Ikebana’s rosy Valentine’s Day Idea
The recently opened Ikebana Shop (6417 Quinpool Road, 407-0487) is offering a unique way to show a loved one they are the proverbial cat’s pyjamas: An artfully arranged flower plate, a mix of fresh red roses and carnations on a charcoal black matte square plate (which is also yours to keep). But this is one…
Sex show is back
The Everything to Do With Sex Show returns for a second year to Halifax, filling the Cunard Centre (961 Marginal Road, 425-3700) with its love this weekend, January 29 through 31. Expect an erotic fashion show, acrobats, a pole dancing competition, orgasm contests, exotic merchandise—including lingerie, club wear, jewellery, shoes, cosmetics and more toys than…
More Halibiz for Haiti
Thanks to those who posted their fundraising events on the Shoptalk Blog, including this: A coffee house-style fundraiser called Halifax to Haiti being held in the gym of the Saint Andrew’s United Church (6036 Coburg Road) on Saturday, February 6, from 7pm – 10pm. Admission is $10 at the door and there will be coffee/hot…
Haiku for Harper
Prorogue is two syllables, helmet head, three: http://www.hahcanada.ca/HAH/Instructions.html
Googly-Eyed love
Thank you to the person(s) responsible for the googly eyes on the Cunard Street billboard across from the Armouries. I haven’t laughed so hard in a looong time.—Still Laughing, Alone in my Cubicle
Making passes at guy wearing glasses
I always thought you were handsome, but ooooohhhhh my knees go weak when I see you wearing glasses.— Smokey
Halifax Council Recognizes the Tax Reform Flaw
I want to send some love to the Halifax Council (at least the 13 of the 23 members) that voted against the new property tax reform that was going to start charging property taxes based on services and not property values. THANK YOU! You saved the average family from further financial woes. The new system…
ugh
Why why is finding a job taking soo long in this city, jesus just the bussing is costing me a fortune…. ha I can’t even afford the jobhunt Im delerious with giddy sickness, FUCK—portcitypirate
Alice: You’ve gone quite mangy, cat…but your grin’s a comfort.
It’s like talking to the Cheshire cat whenever you grin…your whiter than white bleached teeth causes the rest of your face to fade out.—Not a comfort…it’s unnerving
Learn to drive FFS
Why do people in Nova Scotia drive in the left lane on the high way but never pass – I have to risk my ass passing you on the inside! Jesus people, learn to fucking drive already or stay the fuck home. ARGH—Driving the 103 daily
Blocking you at the Yield Sign
Thank you for your irrational display of anger fueled road rage you performed this morning at 7:50am in your company van. I’m sure your company would love to have seen it too. It made my friend and I laugh so hard. Thanfully I was able to point out to you and your wife twice with…
Puttin’ a lobster on the bar-b
HALIFAX! …. I just… I just…. love you!? Fantastic place, mate. Thank you for being so … real.—Down under
I HAVE NOTHING FOR YOU!!
OK… why is it that every time I pass near, or by, my local liquor store there’s this short guy who ALWAYS bums money from me. I go buy, he bums and I say: “Sorry. I can’t help you.” and continue on. I’m on a fixed budget and can’t be handing money out to the…
Mens Size 7 Feet Can Fuck Off!!
I am a man, not a woman, nor a child, and I should not be forced to buy and wear women’s or children’s shoes just because Canadian companies won’t carry mens size fuckin’ 7!! Buying decent pair of shoes isn’t a problem for most people I know! Even people with huge feet can get some…
Twits at Council
Loving the updates, but am scared at the same time. Keep ’em coming.—Cranky
Those who commit hockey violence and cause serious injury SHOULD go to jail
Hockey players are not above the law. If I go down the street and elbow someone in the face causing them to have convulsions; I go to jail- this could be called attempted murder- done with intent. Six month suspentions are bs.- 25 years in prison is what’s called for.—Hockey Justice is bullshit
Harry Potter & Twilight BOTH suck
I HATE if I’m bored at work and reading websites like MLIA, IMMD and FML and sooo many people relate things to Harry Potter, Twilight and other wizard shit. I know I’ve been out of High school a while now, but are there really that many teachers and students who shout out spells from the…
Bus stop blues
You had a green hat and a black jacket with a pin that said “I’m afraid you won’t like me” But I can’t see why. You walked into the bus stop with a huge smile on your face, and You took off your headphones to have a conversation with me. You had a great sense…
A Real Pick Me Up
Thank you to the kind older gentlemen who stopped me after I slipped down the hill on Mumford Rd, I am really sorry I didn’t say thank-you. You were so kind to help me up and make sure I was okay, I really appreciate that you helped me and that you were so kind. I…
Drivers need to slow the hell down.
