King Arthur Movie Tristan

Books read & reviewed in August:

1. Paco and the Giant Chile Plant/Paco y la planta de chile gigante


2. Considering SomeplacElse

3. The Ghost of Blackwood Hall

4. I Just Want My Kids to Be Happy!

5. Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict

6. Matrimony


7. Breaking Dawn

8. Twenty Fragments of a Ravenous Youth

Whenever I sit and write this feature, or anything else, there's a style and voice I'm aiming for. I rarely seem to fully find it, but when I do, I like the results. Music to Die For from August two years ago is one of those times when I hit that voice exactly the way I like. Going over it again there are changes I might make, the kind of thing an editor would do for me. But I wouldn't change the tone, the style or the voice one bit:

Sunday, August 06, 2006
This Week on my i-pod: Music to Die For

In case I haven't mentioned it before, I play guitar: I know because it says so in my profile at the top left corner of this page (I play Guitar, mostly classical because that's easy to do in the basement after the kids go to bed:)). Classical mostly, although lots of other styles as well. I didn't start a classical player; in fact many people who know me would be surprised to hear me call myself a classical player. I have done the rock band thing, became quite a folk/children’s music picker when my daughter was young and I would sing to her every night, play slide poorly, and dabble in mandolin. But mostly I play classical, practice it every day in fact.

But that's not what I want to talk about.

I have been thinking a lot about death this week. Specifically, my own. Not for the usual reasons that someone I know died, or they found something in my tests. It's not even because of Fidel's intestines that I have been pondering my mortality this week. A couple of years ago someone, in a drunken conversation around a kitchen table, asked what music I would want played at my funeral. I had no idea.

I consider myself a music aficionado, very specifically rock and roll. But what rock and roll really belongs at a funeral? Dust in the Wind? Please, I want people to weep knowingly, not gag. Stairway to Heaven? Yea, because my funeral should resemble a grade eight dance as much as humanly possible. See the problem? Even the serious rock and roll stuff just doesn't cut it here. Nick Hornby, in his defense of Pop music "songbook" says he wants Van Morison’s Caravan. Problem is, it's the live version, with an extended string section, where “the sax weaves gently in and out of the cute, witty, neochamber strings…” Anyway, it has a part where Morrison introduces the band and, “isn’t that too weird?” So rock and roll presents problems, unless your sense of humour is far more interesting than mine (Jamie’s Cryin’ or No Particular Place to Go sproing to mind here).

But Classical guitar! As I play (did I mention that?) I thought I should know a nice classical guitar piece or two that's appropriate. But the more I thought about it, the less I came up with. Nothing I knew would fill the bill. So for the last few years I have been wondering, what song? And who would play it? Surely a live performance is in order, not a CD recording of, say Segovia, who's already been dead 19 years, and I'm only 42 (OK, OK 43 -honest I forgot I had a birthday (again)), and how long will Segovia have been dead by the time my turn comes (more than 20 years, I hope).

Which brings me to another problem. I don't belong to a church. I don't have any great desire to give up my Sunday mornings, except when I attend a funeral. Any funeral I go to is in one of two places, a funeral home, in which case I always think, I want my funeral to be so much more. Warmer, gentler, a minister who has met me, dealt with me, understands why there's a guy in the corner playing classical guitar. The second kind is in a church, in which case the deceased, having been a member, gets a proper send off. Real music, by musicians, A nice organ sending heavenly air breathing through it's pipes, imploring the Lord to accept my poor sinning, carcass.

I want, however, the kind of church that are hard to find anymore. One with a large choir box, and a large, talented choir. A proper organ, with pipes rising up the wall, imploring God to Hear thy Music (can't expect Him to accept my carcass with less), and a proper organist, playing the great music written in His name. No folk musicians need apply at my church, please. I could even contribute to the music once in a while, if I could just have the place when my funeral comes.

But that's not what I want to talk about.

