local seeker, west end, issue 20

TAKE ONE - We’re different!

Local SeekerThe We s t E n d Community paper

cont. p4

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Not yet Halloween, but

Party World is already

selling fantasy

Once upon a time, trick or treating

was a simple affair. Your mom cut

eye-holes into a sheet, threw it over

your head and, voila, you were a

ghost! Or you would go to

Woolworth or K-Mart, buy some

cheesy Zorro mask, or a Groucho

Marx eyeglass-and-nose appliance,

and wow ‘em sufficiently that they’d

throw tons of candy into your huge

Steinberg brown paper bag. That

was then, this is now.

Halloween shopping starts a lot

earlier, which is one reason the

ancient Druid festival has become

THE biggest money-grab of the

year, bigger even than the historic

granddaddy of money-grabs,

Christmas. And it has become SO

high-tech and commercial, with

neighbours outdoing one

another to lay claim to

the best haunted house

and teens seeking to

dress up as the hottest,

sexiest or most au-

courant celebrity

characters on TV or big-

screen.

In this issue

Sol takes on gambl ing

Car yn chews out candy

Steve directs hot hor ror f i lm

Pro t ips on winter iz ing plants

Hal loween Event Guide

A final word on the Sol/CJAD fiasco

I have it on excellent authority that CJAD program director Chris Bury has beentelling complainants regarding Sol Boxenbaum’s dismissal from his station’sairwaves that I lobbied him for Sol’s job and time slot. In reality, I met with himexactly once over a year ago (pre-Local Seeker) to discuss the possibility ofhosting an evening lead-in show to CJAD’s overnight Coast to Coast, asyndicated American weeknight show started many years ago by thelegendary Art Bell. For years now, dating back to the days when Rick Moffat wasPD, I have been pitching CJAD the concept of a local show I would call PeopleAre Strange. And it was BURY, the former PD at the defunct 940-AM, whobroached the possibility of my doing a show in Sol’s overnight spot… whichmade no sense whatsoever to me since he had just gotten rid of our now-popular columnist and added Coast to Coast to his lineup. To drag me intocontroversy is nothing but a time-worn red herring, folks, to make ME look likethe bad guy when it was Bury who dismissed Sol in a sudden and disgracefulmanner. Just setting the record straight here…. And be careful what you tellpeople, CJAD, because I do have several options at my disposal. If you defameMY rep again, I will surely avail myself of them… my penchant for kindnessesnotwithstanding.

THE LOCAL SEEkER, OCT 14 (pg. 2) FREE CLASSIFIED ADS: 514-975-7745 www.westend.thelocalseeker.com

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The Local Seeker, West End Montreal EditionVolume 2, Number 20, October 14 2011Founded by Julia Lucio and Mai-Liis Renaud 2010Published by Local Seeker Media Group, Cornwall, Ontario

The Local Seeker does not accept responsibility for errors, misprints or inaccuracies

published within. The opinions and statements of our columnists are not to be presumed as

the statements and opinions of The Local Seeker.

You know, as I get older, and as I learnthrough miraculous science about lifeand the infinitesimal odds that we arehere at all, I have stopped taking theday-to-day for granted a whole lot more.It’s far too easy to simply trudgethrough our lives, moment by moment,day by day, year by year, till the endcomes…. And then, what? We just die,

assuming this is all a random act? Like insects, we livedbriefly and just buzzed out of existence, achieving nothing,learning nothing? Nothing can be farther from the truth, asfar as I am concerned, unless that’s how you think of yourlives.

If you look at religion, our lives are but a human stain in theface of almighty God. But if you look at things spiritually, youcome to understand that, even if there IS a Creator out thereresponsible for all of this, what we do with our lives is amatter of free will. We can simply exist – OR we can use ourevery waking moment to make a difference. That’s how Ichoose to live my life. Even the smallest act of kindnesstoward our fellow humans, animals, too, is far superior to anact of cruelty. I think I learned that from my dear, deceasedmother, a Holocaust survivor who emerged a kind, gentleand loving woman, not an emotionally-bereft shell of aperson. I am thankful to have been raised by her.

A few weeks ago, while delivering my papers – THIS paper (Icannot yet afford to hire a distribution company, so I happilydo it myself ), I ran into IGA in the Cote Saint-Luc ShoppingCentre to deliver a stack of papers and emerged to findsomeone had left a note on my car. “LOOSER,” is what it said.I had to laugh, because of the spelling mistake… then again,maybe my stack was wound too tight? Had I parked badly…or did they assume I was a loser because I drive an old, noisycar? Not my fault, gang: I am not swimming in cash andhaven’t been able to fix it yet.

But to actually take the time to leave a note like that onsomeone’s car for no valid reason? That individual must bejust busting to tell someone off, I thought. What a lousy lifethey must have. The truth is, I haven’t been moved to actthat way in a long, long time. I am far too busy trying tosurvive as long as I can, to run out the years I have beengiven by showing appreciation for them. To make adifference.

I don’t have kids. It just never happened for me and I guess,to many people, that’s a shame. Yet I always say that we can’tall be parents and there are times, believe me, when I’m gladI’m not. What that also means is that I have time to work onthis paper, which is a labour of love for me. However longthis paper endures is a testament to my appreciation for lifeand the talents I have been given. This is absolutethanksgiving in action. If that makes me a “looser,” then Iaccept the moniker proudly.

