Cam's Corner of the World

This week has madly busy real life wise, and so will most of next one be too. Um, yay?

But this coming week is Eurosong week, my friends. That's right. Two nights of semi-finals, one Saturday of finals. WTF costumes! Hideous songs! European voting shenanigans! Snark! Mockery! Wind machine! And it is all happening here, in little Norway.

I will of course be covering a lot of this traditional European bonding session through bad music, as usual. Are you ready for Eurosong?

( This past week meanwhile, Norway has managed to have a transgender debate in the media )

In this week's TV stuff:
- Watched FlashForward's first part of the finale. Am reserving judgement until next week for how it turns out, but ( Minor spoilers for the lastest episode )

- Have not watched Doctor Who because it is a two-parter and I'm not having more cliffhangers in my life. Evil things. I shall watch both parts next week.
- Watched Americans-with-Norwegian-ancestry try to ski on Svalbard in the reality show "Alt for Norge" and laughed like a loon. But it is kinda charming how much love they have for Norway, despite never having been before. It does make me want to write "Cam's Guide to Sucessful Relocation to Norway (With Special Notes for Americans)", though.
- Watched the season finale of CSI. I miss my old CSI. I like Ray's character, but man, I miss the old team dynamic a lot. I think I'd enjoy the show more if it was all new people, and not some of the old to remind me of classic CSI.
- Okay, I like the British Strictly Come Dancing, but not so much the host. I feel like I'm probably commiting some sort of UK no-no by admitting so, because he's probably some big beloved dude, right?
- BBC's list of bizarre endings for TV shows is a hoot. Kidnapped by aliens? It was all a snowglobe? Ahahaha.

And how are you all?

Another awesome birthday present I got - lily_winterwood composed me music. Wow. Really, thank you to all my friends for birthday wishes and stuff, you are truly awesome and make my life better.

Norway's national Eurosong finale was last night, and I give you Norway's violin-playing cute boy entry for this year's international Eurovision Song Contest:

( YouTube embedded under the cut )

I wish his voice was a little stronger, but his violin is funky, he's got a dance group and is cute. We might do well. The other finalists were certainly nothing special at all. So Europe, we're ready to bring it on.

And while we all wait, we can Cornify the web. That's scary, yo.

This story made me rather think of Laura Roslin's situation - terminally ill TV star to marries her boyfriend, bald from chemotherapy and all. Love in the face of death really is both so damn sweet and heartbreaking. Part of the reason Adama/Roslin hits me right in the heart. (Part of, mind you. I'm half tempted to make some big post on why I like them so, but I fear that would just be silly.)

Fanfic award wank - not in Doctor Who fandom! I guess DW vents off about award stuff on the anon meme, but I am surprised there hasn't been some big boom yet. Maybe tomorrow. There's always a boom tomorrow, as Ivanova would say.

(I'm also half pondering if that anon meme causes more wank or the opposite - it is a venting place where some might get frustrations off their chest instead of taking it elsewhere where it might cause shit, but people also clearly use it for drawing attention to stuff that might otherwise get ignored and there can be a lot of stupidity on the meme itself. But a lot seem to have fun there too. Hum. Anon memes, I am never quite sure how I feel about them.)

Might have spare time from work next week. Fingers crossed for time to write.

In other news:

- Australia mourns bushfire victims. (Poor Oz.)
- EU leader sagree on more regulation of financial markets, including hedge funds. (About time.)
- The Razzies have been awarded. (I rather agree with those choices. Ow, bad movies.)
- US actors' union rejects studios' offer. (Uh-oh.)
- Facebook signs up to OpenID. (Hmmm.)
- Bush declines hardware store, but pays jokey visit. (Still with a sense of humour, I see. Still doesn't help my dislike of the man.)

