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The AIH Transcript for June 28, 2017

Hosts: Laura Lynch and Jeff Douglas

STORIES FROM THIS EPISODE

Prologue

[Music]

LAURA LYNCH: Hello, I'm Laura Lynch.

JD: Good evening, I'm Jeff Douglas. This is As It Happens.

[Music: Theme]

JD: Tonight:

LL: A matter of death and life. His family held a funeral for him, and grieved for weeks, but it turns out the California man is very much alive – which means someone else lies in the grave with his name on it.

JD: Standing against ceremony. The president of China is set to arrive in Hong Kong to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the handover – and police detain activists, including Joshua Wong whom we spoke with earlier this month.

LL: "You get out what you put in" is a pretty good motto. And it would have been helpful to have that up on the wall in the Montreal operating room where doctors left a 33-centimetre surgical instrument inside a patient.

JD: Marmalade to rest. Michael Bond – the author who created the orange-peel-spread-eating, duffel-coat-wearing, hard-stare-giving Peruvian bear named Paddington – dies at the age of 91.

LL: I can't speak for him – but his act has a powerful left hook. A fighter in a Kentucky-based wrestling league adopts the persona of a Hillary Clinton supporter called "The Progressive Liberal" – and the fact that he's with her turns audiences against him.

JD: And...there's no business like shoe business. And a German student who just put that shoe on eBay is hoping just half a pair will be a full payday – because that otherwise boring sneaker was worn, and thrown into a concert audience, by Justin Bieber.
As It Happens, the Wednesday edition. Radio that guesses this is not for people who want Mr. Bieber to put a sock in it.

Back To Top »

Part 1: Son not dead, surgery mistake, liberal wrestler

Not dead son

Guest: Carole Meikle

JEFF DOUGLAS: Last month, a southern California family – the Kerrigans – said goodbye to one of their own.
57-year-old Frank M. Kerrigan was suffering homeless, he was struggling with mental illness. Shortly after his death was announced, his sister Carole paid tribute to her brother, at the spot where she was told he had been found dead. Then came the funeral, where Mr. Kerrigan's father said his final goodbyes, along with dozens of others.
But then, when Frank M. Kerrigan turned up alive, it raised two big questions: one, how did the local coroner's office get it wrong – and two, who did the Kerrigan family bury?
Carole Meikle is Frank's sister. We reached her in Silverado, California.

LAURA LYNCH: Ms. Meikle, your father was the first to learn that the authorities believed your brother Frank was dead. What did they tell your father?

CAROLE MEIKLE: They told my father on the phone that they were sorry to tell him over the telephone that his son Frank was deceased. My dad then asked them you know, “Should I come identify the body?” They said no, that was necessary, that he had been identified by his fingerprints.

LL: So no need to identify the body. Now take me back to the moment when you heard the news of your brother's death. What was your reaction?

CM: Very upset, devastated. I received a phone call from my father, immediately proceeded home. I asked where did this happen, where was he found. And I was told outside the Verizon store in Fountain Valley. I immediately printed a photograph of him, made a little card that I put on the photograph that said his name and his birth date and your family loves you. And I bought flowers, I took a rosary, and I drove immediately to the site. And when I got there it was quite disturbing to me. So yeah it was horrible.

LL: What was it about the particular location that was so upsetting?

CM: Well it was outside in a public place in front of a Verizon store. There was blood all over the ground and there was dirty blankets and it was horrific. You know I felt that something bad had happened. Besides just the death, that you know something catastrophic had happened because of the scene that I thought was disturbing. You know obviously, I was very upset. I broke down. I was crying. You know it was a very very difficult ordeal to live through.

LL: And of course then came your brother's funeral. At that time, did anyone suspect or sense that something wasn't quite right?

CM: Oh no, oh no no. Nobody suspected anything. We buried my brother, my dad buried his son. My family mourns. We had people come from all over. We had a full mass. We had him interred with a priest at the graveside. We wholeheartedly thought my brother was in heaven until 11 days later when we found out he was not.

LL: So how does that become known to you that your brother was actually alive?

CM: He came to the door of a family friend who was a pallbearer at the funeral. And he rang the doorbell and there he was.

LL: He just turned up out of the blue?

CM: Yes he did. And he often frequented this friend's house. And you know that my brother is mentally ill. You know that part of the story.

LL: Right, yes.

CM: And this is a person that he stayed in touch with and has had contact with over the years. So it wasn't unusual for him to ring the doorbell. He just hadn't done it in the prior two weeks. And so yes, he just arrived at the doorstep of our friend Bill Shinker, and his son David was there with him and they were pallbearers two weeks before. They took a picture of him, gave him something to eat, and called my father and told him you know, Mr. K are you sitting down, or are you sitting down? Your son is not dead. Your son is very much alive and he's on my patio.

