Dec 4-10, 2008

Dec 4-10, 2008 / Vol. 16 / No. 28

Black Christmas

Lost and Found (2384 Agricola) has a bleaker take on the holiday season. This weekend marks the inaugural Black Christmas, an unholy sound festival, art show and sale. Partially inspired by the cult classic B-rated horror flick Black Christmas, the local art/vintage/kitch shop proposes a new Boxing Day sale, December 12-14. “It doesn’t make sense…

New Poon!

Published December 09, 2008. New Poon! What is it when your buddies are pounding scores of new poon after a breakup that you get a little jealous of that even though you are 1000000% positive that what you have at home is better than any of that? Just asking. Not really bitching. Where is 17…

Is it over?

Published December 06, 2008. Is it over? Here I am alone again, I do have a girlfriend but have not spoken to her for about four days now. You see the thing is her grandmother is not well with cancer, which I understand, she has to be with her family now. We’ve only been together…

Bitch Windbags

Published December 10, 2008. Bitch Windbags Jeez-Ass, some of these bitches are mind-numbing in their length. I swear some of the posters lift shit off of Google to make their point, then proceed to ramble for another six paragraphs. Makes one wonder if they talk like that in real life and if they do, no…

Dear Mr. Harper: HA HA Freakin HA!

Published December 01, 2008. Dear Mr. Harper: HA HA Freakin HA! Looks good on you – thats right – the majority of people in the country want someone besides you as prime minister. Too bad that we the tax payer have to foot the bill for yet another election in the next few months…. oh…

to all of trailer park boys fans.

Published December 06, 2008. to all of trailer park boys fans. WHY ! DOES HALIFAX FEEL THE NEED TO WORship THIS STUPID GROUP OF ACTORS. WHY.RECENTLY I WAS AT A BAR IN TOWN AND SOME GUY LEANED OVER TO point OUT TO ME THAT the GUY SITTING IN A BOOTH NEXT TO ME Was IN…

White lies

I found myself bouncing around City Hall Tuesday. First stop was a press conference held in the basement media room, where three white chiefs—chief administrative officer Dan English, police chief Frank Beazley and fire chief Bill Mosher—explained to a room full of white reporters that even though hardly any other cities in Canada find it…

Last chance to dance?

This Saturday, December 13 may be your last chance to whirl around like a dervish inside the Marquee Club to “Dancing with Myself” or some other nostalgic hit. Retro night, a staple on the “let your hair down and do a few shots” scene, may be coming to an end, due to the impending Marquee…

The Rhythm Method one more time

The delightful Rhythm Method (who recently released their EP December 6th at the Khyber) are playing again tonight at Gus’ Pub with Evolution Meanders, Mantasy and the Calvin Mambridge Band. This may be one of your last chances to see the cycle-minded rap trio before their various travels impose a hiatus. Think of it as…

Ignatieff vs. Boyd

Now that Bob Rae has dropped out of the Liberal leadership race, the nomination convention boils down to a stiff contest between Ignatieff and David Boyd, who enters the battle with the strong backing of Dartmouth’s Neighbours Pub.

campaign against tailgaters

Published December 06, 2008. campaign against tailgaters There is a big problem in Halifax/Dartmouth with tail-gating. The problem seems to be getting worse with every year. Almost daily now, someone drives so close behind me that I barely see their headlights. This is not because I am going too slow. Tailgating is extremely dangerous for…

Passing during/after a Snowstorm

Published December 07, 2008. Passing during/after a Snowstorm To the cow who tried to pass me in the lane that wasn’t plowed, and almost took me out: after a snowstorm, leave 10 minutes early AND DON’T TRY TO PASS SOMEONE BY USING THE UNPLOWED LANE!!! Jesus you’d think that doesn’t need to be explained to…

Powerless public

To the editor, re: “Public not powerless” by Paul MacKinnon, (Dec. 4, Letterhead): MacKinnon, the executive director of the Downtown Halifax Business Commission, who wrote an impassioned letter insisting democracy would not be thwarted by the new development approval process, left me even more certain that this is indeed the true aim of the supporters…

