verb issue r39 (aug 3-9, 2012)

Free weekly Aug 3–9, 2012 • Pass it on

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Photo: courtesy of Kandle Osborne

Timber TimbreCreep On Creepin’ On With Timber Timbre P9

Texting CrackdownPolice Mull Harsher Repercussions For Cell Use Behind The Wheel P2

Folk FestivalLive Shows And Workshops. Check It Out! P6

AustraKatie Stelmanis Talks Appeal Of Electronic Music P10

Total RecallSci-Fi Remake Disappointing P15

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comLocal

Aug 3–9, ‘12VerbNews.com

Texting Drivers May Face Car ImpoundmentPolice Eye Significant Repercussions For Habitual Phone Use Behind The WheelAlEx J MAcPHERSon

REgInA, SK — Saskatoon police are floating the idea of impounding cars belonging to habitual distracted drivers, an idea that is getting attention across the province.

“What you’re seeing right now is an additional tool that we are looking at to once again try to get people to understand that texting and using a cellphone while driving is extremely dangerous,” says Staff Sergeant Grant obst, Saskatoon Police Service. Despite “aggres-sive enforcement,” obst explains, compliance with the law does not

appear to be increasing.The Traffic Safety Act permits

police to seize vehicles driven dan-gerously or against the law, but the provision has not yet been used to target chronic cell phone users. obst thinks stiffer and more immediate cons e qu ences might increase compliance.

The law, which came into force in January 2010, prohibits drivers from using handheld devices. The penalty is a $280 fine and four de-merit points. last year Saskatoon Police issued about 1,300 tickets.

“The Saskatoon Police do not take lightly the fact that we may take somebody’s motor vehicle,” obst states. “We understand that the taking of a motor vehicle can

cause lifestyle problems. The point here is that the use of a cell-phone can cause life-ending prob-lems. We’re tying

to weigh one against the other.”obst said some drivers have told

police that they don’t agree with the law and will continue to use their phones, even if it results in a ticket. “We’re not talking about first-time offenders,” he explains.

Sergeant Andrew Puglia, who is in charge of traffic at the Regina Po-lice Service, says seizures should be used to limit danger to the public.

“It’s about a police officer doing what he feels is in the best interest of public safety,” Puglia explains. “How would a reasonable person look at that situation and make a decision from it?”

According to Puglia, Regina Po-lice made 28 Highway Traffic Board seizures in 2011, none of which were related to cell phone use.

Explaining that every situation is different, as well as the fact that driving history is important, he says, “I think it comes down to articula-tion of the danger that the public…face as a result of the driving actions of a motorist.”

officials at the Highway Traffic Board, which determines how long a vehicle is kept in impound, are comfortable with the idea.

“I have no problem with it,” Da-vid Wilton, chair of the Highway Traffic Board, told the StarPhoe-nix. “cellphone use [while driving] doesn’t seem to be dropping…Maybe seizing the car will have the impact that’s needed.”

Representatives of the Prince Albert Police Service and the Moose Jaw Police Service say that while there are no plans for specific proj-ects targeting cell phone users, they are not opposed to seizing vehicles belonging to dangerous drivers.

Kwei Quaye, assistant vice

president of traffic safety services at SGI, says police should be “judi-cious” in seizing vehicles.

“We believe [seizure] should be used more as an exception than the rule,” he explained, adding that the section was designed for instances of “extreme danger” to the public.

Quaye suggested that if the act is routinely used to seize vehicles belonging to chronic cell phone users, new legislation specifically targeting those drivers should be enacted.

Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Photo: courtesy of Adam Hawboldt

“The point here is that the use of a cellphone can cause life-ending problems.”

-Grant Obst

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comLocal


Photo: courtesy of Daniel Paquet

SK Weekly Wage growth Best In CountryThough Earnings Are Increasing, Province Still Faces Issues With AffordabilityAlEx J MAcPHERSon

REgInA, SK — Saskatchewan workers are riding a wave of aver-age weekly earnings increases, new data from Statistics Canada shows.

Between May 2011 and May 2012, average weekly earnings in the province swelled by 5.4 percent, to $897.80. Saskatchewan’s year-over-year growth tied with newfoundland and labrador as the best in the country and eclipsed the national rate, just 2.5 percent, by a huge margin. However, as a

government official explains, those numbers may be even better than they seem.

“It’s linked with inflation,” says Alastair MacFadden, executive di-rector labour market policy and

program develop-ment at Saskatch-ewan Ministry of the Economy. “Wage growth is important, but when a person is

getting a paycheque, there is also cost growth.”

According to MacFadden, the inflation rate in Saskatchewan was 1.5 percent last year, meaning the inflation-adjusted increase was 3.9

percent. “We’re staying ahead of infla-

tion,” MacFadden says when asked what the numbers mean for Sas-katchewan workers. “The dollar power is being maintained. In fact, it’s even stronger. Your purchasing power as an employee is better than it was a year ago. not only are you being paid more, but you’ve got more disposable [income].”

In raw dollars, Saskatchewan has the fourth-highest average weekly wage in the country, behind Al-berta, newfoundland and labrador, ontario, and the Yukon.

In Saskatchewan, the highest wages were found in industries related to mining, quarrying, and oil

and gas extraction, where employ-ees earned an average of $1,940.10 each week in May. And although employees working in accommo-dation and food services earned a province-wide low of $358.03, their wages rose by 2.4 percent in the last year.

cam Broten, opposition critic for employment, notes that, “when people earn more money, that is a good thing.” However, he is concerned that the statistics do not accurately represent “the gap, which may be growing, between rich and poor.”

Pointing to the disparity be-tween high and low wages — a difference of more than $1,500 per

week — Broten states, “we also know that there are many expenses associated with living in Saskatch-ewan … which continues to be a struggle for people.”

Broten suggested that address-ing affordability issues … especially tuition, housing and utilities, could be an effective way to close the gap.

“In the places where govern-ment can have a role in ensuring that life remains as affordable as it can be, I think it’s important to take those steps,” he states.

Broten also pointed out that as of September 1st, Saskatchewan will have, at $9.50, the lowest minimum wage in the country.


“[W]e also know that there are many expenses associated with living in Saskatchewan…”

-Cam Broten

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comglobal


Pop Music All Sounds The SameADAM HAWBolDT

MADRID, SPAIn — You’ve prob-ably heard someone from an older generation saying something along the lines of: “Holy crap, all this mod-ern music sounds the same!”

Well, as it turns out, they’re right.

A study, con-ducted by the Spanish national Research council, analyzed an archive known as the Million Song Dataset, which breaks down audio and lyrical content into data, to map the course of pop mu-sic between 1955 and 2010.

What they found was that while loudness has increased since the 1950’s, the tone, timbre and types of sounds being used by musicians

has narrowed significantly.“[There’s] evidence of a progres-

sive homogenization of the musical discourse,” Joan Serra, who led the study, tells Reuters.

“The diversity of transitions bet ween note combinations — roughly speaking chords plus melo-dies — has consis-tently diminished

in the past 50 years.”The study was also the first to

conduct a large-scale measurement of “intrinsic loudness” — the vol-ume a song is recorded at.

The study’s findings support the long-standing claim that the music industry is engaged in a “loudness war”.


Smiling good For Heart‘Grin And Bear It’ Adage can Help Protect TickerADAM HAWBolDT

KAnSAS CITy, KS — Don’t for-get to smile today.

not only is smiling contagious, not only does it have the ability to change your mood, boost your immune system and lower your blood pressure, but according to recent research, smiling can also reduce stress levels and lower your heart rate — especially when you’re engaged in a difficult task.

“Age old adages, such as ‘grin and bear it’ have suggested smiling

to be not only an important non-verbal indicator of happiness but also wishfully promotes smiling as a panacea for life’s stressful events,” says Tara Kraft, of the University of Kansas.

