Today was a dark day in European history – Ireland finished last in the Eurovision Song Contest ….. out of 26 countries ….. with this epic tune.
They got five points, just 276 fewer than the winners, Denmark.
Their only votes came from Cyprus (2), Sweden (2) and the UK (1) – nothing from Greece, for example, which Ireland will remember next time there’s a European Union vote on bailing them out.
This is the musical equivalent of the fall of the Roman Empire, because Ireland have won more Eurovision Song Contests than any other country in the entire, total and complete history of Europe.
What’s gone wrong? Democracy, that’s what. Before the break up of the Soviet Union, everything was fine, Ireland kept winning, but then about 95,000 new Eastern European countries won independence, got to enter the Eurovision Song Contest, didn’t like Ireland’s music, gave them no votes, and that was that.
So tonight I say: “Mr. Gorbachev, put that wall back up.”
PS Another theory is that Ireland has paid ever since for entering a turkey in the 2008 Song Contest, who slightly took the p**s out of the whole thing 😕
****
Any way, past triumphs from the glory days when Ireland (musically) ruled Europe…..
1970:
1980:
1987:
1992:
1993:
1994:
1996:
***
This is the song that won tonight 🙄
****
Bonus song – The Russian Grannies, which me and Dotster loved, but nobody else:
The Obama Diary 
me?
you! 🙂
You, lovely and delightful YOU!!!!!
Congrats on 1st df!!
In case anyone is wondering about the winner ….
Ryan is a talented fella for sure …. but … 🙂
Woops … didn’t notice that Chips had posted the winner 🙂
Oh yeah, rub it in Mister!
From the bottom of my heart, dear Chips, I had not seen that you posted the winner. Truly. Would not torment you on such a subject. I leave that to your football buddies – a topic, as you know, I know nothing about 🙂
Okay then Bob, I forgive you ….. but it was the equivalent of posting President Obama’s 2012 election victory speech on a Mitt Romney chat site.
No matter, we can move on.
Wish I had thought of doing that on 6 Nov!!! – For real!!! 🙂
#FORWARD FOCUSED
All kidding aside – that Eimear Quinn is nothing less than divine and I’m not surprised that she was invited to perform for the Queen when she visited Ireland in 2011. Just fantastic!!!
Congrats df !
Cool
Yes you congrats df.
Congrats df! Lovely day at TOD!
Sorry about Ireland but maybe this will cheer you up.
Bringing this over from the last post.
Nice.
You
Gold for you DF, Nice 😉 Congrats.
Any U2 songs out there?
They need to enter them next year, Jovie 😕
For jovie…Live from Slane Castle, Ireland
How about Bono and the MOST EXCEPTIONAL Corrs
Ah, that’s better. Honesty alert: not a fan of the Corrs’ music, but I have endless sympathy for the sisters because their freako brother is a far right conspiracy theory new world order nutjob 😕
Great, interesting post, Chips! And I’m glad we don’t have any of those “far right conspiracy theory new world order nutjobs” around here – too long of an acronym. Just sayin’. FRCTNWONs? See? Takes up too many characters on Twitter. No can do. 🙂
😆 FRCTNWONs sounds like a tasty treat!!!
Or people of another planet! Maybe we can send our RWNJs there! Tell them the language is “FRCTNWON-only” !!!! Yeah, baby!
Okay, there go my ribs again 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 You are a hooooooooot!
Sorry – Wine apparently makes me the Queen of the Exclamation Point. (And it was all I could do to end that with a period!)
Yeah!! Thanks, guys:) For all of the TOD crew…lurkers and regulars alike:) Spread the joy!
Love it!
Any time Ireland loses in anything, you know the fix was in. Just to prove it to you, I heard they lost a drinking contest. No way that was legit, right Chips? Well, joined the last thread just in time to have that door shut in my face and had to search around for this one.
I think Chips is still upset at me from yeterday.
So for that, this gets posted twice and for extra punishment, a might do some more.
You’re not feeling my pain, Japa.
