The Scope issue 100

THE SCOPE | free eVERY OTHER THURSDAY | February 25 - march 11, 2010 | Volume 5, Number 4 | Issue 100 | www.thescope.ca

thescope 100 issue

we’re older than dirt!

52 pickup is the only card game we’re good at

This photo by Rachel Jean Harding (www.flickr.com/racheljeanharding/) was originally published in our first issue.

BackFeed

comments from thescope.ca

Curbside recycling: mandatory? Curbside recycling is on its way to our fair capital on May 17th.Who cares if we’re at least 10 years behind most everywhere else in the country, or that we’ll be shipping it off the island in carbon-spewing trucks, or that they won’t be picking up glass bottles, or that curbside composting won’t start for at least another year... At least we’ll all be recycling, right? Well, maybe. While there will be a $750,000 public education campaign to encourage people to take part, there will be no penalties for people who choose not to recycle. Should curbside recycling be mantatory? Here’s what people were saying on the website: Comment by Jill H: Obviously, yes. I mean what kind of world do we want for our kids… really… Comment by Voice of Reason: Yes. Steep fines for those caught littering should be mandatory as well... St. John’s is a very dirty city. If the residents spent as much effort picking up litter as they do debating whether or not a 12 or 15 storey building should be permitted in the

downtown core, the city would be spotless. Comment by lesley: Definitely. Where I live they alternate weeks for garbage and recycling pick up. This is a great motivator to recycle, unless you want heaps of garbage hanging around… Given the proper tools (different colour bins for different recycling matter and instructions) change can happen. It becomes commonplace very quickly. Comment by kevin: When the covering your garbage by-law was first started, city hall had no problem getting all butch about enforcement, so what’s the difference here? It’s still garbage surveillance. Comment by Mara: In order to help our struggling planet, we must stop making excuses. Comment by Debra: It should be mandatory and heavily fined if not respected, it is duty of every citizen to respect the location in which they live and preserve it for future generations.

COVER ART

Comment by Fred Winsor: Setting up a voluntary curbside recycling program with essentially no limit on the number of bags of garbage that can be placed at the curb is a recipe for failure. Yes there will be high initial participation rates (often 40-60 per cent) but experience in other jurisdictions has shown that within a few months that rate falls to 20-25 per cent or lower. What has worked very well elsewhere is a two bag limit for garbage each week in conjunction with a recycling program... Comment by Elling Lien: I just called 311 and right now there’s a limit of 10 bags a week, but the person I spoke to said that will go down once curbside recycling starts. They said it may go as low as two bags, but they weren’t sure. Comment by toddbaseball: I’m still shocked they won’t be taking glass. What happens if I want to recycle my collection of unicorn figurines? Or maybe an empty peanut butter jar? Join the fray online at thescope.ca

LISTINGS

SECTIONS

12 Music 18 Movies 21 Community Events 11 On Stage 23 Visual Arts and Museums 22 Classifieds

5 Hot Tickets 8 Feature 4 Storefront 7 Your City 17 Food Nerd 19 On Stage 18 On Screen 15 Music Reviews 20 100% Local Comics 20 Free Will Astrology 22 Savage Love

Collage of cover art since our first issue, published July 6, 2006 (it’s the “BOOM” one in the middle).

february 25 - march 11, 2010

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StoreFRONT

local business news

Local Critics Pan Pizza Every pizza place insists it has the best in town, but one blogger decided to figure out which is most worthy of your dough. The Gimongous Avalon Pizza Bracket—a blog written by a guy only identified as Ricky Bobby (two guys?)—pitted 17 local pizza joints against each other over four months. The competitors were divided into four brackets based on location (centre city, Mount Pearl, etc). A panel of judges ordered from two places in a sitting, and their votes decided which competitor would move on. The winner in each bracket faced off against the winners in the others, and so on.

businesses, recently released the By the semi-finals, between Pizza results of its 2010 economic survey. Delight and Peter’s, the tasters were Eighty-three per cent starting to feel like they had of respondents said local bitten off more than they economic conditions were could chew. send yourt ‘good’ or ‘excellent.’ More “Today’s competition n o r ef r o st than 70 per cent said is the second this week to tips 2010 would be a better and will be the fourth storefront@ year than 2009 in overall time in two weeks we’ve thescope.ca performance, with about had pizza,” Ricky Bobby one-in-three saying it would wrote on Jan. 22. “It was be a better year in both profits quite difficult to hype up today’s and growth. Over half anticipated competition as to put it blatantly employment growth within their we’re starting to get sick of pizza. own business within 12 months. The bracket has now become an Respondents named labour and obligation as we’ve come this far and eaten so much pizza that to stop skills shortages, transportation, economic diversification, and now would be devastating.” taxation or government spending Luckily, they soldiered on. In the as potential factors that may affect finals, down to Peter’s and Venice, economic growth. —KB the latter was awarded the title of “Pizza Champion of the World.” david and goliath In total, the group had pizza a meaty 32 times. Read about their journey at There’s some business buzz over thegimongousavalonpizzabracket. on Freshwater Road, the fi-andblogspot.com —Kerri Breen chi district. The former Johnny’s Fish and Chips location, next to numbahs perennial juggernaut Ches’s, is under construction after being on the market for years. Billy’s Eatery and Takeout is opening soon, according to the signage. Other than that, it’s a slow time The weather may be icy, but the for new start ups. (If you’re opening climate for business in St. John’s is a new business, drop us a line at near-equatorial. storefront@thescope.ca.) —KB The St. John’s Board of Trade, which represents hundreds of

New snack bar

thescope.ca

Got an opinion? Need to vent? We want to hear from you. Submit your anonymous accusation or confession at thescope.ca/rant. Submissions may be edited for length, grammar, spelling, legal, or obscenity reasons. One submission will be printed each fortnight, but more submissions to Rant Farm can be found at thescope.ca/rant.

Why are there NO public garbage bins in the downtown area other than Water & Duckworth??? I walk my dog, I scoop her poop, and then I carry a steaming stinky bag of shit for 20 minutes from one end of Gower to the other with NO garbage bins in sight. Plenty of garbage though— littered from one end of my street to the other! GRRRRRR. Come on city of St John’s!! provide your citizens with public Garbage bins so that we can dispose of our empty Tim Horton’s cups/cigarette butts/steaming bags of shit. — Anonymous

Business Owners Confident

RICKY KING

pizza fight

thescope St

Spirit of Newfoundland Presents

St. Paddy's Weekend Dinner and Show

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issue 100, vol 5, num 4, feb 25 - feb 11, 2010 E-mail: inbox@thescope.ca Online: www.thescope.ca Listings: listings@thescope.ca Mail: The Scope PO Box 1044, St. John’s, NL, A1C 5M3 Phone: 709-726-8466 Ad sales: 709-693-5028 Fax: 709-726-7682 Publisher/Listings Editor/Distro Manager: Bryhanna Greenough (publisher@thescope.ca) Editor: Elling Lien (editor@thescope.ca) Advertising Diva: Lesley Marie Reade (sales@thescope.ca) Production Assistant: Mark Bennett Copy Editors: Sarah Smellie and Bryhanna Greenough Distribution team: Barry Ross, Phil Coates, Rachel Jean Harding, and Gary Sexton Bottom Line Editor: Adam Clarke Contributing Writers: Adam Clarke, Martin Connelly, Kerri Breen, Jill Butler, Andrew Harvey, Kevin Hehir, Bryhanna Greenough, Andreae Callanan Contributing Illustrators: Ricky King, Bryan Melanson, Andrew Power, Jennifer Barrett, Peter Hanes, and Andrew Wickens. Also contributing: Dan Savage and Rob Brezsny.

March 12th & 13th, 2010 Masonic Temple, 6 Cathedral St. www.spiritofnewfoundland.com

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february 25 - march 11, 2010

The Scope is St. John’s arts and entertainment newspaper, published by Scope Media Inc. 14,000 copies of The Scope are printed fortnightly 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 spelling Martin Connelly’s last name completely wrong last issue. Free issues of The Scope are limited to one copy per reader. All rights reserved. © 2010 Proudly independent and locally owned. Founded in 2006.

hottickets Some of our picks of the fortnight Feb 25 - Mar 11, 2010 theatre

4th Annual Women’s Work Festival

She Said Yes! Productions, RCA Theatre Company and White Rooster Theatre are celebrating women’s work - the from mar 1 to kind that, once upon a time, only mar 3 men were allowed to do. The 4th Annual Women’s Work Festival presents a series of readings from new plays for, about, or by women in celebration of International Women’s Week. All readings are pay-what-you-can and everything you can pay goes to Marguerite’s Place. For the schedule of readings, check the Facebook event at tinyurl.com/yhof4ss. Gentlemen, perhaps you’ll put down the knitting and come out? music

Subtitles single release Model Citizens know the value of a good song, so it’s only fitting that the Subtitles are celebrating the release of “Heartbreak”—the first single off their upcoming album, at Model Citizens with an afternoon show. sat feb 27 Show up at 2pm for a quick show and pick up your free copy of the single, featuring a b-side remix by electro wizard Patch.

lecture

Bilingual Wine Tasting

The Benevolent Irish Society are hosting a free bilingual wine tasting... Bilingual as in English thu and Irish. And I know when I think “Irish,” I think mar 4 “fine wine.” But seriously though, head down to the Society Clubroom at 30 Harvey Road and 8pm and gain some wine tasting expertise while picking up a few Irish phrases. wrasslin

Legend City Wrestling With a celebration of women of another kind, Legend City Wrestling, the province’s notso-little pro wrestling outfit that could, are redefining the ring girl. The Burly Q Babies Burlesque troupe will be providing the mid-match entertainment sun mar 7 at tonight’s match at Club One. Featuring Lance Romance, Sheik Aziz, Matt Burns and a battle to the death between JX Phlexx and Kowboy Mike Hughes—the loser gets the boot from Legend City Wrestling. Also appearing will be that big guy from that new Sherlock Holmes movie! lecture

Blue Castle

The Blue Castle: Conversations on Women, Culture, and the Spaces of the Imagination present Megan Morrison, a researcher from tue MUN’s Women’s Studies department who has been working with mar 9 women living with late-stage dementia. She’ll be relaying the tale of her coming to know five of her subjects through song and story. The conversation takes place at The Ship, beginning at 8pm, no cover.

february 25 - march 11, 2010

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scopestuff

Brian, Kate and Mark at Mrs. Liddy’s

Andrea Sturge of Home Hardware

We get around

Dwight Brown of Brown’s Store

Justin Pitt of Strictly Adult Video

Four places you can pick up The Scope words and photos by Martin Connelly

It’s easy to find The Scope. Go to pretty much any shop on the North-East Avalon and it’s probably just inside the door—from Her Majesty’s Penitentiary to Mount Pearl City Hall, from Seal Cove to Torbay. In honour of our big 100th, Martin Connelly visited a handful of distro spots on the edges and in between. Mrs. Liddy’s

Torbay The story of Mrs. Liddy’s bar varies with who you talk to and how much they’ve had to drink. According to Kathy King, behind the bar, it’s not only the oldest bar in Newfoundland, it’s the “oldest establishment in North America.” If you believe King and her devoted patrons, Mrs. Liddy’s has a colourful history indeed. Before it was a bar, they say, Liddy’s was a hotel frequented mostly by honeymooning couples from St. John’s—back when they had to come on horse and buggy. At some point it was a pharmacy. For a long time, it was a men-only bar, and the only women were the servers, and at that time, for some reason, you couldn’t drink at Liddy’s unless you came from more than three miles away. And there used to be a wall separating Catholics from Protestants. And the pool table is broken. And there’s a juke box, but it only plays the Sons of Erin. Whatever the truth, it’s a great place. Patron Mark Foley sums it up nicely: “People come in for a laugh and a drink,” he laughs. “And usually more than one drink.” It’s open from noon to 2am, and everyone is a regular. There’s live music every second Friday.

Home Hardware

Manuels There’s only one hardware store where you can find The Scope, and that’s Home Hardware in the Villa Nova Plaza. The store has been

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around for twenty years or so, and Andrea Sturge has been there for 17 of them. Along with Sturge, there are 24 or 25 other people on staff, most of them young, and working part-time. The full-timers have all been there the long haul, and it shows. “We’re like a big happy family,” says Sturge. She says people come to the store from all over the island, including a lot from St. Mary’s. “Mostly they stay and chat a bit,” she says, “Then there’s some just in and out.” The Home Hardware in Manuels has won the chain’s Canada-wide “Store of the Year” award twice. There’s a corporate judge in charge of the Atlantic provinces, and he grades the store on everything from hygiene to personality. The honor comes with a golden shovel, and major bragging rights. “We also do a pancake breakfast every year during CBS Days,” says Sturge, “We donate everything, and it’s a really good day.”

Brown’s Store

Portugal Cove Road Brown’s store was opened 43 years ago, and it’s still a family business. Dwight Brown and his sister Janice took the convenience store over from their parents about 30 years ago, and they’re hanging on, working from 7:30am until 11pm every day. “It’s a sickness, really,” says Brown. “We just don’t have the sense to get out of it. Bad as being an alcoholic.” But it’s obvious that the store,

and it’s distinctive, old-timey feel, is important to both Brown and his patrons. “You know everybody,” he says. “You know their kids and their grandkids, you know when people get married and when they die.” He also gets new faces every year—the store is just down the road from the technical college, so there are a lot of students in the neighborhood. People talk politics and weather

“We don’t have the buying power of Sobeys or Dominion,” says Brown, “but beer and tickets cost the same everywhere.” — Dwight at Brown’s Store

in the store, and Brown says that makes sense: “It’s what we got here.” Sunday used to be his best day, when grocery stores weren’t allowed to open, but that law has long since changed. “Everything comes back to the government,” he laughs. Now Friday and Saturday nights are his busiest times, with beer and lottery ticket sales. “We don’t have the buying power of Sobeys or Dominion,” says Brown, “but beer and tickets cost the same everywhere.”

Strictly Adult Video

Topsail Road Justin Pitt, manager of Strictly Adult Video, is a pretty straightforward guy. Most of their business is rentals, but they also sell DVDs, magazines, and a newly expanded selection of toys. Like Brown’s Store, business is best Friday and Saturday nights, and before a holiday. “Valentines Day, Christmas, pretty much any holiday,” says Pitt. “Most of the patrons are in and out pretty quick, but you get some characters. Couples tend to be chatty, especially if they’re looking in the new toy section.” Strictly Adult has a Facebook fan page and a Twitter account. The fan page was started by someone who really liked the sign outside the store, which features a saucy new title every other week—always something that’s really in their catalogue. The Twitter account is a recent addition, and it’s also a title showcase, usually for things that might not be appropriate on the sign, like “Hell’s Kitchen with Chef Rams Me.” But Pitt’s not worried that people will just download their porn while they’re checking out his tweets. “It’s a matter of convenience,” says Pitt. “You don’t have to download anything, and DVDs come with multiple scenes. Plus we have stuff to go with it.” Have a favourite place to pick up The Scope? Let us know at thescope.ca

yourcity notes from st. john's city hall The city of St. John’s is accepting feedback until March 5th on a draft of an Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP). If you are like most people, you might ask: What in the hell is an Integrated Community Sustainability Plan? Well, the ICSP (Ick-Sup?) is one of those road map documents intended to help city government plan a St. John’s that survives and thrives in the long term. It’s a plan based around five pillars: environment, culture, social, economy and government. And it’s supposed Andrew to be Harvey andrew@thescope.ca developed “in consultation with community members.” Really though, as it says on the first page of the draft document, it seems like we’re doing it just because we signed the provincial Gas Tax Agreement and we’re going to get cash. For St. John’s, the ICSP means almost four and a half million bucks. The city of St. John’s chose to base its ICSP on the existing Municipal Plan—another road map for the future of the city—feeling that it already addressed these pillars, and was already drafted with what they said was “extensive” public consultation. You can take a look at it yourself at the city website at tinyurl.com/yhug82b.

