Humani-T opens at Super Natural Health
After many months of renovation, a new deli café has opened in Super Natural Health Products (5755 Young Street, 454-9999) called Humani-T, so while you visit to pick up a host of supplements and vitamins, you can now chow down with organic bread paninis, fair trade organic coffees and teas and vegan, gluten-free soups such…
Duly Noted moves for good
As Shoptalk reported in late October 2009, Duly Noted (1459 Brenton Street, 407-5605) has moved comfortably into a larger space on Brenton, just down from Spring Garden. The Quinpool Road location that remained open is closing January 30, then the Brenton location will be the solo outlet. “We overlapped our old and new store so…
Remembering Kate McGarrigle
As news spread this week of Kate McGarrigle’s death, the tributes started pouring in. It’s incredible what an impact Kate and her extended family, a true Canadian musical dynasty, have had on so many people, and in unexpected ways. Occasional Coast contributor Simon Thibault wrote this lovely piece on his personal blog. Enjoy.
Andrew Power has an aptitude for comics
January 16 has come and gone. For Andrew Power, it was another workday, and a celebration of sorts. For four years the animator has been producing Aptitude Test (aptitude.surfacingpoint.com), a teen superhero action webcomic. Power draws and writes the adventures of his characters, Julie, Rina and Momentum, as they battle zombies, robots and mutants—-thanks to…
Montréal Danse tells a story, or seven…
At the heart of Montréal Danse’s piece On the Ice of Labrador is a real story. Actually, not just one story, but many old family tales, collected from the company’s seven dancers by choreographer Sarah Chase. According to MD artistic director Kathy Casey, “Chase loves to unearth stories and find the links and common themes.”…
Wu-Tang vs. The Beatles
FUN STUFF
What’s Good for the Goose…
When I got engaged, I telephoned you, long-distance, to let you know. I waited several days to post the news on Facebook because I was unable to get hold of you. I even emailed and texted you to find out when I could reach you by phone to tell you my news. You were SO…
Bus stop smokers
Hey – what pisses me off is the people that complain about people smoking in designated areas !! The ones that whine about smoking at bus stops and such . Stop crying and move on – it won’t kill you if you move away . Complaining to a smokers face and whining like that just…
Enjoys your company!
It’s always a pleasure to come into work when you’re working that night. It’s even better when you come up to me with your smile, and greetings! You’re silly, and you make work worth while! I love your kindness and you have the best smile ever!—someone who thinks you’re amazing!
Public transit in Halifax
Halifax Metro Transit can kiss my fucking frozen boney white ass. Wait over 45 mins for a fucking bus. Way to keep up with times as they have the odasity to ask for more money for their poor fucking lame ass excuse for public transportation that they so call provide. FUCK YOU!!!! After four years…
Survivor-Asshole
You built a campsite in the middle of a walking trail in Clayton Park and just left it all there. Did those sheets of cardboard keep your sorry ass dry? How about the pieces of lumber you set fire to. Hope you burned your stupid face off. Had to pour fuel oil all over the…
Scotia Square hotties
Just wanted to send some love to all of the gorgeous older gentlemen in business suits who frequent the food court at lunch time.I hate to see you go…but I LOVE to watch you leave.*Sigh*—Call center girl
Dear Stinky
To the Stinky Fucker who works out at my gym. PLEASE put some fucking deodorant on before you go to the gym, its unbearable. Holy shit I throw up in my mouth a little every time you walk by. Too make matters worse, you somehow learned to mark your damn territory even after you leave…
downtown parking
Wtf are all of these restaurant owners on a downtown street bitching about the 12:00 parking ban for? When summer comes around, you can’t fucking park there anyway. Why? because of those shitty looking sidewalk cafes they build into the street, despite the risk of someone plowing into them and their $3 furniture.—who cares
A Great Scot
Many thanks to the wonderful Scottish woman who helped me when my grocery bags broke near Sobey’s today. I was so embarrassed when that happened, and had no idea what to do, but you thought nothing of helping out a young person that you didn’t even know. I should be the one helping you! God…
Dear Student Loan….Again….
Today I was contacted by one of your loan officers or some other arbitrarily titled representative from your office. This call was in response to someone in the media contacting them, which they would not inform me who or from where. I was advised by your staff member that there was actually no glitch in…
Beef industry is bailed…what about the rest of us?
I am a struggling 26 yo in NS. I read today in the Metro about NS beef farmers getting 2 m in loans. I once got a loan, but of a different kind..student loans. And this loan is what is keeping me down, 42000 in debt with an undergrad can’t afford grad school and don’t…
Vatican, Schmatican
From the CH: “The Vatican newspaper and radio station are criticizing James Cameron’s 3-D blockbuster for flirting with the idea that worship of nature can replace religion — a notion the Pope has warned against.” I guess they’re so pissed because the Christians thought they’d completely tortured this notion out of the Pagans back in…
“Sent from my”…
Why is it that all of these techno fucks who create cell phones, Blackberries, iPhones, etc. put the feature where at the end of the message it will say “Sent from my Blackberry”? Who the fuck cares? It’s useless! I don’t care if you sent it from your damn shitter. I got the message and…
To the person who installs paper towel dispensers…
Why can’t they be mounted at a lower level? I hate the fact that after washing my hands, I have to reach up and at an angle that causes little droplets of water to trickle down my forearm towards my elbows. It really gets to me!!!! I hate that feeling!!! That’s all for today.— I…
You’re not a web presence til somebody loves you
Dear Businesses of Halifax with websites: We’re a mobile generation. What that means is that we want to be able to go to your website, and get accurate and up to date information. This includes when we are bringing our dear family from out of town down to dinner (to find you closed, but your…
Lead By Example.
