A Giant Robot towers over the holidays
We know it’s way too early to be thinking about December 26, but just so you know, Giant Robot Comics (114 Woodlawn Road, 404-8400), HRMs newest comic book outlet, is planning a sale for Boxing Day. Also, for those of you who need to fill your boots with comic-related goodness before then, from now until…
Periodical piece
You’ve noticed the luxuriously large periodicals around town, offering something more compelling to look at than The Flying Cow (mad respect, no H8). Now you can contribute and see your artistic offerings published in all their newsprinty glory. The Periodical Project, produced and curated by Chris Foster and Natalie Slater, seeks submissions for its second…
Emma
When I learned that this FABULOUS FIND shared the same name as my baby sis, I knew it was gonna be a good one. I caught Emma on her way home from a job interview, which, by the way, she totally scored. How could she not with that outfit, right? Anyway—Emma is an architect, describes…
Ninety Nine problems but a stitch ain’t one
Looking for some divine fashion intervention? Ninety Nine Days In, NSCAD’s intermediate fashion show, will be showcasing the collections of eleven designers Wednesday, December 14 at 8pm at the NSCAD Port Campus (1107 Marginal Road, Tickets $10 at Seeds Gallery, the NSCAD Supply Store or the door). “The name Ninety Nine Days In is because…
It’s called FAT. Deal with it.
Today I was shopping looking for new clothes, when out of the blue some old bitch asked me in a loud booming voice, when I was due. I’m not even pregnant!! First of all, who the fuck asks strangers personal questions like that? Even if I was pregnant, it’s none of your business how far…
Le Bistro reborn
Beloved Halifax eatery Le Bistro (1333 South Park Street, 423-8428) has reopened in its original location on South Park Street. Former manager and now owner Liz Ingram-Chambers has revived the original’s warm and friendly atmosphere. Familiar favourites on the menu include French onion soup, beef bourginion, and the Moroccan crepe, everything house-made with fresh ingredients…
How Halifax city hall screws up: secrecy, lack of clear processes and the pathetic search for civic validation
At its Tuesday meeting, Halifax council tackled a couple of high-profile issues—naming rights to The Oval and the quest for a new stadium. I was there as usual, but my recent investigation of the city’s concert scandal, published Monday night, was still weighing on my thoughts, so I was viewing the proceedings through that lens.…
Hobo and Rhonda crack TIFFs Best of 2011
TIFF likes us, it really does. In this year’s Canada’s Top Ten best films of 2011 list, chosen by industry professionals for the Toronto International Film Festival organization, includes the bloody, modern classic Hobo With A Shotgun. And in the short category, Rhonda’s Party made the list. Both were made here in Nova Scotia and…
What is wrong with society?
I can’t believe that the mall even hired this guy! One of the Santas working at the mall (sorry, I mean the only Santa, because there is only one kids) was so rude! He called my wife a Ho three times right to her face! Right after that as we were leaving he also said…
Four way stops are meant for stopping
To the car that almost hit me a week ago in a four way stop, just because I’m on a bike does not give you an excuse to speed up and blast through a four way. Yeah, I’m not as quick as you, but I did my obligatory stop long before you did and was…
Don’t need or want your opinion
Let me start by saying I know I am an angry individual. But I acknowledge it, and have been through therapy, counseling, anger management and so on. Yes it is much better, and I finally have a supportive partner. I said that to say this, writing is one of the best ways to gets feelings…
Impreza Jerk
The guy driving the red late model Impreza around Highfield shouting incoherent insults towards innocent people walking on the sidewalk should be ashamed of himself. I was walking with my young daughter and she was extremely scared when you slowed down and started yelling at us. I hope your car gets crushed by a giant…
Cat screamed during attack
The front page of a certain paper told the story of a 48 year old man beating a cat to death. Neighbours were subjected to the cats horrific screams as it was being pummeled to death. I cannot believe this cowardly pig of a man was released with “charges possible”. This disgusting pig should be…
Dryer venting
I did a little researching before writing this bitch, wanting to make sure my uncomfortableness with cleaning public dryer vents was for good reason. I thought the lint from the clothing would consume of flakes of skin, mites, human hair, and anything else that really would come off in ones clothing. Turns out, as far…
“Big Pharma”
Big Pharma, the non-specific scapegoat people reference when they want to sound wise about medical matters without actually having to know anything about them. I’ve heard a lot of stupid things, but this takes the cake… the notion that Big Pharma is withholding the cure for cancer so that it can make money off treating…
Who the fuck raised you?