I’ve had enough of the ass-hats who drive down Inglis St. at breakneck speed and refuse to stop for pedestrians at the cross-walk near the bottom of the hill. I always make sure that drivers have plenty of time to stop before I will attempt to cross the street. I’m sure there are plenty of…
Just one person, doing what they can do to make a difference.
I just wanted to share my respect for Kim Curlett, the owner of Breathing Space Yoga Studio in Dartmouth. Since attending a class at her studio, I have received countless emails informing customers of the many ways she is helping people, both in our community and now in Haiti. She encourages individuals to help but…
Happy Robbie Burns Day
here’s to kilts and scotch whiskey. sit yourself down. http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae327/xodarap1/ATT001111.jpg —paingirl
CD Plus to close
The longtime, much beloved audio visual entertainment outlet CD Plus (1592 Barrington Street, 422-1559) on Barrington Street is closing on March 30. With staff under strict orders to stay mum on the details around the closing, Shoptalk contacted CD Plus’s head offices in Winnipeg, reaching vice president of sales Dale Bially, but he did not…
Changes at Carsand-Mosher
Hot on the heels of the news that CD Plus is closing its doors on Barrington Street comes word that the building at the northeast corner of Barrington and Blowers has been sold, the one housing photography experts Carsand-Mosher (1559 Barrington Street). A source inside the business says that though Carsand-Mosher will continue—presumably the Bayers…
Stop Motion Massacre: Terrible Ideas free download
Stop Motion Massacre are giving it away. Click right here for free music, nine songs in 10 minutes! If you want to get something to hold you can try to get one of the 20 limited edition copies of transparent red cassettes that they are making. Or you can just put it on your iPod…
Ani DiFranco cancels IDOW appearance
We don’t make the news, we just report it. Full refunds available at the Cohn box office, 494-3820. Opening night party at The Company House goes off at 7:30.
Anxiety, Attack!
Fuck you, stupid anxiety attack. I hate how you make me feel like I’m about to die even though I’m in no danger, I hate how you make me short of breath, shaky and sweaty even though I’m sitting in a chair. I hate how, even despite my best efforts to have a routine, you…
Khyber Club closing
This is a disaster! Halifax is dead to me now. Who are the HRM? Soulless suits without any guts or creativity. The world is colder now. — Am. Theatre guy
Security (Wannabe Cops)
To the fat, lazy, power-hungry, Rednecks patrolling South st. between Barrington and Hollis… Fuck yourselves, you fat little creeps!!!! I have to pass your stupid little baricade every day, on my way too, and from, work. It’s reasonable to block off the sidewalk directly in front of the resturaunts, but the one on the other…
NOISE, NOISE, NOISE, NOISE.
Dear Family of Elephants That Live Above Us, You clearly have children, and have decided to forgo any form of parenting and allow them to behave like little shits. I can tell based on the level of noise that comes from above me. I can hear your children running back and forth, back and forth,…
Mexicali Rosa’s moves down the street
“We were tired of the old spot,” explains manager/owner Matt Wilson. “It was time for a change.” A reasonable explanation for a move into new digs, you can now find Mexicali Rosa’s (5472 Spring Garden Road, 422-7672) in the old Thirsty Duck location, which also was home, briefly, to the eatery called Minstrels. Wilson adds…
To the stupid ass who wrote another Bitch after I fixed your GD problem
I fixed your problem. You still Bitch like a baby. You are an idiot, and a blemish on the record of the school you are attending. Your grammar & spelling capabilities are fucking atrocious, if I didn’t think I’d get fired for violating privacy laws, I’d edit your horribly written crap-fests & mail them to…
Cat Hero
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!!! To the kind soul who rescued our cat and took her for help on Tuesday Jan. 19th after she had been hit by a car. We cannot possibly express to you enough love and gratitude. Thanks to you Rudy is alive…
Purolator Coffee Saint
To the Purolator guy who bought my coffee and bagel at the Ferry Terminal Tim Horton’s this morning: I really didn’t know that Tim’s doesn’t take Visa, and I had 23 cents in my wallet and about $1.23 in my bank account. Thank you so much for helping out a caffeine-deprived lady in need, and…
Agenda
Although, I realize the importance of bestowing values upon your children, was it really necessary for them to accompany you to the rally? Politics are something that infants and children generally know nothing about. Why should they? They’re children. Standing your kin outside for an hour, in the middle of January,to honor YOUR political beliefs…
Motorbiking-on-Lake-Banook Boy
I can’t believe I saw a guy driving a motorbike across Lake Banook. Not only around Graham’s Grove, but RIGHT NEAR THE CURRENT UNDER THE BRIDGE!! YOU ASSHOLE! If you had fallen in, which you almost deserve to, then after you should be kicked in the balls by the men who save you. Endangering your…
What is TOO FUCKING LOUD!
