I follow a stream on Twitter where all of the mentions of Richard Armitage or #RichardArmitage will scroll on my Hootsuite dashboard. Today is hilarious. Talk about the ripple effect? This user:
Richard Armitage just arrived, suits are steamed, lunch has been devoured. Let's start shooting!
Has created quite a stir, and now the pictures in my head are out of control. I don’t know about any of you, but I need a picture just to keep me sane. LOL!
I would follow this guy on Twitter, but I feel like an idiot doing it. See, see I can be sane! But really, it’s my proud self that won’t follow his ass — at least not yet. But I can bring him to your attention, and while you’re taking note of him, check out his blog: Fugly. Of course my knee jerk is he is not fugly! The Doc Martens maybe.
Jacob,
Seriously, I like the Doc Martens, but they look like they would be a pain to keep clean. I suppose that’s not the point.
Will be interesting to see what you shoot, and I hope you don’t think RA’s fans are scary. I know I’m not scary, and several others I know are not scary, but man, we just know how this works on Twitter and other places. Isn’t social media great? Yes, I’ll probably follow your ass like a good little ripple. :D
Signed,
One of RA’s crazy fans thoughtful fans.
Wondering what kind of name is Kamara, i.e. its ethnicity. See how my mind works? I should be wondering what positions Jacob has RA in while he’s shooting pictures, video or whatever it is he’s doing. Okay, back to seeing Richard with a lion’s mane around him.
And I noticed Servetus has finally come to the darkside. She just needs a picture and a few tweets to keep from looking like a potential spammer, and never in my life would I have imagined the name Servetus and Richard Armitage in the same sentence let alone in the same name. Glad you joined us, Michaela.
Man, I love having a blog! :D
edit:
This just in — now we know who’s taking some of the pictures:
I can’t help but wonder if Richard Armitage is still in New Zealand or has indeed gone on hiatus from ‘The Hobbit’ and was in Brighton as some on Twitter suggested. Whatever the case, I hope he and the Kiwi people (despite some injuries) will be well, and even if you didn’t participate in the Rise up Christchurch telethon, it’s never too late to help out.
This post is part of the ongoing series of Musicilove.
He is so right about the accessibility of “classical” music. There is something intimidating for so many, and what a shame. I’m so glad James is on his mission to make it personal. His passion is infectious:
continued here:
Oh, yeah, a fake fan letter is a must:
James,
I love your stuff! You are dead on. Keep it up!
Sincerely,
One of your rabid fans, and no, I’m not rabid about everyone despite the look of things here.
See Diary Part 25 here, or to access all entries, hit “The Diary” tab above.
Entry — a day or so later in 2008:
So what is wrong with me? I have developed this aberration in my behavior which requires I look at the Armitage Army forum at least once a day. It’s been going on for weeks and makes me wonder about myself. Why am I looking at this thing every day? Maybe I’m this bored or maybe I have gone nuts? And of course I can’t help asking why. Am I needy? I’ve been needy at times, and this is definitely meeting some sort of need. Thankfully, I haven’t said much on the board since I really have nothing much to say. I said a few things when I first joined but certainly nothing of any value. I have said too many things in my life when I had nothing of any real value to say. I just want to read what these others are saying. It’s fascinating, and I’m a shit for putting everyone under the magnifying glass. Then again, that’s what I do, and I doubt I’m going to stop at this late date. I just wish I took more joy in it.
And dear Mr. Armitage is firmly under the glass. What is this guy about? I can’t figure it out, and I want to. I see all of these people talking about how he’s very private and all that, but then I read his interviews, and I don’t know what to think. He’s been very candid about his life, as if he has a clear conscience, and he’s actually talked quite a bit. Of course print interviews can be so misleading. I certainly ought to know that. SO has been interviewed countless times in our little part of the world, and if I only went by what I read in the papers, I would not come close to knowing what he’s really about. But one thing that is interesting about SO’s interviews is the writers are all impressed by the same thing about him — his honesty and humility, and not a fake kind of in your face honesty and humility that says look at me, but just something that’s so much a part of his being that the writers can’t help but notice it. That much definitely comes across. I find this is a common thread in the interviews of Richard Armitage as well. Or maybe he’s just really good at playing honest and humble. My gut says no, he’s for real.