I won a book from a radio show, "Classical Guitar Alive." It's a real show, mostly on PBS stations, but I listen to it as MP3 downloads after the fact. The book is an autobiography of Classical Guitarist Christopher Parkening, called Grace Like A River. My review is here. The long in short is, as an extreme Christian, Parkening is as annoying as he is talented. And talented he is: the book came with a sampler CD, with Jesu Joy of Man Desiring; Albeniz's Rumores de la Caleta; and the Adagio from Joaquín Rodrigo 's Concierto de Aranjuez.

I am playing at a friends wedding in October, and I have started working some music for it. Lots of basic stuff, Romance, another Romance by Nikita Koshkin (Classical composers tend to lack the Led Zeppelin knack for interesting titles), Jesu Joy of Man Desiring, and the Bach/Genoud Ave Maria (not the more typical Schubert, which translates to guitar awkwardly). As well, I found an interesting composition called Canco trista on the internet, which I'm working up, and a rather lousy Russian reduction of the Adagio from the Concierto de Aranjuez.

When the Parkening book came in, I threw on the CD and realized, the Adagio, while possibly the most stunningly beautiful for any instrument (go to your library and rent a CD with it on, trust me it is shivers up the spine beautiful, even when poorly done), it's quite sad. There's a reason they play Ob La Di Ob La Da on the organ before a wedding, cause weddings are happy occasions.

Legend has it the Rodrigo was writing the Concierto de Aranjuez while his wife was pregnant. The first and third sections where written, but the slower middle section was leaving him a touch befuddled. His wife lost the baby in childbirth (or miscarried it, or the baby died an infant, I’ve read different things on this) and, upon returning from the hospital wrote the adagio. It shows! If ever God chose to put his touch on a piece of music, ever the Divine intervened for the strict purpose of entertaining man, this was the moment. It is a haunting, mesmerizing piece of music.

So I thought, my funeral. That's it, that's the piece I want played at my funeral. But how? The logistics are a nightmare. It's a guitar Concierto, for crying out loud. For those that don't know, that means guitar with orchestra. This will never work in one of those tinny funeral homes, so you see; I really must find a proper church, with space for an orchestra.

Then who? There's a reason only the best in the world play this concerto, it's very difficult. And the one thing I don't want (are you listening honey?) is a lame version of any music at my funeral. My God I'm dead, I deserve the music to be well done. Then there's the problem of rehearsing an orchestra and guitarist in such a time frame. I expect my demise to be somewhat of a surprise. Let's face it, unless you’re Hunter S. Thompson, you don't plan your dying down to the day. Even if you have a protracted illness, the exact day isn't a known variable. And I don't really want to be kept on ice for two weeks while the musicians work up their parts up. So a live performance probably isn't going to work.

But, does a CD really cut it? It will have to and, fortunately I have a number of performances of this piece on my MP3 player. John Williams, Julian Bream and Paco DeLucia come to mind, as well as Parkening's. I have spent the week listening to them to decide, and frankly can't. Williams is my favourite player, but his Adagio leaves me a touch cold, and lets face it, I’ll be cold enough. Parkening’s is nice, but not preferred. Bream does a lovely job of it and DeLucia’s while superbly performed, is a touch flamenco-y for me. So I guess I need to keep digging, to find the person who captured my death perfectly.

The truth is, I would really like to have the whole concerto performed, but it's a good half an hour long. I suppose I could request no eulogy, just play the music. The Priest could say something about me, then announce the piece, much like a DJ would, and everybody could hear it. The exciting Allegro con spirito, followed by that lovely 13 minute Adagio. People would cry, I know they would. They would cry because it's a sad piece, but also they would cry because it would prove, when it is most wanting proven, that God exists and I am with him. Of this I am sure, more than anything the Priest or my forlorn family could utter, That Adagio would say to all, he is with Him now. Finally the Allegro gentile, quicker and quirkier, somewhat like me. Something for people to dry their eyes to, before the Reverend DJ announces there will be “tea and cakes at such and such a place after the interment.”

