The South Bayview Bulldog

Consumerist, the online “complaint bureau” of Consumer Reports, says an Australian man is suing American Airlines for the discomfort and, he says, aggravation of his scoliosis, caused by making him sit next to two obese passengers on the 14-hour flight from Sydney to Los Angeles. Consumerist  Also: Reasons flyers bumped include showing too much cleavage

Today’s Parent reports that Costco Canada has voluntarily pulled Pekkle baby sleepers from its shelves after a complaint in mid-April that a snap fell off and scratched a child. Costco says: “We pulled out the product and notified Health Canada and the supplier, and then we’re expecting directions from Health Canada.” Today’s Parent says that so far Health Canada has not announced an official recall of the sleepers, but is reviewing the case. Advice to those who have these sleepers is to stop using them. Costco has not said if it will be offering refunds for the Pekkle sleepers.

There is a prediction of frost but it seems less likely to get that cold in Midtown gardens. No one will wish to take a chance, of course. While the Weather Network continues to show temperatures close to zero, the special weather statement by Environment Canada speaks of possible frost in frost-prone areas. It also says temperatures Sunday night are expected to plunge to near or a couple of degrees below the zero degree mark in most areas under partly cloudy to mainly clear skies and diminishing winds. Hence widespread frost is likely across most of of the region overnight into Monday morning. Be warned

So sorry, this basketball game has outgrown Canadian ownership. The Raptors tried a fix or two but LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers were too good. It was 109 to 102 in a sweep of four games. Globe and Mail

TIM HORTONS

Tim Hortons will open in Glasgow Scotland within days as part of a modest expansion in the United Kingdom. Interestingly, Tims will avoid trying to set up in London for the time being. CBC

Shahid (Boom Boom) Afridi

The Go Green Cricket and Sports Field has announced the start of its new season on Tuesday, May 16, 2017 at the playing ground behind Valley Park Middle School at 130 Overlea Blvd. There is also an entrance off Don Mills Rd. (southbound). The match between the “Young Gentlemen of Go Green against the Gentlemen of the Toronto Police Cricket Club” will start at 9.15 p.m. under the new lights installed this Spring. Adding to the lustre of the event will be the presence of Pakistani Cricket legend Shahid (Boom Boom) Afridi as a guest of honour with other prominent people.  The gathering begins about 6 p.m. with the guests of honour arriving about 8 p.m.

Choose your spin on the French election but the victory of political novice Emmanuel Macron (about 65 per cent in the vote) in Sunday’s run-off is seen as either a new wave of European commitment or a leap into the unknown. Macron is compared carelessly with Justin Trudeau but that seems superficial. Trudeau (his father’s son) is a member of an established political party with seats in a Westminster-style parliament. Macron is a solo flyer — no lineage, no party and a Republican system of government with a president and a premier. Time will tell what he can do with that.

Jana Girdauskas with donations at Kimbourne United

Personal products and toiletries

Donations

VIDEO: #EastTO @ThePeriodPurse drive yield 410 purses! Our @joannalavoie stopped by the packing party in #EastYork. pic.twitter.com/y2w95hEnDn

— The Beach Mirror (@BchRivMirror) May 7, 2017

The Period Purse “packing party” at Kimbourne United Church on Wolverleigh Blvd. saw volunteer women from East York and the Danforth preparing donated purses and personal care products for women living in area shelters. The gift of purses filled with pads and tampons was inspired by Jana Girdauskas. Her efforts and those of friends and other generous people has led to the delivery of more than 750 purses to such needy women in just a few months. “I think it’s something so simple and basic and a natural body process that all women go through so I think it is hitting people that it is not our choice, it is needed and we know how expensive those products can be,” Girdauskas told the CBC. Joanna Lavoie of the Beach Mirror was present Saturday and spoke with Girdauskas and friends.

This excellent CNN summary recounts some of the reasons for people being kicked off a flight. One woman was bounced for showing too much cleavage. Readers may recall the post about the Delta passenger thrown off for using the bathroom before takeoff. Then, the BBC tells the heartbreaking story of a child with Prader-Willi Syndrome who among other things is condemned to a life of a constant feeling of hunger. Below that is a CBC report on the Fidget Spinner toy which seems condemned by its own popularity. Also here. And finally, a very good review of the horse racing classic Saturday won by Always Dreaming and the annual guessing game about the Triple Crown.

At Toronto Pearson Airport, we spotted this little fellow checking to see who had come off the flight from Edmonton. pic.twitter.com/m2nSdrxwXt

— Cameron Graham (@camerongraham) May 6, 2017

Cries of “aww” and “isn’t he cute” greeted a raccoon which appeared in the ceiling of Pearson Airport Terminal Three Saturday evening. Proof again that raccoons are everywhere.

Hundreds of sharply-dressed cyclists took to the streets of central London Saturday for the Ninth Annual Tweed Run for tweedy English men and women. The scenic 12-mile ride rolled out from Clerkenwell and past London landmarks including Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament and the Natural History Museum. A picnic following the event saw judging for the Dapper Chapper and Dashing Dame titles. The prize if any isn’t mentioned.