Very inaccessible crosswalk in front of the Cunard Centre.
Remarks: This crosswalk comes dead up against a full curb, meaning it is completely useless to those in wheelchairs. The Port is struggling on the shipping side of things and trying to shore up business on the retail and event side of their business, which is all well and good, but if they’re going to…
Tell me about it
To the editor, Even though Alexa McDonough has had a clear lead over other opponents since 1997, there should be no doubt about the NDP’s ability to maintain that seat in the upcoming federal election. They have a young candidate who has worked in the trenches with those in society whom the other parties ignore;…
Ignorance Is NOT A Job…
Here’s a bitch that might strike a chord… Metro Transit can burn in hell. I have been on so many buses where the driver just goes right past someone. It has happened to me before, but it doesn’t piss me off as much as a driver speeding right past an elderly man on Young Street…
PORTloggia
As thousands of cruise ship passengers disembark through Halifax Seaport, they’re now going to be greeted by more than just Beavertail sugar-rushes. PORTloggia is Anna Leonowens Gallery’s new exhibition, performance and event space, at NSCAD University’s Port Campus. On October 6, Anna Leononwens opened the Audio Dome, a miniature sound gallery curated by Craig Leonard,…
At the Bus Stop
Outside the shelter: several people enjoying cigarettes. Inside the shelter: several people wearing enough perfume to choke a horse. Not sure which is worse. I guess I hate them all equally. Of course the diesel exhaust stinks too, but somehow not as bad. A Breath of Fresh Air?
Internet voting
About 10 percent of registered voters cast ballots in last weekend’s internet portion of the municipal election. If we have the same turnout as the 2004 election—which was coupled with the Sunday shopping referendum—then about 20 percent of the total votes cast will have come via the internet. It’s still too early to say what…
Elevator etiquette
Here is a quick rundown of elevator etiquette for those who obviously don’t know: 1. Wait for the people to get off before getting on. Also, do not look annoyed when people are getting off while you stand in their way. 2. If you are the person farthest from the elevator door, you are the…
To: the idiot next door
park infront of your own damn house!!!!!! does it really matter? No
Lower freedom of information fees
In all the jurisdictions I’ve worked, Nova Scotia has, by far, the most unfriendly access to information laws. The Freedom of Information process is something of a private, sad joke among journalists, as we get denied, delayed and ignored at every turn by public bodies holding allegedly public info. But it’s not just journalists who…
u bitch & U BITCH & U BITCH ABOUT SHIT
THIS! is what matters, SOY plantations chokin the rainforest!!, PALM TREES extintin our ORANUTAN brothers!!, SHRIMP farms & LOGGERS gettin rich off the near EXTINCTION of the BOREAL!!, that’s what real!!, but ur 2 busy working & paying WAY 2 HIGH TAXES ” finanancin they wars.. then headin home & watchin the latest american sitcom…
Expired elevator inspection, Fenwick Medical Centre.
Remarks: The expired elevator inspection is an old On Patrol favourite, dating back to when now-superintendent Laportno was just a rookie parking enforcement officer-in-training. But we couldn’t resist this one—what better way to drum up business for medical centre businesses than to subject visitors to potential injury on the building’s elevator? Universal didn’t respond to…
MacGillivray nabs three nods at the Folkies
Congrats to the local nominees for the Canadian Folk Awards, which were announced today. Nova Scotia fiddler Troy MacGillivray is one of the pack leaders with three (Traditional Album and Instrumental Group of the Year, with Shane Cook, for Where Here Meets There; as well as his own effort Live at The Music Room for…
Recently added second Stars show moves from south end to downtown
The all-ages Stars show added for November 2 has been moved from The Grawood to St. Matthew’s United Church, one of the best places in town to see a show. Newfoundland marvel hey rosetta! opens. Tickets here.