What is going on with this city?! Every other day I hear about cats abandoned in apartment buildings, boxes of kittens ditched in the middle of nowhere, and now today, a cat beat to death by its owner?? What the FUCK. When did everyone become so heartless and cruel to helpless creatures? How do you…
Fuck you!
Fuck you Mr. Mayor. Fuck you Mr. Premier. Fuck you NSP. Fuck you Water people. Fuck you City Council. Fuck you UARB. Fuck you media that won’t give proper coverage to the fucked up way this province runs. Fuck you Euro market, making my job unstable. Fuck you GOC for your crime bill and the…
Hermanna
THOSE TIGHTS. Has anyone else ever seen something so sweet? Hermanna lives where I work and everyday I see pieces of her outfit I’d like to steal to keep for my own wardrobe. I shall resist though. I shall try, anyway. Bringing her fashion sense all the way from China, Hermanna has graced our Halifax…
To the local discount store
Thank you for hiring me! I have had a lot of bad luck with jobs in the past and now feel like my luck has finally changed! Not only are the hours awesome, the work busy, but the manager is THE BEST!! Seriously best job ever!! Thank you guys, I won’t let you down!! —Happy…
Cute puppy, cute girl
I just watched you chase your black puppy across the grassy space in front of the Henry Hicks building at Dal when the leash got away from you. That was both cute and funny, such a good combination. I’ll be smiling for the rest of the day. —A Guy Who Loves Both
Stop harassing people
I’m sick of all the charities who setup their booths in store entrances. They are usually staffed by children so as to rake in more money. It’s bad enough that they ask you for money when you go in but the same person will try again when you leave! Like a lot of people I…
New Local Trax
outtacontroller Something is in the air, because all this new music is coming out all of a sudden. Pretty neat. Some of these tunes are free and some of them will be on sale at various shows and the like shortly. Have a listen, have a taste, get in the Chrizzy spirit and buy something.…
To the ignorant “artist”
To the ignorant “artist” who documented her attempt to recreate a Beyoncé Knowles dance routine: how lovely that you get graded on your ability to devalue real black performers with your ironic little white girl dance. Maybe next you could dress up like Halle Berry and recreate her Academy Award acceptance speech. Or maybe a…
Myopic motoring
This is less a “bitch,” more an earnest public service announcement to the drivers of our city. Many motorists around here see a bike in front of them and think “MUST PASS,” regardless of how fast the cyclist is going or what’s ahead of them both. I was cycling north on Robie during rush hour…
Some bus love
I see a lot of bitching on Halifax transit, and for the most part I agree. But I have to send some love out to the driver who calls out the name/location of the stops when it’s getting dark out. You make my life easier and it takes my night-time bus-induced anxiety down a notch…
Lovely librarian
Like the idiot I am, I went and dropped my paycheque in the library last night. To whoever it was that picked it up and handed it in, thank you. To the librarian who took time out of her day to look me up and call me, thank you. I’m glad to be on the…
Dumped
Things were great. You couldn’t get enough of me. We went on 7 dates, 4 of them initiated by you, and they were some of the best times I’ve ever had. On the 8th date, we had sex for the first time. There was never a 9th date. You didn’t return my calls and I…
Nova Scotia needs normal looking politicians
Why can’t we have normal looking people running our province? Dexter looks like Shatner after a 5 day drinking binge, McNeil looks like Abraham Lincoln (creepy), and Baillie looks like Kif Kroker from Futurama. I want more normal looking people to vote for, not these mutants. No wonder there is a lack of interest in…
To former coffee peeps
Hey there, I don’t know about you guys but I am kind of peeved about the fact that there was absolutely no news coverage about the local coffee chain completely ripping us off and getting away with it scot free a few months ago. Also not cool, the previous owners still living the life, in…
The Waterfront Christmas Market happens this week
From December 8 to 11, The Waterfront Christmas Market at Bishop’s Landing (1475 Lower Water Street) will present dozens of market vendors, free carousel rides, treats, gifts and even a visit from a certain hypersonic, sled-transported, scarlet-clad, white-haired holiday elf. The hours are as follows: 6-10pm Thursday and Friday, 10am-10pm Saturday and 10am-7pm Sunday. For…
Starshipsstarthere merch!
