Monthly Archives: May 2015

My Favourite Five Contestants Right Now In Big Brother 2015!

I’ve been watching Big Brother on TV3 over the past while and deciding who my favourites were. It’s been really entertaining so far. At this stage here is my favourite four contestants in the show:

Nick

I have loved Nick since he went in. He is quite easy on the eye but he also comes across really lovely, interesting, witty and gentle.

Jade

Our Irish girl Jade is doing amazing. She is so entertaining and is been a strong, Irish woman in the face of a lot of cruelness really in there especially from Eileen. I love the way she just laughs it all off and doesn’t take any of it too seriously. I also think her and Nick are so cute together so whether it turns out to be a friendship or relationship I’m sure it’ll be amazing.

Aaron

I find Aaron really witty. When he was drunk he was so funny. I think his heart’s in the right place so I hope he does well.

Cristian

Cristian is such a lovely lad. Really nice.

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Sweden Wins The Eurovision 2015

Sweden won the 60th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday in Austria. 28-year-old Stockholm singer Mans Zelmerlow claimed top honours with the song “Heroes”.

He was presented with the trophy by Conchita Wurst who won the contest last year with the song Rise Like A Phoenix and said following his win,

“I’m so extremely happy. I want to thank all of you for voting and supporting me. I just want to say that we are all heroes, no matter who we love, who we are or what we believe in. We are all heroes.”

From the Eurovision website later:

“It was absolutely amazing. I didn’t hear it when they first said it. I thought Russia or Italy would win it. But then I did it, and I was so happy. My feelings are now all over the place. I am so proud, so excited, so full of joy.”

Top six were as follows:

1st: Sweden
2nd: Russia
3rd: Italy
4th: Belgium
5th: Australia
6th: Latvia

Congratulations Sweden.

Watch the winning performance below:

Republic of Ireland Vote Yes In Marriage Equality Referendum

On the 22nd of this month my wonderful country the Republic of Ireland voted Yes to marriage equality. We have become the first country to legalise same-sex marriage by a popular vote and I couldn’t be more proud. We showed we were a loving, compassionate country with liberal, caring minds who embrace equality and love and I’m so happy to be in a country with so many wonderful, open-minded people.

There was a huge turn-out to vote in this very important referendum with the Yes campaign winning in the end by more than 1.2 million votes, claiming victory by over 460,000 votes. Irish people from around the world travelled home to take part in the referendum and many people gathered at Dublin Castle to celebrate the result on the 23rd of May. Amendment 34 to the Irish constitution passed by 62% to 38%. Overwhelmingly victorious which makes this whole win even more beautiful because so many people believe in equality. On the 23rd Vincent Browne also presented a referendum results show from The George and rainbows were seen in Cork and Dublin as the last results came through:

From Amanda Cooke’s Twitter:

Here is some reactions about this amazing result:

From Fine Gael Limerick Twitter:

Aw too cute! 🙂 Congrats to the newly engaged couple! 🙂

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said,

Panti Bliss said,

“This is the epitome of a grassroots campaign that started 40 years ago when a tiny group stood up and said they had nothing to be afraid of.”

Leo Varadkar said,

“Something has been awakened in the Irish people … it was not just a referendum it was more like a social revolution.”

Hozier said,

Pat Carey said,

“It’s down to the brave, ordinary people of Ireland who took their courage in their hands.”

Senator David Norris said,

“It’s wonderful. It’s a little bit late for me … I’ve spent so much time pushing the boat out that I forgot to jump on and now it’s out beyond the harbour on the high seas, but it’s very nice to look at.”

Sir Ian McKellen said,

Stephen Fry said,

And my own:

I am so happy. I honestly couldn’t have beared it if the yes vote didn’t go through. It would have been awful. Now the country is an even more beautiful place than it was before. Well done to all! 🙂

My Top Five Tips For Eurovision Glory 2015!

