Top Five CIA Movies

When it comes to the entertainment industry, there is something appealing about a secretive spy organization that is tasked with the responsibility of gaining intelligence and keeping the US safe. That's why CIA movies have been so popular over the years and have lead to some classic movie scenes and stories. Here are five of the top CIA movies of all time.

Release Day Party: Afterlife Academy

It's celebration time at LoupDargent.info, today!
We are celebrating the Release Day for YA Paranormal novel ‘Afterlife Academy’by Jaimie Admans. Come join us to find a bit more about Jaimie and read a quite chunky excerpt from this hilarious novel. 

Of course, as usual, the virtual tea and coffee area is open for the day, but as Jaimie is also organising a Launch Party on Facebook, you might want to join in the fun there as well.

Enjoy!

Loup Dargent

PS: You can purchase your copy of ‘Afterlife Academy’ here: Amazon.com or even here: Amazon.co.uk

Top 5 Bestselling Novels Of All Time

When it comes to the top bestselling novels of all time, the British have the edge with three out of the five novels selling 100 million copies or more. It's clear from looking over the list what the public loves: big sprawling stories with large casts of characters, fantasy and whodunits. Read on for descriptions of the books that still outsell even J.K. Rowling and Dan Brown today.

Climate Change in the American Mind [Infographic]

Good news! It looks like, despite what is perceived through the media or/and social media sites such as (for example) Twitter, more and more Americans believe that climate change is really happening and that it is actually being directly caused by human actions.

Let's have a look at how much they do, with today's infographic. 

Tomb Raider Review " An Awesome Reboot Version"

It seems like the gaming world is going through a season dominated by “reboot” instalments of various popular franchises. The latest game to be “rebooted” is no other than Tomb Raider which introduced the world to Lara Croft, a female hard as nail protagonist. Critics of the game might argue that Lara is nothing but a gender equivalent of Indiana Jones or the male protagonist from uncharted series, but the truth is, over the years she has developed a distinctive personality of her own. The latest instalment in the series follows the very first exploits of the young heroine, chronicling her transformation from a ship wreck victim to the fearless and death defying iconic figure, we’ve all come to know.

4 Ways The Probation Industry Exploits Their Customers For Cash

Probation often seems like a good thing when compared to jail time, but what most people don’t understand is that there are typically very high fines and additional fees that you have to pay if you cannot pay the initial fine immediately. You will need to use a probation loan company to pay your probation, but this puts you in a personal debtor’s prison that can be difficult to escape. These are four ways that the probation industry exploits its customers.

New pope elected: Live Report

New pope elected: Live Report (via AFP)

Alberto Pizzoli/AFPWhite smoke rises from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel meaning that cardinals elected a new pope on the second day of their secret conclave on March 13, 2013 at the Vatican.WELCOME TO AFP'S LIVE REPORT on the election of a new pope after white smoke appears from the…

Bond On A Budget

James Bond 007. He’s the greatest movie hero of all time: a fighter, a lover, a raconteur, a sportsman, a connoisseur of the finer things in life, and a style icon. Women want to be with him, men want to be him, and villains want to watch him die in ludicrous fashion. And he does it all on Her Majesty’s Service, which means the taxpayer foots the bill.

All of Bond’s: Martinis,  crashes and explosions, damage to government property and no doubt many paternity suits will probably add up, over the course of the fifty-odd years he’s been saving the world on our behalf, to Britain’s annual GDP. We might like to imagine ourselves living his life, but few of us could actually afford it even if the opportunity presented itself.

But for those of us who will always toss their hat onto the stand from a distance when they walk into a room, make a point of flirting with the boss’s secretary, or wish sometimes their car had an ejector seat when their passenger is irksome, it is possible to experience the defining parts of Bond’s lifestyle on a budget. Here are a few ideas:

Book Tour: 'Saving Mars' by Cidney Swanson

It looks like we're going to have to extend our virtual coffee and tea area (and perhaps add a few extra tables and chairs while we're at it) as we are hosting another book tour today (yep, that's two in one day, I know). We believe you guys will also love this one as it's for a  Sci-Fi novel: 'Saving Mars' by Cidney Swanson.

Of course, like in every book tour we're hosting, there are bits of info about the book and its author, but in this one there is also a guest post written by Cidney especially for LoupDargent.info, and it's about... yes... that's right... Science Fiction! Cool, isn't it?

Enjoy!

Loup Dargent

US spy chief warns of cyber danger, N.Korea threat

US spy chief warns of cyber danger, N.Korea threat (via AFP)

Jewel Samad/AFPDirector of National Intelligence James Clapper testifies before the Senate in Washington, DC, on March 12, 2013. Clapper on Tuesday warned that America faced a growing threat of a crippling cyber attack and voiced alarm over North Korea's recent "belligerent" rhetoric.Spy chief James…

Book Tour: Time Killer [Giveaway Included]

Once again, LoupDargent.info is hosting a Book Tour for the day, cool! 

This time, it's for 'Time Killer' by Todd M. Thiede... and it's a detective story. Yeaaah! We do love a good detective stories here at LDi. They do help make our little grey cells work and all, don't they? 

Today's Book Tour should please most of you (as long as you like books and detective stories, of course) as, not only we learn a bit more about the book and its author, but it also includes a Guest Post by Todd M. Thiede himself and, (yes, that's right!) a Giveaway giving  our readers the chance to win an autographed copy of Time Killer, by Todd Thiede AND one $10 Amazon gift card as first price. Not too shabby, is it?

All you have to do to participate to the Giveaway is go to the end of this post and follow the easy instructions there... Worth the effort, surely?

(Oh, and yes, the virtual tea and coffee area is opened as usual.)

Enjoy!

Loup Dargent

Dramatic Changes In American Life [Infographic]

American life has changed dramatically in just 30 years. The U.S. population has grown by more than 80 million people. The male population has increased by more than 40 million, while the female population has grown by 38 million. Women still have a slight population edge over men with an additional five million members.

The average sales price for a home in 1983 was $89,000. In 2013, the average home sales price slightly more than $272,000. The average American's income has increased a great deal since 1983. The average person earned a salary of just $21,000 in 1983. In 2013, the average American earns a yearly salary of $49,000.

The political landscape has changed dramatically. In 1983, only 24 women held an elected position. The current number of elected women in office is 97. In 1983, Republican candidate Ronald Reagan won the election with just more than 50 percent of the vote. In contrast, Democratic President Obama was re-elected with 51 percent of the popular vote.