The TODAY show has already posted the interview with the cast from Zealandia on its website, although it appears to be shifting it around. So, I caught a few screen caps for your viewing pleasure. All images courtesy of the TODAY Show, NBC.
“The dwarves have gonads made of stone.”
***
Now look at this –
Keeping up with The Hobbit tour? Want to congratulate RA? Show your appreciation by
gift bombing his Justgiving page! Show him and the world you care.
You know you want to.
Richard Armitage models almost-James. Yes, this is the best part. Courtesy of Getty Images.
I’m still tired to the bone. Sadly the NYC Adventure post isn’t happening tonight. Trying to keep up with the relentless hype seems to be wearing. Cannot even begin to imagine how the cast is getting through all this. Yet, they have 8 days to go.
The NYC premiere was a clearly a low key affair with no live streaming fans could find. Most news came from our TeamThorin on the scene, tweets from Warner Brothers, and pictures from Getty Images. After four days of steady publicity, the big American premiere was – a bit anemic in comparison with NZ and Japan. It felt a bit embarrassing actually. Sheesh, Big Apple. What happened?
Anyway, I finally got to see a potential new suitor #4, whom I’ve tentatively named James. (Thanks for the help, Twitter!). I say tentative because I’ve not decided whether James is worthy of my affections. Don’t get me wrong; the glen plaid tweed is lovely and the cobalt blue tie really brings out RA’s gorgeous eyes. However, after a diet of superbly fitted suits like George and Fernando (do keep up), this particular English cut was a bit off putting. IMHO, the jacket style places the waist a bit too high to flatter RA’s longer torso and lower natural waist. It doesn’t accentuate his lean form. Not to mention the trousers hint at on-coming male camel toe. Just sayin’.
I was about to include a full portrait of sorta-James but then realized this one is all you need to see. Am I right?
EDIT: I’ve added a full length shot for more research and analysis. Of course. See what I mean? The waistcoast is nice, but the style does not flatter his build. And yes, those trousers are too tight honey. TeamThorin remarked on Twitter that they hugged his rear quite tightly, so I feel vindicated in my observation. What is male camel toe? It’s when tight fabric gets really really friendly with a man’s junk. Should a style like this frame anything like that there? I think not.
EDIT: His stylist says it’s a Michael Bastian flannel from the Winter 2012 collection. Well.
Richard Armitage breaks from shooting pheasants to pose at they NYC premiere. Courtesy of WireImage
***
I say now…
Keeping up with The Hobbit tour? Want to congratulate RA? Show your appreciation by
gift bombing his Justgiving page! Show him and the world you care.
You know you want to.
Richard Armitage babbles incoherently to GreenDragon. Poor baby. Courtesy of TORn.
Here I sat piecing together thoughts on the Great NY Adventure, when I suffered a terrifying visual hallucination. From what I recollect, TORn released its Monday interview of our boy. They quote RA as saying this:
“God I can’t wait! I miss that beard! It was really weird. I hated it when I had it, and then when I shaved it off, I was like, ‘Where’s my chin?!’”
I couldn’t believe my eyes. But after ascertaining I had not suffered a stroke, my outrage turned to TORn. Slander! Libel! They blaspheme! But reassured that TORn is a reputable outfit which would never misquote RA, I had to turn sadly to the source. My disappointment has been deep, my conviction shattered. So after prolonged chanting and centering of my chi, I solemnly compose this letter:
Dear Rich,
WTF is wrong wit choo???!!! Are you serious?. Did you forget the itching and scratching involved with growing a beard already? Your chin is right there on your face, luv. Right there clearly defined where we can see it, as it is intended. I know it was nice not shaving every morning, but let’s not go crazy! It hid your chin! I also realize you find talk about your looks hilarious, but it is what it is, dude. The last I looked, the Grizzly Adams look is not the thing nor the best look for you. If anybody tells you otherwise, they are deceived, Rich. Deceeeeived!
Just grow the beard for the last bit of filming, shave Fuzzy Wuzzy immediately afterwards, pull up your big boy pants and move on. That weird feeling too shall pass again. I’ll just put this down to delirium caused by fatigue along with the reference to being 6 feet 3.5.
