Toronto millionaire Michael Wekerle is being sued by a hotel valet in Little Rock, Arkansas for injuries sustained during Mr. Wekerle’s astonishing behaviour when he stayed at the luxury hotel in 2010. He is said in a sworn statement before the court to have dropped his pants in the lobby and then removed his underpants in the bar, licked a woman’s foot, shouted profanities and tried to flip a doorman over his shoulder. And that, apparently, isn’t the half of it.  His lawyers says Wekerle will defend the case but in a communication with the Star he is said to have conceded there are things about that evening of which is not proud. Story.

Teenage runaways, a boy 16, and a girl 13, from the Ottawa area have been captured in Maine after a two-day  on and off chase which saw the two steal several vehicles as well as crash a U.S. border crossing. They are in custody and okay after abandoning a truck and fleeing down a steep embankment. True love. Story

The linked report from Reuters tells of a scolding from a UN “rapproteur” (story teller) about the sub-standard lives of many of Canada’s aboriginals. The issues of crime, poverty, broken families and the frequent mistreatment of woman have been the burden both of the First Nationa and successive Canadian governments of many different political stripes. Countless Canadians, men like former prime minister Paul Martin,  have made it a labour of their lives to try to raise up the aboriginal population as a whole. It would appear that the very most that can be said about the UN story teller’s report is that he sees what every Canadian sees. Unlike Canadians however, he has never had to try to actually change life on the reservations. His report apparently had not a single useful suggestion, if Reuters is to be believed.  No doubt many in Ottawa would be glad to see volunteers from Switzerland and Sweden offer to help out on the ground. No such luck.  Reuters

Smack in the middle of the television campaign that curiously seems to equate bacon with sunshine, a Harvard University study suggests that men who eat it daily may damage their fertility. Telegraph

Paul Ainslie (Ward 43) has called Mayor Ford a “bully and liar” for the mayor’s decision to “carpet bomb” the councillor’s ward with robo-calls. Ainslie defended his vote against the most recent subway plan calling it “not transparent” as to financing. It is at this point that many citizens will plead insufficient knowledge to make a decision on how to judge Mr. Ainslie for that. What most people probably can say is that the Mr. Ford’s recorded calls to thousands of Scarobrough residents seems, legal or otherwise, like cheap politics. The mayor has many ways to be heard and in this matter he was on the winning side at council. The suppertime calls to criticize Ainslie seem like overkill.  And they were no doubt intrusive. 

The Conservatives will be looking for votes among disgruntled cell phone and cable TV users as they prepare Parliament’s agenda in the coming Parliamentary session. The next general election is in 2015. Prime Minister Harper will focus generally on consumer issues in the Speech from the Throne tomorrow  marking the opening of a new legislative session in Ottawa.