Verb Issue R36 (July 13-19, 2012)

Free weekly Jul 13–19, 2012 • Pass it on

Verb

Photo: courtesy of the artist

VerbRecord Number EmployedResource Industries Drive Growth In SK P2

Belle PlainPrairie Singer Talks 1940’s Appeal P10

Ness Creek Music FestivalGet Ready To Enjoy Some Great Live Music P6

Ice Age: Continental DriftThis Franchise Needs To Become Extinct P15

THE

BESNARD LAKESMontreal Rockers On Experimentation,

And Keeping Music Accessible P9

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comLocalPage 2

Jul 13–19, ‘12VerbNews.com

SK Hits New Record Number Of EmployedResource Industries Driving Growth, Opposition Eyes Rising UnemploymentAlEx J MAcPhERsOn

REGINA, SK — Saskatchewan’s population is swelling, and so is the number of people working. In fact, more people have jobs now than at any time in provincial history — a fact the government says is seriously good news.

“What stands out is the fact that we’re getting strong attention from outside the province,” says Alastair MacFadden, executive director la-bour market policy and program development at saskatchewan Ministry of the Economy.

“For people thinking of coming here, they can see that there is a

future in this province.”MacFadden says that “at a basic

level” it’s fair to say that job growth is an indicator of economic vitality.

last month, 548,900 saskatch-ewan residents had jobs, over 82 percent of which were full-tine posi-tions.

About 13,300 jobs have been created since last June, according to statistics canada.

The unemployment rate, which at 4.5 percent is substantially lower than the national average, is grow-ing. MacFadden isn’t worried; he sees growth in unemployment as

a corollary of overall growth.“If the population grows faster

than the economy can absorb those people, you see changes in the unemployment rate,” he explains, noting that many people come to

saskatchewan without a job offer.

MacFadden says he doesn’t think a trend is

developing, but he does agree that more can always be done to connect people with jobs.

he cites a 13 percent increase in traffic on saskJobs.ca, the govern-ment job search website, as a start-ing point: “When the worker from outside saskatchewan can connect with those job opportunities, and arrives here with a job, that helps to support the employment rate.”

At the same time, MacFadden says similar growth in Alberta and Manitoba means saskatchewan must “distinguish itself as the des-tination of choice.”

“We’re competing in a global market for talent now,” he explains. “People need to see our employers as the employers of choice and they need to see our province as the destination of choice.”

It is no secret that much of sas-katchewan’s wealth is derived from resource revenue, but MacFadden points out that primary industries require support from all sectors of the economy.

You don’t have success in miner-als or petroleum, he says, without support from other professions like accountants, scientists and food

service workers.cam Broten, opposition critic

for advanced education employ-ment, is concerned about the rising unemployment figure. The number of unemployed people has risen by 1,700 since last June, to 25,600, he says, adding that it’s important to remember the individuals.

“Those are actual people,” he says.

“I think it’s important to remem-ber the actual families. Over the last few months it’s good to see increases in job growth, but when we look at the overall picture [the government] has been having con-cerns along the way.”

Broten is worried that the province’s reputation is suffering abroad.

he says recent changes to the saskatchewan Immigrant nominee Program, which is intended to bring foreign workers into the province, have left the initiative “gutted”.

“Word of those actions does in-deed spread to…people who might be moving to saskatchewan from other provinces,” he says.

“It’ll be interesting to see what role those changes, which I think are short-sighted, may in fact have when we look at the numbers in the coming months,” he says.

Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

“We’re competing in a global market for talent now.”

-Alastair MacFadden

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comLocalPage 3

Jul 13–19, ‘12VerbNews.com

Problem Drinking Reduced By Price Hikecharging More For high-Alcohol Products lessens healthcare, Policing costsAlEx J MAcPhERsOn

REGINA, SK — A provincial government policy that raised the price of several high-alcohol products appears to be influenc-ing problem drinking, the Sas-katchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) says.

On April 1st, 2010, the govern-ment implemented a “social ref-erence price” policy, a price floor established for different types of alcohol. Meant to curb abuse of high-alcohol products with low wholesale prices, the social refer-ence price is based on the volume

of alcohol in a given product. Other provinces have social reference prices, but saskatchewan is the only one to link alcohol content and price. In to-tal, 34 products — mainly malt liquor and cheap wine — were affected, with prices growing by as much as 40 percent.

“What we’re trying to do is miti-gate the harm,” Jim Engel, slGA vice-president of policy and plan-ning, told the StarPhoenix.

slGA’s figures suggest the price hike created a slump in sales of

“high-risk” products. high-alcohol beer sales have fallen dramatically since the increase, from 534,700

litres sold in the 2009/2010 fiscal year, to 109,600 li-tres in 2011/2012. sales of miscel-l a n e o u s w i n e

products like sherry also took a nosedive, dropping from 299,700 litres in 2009/2010 to 203,500 litres in 2011/2012.

“When you reduce the amount of pure alcohol consumption … all the negative consequences are reduced,” Engel said.

Engel stated these consequenc-es include the cost of healthcare, policing and domestic violence.

colleen Dell, research chair in substance abuse at the University of saskatchewan, thinks the price increase will be a deterrent. not-ing that binge drinking can have very serious consequences, Dell says most people won’t dish out the money to pay for the higher alcohol content.

“Why should you be getting larger amounts of alcohol for [less] money?” she says, adding that alco-hol abuse costs canadian taxpayers upwards of $18 billion each year, a

figure that includes lost productiv-ity and healthcare.

“I’m really happy with [this change] because … we have cre-ated change based on evidence, not based on ideology.”

While critics of the policy have claimed that there does not ap-pear to be a correlation between the volume of sales and the actual consumption of the liquor, Dell points out that the numbers are still encouraging.

“I think a lot of provinces and territories can learn from [this],” she says.

Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

“I think a lot of provinces and territories can learn from [this].”

-Colleen Dell

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comGlobalPage 4

Jul 13–19, ‘12VerbNews.com

SMART HEADLIGHTS — Anyone who as ever driven through a heavy rain or snow storm knows how frustrating and treacherous the white-knuckled experi-ence can be. But very soon things may be different. That’s because researchers at carnegie Mellon University’s Robot-ics Institute have developed a new “smart headlight” that uses a sensor

and thousands of tiny mirrors to only shine light between drops of precipi-tation lessening glare and greatly im-proving visibility. “If you’re driving in a thunderstorm, the smart headlights will make it seem like a drizzle,“ says srini-vasa narasimhan, associate professor of robotics at the institute. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Global At A Glance

‘Air Quotes’ Least PopularGesture Voted Most Annoying In British PollADAM hAWBOlDT

WORCESTER, ENGLAND — Do air quotes drive you crazy?

You know, when people curl their index and middle fingers to make imaginary quotation marks to emphasize a point or to be sarcastic.

If you can’t stand them, you’re not alone.

In a recent survey conducted in

England, air quotes were named the most irritating hand gesture used in daily communication.

It finished ahead of “talk to the hand” (when someone extends their hand, open palm forward,

while looking away), “mind your own business” (touching a finger to one’s nose) and “blah blah blah” (when someone imitates a chatty mouth with their hand, like a sock puppet talking).

“We all use hand gestures to express ourselves from time to time and some have a stronger place in our daily communication than others,” says a spokesperson for Ventutec limited, the software developer that commissioned the study.

“some can be seen as patron-izing or unnecessarily dramatic,

which is probably why so many of us find them a little tedious.”

The study, which asked 2,000 Britons about the most irsksome non-obscene gestures, found that one in four people tried to avoid using hand gestures.

What’s more, a third of those poled said they were less likely to trust someone who uses too many hand gestures.

“Using too many [gestures] or simply some of the more annoying ones is a sure-fire way to losing credibility,” adds the spokesperson.

Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

“Some [gestures] can be seen as patronizing or unnecessarily dramatic…”

-Ventutec Limited

house Pets Keep Babies healthyADAM hAWBOlDT

KUOPIO, FInlAnD — There are some excellent reasons to own a pet. They’re cute, loyal, they make great companions and are an end-less source of amusement.