But it's probably not feasible, the priest might even not approve of being usurped in such a way. Probably best is having the lovely Adagio playing when people came in and took a seat. People could sit, marvel at the sheer beauty of the music, and know that they weren't just at a funeral, but they where at a celebration of life, and that the life lived was touched by beauty, and knew a good piece of music when he heard it.

That's it for best ofs, in fact that's it for this feature. Starting next Sunday there will be a new feature, with new title and format, but an expanded repertoire of musical possibilities.

Happy Sunday everyone. Wow, it's the last day of August! How did that happen?



This has been a busy week for me as usual. Trying to get the kids ready for back-to-school. I really don't like the shopping. It just gives me a huge headache. And my daughter (8) is big into Hannah Montana so we had to get the clothes, bookbag, lunchbox, supplies...etc...anything and everything that had Hannah Montana on it. I can't wait for this fad to be over...lol. My son (12), bless his heart, is so easy to shop for :) He's more concerned with leaving the store than the actual shopping.


As far as reading and blogging. I did get some reading done.





I finished reading The Ghost of Blackwood Hall (Nancy Drew) : I read this book a few chapters at a time to my daughter each night before bedtime. Being a 3rd grader, I hoped she was ready for a Nancy Drew mystery. And she was. She really enjoyed reading it and followed the storyline very well....click here for my full review.





I also read and reviewed Paco and the Giant Chile Plant/Paco y la planta de chile gigante : 'Paco and the Giant Chile Plant' is a fun read. My daughter did enjoy it. It's written in English, but Spanish words are peppered throughout the story. Kind of how the popular cartoon, Dora The Explorer speaks, adding Spanish words throughout, this way children can learn....click here for my full review.






I watched the movie August Rush: Not only was it a sweet story, but Jonathan Rhys Meyers and his Irish accent are yummy. I'm buying this one and adding it to my DVD collection. click here for the full scoop




Enjoy your Day. Happy Labor Day everybody. What's everyone up to this weekend?

title: Paco and the Giant Chile Plant/Paco y la planta de chile gigante

author: by Keith Polette

genre: childrens ages 4 to 8

pages: 32

published: 2008

first line: "Paco!" called his mother.

rated: 4 out of 5





I received this book as an ARC from LibraryThing. I'm glad I was able to get a copy.



'Paco and the Giant Chile Plant' is a fun read. My daughter did enjoy it. It's written in English, but Spanish words are peppered throughout the story. Kind of how the popular cartoon, Dora The Explorer speaks, adding Spanish words throughout, this way children can learn.





This is a 'Jack and the Beanstalk' kind of story, but with a twist. Instead of 'Jack' it's 'Paco'.



It starts by Paco going to town to sell his familys cow. He finds an old man who buys the cow and in return gives paco some chile seeds.
When Paco goes back home, he plants the seeds and waits. A giant chile plant starts to grow.

'The ground grumbled. La tierra rolled and shivered and shook. La Tierra cracked open. A chile plant shot into the sky.'

Of course Paco climbs up on the chile plant and reaches high above the sky. There is a house above the clouds, where a giant lives.




The illustrations are very cute as well.










And at the end of the story, there is a vocabulary page listing the Spanish words used in the book and translating them into English.





This was a cute read. A nice children's book.

I recently read & reviewed Joshua Henkin's 'Matrimony'.



Joshua Henkin has graciously offered a personally autographed copy of his book to one of my lucky blog readers!



so this morning I entered the names in the handy dandy list randomizer....


...and the winner is...

Stephanie from Confessions of a Bookaholic


Stephanie please send me your snail mail. My email is naidascrochet AT yahoo.com

Congrats and enjoy it! Joshua Henkin will personally sign a copy for you. This was a great read.



Thank you all who particpated! Stay tuned for my next giveaway.

I recently watched the film August Rush . I loved this movie. It was so sweet. It's not only a love story, it's also about family, faith and beautiful music.

