If you're craving a weekend in the City of Angels, May's the month to do it. The summer throngs haven't yet arrived, but the weather's gorgeous, there are new eateries to try, and perhaps the best live theater on the West Coast playing through the end of the month.

If you've got the energy for it—and you wouldn't be heading to LA without reserves of energy, right?—base yourself at the iconic Hollywood Roosevelt. True, it's smack in the middle of Sunset Boulevard's tourist shtick, but the hotel offers so much that you needn't concern yourself with its immediate surroundings. Its original Old Spanish style has been updated by Thompson Hotels, and the overall effect is a kind of hybrid between SoCal cool and Vegas Brat Pack. The air is thick with celebrity aura—oversized photos of Marilyn (who once lived here), a penthouse where Gable and Lombard used to cozy up, and a crowd that seems composed of both Hollywood insiders and their 20something spawn. Strangely, none of this is off-putting, possibly because of the tourists wandering amongst them or the un-snobbish attitude of the friendly staff. The cabana rooms surrounding the hotel's infamous pool have been recently updated, but unless you're prepared to party all night or you've invested in noise-canceling gear, plan on booking a room away from the pool in the tower—and even then, it's good to have earplugs on hand.

Get ready to see stars at Public Kitchen and Bar.

Just off the lobby, Public Kitchen and Bar debuted in February. The soaring dining room, lined with deep booths and banquettes, feels like a private but convivial club. Chef Tim Goodell turns out carefully crafted American food and whimsically offers to top any entree with an egg. That's not really necessary though: the pancetta-wrapped monkfish and steak frites with bone marrow butter carry their own weight. Yummy starters include gnudi with brown butter and chanterelles, and mushrooms on toast with veal jus. Old-school and classy, just like the space. Afterward, head upstairs to the Spare Room, where you can play chess or backgammon while sipping cocktails, or bowl on two vintage lanes. Downstairs in the basement, David Arquette headlines Beacher's Madhouse, a vaudevillian variety show that runs Wednesday through Saturday nights from 10 a.m. until 2 a.m. (You might catch Arquette at the pool in the afternoons, showing off his tatts and flirting with the girls. He's looking very fit, and he may be surrounded by midgets. Don't ask.)

Don’t miss Ray’s amazing chile relleno.

When you do venture away from the Roosevelt, head a few miles south to LACMA (Los Angeles County  Museum of Art), where Ray's and Stark Bar also opened in February. If you're thinking "a museum restaurant?"—don't. Ray's is serving up really excellent Mediterranean with a strong fresh-and-local angle. The only reminder that you're in a museum restaurant is its super-modern design, in which glass walls blur the indoor-outdoor boundary and red chairs pop against the cool gray background. The wood-oven-grilled Cornish hen over barley salad is delicious, as are the agnolotti filled with truffled rice and sauced with porcini, black trumpets, and hazelnuts. But the dont-miss dish here is definitely the chile relleno, stuffed with chorizo and dates and bathed in an almond-and-goat-cheese sauce. You've never had a relleno like this one. If you plan your visit right, you can stop in to the museum (admission is pay-what-you-like after 5 p.m.) and see Elizabeth Taylor in Iran, a candid and mesmerizing exhibit of the star wandering through Persian bazaars and deserts circa 1976.

Marcia Gay Harden gives it James Gandolfini in God of Carnage.

Another cultural option is even more enticing. Through May 29, James Gandolfini, Marcia Gay Harden, Hope Davis, and Jeff Daniels reprise their Broadway roles in the Tony Award-winning God of Carnage at the Ahmanson Theatre. The scorching one-act play portrays two sets of suburban parents discussing a fight between their young sons, and as their composure unravels, the laugh meter shoots up, venturing almost into the realm of slapstick. The upcoming movie version, directed by Roman Polanski, will star Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, Jodie Foster, and John C. Reilly, but it's worth it to see this original foursome live.

JRPG swansong for aging handheld.