LL: And then your father called you I take it.

CM: Immediately. And I was out of touch for about an hour and 15 minutes when I turned my phone back on. There was phone calls from my husband my daughter my dad all this. I thought oh my god somebody else died, like something's wrong you know. But in fact the news was good news. You know it was a miracle if you will.

LL: Of course. Yes. But then you must have been thinking what happened? Has anyone explained to you what happened here?

CM: No. We notified the coroner, like 26 days ago that you know, in fact my brother was alive and well and he was you know with us. And we received nothing from the Orange County coroner. We got one phone call back, of course we sought an attorney because you know, my brother has a death certificate his disability benefits are canceled, his medical benefits are… you know he's, he's gone. So we retained an attorney to help us. They contacted the coroner let them know that he was alive. And basically they had a match and they actually gave us the name of the individual that's supposedly in the grave. But it has been nearly a month. Nothing has been done. They did not resume the body. They did not thing until Saturday night when this story went viral, viral and global. They made a very impersonal statement at 10:00 on Saturday night you know with their regrets towards our family for this unfortunate incident.

LL: But they've never apologized personally.

CM: Oh god no. You know, we absolutely believe that this was just the due diligence the process that would be given to any citizen, was not given to my brother because of his station of life. Now obviously it's not my brother anymore, it's another man but the other man was, you know, a homeless individual. I don't know if he was mentally ill, I don't know who he is. I don't know his family but this would not have happened to a regular citizen. Somebody just decided this was a throwaway person. And you know they just didn't do their job. And I believe the reason why they didn't do their job is because they had a, you know, a John Doe.

LL: So then what do you do next? Armed with this kind of information it's obviously been a terrible experience for you personally.

CM: Horrific.

LL: And also presumably for whoever is related to the man who actually did die.

CM: Yes.

LL: You've obviously got a number of concerns. Do you just leave it here or do you pursue this further?

CM: Well it's a compounded problem because first of all this person is buried by my mother in a Catholic cemetery and now we have a body next to her that is supposed to be my brother's grave and it’s desecrated my family, desecrated. So we're very concerned about the other man. We felt like immediately that they would have been down there, you know wanting to retrieve this person and make sure they did the proper identification. So this man in the grave, who is he? It seems to me if they were concerned about treating him with respect and dignity, they’re leaving him in another man's grave.

LL: Ms. Meikle, I'm wondering if you see anything positive coming out of this story at all.

CM: Well the positive thing is my brother is alive. And when there's life there's hope. So with his situation, obviously when he came back to life, his mental illness did not go away. You know, we had the same challenges that we've dealt with for 15 years. But he is alive, now positive. We are hopeful that the processes and the practices of the Orange County Coroner are forever corrected. So nobody ever has to live through this again. You know, it's a horrific situation. So the man in the grave, we were respectful of him from the very beginning, I was there yesterday praying over his grave, you know.
But the challenge is now that part of our family life. My mother is buried there. I go there frequently. I live 10 minutes from there. That's forever changed. You can't fix that. So it's you know it's been very very difficult on everybody.

LL: And what have your family's relationship with your brother. Could it possibly become a better relationship?

CM: We are so hopeful. As a matter of fact, he was told, oh my god there was all these people came to your funeral. There was so much love. There were some people you know they care about you they want you to you know get help. They want you to be better. You know, and he has been more responsive since then. So we're hopeful that maybe something from this experience may have clicked. You know, we don't know. But you know it's still, that remains a difficult situation and my family has had battled with this for 15 years. So we never gave up on him. We've always remained in touch with him. He's always reached out to us. We give him cell phones he throws them away. He comes, my brother meets him, my dad goes to see him. He doesn't want to come with us. But we do what we can to try to keep him connected. It's very very difficult.

LL: Ms. Meikle, what an extraordinary tale. I wish you and your family and your brother all the best.

CM: Thank you so much. Thank you.

LL: Bye-bye.

CM: OK. Bye.

JD: Carole Meikle is the sister of Frank M. Kerrigan, who was wrongly reported as dead last month. We reached Ms. Meikle in Silverado, California. Her brother Frank continues to live on the street.
You can find more on this story on our website, cbc.ca/aih.

[Music]

Surgery mistake

Guest: Sylvie Dubé

JD: Sylvie Dubé was told her hysterectomy went well. But she knew something was not right. And then, finally, she found out what that something was. X-rays showed a 33 cm-long surgical tool had been left inside her abdomen. We reached Sylvie Dubé in Montreal.

LL: Ms. Dubé, what was the first indication you had that there was a problem with your surgery?

