Mode

New Movies Opening Today – October 30

gwcook — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:49:38 +0000

This Is It – starring Michael Jackson “A compilation of interviews, rehearsals and backstage footage of Michael Jackson as he prepared for his series of sold-out shows in London.”

Gentlemen Broncos – starring Michael Angarano, John Baker, Steve Berg “A teenager attends a fantasy writers’ convention where he discovers his idea has been stolen by an established novelist.”

The Boondock Saints II : All Saints Day – starring Sean Patrick Flannery, Norman Reedus, Billy Connolly “The MacManus brothers are living a quiet life in Ireland with their father, but when they learn their beloved priest has been killed by mob forces, the duo return to Boston to bring justice to those responsible.”

The House of the Devil - starring Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov “In the 1980s, college student Samantha Hughes takes a strange babysitting job that coincides with a full lunar eclipse. She slowly realizes her clients harbor a terrifying secret; they plan to use her in a satanic ritual.”

Top 10 Singles Roundup Week of October 25

gwcook — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:47:23 +0000

BBC Radio One

1. Fight For This Love – Cheryl Cole

2. Bad Boys – Alexendra Burke ft Flo Rida

3. Oopsy Daisy – Chipmunk

4. Bodies – Robbie Williams

5. Million Dollar Bill – Whitney Houston

6. Break Your Heart – Taio Cruz

7. I Gotta Feeling – The Black Eyed Peas

8. Empire State of Mind- Jay-Z ft Alicia Keys

9. Haven’t Met You Yet – Michael Buble

1o. I Got Soul – Young Soul Rebels

iTunes Canada

1. Fireflies – Owl City

2. TiK ToK – Ke$ha

3. Love Me – Justin Bieber

4. Sexy Bitch – David Guetta ft Akon

5. Bad Romance – Lady Gaga

6. Party in the U.S.A. – Miley Cyrus

7. 3 – Britney Spears

8. Whatca Say – Jason Derulo

9. Meet Me Halfway – The Black Eyed Peas

10. Down – Jay Sean ft Lil Wayne

Movies Opening Today – October 23

gwcook — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:18:34 +0000

Saw VI – starring Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor “Special Agent Strahm is dead, and Detective Hoffman has emerged as the unchallenged successor to Jigsaw’s legacy. However, when the FBI draws closer to Hoffman, he is forced to set a game into motion, and Jigsaw’s grand scheme is finally understood.”

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant – starring John C. Reilly, Josh Hutcherson “A young boy named Darren Shan meets a mysterious man at a freak show who turns out to be a Vampire. After a series of events Darren must leave his normal life and go on the road with the Cirque Du Freak and become a Vampire.”

Amelia – starring Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor “A look at the life of legendary American pilot Amelia Earhart, who disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 in an attempt to make a flight around the world.”

Astro Boy – starring Kristen Bell, Nicolas Cage, Samuel L. Jackson, Freddie Highmore “Set in futuristic Metro City, Astro Boy is about a young robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist in the image of the son he has lost. Unable to fulfill the grieving man’s expectations, our hero embarks on a journey in search of acceptance, experiencing betrayal and a netherworld of robot gladiators, before he returns to save Metro City and reconcile with the father who had rejected him.”

New and Noteworthy Music Releases – October 20

gwcook — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:41:21 +0000

Lyle Lovett - Natural Foreces

Tim McGraw – Southern Voices

Flight of the Conchords – I Told You I Was Freaky

Top 10 Singles Roundup Week of October 18

gwcook — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:00:03 +0000

BBC Radio One

1. Bad Boys – Alexandra Burke ft Flo Rida

2. Bodies – Robbie Williams

3. Oopsy Daisy – Chipmunk

4. Break Your Heart – Taio Cruz

5. Empire State of Mind – Jay-Z ft Alicia Keys

6. I Gotta Feeling – The Black Eyed Peas

7. She Wolf – Shakira

8. Forever is Over – The Saturdays

9. Haven’t Met You Yet – Michael Buble

1o. Sexy Chick – David Guetta ft Akon

iTunes Canada

1. 3 – Britney Spears

2. Sexy Bitch – David Guetta ft Akon

3. Party in the U.S.A. – Miley Cyrus

4. Fireflies – Owl City

5. Whatcha Say – Jason Derulo

6. Meet Me Halfway – The Black Eyed Peas

7. I Gotta Feeling – The Black Eyed Peas

8. Evacuate the Dancefloor – Cascada

9. Down – Jay Sean ft Lil Wayne

10. Cha-Ching – Hedley

Olympic Spirit Alive and Well

gwcook — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:49:24 +0000

When Vancouver was selected as the host city for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, I was amongst the host of British Columbians cheering excitedly about the event. But in the years leading up to 2010, with the cost of the Games on the rise and the inconveniences to daily life becoming more apparent, I have to admit that my feelings toward the Games have become somewhat ambivalent.