Letters to the Editor

At a time when the world is witnessing an economic crisis of unparalleled proportions, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government has demonstrated ithas no plan, no competence and no will to effectively address this crisis. Instead of taking action to stimulate the economy and to create jobs, the Conservatives chose to use last week’s economic and…

Harper’s in confidence

To the editor, In Canada, we elect MPs, not a prime minister. The majority of our MPs have lost confidence in Conservative leader Stephen Harper, and want to tell him that, but they can’t right now because the prime minister has run away and locked the doors of democracy. By proroging, the PM has bought…

Patriotic and frontier music, ballads, hymns and comedic songs

You’ll forgive the fact that this is not really Scene and Heard related, I hope. Although, in my defense, it could be considered slightly music-based, considering that it’s myspace and all… This myspace is as entertaining as it is educational, and it’s a veritable goldmine for wisecracks. Also entertaining is this, and this. As you…

Matt Reid and friends indulge in a few swears

This Saturday, December 13 at Ginger’s Tavern, local piano man and Halifax music alum Matt Reid releases his new CD, Letters (with Ruth Minnikin and Laura Peek. 10:30pm, $5). His band features Kristina Parlee of The Maynards on bass and vocal harmonies, Dean Gallant on guitars, and Reid’s brother-in-law Luke Goguen on the drums. He…

Aah, spelling!

Published December 03, 2008. Aah, spelling! I know the internet is not the place for literacy, but come on! Copy your post, paste it in spell check, and then correct it! Not even The Coast is immune! “Submit your Bitch aand we may post it online or in the paper” I put a spell on…

Girl with a Death Wish

Published December 05, 2008. Girl with a Death Wish To the bimbo at the Palace last night: Your friend saved your ass. You should thank her for being so apologetic of your rude behavior. One of these nights your hair extensions are going to get ripped out because you can’t practice a few manners. Patient…

sick of you

Published December 05, 2008. sick of you I used to love you but I am sick of the way you are treating me. I am thinking of leaving you and you don’t even know it. Boyfriends shouldn’t be assholes and you are definitely that…a controlling, foolish jerk. I am too good for you. Shape up…

Barf Soup

Published December 08, 2008. Barf Soup To a certain Mediterranean-themed pita place in the Robie vicinity: Thanks for the disgusting “lunch”. Your lasagna looked great in the display case. Too bad you had to turn it into a disgusting bowl of Chef Boyardee juice after putting it in the microwave for 18 minutes. Seriously, you…

Books on Tape

You get two wonderful chances to see LA-based beat punk master Books on Tape (AKA Tood Drootin) this weekend (December 12 at the Seahorse with Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees, Windom Earle and Mark Black $10 and December 13 at Gus’ Pub with A/V, Myles Deck & the Fuzz, The Gideons and Jenocide $6)…

Explain to me this….

Published December 05, 2008. Explain to me this…. Why the fuck didn’t my bitch get posted? It wasn’t any more innappropriate than any of these bitches! Get your shit together! I saw some of the crap bitches that got posted (that “deardater” shit; the one with only two words in the body: “Fuck you”; and…

BAD SERVICE

Published December 04, 2008. BAD SERVICE RECENTLY MY SON WENT INTO THE DOLLAR STORE IN PARK LANE TO LOOK AT BANDANAS AND WHILE HE WALKED AROUND THE STORE A SALESCLERK FOLLOWED HIM AND THEN WENT AND GOT THREE OTHER SALESCLERKS TO DO THE SAME. WHY? ALL HE WANTED WAS TO BY SOME BANDANAS AND ENDED…

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Published December 04, 2008. MERRY CHRISTMAS!! I am not wishing you Happy Holiday’s…but I will widh you a MEEEERY CHRISTMAS!! CHRISTMAS card, not holiday card CHRISTMAS tree, not holiday tree…no other holiday requires a tree other than CHRISTMAS. CHRISTMAS lights, CHRISTMAS gifts, CHRISTMAS carols, etc etc… With all that is going on in the world,…

Space between

In a city where there are more bands than musicians, Spaces Between Studios (5440 North) is the perfect place for rehearsing, preproduction and recording. Some Halifax’s finest players recorded their debut releases –Tanya Davis, Don Brownrigg, Dammien Alexander, to name a few, in this cozy well-equipped environment. “I can work with experienced artists and know…