Sometimes being a successful entrepreneur in Nova Scotia just means having a clever idea and good timing. Check this: Back in August when everyone was waiting on tenterhooks for whether the Irving shipyards would get the big contract, digital wizard and self-described “weird spaceship kid” Andrew Burke, created the Ships Start Here spoof site starshipstarthere.ca.…
You’re worth the fight!
Just wanted to send some love to NSCAD. To those of you out there who think that this is just another sink hole for your tax dollars and can’t see the point of the government spending money on arts education when you could be educating lawyers at a lower cost, let me point out that…
A Child’s Christmas in Wales
When is going to a choral concert like going to theatre? Any time Camerata Xara Young Women’s Choir is involved. Their performances are not just a feast for the ears, but for the eyes as well. Their most recent offering was in collaboration with the Halifax Camerata Singers and the CBC Radio’s national sports host…
Recently Engaged: Andrea & Mike
After both of us coming out of bad relationships and moving to Nova Scotia, we found each other. Originally from New Brunswick, I (Andrea) was living in Northwestern Ontario when I got an opportunity to move to the South Shore of Nova Scotia for work… I leapt at the chance and packed up my dog…
Stop asking if I want a certain credit card!
I have stopped shopping in a certain chain department store because I am sick of being asked, “Do you have X-credit card?”…”NO???” Would you like to apply and save 10% on your $22.95 purchase??” “NO????” This doesn’t just happen at the check-out. The store hires strange alien type people to follow you around the store…
Tired of all the Christmas music
I am sick and tired of all this 60 year old Christmas music, will someone come up with some new songs please. —Ears are Bleeding
Trying to find a working pay phone
Last weekend I was at a drug store near Gottingen and Duffus running errands – my cell died, and I needed a pay phone to a) call a friend I was planning to meet, and b) call a cab. The pay phones in front of the store didn’t work… staff in the stores in the…
Buy Local
People keep pushing the “buy local” philosophy, so when a friend and I went downtown on Sunday to look around in some shops to see if we could find some unique gifts, the majority of the time all we found were a list of store hours on the doors saying “Sunday – Closed.” WTF. How…
Take that tree and shove it up your ______
To the moronic woman with the two kids attempting to bring a Christmas tree onto the #80 Saturday. The driver told you that you couldn’t bring a tree onto the bus and you began screaming at him that he was going to ruin your children’s Christmas and that Santa would not come to their house…
The dad with glasses
It’s been awhile since I saw you… wish our paths would cross again. Would love to see that gorgeous dimple of yours. —The Mom With Glasses
Halifax why the fuck are you so out of style?
Honestly everytime I look at the halifax crowd all I see are the same fucking styles here are few of the looks halifax has to offer: Hipster, Classy Hipster, Scene/Emo, Casual all the colours the fucking same, “I wear all brand”, “Forever jeans and sneakers”. Holy shit guys really come on, why can’t people dress…
Hold on tight
You two were at the mall during midnight madness, and I couldn’t help but smile each time I passed you. One of you had on an Angry Birds t-shirt, the other an animal hat (zebra?). The pair of you clasping hands so naturally was adorable and inspiring. You are what I wish I was as…
You’re unbelievable
The ONLY good thing I can say about ever knowing you, is that everyone should have a good asshole story to tell their friends. You know the kind that gets the same, “holy fuck, you poor bastard for putting up with an ass like that!” When we first met you seemed like a nice enough…
Starring: Two really old people on the bus
I must tell Halifax a story to prove that love exists. I experienced this maybe two weeks ago on a bus heading up Spring Garden. There were two old folks sitting across from one another. They were far enough away I assumed they were not together. But as I listened to Bonobo, I began to…
Dear “loving” grandmother
The last thing you should say to someone who’s been dealing with depression for YEARS and is visibly on the edge is “Go ahead and do it… just do something!” —See You in Hell
I need to figure out lucid dreaming…
Dear dream world, please stop bothering me in my sleep. You bring me nightmares. The kind where I am jealous of other women in my dream. The kind where my love is telling other people he is in love with them. I don’t want these feelings in either realities. For an individual who is sensitive,…
I found my better place
Years and years ago I was a young lady with no direction and path. I used to squeegee on Robie and Quinpool and panhandle in various spots all over the city, I have had some very kind and generous people step out of the mix and be very generous with me, a complete stranger, and…
Give holiday love with the Lovehorn
You might have seen one on the wall in the entrance to jane’s on the common. It’s the Lovehorn, created by local artist Kyle B. Jackson, and you can have one of your own, or pass it on to your sweetheart. “A honked love horn will allow you to yell out for some ‘sugar, honey,’…