Managing Editor: Bram Eisenthal Creative Design: Julia Lucio

OUR CONTACT INFORMATIONFree Classifieds and Advertising: 514-975-7745

EMAIL: [email protected]

Mailing Address: 327 2nd Street E. Cornwall, On. K6H 1Y8

The Property Seeker

A regular feature of The Local Seeker West End Montreal EditionProfessional Consultant - Anita Benabou Rozenblat

Giving thanks, really, for the universal truths life offers

*Cannot be combined with any other offer, valid until November 2, 2011

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Social injustice: Not only a Third World issueGenerally, these are cases of the rich and powerful usingtheir positions to further exploit the poor and vulnerable.After all, is it any less true that we, who are by comparisonthe poor and vulnerable, are being exploited by the verypeople that we elected to protect and to represent us?

Is it not a fact that gambling was considered illegal andimmoral until governments realized how much moneycould be made by being the provider of the activity?However, there was one thing that they had notforeseen. Not only did the gamblers get addicted to

gambling, but also the governments got addicted to therevenues. The problem with addictions is that they all come withconsequences. But the addict does not worry about the consequencesbecause the immediate gratification is so great.

It is for that very reason that governments are turning to encouraginggambling among their population as a means of raising easy moneyfor government coffers. In former times gambling, we were told, wasillegal and immoral. The police department actually had a moralitysquad. It was not uncommon for this squad to raid card games inprivate homes, to arrest bookmakers who took bets on sports eventsand horse races, and to harass runners who took bets on the dailynumbers. Now, we have card games available in casinos, sports bettingon Loto-Quebec Mise au Jeux, and numbers are being drawn daily andpaying half the odds that the underworld used to.

The problem now was how to endorse an activity that had for so longbeen illegal. The answer came from south of the border. In the earliestdays when gambling was limited to Nevada, the mob ran Las Vegas.Gambling was sinful and Las Vegas was Sin City. Eventually organizedcrime was forced out of the casino industry and replaced bymultinational corporations.

The industry was now being cleaned up and, if gambling was bad,then in order to make it good they needed a better image. Through themagic of semantics the “gaming industry” evolved. Now people withhigh moral standards who would never dream of being gamblers were“gaming.” What a pleasant sounding activity: playing games. And witha potential of winning money thrown in. Billions of dollars each yearare taken in by the gambling industry.

It is the American gambling industry that taught our novices how tomarket the product that is so potentially deadly and to pass it off asentertainment. It is they who taught us how to offer players rewardcards in order to get people to play longer and for larger amounts inorder to receive privileges from the casino. It is they who taught ushow to target the most vulnerable of our population, the seniors. A busride for little or no money, a free buffet lunch and maybe even a fewgambling vouchers for free play and, with any luck, the casino will havea new client. And it apparently works, because every casino I have evervisited featured a “sea of grey” around the slots. Many seniors buy alittle freedom and escape from boredom or loneliness and are willingto contribute some of their life savings for the privilege, while othersrecycle their old age security cheques.

At this point in time, I think that gambling is causing the collapse of thevalue system for our youth, who are being subjected to a something-for-nothing attitude. The message is that you don’t need a universityeducation if you pick the right six numbers in the lottery. Theprovincial governments continue to exploit the masses and the federalgovernment installs blinders so that they don’t have to look at thePandora’s Box that they have opened… and the monster that theyhave released.

It’s closing time.

Please visit www.lastcallwithsol.com

Sol Boxenbaum (CEO)VIVA CONSULTING(514) 486-6226

ABRAELECTRONICS INC

514-731-0117www.abra-electronics.com

Store Hours Mon-Fri, 8:30-4:30

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Pick ups or deliveries with our small van?

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Abra Electronics is not only Montreal’s best-stocked, best-priceddistributor of electronic components, but THE place to buy various

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Now in stock, the ultimategift, our fine line of inexpensive

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Drop by Abra’s store, open Mondays – Fridays

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Not yet Halloween, but Party World is already selling fantasy(continued from cover)

With all the hoopla in the air, it makes total sense that Joanne Cappadocia and her sister, Maria, have one of the busiest shops aroundat this time of year. “We are really busy and super tired before Halloween,” admitted Joanne, who first opened a shop carrying bridalaccoutrements that relocated and morphed into Partyland on Sherbrooke in NDG. The sisters grew to two locations prior todownsizing four years ago to this one current spot alone, which they named Party World, in Ville St. Pierre adjacent to Montreal West.

“I was a book-keeper looking for a business when I organized my sister’s bridal shower and learned I was good at that sort of thing,”Joanne told me. “After opening our first store, which was more bridal than party, we started getting requests for balloon

arrangements and other party concepts, so it made sense to expand our services.”

Party World really does cater to people throwing parties for all occasions. “Life is stressful and whenever people want to blow off steam, we can getthem everything they need to turn their home or other venue into the ultimate party prop… and transform them into their fantasy characters, aswell.

