The Scope issue 136

THE SCOPE | st. john’s arts and entertainment magazine | DECEMBER 2012 & JANUARY 2013 | Volume 8, Number 10 | Issue 136 | www.thescope.ca

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December 2012 & January 2013

DECEMBER 2012 & JANUARY 2013

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HAPPY WINTER!

Yeah, yeah, parts of it are terrible, but enjoying winter in St. John’s is about perspective. If you’re able to ignore the biting wind, the heaps of snow burying the sidewalks and the 15 hours of darkness every day, winter here really isn’t all that bad. The parties in December have a last night on Earth feeling where it seems pretty much anything can happen if the right conditions are there. January brings a calm after the crazy holiday storm, but can also bring snow and the novelty and incredibly awesome feeling of flying down a hill on a sheet of plastic at breakneck speeds.

So, our best winter advice? Give ‘er.

You’re now holding a special two month issue— December and January—and we’ve squeezed a lot inside, but for more, up-to-the minute event listings and hit us up on our website at thescope.ca.

— Elling Lien

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issue 136, volume 8, number 10 Online www.thescope.ca E-mail inbox@thescope.ca Listings listings@thescope.ca Mail PO Box 1044, St. John’s, NL, A1C 5M3 Phone 709-726-8466

Publisher Bryhanna Greenough publisher@thescope.ca Editor Elling Lien editor@thescope.ca Listings Editor Nathan Downey Production Assistant Morgan Murray Advertising Sales Elaine Pond (709) 699-7299 elaine@thescope.ca Advertising Sales Jennah Turpin (709) 693-5028 jennah@thescope.ca

More contributors Kevin Coffey, Sarah Smellie, Drew Brown, Adam Clarke, José González, Kelly Bastow, Michael Butler, Ricky King, Andrew Wickens, and Rob Brezsny.

The Scope is St. John’s arts and entertainment newspaper, published by Scope Media Inc. 38,000 copies of The Scope were printed this issue and distributed throughout the metro area.

The Scope seeks to publish a newspaper that will entertain, inform, and foster cultural development in the St. John’s metropolitan area. The Scope claims absolutely no responsibility for the Mayan calendar myth thing being true and the whole world being reabsorbed into some giant’s armpit on December 31.

What can you really do about that? Nothing. Be nice to each other. All rights reserved. © 2012. Proudly independent and locally owned. Founded way back in 2006.

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ON THE COVER

Cover illustration by Patrick Canning—www.patrickcanning.ca

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December 2012 & January 2013

DECEMBER 2012 & JANUARY 2013

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winter HOT Tickets

Our picks for the best music events happening in December and January. Written by Nathan Downey.

For daily music listings for December and January, visit thescope.ca/events.

Mummers Festival December 15

Want Christmas cheer minus the commercial tat and exasperating expectations? Look no further than the Mummers Festival. The festival, entering its fourth year, is a distillation of the Newfoundland tradition, and it’s rapidly becoming a highlight of the season.

The Mummers Festival features a series of workshops aimed at getting participants fitted out with the traditional trappings of the mummer—ugly sticks and hobby horses—and it all culminates in a massive in-costume parade, followed by an even more massive party. New this year is Mummer-oke at the Georgetown Pub, which will follow the parade. Participants are invited to give their best renditions of the karaoke classics while garbed up as mummers.

“People plan their trip home for Christmas around this parade,” says festival coordinator Ryan Davis. He says last year 500 people disguised themselves and mummered around downtown, and more than 300 spectators came out to watch their antics. “This year it’s bigger and badder.”

Find details at mummersfestival.ca

Hey Rosetta! Holiday Show December 19 & 20

At this point, an indie band releasing a holidaythemed record is becoming, well, the opposite of a novelty, with the likes of Bright Eyes, Sufjan Stevens, She and Him, and Low putting out releases. It could be the urge to inject fresh energy into the canon of dusty Christmas songs, or maybe it’s an attempt to put gas in the tour van and Denny’s breakfasts in the bellies of hardworking indie bands, but in the case of Hey Rosetta!,

their Christmastime EP A Cup of Kindness Yet works very well as a companion piece for their at-this-point-traditional hometown holiday show.

The local favourites are bringing a double-dose of their show to the biggest venue we’ve got, and it’s guaranteed to be a holiday highlight. The b’ys will be accompanied by Plants and Animals and East of Empire. Tickets are $30 to $40.

Showtime’s at 8pm.

Christmas Turkey Dinner December 25

Christmas Day and turkey dinner. They just go together like, uh, Christmas Day and turkey dinner. Hip to the notion that everyone deserves a good Yuletide feed, St. Thomas’ Church and a fleet of volunteers are throwing open their doors and serving up a no-strings-attached feast for anyone who wants it. And they promise it’s not turkey with a side of religious indoctrination, neither. They’re welcoming anyone who wants to come, be they international students, seniors, people stranded in hotels or attending to sick family members in the hospital. There are two sittings, one at 11:45am and one at 1pm. There’ll be social rooms with live entertainment and a transportation service for those that need it. St. Thomas’ Church is located at 8 Military Road.

Reservations can be made at 576-6632.

Who Cares Eve? December 31

Now here’s a New Year’s Eve party that’s got it all figured out. Who Cares Eve? invites people to “dress to impress or come as a mess.” The b’ys at Sure Fire Entertainment seem to know that the most important part of NYE isn’t getting

prettified for that midnight smooch, for most people it’s getting ossified on that late-night hooch around people you love. Or that you want to love. The event, taking place at the no-frills CLB Armoury, features DJs until the wee hours of 2013, and a best-dressed/worst-dressed competition. Beats will be served up courtesy of The Shining Wizards, Carter, Fox, A-Read, and Alligator. The bash kicks off at 10pm and goes all night. Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 at the door.

Robbie Burns Supper January 19

It’s a lucky few nations that can boast a national man-o’-letters of Robert Burns’ stature. The Bard of Ayrshire’s contributions to literature echoed through the rolling highlands of his native Scotland and out into the universe. Even you know a few words from a Burns poem if you know a few words from “Auld Land Syne”. Burns’ cheeky, touching poetry brought the Scots dialect to the popular imagination and his sympathy for the common folk struck a chord with successive generations of readers the world over. Today, Burns Clubs celebrate his birth with a Burns Supper.

Burns Suppers feature recitations, toasts, and of course, the “great chieftain o’ the puddin’ race”, haggis. The St. Andrew’s Society of NL is hosting the 176th-annual (!) Burns Supper to be held in the city, featuring pipe music and highland dancing, Scottish eats, celebrity guests, and more.

Tickets are $50 and it’s being held at the Royal Canadian Legion in Pleasantville at 7pm. Call 579-6114 to reserve.

SPARKS Festival January 20

MUN is hosting its fourth-annual SPARKS Literary Festival, a bright point in the darkest, coldest month we got. The festival features presentations from up-and-coming writers and well-established provincial literary icons. On the docket this year are Grant Loveys, Gerard Collins, Ramona Dearing, Randall Maggs, Don McKay, Wayne Johnston, Eva Crocker, Andy Jones, and numerous others. Details on that are available on the MUN website. The fest begins with a symposium on contemporary NL poetry on January 19th, then the main reading events take place on January 20 at Petro-Canada Hall.

Admission is free.

Pantera Tribute January 26 Dale Jarvis (right) and Delf Maria Hohmann (left). Photo by Chris Hibbs

The Brothers Grimm: 200 Years and Counting December 5 & 6

The Grimm fairy tales, minus the Disneyfied Hollywood endings, are as real as it gets. I mean, sure Hansel and Gretel features a ravenous cannibal and child murderer, but in the PG versions that’s all slapstickery and cartoonishness. Not so in the Grimm bros’ original. The original versions of the Brothers Grimm’s collection of tales feature all the violence, brutality, and cruel living conditions of life in feudal Europe. This watershed collection, the bestselling book in the German language, turns 200 in December. To mark this bicentennial, local storytelling paragon Dale Jarvis has written a two-hour show, featuring live music by Delf Maria Hohmann. “These stories are full of loss, longing, violence, blood, wicked men and women; they contain the best and the worst of humanity, always alongside themes of hope, and rebirth,” says Jarvis. “But these stories are definitely not for children!” The Brothers Grimm: 200 Years and Counting” runs at Petro-Canada Hall at 8pm. Tickets are $20 at the door.

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December 2012 & January 2013

Because St. John’s is pretty much an unreachable speck on the edge of a monolithic landmass, the reasons to start a cover band here are many.

Sometimes it’s to give drinkers at the divebar a familiar soundtrack for getting their drink on.

Sometimes it’s to tide fans over until their favourite act makes the long journey to our shores.

And sometimes, it’s because the band is never coming, ever. This is the case for Pantera, whose guitarist Dimebag Darryl was sent to the great grow-op in the sky when he was shot and killed onstage by a deranged fan in 2004. Regular People is a Pantera tribute band composed of the cream of the local metal scene. They’re playing with Dirty Dollar Bills for Leaves, a tribute to Alice in Chains, and The Cartridge Family.

They’ve got you covered at the Rock House. And

The Wobbly Pops

The Final Countdown December 31

Man, what is it about New Year’s? It should be fun, right? A champagne-buzzed chance to blow a kiss at the inexorable march of time. But all too often it’s 12:05 and you’re sitting alone on the George Street steps with mascara streaks on your cheeks and your “Happy 2002” tiara sitting forlornly askew in your hair. Or maybe that’s just me. This year you can save yourself the headache and head down to the Rock House for The Final Countdown—it’s a no-brainer.

Ring in the new year with The Wobbly Pops, Cafeteria, and The Texmestics. It’s a night of superluminaries and supergroups. The Wobbly Pops is a musical doz-box consisting of Jud Haynes, Mathias Kom, Mark Bragg, Katie Baggs, and many more. Though the band is usually known for tailoring their sets to suit special events like Halloween shows and fake proms, Wobbly Pop Mathias Kom says this show will be a bit different. “Considering the NYE vibe is usually just party with a capital P, we just get to play the most fun songs ever. No slow jams!”

Doors open at 10pm. Tickets are $20 and are available at Fixed.

Photo courtesy Joel Heath

People of a Feather January 7 to 10

Despite its misleading name, the common eider is an amazing bird. It’s capable of flying at speeds in excess of 100km per hour, and its feathers are the warmest on the planet. The large, warm-feathered sea ducks play an integral role in the lives of the Inuit of Nunavut’s Belcher Islands, both as a food source and for the protection against the bitter winter that their supercharged down provides. Filmmaker and scientist Joel Heath made this relationship the subject of an award-winning documentary that was seven years in the making. People of a Feather features stunning time-lapse footage of the arctic ice, documenting the lives of the fascinating inhabitants of these remote islands. The film also looks at the impact that industrial megaprojects are having on the region. “Given both the Lower Churchill and Muskrat Falls projects on the table in Newfoundland, this is also very timely and of direct relevance,” Heath says. People of a Feather has four showtimes a day at Empire Theatres. Joel Heath will host a Q&A session at the 7pm screening on January 7.

HULK HANGOVER PREVENTION FOR THIS FRIDAY: UP UP DOWN DOWN LEFT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT B A START

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storefront

Local small business news by Lauren Power

Mike buhler of Beerthief. Photo by Kevin Coffey

BEER

THIS ARTISINAL BEER’S FOR YOU

Beer lovers: If Bud Light Lime isn’t cutting it for you, your salvation is here.

Tom Beckett and Mike Buhler, founders of Newfoundland’s Artisanal and Craft Beer Club, have made it their goal to expand the selection of beer available in the province. Beerthief — named after local hardcore band Schizoid’s 1987 single — has begun facilitating orders of previously unavailable brews through the NLC. “I went to my friend Tom Beckett… he managed the Belbin’s cheese club and we came up with the plan of a beer-of-the-month club,” says Buhler. “It took almost two years to get it going through the NLC but we’re up and running and are just putting in the order for the second offering to the NLC right now.”

Here’s how it works: With each semi-monthly microbrew offering, the club gathers orders. “We place the order with the NLC who place their order with the brewery,” says Buhler. “When it arrives, we notify the members by e-mail to pick it up and pay the NLC. They then enjoy the beer!”

The offerings, which are available with no membership fee and or shipping cost, have attracted hundreds of new and longtime beer fans.

Along with the beer orders, the team will also be holding beer tastings, the first of which will be held on December 7 at the Howley Estates NLC. Liam McKenna, brewmaster at YellowBelly, will be in attendance to discuss the YellowBelly beer available for tasting, while Buhler, a Level One Cicerone (beer sommelier) will lead the tasting of the four beer from Dieu du Ciel of Saint Jerome, Québec.

Dieu du Ciel was recently named 3rd best brew pub in Canada by vacay.ca, with 4th place going to Yellowbelly.

Details on how to order and future events can currently be found at the Beerthief Facebook page.

lasers!

LASERING! WITH LASERS!

Pew pew! Greg Leaman isn’t just a student entrepreneur and design wunderkind. He’s a laser enthusiast.

Leaman was introduced to laser engravers during a high school co-op placement at a design firm. After purchasing a laser to call his very own, Leaman opened his own business, Engravable Designs Inc. Along with his signature wood business cards, Leaman’s Engravable Designs Inc. offers a variety of lasered products, from woodcut prints and anti-microbial iPhone cases, to bamboo cufflinks and wood collar stays (for the sartorialist on your Christmas list).

“I try to work really hard to give each client a unique-to-them one-of-a-kind product.”, Leaman says of his custom design work. “I’m always open to tackling new projects, especially where the client sort of has an idea about what they want and let me run with it from there.”

Engravable Designs Inc. can be found at engravable.ca fashion

HIGH THREAD COUNT

Higher-end shopping is getting a boost with the arrival of three new stores in St. John’s.

Opened in late November, FOUND

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Consignment Boutique (1 Waterford Bridge Road, formerly Contemporary Florist) is dealing in higher-end ladies’ clothing, shoes, boots, coats and accessories.

“We accept items daily by appointment so there is something new every single day at Found,” says owner Karin Smith. “It’s the best part about consignment shopping. You could stop in every day and find something new and unique. We carry everything from high end denim and yoga wear (like Lululemon) up to designer dresses, shoes and handbags. We also have a great selection of winter coats right now.”

FOUND operates on consignment, meaning clothes are not donated, but rather sold on an individual’s behalf. “Consignment shopping is savvy. You’re shopping brands that you might not normally find locally here in St. John’s. As well, you’re getting new or very gently loved designer and better brand clothing at fraction of the original retail price.”

Also new is Clothes Minded (655 Topsail Road), a retail-resale shop, with a focus on higher-end brands for women and men. Their Facebook page provides a preview of what’s in store.

Finally, Melanie Lyne, the higher-end division of Canadian women’s wear boutique chain, Laura, has opened a location in the Avalon Mall, in the spot formerly occupied by Lindor.

THEM PUT SALMON BACK IN RENNIE MILL RIVER! NOTHING WRONG WITH A LITTLE ARTIFICIAL IN-SALMON-ATION EH WHAT?

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We're listening.

Lorraine Michael, MHA Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi

(709) 729-0270 lorrainemichael@gov.nl.ca @lorrainemichael

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FLASHBACKS

Drew Brown looks back at 2012 before that apocalypse thing happens.

H

o ho holy hell you guys, 2012 is almost finished. If the Mayans are right, that means it’s less than a month until the world is plunged into cataclysmic darkness or the sun explodes or whatever is supposed to happen when their calendar runs down. I’m personally a little sceptical anything will come of this, but if you’ve been following politics in this country over the last 12 months you might think blowing it all up is not such a bad idea.

The big story coming out of Ottawa in 2012 has been ROBOGATE, which is unfortunately way less exciting than a robot apocalypse, and roughly as 2011 CPC election volunteer bad if you care Pierre Poutine. at all about fair elections.

Last February the Ottawa Citizen broke the story that during the 2011 federal election campaign, a mysterious figure named “Pierre Poutine” (living on “Separatist Street” in Quebec, naturally) sent out a series of automated calls impersonating Elections Canada or local Liberal candidates trying to misdirect voters away from polling stations.