Sitting room only
To the aging hipster who repeatedly told people they couldn’t stand in front of him at concert: You’re in a bar that is packed to capacity to see a rock show, people aren’t going there to sit quietly. You look to be at least 6 feet tall and could have towered over most of the…
Save the environment
This is for all you who continue to use plastic bags at grocery stores each visit and who throw your coffee cups and water bottles all over the streets. Are you kidding me! This makes me sick. Doesn’t anyone care about our earth? Leave it to you ignorant fools to ruin the environment. Club soda,…
Friends like these
Remember that time I was getting really close to this guy, and then backed off because you told me you’d developed feelings for him? And then, the time our other friend started dating him, even though she knew how you felt? Oh, and I can’t forget the time I confided in you about someone I…
Santa
All I want for Christmas is a hot guy to make out with under the mistletoe. Can you make it happen, Santa? Pretty please. —Little One
I want my money back
To the person who stole seventeen dollars from my change purse, at a coffee place in the University Student Union Building around 7pm on Friday December 2. I left the “dining room” area to take a phone call, while sitting just outside the area on a couch the coffee place closed. I didn’t have my…
Love the way we work
I work in the retail sector and have discovered that I have to work more than 48 hrs per week before I am entitled to be paid overtime at time and a half, while the rest of Canada ranges between 40 and 44. I get paid $13.00 per hr, so I work as many hours…
Market buskers!!
Those 2 guys that I’m pretty sure are brothers at the Halifax Market? ARE AWESOME! They’re so cute, and I love their Bob Dylan covers! Love ya guys! —I Shop For Youuuu
Mouth likes coffee, shirt does not
I wish my stupid lips would learn to sip coffee into the mouth and not all over my shirt and pants. I look homeless now. —Lazy F’n Lips
Boy in my multimedia class
SERIOUSLY, GET OFF MY COMPUTER ACCOUNT. I do not like you. You’re using up all my print credits and saving weird ass shit on my account… plus we DON’T talk, it’s weird. P.S. stop following people around and trying to be them… originality is better than a follower. —Angry Student
It took so long!
After years and years of dating horrid boys that I thought I could fix and change, my mother gave me the most simple and true advice I’d ever received: “Instead of dating men that you need to change, why don’t you just wait and find someone that you want for who they are?” At the…
Money for everyone… if you’re a unionized multi-national
Isn’t it nice to see Dexter and our ruling NDP party finding money for Bowater? 50 million dollars over 5 years to be exact. Saving jobs is always a good idea, but where will these jobs go when the 50 million runs out? Will there even be a pulp industry in five years? It’s not…
Guy who tried to help me with my groceries Thursday night
To the nice guy that tried to help me with my groceries Thursday night – I am so sorry for being a cranky rude bitch to you. I really could’ve used the help, but I was tired and a woman, so usually when tall men walk up to me in Halifax, it’s a bum, crazy…
The Nutrition Nazis
So my son goes to a daycare in Dartmouth… he has been going there since he started school in the area, he’s in grade five now. I was pretty appalled to find out that he isn’t allowed to drink a juice box – and that if he is hungry he has to sneak apples and…
Artlove
Hey artists of Halifax, thanks for doing your work and sharing it with me. It really brings a lot to my life and I appreciate it. —Young Gunz
Y.A.B.B.
Yet Another Bus Bitch: To the asshole on the #84 Thursday night, just shut the fuck up and sit the fuck down. You got on the bus, and talked the bus driver’s ear off. Everyone on the bus was rolling their eyes in disgust. Personally, I was pissed off. You were distracting the one person…
HRM’s transit sucks!
Once again, I have found myself calling the # on the back of my transfer to issue another complaint against one of HRM’s bus drivers. Being familiar with many other major cities’ transit systems, I can honestly compare the transit service with that of a third world nation, just more expensive. I like how only…
How Halifax’s concert scandal played out
Last spring, Halifax’s now-infamous “concert scandal” broke when city staffer Cathie O’Toole revealed that mayor Peter Kelly and the city’s deputy CAO, Wayne Anstey, had improperly extended millions of dollars in loans to concert promoter Harold MacKay’s firm, Power Promotional Events, and that the last two of those loans, totalling $400,000, were not repaid. Anstey…
Fanplastic! Recycled Products offers an eco-friendly gift opportunity
Fanplastic! Recycled Products is the brainchild of designer Nicole Davis. She collects recyclable products including plastics, shampoo bottles, food and cleanser bottles, laundry detergent bottles and fabricates them into small accessories, earrings and necklaces. Check out her etsy site (etsy.com/shop/ecofanplastic) for images and to update your look (or a friend’s) the eco-friendly way.
