Unworthy of your superficial ass
To my friend with benefits: We’ve been hooking up for about six months. But now you want a relationship. When you broke the news to me that you wanted something more than a fuck, I was thrilled because I felt the same way. Then when I brought this to your attention, you rejected me. I…
Dear life,
You are a fucking arsehole. You say: “Ask for a raise.” You give: “A lecture on why I better goddamn better be happy with what I get.” You say: “Talk to the girl you like.” You give: “Ostracization.” You say: “Practice with another girl.” You give: “More ostracization.” You say: “Work hard.” You give: “Seven…
Hate to say I told you so… not.
I knew when we first met whose friend you were and what your “mission” was. You didn’t fool me for a minute.You lied and manipulated me for a few weeks, even made it look good by helping me when I was in a bind. Then began phasing me out of your life, after you thought…
Hey best friend…
I know you are totally happy in your new relationship and quite enjoy making me sit through copious amounts of PDA, however… you are fucking blinded by the fact that your boyfriend acts like a child. You don’t even notice that he throws a temper tantrum because he knows it will put you in the…
I miss your face
Five days since you left and I am missing you like crazy. Four more days until we are together again and I can keep all those promises. —Cheeky
Taxi drivers… need I say more?
Well, I will say and ask more. It’s a bad job but you make it so much worse by aggressive driving. A few bad apples ruin the bunch… There are good ones but unfortunately the idiots stand out. What shall I/we do? Follow them to their drop-off and confront them and report them. Will that…
Real true love
I know at times I cause you great stress and upset you with redundant questions and habits that irritate you but I love you with all my heart and would do anything for you. I might not be perfect in life but I am perfect for you and you are perfect for me and I…
Let’s rock our wayfarers together
You cook the most amazing food. You had me with your butter chicken. We work together and I love your dopey smile and ironic food tattoos. I’ve never liked girls before but I am starting to find something so sexy about a tough chick who can hold her booze and rock the heck out.You love…
Idle it out!
Regarding a recent propaganda ‘Teach-In’ hosted by a certain large university… What a bunch of ignorant, prejudiced, sensationalist crap! The lecture hall was was full of young students, who unfortunately lack the critical thinking skills to have fully survived the fatal blow of false information you served them. The evening was full of blame on…
Mr. Plow
Thank you to the sweet young man who noticed my mother shoveling her driveway during the storm last Wednesday. She was in rough shape with a nasty black eye due to a bad fall on the ice a couple days earlier. You stopped your truck and cleared the heavy snow from the bottom of the…
Greased!
I’ve lived in Dartmouth for a long time and have never had a problem with major crime or safety issues. I live pretty quietly, but do like to host parties at my house once in a while as I have been doing without incident for the past five years. Little did I know it wasn’t…
Hey soul sister, I don’t want to miss a single thing
Blossoming love is one of the most amazing things in this world, and now it’s blooming between two people I love so much! I can’t help but yell out in joy. I’ve been confused for a long time, but you help me remember the importance of love, and I just want you to know that…
Boneheaded parenting
Hey you! Yeah you, the one with the teenager daughter who keeps posting pictures of her anorexic stomach, celery stick lunches, salad only dinners, sharing tanning beds with her sister, dressing room shots of trying on underwear, and all the parties where she’s boozing with her friends…don’t you think its time you pulled your head…
Halifax bridge radar
Shame on you! I was driving to Halifax on Saturday, on what is considered a nice day for January in Halifax. The neat little sign that lets you know your speed limit wasn’t on when I approached the bridge…strange, it’s been on every day for months. So considering it wasn’t freeze your ass off weather…
Unprompted kindness
I was standing in line at a coffee shop on Young Street. There was an older man, homeless or poor, on crutches behind me. The man at the counter in the middle of his order came back and asked the man if he wanted a coffee. Great job stranger. Nice to see random acts of…
Bamboozled!