At Halloween time, however, that’s when the craving for fantasy is at its peak.“We sell costumes for adults and children alike, though I find the differencesblurring more and more often these days,” Joanne admitted. “I have young girlscoming in here – as young as 11 or 12 sometimes – wanting to buy costumesthat show everything off. I tell these girls, ‘Come back with your mother and ifit’s ok with her, it’s ok with me.’ Sometimes they do bring their moms with themand they will buy their daughter their favourite costume… albeit toned down abit.”

Sexy costumes are definitely in with younger women and Party World sells allthe popular brands, including Rubies, Worldscape, Secret Wishes, CinemaSecrets and the naughtiest brand name, Wicked Innocence. Guys, from kids 6and older, tend to buy superheroes and pirates, with Green Lantern, GreenHornet and Captain America on their hot-list so far this season. There’s nodoubting the impact each new spate of genre feature films has on Halloweenannually, to be sure – a merchandising miracle guaranteed with everyscreening. Cappadocia also pointed out that her prices are often cheaper than her closest competitor’s. “Look at this pirate costume, Captain Blackheart, whichis $59.99 here and $20 more at the competition. Our Secret Wishes line of sexy attire for women generally runs $15-$20 less than the competition’s,as well.” Truly, you can get your lady love into a Honey Bee costume here for just $45.99… not including the honey, of course.

As for the “fast-food costumeshops” that open up the monthbefore Halloween, Joanne pointedout that they, too, don’t offer suchgreat deals in comparison to PartyWorld and that you also don’t getthe service her shop offers. Serviceat the Halloween “dollar stores” isnon-existent, prices are not socheap and, hey, how are yousupporting your local vendors thisway, anyhow? “People come toParty World because we knowthem… it feels good for them to berecognized, helped when neededand treated with respect and asense of fun.”

One of THE most compellingreasons to shop here is that youcan always come back if you have aproblem. AND you can certainlyvisit from Nov. 1 – 7, when PartyWorld holds its 50-percent-off saleon all Halloween items. While theDruid festival of Samhain haslasted many, many millennia,during this consumer-mad age agood sale is still the best reason tobuy retail, after all.

Party World is at 188 St. Jacques W.,in Ville St. Pierre. Tel: 514-363-9111. Itis open seven days per week anduntil 8 p.m. daily from October 24 –30.

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Fun with Words


The decline of the horror movie

I don’t much like horror movies anymore. Iused to enjoy them very much but that waswhen they were still made with somecreativity, imagination and sensitivity.Today’s crop of horror movies generallytraffic in sadism, torture and equallyunpleasant things and make for a veryuncomfortable film going experience.

My dislike of the current horror film may be afunction of age but the genre movies I’ve seen of latehaven’t struck me as pleasurable or even suspenseful, asthe best horror always is. I have managed to avoid thelikes of the Saw or Hostel movies but I’ve gotten stuckseeing their ‘artistic’ European equivalents (Shaun of theDead, The Descent, À l'intérieur), when I was at the TorontoInternational Film Festival. Those films were glib,gratuitously and mindlessly violent and determined tomete out graphic punishments of the worst kind to itsprotagonists in a way that wasn’t entertaining at all. Inother words, they weren’t akin to Alfred Hitchcock’s richand terrifying Psycho.

Horror at its finest sets out to scare the audience but in amanner that is clever, elliptical and gripping, movieswhere you can put yourself in the shoes of their maincharacters and imagine yourself in mortal danger, butknowing that at the end that you’ll emerge unscathedfrom the theatre. They’re like great roller coaster rides, funtrips that take you places you’ve never been before.Psycho did that, as did Brian De Palma’s Carrie and SamRaimi’s Evil Dead 2, to name some of the best horror films.Other horror classics, like Robert Wise’s superb The Haunting, still my all time favourite, implied the horrorrather than showing it, forcing the filmgoer to try to guesswhat lurked behind the locked doors. All those moviespresumed intelligence on the part of the audience andwere determined to craft worlds that made logical senseand didn’t show gore just for the sake of doing so.

That world of intent is gone now but to celebrateHalloween, here are 13 horror movies that do the genreproud:

Nosferatu (1922) / Freaks (1932) / Invasion of the BodySnatchers (1956) / The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) /Psycho (1960) / The Haunting (1963) / Night of the LivingDead (1968) / Theatre of Blood (1973) / Jaws (1975) / Carrie(1976) / The Thing (1982) / A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)/ Evil Dead 2 (1987).

(ED. NOTE: Horror, my favourite genre, is still very much aliveand well, in my opinion, although Shlomo and I DO agreethat torture porn has snuffed out much of the joy of seeingvisceral films that terrified you via their implicit use ofatmosphere, good writing and acting and such, rather thanrelying far too heavily on in-your-face F/X. His list is quiteclose to mine, actually, but is missing House of Wax, the1950s classic that remains one of Vincent Price’s ultimateachievements. I would also include the original Halloween,John Carpenter’s excellent thriller that started the slashercraze. As for the British zombie flick Shaun of the Dead, it iscomedic horror at its finest, in my opinion).

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Candy not so dandy, after all

Last year I described the best way to steal your kids’candy. This year I thought I would get a little moreserious and talk about the nutritive value of candy. Theproblem is, I am not very serious when it comes tonutrition. I truly believe nutrition should be fun andtaken in moderation. Anything to excess in life is

never good.

