Glenn Perrett

Nature Books

Birdsong by the Seasons: A Year Listening to Birds
Donald Kroodsma
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
2009, 366 pages
ISBN: 9780618753369

For those who enjoy birds and their songs there is Birdsong by the Seasons: A Year of Listening to Birds by Donald Kroodsma which contains 24 stories of birds and their songs throughout the year. Kroodsma begins with a Pileated Woodpecker on New Year’s Day and ends with various birds just before Christmas. Kroodsma’s observations and experiences are complemented with two CDs of birdsongs which are included with the book.

A Reenchanted World: The Quest For a New Kinship With Nature
James William Gibson
Metropolitan Books
2009, 306 pages
ISBN: 9780805078350

While there is no denying that our species’ assault on the natural world has become ruthless and extensive damaging the Earth and the species that live on the planet, author and sociologist James William Gibson claims that our attitude towards nature is changing. Not only are we reconnecting with nature and animals, we’re doing more to protect the planet.

Gibson looks at forms of enchantment including animals who speak to us, holy lands and eco-warriors. He also looks at problems with the environment including a chapter entitled "Loving It to Death" where he illustrates how our affection for nature is destroying it. One example he points to is the number of cruise ships that journey up the Alaskan coast to Glacier Bay National Park. In 1970 only four ships made this regular trip while in the mid 1990s closer to 200 boats were making this same trek and with a significant impact.

"And every day at sea, each big cruise ship discharged an average of 17,000 gallons of human waste into the ocean, plus an additional 170,000 gallons of 'gray water.'"

Another startling impact on nature cited by Gibson is with snowmobiles and jet skis. Besides the damage that these cause to the natural habitat, they are also major sources of pollution.

"Environmental Protection Agency studies calculate that just one snowmobile can create as much pollution as one hundred cars."

A Reenchanted World is an interesting and important read.

Night: A Literary Companion
edited by Merilyn Simonds
Greystone Books
2009, 175 pages
ISBN: 9781553653967

If you like reading a collection of stories by different authors then Night: A Literary Companion may be for you. Containing 25 stories by such authors as Henry Beston, Loren Eisley and Grey Owl, the entertaining essays pertain to that time of day after the sun sets and includes such topics as alligators, bats and experiences in the dark of night!

The Sea: A Literary Companion
edited by Wayne Grady
GreyStone Books
2009, 175 pages
ISBN: 9781553653950

Another nice compilation of stories is The Sea: A Literary Companion edited by Wayne Grady. This book about the oceans contains 23 stories by various authors including Charles Darwin, Herman Melville, Jack London and Rachel Carson. Darwin's "Phosphorescence of the Sea" describes a spectacle of the sea that he observed while sailing south of Cape Horn aboard the Beagle.

Herman Melville wrote "The Pacific" which describes the Pacific Ocean and was excerpted from Moby Dick.

Jack London, who wrote The Call of the Wild, also has a chapter in the book - "A Pacific Traverse" which describes "a sixty-day calm in 'the variables' above the equator" and is taken from The Cruise of the Snark.

"The Enduring Sea" is Rachel Carson's contribution to the book and is taken from her book The Edge of the Sea.

Those interested in nature, especially the sea, will enjoy this collection of stories.

Books To Keep Children Learning During Summer

Super Crocs & Monster Wings: Modern Animals' Ancient Past
Claire Eamer
Annick Press
2008, 93 pages
ISBN: 9781554511297
ages 9+

Children of all ages enjoy reading about dinosaurs, ancient animals and current animal species so they'll enjoy Claire Eamer's book Super Crocs & Monster Wings: Modern Animals' Ancient Past which is about "...strange relatives - ancient animals and their living relations." In learning about these animals the reader will learn about the Earth and how old it is, scientific names, how the shape of the Earth is constantly changing, fossils and much more. Lots of photos accompany the interesting text and together they will hold a child's attention.

