Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Toronto Civilian Teaches G20 Protest Looter A Lesson

A Toronto passer-by tackled a man trying to steal a box full of goods through a smashed store window at Saturday's G20 demonstration-turned-riot. "Don't steal," the passer-by admonishes in the video that captures the incident:




User name: csurge
Location: Toronto, Canada
Date uploaded: June 28
Views: 331,259
User notes: In Canada, we riot with a little class.

Congressman Mocks Constituent at Town Hall Meeting

Rep. Pete Stark, (D-CA) mocked a self-identified Minuteman who asked him about immigration and border issues at a town hall meeting in Fremont, California.



User name: cvminutemen
Location: Fremont, California
Date uploaded: June 29
Event date: June 26
Views: 48,343
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

YouTube Video Shows Accused Russian Spy

Videos uploaded to YouTube in May reportedly show Anna Chapman, one of 11 people accused by the US government of spying on behalf of Russia. The YouTube user states Chapman is a venture investor who speaks about the peculiarities of Russian venture capital investment.



User name: alyonapopova
Date uploaded: May 25
Views: 1,310
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.




User name: alyonapopova
Date uploaded: May 25
Views: 7,384
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Volunteers Relocate Turtle Eggs from Gulf Beaches

The AP reports government officials are about to begin a massive effort to relocate 70,000 turtle eggs from Florida and Alabama beaches that are affected by the BP oil spill. The US Fish and Wildlife Service is reportedly going to dig up 800 nests and transport them to Kennedy Space Center where it is hoped they will hatch. But as the video below shows, some volunteers along the Gulf Coast have already started their own rescue efforts.



User name: dawmlw
Location: Gulf Shores, Alabama
Date uploaded: June 29
Event date: June 26
Views: 317
Click here to watch this video on Youtube.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Woman Struggles to Wash Oil Off Child's Foot

A video uploaded to YouTube shows the effects on one family's trip to a Florida beach. The clip shows oil smeared on a child's foot, and his aunt trying to wash it off.



User name: scottswear
Location: Rosemary Beach, Florida
Date uploaded: June 28
Views: 29
User notes: We're currently staying in Rosemary Beach in the Panhandle of FL. Beautiful beach as always, but this scenario unfolded shortly after our morning walk today. This area of the Panhandle was previously free of oil. It became very clear that this is going to be an issue early on in our vacation. Sure we can go and buy water shoes for my twin nephews to avoid this, but there is a lot to be said for the choice vs. HAVING to wear said shoes to avoid this type of situation. Not to mention the soft sand is half the reason to come to this area... not having the option to enjoy barefoot strolls on the beach greatly diminishes the experience of coming to the wonderfully soft white beaches of this area. And trust me, you don't want me to start on the environmental side.
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Striking Workers Clash with Greek Police

Police in Athens, Greece fired tear gas at protesters who hurled rocks and bottles and set garbage bins on fire in the latest strike against government budget cuts. The demonstrations took place near Parliament, where lawmakers are considering a round of austerity measures that include cuts to pensions and raising the retirement age, according to the BBC. Thousands of workers around the country are on strike while the changes are debated.



User name: citypressgrblogspot
Location: Athens, Greece
Date uploaded: June 29
Event date: June 29
Views: 20
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Monday, June 28, 2010

First Sign of BP Oil Empties Beaches in Biloxi, Miss.

Oil washed up on Mississippi beaches for the first time on Sunday, according to reports from national wire services like Reuters. After swimmers and tourists were alerted, the shores were left vacant.

Video was uploaded today from Biloxi, Miss. of the patches of oil that washed up on the state's coast:



User name: danmosqueda
Location: Biloxi, Miss.
Date uploaded: June 28
Views: 9

Police-G20-Protester Standoff Begins with Song, Ends in Chase

This clip begins quietly with a crowd of G20 protesters signing the Canada's national anthem to police in Toronto, where authorities pooled their efforts to control large-scale demonstrations surrounding the global economic summit this weekend. Soon into the song, however, in what looks like a sudden change of order at 1:08, the large team of police bolt forward, pushing over activists to the ground and chasing them down the street.



