Dear new manager
You come in to our office gung-ho and excited to help us grow the business. You are full of great ideas and enthusiasm—for everyone else’s job but mine, because you have no experience with it, and do not understand what I do. So you decide my position is no longer needed, and basically turn me…
Coffee serving stud
Marry you and have your babies? How about we start with a first date. Thanks for making me laugh it’s been a crappy week. PS: I had so many better comebacks than I like your beard… —Blue Top, Black Coat, Cute Friend
Bookkeeper, do your job!
I opened my little shop late last year and it’s been doing well. At first, I was doing the books myself, but as we started getting busier, I realized I needed to hire someone to do them for me. I only needed someone for 10-15 hours a week since it was a small business with…
Raccoon bullies of Spryfield
To the guy who tried to beat a little raccoon to death with a metal pole at 3:40am on Monday, September 3rd on Dentith Road: You should seriously consider seeing a shrink and so should your friend who was taking photos (or video) of your act on his cell phone. Did it make you feel…
Close ’em or spread ’em, it’s up to you!
Anywhere I go, beach, sunning area, walking the streets there is always a camel toe looking back at ya. And people get pissed at a guy (or girl) for checkin’ it out. There is always a dude with his pipes showing for the ladies (or other guys) to check out. What gives anyways? Who doesn’t…
They’re back!
For all you students coming and going, for god’s sake, stop throwing all your shit out on the curbs of downtown Haliwood! It looks like the city dump down here this weekend! Ever heard of the Salvation Army or the dumpster!? Have some respect! —Krista
Unsung swan song
Bitches gotta boot it up to bring it home, push it up, push it out, round ‘er off, shake it all around. What you doin’ boys? You training yourselves to last? You practicing Dan Savages ABCs of cunnilingus? You gonna make sure she comes? You even know what that is? What that looks like? What…
Peanuts (butter) the Outlaw
I was so relieved that my son was finished school for the summer and starting camp because lunch would be a breeze. His favourite, peanut butter sandwiches, would be back in demand. What else is more practical? They do not need to be refrigerated. They taste way better than a disgusting egg salad or tuna.…
Charity woes
I hate asking people for money, I just fucking hate it. But if I decide not to ask every single person that goes through my line for a donation, I get the silent treatment from my manager. Oh and by the way it’s TWO DOLLARS, what a stupid amount for charity. I can understand if…
Kindness in the candy store
To the wonderful fellow who came into the candy store I work at on Labour day evening and bought a gift certificate to be used on as many following customers as it could cover. Congratulations on making seven complete strangers (eight including myself) smile due to the lovely surprise of getting their sugary treats paid…
Deal with your shit!
To all those people who think it’s OK to leave all their old, unwanted crap on the curb on moving day, you are disgusting! Why should I feel like I’m walking through the city dump when I take a nice leisurely walk in September because you can’t be bothered to take responsibility for your shit?…
Not an act of weakness
How can you say that? How dare you say that? You “hate” them? It’s “disgusting”? Hearing those words made me want to weep. You think it’s an easy way out? You think they’re just weak quitters who gave up? Well guess what pal, there is no easy way out of that situation. No matter how…
Skid Garden Road
Is it just me or has Spring Garden Road become skid row? I used to love walking down the street to check out the shops and people. Now it is covered with beggars and on every corner there is someone trying to sign you up for a charitable cause. Even sitting on a bar patio…
You had the kindest eyes
The kind you notice when you really look at someone. I could sense your quiet, your peace, your centre. The night I met you I felt a connection but my energy may have been a bit chaotic. You caught me mid-catharsis. I’m sure I’ll see you again. I hope we can reconnect. Either way I…
B
I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have you as my boyfriend. You make me so happy. I will continue to strive to make you as happy as you make me. I love you more every second. —T
Gathering doesn’t mean taking whatever you want…
To the middle-aged grey-haired fuck who stole from my boyfriend and his friends at a certain comic book store: fuck you bud. I have never seen my man so devastated. You took one of the first expensive cards he ever owned… and owned for maybe a couple hours. Couldn’t even leave all of the sleeves…
