Hundreds sign petition to keep Caribbean Twist open
“I’d like to sign the petition.” That sentence is being spoken this week by a steady stream of customers at Caribbean Twist , as a culinary bylaw battle not seen since Dalhousie vs. the Dawgfather casts its shadow on Gottingen Street. A year after taking over 3081 Gottingen Street, the space formerly occupied by Toulany’s…
Apology to Corporate Research Associates Inc. and Don Mills
A recent blog post, written by Tim Bousquet and published at thecoast.ca May 26, was unfair to local polling company Corporate Research Associates and its president, Don Mills. The bulk of the blog post repeated excerpts from a press release from the citizens’ group Save the View. That press release claimed that a CRA poll…
The Kinetic Band Shuffle
coffee and vegans After Cursed Arrows’ set at Gus’ Pub back in May during Long Live the Queen, I freaked out. I bought both of their albums and listened to them when I was drunk and sad, and also when I was lying in a happy/wistful haze on my back deck. I started reading their…
Love the Way I Live
Someone was bemoaning the lack of raw bitches in LTWWB lately, and I couldn’t agree more. But man, despite my name I just can’t pull off a good Bitch. I’m loving life and despite some Female-Female drama and the occasional fuck-up on my part, life is good. Maybe I’ll go for a ride on my…
Rug regrets
I’m so sorry I was inconsiderate. I had no idea what that carpet meant to you, that it was a gift from your mom… I had no idea it was your carpet at all. Excuses are beside the point. It doesn’t matter now it’s lost. I feel horrible that I took it to Evolve. I…
What The Hell?
I was sitting, enjoying my popcorn and light conversation with a friend before the film started. Then you, sitting behind us decided to place your foot right between our seats. Several attempts from me to move away and dirty looks from my friend apparently meant nothing. She said something and you didn’t listen… Usually I’d…
Petty Thievery
To the jerk who stole my water bottle from the waterfront: What use do you really have for a USED water bottle?! What could possibly be so necessary that you STOLE a WATER BOTTLE?! It may seem like nothing to you but I have to talk for eight or nine hours on the waterfront everyday…
Heart so big it could crush this town
Fuck you, heart, for opening up again and breaking for the second time this year. You know better not to trust, to get your hopes up but yet you do it every single time. Just for once, couldn’t you be cold and empty? —Broken-hearted
Lullaby Arkestra
Holy Black Sabbath banshee gang-vocal nightmare! They play with Metz, Horses and Orphan Choir. Tonight. Gus’ Pub, 10pm, $6 (i think), all over your face.
Councilors/Promoters Suck
Re: that crap fest held on the Commons last weekend. The really poor turnout suggests that Concerts on the Commons should be moved to an area that seats about 10,000 and doesn’t poison miles of surrounding area with toxic shit some people call music. Is there a place like that we can use in Halifax?…
Tenant Parking Police
I was in the city visiting my daughter this weekend, I parked in her roommates parking spot, which is paid for by the roommate not you! He was out of town and so I knew his spot was there for use: imagine my surprise when I go out to my car Monday morning and find…
I’m not going to walk it off.
I sincerely hate you, bike thief, you took my main means of commuting away from me, and I really liked my bike. I really hope I can find you, so then I can at least know who it is I hate. All I do know is that you were on Granville St last night around…
Put some shoes on, hippie!