So we failed to get to the final of the 60th Eurovision. Sniff. Ireland would have been in this list too (And not just because I’m biased I swear. :-)) It would have been six songs because six I really liked. Still I think we could have another really good winner this year and I’m looking forward to it tomorrow night. Check out my tips for Eurovision glory 2015!:

Belgium

Loïc Nottet from Belgium is singing Rhythm Inside. It’s really quite catchy and quite modern too. A definite strong contender.

Australia

Guy Sebastian is Australia’s first entry for Eurovision with Tonight Again. Again very catchy, has a Bruno Mars vibe. Really strong.

Austria

The Makemakes are representing the host country with their song I Am Yours in a bid to win the contest two years running after the success of the wonderful Conchita Wurst last year. It has a wonderful subtle feel, quite bluesy. Really like it.

Cyprus

John Karayiannis is representing Cyprus with a beautiful song called One Thing I Should Have Done. Possibly a dark horse in it.

Serbia

Bojana Stamenov is representing Serbia with Beauty Never Lies. It’s got a great message and is a really good song as well.

Best of luck everyone! 🙂

My Thoughts On The Marriage Equality Referendum

Tomorrow it is going to be a huge day in Ireland. A huge day for politics and a day when hopefully love, positivity and equality will win out over negativity. Of course I’m talking about The Marriage Referendum which will be taking place.

I remember the first time I realised that gay people couldn’t get married in Ireland. I was about 11, 12, 13 and I was writing a story and my main character was getting married to his boyfriend and my sister had to tell me that it wasn’t in the law. And I remember been incredibly sad about that. It had just never crossed my mind that stopping two people of the same sex from marrying would be a law or be even allowed to be a law. It was an eye-opener to the horribleness and prejudice that existed in laws and from then I’ve been on the Yes side but it’s only now I can do something about it.

I have heard so much about the No side feeling persecuted during the campaign. I find it quite amusing and ironic considering I don’t think the No side knows the meaning of the word persecution. Every time I see a No poster I get a pang of pain in my stomach. It’s just been faced with that moment each time of knowing there is people who campaign to stop people from been happy. There is just something so cold and distant about a person who could believe that two people in love who want to get married shouldn’t be able to because the person they love is the same sex. It feels like they have a lack of goodness and I know that because someone from the Yes side would hate themselves if they thought like that. I certainly would. On the other hand every time I see a Yes poster I feel happy because there is people who campaign for goodness, love and equality and thankfully for me there is more Yes posters up in Bray! Although two of the Yes posters have been vandalised by black marker with one saying “No” and the other saying “No. Bad Example.” As much as I hate seeing the No posters I’d never write on them. Didn’t like that sort of behaviour at all.

I do have to comment about something I read someone from the No side saying recently. Something along the lines of christians been persecuted if the Yes vote wins. I think that is a ridiculous comment. I’m Catholic and I am certain that not everyone thinks we are all against everything. After all the majority of the Republic of Ireland is Catholic so if the Yes vote goes through I think it’s safe to say a good lot of the voters who would have voted Yes would have been Catholic.

I remember hearing a guy I knew once who was gay talking about his future wedding. I think the guilt hit home with me because I don’t really mind either way whether I marry or live with the man of my dreams when I meet him but he did. And I found that upsetting because I had that choice and he didn’t and he clearly wanted to marry more than I did. It isn’t right. An adult should that choice regardless of their sexuality. We all have the right to happiness and by voting No people are attempting to take that happiness away from people. And there is no excuse, whether it is religion or whatever the reason is, for taking that away from people. Obviously everyone is entitled to their opinion but we are also all entitled to dislike a person for an opinion they might have when it’s as serious as this is and it’s difficult for me to like a person who could do that to another human being while they are happy and it not even flicker on them. Of course I’d be polite to a No supporter and I’d like to think that they’d be nice to me too but I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t be hanging out, let’s put it that way.

We are all born equal and we are still all equal even when we aren’t always treated as such and while I don’t know what it is like to be made feel unequal in terms of my sexuality I know what it is like in so many ways that I have lost count. Tomorrow people of Ireland let’s do this. Let’s make Ireland equal for everybody of every sexuality. Let’s do away with this prejudice law set up years upon years upon years ago. Let’s be kind, decent people. Let’s vote Yes. I certainly know I will be.

