JazzFest Does the Salter Shuffle
Yesterday, allnovascotia.com reporter Paul McLeod reported that the Halifax Jazz Festival will officially be moving to the Salter Block this summer.As you might recall, the fest was being bumped from its Spring Garden and Queen St. location because it was deemed the site for the new Halifax Central Library. While organizers had been weighing a…
Spoiled Brat
Quit bragging about your amazing new job in finance. You are not above average, you are not a genius, and you sure as fuck are not charismatic. Stop pretending that is the reason why your career took off with nothing more than a high school education. Everyone knows you’re only in that position because you’re…
Don’t Trust the Post Man
I hate you, Canadian postal system! I bought within Canada to avoid your obscene duties and taxes on simple products. I put my faith in you and your competent workers! I trusted you and now you have lost my package! Fuck you, fuck ever using your service again. I hope all the other companies willing…
Radio Blues
I appreciate that you are airing ads for the upcoming hip hop concert at the forum. I’ve griped in the past when hip hop shows that I want to see and buy tickets for get canceled because they don’t sell enough tickets due to poor promotion. If you’re going to promote someone’s concert though, don’t…
Tipping Bullshit
To the lady serving me at a certain coffee chain today, please don’t look at me cross eyed when I put my change in the box for the camp. Yes, it didn’t go in your pocket but it didn’t go in mine either. I heard one of your staff say, “This location sucks ’cause you…
Sweet Curly-Haired Girl
You work in the office at the building I live in Downtown. You’re always kind and offer good advice. Your honesty is MUCH appreciated. It’s hard to come by people like you! I should also mention that you are incredibly classy. You probably are aware of your good looks, but you do not flaunt them,…
To My Princess
I know I have been pretty hard to deal with lately. I haven’t been the happy go lucky free spirit that I usually am. I just want to tell you how much you do for me. You keep me going. On the days that I don’t want to even get out of bed, you cheer…
Atlantic Film Festival looking for a marketing director
For marketers and, ideally, film lovers, too. Here’s a chance to work for the good people at the Atlantic Film Festival. They’re looking for a new director of sales and marketing. They’re taking applications until April 28. If you’re interested, click here.
City budget gets big real estate boost
A booming real estate market is translating into a city budget that’s an easy sell politically. In other words, more big-ticket public spending without raising taxes. City staff Tuesday put forward a proposed $758 million operating budget and $145 million capital budget, with no increases in the general tax rate but big expenditure increases for…
Dear Boss
You’re a sweet man, very kind, very funny and take pride in your job. However (there’s always a however), I am tired of your constant picking on me. It isn’t funny to make jokes about my height (we are not in jr. high anymore and I’m not that short) and don’t make jokes about my…
Obnoxious 80
This bitch is for the line of people that got on the 80 last night. There was a young couple with a stroller that were attempting to exit the bus, but because you were all a bunch of damn arseholes and couldn’t wait 30 seconds for them to get off, of course it was a…
Conspiracy Theory
To all of you stupid conspiracy nuts, stop vandalizing this city. I am sick of seeing these “911 was a inside job” and Infowars stickers stuck all over the city. Infowars is just a ridiculous conspiracy website run by a pseudo journalist. Anyone who has half a brain (surprisingly rare these days) can see though…
Bad Driver
Lucky for me I pay attention before I go into a crosswalk. You were texting on your phone, hands not at the wheel, obviously not driving with care and concern for those around you and when I yelled, “Thanks Buddy!” You had the nerve to give me the finger! Sad thing is you WILL cause…
Garbage, Garbage Everywhere
Canada’s ocean playground, my ass. What’s up with all the trash on our roads, in the ditches, and even stuck in the trees? What looks like a pirate flag blowing in a tree is nothing more than a black garbage bag. That white thing under the bush that might be a rabbit isn’t anything more…
Shoe Fly, Don’t Bother Me
I go to school full time and work pretty near full time and this makes for a tiresome day when I go to school for four consecutive hours and then work for another eight. I was aware that taking on a job with this many hours a week would require a lot of dedication and…
Lottery Scratch Lose
I was driving home to Halifax this weekend and the coffee had decided it was time to stop being rented. So I turned off at the Rawdon exit and found the nearest gas station. Feeling a bit guilty about using the facilities while not purchasing anything, I went to the counter to buy a coffee.…
Social Disservices
I don’t understand how government employees who have no people skills, who are overpaid and employed to assist people have such a difficult time doing just that. How are you going to work for Social Services or NS Student Assistance and not want to serve or assist people? How can you be employed to help…
You’ve Had a Bit Too Much to Drink
In my short time in Halifax I have learned that not only do people here like to drink more, they also enjoy fighting more, puking more and finding any chance they get to make a fucking scene. If you’re going to come into an establishment tanked off your fucking ass, don’t expect to be served…
Wasting My Time?