SYLVIE DUBE: Just when I woke up next the next morning, I have a great pain in my left shoulder. And it was very bizarre because I just have my surgery for hysterectomy and appendix. And my pain was in my left shoulder. So I spoke with the nurses and the staff, and they explained to me that for the stress, for the duration of the surgery, and for the position, we have it’s written that saw some patients of this problem.

LL: So they told you that they believe that this was a normal kind of an aftermath.

SD: Yeah exactly, exactly.

LL: Could you try to explain to me what it felt like?

SD: the pain was in my shoulders and in my ribs. And it's intense like a knife. In the name the intense moment, it was like a knife and sometimes it became less.

LL: It sounds awful. How long did you live with that kind of pain?

SD: Too long, too long. Too long because the first surgery was made in on March 14 and normally, I should have a convalescence for six weeks, more or less.
But after six weeks I was in pain, and I consult a physiatrist who made radiographie from the shoulder and the neck. And after that I consult to make my exercise routine, to try to relax. But the pain was always there. So I, two months later, the pain, I couldn't suffer anymore. The pain was so much, I decided to consult the emergency of the hospital.
So when we arrived, he just asked me for my surgery and said the request to pass the scan. And a few minutes later they saw the metal plate. And I said “No I don’t have a metal plate in my body. It's impossible.” Because it's an event that we couldn't imagine.

LL: Did they show you the X-ray?

SD: Not me but they showed to my husband?

LL: And what did he say to you when he saw the X-ray?

SD: Oh he was under, he was on the shock and all the staff of the hospital was on shock. So nobody can imagine that kind of situation. It's not a common situation.

LL: Course not. What was that like for you when you realized that that this long piece of metal had been left inside your body?

SD: Oh I was I was in trouble. I know the solution. I know what is the cause of my pain. So my first question to my doctor was is there damage in the other organs, it would be my principal question.

LL: If there was any damage to your other organs?

SD: Yes. They assure me that with the scans they saw the radio and they explained to me that it was no, heureusement–

LL: Happily, yes–

SD: Oui.

LL: Did they tell you what exactly it was that had been left inside you?

SD: Yes it was… this tool is used to protect the intestine. And normally it's the last tool that they take out.

LL: The plate has now been removed from you, how are you doing?

SD: Oh just when I woke up at the end of the surgery, no more pain. No more pain. And I was so, so relieved, so relieved, because in these two months I didn't… I suffered a lot and I didn't sleep well. I take medication for my pain.

LL: Did you ever speak again with the surgeon who operated on you the first time?

SD: Yes, sure. First he was, he can’t imagine. He said that it can’t be happen, because the countdown, we made three countdowns in the surgery.

LL: They go through the list of all the equipment they use, they count it before, they count it after.

SD: And the countdown was good. So in this case, he said that we don't go through anymore because when there is any cut, they make the radiographie to verify where is the missing object?

LL: Right.

SD: But in my case the that was good.

LL: Who do you blame for what happened to you?

SD: Oh it's a shared responsibility. The surgeon, the staff, because it's not the surgeon who make the countdowns. So when I make the recours, I have to do both of them.

LL: So you do say you're asking for compensation. How much do you think you're owed for what you went through?

SD: Oh, I don't know. I really, I really don't know at this moment. I don't know.

LL: Ms. Dubé, I'm sorry that you have gone through so much and I'm glad that you're feeling better. Thank you for speaking with me.

SD: Thank you very much, Laura.

LL: Good-bye.

SD: Bye-bye.

JD: Sylvie Dubé lives in Montreal. That's where we reached her. Her surgery took place at Montreal's Notre-Dame hospital. The health network that oversees the hospital says that it has launched an investigation into what went wrong.

[Music]

Wrestling match

JD: In wrestling, there are good guys and bad guys. The good guys are called "babyfaces." The bad guys are called "heels."
And one heel in the Appalachian Mountain Wrestling league really really knows how to get the crowds riled up. His name is Daniel Harnsberger – but he goes by the stage name "The Progressive Liberal."
Here's the villainous Progressive Liberal warming up the crowd before a match:

SOUNDCLIP

DANIEL HARNSBERGER: When he says he’s going to build a wall, he’s going to emancipate people, we don’t believe it, hook line and sinker. [Sound: Crowd shouting] I am here because I want to teach you a better way. The first, listen, this is important, the first tenant of democratic socialism is to give freely, OK?

JD: We reached Daniel Harnsberger – aka the Progressive Liberal – in Richmond, Virginia.

LL: Daniel can you describe what the Progressive Liberal is like in the wrestling ring?

