The Trip worth taking
British comedic actor Steve Coogan is contracted to dine at fine restaurants in the north of England and write about his experiences. Coogan invites along an erstwhile colleague, Rob Brydon, with whom he shares a bit of a combative relationship. Off they go on this scenic tour, improvising slightly exaggerated versions of themselves, riffing off…
Classified For All-Ages
Hey, Classified is headlining a pretty okay-sounding hip-hop show at the Forum on November 10. Namely, he’ll be joined by Royce da 5’9, who I have this weird unexplainable soft spot for, and Shad, who IS the best. Plus there’s TBAs.Also, it is all-ages, and willl be done before Beyond Scared Straight comes on. So…
Highway Etiquette
Dear people on the highway, when I am approaching the highway from the on-ramp, and you are driving in the right-hand lane and see me approaching, for fuck sakes, have some common courtesy and move over into the passing lane (if no one is there) so that I can get in safely and smoothly! When…
Red Mahogany
Whenever I need a good 4×4 block of lumber at the local building supplies store, your freckle face seems to greet me first. Whenever I notice your juicy bottom, I seem to be developing more wood than what I want to buy. Your bulging blue eyes make up for you dumb-founded stare that you seem…
Bone-Brained Sidewalk Cyclists
Get off the fucking sidewalks, you knobs! You want motorists to accommodate you yet you break the fucking laws yourself. This morning I saw five cyclists doing this on Quinpool Road and it burns my butt to a cinder. —Sidewalks are for Walkers, Not Stupid Peddlers
Party Rockers in the House Tonight… Go to Bed
Listen. I get it, I am a student as well, living in the South end. University can be fun! Yes you’re of age now, oh my goodness you can go to the liquor store and get intoxicated in bars. Have a little respect for your fellow students, grow up a little. So to all the…
Say Cheese, Baby!
Every time I look though our HUGE collection of photobooth pictures, I can’t help but smile. All the times you’ve donated $4 so we can snuggle in the photobooth has really turned this into a fun little hobby for us. I’ll never forget our first photobooth experience over 2 years ago. We were so young…
No Right to Switch Companies?
A certain cab company in Dartmouth needs a better education, in both driver safety and customer service. A certain cab driver decided to stop at a red light, then think better of it and RUN the red light as I walked in front of him, grazing me with his mirror. He saw me. He went…
Moustached Men
I forgot how much I missed and loved moustaches while I was home for the summer. Not enough people rock the ‘stache, but Halifax is definitely a city filled with awesome guys who really take that timeless facial hair style seriously. You all warm my heart. I love you. —An Island Girl
I’ll Throw You Overboard
This is actually a bitch about something that happened last year, regardless I still think it is bitch worthy. Last summer I took a trip to PEI and I was on the ferry from Pictou to Woods Island, there was some tween girls sports team there (volleyball or maybe baseball), anyway most of them where…
Massage Therapy
Dear Masseuse, if you take money via insurance, it is inappropriate to ask for a tip. Insurance money has made you a viable industry, as you’ve become ‘healthcare professionals’. Way to set your industry back 50 years. If you want a tip, give me an old fashioned or act like a professional. Do you think…
Day 6 at The Fringe
Two entertaining shows in the air-conditioned splendor of The Neptune Studio kick off an evening that ended with a party at The Bus Stop. The social aspect of this year’s fringe makes for a great place to hear the buzz—-and people are certainly buzzing about Kingdom and Fatherland: Homeland Insecurity. (Review on that tomorrow) Matthew…
Perks closes
The Quinpool and Vernon location of Perks (6100 Quinpool Road, 429-1856) has two big “closed” signs on its doors. Calls to the company have not been returned, and at the other locations mentioned on the company’s website—Mic Mac Mall and the Halifax Shopping Centre—the lines are disconnected. Perks has been in business since 1989 and…
Atlantic Film Festival gears up
The programme is locked, the tickets are on sale. We are in t-minus time for the Atlantic Film Festival, running from September 15-24. “I know that in the first day of the box office being open we tripled the sales from last year,” explains AFF director Lia Rinaldo. “Summer of Murray”—the six-week outdoor screening festival…
Music Nova Scotia Award Nominations
The 2011 Music Nova Scotia Music and Industry Award nominees were announced today. Carmen Townsend and Jenn Grant have racked up five nominations each, including Entertainer of the Year and Female Artist of the Year. (We’re also quite pleased to see that Grant’s ridiculously sweet video for “Getcha Good” – featuring Maynard St and the…
Katie’s Farm Organic Dog Bakery closes