But I did get tickled at the interview where he’s promoting ‘Cold Feet’. Humility was not so much the watchword as brutal honesty. He sounds like a big kid, and this just endeared him to me even more. There is no artifice and little or no spin. I loved it!
Click for full photo.
And it’s interesting the character he plays is all about spin. Yep, I bought the DVDs, so I’m in for a few more bucks investment in Mr. Armitage. I’m glad I bought that multi-region DVD player, or maybe not LOL!
Then toward the end of the interview he talked about Cleopatra being crap, and I about fell off my chair laughing. Oh, you are so right, Mr. Armitage. Crap indeed, and a comedy. SO and I watched it again the other day and howled with laughter, and SO still doesn’t realize squat about Richard Armitage being in this. We usually just watch Caesar’s death scene when we need a good laugh. Well, that and Cleopatra cruising down the Nile. ROFLOL!!
And how interesting that Richard Armitage is going to co-star with Hermione Norris in ‘Spooks’, I cannot wait for that! Not sure how in the heck I’m going to watch it, but I’ll find a way. There is no chance I’m going to wait until it’s on Netflix. So far they only have up through Series 5.
I have so many other things I want to say, but I’m too tired to say it all today, and I’m glad I started journaling, so I can capture some of what I think even if some of it is stupid. I kept wondering what good was it to record all of those hideous things? I was wrong as I’ve been wrong about so many things. So today was one year of me writing all of this…. I’m not sure what to call it, and I’m afraid to go back and read all of it. I tried to read some of it a couple of weeks ago, and what I found was astonishing and humbling.
What was I saying about just enjoying something for what it is and not nitpicking? I’m the worst. I just can’t stop asking why. And is that so bad if it’s just me doing it in my head? I know dammit, it requires some wisdom. Oh, do I know it requires some wisdom. But I’ve been successful (at least by the world’s standards), and a lot of it had to do with asking why in my head about whatever was in front of me. It’s the why that made me successful! It’s the why that was the key! But it’s also the why that made me walk away from all of that. It’s the why that made me call bullshit on so many things. And that was wise. I have only to look at my children to know it was wise. They would not be who they are in part if I had not walked away from all those things which made me subject to such praise. A sacrifice? Maybe it seemed that way a little at first, but now? No, it was no great sacrifice. They are turning into people of great character who are inspiring me! But it could have been so different. I could have looked back at my life and been aware of how great it looked to the world but my children would have probably been at loose ends, and I certainly wouldn’t have known them. Not as I do now.
Present day:
I had such a good time reading Richard Armitage’s interviews, which were only up to a few Spooks 7 promotional pieces at this point in the journal. More on that later. But I have to comment on how friendly he sounds. When I saw him in the powhiri ceremony, it reminded me so much of him as the big goofy kid promoting ‘Cold Feet’, and I have it on good authority that he is immensely well liked on ‘The Hobbit’ set. Dare I say a favorite? Yes, I dare since I was also told that the group picks who will represent them at a powhiri ceremony, and they chose Richard. The crew and in particular the Kiwis were rooting for him:
“…as a Kiwi, it is important to see the reaction of the knowing crowd to Richard’s performance. See the guy at the last row, on the left, Mark Hadlow, Kiwi actor? He is so proud of Richard. This is a man who has seen many powhiri so knows what is cool…”
I think the New Zealanders might want to claim him as theirs. :D They see something I and many of you see — a keen mind and a self-deprecating yet not mean-spirited humor coupled with a great work ethic. A work ethic that says you’re important enough for me to learn Maori and represent you well. The Kiwis got the honor done to them, and if there is anything I’m learning, it’s that the general psyche of the Kiwi people is to adore those who don’t take themselves too seriously and who are team players:
We Kiwis are very laid back “she’ll be right, mate” attitude, and we all muck in (help out) when needed.
I think it’s apt to say he made the team proud. :D
And I don’t know exactly how Richard Armitage feels, but I’m falling in love with the Kiwi people. The more I read and listen to them, the more I want to go to New Zealand, and it has nothing to do with Richard Armitage. Seriously.
Last but not least, James Nesbitt is supposed to be one of the nicest people you would ever want to meet. A real prince of a guy, so I’m not going to ever say anything catty about Jimmy.
Two days ago someone posted this video on Twitter:
Pompeii by E.S. Posthumus from their Unearthed CD.
