The Scope issue 98

THE SCOPE | FREE EVERY OTHER THURSDAY | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 11, 2010 | VOLUME 5, NUMBER 2 | ISSUE 98 | WWW.THESCOPE.CA

MAKING YOUR EYES BULGE LIKE OLIVES SINCE 2006

Photo by Peter Hanes (www.flickr.com/peterjhanes)

thescope

COVER ART

ISSUE 98, VOL 5, NUM 2, JAN 28 - FEB 11, 2009

E-mail: inbox@thescope.ca Online: www.thescope.ca Listings: listings@thescope.ca

LISTINGS

SECTIONS

8 Music 10 Movies 13 Community Events 11 On Stage 15 Visual Arts and Museums 14 Classifieds

5 Feature 4 Storefront 6 Restaurant reviews 6 Your City 7 Food Nerd 10 On Stage 11 On Screen 11 Music 12 100% Local Comics 12 Free Will Astrology 14 Savage Love

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

Cover illustration by Andrew Power (www.comicsanscomic.com)

Publisher/Listings Editor/Distro Manager:

INBOX

Bryhanna Greenough (publisher@thescope. ca) Editor: Elling Lien (editor@thescope.ca) Advertising Diva: Lesley Marie Reade (sales@thescope.ca) Distribution team: Barry Ross, Phil Coates, Rachel Jean Harding, and Gary Sexton Bottom Line Editor: Adam Clarke (adam@thescope.ca) Contributors: Adam Clarke, Kerri Breen, David Keating, Patrick Canning, Andrew Harvey, Kevin Hehir, Bryhanna Greenough, Andreae Prozesky, Bryan Melanson, Andrew Power, Jennifer Barrett, Peter Hanes, Andrew Wickens, and Ricky King.

Also contributing: Dan Savage and Rob Brezsny.

The Scope is St. John’s arts and entertainment newspaper, published by Scope Media Inc. 14,500 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 any penguins which may have been kicked following the announcement of Colby Chipman’s new rule: “No kicking penguins.” Paul McCartney was not available for comment. Free issues of The Scope are limited to one copy per reader. All rights reserved. © 2010 Proudly independent and locally owned. Founded in 2006.

mail tales E-mail inbox@thescope.ca. Web comments, e-mails, and snail-mail may be edited for space and clarity. Read many more comments online at thescope.ca.

RE: “Fortis releases 15-storey proposal for downtown,” Jan 14 Comments from thescope.ca about the controversial new development

I think the plan looks great, we only lose four buildings, we get nearly three times as much retail space, tons of much-needed office space and parking. I do not want to see all historic buildings torn down but it’s also time to modernize St. John’s, and I think we can have a great city with a good mix of old and new. — posted by Ryan

It couldn’t stand out any more! It’s completely at odds with, and will ruin, the character of St. John’s, which is just barely hanging in there with the other monstrosities which have been erected in the past 30 years (Atlantic Place, TD building, other Fortis building, etc.). — posted by Adrian

Having an office building this size is no big deal, just don’t block the scenery so the only people who get to see the Narrows are the people in the corner office. —posted by Paddy

St. John’s is a small town. You can get from all the commercial areas on either end in under 15 minutes.

You don’t need to build a skyscraper on the waterfront just to assert your financial prowess. Why can’t Fortis start its own business-center in one of the adjacent areas, such as the White Hills (where the view would be unparalleled at the height they want to build) or in Pleasantville?

—posted by Mandy Cook

Listen, take the office building and put it in an area designed for large commercial development. Let’s get the tax money. That way, we keep tourism coming (and money from same) to enjoy the unique downtown and we get tax money from new cluster of office towers.

Win-win! —posted by alison dyer A lot of buildings downtown and near this proposal are decrepit firetraps. If Shannie Duff and the protesters really cared they would have advocated upkeep of all these so called historical buildings years ago. Now we are left with a dirty downtown area that is a disgrace.

—posted by Frank Power

We here at The Scope often get more mail than we know what to do with. We publish some of the more relevant letters, but what of those hard-to-answer questions that are just a little out there? Over the next few pages, we answer a few of these Impertinent Questions…

Dear Wesley Scopes, How did Jose Mujica become the president of Uruguay? ­—R. Hennenlotter

The Uruguayan presidency was the runner-up prize in the international James Doohan look-a-like contest.

JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 11, 2010

thescope 3

STOREFRONT

local business news development

Revisiting the Battle of Atlantic Place Back before Facebook groups and Photoshopped would-be cityscapes, a grassroots movement fought what it viewed as irresponsible development plans for downtown St. John’s.

In 1972 and 1973, the People’s Planning Programme (PPP) tried desperately to stop the building of Atlantic Place on Water Street.

Organizer Roger Bill’s 1974 master’s thesis — An Ethnography of the People’s Planning Programme— deals with the battle in detail. On March 22, 1972, then-mayor William Adam announced council had approved the concept for Atlantic Place, a building to be occupied primarily by the Canadian National Railway.

There was no public input before council approved the plans in principle and no city plan to guide development at the time.

Bill argues the approval had a lot to do with personal connections and Liberal party ties.

“The point that I would like to make is that the developer was a powerful man and enjoyed peculiar access to public decision making units,” the thesis states.

The PPP, and later ad hoc committees and other groups, demanded public input into this plan, which they argued threatened to mangle the downtown atmosphere and skyline.

By 1973, the Atlantic Place plans were for a building 50 per cent larger than council had initially approved, and the lobby effort to quash them intensified.

There was a protest, a petition, and calls for the provincial government to intervene.

“The mayor and city council said some unkindly things about ... the PPP. We said some unkindly things about them. There was a genuine and mutual distrust.,” Bill states.

Bill says the developer, Andrew Crosbie, did not acknowledge the opposition as legitimate. The group wanted a public hearing into the matter, but the mayor wouldn’t agree.

At the time, a TV station poll on the subject of downtown development was opposed 60-40.

Deputy Mayor Shannie Duff says the current debate over Fortis’s $75 million, 15-storey proposed office development is “getting up there in terms of Atlantic Place proportions.”

She was around during the days of movement against Atlantic Place and has been an advocate for urban planning in her more than 30 years in politics.

The issue is not just that these

proposed buildings will violate the area’s 15-metre height restrictions, she says. City council’s decision on Fortis—a major downtown property owner—will set a precedent.

“I think people are understanding how critical this particular proposal is to the whole future of the downtown,” she says.

There are big differences between 1973 and 2010, though. In ’73 there was no municipal plan and no legislative requirements for public consultation.

“So you really had large frustration in the public that their voices couldn’t be heard,” Duff says.

She remembers large, angry meetings at city hall, demonstrations, and arts community involvement.

These days, the debate—mostly occurring online—doesn’t make as good a photo op, but it’s better informed, Duff says.

Though the city’s planning department recommended against it, Atlantic Place was approved in ‘73, and backed in part by city cash.

The efforts of the PPP failed, and the organization collapsed not long after the site that would house Atlantic Place had been demolished. Duff ran in the next possible election. —KERRI BREEN Comment online at

thescope.ca/storefront

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.

RICKY KING

I was nauseated enough when MUN decided to put up flatscreens in the UC, clouding the social commons like some bad Brave New World dream… But to put in a screen flashing advertisments at me while I try to study in the library, that is a crime against humanity. If you need the sponsorship money, put up some posters, not some mind controlling full blown technicolour moving images. It is impossible not to be distracted. Get the hell out of my mental space!!!! This is war.

— Anonymous

Dear Mr. Scope Was Watchmen: The Movie completely worthless?

-Comic Book Guy

4 thescope

JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 11, 2010

Not entirely. After all, due to his appearance as Moloch, Max Headroom got a paycheck.

KICK-OFF

2010

PARTY

THE DETAILS

31, from January Sunday, at The Levee at m 7pm - 9p worth Court.

Holds up, ers, sign Meet oth t more. find ou

This is the challenge:

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

HEAR TUN

& REA

Don’t wait for inspiration. Taking action puts you in a position to get inspired. You’ll stumble across ideas you would have never come up with otherwise, and maybe only because you were trying to meet a day’s quota of songwriting. Show up and get something done, and invest in yourself and each other.

 Record 10 songs or 35 minutes ES

D STORIES FR O

M

PREVIO

RPM CHALL US ENGES AT

thescope.ca/rp

m

Anyone can come up with an excuse to say “no.” So don’t. Many of you are thinking “But, I can’t do that. I don’t have any songs/recording gear/money/blah blah blah...” But this doesn’t have to be the album, it’s just an album. This is an artistic exercise. Do your best with what you have to get it done. If you have a four-track, become a four-track badass! Mini-disc, Pro Tools, a Walkman, an ’80s tape recorder? Use it. Do your best. Use the limitations of time and gear as an opportunity to explore things you might not try otherwise. If you can afford studio time in a “real” studio, fine, but let’s be completely free of any lingering idea that “good” records can only be made in a studio. Well written, honest music is compelling and undeniable no matter what it was recorded on.

of original music in 28 days. Just because you can.

   

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.



When it’s finished, mail your disc to us (postmarked by March 1) at:

February will come and go whether you’ve taken the challenge or not. Do you really want to be left out?

RPM Challenge NL c/o The Scope PO Box 1044 St. John’s, NL A1C 5M3

RPM standouts

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.

Patrick Canning picks 7 of his favourite discs from last year’s 70 local offerings.

L

ast year’s RPM challenge brought in an unprecedented bounty of 70 albums from the St. John’s area. That’s almost equal to the total amount of professional releases put out in the entire province in all of 2008.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “How can you possibly make a quality album in just one month’s time?” You’d be friggin’ amazed actually. Late-night inspiration hits, you find that old banjo to pull it all together, and things just fall into place. And when that happens, you have every reason in the world to celebrate. Shout it from the rooftops if you have to.

Musical genius is not what the RPM is about. It’s about giving people an excuse to be creative and the impetus to get something— anything—done. But it sure is nice when brilliance happens.

So let’s have a look back at a few of the standouts from last year’s challengers to show you that 28 days is totally do-able—you can pull this off, no matter what your skill level and experience—and that sometimes, genius happens.

