Remembering Mel Lastman

Rest in peace Mel Lastman, the former Mayor of Toronto. I met him at least twice, first as Mayor of North York, and then as the first mayor of the amalgamated Toronto. He was popular, yet could also be polarizing at times. He is also remembered as the founder of Bad Boy, a furniture store chain that he launched in 1955. Mel was kind to me. I send condolences and strength to his family and friends.

My 8th nomination for best Beatles solo album released between 1981 and 2020

 My 8th nomination for best Beatles solo album released between 1981 and 2020 is George Harrison's Brainwashed. It is George's 12th and final solo album. Released posthumously in 2002, the tracks on Brainwashed were recorded between 1988 and 2001. Jeff Lynne and George’s son Dhani produced and completed the album when George’s advanced cancer claimed his life on November 29, 2001. “Any Road,” one of the last songs he finished and recorded, is an excellent opener. “Marwa Blues” is another album highlight. For those of you deep in musicology, this instrumental is named after Raga Marwa, an Indian classical raga traditionally played at sunset. The album’s title track expresses how different forces in the world, including the media, tend to influence and manipulate our thoughts and views. (The track tacked on at the end, “Namah Parvati,” is a traditional Hindu prayer.)

Brainwashed sold well as an album when released on November 18, 2002. This was followed up by the all-star Concert for George at the Royal Albert Hall on the first anniversary of his death. “Marwa Blues” won the Grammy for Best Instrumental Performance in 2004. Later that year, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for the second time, in recognition of his achievements as a solo artist.

Here is a 2018 interview with photographer Mick Rock (RIP)

What to do if you see someone using the Canada-made ‘Signal for Help’

Every scam has one of these red flags: ex-con man Frank Abagnale

Last week I was honoured for my contributions to independent living and disability advocacy

Founders’ Award Acceptance Speech

(October 15, 2021) 

Donald Barrie

Thank you so much for presenting me with the Founders’ Award. I am honoured to be the 28^th recipient of this award from a wonderful organization. I am forever thankful to Executive Director Wendy Porch, President Jacques LeBlanc, the Board of Directors, and the staff of CILT for their support over the years.

My association with CILT has lasted 20 years and counting. I have been an employee of the centre, a volunteer director on the board, and served as its Vice-President! I also participated in the D-Next media project, a follow-up to the old Disability Network program that CBC aired during the 1990s. When I was employed as the Resource Coordinator, I helped edit and publish the CILT newsletter, which I later renamed as CILT Now.

If you have read the bio included in the AGM package, it says that I tell the stories of IL through my stories. Tonight, I will share some of my own story with you.

I valued my independence long before I knew about the concept and history of IL. At an early age, I had a desire to take risks. At 13, after watching my other friends play wheelchair hockey at my school, I decided to join in. I was advised not to play due to the nature of my disability (osteogenesis imperfecta). I played for many years, and not once did I fracture myself. I am now a coach at a wheelchair hockey league in the city.  

When I turned 21, I took one of the biggest risks of my life by moving to Ottawa and living and studying at Carleton University. At 25, I returned to Toronto and studied journalism at Ryerson University. While there, I learned another benefit of advocacy. If it hadn’t been for the efforts of Ing Wong-Ward, a previous recipient of the Founders’ Award, I likely would not have been able to attend many of my classes.

It was prior to graduating in 2000 that I met Sandra Carpenter. I still remember that first conversation we had when I interned at CBC’s former TV series Moving On. She asked me if I knew anything about the history of IL. I couldn’t answer her. My definition of independent living at the time was being a person with a disability living in his or her own place! A year later, I applied for a job at CILT. When I got hired, I became both a staff member and full-time student at a school that teaches and celebrates the IL community.

A year into my job, turbulence occurred between me and my attendant service provider. Its manager at the time made changes to my daily routines I felt were working against me. I decided to apply for the Direct Funding program. For the past sixteen years I have been a self-manager of my own attendant services, and I am eternally grateful to be part of it.

In 2018, I appeared in an episode of Employable Me, a show you may have seen on AMItv about jobseekers with disabilities. Former Ontario Lieutenant Governor David Onley appeared in the episode. He reminded me that many of us in the community are natural problem-solvers and can find creative ways to get through nearly any obstacle. (I recently learned that he was the person who nominated me for the Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013.)

So, what does IL mean to me in 2021? It means being able to make your own decisions (being your own advocate), applying your knowledge from your experiences living with a disability, and making constructive use of the time you have been given. I also believe that IL involves constant, lifelong learning. While ableism and other societal attitudes and barriers persist, I tell others with disabilities who are feeling discouraged to not let these harsh realities defeat them.

In my quest for independence, I want to acknowledge my mom and dad. Their love and support have been unconditional. I also want to acknowledge a cherished friend named Eleana. She would have loved to have seen me win this award, and to know how far I have come. She is always with me in spirit.

I am grateful CILT exists, and how it continues to support me and others in the community. The pandemic, while trying at times, has not slowed me down. I work at my current jobs from home and socialize on Zoom when possible. For the remainder of my life, I aim to continue living up to the standards set by the best of the IL community. (This includes previous honourees like the recently departed Ian Parker and Marcia Rioux.) Thank you again for honouring me. See you again in person soon.

Top 10 Norm Macdonald Moments (RIP)

Alan Jackson - Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning) (CMA Awards 2001)

JUSTIN BIEBER AND CHANDLER MOORE PERFORMANCE | Jireh (You Are Enough)

Top 10 Robin Williams Quotes That Will Make You Miss Him Even More

My 2nd Beatles Solo Project Update

Fellow Beatlemanics on my contact list, I have news for you. Remember when I reviewed, surveyed and ranked the solo albums the individual Beatles released over the past 50+ years? I completed the first round of albums released between 1968 and 1980, but not the second round covering 1981 to 2020. Now I am picking up where I left off. That's the update. I really would like to finish what I started. The final stretch will begin this week. Stay tuned.