After almost 10 years in business, Nova Scotia’s Katie’s Farm Organic Dog Bakery (katiesfarm.ca) is closing. Saturday, September 10 will the last day at the Seaport Farmer’s Market (1209 Marginal Road). Owner Jude Major has decided to call it quits at age 65. Those of you whose pups and kitties need their organic goodies can…
Unleashing My Comic Loving Self
I have to send love to every comic shop in the city. Since I started getting back in comics ever so slowly, I’ve been like a kid in a candy store. Plus every other candy store in the city. I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on so many great characters, compelling stories, and just…
My Almond Street Love
It has been such a wonderful summer having you live in my little home with me. You have filled it with so much love, just as you have my heart. You’ve moved into your new apartment now and although it’s different I just feel so warmed by all the memories we have made in this…
24 Twenty Eight sees a year in the biz
Downtown lifestyle and urban fashion boutique 24 Twenty Eight (5181 Sackville Street, 440-7957) has been open a year, and to celebrate co-owner Logan Hudak is having a bit of a party on Friday, September 9. “I would love to raise a glass with you all and hope this is just the beginning,” he explains in…
Med School Love
A big thanks to the city and people and patience of Halifax and those beautiful Med students who made us First Years so welcome!! —Puppy Petter
Fringing it up on Day 5
Only three plays to review for Day 5…a walk in the park this intrepid reviewer. Last seen at the 2010 Fringe with her musical comedy show Emotional Condom, funny woman Ann Denny returns as Anna Danova in SeaHose Unplugged. Also joining her on stage is Bryan Babaracki (played by Ryan Veitmeyer), a new age-man dressed…
Hami’s celebrates a year in Dartmouth
Tuesday, September 13 sees the first anniversary of Hami’s Cafe & Catering (79 Alderney Drive, 406-1777), a business that’s been offering great morning and lunchtime eats for the past 12 months. According to proprietor Dan Hamilton, if you stop by on the day “there will be prizes given out like our travel mugs, pizza slices…
Ride Share to Toronto
You’re coming back right? —J
Starts with an ‘N’ and rhymes with PRICK
Good work out there, champ; You made a believer out of me, the one person who looks for kindness and worth in everyone, that some people are an utter waste of flesh and blood. Although you and I both know you are a bonifide psychotic in need of some serious help, I stuck by your…
Cali Guy
I know it was only a week, but the ten months of daily talking leading up to it made it so worth it. I am empty without you here….please come back to me soon. —Haligirl
Attention Non-Surfers at Lawrencetown Beach
Get the fuck out of our water when there are waves for us to surf on. We can’t be bothered to look everytime to see if one of you dumbass swimmers is in the waves. Don’t blame us if you get decapitated by our boards. Heed our warning. —Magic Seaweed
Blue Nuit Danceathon
You were the cute blond with glasses, I was the tall guy with glasses, and together we lit a fire on the Blue Nuit dance floor the other night that would make Travolta blush. Still wondering why I didn’t even get your name, let alone your number? I would love to find out where you…
To my ‘Stewie’
You are tough, hard headed and rough around the edges and I love you for everything you are. You treat me with the more respect than I have ever been given by anyone else in my 39 years! The Wharf Rat Rally in Digby was the best vacation anyone has ever taken me on… Riding…
Rural RCMP Officer
I was 3/4 asleep going roughly 68 in a 50km/hr school zone in Musquodoboit Harbour at 6 am. Although you scared the living shit out of me by turning on your lights and siren as you approached me in the opposite lane. You effectively got the point across without slapping me with a big fine…
Karma Police
To the company that recently closed and fled without notice, you stole from everyone including your trusting employees. We walked in one morning to find our registers, computers, and even tips gone with a single note and half ass email left behind. You, however, lined your pockets with hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits…
Local Coffee Chain Makes Me Vomit
Wanna go out in style? Don’t tell any of your employees you are shutting down, clean out all your stores (including tip jars!) overnight so you can claim to have no assets, run off with the month’s income without paying any suppliers AND bounce all of your employees’ paychecks for the month. The 3 of…
Love you, Summer City
Hey Halifax in the summer, I’m going to miss you. I’m going to miss your quiet, warm, breezy nights and underpopulated bars and restaurants, and your short lines at the grocery/liquor stores. I’m going to miss the ‘you’ that returns when all those punk ass students leave and we can be together again, just us,…
With the Moves Like Allah
To the four young Middle Eastern guys at a certain dance bar on Saturday night… coming up to my friend and I and pushing yourselves on us and grinding up against us is not cool. We gave you no indication we welcomed you or even had the faintest interest in you. Even after we walked…
Hello Kitty!