Handmade holiday market

Catch over 40 vendors at this year’s annual Holiday Handmade Market, hosted by the Halifax Crafters, this weekend at the North Street Church (5657 North). “Halifax Crafters is growing and we’re going to max out space in the church,” says co-founder Kyla Francis. “There will be lunch for sale –delicious handmade sweet and savoury tarts,…

Simple Favors

Published December 07, 2008. Simple Favors To the asshole working at a certain pizza place downtown: 2 AM, I called down there less than 10 minutes after I left when I realized I had forgotten a bag that had a pair of nice shoes and other belongings in it. When I explained this, all you…

Use Your Inside Voice.

Published December 05, 2008. Use Your Inside Voice. The people who live in the apartment next to me are the absolute worst. I have had roommates from hell, but at least their talking wouldn’t wake me up in the middle of the night out of my sleep. Honestly, I can hear exactly what this couple…

They’ll appreciate the dents

Published December 07, 2008. They’ll appreciate the dents Thats what I said to you punks. You didn’t have too much to say back either .On Cambridge St tonight When one of your group decided to walk over trunk to hood of a car parked on the side of the road. What a hero you are.…

Life in the Large Lane

Published November 27, 2008. Life in the Large Lane Another round of fat bashing has come and gone on Love the Way we Bitch. I’m sure it won’t be the last. In fact, since everyone loves to hate fat people, I think I’ll throw you a bone. I’m fat. Not heavy, chubby, or big-boned. Fat.…

Kijiji Bitch

Published December 05, 2008. Kijiji Bitch What the fuck is wrong with some people? I use Kijiji all the time, selling stuff, giving stuff away, and sometimes even looking for stuff…. and it annoys me to no end when I see all these ads by people looking for free stuff with various sob stories… then…

There is no pork in that?

Published December 03, 2008. There is no pork in that? I’m sick and tired of the none pork eating crowd that eats in restaurants. Not because you don’t eat pork but because you are fucking RUDE!. You should have to take a etiquette coarse before you come and eat in a restaurant. You do not…

lack of service!

Published December 05, 2008. lack of service! to a certain music store. sure i may look like i wasnt there to spend money with a toddler on my hip and a 4 year old in tow! But be assured i was there to spend a few hundred on christmas gifts, I could see the store…

tired of

Published December 05, 2008. tired of SO Tired of dealing with F.U.L.B’s grow up your 45 years old Mature person

Getting Green

Published December 05, 2008. Getting Green Does anyone remember when there was a time where people were so crazy about being environmentally friendly, electric cars, wind energy? Conserving and what have you? I remember someone mentioning something about it on this bitch, stating that it’s all a fad and it’s all going away. Well it…

Bus ridership

My experience is entirely anecdotal, of course, but I’ve been taking the #10 bus into work pretty much every day since I was hired. When gas shot up over $1.30 a litre, ridership about doubled— standing room only on those double, articulated buses. Since gas has declined again, tho, it seems like there are a…

Rather, Don’t Use your Voice at all.

Published December 06, 2008. Rather, Don’t Use your Voice at all. I’m going to start accepting donations for voice lessons to give as a Christmas gift to the tenants who reside above me in our lovely building. Karaoke was all fine and dandy at 9:30 pm. Dance Dance Revolution started to get annoying at about…

selling junk food at the hospital

Published December 01, 2008. selling junk food at the hospital As a hospital employee I watch the students from Citadel High flood the Tims here every lunch hour. I have observed them buying many, many, many donuts. Two at a time. I know if I was a student and didn’t really care about my health…

no one likes you

Published December 05, 2008. no one likes you No one likes you at work you screw up 24 -7 you dress like a pregnant smeely BO HO with a butt crack thong. you brag about your hubby and his money that you don’t need to work PLEASE do everyone a favour & leave. someone with…

If only the army knew how to shovel

Published November 28, 2008. If only the army knew how to shovel Every time it snows, the sidewalks at the Armory on North Park street don’t get cleared for days. God, if only those cadets knew someone who could lift a shovel… jefnord@hotmail.com

New kid on the board

Industry news from a press release from MNS: “After an extensive nation-wide search for a new Executive Director, Music Nova Scotia’s Board of Directors found exactly what they were looking for right at home with Pictou County native and St. Francis Xavier University graduate Scott Long.” Awww. Long was hired in June 2008 as Music…

Wednesday < Sunday

Sunday night is the new Wednesday night at Reflections. Band night at Reflections is all TOPSY TURVY!!! Instead of Wednesday night, they present to you: SUNDAY NIGHT. It’s much better you see, because you have spent all of Sunday on your ass watching The Wire and it gives you something to look forward to. Mondays…

Horns High!