Why is it to adopt a child you have to pretty much jump through hoops of fire ( tests , interviews etc ). But any two jackasses can have their own baby no questions asked. I don’t get it. I know it would be near impossible to implement but I think there should be something…
Move your ass
If you only feel comfortable driving 10 under the speed limit, maybe you shouldn’t be driving. I’m not asking for people to speed. Just go the freakin speed limit, at least.—50 in a 50 zone
Squirrel Lover
You are this B’s knees. Despite the fact you think Neil can’t sing it doesn’t make me care for you any less … strange I know. Thank you for your smile, thank you for your kind heart, thank you for opening my heart and thank you for far too many things to mention here. I…
Michael Bolton in Halifax at the Metro Centre
The man loves life. Here’s what you need to know. Or rather, what your mom or grandma needs to know: Michael Bolton performs at the Metro Centre Friday, March 19 7:30pm. Tickets on sale Saturday, January 23rd at 9am. Tickets $44.50/$64.50/$79.50 (+ service charge) available at Ticket Atlantic Box Office at Halifax Metro Centre and…
January sales continue…
As we mentioned last week, downtown retailers are offering all kinds of deals to get consumers back into their stores after the holiday season. Spring Garden Road (and vicinity) is a veritable sea of red sale signs, replacing the scarlet Santa-infused seasonal cheer. Here’s just a small sample: Chapel Hill (5307 Spring Garden Road, 422-7150)…
Bus reluctantly helps assault victim
You’re 15. You finish your shift at the downtown restaurant where you work, so you head to the bus stop to get a ride home. It’s 11 o’clock at night. Then two guys walk up to you at the bus stop and start causing shit. They ask for your phone, and when you don’t give…
89 bus bus bus
In the afternoon/evening, almost every 89 bus driver starts driver super fast as soon as the door closes, and it always causes people to run toward the back/fall into a seat. This only happens on this bus. It’s like you all hate your job and you want us to drop our travel mugs, jeez. And…
Shopping cart guy
Thanks so much for helping me carry that large heavy thing back to my house on monday. I ran down to my basement and found some bottles to give you but you had already gone. I was very grateful for your help. You deserve some good karma.—Girl in blue and yellow jacket.
Going to become a monk in remote Nepal
Why the hell did I have to run over a racoon on the way to see Avatar! It just ran right in front of my car. This is just after reading about the repeat young offender in Dartmouth raping his cat. WTF? And earlier today I made the mistake of also reading the HRM’s violence…
Dear girls I pick up from bars/clubs and sleep with:
Yes, I know we had just met a few hours beforehand and I just picked you up from a bar/club and we had a random, drunken, meaningless fuck that probably didn’t mean much, but don’t lie to me the next morning and say you want to keep in touch when you don’t and won’t get…
No snow…still plow???
I love seeing the plow come when there is snow, and I understand you need to continue to lay down salt and sand. But do you have to have the plow down and scraping across the road when the road is already clear? It’s incredibly noisy when it is unnecessary. At least lift the thing…
Office odours.
Dear Coworker, It has now been a year of obvious hints and gagging noises while you are around and you still smell like a fucking dog (and sometimes cat urine). You are also still leaving your foot long pubes on the toilet seat, even after we put up a sign. You need a Calgon bath…
I get paid to Idle my work vehicle!
A guy with one of those NS Power cars/SUV that has all of the ‘green’ graphics plastered all over it idles it for 20 minutes for more every morning by where I live. WTF?—cranky
Wage parody bullshit
It’s great the hospital staff got there wage parody. But the capital health should go for wage parody to Toronto, considering thats roughly the same difference in cost of living between halifax area and the rest of nova scotia as Halifax and Toronto. Considerinmg capital health does not have the right to complety strike they…
Turbine turns
Local designer Lisa Drader-Murphy’s chic fashion shop Turbine (Bishop’s Landing, 1475 Lower Water Street, 429-0986) has moved, but won’t be changing its address. That’s because it’s still in Bishop’s Landing, it has just switched spaces with fashion and accessories spot Del Sol (429-2261). “It’s a much larger space,” says Turbine manager Julie Harris. “We really…
Local help for Haiti
Joining in the relief efforts for Haiti are a number of local businesses. The Hart & Thistle ( Historic Properties, 1869 Upper Water Street, 407-4278) are giving all proceeds from this Thursday’s Trivia Night (January 21, $10 per participant, with additional donations welcomed) toward Haiti relief. The Loop (1547 Barrington Street, 429-5667) is having a…
really long and tedious muscle spasm
I have a muscle spasm in my right pectoral that has been going on since i woke up this morning, my arm feels like jelly and is constantly flinching. I have had enough of it and that is my bitch for the day. –glad it isn’t on my left side because i would think i…
Turn it Out!
