Is this anyway to run a Pro Sports League?

(and no, I'm not talking about the NHL...... though I probably should)

I don't and never have considered the Major Indoor Soccer League to be a "real" Pro Sports League, but since the town I live in has a team there's an occasional story about the MISL in the paper.

In Saturday's paper, in a small blurb of an article, they mentioned offhandedly that one team suspended operations (San Diego) and the league decided to discontinue in Monterrey. Wait....... they had a team in Monterrery???? What they couldn't find a larger town than Monterrey???

This Pro League, barely a quarter way through their season, drop two clubs going from 9 to 7 teams in one fell swoop (and it wasn't like this was a mammoth group of franchises to begin with.)

I'm sure that the MISL will never get nearly as popular as the four main Pro Leagues (MLB, NFL, NBA & NHL), let alone even other second tier leagues like Arena Football, but you aren't going to do much growing if you're letting teams quit.

What's next MISL are you going to suspend an entire season??? You're not that dumb are you?? You'd never have a chance of survival if you do something RIDICULOUS like...........

um...... calling the NHL.........

Saw the film "The Aviator" on Saturday.

There are few things in life that you can depend on.
Picking the slowest lane in traffic, Having a telemarketer call while eating dinner, and Martin Scorsese making great movies.

"The Aviator" follows the early years of the legendary eccentric multimillionaire, Howard Hughes (played very well by Leonardo DiCaprio).
Starting with the filming of his war epic "Hells Angels" in the late 1920's, through 1947 with his test flight of the "Hercules" (Spruce Goose).

What isn't to like about this film?
Following Hughes through his nights at early Hollywood nightclubs like the Cocoanut Grove, watching his fearless test flights in airplanes of his own design, his romances with legendary actresses Ava Gardner and Katherine Hepburn ( a knockout performance by Cate Blanchett!!!) his battle with congress and finally his slow, decent into his growing obsessive compulsions.

It's a long film (over 2 hours) but the story and performances are so good, the time (much like the airplanes in the film) just fly by.

Other notables in the film;

* Excellent score by Howard Shore (who's past credits include great works in "Ed Wood" and "Philadelphia" to name but a few)

* Some cool cameos to pick out.
Scorsese play's the Hells Angels projectionist.
And how about those Wainwrights'? Loudon Wainwright III (recording artist of the 70's novelty song "Dead Skunk") his daughter Martha Wainwright and her brother Rufus Wainwright (current recording artist, of songs like "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk) all play performers at the Cocoanut Grove.

In traditional Baboon fashion, I give "The Aviator" a high-flying:

Happy Birthday! (1/8/05)

Today we celebrate the birth of Brian.
Or maybe he's Arthur, King of the Britans?
How about one of the finalists in the Upper Class Twit of the Year?
Or even Biggus Dickus!

No matter who he played, he was always funny as hell!

Let's give a big Birthday shout out to Wigston Fields very own .....
GRAHAM CHAPMAN!

Who would have been 64 today.

If he hadn't, you know. Died.

Happy Birthday! (1/7/05)

Starting today, as a regular feature of The Baboon Bellows, will be our Birthday Shout-Out.

Today we celebrate the birthday of a man who brought new meaning to the word "macabre".
A man who was both creepy and kooky, both mysterious and spooky and of course all together ooky.

That most original of cartoonists .....
CHARLES ADDAMS!

Who would have been 93 today.

If he wasn't dead.

Thanks Janet Jackson!!!!

Who'da thunk, that there'd actually be something positive coming out from that whole "Boobgate" Janet Jackson hooey.
(for the record, I never saw the wardrobe malfunction, because I don't waste my time watching stupid Half Time Shows)

Fox, the network broadcasting the Super Bowl this year, has rejected an ad for the product Airborne.

Now normally this kind of thing, a corporation buckling under to "pressure groups", controlling what they put on the air would piss me off!

But-
this Airborne ad featured 84 year old Mickey Rooney in a sauna who overreacts to a cough and jumps out of his towel, baring his butt for two seconds.

Yes....................................
I can live without never seeing that.