“We wanted to examine whether these adages had scientific merit; whether smiling could have real health-relevant benefits.”

To do this, Kraft and fellow re-searcher Sarah Pressman first broke smiles into two categories — stan-dard and genuine, or Duchenne. In the former, all of the muscles around the mouth are engaged; in the latter muscles around both the mouth and eyes are used.

Kraft and Pressman then recruit-ed 169 volunteers and divided them into three groups, asking each to make a different facial expression while holding chopsticks in their mouths to activate the particular muscles without the volunteer knowing. The groups were then asked to work on multi-tasking ac-tivities, which were orchestrated to be stress-inducing.

The findings revealed that those participants who were instructed to smile — in particular, those that had Duchenne smiles — had lower heart rates after they recovered from the stressful activities, compared to those that were asked to maintain

neutral facial expressions.Pressman, who also worked

on the study, says these findings show that smiling can reduce the

intensity of stress on the body and help the heart — regardless of whether a person is happy or not.

“The next time you are stuck in traffic or are experiencing some other type of stress you might try to hold your face in a smile for a moment,” says Pressman. “not only will it help you ‘grin and bear it’ psychologically, but it might actu-ally help your heart health as well.”


“[T]he tone, timbre and types of sounds being used … has narrowed…”

-Joan Serra

“The next time you are stuck in traffic … try to hold your face in a smile…”

-Sarah Pressman

COLOSSEUM TILT — Apparently the Tower of Pisa isn’t the only building that’s leaning in Italy — Rome’s colos-seum has started to tilt, with its south side now 40 centimetres below the

north. officials are currently investigat-ing whether it needs urgent repairs. The colosseum, which hosted gladi-ator fights, is nearly 2,000 years old. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

global At A Glance

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comglobal


FUTURE DIET — In 20 years time dung beetles, grasshoppers and caterpil-lars may all be staples of our diet. or so says food futurologist Morgaine Gaye. According to Gaye, because of

population increase, food shortages and rising prices, we’ll turn to insects — which will be ground and used in items like burgers. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

global At A Glance

Women Angrier Drivingladies Express More Road Rage Than MenADAM HAWBolDT

TOROnTO, On — next time you’re driving down the street and someone starts honk-ing their horn, screaming or giving you the finger, chances are it will be a woman.

or at least that’s what new re-search suggests.

conducted by Harris Interactive and sponsored by careerBuilder.com, the study of more than 3,800 U.S. commuters found that 61 per-cent of women admitted to expe-riencing moments of road rage,

compared to 56 percent of men. The finding highlights what some psychologists have long held to be true.

“Women are much more ver-bal than men, so they’re more likely to voice their frustration,” Dr. Sam Klarreich tells Global News.

What’s more, the study also found that drivers who have lon-ger commutes often have higher stress levels, which, in turn, can lead to more incidents of road rage. So much so that nine out of 10 long-distance commuters admitted to getting in fights with other drivers.

The survey also showed that younger driver were more prone to road rage than older, more sea-soned drivers.

In slightly better (and more sea-sonal) news, the survey indicates that incidents of road rage then to decrease during the hotter summer months.


“Women are much … more likely to voice their frustration.”

-Sam Klarreich

Modern culture 44,000 Years oldADAM HAWBolDT

PREToRIA, SoUTH AFRIcA — If you had to guess, how old would you say “modern” culture is?

Five thousand years old? nope. Fifteen thousand? Wrong again.

As it turns out, a group of in-ternational re-searchers believe that modern cul-ture has been around for over 40,000 years — which is roughly 30,000 years earlier than previously thought.

Recently, 44,000-year-old poi-son-tipped arrows and jewelry made of ostrich eggs were un-earthed at Border cave, close to South Africa’s northeastern border with Swaziland. The artifacts are believed to be from the San hunter-gatherers. And since descendants of San people still live in southern Africa today, researcher lucinda Blackwell told the Associated Press

the findings are the earliest known traces of “modern behaviour as we know it.”

Researchers say the Border cave people used the poisoned arrows to hunt wild game and put spiral engravings on their arrow-heads to mark ownership. This

latter practice has been preserved in modern-day San culture.

What’s more, a chemical analysis of residue on a

wooden stick at the site reveals it had been used to hold and carry a poison containing ricinoleic acid — which is found in castor beans. This finding represents the earliest evidence for the use of poison.

According to Blackwell, all the objects were easy to name and identify because they have spe-cific reasons and uses that we, as modern people, can understand: weapons, jewelry and tools.


“[M]odern culture … is roughly 30,000 years [older] than previously thought.”

-Adam Hawboldt

FeatureAug 3–9, ‘12VerbNews.com

Folk Festival Brings great Music To ReginaEnjoy live Performances or check out A Workshop At Annual Summer EventSEBASTIEn DAnGERFIElD

REgInA, SK — Rosie and the Riveters don’t make traditional folk music, but it is an element of their sound. As much an element as, say, gospel music, bluegrass or African American spirituals.

“our sound comes from the four of us being from all kinds of dif-ferent musical backgrounds,” says Kiera Dall’osto. “We all have solo careers. My music, yeah, I’d classify as folk music. But Alexis [normand], she’s a French jazz singer, Farideh is kind of more of a soul singer, a spiri-tual singer, and Melissa [nygren] is more bluegrassy.”

Together, the Saskatoon quar-tet makes catchy, dance-in-the-aisles music that defies definitive categorization. The kind of music that’s sure to win Rosie and the Riveters a few new fans when they play the 2012 Regina Folk Festival on August 11th.

“oh my gosh! ” e xclaims

Dall’osto, when asked if she’s ex-cited to be playing at the festival. “It’s pretty awesome. I’m hoping we’re going to meet Emmylou Har-ris and have, like, tea with her or

something. Then maybe she’ll invite us on tour with her.”

Dall’osto is joking, of course. But there’s something real in what she says. See, with headliners like Emmylou Harris, Jim cuddy and Arlo Guthrie, the Regina Folk Fes-tival provides a platform upon which up-and-coming acts can meet and perform alongside some of their favourites.

“There’s a great band called Pokey lafarge & The South city Three from St. louis that I first heard a couple of years ago,” says Dall’osto. “And now we’re actually doing a workshop with them! I feel like I’ve made it … [t]hat’s the thing, right? Being able to play music with

people who inspire you … that’s just amazing.”

Right she is. And what’s also amazing — in case you’re wonder-ing — is a Rosie and the Riveter’s

live performance. With a compelling stage presence and a whole host of humour and charm, these four ladies put on a

show that’s fun and vibrant.“When we got together, that

was the plan,” admits Dall’osto. “We wanted to be all about our live shows, not necessarily about the albums. We wanted to sing uplifting songs. We wanted people to come to our shows and leave lighter … We had a vision, we wanted to play festivals.”

Turns out their vision was right on, because now, after playing ness creek earlier this year, they’ll be joining more than 30 other musical acts in Regina. Advance weekend passes to see all the headliners are $103 for adults and $93 for students. Individual night tickets range from $48 to $53, but the rest of the fes-tival is free of charge.

“That’s amazing to me,” admits Dall’osto. “You pay for the headlin-ers but all the workshops and most of the festival is free to the public. Anybody can come. You can reach out to so many more people that way.”

The 2012 Regina Folk Festival runs from August 10th until the 12th. For more information visit www.reginafolkfestival.com.


