NSCAD film students screen shorts
This Wednesday, April 20 at 7pm, the Film 1 & 2 class at NSCAD University is hosting their end of year public screening at the Park Lane Cinema (5657 Spring Garden Road). Six short films (at least) created in the past eight months will be screened. They are: Smoulder by Karolina Szablewska Her Daughter’s Eyes…
The Best of Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival at the Musuem of Natural History
Planet in Focus has teamed up with the Alliance of Natural History Museums to bring a cluster of award-winning eco-docs across the country. The tour, called The Best of Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival, looks to highlight the current state of the Earth’s environmental crises and hopefully spark some inspiration for change. The tour…
Long Live the Queen Full Lineup and Schedule
SISTER Here’s the full lineup for the Long Live the Queen Festival, happening this May long weekend (May 19-22.) Street fairs! Brunches! Hip-hop! Round robin thingys! Bands/full schedule below. Get tickets from Taz Records and Obsolete Records as well as at longlivethequeen.ca Thursday, May 19th Obsolete Records 3pm (Free Event) Chief Thundercloud + Jay Crocker…
Canada’s ocean research at risk, say scientists
As the Harper government prepares to spend $20 billion for 65 new fighter jets many say are unneeded, government scientists are quietly complaining that a single new ocean research ship is woefully under-budgeted at $120 million, putting the future of Canada’s marine science at risk. The scientists are so alarmed about plans for the new…
Hell in a Hand Basket
To the work crew and 3 or 4 stop sign holders who just watched and then looked away as I twisted my ankle in a pot hole and fell in to the street: Wow! Where am I again? Queen, Birmingham and Artillery Place is where. —Day Tripper
Highway Crosswalk?!
What a sight to see from my balcony last evening: a woman pushing a stroller and pulling a kid with the other arm across 4 lanes of traffic. WTF?! That’s the last thing drivers expect to see on the Circumferential Highway at 6:45 pm. Have you got shit for brains? The speed limit on the…
Bunch of Complainers
I know why this city fails to move on anything for at least 10 – 15 years. Because there are always people who have some ridiculous excuse or reason as to why they think it is a bad idea. Instead of weighing the pros and cons, they focus on the cons. And the rest of…
Look Up!
To the herds of people who get off the 185 and 159 at Scotia Square every morning: Please take a brief second to LOOK UP when you’re all rushing up the stairs into the mall. Every freaking morning when I am leaving (and thus heading down the stairs) I have to try and dodge people…
Red Light, Idgit
Yeah, that’s right. I pulled up beside you on my bicycle and called you an idgit for biking through that red light. Look, lights only last a minute or so, so relax and wait. That minute is a minute that all of the cars drivers that watched you got to stew yet again about ‘all…
Quaker Parents and Dream Friends tapestravaganza
[image-1] Remember cassettes? Well, better dig out your boomboxes because Quaker Parents and Dream Friends are having a split-tape release show this Friday. Special guests Long Weekends will also be joining the party. The split will be called Tap Turns Off/Dream Girls, and will feature nine new tracks. Five mathy and sure-to-be catchy indie rock…
Concrete Roots’ dance battle on Friday will shake the neighbourhood
Concrete Roots brings together the youth of Atlantic Canada through positive hip hop promotion and urban dance. More specifically, bboying and bgirling—AKA breakdancing. Drew Moore, Concrete Roots director, says the company is all about giving youths an opportunity to do something positive while promoting the local breakdance community. “I like seeing the youth develop confidence,”…
Do the Wave
The sign on the bus’s back door says, “To open door, wave hand HERE”. Having seen hundreds of interpretations of the instructions from my captain’s chair, I have but one question: Do you wave to other people by moving your hand up and down? Do you poke and prod your friends looking for that magic…
Get inside Ballet Jörgen’s head
Ever wanted to shadow a top notch ballet company? Even before Black Swan came out? Well, here’s your chance! On April 19, Ballet Jörgen Canada is holding their most popular contest, Coppélia for a Day! It will be held at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium and winners will get the chance to shadow the company as…
HRM Cultural Affairs needs you!
[image-1] Halifax Cultural Affairs is searching for artists to participate in a variety of ventures within the city. The Open Projects 2011-2012 invites anyone with creative interest and an investment in civic spaces to propose installations, intended for public domain. Artists are encouraged to consider their environment and submit ideas that give the area new…
Atlantic Fringe Festival meeting announced
Action is being taken on the recent announcement that the Atlantic Fringe Festival will be put on hold for two years. A meeting is now scheduled for Sunday, April 17 at 12pm at the Cultural Federations of Nova Scotia (1113 Marginal Road). The meeting is open to anyone in support of the festival and of…
CKDU seeks homeless or low-income musicians for compliation
CKDU is looking to put out a CD in order to raise cash for the homeless, and it needs help from low-income and homeless people. In fact, CKDU is looking for homeless artists to perform on the record. Songs should be centred around what the homeless experience is like, while staying positive and informative. And…
Look Before You Step
Dear haligonian pedestrians, although the overly defensive drivers of our fair city have taught you otherwise, YOU DON’T ALWAYS HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY. Too many times I’ve almost killed someone due to their blindly walking out into the street, crosswalk or not. Apparently you think cars can stop instantaneously because your glorious self graces…
Awesome Bus Driver on the #10
I take the last #10 from Dal every night, however the driver on Tuesday Night actually kept checking his mirror for running passengers prior to leaving Dal! I have seen him many times lately and it is always the same thing. After starting to leave he noticed a student running and stopped the bus and…
Snow peas? S’no problem!
