I can’t help but precede this week’s round-up with a few words regarding the momentous general election results in Britain. Shocked, dismayed, disappointed and mostly despairing. I am so sorry for my friends in Britain, both British and non-Brit, who will have to deal with the consequences of this vote. I still believe that Britain is making a big mistake, leaving the European Union to go it themselves. I can’t see how that is any better than staying within the framework of union. It is somewhat frustrating to be condemned to being an onlooker, when the consequences will also have an impact on my host country. But well – democracy, will of the people, etc.
I’ll still come back to you, London, even though voted a clown into Downing Street…
Distracting us from the dire political situation, here is the round-up.
- I think this was more about the scarf than Pop!Thorin, but aquilea-of-the-lonely-mountain’s picture is so cute, I couldn’t resist including it here
- A nerdy question from nerdbirdsworld regarding TH, what else
- Right, here are the new The Stranger gifs, fresh from riepu10’s desk
- Can you remember the first time you heard Richard narrate an audiobook? Including this by notthatmelody. Short – but has a rather poignant hashtag
- All very noble, our Richard. Quote posted by tallian
- Not new, this picture, but am including this here to facilitate comparison of hair length 2013/2019. Posted by mezzmerizedbyrichard
- Thewarriorandtheking spoils us with some back acting shots
- A gif set by notthatmelody illustrating the word ‘precious’
- Including this picture set by RA-of-light because side-by-side these two pictures exactly illustrate why I can get all shrubberita over the second of the images, but the first one is just too much for me
- And finishing off with John Standring, disarmingly gorgeous, despite *that* horrible 80s anorak and the manky hair. Gifset by mezzmerizedbyrichard
Short. Hope the sweetness will soothe the political pain. At least for 10 minutes.
Otherwise wishing you all a lovely 3rd of advent. I am heading to the craft fair tomorrow morning. Load-in is from 10.30am, and the market is open from noon until 5pm. I have spent the last week organising my table set-up – I have made a little garland of flags with my “crafty” name, I printed and punched out 100 business cards, cut 100 tags to pin the individual mini book brooches to that I am selling at the markt, created 20 new junk journals, organised a card reader for cashless payment and made myself 21 Christmas cards to take along and write during the lulls in the market. Today I need to sort out a big branch from which to hang the tags with the brooches – and figure out how to keep it secured to my table. I’m planning to take pictures and to make a little video of the set-up so I can show you afterwards. Or maybe I’ll even do some live posting from the event, mobile phone battery allowing. I’m excited about the market – and am hoping that I will at least sell enough to get back the stall fee… Wish me luck 😌
Guylty ❤
Guylty Pleasure 
I hope all your hard work gets it’s reward.
I didn’t like any of the political parties, the Lib Dems woman
who Richard had a spat with lost her seat!
Jeremy Corbyn let a lot of nutters run the party and I could never get a feeling whether he was a good guy or not, in the end even his own people were betraying him.
And as for Boris well, I should like to read what the history books will say about him, but I shall be long gone.
These days I concentrate on things I can change and try to stop worrying about the rest.
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I’m slightly disappointed that Richard hasn’t reacted at all on the election results. Not least because as a card-carrying Lib Dem, I would’ve thought he had something to say…
But yes, Corbyn may have some responsibility in the whole desaster. I mean, I get it: he’s part of the left wing of the Labour party, and lefties are anti-EU. But somehow the Labour party should’ve been clearer in their messaging, including Corbyn.
I’ve become somewhat disenchanted with politics myself, too, over the last ten years. I used to be politically active, but somehow it was so disheartening never to get anywhere with *my* beliefs, that I am doing what you say – concentrating on the things that I *have* an influence on. NOt sure whether that is the right reaction… It allows the opposition to get their way.
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3 Love the Stranger gifs. 😘 to P. for these goodies.
4 Richard indeed made me see that audiobooks can be a medium I enjoy, something I hadn’t done before.
5 Not to call him a fibber, but I am quite confident he won’t accomplish #5.
6 I think we haven’t quite reached critical mass for 2013esque nape curls.
9 Yeah, even this #TeamShrubbery girl prefers the second look
10 Lovely, sweet, soft John ♥️♥️♥️
Good luck with the market. I can’t wait to see the pictures (moving and non-moving). Wish I could be there. I love things like that.
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His face looks longer /narrower with the longer beard and tall hairdo
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“tall hairdo” always makes me think of a boufant Marge Simpson 😉
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3 It’s great to get all these gifs as soon as the clips appear. They really help manifest the character and are great advertisements for the show.
4 Same here. If it hadn’t been for him, I wouldn’t have gotten into audiobooks. I actually actively avoided them for years.
