Ma Bell’s Café opens in Dartmouth
“If it’s not made with love, we’re not serving it.” That’s the motto of a new café in downtown Dartmouth called Ma Bell’s Café (44 Ochterloney Street, 466-1322) in the old Copper Kettle space. Co-owners Florence Fogarty and Tom Bell were inspired by Bell’s mother who once ran a Treats in Penhorn Mall, and whose…
Staycation? How about a Gaycation?
It’s not happening until the week after Valentine’s, but it might be worth delaying the hearts and flowers a week for your same-sex honey. Lunenburg’s own emOcean a Living Well Centre (296 Lincoln Street, Lunenburg) is hosting its first Gaycation Getaway Weekend February 19-21. The weekend includes two night’s accommodation in the historic south shore…
Sweet Girl, Smart Girl. Help things change.
You’re passionate about what you do. You spend so much time doing it. You focus on things that matter. And you do this with a pretty smile. Sweet Girl. Smart Girl. Keep writing. You’re amazing at what you do. You’re doing things people are afraid of doing. That Rules. You Rule.—Manqueller Man
Delivery Driver Roadblock
To the truck driver who entirely blocked Pepperell Street for over 15 minutes while delivering to the bakery plant – could you be any more inconsiderate? Other delivery trucks manage to leave enough room for a car to squeeze by but you didn’t even try. It’s a long way from Vernon down Pepperell only to…
Chemo-tastic!
Thank you to all those receiving chemotherapy at the QEII. Your high spirits, stories and smiles make my day, in a job that could be continually heart-breaking if you all weren’t such lovely, lovely people.—The chick with the needle
2 BIG A BOSS
I live in Cape Breton and last weekend went to HFX to visit my Daughter.She works at a preppy coffee shop. WE stayed at my daughters small apartment so she gave up her beedroom for us.On saturday she had to go to work at 6am but came home all upset,she got written up fo wearing…
You are Grown Ass Men
Hey guys I work with; I don’t know if you realize it or not, but the booger-wiping all over the guys changeroom is getting a bit gross. I’m about to post a sign around your little collection and call you gross sum-a-beoches out. You walking, breathing snot-snaggletooths need to appreciate and apply thy kleenex.—I almost…
To the Fuckface in a Car on Portland Street
Fuckface, you who were driving the car on Portland Street on Feb 9th around 9pm near the Ultramar in Woodland, you are a fuckface. You fucking threw your fucking empty Tim Horton’s Iced Cappuccino cup out your fucking window and hit me in the chest as I was walking with my husband. Do you have…
Move-Bitch(s)-get-out-da-way!
If you choose to stand still on an escalator, stay to the right. Some of us choose to walk – up and down – and you’re slowing us the fuck down!—Pablo Escalator.
Sharply Dressed Stockboy
To the stockboy at the Superstore on Quinpool wearing the tie and suspenders this weekend, you really brightened my otherwise boring grocery adventure.—Satisfied Customer
Northern Agricola Street Thief!
First and foremost, that’s my stuff! Calling it garbage because it’s wrapped up outside is bullshit. Also you stole from me. You stole a pair of expensive shoes and some figures that I’ve collected over the years, but those are replaceable. It’s annoying, but they are replaceable. There was also a gold Capricorn necklace that…
MIG
I hope you read this because it’s all I know how to do right now. The months I’ve spent with you have brought such joy to my life. I hope you will believe that you will always, always be loved, by me. I will always think of you with the utmost respect and I care…
Halifax for Haiti Concert
This is some mad love for the organizers, artists, volunteers, crew, and attendees last night at the Halifax for Haiti benefit concert. It was SUCH a great grouping of talent, showcasing what we in the Maritimes can accomplish when we need to help others.—Proud Nova Scotian Lady
Baby, it’s cold outside
I am still angry and confused a week later and wondering what I should or could have done. Laying hands on your stroller to take your crying baby out of last week’s freezing cold and into the coffee shop you dashed into probably would have gotten me charged, and sadly, with time constraints, I did…
Jenn Grant sings in praise of the IWK
This is a really refreshing locally made commercial supporting the IWK, which uses real talent rather than someone’s cousin who happens to own a keyboard. Song written by Jason MacIsaac and sung by, of course, Jenn Grant. Watch it here. Grant performs next Friday at the Rebecca Cohn with the NS Symphony. Tickets are still…
Halifax and sea level rise
Tuesday night, Halifax city staffers Roger Wells and John Charles and Bedford Institute of Oceanography scientist Don Forbes teamed to give a presentation to city council on climate change and sea level rise, and what we should do to prepare for it. I’d seen most of the material before, but the presentation was well-done, and…
Postdata at the Sonic Temple, March 7 & 8
If you haven’t heard Postdata, Paul Murphy’s solo project with his brother Michael, go get yourself a copy and then a ticket for this show. Murphy is playing two dates, March 7-8, 8pm at the cozy Sonic Temple, along with Brian Borcherdt and Julie Fader. Tickets are $20adv/$25 day of show (though I’m guessing these…
5 Questions: Bloodhouse
You may recognize Bloodhouse from the majority of my answers in the Coast’s Best of Music survey, but if you didn’t catch my personal ballot, please click the handy highlighted link to transport yourself to a shack in the woods swirling with pot smoke and fantasy hockey league stats. They are playing a show on…
