Former mayor Peter Kelly’s new career?
We just received a press release from Target Pest Control, saying they have an announcement to make because of “the number of calls Target Pest Control has been receiving.” That announcement is that Halifax’s former mayor Peter Kelly has joined the business. Target president Stephen Taylor says “His business and public sector background, as well…
StanFest canceled
Sad news, everyone. The Stan Rogers Folk Festival made the difficult (but probably safest) decision to cancel this weekend’s festival entirely, all due to a total jerk named Arthur. Today’s statement from the festival: Festival management and staff made a decision at 11AM today (Wednesday, July 2) to immediately cancel the 2014 festival based on…
Black Buffalo Records roams to Cornwallis Street
Black Buffalo Records spent its Canada Day holiday moving boxes upon boxes of vinyl out of its upstairs location on West Street. In the name of expansion, Kevin Beal’s nearly three-year-old record shop has relocated to 5576 Cornwallis Street, bunking with Octopi Computers and revelling in a larger storefront. More space for music nerdery (and…
The Firefly Feast lights up
A shiny little red trailer is the latest addition to Halifax’s mobile food brigade, and we have Kim Burke to thank for it. The Firefly Feast will soon be serving up morning and midday eats to Gottingen, the street that made her (and her cooking) Halifamous years ago as the Marquee’s Pizza Lady. Tempting late…
Awesomeness!
$900 for a one bedroom apartment, nothing inc. Making a little over minimum wage. Taxed 15%. Overpaid, stealing, lying politicians. Crime rate is absolutely fucking ludicrous. Welcome to Nova Scotia. Hope you enjoy your stay. -SickOfTheBullshit
It went a little like this…
Kay this is fucked up. I was having a beer with a male friend at my place. I started dancing, the music was good. He pulls out his dick and starts rubbing one out while watching me! WTF, I told him to stop and he kept jerking for all his might while using me for…
Homohabelis is among us
I had the displeasure recently of waiting in line behind a hunchback and her hunchback daughter both texting and both displaying large hill-like growths on the napes of their necks. The smartphone as they call it—has caused smart people to become dumb. The mother-daughter texting team held the line-up twice by neglecting to move up.…
Do you really care?
You say you do, but is caring leaving my terminally ill father without meals all day your way of caring? Oh, but we do. We do care. But not that he’s in his chair all day long, sitting in his own urine and feces, sans care, water and food. Tell me, is it a standard…
365 days
You met me at the Common to skateboard. You were pretty awesome. We kept hanging out. We had late-night skate cruises together and chatted about music at parties. Thursday nights we had sleepovers, because Friday was the only day we were both free. We put up glow-in-the-dark stars on my ceiling and fell asleep in…
Self-obsessed Instagrammer driving me NUTS
OK I GET IT! You’re really good at yoga, and push-ups, and pull-ups and squats, etc, etc, etc. And yes, you’re a mom and yes, you’re in great shape. But for the Love of ALL that’s HOLY, stop filling my instagram feed with all your videos and pictures of YOURSELF. #FuckOFF. #Get OVER YOURSELF, #GETALIFE!!!…
The Bluenose Should Be In A Museum
Why do they keep the Bluenose afloat? It needs to go into the Museum of the Atlantic. They could have built Bluenose III with the money spent keeping the current one going. Yes it is Nova Scotia’s ambassador or whatever…but…maybe priorities should be things like health and education. It is a wonderful part of our…
That Cafe on North Street
Thank you to whoever suspended a pound of coffee. I’ll pay it forward when I can. -WWSD
Smokers and their big-ass SUVs
You smoke in your big-ass SUV which is fine with me because I don’t care if you get COPD and die young. But then you throw your filthy disgusting butt out the window. What? Your big-ass SUV doesn’t have an ashtray? And, by the way, your shitty dye job of blonde stringy hair doesn’t make…
Bridge to Debtville
I don’t understand the practices of our esteemed bridge people to have their pass system in place. I checked my bank account online one day and was taken aback to find that they tried a debit withdrawal from my account to top up my account. My threshold is $17 and my account balance was over…
Beige Jeep Cherokee
To the man in the beige Jeep Cherokee who cut me off in traffic on Quinpool Road and proceeded to get out of his car and call me a “fucking cunt” and yell “don’t you even start with me right now, don’t even fucking start” after I honked because YOU cut ME off…FUCK YOU. You…
Get it right
It’s not pronounced or known as “hate-ch” it’s pronounced and called “AY-ch.” Fuck sake. -Get it straight
I *heart* Halifax, but fucking hate your pedestrians!
