Blog Posts by Jordan Chittley

From a moose walking into a B.C. grocery store to a man climbing three storeys on the outside of a burning building to save girl, we've seen some amazing videos this week. Here are some of our favourites:

1. Catching two fish at once

A man was out in a boat in Lake Austin in Texas when he saw one large-mouth bass trying to eat another similarly sized large-mouth bass whole. The one fish only had the other fish's head in its mouth. Both fish seem to still be alive and are trying to swim off, but aren't having much luck. The man just picks them both up with his hand and puts them in the boat.

[ Last week's must see video: Purse thief runs right through glass window ]

2. Moose wanders through B.C. grocery store

Grocery shopping is usually uneventful, but not for the folks at a Safeway in Smithers, B.C. this past Wednesday. A moose strolled into the store apparently just hoping to smell the roses after following customers in through the electronic doors. The moose was

From how hard it is to brush teeth in space to making maple syrup the old fashioned way, we've seen some great videos this week. Here are some of our favourite:

1. Purse thief runs right through glass window

An Australian thief is still on the loose after stealing a purse from a woman at a shopping centre, but his getaway wasn't quite like you may see in the movies. He didn't manage to see which side of the glass was the door and ran right into the window, shattering the glass and falling to the ground. Bystanders helped him up, unaware he was running away from a crime. He then ran and escaped with an accomplice in a stolen car.

[ Last week's must-see video: Man immediately regrets buying stolen python ]

2. Hadfield shows difficulty of brushing teeth in space

Since Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has arrived at the International Space Station, he has been amazing us with the beauty of Earth through the photos he posts to Twitter. He's also been giving us some insight

From men sleeping with a python and a tiger to others rescuing a sick porpoise, we've seen some great videos this week. Here are some of our favourites:

1. Man immediately regrets buying stolen python

Buying a TV out of the back of some guy's van can be risky, but buying a python in this manner will probably be considerably more dicey. The worst the TV can do is not work. The worst the snake can do is kill you.

Dwayne Matthews, 29, of England found out his lesson the hard way. He was at a house party when a van pulled up selling snakes. Matthews, who admitted to being drunk at the time and being egged on by his drunk friends, purchased the snake. He planned to sell it at a later date. The next morning he woke to see the 10-foot long animal wrapped around his friend.

"He got up to find one of his friends asleep on the sofa and this snake rearing up at him in a S-shape, its jaws open like a cobra," he said in a UPI article. Matthews managed to get the snake into a tank. He then tried

Social media gives politicians more direct access to reporters and the public. Plus they theoretically have a way to better control their messages. But does such tight control of messaging mean the general public is missing a key element of the conversation?

On Wednesday evening, two distinct groups of experts will weigh the influence of social media on our political discourse. Does social media help strengthen the reliability of sources used by political reporters? How are politicians' images influenced by social interaction?

The discussion will be hosted by the Canadian Journalism Foundation and Carleton University. The political reporters will debate the issue first, followed by the politicians. The discussion begins at 6:30 p.m. Join us below for what is sure to be a lively discussion!

List of reporters:
Glen McGregor, national reporter, Ottawa Citizen
Kady O’Malley, journalist, CBC.ca's Inside Politics blog
David Reevely, City Hall reporter, Ottawa Citizen
Joanna Smith, political

When driving early in the morning or late at night or any time you are tired it's almost instinctive to grab for a coffee or another caffeinated drink. The logic is simple - staying awake makes you a safer driver.

In case you were wondering if this is just a myth, now a new study proves it to be true.

The research, published in the British Medical Journal looked at truck drivers who were hauling loads long distances across Australia between 2008 and 2011. It compared 530 drivers who had been involved in crashes with 517 who had not and found drivers who drank caffeinated substances had a 63 per cent lower crash risk.

"Long-distance commercial drivers who consume caffeinated substances such as coffee or energy drinks, to stay awake while driving, are significantly less likely to crash than those who do not, even though they drive longer distances and sleep less," researchers said.

[ Last week's silly study: Overhearing people’s cellphone conversations is annoying ]

According to

From a man surviving a 2,500-metre fall from a plane without a working parachute to a man swimming in -52-degree weather, we've seen some great videos this week. Here are some of our favourite:

1. Skydiver recounts plunge to earth after chute fails

Craig Stapleton was doing a complex stunt called a flag jump, but the flag tangled with his equipment and caused the parachute to malfunction. His main chute didn't open so he deployed his reserve chute, but that didn't open fully. He plunged from 2,500 metres and, after falling for three minutes, hit the ground at about 50 km/h. Imagine getting in a car accident at that speed. It probably wouldn't be pretty. And now imagine it without a steel cage or airbag for protection.

But somehow Stapleton, who has done more than 7,000 jumps in the past 25 years, walked away with only bruises. He said he was lucky to fall in soft dirt and remember his training. He rolled when hitting the ground to absorb the impact into as many places as

Some people try to avoid being "that guy" in an elevator or a quiet room and won't talk on their cellphone, but others just can't help themselves.

These people force the rest of us to listen to their incredibly irritating half conversations. And now a new study is proving what I, along with many others, could have told you years ago - overhearing others' phone conversations is annoying.

Okay, so maybe we don't need the study to tells us it's annoying, but it also offers some ideas as to why.

The study published in the science journal PLoS ONE last week shows when people tried to complete a cognitive task while overhearing a phone conversation, they had trouble focusing on the task. Trying to complete the task with someone on a phone was a lot harder than trying to complete the task while witnessing a two-way conversation.

[ Last week's silly study: Steep economic impact for changing clocks ]

The bystanders could also better recall the content of the one-way conversation than the

From an incredibly elusive animal captured on film twice this month in Alberta to some tough fights with icicles in Saskatchewan, we've seen some great videos this week. Here are some of our favourites:

1. Dad pretends to punch toddler

If any child advocates thought this video was real they would probably be up in arms right now, but just like a Hollywood fight scene, the punches aren't real. Either that or this is the toughest toddler ever.

[ Last week's must-see video: Girl gets shorts stuck while jumping over fence ]

2. Lynx put on a show in Lake Louise

A Parks Canada conservation officer captured a female lynx as she stared at her reflection in a Lake Louise window. Parks staff say the mother may have thought it was another animal that may have been a threat. The lynx is a very elusive and reclusive animal, but has been putting on a show this past winter. Two were also seen last month and photographed. Staff believe the cats are taking advantage of the increased