A popular furniture store in Canada was the scene of some monkey business on Sunday.
Shoppers at an Ikea store in Toronto were greeted by a tiny monkey in a shearling coat and diaper who caused quite a stir, the CBC reported. Photos of the sighting went viral on Twitter where at least two parody accounts were created on the microblogging site within hours.
“It would start monkey screaming,” Ikea shopper Stephanie Yim told the CBC of the spectacle. “It seemed like it was screaming around for someone it knew.”
Fellow shopper Lisa Lin was also caught off guard.
“It was pretty surreal,” Lin said. “I thought ‘Is that really a monkey?’ Who brings a monkey to Ikea?”
The animal was spotted at the store’s parking garage around 2 p.m., according to The Toronto Star. The seven-month old monkey had managed to unlock his crate, open his owner’s car door and wander around the parking lot until employees and the police ushered it into the store and waited for animal services to arrive.
“It was pretty scared,” Sergeant Ed Dzingala told the CBC. “It was a tame monkey. Nobody got hurt. The monkey was a little scared, that’s all.”
Animal services identified the monkey as a rhesus macaque, an Asian specie that is illegal in Toronto. The owners, who came forward to claim the monkey just after 5 p.m., were fined $200 for owning a prohibited animal, the Star reported.
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After 144 years with the same logo, the University of California has decided it's time for a new look -- one that's more modern and more, well, Californian.
A new seal with a simple and more contemporary design has begun appearing on the university's marketing materials and websites.
The new logo -- designed by an in-house team -- is part of a move to remake the image of the 10-campus university system, officials told the newspaper.
In features the letter "C" nesting inside a shield-shaped "U" and is available in different colors, including pastels.
"They wanted something that would reflect the innovation, the character of California -- just more modern, user-friendly," said Dianne Klein of UC's Office of the President. "That's not to take away from the gravitas of the original seal."
The Oakland Tribune first reported the change on Friday, stating that the new logo was "quietly introduced" last month.
Some were less than enthused about the change.
One student at UC Berkeley said he found the original seal prestigious and called the change "weird."
"Harvard's not going around changing its seal," Anirudh Sri told the Tribune.
Others told NBC Bay Area that they thought the new logo looked like a "flushing toilet," and that they missed the traditional seal.
An online petition to stop the public university system's use of the new logo had gathered more than 27,000 supporters as of Saturday evening. And a Facebook page -- Stop the UC Logo Change -- had garnered more than 2,700 "likes."
The university's original logo -- with an 1868 date stamp and the script "Let there be light" - contains intricate details that didn't reproduce well or come across digitally when used in small places, Klein said.
The original logo will remain in use, appearing on the president's letters and official university documents, Klein said.
A wind advisory was in effect Monday for San Diego mountains and inland valleys.
The National Weather Service issued a fire weather watch in response to strong winds and low humidity.
The advisory, in effect through 2 p.m., warns of gusts up to 50 mph with sustained winds of 15-25 according to NBC 7 meteorologist Jodi Kodesh.
Update: The Red Flag Warning was canceled early Monday afternoon.
“Not looking at anything really dangerous by way of wind, just a little bit of a nuisance,” Kodesh said.
Authorities say be careful when driving along Interstate 8 in the East County especially if your car sits high above the ground.
Firefighters suggest choosing another day for bonfires and mowing the lawn.
In Alpine, the cold dry winds created clear skies. Miguel Ramos of National City took advantage of the conditions to view the stars with his telescope.
"When you're in the city, you only get to see about 10, 20 stars at most," said Ramos. "Up here you get to see the Milky Way."
Once Tuesday arrives, the winds will be gone and we’ll be in store for a change in the weather.
John McAfee just wants to be an American again. In America.
In his latest media blast — this one a Web interview broadcast from his Guatemalan detention center, where he is awaiting extradition to Belize — the 67-year old software tycoon/lifestyle guru says he wants nothing more than to fish, swim and "enjoy my declining years" back in the United States, according to reports.
McAfee, a resident of Belize since 2008, has been in Guatemala for about a week. He's been on the lam from Belizean authorities, who want to question him in connection to the murder of his neighbor, Gregory Faull. Faull was found shot dead at his home on Nov. 10.
McAfee says "bad things" are in store for him if he returns to Belize. He fears government officials and other authorities in power, he has said in numerous print, Web and broadcast interviews conducted since he took flight. Belizean authorities have not issued a warrant for his arrest, deny they are persecuting him and say they question McAfee's mental stability, according to reports.