Shameless Politicking
So, during the holiest season of the year, I return home to find a card in my mail wishing me a happy new year from one of the candidates running in the Federal election. I’m still processing the gesture, but it strikes me as shameless politicking and I’m a little freaked out that there’s a…
butting into lineups
To the two women who butted into the lineup on Friday night in front of many others who were waiting to see Naomi Klein at Dal – you have a lot of nerve. Imagine getting out og a car and cutting into a lineup to join your friend, when about 60 people are behind you.…
fuck you “free delivery”
is it really free delivery if they nick you 1.50 in fees on the portable debit machine? GNARKILL
Gotta Love an Election
To the jerk who went down my entire street and ripped out all of the NDP lawn signs (including mine): Could you BE are more childish? Or maybe a better question is based on bitterness. Bitter that the NDP has a lock on this riding and always will have, hm? Nothing more effective you could…
Tom Fun comes out swinging
Yesterday we ran into one of our favourite people to run into, David Myles, putting in some laptop time at a Quinpool-area coffee shop. Fresh off his honeymoon, he left town today for a month that will take him all over the country. Amongst his travel plans, he revealed that the scallywags of the Tom…
Pissing on houses
To the stupid asshole with a mohawk who pissed on the brick house on the corner of Portland and Brunswick on Sept. 10th- Just for your information, I have seen bigger cocks. Thanks. Pissed off
Picnicface on prairies and poop
Regina has never been known as intentionally hilarious, but all that changed last weekend when the prairie city hosted the Canadian Comedy Awards. Perpetuating stereotypes that everyone who lives on the east coast are so gosh-darn funny, Nikki Payne won for best female stand-up and Halifax homeskillet Ellen Page nabbed best female performance in a…
The new ugliness in municipal politics
I don’t have a problem with heated debate— candidates should try to differentiate themselves from their opponents, and if you can’t stand the heat, you shouldn’t be in politics. So I didn’t find last night’s back-and-forth between Sheila Fougere and Peter Kelly at all offensive. Good on both candidates for a spirited fight. Nor was…
Put some pants on!
For those of you who don’t seem to understand….TIGHTS ARE NOT PANTS! I hope you freeze your asses off in two months when its -40. person with common sense / legging hating wench
Tip Or I Take It
f you insist on remaining in the establishment for my entire shift jamming money in VLT machines, winning & buying rounds of drinks- never tipping, ordering free glasses of tap water every 15 minutes, winning $999.95 a ticket and taking even the last 5 cents then…be aware you treated me badly enough with your words…
Win Cancer!
What’s up with a halifax radio station offering unlimited tanning for 2 months as a “fabulous prize”? Winning an all-inclusive vacation… COOL! Winning a trip to a local spa… Awesome! Winning a 55 percent more likely to develop malignant melanoma… bummer. Now I’m all for freedom of choice. If you wanna smoke, smoke. If you…
Who Do You Think You Are?
To the fucker putting up posters of some benefit show on Quinpool, I but only nicely asked you to stop putting your posters over mine and yet you still proceeded to staple a 5th poster on the same pole over mine. Where do you think you are, Toronto? There is room for everyone on the…
Politics
I am so sick of all the politics on tv, for god sake get it over with. then of course they will bitch about for months after so there’s no getting away from it sick of it
Fucking immature bitches
Yeah, so I’m on the bus after a busy shift, I sit in front of this bitch with a fuckin attitude. And she says out loud “This one’s stinkin’. Smellin’ like spaghetti!’ I came out from working in a kitchen for 6 hours! Yah, even though I normally smell good, I might have smelled like…
Wintersleep wakes up the fort
If you thought the walls of a fortress keep out the wind, you’d be wrong – those not crammed in front of the stage at the Keith’s birthday party last night shivered for their choice (but at least the beer stayed cold). You’d also be wrong if you guessed that people would use the dozens…
Lulu Keating in car accident
Popular Halifax filmmaker Lulu Keating, who moved to the Yukon in 2000, was badly injured in a car accident on August 30. According to reports, she was in transit to Dawson City to deliver some films for their festival, when the vehicle rolled, throwing her onto the road. Unfortunately she is expected to be immobilized…
Alexa McDonough on Citizens for Halifax
In this weekend’s Halifax Magazine: ” is a complete farce. What you really have here is a smoke screen put up by a group of South End Halifax business leaders looking to further their own financial interests through a thinly disguised political process. Don’t kid yourself; the only citizens they are truly concerned about are…
Get your ass outa my way, door-fucking-holder.
Real simple – If you’re standing in the doorway holding it open, You’re in my fucking way !! while you “pass it along” . Get outa the fucking way . . . if I had a cane, I’d use it on you !! – not Thank you for blocking my life. You’re like the dumbfucks…
Eyes on The Herald
The Chronicle Herald needs someone to keep an eye on them! Harold is that someone. http://chronicallyharold.blogspot.com/ chronically harold
Shoptalk-lets
Trinity Jewellers (6226 Quinpool) celebrates a second location (5657 Spring Garden) with a grand opening sale. The promotion starts today and runs at both shops for the next week…Heroine (5775 Charles) reopened last weekend. The Canadian retailer features limited collections from Montreal-based Ca va de soi, clothes by Muriel Dombret, Comrags, Veronique Milijkovitch and Olena…
C*#ed out dudes!