To the guy who works the salad bar at a downtown grocery store in the afternoons, you make my day! The little phrases you come up with every now and then (‘Snow peas? S’no problem!’) make me giggle a lot. You may not think anyone notices that you change your funny quips from time to…
Vote, But Not Like Sheep
We have a federal election happening on May 2nd. I live in the Halifax West riding (i.e. Fairview, Clayton Park, Bedford, Hammonds Plains, Timberlea, etc.), and for years my riding has elected Geoff Regan (Liberal) as its MP. From all reports, he has been a decent bureaucrat, but I rarely recall hearing about his activities…
Vroom!
To the little old lady I saw get cut off in the crosswalk near a downtown grocery store—props to you for screaming/swearing at the moron who was clearly not paying attention as he pulled out into the street and almost hit you, as you were in the middle of the crosswalk! Hopefully he will pay…
To My Boyz
Thank you for making music with me. You all inspire and add to my joy every day. This CD is going to kick ass. —The Vox
All The Love In The World
Dear Halifax, every time I read the “Love” section in The Coast you remind me why I’m still here, why I still live in this charming little place and not in some great big city like Toronto. All the love for beautiful passers-by, for your friends, your dog, the drunk girls who scream “wooooo” at…
Crowbars now available. (To eat!)
We now have an energy bar to call our own: The Crowbar made by hand here in Halifax. “The Crowbar is about twice as large as the average energy bar, and is free of wheat, dairy and refined sugar,” explains bar-expert Breighan Hunsley. “It’s also full of fibre, omega threes, protein, calcium and iron, and…
Boutique Joliette hosts bridal show
Boutique Joliette (1870 Hollis Street, 405-4057) is hosting Petals & Pearls, a one day bridal trunk show showcasing bridal and bridesmaid jewellery and accessories by local designers Vive Jewelry and LouLouBell. Brides are invited to bring their dress, photos, and/or fabric swatches to help coordinate their outfits for that special day. Brides are also encouraged…
Leave Homeless People Alone
To the big bald guy with an umbrella screaming non-stop at the old homeless guy on Agricola and Robie at 4pm on Tuesday. WTF were you thinking? What gives you the right to scream at a another human being like he’s a dog on the street? Your scene was noticed by a lot of people…
A Rose of Words for My Lady in “Rose”
*Sigh* Oh, PINK… As beautiful as you are, you make me sad. Not a day goes by when I don’t see you, waiting for the ferry all by yourself and engrossed in a spy novel, and tear my heart out hoping you’ll notice me… maybe even smile at me. I only wish I were brave…
It’s Not Like They’re Totally Innocent
How many of the last year’s homicides were innocent people? Each time we see in the media that famous line “…known to police.” Heck, consider it pest control. Let them pick each other off… just don’t waste time reporting it. I’m tired of hearing about all these gangsters shooting each other up. Hell, that’s all…
Halifax rally calls on Ottawa to re-direct military spending
Halifax peace rally calls for re-direction of military spending to health, education, environment.
Breaking news: CBC’s Mainstreet discusses the Atlantic Fringe Fest issue with Ken Pinto and Stewart Legere
Stewart Legere (Zuppa Theatre, The Safety Position) and Ken Pinto made an appearance on CBC’s Mainstreet to talk with host Stephanie Domet about today’s announcement that the Atlantic Fringe Festival will be put on hold for up to two years while Pinto works on the Titanic 100 project. Legere was able to express many concerns…
Breaking news: Atlantic Fringe Festival to be put on hold for two years
The pause button has been hit on the Atlantic Fringe Festival. Ken Pinto, the festival’s artistic director, has decided to put it on hold for two years while he focuses on Titanic 100. Needless to say, prospective Fringe-goers and participants are not happy. Michael McPhee, an actor, producer and participant in past Fringe shows, has…
Viewfinders International Film Festival begins
The Viewfinders International Film Festival for Youth starts this evening, with a gala screening of African Cats, a Disney documentary following three groups of big predatory cats on the African savanna. For those who don’t know, the festival screens films made for (and occasionally, by) children. There are plenty of educational opportunities and workshops for…
The Coast at the ECMAs this weekend
Keep the Coast bookmarked on your web browser for upcoming blogs, videos and pictures from the East Coast Music Awards performances on PEI this weekend. Get a rogue’s eye view of the random bar hoppin’s, hotel room jammin’s and overall shenanigans happening around Charlottetown’s modest but thriving downtown hub. There’s shitloads of Halifax talent that’ll…
Two Planks and a Passion go all Boardwalk Empire on your ass
Award-winning Two Planks and a Passion theatre company is celebrating its 20th birthday with a 1920s-themed gala called The Speakeasy on Saturday, April 16. The shindig will host an auction, live music, dancing, gambling and a three-course meal, all happening at the Ross Creek Centre for the Arts (555 Ross Creek Road, Canning) Make sure…
Pay to Play?
Dear HRM bar owners, some of us have years of experience and a following. Some of us have spent countless hours honing our craft. Of course you’d rather pay nothing to have live music in your bar—it’s a profit thing, we get it. But most of us expect to make at least enough cash to…
You May Be Right…
But can you just STOP pulling the ‘minority card’? I mean, seriously, just because you’re female, or non-caucasian, or ‘differently-abled’ it doesn’t mean that EVERYTHING that doesn’t go your way can be attributed to that. Sometimes the world works the way it works, and it has nothing to do with what YOU see as your…
Stores are for People Who Have Money
Our stores aren’t in this mall for you and your lowlife friends to loiter in. It’s obvious you don’t have any money, you’re not going to buy anything, so don’t touch the fucking goods. We don’t want your grubby penniless hands touching anything. You all walk around obviously trying to steal something. No stores here…
Learn to Wipe Your Ass
Dear Roommate, we’ve been living together for 8 months now. For the last 8 months I have bought the toilet paper EVERY time we ran out. This is annoying enough on its own, but the greater issue is that we somehow seem to go through 1 roll a day between the two of us! I…
Marriage Rules
Honey, why do you pride yourself on not going with the flow and getting married like your peers? You stay single and have casual encounters with men all throughout your 20s. You talk about being happy that you’re single in your 20s but plan to settle down in your 30s. You go on and on…
High End?!