Blondie (and lots more) cover night at the Seahorse this Saturday
Blondie is for lovers, and a Blondie cover set on Valentine’s Eve (is that a thing?) could be just the ticket to seal the deal with your fit bird/bloke. February 13 at the Seahorse (10pm) Jenocide and Windom Earle perform as Blondie again, for your love. The night also includes sets by Jorun and Ghettosocks…
Humani-T: Another cheap eat on Young
It didn’t quite squeeze into our Cheap Eats issue last week, but the recently opened deli inside Super Natural Health Products is called Humani-T (5755 Young Street, 454-9999) offers a host of reasonable lunch combos that would qualify—plus it’s a healthy choice. Most appealing to the pocketbook is the Veggie Samosa meal deal, including made-from-scratch,…
go play farmville at home
some stupid person is playing farmville next to me in the university computer lab… the incessant clicking is completely unnecessary let alone rude and distracting. someone should kick u out… but youre fat so u probably have something to prove which is why ill just bitch about it on an anonymous internet forum instead of…
This story is closed to commenting
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2010/02/08/belleville-jessica-lloyd-dead-missing.html Of course “This story is closed to commenting”. Who can stand the backlash of our public broadcaster GLORIFYING the life and times of a common CRIMINAL. (murder, forcible confinement, break and enter, sexual assault) Who thought it might be a good idea to feature this idiot and his biography (!!!!!) all dressed up in…
Poor Bayview Trees Knocked Over :'(
I’m so sad today. While walking down Bayview by that new wall they just put it at the bottom, I noticed that the brand new cute little trees they just planted last fall were knocked over!! 🙁 They are all scraped up, obviously by some careless snowplow driver. I can understand if the driver accidentally…
Customer Disservice
I emailed you three days ago trying to get a quote. I didn’t even receive a reply that you don’t want to quote on the job. What the hell is up you people? If you don’t want to make money, you’re going about it the right way.—Going with another company
Dear newspaper editors
This girl is a force to be reckoned with, except she would never use such a tired cliche. Lucy is a bright journalism student who is graduating from King’s this April. She has plenty of ideas, talent and merit, and I think any employer who has a reporting position open should snatch her up before…
IMMA BE
So I’ve tolerated Lady Gaga. I’ve tolerated Kris Allen and Adam Lambert. I’ve tolerated every machine-made, metallic, soulless spawn of the record companies and their ilk thus far. But here, HERE, is where I draw the line. The motherfucking line. Right here. How this anathema ever made it to the radio is lightyears beyond me.…
Bakering on Charles & Agricola
Too all those Baking on the corner of Charles & Agricola, the world loves you—pound cake
my hubby :)
Thanks for always shovelling the snow in our driveway. You get up early and have it all done before daylight 🙂 I never tell you enough THANKS !!!!!—happy wife = happy life 🙂
waste
I have been working as a banquet server at one of Halifax’s major hotels since last summer. The food which they serve is supremely healthy and scrumptiously variable: heaping slabs of smoked salmon, piles of clustered mussels and oysters in their characteristic sauces, sirloin tender steak seasoned in a delicate broth. Apart from the ordered…
Gym Idiots
This is to all the dumbasses at the gym who don’t understand the concept of the sign-up sheet for equipment. WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU? Just because no one is on a machine when you happen to glance at it doesn’t mean that it’s free for you to use for however long you…
SELF SERVE GAS STATIONS.
THERE ARE LESS AND LESS ”FULL SERVE” OPTIONAL GAS STATIONS AND MORE AND MORE SELF SERVE. NOW FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO ARE DISABLED AND IN A WHEELCHAIR I CAN GET OUT OF MY CAR BUT STILL CAN NOT OPERATE THE GAS PUMPS BECAUSE THEY ARE TO HIGH OR HAVE CONCRETE AROUND THEM AND UP…
Federal Competition Bureau agrees with Bousquet
Last year, I argued that real estate sales should be a matter of public record: Consider that the sale prices of houses are not publicly available from the government, as is the case in all of the US. (Assessed values are available in Nova Scotia, but they often have very little to do with sale…
Valentine’s vittles
In all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, there’ll be Valentine’s Day specials. Of course, we’re only paraphrasing Casablanca, and to be honest, there are specials celebrating the day for lovers in far more than just Halifax gin joints. For instance, both Boston Pizza (1858 Granville Street, 422-8600) and Freeman’s…
Halifax councillors won’t be caught up in MLA-like expense scandal
The provincial MLA expense scandal has many asking the question: what of HRM city councillors? I spent a great deal of time over the last few days reviewing the provincial auditor-general’s report, interviewing various people with insights into it, and undertaking a parallel investigation of city councillors’ situation. I’ll be writing an editorial on the…
to tea
I love you. You’re cheap, you taste good, you have no calories, and you’re super warming on a winter’s day.—wanna cuppa
party time….. excellent….
