Round two ... !!

Second semifinal starts ... now!! :-)

Competing countries tonight:
Lithuania
Armenia
Israel
Denmark
Switzerland
Sweden
Azerbaijan
Ukraine
The Netherlands
Romania
Slovenia
Ireland
Bulgaria
Cyprus
Croatia
Georgia
Turkey

Seventeen countries, ten places left in the final. Oooh ... !!!

I think it's so weird that this is where we can vote. Usually it's Sweden that we're kept away from. But I'm mostly happy because this means that I can vote for Armenia. Yay!! Go Armenia! I don't actually think they will win, but I would love it if they did. :-)

Anyway ... my guesses tonight. Let's see. Lithuania's in, I'm almost sure about that. It's so not my kind of music, and I won't be voting for them, but I have a really good feeling about them. It's about time too, they have a pretty sad ESC history. :-) Israel's in. Romania have got to make it, if they don't I'll be shocked. Ukraine probably, on the jury vote if nothing else. Azerbaijan, they're such a big favorite. I just hope they've changed the choreography. ;-) Bulgaria probably. Croatia, not unlikely. Turkey, I think. Armenia, I hope. :-)

Who's not going to make it? The Netherlands. About time for them to take their barrel organ and go home. I would like Switzerland to make it, but I don't think they will. Denmark ... 50/50 chances for them, I think. It's not a bad song, but it's so ... safe. Just nothing special. And their names are soo stupid ... ! >:-) Cyprus, no chance. Sweden ... may get through but may just as likely not. I don't get the hype about their song, it's nothing special either. Then again, they've never not been in the final. I won't be voting for them, though. We'll see. :-) Oh, and Slovenia is practically already gone. >:-)

On the fourth song now - Denmark, and what is the deal with his outfit?? - and I have to say that I'm slightly starting to lose hope for Armenia. The song is so wonderful ... but that performance ... !! IMO it was overblown and overstated and may have damaged their chances ... a lot. Oy vey!! Armenia, quo vadis?? I also don't think the singer sounded as good now as she did live in Eurovision Village. (The video of that performance is up on my Youtube channel now, btw.) Same with Slovakia on Tuesday, and they didn't get through. :-( Alas ... !!

Sweden on stage now and I have to say this was a very good performance. Best I've seen of this song. And she sounded really good. So I think I may have to take it back, Sweden will probably make it again. But if they do get to the final, their results there may not be much to write home about. >:-)

Wow, Azerbaijan!! OK, they're in. New choreography, SO much better. I love her dress ... don't love the glove so much, but what are you gonna do. V. good, Azerbaijan!!

Ukraine ... weird costume, I hope that won't distract from the song too much. That's the last thing this song needs. Her performance is good though - emotional and sincere. But I'm not sure about Ukraine's chances this year. As I said in my review, this song is very ambitious for an ESC entry. Here's hoping the jury will know what they're doing. :-)

OMG, the Netherlands ... they really have a fucking barrel organ on stage! A digital one! And her hair ... and the lyrics ... !! Ouchie ouch ouch!! Apparently the reaction's good in the Arena, though. It's a mystery. I think this song could only have been written by a senior citizen and he should have stuck to the smurfs. >:-(

Romania ... !!! Now they are a total shoe-in. And I don't just dig their song because Ovi's Norwegian as well as Romanian ... it's just a totally cool song. Welcome back to 2010. o_O I really like that they're actually playing instruments and not just standing or dancing around ... OK, the instrument is very gimmicky, but at least it's better than the Swedes, where the whole playing of the instrument was a gimmick. Ooh, fireworks ... Go Romania!! :-D

They didn't sound quite 100% - I am so happy that I've been to all these live performances downtown, seems like they've actually been as good or better as the official performances. But they'll definitely get through, I'll be shocked if they don't. Now Slovenia ... argh ... the less said the better. Ouchie.

Ooh, Ireland ... !! Now they deserve to get to the final!! I have my fingers crossed for them, they so deserve it, but I think it could go either way. It's an absolutely wonderful song though, but rather low key ... but what a fantastic singer, and such a beautiful song!! Vote for Ireland! Finally they're sending something good, they should be rewarded. :-)

Bulgaria, umm ... interesting costume choices. Not one of my personal favorites, but I'm pretty sure we'll be seeing this bunch again on Saturday. Silver wings and all. What is it with all the wings this year??