Animal Life
Richard Walker
DK Publishing
2009, 128 pages
ISBN: 9780756652340
ages 8+

Another good interesting and informative book for children is Animal Life by Richard Walker. The book is divided into sections on "Diversity", "Life Skills" and "Lifestyles". Diversity addresses such topics as classification, invertebrates, skeletons, mammals, birds, amphibians, arachnides, insects and many others. The section on Life Skills also looks at various things including respiration, feeding, movement, senses, vision, communication, defenses, instinct and competition. Lifestyles covers subjects such as habitats, ecosystems, food webs, migration and alien species. An informative Glossary is also included.

Sketch Book for the Artist
Sarah Simblet
DK Publishing
2005, 2009, 264 pages
ISBN: 9780756651411

Looking for an informative guide to drawing for yourself or maybe an art student in the family? Written by Sarah Simblet, who has taught drawing at universities and art schools, Sketch Book for the Artist contains lots of good information.

The beginning of the book covers drawing books and papers (and there are lots of different ones) and posture and grip before covering topics such as drawing animals, plants and gardens, architecture, the body, portraiture, abstract lines, gods and monsters and much more. Sections on drawing with ink, charcoal, how to draw elipses, using coloured materials, brushes are also informative. Lots of nice drawings throughout the book complement the informative text.

Children's Illustrated Dictionary: Canadian Edition
John McIlwain
Dorling Kindersley
2009, 256 pages
ISBN: 9781553631705
ages 7+

Children can learn more about words and their meaning by using the Children's Illustrated Dictionary: Canadian Edition. It is important for children to continue learning while on summer vacation and this book features colour illustrations and good definitions. There are thousands of entries (not "hockey" though in this Canadian edition) - everything from "abacus" to "zoom." Sections on abbreviations, a spelling guide, word building, facts and figures, Canadian provinces and territories, numbers, symbols and punctuation marks and countries provide more information.

How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate: Scientists and Kids Explore Global Warming
Lynne Cherry and Gary Braasch
Dawn Publications
2008, 66 pages
ISBN: 9781584691037
ages 9+

How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate: Scientists and Kids Explore Global Warming contains lots of information illustrating that the climate is changing. Students, scientists and others are recording the seasons, observing birds, flowers and butterflies, studying the rain forest as well as trees, the tundra, glaciers, the ocean, carbon dioxide and other things to learn more about global warming. Besides information showing that the climate is going, there are chapters on how we can get involved to reduce global warming ("Taking Charge of Your 'Climate Footprint'", "The Power of Friends and Community" and "What You - and a Million Kids - Can Do.") There is also a comprehensive "Resources" section which has lots of websites.

Incredible Insects Q & A
Sally Tagholm
D.K. Publishing
2009, 61 pages
ISBN: 9780756651930
ages 8+

Divided into chapters on "What is an Insect?", "Habitats and Homes", "Senses", "Survival Skills" and "Friend or Foe?" Incredible Insects Q & A poses many interesting questions and just as many fascinating answers. Learn if insects can sing, how caterpillars breathe, which insects don't need mates, how ants keep in touch and even how dung beetles find dung (everyone should know this.) Beautiful photographs of insects make this interesting book a fun read.

Behind the Scenes: The Racehorse
Nikki Tate
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
2008, 72 pages
ISBN: 9781554550326
ages 9+

In her book Behind the Scenes: The Racehorse Nikki Tate looks at the life of a racehorse. Early in the book Tate covers a history of horse racing, breeding, training, people who work with racehorses, jockeys and race day. I was glad that Tate also covered some of the suffering caused by the industry including the fact that many horses don't enjoy happy retirements - or even retirement at all.

"...the number of ex-racehorses still exceeds the number of adoptive homes. Sadly, many horses wind up being sold to slaughterhouses, where they are butchered and processed as meat for the pet-food industry or for human consumption in various countries."

In her book Tate also has a section on "The Dark Side of Racing" where she covers drug abuse and cheating, neglect and abuse, racing young horses before they are fully developed and injuries.

