Louise McSharry

The Guardian Viral Video Chart always throws up a few gems, last week it was the kid rapper:

And this week, sticking with the hip hop theme, it’s megasuperturbodeadly beatboxer Eklips.  Wowza.

There are a few things about this year’s oscar nominations that I found confusing, but 2 that really stand out.  Firstly, HOW IN THE NAME OF GOD IS RYAN GOSLING NOT NOMINATED?!?  Secondly, WHY IN THE NAME OF GOD IS THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT NOMINATED FOR BEST PICTURE?!?  I just don’t get it.  However, the rest of the best picture nominations sit well with me, and I was happy to see “Winter’s Bone” nominated despite the fact that it was released ages ago by Oscar terms.  It’s a brilliant film.  I’m looking forward to seeing the nominated films I have yet to see over the next couple of weeks.

And now, for your amusement, http://www.theshiznit.co.uk have put together their versions of the nominated films’ posters in a gallery entitled “if the Best Picture nominees told the truth”.  Wonderful.

You can find the rest of them here.

My friends will tell you I’m a big fan of interpretive dance when performed by an untrained dancer with a few beverages in them.  Especially when that untrained dancer is me.  Oh yeah.  You can imagine how much this clip delighted me.  I hope someday to be this couple.  Well, half of it…

I love Johann Hari.  The man who recently took on Kenneth Tong and won, has a piece in this morning’s Independent on some the absolutely ludicrous happenings this week on their side of the pond.

It begins…

I am exhausted. I have spent all week trying to brainwash small children into being gay, by relentlessly inserting homosexuality into their maths, geography and science lessons. Their little eyes widened when the gay algebra lesson started, but it worked: their concept of “normal sexual behaviour” has been successfully destroyed. It’s all part of the program brilliantly co-ordinated by the Homintern to imposed The Gay Agenda on Every Aspect of British Life.

HA!  I urge you to read the rest here.  It is upsetting that there are still people out there who think that you can make someone gay, and even more upsetting that many of those people are in power.  I’m not going to try to argue the point here, you know my feelings on it, and Johann puts it so brilliantly it would be pointless, but I will show you this.

This is a picture of a recent addition of Us Weekly magazine, which featured Elton John and his partner David Furnish and their beautiful new baby boy, Zachary Jackson Levi Furnish John (we’re going to let the name go for the moment).  It depicts a happy couple, holding their new baby.  Harmless, one would have thought, however the The Harps grocery store in Mountain Home, Arkansas felt the need to cover it with a “family shield” and even went so far as to wrap some editions of the magazine in plastic (a practice usually reserved for porn).  It’s wrong, and ridiculous, but a powerful reminder that no matter how far things have come in some parts of the world, there are still backwards corners in even the most progressive countries where people think a photo of two men holding a baby will turn a kid gay.

 

I love Villagers.  You probably know that, even if you don’t know me, or haven’t been reading the blog, because any human being with a musical bone in their body loves Villagers.  I have been lucky enough to see Conor and the gang play about 15 times at this point, but it never ever gets old.  I was lucky enough to be at 2 of their December gigs, which have been documented beautifully here by Myles O’Reilly.  Myles, I don’t know you, but I think I would watch Power Rangers if it was made by you.  Kudos.

 

With the royal wedding approaching, excitement is mounting in the UK and indeed all over the world.  Bunting is being manufactured, commemorative china is being designed, and of course, there’s the condoms.

Yes, that’s right, the condoms.

According to their website:  “Like a Royal wedding, intercourse with a loved one is an unforgettable occasion.”   They’re dead right.  I’m ordering 4 cases.

This morning Adele did an extended session in the Live Lounge for BBC Radio 1.  It was incredible.  Truly, incredible.  I’m hoping to get a download of the whole thing but for now here is the cover track she did.  It’s Cheryl Cole’s “Promise This” and it blows the original out of the water.  (Sorry Cheryl.)

http://soundcloud.com/the-round-table/promise-this#play

My boyfriend and I went to see Blue Valentine last week, and having read my previous post about the Gosling, he expressed some feelings of inadequacy.  His primary issue was that not only is the Gosling attractive, but he’s also clearly sound.

If you were sitting near us in the cinema you may have heard some loud occasional tutting, followed by comments like, “I mean, like, he’s CLEARLY a legend”, and “How can you compete with that?”  Apologies, but I’m sure you understand.

Someone needs to tell Joan Burton that she probably doesn’t have to work quite so hard for her seat this time around…