I wish you would just acknowledge that your actions affect me everyday. I wish you would see that while you THINK you are being a great boyfriend, I am quite disappointed on almost a daily basis. I know the smart thing to do is bail and find someone who appreciates me for all I am,…
Unthinkable
Is it just me or does anyone else find it a little weird that they’re having a festival atmosphere for the 100 year anniversary of the Titanic tragedy? In 100 years is New York going to have a festival with bands to commemorate the 2001 September 11 attacks? Seems a little disrespectful to the dead…
The One for Me
When I wake up next to you my heart smiles. I have been sick the past couple days and you have been so helpful. I am the luckiest girl alive and don’t think I don’t appreciate it. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I can’t wait. You are my…
To the Staff At the Blood Clinic
I just wanted to say thank you to the amazing wonderful helpful people at the Canadian Blood Services clinic for helping me out after I gave blood and started feeling not so great. Your kindness and compassion are much appreciated. I cannot thank you enough for everything you did for me. —Your Friendly Neighbourhood Nerdboy
Hey Rosetta!’s The Year You Were Born video gets into NSI Online Short Film Fest
The Winnipeg-based National Screen Institute has selected Gia Milani’s short film of Hey Rosetta!’s The Year You Were Born to be part of the NSI Online Short Film Festival, an all-year-long Canadian online fest screening a collection of 140 shorts (and growing). The short was originally made as part of the 10 x 10 Music…
An Earth Day resolution: learn how to manage a farmers’ market
A new farmers’ market manager-training program is currently being offered here in Nova Scotia. The course is the first of its kind, designed to provide farmers’ markets across the province with the business knowledge they requires to run smoothly. The 40-hour residential program covers everything from market management to human resource leadership, in two three-day…
Green Heritage Tree Services help Tree Canada
You can smell it in the air, and see the shoots of beauty emerging from the mud. With spring coming, many folks with yards or green spaces will be looking to clean up for the growing season. Green Heritage Tree Services (14 Cider Maple Drive in Timberlea, 789-8733) provides landscaping services including tree pruning and…
Love to The Coast
I submitted a bitch last week about the lack of buttons in the bitch section at the top of the page (which never got posted). Today I find there are buttons at the top of the page for oldest and newest bitches. I want to send out love to you, The Coast, for taking a…
Just Ask Me Already
I don’t mind helping out around the apartment, I really don’t, all you have to do is ask me. Do not bitch about how my boyfriend and I do nothing at all, can’t even rinse our dishes off when you have to wash them. Please look at those plates, we rinse off every plate, glass,…
ECMAs go off without a glitch
My 2011 East Coast Music Award week started late, but with the amount of bitchin’ talent booked all over Charlottetown, PEI it was impossible not to catch up to everyone else. I started at the Murphy’s Community Centre on Saturday afternoon. Bands were set up in a multipurpose room that reminded me of an old…
Andrew Hunter and the Gatherers rockin’ at Hunter’s Ale House
A short clip from Andrew Hunter and the Gatherers’ acoustic set Saturday afternoon at the K-Rock 105.5 stage at Hunter’s Ale House. A clip from Andrew Hunter and the Gatherers’ acoustic set Saturday afternoon at Charlottetown’s slickest venue, Hunter’s Ale House.
