A little light rapture magic

Just remembered that Tom Lehrer has the ideal song for this day of all days.




For a little lighter relieve here is Daniel Radcliffe singing perhaps Lehrer's most famous song.



Just in case I'm gone here's a little Blondie for you to remember me by.

Harry Potter and the Vote for Liberal Democrats

Well now that Harry Potter and more to the point Daniel Radcliffe the star who plays him are over 18 it is the first time he can vote in a muggle election. The good news is that as the election approaches Daniel is more definite in who he will be voting for than last summer when interviewed in Attitude. According to the Daily Mail the young star said:

In next month's US edition of Vogue, Radcliffe – who will be able to vote for the first time at the General Election – discusses his affiliation to the party. 'I'll be voting Lib Dem, without a shadow of a doubt,' he said. 'Nick Clegg rang me and we had a good chat. He’s seriously impressive.'

A Lib Dem spokesman said: 'We are delighted to have Daniel as a supporter and it’s great he has said he is going to vote for the Lib Dems. Daniel’s fanbase reaches far and wide, young and old.'

Good to have the Harry Potter star onboard to expelleramus Labour.

Daniel Radcliffe to Record Ad for LGBT Youth Helpline

There were two things that struck me about Daniel Radcliffe's interview in Attitude magazine last year. The first was obviously that he'd said he would be voting Liberal Democrat in his first general election vote, the second was how tuned in and comfortable he was for such a young, straight star with LGBT issues.

Therefore it isn't really a surprise that Daniel is willing to record an ad for a LGBT youth helpline in the US. Speaking of the project on MTV Radcliffe said:

"The Trevor Project is the only [US] nationwide around-the-clock crisis- and suicide-prevention help line [of its kind]. [It's designed] for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. There will also soon be a 'Trevor' iPhone application."

Summing why he should tie himself to such a cause Daniel said, "You don't have to be gay to be a supporter — you just have to be human."Going on he said:

"Some are gay, some are straight — didn't make any difference to me. When I went to my secondary school, I heard terms like 'poof' and 'homo' getting thrown around. It never occurred to me that some people might have a problem with it."

It is liable to cause some shock that a prominent, young star is so willing to associate himself with a LGBT charity. But I think it is just the kick up the backside that some American's need. In this months Gay Times, American Idol runner up Adam Lambert told how unlike Danyl Johnson he refused to gender sensitive a lyric and hide his sexuality. Speaking of the song Fever by Lady Gaga on his new album For Your Entertainment in which he references a male love interest he says:

"She asked me, ' What shall we do about it?' and I answered 'I think I should say it.' 'So do I,' she said. It was funny because we realised a lot of radio stations out here probably won't play it because of that gender reference, literally because of that one line, they won't play the song.

"The bit that I think is really f***** up is that we as the entertainment community could help if it just said 'Deal with it people.' But instead it is so fearful tat people are going to object, boycott and complain that they cave in."

So well done to Daniel for not being afraid. I'm sure I'll soon see the American Family Association having another reason to complain about the last Harry Potter movies now, but I'm glad that the young Brits can show what it means to be human. Indeed living up to Matthew 25:35 'I was a stranger and you took me in' so much more that certain 'christian' groups seem to want to extend their charity to 'least of men', or rather of course not.

Petrificus Totalus Lib Demmery: Not so Fast - Possibly

A lot of my Lib Dem friends got rather excited by the news leaked last week that Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe admitted to Attitude magazine's Youth edition that he was most likely going to vote Lib Dem at the next election.

For those of you who were holed up under the stairs at Privet Drive here is what he said:

"I actually rather like Nick Clegg. But ya know, cat's chance in hell. At the next election I will almost certainly vote Lib Dem. If all the people who liked them voted for them you could change politics overnight and we could have a proper three party system."

Some rather interesting comment, especially when you realise that he also said 'David Cameron is barely distinguishable from Tony Blair' and in response to would he like to see Cameron as Prime Minister ' No! No, no, no, no. no!'. As for Gordon he quotes Paul Merton is saying "it's a tragedy that this man has waited all his life to do this job - and now he finds out he can't do it".

As you can gather there actually is a lot of depth of thought in the young star such referencing Daniel Defoe, Martin Niemöller and the following comments on gay education being included in schools.

"There's all this stuff at the moment, which is hateful, about people being up in arms about the idea of gay sex education is schools. Hello!?! Actually for the one or two gay kids in the class, it's fucking vital! It really makes me angry. You're not going to turn the straight kids gay by giving them a sex ed class about how to have gay sex safely! You know. Really. People can catch HIV even after their first time and that's what it's all about; that can be avoided."

And this about the importance of getting out and voting:

"It's so important that young people learn about politics and vote even if it is a protest vote to make a point. Not voting is not a protest."

Of course while that Lib Dem vote comment may have been headline grabbing there is more behind the story and it isn't all good news. The interview runs to 9 columns over 5 pages so there a fair amount of the inner working of Radcliffe's thoughts that are exposed and he seems a rounded, intelligent, thoughtful young man. But following on from giving us his vote at the General Election he says:

"My prediction for the next ten years. The Tories will get in at the next election and will be in for a while. They have to go to the centre to get in, that's how they have to play it, but once they're in they will reveal themselves to be much more right wing that they actually make out - and the left will react to that and we will actually have a proper left wing again"

Attitude: And would you support a proper left wing?

"Yes, yes. I would actually."

Admittedly young Radcliffe happily admits he was too young to experience the euphoria of New Labour in 1997. So he doesn't know a proper left wing being in opposition of in power like some of those slightly older that him (OK double his age) can. So maybe, just maybe where he to experience that he really would realise that the Lib Dem way really is the right way.

Yes my more libertarian brethren may argue with me rotten of fiscal and social policies but to the core we are Liberals where it matters most, somewhere that reading Daniel's word in Attitude I believe he belongs too. But you know what having both sides of the debate in making spending policy I think we get it more often right than either of the extremes.