At least 7600 fraudulent calls were made in Guelph alone, and Elections Canada has reported complaints of similar calls in up to 100 other ridings. The big kicker is that all the calls were sent to people who had been identified by the Conservative Party of Canada as nonConservative voters, meaning there’s a pretty Pierre Poutine’s house on good chance that Separatist Street ‘Pierre Poutine’ was a party staffer who had access to the CPC’s voter-ID registry and was using that information to suppress non-CPC votes in especially tight races. So far neither Elections Canada nor the RCMP have been able to track down the offender, and the Harper Government’s official response to the scandal has been to deny all involvement and let MP Dean Del Mastro bloviate endlessly that Elections Canada is a left-wing conspiracy. At least they didn’t arbitrarily prorogue parliament this year when questioned about it! Yeah, it’s important to keep the bar high.

Speaking of blowhards afraid of leftwing conspiracies, bumbling Toronto mayor Rob Ford was turfed out of office at the end of NovemWithout Rob Ford what are we ber for failing going to do for entertainment? to read his own job description.

Federal and provincial political parties

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across the country have also had their share of leadership musical chairs over the past year. Thomas Mulcair ascended to the throne of St. Layton last Spring and graciously kept his beard, giving the federal scene much needed 19thcentury flare.

When Justin Trudeau is inevitably crowned Liberal leader, I hope he grows If you can’t beat ‘em on election another 17thday, beat ‘em in the beard race. century Van Dyke and rolls the men’s facial fashion clock back even further. The top Liberal job is also open in Quebec, where they recently lost to the PQ (where it turns out people take the rule of law really seriously!), as well as in Ontario, where the premier just decided to bounce and shut down the government. No word yet though about the Alberta Liberals, who are decidedly background noise in that province’s conservative civil war.

Did Albertans actually show a more progressive side in re-electing a party that’s been in power since 1971, or was it a more conservative move than voting for the Wildrose Party?

Another holiday brainteaser is how we got to the point of ‘Communist’ China buying up the tar sands.

How is this sentence even logically possible?

Logic, of course, is a foreign entity to anyone familiar with the drama MHAs line-up for lunch at the of the NewConfederation Building. #nlpoli foundland state this year. When the House of Assembly finally re-opened in March, the Dunderdale Tories wasted no time in reminding us just how dysfunctional it actually was (both institutionally and physically—the renovations on Confederation building have gone over budget). MHAs on all sides of the House brought being insufferable jerks to new heights and “local politicians saying dumb stuff on Twitter” became a legitimate category of news (I’m not complaining, it keeps beer in my fridge). If you’ve ever wanted to see folk singers scream incoherently at journalists or enjoy the rap stylings of Sandy Collins, #nlpoli might be the hashtag for you.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you are no doubt feeling like the words ‘Muskrat Falls’ should constitute a cuss. When the Public Utilities Board, charged with reviewing the project, announced earlier this year that they didn’t have enough information to What’s the worst that could fully assess and happen?

GIVE MAN DOUBLE DOUBLE AND HIM CAFFEINATE FOR DAY. TEACH MAN HOW DECENT CUP COFFEE TASTE AND HIM STOP GOING TIMS

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endorse it, the government dismissed them and instead declared this lack of arms-length oversight would be made up for by a special debate on the project in the Assembly’s fall sitting. Hooray, right? In the interim, the government triggered a week-long filibuster when it introduced some of the worst Access to Information legislation in the country and Lorraine Michael accused the Justice Minister of secret racism and the whole thing was just a gongshow.

Word is it made Tory stalwart Tom Osborne go Independent too, though a less charitable reading says he’s huffy about being turned down a cabinet posiThe cuteness of this kitten is a cabinet secret. tion. Meanwhile, the provincial Liberals continued a slow-motion implosion all year that culminated in self-styled saviour Dean Macdonald washing his hands of the whole party less than a couple weeks after concluding the cross-province Renewal Tour he championed. Can you feel the excitement? Oh, and just a heads up: when the leadership happens, I’m endorsing Danny Dumaresque.

It gets better. When the House reopened in the fall, the promised special debate on Muskrat Falls was almost immediately shelved when the Tories categorically refused opposition demands to bring expert witnesses into the legislature like you would see done in any other jurisdiction in Canada. This has been roundly denounced by at least two local Political I’ve got your special debate Science profesright here. sors, but it’s not like expert opinion carries any weight in this province if it’s not bankrolled by Nalcor. The project’s sanction will also take place via private member’s bill, letting Dunderdale avoid another filibuster and approve a $7.5 billion megaproject in less time than it takes Keith Russell to get kicked out of a children’s hockey game. A little rushed, sure, but shag it—they’ve already spent a couple million building the dam thing before its formal approval, so they may as well just give’r now.

Democracy, as usual, is an impediment to progress. Develop or perish!

And that’s a snapshot of 2012. I’m not even going to touch the rest of the world, because, jeez, between Syria and Gaza I’m drove to drink and between the prospect of the Eurozone eating itself and the Americans rolling over a ‘fiscal cliff’ on New Year’s Day, 2013, I’m starting to think the best place for my money is buried out back under the shed.

But, maybe I’m being a bit too gloomy. No reason to think this won’t be our year. The cod might finally come back, or perhaps even more miraculously, the NHL. Like they say, 13 is a lucky number.

So cheers b’ys. To another great year of nonsense.

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ATLANTIS MUSIC PRIZE 2012

Spectators

Be Alright

FLAVOURS: Glimmering, contemplative, lush OBLIGATORY GENRE CLASSIFICATION: Dark roots

FLAVOURS: Loud, forceful OBLIGATORY GENRE CLASSIFICATION: Rock groove, post-rock

Some of the spectators on the cover of Amelia Curran’s latest album have spooky glowing eyes just like the Jawas in Star Wars, but I don’t think they’re glowing because they want to kidnap us and sell us to Luke Skywalker’s uncle. No, they glow — I imagine — in a quiet conspiracy, because they know we know something about the loneliness and sadness of what it means to be a human being.

And this is the thing about Spectators: It’s undeniably string-shimmery pretty, and at times the horns and percussion even bring it to the point of joyfulness, but there’s a subterranean river of darkness just under the surface of almost every song. That darkness is what raises this record to the potential-second-Juno heights it deserves to be in, and I think it’s also what makes Amelia Curran not just a good but a truly great songwriter.

Producer John Critchley (of 13 Engines fame) helps the cause by adding the pop when the pop is called for, but letting the real sparkle stay in the songwriting. There are unquestionably radio-friendly tracks here, like “Years” and the country-leaning “Strangers”, but hey, they’re also literate and smart, and they share elbow room with deep dark meditations like “The Modern Man” and the quiet, eerie masterpiece “Soft Wooden Towers”.

Curran has done something really admirable here; Spectators is a record that both your snobby pencil-mustached friend and your dear old nan will love in equal measures - and secretly, for the same reasons.

After five long years of destroying amps and audiences in the grubbiest corners of the most dilapidated bars in this great city of ours, Be Alright finally bit the bullet and begrudgingly released their first album upon an unsuspecting public.

While I don’t think anyone would ever claim the members of the band to be the most wellorganized, mature, self-motivated, professional, or sweet-smelling individuals, anybody who’s experienced them live would be hard pressed to deny that they are one of the most ferociously talented, passionate and original groups making blisteringly loud music anywhere in the friggin’ world today.

Even though it took two years of bickering and stalling for them to finally release these sessions, the album is gloriously satisfying.

Recorded completely live off the floor, the band tear into their core set with a sublime intensity and a confident swagger that comes with finetuning grooves on a weekly basis for years in sweaty, seedy shitpits.

Steve Abbott’s terse, twisted guitar lines gnaw into your brain like a bad toothache on “Chroming Planet Earth” while the rest of the band lock step into a groove so kinky and ossifying that you can’t tell pain from pleasure anymore and your body stops caring.

Anything Devon Milley plays on drums is a delightful gift from heaven. The sudden Zappalike breakdowns and crazy shifting changes of “There She Was, Gone” and “Ghost Notes” offer me near-infinite perverted pleasure. A perfect balance of frenzy, precision and belligerence.

Amelia Curran

Be Alright

MATHIAS KOM

2012 Jury (grand jury bolded)

PATRICK CANNING

Andrew Robinson (The Telegram), Candice Udle (K-Rock), Chad Pelley (Something Daily/Salty Ink), Colleen Power (CHMR/St. John’s Musician), Elling Lien (The Scope), Erin Sulley (Out of the Fog), Gary Moore (CBC Corner Brook), Gavin Simms (CBC/St. John’s Freelancer), Gene Brown (The Levee), Geoff Younghusband (9 O’Clock Rocks/St. John’s Musician), John Devereaux (Perfect Day Canada), Justin Davis (HEAVYWEATHER), Justin Brake (The Independent), Kevin Hehir (St. John’s Freelancer), Kevin Kelly (The

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The Atlantis Music Prize is a juried award for Newfoundland and Labrador album of the year, judged on artistic merit, without regard to sales or genre. An independent group of more than 20 journalists, musicians, and people recognized for their love of local music submitted their choices for the best Newfoundland and Labrador album released between November 1, 2011 and October 31, 2012.

The winning album, decided by a grand jury, will be announced on Thursday, December 13th at the The Ship Pub in St. John’s, where the winner will receive a prize of $1,000. For more information, visit www.atlantismusicprize.ca Here is the Atlantis Music Prize Short List for 2012, in alphabetical order.

WONDERIZER

THE EASTERN LIGHT

FLAVOURS: Smooth, buoyant, fun OBLIGATORY GENRE CLASSIFICATION: R&B, funk, soul

FLAVOURS: Upbeat, Soulful OBLIGATORY GENRE CLASSIFICATION: NL traditional, folk

When he’s on stage, Kirby holds listeners in the palm of his hand with a soulful, diverse sound.

He’s a captivating singer-songwriter who pulls you along with every beat, and if Kirby’s latest album, Wonderizer, doesn’t make you move, I don’t know what to do with you.

As an artist, what do you do when you’re torn between two different styles? Some musicians put on eyeliner and create a dark alter ego (what were you thinking, Garth Brooks?), but Chris Kirby’s solution — torn between a cleaner pop side and a gritty vintage funk side — was to keep the styles both together and separate.

Originally intended as separate EPs, Wonderizer is divided in two: The first six songs will make you bop your head to the funky, “greasy” side, and the last six songs deliver a smooth and sweet “honey” feel. To hone in on the style he was looking for, Kirby recorded each section in separate recording spots: Groove Den Studios and Henge Studios, both here in town. The diverse sound never fails to deliver.

I love Wonderizer for the funky beats and soulful sound, but I can’t go without mentioning my deep respect for Kirby as one of the hardest working and talented musicians I have come to admire. Wonderizer will wonderize you.

This year The Dardanelles followed up their exceptionally well-received debut album with The Eastern Light, a beautiful collection of songs passionately and expertly played that continues to cement their growing reputation as some of Newfoundland’s finest traditional players in the game today.

What sets the Dardanelles apart from a lot of their contemporaries in the trad scene beyond any talk of faster tempos or virtuosity — there’s no lack of exceptionally skillful players in the trad community — is the band’s tastefulness and the heavy attention to detail present in their choice of repertoire and arrangements.

They stay away from the hoary old standards you’re assaulted with every time you wander down George Street and pick the more obscure, interesting material from the NL songbook.

And they don’t gussy up their arrangements like pop songs and try to sweeten the sound by throwing in a rock drum kit and some synth pads.

They celebrate the space between the notes, the air in the room and y’know, the actual sound of their instruments. The material in The Eastern Light shifts more toward ballads than in their debut, providing a fine showcase for the clear and soulful vocals of Matthew Byrne. His pipes might lack that archetypal NL gravelliness but they perfectly match with the bright, youthful energy of the band.

The Eastern Light finds the right balance between the pyrotechnics of the fiddle and accordion reels and softer maturity of the balladry to make the album a thoroughly satisfying, dynamic experience beginning to end.

Chris Kirby

THE DARDANELLES

ERIN SULLEY

PATRICK CANNING

Newfoundland Herald), Krista Power (Mightypop), Mack Furlong (St. John’s Freelancer), Neil Targett (Corner Brook Promoter/St. John’s Musician), Samm Joy (The Muse), Sandy Chisholm (CBTGs), Sarah Smellie (The Scope/Freelancer), Stephen Lethbridge (OZFM), Steve Hussey (Fred’s Records/St. John’s Musician), Tara Bradbury (The Telegram), Tom Cochrane (Cornerbrooker.com), Tony Murray (The Ship/Rock House), Tony Ploughman (Fred’s Records), Zach Goudie (CBC St. John’s)

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THE EMPRESS

February

FLAVOURS: Old world, rootsy, jazzy OBLIGATORY GENRE CLASSIFICATION: Jazz/traditional folk

FLAVOURS: Intimate, textured, charming OBLIGATORY GENRE CLASSIFICATION: Classy, classic roots

Pairings like these are historic and this one will no doubt be remembered as one of the most fruitful of all time in both Newfoundland and Cape Breton trad music history. Though what Dwayne and Duane have done is anything but traditional.

A relationship that began with a chance meeting some 20 years ago sprouted when Newfoundland guitar player Duane Andrews was on tour in Nova Scotia a few years back. He summoned his old acquaintance Dwayne Côté and, after playing a few gigs together, the pair recognized a blossoming potential they couldn’t possibly have all those years ago.

Fresh from a stint studying music in France, where he discovered the brilliance of gypsy jazz virtuoso Django Reinhardt, Andrews introduced his new influence to Côté and the pair set off on a groundbreaking course of musical innovation, one that resulted in a brilliant and inspiring debut album as a duo. Then this -- The Empress.

Fusing their individual traditional Newfoundland and Cape Breton stylings with Reinhardtinspired melodies, Dwayne and Duane both pay homage to their forebears (Winston Fitzgerald and Estwood Davidson with “The Hiawatha Set” and Emile Benoit with “The Festival Set”) and forge new musical territory (“The Iona Sunrise” and “Love It!”) that indulges even the most finicky of musical purists. It’s not Newfoundland trad, it’s not Cape Breton trad, it’s not gypsy jazz.

It’s a bit of each and something else, something both polished and virginal.

Their elegance and precision are gripping, as is the sight and sound of Andrews’ guitar mastery honeyed by Côté’s rustic fiddling (he carved his fiddle out of a tree from his backyard... Yeah, I know.)

Buy it or download it — do whatever you must to hear The Empress. If you don’t and the world ends at solstice, your journey will be incomplete.

When I was Joanna Barker’s age I was proud of myself for having learned to play the four chords of ‘Gouge Away’ by the Pixies without messing up, and the best original song I had written at that point was about sandwiches. So there’s a little jealous part of me that’s kind of annoyed by how mature and beautiful this debut album is, but it’s only a small part, really. Most of me is just enchanted by the songs.

February contains plenty of obviously personal narratives (“Four Oceans Wide” and “Empty Boat At Shore” are standouts for me), but Barker manages to tastefully avoid the sort of navel-gazing that often plagues equally folksy songwriters, proving that it’s possible to wear your heart on your sleeve without drowning in cheese.

Every track on this record is well constructed, with tightly arranged upright bass, drums, banjo and viola complementing Barker’s acoustic guitar without ever overwhelming the narrative power of the songs. And that power is rooted deep in Barker’s breathy, smoky, gorgeous, and totally distinctive voice — a voice that could sound magical just singing the phone book, let alone the captivating songs on February. This is a totally astonishing debut that reveals new textures and beauty with every spin.

DWAYNE COTE AND DUANE ANDREWS

Joanna Barker

JUSTIN BRAKE

14

thescope

December 2012 & January 2013

MATHIAS KOM

Home Again, Home Again

TRACKS

Katie Baggs

FLAVOURS: Catchy, CLASSIC, HONEST OBLIGATORY GENRE CLASSIFICATION: Rock N’ ROLL

FLAVOURS: Insightful, meditative, universal OBLIGATORY GENRE CLASSIFICATION: Folksy secular gospel

In a time when music can be convoluted, selfimportant, and otherwise deliberately elusive, it is so refreshing to a hear a record that is as straight-forward and honest as this, the Long Distance Runners’ debut full-length.