DANIEL HARNSBERGER: The progressive liberal in the ring, my wrestling style is very ground based. I mean, I’m 6’5’’ and there is no need for me to be flying around. I just focus on a body part and break down my right wing opponent that way.

LL: Do you do you move tend to move to the left more than to the right?

DH: [laughs] I move to wherever I can ultimately be pin my guy one two three.

LL: OK very pragmatic. What do you wear?

DH: Right now, I am donned in a pair of wrestling trunks and knee pads, the knee pads have the Democrat donkey on each one. And then I’ve got donkeys as well on the front of my trunks. They’re in red white and blue. It says “Progressive Liberal” on the back. And I've got them in navy blue as well as white.

LL: Just to make sure that nobody misses the message in the label.

DH: Exactly. And what I wear to the ring is I wear a Hillary Clinton collage T-shirt which everyone's a huge fan of.

LL: What makes you the Progressive Liberal to the crowd then besides the trunk and the Hillary Clinton collage.

DH: My message is a progressive message. Unfortunately it doesn't resonate with a lot of the audience I perform in front of. Let's move beyond coal and move into solar and wind. Climate change is real. You know, let's not try to turn health care into a tax cut for the rich. Hey while we're at it, why don't we quit voting against her own interests, red states because Republican politics have not worked for you so well.

LL: OK so you say red states, these are clearly Republican states very heavily Republican states. What are you doing bringing politics into the wrestling ring?

DH: Look at the end of the day, you know it's our job to, I mean I'm a real life liberal. So I recognize that that would play with people's emotions. And so I'm happy to troll people and then get my point of view across the way.

LL: Now I understand that you once provoked a crowd by saying you’d take their guns away. How did they take that?

DH: Well one gentleman in particular was packing. And because you know, unfortunately people can just open carry here. And so he, he didn't pull out his gun but he had it on his right hip in a holster and grabbed it, pointed it to me, and well, let's just say we didn't take his gun

LL: But you built yourself up to be the bad guy, right, you want the crowd to hate you.

DH: Yeah. I don't want them to shoot me. But their boos are my cheers.

LL: Right. Why did you decide to take what you say or your own real beliefs and build this moniker, this persona of the progressive liberal in the wrestling ring?

DH: Well the last scene wrestling is you know characters, and I hate using that word because I'm not being a character, but these characters again like, their words are real life extensions of yourself. And that's what that is. You know if I'm in the grocery store and I see someone wearing a t shirt or I'm not going to cut an interview on them right there. But I do have that platform in wrestling and so I'm happy to exercise that. And you know I think it helps me blow off steam quite honestly.

LL: Right now you're winning more than you're losing in the ring and that's more than the Democratic Party can say. So do you have any advice for them?

DH: Yes I do. Yes I do. I want. I wish Democrats would be absolutely unapologetic for what they believe in and who they are and what their policies are. Because one, they're way better than Republican policies. I'm not saying the left doesn't have our flaws too, by the way, but be unapologetic for who they are, because the Republicans are not apologetic for who they are. And you know, I think that subconsciously creates the, you know, the air of confidence that people are attracted to.
And let's stop being happy that we came close in the special elections, being in red states you know, close is not good enough.

LL: Said like a true competitor. Would you ever consider bringing the Progressive Liberal to come and wrestle here in Canada?

DH: Any Canadian promoter Booker that is listening right now. I would love to. You know, Canada has a great tradition of wrestling. Every everyone knows about Hart Brothers, the Maritimes, all that. I would, I’d be honoured, the Duprees, they were in there as well. So I just I would be honored to wrestle in Canada.

LL: What kind of reception do you think you'd get here?

DH: I think I would get a hero's welcome. The Canadians got it right. Good people and one my favorite, one of my favorite artists of all time is Alanis Morrisette who is a Toronto native.

LL: She's actually Ottawa native, but that's just between you and me. Maybe you can get in the ring with our Prime Minister. He tried boxing somebody once.

DH: But hey I'm happy to do that. Let's put the money to a good cause and maybe we both can make an extra buck as well.

LL: I think we're building something here. OK, Daniel listen take good care and thank you.

DH: Thank you for the time. I’m really grateful.

LL: Bye-bye.

JD: We reached Daniel Harnsberger in Richmond, Virginia. He wrestles under the persona of Daniel Richards, the Progressive Liberal. To read more about the wrestler – and learn about his finishing move, which is called "the Liberal Agenda" – go to our website: cbc.ca/ aih.

