Big Leagues move
The Dartmouth sports-bar Big Leagues (920 Cole Harbour Road 462-2721) has recently moved down the street from their location on Forest Hills Parkway into the Colby Village Shopping Centre. Big Leagues takes over the space formerly used by the Colby Ale House, which is moving a few doors down in the same strip-mall. Jamie Latter,…
Len Goucher smudges out Tim Outhit’s face
The above photo comes from Len Goucher’s website. Goucher, a former MLA who was defeated last election by a 18-year-old kid, is part of the old Progressive Conservative cabal in Bedford, which seems to muck up every endeavour it touches, including the Children’s Safety Village, the bubble arena and Goucher’s own gadget-heavy expense account. Recall…
Get Your Head Out of Her Ass
To the guy at the Stillwell, Korn and Disturbed concert who felt the need to smoke joints in the sitting section, stand up obnoxiously and block everyone’s view while you horribly attempted to head bang, and feel up the girl beside you while she attempted to shoo you away; sticking your face in her ass,…
New wet suits at Dacane Surf Shop
Spring has sprung at Dacane Surf Shop, (5239 Blowers Street, 431-7873) with a new order of Quicksilver summer wetsuits, for both women and men. The new designs are lightweight and flexible, and the neoprene material stretches and will not restrict movement while the hollow fiber technology drains out the water, keeping your body temperature warmer.…
Accessible Parking
If you do not have mobility issues, DO NOT park in the parking spaces reserved for those who need them! I don’t care if you’re only running in for a minute. So am I, but I had to park halfway down the line. What planet did you come from where it is ok to do…
Pardis Parker scores again with Afghan and Two Men, Two Cows, Two Guns
Comedian, actor, scholar and award-winning filmmaker, Halifax’s Pardis Parker’s career is off to the races. Parker’s short film Afghan took home first place at this year’s Imago Film Festival in Illinois. The movie, along with his second short film Two Men, Two Cows, Two Guns, were juror picks at the 2011 Buttered Corn on the…
Equality is Only for Some
I was born and raised in Canada, in fact we are 8th generation, something that very few Canadians can claim. I grew up in a family and a neighbourhood where everyone was welcome, where we loved you no matter what color your skin is, no matter how much or little money your family had. I…
Ship’s Company Theatre 2011 season revealed
At the annual Ship’s Company Theatre dinner event on March 24, Matthew Tiffin and David Beattie announced the upcoming schedule. On the main stage from June 29, through July 24, Out the Meadow, written by Bev Brett, recounts two opposite characters finding love in a haunting Cape Breton landscape. Following, The (Post) Mistress, by Tomson…
Artists! Submit to ViewPoint and Nova Scotia Masterworks!
ViewPoint Gallery is looking for photo based submissions for the One Art exhibition happening this September. The idea behind the exhibition is to celebrate the life and work of poet Elizabeth Bishop. Artists are invited to create work based on Bishop’s poem One Art. You can view a copy of the poem at www.viewpointgallery.ca. Deadline…
Neptune Theatre announces 2011/2012 season
Neptune Theatre has released a playbill for its 2011/2012 season. The 49th year of production kicks off in Fountain Hall this September with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Next up will be Lost – A Memoir followed by a musical version of The Jungle Book over the holidays. Opening late January is Mrs. Parliament’s Night Out, the…
Steele denies lowballing budget projections
Graham Steele denies lowballing budget projections as last year’s deficit forecast turns into a big surplus.
MIX: Fresh Kitchen stirs the pot
[image-1] MIX: Fresh Kitchen (5171 Salter Street, 429-9571) is days away from unveiling a revamped menu, bar and experience. Manager Chris Richards and head chef Ray Bear are in cahoots in the best way possible: serving their guests. From this Monday until the end of the month, MIX will boast a no-corkage charge Monday to…
To the Female Driver of Bus 735
You’re absolutely amazingly awesome and every time I end up on your morning 10 you always brighten up my day! You say good morning to everyone who gets on the bus and when the crowd gets off at SMU you yell out to everyone to have a great day. You’re the epitome of what Metro…
My Word
Ok, she is pregnant and had one glass of red wine. It wasn’t a goblet, it wasn’t a bucket. One glass along with dinner. She didn’t guzzle it down, she isn’t an alcoholic. Chill the hell out! Obviously I do not support pregnant women getting shitfaced! You got nasty about it and called her all…
Student federation rejects NDP plan to cap student debt
Canadian Federation of Students and other critics pan provincial budget for not doing enough.
Stigma Towards the Poor
Halifax has a lot of homeless individuals living on the streets because of poverty. They live very hard lives and no one knows their life stories. I hate how individuals place stigma upon these individuals without knowing them personally; there have been numerous times where I have been walking down the street with friends and…
ECMA Roundup
Obsydian play Coconut Grove this Saturday. Can’t make it down to Charlottetown next week for the East Coast Music Awards? Don’t fret, you sad bastard — you can watch the ECMA Awards Gala in the comfort of your own home via live stream at bellaliant.net/ecma starting at 8pm on Sunday April 17. You can also…
Gym, You Suck
So, ever since my gym was bought by another company it seems to be going to logistical hell faster than most of their personal trainers can spell their own names backwards. Since the transfer, my payment shave intermittently failed, and were typically remedied by paying debit at the front desk. No problem. Things happen. However,…
Dog Piss Morons
Ok, stop letting your dog piss in the balcony… you do realize there are other balconies below yours right? WTF! —Ew
One Clogged Drain Too Many
Is it too much work to clean up the hockey puck sized chunks of hair that you seem to purposefully leave all over the stall walls? You share a shower with an entire floor of people, none of whom enjoy tracking your gradual balding process. —Grossed Out
Supporting Indie Music
We work together every day in the same lab and we’re allowed to play music. But, if I have to hear another one of your oh-so-noble-and-hip-indie songs featuring singing as bad as rubbing a balloon, I’ll have to show you a piece of my mind. I understand you like indie music. Thats great. I like…
Bike Rage
To those motorists who go berserk when they see a cyclist do something out of the ordinary on the road: Remember that, although cyclists have a right to be on the road, our infrastructure and laws do not yet adequately provide for their safety. If you feel angered by a cyclist’s actions, first ask yourself…
OUTeast party
[image-1] “There’s no queer film festival east of Montreal,” says Krista Davis, explaining the inspiration for OUTeast, the Halifax queer film festival planned for spring 2012, organized by Davis, Jenna Dufton and Andria Wilson. “There’s tons west of Montreal, in cities like London, Ontario and Guelph, and bigger cities like Toronto and Vancouver. And Halifax…
HIFF continues with WIFT
As we’ve mentioned, the Halifax Independent Film Festival is in town this week. The festival has joined forces with Women In Film & Television -Atlantic and will be screening recent films written or directed by women hailing from Atlantic Canada. It’ll be happening at the Lord Nelson (1515 South Park Street, 423-6331) this Thursday, April…
Good Mornings
You’re leaving in quite a few months, and I know that gives us so much more time, but I hate the thought of moving on without you. Who will I cook breakfast for? —Mxoxo
Contractors Sucking Us Dry
Hey you contractors doing repair work for a certain cable company: I know you get paid by the visit. Some of you are awesome, some of you suck. This bitch is aimed at you guys who purposefully stretch your house calls over multiple visits to bank more hours. There’s a bunch of you out there.…
Hiding Out
You know what drives me nuts, is when you see 2 people who are not in a relationship hiding out in businesses, in the stairwells, meeting in the elevators, kissing and hugging, and they are obviously in a relationship with someone else, because if you run into them they are like a deer caught in…
Meghan Fish Contemporary Art + Projects: CORRECTION
Meghan Fish Contemporary Art + Projects will be showing its inaugural exhibition until April 23 at the art space 2053 (Gottingen Street, 877-5002). Fish displays a variety of painting, photography and new media by artists from across the country, as well as a number of local artists. The gallery is open (Tuesday to Saturday, 12pm…
First Feature Project launches
[image-1] Yesterday afternoon, Film Nova Scotia and Telefilm Canada had a bash at the Carleton on Argyle Street to celebrate their new initiative: The First Feature Project provides $50,000 from both the provincial and federal film funding bodies, plus an extra $10,000 for a mentor and marketing, to shoot a more-than-75-minute feature film by a…
Province announces massive surplus on eve of budget
Government announces surprise $447 million surplus.