The story of a charismatic young Irish guitarist and a sheltered young cellist who have a chance encounter one magical night above New York's Washington Square, but are soon torn apart, leaving in their wake an infant, August Rush, orphaned by circumstance. Now performing on the streets of New York and cared for by a mysterious stranger, August uses his remarkable musical talent to seek the parents from whom he was separated at birth.- quoted from IMDb

'You never quit on your music. No matter what happens. Cause anytime something bad happens to you, that's the one place you can escape to and just let it go. I learned it the hard way. And anyway, look at me. Nothing bad's gonna happen. You gotta have a little faith.'

Not only was it a sweet story, but Jonathan Rhys Meyers and his Irish accent are yummy. I'm buying this one and adding it to my DVD collection.

I don't know where this meme originated from, but I found it over @ the trillionth page and had to play along. I won't tag anyone, but if you want to play along, feel free.



Six Unspectacular Things About Me:


1. I love to eat Breyer's Vanilla Icecream and pile rainbow sprinkles on top.

2. I drink green tea every day.

3. I tend to watch Gene Kelly movies on a regular basis.

4. I am bi-lingual.

5. Gone With the Wind is one of my favorite films and books.

6. My favorite clothes to lounge around in are my sweatpants and tank top.

7. I have an annoying Cockatiel named Cookie.

5 Minutes For Mom Classics Bookclub


This month Pride & Prejudice is being read & reviewed. I think this is a great idea :)

I have read and re-read P & P several times. It's one of my favorite novels.
You can read my review here






Here's the questions this month:

For repeat readers:
Did anything strike you differently this time? Anything you hadn’t noticed in earlier readings? Every time I read P & P, I enjoy it. I just don't tire of it. Even though I know the storyline by heart, and I know how it all ends, I have to read it till the end.



For all readers:


Do you have any favorite lines of the novel? So many. But one of my favorites is when Elizabeth thanks Darcy for saving Lydia's and the family's reputation by paying off Wickham to marry her. And Darcy says:



'If you will thank me,'' he replied, ``let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements which led me on, I shall not attempt to deny. But your family owe me nothing. Much as I respect them, I believe I thought only of you.'






Why do you think the novel remains so popular 200 years after first publication? What makes it timeless? I think it's timeless because all love stories have a 'Mr. Darcy' and an 'Elizabeth' to them. These are characters we can relate to.






The novel’s original title was First Impressions. Did you have any first impressions of the novel that were refuted? Any that were supported? Are all the first impressions in the novel correct? My first impressions of this novel were all positive. I enjoyed it from the start.
As far as the characters, nearly all of thier first impressions of others were wrong. Elizabeth though Wickham was a great guy at first, and Darcy was the one full of pride. Jane thought Bingley didn't love her and vice-versa.










Why do you think the novel is named Pride and Prejudice? How are each manifested in the story? I think it's named that because Elizabeth represents Prejudice and Darcy, Pride. You see how Elizabeth is prejudiced against Darcy from the start. She has false information against him and refuses to see beyond that to his true self. Darcy is prideful in the beginning. Even his first proposal to Elizabeth he says is 'against his better judgement'.

I just wanted to post that author Laurie Viera Rigler has kindly agreed to grant me a blog interview!! She wrote Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict , which I recently read & reviewed here. I'm very excited about this interview, stay tuned for that post.



And if you haven't read Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict , I recommend it, it was a great book. Especially for us Jane Austen fans. Check out Laurie's website, she's got some fun things to see & do over there, including 'Signs of Austen Addiction'.

Alex Lifeson.

My Rush fandom has suffered from diminishing returns since A Farewell to Kings back in 1977. While I still enjoy the early to late 70's Rush, and have a lot of time for later songs like Spirit of Radio, Limelight, Tom Sawyer and Freewill, none of those is why I salute Mr. Lifeson here today.

Alex Lifeson is one of a group of guitarists who shaped Rock and Roll in the latter 70's with their versatility. Along with the likes of Jimmy Page, Steve Howe, Rik Emmet and Steve Morse classical, jazz and country guitar playing was added to the rock guitarists repertoire. It was that influence that I sought in my own playing that made me take up classical guitar, a pursuit I would come back to 20 years later and still do daily.

