Verve

Lewis Carroll Must Be Rolling in His Grave, Jun 15 2010

Tim Burton plus Alice in Wonderland should equal movie magic. Instead, this movie is a mess. Its stunning visuals are ruined by a daft script that wanders needlessly beyond the original story and thoroughly lacks its charm. Alice has not just grown a few years older, she has apparently had a complete DNA transplant. Gone is the spunky little girl who reacts normally to the bizarre characters and situations she encounters - the girl with boundless curiosity, thoughtful reasoning, and respectable outrage at injustice. In her place is this insipid older Alice - pale as a slug, deep as a puddle, and dull as a sloth on Valium. The tone is all wrong. Lewis Carroll's fantastical silliness was… Read more

Politics, Principles, & Wit, Sep 20 2008

This is an exceptionally well-written and witty (!) retrospective from the founder and leader of the Reform Party of Canada. Preston Manning is one of those too-rare politicians who rank issues and ethics over image and power; one with the unusual notion that government should be affordable, honest, and truly democratic, complete with referenda and recall.

As a record of the federal political scene in Canada from 1987 to 2002, this book is a gem of insight and easy readability. Mr. Manning also takes you deeply into his personal life, and shows you the beliefs that drive him. You share his journey from his schoolboy days (and the political-influence-by-osmosis of his… Read more

Acoustic Jewel, April 2 2008

Gordon Lightfoot is a mesmerising minstral with poetic lyrics. All he needs to captivate an audience are his voice, his songs, and an acoustic guitar. That's what you get here. The songs are all his own compositions, and he performs them flawlessly. There are no introductions, no between-songs chatter, no audience coughs or comments or other distractions; just an occasional burst of applause as unobtrusive as waves washing to shore. This CD is also known as "Sunday Concert." It was recorded in 1969 at one of his favourite haunts, Massey Hall in Toronto. It's a jewel.