Verb Issue r29 (May 25-31, 2012)

Free weekly May 25–31, 2012 • Pass it on

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THE NOVAKS This East Coast Trio Plays Bold, Beautiful Rock P9

Randy TravisCountry Music Legend Reflects On 25 Years In The Business P10

The Seven ‘Weirdos’The Personalities Who Ruin Everything P7

Wall, Mulcair FeudBreakdown: Issue Reveals Canada’s East-West Divide P3

MIB 3Smith Falters In Third Installment P15

Photo: courtesy of Adam Penny

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comLocalPage 2

May 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

Surgery Wait Times Drop Across ProvinceSK Initiative On Track To Conduct Operations Within Three-Month WindowAlex J MACPherSOn

REgInA, SK — Broken hip? Shattered knee? Don’t worry about it: a new report from the provincial gov-ernment sug-gests that long waiting times are a thing of the past.

According to the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative Year Two report, the comprehensive program is on track to ensure most patients re-ceive surgery within three months by 2014.

The most recent data shows that

97 percent of all surgeries in the province were performed within the current one year target window, and 88 percent inside six months.

“When you look at the 97 per-cent completion rate and the de-crease in number of patients and the percentage of patients who

have been waiting over the 12 month mark, I think we were very successful in the past year,” says Mark Wyatt, executive director of the Saskatchewan Surgical Initia-tive.

Since its inception in March 2010,

the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative has cut the number of patients wait-ing more than a year by 77 percent, from 3,997 to 914.

The number of patients waiting more than six months has fallen 58 percent, from 9,875 to 4,517.

“Our goal moves now to a six month target,” Wyatt explains, “and while we’ve had good success dur-ing the first two years, the targets continue to be challenging.”

Wyatt says cutting the target will be difficult because it involves streamlining almost every aspect of the healthcare system, not just the traditional bottlenecks — ortho-paedics in regina and otolaryngol-ogy (ear, nose, throat) in Saskatoon.

Increasing operating theatre ef-ficiency is an important component of the program, but surgeries can-not be performed unless adequate recovery beds are available.

“When we look at the dimen-sions of the initiative, we talk about sooner, safer, and smarter,” Wyatt says.

“A lot of the issues the public is most focused on are around the sooner part of it, reducing wait times, and that’s absolutely criti-cal … but the challenge when we look forward is how do we sustain

those shorter wait times.”The “safer” element is simple.

Mistakes mean time, money and se-rious risks; eliminating them makes the system more efficient.

The “smarter” component is dealt with by an online special-ist directory, faster access to day surgeries and third-party CT scans, training for extra operating room nurses, a new system to manage operating room schedules and sup-plies, and patient “pathways” that streamline care for patients with hip, knee or spine problems, as well as those with prostate cancer or urogynecological problems.

A pathway, Wyatt explains, is about “looking at a patient’s jour-ney from the time they are referred by a family physician as a potential surgical candidate right through to the end of their care … and looking at all the different steps along that pathway as to how you can improve the patient experience and look for more effective and efficient ways of providing care.”

The Surgical Initiative received $60.5 million in the latest provincial budget, which is expected to pro-vide an additional 4,000 surgeries and reduce the maximum wait time to six months. By 2014 the target wait time is three months.

Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

“I think we were very successful in the past year.”

-Mark Wyatt

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comLocalPage 3


Mulcair, Wall’s Feud Is Hurting The nDPPolitical Scrap Over resource revenue reflects Canada’s east-West DivideAlex J MACPherSOn

REgInA, SK — The ongoing sparring match between the premier and the leader of the federal new Democratic party, conducted on Twitter and in media scrums, has pushed the provincial nDP “between a rock and hard place,” says one expert on Saskatchewan politics.

“The nDP, provincially, has absolutely nothing to win in this situation,” says David McGrane, a professor of political studies at the University of Saskatchewan.

earlier this month Premier Brad

Wall attacked Thomas Mulcair’s claim that the nation’s reliance on resource revenue — particularly the energy sector — has caused the dollar to spike, making exports less prof itable and gouging the manufacturing in-dustry. Wall told reporters: “here’s someone who wants to be the national leader who, for the sake of politics, I think, would risk the economic advantage of the country.”

McGrane thinks Mulcair’s di-agnosis of “Dutch Disease” — an

economic phenomenon where in-creased resource revenue causes a currency to spike, hurting non-resource sectors — is an “extremely

theoretical” prob-lem masking a se-rious issue.

“ T h e r e a p -pears to possibly be an imbalance

within our economy between the manufacturing sector and resource sector … and that, I think, has set up a bit of an east-west dynamic,” he says.

McGrane says the provincial wing of the nDP, which is currently

without a leader, would do well to avoid the fray.

Since Dwain lingenfelter lost his regina seat in the last provin-cial election, Saskatchewan’s nDP has been headed by interim leader John nilson, who, McGrane says, will probably avoid making a stand.

“nilson’s a pretty smart guy, and he’s not going to want to tie the hands of any future leader by making some sort of declaration radically in favour of Brad Wall or radically in favour of Mulcair,” he states.

In an e-mail, nilson stressed his party’s commitment to “critical

discussion on our ever-evolving economy” and explained that “Sas-katchewan’s new Democrats are not interested in giving credence to the premier’s political attack [on Mulcair] via social media.”

Wall, McGrane explains, is em-ploying “one of the best ways to get popular in Saskatchewan politics”: picking a fight with Ottawa.

“[Wall] wants the people of Sas-katchewan to be saying … ‘look at Brad Wall on the national stage defending our interests,’” says Mc-Grane. “It definitely worked in the last provincial election.”


Photo: courtesy of Matt Jiggins and Brad Wall Facebook

Thomas Mulcair (l) and Brad Wall’s feud reflects the east-west divide in Canada

“The nDP, provincially, has absolutely nothing to win in this situation.”

-David McGrane

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comglobalPage 4


Anxious Men More SocialStressed Males exhibit ‘Female’ response: StudyADAM hAWBOlDT

FREIBuRg, gERMAnY — Men who are stressed out become more social and are likelier to trust others and share resources new research has revealed.

This finding flies in the face of previous studies that suggested men under stress take a “fight-or-flight” approach and tend to become more aggressive, while women were likelier to display a “tend-and-befriend” behaviour, and reach out to others.

“Apparently men also show so-cial approach behaviour as a direct consequence of stress,” says study researcher Bernadette von Dawans, of the University of Freiburg in Ger-many.

Von Dawans and her team exam-ined 67 males from the University

of Zurich. half of them were put under the stress of public speak-ing and by having to complete a difficult mental math test, while the other half were given a stress-free group read along and some simple counting exercises.

After they were finished, all of the test subjects played a series of trust and sharing games, as well as a roll-of-the-dice gambling game to gauge how aggressively risky they were.

The participants’ heart rate and cortisol (a stress hormone) levels were also monitored.

Despite stereotypes, researchers found that stress made the men kinder, gentler and more friendly. Moreover, they found no difference in the risk-taking behaviours of the stressed and unstressed men.

The study didn’t compare male and female stress-coping mecha-nisms, but researchers say their findings reveal that the “tend-and-befriend” strategy of stress man-agement isn’t exclusively female.


WORLD’S SECOnD TALLEST — The tallest broadcast tower in the world has officially opened. Standing at 634 metres high, the Tokyo Sky Tree is not only the tallest tower, but it is officially the second tallest man-made structure, behind Dubai’s Burj Khalifa (829m). The Sky Tree is expected to draw nearly 32 million visitors a year — that’s more than Tokyo Disneyland, and on a clear day you can see Mount Fuji. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

global At A Glance

Spicy Food Protects Your heartADAM hAWBOlDT

hOnG KOnG, ChInA — If you’re not a fan of spicy food, you might want to give it another try.

not only do hot eats lower your blood pressure, increase your sero-tonin levels and aid in weight loss, but now scientists have come to the conclusion that spicy food may also help protect against heart disease.

new research out of the Chinese University of hong Kong has exam-ined the effect of capsaicinoids — a compound that gives jalapeños and cayenne peppers their heat — on hamsters.