ECMA winners
Dave Gunning,Chris Colebaugh and Matt Anderson were among the few acts to take home multiple awards at this year’s East Coast Music Awards gala in Charlottetown, PEI. Here’s a quick rundown of the winners from this year’s event: Entertainer of the year: Chris Colepaugh and the Cosmic Crew Recording of the year: Wintersleep, New Inheritors…
The Kindness Killers do The Country Twist
The small town of Peterborough, Ontario is known for a few things; Trent University, the pervasive smell of oatmeal, and the Pig’s Ear, which hosts the best bar trivia night in Canada (no foolin’!). What you might not know is that it also boasts a fine tradition of folk and country music that includes musicians…
Sweetheart at Shoppers
You are working every time I come in and I know your job isn’t the best (cash never is) but thank you for always smiling! There is nothing better than a great cashier and one who actually cares. You once told me about the toilet paper going on sale the next day and you are…
Let’s Not Abuse Those Who Don’t Have a Voice
Dear university planning on raising international student fees, international students already pay almost 3 times what Canadian students do, regardless of academia, on top of having restricted access to most funding. I had been told that international fees were higher because of government funding from taxes that the permanent residents payed and foreigners didn’t, which…
Gingers Unite
I’m tired of all the anti-ginger hate in this city. We’re no different than people with black, blonde, brown hair, or whatever other color they may have. We can’t control being born with red hair. So fuck off. Stop pointing and staring. Stop it with the “Yo ginger” comments. Stop trying to count our freckles.…
Public Grass Mowers
I have watched you for a few years kill small and young trees with your careless use of the motorized string trimmers. These fucking tools severely damage the barks of young trees and eventually lead to their death. If the purpose of trimming is to beautify the city, you are doing a terrible job. I…
Viral Infection
Can’t believe you gave my World Of Warcraft dwarf HIV. What is wrong with you? You did this on purpose because I have a higher level than you. At the rate my health meter in dropping my dwarf will be dead in a week. This can’t be cured I have tried every healing potion I…
V Girl
To the beautiful goddess who works at a jewellery store in the HSC. You are the brunette with long hair, beautiful eyes, and a smile that melts me… sigh. It makes my day seeing you and I make sure I go out of my way to walk past your shop. Maybe someday I’ll get the…
Why Do We Have an Election?
It’s not like we need to go to the polls. Since I’m called every freaking night between 5 and 5:30 by any one of the political parties, asking if I will have their support in the upcoming election, I’d say, “No, we don’t need one.” Because, all they have to do is set up a…
Going to the Dogs
I can’t believe what is happening with the public library these days. If it wasn’t bad enough with the screaming daycare in the back, now there is a dog running loose inside. For the last few Saturdays at the Keshen Goodman library there has been some kids program taking place that has a dog in…
Security Guard Love
Just want to send out a sincere thank you to the security guard at a bar Friday night in Hali. I was way too drunk, lost my phone and asked if you could call a cab for me. Not only did you do so willingly, you also halted the line up until you got through…
Delusional Drivers
There are a number of people driving in downtown Halifax who seem to have a problem with cyclists using crosswalks. There have been many occasions where I have had drivers get dangerously close to hitting me on my bike while shouting obscenities and yammering on all pissed off and shit. Apparently, me being on a…
Atlantic Fringe Festival meeting outcome
Weather was dismal yesterday, but it looks like sunny skies for the 2011 Atlantic Fringe Festival. A preliminary meeting was held Sunday afternoon to help get the Atlantic Fringe Festival, or at least a variation of it, back on its feet. The Cultural Federation of Nova Scotia was packed as Fringe Festival supporters gathered to…
Grocery List
-Wraps… check. -Bacon… check. -Cheese… check. -A nice grocery store clerk who stumbled through the conversation, thought I was from Vancouver for wearing the jersey before the game, and had me still smiling to myself when at my front door… check. See you next week. —Canucks Fan
9 am Serenades
To my (maybe new?) and very talented neighbour that lives below me…. This could actually be a bitch, but is most definitely not! I have recently had to work some pretty crazy hours that mean I have to sleep in the daytime, and your practicing chills me out every morning before I go to sleep,…
Lazy Ass Kisser
To the lazy ass bitch that is so busy kissing ass to the higher ups, I complained to your manager about you and now you treat everyone like shit because of it. If you can’t handle the work find another job. Most people come to work but not to do your job for you. If…
Go Around
To the very cute couple who honked at me for no reason in your tiny Toyota Yaris, go the fuck around me! I was biking down Oxford and there was absolutely more than enough room for you to drive by me. But instead you have to honk at me, why? What does that accomplish? I’m…
Bishop’s Cellar launches new website
The multiple Best of Food-winning liquor store Bishop’s Cellar (Bishop’s Landing, 1477 Lower Water Street, 490-2675) has launched a brand new website with a particularly unusual and exciting feature. You can now order wine and have it delivered, all through the store’s online presence. Check it all out here. You can choose from 400 different…
Just Blowin’ in the Wind
