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Teaching our kids gratitude is one thing that is tops on the list of values to teach. Strangely, our brains are designed to focus more on negativity and survival rather than enjoying the moment. Thankfully, we can change that easily be showing gratitude and remembering the great things that have happened. A memory jar is a perfect way to focus on the moment and relive those later in life.
Where to Get the Best Pacman Coloring Pages
Maybe it's a rainy day, and the kids are testing your nerves—the day where nothing seems to satiate their boredom, and you want to scream. Hey, we all have been there! I remember one rainy day in which my child decided that coloring was fine—as long as he could color this one thing, Pacman. He had been playing a lot of Pacman on our Wii, and he wouldn't look at anything else. Fortunately, I was able to find him some Pacman coloring pages and save my sanity at the same time. Here are my favorite sites for Pacman coloring pages. You might even like them for some of their other coloring pages as well.
Save More Money With the Best Restaurant Deals and Apps for Families
Sometimes you want more than your home cooking or a hamburger from a local fast food eatery. But if you have kids, dining out can be expensive. Thank goodness some restaurants offer free meals for kids so parents can enjoy being served instead of serving. You can check your local restaurants for deals, but here are five of the best restaurant deals (and some reward programs and apps) that will help you save money next time you're out.
5 Fun and Affordable Fall Family Vacations
Many schools give the kids a fall break and it's the perfect time for a quick getaway. You probably don't want to dip into your Christmas money, and you don't want to break that piggy bank. Here are 5 fun ideas for family vacations on a budget — and a few free things you can do too!
5 Free Printable Baby Shower Games
You've graciously offered to throw a baby shower for someone. Perhaps it's a friend, coworker, or family member. Well done! It's a fun time, but planning can be stressful. That's why I've put together a roundup of free printable baby shower games to make the most of the mom-to-be's special day.
5 Free Printable Baby Shower Games
Name That Baby
This is a game we used at my baby shower. Simply pass out the printable forms with a list of animals and have each guest write the names of baby animals of the same breed. for example, goose and gosling.
Find your printable sheets for "Name That Baby" here.
Name That Nursery Rhyme
This single sheet lists several first lines from famous nursery rhymes. Test your guests and see who gets the most right! The printable sheet and answer key are both at the link below:
Print off your copy of "Name That Nursery Rhyme" here.
Baby Bingo
Baby Bingo is a simple and fun game shower guests of any age can play. Print off several of these bingo cards – blue or pink. Make sure you have game pieces, candy, buttons, or coins for players to use for their cards. In each box, write what the expectant mother could potentially receive at her baby shower. For example, diapers, baby blanket, or lotion.
Call out each item and see who calls "Bingo" first!
Choose your printable "Baby Bingo" cards here.
Baby Shower Scavenger Hunt
A great ice breaker that helps people interact with one another is a scavenger hunt. Ask your guests to form into teams of two or three, then give each team a copy of the first clue. The rest of the clues have been hidden by you throughout the house.
I like this version of a scavenger hunt for a baby shower because each clue is fill-in-the-blank, making the clues more solvable and moving the game along at a nice pace. Make sure you have enough prizes for each team member to receive!
Get your "Baby Shower Scavenger Hunt" clues here.
Baby Shower Charades
Could you stand up in front of your friends and describe "Mary Had a Little Lamb" without using words? Try this fun version of charades that centers around popular nursery rhymes. Cut up each choice and have each guest draw one out of a hat to act out.
You can choose a different theme for charades, of course. You can have your guests act out baby-related things like going into labor, swaddling a baby, or having your water break. Oh, the possibilities for fun…
Print off your nursery rhyme-themed "Baby Shower Charades" here.
If you're looking for more free printable baby shower games or need help putting together your theme, invitations, or snack ideas, then be sure to check the wealth of resources on Pinterest. These five games should help your guests break the ice and enjoy their time making memories and honoring their friend.
Next Up: "5 Quality Baby Items That Are Worth the Investment"
Which baby shower games have you played? Share a favorite with us below!
Image Credit: jdurham (MorgueFile)
Planning on staying home after your baby is born? Check out our top financial resources for stay-at-home moms:
- 10 Steps to a Successful Stay-at-Home Mom Budget
- How to Afford Your Dream of Becoming a Stay-at-Home Mom
- 14 Online Jobs for Stay-at-Home Moms (That Are Worth Your Time)
- 13 Ways for Stay-at-Home Moms to Save Money
- Loans for Stay-at-Home Moms – What Are YOUR Options?