Ghosts & Ghost Towns

Ghost Towns of Muskoka 
Andrew Hind & Maria Da Silva
Natural Heritage Books
2008, 272 pages
ISBN: 9781550027969

Interested in history? Ghost Towns of Muskoka by Andrew Hind and Maria Da Silva looks at many of Muskoka’s ghost towns including Rosseau Falls, Muskoka Mills and Falkenburg Junction – which was located where the Muskoka and Parry Sound Colonization Roads met. By reading this entertaining book you will learn about Muskoka’s past, many of the area’s settlements and why they have virtually, or, in some cases, entirely disappeared.

The informative and entertaining book will be of particular interest to those who frequent Muskoka and who may pass through some of these places or who may want to check them out.

Classic Ghost Stories
read by Richard Pasco
CSA Word
2009, 4 CDs
ISBN: 9781934997185
ages 14+

A good ghost story goes well on a summer night and the 4-CD audio book Classic Ghost Stories contains 11, unabridged stories read by Richard Pasco. The haunting stories in this collection include: “The Judges House” (Bram Stoker), “Dracula’s Guest (Bram Stoker), “To Be Taken with a Grain of Salt” (Charles Dickens), "The Upper Berth" (F. Marion Crawford), "Who Knows? (Guy de Maupassant), "Narrative of the Ghost of a Hand" (Sheridan Le Fanu), "The Furnished Room" (O. Henry), "The Open Window" (Saki), "My Own True Ghost Story" (Rudyard Kipling), "Called" (P. C. Wren) and "When I Was Dead" (Vincent O' Sullivan).

Crazy About Comics

Comics are wonderful to read and they seem a little more fun to read during the summer. The following books make good summer reading.

The Complete Peanuts 1971 to 1972
Charles M. Schulz
Fantagraphics Books
2009, 325 pages
ISBN: 9781606991459

A great summer vacation book is The Complete Peanuts 1971 to 1972. Charles M. Schulz died in 2000, and he created his wonderful Peanuts strip until the end of 1999 – 17,897 daily and Sunday strips in all! Join Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Woodstock, Lucy, Linus, Peppermint Patty and the others from Schulz’s comic strips during 1971 and 1972. Besides providing timeless humour, this book makes a nice gift.

Hank Ketcham’s Complete Dennis the Menace 1959-1960
Hank Ketcham
Fantagraphics Books
2009, 654 pages
ISBN: 9781560979661

It is important to bring some humour into our lives. Hank Ketcham’s Complete Dennis the Menace 1959-1960 is full of laughs. Ketcham’s quality drawings and sense of humour may be just what you need. First appearing in newspapers in 1951, this volume contains over 600 pages of Ketcham’s funny comic strip in 1959 and 1960. This book is good for everyone from kids learning to read to baby boomers who grew up reading this comic.

Melvin Monster, Volume 1: The John Stanley Library
John Stanley
Drawn and Quarterly
2009, 106 pages
9781897299630

John Stanley (1914 - 1993) was a children's comic writer whose work included the Little Lulu series and many other comics in the 1950s and 1960s for Dell. Melvin Monster, Volume 1 was "Collected from the first three issues of the Dell Comic Book series 1965." The comic features Melvin, "a good little monster boy" along with his pet crocodile, "Cleopatra", his parents, Baddy and Mummy, and his teacher, Miss McGargoyle. My son enjoyed this book and so did I. Over the years comics have encouraged some children to read more and Melvin Monster will be enjoyed by children of all ages.

Kids & Summer Reading

Now that school's out, or almost out, for the summer it is important to keep children learning and entertained. And what better way than with some good books. This blog, and regular blogs throughout the summer, will focus on books for children of all ages. To minimize costs you might see if the books are available at your local library or share books with friends and neighbours who also have children. Summer is a wonderful time of year and you can make it even better with some good books for your kids. I be posting frequent blogs (including fun DVDs) so check back often!