Careless pedestrian wishes to apologize
Dear bus driver, yes, it was me, last Thursday on Barrington. I wanted to cross the street so badly to catch the bus behind you, and I thought you had stopped, so I rushed in front of you. But you were pulling back into traffic, and only your vigilance and good reflexes allow me to…
Freedom of speech
Got to love the freedom of speech. Hired an unnamed moving company from an unnamed site. They decided to not show up even though they confirmed the appointment the day before the move. When I went to bitch about them on the unnamed site for the ridiculous amount of trouble they caused me the unnamed…
Cross Your Heart
I was totally blown away last night by Cross Your Heart, a new play by Amanda Campbell, the pen behind the Way I See It (TWISI) theatre blog and guest blogger for The Coast. I have become friends with Campbell as our schedules have crisscrossed in theatre spaces across the city, but I did not…
Bouncer’s power trip
Absolutely disgusted with the treatment from staff tonight. In no way were my friends and I too “intoxicated” after three drinks to come into the establishment. Obviously the bouncers needed some form of empowerment, and unfortunately took it out on our group of friends, who were looking forward to a good time for our final…
To the lovely Irish Lass just off Connaught
My name is Mary, just came from your place. I was lost and wandering our city. I heard your music, and you welcomed me in with open arms. Thank you for calling me a cab, and thank you for taking a few minutes to chat. You are the reason that this province is still considered…
Cafe composure
Sending some huge praise and kudos to the five or so employees who dealt with one cranky, old coot today at a certain cafe. I give you all pats on the back for remaining so cheery when this old biddy was complaining about everything possible at your takeout counter. (Seriously, bitching about no air-tight bags?!)…
Genuinely caring
Thank you to the new assistant manager at my workplace. I was having an absolutely horrible day, you noticed and asked if I was okay then let me go out back when I started to cry. After a few minutes you came out back and listened to what was wrong, offered decent solutions and gave…
Dubstep: The worst thing to happen since Joseph Kony
I have just ended a fit of agony and self-loathing. Above my tear encrusted eyes are throbbing temples that seem to pulsate slowly then speed up really quickly then stop for a second and finally throb really intensely. They have been doing that since my child, a young, once tender 17-year-old boy started coming home…
Last Halifax kiss
It’s been about a year since I left Halifax for Montreal and it’s been a year since we kissed. That kiss in the last couple of hours of my residency in this city, made my last moments in this city perfect. It might have been unexpected for you, but it was building up in my…
I love you but…
Do we really have to perpetuate the idea that Halifax style is limited to rain boots, back packs and “stretchy pants”? We’re way better than that yo. —Saying No to the Elastic Waistband
Parking lot roid/road rage
This message goes out to the guy driving the bright yellow car who got out of his car and death threatened me in the grocery store parking lot. I understand you didn’t like the way I looked, that’s cool. I understand the parking lot was completely yours and I shouldn’t have been there, I get…
Dumb tourists (just the dumb ones)
Conversation overheard at Fortress of Louisbourg. Tourist: “Oh, wow! This is the bakery! I’d like to buy some bread!” Blacksmith: “Sorry ma’am, this is the blacksmith shop.” Tourist: “OK, so this is your oven?” Blacksmith: “No…it’s my forge.” Tourist: “Oh! So you are the baker?” Blacksmith: “No. I’m the Blacksmith.” Tourist: “Oh! OK. Now I…
Roadie
What makes you think, all those of you fancy dressed Lance Armstrong-wannabes, that by going over stop signs at full speed, (as you did last night and nearly got wiped out as I turned right, missed you be inches by the way), running red lights and in general, not obeying any road laws: What makes…
Some people take Facebook way too seriously
I was leaving the company for another position that suited me more. On my last day, you asked me to add you on Facebook so we could stay in touch. I said I would, but didn’t really mean it, I was just saying it out of politeness. You seemed like a nice girl, but I’m…
Scared shitless
You acted like you cared about me by leading me on for months after you came on to me I told you I cared for you. Then you broke it off and refused to see me or even talk to me on the phone, you even denied everything. I was useless to you. Now I’m…
How do you like them apples?