The band is clearly offering a tribute to their own rock ‘n roll heroes on Tracks, an album that displays serious rock chops and a clear vision.

Although the music is delivered with a certain ease that at times makes it seem like they aren’t trying at all, perfectly encapsulated by dreamy album opener “Election Day”, there is nothing sloppy about the album. And at first glance, the album may sound like a traditional rock record.

But there are surprising moments, such as the superb brass section on “Treading Water”, a song that would sound natural wafting out of a bar on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

Each song comes together to form a very cohesive product, and a solid debut.

The Runners have been able to create a definite identity for themselves here. As the chorus of album-closer “A Short History of America” goes: “I know where I come from. I was born to rock and roll.” This is a clear statement, a final point on the album that says to all listening that the Long Distance Runners know exactly what they are doing and exactly why they are here.

THE Long Distance Runners

Anyone that has seen Katie Baggs perform live will know what I mean when I say that she has a funny way of being utterly guileless and completely wise at the same time. More than anything, that’s what comes through on Home Again, Home Again.

Whether with Dead Language, All The Wiles or all by her lonesome, Baggs has a remarkable ability to write songs that lend the simplest observations a kind of profound weight that you don’t hear nearly enough these days.

Songs like “How Small” or album-opener “All I Know”, almost religious anthems for the secularly-inclined, are full of love for the simplicity of home and humble wonder at the beauty of the world. The subtlety of the arrangements brings the power of the words to the foreground here, and the gorgeous minimalism of engineer and producer James Anderson’s aesthetic means that Baggs’ roomy voice rides on top of everything and makes you want to join her church of the natural world, if only to hear her sing.

Indeed, the standout track here is the a capella powerhouse “Poet or Painter” — a song with the kind of impact and depth that stops you in your tracks in the middle of the sidewalk, your jaw dropping a little as you turn up your iPod to take it all in. You might look a little awkward, but it doesn’t matter: This is a new kind of church and it’s good to be a believer.

MATHIAS KOM

Stephen Lethbridge

atlantis music2012 prizE thescope presents the

MAN OF THE YEAR Identity Crisis Sean Panting

Thee Internet

FLAVOURS: Mature, dynamic, red-blooded OBLIGATORY GENRE CLASSIFICATION: Rock

FLAVOURS: Angular, robot fun OBLIGATORY GENRE CLASSIFICATION: Exp. pop, post-punk

The title track from Man of The Year comes tearing out of the gate with a vigour that confirms why Sean Panting’s position as a local rock legend is well warranted. Although he is currently midway through the third decade of a music career that’s seen him go from founding influential ‘90s rock band Drive to releasing this, his fifth solo album since 2000, Panting shows no signs of slowing down.

Tracks like “Everybody Knows It’s Over” and “Effigy” tap into the energy of his earlier work with Drive while penultimate track “Cubicle Creature” is by far the heaviest thing I’ve heard Panting do yet. The song chugs along with layers of guitar angst, raging against the workaday world. Halfway through the song the mix subsides to reveal that an alarm clock had been appropriately serving as the song’s metronome followed by an ebb and flow of false endings and guitar spasms.

Of course like good whiskey, songwriters often mellow with age, which works out wonderfully on tracks like “Love, What Would You Have Me Do?”, garnished with its tender mandolin runs and gentle acoustic picking.

My favorite track from the record is “I Get Tired of Putting Out Fires”, a lullaby of self-consolation with some beautifully abstract lyrics and a motivational mantra in the bridge as Sean sings “The way out is through”.

Man of the Year is also packed with potential radio hits, foremost of which is the infectiously catchy “I Picked Hell” with its funky backbeat, blues guitar riffs, and sing-along chorus complete with group vocals and handclaps in the outro.

Man of the Year is Panting’s most solid and enduring solo album to date and one that will keep you coming back for repeated listens whether you’re in the mood to rock out or chill out. It also contains some gems that reveal Panting’s maturity as a songwriter.

Brainchild of instrumental wunderkind Tyler Lovell, Thee Internet’s debut album Identity Crisis is a painfully well-accomplished and original album for such a young group.

From the start Tyler has been a prodigiously talented musician with a penchant for experimentalism of the more challenging sort, but with Thee Internet he’s found a voice (namely one that sorta channels a charismatic David Byrne) that can connect with a wider audience while still being an excellent platform for his intimidating skills of and those of his more-than-capable cohorts.

The album starts with a nearly perfect alternate-dimension pop song in “Babe”, the male/ female call and response, the clockwork staccato vocal delivery, and the unrelenting cavalcade of guitar hooks lays a tasty blueprint for the happy robot rock that follows.

Robbie Brett and Tyler’s dual lead guitars paint a scene in needle-sharp scattershot pointillism before locking into massively hooky Thin Lizzy-style synchronized fuzzed-out breakdowns in “Anticipation” and “Concentrate”.

Every song on the album gives the impression that it’s about to explode from the shear amount of brazen ideas and sudden shifts the band is more than eager to throw in there and it probably would fall apart if it wasn’t all wrapped up in such a cohesive and disciplined aesthetic.

I hear a lot of early Talking Heads and Television influence in the songs but Thee Internet isn’t a nostalgia act in any sense of the word. Thee Internet got the future locked down.

award night Featuring performances by

Chris Kirby & The Marquee Duane Andrews Joanna Barker Katie Baggs Long Distance Runners Sean Panting Band

Thursday December 13 No cover. The Ship. Doors open at 8pm, music starts at 9pm.

PATRICK CANNING

DAMIAN LETHBRIDGE

Newfoundland's Traditional Music Store All kinds of awesome gift ideas this year, from stocking stuffers to complete instrument starter kits!

Enter to WIN a Christmas Stocking full of musical goodies with any purchase!

278 Water Street, Downtown St. John's, 709-753-8135

obriensmusic.com

DECEMBER 2012 & january 2013

thescope

15

Victor Lewis If you’ve got some free time in February, any free time, and you’ve got the slightest inkling to try it, you should. Nothing to lose, only fun.

Steve Kennedy Have fun and take it as seriously as you want to. What else is there to do in February? I mean kick the fence down and get it started.

Jack E. Tar Since the Mayans said the world would be over by the time RPM 2013 occurs, it’s only right that we approach this year’s event with the same level of care we would afford a recently birthed human or an almost-baked soufflé.

Naomi Diana Russell I started the RPM Challenge at age 11. I have such a great time doing the challenge and I get the sweetest messages from people who say they like my music.

Geoff Bartlett Tell a few people you are doing it and that will motivate you so that you don’t look like a quitter.

Chad Pelley While everyone else watched bad sitcoms and went to the same two bars again, you’ll have cut a record, you goddamn rockstar!

Ben Rigby Don’t try too hard, get a working version and move on.

Thom Coombes Recordings always take their own shape, and they’re not always the shape you had in mind. The whole charm of the lo-fi recording from the 80’s and 90’s was based on it being homemade.

Thom Coombes Recording an album is hard, but that doesn’t mean it has to be stressful. Enjoy it.

Will Gough Something will give you a reason to stop whether it be doubt, frustration, an event, or time. Talk it out, work with or around it, and keep going.

Anna Wheeler Meeting other creative people and giving feedback can be a lot of fun. I really enjoyed the blog part of the website where you could map your journey through the crazy mess of mixing tracks.

Scrambled Meggz Write as though you’re the only one who will hear the end result. When it’s done it’s entirely up to you what you do with it but just having finished it will make you feel like a superstar. Go crazy.

Nick (Got it on Tape) Never know what you can do until you just do it!

Erin St. John Don’t hold back. What do you have to lose?

Victor Lewis Lower your expectations. Better yet, don’t have any at all. RPM is all about surprising yourself. Spontaneity is key!

THIS IS THE CHALLENGE

Mathias Kom No matter what, have faith that it will all come together at the last minute.

Kevin Woolridge The worst thing that can happen is that you get a couple of songs written/recorded. Even if you don’t hit the mark for the challenge, it’s still worth it.

Record an album in 28 days, just because you can. 10 tracks or 35 minutes of original material recorded during the month of February 2013.

It’s not a contest, and there is no fee. It’s for fun.

Details at thescope.ca/rpm St. John’s RPM Challenge Launch Party Thursday January 31 from 7pm to 9pm Fixed Coffee & Baking—183 Duckworth Street

Red Noise Learn your gear beforehand. Record a cover, record some junk, anything short of cheating by working on your actual February songs.

Get past the fumbling and aggravation.

Rick Bailey (los beatniko, Robot Scout) Do it. Dooo it. DOOO IT! It isn’t as hard as you think, unless you’re thinking too hard and not doing it.

Ryan Tobin (Drummer for Waterfront Fire) Make a schedule to plan your RPM attack. It gives you an idea on how much time to put towards each song and allows people with other commitments to plan out when they can/can’t record.

Ben Rigby I’m hoping to get others involved so I don’t have to do everything myself.

Billy Jack Even when the creative energy is not flowing, work on something, album cover, song order, anything, 28 days doesn’t be long flying by.

Micah Brown I’m a big fan of documenting life, and the RPM is a perfect opportunity to do so. I can now look back and have a tiny 10 song window into how I was living last February.

Cara Winsor Hehir Every second person you meet in this city is a musician, so if you have no experience, stop the second person you meet and ask them for help. Make inquires on your Facebook.

Thom Coombes When it comes to recording, I think you develop your skills by making something, hearing what you made, and thinking of how you’d rather hear it.

Nick (Got it on Tape) It may seem a little overwhelming at times, but just relax have a laugh and get back at it.

DECEMBER 2012 & january 2013

thescope

17

december music listings For more, go to thescope.ca/events

Wednesday dec 5

Annexe

Karaoke, 10pm, Big Ben’s Pub

Blacky O’Leary (7pm); Arthur & Fred (10:30pm), Shamrock City Epic Acoustic Wednesday: Adam Baxter, Alan Ricketts, Sam Burke, 10pm, $5, Distortion Folk Night: Albedo (bluegrass), 9pm, The Ship Karaoke, 10pm, Karaoke Kops Party Bar Mac Lake & Ryan Sheaves (blues), Fat Cat Blues Bar

Karaoke, Karaoke Kops Party Bar Larry Foley (solo country), Fat Cat Blues Bar Navigator Black & The Indighost (alt), Mitch Ghaney, The Corroborators, 9pm, $5, CBTGs Sean Sullivan & Rob Slaney, Bridie Molloy’s Tino Borges & The Incident, Martini Bar

The Great Casavant Organ: Bach to the 20th Century with David Drinkell, 1:15pm, free, Anglican Cathedral

friday dec 7

Wolfpack Wednesdays: Open mic/jam, 10pm, no cover, CBTGs

All Request: DJ RocketBoy, Lottie’s Place Blacky O’Leary, 6pm; Steve Davis, 10pm, Kelly’s Pub Blue Eyed Blonde, Club One

thursday dec 6

DJ A-Read, Annexe DJ Digital Dan, Velvet Club DJJO, Dusk Ultralounge

9 O’Clock Rocks: Beauwater (rock/blues), The Domestics (alt-country), 9pm, The Levee Blacky O’Leary, 7pm, Kelly’s Pub Carl Peters & Bob Taylor (8pm), Middle Tickle (10:30pm), Shamrock City

DJ Sina, Sundance Jon McKiel (Halifax rock), Quaker Parents (Halifax rock), Kick Gut (punk), George Nervous, 10pm, $8, Distortion Karaoke, 10pm, Georgetown Pub

DJJO, Sundance

Karaoke, 10pm, Karaoke Kops Party Bar

Jazz Thursdays with Frequency Jazz Collective,

Karl Peters & Bob Taylor, Poor Mouths, Bridie Molloy’s

18

thescope

December 2012 & January 2013

Middle Tickle (5:30pm); Barry Kenny, Glen Harvey & Sonny Hogan (8:30pm), The Punters, Shamrock City Vegas Lounge Lizard (indie), DT & The Dinosaurs (rock), Dead Crows, Rock House Vegas Lounge Lizard (indie), Elk & The Elderly (prog rock), 9pm, $5, CBTGs The Black Bags (punk), Georgie & JoMo, Johnny, Am I Good? (folk/rock), 11pm, $10, The Ship The Insiders, Club One The Once Christmas, 7:30pm, $25, Gower Street United Church The Salty Dolls & The Moonshine Men, 7pm, Rose & Thistle

Saturday dec 8

All Request: DJ RocketBoy, Lottie’s Place Benefit for Rosie the Rebel: Burlesque show with Minus A Lung (indie), Uneeda (punk), The Brat Attack (punk), Vignette, 9pm, $5, CBTGs Blacky O’Leary, 5:30pm; Steve Davis, 9:30pm, Kelly’s Pub Blue Eyed Blonde, Club One Christmastime is Here: The Hip Waders with Donna Spurvey, 8pm, $15, Rocket Room DeeJay JayCee, Turkey Joe’s

DJ Ayuba, Sundance DJ Colin, Annexe DJJO, Dusk Ultralounge DJ Fabian, $7, Velvet Hugh Scott (5pm), Bob Taylor & Carl Peters (8pm), The Punters, Shamrock City Jon McKiel (Halifax rock), Quaker Parents (Halifax rock), East of Empire (alt/indie), 10pm, $10, The Ship Karaoke, 10pm, Georgetown Pub Karaoke, 10pm, Karaoke Kops Party Bar Linda Jaine Band, Fat Cat Blues Bar Poor Mouths, Bridie Molloy’s

Bannerman Park: Carol sing-along with Mary Walsh, 3:30pm, free with food donation, Bannerman Park Christmas Concert for Seniors: Holy Heart of Mary Alumnae Choir, 3pm, no cover, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church Chris Hennessey (7pm), Arthur & Fred (10:30pm), Shamrock City Noel Noel: St. John’s Choir, 3pm, $15, St. Mary’s Church Open Mic with Bryan Tucker, 8pm, Sharky’s Pub Sunday Salsa, 6pm, $5, Annexe Traditional Session: Fergus Brown-O’Byrne & Danny Mills, 3pm, O’Reilly’s Pub

Smiley Mac, 9pm, Sharky’s Pub The Insiders, Club One The Once Christmas, 7:30pm, $25, Gower Street United Church Tuba Noel: Lung Association benefit concert featuring NL tuba and euphonium players, 2pm, Scotia Centre-Water St

sunday dec 9

Acoustic Sundays with Cullam & Bob, Annexe Blacky O’Leary, 7pm, Kelly’s Pub Christmas Bells in

monday dec 10

Happy Tree Concert: Bob MacDonald, Damian Follett and The Jersey Brotherhood, Stixx & Stones, 8 Track Favourites, Snook, VOCM Personalities, Avalon Mall Evening of Christmas Music & Skits (CBS Food Bank fundraiser), $5+food donation, Kiwanis ClubKelligrews Hugh Scott (7pm); Industry Night hosted by Chris Ryan with Anthony McDonald & Ronnie Power (10:30pm), Shamrock City

Karaoke, 10pm, Karaoke Kops Party Bar Open Mic: Hosted by MusicNL, The Ship

tuesday dec 11

Alice & Alison (acoustic), Fat Cat Blues Bar Happy Tree Concert: Bob MacDonald, Damian Follett and The Jersey Brotherhood, Stixx & Stones, 8 Track Favourites, Snook, VOCM Personalities, Avalon Mall Karaoke, 10pm, Karaoke Kops Party Bar Kevin Evans & Darryl Power (7pm), Connemara (10:30pm), Shamrock City Open Mic, 10pm, Grumpy Stump Pub Stan Pickett & His Rocket Players, no cover, 12:30pm, Rocket Bakery

wednesday dec 12 Blacky O’Leary (7pm); Arthur & Fred (10:30pm), Shamrock City Pub Coastal Sounds Annual Holiday Concert, 7:30pm, $10, St. Thomas of Villanova Church-Topsail Epic Acoustic Wednesday:

Adam Baxter, Josh Bourden, Sam Burke, Pete Mills, 10pm, $5, Distortion

Folk Night: Jean Hewson & Christina Smith (trad), 9pm, The Ship Karaoke, 10pm, Karaoke Kops Party Bar Mac Lake & Ryan Sheaves (acoustic blues), Fat Cat Blues Bar The Great Casavant Organ: Bach to the 20th Century with David Drinkell, 1:15pm, free, Anglican Cathedral Wolfpack Wednesdays: Open mic/jam, 10pm, no cover, CBTGs

Thursday dec 13

9 O’Clock Rocks: Dust Radio, Georgie & Jomo, 9pm, The Levee

Annexe

Karaoke, 10pm, Big Ben’s Pub Karaoke, Karaoke Kops Party Bar Larry Foley (solo country), Fat Cat Blues Bar The Corroborators, 9pm, $5, CBTGs Tino Borges & The Incident, Martini Bar

Friday dec 14

All Request: DJ RocketBoy, Lottie’s Place Blacky O’Leary, 6pm; Steve Davis, 10pm, Kelly’s Pub DJ A-Read, DJ Potemtole, Annexe DJ Digital Dan, Velvet Club DJJO, Dusk Ultralounge DJ Sina, Sundance

Atlantis Music Prize Showcase: Chris Kirby & The Marquee, Duane Andrews, Joanna Barker, Katie Baggs, Long Distance Runners, Sean Panting Band, 9pm, no cover, The Ship

End of Exams Party: Broken Mug, DJ Nu Rock, DJ Blurr, 9pm, $5, Breezeway

Blacky O’Leary, 7pm, Kelly’s Pub

John Cossar (folk), 9pm, Sharky’s Pub

Carl Peters & Bob Taylor (8pm), Middle Tickle (10:30pm), Shamrock City

Karaoke, 10pm, Georgetown Pub

Handel’s Messiah: Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonic Choir, 8pm, $26/$23, Basilica

DJJO, Sundance

Karaoke, 10pm, Karaoke Kops Party Bar

Jazz Thursdays with Frequency Jazz Collective,

Karla Pilgrim & Jackie Sullivan, 7pm, Bridie Mol-

loy’s

Messiah at the Basilica (NSO) Handel’s Messiah, 8pm, $26/$23, Basilica

Taylor & Carl Peters (8pm), Middle Tickle, Shamrock City

James Dupré (Country), 8pm, $35, LSPU Hall

Middle Tickle (5:30pm); Barry Kenny, Glen Harvey & Sonny Hogan (8:30pm), Middle Tickle, Shamrock City

Karaoke, 10pm, Georgetown Pub

PotemTole (moombahsoul/ nu-disco), 11pm, no cover, Annexe

Mick Davis & The Skinny Jims Xmas Party, Rock House

Repartee (synthpop), Other People (synthpop), 11:30pm, Rock House

Mummer-oke: Karaoke contest after Mummers Parade, 5pm, Georgestown Pub

Sean Panting Band (rock), The Ship

Put Some Jam On It: Chris Kirby & The Marquee, Horns of Justice, Professor Cowbell, Brianna Gosse, 10:30pm, $10, Fat Cat Blues Bar

Stixx & Stones, Club One The Hallidays, Fat Cat Blues Bar The Noisy Electric Christmas Light Orchestra Holiday Revue: Navigator Black & The Indighost and friends, PWYC, CBTGs

Saturday dec 15

Karaoke, 10pm, Karaoke Kops Party Bar

Stixx & Stones, Club One The Rolling Kings: A Traditional NL Christmas Party, 8pm, Sharky’s Uneeda (punk), Hot Live Death (punk), 10:30pm, $7, The Levee Vegas Lounge Lizard (indie), Elk & The Elderly (prog), Monsterbator (rock), 9pm, $7, CBTGs

All Request: DJ RocketBoy, Lottie’s Place Blacky O’Leary, 5:30pm; Steve Davis, 9:30pm, Kelly’s Pub Dave Reardon, Bridie Molloy’s DeeJay JayCee, Turkey Joe’s DJ Ayuba, Sundance DJ Colin, Annexe DJ Fabian, $7, Velvet Duane Andrews Quartet (jazz), $10, The Ship Handel’s Messiah: With the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonic Choir, 8pm, $26/$23, Basilica Hugh Scott (5pm), Bob

gus Brown-O’Byrne & Danny Mills, 3pm, O’Reilly’s Pub

sunday dec 16

Acoustic Sundays with Cullam & Bob, Annexe Blacky O’Leary, 7pm, Kelly’s Pub Chris Hennessey (7pm), Arthur & Fred (10:30pm), Shamrock City Dave Reardon, Bridie Molloy’s Sunday Salsa, 6pm, $5, Annexe Traditional Session: Fer-

monday dec 17

Hugh Scott (7pm); Industry Night hosted by Chris Ryan with Anthony McDonald & Ronnie Power (10:30pm), Shamrock City Karaoke, 10pm, Karaoke Kops Party Bar Open Mic: Hosted by MusicNL, The Ship

tuesday dec 18

Alice & Alison (acoustic), Fat Cat Blues Bar Ian Foster & The Thieves, Jerry Stamp, 9pm, $7, The Ship Karaoke, 10pm, Karaoke Kops Party Bar Kevin Evans & Darryl Power (7pm), Connemara (10:30pm), Shamrock City Pub Open Mic, 10pm, Grumpy Stump Pub Stan Pickett & His Rocket Players, no cover, 12:30pm, Rocket Bakery

Folk Night: The Forgotten Bouzouki (Greek), 9pm, The Ship Hey Rosetta! (indie), Plants and Animals (Montreal indie), East of Empire (alt), 8pm, $30/$40, Mile One

Large Live ‘n Direct (hip hop), Antics (hip hop), Krow, 9pm, $8, Rock House Larry Foley (solo country), Fat Cat Blues Bar

Karaoke, 10pm, Karaoke Kops Party Bar

Navigator Black & The Indighost (alt), Mitch Ghaney, 9pm, $5, CBTGs

Mac Lake & Ryan Sheaves (blues), Fat Cat Blues Bar

Night Music #116: Brad Jefford Trio, 9:30pm, $5, The Ship

Matty Rose, Lennie Earle, Trapper John’s Pub

Sean Sullivan & Rob Slaney, Bridie Molloy’s

The Great Casavant Organ: Bach to the 20th Century with David Drinkell, 1:15pm, free, Anglican Cathedral

Signal Hill, Club One

Wolfpack Wednesdays: Open mic/jam, 10pm, no cover, CBTGs

thursday dec 20

9 O’Clock Rocks: Manifest, Pathological Lovers (alt), 9pm, The Levee Blacky O’Leary, 7pm, Kelly’s Pub Carl Peters & Bob Taylor (8pm), Middle Tickle (10:30pm), Shamrock City Pub Customer Appreciation Night: Signal Hill, Sundance DJJO, Sundance

wednesday dec 19

Karaoke, Karaoke Kops Party Bar

Hey Rosetta! (indie), Plants and Animals (Montreal indie), East of Empire (alt), 8pm, $30/$40, Mile One

Blacky O’Leary (7pm); Arthur & Fred (10:30pm), Shamrock City

Jazz Thursdays with Frequency Jazz Collective, Annexe

Epic Acoustic Wednesday: Adam Baxter, Terry Rielly, Sam Burke, 10pm, $5, Distortion

Karaoke, 10pm, Big Ben’s Pub

Rob Cook, Greg Tobin, Trapper John’s Pub Tino Borges & The Incident, Martini Bar

friday dec 21

All Request: DJ RocketBoy, Lottie’s Place Blacky O’Leary, 6pm; Steve Davis, 10pm, Kelly’s Pub DJ A-Read, Annexe DJ Digital Dan, Velvet Club DJJO, Sundance End of the World: Derm Kean & An Incredible Woman, Pervert Week, Cafeteria (rock), 11pm, CBTGs Karaoke, 10pm, Georgetown Pub Karaoke, 10pm, Karaoke Kops Party Bar Karl Peters & Bob Taylor, Siochana, Bridie Molloy’s Lori Cooper Band, Fat Cat Blues Bar Middle Tickle (5:30pm); Barry Kenny, Glen Harvey & Sonny Hogan (8:30pm), Hagdown with Chris Ryan,

Shamrock City

Signal Hill, Club One Sherry Ryan & The Enablers (folk), 10pm, The Ship

The Sketchy Christmas: The Sketch, The Brat Attack, Black Bags, Right Rotted, 9pm, $6, CBTGs

End (folk), Baytown (rock), 10pm, $15, Rock House

The Monday Nights (rock), The Ship

The Salty Dolls & The Moonshine Men, 7pm, Rose & Thistle

Sherry Ryan & Wade Dawe, 9pm, Sharky’s Pub

Traditional Session: Fergus Brown-O’Byrne & Danny Mills, 3pm, O’Reilly’s Pub

Signal Hill, Club One

WIWA, $8, Dusk Ultralounge

WIWA, Dusk Ultralounge

Siochana, Bridie Molloy’s

Signal Hill, Club One

WIWA, Sundance

saturday dec 22

All Request: DJ RocketBoy, Lottie’s Place Baytown (rock), Dave Whitty Band, Hear/Say, The Ship

tuesday dec 25

sunday dec 23

DT & The Dinosaurs (rock), CBTGs

Acoustic Sundays with Cullam & Bob, Annexe

DJJO, Dusk Ultralounge

Annual Holiday Wassail: Andrew James O’Brien, Pamela Morgan, Jim Payne & Fergus O’Byrne, Duane Andrews & Darren Browne, Matthew Byrne, Dave Penny, Bob MacDonald, Chelsea Parsons, Dave Paddon, Holly Hogan & Allan Byrne, 2pm, $10/$12, George Street United Church

DJ Fabian: Silver Bells are Ringing, 11pm, $7, Velvet

At Ships End (folk), Baytown (rock), Rock House

FloorPlay with DJ Grayster, DJ Taner, Annexe

Blacky O’Leary, 7pm, Kelly’s Pub

Heart Gallery Seasonal Singalong Coffee House hosted by Terry Rielly, 7pm, no cover, Coffee & Co

Chris Hennessey (7pm), Arthur & Fred (10:30pm), Shamrock City

Blacky O’Leary, 5:30pm; Steve Davis, 9:30pm, Kelly’s Pub CLB Regimental Band Christmas Singalong, 3pm, no cover, CLB Armoury DeeJay JayCee, Turkey Joe’s

Hugh Scott (5pm), Bob Taylor & Carl Peters (8pm), Hagdown with Chris Ryan, Shamrock City Karaoke, 10pm, Georgetown Pub Karaoke, 10pm, Karaoke Kops Party Bar Led Zeppelin Tribute, Neil Young Tribute, Rock House Mick Davis & The Skinny Jims (50s rock & roll), Fat Cat Blues Bar

Delusion Victims (indie pop), The Lurks, Older Gods (experimental), Pet Vet, 11pm, $5, CBTGs Mad Child (Vancouver hip hop), Jay Mayne (Halifax), Antics (hip hop), DJJO, DJ Nu Rock, 10pm, $25, Club One Open Mic Christmas Song Contest hosted by Terry Rielly, 8pm, Sharky’s Pub Sunday Salsa, 6pm, $5, Annexe

wednesday dec 26

Boxing Day Bounce: DJJO, DJ Nu Rock, Slim Macho, $10, Dusk Ultralounge Epic Acoustic Wednesday: Adam Baxter, Jerry Stamp, Sam Burke, 10pm, $5, Distortion Mac Lake & Ryan Sheaves (acoustic blues), Fat Cat Blues Bar Mark Bragg & The Butchers (alt), The Ship

thursday dec 27

9 O’Clock Rocks: Pilot to Bombardier (folk), Mercy The Sexton (indie), 9pm, The Levee Blacky O’Leary, 7pm, Kelly’s Pub Carl Peters & Bob Taylor (8pm), Middle Tickle (10:30pm), Shamrock City Pub

Tangly Tib’s Eve: At Ships

Servicing most makes and models of major appliances in St. John’s & surrounding area.

Gough Appliance Repair & Parts Ltd. 754-1409 or 334-2911 DECEMBER 2012 & january 2013

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19

Gramercy Riffs (heartbreak pop), Rock House

Walsh, and more, 8pm, $50, Arts & Culture Centre

Jazz Thursdays with Frequency Jazz Collective, Annexe

Full Circle: Katie Baggs, Joel Hynes, Jody Richardson, Liz Solo, 8:30pm, $20, LSPU Hall

J Billz, Sundance

Horns Attack! featuring Tiptonic Sax Quartet, The Skylarks Orchestra, 10:30pm, $7, Fat Cat Blues Bar

Karaoke, 10pm, Big Ben’s Pub Karaoke, Karaoke Kops Party Bar Larry Foley (solo country), Fat Cat Blues Bar The Navigators, Club One The Offering of Curtis Andrews (jazz), Havana To Canada, 9:30pm, $10, The Ship Tino Borges & The Incident, Martini Bar

friday dec 28

All Request: DJ RocketBoy, Lottie’s Place Badcock Blues Band, Fat Cat Blues Bar Blacky O’Leary, 6pm; Steve Davis, 10pm, Kelly’s Pub Celtic Connection, Club One DJ A-Read, Annexe DJ Digital Dan, Velvet Club DJ Sina, Sundance Feast of Cohen XIII: Vicky Hynes, Andrew James O’Brien, Amelia Curran, Luke Major, Andrea Monro, Blair Harvey, Sean Panting, Lori Cooper, Des Walsh, and more, 8pm, $50, Arts & Culture Centre

PUT SOME TWINKLE IN THE SEASON • CHRISTMAS OPEN STUDIOS Saturday, December 8 & Sunday, December 9

Hugh Scott (5pm), Bob Taylor & Carl Peters (8pm), Juniper Road, Shamrock City Karaoke, 10pm, Georgetown Pub Karaoke, 10pm, Karaoke Kops Party Bar New Year’s Concert (Sound Symposium) The Scruncheons, The Black Auks, Patrick Boyle, Curtis Andrews, Dzolali African Drums & Dancers, 3pm, no cover, Arts & Culture Centre Nu-Metal Tribute Night, 10pm, Distortion Pilot To Bombardier (folk), Long Distance Runners (indie), The Ship Slim Macho, Dusk Surgeon (Fjords album release), Fireign (metal), 10:30pm, $10, Rock House

sunday dec 30

Acoustic Sundays with Cullam & Bob, Annexe Blacky O’Leary, 7pm, Kelly’s Pub Chelsea Parsons, 8pm, Sharky’s Pub

Full Circle: Katie Baggs, Joel Hynes, Jody Richardson, Liz Solo, 8:30pm, $20, LSPU Hall

Chris Hennessey (7pm), Arthur & Fred (10:30pm), Shamrock City Pub

Karaoke, 10pm, Georgetown Pub

Dave Reardon, Bridie Molloy’s

Karaoke, 10pm, Karaoke Kops Party Bar

Kira Sheppard, Phil Goodridge, Melanie O’Brien, The Ship

Karla Pilgrim & Jackie Sullivan, 7pm; Paul Turner, Chris Ryan & Justin Fancy, Bridie Molloy’s Middle Tickle (5:30pm); Barry Kenny, Glen Harvey & Sonny Hogan (8:30pm), Juniper Road, Shamrock City

Sunday Salsa, 6pm, $5, Annexe The Pathological Lovers (alt), Rock House Traditional Session: Fergus Brown-O’Byrne & Danny Mills, 3pm, O’Reilly’s Pub

Punkmas Extravaganza, 9pm, $5, CBTGs RS Smooth, Dusk Ultralounge Thee Internet (post-punk), People on Pause (pop), 11pm, $10, The Ship The Novaks (rock), $10, Rock House The Punters, Club One

Alexis Templeton Studio 75 Quidi Vidi Road

Running the Goat Press

Fri, Dec 7, 7 to 9 pm; Sat & Sun 11 am to 6 pm

8 Mullock Street

Sat & Sun 11 am to 5 pm

Blue Moon Pottery

Susan Lee Studios

Sat & Sun 11 am to 6 pm

Sat & Sun 11 am to 6 pm

17 Outer Battery Road

116 Bond Street

saturday dec 29

All Request: DJ RocketBoy, Lottie’s Place Blacky O’Leary, 5:30pm; Steve Davis, 9:30pm, Kelly’s Pub Celtic Connection, Club One City Council and friends, 9pm, Sharky’s Pub Dave Reardon, Paul Turner, Chris Ryan & Justin Fancy, Bridie Molloy’s DeeJay JayCee, Turkey Joe’s DJ Ayuba, Sundance

monday dec 31

cAll Request: DJ RocketBoy, Lottie’s Place Baytown (rock), Ashelin (folk), Dave Whitty Band, Remix86, Fat Cat Blues Bar Behind The Velvet Mask: Lucky #13 with DJ Fabian & DJ Digital Dan, 10pm, $15, Velvet DJ Sina, Sundance Dr Drake, Dusk Ultralounge Karaoke, 10pm, Karaoke Kops Party Bar The Discounts (hip hop/ reggae), Skank (reggae/ska), The Skylarks (ska/reggae), The Ship The Final Countdown: Cafeteria (rock), The Wobbly Pops, The Texmestics, 11pm, $20, Rock House The Insiders, Club One Who Cares Eve: The Shining Wizards (dance), Carter, Fox, A-Read, Alligator, 10pm, $25/$35, CLB Armoury

DJ Colin, Annexe DJ Fabian, $7, Velvet Feast of Cohen XIII: Vicky Hynes, Andrew James O’Brien, Amelia Curran, Luke Major, Andrea Monro, Blair Harvey, Sean Panting, Lori Cooper, Des

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FIND MANY more listings online at thescope.CA

thescope.ca/wha

MS. MANNERS Ms. Manners Emily Martin politely helped readers with their etiquette conundrums and quagmires last month at thescope.ca/wha.