Yes, Halifax, you are a beautiful city with a wonderfully diverse and tolerant people. But for fuck’s sake, pedestrians here are on crack. If you’re not just outright jay-walking, you are running into traffic LITERALLY. Use the goddamn sidewalks! Us vehicular folk wish we could; the sidewalks are in better condition than the roads! Cross…
Seriously…?
You know who you are. Yes, you. The one who knowingly pulls the chair from underneath me whenever we are in the same room together. And I’m not talking about leaving me shy and mumbling due to some freakish unrequited love bullshit. No. I’m talking about you EVERY DAY bringing up some past mistake, Freudian…
Day 9 at Magnetic North
Magnetic North Theatre Festival draws to a close tonight, and that makes me sad. It’s been a whirlwind of plays and events. It’s brought dollars and ideas to Halifax. It’s brought attention to our exciting theatre scene and to our lovely city. It’s hard to imagine how many volunteer and paid hours have gone into…
ShopTalk visits Bedford
If Halifax had a Pleasantville, Bedford would be it. This neighbourhood’s retains its small town vibes, with bright green parks, a sparkling waterfront, diverse dining options and businesses that stay strong for decades. Dip into Nature’s Cove Don’t zip past Nature’s Cove (364 Bedford Highway) when you’re cruising the Bedford Highway with China Town on…
Day 8 at Magnetic North
Review: Dance Marathon: Created and Produced by bluemouth inc. bluemouth inc. (Toronto, ON) I’m an awkward dancer from way back. I was always the girl standing against the gym wall hyperventilating, equally fearful that no one would ask me to dance (loser!) or that someone would, exposing my inherent stiffness and rhythmic challenges (loser!). I’m not…
United Bookstore is closing
After 36 years memorable years on Barrington Street, United Bookstore’s (1669 Barrington Street) final chapter is upon us. The convenience store and source for loads of book and DVDs will be closing its doors in the next two or three weeks. Dave McConnell, who’s been with United for the last 20 years, says the perfect…
Electricity
It was Friday the 13th, there was a full moon and both of us found ourselves in places that were not the norm but somehow, for some reason, thinking about each other. I think this was meant to happen—it is just too coincidental to not be fate. I certainly do not regret pursuing this with…
Selfish Smoking Shelter-Hoggers
I am tired of showing up to bus stops all over this GD city and finding people smoking around the stop or shelter AND inside the shelter, basically hot boxing it. Your habit/addiction is invasive to others because the smoke is in the air thus I breath it in. You are so fucking selfish I…
Whiny, bitchy workplace douchebags
I am really fucking sick of working with people who spend their entire day bitching and complaining about how underpaid/underappreciated they are, how much smarter/better trained/ better educated than their bosses they are, etc, etc, etc. Do they really think all their co-workers want to be constantly bogged down by their negativity? Chances are, their…
Hipster. What’s in a name? That which we call…
Could someone help explain this style-/trend-challenged bloke what it means to be defined as a ‘hipster’? Is it the personal grooming and apparel style which approximates an effeminate lumberjack (an oxymoron unto itself I declare)? Is it the commanding of a mode of two-wheel transportation known as the ‘fixie’? Is it the obvious display of…
Thanks Isn’t A Strong Enough Word
And that’s all I could say to the lovely nurse who helped me through one of the hardest things I have ever had to over come. There’s a difference between doing your job and actually caring about the patient, and you made me feel as though you genuinely cared. I’m writing this with one nurse…
Day 7 at Magnetic North
I am a reviewer, not a critic, so I have to admit I was flattered and nervous to be invited to sit on a Magnetic North industry panel called “On Critical Discourse Within Communities”. I wasn’t sure what I’d have to add to the discussion, but as it turned out it was a productive and…
Outdoor bubbly at the Bicycle Thief
Stephanie Bertossi has extremely good taste, but we already knew that. Just in time for sunny summer fun times The Bicycle Thief (1475 Lower Water Street)—one of the Bertossi Group’s fleet of restaurants—launched its outdoor champagne bar this week. The romantic addition to the restaurant’s already picturesque waterfront patio was designed by Bertossi herself with…
You mean, passing lanes have a purpose?