I’ve talked about this one before as it’s been one of my favorites since I first saw it almost a year ago. From its finely done editing to its music, this is one of the best Strike Back videos and all around fan videos. There is nothing awkward in it. No moments when the music sounds incidental to the scenes. Just a tightly knit casting of John Porter’s life coming at you. But mostly what draws me is the feeling he has a much greater destiny than the machinations of an MI-6 agent. The sounds of a celestial choir no doubt contribute to this sense.
After I was done watching that one, I moved onto some others that for two to three years I’ve gone back to again and again. Most of them were set to background or theme music and most of them had a sense of the epic, which is what first drew me to fan videos and eventually led me to discovering Richard Armitage. I’ve had an affinity for this musical genre since I was a little kid and dreamed of writing movie scores for a living. One of my fondest childhood memories is spending hours and hours at the piano picking out expansive tunes and trying to perfect them. It’s still one of my favorite pastimes, and I can spend considerable time doing it.
For years after I was grown, I thought this was something entirely frivolous and hoped I would eventually snap out of it. And I did for a couple of years. But I’m coming to understand in a way I didn’t even come close to doing before that this sense of the epic is part of who I am and part of everyone else, and we are all part of it. We’re all part of something epic going on. We were formed to be eternal people with a destiny, and I find myself reveling in this more and more. Although at some points in my life I have considered the antithesis — that we’re a pale mosaic of organisms which has no purpose other than forming some random picture, but I’m not tempted by that any longer and haven’t been for many years. It’s unsatisfying and frankly, boring. Whenever I did feel myself beginning to take the yoke of that thinking, the cells in my body would go into rebellion, and when I examined what was so disturbing, I realized the random picture doesn’t square with the need to seek out my story, our stories, the story.
And how interesting that stories are so important to most of us, and quite a few reading this blog are especially attuned to them. It’s what holds us together as people and more specifically what holds many of us together in our fascination with Richard Armitage. There are plenty of very good looking actors. Plenty of tall actors. Plenty with a wonderful timbre to their voices. Plenty with pleasing personalities. What sets him apart is his determination to get at the story. Of course just like most of us, he’s done things to ensure he didn’t starve, but it seems he’s trying to get at the story as much possible. Or perhaps I’m putting my own views on all of you and should say that I’m fascinated with dear ol’ Richard chiefly because of his infatuation with the story, and certainly by what it is that motivates him so much to get at it and in a way that’s true. I’ll talk more about this later. For now this will have to continue as one of those loose ends along with the others laying around this blog.
So I’ve spent a couple of days rewatching videos that have a sense of the epic, and of all the videographers I’ve watched, none does a better job of putting a finger on the pulse of the story and bringing it to life for others than Angela (aka Spikesbint or Angelfish69).
One of the first that comes to mind:
“Ashielf Pi” by E.S. Posthumus from Cartographer
One of the first I saw of hers:
“Intro” by Caliban from Small Boy and a Grey Heaven
One that does not involve Richard Armitage:
“Central Park” by James Newton Howard from King Kong Soundtrack
One of her birthday tributes to Richard. Be sure to check out her others, and I hope she does one this year. This one made me cry the first several times I saw it:
“Generations” by Immediate from Trailerhead and “The Loss of Yours” by Adrian Johnston from Becoming Jane Soundtrack
“End Music from Atonement” by X Ray Dog from The Vision
Here are some others who have done a superb job of capturing the story with epic music, but I’m only posting one video from each of them in the interest of not having this post go on and on.
JulietD001:
“The Wolsey Commits Suicide / Finale” by Trevor Morris on The Tudors Soundtrack
One of the first North and South videos that was my favorite, and I still love it. By PoleStar00:
“Lake Constance” by Mike Oldfield from Millennium Bell
One by PhoenixLupin, who has some wonderful Richard Armitage videos, but this happens to be about “The Fall”:
“Summoning of the Muse” by the Dead Can Dance from Within the Realm Of A Dying Sun
I’ve labeled all of the videos with their musical pieces, but unfortunately, not all of that music is easily available to the public. That is slowly changing. Some other theme composers who are used by quite a few videographers are Craig Armstrong, Dario Marianelli, Howard Shore of LOTR fame, Ennio Morricone, Jerry Goldsmith, Martin Phipps and Andy Price. There are also artists who frequently can sound epic but do not technically fall into the background or theme music genre. Some of those are Within Temptation, Secret Garden, Tarja, Linkin Park, Muse, and Coldplay.