Crazy Family in Church
Sudden Death. A strange African disease. Extreme sibling rivalry. Sexual abuse by a priest. A picnic at the altar. Physical abuse by a parent. Spontaneous singing. Random death-defying feats while suspended from a huge tripod. Frequent flashbacks. An eating disorder. Extra-marital affairs. Manic depressive-disorder. Attachment disorder.”Jesus” in disco-wear. Glow-in-the-dark pews. Copious crying. Director/playwright Pascale Roger-McKeever’s…
Local graphic designer offers self-published book as holiday gift
Brenna MacNeil is a local graphic designer who grew up in western Cape Breton. This year she self-published a coffee table art book called twentythree. She sells her missbrenna products at the Seaport Market from time to time, and twentythree is currently available at Atlantic News (5560 Morris Street, 429-5468), though she sells her stuff…
Jenocide’s “Beachball” Video
jenocide Jenocide just dropped a video for her song “Beachball.” Like the song itself, it’s sweet, dreamy, sexy and dappled in summer lights. Enjoy.
Taste of Nova Scotia Prestige award winners
On the afternoon of Tuesday, November 29, the Casino NS Schooner Room was packed with hungry Nova Scotian cuisine fans attending Taste Nova Scotia’s Prestige Awards. 14 stalls were set up for attendees’ snacking pleasure, featuring White Point Beach Lodge’s bacon and smoked salmon french toast, Garrison beer, Atlantica’s duck confit salad and more. Congrats…
Dear Mr. Red Dump Truck Driver
I REALLLLLLY hope you see this. You dangerous dump truck driver you! Did you honestly think it was a good idea to play chicken with a minivan on the highway? With a 50 year old man & young female? We realized we shouldn’t have went, we sped up, so did you! Why? Then you pass…
Thank you!!
Thanks a million to lovely and kind stranger who fixed my bumper!!!! What a nice thing to do for a stranger! Your random act of kindness will be passed on!!! You have made my day! —The Silver Honda Civic
Apply to the 2012 Halifax Pop Explosion
yep it’s a cat photo again Hey eager beavers – you can now apply to the 2012 Halifax Pop Explosion. It’s the festival’s 20th anniversary and I imagine it will be rather epic, with rumors of all sorts of reunions and nutty happenings spreading like wildfire. Wildfire!Submissions are being accepted online at halifaxpopexplosion.com and you…
We all know you’re bullshitting
You should really research the illness you claim you have. We know this month’s illness is crap as we’re certain that: (a) you’re not male, and (b) your “illness” is not a result of an infection with Chlamydia, Campylobacter, Salmonella, or Yersinia. It’s funny how these illnesses come on over the weekend, but never during…
To cage you in would be a sin
We finally got together after years of knowing each other and it was so sublime. I couldn’t help but hold onto you so tight. I’ve never felt so much from a first kiss before. You are the bomb. You have sooooo many friends though, you’re kind of a big deal in this city and you…
Best coworkers ever
This was originally going to be a Bitch about how some jerk had stolen my wallet and “Who could do that during the holiday season?” But then a friendly security guard found it and contacted me, and THEN my amazing coworkers all chipped in a got me a card filled with their own hard-earned money…
New Nova Scotia arts council established: Arts Nova Scotia
From a press release minutes ago from Christopher Majka (Nova Scotia Cultural Action Network), came the exciting and encouraging announcement that Communities, Culture and Heritage Minister David Wilson will be tabling two bills before Legislature, one to establish Arts Nova Scotia, a new arm’s length arts council to fill the great void left after the…
Slap in the face
Dear Boss Lady, My Husband is too good of a guy to say anything, and cares too much about his family to jeopardize his job by speaking out, so because I love him dearly madly and truly, I will do it for him. He has worked his ass off for your company while you dangled…
Hope y’all are put in prison
This bitch goes out to all the main stream media stars who are deliberately twisting the news to fit a political agenda. Happens on both the left and right sides of the margin, although corporately owned news organizations are the WORST offenders. Getting invited to the next cocktail party (and being paid big cash) is…
From away?? Get an ID!!!