Issue number 10 of Nova Scotian metal magazine Horns High is currently online for your perusal. The final issue of the year is grim to the brim with such gems as: interviews with Quo Vadis and Origin, Hellacaust, Thy Flesh Consumed and We, the Undersigned, photos and interviews from Thrashfest 2008 and an Iron Giant…

The Olympic Symphonium is coming for real

The Olympic Symphonium have rescheduled their CD release for More in Sorrow Than Anger for December 12 at The Bus Stop Theatre (8pm, $10 with heavy meadows and Don Brownrigg). El Shitty Weather prevented them from coming on November 22 as planned, so if you got bummed out then, you should be happy now, pals.

Corrosive Customer Service

Published December 02, 2008. Corrosive Customer Service Why are all young men & women working at the pet store oblivious Pricks?? They travel in packs together around the store to avoid any possible customer / staff interaction! On several occasions I have contacted management to disscuss the “heard like” behaviour, but nothing changes?!? Empty droids…

All Harper, all the time

So now we get seven weeks of Conservative attack ads, spreading lies and making the Canadian people even more uninformed than they have been. And they won’t be countered by much in the way of coalition ads, because neither the Liberals nor the NDP have much money. Happy holidays! Through this ordeal, I’ve been struck…

OMG the sky is falling: Canada may fall apart!!!!

Published December 04, 2008. OMG the sky is falling: Canada may fall apart!!!! ….hmmmm, let’s see now….Jean who had formerly romanced the idea of Separtism is asked by the PM to prorogate Parliament which in turn ticks off the PQ which causes a National Unity crisis….meanwhile Harper warns us all that this ‘evil’ coalition shouldn’t…

Bobby Mac…you are a dick

Published December 02, 2008. Bobby Mac…you are a dick I was at the Q104 concert last Friday at the Cunard Centre, when my almost perfect night was ruined by radio personality none other than Bobby Mac. After waiting weeks to see some of my favourite artists (Matt Mays, Sam Roberts, Joel Plaskett), and paying $40.00…

Simply adorn-able: NSCAD jewellery sale

If I had a million dollars, I wouldn’t spend it on cocaine, sweater vests and a much-younger girlfriend; I’d march down to Seeds Gallery (1892 Hollis) for the annual NSCAD University department shows. The opening reception for Decked Out, the jewellery design and metalsmithing show and sale, was so packed out, they were only letting…

BUS DRIVER INSULTS GERMAN MAN

Published December 02, 2008. BUS DRIVER INSULTS GERMAN MAN did anyone witness and hear a bus driver insulting an old german man? he and his bus drivers buddies were making fun of an old german man who had trouble speaking . he wanted to get down , after finding out it was the wrong bus,…

On Patrol

What’s Wrong?: Fire hydrants buried under mounds of snow. Who’s Responsible?: Reid Campbell, Halifax Regional Water Commission 490-4877. Remarks: After last week’s storm, scores of fire hydrants were buried completely by plowed snow, useless in case of, well, fire. Campbell says that as soon as “stuff settles down we expose the nozzles and the tops,”…

Beavers, beavers everywhere!!!

