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Not All About Boys

A much-needed NAAB NUTTER update!

30/8/2012

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Hey there NAAB NUTTERs! I've missed you. Frankly, it's been too long since we just talked.
Well, I'd like to put that right- I'm trying to reconnect with my NAAB NUTTERs, so lets give some special shoutouts!
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Ellena makes for a very formal NAAB NUTTER- top button done up, I see!
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Dodie is one of my more musical NAAB NUTTERs with her ukelele!
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Lucy happy as anything with her NAAB NUTTER badge!
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Flora the NAAB NUTTER gets just a little bit photobombed...
These are just some of the latest NAAB NUTTERs who have sent me their photos! If you'd like a NAAB NUTTER badge, comment below, leaving your email address, and I'll send you a badge! Don't worry, your email won't be published, and you could be featured on the blog, so make sure you comment.

The ridiculous tale of my grandpa and his name change!

The Top 5 weirdest Piercings

Why GCSE grades dropping is a GOOD thing

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Dear Grandpa Sid...

27/8/2012

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Dad and I, when I was 5.
Although I never met my grandpa, as he died when my mother was 16, I was very touched by something that Mum wrote about him, so I thought I'd share it with you today! This is the story of my grandpa's name, and the friction it caused in his family, as told by my Mum.

My dad had a massive heart attack in 1970, a few days after the picture below was taken. The heart attack knocked him out in Mare Street, Hackney and it should have killed him but he hung on for another 10 years.  I'm so happy he lived - it was a hard 10 years but if he hadn't survived I wouldn't have known him at all. I am, however, acutely aware that I know very little about his life before he fell ill. A school report says that he was a quiet, honest boy. I know he married late and that my mum said that meeting and dating him was the happiest time of her life. I know that he cared deeply for his family. And I know that he hated his name...

Dad was born Israel Muskoron. His brother was born Solomon Muskoron. As the children of immigrants, trying to make their way in England and living through a war in which Jews were not exactly flavour of the day, their names must have been a huge burden. My Dad became known as Issy and his brother became known as Solly but the story goes that they didn't like their official names, which followed them wherever they went. And so eventually the brothers both decided to change their names. The only problem was that they both decided to change their names to Sid.

Presumably this was before Sid the Yid became a popular antisemitic jibe - and their penchant for the name is probably precisely why Sid the Yid became a popular antisemitic jibe. Regardless, both of them were immovable on this decision. No other name would do for either of them. My dad and his brother were very close but I imagine it caused a little sibling rivalry. Anyway, despite their vehemence, I don't remember anyone calling either of them anything but Solly and Issy- but yesterday was my Dad's birthday and I thought of him and Googled him. This was what I found...


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I don't know if Uncle Solly officially changed his name but it seems that Dad did, and here's the proof.

A year ago my Mum died and soon we're adding some wording to Dad's stone where they both now lay. The thing is that even on his gravestone he is ISRAEL MUSKORON and my sister thought this was wrong. At first I couldn't quite see the point but she was insistent and eventually I came to see that it was somehow important. And so, after all these years, we decided to add SID in brackets after MUSKORON. The stone masons told me that it would totally throw out the alignment of the inscription, but we don't care and have told them to go ahead and do it. And it won't matter that I never heard my Dad called Sid while he was alive - finally, in death, Sid he will be.

I hope you enjoyed that. I thought it was interesting and sweet, anyway. Comment if you liked this little story, or if you have any questions about it!
If you liked my Mum's writing, she has a book out at the moment on Kindle, so check that out if you'd like to contribute to the Shamash family income, or just stalk my mother- I'm cool with either option, so click the link below! It's only £1.95 so, really, you'd be silly not to.

CLICK HERE TO STALK MY MUM/ READ HER HEARTBREAKING BLACK COMEDY ABOUT A DYING DOG CALLED PHILIP


The Top Five Freaky Piercings (and why I'm a wuss)...

Why GCSE grades really NEED to go down

An experience with God at a certain London museum

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The Top Five Weirdest Piercings (and why I'm a wuss)...