The office across the hall from me is empty. The light has been on in it for at least eight months. On constantly for eight months. I have looked and looked for the switch. Other people have helped me look. But there isn’t one. How is this possible? –SMOG
Public Transit and Smoking Don’t Mix
To all of those who still feel the need to pollute the air by smoking while they’re waiting for the bus: you’re killing me. And yourself, and everyone else around you. I even try to avoid the smoke, but it’s impossible with so many people breaking the law. Have some consideration please, we’re all trying…
Why do people have to be such obvious scum?
A few weeks ago I was on a Fairview bound bus and there was this rather vocal young man with his two garden implements in tow. He was bragging about just getting out of lock-up and how dope he smoked and sold while there. One of the girls was quite obviously pregnant and she was…
Welcome Home
After a seven and a half month deployment to Afghanistan I returned home at the beginning of November. My parents met me at the airport and took me to Fran’s in Dartmouth for lunch. While I sat there eating, still wearing my Desert Combat uniform, I had people giving me every look in the book,…
Sweat ‘n click: Photos of Monotonix at the Paragon
Photographer Scott Blackburn is still wiping stuff off his camera lens: evidence from Saturday night’s Monotonix show. Related Stories
Celebrate 30 years of AFF with New Waterford Girl
On Wednesday, January 27, 7pm at Empire Theatres Park Lane, there’s a pay-what-you-can screening of New Waterford Girl, with donations supporting the Atlantic Film Festival Association. It’s like the Rocky Horror of Atlantic cinema: everyone knows at least one line from the beloved 1999 coming-of-age story. The event also celebrates the AFF’s 25-year partnership with…
Get your very own Pat Robertson voodoo doll
American televangelist Pat Robertson says the Haitian earthquake is a “blessing in disguise” and is god’s retribution to Haiti for the “pact with the devil” the Haitians made when they overthrew slavery. Watch Robertson’s despicable comments here: Clearly the only proper response is to buy your very own Pat Robertson voodoo doll.
The Dickhead with the Boxer
Letting your dog crap on Citadel Hill and not cleaning it up is the epitome of no class. Do you take him to cemeteries to dump as well and then walk away pretending you didn’t see him drop 2 lbs of shit? I asked you to clean it up and your response of next time…
To all the guys who works out at Darmouth sporsplex.
Thank you for inspiring me to work out more. i have seen you working out a lot, lifting weights and sweaty. making funny faces while lifting weights to get rid off the fats. you guys motivates me to work out more and to stay fit. –MRslim
I Hate My Duvet!
I’ve sewed in little ties but still the inside of my duvet clumps into an awful big clump at the end of the bed. I end up sleeping under the empty duvet cover. No amounts of ties and zippers fixes this. I want a quilt. –Duvet Bad, Quilt Good
Dear Brother,
I have 8 months and 22 days until I leave for university. I would hugely appreciate it if instead of shrieking like a banshee at the noobs on Modern Warfare 2 every day for a continuous five hours at a time while I actually write term papers, you get a breath of fresh air and…
Douche
Ban alcohol at city-run events, like Canada Day? Fuckin’ douch. ’nuff said –I’ll be in my yard with my firepit and beer thx
Free yoga at The Yoga Loft
To celebrate the sixth birthday of the Yoga Loft (5663 Cornwallis Street, 429-3330) the good and kind people at the Best of Halifax-winning studio is offering free yoga all this coming weekend, January 23 and 24. For more information, give them a call or visit the Loft online at theyogaloft.ca.
Feelin’ Good
Ever since I started Taekwando i’ve been feelin’ so GOOD!! around this time of year i get kinda down 🙁 cause the break is over, its cold, I usually have a cold, and it gets dark early. However Taekwando really seemed to pull me out of that this year. I feel stronger, more focused, agile,…
the squad
sending some love to the good folks at work. to cookie dough, who gave me a reason to love americans (well, at least one). to ronbonne, who no one can hear but we love looking at you anyhow. to the long torso boy, my well travelled buddy who makes us laugh about running camels. to…
COME ON ALREADY
YOUR = POSSESSIVE AS IN “YOUR CAT” YOU’RE = YOU ARE AS IN “YOU’RE DUMB” FUCK OFF WITH USING YOUR IN PLACE OF “YOU’RE.” YOU’RE JUST MAKING YOURSELF LOOK LIKE ILLITERATE DUMB ASSES. –someone who can actually spell properly
The Secret Life of the American Teenager SUCKS
What is this crap on Muchmusic today? This is the stupidest show I have ever watched. Everyone in this show is talking about sex all the time but they all seem to believe that having sex makes you miserable. This episode has a girl whose mother gave her birth control pills, even though the mother…
Purchase left behind on Number 1, January 16th.