To all the YOUNG UNS from away who think they can act like spoiled little shits! We are sick and tired of all the students from away telling restaurant and bar managers how to do their jobs and what IDs we should be taking. We don’t know what is allowed in other provinces, all we…
Asshole bus driver
To the driver of the #68 yesterday afternoon. If the driver of the #61 told me that you were going to be so rude to me when he told me to ask you to show me where to get off in order to get to the bowling ally; I would not have asked you. Your…
White car on Spring Garden
Dude, you accidentally hit me on Wednesday night. Not hard enough to hurt but it was pretty scary. And you were kind enough to stop, get out and come up the street to see if I was okay. You even offered to drive me home. That was really kind of you, man. Most people would…
Love the way we love Prince
To the Halifax dancers on the Prince stage, you made the night. With your funkoordinated moves, awesome wardrobe choices and crazy legs, you worked it with PRINCE. PRINCE! Nothing compares 2U. —C
Brainwashed, much?
We’re sitting in class the other day when you start talking about how everyone in the occupy movement should “go out and get a damn job and stop trying to get handouts”. Considering you’re in school on social assistance and haven’t worked in years, you’d think you would have more sympathy. —Rolling My Eyes at…
Western girl with 1/2 brain, Eastern guy with 1/2
What an amazing time I had- it really was like being in another world, in more than just the geographic sense. I usually ache for the mountains, and most certainly my lovely dog! But I find myself missing the streets of Halifax. How lucky I am to have such wonderful people in my life, even…
Fab flat tire guy…
You are awesome. Thank you for leaving me a note (on the back of a receipt) on my windshield on Chain Lake Drive on November 15th. Thank you for taking the time to stop and scratch that note on a cold, dreary day and thank you for fixing it, pleasant roadside assistance guy, so that…
Santa is the one percent
Masquerading as a benevolent folk hero for centuries, one clever capitalist has us all hoodwinked: Santa Claus is one of them. Witness: He sips brandy and dines on Beluga caviar, reclining in a fur-trimmed smoking jacket while a factory teeming with elves tirelessly handcraft Lego and Barbies. That’s why he’s so jolly. The North Pole…
Andrew Hunter and The Gatherers
Heavier guitars, a taut rhythm section and elevated song writing make Andrew Hunter and The Gatherers’ LP Warhorses a few tones above the Halifax band’s previous EP. No frills, no shticks and best of all, no over-production. Warhorses showcases musical maturity and a polished dynamic that has helped make this band a local success. While…
Sea plus
Caitlyn Purcell’s jewellery designs are both fragile and tough, offering a contemporary interpretation of life by the ocean. Her pendants, rings and bracelets mix gold, silver and bronze castings with treasures found in the sand—think Stevie Nicks on a seaside stroll. “Beachcombing is this kind of magical inherited tradition that most of us who are…
Bad Vibrations
Expecting KC Spidle’s new band to sound like Dog Day is like expecting Dog Day to still sound the same without him. Neither does. Nor is BV much like Husband & Knife, KC’s lo-fi quieter side. Bad Vibrations is a different beast altogether. While there are some elements of each of his other projects, the…
The wild Jungle Book
It’s almost as much fun watching the kids in the audience as it is watching Neptune’s colourful production of The Jungle Book. The youngsters—many of whom were rambunctious Beavers and Cubs—were simply mesmerised by the lush jungle set, the amusing costumes and the high-energy musical numbers. Lucas Meeuse, an actor whose face is a marvellous…
Hawksley Workman
Oh Hawksley Workman. You’re so bloody brilliant and frustrating. I can’t help but admire your irreverent muse. In 2001 you came out with Almost a Full Moon, a delightful set of original seasonal tunes, including the classic “First Snow of The Year,” which I just listened to the other day (because it was). Now you’ve…
The Craig Gallery’s Small Wonders
This month at the Craig Gallery small yet mighty pieces of art will grace the walls, not only for your viewing pleasure, but for your buying pleasure, too. By getting your mitts on one of these $100,12-inch by 12-inch works you’ll be making the little Dartmouth gallery’s holiday wishes come true. “We often rely on…
Free Will Astrology
Happy Birthday! SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21) “Dear Mr. Brezsny: My name is Sonny McGee and I own a website that caters to people who are addicted to playing poker. I’m a big fan of your horoscopes, and I’m wondering if you would like to advertise your work to our audience. Gamblers love astrology! Get in…