First off, I would like to say that I have a deep love for online classified sites and the amazing deals you can find on there but lately they seem few and far between. Seems like I come across some ads that are ridiculous! Yes, you have the right to sell your furniture at whatever…
Seriously?
Recently someone I know was injured during illegal activity and I have now been invited on Facebook to a fundraiser to help this person and their significant other financially? ARE YOU SERIOUS?! No! I will not come to your fundraiser and you are ridiculous to actually expect others to do so. What led to your…
Cyclist Rights
As a cyclist, we have the same right to access the road as vehicles. Yesterday was a wonderful day to bike to Peggy’s Cove from Halifax. Myself and 5 friends all biked on the road in a 2 by 3 formation. Sure, we cannot do the 80km/hr speed limit, but we have the right to…
Hello Cutie
Hello darling/Allô beauté/Allô toi encore, I see you everywhere around town, and though I am never seeking you out, you appear in my line of vision in delightfully serendipitous moments. Whenever we meet I feel joy & luck & the loveliness of being on my side. You really light this place up. When we talk…
My Dear
My dearest Aeris, thank you so much for being so amazing to me. This past week has been the happiest and best week of my life. I loved being able to see you everyday, it ment so much to me. Thank you my dear, you are so very beautiful. I love you so much sweetpea.…
Adapting to a New Home
To all the Haligonians, all the friendly, smiling pedestrians who greet me on the street and the extremely polite drivers who go out of their way to stop for me so I can safely cross the street. I thank you all. This is my first year living in Halifax, and coming from the big city…
Oil Ideas
Okay oil is $112.00 US/barrel which in Canadian is roughly $1.04. Tell me why the fock gas keeps going up if the focking US buck is in its death spiral? Also, we’ve got more oil than the Saudis. Why don’t we just keep that sh*t for ourselves and sell it to ourselves at a HUGE…
Megan Forte at Love, Me
Looking to get a head start on a gift for Mom? Jewellery designer Megan LeForte will be having a trunk sale at Love, Me Boutique (1539 Birmingham Street, 444-3668) this Saturday, April 16, 11am – 1pm. Pieces from LeForte’s collection, Stella Polaris, will be for sale, as well as pieces of it. Literally. LeForte will…
Breaking news: Halifax RCMP commander Darrell Beaton to be replaced
Darrell Beaton, commander of the Halifax RCMP detachment, will soon be replaced. Beaton holds the rank of superintendent, but RCMP brass has decided to upgrade the commanding rank to chief superintendent. “It’s an opportunity for us now to increase the rank, but also about showing a commitment on behalf of the RCMP to the Halifax…
Roberts Street Social Centre announce their 2011 Summer Shed residents
[image-1] Although people winding up in sheds for two weeks is more likely to happen on an episode of Criminal Minds, these artists are doing it voluntarily. Shed season is starting up again for the Roberts Street Social Centre, who will happily welcome 13 lovely new tenants starting May 9. Each of these tenants will…
Snaubar closes
The Feed has learned that Snaubar (1535 Dresden Row) has closed. You’ll need to find your delicious shawarma and other middle eastern specialties elsewhere.
Forced to Walk…
On the road because there isn’t a sidewalk! OK I am a driver, a pedestrian, and a bus commuter. I live in a place where there are NO SIDEWALKS on our main road and I am forced to walk on the shoulder of the road. I have become accustomed to this daily trek but what…
Police Presence at a Police Funeral
In light of the death of the Chief of the CB Police, it has been reported that hundreds of police officers from all over Canada will be attending the funeral to show their respect. WHY and at what COST to the TAXPAYER? Where did this practice originate? I feel sympathy for this man’s family, and…
Dumbfounded
I was recently watching a TV rerun with a certain news personality who went to eat at an African American restaurant and he proceeded to say, “Black people have had a rough go of it… some of them can’t get past that.” What do they have to get past? Why do people treat it as,…
Second Time in a Row
I know you don’t like me and quite frankly I don’t like you either. You’re a bitter, lonely and self-righteous bitch who for whatever reason thinks you’re above me. I know your rotten personality is simply a defense mechanism because you hate yourself but if we are forced to co-exist in this small town, do…
Dear Job
What happened to my Monday to Friday? What happened to my 9 to 5? Why am I here every weekend now? You changed my contract on me and I didn’t complain because I need the money. I’m tired of working 10+ days in a row. Please have a kind heart and hire more staff. —Exhausted
Be Nice to Your Girlfriend
Your girlfriend is a friend of mine. I haven’t seen her in a long time. When I do see her, she seems drained, depressed, worried, stressed out and angry. She doesn’t say a word to me about you. She’s PROTECTING you (instead of herself). All she’s ever said is that you’re always telling her she…
Thanks for Smashing My Mirror
Thanks for smashing my passenger side mirror on my car on Friday night (April 9th) while I was working overnight. It is fantastic that this is going to run me around $150.00 to $200.00 to get fixed. I’m on a single income as I’m helping to put my girlfriend through school and this is going…
Civility
Why is that you most likely don’t understand what civility is? It’s the commonplace rudeness we have vomited on us each day. Continuing our day not seeing the colourful peas and carrots on our person, the sweet and sour scent we’ve acquired. Oh, and that little bit of rudeness we do ourselves, sweet angelic us.…
Bridal Plasty
I watch my fair share of television shows that are my guilty pleasures. It never hurt anyone to watch Ace of Cakes or a little bit of Cougar Town. However, I can honestly say that I have never been so offended as I was by a television show I happened upon one day entitled “Bridal…
Behind the scenes of The Guys Who Move Furniture
Now that The Guys Who Move Furniture starring Will Sasso has finished shooting over in Dartmouth, director Mike Clattenburg has posted dozens of photographs up on Facebook, taken while the shoot was on. Check these out as a sample, or visit his Facebook page for the full monty. (We think they’re available to be seen…
Handshake on the Dance Floor
To club going men, your sense of masculinity has been a socially derived stereotype put upon you. You do not have a biological right to get behind a woman you don’t know and “grind” her. Nor is it even socially acceptable to do so without an introduction. —What’s My Name?
