Happy Eurovision Week

Yes, it's this week.

TVE Internacional doesn't appear to be showing any of the semis, but I will remain optimistic. (I used to watch this on a computer, and I can tell you, it is no fun at all unless you're an optometrist.)

A bit of a change this year, I will be doing a vlog pre-show and post-show instead of live blogging.

Now to kickstart Eurosong Week, here are three of the Big 4: Spain, France, and the UK. Surprisingly, Germany is the weak link in this year's Big 4.

I've said my reservations about Spain, but there is an odd comedic appeal there.



I like M. Tellier, he looks like he just stepped off a ELO video shoot circa 1980, and dammit if the song doesn't make you stop and ponder "what exactly does he mean by 'chivers'?"



And finally, Andy Abraham seems to be strong vocally and the stage is apropos for a funk song, but they've got to: a) lose the pyros, and b) get some different shots, the man is an engaging performer. Use it!

Marriage in California

Quite frankly...Wow.

Freeman Endorses Shrugged Shoulders

Edwards Endorses Obama

The question remains, does he endorse the cult or the man?

A Tale of 50 Nations and 6 Federal Colonies

Some food for thought during this election-mad year.

Fun debate of the day: Was George Washington the real first president of the United States?

Not quite.

George Washington was the first president under the present 1787 Constitution. The honour of being the actual first president of the United States falls to John Hanson, at least according to Washington as well as Thomas Jefferson, but even they got it wrong, according to some.

Say what?

Well, there's a few little gaps in US History as it is taught in many schools:

• 1776: The signing of the Declaration of Independence.
• 1777: The drafting of the Articles of Confederation.
• 1781: The final ratification of the Articles of Confederation.
• 1787: The ratifying of the Constitution
• 1789: George Washington elected as president.

So who was president from 1776 to 1789? Turns out there were a slew of presidents before Washington came into power, and if you include pre-Declaration of Independence days, they stretch all the way back to 1754.

If you just include post-Declaration days, the first president of the United States (meaning the person in charge on July 4, 1776) was...John Hancock! (Although he himself was only the 2nd President of the 2nd Continental Congress.)

Several more present day fun facts to win a round of Trivial Pursuit :

• Who was the president when the United States hit its present border (meaning Puerto Rico all the way to Guam)? Not William McKinley, who was president when the US took over Cuba, Guam and The Philippines (since Cuba & The Philippines are now independent and have been so since 1902 and 1946 respectively); Not Jimmy Carter, who was president when the Panama Canal Zone was dissolved, but Bill Clinton, who was president when The Trust Territory of the Pacific ceased to exist. (Even so, you could argue that as a UN trusteeship, the Trust Territories weren't really a part of the United States, but the Compact of Free Association still binds them to the US.)
• Have DC residents been able to participate in national elections since inception? No. DC residents have only had the right to vote since 1961 (Thank you, 23rd Amendment!). Residents of Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands cannot vote in national elections, however, residents of some US territories and commonwealths can be drafted and pay some federal taxes that other US citizens pay as well.
• Which US Territory's residents aren't US Citizens? American Samoa. Although they do send a representative to the House of Representatives, American Samoans have to apply for actual US citizenship.
• Which US Territory or Commonwealth doesn't have any representation (voting or non-voting) at all in Congress? The Northern Mariana Islands. (Interestingly, with the exception of Puerto Rico, all of the Commonwealth/Territory members of the House are Democrats. The Representative from Puerto Rico caucuses with the Republicans.)

Truly, the US is more like a collection of 50 nations and 6 federal colonies (9 if you include the COFA nations) than one country with equal rights for all.

Eurovision 2008: Rehearsals of the Day

(Although Russia actually performed yesterday.) It looks like the stagers for Dimaland have thrown everything but the kitchen sink at it. A skating rink? A skating rink?

 

Now onto rehearsals that actually happened today. 

Turkey looks less menacing (drat!), but vocally even better. Still it is just the first rehearsal, so tweaks are likely to happen.

Miss Lorak looks like she's prepared to take everyone out.

By the way, Finland rehearsed yesterday. Apparently they plan to perform bare-chested. This leads to a rather interesting interpretation of the lyrics. If that wasn't reason enough to like Teräsbetoni, they are also rather bitchy about Lordi.

The First Bosnian Rehearsal

I can best describe this as Four Brides for One Brother and his deranged "sister?" or one three minute long epileptic fit.