Vegan Porn’s album To The Animals... May We Be Forgiven? has been stuck in steady rotation in my media player since I heard it last March. Lone porn star Matthew Finateri came out of nowhere to produce one of the most weirdly infectious albums of left-field pop music I’ve heard in ages. It takes a few listens for it to fully sink in, but when it does, this collection hardto-categorize, semi-lo-fi indie pop,

Cat’

robert rules!!!

t

with lyrics filled with snarky social and political commentary, gives the listener plenty of meat- and dairyfree goodness to digest. The songs “Fish In Your Stew” and “NewWelfarist In The 21st Century” are great standout tracks that stick to you like crab lice. Good crab lice.

Yeah.

Errand Boy’s RPM entry Cape Disappointment was strong enough to make into last year’s Atlantis Music Prize shortlist, if that tells you anything. It’s a rich, and densely textured aural stimulant that feels more organic and less sampledriven then his previous releases.

Errand Boy, a.k.a. Bryan Melanson, has been getting a decent bit of attention here and away for his world-class talent for crafting exquisite, moving, and complex electronic auditory panoramas.

Cape Disappointment not only fueled the fervor, it proved him to be fully capable of churning out lush, cinematic masterpieces under strict time constraints.

Steve Haley’s Two Steps in the Dark is one of the best singer/ songwriter albums I heard last year.

It’s a lovely collection of delicately, intelligently arranged songs that are lonesome as all hell. They ebb and flow with an easy-going grace that heightens the unforced, dramatic nature of the tunes. The end result is a perfect album for a late-night sulk i move that we adjourn until you smarten the hell up

qt

in the darkness. I found this style of brooding, down-tempo folk to be a much better fit for Steve’s voice than his previous work with The Human Soundtrack.

The 6 Fort Waldegrave (from 6 Fort Waldegrave Street, of course) take the award for best concept album of last year’s RPM. All the songs on Long Night on Camp Blood are directly inspired by the classic slasher movie Friday the 13th. Some directly reference scenes from the movie, and some are meant to be played over certain scenes as an alternative soundtrack. Done in just two weeks, but remarkably well-recorded, it has the trademark shambolic, off-the-cuff feeling you would associate with RPM participants, oozing giddy sounds of friends getting drunk and ridiculous. I mean, really, with titles like “Kevin Bacon Gets an Arrow Through his Neck” and “Chick Gets an Axe In The Face” you can’t go too wrong.

RPM veterans and notorious local weirdos Mopey Mumble Mouse made one of their most inspired and enjoyable releases, The Wrath of Least Persistence. All the members take over on songwriting and frontman responsibilities so it’s more of a mixed bag than usual, but each member has at least one classic track on this album: Curtis Kilfoy’s vocal performance

can i get a seconder?

qt

on “Forever and Ever, Amen” is cathartic and exemplary; Tom Davis’s “Grey Afternoon” is a really beautiful and tender piano ballad; and Bart Pierson delivers the rock classic we all knew he was capable of with “Vicious Circle” which drips in classic Elevator to Hell/Sabbath thunder and riffage.

Typically found drumming for the Subtitles, Bryan Power picked up a guitar for last year’s RPM and, as Pilot to Bombardier, delivered one of my favorite albums of 2009.

Come In Bombardier is an eloquent and subdued offering, with lush but delicate arrangements reminiscent of Smog or Red House Painters.

Subtitles drummer Bryan Power’s voice is warm and understated, with an easy yet world-weary charm. The production is subtle and nuanced, perfectly highlighting the quiet mood of each song. Especially good is “Out of Tune,” with its quietly aching chorus and its vibraphone nod to “Chariots of Fire.”

Another Subtitler, Rebecca Cohoe, teamed up with Exit Party’s Ian Murphy to make Pet Legs, a pure pop confection of the minimal 80’s keyboard variety. That type of album usually sends me running in the opposite direction, but Pet Legs’ self-titled gets the formula spot-on, with strong voices, energetic tempos, and catchy hooks all over the place. It’s the

point of order: you are a douchebag

qt

you know, chair, this might work better if there were more than two of us here



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



All material must be previously unreleased, and we encourage you to write the material during February too.



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.



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 perfect type of project to benefit from the RPM challenge situation: With more time to spend, the album would definitely be at risk for over-thinking, over-producing and needless clutter. But the arrangements are beautifully sparse, the performances are solid, and the mixes are really full. A catchy, perky little gem of an album..

Lots more excellent stuff to hear at

thescope.ca/rpm

t

who are you calling a chair?

JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 11, 2010

q

thescope 5

YOURCITY notes from st. john's city hall So! Fortis dropped the expected bomb of their formal proposal for the redevelopment of their Water street property last on January 19th. They want to build a 15-storey development in an area where buildings are limited to 4 storeys.

Before we can even think of if they should or should not, a larger question needs to be asked: What kind of city do we want St. John’s to be?

The Municipal Plan lays out a vision for St. John’s, which is what we want our city to become, as well as regulations, which are how we achieve that vision. Zoning laws and building regulations are Andrew Harvey quite possibly andrew@thescope.ca the most important tasks for any municipality. It’s what stops your neighbour from operating a plastics factory next to your house, or a company from opening a 24-hour strip club on your cul-du-sac… When exceptions are made, the whole reason for having regulations is tossed out the window.

Another part of the problem is that our present Municipal Plan was adopted in 2003, and was scheduled for review 5 years from then—meaning a review is almost two years overdue.

The Fortis proposal represents a breaking point for the city of

St. John’s. If this proposal goes ahead, and the regulations are once again ignored for an individual development, property owners everywhere will realize that the regulations have become meaningless. The city will have set a precedent that they will entertain and approve proposals which fall outside of the regulations. We will then be voting on site-specific amendments to the municipal plan every week at council, passing any that can get 6 votes.

As it stands now, the Fortis proposal is in the hands of city staff, who are preparing recommendations to give to the Planning and Housing committee of council. What should happen is staff should recommend denying the proposal, citing the dozen or so ways it falls outside the regulations.

Then council should immediately start the process of extensive public review to create a revised vision for the city, and set of regulations we can all agree on. After this, we’ll stand by the regulations, and we’ll make it clear to developers that the regulations are laws, not suggestions.

Only then can we guide this city to continue to grow into a place we all want to live, work, and play in.

If the Fortis redevelopment goes ahead, you can expect me to be submitting my own proposal for a 40-storey plastics factory and strip club on Signal Hill.

reader restaurant reviews Recent positive reviews from

thescope.ca/Scoff Pi 10 Kings Road, 726-2000

 Reviewed by g

Amazing pizza! One of the funnest restaurant experiences I’ve had in a while... Everything is so fresh and yummy. The dessert was unreal too—gingerbread cake with a rum topping. My only complaint would be that it is definately pricey, but hell, totally worth it if your in the mood to have a real pizza for once.

 (based on 14 reviews)

Avg rating

Basho 283 Duckworth Street, 576-4600

 Reviewed by LB

Basho is a wonderful place to eat!

The main dishes are a little pricey however for the type of food you are getting it is well worth it. I found the service is great not to fast not to slow... if I am paying that kind of price for a meal i don’t want to be herded in and out in a hour, I want to make an evening of it! The sushi is wonderful and well priced. If you are looking to excite your taste buds, this is the place to go.

Avg rating

Rock House

 (based on 7 reviews)

The

on George Street

L I V E

B A N D S

Magic Wok 408 Water Street, 753-6907

 Reviewed by niuniu

I couldn’t say it’s so authentic, but considering it’s in Canada and it’s in a city where it’s difficult to get Chinese ingredients and materials, I’m quite satisfied.

Avg rating

1/2 (based on 4 reviews) Portobello’s

115 Duckworth Street, 579-7050

SAT, FEB 13TH

CATCHER REPARTEE MATTHEW HORNELL & THE DIAMOND MINDS

6 thescope

JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 11, 2010

 Reviewed by George R.

I have dined at this restaurant at least once a month since it opened at the old location in 2007. The food is fantastic. I agree, the presetation is not the artistic plates that you receive at other restaurants, but these guys never set out to do this in the first place. The food is always neatly presented and the portions are substantial for the value. When my wife and I dine out there is no other place.

Avg rating

1/2 (based on 9 reviews)

Disagree? Write your own reviews at

thescope.ca/Scoff

FOODNERD

food to make music by

S

o, you’re gonna do the RPM Challenge? Well, good for you. You’ve got 28 musicfilled, magical, intense days ahead of you. I imagine that three weeks from now you will be completely out of your mind.

I was hoping I could come up with some kind of appropriate fuel for you during this mad journey, but who am I to tell you what to do? If you’ve been writing songs for more than two weeks, you probably have some kind of formula for fueling your work already. Perhaps it’s beer and smokes, perhaps it’s drugs about which I would Andreae surely know Callanan dreae@thescope.ca nothing in the least. Perhaps it’s rock-climbing and whole-wheat pasta. I’m not a musician, and despite my track record of having dated almost exclusively musicians from the years 1992 to 2006, I don’t know a damned thing about what makes you people tick. You’ll note that I ended up marrying a poet.

Him, I get.

The only experiences in my own life that I can imagine would be anything like completing the RPM Challenge would be 1) pulling allnighters writing university papers, and 2) um, childbirth.

In the case of the paper-writing, I had a pretty decent system worked out. I discovered early on that sim-

ply drinking coffee all night would yield nothing but all-over shakes and peripheral-vision hallucinations. So I would have a couple good-sized mugs of the ol’ caffeine juice, then I would switch to a giant pitcher of water and a bag of jelly beans. The jelly beans provided the essential refined sugar and artificial colours to keep my brain buzzing along (until that painful mid-morning crash, oh the crashiness of it), and the glasses of water made sure that if I were to doze off, I would quickly be awakened by the need to pee. Not bad, hey? Yeah, I’m a genius. As for childbirth, quarts of homemade electrolyte drink (lemon juice, water, honey, and a pinch of salt) saw me through the wee hours of that particular trial, with popsicles in between.

Useful information? Probably not, but it’s all I’ve got.

I would suggest that you stock up on some easily-prepared, high protein foods to have around the house, something that’s going to fill you up without making you feel too gross.

And something that’s not going to make your fingers all greasy, because whether you’re holed up with a guitar and a four-track or making beepy noises on your laptop, clean fingers are a good thing. Save the Big Mary for the first of March.

Keeping some good, wholesome fixin’s around is a decent plan, for no other reason than this: say, just say, that you’ve just stumbled upon

Eat it, punk!

