Lovely Facilitator

I’ve been talking about the wonders of technology, and specifically what it can do for us. This invention has me thinking all sorts of possibilities for keeping my Richard Armitage obsession well fed but not in plain sight:



Facial Recognition Billboard Only Lets Women See The Full Ad
By Yi Chen on February 21, 2012

A new kind of outdoor advertisement is being trialled on Oxford Street in London’s West End. The interactive advertisement uses a high-definition camera to scan pedestrians and identify their gender before showing a specific ad. The built-in system has a 90 per cent accuracy rate in analyzing a person’s facial features and determining if they’re a male or female.

Read the rest here

I need one of these devices in several rooms of my home, and when I walk near, I see something like this:

But it would have to be sophisticated enough that when SO walks near, he would see this:

which would ensure he asks no questions about the awkward looking contraptions spread throughout the house.

And maybe there’s a workaround for Servetus’ difficulty:

https://twitter.com/#!/ServetusRA/status/174607695729532928

The sensing unit mounted on the lectern with the display on the back wall behind the students? And perhaps with rotating images of Richard Armitage so she would not become dazed by her ogling. But of course if the students happen to look, they would see this:

The only downside I foresee is the students becoming confused by her spontaneous diagramming of Luther’s pants?

RA screencap courtesy of RichardArmitageNet.Com. Other images in the public domain.

February 29, 2012
Categories: Geek, Robin Hood, SO . Tags: , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 12 Comments

A New Addiction?

This is a follow on to my previous post.

I have been on Twitter for over three years, and it has opened up the world in a way that other social media or forums or any number of other online dynamics has never done for me. Just so you understand the magnitude of that statement from my perspective, I have had an internet id in one form or another since 1986 — several years before the Web was born and certainly before the general public even knew what the Internet was and maybe a couple of years before Al Gore invented it ;-). These were the days when the nice graphical user interface (GUI; pronounced gooey) that allows point and click existed. We could only hand key ping commands (which still run the Net under the covers today) into a command line, and the most sophisticated graphic was made with letters and symbols and viewed on a monochrome display. Eighty byte files we manually appended were used to create community, and those later became forums.

At that time, the only people on the Internet were the U.S. Military, a few other departments of the U.S. government, a few foreign groups, some universities doing R&D, and a handful of IT companies. We had a blast talking to each other about life and love and the future of technology, and I still have some of the bulletin board topics preserved in hard copy. They are precious to me because the interactions with those very thoughtful people literally and very dramatically changed my life. My views were expanded exponentially — in a way that reading thousands of books could probably never do. I was an avid reader at the time and still am, but the immense exchange of not only ideas but also of cultural perspectives had an energy to it that was like tapping into God. I believe in God, so my saying this is in no way making light of that. The Lord already knew all of this was going to happen with technology, and I love that He allows us to explore His creation.

There was also an awareness of God among that early online community. One of the topics often discussed was the pie in the sky of everyone talking to everyone else with immediate communications and how that could be construed as rebuilding the Tower of Babel and what all of that might really mean. Thankfully, I realized very quickly that I have no desire to be God or to play Him with the use of a tool like the Net but rather to enjoy what God has facilitated and let it benefit mankind. For those of you who don’t believe there is a God, obviously, you can disregard, but I would be remiss in not giving tribute where I feel it is deserved.

All of these experiences insured that I would forever have a passion for IT and the Net. So it is my pleasure to try to stay up on what is happening with respect to technical advances and especially with regard to communications. I don’t really have the view that I have to keep up with my kids. They usually have to keep up with me! LOL!

Fast forward 26 years, and Twitter is the realization of decades of dreaming and planning and building of a foundation for communications that is even better than I thought it would be. Does it have some problems? Are people involved? :D Yet it’s fantastic because relationships are integral to it. Isn’t that the point ultimately?

And for the recent moves by Twitter to do some censorship, I don’t sweat that because people have become inured to easy access to each other, and techies are the most rabid about preserving it. There’s no going back. So even if Twitter really starts clamping down, something else will spring up to take its place. But for now, this is the thing.

edit: oooh, lots of typos and bad sentences in this. That’s what I get for posting without editing. Ouch! LOL! I’ve fixed the typos I saw. You’ll have to live with the bad sentences. :D

February 27, 2012
Categories: Geek, Tangents . Tags: , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 14 Comments

You Are Missing Out

If you are not on Twitter, you are missing some fun and some friends. I swear it won’t make your IQ go down. Can I get a show of hands of those who agree?! And it’s a helpful tool for business as well as being a blast although I will admit I do not use my RAFrenzy id for business. Oh no.

