![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1770764589_228_hqdefault.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
That\u2019s neither here nor there, except that somehow The Be Good Tanyas led me to Po\u2019 Girl, the collaboration between Ford\u2019s bandmate Trish Klein and Allison Russell.<\/p>\n
Russell has a life story, and it isn\u2019t pretty, reported Jon Pareles for the New York Times in 2021<\/a>:<\/p>\n Russell was born in Montreal, the daughter of a teenage, Scottish-Canadian mother and a visiting student from Grenada who had returned home before her mother knew she was pregnant. Allison spent her early years in foster care. But when her mother got married \u2014 to a white man who grew up in a segregated, so-called \u201csundown town<\/a>\u201d in Indiana, which prohibited Black people staying in town after dark \u2014 the couple took custody of the 5-year-old Allison. \u201cThey just handed me to them,\u201d she recalled. \u201cHe was seen as the savior.\u201d<\/p>\n Instead, Russell said, \u201cIt was an awful decade.\u201d<\/p>\n She went on, explaining how the situation appeared to her when she was a child. \u201cIt\u2019s someone that you are dependent on, who might appear to be kind and loving. Kids are incredibly good at double-think, to borrow from Orwell \u2014 to just separate your brain. And that sort of worked for me until puberty. And then it was like I couldn\u2019t keep the worlds separate anymore, and it was crushing.\u201d<\/p>\n At 15, she ran away from home. Still attending high school, she slept in cemeteries or at friends\u2019 houses, hung out in student lounges at McGill University and at the cathedral, and nursed cups of tea in 24-hour cafes\u2026<\/p>\n After police found other women her adoptive father had assaulted, he pleaded guilty to reduced charges and received a three-year sentence with a chance at earlier parole.\u00a0<\/p>\n Russell hasn\u2019t let the abuse she suffered define her, but she has used it as source material for some of her songs, including \u201cPart Time Poppa\u201d (the title is self-explanatory) and \u201cPersephone\u201d (about a high school girlfriend who helped her find love in a loveless world).<\/p>\n With the promotional help of Brandi Carlile, Russell\u2019s career has blossomed, most notably with her song \u201cNightflyer.\u201d<\/p>\n But I\u2019m struck by her older song, \u201cJoyful Motherfuckers,\u201d in which she sings:<\/p>\n Where in the world are the joyful motherfuckers? Les courageuses, les amoureuses If you\u2019ve got love in your heart, but it\u2019s way down in the dark I happened to have re-listened to \u2018Joyful Motherfuckers\u2019 a couple of hours before Sunday\u2019s Super Bowl half-time show by Bad Bunny, which was at its heart a celebration of Puerto Rican history and music culture. As with Russell, all that celebration \u2014 the songs, the music, the dancing, the mirroring of history \u2014 comes in the face of a terrible backstory \u2014 in Puerto Rico\u2019s case, a history of imperialism and exploitation.<\/p>\n He tells us outright: \u201cThe only thing more powerful than hate is love.\u201d<\/p>\n Quite literally, joy is resistance.<\/p>\n Yeah, but you see, I\u2019m wallowing in the depths of cynicism and despair over here. <\/p>\n I recognize that giving up is its own form of privilege. I\u2019m starting to reevaluate the cynicism that imbues the dominant culture of white middle class dudes like myself, and see it not as the smarter-than-others understanding about the ultimate truth about the world, but rather as the poise needed to justify inaction.<\/p>\n Fact is, a lifetime of that shit leads to a life that doesn\u2019t much remember how to find joy.<\/p>\n A couple of brown people help show us the way out.<\/p>\n (To send or post this item, copy the website address at the top of this page.)<\/p>\n NOTICED<\/p>\n 1. Nova Scotia Power fires its president, hires a Sobeys exec<\/p>\n This morning, Nova Scotia Power (NSP) announced<\/a> that it has \u201ctransitioned\u201d president Peter Gregg out of the CEO position and into a VP position at NSP\u2019s parent company Emera \u2014 such lateral demotions in the corporate world are meant to paper over the actual fact that Gregg has been fired.<\/p>\n All the nice words about Gregg in the press release aside, it\u2019s impossible not to understand that he is, rightly, being held responsible for the multiple failures and breakdowns that led to the cyberattack against the utility and its aftermath, all of which will (hopefully) cost NSP hundreds of millions of dollars in lost profit.