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| Tuesday the 8th is the second annual celebration of |
| Spindizzy's most universal holiday, E-Holiday! For this |
| day everything can and should be celebrated. So, please |
| bring any or every tradition you like to celebrate every |
| thing. |
| |
| If you feel overwhelmed in celebrating everything a |
| good alternative is to pick something particular and let |
| that be the focus of your celebrations. With everyone a |
| creator of traditions and topics we might get everything |
| nicely celebrated. |
| |
| Beltrami, Mayor |
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Natasha, local Coati, had quite an adventure recently when two Spindizzians tried to turn her into a balloon!

Things were going normally in the Rose Garden (at least 'normal' by Spindizzy standards) when Borris, local bear said out of the ble, "Lets inflate Natasha and enter her in the Thanksgiving Day Parade!" (Borris had no comment on why this was a good idea or if it could even work). Ba'ar, local bear, agreed with Borris, produced an air compressor and bottles of hydrogen, and hooking Natasha up to the compressor's hose turned it on and started the inflation.

It wasn't long before Natasha was a coati-balloon. It didn't sit well with her at all even though Ba'ar reassured her that "Don't fight it! It'll be fun!" and "Just think, we'll enter you in the parade and you'll be the envy of MILLIONS!" Borris and Ba'ar even volunteered to be her handlers for the event.

Finally the Coati was blown up to the proper Macy's Thanksgiving Day Balloon size and Ba'ar disconnected the hose. Unfortunately Ba'ar didn't have time to stopper up the helium before Natasha took off with a *woosh*, bouncing around the Rose Garden like a furry pinball! Fortunately the coati managed to land in the Rose Garden Fountian, shaken up but otherwise none the worse for wear.

Borris couldn't be reached for comment on this but Ba'ar was philosophical. "Oh well, at least we tried." he is quoted as saying. "Perhaps 'Tash can be a balloon in next year's parade."

You might want to include some sort of link to the Lemur Primur for new Spindizzians, since it touches on theconcepts of Roundness and Pointiness too.

Mammal Stacking FAQ

As a result of a Mammal Stacking Mishap which left local Lemur myself painfully compressed into a disk, I was asked to write a FAQ about Mammal Stacking. This is that.

Q. What is Mammal Stacking?
A. Mammal Stacking is the process of stacking Mammals one atop the other, to form Mammal Stacks.

Q. Why?
A. Lemurs build Mammal Stacks to familiarize other Mammals with the practice of Mammal Stacking, and also to gain practical experience in Stacking. This will be helpful when the time comes to build the Maximum Mammal Stack (qv).

Q. Why are Lemurs so profligate with their Capital Letters? Won't you run out?
A. Lemurs have a much larger Allotment of Capital Letters than other Mammals. We are in no danger of running out.

Q. How should Mammals be stacked?
A. In general, smaller Mammals go atop larger ones. If the Mammals are of similar size, then the Round Round Mammals go on top, and next the Round Mammals, and then the Pointy Mammals.

Q. What are the different types of Mammal Stack?
A. There are three basic types of Mammal Stack. The Minimal Mammal Stack, consisting of two Mammals; the Mammal Stack, consisting of more than two, but less than all Mammals; and the Maximum Mammal Stack, consisting of the all the Mammals in the Universe. Additionally, each type can appear as one of two subtypes - the Rotary Stack, and the Non-Rotary Stack.

Q. What is the Significance of the Maximum Mammal Stack?
A. At the end of the First Age of Mammals (our current Age), all of the Mammals in the Universe will form the Maximum Mammal Stack. The weight of the Stack will cause the bottom Mammal to collapse into a Black Hole, into which all of the other Mammals will fall. This will mark the End of the First Age of Mammals, and the Beginning of the Age of Vending Machines.

Spindizzians were shocked when they found out that Garrison, local skunk and Dingo, local (well what else?) Dingo had literally joined together as a part skunk, part dingo combined creature!

According to Dingorrison (which is what the combined creature is calling itself), things began when Garrison was looking for a Halloween costume. He didn't know what costume to wear so he talked to Dingo about combining their bodies in order to create something unique (Dingo, for hir part, was going to be a French Maid, but found this idea far more interesting). .

Beltrami, local mayor, did the deed and apparently the fusion was painless, using her antennae to make a magical plasma, and, putting Garrison's right paw on Dingo's, used the plasma to "pull" Dingo into Garrison's body.