User name: TFPCVideoBlog
Location: Toronto, Canada
Date uploaded: June 27
Views: 198


An earlier clip which is said to be the original (thanks to modelmotion, a commenter below, for the tip!):



User name: mkmillard1982
Location: Toronto, Canada
Date uploaded: June 27
Views: 153,472
User notes: Peaceful G20 protest at Queen and Spadina. Full version: http://www.vimeo.com/12903946.

Police Rush in As San Francisco's Pink Saturday Turns Deadly

Police rushed to the Castro District after a shooting left one dead and two wounded at Pink Saturday, an annual party thrown the night before San Francisco's legendary Gay Pride Parade.

Members in the crowd uploaded their footage of what happened after the deadly incident:



Location: San Francisco, Calif.
Date uploaded: June 27
Views: 1,079




User name: Sniffy20
Location: San Francisco, Calif.
Date uploaded: June 27
Views: 312

Skywatchers Catch Lunar Eclipse

A partial lunar eclipse was visible over North America, Australia and Asia early Saturday morning. The time-lapse video below shows the view from southern California.



User name: dakodama
Location: Southern California
Date uploaded: June 27
Event date: June 26
Views: 171
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

100 Injured at Los Angeles Rave

An estimated 100 people were hurt at an outdoor music festival on Saturday while trying to jump barricades and gain access to priority seating areas. Videos uploaded to YouTube show music fans climbing over fences and jumping onto tents to reach the coliseum floor, while security guards try to hold them back.



User name: badmotherfather6969
Location: Los Angeles, California
Date uploaded: June 27
Event date: June 26
Views: 10
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.




User name: BsmokesDousia
Location: Los Angeles, California
Date uploaded: June 26
Event date: June 26
Views: 450
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.



User name: djkfresh07
Location: Los Angeles, California
Date uploaded: June 26
Event date: June 26
Views: 17
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Fans Berate Italian Soccer Team at Homecoming

Members of Italy's national soccer team were taunted and insulted upon arriving home at Rome's Fiumicino airport Saturday, after failing to qualify for the second round of the World Cup. Shouts of "Shame on you!" were directed at the coach, striker Alberto Gilardino and captain Fabio Cannavaro, according to ESPN. This is first time since 1974 Italy has been eliminated in the first round of competition.



User name: 55zanzibar
Location: Fiumicino Airport, Rome, Italy
Date uploaded: June 26
Event date: June 26
Views: 55,398
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

G20 Protesters Burn Police Car, Smash Shop Windows

Black-clad protesters set fire to four police cars and used bricks and hammers to smash windows in downtown Toronto in demonstrations against the G20 summit Saturday. Police reportedly arrested at least 412 people, many of them roving protesters who broke off from a larger group of peaceful demonstrators.



User name: mdent23
Location: Toronto, Canada
Date uploaded: June 27
Event date: June 26
Views: 43
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.



User name: bkkron
Location: Toronto, Canada
Date uploaded: June 26
Event date: June 26
Views: 153
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.




User name: PintoPonyProductions
Location: Toronto, Canada
Date uploaded: June 26
Event date: June 26
Views: 3,044
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.


Protestors break the windows of Starbucks.


User name: JoonyaT
Location: Toronto, Canada
Date uploaded: June 26
Event date: June 26
Views: 3,902
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Runaway Gorilla is Returned to Democratic Republic of Congo's Park

A 375-pound silverback gorilla named Mukunda was transported back to the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo last week. He escaped from the park and for two months destroyed crops in local villages, according to The Huffington Post.

This footage shows how Mukunda was tracked down, anesthetized, and transported back to his former habitat:



User name: gorillacd
Location: Democratic Republic of Congo
Date uploaded: June 18
Views: 668
User notes: A Silverback Mountain Gorilla in Congo's Virunga National Park is re-located to the forests after ravaging the crops of villagers on the outskirts of the park. The re-location, that involved anesthetizing the gorilla, took all day and involved carrying a 170 kilo animal up very steep hills in the baking African sun.