To all those that came out to the house on Saturday night to help celebrate, thank you. Not only was a great time had by all, but the bash ended in the wee hours without nary an incident (oh, except the red-shirted freak…..) Get ready for another in 2 weeks! You are all welcome back………—Beerz…
To the Cobequid x-ray technician
I found you cheerful, competent, and efficient. Thank you for making my CAT scan experience so easy. I arrived 30 minutes early to check-in and it all went smoothly, so I thought I had a long wait ahead of me, but you called me in right away, long before my appointment time. I had an…
There are signs all over the kitchen!!!
Dear Douchenozzle: When someone does the dishes in the office, and leaves them in the drying tray, don’t put your dirty dishes on top of them. We leave hot sudsy water in the sink for that. You, sirs, are illiterate idiots. —going to start putting Ex-Lax in the coffeepot
Losing my faith in “entertainment”
“Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen was once a lovely song. The it got covered (often badly), about 7,000 times. I heard Mr. Cohen put a moratorium on recording a new versions, and I rejoiced. But now, I have heard yet another crappy cover played on my workplace crap radio station. Cover bands playing in bars, I…
Get the Fuck Outta Tha Way
If you are a group of people using the sidewalk and there is a solo-stroller approaching you why wouldn’t one of you move out of the way so I can pass you without having to walk in the muddy slush! Assholes.—Cold, Wet Feet
Asshole UpStairs!
Hey you! Asshole? Yeah I am talking to you! Why is it that you have to make a fucking racket, when I am trying to sleep? I swear its like living with Kramer upstairs. I thought the other night I even heard sounds like a hot tub would make! Maybe I am losing my mind!…
Fuck Sensitivity Training
I have work to do. I don’t have time for this fucking bullshit. I didn’t do anything wrong, and neither did whoever it was that made the PC slip-up that landed us all in this shameful waste of company time. This shit only makes people more uncomfortable around each other. I honestly can’t see how…
Sour puss
I love this pub. However I cringe when I think of how bad the customer services is. Seriously….if you don’t like being a waitress: QUIT. I’m sure you can find a job that doesn’t require having to speak to anyone, or even make any communication with anyone. Who knows, maybe you need this job, but…
Condo F&*ks!
Why do people who live in condos always talk about their condos?? “we’re having people over to our condo tonight”, “i forgot we were having a party at the condo tonight” Great, you own a condo, congrats, no one gives a fuck.—Garth Vader
Dear Cream Egg
You’re so delicious, but so sticky.. like when a small bit of tin foil wrapping sticks to the side of the egg. it goes unnoticed until it’s directly in my cavity filling! i hate cream eggs sometimes…—soft and sensitive teeth
Fold it up!
I have a toddler. When I have to bring him on the bus, I always take my umbrella stroller. And, if the bus is even moderately packed? I take my child, and I fold the stroller up, and I put him on my lap. It’s probably safer. Why do these chics insist on hauling their…
Pub Management
Last night at this local pub I had an almost unbelievable experience, although I’ve heard a lot of horror stories about the manager before, but I’d never actually experienced it myself. It all started when I arrived with my band and the doorman wouldn’t let our drummer in. He had lost his wallet a few…
Bob’s Taxi Driver is a Hero!
Hi there, I just took a cab ride, and I think the number was #357. I told you that you and your brothers all being taxi drivers, would make for a great reality show… Anyhow, it was late at night, and when I got home, you waited until I was inside safely before you drove…
Hummus Love
I would like to send some love to the Extreme Pita staff at the LSC at Dal. Thank-you for understanding that when I say, “Could I get a lot of hummus, please?” that I ACTUALLY want a lot of hummus! When I spend all morning in that ugly, windowless building, nothing makes me happier than…
loud breather: SHHH!
god fucking shit ass why did you have to come to the library 2 hours before close. i’m at my wits end trying to muster up the last bit of energy and concentration i have to make it till close and you sit there on your computer, not doing work but looking at youtube videos,…
Number 18 Bus Driver Goddess
You are the sweetest and most considerate bus driver ever. I always say “Yay its her!” under my breath right before I get on your bus. The bus ride to school is so much more enjoyable because of you!—Grateful SMUdent
Salvatore’s
Ummm best HERO EVER! Super nice server too. Wow, delicious. Be back ASAP.—BRB
CREAM SAUCE
WHY DOES EVERY RESTAURANT IN HALIFAX HAVE TO RUIN THEIR FOOD BY DOUSING EVERYTHING IN FUCKIN CREAM SAUCE? I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. MAYBE IM SPOILED, BUT I THINK THAT GOURMET FOOD IN HALIFAX HAS A LOT OF POTENTIAL, BUT THEY ARE SHITTING IT ALL AWAY WITH WHITE CREAM SAUCE…FUCK CREAM SAUCE —screamsauce
No excuse
I’m so fed up with how fat the pigeons in this city are getting. Don’t tell me it’s genetics. I see what you eat! Get on a treadmill or at least put on some clothes that will cover you and don’t expect me to give you a french fry I bought with MY money that…
Get Real, Girl!