To the obnoxious collared shirts partying onstage at Steve Aoki: the only thing you have in common with this guy is that you’re both filthy rich. If you’re not there to dance, don’t get up on the stage and start texting your friends. Better yet, go back downtown and amuse yourselves with the other mouth-breathers.…
Can’t a busker earn a living here?
At 7 pm on a weekday, on the grassy knoll just across from the Spring Garden Starbucks, a young man was busking. He was playing Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Night on his guitar, and he was playing it well. As we got closer we noticed two cops go up to him. After they…
Good night…sleep tight
You dirty fuckers…not only for giving us BED BUGS, but also for DENYING it. We moved from your dirty apartment building into a brand new home we’ve been saving almost 10 years to buy. Now we’ve thrown out 90% of our furniture and our first home will be forever infested with this little blood-sucking vampires.…
Economy my ass, nothing but a cover-up
So the Economy is crashing. I don’t think it is, I just think it’s going back to what it should be, less than a $1 a liter of gas, Affordable home heating oil, affordable utilities, affordable living expenses. Why you might ask it’s a cover-up? Well so far no news agency, not even CNN, has…
Bums
Published October 05, 2008. Bums No, you can’t have my spare change. And fuck no, you can’t have my left overs. What makes you think I’m going to give you the money I work hard to get? After I pay rent and bills, I barely have enough money to buy myself groceries, let alone give…
List o ‘ Bitches
Here is a list of things that have pissed me off this week: 1 – people who dont say thank you or look you in the eye and nod when you do them the courtesy of holding a door open for them 2 – recently put in a wheelchair to leave the hospital due to…
Don’t See Blindness
To who made the film ‘Blindness’ and the braindead organizers who opened this years’ Atlantic Film Festival with this piece of shit film, wake up! Women and men who love women do not want to see eight woman gang raped. Repeatedly. Would the filmmakers have shown such graphic rape if it was eight men getting…
Nonsence Revolution
It was, apparently, in the film festival. Me and my friends were the extras in the rave scene and we want to see the freakin’ movie, but haven’t heard anything about it other then was I previously stated. I’ve looked, and looked, and looked…I want to buy a copy, or to stream it or a…
Stung by an unthoughtful bee.
We know you stole a microphone from Tribeca several months ago. Now we hear that you tried to steal a microphone from The Seahorse a few nights ago. It somehow ended up in your purse by accident? Sure it did. May you never sing again, and believe me, I use the term “singing” very loosely…
Letters to the Editor
Has anyone noticed how many Conservative placards are found in front of rental properties in Halifax? To me, this is a poignant image. A “Ted Larsen” sign on the lawn of a rundown apartment house is a slap in the face to tenants. Presumably, the landlord, living somewhere in SUV suburbia, has taken it upon…
Little litter is STILL litter
Can one of you smokers please explain to me why you have to flick your butts on the ground? I know, I know, there are no ashtrays. But you know what? If I am walking along enjoying a snack or treat of some sort, and there is no garbage can right there when I finish…
BEDBUG
I have to agree with Bonnie on the bedbug issue and the rotten stinky fucking people in this city. WASH. YUP
Internet voting problems?
This morning I’ve heard from one reader who says that internet voting didn’t go well for him— as he tells it, he was kicked off the system three times, and it took over two hours to cast votes in all three elections (for mayor, councillor, school board). Is anyone else having problems? Successes? Is the…
Chebucto Road
I’m fairly certain that no one has mentioned the cruelty that the homeowners of Chebucto Road are experiencing in watching their front yards get removed so that HRM can not only encourage MORE vehicles to be on the road, but also build a MERIDIAN in the centre of the street…..hmm…..so the yards have been moved…
Kelly should camp out in Africville
The Clairmont report on violence in Halifax was issued in May. It took five months for mayor Peter Kelly to schedule a presentation from Clairmont to council on the matter, and city staff will get around to issuing some bureaucratic mumbo jumbo about Clairmont’s recommendations maybe around Christmastime, unless all the partying pushes it back…
Pissed about my job!