Toronto G20 Demonstrators Forced to Show ID or Face Arrest

Toronto G20 demonstrators confronted police when asked to show identification today during continuing protests during the global economic summit. In advance of the event, the city designated the location of the meeting a temporary "public work" area expanding law enforcement's right to search and arrest anyone who comes within five meters of the protected zone and refuses to self-identify according to a report by The Globe and Mail.


Those convicted under the law can face up to two months in jail and a $500 fine, reports The Toronto Star.



Some onlookers from sky-scrapers captured marching in the streets from above:



User name: jessicalc31
Location: Toronto, Canada
Date uploaded: June 25
Views: 1

Click here to watch this video on YouTube.



User name: donaldwgray1953
Location: Toronto, Canada
Date uploaded: June 25
Views: 32


Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Singapore Orders Caning for Graffiti Vandal

A Swiss man has been sentenced to five months in jail and three lashes of a cane for spray-painting graffiti on the side of a train in Singapore. In today's ruling, the judge called the incident a serious breach of security. Reuters points out the island has a low tolerance for petty crime: "Singapore outlaws chewing gum and has strict fines for littering and a mandatory death sentence for drug peddling. The crime rate ... is among the lowest in the world."

Video posted to YouTube shows the graffiti on the day it was painted.


User name: ongyouyuan1907
Location: Singapore
Date uploaded: May 18
Views: 137,934
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Thousands Protest Police Brutality in Egypt

Protesters rallied in Alexandria, Egypt today against police officers who they say tortured and killed a 28-year old businessman. According to the AP, "the death of Khaled Said has become a rallying point for pro-reform activists and rights workers who say police abuse is rampant." The wire service reports "demonstrators chanted once taboo slogans against Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak" and the head of the country's police force.



User name: BahoB1
Location: Alexandria, Egypt
Date uploaded: June 25
Event date: June 25
Views:147
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Connecticut's Severe Storm Catapults Bricks, Trees

A storm tore through Bridgeport, Conn., knocking down trees, powerlines and at least one building, reports The Associated Press. YouTube users have uploaded footage:



User name: bllumipanta
Location: Bridgeport, Conn.
Date uploaded: June 24
Views: 273

Click here to watch this video on YouTube.



User name: arturo1990
Location: Bridgeport, Conn.
Date uploaded: June 24
Views: 303

French Workers Strike Over Plans to Raise Retirement Age

Nationwide strikes over plans to raise France's retirement age from 60 to 62 were captured by users on YouTube today. The demonstrations are a reaction to France's President Nicholas Sarkozy's view that the proposed pension reform is necessary to keep the system funded.




User name: lapetitechroniqueuse
Location: Paris, France
Date uploaded: June 24
Views: 26
User notes: A short video of the demonstration against the pension reform in Paris on June 24th without commentary.




User name: fab8073
Location: Amiens, France
Date uploaded: June 24
Views: 116



User name: jean2419521
Location: Pau, France
Date uploaded: June 24
Views: 22
User notes: Pau had a great demonstration against pension reform on a beautiful sunny day ... of course!

Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

iPhone Fanatics Camp Out in Insane Lines for G4

iPhone lovers camping out at South Coast Plaza in Orange County, Calif., brought chairs and umbrellas (1:58) to protect themselves from the sun as they waited for hours to be one of the first to purchase the new iPhone G4. The lines were emblematic of what was happening at Apple Stores nationwide on the first day the company sold the phone to the general public. Some reported waiting as long as six hours to get to the register.


In several cities, shoppers took the opportunity to capture the length of the lines with two-minute-long pans using their cell phones.

In Costa Mesa, Calif.:



User name: briancwilkins
Location: South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, Calif.
Date uploaded: June 24
Views: 8
User notes: I got to the Apple Store at South Coast Plaza this morning at 6:30 AM. Realized I wasn't getting my "reserved" iPhone anytime soon and left to get to work at 8 AM. I stopped back during lunch, hoping the line had died down. Yeah. Not so much.


In Columbus, Ohio:



User name: fuzzlogik
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Date uploaded: June 24
Views: 0
User notes: Here's video after I finally got my iPhones. The line is pretty long but is a half block shorter than where I started. 6 1/2 hours later, I had em both!!


