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Jul 13–19, 2012 • Pass it on
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Record Number Employed Resource Industries Drive Growth In SK P2
Belle Plain
Prairie Singer Talks 1940’s Appeal P10
Ness Creek Music Festival
Get Ready To Enjoy Some Great Live Music P6
Ice Age: Continental Drift This Franchise Needs To Become Extinct P15
THE
BESNARD LAKES Montreal Rockers On Experimentation, And Keeping Music Accessible P9
Photo: courtesy of the artist
Section Local Page 2
Jul 13–19, ‘12 VerbNews.com
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SK Hits New Record Number Of Employed
Resource Industries Driving Growth, Opposition Eyes Rising Unemployment Alex J MacPherson
regina, SK — Saskatchewan’s population is swelling, and so is the number of people working. In fact, more people have jobs now than at any time in provincial history — a fact the government says is seriously good news. “What stands out is the fact that we’re getting strong attention from outside the province,” says Alastair MacFadden, executive director labour market policy and program development at Saskatchewan Ministry of the Economy. “For people thinking of coming here, they can see that there is a
future in this province.” a corollary of overall growth. MacFadden says that “at a basic “If the population grows faster level” it’s fair to say that job growth than the economy can absorb those is an indicator of economic vitality. people, you see changes in the Last month, 548,900 Saskatch- unemployment rate,” he explains, ewan residents had jobs, over 82 noting that many people come to percent of which Saskatchewan were full-tine posi- “We’re competing in a without a job tions. offer. global market for talent About 13,300 now.” M acFadden jobs have been says he doesn’t -Alastair MacFadden think a trend is created since last June, according to Statistics Canada. developing, but he does agree The unemployment rate, which that more can always be done to at 4.5 percent is substantially lower connect people with jobs. than the national average, is growHe cites a 13 percent increase in ing. MacFadden isn’t worried; he traffic on SaskJobs.ca, the governsees growth in unemployment as ment job search website, as a starting point: “When the worker from outside Saskatchewan can connect with those job opportunities, and arrives here with a job, that helps to support the employment rate.” At the same time, MacFadden says similar growth in Alberta and Manitoba means Saskatchewan must “distinguish itself as the destination of choice.” “We’re competing in a global market for talent now,” he explains. “People need to see our employers as the employers of choice and they need to see our province as the destination of choice.” It is no secret that much of Saskatchewan’s wealth is derived from resource revenue, but MacFadden points out that primary industries require support from all sectors of the economy. You don’t have success in minerals or petroleum, he says, without support from other professions like accountants, scientists and food
service workers. Cam Broten, opposition critic for advanced education employment, is concerned about the rising unemployment figure. The number of unemployed people has risen by 1,700 since last June, to 25,600, he says, adding that it’s important to remember the individuals. “Those are actual people,” he says. “I think it’s important to remember the actual families. Over the last few months it’s good to see increases in job growth, but when we look at the overall picture [the government] has been having concerns along the way.”
Broten is worried that the province’s reputation is suffering abroad. He says recent changes to the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program, which is intended to bring foreign workers into the province, have left the initiative “gutted”. “Word of those actions does indeed spread to…people who might be moving to Saskatchewan from other provinces,” he says. “It’ll be interesting to see what role those changes, which I think are short-sighted, may in fact have when we look at the numbers in the coming months,” he says. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.
Section Local Page 3
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Problem Drinking Reduced By Price Hike
Charging More For High-Alcohol Products Lessens Healthcare, Policing Costs Alex J MacPherson
regina, SK — A provincial government policy that raised the price of several high-alcohol products appears to be influencing problem drinking, the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) says. On April 1st, 2010, the government implemented a “social reference price” policy, a price floor established for different types of alcohol. Meant to curb abuse of high-alcohol products with low wholesale prices, the social reference price is based on the volume
of alcohol in a given product. Other “high-risk” products. High-alcohol provinces have social reference beer sales have fallen dramatically prices, but Saskatchewan is the since the increase, from 534,700 only one to link litres sold in the alcohol content “I think a lot of provinces 2009/2010 fiscal and price. In to- and territories can learn year, to 109,600 lital, 34 products from [this].” tres in 2011/2012. — mainly malt Sales of miscel-Colleen Dell l a n e o u s w i n e liquor and cheap wine — were affected, with prices products like sherry also took a growing by as much as 40 percent. nosedive, dropping from 299,700 “What we’re trying to do is miti- litres in 2009/2010 to 203,500 litres gate the harm,” Jim Engel, SLGA in 2011/2012. vice-president of policy and plan“When you reduce the amount ning, told the StarPhoenix. of pure alcohol consumption … SLGA’s figures suggest the price all the negative consequences are hike created a slump in sales of reduced,” Engel said.
Engel stated these consequences include the cost of healthcare, policing and domestic violence. Colleen Dell, research chair in substance abuse at the University of Saskatchewan, thinks the price increase will be a deterrent. Noting that binge drinking can have very serious consequences, Dell says most people won’t dish out the money to pay for the higher alcohol content. “Why should you be getting larger amounts of alcohol for [less] money?” she says, adding that alcohol abuse costs Canadian taxpayers upwards of $18 billion each year, a
figure that includes lost productivity and healthcare. “I’m really happy with [this change] because … we have created change based on evidence, not based on ideology.” While critics of the policy have claimed that there does not appear to be a correlation between the volume of sales and the actual consumption of the liquor, Dell points out that the numbers are still encouraging. “I think a lot of provinces and territories can learn from [this],” she says. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.
Section Global
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House Pets Keep Babies Healthy Adam Hawboldt
fewer respiratory issues and ear infections. Kuopio, Finland — There are What’s more, when they did get some excellent reasons to own a sick, they needed less medication pet. They’re cute, loyal, they make than the other infants. great companions and are an endOutdoor dogs were the best for less source of amusement. keeping kids healthy, followed by Oh, and they also make your indoor dogs and then cats. children healthier. “ We specuA recent study “The microbes in the dirt lated that the out of Finland [in a pet’s coat] might more the dog is found that chil- somehow stimulate the outside, the more dren born into dir t (and mi families with a cat child’s immune system…” crobes) it might -Eija Bergoroth bring inside,” says or dog seem to be better able to ward off certain ill- Dr. Eija Bergoroth, a pediatrician nesses than kids reared in pet-less involved with the study. families. “The microbes in the dirt might The study, published in next somehow stimulate the child’s immonth’s issue of Pediatrics, followed mune system and the immunologic 397 children from before birth up responses to respiratory viruses and until they were one year old, not- bacteria later could then be more ing how many times they came in composed,” said Bergroth. contact with their family dog or cat “Or it might be something to do each week. with the dog itself as an animal, like The kids who had the most in- dander, but this also unsure.” teraction with these animals had Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.
‘Air Quotes’ Least Popular
Gesture Voted Most Annoying In British Poll Adam Hawboldt
Worcester, ENGLAND — Do air quotes drive you crazy? You know, when people curl their index and middle fingers to make imaginary quotation marks to emphasize a point or to be sarcastic. If you can’t stand them, you’re not alone. In a recent survey conducted in
“Some [gestures] can be seen as patronizing or unnecessarily dramatic…”
-Ventutec Limited England, air quotes were named the most irritating hand gesture used in daily communication. It finished ahead of “talk to the hand” (when someone extends their hand, open palm forward,
while looking away), “mind your own business” (touching a finger to one’s nose) and “blah blah blah” (when someone imitates a chatty mouth with their hand, like a sock puppet talking). “We all use hand gestures to express ourselves from time to time and some have a stronger place in our daily communication than others,” says a spokesperson for Ventutec Limited, the software developer that commissioned the study. “Some can be seen as patronizing or unnecessarily dramatic,
which is probably why so many of us find them a little tedious.” The study, which asked 2,000 Britons about the most irsksome non-obscene gestures, found that one in four people tried to avoid using hand gestures. What’s more, a third of those poled said they were less likely to trust someone who uses too many hand gestures. “Using too many [gestures] or simply some of the more annoying ones is a sure-fire way to losing credibility,” adds the spokesperson. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.
