The One About... Dog Pooetry

Edited by Loup Dargent | Monday, September 28, 2009 | , , , , , ,



Amazing! Willy writes romantic poetry.  A dog with a very special creative talent.

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Michael Moore: 'Capitalism' as Comedy and Tragedy Now Playing in NY and L.A.

Edited by Loup Dargent | Saturday, September 26, 2009 | , , , ,


Love him or hate him, Michael Moore is news... 

 


The following is a slightly edited (as in: with a few extra links for background info - hopefully he won't mind too much) copy of the email that I (and probably quite a few others like me who've subscribed to his mailing list) have received very recently...
 

Enjoy...


Loup Dargent



Friends,

The time has arrived for, as Time magazine called it, my "magnum opus." I only had a year of Latin when I was in high school, so I'm not quite sure what that means, but I think it's good.

I've spent nearly two years on this new movie, "Capitalism: A Love Story," and have poured my heart and soul into this project. Many early critics and viewers have called it my "best film yet." That's a hard call for me to make as I'm proud of all of my films -- but I will tell you this: What you are about to see in "Capitalism" is going to stun you. It's going to make some of you angry and I believe it's going to give most of you a new sense of hope that we are going to turn the sick and twisted mess made by the last president around. Oh, and you're going to have a good laugh at the expense of all the banking and corporate criminals who've made out like bandits in the past year.

I'm gonna show you the stuff the nightly news will rarely show you. Ever meet a pilot for American Airlines on food stamps because his pay's been cut so low? Ever meet a judge who gets kickbacks for sending innocent kids to a private prison? Ever meet someone from the Wall Street Journal who bluntly states on camera that he doesn't much care for democracy and that capitalism should be our only ruling concern?

You'll meet all these guys in "Capitalism." You'll also meet a whistleblower who, with documents in hand, tells us about the million-dollar-plus sweetheart loans he approved for the head of Senate Banking Committee -- the very committee that was supposed to be regulating his lending institution! You'll hear from a bank regulator why Timothy Geithner has no business being our Treasury Secretary. And you'll learn, from the woman who heads up the congressional commission charged with keeping an eye on the bailout money, how Alan Greenspan & Co. schemed and connived the public into putting up their inflated valued homes as collateral -- thus causing the biggest foreclosure epidemic in our history.

There is now a foreclosure filed in the U.S. once every seven-and-half SECONDS.

None of this is an accident, and I name the names others seem to be afraid to name, the men who have ransacked the pensions of working people and plundered the future of our kids and grandkids. Somehow they thought they were going to get away with this, that we'd believe their Big Lie that this crash was caused by a bunch of low-income people who took out loans they couldn't afford. Much of the mainstream media bought this storyline. No wonder Wall Street thought they could pull this off.

Jeez, I guess they forgot about me and my crew. You'd think we would've made a better impression on these wealthy thieves by now. Guess not.

So here we come! It's all there, up on the silver screen, two hours of a tragicomedy crime story starring a bunch of vampires who just weren't satisfied with simply destroying Flint, Michigan -- they had to try and see if they could take down the whole damn country. So come see this cops and robbers movie! The robbers this time wear suits and ties, and the cops -- well, if you're willing to accept a guy in a ballcap with a high school education as a stand-in until the real deal shows up to haul 'em away, then I humbly request your presence at your local cinema this weekend in New York and Los Angeles (and next Friday, October 2nd, all across America).

