RCMP officers train "Storm" a 3-1/2 year old German Shepherd police dog, at a screening facility near Whistler in 2010.
Globe files
Five things
Steve Jobs liked vinyl, and other things you may have missed this week
Melissa Whetstone
Published
Last updated
For many of us, Monday to Friday races by in a blur. We know it can be a struggle to delve beyond the big headlines and keep on top of all the interesting stories out there. We're here to lend a hand: In case you missed them the first time, a collection of stories you should have read this week on globeandmail.com.
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RCMP officers train "Storm" a 3-1/2 year old German Shepherd police dog, at a screening facility near Whistler in 2010.— Globe files
Dog bites
Parents of a 16-year-old in Surrey are wondering how their son’s “stupid judgement” resulted in RCMP sending a police dog after him. The teen was bit in the face and arms, and suffered a broken nose, his mother says. Police are now investigating the incident. Meanwhile, the Pivot Legal Society is suing Vancouver over the use of police dogs, saying officers are using the animals too early and too aggressively, resulting in a large number of serious injuries.
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— iStockphoto
Paper vs. plastic
Think paper is the greener choice? Think again. Studies have shown that less energy and water is used to produce a plastic bag, and even recycling it uses less energy than its paper incarnation. The solution for shoppers, of course, is simple: Bring your own, reusable bags. But for shopkeepers, a puzzling dilemma has emerged: Should they offer one or the other, or both?
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Steve Jobs gestures during Apple's launch of iTunes and a new iPod in San Francisco in 2003.— AP
Digital divide
When Steve Jobs went home, he kicked back and listened to... vinyl? So says Neil Young, who is on a mission to improve the sound of digital music. He thinks the Podfather would have joined him on this crusade were he alive today, though Young’s music apparently didn’t strike a chord with Jobs, whose iPod was void of the Canadian icon.
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— Thinkstock
Growing up friendless
A new Canadian study shows that 53 per cent of disabled children have no friends. As André Picard points out, we talk a big game about breaking barriers, but clearly current efforts fall woefully short. A sense of belonging and meaningful relationships are just as important as building ramps and fancy programs.
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Gay Jedi?
An American activist is attacking the new online role-playing game Star Wars: The Old Republic for planning to include homosexual relationships. In what he probably thinks is very clever, the activist has twisted several iconic Star Wars phrases to shore up his argument, warning parents that gamers have “gone to the dark side” and “it's time to show companies who the Force is really with.”