I was extremely serious You forget that I am 50% Irish. Unfortunately, the other 50% is English. There have been times during my life I have felt very conflicted
Woah, that’s two very conflicting halves!!! 🙂
They can’t turn off the change that is rolling over America 🙂
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/05/17/2031801/illinois-passes-medical-marijuana-bill/
Change Has Come to America……
How’s that Hopey Changey thingy working for Folks in IL? 😉
Dear Chips… you write like no other.. you always bring the chuckles, thank you 🙂 Loved this: What’s gone wrong? Democracy, that’s what. And this: So tonight I say: “Mr. Gorbachev, put that wall back up.”
so sorry Ireland 😦
Thanks for being there sherijr at this difficult time, I love you – intensely.
oh dear I love you intensely right back .. hang in there Chips, be strong ((((((Chips))))))
Thank you sherijr, I’m trying, but it’s haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaard.
lol.. okay well we’re all here for you..
Good work.
http://thinkprogress.org/immigration/2013/05/17/2028171/study-immigration-reform-provides-economic-benefits-for-states-represented-by-anti-immigrant-leaders/
Seems I keep missing you.
Trying again, to see if you saw this from earlier this week.
May 14, 2013
Majority Favor Same-Sex Marriage in Arizona
A new Rocky Mountain Poll in Arizona finds 55% of voters now favor legalizing same-sex marriage, while just 35% said they are opposed.
I DID see it..hell, I posted it when I saw it with my OMG moment!! 🙂 Thank you for thinking of me though:) I’m not surprised. All these legislators are sooooooooooooooooo out of touch with the feelings of the voters
Here’s what happens when One is Judged before one Opens his/her mouth
I love it…..
Singing I will always Love you……..A Chinese Kid…belting it out.
Another Surprise….by a little Kid.
wow. someone better snap him up quick.. what a beautiful voice..
I have a serious problem – how can I still be a post behind – will this never end – I feel I am being Beghazied
blame freedom, my friend 🙂
I blame the IRS – but perhaps it is the …ish time scale 🙂
😀 I know the feeling, but I didn’t know the name for it. 😉
A name for all seasons is Benghazi
Indeed! 😀
That’s it for now. I’ll check back in later. Everyone have a good evening.
Remember William Hung with She Bangs…..just awful.
BREAKING – added to post: Ireland’s only votes came from Cyprus (2), Sweden (2) and the UK (1) – nothing from Greece, for example, which Ireland will remember next time there’s a European Union vote on bailing them out.
😆 😆 Don’t you ever let them forget Ms ChipsChica
This burns deep LunarSea, my heart went out to Greece before tonight. Now? Let ’em sink.
Yes but revenge is sweet. You will think of something, I’m sure. (or I’m afraid, you choose)
I wouldn’t want Ireland to be too vindictive, LunarSea, something like this would do:
I was just wondering if my 401K can stop worrying about the Greece economy. Seems like I haven’t heard about that mess in a couple of months. Maybe storming the Parliament with pitchforks worked out for them?
It’s still a mess Forus, they’ve got a European bail-out but the consequences are dire, eg:
April 29: Greek lawmakers on Sunday agreed to cut thousands of government workers to secure another 8.8 billion euros ($11.5 billion) in bailout funds. The vote clears the way for 15,000 civil servants to be fired by the end of 2014…. http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/28/world/europe/greece-bailout-layoffs
Such a mess. I know my Greek friends here have talked for years about how collecting taxes in Greece is a joke. That everybody is scamming everybody and it’s not really considered a big deal to not pay taxes. Not sure if that is an exaggeration but it seems to be at the heart of the matter, just not enough revenue.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/13/business/global/greek-tax-crackdown-yields-little-revenue.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Yeah, that would do. They’ll feel it! I knew you’d find a way :thumbsup:
Ot oh.
From the bottom of the previous post … because this really matters.
For context:
(40,000, 000 words/365 d)/3 yr x 10h per day = ~ 3653 words per day
If you think that’s a lot of words, I can type easily type 60 words per min and typing is way slower than speaking. At 60 wpm, it would take only ~ 1 hour (not 10) to type 3653 words.
