Dubdub
You come to my work almost every morning usually around the same time. My coworkers love embarrassing me and confronted you about my crush. I have liked you for so long now. I wish I could personally tell you how I feel but even saying a quick “hello” stresses me out. You’re totally gorgeous, have…
It’s only sexist when men do it
I recently heard a radio ad for “Sexy parties” where a woman is heard beckoning and enticing a dog. The listener then discovers it’s actually a man acting like a dog, presumably some kind of domination fetish that would happen at one of these “parties”. Now imagine the reversal where we had radio ads of…
Tall, dark, and oh so handsome!
Last Friday, near the end of the night … we shared a smile, a dance, a kiss, but no contact info. It started with you saying “I’ve been watching you!” and ended with my saying I’d be right back, but I was immediately whisked away by my chauffeurs & didn’t even get a chance to…
(No) downtown parking
With all the downtown Halifax construction resulting in the elimination of so many parking spaces on the street, I have cut my daily trips to Spring Garden and environs in half and aim to eliminate the daily downtown ‘habit’ altogether. Parking has become nearly impossible on some days. Between meter money, a coffee and scone,…
I love you
Mr. Yummy. I love you, I have always loved you and I always will love you. Mrs. Delicious. —T
You were her best boyfriend
She beat the shit out of you for a year and put you in a hospital. She kept him at a distance while she dumped her unhealed pain on you so she could finally figure out how to function in a relationship, then she threw you away like a piece of human garbage and got…
From the ex to the ex-ex
Before it ended, she told me you were the only man she’d ever felt at peace with, but it never worked out because you had a career in Toronto. Then last month I saw you two together and I realized you came all this way to be with her and my broken heart started to…
“Your property”
To the lady that asked me “why are you walking on my property?” Wasn’t it obvious why? If you had actually shoveled your sidewalk (before the wettest day of the year) you wouldn’t have had slush and a 3 inch puddle around “your property” and I wouldn’t have had to trudge the three steps across…
Rowdy wrestlers
To my young and obnoxious neighbours, who love to wrestle at 9pm every night, all I have to say is: seriously guys? You live in an apartment building with children, seniors and working professionals. Have some respect. — The Lady Next Door
Superheroes
To the bus driver and 3 gentlemen who helped me get my car unstuck yesterday morning THANK YOU! THANK YOU THANK YOU!! — Buried Brunette
Dal GWST babe
Perhaps I shouldn’t be using the word ‘babe’ in a post about a lady in my GWST class, but I just can’t help but state the obvious. Your posted questions are always insightful, and you have the most amazing hair (short, unwashed, naturally sandy brown)…Sometimes I try to sit close to you in hopes that…
Twice removed?
Shame on the live music scene in Halifax for failing to get a certain band with hometown boys a gig during their East Coast tour in February. The quartet, originally from Halifax, now reside in Toronto and still make a point to come home often. If venues in the bustling metropolises of Liverpool, Truro, and…
Beard guy
Ever since I started back to college in September I’ve had this school girl crush on you; the ones where you don’t even introduce yourself just admire from afar. Any time we catch eyes I just blush and walk away. It must be the beard. So manly and intimidating. Since I will not likely speak…
Really?