Eurovision.tv has a Youtube channel. Makes a lot of sense, frankly.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Belgrade

And I don't just mean because Serbia just went through a nasty election, just like we're prepping to do.

No, I mean that it is Eurovision time. 

Eurovision in Serbia, but I reckon this is not quite the old international pariah Serbia, but rather one in transition (especially if the elections are an indicator). If they're willing to forgive us the bombing of the Chinese embassy, as well as send a lesbian as their representative last year (who proceeded to win the whole thing), then I'm going to make nice and build a new rapport.

Since I'm not going (after all the travelling I've been through, I'd like to not live out a suitcase for a few weeks), any coverage on here will be gleamed from online or via TVE internacional. 

For more day to day coverage with a funny, sharp, fans' POV, take a gander at All Kinds of Everything and OnEurope, both of which are blogging the controlled chaos of the rehearsal period.

Saturday Jukebox Likes to Cover Its Mistakes

Tormento's cover of Subsonica's Tutti I Miei Sbagli impressed the hell out of me. (Although it's really the SoulVillaDelics doing the heavy lifting.)



For reference, here is the original version performed by Subsonica at Sanremo 2000.

From The "Obvious Conclusions" Department

Adults in Europe get drunk to have sex.

Much like adults in North America.

And those in South America.

And Australia.

And Asia.

And Africa.

W the Movie

It's not that there's a movie about the current president in the works. (Not a surprise.)

It's not that Oliver Stone is doing it. (One would be surprised if he didn't do it.)

It's that he's planning a late 2008 release.

There is something to be said for allowing the perspective of time to take place.

Thursday Jukebox Is On The Ho Stroll

Yes, I said it, "ho." Now let me explain.

Namie Amuro has a new video out. Well, it's not really hers as it's a duet with DOUBLE (who is really one person, but originally the name of a sister act, except it isn't anymore--see wiki.theppn for more). DOUBLE has got a really good voice, but--how shall I put this politely--her image encourages the viewer to pay attention to things other than her singing...a bit like Mariah Carey (in her current I-know-you-want-my-cookie phase).

Anyway, DOUBLE has a collaboration album coming out soon and her duet with Ms. Amuro, Black Diamond is the lead off single.

A pretty decent song and video, but the choreography and styling! Poor DOUBLE and Namie looked like they should be doing the ho stroll in Hell's Kitchen (and I swear I've seen amateur drag queens do the moves they did during the dance break).

By the way, the chorus can be read in a very interesting way if you apply my crackpot theory about diamonds to it, and look closely at the extras. (I know they're saying "when you meet a guy who's fly," but drag kings do use the male pronoun.)

God Save Those of US With an IQ over 30

Yesterday, the Daily News featured Sarah Jessica Parker's annoyance with Sex & The City girls taking over New York. Now, it brings us the story of how Gossip Girl is trying to recapture the same magic, via the glory that is a modern-day advertising offensive (in both senses of the word).

I manage to avoid Times Square, so the billboards aren't that big a deal (hell, I had one staring at me for several months--by the way, every single male cast member of that show looks identical), but these "IT guides" give me a bit of worry. Apart from the spate of foolish suburban girls getting robbed/carjacked/murdered every other weekend, there's one other concern: these fools will be strolling down 7th Avenue at all hours looking for these "hot places," while 99% of us will be trying to get from point A to B.

I'm not too keen on these talking billboards either.

And What Are You Going To Do About It, Sarah?

Sarah Jessica Parker admits that New York City has lost its "creative energy," in a Daily News article. Admitting culpability, however, doesn't look like it's forthcoming, despite what Matthew Broderick (her husband) says.

Saturday Jukebox is a Soulhead

Maybe I just have a dirty mind due to the Supahead controversy, but Soulhead does kind of sound a little bit risque as a name for a Japanese R&B/Hiphop duo, especially if they're sisters.

Nonetheless, I think they're ace.

First off, the scorching hot video for Fiesta--No prizes for guessing the inspiration, especially if you remember the early 1990s.



Soulhead - Fiesta
Uploaded by False_I_Love_You


Then there's Feel Like Jumping, which looks like it was tailormade for Sesame Street. (FWIW, there is nothing on the planet more sugary than Japanese children's television, so it seems the director allowed the sisters maintain a shred of urban cred.)