Cathy Busby goes on the record
Eighteen years after she lost her older brother Steve to AIDS-related illness, Cathy Busby is ready to part with his record collection, or rather pay it forward. “Even when he was very ill, there was always music playing,” says Busby of her music-loving brother, who left her his massive library of vinyl that includes everything…
World of Goo (2D Boy)
No matter the platform you play it on, it’s hard to ignore the charm in World of Goo. Most levels require the player to gather as many goo balls as possible and bring them towards a hard to reach pipe, which will collect the remaining goo. The fewer goo balls used, the higher the score.…
Earth to be Harpered
This week and next, world leaders are meeting in Durban, South Africa for the 17th year in a row to talk climate change at the Conference of the Parties (COP17). The biggest unofficial delegation there is the Canadian Youth Delegation, part of the Youth Climate Coalition, which includes Haligonian Robin Tress, a recent Dalhousie environmental…
Sam
It’s not everyday you bump into someone wearing fur vest, sporting a fish tail dress and rocking a Louis Vuitton tote. Friday was that day. Sam is from Toronto studying at Dalhousie and lives to shop chez Holt Renfrew (was I mad jealz or WHAT?). Sam is inspired by the infinite fashion blogs she reads,…
Margin Call illuminates the Wall Street shuffle
In the nascent stages of the financial crisis, employees at a Manhattan investment bank weigh out the odds and their options— “be first, be smarter, or cheat,” as the film’s motto goes. For us lay people, J.C. Chandor’s debut venture penning and directing a feature film is an enticing glimpse into the trading world: nobody…
Great Village
Flossy O’Reilly, a retired school teacher, has lived her whole life in Great Village, Nova Scotia, and it’s here that she chooses to live out her days, with only her best friend and estranged brother as company, reading and rereading the Elizabeth Bishop books that litter her house. It’s only when an unexpected young house…
Some kinks are a “fetish too far”
Q I’m a 21-year-old woman from Canada who sleeps with other women. Two questions for you: 1. My LGBT friends and I disagree about what we girls who sleep with girls exclusively should call ourselves. Everyone else prefers “lesbian” and bitches at me for hating that word. Can’t I call myself gay? 2. I am…
Review Roundup: The Skin I Live In and Margin Call
Please click on the title for the review: The Skin I Live In Margin Call
Power of 10
Yay!” The word spills out of my mouth as soon as our server drops off Chives’ unique take on a bread basket at our table. The crinkle of the brown paper bag and the sweet, bready breath of biscuits when the bag is opened is one of my favourite sensory experiences in a Halifax restaurant.…
Hollerado dials it down
For Hollerado downtime is a bit of a foreign concept—they’ve had barely any of it since releasing 2010’s Record in a Bag. But now that touring is finally starting to wind down they’re embracing doing nothing by taking lots of walks and settling into their new home, Toronto. “The van is really the closest thing…
Ecology Action Centre’s gift-givers
We asked the greenest elves, those who work at the Ecology Action Centre, what they’d recommend for gifts this holiday season. Conscientious consumption continued Jennifer West’s tips: ICC cooking classes: Offered throughout the year, cost is $115 for four lessons. 453-5327 or icca@eastlink.ca. | Oceanstone Inn and Cottages* in Peggys Cove, 823-2160, oceanstone.ns.ca | Irwin…
Hark! A Vagrant
Homegrown Cape Bretoner Kate Beaton has released her second book based on hilarious histories, Hark! A Vagrant contains the majority of Beaton’s work from her website (harkavagrant.com) as well as a few more original strips for the book. If you’re unfamiliar with Beaton’s work, she makes comic strips about all forms of history, from the…
Working for the Weekend Dads
If we’re the Weekend Dads’ figurative kids…we’re about to get showered in gifts. For starters, this Friday marks the release show for their much-awaited debut album, a seven-inch released by It’s Alive Records. Even better? A leftover track from the self-titled record fell into the right pair of hands (Larry Livermore’s) and will be featured…
How to make gift-giving less of a hassle
Uncle Steve loves the Habs. Aunt Lizzie can’t get enough of Lady Gaga. But what about their boys, your cousins John, Stewie and Seamus? And your brother Larry? And his new girlfriend will be coming home from Toronto with him at the holidays, what do you get her? If these kinds of questions are starting…