Twice Upon a Time offers recycled joy
Amanda Langley is a mother of two and started Twice Upon a Time a few months ago as a means for parents such as herself to buy inexpensive, “gently worn” handmade clothes for their kids. A huge fan of thrift stores, she hand-picks top-notch used clothes from around the city, washes, repairs and alters them…
STFU & Sit Down
To the pathetically desperate girl in the red coat standing two inches away from the bus driver on the #14, telling him stories about your affection for lavender-coconut rooibos tea… I’m pretty sure he doesn’t give a fuck about anything you are saying—as do all of us who had to be subjected to your insipidly…
No Need to Spend
Recently I met a man that I got along with quite well and we have continued to talk and see each other. There is only one problem with this man and a number of other men that I have met in Halifax. The media continuously portrays men as the provider and societal norms reinforce that…
If He Only Had a Heart
To the local appliance service technician (aka The Tin Snip Man) who decided he should help himself to the brand new tin snips that were in the room where you serviced my tenants appliance: I KNOW they were located where you were working because I placed them there the night before as I had planned…
Kardinal Offishall cancelled
Due to a last-minute scheduling conflict, old Kardi has cancelled his show at Casino Nova Scotia on Saturday April 16. Tickets can be refunded through Ticket Atlantic. Console yourself with this old chestnut:
Unrequited English Breakfast
To Mr Tall, Dark and Accent, when you first walked into the coffee shop where I worked, I was instantly smitten. Who wouldn’t swoon? You’ve gotta be at least 6’3″, you have the deepest brown eyes, the gentlest manners, and such a thick, beautiful British accent, I could barely understand your latte order the first…
Teen Suicide Task Force
There have been teen suicides due to cyber bullying appearing frequently over the news recently. The province has also just announced the fruition of a special ‘task force’ to deal with cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is not a new phenomenon; it has been a part of some teenagers’ lives since they were old enough to…
Equal Opportunity to Suck
I’m kinda tired of the bad female drivers stereotype. I mean sure some chicks are awful drivers but that’s just because they’re awful drivers… not because they have boobs! Just the other day a MAN swerved into my lane because he was texting and driving. Another time I saw a male driver try to turn…
Sappyfest Lineup Lookin’ Gooooooood
gimme The initial acts for the Sackville, NB love-in Sappyfest have been announced and so far the list pleases me immensely. Most exciting is the inclusion of Toronto’s Bonjay. Bonjay makes amazing stream-of-consciousness dancehall and prominently features the singing/mumbling/rapping of the jaw-droppingly cool Alanna Stuart. Actually, just stop doing whatever you’re doing for a second…
Something Needs to Change
Ever since I got to Halifax, I have loved the city and love the people in it. For the most part, everyone is quite friendly and seem to understand the social standard. The one thing though that I don’t understand is how there are so many homeless people in such a small area. Now, I’m…
Degree Factory
Anyone else hate how post-secondary seems to be manufactured? Get in, get your degree, get out! No help with life or job acquisition skills. Just give us your money and if you don’t have the right amount of cultural or social capital than too bad for you. —Durk Weber
Nail Biters
First of all, biting your nails is gross. Do you have any idea how much grossness lives under your fingernails? But what really makes me sick, is those of you who bite your nail down so far that half of your finger tip sticks up OVER the top of your nail. And I see you…
Cafe Couple
To the two wicked employees (the ever so hyper lady whom I know from HD… small world! & the guy with angelic blonde hair) working Friday night at a Barrington coffee shop. You two made our studying night! Sorry & thanks for letting us work late into the eve & for the smiles. —Newly Moved…
Thanks for Stealing My Identity
I would like to tell the lousy building superintendent I had that you are a complete dumbass. Thanks for stealing my identity, opening up a credit card in my name and stealing my mail! If you can’t pay your bills cut back on your smoking and sell your car, you don’t steal from hard working…
Spider-Man Backpack
To the girl with the Spider-Man backpack in line on Saturday night. I told you how awesome your backpack was but missed what you said because my friend started leaving with the cookies I had just bought. Just thought you should know you were super cute, and I really did love your backpack. —Wishes He…
The McDonaldization of Music
I hate what consumer culture has done to the music industry and music production in general. The Black Eyed Peas, Britney Spears, Lady GaGa, LMFAO, Tiesto, Justin Bieber, Ke$ha, Taio Cruz are but only a few manifestations of what has gone wrong with the music the younger generation listens to today. Their generic sound and…
YouTube Fans and Loving Life
To the group of young-middle-aged people walking down University towards Dal just before dusk on Friday—you are all awesome. Happily quoting YouTube videos, being silly and loud and loving life. You apologized to me (how very Canadian!) for being a noisy jovial group and walking in the same space as me, but I don’t think…
Sidewalks
So, we all know, unless we are a hermit, or are somehow unable to differentiate between weather conditions, that Halifax is a very rainy city. Rain has haunted you on your way to work, when your basement floods in, or on your way to school when you get splashed by yet another careless Haligonian, blasting…
Music 1021: Listening Beyond the Classics
This goes out to the handsome guy who always wore headphones. Thanks for making Wednesdays a day to look forward to. Wish I had the nerve to come over and talk to you when I had the chance. Here’s to hoping I’ll see you this summer. —Music Lover
Instant Karmic Retribution
I’ve had a great string of luck recently and since I’m in a great sunny mood, I thought I’d send out some love. Thanks to all the bus drivers I’ve had recently—including the one who pulled over en route to let me on after I’d missed it. Thanks to the firemen who treated our faulty…
No Matter What
Coming from someone who grew up in a very health-conscious family, it is practically sinful for me to even consider letting my thoughts drift to fast food cravings. All my life, my mother has preached to me about the negative consequences to eating fast food, such as weight gain, high cholesterol, and even the uncertainties…
Who is this Bus Driver?