You successfully weaseled your way in. Personally, I wouldn’t trust you to oversee my lemonade stand. How this happened I am sure I will never know. You’re right, I was quite surprised. I don’t like the direction this is heading but for the sake of curiosity, I will stick around to see where this goes.…
Trying new things, not too shabby!
I once was an average man who got used to the same things in life that were average to a person until I met this Strawberry. She made me realize that there is so much more to this world to explore and enjoy. Thank you for the opportunity to meet with you. You have made…
Making new friends in a new city
Saying I want to make new friends is like saying I want to make banana muffins and then sitting back, waiting for the muffins to magically appear. Invite someone you want to know better: A) to go on a FREE gallery crawl—there’s lots of free art to explore in Halifax and art stimulates conversation. Or…
Sometimes you have to make that choice…
I truly think that being happy and positive is a choice we all have to make, and something that we need to put effort into each and every day. It will always be easier to think negatively, but ultimately so much more exhausting and unrewarding. If you want to be happy, no one can do…
This is why you don’t wave people in…
… Because on a stormy day, with no plows on the roads yet and three inches of snow sitting in live lanes of traffic, a sudden unexpected stop by someone trying to “be nice” means that the car coming up behind you can’t necessarily stop as quickly as he normally would – thus he smashed…
Feeling loved
I have never felt more loved in my life by someone. You show me every day in everything that you do, even after a year and 4 months! It really makes me appreciate our relationship and the sacrifices and choices I have made in my life for you. I love you more than you think…
Dirty fingers
Ok, had it to here with expensive toilet paper that falls apart before I even finish wiping my ass. The cheap stuff at least keeps me from getting shit all over my fingers. For the money you’d think you’d get at least one good swipe before the paper shredded! —Yes I Washed My Hands!
To the coolest guy in Halifax
I know it was a one-night stand, and I’d usually be able to let it go and move on, but you’re just so f-ing awesome. Without sounding completely creepy, if I could piece together my ideal guy, he’d probably come out looking and acting a lot like you. Maybe we’ll see each other again sometime…
Dangle it
So despite being there to pick up the shattered pieces of your life on too many occasions, you chose to lie me once again. Perhaps it’s a character flaw of mine to treat someone with respect and total acceptance, but do you not think I at least deserved to be told the truth as to…
You gosh darn redhead
You have my heart, and you don’t even know it. You’re too busy reading The Coast’s Love the Way We Loves to turn around and see me trying to talk to you. I’ll muster up the courage eventually to talk to you. —Hoping To Be Noticed With Brown Hair
Christmas lights
OMFG! Take down your fucking Christmas Lights and FUCKING Christmas FUCKING TREE. Its fucking almost the end of January you idiots. Santa is gone for another year so when December rolls around again the you may put it back up. —Take It Down
CKDU helps you workshop it
CKDU 88.1FM will always teach you a little something new, but this time you can put a face to the voices with their free C-K-D-You Got Skills workshop series. Beginning this Thursday, January 24 and running every Thursday until February 21 (6:30-8pm, 2nd floor Dalhousie Student Union Building, 6136 University), the four session workshop series…
Full Steam ahead
We can never say no to a strong cup of joe. Especially one that’s certified fair trade, organic and roasted in small batches locally. Full Steam Coffee Co., born out of beautiful Guysborough with the restoration of the town’s trading history in mind, has been steadily on the up-and-up since its grand opening in August.…
Dear dishes
When will you hit puberty and do yourself just like everybody else? —Dishwater Hands
Out of sight, out of mind
I just miss you endlessly, and it hurts to think that you never miss me. I think you will always have my heart. —Summer Love
VHS, SVP
