Tangent — A Little More About Twitter in the Fine Art of Richard Armitage Watching

I’m not quite sure this is a tangent, since the point is ultimately about Richard Armitage watching, but it feels like a tangent. Hell, this whole blog feels like a tangent. Ahem.

Twitter is a great tool once you get used to it. Yeah, there’s a bunch of bs that goes on there, but it’s one of the quickest ways to find out information; however, you’re at a disadvantage if you’re only using Twitter to well, access your Twitter account. With the advent of Twitter, Facebook, et al, there had to be something on the scene to manage them easily. I use Hootsuite. The best thing about it for me is the ability to see several things at once. I can watch tweets on my account stream and also show streams for searches of which I can make a permanent stream or do one on the fly, like oh let’s say The Rover. Yes, I’ll explain a stream.

Here’s what my Hootsuite Dashboard looks like, and please don’t let it overwhelm you. It’s really a lifesaver, or maybe just a headache saver because you can get lost just navigating your Twitter pages without it.

Click on image to enlarge.

The first stream is my account stream or what I would see on the home page of my Twitter account. The tweets showing on that page are the ones I make and the ones made by people I follow. Since I can see all of their tweets, I know if they say something to me. But not everyone who tweets to me am I following, so for those I have the second stream which shows any tweets that contain @RAFrenzy. The third stream I created to show any ‘Richard Armitage’ or #RichardArmitage comments in someone’s tweet. That pulls in anything anyone says on Twitter that has either of those phrases in it. The second phrase with # sign is referred to as a hashtag. You can create any search you want, and I have several on my ‘Twitter 2nd’ Hootsuite page. It makes things really easy to find. The fourth stream is one of my lists, which are groups of users you can make in lieu of following those users. I made one of media outlets that might have something of interest concerning RA but not necessarily use his name. If I followed all of these, it would clutter up my home stream, and frankly, from time to time I quit following some users and put them on a list. What’s great is that you don’t even have to make your own list. You can follow someone else’s.

Hopefully, you’ll consider doing Twitter and even Hootsuite. Frankly, if you’re going to make the most out of being a ripple in the RA pond, you should. LOL! You just have to ponder it a bit, and there are plenty of us to help if your eyes get glazed over.:D

Just more of my public service to you. ;-)

Screencap courtesy of RichardArmitageNet.Com

P.S. I know there are other tools for managing Twitter. Feel free to share them, and perhaps about accessing from a phone. I just didn’t want to get into that in this post.

November 26, 2010
Categories: Geek, Tangents . Tags: , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 7 Comments

Sometimes I Still Stop

And ask myself what am I doing?! I’ve now written almost 300 posts and published over 170. And most of that is about someone I don’t know and never will. Yes, I feel like a fool sometimes, but what alleviates my conscience is that I’m having such a good time writing. Oh, I know this blog is more than half bullshit, but it’s kept my hand in the writing, and I really do spend time writing other things, which has me asking another question even more frequently: why, why, why was I not writing sooner? Some of the answer is in my diary entries, but I’m not going to tell you everything because I do have to protect the guilty, and, I’m afraid the other stuff would bore the socks off of you.

Or maybe that’s me projecting on you how I feel. I can get bored very quickly, and it’s shocking that I’m still with this blog. I figured this was going to be a one note song — this talking about Richard Armitage all the time, but I never knew something seemingly one-dimensional could be this much fun. NO! I don’t mean Richard Armitage. Apparently he’s not one-dimensional or he wouldn’t have attracted so many interesting fans. Did I just compliment myself as well as all of you? Yeah, I think I did. Whatever, this is fun and you all are fun, and I thank you for giving me so much pleasure. Oh, and thanks to RA too. :D

I need a picture badly.

I honestly don’t know where this picture came from, but it’s too good not to use. I realize it came from the Children in Need clips; just not sure who made it. Whatever, looking at that makes it clear why I keep blogging. Of course, it’s not just how he looks, but that doesn’t hurt. Phew, that stance definitely demands a cold bucket of water on our collective heads. And if People Magazine doesn’t get with it in the next year or two, I may never read that rag again.

At least others get it.

