Eurovision Song Contest time again!!
 

Sadly, the Russians won't be sending us the latest incarnation of the Spice Girls:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hqRe1YUfFM

Runners and riders:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurovis...g_Contest_2010

Hooray, time for everyone to make fools of themselves again! I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Well, watching the semi-final right now I wonder why do Germany never needs to qualify and always comes in last?

My TV tax is the answer. It pays for all this. In light of the global financial crisis, cn we just say German TV taxes will be suspended until Germany wins the competition with 12 points from every contestant nation.

I mean, who pays should be able to decide who wins, right?
For my taxes I want "Texas lightning" to win first price every year. Am I asking to much? Not really!

I'd also accept ABBA, if they sing in German.

"I'd also accept ABBA, if they sing in German."

Logos, this video is for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4_2TGXZubQ

((H))

Thanks :-). Almost accent free, wonder how my Swedish sounds. :-). Got to have some Köttbullar with cranberries at Ikea now.

bitteschön. I always had a crush on the blonde. Great outfits.

((H))

But THAT is my song :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBjYTW25AEg

I have found a country to support this year: Belgium.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlRq8E_Teoc

Kerouac, that youtube clip was lovely. He probably won't win though - he's not wacky enough.

We were in Athens in 2006 when Eurovision was on. It was fabulous to watch the tourists who had come especially for Eurovision. We also met 2 Belgian men who were very excited to be there and told us that it was a lifelong dream come true to be able to attend Eurovision!!

On the night of the final there were people walking the street waving their national flags and wearing t-shirts with their flags on them etc. We were in a restaurant on the night of the final and it became very obvious that the staff wanted us to hurry up and get out so they could lock up and go home to watch the final on tv.

For wacky, you'll have to see the thing that is representing Serbia.

So far, the Ukraine is worst, it hurts to listen.

Looks like Stefan Raab did it this time?

Hi Logos...What's with Lena's acceptance speech? Someone get her off that stage.

Congratulations, Germany. You now have the honours of spending x million euros on the next Eurovision show. Greece and Turkey are very relieved.

Just switch to ARD now.

Dang it. Don't get it on my Wilmaa website. What's happening.

Whatever Lena was drinking, I think she ought to lay off it for a while!!

She was incoherent. Strange. Hi?

And she decided she'd just stay on the stage and quatsch a bit.

Not her most brilliant moment.

Looked like she fainted. Is it responsable to put such a young girl into that kind of situation? I don't know.. She's speaking at ARD now.

Really? And now she's speaking? Is she still rambling?

She was looking o.k. again, said a few words that made sense with Stefan Raab standing next to her.

Thanks, logos. Guet Nacht und viel Spass in Hannover.

It's over - and the winner is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIDF2eEcB-Y

>>I mean, who pays should be able to decide who wins, right? <<
In that case, the host country would decide every year: they pay for the ESC. The "Big Four" get places automatically because they pay most to the running costs of the European Broadcasting Union, not the Song Contest shows.

FWIW, this was my (belated) take on it all:

http://autolycus-london.blogspot.com...oke-night.html

I thought she was cute. What do you expect from a 19-year-old who has just been picked up from a talent competition and has no performance experience? She did well.

Patrick, thanks for the link. Excellent article!

So Lena won, but I saw that she had to scratch her head to understand English. Why not have pride in her own national language and sing in German !

The hegemony of English should certainly be opposed. Can I ask anyone who supports the cultural identies of individual nations in the Eurovision Song Contest to vote here

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/28/br...-to-eurovision

The rules should also be changed to enable the introduction of the international language Esperanto.

The use of Esperanto is forbidden at the moment.

I was hoping Father Ted would re-invent himself and try singing another song like "My Lovely Horse"............

I wish we had more programs like this. Europeans might finally get to know each other if we knew more about what interests them culturally.

It is already interesting every year to see which countries dare to sing in their own language rather than English, thereby ensuring defeat.

"I wish we had more programs like this. Europeans might finally get to know each other if we knew more about what interests them culturally."

I've always looked at this program as the vorrunner for all Idol shows.

Am listening to Lena's song again. She sounds like a cat in heat.

>>>The hegemony of English should certainly be opposed. <<<

There is a current thread where a guy from Scotland heavily complaints that the Italians do not speak English.

Europe is a continent with so many languages that we always needed a "lingua franca". It used to be Latin for fifteen centuries, then it was French for four centuries, and after WW II English became the common language.