#The Great British Song Contest 1997

[eurovision-revisited]

1997 Dublin - Number 24 - Katrina and The Waves - "Love Shine A Light"

It's another case of me putting the winner in the twenties. There's no doubt that Love Shine a Light is a strong song sung well, and having a relatively big name like Katrina & the Waves helped. However this song feels positively Maltese to me. It's a song that drifts through the open door of a charismatic church meeting. It's distilled Eurovision sentiment, wanting to see absolutely everyone saturated and dripping with a surfeit of love. Love, love, love. It's pitched way above my love tolerance levels.

Let's rewind a bit. In the UK, the Great British Song Contest was still riding the wave of Britpop, Three Lions and draping literally everything in the Union Jack. It was also still under the control of Jonathan King. The actual final, however, had been cut to 30 minutes on Mothering Sunday by the BBC with four of the eight songs eliminated thanks to radio only semi-final. This has resulted in three of those four songs just vanishing, with the one survivor only in discoverable because they'd appeared on the kids show Blue Peter the week before the competition which someone video-taped.

Katrina scraped home in a 100% televoted competition. It was a three-way fight for top spot with only four songs competing. Since 1995, the variety of songs in the competition was reducing with the BBC & Radio 2 tendency to default to MOR, so as to not scare the licence payers too much. Katrina epitomises this with added feel-good vibes. The BBC must have been very happy not only with the song, but with the win. It's everything that Terry Wogan could ever have dreamed of. Especially romping home in Dublin by 70 clear points. Of the four televoting countries who could vote for them, Katrina and the Waves scored 46 out a possible 48. It was a song that captured Europe's zeitgeist.

This is Katrina's only Eurovision entry or attempt. This one song revived the career of a band who had one major worldwide hit and relied on touring it. They now had two and Katrina would forever afterwards get work whenever anyone in the UK mentions the word 'Eurovision'. She even cropped up as a judge at Benidorm fest this year.

#Youtube #esc #esc 1997 #eurovision #eurovision song contest #dublin #dublin 1997 #national finals #The Great British Song Contest 1997 #United Kingdom #Katrina and the Waves

[mainswinning]

Free online trivial pursuit

#Free online trivial pursuit series#

What was the best-selling novel of the 19th century?.Which Jules Verne novel was inspired by a book written by British geologist, Charles Lyell, in 1863?.What title is shared by an oil painting by Johannes Vermeer and a 2003 romantic drama directed by Peter Webber?.Who is by far the most famous creation of Michael Bond?.The Walker Art Gallery can be visited in which city?.Trivial Pursuit Brown - Arts & Literature In which 1940 satirical film did Charlie Chaplin impersonate Hitler?.Which band consists of three brothers and a cousin, all with the last name Followill?.Who is famous for the role of Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter film series?.Which principal artist of the Imperial Russian Ballet is most recognized for the creation of the role The Dying Swan?.Which character in TV's Only Fools and Horses, wore a Trilby hat and was always boasting about some imagined business success?.Gordon Gekko is a fictional character in which 1987 film?.In 1990, which soap actor reached number 2 in the UK Charts with the song 'Mona'?.

#Free online trivial pursuit series#

Who starred as Lady Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham in the series Downton Abbey?.

Sharon Stone was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in which 1995 film?.

Who won the Eurovision Song Contest for the United Kingdom in 1997 with the song 'Love Shine a Light'?.

4 inches (to be exact, 4 and a 1/4 inches).

Who won two gold medals for Great Britain in the 2008 Summer Paralympics despite being only 13?.

The athelete Frankie Fredericks represented which African country?.

To the nearest inch, what is the diameter of a golf hole?.

Which European city hosted the 1928 Summer Olympic Games?.

In horse racing, how many individual bets are there in a Yankee?.

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In 1930, which country won the first football World Cup?.

The Borg-Warner Trophy, introduced in 1936, is awarded to the winner of which race?.

How many hurdles must be cleared in 110m hurdles?.

What nationality was Greg Rusedski before he became a British tennis star?.

Trivial Pursuit Orange - Sports & Leisure

Hessian refers to a style of which sort of clothing that became popular from the beginning of the 19th century?.

Name the last imperial dynasty of China?.

In 1534, Jacques Cartier claims what part of Canada for France?.

The Black Death killed around a third of the population of Europe in which century?.

Who was born on the 14th of March 1879, in Ulm, Germany?.

What was the codename for the Dunkirk evacuations in 1940?.

How is Martha Canary, who died in 1903, better known?.

Which battle fought on 6 July 1685, took place near Bridgwater in Somerset?.

Spanish Town was the capital of which island from 1534 until 1872?.

Which King's defeat ended the War of the Roses?.

The Bank of England's headquarters have been on which London street, since 1734?.

Which Canadian city is the largest in the province of Alberta?.

A person nicknamed a yellowhammer would be from which American state?.

Name the world's most populated island?.

Which hills boast the source of the Thames?.

Which geological period was named after the English county where rocks from this period were first studied?.

The Hindu Kush is a mountain range that stretches near the border of which two countries?.

The national flag of Cuba consists of how many alternating stripes?.

Which Australian city was established in 1835 at the lower stretches of the Yarra River?.

How many hills is Sheffield said to be built on?.

It was released in 1981, with the game's popularity peaking in the mid 1980s. Trivial Pursuit was created in December 1979, in Montreal, Canada, by Chris Haney and Scott Abbott after finding pieces of their Scrabble game missing. We've listed some typical Trivial Pursuit questions in the same categories as the traditional board game.

#Free online trivial pursuit

[hatari-translations]

Daði Freyr interview on being chosen for Eurovision 2021 - translation

Daði Freyr did this interview with Gísli Marteinn upon being chosen as Iceland’s representative for Eurovision 2021. Translation below.

GÍSLI MARTEINN: Daði, can you hear me?

DAÐI: Yes, loud and clear! Greetings.

GÍSLI: Good to see you! Nice to be on a direct call to Berlin. What to say? Congratulations on being Iceland's representative in Eurovision 2021.

DAÐI: Thanks for that! I'm excited.

GÍSLI: Right? Did RÚV have to nag you much, or were you nagging them - how did this happen?

DAÐI: We were kind of both nagging each other. It was mainly a question of the national contest. I'm down for doing it this way.

GÍSLI: And when you say this way, how is this going to work? You've been chosen as our representative, and it's not only Icelanders cheering for that, I think it's people from all over. The song itself - did you run a few songs by RÚV, do you have something ready that RÚV can pick from, or are you just about to sit down and compose something now?

DAÐI: I've more been thinking about the video and presentation and such. The song comes last, but I'm starting work on that now. It's like last time, I did the staging first and then the song. I'll try to do the same. But different. More

GÍSLI: I feel like you're promising another dance.

DAÐI: Well... there'll always be some kind of dance. This is Eurovision we're participating in. We have a few Euro-clichés left to tackle, and I'm going to try to fit in two key changes. Not sure how it'll go but I'll do my best.