You’ve got stacks on stacks on stacks of ‘em, and nothing quite matches up to the nostalgic feeling of adjusting the tracking, so dig out your old VHS for a cool idea from the Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative and SMU film and media studies professor Jennifer VanderBurgh. AFCOOP is compiling a found footage VHS project—called Home…
Returned house key, renewed faith
To the kind person who took time out of their day to leave a sweet note, enclosed with my lost house key that got dropped on the sidewalk, thank you!! You turned a crazy chaotic day, full of bungled episodes into one where I was able to breathe a sigh of relief at the end…
And you wonder why people do their ranting on social media pages…
I am so sick to death of the biased reporting that I see in the media—I am sicker still of the nasty vile attitudes that come out in the comments section—but what I’m really sick of, is trying to stand up for people, and be a voice of reason to those nasty vile commentators, and…
Surf the French New Wave right into spring
Beginning tonight, Nouvelle Vague Landmarks: The French New Wave and the reach for new cinematic expression, Dalhousie Art Gallery’s weekly free Wednesday night film series (8pm at the Dalhousie Art Gallery, 6101 University Avenue) covers the wide, weird and wonderful ground of the most fashionable of all film movements, French New Wave. Film and video…
Stranger on the bus
Just wanted to say thanks again to the super nice guy on the 34 last Friday morning. It was a long ride to work because of the storm and I started feeling really faint. He overheard me say this and gave me a bottle of gatorade. I don’t know what I would have done without…
E-Pin Grill House to close
Barrington Street: why are you so cruel at times? Just as a couple of newbies have cropped up downtown we heard the unfortunate news today that E-Pin Grill House (1533 Barrington Street, 431-3839) will be turning off its table-top grills next month after over two years in business. Here’s the message that was posted on…
Scared of poop
I saw you walking ahead of me with a dog happily trailing behind you on the Common on Friday afternoon. Your dog then popped a squat, you took a quick look then kept walking. You inconsiderate bitch. Some poor person’s gonna step in your dog’s massive pile of shit because you were too impatient to…
RiFF RaFF + Halifax = BFFs
If you haven’t seen this already, take note. RiFF RaFF, who breezed through Halifax on January 11 for a show at The Palace, stopping briefly to shoot a music video with Jason Eisener featuring plenty of trophies, recently recorded an ode to Canada. There are a couple swears, so don’t watch this if you’re a…
Your TL forever
You have stayed with me through ups and downs. You put up with me when I do stupid things to upset you repeatedly after you warned me not too and I should know better. You are always there when I need you and I am trying so hard now to show you things will be…
What made you think that was okay?!
To the thoughtless PRICK who left their puppy tied up outside he booze store on Quinpool on Friday evening. IT WAS -16 DEGREES OUTSIDE!! Yeah, I stopped and checked my phone for the temperature. That poor little puppy (wearing a pink color and Dalhousie sweater thing) was shivering and crying. The salt was clearly bothering…
You’re wonderful!
I’m so lucky to have the friends in my life that I do! I don’t know what I’d do without you around. You’ve been there for me though my own personal Hell and back and I’m so grateful. Much love. —L
Fuck you, person
To the person who sent in a bitch telling people not to say “thank you” to the bus driver: Fuck you. They do us and the environment a service so I’ll goddamn thank them for the drive. I hope at the end of your long day of hard work you will get no satisfactions of…
Avondale Sky gets fired up
Here’s a deadly combination if we ever saw one: wine, chili and a bonfire. Brilliant! The Avondale Sky Winery (80 Avondale Cross, Newport Landing, 253-2047) is kicking off a monthly event that’ll warm up your belly and your frozen fingertips this winter. Cuddle up by a blazing bonfire, enjoy a bowl of homemade chili and…
Life is awesome
I have to say thanks for opening me up to a whole new way to view the world. When we met, I was definitely more reserved and you were the more worldly one. Since then we have both moved on and I have been having the time of my life. This may sound like a…
Biscuit
How do you fit so many beautiful people in one store?! I only stopped in for a 5 minute tour of your lovely shop, but it was five minutes well spent! As I wandered about in my nicest pair of camouflage pants your super attractive retail workers were polite, helpful, and beyond attractive. I like…