26/8/2012

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My tiny silver studs!
Yesterday, for the first time ever, I got my ears pierced.

I know, I'm 16, I should have gotten it done about 5 years ago when everyone else was having their piercings done, right?
Well, I'll own up to it- I was a wuss.

I didn't get it done for ages because I was scared of the pain. It's true. Well yesterday I decided, spur of the moment, to just get it over with!

This idea didn't immediately win over my parents. My Dad was worried I'd run off and get 200 piercings instead of just one, and come home with more metal on my body than Anastasia from Fifty Shades of Grey.

So here, just to upset my dear old daddy, are the 5 weirdest piercings known to man!

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Ouch! Eye piercings...
Number 5- The Eyelid
Let's kickstart this countdown with the rather odd-looking eyelid piercing. I imagine this one hurts quite a lot, and I know I'd be terrified that they'd somehow damage my sight with the piercing gun, so I guess it's not for everyone.

But then again, I'm the wuss who waited until she was 16 to get basic earlobe studs, so maybe I'm far too sensible and boring for this kind of piercing!
Still, it would definitely annoy my Dad, so that's a plus side...

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The conjoined-toe piercing is very unique!
Number 4- The Conjoined Toes
I like this one a lot, actually- because it's just so unique! This woman has turned her conjoined toes from a simple birth defect into something really cool and quirky, which I love. Although I'm thinking it might have been quite painful to walk on for the first few weeks...

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Open wide!
Number 3- The Uvula
Oooh this one's freaky! Until you open your mouth wide, nobody would ever know that it's there, and then- BAM! Bit of a hidden piercing, I guess.

I'd definitely consider this one (sorry Papa) purely because it's so cool, but I'm not sure how it would affect my singing voice- maybe I'd sound like a windchime everytime I tried to hit a highnote or something?! So I probably won't be getting this piercing any time soon...

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A more daring piercing for the ladies?
Number 2- The Vagina
I personally don't think that vaginas don't need anything doing to them because they're pretty perfect already (feminist, darling- keep up!) but if you don't agree, there are plenty of different piercings you can get done on your private parts.
Outer labia, inner labia, even clitoral piercings (Ouch), although apparently not all women can get all vaginal piercings because you need thin or thick vaginal skin for different piercings, and each woman is different, so sometimes you can't get the piercing you wanted because you're physically not suited to it.

Certainly not for me, but hey, I'm open minded if others want it!

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Or... JUST GO WILD!
Number 1- The Metal Detector Special
Or, if you're feeling a bit daring, you could just get one of everything, like this man! He's got them in his brow, bottom lip, dimples, ears, forehead, neck, chin, cheeks, and through his nose.

Although this look is a bit full on - to say the least - it has its advantages. Like many full-on looks, it's quite cool and very bold, so I think it definitely makes a statement. Let's it put this way: it will definitely get you noticed (especially in airport security, which is why it's called The Metal Detector Special)!

So there you have it- the top 5 bodily piercings the human body can stand! I wonder what my Dad will have to say about these...

Comment below if there are any in the list that you particularly liked!
My favourite is definitely the toe one, because it's just so different.
I'm also interested to know how old YOU were when they got your first piercing, because I feel like I'm probably still not particularly old to get it done. If you've got any interesting piercing story, I'd also love to hear it in the comments!

Why the drop in GCSE grades is a GOOD thing

A traumatising experience with God in 'Ripley's Believe It or Not'!

GCSEs finish with an emotional end

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Why GCSE grades dropping is a really GOOD thing!

25/8/2012

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This year, for the first time in GCSE history, grades have gone down.
That's awful, right? Something's going wrong with the education system- schools are failing, students must be getting thicker, or maybe more kids are taking drugs instead of working! What if teaching standards are dropping?! OR MAYBE IT'S JUST ALL A MASSIVE GOVERNMENT CONSPIRACY!

No. Calm yourselves, readers. I myself have just completed my GCSEs, and yes, I was pretty happy with my results. But whilst many students feel that the marking has been too harsh this year, or the grade boundaries too high, I'd like to tell you why they're really not.