Infinity Blade
It’s been almost a year since its release but the original Infinity Blade remains one of the best examples of igaming, and with a sequel coming out in December, it’s worth checking out. For a mobile game, it is gorgeous to look at with an appealing and ancient world, complete with dungeons, a castle and…
Greeting cards at the holidays
Dearest Coast readers, both holiday junkies and haters: In case you didn’t know, holiday greeting cards are still a thing. Despite our tendency to lean away from paper by sending mass emails, ecards, Facebook shoutouts and holly, jolly hashtags, the corporate card biz is still doing OK. The roots of handmade messages of good cheer…
Alternative holiday film festival
Ted Demme’s 1994 caper comedy, The Ref, is a good place to start. Gus (Denis Leary) is a burglar on the run who takes Caroline (Judy Davis) and Lloyd Chasseur (Kevin Spacey), a dysfunctional married couple, hostage in their home as he hides from cops trolling the wealthy Connecticut town. Davis and Spacey argue so…
Aram Kouyoumdjian: sound mixer and video director
The film industry can be a tough way to make a living in Canada. It’s sheer passion that drives many of its devotees to keep going. Aram Kouyoumdjian falls into that camp. “I’ve kind of just been floating through my career—I never went to school for this, I just work a lot,” says Kouyoumdjian, who…
Gifts for adults in local kids stores
The Adventures of Hergé by Jose-Louis Bouquet, Jean-luc Fromental and Stanislas Barthelemy, $20 An illustrated biography of Georges Prosper Remi, better known as Hergé, the creator of The Adventures of Tintin, from Montreal publishers Drawn & Quarterly. Tintin and his trusty pooch Snowy will be on the big screen later in December with a new…
Flight club
As musician and concert promoter Bethany Fulde’s band This Ship embarks on its first Upper Canadian voyage, her crew encounters a frosty squall as provinces across the country get their first taste of winter. For Fulde—whose music collective known as Berserker Lion is preparing its first music festival with The Flight of Fall Music Festival—the…
The story of Mills’ holiday window display
For some, ringing in the holidays in Halifax is marked by the first sighting of the forest wake in the Mills window—a tradition that first popped up in the late 1940s. Snow White lies in a woodland tomb as her seven pals weep diamond tears and robotically dry their eyes. The dwarfs are rotund and…
The Sheepdogs’ doggy style
On a misty Wednesday night in March 2010, The Sheepdogs played to 10 people at the Seahorse, a venue whose capacity is 250. The scruffy Saskatoon natives, unfazed by the poor attendance, packed up to hit the road for their next stop in Boston. Nobody knew that within the next two years, they’d have a…
What to buy for the occupy
According to their most recent general assemblies, Nova Scotian occupiers are still planning to camp out in Wolfville, and possibly again in Halifax. But there’s still that pesky local park bylaw that prohibits camping. Look no further than The Adventure Outfitters (5187 Salter Street, 481-9826) for bylaw-subverting solutions. TAO carries shiny silver emergency space blankets…
Hind Legs
Hind Legs’ debut, Pleasure Cave, is not at all like that cave in The Descent, but it is also a little spooky and a lady yells in it. Halloway Jones belts out the grungy tunes like nobody’s business over a thick layer of fuzz. Hind Legs turns out lyrically funny songs (about surfing, unicorns, dolphins…
Sourcing local holiday meal supplies in Halifax
Appetizers There’s no need for your bland grocery-store cheeses, as Atlantic Canadian artisanal cheeses can hold their own on any board. Jess Ross, owner of Gold Island Bakery, sells Au Fond des Bois’ goat cheeses (aufonddesbois.com) Saturdays in the Halifax Historic Farmers’ Market (Brewery Market, 1496 Lower Water Street, 423-2279). Originally from Belgium, farmers Marina…
Taking the fight to the streets
If you wander down Gottingen Street at night, you’ll probably bump into a group of about a dozen people standing outside the Salvation Army. Some are just out for a smoke. Others are trying to figure out where they’re going to sleep or grab their next meal. A handful suffer from mental health issues, disabilities…
Choc treatment
Live Art Dance brings Montreal dance company O Vertigo’s Onde de choc (Shockwave)—directed by Ginette Laurin—to Halifax (December 1-3, Sir James Dunn Theatre, 6101 University. 8pm, $17/$20/$25) this week, and Halifax’s own Gillian Seaward-Boone will bring her first professional Halifax performance with it. “I was ecstatic when they told me we were touring to Halifax,”…