Below is just one example.

Darcy Fitzpatrick ASKED Do you think that online anonymity/pseudonymity has eroded our sense of etiquette?

In my experience, the less a person’s actions can be traced back to them personally, the less likely they are to concern themselves with etiquette when engaging in those actions. More and more, people’s interactions with one another are taking place online more so than in person. I wonder if the erosion of etiquette caused by anonymous or pseudonymous online interactivity is spilling out into people’s person-to-person interactivity. Are people less polite in the “real” world because they are accustomed to being less polite in the “virtual” world? ms. manners ANSWERED: People have been shaking their metaphorical heads and fists at the decline of manners for thousands of years. This tells us that we are either living in a veritable social sewer by now or that we always perceive a decline no matter what our vector. Even if our vector is riding something as revolutionary as the internet.

The internet does not just offer anonymity, it offers scope. The scope of our daily conversation with the world is so huge that we will now encounter more of everything, including, yes, total ****s. Manners do take practice to maintain so we would expect to see some superficial slippage in “real” life when they are so little practiced online. I say superficial, because I believe it is possible that the sheer volume and range of our newfound planetwide conversations are actually, slowly, haltingly, at times counter-intuitively making us more tolerant and empathetic in the long run.

As tolerance and empathy are the roots of real, instinctual manners (regardless of niche cultural upbringing), this looks good for our manners’ future.

So, we may have to suffer a slight lowering of the brow as we all get down in the collective dirt of trolling and YouTube commenting and some of that virtual mud will splash us on our very real and soggy walks through town, but… we are already talking to more (and more varied) people about a wider range of topics than ever before. That is the only thing that has truely changed and it WILL, in the end, allow us all to just get along as never before.

Read more online at thescope.ca/wha

DECEMBER 2012 & january 2013

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Are you brave enough to take the challenge?

Free yourself from shaving for the month of February Raise awareness about cervical screening and Pap tests Support Planned Parenthood’s Pap Clinics

FebuHairy.ca | info@FebuHairy.ca Sexual Health Questions? We Have Answers!

579-1009 or 1-877 NO MYTHS (666-9847) | 203 Merrymeeting Road, St. John’s, NL

www.nlsexualhealthcentre.org

THE SCOPE GUIDE TO

BILL 29

By Sarah Smellie

It was a bleak year for freedom of information in Newfoundland and Labrador.

In June, the government passed Bill 29, a proposed set of changes to the province’s Access to Information and Privacy Protection Act. Those changes will make it tougher for journalists and citizens to access inside government information.

It was one of the biggest freedom of informatio-related stories in the country this year, winning coverage from national media and scorn from democracy and freedom of information advocates.

Here’s the deal.

The Act The purpose of the Access to Information and Privacy Protection Act (ATIPPA) is to provide accountability and transparency in the provincial public sector while ensuring that those organizations respect the privacy of personal information.

For example, ATTIPA specifies what kind of documents can be made public and how much personal information public bodies are allowed to disclose.

Anyone can ask the government for information by filling out an access to information request. The form is available on the government’s website.

You can ask to see what personal information the government has about you, you can ask to see your MHA’s emails from a certain time period, or you can ask to see government reports and safety assessments. Before they were posted online last month, you had to file an access to information request to see health inspection reports of the province’s restaurants.

Journalists use access to information requests all the time and many important stories, like the controversy surrounding the search for Burton Winters, come about because of information obtained through these requests.

Requests are evaluated by government employees according to the act: if you receive a pile of papers with blacked-out paragraphs, those paragraphs were blacked out because the information is classified under ATIPPA. The Information and Privacy Commissioner If you file a request for access to information and feel that you received less than what ATIPPA entitled you to, you can file a complaint with the Information and Privacy Commissioner, Ed Ring. Ring is the province’s independent access to information watchdog.

In the event of a complaint, he’ll review the

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documents in question and then determine whether ATIPPA was used correctly in the decision to release or withhold those documents.

He can’t make the government do anything, but he can take the case to the courts, who can.

The ability to file a complaint to an independent body for independent review is pretty key in maintaining government accountability.

The Commissioner has had his share of difficulties with the government: sometimes he isn’t given access to information, either. In January 2011, he said in a release that he was the only Commissioner of access to information law that couldn’t review documents that fell under client-solicitor privilege. That went to court and, after an initial loss and an appeal, he was awarded the right to review those documents.

The Bill ATIPPA was up for review in 2010, so the government appointed Commissioner John Cummings to have a look at the legislation and see where it might be improved.

Bill 29 was the government’s response to Cummings’ report, and it was tabled in the House of Assembly on June 11 by Felix Collins, Minister of Justice and Attorney General.

It proposed the adoption of 16 of 33 recommendations highlighted by Cumming, some with a few modifications.

For example, the report recommended that requests for information deemed “frivolous or vexatious,” “made in bad faith,” or “trivial” be dismissed, so long as the Information and Privacy Commissioner gave it the okay.

Bill 29 took that up, but gave ministers the power to determine what was frivolous and what wasn’t.

The bill also expanded the scope of cabinet records exempt from access to include briefing notes, documents pertaining to deliberations and “all factual and background material prepared for the Cabinet.” A special class of cabinet record unavailable to even the Information and Privacy Commissioner was introduced.

Deadlines to respond to certain information requests would be expanded and the fees to file a request and have it processed would go up. Only salary ranges of government employees, and not their actual salaries, would be disclosed.

And the court decision that let the Information and Privacy Commissioner review solicitor-client privileged information would

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also be overturned.

After days and nights of non-stop debate in the House of Assembly that involved accusations of racism and barrels of coffee, Bill 29 was passed in the wee hours of the morning on June 15.

ATIPPA has been amended accordingly.

The WTF The changes made headlines both provincially and nationally.

Democracy Watch, a national organization that advocates for for government transparency, said the changes were “dangerously undemocratic.”

The Centre for Law and Democracy, asked to review the proposed changes by the CBC’s On Point with David Cochrane, determined the new measures would put Uganda, Ethiopia and Guatemala, among others, ahead of the province in terms of freedom of information laws. (Felix Collins then issued a release stating that all the G8 countries also ranked below Uganda, Ethiopia and Guatemala.)

And Newspapers Canada’s 2012 Freedom of Information Audit said they constituted the country’s “biggest setback” of the year.

The New Normal As reported by the CBC, the Information and Privacy Commissioner felt that, even though Bill 29 had passed and that there will be oversights, ATIPPA was still robust enough to protect people’s right to access information.

And, hey, at least we can always go to court.

Meanwhile, the CBC reported in November that the Yukon Territory is looking at similar changes to their Protection of Privacy Act that would restrict public access to “briefing documents, reports and recommendations.”

The Yukon government claims the changes would put the Territory’s information laws on par with other Canadian jurisdictions. *Cough.* ILLUSTRATION BY JUAN DARIEN

DECEMBER 2012 & january 2013

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We’re listening.

wednesday lite y

ou know the cycle. The eating, the drinking, the family-ing, the partying, the spending. It’s a fun time while it lasts, but it’s not sustainable. By New Year’s Eve, the hyper-social debauchery spirals out of control and the old year goes supernova. Then the character of the city changes. As the temperature drops, the streets and sidewalks plug up with snow and our world gets quiet. Inhabitants build blanket nests in their burrows and begin to hibernate. While this brave new year may come as a relief for while, eventually it gets a little too quiet.

So how do you warm things up at this time of year without the pressure of your night being a barnburner? One way is to open your home for a weekly evening hang-out. No high stakes conversation, no dinner party, not much booze, just a hang out.

Last January I hosted something like this and dubbed it WednesdayLite. Here are some things we did.

BASIC

ADVANCED

This is the entry level variety of WednesdayLite. It’s a low impact hang-out, which is why it’s great.

Someone you know has Twister, Pictionary, Settlers of Catan, or even just a deck of cards kicking around. Dust those suckers off, then maybe round up a little prize (FREE BAG OF CHIPS!) for the winner to up the ante. It’s guaranteed to activate a competitive streak or two.

My favourite game these days is Cards Against Humanity. It’s like a terribly crude version of Balderdash that is actually fun.

The rules are very simple, and you can get the gist of the game in a single round. The makers tout it “as despicable and awkward as you and your friends.” The best part is you can download a set for free at www. cardsagainsthumanity.com.

Karaoke can be magical, it can be terrible, and it can be both at the same time. At a bar the stakes are higher and the necessary amount of alcohol to get up the nerve to do it is a little too high. So why not try it at home?

The bare bones minimum for gear is a computer with some speakers, while a mixer and mic plugged into a stereo would turn your living room into a real karaoke bar.

You can search YouTube for karaoke versions of your favourite songs. You never know what you’ll find, but if classic rock is your thing, you’re probably in luck.

If you’re looking for alternatives, there’s a free and easy site with a nicely curated list of songs by Arcade Fire, Belle and Sebastian, Blur, Of Montreal, and even a drop of Johnny Cash: www.tinyurl.com/6gxhjl. I have no idea where that site came from, but it’s great.

Yes, singing in front of strangers can be terrifying. But if you don’t have the guts to belt out a song or two with your friends in the safety of someone’s living room, you are doomed. So do it!

GAMES NIGHT George Murphy, MHA St. John’s East

(709) 729-3651 georgemurphy@gov.nl.ca George Murphy, MHA, St. John’s East

@GeorgeMurphyMHA

India Gate Fine Indian Cuisine

Gateway to superb

D.I.Y. Karaoke

INTERMEDIATE

Noise Jam

Sure, this one is a little weird, but whatever.

This brings the joy of jamming without the pesky requirement of making it sound good.

Now is your chance to discover what musical genius and/or sonic atrocities you and your friends are capable of. Round up some instruments, or things that make noise from around your house. Your kitchen might be a good place to start. Bowls, ice cubes, wine glasses, water can all be coaxed into making sound. Clang!

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BASIC

Big Screen YouTube

BASIC

You probably already do this with your friends, but why not make it a real event, or even a game? Find the biggest computer screen or video projector you can and tell your guests to come with their best internet video suggestions. Maybe ask for them to follow a theme, like “cutest animal videos ever” or “unintentionally funny” or “amazing feats of humanity.” The sky’s the limit, because it’s the internet.

The internet: check it out sometime.

Storytelling can be a lot of fun, but not everyone thinks they have one to tell. One way around that is to talk about scars. Every person has a story of how they got their marks, and they are often pretty exciting and/ or terrifying. This is show-and-tell for adults.

No special equipment or preparation required, although it might be good to warn people that you want to do this ahead of time, in case anyone is squeamish, or shy about their scars.

Scar stories

MAY TWO-FOUR YOUR EYES ONLY #NLBONDMOVIES

December 2012 & January 2013

ADVANCED

FlavourTripping Intrigued? Ahem. Let me put my lab coat on.

Okay, miracle fruit is a plant native to West Africa that temporarily causes your taste buds to perceive sour things, like lemons, as sweet.

It is not a psychoactive drug. It contains a certain molecule that temporarily binds with the sweet receptors on your tongue, and as a result sensations of sour are perceived as being insanely sweet. SERIOUSLY. Serve up a platter of fruit — lemons, grapes, rhubarb, grapefruit, pineapple, lime, and, for the more adventurous, maybe some pickles, sauerkraut and other weird sour things. The effects last about an hour. We ordered the Frooties brand off the web, and it arrived in a few weeks.

The New York Times did a great feature on flavour-tripping with miracle fruit a few years ago (www.goo.gl/pm0vd), if you want to read more.

INTERMEDIATE

Arm Wrestling People enjoy arm wrestling. Even the people who say they don’t like arm wrestling like arm wrestling. Especially when they win.

An important part of hosting an armwrestling gathering is hype. First send out a message for each invitee to submit their arm-wrestling handle for their would-be arm-wrestling character (or threaten to run an online wrestling name generator for them at www.wrestlingname.com). This gets them thinking, their arms flexing, and their alteregos start to take shape.

Using these names we put together an oldtimey-looking wrestling poster with pictures of our friends’ heads on wrestler bodies.

We called it Arm Fight Club.

You’ll need an announcer and a ref, and maybe some good intro music for wrestlers as the strut onto the battlefield. The rest is history.

For the serious among you, check out this website for actual arm wrestling rules: www. armpullers.com.

More suggestions? Leave ‘em at thescope.ca

DECEMBER 2012 & january 2013

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free SCOPE VALENTINES!

OUTDOOR WINTER ACTIVITIES & RESOURCES Compiled by Bryhanna Greenough

RESORTS & OUTDOOR RECREATION AREAS Butterpot Park

Located 36 kilometres southwest of St. John’s. Park hours are 8am to 4pm, then the gate locks. The park is home to the Avalon Nordic Ski Club, which maintains 10 kilometres of groomed runs. Rentals, available on weekends, are $30, but may be limited.

Reach the park office by calling 709-685-1853.

Map: www.avalonnordic.ca

Marble Mountain Resort submit your text valentines to the scope’s february print edition for free online at thescope.ca/love deadline is saturday, january 26

Located in Steady Brook, 676 kilometres from St. John’s, or a 30-minute drive from Deer Lake airport. Ski season runs mid-December to early April. Open seven days a week, closed on Christmas Day. Winter Carnival runs February 15th to 24th.

Air, stay and ski packages available. Snowline is 709-637-SNOW or visit www.skimarble.com Downhill Skiing: Five lifts connect to 37 trails and 230 acres of skiable terrain. Average annual snowfall is 16 feet. Full day adult lift pass is $59 and $43 half day. Complete ski and snowboard rentals are $37 per day.

Other Winter Activities: Opportunities for snowshoeing, cross country skiing, winter zip-lining and snowmobiling. Rentals (including snowmobile) are available.

Pippy Park

Located in St. John’s off Allandale Road.

North Bank Lodge opens in early January and cross-country ski and snowshoe rentals are available here for $12 per day or $4 per hour. All trails are free and open to the public. Pick up a free map or find one here: www.pippypark.com/maps.asp. Call 737-3651 for more info.