Last week, he crossed over to Guatemala from Belize via an unguarded border crossing in the company of two American journalists, who unwittingly revealed his location via the GPS coordinates encoded in an iPhone photo.
McAfee has been denied political asylum in Guatemala.
The English-born McAfee made millions in the early 1990s when he sold the antivirus software firm which still bears his name. He moved to Belize in 2008 to lower his taxes, according to reports.
The Steelers have been playing football for 80 years. Until this year, the Chargers had never won a game in Pittsburgh in the regular season (although they were 2-1 there in the playoffs).
Finally, on their 15th try, the Chargers beat the Steelers 34-24 at Heinz Field. It's the first time the Bolts have beaten a team with a winning record this season. It's far too late to save anyone's job, but it's nice to have a happy locker room for the first time since November 1.
"It's a good team win," said quarterback Philip Rivers, who threw for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns with no turnovers against the NFL"s top-ranked pass defense. "It doesn't change where we are. When the dust settles we'll still be 5-8. But, we can enjoy this one a little while."
Of course, the fact they could put up 34 points on the top-ranked defense when they couldn't top 13 the previous two weeks against lesser units has Chargers fans scratching their heads. Looking back doesn't do any good. But, it's human nature to do just that.
"You always look back," said linebacker Takeo Spikes, a 15-year veteran. "But, I've never had a conversation using the word 'if' and it wasn't good. You great conversations using the word 'if.' My main thing to the guys, I told them, we would not get on the plane after the game using the word 'if.' Leave it on the field. Don't bring no 'ifs' on the plane. And we were able to do that."
'If' is great when you say, "If you get me some ice cream I'd greatly appreciate it." It's not so good when you say, "If we'd have just stopped Ray Rice on 3rd down," or, "If we'd have not turned the ball over twice in the 4th quarter against the Bengals," or, "If Peyton Manning had just gotten arrested for being the leader of a Mexican drug cartel." Those 'ifs' are counter-productive. what is, is.
Head coach Norv Turner, who seems like he knows he only has 3 more games as an NFL head coach, praised his team for not getting drawn in to the off-field rumors swirling around the team this week.
"They've hung together," said Turner after the win in Pittsburgh. "They care about each other, they play for each other. They've not been distracted by a lot of the things going on outside. We had some things go our way today that we haven't had go our way."
The 3rd quarter is a perfect example. Heading in to Sunday the Chargers had been shut out in the 3rd quarter 5 times, scoring a grand total of 35 points.
Their opening drive of the 2nd half at Heinz Field went 78 yards on 17 plays, taking 9:32 off the clock. It ended with Rivers hitting Malcom Floyd for a 3-yard touchdown. Along the way, they converted five consecutive 3rd downs.
"Best drive of the year," said Rivers. "That one will be fun to watch over and over again. That's what we haven't been able to do in the 3rd quarter, with that first drive."
Danario Alexander caught the other two touchdown passes. He was able to do it partially because Rivers finally had time to throw, which is amazing because he was playing behind a patchwork offensive line. Kevin Haslam made his first career start at left tackle. Reggie Wells made his first start since 2010 at right tackle. Rex Hadnot started just his second game of the year. For one series, center Nick Hardwick left to get checked out and Colin Baxter played center.
Through all the turnover, Rivers was only sacked once. Not bad when you consider he was dropped 16 times in the previous four games (all losses).
The Chargers defense played a tremendous game, sacking Ben Roethlisberger twice and forcing two turnovers. Bront Bird intercepted Roethlisberger, and Quentin Jammer recovered a fumble in the end zone for the defense's 7th touchdown of the season.
The Chargers next three games are against teams with losing records (Carolina, N.Y. Jets, Oakland) so odds are they'll finish 8-8 for the 2nd straight year. Had they made, literally, two more plays during the season, they'd be in the playoffs.
Oh, what might have been...
San Diego Mayor Bob Filner helped to light the Grand Menorah in San Diego Sunday night.
A ceremonial lighting at Belmont Park, led by the Chabad of Pacific Beach, helped mark the beginning of Hanukkah.
“This is a very important holiday in the Jewish tradition,” Mayor Filner said.
“I think it’s important we celebrate all of our religious traditions in the city and I wanted to be here tonight to recognize this tradition also,” he said.
“We’re a city of great diversity. We are built in our diversity and we get strength from our diversity.”
The Hanukkah lights are lit in the evenings preceding each of the eight days of Hanukkah, beginning Saturday night.
The festival of lights commemorates the Jewish uprising over the Syrian Empire.
Organizers of the event say the menorah lighting helps spread the universal message of religious freedom.
