When comedian and prank lover Russell Brand did not show up for his sold-out stand-up gig outside of Toronto this weekend, he blamed his absence on Canadian customs officials. Via Twitter, he claimed to be unable to enter the country, and urged fans to “abolish the borders between our nations AND our minds.†As it turns out — unlike Japan — Canada has no official reason to keep Brand off its soil: Apparently, his plane was grounded in California over a mechanical issue. In a clarifying statement to the Canadian Press news wire, a spokeswoman for the show’s venue, Casino Rama, explained, “I think he’s trying to be witty about the whole thing.†So, that’s one at least one person who wasn’t disappointed by the cancellation. [THR]