Stuart Bingham Bings To Victory To Win World Snooker Championship!

The night was tense and not just for Stuart Bingham and Shaun Murphy! I had a bet on Stuart Bingham and at 15-15, the nerves were as bad as 16-16 with Judd Trump in the semis! 🙂 But he got across the line in the end with an 18-15 victory at the Crucible to win his first World Championship.

The 38-year-old from Basildon, Essex held his cool when the pressure was on to become the oldest snooker world champion since Welshman Ray Reardon won the title at the age of 45 in 1978. Murphy, 32, had previously won the title in 2005.

Having led 14-11 coming into the last session, momentum swung Bingham’s way once again after Murphy drew the match at 15-all when the pair engaged in a tactical battle which Bingham won to go one frame ahead. As well as the title and cup, Bingham won a cheque for £300,000 and moves up from tenth to second in the world rankings.

Former Shanghai Masters winner and now World Snooker champion Bingham said,

“At one stage at 15-15 I thought I was going to do Shaun’s [runner-up] speech. It was a 64-minute frame to go 16-15 and that really calmed me down. It gives everybody hope that it can turn around. We don’t know if he truly believed he could win this two weeks ago but he played like he did. When he needed to be focused, by the end he was calmer than anyone in the room. It shows that nice guys can be winners. To beat Shaun in the final tops everything off. Twenty years as professional – blood, sweat and tears on the road. Qualifying in places like Prestatyn and Malvern. So many family and friends have backed me. It is unbelievable.”

On the way to the final Bingham, nicknamed Ball-run Bingham, bet Robbie Williams, Graeme Dott, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump on the way to the final.

So happy for you Stuart. Very well-deserved indeed! Well done! 🙂

Placebo Placebo Review!

Placebo by Placebo (1996) is a stunning debut album. Ah, the debut album of Placebo! A real joy to hear the start of a band who have become so influential to so many people including me. There is quite a bit of this album I can relate to because I am around the age that they were when they brought it out. Packed with what was to become their trademark sound of emotive and thought-provoking lyrics, incredible instrumentals, Brian’s outstandingly unique voice and very catchy songs all-round with fantastic hooks that swirl around happily in your head and stay there. Their songs have definitely since become more mature-sounding as you’d expect and it’s great when you hear this album to hear the start of that musical journey.

Come Home

Rousing instrumentals and striving strong vocals make this another Placebo winner.

Teenage Angst

Emotive and strong. The lines are like poetry and stem out stunningly from the track. The instrumentals also have a 90s’ grunge feel to them which fits perfectly with the song.

Bionic

Thundering, strong and catchy. Excellent instrumental command by the band. Brian’s vocal is soaring and powerful.

36 Degrees

Very original and catchy. Wonderful song with a very catchy chorus. Brian’s vocal is brilliantly presented. The way this song flows from the various different parts is very well constructed and crafted.

Hang On To Your IQ

Very storytelling with an instantly catchy hook, “Hold on to your IQ. To your ID.”. Brilliant. Very imaginative and original. The instrumentals are understated brilliance and Brian’s vocal is stunning.

Nancy Boy

One of my favourite Placebo songs. The chorus is so catchy. And the verses are brilliantly put together. Brian’s voice is very storyteller-like on this track too which brings so much life and energy to the song combined with the outstanding instrumentals. Stunning. Stunning. Stunning.

I Know

Very good lyrically. It’s kind of poetic. And very catchy.

Bruise Pristine

Very powerful and catchy. Thundering and passionate. Brian’s vocal is amazing throughout the song. There is also an amazing break into an even faster rhythm in this song and the chimes leading up to it brilliantly flow into the faster segment.

Lady Of The Flowers

This is brilliant. The sexual, seductive sound in Brian’s voice on this number just draws you in. He’s got such a come-to-bed voice. It’s intoxicating.

Swallow

The opening music is very haunting and it builds up wonderfully. It’s brilliant instrumentally and goes well with the spoken pieces.