Oh, and I swear James Newton Howard and Thomas Newman are the same guy, or is it just me who thinks they sound exactly alike? :D
And my mood is expectant as I’m listening to “Unbreakable” by James Newton Howard from the Unbreakable Soundtrack.
What a way to stick my toe back in the water. Over my head more like. LOL!
Enjoy:
Dear All,
I wanted to post a message to say a huge thank you for your generosity of donations to the Christchurch fundraiser on 22nd May, I gather there was a considerable contribution from members of our little community, which is gratefully received to help a rather larger and damaged community ‘rise up’ get back on its feet. I am so grateful and proud to see such support from so far away, you really are hugely reliable when it comes to those in need. Thank you. I hope our little teaser want too much of a tease, it is so difficult to give anything away, of the movie we are making but we had to do something; I have resisted signing anything ‘Hobbity’, until the film is finished (just a little bit superstitious) but I was very proud to add my name to the book for Christchurch.
I had a belated request from a certain Wizard about some cello playing, now as a music lover, and particularly that instrument, I can see how that might be a real possibility and perhaps a joy to hear…if Yo Yo Ma were asked. However, raising money for charity by simulating the sound of a strangled cat whose claws are clinging onto a chalkboard for dear life, whilst someone in another room tries to tune a radio in, would result in a charity deficit, with demands for refunds and compensation to boot. So I may have to decline for now, until I have had time to practice a bit more.
With regards for requests for social media, blogs tweets etc. I have always worried that I will reveal something about the project I am working on that I am not allowed to, added to the fact that I am just about up to e mailing and little more, I may have to abstain for now.
So were are about to depart for our short hiatus and I will be sorry to say farewell to Wellington and NZ, one of the most exciting places I have been lucky enough to live and work, not just a magnificent landscape but a warm, friendly, generous and really cool community, which has welcomed us with open arms. Seriously this place has to go to the top of the Bucket List.
Much Love
RA
I don’t know if Richard Armitage reads all of the stuff on these blogs, and really, I’m not writing this blog for him, but if he ever does, I hope he knows how much fun he’s afforded us and no need for a tweet or blog or Facebook or any of that from him. Frankly, the fundraiser was a blast. It was especially a hoot on Twitter (pardon the pun), and I wish I could have participated more. Coincidentally, I was drafting a post about my own receipt, which I hope to receive soon, and my angel did receive hers. I’ll post all of it when I get mine.
Contrary to the belief of some, I was not taken in a rapture, but I have a disclaimer: I am currently on drugs, don’t really feel like editing this piece, so please don’t hold against me anything I say below. And you can sue me for the title, but that about sums up where this blog is at the moment.
A few weeks ago my clever hat was consigned to the dustbin without my consent, or to be clear, real life intruded on my little idyll here. In the meantime, I’ve been trying to get back in the mood of blogging. I figured the best way to do that was to review my previous posts to pick up the thread of what I was doing. My first observation is that I have some typos which years ago would have made me want to crawl under a rock, and even a few months ago would have made me cringe. Now? I got a good laugh out of them. Well, I did cringe just a little at first. Second, I really have had fun with this thing, whatever it is. Third, I’ve got a lot more to say, but no, I won’t lay all of that on you here. Fourth, I need to do some serious editing on some of these old pieces. Am I allowed? Oh, yeah, I’m allowed. Fifth, I’m lousy at being cryptic. I just read two of my diary entries that get a lot more reading than some, and I grew weary at how they go on and on and on and on and don’t essentially convey what I wanted. I edited out the parts that really held them together, and in the doing of that, they lost something that dare I say makes them compelling.
Oh, well, that was the point of this exercise of blogging — to learn how the heck to say some of this stuff — so I’m not going to get too irritated about it. Maybe just a little irritated. I do make the disclaimer in one of the pieces that I had not taken the hatchet as much to it as I did some others, but therein was the problem — it either needs more taken out or to be completely left alone. I think I may break out something to deal with it. A machete? Oh, and I finally let SO read it, and he said, “I liked the stream of consciousness.” LOL! I appreciate his encouragement, but then he had to smile a little as he said it. Whatever. If that’s how my brain works, no wonder I’m tired. Fighting through all of the winding around and pontificating and cryptic cuteness was work, and if there is anything I don’t want to happen here for the reader it’s work. Come to think of it, I may put the ‘public service’ tag on that post once I’ve cleaned it up.