Handheld action RPG Solatorobo: Red the Hunter arrives on the DS on 1st July, publisher Nintendo has announced.

Developed by .hack studio CyberConnect 2 and a sequel of sorts to 1999 PSone adventure Tail Concerto, you'll take control of a teenage "anthropomorphic dog" called Red Savarin and his robot Dahak as they endeavour to kick giant mechs out of the floating islands of the Shepherd Republic.

Featuring character design by animé veteran Nobuteru Yuki and animation by Studio Ghibli collaborators Madhouse, the game features over 70 quests to complete and an estimated 20 hours of gameplay.

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Well, wasn't that "special"?  We are going to mix it up tonight.

Seeing as how the lines were totally revamped in this game by the third, and with seven power plays for the Hawks making it  a special teams game, I am going to try and reflect that.

Bolland gets big number, I am sure.  And Mad Keith was impressive.  You can go to Cam's post for the scoring chances and line stuff.

Mike sums it up very succinctly here. Bad Dog!!!  ESPN boxscore here. NHL here with video links if you actually want to see that shit   horror show again. Mixing it up to reflect line changes.

Lets see if I can do it without tears in my eyes.

The Hawks get first mention tonight Lets go with the top guys first.

Johnny Toews - together with Kane and Stalberg to start, he was maybe the quieter of the Hawk stars tonight.3:54 of his 17:35 TOI on the PP, 2:02 on PK.  1 assist, 2 shots, 1 block, 2 takeaways, and a reciprocated spear on Burrow late. 7.9/10.  

Patrick Kane - had a better game then his buddy. 2 assists, 4 shots, somehow got credited with a hit. Funniest dive of the night trying for an extra call during the Toews/Burrows lovefest, but only got a snow shower from the referee instead.He was dangerous, though if he hadn't bailed on that Kesler attempted maiming... 8.5/10  

Viktor Stalberg - did look good on that line tonight, but only with them at even strength, as evidenced by 12:39 TOI. 4 shots, 6 hits, and one savage beatdown from Bieksa for sticking Lapierre late. Play physical Stals, don't be suicidal. 7.6/10

The Wonder Twins and Burrows - Henrik and Daniel had one of those games we have not seen from them for a while.  Daniel got a mean nothing goal on a late power play, and had 3 shots on goal, no hits, and 1 takeaway. He was also a -3 in 16 :41 TOI. 5.5/10...which is a little better than his older brother. Henrik had a worse game going against Bolland.  He must have forgot how it is with that fellow. -4, 1 giveaway, 1 shot, and a 7 for 15 night at the dot.  No points in 3:39 of mostly late power play time. 5.3/10

Burrows - looked to enjoy playing with Kesler and Higgins in the 3rd, when Raffi was sent out to ride shotgun on the Twins line. 3:15 of SH TOI, :44 TOI on the PP, 19:07 overall. Somehow a -1 with 3 hits. No shots though. 6.9/10

Dave Bolland - was the big story for the Hawks, as evidenced by bumping up what is a third line most nights to the second line spot. Had a good night versus the Sedins, but it was not a case of him checking them as they not checking him enough. We'll see how Q' get the matchup at the Rog', but what a return. 1 goal, 3 assists, 3 shots, 2 hits, a 5 for 11 faceoff night. 9.6/10.

His line mates this night were usually Bickell and Frolik, and both had pretty effective nights. Bickell had a nice opening goal, was a +4, had 2 shots and a whopping 8 hits in only 13:27 TOI. 8.6/10. Frolik showed his skill beating Luongo on one of the many great chances given up by the Canucks, had 2 assists, 4 shots, only one hit, and even got on the PP for :40 of his 15:36 TOI. 8.5/10.