I’m a chef and I’m getting fucking pissed off to the point I’m about to rip the nuts off the fucking people who the owner hires. They have not a clue about food and the safety of it. Everything is going to complete shit around here and I’m about to fucking quit. I sound like…
La Cache closes
Women’s clothing chain La Cache (5657 Spring Garden), owned by Montrealers Chris Cornell and April Cornell, filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this month. With the potential to close 30 of their Canadian stores, Halifax must bid farewell to the old world boutique at the end of October. “It’s a bit of a blow,” says Bernie…
Athens moves on
Athens Restaurant (6303 Quinpool) has provided Haligonians a little taste of Greece since 1982, the family run and operated business is expanding and moving to 6273 Quinpool, the former location of retro-inspired diner Quincy’s. “We’re moving Athens down the street. In all the years we’ve had the restaurant we’ve never owned the property,” says Evangelos…
Aigle takes flight
High end outdoor clothing company Aigle (French for eagle), is bringing its homage to America’s emblematic symbol for freedom to Halifax. Slotted to open up shop in Hallmark’s former locale (5507 Spring Garden) in the upcoming weeks, Aigle will fill one of the many empty buildings in the downtown core. Perhaps the arrival of this…
Garrison wins again
Local microbrewery Garrison Brewing Co. (1149 Marginal) is a two-time winner, as its Imperial Pale Ale was once again hailed as Beer of the Year at this year’s Canadian Brewing Awards held last week in Toronto. Garrison won last year’s award for its 2007 version of the IPA, brewed by former Garrison brewmaster Greg Nash.…
MMORPG
What, why? Why is it more important to play Wow or any other mmorpg than to live a normal every day existence. Why are so many smart individuals wasting their lives in front of a computer. Losing jobs, relationships, friendships…. Wish I could kick your ass back to azeroth or whatever it’s called
Vote Arts rally round-up
As much as the arts are about public expression and audience, creation can be a lonely job too, and it’s not often that I see people that I know in the dance, theatre, visual arts, writing and film community all in one place. So thanks to Stephen Harper for today’s Grand Parade meeting of hundreds,…
Brogan decision
Readers will recall that six-year-old Joshua Penny died in October, 2006, and that Paddy Brogan was found not guilty in Joshua’s death in July of this year. Here’s a Toronto Star story on it: SYDNEY, N.S.–A judge found a Cape Breton man not guilty today of impaired driving causing the death of a young boy,…
Pump your fist right off
In celebration of 25 years on the air, Q104 will hold the Quarter Century Concert at the Cunard Centre on November 28. Headliners include Matt Mays and El Torpedo (pictured), 54-40, Sam Roberts Band and, of course, April Wine. Special guests will include DJs from over the years, the presentation of the new East Coast…
Sean Flinn
Your Review Of Garrett Mason’s new cd was expected (because of the total lack of support that the coast has shown Garrett’s career) But also shown how grossly uninformed you are … Pink Flamingo’s sounds nothing like anything Stevie ray ever did. this guy is an unbelievable talent in our area that gets no respect;…
Waterside Centre– another public hearing?
I was discussing the proposed Waterside Centre development with someone this morning, and we both came to the realization that there are some pretty complicated process issues involved with delaying the vote on the application until after the election. Even before getting to the election issue, we have to consider that council’s procedures state that:…
New (lilly white) cops
Our new cops. Anyone notice anything, er, alike about them? The force has also said it wants to increase the number of visible minorities in uniform but Thursday’s graduating class was all white, a change from recent years. Const. Dean Simmonds, a recruiter who also gave diversity training and taught bias-free policing to the graduating…
Yeah, thats right, I’m riding up the centre white lane.
Yep, thats me. Rather than ‘ride curbside’ there I am going up between dozens of cars standing perfectly still. Why, you might ask? And of course you might also wonder, isn’t that illegal? a) The curbside is hugged by cars, they’d rather rub a tire on the curb than rub another car b) Theres 3x’s…
Babybook
So I realize I’m at an age where many of my friends and peers are having children. I love kids, and can’t wait to have them someday. However, what really pisses me off is these bright, intelligent women who have completely lost their sense of self just because they’ve had kids, as evidenced by their…
ashamed
For the last few days as I’ve walked by the VG on South Park st there have been a 1/2 dozen pro life protesters standing out outside the parking lot entrance praying and holding signs. It makes me so angry that they think that its okay and so moral to harrass women. This is a…
Amazing
Awesome. Reading the last few posts, I’m lead to believe that 5 years old kids. ” he he I said “little cock””. Are you serious?!.. “tee hee, he said “eat out””. Can you get anymore immature. A Physics teacher, not a prof, at a university? what are you in highschool?! Now I know why engineering…
A Green Light Doesn’t Always Mean Go!
