Fid adapts
Besides being masters of serving high quality meals, Dennis Johnston and Monica Bauché, proprietors of Fid Resto (1569 Dresden Row, 422-9162), have proven themselves keenly aware of their place in the Hali restaurant market, and have extended their core business into interesting and creative side lines. Last spring, the restaurant started serving “back door Pad…
Dr. Sketchy
Dr. Sketchy’s Halifax is here! Dr. Sketchy’s is a anti-art school, started by New York art students who were tired of, you know, the bullshit. All artists, regardless of ability, credentials or fame, are free to come and draw the models. Underscore the fun and openness. Halifax’s Dr. Sketchy took the summer off, but fear…
Hair comes change
Halifax’s newest salon, Eco Chic Hair Studio, is on the fringe of something great. The ecologically-conscious salon is boasting a line of organic hair care systems to dye for. Using only naturally-derived, non-toxic, ammonia- and paraben-free hair colouring and styling products, this is where to go if you want your hair care to gel with…
Am I that stupid??
I’ve moved half way around the country to be even remotely close to you, stayed in a shitty dead end job and missed out on so many great opportunities to have fun with my friends and family just to please your stupid ass. You get mad whenever anyone has an opinion that differs from yours…
To the cyclists
To the young male cyclist who cut me off while I was crossing Gottingen at Cornwallis with my dog. Learn the rules of the road. Yield to pedestrians like everyone else. You almost ran over my fucking toes you moron, never mind weaving through the rest of the pedestrians who were crossing ahead of me.…
Pumpkin pie
From the first time that I saw your smirky little face I was hooked. Your sarcasm, wit and your sexy brain speak to me. It confuses me, but it speaks to me. In my analytical mind, I have tried to pick that brain—with no success—I have met my match, you call me out every time.…
Look up before you cross the road!
Pedestrians! Look the fuck up from the ground when you’re going to walk into traffic! Come on! And when I’m half-way through an intersection don’t just walk out and then look up and flip me off. Fuck, use your brain and some fucking courtesy, sometimes it isn’t possible to stop in one car length, so…
Women
OK. I am bitching cause I am frustrated. You are a wonderful woman. One of a kind. I love you. But why is it that there are these crazy mood swings. I go shopping while you are out and load up the fridge…. you say… I don’t like this and that… or “why did you…
Indie retailers: try saying “thanks for the business”
I am a strong believer in independent business and when I have the option of buying big-box or indie, I try to support the small local retail indie. But I have really taken notice lately just how rarely anyone in these places ever says “thanks for the business” or anything of the sort. You see…
I realized I have a huge crush on you
We hooked up a couple times, and I told you someone else (who doesn’t want it) has my heart. You said that was fine; you had your own stuff and didn’t want to date me. It’s been weeks since I saw you, but over a few too many drinks with a mutual friend last night…
Prevailing pedestrian power
To the guy who yelled WHOA! in that jovially sarcastic yet genuinely surprised and somewhat warning manner as I crossed through that intersection on my bike, I thank you, and I apologize. I should not have been so hasty, gruff and inconsiderate. You have the right of way and you took it the way I…
Keep ’em closed, fellas
To the dudes on the bus who feel the need to spread their legs like they have nuts the size of Jupiter: fuck you. I’m sick and tired of having to hang halfway off the seat into the aisle or get smushed against the window cause I don’t wanna rub thighs with a total stranger.…
Thank you
To the kind man sitting next to me in the waiting room at the Dentist’s office: You commented on how beautiful you thought my engagement ring was while we were waiting together this afternoon. I smiled and mumbled a half-assed thank you and just stayed quiet. I’m very sorry if this came off as rude…
Finally, some candidate sparring in District 11: Spryfield—Sambro—Prospect Road
Sunday night I drove out to the Prospect Road Community Centre to catch a debate between the District 11 council candidates. (Yes, I broke my pledge to bus to all the events because Google maps told me it was an hour and a half walk from the end of the #22 bus line to the…
Food trucks rev up
Who’s hungry? This fall, a crew of new food trucks are coming to Halifax, and their gourmet fare ain’t your average street meat. Earlier this year, Natalie Charavie and Nick Horne set out to improve the municipal bylaw that regulates mobile food serving. “We wanted to make sure it was up with the times and…