Hey, you’re 26, so proud of being a virgin and not allow to sleep over anybody’s place. Of course you also have to call your mama in Korea every hour to tell her where you are and what you do. What is wrong with you and your family? I just think you and your family…
Some Busdrivers are AWESOME
To the bus driver of the #2 on Saturday morning, you are an excellent person. You came out of Perks with 2 cups of hot chocolate and gave me one “because I looked cold”. That was one of the nicest things a complete stranger has ever done for me. I hope life brings you a…
Rave at York Redoubt
Why don’t we attack the parents of these 200+ idiots who actually went? I spent Saturday night with a parent, and the kid – who decided not to go. Informed/Engaged parent, Smart Kid. It’s time to start holding the bad parents responsible for this, not the immature, adolescent kids who attend. Who should know better?…
Chivalry on a Bus
To the guy on the 2 the other night, who offered his seat not once, but twice to me – thanks. Even though I didn’t accept it’s nice to know that there are still guys out there who will give up their seat for a girl.—Happy Standing
The longest / shortest
There are no holidays in the stunted month. Valentine’s is no day off. Yes, August once had everything to give, and wanted you to loll and live, but the shortest month on paper is the longest in its favour, as it drives each human frailty to the wall; and it freezes expectations, and it cancels…
quick and easy weight loss
Thanks to the omnipresent coffee chain for the cup o coffee that helped my bowels move for the first time in days. i’ll give you a picture of the orphan you helped support: it was the size of a football and weighed three pounds. hugs and kisses —relieved
Coburg Guy
Coburg St. Feb 5th. I just wanted to send you a heartfelt thanks. I was feeling awful and was a terrible mess. I had just finished getting sick and you helped my friend carry me home before I feinted. There aren’t many people who would take the time to stop and help out so I…
Parking ABUSE by DOT
To the 3 Dept. of Transportation employees that use the 3 handicapped Parking spaces on Granville St. for their own free parking, it is time to move. Every week day these 3 park in spaces and rotate vehicles every 3 hours. I have talked to the parking attendents who have advised me this is what…
Kiss this pub’s new ID law good-bye
Next time you are planning to go to this pub downtown, remember your ID, even if you don’t plan on drinking. That’s right. Here I am, a 29 year old, and I was asked to leave because I didn’t have my ID on me. Apparently, you aren’t even allowed to be IN there without one.…
Malt Vinegar
I’m an ex Brit, this is to validate the Bitch – I LOVE malt vinegar on fries, fish and chips etc. why do most restaurants not have this stuff as a condiment?—Basil Fawlty
Douchebag Dad
I am at the end of my rope. I have this inner turmoil that tells me I need to make my peace with the person you are because your lifestyle is going to kill you soon. I cant make peace with it, because I know you are better than it. You are a shell of…
Setting up camp in a Dark Place
I don’t particularly believe in ‘negative energy’ or a dark aura or whatever, but I know that when you’re constantly down, you drag the world down with you. I have tried relentlessly to cheer you up- not in an annoying sunshine pusher sort of way- but as a friend who has been in dark places,…
THIS IS A PSST
I have romanticized the thought of you- the way you speak, and the things you speak of. We have shared plenty of fun, and some more intriguing conversations. You support my optimism for life, and aren’t afraid to debate a topic passionately. Your taste in music, your designer clothes, your lack of ‘grit’… I have…
Cold Sores
Why oh why oh why do I get cold sores!!! I hate them….they’re ugly and they really hurt in this cold ass weather. I’m and adult in a professional work place and I look awful!! I’ve had 5 this winter season…I take prescription medication as well as use abreva every 45 minutes (washing my hands…
Regular Testing
The Q-Tip doesn’t need to go to the base. That made my bad day much more terrible- OUCH!—Hurtin’
BA Johnston = Funniest musician in Canada
“It’s a physical show” Audio proof: CLICK IT. Listening to BA Johnston talk about his quality loafers is why you wear headphones at your desk anyway, right? Related Stories
Shoptalk product: feeling bagged
Ashley Watson Sure, we all carry around baggage, but at least make it gorgeous. Vancouver designer Ashley Watson handcrafts her roomy bags out of the softest possible leather, recycled from jackets she purchases at thrift stores. The details alone would make Hollywood stylist Rachel Zoe go bananas. The price tag is a bit higher ($380),…
Shoptalk product: heavenly Indian sweets
Now that you’re saving so much on cheap eats, you’ll have enough cash left in your pocket for dessert. Forget the Oreos, tucked away in a fridge at Indian Groceries (2585 Robie Street, 423-6339), are trays filled with nuggets of sweet, homemade heaven. Sticky, sticky gulab jamun, how I long to bathe in your syrup.…
DANG! Dartmouth goes to the artists
We’ve seen it all before. Soho and the meatpacking district in New York. Williamsburg. Queen West (and now West West in Toronto). Artists move in, fix up neighbourhoods, make them cool, then come the good bars and restos and the galleries, and then, eventually, the rest of the world figures it out and moves in.…
IT’S FUCKING COLD OUTSIDE
What the hell is with teenagers these days going outside in cold weather like this wearing HOODIES and not COATS?! Two days in a row I’ve been seeing local kids waiting for the school bus wearing jeans and sweaters and nothing else when it’s -14 outside! What is wrong with their parents? If I had…
Cuddle Party – cute boy with dark hair
So remember that party you went to at my apartment last year? That very party was actually had secretly in your honour. It was a party so that *I* would be able to get with *you*. Only my roommate and I knew about it. I know we don’t see each other much anymore, but I…
you stink!