User name: geoffshenk
Location: San Francisco, Calif.
Date uploaded: June 24
Views: 11
User notes: This is the line for the new iPhone4 that went on sale today. The sign said 7 to 9 hrs wait. This is a good sign for AAPL stock!

Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

In New York City on 5th Avenue:



User name: vgeller1
Location: New York City
Date uploaded: June 24
Views: 516


Flooding Devastates Southern China

More than 2 million people have been displaced by flooding in southern China, the BBC reports, and at least 200 people have been killed in landslides and other flood-related accidents since Sunday. This clip shows water washing away a bus and several cars.



User name: kills8877
Location: Fujian, China
Date uploaded: June 24
Views: 4
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Children Play on Oil-Covered Fla. Beach

This video shows people playing on a beach in Destin, Florida where oil has washed ashore. At the 2:20 mark, a girl screams for her mother to help her get oil off her foot.


Location: Destin, Florida
Date uploaded: June 23
Views: 330

Miles of Florida Beaches Tarred by Oil

YouTube users are recording the damage to beaches around Pensacola, Florida, where thick blobs of oil washed ashore yesterday. Newspapers describe this as the worst whallop to Florida since the BP oil spill began in April.



User name: pcolagregg
Location: Pensacola, Florida
Date uploaded: June 23
Views: 284
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

This clip shows strange bubbles in the water at 0:15.


User name: pcolagregg
Location: Pensacola, Florida
Date uploaded: June 23
Views: 1,569
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.


Aerial footage of oil on the beach.


User name: FunkensteinJr
Location: Pensacola, Florida
Date uploaded: June 24
Views: 301
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.



User name: TheSurfer850
Location: Pensacola, Florida
Date uploaded: June 24
Views: 168
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Wildfire Spreads on National Park Lands in Colorado

A fire in Great Sand Dunes National Park that was sparked by a lightning strike on June 6 has now grown to nearly 5,000 acres. Fire officials say the Medano Fire is burning in remote, steep terrain and has high growth potential.



User name: greatsanddunesnpp
Location: Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
Date uploaded: June 23
Views: 27
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.



User name: MrOlaboss
Location: Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
Date uploaded: June 20
Views: 32
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.



User name: greatsanddunesnpp
Location: Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
Date uploaded: June 18
Views: 355
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Americans Celebrate Soccer Win

A crowd sits elbow-to-elbow quietly then erupts into cheers (0:53) and chants at a bar in Lincoln Nebraska, as it watches Landon Donovan's score against Algeria on June 22. The goal sent the Americans to Round of 16 in the World Cup, which made the moment a historic victory for the U.S.




User name: TheTJarrett402
Location: Lincoln, Neb.
Date uploaded: June 23
Date of event: June 22
Views: 311
User notes: Ground zero for the nationwide group the American Outlaws, Captan Jacks Bar in Lincoln Nebraska reacts to the most exciting goal in US Soccer history.
Recorded on June 22, 2010 using a Flip Video camcorder.

In 2007, Steven Chu Thought BP Would 'Help Save the World'

Back in 2007, when U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu was director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, he saw BP as an ally in developing alternatives to transportation fuels like gasoline and as a partner in improving stewardship of the environment (21:18).


At the time, BP had just given $500 million to UC Berkeley and the University of Illinois to develop new sources of energy and reduce the impact of energy consumption on the environment.

News and commentary sites are discussing the clip today. This appears to be the original version (skip to 21 minutes and 18 seconds to see Chu's interview):


User name: UCBerkeleyEvents
Location: Berkeley, Calif.
Date uploaded: Aug. 21, 2007
Views: 455
User notes: On February 1, global energy firm BP announced that it had selected UC Berkeley, in partnership with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, to lead an unprecedented $500 million research effort to develop new sources of energy and reduce the impact of energy consumption on the environment.

Rare Earthquake Shakes Ottawa, Canada

The US Geological Service reports a 5.0-magnitude earthquake struck along the Ontario-Quebec border today. Videos uploaded to YouTube a short time later show the shaking.



User name: BigNathan2008
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Date uploaded: June 23
Event date: June 23
Views: 99
Click here to watch this video on Youtube.