–or– A few snackerels for the RPM-Challenged • What’s round like a cd and full of goodness? A waffle sandwich, that’s what. Take two tasty , grainy waffles (from a package, or you can use the recipe here—www.tinyurl.com/ yh6g799—or the gluten free ones here—www.tinyurl.com/ykrkqzh - to make your own and keep them in the freezer), toast ‘em up, and spread them with peanut butter (or almond butter, cashew butter, whatever), add some slices of apple or banana, a drizzle of honey or maple syrup, and yum, that’s a meal. Cream cheese and raisins also make a delicious, if unlikely, waffle-stuffer.

• As much as I would have once scoffed at the breakfast burrito, there’s much to commend the omelet-wrapped-in-a-tortilla for portable, fast protein. Just make sure to warm your tortilla (or wrap of choice) first, because the clamminess of a cold tortilla is enough to suck the soul out of anyone. Other than that, it’s just a matter of beating a couple eggs, winging them in a hot pan, throwing on a little cheese, and letting them cook through, which should take no more than 90 seconds. Turn the omelet out on to the tortilla, spread on a little ketchup or add a slice of ham or something, roll the thing up (artfully tucking in the ends to prevent drippage), and eat.

• I know, grilled cheese is a no-brainer, but if you’re looking for inspiration that takes less than 5 minutes, there are some good ideas embedded here www.tinyurl.com/yjqtfmh.

And if a non-grilled, not-necessarily-cheese sandwich is more your style, there are some ideas here (check the comments, too) www.tinyurl.com/ylfcj4p.

• Hummus. Great tubs of hummus. With rice crackers. Only takes one hand. Dig it.

Eat well, and good luck, Challengers!

for a snack to tide you over while you seamlessly finish composing the greatest piece of music to grace the ears of the RPM listening party attendees, nay, the world? Or would you rather faint in a heap on the floor, only to awaken and find your great opus a mere fragment, a memory, a collection of bits and pieces like Coleridge’s Kubla Kahn, destined to remain unfinished for all time?

I think we know the answer here: Feed yourself, my friend, and feed yourself something half decent, for heaven’s sake, or who knows what state you’ll be in when you emerge from your musical cave at the end of the month.

One warning, though. Gather healthful snacks, yes, but I don’t suggest you take this time to turn into a real health food nut. Because you know who’s a health food nut?

Randy Bachman. Yeah. Do you want to end up like that, swiveling around in a leather chair in a radio studio, riffin’ your heart out while you relay anecdotes about the glory days and your famous pals? No, my friend, you do not. Nor do I want that to happen to you. So, you know, rock the multigrain, but go easy on the wheatgrass, for all of us.

Comment online at

what might be the greatest song ever written, and it’s being written by you. But you’re also approaching

hunger-induced delirium because you skipped lunch and you’re about to pass out. Do you want to reach

thescope.ca/foodnerd

ATHLETIC THERAPY MASSAGE THERAPY Matt Moore, B.Sc., CAT(c), RMT

Athletic Therapist • Massage Therapist • Certified Laser Technician Athletic Therapy focuses on active people, and deals with sports injuries and overuse conditions. The goal is to help you live a healthy lifestyle. Massage Therapy is recognized by all major insurance providers. Athletic Therapy is covered through MUN’s student insurance.

Get the help you need!

173 Elizabeth Avenue (Churchill Sq.)

709-753-0155

www.avalonlaserhealth.ca

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

20 Years of Experience.

Most insurance accepted.

49-55 Elizabeth Avenue, Suite 201 www.chinesetherapy.ca E-mail: xhliu@nfld.net 753-1150

Dear Onscreen’s Jay Sherman What is the greatest film of all time?

—Richard Roeper

Glad you asked, Roeper. For the longest time, scholars and critics believed that Citizen Kane was the greatest film of all time. However, recent scientific calculations suggest that it’s actually Rudy Ray Moore’s seminal Dolemite.

JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 11, 2010

thescope 7

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, February 7th.

THURSDAY

JAN 28

BUDDY WASISNAME & THE OTHER FELLERS, 8pm, $18-$32, Arts & Culture Centre CARL PETERS & BOB TAYLOR (7pm), Middle Tickle (11pm), Shamrock City Pub

CRAIG YOUNG (solo acoustic) no cover, Fat Cat Blues Bar

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 (Kick a Spin female hip hop fundraiser) Loft 709

FERGUS O’BYRNE (7pm); Acoustic Punters (10:30pm), O’Reilly’s Irish Pub

JERRY STAMP, Rozalind MacPhail, midnight, no cover, Bull & Barrel

NEWFOUND MUSIC VII (MUN Music) Crossing Boundaries, 8pm, $7/$12, DF Cook Recital Hall

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN TRIBUTE: Featuring Chris Andrews, Janet Cull Mick Davis, The Insiders Victor Lewis, Luke Major, The Once, Jill Porter, The G Street Band, 10pm, $15/$20, Rock House

BUDDY WASISNAME & THE OTHER FELLERS, 8pm, $18-$32, Arts & Culture Centre CARLOANN FOWLER TRIO, Green Sleeves Pub CHRIS HENNESSEY (5pm); Bill Kelly (8:15pm), Tarahan (11pm), O’Reilly’s Irish Pub

(rock), The Potholes, 10pm, $6, Distortion

SEXY SATURDAY: DJ Jaycee, Turkey Joe’s STICKS AND STONES, 10pm, no cover, West

THE DANA PARSONS PROJECT, Dusk Ultralounge

Side Charlie’s-Kenmount Rd

THE VIBE, 10pm, Martini Bar

THE DANA PARSONS PROJECT, Dusk Ultralounge

THE GUYS YOU LOVE TO HATE: 30 Most In-

SATURDAY

fluential Songs of Hip Hop with DJ Frosty; Radar, Johnny Hardcore, J Frost, 9pm, $5, The Levee

JAN 30

THE VIBE, 10pm, Martini Bar VJ ERIC, DJ Fabian, 11pm, $5/$7 after 1:30pm,

ANDREW LEDREW, Bull & Barrel BADCOCK FOUR, Fat Cat Blues Bar BIC & THE BALLPOINTS, Club One BLUE RODEO, Dustin Bentall Outfit, 8pm,

Zone 216

SUNDAY

$40.50+, Mile One Centre

BOB TAYLOR, Carl Peters & Pat Moran (8pm); Kilkenny Krew (11pm), Shamrock City Pub

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN TRIBUTE: Featuring Chris Andrews, Janet Cull Mick Davis, The Insiders Victor Lewis, Luke Major, The Once, Jill Porter, The G Street Band, 10pm, $15/$20, Rock House

The Likes of Jeff Pittman, The Ship

BUDDY WASISNAME & THE OTHER FELLERS, 8pm, $18-$32, Arts & Culture Centre CARLOANN FOWLER TRIO, Green

D’ARCY BRODERICK & RON KELLY (5pm);

Sleeves Pub

Barry Kenny & Glen Harvey (8pm); Kilkenny Krew(11pm), Shamrock City Pub

DJ BIG FRANK, Konfusion DJ SUMMIT, DJ Electro, Liquid

COLD RIVER CHOIR (alt folk rock), Ian Foster,

DAVE REARDON, 5pm, Station Lounge DES GAMBIN, Whalen’s Pub DIABETES FUNDRAISER: Dodgeband, Kill the Shepherd, One Day in February, 10pm, The Levee

DJ MAYEHEM, Loft 709 DJ SINA, Konfusion FILTHY FRIDAYS: DJ Lex, Turkey Joe’s HEARTS FOR HAITI: Soloists, duos, trios &

Night Club

FORTE, Bridie Molloy’s HAITI RELIEF: Music & dance with The Instigators, by donation, Sheraton Atrium

HEARTS FOR HAITI: Comedy, musicians, DJs, cabaret, creative dance & dance band, 6pm, $10, Masonic Temple

9pm, no cover, Rose & Thistle

HIDE AWAY, Darnell’s Pub IN HEELS FOR HAITI: With Doris Anita Douche,

JOE BELLY (Nickles and Dimes CD release) With

TREVOR KELLY, 11pm, Whalen’s Pub TROPICAL THURSDAYS: DJ Chamba, Turkey

JENN GRANT (Halifax folk), Jason Plumb &

Joe’s

UNLISTED, Green Sleeves Pub

The Willing (Saskatchewan pop country), 8pm, Cochrane St United Church

KICKING THE HELP (pop rock), The Dawson Forsey Band, Maggie Meyer, $5, Junctions

FRIDAY

JAN 29 BEACON POINT, Fat Cat Blues Bar BIC & THE BALLPOINTS, Club One

MATT BYRNE, Forte, Bridie Molloy’s NEWFOUND MUSIC VII: Crossing Boundaries: MUN Music celebrates music of our time, 8pm, $7/$12, Cook Recital Hall

RECALL (80s, 90s, classic rock) 11pm, no cover, Trapper John’s Pub

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 HEARTS FOR HAITI: Grand finale of bands and musicians-line up tba , $25, Masonic Temple

thescope.ca

HELP HAITI!: Overlay, The Sellouts, Dodgeband,

Bianca Boheme, Felicia Cox, 11pm, by donation, Zone 216

JAN 31

ST FIND THE MOSTINGS LI E T A UP-TO-D E AT ONLIN

dance bands, 4pm-12am, $10, Masonic Temple

STIXX & STONES, The Dock THE EARLY SHOW: Ian Foster, Sean Panting,

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

SHEAVY (devil’s music), Two Guitars Clash

The Living Daylights, Dave Walsh & The Worst Kind, The Crooks, $10, Junctions The Sin City Ramblers, Les Domestics, Sherry Ryan, The Cowan Mountain Boys, 9pm, $10, The Ship

MUSIQUE NON-STOP: Indie Dance Night w/ DJ Benjy & Mark Power, no cover, Distortion

NEWFOUND MUSIC VII: Crossing Boundaries: MUN Music celebrates music of our time, 8pm, $7/$12, Cook Recital Hall

RECALL (80s, 90s, classic rock) 11pm, no cover, Trapper John’s Pub

ROB COOK (4:30pm); Fergus O’Byrne (8pm);

MIKE HANRAHAN, Irish Session, Bridie Molloy’s

RETRO SUNDAY: DJ Lex, Turkey Joe’s

RPM CHALLENGE KICK-OFF: Meet other local participants, find out more about the challenge, and hear selections of albums from last year. No cover, 7-9pm, Levee