FUCK! Why are commercials so goddamn LOUD?? Every time a commercial starts I have an anxiety attack trying to turn the volume down in time. Our flicker has a sticky mute button and if I fail to turn it down in time my parents start yelling “MUTE!!!! MUTE!!!! MUTE BUTTON! MUTE!!!” Which is just as,…
Mama Gratti’s Boy
You are sweet. I work in Scotia Square and go to Mama G’s everytime i am working. I love the food, but it’s mainly because of you. My job really gets me down, and to go there and see you in high spirits, and just being generally nice to everyone who goes through there is…
Woman in grey hat
To the woman who felt it was necessary to put your 2 cents into a transaction at our shop on a return that wasn’t hers. I say the following, I understand from your blurb that you work in retail, and that you’ve been doing it for a while. And that you have vast wealth of…
Don’t move the Lacewood Terminal
Blah blah blah, another bus bitch. Don’t like it? Don’t read it. So I get home Saturday to find a letter on my door stating that Metro Transit wants to move the Lacewood Bus Terminal. It seems “the existing Lacewood Terminal on Willet Street can no longer accommodate the increasing needs of HRM residents in…
TO ALL THE LADIES ON THE BITCH BOARDS
YOU ARE ALL FUNNY AND AT TIMES SINCERE. BUT THE ONE THAT MAKES US LAUGH THE MOST, IS OF COURSE, TTFN. TO YOU I SAY GREAT DAY,AND TO MISS LALA,STILL WAITING FOR THAT EMAIL. TO RUBYJANE,OCEANLADY,PAINGIRL AND ALL THE REST, NICE BITCHING BACK AND FORTH.AND TO LISABABE, I’M FREE ANYTIME YOU ARE.I’LL BE WAITING. TO…
Because Love is a Beautiful Thing
I saw the two of you downtown. You were holding hands, lost in love with each other, and you didn’t care who saw. I thought it could have been the most adorable thing I’d ever seen. Then the one in the green hoodie leaned over and gave a peck to his boyfriend in the black…
Where are my bus times?
Ok, so we all know that there are waaaaaay too many bus bitches… but seriously, Im pretty sure its been MONTHS since the mumford terminal has lost its computer screen allowing people in the shelter to know what times the buses come. And with that little store closed there isnt even a clock, or a…
Pay it forward, for Haiti!
To the man who found a $100 on the ground and gave $50 to the Canadian Red Cross for Haitian Relief: people like you help bring back my faith in this town 🙂 –We’ve donated, have you?
Spring Garden Rd. = Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
Spring Garden Rd. seems to be worse than usual lately for depressing the hell out of people. The daily freakshow seems to be getting more and more out of control as time goes on. I honestly think, especially in light of a sex offender recently on the loose, that some of these halfway houses need…
Cab Driver: Your Daughters Band Sucks!
To the cab driver who for the 2nd time now insists on turning on his daughters shitty jazz/blues band’s cd and cranking it while going on and on about how great they are, no one cares..especially the 2nd time around. Sorry. — Special Delivery Jones
To the first year Dal students on the 10 Dalhousie Bus.
While I appreciate your desire for sexual intercourse, and I respect your need to share the intimate details of your intimate life with your closest friends, I believe that the Halifax Metro Transit is not the appropriate place for this type of sharing. I suggest that in the future you save your discussions of oral…
fuck you brunch
realy you have nothing better to do then come in and order bacon and eggs and spend $20 bucks and ask for your toast to be buttered for you..really are you serious cook fo yourself you fuckin lazy prick… really this is what you pay money for…stop being lazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! –I hate Brunch
There are still a few left
I was stuck on Argyle street after a big snowfall, my friend was so kind that she tried to push me out, but the strength of a young lady wasn’t enough. Two wonderful gentlemen helped push my car out of a foot of water and slush. They got soaked and didn’t even care. Thank you…
My Winter Coat
Why, oh why, did the zipper on my winter coat have to break? It still zips but the dangly thingamagig doodad snapped right off with no chance of reattaching. This is very annoying. I can’t afford a new winter coat and there are two months of winter left. I may need some duct tape. –Cold…
Anti-proroguing reward: Classified’s “Oh..Canada”
This one’s for the 20,000 plus people in 50 cities across Canada (and London & New York), who braved the cold today to protest Harper’s decision to prorogue Parliament. New video by Classified and a few hundred of his patriotic friends, shot at Granville Mall. Makes you want to hug a beaver, or something.