Congrats on getting yourself immortalized for the ages on Look At This Fucking Hipster. Now will you put some shoes on, so the rest of the customers of this north-end coffee shop don’t have to endure your sweaty feet? Also, uh, you’re violating the health code. —Brewing coffee smells wonderful. Your fungus-infested toes do not
This should not annoy me as much as it does
People who constantly embellish or completely make up stories on such a grandiose scale that it makes everyone who is listening uncomfortable because they all have to humour this person by not totally calling him/her out on their obvious lie. Some would advise to call them out, but really… it’s not worth it. This type…
Dating Distaster
I met you online. I guess that should have been the first sign. I thought we really hit it off well, considering you hung off me the whole time. Maybe I’m crazy, but when a girl kisses you and tells you she wants to see you again soon, I thought it meant she liked you.…
Pissed Pedestrian
If I almost get run over by another one of you impatient asshole drivers, I’m going to lose my mind. It’s pretty sad when you have to risk whiplash each and every time you cross the street, making certain no one is speeding towards you. Today, I crossed the street at the intersection by the…
Slippery Dipper
You hurt me so badly. After 2 years of trying to make things work between us, even though we had our difference, I decided that was enough. Ya, I made the decision, but I was also the one putting in all the effort. Did I have regrets? Of course. Did I love you totally? Yes.…
You
You are pretty much the most handsome man ever. You have the best smile, and you make my day whenever I see you. In case you haven’t noticed, doing the most simple task (like bringing you a glass of water) makes me flustered and makes me blush. Maybe one day I’ll see you outside of…
To the bearded man I almost killed
Sorry about that Mr. Beard. I didn’t do a secondary look to the right before leaving the stop sign and I almost hit you as you crossed. Your amazing reflexes allowed you to dodge the front end of my car and I really do feel terrible about it. I did apologize to you, but I…
Pinky Blackish Dress and Skinny Circle-Badge Dancer
Girls,You made my night. Section 7 was the place to rock because of you. Your generosity and rocking the night away was amazing. Thrasher buddy next door… dude you went headbanging all night. The whole thing was a concert I’ll never forget. You all set the stage for what was a completely amazing experience. Keep…
BEP Friend
We sang along to all the songs together and had a great time even though we didn’t know each others names. Thanks for making the concert a memory that I won’t forget. I wish I got your number. —Big Girls Do Cry
Dad’s who show up
I just read the bitch on LTWWB about Dead beat dads. Thought I`d send some love to the dads who do more than just pay child support… To the dads who try and show up when they can, to the ones who have no idea what to do with a toddler but still take them…
The Coast does Mad Men boardroom lunch
“Do you want women who want bikinis to buy your two-piece or do you just want to make sure women who want a two-piece don’t suddenly buy a bikini?” Oh Don. If episode one of season four is about “Who is Don Draper?” I think we can safely say that he’s a dick. Yelling at…
Kansas Backdoors Canada
I’ll tell you right at the get-go how this chapter ends and you can be all wriggle and smug because you know more than I do as the story unfolds. This chapter ends with me tooting around the bays of St. Mary’s River in a big ass speed boat, on a day with a perfect…
Who needs BEP?
Went to see Hey Rosetta’s show on Saturday night and they were amazing! So much energy and they performed their guts out! I haven’t left a concert that happy in a long time. They got themselves 5 new fans in the people I convinced to go along, and a lifelong fan in me. Come back…
My handsome Dentist
I hate that I have to wait a whole year to see you. You’re so funny and friendly and smart and helpful and gentle and charming, and handsome and fit and dorky. Especially dorky. I wish I had people like you in my life. Or just you.—Can you fake a cavity?
Trailer park love
I don’t know about you, but I love the Trailer Park boys Show. I know some of the guys in person and they’re really sweet guys and girls. Thank you T.P.B for making my proud to be an Maritimer. So lucky to have a wonderful show filmed in my favorite hometown. Halifax. You make me…
Love you always
When I think of you what comes to mind is all the beautiful times we spent together, on the phone, msn, bars. You’re one in a million I ‘am glad I ‘am the one who found you. You’re genuine, kind sweet, have them most beautiful eyes, gorgeous smile, brown hair, sideburns… adorable. You make me…
Outta Work
You change your name and put me out of work… could you not find me something else in one of your 8 other stores? I gave you 10 years of hard work and this is how you repay me, with the employment line? One of the top companies to work for? Right… go fuck yourself……
To Restaurant Customers:
I’ve come across recent bitches about restaurant service and am absolutely disgusted by some of the whiny complaints submitted on here. You know who you are *cough* ‘I had to wait 5 minutes for my food while my friend got to eat’ lady. So, as a server myself, I’m going to give some pointers to…
I Need Carrots!
I went to the market this morning and they were out of carrots. WHAT??? Who runs out of carrots? If you see that you’re running low on carrots then ORDER MORE CARROTS!! Is there a carrot shortage that I didn’t know about?—Abby Grabby
They “Rocked Halifax”?