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i know you are but what am i? /

I’ve got lots of problems with the draft ICSP prepared by the city. For one, the argument that an amendment to the Municipal Plan constitutes public consultation does not hold water with me. That “extensive” consultation took place during the drafting of the Municipal Plan way back in 2002 and 2003. And how thorough it was is questionable... Speaking of which, our present Municipal Plan is almost two years overdue for a review, and at the February 22 meeting of city council, a motion by Shannie Duff to open the possibility of reviewing the Municipal Plan before the completion of the provinces NE Avalon Regional Plan was defeated. The current round of public consultation on the ICSP (which includes a website with “Comments” written at the bottom) is cursory at best, considering it must be submitted to the Department of Municipal Affairs by March 31st. The draft ICSP also fails to meet several other vital components required by the province, including identifying “goals and specific actions”, “fiscal requirements and realities related to the implementation of the plan”, “collaboration with neighbouring municipalities, communities, or regional entities,” and most importantly, “some kind of

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monitoring and evaluation process to ensure the document is always relevant”. For the ICSP to succeed in guiding the city to becoming a greener, more sustainable place to live, it needs explicit goals. It also must lay out a path to achieve these goals, and have provisions to review the plan to ensure it is succeeding. Otherwise the ICSP will be just another document for the city to ignore when it chooses. Like the Municipal Plan… or the Municipal Arts Plan. A plan is only as good as the change it creates. Make sure you take a look at the draft document and send your feedback to the city planning department (planning@stjohns.ca) by March 5th. Catch Andrew live-blogging city council meetings every Monday at

thescope.ca/yourcity

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this isn’t even a real argument, is it? \

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Cat’ number one, from issue one. we knew it was an idea with legs.

february 25 - march 11, 2010

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Don Decker and Diane Gladney of Transcontinental with Elling Lien

Meet the press

Without the people and the machines at 36 Austin, you wouldn’t be reading this. interview by elling lien photos by mark bennett

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ack in July of 2006 it was quite a thrill to see the bundles sitting on a pallet at the back of the Transcontinental warehouse on Austin Street. There it was. The first issue of The Scope—8 pages and 6,000 copies. Almost four years and 99 issues later, we average 24 pages and we print upwards of 14,000 copies every two weeks, still picking it up from the same warehouse. I spoke with Diane Gladney, our sales rep,

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february 25 - march 11, 2010

and Don Decker, crew chief. The press is running. It’s loud. Diane, you were here when it was Robinson Blackmore... Diane Gladney: Yes, yes... I was here before it was Robinson Blackmore, when it was The Daily News. The Daily News was a newspaper back in the day, but then they got into the printing. Then it became Robinson Blackmore, which was a printing company. Is this the same press that they used? DG: They’re after having different presses. That’s the press that was put in here 20 years ago. That’s how long ago this one has been going. Things have changed in 20 years... DG: [laugh] Printing has changed so much over the years. Oh my God! Even here, the printing process itself. Computers have taken over so much. It’s really killed the printing industry, the computer. Anyone who has a computer now

has a printer, and calls themself a graphic designer. They’ll design something, send it to us and half the time you can’t work with what they’ve got.

The press has stopped. Don comes over.

[laugh] I know. We were like that until probably three issues ago. DG: But there’s always something to learn. It’s not something you learn overnight.

This is our hundreth issue this week. We wanted to come to talk to you guys... Don Decker: [laugh] Are you here to do an exposé on me?

Have things changed? DG: Oh, man, has it ever changed. I mean at one time you typed up a story and you waxed the back of it, stuck it down and then rolled it out.. It’s unbelievable how everything changed. Say you wanted a letterhead: People gave you an idea and you designed something for them or you created a logo and you actually typed out stuff, and drew up an 8 1/2 x 11 area and you stuck it on and you rolled it. You used wax on the back of the paper to hold it down, then you photographed it... Oh my god. But today it’s so different. You create letterhead on your computer in a few minutes and it looks professional.

No, just to ask a few questions. Because we wouldn’t exist if you didn’t exist. DD: Well it kind of goes both ways actually.

DG: Don, if you could give us two minutes...

So, the press... We send the file to you, it’s processed and the plates are made in pre-press using technical magic, then what happens? DD: They send it to us from CTP (Computer to Plate) and [he flips through the plates] that’s what it looks like before you put it on each unit. That’s eight pages of a book. Each colour has a plate. Red, yellow, blue and black makes up process colour. The page numbers are laid out depending on where you want the colour...

It still takes me a while to wrap my head around it. DD: It’s not rocket science. But it’s simple to us because we’ve been at it 36 years. How did you get into it? DD: I’ve been here 36 years. Started right out of high school. Seventeen. I took a summer job. I had a friend working here a little bit older than me. Thta’s how I found out about it. Printing was a much bigger business back then. DD: Oh yeah, it’s not as big now. We’re not near as busy as we used to be. We used to run two shifts. For nine or ten years we had three shifts. The Daily News, all the Sears flyers, Canadian Tire flires, Shoppers Drug Mart, K-Mart, Zellers, that was done here. Now the flyers are all done on the mainland. DG: Anything that’s heat set is now done on the mainland—you know, that glossy look? We can’t do that here. There’s none here on the island. But we do a fair amount of papers now. We do The Muse, and The

CTP — Computer to Press. Where the plates are made for the web press.

Crew chief Don Decker flipping through some web press plates

Shoreline, The Gazette, North-East Avalon Times, your paper... We do flyers for only a few of the smaller groceries... DD: Back then, you’d average 800 to a million copies every week.

mistakes! We’re still waiting for Don to make his first mistake. [laugh]

And how busy are you now? DD: To give you an example, right now a busy week for us would be about 250,000. It’s a big difference. We only have one shift now as opposed to two or three. So when The Scope arrives, and the plates are made, how long does it take to do the whole run of say a 24 page paper, around 14,000 copies? DD: It takes about an hour and a half to make it ready, and an hour and 45 minutes to run it. Which is fairly slow, for a web press. This is a small format press... It just rolls through? The plates are inked and the paper is just pulled through? DD: It rolls around in circles, like a rat on a treadmill. DG: Like a hamster going around on a wheel! Does anything unusual ever happened? DG: Yeah, you get paper breaking and you have to stop the press... DD: All types of stuff can happen. It may depend on the quality of the paper you have in, but sometimes you get flaws and that. Sometimes there are mechanical errors, or we make mistakes. DG: But these guys don’t make

DD: That’s right. Exactly. When I make one I’ll be the first one up to tell you when one happens. [laugh]

came through here, I wouldn’t get any work done! [laugh] DD: That’s right.

Well, thanks you two... DD: We look forward to the next issue. Always something interesting

to read. We hope so. [laugh] Thanks.

I have to say, I love the quality of the press here. Things seem to print really well. DD: Well this is it. Our quality is as good as anybody’s, you know? The Telegram press can’t compare to that thing because it’s just too big over there. So is there anything funny that happens during the process? DD: [laugh] No, only what you fellas are putting in the paper. We get a few laughs out of that stuff. Usually the inside, near the back? DD: Yeah. We see all kinds. The Muse has some funny stuff in it and The Current has some good stuff in it. Your paper, definitely. DG: Why what’s on the inside back cover? The sex column. DG: Oh. That’s where most people look first, actually. [laugh] DG: Is that true? Yeah. DD: Don’t mind her! Over in sales they only care about the bottom line! [laugh] Don’t mind the sales people, b’y. [laugh] DG: I never noticed. Listen, don’t start reading it. DG: If I had to read everything that

february 25 - march 11, 2010

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scopestuff

The Distro King

Barry Ross is reigning champ of the local small press distribution world by Martin Connelly

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arry Ross has distributed The Scope since our first issue in 2006, and for the last ten years or so he’s been distributing publications and hanging posters. These days he works for 12 different publications, and spends most of his days on the road.

job. So how many are you distributing now? About 12, all around. How did you get connected with The Scope? They found out about me through The Muse, actually, long before the first issue. I had a little meeting with them and they hired me on as it were, so from the first issue on I was the first car route distributor. Eventually they added enough locations so we hired on a second driver and as it stands now we have

How long have you been at it then? I started about 10 years ago, with The Muse off campus, and then shortly thereafter with The Gazette off campus, and then The Scope came along, and after that I decided to find some other publication to distribute and make it a full time Photo by Martin Connelly

february 25 - march 11, 2010

Tell me about a typical day distributing The Scope. I get on the go pretty early. As it turns out I do a lot of driving but I do a lot of walking too. I must walk about five miles a day—quite often it is carrying a bundle of papers. It’s sorta non stop. I might swing through a drive-thru to grab a bite to eat or something, but usually I

So do you run into a lot of people throughout the day? Well certainly, a lot of the places I go, people can see me coming through the front window, and they’re real happy to see me because they’re bored—so the first thing they’re gonna do is grab a copy out of my hands before I even put them in the rack. And even if we don’t have a fantastic rapport they’ll yell out “thanks” as I’m walking away.

So how did you get into this? When I think back to many decades ago there were times I’d do something along these lines, jack of all trades or whatever kind of scenario—but as I’ve started to age I can see these things that you maybe did one or two times as a kid turn out to be what your career is—and it’s starting the education for your career as it were. It started with The Muse. My wife was working at MUN, and I’ve always had an interest in university newspapers and stuff, so I used to read The Muse, and they were advertising that they needed an off campus distributor. The ads kept staring at me in the face—and then I realized I liked The Muse, I want to be helpful if I can be, and I’ve got a vehicle and I love to drive, so jeez, why don’t I check it out? And that’s what got me into it.

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three drivers and one walking route. Two people can do it, but boy it’s a long day—a 15 hour day from early-early till late. Especially in the winter when weather can slow you down.

only do that if I know that the next location I need to go to is more than a five minute drive away—I don’t just sit there in the car and eat. I just do it when I’m moving. The more I do it I’m getting calmer with it. It is sort of stressful because you are in traffic all the time, so you have to look out for accidents—but you’re multitasking because you have to think about what you just did and what you’re going to do. You design your route, but then you might be doing something a little differently—so you’re constantly at least mentally willing to ad lib any given moment. So you can get pretty stressed out by the end of the day. But I’m finding now that I can be less stressed and I don’t know if it’s self control, or if it’s easier now, or if it’s just that I’m not sweating the small stuff I shouldn’t have been sweating in the first place. Get over it and get on with your stress free life, y’know?

How about people who aren’t as nice? The only time I’ve ever had direct negative comments are when we’ve been terminated. One example would be Carpenters Millwrights College in Paradise. They’d taken the rack and when I asked about it they said, “oh yes, we have it here— we don’t want this anymore.” And I said, okay, like I don’t even ask why, because usually they’ll volunteer it. And if they don’t I’ll just walk away anyway. With the sex column in there, that’s quite often why they get terminated from a location. She would tell me, “oh the sex column in there was awful! In just one of the responses the guy there he said the word ‘fuck’ four times!” And I’m thinking, really, for a

college, the word “fuck” is what got them? Not the actual sexual goings on in the column, but to be upset at a college over the word “fuck”—I don’t get it. But what can you do in a situation like that? Generally speaking they know I’m just the messenger, just the delivery guy, so they’re generally okay with me. If they seem to be addressing me personally I tell them “I’m just the paperboy, y’know?” Do people ever mess with the publications? I sort of call it a jungle, you know? There’s all kinds of animals out there, and you never know what to expect. One thing that bugs me is when someone will take one and read it, crumple it up, and then put it back in the rack—don’t you get it? You’re supposed to take it! That kind of bugs me, especially when quite often they’ll put it in backwards so you can’t see the front cover anymore. And that effects sales, as it were. Or sometimes they’ll pick up the whole stack of papers and turn them all around. And why would you do that Mr. Monkey? Only monkeys know. It sounds like you take some ownership over the publications you’re distributing. Well for sure, like one other monkey thing I’ve seen is I’ll go into some location and someone has come in with a new publication and they’ve taken over our rack or something— and it’s like, that’s not cool. If you can’t afford your own rack just put a pile on the counter. And just these areas where publications are located—they become all messy. When I’m in there with whatever publication I have, I do some housekeeping, I tidy everybody’s stuff up and do some rearranging— to fit everything in the space in the best way, because it’s better for everyone if it’s like that. Even if someone takes over our rack or whatever, I won’t throw them out, I’ll just put them somewhere where they should be. So I do have a certain ownership of the whole scene in a way. It’s my business, and I only want the best for it. Comment on this article online at thescope.ca

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175 water street. st john’s, nl 709 722 6004 monday - saturday 10-6 sunday 12-5

twistedsistersboutik.blogspot.com

february 25 - march 11, 2010

thescope 11

music

Submit your show information by e-mail to listings@thescope.ca or click “Submit a Listing” online at thescope.ca. Event listings are free, and hi-res photos are welcome and encouraged. Listings deadline for our next print edition is 5pm Sunday, March 7.