[Music]

Prada paper clip

JD: As a public radio host, I obviously have a lot of cash on hand at all times. I use it for the same things most of you use cash for: tipping limo drivers, chipping in for the weekly office caviar-eating contest, buying champagne just to spill it, and of course adding to my collection of designer pashminas.
So when I heard about the Prada money clip, it seemed like a great investment: a stylish solution to the problem of all these bills of every denomination that always seem to be fluttering out of the pockets of my bespoke leather pants. You may have seen this elegant cash-holder in the news today. It's six-and-a-quarter centimetres long, and two-and-a-quarter centimetres wide – about two-and-a-half inches by one inch. Sterling silver. Shaped like a paper clip. Has "PRADA" embossed on it. Is awesome. And costs 185 dollars U.S.
Now if you did see it in your news feed, you probably saw everyone expressing disbelief that it costs so much, and exists. As one wag put it on Twitter, "185 bucks for a paperclip? This thing better hold my life together." Furthermore, CNN points out that that amount of money will buy you more than ten thousand actual paperclips.
I guess those are good points. I almost regret buying three now. But on the other hand, if I don't drop all that money on a sterling silver paper-clip-shaped Prada money clip, how will people know that I have so much cash that I can afford a sterling silver paper-clip-shaped Prada money clip to hold all the cash I have, still even after buying three? I guess if you're not rich, you feel the irony is – and if you are, you don't see the irony at all.

Back To Top »

Part 2: Hong Kong arrests, Bieber's shoe

Hong Kong arrests

Guest: Derek Lam

JEFF DOUGLAS: Tomorrow, Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to arrive in Hong Kong, as the city prepares to mark 20 years of Chinese rule on Saturday.
And some pro-democracy activists want to ensure his visit will not be peaceful. Which is why 26 of them – including Joshua Wong and Nathan Law from the political party Demosisto – have now been taken in by police.
The arrests happened earlier today, when pro-democracy activists stormed the Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong for the second time in three days.
The area will be the site of an official flag-raising ceremony on Saturday, which will be attended by President Xi and incoming Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam.
Derek Lam is spokesperson for the Hong Kong political party Demosisto. We reached him in Hong Kong.

LAURA LYNCH: Mr. Lam, can you describe to me what was happening around the Golden Bauhinia Square earlier today?

DEREK LAM: Sure. And [unintelligible] Demosisto, a political party and [unintelligible], people power and the university activists, they should protest at the Black Bauhinia square, and we want to do that to show our anger to China government. Because this year is the 20th anniversary of the hangover. And the Chinese government has promised Hong Kong people to give us high authority and promised us that we can have a democracy at the final. But what we saw in the last 20 years is the Chinese government doesn’t fulfill their promise. [Unintelligible] choke. So, we want to do this protest in the Black Bauhinia to show that Hong Kong people are willing to have democracy and the Hong Kong people will protest for democracy.

LL: Well what happened after the protests started?

DL: We climbed up to the black Bauhinia, and then we stayed here around for hours because based on the principle that the law [unintelligible], civil disobedience. We believe that all our members and are active in this action in this very peaceful way. But why are we doing it to show our persistence to the Chinese government, that we won’t forgive. We will keep fighting until we have democracy.

LL: But what happened to your colleagues, Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and others. But something went wrong with the protest, didn’t it?

DL: Yes. Sure, the police arrest them after three hours later. And then, the police arrested our police, 26 people and charged with [unintelligible]. And then this charge this very serious charge in Hong Kong. The maximum punishment and the maximum charge is seven years. And now Joshua, and Nathan, they have been arrested around more than hours in the police station.

LL: How are they doing? Have you been in touch with them at all?

DL: No. They can just keep in touch with us through their lawyer. But our lawyer has a handle of 26 persons. So it is a difficult situation for us now.

LL: Do you have any idea how long they're going to be detained for?

DL: Well I cannot be sure about that. My lawyers it have been over 10 hours, maybe probably 20 hours.

LL: We spoke to Joshua Wong two weeks ago. He said then that he expected to pay a price, going to jail in other words, for doing this kind of activism. Was that the reason you decided not to attend today, because you feared you might be arrested?

DL: No because I'm not attend because I have to do the legal support for them.

LL: Were they expecting then to be arrested today?

DL: I think they are ready to be arrested. I think they say oh I'm expected to do that. But I think they they're ready. They know that the Hong Kong government, the Chinese government won’t let them to exit so easy.

LL: So you suggested they might be detained for up to 20 hours. But there are there are reports saying that that period of detention could be extended if there is approval from senior level officers. That could mean they could be kept in custody for the entire Xi visit. Are you worried then that you won't be able to get a message to Xi?

DL: If they are in jail after, in the whole Xi visiting trip in Hong Kong, it will be shamefull to the Hong Kong government and Chinese government. But I would like to say that even if Joshua and Nathan is not with us, but their spirit of civil disobedience and their spirit of protest will encourage us and encourage as the people in Hong Kong. Everybody will take a street and keep on our fight.

