Oct
07
2015

Burger King Delivers Whopper of a Halloween Surprise

Is it a trick or is it a treat?

Burger King Delivers Whopper of a Halloween Surprise

Longtime fast food chain Burger King launched its black-bunned theme burger last week just in time for Halloween.
 
But customers on social media have been reporting back about the Whopper of a surprise that follows after consumption.

Suffice to say, when your body processes the bun it plays a strange trick on your body - and what was black turns a ghastly shade of green when it comes out the other end.

Simply monstrous.

Yet kudos to BK. As far as marketing ploys go, this one will no doubt see sales boom faster than you can say "boo."

Although some people are clearly revolted at the prospect of eating a burger that turns your poop green, curiosity will get the better of many others eager to try out the gross experiment. 


And if you do happen to munch the Halloween burger, don't fret. 

BK claims its black bun "contains less than one percent food dye" and falls well within industry standards approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). And inquiring minds will want to note that green dyes are often used in black food colouring. 

Something tells me this is one science project my husband and son will be only to willing to try at home.

 RELATED: Watch These Halloween Treats Gone Wrong

Oct
06
2015

7 Year-Old Girl has Amazingly Ambitious Birthday Wish

A little kid with a big conscience

7 Year-Old Girl has Amazingly Ambitious Birthday Wish

girl wants donations to charity for birthday

For a little kid, Addie Tinholt has a big social conscience. Where most girls her age would be only to happy to collect Shopkins or High School Musical memorabilia, the seven year-old from Vancouver has something different on her birthday wish list: to sponsor a refugee family from Syria.

Her "present" doesn't come cheap. Sponsorship would cost $30K, funds which Addie is campaigning hard to raise, starting with visits to Party leaders and candidates.

Having been homeschooled since the family moved from Winnipeg in April, Addie has watched videos of refugees escaping their country and is dismayed that "kids my age don't even know about Syria."

That is something Addie is aiming to change.

"I'm really sad because it just showed that it's millions of people running away from their houses, have no place to stay. All they have is the clothing on their back." Half of all refugees, she says, are "children who have lost everything."




Addie's heroine is not Taylor Swift, but Pakistani teen Malala Yousafzai, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last year for her activism in girls' education.

Clearly some parents aren't sure how - or even if - they should talk to their children about what's happening in Syria and other parts of the world. 

The evening news is often too graphic and alarmist for young children. And although we don't want to shelter and bubblewrap our kids, we do need to shield them from inappropriate viewing and keep current events age-appropriate.

This little girl is proof that age isn't a barrier to awareness. And that kids are never too young to develop empathy and a social conscience.

"She pushes me, and she'll call me on things," says Addie's mother. "If she thinks I'm not being compassionate enough, she's not afraid to speak up - even to her parents. I think that's an incredible trait that I hope will take her very far."

Addie, thank you for the inspiration. 

When I suggested to my very fortunate son that he may want to put some of his birthday money toward buying a gift for a less-fortunate kid, he looked genuinely perplexed. 

"But I'm not Santa," he said. 

Clearly, we have a long way to go.

 RELATED: How To Talk To Kids About Scary Or Violent News

Oct
05
2015

Viral Photo Speaks Volumes About the way we Live

Are you guilty of being an observer?

Viral Photo Speaks Volumes About the way we Live

John blanding viral photograph

Every now and then a photograph is released into the world and unwittingly becomes symbolic of its era.

One such photograph has probably already popped up in your news feed. In an audience of red-carpet gawkers, only one person is truly living in the moment. 

It's like a game of 'Where's Waldo,' only a whole lot easier to spot the odd one out because she's in the front row.

The image was taken at a Massachusetts premiere for the movie Black Mass. But really, it could have been Anywhere, Circa 2015. 

We have become a nation of observers. Too often, we observe our own lives through the narrow lens of a smartphone. Whether we are at a concert or a play or a friend's party - or in this apt case, a movie premiere - we experience life once removed. 

We are the directors of our own life story, capturing our finest moments on screen. But shouldn't we be soaking up those moments as they happen? 

We all want souvenirs and mementos of the sweet times we've had and we all want to share those moments with our social media circles. Fine, yet all that recording and documenting shouldn't come at a cost. It shouldn't limit or curb the quality of our experience. 

And sadly I think that often happens, whether we are preoccupied with filming our baby's 'firsts' or our kids' all-important sporting match or any other special occasion.

John Blanding, the photographer, did in this photo what all great photographers do. He held up a mirror to the world. And he said so much, without saying a thing. 

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