No love,
Judiang
PS: Don’t even think about keeping it!
PPS: Call your stylist!
PPPS: Erm, please.
PPPS: Just wear George, Lex or Fernando again and we can put this behind us. Scout’s honor. *
Ahh, I feel better now. Hopefully, the NYC adventure will be posted Friday or over the weekend.
[*Fake letter is fake, but you knew that already.]
***
STOP!
Keeping up with The Hobbit tour? Want to congratulate RA? Show your appreciation by
gift bombing his Justgiving page! Show him and the world you care.
You know you want to.
I’m recovering from a whirlwind trip to NYC accomplised on approximately 3 hours of sleep. There were ups and downs and moments to contemplate. I will tell al (confidentiality forms permitting) as soon as my brain informs me what happened.
In the meantime, Jonia worked her connection magic and now I can fully appreciate suitor #3, Fernando. The dude in it is fine, too. My lawyer heart really digs a well done pin-strip. I just want to put on a suit and melt all over it. Mmmmm.
Business hottie Fernando breaks onto the scene. Courtesy of GettyImages and joniascut.blogspot.com
Close-up of Fernando’s pretty.
I’m traveling today. Hopefully with good wi-fi connections, there will be periodic updates here. If not, watch my space on Twitter under @judiang.
Just so everybody knows, my clothes fetish casts a wider net than just uber-expensive custom-made suits. I can do casual wear too. Get a gander of that shirt, vest and tie combination. I’ve never liked checkered shirts, but I love this one. Whether it’s red, white and navy, or red, white and black; it doesn’t matter. The design and smallness of the checks lend quiet sophistication. I realize expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better, but in this case, it does. The quality vest and tie finish the top half nicely. I haven’t seen the bottom half here, but as long as he didn’t wear the pants and sneakers from the ARIAS, I’m sure that was lovely too.
Richard Armitage thinks about the soft bed awaiting him on the plane. Courtesy richardarmitagenet.com
STOP THE PRESSES! I’ve seen suitor #3!!!!
He is called Fernando. RA modeled him at the Toronto premiere. He’s a gorgeous blue, delicately pinstriped suit and you can find him here and here. He is superb and perfectly highlights RA eyes. Unfortunately, he’s trapped by ginormous watermarks at Getty Images but I’m confident our journalists will remedy that situation.
***
Are you really feeling the love?
Want to congratulate him? Why not join the gift bombing of his Justgiving page? Show him and the world you care.
You know you want to.
Richard Armitage and “George” together. Courtesy of richardarmitagenet.com
While I rhapsodized over George (the Zegna suit) and Lex (the BDSM suit), our irrepressible Jane had different reactions. I was so flabbergasted she didn’t want to marry George, that I dashed off an email asking if she wanted to guest blog a rebuttal. She replied that she wasn’t sure if she had enough for a post but I could paraphrase her thoughts. Here is what she thought of my beloved “George”:
“Basically I think it’s boring. It’s the kind of suit I associate with politicians and businessmen if it is expensive, or bank clerks if not so expensive. It’s a requirement for certain jobs or occasions- a uniform. And not one that has anything to do with RA. It is a costume for him. The casual and semi-formal outfits we saw during the last few days are still him, just much better quality and most of the time combined with care. I like seeing him wearing clothes that fit well and are made of high quality materials, because that always shows. But I don’t want him to look like a model. It isn’t that I dislike the suit, it was obviously what was appropriate for the event (some other actors wore something similar) and I’m not opposed to high quality. But it wasn’t a revelation and an indication of a “new Richard.”
Richard Armitage debuts “Lex.” Courtesy of richardarmitagenet.com
Jane also has a few things to say about “Lex”: I’m also not too keen on the suit from Tokyo, I think the shiny material looks tacky. It is probably meant to look cool. I really liked some of the three part suits the stylist put Bradley Cooper in and have hoped for something like that. I have no clue for which occasions three piece suits are appropriate; maybe they weren’t right for a daytime premiere. With a conventional suit, I would have preferred an open collar with no tie (like at the Captain America NY premiere) or at least with a more colourful tie and shirt. I’m glad at least he didn’t wear a skinny suit with a thin tie as many much younger male celebrities with slighter builds do.