The Kesler line -Kes' had an interesting night. It was tough, getting the top line as often as AV could get them out, but Kesler had a lot of power play and penalty kill time as well. Of his 18:57 TOI, 3:57 was on the PP, and 3:46 SH. Still managed an assist, 11 for 22 in the circle, 3 shots and 2 hits.  Chicago's PP only 2 for 7, but the goals came at the wrong times. 7.1/10

Higgins and Samuelsson were his line mates until the 3rd period mash up. ( I thought Burrows looked better there in the 3rd  than Samuelsson ) Of the two Higgins seemed to have a better night. He checked pretty well, had 4 shots, 3 takeaways to 1 giveaway. :44 PP and 1:04 SH of his 14:35 TOI. He and Kesler both finished the night even. 6.8/10. Samuelsson had a little less exciting of a night. He was a -3, and had 3 shots, but the only one that looked half dangerous was on the power play. 1:57 of PP TOI in his 13:43 of time he would as soon forget. 6/10.

Hossa, Sharp and Smith - The second line at the start, their play was somewhat overshadowed by the Bolland line. Sharp had the best night, but it was mainly on the power play, where he scored the 6th and 7th goals. +1, 5 shots, 3 hits, several almost penalties and questionable hits.  Somehow escaped getting called for them, had 4:14 of PP TOI in his 15:33. 6 for 10 at the dot though. 8.6/10

Hossa and Smith? Well, the big $$$ Hossa managed an assist and was an even on a night his team dominated. 1 stinking shot on goal, missed the net twice, and 2 hits. You would expect more when you get 3:36 of your 13:49 TOI on the PP. Not overly impressed by him yet this series. 6.9/10.  The rookie Smith was almost not noticeable on this night. 1 shot, won 2 of 3 draws, no hits and was an even. 6.9/10.

Raymond, Torres and Hansen - The lightning rods for trouble. Maybe not Mase, who had an assist on Salo's PP goal, 3 shots, and a 6 for 9 on faceoffs. No hits though, in a game where everybody but the Twins seemed to be throwing the body around. An even though. 6.4/10.

Torres was the lightning rod for the Hawks to crackle on this night though. It looked like he was having a good game at the start, ignoring the provocations when Keith took a selfish early penalty. He was a -1 and only had 1 hit, which is surprising. Almost as surprising as the misconduct he got for just lining up beside Scott late when the latter wanted to goon it up. Raffi did not say a word, how is that possible? 6.3/10.  Hansen's night was a little more eventful, but not for the right reasons. A big zero across the board ( and when is the last time he was not credited with a hit at least? ) in 15:24 TOI.  Took a penalty on what some might argue was a race for the puck, when Campoli looked to engage physically just as much on the play. Still, not the Dane's greatest game. 5.9/10.

4th line guys doing 4th line things ; 

Ryan Johnson - played like he does not like Vancouver at all any more!  Stats not the most provocative, but of all the "elbows up" players the Hawks had tonight, he was pretty noticeable for it, trying to separate Bieksa's head from his shoulders a couple times on the 2 hits he was credited on. Only 1 for 3 in faceoffs, a block on the PK, took a penalty for trying to run Ballard ( I guess that is how he is getting noticed now ) with a high hit late. 6.1/10.

Brouwer was at least hitting cleaner. 8 hits, and 2 shots from his 15:53 TOI. (2:33 PP/1:44 SH ) On a night where the Hawks had no players a minus, he was one of eight that were an even.  7.4/10 Eight hits!!  Kruger? 1 hit, 1 giveaway, did not notice him much.  6.2/10.

Well, that was the Lapierre we have heard of. 14 minutes of penalty time, but he was one that tried to stand up to Scott's foolishness at least.  The boarding penalty on Campoli to start the 3rd was not that bright though. -1, 1 blocked shot, 3 hits, 1 takeaway, and 4 for 8 at the dot. 6.2/10.

His boys had a night no better. Oreskovich was a -1 and had 3 hits, but his 10 min misconduct for trying to run Kruger was not the brightest thing he has done. 5.9/10. Tanner Glass was another that was going to try, at least, to let Scott be a goof, and the penalty he got ( a ten each for he and Scott, but when Scott is the only one with the gloves off, Glass is somehow judged to have drawn an extra minor for roughing the guy that was wanting the fight, asking for the fight, and engaging the fight first. Still trying to figure that one out. ) Still, Glass was another credited with no hits. Really? 6.1/10.