Photo: courtesy of the artist and the Regina Folk Festival

Rosie and the Riveters are one of the many groups that will be performing at this year’s Regina Folk Festival

“you pay for the headliners but all the workshops and most of the festival is free…”

-Kiera Dall’Osto

OffbeatAug 3–9, ‘12VerbNews.com

MEDIEVAL THIEVES — Talk about the perfect robbery outfit. A gang of thieves dressed as knights from the days of old armed themselves with swords and recently robbed a medieval

festival in Bitche, near the French-Ger-man border. The appropriately clad group made off with nearly $25,000 dollars. They are still at large. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Offbeat At A Glance

Musician Forgets Priceless Stradivarius on TrainADAM HAWBolDT

BERn, SWITzERlAnD — And here’s yet another reason why you should be careful who you loan things to.

not too long ago, an unnamed musician borrowed a rare Stradi-varius violin from a good and trust-ing friend. Then, just recently, the man boarded a train to Switzerland and — since something more im-portant than, say, taking care of

a near priceless instrument must have come up — he left the violin behind when he stepped off the train in Bern.

lucky for the owner, a fellow passenger turned the instrument into the Bern train station’s lost and found.

While the actual value of the instrument has not been released, one thing is for darn sure — it is wildly expensive. See, the Stradivar-ius violin (named after its creator)

is very rare. only about 600 of the violins, which were created by Ital-ian Antonio Stradivari, exist today. As for a ballpark price, well, a well-preserved Stradivarius sold for $15.9 million at an auction in 2011.

So you’d think people would be careful about where they leave them.

not so. Apparently in 2008 a new York cabbie found another lost Stradivarius in his cab.


Pray On The goMany Faiths’ Prayers In BoothADAM HAWBolDT

MAnCHESTER, UnITED KIng-DOM — getting a little spiritual guidance has gotten even more convenient, now that a British research team has unveiled a new invention — the Pray-O-Mat booth.

Picture a pho-to booth you’d see in the mall, one of the ones with the curtains. now picture that instead of a camera in-side there is a touch screen with 300 pre-recorded prayers and incanta-tions in 65 different languages.

If you can imagine all that, you’ll get an idea of what the Pray-o-Mat is all about. The machine, which is

free to use, was designed by Ger-man artist oliver Sturm.

“Though the Pray-o-Mat is a bit tongue-in-cheek, there is a serious message to what we’re doing,” says project leader and senior architec-

ture lecturer Ralf Brand. “Successful multi-faith spaces do not need to be flashy or expen-sive.”

The booth features choices from Aborigine devotional songs to Jewish prayers, so now chris-tians, Buddhists, Muslims or even just curious passers-by can stop by, touch the screen, draw the curtain and immerse themselves in private contemplation.


“Successful multi-faith spaces do not need to be flashy or expensive.”

-Ralf Brand

Husband Stashes cash In oven, Wife ‘cooks’ ItADAM HAWBolDT

SYDnEY, AUSTRAlIA — Some people store their money in local banks. others put it in wall safes or in off-shore accounts

Then there’s the guy from Syd-ney, Australia, who stored his cash in the oven. As it turns out, that wasn’t the greatest idea in the world because his wife wound up cooking it.

After the unnamed man sold his Toyota Supra, he figured he’d hide the cash (approximately $15,000) in the oven. on Wednesday, his missus decided to pre-heat some chicken nuggets for the couple’s daughters and poof! The savings went up in smoke.

“[She] never used it,” the man

mournfully told NineMSN.com, as to why he hid the money in the oven. “It was everything I had …

That money was supposed to go towards my mort-gage.”

After the in-cident, the man

attempted to deposit the money at his bank. They refused.


Photo: courteys of Mitja Schneehage

“[She] never used [the oven]. It was everything I had…”

-Victim of cash burning

MusicAug 3–9, ‘12VerbNews.com

Friday 3STEVE EARLE AnD THE DUKES — A master storyteller and highly talented musician, this singer/songwriter from Texas is perhaps best known for his song “copper-head Road.” But a multitude of his other songs have been covered by the likes of Joan Baez, Waylon Jennings, Johnny cash and Travis Tritt. Earle puts on a show you won’t want to miss. Also appear-ing on the bill will be the Texan duo, The Mastersons. 8pm, Casino Regina. Tickets $45–50, available at the Show lounge box office, online atwww.casinoregina.com or by calling 565-3000.THE BRIgHTER BRIgHTEST — Playing a brand of pop/rock that’s rooted in punk rock, this quartet from Toronto put on the kind of show you’ll appreciate. Also appearing on the bill will be Ed-monton pop-rockers Red Threat. 8pm, The Exchange. Tickets TBD.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 Mar-tini & 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.TOngUE JUngLE — This local band plays classic rock covers that you all know and love. 10pm, McNally’s Tavern. cover $5.ELECTRIC AngEL — This Winni-peg-based cover band can rock the socks off darn near anyone.

Playing everything from top 40 to pop, classic rock to country, this five-piece puts on a show that aims to pleas. 10pm, Pump Roadhouse. cover TBD.

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

WHATEVER — If you’re into good times and good music, come out and check this local act.10pm, The Sip Nightclub. no cover if in attendance before 6pm.

Saturday 4TAJ MAHAL — A prominent figure in late-20th century blues and roots music, this multi-in-strumentalist and vocalist from Massachusetts has a couple of Grammys and a boatload of great songs under his belt. 8pm, Casino Regina. Tickets $35–40, available at the Show lounge box office, online at www.casinoregina.com or by calling 565-3000.

DJ nOOR — Born in Kuwait and exposed to the international club scene at a young age, this tal-ented DJ knows how to rock a crowd. 7pm, The Hookah Lounge. cover $5.

ALLEy 14 — This local five-piece is a classic rock and blues party band that plays music designed to make sure you have a good time. 10pm, McNally’s Tavern. cover $5.

ELECTRIC AngEL — This Winni-peg-based cover band can rock the sock of darn near anyone. Playing everything from top 40

to pop, classic rock to country, this five-piece puts on a show that aims to pleas. 10pm, Pump Roadhouse. cover 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.

WHATEVER — If you’re into good times and good music, come out and check this local act.10pm, The Sip Nightclub. no cover if in attendance before 6pm.

DJ LOngHORn — come check out one of Regina’s most interac-tive DJs as he drops some of the best country beats around. 8pm, Whiskey Saloon. cover TBD.

Sunday 5RATIOnAL AnIMALS — Grit-ty, raw and in-your-face, these punk rockers from Rochester, nY, know how to entertain a crowd. come check them out. 8pm, The Exchange. Tickets TBD.

Tuesday 7gORDIE TEnTREES — His lyrics are visceral and honest, and his melodies — crafted from gui-tars, banjos and dobros — are rollicking and infectious. Yesir-ree, this singer/songwriter from the Yukon plays a gritty brand of raucous country you won’t want to miss. 7pm, Creative City Centre. cover $20.

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

Wednesday 8WEDnESDAy nIgHT FOLK — Featuring Eyeswide, an addictive indie rock act from Barrie, ontario. 9pm, Bushwakker Brewpub. no cover

BACHMAn AnD TURnER — After decades apart, Randy Bach-man and Fred Turner — to two driving musicians behind Bach-man Turner overdrive — have finally reunited, released a new al-bum and are touring again. Don’t miss a chance to see these rock and roll legends in action. 8pm, Casino Regina. Tickets $80–85, available at the Show lounge box

office, online at www.casinore-gina.com or by calling 565-3000.

Thursday 9LARRy gATLIn AnD THE gAT-LIn BROTHERS — Since starting in the business four decades ago, this trio has played Broadway, the White House, won Grammys and topped the country charts. not too shabby for three broth-ers from Abilene, Texas. come see what they’re all about. 8pm, Casino Regina. Tickets $45–50, available at the Show lounge box office, online at www.casinore-gina.com or by calling 565-3000.

PS FRESH — DJ Ageless started spinning 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.

nICKELTREE — come out, sup-port a local band and hear good music. What better way to spend a Thursday night? 10pm, McNally’s Tavern. cover $5.

CATIE ST. gERMAIn — After an impressive debut performance in March, this talented singer/songwriter from Winnipeg is back for an encore. She’ll be playing a wide array of country/rock cov-ers along with a smattering of original tunes. 10pm, Pump Road-house. cover TBD.