GÍSLI: Right! Today is of course a happy day because this happened, but at the same time you could say you're closing the circle that was “Think About Things” - not to lay it entirely to rest, it'll still be with us, but it's a certain endpoint to that process. When you think about that song, and the time since it was chosen and all the adventures that started, what do you think about?

DAÐI: Well, obviously it's completely changed my life. I'm playing a totally different game now. So that's a bit of pressure, to be returning to this now, when it went so well last time. But I'm excited to really immerse myself in a new project. “Think About Things” has taken up a *lot* of time even long after Eurovision was supposed to take place. Most of my time has gone into some promo stuff and trying to take it as far as I could so I could get to a better starting point for the next thing.

GÍSLI: Right. Some people think “Think About Things” was the greatest sacrifice of Eurovision 2020's cancelation, because it was such a great song and everyone was looking forward to seeing it on stage and so on. Do you think the song might have benefited from being posited as this sacrificial lamb?

DAÐI: Sure, I could believe that. But that's not how I feel about it. I feel more like it's the songs that would really have gotten to shine on the Eurovision stage. We had this video that took off and everything, but not everyone thinks it that way, and might just put all their effort into the exact moment of the Eurovision performance. So I think probably we got off easier than anyone.

GÍSLI: That's true. I saw an article in a British paper about how “Think About Things” is already a Eurovision classic, and perhaps the only one that never made it to the stage that can count itself among the ranks of Eurovision classics. The song's list of achievements is incredible; there's no Eurovision song that's spent as long in the top 40 in the UK since 1997 when the UK won with "Love Shine a Light", a bunch of statistics like that. Do you manage to keep up with all this? I saw your song is going to be on Strictly Come Dancing in the UK. Are you keeping a diary of all this, or have you just lost track?

DAÐI: Really, I've stopped googling myself. It's at that stage, if there's any news I'll just see somebody else sharing it on Twitter. So that was a particular moment, when I no longer had to look for news about myself, but had them plastered in my face.

GÍSLI: Right! But enough about “Think About Things”. Today is the start of something new. Is there a timeline for when we can expect to hear the first version of the new song?

DAÐI: Well, it won't be this year, at least.

GÍSLI: Right.

DAÐI: I guess it'll be... I don't have an exact date but it won't be January either, at least.

GÍSLI: Maybe just something like the time the national contest would have been taking place, or around then?

DAÐI: Could be.

GÍSLI: Right. “Think About Things” will be following you for a bit still, since the new song will benefit from it. It was chosen as the best song by Sweden, and didn't that get you a ticket to Melodifestivalen, so you'll be able to perform...

DAÐI: Yeah, I'm at least hoping they'll get in touch, as soon as possible, so I have more news on that. I'd definitely be up for playing at Melodifestivalen.

GÍSLI: Of course, and presumably just as soon as the new song is ready there'll probably be a lot of demand for getting you to play at all these Eurovision warmup gigs.

DAÐI: Well, I hope so! But we'll be touring around that time, so I don't know how much we can do there. Me and Ylva and Pétur who are my band, the real, non-Eurovision band. So I don't know if we'll make it to a lot of those parties.

GÍSLI: Haha, okay. But what about us Icelanders? You're going on tour, you say, and I've seen the dates - it's a packed schedule. Are we going to see you here at all in the near future, or will the prodigal son just stay on the mainland?

DAÐI: I think I'll keep living here for a while, at least. But I mean, as soon as you can do a proper concert in Iceland, I'll be there.

GÍSLI: All right! I just say congratulations again, and I think the entire nation is very happy you'll get to try out the big stage. We know you'll make us all proud. Best wishes to Berlin.

DAÐI: I'll try.

GÍSLI: Yeah! Thanks for chatting with us.

#daði freyr #interview #translation

[blackkudos]

Jimmy Cliff

James Chambers, OM (born 1 April 1948), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican ska and reggae musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. Along with Bunny Wailer he is one of only two living musicians to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievements in the arts and sciences.

Cliff is best known among mainstream audiences for songs such as "Wonderful World, Beautiful People", "Many Rivers to Cross", "You Can Get It If You Really Want", "The Harder They Come", "Reggae Night", and "Hakuna Matata", and his covers of Cat Stevens's "Wild World" and Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" from the film Cool Runnings. He starred in the film The Harder They Come, which helped popularize reggae across the world, and Club Paradise. Cliff was one of five performers inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

Early life and education

Jimmy Cliff was born in Somerton District, Saint James, Jamaica. He began writing songs while still at primary school in St. James, listening to a neighbour's sound system. In 1962 his father took him to Kingston to go to Kingston Technical school, where he ended up sharing his cousin's one rented room in East Kingston.

Career

1960s and 1970s

Cliff sought out many producers while still going to school, trying to get his songs recorded without success. He also entered talent contests. "One night I was walking past a record store and restaurant as they were closing, pushed myself in and convinced one of them, Leslie Kong, to go into the recording business, starting with me," he writes in his own website biography. After two singles that failed to make much impression, his career took off when "Hurricane Hattie" became a hit, while he was aged 14. It was produced by Kong, with whom Cliff remained until Kong's death from a heart attack in 1971.

Cliff's later local hit singles included "King of Kings", "Dearest Beverley", "Miss Jamaica", and "Pride and Passion". In 1964, Cliff was chosen as one of Jamaica's representatives at the World's Fair in New York; and in the same year Cliff was featured in a program called "This is Ska!" alongside Prince Buster, Toots and the Maytals, and Byron Lee and the Dragonaires. He soon signed to Island Records and moved to the United Kingdom. Island Records initially (and unsuccessfully) tried to sell Cliff to the rock audience, but his career took off in the late 1960s. His international debut album was Hard Road to Travel, released in 1967. It received excellent reviews and included "Waterfall" (composed by Nirvana's Alex Spyropoulos and Patrick Campbell-Lyons), which became a hit in Brazil and won the International Song Festival.

"Waterfall" was followed in 1969 by "Wonderful World, Beautiful People" and "Vietnam" in 1970, both popular throughout most of the world. Bob Dylan called "Vietnam" the best protest song he had ever heard. Also during this period, Cliff released a cover of Cat Stevens' "Wild World" as a single, but it was not included on his Wonderful World, Beautiful People album.

In 1972, Cliff starred as Ivanhoe "Ivan" Martin in the classic reggae film, The Harder They Come, directed by Perry Henzell. As the film tells Martin's story, he is a young man without funds. Arriving in Kingston from the country, he tries to make it in the recording business, but without success. Eventually, he turns to a life of crime. The soundtrack album of the film was a huge success that sold well across the world, bringing reggae to an international audience for the first time. It remains one of the most internationally significant films to have come out of Jamaica since independence. The film made its debut at London's Gaumont cinema in Notting Hill on 1 September 1972. In 1975, Cliff sang on the first season of Saturday Night Live, episode 12, hosted by Dick Cavett. After a series of albums, Cliff took a break and traveled to Africa (the Nigeria-based Jamaican writer Lindsay Barrett was instrumental in Cliff's first trip there), and subsequently converted to Islam, taking the new name: El Hadj Naïm Bachir.

