bullshit | RAFrenzy

Poor Richard

It seems there is an epidemic which was first noticed on Facebook:

Area Facebook User Incredibly Stupid

DOYLESTOWN, PA—Describing him as frequently frustrated and overwhelmed, sources confirmed Monday that local Facebook user Michael Huffman is incredibly stupid. “I need stuff easy,” said the absolute dipshit, adding that he finds many things confusing, and that those things must be changed so that they make sense to him.

read the rest here

This article was the Onion’s response to Facebook’s plan to put the hashtags #satire and possibly #comedy on the Onion’s FB posts. It’s all because of the condition known as Drawing Unwarranted Misinterpretations from Bullshit, and this propensity now seems to be on Twitter and infecting Richard Armitage and some of those around him.

Oh shit!

Dear Richard,

I want to apologize for the fake fan letter to Elliott Lester and how it may have negatively affected him and you! I’ve had my tongue in my cheek so long I didn’t realize you and some others would actually take me seriously. This fear of being taken seriously is one reason I started using so damn many emoticons a few years ago. Before I did that, oh man, it was hell. I’m not a great writer you see, so I had to do something to make it clear I was teasing. But I guess the emoticons weren’t enough huh? Yes, I KNOW you read my fake fan letter to Elliott or somehow got wind of it and felt so put upon you had to actually provide a photo. No, don’t bother denying. I KNOW you did.

I just wish I had known you are both stupid. If I had, I would have put the ‘bullshit’ tag on that post, so you would not have suffered any mental anguish. And I NEVER would have said this when you were so kind to provide a beautiful photo:

Oh man, I am so sorry. It was a sacrilege. I know that now, and please, no worries about acquiring glasses. I’ll just take the photo as it is, and every time I look at it, I will feel duly ashamed of myself for being so bold.

Signed,
A crazy fan who really, really, really didn’t mean to ruin your day and would love to know how I could make it up to you.

P.S. I guess I need to face the fact you’re an action fan who needs the dots connected. Yes, this is bullshit.

Watch someone think I really believe Richard Armitage is stupid. Oy.

Whatever, it seems Armitage Protection Mode is alive and well. (I wonder if it ever hits those infected that they’re trying to protect a 43 year old man LOL!)

And I have always wanted to title a post with that phrase. I’ve also been dying to use that Onion story. :D

edit: dropping the snark for a moment but just a moment. For those who are confused, just know that it seems some fans thought Richard Armitage was badgered into providing us a picture. To wit:

Ok you win! Day 9. Downtown LA. X pic.twitter.com/GefsXqdoeX

— Richard Armitage (@RCArmitage) October 16, 2014

October 17, 2014
Categories: Fandom, Movies, Sleepwalker . Tags: action fans, APM, Armitage Protection Mode, bullshit, crazy people, Elliott Lester, fake fan letters, fun, I meant no harm honest, Richard Armitage, social media, social media pitfalls . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 20 Comments

I Am Taking Back the Word Thug

January 24, 2014

The recent brouhaha about Richard Sherman is not important to me in itself. I don’t care what he said after the NFC Championship. I do care that he was called a thug. Actually, I don’t care much about that either because I don’t care what goes on in the sports world. My eyes glaze over thinking about the sports world. But I understand from SO, who is into what goes on there (translation: he reads the sports pages religiously), that some people have made way too much out of Sherman’s statements and erroneously called him a thug.

What I really care about is Sherman’s characterization of the word. He’s certainly entitled to fight back when he’s been unfairly ostracized for what he said. But he’s overreacting and trying to change the meaning of a word for all of us and to something racist. I’m calling vigorous bullshit on that. Thug does not mean the n-word. Maybe to some select group out there it might, but thug does not mean the n-word to most people. To most it still means someone who is up to no good and often a bully.

I resent like hell that I feel pressured to qualify any future use of that word. What I really resent is the news media co-opting words so they become inflammatory and to use them may immediately brand someone a racist. Who wants to keep up with that? To keep up with what you can and cannot say on every little bitty word so that you do not offend anyone, anywhere at anytime? Do you want to live in that world?