THURSDAY

FEB 25

The Early Show: Ian Foster, 9pm, no cover, Rose & Thistle Tropical Thursdays: DJ Chamba, Turkey Joe’s Unlisted, Green Sleeves Pub

Andy Brown (New Brunswick singer-songwriter) Bull & Barrell Belly (Stylus Club DJ 09), Ill Kidz (Montreal hip hop), DJ Sina, Large Live N Direct, 9pm, $12/$15, The Breezeway Carl Peters & Bob Taylor (7pm), Middle Tickle (11pm), Shamrock City Pub Craig Young (solo acoustic) no cover, Fat Cat 709, Club One Blues Bar Aaron McBrierty, Whalen’s Pub Dave Panting, Erin’s Pub Brothers in Stereo (pop/rock), The MonDave Whitty, Simon Hiscock, Bridie Molloy’s day Nights (folk rock), The Ship Des Gambin, 7pm, West Side Charlie’sChris Hennessey (5pm); Bill Kelly (8:15pm), Kenmount Rd The Punters (11:30pm), O’Reilly’s Irish Pub DJ Big Frank, Konfusion D’arcy Broderick & Ron Kelly (5pm); Barry Kenny & Glen Harvey DJ Mark Power: Chill beats, (8pm); Middle Tickle (11pm), Shamindie rock & hip hop till 12am; OST M E H T FIND -DATE rock City Pub Downtempo house & classics -TO up till 3am, no cover, Martini Bar Darrell Cooper Band (blues) S G LISTIN AT Fat Cat Blues Bar DJ Sina, Loft 709 INE ONL e.ca Dave Reardon, 5pm, Station Fergus O’Byrne (7pm); p thesco Lounge Acoustic Punters (10:30pm), O’Reilly’s Irish Pub Dawn Awakening (metal EP release), Jefford, Sacrosanct (metal), Distortion Jerry Stamp, Andy Brown (Fredericton NB), midnight, no cover, Bull & Barrel DJ Mayehem, Loft 709 Roger Howse (blues) 9pm, $10, The Ship DJ Sina, Konfusion Route One, Tol’s Time Out Dust Radio, $5, Rose & Thistle Scott Conway, Whalen’s Pub Filthy Fridays: DJ Lex, Turkey Joe’s Selina Boland, Crack the Foundation, 10pm, Gregg Bolger & Chris Marshall, Green $5, Distortion Sleeves Stixx & Stones, The Dock Hot Piano Friday: With Sharona Clarke,

FRIDAY

FEB 26

IS YOUR VEHICLE A 1995 MODEL OR OLDER? IF SO, YOU CAN RECEIVE REAL REWARDS FOR RECYCLING IT WITH US. To participate, call 1-877-773-1996 to speak with a Retire Your Ride representative or log on to www.retireyourride.ca

Sarah Stockley & Ashley Kennedy,9:30pm-12am, by donation, Bianca’s-Water St Hugh Scott & John Barela, Erin’s Pub Matt Byrne, Bridie Molloy’s Mudder’s Choice: Adam Baxter, Steve Hoskins & The Bonavista Chain Locker, Baytown Connection, 10:30pm, $5, Rock House One Day in February (punk) Junctions Put ‘er Up! (Fatima to Florida benefit) A night of Newfoundland Music featuring Greeley’s Reel, Kilkenny Krew, Ray Lake, The Ray Walsh Family Band, Terri-Lynn Eddy Band, Celtic Connection & Tarahan, $10, CLB Armoury-Harvey Rd Route One, Tol’s Time Out Swords (SPCA benefit) This Is A War (punk), The Crooks (rock), $5, The Levee That Time Of The Month: Are You Smarter Than A Drag Queen? Join Doris Anita Douche & Bianca Boheme as they try to stump you and entertain you at the same time, 11pm, no cover, Zone 216 The Vibe, 10pm, Martini Bar The Waiting: A Tribute to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, no cover, Rock House This is a Standoff, 10pm, Distortion

SATURDAY

FEB 27

709, Club One Adam Baxter, 11pm, no cover, Trinity Pub Bob Taylor, Carl Peters & Pat Moran (8pm); Middle Tickle (11pm), Shamrock City Pub Chris Kirby & The Marquee (blues) Fat Cat Blues Bar De-Mons (punk), First Offence (punk), Frankenstone, Junctions DJ Big Frank, Konfusion DJ Nu Rock, Loft 709 Gregg Bolger & Chris Marshall, Green Sleeves Hugh Scott & John Barela, Erin’s Pub Phantom 4, Paul Ryan, Steve Green, 9pm, Whalen’s Pub Rob Cook (4:30pm); Fergus O’Byrne (8pm); The Punters (11:30pm), O’Reilly’s Irish Pub Route One, Tol’s Time Out Rozalind MacPhail (flutist), Smiley Ralph (alt), Quiet Elephant (indie pop) $5, CBTGs Sexy Saturday: DJ Jaycee, Turkey Joe’s Sorcerer (metal), Emdometrium (metal), Undeea (punk), Distortion The Mountains & The Trees (folk), Andrew O’Brien Band, Rose & Thistle The Subtitles (Heartbreak single release) Short show & free copy of the single, including the b-side and a remix by Patch, 2pm, free, Model Citizens Boutique The Vibe, 10pm, Martini Bar The Waiting: A Tribute To Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, no cover, Rock House This is a Standoff, 10pm, Junctions VJ Eric, DJ Fabian, 11pm, $5/$7 after 1:30pm, Zone 216

SUNDAY

FEB 28 Bach on the Rock: The complete organ works in 18 concerts by David Drinkell & Jenny Vincent Anglican Cathedral, 8pm, freewill offering, Anglican Cathedral Chris Henessey (7pm); Con & Arthur O’Brien (10pm), Shamrock City Pub Damian Follett, Green Sleeves Pub Mike Hanrahan, Irish Session, Bridie Molloy’s Retro Sunday: DJ Lex, Turkey Joe’s Song Session: Allan Byrne, 7pm, O’Reilly’s Irish Pub

geeks of the world

unite!

you have nothing to lose but your shame!!

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timemasters 33 kenmount rd, 2nd fl, 754-3654

comic books × trade paperbacks and hardcovers × manga and anime × role-playing × table-top miniatures × collectable cards and board games × statues and model kits × toys and collectable action figures

12 thescope

february 25 - march 11, 2010

MONDAY

MAR 1 Anthony MacDonald & Ronnie Power, 10pm, Shamrock City Pub Damian Follett, Green Sleeves Pub Larry Foley & Patrick Moran, 9pm, O’Reilly’s Irish Pub Manic Mondays, Turkey Joe’s Rajaton on the Rock (A cappella Finnish sensations) 7:30pm, $35+, Holy Heart Theatre

music venue

directory Arts & Culture Centre, Prince Philip Dr, 729-3900 The Attic, 2 George St, 579-9632 Bar None, 164 Water St, 579-2110 Bella Vista, 26 Torbay Rd, 753-2352 Big Ben’s, 55 Rowan St, 753-8212 Black Dog Pub, 318 Water St, 726-6015 Bull & Barrel, Holdsworth Court, 579-7077 Bull & Finch, Torbay Rd, 738-7007 The Breezeway, MUN Campus, 737-4743 Bridie Molloy’s, 5 George St, 576-5990 Brownings Pub, Hotel Mount Pearl, 364-7725 CBTG’s, Holdsworth Court, 722-2284 Christine’s Place, 210 Lemarchant Rd, 722-6400 Club One, George St, 753-7822 Crow’s Nest (Officer’s Club), 88 Water St (by War Memorial), 753-6927 D.F. Cook Recital Hall, Memorial University 7374700 Corner Stone Sports Bar, 16 Queen St, 754-4263 Darnell’s Pub, 1570 Topsail Rd 782-2440 Distortion, Holdsworth Court, 738-8833 The Dock, 17 George St, 726-0353 Dusk ULTRA LOUNGE, George St Erin’s Pub, 186 Water St, 722-1916 Fat Cat Blues Bar, George St 739-5554 George Street Beer Market, George St, 753-7822 Georgetown Pub, 754-6151 Green sleeves PUB, 14 George St, 579-1070 The Grapevine, Water St, 754-8463 Grumpy Stump, Torbay Rd, 753-2337 Holy Heart Theatre, 55 Bonaventure Ave, 579-4424 Junctions, 208 Water St, 579-2557 Karaoke Kops Party Bar, 10 George St, 726-8202 Kelly’s Pub, 25 George St, 753-5300 Konfusion, George St, 753-4884 Kruger’s Bar, 986 Conception Bay Hwy, Kelligrews The Last Drop, 193 Water St, 726-3767 THE LEVEE,

The Adam Baxter Threesome, Short Handed, 10:30pm, $5, Distortion The Burning Hell (Peterborough folk rock), Shotgun Jimmie (Sackville indie pop), Construction & Destruction (NS indie), CBTGs The Chasers, 10pm, Martini Bar Turn ur Sawgg On: Rap show with Smooth Poet, Kid Norm & DJ T Jay, $5, Rock House

SATURDAY

MAR 6

Andrew & Barry Ledrew, Erin’s Pub Bishop Brigante, Dj Sina, Johnny Hardcore, Lee Fitz, Antics , DJ AVP, $10, Rock House Bob Taylor, Carl Peters & Pat Moran (8pm); Kilkenny Krew (11pm), Shamrock City Pub Clocked in, Nightmen, Icebreaker (hardcore), Narrators (last show), 11pm, $5, Distortion Cold River Choir, Bonavista Chain Locker, 10:30pm, The Levee

Country Music Café, 8pm, St Augustine’s Church Hall-Westerland Rd DJ Big Frank, Konfusion DJ Dan (LA) Loft 709 Fundraiser Dance (Ride for Seniors) $7.50/$15, Reid Centre-Mt Pearl HideAway (classic rock) 10pm, West Side Charlies-Paradise Home Concert (MUN Music) Darryl Cremasco leads chamber choir for his graduate recital & to launch their spring tour, 8pm, $7/$12, DF Cook Recital Hall Rob Cook (4:30pm); Fergus O’Byrne (8pm); Greeley’s Reel (11:30pm), O’Reilly’s Irish Pub Sexy Saturday: DJ Jaycee, Turkey Joe’s The Burning Hell (Peterborough folk rock), Shotgun Jimmie (Sackville indie pop), Construction & Destruction (NS indie), The Ship The Chasers, 10pm, Martini Bar VJ Eric, DJ Fabian, 11pm, $5/$7 after 1:30pm, Zone 216 Weapon (tour fundraiser), Dawn Awakening (metal), Catalepsis, $5, Junctions

Holdsworth Court Liquid NIGHT CLUB, 186B Water St, 754-5455 Loft 709, 371 Duckworth St 351-2183 Lottie’s Place, 3 George St, 754-3020 Lower Path Grill & Bar, 312 Water St 579-1717 LSPU HAll, 3 Victoria St, 753-4531 Majestic Theatre, 390 Duckworth St Marg’s Place, Kelligrews Martini Bar (Above Peddler’s On George) 739-9180 Masonic Temple, 6 Cathedral St, 579-3023 Mickey Quinn’s, 120 New Gower St, 739-6404 Mile One Centre, 50 New Gower St, 576-7657 MUN MUSIC, 737-4455 Mrs Liddy’s, Torbay 437-6005 The Old Mill, 271 Brookfield Rd, 368-1334 O’Reilly’s Irish Pub, 15 George St, 722-3735 Peddler’s On George, George St, 739-9180 Peter Easton Pub, Cookstown Road Petro-Canada Hall, Memorial University Players Cue, 50 Commonwealth Ave-Mt Pearl 368-

fair trade recycled materials biodegradable substances

2500 Republic, Duckworth St, 753-1012 Rob Roy Pub, George St, 739-6270 THE Rockhouse, George St, 579-6832 rose & Thistle, 208 Water St, 579-6662 Shamrock City Pub, 340 Water St, 7585483 Ship Pub, 265 Duckworth St, 753-3870 Spin, 2 George St Sharky’s Pub, Manuels 834-5636 The Sprout, 364 Duckworth St, 579-5485 SS Meigle Lounge, Seal Cove 744-1212 Stanley’s Pub, 26 Torbay Rd, 754-0930 Station Lounge, 7 Hutchings St Steller Club, Henry St, 753-8222 Stetson Lounge, 260 Water St, 753-8138 Sundance, George St, 753-7822 Tol's Time-Out Lounge, 74 Old Placentia Rd 745-8657 Topsail Breeze Tavern, Topsail 781-0010 Trapper John’s PUB, 2 George St, 579-9630 Trinity Pub, George St, 579-5558 Trip in Lounge, Kelligrews 834-4002 The Well, 14 George St - 2nd level Green Sleeves Whalen’s Pub, 32 George St 722-4900 Zone 216, 216 Water St, 754-2492. Do you host live music or DJs? Joining our directory is free. E-mail listings@thescope.ca

175 water street. st john’s, nl 709 722 6004 monday - saturday 10-6 sunday 12-5

twistedsistersboutik.blogspot.com TUESDAY

MAR 2 Carl Peters & Dave White, Turkey Joe’s Connemara, 10pm, Shamrock City Pub Damian Follett & Gary Gambin, Green Sleeves Pub DJ Paddy Green (hip hop) Loft 709 Hot Tuesday: Dave Walsh, Liam Peacock & Robbie McDonald, The Levee Karla Pilgrim, The Grapevine Rob Cook & Larry Foley (12am), O’Reilly’s Irish Pub Shawn Beresford (solo acoustic) no cover, Fat Cat Blues Bar

WEDNESDAY

MAR 3

Blackie O’Leary (7pm); The Navigators (10pm), Shamrock City Pub Chris Hennessey (5pm); Best Kind (10:30pm), O’Reilly’s Irish Pub Dave White, 10pm, Turkey Joe’s DJ Mark Power, no cover, Loft 709 Epic Wednesdays: Adam Baxter, Dave Whitty & Robbie MacDonald, 10pm, $5, Distortion Folk Night: Dave Panting, 9pm, $5, The Ship Jeremy Rice (solo acoustic) no cover, Fat Cat Blues Bar Kronik, Green Sleeves Pub Songwriter Showcase: Hosted by John Feltham, 9:30pm, no cover, The Levee Stixx & Stones, no cover, Martini Bar

THURSDAY

MAR 4

Bloody Thursdays, 10:30pm, $5, Distortion Carl Peters & Bob Taylor (7pm), Middle Tickle (11pm), Shamrock City Pub Craig Young (solo acoustic) no cover, Fat Cat Blues Bar Dave Panting, Erin’s Pub

Debut Atlantic (MUN Music) The haunting, lyric combination of voice, horn & piano are featured in recital by Fiset, Marsolais & McMahon, 8pm, $15/$18, DF Cook Recital Hall Des Gambin, 7pm, West Side Charlie’sKenmount Rd DJ Big Frank, Konfusion DJ Mark Power, no cover, Martini Bar DJ Nu Rock, The Breezeway DJ Sina, Loft 709 Fergus O’Byrne (7pm); Larry Foley & Patrick Moran (10:30pm), O’Reilly’s Irish Pub Stixx & Stones, The Dock The Early Show: Ian Foster, 9pm, no cover, Rose & Thistle Tropical Thursdays: DJ Chamba, Turkey Joe’s Unlisted, Green Sleeves Pub

FRIDAY

MAR 5 100 Years of Romance (MUN Music) Romantic anniversaries in honour of Samuel Barber & Robert Schumann, 8pm, $7/$12, DF Cook Recital Hall Andrew & Barry Ledrew, Erin’s Pub Chris Hennessey (5pm); Bill Kelly (8:15pm), Greeley’s Reel (11:30pm), O’Reilly’s Irish Pub D’arcy Broderick & Ron Kelly (5pm); Barry Kenny & Glen Harvey (8pm); Kilkenny Krew (11pm), Shamrock City Pub Dave Reardon, 5pm, Station Lounge Dave Walsh, Overlay (rock), Dirty Ransom (rock), Dave Walsh & The Worst Kind (alt), Colonel Craze & The Hunch (rock), 10pm, $5, Fat Cat Blues Bar DJ Fabian, no cover, 11am, Zone 216 DJ Mayehem, Loft 709 DJ Sina, Konfusion Filthy Fridays: DJ Lex, Turkey Joe’s HideAway (classic rock) 10pm, West Side Charlies-Paradise Overlay (rock) Fat Cat Blues Bar Recall (80s, 90s, classic rock) West Side Charlie’s-Torbay Rd

Murray Premises • 739-8444 www.grandtime.ca Open Tuesday to Saturday

february 25 - march 11, 2010

thescope 13

SUNDAY

MONDAY

Feltham, 9:30pm, no cover, The Levee Stixx & Stones, no cover, Martini Bar

Alpha Yaya Diallo (West African guitarist & singer), 8pm, $15/$18, Centre des GrandsVents-65 Ridge Rd 726-4900 Bach on the Rock: The complete organ works in 18 concerts by David Drinkell & Jenny Vincent Anglican Cathedral, 8pm, freewill offering, Anglican Cathedral Chris Henessey (7pm); Con & Arthur O’Brien (10pm), Shamrock City Pub Damian Follett, Green Sleeves Pub Mike Hanrahan, Irish Session, Bridie Molloy’s Retro Sunday: DJ Lex, Turkey Joe’s Song Session: Allan Byrne, 7pm, O’Reilly’s Irish Pub The Burning Hell (Peterborough folk rock), Shotgun Jimmie (Sackville indie pop), Construction & Destruction (NS indie), The Ship