I actually have four Twitter id’s. One as my real self, one for business, one I’ve reserved for possible use later, and of course the Frenz id. Although I’ve said this before, it merits a repeat. You would be amazed at the people I’ve conversed with as a result of Twitter. Got some work out of it too! :D

So all of you who follow my blog and aren’t on Twitter, I hope you will consider joining, and if you are unsure how to proceed, I will be happy to help you out. It can be a little intimidating when you first begin. But if you know just a few basics, that’s quickly dispelled. So will you think about it?

And if you do join, please follow the Fanstravaganza id. Maybe we’ll get something good:

https://twitter.com/#!/FanstRAvaganza/status/174227430310031360

February 27, 2012
Categories: Fandom . Tags: , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 33 Comments

Bret Won!

Okay, that title says it all! Bret McKenzie won the Oscar for Best Song! I knew my bet was good. :D

This isn’t the winning song, but I like it anyway ’cause Bret is so loveable:

February 26, 2012
Categories: Movies, Musicilove, Tangents . Tags: , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 2 Comments

New Meaning to ‘Unexpected Journey’

The One Ring is hosting an Oscar party in 2013 for ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,’ and I think we might be invited. Check it out here.

February 26, 2012
Categories: Movies, The Hobbit . Tags: , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 7 Comments

My Money’s on Bret

If you don’t know Bret McKenzie, hang around a bit. I’ve already talked about him here and here and obviously am doing it again. I have to since he’s nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song!

Some interesting insight into New Zealand and the LOTR franchise, but I initially watched it because Bret’s a piece of work, which in my part of the world, means he’s interesting and funny. Yeah, piece o’ work definitely fits. And he’s a scream too. I mean I usually scream with laughter when I see him. Sadly, I probably would not have paid attention to him if Richard Armitage had not been cast in ‘The Hobbit’. Mostly I’ve gotten to know him as half of the duo known as ‘Flight of the Conchords’. And his partner Jemaine is also a scream. I’ve got a piece written just on him. He demanded it. :D

Some of their work for your viewing pleasure, but a warning to put away any drinks and go to the bathroom first as you may wet your pants laughing, and if you do not ever like anything crude, don’t watch!


Yes, this is a piece on Bret, but I couldn’t help myself. Had to throw in more Jemaine.

For more on them, check out What the Folk.

Oh, I almost forgot the nominated song. This is for those who haven’t seen the movie (I haven’t):

Bret,

If you don’t win, I still love ya, and really, you can mine more out of this if you don’t win. But never mind that I said that. You’re gonna win, baby! :D

Signed,
I’m not telling

February 26, 2012
Categories: Interviews, Movies, Musicilove, Tangents, The Hobbit . Tags: , , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 10 Comments

Are You a Fangirl?

February 25, 2012

Stand up and be counted!

We are in cyber world where you can have this kind of fun without repercussion, i.e., family and friends taking the Mickey out of you. So don’t let your inflated opinion of who you’re supposed to be keep you from having fun with this. As for me, I’m having a blast. My only qualm is that I may get so free that I say something to offend the uh, object of my affection.

Oh, you don’t know him? Well, neither do I, but I like to pretend I do. It makes for all sorts of fun. I write him fake fan letters and post pictures of him when no way I would really write him a letter from my real self or put up a picture outside this blog. I must maintain my cool image. ;-) It would be blown to hell if I actually had a picture. Listen, the DVD collection is already pushing it. And I suspect there are many of you like me but you’re too afraid to admit it — even here. But you’re wrong to be fearful. Go ahead and try it! Nothing is going to fall on you. Not sure about that? Well, I’ve been blogging for almost two years and commenting in cyber world more than twice as long, and I’m still here.

And guess what? I’m sane and married to a sane person, and I have four sane kids, who have excellent character and make excellent grades in school (I had to get that in about the kids since that is what I’m most proud of). I also have a job that requires me to be very responsible. But most important for you to know is that I do sometimes step away from my laptop and go outside and smell the fresh air and people come to my house and I go to theirs and we visit and eat dinner together, and oh, I do all sorts of things that are so ridiculously normal it would bore you to hear all of them.

So why this outlet? I asked myself that question for a long time, and sometimes I still have a moment of circumspection that could generate fear. But I no longer ask it because I think I have the answer, and I’m writing about my journey to it in my Diary, which sometimes gets a little depressing, but I promise the end of the story turns out well! Yes, there is an endpoint. I had it as a target when I first started the blog and really thought I would reach it by my first anniversary. You see how that turned out. I make no promises about my second anniversary, but I’m determined to finish and hope that you or someone will benefit. I know I am.