To the guy that pushed me in the puddle that was up to my knees on Barrington this morning… Go fuck yourself buddy. Go fuck yourself big time! —Wet and Cold at Work
Bus stop chivalry
To the young man who assisted the elderly woman over the snow bank, it’s so nice to see that common decency and manners still exist in the young. Thank you for restoring our faith in our generation. —Grocery Girls
GN
We’ve only known each other for a short time – We are still measuring in days rather than weeks – but I already feel so close to you. Thank you for putting my knowledge to the test and for pushing me to ‘scale it up’. Being with you, I’ve been exposed to a whole new…
The Pope is resigning and the Vatican gets zapped by lightning
See ya later, Benny Boy. Off to the dementia ward with scrambled eggs in your pointy golden hat. Mister Pope, your antics finally sunk in with the boys who control the Holy Smoke. Time to shut this whole gig down, fellas, this 14th century shit don’t fly no more. No matter how you slice it,…
To the colonel
I found you on a certain social networking site that rhymes with ‘face hook’. You’re the first Canadian to take command of a certain orbital research facility that rhymes with ‘The International PlayStation’. You’ve been posting AMAZING pictures several times a day from thousands of kilometers above us, drawing admiration from people around the world.…
Sweet Nova Scotian references on Pretty Little Liars and Vampire Diaries
I can’t help myself, I love mentions of Halifax or Nova Scotia in US pop culture. It’s my number one favourite thing next to how Americans pronounce “Montreal”. Also, you and I both know that a typical Pennsylvanian teen’s response to “Spain, maybe… Halifax” is not “Halifax! Why there?” but “Halifax? Is that in Europe?”.…
Quit your bullshitting
Just because you got honours in school doesn’t mean you’re a genius. I know many people with degrees who are dumb as fuck, including you. I also love how you tell everyone you’re making $21 an hour. Bull-fucking-shit. You’re a RECEPTIONIST. Nova Scotia receptionists make $14 at best. Give me a fucking break with all…
What to do tonight? Duncan Ferguson Spotlight at Seeds!
Opening this evening (Wednesday, February 13) at 5:30pm at Seeds Gallery (1099 Marginal Road) is Duncan Ferguson Spotlight. Running until March 17, this solo painting show is “an assortment of unexhibited experimental paintings and research from the past year. The work will include minor abstractions of his wheel of fortune set, various experiments with eye…
Ray of sunshine
I am not really into blondes or young men, or men at all really, but your expertise in the citrus aisle of the downtown posh-ish grocery store where you work made me see the world through sunshiny glasses. I never knew ugli fruit could be so interesting. — Five Alive
Ok now I’m convinced…
Can’t spent too much time today considering all the possible conspiracies people talk about, you’d go batty. And especially the war on drugs, when I am a person that has found great pain relief from smoking marijuana. Now I’m not ignorant to the stigma surrounding this plant. And to be honest I prefer to eat…
Hydrant love
Thanks to the guy in the North End. You did an excellent job at keeping the fire hydrant shovelled out on Saturday afternoon during the storm.There should be more people like you!!! —P.E.
I thought that was you
After you stopped to let me cross the street, I looked for you but you were gone. When I saw you, my stomach felt as though thousands of butterflies were in it… Yes,Yes,Yes…want you. The question is: do you really want me? Each letter you write me I become an awkward schoolgirl not knowing what…
To those drivers who share the road
As a year-round cyclist, I want to send big love to the vast majority of Halifax drivers. I know some cyclists can be poor ambassadors for the rest of us, but very few drivers here have stopped giving cyclists the room and respect we deserve. —Nor’easter
A king in every corner
Why did it take so long for us to become acquainted? I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend a snowstorm than being immersed completely into your world. I’ve found what I’ll be cuddling up with for the remainder of the winter. I hope it’s a long one. —Winter Is Coming
The haskap berry gets juiced
The itty-bitty haskap berry has been making a lot of noise lately, thanks to the agricultural innovators behind LaHave Forests. The super-nutritious, anti-oxidizing member of the honeysuckle family may have originated in Japan, but look out North America, Nova Scotia’s quickly becoming the home of the haskap on this side of the world. As a…
Get spellbound with Love Potion #9
Hey you, lovesick fools: here’s an elixir that’ll fix you. The newest mix from Jitterbug Sodas comes straight from the heart, and The Clovers. Inspired by the ‘50s hit, and the desire to make a unique Valentine’s blend, Jitterbug has concocted its own Love Potion #9. Two of them, rather. Representing both sides of love,…
Video of the day: The Holy Snappers, “Straight to Hell”
The Holy Snappers attempt to snap you out of your post-pancake carb haze with their new video for “Straight to Hell”. It’s a little bit ecclesiastical, shot by Anthony Cooper and edited by Holy Snappers bassist Brent Geikie. Have a look and read more about them Snappers here.