In the meantime, you can catch us on some of the TV shows that have been brave enough to let me on in the past week or so:

  • Nightline (as we take a stroll down Wall Street to Goldman Sachs)
  • Good Morning America (where they let me talk about Disney employees who don't get medical benefits)
  • The View (where the Republican co-host told everyone to go see it! Whoa!)
  • The Colbert Report (this guy is a genius, seriously)
  • Larry King (where a spokesperson for the Senator who got the sweetheart loans responds for the first time)
  • Keith Olberman (where we both wonder just how long these media corps are going to let us get away with what we do)
  • Wolf Blitzer (yes, he's back for more abuse - and lovin' it) 
... And the amazing Jay Leno. This man called me after seeing the movie and asked me to be his only in-studio guest on the second night of his new prime-time show. I said, "Jay, shouldn't you be thinking of your ratings in the first week of the show? Are you sure you didn't misdial Tom Hanks' number (the area code where I live is 231; 213 is LA)?" He told me he was profoundly moved by this film. So I was the guest on his second show, and he told all of America it was my "best film" and to please go see "Capitalism: A Love Story." That was Jay Leno saying that, not Noam Chomsky or Jane Fonda (both of whom I love dearly). The audience responded enthusiastically and, after 20 years of filmmaking, it was a moment where I crossed over deep into the mainstream of middle America. Jay's bosses at General Electric musta been... well, let's just say I hope they didn't place a reprimand in his permanent record. He's one helluva guy (and following the example he set with his free concerts for the unemployed in Michigan and Ohio last spring, I've gotten permission from the studio to do the same with my film in ten of the hardest-hit cities in the U.S. next week).

Oh, and he made me sing! Prepare yourself!

Thanks everyone -- and see you at the movies!

Yours,

Michael Moore

MMFlint@aol.com
MichaelMoore.com
Twitter.com/MMFlint
Facebook.com/MMFlint
MySpace.com/MMFlint









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Why Dogs Are Better Than Cats

Edited by Loup Dargent | Wednesday, September 23, 2009 | , , ,

 


And the cats vs dogs debate continues....

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Why Cats Are Better Than Dogs

Edited by Loup Dargent | Tuesday, September 22, 2009 | , , ,




Apparently, there has been a debate going on on the net regarding cats and dogs for quite a long time...

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Is My Next Door Neighbour A Vampire?

Edited by Loup Dargent | Monday, September 14, 2009 | , , , , ,


'That important and vital question
on almost everyone's lips...
The one that, once answered,
could make the ultimate difference
between staying alive and ending up
as a creature of the night...
But, also, the one that not many people
dare asking aloud...'
Extract from Loup d'Argent's (unpublished) Memoirs.



Is My Next Door Neighbour A Vampire?


A Reader's Letter:


"Dear Loup,

For many decades, the house next to mine
has been left empty and is now almost derelict.
A few months ago the grand-son of the previous
(and deceased) owner has moved in.
The fact that he looks exactly like his grandfather
(though a bit younger) is not too strange I suppose,
but I quickly noticed that his behaviour was
rather suspicious and made me believe that he is
actually a vampire of the blood sucking kind.


Here are the reasons why:

1) He only gets out mostly at night and always
comes back home before dawn.

2) His face is very pale.

3) He avoids being exposed to the sun as much
as possible during the rare occasions he sets foot
outside during daytime.

4) His curtains are always drawn.

5) His canines are rather pointy.

6) He speaks with a foreign accent.

7) He won't touch the garlic bread I keep baking
especially for him, even when I try to force feed him.

8) When he comes back with a young woman, it
doesn't take long before I can hear her making
strange noises.

9) I never see any of his female visitors leave.

10) I never see any of his female visitors again.

11) When I accidentally sprayed holy water from
an old washing-up liquid bottle to his face, he ran
back home covering his face and screaming.

12) Another time, I left a crucifix on his doorstep and,
not only he had a horrified look on his face but he also
used the back door to go out instead since then.

13) He does look like the guy who played Angel.

Please Loup, tell me if I am imagining things.


A Wannabe Vampire Slayer.


PS: Could you send me a picture of yourself please?
I do love the stuff you write and I believe I am your
number one fan.

Thank you in advance.


Also, if by any chance you happen to be in the area,
you are cordially invited to come to my home for a
chat or something."



The Reply:


"Dear Wannabe Vampire Slayer,

No, you are not imagining things, but the reasons
making you believe that your neighbour could be
a vampire are not proofs enough unfortunately.


Here is why:

1) He might be working nights.