1980s and 1990s

Cliff quickly returned to music, touring for several years before he recorded with Kool & the Gang. In 1984, Cliff appeared at the Pinkpop Festival in Landgraaf, Netherlands. During The River Tour, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band added Cliff's previously little-known song "Trapped" to their live set; it achieved great prominence when included on 1985's We Are the World benefit album. The follow-up, Cliff Hanger (1985), won a Grammy Award for 'Best Reggae Album', though it was his last major success in the United States until 1993. Also in 1985, Cliff contributed to the song "Sun City", a protest song written and composed by Steven Van Zandt and recorded by Artists United Against Apartheid to convey opposition to the South African policy of apartheid. Cliff then provided backing vocals on The Rolling Stones' 1986 album Dirty Work, and appeared in the comedy Club Paradise, co-starring with Robin Williams and Peter O'Toole, and contributed several songs to the soundtrack, including "Seven Day Weekend", which he sang with Elvis Costello. In 1988, his song "Shelter of Your Love" was featured in the hit film Cocktail.

Cliff appeared in the film Marked for Death in 1990, performing "John Crow" with the Jimmy Cliff Band. His recording of "You Can Get It If You Really Want" was used as a campaign anthem by the Sandinista National Liberation Front in the 1990 election in Nicaragua. In 1991, he performed at the second Rock in Rio festival in Estádio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He continued to sell well in Jamaica and, to a lesser extent, the UK, returning to the mainstream pop charts in the U.S. and elsewhere (#1 in France) with a version of Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" on the Cool Runnings film soundtrack in 1993. In 1995, Cliff released the single "Hakuna Matata", a collaboration with Lebo M, a song from the soundtrack of the film The Lion King. In 1997, Cliff was a guest star in a 1997 episode of the Cartoon Network talk show Space Ghost Coast to Coast.

2000 to present

In 2001, Cliff became an inaugural member of the Independent Music Awards' judging panel to support independent artists. In 2002, Cliff released the album Fantastic Plastic People in Europe, after first providing free downloads using p2p software. This album featured collaborations with Joe Strummer, Annie Lennox, and Sting as well as new songs that were very reminiscent of Cliff's original hits. In 2004, Cliff completely reworked the songs, dropping the traditional reggae in favour of an electronic sound, for inclusion in Black Magic. The album also included a recording of "Over the Border" with Joe Strummer. Cliff performed at the closing ceremony to the 2002 Commonwealth Games and in 2003, his song "You Can Get It If You Really Want" was included in the soundtrack to the film, Something's Gotta Give. He also appeared in July 2003 at the Paléo Festival in Nyon, Switzerland. The Jamaican government under P. J. Patterson honoured Cliff on 20 October 2003, by awarding him The Order of Merit, the nation's fourth-highest honour, in recognition of his contributions to the film and music of Jamaica. Cliff, Bunny Wailer and Mervyn Morris are the only currently living figures from the arts to hold this distinction and he is one of only two living musician (along with Bunny Wailer) to do so.

In 2007, Cliff performed at the opening ceremony at cricket's World Cup. In the spring and summer of 2010, Cliff embarked on an extensive tour of the U.S. and Canada. In 2007, "You Can Get It If You Really Want" was adopted by the British Conservative Party during their annual conference. Cliff was quoted in The Independent as saying "One of my band mates called me this morning to tell me the news. I can't stop them using the song, but I'm not a supporter of politics. I have heard of Cameron, but I'm not a supporter. I don't support any politician. I just believe in right or wrong."

In September 2009, he was nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, following a campaign on his behalf by the American Charles Earle. Cliff reacted to the news by saying, "This is good for Cliff, good for Jamaican music and good for my country." On 15 December 2009, he was officially announced as an inductee and was inducted on 15 March 2010 by Wyclef Jean.

Cliff appeared in the 2011 documentary Reggae Got Soul: The Story of Toots and the Maytals which was featured on BBC and described as "The untold story of one of the most influential artists ever to come out of Jamaica".

In 2011, Cliff worked with producer Tim Armstrong, lead singer of American punk band Rancid, on the EP The Sacred Fire and the full-length album Rebirth. Rebirth was nominated for a Grammy Award for 'Best Reggae Album'. The album was listed at #12 on Rolling Stone's list of the top 50 albums of 2012, saying "There's ska, rock steady, roots reggae, a revelatory cover of The Clash's "Guns of Brixton" delivered in Cliff's trademark soulful tenor, grittier but still lovely more than 40 years after his debut." In December 2012, Cliff was named 'Artist of the Year' by digital newspaper the Caribbean Journal, citing his work on Rebirth.

On 25 June 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Jimmy Cliff among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.

Personal life

Cliff is not a member of the Rastafari movement, although he briefly was before converting to Islam from Christianity. He now describes himself as having a "universal outlook on life", and does not align himself with any particular movement or religion, saying that "now I believe in science". He is married and has a daughter Lilty Cliff and a son Aken Cliff. He is also the father of the actress/singer Nabiyah Be.

#04/01

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #415

Top Ten Films that Should Have Dominated the Oscars

So it was the Oscars last weekend. I didn’t watch, as it’s on in the middle of the night and you have to leave a lantern in the shape of Bob Hope burning outside your house if you want access to the telecast, or some arcane nonsense. I used to watch it, either staying up late or recording it for the next day’s enjoyment; this was back in the good old days when the show would go to a commercial and the BBC broadcast would cut to Barry Norman in a studio somewhere discussing the night’s events with, I dunno, Tracey Ullman or Julian Sands or something.

Anyway, it was nice that Parasite won, just because it’s nice to see a foreign language film winning Best Picture. I wasn’t too caught up with the hype and hoopla this year, because I didn’t have a dog in the race; sadly, I’d barely seen any of the nominated films. Also, Avengers: Endgame was more-or-less nowhere to be seen. In previous years – back in the pre-kid days when I used to see a lot more movies – I was very invested. I still have very fond memories of the year Return of the King swept the board. And, as such, there are years when I was disappointed when other, better films didn’t make the grade. Obviously things are all relative, awards shows are just beauty contests, and there’s a political edge to the whole thing regardless. But still; over time, there’s been a few films of such staggering quality that, in retrospect, it’s baffling that they didn’t sweep the board. Some of these films did win Oscars; some weren’t even nominated in the major categories. But here are my ten favourite films that should have been awards behemoths.

And, y’know, it’s all a bit of fun.

LA Confidential, 1998 Oscars: did win Adapted Screenplay, Supporting Actress; should have won Picture, Director, with nominations for Actor (both Pearce and Crowe) & Supporting Actor (Spacey – yeah, I know, but back then he was good). This film is a modern noir masterpiece, amazingly adapted and directed. Titanic reigned supreme that year, and whilst LAC is miles better, the big ship did deserve its editing and design awards.