A new space for Parentheses
You may have noticed that north end art gallery ( ( (Parentheses) ) ) Gallery & Art Projects disappeared from Plan B Merchants’ Co-op (2180 Gottingen Street) in December. Before mourning the loss of this great place for great art, exhale a big sigh of relief and hear this: Parentheses has a new home. Once…
I love you more
I love Valentine’s day all of the time. I love it when I’m single, I love it when I’m not, but nothing beats getting to spend Valentine’s with you. I’ve never been this in love, I’ve never felt this safe. Thank you for being you and being in love with me. <& —I Love You…
Allan Street mystery man
To the guy who clears the sidewalks on Allan Street on his ATV, just because it’s something he likes doing — a huge THANK YOU!!! My back thanks you, my heart thanks you, and all of the folks who get to walk on a clear sidewalk thank you! It’s a lovely thing to do. —Grateful
Purple porches vs. green gables
A ‘blond’ Anne of Green Gables? Sure why not, it’s just a detail. It could also be about ‘Alvin’ instead. Why not, it’s just a name. It could be called ‘Purple Porches’ too. It’s just another detail. It can be set in Glace Bay – why not? Ya, in the year 2048. Ya ya, and…
Lucky London
Gets the most wonderful, multifaceted, stunningly beautifullest little Greek girl… for longer than Halifax would choose to see her go. —Crestfallen in California
A kiss for a cowboy hat
You wanted my cowboy hat friday night at a downtown cabaret… You offered me a kiss in exchange ( I expected a peck on the cheek) however, you gave me one amazing kiss on the lips that i have trouble forgetting… It was amazing… Who are you and how can i get to know you…
To the nudists
Listen, I have no problem with male nudity, and well sculpted bodies are even beneficial sometimes to look at as something to strive to achieve, but for the love of god occasionally put some clothes on!!! After you pumped some iron, you opened your locker, put on your socks and sat buck naked on the…
B
Total long shot, but we crossed paths at Durty’s on Saturday night through some mutual friends … unfortunately it’s difficult to have a solid conversation with someone in a loud pub, but I’d like to get to know you, perhaps over coffee sometime? —M
Crosswalks are NOT red carpets… people!
This is going to be a polite rant-out to all the pedestrians in the HRM. Repeat after me … cross walks ARE NOT red carpets! They’re designed to help you get from one side of the road to the other, hopefully safely. They’re not open invitations to stroll out onto without any consideration to oncoming…
Good neighbours
Hey! Thanks to my neighbour down the road who scooted over in his ATV plow. You offered to plow our driveway when you saw the old broads with shovels flinging the white stuff around. I wheezed out a ‘thankyou, we got it’ but you scraped away the road-plow hill at the end of the drive…
Return of the Supplement King
This week Bedford gets another dose of Halifax-based sport and nutrition supplement store Supplement King. The new flagship store for the brand, which features a full-service smoothie bar, will celebrate its grand opening this Saturday, February 16 at 15 Peakview Way (conveniently, right next to Goodlife Fitness). Local bodybuilding pro Mike Johnson will be on…
You are the bestest friends ever!
To all my friends who made me feel extra special on my birthday, after my birthday, even before my birthday, you all freakin’ rock my world! It storms every single year on my birthday and that often hinders plans, but this year we said “eff mother nature, we doin’ this!” … maybe we didn’t actually…
Horrible roommates
I’ve lived with you all for over a year and I’ve had enough. You were a best friend to me, but your illegal immigrant boyfriend and his friend mooching off the individual results of our hard work and money for the past few months has driven me mad. They sat home all day watching sports…
To the cat saint
I asked how many cats you had upon seeing the amount of cat food you were buying. You proceeded to tell me you not only feed quite a few strays in your area, you also (with a deal from your also awesome vet) pay to have them fixed! I was amazed. I see too many…
Do you want me?
It wasn’t my birthday and it wasn’t a good day for me.You posted to tell me you didn’t want ANYTHING FROM ME and you weren’t going to write back. Then after days of hell trying to forget you,you write me another post, implying you do care about me.Then nothing————. What was that payback for something…
Snow day
Why the hell would you close down the ski hill on the ONLY day of the year it’s going to get anything close to good powder? I understand closing down some shops so your employees don’t have to travel, but the SKIL HILL? Come on, man up. —Stuck At The Bottom
Office politics
Haha you crazy bastard.. if i weren’t in a happy relationship and you weren’t married, I’d be all over your candy. —Girl On The Other Team
Stop sticking it to the students!