Oh, and they also make your children healthier.

A recent study out of Finland found that chil-dren born into families with a cat or dog seem to be better able to ward off certain ill-nesses than kids reared in pet-less families.

The study, published in next month’s issue of Pediatrics, followed 397 children from before birth up until they were one year old, not-ing how many times they came in contact with their family dog or cat each week.

The kids who had the most in-teraction with these animals had

fewer respiratory issues and ear infections.

What’s more, when they did get sick, they needed less medication than the other infants.

Outdoor dogs were the best for keeping kids healthy, followed by indoor dogs and then cats.

“ We specu-lated that the more the dog is outside, the more dir t (and mi -crobes) it might bring inside,” says

Dr. Eija Bergoroth, a pediatrician involved with the study.

“The microbes in the dirt might somehow stimulate the child’s im-mune system and the immunologic responses to respiratory viruses and bacteria later could then be more composed,” said Bergroth.

“Or it might be something to do with the dog itself as an animal, like dander, but this also unsure.”

Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

“The microbes in the dirt [in a pet’s coat] might somehow stimulate the child’s immune system…”

-Eija Bergoroth

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comGlobalPage 5

Jul 13–19, ‘12VerbNews.com

CRIME PREDICTOR — Police in santa cruz are using technology to help them predict crimes. no, it isn’t as sophisticat-ed and as morally questionable as the technology used in the movie Minority Report. The program is called PredPoli, and it calculates its crime forecasts by taking times and locations of previous

crimes and cross-referencing them with sociological information about criminal behavior and patterns. cops then get a map of the city marked with small red squares indicating the 500 by 500 foot zones in which each type of crime is likely to occur. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Global At A Glance

learning skills While You sleep Possible: studyADAM hAWBOlDT

EVAnsTOn, Il — It turns out the concept of “learning in your sleep” isn’t science fiction after all.

In a study at northwestern University in Illinois, participants

learned how to play two artificially generated musical tunes with well-timed key presses. Then, while the participants took a 90-minute nap, researchers softly played them one of the tunes they’d practiced.

After waking, participants made

fewer errors when playing the tune they heard while they slept.

“Our results [show] that external stimulation during sleep can influ-ence a complex skill,” says study author Ken A. Paller.

Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Breast Size GeneResearchers Identify DnA linkADAM hAWBOlDT

MOuNTAIN VIEW, CA — Re-searchers have identified seven genetic markers that are intri-cately linked to a woman’s breast size.

It has long been known that breast size is, in part, passed down from generation to generation.

however, this research is the f irst to locate specific genetic factors that ap-pear to determine the size of a woman’s breasts.

The study, conducted by ge-netic testing company 23andMe, analyzed genetic data from 16,175 females of European ancestry.

The researchers then compared the data to the women’s answers

to survey questions that included their bra cup size and band size.

The results showed a link, and the scientists also noted that two of the seven genetic markers for breast size have previously been linked to breast cancer.

This suggests, at least to lead researcher nicholas Erikkson, that

some of the same pathways that determine breast growth also de-termine breast cancer.

Previous stud-ies have found that larger breast size is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer — especially in lean women.

The study has been published online in the journal BMC Medical Genetics.

Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

“[L]arger breast size is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer…”

-Adam Hawboldt

FeaturePage 6Jul 13–19, ‘12VerbNews.com

Ness Creek Festival Celebrates 22 YearsAnnual Event Features Great live Music, Eco Village, Focus On sustainabilitysEBAsTIEn DAnGERFIElD

REGINA, SK — The first time Jaki French attended the Ness Creek music festival she knew it was special.

“It was the community engage-ment,” explains French. “Even though it’s a large event, the first time I went there it still felt like one big community.”

That first visit came back in 1994. now, 18 years later, French is the festival’s administrative director and says the festival has remained true to its roots.

“When it began, it was called the Ecological Fair, which was basically

a bunch of people who came to-gether, held ecological workshops, had music,” says French.

now in its 22nd year, the festival may be called something different and may be much, much bigger, but the same ethos that started it all still governs the event.

“We have an eco village where vendors share different sustain-able products and services. We also have a green dream team, where we partnered with Affinity credit Union to look at educational and practical greening initiatives for the festival — from recycling to composting,” explains French.

“Part of the identity of the fes-tival is that it’s in the boreal forest. We have a strong ecological bent

because we want to protect that part of the forest and make our impact as light as it can be.”

not only do organizers want to limit their environment impact, they also want to promote wellness,

sustainability and excellent music.so on the music side of things

they’ve put together a formidable lineup that consists of acts such as Whitehorse, castle River, We Were lovers, Belle Plaine and Indigo Jo-seph, to name just a few.

The last name on that list — Indi-go Joseph — is an up-and-coming rock band from Regina.

And like French nearly two de-cades before, this will be the first trip to ness creek for the talented quartet.

“never played and never been,” says drummer Eric Tessier. “But in both cases we’re very excited. We have a lot of friends who’ve gone over the years, and, increasingly, we’ve been hearing more and more great things about it. It’s for sure going to be the highlight of our summer.”

Also like French, the guys in Indigo Joseph understands the

inherent closeness and together-ness that’s fostered at ness creek.

“From what we can tell it’s very much a community,” says Tessier. “It’s a great chance to meet people up close and personal. At a festi-val like this you’re there overnight, usually. People are all camping to-gether, sitting around fires listening to music and sharing stories. In a setting like that, you really have a chance to get to know the people you’re playing with better, other bands and fans. Festivals are the greatest thing for both musicians and music fans a like.”

so if you’re interested in attend-ing the this year’s ness creek Music Festival (which, by the way, is held in Big River and runs from July 19th to the 22nd) visit the website at www.nesscreek.com. There you’ll find tickets, information about all the different musical acts, and more.

Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Photos: courtesy of D. Gale & J. McKnight

“[T]he first time I went [to Ness Creek] it still felt like one big community.”

-Jaki French

OffbeatPage 7Jul 13–19, ‘12VerbNews.com

Drunk cows Give Better BeefADAM hAWBOlDT

lUnEl-VIEl, FRAncE — lucky cows on a farm in France are en-joying two bottles of high quality wine per day, as farmers attempt to create the best beef in Europe.

Farmer Jean-charles Tastavy says the diet leads to “happy cows” who produce an e x c e p t i o n a l l y succulent meat dubbed “Vinbovin”.

“For each animal, alcohol intake should be equivalent to the amount recommended by health authori-ties for a man - namely two or three glasses of wine a day,” says Tastavy.

“In the case of cows, this amounts to between a litre and a

litre-and-a-half a day.”After first giving the cows a sim-

ple mixture of grapes and water, their daily libations were upgraded to bottles of wine from saint-Genies des Mourgues — a village near Montpellier renowned for its vino.

The resulting meat is delicious, a c c o r d i n g t o Michelin-starred ch e f, l au re nt Pourcel.

“It has a very special texture — beautiful, marbled and tender, and which caramelizes during cooking,” he explains.

The only real downside of vinbo-vin is its price, as a prime cut sells for over $120 more than regular meat.

Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

EDIBLE CRICKETS — Would you eat an energy bar made from crickets? Pat crowley, owner of a company called chapul, is betting you will. The new snacks are made from baked crickets that are ground up into a powder and then mixed with other ingredients. so far there are two flavours: peanut but-ter and chocolate; and a Thai-inspired ginger, coconut and lime bar. The pro-cess by which the bars are made is derived from the ancient Aztecs, who used crickets as part of their diet. Feed-back? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Offbeat At A Glance

World’s Oldest Purse Unearthed In GermanyADAM hAWBOlDT

lEIPzIG, GERMAnY — Excava-tors have recently unearthed what could be the world’s oldest purse in a grave dated between 2,500 and 2,200 B.c.

Diggers preparing the area to become a mine found more than a hundred dog teeth in a small grid.

“Over the years the leather or fabric disappeared, and all that’s

left is the teeth,” says archaeologist susanne Friedrich.

“They’re all pointing in the same

direction, so it looks a lot like a mod-ern handbag flap.”