That kinda crap music isn’t rock. More like they POPPED Halifax, like a zit. —Tired of Hearing It Called “Rock” Concert
Thanks for firing me
To the bitch who unfairly fired me in front of the whole room: FUCK YOU!!! I was a good agent, sold a lot of crap to people. I never fucked up once. I had perfect attendance, my coworkers even spoke up and said I was unfairly fired, so fuck you and your fucking company. You…
*EP463 – Nissan Sentra
I really liked your persistence to try and steal my parking space on market street. Unfortunately for you, I wasn’t in the mood to give up. Although, I really didn’t appreciate you driving into the front of my truck, but you were cute and I let it slide. Thanks for the Hit and Run. —Red…
Love The Way We Politely Raise Concerns
What happened to LTWWB? It used to be a shining bastion of nastiness and political incorrectness. Now it’s been stripped, sanitized, and de-clawed. Bring back the raw, unadulterated hatred and disgust. Let the masses roil and throw themselves, with teeth gnashing, at each other. Give me back my old LTWWB! —Old School
Catching a cab in Dartmouth
Sometimes they answer the phone. Sometimes they send a car. The poor drivers are out there waiting for fares. The customers are left without reliable transportation. Is this some kind of city by-law? Why is there no competition anymore? There used to be several cab companies and the car was often at the door before…
Nagging Friend
What is wrong with you, really? So I don’t answer some of your text messages, so fucken what? You will send me several messages and if I go a week without answering you, you’ll facebook message me, askin if I’m out of minutes on my phone or if my phone is dead or lost or…
Bad Dads
Good for you, you pay child support. This must make you a wonderful father. 10 years later and we are still dancing to the same song… First of all, you are obligated to pay child support. It is seriously the LEAST you could do. But you know what? I would gladly give it back and…
R E S P E C T
Not so much hurt just really annoyed at the high beaming no sense loser from tonight!! 8:15 tonight I finish up from working both jobs today and stop to lay some flowers at my nanny’s site (one yr today) and to say to few words… As I’m kneeling down to lay my sunflowers the white…
Thank you parking police
First let me start by saying that I realize I was in the wrong to park on that side of the street on a street cleaning night and will gladly pay for my lack of parking commitment. This is not my bitch! My bitch is that the person put the ticket on my windshield in…
Too much bass
Ugh, here we are again. It’s the middle of summer and apparently open-air concert season… Here I am after a week of dealing with bitchy co-workers and crappy clients and I’m stuck listening to the awful, awful bass of this year’s shitty concert. Why so much bass? I live three whole blocks from the commons……
So Happy I Snort
Your svelte legs run through my mind all the time. I couldn’t ask for better summer loving and I will be your Sandy any day of the week. You’re rocking my world. —Sandy
Tree lover
I’m glad to know that there are other bonsai enthusiasts in Nova Scotia, and from the looks of it there is an attempt at making an official club. Hope it turns out well =) —Eastern Larch
It’s hard to be a diamond in a rhinestone Ottawa!
I love and miss you Halifax. I have been gone for three years and I am coming back for you in September! See you soon, keep the amazing east coast friendlies warm for me. —Michael
Dear Everyone Else:
Since the very moment I’ve broken my wrist everyone has been super nice to me. Starting with the cop who saw me walking after I fell and asked if I was OK, when I told him no he shuffled me into an ambulance to get fixed up. Since people have noticed my cast (despite most…
Emergency love
I spent almost 6 hrs in emergency yesterday at the QE2 waiting for a couple of stitches and I never complained a bit! The staff in emergency yesterday were all amazing!! Especially *C*… he looks like the coroner from CSI NY… when that patient got nasty to the female paramedic, you set him straight! I…
Tattooed Boy
Thank you sweets for being totally you and accepting me in my less than perfect state and yet still making me feel like the most beautiful and sexy woman alive. You light my fire and I am so very glad to be ‘your girl.’ Kisses. —Sin X 2
Your karma ran over her dogma…
You had a green light at the corner of SGR and Queen but she walked out against the red in front of your car. You gave her a friendly toot of your horn to warn her and she slammed your hood with her fists and yelled “Where are you in a hurry to get to?”…
Men who have loved me
To all the men who have loved me and I never clued in: Thank you for being a part of my life and I’m sorry for being such a dummy! —Blind To Love
Safe Driver & Rude Momma
To the jaywalking mother who felt the need to dramatically wag her finger and yell at me when I didn’t stop for her: when you walk out suddenly from behind a bus, don’t expect me to see you in time to stop. Had I stopped abruptly to let you finish crossing, I would have actually…
Lazy bitches
To my co-workers: I am sick of picking up after you, and not getting any credit. I am sick of working around your inabilities instead of strengthening mine. I am sick of your lazy ass and the trail of careless shrapnel it leaves behind. I quit being your bitch, bitches… —Sick of lazy bitches