You are tall and lean with red hair. You used to drive the number 7 at times. I think that you also drive a harley. I see you cruising around in the Bedford area. you are unforgettable. Well, maybe, soon someday I will find out. —Very Curious
To the Kind Gentleman
To the kind gentleman who rushed to help the elderly lady across the street and proceeded to walk with her to her bus stop. You make us remember that chivalry is not dead. —Gracious Onlooker
Texting > Conversation
I believe that texting is one of the biggest social barriers in today’s society. To me, there is nothing more obnoxious than when I’m hanging out and talking with friends, and without warning they whip out their phone and practically forget I’m there. Sometimes I could be in the middle of a sentence and I…
Heroine’s trunk shows continue
After three years in the Creative Crossing building, Heroine has closed its Charles Street doors. The Halifax fashion boutique run by Jodi Manley will move its trunk show series to the new art and event space at 2053 Gottingen, known simply as 2053. Here’s the designer schedule for this spring’s trunk shows, starting next weekend:…
A gothic, beautiful Jane Eyre
Cary Joji Fukunaga’s Jane Eyre is a riveting adaptation of the Charlotte Brontë novel. Jane (Mia Wasikowska), a strong-willed governess, falls in love with her boss—the lecherous-turned-lovable Mr. Rochester (Michael Fassbender)—who owns the haunted Thornfield Manor. Fukunaga tastefully alters the book’s plot and reconstructs the story in a suspenseful, non-linear fashion, using flashbacks to summarize…
30 Day Song Challenge: An Angry Song
Wow, I’ve really fallen off the wagon with this….as Bryan Adams once said, “Please forgive me?”In honor of tomorrow’s exciting concert event, today’s entry in the 30 Day Song Challenge – a song that you listen to while angry – features the awesome power of the Pixies’ classic rant against vacuous college kids, “U-Mass.” It’s…
Pixies love that we love them
Pixies posted on their Facebook page that they have landed in Halifax, with a wall photo of our Coast cover of them landing in Halifax. My brain hurts.
Military Madness
The wankers who were sucked into buying the 4 submarines from the Brits should be keel hauled, lashed and publicly ridiculed. The Navy has spent untold millions of dollars on these 4 clunkers, of which, allegedly, only 1 is sea-worthy. The latest fiasco is that the same military nitwits are planning on spending $120 million…
Box of Crap
Can anyone explain why they only pick up compost bins once every 2 weeks? It’s gonna start to get fishy around here soon. —PU
10lbs of Crap in a 5lb Bag
Dear person responsible for measuring lines in a recently repaved parking lot: WTF? Not everybody owns a Mini. Some people own vehicles wider than 4 feet across. How the hell am I supposed to park in these teensy spaces? —Wide Load
Bathroom Nuisance
Dear bathroom musician, I do not appreciate you playing your guitar in the bathroom in my residence when I am showering, it is really creepy and makes me uncomfortable. There are many other alternative options for where you can practice your instrument that do NOT include the men’s washroom. I know that there are other…
Extending the Area Rate
The demise of the community centre was a horrible, devastating thing, agreed. However at what time and or who gave our present councillor and volunteer board to approach HRM to extend this tax rate and at what point were we going to be formally educated on this situation? This is unacceptable and self serving, to…
Ungrateful Bitch
You were walking home near the malls in Bedford screaming obscenities at your mother who is in a wheelchair. Your two toddlers were listening as you screamed that you don’t f’n have to do what she f’n says and she can f off and on and on with the f-bomb for your children, myself and…
Middle Lane Hoppers
Really folks, The Macdonald Bridge is busy in the afternoons to Dartmouth, but the slow lane (right) is so slow because of all you folks who think it’s ok to speed up the middle lane and cut over at the end before the tolls. Folks, get in the lane you need to be in and…
Dear Afternoon Bus Driver on a Power Trip
You are a very rude man. This is not the first time I have seen you being so unnecessarily snarky. If your passengers don’t hold their transfers or passes 2 CENTIMETRES in front of your face, not only are they yelled at and the line held up but they are also attacked with snide comments.…
Packing Up
University is a place were people come to get a higher level of education. Some people come here with a plan for their future and some do not. Some people spend their weekends drinking, and some do not. And above all some people are more mature than other people. In kindergarten, we all learn VERY…
Dear Best Friend’s Boyfriend
Your girlfriend and I are very good friends. We spend part of nearly every day together, except weekends because that is your time together. My friend knows that I am bisexual and since she told you, you now know too. You make comments to your girlfriend to imply that she is cheating on you with…
Dear Kitty Hospital Vet and Staff
Dear Dr. and Staff, you saved my kitty. He had a mass, you diagnosed, performed surgery, and gave my kitty a second chance. I am overwhelmed by your kindness and skill. Thank you, thank you, a million times thank you. He is now back home with me recovering, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank…
Our Virtual Self
Don’t watch television and sit on Facebook, you’ll forget about the world out there. Put away your iPhone, throw away your blackberry; go find the person you’re trying to get in touch with. If they’re across the country, write them a letter, the written word is a beautiful thing. Unfortunately we have been split in…
Hey Squirrel
You are leaving for Toronto in just a couple of hours. Thank you so much for everything. You have brought me back to life and now I wish you the very best as you spread your wings and fly. You are a precious Angel and I love you Bubbies. —Bradbeboobly
Name That Smell
Is today National Smelly Bus Day? I have to take 2 buses to get to university and it’s an unpleasant and long experience in itself, but please, can’t we have clean air on-board? The first bus this morning smelled like wet cardboard mixed with urinal cakes. I didn’t see any cardboard. None hiding under the…
Waffles in Dartmouth!