To the cute asian guy I keep seeing biking on Spring Garden Road every weekend you are just precious! Next time, I’ll smile back. —Pedestrian
Dear “Men” of Halifax
A little lesson in flirting etiquette: when you approach a girl in a bar and she clearly doesn’t want you falling all over her so she politely ignores your advances, this does not give you reason to call her nasty names. Because that made me want to talk to you all the more. —Please Keep…
Halifax Nightlife
My friends live past the Commons, and my house is near Point Pleasant, so every night I have to walk 30-40 minutes to get home. These walks have proved to be one of the highlights of my night; whether from running into friendly strangers who wish me safe travels; or seeing whole groups of students…
Fireworks are Not Always Fun
Dear Fireworks Lover: Fireworks on May 24th or Canada Day okay fine! But almost every single summer evening? You moved to a rural lake outside Halifax so how about a little respect for the environment? There are more beings in this world than you oh latent child! You moved to the country so pay some…
HRM’s 3rd Annual Contemporary Visual Art Purchase Program
Mayor Peter Kelly and the council gang invite you to public exhibition of the short-listed works for HRM’s 3rd Annual Contemporary Visual Art Purchase Program. The short-listed artists are Valerie Salez, Juan Ortiz-Apuy, Aimée Henny Brown, Yorodeo (Seth Smith and Paul Hammond) and Scott Bertram. Their work is on display in Halifax Hall, Halifax City…
Handsome
As hard as I am trying, you still keep reappearing in my mind. I was in a crowed business centre and thought I saw you coming my way and my heart started racing… oh what a great feeling it was. I was away at a beach cottage and all I thought about what if you…
Dear Ponyboy
They say that people are like their dogs. Unfortunately my dog is a mischievious jerk, but to be fair, he’s also a softy at heart and hangs on my every move. I indulge in the fact that you’re as sweet, gentle, friendly, forgiving and kind as your dog. I still can’t believe that we’re touching…
You Make No Sense
How can you get angry at someone when you committed the crime?! You’ve always been a self-righteous bitch!! Get over yourself!! —Once a Friend
Litter Bug Fug!
To the environmentally inconsiderate cow driving the red Suzuki Tracker around 5:30 PM Thursday evening by the HFX Shopping Centre: SHAME ON YOU! I waited at the bus stop and watched you throw your empty plastic cup out the window. That is so disgraceful! It’s no wonder why global warming is melting the polar ice…
Serpentine Studios opening
Serpentine Studios will be opening September 12, 2011 in the old Hive Hair Studio at 1668 Barrington Street, Suite 200. Co-founders Monique Ryan—who has a degree in degree in kinesiology and an award in Best of Halifax for Best Dancer—and Laura Selenzi—a registered massage therapist and dancer—specialize in bellydance. They’ll also be offering classes in…
Fringe: Day 4
It was hot, hot, hot in Halifax on Sunday and hot, hot, hotter in some of the un-air-conditioned fringe venues, but with one exception, the plays were riveting enough to make it totally worth a little discomfort. In fact, Michael McPhee’s Whiteout actually sent a few welcome chills down my spine. It’s a spooky ghost…
Fringing on Day 3
I can’t say enough about the sheer variety, and quality, of shows of I’ve seen so far at The Fringe. On one sunny Saturday, I managed to take in six shows with topics as varied as homicidal fairies and randy, bitter barnacles. In between, I had time to indulge in sushi on the waterfront and…
Day Two at The Fringe
My very varied Day 2 at DanSpace was a mixture of story,dance and poetry with projections being key in all three of the productions. It was a wonderful reminder of just what an eclectic mix of entertainment the Fringe offers. Actress and Parks Canada interpreter Kersti Tacreiter has brought the forest to the city with…
Rugova’s Pizza offers 15 percent student discount
Rugova’s Pizza (1148 Barrington Street, 405-8888) has been open since the beginning of 2011, offering what they call “the freshest pizza and poutine in town,” as well as tasty delight in wraps, fish and chips and sub sandwiches. Everything’s made in-house from family recipes, explains manager Shqiprim Dembogaj. Students get a 15 percent discount on…
J&R Grimsmo to open this month
Opening mid-month will be J&R Grimsmo (1533 Barrington Street), a women’s fashion boutique located in the Freemason’s building, ground floor, smack between Chives and E-PIN. It will carry “a carefully curated blend of exciting new lines to Halifax, by designers that have been receiving great acclaim in the fashion media/industry,” explains co-owners Jessy Lacourciere and…
Opening Night at The Fringe
When a person turns 21 we celebrate their coming of age, and I think the same can be said of the 21st Atlantic Fringe Festival. For two decades this festival has been offering quirky, affordable theatre experiences, and now it’s ready to take its place on a wider stage by attracting an even bigger audience…
Look A Bit Closer
Somehow we never get the chance to hang out, which really sucks. Because I like you, your nerdiness and love for music. I know we are both busy people but I just wish you could realize what’s in front of your eyes. I’m not a horrible guy or anything. I just like you for you.…
Dog Day’s Chicken Dreams
In the new Dog Day video for “Mr. Freeze,”, directed by Andrew Hines and Mike Clattenburg, a chicken that might be named “Crumples” takes a nap in the backseat of a car and Seth Smith goes swimming with a shark. Does he survive, and what will be left of him? That freezing video lake looks…
If Only it were Under the Boardwalk
Moving day is a lot of work and very stressful for all parties involved. I get it. Going back to school and facing the end of summer. Also stressful, I get it. So you have a few drinks and relax a bit – cool. Making it a complete bender and grabbing onto that last bit…
That’s Why They’re Called a Temp Agency
Now I know why these ” temp” agencies are so temporary! This specific one likes to fuck with your pay cheques. I was hired on not knowing a thing about how these places run and definitely dug myself in deep with them. I’m now outta 60 bucks because they some how “lost” my hours or…
Visiting and Revisiting!