DJ LOngHORn — come check out one of Regina’s most interac-tive DJs as he drops some of the best country beats around. 8pm, Whiskey Saloon. cover TBD.

Want your show listed?Email [email protected]!

Photo: courtesy of Martin Cathrae

(nEXT WEEK) RICH AUCOIn @ REgInA FOLK FEST — After making a name for himself on the Halifax music scene, this symphonic-pop maestro puts on a live show that’s simply electric. You’ll be singing and dancing while drenched in confetti. He writes music with an em-phasis on the feelings and happiness

that it creates — the kind of music that encourages the breaking of barriers be-tween audience and performer. He’ll be playing the Regina Folk Fest on August 10th. For more information about times and tickets, visit www.reginafolkfesti-val.com -Adam Hawboldt. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Photo: courtesy of the artist

(nEXT WEEK) gREAT LAKE SWIMMERS @ REgInA FOLK FEST — With the swirl of acoustic guitars, the strum of the banjo, and the brush of snare drums, this “ambient folk” five-piece from Toronto put on one heckuva show. consisting of Tony Dekker, Erik Arnesen, Greg Millson, Bret Higgins and Miranda

Mulholland, the Great lake Swimmers have received critical acclaim for their 2009 album, Lost Channels. This tal-ented band will be playing Regina Folk Fest on August 11th. For times and ticket information visit www.reginafolkfes-tival.com -Adam Hawboldt. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Photo: courtesy of Dena Flows

(COMIng UP) BOB DyLAn @ BRAnDT CEnTRE — Simply put, the man former-ly known as Robert Allen zimmerman is one of the most important cultural figures alive, and one of the finest poets of the 20th century. His body of work, which spans five decades, includes classics like “Mr. Tambourine Man,”

“like a Rolling Stone,” and “Tangled Up in Blue.” And now he’s heading back on tour to promote his 35th studio album, Tempest. He’ll be playing the Brandt centre on october 6th; tickets $52.50–135 (www.ticketmaster.ca) -Adam Hawboldt. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Arts OneAug 3–9, ‘12VerbNews.com

Timber TimbreWhere: Regina Folk Festival, Victoria ParkWhen: August 10Cost: $105 (weekend pass; www.reginafolkfestival.com)

Event Info

Creep On Creepin’ On With Timber TimbreThis Montreal Three-Piece Talks Writing, Recording And creating ImagesAlEx J MAcPHERSon

REgInA, SK — “All I need is some sunshine,” Taylor Kirk mur-murs on “Black Water,” the fourth track on Timber Timbre’s latest record, Creep On Creepin’ On.

I’m not sure Kirk is telling the truth. His band, Timber Timbre, m a k e s m u s i c that evokes black nights, barren landscapes, and lonely streetlights arcing through the fog. The music he makes with Mika Posen and Si-mon Trottier isn’t melancholic, ex-actly, but it’s not bright and cheer-ful, either. It’s a sort of brooding, nu-gothic film noir vibe that doesn’t exactly lend itself to sheets of sun-shine and blue skies. What Timber Timbre’s music does lend itself to, on the other hand, is a pair of good headphones.

“We’ve been lucky,” says Trottier, a francophone who plays autoharp, lap steel, guitar, and pretty much

any other instrument you can think of in the Montreal-based group. “We did the Creep On Creepin’ On record, and we just wanted to do something that we want to hear. It turns out that people liked it. Maybe there’s a little bit of pressure for the next record, but I think we should

not care about that — we should just continue to make [music] the way we want to do it.”

Timber Timbre started as an avenue for Kirk to share his expansive musical vision with the world. Trottier and Po-sen were occasional collaborators, jamming when they were in town. But, Trottier explains, he and Posen found Kirk’s talents difficult to re-sist — and that their contributions made the songs better.

“Taylor started the project by himself, and for the record before Creep On, the approach of the live show was more improvising around the songs,” he says. “Me and Mika,

our role was more [about] adding texture. But for Creep On we have our parts, we’re playing many in-struments…”

Creep On Creepin’ On, which was released just over a year ago, has all the stylistic touches of a Kirk album — sparse lyrics, lush instru-mentation, and an eerie, ghostly feel. It highlights Kirk’s talent for manipulating words and phrases; his lyrics are heavy on the mind and on the heart. But Creep On Creepin’ On is the band’s best record to date because it was created by a band, not a loose group of individuals working to fill out a singular vision. It’s plain that Posen and Trottier defer to Kirk on some matters, but their contributions are what make Creep On Creepin’ On a good record, and Timber Timbre a good band.

Just not a loud band. The re-cord is overflowing with subtleties, artistic flourishes that would be lost without a pair of good head-phones. The pop structures are evident in any situation, of course, but listening to the album through

headphones is like attending an archaeological excavation. layers of complexity exist beneath the surface, waiting to be obliterated by tinny speakers and crap earbuds. Mellow saxophone lines, wavering violins, and atmospheric synthesiz-ers are in abundance, enhancing the mood and supporting Kirk’s often-perplexing lyrics.

“We try a lot [of ideas],” laughs Trottier. “We recorded a ton of stuff and just edited at the end, and we made songs with all the elements we had.”

And while these adornments might be superfluous on any other record, Trottier says the music is intended to create a collection of images tied together by feeling.

“If you can see images in your head while you’re listening to the music, you don’t need images, you can build your own,” he explains. “Making music for film, you have to support the image. When you do a soundtrack the movie is there, so you have to make the music to fit the image…But if you’re listening

to our songs and you can make your own images in your head, I think it’s good.”

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Creep On Creepin’ On sounds like a film score from the ‘50s. Kirk, Posen, and Trottier scored a French film this winter and have at least one more film project in the works.

And this summer Timber Timbre is on the festival circuit. The band shines live, but Trottier admits that big festivals can be difficult, mainly because the wealth of subtleties are difficult to replicate onstage. And because they’re just not that loud.

But if you’re quiet, really quiet, Timber Timbre will shoot a ray of sunshine through gloom, right into your heart.


Photo: courtesy of EhBSeasides, brenda_h_lee, Jackman Chiu, Sean Richardson and Jonathan Dy.

“[I]f you’re listening to our songs and you can make your own images … I think it’s good.”

-Simon Trottier

Section Pages 10, 11VerbNews.comArts & Culture

Emmylou Harris on Her legendary careerAlEx J MAcPHERSon

REGInA, SK — Emmylou Harris can’t escape the spectre of Gram Parsons. or, for that matter, the enduring promise of his musical vision — cosmic American music, the first infusion of folk and rock into his beloved country. Together, Parsons and Harris crafted some of the finest songs ever committed to tape. And while Parsons is long dead, a victim of brash overconfi-dence and self-destructive habits, Harris endures. She is a survivor.

“I had got so inoculated and impassioned with country music through Gram and I really thought that we were just going to continue to write music together,” Harris told Noise11.com last month. “He was my teacher. I thought we were going to be literally on that road for a while.”

It wasn’t to be. Parsons died in 1973, leaving a jagged gash in coun-try music and the shards of Harris’s broken heart. “I really did have to take what I knew at that point and carry on by my-self and just learn what I could,” she said, alluding to the feeling of loss that accompanies every untimely death. “It was put-ting one chord after another and one foot in front of the other, one show after the other, and here I

am today.” Since the mid-1970s, Harris has

released 20 studio albums, three live collections, and a big stack of compilations. Her towering voice is as expressive and powerful now as it

was back in 1972. And her songwrit-ing keeps getting better. Harris’s lat-est effort, Hard Bargain, which

was released last year, is as good as anything she’s ever done.

“When I started writing this al-bum I didn’t have a clue,” she said of “The Road,” a touching eulogy for Parsons that kicks off the record.