Global At A Glance Smart Headlights — Anyone who as ever driven through a heavy rain or snow storm knows how frustrating and treacherous the white-knuckled experience can be. But very soon things may be different. That’s because researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute have developed a new “smart headlight” that uses a sensor
and thousands of tiny mirrors to only shine light between drops of precipitation lessening glare and greatly improving visibility. “If you’re driving in a thunderstorm, the smart headlights will make it seem like a drizzle,“ says Srinivasa Narasimhan, associate professor of robotics at the institute. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.
Section Global
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Learning Skills While You Sleep Possible: Study Adam Hawboldt Evanston, IL — It turns out the concept of “learning in your sleep” isn’t science fiction after all. In a study at Northwestern University in Illinois, participants
Breast Size Gene
Researchers Identify DNA Link Adam Hawboldt
to survey questions that included their bra cup size and band size. Mountain View, CA — ReThe results showed a link, and searchers have identified seven the scientists also noted that two genetic markers that are intri- of the seven genetic markers for cately linked to a woman’s breast breast size have previously been size. linked to breast cancer. It has long been known that This suggests, at least to lead breast size is, in part, passed down researcher Nicholas Erikkson, that from generation some of the same to generation. “[L]arger breast size p athways that However, this is associated with an determine breast research is the increased risk of breast growth also defirst to locate termine breast specific genetic cancer…” cancer. -Adam Hawboldt factors that apPrevious studpear to determine the size of a ies have found that larger breast woman’s breasts. size is associated with an increased The study, conducted by ge- risk of breast cancer — especially netic testing company 23andMe, in lean women. analyzed genetic data from 16,175 The study has been published females of European ancestry. online in the journal BMC Medical The researchers then compared Genetics. the data to the women’s answers Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.
Global At A Glance Crime Predictor — Police in Santa
Cruz are using technology to help them predict crimes. No, it isn’t as sophisticated and as morally questionable as the technology used in the movie Minority Report. The program is called PredPoli, and it calculates its crime forecasts by taking times and locations of previous
crimes and cross-referencing them with sociological information about criminal behavior and patterns. Cops then get a map of the city marked with small red squares indicating the 500 by 500 foot zones in which each type of crime is likely to occur. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.
learned how to play two artificially generated musical tunes with welltimed key presses. Then, while the participants took a 90-minute nap, researchers softly played them one of the tunes they’d practiced. After waking, participants made
fewer errors when playing the tune they heard while they slept. “Our results [show] that external stimulation during sleep can influence a complex skill,” says study author Ken A. Paller. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.
Feature
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Ness Creek Festival Celebrates 22 Years
Annual Event Features Great Live Music, Eco Village, Focus On Sustainability Sebastien Dangerfield
Regina, sk — The first time Jaki French attended the Ness Creek music festival she knew it was special. “It was the community engagement,” explains French. “Even though it’s a large event, the first time I went there it still felt like one big community.” That first visit came back in 1994. Now, 18 years later, French is the festival’s administrative director and says the festival has remained true to its roots. “When it began, it was called the Ecological Fair, which was basically
“[T]he first time I went [to Ness Creek] it still felt like one big community.”
-Jaki French a bunch of people who came together, held ecological workshops, had music,” says French. Now in its 22nd year, the festival may be called something different and may be much, much bigger, but the same ethos that started it all still governs the event. “We have an eco village where vendors share different sustainable products and services. We also have a green dream team, where we partnered with Affinity Credit Union to look at educational and practical greening initiatives for the festival — from recycling to composting,” explains French. “Part of the identity of the festival is that it’s in the boreal forest. We have a strong ecological bent
Photos: courtesy of D. Gale & J. McKnight
because we want to protect that part of the forest and make our impact as light as it can be.”
Not only do organizers want to limit their environment impact, they also want to promote wellness,
sustainability and excellent music. So on the music side of things they’ve put together a formidable lineup that consists of acts such as Whitehorse, Castle River, We Were Lovers, Belle Plaine and Indigo Joseph, to name just a few. The last name on that list — Indigo Joseph — is an up-and-coming rock band from Regina. And like French nearly two decades before, this will be the first trip to Ness Creek for the talented quartet. “Never played and never been,” says drummer Eric Tessier. “But in both cases we’re very excited. We have a lot of friends who’ve gone over the years, and, increasingly, we’ve been hearing more and more great things about it. It’s for sure going to be the highlight of our summer.” Also like French, the guys in Indigo Joseph understands the
inherent closeness and togetherness that’s fostered at Ness Creek. “From what we can tell it’s very much a community,” says Tessier. “It’s a great chance to meet people up close and personal. At a festival like this you’re there overnight, usually. People are all camping together, sitting around fires listening to music and sharing stories. In a setting like that, you really have a chance to get to know the people you’re playing with better, other bands and fans. Festivals are the greatest thing for both musicians and music fans a like.” So if you’re interested in attending the this year’s Ness Creek Music Festival (which, by the way, is held in Big River and runs from July 19th to the 22nd) visit the website at www. nesscreek.com. There you’ll find tickets, information about all the different musical acts, and more. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.
Offbeat
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Drunk Cows Give Better Beef Adam Hawboldt
Drive-A-Tank Business
Pay Some Cash, Crush Cars And Mobile Homes Adam Hawboldt
K asota, Minnesota — Quick question: How much would you pay to shoot a machine gun, then hop in a tank and drive around destroying things? If you go to Minnesota-based company Drive-A-Tank, the price you pay will depend on what it is you want to destroy. For instance, if you want to test three guns at an indoor range then drive a tank and an armoured personnel carrier in a battle simulation, that’ll cost you $549. To crush a junk car with the tank,
it’s an extra $549. To drive over two Tony Borglum told ABCNews.com. cars costs an extra $749. “It’s not real complicated. If you And for those of you with some want to drive a tank and shoot maextra dough, you can pay $3,500 chine guns you come to us.” and drive the tank The 25-yearstraight through “If you want to drive a old opened the the side of a mo- tank and shoot machine business three bile home. years ago, and is guns you come to us.=” Located on a now the owner -Tony Borglum of 11 Cold War20-acre site about 80 kilometres outside of Minneapo- era vehicles and a wide array of lis, Drive-A-Tank provides a service historic machine guns. that you don’t see every day. And business is booming, with “It’s the only place in the world nearly a third of the available dates where you can drive tanks and between now and October already shoot machine guns that isn’t fully booked. owned by the government,” owner Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.
World’s Oldest Purse Unearthed In Germany Adam Hawboldt
Leipzig, Germany — Excavators have recently unearthed what could be the world’s oldest purse in a grave dated between 2,500 and 2,200 B.C. Diggers preparing the area to become a mine found more than a hundred dog teeth in a small grid. “Over the years the leather or fabric disappeared, and all that’s
Offbeat At A Glance Edible Crickets — Would you eat an
energy bar made from crickets? Pat Crowley, owner of a company called Chapul, is betting you will. The new snacks are made from baked crickets that are ground up into a powder and then mixed with other ingredients. So far there are two flavours: peanut butter and chocolate; and a Thai-inspired ginger, coconut and lime bar. The process by which the bars are made is derived from the ancient Aztecs, who used crickets as part of their diet. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.
left is the teeth,” says archaeologist Susanne Friedrich. “They’re all pointing in the same
“[The artifact] looks a lot like a modern handbag flap.”