SOULHEAD - FEEL LIKE JUMPING
Uploaded by Ozro77

If anyone could explain the video to Sparkle Train, I'd be very grateful. I don't quite get what a suburban train station in pre-revolutionary Shanghai has to do with dedicating a song to "my homies strugglin' through." (Unless the director is showing sympathy for the Chiang Kai-Shek government.)

Dash05da023
Uploaded by dadacha

And finally, the video for Get Up. I can't read the writing at the airport scene (I'm guessing it's Ishigaki, which is part of Okinawa) , so I can't say exactly where the video is shot, but doesn't it just make you want to jump on a plane to wherever it takes place?

SAGging

Uh oh, the rumblings of a SAG strike grow ever closer.

Hikaruland Vs. April

While much has gone on during my absence, it could also be argued that very little has. I'm not really going to debate that, but I'm going to try to pounce on the big stories of April (at least the ones that I've heard).

• Obama-Wright: Personally, I think it's all asinine. I don't disagree with anything that Wright has said (based on the snippets I've heard so far), but the debacle is further proof that people forget that there is a way to communicate your message. I also think that Obama should've realised LOOOOONG before he launched into his candidacy that perhaps this association may be a liability.
• Obama the candidate: It's not really been a secret on here, but I'm finally going to say it out loud. I don't support Obama at the moment. Should he win the nomination, I'll vote for him without reservation. This moment in time, however, I just have trouble understanding why he feels the need to run now, nor do I feel that he should. The issues that he has right now illustrate his naivete and to some degree his arrogance with the rest of us. He just comes across to me as that smug vegan with their own backyard garden that feels the need to lecture you about how sinful you are for not living the way he does. I'd love to see a black president, but he doesn't strike me as the one to bring that to fruition. The only plus he seems to have is that he does not have Bush or Clinton in his name.
• Beijing 2008: This is going to be a shitstorm. Full stop. Not on the level of Munich 1972, but it's going to get ugly.
• Delta-Northwest & United-US Airways: I'm actually for these mergers. Emotionally, I wish Northwest was the surviving carrier, because I think they will be dragged down by Delta, but the weirdness that the market is in dictates that Delta should be the survivor. As for United-US Airways, it also makes sense, in that United gets a serious foothold on the East Coast (that Dulles hub is a joke for domestic connections) , and reinforces its European stance. Cruelly, poor US Airways will barely get a chance to operate its China routes before being swallowed up by United.
• That photo in Vanity Fair: I am constantly amazed that celebrities forget that the puritan mindset that formed the US persists to this day. The American public likes being shocked, but they also (or at least make the appearance of being so) like to see a good modern day witch hunt. My advice to the next teen star anxious to make the transition: do it and say nothing at all.
• Actors Strike?: On a completely petty level, I'd like to see SAG tarred and feathered the way the WGA was during their strike; however, the WGA strike delayed production so much, and a SAG strike with mess up the 2008-09 season, so I hope they resolve it. (Plus SAG stood by the WGA, it's only fair to do the same to them.)
• Zimbabwe: Just give up, Mugabe. You'd think he'd at least try to get rid of the Hitler moustache already.
• I thought she was dead: Laurie Bembenek is appealing to the US Supreme Court. This case is almost as old as I am. I don't think she did it, but there comes a time when you just accept that you can't win.

May Day 2008

It seems appropriate to resume action at this corner of the Internet on May Day.

Where are we as of 2008?

• The US manufacturing base is decimated. (Want proof? Go to China, Indonesia, or Vietnam and see the difference in prices for consumer goods.)
• Lack of economic foresight or just sheer disdain for others is allowing a chasm between the haves and have-nots. Not that this all that shocking, but the fact of the matter is that the face of the have-nots is becoming more diverse with each passing month. The day of people applying for food stamps in Ralph Lauren sounds probable.
• Golden Parachutes are still happening.
• On the positive side, the notion of Universal Health Care has begun to edge its way to the forefront of national dialogue. (As to why it took so long to even get to this level, I have no clue. That said, we're only now realising that trickle-down economics does not work.)
• As isolationist as this sounds, I think that the EU and/or the PRC usurping the US's role on the international stage is a good thing. Too many years of looking outwards has left our house in disarray, and as I see it, getting our house in order seems to be the theme of Campaign 2008.

So perhaps May Day 2009 will see the US taking action--as opposed to rhetoric--towards its citizens. Perhaps, just perhaps, Americans will realise that government has the responsibility to protect its citizens, not just arbiter disputes.

I'll be optimistic.

