Millionaires on Ice and Other Tidbits.

CD in Play: Elvis Costello, Girls Girls Girls (Disc One)

The Bad Canadian

I am a bad Canadian. Aside from not drinking Molsons, I could care less about NHL hockey. Come play-off time my interest usually perks up, but not this year. Maybe it is the incessant hype, the flag waving, jersey wearing, dumb-ass fans I encounter everyday around work? Maybe it is the television ads trying to blur the line between the team of the Vancouver Canucks and the spectators: that civic, regional and provincial pride center around becoming one with the Canucks? Whatever it is, I am even more apathetic seeing the "Millionaires on Ice Show" than usual.

The Canucks series versus Dallas was pretty abysmal, despite taking it in game 7. Prior to Saturday's game against the Anaheim Ducks, I had been telling the overly zealous that I had odds against Vancouver and was betting them out in four. The reactions ranged from shock to indignation usually punctuated with either "How could bet against my boys?" or "How could bet against our boys?" or "How could bet against us?". I had also asked one guy whether or not the Canucks would be facing the Cleveland Barons or the Kansas City Scouts. (both defunct teams from the mid `70's) I mentioned this to Elijah, a drooling hockey fanatic himself, who gave me a sharp whack across the chest for my blaspheming of the national past time.

I dunno, I just can't get too worked up about organised sports. I actually become a bigger hockey/Canucks fan when I am not living in or around Vancouver itself, for some odd reason, but their is more in my life than hockey.

Photo of Markus Näslund by Matt Howe.

Ex Machina

I picked up two parts of the Ex Machina (DC's page with a downloadable version of issue No.1 is here) comic series from DC's Wildstorm imprint. I am very impressed. During the 90's both DC and Marvel got carried away with the comicmania that had swept up most of North America and quality went downhill. As critical as I am of the 1980's, it was a good decade for comics and much was done then to help the medium "grow up". I'll be collecting Ex Machina and looking at a few other series out there as well. Apparently New Line Cinema has optioned the rights to Ex Machina. Visit EM's creator Brian K. Vaughn's site.

DC has a few series out there that interest me as well. Red Son is a what if..? story from DC's Elseworlds imprint that looks at what the DC Universe could have been had Superman's craft landed in the USSR instead of the USA. Also of interest is Batman: The Long Halloween.