Why do people think that when the have a green light that they can go?? Take a look ahead of you – is there room for your vehicle? Will you be stuck sitting there when the lights change, leaving you to sit there and block traffic for those who have a green light but can’t…
tasers
ban tasers, ’nuff said. fuck tha police
Hey Dumb Fuck!
You sit in class everyday and complain that the world is unfair to you. You have to comment on everything, yet you don’t know shit about anything. I guess the best way to put it is “You’re a fucking idiot” You piss me off
HRM delays on violence report
I was on CBC radio last week along with Marilla Stephenson, to discuss the Chamber’s mayoral debate. I got up early, put a pot of coffee on, wrote up some notes for what I wanted to say. It was a phoner, and the Information Morning folks talked first to Stephenson, who went on to say…
pace cars
pace cars be FUCKED… the only people allowed to police me are THE POLICE! I’ll pass your slow ass if I decide you’re HOLDING UP TRAFFIC. And if I can’t pass you, you’ll never hear the end of my horn for as long as I’m behind you. Hopefully the level of anxiety I cause you…
Rubuttal! Water Wasters
Take a look at the name of the hotel next time you see someone spraying water to eliminate every leaf, butt and trash on the sidewalk. I think you’ll find it is the Marriott Residence Inn – not The Prince George! From Girl on the Street
Photopolis opening night pics
Last night’s Photopolis opening party at FRED was filled with the beautiful people, enjoying food, chats and photos by Hannah Thomson (back from NY for the opening), Michael Fuller and Neil Rough. Earlier in the day I was feeling all sucky about the ridiculously large Nuit Blanche and the international art fair happening in Toronto…
School uniforms
David Boyd is running for mayor, and not for the Halifax school board, but he has issued a press release calling for a school uniform policy in Halifax schools. No word yet if he has gotten around to reading the city’s five-year transit plan, or if someone has told him of the existence of the…
Lowe’s look at grafitti is shallow
I didn’t understand the point of Lezlie Lowe’s “Broken windows” (Sep. 25, Lowedown). It was a complaint-ridden article that drifted between Vancouver’s safe-injection sites to graffiti to prostitutes. However, Lowe did extensively lament the lack of graffiti cleanup in Halifax and noted how her complaints to city officials about graffiti on her street have fallen on…
Every Palace has it’s Royal Meathead
I get that any job near the door of any palatial hip-hop show is probably one of the most challenging jobs on earth. But to the 5 doormen and seven cops who jumped all over one fellow who commented on the search he was submitting himself to…. do you think you had enough people on…
Elton – the good, the bad
Saw the show Friday night and loved it! The Good He hasn’t lost any of his amazing piano chops, though he had the audience fill in some of the high vocal runs. He played for almost three hours – definitely got my moneys worth. The Bad Standing up after every hit was played got old…
Bousquet uninformed
To Tim Bousquet, I appreciate you are trying to be helpful to the community through your commentary, but I am confused by comments about our organization in “The Big Lie from Citizens for Halifax” (Sep. 11, Reality Bites blog). You spend a significant amount of your writing efforts in The Coast pointing out the issues…
Stephen Kimber’s Mulroney mistake
While there are several errors and inaccuracies in Stephen Kimber’s column, “The joke’s on us,” (Sep. 25, Upfront) I will contain my comment to the most flagrant one. While it’s true that at one time Brian Mulroney did oppose a free trade agreement with the United States, Kimber, however, is being disingenuous when he implies that Mulroney only made it a reality when…
James Stuewe fracas
“Four-way fracas” (Sep. 25, News) gave some insight into candidates in District 12. The unconstructiveness (regarding James Stuewe) was well sandwiched in the middle of the article! I read the piece with intent and got extremely mad when it came to Stuewe’s segment; then was able to finish the article on a positive note with…
Words with the Halifax Slam Team
Last year, the Halifax Slam Team blew away the competition and took home top awards at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word. This year, the Halifax Slam Team–Shauntay Grant, iZrEAL, El Jones, Andrew Abraham and Verena Rizg—are ready to kick some spoken word ass. But first, they need to raise some cash to get to…
Words with the Halifax Slam Team
Last year, the Halifax Slam Team blew away the competition and took home top awards at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word. This year, the Halifax Slam Team–Shauntay Grant, iZrEAL, El Jones, Andrew Abraham and Verena Rizg—are ready to kick some spoken word ass. But first, they need to raise some cash to get to…