why do some people feel the need to douse themselves in cologne? no one wants to smell you ten feet away…you fucking stink!—LB
Domo Arigato, Karaoke-San
For the young fella with the headphones waiting at the stop in Dartmouth Crossing this afternoon, seriously my friend, you sing like 2 cats in a blender. But the fact that you did it at full voice, in your own language for a good 15 minutes until the 56 came made for a surreal and…
Put the seat down??
Why the fuck should I put the toilet seat down?, it’s your ass that sits on it the most. I pee standing up, and do this about 25 times a day(I drink a lot of tea, and when I’m not drinking tea, I drink a lot of sky juice, then moo juice, and my share…
half bitch, mostly love
dear university health clinic, screw you for scolding me for seeking treatment. as a student, i think i should be entitled to your services whether i have a family doctor or not. i needed to be seen today, my doctor couldn’t see me, the walk-in clinic couldn’t see me, and there’s no way i was…
Bands I would not be able to live without these days
Bad Sports Hubble BubbleDinosaur PillsHead
Animal & bird life I have seen and/or heard
From the patio in Los Angeles I have heard: 1) gentle owls hoo-hooing every night2) horse (probably from Lea Thompson’s spread)3) various birds including one with a big voice like a pterodactyl4) rooster5) coyotes almost every night—group howls6) dogs responding to the coyotes I have seen: 1) squirrels2) robin3) hummingbird (also heard thrumming of its…
Seal slaughter on Sable Island?
Federal government sets quota for seal cull on Sable Island, but says there will be no hunt this year.
what the fu*k
Why is it that when a coworker is doing a bad job at work we all have to pay…..why cant management just grow some balls and go after that one person! Why do we have to sit and listen about work rules when there is only one worker breaking them and why is it that…
Border Collie Owner
You’re not aware that your dog is not allowed to run off-leash on an elementary school playground, at lunchtime while the kids are outside playing? SERIOUSLY?? What the fuck is wrong with you? When someone points this out to you, there is no need to be rude. As a matter of fact, not only is…
double bad
to the malls and famous burger chains etc. in downtown hali: why are your cleaners throwing out newspapers all day long. bad enough you don’t care about recycling or that you might save a tree or two, but someone else might like to read them.— t.m.
community service workers
it is hard enough for us teachers to provide the proper care for our little children now we have to put up with some ladies treating us with no respect we deserve your respect just as much as u deserve our so try to be respectfull to us as u would want us to be…
I smell…?
Has anyone else noticed that nasty smell around north street? It’s terrible. I’ve never been more uncomfortable with breathing in a weird unknown smell before- Possibly because it smells like something dead is burning. It’s like an old damp and moldy rug that smells strangely sweet.. Does anyone know what the hell this is? Oland…
Casual Approach
Why is it the guys in Halifax are so nonchalant about dating and much prefer to be casual jerks? Grow up. If you like someone, stop being an idiot and learn to use a phone/text/email, anything. There is no reason to ever be indirect unless you’re a coward.—tired of idiots
WINTER WOES
its cold. ive had enough! —not enough longjohns in the world to keep me warm.
I need to pee god damn it!
Two female washrooms on one floor; actually, in the same hall. …not a male washroom in sight. C’mon now… Iknow you have a lot of female students, but what about the minority?! I walked around for 10 minutes, and then held it for 30.—Guy who’s really pee’d,
Mama Mia!!!
Thank you Mama Gratti’s for making my lunchtime decision of where and what to eat so much easier. I had resorted to taking my own lunch to work, what with the same establishments offering the same menus day in and day out.Since the first day I strolled into your deli and ordered my first bowl…
forget it.