Pedestrian
Dear Art Store Teller; You are a jerk. Your tone of voice made my skin crawl. The fact that you snatched the product I intended to purchase out of my hand made me want to scream. It is very clear that you think serving me is beneath you. I know you sell a lot of…
The worst show on the face of the fucking planet
I know this is a completely useless bitch, but I can’t take it anymore. I only get shitty free cable (the channels you get when you splice your internet signal), so I only get to watch a couple of shows on TV. There are a few shows I like, but most I do not. The…
Chill With the Wind Chill Already…
I had it up to here with this stupid unscientific way of reporting the temperature. Stop giving us this stupid “feels like 40 below with the wind chill factor” bullshit!”. If it’s minus 15, just tell us. If it’s gonna be windy, tell us that too. Frostbite alerts? No problem. But the ‘windchill factor is…
Bathroom Blitz
To the lovely and outrageous gals who left their mark in the bathroom stalls, at the Spring Garden Second Cup…thank you! Your thoughts and comments made my bathroom experience one to remember. — Tee-Hee Tinkler
Cab Fart Tubes
Its early, its Thursday morning. I have 2 full days of work to endure before the weekend. Its cold outside and I opt for a cab ride into work. The last thing I need is to smell what the cab driver had for supper/breakfast. Not to mention the linger factor which successfully affected my own…
Faces Anniversary – Halifax’s “elite” LOL
Hah, are all these people really THAT dilusional and self-absorbed? They get all dolled up and strike up poses like they’re at some sort of Hollywood celebrity red carpet grand opening gala. LOL – this is HALIFAX people! My but they certainly try, there are brass and red velvet barriers all lined up to coral…
Find the good!
For Metro Transit drivers who keep the doors closed on cold days like today when they’re at a terminal. For passengers who get up for the elderly or guys who get up for ladies. For Metro Transit drivers who see you on a regular basis and take the time to have a quick chat. For…
Review: Faith Healer
Faith Healer by Irish playwright Brian Friel is not what you might expect from the title. While the “Fantastic Francis Hardy” (Lewis Wynne-Jones) supposedly has an on-again-off-again healing touch, the audience never actually sees him in action. Instead, the story of life in Frank’s (AKA Francis) itinerant show is told in monologues by three terrific…
Haiti Cruise Line Contraversy
Why are people complaining about cruise lines going to Haiti after the earthquake to a port 60km away from Port-Au-Prince? It is a brilliant plan to remove the income of the people living in Labadee by shutting down the cruise line port because of the earthquake. The people of Labadee should be starving along with…
Metro Link Hat
To the yummy young bus driver that drives the route #1 Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday Nights…..I look forward to seeing you pulling up to my stop every time I get off work. Keep up the good work Handsome. –Mall Chick
you bike thieving fuck!
yep, got up at 6.30 this morning, went to the underground parking to hop on my bike to head for work and it was gone. thanks alot fucktard now I’m walking to work, nice, wheels are for suckers anyway! You be sure and enjoy that sweet ride my friend, and who knows, maybe I will…
eating well
I am seriously trying to eat a well balanced diet and go easy on fatty foods and less sodium;but damn you have a nice baked fish with rice and veggies and 2 hours later your jons’n for a cheeseburger or pizza with double cheese and bacon etc… and chocolate bon bons forget about it! –healthier…
dear guy friends
that’s what you are, guy FRIENDS. So please stop trying to get in my pants. I thought we were just friends, what happened? –not interested!
dun got my goose back!
Ahem. We all falsely accuse the entire city of being thieving no-goodniks at least once a year. I take mine back. Thank you to the person who returned my coat to Tribeca. That person who mistook it for their own identical coat. Face is blindingly red. I love you again Halifax. –goose not loose
A list of things I love
1. Guys who smile back 2. Girls who smile back 3. Late, late nights 4. Street music 5. Free shows 6. Free beers 7. You lovely people 8. Burts Bees in my pocket Halifax, you make my giny tingle! –Lovers of the world unite!
Lights/trees/Jan 22nd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Listen people…………….take your fucking xmas lights and xmas trees down please you lazy fucks. I dont want to be driving by your houses every fuckin day hoping you goy up off your fat asses and took them down. It’s almost Feb for fuck sakes. Get off your asses NOW and take your shit down. –hating…
TA with the cell phone
The first time it rang with your stupid descending-submarine-siren ringtone was annoying in itself. God knows you interrupt the prof enough with whatever pops into your head. But then the phone went off again – what the fuck, TURN IT THE FUCK OFF YOU ATTENTION WHORE. YOU’RE GETTING PAID TO BE HERE! — I wanna…
ECMA: Five cameras, high-def, in your living room
TV party tonight! I mean March 7. With Rose Cousins. From Press Release HQ: “The East Coast Music Association, in partnership with long standing supporter and platinum partner Bell Aliant, is offering music fans from Atlantic Canada and around the globe a brand new way to see the Bell Aliant East Coast Music Awards Gala…
hey moderator where is my post?