Jane feels RA is better served another way: I like an outfit with a little quirk. I like that his fashion sense is not so well developed after all and that he either doesn’t know better or doesn’t care. I don’t like vain men. Although a perfectly groomed and dressed man may be attractive, I don’t like the suggestion of vanity behind it.
Richard Armitage rushing casually for his plane connection. Courtesy of bcc.tumblr.com
On the other hand, the casual outfits are things we have seen before on him, just a lot better now. I was one of the first to notice that the first airport outfit must have been the product of the stylist, and that he dressed like that for a 24 hour flight because he knew photographers would be there. I totally approved of that outfit. We have seen jeans+suit jacket on him several times, jeans+leather jacket countless times. We have also seen a three-piece pin strip suit with no tie. Those are the clothes he would choose for himself. I can easily see him choosing the Aria outfit you didn’t like for a night out. The mixture of formal jacket and “cool” jeans and trainers feels like him (though the polo shirt is questionable). I remember a suit+trainers pic from an event. Not sure about the vest and chequered shirt, but I liked that as well. But those formal suits are just following a convention of how to dress, even the rock star chic shiny material. It is Lucas North pretending to be Pete the banker. Or RA modelling for Zegna. I didn’t feel Aidan Turner and Dean O’Gorman looked authentic in their suits either, especially given how casually they were dressed in the airport shots, obviously not caring about photos being taken.”
I stopped mentally stroking George and Lex long enough to consider the main thrust of Jane’s contention. Is RA being styled to look unauthentic? This is a valid argument. I have my own opinion, but first I’d like to hear what you think, Dear Reader. I’ve been joking about falling for his suits, but has this polished transformation overshadowed what some might think of as the real RA?
Richard Armitage channels elegant Sir Guy for the 21 century at the Tokyo Hobbit premiere. Courtesy of richardarmitagenet.com
Since our boy probably is resting during his 12 hour flight on the Tokyo to Toronto leg of the great The Hobbit: the Expected PR Megablitz, fandom has time to wedge in Real Life. I rushed out for some unexpected shopping and remembered everybody else is holiday shopping. Who woulda thunk it?
So back to the Tokyo premiere, but first my inner fangurl wishes to say: “RA looked simply divine, relaxed and radiate at the event. His gorgeous eyes simply popped, and made me -” OKAY LUV, that’s enough. I have a reputation to maintain. *Cough.* Let’s get to what everybody has been wondering: RA, were you sporting a LEATHER SUIT?
After finally peeling my eyes from his face as he stood on that stage, I was 50 ways of confused. That couldn’t be the FABULOUS Zegna suit (hereto known as George); it shined too much under the lights. So, was it sharkskin? When he helpfully placed his hands in the trouser pockets, I wondered if the entire suit was the most expensive of supple calfskin leather I’d ever seen. Phwoar! He’s speaking my language again.
Fans tweeted his awesome stylist. Finally she returned the word: the suit isn’t leather. It’s WAXED WOOL.
Yes, this is another exquisitely tailored suit (look at the line of his long legs and the perfect leg breaks) in black waxed wool. I’ve never heard of such a thing, but I love it. It’s funky and daring, while still dapper and elegant. So it has the style of leather without the innate stiffness. Might have to find a name for this baby, too.
Yeah baby, yeah.
***
Wait, focus here for a moment!
;
Want to congratulate him? Why not join the gift bombing of his Justgiving page? Show him and the world you care.
You know you want to.
Richard Armitage sets fans screaming at the Tokyo Hobbit premiere. Screencap Courtesy of http://doihaveablog.wordpress.com
To my delight, ItsJSForMe sacrificed sleep for us and screencapped The Hobbit premiere in Japan. The pics are blowing me away. While my snarky half tussles with the gushing fangurl in my next post, let me become totally shallow now and ask: How is it that he’s more beautiful than he was in New Zealand? He’s positively glowing. You’d think it was his wedding or something.