-Susanne Friedrich direction, so it looks a lot like a modern handbag flap.” Other archeological treasures
from the site include Stone and Bronze Age settlements, hundreds of stone spear points, tools, ceramics, buttons and an amber necklace. As rare as the purse may be, it appears dogs were very common in Stone Age Europe. Researchers say the number of teeth located in graves from that era suggests that dogs were kept as livestock as well as pets. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.
litre-and-a-half a day.” After first giving the cows a simLunel-Viel, France — Lucky ple mixture of grapes and water, cows on a farm in France are en- their daily libations were upgraded joying two bottles of high quality to bottles of wine from Saint-Genies wine per day, as farmers attempt des Mourgues — a village near to create the best beef in Europe. Montpellier renowned for its vino. Farmer JeanThe resulting Charles Tastavy “[The meat] has a very meat is delicious, says the diet leads special texture — according to to “happy cows” beautiful, marbled and Michelin-Starred who produce an c h e f, L a u r e n t e x c e p t i o n a l l y tender…” Pourcel. -Laurent Pourcel succulent meat “It has a very dubbed “Vinbovin”. special texture — beautiful, “For each animal, alcohol intake marbled and tender, and which should be equivalent to the amount caramelizes during cooking,” he recommended by health authori- explains. ties for a man - namely two or three The only real downside of vinboglasses of wine a day,” says Tastavy. vin is its price, as a prime cut sells for “In the case of cows, this over $120 more than regular meat. amounts to between a litre and a Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.
Music
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offers its patrons a chance to share the stage. 8pm, McNally’s Tavern. No cover. The MacEvoy’s — This local four piece play an interesting mix of cover songs you’ll be singing along to. Come out and enjoy the music. 9pm, O’Hanlon’s Pub. No cover.
(NEXT WEEK) PORT NOISE @ THE EXCHANGE — Consisting of Angus Liv-
ingstone, Andrew Strilchuk, Matthew Garthson and Chris Johnston, this local four-piece plays a brand of hard rock/ alternative this is as catchy as it is inyour-face. Port Noise was formed in 2008, underwent some transformation
Friday 13
DJ Pat & DJ Kim — Local DJs spin Top 40 hits every Friday night that are sure to get you on the dance floor. 9pm,Habano’s Martini & Cocktail Club. $5 at the door. Alain Lalonde — Come check out this dope local DJ/producer as he does his thing and spins the kind of sound that’ll make you wanna dance. 7pm, The Hookah Lounge. No cover.
Dan Silljer Band — This local left-handed guitarist and his band will knock (and rock) your socks off. 10pm, McNally’s Tavern. Cover $5.
Photo: courtesy of the artist
and membership shift, and arrived at its current form in 2009. Since then, they’ve been refining their craft, working on their live shows and looking onward and upward. They’ll be doing their thing at the Exchange on July 20th. Tickets TBD. -Adam Hawboldt. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.
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(NEXT WEEK) WAX MANNEQUIN @ O’HANLON’S Pub — To say that Wax
Mannequin’s lyrics are incredibly good would be a gross understatement. His voice and his vision are very much his own, and his live show, well, it’s often a riotous affair that has been honed over time. Any way you slice it, this
Wednesday Night Folk — Featuring Flying Fox and the Hunter Gatherers, one of Winnipeg’s must see musical acts returns for an encore Tara Dawn Solheim performance. 9pm, Bush- Band — This Regina-based DJ Noor — Born in Kuwait wakker Brewpub. No cover. talent puts on a diverse and and exposed to the internaunique vocal performance tional club scene at a young The Two Tubes — These you won’t soon forget. age, this talented DJ knows hard-rocking locals play mu- Having started on stage as how to rock a crowd. 7pm, sic that’s loud and in-your- a spoken word artist and The Hookah Lounge. Cover face. 7:30pm, The Exchange. poet, Tara Dawn leapt head$5. Tickets $10 at the door. first into the music scene Drewski — Come on Jam Night/Open Stage while living in Japan. Over down and dance the night — Feel like listening to peo- the course of a handful of away with this local DJ, do- ple jam? How about playing years, she performed with ing what he does best every music? Come on down. The a number of bands: TaranSaturday night. 9pm, Pure instruments are supplied. tula (blues/early rock), =7 (Japanese jazz/rock), Mac’s Ultra Lounge. Cover $5. 9pm, McNally’s Tavern. No Blues (blues), and The DNT cover. (hip hop). 8:30pm, McNally’s Tavern. Cover $5
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Monday 16
Monday Night Jazz — Featuring Shane Reoch, classic blues from Regina’s friendliest bluesman. 8pm, Bushwakker Brewpub. No Albert — Appearing ev- cover. ery Friday night, come listen to Albert as he does his spinning thing. 10pm, Pure Ultra Lounge. Cover $5. Living with Lions, Daytrader, Major League The Steve Brockley — If you like punk music — Band — After winning over whether it be punk rock, pop audiences in Montreal, this punk, post punk, whatever wildly talented folk trio is — you probably won’t want hitting the road again to to miss this show. 6pm, The show Canada what it’s been Exchange. Tickets $15, availmissing. Also appearing will able at www.ticketedge.ca be local band Black Drink Crier. 9pm, O’Hanlon’s Pub. Karaoke Tuesday — Famous live music venue No cover.
Tuesday 17
Photo: courtesy of the artist
singer-songwriter (also known as Chris Adeney) from Hamilton is one of a kind. He’ll be in town with his strange folk sound on July 24th at O’Hanlon’s where his wry wit, morose observations and beautiful melodic cadences will be on full display. No cover. -Adam Hawboldt. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.
Trick Ryder takes the stage. 9pm, The Pump Roadhouse. Tickets TBD.
Alex Runions — This Regina-based urban country rocker’s star is on the rise. In 2009 he released his selftitled debut album and since then things have been looking up. In fact, Runions has been nominated for three Saskatchewan Country Music Awards and was a finalist in the 2011 Canadian Radio Star Competition. Come check out his heart-felt, melody driven version of urban country music. 8pm, Trick Ryder — Come Whiskey Saloon. Cover $5. Nazareth — Chances are listen to all your favourite Want your show listed? you’ve heard the song “Love country and rock hits when Email layout@verbnews.com! Hurts,” so chances are you know exactly who these hard-rockers from Scotland are. Don’t miss the show. 8pm, Casino Regina. Tickets $35–40, available at www. casinoregina.com, at the Show Lounge box office or by calling 565-3000.
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PS Fresh — DJ Ageless started spinning in Montreal, DJ Drewski started in Saskatoon. They both landed in Regina and have come together to sling some bomb beats. 7pm, The Hookah Lounge. No cover.
(COMING UP) BOYZ II MEN @ CASINO REGINA — To say that Boyz II Men were
“kind of” a big deal in the ‘90s is kind of like saying Gordie Howe was “kind of” a good hockey player. With four Grammys and the longest running #1 single in Billboard history (“One Sweet Day”, with Mariah Carey), this R&B group
Photo: courtesy of the artist
from Philly have had a wildly successful career. Original member Michael McCary had to leave the group in ‘03 due to health issues, but the other three will be at the Casino Regina on October 26th. Tickets $60–65 (www.casinoregina. com) -Adam Hawboldt. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.