They divided the hamsters into two groups, feeding each a high-cholesterol diet: one group was fed spicy meals while the other ate capsaicinoid-free food.

The result?The spicy food eaters had lower

levels of lDl (low-density lipopro-tein) cholesterol, aka “bad choles-terol.”

What’s more, the capsaicinoids blocked the gene responsible for making your arteries contract. With the arteries more relaxed, blood

was better able to flow to the heart .

Which is good news for spicy eater s . But i f you’ve tried and

tried and can’t stomach spicy food, don’t fret — you can still find ways to get your dose of capsaicinoids.

“Some capsaicin is present in milder peppers, like Spanish pimen-tos, sweet bell peppers, and cherry peppers,” Alexandra Caspero, r.D., explains to MSNBC.

And while experts are certain spice is good, they also warn that too much of a good thing can be bad for you. In fact, too much spicy food can cause tissue inflammation, so enjoy it in moderation.


“The spicy food eaters had lower levels of … ‘bad cholesterol.’”

-Adam Hawboldt

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comglobalPage 5


Parents Happiest Of AllKids Up Contentment More Than Child-Free lifeADAM hAWBOlDT

RIVERSIDE, CA — To have or not to have children, that is the question.

And the answer, well, that de-pends on how happy and fulfilling a life you want to live.

According to researchers from the University of California, river-side, the University of British Colum-bia and Stanford University, parents have greater levels of happiness than those without children.

“We are not saying that par-enting makes people happy, but that parenthood is associated with happiness and meaning,” explains Sonja lyubomirsky, professor of psychology at UC riverside.

“Contrary to repeated scholarly and media pro-nouncement s , people may find solace that par-e n t h o o d a n d child care may

actually be linked to feelings of happiness and meaning in life,” continues lyubomirsky.

researchers conducted studies

on 186 participants, testing wheth-er parents were happier overall than their childless peers, whether par-ents felt better moment to moment than non-parents and whether parents experienced more posi-tive feelings when taking care of their kids.

The answers to all these tests were yes.

researchers believe the consis-tency of these findings “provides strong evidence challenging the widely held perception that chil-dren are associated with reduced well-being.”


EAT, DRInK, WORK — Professional wom-en drink more than those with manual jobs, claims new studies. Figures from the Office of national Statistics show that women with high-profile careers,

such as managers of large companies, drink a bottle of wine a week, or rough-ly 11.2 units of alcohol, compared to female hairdressers and factory work-ers, who drink around 6.2 units. Though

some researchers declared a bottle of wine a week was not extravagant, they do caution against using booze to reduce stress. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

global At A Glance

Skinny Jeans Can Cause PainADAM hAWBOlDT

BAlTIMOre, MD — Zac efron wears them, Mila Kunis wears them and, chances are every hipster you know has at least one pair of them in their closet.

Yessiree, any way you slice it, skinny jeans are back in fashion. And according to recent studies, that ’s not nec-essarily a good thing.

D r . K a r e n Boyle, a surgeon at the Greater Bal-timore Medical Centre, claims the trendy clothing choice can cause “meralgia paresthetica” — a disor-der that causes tingling, numbness and pain in the upper legs.

“It’s a disorder that occurs when

one of the nerves that runs in the outer part of a thigh gets com-pressed,” Boyle tells ABC News.

These symptoms are often worse in people who wear high heels with skinny jeans because of the way the pelvis tilts, which can increase the pressure.

Boyle warns that if you are ex-periencing pain but choosing to ignore it, you face permanent nerve damage.

Options for al-leviating any health issues associ-ated with skinny jeans include pur-chasing jeans that have added lycra, which gives them more stretch. Worse case scenario, you can always just wear looser pants.


“[P]arenthood is associated with happiness and meaning.”

-Sonja Lyubomirsky

“[Wearing skinny jeans can cause] tingling, numbness and pain…”

-Adam Hawboldt

FeaturePage 6May 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

general Fools Festival Back To Split Sideslocal, national Comedians Showcase Talent As event Celebrates Four YearsSeBASTIen DAnGerFIelD

REgInA, SK — It all started in 1997.

After performing shows in and around regina for a couple of years previous, a group of young impro-visers decided to form an official improv compa-ny. They called it General Fools — the first of its kind in the Queen City.

“We just loved performing on the fly, working on impulse and we wanted to do more of it,” says

General Fools actor Jayden Pfeifer. “We didn’t know what the future would be like, so we formed the company.”

Flash forward a dozen years, through all the shows and travel-

ing and far away festivals, and the General Fools are still going strong.

So much so that in 2009 they

figured it was time to put on a fes-tival of their own.

“We had been attending im-prov festivals for five or six years,” explains Pfeifer, “and one day we

decided we wanted to produce our own. We wanted to bring other companies to regina. So we bit the bullet and threw a festival.”

The attempt at kickstarting a comedy festival went over well.

“The turnout was amazing,” he continues. “The reaction was amaz-ing. People came out in droves, so we’ve been doing it every year since.”

now in its fourth year, the Gen-eral Fools Festival is constantly bringing in new and amazing acts to crack-up local theatre-goers.

This year, along with the General Fools, the festival features like Fa-ther, like Son (a duo from rapid Fire Theatre in edmonton), Vancouver’s Sunday Service and a couple of other talented improvisers who aren’t part of a company.

running from June 6th until June 9th, the festival involves showcase performances from all the compa-nies, along with a few collaborative shows. Some of those collabora-tions will involve a few members from each company, others involve every single person in the festival.

“It’s always fun to do shows with other improvisers,” explains Pfeifer. “You get to learn a little bit about their style and how to mesh it with yours.”

And while working with others is a great experience, for Pfiefer the real joy of improv is working with those closest to him.

“We’ve been the same core en-semble for 15 or 16 years, so we have a lot of history together,” he says. “We’re each others’ best pals and support systems. So when we

get on stage, those thousands and thousands of hours performing together and our personal relation-ships really make for a strong and comfortable foundation. You can blaze into it with no fear.”

It is precisely this comfort and lack of fear that helped General Fools move from short-form improv (a la Whose Line Is It Anyway?) to longer, more involved shows.

“A way to think about it is as a scriptless play,” says Pfeifer. “We do a bunch of different scenes, play a bunch of different characters, tell a bunch of different stories, but it’s all woven together as one show.”

The General Fools Festival will be held at the Artesian on 13th. For more information about the festival visit www.generalfools.com.


“It’s always fun to do shows with other improvisers.”

-Jayden Pfeifer

Photo: courtesy of General Fools

OffbeatPage 7May 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

Two Flies Per BathroomBeijing Unveils new Public Washroom rulesADAM hAWBOlDT

BEIjIng, CHInA — new regu-lations in Beijing stipulate that public bathrooms can have no more than two flies per stall.

And we’re not talking about pants zippers here. no, we’re talking actual buzzing, pesky house flies.

The Beijing Municipal Commis-sion of City Administration and en-vironment issued the rule as part of a “new standard for public toilet management.”

xie Guomin, the official respon-sible for the initiative, says the two-fly rule was not compulsory, but was a new benchmark to improve

Beijing’s notoriously dirty public bathrooms.

Along with the two-fly rule, pub-lic bathrooms in Beijing will also be held up to new odor standards as well as restrictions on the number of pieces of rubbish you can discard (no more than two).


Boy, 14, Conducts OrchestraADAM hAWBOlDT

CArACAS, VeneZUelA— José Ángel Salazar, a 14-year-old from Venezuela, is quite possibly the youngest orchestra conductor in the world.

Salazar was recently appointed to direct the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra, which consists of 70 to 80 musicians , half of whom are older than him.

naturally, this presents certain challenges for the teen.