Not Another Smoking Bitch
Smoking is bad for me, and second-hand smoke is bad for other people. I get it. But, isn’t it discriminatory for you to specifically put “NON-SMOKER REQUIRED” in your employment ad? Maybe it’s not as bad as “non-female”, or “non-ethnic”, but it’s a step in that direction. If it was a smoking cessation clinic, or…
Education
As a child, everyone is told that they can be whatever they aspire to be, whatever they set their minds to. In reality, this not the case. With the ever rising prices of tuition, individuals are limited in what they can do based upon their families financial status. Someone may not be able to afford…
Boyfriend Love
I am crazy and you love me anyway. I never expected for this to happen. Maybe that’s why it did. You sexy fucker. Hurry up and finish school. xo —Babybaby
Spell Check?
If you’re going to print out thousands of bus transfers, I think you should check to make sure you put a correct website address onto it. Unless you’re HRM and love to waste even more of taxpayers dollars on something that could have easily been fixed before it became a problem. —The ‘.ca’ Comes Before…
Claytime Pottery shuts
[image-1] According to a Facebook status update, Claytime Pottery Painting Studio (748 Bedford Hwy, 443-6300) appears to be closed. On March 3, the business posted, “We will be open regular hours until March 17—sorry for the inconvenience.” Since then, the phone line has been disconnected and the website has been taken down.
Spare Some Change?!
I show up for work at 6 am, everyday, but on this morning it was particularly cold. A homeless guy calls me from across the parking lot at work asking for change. I felt bad, it being so cold, so I gave him the 50 cents or whatever was in my pocket. He goes off…
My 24¢ Raise
YOU SUCK! I can’t believe 24 cents will put me in a higher tax bracket! I don’t even care that I can “claim most of it back next year”. That’s NEXT YEAR! I need the money now! You get a raise and somehow end up getting paid $30 less on every paycheque? Someone please explain…
Dear Kitten-Strangling Leader of My Country
Please grow a set and learn to face your constituents. On Thursday when you made a magically surprise visit to Halifax and then tried to weasel your way out of confrontation, it made me mad. So very very mad. Why can’t you just be a man? Is it because you are really just a small…
Dear Leader of Canada with Bad Hair and Dead Eyes
Please join the lion in Oz and ask this wizard for some courage so you can stop holding private press conferences in secret behind barbed wire fences. Why bother spending tax-payer money to come to Halifax and do nothing but hang out with your pre-authorized and pre-brainwashed cronies instead of facing the public like a…
Apartment Dwellers
To some of you tenants who live in a large apartment building, centrally located in Halifax. Stop breaking the glass doors when you’re too drunk to use your swipe key. Stop putting graffiti all over the inside of the elevators (we take pictures & we will catch you). Stop stealing the artwork (no matter how…
Stop
Stop putting your feet with dirty shoes up on the furniture. Do not put them up in class, do not put them up at the movie theatre, etc. You don’t do it at home (or do you?) don’t do it out. Especially do not put you dirty foot up onto the seat right next to…
It’s Raining in my Apartment
Why doesn’t Halifax have any system in place where renters can make complaints against landlords? Sure there is the tenancy board, but that doesn’t work for things quickly like, say repairing a roof asap. It is currently raining in my apartment kitchen. I’ve called the landlord, he will be around on Monday to take a…
Beyonce Blasters
Dear neighbours downstairs, while I understand your desire to have parties on Friday and Saturday nights and play your dance music at excessive levels until 3 am, I would really appreciate it if you didn’t start up again at 8 am Saturday morning, or play on Monday nights, or Tuesday at lunchtime, or the entire…
Census Coming
With the upcoming census in early May, this is a good time to give some thought to what it means to be of a particular race or ethnic origin. My own thought has always been “people are people” and certainly Canada has prided itself as a one of the world’s best countries when it comes…
Silly to Think
Two baffling things occurred to me when you called me “Alice”. One, cab drivers must read The Coast sometimes so, here goes nothing. Secondly, gosh you were handsome. Not too sweet, here’s the honey; hope you come back in. —”Alice”
Get The Hell Up
I can’t believe that this little old lady was forced to stand up on the packed to the roof #1 the other night as these rugby players sat there and didn’t offer up their seats. I had to hold her up as some of these people got off the bus and just pushed by us…
One Night Stand Novice
One night stands are wonderful. One night stands with someone who’s in the same school/program/major/classes/group when neither of you wants a repeat is damn awkward. —Lesson Learned
Always
I will always have love for you. I can “feel it in my bones”. I can’t help but think of you when I hear it. I will never forget you. I miss you too. Take care. —Littleblondie
How to Make a Difference
Please do not ask me to repost a status for the sake of “rising awareness” when it involves issues like terminal diseases, bullying, homophobia, etc. It takes so little effort to copy and paste a post that you want me to put as my status. If you give a fuck about anything then get out…
Convenience Store Sunshine
I’m in your shop enough to have gotten to know you a bit, and I have to say I look forward to our little chats. Usually dreary, both of us tired from life, we bitch a bit and share a laugh. I just wanna say it’s a little something to look forward to on my…
Ethics Watchdog
The Feds have one, the Province is getting one, and now, not before time, HRM are considering hiring one. They’re an expensive trinket, but if allowed to do their job without political interference, I’m sure they’ll save the taxpayers some money, and stop this city from being the laughing stock of Canada. Some time ago…
Here’s What a Good Summer Concert Looks Like
broken social scene Halifax Pop Explosion and Live 105 have done the unthinkable: they’re presenting a summer concert with four bands AND I DON’T HATE ANY OF THEM. M-Fest, happening Sunday, August 7 at Alderney Landing, features Broken Social Scene, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Surfer Blood and Diamond Rings as the first wave of…
To the Best Boss in the World
I don’t think many people say this about their authorities, but you’re such an inspiration to me. You explain things clearly, you think things through and carefully but you’re not an OCD fanatic, and overall, you see THROUGH people’s inadequacies and nurture them instead. I’m lucky to work for you. —Luckiest Employee Ever
To My Favourite Guys Co. Principal
I heart you so very much and have been thinking lots about the very first weekend I came to visit you and we went for a walk after dinner and you made a fire at the beach. When I move up will we do that again? It’s one of my favorite memories in our story…
Rohan Fernando’s Snow to open ReelWorld
For anyone who might be in The Big Smoke this week, here’s something: Following its world premiere at the Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, California, Halifax filmmaker Rohan Fernando’s feature Snow opens the ReelWorld Film Festival in Toronto on Wednesday, April 6. Fernando writes and directs the story of Parvati, a young woman whose…
You two make my day!