I sent in a post yesterday (thursday) about the snow plows that don’t plow anything but bare roads. It wasn’t the post “Ploughing nothing” or whatever, it was another one, sent around similar times from the same location, but from two different people. Thanks moderator. –cptstubing
To the assholes at King’s College who hit it and quit it
Grow. the. fuck. up. I’m all for casual sex, but to sleep with a girl and literally NEVER speak to her again, yet hit on her best friend when they’re sitting together every night? Really? We’re not trying to marry you, we’re not trying to date you, we’re not even trying to sleep with you…
Thank you, once again, to the Coast
I’m so excited that it’s hard to get through my work day. Thank you, the Coast, for sending a wonderful e-mail informing me that I won tickets for the Tegan & Sara concert on Wednesday. Hooray! Thanks so much for offering sweet contests on an ongoing basis, and for drawing my name. Much love! –Tegan…
So Lonely
Why aren’t more people on the Kinky board? How am I supposed to…um…meet someone? Come on, the weekend is upon us! –Matthew Luthor
Review: Montréal Danse makes memories
Sarah Chase, the choreographer of Montréal Danse’s On the Ice of Labrador, considers herself as much a storyteller as she is a dancer. For this lovely piece, on now at James Dunn Theatre, she mixes up stories from the seven dancers’ own family histories, with that of a woman undergoing treatment for a brain tumour.…
Yay Bus Drivers
Alright. So there’s been more than enough bitchin’ about bus drivers, and MT as of late. I just want to send out some love to all the bus drivers – especially my regular dudes, who do an awesome job, and deal with a lot of shit. –Happy Transit User
Just because you CAN doesn’t mean you SHOULD:
Yeah, yeah, you’re the Operations Manager, Mr. Important. You’ve managed to fool the President into thinking you have the slightest CLUE what you’re doing. The REST of us are doing YOUR job for 1/4 of your salary while you surf the Internet and schedule little league games for your kid. And the trips you take…
Maintenance Enforcement, They think all men are criminals
After having been divorced for 5 years and paying my child support every month and never missing a payment I retired from my $56,000.00/year job. Took a pension of $1,250.00/month after she took half of it. Now my net pay is $1,010.00/month. But, maintenance enforcement still wants me to pay $940.00/month like I was still…
Can the canned music!
I don’t get it… honestly. WHY do most restaurants/bars play that LOUD canned-in music? Does anyone go there to listen to the (not “live”) tunes? I think NOT! People go there to eat (especially on wing night) and chat. The hubbub of voices is loud enough when the bar is packed, so why add the…
Just when you’ve think you have fooled the bus driver…..
To all you little souls that think im a fool & didnt see you show me that fony transfer……well I DID, and everytime at that. I see it all the time, I dont miss a blink. But I want to make it clear. You didnt fool me, I just dont give a shit. I just…
Let me Do my Job.
I realize that I’m working for you. That’s fine. BUT, it really drives me INSANE when I’m doing my job, such as, answering the phone (because I’m the Office Manager and that’s part of my duties) that you BUTT in on the conversation with whoever is on the other end that I’m speaking with, and…
Just as quick as you
to all you dumb fucks that think you can go around my bus when im pulling away from a stop on a narrow downtown street called barrington street and realize that the buses now a days are just as quick as your stupid cars and you have to draw back in behind my 40 foot…
Tribeca Coat-Napper
To the person who stole my winter coat, and every possible item of value I own from Tribeca on Thursday night- You are mean. — Gooseless
CD Plus to close?
Shoptalk has heard that CD Plus (1592 Barrington Street, 422-1559) is closing on March 30, 2010. Staff at the downtown location of the Winnipeg-based music and DVD retailer refused to comment, but CD Plus vice president of sales Dale Bially promised to provide more information next week, though he wouldn’t confirm or deny the closing.…
art = no limit eh ?
To the fuck we all call a “highschool art teacher” who wouldn’t let a student express her art in her own way. I hope you read this, and maybe take a little consideration into learning how to actually teach, and not limit your students. you’re a fucking art teacher for fuck sakes, you cannot for…
To our hilbilly neighbors
Yes, we have drums. Yes my boyfriend’s band jams once a week. But we do it in our own HOUSE. Which is attached in no way to yours. NEVER past 9:30, and never for longer than a couple of hours at a time. and NEVER with the windows open. The boys understand the importance of…
Canada vs. America Student Loans
Um, hello all – so this is a nagging question I’ve yet to have answered, and excuse me if I’m sounding crass here, but what the HELL is up with you all complaining your arses off with student loans??? In the U.S my cousin is literally paying $47,000 PER YEAR for four years of school,…
Stop
Please stop smashing bus shelters. That is all. –Thanks
What do you think of the city’s Citizen Survey?
I received a copy of HRM’s much-celebrated citizen survey today. I have my own reactions to it, but before I speak, I’d like to hear what readers have to say. So, have at it; please leave your thoughts in the comments. The survey is here.
Hey Metro Transit, Surprise! You’re shitty.
Thanks for moving the #2 and #4 bus stop on Duke Street further up that giant fucking hill. Thanks for moving it further away from EVERY SINGLE connecting bus, and thanks for moving it further away from the doors to Scotia Square mall, the only warm place to stand and wait in the middle of…
Thank you #6 bus driver!