You are a lot younger than me, and you are right–I really don’t give a shit. It has be a very long time since I met someone who turns me on the way you do–you really stop me in my tracks. And the fact that you are super smart and have a great personality just…
Is Tripping Assault?
Are you nuts? You’re out for a run down the sidewalk on Spring Garden Road AT LUNCH TIME – and you have the NERVE to look irritated at having to navigate around people? Are you kidding me??? Why would you and your spandex laminated T&A choose what must be the busiest time and place for…
I Really Miss Always Being Around
There aren’t too many people I let into my life these days, but when we met I knew you were one of the few I wanted to make room for. I enjoy our connection very much, and I am happy to be there for you. Always. I really miss hanging out with you. I even…
Ice Ball Hooligans
It is September, therefore, I know that you got your “snowball” from the ice shavings at CHP. Thank you so very(!) much for throwing it at my car. I sincerely hope you mistook the two cop cars, that drove past after me, for victims of your iceball prank. I am very happy that it did…
The Origin?
Ok grandpa, maybe you give a damn about the origin of all these fuckin’ superheros. That’s because you were reading under the covers with your flash light in 1964 all about these dudes that they are throwing at us like we care. Think about it, every other movie out there just “throws us into the…
Bend Over Canuck!
I asked myself a question the other day, and the answer was that I will never get a good government job, because being a white male, I am the minority. Thanks to Canada for letting so many people in our country, thanks again for giving them our jobs. Something tells me I would not be…
OH Canada!
As if living in the highest taxed province isn’t bad enough, maybe we are in the highest taxed province in one of the highest taxed countries. Our “free” healthcare that actually costs most of us more than if it were privatized because most of us would have insurance, well it SUCKS. I would rather pay…
Chilly crafting at the Halifax Crafters Society
All craft-loving Haligonians fairly salivate down the front of their homemade tunic tops at the thought of the Halifax Crafters Society December show, and with good reason. If you want to be a part of the ultimate Christmas shopping mecca, the society is now accepting applications. The show is once again being held at the…
Back in My Day
It seems to me that everyone always says that their generation was so much more respectful of adults and the elderly when they were younger. My pet peeve about this is when I hear people in their 20’s say something like this. Are you kidding me?! You were a teenager a few months ago! I…
Now it bites us in the ass!
We (the people of Nova Scotia) used to own a little utility called Nova Scotia Power Inc. This utility paid for itself and employed many of mine and your neighbours. The government of the day (1992) took it upon itself to privatize this particular utilty on our behalf (thanks for not asking). Since, employment has…
No more cussin’, spittin’, or smokin’
I am so thankful that my son’s minor baseball league has wrapped up – not because I was a slave to HRM’s field conditions website for most of the summer, but because of the spectators i.e. parents of my child’s teammates who would smoke in the stands, spit their sunflower seed shells over the bench…
Game Radiator launches Mouse Bros.
Got an iPhone? How about .99 cents left on your credit card? Then check out the premier title from Game Radiator, entitled Mouse Bros. This Halifax-based independent game developer needs to get noticed for their app to become successful and expand their operation. Mouse Bros. was created by just two people: Steven Brown and Dave…
A little more about Doraku and Suzuki
It has come to The Feed’s attention that further elucidation of our Doraku becomes Suzuki story of last week is required. Shuji Manabe and his wife Misao are the owners of Ko-Doraku (Spring Garden Place, 5640 Spring Garden Road, 423-8787) and were the former owners of Doraku Japanese Cuisine, the Japanese restaurant now known as…
Impromptu Mechanics
I’m an east coaster myself, so help with my broken-down car from strangers wasn’t exactly a surprise, but it was very welcome all the same. You guys sprang into action the instant I rolled up and put up my hood. We found the problem, you guys told me where I might find the part nearby…
Haaaay — Kaaaa Teeee
You are loved… —The Three Kings on Tower Road
Kindness of Strangers
THANKS SO MUCH!! To the good samaritan who returned my debit card to the bank after I absentmindedly left it in the banking machine. Although I went back to look for it soon thereafter, and cancelled it on my way there, it it is a relief to know that it was found by someone kind…
Just when I thought I would give up…
Just when I was done, throwing in the towel, going on sabbatical, joining the convent – you came along and knocked me off my feet. No expectations, just awe. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being genuine. I forgot that it was quality that does exist in people. I hope this lasts,…
Where To Play: 1313 Hollis
Jerry Granelli 1313 Hollis is a unique space in Halifax because its identity is so fluid. “Really, we’re just a rental space,” says Susan Hunter, who founded the spot in 2008 along with Jerry Granelli and John Siemens. It was originally set up to house Granelli’s Creative Music workshops and housed other JazzEast events. (The…
You Enriched My Life
To the poor soul who lost their 10 bucks on the bus… THANK YOU SO MUCH. It was a day before payday. I was broke as all fuck because I’d just paid off a massive vet bill following my cat’s death (I’m not even kidding – worst week ever) and was anticipating one day of…
Thanks for the Smile
I was walking home the other evening, laptop in hand and mentally drained from staring at a computer screen all day. I was standing at an intersection waiting for the walk signal to give me the go-ahead. At that moment, a big white worker truck was driving by and as it approached, I was blankly…
I Luvs my Kitteh!