Classic Cross Country and Skate Skiing: Three kilometres of groomed trail. Lights on till 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

Classic Cross Country Skiing and Snowshoeing: For a longer excursion into ungroomed territory check out the Three Pond Barrens area of the park. The longest in park loop is six kilometres, and the connecting extension will take you 11 kilometres to Windsor Lake.

White Hills Ski Resort

Located in Clarenville, 190 kilometres from St. John’s. Season typically runs from late December to April. Days and hours vary, with night skiing most Friday nights. Many area hotels offer ski and stay packages. Call to verify hours of operation 1-877466-4559 or visit discoverwhitehills.com.

Downhill Skiing: One chairlift and a magic carpet connect 12 trails and 55 acres of skiable terrain, plus unpatrolled ‘glade area’. Adult lift pass is $49 or $39 half day. Complete ski and snowboard rentals are $35 per day.

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Other Winter Activities: Over 40 kilometres of groomed cross-country ski trails with warm up huts maintained by the Clarenville Nordic Ski club. Entry, administered through the White Hills resort, is $20 or $16 half day. No equipment rentals.

Entry to the three-kilometre snowshoe trail is $15 and rentals are available for $15 or $10 half day.

Map of cross county ski and snowshoe area: www.clarenvillenordicskiclub.com/thetrails.html

Sledding

The most popular spots in St. John’s to have a slide include Bowring Park, Pippy Park and Victoria Park.

Groomed Walking Trails

The following trails are maintained year round. Find maps here: www.grandconcourse.ca

St. John’s

Grand Concourse winter trails include Long Pond Trail, Kenny’s Pond, Mundy Pond, Quidi Vidi Lake, and T’Railway from Railway Museum to Mount Pearl Boundary. Bowring Park walkways are also cleared in winter.

Mount Pearl

T’Railway from Wells Crescent to Park Avenue.

Paradise

Octagon Pond and Neil’s Pond.

Clubs & Organizations Avalon Nordic Ski Club

Non-profit and volunteer run, an adult membership is $80 per year. This goes towards maintaining trails, the clubhouse at Butterpot Park, and rental equipment. Organized tours throughout season of Pippy Park, Bauline, Torbay, Pouch Cove, Portugal Cove, Butterpot Park, and other areas, includes some moonlight tours. More info at www.avalonnordic.ca.

The Outfitters

Tours, clinics and rentals. Cross-country skis, both classic and skate available, rent at $25 per day or $90 a week; snowshoes $15 per day or $56 per week. Located at 22 Water Street, phone 579-4453.

Hava Merry Christmas & a java new year

25 8 W ater S treet & TTCC

Grants to Artists & Art Organizations

Applications must be received at: Department of Corporate Services, 4th Floor, City Hall, 10 New Gower Street, P. O. Box 908, St. John’s, NL A1C 5M2 on or before Thursday, January 31st, 2013 at 4:00 p.m.

Application forms and guidelines can be found at www.stjohns.ca in the forms and permits section or at the Department of Economic Development, Tourism, and Culture, 348 Water St. For information contact: arts@stjohns.ca or call 576-8394

T

U

The City of St. John’s will receive Grants to Artists and Art Organizations Applications from the arts community for projects commencing in 2013.

D L

O

S

O

DECEMBER 2012 & january 2013

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Working for you.

community EVENTS

community events lectures & forums kids & teens meetings & classes

COMMUNITY EVENTS Kiwanis Santa Claus Parade: Starting at Power’s Court, the parade heads west to Upper Gullies Elementary, Conception Bay South 8341355 (Sat Dec 8 at 10am) Breakfast with Santa: Hosted by Topsail United Church Men’s Club. Photos with Santa and face painting, $7/$3, 2426 Topsail Rd (Sat Dec 8 from 8am to 11am) Burns Supper (St Andrew’s Society) Annual celebration of the Scottish poet, with pipe music, haggis, highland dancing, and poetry readings, $50, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 56-The Boulevard 579-6114 (Sat Jan 19 at 7pm) Christmas Craft Open House: See artisans at work in the studio, baked goods and activities, free, Quidi Vidi Village Plantation-10 Maple View Pl (Sat Dec 8 & Sun Dec 9 from 10am to 4pm)

Gerry Rogers, MHA St. John’s Centre

(709) 729-2638 gerryrogers@gov.nl.ca @GerryRogersMHA

Christmas at the Rooms: Share memories of Christmases past and bring your special tree ornament to show and share, The Rooms 757-8000 (Thu Dec 6 at 2:30pm) Christmas Festival Sale: Fairly-traded gifts benefiting artisans from over 30 developing countries, hosted by the Mercy Centre for Ecology, Justice, Development & Peace, free, The Lantern-35 Barnes Rd 722-0082 (Thu Dec

6 from 1pm to 8:30pm / Fri Dec 7 from 10am to 8:30pm / Sat Dec 8 from 10am to 3pm)

Christmas Outreach Dinner: A hot turkey dinner with no strings attached will be provided by a fleet of over 150 volunteers, free and open to all, St Thomas’ Anglican Church-8 Military Rd 5766632 (Tue Dec 25; Seatings at 11:45am & 1pm) Christmas Tea & Sale: Craft fair featuring 30 artists and craftspeople on three floors, with lunch, treats and tea, Anna Templeton Centre-278 Duckworth St (Fri Dec 14 from 12pm to 8pm & Sat Dec 15 from 9:30pm to 4:30pm) Christmas Supper: Plus Santa Claus and music by Duncan Cameron, Chantelle & Matthew Hender Jubenville, $45/$40/$15, Centre communautaire des Grands-Vents-65 Ridge Rd 726-4900 (Sat Dec 8 at 6:30pm) Festival of Light Hannukah Groove: A celebration of light from the Jewish perspective featuring Terry Rielly and Rabbi Sherril Gilbert, all faiths and ages welcome, free, Gower Street United Church-99 Queen’s Rd (Fri Dec 14 at 5:30pm) Georgestown Neighbourhood Skating Party: Family fun skate followed by a social, $1/.50¢, St. Bon’s Forum-2 Bonaventure Ave (Sun Dec 30 from 2pm to 3pm) LGBTQ Holiday Gathering: Planned Parenthood, PFLAG Canada, and LBGTQ

Youth Group are hosting a holiday gathering, featuring a performance by Spectrum, everyone welcome, free, Foran Room-City Hall (Wed Dec 12 at 7pm)

Magical Christmas Event: Local crafts, baked goods, prints, paintings, items for children and adults, lotions, creams, jewelry, At Wit’s Inn-3 Gower St 687-5731 (Sat Dec 9 from 10am to 2pm) Memorial Vigil: Remembering the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre.

Speeches by MUN Medicine’s Dr Jennifer Connor, and Linda Ross of NL Advisory Council on the Status of Women, free, MUN-Eng 2006 (Thu Dec 6 at 6:30pm) Mummers Parade, Rig-Up, Jam & Concert: Come get yourself fitted out for the parade. Mix and match a disguise from bins of clothing, followed by a parade through downtown, capped off by a jam and concert (Sat Dec 15; Rig-Up from 1pm to 2pm at Bishop Feild Elementary-46 Bond St, Parade from 2pm to 3pm, Jam & Concert from 3pm to 5pm at The Rooms) Mummer-oke: Now’s your chance to belt out your best/ worst version of “Eye of the Tiger” in disguise, with prizes for the best musical mummers, Georgestown Pub-80 Hayward Ave (Sat Dec 15 from 5pm to 7pm) North America's First New Year: Fireworks display and celebration, free, Quidi Vidi Lake (Mon Dec 31 all day; fireworks at midnight) Traditional Carol Sing: Holiday refreshments and a holiday carol singalong led by Doug Dunsmore, free, MUNDF Cook Recital Hall (Mon Dec 24 from 10am to 11:30am)

LECTURES & FORUMS How Do You Mummer Anyway?: Presented by a group of mummers from the Southern Shore, plus MUN Folklore’s Gerald Pocius discusses the impact of Simani’s 1983 tune “The Mummers Song”, The Rooms 757-8000 (Wed Dec 12 at 7pm) Mummers and Murder: Reinvestigating the Death of Isaac Mercer.” MUN Folklore’s Joy Fraser looks into one of the most notorious episodes in NL history, free, MUN-ED 4036 (Wed Dec 5 at 7pm) Sociology Lecture: Gender and Citizenship in a Mobile World with Tim Cresswell (Uni of London), free, MUN-SN 2109 (Wed Dec 5 at 10:30am)

December 2012 & January 2013

Creative Movement Workshop: “Creative Movement and Choreography” with Robyn Breen for ages 16 to 20, free, 3rd Floor-Arts & Culture Centre (Sat Dec 22 at 2:30pm) Giving Back: Discover ways to make your family’s gift-giving greener, and how you can give back to the Earth during the holidays, The Fluvarium-5 Nagle’s Pl (Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30pm; Ends Dec 16) Life Goes On: There are still lots of animals active and awake all winter long. Find ways to help make winter easier for them, The Fluvarium-5 Nagle’s Pl 754-3474 (Saturdays and Sundays in January at 1:30pm) MunschTales (C2C Theatre) Bring your favourite Robert Munsch book along and the cast will read them out loud for everyone, along with music and songs, free, Children’s Rm-AC Hunter Children’s Library 737-3953 (Sat Dec 8 at 2:30pm) Pocket Mummers: Learn how to turn a handkerchief into a mini pocket mummer, and then rig it up with all the mini mummer gear like ugly sticks and hobby horses, The Rooms 757-8000 (Sun Dec 9 at 2pm) The Sights Before Christmas: A child is determined to stay awake all night to capture all the Christmas magic. When he falls asleep, mummers come and bring their enchantment to the stage, $5, The Rooms 7578000 (Sun Dec 9 at 2pm) Tots Program: Big fun for little people, The Rooms 757-8000 (Tues Dec 11 at 10:30am) Tree Trimming Party: Join us for a story and trimming the tree, free, AC Hunter Library-Arts & Culture Centre 737-3953 (Thu Dec 6 at 10:30am) Young Folk at the Hall: Workshops for young people interested in sharpening their skills as folk musicians, with a concert showcasing the young talent, free but must register, LSPU Hall-3 Victoria St 5768508 (Workshops Sat Jan 19 & Sat Jan 26 at 2pm; Concert Sun Jan 27) Young Musician Open Mic: Hosted by Denielle Hann, Shamrock City Pub (Sundays 2pm)

KIDS & TEENS

MEETINGS & CLASSES

Christmas Storytime: A half hour of Christmas stories, rhymes, and songs, for children up to 5 years old,

thescope

Creative Movement Workshop: “Improvisation and Creative Movement” with Robyn Breen for ages 13 to 17, free, 3rd Floor-Arts & Culture Centre (Sat Dec 22 at 12pm)

Words in Edgewise: Talks by artists, academics, and otherwise. PWYC, Eastern Edge Gallery-72 Harbour Dr 7391882 (Thu Jan 24 at 8pm)

Children’s Christmas Party: Stories, carols, crafts and treats for the kids, free but must register, Michael Donovan Library-655 Topsail Rd 737-2621 (Fri Dec 7 at 3:30pm)

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free but must register, AC Hunter Children’s Library-Arts & Culture Centre 737-3953 (Wed Dec 12 at 10:30am)

Clubs, Groups, Free Classes & Workshops Adult Survivors of Child Abuse: Support group for survivors only, Marguerite's Pl - Cashin Ave 746-9627 (Monday Dec 3 / Dec 17 / Jan 7 / Jan 21 at 7pm) Alzheimer Family Support:

Group meeting for family members of people with Alzheimer’s disease, 685 Water St 576-0608 (Thursday Dec 20 & Jan 17 at 7pm)

Astral-Knots: Hand craft group invites participants of all skill levels, free, Orbit Rm-Rocket Bakery-272 Water St (Tuesdays at 7pm) Avalon Wesleyan Church: Meet in a casual atmosphere with coffee & contemporary music, free, Rabbittown Theatre-106 Freshwater Rd 576-6937 (Sundays at 10am) Book Club: This month’s book is “The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein, free, AC Hunter Library-Arts & Culture Centre 737-2133 (Wed Jan 2) Bowring Park Foundation AGM: General public is welcome to attend, free, Bungalow-Bowring Park 3641531 (Sun Jan 13 at 2pm) Break Down Comic Jam: A gathering of cartooning enthusiasts hosted by Wallace Ryan, everyone welcome, free, Anna Templeton Centre-278 Duckworth St (Fri Dec 7 at 7pm) Breastfeeding Support Group: Pregnant women, nursing moms, and babies welcome to discuss the topic of “Nutrition & Weaning”, free, Sobeys Community Room-Torbay Rd/Highland Dr (Mon Dec 10 at 7pm) CHANNAL: Peer support and social activities for people with mental illness, 284 LeMarchant Rd 753-7710 Christmas Crafts: Learn how to make felt Christmas mittens and gift card holders, free, AC Hunter Library-Arts & Culture Centre 737-3950 (Wed Dec 5 from 6pm to 8pm) Creative Movement Workshop: “Creative Movement and Choreography” with Robyn Breen for ages 16 to 20, free, 3rd Floor-Arts & Culture Centre (Sat Dec 22 at 2:30pm) Chronic Pain Support Group (Long Term Pain Assoc) Support meetings with the theme "Helping Make Pain More Bearable", Seniors Retirement Club-10 Bennett Ave 747-0744 (Friday Dec 21 & Jan 18 at 1:30pm) Embroidery Guild Meeting: The St. John’s Guild of Embroiderers welcomes all interested in any type of embroidery, free, Corpus Christi Hall-260 Waterford Bridge Rd (Tue Jan 29 at 7:30pm) Healthy Baby Club: Free support group for pregnant youth with Daybreak Community Programs, 726-8373 (Tuesdays at 4:30pm & Thursdays at 1pm) Hobby Horse Workshops (Mummers Festival) Learn how to make a hobby horse to outfit yourself properly for the Mummers Parade. Workshops are free, but donations / materials welcome, Victoria Park Poolhouse (Thu Dec 6 from 7pm to 9:30pm / Sat Dec 8 from 1pm to 5pm) Hooping for All Ages: Intro to hula-hooping with Cindy Butt, all welcome, free, Bishop Feild Gymnasium-46 Bond St (Sat Jan 10 at 3pm) Lunch at The Hall: Ask the Tech: Robert Gauthier and Pat Dempsey will answer questions about staging and light-

ing at the LSPU Hall, 3 Victoria St (Wed Dec 12 at 1pm)

