If you're looking for some binge-worthy fictional subjects, nothing could be better than Agatha Christie’s signature characters
Ah, Christmas! There are many things I enjoy doing on Christmas, a wonderful holiday. This includes spending time with family, watching Alastair Sim’s version of Scrooge (1951) and animated specials like A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), listening to Johann Sebastian Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and reading Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. With respect to the latter,…
One of my earliest Christmas memories was going to see Roy Rogers, the "King of the Cowboys", in The Gay Ranchero in a Dublin cinema
As you get older, one of the things that Christmas evokes is a sense of remembering. And for me, one the earliest such memories relates to Christmas Eve 1950. It was the first time I ever went to the cinema. Or, as Dubliners would have said, the pictures. I was six years-old at the time…
Here are some case, carry and accessory ideas that make your phone just a little bit smarter – and better protected
Holiday shopping and retailer incentives are driving sales of smartphones right now. And plenty of people want to dress up, protect or enhance their new phones. So here are a few ideas from Case-Mate, Smartish, Catalyst and Apple. From camo to colourful If you don’t want boring but still want to keep your case slim…
Whales, glorious sunsets, warming fires, close-knit family, a hand-cut tree, elaborate toasts – and plaid!
The humpback whales were still breaching and blowing as we crossed by ferry from Little River to Powell River on our way back to Skelhp after a week with friends. In mid-December, the big ocean visitors begin their travels south, and once again the local orcas and sea lions become the dominant residents of the…
Deep-muscle treatment, foldable phones, audio repair software and an easy-learn mini digital wind instrument
With Christmas just around the corner, you may need to make some last-minute purchases or gather ideas about what to do with all those gift cards come Boxing Day. So here are a few very practical selections from Theragun, Accusonus, Roland and Samsung. Gift of pain relief If you’re looking for a gift to help…
The pre-Christmas preparation can turn the jolliest of elves into Scrooges
I have a holiday cocktail napkin that reminds me to keep a sense of humour during the busy weeks leading up to Christmas Day. The napkin depicts a spotless 1950’s kitchen where a mother and daughter are preparing to take Christmas dinner out of the oven. The little girl looks excited about the feast ahead,…
Whether tough times force your hand or you just want to start January without a credit card bill, you can still enjoy a glittering, happy holiday season
What if I told you that ‘cutting corners’ can transform Christmas from a hectic, stressful money drain into a joyous, energizing experience? I understand if you are skeptical, but let me show you how it is possible to save money at the same time you enjoy a sumptuous, all the trimmings holiday season. The secret…
Its message of goodwill towards all people is ultimately in the best interest of a multicultural society
We go to extremes to avoid the religious aspects of Christmas in the public sphere, and we are worse for it. Christian beliefs about Christmas might offend someone in our secular and multicultural society, so we ignore its religious and historical background. The reluctance to mention the origins of this much-loved holiday permeates early childhood…
Bing Crosby's version of White Christmas is recognized as the best-selling single record ever
It’s surely a personal quirk, but I must confess that the relatively modern Christmas songs, like All I Want for Christmas Is You and Fairytale of New York leave me cold. Yes, I know they’re critically acclaimed and immensely popular, not to mention enormous money-spinners. However, they don’t tickle my fancy at all. Perhaps it’s a…
German Christmas markets, a kaleidoscope of colors and lights, are street markets that are usually held in town squares and spill over into adjacent pedestrian zones
German Christmas markets, a kaleidoscope of colors and lights, are street markets that are usually held in town squares and spill over into adjacent pedestrian zones. While there are Christmas markets all over Europe, the tradition in Germanic speaking parts of Europe seems to go back to the Middle Ages. The markets generally coincide with…
Ah, Christmas! There are many things I enjoy doing on Christmas, a wonderful holiday. This includes spending time with family, watching Alastair Sim’s version of Scrooge (1951) and animated specials like A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), listening to Johann Sebastian Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and reading Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. With respect to the latter,…