To the two young ladies working the drive-through in a fast food restaurant on Main Street in the mornings: Thank you both for your outstanding customer service, your bright smiles, cheerful greetings and just being so kind and genuine. I always drive away grinning, your smiles are infectious! Keep doing what you do, ’cause you…
Hope for Wildlife returns for season two
[image-1] Animal-lovers should tune into Oasis HD (Channel 792 on Eastlink) tomorrow, Tuesday April 5, at 9pm for the second-season kickoff episode of Hope for Wildlife. The show follows animal-rescuers working for the Hope for Wildlife rehabilitation centre based in Seaforth, NS. It’s produced by Halifax‘s own Arcadia Entertainment, and will feature 13 one-hour episodes…
Hop falls flat
Hop, directed by Tim Hill (Alvin And the Chipmunks), is about a friendship between the digitally animated Easter Bunny-in-waiting, EB (Russell Brand), and the unemployed and whiny Fred O’Hare (James Marsden). When EB runs away to Hollywood to become a drummer, a trio of ninja bunnies is dispatched to retrieve him while an overgrown evil…
Has Halifax hit Peak Scandal?
[image-1] This morning, as I was reviewing my notes on three different scandals now afflicting Halifax, I thought, “Just how much scandal can be wedged into one town? Are we at Peak Scandal?” Like its resource cousin Peak Oil, there are two things to consider when assessing Peak Scandal. First there’s the question of production:…
Walter Forsyth’s Land & Sea episode to air tomorrow
Make a note to be home or DVR tomorrow’s episode of Land & Sea on CBC TV. It airs at noon. Helmed by former AFCOOP wizard, director and producer Walter Forsyth, it’s all about Nova Scotia folk art. Music is by The Smokin Contra Band and Dusty Keleher. Featuring Barry Colpitts, Bradford Naugler, Calvin Woodworth,…
Blood-chilling Insidious
Saw director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell ditch the blood spilling and go for blood-chilling with *Insidious*, the most thoroughly terrifying film since its influential ancestor Paranormal Activity. After an accident in his new home, little Dalton (Ty Simpkins) goes into a mysterious coma, a development that coincides with much supernatural weirdness. His parents…
I Hate It When You Time Travel Like That
dance parties, CKDU, mcfly, crispin glover
Cannot Believe You’re Serious
To possibly the worst friend I’ve ever had: I can’t believe it’s been several months now since you stood me up and still to this day haven’t contacted me with any explanation of what the fuck happened. You’ve always been unreliable, so it didn’t strike me as that odd at first. But now it’s clear…
Is deputy police chief Chris McNeil’s suspension related to fire department investigation?
[image-1] Halifax’s deputy chief of police, Chris McNeil, has been suspended pending an investigation of possible perjury on McNeil’s part, according to the CBC. Besides being second-in-command at the HPD, McNeil is a lawyer, still in good standing as a “Non Practising Member” with the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society. This makes the perjury investigation all…
No Such Thing As Weak-Ends
The hail patters against my window, and outside small children wail in their inappropriate nylon and denim outerwear. What a tease this week has been. But it’s not all a loss…look at all this music we got here for you, eh? Husband-and-wife grunganauts Cursed Arrows are currently streaming their new album The Madness of Crowds…
Baby, I Love Your Way
The world keeps spinning. I just wanted to say thank you to my S.K for everything. The experiences and love we shared together while we were together were amazing, and I wouldn’t change any of them for the world. Unfortunately, we both became victims of loneliness, hurt and frustration. Things got out of hand and…
Librarians are Amazing
To the four sweet librarians on Thursday night who had to deal with at least 3 crazy ladies freaking out for no apparent reason: I wish I could give you hugs, buy you all Floridian vacation packages, and serve you copious amounts of wine for all your patience in dealing with the imaginary crises! None…
Flush It
Being in a rush or being forgetful is no excuse! If I have to walk into another public bathroom stall and see shit in the toilet I am going to explode. What’s the big deal? Press the handle. No one needs to see that you had spicy food for dinner. —Disgusted
Tenant Problems
Okay, now let me get this straight. You rent from me for two years and then some. I reduce your rent by $100 for the second year (a.k.a sweet deal, you were always late with the rent) and you take off to TO, sublet the place to a dirty leftist who could not even call…
Coffee Shop A-Hole
This is to the short and squat old man and his asshole friend (I’m guessing) standing in line at a local coffee shop on Quinpool last night. I was ahead of you in the line and I ordered the last lemon and raspberry donut and you just had to make a rude remark about how…
Use Your Library Voice
To the woman who spazzed out for 20 minutes in the library after coming “all the way from Dartmouth” to use the computer and screamed at every staff member, each of whom went above and beyond the call of duty to explain the problem to you and deal with you in a patient manner: Calm…
Group Work
As a busy full time student and part time waitress, I realize that group work can be demanding and everyone must make compromises. I also realize that this is a very professional university program that requires a large amount of collaboration for group projects. Our group has been more then generous enough to accommodate your…
24twentyeight to open DJ school: CORRECTION
Good buddies Logan Hudak, Gerald Wheatly and Craig Muise are opening up Atlantic DJ School, as an adjunct to their 24twentyeight (5181 Sackville Street, 405-4445) this coming May. It boasts highly skilled and hard working instructors who can teach anyone the craft of the DJ, from beginners to intermediates. These professionals will teach today’s cutting…
Source Code executes
Duncan Jones follows up his Kubrick-cool debut Moon with an earthbound piece of sci-fi, one starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a soldier continually re-living the eight minutes leading up to a train bombing. While trying to figure out the identity of the bomber, Gyllenhaal’s Colter Stevens also tries to figure out how his superiors (Vera Farmiga…
Hail to the Bus Driver
Just sending some love to the #7 Gottingen/Robie driver who assisted an elderly lady with the cane today. You helped her off the bus and walked her across the street to the bus stop she needed to be at. So sweet! I’ve also seen you ask people, while pulling up to SS, if they are…
Spare Change
One of my favourite questions I get asked several times daily is, “Could you spare some change?” As if I have two categories of ‘change’: 1) ‘necessary change’ or 2) ‘spare change’. Ridiculous. Really, fuck off people. —Dubbadooba
The Emerging Lens: Celebrating the African Nova Scotian Experience
Check out this collective showing tomorrow, Saturday, April 2, from 7pm to 9:30pm at the Black Cultural Centre of Nova Scotia (1149 Main Street, Dartmouth, 434-6223) The Emerging Lens film screening—a production of Tara Taylor, Shelley Fashan and in association with the Charles Taylor Hall Theatre Society—offers the chance to see and hear the differing…
Ellen Page on Letterman discussing Super, Halifax
Halifax’s favourite actor Ellen Page was on David Letterman last night promoting Super, a superhero comedy with Rainn Wilson opening in selected cities. Has ours been selected? Not this weekend, bur it remains to be seen. Ms Page, always delightful, managed to squeeze in some Halifax love, even encouraging Dave to visit our town.