Enough already! Why can learning institutions keep sticking it to students? There should be legislation that requires learning institutions to get all contracts in place before they accept student tuition fees. A student deserves the peace of mind knowing that when they pay for the year’s tuition, they get uninterrupted learning. They get what they…
sMittens
Thank you so much to the extremely kind cab driver who drove back to the arts centre with my mittens in this cold weather! Made my day! —Student
Scumbag bus driver not getting his merit badge
To the asshole driving the bus in the early afternoon on Saturday – that lady in her 50’s you were laughing at when she fell in the snow has MS you piece of shit. She’s the nicest woman around! Who even DOES that? You see an older lady take a tumble in the snow and…
His last game
You were a generous guest in a (now closed) restaurant in Clayton Park and I was lucky to have you in my section that day. You said I was a great waitress. Your daughters were excited about a Moosehead game, I shared that my grandad and I LOVED the Mooseheads too! You came back with…
Start being a dad/decent human being
So, none of our pep talks have done a fucking thing hey? O.k. Well fair enough. Yep, it sure is admirable that you are trying so hard to make a life for yourself, be your own boss. I get that. It is kind of what everyone would all like to do. And yes, some people…
Valentine’s Day
I’m excluded, pitied, scorned, and made to question my own solitude. Why do people need a special day just to show some love? Why not do it every day? Or, why not have a singles day? All those suckers attached to someone can look through the restaurant windows with longing as I eat my discounted…
Check out Jason Eisener’s RiFF RAFF video right here
Director Jason Eisener cooked up a cool RiFF RAFF video last month, went to Sundance with S-VHS, then released this puppy for your eyeballs. Having done nothing even remotely as productive as that I am currently feeling shame. Other than that, the video has made me a) contemplate shaving my head b) change my current…
Dispose of yourself!
I am sitting at a well known north end coffee shop by the door, and just witnessed about 6 or 7 people in a row throw their disposable coffee cups in the garbage on their way out. These being coffees that were consumed entirely on the premises, at an establishment that provides “for here” cups.…
Steady Hills loves the Marquee
Steady Hills filmed the video for “Long Grey Roads” in the Marquee while they recorded their fittingly-named EP, Alone in the Marquee. Have a look and a listen and think back to your own memorable Marquee moments (we won’t judge). If you’ve been champing at the bit to get yourself in that place again, help…
Pathetic customer service
Ugh. Over my entire adult life in this city, I never had a reason to “bitch” about something, but here goes: What is wrong with the customer service at a certain major grocery store in the North End? I’ll tell you: Am I the only one who notices how extremely rude this one (teenaged, pimply)…
Penny wise
When I have exact change don’t tell me I have to round up. Ain’t gonna happen. —More Cents Than You
First world problem? Damn straight
A certain “radio station has a blond mid-morning announcer who seems to be bound and determined to live down to all the stereotypical assumptions of her hair colour. If you are going to work on the fringes of the music indistry you should probably learn to pronounce band’s names properly. For instance, the group that…
Call a spade a spade
Look, no one is telling you who to fuck and how to fuck them but if you are meeting total strangers on the internet, not even getting their first name, and having unprotected anal sex with them the first time you meet in real life you are no practicing “safe sex.” And when people who…
Dear coach
Dear Coach, You are my greatest inspiration. All that I’ve accomplished is thanks to your love & support. I miss you, and our post adventure snuggles. I desire your love. I’m so sorry for the storm, but the sun does shine behind the clouds. It always has, and it always will. If you give me…
Thank god that’s over
I wanted you back so bad, couldnt stand the thought of not being with you after you left… You found someone new and it sucked for awhile. You led me on when and I was heartbroken. I don’t resent you, I hope you’re happy. My bitter-sweet victory is that your new love is loser and…
It’s That Time of The Month tonight
How was your weekend? I ate Chinese food, saw a bunch of hardcore bands, made a new friend, started a band, was one of two people in a surprisingly empty Saturday farmers’ market, shuffled around in the snow a lot, made biscuits, learned a bit about Russian prison camps, had a glass of port and…
Barrington 9:00am
How handsome can you be? Monday through to Friday we often walk past one another as we make our way to our destination. Part of me wants to shake your hand and part of me wants to have my number in that hand… but that would be uncalled for. So, I will just smile as…
Where the hell do you get off?
