It's shocking to say the least that I'm the first on amazon.ca to review this as what are you people out there reading? Barry Glassner (a former USC sociology prof) wrote one of the best books ever called The Culture Of Fear. Well, he proves now he can write on pretty much any subject as he tackles food in all its wondrous forms and addresses much of the weird (yes, I'll say "weird") paranoia people in North America now seem to have over what they eat.

As someone who is not a bloated whale and eats everything not nailed down because, frankly, how will you know if you'll like any kind of food without trying it, this book blows the lid off many of the ill-informed food scares of modern America.

It is also balanced and the author enjoys fine dining as well as seeing the merits of fast food...and you'll be surprised at his reasons why. Food Nation was a book that exposed the food industry. The Gospel of Food is more a need to bring back the joy of actually eating and not worrying ourselves to death over every calorie, every additive and to just gain some perspective on how society came from where all of us were, say, centuries ago to now.

It's definitely something I think everyone should read so they can go back to enjoying what they eat yet with the knowledgeof food scares and warnings put in their proper perspective.

This is a easy breezy quick read so Taylor does know how to write. His story is pretty fascinating given he was in one of the iconic bands of the '80s--Duran Duran--and he lived that sex,drugs and rock 'n' roll lifestyle. Just don't expect lurid tales of his conquests. It's not that kind of book. It's more about who he was then and who he is now.

It's pretty wild to learn about how early on he could have bucketloads of money yet still be living at home because he, frankly, was on the road or recording so much he never really had time to find his own place until a bit further along in life than many of us. His frank discussion of his father's post traumatic WWII generation and how having a churchgoing Catholic mother shaped him is very sympathetic and he doesn't play the blame-the-parents game for his drug abuse.

All in all you get the feeling Taylor was never full of himself thanks to those working class roots and even if you weren't into the fashion or music of Duran Duran you cannot read this and helped by be admired at how bloody hard they worked at their "jobs" and see why they became such a success globally.

Sean Pronger really never registered with me that he had a short stint on the Vancouver Canucks let alone was originally drafted by the same team. Thank whomever that he did because in his book we not only get the full story on the famous (infamous?) Fedor Fedorov vs. Kevin Bieksa fight during their time on the Canucks' farm team, the Manitoba Moose, but also the best account and analysis of the whole Todd Bertuzzi attack on Steve Moore.

For that alone all hockey fans should read this book. There's a lot more in here and although the stuff on Kevin Constantine's terrible line matching was priceless as was his dad's winning $10,000 in Vegas on a convoluted road trip to deliver Pronger's car after another of his moves to another team, it's not enough to keep me interested for the whole book. After you've heard of one move to another minor league or NHL city, you've heard them all. I also thought at times Pronger held way too much back. At one point he says assistant coach and former NHL player Brad McCrimmon has the greatest stories but where are they in the book? I wanted more, man!

Anyway, put it this way, where NBA 12th man Paul Shirley wrote the definitive book (Can I Keep My Jersey?) on benchwarming journeymen athletes, I felt other than learning Pronger works out a lot, drinks beer a lot and didn't dig his stint in Germany, it really didn't leap off the page except in some sections.

If you know nothing about hockey players' lives, read it. If you do already, I think you'd get more out of a book like Zamboni Rodeo by Jason Cohen on what life is like for journeyman players although that book is on the very low minors.

The only reason this doesn't get five stars is comparing it to their unreal debut self-titled album, Hypnotised is really not close to perfection as that. Having said that, this is a terrific album with such killer pop tunes as "Perfect Cousin," "More Songs About Chocolate And Girls," "There Goes Norman," "Boys Will be Boys" and I could go on. Yet there are some less than stellar tracks that make this album a bit more disjointed that the first. The single "Wednesday Week" is fine but it's no killer "Teenage Kicks," "Here Comes The Summer" or "Male Model" off the 1st LP.

Anyway, if you're lucky enough to find the original UK vinyl release with the lobster bib, it's a real humdinger!