Picture courtesy of Karima. Thank you, Karima! :D

November 21, 2010
Categories: PHWOAR!, Robin Hood . Tags: , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 48 Comments

This is the Way to Sell Newspapers!

This is a public service announcement for some of you chocolate lovers out there. :D

I received a little treat in my inbox today, but alas I can’t claim it. In case any of you John Thornton fans and chocolate lovers in the UK missed this, I thought I would bring it to your attention. Here’s the deal:

“Free chocolates for every reader!” according to the Daily Mail:


We have teamed up with Thornton’s to offer all our readers a delicious chocolate treat from the nation’s favourite British chocolate company.
chocs

Buy the Daily Mail on Saturday November 6 to claim yours free!

Simply buy the Daily Mail on Saturday November 6 where you will find a Voucher printed. Then take the Voucher along to your nearest Thorntons store to redeem your free bag of Viennese Truffles.

Read the rest here.

Now if Thorntons Chocolate would just figure out they have a goldmine in Richard Armitage.

If I had time, I would make a mock up bag for them. Perhaps someone resourceful out there can do it!

November 5, 2010
Categories: Fandom, North and South . Tags: , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 1 Comment

Our Guy and the Lucas Countdown

Unless you’re under a rock in the RA universe, you know by now that our guy Richard Armitage is going to be playing Thorin Oakenshield in “The Hobbit.” What I found interesting is the filming schedule. Begins in February. What else do we know begins filming in February? Oh, I understand if you’re a novice at this Richard Armitage watching. So let me instruct you as an act of public service. ;-) You may not be aware that the BBC show Spooks will start filming in February, and RA plays one of the main characters, Lucas North. No, he’s nothing like Guy of Gisborne in this one. At least that’s what I have been thinking, but on second thought, he might be a bad guy (pardon the pun).

I’m trying to process the speculation about Lucas, and now? Is it too early to say he’s toast? I mean RA is good at running from location to location, but no one’s that good. London to New Zealand is still quite a trek (assuming the squabbling over labor is settled and it will be in NZ). Or maybe Spooks is going on location again? No, they’ve got their Greek God replacement, so I think they’ll stay home.

Whatever the case with Lucas North, I hope he goes down in a blaze of glory. Does it have to be a peaceful death? No offense to RA’s wishes. Somehow that wouldn’t be nearly as much fun, and a peaceful death is harder to write, and well, do I need to explain why I don’t hold out hope for a well done peaceful death? Of course if it’s a violent death, then I suppose it will have to be a bomb. Maybe I can hold out for a death like Guy’s where he still gets to say a few words at the end. All I know at this point is that I’m on for the ride with Lucas, and I will enjoy it no matter what. But my most ardent wish is that he will come to his senses at the end and have a mad, passionate love affair with Beth. She can even be Alpha.

In the meantime, I’m salivating at the thought of SO, who is an LOTR fan, paying to watch Richard Armitage in a movie.

October 22, 2010
Categories: Miscellaneous works, Movies, SO, Spooks, The Hobbit . Tags: , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 9 Comments

On Top of Your Game

If you are a frequent viewer of any of the triumviRAte sites (RichardArmitageNet.Com, RichardArmitageOnline, or RichardArmitageCentral), then you probably know about Richard’s reading of Wordsworth today on BBC 3. If you haven’t been reading as much lately, then know that it will be done here at 10:45pm London time.

If some of you are like me, you won’t be around to listen to this live. Don’t fear. You can listen to it on the BBC iPlayer at a later time, but usually only for a limited number of days. If you would like to do this, you can search the archives for this show. I’ve done the search on ‘Words and Music,’ which is the name of the program, and you can run this link to do your own search later. update: To listen on the iPlayer, go here. second update: but if you don’t want to listen to the whole thing, bccmee has provided only RA’s parts. I recommend listening to the entire broadcast the first time around.

But if you’re also like me, listening to it on the iPlayer will not be enough. You must also have a copy for your stash. Good news for those of you who have a PC and have not already read A Little Sweetner. There is a way. It’s called Radio Downloader, and if you read that post, it explains what it does. Just so you know it’s very easy to download the program, and it doesn’t take up much space. You can then browse the BBC for “programmes” and subscribe if you like. But beware of subscribing as this software will download dynamically to your system, i.e., you can start to fill up your storage if you’re not careful about your subscriptions. Other than that caution, this software has been wonderful to manage not to mention facilitating the enjoyment of several more performances of RA using that voice that is God’s gift to women.