So you`ve had a bad day. No money in your wallet. Nothing to do. You cant play the fucking guitar. The kids kept you up all night. You got stuck in traffic. Hemrroids. Anger management asshole. Old uncle passed away. We all have a tooth ache. Alcoholic family members, watch out, its in your blood.…
refusing to assimilate
Every day at Dal, groups of 4 or more young men always hang out at the library and on campus. They talk loudly in Arabic. These young Canadians refuse to speak English, even tho they were born here. Why do these large groups of young men never speak English unless they are forced to? What…
Sick of Smelling Shit
Dear co-worker who has an office by the bathroom.STOP turning the fan off as soon as someone has left the bathroom. Obviously, if someone has left the fan on, it is for a reason.When you turn off the fan and close the door, the next person has to walk into a wall of shit smell.…
Snow
Why is it easier to get a parking ticket because of the winter ban than it is to get sidewalk clearance enforcement? What is the average slip and fall insurance pay out?—BM
You made my daygel (I made you a bagel)
To the lady I made a veggie bagel for today at Mama Gratti’s. You had the most adorable smile and such sweet demeaner. And I didn’t even have to cut that thing! I don’t know why that had to have an exclimation mark at the end! Anyway, you made me smile, and I hope you…
Political Bile
Well, well, well, so Mr. Attorney General says that our overpaid, underworked MLAs have been buying themselves shit like $8000 generators, $900+ Hector models, $4,000 big screen TVs et al, no surprise there, even the union bitch Prem had his chubby little sausages around his nifty little $2000 camera, courtesy of Mr. and Ms. Take-Up-The-Ass-Payer…
Hyperbole Is Genius!
You know what I hate? When somebody says something is awesome. Or genius. Or epic. Or 1 Billion percent. If I hear/read about how something is pure “genius”, and clearly isn’t, I’m gonna snap. Look, Stephen Hawking is a genius. Noam Chomsky is a genius. That guy who got drunk at the party last week…
I love Jann Arden
Thanks, Jann, for your beautiful music and for making me laugh. I was feeling blue and just wanted to crawl into bed and pull the covers over my head….but then you came and all was happy again. You’re wonderful.—Sheryl
a few things that could use a little obliteration
1. Bono’s widespread armsAre you or are you not a messiah? what’s that? you’re actually just a musician? THATS WHAT I FUCKING THOUGHT.2. TV shows and movies that awkwardly “casually” talk about using marijuana for the “realness” factor.im not stupid, i know you’re all on tranqs.3. People who take far too much pride in their…
Barista babes at the ‘burg!
To all (most) of the guys and girls working at Coburg Coffee Shop, I love you! I hated on you for while, because, well, the food could be expensive, and the place was so crowded. But you guys make it such a pleasant experience! The place is always absolutely nuts, yet most of the time…
Halifax is not just one city
Come on, Coast, we’re a “supercity”. I understand this is a free publication, and you may not have a ton of writers. But why don’t you have any recomendations on Bedford, Sackville, or Dartmouth stuff? It’s not like it’s a billion miles to the end of the earth. Surely to God there are restaurants and…
I Hope You’re Happy
All of you folks that confused the colour orange for change. Not even a year in office and DD and friends (and the other two evil parties) are up to their asses in the trough. I thought they were suppose to be the new broom, the saviours of Nova Scotia. Well I guess the truth…
Shrinking cereal boxes = wheat shortage?
Anyone notice how tiny cereal boxes are getting lately- with price remaining fixed or going up? Why don’t the grocery stores/ceral makers just own up to the fact that there is something serious going on…..it is called rationing.. —tired of being lied to
Be quiet or go away!