“I just started with an open-tuned guitar and an old melody I had for a while. That song just sort of fell out. It was almost a stream of con-sciousness looking back over the years. That’s the way it appears to me. You kind of follow the muse, wherever she takes you.”

That muse led Harris back to the nights when she and Parsons sang together under the lights. “The Road” is a testament to her friend and evidence of how much she misses him. Her songs still bear his unmistakable, indelible stamp; her career has carried the torch of his musical vision. And she won’t ever forget it:

“But I still think about you, won-der where you are,” she sings on “The Road.” “can you see me from some place up there among the stars?”

But Harris has a lot of life left to live. She remains extremely busy, touring with her band or lending her devastating, stratospheric har-monies to other artists and musi-cians (her work with Ryan Adams, Parsons’s generation-crossing counterpart, is to die for). And she’s happy to be heading out on the road one more time.


Photo: courtesy of wfuv

“I really did have to take what I knew at that point and carry on by myself…”

-Emmylou Harris

Five Questions With Katie StelmanisAustra Singer Talks opera, And The Appeal of Electronic Music


AlEx J MAcPHERSon

Katie Stelmanis is an unlikely independent success story. Stel-manis trained as an opera singer before swapping the concert hall for the nightclub. now, she writes and performs a blend of folk, rock and electronic music. Austra, her band, is the place where traditional storytelling and late-night dance music converge. The band’s debut lP, Feel It Break, was released last year and subsequently shortlisted for the Polaris Prize. now, Stelmanis is gearing up to play her first cana-dian festival and thinking about what’s next. I caught up with her to chat about opera, songwriting, and the wide appeal of electronic music.

Alex J MacPherson: When you were training to be an opera singer,

did you ever expect that you would be doing something like Austra?

Katie Stelmanis: When I was studying opera, probably not. I had one goal in mind and that was to become an opera singer. I started making my own music when I was around 18 or 19, but the reason why I originally got into electronic music was that I was so influenced by the classical music, and I wanted to cre-ate orchestral music, and I was us-ing MIDI to do that — synthesized violins and cellos and oboes and making this weird orchestral stuff. It was directly inspired by my classical training, but then instead of go-ing down that route I became very partial to the sounds and ended up making electronic music instead.

AJM: Do you see parallels, or do you think of classical and electronic

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

VerbNews.comArts & CulturePages 10, 11VerbNews.comArts & CulturePages 10, 11Aug 3–9, ‘12VerbNews.com

Singer Serena Ryder Plays Through The PainVERB STAFF

REGInA, SK — Serena Ryder may be one of the most important young artists playing folk music today, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t done her homework.

“Technically,” she tells ARTIST-Direct.com, “neil Young taught me how to play the guitar. That’s cool, right?”

R y d e r i s something of an enigma. She is a strong woman in an industry domi-nated by men, but her influences tend to be men. She has a voice that could dominate any genre, yet she chooses to play her own brand of quirky folk-rock. She is an emblem of the progressive, thoughtful folk music, yet her lat-est record stemmed from a period of intensely personal turmoil and turbulence. Ultimately, she’s just happy people are listening.

“I can look at it now from more of an unbiased perspective,” Ryder says of Is It O.K., her latest full-length offering and first for a major label. “[B]eing outside of what I’ve learned and having incorporated that into my life now saying, ‘That was cool! It actually all made sense! I make sense some times!’”

Is It O.K. is in some ways an hom-age to the records Ryder grew up with. “I’ve always been really in-spired and influenced by folk mu-sic,” she says, pointing to John Prine, Kris Kristofferson, linda Ronstadt, and, of course, neil Young. “When I was a kid, I used to steal my par-ents records from the basement one by one, thinking they wouldn’t notice. I’d slowly bring them up to my room.”

These influences, together with a sense of self that is anything but reflexive, converge in her songs. Is It O.K., which won a Juno several years back, treads the line between the personal and the universal. Ryder

admits that the record was con-ceived and born in a “very pivotal, transforming” time in her life, but she skirted the parallel traps of maudlin self-pity and pure, sting-ing outrage.

“This record was a very concen-trated experience for me,” she says, “and the thread that ties it together

was very thick because I was feeling really big, truthful emotions. I wasn’t at a place in my mind or my

heart to create a cohesive record in that kind of way, but I was very blessed in the process to have in fact created that.”

Even though Is It O.K. was a ma-jor-label debut, studio wizardry and layers of instruments can’t conceal

the raw emotion that underpins these songs. “little Bit of Red,” a snarling, biting rock & roll cut, is the standout track, a showcase for Ryder’s smoky voice.

And even though Ryder may have gone through some difficult times, she’s back, better than ever.



“This record was a very concentrated experience for me…”

-Serena Ryder

Five Questions With Katie StelmanisAustra Singer Talks opera, And The Appeal of Electronic Music

on to a song. If I’m making a song I’ll just sing anything, scratch vocal, on top of it but I’ll sing fake words — syllables in vowels. In that way I’m just subconsciously singing some kind of part that fits in with the mu-sic in a very specific way, and then trying to fit words in afterword is kind of hard. That’s just the process.

AJM: Can you tell me about find-ing balance be-tween pop struc-ture and, basically, danceability?

KS: I think it happens natu-

rally, it’s just the music I listen to and where I come from. I did a lot of music as a solo artist and found it was difficult to translate the mu-sic I was doing to a live stage. The intention with this record was to make songs we could actually play live, that would translate really well and be really effective. That meant making dance songs, basically, but I like the idea of combining worlds. I like having a well-written song and turning it into whatever you want — any sort of arrangement, anything I think is interesting. Most people who make electronic music don’t start with a song: they start with everything else and the song just happens. I sometimes make music like that, but I like to start with the basic song. Add everything else after the fact.



“The intention with this record was to make songs we could … play live…”

-Katie Stelmanis

AustraWhere: Regina Folk FestivalWhen: August 11Cost: $48 @ Globe Theatre Box office

Serena RyderWhere: Regina Folk FestivalWhen: August 11Cost: $48 @ Globe Theatre Box office

Emmylou HarrisWhere: Regina Folk FestivalWhen: August 12Cost: $53 @ Globe Theatre Box officeWant some coverage for your upcoming event? Email [email protected] ASAP!

Event Info

music as two distinct entities?KS: It’s so different, because the

music I’m making now, I’m writ-ing it, whereas with classical music I’m always performing and playing other people’s music. I don’t nec-essarily see them as completely different entities because I think they have a lot in common. I think that electronic music in particular has more in com-mon with classical music than a lot of other folky or rootsy types of popular music.

AJM: Can you elaborate on that?KS: Electronic music, a lot of the

time, is instrumental. Feel It Break, in my opinion, is not a fully electronic record, but I think electronic music in general — a lot of the time it’s instrumental, so DJs and producers become masters of arrangement because they have to make up for the fact that they’re not singers. So much of classical music is about complicated arrangements and how the instruments interplay with each other, and that’s what produc-ers are doing.

AJM: Which leads into my next question. On Feel It Break your vo-cals emanate from inside the track. They’re not layered on top. The vocals are like another instrument.

KS: I think that’s just the way it came out. For me, the vocals — words — are the last thing I’ll put

FoodAug 3–9, ‘12VerbNews.com

licorice is a candy loved all over the world, especially in the UK and the netherlands. This tasty treat comes in both sweet and salty varieties, and are full of flavourful facts.

■ Most British and north American varieties of licorice contain more aniseed extract than actual licorice root extract

■ Dried licorice root can be chewed and eaten on its own

■ licorice is a good expec-torant and increases blood pressure

■ The main compound of lico-rice (glycyrrhizic acid) can be toxic to the liver if too much is consumed — so eat candies containing it in moderation

Photos: Courtesy of Kendra Kuss

Dessart Will Satisfy your CravingsEnjoy Treats From Around The World At 13th Ave Sweet ShopJESSIcA BIcKFoRD

Is there anything more indul-gent or satisfying than candy

and ice cream? I think not, and my inner child wholeheartedly agrees.