Not posted
My bitch is to you Coast Bitch/Love reviewer… I wrote two loves, one before Christmas and one yesterday. Both went unposted. I followed all the rules set in place, yet you still decided to keep my Love from being posted. I’m not really sure what the deal is here. There were days on end when…
Cheers to Bridge Brewing Company
Great news! It looks like that tomorrow there’ll be two new beers in town to wet your whistle with. The highly anticipated Bridge Brewing Company (2576 Agricola Street) is ready at last to quench the thirsts of curious beer lovers in town. If all things go according to plan Peter Burbridge’s north end “nanobrewery” will…
Thankful for a steady step
To the bus driver who drives the 21 and the 18 on most Sunday mornings, I think it’s awesome that you always wait until each individual person that steps onto your bus sits down before you continue on your route. I’ve been on many, many buses where I’ve almost fallen flat on my face because…
Snow/commute in Halifax
Had a bit of time the other day to think about how snow affects commuting in Halifax. As I sat for 25 minutes trying to drive across the flattest part of Halifax, going from one end of the Common to the other I thought of Quebec. Apparently they fine people who don’t have snow tires…
To the violin player on the #1
Wish I would have started talking to you sooner. Hope I run into you again, so I can be a little less awkward. — Bearded Green Jacket Fellow
We are all adults
Great that you found a new guy. Yes, that’s terribly heartbreaking , but do you think you could have had the fortitude to tell me the truth. Instead you make it out like you are doing me the greatest of favours by ” not holding me back any longer” because I had more invested than…
Ace of hearts
I want to thank you for showing me what true love is. You are an incredible person and we have shared so many amazing moments together in the last few years. I’m glad you are doing so well at school, I knew you would enjoy it and come into your own at the same time.…
The centre of our world
You are the hardest person to have a friendship with. Cheese and crackers, you interpret everything as a plot by everyone to “get one over on you”. Sometimes things just don’t work out, and it’s nobody’s fault. Please grow up. —Jesus Hailey Joel Osment Christ
Return of the Taj
Just over six months ago South Street’s well-known Indian eatery Taj Mahal (5175 South Street, 492-8251) turned off its stove and closed up shop, and since then curiousity surrounding the establishment’s fate has been brewing. (Seriously, it’s my most-emailed topic.) Well, we’re happy to report that those of you croaking for a sweat-inducing dose of…
War and Peace?
Hey fuckos… what’s with all the long winded Bitches lately? Get to the point assholes! —The Short And Sweet Kiiiiiiidddd
Slow the hell down
To all the assholes in my neighbourhood that think we live on a racetrack—the speed limit is 50 km/hr. That’s right folks, 50 km. Please remember that the next time you come flying up the street and see me backing out of my driveway. Please remember that you weren’t actually anywhere near my house when…
Furrball
You have changed my life, you have taken care of me when I have been sick/injured, you have been my mental rock through the last 6 months of hell, I left everything and a good life in some ways, to move here to be with you, I want to tell you all the hell of…
To the scabby toothless hitch hiker
Hitchhiking in the snow by a parked car looking distressed was just a toothless meth head trying to score. I was thinking I was helping someone out who was broken down. When I caught her drift I asked her to please leave the car. She calls me an idiot! My heart bleeds for the diseased…
The X versus the Y
They say men are simple, and women are complicated, not really. Men like food, beer, isolation and sex. Women not the same but equally as simple. In a nut shell women bitch, bleed, eat and worry. They bitch the day away, they bleed 1/4 of their lives, which leads to worry, bitching and eating. They…
Send a Local Love Note
With Valentine’s Day around the corner I Love Local Halifax is tugging on the heart strings of shoppers in the name of charity. This week kicked off the Local Love Notes initiative, encouraging shoppers, and eaters, who love on local business give a little affection to local causes, too. Instead of shouting your feelings for…