So apple farmers are going to have a tough time harvesting this year according to a newspaper. It’s coming early, they need people, the article says. So why the fricking hell doesn’t it list who to contact to apply for it? I’m frigging dying for a temp job right now; one of the jobs I…
Blood and Quick Silver
Writer/director Michael McPhee may have created the world’s first dada film noir in Blood and Quick Silver, which charts the professional misadventures of “private dick” Sam Silver (Michael McLeod). The players handle this anachronistic gem deftly—Annie Valentina is never misses a beat as no-good dame Emma Fatale—and the skilled use of cardboard props creates a…
Athena in Love
Athena in Love, directed by Garry Williams, reimagines the Greek myth of Pallas and Athena (in which Pallas is killed) as a fable of mutual healing. Seeking to fulfill her dying friend’s wish that she aid the Gorgon Medusa, Athena (Keelin Jack) embarks on a quest that takes her beyond the limits of Greek mythology.…
Some Sunny Day
I guarantee you’ll leave smiling and humming from the once Upon a Theater Collective’s short, sweet production Some Sunny Day. I don’t want to give away any of the gentle surprises, so suffice it to say it’s a modern-day love story with a twist from the 50’s. The ending is sad, but inevitable. Jessica Barry…
Problems With Authority
Society needs people who are unafraid to challenge the status quo: activists, protesters, shit disturbers, if you will. People just like Evan Brown. Brown is a well-known theatre technician here Halifax, but in his previous life, he was most famously known as the young man who pied Jean Chretien. In Brown’s one-man show Problems With…
Kinky rituals and simmering hatreds
The Maids appears to open with a nasty conversation between a wealthy woman and her servant. The mistress is contemptuous and cruel. The maid alternates between simpering submissively and shooting truly venomous looks. All that changes when the alarm clock rings and the scene is revealed to be a simulation of a dysfunctional relationship played…
Ash
The first play of my 22nd Annual Atlantic Fringe Festival was Emily Forrest’s play Ash, produced by Forerunner Playwright’s Theatre Company, which plays at the Pier 21 Museum- Bratty Hall until September 6th, 2012. I actually saw an early production of Ash at Once Upon a Theatre Collective’s recent Evening of Short Plays and it…
Gerry Farmer: The Voices In My Head Come Out
It seems unfair to review a stand up comedy show on the first day of The Atlantic Fringe Festival, as stand up requires the interaction of an audience to test out material, to hear how jokes land (or don’t) and to develop the right rhythm and pacing. It’s a cumulative process that cannot be honed…
Poor tip jar etiquette
Please understand the difference between a “tip” jar and a “take a penny” jar. If you see a dish on a counter clearly labelled “Tips” this does not mean you can reach your hand in and take whatever you want if you are short on cash to pay for your purchase. Chances are, since I’m…
Right-hooked by a car
I was bicycling home from the liquor store last night. Sober. Not one drink. When a lady in a small car passed me and cut in front of me to turn. But instead of turning, she put her extreme braking skills to the test. I ended up hitting her back bumper and smashing into her…
Please make it stop
Dear Deity, Please make the killing stop—on the streets, in people’s homes, in Syria and everywhere else… Please stop the raping of our planet, abuse of all kinds, bullying and people just hurting people for the fun of it. Please stop people from hurting animals and innocents…the elderly, children, the disabled, the poor… Please stop…
Your Prius doesn’t make you environmentally conscious
To the lady who was driving the Prius on Quinpool, stuffing her face full of pizza and driving with her knees—you are the epitome of a green-washed consumer idiot. I was on my bike, in the right lane. I had to make a left turn so I signaled and took the lane change but because…
Prank calls are not funny
My cat is missing and roaming around without her collar. I did what I could, put posters up, distributed flyers, talked to my neighbours. So when my phone rang at 10:30 at night this Wednesday, I thought someone had found her sneaking into their house and I was hopeful when I picked up the phone…
Lovely librarian at the north end library
So, it’s been awhile since I have frequented a library. I’ve got a huge stack of DVDs I’ve bought, watched once and they collect dust. So today I got a library card. The librarian gave me a pamphlet and a detailed description of the library services. I was impressed. I borrowed some DVDs and will…
Girls poop too
You are not little Ms. Perfect, I don’t care how many guys you string along. You are attractive, it’s true. BUT your crappy personality really ruins it. When I hear your voice a little piece of me dies. And secretly, when you are doing your cutesy-patootsy routine with my friends, I imagine you sitting on…
Holier-than-thou recovering addicts
So you are in recovery. That’s great. But do not presume that because you are partway through your 12 steps that you have the right to judge others (addicts or not). You are the addict, you sold drugs, you stole, you’ve been to jail, you court the drama and when you don’t get your way…
Dear Mom
The truth is, I wish you never moved to Nova Scotia. You are not a nice person. PS: Remember how you keep telling me nothing is your fault? Well, it is. Time to be an adult. —Someone’s Daughter
Why keep investing in a dead horse?
