Read it

Read it!
Walrus-faced talk-show host (Open Mike) Mike Bullard is doing his part to sink Canada Post
with Open Book (Doubleday). The tome consists mostly of Mike's musings on the e-mail he gets from fans, which he says runs the gamut from The Encourager and The Discourager to the Agenda Fan and The Angry Fan. At least he has some.

Play it!
Twister gets the sister treatment with a new board game called Connectomy. Three Calgary siblings - Carmen, Lindsey and Julie McFarlane - have come up with the game, where players' body parts must be connected together to earn points. You can choose to play the Familiar Side of the game cards and connect, say, a right leg to a right temple, or the Formal Side, where your left lateral gastrocnemius must meet your partner's left ocular supercillia. No word yet on whether a follow-up X-rated version is planned.

Wear it!
Exotic and spicy, GoodLife Woman, a new fragrance by Davidoff, has mistletoe written all over it.

Citrus top notes combined with fig leaves, jasmine, magnolia and vanilla, make for a vibrant scent. For those of you with a taste, and a nose, for the
good life.

Hear it!
american beauty Arguably the most-praised Hollywood film of 1999, it deserves credit for an above-average soundtrack. The CD opens and closes with snippets of Thomas Newman's understated score. In between are song selections from classic
jazz vocalists (Betty Carter and Peggy Lee), '70s rockers (Free's "All Right Now" and
The Who's "The Seeker"), the smooth soul of Bill Withers' "Use Me," and hip popsters Eels, Gomez, Elliott Smith and The Folk Implosion. These artists are melodic and accessible to appeal to those old enough to remember the retro hits here, successfully bridging the musical generation gap.

guinevere The acclaimed romantic drama boasts one of the best recent soundtrack albums. Jazz standards and contemporary tunes are bookended by the haunting score from composer Christophe Beck. Canadian sweetheart Sarah Polley adds effective wordless vocals to some of these numbers, but it's the lovely jazz that captures the ear. Brazilian songstress Astrud Gilberto contributes the dreamy "Goodbye Sadness," while guitar legend Django Reinhardt is
represented by "Djangology." Ace pianist Marcus Roberts has three songs, including Thelonious Monk's "In Walked Bud" and "Pannonica." Toss in Monk's own version of "Ruby, My Dear" and the good vibes of the Gary Burton Trio and you have a superb aural backdrop to your next dinner party.

mumford A nice blend of song and score is also displayed here. Lyle Lovett sings two numbers and confirms he has become one of the quintessential American voices.
In tandem with young bluesman Keb Mo, Lyle even adds authenticity to Bob Seger's slightly sentimental "Til It Shines" here. We also get Billy Bragg and Wilco updating Woody Guthrie's "Hoodoo Voodoo" and Nick Lowe shining with "From Now On." Given such artists, you'd hope for a few more songs, but James Newton Howard's score then takes over. Disappointment fades, though, for his compositions have a sweeping cinematic feel while never becoming overblown. One minor flaw: At 43 minutes, the album is way too short.
Kerry Doole