All 24 medals Canada won at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in 4 minutes

7 Phrases People Who Gaslight Say

Remembering “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff

Canada Appoints First Inuk Governor General

Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope - 40 Years On

Tragic discovery of the remains of 215 children discovered under the earth at in B.C.

A Tribute to Actor / Singer Samuel E. Wright - R.I.P. 1946 - 2021

Kenneth Copeland says: "Its Over!" (But it's not... one year later.)

What We Still Haven’t Learned From the Pandemic

Best News Bloopers March 2021

My reflections on the pandemic year of 2020

I'm aware that Thursday (March 11) was the first anniversary of this seemingly never-ending pandemic. The real start date for me was two days later, a Friday the 13th. The day before that was my last day travelling to and from my job. I have been working remotely from home since then. 

I have not experienced COVID-19, but have experienced frequent bouts of fatigue, depression and anxiety. Having a physical disability forces me to be extra careful around PSWs and each time I've gone outside. There have been moments when I got short-tempered around people who don't take this pandemic seriously or try to frame me and others as being hysterical. 

I know there are people who cannot wear masks for long periods, or at all in some cases. There are other alternatives to masks, like face shields, that can provide adequate protection. Just don't make us look stupid for wanting to be safety-conscious. 

What's making me anxious at the moment is not whether this pandemic is going to end, but the constant talk of multiple waves. I've come to the conclusion that some media outlets WANT a third wave. More reporting needs to be done instead on the vaccines, and how miraculous it is that so many have popped up in such a short time. Focus on solutions and not just on the problem itself. This customer service employee gets that. 

I also don't like it when people dismiss the scientists and science itself. I put more trust in scientists than I do in most politicians, regardless of stripe. Scientists are in the business of health and wellness, whereas most politicians focus on getting re-elected. 

We are getting closer to the home stretch, so let's work together and (hopefully) eradicate this invisible beast.

Teach girls bravery, not perfection (2016) | Reshma Saujani

Muppet Show Sketches Missing From Disney+

Remembering The Great Dad, Walter Gretzky

Walter Gretzky was a great dad just by coaching his son Wayne to be one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) hockey player(s) of all time. I got to meet the source of Wayne's greatness when we received the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in early 2013. A gala ceremony took place at Roy Thomson Hall. The whole event was exciting, and being in the same building with other honourees felt both wonderful and surreal. I met a few of them that night, but the one that left a lasting impression on me was Walter Gretzky. He took time to get a photo taken with me and did not appear to be in a rush to go somewhere else. I remember saying to him that I liked his son and his career in the NHL. I also remember him encouraging me to keep going as a fellow recipient of the medal. (His medal was for his charitable activities, and mine was for my volunteer activities.) I wish I had more to write about Walter Gretzky, however I'll always remember him as being down-to-earth and a regular guy who led an extraordinary life.

My thoughts on Carole King's Tapestry album from 1971

Today is the 50th anniversary of Carole King's much-loved Tapestry album. When I first heard the album in the late '80s, I was in my teens. I liked what I heard but had trouble relating to some of the messages and sentiments in the songs. It's one of my mom's favourite albums, and I bet she could relate to the songs better than I could at the time. Now that I'm older I'm better able to understand and appreciate the songs and their lyrics. I have lived some of what Carole King expresses ("So Far Away" in particular). Tapestry is a very mature and adult album, in the purest sense. She even makes what could've been a risque number like "I Feel the Earth Move" sound innocuous. That's a real gift for a songwriter. Carole King is a true artist and her music sounds like a series of audio tapestries. The album itself is ageless, and I hope every generation will discover it and love it as many of us who've heard it do.

Christopher Plummer

 

Mom and I with Christopher Plummer in 2010.

Tonight I want to share my memories of the great Canadian actor Christopher Plummer.

My earliest memory was watching him in The Sound of Music. I was about nine when I first saw it. I enjoyed the movie and his performance, even though it allegedly wasn't one of his favourites.

Over time I learned more about him and got to see more of his work. The weirdest/strangest role I saw him in was Star Trek VI, where he played a klingon! In the Star Trek universe, he wasn't your average klingon. He was a Shakespearean one! He exchanged lines from the Bard with William Shatner, who were friends in real life.

In 2002 my parents and I saw him on stage as King Lear at the Canadian Stratford Festival. In 2010 my parents and I saw him as Prospero in The Tempest, another Shakespeare play, again at Stratford. It was then that my mom and I met him after the show. He was kind to us and signed a copy of his memoir to mom. He later adapted portions of it into a one-man show called A Word or Two, which mom and I saw at Stratford in 2012.

To date, I have seen Plummer in 13 films, including the one that got him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor (Beginners, 2010). I most recently saw him in The Man Who Invented Christmas, which aired on CBC this past Christmas.

I bet most people who remember Plummer will remember him best for his role as Col. Von Trapp in The Sound of Music. I read that he wryly referred to the movie in an interview as 'the sound of mucus.' When mom texted me that he had died, we reminisced about the time we met him. She told me she has seen The Sound of Music at least 12 times.

My reply to her: 'that's a whole lotta mucus!'

Tony Bennett - Smile (Live At Home)

You'll Never Walk Alone - Captain Tom Moore, Michael Ball & The NHS Voices of Care Choir

Paul Westphal (RIP) Hall of Fame Career Retrospective