More later.
Richard Armitage hears that Japanese chicks really dig tall guys at The Hobbit Japan press conference.
The road crew cut the fiber optics supplying my internet access. I’m working with shaky, intermittent internet and 3G access on my iPhone. Definitely not a happy camper, but back to the man of the hour.
Live streaming at The Hobbit Japan press conference apparently sucked but I’m hearing the video quality for downloading is much better. Peter Jackson, Martin Freeman and RA held a love fest, extolling each other’s virtues. Clearly, the bromances still burn strongly. Naturally, they would gush like that. After all what could they say: “gah, I hated his guts,” “he hogged my shot every time,” or “I’ll need therapy for the next 10 years because of him!” However, they so struck me with their quiet sincerity, that my snarky heart paused to consider: How did RA feel being showered with such praise? Did his Thorin portrayal really shock and awe? What if he turned in a truly Oscar caliber performance worth of Best Supporting Actor his first time out? Wow. My fangurl heart fluttered briefly. I hope not, mainly because winning an Oscar could be a professional kiss of death (Halle Berry any one?). On the other hand, it would be lovely to see him offered quality artistic roles worthy of his skills. But happily my snarky heart jolted back to life, and I’m just fine now.
I turned my attention to what was really important – his clothes! Unfortunately, poor screen cap quality makes it difficult to tell if he’d recovered from the ARIAs misstep, but he was rocking another expensively black, casual jacket, so I’ll give him props for that.
Next up: the Japan Hobbit premiere. It starts during the middle of the night my time, a mountain that even this intrepid reporter probably won’t climb. Europeans, take it away!
***
Hang on now!
Want to congratulate him? Why not join the gift bombing of his Justgiving page? Show him and the world you care.
You know you want to.
Richard Armitage, Martin Freeman, and Andy Serkis rock the old fart metrosexual. Courtesy of didsomebodysayguyofgisborne.tumblr.com
I was just about to doze off but checked Twitter one last time. Then this picture caught my eye. First I noticed RA’s leather trousers (naturally), but then something about the three of them caught my eye and I can’t stop laughing.
There’s Andy Serkis, curls slicked into a mohawk (or is it a greaser?). Martin Freeman has Austin Powers hair and his “I just don’t give a f**k about the press” shades. RA has a bit of fluffy spikes going. But hey, this is the Arias. They’ve morphed from dapper dandies to (hopefully) together hipsters, just for this event. So, let’s take a closer look.
Martin Freeman might be channeling Austin Powers on a bad day but it’s his usual hot mess. Dude, shiny patent leather loafers with once turned up jeans with the hem showing? Green gingham, hot pink paisley and something resembling a jacket. Alrighty, let’s move swiftly on.
RA starts out promisingly (maybe) at his leather sneakers, moves up to the nice tight leather blue grey pants, and then ruins it with dad’s nice polo shirt and a suit coat. (EDIT: I’ve thrown in the towel on the shoes and leather pants, too. See my verdict in the comments.) What happened, luv? And that jacket had better not have come from the $5,000 suit ensemble! That’s a no-no. (EDIT: I’m reassured it is not). The outfit works too hard at looking pulled together, but I’m not buying it. Why do I get the sneaking suspicion RA overruled his stylist and had something to do with this outfit? Sigh.
Let’s look at Andy. He’s wearing jeans (twice turned up), two-toned oxfords, a fancy t-shirt with a gold “My Precious” emblem and a suit jacket forgiven by the fact that it has a silky sheen. They look like what they are: three middle aged men trying to look cool in a venue half their age, and cracking me up, doing it. They are trying sooooo hard! Too cute!
I submit, Dear Reader, that if you can get past RA’s leather trousers, you will agree that Andy manages to pull off his look (sans the mohawk) the best, mostly because he’s not trying. Martin works too hard at being bohemian. RA? Well, he’ll have to ask his stylist.