5 x 5 Advanced Television Doc Screening
Free this afternoon at 2:15pm for about an hour? Head over to the University of King’s College for five 10 minute docs by students in Sylvia Hamilton’s Advanced Television class. The titles of the docs are “You Don’t Care”: Voting on the Price of Education, First/Last, Laser Ventures, Lovely Lady Bumps and The People’s Violinist.…
Maritime Campus Store appears to have closed
[image-1] Without a notice on the door, or workers to be seen, Shoptalk is assuming the Maritime Campus Store (6238 Quinpool Road, 423-6523) is closing. The owners, however, have not confirmed this, but the phone hasn’t been answered in days and the store remains unvisited.
Here’s to not overlooking the little things
I wanted to give a big thanks to those that help our growing generation along this path of life. To our parents/guardians, counsellors, family and friends. As we grow and progress we sometimes forget those certain people that whether you think of them often or not, were one of the biggest parts of our growth…
An Apple a Day
To the lovely gentleman who shared a smile, a handshake, friendly conversation, and an apple. Your small but kind gesture meant a lot, thank you. You are a perfect example of why I love this city so much. —So Good With PB
Think Global, Act Loco
Dear completely anonymous health food store, that time when you hired a complete troll to work for you was disdainful but forgivable. You couldn’t have known. But, your actions as of late are inexcusable. Firing exceptional long-term employees with no just cause while keeping incompetent lower waged new hires on to fatten your bulging pockets…
Dude, This is a Library
To the group of Arab students in the library behind me… This is a fucking library, get the hell out of here if you’re just going to sit around, take up space, and yell in crazy languages, because honestly it’s pissing me the fuck off and I’m sure many MANY other people. Some of us…
The Town Bullies
What is with people who think they are better than everyone else around them? Like teachers who don’t help you at all or make you feel so much less about yourself because you are not as smart as them or don’t understand something. Newsflash, you’re the teacher and I’m the student for a reason. I…
With Friends Like These
We fell on hard times. Our friends all say they want to help. Thanks friends, but inviting us out to the movies, for drinks, or dinner, to “cheer us up” is not helping. WE HAVE NO MONEY! You can come over to our place. You can provide moral support. You can recommend places that are…
Once a Thief…
WTF?! How can a person steal wads of cash from a legit and honest small business and then only get a slap on the wrist by the courts? The accused should be forced to do community service based on minimum wage until the full amount is repaid, even if it takes 7 years of business…
Bloomfield blooms
Seven years ago the Bloomfield Centre, at Agricola and Almon, seemed doomed. “The city was going to destroy it,” says Susanna Fuller, co-chair of Imagine Bloomfield. The nonprofit devoted to re-purposing the centre into a neighourhood hub held a series of community consultations, facilitated by Dalhousie planning students, between 2004 and 2008. Rather than make…
Getting Nowhere Fast
Okay, this is getting annoying, to say the least. I work. I pay taxes. I contribute to EI. So, when I need help why can’t I get it? I was not asked to be let go from my job. I bent over backward for the bitch (coming in early, staying late etc.). I increased her…
No More Bunk Beds for Andrea Ramolo
When Andrea Ramolo toured through Halifax two years ago, the Toronto-based roots-folk musician was sleeping in a van with built-in bunk beds, constructed with her longtime touring partner and musical Jack-of-all-trades Jason Skiendziel. For her upcoming cross-country jaunt, which brings her to the Seahorse next Wednesday, April 6, she’ll be supported by a bassist and…
The C word
I hate it with a burning passion. I shudder and throw up in my mouth a bit when I hear someone say it. My eyes burn when I see it written down. Why do some people use it? WHY!! It’s the most vile, disgusting and useless word in the english language. Who came up with…
Wayward Saints make for interesting company
The cast of the King’s production of A Company of Wayward Saints seem to have a lot of fun together, and that’s a good thing since one of the messages of the play is that theatre is a collaborative art form. The premise is that a commedia dell’arte troupe is performing for a Duke who…
Couch Surfing and Boy Crazy
You are probably the most boy crazy person that I have ever met. That in itself is fine, it’s kind of cute to hear you giggle about Jake Gyllenhaall and all those other pretty boy celebrities that you like. There’s certainly nothing wrong with it! However, being as boy crazy you are, you want a…
Dalhousie cuts accessibility services
[image-1] Dalhousie University is slashing some of its accessibility services, as the administration faces a budget shortfall of $14.6 million in 2011-12. This July, Dalhousie plans to stop funding the position of Neera Datta, a learning disabilities specialist who serves students at Dalhousie, the University of King’s College and NSCAD. “This decision was made in…
SMU women’s hockey is back
[image-1] It was a big victory for the Saint Mary’s University women’s hockey team Tuesday, after the board of governors decided to save the Huskies from the chopping block. The initial March 18 decision was to cut the team all together. But after hundreds of supporters raised voices and sent emails protesting SMU’s judgment, president…
Jordi Bonet Explosion memorial is in pieces
[image-1] In 1966, a sculpture created by renowned Canadian artist Jordi Bonet was placed at the North Memorial Library. The statue was a tribute to those who died in the Halifax Explosion. But in 2005 the city deemed the statue a “public safety risk,” and it was taken apart and stored; the statue then sustained…
Best Music Festival
Since 1993 the Halifax Pop Explosion has been a staple in the local music scene. Every October things get a little crazy as bands from Halifax, Canada and the world stop by to show off their stuff, and Haligonians are all too eager to show their appreciation. In 2010 the festival kicked more ass than…
Best Artist / Band To Be Blown Away By
It’s pretty surprising that Matt Kliffer, MC of hip-hop group Three Sheet, is awake this morning, approaching noon the day after St. Patrick’s Day. While most people are sitting in a dark room eating last night’s cold pizza in an attempt to stop their pain from the night before, Kliffer is busy at work. When…
The ABCs of mortgages
A mortgage is, basically, a loan for the use of purchasing property. Think of it like you would with payments for a car, or any other item that requires financing rather than outright purchasing. The majority of people who buy their first homes have to get a mortgage in order to get them, as very…
Lessons learned
It was listed at $149,900 and I got it for $145,000. For me it was just a curiosity-driven look, and then it was, “Oh my gosh, can I do this?” I had to make a decision really fast, that’s what’s so scary. It took a lot of the stress off, trusting my realtor. My mother…
Best Video