I’ve been working hard and loyally for you for over a year with only a 50 cent/hour increase since I started. Today I learned that the new guy I’ve been training for the past two weeks has been started off at a higher wage than what I’m making after busting my ass all this time!…
Kissing strangers
I want to say thank you to the complete strangers who were waving and blowing kisses at us from their car as we were driving. My friends and I were so confused about what you were doing, but we thought it was hilarious and blew kisses back to you. You all completely made my night,…
Losing my mind
Where do I even begin? To a certain community college: You signed a paper with all the courses you would be offering this year and stated that I would have my diploma by the end of the summer. You then faxed this form off to the student loans office stating I’d have my diploma and…
No talent
(Ella ella, ay ay ay) Under my umbrella (Ella ella, ay ay ay) Under my umbrella (Ella ella, ay ay ay)Under my umbrella (Ella ella, ay ay ay ay, ay ay) Times 3 Is this all it takes to become rich and famous??? if so tell your record executive to call me. What’s this world…
Fence vigilantes
My roommates and I have been living in the area since September and we love it here. One of the best parts about living off that little one way alley street is the secret fence hole that is a shortcut to the grocery store. Whoever keeps cutting that hole open in the fence, thank you.…
Get your car ready for winter
To the person who got stuck on North Street this AM in the snow: thanks for holding up traffic and causing people to be late. Winter driving requires a set of good winter tires . That’s how I and others made it up North Street today . People drive in winter conditions without good tires…
My vagina needs lovin’, without all this hormonal shit
I hate the pill; I was on that shit for years and it fucked me up big time. The ring gives me cramps and I generally hate hormonal therapy (unless you’re trans, then all the power to you). Condoms give me yeast infections.. and god knows, everyone hates condoms. I wanted another method; so I…
FFS, NS, Smarten Up
Why the fuck is every other non-healthcare related job I see posted here in the province a sales job? Ironic since this is such a fucking piss-poor (financially) province that the only thing we can do is sell crap to someone who can’t afford it (i.e. doesnt need it). I even saw a job posted…
Give it up, you old farts!
I am retiring this year after 40 years of work. I could stay at my job for another 5 years if I wanted to. However, I feel it is my duty to move aside for the younger generation. I wish I could say the same for some of my peers. They are hanging on to…
You made me feel normalish
It absolutely sucks that you don’t want to date me & now look right through me (I’m assuming because I was acted inappropriately in front of someone you liked), but I do appreciate the fact that you listened to me when I needed it, and helped me get over the one who broke my heart.…
Sunday shoppers
You see the snow all over the roads? Yeah that’s an indication that you should stay home, not bother poor mall employees who just want to go home. Is that t-shirt really worth $50 and risking your life due to slick roads? —Crabby Cashier
Friendly nudge
To the driver of the 52, who took the time to help dislodge a guy in an electric wheelchair stuck in snow at the crosswalk, as I watched from the other side of the street…. good on you! I felt like applauding as you walked back to your bus with a spring in your step.…
Hands off
Why do some grocery stores allow 7 year olds to pack bags? Do they think I will give to their charity because it is suppose to be cute? Well what isn’t cute is after paying for my purchase I find my ‘fresh’ pizza upside down in the bag. It is a pizza, any idiot should…
I don’t have a car, but that’s still my parking spot!