Anthony MacDonald & Ronnie Power, 10pm, Shamrock City Pub Damian Follett, Green Sleeves Pub Larry Foley & Patrick Moran, 9pm, O’Reilly’s Irish Pub Manic Mondays, Turkey Joe’s

THURSDAY

MAR 7

MAR 8

TUESDAY

MAR 9 Carl Peters & Dave White, Turkey Joe’s Connemara, 10pm, Shamrock City Pub Damian Follett & Gary Gambin, Green Sleeves Pub DJ Paddy Green (hip hop) Loft 709 Ragged Ends Choir & Friends, The Grapevine Rob Cook & Larry Foley (12am), O’Reilly’s Irish Pub Shawn Beresford (solo acoustic) no cover, Fat Cat Blues Bar

WEDNESDAY

MAR 10

Blackie O’Leary (7pm); The Navigators (10pm), Shamrock City Pub Chris Hennessey (5pm); Best Kind (10:30pm), O’Reilly’s Irish Pub Dave Borins (acoustic rock) The Ship Dave White, 10pm, Turkey Joe’s DJ Mark Power, no cover, Loft 709 Epic Wednesdays: Adam Baxter, 10pm, $5, Distortion Folk Night: David Borins & Jordan Safer, 9pm, $5, The Ship Kronik, Green Sleeves Pub Legends of Country Music: Featuring 8 Track Favourites, 8pm, $27.50, Arts & Culture Centre 729-3900 Songwriter Showcase: Hosted by John

contest

win tickets to see..

y ksle haw an workm ium Holy Heart auditor on april 10

Head to our website for your chance to win.

contests

thescope.ca/

For more show and ticket information visit www.sonicconcerts.com

14 thescope

february 25 - march 11, 2010

MAR 11 Bloody Thursdays, 10:30pm, $5, Distortion Carl Peters & Bob Taylor (7pm), Middle Tickle (11pm), Shamrock City Pub Craig Young (solo acoustic) no cover, Fat Cat Blues Bar Dave Panting, Erin’s Pub Des Gambin, 7pm, West Side Charlie’sKenmount Rd DJ Big Frank, Konfusion DJ Mark Power, no cover, Martini Bar DJ Nu Rock, The Breezeway DJ Sina, Loft 709 Fergus O’Byrne (7pm); Larry Foley & Patrick Moran (10:30pm), O’Reilly’s Irish Pub Jerry Stamp, Dave Walsh, midnight, no cover, Bull & Barrel Stixx & Stones, The Dock The Early Show: Ian Foster & Dave Borins, 9pm, no cover, Rose & Thistle Tropical Thursdays: DJ Chamba, Turkey Joe’s Unlisted, Green Sleeves Pub

openmic/jam Tuesdays: Dave Carroll & Rob Moran at O’Reilly’s Irish Pub (10pm) Wednesdays: Chris Ryan & Ronnie Power at Shamrock City Pub (9:30pm) Thursdays: The Levee (9pm) Sundays: Shawn Beresford at Fat Cat Blues Bar; Young Musicians at Shamrock City Pub (2pm); Young Performers at O’Reilly’s Irish Pub (3pm)

karaoke Wednesday: Karaoke Kops Party Bar Thursday: Karaoke Kops Party Bar; West Side Charlie’s-Torbay Rd Friday: Karaoke Kops Party Bar Saturday: Karaoke Kops Party Bar; Murf at Darnell’s Pub

Find the most up-to-date listings at

thescope.ca/events

ALLAGES Saturday Feb 27 This is a Standoff, Junctions Saturday Mar 6 at 2pm Corridor 18, I Was A Skywalker, Clocked In, Swords, Narrators, $5, Distortion

thescope. thescope.c

Saturday Mar 6 at 3pm Weapon (tour fundraiser), Dawn Awakening, Catalepsis, Polina, $5, Junctions

musicreviews

216 Water Street

Johnny Cash

American VI: Ain’t No Grave (American/Lost Highway) Considering Johnny Cash’s 40+ year recording career and the vast library of unreleased home recordings he’s said to have left behind, the idea that this is the “last” posthumous Johnny Cash album is highly suspect. Recorded at the same time as American V: A Hundred Highways, it sounds exactly as you’d expect—like a collection of covers not quite good enough to be on the last posthumous album. This is not to say there aren’t wonderful things to be heard here. In his prime, it was Cash’s booming baritone that brought all that power to his voice. In his final days, when illness and age robbed the steadiness from his pipes, he proved that the real power of the voice is found in an honest understanding of your own humanity, and knowledge of how to breathe life into a song. It’s not the strongest set of material, but Johnny Cash isn’t a legend for no reason. — Patrick Canning

The Knife with Mt. Sims & Planningtorock

Joe Belly

Nickles and Dimes (Independent)

Tomorrow, In A Year (Rabid Records)

Four years after their last album, Silent Shout, which inspired a mass-musiccritic orgasm, The Knife have released Tomorrow, in a Year, a collaborative project between them and fellow weirdos Mt. Sims & Planningtorock. Tomorrow, In a Year is an opera based on Charles Darwin and The Origin of the Species, although that’d be hard to figure out if nobody told you. It’s a gloriously bizarre and epically challenging hour and a half of experimental programming that has the potential to both aggravate and satisfy the expectations of anyone in their fanbase. The opera slowly evolves from Stockhausen-inspired soundscapes to more confrontational pieces featuring the phenomenal voice of mezzo-soprano Kristina Momme, and ends with the doomy, hypnotic electro that you’d expect from The Knife. It’s a deeply dense and difficult album to dig into, but it richly rewards those with patience and a love of uncompromising weirdness.

A thoroughly enjoyable collection of homespun tunes with a loose, downtempo, lazy-evening, country feel. Joe Belly’s (aka Phil al Goodland) slightly shakey tenor loc gets—like a country-mode Neil Young—stronger and more affable with each new album. With his wife Sherry Ryan playing Emmylou Harris to his Gram Parsons, the songs have a warm, familial feel to them, and all the players seem to feel comfortable in their prairie homestead roles. The songs stay true to the homey vibe of the production, with subject matters of mostly domestic concerns: “Marriage in Separate Lives,” or fishing change out of the couch for taxi fare in “Nickels and Dimes.” A modest but very satifying collection with a timeless sound that doesn’t ever seem tired.

hava brownie

— PC

— PC

february 25 - march 11, 2010

thescope 15

2010 Quotes from the Newfoundland RPM Challenge blogosphere

lastce chan

This is it! It’s the end of February, and the RPM Challenge is in its final stretch. Musicians from across the globe have been busy working on their 35+ minute and/or 10 song album of original music this month, and have but a few hours remaining to complete it.

u still ruary, yo If it’s Feb take the RPM e to have tim ge. It’s true. Challen com challenge. www.rpm

Listening parties will happen on Saturday, March 27, with details to come. Here in Newfoundland, almost 170 bands signed up to take The Scope’s RPM Challenge. The tears! The laughter! The hard drive crashes! Here are some updates posted on the RPM website about their progress, in all their spelling mistake glory. For more info and to hear some of what the bands are working on, visit www.rpmchallenge.com. From The 6 Fort Waldegrave: Right den, we gots 9 tunes an only just now got our recording machine set up... we gets da drummers dere dis weekend... see what happens wha? From Shaun Burton (comedian): That’s all in how the writing process works. You just keep hammering it out and eventually you’ll churn something out that’s not completely embarrassing. From The Burnout Project: Got together and jammed today. Had a laugh, smoked a bat and matched a bowl in the sun porch. (Tuesday, February 9) Me and Josh spent all afternoon working on getting a perfect drum track down, and I deleted it by accident. (Tuesday, February 9) Drop out of school, quit your jobs, squat in an abandoned building and beg for your food. It’s the only way, men. Our keyboard player recently had to sell his keyboard. It’s a long, sad story, but we can work around it. From Tom Harter: Last year I did everything in the last week and this year I’ve been spreading out the work. It’s more relaxing this way!! :-) Keep going everyone... we can do it!! From Matthew Hare: I... managed to convince myself that it would be a great idea to have a choir of children singing on one of the tracks because if there’s one thing you need when your trying to be quick in the recording process, it’s complexity. This will likely end up being me singing in a number of child like voices and altered to help with the help of Ye Olde Computer. From Jonathon Aubrey: 5 out of 10, or 20 minutes out of 35.... We’ll see!!!! Wrote 4 new tunes this evening, and recorded three of them. This is working out! written on February 15th From Liam Peacock: I have all my songs written. WOOOOOOOOT. Also, my audio interface has a broken USB connection. WONDERFUL.

RPM details It's not too late to sign up—even if  February is almost over.

 Record 10 songs or 35 minutes of

original music in 28 days. Just because you can.

From Joey Bennett: Ever throw yourself a surprise party? I don’t imagine it being successful unless you planned it while you were drunk or something like that. I only ask because I somehow managed to surprise myself this past week when it comes to writing. The best material doesn’t always come from not trying to write, but it happened for me. Monday night I sat down with my guitar, and my only intentions were to tune it and maybe run a few songs for my gig tomorrow. What actually happened was I wrote, what I feel, is probably my best song to date. From zanderwel: I woke up yesterday and, after a few errands, found myself at about 1pm starting what would turn into almost a non-interrupted streak of writing that lasted until 4:30am this morning!!! Yesterday I managed to complete the writing or 3 other songs!!! The recordings are also just about done. This album is going to have some vast differences from one song to the next. So far I’ve got two acoustic songs going on along with two heavier songs with drums and the works! I think I’m gonna go and start off day 2 by reviewing the sounds of fatigue from last night. Hope this doesn’t hurt too bad or involve too many required changes. This challenge seems to have set my brain on fire and oh how sweet the burn! From heart to mouth: heh. today i finally figured out garage band. here i come! From Robot Scout: This morning’s studio session resulted in one long multi-themed jam, which we may cut into some pieces, or add minimal overdubs for more depth. Either way, we finally have some parts to work with after scheduling time to devote to the process. This will likely be the last week that Chris and I can record and get a proper mix, so the pressure’s on. There will be an album done, in whatever method we can figure out to create it. Excitement... yeeeaaahh!

 This is not a contest!  This will be fun!  There is no fee! Record 10 songs or 35 minutes  material, and burn it to CD. 

Recording can only be done in the month of February—no prerecorded songs.

From RPM Doc: The plan is to make a documentary in 28 days about the artists making an album in 28 days. I’ll interview those taking part, get shots of their recording operation, footage of them performing then some how take it and put it all together into at least a 35 minute documentary. Its not going to be anything fancy. Just me, a camera and the artists.

From Jack Betty: 5 tunes completely in the can by Feb. 17 is pretty good, it’s nice to have a full month to work on this (last year I was away for gigs a lot). My Toshiba NB200 netbook crapped out a week in (junk, don’t buy!) but thankfully I’d uploaded all my files to my Hotmail Skydrive thingie, otherwise I’d have lost it all and given up. Don’t forget to back up!

From Crystal City Printing Press: Feb 19th. O.k everything has gone awry and we are going with the stripped down versions of EVERYTHING!!!! 10 songs don’t mean much ....but you got to keep it real....

From Worker: Help Is On The Way: was programmed when I should have gone to sleep sunday night. I managed to get to work on time the next morning, but I’m still a lilttle sleepy as I type this. THX1138 was a bit of inspiration for this.

Hope and time are both waning fast From Pet Legs: We took some time in January to write so there would be more time for recording this time around... The challenge this year is to build on our sound and see if we can do better. So far so good. Last year’s record seemed to be about goodbyes and endings, while this year’s is all about hellos and beginnings. It’s a more living kind of winter. From Justin Guzzwell: Last years RPM challenge was the most fun I’ve had recording in a long time, but this time around life is too busy to get things done on my own. Thankfully Alex Bridger has given me a creative push, and we’ll be writing/recording/ producing an RPM album together! See you all at the finish line. From People on Pause: So far this recording effort has consisted of Guzzy cranking out hit after hit, while I scrape the recesses of my brain for lyrics like a elementary school students scrapes the bottom of his Minigo with a spoon that just ain’t the right dimensions. While Guzzy has been struck with RPM fever, I’ve been struck with branding fever, and have been devoting most of my efforts to coming up with the more shallow aspects of the album; cover art, band name, album name, what the next album will be like. Basically, Guzzy rules.



When it’s finished, mail your disc to us (postmarked by March 1) at: RPM Challenge NL c/o The Scope PO Box 1044 St. John’s, NL A1C 5M3

You can also drop it off in person at our drop-off box inside Fred’s Records, 198 Duckworth Street, by noon on March 1. All material must be previously  unreleased, and we encourage you to

write the material during February too.

16 thescope

february 25 - march 11, 2010

From Samuel Whiskers: For the past month, my heart has been stuck in my throat like a kitten in a chimney. From Clash Contrast: Crazy, only have the nine days to complete the math. 10 songs or 35 minutes. 1 through 10, however long, or 35 minutes. So even if it is 10 songs but less than 35 minutes, it’s cool. So, I literally have two in the can, and one on the mixing table, not quite there. I will have to work through these next songs with resplendant fervour, that which others would not venture. My own full length by March first. Good to send out as demos, good to create some promotional materials in and of. Good to use as grant proposal materials. Ectetera...Melpomene...these are the days in the forlorn maze, finding space for my grace. Wish I was off the richter, eh?! From The Composers: I hear somewhere that Elton John and Bernie Tuppin and their studio musicians wrote and recorded his breakthrough album in a feverish weekend of non-stop creativity so a month is actually a long time when you think about it. And remember Deep Purple only had a month to record an album with a mobile recording bus and they came up with Smoke On The Water From Alive Underground: Just Chillin’...really! It’s minus 25 degrees C with the wind chill! good weather for indoor activities! Feb 4th



Registered participating bands and musicians get their own page at rpmchallenge.com where you can blog as much as you want. You also get access to the discussion board, where you can swap ideas, resources, etc., and the ability to e-mail and private message with other participants.



When the month is over, there will be local listening parties where at least one track from each completed album from NL will be played.

From Audrey Cohen: I kind of wish I was writing this with other people...it’s much more fun playing music in a group because every once in awhile you have those magical moments where everything fits. When you’re sitting in front of a computer listening to tracks you recorded yourself, it’s not the same. I’m still having some moments of clarity, when something perfect happens and everything fits together, but...it’s just not the same. From Wizzards of Kaos: So I’m realizing that this has become really hard managing family time with a wife and child. But thanks to the RPM, it’s helping me learn how to manage my time and motivate me with a bunch of friends to lay some tape, well.. hard drive space. Since early 70’s, as a child, I had an interest of cheesie post apocalyptic movies, i.e. Mad Max. It was interesting how we perceive Doomsday and make all these calcualations to show it on film. We decided to pretend we were scoring a typical movie and use that as a template for our inspiration. Hope you like it! From am/fm dreams: Well the worst has happened. After 6 long years of service our faithful Boss 8-Track has bitten the dust, taking with it all of our work thus far. Luckily, I back up 6 of the songs on CD, but we’ve been set back from 8 songs to 6. Now we need to find a new mixer (rent/ borrow/buy) ASAP. We’ll finish this album if it kills us. From Sharona Clarke: I’m stripping down........... the instruments, that is. Just me and the piano. What you see is what you get. Nothing else. Hmmm... naked cover art maybe?! ;) From Kevin Woolridge: 1 song written. 1 song almost written. and two solid starts. i played the finished song for my girlfriend and she said that was her favourite. i said ‘of everything?’ and she said yes. so i guess if anything i’ve gotten one really good song out of this. the rest should be all downhill. right?