“It’s hard because I have to find the way to communicate, or some-times tell off kids who are much older than me,” he admits to the Guardian. “I guess they are forcing

me to be better.”Though young, Salazar has clear

ideas about how he will go about his new appointment.

“Conducting is a wordless lan-guage. I have to convey confidence to the musicians in order to get a confident performance back from them … I have to co-ordinate my

b o d y ’s m ove -ments with the music,” he con-tinues. “I let the internal chanting … guide me.”

“I am not sure I am the young-est,” he adds of the world’s young-est designation.

“Maybe there is a younger con-ductor in some small town some-where else.”


“I guess [the musicians in the orchestra] are forcing me to be better.”

-José Ángel Salazar

$4.4M jERSEY — Babe ruth is no strang-er to records. The former new York Yankee held the major league home-run record from ‘21-’74 and is the only man to have hit 40 home runs in more

than 10 seasons. And the Bambino has broken another record: a jersey he wore sold for more than $4.4 million, a record for any item of sports memorabilia. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Offbeat At A Glance

Seven ‘Weirdos’ Who ruin It AllADAM hAWBOlDT

PUllMAn, WA — researchers have identified seven specific types of people who can spoil anything from a shopping trip to a restaurant meal for others.

A recent study co n du c te d at Washington State University on so-called “customer service sabotage” has listed the types of problem-atic customers, and they read like a bizarre Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs cast list: dopey, grumpy, smelly, pushy, stubborn, inconsider-ate and rude.

The most common offenders

were those who swear loudly, fol-lowed closely by ones who easily become angered at the slightest grievance, and those who have poor personal hygiene.

The research was conducted by Joel Anaya, a senior major-ing in hospitality business man-agement at the university. he ex-amined over 200

instances of frustrated customers at various online commenting sites.

“Customers don’t just go to a restaurant to enjoy a burger,” ex-plains Anaya. “They go to have a good time.”


“Researchers have identified seven specific types of people who can spoil anything…”

-Adam Hawboldt

MusicPage 8May 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

Friday 25THE SKYDIggERS — This roots/rock act from Toronto has been do-ing their thing since their self-titled debut album dropped in 1990. 8pm, The Exchange. Tickets $22, www.tick-etedge.ca

Dj 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 wanna dance. 7pm, The Hookah Lounge. no cover.

CASEY STOnE BAnD — With a com-manding stage presence and the pipes to match, this local band can go rock or country or whatever you want. 9pm, McNally’s Tavern. Cover $5

DEF 3 W/guESTS — With his high energy performances and upbeat sound, this emcee has contributed greatly to the local hip hop scene. 9pm, O’Hanlon’s Pub. no cover.

CRAIg MORTIz — If hard-hitting, honest country music is what you’re into, look no farther. This musician from Alberta combines a clean sound with a down-home approach. The result? A rising star on the Canadian country music scene to keep an eye one. Check him out. The Pump Road-house. Tickets TBD.

ALBERT — Appearing every Friday night, come listen to Albert as he does his spinning thing. 10pm, Pure Ultra Lounge. Cover $5.

SHAnE CHISOLM — A three-time CCMA award winner, this country/rockabilly singer from Ontario has a sound you simply have to hear. 9pm, The Sip Nightclub. no cover if in at-tendance by 6pm.

jj VOSS — With more than 15 years of live stage performances under his belt

buckle, this local country/Americana/folk rock singer based out of regina has come by his inspired stage pres-ence honestly. 8pm, Whiskey Saloon. Cover $10.

Saturday 26gEORgE THOROgOOD AnD THE DESTROYERS — With two platinum albums, six gold albums and more than 15 million records sold, this American blues rock vocalist/guitar-ist has been going strong for decades. 8pm, Casino Regina. Tickets $60–65, available at the box office or online at casinoregina.com.

PORT nOISE — This local four piece place their music hard and loud with a very distinctive sound. 8pm, The Exchange. Tickets $10 at the door.

Dj nOOR — Born in Kuwait and ex-posed to the international club scene at a young age, this talented DJ knows how to rock a crowd. 7pm, The Hookah Lounge. Cover $5.

PInK SLIPS — Come check out this local band as they strut their stuff and do their music thang. 9pm, McNally’s Tavern. Cover $5.

CRAIg MORTIz — If hard-hitting, honest country music is what you’re into, look no farther. This musician from Alberta combines a clean sound with a down-home approach. The result? A rising star on the Canadian country music scene to keep an eye one. Check him out. The Pump Road-house. Tickets TBD.

DREWSKI — Doing what he does best, every Saturday night. Come on down and dance the night away with this local DJ. Pure Ultra Lounge. Cover $5.

SHAnE CHISHOLM — A three-time CCMA award winner, this country/rockabilly singer from Ontario has a sound you simply have to hear. 9pm, The Sip Nightclub. no cover if in at-tendance by 6pm.

jj VOSS — With more than 15 years of live stage performances under his belt buckle, this local country/Americana/folk rock singer based out of regina has come by his inspired stage pres-ence honestly. 8pm, Whiskey Saloon. Cover $10.

Sunday 27ADALInE — Come join the crazily talented electro/alt-pop artist from Toronto for her CD release party. She’ll be joined by special guests erin Passmore along with the Fortunate Isles. 8pm, Artesian on 13. Tickets $12, available at the door or in advance at Mysteria Gallery or http://www.picatic.com/event7193690

DOMInIquE FRICOT, CISEAux — Vancouver’s Fricot fuses rock, soul, folk and jazz with a deep baritone that will linger with you long after the show is over. Also from B.C., Cis-eaux is inspired by everything from Bach to ‘60s soul, and you can tell. her music is classic and poppy and utterly infectious. 7:30pm, Creative City Centre. Tickets $10.

Monday 28CRIS DERKSEn — A classically trained cellist from northern Alberta, this tal-ented musician is a rising star on the Canadian music scene. With captivat-ing melodies and alluring baselines, she melds together hip hop, folk, rock and country to create a unique, pas-sionate, thoroughly awesome sound. 7:30pm, Artful Dodger Cafe and Music Emporium. Cover $10.

MOnDAY nIgHT jAzz — Featuring Uptown Jazz, regina’s Power Jazz Trio. 8pm, Bushwakker Brewing Company. no cover.

LEn gADICA — This one-man band from Melville is no stranger to Casino regina, and every time he plays here the dance floor is packed as polkas, waltzes and other popular tunes waft through the air. 8pm, Casino Regina. Tickets $10, available at the box office or at www.casinoregina.com

Tuesday 29OLD MAn LuEDECKE — One of Can-ada’s best loved roots singer/song-writers, luedecke plays memorable melodies and has an easy charisma on stage that will suck you deep into his performance. he’ll be joined by the incomparable Del Barber. 8pm, Artesian on 13. Tickets $15 at the door or in advance at Mysteria Gallery or online at http://www.picatic.com/event1283690

CHARLIE PRIDE — An American country legend, this smooth baritone from Mississippi has 39 number-one hits on the Billboard hot Country charts. 8pm, Casino Regina. SOlD OUT.

KARAOKE TuESDAY — Famous live music venue offers its patrons a chance to share the stage. 8pm, McNally’s Tavern. no cover.

Wednesday 30WEDnESDAY nIgHT FOLK — Fea-turing last Mountain Breakdown, playing country-folk and bluegrass. 9pm, Bushwakker Brewing Company. no cover

DESCALSO — Come bid farewell to this local reggae, rock, pop fusion act before they ship off to Montreal to pursue the dream. They’ll be joined by The Andino Suns. 8pm, The Exchange. Cover $10.

