Love will er....set you free.

Hey there Kidiwinkies,
I realise that I have neglected this blog for a while, I am incredibly sorry.
I understand that some of you will have been feeling pain and depression to an extent that you have considered suicide, but do not worry because......

MY REVIEW ON EUROVISION 2012 IS FINALLY HERE!

Okay, so I realise that it's a full 11 days late, but you can't have everything.
Aside from Azerbaijan's appalling human rights record, it was actually alright this year. Well, funny bad anyway.

First of all, I would like to mention this bloke.

Engelbert Humperndinck (Affectionately nicknamed 'The Hump'.) 

Did we honestly think we had a chance of winning? He is 76. And wearing eyeliner.

His song was about 'how love will set us free'. Free from what Engelbert? The chains of a hip replacement?

We got 12 points, mostly because he didn't die on stage (although he came fairly close with that huge note at the end.) 

According to his official website (www.engelbert.com) he was 'the victim of political voting'.  Says it all really doesn't it?

Now on to Russia's entry.

Russia. A country not even in Europe. 

6 Grannies. 6 teeth. They sung a song called 'party for everybody'. Although the best bit was the scones. Half way through one of the Grannies took some scones out of an oven. Why they need scones I have no idea, unless Putin was hidden in the oven with a pistol, screaming "DANCE FOR MOTHER RUSSIA!"

Surprisingly they came second, although one of the Babushka's did not live to see the results. 

I have to say though, the highlight of the night was Graham Norton, and his comments about the legality of gay sex in Azerbaijan. What a legend. 

Sod Glastonbury, it's Disability that rocks!

Hey there campers,

Remember when I told you about disability rocks?

Well after months of careful planning and organisition, Disability Rocks was a total success! Even the unpredictable English weather rallied round and shone over Nell Bank. (I bet there are quite a lot of red necks this morning!)

There was everything from a brass band to a sensory yurt, and a drumming workshop to a silent disco. A particular highlight was the beethovens, an epic disabled band from Liverpool. I got roped into doing the satisfaction questionaires at the end, and AJ gave me a sneaky autograph!

I really didn't want to leave, I met so many amazing people and wish the party would have gone on for ever!

Hopefully there will a be a disability rocks next year, it's such a fantastic idea that can only go up from here!

If you want to find out more about disability rocks, go to:

www.disabilityrocks.org

                                                  www.mumtochromoboy.blogspot.co.uk
                                         
 www.thelunaticshavetakenovertheasylum.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04-disability-really-does-rock.html

It's not the winning, it's the free buffet that counts.

Hello Folks!
I take it you all want to know what I've been up to?

Well, other than being up to ears in chemistry revision and having the Scooone/Scon debate with any one who'll listen (Scooone obviously) I went to the guardian offices and the Amnesty UK headquarters on Wednesday for the young human rights reporter of the year competition! That was 2 days I'll never forget, trust me!

4 Yorkshire girls dive head first in to London culture. Yeah, we got lost, yeah we set a carrier bag on fire with my straightners and yeah we went swimming and walked in on a fully naked woman with a beaver like an afro, but we also had an absolutely amazing time! (Yes, that really did happen, I fear it may have left lasting and irreparable emotional damage)

On the day before the awards we travelled up to London, went swimming and had a lovely Italian at Strada which I thoroughly enjoyed.

On the actual morning of the awards we had a journalistic workshop at the guardian offices and generally got treated like V.I.P's!! (Hey, we even got interviewed on camera!) After the workshop wegot a taxi up to the human rights action centre and heard some extremely inspirational speakers, amongst them was Martin Powell, an amazing performance poet, Jack Shenker, a hilarious and empowering journalist, and the lovely Ellie Crissell (who my 8 year old self desperately longed to meet) an ex-newsround presenter.

I was up against Georgia Gilholy, who wrote a really interesting article about Child Brides, and Alice Renynolds who wrote a a powerful article about labour camps in Vietnam. Unfortunately I was only runner up (Alice Reynolds was the deserving winner) but I'm just really honoured to have been there with the cream of British journalism.
It shows that contrary to what the scaremongerers think, the written word isn't dying out, and when used effectively really has the power to change lives. It was also a beacon of hope in a landscape ravaged by the recent collapse of the Murdoch empire.

So if anyone from amnesty or the guardian happens to be reading this blog, I'd just like to say thank you.

Also, here is a photo of me and Ella at the guardian offices for all you nosey people.

If anyone would like to read about the young human rights reporter competition further, here are some links:

  This is my article, (a copy of it also exists somewhere in the archives of this blog, if you fancy digging round) http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/may/14/human-rights-lower-secondary-award1?intcmp=239 

This an amazing piece the lovely Miss Shah wrote about our time at the guardian. (She deserves a medal!!) http://www.guardian.co.uk/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2012/may/15/teaching-schools?newsfeed=true

This is a piece Emily Drabble ( From the guardian teacher network) wrote abut the winning articles: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/may/14/amnesty-human-rights-reporter-competition?intcmp=239

 And Finally, this is a piece about past, previous and future young human rights reporter competitions, and how to enter the 2013 competition, which I strongly suggest you do! 

http://www.amnesty.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=12085

Disability really does rock.

Ladies and Gentlemen, lend me thine ears!

This post is about disability.

Disability can be many things. It can mean a physical disability like paralysis, or motor neurone disease, or it can be a learning disability like Autism or downs syndrome. There are some disabilities with obvious symptoms, and some that aren't that visible.

I guarantee you though, that you will not regret letting someone disabled into your life. 

I know a little boy called Max Sutton. He is the most amazing child  you could ever wish to meet.

