HI, FOLKS, IT’S BEEN A WHILE….

MANY OF YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW THAT ODYSSEY 2000 HAS CLOSED. SHELDON, THE OWNER, HAS DECIDED TO RETIRE AND SOLD OFF A LOT OF HIS STOCK TO THE NEW GAME STORE THAT JUST OPENED, QUANTUM FRONTIER. (IT’S ON ROBIE, NEAR THE CORNER OF YOUNG STREET – CHECK IT OUT!)

I’M ALWAYS SAD WHEN A COMIC SHOP SHUTS DOWN. SURE, SOME FOLKS MOVE ON TO ANOTHER COMIC SHOP OR BUY VIA THE INTERWEB OR LOCAL NEWSSTAND, BUT SOME JUST DON’T FIND IT CONVENIENT AND SORT OF DRIFT OUT OF COMICS AND GAMES. SHELDON WAS ONE OF CANADA’S OLDEST COMIC BOOK STORES. HE OPENED IN 1977 AND CARRIED PILES OF GAMES, MINIATURES, COMICS AND SCI-FI STUFF. JUST THINK OF HOW MANY PEOPLE MET UP WITH OTHER COMIC BOOK GEEKS AND D&D NUTS IN THAT STORE? FINDING AN ISSUE FOR THEIR COLLECTION, A MAGIC CARD TO BEAT THEIR LITTLE BROTHER, A SPACE MARINE TO KILL THEIR BUDDY WITH. YEAH, I’VE HEARD THAT SHELDON WASN’T THE EASIEST GUY TO GET ALONG WITH, BUT IS ANY RETAIL STORE OWNER? TRY WORKING RETAIL FOR A WHILE! I REMEMBER TRAVELING TO HALIFAX IN THE MID-EIGHTIES AND FOUND ODYSSEY 2000 TO BE A TREASURE TROVE OF COOL STUFF. I’M VERY SURPRISED THAT THE CHRONICLE HERALD OR THE COAST HASN’T DONE AN ARTICLE ON THE PASSING OF A SMALL BUSINESS THAT TOUCHED A LOT OF LIVES HERE IN HALIFAX.

ON ANOTHER SUBJECT, HOUSE BUILDING SUCKS! WE DEMOLISHED OUR OLD HOUSE SO WE COULD BUILD A NEW ONE WITH MORE ROOM AND WERE WAITING FOR THE BUILDERS TO START THE FOUNDATION. WELL, GUESS WHAT? THEY STRUCK OIL. AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY. IT SEEMS THE FELLOW WHO OWNED THE HOUSE PRIOR TO US MUST HAVE HAD AN OIL SPILL OR LEAK. WHEN THE EXCAVATORS WERE DIGGING UP THE GROUND UNDERNEATH THE OLD FOUNDATION, THEY SMELLED OIL. EIGHT DUMP TRUCK LOADS OF EARTH AND SOME ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING AND A COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS LATER….AND IT SEEMS TO BE GONE….AND OUR HOUSE INSURANCE DUDES SAY “MAN, THAT’S TOO BAD! I DON’T THINK YOU’RE COVERED.”

@#$%&%$#@#!

SO IF ANYONE WANTS TO BUY THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF SPIDER-MAN, OR SOME NIFTY STATUES, OR THE RAREST VERSION OF THE GRAPHIC NOVEL “FROM HELL”, OR ANYTHING – I AM WILLING TO HAGGLE AS I AM UP A CREEK WITH NO PADDLE! SO BUY SOME COMICS!

AND SINCE I’M IN THE RANTING MOOD – WHAT THE HECK IS WITH HALIFAX AND SNOW? DON’T THEY HAVE SOME SNOWBLOWERS? GET THE SNOW OUT OF THE DOWNTOWN. VISIT MONTREAL SOMETIME AND CHECK OUT HOW IT’S DONE. THE PLOWS PILE UP THE SNOW SO THERE’S NO WAY FOR PEDESTRIANS TO CROSS THE STREET, THE CARS CAN’T PARK AND MANY PARKING SPOTS ARE OBLITERATED WITH SNOWPILES. THE DOWNTOWN LOSES PARKING, IS TREACHEROUS FOR PEDESTRIANS AND THE SMALL INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES THAT HELP DRIVE THIS SLUGGISH ECONOMY ARE LEFT TO STRUGGLE ALONG WITH FEWER AND FEWER CUSTOMERS. THANKS CITY COUNCIL! YOU ROCK……OR SHOULD BE TIED TO ROCKS!