Serving does not imply stupidity
Hey all of you Haligonians who eat out: After explaining something stupid to your server, don’t be surprised if he or she pauses before responding or asks you to repeat what you said. He or she is not pausing or wishing to hear your stupid words again because he or she does not understand. WE…
Slumlord for president
Why the fuck did my landlord who is running for the conservative party in my district just slap a campaign sign on the front yard of a house we are renting without even asking. He also did it to every property he owns. I see typical student dwellings, slightly run down, with conservative signs on…
10,000 tourists
There are about 10,000 tourists in town today, disembarking from four cruise ships. That’s a record. I don’t pretend to understand the economics of cruise ships. Perhaps more people are opting off the European vacation and taking relatively less expensive cruises closer to home instead. Maybe the cruise lines are offering fantastic deals in a…
All-party culture club
It’s hardly news to say the arts don’t rank as a top-level issue in the current federal election campaign. But, when asked, each of the four local candidates vying to represent the riding of Halifax in the next Parliament can produce a platform or set of numbers relating to their party’s supposedly solid position on…
Prince Fatty
Prince FattySurvival of the Fattest(Tommy Boy/Ras Music) Riches lie deeply embedded in each of the 13 tracks. True to title, the low-end work of four bassists, three drummers, baritone sax player Jonathan Spall and trombonist Trevor Mires and, especially, Carlton “Bubblers” Ogilvie (Ruff Cut Band) on organ/piano, have created a modern masterpiece of soulful dub.…
Class dismissed
Howard Windsor had just arrived home from his morning skate. There was a phone message. Please call Dennis Cochrane, the province’s deputy minister of education, it said. Windsor had an inkling what it might be about. Still, he didn’t immediately return the call. He went upstairs to change into his jogging clothes first. It was…
Lagwagon
LagwagonI Think My Older Brother Used to Listen to Lagwagon(Fat Wreck Chords) It’s been about 15 years since Fat and Epitaph exploded, gaining international attention for the many bands that now form the pantheon of contemporary punk. With releases or tours from heavies like Pennywise, Millencolin and Face to Face, this year seems to be…
Miracle at St. Anna
Maybe it seemed unimportant after his masterpiece Do the Right Thing, but Spike Lee’s portrayal of Italian Americans in Summer of Sam and Jungle Fever was pathetic. I don’t think Lee, who grew up in an Italian part of Brooklyn, was being deliberately reductive, but his cartoon Guidos cheapen those movies’ attempts at conversation. Miracle…
Little Feat & Friends
Little Feat & FriendsJoin the Band (429)Those who adore Little Feat as one of the greatest American rock bands ever, believe it ended in 1979 when Lowell George died of a heart attack at the age of 34. Join the Band comes off like a hootenanny/seance to summon his spirit. It features respected soloist daughter…
Savage Love
Q: I accidentally discovered that my son-in-law is into BDSM sex as a “dominant.” A few weeks ago, he was holding one of my dog’s leashes and tried to stop my dog (a 13-year-old, docile golden retriever) from running up to another dog by violently yanking on the leash. My 65-pound dog was violently spun…
Jenny Lewis
Jenny LewisAcid Tongue(WARNER)Jenny Lewis has been accused of saving her best songs and why shouldn’t she? As a solo artist, she has to fend for herself; in a band, in this case, Rilo Kiley, she’s only responsible for one-quarter of the awesome and has been providing about three times that since the band’s inception. Under…
Karas’ spirited creation
You could say Justin Karas’ career in music was predestined. He bought his first keyboard—one he still uses when performing with Fall Horsie—with money saved from his career as a child model for Zellers catalogues. “I don’t know why I even mentioned that,” he says with a laugh, reflecting on his past career sporting the…
Construction and Destruction
Published September 25, 2008. Construction and Destruction The Volume Wars (indie) David Trenaman and Colleen Collins live in a house they rebuilt in Port Greville. Their first album—a sweet effort—was called Homebodies. The Volume Warspacks a bigger musical punch (more thumb war than War of the Roses). Trading off songs, “What The Non-Human Taught Us”…
Bednarski’s Strangest Dream
“Since the end of the Cold War I think that many people believe that any danger posed by nuclear weapons has simply disappeared.” It is this unfortunate truth, asserted by Halifax filmmaker Eric Bednarski, that lies at the heart of his debut feature-length documentary, The Strangest Dream, which screens Friday at 7pm, in Pugwash, on…
