Gunfight at the OK Convention Centre

Hours before former U.S. presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton were scheduled to begin their "conversation" at downtown Toronto's Metro Convention Centre on Friday, dozens of protesters, cops and gawkers had gathered along Front Street to witness the historic meet-up. But the protesters, at least, had their sights on just one of the two men.

Resting against benches on the other side of the street from the convention centre were row upon row of placards decorated with pictures of Mr. Bush and the words "war crimes." Other protest signs carried the now-infamous picture of the hooded, electrode-laden Abu Ghraib prisoner in a crucifix pose. Members of the Toronto Coalition to Stop the War carried signs reading, "War criminals not welcome here." Another political group, Food Not Bombs, set up an impromptu buffet table on the street, featuring such delicious puns as "Condoleezza Rice" and "Chard (him with war crimes) stir-fry." Even local 1005 of the Steelworkers' Union got in on the act. Virtually every sign, cause and chant related to the 43rd, rather than 42nd president.

From today's news...

Canadians seem to know their politics. We like fornicators better than war criminals.

It was forty years ago, today...

Many people know that it was 40 years ago, today, on May 26, that John Lennon along with wife Yoko Ono, started his week-long bed-in for peace in Montreal. What most people don't know is that the couple spent the previous night at Toronto's King Edward hotel where a remarkable thing happened.

Then 14-year-old Jerry Levitan had heard that the famous Beatle had spent the previous night at the King "Eddie" and so armed with a Kodak Brownie and a crude, Super-8 movie camera incapable of sound, he was determined to find and interview Lennon. After knocking on a few random doors, a helpful hotel chamber maid directed him to the couple's room.

Unbelievably, Lennon allowed the boy in who immediately started snapping pictures. After a while, Lennon had to leave for a time, but young Levitan asked if he could come back when Lennon returned and tape an interview about peace that he could later play to his school mates. The young lad then must have been beside himself when Lennon agreed.

14-year-old Jerry Levitan interviewing Lennon at the King Edward Hotel May 26th, 1969


Here are a couple of excerpts from the interview:

Levitan went on to become a lawyer and filmmaker. His animated 2007 short, I Met the Walrus, based on about four minutes of his 30-minute interview with Lennon, was nominated for an Oscar.

Lennon left Toronto that night and flew with Ono to Montreal to begin their bed-in. They recorded Give Peace A Chance in their hotel room on June 1.

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My tribute to John Lennon's "Imagine".

Window washing dominates news

Two window washers were stranded for almost two hours, 19 storeys above ground-level after the electrical wires of their lift became entangled with a sign and was pulled out of a socket, leaving them without electricity and unable to get back down.

The thing I found most interesting about this news story was the name of the reporter.

Don't forget to check the oil

If you wondered how bad the economic downturn is for the airline industry, here's a clue. This Air Canada pilot at Toronto's Pearson International Airport was spotted doing a chore normally performed by other staff.

Dead man walking!

Yesterday, I took the longest walk since my recent heart attack. I went about two miles (round trip) to re-fill one of my prescriptions. It was quite pleasant even if most of the way my nostrils were filled with car exhaust and for a short stretch the fumes of some solvent from a homeowner who was painting or something. The worst part of the trip was paying the almost $100 for a one-month supply of Lipitor. If the heart attack doesn't kill and you survive the hospital food, the cost of medication should do the trick. I hope I die soon--I can't afford the meds that are keeping me alive! Did I mention the side effects of taking five different drugs each day? I'm not sure if I mentioned it because one of the effects is being in a stupor. I think I used to be a fairly smart guy. Now, when there's a knock on my door, I open the refrigerator door. It wouldn't be so bad, but now I'm 20 pounds overweight and I need to go on diet pills I can't afford.