I’ve fallen in love with his suit. Haven’t been so smitten since getting a gander of Patrick Stewart’s suit in Hamlet. As I type, our boy is now in Australia as a presenter at the ARIAS. Don’t think I can hold out to report any more sightings. My brain threatens to take me out. But before I go, here’s another pretty, pretty picture.
Richard Armitage struts his stuff at The Hobbit premiere, NZ. Courtesy of not a clue. Please let me know.
Oh yes, I see how you “Blue Steeled” your way through the project. I’m not complaining.
Richard Armitage shows how to Blue Steel without the costume. Courtesy of glamourmagazine.co.uk
A star pose? Richard Armitage at The Hobbit premiere. Courtesy of the Daily Mail
I’ve had less than four hours of sleep, they forgot the expresso in my latte, and my dog buggered off to bed. It might not be wise to post now but that’s never stopped me before. You know, rushing in where angels fear to tread… or something.
So, it finally happened. After waiting since early 2011, RA made his debut on the world stage. And what a debutante he was. His outfit was mahhhvelous. He was the prettiest one at the ball and everybody was looking at him. His blushed demurely and becomingly and I’m sure his dance card later was full. His fans watched, bursting with pride over The Next Big Thing. There was no untoward drama. Nobody dragged him into the bushes. He has been officially launched. How many producers will come courting remains to be seen.
Just looking at him, my heart filled with loving snark. My cup truly runneth over. The festivities should keep me blogging again for months. I’m grinning from ear to ear, right now, at the very thought. Yes, sipping coffee and actually sighing contentedly. My muse is regarding me warily. It’s all good.
I’m still considering his report card. But first there are the interviews and the red carpet event to rewatch. I’ll judge his performance carefully and thoughtfully, but with no handicap. The world stage doesn’t do handicaps. You’ll be happy to know, dear reader, that I”ll hold off posting the report card for a few days while everybody enjoys the euphoria.
That will give me enough time to pack my bags and get out of town give it due consideration.
Feel free to influence my review in the comments. All bribes are welcome.
Oh, I’ve just been offered asylum in Budapest. Cool!
Stay tuned.
WAIT!!!
Want to congratulate him? Why not join the gift bombing of his Justgiving page? Show him and the world you care.
Richard Armitage weathering the gauntlet at The Hobbit premiere in Wellington. Courtesy of richardarmitagecentral.co.uk
RA sent a new message to RichardArmitageOnline. For those of you too tired to click, here is the message:
“Dear Friends,
So I am sitting in my hotel room from which I can see a very long red carpet and The Embassy Theatre. I am nervous, excited and quite emotional, the day has arrived when we can finally present our work for everyone to hopefully enjoy.
I wanted to say thank you for the continuing support that I receive from everyone who visits Annette’s brilliant site, and those others which have popped up over the last few years and months. It means so much to me to have that support. I truly hope you all enjoy The Hobbit, I tried to respect the responsibility that taking on this role presented to me, my fellow cast members are all spectacular in the story and we send out our work to you in the hope that you can take your friends and family to see a great event in the cinema.
I look forward to saying thank you, at the various premiers over the next few weeks.
See you on the Red Carpet.
Much love
Richardfumblingly sent from my iPad:
Enjoy yourself RA. Congratulations.
That about wraps it up for the evening, don’t you think?
EDIT: The last line was added later. Your suppositions are as good as mine, but mine is better: most likely an oversight in posting.
Hang on there, where are you going?
Thorin wants you, too!
Show RA how deeply he touched you with this lovely gesture by Gift Bombing his JustGiving page. He, and countless others, will love you for it.
All times here are Central Standard Time because, you know, that’s the center of the world. This post will be updated as the evening progresses to make following easier.
The chatroom is open here.
8:27PM
In the last few hours, there’s been a press conference and song sung by Neil Flynn. Other than that, nobody seems to know what’s going on. Need to dig for pretty pictures.
8:54PM
They are late starting. Streaming is showing costumed crowds along the long red carpet.. wait, they are finally arriving!!!!!