Mall Walkers Club (Seniors Resource Centre) Walk followed by refreshments and guest speaker. Transportation available, 737-2333 (Thu Jan 26) Nar-Anon Family Group: Weekly meetings for those affected by the addiction problem of someone close to them, 726-6191 Next Step Workshop Series (Assoc for the Arts Mount Pearl) A series of workshops to help artists achieve success and take their art to the next level, free, various locations, call 765-9383 for more info (Wed Dec 12 at 7:30pm) Overeaters Anonymous: Free help available with no strings attached. Weekly meetings in metro area, 738-1742 PFLAG Monthly Chapter Meetings: Support, education and resources on sexual orientation and gender identity. Community Connections-9 Cathedral St (Thu Dec 20 at 7pm & Thu Jan 17 at 7pm) St John’s City Council Meeting: Refer to Council Agenda at stjohns.ca (posted Friday afternoon), Public welcome, City Hall-Council Chambers (Mondays 4:30pm) Technology Workshops: Chat with staff about common problems with technology. Please bring your gadgets along, free, AC Hunter Library-Arts & Culture Centre 737-3950 (Etsy on Wed Dec 5 at 2pm; Microsoft Word on Fri Dec 7 at 2pm; Kobo eReaders on Thu Dec 13 at 6pm; Pinterest on Fri Dec 14 at 2pm; iPads on Tue Dec 18 at 6pm; Microsoft Excel on Fri Dec 21 at 2pm) The Great Hope: 12 in-depth bible prophecy studies, free, St John’s Seventh Day Adventist Church-30 Aldershot St 579-2530 (Wed Dec 5 at 7pm) The Pottle Centre: Free recreation centre and programs for consumers of mental health services, 323 Hamilton Ave 753-2143 The Rooms: Free admission, 9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 (Wednesdays 6pm-9pm) Trivia Nights: Rose & Thistle on Tuesdays; Bitters on Thursdays at 8pm; Station Lounge on Tuesdays at 9pm Ugly Stick Workshops (Mummers Fest) Learn to make the musical instrument central to traditional NL parties, free, donations welcome, some materials required, Victoria Park Poolhouse (Sun Dec 9 from 1pm to 5pm & Tue Dec 11 from 7pm to 9:30pm) Walk on Water: Walk in all weather with enthusiasts who love finding downtown nooks and crannies, free, Fat Nanny's-245 Duckworth St (Saturdays at 10am) Yoga Open House & Art Exhibit: New murals by Dominique Hurley and Lori Reddy, plus free drop-in yoga classes, Shakti Yoga Studios 722-9642 (Sat Jan 12; Yoga classes at 9am, 10:30am & 12pm at 286 Torbay Rd / 9am & 10:30am at 75 Barbour Dr-Mt Pearl) Send press releases to listings@thescope.ca

on stage

theatre dance & Performance spoken & written

Theatre Feast of Cohen: A celebration of Leonard Cohen’s music, with Vicky Hynes, Andrew James O’Brien, Amelia Curran, Luke Major, Blair Harvey, Sean Panting, Lori Cooper, Bryan Hennessey, Jill Porter, Jenny Gear and Des Walsh. Backed by the Beautiful Losers with The Cohenettes:, $50, Arts & Culture Centre 729-3900 (Fri Dec 28 & Sat Dec 29 at 8pm) Go Duet Yourself (Spirit of Newfoundland) Some of the world’s most beloved duets, $64+ inc dinner & show, Masonic Temple-6 Cathedral St 579-3023 (Fri Jan 18 & Sat Jan 26 at 7pm) Grinch Dressing and Gravy (Spirit of Newfoundland) Baste on the Grinch featuring the charm, humour and music of Whoville, $64, Masonic Temple-6 Cathedral St 579-3023 (Thu Dec 6, Sat Dec 8 to Sun Dec 16, Thu Dec 20 to Sun Dec 23, Thu Dec 27 to Sun Dec 30, Thu Jan 3 to Sat Jan 5, showtimes at 7pm) Holiday Luncheon (Spirit of Newfoundland) Peter Halley, Shelley Neville and house musicians, $32, Masonic Temple-6 Cathedral St 5793023 (Mon Dec 10 to Fri Dec 14 & Thu Dec 20 to Sun Dec 23) House (Hard Ticket Theatre) Victor is eager to confess sordid tales from his past in hopes of a better future. Starring Mark Bradbury, directed

by Colin Furlong, $23-$10, LSPU Hall-3 Victoria St (Thu Dec 6 to Sat Dec 8 at 8pm; matinee Sat Dec 8 at 2pm) O Holy Night (Spirit of Newfoundland) Dinner and performance of classic Christmas songs by Shelley Neville, Cory Tetford, Sheila Williams, Peter Halley and John Neville, $92, Masonic Temple-6 Cathedral St 579-3023 (Tue Dec 18 & Wed Dec 19 at 7pm) Jeff Dunham: One of North America’s best-known and acclaimed stand-up comedians/ ventriloquists, $58, Mile One 576-7657 (Tue Jan 8 & Wed Jan 9 at 7:30pm) Scrooge (Peter McDonald Productions) Holiday music selections intertwined with the classic story of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, $26/$24, Arts & Culture Centre (Fri Nov 30 to Sun Dec 2 at 7:30pm)

The Nutcracker—being performed by the Kittiwake Dance Theatre December 14 to 16.

Photo courtesy Kittiwake Dance Theatre.

Silent Night Stanley Night: Two hours of improvised theatre and storytelling, $10, Barbara Barrett TheatreArts & Culture Centre (Thu Dec 13 at 7:30pm) Stanley Braxton Improv: Improv theatre performed by the Stanley Braxton improv troupe, $5, Second Space, LSPU Hall-3 Victoria St (Tue Dec 11 at 5:30pm) The Finer Things (Shakespeare by the Sea) Wine and cheese tasting with a Performance of The Curious Case in the Colony: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure, $50, Newman Wine Vaults-436 Water St 743-7287 (Fri Jan 4 & Sat Jan 5 at 8pm) The Sights Before Christmas: A child is determined to stay awake all night to witness all the Christmas magic.

When he falls asleep, mummers come and bring their enchantment to the stage, $5, The Rooms 757-8000 (Sun Dec 9 at 2pm)

DANCE & PERFORMANCE Christmas of Dreams (Sorenson School of Dance) A fundraiser for the Bethany Danielle Pike Fund featuring an all-original Christmas story, $22, Arts & Culture Centre (Thu Dec 20 at 7:30pm) Salsa in the New Year: 2nd-annual fundraiser for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, $25, LSPU Hall Second Space-3 Victoria St 753-4531 (Mon Dec 31 at 9pm)

Five performances that celebrate the solstice, drawing on themes of stopping time, the present moment, and everlasting night, $15/$10/$8, Eastern Edge Gallery-72 Harbour Dr (Fri Dec 21 at 9pm)

Tango on the Edge: A social gathering to dance Argentine tango, $7, Arts & Culture Centre (Thursdays at 8:30pm & Sundays at 7pm) The Nutcracker (Kittiwake Dance Theatre) Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic featuring guest soloists from Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada, Leigh Alderson and Janie Richard, Kittiwake members, and the local dance community, $29/$25, Arts & Culture Centre (Fri Dec 14 to Sun Dec 16 at 7:30pm; Matinee Sun Dec 16 at 2pm)

Spoken & Written Above All the Bustle (RCA Theatre Co) Another exciting round of the popular Christmas monologue-writing contest, with cash prizes, LSPU Hall-3 Victoria St (Mon Dec 17 at 5:30pm) Book Club: This month: “The Sisters Brothers” by Patrick DeWitt, AC Hunter LibraryArts & Culture Centre 7373953 (Wed Dec 5 at 7pm) Book Launch: George Gregoire launches his memoir “Walk in My Shadow”, free, Native Friendship Centre-716 Water St (Wed Dec 12 at 7pm)

Salsa Social Dance, $5, Annexe Lounge-32 George St (Sundays from 7pm to 10pm)

Book Signing: Andy Jones signs copies of “Jack and Mary in the Land of Thieves”, Craft Council-59 Duckworth St 7532749 (Thu Dec 6 at 7pm)

Standing Still-A Winter Solstice Cabaret (Freethought Productions)

Christmases of Long Ago: Paul Rowe shares stories and poems from the archives col-

lection. Music by Allan Byrne, $5, The Rooms 757-8000 (Wed Dec 5 at 7pm)

Newfoundland Author Readings: Joseph Dunphy reads poetry from “Turn and Face the Wind” free, AC Hunter Library-Arts & Culture Centre 737-2133 (Wed Dec 12 at 7pm) Newfoundland Book Club: John W Kitchen reads book “The Newfoundland Beothuck: Termination of a Tribe”, Marjorie Mews LibraryHighland Dr 737-3020 (Fri Dec 7 at 7pm) Publishing Meet and Greet: Meet publisher Beth Follett and Pedlar Presswriters, Emma Butler Gallery-111 George St (Sat Dec 15 from 12pm to 5pm) Sparks Literary Festival: Day-long celebration of literature with Grant Loveys, Robert Mellin, Gerard Collins, Wayne Johnston, Eva Crocker, Don McKay, and more, followed by a reception, free, PetroCanada Hall-MUN (Sun Jan 20 from 10am to 6pm) The Brothers Grimm-200 Years and Counting: A celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Grimm’s fairy tale collection, written and performed by Dale Jarvis with music by Delf Hohmann, $20, Petro-Canada Hall-MUN (Wed Dec 5 & Thu Dec 6 at 8pm) The Man in the Red Suit-Up Close and Personal: Amy House interviews Bruce Templeton about his experiences portraying Santa Claus over the last 30 years, $30, LSPU Hall 753-4531 (Thu Dec 13 at 8pm)

Send press releases to listings@thescope.ca

DECEMBER 2012 & january 2013

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Illlustration by Ricky King

ON SCREEN

In Defense of George Lucas

Following the sale of Lucasfilm to Disney, Adam Clarke offers a few words in defense of the American film producer, screenwriter, director, and entrepreneur.

S

tar Wars is now in the hands of Uncle Walt Disney and everyone you know has expressed their celebration, dismay or confusion at the acquisition on Facebook. The whole thing brings to mind that great Simpsons line, “But Krusty, why now? Why not twenty years ago?”

I think it’s all really the best thing for all concerned.

I neither love or hate Lucas’ work. He’s responsible for great films like Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark and THX-1138. On the other hand he’s also responsible to varying degrees for Howard the Duck, the Star Wars prequels, and Temple of Doom.

I mean, where would the world of computer games be without LucasArts titles like the point-and-click fun of Sam & Max Hit the Road? And dare we dream of a world without Maniac Mansion and, more importantly, the Joe Flaherty sitcom of the same name?

Okay, kidding aside, the experimental and playful side of George Lucas has always been apparent through his interest in new technology. Classic LucasArts games like Monkey Island were quirky, funny and inventive. The THX sound system was developed with the intention of improving cinema-going, and was developed out of Lucas’ desire to have the sound design of Return of the Jedi represented authentically. Lucas is also the guy who founded Industrial Light & Magic, which became the most recognized name in special effects, and branched out from Lucas’ film work to lend special effects for other movies, including Star Trek, and even Schindler’s List.

I could go on about Lucas’ development of Pixar, back when it was The Graphics Group, or the privately-run film studio American Zoetrope (Apocalypse Now, The Outsiders , Lost in Translation), or countless innovations he achieved until I’m blue in the face.

T

hese days, though, the prevailing opinion seems to be that Lucas is a lazy and unimaginative guy who rode the coattails of others while keeping a close eye on the bottom line. And that’s mostly unwarranted.

I say mostly because that’s the image of Lucas filmgoers have had ever since he started fiddling with Star Wars. Even before the new prequels, the rereleased versions of the origi-

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DECEMBER 2012 & January 2013

nal trilogy were even bad — nearly all of the changes were to the detriment of the original films.

The problem wasn’t that Lucas revised them, but that he chose to revise them in idiotic ways. Take the infamous “Greedo shoots first” scene, for instance. Switching who of the two shot first changes the tone of the scene, and clashes with the characterization of Han Solo. The intent of the changes in the rerelease, wasn’t it to eliminate problems, not create new ones? It was perfectly okay to tinker with some of the outdated effects, but this was silly. Fans were left with a terrible taste in their mouths, and it would only get worse when the prequels were released a few years later.

B

ut Star Wars wasn’t the only film franchise Lucas created. Raiders of the Lost Ark is my favourite Lucas film, and I believe his legacy is that an Indiana Jones film without him still seems pointless. The Star Wars universe is so broad that anyone could have a crack at it, but Indy wouldn’t feel right without Lucas, Spielberg and Ford collaborating. Indy’s all about a particular style and, like it or not, Lucas is key to it. He’s connected to it on a greater level than Star Wars because Indy doesn’t have a giant world to explore. This is the reason why 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull actually feels like an Indiana Jones movie, while Phantom Menace seems as much of a rip-off as Starcrash or Dünyayı Kurtaran Adam (Turkish Star Wars). The far-fetched plot of Skull is perfectly at home with Indiana Jones. As a result, it has a legitimacy to it that the Star Wars prequels never had because the tone and the style are right—even if the film isn’t.

If we can forgive Gene Roddenberry for the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, we can overlook the mistakes George Lucas visited upon us. His babies are now in a better place, perhaps, and it’s time we remember him for his invention and not his lacklustre later efforts. So let’s all just try to forget about Hayden Christensen once and for all and celebrate Life Day in peace.

on display visual art museums

GALLERIES 25 for 25: A celebration of 25 years of artwork from 25 NL artists, featuring Jonathan Green, Kym Greeley, Michael Pittman, Christopher Pratt and Gerald Squires, The Rooms 757-8000 (Ends Jan 11) Another Winter’s Eve: Works by gallery artists celebrating the warmth of art, Red Ochre Gallery-96 Duckworth St 726-6422 (Ends Jan 1) Back in the Day: David Blackwood’s Newfoundland & Labrador: Exhibition cocurated by Blackwood featuring artifacts, archival records, and examples of his artworks, The Rooms 757-8000 Boxed In: A national exhibition of small sculptural works organized by the Craft Council of NL, The Rooms 757-8000 (Opens Sat Jan 26) Christmas Show: New work

by Iakov Afanassiev, Jennifer Barrett, Jack Botsford, Ken Jones, Bonnie Leyton, Lisa Moore, Michael Pittman, Toby Rabinowitz, Margaret Ryall and Louise Sutton, Leyton Gallery - Clift’s Baird’s Cv 722-7177 (Ends Dec 21) Comfort & Joy: Craft Council’s annual holiday exhibition of juried fine craft, interpreting the festive season in a variety of media, free, 59 Duckworth St (Ends Dec 18) Crafted – Young Upstarts on the Make: Celebrating young NL crafters, with an exhibition and a book launch,

free, Devon House-59 Duckworth St (Opening reception Sat Jan 26 at 2pm)

Darkness and Memory: An exhibition of 40 years of Betty Goodwin’s work which explores notions of passages, life and death, and presence and absence, The Rooms 7578000 (Opens Sat Dec 15) Frontiers in Real Estate: Screen prints and scale models by Halifax-artist Chris Foster explore remote northern landscapes, unexpected industrial ruins, and imagined makeshift dwellings, Eastern Edge Gallery-72 Harbour Dr 739-1882 (Opening reception Sat Dec 15 at 7pm) Hanging Out in St John’s During the Winter: An exhibition of drawings by José González, free, Fixed Coffee & Baking-183 Duckworth St (Ends Dec 31) Inner Works: Anne Meredith Barry, Peter Bell, David Blackwood, Chris Pratt, Mary Pratt, Helen Parsons Shepherd, Reginald Shepherd, Gerald Squires & Don Wright, The Rooms 757-8000 Itsybitsy: Annual exhibition of Eastern Edge members’ works, featuring miniature pieces the theme of “small is beautiful”, free, 72 Harbour Dr 739-1882 (Ends Dec 8) New Releases: Featuring “The Shinny Cup” and “Snowy Evening in Georgestown,” Richard Steele Gallery-63 Harvey Rd 754-6741 Nine Daughters: A series of nine large-scale ink drawings

three years in the making, alluding to the nine daughters in Greek mythology, Christina Parker Gallery-50 Water St 753-0580 (Ends Dec 7)

The Circle: Solo exhibition of Peter Lewis’s paintings from Twillingate, Moreton’s Harbour, Salvage and Fogo, Peter Lewis Gallery-5 Church Hill (Ends Dec 21) The Goats Who Stole Christmas 2: Hand-carved, hand painted pictures and sculptures that celebrate the colours and culture of NL by artists Cara Kansala and Pam Dorey, The Heritage Art Gallery-309 Water St (Ends Jan 6)

MUSEUMS Admiralty House Museum: 1915 navy wireless station now communications museum, 23 Old Placentia Rd-Mt Pearl 748-1124 Connections: This Place and Its Early Peoples: Polar bears, carnivorous plants, sea birds and mammals plus the people who made their lives here, The Rooms 757-8000 Fighting Sail: Two warship models from the Napoleonic wars of 1803 to 1816, The Rooms 757-8000 Geo Centre: See Signal Hill’s 550 million year old geology and rock and mineral specimens, 175 Signal Hill Rd 737-7880 Knights of Columbus Hostel Fire: Archival photos and documents commemorat-

ing the 70th anniversary of one of the worst fires in NL history, The Rooms Archives

Lifeline to Victory: Naval presence in Newfoundland from 1939 to 1945 and its role in the wartime, The Rooms 757-8000 Newfoundland Sealing Disaster: Documents from the 1914 tragedy in which 78 sealers perished on the ice, The Rooms 757-8000 Railway Coastal Museum: Model ships, shipbuilding and dockyard history plus the story of Newfoundland’s railway boat service, 495 Water St W 724-5929 Remembering Christmases Past: A seasonal display of photos, magazines, ads, cards, and other treasures that highlight NL traditions, Atrium Vitrines-The Rooms 757-8000 (Mon Dec 3 to Mon Jan 7) Secret: SS Eagle and MV Trepassey Antarctic Missions, 1944 to 1947, The Rooms 757-8000

Give the perfect gift…

Sprout Money

The Fluvarium: A panoramic view under the surface of Nagle’s Hill Brook. Fish, insects and plants in natural habitat plus interactive exhibits, 5 Nagle’s Place 754-3474 Working on History: Watching Our Stories Unfold: An exhibition of artifacts reflecting life in NL from the 1700s to present day, The Rooms 757-8000

Send press releases to listings@thescope.ca

364 Duckworth Street• 579.5485 • 579.5485 • •thesproutrestaurant.ca 364 Duckworth Street thesproutrestaurant.ca

DECEMBER 2012 & january 2013

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HopeWell Centre

At HopeWell Centre, Jennifer Spracklin, Clinical Sexologist and Canadian Certified Counsellor will work with you in addressing your unique sexual health concerns, to foster an overall state of wellness and hopefulness.