Arts One
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Besnard Lakes Epitomize Montreal Sound
Photo: courtesy of the artist, zioWoody , Andrew Dubber, and Pierre-Hugues Carmichael
Regina-Born Frontman Loves Experimental Edge, But Keeps Music Accessible Alex J MacPherson
Regina, SK — Some bands are so closely tied to a city, or the idea of a city, that one could not exist without the other. Imagine Wilco without Chicago or the Hold Steady without the Twin Cities: impossible. The same holds true for the Besnard Lakes and Montreal — they are inextricably, inexorably linked. Jace Lasek, who with his wife Olga Goreas forms the creative heart of the band, was surprised when I asked him about how his group has come to exemplify the Montreal sound. “Oh wow,” he said, adding that he had “absolutely not” thought about the relationship between his band and the city’s sound. “It’s funny because basically we called the second record Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse because back in 2007 we were watching all of our friends become successful and go out and tour. Montreal was sort of the hip, happening place to check out new bands, and we were just totally getting overlooked — nobody was giving a sh*t or paying attention to us.” To illustrate, he told me a story from the band’s early days: “We went out and toured with the Unicorns in 2004, 2005, and they had just taken out the Arcade Fire, and the Arcade Fire totally blew up. It was like, ‘we’re going to take you guys out and you’ll get totally
famous.’ [But] people were hating and pop — big guitars! tube amps! it, absolutely despising us on tour. — with spacey synthesizers and To think that we are actually influ- rolling waves of sound, the band encing the Montreal music scene has carved out a niche somewhere is really surprising to me.” between straightforward rock and Surprising or not, the band’s post-structuralist experimentalsound has slowly aligned itself with ism. And that’s exactly what you’d the city. Their first record, Volume 1, expect from one of the country’s was appreciated most vibrant and by some and ig- “I love pop music and I progressive cities. nored by many; love rock and roll [but] Lasek agrees only 1,000 copies I want to do something that this might were produced. not be possible Their sopho- that skews it...” anywhere else, -Jace Lasek as the balancing more effort, Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse, fared point in Montreal is canted toward better. It was, by comparison, a experimental music. smashing success. At the same time, however, he’s Welding driving rock guitars and careful to avoid alienating anyone drums to what Lasek calls “the long with the “weird” stuff by incorporatsort of atmospheric sh*t that we ing pop and rock structures. do,” Dark Horse captures a band “We’re by no means the most discovering its sound. That sound experimental band in the world,” encapsulates everything that is he laughs. “I think we’re part of that good and right about their city. mentality, where even though in my “I think maybe the thing that heart I love pop music and I love links Montreal music is the experi- rock and roll I want to do something mentalism,” Lasek muses. “It’s al- that skews it, just a little bit. I still most like a mandate [to] do some- wrestle with the idea…to be able to thing different and strange and throw in a little bit of atmospheric weird.” stuff satisfies my curiosity.” “There’s such a rich history of Lasek later told me that he experimental music in Montreal. would love to do a record of “just People in Montreal who are either organ drones.” That he hasn’t is a from here or moved here feel like testament to the strength of his they have to have some experimen- songwriting (and life) partnership. tal mandate to push music forward.” He and Goreas are among the This sums up what the band’s most accessible of the resurgent latest projects, Roaring Night and quasi-experimental movement bea soundtrack-cum-EP called You cause they achieve balance. Their Lived in the City, are about. Blend- songs are grounded in familiar ideas ing Lasek’s congenital love of rock and adorned with flourishes and
expansive ideas. It wouldn’t be the same if it was the other way round. At the same time, however, the Besnard Lakes are far from huge. They are not the Arcade Fire, but you’d never know it from the quality of their records, especially considering that Lasek says he is interested in making music, not selling records. He told me that he wants to make music for as long as he can, that he has no intention of stopping the thing that brings him the most joy. It would have been criminal, by the way, to not ask about the band’s Saskatchewan connection. Actually,
this was the first question I asked Lasek, who grew up in Regina. He told me that the band is named for a lake in northeastern Saskatchewan because he and Goreas love going there, just to get away from it all. And then, when they’re ready, they come crashing home with waves of sound and light and joy. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.
Event Info
The Besnard Lakes Where: Ness Creek Music Festival When: Jul 19 - 22 Cost: $30 - $50
American Duo Keeps Heartland Bluegrass Alive
ArtsSect &C
Alex J Macpherson
Regina, SK — Gillian Welch and David Rawlings are, surprisingly, controversial figures. Some people see the pair of bluegrass musicians as crusaders, champions of a vital part of American culture. Others regard them as usurpers, transplants to Nashville bent on co-opting sacred Appalachian music for their own purposes. But, as Rawlings told The New Yorker in 2004, Hemingway wrote The Old Man and the Sea and he wasn’t a commercial fisherman or from Cuba. “We have this reputation, happily at this point, of being a band that you come to listen to,” Welch tells Acoustic Guitar. “We’re not a party band, which is OK. Our shows are something different. Each person comes to have this musical experience, this moment with us, where they get to sink into our world for a little while.” Welch and Rawlings are partners, onstage and off. Welding their experiences to enduring bits and pieces of Americana — bluegrass, country, Appalachian music, and early rock and roll — they have spent more than a decade creating a world populated by drinkers and addicts, soldiers and criminals, they’re not exactly anything,” she reckless rich folks and poor people says. who can’t catch a break. “I guess every artist feels that Excluding the blues, no music no one else really does what they is more deeply connected to the do,” Welch continues, “but I cerAmerican ethic than bluegrass. tainly feel like if we don’t do this, it’s Bluegrass music not gonna exist tells the stories “[T]he record seems to be anywhere. When more glamorous addressing a sense of loss we were kind of forms eschew. for those that people are feeling as silent But Welch isn’t half dozen years, quite sure what to Americans right now.” a couple of artists -Gillian Welch friends took me call the music she makes with Rawlings: “Our songs aside and said, as a way of being walk this funny line between being creative cheerleaders, ‘You just have modern and traditional, country to make another record, you just and rock, confessional and narra- have to do it.’” tive. They’re hard to pigeonhole. When, as Welch says, “all this They’re not exactly bluegrass, creative encouragement ganged
Five Qs With Bell Photo: courtesy of Mark Seliger0
up on us,” she and Rawlings made another record — The Harrow & The Harvest. It captures Welch and Rawlings at their peak, both as artists and as human beings. And it stands for everything American art ought to stand for. Rendered lifelike and heartbreakingly potent by the power of two voices and two guitars, these characters represent narrow slices of a nation and its values. Welch and Rawlings write songs that, like a heaving chest, chart the rising and falling of America herself. “When we put a record there out into the world, it’s always interesting to see what the more macro view is of it,” Welch says of the 2011 album, her first in eight years. “I’m getting a sense that the record seems to be addressing a sense of loss that people are feeling as Americans right now. They feel our star fading a bit.” Writing in The New Yorker, Alec Wilkinson argues that their music “is at once innovative and obliquely reminiscent of past rural farms.” This is important because if anything captures the greatness of American art, it is that tension between tradition and innovation, conservative restraint and progressive ardour. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.
Prairie Songstress Talks ‘40s Appeal Alex J MacPherson
written to reflect a swing era, a 1940’s Peggy Lee musicality. That Belle Plaine has been every- came down to the type of ensemble where and seen it all. After studying we chose. I’ve heard that the quality jazz at Grant MacEwan University of my voice is something that lends in Edmonton she worked at a re- that nostalgic feel to things, but I’m cording studio before attending too close to it to really make sense university in Victoria. Then she took of that comment. off for Australia, where she waitAJM: What is it about the ‘40s that ressed at a series appeals to you? of dodgy restau- “[T]he way that I perform MH: I think it rants before mov- now is often in people’s was just an aping home to Sas- homes.” proach. It was a katchewan. And time where you -Belle Plaine could play the through it all Belle Plaine, whose real name is Melanie same club six nights in a row. And Hankewich, wrote and performed people would come, dress up, go music. Evoking a certain nostalgia, out for dinner, listen to music. There Hankewich’s latest record, Notes was an appreciation for that kind from a Waitress, offers a contem- of entertainment that doesn’t really porary take on swing jazz from the exist in most urban centres. There’s ‘40s. It sums up her view of music in a few places where it happens, but spectacular fashion; it is a yearning … it went out of fashion 20 years for the past and a hint of possibility. ago. A piece of me really misses I caught up with Hankewich to chat that. It’s nice to be able to do one about the appeal of the ‘40s, house place, play the shows, and make concerts, and the prairie sound. a living. Alex J MacPherson: Your music AJM: Why do you think it went has the ability to transport the listener out of fashion? through time. Is that intentional, or MH: I have no idea! I don’t even just what came out when you wrote think I can speculate on that. I don’t and played these songs? really know why we’ve lost that Melanie Hankewich: With the enjoyment of going out and listenalbum Notes from a Waitress, a lot ing to live music, and the way that of the songs were intentionally I perform now is often in people’s
Culture tion Pages PH, PH PH PH–PH, ‘PH VerbNews.com
Pages 10, 11 Pages Jul 13–19,10, ‘12 11 VerbNews.com
Enchanting Worlds Explored In Cirque Du Soleil’s Quidam Alex J MacPherson
Regina, SK — Bright lights. Fanciful costumes. Circus stunts. Two hours of pure entertainment. It’s all in a day’s work for Ardee Dionisio. Dionisio performs with Cirque du Soleil, the Quebec-based entertainment giant created by Guy Laliberté in 1984. Founded on the idea of a circus without animals, Cirque du Soleil’s many shows blur the line between illusion and reality with fantastical characters and mind-bending circus stunts. Currently on tour with Quidam, a show that explores the space between our pedestrian world and
“[H]ow I define the character is the bringer of happiness in this whole show.”
