Our friend Teresa, a radiation tech at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, volunteers at the SPCA. Lately she has posted photos of impounded dogs in the nuclear medicine department. On Monday, this caused a hospital visitor to remark that he really should get over to the SPCA and look for a new dog. His beloved labrador had died several months ago. "I have pictures on my iPhone of all the dogs up for adoption, if you'd like to scroll through them," Teresa offered. The man did just that, until he came upon this photo:   "That's Cheesie!" the man said. "That's my friend's dog!" He...

12 July, 2011

And what kind? David McCandless of Information is Beautiful has the graphic details. (Which turn out to be complicated, especially for pale-faced contrarians.) Supporting data here....

12 July, 2011

(l to r) Producer Nelson MacDonald, Director Ashley McKenzie, and screenwriter Christine Comeau celebrate the underdog victory of their short film RHONDA'S PARTY in CBC'-TV's Short Film Faceoff at a gathering of friends, crew, and admirers in Darrel's Sport Bar, Halifax, Saturday night, as the TV monitor shows McKenzie being interviewed on the program. The room exploded in cheers and whoops when CBC host Steve Patterson announced that McKenzie and MacDonald, both of New Waterford, had beaten out films from Vancouver and Montreal in viewer voting. The victory brings the young filmmakers $40,000 cash and $10,000 in equipment and supplies toward...

09 July, 2011

A roll call of Cape Breton musical greats gathered at the Dubinsky Family farm in Englishtown Sunday to celebrate the 70th (!) birthday of songwriter Leon Dubinsky (Rise Again; Josephine, She's Got Her Diamond; Workin' at the Woolco). Pictured here are Angelo Spinazzola, Ronnie "Drive'er McIvor" MacEachern, Fred Lavery, Scott MacMillan, Evie Dubinsky Carnat, and Leon. Singer Max MacDonald and keyboardist Ralph Dillon, original members of Buddy and the Boys, were also on hand. The party, which also drew generous representation from Cape Breton's dwindling Jewish community, included tributes to Leon and Evie's father, ship chandler Newman Dubinsky, whose legendary summer...

04 July, 2011

[caption id="attachment_8330" align="alignright" width="301" caption="Director Ashey McKenzie confers with cast member"][/caption] A few years ago, two Dal SMU students from New Waterford showed up at one of my movies and offered to help. Within a few weeks, they were organizing film selections for the following season, and doing a better job of it than I ever had. In their spare time, Ashley McKenzie and Nelson MacDonald organized the Coastal Arts Initiative which borrowed a basement room in former convent, transformed it into a cool exhibition space, and put on a series of innovative shows by a bunch of young New Waterford...

02 July, 2011

Civil Rights activist Warren Reed took the time to read the complex documents setting forth the Dexter Government's furtive plan to slash medical benefits for residents of special care homes. The documents were posted here last night. The Dexter Government shelved the plan, which would have required residents making less than $2,000 per year to pay for needed medical supplies, dental treatments, vision care, and certain drugs including, in some cases, insulin and anti-seizure medication. The unannounced cuts, developed without consultation, were to have been implemented Canada Day, but were put on hold late Thursday after the Canadian Press wire...

01 July, 2011