- The SAHM Budget Test: How to Afford to Be a Stay-at-Home Mom
Free Printable Kids Money for Download
Getting ready to teach your children or students how to interact with money? That's fantastic! Not only will this building block help them learn mathematics like counting by fives and tens, but it will also prepare them for the workplace. Let's take a look at a variety of free printable kids money available on the Web.
Free Printable Kids Money for Download
Monopoly Money
One of the most recognizable currencies for children (or at least this 90s kid) is the brightly colored money from the Hasbro game, Monopoly. These bills differ from U.S. currency in appearance but offer your children a chance to practice their counting, sorting, and hand-eye coordination skills.
Download your free printable Monopoly money here.
U.S. Coins
Are your children ready to learn coin values? Making change? Let's take a look at some printable coin sheets for you:
Customized printable sheets of play money – At StemSheets.com, you can customize the number and denomination of play coins you need on each sheet. For example, you can print off 20 coins of each value (up to a quarter) on a single piece of paper. That's 80 coins – in color – on one sheet.
Printable coins and coloring pages – Head over to EnchantedLearning.com to view printable images of quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies. Also, view a myriad of coloring pages for your child to enjoy as they educate her about U.S. coins.
Printable coin math worksheets – Ready to test your child's knowledge of counting and making change? These free worksheets are great tools for just that.
Bonus Read: "6 Fun Money Games for Kids"
U.S. Dollars
Got a bank teller in the making? Help your children or students identify the correct face on each piece of currency and count them in quantities of fives, tens, twenties, or even hundreds with these options:
Fake Play Bills – Looking for fake $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills for your kids? Here is a complete list of free and printable play bills. These can engage your young child in a myriad of money lessons like counting, sorting, and even practicing good habits like using the envelope system.
Realistic Bills – Add a Face – A great way to quiz your child on whose face belongs to which bill is to show him this realistic play money with no face in the middle. After printing out these bills by denomination, he can color in his own face for some added fun. No worries. It's only a federal crime to deface U.S. currency when it's not play money. 😉
Other Money Teaching Tools
Grocery Task Cards – Print, cut, and laminate these terrific flash cards to quiz your child on prices at the grocery store. For example, she can use her fake money to pay for a $2 bag of popcorn or $1 bottle of water or do the math to pay for them both.
Printable Play Checks – Is your child old enough to write? Then he's old enough to learn how to write a check. Paper checks may seem archaic in today's digital world, but it's still a foundational skill from which your child will build his financial knowledge upon.
For example, give him a set list of chores to complete, then pay with a check. Teach him how to understand the information on the check, endorse it properly on the back, and cash it. This will help him understand the role banks and employers will play in his life later, even if his paychecks are directly deposited.
We've covered a number of tools and resources to help your child learn about money. From printable kids money to worksheets to blank checks, this list should provide a great place for you to start. Your next options are endless. Have fun along the way!
Bonus Read: "How to Teach a Child to Count Money"
Got any favorite ways to teach kids about money? We'd love to hear about them in the comments below!
Image Credit: frankieleon (Creative Commons)
Are you a stay-at-home mom? Check out these financial resources we added just for you:
- 10 Steps to a Successful Stay-at-Home Mom Budget
- How to Afford Your Dream of Becoming a Stay-at-Home Mom
- 14 Online Jobs for Stay-at-Home Moms (That Are Worth Your Time)
- 13 Ways for Stay-at-Home Moms to Save Money
- Loans for Stay-at-Home Moms – What Are YOUR Options?
- The SAHM Budget Test: How to Afford to Be a Stay-at-Home Mom
How to Launch a 52-Week Money Challenge for Kids
As you set your goals each year, it's fun to include your children in the process. Involvement helps them learn to set goals of their own. In the interest of helping them develop strong savings habits, why not have them participate in a 52-week money challenge for kids?
Similar to the well-known 52-week money challenge for adults, the kids' challenge helps kids to save more money by determining a set amount of cash to put into a savings account, and then increasing that amount each and every week.
How to Personalize Your Child's 52-Week Money Challenge for Kids
Based on your child's age and his or her ability to access money, you can pick the weekly money amount that works best for their particular situation.
Even with the smallest weekly contribution, the savings will add up. If your child is younger, you can start with a small amount – for example, a nickel – each week. Here's how the challenge works:
- $0.05 contribution – WEEK 1
- $0.10 contribution – WEEK 2
- $0.15 contribution – WEEK 3
And so on. If you choose to use a nickel for the challenge, your child simply increases each weekly savings contribution by one nickel. By the end of the 52 weeks, your child will have saved $68.90.
Here is a breakdown of other coin values and potential savings amounts:
- Dime = Save $137.80 by the end of the 52 weeks.