If you are a regular reader of this column you know that the only thingI ask people to avoid religiously is trans fats, also known by the wordson labels “hydrogenated,” “partially hydrogenated” and “shortening.” Iam also not big on glucose/fructose as an ingredient. If you see any ofthese words on a package of food, do not eat it.

The problem with candy is that it’s filled with artificial flavours,preservatives and a ton of sugar. Some of those ingredients can causetummy aches for little, sensitive stomachs. In many cases, candy justpasses through the system. Too much candy on a regular basis couldcause dental caries and body weight accumulation. Candy has caloriesand not too much else. There is no nutritional value associated with it.It’s simply for pleasure, not for nutrition.

kids need to learn about healthy eating and that candy is just asometimes thing (I wouldn’t even call it a food). I have no problemdoling out a piece of Laffy Taffy or three Hershey squares to my kidsevery now and then. My kids have asked me why I don’t eat candymore often. I use that as a teaching opportunity and explain that Idon’t need to eat it everyday. It’s better when it’s a treat. Try to createhealthy eating behaviours in your children whenever possible.

Many people claim they crave sugar and turn to candy to satisfy thisneed. It’s a real phenomenon. However, sugar can be found in manyfoods including milk, yogurt and fruit. Obviously, these foods wouldbe more appropriate choices than chocolate or Gummy Bears. Here isa suggestion: take dark chocolate, which is known to have some healthbenefits, and grate it into yogurt. Now, that’s what I call pizzaz!

(ED. NOTE: When I was a kid, I was really scrawny… just 130 lbs by age 19.My mother, God bless her, tried to fatten me up - she was a Holocaustsurvivor, so “skinny” was justifiably the equivalent of “dead” - by filling mewith as many sweets and other “chazzarai” as she could… Woolworth’slemon meringue tarts and ice-cream became my favourite foods and I ampaying for it now, with diabetes. So, when Caryn tells you that you are anutritional model for your kids, she means every word….)

Caryn J. Roll P.Dt. (514.817.0135)Twitter: @MTRLnutrition Join me on Facebookwww.montrealnutrition.com

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You, too, can sell or seek for FREE, with our Local SeekerClassifieds, 25 words or less. Call 514-975-7745.

Computer Doctor. Are you having problems with your computer?I can restore it to excellent health. Contact Darren at (514) 267-3953 – Affordable rates!

Art lessons and workshops: drawing,painting, ink, bead, speedyblockprinting, origami. For information call 514-487-2970 oremail [email protected]

SEEK AND YOU SHALL FIND... IN OUR CLASSIFIEDS

THE LOCAL SEEkER, OCT 14 (pg. 6) PROPERTY SEEkER SECTION www.westend.thelocalseeker.com

I s s u e 1

BUY or SELL your HOME in the

Property Seeker

I encounter anumber ofcalls/emailsfrom peoplewho haved e c l a r e d

bankruptcy and are lookingfor financing. Although thereare mortgage solutions forthese people, they are almostalways more expensive than itis for people who have notdeclared bankruptcy.

I have seen people declarebankruptcy for amounts under$10,000, to over $100,000. Ihave seen people who are 25years old declare bankruptcyand people in their 50’s and60’s do so. The stigma is still

the same: Whatever the reason for it,people cannot and will not acceptresponsibility for their debts. Iunderstand some people have nochoice, but at the end of the day, itaffects your ability to buy a home inthe near future.

If you have had a bankruptcy and havebeen released, the first thing youshould is to get a secured credit cardwith a $1000 limit. Once this has beenopen a fewmonths, get asecond card withthe same limit.Use bothsparingly, makingsure to use eachone every month.Using two cards atthe same time,and keeping thebalances low, willassure your crediti m p r o v e m e n t .NEVER MISS APAYMENT ONTHESE CARDS ORTHERE IS A GOOD

bankruptcy until afterwards. Theyare in a very vulnerable time andtheir bankruptcy trustee may not begiving them honest advice on whateffects the bankruptcy will have. It isimportant to do your research andfind a trustee that will explain theprocess to you, and may evensuggest some alternatives. I workwith a trustee that has an excellentreputation, so if you need anyadvice on this topic, please let meknow and I would be happy to help.

Jason ZuckermanHypotheca Mortgage Brokers(514) 771-1352 /1-800- [email protected]

The West End real estate section

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Bankruptcy: A decisionwith strong ramifications

CHANCE YOU WILL NOT BEACCEPTED FOR CREDIT / FINANCING AGAIN!

Typically banks want to see youreleased from bankruptcy for oneyear, with a year of re-establishedcredit on one or two cards. Sincedifferent banks have differentpolicies on this, it is impossible togive you a strict answer. Onceyou have re-established yourcredit, you can re-apply with meto a regular chartered bank.Should you require a mortgage,and you were given poor advice,chances are you do not have re-established credit. In these cases,I have lenders that will go up to85% of the value of the property.This means you need at least 15%as a down payment for a newhome purchase. The rates arehigher, but the only requirementis that you have proof of abankruptcy release.

If you are thinking of declaringbankruptcy, look at all youroptions first. Do you havefamily/friends that can help bailyou out? Most people don’t seethe stigma and effects of a

Late with your tax returns?