Midterms are happening over the next two weeks. I must be wearing my fucking invisible study paint, though, because common courtesy seems to have gone out the window. If you’re in an area chatting with your friend, I’m not going to sit down and study and then whine about you making noise because you were…
De-amalgamate
The recent failure by HRM Council to bring in tax reform is another reason why amalgamation should be on the chopping block. This council simply cannot work as a cohesive group of problem-solvers. The failure to make a simple decision over snow removal, the cat bylaw fiasco and the harbour cleanup are all examples how…
Protect nurses
Protect nurses In 2007, the provincial government introduced workplace violence legislation. The public sector unions worked with the government in the development of the legislation, and employers were given notice that this was an issue that would no longer be ignored. So why is it that four years later, as an employee of the IWK…
Commercial-free
Commercial-free Regardless of one’s stance on the commercial seal hunt, hunting animals on protected land should not be allowed. The Nova Scotia government has set a dangerous precedent in allowing commercial sealing on protected Hay Island. What’s next? Clear-cutting in Dollar Lake Provincial Park? Strip-mining in the Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area? Nova Scotia’s…
An icy cash grab
Oh, winter. What a lovely time of holiday cheer, of loved ones and warm fireplaces, of picturesque snow-capped landscapes—and of $225.21 fines. Wait just a minute, that last one isn’t so pleasant. But it has crept into the lives of some unlucky Haligonians, me included. According to current HRM bylaws, I have 12 hours to…
Juvenilia’s beat kids
While teaching youth the musical ropes a few years ago, Malachy Kazi noticed a hole in Halifax’s music scene. “There’s no real strong support network for young artists; it’s very frustrating,” he says. So he started to patch it up. With help from a former student, Kazi built a studio in the Shambhala School. “I…
Tragedy of the Common
“Picture a pasture open to all.” So wrote Garrett Hardin in his 1968 Science article, “The Tragedy of the Commons.” His thesis was that a shared natural resource, in self-interested human hands, could only be destroyed. It was a thought-provoking article that is still invoked to advocate and justify private ownership. The history of our…
Missing the bus
It was a big deal when 14 Nova Bus articulated buses—the “double” buses, with a hinge in the middle—showed up on the streets of Halifax in 1993. “We weren’t sure they’d be able to handle the hills,” says Metro Transit’s Lori Patterson. “But they’ve really proven themselves. And the kids especially liked them; they called…
Theoretical problems
Q Let’s say, theoretically, I’m a pedophile. I’m not stupid or evil, so I’m not gonna DO anything. I’m not even gonna look at porn, because the production of it involves child exploitation. Hell, even porn that’s just drawn pictures—perverts drawing smut for perverts with no kids or anyone else involved—is illegal in a lot…
Cheap Eats – Seven Dishes under Seven Dollars
$6.50 – McCoastal breakfast sandwich Coastal Coffee The description of the McCoastal, Coastal’s breakfast sandwich, comes across as tasty but innocuous: two fried eggs, havarti cheese, maple sausage on an English muffin. But the actual physical presence of this delicacy is something else altogether. It is roughly the size of a small human baby. The…
Be a flame of love, pisces
AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18) I got an email from an Aquarian reader complaining that the astrologers she consulted in early 2009, including me, were wrong about the year ahead. All of us said it would be a time of expansion and opening for your tribe, a phase of rapid growth and fresh energy. But according…
Finding a free munch
Freeman’s Little New York 6092 Quinpool Road, 429-0241 Hungry Hour runs every Friday from 4:30 to 7:30pm. Freeman’s owner Laurel Harrington usually staffs the bar, while her husband Mark briskly walks the aisle, dishing out slices of pizza, cucumber and egg sandwiches and occasionally bowls of mussels—all totally free, as long as you have a…
Help us find more under $7 deals
Our reporters’ assignment: scour the couch pillows for loose change—limit $7—and hit the streets in search of delicious deals. That means regular menu items, not specials, going beyond the bargain standards of pizza and fast food. The more unexpected the discovery, the better. The meals we offer here will surely whet your appetite. But just…
Food for a fistful of dollars
Island Greek 2150 Gottingen Street, 422-8888 The donair pogo (two for $3.50) is utterly pornographic, but strangely, um, magentic. Plus, it’s locally made. Caribbean Twist 3081 Gottingen Street, 404-3855 Their Jamaican patty ($2), a meat pie, is a Caribbean wonder. Ciboulette 1541 Barrington Street, 423-JAVA Some say the cinammon bun ($2) is the tastiest, gooiest…
From Paris With Love action packed, at the very least
Sometimes you never know what elements of a film will inform the review. My enjoyment of From Paris With Love is almost in spite of its contents, in which John Travolta, who looks more like an outlaw biker than a CIA operative, schools a type-A neophyte spy played by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers. The violence is indiscriminate, the morality is…
Cheap eats: breakfasts and brunches
Ardmore 6499 Quinpool, 423-7523 Everything here is cheap! Mon-Friday before 11am, the two-egg breakfast special (with toast, bacon and hashbrowns) is only $3.49. You can also carbo-load Olympic-style with two giant, delicious pancakes for only $4.95. Gus’ Pub 2605 Agricola Street, 423-7786 Heavy Metal breakfast is over, but Gus’ still has bacon, hash browns, toast…
Superbowl Sunday shindigs
Winston’s If you’re looking for a Louisiana-style, all-you-can-eat tailgate party, Winston’s is the spot. There’ll be hot dogs, smokies, hamburgers, New Orleans snake bites and rajun-Cajun mussels served by the Bud Girls. You’ll also have a chance to win a trip for two to next year’s Super Bowl (and other prizes). It all starts at…
Omar Khadr’s treatment ruled supremely unjust
In a sharply worded 9-0 ruling, the Supreme Court declared last week that the federal government’s ongoing treatment of Omar Khadr violates the principles of fundamental justice and his right to liberty and security. In one scathing passage, the judges condemned Canadian officials for repeatedly interrogating the Canadian teenager at the Guantanamo Bay torture camp…
Museum of Natural History not ready for March Break
The kids were promised king cobras. The sign outside the Museum of Natural History announced an appearance by the snakes for the upcoming March break. Sadly, the cobras are cancelled, or at least postponed. The museum, which received about 10,000 visitors during last year’s school vacation, is closed for renovations until late May or early…
Lost, Season six premiere
“I don’t understand.” According to Ben Linus, these were John Locke’s last words before he choked him to death. Johnny boy, you’re not alone. Confusion reigns off the island too, no thanks to the crazed fan theories and a nine-month hiatus. Luckily, the two-hour premiere (probably only one hour with the endless commercial breaks), offered…
Quiet Chaos
Another Oscar season fast approaches, adding another year to the more than 10 that have passed since Roberto Benigni’s Life is Beautiful so impressed the Academy. That film told the story of a Jewish father’s use of storytelling and humour to shield his son from the full force of life in a camp and the…
Kate Maki
This album has a high-ceilinged feel, a warm, saturated sound established and maintained from the opener onward. That first track, “Bloodshot & Blistered,” featuring a drowsy vocal harmony between Maki and Howie Gelb, one of the artist’s main collaborators, is wonderful. (Guests also include Brent Randall, Dale Murray and members of Calexico.) Maki, a onetime…
Pandorum
When an astronaut from the distant future (Ben Foster) revives after a century-plus of hyper-sleep, he finds himself on a space ship 500 miles from Earth, floating in a large dunk tank. His shipmates include flesh-eating mutants, a hot girl and the seemingly sane Commander Payton (Dennis Quaid). The group may know kung-fu, but they…
Los Campesinos!