LL: This was the second protest in three days. Earlier this week, activists covered the Golden Bauhinia statue with a black cloth. And for those of us who may not know exactly what that statue represents, Can you tell us about it?

DL: The Golden Bauhinia is a symbol and a gift from China's government to Hong Kong to represent the one country two systems is going well. But every people in Hong Kong and some of the people in the whole world is knowing that the one country two systems is working at all in Hong Kong. And it's become like a one country, one point five system, and in the foreseeable future, maybe we'll get one country one system. So the Golden Bauhinia is a represent of a liar.

LL: You call them the Golden Bauhinia a symbol of the government's dishonesty.

DL: Yes the activists.

LL: You're not only calling for universal suffrage. What else is the protest aimed at? What other kinds of messages are the protestors trying to send?

DL: Well we have three very important messages to send. The first is we want the China government to reassure the August 31 agreement, and then to using the true universal suffrage for letting Hong Kong people having democracy and having a right to choose our leader of government. And the third one, we we hope that the Chinese government can release Liu Xiaobo, the Nobel Peace Prize winner.

LL: And he has been released. Has he not?

DL: No, he has not been released. He is still monitoring by the government. Well, yesteday we have a news about Liu Xiaobo. He’s got the [unintelligible]. And then when he leaves jail but he’s going to the government hospital. And he is not allowed to go to the others country to seeking for help.

LL: You want him to be able to leave China to get medical help.

DL: Of course this is a very basic human right.

LL: Now, the president is expected to arrive in Hong Kong on Thursday. How are you and others going to move forward with his arrival in the coming days?

DL: Well we're still planning, but I'm sure that most of the Hong Kong people and everyone in Hong Kong who fight for democracy will be on the street on the first of July.

LL: Are you hopeful that your colleagues are going to be able to join you?

DL: Of course. I hope they will join us. But unfortunately, if they are still in the police station, I can promise that there will be much more people coming out and then we will have their passion and we will have their persistence and we will have their spirit.

LL: Mr. Lam, thank you for your time.

DL: OK. Thank you so much, Laura.

JD: Derek Lam is the spokesperson for the Hong Kong political party Demosisto. We reached him in Hong Kong.
Earlier today, 26 protestors were detained by police for storming the Golden Bauhinia Square in the city. Chinese President Xi Jinping and incoming Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam will be attending an official flag-raising ceremony in the square later this week.

[Music]

Michael Bond obituary

SOUNDCLIP

As he bent down, the Browns caught sight of a label around his neck. It said “Please look after this bear. Thank you.” It was the kind of label you couldn't possibly ignore. And in no time at all things began to happen. Mrs. Brown thought of a name for him: Paddington. Come along, Paddington said Mr. Brown, I expect you are hungry after your long journey. “I am,” said Paddington, “Very”.

JD: The Brown family learned a great deal about Paddington Bear that day. He travelled from deepest darkest Peru. He had a soft spot for marmalade. And a knack for getting into a spot of bother.
Through more than twenty books – plus a TV series and a movie – we've all tagged along with Paddington Bear on his adventures and his mishaps. And if it wasn't for his creator, Michael Bond, we would never have met the polite Peruvian bear at Paddington Station to begin with.
Michael Bond died yesterday. He was 91 years old. In Novermber of 2015. He did an interview with the British Entertainment History Project and he told them how Paddington was born.

SOUNDCLIP

MICHAEL BOND: I was doing some shopping on Christmas Eve and it started to snow and I went into Selfridges, and went into the toy department and came across this one bear sitting on the shelf. Very very sorry for itself. Somehow I felt sorry for this bear and bought it as a stocking figure. And we called it Paddington and because I always wanted to use Paddington as a name because it sounds rather important but rather nicely important. It sounds very west country.
But I had no intention whatsoever to write a book. It sort of caught my fancy and I began thinking about it. And at the time, I worked at a government surplus [unintellgible]. Also I had a government surplus hat so I gave him that. And I started adding things.
In 10 working days, and I found I’d written enough for it to be a book. I still haven't intended it to be a book.

JD: Paddington Bear author Michael Bond, speaking to the British Entertainment History Project last year at the age of 89. Mr. Bond died yesterday. He was 91 years old.

[Music]

Grenfell: Okri

JD: The fire that burned down London's Grenfell Tower, killing at least 79 people, unleashed a wave of fury.
Local residents and activists have banded together to denounce years of neglect. And the launching of a national inquiry by the government has done little to quell the feeling that the tragedy has made Britain's deep-seated inequalities horribly obvious.
A new poem by the celebrated Nigerian poet and novelist Ben Okri captures this rage. It's called, simply, Grenfell Tower, June 2017. And Mr. Okri himself read it yesterday on the UK's Channel 4 News. Here's an excerpt from that reading.