All the completed albums may be put up in the jukebox on the website. If you’d rather not share your work with the public, then no one needs to hear it but you. But what’s the fun in that? For information or to sign up, visit

rpmchallenge.com

foodnerd

i got 99 columns

I

never really set out to become the Food Nerd. I was just kind of minding my business, making tasty dinners in my damp and drafty apartment, and occasionally blogging about it. I’ve always known a lot about food and cooking, but it had never really occurred to me that anyone wanted to hear about it. Then, way back in the mid-aughts, my old friend Elling sent me an e-mail saying, “We’re moving to St. John’s to start a free alternative paper. You want to be in it?” Well, of course I agreed. Who doesn’t want to write for a free paper? Andreae I mean, imagine Callanan dreae@thescope.ca the glamour! The fame! The fat free-alternative-paper-columnist paycheques! After some talk, it was determined that I was to be the official voice of food lovers at The Scope. We didn’t want to do restaurant reviews, since a) Karl Wells had that pretty much sewed up at the time, and b) we had no budget for fine dining (or for any dining). For a while there was some talk of my interviewing local non-culinary personages while preparing foodstuffs, but the short-lived free version of The Express started up an

Since The Scope ran its first skinny, floppy issues, I’ve moved house four times, gone through several day jobs, weaned a kid off gluten, had a baby, gotten married, and cooked a lot of meals.

interview-over-lunch column about a week after we thought it up (they were monitoring my brain, I swear it). So we figured, let’s cut out the restaurants and the celebs and just talk food. Well, actually, Elling’s assignment was “a column that’s like a sex column, only with food instead of sex.” “Um… sure, I can do that,” said I, not at all sure I could do it, or even what he was talking about, but willing to give it a go. I’m not certain I’ve ever approached that directive, although I’ll admit that my chocolate beet cake column (tinyurl.com/yboeam3) was a smidge lusty, and I may have gotten a little blue in my descriptions of quinoa grains (tinyurl.com/ ychde8k), but, seriously, they look like sperm. Was I supposed to not go there? I’m a newspaper writer, damnit! I have journalistic integrity! Actually, I have no journalistic integrity whatsoever. But I do have the encyclopedic knowledge that comes from a lifetime of reading cookbooks as though they were novels. My college years were spent defend-

Food Nerd highlights I’ve said and eaten some crazy things over the last few years. Here are some of my favourite Food Nerd memories: Making food videos with Rachel Jean Harding, first the now-classic “for the love of the cake” (tinyurl.com/yafbgs4), and then the charmingly awkward “Food Nerd vs. the waffle” (tinyurl.com/ycaxsfj). Having people come up to me and say. “I had no idea how easy it was to make éclairs (tinyurl.com/ydktrcf) / truffles (tinyurl.com/ydjj2yu) / granola (tinyurl.com/ybfpbmw) / yogurt (tinyurl.com/y8dhewx) / whatever. I’m so happy when I can reveal how simple most foods are to make. Being a guest on Radio Noon Crosstalk twice, first to talk about kitschy food trends (mmmm, Jell-O salad), and then to talk about local foods (mmmm, arugula salad). Eating dandelion fritters (tinyurl.com/ybo96dl) with ice cream and honey. Like deep-fried sunshine. Surreptitiously documenting the early days of courtship between myself and my husband, using pastry as a metaphor for love (tinyurl.com/ya6753l). Nerdiness. I know.

Chinese Therapy Centre Classical Chinese acupuncture / herbal medicine Dr. X Hong Liu MD (China) R.Ac. CAFC, ND.

ing Martha Stewart to my Women’s Studies colleagues (you would have paid money to see it, I promise you). I started cooking when I was about seven, and I’ve even earned a few bucks catering over the years. I’m no chef. I have no desire to run a restaurant or even a muffin stand. I occasionally toy with the idea of having a soup stall somewhere, or delivering lunches to downtown offices, but I keep having babies and they’re not really keen on helping me advance my foodular career. I get asked with some frequency when I’ll have a cookbook out, and I always kind of laugh at that. Me? A cookbook? But I am sitting on 99 Scopefuls of food writing (I missed one issue due to a family emergency, but that’s it, people, that’s it), and I suppose that’s adequate grounds for a cookbook, no? Some of you would buy it, wouldn’t you? Not to go all sloppy and sentimental on you now, but here’s the thing: the best part of writing this column is you, my readerly friends. I know I act like a dork when I run into you somewhere and you

say, “Hey, you’re the Food Nerd, right?” I don’t mean to be so dorky. I just can’t believe that people are still interested in my rants against the grocery super-empires and in my many, many ways to combine chocolate with vegetables. To say that I’m flattered doesn’t even begin to cover it. Since The Scope ran its first skinny, floppy issues, I’ve moved house four times, gone through several day jobs, weaned a kid off gluten, had a baby, gotten married, and cooked a lot of meals. I’ve sent in my columns from Paris, London, Quebec, Halifax, and Gander. For the first year, I didn’t even have a computer of my own, and I would cobble together my columns at friends’ and relatives’ houses and various people’s offices. And you guys have been there the whole time, sending e-mails and leaving comments and occasionally hugging me in noisy bars. You know how to make a nerd feel loved. So… here’s to 100 more?

20 Years of Experience. Most insurance accepted. 49-55 Elizabeth Avenue, Suite 201 www.chinesetherapy.ca E-mail: xhliu@nfld.net 753-1150

Congrats to the Scope on your 100th issue!

Comment online at

thescope.ca/foodnerd

Celebrate Your Senses Annual Auction and Dinner March 13, 2010 at the Capital Hotel. Featuring professional auctioneer Wayne Bartlett. For more information phone Planned Parenthood or visit www.nlsexualhealthcentre.org

Sexual Health Questions? We Have Answers!

579-1009 or 1-877 NO MYTHS (666-9847) | 203 Merrymeeting Road, St. John's info@nlsexualhealthcentre.org An exploding salmon from the very first Food Nerd column. Illustration by Jonathan Adams.

february 25 - march 11, 2010

thescope 17

onscreen

What do you mean he doesn’t like our movie?

Who will win Best Picture? Or ‘How the Academy Awards Make Me Sad.’ BY ADAM CLARKE

I

think the Oscars were my very first heartbreak. I was only thirteen years old when I tuned in for the Academy Awards in 1996. Like a lot of filmgoers and critics that year, I was confident that Fargo, the Coen brothers’ masterfully bleak comedy about an extortion scheme gone horribly wrong, would take best picture. I had seen the other nominees that year and I knew they were no great shakes in comparison. It was kismet. What got the nod for Best Picture in 1996? The goddamn English Patient. My mind raced. There had to be some mistake. Surely, the Academy of Arts & Sciences knew that Fargo was the only choice. I turned to

limitedrun Thursday Feb 25 at 7pm An Education (MUN Cinema) It’s the pre-swinging sixties in England. When an aspiring young music student falls for a lower-class older man, drama ensues. Take that, suburban London values! Directed by Lorne Schorfig (UK 2009) Empire TheatresAvalon Mall Wednesday Mar 3 at 7pm Caramel (Global Cinema) Over the course of several vignettes, five women experience love, confusion and a bit of danger in Beirut. Are each of them after the Caramilk secret? Only time will tell. Directed by Nadine Labaki (LEB 2008) $8, Inco Innovation Center auditorium Thursday Mar 4 at 7pm The Last Station (MUN Cinema) When Leo Tolstoy’s wife hears of a new will that will prevent her from reaping the rewards of her husband’s legacy, she scrambles to reclaim what she thinks is hers. Directed by Michael Hoffman (GER/RUS 2009) Empire Theatres-Avalon Mall Friday, Mar 5 at 8pm Scene & Heard (Women’s Film Fest & MUN Women’s Studies) An evening of short films to celebrate International Women’s Day. Featuring The Magnificent Molly McBride, In Between,

18 thescope

february 25 - march 11, 2010

Uncle Dave for some explanation behind this egregious error, but he only sighed and said, “it’s the Oscars. Good movies never win”. I never watched another Academy Awards telecast after that. With the 82nd Annual Academy Awards looming over us like the grim spectre of death, I thought I’d venture to review each of the Best Picture nominees before the ceremony airs on March 7th. The Blind Side They say that Sandra Bullock is “the girl next door.” If that were the case in my neighbourhood, I’d probably move. Bullock stars in a film that’s largely about how awesome her character is. Oh, I know the film was supposed to be based on the

Tango Lola, Thorns and Silk. Reception to follow, $15/$20, Masonic Temple-6 Cathedral St Tuesday Mar 9 at 7pm Short Films (Refugee & Immigrant Advisory Council) Three Canadian films on racism in the workplace and job-seeking as an immigrant. Followed by audience discussion lead by panel of researchers, international students and community members. How does Newfoundland compare?, free, Centre for Social Justice-204 Water St Thursday Mar 11 at 7pm The White Ribbon (MUN Cinema) When strange accidents begin to plague a small village, some believe a group of young children are responsible. Not based on The Midwich Cuckoos or “The Bloodening.” Directed by Michael Haneke (GER/FRA/ITA 300) Empire Theatres-Avalon Mall

daily showings

call For times and prices Avalon Mall’s Empire Studio 12 722-5775 • Mount Pearl Shopping Centre Empire Cinemas 364-8527 Alvin & The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel: The trio of singing vermin are back. Sure to

true story of Michael Oher, who rose above years of poverty and sketchy situations to become an NFL football player. Yet, if you watch the movie, you mostly get a sense that it’s about close-ups on Sandra Bullock’s face or just how nice all the white folks in the film are. Unfortunately, the only thing the film refuses to be about is the subject that inspired it. District 9 The “man-becomes-alien-film-thatends-in-a-mech-fight” which was unfortunately eclipsed by Avatar. Unlike Avatar, this one has a good story, a pretty thoughtful script with a lot of surprises, standout performances and is a thoroughly gripping drama.

be remembered as the most important sequel subtitle since Higlander 2 The Quickening. (Mt Pearl) Avatar: In search of a mineral called Hardtogetmium, the military threatens to eradicate the offspring of the Blue Man Group. (Avalon Mall) Blind Side: The story of Michael Other and Other’s other mother (played by queen of Oscar baiting, Sandra Bullock), a boy who’d grow up to play football thanks to his mother’s encouragement and Hallmark cliché bon mots. (Mt Pearl) Cop Out: Tracy Morgan and Bruce Willis are mismatched cops in this buddy movie directed by Kevin Smith. After all, wouldn’t you want your script to have all the visual flair of Clerks? (Avalon Mall) Crackie: Mitsy, seventeen, lives in a ramshackle house in a small Newfoundland town with her grandmother. When her mother shows up unexpectedly and stirs up trouble, Mitsy’s world starts to unravel. She must decide whether the woman who raised her is her enemy, or her strongest ally. (Avalon Mall) Crazy Heart: You’ve known him as Dude, Clu and Obadiah. Now Jeff Bridges adds Bad Blake to his list of improbable character names in this well-received drama about a hard-living country singer. (Mt Pearl) Dear John: When a teutonic soldier re-enlists following after September 11th, will his love life suffer? Will there be a heartfelt scene in pouring rain because fans of The Notebook demanded it? (Avalon Mall)

An Education With a sweet script by High Fidelity author Nick Hornby, this true account of a young girl’s infatuation with an older con man is one of the better choices this year. Bolstered by two terrific lead performances by Carey Mulligan and Peter Sarsgaard, the film oozes with charm alongside its swinging sixties background.

A Serious Man 1996 has come back to haunt me, as the Coen Brothers have been nominated for a pitch-black comedy yet again. The film is loosely based on the story of Job. Though often very funny and striking, isn’t one of their absolute best efforts. That said, even a pretty good Coen Brothers’ film is pretty damn amazing.

The Hurt Locker A gritty, well-made Iraq War drama from eclectic filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow. Truth be told, I am less excited by this film winning by its own merits than I am by the prospect of the Best Picture Oscar going to the director of Near Dark and the definitive Patrick Swayze vehicle, Point Break. Yep, she directed those too.

Up Words fail me on this one. It’s brilliant. If Up doesn’t move you to tears by its opening ten minutes, you’re crueller than Mean Joe Greene.

Inglorious Basterds Quentin Tarantino’s latest was no Jackie Brown or Kill Bill, but it was still a worthwhile effort. I doubt it will win an Oscar for Best Picture, but Christoph Waltz (who plays the unforgivably evil Hans Landa) did deliver one of the best performances I’ve seen all year. However, if Basterds not winning any Oscars somehow leads to Eli Roth never working again, it’s really a win-win scenario. Precious—Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire This film has everything: a story that sensationalizes teen pregnancy, mental disorders, incest, and Mariah Carey, Mo’Nique and Lenny Kravitz in dramatic roles... Now that’s entertainment! Seriously, this is the kind of film that was once only available as a “made-for-TV” that aired on WTN when they ran out of French & Saunders reruns.