Goodfellas, 1991 Oscars: did win Supporting Actor; should have won Picture, Director, Actor (Liotta), Adapted Screenplay, Editing, with noms for Cinematography & Art Direction. My favourite Scorsese; full of his wit and verve and violence and sadness. Dances with Wolves was the biggie, and whilst I’ve got a lot of love for that film (not seen it in years, mind), we should have been honouring Marty a long time ago.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, 1983 Oscars: won Score & Visual Effects; should have won Picture, Director, Screenplay, with noms for Actor (Thomas), Supporting Actress (Wallace, and maybe even Barrymore), & Art Direction. Perfectly Spielbergian, marrying his personal sentimentality with mainstream appeal, but decidedly not a blockbuster in scope or intent; a small, intimate story. Phenomenally directed, especially the kids, and Thomas gives an awards-worthy performance. Legend has it when Richard Attenborough won for Gandhi he whispered to Spielberg, “This should have been yours”. That’s probably bollocks, mind.

Fight Club, 2000 Oscars: should have won Picture, Director, Supporting Actress (Carter), Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Art Direction, Cinematography, with noms for Actor (both Norton and Pitt), Visual Effects. Probably way too dark and nihilistic to gain traction, but a perfect representation of its time (and, with the rise of toxic masculinity, still painfully relevant). The effort in realising it should have earned Fincher awards, and its subtle but effective effects work was quietly groundbreaking.

Pulp Fiction, 1995 Oscars: won Screenplay; should have won Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Jackson), Supporting Actress (Thurman), with noms for Cinematography, Art Direction, Costuming. Famous in my youth for the winner that never was, trumped by Forrest Gump (which, to be fair, is pretty great). But this is Tarantino’s best movie, and should have been rewarded, and – I’m sorry – but Jackson really should have beaten Martin Landau. “Shit” indeed, Nick Fury. This actually was a harder one, because The Shawshank Redemption also came out this year; if that had beaten Pulp in the big awards, it would have been a lot more deserving, and Tim Robbins should have won Best Actor.

Singin' in the Rain, 1953 Oscars: should have won Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (O’Connor), Screenplay, Song, Score, Art Direction, Cinematography, Costume Design, with noms for Actor (Kelly) & Actress (Reynolds). Arguably the greatest Hollywood musical ever made. A stunning directorial achievement, a visual spectacle, and O’Connor deserved the Oscar just for the way he runs up a wall singing Make ‘Em Laugh. And it got two nominations.

Jaws, 1976 Oscars: should have won Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Score, Cinematography. Like ET, Jaws is a Spielberg blockbuster by virtue of how much it made, not its content. It's a small, meticulously crafted character piece that, with its everyman hero and vague aura of political corruption, feels very much of its time. And it's a masterpiece.

Trainspotting, 1997 Oscars: should have won Picture, Director, Actor, Adapted Screenplay, Editing. It feels harder for British films to succeed at the Oscars, but this one should have cleaned up (no pun intended). It's such a brilliant adaptation, directed with such assurity and confidence, turning an unfilmable book into an essential movie, and anchored by a career-best Ewan McGregor.

Citizen Kane, 1942 Oscars: should have won Picture, Director, Actor, Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction. It's easy to mock, but this film was a revolution and a sensation, and Welles was an outstanding visionary and talent. Look at the films coming out around this time, then look at Kane. Its lack of widespread awards success is almost entirely political. But it inspired a cracking Simpson episode, so I guess it had the last laugh.

Avengers: Endgame, 2020 Oscars: should have won Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Visual Effects, Editing, Score, with noms for Actor (Downey Jr), Sound Effects, Sound Effects Editing, and Cinematography. Look, I know this was never gonna happen. And I'll trust the many who say Parasite is better. But the Oscars don’t - shouldn't – just reward quality. They're a cultural artefact, and as such they need to reflect where cinema is at a given moment. So I think they should have given Endgame a slew of big rewards, as if to honour the effort and achievement in bringing the MCU to the screen so successfully over the last decade. Also – and I mean this sincerely – it rocks.

#top ten #oscars #films #movies #academy

[theaveragekenyan]

Blinded by your Grace...

In terms of Europe’s best looking Women (Fittest Birds), this is how I would rate them within a top 5.

1 = Sweden (standard stereotype, but essentially any of those Nordic Scandinavian hotties)

2 = Republic of Ireland (the jet black or fiery red hair and the feckin accent)

3 = Italy (oodles of class and they can knock up an amazing salad in seconds)

4 = Great Britain (not the ones faggin it outside school waiting for their kids)

5 = Australia (Eurovision Song Contest Rules)

Of course, the above list is shamefully discriminatory and sexist, it’s not even a bit of fun anymore #metoo, I just I enjoy the stereotypical nature of it all, #bantz I believe is the excuse these days.

I just did a Google search of the above topic, except I widened it to ‘worldwide best looking women’ and the top hits include the above 5 countries within their lists, except new countries like Brazil, Philippines, Venezuela, Thailand and USA are added, well done to those countries, excellent DNA’ing.

So, something I’d like to point out, NO African countries feature in the lists.

Ok, there was one list that included Angola, but that was the only African country featured in just one list from many.

In the featured countries, NO black faces represent their beauty, Brazil is about as dark as you’re going to get, but essentially there was no recognition of diversity from their respective country. Each country’s ‘most beautiful face’ is depicted by a “typical” comfortably indigenous (whatever that represents) white looking woman from their country, sorry Archie, Naomi and Nathalie, but you’re not the considered look of Britain and that also is same for any other country with diverse genetics.

The world has proliferated so much these days, so for example, what does a British woman look like? That’s of course my liberalism shining through, but unfortunately for the majority of people in the UK, they still consider Victoria Beckham or Fiona Bruce as their default British Women, sorry no blacks, browns or yellow’s please, we’re British.

When I’m back home in the UK, I especially like to study the Black women I see, I like to see how they compose themselves, how they talk and especially how they look. I know this sounds super creepy, but this is of course as I live in Kenya, so I like to see how the women compare to what I have here.

The main reason for this is that Kenyan women are truly beautiful.

Now I come from a very small village in the UK and from the three schools I attended, they all represented very typical demographics for rural England.

Primary School = 40 children - 0 BAME.

I was the brownest in the school, although we did have three children of Indian origin move into the village, but not in my school year, they took over the village shop, obviously.

Secondary School = 500 children – 3 BAME

Upper School – 1000 Children – 10 BAME

In each case, roughly about 1% were, you know “one of them”

Now I know times have changed and that area has become more diversified, but back in the late 80’s, I grew up with pretty much no other interesting faces other than pale zitty white ones.

It wasn’t until I moved to London in 1997 that opened my eyes to such a variety of faces and furthermore when I moved to Johannesburg in 2011 when I saw the full concentration of South African Women, and it was an eye opener to say the least.

I remember walking around Sandton City Mall and thinking to myself, in such high concentration, this must be where the best looking African Women on the continent are. Then I moved to Kenya and realized there are beautiful looking women everywhere you go.

I’m think it’s fairly safe to say, without any research or any factual evidence sought that my next assumption is correct. Kenyan Women’s beauty stems from a gene pool that, on the whole, has had little genetic dilution.