Other archeological treasures

from the site include stone and Bronze Age settlements, hundreds of stone spear points, tools, ceram-ics, buttons and an amber necklace.

As rare as the purse may be, it appears dogs were very common in stone Age Europe.

Researchers say the number of teeth located in graves from that era suggests that dogs were kept as livestock as well as pets.

Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Drive-A-Tank BusinessPay some cash, crush cars And Mobile homesADAM hAWBOlDT

K ASOTA, MINNESOTA — Quick question: How much would you pay to shoot a machine gun, then hop in a tank and drive around destroying things?

If you go to Minnesota-based company Drive-A-Tank, the price you pay will depend on what it is you want to destroy.

For instance, if you want to test three guns at an indoor range then drive a tank and an armoured per-sonnel carrier in a battle simulation, that’ll cost you $549.

To crush a junk car with the tank,

it’s an extra $549. To drive over two cars costs an extra $749.

And for those of you with some extra dough, you can pay $3,500 and drive the tank straight through the side of a mo-bile home.

located on a 20-acre site about 80 kilometres outside of Minneapo-lis, Drive-A-Tank provides a service that you don’t see every day.

“It’s the only place in the world where you can drive tanks and shoot machine guns that isn’t owned by the government,” owner

Tony Borglum told ABcnews.com.“It’s not real complicated. If you

want to drive a tank and shoot ma-chine guns you come to us.”

The 25-year-old opened the business three years ago, and is now the owner of 11 cold War-

era vehicles and a wide array of historic machine guns.

And business is booming, with nearly a third of the available dates between now and October already fully booked.

Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

“If you want to drive a tank and shoot machine guns you come to us.=”

-Tony Borglum

“[The artifact] looks a lot like a modern handbag flap.”

-Susanne Friedrich

“[The meat] has a very special texture — beautiful, marbled and tender…”

-Laurent Pourcel

MusicPage 8Jul 13–19, ‘12VerbNews.com

Friday 13DJ PAT & DJ KIM — local DJs spin Top 40 hits every Friday night that are sure to get you on the dance floor. 9pm,Habano’s Martini & Cocktail Club. $5 at the door.

ALAIN LALONDE — come check out this dope local DJ/producer as he does his thing and spins the kind of sound that’ll make you wan-na dance. 7pm, The Hookah Lounge. no cover.

DAN SILLJER BAND — This local left-handed guitarist and his band will knock (and rock) your socks off. 10pm, McNally’s Tavern. cover $5.

ALBERT — Appearing ev-ery Friday night, come listen to Albert as he does his spin-ning thing. 10pm, Pure Ultra Lounge. cover $5.

THE STEVE BROCKLEY BAND — After winning over audiences in Montreal, this wildly talented folk trio is hitting the road again to show canada what it’s been missing. Also appearing will be local band Black Drink crier. 9pm, O’Hanlon’s Pub. no cover.

Saturday 14DJ NOOR — Born in Kuwait and exposed to the interna-tional club scene at a young age, this talented DJ knows how to rock a crowd. 7pm, The Hookah Lounge. cover $5.DREWSKI — come on down and dance the night away with this local DJ, do-ing what he does best every saturday night. 9pm, Pure Ultra Lounge. cover $5.

Monday 16MONDAY NIGHT JAzz — Featuring shane Reoch, classic blues from Regina’s friendliest bluesman. 8pm, Bushwakker Brewpub. no cover.

Tuesday 17LIVING WITH LIONS, DAY-TRADER, MAJOR LEAGuE — If you like punk music —whether it be punk rock, pop punk, post punk, whatever — you probably won’t want to miss this show. 6pm, The Exchange. Tickets $15, avail-able at www.ticketedge.caKARAOKE TuESDAY — Famous live music venue

offers its patrons a chance to share the stage. 8pm, Mc-Nally’s Tavern. no cover.

THE MACEVOY’S — This local four piece play an in-teresting mix of cover songs you’ll be singing along to. come out and enjoy the mu-sic. 9pm, O’Hanlon’s Pub. no cover.

Wednesday 18WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOLK — Featuring Flying Fox and the hunter Gatherers, one of Winnipeg’s must see musi-cal acts returns for an encore performance. 9pm, Bush-wakker Brewpub. no cover.

THE TWO TuBES — These hard-rocking locals play mu-sic that’s loud and in-your-face. 7:30pm, The Exchange. Tickets $10 at the door.

JAM NIGHT/OPEN STAGE — Feel like listening to peo-ple jam? how about playing music? come on down. The instruments are supplied. 9pm, McNally’s Tavern. no cover.

Thursday 19NAzARETH — chances are you’ve heard the song “love hurts,” so chances are you know exactly who these hard-rockers from scotland are. Don’t miss the show. 8pm, Casino Regina. Tickets $35–40, available at www.casinoregina.com, at the show lounge box office or by calling 565-3000.

PS FRESH — DJ Ageless started spinning in Mon-treal, DJ Drewski started in saskatoon. They both landed in Regina and have come together to sling some bomb beats. 7pm, The Hoo-kah Lounge. no cover.

TARA DAWN SOLHEIM BAND — This Regina-based talent puts on a diverse and unique vocal performance you won’t soon forget. having started on stage as a spoken word artist and poet, Tara Dawn leapt head-first into the music scene while living in Japan. Over the course of a handful of years, she performed with a number of bands: Taran-tula (blues/early rock), =7 (Japanese jazz/rock), Mac’s Blues (blues), and The DnT (hip hop). 8:30pm, McNally’s Tavern. cover $5

TRICK RYDER — come listen to all your favourite country and rock hits when

Trick Ryder takes the stage. 9pm, The Pump Roadhouse. Tickets TBD.

ALEx RuNIONS — This Re-gina-based urban country rocker’s star is on the rise. In 2009 he released his self-titled debut album and since then things have been look-ing up. In fact, Runions has been nominated for three saskatchewan country Mu-sic Awards and was a finalist in the 2011 canadian Radio star competition. come check out his heart-felt, melody driven version of urban country music. 8pm, Whiskey Saloon. cover $5.Want your show listed?Email layout@verbnews.com!

Photo: courtesy of the artist

(NExT WEEK) PORT NOISE @ THE Ex-CHANGE — consisting of Angus liv-ingstone, Andrew strilchuk, Matthew Garthson and chris Johnston, this local four-piece plays a brand of hard rock/alternative this is as catchy as it is in-your-face. Port noise was formed in 2008, underwent some transformation

and membership shift, and arrived at its current form in 2009. since then, they’ve been refining their craft, work-ing on their live shows and looking onward and upward. They’ll be doing their thing at the Exchange on July 20th. Tickets TBD. -Adam Hawboldt. Feed-back? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Photo: courtesy of the artist

(NExT WEEK) WAx MANNEQuIN @ O’HANLON’S PuB — To say that Wax Mannequin’s lyrics are incredibly good would be a gross understatement. his voice and his vision are very much his own, and his live show, well, it’s often a riotous affair that has been honed over time. Any way you slice it, this

singer-songwriter (also known as chris Adeney) from hamilton is one of a kind. he’ll be in town with his strange folk sound on July 24th at O’hanlon’s where his wry wit, morose observations and beautiful melodic cadences will be on full display. no cover. -Adam Hawboldt. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Photo: courtesy of the artist

(COMING uP) BOYz II MEN @ CASINO REGINA — To say that Boyz II Men were “kind of” a big deal in the ‘90s is kind of like saying Gordie howe was “kind of” a good hockey player. With four Gram-mys and the longest running #1 single in Billboard history (“One sweet Day”, with Mariah carey), this R&B group

from Philly have had a wildly successful career. Original member Michael Mc-cary had to leave the group in ‘03 due to health issues, but the other three will be at the casino Regina on October 26th. Tickets $60–65 (www.casinoregina.com) -Adam Hawboldt. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Arts OnePage 9Jul 13–19, ‘12VerbNews.com

The Besnard LakesWhere: ness creek Music FestivalWhen: Jul 19 - 22Cost: $30 - $50

Event Info

Besnard Lakes Epitomize Montreal SoundRegina-Born Frontman loves Experimental Edge, But Keeps Music AccessibleAlEx J MAcPhERsOn

REGINA, SK — Some bands are so closely tied to a city, or the idea of a city, that one could not exist without the other. Imag-ine Wilco without Chicago or the Hold Steady without the Twin Cit-ies: impossible. The same holds true for the Besnard Lakes and Montreal — they are inextricably, inexorably linked.