The King’s Galley opens
King’s students (and anyone else in the neighbourhood): say goodbye to Subway sandwiches. The King’s Galley has opened up for another year serving locally sourced lunches. Found in a corner of the Wardroom, the King’s campus bar, the Galley is serving soups and sandwiches as well as coffee, tea and other treats. Besides serving up…
Catering from Highland
Corporate lunches can by dry affairs by any stretch—it’s no exaggeration to say that the food is usually the most exciting part. Especially with Jessi Gillis cooking it up for you. Highland Drive Catering is debuting their new fall corporate lunch menu, featuring goodies like a pulled pork jalapeno sandwich and bacon chocolate chip cookies.…
Bowtique Hair & Makeup opens
The paint’s still fresh at Bowtique Hair & Makeup, which opened a mere three weeks ago. Located at 1668 Barrington Street (407-4331) below Serpentine Studios, the studio is home to three stylists and specializes in wedding hair and makeup. Meg Ryan, Bowtique’s owner, says it was a case of coincidence that caused her to open…
Tall order of ginger
So pretty much every day (two days off out of a week) for the last four months I have been attending a certain gym in the central area of downtown. I see this woman who is taller (I am 6″3) and slightly older than myself we always lock eyes and at times you sit by…
City to buy 19 more buses
Just as I’m writing this, on Tuesday afternoon, Halifax council is set to approve the early funding for the purchase of 19 more buses, at an anticipated cost of $8.62 million. The “early funding” approval is necessary because the process of tendering, building, shipping and acquiring buses takes longer than a single budget year. Council’s…
HIV?
To the bitches who live in a certain residence hall, how dare you say I have HIV behind my back?? Thats the cruelest thing you could say. So what if I did? It wouldn’t make a difference. I am mentally ill and it hurts when people make fun of me… I never even had a…
Stormy weather
To the lady who picked me up in the rain: thank you for seeing my face crumple after I missed the bus I was running after, all the way out in Spryfield. You drove me to the next bus stop (which was sheltered) and made my day with your pleasant attitude. Hope you enjoyed the…
Fifty shades of fuck you
So let me get this straight. You women have constant and completely inaproppriate water cooler and cubicle talk about Fifty Shades of Grey for weeks. You pass around your copies to each other for like two months. (Sticky covers aside, none of you found it a little creepy wondering if the previous reader masturbated to…
Snot cool, man
So, here I am at a leading downtown seafood restaurant with my lovely date for the night (a woman, btw), and you two, are sitting just across from us. Your date goes to the ladies’ room, and I watch as you, sitting there alone, stick your thumb up your nose—not even discreetly—and pick out a…
Man, that was close!
My sweet JJ, What were we thinking? That we could take each other for granted, be stingy with softness, kindness, thoughtfulness, loving and that everything would be OK? We were so wrong. We forgot our own mantra about leaving things behind and of course, stuff just kept piling up, as it will if we allow…
Augmented reality is an oxymoron
I was listening to a program on CBC Radio on the weekend and they were talking about advances in AR (augmented reality) and how the technology is really still just in its infancy. The whole concept of AR to me is a bit of an oxymoron because how can we augment something that we truly…
’90s alternative rock guy
Just ordered our usual water, orange juice and coffee at that place on Quinpool. I wish you were sitting across from me. —That Chick
Halifax-Dartmouth & District Labour Council endorses council candidates
The Halifax-Dartmouth & District Labour Council has issued its list of endorsed council candidates. Interestingly, the council declined to endorse any candidates in Districts 1, 4, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 16. The endorsements are: District 2 – Preston – Porter’s Lake – Eastern Shore – Gail McQuarrie District 3 – Dartmouth South – Eastern…
Women want to be heard
The Women’s Action Alliance for Change has sent out a press release this morning noting that: It is a fact that Nova Scotia lags behind other provinces in terms of women’s participation in municipal government. Although 52% of the population is female, women currently make up only 21% of municipal councillors, only 4% of mayors…
CNN’s Anderson Cooper endorses Tuxedo Stan
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My Galway girl
