– -Woo-hoo!- -Over fifty thousand hits on Foxsylvania!- -Thank ‘ya, Constant Readers!- -Your faithfulness will not be forgotten when the Revolution comes, and your names, avatars, paw prints, or fursonas will be duly inscribed in the Book of Fur.– -So let it be written…so let it be done!– –Bite the Power!
Archive for the ‘cool things’ category
–Yowsa!
September 18, 2009“MysteryQuest” on the History Channel
September 16, 2009
— Alright, it won’t be MonsterQuest, but the new MysteryQuest may appeal to some of the same audience. MysteryQuest is a new series that promises to dispatch teams of experts throughout the world to try to solve some of mankind’s strangest and most persistent mysteries. Following the MonsterQuest formula, a science team will then conduct a forensic exam of the evidence gathered by the investigative teams using the latest technology.- -Sound a little familiar?
Promised are episodes on the Bermuda Triangle (…always a favorite!), the Zodiac serial killer, and Atlantis. Kicking the series off is an installment on Hitler (- -alive and well and living in Argentina?). Watch for it Wednesday nights on the History Channel.- – And yes, Foxsylvania may comment; we love drek like this!
I’m hoping for an episode on the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch! (It’s a Monty Python thing, BTW…)
Jack Nicholson’s “Wolf”
September 14, 2009
-“Inside every man there are two people–one good, one beast.”
Did ‘Ya Catch This One Department: Jack Nicholson has done horror flicks, including Little Shop of Horrors and The Shining (“– -Here’s Johnny!“). Nicholson is such an awesome actor that even his stranger and less memorable performances are worth watching, and Wolf is no exception. In the vintage 1994 flick, Nicholson plays a publishing executive whose life begins to change after he’s bitten by a wolf. First his mood changes, then his sense of hearing and smell go into overdrive; then there’s the problem of Nicholson’s character leaping around in the neighborhood at night killing deer and other animals with his teeth (…don’t you hate it when that happens?).
While we’ve seen better special effects and aspects of the performances seem curiously detached, the psychological aspects of Nicholson’s transformation make this movie a kick, with his character finding himself more energized and more competitive than ever, plus possessed of amazingly heightened senses; ” ’tis a consummation devoutly to be wished.” While rejected by Nicholson’s usual fans for its horror content as well as by some horror fans, Wolf is thoughtful horror that has more brains than blood…this Wolf, while flawed, is no dog!
New Species in New Guinea
September 7, 2009
— It’s getting increasingly hard to find anywhere in the world where the foot of man has not trod, and erected a Starbucks…but even in today’s world, explorers are still able to find a few undiscovered places and new species along with it!
One such place is Papua, New Guinea where scientists in a remote mountainous region (pictured) have discovered more than 50 new animal species that include spiders, tree frogs, and a striped gecko that appear to have never been described in scientific literature before. One of the spiders is shiny and pale green, and there’s a bug-eyed bright green tree frog. Frogs are often regarded as a great bioindicator of environmental health, with declines in frogs pointing to an affected or changing environment.
My favorite discovery, however, was described as being a giant but friendly vegetarian rat, who may turn out to be the largest in the world. A tree-dwelling marsupial was found that looks like a bear, and also discovered was a frog with fangs (should be perfect for the upcoming Halloween)! 
Chupacabra Redux!
September 3, 2009
— What’s black, wrinkly, Texan, and bald all over?–Chupacabra, according to some! A Texas taxidermist near Rosenberg has had the creature in his possession for a couple of months, finding it dead in a barn and keeping it in a freezer until last weekend (remind me not to eat there)! The creature was likely poisoned by bait placed in the barn to catch an unidentified animal.
Found near Blanco, Texas, the creature weighs about 35 pounds, and has somewhat long fangs, like those of a coyote. The legs like the teeth are abnormally long. The face is fox- or coyote-like, and the emaciated body is likely that of a young adult coyote or dog with severe mange, making it hairless. The face is judged too long and pointy to be a dog, although some dogs are fox-like in their appearance. Most likely, it’s a freak of nature (like some of my best friends).
Plans are to preserve the animal and then donate it to a local museum, “so it can be enjoyed by others.”–What could be more appropriate?!
Will “Avatar” Rock You?
August 30, 2009
— It’s been called, rather unkindly and dismissively, “a movie for furries.” I don’t think that James Cameron’s Avatar is going to be that, but there may be furry elements in it, specifically ten-foot blue humanoids called Na’vi who are striped like tigers.
Avatar is, first and foremost, a sci-fi movie written by James Cameron, the visionary behind such cinematic gems as Terminator and Aliens. I like his stuff; if you don’t like sci-fi, there’s always Cameron’s Titanic. Even if you don’t like the subject matter, Avatar promises to be the most ambitious 3D movie experience to date. Cameron supposedly conceptualized the movie 15 years ago but basically had to wait until technology could match his vision. Avatar is described as a movie revolution that will push technical effects to the limits while delivering kick-ass action and a solid storyline.-—And BTW, the incomparable Sigourney Weaver will appear in Avatar.–Alright, I’m sold!
The story of Avatar follows a future battle between Earth and an alien moon called “Pandora,” a terrifyingly beautiful world full of rich minerals and strange creatures. “Avatars” as in the movie’s title are human-Na’vi hybrids controlled by human drivers who project their consciousness into the Avatar bodies, since ordinary humans find the environment on Pandora toxic.
—Would I be my avatar?–Yes, in a heartbeat…and Avatar opens in December 2009… advance trailers may be seen…watch for 3D televisions to be introduced in the not-too-distant future, BTW…now I want my flying car!