And it’s been so much more than that. I’ve become a major fan of British radio, and ‘Words and Music’ is one of my favorites. I’m SO SORRY I didn’t listen to British radio sooner. I missed out on the Chekhov celebration earlier in the year. Blast! If anyone has any of those recordings, please let me know.

Now we just need to get a program this easy to manipulate that runs on a Mac!!

Not into radio? Well, next up is something you might find interesting.

September 12, 2010
Categories: Geek, Voice Work . Tags: , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 9 Comments

Where’s the Bunny?

September 10, 2010

It’s been almost two years since I first read the blog piece about good fans going bad and the referenced Wikipedia page about CWS (Celebrity Worship Syndrome). My cursory reading of the wiki page left me thinking there were huge gaps in the scale; I certainly knew I didn’t quite fit the descriptions. I was so disturbed by my own behavior, I didn’t want to pursue any further information about CWS. Nevertheless, when I was getting ready to start this blog, I reviewed the page, and it seems that others have taken exception to the scale. I’ve been hesitant to highlight this because it might be the ultimate rationalization for fleeing treatment of Richard Armitage addiction, but when did that ever stop me? Plus, my public service gene demands that I bring it to your attention. ;-) That way you will be prepared if someone slaps you with this.

Earlier this year someone updated that wiki page to add a section called “Critical reflection on celebrity worship and mental health.” God Bless ‘Em. (Or maybe I was so addled I missed it the first time around?) It seems the methods of research for this “syndrome” may not have been scientifically applied and the researchers biased. If I were not so busy, I might read more, but maybe someone who is inclined will take it up. All I know is that I got a little antsy when I read that one of the CWS researchers is from the University of Leicester. Uh oh. Could that be one of RA’s relatives who is exasperated with all of us? Or is he someone on the town council who’s sick of hearing that maps of H___________ need to be printed after every tour bus of Radio 4 listeners comes through, or perhaps he read about the building permit needed for the 12 foot fence around the Armitage’s backyard. I don’t know. I don’t know. But then I wondered if this professor heard about the chocolate pants. That would make me wonder about someone’s sanity, and I fleetingly wondered if I might become so far gone I would send RA some chocolate pants. Oh, hell no! Well, not if I were in my right mind. Then I realized I could devise my own scale and make it sound scientific. I did have a thing for Fred Demara. Not quite sure he was my soul mate (but maybe), so I’m certain I can figure out something that sounds scientific.

In the great tradition of the Web playing doctor, I’ve devised a scale and below it is a poll for you to assure yourself honestly assess your situation:

Entertainment-social

This comprises attitudes of fans who gain great pleasure from laughing about chocolate pants sent to a celebrity when they’re not nauseous at the thought. Sometimes they even get sick laughing as they imagine the expression on the celebrity’s face when he receives the chocolate pants. But these fans have no desire to ever send the celebrity (or anyone else) some chocolate pants as actually doing that is sickening to them and they don’t know where in hell anyone would buy them anyway. Well, maybe they wouldn’t send their own chocolate pants if they ever did know where to buy them, but maybe send them as someone else’s just to see what happens, er, rather to embrace the humor of the perceived reaction of the celebrity upon receipt of the chocolate pants as long as they are sent through the post and not by using them as a missile during an interview of the celebrity, which would require being somewhere nearby and possibly being caught out as a nut.

Intense-personal

Intense-personal aspect of celebrity worship reflects intensive and compulsive feelings about sending chocolate pants to the celebrity, akin to the obsessional tendencies of fans often referred to in literature; for example “I share with my favorite celebrity a need to touch chocolate pants — a feeling that cannot be described in words” and “When something bad happens, I know my favorite celebrity would be refreshed by seeing some chocolate pants from me.”