It’s hard to call a band prominently featuring a glockenspiel anything but whimsical. But consistent with the direction of 2008’s We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed, exuberant twee-pop collective Los Campesinos! continues to explore the darker side of sunshine. Barely past legal drinking age, they’re clearly experiencing growing pains. Mid-tempo slugfests “In Media Res” and…
Little Ashes
Little Ashes follows the college years of Salvador Dali (Robert Pattison), filmmaker Luis Buñuel (Matthew McNulty) and poet Federico García Lorca (Javier Beltrán), particularly the romantic and tumultuous relationship between Dali and Lorca. Considering the supposedly outrageous and shocking artists the film is about, Little Ashes is terribly dull and straightforward. The story is told…
A.A. Bondy
Hailing from Birmingham, Alabama, A.A. Bondy’s music is firmly rooted in Southern American folk and Delta blues, where the complex relationship between death, sex, religion and race still pulse like an abscessed tooth. His debut American Hearts was like a Cormac McCarthy novel set to music, songs about desolation and confronting the devil and Jesus.…
The Best Picture show
No one knew anything at the end of the decade, quite unlike previous award seasons. In past Decembers a critical consensus had already formed around prestige features, with movies such as No Country for Old Men, Million Dollar Baby and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King practically crowned before the champagne corks popped…
Christian Hansen and the Autistics
Starting off with the new wave-y “Cocaine Trade,” this record may take a couple of listens to realize that behind the ’80s club anthem sounds, Hansen’s lyrics are about such topics as sex tourism, realizing you’re past doing coke and going out clubbing (“I thought the music was sweet, it was just ’cause the drugs…
The Boys Are Back
The Boys Are Back is set in Australia and stars Clive Owen as a father of two who has just lost his wife to cancer. He’s a sports reporter, a bit of a free spirit with no idea how to single-handedly raise the boys. The opening passages are very touching and pack a lot of…
Meaghan Smith
After nearly two years of EP, online and exclusive in-store releases we finally get to hold Meaghan Smith’s full-length in our mittens. Smith satisfies soft hearts who melt from old-timey romantic nostalgia: the warm glow of her 1940s-inspired videos, the Joseph Cornell-like collage in the liner notes and the crackling gramophone that opens up the…
Basia Bulat’s travelling Heart
A few days after the release of her second album, Heart of My Own, Basia Bulat has just one day of downtime at home in Toronto between shows in New York and Europe and her Canadian tour. It’s a lifestyle she’s accustomed to now: “I wrote most of the songs while travelling,” she says. “I’ve…
Bernard Prigent, Pfizer’s inside man
Last October, the Harper government appointed Bernard Prigent to the governing council of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the federal agency that distributes about a billion dollars annually for health research. That appointment was met with near-universal condemnation from medical ethicists, because Prigent is a vice-president of Pfizer Canada, a firm that stands to…
Falling for The Balconies
When I was young, my mom always tried pushing me into music lessons. I’m guessing the mothers of Liam Jaeger and siblings Jacquie and Steve Neville of The Balconies did too—with great success. “We were all studying at University of Ottawa in the classical music program,” says Jaeger, calling from Kingston, ON. There, the band’s…
The Coast Best of Music poll closes on Monday
Internet voting looks like this If you haven’t already voted in The Coast’s Best of Music survey, not only am I no longer talking to you, but I’m also reminding you the deadline is Monday if before then you want to redeem yourself and possibly get yourself off my shit list. Remember, there’s no use…