Kouyoumdjian is a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-many in the film biz. Aside from directing the Stanfields’ video in 2010, he also worked in the sound department of Hobo With A Shotgun and the Picnicface movie Roller Town. His back catalogue of videos include ones for Mike Bochoff (Everything Burns), Amelia Curran (Scattered And Small) and Down With…
James MacSwain rocks Toronto’s Images Festival
Halifax animator James MacSwain, who you may recall from a retrospective at the AGNS in 2005, is the 2011 Canadian Artist Spotlight featured filmmaker at the Images Festival, running from today, March 31 to April 9 in Toronto. Images Festival is North America’s largest festival of independent and experimental media. It’s showcasing six films from…
Home of the future
Architect Susan Fitzgerald conceived of this building as “two clearly defined wooden boxes—one black and one grey that intersect with each other.” She looked at the residences on the street and was inspired as much by them as by her own modernist sense. “A lot of it’s about integrating with the landscape and the urban…
Best Music Photographer
Keeping track of what Sm!th is up to isn’t easy, though his distinctive ginger coif isn’t hard to spot from a distance. A quick message from the Newfoundland-born photographer/designer gets the lowdown on his typically busy 2010, with band shots and/or CD design including The Stanfields—along with an appearance in their award-winning video elsewhere in…
Best Artist / Band To Dance To
Last week Toronto’s eye magazine called Rich Aucoin a “Rock Star for the 21st Century,” and described his live show as “kindergarden on acid.” Aucoin has good memories of the show he played at HPX last year. “That was a fun one,” he writes in an email from Texas, where he’s playing South by Southwest…
How do I choose a JOP?
I have no idea who to pick, if it matters, and what it costs. Please help! I just want a simple quick ceremony before my reception. I found the list of JOPs on the Nova Scotia government website. I guess I am just looking for other people to tell me how the booked a JOP.…
OK to bail on orgy birthday
A DEAR READERS: Folks who have the Savage Love mobile app get the Savage Love Letter of the Day (SLLOTD) delivered to their iPhones or Androids. This week, I’m running three recent SLLOTDs to give my print-only readers a taste of what they’re missing. I’m also giving myself a bit of a break: I’m currently…
Ask an expert: George McCarthy, roofer
HALIFAX HOMES: What should someone ask of a roofer when contracting them to work on their home? George McCarthy: The first thing they should ask is if they’re safety certified. Do they have their certification papers? The certifications come from the Nova Scot ia Construction Safety Association. Also, when the roofers come to your home,…
Best New Artist / Band
Cape Bretoners Mike Ryan and Bruce Gillis have been playing in bands together for most of their lives. The duo—featuring Ryan on guitar and Gillis on drums—formed The Town Heroes about a year and a half ago, and so far the duo seems to be on the up-and-up. They released a full-length album *Birds and…
Best Album
Fairview-born rapper Quake has been on the rise since his hilarious track “Quake vs. Canada” hit the blogosphere in 2007. At the age of 18, the young MC released the dis track against some of Canada’s most famous rappers, not as an insult to some to the greats in the business, but to draw attention…
My first reno
It was when she was floating on a surfboard off Lawrencetown Beach that she had the idea. Sarah Murrant, 28, was a lifelong peninsula resident with a provincial government job in the city. She considered buying a house, but wanted to stay close to downtown. Real estate prices in Halifax quickly had her looking for…
The condo solution
First-time buyers looking to establish roots in Halifax are increasingly considering condos, says Andrew Perkins, a realtor specializing in the burgeoning condominium market. “Young professionals are especially buying condos,” says Perkins, who says they used to be more for retirees—after the kids left, people would sell their house in the west end and move downtown.…
Best Radio Station
CKDU continues to produce unique content for Halifax airwaves, including alternative news, niche music, cultural programming and much more. Program director Tarek Al-Zand reports in 2010 the station met its fundraising goals. “CKDU provides programming created by the community, for the community,” he says. “And the funding drive success illustrates that people want the station…
Best Artist / Band To Get Trashed To
“Yay!” exclaims Jon Landry of the Stanfields upon hearing that the band is up for Best Artist/Band to Get Trashed To. “Three times defending champs! That’s our favourite one.” Landry and the band are enjoying a brief moment at home to catch their collective breath, having just come off the road and a gig opening…
A solid investment
The place on Maynard is 146 years old, a beautiful three-storey, three bedroom home featuring five—count ’em—fireplaces. The upper floor’s master enjoys a harbour view, and the property includes a landscaped city garden and a separate in-law/nanny suite rented at $640 per month. On July 1, 1992, it was just another north end home, purchased…
Foggy notions
A few years ago, word crept up to me of a chef who held amazing private dinner parties in Hubbards. As his wife worked in television, some of their friends were the media cognoscenti, so stories of these elaborate meals traveled up the shore to Halifax. That’s where Larry Fogg’s reputation started for me. Question…
Best Songwriter
Plaskett just got back into town from a tour with his three-piece, The Emergency. *Three* is in the rearview, with new songs being written right now, with recording planned for the fall. “I’m going to try and turn it around really quickly,” says Plaskett. “I want this one to be 10-12 songs, kinda lean… let…
Best Promoter
Who do we have to thank for being able to see from-away tours by The Sadies, Mother Mother, NOFX, Hey Rosetta and Anvil? Sonic. How about Jill Barber and Michael Kaeshammer? Sarah Harmer? Ani DiFranco? New Pornographers? GWAR? Er… Tom Green? Yep. OK, sure, we can thank the artists themselves for coming, a few agents…
Beady Eye
Made up of three of the five members of the now defunct Oasis, Beady Eye sounds like Oasis, but worse. With the leaving of Noel Gallagher in 2009 from Oasis, bass player Andy Bell (formerly of shoegaze-lite band Ride) has taken over as a lead guitarist and songwriter for Beady Eye. Sadly, his work with…
Cooper Tardivel relocates
Last week we let readers know that Mosaic Social Dining Lounge will be shutting its doors in April. We have more sad news for the local cocktail scene: Cooper Tardivel has accepted “an amazing opportunity” in Vancouver and will be on his way soon. Stop by Mosaic for one of the Best of Food-winning bartender’s…
The laugh track
They say laughter is the best medicine for most of your woes, but when you’re waiting on the The Ha!ifax Comedy Fest (April 13-16), there are still places to get your healthy dose of giggles. Here are a couple of joints that’ll have you busting a gut, we kid you not. Yuk Yuk’s Within the…
Ask an expert: Omar Gandhi, architect
Homes Halifax: If I was considering building, what sort of questions would I ask you? Or what would you ask me? Omar Gandhi: Well, I’d ask if you had a piece of land already and what your budget is. And what your general program is of what you want to build. How many bedrooms? Is…
