Thursday News: Women fighting on the front lines; Samsung’s exciting new phone display; Tom Hiddleston reads us poetry
Publishing Newsaudio-books / literary critique / war14 Comments
Samsung’s Next Smartphone Could Make Us Soon Forget The iPhone’s Retina Display – Apple’s iPhone 5 isn’t moving as many units as previous iPhones and Apple stock has dropped because of it. Apple’s competitors are cranking up the tech in their upcoming devices. Samsung’s next release has a screen that will put the Retina displays of Apple to shame. AppAdvice
Samsung’s new phone, which should be announced in April, will include display panels that “use hexagonal and diamond-shaped pixel layouts, as opposed to your standard squares, to pack even more pixels into the display.”
The Women Who Fought in the Civil War | History & Archaeology – Yesterday Leon Pannetta revoked the ban on women serving in combat. This is an important step toward quality in the forces because advancement often depends on fighting in combat. Worse, women were in combat during Afghanistan and Iraq wars but received no recognition for it because officially they could not serve on the front lines.Smithsonian Magazine
In Bonnie Tsui’s book “She Went to the Field” she recounts the historical portraits of women who bound their breasts, posed as man, and served with the male troops. “Even though women weren’t legally allowed to fight in the Civil War, it is estimated that somewhere around 400 women disguised themselves as men and went to war, sometimes without anyone ever discovering their true identities.”
Gifts For Every Man – Have a hard time deciding what to give the man in your life? These entrepeneurs have created the “Broquet”. Delivered in a metal pail, these collection of items are built around a manly theme like bacon and fire. I don’t know. I like bacon. And fires. Still, it’s a neat idea with Valetine’s Day coming around the corner. Ned, I know you read the news section. Let me know if you like a particular Broquet. Broquet
Lord George Gordon Byron – She Walks In Beauty – Tom Hiddleston, who most famously plays Loki in the Avengers movie franchise, reads Lord Byron’s “She Walks in Beauty.” I’m going to need the podcast/iTunes/music version of this. Maybe he can narrate the next few Georgette Heyer books. I’ve listened to all the ones read by Richard Armitage which are, in a word, awesome. YouTube
Robyn Carr’s Virgin River (the series) — a commentary – I thought this was a great post by azteclady on the attraction and flaws of Robyn Carr’s Virgin River series. Her Hands, My Hands
And this is a lovely bit of fantasy, isn’t it? To have that one person who sees you at your worst moments, who knows all your flaws and all your regrets, and still–still!–feels privileged to love you? (how cool would it be if this feeling were truly mutual, huh?) And we continue to see the heroes, after winning fair maiden, willing to accommodate her quirks and go to great lengths to make her happy–because making her truly happy makes them happy. Part of this fantasy is the high regard in which all the heroes hold women–not just their heroines, sisters, mothers, friends, but all women. For example, in Virgin River, Jack breaks off a friends with benefits relationship shortly after meeting Mel, not because he thinks he has a chance with Mel but because it’s not fair to Charmaine for Jack to have sex with her while wanting someone else.
Always lovely to hear poetry well read – thanks for the link. Hiddleston has a good voice, but no one will ever sound better than Ron Perlman. I still listen to the tape of him reading poetry that he did in connection with the 80s Beauty & the Beast!
So…um, with that voice? I don’t care what TH is reading to us. As long as he reads us something.
There are Georgette Heyer audiobooks? I never thought of it! Although it would be hard not to laugh at the instances where one guy drives up in a carriage pulled by two horses and another guy says to him, “Fine pair of tits you’ve got there.” But then, I laughed when I read it to myself so it’s not that different.
I think it’s a pretty well established fact that Tom Hiddleston and Richard Armitage could read the phone book and most women (me included) would throw money at them.
@carmen webster buxton: I really enjoy RA’s narration of Heyer, but just a warning: all the books by him are abridged. I didn’t mind the excisions in The Convenient Marriage too much, although I did notice them. But Venetia drove me up a wall. If you know the books very well, you’ll notice what is left out, and in my case they were some of my favorite bits.
Bacon of the Month club is my go to gift for the men in my life:
http://www.thepignextdoor.com/
@carmen webster buxton:
OH yes! Heyer on audio is such a treat! But as much as I love Armitage, I can’t hack the abridged versions. Most of the narrators for the Heyer books are excellent, but I especially recommend Cornelius Garrett and Eve Matheson. Audible has several wonderful Heyer books. I only wish more would be rereleased in the U.S. Our library has an almost worn-out copy of The Talisman Ring and it’s one of the most charming and humorous books I’ve ever listened to.
@Shiloh Walker: So true. I’ve been over on youtube watching videos of him giving the St. Crispin’s Day speech from Henry V from memory. And talking about Jurassic Park. And well just about anything where I can hear his voice.
@Carrie G:
The Youtube video of him (as Henry V) wooing Catherine of Valois gives me the big happy.
Yes, the Heyer audiobooks, as read by Richard Armitage, are abridged but since my love for him knows no bounds, I still love them.
And now I’m going to go to Youtube to find this Tom Hiddleston video of him wooing Catherine of Valois.
@Patricia Eimer: So, so true! :)
Hiddleston narrated The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner. I’m on disc three and loving it. I think it has something to do with the French Revolution but tbh, I’m not really paying that much attention to the story :)
Anyone interested in women fighting during the Civil War might enjoy “An Uncommon Soldier” by Lauren Cook Burgess, which published the Civil War letters written by one of those women who assumed a male identity and joined the Union army. I found it pretty fascinating.
Also, Tom Hiddleston’s reading? Oh my. Oh. My. Thank you for posting that.
@Sunita @Carrie G:
Thanks for the warning! Abridging a Heyer sounds like sacrilege. I would definitely notice, except for the mysteries and (probably) Cousin Kate.
“In Bonnie Tsui’s book “She Went to the Field” she recounts the historical portraits of women who bound their breasts, posed as man, and served with the male troops. ”
Terry Pratchett’s ‘Monstrous Regiment’ is based on that premise too.