Fated friends
Three years ago we were in a Fashion Show together, little did I know I would grow to need you as much as I do. The lecturer was right. How many people in the world really listen? Without our frequent reflections on life, I don’t know what I’d do. Something big is coming, and I…
Dear former friend
You are 50 years old with a wife, three kids, a mortgage, plus a bunch of other stuff (like a $400 electrical bill for all that shit you got). You have not worked or even pretended to be interested in finding work in 4 – 5 years. Your wife (God bless her) carries the load…
Medium and message
You smiled back when I smiled at you, and stopped me to talk! My heart soared, and sank when you revealed yourself to be a student journalist looking for opinions on the blasting. You still made my day in that moment, I hope your story turned out well. —Bearded And Wandering
Bell peppers everywhere
WTF is up with every single “ethnic” food place throwing bell peppers into every single dish. Its disgusting. Pad Thai? Throw in a handful of green peppers. Chinese Food? Throw in a handful of green peppers. Stirfry? Throw in nothing but bell peppers and the sweetest grossest sauce you can find – and if that’s…
Eff you all
YEP, EFF YOU ALL, as in the bitchers. Or most at least. there are still a couple of decent people there, that I hope will not be corrupted anytime soon. You think you know everything and everyone, well you know jack shit all. Just your typical hypocritical moods and know-it-all demeanors make me want to…
Check out the Halifax Biz Awards Finalists
Last week the Halifax Chamber of Commerce released the lucky finalists for 2013’s Halifax Business Awards, which recognize the creative, risk-taking, bizzy folks (see what I did there) among us. The gala and awards ceremony won’t take place until this Thursday evening (January 24) but here are the recognition-worthy, shortlisted locals going for gold. FINALISTS…
Dear psycho so-and-so,
Wow, you treated me like crap for a long time but now I am finally over you and can see you for what you were. A hypocrite, controlling, self-centered…to name a few. I could go on but there’s only one thing I really only one word I have left to say to you. I’ll let…
User of women
We went on 11 dates and talked every day in the past 1-2 months. I’m 31 years old and wanted to find someone to commit to. The fact that you were so interested in me but didn’t try to have sex with me on the first few dates led me to believe you were a…
Twisted Muse is on the move
Soon Twisted Muse and its sister store Sweet Pea Boutique (1542 Queen Street) will really have each others’ back. Muse, which carries casual-yet-fashionable brand name women’s clothing, shoes and accessories that would bring sheer delight to any closet, is shipping out of its current home on the second floor at Mills (5486 Spring Garden Road)…
Leno jokes about Jost
I’ve had many a giggle when my wine perusal leads me to Jost Vineyards’ hilariously named (if your mind is with mine, in the gutter) 4Skins red wine. This week, the almighty Jay Leno did too; he brought up the award-winning bottle during his usual funny headlines segment. Jost, you’ve made it to late night…
Dig this: the new Roots is open
Snow day shopping anyone? If you’ve noticed the Spring Garden Place Roots is completely empty it’s because today marked the first day for the Canadian label’s concept store down the block (Spring Garden and Birmingham). Now we get to find out what a concept store is! We’ve yet to get any details about what till…
Chapped lips
I drink lots of water, wear lip balm for the winter. Why did I get chapped lips, I now have a cut down the center of my bottom lip, i did everything right! Now I have to be extra careful to not smile or show any emotion on my face while you heal. — More…
A list of better names
The other day I remembered that you used to keep a green tooth brush for me in your bathroom. I remembered that book, how we never lived out the things it said, and how many things I’ve said that I maybe don’t mean. I’ll eat beet salad at this desk alone until I’m part of…
Hate to say I told you so…
We all warned you she was bat shit cray and to stay away but no you couldn’t resist the easy lay. Now she is all up in your space, and ours (your friends)…I swear if she likes one more thing on my wall, I’ll lose it. Girl is in it to win it and you…