Thanks a bunch to the person living across from me. Yeah, just leave your construction waste by the road. Don’t put it in a bag or anything, just DUMP it there. Also, don’t worry about wind or anything blowing debris straight into my car. Huge scratches, cost MONEY to fix. Money which I do not…
Good Food to move
The Good Food Emporium (2179 Gottingen Street, 422-3150) is pulling up sticks. The beloved north end eatery is moving into the space recently vacated by George & Lito’s—former home of The Pyramid Cafe and Cafe Vienna—at 2186 Windsor Street, just below Cunard. Good Food queen Carol LeBlanc reports that the move was prompted by the…
Pissed Off Mother
I had unwillingly allowed my daughter to attend this church (cult) with her new friends in Sackville, for my own reasons. I thought I would be open minded because there is nothing wrong with religion and to my surprise the people of this place have been BRAIN WASHING my child and filling her head with…
It’s Basic Spelling
Dear Medical Center: We spell it “centre” in Canada. Thanks for annoying the hell out of me every time I have to see you and your huge incorrect sign. I hope your healthcare will be better than your spelling. —Sigh
Hey Rosetta! added to M-Fest Lineup
The August megaconcert M-Fest has announced its full lineup today. In addition to Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Broken Social Scene, Diamond Rings and Surfer Blood, the day-long concert will feature Hey Rosetta!, Carmen Townsend, Glory Glory and In-Flight Safety. The concert is taking place Sunday August 7 at Alderney Landing and doors open at…
Mosaic is closed
According to Cooper Tardivel, the popular bar/restaurant and late night dance spot for nocturnal creatures has gone the way of all flesh. You’ll need to find somewhere else to get your exotic cocktails and shake your groove thing from now on.
You are the 5%
To the lady today who “vented” her opinion at me while entering the well established grocery chain that I work at, you spotted me and felt the need to tell me how annoying the music here was. I should have said to you: “M’am, would you like me to ask the fine gentlemen if they…
It’s There For Me, Not You
I never bitch. I calm down, collect myself, and get over my issue before I ever have a chance to bitch on The Coast; but I’m still mad so here goes. I know everyone has issues with self entitled pregnant woman who think the world should stop turning because they’re pregnant… and I completely agree.…
Greek Village heads down Quinpool
The Feed has learned that Greek Village (6253 Quinpool Road, 405-3750) is moving. It will be going in at the original location of Athens and the short-lived Central Grill at 6303 Quinpool on May 16.
Bloody, funny Scream 4
Rule number one: there are no rules in the latest Scream installment. A Facebook-savvy murderer reenacts the serial stabbings of the first Ghostface Killer when Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell) returns to Woodsboro as a bestselling author. Updating the cultural allusions, director Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson round up the original Scream team in this…
Titanic 100 events announced
[image-1] Yesterday’s Titanic 100 launch was a perfect time to ask the question that was on everyone’s mind this week. Not that Fringe Fest stuff, what is this, yesterday? Is Ken Pinto indeed bringing an iceberg into Halifax Harbour? Um, no. Apparently some totally lame naysayers claim an iceberg can stir up “metals and poisons…
Friday Five: Rekkid Edition
HERE IS EVERYTHING, RIGHT NOW1. Detroit Cobras – “I Wanna Holler (But the Town’s Too Small)” The Detroit Cobras and their brand of soul classics/garage moxie are coming back into my life in a big way recently. You can listen to them every day, regardless of mood, locale or sobriety, and the music is bound…
Bad Drivers
Thank you to the driver who caused the massive delay Thursday across the bridges. You’re a fucktard of the biggest kind. Did you honestly think you could beat the semi-tractor trailer and cut in front of him at the last moment from the “Barrington St/Downtown” lane to get onto the ramp? WTF were you thinking?…
Oblivitrons
I don’t know why, but there are few things (well, probably more like several) in this world that get me as mad as this: When you’re in a store, grocery or some sort of ‘mart, and there’s some oblivitron standing in the middle of an aisle with their cart pretty much blocking the whole aisle…
Dump Finger Puppet Politicians
Public money handouts for convention centres that aren’t commercially viable, $30+ billion for drawing board fighter jets we don’t need, bail-outs and giveaways for big business (small businesses are SOL, sorry) and lower taxes to boot. What about health care, electoral reform, climate change, education? With finger puppet politicians for mayors, for MPs, and MLAs…
Hit and Love
So after leaving a lovely evening with friends at Geeks vs. Nerds I came out to discover that the driver’s side mirror of my car was completely smashed and hanging by a thread (which promptly gave way when I touched it). What should have been a terribly frustrating/upsetting episode was salvaged by the awesomeness that…
A Tip of the Hat to Good Tippers
I would like to send some love and praise to all the good tippers out there! Thank you for understanding that in Canadian culture, it is custom to express your satisfaction with the meal, service and overall experience by leaving a little extra money to the staff at the restaurant. This money not only goes…
Give it a Rest
So, how long have the Mellotones been playing? Too damn long in my opinion. Do these jokers even have a single album after apparently several decades of playing? Are there not any other bands in Halifax that can play ‘dance’ music? Every fucking Thursday it’s the same thing. FUCK the FUCK OFF ALREADY! I don’t…
You’re Kidding Me, Right?