Good to know there’s still honest people out there. To whomever felt it was there duty to steal a bag that was left on the number 1 bus (to Dartmouth) on January 16th approx 8pm. Well I thank you. I don’t know where people get off, assuming a bag left behind is now there’s for…
fuck bithcin
why the fuck do i read this shit. Is it because i’m a loser maybe it’s just because i’m bored as fuck and it’s just good to read other peoples point’s of view. –oh well time for something new
2 years of jerk
I hate that I loved you and I hate even more that after all the awful things you said to me, that I still do. After 2 years of being my best friend, confidant, and love, it repulses me that you would not only think of, but accuse me of, and believe that I would…
Halifax for Haiti benefit concert at the Metro Centre announced
Halifax for Haiti, a benefit concert featuring Halifax-based DRUM! and other artists is being planned for the Halifax Metro Centre for Monday, February 8 at 7:30pm. Organized by Brookes Diamond Productions, proceeds from this fundraising show will go towards helping people affected by the devastating earthquake. From a Brookes Diamond press release: “We’re in the…
So Rick White and the Superfantastics walk into a schoolhouse…
As we speak, the Superfantastics are in Rick White’s home studio in Elder, Ontario (recording home of Dog Day’s Elder Schoolhouse LP) making some sweet music. How will the Superfantastic’s sunny pop sensibilities match up with White’s dark, ethereal tendencies? Pretty well, it appears. “So far, these recordings are exactly what i always thought the…
love you more
This is for my 21 year old daughter : Thanks for posting on my FB wall that I am “The Best” I must having done something right raising you !!! Love you and am so proud of you hun 🙂 –MOM
out of the cold
To the staff at the out of the cold shelter you guys/gals ROCK, I can’t not tell you how much i appreciate all of your support during my difficult time, you treat everyone with respect and compassion even during difficult situations. May god bless you all for your unselfish act of kindness. –A greatful guest
Thank You …Thank you … and Thank you!
I am from Haiti, and I would like the Canadian people, and the international community, to know that I am grateful for everything you all are doing to help my country. On behalf of the Haitian people : Thank you! –R
Halifax march calls for end to Israeli oppression
Halifax marchers demand end to Israel’s oppression of Palestinians and its siege of Gaza
Musical parking spots
Tonight, for the second time in less than two weeks, I came home to find another car in my parking spot, and with the parking tag to match. Not only did I have to take someone else’s spot and make the matter worse, but both times the stupid employees and managers working in the rental…
Haircuts
Goddamn it, I can NEVER get the haircut I want. It always comes out looking fucking terrible or as if nothing was done at all! I’m cutting my own goddam hair from now on. –Saving my 22 bucks next time
missing a Button
you’ve been away for a while. mum, dad and i miss you so much. i think about you all the way and wish you were near. i miss having someone to talk to about music, careers and heartbreak. i boast about you to everyone i know and i speak of you with nothing but pride…
Please Use These Pennies for Common Cents
To the woman who it trying to collect 10M pennies to pay your student loan. I really wish you could spend the 10M pennies for a single slice of common sense. You are going to be $100K in debt for a Geology degree? I nearly shit my pants when I read that. At the very…
Can’t Canteen My Love
I love the woman who works the canteen at my university. Every day she is cheerful, kind and helpful. She frequently gives me free snacks and always has something nice to say to everyone. My school would not be the same without her! –King’s Kid
No, I Don’t Want to Install The Fuckin’ “Ask” Toolbar
Why is it whenever I install a new piece of software, I’m inundated with requests to add some ridiculous toolbar? Honestly, your toolbar doesn’t do anything my search box already doesn’t do. The worst part of it all is that the check box is hidden in the most innocuous of places, like in between “make…
Laying in the sunrays!
To the beautiful young lady who owns the tanning salon, even in the dull january weather, your smile always brightens up my day! Always has an ear to listen and a funny story to tell, one of the highlights of my day! — 😛
January 17: Strange Adventures donates 100% of sales to Haiti relief
Tomorrow, Strange Adventures is very generously donating 100 percent of their sales to Haiti relief through the Canadian Red Cross, so be a super hero and get shopping!
GMO report
Finally a study on GM corn independent of the corporations that create them, and people are getting miffed about how it was partly funded by environmental corporations, rather than within the GMO industry, never to be released to the public? How dare some lab-monster worshipping writer point a conflict-of-interest finger. Or claim that the GM…
Yuck
Just a tip, if you have really bad chronic achne don’t get a piercing on your face. The shiney silver and neon beads look extremely disgusting when they’re poking out of a puffy cluster of festering pus filled pimples. And please don’t take said piercing out on the bus and then wipe your pus covered…
oh how i miss thee…but
I quit smoking a few weeks ago–not a new years’ resolution–those NEVER stick!! I was brave and did it a few weeks before the holiday season began. 15 years of it was about enough for me I guess. At the same time I miss it like crazy and I’m finding myself a little bitchier than…
Why have a child(ren) if you don’t plan on keeping them very long?
So you had a son a few years back, then a daughter, then a son, then a daughter, and now a son. How many of these children do you currently have with you? Answer: One. Why? Cause it’s the newest model? Lazy? oh and because your new boyfriend doesn’t know about all of your previous…
Stax Records and Sun Studios
Unfortunately the southern part of the trip has come to a close, but I can still listen to Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club at an uncomfortable volume and look over some pictures of Sun Studios and Stax Records. And so can you, if you want. We went to Stax first and parked…
Obsessed or not obsessed?