5 Yes, I think we can say that that statement was made from a very safe position 😉
6 “critical mass” 😂
10 I saw a documentary about the Yorkshire Dales and Lakes on C4 last night – lots of fells and sheep farmers, and that delicious accent. I kept thinking of Standring all the time.
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Thank you for the mentions. Credit is due to @ra-overload for #10. I’d never make so many gifs with text added – too lazy! It’s a tedious and time consuming process.
Good luck with the craft fair. 🙂
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Oops, sorry I got the credit wrong for #10. Thanks for pointing that out, Mezz. xx
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Good luck at the craft fair!
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Seems to me that the UK is going down the same awful path we’re traveling here in the US. 😮
I have yet to really listen to his audiobooks, other than Venetia (which I enjoyed). It’s just not something I enjoy.
With #5, I think I understand what he’s saying — there are things you do that feed your soul & things you do that pay the bills & he seems more interested in the first than the second. The sweet spot is where you find something that does both.
Best of luck with your booth. I hope everything sells out. Looking forward to seeing the photos/video.
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World politics are really not a pleasant thing to observe at the mo… There seems to be a reemergence of far right tendencies everywhere. It’s all “America first”, “Britain first”, and at an Irish protest on Saturday I heard “Ireland first”. Not good.
I totally understand you re. the audiobooks. It took me a long time to get into them. Tbh I felt for a long time, that they were “wasted time” – in the sense that they were not something I could do while I was doing other things. I had to properly listen in order to follow the plot, and I didn’t like the idea of sitting idle just to do so. But I have come to find that you can almost ‘learn’ listening to audiobooks, i.e. that you can practice listening *while* doing something with your hands. Also, it really depends on the audio material in question. The first audio books I listened to, did not really grip me (Hamlet, The Chimes). I loved the Heyers, though.
#5 – Despite my slightly cynical comment, I do actually approve and understand. It is like you say – there is more to life and work than earning money. But at the same time, having the choice (like Richard does) is a bit of a privilege, too. He seems aware of that, though, so all good.
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As a fellow onlooker, I share your dismay! Nor will Brexit be a good thing for Ireland in the short term, but perhaps we can hope for some interesting changes in Northern Ireland. Good luck with the craft fair!
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It was good to see that the non-sectarian parties in NI seemed to get stronger. That is definitely positive.
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Hope the craft fair is successful and fun. Thanks for the roundup
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😊
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I love the Sarah Dunn photos especially the one in number 6
Bare ankles and converse do it for me lol
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Same here – I *totally* love the bare feet in casual shoes look.
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I’m still in shock about the election, It’s worse than I feared. I thought we might get a hung parliament at least. It seems impatience with ‘getting Brexit done’ is a greater concern than education, tackling poverty, the risk to the NHS … and I feel for you in Ireland and those in Scotland.
Anyway, thank you for the lovely round-up. 9} pic 2 is definitely the lesser of the two evils. RA looks disturbingly like my father in the first image (although as I get older, and so does my son, younger Richard’s face often remind me of my son’s, which is even more disturbing – yikes.) 10) I’m glad John Standing and his sausage was included as that scene and RA’s comic timing is hilarious.
And belated good luck with the craft fair, I hope it was a great success,
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It’s all very disappointing. It just really, really worries me to see a popular vote that is so inwardly focussed. And Britain is not the only place where that is happening – it’s just that Britain’s vote concerns us all because of the exit from the EU. IDK, I am simply worried about the strengthening of conservative politics everywhere 😦
#2 Oh no – RA looking like your father… hehe, I mean, as much as you love your dad, but yep, slightly off-putting when a look at your movie boyfriend evokes fatherly memories – or of your son. 😆 (Mind you, could be good for your son 😉)
And 😂😂😂😂 your comment on #10 made me stop in my tracks for a moment. I’ll only say that my thoughts are not repeatable 😊
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No, LOL, not that kind of sausage!
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🌭
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Have you seen, The Great Hack on Netflix? Found it informative as to how Brexit happened and how our Pres election was manipulated in 2016.
Realizing we are constantly bombarded with propaganda, I still try to sift through it when making decisions. Part of me always thinks those in power prefer a dumbed down populace, because it is easier to manipulate the uninformed, uneducated and uninterested so they can remain in power.
Sorry if that causes a problem, not trying to do that. I advocate we all think for ourselves and make our own informed judgements and decisions when voting especially.
Back to your round up tho . . .
#4 hash tags? Yes, I would agree with two sentiments expressed there. So right, damn that man’s voice! 🥴
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You are spot on, Mimi. It is very much in the interest of those in power that the populace doesn’t cop on to what they are doing. Keeping us uninformed and dumb – so they can stay in power.
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