SONG SESSION: Allan Byrne, 7pm, O’Reilly’s Irish Pub

MONDAY

FEB 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

Tarahan (11:30pm), O’Reilly’s Irish Pub

SCOTT CONWAY, Whalen’s Pub

TUESDAY

FEB 2

SHAWN BERESFORD (solo acoustic) no cover, Fat Cat Blues Bar

BUDDY WASISNAME & THE OTHER FELLERS, 8pm, $18-$32, Arts & Culture Centre CARL PETERS & DAVE WHITE, Turkey Joe’s CONNEMARA, 10pm, Shamrock City Pub DAMIAN FOLLETT & GARY GAMBIN, Green Sleeves Pub

HOT TUESDAY: Dave Walsh (acoustic), Greg Hewlett, J Frost Norris with hot chocolate, hot candles & hot music, 9pm, no cover, The Levee

ROB COOK & LARRY FOLEY (12am), O’Reilly’s Irish Pub

WEDNESDAY

FEB 3

BLACKIE O’LEARY (7pm); The Navigators (10pm), Shamrock City Pub

BUDDY WASISNAME & THE OTHER FELLERS, 8pm, $18-$32, Arts & Culture Centre CHRIS HENNESSEY (7pm); The Bishops (10:30pm), O’Reilly’s Irish Pub

DAVE WHITE, 10pm, Turkey Joe’s EPIC WEDNESDAYS: Adam Baxter, 10pm, $5, Distortion

FOLK NIGHT: Solid Ground, 9pm, $5, The Ship JASON LACOUR, Trapper John’s Pub 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

THURSDAY

FEB 4

BUDDY WASISNAME & THE OTHER FELLERS, 8pm, $18-$32, Arts & Culture Centre CARL PETERS & BOB TAYLOR (7pm), Middle Tickle (11pm), Shamrock City Pub

CRAIG YOUNG (solo acoustic) no cover, Fat Cat Blues Bar

DAVE WHITTY, Simon Hiscock, Bridie Molloy’s DES GAMBIN, 7pm, West Side Charlie’s-

8 thescope

JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 11, 2010

Kenmount 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); Acoustic Punters (10:30pm), O’Reilly’s Irish Pub

JERRY STAMP, Adam Baxter, Andrew O’Brien, midnight, no cover, Bull & Barrel

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

FEB 5 BELLY (Stylus Club DJ 09), Ill Kidz (Montreal hip hop), Muggz (Toronto hip hop), DJ Sina, Large Live N Direct, 9pm, $12/$15, The Breezway

BUDDY WASISNAME & THE OTHER FELLERS, 8pm, $18-$32, Arts & Culture Centre CHRIS HENNESSEY (5pm); Bill Kelly (8:15pm),

SATURDAY

The ethereal “Ghost” Trio is centerpiece of an all-Beethoven program, 8pm, $7/$12, DF Cook Recital Hall

FEB 6

THE INSIDERS, Club One VJ ERIC, DJ Fabian, 11pm, $5/$7 after 1:30pm,

ACURA, Bridie Molloy’s BOB TAYLOR, Carl Peters & Pat Moran (8pm),

WRECKING BALL, Dusk Ultralounge

Zone 216

Shamrock City Pub

BUDDY WASISNAME & THE OTHER FELLERS, 8pm, $18-$32, Arts & Culture Centre DES GAMBIN & BARRY DAVIS, Green Sleeves DJ BIG FRANK, Konfusion KILL DOMAIN, Junctions MARK BRAGG & THE BUTCHERS, no cover, Rock House

MILITARY ROAD, Whalen’s Pub ROB COOK (4:30pm); Fergus O’Byrne (8pm); The Irish Descendants (11:30pm), O’Reilly’s Irish Pub

SELINA BOLAND, Stefano Michieletto, The Reluctant Showmen, Nuthouse, 10pm, Distortion

SEXY SATURDAY: DJ Jaycee, Turkey Joe’s SIDEKICKS, Trapper John’s Pub THE ALEX DINN BAND, 10pm, Martini Bar THE GHOST OF BEETHOVEN (MUN Music)

SUNDAY

FEB 7

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 Irish Descendants (11pm), O’Reilly’s Irish Pub

D’ARCY BRODERICK & RON KELLY (5pm); Barry Kenny & Glen Harvey (8pm), Shamrock City Pub

DANICA DROVER, Whalen’s Pub DAVE REARDON, 5pm, Station Lounge DES GAMBIN & BARRY DAVIS, Green Sleeves DJ FABIAN, no cover, 11am, Zone 216 DJ MAYEHEM, Loft 709 DJ SINA, Konfusion FILTHY FRIDAYS: DJ Lex, Turkey Joe’s GREGG BOLGER, 10pm, West Side Charlie’sTorbay Rd

JACKIE N, Acura, Bridie Molloy’s JUICER, Dig Up the Dead (punk), Icebreaker (hardcore), $5, Distortion

KUJO (rock), The Need, Fat Cat Blues Bar MIKE BURSEY & CHAD MURPHY, Trapper John’s Pub

QUIET ELEPHANT (indie pop), Pathological Lovers (rock), Les Domestics (folk), $6, The Ship

THE ALEX DINN BAND, 10pm, Martini Bar THE INSIDERS, Club One WRECKING BALL, Dusk Ultralounge

fair trade recycled materials biodegradable substances

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

twistedsistersboutik.blogspot.com

JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 11, 2010

thescope 9

DES GAMBIN, 7pm, West Side Charlie’s-

MONDAY

FEB 8

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

TUESDAY

Kenmount Rd

DJ BIG FRANK, Konfusion DJ MARK POWER, no cover, Martini Bar DJ NU ROCK, The Breezeway DJ SINA, Loft 709 EVEN KEEL, Acura, Bridie Molloy’s FERGUS O’BYRNE (7pm); Acoustic Punters

ONSTAGE

(10:30pm), O’Reilly’s Irish Pub

JERRY STAMP, Joey Bennett, Grant Kingston, midnight, no cover, Bull & Barrel

STIXX & STONES, The Dock THE EARLY SHOW: Ian Foster, 9pm, no cover,

FEB 9

Rose & Thistle

CARL PETERS & DAVE WHITE, Turkey Joe’s CONNEMARA, 10pm, Shamrock City Pub DAMIAN FOLLETT & GARY GAMBIN, Green

UNLISTED, Green Sleeves Pub

TROPICAL THURSDAYS: DJ Chamba, Turkey Joe’s

Sleeves Pub

ROB COOK & LARRY FOLEY (12am), O’Reilly’s Irish Pub

SHAWN BERESFORD (solo acoustic) no cover, Fat Cat Blues Bar

OPENMIC/JAM TUESDAYS: Gary Foley & Rob Moran at O’Reilly’s Irish Pub (10pm)

WEDNESDAYS: Chris Ryan & Ronnie Power at Shamrock City Pub (9:30pm)

WEDNESDAY

FEB 10

BLACKIE O’LEARY (7pm); The Navigators (10pm), Shamrock City Pub

THURSDAYS: The Levee (9pm) SATURDAYS: Country Music Café at St Augustine’s Church Hall-Westerland Rd (Feb 6 at 8pm)

SUNDAYS: Shawn Beresford at Fat Cat Blues Bar; Young Musicians at Shamrock City Pub (2pm); Young Performers at O’Reilly’s Irish Pub (3pm)

CHRIS HENNESSEY (7pm); Best Kind (10:30pm), O’Reilly’s Irish Pub

DAVE WHITE, 10pm, Turkey Joe’s EPIC WEDNESDAYS: Adam Baxter, 10pm, $5, Distortion

FOLK NIGHT: Jeff Pittman, 9pm, $5, The Ship JASON LACOUR, Trapper John’s Pub 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

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

THURSDAY

FEB 11

thescope.ca/events

Tickle (11pm), Shamrock City Pub

CRAIG YOUNG (solo acoustic) no cover, Fat Cat

Kevin Hehir speaks with Mikaela Dyke about Forest Production’s first effort, the story of Palestinian activist Rachel Corrie.

MOVIES LIMITED RUN THURSDAY JAN 28 AT 7PM THE BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL - New Orleans (MUN Cinema) Nicholas Cage returns in the role he was born to play...an insane person! Cage plays a whacked-out cop who abuses narcotics and runs afoul of heavies in the Big Easy. Directed by Wener Herzog (USA 2009) Empire Theatres-Avalon Mall

WEDNESDAY FEB 3 AT 7PM LUNACY (Global Cinema) In this nihilistic, blackly comedic film, two unique insane asylums are explored by disturbed protagonists. One has the inmates under lock and key, while the other lets them roam free. Directed by Jan Švankmajer (CZE 2005) $8, Inco Innovation Center auditorium

THURSDAY FEB 4 AT 7PM THE DAMNED UNITED (MUN Cinema) Biopic of Brian Clough, a man who managed the Leeds United football team for a scant 44 days. Expect cinema-goers to riot over the meaning of “football” by the film’s conclusion. Directed by Tom Hooper (UK/USA) Empire Theatres-Avalon Mall

THURSDAY FEB 11 AT 7PM A SERIOUS MAN (MUN Cinema) The latest award-winning film from Joel & Ethan Coen depicts a string of bad luck for a button-down, Midwestern Professor. What more do you need?

It’s the Coen brothers, dammit! Directed by Joel Coen, Ethan Coen (USA 2009) Empire TheatresAvalon Mall

SUNDAY FEB 7 AT 7PM FROSTY FILM FESTIVAL (Association for Arts Mount Pearl) For a collection of short films made right here in Newfoundland by Gerry Rogers, Roger Maunder, Philip Hogan & Darren Hann, $2/$3, Mount Pearl Track & Field Complex

TUESDAY FEB 9 AT 7PM

10 thescope

Between two worlds

thescope.ca

CARL PETERS & BOB TAYLOR (7pm), Middle Blues Bar

Actor Mikaela Dyke

JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 11, 2010

THE CLASS (Refugee and Immigrant Advisory Council Evening Discussion Series) In a poor Parisian neighborhood, a high-school teacher struggles with apathetic students who fear that society has no place for them. Sadly, Coolio does not provide a theme song. Directed by Laurent Cantet (FRA 2008) Discussion to follow, Centre for Social Justice-204 Water St

DAILY SHOWINGS CALL FOR TIMES AND PRICES

AVALON MALL’S EMPIRE STUDIO 12 722-5775 / MOUNT PEARL SHOPPING CENTRE EMPIRE CINEMAS 364-8527

R

achel Corrie was a 23 year old from Olympia, Washington who was run over by an Israeli Defense Forces bulldozer in 2003. She was in the Gaza Strip with the International Solidarty Movement and on the day she was killed she was protesting home demolitions. My Name is Rachel Corrie is a play fashioned from her diary and the e-mails she sent during the three months she was there.