Jace lasek, who with his wife Olga Goreas forms the creative heart of the band, was surprised when I asked him about how his group has come to exemplify the Montreal sound.

“Oh wow,” he said, adding that he had “absolutely not” thought about the relationship between his band and the city’s sound. “It’s funny because basically we called the second record Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse because back in 2007 we were watching all of our friends become successful and go out and tour.

Montreal was sort of the hip, happening place to check out new bands, and we were just totally get-ting overlooked — nobody was giving a sh*t or paying attention to us.”

To illustrate, he told me a story from the band’s early days: “We went out and toured with the Unicorns in 2004, 2005, and they had just taken out the Arcade Fire, and the Arcade Fire totally blew up. It was like, ‘we’re going to take you guys out and you’ll get totally

famous.’ [But] people were hating it, absolutely despising us on tour. To think that we are actually influ-encing the Montreal music scene is really surprising to me.”

surprising or not, the band’s sound has slowly aligned itself with the city. Their first record, Volume 1, was appreciated by some and ig-nored by many; only 1,000 copies were produced.

Their sopho-more effort, Bes-nard Lakes are the Dark Horse, fared better. It was, by comparison, a smashing success.

Welding driving rock guitars and drums to what lasek calls “the long sort of atmospheric sh*t that we do,” Dark Horse captures a band discovering its sound. That sound encapsulates everything that is good and right about their city.

“I think maybe the thing that links Montreal music is the experi-mentalism,” lasek muses. “It’s al-most like a mandate [to] do some-thing different and strange and weird.”

“There’s such a rich history of experimental music in Montreal. People in Montreal who are either from here or moved here feel like they have to have some experimen-tal mandate to push music forward.”

This sums up what the band’s latest projects, Roaring Night and a soundtrack-cum-EP called You Lived in the City, are about. Blend-ing lasek’s congenital love of rock

and pop — big guitars! tube amps! — with spacey synthesizers and rolling waves of sound, the band has carved out a niche somewhere between straightforward rock and post-structuralist experimental-ism. And that’s exactly what you’d expect from one of the country’s

most vibrant and progressive cities.

lasek agrees that this might not be possible anywhere else, as the balancing

point in Montreal is canted toward experimental music.

At the same time, however, he’s careful to avoid alienating anyone with the “weird” stuff by incorporat-ing pop and rock structures.

“We’re by no means the most experimental band in the world,” he laughs. “I think we’re part of that mentality, where even though in my heart I love pop music and I love rock and roll I want to do something that skews it, just a little bit. I still wrestle with the idea…to be able to throw in a little bit of atmospheric stuff satisfies my curiosity.”

lasek later told me that he would love to do a record of “just organ drones.” That he hasn’t is a testament to the strength of his songwriting (and life) partnership.

he and Goreas are among the most accessible of the resurgent quasi-experimental movement be-cause they achieve balance. Their songs are grounded in familiar ideas and adorned with flourishes and

expansive ideas. It wouldn’t be the same if it was the other way round.

At the same time, however, the Besnard lakes are far from huge. They are not the Arcade Fire, but you’d never know it from the quality of their records, especially considering that lasek says he is interested in making music, not selling records. he told me that he wants to make music for as long as he can, that he has no intention of stopping the thing that brings him the most joy.

It would have been criminal, by the way, to not ask about the band’s saskatchewan connection. Actually,

this was the first question I asked lasek, who grew up in Regina. he told me that the band is named for a lake in northeastern saskatchewan because he and Goreas love going there, just to get away from it all.

And then, when they’re ready, they come crashing home with waves of sound and light and joy.

Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Photo: courtesy of the artist, zioWoody , Andrew Dubber, and Pierre-Hugues Carmichael

“I love pop music and I love rock and roll [but] I want to do something that skews it...”

-Jace Lasek

Section Pages 10, 11VerbNews.comArts & Culture

Photo: courtesy of the artist

AlEx J MAcPhERsOn

Belle Plaine has been every-where and seen it all. After studying jazz at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton she worked at a re-cording studio before attending university in Victoria. Then she took off for Australia, where she wait-ressed at a series of dodgy restau-rants before mov-ing home to sas-katchewan. And through it all Belle Plaine, whose real name is Melanie hankewich, wrote and performed music. Evoking a certain nostalgia, hankewich’s latest record, Notes from a Waitress, offers a contem-porary take on swing jazz from the ‘40s. It sums up her view of music in spectacular fashion; it is a yearning for the past and a hint of possibility. I caught up with hankewich to chat about the appeal of the ‘40s, house concerts, and the prairie sound.

Alex J MacPherson: Your music has the ability to transport the listener through time. Is that intentional, or just what came out when you wrote and played these songs?

Melanie Hankewich: With the album Notes from a Waitress, a lot of the songs were intentionally

written to reflect a swing era, a 1940’s Peggy lee musicality. That came down to the type of ensemble we chose. I’ve heard that the quality of my voice is something that lends that nostalgic feel to things, but I’m too close to it to really make sense of that comment.

AJM: What is it about the ‘40s that appeals to you?

MH: I think it was just an ap-proach. It was a time where you could play the

same club six nights in a row. And people would come, dress up, go out for dinner, listen to music. There was an appreciation for that kind of entertainment that doesn’t really exist in most urban centres. There’s a few places where it happens, but … it went out of fashion 20 years ago. A piece of me really misses that. It’s nice to be able to do one place, play the shows, and make a living.

AJM: Why do you think it went out of fashion?

MH: I have no idea! I don’t even think I can speculate on that. I don’t really know why we’ve lost that enjoyment of going out and listen-ing to live music, and the way that I perform now is often in people’s

Five Qs With Belle PlainePrairie songstress Talks ‘40s Appeal, house concerts

“[T]he way that I perform now is often in people’s homes.”

-Belle Plaine

American Duo Keeps heartland Bluegrass AliveAlEx J MAcPhERsOn

REGInA, sK — Gillian Welch and David Rawlings are, surprisingly, controversial figures.

some people see the pair of bluegrass musicians as crusaders, champions of a vital part of Ameri-can culture. Others regard them as usurpers, transplants to nashville bent on co-opting sacred Appala-chian music for their own purposes.

But, as Rawlings told The New Yorker in 2004, hemingway wrote The Old Man and the Sea and he wasn’t a commercial fisherman or from cuba.

“We have this reputation, hap-pily at this point, of being a band that you come to listen to,” Welch tells Acoustic Guitar.

“We’re not a party band, which is OK. Our shows are something different. Each person comes to have this musical experience, this moment with us, where they get to sink into our world for a little while.”

Welch and Rawlings are part-ners, onstage and off. Welding their experiences to enduring bits and pieces of Americana — bluegrass, country, Appalachian music, and early rock and roll — they have spent more than a decade creat-ing a world populated by drinkers and addicts, soldiers and criminals, reckless rich folks and poor people who can’t catch a break.

Excluding the blues, no music is more deeply connected to the American ethic than bluegrass. Bluegrass music tells the stories more glamorous forms eschew.

But Welch isn’t quite sure what to call the music she makes with Rawlings: “Our songs walk this funny line between being modern and traditional, country and rock, confessional and narra-tive. They’re hard to pigeonhole. They’re not exactly bluegrass,

they’re not exactly anything,” she says.

“I guess every artist feels that no one else really does what they do,” Welch continues, “but I cer-tainly feel like if we don’t do this, it’s

not gonna exist anywhere. When we were kind of silent for those half dozen years, a couple of artists friends took me

aside and said, as a way of being creative cheerleaders, ‘You just have to make another record, you just have to do it.’”