Eagle Eye
Patriotism in movies isn’t a problem. It’s when it’s an out-of-nowhere and unjustified way to resolve action movies like Eagle Eye that it isolates other cultures. Until the point when a school band plays the national anthem and everything’s OK again, D.J. Caruso’s caper is serviceable entertainment. It’s a mostly cynical take on American security…
Metallica
MetallicaDeath Magnetic (Warner) Metallica has always been an aggressive force, however they’ve never been accused of being good songwriters. On Death Magnetic, the metal band still fails to write a solid lyric. The upside is that, while the band is a derivative of its former self, they’re still extremely tight. This is a throwback to…
Kinnear’s Flash of Genius
“Oftentimes, these kinds of stories are about someone fighting the system in this giant way—plutonium in the water or nuclear reactors gone bad—but here,” said Marc Abraham, the writer/director of Flash of Genius, “you can dismiss the idea and hopefully go, for me, deeper about justice and principle and the cost of that battle.”The idea,…
Debate debacles
I happened to be in Boston last weekend for a conference,which is how I ended up watching the first US presidential debate Friday evening on a big-as-my-house widescreen TV with several hundred of my new closest friends in the atrium of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. It was fascinating and not just…
Hawksley Workman
Hawksley WorkmanLos Manlicious(Universal) Before now, a concert promoter would have to be high to book Hawksley Workman on a bill with ’80s stalwarts Loverboy, Honeymoon Suite or even The Police. Now, it makes perverse sense. His first balls-out rock album since Lover/Fighter, Workman brings all the guitars and catchy choruses of that 2003 release, with…
Short strokes
I take it back. This week’s federal leaders’ debates were far more interesting, informative and, yes, even entertaining than I’d expected. That was thanks, in no small measure, to the presence of Green Party leader Elizabeth May—thank you, Canadians!—who seized the opportunity to make it clear her party was about more than just the environment.…
Who really wants to be prime minister?
The question is no longer who wants to be prime minister, but why would anyone want the job. Consider: the global banking system is in massive meltdown, the stock market in frantic freefall; our short-term fiscal future seems unpredictable, perhaps unfathomable, even to those who make their living fathoming and predicting it. And don’t get…
HRM’s eco-candidates
The discourse from our national leaders on the environment has changed so much since last election, I’m reminded of that Johnny Cash song, “The One on the Right is on the Left.” Closer to home, long-time Halifax MP Alexa McDonough’s reign is over and four political newbies are fighting for her old Halifax seat, so…
Laura Barrett
Laura BarrettVictory Garden(Paper Bag Records)This is the promised full-length album hinted at on Laura Barrett’s previous EP, Earth Sciences, from February of this year. The off/on player in The Hidden Cameras wields her trusty thumb piano once again, but more sparingly, though the opening notes of the album opener “Wood between Worlds” comes from the…
Pondering the thinkable
The Tyee, the British Columbia-based online publication, has a fascinating piece this week on the idea that a centre-left coalition could form Canada’s government after next week’s vote. Writes John Ryan, a retired University of Winnipeg professor: “If for once the Liberals and the NDP set aside partisan politics and acted in the interests of…
The forgotten election
Dan Leger doesn’t mince words. The school board elections? “Roadkill,” he says. The director of news content—editor to the rest of us—at the Halifax Herald makes no apologies, either. “We’re a business,” he says. There simply isn’t room to provide the kind of coverage of school board campaigns that could help voters decide who would…
Damien Jurado
Damien JuradoCaught in the Trees(Secretly Canadian)Over the course of seven albums and 20 years, Damien Jurado has released some of the saddest music going. Even though all the characters and stories he conjured up on albums like Rehearsals for Departure or Ghost of David are fictional, his stark musical palette and rich emotional tone evoke…
Competing school board visions
Top-down As the current one-man school board Howard Windsor sees it, the board answers to provincial education minister Karen Casey. Future school-board members should work as “team players” and should not overly worry about representing the voters who elected them. The school board should be “exercising balanced judgment in the best interests of the system…