To: NSB
CC: The Train Services, the Norwegian State

This year, we seem to have come to a special understanding - you take my money, I take your abuse, WoW monsters take my frustration. And it's been precious, really. But half an hour late home yesterday, an hour late to work today, ARE YOU KIDDING ME YOU SAD EXCUSE FOR A TRAIN SERVICE??? We're filthy rich and *this* is what we manage for a railroad?

I grant thee an official FAIL.

No love,
Cam

Bah. Bad, bad day so far with deadlines and stress and possible major strike in addition, and finally home I want to write but don't know what. INSPIRE ME WORLD.

Meanwhile, in fandom notes:

- CSI spoilers might bring the wank once more. Uh oh. Wankimplosion take II: Return of the stupid shipper arguments?

- A very special snowflake is going to the press with her banning from a Life of Mars community. Oh, precious. I laughed so hard my cat got spooked. This will be the first case of its kind in the country, and I feel profoundly sorry for you, particularly since I have two friends who write for major newspapers, who love and respect my ideas. Special. Very special.

- I NEED NEW BSG ARGH ARGH AND THERE IS NONE THIS WEEK. HELP ME I'M ADDICTED.

- In other BSG realisations, lotus79 reminded me Baltar was Bridget Jones's gay friend in the movies and how did I not see that earlier?? Whacky crossovers immidiatedly made themselves known in my head.

- Er, how long is an acceptable fan letter? Seriously, I think I could just about manage three lines. "I like you. Nice work. Autograph please?" Maybe that's why I never get any, sad excuse for a fangirl I am - well, minus Rob's sorta, I guess. I fail at the flattering? I just feel awkward giving compliments. (And taking them, even if I do like them too, but it's a guilty pleasure of sorts.)

Finally, tomorrow is Eurosong and its traditional funky voting. Which the Daily Mail has helpfully mapped for you all. Check out the Viking Empire, now with newly recruited Baltic states, it seems.

One day we're gonna rule you all. Viking Empire power! Aquavit!

First off, thanks for all birthday wishes :) You're awesome! Also special thanks to falena84 for her gift of green fluffy cow socks and lotus79 for the kangaroo pouch and (I suspect) Scot-books.

I am still waiting for my DVDs. Grr Norwegian customs (probably).

So, to sum up business last few days:
- Birthday and party, hurrah!
- Norwegian railroad stranding me in Oslo due to another round of suckitude. AAARGH AAAARGH SO FED UP.
- Winter holidays making us who didn't take holiday extra work busy.
- Been leading several raids for my guild in WoW. Eeek. Pic!spams will follow on my WoW filter later.
- Need beta for a Doctor Who piece and probably another one right after. Any willing?

In today's '... I can't decide if I should laugh or facepalm':
US government to 'spy' on games such as World of Warcraft, looking for terrorist behaviour.

... Yeah. I think my favourite comment was I can't believe I'm going to pay taxes for the government to level up their Paladins. Hee.

Today the 'Doomsday' vault opens at Svalbard. Hmm. Svalbard is a fascinating place (and recently had an earthquake of 6.4, largest ever measured in Norway) - check out some pictures here. (Don't miss the 'beware polar bears' sign!) There's something in an arctic landscape that always make me feel home and oddly at peace, but living at Svalbard requires fortitude, hoo yeah.

Norway's Eurosong entry this year: Meh. Sadly, the King of Trolls didn't make it. I am already excited for Eurosong entertainment this year - any countries managed to pick something truly horrific and hillarious yet?

In other news:
- Awww, future Queen Ingrid Alexandra.
- Sigh American politics.
- Urk Berlusconi.
- Monkey wedding in India.
- Liechtenstein not so amused.

So what's up with you, flist of awesome?

IT BEGINS.

Let's talk all Eurosong in the comments. Songs, costumes, voting, politics, wank... BRING IT ON EUROPE.

ETA: IT ENDS.

Hahahaha voting.

ETA the second: Dear Finland, I love you quite a bit and wish you all well BUT STOP WITH THE EFFING SANTA IN MAY.