Up In The Air Although George Clooney mostly plays himself these days, Up In The Air has a much stronger script than you would expect from the director of Juno. A film about a self-absorbed jerk who fires people for a living shouldn’t be anywhere near as enjoyable as this. Am I forgetting something? Oh, yeah! Avatar As terrible as the Blue Cat People Fighting Soldiers From The Planet Stereotype movie was, it surely deserves an Oscar for Best Editing. At nearly three hours without a single surprise or a moment of genuine emotion, it’s probably one of the few films that’s as drawn-out and boring as an Oscar ceremony. Sorry, Avatar obsessives. I just can’t get behind an environmentalist film being championed by those who buy Big Gulps and throw them away half-full at the local theatre. Who’s your pick? Comment online at

thescope.ca/onscreen Edge of Darkness: Based on the acclaimed BBC mini-series of the same name, Mel Gibson uncovers a government conspiracy when investigating the murder of his daughter. One assumes that, this time, it’s personal. (Avalon Mall) From Paris With Love: John Travolta is doing what he does best, embarrassing his fans with his mid-life crisis antics. Travolta plays a hammy spy who doesn’t play by the rules in this buddy movie. (Mt Pearl) It’s Complicated: Will Meryl Streep sleep with Alec Baldwin? Only time will tell. Actually, the poster kind of gives that one away. Nonetheless, there are other plot twists, right? (Mt Pearl) Percy Jackson & The Olympians – The Lightning Thief: In the tradition of The Dark Is Rising and The Golden Compass, comes the next Harry Potter-esque franchise attempt. The premise? Kid discovers his kinship with Greek gods and superpowers. (Avalon Mall) Precious: If you’re looking for a heartwarming film about poverty, mental illness, Mariah Carey, obesity and incest, you’ll love this story about an obese girl who gives birth to two children! (Mt Pearl) Shutter Island: Tiger Beat poster boy hall of famer Leo DiCaprio plays an edgy detective investigating the disappearance of a mental patient from a mysterious, isolated insane asylum. Directed by Martin Scorsese. (Avalon Mall) The Crazies: Since remaking George A. Romero flicks, his semi-obscure 1973 film is given a new look in the Noughties. The plot is

the same: experimental toxin turns ordinary folks into bloodthirsty maniacs. (Avalon Mall) The Wolfman: Benicio Del Toro is Lawrence Talbot, the most doomed character in the history of cinema, in this remake of the 1941 werewolf classic. Not, as initially believed, a biopic about Wolfman Jack. (Avalon Mall) Tooth Fairy: Can you smell what The Rock is cookin’? It smells like excrement to me, but your kids may want to see him as the tooth fairy. (Avalon Mall) Up in the Air: George Clooney returns in this gloomy comedy drama about a man whose job is to fire people. Clooney’s probably the only guy who could pull that off without making you hate him. (Mt Pearl) Valentine’s Day: Presumably inspired by the low-hanging fruit of “Love, American Style!”, a star-studded cast enact multiple vignettes relating to the holiday known to the Wookies as Love Day. (Avalon Mall & Mt Pearl) When In Rome: From the director of such classics as Simon Birch, Ghostrider and Daredevil, comes this story of a woman reluctantly pursued by aggressively determined bachelors. It’s Pepe Le Pew: The Movie! (Avalon Mall)

thescope.

onstage theatre dance & burlesque spoken & written comedy

theatre

An image used in Frank Barry’s Pity the Flesh. Images from Wikimedia Commons, photo composite by Rhonda Pelley

Frank Barry’s Psychic Baedeker

A new one-man play gazes deep into torture’s ugly heart BY KEVIN HEHIR

“A

friend told me that it’s really dangerous to spend a lot of time looking at images of tortured people and reading these accounts. It depresses you, it really does,” says Frank Barry. “After my initial period of ‘dark research’ as I call it, I went through a terrible depression. And I would never have said before that I got depressed. I have a certain world view and I’m an informed person and sometimes I lose faith but I’m an artist. I’m a hopeful person.” Pity the Flesh is the latest play from local writer, actor and director Frank Barry. The protagonist is The Writer and what unfolds is the travelogue from his journey through hell as he tries to write a play about the history of torture. While researching and trying to deal with such heavy subject matter, The Writer starts to come unhinged from reality, and he tries to work out why he is so susceptible to the images in the media. No one around him seems to be affected, they are victims of the ‘hypno-hearth’ he says. He concludes that if democracy means that the government is a representation of its people, then we the people are complicit in whatever is done in our name. There may be only one person on stage cracking in front of us here,

but Barry seeks to point out the bigger fault lines in the foundation. “I’ve always done political plays,” he says. “I’m interested in productiveness. That’s what intrigues me. That interests me in the world. How society is put together. How it functions historically and now.” The set for the play is simple: The

“I’ve always done political plays,” he says. “I’m interested in productiveness. That’s what intrigues me. That interests me in the world. How society is put together. How it functions historically and now.” Writer operates in a spotlight while images are projected onto a screen hanging next to him. The images that accompany The Writer have been designed by text and photobased artist Rhonda Pelley. There is an interesting parallel between this play her installation last summer “The Spirit Rooms— A Bus Shelter Project.” One of the themes in Pity the Flesh is anesthet-

ic function of the media. Pelley’s photography installation turned the function of the bus shelter advert on its head by filling the commercial, public space of the ad poster into the personal expression of an artist. In talking to Barry about his play, he tells me that he has had the play in the works for about three years. In that time he has also written a two film scripts, with rewrites, and another play that he still hopes to produce. This play in particular has been so hard to write. “It’s kind of funny,”Barry says, “This is my play about torture, but what this guy is telling us is that he never could write the play about torture because he couldn’t understand it. He couldn’t understand what torture was and he starts to believe that maybe it’s our sacred duty not to understand it. That you would have to be some other kind of beast altogether to understand, inhuman.”

4th Annual Women’s Work Festival Mon Mar 1 (She Said Yes!, RCAT, White Rooster) New play readings by, for or about women in celebration of International Women’s Week. Featuring The Collectors by Shannon Bramer, pay-what-you-can, Eastern Edge Gallery-72 Harbour Dr 739-1882 (Mon Mar 1 at 7pm) 4th Annual Women’s Work Festival Tue Mar 2 (She Said Yes!, RCAT, White Rooster) New play readings by, for or about women in celebration of International Women’s Week. Featuring Like a Mustard Seed by Diane Vanden Hoven, pay-what-you-can, Eastern Edge Gallery-72 Harbour Dr 739-1882 (Tue Mar 2 at 7pm) 4th annual Women’s Work Festival Wed Mar 3 (She Said Yes!, RCAT, White Rooster) New play readings by, for or about women in celebration of International Women’s Week. Featuring Bound by Megan Coles, paywhat-you-can, Eastern Edge Gallery-72 Harbour Dr 739-1882 (Wed Mar 3 at 7pm) Antigone (Rabbittown Theatre Co & MUN Drama) Antigone tells the tragic story of the title character, daughter of Oedipus, former King of Thebes. When both her brothers inherit they throne the kill one another. When uncle Creon refuses a proper burial for one of them Antigone is devastated by her uncle’s disrespect and fights to bury her brother to preserve his honor. Directed by Aiden Flynn, $20, MUN Reid Theatre 739-8220 (Sat Feb 27 - Sun Feb 28 at 8pm) Monarita (White Rooster Theatre, She Said Yes! & RCA Theatre) Debut play by Toronto poet Shannon Bramer. Mona and Rita have always been like sisters, best friends, girlfriends, to each other. But as Mona struggles with her introduction to motherhood, Rita carries on her single life of good shoes and fabulous haircuts. What happens when they get to the edge of their relationship? Starring Ruth Lawrence and Sara Tilley, $15/$20, Basement Theatre-Arts & Culture Centre 729-3900 (Thu Feb 25 – Sun Feb 28 at 8pm / PWYC matinee Sun Feb 28 at 2pm) Pity the Flesh (Wreckhouse Theatre) 9/11 showed us the terror they were capable of. The wars that followed showed us the terror we were capable of becoming. Shamed and enraged by the reports and images of abuse coming out of Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and Bagram, the Writer sets out to protest these atrocities and what he believes is his forced complicity in them. The horrific nature of the material brings on a psychotic break and initiates a lonely journey of terrible discovery. Written and Performed by Frank Barry, $20, Rabbittown Theatre-106 Freshwater Rd 7398220 (Wed Mar 3 - Sun Mar 7 at 8pm / Paywhat-you-can matinee Sun Mar 7 at 2pm) Rent (Prince of Wales Collegiate) Based loosely on Puccini’s opera La Boheme, Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer-Prize winning Broadway musical follows a year in the lives of seven friends living the Bohemian life in New York’s East Village. The show deals courageously with homelessness, hunger, drug use, sexuality, and AIDS. Powerful performances and rousing musical numbers, $20/$22, Arts & Culture Centre 729-3900 (Thu Mar 18 - Sat Mar 20 at 7:30 pm) Tempting Providence (Theatre Newfoundland Labrador) In 1921 British-trained nurse & midwife Myra Bennett originally planned to head to Saskatchewan. Instead, she moved to Daniel’s Harbour Newfoundland, eventually becoming known as ‘Florence Nightingale of the North’ for caring for the sick and injured in isolated northern communities for over 50 years. Written by Robert Chafe & directed by Jillian Keiley, $12.50/$25, The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 (Wed Mar 10 at 7pm / Sat Mar 13 & Sun Mar 14 at 3pm)

The Cat Dragged Inn: Join the Concert Crowd for an evening of story and song at the O’Neill family’s new Bed and Breakfast “The Cat Dragged Inn”. When the O’Neill’s in-residence “mousekeeper” Tom Clancy the cat goes missing, the entire village gets involved, including the neighbor’s dog, $20, Arts & Culture Centre 729-3900 (Sat Mar 6 & Sun Mar 7)

performance &DANCE Do You Think You Can Dance? (Neighbourhood Dance Works fundraiser) Dancers who have auditioned and been chosen will perform in front of a live audience and a panel of celebrity judges, Arts & Culture Centre 722-3663 (Mon Mar 8 at 8pm) Latin Tuesdays, 8pm, $5, The Bella Vista Legend City Wrestling: Lance Romance vs Kurrgan; JX Phlex vs Kowboy Mike Hughes; Sheik Aziz vs Peter Walley; Matt Burns vs Too Damn Hype; Nasty Nick vs Tristan Slater; Loco vs Blake Maxwell plus intermission with Burly Q Babies burlesque troop, Club One-George St (Sun Mar 7 at 10pm) Mermaids of Avalon (Kittiwake Dance Theatre) Our story tells the adventures of a young fisherman from a rural Newfoundland in the early 1800s. With dreams of the sea and adventure, he finds himself recruited by an English Sea Captain and encounters many adversities: the sea itself, the crew, life onboard the ship and dreaded pirates on the high seas. With special guests The Celtic Fiddlers, $18/$20, Arts & Culture Centre 729-3900 (Wed Mar 3 at 9:30am & 7:30pm) Tango On The Edge: A social gathering to dance Argentine Tango, $5, RCA Club-10 Bennett Ave (Thursdays at 8:30pm)

Spoken &written St John’s Storytelling Circle: An open mic of local tales by local tellers w/ resident fabulist Dale Jarvis, $3, Crow’s Nest Officer’s Club (Thu Mar 11 at 7:30pm) Water Street Book Club: The first of a new regular series of informal literary discussions with guest Lisa Moore, Heritage Shop-309 Water St(Thu Mar 4 from 7pm-9pm)

comedy Newfoundland Screech WinterLaff Tour: Snook, Dylan Rhymer & Trent McClellan provide the best medicine for your winter blues - rib-cracking comedy, $25, Battery Hotel 576-0040 (Sat Mar 6 at 8pm) Aaron Berg Warning: XXX-Rated: Stand up comedy, Yuk Yuk’s-193 Kenmount Rd 7269857 (Thu Feb 25 at 8pm $12+/$14+/$18+; Fri Feb 26 & Sat Feb 27 at 8pm & 10:30pm $18+/$20+/$24+ w/ dinner at 6pm $47.99$53.99) Dana Alexander: Stand up comedy, $20, Yuk Yuk’s-193 Kenmount Rd 726-9857 (Thu Mar 4 at 8pm; Fri Mar 5 & Sat Mar 6 at 8pm & 10:30pm) Peter White: Stand up comedy, Yuk Yuk’s-193 Kenmount Rd 726-9857 (Thu Mar 11 at 8pm) The Great Canadian Laugh Off, $5+/$7+/$11+, Yuk Yuk’s-193 Kenmount Rd 7269857 (Wednesdays at 8pm)

Wreckhouse Theatre’s Pity the Flesh, written and Performed by Frank Barry, $20, Rabbittown Theatre-106 Freshwater Rd 739-8220 (Wed Mar 3 - Sun Mar 7 at 8pm / Pay-what-youcan matinee Sun Mar 7 at 2pm)

february 25 - march 11, 2010

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100%localcomics

freewillastrology by rob brezsny for the week of february 25

∫

comic sans by Andrew Power

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

If you were going to launch a career as a rap artist any time soon, I’d suggest that maybe you use the alias “Big Try” as your stage name. If you were planning to convert to an exotic religious path and get a new spiritual name, I’d recommend something like “Bringit Harder” or “Pushit Stronger.” If you were about to join an activist group that fights for a righteous cause, and you wanted a new nickname to mark your transformation, I’d urge you to consider a tag like “Radical” or “Prime” or “Ultra.” And even if you’re not doing any of the above, I hope you’ll carry out some ritual of transition to intensify your commitment to your life’s vital dreams. Happy birthday to Lynn Panting, Jillian Butler, Mary-Lynn Bernard, Angus Woodman, and Justin Guzzwell.

†

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 19)

“Everything is complicated,” wrote poet Wallace Stevens. “If that were not so, life and poetry and everything else would be a bore.” I hope you will choose his wisdom to serve as your guiding light in the coming weeks. It is high time, in my astrological opinion, for you to shed any resentment you might feel for the fact that life is a crazy tangle of mystifying and interesting stories. Celebrate it, Aries! Revel in it. Fall down on your knees and give holy thanks for it. And by the way, here’s a big secret: To the extent that you do glory in the complications, the complications will enlighten you, amuse you, and enrich you.

werebears and only children by Jennifer Barrett

‡

TAURUS (Apr 20 – May 20)

This is one time when you can be both the river and the bridge. In fact, I strongly suggest that you make every effort to be both the river and the bridge. I’ll leave it up to you to interpret how this metaphor applies to your life, but here’s a clue to get you started. Be a force of nature that flows vigorously along even as you also provide a refuge for those who want to be close to your energy but are not yet ready to be inside it and flow along with it.

have entertained angels unawares.” While that’s always good counsel, it’s especially apt for you in the coming days. I believe you will come into contact with people who can provide you with valuable teaching and healing, even if they’re disguised as baristas or pet shampooers or TV repairmen -- and even if this will be the one and only time they will provide you with teaching and healing.

µ

LIBRA (Sep 23 – Oct 22)

≠

SCORPIO (Oct 23 - Nov 21)

Metaphorically speaking, you have recently begun crossing the water in a dream boat that has a small leak. If you keep going, it’s possible you will reach the far side before sinking. But that’s uncertain. And even if you were able to remain afloat the entire way, the shakiness of the situation would probably fill you with anxiety. My suggestion, then, is to head back to where you started and fix the leak.

Some Scorpios bring out the worst in people. Other Scorpios draw out the best. Then there are those members of your tribe who sometimes bring out the worst in their fellow humans and other times bring out the best. Where do you fit in this spectrum? Regardless of your position up until now, I’m betGEMINI (May 21 – Jun 20) ting that in the coming months you’ll Almost exactly ten years be moving in the direction of bringing What are you doing from now, you will be blessed with to get ready for 2012? out more of the best. And it all begins an eruption of personal power Read my suggestions now. To get the process underway, that’s so crafty and so practical that at bit.ly/2012now. think of five people you care about, you will be able to visualize a solution and visualize the wonderful futures that to a problem that has stumped you it might be possible for them to create for for a long time. It may take you months to themselves. actually carry out that solution in its entirety, but

Ω

Home work

all the while you will have the luxury of feeling perfect certainty about what must be done. And you know what the weird thing is, Gemini? Something very similar is in the works for the next few weeks: an eruption of crafty, practical power that will help you materialize the key to solving an old dilemma, hopefully followed by months of carrying out your lucid plan.

Everybody cheer up by Bryan Melanson

≤

CANCER (Jun 21 – Jul 22)

Last night I had a dream in which I was addressing a crowd of thousands of Cancerians in a large stadium. I was referring to them as dolphins rather than as crabs. “I say unto you, my fellow dolphins,” I proclaimed (I myself was born June 23), “that you have been given a sacred assignment by the great gods of time themselves. And that assignment is to master the art of Timeology.” When I awoke from the dream, I was awash with feelings of deep relaxation and ease, although I wasn’t sure why. I had never before heard that word “timeology,” so I googled it. Here’s how the Urban Dictionary defined it: “spending time doing what you want to do, not accomplishing anything major but also not wasting time.” It so happens that this prescription is well-suited to our current astrological omens. I suggest that you and I be as playful as dolphins.

Ms. Quote by T.L. Fleming

™

LEO (Jul 23 – Aug 22)

In an episode of the animated TV scifi series Futurama, we get to see inside the headquarters of Romanticorp, where “love research” is being done. One of the experiments involves robots delivering various pick-up lines to actual women. The line that works best is “My two favorite things are commitment and changing myself.” I recommend that you make that your own catchphrase, Leo -- not just this week but for the foreseeable future. The entire year of 2010 will be an excellent time to deepen your commitments and transform yourself, and the weeks ahead will bring unprecedented opportunities to intensify those efforts.