To our new kitten you are adorable orange and the best kitten ever! I love how you purr over everything, even while you eat. I love how you watch cartoons and make funny noises when you see moths, and then purr as you eat them. I love how you meow when we come home, and…
Kind Coffee Waitress
Thank you! The other day, it was a rainy bummer kind of day, and I really wanted a square to help perk me up. I didn’t have enough change on me, but with a smile you said, “No worries” and donated from your tips. You not only made my lunch the best, but I will…
Best Service Ever
To the kind young cashier at the specialty coffee shop downtown. My son has autism, and it is at times difficult to take him places, mostly because of other people. We walked along the boardwalk, and had to decide between three restaurants within your building, it was your bright smile that welcomed me over. Thank…
Coffee Cutie
To the new coffee hostess at the historic properties, You rock! Your smile is awesome, and your lattes are out of this world! Thank you!! —Random Muffin Buyer
The Best Place in Halifax!
Dear certain iconic deli on Agricola Street, I Love the way that your spices flow through the air, and I LOVE your delicious deli meats, perfect pepperoni, and large variety of cheese and other goods! I Love all of you! I have been visiting your deli since I was a little girl, and am so…
Government equity stakes in Nova Scotia governments
The following information is related to today’s editorial: Equity stakes through Economic and Rural Development: Composites Atlantic: $4 million in preferred shares; ERDT has an observer on its board of directors DSTN Trenton: $19.6 million in common shares; ERDT has a director on its board of directors ACF Equity: $3.07 million in common shares; ERDT…
Thank You!
To the nice gentleman last Friday: It was my first time working in Halifax, and I was running a bit late. It was crunch time for supper traffic, and nobody was letting me cross. You came up beside me, and with a smile said ” Here we go” and walked into the street so that…
LB
I know that you need some extra hugs this week, so here they are enclosed along with some of your favourite sprinkly donuts. You are awesome in so many ways and deserve way better. You are beautiful and the best, don’t let anyone else tell you other wise. We love you baby sis. —MA
Beaming Barista
To the very pleasant sweet happy hostess at a certain coffee shop in historic properties: We missed you when the coffee shop at Mic Mac mall closed, and are so happy to see your smiling face over in Halifax now. Thank you always for the best coffee and customer service! —Two Old Fogies
To my supportive and loving mother
Mom: You have done so much for me in my life, I can’t even begin to thank you. You raised me and my sister sometimes on your own because of a navy father, and yet rarely, if ever, complained. You looked after us, took care of us and provided for us everything we could ever…
GAHHH
Here is some friendly advice, disguised as a bitch, for all you eager beaver college students (or anyone) who’ve just landed themselves a job. Advice which will make you unhated among your coworkers. First, don’t stand there rolling your eyes or interrupting with “ok, got it,” when you’re being told how to do something for…
Deck Party Dickheads
Note to the dickheads on Oxford St. that had the full scale deck party w/live band this past Friday. Halifax has a noise by-law that says you have to shut any excessive noise down by 11:00pm. I gave you til midnight before I called the cops because it was the weekend but you just kept…
Men! Stand up for your right to sit!