 

He loves cricket, badminton, his hamster Leo and standing in his pants like he runs the world.  Not even Paul McCartney has as much swagger as Max Sutton does.

(Read all about him at www.mumtochromoboy.blogspot.co.uk) 

Max Rocks. He knows he does. And Max thinks that disability rocks. Which is why his parents, Caroline and Richard Sutton have created a festival to rival the mighty Glastonbury. 

After having a bit of an epiphany whilst on holiday in Ibiza, Caroline and Richard realised that there weren't any disability friendly music festivals in Yorkshire, and decided to do something about it. 

Tickets are only £15 (£10 for young people and disabled folk) and the line up is spectacular, it has everything from bearded men with guitars, to witty comedians, to drum workshops to a 5 piece Jazz band.

All situated in the best place on earth; Nell bank, West Yorkshire.

So, what exactly are you waiting for? Get yourself off to http://www.disabilityrocks.org  and go buy tickets. Buy tickets for yourself, as a present,  just go buy tickets. All the profits go towards local disability initiatives, but you better act fast, tickets are selling faster than Lady Gaga's knickers.

What are you still doing here? Shoo.

Fame isn't all it's made out to be.

I guess you want to know all about my little stint on Emmerdale??!

Well It was soggy, cold and wet. I got up at 6:00am.  The whole thing consisted of me walking from point A to B a multitude of times. In the cold. In a wool jumper. Those of you who know me, know that I don't mix well with wool. Bearded men shouted 'Action' a lot, and I didn't recognise anyone famous from Emmerdale, although everyone was very friendly and gave us breakfast.

I don't think I'm cut out for acting.

Someone make me a brew?

The human race is one big party.

Hello Folks!
This is gonna be a quick little post. I really really want to have a mammoth rant about North Korea's nuclear weapons. However I do not have time, so I shall have to restrain myself and save it for later.

On the other hand though, I do have some good news!

Tomorrow I'm going to be an extra in Emmerdale!!

Acting wasn't on my career path, (Jouranalist, Poet, Politician and world famous guitarist were) but hey ho! Beggars can definitely not be choosers!)

Yay with knobs on! When people ask me the 'what is your claim to fame?' question, I ACTUALLY HAVE AN ANSWER!
I am famous! Up there with the likes of Thom Yorke, Morissey, Jarvis cocker and....er Susan Boyle.

Bow down to me folks, bow down.

If anyone from Royal Mail is reading this right now, you may need to send special services out, so you can deliver the vast mountains of fan mail coming my way.

Also, a quick thank you to Mr Foley for making this possible. He's full of surprises that one.

Keira Knightley, watch out, I'm after your crown.

Modesty is such an admirable quality.

Snow flakes from Russia.

Hello there,
I still can't believe that less than 3 days ago, the sun was shining down over all of us, so hot that I burned, and now it's snowing.

The snow is beautiful, it's not sticking yet, but the flakes are raining down thick and fast, in little flurries and swirls. It's made me hibernate in the dark of my room, just watching the snow from my window. I've put all my radiohead albums away, and swapped them for piano music. My trusty telecaster has been downed, and I've dusted off my old acoustic to play Bon Iver songs. I want to be a tiny little embryo again.

Doesn't it look cosy?

Anyway, never mind the old English habit of rambling on about the weather, there are more pressing issues here. If you don't want your little bubble of happiness shattering, look away now. 

Russia. They've done it again. Yep, Russia. Everyone's favourite *coughs* Ex Fascist (sorry, Communist) country. The very same that's indirectly slaughtering thousands of Syrians, the same Russia that's put thousands of innocent people in prison due to it's corrupt political system. Well, Russia have scored again!

They're trying to 'Ban' Homesexual 'Propoganda' (Whatever the hell that is?!)  That basically stops LGBT people from speaking out in public. As the Russian government deems it 'a form of peadophila'. Usually I'd include a link for you to go to take action about this, but sadly the laws have been passed, and with Russia's AMAZING human rights record on freedom of speech, there's not a lot anyone else can do either!

All is not lost though, slightly closer to home, the gay marriage debate rages on, with seemingly no sign of ending. Now I could write pages and pages about gay marriage. I could rant endlessly, but I shall try to restrain my self.  Okay, so some M,P's and religious leaders believe that legalising gay marriage in Britain would 'undermine the institution of marriage'. So Sinead O' Connor can divorce her 4th husband after 16 days, and that's fine, but two people who love each other and happen to be of the same sex, and wish to be married is not? Don't give me a load of crap religious excuses,  LOVE is LOVE.  Has anyone ever asked God about his stance in gay marriage? No. All we have to go on is some moribund religious text that's 2,000 years old. The pope hates gays, and yet he is a man, in a dress. Hypocritical, no?

So, even if we can't help Russia just yet, we can help our folks back at home,  go sign the petition for Equal Marriage in the U.K at http://www.equallove.org.uk/

I promise it will make you a better person.

And for all those who disagree....

Love your inner lesbian.

Awkward Introductions.

Hello stranger.

I am no longer a blog virgin! So, now for the awkward introductions. You know the ones, awkward hug handshake combos, being a vegetarian at a meat conference,  etcetera, etcetera......

Well, my name (or at least my pseudonym for all you potential peadophiles out there) is TheOxygenJunkie. And I'm currently writing this blog from my teeny tiny bedroom  somewhere in the North of England.  I have the bog standard life of every working class teenager in England, but occasionally (Usually every Third Thursday in Months with the letter 'O' in them) interesting things DO happen to me.

 So, here's to many more rants and blog posts to come.