About 1,700 Canadian dignitaries met in Toronto earlier this week to pay tribute to Canada's military forces. So-called "smart" phones started buzzing during the dinner hour, setting off a frenzy that almost instantly spread from Toronto all the way to Buckingham Palace. The message? "Lady Thatcher has passed away."
As diners lamented the passing of the much-revered former British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, 84, dispatches were sent across the pond to confirm the sad news.
It was quickly confirmed by both Buckingham Palace and current British PM, Gordon Brown, that Mrs. Thatcher was indeed alive and well. There was no need for nationwide mourning after all; news of her death was simply wrong.
So what prompted all that funeral buzz?
It was the beloved cat, Lady Thatcher, 16, belonging to Canada's Transport Minister, John Baird. He'd named his cat Lady Thatcher in tribute to one of his personal political heroes. The feline Lady Thatcher had met her end, surely a cause for mourning in the John Baird household but hardly enough to spur public grief spanning two continents.
Mr. Baird, this cat-lover is sorry for your loss.
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