le Plaine
Photo: courtesy of the artist
al, House Concerts
homes. We do a lot of venue shows, but we do a lot of house concerts, and that’s a real shift in the way people are going to see music. We were having trouble getting that crowd out to a venue, so essentially what we’re doing is coming to them. AJM: Your music seems really conducive to that sort of a concert. It’s music that you really have to listen to. MH: I guess for us, we certainly feel more comfortable in a listening room, because a lot of the songs we play, they can’t compete with a lot of chatter. They don’t feel like they have a real home in a pub. Some pubs are okay, depends on the crowd, but it’s certainly something we seek out. AJM: What does it mean to you to be a working musician here? MH: Something that we’ve heard when we’ve been on tour, especially in Ontario, is that I had this very specific prairie sound to my music, which I found very interesting because, of course, as I mentioned I’m so close to it, it’s my work, and of course I’m writing and drawing in some places images from the prairies. But it’s kind of unintentional, and I try not to direct it too much to any one place. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.
-Ardee Dionisio another, fabulously exotic realm, Dionisio stars as the Target. “Basically, for me, how I define the character is the bringer of happiness in this whole show,” Dionisio says of his character. “It’s like … the light in the darkness.” The Target is one of several foils for Zoé, the young female protagonist in Quidam. The action, which includes aerial contortions in silk, hand balancing, a cloud swing, and the sensational German Wheel, traces the wanderings of her imagination, her yearning for a world just beyond our fingertips. “It’s kind of like an amoeba,” Dionisio laughs, searching for words to describe the show. “There’s not a defining structure with it. I mean there’s a certain … pattern [but] depending on the audience, what their taste is, how they perceive the story, how they see the story, how they see the show, they all have their own opinions
Event Info
Belle Plaine
Where: Ness Creek Music Festival When: July 19 - 20 Cost: $30 - $50
Quidam
Where: Brandt Centre - Evraz Place When: July 25-29 Cost: $57+ (Ticketmaster)
Gillian Welch
Where: Riddell Centre – University Theatre When: July 25 Cost: $29.50 @ Sherpaconcerts.com Want some coverage for your upcoming event? Email layout@verbnews.com ASAP!
Photo: courtesy of Matt Beard
about it.” Before joining Cirque du Soleil, Dionisio, who is from the Philippines, studied ballet at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. After graduating in 2004 he joined the Nicolas Musin ABC Dance Company in Austria as a soloist. The Quebec company discovered him, believe it or not, through YouTube. “It just happened out of the blue,” he laughs. “I was making a video with some friends of mine, posted it on YouTube, and then I got contacted by Cirque du Soleil,” he continues. “That’s how I ended up here.” Dionisio didn’t join the cast of Quidam until 2010, but he had always kept Cirque du Soleil in the back of his mind. “The first time I saw Cirque du Soleil on the TV I was like, ‘Wow, I didn’t know this kind of show existed,’” he says. “It was always in my head — of course I still continued my life, my training, but it
was always in my head, this circus magic.” Since joining the company, Dionisio has spent countless weeks on the road. He says this is a big adjustment from ballet. Most professional dance companies are stationary; tours, if they happen at all, are short. Quidam, on the other hand, tours for weeks or even months on end. Not surprisingly, he spends much of his spare time training. On a typical day he begins with a series of stretches followed by a session at the barre — a classic ballet warmup. He also spends plenty of time running. “The character, I run and jump and spin a lot onstage,” he explains. “I have to maintain a certain level, this high level in terms of power and stamina.” Ultimately, Dionisio is still enraptured by the experience. “I want to give them the magic so they will always be coming back for more, he says. “I still believe in
magic.” Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.
Food
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Jul 13–19, ‘12 VerbNews.com
Quinoa (pronounced KEENwah) is a nutrient dense pseudo-grain that has been gaining in popularity over the years. These nutty little seeds are often treated just like rice, and there are almost as many interesting facts about them as there are culinary possibilities. Quinoa is a complete ■protein and has high levels of
calcium, fiber, iron and essential amino acids
The Inca called quinoa ■‘mother of all grains’ is considering quinoa ■forNASA possible use in long dura-
tion human spaceflight due to its high nutritional value
Quinoa is not a true grain ■because it is more related to
spinach or tumbleweeds, not grass
Beer Bros. Lives Up To Its Name
Photos: Courtesy of Kendra Kuss
Great Stouts, Ales Pair Deliciously With Unique Menu Items Jessica Bickford
Regina, SK — After working in a ye olde English pub for a year, there is nothing I enjoy more than a good pint of beer, especially stout or ale. There aren’t
too many places that cater to my tastes but Beer Bros. is one — it’s right there in the name! I brought along my designated driver and started in on some of Beer Bros. brew-filled menu starting with beer’s best friend — bacon. Literally a pint glass full of thick, house cured and triple smoked, applewood bacon. It was perfectly crisp and salty and I washed it down with some Half Pints Brewery Little Scrapper IPA (that’s India Pale Ale) which was fresh and hoppy with crisp citrus notes. To feel a bit less guilty about all that bacon, a baby lettuce and quinoa salad was next. Filled with fresh and colourful veggies including sun dried tomatoes and kalamata olives, the salad was hearty and fresh.
Also on the vegetarian radar was Quebec. The bison was juicy, the a spring vegetable risotto that had buns were fresh, and the berries broccolini and peas in creamy, rich added a sweetness that paired fanrisotto that was beautifully pre- tastically with the bison. sented. Seafood macaAn appetizer “[I had] literally a pint roni and cheese of butter chicken glass full of thick, house was the start of skewers added cured and triple smoked, the entrees, and some spice and a it had genergreat option for applewood bacon.” ous portions of -Jessica Bickford shrimp, scallops, sharing into the mix. The moist chicken was mari- and flaky fish in a creamy, cheesy nated in yogurt and the spice blend sauce with elbow noodles. The had a hint of cinnamon. shrimp were crisp and the scalBeery bison sliders were another lops were large, sweet and meaty, starter option. These few bite sized perfect for seafood lovers. burgers were made with Quill Creek Lastly I had to try the Beer Bros. bison, Unibroue’s La Fin du Monde signature burger with stout mayonale, Saskatoon berries and a pilsner naise, cheddar and bacon served on mustard giving them a uniquely their homemade light and yeasty Saskatchewan taste with a hint of beer bread. The burger, toppings, and bread all combine to make one heck of a tasty burger and the fries are masterfully created through a complex aging process, making them both crisp and fluffy. I paired this with Lost Coast’s Downtown Brown ale that was smooth and nutty, with the bitterness I expect from an ale. Beer Bros. makes everything from scratch, including their breads. Real food and great beer are what they live by, and they are continually combining the two in new and interesting ways. So pay a visit to their pub or dining room, and have a pint of the good stuff for me. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.