I never thought that I would meet someone so perfect and that I would have so much fun and so many laughs while falling for them, especially after meeting at a bar! I can’t wait for more tequila (hold the lemon) nights! You are the best thing to happen to me and I cannot wait…
Festival friend
I’m not sure where you came from, or why you chose me out of the crowd, but thank you for that. Me, the intoxicated 35-year-old. You, the sweet, sober 21. They are, clearly, only numbers. It truly was lovely to meet you and hope to run into you again. What a lucky boy, that “one…
Canadian Revenue Agency
Thank you so much for saving us taypayers from pouring in hundreds of millions of dollars into the paper mill. It would be nice for someone to buy it but not at the taxpayers’ expense. I wish you could have helped us with some of the other boondangled things we wasting our money with. —A…
My heart’s in Halifax
We found each other in the oddest of places, a late-night gas station. Really, I found you. After seeing your big smile—and even bigger hair—for the first time, you never left my mind. It didn’t take long for me to discover that your heart and personality, much like your teeth and locks, were also shining.…
A stranger’s advice
To the person who found my journal in a downtown bar and wrote some kind advice inside: Thank you for your apt observation. I have been told this before, and have known it myself, but to hear it from someone who has no context for me, except a few pages of writing, was an incredible…
Parenting
What I see every day at work (as a server) is people on cellphones not even interacting with the people they’re sitting across from. Families with small children included. It was wonderful to see your little family unit talking over a game of chess as you waited for your food. Seriously, that was refreshing. Keep…
To the guitar player behind Maplehurst
I jog the paths along the Dartmouth waterfront between Alderney and the Woodside terminals every day. I see you out back playing guitar all the time, sometimes alone and sometimes with a pretty girl. I turn down my iPod when I pass you just so I can listen to you sing Dylan. Thanks for making…
Penguin
I still love you. I still care. I never stopped. I just needed to go. I could blame, fight, drag out the anger and regret and let it consume me. But the truth is I think about our life together every day. For whatever it’s worth, I miss you terribly, and I will always be…
You look good in blue
To the guy in the blue Helly Hansen jacket on the 63: You moved for the couple with the baby stroller. True gentleman. I believe we held eye contact for a few moments, you have nice eyes. You added a little sunshine into my rainy day, I hope I see you again. —The Girl Who…
Victoria? Cross? I’m pretty disgusted as well
So, the Federal Government and their bureaucrats spent $750,000 to attempt to nickel and dime our veterans out of their benefits. Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot? Is it the ’90s all over again? Not all the “detestable scumbags” are hiding in caves in Tora Bora. Ottawa has its fair share, too. —Army Brat
Angela Jones files brief with the court
Angela Jones and the city are having a court battle over whether she can be a candidate in the upcoming city election. Jones has filed her brief with the court today. Read it here. The city is required to file its brief with the court by Wednesday. We’ll post that when we receive it. Judge…
“Smile, sweetheart!”
Had a bad day? I don’t give a fuck, I want you to smile. You’re failing all your classes? Boo fucking hoo, you still gotta smile. Your mom just died? Too bad, buttercup, fucking SMILE! Your boyfriend just broke up with you and while leaving ran over your new designer puppy that you paid a…
A big thank you
…to the bus driver who stalled me for half a second while crossing at the Spring Garden Road and Brenton Street crosswalk while a dangerous speeding driver passed on the wrong side of the road and flew across the crosswalk I was crossing. The bus driver laid on the horn and extended his/her arm out…
Sexy ginger
I’ve seen you twice, on the last two Friday evenings at the liquor store in Sackville. You had your wavy ginger hair pulled back, arm sleeve tattoos and you are so, incredibly sexy. I don’t know if you are single or not, but the next time I see you, maybe I’ll say hello. —Blondilocks
BREAKING NEWS: City loses in St. Pat’s-Alexandra case
I haven’t read the decision yet, but lawyer Ron Pink tells me the non-profits have won “on all counts.” Commentary in a bit. Read the decision here Related Stories
Does anyone know of a venue that would hold about 200 that possibly has a bar but allows outside catering?