This was a brilliant idea to do interviews with people from across all walks of life who live or work in London. The shocking thing is how many absolutely hate the city (well, not just the City of London which is just the small business core, but Greater London) and how randomly violent and drunk so many of its inhabitants are. I can't imagine doing the same project on New York and finding so many negative opinions on their own city despite its faults. It just struck me as so very English and sad the way London, despite such modern developments as Canary Wharf, seems to be stuck in a large portion of the people here as a place very unloved.

Anyway, it's thoroughly enjoyable to actually read all these opinions. Some of the most surprising and insightful stories come from the most unusual people from a homeless ex-con from Leeds who has just arrived in the city to the man who coordinates the transportation system for the entire region. There's even a talk with an airline pilot on approaching Heathrow and Gatwick Airports from the air that's a brilliant twist on this theme.

If you haven't heard of the Cristero War (1926-29), well Wiki it as it'd take way too much space here to explain it. The movie is about this seminal civil war in Mexico's history. It's well told and has some terrific acting (and not just from the big names of Andy Garcia and Peter O'Toole). Ruben Blades is especially outstanding as Mexican President Plutarco Elias Calles giving him just the right balance between practical politico and arrogant evil. Evan Longoria is sadly wasted with hardly any screentime as the general of the rebel force Enrique Gorostieta Velarde (Andy Garcia's character). Yet despite all these "names" it is the Adrian Alonso who plays the young kid Lalo who steals the movie.

The extra on the DVD of the actual war has lots of great background and insight as well as some amazing footage and old black-and-white stills from the era. It may be worth watching first to get an idea of the story. It really won't ruin the movie for you.

Sadly, my main complaint is the way this movie looks. It looks like a made-for-TV movie because the cinematography lets the whole thing down. Given the setting--post-revolutionary Mexico, rebel desert camps, fierce gun battles, etc., the whole thing just had a far too flat feel to it. With better cinematography this sweeping epic could have been not only a huge commercial hit but a possible Oscar candidate.

If you've seen the first two movies, this is more of the same. Good clean kid-friendly movie fun. This one does take its time hitting its stride as it's not until the amusement park visit do any solid jokes hit home. Heartwarming in the end so...

The extras are a bit light--deleted scenes and bloopers--and the requisite commentary track. Not a big fan of the cartoon artwork of stick-boy wimpy kid in the one full skit on the extra.

There are so few books on the Canadian Football League it's always gratifying to come across another and one this good. You can read the title yourself to get an idea on what the book is all about but basically this is about the Leo Cahill coached era of the Argos. Because at that time the CFL could compete with the NFL for top quality players salary-wise, the Argos recruited a lot of high profile U.S. college stars (Joe Theismann, Jim Stillwagon, Jim Corrigall and Leon McQuay). These and other stars, the team's swagger and the fact they were from Tarrana--the city every Canadian not from there hates--was obvious fuel for a great story win or lose.

Author Craig Wallace helps make those seasons come alive with a very engaging writing style as he blends the game-by-game struggles with all the backroom dealings (Cahill's recruiting methods offer up some classic tales). The book also does not stop at this 1972 season. The epilogue gives a short and sweet summation of the Argos through the years afterwards as well as an update "where are they now?" on all the main 1967-72 protagonists.

Lastly, the book gave me a greater appreciation for CFL Hall of Famer Dick Thornton who although primarily a defensive back could do it all from pass receiving to even emergency backup quarterbacking. Thornton did this with a flair for the dramatic and a style that was pretty a reflection of how it was in the '70s.

Watching this you wonder where it's going and it does drag in bits, but the payoff is pretty satisfying. All in all a good sequel and the introduction of Jared Harris (the English guy in "Mad Men") as Moriarity is brilliant casting.

The extras are worth getting the DVD for. They're all short and sweet but offer great insight into the Holmes-Watson relationship, the use of chess onscreen and off-, and a breakdown of the Holmes-a-vision special effects.

Sheer cornball awful. What self-respecting Ti-Cat fan would buy this? Also, apparently these stickers can be used in a "stationary" position so they won't move around on your "stationery."