I'm a very sick man.

It seems that when I pick up my mail each day I'm inundated with requests from this group and that group to give them money. You know, "Save This" or "Feed That" or "Help Stop/Prevent the disease of the week". Most of the disease's or syndrome's I've never even heard of!

One "disease" or "affliction" I never see addressed is, -- what I've been stricken with for all these years. Yes, I've been a looooong time sufferer and have been since I was a child.

You see...............

I'm a collector.

*Shudder*

You name it, I've probably collected it. Comic Books, Trading Cards, Sports Souvenirs, Posters, Albums, 45's, Cassettes, CD's, Action Figures, PVC's, Magazines, Paperback Books, Hardback Books,.... and that's all I can remember, for now. (Hell, if it's made of paper, I've collected it)

Don't know why, don't know how....... I just have that insatiable need.
Kind of like crack or cocaine, but without all the glamour.

Before the internet was invented (thanks Al!) those of us saddled with this disease had only our families or close friends to show off and bore with our collections.
"Hey, want to see my original Mint Condition run of Howard the Duck's?"
"Over here I have a pile of Beatles bootleg LP's"
"Wow, have you ever seen my collection of Thing action figures?"

Yeah, - all that stuff made me real popular.
Had to beat away the women.

Uh-huh..................................... (well, that's the way I choose to remember it)

What's that you say? You'd love to see my collections but you live too far away.
There's no need to fear!!!!!!
(Underdog is here???NO!!!!)
Starting today I've added links to several of my collections that I've begun posting on my web site (Baboon Books)

Lucky You.

So if you want to see either my DVD Collection or My Toy Collections, click on the link and enjoy the show! And more will join soon. (And pray to God every night that you have better things to waste your money on.)

A comic strip worth checking out.

With more and more newspapers folding (no pun intended) across the country and with less and less space alotted by the editors, it gets very difficult to find comic strips worth reading.

Now I know what you're thinking.(well, not really, but I'll take a guess) What about the web? How about the limitless possibilities that the internet can give the comic strip genre.

Well, don't hold your breath. Too many of the web comics aren't worth your time to surf and click to. The artwork for many of these are amateurish at best (and trust me... I'm being kind here) and as for the subject matter....
Wow, another web comic strip dealing with the relationships of disgruntled college students or twenty-somethings... *YAWN*

But believe it or not, you can get lucky (occasionally) and find a comic strip that's unique, different, and actually worth your time to bookmark.
Being the comic strip elitist/snob that I am, I'll let you know them when I find them.

One such strip goes by the name of 9 Chickweed Lane. It's not a web comic, I'm sure that some newspapers carry it since it's distributed by UFS, but my only exposure to this has been via the web.

What's it about? 9 Chickweed Lane is a comic strip about a single mom, her adolescent daughter and gritty grandma.

OK, that doesn't sound riviting, but what makes this strip stand out from the norm is the work of cartoonist Brooke McEldowney. His artwork, the way he utilizes the panel is amazing. He's never contstained by the space and isn't afraid of telling a quiet moment with little or no dialogue.





It's not a lame, gag-a-day strip. 9 Chickweed Lane takes the time to tell a story, often going weeks for one specific scene.

So if you're the type who likes to bookmark high quality comic strips on your browser, to tune in each day, give it a shot.

Though if you think a punch line of "I hate Mondays" to be the ultimate of humor --
you'd best give it a pass.

The squirrels outside my window...

They're baaack!

Outside the windows of my office at work are shrubs and trees, and amongst all that vegetation are a plethora of small woodland creatures.

About a month ago, for the hell of it, I tossed out some old, dried out bread.
A few squirrels ventured out and scarfed up the food. That night I bought a bag of "Woodland Buffet". The picture on the bag had deer, squirrels, chipmunks and birds all eating together in harmony.

HA! Fat chance.
After a few days of scattering out the mixture of peanuts, corn, sun flower seeds (and god knows what else) these ravinous bastards have come vaulting out, trampling over each other to get a bite.