User name: EmpireofMInd
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Date uploaded: June 23
Event date: June 23
Views: 301
Click here to watch this video on Youtube.



User name: TheCanadiancarpenter
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Date uploaded: June 23
Event date: June 23
Views: 3
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

UPDATE: Gulf Coast Resident Claims It's Raining Oil

A YouTube user has uploaded video that purportedly shows oil-filled rain droplets falling from the sky.



User name: HistoryTours
Location: River Ridge, Louisiana
Date uploaded: June 22
Views: 4,026
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.



User name: HistoryTours
Location: River Ridge, Louisiana
Date uploaded: June 22
Views: 568
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.



User name: HistoryTours
Location: River Ridge, Louisiana
Date uploaded: June 23
Views: 1,496
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Israel Launches Spy Satellite

The Israeli government launched a spy satellite Tuesday night that defense officials said would upgrade the country's intelligence capabilities. Defense contractors told reporters it would help the military keep a closer eye on suspected Iranian nuclear facilities.

The Ofek 9 satellite was launched from Palmachim Air Base, where bystanders recorded the lift-off.



User name: ramchuluch
Location: Palmachim Air Base, Israel
Date uploaded: June 23
Event date: June 22
Views: 9
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.




User name: talmonc
Location: Palmachim Air Base, Israel
Date uploaded: June 23
Event date: June 22
Views: 41
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Time-Lapse Video Shows Flagstaff Fire

A time-lapse video uploaded to YouTube shows the Schultz fire burning in the hills above Flagstaff, Arizona. The Arizona Republic reports it could take weeks to get full containment of the fire, which has burned more than 14,000 acres since Saturday.



User name: charliemccallie
Location: Flagstaff, Arizona
Date uploaded: June 22
Event date: June 21
Views: 13
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Child Cries Over Oil-Covered Beach

Oil is washing ashore on the Florida panhandle and is expected to continue arriving through Friday, according to the Northwest Florida Daily News. YouTube users are uploading footage of tar balls and oil-covered seaweed, while beachgoers and business owners are expressing frustration that summer vacations are being canceled.

A clip of oil on the beach in Pensacola, Florida.


User name: pcolagregg
Location: Pensacola, Florida
Date uploaded: June 23
Views: 305
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.



User name: pcolagregg
Location: Pensacola, Florida
Date uploaded: June 23
Views: 120
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Airport Passenger Records LAX Bomb Threat

A YouTube user captured police officers at Los Angeles International airport tasing a man who claimed he had a bomb inside a box. The Los Angeles Times reports the terminal was evacuated for twenty minutes on Sunday while police detained the suspect. The box did not contain explosives.

The start of the clip shows the suspect sitting on the box. He is tased at the 0:38 mark.



User name: ChickenNoodleFan
Location: Los Angeles International Airport
Date uploaded: June 21
Event date: June 20
Views: 431
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Greenpeace Activists Ambush BP Speech at Oil Company Conference

Two Greenpeace activist climbed on stage and stole the podium from BP's Chief of Staff Steve Westwell's speech at the World National Oil Companies Congress in London today. "End of the oil age!" they demanded. Both were dragged away by security.

The speech was scheduled to be given by Tony Hayward, BP's chief executive, and was originally entitled, "Key roles and responsibilities of international oil companies in an age of uncertainty." It was supposed to be his first public appearance in the UK since the Gulf oil spill began, according to The Guardian.



User name: GreenpeaceUK
Location: London
Date uploaded: June 22
Views: 995
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Contest Chooses World's Greatest Salesperson

An online businessman from Edmonton, Canada, has been named the world's greatest salesperson in a competition sponsored by advertising agency OgilvyOne.

Todd Herman defeated two other finalists in Cannes, France on Monday by giving a sales pitch for a simple telephone. An estimated 230 contestants had previously been challenged to upload a video of a sales pitch for a red brick. Herman's pitch can be seen below. The Edmonton Journal reports his strategy is to focus on one simple message and believe in the product.



User name: toddherman1
Location: Edmonton, Canada
Date uploaded: March 30
Views: 8,576
Click here to watch this video on YouTube.