Mr. Jones and me
Thanks for stepping up and asking me out like a real man should. You’re the kindest, funniest guy I’ve ever dated and I’ll never forget how awesome it was when I realized that my secret crush had a crush on me too. That doesn’t happen often enough in this world. Can’t wait to get to…
To my ray of sunshine
We had a chat the other night about how people end up in our lives, and I’m so glad you’re in mine. I love going on little adventures, and dancing, and making crepes, and singing along to the Barenaked Ladies, and (yes, even) watching movies with you. You inspire me every day to greet the…
Pretty pathetic
Or should I just say pathetic are the actions of a certain women’s hockey team. You knew the rules, surely you’ve heard of the expression “zero tolerance” and know what it means, but you went right ahead and disobeyed anyway. You got caught, and guess what? Consequences. Now you’re whining like little babies trying to…
This week at city council
This year, we’re going to ramp up The Coast’s council meeting reporting. Instead of just one or two articles in the “dead tree” paper, expect much more analysis and comment of council proceedings, with a weekly on-line report posted in this space. This will allow me to touch on issues that I’ve previously ignored. This…
Sometimes life gives you the best lemonade out of lemons
Seeing my ex with his homely girlfriend and then looking at my younger, hotter boyfriend is the very best thing in the world. Mourning period is officially over! — Mourning Period Is Officially Over
Husk
“I was just a pawn, a character in a poorly conceived pulp novel of gore, tragedy, and painful metaphors,” so claims the zombie protagonist of Corey Redekop’s sophomore novel, Husk, a romp fully self-aware of its utter grotesqueness. Sheldon Funk, actor-turned-zombie, awakes during his own autopsy and spends the first half of the novel figuring…
Well Being Guide 2013 is here
With the new year brings a new Well Being Guide. It’s prime time (read: winter blows) to stock up on positivity by reading up on former Halifax Rainman, and inspirational author Eric Crookshank, therapeutic singing, meeting new friends online, laughter yoga and more. This is pretty much P90x for your mind, just a little reading…
All the toys in the land
Q My name is Nancy, and I’m 19. My boyfriend’s name is Carl, we have been together for almost a year—our anniversary is actually February 14!—and we have great sex frequently! I want to do something sexy for us on our anniversary. I plan on being with Carl for years to come, and I don’t…
In the Dark
Rebecca Zolkower was reading The Hobbit a few years ago when the name for the band jumped out at her, “the dwarves are sitting around the table and Gandalf says ‘put on a light’ and one of the dwarves says ‘No. Let’s keep it dark. Dark for dark business.’ And it’s funny because that’s not…
Free Will Astrology
Happy Birthday! CAPRICORN (DECEMBER 22-JANURARY 19) A San Francisco writer named Maneesh Sethi decided he was wasting too much time on the internet. His productivity was suffering. So he hired a woman to sit next to him as he worked and yell at him or slap his face every time his attention wandered off in…
The long ride
I was a toddler when Blue Rodeo released its debut album Outskirts, which let’s not talk about how many years later landed at number two on NOW’s list of 50 Best Toronto Albums Ever. I was seven when Lost Together came out—the first album that the band produced itself, and one of the main albums…
Street art: my conversation with the city
For as long as I can recall, exploring cities and small towns by foot was an unchallenged thrill. In my youth I spent the free hours between music lessons investigating an entire university campus (St. Francis Xavier) all the while turning every door handle I came across. When I was a teenager in Wales I…
Family Ties
The Extra Curricular Art Club’s (photographers Christina Arsenault, Krista Comeau, Peter Dubee and Laura Mills) debut exhibit explores “family” in diverse ways. Dubee’s black-and-white staged photographs are framed with narratives that outline unconventional and sometimes dysfunctional relationships, a dark side of family that connects with Arsenault’s juxtaposition between the relationship of sisters and the men…
High-speed connection
