New rules may force new bars to consult communities
by Tom Babin

Sour gas study identifies gaps in health knowledge
by Tom Babin

Report on learning (and other news notes)
by FFWD Staff

VIEWPOINT

Killer children, coltan mins and AIDS
The African odyssey of Earnest the Capitalist Hero comes to an end
by Hamish MacAulay

WEB WATCH

I’ve never met a ninja I didn’t like
by Courtney Thompson

FOOD

The Golden Inn more than a late-night fix
by Miles Pittman

BOOZE

Austria’s sleek and impressive wines
After being frozen out of the market, country returns to wake up the world
by Kevin McLean

WORDFEST

Chipping away at the frozen sea within
Melanie Little’s confident stories match lightness with terror and betrayal
by Harry Vandervlist

Lightning brings cattle drives to vivid life
Fred Stenson’s new western novel sheds light on Western Canadian history
by Wendy Dudley

The maturing of Stuart Ross
Poet and small-press publisher has done it his way since Trudeau was Prime Minister
by Harry Vandervlist

Plus ca change
Nicole Brossard looks back on four decades as a feminist and artist
by Shereen Tuomi

Plan to spend your nights at WordFest
And don’t forget the daytime events at this year’s literary jamboree
by Harry Vandervlist

TELEVISION

Realistic renovations
Locally produced home improvement series Open Homes joins the genre du jour
by Stephen W. Smith

MUSIC

Arms, legs and a face, oh my!
Ian Doig takes an amusic look into anthropomorphization in advertising
by Frank Litorco

Two fives make a ten
by Frank Litorco

Lucky punks
AFI shed their goth-punk image and make their move to the majors
by Rick Overwater

Mighty lewd ladies
Stink Mitt’s Betti Forde and Jenni Craige take trailer-park chic to new heights
by Christine Leonard

Dark and sexy
After decades in the music industry, guitarist Manuel Jara cuts his first solo album
by Mary-Lynn McEwen

Punk’s Romeo and Juliet
The mysterious lives and deaths of Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungeon
by Sean Marchetto

Dark side of the swoon
Self-proclaimed Floyd cover band insists they’re not just another Floyd cover band
by Mary-Lynn McEwen

Two more bricks in the wall
by Mary-Lynn McEwen

RECORD REVIEWS

Nothing compares 2 Sinead O’Connor
CD Reviews:
Sinead O’Connor’s She Who Dwells in the Secret Place of the Most High Shall Abide Under the Shadow of the Almighty
reviewed by Shereen Tuomi
Emmylou Harris’ Stumble Into Grace
reviewed by Jennifer Abel
The Spam Avenger’s The Spam Avenger Remixed
reviewed by Jason Lewis
The Darkness’ Permission to Land
reviewed by Jason Lewis
Peaches’ Fatherfucker
reviewed by Christine Leonard
The Carnations’ In Good Time
reviewed by Christopher Markowsky
Rufus Wainwright’s Want One
reviewed by Kari Watson

VISUAL ARTS

More than fairy tales
Judd Palmer brings the preposterous to life
by Wes LaFortune

THEATRE

Marriage as a blood sport
Valerie Ann Pearson dons boxing gloves for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
by Martin Morrow

A sitcom, but a frothy one
Outside offers lightweight fun from heavy-duty cast
by Jeff Goffin

FILM

Do you think that’s appropriate(d)?
Quentin Tarantino pillages Japanese cinema to good effect for Kill Bill
by Jason Lewis

Timing is everything
Buffalo Soldiers finally sees the light
by Jason Anderson

Slightly problematic
Gary Burns delivers the goods, but doesn’t live up to his full potential
by Jason Lewis

The evil that good men do
Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River a predictable, heavy-handed guilt trip
by Jaime Frederick

Schoolhouse rock
Jack Black teaches raw power to preppies in irreverent comedy
by Jaime Frederick

The rhythms of the sea
Respiro explores bonds between family, society and the natural environment
by Jaime Frederick

VIDEO VULTURE

The cinema of spheres
The Video Vulture has a ball watching movies featuring round monsters
by John Tebbutt