I was away from the office over the Christmas holiday, but since I returned on Monday and resumed the daily feed the usual suspects have come back for their daily free lunch.

The main bunch are a trio of sqirrels.
The fat one seems to be the "Alpha Squirrel" and the others scatter when she arrives.
Another one, a little thinner, I assume is the husband. He usually feeds after the tubby missus.
And finally, an even thinner one with a short ratty tail, I say is the child. He'll eat the remnants and is probably the most spastic of the three (imagine Don Knotts as a squirrel). When any squirrel battle begins (and there've been plenty) he usually leaps a couple feet in the air, clinging to the screen on my window.

You can't beat cheap entertainment like this.....

Proof that I live in a safe neighborhood?

Or that no one's around during the day...

Every morning when I leave as I back down the driveway I "automatically" click the the garage door switch in my car to close it and will galnce up to make sure it closed.

Yesterday, for whatever reason, I didn't glance up. So, when I finally got home after 7 PM last night, there it was, my garage door WIDE OPEN!

But---- nothing was touched. My bike still sat there, and even though the door connected to my house isn't locked (which would have given access to...anyone) nothing in my house was touched. In fact, sitting on my front porch was a large box from Amazon, so hell, even the postman could have burgled me! (perghaps getting back at me for not getting a Christmas tip.)

So mock all you wish about those of us who choose to live in the suburbs, but a safer place you may not find elsewhere!
...course I won't be leaving any other door open to further test that theory....

Will Eisner (1917-2005)

Just heard the sad news.

Will Eisner, one of the greatest comic artists of all time, passed away today at the age of 87 following quadruple bypass heart surgery.

He'll probably be best known as the creator of the 1940's hero The Spirt as well as defining the art of cartooning as sequential art. He gave the comic profession a dignity that helped to make it more than just a job.

His style and his talent were incredible. Each issue of the Spirit was like watching a film, marrying panels and word balloons that told more in a scant 8 pages than most pros could tell in 24.

Mr. Eisner was one of the master storytellers of the 20th Century.

I had the honor to meet him, albeit briefly several years ago at a San Diego Comic Convention.

He'll be missed but his artwork will live forever.

The best TV show of 2004 was...

Ok, the knee-jerk answer is "there wasn't anything good on TV in 2004", and if you're just refering to the likes of "Who's Your Daddy" or "Marry a Midget" types of "reality shows" well, yeah.... that's just crap.

You have to look beyond the drek, and you can find a few bright spots.

Among the drama's, newcomers "Lost" and "House" shows that occasionally network TV can come up with something new. I still enjoy the entire "Law & Order" franchise and for my money the best news show on TV is MSNBC's "Countdown with Keith Olbermann"

The really difficult find on TV though is for that rarest of breed, a truly FUNNY comedy.

On the networks' beside the occasional "The Simpsons" which unfortunately has seen better days, the only comedy standout is the excellent "Arrested Development" (given "Arrested Development's" low ratings, it proves once again that the majority of the American viewing audience are idiots.)

All of the above are very good shows and could easily win as Best of 2004, but for my choice, well... I cheated a bit. I choose the incredible BBC comedy, "The Office"

(Yes I realize this first appeared on the BBC a few years ago, but I didn't see either the first or second season until this year.)

A quick synopsis of "The Office":
Set in the offices of a fictional British paper merchant, The Office is filmed in the style of a reality television show. We follow several of the office workers annoying team leader Gareth, sweet receptionist Dawn, frustrated sales rep Tim and insufferable office manager David Brent.

It's a comedy with no obvious jokes, no punch lines and scenes that, quite frankly, are difficult to watch.
But that's what makes it so good.

There are only six episodes per season and only two seasons (plus a Christmas Special) so it doesn't get old or suffer with weak episodes. It leaves you wanting more.

Do yourself a favor, if you want to watch something that's more daring than your typical drab sit-com rent either season (or check it out on BBC America)

But do it quick, before NBC releases their version! (anyone remember the American version of "Fawlty Towers" starring Bea Arthur????

*shudder*

The best movie of 2004 was...