Blue lines ;

Mad Keith and Leddy - Duncan Keith finally showed his Norris Trophy bonafides tonight. Took a run at Torres trying to send a message, and took a dumb penalty for it. But he also made the power play dangerous all night, was engaged for the full 60 minutes, and 1 goal, 4 shots, and a +1 were proof of that. Blocked 4 as well, and was credited with one hit. His 24:42 TOI included 4:02 PP/ 2:08 SH. Surprised at the 1 hit. Saw him with elbows akimbo several other times. Helped his team tonight though. 8.5/10. Leddy was another of those even guys, and only had 2 hits and a takeaway in his 19:30 TOI.  Canucks did not have a chance to expose the rookie, and a defenseman not noticed is a good thing right? 7.3/10.

Edler and Ehrhoff - Not their best night. Both had an assist, and both were a -3 ( meaning they were on for 4 of the 5  Hawk even strength goals ) A bit of role reversal. Edler had two shots to Ehrhoff's 1, yet Edler had only 1 hit to Hoff's 3.  Edler blocked 4 shots, and both took a penalty.  6/10 for each.

Campbell and Hjalmarsson - Campbell had his best game of the series, as did a lot of Hawk stars. His 25:05 TOI (3:33 PP/2:1- SH ) led his team. 1 goal, a +4,  3 shots on goal and a blocked shot. 8.9/10.  Hjalmarsson was a bit rougher around the edges. He was also a +4 and had an assist, and only 1 hit credited, he was running around looking for the big hit all night, and while his penalty for doing so on Lapierre resulted in a goal, I think the Hawks did not mind. 7.5/10.

Hamhuis and Bieksa - Bieksa first. He was a -1 on the night, when he was danced by Bickell badly on the opening goal. That seemed to get him involved ( read embarrassed ) and he had a team high 7 hits, 1 shot, 1 blocked shot, and one pretty manly beatdown of Stalberg when the latter foolishly forgot who he was asking to fight.7/10.  Hamhuis? Its a little tougher. He was a -2, and had a shot and only 3 hits charted. But his SH 4: 10 TOI was the most of any Canuck blue liner.  He was not horrible, but did not have much help. 6.9/10.

Scott and Campoli - What do the SCH folk call him? Fluffy? He put on the kind of show the Madhouse folks loved, but if he does that Thursday, with different referees, ( not saying these were biased, and they did have a tough game to call. Just saying that each set has a different standard for the kind of stuff Scott was trying to sell tonight. )  he should not expect the same results.  Apart from the goonery ( and I have never seen two guys sent to the rooms when one is doing the threatening in recent memory. It must have happened once right? )  1 takeaway, 1 giveaway, 1 shot, a +1, and 20 minutes of PIM. It may have emboldened his team on this night, but really? 5.9/10.  Campoli, on most nights, might have even worn the goat horns. Was up ice a lot, and out of position, but on this night, it was not a problem. 1 assist, 1 blocked shot, and even, and 6 hits. 7/10.

Ballard and Salo -  Ballard was the only defenseman that finished an even for the Canucks tonight, but was only credited with 1 hit in his 14:50 ( 1:23 SH ) was not too bad at getting the puck out against the strong Hawk forecheck, but the Canucks were too much on the back foot to do much more than toss it out. 6.4/10. Sami Salo had the same up and down night. You could say he was statistically OK, with a goal ( a double deflected goal, but still ) but ended up a -1 in 18:22 TOI ( :59 PP/2:50 SH ) and the only shot was the one he scored on. 1 hit. None of the Canucks defense had a great night. 6.8/10.

Goaltenders ;

Crawford - Gave up 2 goals on 23 shots, but the one early was a double deflection, and the one late was a tip. Kept his team in during the first, when the Canucks still had a chance in the game.  Pretty easy night for the kid, but he did make some saves when he had to ( though a lot of shots were from the point ) 1st playoff win. 8/10.

