March
2003
-fa
Halfascopes
you!
Rickie
Wilson
As';
the
title
insinuates,
these
are
only
HALFascopes
and
the
other
half
is
always
up
to
Aquarius:
Several
factors
seem
to
be
disrupting
your
return
to
studies
.
.
.
beer,
money,
beer,
lineups,
parties,
books,
beer,
the
opposite
sex
...
but
do
not
be
deterred!
Your
success
is
inevitable!
.
.
!
and
don't
forget
to
bring
the
beer!
Pisces:
Lately,
the
world
has
been
your
oyster!
iBut,
really,
what
does
that
mean?
That
the
rest
of
the
world
is
slimey
and
smells
funky?
Or,
that
the
world
is
one
great
big
muscle
that
produces
only
one
pearl?
Who
really
knows?
Well,
have
fun
(finding
the
logic
in
that.
Aries:
While
hurriedly
hurtling
yourself
toward
ithe
tasks
at
hand,
do
not
forget
to
stop
and
smell
the
french
fries,
the
crisp
air,
the
alcoholic
beverages
.
.
.
you
might
not
want
to
stop
and
smell
the
liquid
litter,
the
pulpmill,
the
gusts
of
snow
that
freeze
your
nose
hair,
or
that
stinky
person
Ijwho
always
seems
to
want
to
sit
right
next
to
you
in
class,
in
tne
catetena,
on
tne
ous
.
.
.
Taurus:
Your
exceptional
organizational
skills
iallow
you
to
plan
an
exceptional
party!
Keep
in
mind
that
location
is
the
key!
Neighbors
can
complain,
police
can
come
(and
not
to
party),
you
could
be
arrested
for
indecent
exposure
for
mooning
a
taxi
.
.
.
Gemini:
At
times
life
can
be
trying.
You
could
ispend
the
next
five
months
performing
experi-
ments
that
will
hopefully
conclude
what
life
is
actually
trying
to
do!
And,
it
applicable,
who
exactly
it
is
trying
to
do
it
to!
Good
luck!
And
let
.usknow
if
you
find
the
answer.
Cancer:
You
have
begun
to
compose
(and
prop
erly
file)
your
birthday
list.
You're
feeling
a
little
rushed
since
you
usually
start
it
.right
after
the
holidays,
but
have
no
fear!
Rest
assured,
it
will
be
ready
to
pass
out
to
friends
and
family
in
early
April
(as
to
allow
them
all
the
time
required
to
obtain
these.items
on
your
list!)
Leo:
One
hundred
proof
is
not
a
vitamin!
And
rye
and
riboflavin
are
two
completely
different
things!
I'm
only
telling
you
this
to
prevent
any
possible
confusion.
Virgo:
Tension
may
be
high,
but
nothing
you
can't
handle.
Bursting
into
hysterical
laughter,
grooving
to
imaginary
tunes
and
vocalizing
hos
tility
toward
inanimate
objects
are
good
tension
relievers
to
keep
in
mind.
Libra:
An
urge
to
ditch
all
stress
and
responsibility,
and
to
party
instead,
overtakes
all
reason!
You
suddenly
realize
that
the
party
hasn't
really
stopped
since
New
Year
s
bve.
Be
careful,
though:
hangovers,
lack
of
sleep
and
essential
nutrients
have
been
known
to
interfere
with
one's
studies.
Scorpio:
Once
upon
a
time
there
was
a
student
who
enjoyed
writing
essays,
taking
tests
and
even
studying
for
exams.
That
student
is
not
you.
fou
need
to
find
that
student!
He
or
she
can
help
you
to
learn
to
appreciate
the
finer
points
of
learning
and
maybe
you
can
let
them
have
the
fun
of
doing
one
or
two
of
your
assignments
.
.
.
Sagittarius:
Some
people
and
some
people's
children
have
a
tendency
to
look
foolish.
It
isn't
your
fault
that
you
feel
compelled
to
point
and
laugh,
or
laugh
and
then
point.