Behind by a few years?

We can help!

Call Today!

En retard à produire vos déclarations derevenus? Vous avez quelques années àrattraper? Nous pouvons vous aider!

Appelez-nous aujourd’hui!

514.461.3006

ASSISTANCE

T XAH E L P

THE LOCAL SEEkER, OCT 14 (pg. 7) PROPERTY SEEkER SECTION www.westend.thelocalseeker.com

Common credit myths about buying a home(ARA) - Whether your annual earnings range well into six figures or are on the moremodest end of national salary averages, you know you'll probably need credit to buy ahome. While you likely know how important credit is to your home-buying plans, you

may not be aware of the truth behind some common credit myths.

Myth: Checking your credit score is a hassle, and it can't really help you manage yourcredit in the long run.

Truth: Websites like FreeCreditScore.com make it easy to check your credit score. Keep

in mind that lenders use a variety of scores when evaluating credit worthiness, and the

one you obtain online will vary from what a lender might see. Still, any score can be a

valuable educational tool that helps you better understand how lenders view your credit.

FreeCreditScore.com's Credit Score Center can help you understand how your score is

calculated, which factors impact it and the best time to apply for credit.

Pick up the next issue to unveil the next myth

Some industry humour forour readersEven the real estate industry has its humorousside. I thought I’d share a few smiles with youon this occasion, so enjoy! Thing is, I have afeeling that these aren’t necessarily fictional atall… what do you think?

Fantastic Opportunity

One Sunday afternoon a couple sees an ad in the paper. They can'tbelieve their eyes. There is a house in the paper for $1,000 that isin the nicest part of town. We are talking about a Highland Parkmansion for $1,000. They think this has to be a misprint, butdecide to call anyway.

They say to lady who answers “We saw your ad and realize it is amisprint, correct?” She tells them “No it's not and you are actuallythe first ones to call.”

They decide to look at the house and race over as fast as they can.They pull up to the most beautiful house on the block. In front ofthe house is a fountain that cost at least $30,000. They ring thedoor bell and the lady answers. She starts showing them thehouse. They realize this house is over 5,000 sq. ft. and it is obviousthat expense was not an issue in building this house, which hadmarble imported from Italy and a chandelier imported fromFrance. The landscaping was breathtaking and there is awonderful pool and tennis court.

The couple says to the lady “This is the most beautiful house wehave ever seen, what's the catch?”

The lady tells the couple there is no catch. The couple wants thehouse for $1,000 but was leery of doing the deal. Finally the ladysays “You seem like a nice couple, so I'll let you know the truth.”H

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She tells them this house is completely paid for and not a penny is owedagainst it. “Well, last week I got a call from my husband. He informed me heis leaving me for his secretary. He then told me I could have everything weown as long as he could have the proceeds from the sale of the house. Iagreed and he asked me if I could sell the house while he and his newgirlfriend hung out in the Caribbean.”

Wrong Flowers

A client bought a new home and the broker wanted to send flowers for theoccasion.They arrived at the home and the owner read the card. It said "Restin Peace." The owner was angry and called the florist to complain. After hehad told the florist of the obvious mistake and how angry he was, the floristsaid. "Sir, I'm really sorry for the mistake, but rather than getting angry youshould imagine this: Somewhere there is a funeral taking place today andthey have flowers with a note saying, "Congratulations on your new home."

Buy Me Out

A very successful real estate broker had a meeting with his new son-in-law. "Ilove my daughter and now I welcome you into the family," said the man. "Toshow you how much we care for you, I'm making you a 50-50 partner in myreal estate office. All you have to do is go to the office every day and learn thebusiness."

The son-in-law interrupted, "I hate offices. I can't stand agents."

"I see," replied the father-in-law. "Well, then you'll work in the office and takecharge of some the paperwork."

"I hate paperwork," said the son-on-law. "I can't stand being stuck behind adesk all day."

"Wait a minute," said the father-in-law. "I just made you half-owner of my realestate office, but you don't like offices and won't work in one. What am Igoing to do with you?"

"Easy," said the young man. "Buy me out."

The Local Seeker’s First Anniversary Contest winner

We have chosen our winner!

Reader Edward Hersey, a Texas-based ecosystem conservation consultant, is the lucky recipient of alovely 12” x 18” black and white print of Montreal jazz great Oliver Jones, signed by him and the

photographer, Bram Eisenthal of The Local Seeker.

The task was to name the two lifelong friends of Oliver Jones (both musicians mentioned in the OliverJones feature on the cover of our September 16 anniversary issue) who have passed away. The answer:

Oscar Peterson and Charlie Biddle.

Congratulations to Mr. Hersey. See, there are benefits to reading our on-line version, after all, no matterwhere in the world you may reside.

Look for more contests in upcoming issues of The Local Seeker, Montreal’s premiere West End periodical.

erected around them. Use 1’x2’x8’ inspruce to make your tipis and use astaple gun to attach arbotex orburlap to the wood. Use Styrofoamrose cones over your roses, rhodosand azaleas. These fragile plants willappreciate the extra help. Finally allflowering shrubs or evergreenshrubs should be tied together tomaintain their shape for optimumgrowth come spring.