<\/p>\n In Gregg\u2019s place, NSP is installing long-time board member Vivek Sood as president. Sood\u2019s day job has been with Sobeys\/Empire Group. So, we\u2019ve been liberated from the fold, and the world looks just the same, history ain\u2019t changed.<\/p>\n (Send this item: right click and copy this link)<\/a><\/p>\n 2. King\u2019s Transit is now Tidal Transit<\/p>\n King\u2019s Transit is no more.<\/p>\n The Annapolis Valley bus service has rebranded. After considering several other new names \u2014 Valley Transit, Western Transit, Harvest Moon Transit, Apple Blossom Transit \u2014 the name Tidal Transit was chosen.<\/p>\n The name change comes after the international professional services consultant Colliers was contracted to review the transit authority. A cynic might think that this is an unnecessary expenditure of whatever it costs to repaint the buses, get new stationery, and hang a new sign on its headquarters.<\/p>\n In reality, explained transit authority general manager Meg Hodges at a Valley Regional Services board of directors meeting last fall<\/a>, the name change reflects a change in ownership. The authority had been breaking down for a while; in 2015<\/a>, West Hants and the town of Windsor backed out of the service, and then last year<\/a>, the Town of Digby ended its contract with the authority.<\/p>\n In the wake of Digby\u2019s departure, last year a new contract was signed between Kings, Annapolis, and Digby counties, and the towns of Middleton, Berwick, Kentville, and Wolfville. The revamped authority obtained about a million dollars in federal funding.<\/p>\n The winter of 2025 was tough for the bus system, with revenue dropping because buses kept breaking down. But things are looking up, said Hodges \u2014 two of the broken-down buses were repaired and five used buses were purchased from Grand River Transit in Waterloo, Ont. There are still staffing issues \u2014 some buses don\u2019t run for lack of drivers \u2014 but Hodges felt that was resolvable.<\/p>\n The name change became effective as of Jan. 5.<\/p>\n (Send this item: right click and copy this link)<\/a><\/p>\n THE LATEST FROM THE HALIFAX EXAMINER:<\/p>\n 1. \u2018Remove the walls\u2019: an interfaith event at Halifax mosque welcomed non-Muslims<\/p>\n Madiha Mughees reports:<\/p>\n To celebrate\u00a0World Interfaith Harmony Week<\/a>, a Halifax mosque hosted an interfaith event on Friday to foster dialogue and understanding amid growing intolerance among faith communities.<\/p>\n The all-day multicultural and interfaith\u00a0event<\/a>, organized by Ummah Masjid and Community Centre, extended an \u201cinvitation to learn, experience, and connect across faiths and cultures in a welcoming and open environment.\u201d<\/p>\n The event was attended by Nova Scotians from several faiths and belief systems and began with a brief presentation, followed by trivia, a question-and-answer session, and a cultural meal. Attendees also visited the prayer area to witness the Friday sermon and congregational prayer.<\/p>\n Click or tap here<\/a> to read \u201c\u2018Remove the walls\u2019: an interfaith event at Halifax mosque welcomed non-Muslims.\u201d<\/p>\n (Send this item: right click and copy this link)<\/a><\/p>\n 2. \u2018Wind South\u2019: Potential benefits and pitfalls of sending electricity to New England<\/p>\n Writes Larry Hughes:<\/p>\n Last week, Energy Minister\/Premier Tim Houston\u00a0signed a memorandum of understanding<\/a>\u00a0(MOU) with Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey on the sale of electricity to Massachusetts from \u201cNova Scotia\u2019s budding offshore wind industry<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n According to the energy minister\/premier, Nova Scotia is \u201con the verge of our first call for bids<\/a>\u201d for offshore wind projects, something that was expected to have started in\u00a02025<\/a>.<\/p>\n As the headline suggests, Hughes walks us through what could be a good thing, but also the considerable challenges regarding subsea cables.<\/p>\n Click or tap here<\/a> to read \u201c\u2018Wind South\u2019: Potential benefits and pitfalls of sending electricity to New England.\u201d<\/p>\n (Send this item: right click and copy this link)<\/a><\/p>\n 3. Halifax transportation standing committee approves report on rural microtransit<\/p>\n Suzanne Rent reports:<\/p>\n Halifax regional council\u2019s transportation standing committee approved a\u00a0report<\/a>\u00a0on a microtransit service plan that will include a proof of concept project for microtransit in Lucasville.<\/p>\n However, some councillors expressed concern about the cost, while one councillor wanted to add her district to the proof of concept, too.