Eurovision finale

So, Norway, huh? I figured it would do well, but I wasn't expecting nearly twice as many points as its next runner-up (Iceland). The song is nice, but it was totally the performance that won it. You have a singer who looks like a young Brad Pitt, playing violin, plenty of energy from him and the backups--but not overdone--and just a lot of interaction between them and the audience. Contrast that with something with a ton of vocal talent like Sweden that wasn't really interacting with anybody. (Okay--Sweden's song had other issues, too. Like--two different singers in one head? Two books smushed together into one odd volume?  Mostly, I felt a little weirded out watching her expression, like her body was on stage but her mind was on another planet entirely.)

Lots of nice songs, though. I also liked Bosnia Herzogovina (singing about clean water/environment, with a cool presentation reminiscent of Les Miserables), and Portugal (I loved the guy on the drums--so energetic and yet so relaxed at the same time). My kids liked Cyprus, but it didn't make it to the finals. It will be interesting to see how people take this year's winner and translate it next time. Folk songs? Songs with violins? Songs with people doing leaping gymnastics? Or just songs wtih some cute guy singing?

Hey, now that we have internet, we can watch all kinds of international events. Maybe I'll look up the annual Festival de Vina, the South American music contest held in Chile every year.

Wanted: Mind Powers

Preferably the kind that will let me to housework from a remote location without actually, you know, doing it.