I was trudging up Joe Howe in the whirling snow with a big backpack. I wasn’t even at a bus stop and you pulled over and waved me on, then dropped me off right at my corner! You made my winter. Thanks #6 bus driver! 😀 –wj
Ploughing Nothing
What the hell is wrong with whoever is in charge of the ploughs in this city?? They drive around all night and plough bare freaking pavement! The other day I was crossing the street late at night and massive plough drove through the intersection scraping the perfectly bare pavement (and salting the already over-salted roads),…
a year to love me
this is a love letter to myself… dear self, this is the year you will not let anxiety run your life. this is the year you will focus on your own well being, you will lose the extra weight, become more active and focus on becoming a healthier version of you. You will not let…
THIS IS FOR YOU ASSHOLE
to the douche driving the 18 wheeler that nearly ran me off the highway last night… heres a hint if you cant see dont fucking switch lanes!!!! and when you notice you cut off a little girl driving beside you dont smile and blow a kiss.. if i had the ability i would have blown…
Mad Props to the Poultry dude[tte]
I know it’s getting colder and I’m not sure how hot that suit gets but I just want you to know you’re making a difference. If people can’t realize that, fuck em. you are the poultry king and I look forward to your high-five this evening and many to come! –zZz
Clean Sidewalks
To the people who clear the sidewalks in front of their houses/buildings: thank you! It makes walking down your street more enjoyable. –Halifax walker
David Fedup!
To the radio stations in halifax..you know who you are. STOP playing that fucking “sexy chick” track. It was ONCE an incredible tune when you first got a hold of it. But since then you have brutally murdered this tune day after day like you do with every song you get a hold of. Funny…
To the neglecting assholes next door
Your dog is literally 20 years old, short-haired, full of arthritis and has a huge lump on his side. Why do you continue to just leave him outside winter after winter, -10 night after -10 night? You then have the nerve to call us when your dog is missing? Turns out he collapsed in your…
Sick of being sick
I have been sick for almost a month now! I literally woke up Christmas morning with this cold/flu/fever/whatever and I haven’t been able to totally get rid of it. I’d get a lil better, then worse, get a lil better, then worse, and so on. I went to the doctor, and was told it’s not…
Secret Hair-Puller
To the girl at tonight’s PostSecret event: I have trichotillomania too. (So does the girl who sat two rows in front of me). I wanted to jump up and give you a big hug for sharing, because nobody talks about this and we should. I am inspired. Thank you. –Me too!
Hey, idiots who “cross” the circ. in rush hour
So every day on my way to work, I see these idiots. They stand on the side of the road, or are at the median, looking at cars, waiting for a break in the traffic to scurry on over. Like, are you fucking retarded?!?!? Well I’m sure you’re not that smart…you’re on your way over…
Stupid Parking Ban
To the kind office who gave me a warning ticket this evening! The reason my car was parked on the street was so that I could clear my driveway and safely park my car, and not have to shovel tons of heavy snow in the morning before heading to work. I understand that a snow…
The Coast Newspaper Sucks! Long live thecoast.ca!
The Coast is a shitty newspaper in my eyes. 1. It contains way too many ads, most of which have to do with some dive bar, hair salon, or fucking weird “alternative-lifestyle” shit. 2. I read a lot of fucking opinions in The Coast. Very rarely do I read about solutions for these problems. Extremely…
To My Cat and My Mom!
I love you both, so much! Mom: Thanks for calling me today and telling me that I’m a wonderful daughter, it made me cry! Cat: Thanks for being you –S
Fucked then Chucked.
Is there any decent guys in Nova Scotia? Huh HUH? To the guy who seemed to really care, and then got a little sum sum and vanished: FUCK YOU! Why do men/people think it is okay to do this? Do they not realize that it makes the other person feel like shit? –From The Hurt…
come on canada get your head out of your arse
First off, I’m not insensitive to the needs of others, but I have serious problems with the attention that Haiti is getting right now. 1) Haiti needed help way, way before this earthquake happened. If every “humanitarian” who is out collecting donations now did that annually for a few decades, perhaps Haiti would have had…
Ocean vs. Economical Mutual
Judge quashes subpoenas requiring insurance lawyer to testify in the civil lawsuit, May Ocean vs. Economical Mutual.
Counting “tax reform” votes…
Having talked with most of the Halifax councillors about “tax reform,” and otherwise listened to their public statements, I can pretty much forecast how each will vote next Tuesday, when “tax reform” finally comes before council. As follows: Streatch: No Dalrymple: ? Hendsbee: Yes Nicoll: No McCluskey: No Fisher: No Karsten:No Barkhouse: No Smith: No…
Al Tuck goes Pop!