I live in a two story home that’s divided into two apartments. Out back there are two parking spots. One for downstairs, one for upstairs. Now I don’t have a car, but it seems whenever somebody who does have a car comes over and needs a place to park there’s a car in my spot.…
A pain in my neck
Dear desk buddy. STFU already! We all get it. Your back is sore. It’s been sore for 3 months now since you, God forbid, had to walk half a mile. I’d have a little more sympathy if you’d talk about something else for once or didn’t let out loud sighs every 3 minutes looking for…
New problems for Peter Kelly from Thibeault estate
Clarification, February 11: Elizabeth Herrit’s lawyer, Larry Graham, called The Coast Friday to return a Coast call made late Thursday afternoon. That is, he did not initiate the conversation. That should’ve been made more clear in the article. The saga of Peter Kelly and Mary Thibeault continues. In September, a judge removed Kelly as executor…
Stop
While watching a popular sport last weekend I noticed some of the commentary when referring to certain players involved phrases such as “so well built and strong”, “incredibly fit and solid”, “great build”. Ok, sure they do a great job, but they’re fat. No two ways around it, they’re fat. He can block really effectively…
Hostile work place
Okay so here is my issue. Recently I became single, we all work for the same company and now he is with you. I come into work everyday with my head held high, smiling, and trying to get on with my job while you my dear make snide rude comments, give me nasty dirty looks…
Saudades for the coastal city
It’s almost minus 30 in Montreal today…. No matter how much wind and rain Halifax manages to serve up, I find myself missing its (generally) milder winters; unassuming charm and good attitude. See you in the spring. —A.
Pretty jaywalking girls
To the two gorgeous girls who were trying to cross the road between a certain hotel and the Harbour Front late this afternoon. I stopped and let you cross, you yelled and wanted me to stop and say hi. My shyness got the best of me and I was totally caught off guard. If I…
Fall in line
To the line bitch at the grocery store, there are two lanes for self-scan (it was clearly marked). Don’t be straddling both pretending the is only one just so you can get through quicker. Also telling other customers there is only one line is fuckin’ rude. —Pick A Lane And Wait
Taz Records is moving to Grafton Street
The new year’s first big retail news targeted the corner of Sackville and Market streets, bringing word that Strange Adventures, Night Magic and Taz Records were all on the hunt for new digs. The search was propelled when the building the three businesses operate out of was sold and slated for some major redevelopment. Coincidentally,…
Fuck your overprotective, liability-driven stupidity
It was windy yesterday; Big fucking deal! Why does some wind close down the pedestrian walkway on the bridge? There’s a fucking 10 foot tall guard rail that’s going keep anyone from getting blown off. What ludicrous scenario was foreseen that would make someone think that some wind would make one of the most fundamentally…
V-Day Loves
Hey Lovers, It’s that time of the year. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and we want to hear from you! Feeling lucky to have someone special in your life? Grateful for good pals? Stranger make your day? Who loves cinnamon hearts?! Send ’em in. Much love, M.
A message
To all the “bisexual” women who “prefer” men and want to mess with lesbian’s heads: Fuck off!! — R.
V-Day Bitches
Hey Bitchers, ‘Tis the season for hating on Valentine’s Day. We want to hear from you! Do boxes of chocolates get your blood boiling? Stuffed animals make you cringe? Get your hate (or your love!) on. Much love, M. PS: Get ready for a tidal wave of Bitches comin’ your way.