Find basic information on how to take part in the lighting of a menorah and why the candles are lighted in this guide from the Chabad of Pacific Beach.
A panga discovered along San Diego's coast is connected to a van in a smuggling investigation officials told NBC 7 San Diego.
The boat was on the beach near Del Mar according to lifeguards. The boat's location is west of the area where officers arrested more than a dozen people earlier Monday.
San Diego police spotted a van parked near southbound Interstate 5 and Carmel Valley Road around 4:30 a.m.
Inside the van, investigators found more than a dozen passengers and one driver.
The occupants had wet shoes and pants as if they had just gotten out of a boat and loaded into the van officers said.
Lifeguards have been told not to speak to the media about the abandoned boat on Del Mar's coast.
The case is being handed over to U.S. Border Patrol.
The woman credited with being the first computer programmer has scored her own Google Doodle.
Augusta Ada King, the Countess of Lovelace - commonly known as Ada Lovelace - is known for her contributions to Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine, the first fully automatic calculating machine.
Lovelace, in collaboration with Charles Babbage, wrote a description of Babbage’s creation. Her notes include step-by-step instructions on how it could calculate a sequence of rational numbers called Bernoulli numbers. This document was, in effect, the world’s first published algorithm, Google said.
She was the first to understand the significance of the machine, according to a Google blog post on Monday.
“While Babbage saw it as a mathematical calculator, Ada understood it much more potential,” Google said. “She realized it was, in essence, a machine that could manipulate symbols in accordance with the defined rules, and--crucially-- that there was no reason that symbols had to represent only numbers and equations.”
Lovelace's love for numbers developed at an early age. Her mother, Anne Isabelle Milbanke, was a mathematician and her father was the famous poet Lord Byron. In an attempt to stymie any bad habits inherited from her father, Milbanke turned her daughter's attention toward math and science, according to Google.
Armed with the knowledge of a mathematician and a writer, Lovelace argued that the device could do far more than crunch numbers. She saw its potential to make music.
“Supposing, for instance, that the fundamental relations of pitched sounds in the science of harmony and of musical composition were susceptible of such expression and adaptations, the engine might compose elaborate and scientific pieces of music of any degree of complexity or extent,” Lovelace said.
The Google Doodle tracks her vision, starting from the Analytical Engine to the laptops and mobile devices used today.
“We hope today's doodle inspires people to find out more about Ada, and about the contributions made by women in general to science and technology, “ Google said.
If there is a theme to emerge from the turbulent year that is coming to an end, it is one of tests: environmental, political, technological, financial.
On most, solutions remain elusive. But there were moments of progress that put tough questions to rest, broadened our understanding of the world, or made life a little easier.
President Barack Obama’s re-election brought a nasty political battle to a close and allowed the country to turn to the many challenges ahead.
The country began to slowly pull itself out of its economic inertia -- the unemployment rate slowly dropped, even as the fiscal future hinges on Washington's ability to negotiate off the so-called fiscal cliff.
Vicious poundings by Mother Nature, including a devastating drought and Hurricane Sandy, led to new -- and, many said, belated -- discussions about how coastal cities can adapt to extreme weather and rising sea levels.
Meanwhile, millions of miles above Earth, a robotic craft built by NASA – whose last remaining Space Shuttles were being turned into museum pieces – made a daring landing on the surface of Mars. The rover named Curiosity touched down on Aug. 5 and began transmitting sandy-hued photographs on its search for signs of microbial life. Earlier in the year, SpaceX Dragon became the first private spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station.
Physicists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research announced in July they’d discovered a new subatomic particle that could hold answers about the universe’s creation. Some scientists speculated that they’d found the elusive “God particle” that could explain how the cosmos developed its mass and shape.
Back home, several horrifying events -- mass shootings in a Colorado movie theater and a Wisconsin Sikh temple, and the killing of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida -- shocked America back into a discussion about gun control, but little in the way of actual legislative action. In Arizona, former Rep. Gabby Giffords appeared in a courtroom to face Jared Loughner, the man who shot her in the head and killed six others in 2011.
More outrage was directed at Jerry Sandusky, the former assistant Penn State football coach who was convicted in June of sexually abusing several boys, some of whom he’d lured on campus. The scandal ended the career, and ruined the reputation, of legendary head coach Joe Paterno, who died in January.
Among the most notable deaths of 2012: astronauts Neil Armstrong and Sally Ride, writers Ray Bradbury, Maurice Sendak, Gore Vidal and Nora Ephron, U.S. Sens. Arlen Specter and George McGovern, singers Whitney Houston and Etta James, rapper Adam Yauch, TV hosts Don Cornelius and Dick Clark, police-beating victim Rodney King and newscaster Mike Wallace.