Haven’t been online much this week and had to make up for it by inhaling as much of my Reader as I could. What does that have to do with maintenance? Well, it’s part and parcel of what goes into this blog, a type of maintenance if you will. Oh, you thought some of this just sprang from my head fully formed? I couldn’t think up all of this innervating junk. Thank God.
Some of what I found:
Summer is coming. Yes, it comes every year like clock work, and you would have to be deaf, dumb, and blind not to know that you have to get ready if you’re going to be a part of it. Um yeah, the arbiter of worthiness is whether or not you can wear a bikini successfully.
For those who are feeling less than at their best, some of the beautiful were slumming to make the rest of us feel better.
There is hope if you’re still not feeling better. Supposedly men like women who have “guy humor,” so you can leave the bikini at home. Yes, the bikini is really about the guys. No, don’t try to bullshit me with a feminist treatise. It’s about men. But if you can’t wear that bikini, your mouth might make up for it, and before I read this piece, I assumed it mostly meant girls are attractive who can appreciate crudeness, and yep, I was right. Sadly, no one will read that this was a flawed study. Aren’t most of them? Although after living with a man for quite a few years, I believe embracing some crudeness is a must.
And I guess I’m not the norm, since I’m not as attracted to brooding men possibly filled with shame (the characters of Richard Armitage aside :D) as some women. My thumbnail on this is that women are attracted to men like that because many of us have a bit of a savior complex, which could lead to some worship. Don’t we all want to be loved, adored, cherished (take your pick) and what better way to know than to be worshipped? Meantime, I couldn’t get this out of my head:
No, not those dweebs, but they do make a point about the crudeness that’s just part of that Y chromosome. And this is the reason some women will almost kill themselves to get a bikini body? When really they just need to crack some crude jokes and maybe perform some crude acts.
Perhaps the only reason I didn’t fall into the normal pattern of being drawn to shame filled men is I knew I really wasn’t worthy to be worshipped as a savior. Therefore, a confident, at peace, smiling man, was my choice. I’m happy to report that he’s still smiling although he’s had his obstacles, and had his moments of introspection, anger and yes, some villainy (he is a human being), but still loyal. May my daughters be drawn to such a man.
I do sometimes worry about the male society my girls are going into. People are not loyal. That is the great dichotomy of this world. Many want loyalty but don’t want to give it. That’s why commitments don’t happen for most. In some cases the need to shuck it off is understandable. Maybe their driver will lose them over there. Unfortunately, there is a line to take their place. So glad I’ve never watched those shows, and I hated that I even spent any of my time watching that clip. Hopefully, the next paragraph will redeem the erroneous investment.
Back to the point. Commitment is the key, and of course I understand a piece of paper is not necessarily indicative of commitment, but this is how I’ve put it to my girls: do you want to make a commitment to someone who is not clear about their commitment and is not willing to declare it to others? I never have understood how a nebulous arrangement was edifying. No, don’t fill me in, the drugs would keep me from really receiving it right now. It just seems that it’s really about f*cking (of course enjoyable f*cking), but when did that ever get a firm commitment? Really? I don’t think so. It’s just f*cking unless someone’s heart is engaged, and out of the abundance of the heart someone will speak. And yes, God yes, take an accounting of their character before the witnesses are present. Speaking a few words at a hyped up ceremony designed to put the bride and her momma in a euphoria are not enough. Never have been. I laugh when I think my mother got married in a brown suit with spectator pumps while standing in front of the fireplace of her future sister-in-law’s living room in a service that was planned by my Dad and her mother was not there, or if I think of SO’s mother who got married in a blue tea length dress (her best dress at the time) at The Hitching Post wedding chapel, which was the first one on The Strip and no mother there. And no f*cking was necessary from them before hand. Just a man of character who loved them. My father passed away after 40+ years of marriage and was still committed to my mother on his way out and she to him. That was after all the hard times they weathered. Piece of paper my ass. The commitment was clear from the start, and I don’t believe my mother has ever owned a bikini nor has SO’s mother.