The play stars St. John’s native Mikaela Dyke, who has a performance resumé three feet long, and a fresh MA from University of Toronto in Drama. It’s the first offering from her new company, Forest Productions.

The play has a controversial

performance history. It was first mounted in 2005 in London’s Royal Court Theatre, where it was lauded with awards, while the subsequent production at the New York Theatre Workshop the next year, was “postponed indefinitely” after pressure from Jewish groups. It did eventually run, and both the play and Rachel, a documentary film about her death continue to court debate.

For instance, five members of the board of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival resigned last summer over the film’s screening and the accompanying Q&A with Cindy Corrie, Rachel’s mother.

This particular conflict doesn’t get much attention here, and unlike campuses with outspoken Jewish

gating the murder of his daughter. One assumes that, this time, it’s personal. (Avalon Mall)

ing in on the nostalgia for their own style of animated musicals with this voodoo-inspired number. Rest assured, it’s better than Pocahontas. (Mt Pearl)

and Arab students groups (Concordia being the most prominent) MUN hasn’t been the flashpoint for protest either. Dyke acknowledges this but suggests the play is relevant in other ways.

“The question of Israel-Palestine isn’t a huge issue here that Newfoundlander think about on a daily basis because we don’t have the communities. But the reason I think it’s interesting to bring this show here is that a lot of Newfoundlanders do international human rights work and social justice work.”

For Dyke the particular question about which side is right but rather, “what is our place as North Americans to go over there, and what do we do? Are we helping? ...These are certainly issues that Rachel was dealing with and a lot of those questions come up in the script.”

“A well-written play can make us examine our perspective on real events from an angle we had never considered,” says MUN English professor Jamie Skidmore. “These insights should not only tell us something new about the event, but should force us to consider and examine ourselves” It’s obvious that this self examination has already begun for Dyke.

“I was reading the script on the subway and I started to cry,” she says. “There are lots of similaritie.

She was 23 when she died and I’m 24. ...She’s from a small town in North America, she’s interested in this stuff but doesn’t know how it fits together. She even has the same arguments with her parents that I have.”

One of the arguments that hovers over this play and the legacy of Rachel Corrie more generally is whether she was a hero and martyr for the cause of human rights, or if she was naïve. The debate will likely continue forever, but Mikaela Dyke is no naïf. She says the goal of mounting this play isn’t to present one point of view as the correct one, but to spur dialogue.

“I don’t think Rachel lived long enough to really know why she was there,’ she concludes, “I think she was still figuring it out.”

Forest Productions presents My Name is Rachel Corrie at Rabbittown Theatre from Wednesday, February 10th to Saturday, February 13th, 8pm start. Cost is $20. PayWhat-You-Can Matinee on Saturday, February 13th. Featuring Mikaela Dyke. Directed by Jessie Fraser.

ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS: The Squeakquel: The trio of singing vermin are back. Sure to be remembered as the most important sequel subtitle since Higlander 2 The Quickening and Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo. (Avalon Mall & Mt Pearl)

AVATAR: In search of a mineral called Hardtogetmium, the military threatens to eradicate the offspring of the Blue Man Group. Loosely based on The Smurfs with the military standing in for Gargamel. (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)

BOONDOCK SAINTS: Are you ready for ultraviolence? Brothers Sean Flanery and Norman Reedus are. Perhaps they’re moved by a divine spirit. Or maybe they saw Overnight and hope to ice Troy Duffy. (Avalon Mall)

EDGE OF DARKNESS: Based on the acclaimed BBC mini-series of the same name, Mel Gibson uncovers a government conspiracy when investi-

EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES: Harrison Ford stars in a rare late-period film of his without once screaming“get off my plane” or punching anyone.

Instead, he’s in a Lorenzo’s Oil, saving a sick kid scenario. (Avalon Mall)

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? (Avalon Mall)

LEAP YEAR: Do you like contrived romances? Of course you might! The plot is simple: After flying to Ireland, will Amy Adams choose her drippy beau or a new lover? (Avalon Mall & Mt Pearl)

LEGION: When Jeebus loses his faith in mankind, he sends the most deadly beings to exterminate them: angels! Also, one is dressed as an ice cream man for some reason. (Avalon Mall)

PRINCESS AND THE FROG: Disney is cash-

SHERLOCK HOLMES: The Baker Street boys are back. No, not Backstreet Boys, though they’ve been sexed up so much you’ll hardly notice.

Directed by Guy Ritchie, thankfully not starring Madonna. (Avalon Mall)

THE BOOK OF ELI: Denzel Washington stars as a rugged loner, destined to protect a sacred book. And that book’s name? Hamster Huey And The Gooey Kablooie by Bill Watterson. Available at your local library. (Avalon Mall)

THE LOVELY BONES: Peter Jackson spent years crafting this follow-up to Lord of the Rings and, um, King Kong. The result? A girl floats around an afterlife resembling an Activa commercial.

(Avalon Mall)

THE SPY NEXT DOOR: Jackie Chan is back, as you’ve always wanted to see him: babysitting kids! From the director of “Are We There Yet?”

comes more of the same. (Mt Pearl)

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. No, actually, they won’t. (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)

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)

YOUTH IN REVOLT: Michael Cera is back, mumbly as he’ll ever be. Based on the winning book of the same name, Cera adopts a false persona and wreaks havoc on his town. (Avalon Mall & Mt Pearl)

ONSCREEN

They Shoot Musicians, Don’t They?

To celebrate the launch of this year’s RPM Challenge, Adam Clarke ventured into the Batcave to watch some music documentaries. He emerged with the following advice for wouldbe music documentarians.

1) Broader Focus, Please.

These days a simple Google search will uncover all relevant press, YouTube clips and/or mugshots of just about any artist out there.

Instead of dwelling on one band, filmmakers should take a cue from Punk’s Not Dead and Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey. These are two of the best music docs in recent years because they allow a variety of musicians to retell the history they mutually created.

2) Spare The Gimmicks

One of the worst music docs in recent memory was Gigantic: A Tale Of Two Johns. A.J. Schnack’s debut

feature bungles an opportunity to get into the heads of They Might Be Giants frontmen John Flansburgh and John Linnell. Since both men are so uncomfortable on-camera and Schnack is too green to prod them into opening up, the film kills time by having b-list celebrities gush sycophantically about the band. Just because the voice of Mr. Burns thinks Lincoln is a great album doesn’t mean you should give a shit.

3) Be a Pal: Stab ‘Em In The Front And Film It

It’s no secret that many music docs are made by a friend of the band.

MUSIC

Straight-up country David Keating speaks with purveyor of tearful tunes Joe Belly.

W

ith a full year of touring ahead of him, Joe Belly is getting ready to launch his latest album, Nickles and Dimes, at the Ship.

The final pressed and packaged CD has yet to arrive, but Joe Belly is steadily making plans for a year of touring that will have him on the road until the fall of this year.

“Right now, there’s a tour to Ireland planned for July, for maybe two weeks,” he says. “Myself and Sherry (Ryan) are going to do that together. We just decided for sure to do it today.”

Other planned dates include a tour to Ontario in the late spring and performances on the Folk Festival circuit in August.

For Belly, who won the MusicNL 2008 Country Artist of the Year on the strength of his previous album Crawlin Out Of A Hole, the lessons learned from his last studio session led him to a different approach in recording the tracks for Nickles and Dimes.

“Last one, we basically did in three days,” he says. “We went in to

the studio really well rehearsed...

This one, I had a bunch of cool stuff in mind so I brought the band in

Phil Goodland, aka Joe Belly

for four or five songs. We still did the band stuff pretty quickly, but then I brought people in separately.

I brought the steel player and the fiddle player in after the fact, and then Sherry recorded some piano at our house and I had to finish some songs.

I still hadn’t finished a couple of tunes. The band hadn’t played a few songs. So it was kind of neat to do it that way- it cost more money,

After all, familiarity with your subject is the best way to catch them off guard. This is put into practice beautifully in the Flaming Lips documentary, The Fearless Freaks, wherein director Bradley Beesley refuses to shy away from the ugly side of its participants.

The suburban dystopia of Oklahoma is the poisonous centre for each of the Lips, as we see crimeridden neighbourhoods, jailbird relatives and drummer Steve Drozd’s crippling heroin addiction in all their ugliness. Even lead singer Wayne Coyne, who’s generally portrayed as a kind of space-cadet Jesus, offers no support for Drozd or his drug-mule older brother. It’s bleak, fascinating stuff.

4) Successful Musicians ≠ Successful Documentaries

Rather than the usual success story, Anvil! The Story Of Anvil is the story of a band that simply never made it.

The film opens at the peak of their fame, as lead singer Steve Kudlow is seen parading around a stage with a vibrator. This is his greatest triumph.

Twenty years later, Kudlow and his band-mates have yet to capitalize on their early success. Between day-job drudgery and sparsely-attended gigs, the boys of Anvil work on their thirteenth album in the hopes of finally being recognized.

Anvil never loses focus on the personalities, ambitions and history of the band. Nor does the film shy away from showing us how bogus Anvil’s songs are; evoking a mixture of pity and admiration from any viewer with a heart. With its mixture of humour and pathos, The Story Of Anvil is one the greatest documentaries ever made.

but the songs changed a bit more.

Whereas, the first time we kind of banged them out. There was really no room to do that. This one we kind of played around a bit more.”

Drawing on several different veins of country music for the record, the title track of Nickles and Dimes is a John Prine-inspired folk tune.

Other songs channel musicians not always considered in the country tradition, like Neil Young. Some tunes hearken back to the 50s and 60s, including a duet ballad with Sherry Ryan.

“I call what I do country,” says Belly.

“It’s got folk and blues and rock elements, but there are some straight-up country tunes. I mean, the modern country music stations wouldn’t play it, it’s not new country. To me, it’s closer to traditional country.”

Joe Belly and the Sin City Ramblers launch their new album Nickles and Dimes at The Ship on Saturday, January 30th. Supporting acts include The Domestics, The Cowan Mountain Boys and Sherry Ryan.