Dessart is a place that I frequent — it’s where I can find the little silver cola-flavoured jawbreakers I adore, not to mention the insane amounts of other sweets and treats sourced from around the world (even ones you remember from your own childhood). They really have just about anything you could ask for.

I started off by being adventurous and trying three kinds of Dutch licorice. The muntendrop was up first and it was extremely chewy, slightly sweet with a good amount of saltiness.

The schoolkrijt looked like a small piece of chalk, with the sweet licorice centre coated in a mint candy shell, an unexpected combination that was actually quite pleasant.

lastly was some apekoppen, which given the fact they look like monkey faces, was appropriately

banana flavoured.Within the sherbet coloured

walls of this sugar haven, there is also a million kinds of ice cream. okay, that is an exaggeration, but really, if you are bad at making deci-sions you could be staring at their menu for hours. luckily, Shelley Patterson, the candy maven herself

and owner of one fine Pez dispenser collection, made some choices for me.

A decadent brownie sundae

was up first, with large chunks of iced cathedral Bakery brownies topped with whipped cream, hot fudge, and cherries all melding into the thick, rich vanilla soft serve. Pure, delicious indulgence!

Mango yoghurt ice cream was a new one for me, and it was very creamy and sweet, with a delightful yoghurt tang to it.

I also got a bit of lime sherbet — featuring an intense green colour and a burst of citrus flavour, this item both looked and tasted fresh.

The green tea gelato (a personal favourite) was delicate, light, and slightly bitter, and the dulce de leche gelato was super caramelly.

lastly I tried something very dif-ferent — cardamom mixed directly into vanilla soft serve.

This fragrant, delicate and al-most floral creation was simply sub-lime. It tasted a bit like chai tea, was surprisingly refreshing, and I will certainly be going back for more.

With their 45 flavours of soft serve and numerous other concoc-tions (along with soy options), you are sure to find a cool treat you love, and their candy selection is simply unbeatable.

And to sweeten the deal even more (sorry), this summer Dessart has a different flavour special each week, where if you buy any candy or ice cream of that flavour (coffee, for example), you can enter into a draw for a weekly gift bag.

Dessart has all the candy you love, enough ice cream to keep you cool all summer, and a friendly staff who will help you pick something tasty, sweet, surprising, or nostalgic.

At Dessart you really do feel like a kid in a candy store.

And hey, is it your birthday? Bring proof and you get a free birthday ice cream cone.


Address: 3036 13th AveHours: Monday - Sunday: 11:00am - 10:30pmReservations: 522-2663

Dessart Sweets

“The green tea gelato (a personal favourite) was delicate, light, and slightly bitter…”

-Jessica Bickford

OpinionAug 3–9, ‘12VerbNews.com

“[R]estaurants could benefit by making a profit from corking fees while carrying less cost.”

-Verb’s editors

SK Should Adopt The Practice Of ByOWBringing Your own Wine To Restaurants Is Good For customers, The IndustryTHE EDIToRS oF VERB

REgInA, SK — Alberta, nova Scotia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec: what do these five plac-es have in common?

Yes, they’re all canadian provinc-es and, yes, they all contain bodies of water, trees, cities and buildings. But what else?

Well, in all of the aforemen-tioned provinces, it’s legal to bring your own wine into restaurants, pay a corkage fee and have it with your meal.

not a bad idea right? British columbia didn’t think so. That’s

why, just last month, their provin-cial government passed legislation giving restaurants the choice to become BYoW establishments, and we feel the same should be done in Saskatchewan.

Don’t get us wrong. We’re not saying all restaurants in our prov-ince should be forced by policy to allow patrons to bring in their own wine. But what we are saying is they should have the choice.

In Montreal, the choice to go “Apportez Votre Vin” (Bring Your own Wine) has made restaurant dining more attractive to many. The same goes for restaurants in the United Kingdom, where The Guardian has described the BYoW movement as a “revolution” of the restaurant industry.

now we’re not insinuating the food industry in Saskatchewan needs to undergo a revolution. Far from it. But a little moderniza-tion to bring it into the 21st century wouldn’t hurt.

In fact, a BYoW policy could be win-win for all involved. on the one hand, participating restaurants could benefit by making a profit from corking fees while carrying less cost.

A BYoW policy could also, like in Montreal and the UK, inspire more people to go out for dinner. And if you ask any restauranteur, the more butts they have in their seats, the better things generally are.

on the other hand, you have the customers. For them (for you), a BYoW policy gives you the

opportunity to match your dinner with a more exclusive, nicer bottle of wine at a lower cost. Plus, should you not finish the entire bottle, you’d be able to recork it and take the remains home.

In B.c., Ian Tostenson, president of the British columbia Restaurants and Food Services Association, says the restaurant industry has wel-comed the “common sense change” with open arms. And so should we.

And since changing legislation, particularly when it comes to li-quor, can be a complicated, time-consuming affair, we think this is something our government should tackle, post-haste.

The only question that remains is: how much should the corkage fee be?

In other provinces, the going rate is somewhere in the neigh-bourhood of $10 to $30. We feel Saskatchewan should try to operate somewhere in that range.

But instead of having the price set by the government, we should let the market dictate the price. let the restaurant owners set their fees appropriately to remain

competitive and, eventually, a good, reasonable, mutually ben-eficial corkage fee will emerge.

not only would a BYoW policy of this nature help restaurant own-ers create a new type of dining

experience, not only would it give wine lovers more options, but it would also show the voting public that our government is open and willing to change, particularly in an area where it has demonstrated

archaic, heavy-handed behaviour in the past.

And by our count, that’s a win-win-win scenario.


SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comMovies


China Heavyweight Mostly Hits The MarkDirector chang Explores Paradoxes of Evolving Society In Boxing DocumentaryChina Heavyweight

ADAM HAWBolDT

There’s a lot going on in direc-tor yung Chang’s new documen-tary China Heavyweight.

on the surface, it’s about boxing, sacrifice and the quest for olympic and professional glory. But that’s just the surface. The flotsam.

At its core, China Heavyweight is about a lot more than just pugilist dreams. It’s about change. It’s about Westernization clashing with tradi-tionalism. But mainly it’s about the paradoxes in an evolving society.

See, boxing is a foreign sport that was once banned in china, yet these days it exists as one of the many avenues used by china to cement its global sports standing. Its brutality and inherent violence stand in direct opposition to the teachings of Buddha and confucius, yet boxing is becoming

more and more popular in china. What’s more, in a socialist country, boxing stands out as a stark and fiercely individualistic sport.

It is these paradoxes, these is-sues, that chang deals with head-o n i n C h i n a Heavyweight.

Shot over the course of a two-year period, this

cinema-verite style doc follows a pair of 17-year-old amateur boxers, Miao Yunfei and He zongli. Both are peasants from the mountainous Sichuan province and, in the begin-ning, both dream of following in the footsteps of zou Shiming, zhang zhilei and Hanati Silamu — three compatriots who medalled at the 2008 Summer olympics.

They are trained by coach Qi Moxiang, a former olympic hopeful who is tempted to step back in the ring at the advanced age of 38. But Moxiang’s decision about his own fighting future is pushed aside (for a while) as he pours his energy into training his two up-and-coming charges.

Most of China Heavyweight is set in small, dirty farming villages where the local youths’ options are limited. They can stay at home and work the land. They can move to a city and work construction. or maybe — just maybe — they can fight their way to riches and fame in a boxing ring.

of course, both Yunfei and

zongli opt for the latter. This deci-sion is particularly upsetting for Yunfei’s mother, who wonders why in the hell her son would risk his health boxing when he could stay

at home, work the tobacco fields and contribute to the economy. And it’s at these times — when they’re in the countryside dealing with generational conflicts and the Westernization of the chinese men-tality — that the film really works.