Beer Bros. Address: 1821 Scarth Street Hours: Monday - Thursday 11:30am
- 11:00pm; Friday - Saturday 11:30am4:30pm, 4:00pm-1:00am Reservations: 586-2337
Opinion
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Jul 13–19, ‘12 VerbNews.com
Global Warming Debaters Need To Chill
Poor Behaviour From Both Sides Is Hurting Our Chances Of Finding Solutions Editors of VeRb
Regina, SK — Once upon a time ago, in the not-so-distant past, the time-honoured recipe for success in Canadian politics was simple. Political parties straddled the centre to appeal to the widest possible audience. They acted as brokers, mediated between different interest groups, worked to help disparate regions — and all was good. My oh my, how things have changed! These days the atmosphere on Parliament Hill is what some might call “bitterly partisan.”
“It’s time for … a little bit of political kiss-andmake-up clemency.”
-Verb’s editors Saddled with an us-versus-them mentality, it seems like our political parties are pulling farther apart, fighting more, talking less and, in doing so, are polarizing this grand country of ours. Never is this more evident than when the issue of the environment is brought up. On the right side of the divide you have the Harper government and right wing think tanks. They provoke the left by saying ecologists are manufacturing global warming hysteria to make a quick buck and accusing environmental groups of laundering money from foreign interest groups. They lump environmentalists in with white supremacists as threats to the Canadian public, harass green poster-boy David Suzuki enough that he resigns from his own foundation and discredit anyone interested in environmental issues as a crazy tree-hugging hippie that wants to destroy the economy. Then, on the left of the divide, you have green organizations and the other political parties who aren’t behaving any better. Over there, they’re protesting 250,000 strong in the streets of Montreal, declaring Harper a fascist dictator. They’re calling for the immediate shutdown of any oil related development in Canada, claiming our government is selling out our country to Chinese megacoporations and carrying caskets through the streets decrying the death of
the scientific method. Frankly, we here at Verb think all of this is a tad foolish. We think it’s time everybody involved in the environmental debate stops the political blustering, puts the bellyaching on pause and realizes that an issue like this goes way beyond self-interest. In the oft-misquoted words of Rodney King: “Can’t we all just get along?” That’s what we feel is the best solution here. And apparently so too does the Canada West Foundation, a Calgary-based research group. In a recent report entitled Keeping Pace: Improving Environmental Decision Making in Canada, the foundation argued that: “People are defaulting to polarized positions
rather than seeking deep engagement on solutions. People are not coming together but drifting apart. Conflict is easier than problem solving.” The report goes on to say that, “the debate [over the environment] has become characterized by deeply divided camps that hinder attempts to achieve consensus” and that “we need to break down the silos that hamper effective intergovernmental cooperation; [and] move beyond the polarized thinking that smothers consensus.” Here, here! It’s time for cooperation and maybe even a little bit of political kiss-and-make-up clemency. We know that with such a wide array of affected parties, heated rhetoric, competing scientific
claims, incomplete and misleading information and steadfast ideologies, consensus on the environment may have little more than a snowball’s chance in hell (or a glacier’s chance in future Earth). Yet, we have to try. People on all sides of this debate need to sit down, put a smile on
their faces (or at least stop growling and spitting venom for a few minutes), open their ears and minds and begin exploring reasonable solutions to a very real and serious problem. If we can’t do that, we’re in bigger trouble that we thought. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.
Section Movies
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Jul PH 13–19, PH–PH, ‘12 ‘PH VerbNews.com VerbNews.com
Questions Galore For Woman In The Fifth
Well Acted, Well Written Ghost Story Long On Atmosphere, Short On Answers The Woman in the Fifth
Runtime: 85 Minutes Rated: PG Adam Hawboldt Let me preface this review by saying that I enjoyed the hell out of Pawel Pawlikowski’s latest film The Woman in the Fifth. It possessed the kind of Kafkaesque strangeness that appeals to my perverse nature; the kind
of Roman-Polanski-meets-DavidSee, The Woman in the Fifth is Lynch surrealism that excites, pro- the type of movie that raises more vokes and challenges my inner questions than it answers. Way movie snob. more. That said, The Woman in the Directed by the incredibly talFifth is not for evented Pawlikowserybody. “In a way, [the film] asks ki (Last Resort, My Of the three you the viewer to be a Summer of Love), other people I detective of sorts.” this movie tells recently watched the sensual, per-Adam Hawboldt plexing story of the film with, one of them outright hated it, another Tom Ricks (Ethan Hawke) — an thought the “acting was fine, but American writer with a shady past. the film was boring” and the final Tom arrives in Paris hoping to see person liked it, but was left scratch- his daughter and, hopefully, make ing his head — wondering what in amends with his ex-wife. the hell he’d just witnessed. The problem is, she isn’t interAnd you can’t really blame him. ested. In fact, as soon she sees Tom she calls the police. Which raises the question: What happened between them back in America? Unfortunately, we never find out. What we do find out, however, is that when Tom leaves his ex’s house he falls asleep on a bus, gets robbed, goes to a grubby café and winds up penniless, living in a Parisian flophouse, working as a security guard. His boss, a shady character/crime boss, has Tom guarding a locked room. What’s in that room? Again, we never find out. Falling deeper into flophouse debt, delving into despair over his daughter, Tom eventually meets an elegant, wealthy widow named Margitt (Kristin Scott Thomas) who takes him to bed and helps Tom find his way back to creating, to writing.
Photo: courtesy of Memento Films
Is this woman Tom’s savior or destroyer? Is she a murderess? A ghost? A cipher? Again — you guessed it — we never find out. And that, folks, was the crux of why most of my friends didn’t enjoy The Woman in the Fifth. There were
just too many damned unanswered questions for their liking, which is certainly a fair criticism. There are parts of the movie that still perplex me. But therein lies one of the main reasons why I dug the film so much. In a way, The Woman in the Fifth asks you the viewer to be a detective of sorts. It’s your job to piece the puzzle together, with no help or hints from the story teller. You just have to make your guesses and trust your intuition. And if that sounds like a highfalutin concept of a movie, well, that’s because it is. But it’s a also a movie in which the acting is terrific, the atmosphere is intense and the writing is sound. No, The Woman in the Fifth is certainly not for everybody. But if you’re in the mood for a good ghost story, give it a try. Or was it a detective story? Or the story of a man slowly descending into madness? That’s up to you to decide. The Woman in the Fifth will be screened at Regina Public Library starting July 19 th. See www.reginalibrary.ca for more information. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.