So happy birthday for all the songs mentioned above, certainly. Happy birthday for the albums 2112 and A Farewell to Kings, absolutely. But most of all, happy 55th birthday Alex Lifeson for the small instrumental intro to the song A Farewell to Kings. A piece that I just had to learn and which, along with others, began me on a long, albeit crooked path, which I follow still.

I was talking to a friend of mine's little girl, and she said she wanted to be President some day. Both of her parents, liberal Democrats, were standing there, so I asked her, "If you were President what would be thefirst thing you would do?"

She replied, "I'd give food and houses to all the homeless people."

"Wow - what a worthy goal!" I told her, "You don't have to wait until you're President to do that. You can come over to my house and mow, pullweeds, and sweep my yard, and I'll pay you $50.
Then, I'll take you over to the grocery store where the homeless guy hangs out, and you can give him the $50 to use toward food or a new house."

She thought that over for a few moments because she's only 6.
And while her Mom glared at me, she looked me straight in the eye and asked, "Why doesn't the homeless guy come over and do the work, and you can just pay him the $50?"

And I said, "Welcome to the Republican Party."
Her folks still aren't talking to me.

This has to make you think a little bit......
George Bush has been in office for 7 1/2 years. The first six the economy was fine.
A little over one year ago:
1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high;
2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon;
3) the unemployment rate was 4.5%.
4) the DOW JONES hit a record high--14,000 +
5) American's were buying new cars, taking cruises, vacations o'seas, living large!...

But American's wanted 'CHANGE'! So, in 2006 they voted in a Democratic Congress & yep--
we got 'CHANGE' all right.
In the PAST YEAR:
1) Consumer confidence has plummeted ;
2) Gasoline is now over $3 a gallon & climbing!;
3) Unemployment is up to 5% (a 10% increase);
4) Americans have seen their home equity drop by $12 TRILLIONDOLLARS & prices still dropping;
5) 1% of American homes are in foreclosure.
6) as I write, THE DOW is probing another low~~11,100--$2.5 TRILLION DOLLARS HAS EVAPORATED FROM THEIRSTOCKS, BONDS & MUTUAL FUNDS INVESTMENTPORTFOLIOS!
YEP ,
IN 2006 AMERICA VOTED FOR CHANGE!...AND WE SURE GOT IT!!!....NOW OBAMA, the DEM'S CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT--AND HE CLAIMS HE'S GONNA REALLY GIVE US CHANGE!!....JUST HOW MUCH MORE 'CHANGE' DO You THINK YOU CAN STAND???.....

The Blue Blogging Soapbox Blogging Tory Site of the Week for the week of August 24th is:

title:
Considering Someplacelse




author: B. L. Lindstrom



pages: 327


genre: fiction


published: 2008


first line: Want some meaningful work?



rated: confused

At the turn of this century, a homeless man was allowed to win the lottery. It was hoped that he would change the world for the better, forever.
After 12 years, SomeplacElse, his divinely inspired utopian experiment in the sub-urban Arizona desert, has reached critical mass.
As Fate would have it, over the next five days the stories of a chronically underemployed baby boomer and a soon-to-be-governor, playboy millionaire will determine the future of this earthly Eden

Norm Larson has been out of work for several months. One day he checks out ConsiderSE.com, which was hiring, and fills out a job application. It all sounds to good to be true, but he figures he'll give it a try. Shortly after, he receives a phone call and an interview date. A limo comes to pick him up at home and take him to where 'SomeplacElse' is located. Once there, Norm is given the tour and introduced to a few employees and shown how it all works.

'As I walked down the front stairs I forced Considering SomeplacElse into new age religious status, dismissing it as some no wage job working for Jesus while waiting for the mother ship. I wondered why I couldn't find a real job. I wondered what character flaw or flaws in my make up prevented me from working or perhaps caused me to lost my job in the first place.'