Hello Drivers. You know that left lane on the highway? The one beside the right lane? That’s called the “passing lane.” Not the “sitting-there-driving-the-same-fucking-speed-as-the-person-beside-you-in-the-right-lane lane.” The passing lane. Here is a scenario for you: you are in the right lane and decide the vehicle in front of you is moving too slowly. You would like…
Read this to save a life
If anyone knows a cyclist that has a solar panel attached to the back of their back pack, please show this bitch to them because it might save their life if we can stop them from making another unsafe lefthand turn. Here’s how the story goes: I’m in the right most lane at a red…
Soup Strainers
A mustache without a beard is probably my absolute least favourite trend. You all look like perverts to me. Grow a mountain-man beard, some stubble, or shave it clean, but cut it out with these ’80s porn-staches. -Tom Hardy’s Traps
That province that begins and ends with ‘a’
I’ve been wanting to express my feelings for awhile on this subject and now you all have the (dis)pleasure of hearing me out. First thing’s first. Believe everything you’ve heard. Second thing’s second. Believe nothing you’ve heard. There’s a great deal of bitching that goes on here about moving from the Maritimes to Alberta and…
You Sociopath!
Dumping me on my birthday? Really could have picked a better day! Thanks for making this the worst birthday of my life! -Newly Single Therefore Sad
Judging a book by its cover
Sometimes there’s nothing better than throwing caution to the wind and shucking society’s tried and true proverbs: Bite the hand that feeds you, stuff all your eggs in a Hail Mary basket or, if you’re the Alcuin Society, go ahead and judge those books by their covers. The Alcuin Society is a non-profit organization dedicated…
Transformers: Age of Extinction
Darcy Tirrel always wanted to be called “doctor.” “But you have such a pretty face,” her mother would say. “Why muck about getting your hands dirty?” In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire burned miles of the city, but it would be nearly destroyed by something much worse, 140 years later. Dr. Tirrel watched Chicago go…
Hazy situation
The THC Club is growing. The medicinal marijuana club that police raided last summer in Porters Lake has opened Halifax’s only vapour lounge on Gottingen Street—but whether it’s legal remains to be seen. Lounge owners Chris Enns and Sherri Reeve, who both face drug charges as a result of last year’s raid, say they’re operating…
Garden Ries
From singing church hymns to sharing the stage with Bon Iver and Anais Mitchell, Rachel Ries has come a long way. The daughter of Mennonite missionaries, the singer has always lived her life in song. Her music echoes the soulful melodies of Regina Spektor and Feist, while keeping in tune with the finger-pickin’, foot-stompin’ rhythm…
The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line
For fans of the Veronica Mars franchise, there’s a new mystery series picking up where the recent film leaves off. Ten years after graduating from Neptune, Veronica is working at Mars Investigations and is called in when a college girl goes missing during spring break; only to find out she has a connection to the…
Bend the River’s edge
The music of Bend the River immediately conjures up a feeling of another time and place. What precise era it evokes is fleeting, but there’s an undeniable sense of the past seeping through. Even a video for the new song “Assassins” features clips from the 1926 silent film Menilmontant. “Through the slow remorse of time,…
Street meet: Right Some Good’s block party
“I fell in love with Nova Scotia last year at Right Some Good,” Matt Basile says. “The people, the food the energy: I just felt very comfortable and at home there. I lived my entire life in Toronto and I love my home,” he continues. “But I also love how amazingly different the scenic Nova…
Precious Thing