We all have free will and the ability to make our own decisions that is way I choose to sit… to relieve myself that is. Why do so many men feel that just because they can stand up and piss means that they have to? There is a time and place for standing to piss,…
Coffee Bum
Some crabby old woman on SGR asked “Change for coffee?!?” I replied, “No thanks I’m going use my change to buy a coffee for myself.” To which she replied with “Fuck you %^$##@ mumble grumble &^%$&$” It’s my money! Go get some of your own! She would probably have more luck if she lied and…
Good eating for freshmen
A warning to all students enrolled in post-secondary education: your risk of weight gain is significantly higher than that of the general population. Luckily, it’s not as high as you may think. Weight gain during university has been researched for over 25 years. Numerous studies have shown that university students gain more weight than their community counterparts.…
In-equity stakes
The Nova Scotian government is so dependent on VLT revenue that it has recently adopted a gaming strategy that papers over VLT addiction. The new rules will require that a machine called Gameplan be attached to VLTs, and this will supposedly cause gamblers to realize how much money they’re losing, and therefore slow down. Critics,…
Beirut
Sound is the colour they know. Part Mexican funeral band, part bloated brass section, The Rip Tide balances out subtly by being over the top. Zach Condon’s infatuation with accordion oozes throughout. “East Harlem”’s warbly wordplay takes listeners uptown, downtown. Having left home for Paris, Condon muses about the inevitable return to Santa Fe. He asks…
Paying For It
Although the timing was unintentional, the most recent challenge to the constitutionality of our country’s prostitution laws provides an ideal backdrop to Chester Brown’s superb new offering. A treatise in two distinct sections, Paying for It is first and foremost a touching, honest and humanistic depiction of his experiences with sex trade workers and the debates…
Halifax university president interviews
As Hogwarts headmaster, Dumbledore stood up to government influence within his school and made sure that the seven years of education it offered would be relevant to students after graduation. Halifax needs a Dumbledore to stand up for accessible education and relevant jobs for students, but it’s a tough role to play when you’ve got…
The Harry Potter movie drinking game
As a student you don’t really need an excuse to drink copiously. We’ve all played card games like Fuck the Dealer or Kings, but for those with low attention spans and desires to get shitfaced as quickly as possible, sometimes it’s easier to just throw on a movie and enjoy a mouthful anytime something symbolic…
ROYCE DA 5’9”
History is littered with average albums trying to recapture an artist’s prime. Hip-hop fans don’t have to look far for recent examples, from Jay-Z’s drowsy Blueprint 3 to Wale’s embarrassing More About Nothing mixtape. But Royce Da 5’9” feels a little different. Although he’s in a different place, he’s got the same feral hunger. The production is glossier and the…
The Brave Never Write Poetry
Jones is not for everyone. He is for the rejected, the frustrated, the marginalized, the addicted or for the people who are so smart they’re bored to death. He is a largely forgotten yet essential figure of Canadian poetry and Coach House has done young readers a service by reprinting his one-off book of poetry.…
Bailing out or failing out of university
Fred: “George, I think we’ve outgrown full-time education…Time to test our talents in the real world, d’you reckon?” George: “Definitely.” Fred and George Weasley are an interesting pair of wizards in the Harry Potter universe, but one thing makes them stand out from most of the other characters: They never graduate from Hogwarts. The twins…
Halifax crafters
Local crafters are a growing and vital community, including everyone from hobbyists who went pro, people who studied in the NSCAD ceramics department to those who took up felting as a hobby while completing a physics degree. It’s a movement as vital as Dumbledore’s Army arrayed against Delores Umbridge’s venom, a major moment of DIY…
Dog Day
After lineup adjustments, Dog Day settled into life as a two-piece of Seth Smith and Nancy Urich, but the sound doesn’t lack for the reduced size. Opening on the lush, heavy “Daydream,” it’s still the same Dog Day. “Part Girl” has mournful verses paired with a catchy chorus that will stick in your head for…
Star Wars: Empire At War
An oldie but a goodie, Star Wars: Empire at War, is now available at the Mac App Store and nobody should pass on this thrilling real-time strategy game. The game takes place in that galaxy far, far away between episodes III and IV—you can play as either the Rebellion or the Empire. If you don’t feel…
Alternative food options on Halifax campuses
In the dusky August sunshine, eight Dal students sit in a living room on Cedar Street debating the finer points of garlic presses. One insists they are a godsend to harried chefs. Another retorts, “A garlic press is too bourgeois!” They are The Loaded Ladle, a food co-operative preparing for its first semester as a…
Free Will Astrology
Happy Birthday! VIRGO (August 23-September 22) Avant-garde author Gertrude Stein was renowned for her enigmatic wordplay and cryptic intuitions, which brought great pleasure to her long-time companion Alice B. Toklas. “This has been a most wonderful evening,” Alice once remarked after an especially zesty night of socializing. “Gertrude has said things tonight it’ll take her…
Morgan Davis
Davis shares his inspiration in the blues here, following a couple of folksy albums celebrating life in Nova Scotia. Two strong Robert Johnson covers (including one done in a dorm room in 1973) and a Jimmy Reed tribute, “Thank You, Mr. Reed,” set up his originals nicely. “Anticipation” has wisdom and wit regarding desire, reward…