Is it weird to video record someone unsuspectingly because your love for them is too strong to accept the fact you will never see them ever again in a short while? –you tell me if i need therapy
Stolen Gear
To the assholes who stole our music gear, fuck you, how do you sleep at night. That gear was our livelihood, as if I don’t work hard enough to make a living as a musician. –The Nightowls
Pathetic Office Thief
I would like to thank the douchebag who waltzed into my place of work on the waterfront and stole my tote bag from under my desk. Do you really think I would leave anything of value in an open bag for you!?! Stupid… So enjoy my grey flannel tote bag, my book, and my snacks…
fuck clumping bus schedules
Seriously! On Lacewood, and the Bedford Highway, the busses come in clumps.. all the time!! Within 5 minutes the 17, 42, and 52 go by.. I could any one of these to where I’m going, but if I’m 2 minutes late I’ll have to wait about 20 minutes for the next clump!!! wtf!! What’s the…
Sick of internet thugs.
So my cat has disappeared, i really miss him, and I’ve done whatever i can to try and bring him home… Long story short, like a lot of people do, i put a top post on Kijiji Halifax. Ill first mention how much i hate the fucking spam emails you get back. Also i hate…
to the people of Halifax
I went through dozens of doors yesterday – doors at the library, coffee shop, my building, a random store or two, etc. And each door was either held open for me with a smile, or I held open the door for someone else, and they smiled and thanked me. I know this is far more…
2b Theatre performing in NYC
2b Theatre is in New York, remounting their acclaimed play Invisible Atom, directed by Ann-Marie Kerr and performed by Anthony Black, at the Public Theatre until January 17. Atom is one man’s journey through the imagination, touching on brainiac topics like economics and classical physics. Dark and humourous, this one. Black writes to say they’re…
Jason Eisener directs new Jay Mayne video
Jay Mayne’s new video for “Mafia Music,” shot and edited by Zsolt Halupa and Jason Eisener (without his army of murderous trees). This song will be featured on Mayne’s mixtape, Hour Glass. Related Stories
I Know this is Old and Whiney but…
I hate my job, and my boss. I hate that this job is the only way I can make enough money to pay student debt and rent. I hate that I leave for work at 7:30, get home at 7:30 and only have the energy to watch an episode of Jeopardy before dragging my ass…
Question for the big G
What do you have against Haiti? Assuming you exist that is. –the doubter and the doubt
Ba Da Ba Ba Ba Im lovin it!
Weed. Grass. Ganja. Herb. Green. Pot. i love that we live in a town where even though its illegal, its everywhere, and not in a bad way. I love that I can walk down the street and smell its pungent aroma, I love that I can pass a fellow toker and give them a knowing…
Farts, just love em
May sound sick, but admit it.. you like the smell of your own farts. .. .. I sure love mine, the stinkier the better! I am luckily home by myself today with no one to mind my Ps and Qs around.. so im letting them rip. And loving every last sniff of it!! on a…
Metro Transit Logic
Where the fuck does HRM get off calling it self an “employment equity employer”? Its amazing to me how the management at Metro Transit get to where they are. They have they audacity to tell me I am not a suitable bus driver because of things I only allegedly done(no proof, just rumours spread by…
Canada’s most reliable scam artist
Hey national known wirless company….fuck you and your extremly high long distances prices. Skype will inherit the world but it won’t pay for my current bill…. –Long distance user and abuser
People Suck
Hey People suck thats it nothing more to say whatever
Lady with the 20 dollar bill
To the woman at refs last Friday, I was at the bank machine, and my temporary card would not work. You handed me a 20 dollar bill and told me to pay it forward. I wanted to let you know that I will. Thank you for being such a wonderful human being, and taking a…
Customer service is not dead!
Mad props to the dude with the tats who works at Suzy’s Laundromat on the Waverley Road in Dartmouth. You are always so friendly, you remember your customers and their names and you always ask about how their day is going. You make something as mundane as dropping off drycleaning a real pleasure. Here’s hoping…
Paper Cranes
To whoever made paper cranes and hung them from the southbound bus stop at Quinpool and Oxford, ADORABLE. The message attached was something along the lines of ‘even small things can remind us that we are connected.’ You started my day with a smile. Halifax is full of wonderful people! –ex-ontarian
To Puppy-girl
Despite the fact that, to date, you have eaten a pair of headphones, two cell phones, a futon matress, my recipe book, three pairs of shoes, eight pairs of underwear, fifteen socks, a feather pillow, three CD cases, a pair of sunglasses that I had yet to wear and one pair of tights… and you…
Thanks boss…
To my boss: thank you for hiring me. Thank you for giving me as many hours as I want. Thank you for worrying about my health when I work too hard. Thank you for bringing me lunch, picking up my smokes, making coffee in the morning and paying me a day or two earlier when…
Guitar Grinch
To the fucker[s?] who have been breaking into people’s homes and stealing nothing but their guitars lately – you can go fuck yourself. I’m the third person in the past week that I’ve heard of who has had their guitars stolen without anything else getting taken. You could’ve taken all of the electronics in my…
Running ragged
To the group of runners on South Park Street around 7pm on Thursday, Jan. 14: just because I don’t wear an over-priced nylon outfit doesn’t mean I don’t deserve room on the sidewalk. As it happens, I was on the tail-end of a 90-minute power-walk. The first 80 minutes were great – fresh air, happy…
HMWK…ugh
Okay i understand in some circumstances homework is important, BUT come on! There is a limit to the madness!!! You know it’s bad when you find yourself saying on Friday “Yes! It’s the weekend I finally have time to catch up on my homework!” (sigh) And don’t get me wrong, it’s nice when your teachers…
The return of the disfuctional route 17
Route 17 for metro transist (the saint mary’s bus) during the construction period has a lovely detoured route straight down robie to saint mary’s. Bus goers could be arrive at smu in time for class within 10-15 minutes of their departure. However, now that construction has ended the old useless route down spring garden and…
The Woes of the Vertically Challenged.