Once upon a time, when the grade boundaries were high, and the marking relatively strict- I'm mostly talking about back in Ye Olde days of O Levels- it was very difficult to get the top grade, which at that time was an A. You had to be in the top 10% or so of the country. And as a result, the students' grades were usually a very accurate representation of how smart the student was.

This epidemic of everyone getting better grades is called grade inflation and it renders qualifications absolutely worthless. Here's why: If one student gets an A/A* in Maths no longer means that the kid is a genius, because everyone else in their class also got As and A*s.

But let's get back to this year. Grades have dropped because the government is trying to make sure that the GCSE stays a respected, valuable qualification, and it's going to benefit the whole country in a much more long-term way, as our education will still be respected and at the same standard as other countries across Europe. So sorry if you didn't quite get the grades you hoped for this year- but it's all going to a very good thing in the long run!

I hope that you found this blog post interesting, because it was annoying me that people were moaning about not doing as well as they'd hoped, and there wereEnglish teachers in the news screaming that the Literature was marked too harshly this year. But hey, maybe you disagree with me! If you have an opinion on anything I've said, make sure you comment it below- I love getting comments, and I really enjoy a good argument sometimes!

A terrifying experience at 'Ripley's Believe It or Not!' museum

GCSEs are OVER- I have some serious thank-yous to make!

Meeting Wheezy Waiter- beard and all!

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A traumatising religious experience at Ripley's Believe It or Not!

24/8/2012

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The exhibit in question- the electric chair.
A few weeks ago, whilst in search of some light-hearted entertainment in London, a friend and I popped into 'Ripley's Believe It or Not!' museum in Picadilly Circus.
And whilst I enjoyed most of the rather odd museum, there was one particular exhibit that actually had quite an adverse effect on me.

The electric chair.
On the third or fourth floor of the building is a faux torture-chamber with smoke, plastic chains and occasional screaming sound effects. You know the kind of thing; all a bit tacky and pleasantly Disney-Land-haunted-house-ish. That was all fine. But right in the centre of the exhibition was a fake electric chair, morbidly accessorised with a waxy figurine model of a man, its head harshly covered with a rough brown potato sack.

The idea is that you pull a lever near the chair, and it's meant to scare you a bit. Smoke steams out from the plastic wires, the model man gives violent shudders, there's a pre-recorded agonized scream, and that fizzy electricity noise that's supposed to be wires sparking.

Well maybe that's funny for some. Scary for others.

But for me, it provoked quite a different reaction. I immediately felt... awful.
I can't quite explain it, but the best I can do is that there was this huge, overwhelmingly powerful SURGE of dark, black energy which just came over me, and I felt AWFUL instantly. I'm not usually particularly religious, and I can't tell you how I know, but it was God.
"I have done something horribly, HORRIBLY wrong" I thought, appalled, the lever still in my hand. "This is SO wrong. How can I ever be forgiven? This is so terrible, I just don't know how I can ever make this okay"

I didn't say anything to my friend at the time, because we were having a nice day out and also I thought she might think it was a joke. She's lovely, but who wouldn't think it a little funny?
"PFFT YEAH RIGHT, YOU HAD A BLOODY RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH GOD IN RIPLEY'S MUSEUM! THAT'S HILARIOUS! NICE ONE, YOLANDA- NICE ONE!" she'd say, clutching her sides with laughter.

But in truth, the whole ordeal was quite distressing. I'm not sure what to make of it all. I'm convinced that the hugely powerful, highly charged, dark black feeling was God, although in no form that I could ever properly explain.

In terms of light entertainment, Ripley's wasn't exactly what I was looking for.
But it was certainly unforgettable- and not in a good way.

I thought I'd share that with you because it was an odd experience that I think I needed to talk about in some way. I'm honestly not that religious, so don't think I'm a nutter searching for the next messiah or anything weird! Comment below if you've got any questions about my terrifying experience, or if anything similar has ever happened to you!