Don't Lick the Dog: Making Friends with Dogs
Wendy Wahman
Henry Holt and Company
2009, 32 pages
ISBN: 9780805087338
ages 4+

Teaching children (and some adults) how to behave around dogs is important and Wendy Wahman's book Don't Lick the Dog: Making Friends with Dogs offers good advice on how to meet and act around canine companions. Wahman's advice includes allowing dogs to smell your hand or sniff your shoe, how to pet a dog, how to present a dog with a treat, what to do when a dog jumps up and how to act around an angry dog who may bite.

Children will enjoy the educational, rhyming text. As the author points out, "Good dog manners show you care...when meeting new dogs everywhere." Kids of all ages will enjoy Wahman's excellent illustrations.

Don't Lick the Dog: Making Friends with Dogs is a good book to start educating children about the wonderful canine-human bond and how we should act around our "best friends."

Puppy Love: The Story of Esme and Sam
Gillian Shields & Elizabeth Harbour
Simon and Schuster
2008, 32 pages
ISBN: 9781416910404
ages 4+

Puppy Love: The Story of Esme and Sam by Gillian Shields and Elizabeth Harbour is the fun children's book about two dogs, Esme and Sam, who come from different backgrounds. Esme Lamour lives in a penthouse with Mrs. B. Goldstein. Esme dines on chicken and crab and sleeps on satins and lace. Samual Bloom "lives in a crowded tenement room" eats scraps and sleeps where he finds space.

The lives of Esme and Sam change when Esme runs off while out on a walk with Mrs. B. Goldstein. She enjoys her freedom until night comes. Fortunately, she meets Samuel Bloom who is comfortable with the night and he looks after her taking her back to her home.

When Mrs. B. Goldstein finds Esme and Sam on her front door she chases Sam away. Sad at losing her new friend, Esme runs away again to find Sam. Fortunately both dogs end up living with Mrs. B. Goldstein for a happy ending to the story.

When I Grow Up
Leonid Gore
Scholastic Press
2009, 32 pages
ISBN: 9780545085977
ages 4+

When I Grow Up addresses some of the possibilities to the question, "What will I be when I grow up?" that a little boy asks his father. Some of the possibilities are shown by a raindrop that becomes a river, a green sprout that turns into the tallest tree, a caterpillar who turns into a colourful butterfly, a chick who grows into a rooster and even a shadow that grows up to become "the gentlest night, full of dreams."

Flicks for Father's Day

Still trying to find a Father's Day gift? Consider some of these films/shows.

Man Hunt (Fox Home Entertainment)
This 1941 movie was recently re-released and sees British hunter Captain Alan Thorndike (Walter Pidgeon) in the Bavarian mountains where he has Adolf Hitler in the sights of his gun. While he may or may not have intended to shoot, he is captured by Major Quive-Smith (George Sanders), a Gestapo leader who wants Thorndike to confess to being a hired British assassin. When Thorndike refuses he is tortured and left for dead. But he manages to escape back to London and, with the help of a woman, Jerry Stokes (Joan Bennett), he attemps to avoid being captured again.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (Paramount Home Entertainment - Centennial Collection)
Those who enjoy western movies will likely enjoy The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance as it's a good film with a good cast. Directed by John Ford, this 1962 movie features James Stewart as a lawyer, Ransom Stoddard, from the east who ends up in the lawless western town of Shinbone where he tries to rid the town of Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin), a nasty, ruthless criminal. Providing some assistance to Stoddard is Tom Doniphon (John Wayne), a local rancher. The love interest of both Stewart and Wayne is Vera Miles (Hallie Stoddard). Also in the film are Edmond O'Brien, Andy Devine, Ken Murray, John Carradine and Woody Strode.

The movie starts with Ransom Stoddard and Hallie Stoddard returning to Shinbone as Tom Doniphon has died. Since the local editor doesn't know who Doniphon is, Ransom Stoddard tells the story of how they met and dealt with Liberty Valance. I'm not a big fan of westerns, but The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a good one - and one which Paramount Home Entertainment recently released as a 2-disc set in their Centennial Collection.