When, as Welch says, “all this creative encouragement ganged

up on us,” she and Rawlings made another record — The Harrow & The Harvest. It captures Welch and Rawl-ings at their peak, both as artists and as human beings. And it stands for everything American art ought to stand for.

Rendered lifelike and heart-breakingly potent by the power of two voices and two guitars, these characters represent narrow slices of a nation and its values. Welch and Rawlings write songs that, like a heaving chest, chart the rising and falling of America herself.

“When we put a record there out into the world, it’s always interest-ing to see what the more macro view is of it,” Welch says of the 2011 album, her first in eight years.

“I’m getting a sense that the record seems to be addressing a sense of loss that people are feeling as Americans right now. They feel our star fading a bit.”

Writing in The New Yorker, Alec Wilkinson argues that their music “is at once innovative and obliquely reminiscent of past rural farms.”

This is important because if anything captures the greatness of American art, it is that tension between tradition and innovation, conservative restraint and progres-sive ardour.

Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Photo: courtesy of Mark Seliger0

“[T]he record seems to be addressing a sense of loss that people are feeling as Americans right now.”

-Gillian Welch

SectionPages PH, PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comSection Pages 10, 11

VerbNews.comArts & CulturePages 10, 11VerbNews.comArts & CulturePages 10, 11Jul 13–19, ‘12VerbNews.com

Photo: courtesy of the artist

homes. We do a lot of venue shows, but we do a lot of house concerts, and that’s a real shift in the way people are going to see music. We were having trouble getting that crowd out to a venue, so essen-tially what we’re doing is coming to them.

AJM: Your music seems really con-ducive to that sort of a concert. It’s music that you really have to listen to.

MH: I guess for us, we certainly feel more comfortable in a listening room, because a lot of the songs we play, they can’t compete with a lot of chatter. They don’t feel like they have a real home in a pub. some pubs are okay, depends on the crowd, but it’s certainly some-thing we seek out.

AJM: What does it mean to you to be a working musician here?

MH: something that we’ve heard when we’ve been on tour, especially in Ontario, is that I had this very specific prairie sound to my music, which I found very in-teresting because, of course, as I mentioned I’m so close to it, it’s my work, and of course I’m writing and drawing in some places images from the prairies. But it’s kind of unintentional, and I try not to direct it too much to any one place.

Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Five Qs With Belle PlainePrairie songstress Talks ‘40s Appeal, house concerts

Belle PlaineWhere: ness creek Music FestivalWhen: July 19 - 20Cost: $30 - $50

QuidamWhere: Brandt centre - Evraz PlaceWhen: July 25-29Cost: $57+ (Ticketmaster)

Gillian WelchWhere: Riddell centre – University TheatreWhen: July 25Cost: $29.50 @ sherpaconcerts.comWant some coverage for your upcoming event? Email layout@verbnews.com ASAP!

Event Info

Enchanting Worlds Explored In cirque Du soleil’s QuidamAlEx J MAcPhERsOn

REGInA, sK — Bright lights. Fan-ciful costumes. circus stunts. Two hours of pure entertainment. It’s all in a day’s work for Ardee Dionisio.

Dionisio performs with cirque du soleil, the Quebec-based en-tertainment giant created by Guy laliberté in 1984.

Founded on the idea of a circus without animals, cirque du soleil’s many shows blur the line between illusion and reality with fantasti-cal characters and mind-bending circus stunts.

currently on tour with Quidam, a show that explores the space be-tween our pedestrian world and

another, fabulously exotic realm, Dionisio stars as the Target.

“Basically, for me, how I define the character is the bringer of hap-piness in this whole show,” Dionisio says of his character.

“It’s like … the light in the dark-ness.”

The Target is one of several foils for zoé, the young female protago-nist in Quidam.

The action, which includes aerial contortions in silk, hand balancing, a cloud swing, and the sensational German Wheel, traces the wander-ings of her imagination, her yearn-ing for a world just beyond our fingertips.

“It’s kind of like an amoeba,” Di-onisio laughs, searching for words to describe the show.

“There’s not a defining structure with it. I mean there’s a certain … pattern [but] depending on the au-dience, what their taste is, how they perceive the story, how they see the story, how they see the show, they all have their own opinions

about it.”Before joining cirque du soleil,

Dionisio, who is from the Philip-pines, studied ballet at the hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts.

After graduating in 2004 he joined the nicolas Musin ABc Dance company in Austria as a soloist.

The Quebec company discov-ered him, believe it or not, through YouTube.

“It just happened out of the blue,” he laughs. “I was making a video with some friends of mine, posted it on YouTube, and then I got contacted by cirque du soleil,” he continues. “That’s how I ended up here.”

Dionisio didn’t join the cast of Quidam until 2010, but he had al-ways kept cirque du soleil in the back of his mind.

“The first time I saw cirque du soleil on the TV I was like, ‘Wow, I didn’t know this kind of show existed,’” he says. “It was always in my head — of course I still con-tinued my life, my training, but it

was always in my head, this circus magic.”

since joining the company, Di-onisio has spent countless weeks on the road. he says this is a big adjust-ment from ballet. Most professional dance companies are stationary; tours, if they happen at all, are short.

Quidam, on the other hand, tours for weeks or even months on end.

not surprisingly, he spends much of his spare time training. On a typical day he begins with a series of stretches followed by a session at the barre — a classic ballet warmup.

he also spends plenty of time running.

“The character, I run and jump and spin a lot onstage,” he explains. “I have to maintain a certain level, this high level in terms of power and stamina.”

Ultimately, Dionisio is still enrap-tured by the experience.

“I want to give them the magic so they will always be coming back for more, he says. “I still believe in

magic.” Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Photo: courtesy of Matt Beard

“[H]ow I define the character is the bringer of happiness in this whole show.”

-Ardee Dionisio

FoodPage 12Jul 13–19, ‘12VerbNews.com

Quinoa (pronounced KEEn-wah) is a nutrient dense pseudo-grain that has been gaining in popularity over the years. These nutty little seeds are often treated just like rice, and there are almost as many interesting facts about them as there are culinary possibili-ties.

■ Quinoa is a complete protein and has high levels of calcium, fiber, iron and essen-tial amino acids

■ The Inca called quinoa ‘mother of all grains’

■ nAsA is considering quinoa for possible use in long dura-tion human spaceflight due to its high nutritional value

■ Quinoa is not a true grain because it is more related to spinach or tumbleweeds, not grass

Address: 1821 scarth streetHours: Monday - Thursday 11:30am - 11:00pm; Friday - saturday 11:30am-4:30pm, 4:00pm-1:00amReservations: 586-2337

Beer Bros.

Beer Bros. Lives up To Its NameGreat stouts, Ales Pair Deliciously With Unique Menu ItemsJEssIcA BIcKFORD

REGINA, SK — After working in a ye olde English pub for a year, there is nothing I enjoy more than a good pint of beer, espe-cially stout or ale. There aren’t

too many places that cater to my tastes but Beer Bros. is one — it’s right there in the name!

I brought along my designated driver and started in on some of Beer Bros. brew-filled menu start-ing with beer’s best friend — bacon. literally a pint glass full of thick, house cured and triple smoked, applewood bacon. It was perfectly crisp and salty and I washed it down with some half Pints Brewery little scrapper IPA (that’s India Pale Ale) which was fresh and hoppy with crisp citrus notes.

To feel a bit less guilty about all that bacon, a baby lettuce and qui-noa salad was next. Filled with fresh and colourful veggies including sun dried tomatoes and kalamata olives, the salad was hearty and fresh.

Also on the vegetarian radar was a spring vegetable risotto that had broccolini and peas in creamy, rich risotto that was beautifully pre-sented.

An appetizer of butter chicken skewers added some spice and a great option for sharing into the mix. The moist chicken was mari-nated in yogurt and the spice blend had a hint of cinnamon.