Thursday 31THE STRuMBELLAS — This is not your standard country music. Coming straight from Toronto, The Strumbel-las have a sound that’s bigger and louder that any band with a banjo deserves to sound: it’s all high energy

and awesome. 8pm, The Exchange. Tickets TBD.PS FRESH — DJ Ageless started spin-ning in Montreal, DJ Drewski started in Saskatoon. They both landed in regina and have come together to sling some bomb beats. 7pm, The Hookah Lounge. no cover.LORDS KITCHnER — hailing from Moose Jaw, this indie-prog four-piece has a fresh and unique sound that is a testament to raucous rock music. 9pm, McNally’s Tavern. Cover $5ROCKBOx — Back by popular de-mand, this band plays everything from country classics to top 40 hits and more. 9pm, The Pump Roadhouse.AMY nELSOn — This up-and-coming local musician has been turning heads on the country music scene in Western Canada. With a sweeping voice and unmistakable stage presence, the sky is the limit for this high school music teacher. 8pm, Whiskey Saloon. Cover $5.

Want your show listed?Email [email protected]!

(nExT WEEK) (COMIng uP) jOHn FO-gERTY @ BRAnDT CEnTRE — Before this Californian became a solo act, he was part of Creedence Clearwater rival, one of the most iconic bands of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, not to mention the guy who Rolling Stone ranked the #40 best guitarist of all time. his solo hits

include “Centrefield” and “Jambalaya,” but come this spring he’ll return to his CCr roots as he sets out on tour, performing the music of CCr. he’ll be at the Brandt Centre on September 21st; tickets are $28+ (Ticketmaster). -Adam Hawboldt. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Photo: courtesy of the artist


(nExT WEEK) ADAMS RIB @ MCnALLY’S TAVERn — What do you get if you mix the music of Bob Marley, Dave Mat-thews and U2? The answer is something that sounds a lot like adams rib. With strong melodies and groovy tunes, this act from Ontario walk a tightrope between rock edginess and melodic

pop while holding a funky, island-like balance beam. These guys have toured extensively since coming together in 1996. They’ll be coming to regina on June 1st and 2nd , and playing Mcnally’s Tavern. Cover is $5 at the door. -Adam Hawboldt. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.


(n E x T W E E K ) B. A . j O H n STO n @ O’HAnLOn’S PuB — If you haven’t heard this hamilton musician before, you better brace yourself — for hilarity. In the past, this talented singer/song-writer has released songs with names like “Jesus is from hamilton” (a song about JC helping the Ti-Cats) and “love

letters to the Girls in high School Art Class” (self-explanatory). And with this latest album Hi Dudes!, this alternative acoustic musician has amped up the funny. Check him out when hi plays O’hanlon’s Pub on June 1st; no cover. -Adam Hawboldt. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Arts OnePage 9May 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

The novaks: Bold, Brash And BeautifulThis east Coast Trio Plays rock & roll The Way It Was Meant To Be PlayedAlex J MACPherSOn

REgInA, SK — “I don’t know how to do anything else,” says Mick Davis. “I’m f***ing useless at anything except playing guitar and singing. This has to work.”

Davis is talking about the novaks, the rock band he fronts. I first heard Davis sing in 2005, when MuchMu-sic still played music videos. Their first single, “I’ll Give You a ring,” made me feel like guitar rock had a chance.

Since then, Da-vis, Mark neary, and elliot Dicks have been fixed in my mind as mes-sianic figures, storming forth from their home in St. John’s to save rock & roll. I haven’t been disappointed.

“I say rock & roll, but it’s so sub-jective, isn’t it?” Davis muses, his reedy voice startlingly unlike the nasal howl he displays onstage.

“Sometimes that’s a bad word, depending on where you are. Some

people describe us as bluesy rock, but I hate that. It sounds like you’re going to go see Colin James or the Jeff healey Band. They’re fine, but that’s not what we do.”

What the novaks do is play rock & roll with feeling. Davis and company have a knack for distilling rock down to its essence: muscular drumming, punchy bass lines and driving guitar riffs.

Some bands are great because t h e y b e c o m e what they pre-tend to be, trans-porting listeners into their private world; the novaks

are great because they don’t pre-tend to be anything at all.

“The whole idea is just doing it, being lost in it,” Davis says.

“When I’m singing, that’s the only time of day when I’m not there, I’m not thinking about anything, I’m worry-free. That’s what it’s all about, and the more we can do that, the happier we’ll be.”

Mining the band’s lyrics for deeper significance is futile; Davis chooses words for their shape as much as for their meaning.

Davis plainly learned a lot from Jagger and richards. The band’s three records — The Novaks, Things Fall Apart and Big World — are pop-ulated by rock & roll archetypes: long lost girls, late night drinkers and early morning regrets. But get-ting the point is as simple as letting the music wash over you, absorbing the feeling of it all.

Born as a four-piece, the novaks spent several years as a trio follow-ing the departure of guitarist Chuck Tucker. Davis enjoyed the challenge, but he is overjoyed at the prospect of having another guitar player, Brad Power, join the band.

“We just feel like a brand new band,” Davis explains.

“When we had our original gui-tar player it was more of an AC/DC thing, where we were playing the same thing on the guitars. Then we went into a trio and it became

a very open sound, a very wide-open sound.”

“And now we’ve got a guitar player again, but it’s a completely different ball game,” he continues. “he’s my favourite guitar player I think I’ve ever seen on earth. he’s all feel. It’s like having eric Clapton from 1965 in the band.”

Davis says the group expects to make another record this year, but uncertainty in the music busi-ness — “the goddamn industry is upside down,” he laments — means plans are slow to develop. rather than hang around, they decided to take the show on the road.

“It’s like the old Billy Joel line which I love,” he laughs, “‘It doesn’t matter what they say in the papers, ‘cause it’s always been the same old scene, there’s a new band in town, and you can’t get the sound from the story in a magazine.’”

Traveling the country is a seri-ous endeavour for a band based in newfoundland — after all, St. John’s is closer to Paris than Victoria.

But Davis insists that the only way to experience the novaks is in a sweaty club.

“You’ll never know what you’re getting unless you go see the bloody band,” he laughs, “and our bend definitely has that. You won’t know unless you go to the show.”

This is Davis in his element. It may never have occurred to him that he could do anything else, but it doesn’t matter.

“Come on big world, don’t let me down,” he howls on the title track of Big World. This is misleading: the novaks may not be, as Davis says, “f***ing millionaires,” but they have done it all themselves. And they’re making it work.


“You’ll never know what you’re getting unless you go see the bloody band.”

-Mick Davis

The novaksWhere: The exchangeWhen: June 4Cost: $27.75 (www.admission.com/event/Deer-TICK-billets/DTK0604

Event Info

Photo: courtesy of Adam Penny and the artist

Section Pages 10, 11VerbNews.comArts & Culture

Alex J MACPherSOn

A quarter century is a long time. I’m only twenty-four, which means twenty-five feels incomprehensible. But not as incomprehensible as twenty-five years in the music busi-ness, an industry as fickle as it is flu-id. randy Travis knows all about it, though. his debut album, Storms of Life, which hurled him into the up-per echelons of American coun-try music, was released in 1986. Since then he as released dozens of records, had more than 20 number one singles, and toured extensively. Amazingly, he is as busy now as he was a quar-ter century ago: this year Travis is releasing two albums — Randy Travis, a compilation, and Anniver-sary Celebration, a double album of collaborations — and giving more than 80 concerts. Verb caught up with Travis in Texas to chat about how the business has changed, why he keeps working and why he loves the Grand Ole Opry.

Alex J MacPherson: In a quar-ter century, how has the business changed?

Randy Travis: I like that term, a quarter century. I hadn’t heard that one before. That really makes me

feel like I’ve been here a long time. It used to be this simple: we record an album, put the singles out, pro-motions staff calls radio, they play it, and then we go out there and tour. It’s so different now through the computer world we live in now. The amount of younger people within the business making records,

it’s amazing how many people are closer to 20 than they are 40.