Some artists make their entire careers out of some combination of talents and opportunities, but Al Tuck spent more than a decade in Halifax’s music scene before adding another skill to his resume. “Well, I have a daughter now, so I’ve read a lot of stories with dialogue to her,” Tuck says of his prior…
Healthcare 2.0
In the last few years, Halifax has been beamed into a sci-fi world of lasers, vibrating platforms designed for astronauts and infrared domes that are pushing the boundaries of healthcare. Though the awareness for this technology is growing, many local athletes and medical professionals aren’t yet fully informed on the range of benefits. The good…
Nothing special about Extraordinary Measures
John Crowley (Brendan Fraser) goes out on a limb to discover a miracle cure for his children suffering from Pompe, a rare and usually fatal genetic disease, by recruiting a brutish scientist, (Harrison Ford), and creating his own biotech firm devoted to manufacturing the necessary drugs. Though this brings up interesting issues about the fussy…
At the heart of Tegan and Sara
Sometimes relationships inspire us to be saint-like, martyrs even. Tegan and Sara’s sixth release, Sainthood, explores the tension between who we are and how we long to be. They bring their piety to the Metro Centre on January 27. “In relationships we act with blind faith,” says Sara Quin, calling from Vancouver. “We can really…
Seeking information on inspiration
Between gawping at speed skaters’ Robert Crumb-like thighs and using the channel changer as a biathalon rifle during commercial breaks, did you ever say to yourself: hey, after this doughnut, I’m going to start freestyle skiing? Maybe you’re alone in thinking this. No one knows for sure. The question, “does watching the Olympics make us…
Away From Everywhere, Chad Pelley (Breakwater)
From word one, a description of a bloody and harrowing car accident, there is such a volume of tragedy in Chad Pelley’s ambitious debut novel, it feels dense and weighty, like a Paul Haggis movie script. Owen Collins is a writer, who goes to live with his brother Alex’s family, eventually having an affair with…
Spend the weekend with Just Friends
All the best-of-decade lists have come and gone. It’s time to just get on with it, the now sound. What that is, of course, is always up for debate. At Just Friends Records, hosting a weekend of music releases, getting on with it means going back to a degree. Even looking at their releases reveals…
Installations by Architects: Experiments in Building and Design, Sarah Bonnemaison and Ronit Eisenbach (Princeton Architectural Press)
With the book’s very first theme, tectonics, one thinks of plate tectonics, the earthquake in Haiti. But in architecture tectonics refers to architects’ thoughts on and uses of “construction details.” These fall into “materials and assemblies.” As with the book’s other four sections, specific projects are considered in accessible language and design. One starts to…
Nova Scotia’s Biomass mess
It’s just a report, not policy yet, but the Stakeholder Consultation Process for a New Renewable Energy Strategy for Nova Scotia, Final Report, by Dal profs David Wheeler and Michelle Adams, makes some good recommendations. It ambitiously states that 40 percent of our energy can be from renewable sources by 2020. Most notably, the report…
GoGo Monster, Taiyo Matsumoto (VIZ Media)
Matsumoto’s works that have been released in English are often met with high critical praise and low sales. His style, manga with a heavy European comic influence, has earned him a following, but the surrealistic nature of his stories might scare off more casual readers. GoGo Monster manages to showcase both the uniqueness of his…
Haiti is poor for a reason
As video showing the devastation of Haiti flashed around the world, the media carried heart-rending stories of death and disaster. Dahoud Andre, host of a Haitian radio program in New York, told the story of a woman in Haiti’s capital who returned home after the earthquake to find her house flattened. “Her husband and her…
The road to god knows, Von Allan (Von Allan Studio)
Marie is the classic awkward teenager: square-framed glasses, frumpy clothing and an inability to feel comfortable in her own skin. But everyday teen woes don’t explain it all, as Marie’s learning to live with her mother’s schizophrenia and her split family’s poverty. The road to god knows is largely autobiographical, but author and illustrator Von…
The birth of Creation
There is a movie to be made about the publishing of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, how evolutionary science wrestled with the religious bureaucracy of the day, and how that battle might parallel what is happening now with the rise of creationism. This isn’t that movie. Instead we have a character study of…
Tax politics heat up
Last week, Dartmouth area councillors took an unprecedented public stand against the so-called “tax reform” proposal, which will likely come before the full Halifax council this Tuesday, January 26. The Harbour East Community Council—which consists of Dartmouth councillors Gloria McCluskey, Jim Smith, Bill Karsten and Darren Fisher, Cole Harbour councillor Lorelei Nicoll and Eastern Passage…
Metro transit plan for waterfront bus
Bus service is a possibility this summer for Terminal Road, NSCAD’s Port Campus, the new Farmers’ Market and the new Nova Scotia Power site on the Halifax waterfront. Eddie Robar, Metro Transit’s manager of planning and development, says the transit service will propose a waterfront route to city council in April. If approved, Route 8…