I keep hearing about a mill every morning on the radio, how much money they plan to waste on its resurrection once again and I’m sick of hearing about it. Ever wonder why guys who have worked there for 30 years and are making $50, $60, upwards of $100,000 a year suddenly have to sell…
I’m ready
After a gruelling year of self-loathing with an unhealthy dose of shitty coping methods, I’m ready to love myself. I live in an amazing city with beautiful people. It’s a place I dreamed about going to growing up. There are always things you can bitch about, but come on. You live in Halifax. I live…
I loved you once upon a time, Halifax
I used to love visiting Halifax, I would save up my lunch money for months just to make a trip up when I was in high school and didn’t have a job. I made friends so easily up here, and the atmosphere was fantastic. Several years later I finally made it up here and my…
Catch some Aire
Open Aire Films is all the fun of a drive-in theatre without any of that pesky driving. Sitting under the stars, watching films on a massive screen, bringing your own snacks—killing a Sunday evening doesn’t get much better. The series kicked off last Sunday with a 9pm screening of Pick Up On South Street, on…
Play booked
Football season equals Flag on the Play (FOTP) and I can’t tell what I’m more excited for, FOTP’s Hugh Stewart and Paul Doucette’s weekly online doses of rapid-fire sports stats or those tight pants that football players wear (Right, ladies? Who’s with me?). Stewart and Doucette touch down (ha) at Gus’ Pub September 5 (8:30pm,…
Why Should You Fringe?!
Tomorrow the festivities kick off the 22nd Annual Atlantic Fringe Festival here in Halifax and until September 9th, in twelve venues throughout the Downtown, over fifty productions from both local and international artists will be performed for eager audiences. A friend of mine in Toronto refers to Fringe as “Theatre Christmas” and for the theatre…
Special Costello
On its second physical release, Special Costello digs up the dirt and hollows out a craggy, fuzzed-out bunker somewhere in outer-space. The shifting, boisterous clusters of song rumble with filthy bass and lash out with clanging drum patterns. Singer Jeremy Costello’s majestic vocals get the Dr. Frank Poole treatment: floating around suffocated somewhere out in…
Behind the Portable
Imagine an art exhibit moving through traffic lanes and streetscapes, on beards and on jackets, in attics or pockets. Would it change the way you view it? How much does art rely on its context? In a series of manifestos in the 1960s, German-born Gustav Metzger used his theory of Auto-Destructive Art as an emblem…
Cover Story
As I whiz down Agricola Street on my bike, going to work at a screenprinting collective, I find a certain comfort in knowing that my hijab is safely tucked in under my blue helmet. Those few minutes on my bike give me a certain amount of anonymity that walking doesn’t. My hijab has become like…
Walk The Moon
Ready to get punched in the face with sound? No, no, not that harsh metal kind of sound—this is the head-bopping indie-rock with a touch of electro-pop surging through your speakers kind of sound. With sing-a-long lyrics that catch you on the first listen and peppy beats, Walk The Moon is tailor-made for front seat…
Fringe benefits
As fall starts creeping its reddish hues over the leaves of our summer, it’s easy to feel that fun is coming to an end. Students are pulling out books, shorts-wearers are pulling on pants. It can all feel a little sad. But luckily, the 22nd Atlantic Fringe Festival is here to give us everything we…
Show tell
August 30-September 9 Atlantic Fringe Festival The Atlantic Fringe Festival has been putting on curiously charming acts for over 20 years. Original works of playwrights, musicians and dancers enliven downtown theatres “on the cheap,” from the really funny to the deeply felt. Highlights include the one-man melodies of Merv Hartlen (Merv’n Out), the comedy and…
Roommate survival guide
Renting a room in a packed house seems appealing to a lot of students. Reality shows have infected young minds to the point where living out a university-version of Jersey Shore is many people’s idea of a good time. We all know more people equals more fun, right? But roommates are like liquor—one or two…
Become who you are
I’m a goddess in your eyes and I will never die I was born of people’s needs And what they don’t wanna believe But I am a liar, that’s the truth Go home and Think it through That’s the harm in mystery All you know is what you see Juliana Hatfield, “I Got No Idols”…
Sexsomniacs anonymous
Q Not sure that even you can help with this one, but I’ll give it a shot… My husband and I enjoy a solid, trusting BDSM relationship, and we’re both quite happy with not only our sex lives but our lives together in general. There is one issue that concerns me. Roughly twice a month,…
Antony and the Johnsons