Monday Jukebox Says Southern Wind, Carry Me Away

There's a lot of posts today, and the main reason is this: I'm going to be away for the month of April.

In fact going very far away (geographically that is) for a business/leisure trip.

Here's a hint:



By the way, here are the lyrics (courtesy of All About Akina Nakamori):

I am being greeted by the sea breeze
Naturally, my body sways to the rhyme
Touring a Panama hat round and round with my finger
The glass of fruit wine that is delivered to my table
is a message from a stranger
I am mesmerised by the intense glare beyond my shoulders

I realise that I have my legs locked to a white chair
and held my chin in my hands
The mood is slightly like in a movie
I tidy my hair melancholically
A dangerous heart


Under the silhouette created by coconut leaves
I take a brief rest
ignoring the piercing stare
The boys who are distracted (by me)
gazed over at me from the seaside
Unexpectedly, a beautiful boy
on a white yacht waves to me
Those dazzling eyes
The boys who were distracted (by me) call out to me at the hotel window
Twisting my washed hair
I winked mischievously at them
Is this dangerous?

Three more hints:

• It's not Japan.
• It's not Panama
• And technically, I'm going Southwest, but Southwest Airlines doesn't fly there.

This Is Payback

An interesting article today on 365gay about a married NYC gay couple who are working for tolerance in Poland after their wedding pictures were used by the Polish president in order to stir up anti-gay feelings and reject the EU charter of rights.

Gives us all hope, I reckon.

Hikaruland Eurovision 2008 Preview Reviews: The Top 5

Here's the player...just so you can have a quick refresher:

Eurovision Song Contest - Belgrade 2008 Preview Player

Picking my top 5 was actually quite tricky because while there was no doubt about which entries would take the top 2 spots, 3rd, 4th & 5th places were tough calls.

1. Ukraine: Ani Lorak, her weapons of male destruction, an AIDS ribbon, and a disco-happy orchestration, made Ukraine easily my favourite for this year. When you think about it, the video is basically a very aggressive remake of Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. I like camp, I'll praise it, and I'm not afraid to admit it.
2. Turkey: I like my rock driving, aggressive with a touch of menace to it, like a Hitchcock thriller. Even better, the lyrics, performance, and mise-en-scene bring the crazy...literally.
3. France: Considering that the theme this year seems to be pastiche, it seems appropriate that the French entry (even though it's practically all in English--although "chivers" is not a word I've ever heard off, and I believe Sebastien is being intentional by writing it that way as opposed to "shivers") , would do the best job in pulling it off superbly, and with New Wave to boot. Note to several other participants this year (whose names I won't mention): the video for Divine also manages to best illustrate absurd comedy, which doesn't mean throwing everything plus the kitchen sink at the viewer.
4. Malta: The lyrics are very campy (and a touch absurd and dated--why would you sing about spying in Russia at a contest held in Serbia?), the music is driving, and the very visually stimulating video pretty much expresses both with a possibly unintentional homage to Benny Hill. Very effective, but not quite unique or quirky enough to launch it into the top 3.
5. Romania: This was an extremely tough call, but ultimately, Nico & Vlad brought the crazy, and deserve to be awarded for it. The lyrics aren't that interesting, but their OTT performance (Nico's losing her mind, Vlad is trying to calm her down like a good co-dependent boy toy, neither of them fazed by the fact that they are in the middle of a Romanian beach/garbage dump/orchestra rehearsal space wearing formal wear) is just too hilarious and engaging to be bogged down by lyrical blandness.

Honourable mentions

• Hungary: Starts out visually striking, but sputters midway. What is the symbolism for the running Doberman?
• United Kingdom: It's cool, slick, and makes you want to dance. Only out of the top 5 (and just barely) because crazy, camp, and angst-driven rock can't help but stand out from the crowd. Sly Stone revival!
• Spain: Offensive lyrics about mixed-race women being easy aside, the general joke does come across (particularly to Americans--although we have no televoting rights, so that's a bit of a misfire), and there really is some wit about it. It's really a straightforward parody in execution, but of who and what, we cannot say. The cheap quality works, however.
• Ireland: Unlike the Spanish joke entry, the Irish joke is much broader, and here again, the cheapness works. It's meant to be outlandish and poke fun at Irish Eurovision history. Dustin's voice, however, can be a little grating and hard to decipher, but that oddly works in the video's favour. (Along with the constant zooms the camera makes.)

Ukraine can probably add another year of coming in 2nd to its record, but they aren't going to win it.