Screw you, “Truther”
Everywhere I go, every comments section I visit, some nut-job has inevitably been there before me with oh-so-infallible Republican Tea-bagger sponsored links to garbage like “Obama deception” or “The truth about how secret Illuminati bankers took over America”, or whatever the hell it was called. Here’s the thing: I don’t normally follow up and read…
Your car is not nice
Why do people is Halifax think that a Hyundai Tiburon is a nice car? So nice in fact that they trick them out with rims and spoilers… All that proves to me is that you are both poor and stupid. If your car costs less than 50K it has no business being ‘suped’ up with…
Welfare Childcare
Why the fuck is the government paying for kids of welfare moms to go to daycare? We KNOW for a fact the mother is home. She’s on WELFARE… When I found this out it just blew my mind. What an epic fucking waste of money and daycare spots. Save them for the people who actually…
Car insurance, smells something gone bad…
One has to wonder why when looking for a quote on auto insurance having been canceled due to non payment makes the rate double even though the quote is for a full payment for the year not a payment plan? I’m talking 22 years of clear driving record and no accidents… Does the fact one…
A Little Irritating
This isn’t so much a bitch as it is a “What is the deal?” I have a stroller I use especially for public transit – one that when folded, bends in on itself and has a shoulder strap for carrying. Each time I am waiting for the bus, I remove my baby and fold it…
Life Crap
It would be nice for a change if someone I had a crush on was actually interested in me. Why do I torture myself wishing that something will happen between us? —Gotta give up the fantasy
They’re Kids!
This is to those people who were making fun of the 10 year old pitcher on the kid’s baseball team. It was their first game ever, and personally, I think he did an excellent job. You guys made me so mad that I was about to have a spaz at you all. When you finally…
They’re yours too!
Why the fuck are the dogs only mine when they want something? You wanted the fucking dogs! Sure I love dogs but you should have some fucking responsibility! Also, when I feel like I want to take in a third dog that needs a home, I should be allowed since I take care of them….You…
Fluoride sucks….
The life out of you, that is. And yet, Halifax Water has confirmed that the poison fluoride is in our water. Dental reasons you say? Then why does Europe, where water is not fluoridated because it’s dangerous, have the same dental cavity rates as North America? I’d rather choose to swallow than be forced, wouldn’t…
Etiquette questions…
Elevator- when exiting and there is someone waiting to get on- does one exit first and then let them on- or does one let them on and then exit? Bus- if standing at a bus stop for a long while (and you are the first one there)- do you get on the bus first- have…
Dear Co-Workers:
In case my cast hasn’t made it obvious, I have a broken wrist. This is the first time in my life that I have broken a bone, and it fucking hurts. So logically I would get prescribed pain killers; really, really good ones. I was just hoping you could please, stop hounding me for a…
Fuck you, sorbitol!
There were two grams of you in those sugar free freezies I ate last night. It’s 7:30am and I’m STILL awake because I might as well have eaten a box of ex-lax for supper. Word to the wise: any sweetener with “ol” at the end should just be labeled “world’s greatest laxative,” according to 4am-in-between-paying-homage-to-the-porcelain-gods…
Hot Drinks
Fuck I hate spilling hot drinks on myself! It sucks. —Burned crotch
Yeesh!
Ok… do yourself a favour and DUMP HER ALREADY! Take back your balls!!! You deserve to be happy. —Yeesh
Stop staring at us
What the fuck are you staring at? Have you never seen an Arabian kid cry? I have. I actually do everyday, dealing with a normal kid. If you’re waiting for us to beat her and report us, too bad, you’re out of luck, I don’t beat my kids. By the way, I love my kids…
Mean Mom
You were blasting everyone’s ears out, screaming at your son about every little thing he did. The poor little boy looked terrified, as you screamed yourself hoarse at him for tripping… He looked no more than 4, and you were being totally awful to him. You were scaring everyone else at the park, including me.…
Too Young!
I really wish people would stop glaring at me and making rude comments when I take my little cousin for a walk. No, I am NOT his mom! Yeah, this is to all you people out there who have given me dirty looks or muttered rude comments under their breath. To that woman who said,…
Ego’s in IT
I am in the IT field and I find it so irritating that so many people in the IT industry have serious ego problems. It’s rare for one IT person to say to another “good job” or “smart thinking”. Just today my colleague stepped out of the office and an issue came up that I…
The Broken Promise That Would Have Broken Me
I had been friends with a girl, let’s call her “Girl 1,” for the sake of mandatory anonymity since my sophomore year of high school. We had always been in the friends zone, but we were close. We confided in each other…told each other everything we were too afraid others wouldn’t appreciate. We fought because…
Am I Even Here?