AJM: But de-spite the changes, you seem fairly

comfortable these days.RT: I’m fortunate, I’m sitting in

a real comfortable place. Yeah, I’m not getting that kind of airplay any-more, but I was fortunate enough to find songs that were what people would call signature songs, and there were several of them. If I can’t ever get airplay again, I’m sitting in a good place.

AJM: You’ve got a heap of new projects on the go, maybe more than ever before. What’s the appeal of working so hard?

RT: I like to work. I like to do con-tinual things, new things as years go by. I always have done that for some reason. I can’t sit around and do nothing. everybody needs a rest every once in awhile, but I like to play music and I love doing

Five questions With Randy TravisCountry legend On Spending The Past 25 Years Making Music


MacKenzie exhibit Marks 1912 regina CycloneAlex J MACPherSOn

reGInA, SK — Inspired by a cen-tury-old disaster and driven by a strong and vibrant creative partner-ship, Spiraling Forces combines the best parts of art and dance into one immersive experi-ence.

A collabora-t ion b e t we en the MacKenzie Art Gallery and new Dance horizons, a regina dance company, Spiraling Forces takes its name from the regina Cyclone, a tornado that devastated the Queen City on June 30, 1912. The show, which marries pieces from the MacKenzie’s extensive permanent collection to a pair of live dance performances, is a celebration of

the colossal power of the wind.“When the idea came for the

Tornado Project, the many events surrounding the commemoration of the regina Cyclone, it seemed like a good fit to do a show that brings together a dance project that

robin [Poitras] was doing with an exhibition that would serve as its counterpart,” says Timothy long,

head curator at the MacKenzie.long and Poitras spent hours

combing through the MacKenzie’s vault, looking for pieces that might relate to the idea of wind. long calls this “going shopping,” adding that one piece inevitably would spark new ideas, connections and associations.

“It’s one of the things I really like to do,” he enthuses. “When you look at a painting with a particular con-cept in mind, sometimes new asso-ciations spring to the forefront. We have one particular painting that became the core of the whole show. It’s a painting of a dark, stormy sea-scape with a ship that looks like it’s just about to go under. It’s a paint-ing called “Drifting Away,” part of the original MacKenzie bequest.”

long says working with Poitras, who has a broad background in the arts, was like a breath of fresh air.

“She’s got a really sensitive eye … we feed on each other’s energy. She thinks in a different way than I do, and she has an amazing power of association and of thinking meta-phorically.”

One of the results of their col-laboration is the deliberate deci-sion to exclude human forms from the art.

Because none of the pieces de-pict people, viewers are forced to engage with the work in the same way they engage with nature. This adds another dimension — an ex-amination of how humans and na-ture interact — to the exhibition.

Spiraling Forces also promises to introduce more young people to the MacKenzie — one of regina’s most venerable institutions. Col-laborations are fueled by creative energy, and it crackles through Spiraling Forces.

long agrees that being open to innovation and expanding the definition of what fine art can be will unlock the gallery for more people than ever before.


“The show … is a celebration of the colossal power of the wind.”

-Alex J MacPherson

“You’ve got to do something and for me I’m real fortunate: what I do as a living, I love it.”

-Randy Travis

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

VerbNews.comArts & CulturePages 10, 11VerbNews.comArts & CulturePages 10, 11May 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

new projects. Somebody asked me about retiring and I said, “what would I do?” You’ve got to do some-thing and for me I’m real fortunate: what I do as a living, I love it. That time onstage for me is so special.

AJM: You’ve received plenty of accolades, but I understand you’re most proud of your induction into the Grand Ole Opry.

RT: The Opry is special to many, many people in this business. You walk on that stage and it feels differ-ent than any other I have been on in my whole life. It’s probably because of the history there, the people who have stood there and sang on that stage, people I grew up listening to and grew up singing their music. It’s a big honour to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry. As a kid I doubted…I was singing at eight years old, but I didn’t have dreams like that. I always told people I just wanted to make a living writing and singing. As this all started it went way, way beyond anything I had ever thought about.

AJM: When you’re playing a show now, what do you hope the audience takes away from it?

RT: A lot of things! If you look at the songs, certain songs mean more to some people. For me, “he Walked on Water” takes me back to my grandfather and my grand-mother, and it seems to do the same

Five questions With Randy TravisCountry legend On Spending The Past 25 Years Making Music


thing to a lot of people I have met through these years. At the end of a performance I want to feel like that audience has left there, heard those songs they wanted to hear, and I want to feel like I’ve done the best possible job that I can do as a singer. I want them to be so pleased with that show; that means a whole lot to me.


Family Matters In Funny Play Over The RiverAlex J MACPherSOn

reGInA, SK — Overbearing grandparents: everybody has one. nick Cristano, unfortunately, has four.

nick is the guilt-ridden protago-nist in Over the River and Through the Woods, a new production by the regina little Theatre. Written by Joe DiPietro and directed by howard Delong, the comic drama focuses on a tight-knit Italian fam-ily. When nick, who is nearly thirty, announces his intention to move across the country like his parents, his grandparents respond with a declaration of war.

Sensing that their family is about to disintegrate forever, they will do anything to stop him. Including baiting him with Caitlin, an attrac-tive neighbour. But not everything is as it seems.

Over the River and Through the Woods attempts to balance the importance of family with the ir-repressible urge to explore.

“It’s a real character-driven play,” says Delong. “You’re going to see some delightful grandparents, each with different mannerisms, and you’re going to see the full range of emotions. There might even be a tear or two. It’s very touching.”

Domineering grandparents are nothing new, but Frank, Aida, nunzio and emma take the act to a new level. Brimming with pithy aphorisms and blunt advice, they seem to revel in haranguing nick, and making his decision a matter

of public record. But they also care deeply about him, and are devas-tated by the thought of him leaving.

“That’s definitely what this play demands,” says Delong of the over-the-top characters, adding that the actors came to rehearsal brimming with ideas. “They’re very accom-plished,” he muses, “each and every

one of them. My challenge is a lot less [significant].”

Delong says the play struck a chord with him.

“When I read the play I thought, ‘I’m nick, I’m the main character, that’s me,’” he says. “I ventured off … there are some regrets there, for sure. Did I do the right thing? I think I did.”

“Did nick do the right thing?” he

laughs. “Just watch out for the end.” Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

“When I read the play I thought, ‘I’m nick, I’m the main character…’”

-Howard DeLong

Spiraling ForcesWhere: MacKenzie Art GalleryWhen: now ‘til August 12; dance performances June 29Cost: Free, but tickets required. 584-4250

Randy TravisWhere: Casino reginaWhen: June 6Cost: Sold out

Over the River and Through the WoodsWhere: regina little TheatreWhen: June 6-9Cost: $19/$17 (306) 779-2277Want some coverage for your upcoming event? Email [email protected] ASAP!

Event Info

FoodPage 12May 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

Address: 1207 Albert StreetHours: Mon — Thurs 11:30 AM — 3 PM, 5 PM — 9 PM; Fri — Sat 11:30 AM — 9:30 PMReservations: 347-2222

Tandoori Kabab

Tandoori Kabab: Inspired Cuisinenew, Classic east Indian Dishes Offered At Albert St. restaurantJeSSICA BICKFOrD

I have to say, I love East Indian food, but sometimes it seems like you can never get anything really different, so you get stuck in a generic chicken curry rut.

I’ve had this problem, but Tan-doori Kabab Touch and owner Sha-hida Khalid and her family have helped me see the light (if the light is deliciously different Indian food).

hakka Chinese is a fusion of restaurant-style Chinese food done with Indian flair that is incredibly

popular in India and larger centres like Toronto. Shahida served me up a great variety of these dishes, kicking things off with some chili chicken.

This item offered large pieces of rich, breaded chicken mixed with a ginger- and garlic-infused sauce, red peppers, green chilies, and white and green onion.