My fiancé and I are looking for a venue that can hold about 200 people. Our preference would be to have a bar on site and bring in catering of our choice. I’m noticing that most venues try and do their own catering and we don’t want that. —Tracy
To all the random high school kids…
Who busted in on our awesome outdoor party and caused a bunch of drama that ended with the cops shutting it down… your karma is now terrible. Some of you seemed alright, but a bunch of bros making bets on which chick will win the fight is NOT the outcome we had in mind. You…
Visiting artist
Thank you for being so open and accepting. Thank you for taking what I tell you at face value without needing to find out on your own. Thank you for endorsing me with these here cheerleading holograms. Life will continue, as it should, like it’s always been. Amen. —What are You Selling? What are You…
Halifax mayoral candidates urged to address accessibility
Accessibility advocate Gus Reed sends the following letter to all five mayoral candidates: Dear Mr. Connors, Mr. Eisses, Mr. Mackie, Mr. Martin, Mr. McCormack and Mr. Savage, I am pleased to attach a petition with 142 signatures asking you to make accessibility a central theme of your campaign for Mayor of HRM and for you…
Tupper gals
Big shout out to the girls at Tupper Tims. You guys be ballin’! —Snack Time
Get fit!
Thinking about joining the gym? Well you might take a few moments to consider whether this is a good idea. I’m a member of a certain gym. My fees are through a payroll deduction at my workplace, and so the gym gets their money from me religiously same time every month, so I am living…
Bus stop etiquette
Here we go again. Fall in HRM and we the ridership have to breathe your stench! No I don’t mean body odour. I mean the second-hand smoke from your cigarettes either in the shelters or right outside, filling up the shelter. Orrrrr, just as bad is all the young dudes who think a little dab’ll…
Flash park comes to Halifax
The international Flash Park movement has arrived in Halifax. The flash park was set up by the folks working at Genivar, the engineering firm that designed the aborted streetscape renos planned for both Spring Garden and Quinpool Roads. Pictured above are, left to right, Scott Fash, Kourdash Rad and Greg Zwicker, all engineers at the…
The heart is cruel
It’s been months, you’re dating someone else, and so am I. My heart still aches when I think of you. I’m not sure if it’s because of the things we went through, (the regrets we will always have). You treated me badly (we just were so hard on each other because of what we went…
Dear ladies
If you see me on the dance floor with my eyes closed, head down and body swaying…please do not grab my hand, snapping me out of my trance or begin “sexy” dancing all up on me, making me uncomfortable. I love to dance. I do not want to be your new best gay boyfriend. —Private…
Two if by chance
To the man with the dreadlocks And the bright red socks Scooping a coffee at this hipster Dartmouth Cafe You totally made my day Just by wandering in While I was pondering sin And writing something badly You made me grin madly Keep on being your bad self. It works. —Still Writes on a Lap…
Smoking in the rain
Much love to the handsome Connecticut couple visiting Halifax who entertained me with their pleasant conversation last night while I waited for the bus. Thank you for stopping and asking me for a light, and thanks even more for staying. Buy a Zippo: it will more than pay for itself in friends and good company.…
Fit lady
To the incredibly fit woman walking her terrier on Dresden Row, you are a testament to women. Fantastic arms, by the way. Keep fit, and have fun! —Not So Fit Guy
Fairview flunkies
I have lived all over the HRM from north end Dartmouth, to Portland Estates, from north end Halifax to Bedford, to the south end and back again. I am currently in Fairview. Why does everyone here think they are a member of G-unit? Some pimply faced young white guy comes up to me and says…
Cut me off one
OK, seriously… can we get some arrows painted in the north/south lanes at Windsor and North and Windsor and Almon streets? some people just don’t know what to do and with no guidance at all, I’ll admit some days I don’t either. A little paint would bring a lot of clarity. —Grrrrr
Helpful bus driver
A big thank you to the wonderful bald bus driver wearing sunglasses today. I didn’t get your name, but you helped lighten my mood from a hard day at work. I quickly left my troubles at work when I stepped onto your bus to get home today. I asked you if another bus will take…
Annoying radio ad
Dude, all job losses are “damaging job losses.” And, whats up with the “Steven Harper’s government”? The last time I checked they were called the Government of Canada. —Most Annoyed at How Often I Have to Hear the Same Ad
Keep ‘er real
Dear film festival: overall, you’re wonderful. You even showed a full-length feature made by a local film prof. Great! However, do you think it might have been important to let potential viewers of the film know what they were getting into before they settled in for more than 100 minutes of long, still shots, loud…
Faith restored back to humanity
Today, up the street on Barrington, I witnessed an elderly man blown over in the wind and ended up falling in the middle of the street. Traffic was stopped by five young people so they could help the man back up on his feet and retrive his belongings that had blown in the wind all…
The life you save
Hey you!! All you freaking pedestrian idiots who have been playing Russian Roulette by bolting across the intersection of Spring Garden and Brunswick without even checking for vehicular traffic! On several occasions in the last week or so, I have seen almost a dozen people—already sprinting down the sidewalk —leap into traffic without so much…
Similar hearts
A past love introduced this little Coast gem to me. Almost daily I take time to read and enjoy the loves (not the bitches) that are sent from one east coaster to the other. I wanted to share something with you all. Two weeks ago I was reading this column from my father’s bedside—I waited…
WTF is up with volunteer firefighters?