You are a piece of shit. The only time you ever talk to me is to see if I want to come over and let you eat me out. Or suggest we have sex. First off, I wonder if your fiance knows of this? You post on networking sites that you love her with all…
Metallica looking to play Citadel Hill July 14
[image-1] This morning, Cole McLean of Atlantic Canada Rocks announced that Metallica will play Citadel Hill July 14. The group has been touring with Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax on a the BIG FOUR tour; there’s no word if the other bands will be playing in Halifax. And in the Saint John Times & Transcript, McLean…
Polite Bus Etiquette
Dear lady on the #14 Leiblin Park who is sitting on the aisle seat with the window seat empty… why can’t you move over and let someone sit in the empty seat? This is a full bus and there are quite a few people standing, including me. I’m extremely shy which is why I’m not…
What Sick Days?
I hear this is common in fucking Nova Scotia. My sick days just rolled over. Rolled over? Fucking bleeding wanker right they just rolled over. I didn’t take one sick day last year. Not fucking one! I had surgery last week and had to take an extra day off for recovery. No problem, I’ll use…
Thankful Customer
To the woman working at a cafe & bakery on Waverley Road who saved my dinner: Me being dumb and put a dish of lasagna on the roof of my van while unlocking it, left it there while driving away. The woman sprinted out the door and caught me at the corner. Anyone who values…
Kudos to Surfers
A huge thank you to the group of surfers and their friends who spent last Sunday conducting a very thorough clean-up of Lawrencetown Beach. You accumulated an impressive mountain of garbage bags as well as broken lobster pots, old tires, pieces of plywood and other debris. Your work makes the beach even more beautiful for…
My Adoration Knows No Bounds
I think you’re wonderful. I’ve had a thing for you for a little while, but after the few dates with your friend, it would be tacky to pursue anything with you. I had my chance all those moon ago and let it pass me by. Now that things are said and done and you have…
Advertising Fail
Dear downtown seafood restaurant, seeing what you thought was a no doubt clever advertisement makes me want to swallow my tongue in self-defence every time I drive down Barrington St. What, in the name of Saint Holy Fuck of Fishsticks, made you think that a fork morphing into a fishhook would make people want to…
Tyler Shea wins Taylor Guitar’s “Test Drive Electric” contest
A big tip of the hat to Tyler Shea of Louisdale, Cape Breton who crooned his way through almost 1000 other musicians in Taylor Guitar’s “Test Drive Electric” contest. The payout for first place was a Taylor SolidBody electric guitar, free studio time, a Crybaby Wah pedal, Dunlap picks, Elixir strings and cables … And…
East Timor Benefit Track Played on NPR
Over a decade ago, DJ Chris Lawhorn put together a CD to benefit Oxfam’s Community Aid Abroad division, which provides aid to war-torn East Timor. The East Timor Benefit Album features a variety of music, from rockabilly, operatic metal. Then, last week, in a moment of resourcefulness or internet serendipity, NPR picked a track of…
suddenlyLISTEN springs a flashmob on you
[image-1] Who’s up for a flashmob? suddenlyLISTEN is presenting Transitory, a “flashmob style performance” happening this Saturday at the Stanfield International Airport. There will be two flashmobs, one happening at 3pm and the other at 3:40pm. suddenlyLISTEN produces improvised chamber music. This is their 10th anniversary season and this is their way of celebrating. If…
Tara Butler bids farewell to Ballet Jörgen with Coppélia
Tara Butler is at a crossroads. The 36-year-old principal dancer for Ballet Jörgen, the Toronto-based touring ballet company, is leaving the stage for a life that will her allow to focus more on home. “It’s time,” she says in a phone call from Toronto. “I’ve had an amazing career, but a dancer’s life is not…
Reaching Out for Support
I work for a HRM based non-profit that provides programs for persons with disabilities. As of late, our office has become a very toxic and unhealthy workplace… quite ironic, due to our mandate to model proper business behavior, management and comportment. As with most non-profits, we work under a boss who has hand-picked their Board…
Balcony Bitches
I live in a decent building on South and Barrington, supposedly occupied by professionals, older people, and mature students. So why the hell was I woken up at 3:30 am on a Wednesday morning by idiots on their balcony above me talking loudly and giggling incessantly? I’d like to say this is an irregular occurrence…
Pretentious Elitist
You are the most arrogant person I know (including myself). You pretend to be this philosophical intellectual but all your insights come from self-help books. You hate mainstream music for no reason other than the masses listen to it. You watch Hollywood blockbusters so I assume mainstream film is alright by you, just not music.…
Spring Cleaning
You are the last boarder I take in. You pay next to nothing for rent and never offer to clean up the house (most of the time it is your mess). At least flush the toilet once and a while (no one wants to see your shit). Everyday I tell myself I’m going to throw…
Did You See It?