When it goes into the gym, how-ever, the documentary seems to sputter. The endless montages of training and amateur boxing don’t really pack the necessary punch. They’re too repetitive, too tedious.

That’s not to say China Heavy-weight is a boring documentary. The thing is, though, it’s nowhere near as engaging or entertaining as chang’s previous doc — the stun-ning Up the Yangtze.

Still, China Heavyweight is a thoughtful and perceptive piece of filmmaking. Emotional, intimate, vital and real, the film may not be the best documentary you’ll ever see. But it most certainly worth a watch.

China Heavyweight will be open-ing at the Regina Public library on August 9th


Runtime: 94 MinutesRated: g

Photo: courtesy of Eye Steel Films

“[W]hen they’re … dealing with generational conflicts … the film really works.”

-Adam Hawboldt

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comMovies


Photo: courtesy of Sony Pictures

Remake Of Total Recall Disappointingcolin Farrell, cool Special Effects can’t Save Warmed Up Replay of 1990 FilmTotal Recall

ADAM HAWBolDT

In 1966, the American sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick penned the excellent, award-winning short story called “We Can Remember It For you Wholesale.”

In it, an ordinary everyman named Douglas Quail wants to go to Mars.

Problem is, he can’t afford it. So Quail goes to a company called REKAl Inc. to get fake memories of Mars implanted in his mind. During the implant process it’s revealed that Quail is actually an undercover government assassin with a head full of dangerous secrets.

“We can Remember It For You Wholesale” is a brilliant piece of sci-fi that was thought to be unfilmable because most of the story takes place in the character’s head.

Then, in 1990, along came direc-tor Paul Verhoeven, who turned Dick’s short story into a movie called Total Recall. And, if we’re be-ing honest here, he did a pretty darn good job of it.

When the movie came out, its star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, was nearing the height of his popularity.

Verhoeven understood this and gave Arnold the go-ahead to act, well, like Arnold. Which meant as the secret assassin Douglas Quaid (notice the subtle name change!) he kicked copious amounts of ass and dropped one-liners like they were hot.

The movie went on to gross more than $250 million worldwide and was well-received by fans and critics alike.

Fast forward 22 years, and for

some unknown, ungodly, unfath-omable reason, director len Wise-man (Underworld) decided it’d be a good idea to put his own spin on Total Recall.

This time around Quaid is played by colin Farrell (Tigerland, In Bruges). And while the whole implant/real vs. fake memories/u n k n o w n a s -sassin angle still remains, the big-gest difference between Wiseman’s Total Recall and the story that Dick and Verhoeven told is that in the 2012 there is no Mars.

Instead, the remake of Total Re-call takes place in a future where the Earth is nearly uninhabitable. The only “livable” places left are Great Britain and the “colony” — better known to you as Australia.

Quaid, a worker in the colony, is plagued by a reoccurring dream in which his life is in peril. So, one

day, Quaid goes to Rekall (just like in previous versions) to have happy memories implanted in order to get some relief.

Quaid (and others) come to real-ize there’s more in his head than just dreams and, well, if you saw the

Schwarzenegger flick, you have an idea of where the story goes from here.

An d i f yo u have seen the first

Total Recall, you probably might want to skip the remake — unless, of course, you like disappointment.

Sure, the special effects are cool-er in the new installment, and yes colin Farrell is a much better actor than Arnold ever dreamt of being.

But when you get past all that, the new Total Recall is nothing more than a warmed up replay of the original.

What’s more, it suffers from a lack of Arnold and his cheesy,

perfectly timed one liners.I can’t believe I just wrote that,

but it’s true.okay, maybe that’s a tad harsh.

But, by and large, the new Total Recall isn’t what you’d call a “good” movie.”

Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.Runtime: 118 MinutesRated: Pg

“[I]f you have seen the first Total Recall, you probably might want to skip the remake…”

-Adam Hawboldt

This Week: Trades For Teenslast week we asked what you

thought about teens leaving high school early to enter the trades, and here’s what you had to say.

Next week’s topic: see page 13 — do you think Saskatchewan

should adopt a Bring Your Own Wine policy? 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 TopicLetting students opt out of a high school diploma seems ridiculous. It’s hard to do anything without having a high school diploma these days. Is it really a big deal if they stick around for an extra couple years, then go to trade school? Nope! Ur opinion is way off base.

I don’t agree with much of what the Verb

has to say. But I do agree with the high school change. I think we would even see less drop outs.

Giving kids the option to opt out of a traditional education is smart and would be better for everyone involved.

Totally disagree. Keeping kids in school until Grade 12 is the best thing for them. How many teens would

beg off school but not go on to do something else? You’re giving them a way out where they don’t have to do anything. It’s irresponsible.

Off TopicRe: “City Eyes Intoxicating Pigeons, De-porting Them,” Offbeat page, July 27th issue

Deporting Pigeons: LOL, have they ever heard that pigeons are used to deliver messages over large distances, because they always find the way home?! They might need a day longer though, because of the headache after the vine consumption!

Re: “Flying In Canada Costs Way Too

Much,” Opinion page, July 20th issue

to people that fly.until canada has population of 200 million to keep cost down.just suffer paying more and get a brain

Re: “Flying In Canada Costs Way Too Much,” Opinion page, July 20th issue

Stop complaining about airport fees already. It would be cheaper if you stayed home. Things are more costly these days. It’s just a sign of the times.

Re: “Regina, Province Push On With Sta-dium,” Local page, July 27th issue

put the money of new stadium into roads for cars and bikes.and into housing.

Re: “Regina, Province Push On With Sta-dium,” Local page, July 27th issue

How about road repair before The Wall Fiacco Domeless

The public should be allowed to calling people that text while driving. At least their license plates could be registered as people that violate the law. I realize that the police have to see them texting to issue a ticket but it really pisses me off when I see drivers on the wrong side of the road because of texting while driving.

Every person has a purpose in life, they just have to find it, it may take years to do so but they will find it, I discovered my

purpose, my purpose is to take care of my pets, to help the animals that need help and to love all creatures great and small. To care about the environment and recycle that can be recycled and to hope for a better future for this world we live in. We just need a lot more people to care for these things as much as I do. Think before you throw that paper in the garbage and that tin, plastick and other things that can be recycled and care for the animals that are not even your pet. I hope this message gets through to people! YB

My pay as you go cell phone saved my life a few years ago when I was homeless. Found a job found a place to stay with it.

DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHERE I CAN FIND SPRAY CHEESE? I’VE LOOKED EVERYWHERE. IF YOU KNOW LET ME KNOW THANKS! :-)

Society should go back to having a day of rest. Seems like there is less and less time for people to spend with their families or taking time for themselves. We don’t always have to be so busy.

TextsAug 3–9, ‘12VerbNews.com

Having no winter this year sure screwed up the summer. It’s hotter than the lowest level of hell.

Horroscopes suck for everyone this week...even the news paper rack at the airport fell apart. It’s a sign.

Looking for a place. Looked at some suites in a 100 yr old building. Tiny! People didn’t have as much didn’t need as much a 100 yrs ago.

RE: “I seen so many grammer and spelling mistakes in the feedback section. Their driving me crazy!” Totally makes me laugh at the silly person who sent that in last week. It should say “they’re” maybe he/she should figure out his/her grammer before complaining. Also, to everyone so “fed up” with poor g&s so what! Freedom of speech however anyone wants to express it.

I’m tired of seeing commercials about nurses and how they can’t be in a profession without a passion for it. If it didn’t pay as well as it does, how many nurses would still be doing it because of their ‘passion’ for it? It’s mostly about the money. I don’t think you would deny that fact.

Olympics are totally overrated. Billions spent to bring them just seems like an enormous waste of resources that could be used elsewhere. Could you imagine that amount of money

being spent to support the arts? Yeah right.