Luongo and Schneider -

Poor Luongo. It was not like he was horrible, though 6 goals on 28 shots would say otherwise. Was left all alone too many times this night. The two goals from defensemen in 17 seconds was the killer. Momentum swung from then on, and every time the Hawks were handed a grade A chance, Luongo just could not make them think of the goalie from Games 1 and 3. The media ( especially the Chicago media ) will write gleefully that "we are back in his head". Don't you believe it Had little help. The guy is pretty awesome off being pulled. Still, he WAS pulled. 6/10.  Schneider got his first Stanlet Cup action, and was pretty good for the time he was in. The one goal was on a 4 on 3 PP, and Sharp was alone at the backside for an easy one, but he made some nice saves on the other six shots in his 15:55 TOI. 7.6/10.

There you go.  Hard to give any players for the Canucks a high rating, and maybe a couple of the Hawks could go up or down a little.  But its one game. We will see if the Hawks can follow it up on Thursday.

The Canucks need to come out at home and send a message. Play as aggressive with the last change as the Hawks did tonight. Hit more.

The Sedins should be pretty embarrassed by this one. Expect more Wonder from the Twins too.

This post, by Alexander M. Zoltai, originally appeared on his Notes From An Alien blog on 2/24/11.

{This post is almost a rant and purposefully written in a voice I rarely use…}

A madhouse is where insane persons are confined or a place exhibiting stereotypical characteristics of such a place.

This, to me, right now, is what self-publishing is.

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When openDemocracy started serialising The Skinback Fusiliers, the editors’ introduction and my own article about the book made a few very important things quite clear. First that I was not a soldier, second that it was not an attack on soldiers, third that it was the product of an enormous amount of time talking to soldiers. I should perhaps have made it clearer that I wrote it because I was approached by these young men, all of whom were serving or had served. We worked together for many months, I wrote several drafts, and I altered anything they disagreed with. All of them, including a lesbian ex-soldier who made contact later, thought it was an authentic portrayal of what they had experienced.

I also explained that it is a novel. Its structure is far too linear to be mistaken for anything else, and the mindset of some protagonists could only have been presented as “literal truth” by an army of psychologists. Its language, also, is representative – a construction by me of the way these young men talked. Some of the criticisms published by openDemocracy since have got quite hung up on this. In particular some commenters seem to think the use of racist language makes the soldiers portrayed inevitably racist. The black protagonist, for instance, is called a nigger – by both his best friends. They call the Asian Paki, the white boy merely a white cunt, or twat from Blackburn — because English seems pretty short on punchy race-based epithets that target whites.

My informants — the former soldiers — pulled me up on quite a lot of language points in early drafts; they recognised me for a silly old fart when I tried to talk their talk. But by the end of the process, they got it to their satisfaction. They think it’s right, the “racist talk” and all.

In fact, the protagonists are not racist at all (despite the fact that Shahid says they are). From the very first chapter it is made clear that race is quite the wrong word. The lance corporal is from Liverpool, that’s why they (claim to) hate him. (One of my sons is a Man U fan, while his brother-in-law supports Liverpool with a passion. If you want “race hate” listen to them on a big match day. It’s part of the game; they are, of course, the very best of friends.)

One of the book’s characters is an African, whom they are all rather wary of. Not because they hate his race, but because he is quite clearly their social, and probably intellectual, superior. Others in the team are drunks, or slaves to sex, or can’t stop playing with their testicles. They get mocked for it, but they are a team. It’s the others who are apparently despised – the Scots, the Yorkshiremen, the officers, the other. You have to identify the other if you are a soldier, otherwise what is the point? In a battle situation the Scots, the Scousers, the Yorkies become your team, they are no longer the other – it’s the lot of you against the rest.

That there are racists in the army is a point hardly worth making. But the point I was trying to make is more subtle, I hope. My most constant detractor, a man who calls himself PaulLibertarian on this website and Trooper on the army talkfest ARRSE seems quite hung up on the racism question, insisting that it is part of an attack on men whom he deeply admires.

