Dec 13-19, 2012

News + Opinion

• City

  It matters whether a person or a machine hands you a ballot

  Voting electronically makes it far less likely a voter will vote for school board.

  By Tim Bousquet

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• News

  Halifax is a solar city

  Up to 1,000 solar water heating systems will be installed over the next year.

  By Tim Bousquet

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• News

  Off the grid: Nova Scotians power down

  Phillip Vannini documents those who can live without Nova Scotia Power.

  By Chris Benjamin

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• News

  Bloomfield redevelopment plan approved

  Nova Scotia Housing Development Corporation's winning bid has critics wondering if this is a slum in the making.

  By Tim Bousquet

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• Shoptalk

  Biscuit's golden tickets

  The Argyle Street boutique is playing Willy Wonka

  By Allison Saunders

  Dec 14, 2012

  
• Shoptalk

  Bye-bye Applebee's

  The Clayton Park chain calls it quits before Christmas

  By Allison Saunders

  Dec 17, 2012

  
• Shoptalk

  Eye'll miss you

  Barrington Street vet resto Elephant's Eye says goodbye

  By Allison Saunders

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• Shoptalk

  jane's on the Gottingen

  We know you're sad to say goodbye to jane's, but her to-go shop will live on

  By Allison Saunders

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• Shoptalk

  Re-do you

  Studio in Essence offers up a post-holiday Rejuvenation Workshop. Hello, Gyrokinesis.

  By Allison Saunders

  Dec 26, 2012

  
• Opinion

  Mailbag December 13 2012

  These are the letters and comments from the print edition.

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• Opinion

  Make the city’s website accessible

  I asked accessibility consultant David Berman to analyze halifax.ca. The results are disappointing.

  By Russell Gragg

  Dec 13, 2012

  

Arts + Music

• Arts & Culture

  The streets of Kabul

  Hangama Amiri took her experiences from a visit to her hometown of Kabul and transfered them to canvas, providing an insightful look at being a woman in Afghanistan.

  By Randi Beers

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• Arts & Culture

  Critics' picks: music

  Our picks for the best tunes of 2012 show off a lot of local love, a healthy serving of big names and way too many hours spent alone with earbuds.

  By Trevor Savory, Ryan McNutt, Adria Young, Dave Hayden, Matthew Ritchie, Doug Taylor, Stephanie Johns and Tara Thorne

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• Arts & Culture

  Illegal monkey business

  What Darwin the IKEA monkey and the Museum of Natural History can teach us about Illegal Killer Trade.

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• Arts & Culture

  Critics' picks: video games

  Our dedicated gamers leave no level unconquered and no alien parasite standing in their quest to find the best video games of the year.

  By Colin Chisholm and Justin Hartling

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• Arts & Culture

  Critics' picks: top DVDs, comedy and films

  By Jacob Boon, Dave Howlett, Stephanie Johns and Molly Segal

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• Arts & Culture

  Season's readings

  The Lilah Kemp Reading Series' Holiday Spectacular is chock full of good readings, special surprises and a little magic.

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• Arts & Culture

  Critics' picks: top books

  By Whitney Moran

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• Arts & Culture

  It's the top 12 of 2012

  Get a load of our critics' picks for albums, video games, movies, DVDs and books

  By Whitney Moran, Dave Howlett, Molly Segal, Jacob Boon, Stephanie Johns, Colin Chisholm, Justin Hartling, Trevor Savory, Ryan McNutt, Adria Young, Dave Hayden, Matthew Ritchie, Doug Taylor and Tara Thorne

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• Arts & Culture

  The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

  Part one of three features a way more chill crew

  By Jacob Boon

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• Arts & Culture

  Hitchcock

  Mirren rules, as usual

  By Molly Segal

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• Arts & Culture

  Deadfall

  Laughably bad—but at least you're laughing.

  By Molly Segal

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• Music

  Let It Snowed

  Meaghan Smith brings back her holiday show with a few new tunes.

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• Music

  Goin' solo

  Catch Dan Ledwell at a solo show while you still can.

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• Music

  The Nutcracker

  The Christmas classic appeals to every age.

  By Kate Watson

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• Music

  Halifax is Burning's top 12 local jams

  Trevor Murphy provides some tunes to sip eggnog by

  By Stephanie Johns

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• Music

  Billie Dre & The Poor Boys are so darned Christmassy

  Nog, pot, gambling, reindeer ears

  By Stephanie Johns

  Dec 18, 2012

  
• Comics

  Party on the cheap

  Holiday fun for the poor & crafty

  By Kate Leth

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• Comics

  Hey You Guys

  By Paul Hammond

  Dec 13, 2012

  

Food + Drink

• Food

  White noise

  The release of Blomidon Estate Winery’s buzzworthy new Chardonnay has Craig Pinhey thinking about great whites, and the potential for local premium wine to soar.

  By Craig Pinhey

  Dec 13, 2012

  

Lifestyle

• Free Will Astrology

  Free Will Astrology

  Just chill, Leo

  By Rob Brezsny

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• Savage Love

  Butt for the flared base

  Helpful anal tips, a confused bisexual and a reader’s four-point sexuality system make for a varied and variable advice column.

  By Dan Savage

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• Sex + Dating

  It's Sex & Dating Survey time

  Talk dirty to us, would ya?

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• Health

  Do you make New Year's resolutions?

  And nine other quick questions about habits, lifestyle and whether people can change

  By Allison Saunders

  Dec 13, 2012

  
• Weddings

  Dress Maker/Tailor and Dress Designers

  Dec 14, 2012