SOUNDCLIP

BEN OKRI: It was like a burnt matchbox in the sky.
It was black and long and burnt in the sky.
You saw it through the flowering stump of trees.
You saw it beyond the ochre spire of the church.
You saw it in the tears of those who survived.
You saw it through the rage of those who survived. You saw it past the posters of those who had burnt to ashes.
You saw it past the posters of those who jumped to their deaths.
You saw it through the TV images of flames through windows Running up the aluminium cladding
You saw it in print images of flames bursting out from the roof.
You heard it in the voices loud in the streets.
You heard it in the cries in the air howling for justice. You heard it in the pubs the streets the basements the digs.
You heard it in the wailing of women and the silent scream Of orphans wandering the streets
You saw it in your baby who couldn’t sleep at night
Spooked by the ghosts that wander the area still trying
To escape the fires that came at them black and choking.
You saw it in your dreams of the dead asking if living
Had no meaning being poor in a land
Where the poor die in flames without warning.
But when you saw it with your eyes it seemed what the eyes
Saw did not make sense cannot make sense will not make sense.
You saw it there in the sky, tall and black and burnt.
You counted the windows and counted the floors
And saw the sickly yellow of the half burnt cladding
And what you saw could only be seen in nightmare. Like a war-zone come to the depths of a fashionable borough.
Like a war-zone planted here in the city.
To see with the eyes that which one only sees
In nightmares turns the day to night, turns the world upside down.
Those who were living now are dead
Those who were breathing are from the living earth fled.
If you want to see how the poor die, come see Grenfell Tower.
See the tower, and let a world-changing dream flower.
Residents of the area call it the crematorium. It has revealed the undercurrents of our age.
The poor who thought voting for the rich would save them.
The poor who believed all that the papers said.
The poor who listened with their fears.
The poor who live in their rooms and dream for their kids.
The poor are you and I, you in your garden of flowers, In your house of books, who gaze from afar
At a destiny that draws near with another name.
Sometimes it takes an image to wake up a nation
From its secret shame.
And here it is every name
Of someone burnt to death, on the stairs or in their room, Who had no idea what they died for, or how they were betrayed.
They did not die when they died; their deaths happened long
Before. It happened in the minds of people who never saw
Them. It happened in the profit margins.
It happened In the laws. They died because money could be saved and made.
Those who are living now are dead
Those who were breathing are from the living earth fled.
If you want to see how the poor die, come see Grenfell Tower
See the tower, and let a world-changing dream flower.
Make sense of these figures if you will
For the spirit lives where truth cannot kill.
Ten million spent on the falsely clad
In a fire where hundreds lost all they had.
Five million offered in relief
Ought to make a nation alter its belief.
An image gives life and an image kills.
The heart reveals itself beyond political skills.
In this age of austerity
The poor die for others’ prosperity.
Nurseries and libraries fade from the land.
A strange time is shaping on the strand.
A sword of fate hangs over the deafness of power.
See the tower, and let a new world-changing thought flower.

JD: That was Nigerian poet, Ben Okri, with an excerpt from his poem Grenfell Tower, June 2017.

[Music]

Bieber’s shoe

Guest: Laura

JD: To some it's just a nondescript, used white shoe. Not just boring, but useless – because it's only half a pair.
But to others it's a relic – taken from Justin Bieber's right foot by Justin Bieber himself, and then thrown – again, by Justin Bieber – into a crowd of Justin Bieber fans at a Justin Bieber concert in Germany this week.
To devoted fans, therefore, it's a priceless artifact. Although, to the woman who wound up with the single, white Yeezy sneaker, and who just put in eBay, it's price-ful. As in 5000 euros, or around 7400 bucks Canadian.
Her name is Laura. She's asked us not to use her last name. We reached her outside Cologne.

LL: Laura, tell me how did you get this shoe?

LAURA: Well actually my boyfriend caught it. He's a lot taller than me. And it just flew right into his face and he grabbed it and everyone around us was freaking out trying to get the shoe as well. We somehow managed to get out with it.

LL: What was going on? Tell me about that moment. What song was Justin Bieber singing, what did he do?

LAURA: OK so he just finished performing Purpose, his second last song. And then I just remember staring at the stage, then he put it out his shoes and just threw them into the crowd. And as we got it everyone started crying, going crazy, trying to touch it, take pictures. All that crazy stuff.

LL: Did anyone try to grab it away from you?

LAURA: Yeah of course. Like a lot of people.

LL: But you held on very tightly.

LAURA: Yeah. I mean not me personally, but my boyfriend did because he’s stronger.