The sauce was thick and fragrant, with the heat of the ginger and chilies front and centre.

next up was another new treat for me, the Tandoori Touch special,

which was a combination of Seekh kabab, tikka boti and tandoori chicken. The Seekh kabab was a mixture of ground beef, pep-pers and spices which had been wrapped around a skewer and cooked in the tandoor, while the tikka boti was large pieces of chick-en (white meat) cooked in the tan-door, giving them a delicious smoky flavour. The Tandoori chicken was similar, but used thigh and leg meat.

If you’re interested in checking out a few different options, this is a great way to go: variety is always nice, and anything from the tandoor is

spectacular.Af ter a few

new things some old favourites were in order, and butter chicken

and daal makhni fit the bill. The butter chicken was creamy and rich, with that slight sweetness indica-tive of the dish, though it had a bit more spice than average.

The daal makhni was a luscious lentil dish that was mildly spiced and very hearty, especially with some naan. Tandoori Kabab’s naan is their own secret recipe, and it is lighter than most.

no meal is complete without a bit of dessert, and kheer, or rice pudding, is a staple.

Tandoori Kabab’s kheer was smooth and creamy, a perfect treat for summer.

I also tasted their mango lassi, which is a personal favourite. lassi is a yogurt and milk based bever-age: cold and slightly tangy, but still sweet.

Mango lassi is also great to have on hand for those of you who might struggle with spice, because the dairy in it helps to dull any linger-ing heat.

Tandoori Kabab Touch is really something special, dishing up a fun spin on classic Indian cuisine. Shahida and her family are incred-ibly welcoming, so come on down and say hi.

And with a surprisingly large interior that can accommodate par-ties of over 100, bring your friends.


There is nothing quite like the tropical taste of mango, and these sweet, pulpy fruits are a staple in east Indian cuisine. Whether you eat them raw, drink them, pickle them or turn them into jelly, mangos are dripping with juicy facts.

■ Some mango trees over 300 years old still produce fruit

■ Mangos can be eaten unripe, usually in savoury applications like pickles and chutney

■ The sap and skin of mangos contains a chemical that causes an allergic skin rash in some people

■ Mangos are the national fruit of India, Pakistan and the Philippines, with India also being their top producer

“Tandoori Kabab’s naan is their own secret recipe, and it is [light]…”

-Jessica Bickford

Photos: courtesy of Kendra Kuss

OpinionPage 13May 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

We Think All Drugs Should Be LegalizedOur Ultimate Goal In revamping Policy Includes regulation, removing StigmaThe eDITOrS OF VerB

This is the final installment of a three-part series pertaining to Canada’s ineffec-tive war on drugs, in which we examine what our revamped drug policy should look like.

REgInA, SK — As we’ve previ-ously discussed, we think that Canada needs to reimagine its drug policy in order to make it as effective as possible — our current hard-line not only stuffs our jails with people who don’t deserve to be there, but also doesn’t work to wean users off their addictions. And that’s why we think that le-galizing drugs is the way to go.

We’ve already argued for the complete decriminalization of per-sonal possession based on the suc-cessful policy Portugal implement-ed in 2003. We have also stated that once drugs are decriminalized, supervised injection sites should open in every major city across the county, while jail terms for personal possession of narcotics should be eradicated in favour of therapy and treatment.

Ultimately, however, these are simply foundational steps neces-sary to achieve our end vision. You see, if we rush things too quickly and try to change everything all at once, we run the very high and very real risk of straining our rela-tions with America to the point of rupture. Sure, in an ideal world no external force should dictate what we do, but the U.S. is one of our biggest trading partners and we need to approach the situation pragmatically.

So let’s revamp our drug poli-cy piecemeal, show our southern

neighbours that the liberalization of drugs makes both dollars and sense, and then move to what we think is a logical drug policy, one that includes the legalization and regulation of all drugs. Such a policy would allow us to reap myriad ben-efits — both fiscal and social.

let’s start with the fiscal. Ac-cording to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, the illegal drug trade sets the government back an estimated $8.2 billion annually. Of that, $2.3 billion is spent on enforce-ment (this includes policing, courts

and corrections). That’s a heap-

ing sum for such an inef fec tive policy, so why not try something dif-ferent? Why not

legalize drugs and tax them like we do for alcohol or cigarettes? not only would we seriously reduce our enforcement budget, but if we lev-ied a “sin tax” on the tens of billions of dollars in illicit drug sales every year, well, let’s just say we’d have a lot more money floating around in our federal and provincial budgets.

how much? One source, the magazine BC Business, estimates that the BC marijuana trade alone brings in nearly $7.5 billion a year. By legalizing and taxing marijuana, federal and provincial governments would stand to make hundreds of millions, depending on how heavy-handed the taxes were.

And please remember, that’s just by legalizing weed in BC. Imag-ine the untold economic benefits of taxing all drugs all across the country.

Consider how much good regu-lation of the drug industry would bring. First, we believe that the number of deaths would decrease. If the government was responsible

for the drug trade, the standards of quality and safety would increase greatly (they aren’t going to want anyone to get sick or worse on a bad trip).

What’s more, legalizing and regulating the drug trade would decrease the presence of organized crime in Canada. It’s no great secret that a criminalized drug market cre-ates a vacuum in which organized crimes exists and thrives. But if you get rid of that vacuum, you also get rid of the money that is the lifeblood of these organizations and starve them into submission. It worked when America repealed prohibition, and it could work for us.

The demand for drugs, illegal or legal, will always exist, but the sup-ply of illegal drugs does not have to. Through legalization, regulation and taxation, we can tear drugs out of the violent underworld, remove the stigma, and bring the industry

(along with its billions of dollars in revenue) out into to open — where

it belongs.Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

“The demand for drugs … will always exist, but the supply of illegal drugs does not have to.”

-Verb’s editors

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comMoviesPage 14


Humans’ Darkness Exposed In TyrannosaurDirector Considine, Cast Doesn’t hold Back In Frank, Cruel Character StudyTyrannosaur

ADAM hAWBOlDT

There’s no chance you’ll ever mistake Tyrannosaur for a Disney movie. not a snowball’s chance in hell.

right from the get-go, when you see the main character Joseph (Peter Mullan) drunkenly kick his dog to death, a cloud of grimness settles atop the landscape. A cloud

that will hang over you, and anyone else who watches this film long after the final credits roll.

Written and directed by talented British actor Paddy Considine (The Bourne Ultima-tum, Last Resort), Tyrannosaur is the bleakest, gloomi-est, rawest look at lower class eng-land to come around in quite some time.

Joseph is a widower, a borderline alcoholic and a full-blown rageahol-ic. Before the story even gets re-motely rolling he’s already killed his dog, thrown a brick through a

window and beat the ever-loving you-know-what out of three youths in a pub.

not exactly the kind of guy you’d want to have over for dinner.

The thing is, though. Joseph isn’t all bad. Sure he’s wildly un-happy and pos-sibly a psycho-

path, but his soul isn’t completely dark. I mean, in between bouts of drinking and raging, Joseph is, at times, capable of small expressions of love and sincerity. he’s partial to a neglected neighbourhood lad and he’s always there for his old drinking buddy Jack (robin Butler), who is dying.

he meets hannah (Olivia Col-man) is a woman of strong Christian faith who runs a charity’s thrift shop. She is a generous soul, terrorized by her jealous, abusive husband. And, like Joseph, she too has a drinking problem.

Joseph and hannah meet one day when he stumbles into her thrift shop.

naturally, Joseph is mean to her but hannah doesn’t back away. Used to being abused, she decides to pray for Joseph instead of judg-ing him.

Soon a friendship blossoms be-tween the two that, for a few brief moments, allowing a ray of light to break through the ominous cloud that hovers over this film.

But make no mistakes, Tyran-nosaur isn’t a feel good movie. It’s a cruel and frank look at the dark underbelly of human existence, and an astute and gritty character study of the down and outs who live in a place where kindness is a weakness and violence is always an option.