I'm going to have to agree with lizbee - bite me, John Howard. Who paid you to campaign for the Republicans? Last I checked, the American people was in charge of voting for American President and you're Prime Toad of Australia, remember? You might hope for a certain outcome - as I do, and the opposite of yours - but you're supposed to represent Australia and Australia has no business in the US election. FAIL.

Talking about fail - "satire" about why rape is a good thing doesn't go down too well. Helpful fint - satire is actually meant to be funny, and not just offensive shit hiding behind pretense of humour. FAIL GOOD SIR.

Dear Europe, I apologise in advance for the Eurosong entry Norway intends to inflict upon you all. I didn't vote for it. I can only surmise that those who did was drunk on biathlon glory and general Saturday boozing. Granted, most of the competition was crap too, but hello? That ain't gonna win at all. That is not a good song, or a good singer. WHY NORWAY WHY. I'm going to have to fail you on this one, beloved country. Sniff. WHYYY. (Judge for yourself.)

(ETA: I am however very glad this didn't win. OW.)

Random fail - wtf are you doing whispering me on World of Warcraft to ask if I wanna sex, total stranger? Not to mention you failed to make it clear if it was me or my character you wanted to hump. You fail at shag.

Magne of A-ha makes a poem for Anna Nicole Smith. Hmmm. There are days I do wonder if some of the celebrity shit of this day and age is a fail of society or the mass media, that's for sure.

CBS starts a CSI Wiki. So my question is - will CSI fandom manage to fail at sanity and turn it into a batshit shipwar arena somehow? The comments on the GSR section are somewhat moving that a-way. Bets, anyone?

I'll be in the bar.

I totally want to write a Grissom/Catherine Grissom/Sara Catherine/Warrick thing just to see if it might spark wank. Baaaaad Cam.

AHAHAHAHAHA. HAHA.

Oh, Finland. I haven't had a this fun Eurosong in ages. Go you. Awesomeness. It's like Europe just decided to f with Eurosong itself. I love it.

Yay Finland! Yay neighbours! See you in Helsinki next year!

And I'm actually having an IM convo with Rob Shearman about the awesomeness of Finland's win. Hah.

ETA: I was to say congrats from him to my Finnish friends "Congratulate them for me. They'll have no idea who I am, and they'll be annoyed because they had to sit through our rap entry. But congratulate them all the same!"

*yawns* I hate early mornings, I really do.

The reason I got up early is that I went shopping very early today, as Monday is the 17th of May (Norway's National Day) and a public holiday, so everyone stocks up slightly. It was insane. There's a strike in food deliveries to all the major grocery chains save one, and everyone's going there now. The lines reminded me of Norwegians shopping across the border (that truly is insane). The newspaper journalists are striking as well. The breweries might strike next week and the teachers the week after that. I cannot recall the last time Norway's had this much striking going on. Good grief.

In other news, the Danish crown prince has married his Australian sweetheart and all of Denmark is very happy. Huzzah for them!

And the Mirror editor, who published those pictures of alleged British abuse of prisoners, has been sacked. It seems those photos were fake after all. Interesting...

On that note, I was watching a foreign affairs show the other day, and they were talking about the American abuse pictures and how the impact of these might be similar to the impact of pictures from Vietnam. And so they showed those images. I've seen some of those before, but... Good grief. I felt sick. But it made me wonder. Has the US forgotten what it did during Vietnam since so many Americans seem to refuse to believe abuse in Abu Ghraib happened or seem to want to blame everyone and anyone else for it? Ordinary people can do terrible things. Europe learned it through two horrid, horrid wars. I don't wish that kind of lesson upon anyone. Not even Bush.

Meanwhile, on a more cheerful note... Today is Eurosong night! And the arsenal of WMDs that Norway will have for our invasion of the US (now called "The Return of Leif") will grow. Ye-es... (Incidentally, if you are American and wish to join our side, norwegianne and I will consider your plea.)