Section Movies
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Jul PH 13–19, PH–PH, ‘12 ‘PH VerbNews.com VerbNews.com
Ice Age Franchise Needs To Become Extinct
Photo: courtesy of 20th Century Fox
3D Format, Plenty Of Action Can’t Make Up For Formulaic Plot, Few Laughs Ice Age: Continental Drift Runtime: 94 Minutes Rated: G Adam Hawboldt Nobody likes to be the bearer of bad news. It’s an ugly job, but someone’s got to do it. And, unfortunately, this week that someone has to be me. You know all those lovable animals from the Ice Age movies? Manny the mammoth, Diego the sabre-toothed tiger, Sid the sloth. Well, it’s about time for them — and the rest of the creatures in the
franchise — to become extinct. To or dinosaurs, this time around the be put down, for good. world is literally falling apart after Harsh, I know. But hear me out. Scrat’s (Chris Wedge) never-ending The first film (Ice Age), released pursuit of his precious acorn causes 10 years ago, was terrific. The next a seismic shift that tears the premovie (Ice Age 2: The Meltdown) was historic continent of Pangea apart. pretty good and When the shift the third film (Ice “[I]t’s the same old drawn- happens, Manny, Age: Dawn of the out schtick as the first Diego, Sid and Dinosaurs) was three movies…” Si d ’s gr anny just ho-hum, but (Wanda Sykes) are -Adam Hawboldt set adrift on an ice the most recent entry into the franchise, Ice Age: flow. Left behind are Manny’s wife Continental Drift 3D, is downright (Queen Latifah) and his daughter formulaic. Pedestrian. Uninventive. Peaches (Keke Palmer) — who is Stale, even. now a teenager, interested in boys Like in the previous three films and desperate to fit in with the the main trio — Manny (Ray Ro- “cool” crowd. mano), Diego (Denis Leary) and Right, so as you may have Sid (John Leguizamo) — have to guessed, the rest of the story inovercome adversity. volves our trio of heroes and grandInstead of humans, melting ice ma trying desperately to get back
to their prehistoric home. Along the way they must battle storms, sirens (like, from Homer’s Odyssey) and pirates. Yes, pirates. The gang must battle (evade is more like it) a horde of swashbuckling buccaneers in order to get home. Now, you may be thinking, “Really, another pirate movie? Just what we need. While they’re at it, why don’t they jump on the zombie and vampire bandwagon too?” If that was your initial reaction, well, it’s understandable. But before you condemn Ice Age 4 stooping to use pirates, know this: The pirates are easily the best part of the movie. It pains me to type that, but it’s true. Led by the villainous ape pirate, Captain Gutt (voice by Peter Dinklage, aka Game of Thrones’ Tyrion
Lannister), this ramshackle crew consisting of a tiger (Jennifer Lopez), elephant seals, kangaroos and prehistoric rabbits provide most of the laughs in an otherwise not-sofunny film. That being said, even though it’s the same old drawn-out schtick as the first three movies and even though it’s the least funny film of the franchise, it won’t matter a lick as far as kids are concerned. With more action than ever before, more than enough childish sight gags to go around, and the 3D treatment, Ice Age: Continental Drift will do just fine money-wise. It might not eclipse the near $900 million the last Ice Age did at the box office. Then again it might. So much for extinction. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.
Texts
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Jul 13–19, ‘12 VerbNews.com
This Week: Civil Servants’ Health
Last week we asked what you thought about federal workers’ sick days — here’s what you had to say. Next week’s topic: see page 13 — what do you think about both sides of the global warming
debate putting aside their rhetoric to work together? Text FEEDBACK and your thoughts about the topic (or anything else) to 306–881-VERB (8372) and you could see your text printed in next week’s issue!
On Topic maybe civil servants call in sick everyday cuz they get treated like sh*t by the public and their management
everyday. ask any busdriver 20000 federal workers call in sick What do you expect The boss is a dick 15 SICK DAYS 4 CIVIL SERVANTS TOO MANY HOW B0UT MPS N SENATORS WHO GET DOUGH 4 NO SHOW just read your ‘civil servants’ article again and am alarmed at your lack of information. do u guys research anything or just spew? So ur crappin allover civil servants get in line with every other frickn person guess ill just take a day off to deal with the sh** people send my way I don’t think there’s any issue with employees being granted sick days with pay, but there clearly is an issue when the system is being abused. Most workplaces wouldn’t stand for that kind of flagrant disregard for responsibility, but then again: this is the government. Is anyone surprised? That’s crazy so many people call in sick and the amount it costs taxpayers. I’m sure there’s people who don’t abuse the system but they’re overshadowed by the losers that use it freely to give themselves holidays etc. This needs to be reigned in asap! Lots of union jobs have this kind of abuse in them sick pay or slackin off. They work
super crappy jobs I get it and I’d do the same if I was them but why do we let this go in just because theyre in a union? i have a stressful job to. I have personal issues in my own life that weigh on me at work. I have a family to feed and work hard to provide for my kids. But for some reason we’re supposed to be okay with the fact that government workers have it harder? U know what? I get called a bitch all the time at my job (customer service). Not fair and this needs to stop. I work for the government and have the benefit of paid sick days, and I see it abused all the time. I know it’s wrong but I’ve done it too — everyone else does, and there’s nothing done to stop it, so why not? I enjoy those long weekends I give myself :) And no my job isn’t overly stressful, no more so than anyone else’s. Civil servants put up with a ton of disrespect from all sorts of people, and I fully support there right to paid sick days. But maybe we all could get in on this? Sounds like you guys are just jealous :D Calm down verb this doesn’t affect you. Unless your taxpayers. Oh wait.... This is an outrage I can’t believe how much we are paying so some of these paper pushers can freely take sick days whenever they feel like it. Classic case of a
Texts few bad apples ruining it for the rest of us. Ur opinion is of base. Get ur facts right before blowin up all over us. We put up with Bulls*** you have no idea so ya
Off Topic Re: “We Think Euthanasia Should Be Legalized,” Opinion page, June 29th issue
Euthanasia is wrong! Even though they might suffer let God decide when it’s time putting people down is murder plain and simple! Re: “Zombie Theme Park Eyed,” Offbeat page, July 6th issue
i think its a fab idea if detroit can get a zombie theme park! it’ll breath life into that dead city something its in dsperate need of! wish us canadians thought of a zombie theme park! :) Our society should reduce the amount of stuff it consumes. We do not need to buy so much stuff. Seriously, do we really need to buy in bulk just to have the rest put away in storage? We are eating away at the earth’s resources and cutting down forests at an astonishing rate yet we aren’t replenishing nearly enough. We are filling up our landfills with junk. Earth does not have infinite amounts of resources. We have to do more to help renew our resources. We need to allow our forests to grow back like they once were. Stop buying so much stuff and then there will be no need to produce so much of it. My Dear Dear Dear GTF0 says it all !
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Jul 13–19, ‘12 VerbNews.com
Ever wonder what’s the difference between naked and buck naked or naked as jaybird? How do you blow the whistle on someone who is stealing from the company but you don’t want to get in trouble for turning them in? Motor vehicles are starting to talk. I suspect women really want a car that listens. A lot of money gets sucked up by justice system healtcare social programs and various NGOs who supposedly address the problems of street people the poorest. Somewhere in all that spending on inner city problems you’d think the money to house a few homeless people should be found. Address one of the main problems! Why do people feel the need to swear to express themselves? Have we as a society not progressed enough that we could not have better choice words to express ourselves? Are people afraid others will not take them seriously or by swearing do people think there is better emphasis on their words? It’s very annoying not to mention extremely redundant when a person utters the ‘f’ word over and over and over and over in a conversation. I thought people went to school to become more educated and to give themselves more options, not to limit their options. F&CK I HATE THAT
STUPID SONG ‘’CALL ME MAYBE’’ EVERYWHERE I GO I HEAR IT STUPIDEST SONG EVER!!! ):-( The program called RID which is designed to remove intoxicated drivers from our streets is a good thing. But what about texters? We should have a program to text in texters but then it would be called TIT. Thx for pushing ur personal agenda by only printing texts that support euthanasia. Ur about as one sided as Fox News. Congrats Now that it has been a year that my dad has been gone and almost 2 months my mom has been gone, I still miss them both and love them, time heals the hurt. They will always be in my thoughts and prayers for one day it will be my turn to leave this life and meet them again. YB Not to happy with the crime in this city our apt windows got broke by some punk kid with a bat. Grrr ):-( I have an eye problem. I can’t see myself working today. Storms certainly sound like God is coming for you with a big stick. Golden rule of cool then or now only a tool self identifies as such Smoking is like farting. Many people can’t help but do it but nobody wants to smell it. So try and do it out of the way. Thank you.
How Do U Tell Someone U Want Them To Live. They Keep Junking They’ll Eventually Die... Or At Least Their Soul Will. What Do You Do?
important to our health as a society. Arts and culture matter so so so much. Please give them a chance to live here again!