LL: So. So describe for me what the shoe looks like.

LAURA: Yeah it's just like white Yeezy. I'm pretty sure you can buy them any more I guess. And it looks pretty new. I'm pretty sure he's not like wearing the shoes for five days or something. He's probably always putting on new shoes.

LL: So there's not much tread worn on it. The laces are in good shape.

LAURA: I mean, there are like, some points are dirty. I assume it’s because he performed with it, but they're still looking pretty good though.

LL: Laura does it smell? Yeah a little.

LAURA: I mean they were super sweaty when we got them. Like wet. But now they’re dried and they're smelling like a mixture of new shoes and sweat.

LL: Does it smell like Justin Bieber?

LAURA: I mean like I haven't met him yet. I don't know.

LL: What made you decide that you wanted to sell it? I mean it's obviously a treasure.

LAURA: Right. I'm getting a lot of requests on that. It's just simply because I mean, I like Justin and I really like his music and I really appreciate what he's doing. But I'm not like a massive Justin Bieber fan and I just don't see it right having it at home the whole time and not appreciating it, if you know what I mean. And so I decided to sell it and like donate a huge amount of the money for charity here in my local city. So I thought that will be a great idea to do.

LL: Why did you set the selling price at five thousand euros?

LAURA: It's because there was one shoe selling from Justin in 2011, I guess it went out for $10,000. So we just thought we will put it on five and we don't expect to get $10000 for that. But they sold even like a glass of milk from him for $75,000.

LL: A glass of milk of his?

LAURA: He drink out of it I guess? And then they sold it on e-bay.

LL: All right. This shoe, what size is it?

LAURA: Let me check. So it's a forty two in German size. US one says 8.5.

LL: 8.5 mens. So you're holding on to it right now are you?

LAURA: Yes I am.

LL: Is it ever out of your sight?

LAURA: I mean really have to take care of it now.

LL: [laughs] I was just going to ask you, is it ever out of your sight?

LAURA: No not really. I even took it to university today.

LL: Are you sleeping with it at night?

LAURA: No I'm not. A real Justin Bieber fan would probably do that. So that's why I'm selling it.

LL: What kind of reaction are you getting to your efforts to try to sell it?

LAURA: I mean most of the people just see the fact that I'm selling it and not that I'm trying to sell it because I want to give it to someone who really deserves it and donate the money. So some people are like “Hey, I really like your idea. Good that you're sharing it. Maybe someone will buy it and then someone else will buy it and we can give it around or something.” But there are a lot of girls who don't get the idea and really sending me messages “How could I sell the shoe.” And I'm not a real Belieber if I'm selling it and all that stuff.

LL: You've actually asked us not to use your last name. Why is that?

LAURA: Right. Because they already found my private Instagram and I really don't want them to look at my Facebook and start texting me there as well. Some people are just texting me trying to get a good price. And some are just like selling their opinion, how I could like sell these shoes. And they don't get that it’s for a good purpose or something. They just see the fact I'm selling these shoes.

LL: So to them, if you’re not a Belieber, you're a traitor.

LAURA: No I wouldn't say that, but it's just like I appreciate what he's doing musically, but I'm not like following him everywhere or looking at all these pictures. And I'm pretty sure that there are a lot of girls who actually do. And some of them can afford the shoe and will be happy to get it. I will be happy to give some money to people who really deserve that.

LL: How much money did you pay for your ticket?

LAURA: We paid like hundred euros.

LL: This has turned out to be a profitable concert for you. You're going to make money from this.

LAURA: Right. I know. We didn't expect that either.

LL: Maybe you could try to get the Weeknd’s shoe or something else next time.

LAURA: Yeah actually I already talked to the guy who has the left shoe.

LL: Yes.

LAURA: He just made an Instagram account out of it. It's called the left Yeezy. And we were joking about like meeting up and getting these shoes together again and trying to sell them for charity but he just wanted to do with this Instagram thing with the shoe.

LL: So he's hanging on to his shoe.

LAURA: He created an Instagram actually, with just for the shoe and all the pictures he took that night and yeah it's crazy.

LL: Well I wish you good luck then with getting the shoe sold and if you could just tell us before I let you go, I know you're not a Believer per se, but what's your favorite Justin Bieber song?

LAURA: I mean I would probably say Purpose.

LL: Laura, take good care and take good care of the shoe.

LAURA: I will. Thank you.

LL: Bye-bye.

LAURA: Have a good one, bye.

JD: That was Laura. She asked us to withhold her last name. We reached outside Cologne Germany and for pix of the Yeezy and more on that story, go to cbc.ca/aih.

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June 28, 2017 episode transcript

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