Visit Joe Belly online at www. myspace.com/joebelly

ONSTAGE theatre • dance & burlesque spoken & written • comedy

THEATRE

and Trixie the dancing Newfoundland dog, $25/$28.50, Arts & Culture Centre 729-3900 (Tue Feb 9 at 7:30pm)

HEARTS FOR HAITI (Red Cross benefit) Spirit of Newfoundland presents Stucco in the 80s, $10, Masonic Temple-6 Cathedral St 579-3023 (Thu Jan 28)

MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE (Forest Productions) A one woman show taken from the writings of Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old killed by an Israeli bulldozer in the Gaza Strip as she was trying to prevent the demolition of Palestinian homes. Featuring Mikaela Dyke & directed by Jessie Fraser, $20, Rabbittown Theatre-106 Freshwater Rd 739-8220 (Wed Feb 10 - Sat Feb 13 at 8pm / Pay-what-you-can matinee Sat Feb 13)

THE MONK (Rabbittown Theatre Co) An historical comedy that looks at the changing tides of Paganism to Christianity, written

by Aiden Flynn. Plus a workshop reading directed by Brad Hodder. $15 admission inc 3-course snack, Rabbittown Theatre-106 Freshwater Rd 739-8220 (Fri Jan 29 at 8pm)

PERFORMANCE &DANCE

SPOKEN &WRITTEN BOOK LAUNCH BIRTHDAY PARTY: The Events Leading Up To My Death will be launched on Ron Pumphrey’s 79th birthday, Chapters (Sat Feb 6 from 2pm-4pm)

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 Feb 11 at 7:30pm)

COMEDY DEREK SEGUIN: Stand up comedy, Yuk Yuk’s-193 Kenmount Rd 726-9857 (Thu Feb 4 at 8pm $12+/$14+/$18+; Fri Feb 5 & Sat Feb 6 at 8pm & 10:30pm $18+/$20+/$24+ w/ dinner at 6pm $47.99-$53.99)

JEAN PAUL: Stand up comedy, Yuk Yuk’s-193

Rielly, Wonderbolt Circus, magic, arts & crafts, musicians & singers, $10, Masonic Temple-6 Cathedral St 579-3023 (Sat Jan 30 from 1pm-4pm)

Kenmount Rd 726-9857 (Thu Jan 28 at 8pm $12+/$14+/$18+; Fri Jan 29 & Sat Jan 30 at 8pm & 10:30pm $18+/$20+/$24+ w/ dinner at 6pm $47.99-$53.99)

LATIN FIESTA: Dance to the infectious rhythms

MATT BILLON: Stand up comedy,

HEARTS FOR HAITI: Entertainers such as Terry

of the Caribbean, $10, Bella Vista (Fri Jan 29 at 8pm)

$12+/$14+/$18+, Yuk Yuk’s-193 Kenmount Rd 726-9857 (Thu Feb 11 at 8pm)

LATIN TUESDAYS, 8pm, $5, The Bella Vista TANGO ON THE EDGE: A social gathering to

ON THE SUNNY SIDE: Stand up comedy with

dance Argentine Tango, $5, RCA Club-10 Bennett Ave (Thursdays at 8:30pm)

TRICKSTERS (Wonderbolt Circus) NF comic and theatrical traditions combined with circus arts, Aboriginal dance and drumming. Featuring ring jugglers, sparkling spinning plates, cart wheeling acrobats, unicyclists, aerial acts, diabolo,

host George Price, $2, The Levee-Holdsworth Crt (Sundays 8pm-11pm)

SHAWN WALSH’S MUSTACHE: Open mic comedy troupe , no cover, Whalen’s Pub (Thursdays at 8pm)

THE GREAT CANADIAN LAUGH OFF, $5+/$7+/$11+, Yuk Yuk’s-193 Kenmount Rd 7269857 (Wednesdays at 8pm)

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

JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 11, 2010

thescope 11

100%localCOMICS

FREEWILLASTROLOGY

rob brezsny TELLS PISCES TO RELAX ALREADY

COMIC SANS by Andrew Power

π

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

In the coming week, I predict that you will NOT experience disgusting fascinations, smiling-faced failures, sensationalized accounts of useless developments, or bizarre fantasies in the middle of the night. You may, on the other hand, have encounters with uplifting disappointments, incendiary offers of assistance, mysterious declarations of interdependence, and uproars that provoke your awe and humility in healing ways. In other words, Aquarius, it’ll be an uncanny, perhaps controversial time for you -- but always leading in the direction of greater freedom. Happy birthday to John Young, Mike Rossiter, Brian Aylward, and Paul Warford.

∫

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

WEREBEARS AND ONLY CHILDREN by Jennifer Barrett

†

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 19)

Shakespeare got modest respect while he was alive, but his reputation as a brilliant bard didn’t gel right away. It wasn’t until almost 50 years after he died that anyone thought his life and work were notable enough to write about. By then, all his colleagues and compatriots were gone, unable to testify. He himself left little information to build a biography around. That’s why next to nothing is known about the person who made such a dramatic impact on the English language and literature. I suggest you take this as a metaphorical prod that will inspire you not to be blasé about the greatness that is in your vicinity. Don’t take superlative intelligence, talent, or love for granted.

Recognize it, bless it, be influenced by it.

‡

‘

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sep 22)

µ

LIBRA (Sep 23 – Oct 22)

freaking idea!”

Congrats on your growing ability to do more floating and less thrashing as you cascade down the stream of consciousness. I think you’re finally understanding that a little bit of chaos isn’t a sign that everything’s falling apart forever omigod the entire planet’s crashing and evil is in ascension . . . but rather that a healthy amount of bewildering unpredictability keeps things fresh and clean.

My advice is to learn to relax even more as you glide with serene amusement through the bubbling and churning waters of life.

TAURUS (Apr 20 – May 20)

French novelist Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880) is generally regarded as one of the greats. His book Madame Bovary appears on many lists of the greatest novels of all time. And yet writing didn’t come especially easy for him. He worked as hard as a ditchdigger. It wasn’t uncommon for him to spend several agonizing days in squeezing out a single page. On some occasions he literally beat his head against a wall, as if trying to dislodge the right words from their hiding place in his brain. He’s your role model in the coming week, Virgo. You can create something of value, although it may require hard labor.

My theory is that right now the whole world is in love with you. In some places, this simmering adoration is bordering on infatuation. Creatures great and small are more apt than usual to recognize what’s beautiful and original about you. As a result, wonders and marvels are likely to coalesce in your vicinity.

Is there anything you can do to ensure that events unfold in ways that will yield maximum benefits for everyone concerned? Yes: Be yourself with as much tender intensity as you can muster.

≠

SCORPIO (Oct 23 - Nov 21)

I hope that you saw the horoscope I You are the lord of all you survey! I wrote for you last week. And I hope that you swear to God! I’m almost tempted to say that acted on my advice and refrained from all you now have the power to command whirlsweating and striving and struggling. These winds and alter the course of mighty rivers! past seven days were designed by the uniAt the very least you will be able to moverse to be a time for you to recharge your bilize the ambition of everyone you psychic battery. Assuming that you encounter and brighten the future took advantage of the opportunity, of every group you’re part of! Act you should now be ready to shift HOMEWORK with confident precision, Taurus! gears. In this new phase, your Read all your long-term horoscopes here: bit.ly/ Speak with crisp authority! Your assignment is to work extra hard BigLife.

Then write your realm waits expectantly for the and extra sweet on yourself. By own long-term horoscope. transformative decisions that that I mean you should make your Share it at Truthrooster@ will issue from the fresh depths gmail.com. way down into your depths and of your emotional intelligence! change around everything that isn’t functioning with grace and power.

GEMINI (May 21 – Jun 20) Tweak your attitudes. Rearrange your It’s time for you to fly away -- to emotional flow. Be an introspective master of flee the safe pleasures that comfort you as self-refinement. well as the outmoded fixations that haunt you; to escape at least one of the galling SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21) compromises that twists your spirit as This horoscope borrows from one of well as a familiar groove that numbs your my favorite Sagittarian visionaries, Jonathan intelligence. In my astrological opinion, Zap. The advice he gives below, which is in Gemini, you need to get excited by stimuli accordance with your astrological omens, is that come from outside your known universe. designed to help you avoid the fate he warns You need fertile surprises that motivate you to against. Here it is: “Many of the significant resort to unpredictable solutions. problems in our lives are more about recognizing the obvious rather than discovering CANCER (Jun 21 – Jul 22) the mysterious or hidden. One of the classic “I never meet anyone who admits to ways we deceive and hide from ourselves is having had a happy childhood,” said writer by refusing to recognize the obvious, and Jessamyn West. “Everyone appears to think shrouding what is right before us in rationalhappiness betokens a lack of sensitivity.” I ization and false complexity. We often delay agree, and go further. Many creative people and deny necessary transformation by claimI know actually brag about how messed up ing that there is a mysterious answer hidden their early life was, as if that was a crucial from us, when actually we know the answers ingredient in turning them into the geniuses but pretend that we don’t.” (More at bit.ly/ they are today. Well, excuse me for breaking ZapOracle and Zaporacle.com.) the taboo, but I, Rob Brezsny, had a happy childhood, and it did not prevent me from CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19) becoming a sensitive artist. In fact, it helped.