Hey, this bitch is to the few of you who just keep walking and make the rude comments every single time you walk past me: I already know that half of you won’t give me anything, but at least have the fucking decency to look my way or keep you fucking comments to yourself every…
No Airport Bus
Well, here’s a shocker, Metro Transit needs to study why they cannot get the promised service up and running. Silence is golden from the Council and Mayor… We want to be seen as a go-to destination and have a beautiful airport, but no darned bus service. They can shit-can the Seniors bus pdq, but this…
Awww
I love that para-sailing donkey in Russia.—Shucks
To Mr.Fantastic
My favourite. I know that you might not see this at all, but I want to tell the world that I’m so glad and lucky to have met you. I know it hasn’t been the smoothest 1.167 years of us being together but quoting Nick Mercer, ‘I’d rather fight with you than make love with…
To balance out my bitch
I thought it would be a good idea to write some love to balance out the big bitch I just wrote. So I’d just like to say I’m loving this weather. I love you sun and greenhouse effect (but not too much greenhouse effect – we don’t love Climate change)! Thanks summer. —Love u summer
You rock; don’t ever change = )
I know that my crush on you is mostly silliness and that you probably don’t have a crush on me back but I wanted to say thank you for being so kind and lovely all of the time. My silly crush on you makes me smile all day long and I’m so glad we’re getting…
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARTYM’S DAD
This was submitted 4 days ago… sorry about the delay and Happy (Belated) Birthday to MartyM’s dad. – Ed. (Maude). We’re cracking open a cold one, just for you. The Daddy of the Mack Daddy of our West Coast Crew. He is much admired by our dysfunctional horde. A Gordon Ramsay of the gas range…
Black eyes for Peas?
It’s the age-old Behind the Music story: band members who can’t be in the same room. Rumour (from a very reliable source) tells me that Black Eyed Peas’ Fergie and will.i.am are in such a bad way, they refuse to appear together, off stage, at press events, etc. But does it really matter? We don’t…
Century 21 office creates graffiti wall
After a long and costly battle with vandalism, one Halifax business has decided to make good with the graffiti community and hopes to inspire a copycat effect across the city. The owners of a Century 21 franchise in the north end, who have spent upwards of $10,000 replacing smashed windows and erasing graffiti, plan to…
CBC’s Short Film Faceoff, round two on Saturday
Saturday night, from 8-9pm, is the second episode of Short Film Faceoff, where nine short films compete for a production deal towards their next film. This week is Jay Dahl’s True Bromance; Joel MacKenzie’s Super Science and Mark Purdy’s Off Season. Luckas Cardona took last week’s contest for Daddy’s Little Girl. There’s one more episode…
First look at Faith, Fraud & Minimum Wage
Here’s the first peek at Faith, Fraud & Minimum Wage, written by Dartmouth’s Josh MacDonald and based on his play, Halo. The film stars Callum Keith Rennie (24) and Martha MacIsaac (Superbad), and is directed by George Mihalka, who is nominated for DGC’s Best Director of a Feature Film Award for his work on Faith,…
DigitalCare Computers opens
Coowners Derek Lewis and Matt Webber have opened DigitalCare Computers (1535 Dresden Row, 428-8777), providing computer sales and service in the downtown core. “We saw that there wasn’t anyone providing this kind of service for small and medium businesses downtown,” says Lewis, explaining the business concept. DigitalCare will help businesses without their own IT department,…
HAPPY PRIDE
Listen to this while you walk in the Halifax Dyke March for the first time, or do your hair, or put on your best shoes, or snuggle up to Dirty Dancing, or decorate your float for tomorrow. Curl up your fist to it, and dance your ass off: Sleater-Kinney and Fred Schneider – “Angry Inch.”…
Andy Murdoch honoured for food writing
Former Coast web editor Andy Murdoch, now hired away to the public service, has achieved high acclaim for of food articles he wrote last year for The Coast. The Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, which represents 132 weekly papers across North America, has given Murdoch honourable mention in the Food Writing category of its annual awards.…
Harbour near-misses
The Atlantic Pilotage Authority confirms there was an incident (first reported at shipfax.blogspot.com) on Halifax Harbour on Saturday, July 10. The French naval research ship Fulmar, which is based out of Saint Pierre, left port without a legally required pilot, and without anyone on the bridge who could speak fluent English. On its way through…
Not much chance “rain guarantee” will be cashed in for Halifax Rocks 2010 show
In a bid to drum up early ticket sales, Power Promotions, promoters of this weekend’s Halifax Rocks 2010 show on the Common, issued “rain insurance.” The deal works like this: if it rains 20 millimetres or more Saturday between 7pm and 10pm, Early Bird ticket holders can get a full refund, whether they attend the…
If your toes floweth over…
Ok… this is actually driving me INSANE and I may just lose it at the next person I see doing this: Ladies, if you are wearing sandals and your toes go OVER the front or sides of the shoes… THEY’RE TOO SMALL!!!! Please, just get a size bigger so your damn toes aren’t scraping off…
Stop Using My Name In Vain!