Dingo and Garrison have adjusted quite well to being 'Siamese twinned". saying that "We can talk in unison" the skunk/dingo is quoted as saying (though it admits that doing this really unnerves people). The "Dingo" part of Dingorrison added that, "I think that we have our own seperate thoughts for the most part, but we have had the same dreams and we sometimes can't control when we both say each others thoughts at the same time."

The skunk and dingo note that they are enjoying themselves in their new joined life and might remain that way for some time. "It was our original plan to end this after Halloween .. take off the costume as it were. But I have no wishes to do so now." The Garrison part of Dingorrison is quoted as saying. Time will tell.

Recently, local Jellicle cat, Patch O'Black, got to take a trip on a real narrow-guage steam-powered train. Like a trip back in time, he observed the crew actually refilling the engine's boiler from a water tower, then rode in a car behind the engine as it steamed its way through a forest of old growth trees and up to the top of a small mountain.

They passed through such areas as "Grizzly Flats", "Deer Valley" and "McSkunk Junction". At the top, the passengers were met by Santa himself. After some hot cider and looking at some Christmas trees, it was back down the mountain. All in all, a wonderful little trip.

(2009)The plot is simple. Mr. Fox has to steal chickens and geese to feed his family. The problem is that there are a trio of mean farmers that stand in his way that pursue him relentlessly in their efforts to stop him.

The movie was great, filled as it was with a gaggle of eccentric characters ranging from a roguish but lovable father fox to a psychotic rat charged with guarding one of the farmers' cider cellars. They're three dimensional and you can't help but care for them.

The only bad point about the film is that it's rather rough in spots. There are at least two deaths in the movie and at one point, a character has his tail literally shot off. Parents of sensitive children might want to preview this movie before letting their tykes see it. However, these sequences do not detract from what is a most enjoyable movie.

All in all, a nice way to spend an hour and a half of your. time.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the newspaper this week!

Special thanks go to:

Beltrami, for the "E-Day" announcement,
Ba'ar, for the report on Natasha's balloonification,
Suri, for the information about Mammal Stacking,
Ba'ar, for the report on, Dingorrison,
Patch, for his reporting of his train trip,
Ba'ar, for the review of Fantastic Mr. Fox,,
Patch, for his article on epic comics,
Patch O'Black for article Ambush Bug (part II),
Gilead, for his puns,
And Argon, for the Doze Garden cartoon.

Crossovers events. Where a story spans more than a single comic series. I'm not talking about a casual meeting of Batman with Superman. I mean when there is an event so big, it touches and influences many comics. This episode, I'm going to change things up a bit and present my list of the top fourteen memorable crossover events. If you wondering "Why fourteen?", there is a very good answer. I just happen to come up with fourteen. Here are the first seven.

#14: Inferno

Starting of our countdown is an event from Marvel called "Inferno". This was pretty much limited in scoop to the various "X-teams", though other big names such as Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, Daredevil, and the Avengers get caught up in this. When Magik becomes the ruler of the dimension of Limbo, home to demonic forces, one of the demons has plans of his own. He creates a portal between Earth and Limbo, allowing the demon horde to escape and wreak havoc in New York. The city starts to be come hot and it's people more dark in nature. By the end of the series, there had only been a few real changes in the Marvel Universe. Of minor concern was Madlyne Pryor, former wife of long-time X-Men member Cyclops and clone of Jean Gray, became the villianess known as the Goblyn Queen. A more major outcome was that the New Mutant member Majik, through a time paradox, was reduced to a child of seven, with her past history as Majik wiped clean except in the memories of her team-mates. While not Earth shattering, it was still a fun romp, and earns the #14 spot.

#13: Day of Judgment

While it may sound like DC was copying Marvel, this crossover event happened many years afterward, and while it does share some similarities, it doesn't feel like it was lifted. Once again, we have an up-and-coming demon, this time from Hell proper, by the name of Neron. He is a rival to the rhyming demon called Etrigan. Etigan decides to take the then-hostless Spectre and bond him to the renegade angel known as Asmodel and...

Well, let me see if I can sum this up a bit. Basically, the combiined fallen angel and Spectre freeze hell over, causing not only many sports teams to start winning games, but also letting out the various demons and evil souls that were there onto the Earth. Earth's heroes have to fight back the devilish tide, and eventuallty a new host for the Spectre is chosen, marking the return of Hal Jordan, who was dead at that time. This cross-over let DC show off and bring to the forefront it's magic-based characters, something that is quite often overlooked in the modern age of comics. Day of Judgment sits well at the superstitous #13 place on the countdown.