So my object:

Isn’t he cute?


Has a good sense of humor too.


And a good listener.


I mean he really listens.


And sometimes it hits him what’s happened.


“Yeah, man, there’s these women, fangirls they’re called…”


“…and one sent me this thing… well, it was…”


“…maybe I shouldn’t describe it. All I know is it was good for me. So yeah, I have some fantasies.”


“That’s right. I have some fantasies too even though I would never date any of you.”


“Oh yeah, man, I’m careful.”

I love that interview, and for those who have never seen the real thing, go here.

Screencaps courtesy of RichardArmitageNet.com

edit: and a slideshow of this group of photos on RichardArmitageNet.

February 25, 2012
Categories: Fandom, Interviews . Tags: , , , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 44 Comments

Happy Blogiversary to MeandRichard!

I look forward to more posts, and a million hits is around the corner. :D

And now for some fanfare:

Yes, it’s really called the Blogiversary Movie — proving that YouTube has pretty much everything. LOL!

February 25, 2012
Categories: Fandom . Tags: , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 10 Comments

Timeout for New Zealand — a year ago

It’s stunning to me the earthquake in New Zealand occurred a year ago today, and I’m embarrassed to admit I probably would have paid little attention to its aftermath if not for Richard Armitage. But what a difference a year makes. Since ‘The Hobbit’ began filming there, I have met some very lovely New Zealanders, and they have made my association with the country personal.

It occurred to me early this morning how much I feel a kinship with the Kiwis, and really all of the people in that part of the world, when I was reading about experiences during the quake.

Famous Cantabrians’ quake experiences

Cullen Smith | Wednesday, February 22, 2012 6:00

Renowned Christchurch children’s author Margaret Mahy, OBE, was on the move in Beckenham when the quake struck.

“I was in a car going down Colombo St. I thought a wheel had come off but the driver, my helper and chauffeur Lisa Anson, said ‘no, it’s an earthquake’.”

The 75-year-old former librarian said they immediately headed back home to Governors Bay via Dyers Pass.

“We were a bit apprehensive. We didn’t know if the road was open or if we could get through. The earthquake was quite jolty.

Read the rest here.

Mark Hadlow’s situation in particular got to me. My father was in a plane crash when I was a kid. When we first got the news, it was fairly grim. The plane had been mangled almost beyond recognition. It was an hour before we knew if Dad was alive, and I will never forget the feeling of terror.

In our case, my father was very bruised yet able to walk away, but I know there were those in Christchurch who were not as fortunate as my family and Mark Hadlow’s. My heart still goes out to them. If I had it my way, there would be no death and destruction, and there would always be joy in the morning. It’s morning a year later, and I continue to pray that those so severely affected are able to continue healing. Knowing what I now do about the personality of the people from Down Under and Slightly to One Side, I’m confident they have it in perspective but still wanted to share my thoughts.

And a message of hope from their countrymen.

February 21, 2012
Categories: The Hobbit, Timeout . Tags: , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 2 Comments

Reblog of 365 Trinkets

Okay, I lied. I’ve got one more thing this evening, and then I’m off to bed. No, we didn’t finish ‘North and South.’ One more episode to go.

I come with this because it’s a wonderful blog, and I really don’t like to throw around words like ‘wonderful’ and only use them when something really just grabs me, and well, I think it’s wonderful.

Tonight’s post from 365 Trinkets:

When our art teachers told us to make something, we said, “Gimme one good reason why I should.” When they told us we had to simply because they told us to, we said, “Whatever, then I’m not doing it.” Then, when they told us that Mother’s Day was coming up and that we should at least make something for our moms, we said, “Yeah, okay, fine–but what do I make?” Man, teachers don’t get paid enough, but when I was 15 and said this to my art teacher, she told me to make this plant pot, and I’m glad she did because it offered me a chance to be misunderstood.

That is in fact a bee you see on the side of this pot and not a caterpillar, as my mother mistakenly assumed. “Oh, and look at the cute caterpillar on here,” she said.

Read the rest here

And this is someone who is not blogging everyday, but do I care? Heck no! I just look forward to whenever he decides to post, and I think you will too if you haven’t already read that piece. You can thank me later for turning you onto this blog. :D And for not using the WordPress reblog function. LOL!

Good evening.

February 20, 2012
Categories: Tangents . Tags: , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 1 Comment

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