It’s a good time to take inventory of all Now I ask you, my fellow Cancerian, whether the stories you allow to pour into your beautiyou’re brave enough to go against the grain ful head. Do you absorb a relentless stream of and confess that your early years had some fear-inducing news reports and violent movies wonderful moments? You’re in a phase of and gossipy tales of decline and degenerayour cycle when recalling the beauty and joy tion? Well, then, guess what: It’s the equivaof the past could be profoundly invigorating. lent, for your psyche, of eating rotting bear intestines and crud scraped off a dumpster wall LEO (Jul 23 – Aug 22) and pitchers full of trans fats from partially hyUsually I overflow with advice about drogenated oil. But maybe, on the other hand, how to access your soul’s code. I love to help you tend to expose yourself to comedies that you express the unique blueprint that sets loosen your fixations and poems that stretch you apart from everyone else. Every now and your understanding of the human condition then, though, it’s a healing balm to take a and conversations about all the things that sabbatical from exploring the intricacies of are working pretty well. If so, you’re taking your core truths. This is one of those times. good care of your precious insides; you’re fosFor the next ten days, I invite you to enjoy tering your mental health. Now please drink the privilege of being absolutely nobody. in this fresh truth from Nigerian writer Ben Revel in the pure emptiness of having no clue Okri: “Beware of the stories you read or tell; about your deep identity. If anyone asks you, subtly, at night, beneath the waters of con“Who are you?”, relish the bubbly freedom sciousness, they are altering your world.” that comes from cheerfully saying, “I have no

EVERYBODY CHEER UP by Bryan Melanson

Ω

∑

≤

MS. QUOTE by T.L. Fleming

‹

™

SECOND OPINION

HOROSCOPES 12 thescope

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)

Painted pictures

Geographic memory

Till the bitter end

Had the gift of gab

Cathy was a Jesus freak

Turning sex into a song

Kept the beat, kept it strong

Hanging by a strap

J Aquarius

JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 11, 2010

p Pisces

In the bath

Libra

n

Scorpio

(October 23 November 21)

Nothing but Perrier

j Sagittarius

L Capricorn

(November 22 – Dec 21)

(December 22 – January 19)

She’s a Scientologist

End the list

EVENTS

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

COMMUNITY

HEARTS FOR HAITI: MUN Music’s Schumann in

$5/$8, entre des Grands-Vents-65 Ridge Rd 7264900 (Sun Jan 31 at 5pm)

Love and Loss with classical performers (12pm); Gospel music (1pm); Visual artist Allain Portel presents his work accompanied by MUN Music (4pm), $10, Masonic Temple-6 Cathedral St 5793023 (Sun Jan 31)

VALENTINE (public reception) free, Centre des

THE GREAT CASAVANT ORGAN: David Drin-

LA CHANDELEUR: Mass with Pancake supper,

Grands-Vents-65 Ridge Rd 726-4900 (Thu Feb 11 at 5pm)

WINTER-EEN-MAS (Geek Society) A celebration of video games and the people that play them. Formal tournaments throughout day, as well as casual gaming of all sorts. Campus Food Bank donations accepted, Hatcher House-Pete’s Place-First Fl (Sat Jan 30 from 12pm-12am)

LECTURES& FORUMS ARTIST TALK: Join artist Helen Gregory as she discusses her exhibition Unrequited Death, The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 (Wed Feb 3 at 7pm)

CELTIC TALES OF LOVE (Coffee & Culture) Join visiting storyteller Mary Gavan for a Valentine’s Day treat as she weaves traditional tales of love and discusses their Celtic significance, The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 (Thu Feb 11 at 2:30pm)

DECODING CONTEMPORARY ART (Coffee & Culture) Join Curator Bruce Johnson for an intriguing look at decoding contemporary art, The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 (Thu Feb 4 at 2:30pm)

GETING INVOLVED: What Citizens Know About Government Programs and Why it Matters with Elisabeth Gidengil (Director of The Centre for The Study of Democratic Citizenship at McGill), Inco Centre-2001 (Thu Feb 4 at 7pm)

HISTORY SEMINAR SERIES: Dr Sonja Boon presents Pickling a Peach: The Dying, Death and Burial of Suzanne Curchod Necker (1737-1794), MUN Arts & Admin 4004 (Thu Jan 28 at 12:30pm)

HISTORY SEMINAR SERIES: Off the Beaten Path: The Relations between the Protestant Community of Loudun and the Commanderie of St John of Jerusalem, 1562-1610, MUN Arts & Admin-4004 (Thu Feb 11 at 1pm)

PROROGATION: A threat to democracy? Hot Topics series public panel discussion, free, location TBA contact noman@mun.ca for details (Thu Feb 4 at 7pm)

THE ATLANTIC ACCORD: A New-Found Vision?

Presentations on one of the most important documents in NL history with Richard Cullen (U of Hong Kong) & Wade Locke (MUN Economics).

Discussion session, Inco Innovation Centre-Lecture Theatre (Thu Feb 11 at 7:30pm)

THE MACDERMOTTS OF FORTUNE BAY (NF Historical Society) Their Three Missions, 19041934. Lecture by Garfield Fizzard, Hampton Hall, Marine Institute-155 Ridge Rd (Thu Jan 28 at 8pm)

PHILOSOPHY WINTER COLLOQUIUM: Plato and Imagination with Seamus O’Neill, MUN Science-2098 (Tue Feb 2 at 2pm)

PHILOSOPHY WINTER COLLOQUIUM: Michelle Rebidoux (Religious Studies) will present a talk titled: Encounter, Imagination and the Spiral of the Messianic in the Believing Humanism of Martin Buber, MUN Science-2098 (Tue Feb 9 at 2pm)

kell plays varied programs of sacred and secular works, free, Anglican Cathedral (Wednesdays at 1:15pm)

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 754-3474 (Sat Feb 6 & Sun Feb 7 at 1:30pm)

LASSOING LOONS: Sabina Wilhelm is studying seabirds in the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve.

She’ll show you ingenious ways to catch them and share amazing facts about them, The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 (Sun Feb 7 at 2pm & 3pm)

LIFE ON ICE: Family fun interactive program

CAPITAL TOASTMASTERS: Improve selfconfidence and overall leadership abilities for career and life, free, MUN Inco Centre-2014 6871031 (Tue Feb 2 at 7pm)

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 (Fri Feb 5 from 7pm-9pm)

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)

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) Templeton Centre-278 Duckworth St (Sun Jan 31 from 7pm-9pm)

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

TRACING AND TEXTURE: Come and play

SENIORS BRIDGING CULTURES: Tea, guest

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)

HAVA BAGEL

KNIT WITS: Drop in knitting circle, free, Anna

that explores how wetland animals react to icy winters. Learn all about water and its three states, outdoor component, story time, game, & craft session, The Fluvarium-5 Nagle’s Pl 754-3474 (Sat Jan 30 & Sun Jan 31 at 1:30pm) around with tracing paper, photographs and rubbings to create beautiful textured works of art, The Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 (Sun Jan 31 from 2pm-4pm)

216 WATER STREET

Hall-Elizabeth Av (First Tuesday of month at 8pm)

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS: Weekly meetings in St John’s area, call 738-1742 for more info speakers & conversation, Seniors Resource Centre 737-2333 (Thursdays at 2pm)

SENIORS FRIENDSHIP CLUB, Seniors Resource Centre 737-2333 (Fridays at 2pm)

SEXUAL VIOLENCE PREVENTION: For anyone interested in learning more about sexual violence, free, CNA Prince Philip Dr-Rm F206 (Mondays at 7pm)

SHAMBHALA MEDITATION GROUP:

MEETINGS& CLASSES

free classes & workshops • clubs • groups 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)

BOTANICAL BOOT CAMP: An activity-based introduction to Newfoundland plants, ecology & conservation, free but must pre-register, MUN Botanical Garden-306 Mt Scio Rd 737-8590 (Thu Jan 28 & Fri Jan 29 from 9am-4pm)

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 Hall-Council Chambers, 4th fl (Mondays at 4:30pm)

SUPER TRIVIA NIGHT, Bitter’s Pub (Thursdays from 8pm-11pm)

TAOIST TAI CHI OPEN HOUSE: Church of the Ascension-Small wood Dr, Mt.Pearl 579-5276 (Tue Feb 2 from 7pm-9pm)

THE POTTLE CENTRE: A social & recreation centre for consumers of mental health services.

New members welcome, 323 Hamilton Ave 753-2143

BUSINESS INFO SESSIONS (NLOWE) Creating

THE ROOMS: Free admission, 9 Bonaventure

Loyal Customers through Advertising, Free for women but must register 754-5555 (Wed Jan 28 at 9am)

Ave 757-8000 (Wednesdays 6pm-9pm)

BUSINESS INFO SESSIONS (NLOWE) Safety

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)

First: Minimize Your Losses and Keep Your Employees and Customers Safe, Free for women but must register 754-5555 (Thu Feb 4 at 9am)

BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT GROUP (La Leche League) The topic of discussion will be Baby Arrives: Family and the Breastfed Baby, babies welcome, free, Sobey’s-Torbay Rd 437-5097 (Mon Feb 8 at 7pm)

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 746-2399 (Mondays at 7:30pm)

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)

BENEFIT CONCERT FOR HAITI: Pop, folk and gospel performed by Avalonia, 4 for Song and Jacob’s Passage, by donation, St Augustine’s Church-1 Westerland Rd (Sun Jan 31 at 2:30pm)

CHORAL EVENSONG, free-will offering, Anglican Cathedral (Sundays at 6:30pm)

HARMONY FOR HAITI (Humanitarian Coalition benefit) The Philharmonic Choir, Bill Brennan, Les Ms, Graham Wells, Billy Sutton, Duncan Cameron & Dave Clarke, STEP Fiddlers, QVE’s Afterglow and hosted by Ramona Dearing, $15 suggested donation, Gower Street United Church (Sun Jan 31 at 3pm)

HEARTS FOR HAITI: Soloists, duos, trios & dance bands, $10, Masonic Temple-6 Cathedral St 579-3023 (Fri Jan 29 from 4pm-12am)

WE LOVE LISTS! PRESENTS: THE TOP 5 WONDER WOMAN VILLAINS

1) Erm...

2) Uh...

Hmm... Didn’t think that one through.

JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 11, 2010

thescope 13

SAVAGELOVE

thescope

sex and love and love and sex

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

Jobs

PHOTO CONTEST: Library Association NL

ARE YOU INTERESTED in beginning a

seeks photos about free expression, freedom from censorship, anything that promotes the written word or highlights the importance of reading. If you have a camera and live in the province, you can enter! Deadline February 28. Details at www.nlla.ca

career in the field of early child care and education? Our FREE employment program provides entry-level certificates, hands-on work experience and a guaranteed job interview upon completion. Call the Makin’ it Work! program for more info at 237-4991.

ASSOCIATION OF NEW CANADIANS

THE GLOBAL EDUCATION INITIATIVE

Are you interested in meeting people from different cultures? We are looking for volunteers to provide social and/or language support to newcomers. Interested? Please call 722-9680.

is recruiting a webmaster to help update our website (www.globaleducationinitiative.ca) and help us connect with communities across the province via web technologies. Deadline to apply is January 31. For details on how to apply, see this ad at thescope.ca/classifieds/

Housing LOOKING FOR ROOMATE: Freshly

ARTIST MODEL I am an experienced male

renovated room for rent in DT apartment 650.00 everything included with new double bed. Must like cats, be clean and neat, female prefered. I am a mature student at MUN. 709-576-0740

model available to pose nude for amateur or professional figurative artists and art students in private sessions or for small groups. Contact at thescope.ca/classifieds for more information.