Pedway love
Your smile didn’t go unnoticed a few days ago. Sorry I didn’t reciprocate..I had a really bad day..but you smiling down at me from the pedway made it a little better. Ok…a lot better.You have my heart and you don’t even realize it. Thanks for giving me a reason to smile. See you tomorrow morning…
Sundaes on my mind
I haven’t seen your sweet face for almost a year. I wish we could have shared some of that yummy ice cream you were so excited about, and talked some money. I meant it when I told you to find me if you ever changed your mind. —Still Waiting 4 U
Tangerine
“Bare feet and the smell of old books” and a certain local poet brought us together, kind of. I’m so glad I had the chutzpah to go past creeping you on twitter so we could be actual friends. I respect and admire you so much, you’re one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met.…
It’s winter, wine about it
It feels like we whined about winter a lot in January. With February comes the oppourtunity for another, much more gratifying type of wining, though. Cue Nova Scotia Winter Wine Festival, two days of celebrating the province’s internationally enjoyed bottles, tasty eats and how the Annapolis Valley has the ability to make every season look…
My beautiful lady
You’re gorgeous inside and out – let this be a reminder for if you ever forget, you silly rascal. — The Wrapper Fairy
Hey you.. with the moustache, reading the paper
I can’t use names on here… gotta follow the rules (grrrr) but we have been exchanging glances across a certain crowded food court for months now. There’s an obvious attraction on both of our parts, and I can’t seem to stop thinking about you, no matter how hard I try. Just when I’ve finally worked…
Short skirt, long blue jacket
We met briefly outside the venue before a “hip” concert. I just wanted to say that you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. — CHH
We’re Idle No More, and you should be too
You’ve no doubt heard the buzz around the grassroots movement coined Idle No More that has created mass mobilization of Aboriginal people and people of all colours and backgrounds nationally and across the globe. The beauty of a grassroots movement is that it’s made up of people who have the most invested in it, the…
River Tiber
River Tiber is a four- piece live band brought together by the solo efforts of Toronto native Tommy Paxton-Beesley. Synapses sidles up to you slowly, spins you around, gives you a dip and then humbly takes a bow, leaving you delightfully flummoxed, if not slightly disconcerted. It’s a maelstrom of layered electronic sounds, jarring and…
Identity Thief
If you’ve seen the preview for Identity Thief, you’ve seen enough. Seth Gordon’s (Horrible Bosses) latest comedy is a flop about a con artist (Melissa McCarthy), whose latest victim is a middle-class family man (Jason Bateman). The plot and subplots are over-the-top and don’t carry themselves far—Bateman schlepping it out to Florida from Colorado in…
My Bloody Valentine
When My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless was released in 1991, no one could imagine it would take more than two decades for a follow up to the shoegaze classic. After a wait rivalling Chinese Democracy’s, the indie-rock connoisseurs return with mbv, a smattering of highly infectious dream-pop picking up right where the band left off. There…
Side Effects
Sleepwalking is to be expected when Rooney Mara starts taking a new anti-depressant in Side Effects, but could those side effects also include…murder? Mara plays the psychologically rattled ingenue whose therapist (Jude Law) puts her on daring new drug. A prescription that may or may not be what causes her to kill adoring ex-con husband…
A rock and a hard place
“NSCAD is not just a brand and is not a business. We are a community not a corporation. We require our board and administration to have the skill and the fervour to not only adequately represent NSCAD, but also to fight for it.” These are some of the strong words laid out in the Manifesto…
Mike Trask
Somewhere along the way Mike Trask invested wisely in a Delorean, and if you need proof, Jamboree II: 24 Cents is it—another recording of Trask’s that demands it be played from a dusty turntable. In an age where digital production buffs out any imperfections, Jamboree II doesn’t bear any of those digital fingerprints. This album feels old-timey…
A reliable narrator
The first time Winnepeg Film Group curator Scott Birdwise saw the late Winston Washington Moxam’s films it was with enthusiasm. “I was instantly struck by how they unapologetically tackle tricky questions about race, class, and gender in Canada,” says Birdwise. “From documentary works…to short fiction and features, including the historical drama Billy, [these] are truly…
Toro Y Moi
Four years on, people have seemingly forgotten the buzz surrounding chillwave, a faux-genre that splices sunshine R&B with dreamy vibes. With Anything in Return, Toro Y Moi (AKA Chaz Bundick) is forcing everyone to remember. A marked improvement from 2011’s somewhat spotty but still pretty great Underneath the Pine, this record signifies Bundick’s undeniable arrival…
Layered land