When supported by the Danish National Orchestra, the strange beauty in Antony Hegarty’s voice becomes more beguiling than bizarre. It’s a wind instrument somewhere between oboe and clarinet more than one caught between genders, though it’s that too. Most of these songs appear on earlier releases with somewhat less dynamic backing. One hurdle is “Future…
Free Will Astrology
LIBRA(September 23-October 22) When novelist James Joyce began to suspect that his adult daughter Lucia was mentally ill, he sought advice from psychologist Carl Jung. After a few sessions with her, Jung told her father that she was schizophrenic. How did he know? A telltale sign was her obsessive tendency to make puns, many of…
The art rooms
“Is it a giant, exploding dick?” So asked an American classmate of mine back in 2003, drawing my attention to an unusual sculpture on campus at Dalhousie University. Fresh-faced and 18 years old, my teenage brain couldn’t associate the sculpture with anything other than the male member either—though certainly not the kind I’d like to…
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros’ second album, Here, is no sophomore slump. With just as much bluegrass-folk fun as Up From Below, you’ll be stomping your feet to the beat. This album shows a perfecting of layering of the banjo, accordion and trumpet. Jade Castrinos and Alex Ebert are as charming as ever in their…
Get back—Back to School
It’s not exam time, so the only thing you should study is all these great stories about student life in Halifax.
A voters’ resource: Five questions you should ask candidates
You’re sitting at home minding your own business when someone knocks on your door. You open the door and there’s a candidate, running for city council, wanting to introduce him- or herself. Great! Good on the candidates for putting themselves out there, and here’s your opportunity to put them on the spot, to get a…
Now start a band
You did it. You somehow managed to con your family into believing you’re independent enough, responsible enough and maybe even mature enough to leave behind that sleepy farmhouse you’ve been calling home for so many years and head out to college in the big city. Now is the time for you to go forth and…
…As a Man Thinketh pops up
Stepping into Galleria Unplugged in sort of like plunging into Rod Malay’s mind. The Gottingen Street space, which you’d normally walk by without noticing, has been transformed into a perfect little gallery for the time being, thanks to the local artist. With paintings, photos, sculptures and random objects in every corner (including the entire ceiling)…
Winning at Hali-Life
Welcome to Halifax: The Game. You are now plugged in, turned on and ready for life as a Haligonian. It’s not the easiest game in the world, but it certainly is a great deal of fun. Some things to remember as you play: • This game has no save file. You can’t restart halfway through.…
5 Centimeters Per Second
A lot can be lost when adapting from one form to another. Makoto Shinkai’s 5 Centimetres Per Second was a critically acclaimed film that took advantage of the animated medium to bring this love story to life. In turn, its comic adaptation shines in how little is lost in translation. While music is absent, the…
Gonia baby gonia
Newcomers to the city are confronted by a number of uniquely Haligonian customs: boats on wheels cruising the streets, lunch breaks being celebrated by the firing of cannons and giant, ancient-looking churches situated on what seems like every other block. Visitors and recent arrivals might also find the word “Haligonian” a bit perplexing, considering the…
Book nooks
I can remember the last day I did research at the library. I was in grade four and had already begun copy-pasting my projects from the internet. (Coincidentally, it was the same day that my best friend’s older brother introduced my best friend and I to internet porn on a library computer.) But primarily, libraries are…
Music For Uninvited Guests
In her first collection of short stories, Misha Bower, a founding member of Toronto band Bruce Peninsula, offers the reader a series of emotionally complex visions rich with colloquial dialogue. Bower adopts a series of plainspoken voices to tell the tales of brothers, cousins and lovers, all of whom attempt to define themselves within a…
Get it on with the Halifax Slam Team
Tonight, the Halifax Slam Team is getting all sexy-like, at Gus’ of all places. And by joining them in getting hot-and-bothered via naughty poetry, you won’t just get your jollies—you’ll help them get to Saskatoon. That’s where the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word is going down, and also where our Slam Team (Mike McGuire AKA…
Solidarité