You fucking humans. Every time I get a minute to myself, some goddamn knob is screaming my name for some kind of revenge or justice, whatever. That’s not my bag anymore, people. Unless you’re looking for aluminum siding, don’t fucking call me. —Karma
Fired for Wearing a Hemp Bracelet to Work
Fuck you, coffee-and-donut-shop-which-will-not-be-named: After weeks of desperate job searching, I had the misfortune of getting hired at your criminal corporation. After ten and a half hours of watching training videos that made me want to blow my brains out – listening to some bitch drone on about corporate rules for six hours, two six hour…
The Year of Living Room Dangerously
I don’t know what the deal is with this week (Pride? Halifax Rocks? Boob sweat?) but somehow all the things are happening, RIGHT NOW. People are doing crazy things every night of the week, we’ve already torn through two eight-packs and there’s bicycles and laughter and firecrackers everywhere. It’s wonderful. We’ve stopped by two house…
hillyfax
To all you visitors from away that complain about the hills in Halifax. Shut the eff up, there is only one hill in Halifax. —On the level
Blocked?
I work at a desk job in an office where a lot of websites are blocked on the main server including facebook, twitter and youtube. The saving grace was that I could still access hotmail when I couldn’t read any more about gender and vulnerability. So what happens today? Hotmail gets blocked too! no wonder…
Cyrus a movie about ordinary people
The Brothers Duplass deliver a rare piece of cinematic realism about a divorced, directionless guy named John (John C. Reilly) living in LA, on the fringe of Hollywood. (You sense its presence). He begins the film down on his luck. By the end of it, his luck is changing. The film’s named after Jonah Hill’s…
Free Will Astrology
LEO(July 23-August 22) According to Hawaiian mythology, the soul leaves the body during the night to seek the adventures known as dreams. The place of departure and re-entry is the “soul pit” (lua’uhane), which is located in the tear duct of the eye. During the next few nights, I’d love for you to send your…
Boxer the Horse
Do sunshine dreams pour out of PEI’s water taps? The island’s small but mighty indie scene is consistently producing cheerful, up-tempo and deceivingly simple pop music. Like their damn catchy EP, The Late Show, the average song length on Boxer’s debut full-length barely brushes the three-minute mark, and they still wear their musical influences like…
Get out of town for The Crucible
Arthur Miller’s classic, thought-provoking work The Crucible is even more powerful when set in an eerily atmospheric copse at Ross Creek. The three-hour-long play simply flies by as one gets drawn into the dark and disturbing world of the Salem Witch Trials. Graham Percy does a memorable turn as the gravely conflicted John Proctor and…
Had me at screwdriver fight
Q My partner spends a good deal of time seeking out pictures of very young girls to masturbate to. Nothing illegal, he says, but still… He admits to having a 20-year-plus addiction to porn, and with that particular addiction, he says, comes the need to continue upping the taboo factor in order to get off.…
Unstrap some cash for Strap ‘Em On
The TransAction Society fundraiser formerly known as Pomo Homos at the CoHo Mofo is back for its second year, but this time under the guise of Strap ‘Em On, Strap ‘Em Down. “We call it Strap ‘Em On, Strap ‘Em Down because we’re raising funds to help offset the cost for everyday items for trans…
Party like it’s Pride Week
If you haven’t noticed, you might be blind—Halifax Pride week is in full swing, and this weekend brings the always-anticipated parade and closing parties. While you’re waiting for the ass-less chaps dude to swagger your way with Saturday’s floats, take a peek at some of these venues that are hosting parties through to Sunday. The…
Kiano Zamani’s sacred geometry
For artist Kiano Zamani, sacred geometry is the art of the universe. For his audience, Zamani wants his sacred geometry-based art to be soothing. “The paintings are supposed to give you a feeling of relaxation,” writes the interdisciplinary student from NSCAD. The repetitive shapes fanning out in a kaleidoscope pattern do give a trance-like feel,…
The Kids Are All Right is more than alright
For gay or straight parents, Mark Ruffalo’s character Paul in The Kids Are All Right—tanned, coolly scruffy, possessing a college-is-a-waste-of-time attitude and riding a motorcycle—is your basic nightmare. Moms Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore) have plenty to fret over when their children (Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson) seek out their sperm donor father…