#12: Our Worlds at War

This one started in the Superman comic books, where the Man of Steel learns about a cosmic force know as Imperiex. This entity believes the the universe as an imperfection to it, so he plans to "cleanse" it and start it again from scratch. So, he has been going about, destroying solar system after solar system. Superman first believes that, after a tough battle, he has defeated him. He later discovers, from the son and daughter of a deceased foe, Mogul, that what he destroyed was simply a probe, and that the real deal is much more powerful.

What we end up with is a multi-facitied battle. We have Earth battling for survival, WarWorld, Apokolyps, and the sentient computer virus from the future called Brainiac-13 all wanting to defeat Imperiex to gain his power for their own, and Imperiex trying to eliminate any one and anything in its path. War may be hell, but it also makes for exciting reading. Our Worlds at War takes #12.

#11: House of M

House of M took a well established plot point regarding the X-Men books and did a 180 degree turn with it. It has been long established the mutants are the minority, and are often treated with fear and hatred. In House of M, the mutant known as the Scarlet Witch, is having a mental breakdown. Considering her powers can rewrite reality, this is a major crisis. As her former teammates come to where she is being held to speak with her before deciding what is to be done, a flash of white light surrounds them and the world, reshaping it. Now, mutants are the majority, with Magneto as the head of the main ruling family of the new world.

Some super-heroes now lead ordinary lives. Others are now agents of "the House of Magnus". While most of the heroes don't remember their "real" lives, one does: Wolverine. He goes to seek out those who can help him put the world back to the way it was. I'm a sucker for "alternate reality" stories, and this one has lots of fun showing us what might have been if things were different. The House of M finds a home at #11

#10: Acts of Vengeance

Acts of Vengeance is the story of a rather great idea for an evil master plan. A stranger approaches a collection of master villains: The Kingpin, Doctor Doom, and The Red Skull. He also gets a couple of B-level villians, the Mandarin and the Wizard. Posing as their loyal lacky, he then arranges for a mass jail-break from the Vault, where super-powered criminals are sent.

What makes this so different from the other times we've had master criminals send out villainous teams? Well, the stranger points out that usually each villain tends to fight certain heroes, which has lead to them being defeated time and again. However, if they switch targets, they gain the element of surprise. Not a bad bit of thinking! It was refreshing, seeing villains being mixed and matched with new sparring partners. It was also had some down right hilarious moments, such as the Fantastic Four having to battle a series of D-level villains, which were treated as more of a bother than a threat to them. Acts Of Vengence, switching its way to #10.

#9: Armageddon 2001

When you include a future date in the title of something, you know that, sooner or later, it is going to end up as a past date and have folks chuckling a bit. However, that didn't stop DC from creating "Armageddon 2001" in 1991. Starting in the year 2041, Earth is now ruled by a tyrant known as Monarch. A scientist named Matthew Ryder, discovers that Monarch was originally a superhero who, in the year 2001, would take over the world. Matthew Ryder volunteers for a time-travel experiment which would take him back to 1991. As Ryder travels, he is transformed, gaining time-travel abilities and takes the name Waverider. In his new identity, he travels from hero to hero, using his power to see what the future holds for them, trying to find out which one would become Monarch.

Actually, who it turns out to be is not who DC originally intended. You see, the true identity of Monarch was accidently leaked. Rather than go ahead despite the fact that it was no longer a surprise, they rewrote the ending. To make things worse, the hero they chose as the new Monarch was shown in previous issues that he couldn't have been him! Whoops! Despite this flaw, the flash-forward into possible futures was a nifty hook for the series. Armageddon 2001 time-travels to #9.

#8: DC One Million

If you think going 10 years into the future was something, this event topped that. It even went beyond the 1000 years into the future which is the age of the Legion of Superheroes. They jumped all the way to the 853rd century! That is the year that, if a series continued a standard publishing schedule, would end up at issue number one million. In this story, the Justice League of America gets a visit from its future counterpart, the Justice Legion Alpha. This includes Superman, Wonder Woman, Hourman, Starman, Aquaman, the Flash, and Batman. It seems that the original Superman is still alive in the future, now known as Superman-Prime (no relation to that hideous atrocity of more recent times), and has spent the last fifteen thousand or so years in exile in the heart of the sun. However, he is about to emerge from there once more, and to celebrate, the Justice Legion sends the Justice League to the future to take place in the festivities.