They tell Norm that once hired he will received a salary $20 thousand per year, but get free healthcare benefits, free housing and food and free transportation. All he needs to do is work and live at SomeplacElse if he chooses. SomeplacElse also pays off his debts with an interest-free loan that he can repay over the course of his employment.


He meets Mike, the founder of SomeplacElse. It turns out Mike is suffering from Alzheimer's and needs someone to replace him. He offers the job, 'SomeplacElse Advocate', to Norm. So Norm is asked to be the new 'leader' of this place.

"In a nut shell, SomeplacElse is seeking to create an ecologically sound, self sustaining utopian environment. Providing guaranteed life long, meaningful employment, complete cradle to grave health care, continuous education and a safe but thriving private living community for those who wish to live here."

There's also the politician, Adam Wainwright, who wants to get rid of
'SomeplacElse' once he's elected governor. Wainwright backs up a company called Clamptron, that has been accused of illegally dumping toxic wastes into the environment.



Now, this is when Wainwright came into the story, and it really went downhill from there. He's racist, sexist and obnoxious. All rolled into one. *oh joy* And after skimming a few pages, because I knew I could no longer continue to read this, I saw that Wainwright winds up in bed with a few women one day, including his girlfriend, and that was quite enough for me. It was really ridiculous. Why on earth his having an orgy with these women needed to be a part of this story, is beyond me. And even worse is that these women end up wrestling and fighting each other, in the nude of course, while this dude watches and laughs. Then they clean him up and give him a shower. Why???






I received a copy of Considering Someplacelse to read and review. And I really hate to give a negative review. But I cannot say I liked a book, when I clearly did not. I feel like my blog readers take my word for it when I recommend a book and give a good review.




The book 'Considering Someplacelse' sounded interesting enough at first, but once I started reading, I didn't really enjoy it at all. The author's style of writing just wasn't descriptive enough for me. It was filled with too much dialogue. I felt like I was just reading a few peoples very long conversations. The characters were not well-developed. I'm sorry to say, the idea of a society like 'SomeplacElse', sounds very 'cult-like' to me. The storyline didn't really make any sense to me. Someone else may enjoy it, but I did not.

I didn't finish reading it.

Yesterday I pronounced on the reasons why the Conservative Party would want an early election. Three of them, said I: the Liberals are stalled on the Green Shift; a possible budget deficit; inflationary pressure causing possible interest rate increases.

Today the National Post ran an article in which James Cowan reiterates two of my three points:

The federal budget is back in the black, but who knows how long it will stay in the black, they [The Conservatives] may decide they want to pull the plug before interest rates rise.

Strangely it' a story about Dion getting an Obama bounce. How Cowan got that from what I wrote I'll never know, but I've rarely heard such preposterous ideas.

How any sane person thinks Canadians will look at Barack Obama and imagine Stéphane Dion I will never know. Obama is a handsome, well spoken, populist politician. Dion is a nerdy stumble-bum who's one policy is a major new tax. Obama is the first African American Presidential candidate, Dion yet another in a too long line of Quebecer's vying for the job of Prime Minister.

Of course when you use a source like Stephen Clarkson, former husband of Liberal appointed Governor General Adrienne Clarkson and author of The Big Red Machine: How the Liberal Party Dominates Canadian Politics, it is possible you will get a Liberal-tilt in your story.

I don't buy any of it. Canadians elect based on Canadian candidates, not based on who's on the U.S. ballot. If this logic applied in the real world how did the Liberals win a majority in Nov. 2000, just two weeks after George Bush squeaked out an electoral college victory? (Albeit losing the popular vote). Four years later in the Spring of 2004, the Liberals were reduced to a minority losing 3.2% of the popular vote. Meanwhile, that fall George Bush increased his popular vote by 2.8%. Other examples include 1980, when Republican Ronald Regan and Liberal Pierre Trudeau both won (PC Brian Mulroney won in 1984 and 1988, both Republican victories in the U.S.) Liberal Trudeau won in 1972 and 1968 while Republican Richard Nixon was winning Stateside.