One of his posts says “The book is pretty dreadful towards soldiers, portraying them as drug-taking, racist bullies led by lazy bigots.” He picks up on an officer using racial epithets about non-whites, which he says would lead to instant dismissal, and complains that the soldiers engage in “Paki bashing, theft, general bullying and now in Chapter three have started on the ‘pikeys’.”

He also denies even the possibility of a soldier having excrement rubbed into his face during training, or officers using racist language. I have said that I know it to be true; he will not believe me. But can’t he grasp the truism that all these things are possible/probable/actual – and not a pressing issue in terms of a fighting force?

One of my detractors on ARRSE says I wouldn’t insult Fijian soldiers because they are said to be noted for their violence. I’m meant to be the racist, by the way! But in fact, I wouldn’t insult any soldier on grounds of violence. Sadly, it’s what they’re there for. A good officer is paid to channel and control it. A punch-up on a Friday night is neither here nor there. When they are in a war situation they are undoubtedly brilliant. Courageous, comradely, fully to be trusted. I won’t even sneakily mention Baha Mousa. Any situation can turn up disasters. 

Let’s turn to the people who shouldn’t be in the army in the first place. At least one of my protagonists joined because he felt there was nothing for him outside. He went to the recruiting offices, he read the literature, he was told that he would end up with at least a useful trade, like bricklaying or plumbing. He might also get an HGV licence. Unfortunately for him, they had no need of brickies or plumbers where he was, at that time (if ever). Ditto HGV. He got to drive a Warrior (which has little value outside the army!) and every other avenue he tried was closed to him. In his view, it was a con job, pure and simple. He was taught to march, to fire an SA80, and that, he reckons, was about it. The reason the army claims not to be short of recruits is almost certainly for similar reasons. Above all, it’s a job.

To some young men, let’s face it, the idea is romantic, and the thoughts of weaponry perennially enticing, as is the recruiting spiel. Do you remember “Join the Professionals”? The professional whats? one had to wonder. Well, killers, presumably; more convincing ideas on a postcard, please. The younger you are, the stronger the appeal. Britain remains the only EU country to regularly recruit at the age of sixteen, and they have to serve for a minimum of six years. Eighteen year olds, however, have only to serve for four. As Michael Bartlet, Parliamentary Liasion Secretary for Quakers in Britain, points out, “At sixteen you are old enough to join the army yet too young to vote, and still legally a child. The current law should respect their unconditional right to leave.”  

Quakers and Unitarians are supporting an Amendment to the Armed Forces Bill to give those joining at sixteen the right to leave at any time before their eighteenth birthday.  According to the Government’s own figures, that would affect 580 sixteen year olds and 1,970 aged seventeen.  Incidentally, cuts of more than 15,000 are being mooted for the forces as a whole. The words logic and madhouse spring to mind.

Last word to PaulLibertarian, writing as Trooper on the ARRSE site: “What I find insulting is that the author uses the moniker 'unknown soldier' yet has now admitted he has never served.” As I have pointed out to him several times before, there’s no “now” in it, I have never claimed I had. There must be many heroes, and heroes’ wives and mothers, who wish their menfolk had not, either.

Thank you, service personnel, for fighting and dying for us. You deserve better.

Visit The Skinback Fusiliers page to catch up with the novel so far...

So, yeah, hey, that was a tough one to watch but a win is a win. Where do you want to begin?