Step 4: Final touches. Give your garden a final watering, then bring inyour hose, drain your water line and close the valve until the spring.Empty all soil from terra cotta flower pots and bring those in. Plastic potsshould be emptied and turned over. Plant your bulbs for next spring.Now that everything isdone in the garden, itis a great time to installChristmas or seasonallighting before it getstoo cold.

By the third week ofNovember, relax andput your feet up: Youdeserve it, after a jobwell done.

You can reach MikePage at 514-481-0683,or [email protected] website is at www.montreallandscaping.ca.

We are not all possessed of a green thumb. Despite a love for plants– and <wink> most of them are legally grown – some of us simplykill them by giving them too much of everything, includingsunlight, water and love. So, when one has the opportunity to toura garden created by a landscape artist and grower of gorgeouspalms, it is a true event worth recording. NDGer Mike Page, ofCappadocia & Page Landscape Designers/ Montreal Palms, is onesuch artiste.

Rather than simply tell you about the fine work of this talentedman, who is a linguist by trade, I asked him to tell our readers howbest to prepare their beloved outdoor plants for the brutal winterahead. Thanks to Mike for his assistance… and, remember, it’s not toolate to contact him if you’d like to see his garden in the short timebefore frost hits….

Take it away, Mike!

The idea of putting our garden to rest seems to be a burden and a lotof work for most, but if we follow a simple list, it will be easy and stressfree.

Step 1: Trimming. Trimming yourgarden is good for many reasonsthis time of year. Firstly, it will giveyou room to do your winter prepwork and the plants will start offfresh and healthy in the spring.Secondly, it prevents heavy snowand sleet from potentially breakingbranches or weighing downbranches and bending shrubs outof shape.

Step 2: Cleaning: For us in thenortheast, the clean-up drags fromend of ocober to the middle ofNovember because of the largeamount of native maple, oak, elm,ash and other deciduous trees we have. Start by removing allgarbage, debris and leaves in your garden. To leave or not to leaf,now that’s the question? I prefer to rake all the leaves away from all areas of the garden. The garden will look cleaner andthe Ph level of the soil will not increase in acidity, especially in theshadier and lower areas of your garden where water accumulatesafter the snow melts. Also, if you have a vegetable garden, youshould do your final harvest before a frost is forecast… usually thethird-to-last week of October.

Step 3: Protection. The first partof your fall protection plan shouldbe fertilizing your lawn andgarden beds. Use a winterizinglawn fertilizer in a broadcastspreader and follow theinstructions for the appropriateapplication amounts. Next weshould add fertilizer to ourgarden beds, especially if we planto mulch them. Many people donot know, that mulch actuallyrobs the ground of its nutrients,so fertilize underneath. If yourannuals and short perennialshave died back from the first frosttheir decomposition will addnutrients to the soil. The tallerperennials should be chopped down and tilled. Before adding mulchto our garden beds, use a garden claw or sod cutter to loosen soil inour gardens. This process is called aeration and helps prevent coldtemperature from freezing your garden floor into a crust. Thesejagged edges will retain water. Now add composted soil, peat mossand mulch to your beds.

You must also erect protection for your valuable shrubs andevergreens. Ornamental and topiary conifers should have tipis


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Photos: Bram Eisenthal


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Something happened to methis week that I want to share. Itmade my week, heck it mayhave made my year.

You see in 2008 I premiered alittle monster movie entitledTRAILER PARK OF TERROR atthe prestigious Slamdance FilmFestival. Upon seeing the film,Fangoria Magazine, my horrorbible when I was growing up,declared that, and I quote; “OnJanuary 21, a new genre classicwas born.”

It had some success, some greatreviews, some bad reviews.

Those that hated it, hated it,some were dismissive, but thosewho loved it really luvvvvved it!I’ve had numerous interviewsover the years about it from anumber of websites andmagazines from all over theworld. I learned that I now have ahit cult film in the Uk and that inBrazil it was being downloadedat a record pace by the horrorgeeks there. For someunfathomable reason, Brazilianofficials would not let it be soldthere.

But over the years Facebookposts from fans to me logically

began to diminish as the film itselfaged. I, of course, focused on thefuture and moved on in my mind...but something changed thisHalloween season. More newreviews popped up almost daily asbloggers started to discuss moviesto watch on Halloween. A recentreview said it had it the mostawesome make-up F/X and notedthat the film had a genuine witabout it. Another stated: “2008'sTrailer Park of Terror is good --seriously.” I always like hearing that.With a title like that, well, a lot ofpeople assume the worst if theydon’t know the comic book it isbased on.

But these new notices weren’t whatmade me feel great. Somethingdifferent happened out of nowhereall these years after the release. Ireceived this letter:

Dear Mr. Goldmann,

I am a huge fan of Trailer Park ofTerror, and thought you did anexcellent job on the film! I have a bigcollection of memorabilia in my movietheater of my favorite horror films, andwas wondering if I may be able to getan autograph from you for my wall offame collection? I believe more peopleshould reach out to the industry toshow there appreciation! The massiveblockbuster films always get more

than enough, and honestly, I amalways more interested in the films of alesser scale, which I always greatlyappreciate!