The Waffle Experience has set up shop at the Dartmouth Farmers’ Market, which runs Saturdays, 8am-1pm at Alderney Landing. The new waffle joint has four flavours to choose from: traditional, apple walnut & blackberry, orange-lavender and chocolate overload (for the sweet-toothed among you). You should watch out for the occasional limited-time or seasonal flavour as…
Hobo With A Shotgun a hit in cinemas and with downloaders
[image-1] Hobo With a Shotgun has taken off at the box office. It’s the most popular Canadian-made movie to see in theatres right now, and word-of-mouth is doing its job to sell the film. Hobo has also made a serious climb on the downloading charts, having made The Pirate Bay’s top 100 downloads list. The…
Hanna delivers thrills, teeth
Hanna is a lot of things. Its surface is suggested in the trailer: Saoirse Ronan is the titular teen, raised since diapers to be a polyglot killer by her father, Erik (Eric Bana), hiding in snowbound wastes from CIA nasty and dental hygiene obsessive Marissa (Cate Blanchett) until she’s old enough to face up to…
Outsider art: Y-Level’s COME FROM AWAY! show honours Halifax
Y-Level’s COME FROM AWAY! (April 8-May 7, opening April 8 at 6pm at the Eye Level Gallery, 2159 Gottingen) focuses on Canadian culture filtered through the wonderful city of Halifax. “There are so many talented practicing artists who live here and so much great art being made, it can’t be ignored,” says Y-Level curator Natalie…
Solo Hair Salon offers full aethetics services
Solo Hair Salon (1474 Brenton Street 406-8804) now offers full aesthetics services on top of the salon services they’ve been offering since the spa opened in October. Found directly above the Sun Room tanning salon, operations manager Kelly Valentine says the downtown location has been a great spot for the business. The salon offers a…
Big laugh: The 2011 Ha!ifax ComedyFest is coming for you
[image-1] The 2011 Ha!ifax ComedyFest is sixteen years old; a time typically associated with awkward encounters with the opposite sex, problem skin and moodiness. Festival producer Kim Hendrickson says it plans on rebelling and breaking all the rules with the likes of Godfrey, Tim Steeves and Greg Hahn This year’s festival also introduces you to…
thirtySomething dance co-operative: Dance From Another Angle Presented in 3D.
The thirtySomething dance co-operative is hitting the stage at the Neptune Theatre this weekend, with its new show Dance From Another Angle Presented in 3D. The tSdc is a Halifax-based performance group that has been working together since 2004. The members have training in several forms of dance, from tap to jazz to ballet. “This…
Is future urban farm site contaminated?
Four years after Queen Elizabeth High School was closed, the province is finally demolishing it. But according to one industry insider, the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal (TIR) is violating HRM’s demolition rules. “If this wasn’t a government job it’d be shut down,” says Dan Chassie, president of Goodwood C & D [Construction &…
Coast writers are Atlantic Journalism Award finalists
Once again showing that it punches above its tiny weight, The Coast has recently been nominated for three Atlantic Journalism Awards for work done in 2010. Contributing editor Bruce Wark is a finalist in the Enterprise Reporting category for “Blow job,” his August 5 examination of the potential pitfalls of wind power. In the same…
To My Sleeping Undergrads
If the point of school is to go to get an education thus gaining both social and academic capital, then why am I surrounded by lazy couch potatoes? Every day I hear someone complain about going to class or talking about how they never go to class. My question for them is why are you…
Getcher Skoolin Updatd
I know there are certain places online where anyone can post a free job opening ad, and maybe they’re not the best places to look for work, but I believe in using every available resource. But it would be really, really nice for someone to proofread these things before you post them. If I have…
Graffiti Dickheads
To the guys who are spray painting dicks and hate messages at the Gladstones. I have two kids under five. Thanks for being assholes and forcing me to explain to them that assholes exist in this world. —Tax Payer
Multibitch About Morons
I was out and about today, and I saw some of the most moronic things ever. So here are some open letters in order of stupidity. 1) Dear gansta-rap-star parents: If you cannot afford proper safety seating for your newborn, DO NOT take them in your car. Holding a baby in your arms in the…
Jump on The Caravan
Riddle me this, The Coast! How is it that a band which is nominated for Hip Hop Single Track Recording of the Year for this year’s ECMA’s, Music Nova Scotia’s Hip-Hop Recording of the Year AND won your Best Vinyl this year/a previous runner-up for your Best New Artist 2010, STILL has no Showcase at…
Keep Your Spit To Yourself
Living in Toronto and now Halifax, I’ve seen a fair share of homeless individuals. However, I’ve never been so disgusted at what I, unfortunately, had to witness the other day. Walking down the street, I saw a grown man walk by a homeless person, spit on him and say, “Get a job, you drunk.” Being…
Establishment Lobbying
I walk in to various popular establishments in HRM and they are actively encouraging their patrons to vote for them in The Coast’s “Best of” categories. There are posters or reminders of one sort or another everywhere. It seriously devalues your winning establishments. Are they really the “best” or do they just know how to…
This Should Be a Bitch
You gave me the best ride of my life (my knees are still weak), then snuck out. You call almost a week later to apologize and tell me you might have given me an STI. I should hate you, but don’t you dare lose my number, once you get Buddy healthy again I’d LOVE to…
Double Booked
So, you double booked. It happens. We understand. But when you double book an event, you should probably notify the people you are cancelling instead of letting us find out via advertisement. Just sayin’… —Pick Up a Phone
Happy Kamboucha
To the guy who works at a tea store in the Halifax shopping center, thanks for the pity tea. The cup of tea I bought was gross and tasted like sea food, the cup you gave me to replace it was delicious. It was also really nice when you decided to push off your break,…
Stand Up
Coming to Halifax was my first time taking public transportation like buses. I didn’t realize how diverse the buses are, there are people of all ages. Since there are people of all ages there is priority seating for elderly people. So dear loud and obnoxious high school student who didn’t stand up for the elderly…
Beautiful Coffee Shop Guy
It was Wednesday. You were beautiful. I was awkward. You nodded hi to me three times, and even though I’m sure you are straight, my normal extrovert social self was left staring back weak in the knees and without one word. Thank you, beautiful quiet guy, for your smile and for demonstrating the awesome way…
What’s Trade Centre Limited’s responsibility in the concert loan scandal?