All the Pretty Girls
All the Pretty GirlsChandra Mayor(Conundrum)Chandra Mayor thinks knitting is “achingly boring and not particularly radical,” which is enough to get me to read her novels. A follow-up to her 2005 debut Cherry, set in Winnipeg’s punk scene in the ’90s, All the Pretty Girlsis a collection of short stories in the same vein, the characters…
School Board Candidates
District 1(Covering Electoral Districts 1 and 3)(North Preston to Ecum Secum)Steve Brine, 50.33%Susan Myers-Levy, 49.67% District 2(Covering electoral Districts 4, 6, 7)(Forest Hills, Port Wallace, Cherry Brook)Kyle Buott 25.60%Gina Conrod, 38.31%Belinda States Bezanson 7.99%Jeff Wall 28.10% District 3(Covering electoral Districts 5,8,9)(Dartmouth, Eastern Passage, Cow Bay)Gretchen Birt 4.94%Theresa Colbear 7.90%Lloyd Jackson 17.40Heddy Johnson 4.66%Tracey Mohr 11.61%Troy…
Monkey
MonkeyJourney to the West(XL)Buddies Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett follow up the world’s most successful cartoon band, Gorillaz, with Monkey. More than an affinity to simian creatures, Monkey is the lead character from Journey to the West, their ambitious operatic stage adaptation of the 16th-century Chinese novel. It’s hard to imagine these two pulling…
Anti Harper vote swap song
Anthony Black is the artistic co-director of the award-winning 2b theatre company. He felt moved during this election campaign to get on the mic. The song, which you can listen to here asks voters to visit a Facebook group called “anti-harper vote swap” and to strategically vote to ensure a Tory majority doesn’t happen. The…
Sure Thing: The Grass
After a turbulent year of touring, relocation and band reconstruction, The Grass are back in Dartmouth with a fresh perspective on their music, two talented new members and a much anticipated CD release: Rogue Waves.The Grass are a much different band than they were a year ago. After an unsuccessful move to Ottawa hindered their…
Motörhead
MotörheadMotörizerSteamhammerMotörhead is a rock’n’roll band—Lemmy will tell you that himself: They have more in common with Little Richard than you think. You could also say that Motörhead is the loudest and heaviest band on the planet and probably will be until the members call it a day. The classic band, formed in 1975 as Bastard,…
Delta Spirit
Delta SpiritOde to Sunshine (Rounder)You would be excused for assuming that, with a name like Delta Spirit, this album is by a large booming southern voice wailing at the blues. Well it kind of is and it kind of isn’t. Ode to Sunshineis indie-rock through and through, but with a soul as big as the…
Espresso yourself
High-end coffee-machine giant KRUPScaught the steam coming off our bustling coffee culture. This year, Halifax became the fifth city to join the KRUPS Kup of Excellence, an annual contest to find the best espresso in independent coffee houses. The competition works like this: Coffee fans select their top five cafes in an online vote, then…
Garrett Mason
Garrett MasonLove & Sound(Soul in Sound)The second release from Garrett Mason reminds you that some musicians tighten the screws on themselves. Whether cranking it out to overcome crappy sound in the club or, as is the case on Love & Sound, losing the compression and other tools that clean upthe sound in studio and letting…
Marie Chouinard’s body of work
The only slot choreographer Marie Chouinard has free for an interview is at eight o’clock in the morning. She’s that busy. But where others might still be shaking off traces of sleep at that hour, Chouinard is bright as a sunbeam. And she hasn’t even had a morning coffee—her high is all-natural. “I’m awake all…
Meaghan Smith
Meaghan SmithThe Cricket’s Quartet(Sire)The Halifax chanteuse’s major-label debut is being rolled out in parts, beginning with this EP. Produced by Jill Barber’s longtime helmsman, Les Cooper, its four tracks have been smartly selected: Smith’s homage to her grandfather, the languid “I Know,” which is an unexpected and delightful collaboration with Kid Koala, “A Little Love;”…
Peninsular Politics
It’s all about buildings, cars and buses. In a series of interviews with 11 council candidates from the Halifax peninsula, candidates were asked open-ended questions and were encouraged to raise whatever issues they felt were most important. But invariably the candidates wanted to talk about development and transportation, with other issues either falling to the…
Kabluey
KablueyDirected by: Scott Prendergast(Columbia/Tristar)A lot of the humour in Kabluey—writer-director Scott Prendergast’s feature-length debut—comes from the film’s central conceit. When your protagonist spends much of his time in a hard-to-maneuver blue suit, it’s difficult not to mine the ludicrous costume for laughs. And so, while dressed as “Kabluey,” (the large-headed corporate mascot of a failing…