And, if you’d like to learn more about the fact that folk have been paying attention to this issue:
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/10/the-power-of-talking-to-your-baby/
The real scandal in America is that we allow a few plutocrats and their political and #NEWSTAINER servants to have any influence whatsoever on our society.
BTW, I can imagine President Obama issuing a challenge to app developers to craft all kinds of cool ways to help mom’s and dad’s track the number of words they are speaking to their children and you could imagine the contests and prizes that could be offered to those exceeding various levels as well as way more innovative ways to have speaking and reading to infants become a national objective and source of pride for every parent.
Very much appreciated your response, Susanne, and I responded. Thank you.
Yes We Can
Very interesting!
just saw your response, bob– i was taking a nap!
but just to continue, i believe talking with children of all ages is essential to their continued intellectual, social, and linguistic development. i help care for a friends’ children who are now middle-school aged, and i chatter away with them as i drive them to activities, or work on projects, or even when watching movies. it never fails that they hear a word they don’t know, which leads to more conversation. or they remark that they have studied a topic similar to what i’m talking about, and we then develop their thinking along that channel.
it’s easy to assume that kids are uninterested in adult matters, and let them plug into media or what-not. but childhood is the critical period for developing their minds, and every conversation is food for that growth!
thanks for taking this on, bob. you always go for the essential issues, and with relentless vigor.
Thank you Susanne. What you note from your experience is so important and appreciate your sharing it with all of us.
Errors above – should have been “3653 words per HOUR in a 10h day” Comfortable rate of listening – e.g., to an audio book is 150-160 words per minute. So, 3653 words per hour is a very modest rate of speech or a mom or dad (grandma, sister, etc) reading to an infant.
“… but childhood is the critical period for developing their minds, and every conversation is food for that growth!” That’s the core message, and it happens, not by turning on a radio, or TV or whatever, but by speaking and reading to infants and enabling them to enter into conversation at as early a stage in their development as possible.
#FORWARD FOCUSED
Hey all finally made it back home after a week away. Biden speaking at my daughter’s grad last weekend was a nice bonus to a week of fun, old friends & family. My great-nephew graduates tomorrow with POTUS as his commencement speaker. Sis and family going. Wish I could too but work looms in my horizon.
Trying to make my way through these clips. Some are pure torture. For the record I thoroughly enjoyed ‘the Grannies’ when I saw them the first time and still do. (my grandmmother was Granny to everyone who met her)
As to the song above: “All Kinds of Everything Reminds Me of You” is hereby dedicated to you, dear blog tyrant. Long may you reign!
Now back to listening to the rest of the **ahem** winners.
Democracy sucks huh? Well, at least we tried.
can’t sing. can’t dance. can’t act.
/sd rest of europe
Can’t dance?? That’s me, second from the left:
I like how the commentator say at the end of the intro, in an air of authority: “Always finish together” ummm okay
ChipsChica we know that’s not you because she didn’t fall. Yes, your reputation precedes you. But if it will make you feel better….
Why ChipsChica, you ‘River Woman’ you. What excellent dancing. So nimble, so lythe. Way to go. **wink** **wink** 😆
“ChipsChica we know that’s not you because she didn’t fall.”
😯
LunarSea, was that a typo??????
I remember the ankle/foot incident. Wasn’t that from walking to the fridge or some such. 😆
There were actually two ankle incidents 😳
One was just falling off a pavement, like you do, the other was standing up from my TOD computer chair, not realizing my foot was asleep, and well, you know.
Enough of my war wounds, how are you LunarSea!
I remember when you banged your little knee on the coffee table in solidarity with me, that was not long ago…. Just cut this out, okay? No more.
lol I am fine – enjoying being able to actually a thread here. Having been away with only an android phone and too many distractions, I missed so much I gave up on catching up. Altho I was able to sneak a peak now and again.
AND I must say everywhere I went this past week ppl are very aware of what the media and rethugs are pulling. No one was buying the ‘scandals’ or what the media is trying to do. EVERYONE I met, including strangers at the graduation, young and old and of every color and hue is pissed at what is happening.