And what characters they are — the acting in Tyrannosaur is mes-merizing.

Mullan’s (Children of Men) perfor-mance is taut, muscular and power-ful, while Colman (Hot Fuzz, The Iron Lady) plays the battered, alcoholic spouse to perfection.

And eddie Marsan (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Happy-Go-Lucky) is so loathsome as James, at times you want to reach out and strangle him.

Yet for all that, for all the excel-lent acting and emotional turmoil, Tyrannosaur is, dare I say, too bleak? The gloom is unyielding. The viewer never really gets a break.

With just a few moments of leav-ening humour — a dash here, a dash there — Tyrannosaur would’ve been elevated from a very, very good movie to an excellent one. nevertheless, it’s absolutely well

worth a watch.Tyrannosaur opens as part of

regina Public library’s film theatre on May 31; see http://www.regi-nalibrary.ca/ for more information.


Photo: courtesy of D Films Corp

Runtime: 91 MinutesRated: 18A

“Mullan’s … performance is taut, muscular and powerful…”

-Adam Hawboldt

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comMoviesPage 15


Photo: courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Men In Black Is Back, And not That goodBrolin Shines While Smith And Jones Falter In Franchise’s Third Installment Men in Black 3

ADAM hAWBOlDT

You have to admit, there are some damn fine movie trilogies out there.

There’s Park Chan-wook’s Ven-geance Trilogy (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance/Oldboy/Sympathy for Lady Vengeance), Sergio leone’s Dollars Trilogy (A Fistful of Dollars/For a Few Dollars More/The Good, the Bad and the Ugly), the original Star Wars trilogy, the Godfather trilogy.

The list goes on.But nowhere on that list of

damn-fine trilogies will you find the Men in Black franchise.

Sure the first one, which de-buted 15 years ago, was zippy and fresh and funny and cool.

But Men in Black II was so bad that most viewers wished they’d had their minds wiped with one of those “neuralizing” flash stick thingamajigs the agents use.

As for Men in Black 3, well, it’s not nearly has horrawful (yes, I just combined horrible and awful) as the second installment, but it’s leagues away from being as good as the 1997 original.

In fact, even when zinging along at its highest point, MIB 3 still feels like a futile attempt to repackage whatever lightning and magic they’d found in the first flick.

That doesn’t mean the movie is bad — just that it’s not overly good. But more on the vices and virtues of this film in a minute. For now, let’s take a quick look at plot.

Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, MIB 3 reunites Will Smith and Tom-my lee Jones as agents J and K. Again they’re charged with saving the earth.

This time, though, there’s a bit of

a time travel twist. Interstellar assas-sin Boris the Animal (Jemaine Clem-ent) escapes from a correctional facility on the moon and steals a time-travel doohickey.

h is p lan is s imple: t ravel back to 1969, kill the young agent K (Josh Brolin) and set off a tempo-

ral reaction that will echo into a present day destruction of earth by Boris’ alien race.

naturally, agent J is sent back in time to stop this from happening.

Ultimately though, is MIB 3 worth watching?

To answer that, let’s pay homage

to leone’s trilogy and break this film down into the good, the bad and the downright ugly.

The good — as a young agent K, Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men, True Grit) is spot on. he sim-ply nails it. his bemused twang in his voice, his reticent demeanour, even his facial expressions are so much like Tommy lee Jones it’s borderline creepy.

The bad — both Will Smith (Inde-pendence Day, I, Robot) and Tommy lee Jones (The Fugitive, No Country for Old Men) were basically sleep walking through their roles.

Sure Smith was his usual charm-ing self and Jones still plays cantan-kerous well, but neither one of them

seemed to be enjoying themselves. Oh, and on top of that, the 3D

format Sonnenfeld used didn’t do much to enhance the film.

The ugly — it’s no secret this script went through a lot of writers before it was finalized, but some-where along the way they must’ve took the comedy writer’s draft and burned it.

There were plenty of opportu-nity for laughs here, but the prob-lem is, unlike the original MIB, the laughs never seem to come.

So with all that said, my advice is this: sure, watch Men in Black 3, but only if you have nothing bet-ter to do.


“As a young agent K, josh Brolin … is spot on. He simply nails it.”

-Adam Hawboldt

Runtime: 106 MinutesRated: Pg

This Week: War On Drugs Part 2last week we asked what you

thought about our proposed first steps in changing Canada’s drug policy, and here’s what you had to say.

Next week’s topic: see page

13 — what do you think about legalizing all drugs? 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!

TextsPage 16May 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

On TopicWar on Drugs - As a survivor of both a drunk driver and the Saskatoon drug scene. I prescribe to

the AsIan solution - summary exicution - their numbers are impressive, China drug use down 95% in four years, Malaysia drunk driving down 95% 8n two years. There has been little burden to the tax payers. Their econimies are booming. Tey have almost no crime or social problems. An example worth following, I think.

Shifting our focus from hardline policies to something that promotes rehabilitation just makes sense. Good luck getting the government to ok putting safe injection sites everywhere aren’t they shutting down the one in van?

Right giving addicts more access to drugs is not the solution to curbing the widespread use of drugs in our country. This will only make things worse. The threat of punishment is the only thing that’ll work.

That’s what I want my tax money to go to gettin a junkie high! I will never suport a gov’t or newspaper who supports this! Help with rehab!

Sure bring an insite centre but where are you going to put it here? I don’t want to have anything like that near my house or my kids school. Outskirts maybe? An interesting proposition and worth looking at but needs more thought.

Yes! Insite has worked wonders in the DTES in Vancouver and is

definitely something we should be embracing across the country. If only Harper wasn’t so bullheaded we could make progress on helping others in this country.

Off TopicRe: “We Think Civic Events Should Be Secular,” Opinion page, May 4th issue

Does being a multicultural country mean that we have to embrace everyone else’s culture but our own? Canada needs to get a backbone and stop being the spineless jellyfish that it is and stand up for things that make us Canadian and/or Christian.

Re: “We Think Civic Events Should Be Secular,” Opinion page, May 4th issue

(Off topic - civic events should be secular) Why is this even a topic for debate? Leave the magic pixie dust, rain dances and rituals at home. There is no place for it at a civic event. You wanna pray at a public event. Go ahead, it’s your right. But it’s my right to point out how ridiculous whatever space zombie cult it is you belong to and openly mock you. No, I won’t respect your belief in fairy tales and I don’t care if you’re offended. ALL RELIGIONS HURT SOCIETY!!!

Re: “We Think Civic Events Should Be Secular,” Opinion page, May 4th issue

For information Obama had soldiers burn Christian bibles in 2010 in fear of Muslims. Anyway, it’s interesting to see how many of you get so worked up about Christians. I’ll pray for you.

TextsPage 17May 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

Re: “Stay Sober Pills,” Global page, May 18th issue

A pill that keeps you sober longer? They should sell them at bars they could make alot more money if people can drink more.

Re: “Stay Sober Pills,” Global page, May 18th issue

They should make a pill that makes heavy drinkers extremly sick if they consume alcohol that would help wean heavy drinkers off the bottle.

Re: “Needle Pain,” Global page, May 18th issue

needle pain - I would believe it. The first time I had blood taken I was watching and ended up getting woozy and passing out in the reception area. Since then I have never looked and don’t get woozy and pass out.

Re: “Fist Pump Record Tried,” Offbeat page, May 18th issue

Fist pump first: he probably holds the record for biggest douchebag.

Re: “You Become What You Read,” Global page, May 18th issue

Adam I totally agree you do become what you read! My question have you read 50 Shades of Grey? Kari.