As a student yourself, chances are you’re likely already somewhat aware of the weird and wild reports coming out of Quebec. Protests and pot-banging, red squares and riot police, smoke bombs and demonstrators— they’re calling it a student movement. What began as a straightforward protest against tuition hikes has transformed into something much bigger, spiraling beyond…
Dear Toronto
Hello young ducklings! Welcome to the Maritimes. If you’re here for the first time, you should pat yourself on the back, because you are very smart. When it comes time to go to university, it’s good to go somewhere outside of your comfort zone, and Halifax is an amazing place to go to school, experiment…
Grooming 101
OK, I’ll admit it. I went to grad school on a bit of a whim. Sure, getting an MA was always on the “this might be an interesting thing to do some day” list, but it wasn’t necessarily at the top of it. But when the economy tanked, my live-in boyfriend confessed he “didn’t see…
So you say you wanna protest
Let’s say you’re that kid with the Noam Chomsky shelf in your bookcase. You’re new to Halifax, you don’t give a shit about Harbour Hopping, and you’ve spent nights wondering who let in all this colonial, let’s drink-it-all-away propaganda anyway. Guess what? Before this was Halifax, this was K’jipuktuk. We’re guests on unceeded Mi’kmaq territory,…
Instruction Manual for Swallowing
The only thing better than Adam Marek’s book of fantastic short stories is imagining how he possibly came up with them. Absurd, darkly comic and at times head-scratchingly bizarre, Marek’s talent for rending the supernatural or outrageous in real, human terms is mind-boggling. A couple finds out they are pregnant with 37 babies. A man…
No account council
Summer’s over and it’s time to get serious about city elections. We’ve set up a blog at thecoast.ca/VoteHRM and I will post each day until the October 20 vote, exploring issues like transit, the creation of a greenbelt and the cost of housing. But it makes no sense to talk about the nuts-and-bolts of running…
Councillor Jim Smith bows out, heating up Dartmouth Centre race
Late Friday afternoon, councillor Jim Smith announced that he was dropping his reelection bid. Smith currently represents the existing District 9, which stretches from the Burnside business park all the way south to Thistle Street, including the new Bridge Terminal. In the newly re-jigged council districts, however, Smith found himself with a difficult choice. Burnside…
Sporty spice
Fall’s here, school’s in and l’amour is in the air. But romance needn’t be an exclusively indoors affair. Atlantic Canada is known for its late summers and beautiful falls. With autumn as gorgeous as it is, why not invite a new love interest or a long-time partner on a date in the grand ol’ out-of-doors?…
Noodlin’
You spent your childhood with Mr. Dressup and high school with a Mr. D of your very own. Well, now it’s time for you to get acquainted with a new salty Canadian friend: Mr. Noodles. As a country we slurped down over 210 million packages of instant noodles last year. With over a million students…
What the city election means to students
Not long after you’ve finally figured your way around campus, the city of Halifax is holding an election, on October 20. This is excellent news for students. See, for the first time, returning university students can vote in city elections—so long as they’ve lived in Halifax for more than three months (even if they spent…
Indie Game: The Movie
Filmed, written and edited by first-time Winnipeg filmmakers Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky, Indie Game: The Movie is a documentary that looks at the emerging industry of independent video game developers and charts the creativity and struggle that accompanies them as they try to create the next important franchise. With interview accompaniment from Braid designer…
The art of the deal
In the summer, students forget that frugality exists. Tuition becomes a distant memory. Sunshine and spirits numb the pain. In September, the shit hits the fan. But living on a tight budget doesn’t have to mean becoming an anti-social miser. Saving money works best if you approach it as a game. Are you able to…
Jon Samuel’s First time
You probably recognize Jon Samuel’s face. Chances are you recognize his name, too. He’s been making music locally for years, lending his chops to many Halifax-based bands you’ve jammed to, most notably playing guitar and keys for beloved indie rockers Wintersleep. But it’s about time you familiarize yourself with him…just him. Jon Samuel the songwriter.…
Don’t rape
This story may be triggering for people who have experienced sexual assault. If you need support, call the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre at 422-4240 from 8:30am to 4:30pm to make an appointment. The after hours phone line is 425-0122, but is only for sexual assaults that have happened within the last 72 hours. Jenna never…
Bubble breakers