Did you see it? Cyclist + car on Feb. 24th @ 1 pm at Dresden Row & Sackville. Did you see the car making a left turn, cutting off the cyclist, forcing her to bail/crash? There was a pretty, mid-to-late 30s brunette who saw, asked if I was okay. Do you know her? Are you…
Nice Guy Finishes Last Again
To the female driver of the stretched #1 bus this past Wednesday: Myself and others watched in amazement as you drove away from a gentleman you claim jumped onto the bus through the rear door… WHILE said gentleman was walking to the frontdoor of the bus as per your request. Well truth is you old…
Ca-uuutie
To the oh so adorable, music store employee in HSC, who wears the orange skinny jeans and has the grooviest hair… I can’t help but have a total 7th grade crush on you. —I Want You *Blushing*
Some Like It Hot
We were in a downtown Chinese restaurant just after lunch yesterday. We were together, separately. What you would normally order was out of stock, so you tried the ginger beef on the waitress’s recommendation. We faced each other, tables apart. All I could think was you looked like a very nice Dominant Daddy who could…
Pixies Rock, Loser Lost
The Pixies proved that they are masters of music, rocking the Metro Center from the rafters to the front row. However, I must send my disdain to the loser who was dragged away by 3 security guards with his hands clasped behind his back and his shoulders vibrating around as he struggled to break free…
Chebucto Townhouse Hippies
Long story short: you invited us into your backyard hippie campfire circle/dance party even though you didn’t know us at all. Had a blast with total strangers and it was pretty much the best random party I’ve ever been to. The full DJ kit on the back deck blasting out dubstep was a nice touch.…
My Boy
I love my boy. He is not like other men; he is thoughtful and not ashamed to show his feelings. He treats me like an equal. He is passionate about his beliefs and breathes positivity. He’s been my rock through many dark times and knows how to make me laugh when the grey clouds roll…
Summer is Coming
Summer is coming and those hot Metro Transit drivers in their hot shorts, ah ah ah. What could brighten up your hot summer day more than boarding a Metro Transit bus and seeing Mr. Perky peeping out at you? Cannot wait! —In Heat
Fair Trade
Kudos to the fair trade coffee shop on Barrington. I was jonesing for a coffee but short on change. Your staffer made my morning by giving me a dark roast anyway. The world is a friendly place! —Javinated
Mike Savage and Robert Chisholm face off
The Dartmouth-Cole Harbour riding is the site of one of the federal election’s true heavyweight bouts, with incumbent Liberal Mike Savage looking to fend off a challenge from the NDP’s Robert Chisholm. Both bring significant star power to the competition. Savage has served in Parliament since 2004, is currently vice-chair of the standing committee on…
Carbon Arc’s three weeks
Carbon Arc Cinema (at the the Khyber, 1588 Barrington Street) has a few things planned in the near future. Speaking in Code, directed by Amy Lee Grill, captures the lives of people brought together by a passion for music. Grill follows the creators, including her techno-loving husband, for several years, watching them get whisked away…
No sex: but don’t want a divorce
Q My wife and I click on just about every level—parenting, money, religion, politics—except for sex. After our last child was born, my advances were increasingly rejected. In an attempt to avoid pressuring her, I stopped initiating. One week passed, nothing. A month passed, nothing. A YEAR passed, nothing. Depression and anger set in. But…
Threesome fun
In a city where three or more is no longer a crowd, it’s time to indulge in an experience you won’t forget. We found a few great watering holes that are sure to whet your whistle (and your new chums’). Each place offers a special drink with three parts alcohol, served at several bars. But…
To the Very Few People
Yesterday afternoon, it was gorgeous in DT Halifax so I wanted to share some love. I purchased a little red bucket, I filled it with candy, and tried to give it to strangers. Not too many people took me up on my offer, but to those who did… HOORAY FOR YOU! I wasn’t soliciting anything,…
Manufactured Slum
“There’s a lot of quiet desperation in this neighbourhood,” says Kees Zwanenburg. The priest of Holy Trinity Emmanuel church, Zwanenburg’s one of the most qualified to gauge the state of the souls who live in the north end of Dartmouth. Just a stone’s throw from the church is Victoria Road, and across that busy thoroughfare…