If I were paranoid, I would think Mr. Sherman is a Marxist. That’s a bridge too far, but he is displaying Marxist tendencies to change the language and take control. Maybe he feels compelled to take control, but this isn’t the way to do it. But maybe he’s figured something out that the rest of us need to be very aware of in the future — to control the language is to control the thoughts of people. I wish I had a citation to back that up, but I’m too lazy to look it up. This is supposed to be a fun place remember? (Forgive me this piece please.) I just know from study about a hundred years ago in college, that Marxism uses language to shape groups of people. I also understand from SO that Sherman is brilliant intellectually as well as athletically. We’ll see how his gambit plays out. I guess he needs to get the press as his tool to be successful.

Bottom line for me: to the readers of this blog and anyone who knows me in real life interactions, I’m going to use the word thug when I want to use it, and it will not mean the n-word.

And for the record, the autograph thugs were all white guys. Just sayin’.

January 24, 2014
Categories: Tangents . Tags: bullshit, politically correct, Richard Sherman, thug . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 16 Comments

While I’m Being So Blunt, Some Further Thoughts or Oh the Places You’ll Go II

Are you in need of some mirth? No, make that belly laughs to the point of almost being sick (yes, I’m being serious about this — when I’m not laughing so hard I literally — yes, I mean actually — can’t type), then visit a certain gay gossip site.

Over the course of this blog’s life and especially in the last couple of weeks, I’ve had people send me notes in regard to that site, and they go something like this, “Unreal what they say over there,” or “I can’t believe what I read,” or “They’re nuts.” And aren’t we glad? I know I am.

Whenever I’ve gone to that site, I’ve laughed my ass off. Actually, I wish it could make me laugh my ass off and then I would happily pay them a fortune. All I know is I’m laughing so hard that it ought to do something earth shaking. But usually it just makes my family wonder what drug I’ve taken. The other night I was laughing hysterically, and SO, who was on the other side of the house, finally yelled, “What’s so funny?!” I was literally (damn there’s that word again) almost busting a gut, and there were tears in my eyes, and I was just rolling around with every nerve ending on my body being tickled. When I heard that question, I began to compose myself, and it did feel like coming off of a high. Once I was calmed down enough to think straight, I thought, “I need to go to that site more often ’cause it’s way better than any nitrous oxide.”

And the thread which put me over the top?

Stars no one thinks are gay but you

When I started reading, I was thinking, yeah, that person seems gay. Uh huh, yeah that person too. Oh yeah, definitely that person. But then I see this:

Vince Vaughn

Nah, I’m not feelin’ that one.

Then further down:

Jimmy Stewart

No, I don’t think so.

Then a gimme:

George Bush

Moving on from the wiseass, I read:

Harrison Ford

No way! UNLESS Harrison Ford really can act!

I start to giggle on that one.

I read on:

Jerry Seinfeld

Yeah, this I can see. Not because Jerry is gay but because he doesn’t seem like a guy who wants to be crossways with anyone, so he may even love being on the list. I can hear Jerry now, “When I’m gay, these are things I do……, but I’m not gay — at least not today. Catch me tomorrow.”

I started to have a deeper throated chuckle at this point, and then it started to get serious:

Jim Henson

The poster thought he really died of aids.

Another poster agreed.

Someone took exception:

It was pneumonia, bitches.

(No, I’m not making this up.)

Anyway, I’m trying not to belly laugh at this point — no offense to Jim Henson’s memory.

Then someone really got into the spirit of the topic and posted this:

Julie Andrews

Martha Stewart

Ronald Reagan

Carol Burnett

Troy Aikman

Christopher Reeves

That’s when I fell off the bed laughing. SO was concerned and wanted to see what I was reading. Then he started laughing too and we ended up comprising our own list of those who no one thinks are gay “but you.” So glad for the “but you.” There’s some sort of comfort in it.

Okay, so maybe there is a question mark about Christopher Reeves.

If you decide to make your own list, there is a proviso. It must include someone worth being on the list. Let me put a fine point on that, if a person is good looking or extremely charismatic or highly successful, they are gay. If someone is ugly or a loser, they are straight mother f*ckers. ;-) Yeah, I’m puttin’ that wink there for the people who have no humor.

I gotta go back to that site. May have to make another visit today. I need something to take away the bad taste of that hellaciously long meeting from yesterday (yes, it’s still with me and impacting my schedule today), and a bunch of mouthy queens might do the trick.

For those guys at the gossip site, love ya, and hope you don’t mind this “frau” having a chuckle or two at your expense. Hey, we’re all anonymous, so it shouldn’t matter. :D

note: new tag – Oh the places you’ll go. I should have done that tag a long time ago! Need to go back and tag some old posts with that one.