Beware
the
foolish
who're
angry!
They
may
do
more
than
just
yell
IF
they
catch
you
pointing
and
laughing
.
.
.
or
laughing
.and
pointing.
Capricorn:
The
time
is
now
and
now
is
the
time!
For
what?
Who
knows?
But
you'd
better
find
out
betore
it
is
due
and
you
get
a
bad
mark!
No,
not
in
your
underwear
...
the
kind
vou
set
when
you're
graded
on
school
papers
and
home
work:
Arts
and
Entertainment
Free
Forum
1
5
Colin
Haugen
Yellow
Hat
In
the
summer
of
2002,
the
rancid
smell
of
flesh
and
cow
shit
cloaked
the
small
community
of
Brooks,
Alberta.
I
stepped
off
the
greyhound
bus
and
my
nose
was
immediately
assaulted
with
the
lingering
smell
of
death
and
dust.
I
looked
up
into
the
vastness
of
the
blue
sky
where
the
swirl
of
clouds
reminded
me
of
my
sleeping
problems
today.
"How
the
hell
did
I
end
up
in
Brooks,
Alberta?"
I
hate
Alberta,
its
cowboys
and
pickup
trucks
and
crappy
western
music
-
where
the
cowboy
loses
his
wife,
his
home,
and
his
toothbrush
too.
It
is
the
flatness
I
hate;
we
passed
a
tree
on
the
highway;
one
lonely
tree.
It
looked
starved
for
tree
companionship."
I
am
from
Beautiful
British
Columbia,
and
Alberta
is
like
our
ugly
kid
sister:
flat
and
no
blossom.
People
here
say
y'all,
or
boy,
or
heehaw,
or
whatever.
Brooks
seemed
good
at
the
time.
I
told
myself:
"I
have
to
work,
have
to
make
some
money,
and
have
to
pay
these
mounting
bills."
"Mom
and
Dad
live
in
Brooks
with
some
family
here,
and
Dad
said
he
could
get
me
a
job
at
Lakeside
Meat
Packers."
Slaughtering
cows
-1
was
fit,
strong,
and
able-bodied
-
slitting
their
throats
was
like
taking
a
warm
shower
for
eight
hours.
The
cats
and
dogs
chased
me
and
whined
every
time
I
was
near.
In
the
present
I
toss
and
turn,
I
slam
my
head
into
the
pillows,
and
sleep
eludes
me.
23S
Close
to
Shouting
157
Kourtney
Bourgeois
enter
1
maintain
a
dignified
defiance
to
the
end
here
the
heavy
smell
of
vanilla
hangs
in
the
wind
to
remember
little
of
love,
for
there
had
been
so
little
memory
only
a
moment
of
heartbreaking
exhilaration
after
the
happiness
The
bright
watch
the
excited
and
jovial
from
afar
Another
leaving
questing
all
the
lime-Girls
decked
with
flowers
and
young
men
in
military
uniforms
The
crowd
started
to
cheer
a
spontaneous
warmhearted
gesture
that
spread
like
wild
fire
indicated
patriotic
admiration
remembering
so
quiet,
with
envy
unable
to
cry
anymore,
dark
ringed
eyes
stared
a
face
desolate
and
rebellious
the
bitterness
in
it
changing
abrupt
to
bewildeiment
as
the
thought
of
time
it
did
not
die
but
swelled
to
a
tumultuous
roar
that
rippled
from
shore
I
turned
and
eyed
the
ocean
desperate
to
believe
he
was
flesh
and
blood
I
sat
alone.
I
never
thought.
"I
have
school
in
the
morning."
I
am
unable
to
get
the
pace
of
the
assembly
line
out
of
my
mind;
it
has
been
eight
weeks
since
I
slaughtered
a
cow,
and
I
am
still
unable
to
rid
my
mind
of
the
blood
sprays
on
my
face
and
body.