2) It would if he is working nights.

3) He might be a health conscious freak (not a good
enough reason to dust him though) and, the sun is not
really good for anyone anyway.

4) It could be because he can sleep better with
the curtains drawn.

5) So are mine.

6) So do I and so do lots of other people. Not all
vampires are born abroad, you know.

7) He could simply be allergic to garlic or just
not like the stuff.

8) If the noises made by the young woman sound
like the ones made by Jane Birkin in the famous song
'Je t'aime moi non plus' then either you are very young
or far too innocent for your own good.

9) They might have left while you were asleep
(you do sleep don't you?).

10) They could have been one-night stands.

11) Did you rinse the container before filling it with
the holy water? Residues of washing up liquid in the
eyes can be very painful.

12) He could be a born again Christian (still not a good
enough reason to dust him)... Some of them do have an
aversion to crucifixes.

13) Not all vampire look like the guy who played Angel,
fortunately for them.

The only way to be sure if your neighbour is really a vampire,
would be of course to see if he turns to dust after having been
staked. Which, according to many countries' laws, would also
mean that, if he is not one, you will find yourself arrested for
murder.

The best advice would be that, as long as he doesn't attack you
(though, if you carry on trying to force feed him with garlic bread
and spraying washing up liquid to his face, he might anyway...)
and there is no news of people or animals having been drained of
their blood in the area you live, to let him be.

If he is a vampire but has renounced the traditional way of feeding,
he definitely deserves some support. If he is not a vampire, you
might find yourself served with an injunction or arrested for harassment.


To be on the safe side, you could also have a look at the advice
I gave in 'How To Wear Water Around Your Neck...', just in case...


I hope that helped.


Loup d'Argent


PS: Unfortunately, I cannot send you the picture of me
you requested, as I never had my picture taken again
since soon after the first camera was invented, the
photographer who took my portrait became mad
trying to understand why I didn't show in the picture.

I sadly cannot describe myself either as I do not
reflect very well in mirrors.

Thank you very much for your invitation to visit you in your home,
I will definitely drop in, one of these nights, for a bite or two."





Video-Clip: History of Vampires



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Also Recommended

'Vampires: Modern Mystery Cult of Death & Desire' by Pamela Grundy

"Today’s cinematic and fictional vampires are a lot hunkier than the sickly Shreck was made up to be, but the celebrity vampires of today all share an intense intimacy with desire and death. This intimacy is both timeless and central to the vampire mythology. The interesting question (to my mind, anyway) is: Given that sex is splashed all over everything these days in the form of advertising and product development, why now? Why are vampires suddenly so hot now?" 


_______________


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FanFilms Time: Fluffy The English Vampire Slayer (2001)

Edited by Loup Dargent | Sunday, September 13, 2009 | , , , , , ,


"Fluffy, a vampire slayer based in England,
has to defeat the evil Count Von Whedon when
he gets his hands on a magical ring giving him
surprising new powers..."


If you haven't watched a fan film before,
this one is probably the one that will
make you want for more...

It's a visual gem made by Henry Burrows
and Foiled Productions.

Fortunately, since I've written my original
review, Henry and Foiled Productions have
made the film available more widely...

Yep, instead of the short opening
sequence that I had originally added then,
you can now watch and enjoy the whole thing!


So, get the popcorn ready, get comfortable and have fun...


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Enjoy...


Loup Dargent



PS: By the way, if you have some cool, interesting, informative
Sci- Fi and or Horror related stuff on your virtual shelves, feel
free to share them with the Science Fiction Related Mixx Community
and/or the Horror in the Mixx! one...