An end to GCSEs and a whole lot of thank-yous!
Waiting for Wheezy- an interview with top Youtuber Wheezy Waiter
Youtuber Tim H and I talk about his first ever vids, and his many famous lookalikes
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GCSEs finish with an emotional end!

23/8/2012

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Holding up my results paper, happy as anything!
For two years, teenagers up and down the country have worked. Countless hours of exams, unrelenting piles of coursework and endless amounts of essays have all led to this day.
It's GCSE results day!

Personally, I'm happy with my results. 6 A*s and 4 As is exactly what I was hoping for, and enough for me to go to the school I want to go to next year- so I'm pretty chuffed right now.

But I can't really say that it was all off of my own back. Sure I sat all of the exams and did the coursework, but without a huge amount of support throughout these last two years, I don't think I would ever have got the grades.

So without further ado, I'd like to do a massive Bafta-style thank you speech to everyone who has helped me with my GCSEs over the past two years!

THANK YOU TO...
My teachers. We may not have gotten on sometimes (shout out to my Chemistry teacher Miss Patel, who I'm pretty sure was never too keen on me!) but I've really appreciated all your help over the years. I know that I would have completely failed everything without the great teachers I've had, and the hard work they've put in to get me through exams.

My family. Just for putting up with how awful I've been. They've stood by me and been supportive even when I've had ridiculous tantrums over revision, cried about results (both happy and sad tears) and all the times I've moaned about coursework. That's my parents, my brother Nathan, my cousins, my aunts and uncles, my grandmas (both grandmas, the dead and alive one, because both have given me loads of support during their lifetimes) and all the other family members who have been there for me. Thanks guys, I love you all!

My friends. I love my friends just as much as my family and they've gone through this whole GCSE process with me. You've all been there to joke and laugh with when things go wrong. I don't need to do shoutouts because you know who you are!

Charles, my tutor. I'd like to show some major gratitude to my physics and chemistry tutor, Charles, who was a fantastic help with my least favourite sciences. Charles made sciences bareable and actually quite fun, and I came out with an A* in both of those subjects, so a HUGE thank you there.

Jenny Lilleystone, my singing teacher. Also a HUGE thank you to Jenny Lilleystone, my singing teacher, who has certainly kept me on the straight and narrow for several years! Even though Jenny hasn't had any direct influence in my education, I think she's taught me a lot about hard work, and I'd probably be an absolute shambles without her.

Lastly, I'd like to thank... you. Whoever is reading this. Blogging has helped keep me sane and been a great tool in releasing my energy productively over the past year, and although it probably kept me from revising half the time, I'm so glad I have the blog, and you, an audience! Thank you for being here.

Youtuber Wheezy Waiter and I get talking...

Tim H and I just chatting...

Carrie Hope Fletcher fangirls over Youtubers!

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Day Seven: What you've all waited for- WHEEZY WAITER!

19/8/2012

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Possibly the best photo ever? Wheezy is now a NAAB NUTTER!
You've waited. Oh you've waited a LONG time for this moment. Well this last Youtuber certainly knows a lot about waiting- it's Wheezy Waiter!

Apologies for the godawful waiting pun, but I really couldn't let that one pass me by.

Wheezy, or Craig Benzine if you want to call him by his real name, is one of the much more well-known American Youtubers, so I was very lucky to get to speak to him at the Regent's Park gathering last week! I did have to jostle my way through a crowd of about 40 people to get to him, but I think it was worth it!

Name: Craig Benzine
Channel name: wheezywaiter
Subscriber count: 397,020
Youtube style: Comedy, Sketches, Vlogs, Incredible Randomness

How did you start out making Youtube videos?

I was a waiter and I was angry, so I turned to Youtube.

Describe your videos in 5 words!

CLONE. EXPLOSIONS. BANJO. WHALE... EAGLEPUNCH! Eaglepunch is one word.

What do fans usually say when they see you at gatherings or in the street?

They always want to touch my beard, so I always call my fanbase Beard-Lovers! People often want hugs. And to punch my face. Just kidding about the face-punching. They don't do that. Usually...

Do you still see yourself making Youtube videos in 5 years time?