The Crasher Squirrel…
August 22, 2009
— He’s furry, he’s fun, and he’s…everywhere!–The crasher squirrel, that is!
It all started out when some people were taking a family photo in Alberta, Canada’s Banff National Park…ho hum! A ground squirrel then decided to check out what was going on, perhaps intrigued by the novelty of the camera or the sounds being made, and stepped right into the foreground of the photo, taking it over and casting the intended subjects into the background!–What could be more appropriate?–This little guy brightens up any photo, and looks like he belongs!
The rest, as they say, is internet history. Photos of the little guy have appeared in a variety of settings, both past, present, and future. He has been seen with people famous and unknown, the former including Lincoln and his generals as well as contemporary leaders. The crew of the Enterprise-D would certainly have benefited from a furry crew member, even if he is out of uniform…
There’s no reason why you can’t join in the fun as well. Just go to http://www.lutralutra.co.uk/squirrelizer to invite the little guy to step into your favorite action!
Two paws up for the crasher squirrel, easily the furry of the week!
What Cats Know…
July 29, 2009
If you like complex comic book heroes and dark story lines, you just might enjoy Watchmen, now available for purchase or rental. Set in an alternate reality circa 1985 that’s teetering on the brink of nuclear war, Watchmen covers the exploits of half a dozen flawed superheroes as they investigate the murder of one of their number and uncover a sinister plot threatening the world.
While the avian-themed Nite Owl appears to be the only quasi-furry character in the movie, for me the heart and soul of the flick is Rorschach. Looking like some 1940’s gumshoe detective in a trench coat and a fedora, Rorschach also sports an enigmatic mask on which play constantly-changing inkblot images that give the character his name. Rorschach also has the best dialogue in the flick, lines like:
“Felt dark planet turn under my feet and know what cats know that makes them scream like babies in night.”
(…from the journal of Rorschach as seen in the movie, Watchmen…)
While a sociopath as “crazy as a snake’s armpit,” Rorschach makes disturbing sense at times, has a kind of tragic nobility to him, and is exceedingly tough and cool. When locked up in a prison with fifty or so criminals he placed there, Rorschach re-frames the situation to consider the cons as locked up with him, not he with them…he is the alpha predator there, and he proves it!
Watchmen also features Ozymandias, the world’s smartest human, with his intriguing animal companion, lynx. There is also the blue-skinned Dr. Manhattan, yet another physicist given awesome powers to manipulate matter as a result of a terrible accident. Nearly-omnipotent, Dr. Manhattan spends much of the movie fully-exposed in the nude…(when you’re omnipotent, you can dress pretty much any darn way you want!)
The movie also has a wonderful historical perspective, going back to 1940 or so to chronicle the early history of these superheroes and their parents; you’ll even catch glimpses of President Kennedy and the legendary second gunman who assassinated him, and view Watchmen fighting on the American side in Vietnam. There’s a Mothman in this group as well, but he’s not the cryptid and winds up in an asylum, possibly due to a cheesy costume.
You’ll probably either love or hate Watchmen, but I fell into the former group…guess I’m learning what cats know…
Taco Bell Chihuahua Dies!
July 23, 2009
— Jeez, you can hardly turn around these days without another beloved celebrity passing away…and so once again we mourn the passing of one of the truly great furry ones, Gidget, the former Taco Bell chihuahua, who died of a stroke Tuesday night at the age of 15.
Yes, Gidget was really a female playing a male dog who was voiced by Argentine-American actor Carlos Alazraqui! The commercials featuring the chihuahua haven’t aired in nine years, essentially killed by a rash of political correctness. In their peak in the late 1990’s, the canine actress traveled by limo and went first-class in planes. Following her retirement, Gidget is said to have lived “like a queen.”
The hugely-popular commercials which immortalized the phrase, “Yo quiero Taco Bell” drew the ire of Hispanic watchdog groups which claimed that it promoted stereotypes, and demanded that the commercials be taken off the air. I, for one, never saw the chihuahua as being anything but hip and cool, an articulate and bright furry spokescanine that could be appreciated on a variety of levels.
In one late commercial of the series lampooning a variety of fast-food spokesmen, I’ll always remember the chihuahua driving up in a tank, and saying, “Hey, look what I found!” Rest in peace, Gidget…you were among the best!
Think Green!
July 19, 2009
— Woo hoo!–The Green Lantern is coming to the big screen!–Just not real soon…think June 2011. At least we’ll get a chance to see it before the Mayan calendar runs out in December 2012…
…yeah, I know that a lot of you guys are big Marvel rather than DC comics fans, but one can live in both universes…Infinite diversity in infinite combinations, right?–Anyhow, the Green Lantern with Ryan Reynolds in the title role will be shot in New South Wales, Australia, presumably beginning in November 2009. For those of you who can’t wait until then, a DVD feature-length Green Lantern animated adventure will be available soon.
For those of you not familiar with Green Lantern, Superman was born a hero, Batman became a hero, but Green Lantern was chosen to be a hero…see, he’s been granted a mystical ring that bestows him with otherworldly powers, as well as membership into an intergalactic, multi-species squadron tasked with keeping peace in the universe. The ring has to be changed in a lantern every so often (you know how re-chargeable batteries are), hence the title…and the ring, once charged, projects a green energy that can transmute to matter, and basically do almost anything. There is also an accompanying secret oath that I’ve had memorized since childhood.
…so “let those who worship evil’s might,” beware the power of Green Lantern’s light!
FOXSYLVANIA 
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