Borderline-pathological

This dimension is typified by uncontrollable behaviors and fantasies regarding how the chocolate pants will be presented to their celebrities, such as “I have frequent thoughts about wearing chocolate pants while standing in front of my favorite celebrity, even when I don’t want to” and “my favorite celebrity would immediately come to my rescue if something were to happen to my chocolate pants.”

Disclaimer for idiots who think this is serious: NO, nothing I’ve said about anyone in Leicester or the Armitage family is real. Well, except that one of the CWS researchers really is a professor from the University of Leicester — according to Wikipedia.

I ran across this in my uh research for this post: Inkblot Test. If you have some time, take the test. Trust me you’ll like it. And many thanks to the creators of it for the title of this piece. [Note: the title of this piece was taken from this “test”]

edit:

I HATE it when I make a horrible typo or when I realize I made a horrible typo. Will I ever get over that? LOL!

September 10, 2010
Categories: Fandom . Tags: , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 22 Comments

A Little Sweetner

I am changing courses in mid-stream. Maybe that language is too strong. I’m not changing courses, I’m changing how I’m going about the course. I am spending a little more time on the diary entries I wrote awhile back. Couple that with school starting and all the madness that goes along with that, and well, I’m being challenged to find time to get my blog pieces the way I want them.

Because I’ve been remiss in not publishing as often, I offer something to those of you who may not know some of the little goodies that us rabid fans have at our disposal. It’s a neat little program I acquired to listen to BBC Radio. When Clarissa came out earlier this year, I was looking for a way to listen to the broadcasts live or very shortly after the broadcast, and I found it in this program. (Yes, I’m going to tell you what it is — eventually. LOL!)

But since Clarissa aired, I’ve gone way beyond trying to listen to just broadcasts with or about RA or anything in which he’s involved. I have quite an array of subscriptions that are such a delight to me. One of them is the Afternoon Play on Radio 4, and Radio 4 has been such a treat that for months now I’ve been a member of a Facebook advocacy group called Speak up for Radio Drama Now! If you have read this blog for any length of time, you know I have no love for FB, so it’s quite something for me to even stay involved. But I support what they are trying to do with that Group. Not quite sure it’s going to accomplish the purpose, but someone, somewhere needs to know how much BBC Radio 4 is loved!!! Definitely worthy of three exclamations points at once.

I did chuckle to myself when I first heard RA’s crack about BBC Radio 4 listeners being part of his Army. Before Clarissa I could have said indignantly, “Oh, not me!” But I am so in the bag for Radio 4. Yes, I fit his demographic too well except that I’m not sure about the “quite well-educated” part. I still think of myself as a mutt and always will, and I’m fine with that. Mutts can usually go anywhere without much detection. Yeah, I’ll stick with being a mutt. :D

So without further ado here’s the sweetner:

RadioDownloader

I give this to you now because there are probably going to be broadcasts of interviews about Spooks 9, which if Ali at RichardArmitageNet.Com is correct, will more than likely air in September. Then again, there may be nothing broadcast. But I wanted you to be prepared if there were. Just more of my public service to you. ;-)

Oh, and I have never had a problem with this program, but I think it’s only available for PC users. If anyone knows of a good MAC program, then tell us about it.

August 31, 2010
Categories: Fandom, Geek, Voice Work . Tags: , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 20 Comments

Gotta Love Him

I adore this article. How could I not? Either RA is the smartest guy walking who knows how to work women or he’s smart and he really means all of this. Wow. Both possibilities are wonderful, but I hope it’s the latter — for his sake.

Richard Armitage: ‘I was a beanpole with a nose I hadn’t grown into’

By: Vicki Power. 30/05/2010

The sexy 39-year-old star of Spooks and Sky One’s Strike Back on growing into his looks/nose, why he’s more ‘new man’ than macho soldier, and looking for that perfect food-loving woman

You’re the go-to guy for brooding heroes. Do you like being seen as a sex symbol?
Richard Armitage: It’s quite funny – no, it’s hilarious to be considered a sex symbol. In school I was a beanpole with a nose I hadn’t grown into. Being thought of as sexy makes one employable, but it’s not going to last forever, so I try not to think about it. It’s like something that exists outside of me.