There is so much to admire in Don Pentz’s Enigma Landscapes. The textures, the colours and the lines are so captivating. Pentz, a well-known abstract artist based in Nova Scotia, finds his inspiration in nature. His abstract paintings don’t try to convey a perfect image of the land. Instead, Pentz uses the dark hues and…
New Super Mario Bros. U
Mario’s back again to help kick off Nintendo’s shiny new console, however instead of coming off as a stale rehash as New Super Mario Bros. 2 did on the 3DS, this platformer introduces fresh new ideas that reinvigorate the tried and true formula. This is another 2D Mario game—so you’ll be running and jumping on…
Sweet escape
It’s not exactly what you’d call a crazy little shack and I’m not even sure that it’s beyond any tracks, but at Acadian Maple this month, you’re going to find a meal that’s fit for a sugar shack. For 30 years, Brian Allaway and his family have been tapping trees and making maple syrup. They’ve…
Miami Connection
In 1987, director Richard Park teamed up with Tae Kwon Do grandmaster (and fledgling screenwriter-producer) Y.K. Kim to create Miami Connection, a martial arts action film about a multiracial rock group doing battle with a coke-dealing alliance of bikers and ninjas. The film opened in a measly eight theatres before being laughed off the screen,…
Big moves
A veritable smorgasbord of musical magic is going down this weekend at the Music Room. Zuppa Theatre’s annual fundraiser features a star-studded roster to say the least: Rich Aucoin, Rose Cousins, Tanya Davis and Gypsophilia will all be in attendance amongst other Hali-household names. Called The Gigantic Lovesick Serenade: Songs for Lovers and Loners, the…
The Love Monster
A lonely, middle-aged Margaret H. Atwood (not the author, she reminds us) is facing an imminent divorce from her pseudo-Casanova husband, Brian; a mind-numbing job at “the button factory;” and the impending doom of a workshop on workplace differences. She’s about ready to give up when a to-do list, her mother, a religious fanatic and…
Paper Beat Scissors’ successful experiment
As Paper Beat Scissors, spatial explorer Tim Crabtree has always verged on the experimental. After releasing his second album last March, and touring Canada, the UK and Europe for most of 2012, Crabtree is back in Halifax working on new (top-secret) releases with Echo Chamber’s Charles Austin. Out of necessity, Crabtree is a one-man band.…
The Round House
“Being Indian is in some ways a tangle of red tape.” Set in the late 1980s in a North Dakotan community of Ojibwe and white Americans and told from the perspective of a young native boy, Joe, The Round House explores the complexities of dangerously archaic US laws regarding its aboriginal peoples. After a brutal…
Heavy Bricks
all ages Heavy Bricks The Halifax hardcore punk scene is on fire. Four almost brand-new punk bands—Nuisance, Weed Thief, Sleight and Bricks—play the Sad Rad on Friday with Concrete Asylum and D-beat punks Life Chain. Like any small scene, members collaborate and cross-pollinate new bands. Example: last fall, Bricks asked Newfoundlander Jono Whittle to join…
Shore folk
Corey Isenor recently relocated to the south shore after a summer and fall of touring the Maritimes and Newfoundland for the first time. “Every show was a great experience and we had no problems with the car or sleeping or band issues,” he reflects. “It was kind of weird something didn’t go wrong.” Not one…
The gospel truth
The Blind Boys of Alabama are like the holy grail of musical groups—unlike most bands that only stay together for a few years, they’ve been together since 1944 and haven’t slowed down yet. So, you gotta wanna know, what’s their secret? “When people ask me,” says band member Jimmy Carter. “I tell them it’s because…
Our wasted forests
Despair. Shock. These were the reactions of workers and residents around Port Hawkesbury when NewPage Corporation announced it was shutting its mill in 2011. The mayor called an emergency council meeting to save the mill. At any cost. His beloved town’s existence was at stake. About 600 mill jobs were gone, and another 400 in…
Free Will Astrology
Happy Birthday! Aquarius (January 20-February 18) Young art student Andrzej Sobiepan sneaked into Poland’s National Museum with a painting he had done himself and managed to surreptitiously mount it on one of the walls. It hung there for awhile before authorities noticed it and took it down. “I decided that I will not wait 30…
Mailbag Feb 7, 2013
Let’s not screw it up I heard a presentation about Toronto’s Regent Park revitalization project last year and it brought tears to my eyes (“Gottingen Terrace back from the dead,” Reality Bites by Chris Benjamin, January 31). The planners thought of everything! They were even instrumental in bringing new business into the community so that…
On cheating but with rules
Q I’m a 27-year-old man in a two-year relationship with a 26-year-old woman. My last partner cheated and lied and did some unforgivable things. I wasn’t blameless—I stayed with her long after I realized it wasn’t working— but our relationship did unearth a kink. After I found out about her cheating, I got extremely turned on…
