Feldman's Faves: August 5, 2025

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE_

I hope you all enjoyed the glorious long weekend – nothing like being here in good old Ontario over the summer.

If only the World Series happened in July…..Who thinks they peaked too early and who thinks our beloved Jays are going all the way? As a Toronto sports fan you know what I think. But I do hope I am wrong.

More importantly, I want to take this opportunity to thank our amazing summer students – Lowell and Amanda– for all of their contributions here at Goodmans. Their last day is August 7^th so please take a moment to thank them and wish them well for the final (aka boring) year of law school.

And in In the classic “out with the old and in with the new” type situation, we are also welcoming our new crew of articling students today. Joining our section for the first rotation are Hannah and Tyler.  I know they are eager to learn so please (as you always do) make sure to involve them in your files and get to know them both. 

One recent development in the world of movie is sequels to old classics. Happy Gilmore in its original version is Adam Sandler at his best and is really a lot of fun. The sequel has received mixed reviews  and mine is that it was beyond painful to watch. I have also seen the trailers for the sequel to Spinal Tap (coming out this fall) that was 40 years in the making.  I am highly optimistic that the boys will deliver on this one (but we shall see).

Finally, I am thrilled to report that 3E is up and running in all of its purple glory – so please get your dockets in.  Ah, that feels better.

No theme this week – just topics of interest.

DARK MAESTRO By: Brendan Slocumb – I am a big fan of Brendan Slocumb.  He is one my favourite contemporary writers and has found a niche that is pretty unique – marrying underprivileged characters, with musical virtuosity and with a splash of mystery and suspense. I have read and reviewed both of his previous novels – The Violin Conspiracy and Symphony of Secrets – in this forum.  Slocumb’s latest novel, Dark Maestro is another equally thrilling and interesting story with a hell of a twist involving an underprivileged cello prodigy, organized crime the FBI’s witness protection program, organ harvesting and comic books.  Of course this makes sense…..but it actually does and I really enjoyed the crazy twists and turns and the music education in reading this book.  As one reviewer notes, “A cello prodigy takes on merciless criminals. The latest classical music–themed thriller from Slocumb follows Curtis Wilson, who grows up in Washington, D.C., with Zippy, his drug-dealer father, and Larissa, Zippy’s on-again, off-again girlfriend. Curtis loves two things: comic books and the cello, which he plays at a startlingly advanced level. Zippy gets busted for selling drugs and goes to prison while Curtis continues his ascent as a musical prodigy, earning a scholarship to Juilliard; when Zippy is released, he leaves behind his drug-dealing life—for an even sketchier, and more illegal, black-market scheme. Zippy gets busted again, this time by the FBI, and agrees to cooperate with the feds to bring down his bosses, but things go south, and the family enters the witness protection program, hoping to stay safe from Zippy’s vengeful employers. Curtis chafes against his forced anonymity: “Music had been his way of connecting….How could he talk to people, how could he explain how he felt and make them like him, without music? It just didn’t seem possible.” Eventually, he realizes he’ll need to take down the criminals himself, with the help of Zippy, Larissa, and a comic book character he originally created as a child. This is an intricately plotted novel, paced perfectly by Slocumb, who keeps the book moving at a breakneck speed—but not at the expense of his beautifully drawn characters. Curtis, shy and sweet, is especially memorable; Slocumb paints a beautiful picture of the young man’s internal life. The final act of the book strains credulity, but who cares when you’re having so much fun? This novel should catapult Slocumb into the upper echelon of thriller authors. A virtuosic thriller.” Slocumb once again delivers a great combination of brining us into the world of classical music and a world of mystery and suspense. He is a unique talent who writes great books and Dark Maestro is no exception.  Here’s a good review from  Bookreporter - https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/the-dark-maestro

Freakonomics Radio  - Are You Ready for the Elder Swell? – As some of you may know, I am very interested in the general area of aging and healthy aging for both selfish and unselfish reasons. I love my life and I love being able to all of the physical activities I enjoy (and hope to be able to do them for decades to come), which is why I am personally interested in learning and knowing all I can about extending life span and health span. I am also terrified for society in that we are facing an aging population tsunami that needs to be addressed from all perspectives, so that the most vulnerable people in our society can live their golden years with safety, security, peace of mind and quality. This is why I am so involved in Baycrest, an institution that is playing a major role in dealing with this existential issue. This PODCAST addresses some of the issues (and really just scratches the surface) that we as a society are facing and will be facing from various perspectives. Needless to say addressing our aging population will require the best and brightest minds from a wide range of disciplines if we are to solve for it. Here is an excerpt from the PODCAST itself, “In the U.S., there will soon be more people over 65 than there are under 18 — and it’s not just lifespan that’s improving, it’s “healthspan” too. Unfortunately, the American approach to aging is stuck in the 20th century. In less than an hour, we try to unstick it. (Part three of a three-part series, “Cradle to Grave.”)   SOURCES:James Chappel, professor of history at Duke University.Katy Fike, co-founder of Aging 2.0 and managing partner of Generator Ventures.Kristen Fortney, co-founder and C.E.O. of BioAge.Celine Halioua, founder and C.E.O. of Loyal.Kyla Scanlon, economic commentator.Andrew Scott, professor of economics at London Business School.  RESOURCES:In This Economy?: How Money & Markets Really Work, by Kyla Scanlon (2024).Golden Years: How Americans Invented and Reinvented Old Age, by James Chappel (2024).The Longevity Imperative: How to Build a Healthier and More Productive Society to Support Our Longer Lives, by Andrew Scott (2024).  EXTRAS:"Off Leash," by The Freakonomics Radio Network (2022)."Are You Ready for a Glorious Sunset?" by Freakonomics Radio (2015).Listen on Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519?i=1000714795686

Thank you for your ongoing engagement and participation.

And remember to stay safe, stay healthy and to docket daily.

Jon