Author: Rick Mc

Career gymnastics coach who loves the outdoors, and the internet.

Mindful of Murder by Susan Joby

On By Rick McIn books2 Comments

Susan Juby, Nanaimo, B.C., teaches creative writing at Vancouver Island University.

Her book set on a Canadian gulf island.

In this comedic (murder) mystery, Helen Thorpe is a former Buddhist nun who is fresh out of butler school. 

When a suspicious death takes place in an upscale spiritual retreat, suspicions turn to a quartet of suspects with a motive for murder. …

Susan Juby’s novel Mindful of Murder is a murder mystery full of humour and compassion

I many times laughed out loud. Though Judy is a Buddhist and clearly sympathetic to all things west coast, she pokes fun at hippies, flower arrangement, spiritual dance, and all things bohemian. 😀

She loves butlers. I wanted to go to butler school myself by the end of the story.

The book is told from the perspective of a number of interesting characters. My favourite was a stoner, slacker local teen brought in last minute as a general dogsbody.

Having spent time in Buddhist and Hindu ashrams myself, I could relate to the mixed feelings of the … inmates. 😀

Though a light read, there is quite a bit of philosophy, as well. I enjoyed reading about the Death Club. And their views on assisted suicide. The conflicts between Buddhist philosophy and the real world.

There will be two more books about Helen Thorpe, the butler who didn’t do it.  Planned for 2024 and 2025.

Andor – season 1

On By Rick McIn TVLeave a comment

I’ve never been much of a Star Wars fan.

The Mandalorian is good, but lightweight.

For me, Andor has been the best spinoff.

It’s an excellent anti-hero drama, that happens to be set in the Star Wars universe. Technology and special effects are incidental to the story.

It’s gritty. The characters flawed and conflicted.

A BIG complaint about Star Wars is that it’s cliche. Andor takes pains to be surprising.

Of all the made-for-streaming Star Wars and Marvel spin-offs to shuffle off the Disney+ production line, few have arrived with less anticipation and lower stakes than Andor.

A prequel to a prequel, the series explores the origins of Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), a Rebel Alliance captain introduced in the 2016 wartime heist film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Rogue One was set immediately before George Lucas’s original Star Wars films and ended quite decisively …

Andor: how a Star Wars deep cut became one of the best TV shows of the year

With no Jedi or Skywalkers to be seen, this politically charged, slow-burn thriller adds human stakes and a real sense of the fascism behind Star Wars’s endless civil war.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Body in the Library by Agatha Christie

On By Rick McIn books, TVLeave a comment

The Body in the Library (1942) concerns the murders of two girls of outwardly similar appearance.

One of them was an 18-year-old dancer, and the other was a 16-year-old Girl Guide with aspirations to an acting career.

The identities of the two victims were deliberately left ambiguous by the killers. 

Jane Marple eventually discovers that the dancer was the intended adoptive daughter and heiress to a wealthy man. She starts suspecting the other potential heirs to the old man’s fortune. …

Somewhat too complicated for me. I didn’t find myself assuming that everyone was the killer as I typically do in Christie stories.

Many of these old TV shows are available as full episodes on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Signora Volpe – season 1

On By Rick McIn travel, TVLeave a comment

English actress Emilia Fox is Signora Volpe. 😀 Sylvia Fox in this excellent TV show.

Well, the first 2 episodes are great. I could have lived without episode 3.

Disillusioned with her work at MI6, spy Sylvia Fox travels to Italy for the wedding of her niece.

Although her relationship with her sister, Isabel, is troubled, Sylvia is welcomed warmly by her family.

But when the groom goes missing, leaving a dead woman behind, Sylvia feels compelled to investigate. The trail leads her from an empty pizza box and stolen children’s book to a deadly showdown.

The badass decides to move to Italy at the end of the first episode.

It’s Italy. Beautiful.

There’s romance. Charming.

An English language TV show set in Italy well done, with many Italian actors and Italian dialogue.