If I’ve thoroughly depressed you, well, you may not have to live with it long. If someone really does succeed in hacking Lockheed Martin well enough, they might be dropping those bombs soon.
In the meantime relax and maybe watch some “So You Think You Can Dance.” It’s going to be on a little longer. Where are those drugs?
Oh, and I was going to put in a line about missing Nat, and then she showed up! Good to see you posting again, Natalie. You are a ray of sunshine.
Last, did you catch Amy Poehler’s speech to Harvard’s graduating class? Well, it’s viral now, so I’m sure you can find it easily. I’m too lazy to post a link. She didn’t say anything that really hasn’t been said a thousand times at graduation speeches, i.e., LIVE! but she really did understand the humor in them choosing her. I’m not sure the class got that, and I find myself not really caring.
Found the drugs. See ya later.
edit: for those who asked, yes, I’ve worn a bikini many times, so this is not my angst about inability to do that. I just think it’s crap that women still see their worth as almost totally equated with their bodies and their ability to give some. Hate that.
A hearty thanks to everyone who participated in the Informal Fan Challenge, which ended this morning. At this moment I don’t know how much was raised. Servetus will fill us in when she gets a break from graduation “festivities.”
And thank you to everyone who donated to RiseUp Christchurch. Calexora made an early challenge that was a blast to contemplate. If Richard had taken her up on playing the cello, my gut was telling me he would have made it funny, so I’m not surprised that he did indeed do something funny. Dare I say that he really did remind me of Dorf? I don’t feel badly about my post now. Oh, you thought I really did feel badly about that post? You haven’t been reading this blog very long have you? :D
This was wonderful fun, and I hope much money was raised for Christchurch through whatever avenues you chose to give, and may it help Christchurch be forever strong!
New Zealand is in need after the devastating earthquake to Christchurch in February. Servetus has issued a wonderful challenge on her blog to help with the effort occurring this weekend. I will also match whatever she raises up to $200. See her blog piece (below) for details on how to participate. No donation is required from you, but if you’re inclined, she has information in that regard as well.
edit: I’ve just had someone request to match this anonymously. Anyone else want to join us, jump in. The water is great. :D
[Still grading. Second third of grading done and grades submitted. Last third of the work was due at 5 today, so there's a big stack of papers here still.] In honor of the Rise Up Christchurch – Te Kotahitanga Global Telethon to take place Sunday, May 22, Servetus will donate $1 (USD) for each comment on this post by a unique commentator / IP address up to the first 100 comments. After that 0.25 USD (twenty-five cents) per comment up to a maximum … Read More
This is a tangent post, which means little or no Richard Armitage, so you can skip it if you’re only here for Richard. :D But this is also a reply to the readers who have sent me notes wondering why I have cut back on posting regularly about RA. I really appreciate your interest. It makes me want to get back to posting regularly much sooner, but please know that I’ll be back posting about our favorite guy in the next week.
In the meantime, I just thought I would share a little about what takes me away from this blog at times. I have two other favorite guys — SO and this one (aka son of SO):
The boy in the front is how I think of him. That’s his usual position on the track. Of course I’m not proud. ;-)
Seriously, this kid has run his backside off, and he doesn’t have much backside to begin with. He has earned first position, but more than that, he is just a great person. Yes, I’m biased! I admit freely that I’m proud he’s my son. It’s hard not to be proud when I consider his stellar character which has influenced his peers for the good. He in no way puts himself in first position when he’s off a racecourse. Kindness just pours out of him — the sort to quickly come to the aid of old women, and his friends have followed suit. This is the part of him of which I’m most proud, and his friends are not the only ones affected for the good. He’s made SO and I and several other adults I know want to be better people.
I’ve now spent over 10 years going to track and cross country meets and seven of those years were to watch my son. I should have known this was my fate when I took up with SO, who was a serious runner and now a phenomenal coach. But the regular meets are about to come to an end next weekend, and I have to confess part of me is relieved. The other part of me doesn’t want to think about it. By mid-August, my son will be gone from home, and SO and I are grieving this. It’s really hard for us to even talk about it without breaking down, but I guess today I can’t help but talk about it hence this post.
Thanks for letting me indulge my maudlin self, and I’ll be back next week to talk about Richard.
RAFrenzy 