Beery bison sliders were another starter option. These few bite sized burgers were made with Quill creek bison, Unibroue’s la Fin du Monde ale, saskatoon berries and a pilsner mustard giving them a uniquely saskatchewan taste with a hint of

Quebec. The bison was juicy, the buns were fresh, and the berries added a sweetness that paired fan-tastically with the bison.

seafood maca-roni and cheese was the start of the entrees, and i t had gener-ous portions of shrimp, scallops,

and flaky fish in a creamy, cheesy sauce with elbow noodles. The shrimp were crisp and the scal-lops were large, sweet and meaty, perfect for seafood lovers.

lastly I had to try the Beer Bros. signature burger with stout mayon-naise, cheddar and bacon served on their homemade light and yeasty beer bread. The burger, toppings, and bread all combine to make one heck of a tasty burger and the fries are masterfully created through a complex aging process, making them both crisp and fluffy. I paired this with lost coast’s Downtown Brown ale that was smooth and nutty, with the bitterness I expect from an ale.

Beer Bros. makes everything from scratch, including their breads. Real food and great beer are what they live by, and they are continu-ally combining the two in new and interesting ways. so pay a visit to their pub or dining room, and have a pint of the good stuff for me.

Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Photos: Courtesy of Kendra Kuss

“[I had] literally a pint glass full of thick, house cured and triple smoked, applewood bacon.”

-Jessica Bickford

OpinionPage 13Jul 13–19, ‘12VerbNews.com

Global Warming Debaters Need To ChillPoor Behaviour From Both sides Is hurting Our chances Of Finding solutionsEDITORs OF VERB

REGINA, SK — Once upon a time ago, in the not-so-distant past, the time-honoured recipe for success in Canadian politics was simple. Political parties straddled the centre to appeal to the widest possible audience. They acted as brokers, mediat-ed between different interest groups, worked to help disparate regions — and all was good.

My oh my, how things have changed!

These days the atmosphere on Parliament hill is what some might call “bitterly partisan.”

saddled with an us-versus-them mentality, it seems like our political parties are pulling farther apart, fighting more, talking less and, in doing so, are polarizing this grand country of ours.

never is this more evident than when the issue of the environment is brought up.

On the right side of the divide you have the harper government and right wing think tanks.

They provoke the left by saying ecologists are manufacturing glob-al warming hysteria to make a quick buck and accusing environmental groups of laundering money from foreign interest groups.

They lump environmentalists in with white supremacists as threats to the canadian public, harass green poster-boy David suzuki enough that he resigns from his own foundation and discredit any-one interested in environmental is-sues as a crazy tree-hugging hippie that wants to destroy the economy.

Then, on the left of the divide, you have green organizations and the other political parties who aren’t behaving any better.

Over there, they’re protesting 250,000 strong in the streets of Montreal, declaring harper a fascist dictator.

They’re calling for the imme-diate shutdown of any oil related development in canada, claiming our government is selling out our country to chinese megacopora-tions and carrying caskets through the streets decrying the death of

the scientific method.Frankly, we here at Verb think all

of this is a tad foolish.We think it’s time everybody

involved in the environmental de-bate stops the political blustering, puts the bellyaching on pause and realizes that an issue like this goes way beyond self-interest.

In the oft-misquoted words of Rodney King: “can’t we all just get along?”

That’s what we feel is the best solution here. And apparently so too does the canada West Foun-dation, a calgary-based research group.

In a recent report entitled Keep-ing Pace: Improving Environmental Decision Making in canada, the foundation argued that: “People are defaulting to polarized positions

rather than seeking deep engage-ment on solutions. People are not coming together but drifting apart. conflict is easier than problem solv-ing.”

The report goes on to say that, “the debate [over the environ-ment] has become characterized by deeply divided camps that hinder attempts to achieve consensus” and that “we need to break down the silos that hamper effective intergovernmental cooperation; [and] move beyond the polarized thinking that smothers consensus.”

here, here!It’s time for cooperation and

maybe even a little bit of political kiss-and-make-up clemency.

We know that with such a wide array of affected parties, heated rhetoric, competing scientific

claims, incomplete and misleading information and steadfast ideolo-gies, consensus on the environment may have little more than a snow-ball’s chance in hell (or a glacier’s chance in future Earth).

Yet, we have to try.People on all sides of this debate

need to sit down, put a smile on

their faces (or at least stop growl-ing and spitting venom for a few minutes), open their ears and minds and begin exploring reasonable solutions to a very real and serious problem.

If we can’t do that, we’re in big-ger trouble that we thought.

Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

“It’s time for … a little bit of political kiss-and-make-up clemency.”

-Verb’s editors

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comMoviesPage 14

Jul 13–19, ‘12VerbNews.com

Questions Galore For Woman In The FifthWell Acted, Well Written Ghost story long On Atmosphere, short On AnswersThe Woman in the Fifth

ADAM hAWBOlDT

Let me preface this review by saying that I enjoyed the hell out of Pawel Pawlikowski’s latest film The Woman in the Fifth.

It possessed the kind of Kafka-esque strangeness that appeals to my perverse nature; the kind

of Roman-Polanski-meets-David-lynch surrealism that excites, pro-vokes and challenges my inner movie snob.

That said, The Woman in the Fifth is not for ev-erybody.

Of the three other people I recently watched the film with, one of them outright hated it, another thought the “acting was fine, but the film was boring” and the final person liked it, but was left scratch-ing his head — wondering what in the hell he’d just witnessed.

And you can’t really blame him.

see, The Woman in the Fifth is the type of movie that raises more questions than it answers. Way more.

Directed by the incredibly tal-ented Pawlikows-ki (Last Resort, My Summer of Love), this movie tells the sensual, per-plexing story of

Tom Ricks (Ethan hawke) — an American writer with a shady past. Tom arrives in Paris hoping to see his daughter and, hopefully, make amends with his ex-wife.

The problem is, she isn’t inter-ested. In fact, as soon she sees Tom she calls the police.

Which raises the question: What happened between them back in America?

Unfortunately, we never find out. What we do find out, how-ever, is that when Tom leaves his ex’s house he falls asleep on a bus, gets robbed, goes to a grubby café and winds up penniless, living in a Parisian flophouse, working as a security guard.

his boss, a shady character/crime boss, has Tom guarding a locked room. What’s in that room? Again, we never find out.

Falling deeper into flophouse debt, delving into despair over his daughter, Tom eventually meets an elegant, wealthy widow named Margitt (Kristin scott Thomas) who takes him to bed and helps Tom find his way back to creating, to writing.

Is this woman Tom’s savior or destroyer? Is she a murderess? A ghost? A cipher?

Again — you guessed it — we never find out.

And that, folks, was the crux of why most of my friends didn’t enjoy The Woman in the Fifth. There were

just too many damned unanswered questions for their liking, which is certainly a fair criticism.

There are parts of the movie that still perplex me. But therein lies one of the main reasons why I dug the film so much.

In a way, The Woman in the Fifth asks you the viewer to be a detec-tive of sorts. It’s your job to piece the puzzle together, with no help or hints from the story teller. You just have to make your guesses and trust your intuition.

And if that sounds like a high-falutin concept of a movie, well, that’s because it is.

But it’s a also a movie in which the acting is terrific, the atmosphere is intense and the writing is sound.

no, The Woman in the Fifth is certainly not for everybody. But if you’re in the mood for a good ghost story, give it a try. Or was it a detective story? Or the story of a man slowly descending into madness?

That’s up to you to decide.The Woman in the Fifth will be

screened at Regina Public library starting July 19th. see www.regi-nalibrary.ca for more information.

Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Runtime: 85 MinutesRated: PG

Photo: courtesy of Memento Films

“In a way, [the film] asks you the viewer to be a detective of sorts.”

-Adam Hawboldt

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comMoviesPage 15

Jul 13–19, ‘12VerbNews.com

Ice Age Franchise Needs To Become Extinct3D Format, Plenty Of Action can’t Make Up For Formulaic Plot, Few laughsIce Age: Continental Drift

ADAM hAWBOlDT

Nobody likes to be the bearer of bad news. It’s an ugly job, but someone’s got to do it. And, un-fortunately, this week that some-one has to be me.

You know all those lovable animals from the Ice Age movies? Manny the mammoth, Diego the sabre-toothed tiger, sid the sloth.