Less booze and more fun with Lowest of the Low
Twenty years and 65,000 copies sold later, Shakespeare My Butt is back on store shelves and the Lowest of the Low is back on the road to promote its debut album re-release. A title mocking the narcissistic writer’s ego is “still relevant to the way we see music,” says the Low’s frontman Ron Hawkins. The…
Rio grates, sags
As befits an animated film set in Rio De Janeiro during Carnavale, Rio is a throbbing combination of rhythm and colour. The samba beats and tie-dyed palette comes in the service of a story about a nerdy blue macaw (Jesse Eisenberg) who’s yanked from domesticated life in Minnesota and brought to Brazil to mate with…
Happy Record Store Day, music nerds
Record Store Day, celebrated internationally on the third Saturday in April, still remains important to music lovers and makers in Halifax; for some, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. April 16 marks the fourth annual RSD, where independently owned record shops unite to honour the art of music and the people who create…
Win Win indie gold
The director of The Station Agent and The Visitor, Thomas McCarthy, strikes indie gold again with this warm comedy-drama about a struggling lawyer who brings a runaway teen into his family and onto his high school wrestling team. Attorney and grappling coach Mike (Paul Giamatti) sees an opportunity to pocket some extra cash when he…
Green homes
Despite government initiatives for green home-energy use, most consumers are clueless about how to get their homes off oil. The visionary solar city program, which will equip 1,000 HRM homes with solar-heated water, is just a start. As a recent press release states, “the Community Solar Pilot Project is designed to help residents take advantage…
Playing alone
“Bonnie Tyler’s a big one,” says Susan Leblanc-Crawford. “When we did the dishes, the person who dried—cause that’s the shittier job—got to pick the music. So we would rock out to Bonnie Tyler and Howard Jones and Jesus Christ Superstar, and play it really loud. The stereo was in the living room so we had…
The Reason
Fools is a big change from The Reason’s much heavier debut recording Ravenna. After changes in the band’s lineup, the Hamilton musicians have finally come together and released their third full-length album showcasing the band’s progression of melodious rock. Catchy guitar riffs—matched with powerful vocals and honest words—give the quintet a sound of its own.…
Jane Goodall’s good work
As her sister Judy explains in the documentary Jane’s Journey, Jane Goodall doesn’t take holidays. And this is despite having just turned 77. Last week Goodall was in Halifax, on her first trip to Atlantic Canada, to speak to high school students at the Discovery Centre. For interviews the lights are dimmed—she has sensitivity to…
Cursed Arrows
There’s something eerily prescient about Cursed Arrows’ third full-length album The Madness of Crowds. Although Jackie and Ryan Stanley composed most of the songs prior to their move here last October, the music is an urgent and appropriate backdrop for the early months of 2011. The album addresses themes of violence and desolation, environmental degradation…
Klezmer king
“I’m playing shows and getting free drinks and staying in hotels and riding on the train, it’s not like working in a coal mine, you know,” says Geoff Berner from a crowded bus ripping through tunnels in the mountains of Norway. “I’ve heard people complain about it and it’s like, wow, you’ve got high-class problems.”…
Imaginary Cities
Hugs are awesome. I appreciate that some people just aren’t into them, but to me they’re a triumph of human social evolution—flexible in application, intimate without crossing boundaries, a welcome reminder of the physicality that connects us as humans. Temporary Resident, the debut from Winnipeg duo Imaginary Cities, isn’t so dissimilar in its triumphs. Sometimes…
Grab bag
In some ways, the Halifax punk band The Graboids isn’t that different from the subterranean worm creatures from Tremors that form its namesake. Just as those snakey grubs stubbornly rammed the walls of Reba McIntyre’s bunker, so this foursome—Adrian Bruhm, James O’Toole, Michel Ungurain and Brian Carson—seeks to break through the usual punk tropes with…
Dinosaur Bones