It’s my mess. I know exactly where everything is. So don’t clean it up.
Twitter: I might finaly be ready to commit, after being massively skeptical.
People just don’t understand me or identify with me. I try to be friendly to people but at the end of the day I’m still alone. Need help making friends. Atheists being amazing is a load of crap! The wiggles are on far well tour . At the end of this year 3 of them are calling it quits. They have been doing this for 27 years. But 3 new members to go on with the show I hope they are just as good as they other ones. Sheer is been hot for the past weeks. I have been live off freezes thank god for freezes. Does anybody remember spray on cheese? Mmmmm! :-) Can’t seem to find it anywhere does anybody know? Rider pride! Go green glad to see everyone with their pride out on the streets!!!!!!!! Thx for the tornado advice I know what to do now :) Totally agree with txt about film tax credit. The benefit might not have been visible in dollars and cents but supporting the arts that are here is vitally
U know what I hate when people complain about how hot it is its summer. N you wined all winter about cold and now its hot and u hate that 2 Make up ur minds LOL Your right smoking is a personal choice and yes I don’t choose to do it. But why should I have to move elsewhere to get away from the stink? That doesn’t seem fair now, does it? THE LAST SASKATCHEWAN PIRATE IS THE BEST THING EVER!!!!!! Lookin for jolly Roger on Regina’s mighty shores LOL :D Hey u bring ur kids to the beach try to keep an eye on em I know there young and I get they run around but I got stepped on like 3 times and that’s crazy. Just want to relax :) And before u all freak out I Have kids 2 and teach them to be chill around others. I get kids r kids but comeon Livin off creamsicles and that aint a bad thing The opinions expressed on this page are not necessarily Verb’s.
Nightlife
Page 18
Jul 13–19, ‘12 VerbNews.com
SaskTel Summer Invasion Event
SaskTel Summer Invasion at Wascana Park, Friday-Sunday July 6th-8th, 2012
Featured Artists
K’naan, Dragonette, Buckcherry
Attendance
10,000 people over three days
Backstory
Off Axis Board Shop has partnered with sponsors like SaskTel and Conexus to put on this non-profit event since 2005
Attractions
Wakeboard, skateboard and motocross demos, three days of concerts and beer gardens!
Unique Twist
A pre-event online battle of the bands resulted in 11 local finalists taking the stage over the weekend, with one lucky band (HOURS) playing the mainstage to open for Dragonette and Buckcherry
Photos courtesy of Klein Photography (feedback@verbnews.com)
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A very enlightened dude once said, “From there to here and here to there, funny things are everywhere.” That dude was Dr. Seuss and, by all accounts, he was right. If you look for it with the right kind of eyes, humour is everywhere. Hiding behind every problem, lingering in every doubt, there it is. All you have to do is have the attitude to laugh at life, Pisces, and you’ll be happy and utterly content. So start looking for humour in things this week. You’ll be surprised.
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Pisces (Feb 20–Mar 20)
“The more that you read, the more you will know. The more that you learn the more places you’ll go.” It’s true, Virgo. Reading expands your mind. It opens new worlds. And once your mind is expanded it won’t go back to its original size. And that’s a good thing, Virgo. So why not pick up a book this week and give it a read. You like fiction? Grab a non-fiction book about something you know absolutely nothing about. Even if you don’t read much, give it a shot.
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Virgo (Aug 23–Sept 22)
Feeling a tad confused this week, Aquarius? Does it seem that every little thing is creating problems for you? If so, maybe you should remember that Dr. Suess once said, “Sometimes the questions are complicated but the answers are simple.” The problems you’re facing may seem above you, but maybe the solutions are right in front of your face. So if you find yourself facing tough times, just take a deep breath and realize nothing in life is too complicated. Nothing.
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Aquarius (Jan 20–Feb 19)
Great wisdom can come from unexpected places. Take Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax, for instance. In that story a character says, “Unless someone like you cares a whole lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” Which is true. Things in this world are up to you, Leo. So don’t sit back and idly watch life pass you by. This week, care enough to affect change. Whether that change is within you or in the people around you, don’t hesitate. Get out there and show the world what you’re made of.
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Leo (Jul 23–Aug 22)
“Will you succeed? Yes you will indeed! Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed.” Notice, Capricorn, that Dr. Seuss left a bit of wiggle room for failure, but not much. And all that means is if you give your all, success is pretty much guaranteed. Especially this week, Capricorn. Sure, sometimes we try and things don’t work out. But the chances of that happening are too rare to worry about. So focus on the effort this week, and the outcome will take care of itself.
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Capricorn (Dec 22–Jan 19)
Have you ever heard this little rhyme, Cancer? “Step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s a great balancing act.” If so, you know how true it is. If not, you might want to keep the message in mind over the course of the next week. Now, that’s not to say you should stand still and let life pass you by. But what you should do is think before you speak, look before you leap, that kind of jazz. If you do that, the next seven days will be as smooth as a baby’s bottom.
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Cancer (Jun 21–Jul 22)
It’s time to make the most out of things, Sagittarius. It’s time to dare to be different, to be great, to be happy. Some people say “carpe diem”, meaning “seize the day”. But I’ve always preferred Dr. Seuss’ “Today I shall behave as if this is the day I will be remembered.” Has a nice, innocent ring, doesn’t it? And your mission, Sagittarius, should you choose to accept it, is live each and every day this week the way Seuss advised. Live life the way you want to be remembered.
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Sagittarius (Nov 23–Dec 21)
Dr. Seuss once posed a simple, yet profound question: “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” Why indeed, Gemini. You know, deep down, that you are unique. You know your star is meant to burn bright. So why is it that, sometimes, you’re content with just sitting back and letting things happen? This week, start chasing down your dreams with a big, heavy stick. Dare to be great, Gemini, and you’ll find that greatness will come to your aid.
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Gemini (May 21–Jun 20)
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You know that old saying about trying new things? Well, even Dr. Seuss was onboard that train. The good Doctor once wrote “If you never did, you should. Things are fun and fun is good.” So true, Scorpio. So this week, why don’t you try something new. Just get out of your comfort zone. Do a new, strange activity. Go to a place you’ve never been. Eat food you’ve never eaten before. It doesn’t matter. Try something new this week, and you may be pleasantly surprised.
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Scorpio (Oct 24–Nov 22)
Sometimes life gets heavy, doesn’t it Taurus. Like the weight of the world is resting on your shoulders. If you get that feeling this week, remember that it’s easy to get rid of that weight. Just put it down. While you’re at it, keep these words in mind: “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” Everything is a matter of choice, Taurus — your choice. So if things get a bit too serious, maybe you should choose to let loose.
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Having troubles lately, Libra? Here’s something to chew on: “I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!” That’s Dr. Seuss, and should you encounter any trouble this week, do what the good Doctor suggests — stand up to your problems. Most troubles aren’t as troubling as they seem.
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Taurus (Apr 20–May 20)
Libra (Sept 23–Oct 23)
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“Today you are you, that’s truer than true. There’s no one alive who is youer than you.” Dr. Seuss, the great children’s writer, penned those words, Aries. And the thing is, he was right. You are unique. Remember that as the week progresses. If you find yourself unwillingly following the crowd, take a step back and look at yourself in the mirror. Never try to be anything or anyone but yourself, Aries. Don’t be afraid to dance to your own beat. That’s what makes you “you.”
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Aries (Mar 21–Apr 19)
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Horoscopes
Jul 13–19, ‘12 VerbNews.com 5 8 2 4 7 9 6 1 3
Time Out
Page 19
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Directions: Fill each box with a digit from 1-9, following these conditions: - Each row must contain every digit from 1-9 once and only once. - Each column must contain every digit from 1-9 once and only once. - Each of the nine 3x3 boxes must contain every digit from 1-9 once and only once.
5
7 3
5 8 7 4 3
Sudoku 6
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