Renee’s Page

In Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, a young man is facing grand theft auto charges after taking his grandmother's Dodge Durango for a joyride. During his eight minute trek he managed to smash several mailboxes, hit parked cars as well as signposts. What makes all this especially amazing was that the young man was only 7-years-old! Police said he literally drove until a wheel fell off-- the right front wheel to be exact, which broke off after the boy hit a sign. His mother said he apparently grabbed the keys to his grandmother's SUV, backed it out of her driveway, and took off. Although he could be charged for grand theft auto, police say the boy is unlikely to be prosecuted. They arrested him so he can get some help.

UPDATE Apr. 25, 4:30p ET: Things aren’t looking good for our Brazilian balloon priest.

Five days after he went missing after strong winds blew him out to sea while attempting to set a record for flight using helium balloons, the Guardian reports that rescue workers have begun scaling down the search for Reverend Adelir Antonio de Carli. The Brazilian air force announced today it has suspended its search efforts, while the navy continued to patrol waters off the coast of Santa Catarina, though they too are considering halting operations.

“The chances [of survival] are increasingly slim and we are considering when to end the search effort,” Lieutenant Francisco Jose Cavalcante, of the navy’s southern search unit in Rio Grande do Sul state, told Reuters.

“It’s difficult to talk about survival. There have been cases of shipwrecked people having lived for four or five days at sea.”

Firefighters continue to search beaches and islands off the coast where they think the priest may have washed up.

Pierre, an African (or Jackass) penguin, at a good 25 years old, was going bald with an embarrassingly exposed, pale pink behind.

Without his waterproof feathers, Pierre was unwilling to take the plunge into the penguin tank and would shiver on the sidelines while his peers played in the water.

“He was cold; he would shake,” said a senior aquatic biologist at the academy.

Oceanic Worldwide, a supplier of dive gear, stepped in to make the world’s first penguin wetsuit.

“We were really excited to do it,” said a company marketing specialist. “We heard most of these penguins only live to 20, and our little buddy there was already 25. Anything we could do to help them, we were all for it.”

Pierre was outfitted with the suit about six weeks ago. Since then, he has gained weight, grown back feathers on his hind parts and is again acting like his feisty, alpha-male self.

No plans yet for a matching surf board!

WARNING!! This video was sent in honour of Earth Day — and it’s pretty powerful stuff. While it points the finger at one product in particular, it’s probably more effective for you to think of the intended message on a much larger scale. Because, really… in the ‘grand scheme of things’, what’s more important to you anyway? This clip will definitely adjust your perception.

http://video.globo.com/Videos/Player/Noticias/0,,GIM818312-7823-BUSCAS+POR+PADRE+QUE+VOAVA+EM+BALOES+JA+DURAM+HORAS,00.html

(note: no English subtitles on video!) 

A Roman Catholic priest is missing after floating away with hundreds of helium party balloons off the southern coast of Brazil.

Rescuers are searching off the coast where pieces of balloons were found. The priest lifted off Sunday afternoon, wearing a helmet, a thermal suit and a parachute.

He was reported missing about 8 hours after losing contact with port authority officials after calling in his coordinates by cell phone somewhere over the ocean.

The video (above) shows the smiling 41-year-old priest - Rev. Adelir Antonio de Carli - slipping into a flight suit and being strapped to a seat attached to a huge column of green, red, white and yellow balloons. He then soars into the air to the cheers of a crowd.

A spokeswoman says the priest is an experienced skydiver and his supporters are certain he will be found alive and unhurt. “We are absolutely confident he will be found alive and well, floating somewhere in the ocean. He knew what he was doing and was fully prepared for any kind of mishap.”

De Carli was trying to break a 19-hour record for the most hours flying with balloons.

Other adventurers have also used helium balloons to emulate Larry Walters, who in 1982 rose about five kilometres above Los Angeles in a lawn chair lifted by balloons.

Local artist and designer Melanie Coles has recently finished a new viral game. She has created a large scale painting of Waldo (of Where’s Waldo fame) and placed it on a rooftop somewhere in Vancouver, BC. Now she’s encouraging everyone to try and find where’s she’s hidden it!

As soon as Google Maps refreshes their image of Vancouver you’ll be able to play along from home. For now - there are some great satellite images of Waldo, as well as clues to help keep you guessing on flickr as well as her official Where On Earth is Waldo website.

D. Roy Kennedy Public School’s Emma Brownlie won the 2008 CanSpell National Spelling Bee Champion this past Saturday.

“We congratulate Emma on this wonderful achievement,” says Director of Education Lorne M. Rachlis. “Her love of reading and the written word is clearly demonstrated by her success.”

Emma correctly spelled the word ‘hamadryad’ to win the national title.

Have a look at this this time-lapse video -- it chronicles a man trapped in an elevator for 41 hours.

Nicholas White's ordeal started October 15th, 1999 in New York's McGraw-Hill building when he left his office about 11 p.m. on a Friday for a cigarette break. (Stuck at work over the weekend -- that makes it even worse!)

The video shows him pacing, trying to climb the walls, lying down, curled up in a fetal position and prying apart the doors.

The surveillance camera footage didn't come out until almost a decade after it happened -- but it's already an Internet sensation! By this morning, the video had been viewed more than 280-thousand times on YouTube.