We’re spoiled here in this burg. Because there is little geographic reason to its layout, in terms of common sense, or language—try explaining to someone on Barrington Street how to get to the Canadian Tire on Quinpool Road, or why there’s no East Halifax—everything is close, but it feels far. A cab ride to almost…
Cheesecake whiz
“I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” Dorothy says to Blanche and Rose after a cheesecake helps break the ice between them in the first episode of The Golden Girls. On the way to Sweet Hereafter Cheesecakery, did I consider having a Chico’s kind of day and wearing an oversize cowlneck…
Kind of a big deal
Jason Brown Dalhousie University On the homepage of Dalhousie mathematics, statistics and computer science professor Jason Brown’s website, he states: “Everyone…can benefit from adding just a bit more mathematics to their daily routine.” For Brown, one of the best ways to do this is with music. While working on his undergrad, Brown would TA and…
Minor convenieces
Halifax is rumoured to have the highest amount of bars per capita in North America. That’s great, if you’re 19 or older. But this leaves those who are underage wondering, what can you do in this city for fun if you’re too young for the bar scene? Don’t worry, those bus passes included in your…
Halifax international
International students undoubtedly add a lot to Halifax life, but what does our foggy city have to offer them in return? Surely many of the city’s students who “come from away” wind up cursing the fact that “freezing drizzle” is an actual weather term here, our food is seriously lacking in heat and we have…
Convention centre public consultations are a bust
The public consultation sessions for the convention centre have hit the road, travelling throughout the province and hearing from underwhelming audiences. Monday, consultant Tim Merry and his team went to Sydney, where 23 people showed up to talk about the convention centre, with another nine following on line. Tuesday, the Stellarton consultation was downright cozy,…
Bridge Terminal delayed
Despite assurances all summer that construction of the new Bridge Terminal was ahead of schedule and would open in time for the new route schedules implemented Monday, city officials abruptly announced last week that the terminal won’t open until September 17. On Wednesday, crews were still laying concrete for sidewalks and curbs linking the construction…
Income tax could fund city budget?
WTF is this?! I can’t believe people are agreeing to this! Or even a topic of discussion! Essentially taxing our income tax. Taxing the fucking highest tax in Canada we already pay! Seriously! What era do we live in, the dark ages of fucking Robin Hood? Last I checked we’re in Halifax, not under the…
Voice for the mutts
To the person who went to the movies Tuesday night in the dark Hyundai Sonata and decided to bring their dog, but to leave him in the car with the windows tightly rolled up: The dog was panting and looked lethargic what kind of selfish monster are you? Why would you bring your dog along…
Football cutie
You play both Flag and Touch football, and just recently got back from Sweden. I watched you play only a handful of times and just wanted to say that I have a huge crush and am very attracted to you, only thing is I’m attached and you know him very well. I’m not sure if…
Bruce Springsteen’s essence (update: with slideshow!)
The ravages of time shine a stark light on the truth of all things. This was evident when Bruce Springsteen, and Canada’s answer to Bruce Springsteen (Tom Cochrane) shared the stage for a cover of The Isley Brothers’ “Twist and Shout” on Sunday night at the end of the Magnetic Hill show in Moncton. Bruce…
Ready but not rushing
I am putting it out into the universe: I am ready for a real relationship. There were times when I thought I was, but wasn’t. I have learned about myself over time and quite a bit recently. From my successes and from my mistakes. From what others have taught me. Through actions, through words, through…
If you were a dinosaur
You can’t be nice to people when you have to deal with them directly, but the things you say behind their backs is even worse. We get it. You are miserable. Everything about you is miserable and your goal in life is to drag everyone else down with you. Why should everyone else enjoy life…
Bike stolen but awesome people helped get it returned
Bike was locked up on Agricola Street but the lock was cut and it was stolen. The thieves brought it to a bike shop on Barrington and tried to sell it, but the folks at the shop could tell something was up. They went to check Kijiji and saw my post about a stolen bike.…
Queen Street
I live in the building next door and your window faces the alley between our buildings. You’re always sitting in your chair next to the window reading (you’re a dark-haired male). Sometimes I try to catch your eye/attention when I’m walking by, but you’re just too consumed in your books to notice… —Your Friendly Female…