Here is my bitch. I am short (5 ft), I understand the world should not cater to my height, however, I should not have to put my life in danger every time I board a crowded bus. If the bus does not have the hanging grey handles I cannot reach the bar to hold on…
open letter to Hon(sic) Stephen Harper
How about next time you shut down the house you do the same for your inflated salary as well? Your government has done nothing to support the average Canadian in 7 years, you support the wealthy and piss on human rights. If people in power like you had not driven so many of my peers…
If you are terrified of dogs, why did you move to a dog friendly buiding?
To the significant unnamed population in my building; I understand that in your country dogs are wild and dangerous, and that there you should have every reason to be scared. But here, in Canada for the most part, the dogs are NOT dangerous. This means that when the elevator stops on your floor and im…
More like ‘Canadian Sheep’ winter jacket
Why in the holy fuck is everyone wearing those over-priced three-tone Canadian goose jackets? I’m glad they’re made in Canada, but not happy about the exploitation of “traditional native hunting practices,” which the company claims to support. I don’t even know how people stand to walk around in them in Nova Scotia; they’re designed to…
Compliment more, Insult less…
A good friend of mine recently passed away. He was a wonderful person, and also a wonderful teacher. Now that he is gone, many students have created a facebook page, remembering him, writing kind things about him, etc. While this is great, I can’t help but wonder how many of them told him how thankful…
Husband, I love you but…
I really hate fighting with you, I do. But you just piss me off so much when you mock me. Yeh I can be a bit childish and slam a door, but why do you have to do it right after me? There is no point to be proven, two wrongs don’t make a right…
pat robertson is a dick
those poor fuckin haitians, good thing they have dick boy telling them that the reason they had a 7.0 earthquake was because they sold their souls to the devil…keep up the good work fuckwad. —paingirl
Congratulations
You have managed to drive everyone who cares about you away because of your selfish and cruel actions, and finally you have gotten what you deserve, and that is what you have done to way too many men the past year. Now, like them, you are alone, and desperate. I for one don’t care about…
Mark Black’s interview with Jay Reatard
Music fans were shocked to hear the news on Wednesday that Jay Reatard had passed away (and then Teddy Pendergrass! RIP). Reatard played a memorable show at the 2008 Pop Explosion, and as you can see from Mark Black’s Pop Ex story, he wanted to be remembered by more than just his stage antics. -Mark…
Dartmouth councillors reject “tax reform”
Dartmouth councillor Gloria McCluskey tells me that the Harbour East Community Council will unanimously vote tonight to express its opposition to the “tax reform” proposal. The Harbour East Community Council consists of all the Dartmouth, Eastern Passage and Cole Harbour councillors: McCluskey, Darren Fisher, Jim Smith, Bill Karsten, Lorelei Nicoll and Jackie Barkhouse. McCluskey says…
Aaron MacLean’s photographic memory
Fruit Tree, by Aaron MacLean After artist Aaron Weldon MacLean’s father died, he left behind a wonderful gift: a collection of photographs that would become the foundation of the young artist’s current practice. The focus of his new show, *Nature of Descriptions*, at Eyelevel Gallery, is a large-scale painting, which had its origins as one…
Review: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
When the curtain rises on the King’s production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, it’s immediately apparent that actress Sabrina Uswak looks the part of Maggie, the “cat” of the title. She’s a quivering ball of energy resplendent with glossy tresses and a lithe body. The same could be said of John Adams as…
Fruit flavoured beers: Brews with bite
Halifax Alehouse The Alehouse has plenty to choose from when it comes to pleasing your beer belly. But for those less enthusiastic about traditional flavours, the bar’s Pump House Blueberry Ale is sure to satisfy all tastes. It’s light, refreshing and flavourful—a yummy treat for anyone who prefers a fruitier drink. 1717 Brunswick Street, 423-6113…
2010 resolution: quit and start over
That was no vacation, it was the holidays: a forced shopping mall feeding frenzy spread over end-of-year overtime and out-the-door queues, visits with family, friends, friends-of-family, family-of-friends, gift-wrap shredding, plastic chucking, meat and sugar binging, gift returns and more cut-rate shopping. No wonder come January we’re ready to swear off every earth plundering bad habit…
World’s Greatest Dad
Robin Williams stars as a frustrated writer who rides a family tragedy to success in a black comedy that fails to find the balance between darkness and mirth. Williams plays high-school poetry teacher Lance Clayton, a schlub beaten down by professional rejection, the romantic manipulations of a colleague (Alexie Gilmore) and the sociopathic brattiness of…
Size matters when it comes to city councillors
Every few months, there’s talk in the air about radically transforming the structure of HRM or of the Halifax council—de-amalgamate, cut HRM in two, adopt right-wing American libertarian-style tax policies (i.e., “tax reform”) or, most recently, reduce the number of councillors. This last idea is now the subject of a council subcommittee and, in typical…
Lorna’s Silence, Directed by
Lorna’s Silence is a good film to watch if you ever think you’re in the middle of a jam. You are not. But Lorna sure as hell is. Here, the Belgian Dardenne brothers (The Son, The Child), bring perhaps the ultimate being-in-a-pickle tale. Lorna, an Albanian, has become a Belgian by paying a junkie to…
Capitalize on your grace, taurus
Capricorn (December 22-January 19) The number of bacteria per square inch on a toilet seat averages about 50. Meanwhile, your telephone harbours over 25,000 germs per square inch and the top of your desk has about 21,000. I’d like you to use this as a metaphor that you can apply more universally. According to my…