As what usually occurs at the end of a year, everyone decides to post their "Top Ten _____ of the Year" lists.

So why should I be any different.

The tough part about listing the best movie of the year though, is unfortunately 90% of the country doesn't get to see ALL the movies in a calendar year. So (in my opinion) while most have lauded praise on films like "Million Dollar Baby", since it wasn't released outside of New York or Los Angelos in 2004.......IT DON'T COUNT!!

In any event, there were actually some good films out this year. I really liked "Spider-Man 2", "Sideways", "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", "Open Water" and "Fahrenheit 911" to name but a few. But for my money, the best picture of 2004 is "The Incredibles".

Pixar's latest (and perhaps greatest) film is a solid movie. Great characters and an exciting story (though should we expect any less from Pixar?)

Unfortunately a film like "The Incredibles" will never get it's just due. Just because it's animated, it quickly gets lumped in with the "Family Animated Film" tag. Which is typical from most narrow-minded, pin head reviewers.

Trust me, you won't see better performances or a tighter, stronger story in any other animated film, much less a "live-action" film.

And if all that wasn't enough, the soundtrack is kick-ass!!!!!

Got a spare $150 laying around?

I'm guessing probably because of the sucess of this years' publication of the "Complete Far Side", Andrews McMeel will be releasing a hardcover edition of "The Complete Calvin and Hobbes" in September.

Here's what they say up on their site:
Calvin and Hobbes is unquestionably one of the most popular comic strips of all time. The imaginative world of a boy and his real-only-to-him tiger was first syndicated in 1985 and appeared in more than 2,400 newspapers when Bill Watterson retired on January 1, 1996. More than 30 million of the 17 Calvin and Hobbes books (all published by Andrews McMeel) have been sold. And now, we're pleased to announce that the entire body of Calvin and Hobbes cartoons will be published in a truly noteworthy tribute to this singular cartoon. Composed of three hardcover, four-color volumes in a sturdy slipcase, this edition will include all Calvin and Hobbes cartoons that ever appeared in syndication. This is the treasure that all Calvin and Hobbes fans will seek.

Better than I remembered!

Thanks to the great success of the home DVD player it's possible to not only watch extended versions of movies, but entire seasons of our favorite TV shows. And not just recent TV series, but more and more shows from 30 to 40 years ago are getting the DVD collection treatment.
More often than not, unfortunately, our memory of these shows tend to "gloss-over" just how bad a lot of them were. I'm here, with proof, that this isn't always the case.

One of my gifts I got for Christmas this year was Season One of KUNG-FU. This set includes the original 90 minute pilot, as well as the entire 15 episode run.

I probably haven't watched any of these since they were first broadcast in 1971-72 so I've had only the memory of an 11 year old kid to go by and that's not always too reliable, but so far I've watched the first four episodes, and all I can say is.... WOW!

It's MUCH better than I remembered. Here's a bare bones synopsis of the show, David Carradine portrays the half breed (American/Chinese) Shalon monk who wanders the west of the late 1800's. He's wanted for a murder he committed in China and is searching for his half brother.

To say that KUNG-FU was unique would be an understatement. The stories, characters, pacing, even the direction was unlike most of the dramatic TV of it's time. Perhaps what I found really amazing is just how unique it is compared to dramatic TV of today!

There aren't many extras on this set, a few "How it was made" features, no commetaries unfortunately, but the quality of the picture and sound for a 30+ year old show more than makes up for that.

If you've never seen this show and know only about it through parodies or catch-phrases ("grasshopper", "snatch the pebble from my hand") then I reccomend that you give it a shot. It's a dramatic show that's not really a western, not really a martial arts show, who's prtagonist is a quiet talking pacifist and guest stars early performances of Jodie Foster and Harrison Ford - to name but a few.

Happy New Year!!!!

With the Twilight Zone marathon (on the Sci-Fi channel) and various fireworks blasting outside my window, what better (sober) way of ringing in the new year then by starting a daily Blog page, for Baboon Books.
This way I can join all the other opininated, internet posters by uploading my daily crap!!!
:)