Five piece indie-rock outfit Dinosaur Bones has been slaying the Toronto music scene for a few years of unsigned doldrums, but its recent acquisition by Dine Alone in 2010 has the band set to reach a wider audience. Made up of songs new and from previous EPs, My Divider offers a more polished sound, while…
West Side Story wows
Wow! That just about sums up my impression of Neptune’s energetic, engrossing and affecting season-ender West Side Story. The dancing is to die for, a high-energy expression of teen angst and hormones beautifully executed and choreographed so that the smallish stage seems twice its size. Bernstein’s tricky score seems effortless in the hands (or throats?)…
Mass Effect 2: The Arrival
The Arrival is the last piece of downloadable content for Mass Effect 2 before the winter release of Mass Effect 3. Unfortunately, this content was not the best that could be added to Commander Shepard’s experience, but it wasn’t terrible. Arrival is basically a rescue mission that goes slightly awry and Shepard doesn’t have any…
Irma Voth comes off the page
Miriam Toews, Governor General’s Award winner and Giller Prize Finalist, returns in her fifth novel to her award-winning Mennonite themes. As the novel opens, Irma Voth has just been left by her Mexican narco husband for being a bad wife, ostracized by her father for flouting her religion, and abandoned by her community in Mexico’s…
Angry Birds: Rio
For those who’ve been gnawing their fingers bloody waiting for something as compulsive as Angry Birds, a new edition is now available. Bummer then that this version of the game is tied to the 20th Century Fox animated movie Rio, out April 15, and there are no smug porkers in sight. Instead our pissed-off poultry’s…
Sprint to the finish with Recorded Routes
Wind through your hair, sun on your face, feet on the pavement and those lovely endorphins—it’s no surprise that recreational running inspired Victoria Manzer. “Health and wellness has always been a really important part of my life and I wanted to relate that to my art practice,” says the NSCAD student of the six-month-long project.…
Bossypants
Diablo Cody succinctly summed up the experience with a Sunday-evening tweet: “I read Bossypants way too fast. It should be a series, like The Baby-Sitters Club. You could get a new Bossypants at each school book fair.” Tina Fey’s slim, sharp new volume is aptly being compared to Nora Ephron (who, despite her diminishing screenwriting…
Mad Men: Season 4
If the first three seasons of Mad Men were a wild party, then the fourth is the hangover. The show maintains its well-established polish as it follows Don Draper’s (Jon Hamm) personal and professional life, now more intertwined than ever. The decadence and fedoras remain, but darker undertones reverberate with endless drinking, smoking and hiding from his…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19) In her blog, Jane at janebook.tumblr.com answers questions from readers. A recent query went like this: “Who would win in a steel cage match, Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny?” Jane said, “Easter Bunny, no question; he has those big-ass teeth.” But I’m not so sure. My sources say that Santa…
Seasonal delight
I was nine years old when I moved to Dartmouth. I’d spent most of my childhood living in the tiny village of Greenwood in the Annapolis Valley. Some of my first glimpses of Halifax were seen from the curved windows of what was then the Holiday Inn on Quinpool Road. Some of my first meals…
Human wrongs
Too bad Elizabeth May wasn’t allowed on the TV election debates. The Green Party leader says she would have raised Canada’s shameful treatment of its aboriginal peoples, the widening gap between rich and poor, the continued inequality of women and mass arrests at the G20 summit in Toronto. These are issues of crucial importance to…
Ken Pinto drops by the Coast office to discuss the Fringe Festival
Former Atlantic Fringe Fest director Ken Pinto came by the office to discuss the fallout from yesterday’s announcement that announced Pinto was putting the festival on hold for two years while he focused on Titanic 100. Pinto reiterated the points he made on Mainstreet yesterday afternoon, saying that he had some people in mind for…
Van Gore wins new Hobo fake trailer contest
Mineville, Nova Scotia’s own Keith Hodder has taken down the Hobo with a Shotgun contest with his extra-bloody fake trailer Van Gore. Hodder’s film sliced and diced its way through the competition and ended up the contest’s top online vote-getter. On top of bragging rights and victorious glory, Hodder gets his fake trailer onto the…