Thanks in advance



____________


Fluffy 
The 
English 
Vampire 
Slayer






"Light-hearted Buffy spoof by
some British fans of the show"


Directed by: Henry Burrows

Written by: Henry Burrows (writer)
and Richard Hassall (additional scriptwork)

Music written by: Mike Varty,
Sue Element and Dave Hobbs

Performed by: Noscaferatu

Cast: Louise Anne Bateman, Paul Andrade,
Kat Whitaker, Peter Kidson, Steven McCombe

__________________



Meet Fluffy 
the English 
Vampire Slayer
Loup Dargent


Not The Chosen One


With Buffy Anne Summers having been, up to the last
season, the chosen one, the possibility for any potential
slayer to become the world's saviour and kick lots of
demonic and vampiric backsides was very remote to say
the least...


Being number eleven on the list, Fluffy Winters, the slaying
English rose, kind of knew somehow that her big day would
never happen.


Fortunately, not all demons and vampires were stupid
enough to stay in the vicinity of Sunnydale and, even if
by doing so they missed the chance to appear briefly on
the popular TV show or even bed the former cheerleader,
some of them chose to play it safe by keeping as far away
from it as possible.


Well, they thought it would be safer anyway...

Welcome To Sunningdale


Sunningdale is a town situated in the South of England,
and Fluffy is that town's protector against the forces of evil.

Like the other slayer, she has her own Watcher,
Ted Farmer - an American who can't join the Watchers'
Council because of his nationality, as well as her own
Scoobies: her best friends Alex Harrison - Fluffy's personal
wooden stakes handler, and Ash Johannesburg - the first
ever person in Sunningdale to have been saved by Fluffy and
a wannabe witch.


Together, they are a force to be reckoned with...
The local demons and vampires quickly discovered
that fact the hard way.


Not The TV Show


Those vampires and demons that haven't met Fluffy
and her team yet and are not convinced by their peers'
testimonies should watch the short movie conveniently
titled 'Fluffy The English Vampire Slayer' and eventually
learn from it...


Okay, the vampires' make up is closer to the Buffy
movie itself than the BTVS TV show but, it's still
somehow a must for all the Buffy fans 'out there'.


That what it is primarily: a fan film made in homage
to the Slayer as well as being for its makers a fun way
of giving something back to the Buffy universe... and it
works in my book.


Where And How?


For those interested in knowing more about the English slayer
and her friends, she has a website where you can find more
info and details as well as being able to download the short-movie
free right here.



_____________










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Star Trek Online: Let's Beta Test It!

Edited by Loup Dargent | Thursday, September 03, 2009 | , , , | Comments

Star Trek Online Logo



If you've been following the progress of the soon to be released Star Trek Online, you probably already know that the Star Trek Online Team is now taking applications for the STO Closed Beta testing.

But, just in case...


The Star Trek Online Team are going to proceed with the testing of the game sometime this year and they're relying on their fans to "help them work out kinks, squash bugs and create the best Star Trek experience they can".


In short, they want their fans to Beta Test the game.


I love Beta testing...
To me it's always great fun as it's a golden opportunity to click on all those things you are not usually allowed to click on a site.

It's also always a great feeling when you find a bug that no-one else has spotted.

So, if you're a Star Trek fan and love online role-playing games (especially the MMORPG ones), I highly recommend that you boldly go where you haven't gone before and apply...


Who knows, if you're lucky enough, you might find yourself/selves among the randomly selected ones.



Interested/tempted/curious?




Enjoy!
Have fun!
Live long and prosper!



Loup Dargent







What is
Star Trek Online?


"Star Trek® Online is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game set in the Star Trek universe. Star Trek Online is currently in development for the PC. Game features will include customizable ships and characters from the Klingon Empire and United Federation of Planets, ground, space and shipboard gameplay and unique options for player-generated content."


Straight from the galactic horse's mouth.
And, yep, they did mention customizable ships.



From what is said on the FAQ page, it looks like everyone from the most casual Star Trek fan to the most devout one should be able to enjoy the game...
That's good news for all of us there.




Star Trek Online
Character Trailer





"Get a sneak peek at some of the possibilities in Star Trek Online’s alien creator! Play as one of the races you know and love from the Star Trek Universe, or create an alien that no one has seen before! There are literally thousands of combinations available in the alien creator, which will offer an unprecedented level of customization options."


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