Best Vinyl
Soaring violins, funky bass, tasty piano, tight percussion, conscious lyrics, even humorous call and responses with cellos; all these elements go into making The Caravan’s *Emerald City* the winner for Best Vinyl. *Emerald City* is the type of record you end up wearing grooves in, perhaps to catch one of vocalist Kyle McKenna’s quick and…
G. Love
WOW. Has G. Love has found his groove again. Which we say ironically, because on Fixin’ to Die, he has dropped the Philadelphia/dance-inflected grooves that defined his mid-career music. Instead he has returned to his roots: the blues, country and bluegrass that defined his first few albums. These songs burst with joie de vivre that…
Best Rehearsal Space
Sadly, this is a farewell tribute. The Rock Garden is now no longer with us despite a legion of musicians who had come to love the space for serious jam sessions. In it’s heyday, bands would pay $15 per hour to utilize the studio—add an extra fiver if you played Keep On Rockin In The…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19) This is an excellent time to study the book Assholeology: The Science Behind Getting Your Way—and Getting Away with It. In fact, the cosmos would not only look the other way if you acted on the principles described therein; the cosmos is actively encouraging you to be a successful jerk. APRIL…
Harper must go
Lock ’em up and throw away the key. Hand over billions to Lockheed Martin. Slash social programs. Deny climate change and kick Canuck democracy in the ass. That’s what the Conservative-Reform-Alliance party stands for and here are five solid reasons to vote against them on May 2. 1. Slashing social programs: Buried in the Conservative…
Best Record Label
With its steadily growing roster of hard rock and heavy metal artists, Diminished Fifth Records has once again claimed the “Best Record Label” spot in this year’s poll. Founder Josh Hogan has a little more on his plate since last year—along with Hassan King, he founded Red Tentacle Media Solutions for bands looking to amp…
Giant Hand
Ottawa’s Kirk Ramsay pens lyrics that are frequently death-obsessed, end-of-the-line depressing, yet something in his delivery draws you in. “Every year I take another step down, and that’s another step closer to my home in the ground,” he sings, with a sense of honesty and intimacy it’s hard not to be swayed by. Ramsay’s songs…
Authentic Forgery
Next time you’re scarfing a donair in Venus Pizza or riding the bus, look out for a discreet pamphlet, folded neatly and printed with the words Open Heart Forgery. Founded by Donal Power, a former journalist and editor at the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council, this monthly journal brings the voices of local poets and songwriters…
Red Dead Redemption: undead nightmare
Undead Nightmare takes everything that was good about the original game and twists it into a needless apocalyptic mess. John Marston is at the centre of a full-blown zombie invasion and he must single-handedly find out what is going on and try to prevent it from spreading. Gone are the well-developed characters and the story-driven…
Ask an expert: Glen Strang, home inspector
Homes Halifax: Can you explain to me the difference between what you do and what home inspectors who work for the city do? Glen Strang: What we do is a structural and major systems analyses of visual components in the house. Ninety-five percent of our business is resale homes, homes that have already been constructed.…
Best DJ
No stranger to the winners’ circle, DJ IV is back this year as Halifax’s Best DJ. Currently on a cross-Canada tour with Classified in support of Classy’s newly released album, *Handshakes and Middle Fingers*, IV figures that he and the whole Halflife crew will triumphantly return to the Maritimes for a slew of Eastern shows…
Best All-ages Venue
Located right next to the skate park by the Halifax Common on Cogswell, The Pavilion is going through a few changes. The venue’s director—the venue is owned by a non-profit group—Chris Smith says The Pavilion will continue to host quality gigs, but from a new angle. “We’re trying to build up the local all-ages scene…
Best Artist / Band To Enjoy Quietly
Quiet Parade is Trevor Murphy’s baby, and what a lovely baby it is. “I’ve been playing bass in Halifax for six or seven years,” says Murphy, “but Quiet Parade is the band where I’m at the front of the stage and I write all of the songs. It’s very much is my pet project.” If…
Boring Expense
Dear Professor, I’d like to start by giving you a big FUCK YOU! Don’t get me wrong, I do all the B.S. assignments you give that are quite the guessing games, and your lecture style could have anyone at rest within minutes if you didn’t have us taking notes on the all ‘powerful’ crap you…
CFAT at HIFF
The Centre for Art Tapes looks back at 20 years of its Media Arts Scholarship program with a screening at the Halifax Independent Filmmakers’ Festival. Upon entering the doors of the Centre for Art Tapes, one is immediately greeted with the contrasting image of old and new electronics. Bulky monitors are piled near the door,…
Ask an expert: Deborah Herman-Spartinelli, contractor
Homes Halifax: What’s the first thing a person should ask of a contractor? Deborah Herman-Spartinelli: First of all they should be discussing what they want as a finished product. Start out with the style. Because I also work with clients who don’t work with architects, we do that together. Then there’s the location of the…
Best Male Solo Artist
Plaskett just got back into town from a tour with his three-piece, The Emergency. Three is in the rearview, with new songs being written right now, with recording planned for the fall. “I’m going to try and turn it around really quickly,” says Plaskett. “I want this one to be 10-12 songs, kinda lean… let…
Best Gig Poster Artist
yoropoco.blogspot.com A frequent winner in this category, we offered the chance to Yo Rodeo’s Paul Hammond and Seth Smith to spread the love around to a few of their peers. Here’s a few of their favourites: Geordan Moore (Whostolemybike): “Geordan’s illustrative work is just amazing. We love the detailed line-work in his drawings, and his…
The Creaking Tree String Quartet
Acoustic bass and guitar, violin and mandolin with a bit of banjo, when played like this, create more electricity than they require. On its fourth album, the quartet from Toronto touches on jazz, bluegrass, chamber music and future mysteries without lingering for long. When drums check in, as on “Last Payphone in Parkdale,” they test…
Bathroom babylon
Brunswick Street bathroom Budget: $5,000 plus Heather Frantsi and her boyfriend Jason renovated her bathroom over three weeks, with lumber from Heflers in Lower Sackville. “A long drive,” she says. “But well worth it for their prices and selection of wood, particularly clear pine.” The shower liner and drain came direct from the German manufacturer Schluter Systems. The…
Urban Home Spring Cleaning Event
Urban Home (5689 Cunard Street, 463-1400) are running a Spring Cleaning Event this weekend, April 1-3. The business is offering a guaranteed $100 buyback on used furniture to be put towards a new furniture purchase. Urban Home will even arrange to have your old furniture picked up as well as deliver the new furniture.