The accidental activist
This is a story about a size 12 seafoam green evening gown, hanging on a rack, in 1979. And here’s how Marie Rigby, 88, starts the tale: “One day these two fellas come in and they wanted to know if we had any gowns.” Rigby is long retired from women’s clothing, and nearly 30 years…
Boylesque thrills
She’s voluptuous, bursting out of a skintight leopard print dress, as her tiara jiggles in a nest of bleach blonde hair, bigger than Dolly Parton’s. She scrunches her ruby red lips, shooting audience members furtive glances. She has impressive nipple dexterity, twirling the tassels on her bosom in choreographed time to the Duelling Banjos. Her…
Day tripper
A haze of sweaty fog hangs heavy on the treetops, and the sun is hot, but struggles to actually shine. My companion drives the twisted roads to Lunenburg, while I enjoy cool ocean air along the coast cutting into the steady thickness of the humidity. We’re taking a day trip. A day trip really is…
We are all anal-sexers!
In the Halifax of the ’90s, not long after The Coast brought Dan Savage and a generally queer-friendly outlook to public discussion, another newspaper columnist invented a homophobic insult. Harry Flemming of the Daily News used the term “anal-sexers” whenever he wanted to complain about something the gays had done. This prompted a local activist…
Ellen Page: dream warrior
Christopher Nolan’s science fiction thriller Inception is the event movie of the summer, if the near-consensus from critics and the box office receipts tell us anything. The blockbuster achieved this status by combining two oft-divergent elements: a sophisticated plot—layering dreams over reality, forcing the audience to constantly question whether what it’s watching is “real”—and a…
A parade of city pride
Everyone loves a parade, and this year’s Pride parade promises to be the biggest and best Halifax has seen. There are over 150 entries confirmed to walk/drive/float for Saturday’s event. “We’ve had parades for 23 years,” says Ed Savage, co-chair of Halifax Pride, the Pride Week organizing committee. “But it’s only been about the last…
Waiting for Weezer
It’s two minutes into a 15-minute chat with Weezer’s bassist Scott Shriner, and already I’m trying to figure out whether he’s messing with me. Moments after we connect, the affable voice on the other end of the line begins peppering the conversation with questions. “Hey! I have a question for you,” he barks. “What’s Nova…
Collapse
Michael Ruppert lives in a world where the end is always just around the corner. Over the course of the documentary (and what seems like 300 cigarettes) Ruppert explains that oil production has peaked and the world as we know it will soon cease to exist. It’s easy to get swept up in Ruppert’s dystopic…
Maylee Todd’s power
Having played with the likes of Woodhands, Henri Fabregé and the Adorables and the Bicycles, Maylee Todd is no stranger to the indie rock scene, but her solo material jumps across genres, with hints of pop, jazz, funk, R&B and more. “I hear a lot of Latin influence,” Todd says. “Growing up, my father, who’s…
Fauna
Toronto’s Don River Valley figures prominently in Fauna, the highly anticipated new novel from Alissa York. A sanctuary for misfits of both animal and humankind the Don wilderness is home to an auto wrecker’s yard that doubles as a rehabilitation centre for broken spirits and broken wings. But the delicate balance of life and death…
All you need is foodclothingshelter
Last summer, Owen Steel was unpacking at his dad’s place. His friend was over. He had things to do—but instead, he checked his email, found one unread message, and learned that he would soon be playing his first-ever set at the Evolve music festival. “I got really excited,” he recalls. “I think I jumped off…
Ruts & Gullies: Nine Days in St. Petersburg
Quebec artist Philippe Girard chronicles his first visit to Russia, for the St. Petersburg comic festival Boomfest, in this comic travelogue. Girard checks out Russian cuisine, living arrangements in formerly communal apartments, vodka, the Cyrillic alphabet and St. Petersburg’s elegant subway. On his journey he pays attention to coincidences and oddities: old ladies speaking in…
Hey Rosetta! yells at you real loud
It’s a low-key day for Hey Rosetta! frontman Tim Baker, as he’s pouring himself some cereal and recovering from laser eye surgery when we catch up with him over the phone. The lead vocalist for the Newfie pop-rock band is hanging out on the Rock for a much-needed break, after Hey Rosetta!’s tour around California…