Frank Warren’s secret life
Once the domain of diaries, trusted friends and closets full of skeletons, secrets found a new outlet in 2005, when Frank Warren launched the website PostSecret.com. Since then, PostSecret has collected secrets—written on postcards and mailed anonymously to Warren’s home in Germantown, Maryland—and posted them online. To date, Warren has received over a half-million cards,…
Advice on a walk-by
Q I am a 34-year-old straight, single female. I have a fantasy I can’t find much about online, so I figured I’d ask you. My fantasy is to be blindfolded, bent over a table/couch/whatever and fucked by whoever happens to walk by. I realize this would have to take place in a safe environment, but…
A Single Man full of grace
Though designer Tom Ford’s greasy ubiquity and controversial Vanity Fair cover has earned him a few critical knocks, his adaptation of Christopher Isherwood’s novel hums with grace notes. Set in 1962 California, we spend a day with suicidal yet stolid English professor George Falconer—Colin Firth’s nuanced performance risks making him as much an icon to…
death comes to town, Episode One, runs Tuesdays on CBC
Time to set the ’90s free. It’s unfair to expect Kids in the Hall to deliver another Cabbage Head, but the first episode of their six-part series promises that the classic hallmarks are still intact: dotty ladies, dumb cops and visual gags, especially Mark McKinney’s potbellied grim reaper. KITH’s strength has always been spot-on social…
Monotonix mania
The last time you saw Ami Shalev, he was probably dumping a garbage can on his drummer’s head. Or shoving a microphone up his ass. Or leaping off of a telephone pole in front of Gus’ Pub. Or crowd surfing atop a bass drum. Shalev’s band Monotonix had quite the year in 2008, mowing down…
Corbett’s in good company
“My tunes are my way of processing,” says Kev Corbett. “I write audio songs. I work out the world by talking in my head. Music is my first language.” As a natural storyteller, Corbett brings listeners on quite the journey with his narrative-driven songs. Despite having a soft release at the Lunenburg Folk Festival, he’s…
Owen Pallett
Final Fantasy is no more, but fans need not worry, Pallett’s compositional talents still soar higher than an imaginary video game world, though Heartland is set in another land, far, far away. One of the few musicians who can successfully work to a theme without sounding too contrived, this time our dreamy orchestral pop virtuoso…
The Slew
Billed as “six turntables meet the ex-Wolfmother rhythm section” for the live gigs, The Slew certainly lives up to its name (FYI: Slew Rate is defined as the maximum rate of change of a signal in an electronic circuit). The brainchild of Kid Koala and Dynomite D, 100% was pieced together by meticulous sampling, splicing…
Heliopolis, James Scudamore (Harvill)
Longlisted for the Booker Prize, James Scudamore’s second novel takes place in São Paulo, but really, this pleasurably dark, humourous satire on the tenuous coexistence of extreme wealth and poverty could be plunked down anywhere. Part of Heliopolis’ pleasure is its South American location, underrepresented in contemporary Anglo lit, but Scudamore’s Brazil safely lacks the…
Them Crooked Vultures
Supergroup is such an ugly word, even when it accurately describes this meaty and muscular trio known for their high-profile day jobs: Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Dave Grohl (Nirvana/Foo Fighters) and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin). TCV imports the sticky sleaze of QOTSA and ladles it over a massive rhythm section one…
The Moon of Letting Go, Richard Van Camp (Enfield & Wizenty)
Vancouver-based Richard Van Camp is arguably one of the leading short story writers in Canada. Van Camp, in his first collection of stories since 2002's Angel Wing Splash Pattern, has so clearly listened to how people talk, the music and spirit of their language becoming his. These characters are his people, the Dogrib, living regular…
The Frantics
Born as a summer replacement for Air Farce on CBC Radio in the 1980s, The Frantics rode geeky and creepy male antics to big laughs, blazing a trail for The Vestibules and even The Arrogant Worms. Recently reunited and unabashed by age, the four fellows are flush with material to wrinkle noses and scare secretaries.…
Jon Lajoie’s musical chairs
Jon Lajoie moved to LA about a year ago “because,” he jokes on his website, “he’s an opportunistic douchebag.” It worked, and with conflicting emotions the Montreal-bred, R-rated musical comedian had to postpone his national theatre tour earlier this fall. But when Lajoie comes through Halifax this week, it’s not just as an internet celebrity,…
Sean Nicholas Savage
The more I listen to this guy, the more it perplexes me as to what might be going through his head. His lyrics belie the fact that he’s in his early 20s, or even of this era, and the music feels influenced by everything from Simon & Garfunkel to Disney soundtracks to The Magnetic Fields.…
Suburban homes proposed for park
If Halifax’s most politically connected developers get their way, land within the city’s proposed Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lake Wilderness Park will instead get developed as suburban neighbourhoods. The land in question is 500 acres west of the Bicentennial Highway, owned by four groups—Annapolis Group, Armco Capital, Gateway Materials and Sisters of Charity. The largest of…
New Chickenburger to pluck arts spot
This fall, expect to see plenty of silver spandex-wearing hipsters slurping milkshakes and chomping onion rings downtown: Bedford Chickenburger owner Mickey MacDonald plans to open up a second Chickenburger just off Spring Garden Road, in the lot beside American Apparel on Queen Street. Bernard Smith, of the Spring Garden Road Business Association, says he welcomes…
Pale ales in comparison
After spending a week eating and drinking in Halifax over the holidays, I began to notice a pattern in my beer consumption: I was consistently forgoing extreme brews in favour of lighter, more quaffable pale ales. This is no insult to the highly characterful and bitter IPAs that garner a lot of attention, at least…
IS SHE SAFE?