January 24, 2014
Categories: Fandom . Tags: bullshit, Carol Burnett, Christopher Reeves, crazy people, fun, gay gossip, George Bush, if you take this seriously then I'm worried about you, Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Henson, Jimmy Stewart, Julie Andrews, Martha Stewart, Oh the places you'll go, RichardArmitage, Ronald Reagan, Troy Aikman, Vince Vaughn . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 7 Comments

Tangent — Do We Really Have Time for This?

I promise I’m going to get back to Richard Armitage. I always do!

But for now, can I vent for a moment? Yeah, I’m going to do it anyway.

I despise meetings. Not because they aren’t necessary sometimes, but because most people don’t come prepared, and then they don’t know when to shut up after they get there.

And if there is no written agenda? Oy.

Write a frigging agenda and stick to it.

All of this is to say I’ve been in a meeting with a group since 8:30 this morning, and it’s 1:10 now, and I just got loose a few minutes ago. I was about to say, “You are serving lunch to us, right?”

To answer my own question from above, I don’t have the time. I’m meeting myself — coming and going — which is generally how I like it since I hate being bored. I despise that even more than meetings. Problem is that boredom and meetings often go hand in hand.

Thought for the day: a person who can run a meeting efficiently is worth their weight in gold and pretty scarce.

Okay, I’m done. For now. ‘Cause this damn meeting should not take up any more of my time.

A picture of Richard Armitage for me and for you, the poor soul who read this rant:

Yeah, Rich, that was the look on my face when I left the meeting, but I’m feeling better now that I’ve inflicted my frustration on cyber world.

January 23, 2014
Categories: Miscellaneous works, Tangents . Tags: aggravation, bullshit, meetings, Peter Macduff, Shakespeare Retold, talking too much . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 8 Comments

Taking Notes

Last year around this time my bullshit detector was running on high due to all the press gushing over The Hobbit. I figured if I stayed away from most of the PR this year, the detector would keep quiet. No luck. Every time I get close, that thing makes an awful racket. None of this is to say I’m against the PR. Not at all. Sir Peter and Warners have to do what they have to do. Gotta make a living, and there’s no shame in that. But I’m not feeling the love for my part in it. Mainly because, well, I am bored with it. Okay, there I said it, and that was hard to say because I know so many are having fun with it. I envy you, but mostly I ain’t feelin’ it. If I can find some humor, I’m okay, but when I can’t, it’s hard to keep up the pretense I’m into it.

And if my gut is still working well, I would say Richard Armitage isn’t into it either. But again, gotta make a living, and I wish him all the best with what he has to do. Thankfully, I don’t have to do it with him. LOL!

Now for the good part. Yeah, there’s a good part to this; it’s not just a mini-rant about the droning of the Hobbit press. So the good part is Richard is getting quite the education in how to promote a movie and all the shit that goes on with it. This is a wonderful thing for him for two reasons. One, I still believe he’s destined for a spot behind the camera, and it’s going to be good. No, I’m in no rush for him to stop acting, but hey, why does he have to leave acting to get behind the camera? Why are those mutually exclusive? Clint Eastwood didn’t leave acting to direct or produce. If he can do it, Richard Armitage can do it. Two (and maybe this should be One), is there any doubt Sir Peter is the master on how to mount and promote a project? Oh you doubt that? ROFLOL!! You need to do some homework.

The dude is a marketing genius, and his ability to leverage fandom is, in my opinion, unmatched by any other director. As a business person who’s had to put on the marketing hat, I really appreciate his ability in this area, because that is hard work. And for those purists who hate all marketing types, let me put it this way, you wouldn’t see most of the movies you love if not for the marketers. It’s a necessary evil like insurance and pap smears. Sorry to digress. The point is Richard is learning from one of the best. And if there’s one thing that seems to be evident, he’s teachable and has a keen bullshit detector himself.

I love photos like this one because he has that look in his eye that says, I know what’s going on, and I’m going along with it, but inside, I’m smirking a little:

And this is one great perk to blogging — I can attach any meaning I want to a photo. :D

Other than all of this above, I am looking forward to seeing the next installment of The Hobbit.