You certainly look hot in the dark blue suit you’ve put on for this interview…
RA: Thank you. It’s Dolce & Gabbana and the shirt is Prada, but the truth is, nearly all my other clothes are Lucas’s from Spooks. I can’t bear shopping. I can choose clothes for my characters, but not for myself. I’ve got no dress sense. Or I’ve lost it.

What appealed about your character John Porter in the Sky series Chris Ryan’s Strike Back?
RA: I thought, here’s a chance to have a crack at a man who’s not a bog-standard war hero. Porter is what Lucas wishes he could be – SAS men get to go all over the world and operate in deep cover, while in Spooks we only get to walk up The Mall and go onto a few London rooftops. Lucas would love to be shooting out of an aircraft.

Could you have been a soldier?
RA: Not a chance! I can work hard and be disciplined like a soldier, but I could never reach their level of fitness. I have a whole new appreciation of soldiers. I saw myself on screen and thought, ‘That body is so not hard enough to be a soldier.’

What sort of training did you do?
RA: I did mega-training with ex-military men. I’d be in the gym for two hours after a 12-hour day on Spooks, and it was so hardcore I’d throw up. I stuffed myself with food and drank protein shakes to bulk up. I used to be a dancer, but I had to strap my weak ankles every day and strengthen my wrists so I could hold a machine gun. My body just wasn’t up to it.

So you’re not a macho man…
RA: I’m probably more of a new man. I’m not particularly alpha. ‘Nourish and nurture’ are my watchwords as opposed to ‘search and destroy’. I kept asking myself why on earth have they asked me to play this character, rather than someone who’s really hard. But I suppose it’s because I bring something softer to the character.

You were filming in South Africa for five months. What was that like?
RA: We had a great time, although it was so hot it felt like you were in an oven. We filmed in a poor black township outside Pretoria that everybody told us was dangerous, but we’d often play football with the kids. Once we didn’t have anywhere to change and one of the locals said, ‘Come to my house.’ It was a tin shack, but it was spotlessly clean. You can’t believe it’s somebody’s home. It was so humbling.

What did you miss most about home?
RA: I didn’t miss anything. I was so in the character, I’d dream about him at night. Even I thought, ‘This is crazy, I’m too involved.’ I found it hard to call or Skype friends – it was almost as though I couldn’t get out of the character. I screwed up my social life a bit.

Speaking of which, how’s your love life?
RA: Unfortunately, my love life is nil. I’m not in a relationship any longer – I’m working too much – but I would like to settle down at some point. That’s probably why I’m going to LA soon, when I’m not tied down. I feel like if you don’t try LA, then people will think you’ve failed.

Do you want a family?
RA: Yes, I’d like a wife and family. I spend so much time with my brother’s little boy, Abe, who’s coming up to five, and he’s so hilarious. Playing a father in Strike Back has really resonated with me, although I can’t believe I’m starting to get cast with teenage daughters! I’m quite relieved I don’t have that responsibility in real life, but I look around and my fellow actors are having babies and I’m envious. One day, one day.

But you’ll turn 40 next year. Isn’t about time you gave it some thought?
RA: Yes. That’s part of the problem, isn’t it, because I still feel like I’m 25 in my head. I always thought when I got to 40 it would be OK because I’d feel 40, but I don’t.

What type of girl would you go for?
RA: Someone a bit naughty. And who likes food – because I really do – and who doesn’t take life too seriously and has a sense of humour. I could never go out with another actor, I’d find that hard – the stresses of the job, they just pull people in different directions.

(emphasis mine)

See what I mean about being smart, and he wants someone who likes food? WHAT?!!! Wait. wait. Maybe he really meant it about kissing Nigella Lawson. Nooo! Surely not. But he has talked about this more than once. Hmmm. All you single girls out there who like to cook AND eat, have you died and gone to heaven yet? But hey, you need to be able to laugh while you’re eating. No eating without laughing. Hey, most of us who like to eat only have to look in the mirror to start laughing. LOL! I used to be a tiny little thing, and I’m still not huge, but there’s more of me to love these days. SO says I’m voluptuous and he likes it! I’m going to assume this is the kind of gal RA is talking about. So all you single, voluptuous gals need to line up. At the very least, I’m sure you will have sweet dreams tonight. :D

Your fans call themselves Armitage’s Army. What are they like?
RA: Over the years they’ve sent me presents and turned up at film sets, but lately I’ve kind of left them alone. I got a bit too involved and there’s an expectation from them that goes along with that.