For many years, most of the reproduction has remained inter-tribal and only in recent years has outer-tribal reproduction become more acceptable. So, identifying features and characteristics have remained particular.

You see a lot of defining tribal looks and characteristics, that with a keen eye, can determine where the person originates, whether it be Western, Coastal, Central, Northern or Southern. This is a game my wife loves to play. 

Yes, this happens in certain cities in England like Brighton, Liverpool, Bristol etc, but it’s largely down to make-up, clothes and style defining a look, rather than a type of nose or eye shape, I mean perhaps a “big gob” in Newcastle, but that’s about it.

It was only until I came to Africa that I noticed how many different skin shades there are. From Albino right through to dark blue-black, there’s a colour for everyone.

Sadly though, many Kenyans believe a lighter skin is more beautiful, so skin lightening creams and treatments have become a thing and have generated an overall negative effect on skin tone empowerment.

Most of the billboards here, featuring ladies, are almost white. They are presented with a polished skin, highlighted and dodged, removing just about all of their darker tones.

Therefore, darker girls grow up thinking they’re not as attractive, they’ll have less career opportunities, they won’t get the best men and so on. This then creates a troubling discriminatory outlook, which occurrs on a daily basis, not just in Kenya, but throughout Africa.

However, when it comes to Kenyan Women being attracted to men, there’s one particular skin tone many find appealing, the white one.

There are plenty of white men in Kenya, myself included who’ve seen the Kenyan beauty and thought, Well Jambo!

I’m not being modest when I say that my partner and I have an equal amount of attractiveness, (she’s way hotter than me) we’re of a similar age and have all the classic similarities to have fallen in love, but when looking around in Kenya you start to see many other couples where their...well...their similarities must be very unique to them.

I’m talking about “Sugar Daddies”, of course I am. 

I love to see these couples as they are clearly so happy together.

He has a smoking hot-assed chick pushing his shopping trolley, whilst she can add into that trolley whatever the freak she wants, because she ain’t paying, PARTY!!!

It's so blatant and obvious what the arrangement is, yet many people find it embarrassing or jocular. People definitely like to judge and be jealous, I prefer to just give a little condescending nod and wink showing nothing but pure respect.

We’re talking 70-80 year old men with 25-30 year old women. The men are wearing their cardigans and orthopedic sunglasses, whilst the women are dressed like an extra from a Jay-Z promo, when in fact, of course, she should be wearing a nurse’s uniform. You’ll see them in restaurants staring into space as he sips on his Tusker, whilst she’s avoiding eye contact from all the younger playboys drooling over her.

Of course, it’s not just the white blokes that get to play Sugar Daddy. Many young Kenyan women find attraction in older men with a closer skin tone to theirs.

Again, for the women, this is purely down to the money and for men the sex, the perfect arrangement, everybody wins.

The older men are called “Sponsors” and they provide anything from Cars and Houses to Ugali and Cheap Booze and there exists a variety of financial classes within. It’s the polygamous society of Kenya that flexes its muscle, and I find it fascinating how it completely goes against everything the average Kenyan preaches in church, but then again the average Kenyan is just as big as the biggest hypocrite in the world.

Kenyan’s love stereotypes, that’s because for the majority of the time the stereotypes are completely correct.

The stereotypically looking Kenyan woman for a white guy is slim, petite, peachy butt-ocks, anti-gravity boobs, not too short and bearing mildly western facial features.

This type of woman is known as “Muzungu Bait”.

It’s not clear how the Kenyan women discover they are “Muzungu Bait”, perhaps there’s a “Finishing School” for this type of lady, but make no mistake there is a look and any lady possessing such features knows they have a permit to flirt with white men.

In the opposite stereotype, It can be said that, Kenyan men generally prefer a heavier lady. 

I feel sorry for the chubbier, larger girls, I can only assume they have no right to flirt with white guys and they are the ones who can only be taken by the Kenyan men.

One comment I regularly hear, is that white men come to Kenya and steal the best looking women.

Steal, STEAL???, like the women have been kidnapped and are being held hostage. It’s such a ridiculous and humungous insult to women, it’s shocking.

I mean the fact we can cook, clean, and tell stories about mid-nineties heavy metal should never be overlooked.

I think what is it though, to the average Kenyan, Women are considered property, something that’s purchased. I know this has a lot to the doury marital system of buying women with animal livestock, but mostly women are treated as property, or 6 cows and 4 goats in most instances. So perhaps when a white man talks to a lady on her own level and doesn’t feel the urge to treat her in such a proprietary way, then I’m sure it has to have an appeal.

There is a downside though and a fascinating murder case is currently in the news and it’s not the first time such a murder has taken place. Now though, Kenyan media outlets can see views, likes and share values in real time therefore they can quantify a news story and suck it until it’s dry, so that explains why the current ‘Praying Mantis’ story is so accessible, because everybody wants a piece of it.

Unlike the Kenyan News agencies, I won’t go down the illegal route of naming and shaming and spilling out every detail rendering any Jury Court irrelevant, but this is how the story went.

Rich White Man murdered by his younger Kenyan Wife with possible involvement from her associates.

This is not the first time this has happened and not the last time.

It happens enough for it to be almost like another air strike in the middle east, erm yes, how many properties? which tribe was the woman? how much money is involved? where do they live? Sadly, the taken life of the man is overlooked and the story just fades away until the next replica story comes along. It’s not just Rich White Men though, Rich Black Men disappear as well, you see the connection? Let’s just say their are many wealthy Kenyan widows getting away with murder. 

Sadly, the average Kenyan has a different outlook to women, it is changing, but still, women are viewed here as second class, need to obey, generally a subordinate creature. Yet, they are the baby makers, the food providers, the water carriers, the planners and the total backbone of Kenyan society.

I think the average Kenyan needs to be far more respectful and understand just how beautiful the women are in this country. I can 100% vouch for that, all I got to do is hope I don’t end up hidden in a septic tank one day.  

[justimajinthat]

Got Boybands?

Beatles, boys who cry, Boyz n motion, and big time rush has something in common and its not that all of them starts with the letter b, its that they are all iconic boy bands. boy bands been around for years swooning queens of all ages. Ever since one direction hiatus I thought boy bands were dead. I failed to realize that the boy bands didn't stop they are just overlooked so I'm here to point some out talk about them maybe help them get some more support I don't know.