Published November 29, 2008. Beavers, beavers everywhere!!! Alright you furry fuckers. I have had just about enough of you! Everytime I turn around you are back in my yard taking my trees. You’ve been yelled at and chased out of the yard. When are you gonna get the hint you stupid beavers?!!! Why do you…

Loud Music

Published December 02, 2008. Loud Music I’m new to hali, and I am loving the folk scene. But, besides for crazy expensive actual concerts, where can one find something… say, louder? A little more elecricity..distortion…. Do these things exist in the millions of bars in halifax? LoudMusicPlease

Violence of all sorts

I received the following thoughtful email last week, and thought it worth sharing in its entirety: You are perhaps crosseyed from getting tomorrow’s issue out and here I am with a brilliant suggestion for the next. We have an unusual cluster of events coming up, which so far are all being handled as separate items…

Shooting Frost/Nixon

Another big-screen Richard Nixon arrives this week in the form of Frank Langella. He stars in Ron Howard’s Frost/Nixon, entering the widening canon of cinematic incarnations of the 37th American president. IMDB.com contains an extensive list of Nixon as a character in film and television, portrayals ranging from the earnest—Beau Bridges in the 1995 TV…

Serena Ryder

Serena RyderIs It O.K. (EMI) Canadian songstress Serena Ryder is a vocal powerhouse. Is It O.K., her second album, asks a lot of internal and external questions. Ryder jumps all over the musical map, from the heartbreaking ballads “Hiding Place” and “Weak In The Knees,” to pop-masterpieces such as “Little Bit of Red” and “All…

Rhythm Method’s labour party

It’s no secret. The Rhythm Method is pregnant. Forget the gender-specific baby gifts, cigars and cooing. This time around, the stork is dropping Celebrities with Low Self Esteem, The Rhythm Method’s debut EP, at the Khyber ICA on December 6. “We’re turning the ballroom into our 12-year-old dream bedroom with posters of hunks,” says Sascha…

Nova Bhattacharya’s off the map

Though her parents were born in India, Toronto dancer/choreographer Nova Bhattacharya is unfalteringly Canadian. She defines her dance works the same way, highlighting the fact that they are influenced by where she lives and who her influences are, and stressing their accessibility. But unlike many of the country’s acclaimed contemporary dancers, Bhattacharya brings something different…

Seasonal recipe from Fresh and Local

For a great meal at this time of year, Craig Flinn recommends the following dish from his new Fresh & Local cookbook. Not only do we trust the chef, we like that the recipe uses the same kind of fish as Flinn is holding on this week’s cover. Sea trout is available year-round because it…

Eating la vida loca

You don’t have to look far to find your favourite foodie a perfect gift this holiday; Craig Flinn’s first cookbook, Fresh & Local: Straight from Canadian farms to your table has hit the stands just in time. It’s a fitting title, because fresh and local is the hottest culinary thing going, spawning its own lexicon…

Knit wit

Knitting’s not just for grandmas anymore. But you already know that if you live in Halifax. For the last few years—if not more—knitting has been gaining popularity with a new generation. Let’s say you’re secretly envious of friends who knit and always wanted a knitting project to keep in your purse (or knapsack)…well, there’s no…

Courtly love

The proliferation of big box stores and the ever-increasing popularity of online shopping hasn’t affected the winter sport of mall crawling. Everything’s under one roof, sale signs are everywhere and, of course, Santa lives there. And when throngs of shoppers need sustenance to push on and gather their last bits of holiday loot, they rely…

Requiem for the Christmas spirit

It was in the middle of November that I snapped. I had been doing my best to shut out the obnoxious flood of Christmas advertising. Television ads muted, garlanded displays bypassed and bright red ad copy ignored. It was the desperate, false cheer aimed at encouraging yuletide commerce (since Halloween commerce was now moot). Then,…

No place like home

What if you couldn’t go home for Christmas? Many local international students have to be resourceful at this time of the year—support for students with nowhere to go isn’t always available from their schools. Nova Scotia Community College international manager Zoran Kundali says his school doesn’t organize events for international students at Christmas. And as…

Treecycle and treeuse

Nova Scotia is home to 30,000 acres of sweet-smelling balsam firs and pines, some ready to be harvested for the holiday season. In 1996, Lunenburg was designated the world’s balsam fir capital because it produces more fir trees than anywhere else, and Nova Scotia trails just behind Quebec as the country’s biggest overall Christmas tree…

Two-Timing: Jimmie Sepulis and Tanya Davis

Candace (Jimmie) Sepulis and Tanya Davis became friends in April of this year, when Sepulis did the illustration for Davis’ album, Gorgeous Morning. After talking over a beer one night the two decided to do another project together. At the time, Jimmie Sepulis was planning an art show at Venus Envy and from there it…