I don’t know about all of you, but I’m tired of reading about all of us. Man, that husband who came up with this moniker is getting his revenge. LOL!

Do you read about yourself on the internet?
RA: I decided this year not to read anything. It’s been very liberating. The problem with me is I read everything, but it’s only the bad stuff that stays with me. It’s weird, you only need to be told something once and it stays with you.

What are your hobbies?
RA: I only learned to ski five years ago, but I’m addicted to it. I went five times this season. I should have been a ski instructor instead of an actor. I also dragged my cello out of the loft a couple of weeks ago and went back to that, but I have to squeeze playing it into the hour and a half I get in the evening after work. God, I sound like such a boring workaholic.

I would love to talk about this part, but I would really give myself away. :D

To read the rest, go here.

Do I need a picture? I didn’t think so. Those answers are so good, the images in your head are better than anything I could post.

edit: and yes, I know he’s only 38. How could I call myself an RA fan and not know that! But the journalist was correct that he will be 40 next year. He just hasn’t turned 39 yet. This edit was also put here as a public service for all of you who are not quite up yet on your RA facts. ;-) Oh, heck the whole post is a public service for women who like to eat. LOL!

May 29, 2010
Categories: Dorktastic, Fandom, Inner PHWOAR!, Interviews, SO . Tags: , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 13 Comments

It’s Even Changing the Way I Speak

I knew I was changing, but it was obvious when I said the “word” phwoar. I didn’t even know it was a word until a couple of years ago. The first time I said it, someone in the family made a point to turn his head towards me and stare at me as if to say, “Do I know you?” To which I mentally replied, “Yeah, you know me, but maybe I don’t know myself anymore.”

What all of you don’t know is that I don’t use much onomatopoeia when I speak much less when I write (does anyone except comic book writers?), and certainly don’t use it to describe something that is extremely appealing. But maybe I ought to because it felt good to say phwoar, which is properly said PHWOAR!

A few years ago I took a self-defense class for women. If you have never taken something like that, I highly recommend it. I was prompted by a friend to do it and went only because of the prodding. I figured the instructors would just remind me of things I already knew but probably needed to hear again. Wrong. It was taught by a husband and wife who had been military and were now police. Both had black belts in some martial art, and when they told us that, I thought, “Oh yeah, great. Like you two are living in the real word where people like me can’t do squat.” But again, I was wrong. They taught me a technique of imagining myself in a bad situation and then mentally using the practical things they had taught. Part of this was to practice yelling STOP! They said studies had shown that women had a hard time raising their voices to strangers even someone who scares or surprises them. It’s part of our genteel gene I guess. Aren’t we special? Thankfully they stayed on us about yelling STOP! Half of one class was spent just doing that. Man, that was some easy money for them. Well, I haven’t been attacked, but I have been threatened, and when the time came I was able to yell STOP! and the very suspicious person fled.

That day I yelled STOP! and really needed to was a kind of epiphany that forever altered my world. It gave me power I really wasn’t sure I possessed until the moment of crisis. Saying PHWOAR! had the same effect on me. It was the passionate me, my inner PHWOAR, which I had buried for so long, rushing to the surface. My SO, who was the only one around at the time and the object of my PHWOAR!, said, “What was that? I like it.”

I hope you can do a little PHWOAR! today. At least get in touch with your inner PHWOAR! See how good I am to all of you; continuing to be of public service. ;)

Of course that’s far from the only word I’ve learned and now love. I’ve started a list, RA Lexicon, and you can add your own. Enjoy!

Oh, oh, oh, I can’t believe I almost forgot to put up the image that made me PHWOAR! (at least in my head) the first time. Actually I was watching the scene it’s in, and thought PHWOAR! when he turned around.

Screencap courtesy of RobinHood2006.com

April 20, 2010
Categories: Inner PHWOAR!, PHWOAR!, Robin Hood, SO . Tags: , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 12 Comments

« Previous Page Next page