Diane Landry’s beautiful ordinary
A cluster of umbrellas springs to life: the objects appear to be breathing, folding and unfolding of their own free wills. As the umbrellas move, they compress accordions to emit eerie, otherworldly music. Light shines through their tops, casting kaleidoscopic shadows on the gallery ceiling. Quebec artist Diane Landry is at Mount Saint Vincent University…
Tattoo restrictions proposed
If Dartmouth area councillors have their way, tattoo artists will no longer be able to set up shop in their own homes, but must instead open their businesses in a properly zoned commercial district. The Harbour East Community Council, which consists of the four councillors from Dartmouth and one each from Cole Harbour and Eastern…
Departures
So you need a job and you aren’t sure what you want to do. You find this help-wanted ad for a company that deals in “departures.” Sounds OK, right? Only it turns out that by “departures” they mean preparing dead bodies for burial, a ritual that is essential to perform, but shameful to be the…
Booze A-OK with city
Dartmouth councillor Gloria McCluskey’s effort to ban booze at city events is dead in the water. McCluskey, who has long objected to beer companies setting up tents at Natal Day and Canada Day celebrations, asked the HRM council to disassociate alcohol vendors from city-sponsored events. The council rejected that request at its Tuesday meeting, on…
Postdata
What have you done for your mom lately? Paul Murphy (Wintersleep) and his bro Michael formed an informal duo, called it Postdata and recorded an album of the same name as a gift for their mother, who had faced some tough losses. It’s nine songs written and sung by Paul and performed by both brothers.…
Do less of everything, Scorpio
AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18) One of the Jonas Brothers got married last month. Up until then, 22-year-old Kevin Jonas was a virgin, having long ago pledged himself to abstinence until his wedding day. At huffingtonpost.com, humourist Andy Borowitz reported that when Jonas and his bride returned from their honeymoon, he had some shocking news. “To…
Vampire Weekend
Let’s all take a collective breath and calm the hype down. Sure, this is a fine and fun album, and Afropop sounds fresh in January, but party band Vampire Weekend is being treated like the second coming in madras shorts and penny loafers. The Brooklyn prepsters are expert at repackaging West African rhythms—this time they…
Bidding for advice
Q I have a problem. A key part of my problem, I feel, is that I’m a recovering anorexic and I am still struggling a great deal to eat normal and healthy portions of food. A friend and I have recently become “friends with benefits.” He lives very far away, so we primarily indulge through…
An Horse
This Brisbane, Australia, duo opens for Tegan and Sara in Halifax on Wednesday. Kate Cooper (guitar/vocals) and Damon Cox (drums/harmonies) tend often to a pattern of slash-bash-bring-it- down and repeat. And Cooper can over-enunciate her words. But An Horse can and does loosen up and let themselves go in different direction on Rearrange Beds. On…
The picture of health?
Consider the following set of priorities facing the province today: increasing population health, maintaining a healthy economy and providing healthy support for athletes, the people at the pinnacle of physical fitness and wellness. At first glance, they appear to be in competition. Reconsider them, and you see how these priorities are connected, and how we’re…
Hawksley Workman
Like a lot of Hawksley Workman fans, my feelings about his musical output can be likened to those of any tempestuous long-term relationship. I’ve been chasing the dizzyingly brilliant heights of For Him and the Girls for over 10 years now, and although there’s been times I’ve been on the verge of dumping him completely,…
Olympic athletes after the glory days
Someone knocking on the door of a typical house on a street in north end Halifax is a sight so unremarkable, local sports psychologist Elaine Stoffer uses it to her advantage. “We don’t have a sign on our door and that’s because there are still people out there who want to keep it a secret,”…
All those jazz bars
Bearly’s House of Blues & Ribs You can get your fill of some killer blues music pretty much every night of the week at Bearly’s. It boasts such local acts as Morgan Davis, Roger Howse and Garett Mason. At this classic-looking joint, you’ll always feel welcome as you mix with a crowd of young and…
Sport after the Commonwealth Games
It was “a dark day for Halifax, a dark day for Nova Scotia, and a dark day for Canada.” At least that’s how a heated Halifax 2014 Board of Directors Chair, Fred MacGillivray, saw it after the city withdrew its Commonwealth Games bid. Three years later it’s unclear how losing the 2014 games affected not…
Caribbean Twist makes us shout
An open space with a scattering of tables, Caribbean Twist has a modest, take-out joint feel. The walls are bright yellow and orange. Potted palms and other greenery weave around the tables, and a bank of windows at the front of the restaurant offers a bright wash of natural light. All together, there is a…
Olympians doing the horizonal biathalon
There’ll be enough free condoms floating around Vancouver and Whistler during the 2010 Olympics to satisfy a red light district. The BC Centre for Disease Control has ordered up to 100,000 condoms for Olympians. That’s around 15 condoms per athlete (according to the Vancouver Star). Regular folk won’t miss out on the action either: Health…