Wall Street embarrassments – $4 billion in losses by the “London Whale” at JP Morgan Chase, Facebook’s botched IPO, Barclays’ and other big banks' alleged manipulation of interest rates – added to Americans' fury at the financial sector's failings.
America thought it was finally ready to end its two longest wars, but violence in Iraq and Afghanistan continued to claim lives; the toll for American troops in Afghanistan surpassed 2,000. Drone strikes and Quran burnings sparked furious protests.
Uprisings in Syria and across the Arab world -- including the deadly Sept. 11 attack on a U.S. Consulate in Libya – raised troubling questions about America’s influence abroad, and its ability to keep its emissaries safe. Egypt elected its first democratically chosen president, but the leader, Islamist Mohammed Morsi, sparked a new round of violent protests when he consolidated power and tried to force a vote on a new constitution.
David Petraeus, the four-star general who commanded troops in Afghanistan, was the leader of U.S. Central Command and became President Obama's CIA chief, resigned in November after an FBI investigation uncovered emails that showed he was involved in an extramarital affair.
A few weeks earlier, cyclist Lance Armstrong, one of the world's most popular athletes, was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned from his sport after the United States Anti-Doping Agency named him as a participant in the "most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen."
Two other scandal-battered men, former presidential candidate John Edwards, accused of using campaign funds to cover up an affair, and seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens, charged with lying to Congress about using performance-enhancing drugs, were both acquitted of charges against them.
Still, amid the turmoil and uncertainty, there were always new advances worth celebrating.
In autumn, Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner became the first person to free-fall faster than the speed of sound when he launched himself from a hot air balloon above the New Mexico desert.
Another elusive technological innovation, the electrical car, appeared poised for the mainstream, as sales of the Nissan Leaf, Ford C-Max Energi and Chevy Volt hit a string of record-breaking marks.
There was another new version of the iPhone, of course. Like its predecessors, this one sold millions and marked a new step in smartphones’ infiltration into our daily lives, despite the brouhaha over its maps application.
The year also saw a breakthrough of vastly different kind: Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt defied critics by dusting the 100m field at the Summer Olympics in London, retaining his title as the fastest man on the planet. American swimmer Michael Phelps continued to rewrite the record books, becoming the most decorated Olympian ever. Gabby Douglas became the first black woman to win all-around gymnastics gold.
The year closed with America finding a new resolve, and seeking more answers.
The Supreme Court, months after upholding President Obama's health care reform legislation, has agreed to take up the issue of gay marriage, which many describe as the civil rights battle of our era.
New York, New Jersey and other areas wrecked by Hurricane Sandy are beginning the long process of rebuilding.
And the nation's leaders say they're trying to come up with a way to move the country into better economic times.
At the end of the year, many people choose to give to their favorite charities. However, there are several things to keep in mind when you’re gifting.
The IRS offers these tips covering everything from charity donations to refund planning.
Make sure the charity you want to support is one that qualifies for a deduction on your taxes.
Be sure to keep records of your donations. The IRS suggests you ask the charity for a written statement that shows the charity’s name, contribution date and amount.
Donations charged to a credit card by Dec. 31 are deductible for 2012, even if you pay the bill in 2013.
Before you close out the year, take a moment to gather the documents you’ll need to file your taxes in 2013. Among those documents will be receipts, canceled checks and other records that show your the income or deductions you’ll claim next year.
For more information on deductions, visit the IRS FAQ page.
Homicide detectives investigating a death reported Thursday morning in Spring Valley stumbled upon over 150 pounds of marijuana and $36,000 in cash, sheriff's department officials said Monday.
Deputies responded to a home on Lemon Street to make a welfare check at about 6 a.m. Thursday, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.
When they arrived, they found the back door open and the body of a dead male inside.
Deputies said the circumstances around the man's death were suspicious and they requested a search warrant.
While serving the search warrant, they found $36,000 in cash and 150 pounds of marijuana in the house where the body was found. The cash and marijuana were seized by the department's Narcotics Task Force.
The county medical examiner has identified the victim as Standford Roy Johnson. He died of multiple stab wounds.
A suspect has not yet been identified.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Homicide Detail at (858) 974-2321
This article originally appeared on Voice of San Diego's website.
New San Diego Mayor Bob Filner called his appearance Thursday at a rally for a skate park in City Heights one of his "first official acts."