“I am not a professional escort and this has nothing to do with sex,” the Craigslist ad begins. “I just want to go to some office Christmas parties.” That sort of copy stands out amongst the usual anonymous and filthy invitations dotting online classifieds. But 34-year-old, self-employed “intelligent, educated, attractive female redhead” Amanda was disappointed…
Strawberries in January
The beginning of January is often a theatre wasteland (who wants to be in rehearsal over the holidays?), but this year we’ve already had LunaSea’s stunning Estate, and now Lions Den’s charming and quirky Strawberries in January. The play can be described in simple terms as a romantic comedy with a happy ending, but it…
Game changer
Eric Crookshank is a defensive specialist. And not just in the ways you’d expect him to be. Sure, the Halifax Rainmen’s most recognizable is a beast on the basketball court, but the goofy man in a mighty package, known for his dazzling dunks, developed an ability to rebound long before he played pro ball. His…
Mailbag January 17, 2013
PARK IT Tim Bousquet’s article on Victoria Park (“The park that works despite itself,” Feature, January 10) needs some fact-tweaking but the take-away should be that a poorly used and dilapidated space was changed because non-profit groups, business and government cooperated to revitalize that park. And HRM has left the job uncompleted. When the Public…
Resolutions for Halifax from Haligonians
For the 2013 Well Being Guide, we recently conducted an online survey which included the question: What’s a resolution you’d like to see Halifax make (and keep)? Over 250 Haligonians suggested a resolution for the city, and taken together they represent an awesome statement of intent for a better HRM, from saying yes to developers…
Living well-rounded
Imagine being a patient at a health centre where your family physician could sit down with your naturopath to talk about whether those nasty bellyaches might be a gluten intolerance, or where your massage therapist and your psychotherapist could team up to conquer your stress headaches. Make too much sense to be true? Nope. Last…
King Louie
Just by existing, King Louie questions hegemonic capitalism, paradoxically celebrating capitalist excesses while drawing attention to the crippling social inequality that is its natural result. Still, songs like anthem “My Hoes They Do Drugs” are doing nothing to destroy patriarchy, reifying a truly revolting kind of misogyny. Even at his most hateful (AKA always) Louie’s…
A choired taste
It’s about noon when people start to trickle into St. Matthew’s Church, muttering about the nippy weather and exchanging post-holiday greetings. Most are familiar faces, who take time to catch up and nibble on midday snacks while the few newbies give introductions and get acquainted. It’s a random collection of 20 or so people, aged…
Rah Rah
A solo EP earlier in 2012 by drummer/singer Erin Passmore has probably stoked anticipation for the third album by Saskatchewan’s Rah Rah as much as has the band’s previous output. Passmore’s voice has some sort of inner reverb that generates an extra tingle factor. The closest comparison would be to mid-’60s Marianne Faithfull. Four of…
In the Noble
Jenner Cormier holds a lit match to a slice of orange peel and squeezes. The peel’s oil sparks a mini-fireball, leaving the smell of birthday candles in the air and the taste of toasted citrus in the drink. It’s the Depth Charge: Ice crushed by hand with a 1940s Ice-O-Mat, fresh mint, raspberry, almond liqueur,…
The Last Stand
Arnold is back, rising once again from obsolescence—and helping us forget his time as a duly elected political official—with the wham-bang action flick The Last Stand. Schwarzenegger, here an overqualified sheriff of a sleepy southern border town, is thrust back into action when the world’s most dangerous drug kingpin escapes from the FBI and races…
Little Miss Moffatt
Ashley Moffatt is biology’s gift to music, citing her main influence as the late painter Tom Thomson. A job with Parks Canada at Kejimkujik National Park keeps her close to nature. She writes what she knows, quoting passages from text with subtle revisions for rhyme’s sake. Don’t you wish you had the sea cucumber’s defense…
Just for laughs
Out of control, gut-busting laughter is probably the opposite of what comes to mind when you think about a Saturday afternoon at the library. But that’s what you’ll hear at the Keshen Goodman branch when Helen Fong is in the building. The familiar face in the local yoga scene is also the instructor behind Halifax’s…