Connie Adams grabbed the chest-high length of rusted metal railing and looked down into the hole. The concrete-bottomed window well at St. Patrick’s-Alexandra School where the body of her oldest daughter was found. She opened her mouth, then closed it. “What upset me the most,” she said later, “was that drop.” Tanya Brooks was murdered…
Not Signing In
I love that we can post a bitch or a love without having to set up an account, given an email, log in, etc. It’s great to have your say and then move on with your day. Kudos.—Up and away
Best Husband in the World
I am thankful everyday for my husband. When I need him, he’s there. He gets me. He loves me. He understands me. It’s been a great 15 years and I look forward to countless more.—Lucky Girl
durty writtin’
Thanks for the little message randomly written on the side of a dirty car. “Don’t worry, everything is going to be ok”. I had a lot on my mind that day, and seeing this oddly set my mind at ease a little.—stressball
A Wee Bit
So, I’m walking through the very busy hospital teeming with doctors, nurses, techs and such, and I notice that I’m getting a lot of attention. Well, I did take extra care dressing today, and I put a little make-up on for change, so I’m thinking (all vain and such), “I guess I look pretty good…
Employee Love
To the guy working the counter at the Salad Bar Wednesday night: Your theatrical enthusiasm made my whole day. Thanks!—The Girl with the Cherry Blossom Tattoo
Prince of Hal
With ‘BAD BOY’ tattooed in bold letters and an attitude to match; Tyson Cave has a lot of critics. The fact is I haven’t been to an amateur boxing event in the last few years without seeing the Canadian Champ in attendance. He is usually presenting an award, yelling encouragements from the crowd, and being…
Where’s the beef?
Why, Dear God, WHY, do these bitch commenters ALWAYS pointedly miss the point of peoples’ comments, and pick only upon the one portion of a sentence that allows them to get on their soapbox about something onmly tangentially related to the topic at hand? READ, assess, and comment intelligently, before every commenter turns into a…
Do you really think I can fake it that well?!
Exactly how strict do the security guards downtown need to be! Downtown on Saturday night I was out after a post Christmas work party at a certain irish pub with some work friends, the security wouldn’t let another couple of my friends in because the girl had brown hair in her ID and now has…
Mean Girls…
Gather round, gentle LTWWB readers, while I get something off my chest (so to speak). Forgive me if I sound whiny (cue the violins)- but here goes: ok, I’ve got a slight “disability”. I do most things really well, but for some things- I’m clueless. I have a few “quirks” that you find hilarious. I’m…
Person responsible for stealing my car from The Paragon Theatre:
I can’t believe how much you suck. You probably sold the instruments for half of their worth, and i bet your burning regular gas in it, she needs premium dude, premium! I’m guessing your not the type to throw in the Daniel Fred and Julie cd, but do yourself a favor, its in the glovebox.…
Something’s Fishy…
I work in a small office, with an even smaller lunch/break room. Is it too much to ask for my co-worker NOT to bring fish for lunch every week? Don’t get me wrong – I love fish. It’s versatile, it’s tasty, it’s good for you – there’s plenty to like. However, I don’t like having…
Iced-up bus shelter in front of Empire Bayers Lake
What’s wrong? Iced-up bus shelter in front of Empire Bayers Lake. Who’s responsible? Lissette Cormier, Metro Transit, 477-6599. REMARKS “Every year at this time, there’s half-assed or even no snow cleanup around bus stops and shelters in the BLIP,” writes reader Evan Morris. “Snow and ice are allowed to build up at the curb around…
5 Questions: Tongan Death Grip
Our own Tongan Death Grip have some pretty boss news! Germany’s P-Trash Records will be doing a TDG full length that should be ready late spring/early summer. So get your fill of their angelic faces before they inevitably pack their bags and tour Europe forever. See them January 22 at Club 1668 with Pastoralia, Cold…