What’s up with volunteer fire departments? We moved back to NS recently and decided to live on the outskirts of town, out in the country so to speak—with volunteer fire departments. First off I think it’s great that these institutions exist—they build a lot of community pride and ownership. But WTF is up with every…
Surf (film lineup)’s up!
September 27-30 surround yourself in beachy, watery goodness and cement your 2013 resolution to take up surfing with the Canadian Surf Film Festival in Halifax. Parties, hours of shorts and features, including the Canadian premieres of El Mar, Mi Alma, starring pro surfer and famed environmentalist Dave Rastovich in a visual love song to Chile;…
Sneaky
I never thought that I would meet someone so perfect and that I would have have so much fun falling for, especially at a bar in Halifax! I can’t wait for more tequila (hold the lemon) nights! You are the best thing to happen to me and I cannot wait to keep showing you how…
Congrats to the 32nd annual Atlantic Film Fest winners
So ends another AFF, with a bunch of happy film fans and even happier filmmakers. Lowlife’s win constituted a whopping two times their original budget and generous filmmakers Jason Buxton and Jeff Wheaton donated their prizes to Telefilm/Film Nova Scotia First Feature Project and the NSCAD Film Program, respectively. See how great the film business…
Made my brunch
Not only was your playing and singing at the Westin beautiful, but you were smiling the whole time. And you played a song just for my little girl! She talked about it the whole day. Thanks for making my Sunday! —One Happy Momma
Rotary drivers
If you are afraid of the rotary, DON’T DRIVE THROUGH THE ROTARY. Besides being very dangerous, it also holds everyone up. Please just take another route because you are going to cause an accident. —Frustrated Commuter
Movie treat
I left my change in my car and was short a dime while ordering yummy movie-going popcorn last night. A woman in the lineup overheard and quickly dug in her purse and saved me from being popcornless and craving while watching an film fest flick! Big high five to her! Karma’s got you covered. Cheers!…
Indian wedding venues
Hi, does anyone know of wedding venues that accomodate Indian style weddings ie. fire in the hall and Indian food? —Walias
You couldn’t do the job, get over it
I do the hiring at the company I work for. You posted a status on Facebook, saying you were looking for work. I later found out we were hiring for a position that was in your field. I ended up taking you on. Unfortunately, you didn’t work out. You weren’t catching on fast enough and…
Joined at the fucking hip!