El Dorado (Paramount Home Entertainment - Centennial Collection)
Another western from Paramount's "Centennial Collection" is El Dorado (1966). John Wayne is also in this movie as Cole Thornton, a hired gunfighter who helps his old friend Sheriff J. P. Harrah (Robert Mitchum). Problems start when rancher Bart Jason (Ed Asner) tries to take water from another rancher. Also in this entertaining movie are James Caan, Charlene Holt, Arthur Hunnicutt, Michele Carey and Johnny Crawford. The entertaining 2-disc set will make a nice Father's Day gift for Dad's who enjoy a good western film.  

Valkyrie (MGM Home Entertainment)
Valkyrie is the entertaining film that looks at the assassination attempt on Hitler. The true story features Tom Cruise as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg who was behind the attempt to kill Hitler and overtake the regime. Joined by other officers and civilians who also believed that Hitler must die, von Stauffenberg takes on the enormous, dangerous task against the greatest of odds. Also in the film are Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, Terence Stamp, Bill Nighy and Eddie Izzard.

3 Days of the Condor (Paramount Home Video, Blu-ray Disc)
Recently released on Blu-ray Disc, 3 Days of the Condor is the 1975 movie starring Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson and Max von Sydow. Redford plays Joe Turner, a CIA Agent whose entire office is massacred. Not being able to trust anyone, including his allies, Turner abducts photographer Kathy Hale (Faye Dunaway) while he tries to figure out what is happening and who is behind it.

Fargo (MGM Home Entertainment, Blu-ray Disc)
Another movie recently released on Blu-ray Disc is Fargo. This 1996 film won two Oscars and sees Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) hire two men to kidnap his wife so that he can collect the ransom money from his wealthy father-in-law. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned and people start dying. At this point Police Chief Marge (Frances McDormand) takes the case!

Cannon: Season 2 (Paramount Home Entertainment)
Fathers who grew up in the seventies may like Cannon: Season 2. Cannon ran for five seasons (1971 to 1976) and featured William Conrad as Frank Cannon, a private eye in Los Angeles who used to be a cop. The 3-disc set contains the first 12 episodes of the show's second season. Enjoy more than 10 hours of action of Cannon fighting various criminals. Some of the guest stars include Micky Dolenz, Mike Farrell, Stefanie Powers and Max Gail.

24: Season 7 (Fox Home Entertainment)
Dad's who don't like Cannon may enjoy the suspense and action involved with Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) on 24. Fox Home Entertainment recently released 24: Season 7. I like the concept of the show where each episode is one hour resulting in the season's 24 episodes occurring over one day. Season 7 occurs four years after season 6. The Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) was dismantled and Jack Bauer is on trial. Fortunately for Bauer his assistance is needed once again as Washington D.C. has become a target for terrorists and the FBI needs his help. Joining Kiefer Sutherland in this 6-disc set (more than 1000 minutes) are Cherry Jones, Carlos Bernard, Annie Wersching, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Janeane Garofalo and Jon Voight. Lots of bonus features with this entertaining collection.

Get Smart: Season 3 (Warner Home Video)
While Maxwell Smart (Don Adams) may not be as tough as Cannon or as quick thinking as Jack Bauer, he does get the job done when it comes to battling the bad guys - and he has his very own shoe phone! Get Smart aired from 1965 to 1969 (5 seasons, 138 episodes). The show features Maxwell Smart (Agent 86) for CONTROL, a counterintelligence agency. Smart reports to the Chief (Edward Platt) and is helped by Agent 99 (Barbara Feldon).

Get Smart: Season 3 contains 26 remastered episodes including "The Groovy Guru" which was "voted one of the 100 best TV episodes of all time." This episode was excellent as was "The Little Black Book" a 2-part episode with Don Rickles (was only supposed to be one episode but Adams and Rickles ad libbed a lot). Other guest stars in this season include Carol Burnett, Regis Philbin, John Byner, Cesar Romero, Joey Bishop and Johnny Carson as well as cameos by Bob Hope and Ernest Borgnine. Commentaries by various people including Don Rickles, Buck Henry and Barbara Feldon.

Great Father's Day Gift for Hippies!