To the person who texted humans are the only species who kill their own...get out from under your rock! Maybe watch some Nat Geo Wild! Jeeze

HUMAN ARE ONLY SPIECIES TO HURT THIER OWN. This is not true many primates and other animals kill thier own read a book!

Many animals hurt their own kind, not just humans. Don’t black widow spiders eat their mates? Plus occasionally a parent may reject one of their young, particularly if the baby is ill or has something wrong with it. It may seem sad to us, but it’s perfectly natural to them.

The writing in the verb is getting a bit contradictory and too biased. Think I’ll give the Metro a try.

Lana c+trevor I Forever

Moving with shopping carts is DOWNtown! Things will be great when you’re there!

Hey YB sorry to hear about your dog talk to the vet about medication it can take to stop/ease the seizures as a pet owner I feel your pain.

Two kinds of Gov’nt BS!! We here in this province Affordable housing and Safety in Uranium Mining!!

How about selling shares to raise funds Give a SK income tax credit to buyers

What do you guys look like?

I can’t believe dollerama already has halloween stuff it’s only Augest

I love reading St. Joseph’s church signs! Keep it up!

Give peas a chance.

Moonrise Kingdom is

a fantastic film, please everyone don’t miss it! So so so so good!

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

TextsAug 3–9, ‘12VerbNews.com

nightlifeAug 3–9, ‘12VerbNews.com

VenueBushwakker Brewpub on Friday, July 27th

Venue2206 Dewdney Avenue

Playing on ArrivalU2’s “Sweetest Thing”

Music VibeBeginning August 4th, all background tunes will be Saskatchewan music

Regular gigsLive jazz and blues on Mondays, and live folk on Wednesdays

Feature DealsThe Classic Friday Happy Hour: Bushwakker pints and barshots available at a reduced price from 4:30–6:30 PM

Popular DrinkAll specialty imported beers

Food of ChoiceNachos, which come topped with tomato, green pepper, black olives, onion, jalapeño and cheese, and any of the gourmet personal pizzas

Wing notes A pound of wings and a pint of Bushwakker beer for $12.95 on Mondays and Wednesdays; of the 10 available flavours, medium hot is the most popular

Something newSaskatchewan artists, bring your tunes — all music will be from Saskatchewan, and the Redbeard Radio at The Bushwakker Library now sports over 3,000 songs

Friday @ Bushwakker

Photos courtesy of Jeff Hamon Photography (feedback@ verbnews.com

Time OutAug 3–9, ‘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.

471698325329751486865432179912873654634215798758964231596347812187526943243189567

684712953193845762725693418317564289269378145548921637451239876936187524872456391

4 7 8 2 53 6

6 4 3 2 19 7 6

3 1 7 87 5 9 4 15 6 8 2

8 5 2 9 43 1 9

8 7 19 4 5 6 2

7 5 4 83 4 8 92 9 3 7 55 2 6

1 3 8 73 6 1

2 4 6 9 1

HoroscopesAries (Mar 21–Apr 19)

“Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.” That’s advice straight from the mouth of the Dalai lama, dear Aries. And you might want to heed his words this week. You might want to step outside your comfort zone and dare to be great. Before you do that, ask yourself “What is it that I truly want?” When you have an answer, it’s time to leap into action. It’s time to take risks and chase after your dreams. Don’t just sit around — do things!

Taurus (Apr 20–May 20)The Dalai lama once said something

to the effect that people should “remem-ber that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.” If that be the case, dear Taurus, then you should have some luck this week. At first, sure, it may suck because something you’ve been longing for or chasing after has eluded you. But on the brighter side, because you didn’t get what you want you’ll learn a very valuable lesson. And maybe a new, better door will open.

Gemini (May 21–Jun 20)Some of the best advice you’ll get this

week is this, dear Gemini: “When you real-ize you’ve made a mistake, take immedi-ate steps to correct it.” That pearl comes from the incomparable Dalai lama. And he’s right. This week you’re destined to make a mistake. What it is, when it will happen, it’s hard to say. But I do know it would be prudent of you to fix it as soon as you realize it’s occurred. That way you limit the damage and can work towards getting things right.

Cancer (Jun 21–Jul 22)“open your arms to change, but don’t

let go of your values.” A very simple, true and pertinent message from His Holiness the Dalai lama. This week opportunities will arise and change will be ushered in — if you let it. My advice is let it, but don’t let that change change you. Be yourself. Don’t compromise what you believe in. But be ready, willing and open-minded enough to accept new things in your life. It’s a delicate balance to find. But have faith, cancer. You’ll find it.

Leo (Jul 23–Aug 22)Have you been busier than a one-

legged man in an arse-kicking contest lately, leo? Burning the candle at both ends? Feeling a bit burnt out? If so, take the Dalai lama’s advice and “spend some time alone every day.” lock your door, draw the blinds and shut the world out. completely. Even if it’s for just a few min-utes a day, this solitude will go a long way towards recharging your battery and bettering your mind. What you do in that “alone” time is up to you.

Virgo (Aug 23–Sept 22)If you find yourself at odds with family

or friends this week, dear Virgo, please keep in mind what the Dalai lama once said. “In disagreements with loved ones,” he advised, “deal with the current situ-ation. Don’t bring up the past.” That’s some darn solid advice worth thinking about. Always focus on the here-and-now; bringing up old news won’t solve anything. If nothing else, it could make the situation much, much worse.

Libra (Sept 23–Oct 23)Here is something to keep in mind this

week: “Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” The Dalai lama said that, libra, and you should probably keep it in mind this coming week. Don’t sabotage yourself or place yourself in situations that will disturb you and make you angry. Instead, do things that will make you happy. Do things that will put a smile on your face, as well as on the face of others. life is a lot easier when we’re content.

Scorpio (Oct 24–Nov 22)“once a year, go someplace you’ve

never been before.” That’s a hint from the Dalai lama that can help you find happi-ness. So why not take this week, Scorpio, and go somewhere new? It doesn’t have to be extravagant. I mean, after all, we all can’t afford to fly to Tokyo or cape Town at the drop of a hat. So maybe that “somewhere” could be near you right now. It might be a section of the city you’ve never seen, a restaurant you’ve never eaten at — anything.

Sagittarius (Nov 23–Dec 21)Does it seem like no matter how hard

you try, no matter how much work you put in, nothing seems to be working lately? The effort is there, but the op-portunity isn’t? Well, here’s the thing about a lucky break — sometimes it just doesn’t come around. But don’t worry: if opportunity isn’t knocking, it’s time to make your own opportunities, dear Sagittarius. What those may be, only you know. Have faith in your intuition — it will steer you straight.

Capricorn (Dec 22–Jan 19)People define success in many ways,

so if you find yourself thinking about how successful you are this week, remember to “judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.” That’s the Dalai lama’s advice. And he’s right — be-cause, whether you realize it or not, our greatest successes are the things we’ve had to work hardest for. The things we’ve sacrificed the most for. Sometimes, the things that come easy aren’t always the best. Think about it.

Aquarius (Jan 20–Feb 19)“our prime purpose in this life is to

help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.” That’s one of the staples of the Dalai lama’s philosophy and maybe he’s on to something. So for this coming week, dear Aquarius, try to live by his words. Try to help others. Try to be a part of the solution because, if you’re not, chances are you’re part of the problem. And no matter what, nobody should strive to be part of the problem. nobody.

Pisces (Feb 20–Mar 20)According to the Dali lama, “if you

want others to be happy, practice com-passion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” Sounds pretty simple, no? compassion is the secret to a good life. That’s what you should strive for. So try to be more compassionate than usual this week, dear Pisces. You might be surprised at how good it makes you and others around you feel. Go ahead. Give it a try. What do you have to lose?

verb issue r39 (aug 3-9, 2012)

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