It was very heartwarming to see/hear.
‘actually a thread’ s/b ‘actually FOLLOW a thread’
“AND I must say everywhere I went this past week ppl are very aware of what the media and rethugs are pulling.”
Very heartening, LunarSea, I’m sensing that too, but I didn’t know if that was just down to optimism on my part – so, great to hear you’re picking up too.
here you go- all 3 in one. Shoot that theory in the foot. River dancing to French song without using their feet. No one does it better
wow! 🙂
For those in the southwest (posted on last thread, but this time with a picture of our wonderful SLOTUS).
wonderful! i hope it rained all night in blessing!
He was one of the Co-founders of Politico……so he is a KOCH-Roach? Hmm? He is always at MSNBC?
Hi all you Os!!! I’m back after a wonderful day of dragging around pots of house plants. Speaking of pot, did I read upthread that Illinois passed some type of a marijuana bill? Also, I’m so sorry Chips about the last place finish. I see Sweden did at least vote for the Irish. In honor of their vote, here’s a young Swedish lassie.
“I see Sweden did at least vote for the Irish.”
Thanks Cookemom, to all my Swedish friends, like …. like …. to them all: thank you.
PS Gorgeous song!!
Serious comment.
Chips, among the many wondrous experiences the community you formed and have selflessly nurtured is MUSIC. The diversity and quality of what various folk have shared is enriching. Case in point – cookemom posts this video from Lykke Li – someone who I’ve have never heard sing and likely never would have experienced. BTW, that’s also true in the case with Eimear Quinn.
Thank you, both.
Oh Bob, with you completely, I never heard Lykke Li either, what a stunning, haunting song – thank you Cookemom, and to everyone who brings this beautiful stuff here! Including you Bob.
I must admit that I hadn’t heard of her either until I watched an episode of one of my favorite TV shows, The Good Wife. The song went immediately on my playlist.
It really is beautiful Cookemom, going to investigate more of her songs tomorrow – thank you!
Real talent, cookemom. Thank you very much. Clearly, a bunch of folk feel the same way you do!!
WOW!!1 I hadn’t heard this one.
nice! never heard of her but I like it!
Bobfr, I agree with you. We, the People of TOD are the best of the best in this whole wide world……with Chipsticks as our leader 🙂
Idiots NOT ALLOWED!
🙂 loved it when I heard it as well. Her voice is daunting and the song was a perfect match.
My taste in music is in my boots – as my husband/daughter tell me all the time. I am learning – amazed the daughter last week with my knowledge from TOD 🙂 🙂
CM, it always tickles my funny bone how you and I tend to do similar things at about the same time (except for exercising, of course 😆 )! I spent most of the day outside in the yard fiddling around with grass, weeds, garden, weeds, AND the houseplants that I had had to put outside due to the sanding etc going on inside. Of course, some of them look like they will not withstand the shock of being put outside for the first time and for a couple of days with lots of uncertain weather. By the time I dragged myself back inside I was super tired, extremely thirsty, and lacking in zip.
It was beautiful in my neck of the woods today. I take my houseplants out every spring and they do quite well as long as there’s no cold front to move through. I have many, many, many houseplants and I don’t know why I do this every year, when in what seems like just a matter of weeks, I lug them all back in again. After doing so well in the great outdoors, they promptly lose their new summer growth, once I bring them back inside.
PS: I got the stuff to put down the ceramic tiles today. I plan to have it all laid out tomorrow. Then the grout goes on Tuesday. If all goes well, I may be able to have a decent Memorial Day with floor and possibly cabinetry (fingers crossed). If not, then I’ll just grill and eat out on the deck among my thriving houseplants.
Good luck; will cross fingers for you too! My counter top is in and after waiting the suggested 24 hrs so is my plumbing. Now if I can only find a place for most of the kitchen paraphernalia that got displaced I’ll be really happy. (I lost 4 large cupboards and 3 huge drawers)
Hold on! You say you wait for the plumbing AFTER the counters? I guess that makes sense though, with the sink and all. But wait…I think I need the dishwasher installed before the cabinets, right? So I’ll need the plumber out twice, before the cabinets to install the dishwasher, remove the powder room toilet and sink, then back again after the cabinets and countertop to install the kitchen sink and powder room toilet and sink. So much for Memorial Day I think.