For Sale COMPLETE BUSINESS: Kilns, Moulds, Ceramics: 3 large 220V kilns for ceramics, approximately 1500 assorted ceramic moulds, glazes, reclaimer & table, instructions, and more. Value of $30,000. Package deal $6500 but may take partial, interesting trades. Cell - 740-7659

To place an ad, visit thescope.ca/classifieds

I’m a single (mostly) gay guy who is curious about women. A hot bisexual mate is interested in a friends-with-benefits arrangement. I’m not looking for an LTR just now, so regular, no-strings sex sounds great.

However, his girlfriend doesn’t know he’s bisexual, and I’d feel uncomfortable having sex with him behind her back. I’ve said no to guys in the past, bi and gay, because they wanted to go behind their partners’ backs.

My mate would like his girlfriend to know about him because he’d really like to have threesomes with her (something I’m up for), but he’s worried about how she’ll react.

Personally, I’d be more concerned about how she might react if she found out about his sexuality some other way. That’s one reason why I always err on the side of honesty. However, I’m not exactly unbiased: I’d prefer threesomes to dicks-only sessions.

What should I do?

HORNY HOMO

A

How about a little honesty mixed with a little dishonesty?

Your mate should offer his girlfriend the boy-girl-boy threesome that all of today’s modern young women fantasize about. (Blame Twilight— why can’t Bella have it all?) If your mate is worried that she’ll react negatively to the suggestion, he can open by telling her that what he’s about to propose was all your idea. She’ll want to know if his gay-but-bi-curious mate—that’s Dan Savage going mail@savagelove.net you—is to want to get into his presumed-to-be-straight pants. Your mate should shrug and say, “Maybe…” and depending on the look on her face when

the possibility of Edward-on-Jacob action is raised—disgusted or intrigued?—end with either “…but I don’t think I’m interested in going there” (leaving open the possibility of “getting carried away” and “going there” during the threesome) or “…and I might go there if that would turn you on” (making any boy-on-boy action at the threesome something he did for her).

If the threesome is a success and you two wind up playing with and in front of her, HH, your mate can come to the sudden and shocking realization that he’s bisexual. This will hopefully lead to future threesomes and, perhaps, at some point, her blessing for some boys-only time. If she objects, HH, your mate can blame her for “making” him bisexual—or making him realize it—because he fell on your sword that first time because it was what she wanted.

••• I’m a woman whose “superhetero” boyfriend is quite shy and needs to build trust before he can open up to someone.

Since I have gained his trust, he has revealed that he fantasizes about m-m-f threesomes.

I’ve asked him if he is turned on by the idea of another man’s penis, and he says no, he just wants to see me have sex with another man.

Yet when he describes his dirtiest fantasies to me at the peak of arousal, he says he gets off on the idea of double penetration—one penis in my anus, another in my vagina—and wants to feel the other man’s penis bump up against his own, separated by my innards.

Do you think he is bisexual or bi-curious?

We intend to enact this fantasy, and I wonder if it could shift the dynamic of our relationship.

THREESOME CURIOUS

Q

A

It can be hard to predict whether a man will have an epiphany during an m-m-f threesome and come to the sudden and shocking realization that he’s bisexual. (Um… does your boyfriend refer to his male friends as “mate,” by any chance? Is he a fan of the Twilight series?) He’s obviously more aroused by malemale contact than he’s capable of admitting when he isn’t about to blow a load, TC. This fantasy of his isn’t about, or isn’t just about, wanting to gangbang a girl with a buddy. Your boyfriend wants to bump penises with another dude—but with your, um, lady “innards” providing the “no homo” absolution.

But I don’t think you need to extract a full confession of bi-curiousness or even heteroflexibility before you realize this fantasy. He may not be in denial about what his desires add up to, TC. He just may want to check his fantasies about male-male contact against the reality of male-male contact before he tells you what he suspects: He’s the tiniest bit bisexual.

•••

Q

I have an uncle who calls me “faggot” whenever he and I are alone in the same room. He’s a conservative, straight Mormon.

I’m a boy who’s had sexual encounters with guys and girls, and I’m trying to figure out my own sexuality while dealing with all of the other stuff that comes with going off to college, and frankly I don’t need his crap. Do I tell my parents? I’m kind of bi right now, so he’s half right, but what business is it of his?

UNCERTAIN NEPHEW CRAVING LEVELHEADED EXPLANATION

A

Your uncle is hitting on you, UNCLE, in his fashion—that is, the fashion of the tormented, self-hating, conservative/religious closet case. If you don’t wanna find yourself standing there with your uncle’s tongue stuffed in your mouth someday—you’d be surprised how quickly someone can stuff his tongue in your mouth—I would advise you not to spend another moment alone with your asshole uncle. And, yes, tell your parents what he’s been doing. Because, UNCLE, if he ever makes a pass at you and a scene ensues—you scream, you yell, you bite his tongue off and spit it out the window—your uncle is going to insist that you made the pass at him.

•••

Q

I’m a 31-year-old gay man.

My boyfriend and I have been together for five years. We have enjoyed a few threesomes with other men, so I assumed I could share a particular fantasy of mine: I’ve never had sex with a woman and I want to.

I am not questioning my sexuality, I’m not “bi,” I have zero desire to date women. But my boyfriend immediately accused me of having issues with my sexuality, and after a two-week fight I dropped it. Fast-forward to just before Christmas: I received a promotion, moved to a new floor, and have my own office now— and one of my new female coworkers has been coming on to me. First problem: She’s married, so that would be crossing a line.

Second, we’re coworkers and she has even more to lose than I do.

Is there some other way—I already tried the direct approach—to bring this fantasy up to my boyfriend again, or should I just let it go?

FLIRTING WITH DANGER

A

I’m shocked that your boyfriend—a man who’s willing to share his boyfriend’s ass with other men— would react so violently to your curiosity about lady innards. But seeing as the direct approach prompted a two-weeklong fight, FWD, I can’t imagine you would have much more success with the indirect approach. (I can’t imagine what the indirect approach would be.)

Since you’re not strictly monogamous and the boyfriend’s not strictly rational about this, FWD, a case could be made for satisfying your lady-innards curiosity on the sly and filing the affair under “what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” But I can’t think of a worse set of lady innards to satisfy your curiosity with than this woman’s. You could wind up losing your job and your boyfriend if the affair got ugly and got out.

Wait, FWD, wait. In time, some other gayoutards-curious lady will come along, and perhaps by then your boyfriend will have come around.

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cute but sophisticated

14 thescope

JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 11, 2010

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ONDISPLAY galleries • museums

GALLERIES OPENING ALAIN POTREL NEW PAINTINGS: Abstract paintings exhibition & sale, Masonic Temple-6 Cathedral St 579-3023 (Opening reception Sun Jan 31 from 3pm-5pm) (Ends Feb 6)

GET BAKED! Art for your sweet tooth: Local artists display and sell a visual feast of mixed media art inspired by the cupcake, Arts & Culture Centre 729-3900 (Fri Feb 5 - Sun Feb 7)

LEVITATIONS: Sculpture by artist-in-residence Ben Rigby (UK), free, A1C Gallery-8 Clift’s-Baird’s Cove 237-0427 (Opening reception Fri Feb 5 at 8pm / Artist talk Tue Feb 9 at 7pm)

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 (Opening reception Sat Feb 6 from 2pm-4pm)

NIGHT LIGHTS OF ST. John’s: When the sun sets and the lights come on the city wears a different mantle. Night lights highlight the streets and structures, showing them with fewer imperfections and creating a mysterious ambiance, Red Ochre Gallery-96 Duckworth St 726-6422 (Opening reception Fri Feb 5 from 5pm-8pm)

ONGOING survival packs for drag queens and queers for the post-apocalypse. Each purse contains a home adorned with found objects and reclaimed materials, Eastern Edge Gallery-72 Harbour Dr 739-1882

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’ city-scape charcoals capture the colourful spirit of St John’s in black & white, Peter Lewis Gallery-5 Church Hill 722-6009

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

LYNDON KEATING: Photographed cityscapes, landscapes and places of interest, Peter Lewis Gallery-5 Church Hill 722-6009

PLAYING WITH DIMENSIONS: Boxes, vessels,

NEW WORKS: By Gerald Squires, Esther

sculpture and images from Saskatchewan that take risks, show innovation and surpass expectations, Craft Council-59 Duckworth St 753-2749 (Opening reception Sat Feb 6 from 2pm-4pm)

Squires, George Horan, Julia Pickard, Sharon Puddester, Gerald Squires Gallery-52 Prescott St 722-2207

SAGSRI: The Suitcase Art Gallery Space Research

RAE PERLIN: An exhibition of work by the be-

Institute’s Michael McCormack (NS) launches an installation of the mission’s work to date - its continuing struggle to compete in the ‘space race’ - and the story of exploration and its affects, Eastern Edge Gallery-72 Harbour Dr 739-1882

loved Newfoundland artist, writer and nurse who would have been 100 this year, Leyton GalleryClift’s-Baird’s Cove 722-7177 (Opening reception on Sat Jan 30)

TOTAL EXPOSURE 2010: Showcasing the talent of CNA’s Graphic Design and Print and Production students along with a variety of local artists, admission is a non-perishable food item, Prince Philip Drive campus (Thu Feb 4 from 6pm-9pm)

Rooms-9 Bonaventure Ave 757-8000 (Ends Feb 3)

AFTERBLAST: Jason Penney (NL/UK) presents

MUSEUMS 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

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

~ HonorŽ de Balzac

Wishing you a Happy ValentineÕs Day!

under the surface of Nagle’s Hill Brook. Spot fish, insects & plants in natural habitat plus interactive exhibits, 5 Nagle’s Place 754-3474

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 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 featur-

LAST CHANCE

ing 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

UNREQUITED DEATH: Helen Gregory: Death,

INCREDIBLE INSECTS: Come face to face

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

of NF rocks, minerals & botanical park, 175 Signal Hill Rd 737-7880

Great love affairs start with Champagne and end with tisane.

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

JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 11, 2010

thescope 15

fair trade recycled materials biodegradable substances

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

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unite!

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S ASTELRLYM E M TI LOCA D IS A NED AN OW ERATED OP PANY! COM

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