Blood Red Road
The debut novel from Canadian author Moira Young turns the young adult dystopian fiction genre on its head with the story of Saba, stubborn, sometimes mean and often naïve, off to rescue her twin brother from the hands of the King. In a post-apocalyptic, barren world, destroyed by the previous “Wreckers” civilization, Saba’s father is…
Dress for Hogwarts in Halifax
Hufflepuff More than any other attributes, Hufflepuffs value fair play, patience and loyalty. When applied to their wardrobes, this translates into non-exploitative manufacturing processes and eco-friendly, preferably recycled, fabrics. Begin by sifting through the first rack left of the door into Lost and Found (2382 Agricola Street, 446-5986). Hanging there are some 20 loose-fitting boxy…
J Mascis
J Mascis, lead guitarist of Dinosaur Jr., sure knows how to shred a tasty solo. But even the most established guitar hero has a soft side. Sounding like the indie-rock version of Lenny Breau, Mascis trades in his Big Muff guitar pedals and Fender Jazzmaster for an acoustic axe on his new solo album. Lighter…
It’s More Than Buses gets idea’s moving
Twice this summer the Planning & Design Centre and Fusion Halifax brought together transit experts and community members to talk about the future of public transportation in our fair city. These weren’t just little chit chats, they got the attention of about 100 participants who put their heads together to come up with some guiding…
The Debt pays off
John Madden’s remake of a 2007 Israeli film Ha-Hov about three Mossad agents who botch the kidnapping of a German war criminal is a case study in thriller construction. We meet the agents (Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson and Ciaran Hinds) in the late-90s, 30 years after their high-risk mission to lift a vicious doctor (Jesper…
The possibiliteas
I’ve always been a coffee girl at heart. I keep a stash of tea for company, but until now, that’s been the extent of my interest. With tea shops popping up around town in the last year, I figure I better see what all the fuss is about. My journey starts at World Tea House…
Lloyd Cole calling
After more than two decades as a songwriter, Lloyd Cole is, once again, trying something new. Breaking from screenprinting in his basement, he explains that his performances at the Halifax Urban Folk Festival—a songwriters’ circle and headlining show—will be his first solo shows this year, and his first visit to Nova Scotia. The show also…
Not much bite to Shark Night 3D
Released at the tail end of the summer, Shark Night 3D tries to capture the popularity of last year’s aquatic-horror comedy Piranha 3D, but fails due to cheap special effects and a lack of humour. The plot is simple enough: A group of university students go to an island cottage on a Louisiana lake, but…
How to be a nerd
We feel for you, you who are reading The Coast’s Back to School issue with no foreknowledge of Harry Potter. It’s hard to imagine there are any of you left out there. Maybe one or two. Well, you aren’t forgotten. Pay attention to what follows. It’s 2011 and the nerds are in charge, where what…
One hundred years of Bishop
If you’ve read an Elizabeth Bishop poem before, it’s possible you first encountered her as an American writer, alongside poets like Robert Lowell and Sylvia Plath. What may not have gotten much attention in that survey course or anthology is that Bishop spent a couple of her childhood years in the small community of Great…
Apollo 18 dull faux-doc
The faux-documentary horror film has become its own subgenre, and familiarity with this particular storytelling conceit is starting to breed fatigue, if not contempt. Apollo 18 brings the Blairanormal Clovertivity into space, using footage supposedly taken from NASA’s archives and depicting a secret 1974 lunar voyage gone wrong. Three astronauts (Lloyd Owen, Ryan Robbins and…
Bar-star on a budget
You’re new in town, maybe you just turned 19, but most importantly you’re looking for ways to procrastinate. Here are some options for putting off cramming and paper-writing without breaking the bank. (Or the student loan). The Dome 1740 Argyle Street, 422-6907 While cover-free karaoke on Mondays and Tuesdays wins in my books, frosh might…
Teenburger serves up Burgertime this week
It’s game day at Ridgemont High School. The campus buzzes as jacketed jocks hit on leggy cheerleaders; severe history teachers patrol the halls as stoners slink around the bleachers. But just when you’re getting settled in for a throwback coming-of-age classic, a funk bassline and turntable scratches twist up the familiar scene. This is the…
Everyone’s a critic
The summer movie season is over, and though critics hated The Smurfs and Transformers, they were big hits. In response, Team Coast sounds off on movies they love that (almost) no one else does. Ishtar It’s telling that four of the five movies on this list are comedies; what’s funny is the most subjective thing.…
What’s on Harry Potter’s iPod
I do have one quibble with Hollywood’s Harry Potter: nobody listens to secular music. While I enjoy a sweeping, stolidly British orchestral score as much as the next person, it’s also an interesting exercise to imagine which local bands might suit the tastes of individual Harry Potter characters. I took my best crack at it,…
Hello, Holy Snappers
It was just over a year ago that Halifax’s beloved Cuban Assassins called it quits. Since then life went on, careers changed, babies were born and Brent Geikie barely touched his bass. That is until former Assassin drummer Jason Wilson came a-knocking. He had a new project up his sleeve, with Colin Baker on guitar,…
The biggest Harry Potter fans in Halifax
After a summer that passed all too fast, Halifax’s students have started arriving in the city, their boxes and suitcases bulging with the clothes, books and school supplies they’ll need for the coming months of classes. Look closely, and you might just glimpse a few trunks, owls, wands and robes, too. Most of this year’s…