KIDDO by Sarah Walsh

sarah_sunhat@hotmail.com

FROM EARTH by Ricky King

fromearthcomics.blogspot.com

PERFECT SUNDAY by Michael Butler

localfavorite.blogspot.com

• Confidentiality assured

• Now accepting new clients

• Self referrals welcome

510 Topsail Road, St. John's, NL • 709 368 3216 hopewellcentre@bellaliant.net • www.hopewellcentre.ca

KELLOMICS by Kelly Bastow

kellybastow.com

G i ftcates i t i f b le r e C i la Ava

DAVE SPENT A FEW DAYS AT THE 6 FORT WALDEGRAVE by José González

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elmundodejl.com

movies

limited run daily showings

LIMITED RUN Wednesday Dec 5 at 6:30pm The Bro Code: How Contemporary Culture Creates Sexist Men. This doc is presented

by The Coalition Against Violence and NL Sexual Assault Crisis & Prevention Centre, free, MUN-IIC 2001 Thursday Dec 6 at 7pm Your Sister's Sister (MUN Cinema) Iris (Emily Blunt) sends Jack (Mark Duplass) to stay at a cabin with her sister, Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt).

When Jack sleeps with Hannah, his friendship with Iris is put to the test. Directed

by Lynn Shelton (USA 2011), Empire Theatres-Avalon Mall Saturday Dec 15 at 2pm Mission Noël (Cinéma Jeunesse) Santa’s son takes it upon himself to deliver a present to a UK kid who got forgotten by Papa Claus, and he assembles a crack team for this critical mission consisting of an elf, an elderly reindeer, and his grandpa, $2, Centre communautaire des GrandsVents-65 Ridge Rd Tuesday Dec 10 at 7pm Bienvenue à Bord (Cinéfranco) A spurned HR rep for a cruise company gets back at her ex-bf boss by bringing her flamboyant rebound on board one of the company’s ships to generally hilarious results, $2, Centre communautaire des Grands-Vents-65 Ridge Rd Thursday Dec 13 at 2:30pm Mummer Movies: A screening of CBC’s Land & Sea mummer episodes. Set in Fortune Bay and featuring the music of Simani, it’s a Christmas classic, The Rooms 757-8000

DAILY SHOWINGS avalon mall empire studios 12: 722-5775 Mount pearl empire cinemas: 722-5775 www.empiretheatres.com

December Deadfall: Running off with stolen cash, Eric Bana and Olivia Wilde head to the Canadian border. With cops hot on their trail, can they make it to Utopian Canada in time? (Dec 7)

It’s revenge-gettin’ time for Jamie Foxx in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained, in theatres Christmas Day.

A Liar's Autobiography: The voice of Graham Chapman, best known as the dead member of Monty Python, is used for several animated vignettes. Co-directed by Bill Jones, son of Python alum, Mike Jones. (Dec 14) The Hobbit-An Unexpected Journey: It's prequel time!

Gather round to hear Bilbo Baggins' tale of encountering Smeagol (Andy Serkis), Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and, Radagast (Sylvester McCoy).

(Dec 14) Monsters, Inc: In RealD 3D: Everybody harps on monsters, but in this Pixar offering, they're just schmoes doing a job. Albeit that job is to frighten the bejesus out of kiddies everywhere. Starring John Goodman. (Dec 19) Not Fade Away: From Sopranos creator David Chase comes this tale of a group of kids who form a rock band in the 60's. Fame, fortune and happy endings not guaranteed. Starring James Gandolfini. (Dec 19) The Guilt Trip: Seth Rogen, feeling a pang of guilt for leaving his spinster mother (Barbara Streisand) alone, invites her to join him on a road trip. Their destinations?

Hilarity and heartwarming sentiment! (Dec 19) Zero Dark Thirty: In her follow-up to The Hurt Locker, director Kathryn Bigelow helms this story about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden.

Spoiler: they find him...in the rural town of Nilbog (Dec 19) Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away in RealD 3D: Everyone's favourite French-Canadian circus troupe teams up with James Cameron and director Andrew Adamson to depict the journey of a bored woman who is rejuvenated by the spectacle of Cirque. (Dec 21)

Jack Reacher: In this film, 4'7'' action star Tom Cruise is a former military policeman who proves that he is a big, tough man while breaking the bones of a million thugs.

(Dec 21) This is 40: Audiences demanded a Knocked Up sequel with one caveat: spare us Katherine Heigl's joyless face.

Judd Apatow has heard your cries, delivering a film about Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann's characters. (Dec 21) Django Unchained: From Quentin Tarantino, outspoken fan of the Django movies, comes a film that has nothing to do with those movies. This new Django intends to get revenge on evil slave-owner, Leonardo Dicaprio. (Dec 25) Les Miserables: In this adaptation of the musical based on Victor Hugo's novel, Hugh Jackman is Jean Valjean and song-and-dance man Russell Crowe tackles the role of Inspector Javert. With Anne Hathaway. (Dec 25) Parental Guidance: Bette Midler and Billy Crystal are tired, wheezing, crusty, old and irrelevant. In this film, they're asked to take care of their grandkids at the request of daughter, Marisa Tomei.

(Dec 25)

January People of a Feather: An intimate look at the Inuit people of Nunavut’s Belcher Islands and their relationship with the eider duck, as both face the challenges of an Arctic changed by a warming planet and industrial megaprojects. (Jan 7) Gangster Squad: In the 1940s and 50s, the LAPD struggles with the mafia.

Meanwhile, do-gooder cop Ryan Gosling struggles with shrinking pants whenever he's around mafia moll Emma Stone. (Jan 11)

On the Road: Based on the celebrated Jack Kerouac novel of the same name, On The Road depicts Kerouac and friends wandering America in the 1940s. Starring Garrett Hedlund and Twilight's Kristen Stewart. (Jan 11) Broken City: Mayor Nicholas Hostetler (Russell Crowe) hires former cop Billy (Mark Wahlberg) to track the mayor's wife. The mayor thinks she's having an affair, but Billy uncovers something even more scandalous. (Jan 18) The Last Stand: Arnold Schwarzenegger is a sheriff who must face a notorious drug gang. Who better to join him in the fight against drug dealers than Johnny Knoxville? Also starring Luis Guzman. (Jan 18) Hansel and Gretel - Witch Hunters: Fifteen years after cremating the witch in the gingerbread house, Hansel and Gretel are now kick-ass, leather-clad coven killers.

Caution: film may contain scenes of witches making a purple stew. (Jan 25) Movie 43: This raunchy, star-studded sketch comedy has Gerard Butler playing a kidnapped dwarf, Emma Stone pleasing a street urchin and Richard Gere pining for a sexy robot lady, among other things. (Jan 25) Parker: Jason Statham is a gentleman thief who only shoots the baddest of the bad guys. Like Robin Hood with a more Cockney rhyming slang.

Also starring Wendell 'Bunk Moreland' Pierce. (Jan 25) Capsule descriptions by Adam Clarke.

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free will astrology DECEMBER 2012 Virgo! Rob Brezsny says now’s your time to get revolting.

∑

SAGITTARIUS

ago. “I am an irregular planet.” I

experience tells me that the urge to

invite you to use that declaration

revolt is a fundamental human need.

If you say “rabbit rabbit rabbit” as

as your own in the coming weeks.

Every one of us has a sacred duty

soon as you wake up on one of the

You have every right to avoid being

to regularly rise up and overthrow a

first days of the month, you will have

pinned down, pigeonholed, and

stale status quo that is oppressing

good luck for the rest of the month.

forced to be consistent. According

us -- whether that’s an organized

At least that’s how reality works

to my reading of the astrological

group effort we’re part of or our own

according to a British superstition. But

omens, you need abundant freedom

deadening routine. I’m telling you

judging from your astrological omens,

to mutate your identity. You deserve

this, Leo, because it’s an excellent

I don’t think you will have to resort to

a poetic license that allows you

time to celebrate your own Rebellion

magic tricks like that to stimulate your

to play a variety of different roles

Jubilee. Your vitality will soar as you

good fortune. In the next four weeks,

and explore the pleasures of

shed numbing habits and decaying

I suspect you will be the beneficiary

unpredictable self-expression.

‡

traditions.

(Nov 22 – Dec 21)

of a flood of cosmic mojo, as well as a surge of divine woowoo, a shower of astral juju, and an upwelling of

TAURUS (Apr 20 – May 20) “The Star-Spangled Banner”

‘

is America’s national anthem. It

resemblances to an eight-year-old

you even more confidence to invoke

features the lyrics of a patriotic poem

kid wearing the pajamas you loved

your favorite superstitions, though,

written by Francis Scott Key. But the

when you were five. Your bare arms

go right ahead. Even scientists say

melody itself is entirely lifted from

are jutting out beyond where the

that kind of thing works: tinyurl.com/

a bawdy old song that celebrates

sleeves end, and there’s a similar

‹

Bacchus, the ancient god of wine

thing going on with your legs. The

and ecstatic dancing. I

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19) According to Greek myth,

fabric is ripped here and

love it when things are repurposed as

JANUARY HOROSCOPE

accommodate how much

dramatically as that.

She was the creature whose hair was

Do you? The coming

composed of snakes and whose gaze

weeks will be prime

could turn a person into stone. The

time to repurpose stuff

immortal winged horse Pegasus was

with creative abandon.

instantaneously born from Medusa’s

Make the past useful

blood. He ultimately became an ally

for the future, Taurus. Turn

to the nine Muses, and Zeus relied on

good old ideas into fantastic new

you would wean yourself of the past

him to carry thunder and lightning.

ones. Don’t just recycle; transform.

Ω

and update your approach.

Capricorn, you will have a dream that contains elements of this myth.

ONLINE ONLY AT thescope.ca/­

I’m guessing that in the

feeling discomfort in places where the overly tight fit is

freewillastrology

GEMINI (May 21 – Jun 20)

you’ve grown. You’re

squeezing your flesh. All of this is somewhat cute but mostly alarming. I wish

µ

LIBRA (Sep 23 – Oct 22) A lot of leopard frogs live on

coming weeks you will be receiving

Staten Island, one of New York City’s

of that dream: You are undergoing

a multitude of inquiries, invitations,

five boroughs. Most of them make a

a transition that could in a sense

and temptations -- probably more

sound that resembles a long snore or

give you the power of flight and a

than you feel capable of responding

a rapid chuckle. But over the years,

π

to, and certainly more than you

biologists have also detected a third

should respond to. A few of these

type of frogly expression: a clipped,

opportunities might be appealing and

repetitive croak. Just this year, they

lead to interesting adventures. But

finally figured out that this belonged

of the pack, Aquarius; to take your

some will be useless, diversionary,

to an entirely distinct species of

gang to the next level; to make sure

or trivial. Will you be able to tell the

leopard frog that they had never

the group mind isn’t suppressing

difference? That’s your big challenge.

before identified. It’s still so new it

innovation and enforcing peer

If you’d like help dodging unwanted

doesn’t have a name yet. I expect a

pressure but is rather inspiring every

solicitations, give out this phone

metaphorically similar development

member of the tribe to be as creative

number as your own: 212.479.7990.

in your life, Libra. You will become

as they dare to be. And if it’s not

It’s a free service provide by “The

aware of a secret that has been

realistic for you to wield that much

Rejection Line” at Rejectionline.com.

hiding in plain sight. You will “find”

power, then do whatever you can to

People calling that number will be

something that actually revealed itself

≤

to you some time ago.

Here’s a preliminary interpretation

more abundant access to a muse.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18) It’s time for you to be leader

known as the yellow avalanche lily

≠

has thrived on mountain slopes

station KNBR. I am amazingly neutral

and meadows throughout western

about him. Nothing he says fascinates

that wants to sell chicken in the

North America. It blooms early in the

me or mirrors my own thoughts. On

shape of a chicken wing, it must

spring, just in time for broad-tailed

the other hand, he never makes me

have actual chicken wing meat in it.

hummingbirds that migrate from

mad and he’s not boring. I neither like

Otherwise, the law says you’ve got

Central America to sip the flower’s

him nor dislike him. I simply see him

to call your product “wyngz.” I’ve

nectar. But now there’s a problem

for who he is, without any regard for

always thought that there’s a lot

with that ancient arrangement. Due to

what he can do for me. He has become

of information the media presents

global warming, the lily now blossoms

a symbol of the possibility that I’m

as “news” that is really as fake as

17 days earlier than it used to. But

able to look at a human being with

wyngz. That’s why I advocate calling

the hummingbirds haven’t made

complete impartiality, having no wish

the bogus stuff “newzak” (rhymes

an adjustment in their schedule, so

for him to be different from what he

with “muzak”). Your assignment

they’re barely showing up in time to

is. In the coming week, I suggest you

in the coming weeks, Pisces, is to

get their full allotment of nectar. I

try to achieve this enlightened state

make sure you’re not putting out any

suspect this is a metaphor for a shift

of mind on a regular basis. It’s prime

wyngz- or newzak-like stuff in your

you may be facing in your own life

time, astrologically speaking, to ripen

own chosen field. The fates will help

rhythm. Fortunately, you’ve been

your mastery of the art of objectivity.

you rather dramatically if you put

forewarned, and you can adjust better

†

than the hummingbirds.

synergize the alliances that hold your posse together. Build team morale.

Gossip constructively. Conspire to

∫

animate an influx of fresh magic.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20) If you’re a food company

a high premium on authenticity.

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 19)

politely told you aren’t available.

™

CANCER (Jun 21 – Jul 22) For millennia, the plant

LEO (Jul 23 – Aug 22)

SCORPIO (Oct 23 - Nov 21) Tom Tolbert is a sports talk

show host on San Francisco radio

Homework What’s the title of the book you’d

In our calendar, there is no

like to write? What’s the name of

into a fixed star,” complained religious

special holiday devoted to honoring

the rock band you’d be in? Testify

leader Martin Luther a few centuries

the joy and power of rebellion. This

at Freewillastrology.com.

“They are trying to make me

oversight confounds me. All my

TRUE NEWFOUNDLAND FACT: MOST OF WORD IN DICTIONARY OF NEWFOUNDLAND ENGLISH MADE UP JUST FOR CONFUSE PEOPLE FROM TORONTO!

DECEMBER 2012 & January 2013

there because it can’t

READ YOUR

Perseus cut off the head of Medusa.

I predict that while you’re sleeping,

thescope

Recently you’ve had

universal googoo gaga. If it would give

SuperstitiousBoost.

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VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sep 22)