Cyprus, yawn. There's a Norwegian element here too, the producer or whoever is Norwegian. But who cares. This song is one of the most boring this year, I don't know what they're thinking. This can't be the best they can do, surely? Over and out, anyway.

Everything is easy for Croatia ... I wouldn't be surprised if they easily get to the final too. :-) I think my father may vote for them. ;-) I like their performance - keep it simple, that's the key! Armenia should have taken a leaf from the Croatians' book. Alas.

Georgia - gorgeous dress, very pretty voice, but bizarro choreography once again. Still, better than in the national final. And rather striking, I suppose ... good color scheme ... and a lot of emotion in the performance, which will probably go down well down East. (What a sentence. :-) They'll probably get through.

Turkey. Not quite my kind of music, but it's good. And they've never not been in the final. I'm pretty sure they'll get through, I'll be surprised if they don't. They gave a very good performance. A great way to close the show. :-)

Fun idea for the first interval entertainment ... !! A cavalcade of entries that have placed last. :-D Of course rather a lot of Norwegian songs ... ;-) Well, we don't have to be ashamed of that record (ie that we've placed last more often than anyone else, ten times!). Europe is unpredictable, you never know, but it's fun to be a part of the circus. :-) And we have also won three times, that's a lot more than others who may have done better than us on average. So there. :-) Fun idea, anyway. And now the voting's almost done ... !! :-o

OK, the voting's closed. Share the moment!! :-o I've voted twice for Ireland, twice for Switzerland (although those were probably wasted votes, I'm afraid) and x number of times for Armenia. Eight? I lost count ... :-)

I have to say that I think they've been pretty creative with the interval entertainment. Good job, NRK. And I think it's silly what the Swedes are saying about us not 'showing off Norway' in the first semi - I suppose they'll say the same about this one - but what does that even mean? Yeah, there's no trolls and bunads and snow-covered mountains. Is that the only way we can show off Norway? o_O This is something original and creative that people will see when they're watching a broadcast from Norway - something the majority of the audience pretty much never does. So how is that not a good thing? Bah, they're just jealous.

Getting nervous now, the results are almost in ... !!

OK, here we are. Georgia. No surprise there. Now Hanne Sørvaag will be competing against herself! She wrote our song too. Funny. :-D Ukraine! Oh, good for them!! They deserve it, kudos to whoever's behind this. ;-) Turkey. Yup, the tradition holds. Also not a surprise, it would have been really weird if they hadn't gotten through. Israel. Yet another non-surprise. They have a great song, they deserve it. Good choices so far. :-) Ireland!! YAY!!! Oh, fantastic!! Me so happy!! Paz, now you have to watch on Saturday ... !! (I bet Mrs Paz will try to make you watch. ;-) Cyprus! WTF?? Noes!! I don't want to see that shit. Augh, oh noes ... !

I'm losing hope for Armenia, alas ... :-( But Azerbaijan got through, as expected. Three more slots left ... ! :-o I am so nervous even though we're not even in this round! :-o Who's number eight?? Romania!! YES!!!! I knew it. :-) Whew. And number nine ... ARMENIA!!!!!!! YES!!!! Me SO HAPPY!!! :-D Yees ... !!!!

Wheee ... !!!

OMG, Denmark is number ten. Sweden is out. OMG. Now we'll get it ... !! :-o The first time they haven't gotten to the final. I bet they'll make it out to be our fault somehow. Don't forget that they 'deserve' at least our ten-pointer. >:-) But now they're out, alas. Anne Ida's watching the Swedish broadcast, apparently - she says that they're saying that it's Europe's fault because 'they didn't understand what she was trying to do'. By tomorrow I bet it'll be our fault because we invited Europe. ;-)

Well, my guesses were better tonight than on Tuesday. I was a little over-excited then, I think. ;-) Excited now too - Armenia's in the final!! Yay yay yay!! Happy happy, joy joy!!! Yerevan 2011?? No, I don't think so - Berlin 2011 is more likely. But it's good, it's all good. Happy tonight!!! :-D