The Selves
Poet, author and artist Sonja Ahlers’ book of collage and poetry will appeal to those who have a stack of Busts beside their futons and Jezebel.com high on their bookmarks. Using an incredible array of found images, mostly of iconic female celebrities and figures like Holly Hobby, Jeri Blank (Amy Sedaris) and the girls from…
Getting French kissed
New Brunswick singer-songwriter Lisa LeBlanc is playing Halifax for the first time, thanks to the Seahorse’s new French Kiss night. “I think it’s a great opportunity for us Francophones to play our originals in Halifax,” writes LeBlanc. “There exists a nice Francophone community in town and in Nova Scotia, the Acadian culture is very rich,…
La Strada
It’s early summer, and the warm damp air is blowing in through the windows, and the slow rhythm of La Strada’s guitars, strings, drums and accordions has a calming effect. The New York band’s first full-length album, New Home, is like a burst of positive energy, conjuring up visions of travelling and wanderlust. Playing poppy…
Lee Park’s Joyful Sorrow</i
Local violinist Lee Park is fresh off a two-month klezmer music internship in Israel, and is set to show off her new playing skills at this Sunday’s EP release. “He [Daniel Hoffman] taught me three times a week for two months, and I learned a lot about klezmer, Arab music, jazz, blues and funk and…
Hot Hot Heat
It’s been a continuous cooling off period for Hot Hot Heat since that first full-length, Make Up the Breakdown. That’s eight long years ago, of course. Two original members (guitarist Dante DeCaro and bassist Dustin Hawthorne) have left since then and one wonders if Steve Bays (vocals/keys) and Paul Hawley (drums), the remaining originators, have…
Watch the Pride parade slideshow
Saturday’s Pride parade was a gay old time, indeed. It featured a beautiful sunny afternoon, thousands of people lining downtown streets to watch and around 200 floats—including a Coast/Hillcrest Volkswagen team effort that featured Windom Earle playing for nearly 2 hours on the back of a flatbed truck. (After the parade, a cop who was…
Drunken deliberations
Last week, someone walked into the Chronicle-Herald offices and gave the paper a memo from mayor Peter Kelly, which castigated municipal councillors for being drunk in public and warned of the dangers of driving while intoxicated. True to non-committing form, Kelly didn’t actually name any councillors. Kelly subsequently announced he had once taken the car…
M.I.A.
The clue to M.I.A.’s musical modus operandi on her third album resides in the album’s visual design: a cacophonic collage using the debris of digital culture. Most tracks sound forced and chaotic. It’s not until the latter half, including so-called bonus tracks, does the album hold interest. Working with several producers might’ve been a problem.…
Muzzling Enviro Canada
Pre-Stephen Harper, Environment Canada was regarded as the most accessible, educational federal department. Its scientists were in the media, at conferences, even in classrooms, assessing human impact on the natural world. Now, three reports in as many months have slammed the department for its inaccessibility and lack of accountability. The Climate Action Network, a national…
Common
Arguably the handsomest, nicest rapper, Common could breathe fire back in the day. Only one example of those origins is included here: “The Bitch in Yoo,” a 1996 upbraiding of Ice Cube, when Common was Common Sense. The last five albums are represented, plus a duet with Erykah Badu, “Love of My Life.” A recent…
Shitty shit in a bag vs pretty pooh on the ground!
Okay I meant to bitch about this last summer but I forgot and was not surprisingly reminded of this stinky habit this past weekend: I went for a nice relaxing swim/picnic at Long Lake and as my friends and I walked along the trail to get to the lake we counted 12 rotting bags of…
Sidewalk Etiquette
Why do groups of people insist on walking five-wide at a snail’s pace down Spring Garden Road? If you’re tourists, I get it – you’re taking everything in – but I’ve got places to go and people to see and you’re always in my way! So people, if you’re in a group and you want…
Thanks for the dance, loser.
To the 5 guys last Wednesday night who made me feel like a million bucks by dancing with me – fuck you. Do you get a sick pleasure of making a girl feel like a million dollars then just screwing off?? Do you know how much it took for me to actually give you my…