Precious Thing is the story of a close friendship gone horribly wrong. As teenagers, Rachel was shy and awkward until she met Clara, the friend everyone wanted but who chose her. As adults their situations reverse, and Rachel has everything she could have wanted, including a television career. Assigned to cover a missing person press…
Naval grazing: Right Some Good on the HMCS Preserver
Get your towels ready, it’s about to go down. Ships start here, so it makes sense that Right Some Good pops up in Halifax with at the Stadacona Drill Shed and, yep, you guessed it, sha-sha-shorty: on a motherfuckin’ boat. “The flight deck on HMCS Preserver is obviously an incredible spot for a pop-up, that…
Bark
In Bark, Lorrie Moore’s first collection in 16 years, everyone is middle-aged and in crisis. There is nothing cheerful about these characters, they are defeated and hopeless, and there’s a dark humour about their experiences. In “Debarking,” Ira, a recently divorced man forms a relationship with an eccentric and erratic woman with an unusually close…
Annihilation
Annihilation is the first volume in Jeff VanderMeer’s sci-fi Southern Reach trilogy (all three books are being released this year). One back cover blurb compares VanderMeer to Stanley Kubrick and it’s easy to see it with VanderMeer’s distant but unsettling writing style. Content-wise he’s closer to Lovecraft, with his characters slowly breaking down as they…
Mario Kart 8
Sometimes a game works so well, the images so beautiful, controls so perfect, you can’t help but sit there with a stupid grin on your face and let it happen to you. The latest in Nintendo’s titular Mario Kart series accomplishes this almost instantly. I knew as I was literally driving on clouds, with the…
Chromeo
The Canadian electro-funk duo’s fourth album has everything you’d expect: plenty of ass-shakin’ grooves, swagger, humour and songs about women and relationships. The group’s sound is a throwback to the dance and funk music of the late 1970s and early 1980s, but sounds ahead of its time. Compared to previous albums, this one features way…
Free Will Astrology
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Cancer (June 21-July 22) If you could harness the energy from a typical lightning bolt, you would be able to use it to toast 100,000 slices of bread. That’s an impossible scenario, of course. But I see it as an apt metaphor for the challenge you have ahead of you. I suspect you…
Freak Heat Waves
Victoria’s Freak Heat Waves follow up its epic 2012 LP with this excellent double shot of pithy post-punk. The eponymous A-side starts with a lurching drum beat shrouded by a tender, wistful guitar line. The song blossoms slowly as its vines stretch out to dark corners, abetted by singer Steve Lind’s measured murk. As with…
Jerk Damaged
Here’s proof that punk rock can be totally adorable. After Truro punks Genetic Angry graduated from high school, Evan Mumford left for university and started recording on his own as Jerk Damaged. At first, it was just Mumford, a guitar and a drum machine, cranking out sincere and self-deprecating pop punk. On For The Ones…
Not so close to my backyard
Running a social enterprise presents many challenges and contradictions. Last week I requested that council look out for The Bus Stop Theatre’s future by requiring changes to (or not approving) the proposed designs for the Housing Trust’s eight-storey apartment building. Throughout the process of public information sessions and review, I have continuously been overooked, patronized…
You and your cousin
Q I’m a bit out of your usual demographic (I’m 70), but I am still an avid reader. My cousin and I have flirted and joked about getting it on together for about 50 years or more. Now she’s divorced and having the time of her life. The other day, she told me what she’d…
Bring the paint
Quinpool Road sports bright new colours—mayor Mike Savage applied the final brushstrokes on the weekend. The street was one of 20 in North America selected for a makeover by American paint producer Benjamin Moore. The Quinpool Road Mainstreet District Association, headed by Karla Nicholson, has campaigned long and hard for the sprucing up, which includes…