[Last weekend I wrote a piece recapping Halifax’s multiple political scandals, but for today’s dead-tree edition of the paper, I ask more detailed questions about Trade Centre Limited’s connections to the city’s concert loan fiasco, as follows. Recall that TCL, a provincial crown corporation, is contracted to operate the Metro Centre for the city, and…
Happy Sushi offers a la carte all-you-can eat
Hungry? Really, really hungry? Hit up the all-you-can-eat Japanese buffet at 362 Lacewood Drive. Their $13.99 lunch buffet has almost 100 options to drool over, while their $21.99 diner menu features 150 selections. Both run Monday to Thursday. On Friday and Saturday, the price goes up a buck. Unlike traditional buffet presentation, they have order…
Meaghan Smith is a Winner
The other day we got ahold of Meaghan Smith to talk about what it feels like to win a Juno. The “New Artist of the Year” was in Halifax at the Carleton doing some press about the win before heading out to play a couple of shows in Quebec. Smith is a genuinely delightful person.…
Ben Caplan Wants Your Art
It’s a hazy Saturday afternoon at Ben Caplan’s place. The raspy-voiced, bearded musician — who, along with his band, the Casual Smokers, is opening for Hey Rosetta! on April 15 — lives at an Agricola Street haunt known for its Monday open mic nights and weekend house concerts. It’s the type of space where music…
Free Will Astrology
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) The hydrochloric acid in our digestive system is so corrosive it can dissolve a nail. In other words, you contain within you the power to dematerialize solid metal. Why is it so hard, then, for you to conceive of the possibility that you can vaporize a painful memory or bad habit…
Get tangled up in Funny Money
Funny Money is one of those door-slamming farces that requires the audience to sit back, suspend disbelief and get carried away by the humour of the increasingly tangled web of lies that its main character weaves. Tony Marshall does a fine job as the web-weaving Henry Perkins, an everyman who puts himself in a dangerous…
Here comes your past
Everybody under the age of 45 likely has a story about the first time they heard Pixies. But unlike Shawn Duggan, a local actor, most people didn’t actually get to see them perform live at the height of their career. “I saw them in ’89 at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver. I think they were…
Searching for the Holy Well
Aimee Brown is looking at our beloved Point Pleasant Park much closer than your average dog-walking, marathon-training, park enthusiast. The interdisciplinary visual artist and research buff has been digging deep into history and “using the park as a little microcosm for performance action” as the artist in residence at the Park’s Gatekeeper’s Lodge since January.…
Heavy-handed Soul Surfer
Footage that runs during the credits show the real-life Bethany Hamilton as a devout Christian, so it’s probably not fair to hold this movie’s bible-camp undercurrent against it. But I’ll do it anyway. As Hamilton, a competitive surfer who loses her arm to a shark but gets back up on the waves thanks to her…
Imaginary friends
Winnipeg’s Imaginary Cities’ name is fitting. Conjuring up images of scenes in Inception (or perhaps the rare B-side to a Yes album), the soul-rock duo—made up of vocalist Marti Sarbit and multi-instrumentalist Rusty Matyas—has seemed to have come out of nowhere. But with their debut album Temporary Resident gaining glowing reviews across Canada and an…
Your Highness “tepid and lazy”
There was reason to believe that director David Gordon Green and writer-actor Danny McBride, who collaborated to varying degrees on Pineapple Express and Eastbound and Down, could make some comedic hay with this quest-movie parody. Instead, they’ve produced a tepid and lazy film, wasting their own talents and those of a strong cast. McBride plays…
The Modern Grass grows fast
Sometimes when something’s right, it just falls into place…and quickly. That’s the story behind gypsy-folk bluegrassers The Modern Grass Quartet. Officially, they’ve only been a band for a few months and already, they’re releasing a pretty seamless debut album. “I think it’s the fact that everyone in the band is completely dedicated to music…we played…
Stormy delight
Monsoon Cafe tosses up a mixed bag, but with some work and selective ordering, might just succeed. Melissa Buote leans into the wind. Monsoon Cafe, I heard, is worth the trip to Clayton Park. “Get there early,” I was told, “they can run out of stuff if they’re busy.” It’s early on a Saturday when…
Zac Crouse lets his paddle be his guide
Two years after coming up with the idea, Zac Crouse is packing up his banjo, video camera and buddies to promote his debut solo record, You Plan To Do Nothing. Crouse and fellow Caledonia bandmate, Steve Gates will be VIA Railin’ it to Ottawa and from there they’ll film their documentary Paddle to the Ocean…
New View
To all the people on Spring Garden Rd. who I see asking for spare change when I walk down the street, I just want to say that I admire your dedication and endurance. After reading a book for one of my classes I now have a better understanding of why you might be in the…
Born to Be Wild short, too sweet
Cuteness jumps off the screen in David Lickley’s 40-minute 3D documentary, Born to Be Wild, narrated by Morgan Freeman. Two women are dedicated to raising orphaned animals in large communities—Daphne Sheldrick rescues baby elephants in Kenya; Biruté Galdikas rescues baby orangutans in Indonesia. Elephant poaching and the destruction of rainforests, the reasons these animals are…
Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
Super Street Fighter IV has been around for awhile, but it’s never been seen quite like this. At its core it is a side-view action-fighting game very similar to the console versions, but this time there’s a 3D effect giving the game a sense of depth. Backgrounds truly look further away than the characters, which…
Lazy Ass Office Workers