Good luck finding new space, the dishwasher takes the place of a 3 drawer unit, but I’ll gladly do without it for the dishwasher. Maybe I’ll just store the stuff in the dishwasher when it’s not in use.
Fortunately for me, the person working on my home does ‘everything’ so I haven’t had to worry about what has to be done first or second. Not sure why your plumber couldn’t install your dishwasher after the cabinets are in if the space has been left for it. I decided not to change my dishwasher at this time ’cause I rarely use it (except when I host extended family/friends) and it has stainless steel insides. (The reasonably priced one that matched the new fridge, stove didn’t) So I can’t give valid comments for this. Re counter top I chose granite so had to let it, along with its new under-mount sink, ‘settle/dry’ for 24hrs before the plumber could connect the pipes to it. My new powder room cabinet-toilet-sink have been sitting in the garage for months now because the sale price was right, but I’ve decided to take a short break after all this other stuff is done just so I can enjoy not having anyone come in. It should work out because a friend’s mom is waiting on my carpenter/jack-of-all-trades to do HER bathroom, so if he goes there next I’d get my breathing space.
kewl….the plumber and cabinet guy work together on the jobs they do. I think I’ll let them decide the order of things.
Makes sense. Will definitely cross fingers for you on Tuesday.
hello
roger that
Real men wear red: Sportsmen who choose to wear the colour are more likely to be winners because they are ‘dressing to kill’
Men who wear red when competing have higher testosterone levels
Higher testosterone levels make them more dominant and aggressive
Could explain why Manchester United and British Lions are so successful
Sportsmen see opponents who are wearing red as strong competition
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2325982/Sportsmen-wear-red-likely-winners-dressing-kill.html#ixzz2TYM98ZGR
Your dailymail crap courtesy bbc.
Mais oui:
yeah, just like tiger woods’ red shirt.
wimmin/smh
Robin and Tiger, I’ll take ’em both!
How about This
No One as Irish as Barack Obama ❓
It didn’t make the list 😉
Though I have to point out the US have been to Canada countless times in the past to poach on its nurses, this little ‘immigration’ foray might provide a gentle kick to US House/Senate critters to get their immigration act together.
I just got this from the West Coast Bat Signal……”Jon Karl has been dispatch to investigate the EuroTravesty regarding Ireland”!!!!!
Stay Tuned to your local Bat Signal Channel………
😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
🙂 I’m waiting for his exclusive™ GGail, it’ll probably say Ireland won tonight. 😕
LOL!!!! one can only hope Chipsticks 😆
Love this!
Low probability I’ll ever post a comment indicating I agree with both Maher & Moore (and even more with Moore), but in the case of what you will read/hear at the link in the tweet, I could not agree more with either of them
#TrustBarack
😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
How about Dublin Choir doing Bono via flash mob. One of my favs;
I cannot thank you enough, LunarSea, for posting this video. I absolutely love this particular ‘flash mob’ and the version that had been on YouTube, from the Dublin Choir, was removed/restricted. Thank you!!!!
Further validation of what the comment I made above – this community is EXCEPTIONAL and, as Jacqueline noted in a previous thread, today, music truly helps keep us sane!!
#FORWARD FOCUSED
Glad you like it and I was able to find it for you, Bobfr
Oh, look, everyone’s quoting me now. Ha! It’s a banner day! 🙂
(Thanks, Bob!)
New post!
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/05/18/night-owl-chat-the-too-cute-small-people-edition/
Hehe 🙂
Well, the Eurovision Song Contest is pretty much politics and “traditional” voting among befriended countries. i didn´t check the results, but we usually come in somewhere among the last five or so and I´d bed Greece didnt give us many points 😛
Also, sorry for the Irish but Imma pretty fine without that Wall, it´s kind of a reassuring feeling to no longer live in if-the-nukes-break-out-you´ll-die-first-land, kaythanks 😉