Best New Music Trend
Though post-dubstep acts are popping up internationally, the deep bass/hip hop subgenre is hot here in town, though according to readers, so are a bunch of other trendy trends: • tight pants • adding noise to everything • dance beats in hardcore • free digital downloads from artists • grunge is finally cool again •…
Best Dressed Artist / Band
According to Tupperware Remix Party keyboardist/spokesperson Doctor Sung, it’s quite easy for the band to stay on top of fashion trends; “We assimilate each mode of dress from every corner of the galaxy by simply inputting their fashion algorithms into our giant style calculator,” he says. If this answer sounds bizarre, we’ll remind you that…
Best Tour You Wish Came To Halifax
Last year was the breakout year for singer Stefani Germanotta. It was the peak of her transformation into Lady Gaga, her life-as-performance-art persona. Her Monster Ball Tour came pretty close to us, relatively speaking. Maybe serious fans—her Little Monsters—or perhaps members of her fan club—Prefabricated Disposable Scum—went to see her opening night in Montreal at…
Best Artist / Band
It’s pretty surprising that Matt Kliffer, MC of hip-hop group Three Sheet, is awake this morning, approaching noon the day after St. Patrick’s Day. While most people are sitting in a dark room eating last night’s cold pizza in an attempt to stop their pain from the night before, Kliffer is busy at work. When…
Jason Skinner’s a people person
Jason Skinner has done some serious number crunching. After discovering David J. Smith’s If the World Were a Village, a book that teaches kids about where they fit into world demographics by representing the world’s population with100 people, he was inspired to do his own research. “I took as much information that I could from…
Hobo With A Shotgun hits its target
For most movies, adjectives like cheesy, offensive and tasteless carry a negative connotation. But this movie is called Hobo with a Shotgun, for fuck’s sake, so it’d be a shame if these descriptions didn’t apply. No worries there. Dartmouth director Jason Eisener’s first feature is a blood-soaked and kinetic exploitation masterpiece, an abattoir for cinema’s…
Best Artist / Band To Turn Up Loud
It’s been a very good couple of years for the young Halifax metal act Last Call Chernobyl. After spending a wild summer on the road with the Vans Warped Tour, the band is gearing up for the ECMA Loud Tour coming up next month and have also been nominated for the ECMA Loud Recording of…
Best Online Presence
It started with a poem, an instructional of sorts, “How To Be Alone.” Davis partnered with filmmaker and animator Andrea Dorfman to set her words and music to video, launching it on YouTube. Then it exploded. Roger Ebert tweeted about it, Russell Smith whined in the Globe and Mail about its supposed “retrograde” and “anti-feminist”…
Best Song
“Yay!” exclaims Jon Landry of the Stanfields upon hearing that the band is up for Best Artist/Band to Get Trashed To. “Three times defending champs! That’s our favourite one.” Landry and the band are enjoying a brief moment at home to catch their collective breath, having just come off the road and a gig opening…
An agent’s secrets
On Tuesday mornings the real estate agents of Royal LePage Atlantic gather at 9:15 in the open-concept basement floor of their Bayers Road office to have a sales meeting. Usually it’s a presentation and a talk about the hot properties, hip neighbourhoods, units sold compared to the year before. Then there’s a caravan of sorts,…
No knockout for Sucker Punch
Ass-kicking women are the main attraction in Zack Snyder’s latest addition to his repertoire—he directed 300 and Watchmen —of comic book fantasy flicks. Babydoll (Emily Browning) is orphaned at age 20. Instead of escaping from her abusive stepfather’s care, she’s sent to the loony bin. Only she can free her fellow patients, all beautiful women,…
Best Artist / Band Most Likely To Make It Big
Last week Toronto’s eye magazine called Rich Aucoin a “Rock Star for the 21st Century,” and described his live show as “kindergarden on acid.” Aucoin has good memories of the show he played at HPX last year. “That was a fun one,” he writes in an email from Texas, where he’s playing South by Southwest…
Scenes From An Impending Marriage
In his new graphic novella, Tomine leads us through the asinine and bizarre ritual that many couples reluctantly (or willingly) participate in order to try to plan “the perfect wedding.” Thoughtfully considered and humorously paced, Scenes depicts the ever-contrarian Adrian and his more enthusiastic fiancee, Sarah, negotiating the ridiculous tasks of choosing a font for…
HIFF screens Metropolis and much more
HIFF opens this week, and hopefully you’ll have seen the story on The Coast’s film page—or elsewhere on this site—about the CFAT Scholarship Anniversary Screening happening at HIFF next week. Organizer Greg Morris-Poultney sent out this handy Festival-At-A-Glance list, or you can go to hiff.ca for more detail on all the events. SATURDAY APRIL 2…
GoGirls launches its Nova Scotia Chapter
When the Harmony Bazaar Festival of Women and Song decided to take submissions online this year, they had no idea what they were in for. Sifting through applicants, Errin Williams Spidle was overwhelmed by the outpouring of emerging female artists and bands from across the province. Aware of the supportive online community for women in…
The way your hair crosses your face
Thanks for sitting across from me on the 80, the way we exchanged looks and smiled to one another. Wondering if we could potentially be thinking the same wonderful thoughts. Those thoughts/hopes keep me going on a daily basis. —Everything I Do, I Do Because I Love
Best Live Music Venue
While music venues in Halifax drop off the map hither and yon with hardly a shrug, the day the Seahorse stage no longer features rock bands of note would precipitate widespread regional mourning. Which is why it’ll never happen. The stalwart watering hole, open since the late 1940s, has managed to maintain a solid clientele…
Cleopatra
With the recent passing of Elizabeth Taylor, it’s a good time to revisit Cleopatra (1963), one of her most recognized films. It’s a big, bold, four-hour spectacle that ends up falling flat despite—or because of— the extravagance. The story focuses on Cleopatra’s (Taylor) political and sexual exploits as she smooth-talked and seduced the most powerful…
Best Female Solo Artist
The delightful Ms Grant is back at home for a week following a great deal of touring, with more to come, all supporting her upbeat new record, Honeymoon Punch. Quite a departure in mood from her last release, the melancholy Echoes, Grant’s seeing her audiences really go for the new, danceable material. “For the most…
First-time DIY dreams
Renovation 1 A home off Quinpool Road is transformed by a savvy pair of first-time home buyers. Troy Woodland and his wife Mary Robinson are responsible for the big changes in their first home. Following a purchase price of $220,000 with an investment of $30,000 , they’ve more to do still, including the outside of…
A snapspot of The Autumn Portrait
You can thank Craigslist for The Autumn Portrait. And Facebook, for that matter. Freddie Mojallal looked to the internet to find his bandmates Sean Lavoy and Patrick Jacobson and the internet didn’t disappoint. Now, they’ve been ripping across the country for over a month in their fan-named van, Yvonne Van Gogh, on their first national…
Best Live Show In The Past Year
