Brian Griffin RIP

It's fortunate, in a way, that last night's Grey Cup* game wasn't much of a contest, otherwise Walt might have missed the latest episode of Family Guy, the funniest cartoon show on TV. I had been misled by the trailer into thinking that it was another of those "Stewie's time machine" episodes (which are funny enough) but it was much more than that.

Yes, the show started off with a sequence about Stewie and Brian going back to the Jamestown settlement to take guns away from the Indians, thus preventing them from controlling America in the future. In the aftermath, Stewie destroys his time machine, which turns out to be huge mistake because, when Brian is hit by a speeding car, Stewie is unable to go back in time to prevent the accident.

So Brian dies. I'm so sorry... not least because I identified with Brian in aspiring to be a writer... and being hot for Lois.

In the latter half of the episode, the Griffins get a new dog named "Vinnie", who speaks with an Italian-American inflection straight out of The Sopranos. As well he might, since he is voiced by Tony Sirico. Vinnie describes himself as a "pussy hound"... which means he's 1/16th cat. Walt hates him already.

Will Vinnie stick with the Griffins? Or will Seth MacFarlane find a way to bring Brian back to life, even without the aid of Stewie's time machine? "It was only a dream!" has been done already, but stay tuned...

* Emblematic of the Canadian Football League championship. Saskatchewan romped over the frozen turf to thump Hamilton 45-23, much to the delight of the bookmakers.

Bad day at the bookshop narrowly averted

As the profile picture shows, Walt rarely visits the barbershop. But in our little town that's where you go to get down a bet on a sporting event. Like the Grey Cup. For my American friends, that's the Canadian Football League championship, kind of the Canadian equivalent of the Superbowl. Yes, quiet, understated and often played in fog or snow.

The weather was bright and clear in Calgary yesterday afternoon, and the Montréal Alouettes were clear favourites to beat the defending Saskatchewan Roughriders [Rough Riders? I can never remember... ed.] Which made Saskatchewan Walt's bet. Always for the underdog!

Montréal trailed 14-3 at the half and 20-10 after three quarters. Loud huzzahs were heard across the broad prairies under the dome of the big sky [that's enough. ed.] But things looked bad for the bookies. Not only did Montréal not look like beating the spread, they appeared set to grab the umber end of a straight bet at long odds.

Suddenly it's the last 10 seconds of play. Montréal has closed the gap to 27-25. A TD try fails! But the Als have position for a field goal attempt. Damon Duval boots it...wide! The gun fires! Pandemonium erupts! [Does it ever do anything else? ed.]

But wait... ... ... There's a flag on the play. Whatever can be the matter? Saskatchewan has...gasp...too many men on the field! Count `em! 13!!! The unluckiest number...

Duval gets a second chance and kicks the ball 33 yards, high, straight and true, for the 3-pointed. Als win 28-27. Silence is heard [how? ed.] in Macmahon Stadium. And a sigh of relief is heard in bookie joints and betting parlours in Montréal, Woodbridge and, perhaps, Las Vegas.

Pardon me now. I have to go blow my nose. Something smells.