Kell

Romania - Pretty costumes, pretty girls, pretty awful. Actually, they gave a decent enough performance, I just found the song really same-y and nothing-y.

Ukraine - Centurians in hamster wheels, girls in tinfoil and a stripper (OK, so she keeps her kit on, but she's dressed like one!) - quite a spectacle! Athletic performance from all concerned (except the tinfoil twins who just stand there looking impossibly tall). Historically, the neighbour of the previous winners often become the next winners, so perhaps this one will take the title...

Norway - He's cute as a pixie (needs some tweezers taken to his eyebrows though) and the tune is infectious. Possibly aiming for the Russian vote, judging by the style.

Albania - Wearing a short merangue and dancing with a green gimp and two dwarves wearing Joker make-up. Wind machine ahoy! Catchy tune and well performed.

Turkey - This is the other one I put money on finishing top 3, but the performance on the night was just a spot off. Wish I'd put the money on Ukraine or Albania instead.

Germany - A little bit swing and with the seductive Dita Von Tease slowly losing clothes throughout the performance. Great stuff!

Denmark - Penned by Ronan Keating and might as well have been sung by him. Standard Boyzone fare. Uninspiring.

Malta - Nice voice, simple rendition, but the song isn't all that impressive - very middle-of-the-road and unadventurous. And the ending was a direct steal from the Bonanza theme tune! Estonia - Good performance, but not much to it. Tuneful and a lovely voice, but the song didn't really go anywhere and had a weak finish.

Moldova - What's with the Mariachi band backing track? And the bizarre River Dance stuff? Catchy tune and energetic performance though. Diggin' the purple suede boots - where can I get some?

My thoughts so far: Opening with Cirque de Soleil - fantastic Last year's winner running through walls inconveniently placed on a travellator - bizarre Loving the big screens set-up on stage - very high-tech! Entrants: Lithuania - very good performance with an unusual song. Good start to the comp. Israel - semi-decent performance, but nothing special. Only worth noting because sung by an Israeli Arab and an Israeli Jew France - Very Edith Piaf Sweden - Hideous opera nonesense Croatia - Sang about feminine hygeine products (Beautiful Tena ) Portugal - Not impressed Iceland - Very strong performance Greece - My hot tip to win the whole shebang (I've actually put money on it!) and he's damned sexy to boot! And he's using the fabulous travellator to great effect! Armenia - Part Armenian and part English. Tight performance from beautiful sisters in gorgeous costumes with lovely Rapunzel hair. I have money on this one finishing top 3. Russia - Terrible on every level. A truly awful song and a dire performance by billionaire's daughter wearing a shower curtain. Clever aging effect on the screens though. Russia obviously can't afford to win twicein a row judging by this entry! Azerbaijan - Decent song but below-average performance. She did OK, but he was well below par ni a bizarre reversal of how they did in the semi final. Bosnia & Herzegovina - Depressing rendition of a dire dirge. Makes me want to slash my wrists listening to this one! Surprised this one got into the final to be honest. Isn't Graham doing well with his commentary though?! That would be the 2006 winners for Finland - Lordi. They were awesome!

Why did Croatia choose to sing about feminine hygeine products? (Beautiful Tena )

You can fins the rules HERE at Wiki. Amd info on the voting HERE, also at Wiki.

For those who haven't seen the songs and want a sneak peak ahead of time, you can watch the videos on YouTube HERE. However, I do b elieve that "On-the-night" viewing is always more fun. I am SOOOO looking forward to tonight, even though I'm not a huge fan of any of the songs in particular this year (usually there are at least half a dozen I really like a fair bit and one or two that I really love). It's something I look forward to all year!

So, who will be watching the final tonight on BBC1 at 8pm? Dale and I will both be watching after Xander has gone to bed (thank goodniess his bedtime is 7pm and he will have settled and be sleeping before it starts, so we can enjoy it in peace - LOL!). Looking forward to seeing how Mr Norton does. I'm not a fan of his, but when he appeared briefly on the 2nd semi final, he seemed to be on good form. It's going to be strange not having Tel doing the commentary, but things change...

She's got a lovely voice and the song is decent, but it's not my bag, I'm afraid. It doesn't really stand out from the others for me.

According to Yahoo, the odds on UK are 14/1. I've just placed bets on Greece to win and both Turkey and Armenia each way.

Yes, The Story of Cirrus Flux is out this year.

Ah yes, Wolves of the Sea - it was fun, but it was never going to go anywhere (I think it was just last year, actually!). I'm really glad that Greece went through along with Norway - both good solid songs with good performances. I still fancy Greece to win the whole thing - they're second favourites after Norway, but they have a better song and their contestant has entered before and came third.

Roast beef with loads of different veg, bith roasted and steamed.

HMRC with a sense of humour This is reportedly a real reply from the Inland Revenue. The Guardian newspaper had to ask for special permission to print it Dear Mr Addison, I am writing to you to express our thanks for your more than prompt reply to our latest communication, and also to answer some of the points you raise. I will address them, as ever, in order. Firstly, I must take issue with your description of our last as a "begging letter". It might perhaps more properly be referred to as a "tax demand". This is how we at the Inland Revenue have always, for reasons of accuracy, traditionally referred to such documents. Secondly, your frustration at our adding to the "endless stream of crapulent whining and panhandling vomited daily through the letterbox on to the doormat" has been noted. However, whilst I have naturally not seen the other letters to which you refer I would cautiously suggest that their being from "pauper councils, Lombardy pirate banking houses and pissant gas-mongerers" might indicate that your decision to "file them next to the toilet in case of emergencies" is at best a little ill-advised. In common with my own organisation, it is unlikely that the senders of these letters do see you as a "lackwit bumpkin" or, come to that, a "sodding charity". More likely they see you as a citizen of Great Britain , with a responsibility to contribute to the upkeep of the nation as a whole. Which brings me to my next point. Whilst there may be some spirit of truth in your assertion that the taxes you pay "go to shore up the canker-blighted, toppling folly that is the Public Services", a moment's rudimentary calculation ought to disabuse you of the notion that the government in any way expects you to "stump up for the whole damned party" yourself. The estimates you provide for the Chancellor's disbursement of the funds levied by taxation, whilst colourful, are, in fairness, a little off the mark. Less than you seem to imagine is spent on "junkets for Bunterish lickspittles" and "dancing 'ladies of the night'" whilst far more than you have accounted for is allocated to, for example, "that box-ticking fa

We never get anywhere because we consistently enter terrible songs - LOL! Last year was our best hope since Katrina and the Waves won it for the UK back in 1997 with Love Shine a Light. THe performance last year was fantastic and the song was really good, but last year seemed to be a bit of a fix, to be honest. This year's UK entry once again sucks royally. I don't know what ALW thought he was doins writing the song - he should stick to musicals. I don't think much of that Jade who's singing it, either. Ah well!

Vegetable balti with saffron and almond rice. :D;)

It's changed this year - the international jury is back, taking up 50% of the votes in the final. Yes - Tel is a sad loss to Eurovision, but annoying as I find Norton, it'll be interesting to see how he does...

Yay! A fellow fan! Dale and I are HUGE fans of this wonderfully kitch event and make a point of watching the whole thing every year - we look forward to it from year to year! I'm disappointed with most of this year's crop of entries though - not much cop in comparison to last year which had LOADS of excellent songs but was, unfortunately, a bit of a fix. Russia should NOT have won last year! Dale and I are tipping Sakis Rouvas to win for Greece this year. He's entered before and come 3rd and their entry is pretty good too!