Legenda 49: Stuff worth reading

[Legenda offers a brief, non-inclusive index of stuff I noticed and enjoyed since the last episode. It doesn’t usually include materials presented on the major fansites, which I love dearly, but which are linked in the sidebar. Because I always forget or just miss stuff, please add additional pieces of interest via link in the comments.]

Feature:

First: It’s fall in the northern hemisphere, and Nat has done it again with another Cheeztastic Video: “It’s Autumntime with Gizzy!”

Second: A fellow fan emailed me this iPhone photo a few minutes ago — poster spotted in her local Barnes & Noble:

The stuff continues to proliferate. Announced today at RichardArmitageNet.com: a life-size Thorin cardboard cutout! I also saw a flickr lineup of Lego dwarf figures. Please buy this item and other amazon-available items there or via Richard Armitage Online to generate a commission to Richard Armitage’s JustGiving charities.

It’s definitely getting harder:

Source.

Bookkeeping:

I have been meaning to mention something that techie visitors have probably already noted: against my extreme reluctance to do so, I installed statcounter here. (Someday I’ll get around to installing the graphic, or maybe I’ll just uninstall statcounter.) I did it covertly because of the insecurity I experienced this summer when sudden jumps in visits to particular posts immediately preceded unpleasant events. I decided it would better to know where those floods of hits came from than to fear what might be happening. I got the information I wanted. I have looked at the counter about ten times since then. (Incidentally, although average daily hits on this site are way up since July, the glances I’ve taken at the analytics confirm what I hypothesized then — no evidence suggests that this site is visited regularly by someone who might be Richard Armitage, hordes of people in Wellington, Mr. Armitage’s parents, or his LA or London agents, a tendency that leaves me happily blogging in my own little world.) I haven’t been mining for any other information so if you’ve been feeling basically anonymous, you still are. But if you don’t want to take any risk at all of being seen here — you’re on notice.

RArchive:

• Are you enjoying the merchandise for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey? Here’s a look at the marketing tie-ins you’re NOT seeing. Hilarious!
• At Heirs of Durin, a fantastic post on Thorin and Erebor [spoilers!]: “Matters of Trust.”
• From TORn on FB: Chinese Theaters confirms they will show the film in 48 fps 3D. Okay, great news. That’s one theater.
• Is Armitage really writing his messages to fans? To answer that question, you’d have to know what role satire plays in the life of the writer, something I’ve pondered myself as a periodic writer of in that genre. The actor himself expresses uncertainty over whether he should continue writing under these circumstances.
• Little Guy takes another hostage.
• At Little Guy and Thorin Friends Network (FB; you must join the group): Little Guy as Lord of the Ring.
• #GuyWatch on Twitter continues tonight. (This information is slightly off but you can figure out how to contact people from there.)
• Thorin channels his inner Beach Boy. For some reason this made me guffaw. Maybe because I could see him eventually moving in the direction of ZZ Top.
• Triski is starting the 30-day RA challenge to kickstart her writing. Go over there and get to know her! Here’s day 1.
• Ania’s favorite quote and related graphics from North & South (English at end).
• After a hiatus, GB’s latest cartoon!
• Richard Armitage’s thumb: in 3-D!
• Will the real Gary Morris Fuller please stand up?

Fanfic:

• GB’s “One Last Try” goes to chapter 10.
• khandy’s “Absolution” (Strike Back: JP / OC / explicit) goes to chapter 17.
• At RAucous: “Not What They Expected,” part 1. RPF and presumably to become explicit in later chapters.
• I mentioned last week that I had purchased Unmapped Country, a North & South sequel. (Elmore doesn’t describe herself as an Armitage fan — but the graphic for one of her other books makes clear that she must be.) I liked it quite well with only minor reservations until about 75 percent of the way through. It might be worth a review one of these days, and it is certainly worth the purchase price of $1.50.

Tumblr:

• Fantastic new series at mezzmerized: “About Richard” — which are things others have said of Mr. Armitage! There are ten so far — she hasn’t tagged them, so you will have to page down to find them all.
• At Guy-lty Pleasure: *ooof* of the day is John Porter. This is an image I adore myself.
• Richard Armitage Confessions solicits confessions.
• A fan-made Hobbit poster that’s as good as any of the official ones I’ve seen.
• Excellent Lucas North animated GIF.
• Beautiful Guy of Gisborne photo edit by mabelalexa.

OT, collateral attractions, and stuff I think about:

• Taking celebrity memorabilia to new heights: buy your fav’s sperm.
• Hilary Mantel wins the Booker for the second time for Bring Up the Bodies. In my opinion, her other novel about Tudor-era history (Wolf Hall) is the best historical novel I’ve read written in my life time. (My two favorite historical novels are probably Buddenbrooks and Lotte in Weimar, both by Thomas Mann.)
• Marriage across the class divide in the UK.
• Trying to get in touch with your friend, the introvert (this is what my friends who don’t physically see me go through to contact me, I’m afraid. Sorry, friends).

~ by Servetus on October 20, 2012.