But over this past weekend I was reminded what the Olympics are really all about. My partner has volunteered to be a part of the team looking after the ski jump facility in Whistler. His group of volunteers, with their families and friends, met on Saturday night for a pre-Olympic get together. The volunteers represent a true cross section of the community, mostly older folks, and from a variety of political viewpoints. Some are true aficionados of sport – ski jumping, nordic combined events – some are technical experts, but all enjoy creating new and enduring friendships. The evening was spent chatting and watching the odd slide show of past Olympic events. You could feel the excitement about the upcoming Games like another presence in the room. It was really quite energizing!

I realize that the Olympics may be cause for concern for some people. There will always be differences of opinion about how time and money should be spent. But without sounding too Pollyanna, it was truly refreshing and invigorating watching people cross gender, political, cultural and age barriers in the pursuit of a common cause. It was good to see the spirit of the Games, camaraderie, alive and well. Of all the legacies that could potentially be spawned from the Games, the most significant will surely be the feelings of goodwill that have been generated. My excitement for 2010 has certainly been renewed.

Movies Opening Today – October 16

gwcook — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:00:02 +0000

Where the Wild Things Are - starring Max Records, Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo, James Gandolfini, Catherine O’Hara “An adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s story, where Max, a disobedient little boy sent to bed without his supper, creates his own world–a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures that crown Max as their ruler.”

The Stepfather – starring Dylan Walsh, Sela Ward, Penn Badgley “Michael returns home from military school to find his mother happily in love and living with her new boyfriend. As the two men get to know each other, he becomes more and more suspicious of the man who is always there with a helpful hand.”

Law Abiding Citizen – starring Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler “An everyday guy decides to take justice into his own hands after a plea bargain sets his family’s killers free. His target: The district attorney who orchestrated the deal.”

New York, I Love You – starring Shia LaBeouf, Bradley Cooper, Natalie Portman, Blake Lively, Orlando Bloom, Hayden Christensen “An anthology film joining several love stories set in one of the most loved cities of the world, New York.”

The Joy of Leftovers

gwcook — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:52:28 +0000

The Thanksgiving feast is over and the fridge is full of leftovers. Other than turkey sandwiches and the ubiquitous turkey tetrazzini what else is in store for Ol Tom? How about a warm and delicious and healthy soup. Here’s an old family recipe that’s a sure pleaser.

Turkey Soup

What You’ll Need:

Turkey carcass – remove as much meat as possible, shred or cut up into pieces, and set aside

2 medium yellow onions, diced

1 small turnip, diced

4-5 carrots, diced

3-4 celery stalks, diced

1 cup low sodium chicken stock

2/3 cup pot barley

2 cloves garlic

1 1/2 cups shell macaroni

2 tablespoons fresh dill

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons pepper

What You Need To Do:

Place the turkey carcass in a large stockpot and cover with water. Add one chopped onion and salt. Cover and simmer for 2-3 hours, adding more water if necessary to keep bones fully covered. Allow to cool, remove turkey bones and skim any fat.

To the broth add the chicken broth, turnip, carrots, celery, onion and barley – boil gently until the vegetables are tender. Add the macaroni, turkey, pepper and dill weed. Simmer for 30 minutes, season as required and serve.

New and Noteworthy Music Releases – October 13

gwcook — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:05:53 +0000

Linda Eder - Soundtrack

David Archuleta - Christmas From the Heart

The Flaming Lips - Embryonic

Nellie McKay - Normal as Blueberry Pie: A Tribute to Doris Day

Sugarland – Gold and Green

Neil Diamond – A Cherry Cherry Christmas

Bob Dylan – Christmas in the Heart

Pearl Jam – Backspacer

Five For Fighting – Slice

Los Lonely Boys – 1969

Editors – In This Light and On This Evening (U.K. Release)

The Saturday – Wordshaker (U.K. Release)

Echo and the Bunnymen – The Fountain (U.K. Release)

Top 10 Singles Roundup Week of October 11

gwcook — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:00:46 +0000

BBC Radio One

1. Oopsy Daisy – Chipmunk

2. Forever Is Over – The Saturdays

3. Empire State of Mind – Jay-Z ft Alicia Jeys

4. Break Your Heart – Taio Cruz

5. Sexy Chick – David Guetta ft Akon

6. Sweet Disposition – The Temper Trap

7. She Wolf – Shakira

8. I Gotta Feeling – The Black Eyed Peas

9. Hotel Room Service – Pitbull

1o. Run This Town – Jay-Z ft Rihanna and Kanye West

iTunes Canada

1. 3 – Britney Spears

2. Sexy Bitch – David Guetta ft Akon

3. Party in the U.S.A. – Miley Cyrus

4. I Gotta Feeling – The Black Eyed Peas

5. Whatcha Say – Jason Derulo

6. Down- Jay Sean ft Lil Wayne

7. Cha-Ching – Hedley

8. One Less Lonley Girl – Justin Bieber

9. Haven’t Met You Yet – Michael Buble

10. It’s My Life/Confessions, Pt II – Glee Cast