Joy, love and pieces

Catherine Sutherland Given the current economic calamity, the familiar sight of smashed bus shelter glass, like piles of chipped ice, strikes the passerby as sinister, something more than evidence of last night’s drunken stupidity: a population feeling the pressure expresses its anger in the streets. But, for the holidays, consider the beauty in the destruction.…

Harper’s soap opera

Stephen Harper’s mad scramble to save his skin reminds us that political news is its own kind of soap opera. The afternoon soaps, aimed at women, are mainly about emotional relationships within families and among friends. The nightly news soap is about power relationships among men dressed in business suits with the odd woman thrown…

Page turners

Rachelle Goguen’s High Five Geoff Johns, Gary Frank and Jonathan Sibal, Action Comics (DC) The longest-running comic book title in history is the best one of 2008. Action Comics, one of two monthly ongoing Superman titles, has been damn near perfect since Geoff Johns took over the full-time writing duties in 2007. This year his…

Bloomfield centre plans

HRM staff and consultant Brian Mackay Lyons will present a master plan for the redevelopment of the Bloomfield Centre site at a public open house Thursday, December 4. A draft of the plan in circulation last week outlines three considered options, including the renovation of the current centre. But the plan ultimately recommends demolishing the…

Mother Superior

Mother SuperiorSaleema Nawaz(Freehand Books)In its first year, newbie publisher Freehand Books has filled its mantle with a bunch of prizes. Now Saleema Nawaz has scored the Journey Prize, impressing three of my favourite writers, Lynn Coady, Heather O’Neill and Neil Smith, with “My Three Girls,” a story which appears in her debut collection, Mother Superior.…

Sanctuary amidst hundreds of candles

Apparently in Anglican circles the phrase “take me up to the choir loft” has a meaning other than its literal one. So says Halifax bass clarinetist Jeff Reilly, who, though he doesn’t identify himself as a Christian, has a habit of hanging around in churches. Reilly plays with cellist Christoph Both and pipe organist Peter…

The Dears

The DearsMissiles(MapleMusic)The siren of urgency, or slightly elevated tunings, continues to be a signature for Montreal bands. Dears leader Murray Lightburn dominates a touch more than before, going long in quest of the defining epic. The transition from verses to layers and solos in “Lights Off” recalls the audacity of 1970s prog rock—and that could…

Transporter 3

What defines Transporter’s Frank Martin, played by Jason Statham, is he’ll fight if he has to, but mainly he doesn’t want to mess up his suit. Statham is awesome, of course. And Transporter 3 has the chance to prove that third time’s the charm. Frank’s patience is tested comically as he finds himself in a…

The Maynards

The MaynardsDate and Destroy(indie)Unlike the one-way street they’re named after, The Maynards fly in all sorts of directions. For a band known for playing brash, fun-loving rock ’n‘ roll, they choose to introduce their third full-length album with the surprisingly moody “Spinny.” It’s a flavour that comes again two songs later in the tough Sleater-Kinneyish—and…

Australia

Granted, Moulin Rouge! had novelty going for it on the initial viewing. But it’s now clear to me that Baz Luhrmann’s trick is to create movies that insist upon their own wonderfulness. This is where the patience-testing Australia tries to pressure us: Either you resist it and you’re a hopeless cynic, or you embrace it…

El Guincho

El GuinchoAlegranza(Young Turks)It’s always heartening to know artists like El Guincho are out there, experimenting and working their magic alone. Eventually they’ll be discovered and dragged out of the lab, into the world. And they will be ready to be heard. Pablo Díaz-Reixa came to public awareness through the blogosphere. While there’s plenty that the…

SHEESH, what a response!

Q: My girlfriend and I have been on-and-off for almost two years. I took her back after she cheated on me. The only thing now is that she wants to have a threesome. I am really not down with sharing her, but I am willing to do it because otherwise some other girl will do…

Greg Dulli

Greg DulliLive At Triple Door(Infernal)Greg Dulli, former frontman for The Afghan Whigs, relies on much of his material with The Twilight Singers for his first live acoustic album. Stripping down “Bonnie Brae” and “The Killer,” he gives the songs an ethereal quality. While only half of the set covers his work and it would’ve been…


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