As long term readers know, I love the Eurovision Song Contest. It is just so much fun and so resoundingly daft. Graham Norton’s comment last night, “it’s like the gay wedding I’ll never have”, summed it up rather well. We also learnt that Danish humour is impenetrable. Having once spent a week there living with Danish friends, I guess a country that seems to live on raw fish and raw eggs will forever shimmer beyond my comprehension. Like Hamlet’s mind – impossible to understand completely, but marvelous.
I was however saddened by the audience booing of the two young Russian girls. That was really nasty and unfair. They were scarcely more than children, for goodness sake. Putin is not their fault. That booing was an exhibition of racism; nothing else you can call it. If people wanted to make a point, they could have screamed for the Ukrainian girl – they didn’t have to boo the young Russians.
People always complain about political voting, but I think that’s half the fun. I always enjoy the voting far more than most of the singing. Last night, I think, was political voting in a wonderful way. It was a joyful expression of approval for the idea that human beings can and should be what they want to be. It wasn’t the first time either – I remember a similarly gender challenging singer from Israel winning some years ago. What was even better this year, was that another stereotype was also challenged, in that Conchita swept up much support from Eastern as well as Western Europe. Let it be said that she had a damn good song too.
We voted for the Polish girls. I thought the honesty of their approach was brilliant, and reminded me of so many happy days in Warsaw in my youth. Good to see women doing the washing too.*
All in all, great fun and a life-affirming evening. Now to clear away all the mess – why did I stick all those empty Prosecco bottles on the front garden railings?
*Private joke for my friends at Russia Today media (formerly trading as Indymedia).
Testing to see if I am banned. JM
JM
No, why would you be?
Herbie; The only doors GG is blowing off is the door of dissemenation. You should look at comments on Intercept. Muscle atrophy caused by lack of use.
Well done Herbie, a good summation of the Machiavillian maneouverings that are underway to preserve the petrodollar, and the root source of American exceptionalism.
The muppets continue in buy into the anti Russian propaganda emanating from the US Ministry of Lies & Fabrication.
The methods of Lous Edward Bernays have been well honed by the US spin machine.
In a few years maybe Scotland will be allowed its’ own entry into the ESC ?
Might I suggest a bunch of kilted bagpipe blowing men ( no underware to be worn of course to keep up tradition) wallowing around in a sea of crude oil, and a caber tossing transvestite as background amusement. Perhaps Alex Salmond as the front man, it doesn’t matter if he can sing or not nor does it matter too much about the song, only the performance and any implied or overt political message.
They are already in rehearsal mode, it’s the Euro connection.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7OnzJhM5i4
Richard Clarke, lol. Shill.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSKIVlxUm0o
Shills???
This feckin blog is full of them.
James Mason,
It’s a testament to Craig’s tolerance you aint banned.
Your historical posts were abysmal,nasty.
But feel free to start again.
I only do contrary late night posts to noise up the trolls,deflectively,so Mary gets a clean posting run early doors…:.)
The fools haven’t figured that out yet…lol.
Jives. LOL! Ta.
72% of the great British public do not trust politicians according to a new You Gov poll. Well. Surprise! Surprise!
All you ever wanted to know as to the reasons behind the Ukainian crisis. Long article , but then there are a lot of cooks in that particular kitchen, that brought it to the boil, but burned the dinner.
http://www.outsiderclub.com/warning-the-ukraine-is-at-a-flashpoint/960
I once watched that Eurovision Song Contest. Never again.
Thanks Salford Lad for the article. Not much new there but accurate nonetheless. I left a comment, waiting approval.
“Good article.
‘Of course, those are just the wars we know about.’ If my memory serves correctly the US, according to Russia Today, has taken military intervention in 360 countries since 1945.
Wake up world. There is a wolf huffing and puffing at your door..If you have a house of straw, it will fall. If you have a house of wood, it will fall. Unfortunately, if you have a house of brick, it too will fall. This is one big, bad wolf!”
James Mason, no your not banned, it was mistaken identity. Sorry.
“The EU and US have deemed the polls illegal, and Ukraine’s interim government called the vote a “farce”.”
But elections held in Iraq during US occupation were a “triumph of democracy”.
Funny, that.
In a country where spivs and crooks make it big, the chief spiv defends a tax avoider and says he shouldn’t lose his OBE. Barlow has done a lot for his ‘country’ and for ‘charidee’. Quite so Mr Barlow – the National Society for the Avoidance of Tax.
Take That star Gary Barlow should keep OBE – Cameron
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27364089
He was speaking to the airhead ex BBC Breakfast presenter turned Strictly Come Dancing finalist who negotiated herself a £1m pa contract with Mr Crozier’s ITV, he latterly of Royal Mail.
Adam Crozier earned over £8m in 2013
ITV chief’s remuneration rises by 189% on 2012, boosted by shares awarded in 2010 and company’s performance share plan
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/mar/20/adam-crozier-eight-million-pay-2013
Before ITV, he was in receipt of some £millions from the Royal Mail.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1246760/Adam-Crozier-gets-ITV-job-Royal-Mail-debacle.html
PS Ms Reid on ITV’s Breakfast programme is dire, as the ratings show. Should have stuck with the sequins and fake tan Susanna. A silly woman.
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/showbiz/367811/Breakfast-show-presenter-Susannah-Reid-in-tug-of-war-with-ex-partner-for-child-custody
PPS It’s all $millions now. Have you noticed?
Paul Edward Winston White, Baron Hanningfield:
Hanningfield’s was charged with six counts of false accounting and his trial at Chelmsford Crown Court began on 16 May 2011. Prosecuting counsel Clare Montgomery QC accused Hanningfield of claiming for overnight stays in London when he had in fact returned to his home in Essex.