I hate it when you jam the printer or the photocopier and just leave it, hoping someone else will fix it. I know it’s you, because I can read what you’ve printed, asshat! Un-jam it for the rest of us. —No PB for This Jam
A Description of the Blazing World
In Michael Murphy’s debut novel, we’re introduced to Morgan Wells, drowning after his wife miscarries and leaves him. He covers his apartment in Post-It notes and creates an elaborate set of daily rules and regulations to cope. His obsessive compulsion reaches a high when, by mistake, he receives a mysterious postcard addressed to a stranger…
Brenda Longfellow at Carbon Arc
[image-1] Tonight at the Carbon Arc Cinema in the Khyber (1588 Barrington Street), filmmaker and York University film studies professor Brenda Longfellow will be showing three of her many films followed by an audience Q & A. On the docket will be Our Marilyn (1987), the very short Carpe Diem (2010) and Tina in Mexico…
loudQUIETloud: A film about the Pixies
“Wave of Mutilation” is just one of those songs that if you hear it once, it’s with you all day. loudQUIETloud will have the same effect. The film follows the band through its first reunion in 2004 and the subsequent larger tour. It’s a by-the-numbers music doc but, for fans of the Pixies, it’s absolutely…
Code breaker
Sci-fi helmer Duncan Jones confirms his status as a fantasy auteur with his time-twisting feature Source Code. Matt Semansky spends a little more than eight minutes with the director. “My dad used to insist that I spend an hour or two a night reading,” recalls Duncan Jones. “Sci-fi was kind of my candy, my go-to…
Ong Bak 3
In the original Ong Bak, Muay Thai legend Tony Jaa seemed to throw knees and elbows to every criminal that came his way, but perhaps he got a few too many blows to the head during the process. In Ong Bak 3, a prequel to the original film, Jaa performs run-of-the-mill action sequences amid a dragging…
Born Ruffians rock the Paragon
Midland, Ontario’s Born Ruffians may have conquered Europe and parts of Australia with their high-energy minimalist rock, but in the band’s seven-year career, the east coast has always eluded them. “It’s kind of strange that it’s been this long in our career since we’ve been out there,” says Mitch Derosier, bassist and vocalist for the…
Anyone but Conservative
Thanks to prime minister Stephen Harper, we are facing not just the drudgery of yet another election, but international scorn too. “At a time when Arabs risk life and limb for political freedoms, Canadians seem largely apathetic about the erosion of their democracy,” wrote Ramesh Thakur in The Australian. He went on to say “the…
Cool Aid
Japan’s earthquake and tsunami has been devastating, prompting many to reach out and help. Haligonian musicians and artists have responded by organizing fundraisers and raising awareness for the tragedy. This Saturday, April 9, the Khyber ICA hosts a fundraiser for Japan, which brings together the music community and Japanese citizens of Halifax in a thoughtful…
Jill Barber
Jill Barber’s fourth studio album, Mischievous Moon, is proof of the songstress’ articulate and confident manipulation of a sound which has become all her own. Partnering once again with Les Cooper—who co-wrote and produced the album—Barber’s crooning beside a set of delicious strings causes one to take refuge in a large soft chair, all the…
Arthur a worthy diversion
Though it originally belonged to an actor who was a decade older and a foot smaller, the role of Arthur Bach is a custom fit for Russell Brand. The comedian steps into the late Dudley Moore’s shoes as a drunken, irresponsible heir to a family fortune who’s leveraged into a loveless marriage just as genuine…
Timber Timbre
Since the last Timber Timbre album, the band has evolved from a solo sonic-exploration for front man Taylor Kirk to a full-time trio. Enter Mika Posen (violin) and Simon Trottier (lap steel), both of whom take on a greater role fleshing out arrangements more reflective of the greater free experimentation Timber Timbre concerts, including a…
Young Galaxy
Who is Young Galaxy, exactly? Just when you had the band pegged as an Arts and Crafts brand extension—a minor-league Stars or Broken Social Scene—it hooks up with Swedish dance producer Dan Lissvik, break out the drum machines and keyboards and drop Shapeshifting on Paper Bag Records. I’m tempted to consider the shift a cynical…
Lucinda Williams
More so than any of Lucinda Williams’ previous albums, Blessed brims with a strength and inner confidence that is startling. Even with her voice strained and on the verge of cracking, she is the one pointing fingers. It is marvelous to hear her snarl to a foolish lover—“good luck finding your buttercup”—not just because we…
Give a creep a pass: it’s safer
Q I came out as trans-something/genderqueer three years ago. I was born male but live my life predominantly as female. I’m 25 now. Coming out involved accepting that it would complicate my ever finding someone. I haven’t dated since. My problem: Today, a guy my age asked me out while making me a sandwich in…
“The Secret History of Guantanamo Bay” talk illuminates refugee lives
Guantanamo—it’s a household name for most. We are well aware the US government uses this naval base on the eastern tip of Cuba to house “enemy combatants” from the War on Terror, including Canadian Omar Khadr. We know things happen in Guantanamo that might not normally happen on American soil, where the US constitution is,…
Chris Doyle, the Clyde Street pirate, dies
The man affectionately known as The Clyde Street Pirate passed away last weekend from a heart attack. His name was Chris Doyle, and he was a fixture outside the Clyde Street NSLC for years, appreciated for his friendly manner and gregarious nature. He will be missed.
Last chance for Hobo with a Shotgun fake-trailer voting
[image-1] Just as Jason Eisener, John Davies and Rob Cotterill got noticed with their fake trailer, so too are five groups of filmmakers getting noticed with theirs. There’s a new Hobo With A Shotgun contest, and five fake trailers have been chosen to compete, and one could be included on a DVD release of Hobo.…