8:57PM
The reporters are out welcoming the viewers, followed by a long Hobbit trailer to whet the appetite. Sounds like a long voice over by RA and Ian McKellan.
9:00PM
I believe Neil Finn begins with a few songs on a coolly decorated stage. Have never seen this kind of film premiere before. Looks like a gorgeous summer afternoon.
9:09PM
Goodness, this is turning into Crowded House concert. Personally, I prefer that they cut to the chase -the stars of the film. Not that I’m biased or anything.
9:18PM
I’ve been enlightened this is a mini Neil Finn concert. Then it REALLY begins. Can’t wait to see what Cate Blanchett wears. Yes, I’m lying.
9:22PM
Finn sings Lonely Mountain. People in chat complain that Richard Armitage, er, the cast could have sung it better. No bias or anything. Meanwhile, Gandalf still stands at the hobbit’s door, waiting to knock. His arm must be getting tired.
9:28PM
Meanwhile over on TORn fans are asking what’s so special about RA. Oh ho. Neil Finn was trying to get the crowd to sing. They seem tired too.
9:30PM
Peter Jackson emerges from his limo to instantly get swept into fan autographs. The interviewer manages to peel him away. He waves to the people of Wellington. They seem to love him. Aww, they introduce his daughter Katy.
9:37PM
The next limo pulls up and it’s… Phillipa Boyens looking lovely in a black pantsuit.
9:40PM
The next one up is…Martin Freeman, all cleaned up and actually matching … er… in a black leisure suit with pale pastel teal tie. Unfortunately he’s kept on his sunglasses. Hmm.
9:42PM
Up next is….. James Nesbitt with his daughter. He’s looking fine in a dark suit and tasteful micro checkered tie. RA is in the background being interviewed by another group.
Richard Armitage debuts on the world stage. Screen cap courtesy of meandrichardarmitage.wordpress.com
A wider view of the new movie star. Screen cap courtesy of meandrichardarmitage.wordpress.com
9:49PM
RA is there, looking FABULOUS in a dark navy Zegna suit, white shirt, and wine tie with a straight plain gold tie clip. Hair looks good, mild scruff, twinkling eyes. He seems to be a bit awed by it all. He saw the film for the first time on Sunday. Working with the green screen required him to engage the imagination more. When asked about being one of the “pin-ups” in the film, he turned it off being a hot dwarf as in being really hot in their costumes. Funny, dear. And then he’s released to the crowd. Was it my imagine or did the female interviewer seem to like him?
And then Andy Serkis and the cutie pie boys, Dean O’Gorman and Aidan Turner appear. They are also looking quite ’60s in their dark suits and dark slim ties. They joke about their bromance and fun on the project. Aidan’s curls are back. That’s all Aidan fans need to know. Oh, and Elijah Wood, who loves to dress with like a nerd with the top button done. And then the kiwi actors and then… oh hell, I’m done.
Wait!
11:05PM
RA again! He never thought he would be picked to play a dwarf. They partied a lot behind the scenes. Now he makes his way towards the stage. Oh boy, there’s more after all. Everybody seems to be interviewed every 250 feet. Except for RA.
11:51PM
Finally the official speeches begin with the mayor of Wellington and prime minister of New Zealand kissing major studio ass. Then the heads of MGM studios, who promised to keep it short -but lied. A streaker would have been nice. I’ve never seen a movie premiere like this that been going for over THREE hours. Goodness.
12:00PM
Sir Peter finally takes the stage, walking through the hobbit door in Bag’s End. Then the introduction of the cast. First the old timers and then the newcomers including you know who.
12:13AM
They all pose in a row for pictures and then – it’s OVAH! And after that, they have to sit through the movie. Again.
Now, I have to mull over RA’s report card. But first, I need to see his other interviews.
This is a quick away post and I can’t include fancy stuff like pics and links. So, bear with me.
Today is the Big Day for Richard Armitage and the cast of The Hobbit in Wellington. Tweet is jumping with chatter and TOrN is doing an hourly countdown. Tumblr is going gif-wild. Blogs are churning the suspense. The tsunami of RA and TH press is more than making up for the long drought. I will start liveblogging the event later so watch this space. The chatroom is open to all for group watching of the festivities starting at 8:00PM CST. If you’re the first to arrive, no worries. Just sit tight, and they will come.