Mama
Jessica Chastain also starred in this movie, featuring less Osama Bin Laden and more twisty mother ghosts. When two little feral girls are found in a remote cabin, they’re taken in by their dead father’s brother (Nikolah Coster-Waldau) and his girlfriend (Chastain). Questions of how the children provided for themselves over the years they were…
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo is a band of old pros. We have faith that they’ll forever release solid records because they’ve done so for more than 20 years. Fade kicks it up a notch, though, by sounding like the group at its most condensed: soft-spoken, jangly and droning. The album’s narrowed focus is refreshing, and while…
Perchance to dream
The story behind The Bus Stop Theatre is that a bunch of people got together and made it happen,” says Clare Waqué, the primary operator of the rental venue on Gottingen Street. Since March 2010, the Bus Stop has hosted independent theatre, art exhibitions, music and literary events at affordable rates. The venue relies on…
Quartet
Hey guys, Dustin Hoffman directed a movie! Quartet has Hoffman lending his idiosyncratic touch to a story about some lovely, aged musicians being all old together. This light, ensemble comedy finds notable thespians Maggie Smith, Billy Connolly and Tom Courtenay as former opera singers and residents of a retirement home for gifted musicians. When financial…
Far Cry 3
Authors have always tackled with the idea of insanity. Whether Lewis Carroll or Joseph Conrad, insanity has always been present in literature. Far Cry 3 is the first game to truly attack this idea and succeed. Throughout the amazingly open single player campaign you will guide Jason (typical bro) from lost vacationer to a man…
Genre bender
When he was a teenager, Nick Everett dropped out of high school in London, Ontario, headed to the highway and stuck his thumb out. He wanted a job on a boat, and Halifax was a natural stop on that quest. “I got out here and didn’t find a job easily,” he says. “I also didn’t try very…
Rust and Bone
Rust and Bone is the story of a friendship between Stéphanie (Marion Cotillard), a killer whale trainer, and Alain (Matthias Schoenaerts), a security guard-turned-street fighter, who grow close after the former loses part of her legs in a workplace mishap. A French film directed by Jacques Audiard (A Prophet), Rust and Bone is based on…
V/H/S
V/H/S is an anthology horror film where various up-and-coming directors showcase their found footage story ideas. Any anthology film is going to be a mixed bag, but V/H/S’ batting average is especially low. While there are some fresh ideas about how to work the camera into the stories (Nanny cams! Spy glasses! Skype chat!) the…
Charmed Three
Three Sheet is a big believer of Newton’s laws of motion, particularly that an object in motion stays in motion. For the busy five-piece hip-hop group, each year has been bigger than the last, with 2012 bringing a wildly successful tour of Taiwan, showcases at Hullaballoo Fest, Halifax Urban Folk Festival, Evolve and the ECMAs.…
Broken City
Broken City feels like watching a noir-ish cop drama, with plenty of ’80s synth soundtrack and darkly lit streets. Billy Taggart (Mark Wahlberg), a private investigator and ex-cop in New York, gets involved in the mayor’s (Russel Crowe) shady scheme of property development, murder and lies leading up to a municipal election, when he agrees…
(You) Set Me on Fire
Alison is a nerdy and (probably) queer girl, heading into her first year of university in a new town. She’s leaving behind the wreckage of her first relationship with a girl, which left her burnt—literally—when a cleansing ritual involving torching relics of her ex got out of hand. At school, Alison meets Shar who is…
Birthday BA
B.A. Johnston is ageless. Ask the Hamilton-raised singer-songwriter how old he’ll be turning the week before his birthday and he’ll likely tell you he’s 38. But the Internet tells a different story. On Twitter, he’s 42. On Facebook, it’s 50. No matter his age, Johnston (real name Christian Johnston) has grown over years of performing…
Flags of convenience
I see the amazing amount of greed and capitalism almost everywhere I turn. I work for what I have and I guess I am part of the system. I buy local, try to find Made in Canada labels, but am not naive to think this will change the world, it only makes a small difference…