I was going to save this for last but I will be distracted the whole time if I did. Prettymuch. woohoo! anyway my friend showed me "open arms" my attention was grabbed wig snatched I wasn't prepared for the beat to drop like that but it did so did my heart. I loved it. um, they make straight bops. from what I understand a lot of fans feels neglected by them. "where's the album" is a common saying by the BEANZ. BEANZ are the fans in the fandom. it stands for Brandon, Edwin, Austin, nick, and Zion. they are a pop group with a hip hop sound at times. all of them can sing. they don't always get the same amount parts on songs but all of them can sing. it was formed in 2017 by Simon Cowell. I'm going to try to describe each member of the group the best can. starting with Brandon Arreaga. born December 14th 1999. he is 19 years old (the youngest) he is from Texas. He is white and Mexican he is good just about everything. one of the best dancers in the group. my favorite vocalist in the group. he has a deeper richer tone in his voice but can easily go up an octave or two he is a sick producer. he seems like one of the leaders in the group. I think he sings the most out of all of them. it seems like he is constantly working on his craft which I love. he loves food. his runs are superior. next up is Edwin Honoret. Edwin was born Feb 12, 1999. he is from the Bronx. he is Dominican. first thing to come in mind is fashion. don't get it twisted they all got style but with Edwin its evident that fashion is his thing. he seems positive most of the time putting out positive messages through social media. sports is not his thing but skateboarding is. he has a higher tone of voice but not the highest pitch in the group. next is Austin porter. born Aug 14, 1997 in North Carolina. This 21 year old (oldest) is lit. he always seem to be energetic and upbeat. he paints a lot . he gets the least amount of singing time but he is a great singer . he has a deeper tone of voice as well. he likes rapping. he seems to be very family oriented. all of them do but I notice it more with Austin. he seems very talkative and could relate with just about anybody. Nick Mara is up. he is also 21. he was born Nov 8,1997 in new jersey. he is the best dancer. has the highest tone voice. he seems the most serious out of everybody but stills jokes around. he has crazy shoe game. he's just suave. last one is Zion Kuwonu. born June 29,1999. he is Canadian. he is tall. loves Fortnite. he probably the second most amount of times. I think he is talked about the most in the fandom. prettymuch symbolizes quality to me. things take time with this group. they have 13 songs but you can bump to all of them. their lyrics are great, all of them can dance, they have a hip hop feel to them, and their music is constant. I feel like their motto is quality over quantity and out of all of them I feel like they have the best chance to really break out. my favorite released song is healthy.(they have a bunch of unreleased music) my least favorite is Jell-O. don't get it twisted Jell-O is still a bop but not "the" bop. BLiND is their most recent bop released(01/25/19). that song slapped video made the song even better. I honestly didn't know that was possible but they proved me wrong. I like blind because everybody did their thing and everybody vocals had a shinning moment. also the video was an aesthetic within its self. their first song released is would you mind(07/21/17)

next group is why don't we. I don't know why don't we as well but they seem like more on the quantity side. I say this because they have the most amount of songs out of all of the boy bands but not all of them are bangers in my opinion. I feel like most of my friends cant get into them because they do occasionally have a childish sound and their songs don't have as much depth as other artist do. what I mean by this is a lot of their songs are repetitive and the only thing is different about them is the new person singing the same verse. they also cant dance, but here are the reasons why you should give them a chance. they are very stylish, they voices are very distinctive, and they have one of the best melodies when its a banger. the group started in 2016 and consist of jack Avery(19), Corbyn Besson (20), Jonah Marais (20), Daniel Seavey (19), Zach Herron (17).their fans are called limelight I want to know why but I don't know maybe something dealing with the first song taking you. the childish sound songs are like trust fund baby and these girls. 8 letters was the first song I heard by them (jack Avery stood out to me for some reason). my friend was talking how she couldn't get into them so I decided to do my research. 8 letters was decent but I had to see if they had more hits and they do but I had to dig deep. talk(fell in love with Daniel), something different(loved the beat and video was sick), into deep (fell in love with Zach's voice and the melody was nice), nobody gotta know (started to appreciate Zach even more and all to them together and melody was clean as well), choose (I loved it gave me 00s' Justin Timberlake vibes the beat was great and the melody was another hit), why don't we just (was a decent song seemed really repetitive but it was catchy), invitation (had a r&b feel to it was catchy and the video was funny), words I didn't say (it was cute), turn it off ( the melody was good), made for( I loved the beat and it was cute). I think they have 40 songs don't quote me. their latest song was big plans which was a banger released (01/16/19). their first song released was taking you (11/25/16)

next group is in real life. the were the winners of ABCs 2017 tv music contest boy band. the group consist of chance Perez(21) Brady Tutton (17) Michael Conor(19) drew Ramos (21) Sergio Calderon(18). All of their songs are catchy and has the typical pop boy band sound but with a . they have 7 released songs including 2 Christmas songs.one thing different about this group is that Michael Connor can rap. my favorite song is how badly and my least favorite is probably got me good (their most recent song released 09/06/18) its still a good song though. their first song released was eyes closed released 08/25/17.

4th ave consist of Mikey Jimenez (19), Marcus Pendleton(18), Jaden gray (17), cam Jackson (20) who all compete individually on the sow boy band with the members of in real life. all of them can really sing. their runs are crazy but I feel like cam and Jaden mastered them the best and Jaden has a wider range. this group pop/r&b group. Jaden and Marcus are my favorite because Jaden just seems very confident and its cool plus his vocals are mental, Marcus because he like the homie he can get lit but he seems like a chill guy who cracks jokes.4th ave can dance , its not extreme like prettymuches but its way better than why don't we or the other bands. they have 12 songs and a fire interlude including 5 holiday songs. my favorite song is probably 4 u(honestly all of their songs was my favorite at least once). my least favorite is probably exit. their first song released was xoxo (02/8/18) and their latest song released is us (01/25/19).

the next group is cnco. they are a latin boy band who are from the show called la banda (executive produced by Simon cowell). the group includes Joel pimental(19), Erick Brian colon (18), Christopher Velez Munoz (23), Richard Camacho (22), Zabdiel de jesus (21). i think they have 45 songs including the remixes. tan facil is their first song released (01/29/16) and their latest song released was hey dj the remix (11/9/18). Mala actitud id my favorite and mas alla is my least favorite.

new hope club is the next group. this band is a pop British trio. Blake Richardson(19),George smith(19),and Reece Bibby(20).

they have 14 songs. fixed being the first(05/05/17) and permission being the latest(02/01/19). i love their music and their feel. they have nice vocals and their songs has a vintage sound to it with rock tendencies. crazy is my fav amd tiger feet is my least favorite.

next town down is the next group on the list. NTD is a an r&b group with Malik Knighten(19), Terence Thomas (24), Trevon Water(22), Chris Louis(21),and Leon Outlaw jr(16). they have 8 songs but they spoil us with covers on youtube. their first song released was easy (05/11/18) my favorite song of theirs will have to be easy and the least is kissin on.

the last final group i will be mic lowry. they are a r&b band from liverpool. Delleile Ankrah, Akia Jones, Kaine Ofoeme, Ben Sharples, and Michael Welch embodies old school r&b with new school flare. They were formed 2011. tuxedo is their first song released 05/18/15. their latest song is Tesla 10/19/18. they have 16 released songs.

#boybands #prettymuch #nexttowndown #mic lowry #new hope club #cnco #4th ave #in real life #why dont we #boys who cry #boyz n motion #big time rush #beatles

[vicarofsaintalbions]

Great British Festival’s Rockaoke Contest!