‘

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sep 22)

“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers,” advises a passage in the Bible, “for thereby some

second opinion

Horoscopes 20 thescope

n

∑

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

‹

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

π

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

More than a few fairy tales feature the theme of characters who accidentally find a treasure. They’re not searching for treasure, don’t feel worthy of it, and aren’t fully prepared for it. They may initially not even know what they’re looking at, and see it as preposterous or abnormal or disquieting. Who could blame them if they ran away from the treasure? In order to recognize and claim it, they might have to shed a number of their assumptions about the way the world works. And they might have to clear up a discrepancy between their unconscious longings and their conscious intentions.

Everyone alive has some kind of learning disability. I know brilliant physicists who are dumb about poetry. There are fact-loving journalists whose brains freeze when they’re invited to consider the ambiguous truths of astrology. My friend John suffers from dyslexia, while I myself am incapable of mastering the mysteries of economics. What’s your blind spot, Capricorn? What’s your own personal learning disability? Whatever it is, this would be an excellent time, astrologically speaking, to work with it. For the next few months, you will be able to call on what you need in order to diminish its power to limit you.

“We cannot change anything until we accept it,” said psychologist Carl Jung. “Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses.” Make that your hypothesis, Aquarius, and then conduct the following experiment. First, choose some situation you would like to transform. Next, open your heart to it with all the love and compassion you can muster. Go beyond merely tolerating it with a resigned disappointment. Work your way into a frame of mind in which you completely understand and sympathize with why it is the way it is. Imagine a scenario in which you could live your life with equanimity if the situation in question never changed. Finally, awash in this grace, meditate on how you might be able to actually help it evolve into something new.

n Aries

z Taurus

h Gemini

f Cancer

 Leo

x Virgo

|

(January 20 – February 18)

(February 19 – March 20)

(March 21 – April 19)

(April 20 – May 20)

(May 21 – June 21)

(June 22 – July 22)

(July 23 – August 22)

(August 23 – September 22)

(September 23 – October 22)

Trip to Piper’s

No!

No one gets you, man

You got a Basketball Jones

All the butter

(October 23 November 21)

Garbage day

All the single ladies

Faster, Pussycat!

J Aquarius

february 25 - march 11, 2010

p Pisces

Text the grower

Double your fun

Libra

Scorpio

j Sagittarius (November 22 – Dec 21)

Cheap thrills!

L Capricorn (December 22 – January 19)

Cheap udon & edamame

Events

community events lectures & forums daytime music kids & teens meetings & classes

Community Battle of the Brains (St. John’s Citizens’ Crime Prevention fundraiser) Get six of your friends together and sign up your team for an evening of fun, food and entertainment, $175 per team, Delta Hotel 689-5269 (Fri Mar 5) Brian Vardy Party: You’re invited to celebrate the friendship and career of Brian Vardy. Dance & Variety Show with music by Croc & Doyle Rock, $10-at risk students benefit, Bella Vista 726-5875 (Fri Feb 26 at 9:30pm) CTV Olympic Celebration: Sam Roberts Band, Joel Plaskett & The Emergency plus interactive sport zones, activities, pavilions, hospitality zones & video screens showcasing live coverage of the 2010 Winter Games, Mile One (Fri Feb 26 from 1pm-5:30pm) Satin Suits Solidarity: A Black Tie Event in Support of Haiti presented by MUN Medicine. Live music, silent auction, reception, plus guest speakers Dr Monica Kidd (Family Medicine Resident & Director of ‘Narrating Haiti,’ Bill Hynd (Oxfam Canada) & Justin Brake (journalist recently returned from Haiti), $25/$35, Johnson Geo Centre-175 Signal Hill Rd 737-7880 (Sat Feb 27 at 7:30pm)

lectures &forums Behind the Scenes at the Archives (Coffee & Culture) Melanie Tucker will take you on a tour through our province’s proud archival history, The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 7578000 (Thu Feb 25 at 2:30pm) Forecasting the Weather in NL: A presentation by CBC’s Here & Now Weather Specialist Ryan Snoddon, free, Hampton Hall, Marine Institute-Ridge Rd (Tue Mar 9 at 8pm) MUN History Seminar Series: Transnational Medicine in the 1930s and 1940s: Frederick D. Mott and the American Influence on the Canadian Health Care System and the Canadian Influence on Him with Jim Connor, MUN Arts & Admin-4004 (Thu Mar 4 at 12pm) Newfoundland Historical Society: The Response of the FPU to the Sealing Disasters of 1914-An illustrated presentation with Jessie Chisholm, Hampton Hall-Marine Institute, Ridge Rd (Thu Feb 25 at 8pm) The Blue Castle: Conversations on Women, Culture and the Spaces of the Imagination presents Forgetting...but not Forgotten. For the past year Megan Morrison has woven in and out of conversation with and about women living with late-stage dementia. Without relying on words, five elderly women have taught Megan about who they are. Through story and song, she will share this experience with us, free, The Ship (Tue Mar 9 at 8pm)

Daytime Music Auntie Crae’s Band, free-no purchase necessary, Auntie Crae’s (Tuesdays at 12pm) Bach on the Rock: The complete organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach in 18 concerts by David Drinkell & Jenny Vincent, St Andrew’s Kirk (Saturdays at 3pm) Choral Evensong, free-will offering, Anglican Cathedral (Sundays at 6:30pm) The Great Casavant Organ: David Drinkell plays varied programs of sacred and secular works, free, Anglican Cathedral (Wednesdays at 1:15pm) The Subtitles (Heartbreak single release) Come for a short show & get your free copy of the single, including the b-side and a remix by Patch, free, Model Citizens Boutique (Sat Feb 27 at 2pm)

KIDS &TEENS Did You Snow? Learn all about animal adaptations to snow plus outdoor game, story-time,

arts & crafts, The Fluvarium-5 Nagle’s Pl 7543474 (Sat Feb 27 & Sun Feb 28 at 1:30pm) Eagles: Are They Really Bald? Ask Bruce Rodrigues anything you’d like about eagles and other birds of prey. He studies these amazing birds as part of his job, The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 (Sun Mar 7 from 2pm-4pm) Family Storytime: Interactive stories, rhymes and music for children of all ages and the grow-ups that care for them, free but must register at 737-2621, Michael Donovan Library (Wednesday at 9:30am) Going Green: Did you know that frogs can tell us if the stream is clean? Learn how we can help our froggy friends by going Green ourselves. Game, story-time, arts & crafts, The Fluvarium-5 Nagle’s Pl 754-3474 (Sat Mar 6 & Sun Mar 7 at 1:30pm) Mermaids of Avalon (Kittiwake Dance Theatre) Our story tells the adventures of a young fisherman from a rural Newfoundland in the early 1800s. With dreams of the sea and adventure, he finds himself recruited by an English Sea Captain and encounters many adversities: the sea itself, the crew, life onboard the ship and dreaded pirates on the high seas. With special guests The Celtic Fiddlers, $18/$20, Arts & Culture Centre 729-3900 (Wed Mar 3 at 9:30am & 7:30pm) Model Bridge Competition: Bridges built of Popsicle sticks and white glue will be tested; trivia contest; panning for gold, free, Johnson Geo Centre-175 Signal Hill Rd 737-7880 (Sat Mar 6 at 9:30am) Music For Young Children, $6, Holy Heart Theatre-55 Bonaventure Ave 579-4424 (Sun Mar 7 at 2pm) Snow Sculptures on the Parade Grounds: Join our energetic education staff as they transform our parade ground into pieces of art. Those not interested in being outside can make mini snow sculptures inside, The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 (Sun Feb 28 from 2pm-4pm) Young Musicians, Open mic at Shamrock City Pub (Sundays at 2pm) Young Performers: Open mic with Denielle Hann, O’Reilly’s Irish Pub (Sundays at 3pm)

register 754-5555 ( Info session on Fri Feb 26 from 12pm-1pm) Capital Toastmasters: Improve selfconfidence and overall leadership abilities for career and life, free, MUN Inco Centre-2014 687-1031 Career Fair (YMCA-YWCA) Stay in Newfoundland, Holiday Inn (Tue Mar 16 from 10am-4pm) Caregiver Conversations: A Support Group for Unpaid Caregivers, Community Room, Sobeys-Merrymeeting Rd 726-2370 (Every third Monday) Comic Jam: Drop in comic-making, free, Anna Templeton Centre-278 Duckworth St (First Friday of month from 7pm-9pm) Eastern Edge Gallery AGM: All are welcome to attend and take part in the discussion, reflecting on our past year as well as planning for the future, Eastern Edge Gallery-72 Harbour Dr 739-1882 (Sat Feb 27 at 2pm) For the Love of Learning: Free workshops in art, writing, theatre, journalism, yoga and Aikido for anyone aged 15-35, Gower St United Church-basement 722-8848 (Weekdays from 12pm-6pm) Free Hot Lunch: Mondays and Fridays feature a vegetarian meal. Tuesdays and Thursdays offer soup and fresh bread. Young adults aged 15-35 can come to Gower St United Church basement-99 Queen’s Rd (2pm) Green Drinks: An informal get together for those who work, volunteer or have an interest in environment & conservation related issues, 7pm-9pm, no cover, The Ship (Last Wednesday of month) Knit Wits: Drop in knitting circle, free, Anna Templeton Centre-278 Duckworth St (Last Sunday of month from 7pm-9pm) MUN Sustainability Fair: Sustainability Days aims to raise awareness about sustainability issues using speakers, workshops and games, University Centre-3rd fl (Thu Mar 4

from 11am-3pm) Nar-Anon Family Group: For those who know or have known a feeling of desperation due to the addiction problem of someone close to them. Weekly meetings in St John’s area. For more info call 726-6191 Newfoundland Horticultural Society: Monthly meet up, St David’s Church HallElizabeth Av (First Tuesday of month at 8pm) Overeaters Anonymous: Weekly meeting, MUN University Centre-The Landing 738-1742 (Thu Feb 25 at 7pm) Oxfam Annual NL Assembly: Learn how you can become more involved in promoting and supporting our important social justice activities and help us plan for 2010-2011. Open to all, Anna Templeton Centre-278 Duckworth St (Sat Mar 6 at from 9am-12pm) Public Sector Pensioners Meeting: A forum to update participants on meetings with government to discuss the enhancement of pensions and to provide information on issues that impact on pension benefits, St Teresa’s Parish Hall-Mundy Pond Rd754-5730 (Thu Mar 4 at 1pm) Seniors Bridging Cultures: Tea, guest speakers & conversation, Seniors Resource Centre 737-2333 (Thursdays at 2pm) Seniors Friendship Club, Seniors Resource Centre 737-2333 (Fridays at 2pm) Shambhala Meditation Group: Meditation helps us appreciate ourselves, others, and our world, free, Billy Rahl Fieldhouse-rear Elizabeth Towers 576-4727 (Wednesdays 7:30pm & Sundays 10am) St John’s City Council Meeting: Refer to Council Agenda at www.stjohns.ca (posted Friday afternoon), Public welcome, City HallCouncil Chambers, 4th fl (Mondays at 4:30pm) Stitch’N Stuff: Your Way to a Great Quilt with Ann Breen & Wanda Cooney, free but must register at 737-3950, AC Hunter Library-Arts & Culture Centre (Wed Mar 10 at 7pm) Super Trivia Night, Bitter’s Pub (Thursdays from 8pm-11pm) Ten Thousand Villages: Discover the sights and sounds of Fair Trade by supporting artisans from around the world, MUN-The Landing (Wed Mar 10 & Thu Mar 11 from 10am-7pm) Terra Nova Toastmasters: Guests wel-

come, CONA-TJ Murphy Center Rm L2114 derekcurtis62@hotmail.com (Tue Mar 9 at 7pm) The Pottle Centre: A social & recreation centre for consumers of mental health services. New members welcome, 323 Hamilton Ave 753-2143 The Rooms: Free admission, 9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 (Wednesdays 6pm-9pm) Trivia Night, Rose & Thistle (Tuesdays) Walk on Water: Get fit, meet people & learn the history of downtown, everyone welcome, free, Auntie Crae’s (Saturdays at 10am, rain or shine) Women’s Accordion Circle: An informal environment for women of all ages to perform, experiment & share stories about making music, Arts & Culture Centre-2nd Fl, Old Gallery 7462399 (Mondays at 7:30pm)

Send your community listings to listings@thescope.ca

HEADS &TALES

Capture the spirit of your pet with a beautiful painting by Nancy Squires.

Send photos of your pet to

nansquires@hotmail.com Prices start at $200 for 8×10 acrylic painting

(709) 437-1985

MEETINGS &CLASSES

ielle Hann, O’Reilly’s Irish Pub (Sundays at 3pm) free classes clubs groups At the Table Workshop: Oxfam / Make Poverty History is hosting a planning workshop providing an opportunity for citizens to look at ways we can raise our concerns in the run up to the G8 / G20 meetings in Canada. Lunch provided but must register at administrator@ thelantern.nf.net, The Lantern, 35 Barnes Rd (Sat Feb 27 from 9am-4pm) Avalon Wesleyan Church: Weekly meet up in a casual atmosphere with coffee & contemporary music, free, Rabbittown Theatre-106 Freshwater Rd 576-6937 (Sundays at 10am) Bilingual Wine Tasting (Benevolent Irish Society) Gain some wine tasting expertise and learn some key phrases in Irish, free, BIS Clubroom, 30 Harvey Rd 726-3660 (Thu Mar 4 at 8pm) Bottle Drive fundraiser (Victoria Park Lantern Festival) Drop off of refundable wine & liquor bottles, beer bottles & cans, soft drink & juice bottles, boxes & cans. Wide-mouth jars are also needed for lanterns, Victoria Park parking lot-off Sudbury St (Sat Feb 27 & Sun Feb 28 from 11am-3pm) Breastfeeding Support Group (La Leche League) The topic of discussion will be The Art of Breastfeeding and Avoiding Common Difficulties, babies welcome, free, Sobey’s-Torbay Rd 437-5097 (Mon Mar 8 at 7pm) Budgeting 101: Hosted by credit counsellor Marilyn Miller, free but must register at 7373950, AC Hunter Library-Arts & Culture Centre (Thu Mar 11 at 7pm) Business Info Sessions (NLOWE) Understanding Financial Statements, Free for women but must register 754-5555 (Thu Feb 25 at 9am & 9:30am) Business Info Sessions (NLOWE) Business Beginnings” Learn how to create a successful business plan and start your own business, a free 8-week program, Free for women but must

february 25 - march 11, 2010

thescope 21

savagelove by dan savage

thescope

classifieds To see more ads, visit thescope.ca/classifieds Bulletin Board

wanted

must love dogs Beagle Paws is looking for

Get cash instantly for your unwanted and used gold. Call Today’s Jewellers in Mount Pearl (709-364-5280).

caring individuals to foster homeless beagles for a period of 1 to 2 weeks. We provide all the supplies, you provide the LOVE. Contact us at 738-7297 to find out more.