You, me and our other girl friends have been tight for 5-10 years. Some of us are single, some of us have men. What part of GIRLS night out did you not understand? You were the only one who brought your stupid boyfriend along. One night, ONE FUCKING NIGHT, could you ever be away from…
Drag city
Since the 1500s, philosophers have explored theories of plate tectonics, positing that crust-topped lithospheres gently move under the earth’s surface over eons. For scientists, the theory explains topographical similarities between far-off geological locations. At the core of continental drift theory is the sense that distinct parts create a unified whole. Fast forward a few millennia…
Roller Town
Long-gestating, the feature film debut from beloved comedy troupe Picnicface has finally hit theatres. When arcade-pimping gangsters threaten his rink, and snobby prep school skaters disparage disco, roller-skating wonder Leo (Mark Little) must rally his funk to save the town and maybe get the girl (Kayla Lorette). Wisely, the 1970s satire is only a single…
Al right now
It’s CKDU funding drive season, which means a whack of daily events are coming your way for the next week or so. They’re kicking things off on an extremely high falsetto with an evening dedicated to the man, the legend, the godfather of musical parody—Weird Al Yankovic. Those of us with a slightly off sense…
Laugh pack
Women are allowed to vote, drive and have children out of wedlock, but is an all-female comedy show going too far? Local comedienne Andie Bulman doesn’t think so, and would probably object to the narrowness of the word “comedienne.” “All types of women can do all types of comedy and it doesn’t matter that they’re…
Five candidates vie for District 15 council seat
With the retirement of long-serving councillor Bob Harvey, the Lower Sackville council election promises to be a must-watch. All five candidates cite their long association with Sackville and collectively they have an impressive charitable record, working with non-profits and community organizations. I talked to four of the five Friday (Curt Wentzell didn’t return my call,…
Hawk soars
The Neptune Studio Theatre is transformed into a fabulous world of white and grey for Shahin Sayadi’s new play Hawk. It’s a set that enfolds the audience beneath fabric wings and provides the perfect backdrop for videoscapes by Nicholas Bottomley. Hawk is the story of a young Mi’kmaq man (played by Daniel Knight) who feels…
Diminished Fifth celebrates their sixth
It’s been six years of hard work for Josh Hogan and his Diminished Fifth Records. The reigning “Best Record Label” champ in The Coast’s Best of Music poll released their 22nd album this year (that’d be Lethal Waters from Black Moor, who’ll perform an acoustic set on Friday) and have a few more newbies waiting…
Jennah Barry
Nova Scotia’s astounding crop of female singer-songwriters keeps on giving. Jennah Barry arrives with a lively collection of songs recorded at the Old Confidence Lodge in Riverport. It sounds like the room is full of players, though not so dense that timely “wooo-oo-ooh”s by Barry won’t considerably sweeten a tune. Icy of heart, “they fight…
End of Watch
From the writer of Training Day comes this gritty look at the day-to-day operations of two street cops in south-central L.A. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as a hot shot beat officer who decides to record his operations for a film class, much to the chagrin of loyal partner Michael Peña. The found footage style even extends…
Shadow Folk
Shadow Folk are shadowy folk indeed. The band’s website has no indication of who’s in the group, but most websites state its a quartet…maybe. A little bit of mystery is always appreciated in today’s age of information overload, and it’s the mystery that highlights the sonic beauty of the four-track debut, Green Window. The vocals…
Tiny bubbles, big waves
When Jean-Benoit Deslauriers came to Benjamin Bridge winery in Wolfville from California in 2008, he had an interest in working with the owners, the McConnell-Gordon family, but he didn’t imagine he’d have a winemaker’s dream job. “It was hard to predict the extent to which I would be empowered to do whatever it takes to…
Club Stoic
Clocking in at under 24 minutes, Club Stoic’s Sticky EP is a brain melting affair. It’s a trippy electronic adventure through a hazy neon dreamworld, infused with notes of Jazz and Ambient Electronica. “Light Pollution” feels like the dawn after a long twisted night, but slowly reveals itself to be something of a nightmarish mirage which…
Running out the clock
Q Healthy straight male here. The problem is twofold: My girlfriend doesn’t like come in her mouth and she feels that doggy-style is objectifying to women. Therefore, we don’t do either. She says she wants to get more comfortable and try these things. But they never seem to happen—and when I bring them up, it…
The Stanfields
Following one of the most rousing debuts by anybody anywhere, Vanguard of the Young and Reckless, Nova Scotia’s Stanfields keep their foot on the gas with the new album Death and Taxes. Producer Mike Fraser (Bryan Adams, AC/DC), with his smooth Vancouver layers, manages to let Scottish lilt and Ramonesian drive burn through. Along with…
Free Will Astrology