YES. And hopefully I'll be doing movies too.

What is your advice to people wanting to make videos like you?

You just have to start. Always expect to fail, but start nonetheless.

Well, the week of Youtuber interviews is officially over. Comment if you liked the series, or what was your favourite part of these daily blogs. I love getting feedback on my blogs, because it helps me to give you guys cooler and more interesting blog content- so make sure you comment below!

Aaaand after you're done commenting, you should definitely go check out Wheezy's channel, where he's got loads of great videos to enjoy. Make sure you tell him that NotAllAboutBoys sent you!

Wheezy's channel!


Day Six: Tim Hautekiet and I talk Youtube sucess and famous lookalikes...

Day Five: Carrie Fletcher gets talking about fangirling and Youtube fame

Day Four: Christopher 'Bing' Bingham gives his tips for film-making and why he loves Youtube

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Day Six: Tim Hautekiet on his first ever videos and a famous lookalike!

18/8/2012

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It's our sixth day into this Youtube adventure, and we're almost at the end of it all- but not quite!

Today we're talking to Youtuber TimH, who has been making videos for several years on the site, and is really starting to become better-known in the online community.

Anyway, here's the conversation we had at Regent's Park last week- about his first videos, famous lookalikes and why you should never be camera-shy!

Name: Tim
Channel name: TimH078
Subscriber count: 24,185
Youtube style: Vlogs, Comedy, Sketches


So, Tim, how did you get into making videos on the internet?
Through friends who were on Youtube, and also I just always really liked film. My first videos were really silly- things with my brother, making really bad Star Wars videos, that kind of thing! Youtube is a great place to make creative content easily.

Describe what you do on Youtube in 5 words!
Nerdy, fast, interactive (because I ask my viewers questions), quirky and silly.

What do your fans usually say when they see you at gatherings?
Usually people just say "HI TIM!". That's pretty much it. Sometimes fans make Andrew Garfield jokes, telling me I look like Peter Parker because I reviewed Spiderman and people realised I look like him! I get Drake Bell a lot too...

I can definitely see the Drake Bell in you! In five years time, where do you see yourself? Will you still be doing Youtube videos or will you have moved on from that?
Hopefully I'll still be vlogging, but I've got other ambitions as well.

What would be your advice to anyone wanting to start making Youtube videos?
I always say: just DO IT. Don't have any reservations- just go for it.

I hope you enjoyed that little interview- comment below if you did! Tim was a really nice guy to talk to, and I wish him luck in his future Youtube career, because he's got some talent.

(Now is the part where you go check out his channel and tell him that NotAllAboutBoys sent you!) In particular, I suggest checking out 'Evolution of Music', because it's hilarious and brilliant.

Tim's channel!


Day Five: Carrie Fletcher talks fangirling and Youtube bravery

Day Four: Christopher Bingham shares some top notch Youtube advice!

Matt Hargreaves, internet clown, and I having a SRS BSNS chat

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Day Five: Carrie Hope Fletcher on fangirling and being brave!

17/8/2012

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Carrie holding a NAAB NUTTER badge (sorry it's blurry, guys!)
It's day five of our interviews, and we're headed straight for Carrie Hope Fletcher today! A relative newcomer to Youtube, Carrie has quickly gained a substantial fanbase, which she refers to as the 'Hopefuls' after her middle name, Hope.

At the Regent's Park gathering, I got the chance to talk to her about fangirling, the bravery involved in posting videos, and how to get started on Youtube.

Name: Carrie Hope Fletcher
Channel name: ItsWayPastMyBedTime
Subscriber count: 69,042
Youtube style: Vlogs (Video blogs), Song covers, Collab videos with other Youtubers


How did you get into making Youtube videos?
I started by doing song covers, until I met Alex Day (another Youtuber) and he told me I should start doing vlogs and other kinds of videos, not just songs. I was pretty apprehensive at first- I felt like it would be weird just talking to a camera by myself and then putting it online! But I got started, and it went alright, I think- so I've just kept making videos!

Describe what you do in your videos in 5 words!