The thesis just doesn't hold water, but of course it was never meant to: it was meant to put Stéphane Dion's name in the same sentence as Barack Obama.

At least James Cowan, however, got those other two points right.

R.I.P. Challenge III

There is just something about this time of year, when the ghosts of past Autumns and the Autumn to come chase away the dog days of summer, that entices one to read books that fit into the above categories.


It was a desire share the love of eerie, creepy, things-that-go-bump-in-the-night literature that brought me into the online reading challenge game for the first time back in September of 2006. My goals today, in this its third iteration, are no different than the inaugural R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril Challenge:

1. Have fun reading.

2. Share that fun with others.



And so, on to the particulars:


R.I.P. III runs from September 1st through October 31st, 2008. But I’m no stickler, start reading now if you feel so inclined.

I choose:


Peril the First:


Read Four books of any length, from any subgenre of scary stories that you choose.


here are the subgenre's:

Mystery.

Suspense.

Thriller.

Dark Fantasy.

Gothic.

Horror.

Supernatural.


Last year I had fun with this challenge, that's when I read Anne Rice for the first time, and loved 'Interview With the Vampire' and 'The Vampire Lestat'. I've been waiting for R.I.P. to come around again :)





Here are my picks, I want to read at least 4: (Since I am on a book ban, self-imposed believe it or not...lol!3 of these books I already have in my TBR, the rest I will be borrowing from the library)

1. The Shining by Stephen King

2. Dracula by Bram Stoker

3. Something Wicked This Way Comes
by Ray Bradbury

4. 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill



5. Odd Hours
by Dean Koontz

Now that summer is all but over and the kids are spending their last few days of freedom with weepy eyes and furrowed brow, it's time to think election. Specifically a federal fall election. PM Harper has announced that he will summons Stéphane Dion and insist he actively support the Conservatives fall legislative agenda, instead of passively supporting it by declaring the new holiday, Confidence Motion Day, a statutory holiday for all Liberal MPs. Expect Dion to refuse his support. Expect a scary October 31st with politicians knocking on your door offering tricks and treats.

I'm of two minds on this one. As an ideological conservative I'd rather an election call be on issues. Let Stephen Harper decrease the excise tax on diesel fuel, or put forth his bill on Senate Reform and let it fall or pass as it may.

As a follower of the game of politics, however, any Conservative Party of Canada faithful wants an election now. The Conservatives chances of winning an election next fall would appear to be much less so than they are right now. There are various reasons why this is so, why the Liberals may want to wait a year, the Conservatives less so.

First there is The Green Shift, which hasn't won the hearts and minds of the nation outside of the editorial offices of The Toronto Sun. Meant to be Dion's jumping off point for a platform, it appears to have fallen flat with voters.

Second is the budget surplus, which is rumoured to be heading into minor deficit this year. While a small, temporary deficit during bad times doesn't bother me too much (far less than not paying down debt during good times), it's not a position a government seeking re-election wants to be in. The Conservatives may or may not be there this year, but better to go to the polls now and explain a deficit from the position of newly re-elected government than one seeking re-election.

A third reason for wanting an election now is inflation. It has reared it's ugly head around the world and is expected to hit hit 4.3% by early next year here in Canada. The Bank of Canada has an inflation target of 1 - 3%. If the rate stays above 3% interest rate hikes are inevitable. But what if rate hikes don't work? Or as Maclean's pondered a few weeks ago, what if inflation goes higher? It is possible in that a year from now we could see borrowing costs 2, 3, 4% higher. That starts to hurt families trying to make ends meet. And it starts hurting Conservative chances a year from now.