I appreciate your time, hope all is well,and look forward to seeing more ofyour work on the big screen!

Your Fan,

Kurt

I had so much fun going back in timeand putting a real CARE PACKAGEtogether for kurt. Signed scriptpages, original art and designs, eveninvitations to the original Slamdancescreening. All the while smiling andwondering what Halloween was likeat his place!!! Thank goodness for thefans!!! So nice to get a reminderabout why I dowhat I do andwho I do it for!

Steven Goldmannis a Hollywooddirector born andraised inMontreal’s WestEnd. His verypersonal insightsinto La La Landare foundexclusively in TheLocal Seeker.

One horror film not to be missed thisHalloween… send cash, please...

The Local Seeker’sHallowe’en Guide 2011

Here are a few traditional Montrealevents to look forward to this season,once the pumpkin is carved and theghouls are out to play:

Rocky Horror Picture ShowHalloween BallFriday, Oct. 28 – Monday, Oct. 31, at 8and 11 p.m., Imperial Cinema, 1430Bleury (Place des Arts metro), sixpresentations over three nightsfeaturing the film and a live castperforming in front of it…. Hosted bythe androgynous Plastik Patrik.Student Night on the 31st, $5 offentrance with your valid student ID.Tickets on sale at Cruella (63 Mt.Royal E.), Quizz (Plaza Alexis Nihon),EM Café (5718 Parc) and Le Septieme (3606Ontario E.). Go to ww.rockyhorrormontreal.comfor more information.

Montreal Ghost WalksThis terrific little company puts on a fun ghostwalk annually and you can partake on October15, 22, 27, 28 and 29. From Pierre du Calvet'shauntings to Auberge St. Gabriel's fantômes,you can choose your level of fright in either theGhost Walk or the more interactive Ghost Huntform. The walking tours last 90 minutes and areheld in both French and English. kids 10 and up

are invited to participate and they say theGhost Hunts have more to offer the young ‘uns.Call (514) 868-0303 or 1-877-868-0303 for moreinformation. Reservations are required. You can

also go to fantomontreal.com.

La Ronde’s Fright FestThis attraction garners adecided thumbs-down for itsamateur-hour, low-techhaunted house, high-tech price-tag and little else, witnessed afew years ago, but La Ronde stillpossesses its fans and needs tobe included here. Weekendsfrom October 15 till Halloween– but inexplicably NOT onHalloween night – the park isopen to the public. Some newadvertised attractions soundpromising this year, includingseveral for smaller tykes,including a Halloween Parade at

8:30 and 10:30 on Saturday the 22nd and 29th.Check out the website schedule athttp://www.laronde.com/global/assets/pdf/prog_halloween_2011.pdf and see if anythingtickles your funny bones. If the weather is nice,La Ronde can be a fun place to walk around atnight, though it’s time Six Flags lived up to itsreputation and started turning this place into aworld-class amusement park. We miss you,Belmont Park!

Zombie Walk!The famous Zombie Walk, which has pretend-

undead participantsshambling along at record slow speeds in manycities worldwide, will be held on Saturday, Oct.22 in Montreal this year. The moaning, brain-crazed throng departs Metro Mt. Royal at 3:30p.m. May God protect us one and all!

Spasm – The Quebec-made horror filmfestivalFrom Oct. 10 – 29, here’s your chance to showyour Quebec colours and tinge them with bloodred, as some of the scariest Quebec-producedfare is on tap at various venues around town. Goto www.spasm.ca to see where and when.

Grillades Portugaises Restaurant (6710 St.Jacques, just west of Loblaws, 514-484-0025)Saturday, Oct. 29, 10 p.m. – 3 a.m., prizes forbest Halloween costumes, specials on drinks allnight long.

City of Cote Saint-Luc’s Halloween SkatingParty and Rocky Horror Picture ShowSunday, Oct. 30, info athttp://www.cotesaintluc.org/en/search/node/Halloween Cote Saint-Luc has always managed tostage fun and safe Halloween events over theyears and this one promises to be lots of fun forkids and parents, too. Skating Party, SamuelMoskovitch Arena, 1:50 – 3:50 p.m. kids withoutskates can still participate in fun activities andall kids will take a loot bag home with them.Rocky Horror Picture Show, Aquatic Centre,starting at 8 p.m. (admission free, but seatinglimited… tickets must be obtained in advance)


KithStarring at our special Supper Club, Saturday, October 29,

starting at 7 p.m.

Great sounds, terrific food, at Grillades Portugaises!

Habs fanatics and theirinfluence on the game: Howtimes have changed

One goal into the pre-season and MontrealCanadiens fans were already calling for CareyPrice to be sent to the hockey gallows and forthe return of Jaroslav Halak. Then theCanadiens rookies and a few of the regularshad the gall to lose most of their exhibitiongames. The hand wringing was so fierce it was

causing fans to break their fingers. And then worst of all, theCanadiens were shut out in their regular season opener, 2-0, in Torontoof all places. Being a fan of the Montreal Canadiens has always givencredence to the term fanatic, but in the last few years that has grown totrue fanaticism.