Hello everyone!!! Me and my friends (@ruslanax) are joining the contest of the British Embassy Manila’s Rockaoke contest!! AND WE REALLY NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

Every last week of February is the Great British Festival that happens annually at the Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City - the trendy, high-end corporate district employing a lot of millennials and British expats as well, as the UK Embassy is also located within the said city. The GBF is basically the BIG British fair you’ll ever need - freebies, food, and performances!

With that being said, we are joining the Rockaoke so that we can be able to make our UK dreams come true! Well, our song is “Things Can Only Get Better” by D:Ream (and loliticians remember this song simply because...it’s LABOUR’S 1997 ELECTION SONG! HAHA). Apologies for being frustrated singers, but but...PLEASE VOTE AND SHARE OUR VIDEO!

https://www.tabsite.com/contest_share.php?v=landing&appid=396959223697036&aid=410391&tid=220937&spid=560195&eid=1325547 - VOTE HERE!

https://youtu.be/Ld-P4q5DIjA - YouTube link

Deadline of the vote is on FEBRUARY 18, SATURDAY, AT 23:59 (Philippine Standard Time, GMT+8). I know it’s kinda rush, but we’re hoping to make it at least in the wildcard!!! 

Thank you and let’s spread lolitical love!!!

#lolitics #UK lolitics #lolitics fandom #Great British Festival #Rockaoke #British Embassy #Rule Britannia #D:Ream

[eurovision-revisited]

The Best National Final of 1997

The rumour is that Italy entered Eurovision 1997 by accident. As an EBU member, RAI were supposed to inform the EBU that they didn't want to take part, otherwise they would contractually obliged to participate. Such was the disorder inside the Italian broadcaster they forgot and had to go to Dublin.

Luckily they didn't have to organise a national final or even go to the lengths of choosing an act. They had Festival di Sanremo as a fixture on the annual Italian cultural schedule, and they could simply select the winner.

This one-off accidental Italian entry shows what we've been missing. Sanremo is head and shoulders above all the other national finals in this year by some way. There's a huge variety of music, nearly all sung well. There's the controversial winners too! Sanremo was launching huge musical careers in a way that Eurovision, at the time, was not. If you can take the multi-hour length with the show originally meandering into the wee small hours, this grand old contest is definitely worth your time.

Clocking in at a considerably shorter 30 minutes, is the UK national final, The Great British Song Contest. In the year the UKs government drastically changed and when Britpop pomp was at its pinnacle, the year when Radiohead released OK Computer, the songs weren't anything close to commercial and there were only four of them. One was actually a joke. Yet the overall quality is not that bad and they managed to select the winner too.

Dora continues to be Dora, although overall the quality of the music is declining. It's still good. And the opposite of this, the Maltese selection is finally showing signs of life even though overall it's not great.

The one you should avoid/watch with your mouth agape is Dansk Melodi Grand Prix. Ten songs, reasonable variety, but I have not a single clue what the hell was going on with the staging.

#esc #esc 1997 #eurovision #eurovision song contest #national finals #Festival di Sanremo 1997 #Sanremo #The Great British Song Contest 1997 #Dora 1997 #Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 1997 #Maltese Selection 1997

[anthonycharlestabone]