Weird- that's got to be first, of course-, comfy... Oooh I don't know! Any ideas? (At this point Carrie gestures to the crowd of fans gathering around her, who all begin to suggest words) Happy? YES! Musical... and CREATIVE!

What do your fans usually say when they meet you in the street or at gatherings?
Well, I was at BT Live London the other day, and lots of people came to say hello. I try to be as approachable as I can, because I'm really no different to any of my fans. I've been in their position too, loving Youtubers and wanting to speak to them at gatherings, so I don't want people to feel like they can't talk to me- because I really know what that feels like!

In five years time, do you still see yourself Youtubing?

Yeah I'll probably be making videos still. It's a hobby for me, really. It's never the constant in my life- the constant is what's actually going on in my life, like friends and things, and that's what I'll be making videos about.

What would be your advice to anyone wanting to make Youtube videos like you?
(Laughs loudly) I don't what I'm doing, really! I put Youtubing off for ages, because I was a bit scared, so my adivce would be: be brave and just get going! Oh and try to feel like you're having a conversation with your audience too.

Comment below if you're enjoying this series of mini-blogs/interviews, and feel free to check out the previous interviews as well!

I reccomend checking out Carrie's channel too- her videos are always cute, funny and just a little bit romantic. Be sure to tell her that NotAllAboutBoys sent you!

Carrie's channel!


Day Two- Doddleoddle and the music in her life

Day Four: Christopher Bingham gives video-making advice and tells me about the power of Youtube

Day Three: Matt Hargreaves on determination and being an internet clown

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Day Four: Christopher Bingham on video-making advice and the power of Youtube

16/8/2012

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Bing and I at Regent's Park!
Well, we're over half way through our week of famous Youtubers, and it's time to call Christopher Bingham (known mostly as Bing on the internet) to the stage!

I've long been a fan of Bing's work, as his videos are always very professional and well-edited, which is something that a lot of Youtubers lack. He's also got some hilarious comedy in his vids, and I could watch them over and over again!

Last week we got talking at a Youtube gathering in Regent's Park -which he organised- about his fanbase, why Youtube is so brilliant, and how he got started making videos.

Name: Christopher Bingham
Channel name: slomozovo (which stands for Slow Motion Zombie Voyeurism)
Subscriber count: 91,488
Youtube style: Comedy/ Sketches/ Vlogs


How did you get into making Youtube videos?
I went to school with my friend Tom (another Youtuber) and we were both into film making. We ended up going to the same uni, both studying Media Production, but we were also doing film projects outside of uni, which we put online. We started gaining an audience, and I think we were really putting more work into our films on Youtube than into our actual coursework!

Describe your videos in 5 words!
Niche experimental comedy... TIME VLOGS.

What do fans usually say when they see you in the street or at gatherings?

Well it's really different every time! But a lot of the time, people just tell me that they enjoy my videos and they want a photo.

In five years time, where do you see yourself? Still making Youtube videos or moving onto something else?

I think I'll still be using youtube- it's a fantastic platform, really. But also I'd like to make films in the future. I'm not giving up Youtube though, because without Youtube, I wouldn't have an audience!

What would be your advice to anyone thinking of making videos like you?
Do it to get better at making videos. Don't do it to get an audience. You should really always want to improve your skills- I'm still learning.

If you enjoyed this mini-interview, comment below what you liked about it!
And as soon as you've done that, you should probably go take a look at Bing's channel. But be sure to tell him that NotAllAboutBoys sent you!

Crazy adventures over on Bing's channel!


Day Three: Matt Hargreaves on determination and being an internet clown

Day Two: Doddleoddle tells us about the music and the madness in her life

Day One: Crabstickz and I chat about nudity on the internet and Youtube success

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    About me...

    Hi, I'm Yolanda Shamash, a teenager with opinions. And they're not all about boys!
    Some people were getting a bit confused, so let me just clarify: you don't need to log in to comment!
    So please comment on any of my blogs (even if you disagree with what I'm saying), share with your friends or send me an email at notallaboutboys@hotmail.co.uk
    I really appreciate it!

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