Last week Toronto’s eye magazine called Rich Aucoin a “Rock Star for the 21st Century,” and described his live show as “kindergarden on acid.” Aucoin has good memories of the show he played at HPX last year. “That was a fun one,” he writes in an email from Texas, where he’s playing South by Southwest…
Best Artist / Band Hijinks
According to Tupperware Remix Party keyboardist/spokesperson Doctor Sung, it’s quite easy for the band to stay on top of fashion trends; “We assimilate each mode of dress from every corner of the galaxy by simply inputting their fashion algorithms into our giant style calculator,” he says. If this answer sounds bizarre, we’ll remind you that…
Get paid to save energy
Whether building a new home, buying an older one or just renovating your current abode, performing an energy audit is one way to get ideas on how to lower your overall energy consumption and reduce your power bill. And investing in renovations to make your home more energy efficient off the top means you’ll use…
Another serving of The Sorrys
For The Sorrys, music is a part-time job, but that doesn’t mean it takes the back burner. “It’s a piece of life that stands apart from the rest of it. It’s a really intensified slice that we spend together and I think we make the most of it,” says Jim Cameron, one-fourth of the high…
Best MC
For years Ghettosocks has been slaying the local hip-hop music scene with his mix of throwback beats and steady flow, but 2010 was the year the Halifax MC broke. With the release of *Treat of the Day,* Ghettosocks, aka Darren Pyper, showed his inner fatty by rapping about snacks and serving fresh beats heavily sampling…
Red Dead Redemption
Red Dead Redemption is perhaps the greatest game to take place in the Wild West—the desert feels both cinematic and organic. With death around every corner, it doesn’t matter if it’s the bandits or the bears; you have to keep your wits about you. The main character and the person you’ll be controlling is John…
A strong finish with The Country Wife
The DalTheatre end-of-year show is traditionally a sumptuous showcase of costumes, sets and actors, and this year’s production of William Wycherley’s The Country Wife is no exception. The costumes are lavish and lovely. The set is simple, effective and shows a great attention to detail. The actors do an amazing job with Wycherley’s dense, innuendo-filled…
Harper must go
Lock ’em up and throw away the key. Hand over billions to Lockheed Martin. Slash social programs. Deny climate change and kick Canuck democracy in the ass. That’s what the Conservative-Reform-Alliance party stands for and here are five solid reasons to vote against them on May 2. 1. Slashing social programs: Buried in the Conservative…
To the Socialist Scum of the North End
I was disgusted but not surprised to see the “fuck gentrification” graffiti on an establishment at the corner of North and Agricola, as I was to see “We’ll support the troops when they mutiny” on the side of a building on the corner of Almon and Gladstone this week. So much for respecting independent business…
Car Doors Suck
To the girl whose car was hit by my car door on Sunday at the mall: I apologize. I realize your frustration and in hindsight realize I may not have been empathetic to the situation as I get nervous in the face of confrontation. It was not handled well on my part. I apologize again…
S.O.S
Stop acting like you live in a war torn country where you and your underage children need to go to work everyday just to make enough to eat. Get over yourselves. Ask any soldier who has been overseas, he’ll tell you coming back here was like coming back to Disney World. Get out of the…
Keepin’ it real at the HFM
Thank you small scale producers for standing your ground, your principles, and for not selling out to the glam and the glitz of what’s trendy and new. You’re living true sustainability, the way it ought to be. —Small Makes a Difference
Man Up Ladies
When a girl knows her boyfriend is constantly cheating on her and basically has another relationship with someone else, it really irritates me when she gets mad at the girl and not the guy. She stays with the guy. Then she has the nerve to expect the girl to feel bad. If the girlfriend lets…
The Oval is permanent
Halifax council voted Tuesday to make the Common skating oval permanent, with only Dartmouth councillors Gloria McCluskey and Darren Fisher opposing. The permanent Oval will be placed at a lower grade than was last winter’s temporary Oval, with piping and electrical work placed beneath a concrete pad that will be used in the summer for…
George & Lito’s closes
It was once Cafe Vienna and then The Pyramid. For the past couple of years it’s been the red-walled George & Lito’s (2186 Windsor Street), but this week it shut down. The sign on the door says the establishment will continue to do catering for a short while and the owners are looking for a…
Andrea Dorfman’s Flawed screens in Cleveland
Halifax filmmaker Andrea Dorfman (Love That Boy, How To Be Alone) has a recent short, Flawed, an animated/live-action treat about a woman facing up to physical insecurities, showing tonight at the Cleveland International Film Festival. For anyone in Ohio who wants to show some Haligonian love.
Four Eyed Monsters screens at Carbon Arc this week
Something for lovers of adorably nerdy love stories and online romance, Carbon Arc is showing Four Eyed Monsters (2005), and describes it thusly: “Arin and Susan met online and fell in love through emails, notes, videos, and pictures. As their intimacy grew, so did their fears. Neglect, cheating and jealousy force the couple to question…
Good Going!
Thanks a pantload for telling me you have feelings for me last night. Thanks for telling me you’ve had feelings for me since we were teenagers. You had 14 years to cop to this, but no, you wait until after you’re married to tell me this delightful news. Which is the part that infuriates me…
To the wonderful staff
Thank you so much for being such wonderful hosts when 20-something swing dancers invaded you after the show. We arrived 30 minutes before closing and we were a loud, excited lot. Your service was fantastic and so was the food. It was a perfect end to a very long day for many of us! Thanks…
Illiterate Passengers on the 14
To all the dumbasses who ride on the 14 and do not know how to use the back door; open your eyes. There is a picture right in front of your head showing you how to open the door. Above that, there is also a sign in bold capital letters. Put your fucking hands on…
Selling Seats to Medical School
I was watching the eleven o’clock news and I was outraged by a story about a university’s medical school selling 10 seats to international students of Saudi Arabia for 75,000 a seat. The people who were speaking about the issue were fellow medical students and a NB government official. They believe that it is completely…
Cocktail Receptions: How to Help?
Wondering if anyone could share some helpful tips on how they went about preparing for a cocktail wedding reception. We are required to use our venue’s catering company and thankfully they have some wonderful options for this our all-in-one place wedding and reception. I’d love to hear how to go about planning for this type…
Dear Sister
I envy you. You have great friends, they’re loyal and funny, and you’re the kind of kid I wanted to be. You’re pretty, funny, and popular. I feel so bad for you. We moved from a good neighbourhood to a ghetto before you had the chance to become a real person. Now you’re on your…