Volunteer performers and designers needed. Non-profit For the Love of Learning, Inc is holding auditions for an upcoming theatrical play. Performers (actors, musicians and dancers) can make an appointment at 740-2005 or at taylor.carla.d@ gmail.com. Or, just drop by the basement of Gower United Church, 99 Queen’s Rd, March 1st & 2nd, 2:00-5:30 pm. Also needed are set designers and costume designers.

Stop Thinking… Start Shaving! Stop thinking about what your mom will say, or your girlfriend’s first words... and start raising cash for the brave young adults dealing with cancer in Canada! The 5th Annual Shave for the Brave in support of Young Adult Cancer Canada (formerly RealTime Cancer) is Saturday, March 6th at the Avalon Mall. You can also be a Head Hunter and organize a shave at your school or office! Learn more at shaveforthebrave.ca or call 877-571-7325

The RCMP has a need for female Mounties! Women interested in a challenging policing career are invited to attend a special RCMP Career Q&A Session on Tuesday, February 23 at 7:00 PM at the RCMP Headquarters, 100 East White Hills Road, St. John’s. The RCMP offers a career like no other. Info: 772-3626 or www.rcmpcareers.ca

pirates wanted! 2 comical personalities wanted for Captain Blood’s Youtube adventures! No age limit! Email bedlam@live.ca for info! Also check out Captain Blood No. 01 on Youtube!

classes Rebalance, Recharge and Restore with Yoga. Gentle Flow Class Mondays at The Lantern, 35 Barnes Road 9:30-10:45am. Yoga Re-Boot Class Thursdays 7:30-8:45pm. All levels and drop-ins welcome. Visit www.exhaleyoga.ca or call Cheryl at 237-2756. Tutor Training Workshop. Would you like to volunteer to help another adult learn to read and write? If you can read, you can tutor. Teachers on Wheels will be holding a daylong tutor-training workshop on Saturday, February 27th. Call Tom Dawe for details at 738-3975.

To place an ad, visit thescope.ca/classifieds

Have you had your yearly Pap test? Women in Newfoundland and Labrador have one of the highest rates of cervical cancer in the country. A regular Pap test can help prevent cervical cancer. You are never too old to have a Pap test. Ask your health care provider about getting your Pap test or phone Planned Parenthood for more information. Planned Parenthood offers various medical clinics, including Pap clinics. We have a height adjustable exam bed, making Pap tests for people with mobility impairments easier. To book an appointment today, please phone.

Sexual Health Questions? We Have Answers!

579-1009 or 1-877 NO MYTHS (666-9847) | 203 Merrymeeting Road, St. John's info@nlsexualhealthcentre.org

Adopt Me...

SPCA St. John’s - 726-0301 - www.spcastjohns.org Shelter location: R.C.A.F. Road off Torbay Rd. Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-4pm / Sat & Sun 2:30pm-4:30pm / holidays 2pm-4pm. Babalu is a young female who came to us as a stray but was never claimed by her owner. She is very sweet and loves to play with catnip cushions.

babalu

22 thescope

Toots is a very affectio nate seven year old SPAYED female who loves attention and loves affection. She was surr endered by her owner bec ause of a relationship brea k up.

toots

february 25 - march 11, 2010

S

P

C

St. John’s

SEX AND LOVE AND SEX AND LOVE I’m writing to you to settle a dispute between my husband and me. We have been married for six years. We’re not terribly adventurous, but we’re not totally vanilla, either. However, there is one issue that is driving me insane: My husband constantly pesters me to have anal sex. We have tried it in the past, and it is NOT my bag. I don’t enjoy it AT ALL. But my husband will not stop pestering me. He thinks if we just keep trying, eventually I’ll come around to liking it. I’m pretty GGG, Dan, but this is one thing where I draw the line. He thinks I’m being unreasonable; I think he is. Do I need to give in, or does he need to get off my back? Needing Expert Advice I think we should all be—as I’ve written about a hundred thousand times—good (in bed), giving (of pleasure, of indulgences), and game (for very nearly anything), aka GGG. And I frequently like to remind married people— particularly, married people who value monogamy— that they willingly assumed sole responsibility for their spouses’ sexual Dan Savage fulfillment. mail@savagelove.net That said, NEA, we are each entitled to our likes and dislikes. But before I let you off the anal hook: I’m assuming that your all-caps emphasis— “NOT my bag,” “don’t enjoy it AT ALL”— means that you find anal penetration to be a physical trial and/or an emotional torment. “I could TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT” or “There’s nothing in that for ME” or “That leaves me COLD” are not good enough reasons to refuse to occasionally indulge your spouse in

whatever it is that gets him/her off. While it would be wonderful if every couple’s sex life consisted entirely of acts that both partners found equally thrilling—so egalitarian! So fairzees!—a fulfilling sex life is too important, particularly for monogamous couples, to trust in coincidence alone. Okay, NEA, getting back to your ass: You tried it, you didn’t like it, and you don’t have to keep doing it. And, yes, your husband should stop pestering you about it, NEA, but you do have to let him grieve—grieve for the ass he isn’t going to get from you and, if you’re monogamous, grieve for the ass he isn’t going to get anywhere else. And speaking of anal… Nancy Elliott, a state representative in New Hampshire, wants to ban same-sex marriage in that state—where it’s been legal for less than three months—and here’s her reasoning: “We’re talking about taking the penis of one man and putting it in the rectum of another man and wiggling it around in excrement. And you have to think… would I allow that to be done to ME?” Where to begin? How about here… If you’re wiggling your penis around in excrement when you’re having anal sex, Representative Elliott, you’re doing it wrong. You would think this would be obvious even to people who’ve never had anal sex, but apparently not. So let me break it down for you, Representative Elliott: You don’t have anal sex with an ass full of shit for the same reason you don’t have oral sex with a mouth full of food. It’s messy and no one wants a mess. (Except for the people who do want a mess, of course, but they’re a blessed rarity.) An empty, douched, and lubed anal cavity isn’t that much dirtier than an empty, flossed, and brushed oral cavity. I will concede that excrement is for anal what Representative Elliott is for the New Hampshire State Legislature: a PR disaster. But excrement-free anal sex is easy. Make sure there’s some fiber in your diet, be regular, and only go for it when you’re empty—no anal during your butt menses!— and you’ll never get excrement on a single wigglin’ dick. And now a question for you, Representative Elliott: Are you really sure you want to make it illegal for buttfuckers to get married? “According to a 2005 survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” a commenter whom I’m going to quote at length (hey, Baconcat!) wrote on a blog in reaction to Elliott’s remarks, “40 percent of men and 35 percent of women between 25 and 44 had engaged in heterosexual anal sex. Some studies put the incidence of anal sex in the heterosexual

population as low as 24 percent and some as high as 56 percent. Averaging those numbers, let’s say 38.8 percent of heterosexuals engage in anal sex. Ninety-six percent of Americans are straight. There are 190,000,000 adults between the ages of 18 and 65 in the United States, so that means 70,771,200 adults are engaging in heterosexual anal sex. Four percent of the adult population is gay, or 7,600,000 people. Roughly half—3,800,000—are gay males. Polls indicate that between 55 and 80 percent of gay males participate in anal sex. Taking the average—67.5 percent—that means the number of gay men having anal sex comes to 2,565,000.” Math is hard, Representative Elliott, but see if you can’t wiggle this into your cranial cavity: 70,771,200 is more—a whole lot more—than 2,565,000. Anal sex in America is primarily a heterosexual pursuit. So if you really want to protect the sacred sanctity of marriage from the unholy taint of penises wiggling in rectums, Representative Elliott, you need to ban straight marriage first. (We needn’t protect marriage from lesbians, of course, because lesbians don’t have anuses.) •••• I am a 26-year-old female who likes anal sex. The problem is my boyfriend’s dick is too big. It’s about nine inches long, but the real issue is girth. I enjoyed anal sex with a previous partner, but my BF and I have done it only once. It was fairly unpleasant, even though we used copious amounts of lube. Are there ways to make anal sex possible for us? Achingly Needs Anal Love

Stop trying to wiggle that monster into your rectum, ANAL, and focus instead on fingers and toys and orgasms for you, cheekyfucking for the boyfriend. (Think tittyfucking, but using your ass cheeks instead of your tits.) Have lots of orgasms with toys of various sizes in your ass. Then every once in a while—when you’re feeling it, when your ass feels like it’s ready, when you’re not having your butt menses—ease the boyfriend in. He should stay absolutely still while you get yourself off with your hands or a vibrator. The next time you’re feeling it, put him in and let him move around just a little while you get yourself off. The goal here—and it’s a long-term goal— is to make anal sex as pleasurable for you as it is, or will be one day, for the boyfriend. Take your time, ANAL, don’t rush things, and thanks for being one of the 70,771,200 straight people out there who prove every day that you can have anal sex and access to legal marriage, too. ••••

A

I am an 18-year-old female college freshman. My boyfriend is also 18. He recently confided in me that he wanted to wear my panties and a dress while I wore his boxers and fucked him in the ass with a dildo. I have been reading your column since I was 13. Had I never read your column, I might have assumed my boyfriend was gay or thought he was gross or thought I was gross for liking the idea. Instead, I helped pick out a dress I thought would look sweet on him, and we had a wonderful time. Thank you so much! Loves Boys In Panties

Lady Dunfield Memorial Shelter If you are looking for an energetic and loving friend, why not drop by and meet “Bowser”, a three month old male Lab Mix who was surrendered by his owner who is moving to an apartment.

bowser

199 New Gower Street 738-3278

No, thank you, LBIP, because every time a straight girl sticks something up a straight boy’s ass, a bigoted state representative dies a little inside.

ondisplay galleries museums

galleries Opening Forest: David Kaarrsemaker’s body of work looks in or out of forests on the edges of development. This threshold explores the border between states of consciousness and between nature and civilization. Trees are used symbolically through dreams and myths as well as for their imposing physical presence, Red Ochre Gallery-96 Duckworth St 726-6422 (Opening reception from Mon Mar 4 from 5pm-8pm) New Works: Peter Lewis, Michael Greene, Michael Kilburn & Jennifer Allwood, Peter Lewis Gallery-5 Church Hill 722-6009 (Opens Sun Mar 7) Knitting Machine: The immateriality of a craftperson’s process is illuminated when a knitter’s finger movements are mimicked by the kinetic dance of found objects. In this installation by Janice Yan Yan Wu (Que) wine racks, motors and circuit boards are employed to conciliate the value of the hand and body , Eastern Edge Gallery-72 Harbour Dr 739-1882 (Opening reception & artist talk on Sat Mar 6 at 3pm) Top 30: Julie Lequin (Que) has assembled a 3 channel video installation. On the right channel women sing a song she has selected - one for each of her thirty years. The left one hears highlights/downfalls that occurred the year in which the song was discovered by the narrator. The middle channel is silent, and depicts audio technology according to the ‘fashion’ of the time, Eastern Edge Gallery-72 Harbour Dr 7391882 (Opening reception & artist talk on Sat Mar 6 at 3pm)

ONGOING Changing Tides: An exhibition of artwork by young Newfoundland artists, curated by Stephanie Williams, First Space Gallery-QEII Library Dark Horse:Greg Bennett explores the

imagery and symbolic value of horses. Paintings -full of doubled and mirrored images, overlapping planes and repeating motifs- offer surfaces where the material and the dreamlike meet, The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 Downtown Charcoals: Peter Lewis’ cityscape charcoals capture the colourful spirit of St John’s in black & white, Peter Lewis Gallery-5 Church Hill 722-6009 Gallery Exhibit: Featuring a rotation of our regular collection, Leyton Gallery-Clift’s-Baird’s Cove 722-7177 Ice Flows and Sound Retreats, Jan Kabatoff: A multi-media installation combining painting, mould impressions, hand-dyed textiles, photography and sound recordings of glacial ‘voices’; an experience linking science and human wonder with a shared, growing concern, The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 New Works: By Gerald Squires, Esther Squires, George Horan, Julia Pickard, Sharon Puddester, Gerald Squires Gallery-52 Prescott St 722-2207 Unrequited Death: Helen Gregory: Death, decay, beauty, and sensuality; the artist investigates the act of collecting by focusing on organic forms such as skulls, bones, desiccated birds and dead flowers. Curated by Lisa Moore, The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000

LAST CHANCE 1st Annual Member’s Exhibit: A variety of works by our members in printmaking, painting & mixed media, St Michael’s Printshop-72 Harbour Dr 754-2931 (Ends Mar 6) Levitations: Sculpture by artist-in-residence Ben Rigby (UK), free, A1C Gallery-8 Clift’sBaird’s Cove 237-0427 (Ends Feb 27) Made For Each Other: It’s all about relationships: The teacup and saucer, the table and chair…fine craft and art is filled with dynamic duos. This show explores functional and fanciful interpretations of the theme “made for each other,” Craft Council-59 Duckworth St 753-2749 (Ends Mar 6)

Night Lights of St. John’s: Brenda McClellan explores how night lights highlight our streets and structures, showing them with fewer imperfections and creating a mysterious ambiance, Red Ochre Gallery-96 Duckworth St 726-6422 (Ends Feb 27) Playing with Dimensions: This is the annual juried exhibition of the Saskatchewan Craft Council and the 2009 theme is Playing. A stoneware bowl appears to float in space, fused glass evokes a jazz duet, and a wooden cabinet with drawers that resemble a zipper are just some of the 35 works in the show,Craft Council-59 Duckworth St 753-2749 (Ends Mar 6)

museums

Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 Encountering Grenfell: A Life and Legacy: Providing medical care, education & skills in craft, agriculture & animal husbandry Wilfred Grenfell sought to improve conditions in NF, The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 [here]say: 26 signs on light poles, each featuring an audio story about that particular spot. Stand on the sidewalk, use your cellphone to dial the number on the sign, and hear the voices, Water St Incredible Insects: Come face to face with bugs in live insect exhibit, Johnson Geo Centre-175 Signal Hill Rd 737-7880 Johnson Geo Centre & Park: See Signal Hill’s 550 million year old geology & specimens

of NF rocks, minerals & botanical park, 175 Signal Hill Rd 737-7880 Railway Coastal Museum: St. John’s Dockyard exhibit of model ship hulls, shipbuilding, dockyard history plus the story of Newfoundland’s railway boat service & 1940’s train diorama, 495 Water St W 724-5929 Signal Hill National Historic Site: Military & communications history, meet Signalman, watch film, interactive exhibits, Visitor Centre 772-5367 The Fluvarium: A panoramic water view under the surface of Nagle’s Hill Brook. Spot fish, insects & plants in natural habitat plus interactive exhibits, 5 Nagle’s Place 754-3474

A Tour de Fort: Interpretive panels tell the story of Fort Townsend, the 18th century symbol of England’s domination over the fishery, The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 Admiralty House Museum: 1915 navy wireless station now communications museum, 23 Old Placentia Rd-Mt Pearl 748-1124 Archival Mysteries: Where Is It? Featuring unidentified photos from the archives which remain a mystery in terms of their geographical location within NL, The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 Collecting Birds: A Beak Behind the Scenes: Use bird specimens to learn lots of fascinating facts about the diversity of our feathered friends, The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 Connections: This Place and Its Early Peoples: Polar bears on tundra, carnivorous plants in a bog, seabirds, sea mammals, sea life plus the people who made their lives here, The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 Discovering Bartlett: An Archival Exploration: Marking the 100th anniversary of the 1909 expedition to the North Pole, this exhibition of archival records relates to the life and career of Captain Bartlett, The Rooms-9

february 25 - march 11, 2010

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