Happy Birthday! VIRGO (August 23-September 22) Want to submit a letter to the editor of a major newspaper? The odds of you getting published in the influential Washington Post are almost three times as great as in the super-influential New York Times. The Post has a much smaller circulation, so your thoughts there won’t have…
Mathew Henderson’s prairie poems
Mathew Henderson has spent about 32 months of his life in Alberta’s oil fields. The PEI-raised poet worked away the summers after high school and in between years of university, and while at the time it all felt less than inspiring, eventually those exhausting months became the unlikely muse for haunting, yet beautiful poetry. “I…
Let it flow
Thanks to some encouraging words from Nova Scotia’s finance minister and a major grassroots movement, Nova Scotia’s wines may soon be able to find a greater audience. by Craig Pinhey If you truly love Canadian wine, the recent comments by Nova Scotia’s finance minister Maureen MacDonald might have you chanting “free my grapes!” MacDonald indicated…
Wrapped in The Vines of Niklah
The quiet simplicity of rural life is on full display in Tarek Abouamin’s The Vines of Niklah. Known for his award-winning cinematography, Abouamin traveled to his father’s native home in Tanta and Sharqiya, Egypt to document rural life. The photos, taken shortly before Arab Spring came to Egypt in 2009, showcase the vibrancy and beauty…
Wolfville’s wine magic
It’s a sunny, late-summer Sunday morning. The sky is as clear as a glass of L’Acadie Blanc, and I’m on my way to Wolfville to hop on a double-decker bus that will cart me through Nova Scotia wine country: the Wolfville Magic Winery Bus tour. Part of the Nova Scotia Fall Wines Festival, the Ambassatours…
New Super Mario Bros. 2
Mario, maybe you’ve heard of him? Italian guy with a moustache and red hat? He’s back, again. And it’s fun, again. But I’ll be honest, it’s starting to feel a bit tired. You play as Mario, jumping around platforms and squashing goombas. There’s a certain serene simplicity about it that makes it incredibly joyful and…
Tuxedo Stan wins the campaign graphic contest
It sort of has an old-school worker solidarity kind of feel to it, I think. Either that, or full-on fascist….
Granny McNab’s handmade soaps
Granny McNab’s, previously known as One Stop Wood Shop, is adding homemade beauty products to their repertoire. Located in Bishop’s Landing (1475 Lower Water Street, 209-2731), Granny McNab’s offers fifteen different varieties of homemade soaps, including lavendar, Mocha morning, lemon poppyseed and even one named the Coast. Hmm. How about that. The soaps are all…
The House At The End Of The Street
If you want a film with split personalities, try the long-winded and long titled The House at the End of the Street. Cool teenager Elissa (a rightfully aloft Jennifer Lawrence) and her mother Elizabeth Shue have moved to a new town and into a secluded house tucked away in the woods. Their nearest neighbour happens…
Summerside Wind
Wind is an intriguing power source that hasn’t lived up to its potential. Too unpredictable. Too much fear of noise, flicker and bird corpses. But a study published in Nature on September 9 indicates that, globally, near-surface winds could give us 20 times our current energy demand, with an environmental impact infinitesimally smaller than our…
Trouble with the Curve
Clint Eastwood is old, and trying to teach these young people with their computers a lesson, in the fussy but endearing baseball comedy, Trouble with the Curve. An septuagenarian scout for the Atlanta Braves, Eastwood’s failing eyesight might soon force his retirement. So, begrudgingly he brings his distant lawyer daughter (a pleasant Amy Adams) on…
Tough competition
Sommelier Véronique Rivest approaches the table and asks for the judges’ order. They respond with a request for a full tasting menu, with wines for each course, but they add an odd requirement: the wines must come from different countries, all of which have to have hosted the World Sommelier competition. It’s a bizarre request…
Dredd
Judge Dredd is just having one of those days, wherein a routine triple-homicide turns into full-on death trap. Part of the elite team of badass lawmen patrolling the unending dystopia of Mega-City One, the perpetually masked and gravel-voiced Dredd (Karl Urban) is saddled with training a rookie psychic (Oliva Thirlby) when the two end up…
Candidates’ debate for District 8: Peninsula North
Announcing: Council candidates debate for District 8 — Peninsula North,br> Thursday, September 27, 6:30pm, Halifax North Memorial Libary Candidates: Dawn Sloan Jennifer Watts Doug MacDonald Karen Dempsey James McKay Hosted by: The Coast Moderated by: Tim Bousquet, news editor Questions from the floor are welcome and encouraged Free to all.
Art rock
When you think of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, chances are music isn’t the first thing that pops into your mind. But two years ago when it came time to plan the school’s 125-year anniversary, it became apparent to Linda Hutchison, Director of University Relations, and Peter Wünsch, President of NSCAD’s Alumni…
Five for fall
Avondale Sky Lavender: This is a fruity rosé that goes really well with chocolate. If the thought of lavender gives you any hesitation, don’t let it; you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the enticing aroma and finish. Petite Rivière Sur Lie: Somewhat of an acquired taste, Sur Lie is, in my opinion, the white wine equivalent…