That all said, The Conservatives brought in fixed election legislation for a reason: to stop governments going to the polls for their own political advantage. The dissolving Parliament clause may make it legal but clearly Harper would be breaking the spirit of the law by calling an early election. An argument can, I think, be made that minority governments constitute a different situation than a majority, but for Harper to set the precedent of violating the concept of fixed dates renders the law meaningless. It would be better if he lost a confidence motion. We all know Stéphane Dion is loathe to vote the Conservatives down, but if the Conservatives abstained 1 for 1 with the Liberals, sit 95 MPs out of the next confidence motion, they should have no problem losing a motion based on the NDP and Bloc's vote. Harper could get the fall vote he wants without violating the intent of the fixed election date law.

Personally, I'd rather he kept on governing like he had a majority and let the chips fall where they may, but Stephen Harper leaves nothing to chance, and he doesn't look like he's about to start now.

c.j. over @ 'The Trillionth Page' was hosting Nancy Drew week.

Starting August 18th, will be Nancy Drew week here at The THRILLIONTH PAGE, full of mini-recaps and reader reviews of favorite Nancy Drew adventures, recollections from the books or series, opinions, and more!

I've been reading The Ghost of Blackwood Hall with my daughter. It's her first time reading Nancy Drew and she really enjoyed it. Read on for my review.




title: The Ghost of Blackwood Hall


author: Carolyn Keene


pages: 178

genre: mystery

published: 1948

first line: "If I ever try to solve a mystery with a ghost in it, I'll use a smart cat to help me!"

rated: 4 out of 5





Widow Mrs. Putney, asks Nancy Drew for help finding her stolen jewelry. Nancy's friends Bess and George, wind up helping her and the search leads them to New Orleans. Mrs. Putney keeps telling Nancy that her late husbands ghost has been speaking to her, first telling her where to bury his jewels, then once the jewels are stolen and replaced with fake ones, his spirit tells her not to seach for them any longer. Nancy notices this odd behavior from Mrs. Putney, and doesn't believe in spirits herself, but choses to humor the widow until she can solve the case. The case leads her to a deserted old mansion called Blackwood Hall, that is haunted by a ghost playing a piano.
With some help from her friends George, Bess and Ned, Nancy solves the mystery and all ends well.

'Nancy's attractive face tightened as she realized that danger might be lurking in the forest. She was convinced that the theft of Mrs. Putney's buried treasure was no ordinary affair.'

I read this book a few chapters at a time to my daughter each night before bedtime. Being a 3rd grader, I hoped she was ready for a Nancy Drew mystery. And she was. She really enjoyed reading it and followed the storyline very well. Some of the writing is a bit outdated, so I had to stop and explain certain words or phrases to her, but all in all, she really liked the story.







Part of the fun about the Nancy Drew books are the creative covers. Here's a few I found. Click on each to read about the story.

























About the author:

Nancy Drew is an amateur sleuth, the fictional heroine of a popular mystery series, primarily aimed at the children-young adult audience, and written under the collective pseudonym "Carolyn Keene". The series was created and outlined in detail in 1930 by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, with the first manuscripts written by Mildred A. Wirt Benson and edited by Stratemeyer's daughter Harriet Stratemeyer Adams. The Stratemeyer Syndicate had a strict non-disclosure contract; writers such as Mildred Benson produced books based upon outlines provided by the Syndicate. As a ghostwriter, Benson was the second most prolific writer (after Stratemeyer-Adams herself), producing twenty-three of the first thirty volumes.


quoted from wikipedia

visit http://www.nancydrewsleuth.com/ for more










Nancy Drew is a movie made in 2007 based on the mystery novels. We did watch the film and enjoyed it too. Nancy's character was just how you'd expect her to be and Ned is a cutie!

In the movie, Nancy is trying to give up sleuthing. She winds up moving to LA with her father, and going to a new school, where they do make fun of her and her 'old fashioned' style of dressing. Of course, there's a murder mystery involving a movie star and the home she and her father are staying in, that she just has to solve.


Nancy solves the mystery, with the help of her friends and some of her housekeeper's baked goodies. And her 'old fashioned' outfits even end up being featured in a fashion magazine. WTG Nancy :)