• Let's start with the obvious: Mr. Torres - that hit can't happen. If Torres simply stopped his stride he would have flatten him anyway, but the extra effort on a vulnerable player is the problem. Seabrook should know where he is with the puck behind the net, but that's not the point. Even if you think that hit was borderline or "a hockey play", it is exactly the type of hit that can end a career and it was exactly the type of hit the NHL should step in for. Spin the wheel spin?
• On the plus side, it gives Thunderdome a new lease on hockey life. Put Raymond back on the wing please.
• That 5-on-3 kill could be is the turning point of this series. Think if this was last season; Vancouver would have been beyond screwed. Even in a game where they coughed up two PPGs, their kill was the difference and none bigger than in the first period.
• John Scott goes to the box, Vancouver scores. In other news, water is wet. 
• I hate bitching about the referees one way or the other, but that Oreskovich charging call was asinine.
• Luongo wasn't a star of the game and I don't know what the Chicago media was watching. In a game where the skaters played poorly (by their lofty standards), the goalie earned his bread money. Anyone who wants to claim Luongo still comes unraveled easily against Chicago just got a reality check. Just go ask Toews or Kane, they'll tell you.
• Christian Ehrhoff is a Filter song: Hey man, nice shot.
• For the people who were complaining (or crowing) about the lack of Sedinery in this series, they have eight points in two games. Shut up.
• Good to see "first round Samuelsson" make an appearance again. Flu boy had a pedestrian 15:14 TOI but - just like with the Kings last post season - the puck found him at the right moment. 
• Malhotra's faceoff prowess is sadly missed. This is terrible by this season's standards. Toews is slaughtering Hank. Check it, this needs to change immediately.
• Bonus Luongo point = face wash to Frolik after the buzzer.
• Keith Ballard = 9:10 TOI. Discuss.
• Brutal, ugly first period. Granted the home team was going to come out like a bat out of hell anyway, but they owned that period and Keith had all the space and time in the world to put that puck wherever he damn well pleased. How Vancouver had 10 shots is beyond me, but none looked quality to me. Cam should have the scoring chances shortly, but shield your eyes. They should be ugly.
• Hossa has to be hurt right? Averaging 20 minutes a game and has as many points as Ryan Johnson. Something ain't right.
• No scoreboard for Kesler but he lead the team in shots, 5:03 PK TOI and drew that elbowing call on Campbell. Chuck in his work on the Toews line and he's as quietly MVPish as they come so far.

The Canucks (for a change) are finding ways to win and the Hawks (for a change) aren't burying their chances. They'll have another hellish game in the madhouse, but it's time to dust those brooms off. The ideal way this series can end is a mere 60 minutes away.

"BETRAYING AND PLAYING DIRTY, YOU THINK YOU'LL WIN
BUT SOMEDAY YOU'LL FALL, AND I'LL BE WAITING..." - SEPULTURA 'Inner Self'

Two years of waiting for revenge, and trying to convince the naysayers on both sides that things indeed would be different this time out.  And lo and behold, the Canucks find themselves in a situation they hadn't in the previous two meetings: With a 2 game lead.  And despite the fact the Canucks have been the better team, there are still those who think that doom awaits inside the United Center this evening.  And it's not even that there's some kind of implication that the team won't play well.  It's solely based on some kind of failure related to Roberto Luongo not being able to win in Chicago.  Yet in his last 3 visits to Chicago, including this season's two matchups, he's allowed a total of 2 goals, and won 4 straight against the Hawks.  They're still pushing the notion that all they have to do is run Luongo and the goals will magically appear.  That the building holds some kind of magical power over him. 

It's a touch of historical revisionism, as a look back will show you that it's been home ice that's been his enemy.

Once again the questions start about Luongo after he gave up 3 goals in the Canucks 4-3 win Friday night at Rogers Arena.  January 18th ring a bell?  That was the last time Roberto Luongo gave up more than 3 goals in a game.  He didn't just stumble into the most wins in the regular season and 2nd in GAA.  It came through making fundamental adjustments in how he plays, and having one of the deepest defence corps in the league.  The D hung him out to dry a little bit on Friday night, making some fundamental mistakes that will be addressed by the coaching staff heading into game 3. 