With Father's Day fast approaching the next couple of blogs will focus on some good gift ideas for Dads. Fathers who were hippies (maybe still are) during the sixties and early seventies will likely enjoy the 3-disc DVD set  Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music - Ultimate Collector's Edition which was just released by Warner Home Video. This film of the world's most famous concert on August 15, 16 and 17 in 1969 in New York State will bring back special memories for those lucky enough to attend this historic concert - and for those who wished they had.

Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music - Ultimate Collector's Edition (Warner Home Video, rated 14A)
I was too young to attend Woodstock - or even appreciate what took place over those three August days on Max Yasgur's farm "near the Catskill Mountain town of White Lake." Attended by approximately 400,000 people, this concert featured some of the best musicians in the world - everyone from Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Joan Baez and Joe Cocker to Crosby, Stills & Nash, Richie Havens, Santana, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Canned Heat and many others.

I thoroughly enjoyed spending much of the weekend watching this movie which combines many of the excellent performances that took place with documentary-style footage of what went on during the three days on, and around, Max Yasgur's farm. Interviews with concert goers, performers, organizers, local residents and others provide an informative glimpse into what went on during the concert. The performances were enjoyable to watch.

Disc one looks at the preparations of the concert and then covers performances by Crosby, Stills & Nash, Canned Heat, Richie Havens, Joan Baez, The Who, Sha Na Na, Joe Cocker and the Grease Band (who do an excellent version of "With a Little Help from My Friends"), Country Joe & the Fish, Arlo Guthrie and Ten Years After. In between these performances you see interesting footage regarding "The Invasion of Sullivan County" and "downpour" when the rains came and how people dealt with the wet weather - including sliding in the mud.

Disc two also features some memorable performances including "Voodoo Child", "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix. Jefferson Airplane, John Sebastion, Country Joe McDonald, Santana, Sly & the Family Stone and Janis Joplin are also on disc two. Footage includes "Scenes from a disaster area", "Coping with the mess", "Max Yasgar's benediction" and "Picking up and going home."

A third disc "Woodstock: The Director's Cut" features the following "never-before-seen" performances: Joan Baez (On Day at a Time), Country Joe McDonald (flying High), Santana (Evil Ways), Canned Heat (I'm Her Man and On the Road Again), Mountain (Beside the Sea and Southbound Train), Grateful Dead (Turn on Your Love Light), Creedence Clearwater Revival (Born on the Bayou, I Put a Spell on You and Keep on Chooglin'), The Who (We're Not Gonna Take It and My Generation), Jefferson Airplane (3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds), Joe Cocker (Something's Coming On), Johnny Winter (Mean Town Blues), Paul Butterfield (Morning Sunrise) and Sha Na Na (Teen Angel). There are lots of bonus features on this disc.

Also included in this 40th-Anniversary Collector's Edition, which features hours of new content, are a "60-Page Commemorative LIFE MAGAZINE Reprint" and a Woodstock patch.

A couple of months will mark the 40th anniversary of this phenomenal concert. You can relive, or watch for the first time, this historic event with Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music - Ultimate Collector's Edition.

Two Fun DVDs from Paramount

Forever Funny: T.V. Sets
If you are looking to relive some of your favourite comedy television shows without the expense of purchasing entire seasons of a program or even an entire series, you may want to get Forever Funny: T.V. Sets from Paramount Home Entertainment. This DVD includes seven sitcoms: I love Lucy, The Odd Couple, The Honeymooners, Taxi, The Brady Bunch, Frasier and Cheers.

The episode from I Love Lucy is "The Girls Want to Go to a Nightclub" (1951) which sees Ethel (Vivian Vance) and Fred (William Frawley) having a disagreement about how to spend their wedding anniversary. Ethel wants to go to a nightclub, while Fred wants to go to the fights. Of course Ricky (Desi Arnaz) sides with Fred while Lucy (Lucille Ball) takes Ethel's side - with hilarious results.

Another excellent sitcom was The Odd Couple and the episode "The Laundry Orgy" (1970) sees Felix (Tony Randall) and Oscar (Jack Klugman) double date - and not very successfully either.