December 7, 2013
Categories: Fandom, Movies, The Hobbit . Tags: bullshit, candid shots, Desolation of Smaug, pr machines, promoting Thorin Oakenshield, Richard Armitage . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 15 Comments

Mr. Armitage Goes to Los Angeles, or RA on Politics Part III?

The conversation between Richard “I have no experience” Armitage and Little Jackie Paper was a scream. It seemed there was a private joke between them and any moment both of them would break out in giggles. Heck, I did break out in giggles when “Jackie” kept referring to Thorin “Orkenshield.” [edit: I have been duly chastened on the proper spelling of Orcenshield. :D]

Then it got even funnier when Richard gave a lesson on inhaling and blowing:

And Jackie Paper is thinking, “Oh yeah, man, that’s perfect.”

Or at least it looked that way. But what do I know? Pass the brownies. :D

note: watch some people take this seriously.

December 3, 2013
Categories: Movies, The Hobbit . Tags: bullshit, crazy people, Desolation of Smaug, fun, Hobbit Premiere, politics, puff the magic dragon, RA on Politics, red carpet, Richard Armitage, Thorin Oakenshield, Thorin Orkenshield, weed . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 9 Comments

#4 Richard Armitage and His Hair

This is part of my series of posts counting down to and through the Thanksgiving holidays and expressing my thankfulness for something I’ve received, experienced or participated in.

Richard and His Hair.

Richard Armitage has excellent hair. I’ve thought that ever since I saw this:

It was a vast improvement over the extensions:

But back to the luscious locks:

Is that seriously awesome looking hair or what? Women would kill to have hair like this. And if those are extensions around his neck, I don’t want to hear about it! That looks real.

And I’m going to stay off the topic of his sideburns as I absolutely despised long sideburns until I saw them on Richard. I’m not kidding when I say that. I cannot stand long sideburns. They look awful to me, but Richard can wear them, and I’m thinking about a wolf whistle.

About the time I got used to the magnificent mullet, I was hit with this:

That’s the mother of all razor cuts. I mean all razor cuts are or should be defined by it, and when their barbers are suggesting razor cuts, men should aspire to this cut. Not 6’2″, don’t have beautiful blue eyes and a great jaw? No problem. There’s a cut that fixes all of that. I can hear the thinking now.

And then there was this which created a backlash in RA Universe. A significant number were saying ewwwww to Guy’s new do. Me? I loved it. Even when it was unwashed the first few weeks, but man, he cleaned up well:

Then it was back to the sleek look:

Where he stayed until this came around:

I’m a beard person, so this was fantastic to me.

And since then, I’ve been treated to all types of styles to please any appraising eye.

A little bit of a pompadour going on in this one:

Not much hair shown; this was the brutally short look:

Okay, so it’s not all of his hair, but Thorin’s mane is fantastic. I had to show it, and you get some chest hair thrown in:

Back to the tailored look, and I’m talking the hair:

This one is the I don’t give a rat’s ass how I look ’cause I’m considering that prisoner of war role:

And finally the pompadour is perfected:

That particular photo still packs a punch.

Heck, it’s just been more or less a thrill ride to see what he would come with next, and it occurred to me that there is no need to get antsy about his next project and every reason to be thankful for being entertained by his hair. To wit:

Is there enough going on here to make a ponytail for Poldark?

And if I get bored with this, I can go back to some old photos.

Here’s a favorite:

See what I mean about the sideburns?

December 1, 2013
Categories: PHWOAR!, Robin Hood, Spooks, Strike Back, The Hobbit . Tags: bullshit, crazy people, damn good hair, fun, good hair, Guy of Gisborne, hair, John Porter, learning to make waiting pleasurable, Lucas North, Richard Armitage, Richard's Hair, screencaps, Thanksgiving, waiting . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 15 Comments

And Dad Eats Free Too

Last night I was staying at the Hilton and got a complimentary digital copy of USA Today. Very timely since Mother’s Day is almost here!

SO leaned over my shoulder and offered with a grin, “I had something else in mind for Mother’s Day, but this looks good.”

Okay, I was just kidding about dad eating for free.

The real kicker is no woman eats free unless she has a kid in tow. Yes, she can leave dad at home. :D

May 11, 2013
Categories: SO, Tangents . Tags: bullshit, crazy people, Hooters, morons, Mother's Day . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 12 Comments

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: bullshit, crazy people, Guy of Gisborne, obsession, Richard Armitage, technology is grand, yes crazy people have the most fun . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 12 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?