Party, and Antonio Le Grand

The Yulblog party last night was a nice affair. Everybody smart and friendly. I didn't feel as frozen up as I usually do at parties. The thing to do at this one which was different was to ask people their name, and then the name of their blog. Practically everyone there had one.

Unfortunately, I didn't take notes, relying on my sieve-like, and at the time drink-addled, memory to retain everything. Some of them are in links to the right. I have to surf around, and find out the rest of them, and will add them as they appear.

As well I'll be surfing to see what other people thought of the party, and whether there are pictures. Probably they will all be doing the same thing.

The Great Antonio


This is my version of the late Great Antonio, a local homeless guy/celebrity, who worked occasionally in movies (Quest for Fire), and performed strong man stunts. He died in 2003, but he came to my mind this morning because his postcard below fell out of my bookcase as I was getting something.

I had actually worked with him years ago, in the late 1980s, on a short film of a friend of mine's. My job was make sure he showed up for his shots, and didn't wander off.

The weather was lousy outside, so Antonio and I sat in a coffee shop across the street (the film was being shot at the train station which is now the Park Avenue metro stop). He told me stories of his exploits in show business. He had been on the Merv Griffith show with his bus stunt, he had met Michael Jackson, and had the photos to prove it.

This is his calling card, which he sold for years, sitting on his bench at the McGill Metro:

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