I’m sure that RA is a bit nervous but filled with nothing but happy thoughts today. Some fans have vocalized trepidation and protectiveness towards him, but let’s remember that today is his Big Day and think only positive thoughts along with him.
I suspect he would appreciate that more.
BTW, don’t forget to Gift Bomb his JustGiving page in lieu of flowers and gifts. You know you want to!
I’ll bah humbug later. Just sayin’.
Servetus had another fantastic idea – donating to RA’s charities in appreciation. What do you think? For the next week, why don’t we, as a fandom, GIFT BOMB his JustGiving page? It would be an early start on the Christmas giving, plus it would be like sending him flowers in congratulations, except better. Remember the collective “Just Another Rubbish Richard Armitage” signage he got a kick out of?
How about we each make a donation, not matter how big or small anonymously at JustGiving, and comment: “The Armitage Army Rubbish Gift Bomb of Congratulations, With Love, Us” or some such. How about it? If you like the idea, please tweet, Facebook, reblog, and Tumblr. Remember, the idea is to make a mass congratulatory statement for very worth causes. (Of course, you can give to other organizations in his name if you so choose).
I think he’d get a kick out of it.
Well, I tried to hold out as long as I could but the secret is out now, and on my birthday too! The following should help explain everything:
EDIT: I deny any recollection of this.
EDIT: I deny recollecting any recollection of this.
EDIT: No comment. Patty also has no comment.
ArmitageWorld has been doing a bit of fund-raising to assist a celebrity fundraising effort in Christchurch. Information for Rise Up Christchurch: Te Kotahitanga is here. It’s a 12 hour telethon that will be broadcast internationally both in NZ and via the internet.
Servetus kicked things off in the blogsphere by offering to donate $1 (USD) for each comment on her 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 total donation by me of USD 200. (That would be 500 unique commentators / IP addresses.) RAFrenzy offered to match up to $200 and anonymous commenter offered to match her. Calexora is also donating and issued a challenge of her own that is shaping up quite interestingly. Others have notified her they also will be contributing personal donations.
Servetus reported,
…now a comment on my blog earns $3 US for Christchurch if you’re one of the first hundred commentators, and $0.75 US if you’re one of the next four hundred.
Our current UNOFFICIAL comment count (taken at 01:36, May 20th in UTC +2) is: SEVENTY-FIVE COMMENTS FROM UNIQUE IP ADDRESSES. That’s $225 already.
So the next twenty-five unique commentors earn $3 each! And everyone after that just adds to the total.
Can I say that I am really excited about this? Given the synergy here — I was doubtful when I issued the challenge in the first place that we could really make 500 unique commentators — that would be well past a record for this blog — I am hopeful that we will meet the challenges already in place, which will generate $600.
I’d like to see her make that goal. If you see this post and have not already visited Servetus’s post, won’t you stop by there now and comment? Just a simple something like “hello!” will convert to money to support a worthy cause helping the people of Christchurch. I’ll even put my money where my mouth is and donate.
It’s all win-win.
RA with British High Commissioner (Source: UKinNewZealand)
Today is my birthday. Nothing momentous; that was last year, capped off with a cruise in the Caribbean. I don’t have any insights or revelations today. There’s simply a sense of tranquility, something I’ve been sorely needing these past few weeks. One of my buddies (the IT maven) arrived Wednesday and another is due today. We’re taking things easy while my IT massages HP into health it hasn’t had since it left the factory nursery.
It’s amusing actually. I’m happy chirping at everybody “Today’s my birthday!” but don’t particularly care whether there’s a big dinner or a musical or Something Special to do as the younger me would have. Just marking another year without much fuss is good enough. Maturity is definitely a perk to getting older.
My IT is darkly muttering about buying flash drives for HP’s surgery so I need to head out. Meanwhile take a look at the lovely shiney posted by RichardArmitageNet.com. Enjoy!