How long do you think it will take for the Establishment to realize that the “Occupy Movement” and “The Vancouver Riots” and “The Montreal Students’ Uproar” and “Non-participation by Youths during elections” are all signs of Youth activism based on their loss of trust and confidence in the system? I suggest that our Youth are legitimately questioning why they

should sacrifice to get us out of the economic hole we’re in; the very hole that the spoiled brat boomers ahead of them created. Dennis Hall

Doctors! They spend their whole lives studying and working on human physiology and they never see some simple basic governing systems principles. I suspect they’re just way too focussed on their pharmacy as treatments and cures.

To whoever texted about bus drivers not being able to drive worth spit obviously does not realize what it is like to drive 8 hours a day with losers cutting in front of the bus all day long. Before you criticize, try to realize what stress another driver is under on a daily basis.

I think people should stop freaking out on bus drivers. Nobodys perfect in their job all the time, and they get you to their destination safely.

So Maurice Vellacott thinks that the bullying laws should apply to the fetus? Really? How do you bully a fetus? All you’re trying to do is reopen the abortion debate Muarice. Why don’t you do something for your constituents besides push your extremist crap on everyone. Right to choose!

Just saw the Theo Fleury movie so sad what that pervert Graham James did to him. Child molesters should be locked up for life in cell with no

windows!

No matter what kind of names you call us Christians ( crazy twisted sick etc. ) we love you no matter what.

I’d just like to thank the Nightlife section for getting me dumped turns out your NEVER safe to cheat

WHY not have clothing optional outdoor Pools that is where the Nakeds At?

Montreal protests are inspiring. A disenfranchised generation is making their voice heard. We should be celebrating

them, not openly rebuking. Don’t let a few bad apples (i.e. the ones who vandalise/harm others, throw stones) be your picture of the protestors. There are many, many others who are working hard to make their beliefs known, subscribe to the outrageous laws imposed by the government, and incite change.

I think the downtown bus terminal should be smoke free I’m sick of breathing in 2nd hand smoke while I wait for the bus. Anybody agree or disagree?

When push comes to shove EVERYBODY

can get a little DOWNtown! “The lights are so much brighter. You can forget all your troubles forget all your cares!”

Just as small people apparently live big lives; big people apparently live small lives. Don’t get foolee by the posers!

New E.I. regs are gonna fail in Sask. Employers here never ever hire smarter, better educated or more experienced than themselves! Its a greedy control thing.

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

nightlifePage 18May 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

VenueLast Straw Brew Pub on Friday, May 18th

Location127 Albert Street North

Playing on Arrival“Wild Ones” by Flo Rida

Music VibeRock, dance and hip hop

Feature DealFish and chips with cucumber salad for $8.95

Popular DrinkVodka paralyzers

Food of ChoicePerogie wrappers — cheddar perogie filling, bacon and chives, all wrapped in wonton wraps and served with a sour cream dip

Wing notes $4.50 a pound on Tuesdays, with hot and roasted garlic and peppers the favourite of the 15 available flavours

Friday @ The Last Straw

Photos courtesy of Klein Photography ([email protected])

Time OutPage 19May 25–31, ‘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)

Oh, Aries! What a week you have in store. not only should your mood be brighter than usual, but your energy levels may evoke envy in quite a few people. This has all the potential to be a really fun week, but it won’t come without a bit of effort, so get yourself out there. Put yourself in the position to enjoy life — you know you want to. Things may have been up-and-down recently, so you owe it to yourself to live a little. To laugh and smile and have a damn good time.

Taurus (Apr 20–May 20)Forrest Gump was wrong, dear Tau-

rus: life isn’t like a box of chocolates. life is like a roller coaster ride. One minute you’re high, the next you’re low, and while some may find that exhausting, it’s not, not really. Think about it: would you rather have a dynamic life full of ethereal highs and pitch-black lows, or simply live a staid, even-keel existence in which nothing ever happens? This week the choice is up to you, Taurus, so choose what you think is best.

Gemini (May 21–Jun 20)Buckle your seatbelt and get a firm

grasp on the holy-crap handles, dear Gemini: this week threatens to be quite a ride. expect the unexpected. Your behav-ior over the next while may be so different from the norm that it will confuse family, friends, perhaps even yourself. This could result in unexpected adventures, both good and bad — who knows what the result of this might be. So don’t worry if you feel a bit off-kilter; by the end of the week things will revert back to normal.

Cancer (Jun 21–Jul 22)Challenges are everywhere, dear Can-

cer. They confront us all the time in myriad ways, so expect something to come out of nowhere and challenge you this week. how you deal with it will depend entirely on your outlook, but here’s a piece of advice: treat this challenge the way a good prizefighter would. If it hits you unexpectedly, don’t wilt. Instead, bite down hard on your mouthguard and do whatever you have to in order to rise to the occasion.

Leo (Jul 23–Aug 22)Former lSU basketball coach Dale

Brown was once told “if you spend too much time polishing your image, you’ll eventually tarnish your character and be an unhappy man.” Just something to keep in mind this week, dear leo. We all know you take pride in your appearance, but it’s the stuff below the surface that’s more important. Work on who you are as a person, not who you appear to be. In the long run, you’ll be glad you did. Strive for that happiness, leo. It’s worth it.

Virgo (Aug 23–Sept 22)This may or may not come as shock-

ing news, but society isn’t right about everything. So this week, dear Virgo, take some time to ponder all the social values you take at face value. like most, you probably learned all these things when you were young and accepted them wholesale, without thinking. So consider them critically — you may be amazed at how you feel about them now. Changing and adapting can be growing pains, but it’s worth it in the end.

Libra (Sept 23–Oct 23)have you been thinking about switch-

ing things up lately? Maybe pursuing a new passion, or traveling to the other side of the world for a while? If so, go ahead and do it — there’s no time like the present. So if some outlandish idea passes through your mind this week, dear libra, grab onto it and put that thought into action. not only will a shake-up re-invigorate you, it will also lead you down a path that will open your eyes to many new things.

Scorpio (Oct 24–Nov 22)“Develop an interest in life as you see

it; in people, things, literature, music — the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and inter-esting people. Forget yourself.” That’s a quote from the incomparable henry Miller. It’s also some damn good advice to follow this week, dear Scorpio. Instead of being all “me, me, me,” lose yourself in the hot, wet steam of life. You might find there’s much more to things than meets the unobserving eye.

Sagittarius (Nov 23–Dec 21)Alright, dear Sagittarius, here’s what

it all boils down to this week: have the courage to stand by your convictions. Don’t be afraid to defend your beliefs, should they be challenged. But remem-ber — there is a chance your convictions aren’t perfect or even all that right, so be willing to dialogue with those around you. It’s amazing what can be revealed by conversing with people near and dear to you. holding fast to your beliefs is great, but being willing to adapt is good, too.

Capricorn (Dec 22–Jan 19)Your mental powers are peaking this

week, dear Capricorn. If you’ve been put-ting off a project that requires patience, precision and attention to detail because it seems too laborious, well, good news — the next few days will be a great time to start it. no matter what you do this week, you’ll be able to see things clearly and get your point across with all the precision of a diamond cutter. Weeks like these are few and far between, Capricorn, so put your sharpness to good use.

Aquarius (Jan 20–Feb 19)looks like this could be a whacky

week for you, dear Aquarius. There could be unusual adventures, serendipitous events, harebrained schemes and more in your future. If something wildly out of the ordinary occurs, don’t turn your back on it — embrace it. Sure, it may take some adjustment on your behalf, but adjust you must. Whatever you have planned on your agenda, cancel it and follow this new path that’s opened up. Be spontaneous.

Pisces (Feb 20–Mar 20)Your patience might be in short sup-

ply this week, dear Pisces. If you find yourself ready to snap at someone or something, take a step back, count to 10, and remember that patience is a virtue. Whatever it is that’s causing you stress doesn’t mean to exacerbate you. It’s thoroughly unintentional. But if all the breathing and counting and stepping back doesn’t work, just bite your tongue and walk away. Any sort of snarky remark will only make things worse.

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Verb Issue r29 (May 25-31, 2012)