Tuesday, September 19, 2017 TOP OF THE MORNING … It's Tuesday, September 19, 2017 and welcome to Fox News First, your preview of the day ahead with all the headlines you need to start the morning ... If you are a subscriber to Top Headlines, you can still to get your early morning news fix and so much more right here … In the meantime, please spread the word: Tell your friends they can subscribe to Fox News First by clicking here at FoxNews.com/first. Here's your Fox News First 5 - the first five things you need to know today : President Trump and how he confronts North Korea's growing nuclear threat will be closely watched when he addresses the UN General Assembly today Hurricane Maria wreaks "widespread devastation" on the island of Dominica as the rest of  Caribbean braces for "potentially catastrophic" storm Former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort was wiretapped by US investigators, according to a report  Hillary Clinton says she wouldn't rule out challenging the 2016 presidential election results, cheers on the "resistance" Laura Ingraham joins Fox News' prime-time evening lineup as "The Five" and "Hannity" get new time slots Let's take a closer look ...  THE LEAD STORY: Donald Trump will take center stage when he addresses the UN General Assembly for the first time as president and North Korea will likely dominate his much-anticipated speech ... Trump is expected to try to make an unequivocal case for the assembly's 193 members to help stop North Korean leader Kim Jong Un from testing nuclear bombs and intercontinental missiles on which to launch a nuclear warhead. North Korea has conducted 14 missile tests this year, the latest on Sept. 14. Trump will also have an opportunity to show the world his diplomatic skills as many world leaders, concerned about the president's "America First" rhetoric, will get their first chance to hear and meet him today. Tune in to Fox News for full coverage and analysis of President Trump speech before the UN General Assembly at 10:30 am ET! Two must-read items from Fox News Opinion: 1) Listen up, UN -- Trump means what he's telling you (2) Will Trump make America great again at anti-American UN? Or will he cave? MARIA THE MONSTER: The prime minister of Dominica, a Caribbean island, posted online that Hurricane Maria devastated the island, sweeping away the roofs "of almost every" resident he contacted—including his own ... The category 4 hurricane is starting a charge into the eastern Caribbean that threatens islands already devastated by Hurricane Irma and holds the possibility of a direct hit on Puerto Rico. Authorities in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico warned that people in wooden or flimsy homes should find safe shelter before the storm’s expected arrival there on Wednesday. Click here to track Hurricane Maria's path. FORMER TRUMP CAMPAIGN CHAIR ON INVESTIGATORS' RADAR: Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was wiretapped by U.S. government investigators both before and after the 2016 presidential election, according to a report ... The wiretapping was authorized by a secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court after the FBI started to investigate Manafort  in 2014, CNN reported. He's been under scrutiny over his financial dealings and lobbying efforts with pro-Russia and Ukrainian officials but has denied colluding with Russia to influence the election. ELECTION'S NOT OVER FOR HILLARY: Clinton continues to stir up headlines on her book promotion tour, saying in one interview that she wouldn't rule out contesting the 2016 election results and telling supporters at a separate event Monday night that she's proud of the "resistance" ... In an interview that aired Monday afternoon, NPR's Terry Gross pressed the former first lady and Democratic candidate on whether that meant she would "completely rule out questioning the legitimacy of this election if we learn that the Russian interference in the election is even deeper than we know now.” Clinton responded, "No. I would not." Why does this matter? - Hillary Clinton can't put the 2016 election behind her - and neither can the Democratic Party as long as she dominates the headlines. Almost one year after her election loss, she sucks the air out of the room for potential Democratic challengers to Trump in 2020 - you can name one. Headlines like these are why some Dems dreaded the release of Clinton's book. A NEW PRIME-TIME FOX NEWS EVENING LINE-UP UNVEILED: Laura Ingraham to host The Ingraham Angle at 10 pm ET, starting Oct. 30 ... While The Ingraham Angle will debut late next month, the other changes to Fox News’ prime-time lineup take effect on Sept. 25 when Hannity moves to 9 pm ET and The Five returns to its original home at 5 pm ET, where it was regularly among the most-watched shows in all of cable news. FNC’s 10 pm. ET slot will be occupied by a variety of rotating guest hosts until Ingraham’s show premieres. There's so much more you should know as you start your day ... so, let's do this.   ABOUT LAST NIGHT Heard on Fox: "I can't second-guess this judge. ... [The judge] has a feel for the evidence - a sixth sense as to whether or not you should believe a particular witness."" – Judge Andrew Napolitano, on "The Story," on a judge's acquittal of a white former police officer in the shooting of a black man - a decision that sparked three days of violent protests in St. Louis. Click here to watch ICYMI (And you didn't set your DVRS) ... Tucker: The Emmys more indoctrination than entertainment Fox Business: "You're presenting a fallacious argument": Kennedy battles "dead cops" tweet professor who supports Antifa "The Five": Greg Gutfeld: Trump gets mowed by the press MINDING YOUR BUSINESS Toys "R" Us bankruptcy imminent: Sources FedEx to report earnings amid e-commerce boom Just for you: A tax rate cheat sheet Rolling Stone to be put up for sale FOX TROT ACROSS THE NATION 3 arrested as protest turns violent Georgia Tech after police shooting Non-STEM professors reportedly push for boycott of UC Berkeley "Free Speech Week" Protesters call out Pelosi over Trump DACA deal Dylann Roof asks court for new lawyers, says race makes them his "political and biological enemies" Convicted rapist throws a fit while being deported, report says NEW IN FOX NEWS OPINION Michael Goodwin: Trump vs. Hillary -- It's time to reverse the "abnormal" and "normal" labels Tomi Lahren's Final Thoughts: Another city, another riot Eyes Wide Shut actress: Reaction to my "coming out as a conservative" story was absolutely shocking Sen. Rand Paul: Graham/Cassidy does NOT repeal ObamaCare and I oppose it  HOLLYWOOD SQUARED Emmys ratings crater; Trump-bashing to blame? Error on Beyonce vinyl surprises fans with Canadian punk band songs Did The View cut Jedediah Bila for being tough on Hillary Clinton? Netflix sends lighthearted cease and desist letter to Stranger Things pop-up bar DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS? College footballer dies after complaining of illness following game The ancient Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series just won't die DSEI: From Leopards to Boxers --- top armored vehicles grab attention at defense show Mail carrier battling cancer delivers hope to fellow patient on her route DON'T MISS THIS TODAY On Fox News: All Day: Team coverage of President Trump's address before the UN General Assembly will include: John Roberts, Kevin Corke, Eric Shawn, and Laura Ingle.  Fox News meteorologist Janice Dean and the Fox News Weather Center will have the latest on Hurricane Maria's path of destruction; Mike Tobin and Will Carr are in St. Louis for the latest in the tension following a white police officer's acquittal in a black motorist's shooting death  Fox & Friends: Guests include: EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt; country music duo Big & Rich; Dr. Oz tackles the opioid epidemic America's Newsroom, starting at 9 am ET: Guests include Rep. Ron DeSantis Tucker Carlson Tonight, starting at 8 pm ET: Guests include former US ambassador to the UN Bill Richardson Hannity: Amb. John Bolton and Monica Crowley President Trump's first address before the UN General Assembly On Fox Business: Mornings with Maria, starting at 6 am ET: Guests include filmmaker Ken Burns, former U.N. U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte and model and entrepreneur Kathy Ireland Cavuto: Coast to Coast, starting at 12 noon ET: Guests include NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Risk & Reward, starting at 5 pm ET: Guests include Rep. Marsha Blackburn #OnThisDay 1997:  In his first public comments since the death of Princess Diana, Prince Charles told the British people he would always feel the loss of his former wife, and thanked them for their support. 1985: The Mexico City area was struck by a devastating earthquake that killed at least 9,500 people. 1982: The smiley emoticon was invented by Carnegie Mellon University professor Scott E. Fahlman, who suggested punctuating humorously intended computer messages with a colon followed by a hyphen and a parenthesis as a horizontal "smiley face." :-) 1970: The Mary Tyler Moore show debuted on CBS-TV   Thank you for joining us on Fox News First! Have a great Tuesday and see you in your inbox first thing tomorrow morning! Unsubscribe ©2017 Fox News Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved. 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, 10036. Privacy Policy.

[eurovision-revisited]

Other Recommended 1997 Songs

Sam Blue - "For the Life You Don't Yet Know" (3m 12s for mobile users).

Helen Uí Dhúnaird - "Uaigneas (Loneliness)"

Magazin - "Opium"

Do Re Mi & Kerry - "Yodel in the Canyon of Love" (12m 07s for mobile users)

#esc #esc 1997 #eurovision #eurovision song contest #dublin #dublin 1997 #national finals #The Great British Song Contest 1997 #Dora 1997 #Eurosong 1997 #Ireland #United Kingdom #Croatia #Sam Blue #Do Re Mi & Kerry #Magazin #Helen Uí Dhúnaird #Yodelling

[eurovision-revisited]

1999 Jerusalem - Number 1 - Cheryl Beattie - "Fly"

Yes, I did it. Two UK radio-only non-qualifiers as my top two songs for 1999. 1999 was not the best year at Eurovision and hopefully by looking at all of the other songs that weren't selected, you can see what it might have been. Televoting truly confused the delegations.

Even more than Susan Black, this is a voice and a talent that isn't known. She had a brief mayfly moment with this track, then disappeared. Cheryl Beattie is an Australian singer who'd spent ten years in New York and London trying to get a break in the music industry. She'd been managed by Whitney Houston's manager in the US and was signed to BMG. In London she found equally high profile supporters. She wrote this song prior to 1997 and had been performing it and recording it, but without a release ever occurring. It was known but somehow never made its way out into the public.

Until 1999. Her management managed to get her into the line-up of The Great British Song Contest - one final fling perhaps to get some recognition. But alas no. It's a huge ballad and ballads were not a 1999s thing. Later the same year a club remix was released and that did well in London's clubs, but not in the charts. The song finally made it but only in an underground fashion. Cheryl left London and returned to Australia, seemingly giving up on music. A sad story.

But what a song. Fly is a very traditional ballad indeed. This could have been released at any point in the thirty years prior to 1999 and no one would have thought it out of place. It's a broken hearted song about allowing someone to take off and probably never making it. It's almost heart-breaking that she wrote it, is singing it and is simultaneously living it. She didn't manage to take off herself.

Let's not miss out on what so hugely special about this. Her voice. She's out Celine-ing Celine. Quietly building to huge notes, huge key changes, and huge choruses. As much as I normally prefer unconventionality and quirk, sometimes you just have to sit back and go wow, what a performance. This is one of those occasions. Given the song's meaning and the context of how it came to be, the sadness inherent in it is only magnified.

Sorry, sobbing a little bit here.

#Youtube #esc #esc 1999 #eurovision #eurovision song contest #jerusalem #jerusalem 1999 #national finals #The Great British Song Contest 1999 #United Kingdom #Cheryl Beattie