Filner ran on a neighborhoods-first campaign, saying he would redistribute development and infrastructure dollars from downtown to the city's other neighborhoods. Now in office, he's turning City Heights' years-long fight to build a skate park into a poster child for that platform.
"I was just elected by the people of neighborhoods who were tired of not getting things they have deserved while downtown gets hundreds of millions of dollars, and we're going to change that," Filner told a crowd of mostly teenagers. "We are going to bring things into this neighborhood that you deserve and we may as well start with a skate park."
Skaters in the neighborhood have long said they need a formal place to skate, citing peers who have been hit by cars while skating through the dense, urban neighborhood. They also say a skate park would help fill a shortage of park space in the community.
The youth and adult community organizers have identified three locations for a skate spot: a pending mini park on Central Avenue, a dirt lot in Park De La Cruz and the Copley Family YMCA grounds, which the YMCA could vacate once a larger facility opens nearby. All are owned by the city.
"Guess what, I'm the mayor of this city," Filner said after giving a thumbs-up to the teens for choosing city-owned properties. "I can work with you to make sure we get that site."
"We have a budget in the city of San Diego of $3 billion," Filner said. "That's a lot of money, so if we can't find the money that is needed we should pack up, because we can do this."
Filner then led the teens in chanting, "Skate se puede," a riff on the Spanish phrase "Si, se puede" (or "Yes, we can"), a phrase popularized by Cesar Chavez. The slogan has since been adopted by progressive political candidates and their supporters.
Scott Reese, assistant director of parks and recreation, told KPBS's Tom Fudge full-size skate parks with facilities for staff could cost $3.5 million to $5.5 million. The City Heights group is looking to reduce costs by building near existing recreation buildings.
Megan Burks is a reporter for Speak City Heights, a media project of Voice of San Diego, KPBS, Media Arts Center and The AjA Project. You can contact her directly at meburks@kpbs.org or 619.550.5665.
Justin Bieber will begin his 2013 "Believe" tour in San Diego this summer, according to live entertainment company AEG Live.
The group announced that the teen superstar will begin his summer shows on June 22 at Valley View Casino Center in Midway.
Tickets will go on sale beginning Friday, Dec. 14 on the AEG Live website and Bieber's website. It is unknown what starting prices will be for the show, though $1 per ticket will be donated to an educational charity Pencils of Promise.
VIP tickets will also be available for the upcoming tour, and could include a meet and greet with the teen star.
Will you buy tickets for Bieber's tour? Tell us in the comments below!
It looks like the Chargers have finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The team released post-game video of a celebratory team in the Heinz Field Stadium locker room from Sunday afternoon.
Norv Turner, looking relieved, tells the room full of players the winners of the game ball (offensive tackles) and even joins the team in a room-wide cheer.
The short post-game video shows something that Bolts fans haven’t seen in a while: A boisterous, joyful team. Even quarterback Philip Rivers looks exuberant, cheering and punching his fists in the air.
After losing four games in a row, the team’s enthusiasm with a win in Pittsburgh is clearly electric.
A tow truck driver died Saturday as he was working to clear a stranded vehicle near the train tracks in Cardiff.
Shaun William Riddle, 27, was struck and killed by an Amtrak train around 2:35 p.m. at the intersection of Chesterfield Drive and South Coast Highway 101.
The young father of two had been called to the area to help a disabled SUV that had stalled just west of the tracks.
While Riddle was trying to hook up the vehicle to his truck, a southbound Amtrak train approached the intersection.
The county medical examiner reports that Riddle got back into his truck and tried to move it out of the train’s path.
He could not move the truck in time and the train struck the truck at a high rate of speed officials said.
A witness who caught the incident on video said the train crossing arm dropped on the SUV and a moment later, the train slammed into the tow truck.
The video shows the truck driver’s door closing and then the truck turning away from the train just moments before the collision.
It’s unclear how fast the train was traveling at impact, but the southbound Amtrak train came to a stop about half a mile away from the Chesterfield Drive crossing.
The crash is under investigation.
Thomas Neely works across the street from the train tracks. He told NBC 7 San Diego the sound of the fatal crash was horrific.
“It's somewhere between an explosion and thunder. You know, when metal hits metal it makes a noise unto itself,” Neely said.
The white SUV was left in place at the intersection.The two women who drove the SUV were not injured.
One witness said the driver was ejected from his tow truck and thrown some 100 yards from the crash site.
Pieces of the tow truck were strewn around the train tracks for hundreds of yards after the crash, including the flatbed, a wheel and even the massive engine block that landed about 200 yards away.
Numerous workers from the company TOWEX later arrived at the scene. The towing company responds to AAA calls.