One of my all time favourite shows was The Honeymooners and one of my favourite episodes is featured on this DVD - "TV or Not TV" (1955). The Kramden's and Norton's can't afford a new television on their own so Ralph (Jackie Gleason) and Ed (Art Carney) decide to buy a TV together. Unfortunately, while Ralph enjoys watching movies, Ed likes "Captain Video" and he even dresses up in his Captain Video outfit to watch the show - much to Ralph's dismay. The conflicts that arise over the programming are classic!

Taxi and The Brady Bunch are also included. The Taxi episode "Like Father, Like Daughter" (1978) sees Alex (Judd Hirsch) call his daughter, who he doesn't know, in Brazil. "The Honeymoon" (1969) is the episode chosen for "The Brady Bunch" which sees Mike (Robert Reed) marry Carol (Florence Henderson).

"The Good Son" (1993) is the Frasier episode which has Frasier's (Kelsey Grammer) father, Martin, (John Mahoney) move in with him. Cheers is also included and the episode "Give Me a Ring Sometime" (1982) is where Diane (Shelley Long) meets Sam (Ted Danson).

Forever Funny provides close to three hours of television comedy over four decades.

iCarly: Season 1, Volume 2
I don't enjoy a lot of the TV programs that my daughter watches, but I must admit that I didn't mind iCarly which I watched several episodes of with my daughter. The show features Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgrove) hosting her own web show with her best friend Sam Puckett (Jeannette McCurdy). Producing the successful Internet show is their friend Freddie Benson (Nathan Kress). Carly lives with her older brother, Spencer (Jerry Trainor).

In iCarly: Season 1, Volume 2 there are 13 funny episodes (2 discs) of the second half of the show's first season and which a variety of interesting things happen including: Carly and Sam meet their biggest fan, Sam gets a boyfriend, the iCarly crew endorse a shoe, iCarly goes on television and Carly's teacher dates Spencer.

Lots of laughs with this clever TV show that is popular with older children and which some parents will enjoy watching too.

Doug Wright: Excellent Cartoonist

The Collected Doug Wright: Canada's Master Cartoonist - 1949 to 1962
Doug Wright
edited by Seth & Brad Mackay
Drawn & Quarterly
2009, 240 pages
ISBN: 9781897299524

A good book of cartoons makes for great reading and The Collected Doug Wright: Canada's Master Cartoonist - 1949 to 1962 is a thoroughly entertaining book. According to Brad Mackay, Doug Wright is "Canada's equivalent to Charles Schulz" where his comic "Nipper", which later became "Doug Wright's Family" was published in Weekend magazine, the Montreal Standard newspaper and other publications.

While the funny "Nipper" cartoons from 1949 to 1962 make up the majority of the impressive, oversized book, there is also an informative biography of Wright and a selection of his ad work, magazine covers and editorial illustrations. Lynn Johnston, who is the creator of the comic strip "For Better For Worse", wrote the introduction.

A wonderful addition to anyone's library, The Collected Doug Wright: Canada's Master Cartoonist: 1949 to 1962 is the first volume in a two-volume set. I'm looking forward to volume two!

Sci-Fi Fun From Paramount

Our family is looking forward to watching the latest Star Trek movie this summer - preferably at one of the Drive-in Theatres. In anticipation of this film there is no shortage of good science fiction DVDs recently released by Paramount Home Entertainment.

The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series
I recently introduced my son to the original Star Trek series with the DVD The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series. He enjoyed watching this DVD which contains four of the 1960s show's most popular episodes: "The City On the Edge of Forever", "The Trouble With Tribbles", "Balance of Terror" and "Amok Time." "Amok Time" is the first episode in the show's second season and has Captain Kirk pitted against Mr. Spock in a fight to the death on the planet Vulcan. "The Trouble With Tribbles" was also in season two. This humourous episode sees the Enterprise at the same space station as the Klingons and Lieutenant Uhura buys a fast-multiplying furry creature from peddler Cyrano Jones (Stanley Adams) which results in considerable chaos."City On the Edge of Forever" was in season one and sees Kirk, Spock and Dr. McCoy transported back in time to the 1930s where Kirk falls in love with a doomed peace activist played by Joan Collins. Another very popular episode is "Balance of Terror" which sees the Enterprise crew fight the Romulans.

Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection (Blu-ray Disc)
Recently I reviewed the first season of Star Trek on Blu-ray Disc and it was excellent. Recently Paramount Home Entertainment released an impressive 7-disc Star Trek collection on Blu-ray Disc that includes the "box set featuring the six films in their original theatrical versions starring tthe U.S.S. Enterprise's legendary crew."

All six Star Trek films are in the collection and have been digitally remastered. Star Trek The Motion Picture (1979) sees Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) gather his old crew to stop an alien craft that is threatening Earth. Joining Kirk are his crew from the television show including Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Lt. Commander Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Lt. Commander Hikaru Sulu (George Takei), Lt. Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig), Commander Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (James Doohan) and Dr. Christine Chapel (Majel Barrett).

Three years after the first Star Trek motion picture came the second - Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) in which Admiral Kirk's major nemesis Khan Noonian Singh (Ricardo Montalban) steals a top secret device and seeks to destroy Kirk. Most of the Star Trek regulars are in this movie as well.

Star Trek III: The Search For Spock came out in 1984 and sees many of the crew experiencing difficulties including Spock being dead, McCoy is going insane, Scotty has been reassigned and the Enterprise is to be decommissioned.

In 1986 my favourite Star Trek movie was released - Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. In this movie it is the 23rd Century and a large alien probe threatens Earth including evapourating the planet's oceans. Officers of the U.S.S. Enterprise are in trouble with the Federation and return to Earth to face their charges. Since the alien probe appears to be communicating in humpback whale language, Kirk and the gang travel back in time to 1986 to obtain humpback whales who have long been extinct in the 23rd Century. This fun movie was nominated for four Academy Awards.

1989 saw the realease of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and sees the crew enjoying some shore leave. Unfortunately, their relaxation is cut short when they are sent to the planet Nimbus III to rescue hostages taken by Spock's half-brother Sybok (Laurence Luckinbill).

The sixth Star Trek film was The Undiscovered Country released in 1991. The cast of the 1960s TV show are here, although for the last time. Due to an ecological disaster, the Klingons want peace with the Federation. Unfortunately, bad things happens and Kirk and McCoy end up being put on trial for the assassination of Klingon Chancellor Gorkon. Not only are they charged with the murder, they're found guilty.

These fun science fiction movies feature the excellent writing of Gene Roddenbery. Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner also did some of the writing and directing for some of the films.

A 7th bonus disc contains Star Trek: The Captain's Summit in which William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes and host Whoopi Goldberg talk about Star Trek.

This is a nice collection for Star Trek fans who want to see the movies in Blu-ray!

Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy
Another nice Star Trek collection is Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy which contains the digitally remastered films The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock and The Voyage Home.

New special features with these films include: commentary by various people, "Collecting Star Trek's Movie Relics", a tribute to Ricardo Montalban, "Spock: The Early Years", "Pavel Chekov's Screen Moments" and "Starfleet Academy: The Whale Probe."

Galaxy Quest: Deluxe Edition
Recently rain stopped us from going to the Drive-in. No problem. We put Galaxy Quest: Deluxe Edition in the DVD player and our family thoroughly enjoyed this movie which was originally released in 1999. The stars of the TV show Galaxy Quest are earning a living attending conventions and store openings when an "interstellar race" contacts them for help believing them to be a real space crew resulting in the largely out-of-work actors saving the aliens from a space warlord. The fun, silly, entertaining movie features Tim Allen (Jason Nesmith), Sigourney Weaver (Gwen DeMarco), Allan Rickman (Alexander Dane), Tony Shalhoub (Fred Kwan), Daryl Mitchell (Tommy Webber), Sam Rockwell (Guy Fleegman) and Enrico Colantoni (Mathesar).

The digitally remastered film comes with new special features.