On one occasion, when he claimed reimbursement for an overnight stay in London, he was actually on a plane to India.
He was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment.
Todays news from the BBC:
Lord Hanningfieln ordered to repay [another] £3,300 expenses and suspended from the Lords until end of current Parliament.
I wonder why he hasn’t been charged with fraud this time. He seems to be a repeat offender.
Mr Scorgie
“Lord Hanningfieln ordered to repay [another] £3,300 expenses and suspended from the Lords until end of current Parliament.
I wonder why he hasn’t been charged with fraud this time. He seems to be a repeat offender.”
___________________
Possibly because it wasn’t a case of false accounting (fraud) this time?
Can you provide more information on why he had to repay £3.300 expenses, to justify your comment, which I note you have framed carefully in order to – just – avoid libelling the Noble Lord?
Thanks.
More like Nobhead Lord, print and be damned.
I read about that Doug and gave a wry smile to myself.
To be suspended I note! Not from the yard arm we trust.
Lord Hanningfield set to be suspended over expenses breach
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27373115
A pretence of justice served and delivered. Just a drop in the ocean of course. No mention of the lobby groups and the profiteering of many others in both ‘hices’.
Spendthrifts in what is the land of plenty for some.
19 March 2013 L
ord Hanningfield office at Essex County Council spending published
Lord Hanningfield Lord Hanningfield was leader of Essex County Council from 2001 until 2010
Hanningfield wins damages action
Expenses fraud peer could be sued
Peer spent £286k on council card
Staff who worked for the disgraced peer Lord Hanningfield spent about £70,000 on Essex County Council credit cards in his last two-and-half years there.
Lord Hanningfield was jailed in 2011 for falsely claiming £28,000 in parliamentary expenses.
The council office staff spending details released cover 2007 to 2010.
The authority said although some of the purchases would not now be deemed “wholly necessary” they were “legitimate” at the time.
Staff purchases included tens of thousands of pounds on travel to places such as Washington, Delhi, Shanghai, Helsinki, Hong Kong and the Caribbean.
‘Legitimate at time’
Other items bought include £180 on suit hire for a trip to Royal Ascot, a stay at The Goring in Belgravia and a £185.50 meal at Loch Fyne where arrangements for the annual budget were finalised.
/..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-21841873
No Need for Bitterness
by Paul Lojeski / May 11th, 2014
Look, don’t put
yourself out on
my account. If
you can’t pay
me a living wage
or the minimum
wage or any wage
at all, don’t worry
about it, be happy
cause it’s all the
same groove,
whether the road
to riches beyond
imagination or the
wheel of bone
breaking poverty
beyond conception,
it doesn’t matter.
This is, after all,
the American dream
and dreams are
often nightmares.
That’s the way it is,
so pay me whatever
you want to or don’t
pay me a plug nickel
but, please, do me
a favor and take your
fucking boot from off
my bleeding neck.
http://dissidentvoice.org/2014/05/no-need-for-bitterness/
And back on topic – the Eurovision song contest 2014.
Thought readers might be interested in the following, out of good ol’ Russia.
A respectable continental newspaper reports as follows (my translation):
“While the Eurovision song contest has already provided the stage for other demands for human rights and tolerance, this is the first time that a country – Russia – has intervened in such a way in the very organisation of the contest.
When the Austrian victory was announced, the Russian vice-premier Dmitri Rogozine confirmed on Twitter his poor opinion of Conchita Wurts’ appearance on the show by opining that the result of the Eurovision contest “has given the supporters of European integration a glimpse if what awaits them if they join Europe, ie., a bearded girl”. For his part, the nationalist Vladimir Jirinovsky, speaking on the Russian public TV station Rossiya-1, stressed that “our indignation knows no bounds. This is the end of Europe. Europe has gone mad. There aren’t any men and women there any longer, just “its” instead.”.
Nice guys! 🙂
********************
“Life has become better, life has become merrier!” (J. Stalin, ca. 1934)
‘Big Gay Wedding?’
On this day of all days (as my local ATM informed me this morning), Craig. Tut.
http://dayagainsthomophobia.org/
You are quite right about the shame of booing those poor Russian girls. I felt very badly for them. It was boorish. Certainly not worthy of any event with the name Europe in it.
Is there any way to let them know that that was an aberration and that many Europeans want to apologize to them. Maybe a collective temporary site on your – or another’s – blog which gets thousands of signatures and cheerful comments to wish them well?
Mary
Is that what you call poetry?
For many lovers of poetry, it would simply be (not very illuminating) prose broken up into three-lone “verses”.
What do the lovers of poetry on this blog – there are some who would see themselves as such – think of this effort? Short expletives allowed!
“Maybe a collective temporary site on your – or another’s – blog which gets thousands of signatures and cheerful comments to wish them well?”
_____________________
Don’t be so foolish.
Or are you just guying readers? 🙂
@Habby: So it looks as if Eurovision 2014 has had the unexpected consequence of further uniting Russia.
Here in Vienna it certainly cheered us up.Winners at last.
We’ve got the Life Ball coming up at the end of the month too.
Bill Clinton makes his annual visit to the TGBL party against AIDS.
I can see this bearded Tranny thing taking off.
Spain was more to my taste. A diva without a beard.
Peacewisher
“@Habby: So it looks as if Eurovision 2014 has had the unexpected consequence of further uniting Russia.”
________________
Absolutely! Several different strands of political opinion in Russia are united in their tolerance for LGTGs. Lovely place 🙂