officers are infamous for corruption and for demanding kickbacks from local businesses.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for a reform of Punjab's police force, saying "cronies" had been appointed by politicians to control police stations.

Join ST's Telegram channel here and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

[PennySerenade]

New Disney and Pixar film to be set in Toronto, feature Canadian voice talent



TORONTO -- Streetcar tracks, the CN Tower and graffiti-covered alleyways are among the Toronto hallmarks featured in an upcoming Disney and Pixar film billed as a love letter to Canada.

Disney says “Turning Red,” set for release in March 2022, takes place in Toronto, is directed by Canadian Oscar-winning director Domee Shi and features Ottawa-born Sandra Oh as one of the voice actors.

The animated movie follows the story of a 13-year-old girl who transforms into a giant red panda when she gets too excited.



Rosalie Chiang voices the main character, Mei Lee, while Oh lends her voice to Lee's protective, overbearing mother.

A trailer released Tuesday featured background shots of Toronto's Chinatown, its streets lined with trees laden with cherry blossoms.

Shi won an Oscar in 2019 for the animated short film “Bao,” which she wrote and directed and also set in Toronto.

Walt Disney Studios Canada said a group of Canadian artists also worked on the filmmaking team of “Turning Red.”

Greg Mason, vice president of marketing for Walt Disney Studios Canada called the film a “love letter to Toronto and Canada.”

“There are a couple of great Canadian Easter eggs in this trailer and we can't wait for Canadian audiences to see more when the film hits theatres next year,” Mason said Tuesday in a release.

[mrvictor]

From Working At McDonald’s To Competing At The Olympics, This US Track Youngster is Living American Dream



Setting goals and achieving them is the path that’s transformed one Olympic contender from a 17-year-old with a gig under the “golden arches” to a world-class athlete taking her shot at bringing home a gold medal at the Tokyo games.

Quanesha Burks was raised by her grandparents. As a teen, she worked long hours at McDonald’s, earning what she could to help support her family. Even so, she says she happily went to work each day because she saw her labors as an investment in a bigger game plan that included attending college.

From early on, Burks excelled at sports. In high school, she realized her athletic prowess might be the ticket to a college scholarship. Initially, her choice of sport was a toss-up between basketball and track, but once she’d taken third at the 2012 USATF National Junior Olympics, her course was set.

After researching the requirements for a full ride, Burks set her goals down on paper and stuck to them. By the time she graduated from Hartselle High School, she’d earned 11 state track titles and a scholarship to the University of Alabama.

With an impressive NCAA indoor long jump title in 2015 followed by an outdoor win in 2016, Burks racked up All-America Honors, but even with her many achievements, her road to the Olympics has had its own share of hurdles.

In 2018, Burks finished a disappointing fourth at the World Athletics Indoor Championships. The following year, her beloved grandfather passed away one week prior to the U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Understandably, her performance suffered.

By the time 2020 rolled around, Burks was back in a winning groove. Then the COVID-19 pandemic shut down most sporting events, leaving her and other hopeful athletes in limbo. She continued to train until a bone injury sidelined her for nearly three months.

“It felt like all the odds were against me,” Burks told Sports Illustrated. “At one point, my coach told me, ‘I don’t know if you’re going to physically be able to go to the trials.’ The doctors didn’t know if I would be back in time… I was facing so much, but I kept going back to when I worked at McDonald’s. I had my goals set and I knew I could do it.”

Although forced to refrain from her usual rigorous activities, Burks remained determined to achieve her Olympic dreams. To keep her spirits up, she recorded a series of positive affirmations and posted them to her TikTok page.

During the trials for the Tokyo Olympics, her tenacity paid off. At age 25, with a long-jump personal best of 6.96 meters, Burks took an overall third, securing her spot on the Team USA roster.

“It’s a blessing to be like one from my hometown in a small community, really just representing myself, but Hartselle, the University of Alabama and the state of Alabama,” Burks told CBS News-19. “Knowing that I’m representing us in Tokyo is just a blessing, it’s an honor and I’m so proud of the other Olympians.”

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/us-olym ... sha-burks/