Raffi Torres returns to the lineup after serving his 4 game suspension, and if there were ever a series custom made for the style of player that he is, it's this one.  The Canucks have been physical in a way we're not accustomed to seeing, but with one of the Canucks most physical players getting into it, it's just one more reason the Hawks will need to have their heads on a swivel.  Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Kane have been neutralized by Ryan Kesler's line, and you can expect Coach Joel Quenneville to try and use the last change to dodge that particular matchup.  Discipline will be a key tonight as well, the Hawks will be looking to be more physical in front of their fans, and staying out of the penalty box is key.  Score first, and take the crowd out of it early.  The so-called Madhouse on Madison and your precious little song are just another example of looking at the past and denying what's right in front of your face: The Blackhawks are going down.

A nice bowl of oatmeal

Detroit staked out a 4 goal lead, thanks to a 4 point game from Pavel Datsyuk, then hung on as they took a 2-0 series lead with a 4-3 win over the Phoenix Coyotes.  The series shifts to Arizona now, and the focus will be as much on whether or not these are the last two NHL games in Glendale as the outcomes of the games themselves... The Philadelphia Flyers battled hard and knotted their series at 1 game a piece with a 5-4 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.  In a game that was night and day different from game 1, the 1st period saw each team score 3 goals.  Game 3 goes in Buffalo Monday night...  The Boston Bruins, already struggling after being shutout by Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens in game 1, were without Zdeno Chara for game 2 and the result wasn't any better, the Habs won 3-1 and head back to Montreal with a surprising 2-0 series lead.  No word on Chara's return as he struggles with dehydration... They may not have had Jarret Stoll, who was serving a 1 game suspension, but that didn't stop the Los Angeles Kings, as they got 2 goals and 2 assists from Drew Doughty and a 34 save shutout from Jonathan Quick in a 4-0 win over the San Jose Sharks to tie that series at 1 game a piece. 

WAACH 'Cast's Classic Album Of The Day- SEPULTURA- Beneath The Remains

After releasing 3 albums in their native Brazil, Sepultura broke onto the world stage with the release of Beneath The Remains, their high energy death-tinged thrash featuring the brothers Max and Igor Cavalera winning over fans world wide.  The band continues on without the brothers now (who reunited in Cavalera Conspiracy, Max also has continued his Soulfly project) but have left a legacy of lethal albums, few as powerful as this.

If it seems like I've been in a furry mood recently, I can assure you it's all one big unfortunate coincidence.

Here's some news that isn't unfortunate! Remember that Japanese DS game Solatorobo that we mentioned a few months back? If you can get over the talking dogs and cats (seriously, stop with the glares!), it looks like a solid action RPG with some surprisingly clean polygonal graphics by DS standards. Anyway, Nintendo has today announced that it will publish the game in European territories later this year.

Retitled Solatorobo: Red the Hunter, the game has you assuming the role of the titular Red, an anthropomorphic dog who explores a cluster of floating islands while piloting a mecha. For manga and anime buffs, we've also got an all-star art team that includes The Vision of Escaflowne character designer Nobuteru Yūki and animation studio Madhouse.

Maybe it's because I've been watching a bunch of Marvel Anime lately and recently rented Summer Wars, but hearing that Madhouse is involved has me very excited. I hope the game makes it Stateside eventually.

Nintendo signs distribution deal with NAMCO BANDAI Games for Solatorobo in Europe [Nintendo UK]

Now open at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel is Beacherʼs Madhouse, a Vaudeville-inspired theater in a completely renovated space located on the lower level of the hotel. Guests enter the theater through an inconspicuous passageway, hidden behind a library bookcase. The 3,000-square-foot space holds 160 people (and also can be combined with other hotel venues Teddy’s, Tropicana, Spare Room, the lobby, or ballroom to accommodate as many as 1,200).

The venue comprises 3,000 square feet, with a mirrored passageway, a 1920s-inspired main stage, antique brass accents, and red velvet curtains. Eighteen V.I.P. banquettes of various sizes are available throughout the theater including a birdcage-style booth with seating for 20. Concessions and catering are offered to guests during performances. There's a 9- by 12-foot professional movie screen and digital projector available for private screenings and multimedia presentations.