What were the fans thinking when they booed Carey Price after the firstgoal in the 2010-2011 pre-season opener. But it is so much more thanthat. It’s the partying on the streets when the Canadiens win but oneround of the playoffs, that ultimately turns into a full fledged riot. Thecall-in radio shows have always been a hotbed for fans to go a little toofar, but there was always a host to put them in their place, and whiledoing so, keep the rest of us entertained by slightly mocking the callerand dismissing their inane armchair general manager’s ideas. But theadvent of the Internet and the graduation to message boards hascreated a new kind of fan, one who has a forum.

No matter what these people write or say, there will always be someonewho listens to them now. Their ideas to trade Travis Moen, Peter Budajand David Desharnais and a bag of pucks for Alex Ovechkin seems like agreat idea on the boards. Opinions are not thought out any more: Iguess that’s something we all have to deal with in all facets of life, sowhen they are thrown up on blogs, or tweeted and popped-up onFacebook within seconds without thought or consequence, it’s nosurprise. There are thousands of thoughtful words that are put outthere, but they are often drowned out, leaving only the negative wordsas the ones we all seem to focus on.

These reactions are probably similar to the reason we all slow down andlook at the scene of an accident, or why true-life horror stories lead thenews and are talked about the most, rather than stories about thesaintly do-gooder who is off saving the planet. What does all this haveto do with hockey and the Montreal Canadiens? Well we won’t find outfor a little while longer, since the Habs just won their second game ofthis fledgling season 5-1 over the Winnipeg Jets in their home rebirthgame. The bloggers and those calling for the heads of Jacques Martin,Carey Price, Scott Gomez (ok bad example) and Pierre Gauthier will justhave to wait for a couple of more losses to see how crazy their own fanscan really become.

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Best,

Bram

We hope you have enjoyedthis issue of The Local

Seeker and we are alreadyworking on our next issue,

out October 28.

DeadlineFriday, October 21.

Coming NEXT ShockingIssue: Our annual

Local Shrieker (If you can handle it….)

Sensational, exclusive stories by renownedhorror scribes Jack ketchum and Nancy

kilpatrick, plus the creepy literary debut ofBraam Bones!

Q&A with actress Judith O’Dea, lead on theclassic 1968 zombie flick Night of the Living

Dead!

AND a screamsational look at Josa Mauleand the Montreal School of Performing Arts’

ghostly new production, as our coverfeature!

ONLY in West End Montreal’s mostunique community paper.

Let's do the TwistHave you looked back on your past actions recently?What changes in perspective did it give you?

A careful twist of the body in yoga provides a way tolook back at our past (to look behind us) withoutlosing our steady footing in the present. We canonly ever look back from a place of here and now.Our twist involves staying grounded and centredas we move into, sustain, and let go of "looking

back." We twist without compromising where we aretoday; face the truth without losing balance; return to our starting

position renewed, refreshed and perhaps clearer than before.

On a physical level, a yoga twist is a wonderful way to squeeze outtoxins from our internal organs and negativity from our minds. Aswith squeezing a wet towel, we ring out that which is weighing usdown, thus resulting in a healthier and lighter feeling.

Practice this twist and see what it brings you. Remember the spinemust be lengthened before turning into a twist. Deep breathing willhelp to achieve this, as well as help sustain the pose and achievemaximum benefits.

[Important Safety Note: Perform a twist only after the body iswarmed up and the spine is loosened. This means doing some formof yoga or exercise such as vigorous walking or running,beforehand.]

1. Come into a hands-and-knees-position on the floor , also known as"tabletop": hands are positioned underneath your shoulders withmiddle fingers pointing forward and fingers spread wide; knees areplaced hip-width apart directly underneath the hips, tops of yourfeet down. Your spine should be relatively level with the ground

.2. Step your right foot forward so that it replaces the position of your

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siright hand and your upper body comes up. The big toe should befacing forward with your ankle directly below and in line with yourknee. Stabilize in this position before attempting to twist.

3. Inhale, lengthening your spine and raising your left arm straightup. Maintain a tall spine as you exhale, and bring your left armdiagonally across your body toward the right side, placing theoutside of your left hand against the outside of your right thigh(which is parallel to the ground). You will use the contact of thehand with the thigh to leverage into the twist.

4. Inhale again and lengthen the spine some more, pressing morefirmly the hand into the thigh. Exhale and begin to twist to the right,initiating the twist from the lower spine first, then the middle andupper, followed by the neck and lastly, the head. Only twist as far asis comfortable. Do not overtwist the neck and head.

5. keep breathing deeply and fully, maintaining balance in the twistand firm contact between your hand and thigh. With each inhalegrow taller; with each exhale twist slightly deeper.

6. To release the twist, gently release your hand and unwind yourbody slowly, this time initiating the movement from the head andneck, followed by the upper, middle and lower back. Return to facethe front.

7. Come back into a "tabletop" starting position with both handsand knees on the ground. Repeat Steps 2 through 6 on the otherside, stepping the left foot forward, raising the right arm straight upand across your body, and twisting left. It is important the twist bedone on both sides.

8. When you have completely unwound from the twist on thesecond side, place both hands on the floor in front of you, step yourback foot parallel to your front foot, and slowly roll up to a standingposition.

Chantalle Kudsi is a yoga and meditation teacher in the West-End. Shecan be reached at [email protected].

local seeker, west end, issue 20

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