I
shift
my
body
to
the
side
and
place
one
of
my
pillows
between
my
legs;
I
drift
off
to
...
The
dream:
the
hide
plant
-
slaughter
side;
the
smell
of
cow
patties
rotting
in
the
hot
summer
sun.
Dave's
thick
muscular
arms
and
curly
graying
brown
hair;
he
tells
me
"trick
is
have
to
keep
your
knife
sharp."
"An
easy
knife
then
you
doesn't
have
to
work
so
hard,
boy."
The
dream
drifts
off
to
the
Pine
Centre
mall.
I
am
walking
with
Bianca
looking
for
red
track
pants.
I
go
through
the
double
doors
and
I
am
in
the
...
"Hallway."
The
hallway
has
dark,
greasy,
brown
bloodstained
plywood
walls;
overhead
lighting
causes
enormous
shadows
of
steel
and
iron
that
hide
the
horror
behind
the
blood
vats.
A
scruff,
grizzled
old
man
is
corralling
the
pool
of
blood
with
a
blood
stained
water
hose,
forcing
the
blood
down
a
drainage
pipe
into
the
blood
vats.
I
walk
by
him
and
he
gives
me
a
crooked
smile,
and
that
look
that
I
would
later
realize
was
the
"how
long
are
you
going
to
last"
look.
I
turn
the
corner
around
the
blood
vat.
I
walk
through
the
crisscross
of
iron
girders
and
conveyors;
the
sweet
smell
of
warm
bloody
hides
cooking
in
the
heat
of
an
afternoon
sun
rises
from
the
conveyors
and
drifts
across
my
nostrils.
The
oscillating
fans
blow
hot
air
and
blood
mist
on
my
back;
blood
swells
in
the
centre
of
my
back
and
drips
down
to
the
small
of
my
back.
To
wipe
the
sweat
dripping
from
my
brow
is
to
smear
blood
over
my
face.
In
the
hallway
where
the
freshly
ripped
inside
out
hides
reside,
me
and
the
boys
are
waiting
to
stick
the
hide's
ear
sockets
on
passing
hooks,
and
cut
their
tails
off.
The
hallway
where
the
head
patterns
are
cut
(a
circular
pattern
three
inches
around
the
centre
of
the
eye)
is
where
sleeves
and
fore
shanks
are
trimmed.
These
hides
are
one
to
two
inches
thick
and
you
would
cut
into
and
down
two
feet,
and
open
the
legs
of
the
cow
-
good
for
blood
platter.
The
images
of
brutish
glistening
men
dismembering
cow
corpses,
sweat
pouring
off
their
bodies
and
mixing
with
the
splatter
of
cow
blood.
The
drain
tank
is
where
the
hides
are
supposedly
cleaned
after
they
are
dragged
through
cow
shit;
but,
shit,
blood,
and
water
is
all
it
is.
I
am
afraid
of
falling
in
that
coffee
black
stink
tank.
I
have
images
of
the
night
sky
stars
by
the
millions
and
then
of
the
cow
head
that
was
caught
in
the
conveyor
belt.
I
dream
of
the
doctor
and
what
she
said,
"the
slaughter
house
is
not
the
place
for
an
educated
young
man."
I
thought
"it
is
not
the
place
for
any
man."
The
inside
out
hides,
the
pools
of
blood,
and
the
saccharine
smell
of
rotting
flesh
-
I
awaken.
To
be
continued
in
edition
4
of
Free
Forum.
twilight
Alex
Ternowetsky
from
this
dead
restaurant
window
i
can
watch
twilight
settle
on
the
cutbanks
and
millsmoke
of
a
town
slowly
forgetting
its
predicament
i
have
forgotten
myself
the
same
way
how
many
damn
times?
the
merciful
amnesia
submerging
pains
of
shame,
like
twilight
on
an
ugly
town;
and
the
soul
riding
clear
into
the
clean,
stingy
darkness
and
all
that
isn't
this
is
twinkling
silver
liaht.