Harry Potter’s London
I have the worst travel karma. I book a flight and the country blows up. Case in point: Japan, my original vacation destination. I planned to visit my friend who was teaching English—Mother Nature had different plans. Scared out of going for fear of one day giving my parents three-headed grandchildren, I was forced to…
Last chance for The Stance
The secret’s out. The Stance is back—well, for Thursday night at least. This one-off show is actually a special send-off for Mr. Just Friends Records, Mat Dunlap and it’ll fittingly bring the MIA alt-rockers back to the room where they played their very first show (and met Dunlap for the very first time). “The cosmos…
Halifax student bars
Hogwarts has Hogsmeade, Halifax has downtown: When Hogwarts students need a break from strict professors and all those confusing, moving staircases, they’d head down to the village of Hogsmeade for a beverage at a pub. Likewise, Halifax students can find respite at local taverns. They may not serve butterbeer, but Henry’s House’s six British-style ales—non-pasteurized,…
Take a dip in Blue Pools
Wayne Boucher wants you to dive in deep to his latest exhibit, Blue Pools. Taking inspiration from past works and current events, the exhibition has been growing for the past 30 years. “The Blue Pools exhibition became an opportunity to revisit the colour blue and the challenge of how far I could extend the colour…
Let’s talk about old people sex
Q I’m in a bad place. I have been in a monogamous marriage for 19 years and have two kids. At least I think we’re still monogamous. My husband is an avid reader of your column and loves to bring up the idea that it is perfectly normal to have outside sexual relationships with other…
Halifax web links
Acadian Bus Lines acadianbus.com Alcoholics Anonymous aahalifax.org Bin doctor bindoctor.com Clean Nova Scotia clean.ns.ca The Coast thecoast.ca Crime Stoppers halifax.ca/police/crcp/crimestoppers Ecology Action Centre ecologyaction.ca Environment Canada weatheroffice.gc.ca Farmers’ Markets of Nova Scotia novascotia.ca Feed Nova Scotia feednovascotia.ca Halifax Public Libraries halifaxpubliclibraries.ca Halifax Stanfield International Airport hiaa.ca Halifax Sexual Health Centre HSHC.ca Harry Potter Wikia harrypotter.wikia.com…
The magical side of Halifax
Maybe you eagerly anticipated this summer’s final Harry Potter movie because you’re ready to sock the next person who uses words like “muggle” in daily life, or maybe you’re actually stoked to see Harry vanquish Voldemort on the big screen. But one thing’s for sure—Harry Potter fever has a stronghold in Halifax. Here’s why. Quidditch…
The stereotypes and facts about Halifax universities and colleges
The Sorting Hat sits atop every first year that enters Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and determines to which of the four houses they belong. It is a mysterious item and takes the student’s traits, feelings and even their desires into account. In real life, there’s no sorting hat to tell you where to…
extra happy ghost!!!
The first full-length record from Calgary’s extra happy ghost!!!, Modern Horses was produced by Chad VanGaalen and takes its title from the story of nine horses that jumped off a bridge in downtown Calgary in 2005. The title track, the final track of the album, and its antecedent “Haunted House” are the strongest tracks, balancing…
The dark side of Halifax
If you’re a new student, you’ve probably been told at every turn about how great this city is—that Halifax is so much more than the quaint hamlet overrun with lobsters that your friends back home warned you about. There’s a lot to enjoy here, from pastel north end neighbourhoods, postcard harbour views, a hearty community…
In-equity stakes
The Nova Scotian government is so dependent on VLT revenue that it has recently adopted a gaming strategy that papers over VLT addiction. The new rules will require that a machine called Gameplan be attached to VLTs, and this will supposedly cause gamblers to realize how much money they’re losing, and therefore slow down. Critics,…
City & Colour
Dallas Green has never sounded as warm as he does on his latest album Little Hell. Where Bring Me Your Love was cold and sparse, Little Hell’s 11 tracks are lush and the tone is much warmer here—but this is not to say that Dallas is any cheerier. Just listen to the lead single “Fragile…
Coming out at Halifax schools
When J.K. Rowling outed Albus Dumbledore a few years ago during a Q&A session at New York’s Carnegie Hall, the news went viral. Readers had their suspicions confirmed and members of the queer community held their wands high with pride. Dumbledore’s queerness made Hogwarts a safe place for sexual exploration. “University is naturally conducive to…
How to walk the straight edge
For some, university seems to be all about experimentation. Equally important as getting the grade—or perhaps more important—are the parties, friendships and adventures that centre around drugs, sex and alcohol. For those who are eager to participate in these three realms of life, it’s not too hard—hit up the local watering hole and there are…
Bike Rodeo
Oh Bla Duh was released back in May, but truly burst open once summer hit. Opening song “MRA” is loaded with promise, pulsing out of your car speakers and into your brain, straight through your legs and out as you cannonball into the water. “Kool” has twangy, leaping guitars that lick at your consciousness like the…
Outskirts
[image] Whether she’s exploring the coastal shorelines, sleeplessness or the harbours of humanity, Goyette is a deep sea diver of a poet. She doesn’t swim near the surface, her underbelly touches the ocean floor. Outskirts is a collection exploring people, place and poetics. Goyette dives deep into what it means to be human from various…