Well, it’s about time for them — and the rest of the creatures in the

franchise — to become extinct. To be put down, for good.

harsh, I know. But hear me out.The first film (Ice Age), released

10 years ago, was terrific. The next movie (Ice Age 2: The Meltdown) was pretty good and the third film (Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs) was just ho-hum, but the most recent entry into the franchise, Ice Age: Continental Drift 3D, is downright formulaic. Pedestrian. Uninventive.

stale, even.like in the previous three films

the main trio — Manny (Ray Ro-mano), Diego (Denis leary) and sid (John leguizamo) — have to overcome adversity.

Instead of humans, melting ice

or dinosaurs, this time around the world is literally falling apart after scrat’s (chris Wedge) never-ending pursuit of his precious acorn causes a seismic shift that tears the pre-historic continent of Pangea apart.

When the shift happens, Manny, Diego, sid and s i d ’ s g r a n n y (Wanda sykes) are set adrift on an ice

flow. left behind are Manny’s wife (Queen latifah) and his daughter Peaches (Keke Palmer) — who is now a teenager, interested in boys and desperate to fit in with the “cool” crowd.

Right, so as you may have guessed, the rest of the story in-volves our trio of heroes and grand-ma trying desperately to get back

to their prehistoric home. Along the way they must battle

storms, sirens (like, from Homer’s Odyssey) and pirates.

Yes, pirates. The gang must bat-tle (evade is more like it) a horde of swashbuckling buccaneers in order to get home.

now, you may be thinking, “Real-ly, another pirate movie? Just what we need. While they’re at it, why don’t they jump on the zombie and vampire bandwagon too?”

If that was your initial reaction, well, it’s understandable. But before you condemn Ice Age 4 stooping to use pirates, know this: The pirates are easily the best part of the movie. It pains me to type that, but it’s true.

led by the villainous ape pirate, captain Gutt (voice by Peter Din-klage, aka Game of Thrones’ Tyrion

lannister), this ramshackle crew consisting of a tiger (Jennifer lo-pez), elephant seals, kangaroos and prehistoric rabbits provide most of the laughs in an otherwise not-so-funny film.

That being said, even though it’s the same old drawn-out schtick as the first three movies and even though it’s the least funny film of the franchise, it won’t matter a lick as far as kids are concerned.

With more action than ever be-fore, more than enough childish sight gags to go around, and the 3D treatment, Ice Age: Continental Drift will do just fine money-wise.

It might not eclipse the near $900 million the last Ice Age did at the box office. Then again it might.

so much for extinction.Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Photo: courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Runtime: 94 MinutesRated: G “[I]t’s the same old drawn-

out schtick as the first three movies…”

-Adam Hawboldt

This Week: civil servants’ healthlast week we asked what you

thought about federal workers’ sick days — here’s what you had to say.

Next week’s topic: see page 13 — what do you think about both sides of the global warming

debate putting aside their rhetoric to work together? Text FEEDBACK and your thoughts about the topic (or anything else) to 306–881-VERB (8372) and you could see your text printed in next week’s issue!

On Topicmaybe civil servants call in sick everyday cuz they get treated like sh*t by the public and their management

everyday. ask any busdriver

20000 federal workers call in sick What do you expect The boss is a dick

15 SICK DAYS 4 CIVIL SERVANTS TOO MANY HOW B0UT MPS N SENATORS WHO GET DOUGH 4 NO SHOW

just read your ‘civil servants’ article again and am alarmed at your lack of information. do u guys research anything or just spew?

So ur crappin allover civil servants get in line with every other frickn person guess ill just take a day off to deal with the sh** people send my way

I don’t think there’s any issue with employees being granted sick days with pay, but there clearly is an issue when the system is being abused. Most workplaces wouldn’t stand for that kind of flagrant disregard for responsibility, but then again: this is the government. Is anyone surprised?

That’s crazy so many people call in sick and the amount it costs taxpayers. I’m sure there’s people who don’t abuse the system but they’re overshadowed by the losers that use it freely to give themselves holidays etc. This needs to be reigned in asap!

Lots of union jobs have this kind of abuse in them sick pay or slackin off. They work

super crappy jobs I get it and I’d do the same if I was them but why do we let this go in just because theyre in a union? i have a stressful job to. I have personal issues in my own life that weigh on me at work. I have a family to feed and work hard to provide for my kids. But for some reason we’re supposed to be okay with the fact that government workers have it harder? U know what? I get called a bitch all the time at my job (customer service). Not fair and this needs to stop.

I work for the government and have the benefit of paid sick days, and I see it abused all the time. I know it’s wrong but I’ve done it too — everyone else does, and there’s nothing done to stop it, so why not? I enjoy those long weekends I give myself :) And no my job isn’t overly stressful, no more so than anyone else’s.

Civil servants put up with a ton of disrespect from all sorts of people, and I fully support there right to paid sick days. But maybe we all could get in on this? Sounds like you guys are just jealous :D

Calm down verb this doesn’t affect you. Unless your taxpayers. Oh wait....

This is an outrage I can’t believe how much we are paying so some of these paper pushers can freely take sick days whenever they feel like it. Classic case of a

TextsPage 16Jul 13–19, ‘12VerbNews.com

few bad apples ruining it for the rest of us.

Ur opinion is of base. Get ur facts right before blowin up all over us. We put up with Bulls*** you have no idea so ya

Off TopicRe: “We Think Euthanasia Should Be Le-galized,” Opinion page, June 29th issue

Euthanasia is wrong! Even though they might suffer let God decide when it’s time putting people down is murder plain and simple!

Re: “Zombie Theme Park Eyed,” Offbeat page, July 6th issue

i think its a fab idea if detroit can get a zombie theme park! it’ll breath life into that dead city something its in dsperate need of! wish us canadians thought of a zombie theme park! :)

Our society should reduce the amount of stuff it consumes. We do not need to buy so much stuff. Seriously, do we really need to buy in bulk just to have the rest put away in storage? We are eating away at the earth’s resources and cutting down forests at an astonishing rate yet we aren’t replenishing nearly enough. We are filling up our landfills with junk. Earth does not have infinite amounts of resources. We have to do more to help renew our resources. We need to allow our forests to grow back like they once were. Stop buying so much stuff and then there will be no need to produce so much of it.

My Dear Dear Dear GTF0 says it all !

Ever wonder what’s the difference between naked and buck naked or naked as jaybird?

How do you blow the whistle on someone who is stealing from the company but you don’t want to get in trouble for turning them in?

Motor vehicles are starting to talk. I suspect women really want a car that listens.

A lot of money gets sucked up by justice system healtcare social programs and various NGOs who supposedly address the problems of street people the poorest. Somewhere in all that spending on inner city problems you’d think the money to house a few homeless people should be found. Address one of the main problems!

Why do people feel the need to swear to express themselves? Have we as a society not progressed enough that we could not have better choice words to express ourselves? Are people afraid others will not take them seriously or by swearing do people think there is better emphasis on their words? It’s very annoying not to mention extremely redundant when a person utters the ‘f’ word over and over and over and over in a conversation. I thought people went to school to become more educated and to give themselves more options, not to limit their options.

F&CK I HATE THAT

STUPID SONG ‘’CALL ME MAYBE’’ EVERYWHERE I GO I HEAR IT STUPIDEST SONG EVER!!! ):-(

The program called RID which is designed to remove intoxicated drivers from our streets is a good thing. But what about texters? We should have a program to text in texters but then it would be called TIT.

Thx for pushing ur personal agenda by only printing texts that support euthanasia. Ur about as one sided as Fox News. Congrats

Now that it has been a year that my dad has been gone and almost 2 months my mom has been gone, I still miss them both and love them, time heals the hurt. They will always be in my thoughts and prayers for one day it will be my turn to leave this life and meet them again. YB

Not to happy with the crime in this city our apt windows got broke by some punk kid with a bat. Grrr ):-(

I have an eye problem. I can’t see myself working today.

Storms certainly sound like God is coming for you with a big stick.

Golden rule of cool then or now only a tool self identifies as such

Smoking is like farting. Many people can’t help but do it but nobody wants to smell it. So try and do it out of the way. Thank you.