They did not make the same mistakes as Murder in Provence. 😀

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand

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I made it through 41% of this romance novel — intrigued by the concept of a 5-STAR WEEKEND.

Organizing a get-together with 4 close friends from 4 different eras of your life: High School, College, motherhood, and … today.

Super popular as it is, this is not my kind of book.

I’m turned off by the 6 women constantly complaining about … everything

Actually, one I did like is Dru-Ann, a high level sport agent.

After a tragedy, a food blogger named Hollis Shaw brings four friends from different times in her life to spend a weekend in Nantucket. …

Chronicling the entire weekend is Hollis’s daughter Caroline who is interning with a famous documentary filmmaker.

During this trip, the women rediscover the meaning of friendship and overcome their personal struggles. Secrets are also revealed.

The Five-Star Weekend (2023) by Elin Hilderbrand

Should I get a PET Octopus?

On By Rick McIn food, happiness, videoLeave a comment

Have you seen My Octopus Teacher, the 2020 Netflix Original documentary film?

Fantastic.

Seems to me they are the most amazing possible pet.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. This is the guy who created all those terrific squirrel mazes.

Redemption (TV series)

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Redemption (2022) is a 6-part Irish crime mini-series.

Only 67% on Rotten Tomatoes, but I enjoyed it.

One of the better series endings I can recall. I was positively weepy.

The actors and dialogue are much more believable than American TV.

I appreciate the gay kid was not made a plot twist. He’s just another character.

Thaddea Graham as Siobhán Wilson is excellent.

Liverpool-based veteran cop DI Colette Cunningham uproots to Dublin when she learns that her estranged daughter, Stacey, has taken her own life.

Once there, Colette meets her two teenage grandchildren for the first time.

Despite having never known of their existence she’s their named guardian. Determined to do right by her daughter in her death, Colette joins the local Dublin Police and cares for the kids.

However, not everything about Stacey’s life is what it seems. Colette sets out to uncover the truth.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Holly by Stephen King

On By Rick McIn books, GOP USA, health & fitnessLeave a comment

King is a great story teller. And this is another great story.

More of a crime book than horror story.

Holly (2023) by Stephen King … follows Holly Gibney, who made her first appearance in Mr. Mercedes (2014).

She also appeared in Finders Keepers (2015) and End of Watch (2016),  and later was a major supporting character in The Outsider.

She was also the central character in If It Bleeds, a novella in the 2020 collection of the same name.

In July 2021 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, private investigator Holly Gibney mourns the death of her mother, with whom she had a complicated and strained relationship.

Despite taking a break from work, Holly is contacted by Penelope Dahl, whose daughter Bonnie disappeared earlier that month. Holly is intrigued by Penelope’s message and agrees to work on the case. …

Holly is a damaged and flawed individual. BUT you can’t help cheering for her.

Stephen King is one of the most popular critics of Trump online.

In this book, Holly’s mom dies of covid. She had been a rapid MAGA ReTrumplican.

You can criticize the amount of anti-MAGA sentiment in this book. You could call it preachy.

I’m OK with it myself, as I agree with King that Trump is the worst thing that’s happened to the USA in a long, long time.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

YouTube Video – Sound Effects

On By Rick McIn cycling, travel, videoLeave a comment

This is my 2nd experiment in video editing using software called Audio Sound Design to add sound effects.

I MIGHT have overdone it. 😀

The software has 70,000+ royalty free sounds, loops and music cues.  But for me it’s overkill. Too complicated. A bit buggy.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Life in Parksville, Vancouver Island

On By Rick McIn hiking, McCharles family, travelLeave a comment

Since Covid, I’ve spent far more time in Parksville than in Calgary.

It’s terrific for year round beach walks, cycling, hiking, and running.

On a Globe and Mail survey of places to live in Canada, Parksville was 32nd “most livable” out of 438.

Factors: economy, housing, demographics, health care, safety, education, community, amenities, transportation and climate.

My parents, brother Rob and his wife live here. It’s a small retirement town.

The numbers aren’t quite right, but this real estate guy generally gives a good overview of town.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.