Do I really have to tell you that the Justice League doesn't end up simply having to sign autographs and give speeches? The Justice Legion is betrayed and trapped in the past as a global-wide virus starts causing people to act in aggressive and violent ways. Meanwhile, the Justice League must take on the return of one of the Justice Legion's villians. This event takes the "flash-forward" look that was explored in Armageddon 2001 and stretches it way beyond. Where as Armageddon tended to show a dystopian look at the future, this series gives us one where we get to see how several centuries of super-heroics can lead to a dazzling future. Number 8 goes to DC One Million.

That rounds out the first 7 members of this top 14 list. Next time, we will show the top 7 and see which is the most memorable crossover event. Remember, if you have a question or subject for a future column, please let me know! Until next time, see you in the funny pages!

Q: What is sweet and yellow, and kills cobras?
A: A mangoose.

Q: What do you call a cross between a mongoose and a cat?
A: Rikki Tikki Tabby.

Q: what do you call a cross between a mongoose and a small procyonid?
A: Ringy Taily Tavi.

Q: Why did the mongoose's health plan require him to keep switching jobs?
A: He most needed to maintain COBRA coverage.

Q: Where do you send Madagascar's largest predator when its parents can't care for it?
A: To a Fossa home.

Q: What's the world's most sarcastic mongoose?
A: A sneerkat.

Q: What do you get when you roll a mongoose in wet dirt?
A: A mirekat.

Q: What's the world's shiniest mongoose?
A: A mirrorkat.

Q: Why did the little mongoose go home with the skankiest female mongoose in the bar?
A: He had his meergoggles on.

Q: What kills cobras but can't walk in a straight line?
A: A beerkat.

Q: What do you call a small male mongoose who prefers the company of other small male mongooses?
A: A queerkat.

Q: What do you call a small flying mongoose?
A: A meerbat.

Q: Why did the mongoose start coughing?
A: He had Ichneumonia.

Q: What kills cobras but is smaller than a mongoose?
A: A monduck.

Q: What kills cobras but is bigger than a mongoose?
A: A monswan.

Hi folks, Ba'ar here with your latest Spindizzy @Action survey. This one comes to us courtesy of Aleph. "What celebrity do you wish had gotten a guest spot on an episode of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? "

• Fuzzy says, "Timothy Leary"
• Chitter says, "Punxsutawney Phil."
• Suri says, "I think there should have been an episode where they come across a group of escaped Nazi war criminals in an old abandoned fortress, and they have Hitler's brain alive in a jar, and they've kidnapped a descendant of Viktor Frankenstein to make a giant undead body for it, so they can conquer the world."
• Leowulf waves a paw towards Ba'ar, "Danny Kaye."
• Sayhono tikks, "The Doctor."
• Suri says, "Ho Chi Minh would have been sort of interesting."
• Gilead chirps, "Casey Kasem."
• Mouser hmms. "Thinking back to when the cartoon was made, I'd say Richard Nixon..."
• Dragoncat says, "Well, mabye Beetlejuice?"
• Garrison says, "Tony Randall and Jack Klugman"
• Vixie says, "Me."
• Garrison says, "Steven Wright would have been an excellent Guest Star."
• Mavra says, "Carrol Burnett."
• Borris Hmssssss "Steven Hawkings!"
• Argon says, "Oh, Suri the lemur would have been a great guest star."
• Bunnyhugger says, "My answer for the survey is: Ray Davies. Ideally, he would punch Fred at some point."

Got something that You'd like to contribute to @Action News, but aren't sure if you should, or how to do it? Here are some basic guidelines.

Contributing a story or artwork for @Action News is easy! Just send it to newspaper@spindizzy.org!

• @Action News is published when enough news and articles are gathered, so the date of publication may vary.
• Most any type of story or article of interest to SpinDizzy's newspaper readers will be accepted. Generally, we'd prefer things that aren't out and out lies or flames about other folks, and have a basis in the reality of SpinDizzy.
• Things that occur in public areas are fair game.
• The things reported don't have to have actually happened, (any more than anything that happens here does,) but make sure you don't overstep the social boundaries and rules of interaction that we have.

These are pretty broad guidelines, but we expect good sense to apply.

Thanks!

Argon
Editor - @Action News