How Do U Tell Someone U Want Them To Live. They Keep Junking They’ll Eventually Die... Or At Least Their Soul Will. What Do You Do?

It’s my mess. I know exactly where everything is. So don’t clean it up.

People just don’t understand me or identify with me. I try to be friendly to people but at the end of the day I’m still alone. Need help making friends.

Atheists being amazing is a load of crap!

The wiggles are on far well tour . At the end of this year 3 of them are calling it quits. They have been doing this for 27 years. But 3 new members to go on with the show I hope they are just as good as they other ones. Sheer is been hot for the past weeks. I have been live off freezes thank god for freezes.

Does anybody remember spray on cheese? Mmmmm! :-) Can’t seem to find it anywhere does anybody know?

Rider pride! Go green glad to see everyone with their pride out on the streets!!!!!!!!

Thx for the tornado advice I know what to do now :)

Totally agree with txt about film tax credit. The benefit might not have been visible in dollars and cents but supporting the arts that are here is vitally

important to our health as a society. Arts and culture matter so so so much. Please give them a chance to live here again!

Twitter: I might finaly be ready to commit, after being massively skeptical.

U know what I hate when people complain about how hot it is its summer. N you wined all winter about cold and now its hot and u hate that 2 Make up ur minds LOL

Your right smoking is a personal choice and yes I don’t choose to do it. But why should I have to move elsewhere to get away from the stink? That doesn’t seem fair now, does it?

THE LAST SASKATCHEWAN PIRATE IS THE BEST THING EVER!!!!!! Lookin for jolly Roger on Regina’s mighty shores LOL :D

Hey u bring ur kids to the beach try to keep an eye on em I know there young and I get they run around but I got stepped on like 3 times and that’s crazy. Just want to relax :) And before u all freak out I Have kids 2 and teach them to be chill around others. I get kids r kids but comeon

Livin off creamsicles and that aint a bad thing

The opinions expressed on this page are not necessarily Verb’s.

TextsPage 17Jul 13–19, ‘12VerbNews.com

NightlifePage 18Jul 13–19, ‘12VerbNews.com

EventSaskTel Summer Invasion at Wascana Park, Friday-Sunday July 6th-8th, 2012

Featured ArtistsK’naan, Dragonette, Buckcherry

Attendance10,000 people over three days

BackstoryOff Axis Board Shop has partnered with sponsors like SaskTel and Conexus to put on this non-profit event since 2005

AttractionsWakeboard, skateboard and motocross demos, three days of concerts and beer gardens!

unique TwistA pre-event online battle of the bands resulted in 11 local finalists taking the stage over the weekend, with one lucky band (HOURS) playing the mainstage to open for Dragonette and Buckcherry

Photos courtesy of Klein Photography (feedback@verbnews.com)

SaskTel Summer Invasion

Time OutPage 19Jul 13–19, ‘12VerbNews.com

SudokuDirections: Fill each box with a digit from 1-9, following these conditions:

- Each row must contain every digit from 1-9 once and only once.- Each column must contain every digit from 1-9 once and only once.- Each of the nine 3x3 boxes must contain every digit from 1-9 once and only once.

HoroscopesAries (Mar 21–Apr 19)

“Today you are you, that’s truer than true. There’s no one alive who is youer than you.” Dr. seuss, the great children’s writer, penned those words, Aries. And the thing is, he was right. You are unique. Remember that as the week progresses. If you find yourself unwillingly following the crowd, take a step back and look at yourself in the mirror. never try to be anything or anyone but yourself, Aries. Don’t be afraid to dance to your own beat. That’s what makes you “you.”

Taurus (Apr 20–May 20)sometimes life gets heavy, doesn’t

it Taurus. like the weight of the world is resting on your shoulders. If you get that feeling this week, remember that it’s easy to get rid of that weight. Just put it down. While you’re at it, keep these words in mind: “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” Every-thing is a matter of choice, Taurus — your choice. so if things get a bit too serious, maybe you should choose to let loose.

Gemini (May 21–Jun 20)Dr. seuss once posed a simple, yet

profound question: “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” Why indeed, Gemini. You know, deep down, that you are unique. You know your star is meant to burn bright. so why is it that, some-times, you’re content with just sitting back and letting things happen? This week, start chasing down your dreams with a big, heavy stick. Dare to be great, Gemini, and you’ll find that greatness will come to your aid.

Cancer (Jun 21–Jul 22)have you ever heard this little rhyme,

cancer? “step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s a great balanc-ing act.” If so, you know how true it is. If not, you might want to keep the message in mind over the course of the next week. now, that’s not to say you should stand still and let life pass you by. But what you should do is think before you speak, look before you leap, that kind of jazz. If you do that, the next seven days will be as smooth as a baby’s bottom.

Leo (Jul 23–Aug 22)Great wisdom can come from unex-

pected places. Take Dr. seuss’s The Lorax, for instance. In that story a character says, “Unless someone like you cares a whole lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” Which is true. Things in this world are up to you, leo. so don’t sit back and idly watch life pass you by. This week, care enough to affect change. Whether that change is within you or in the people around you, don’t hesitate. Get out there and show the world what you’re made of.

Virgo (Aug 23–Sept 22)“The more that you read, the more

you will know. The more that you learn the more places you’ll go.” It’s true, Virgo. Reading expands your mind. It opens new worlds. And once your mind is expanded it won’t go back to its original size. And that’s a good thing, Virgo. so why not pick up a book this week and give it a read. You like fiction? Grab a non-fiction book about something you know absolutely nothing about. Even if you don’t read much, give it a shot.

Libra (Sept 23–Oct 23)having troubles lately, libra? here’s

something to chew on: “I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see. now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!” That’s Dr. seuss, and should you encoun-ter any trouble this week, do what the good Doctor suggests — stand up to your problems. Most troubles aren’t as troubling as they seem.

Scorpio (Oct 24–Nov 22)You know that old saying about try-

ing new things? Well, even Dr. seuss was onboard that train. The good Doctor once wrote “If you never did, you should. Things are fun and fun is good.” so true, scorpio. so this week, why don’t you try something new. Just get out of your comfort zone. Do a new, strange activ-ity. Go to a place you’ve never been. Eat food you’ve never eaten before. It doesn’t matter. Try something new this week, and you may be pleasantly surprised.

Sagittarius (Nov 23–Dec 21)It’s time to make the most out of

things, sagittarius. It’s time to dare to be different, to be great, to be happy. some people say “carpe diem”, meaning “seize the day”. But I’ve always preferred Dr. seuss’ “Today I shall behave as if this is the day I will be remembered.” has a nice, innocent ring, doesn’t it? And your mission, sagittarius, should you choose to accept it, is live each and every day this week the way seuss advised. live life the way you want to be remembered.

Capricorn (Dec 22–Jan 19)“Will you succeed? Yes you will in-

deed! ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed.” notice, capricorn, that Dr. seuss left a bit of wiggle room for failure, but not much. And all that means is if you give your all, success is pretty much guaranteed. Especially this week, capricorn. sure, sometimes we try and things don’t work out. But the chances of that happening are too rare to worry about. so focus on the effort this week, and the outcome will take care of itself.

Aquarius (Jan 20–Feb 19)Feeling a tad confused this week,

Aquarius? Does it seem that every little thing is creating problems for you? If so, maybe you should remember that Dr. suess once said, “sometimes the ques-tions are complicated but the answers are simple.” The problems you’re facing may seem above you, but maybe the solutions are right in front of your face. so if you find yourself facing tough times, just take a deep breath and realize nothing in life is too complicated. nothing.

Pisces (Feb 20–Mar 20)A very enlightened dude once said,

“From there to here and here to there, funny things are everywhere.” That dude was Dr. seuss and, by all accounts, he was right. If you look for it with the right kind of eyes, humour is everywhere. hiding behind every problem, lingering in every doubt, there it is. All you have to do is have the attitude to laugh at life, Pisces, and you’ll be happy and utterly content. so start looking for humour in things this week. You’ll be surprised.

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