<\/p>\n Click or tap here<\/a> to read \u201cHalifax transportation standing committee approves report on rural microtransit.\u201d<\/p>\n (Send this item: right click and copy this link)<\/a><\/p>\n Government<\/p>\n City<\/p>\n Tuesday<\/p>\n Halifax Regional Council\u00a0(Tuesday, 10am,\u00a0details<\/a>)<\/p>\n Wednesday<\/p>\n Budget Committee\u00a0(Wednesday, 9:30am,\u00a0details<\/a>)<\/p>\n Province<\/p>\n Health\u00a0(Tuesday, 1pm,\u00a0details<\/a>) \u2014\u00a0Early years Programs from Public Health; with representatives from Nova Scotia Health<\/p>\n On campus<\/p>\n Dalhousie<\/p>\n Tuesday<\/p>\n Pharmacology seminar\u00a0(Tuesday, 9:30am,\u00a0details<\/a>) \u2014\u00a0Adam Johnston presents \u201cThe contribution of nerve-derived cells to tissue repair and regeneration \u2013 from basic biology to clinical translation\u201d<\/p>\n Wednesday<\/p>\n Dalhousie Mini medical School\u00a0(Wednesday, 7pm,\u00a0details<\/a>) \u2014\u00a0Stewart Whalen presents \u201cBelow the Belt: Insights into men\u2019s health\u201d<\/p>\n King\u2019s<\/p>\n Tuesday<\/p>\n No events<\/p>\n Wednesday<\/p>\n Freedom and the Muse\u00a0(Wednesday, 7:30pm,\u00a0details<\/a>) \u2014\u00a0Dave Peddle will talk, with a live performance of music by the Rev. Dave Trio<\/p>\n Mount Saint Vincent<\/p>\n Tuesday<\/p>\n No events<\/p>\n Wednesday<\/p>\n Hannah Epstein: Plato\u2019s Goon Cave\u00a0(Wednesday to Sunday, 12pm,\u00a0MSVU Art Gallery<\/a>)\u00a0<\/p>\n NSCAD<\/p>\n Tuesday<\/p>\n No events<\/p>\n Wednesday<\/p>\n Sow to Sew Speaker Series\u00a0(Wednesday, 12pm, Treaty Space Gallery) \u2014\u00a0with\u00a0Megan Samms<\/a><\/p>\n In the harbour<\/p>\n Halifax Cape Breton Footnotes<\/p>\n Snow coming, they say.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Bear with this old white dude as he walks you through his discovery that brown people are pointing…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":466780,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[49,48,361,75],"class_list":["post-466779","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-celebrities","tag-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466779","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=466779"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466779\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/466780"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=466779"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=466779"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=466779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1770764589_434_hqdefault.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
The fearless lovers, the rainbow shooters
The wild acceptors, the hopeful sinners
The gentle teachers, the true forgivers<\/p>\n
Les enfants braves, les grand-m\u00e8res jeunes, les lumineuses<\/p>\n
You better let it see the sun, this world is almost done
Grandma always told me love will conquer hate
I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s too late, I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s too late
Hey you, hey you, who you think I\u2019m talking to?
Show \u2019em what you got in your heart<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/superbowl-levi-stadium-pic-the-only-thing-more-powerful-v0-g82fdgt2neig1.jpeg.webp.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/A1.jpg\")
Peter Gregg, president of Nova Scotia Power, speaks to reporters on Jan. 7, 2026. Credit: Jennifer Henderson<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1st-bus.png\")
The King\u2019s Transit Authority\u2019s first bus, in 1981. Credit: King’s Transit Authority<\/p>\n![\"Several](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_406512.jpg\")
Copies of Quran on display at the Ummah Masjid\u2019s interfaith event on Feb. 6, 2025. Credit: Madiha Mughees<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/MoU-signing.jpg\")
Premier Tim Houston and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey sign a memorandum of understanding on offshore wind at the Massachusetts State House in Boston on Feb. 4. Standing behind them are Rebecca Tepper, Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (left), and Mary Louise (Weezie) Nuara, Assistant Secretary for Federal and Regional Energy Affairs. Credit: Province of Nova Scotia<\/p>\n![\"Blurry](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ZW-2023-03-06-094.jpg\")
Drivers pass the sign marking the boundary of Lucasville on Monday, March 6, 2023. Credit: Zane Woodford<\/p>\n
No arrivals or departures.<\/p>\n
12:00: Alicante<\/a>, oil tanker, sails from EverWind for sea
13:00: Ulsan Spirit<\/a>, oil tanker, sails from EverWind for sea<\/p>\n