- Quarter = Save $344.50 by the end of the 52 weeks.
- Dollar = Save $1,378 by the end of the 52 weeks.
Why Teaching Kids to Save is Important
We're living in a time where it's easy to not save money. Clever marketing and social pressures encourage kids to spend rather than save. Therefore, they start to believe they can have the latest and greatest of everything on the market – without the hard work of earning it.
Saving money is becoming less and less important to people as generations go by. America's declining savings rate proves it. In May of 1975, the personal savings rate in the United States reached a high of 17%. At the end of 2016, it was 5.4%.
By teaching our children to develop a habit of saving money, we give them a head start on the road to financial responsibility.
Other Ways to Teach Kids to Save
Besides using a 52-week money challenge for kids, there are other ways you can teach your children to make saving money a consistent habit.
- Require your kids to save a percentage of all money they earn or receive as a gift
- Boost your child's enthusiasm for saving by committing to match what they put into savings dollar for dollar
- Create a savings contest between you and your child (or between your children) to see who can save the biggest percentage of their income for the year
The 52-week money challenge for kids is a great way to encourage children not just to save money, but to challenge themselves to save more than they initially thought was possible. So, give your kids the gift of making savings a habit starting today.
Bonus Reading: "6 Fun Money Games for Kids"
Would you ever do a 52-week money challenge with your child? Have ever done one on your own? Let us know in the comments below!
Image Credit: Nathaniel_U (Creative Commons)
Are you a stay-at-home mom? Make sure you bookmark or pin some of these resources for later!
- 10 Steps to a Successful Stay-at-Home Mom Budget
- How to Afford Your Dream of Becoming a Stay-at-Home Mom
- 14 Online Jobs for Stay-at-Home Moms (That Are Worth Your Time)
- 13 Ways for Stay-at-Home Moms to Save Money
- Loans for Stay-at-Home Moms – What Are YOUR Options?
- The SAHM Budget Test: How to Afford to Be a Stay-at-Home Mom
- 52-week Money Challenge by Saving Advice
Frugal Summer Fun For Your Toddler
It's hard to believe that June is here!
The weather is finally starting to warm up (the cold weather was dragging on forever here) and we're venturing outside. This is the first summer that my daughter could really "do anything". She was born in June so last year, being only one, was just learning how to walk and explore.
This year, a full-fledged active two year old, requires strategic planning to keep her entertained. The good thing is that she's only two so doesn't really know how or what is out there unless we expose her to it. The bad thing is that she is very busy and requires me to be as creative as I can be to keep her entertained all summer.
After pursing the internet and talking to my mom and teacher friends, I have come up with a list of fun fugal outdoor activities for your toddler:
- Painting with water. We did this the other day and it's as easy as it seems. Bucket of plain water and a paintbrush! We painted the driveway and fence. This literally entertained her for over an hour and 100% mess-free!
- Chalk/bubbles. Another favorite and cost less than $1.
- Explore your neighbourhood. I like taking walks with kiddo before it gets too hot in the summer mornings. It's usually not too busy traffic-wise and I can let her out of the stroller to just run ahead of me a little to burn off some energy herself.
- Parks and playgrounds. When we're on our walks we will often stop at a local playground to run around. Bonus if there are other kids present for her to play with otherwise mom is getting an added workout playing too 🙂
- DIY Sandbox or dirtbox. Little fact: Kids love to dig and play in dirt. We plan on buying a cheap kiddy pool (less than $10) and filling it with either sand or dirt. We can hide a few toys within the sand/dirt and let them dig it out. I went to the local dollar store and purchased some little shovels and a toy dump truck for her to play with in said box.
- Beach days. Great idea of you're close to one!
- Picnics. There's something so fun about eating outside. You don't even have to go anywhere, you're own backyard will do. It's the change in routine that will have them entertained.
- Treasure hunt. Take objects (ideally kids toys) and hide them outside having them find them based on description such as "eye spy something that is red".
- Garden. Kids love helping. Something like a garden is something they can help with (maybe something as simple as buying them a tiny watering can sort of thing). Have them help pick out flowers and I'm sure the first thing out of their mouths every morning will be "flowers!". They will love the added responsibility to help keeping it alive.
Keeping little ones entertained can be exhausting for parents. It's so easy to run out of ideas especially with very active toddlers. I hope there are a few new ideas for you and your little one. Bring on warm weather!
What other frugal summer fun ideas can you think of?
Enjoy Sporting Events at a Great Price!
We are a sports loving family! The boys' nursery was sports themed — and now, their bedroom is pretty much the same. Once we moved them to their bunk beds, we did away with the baby stuff and gave their room a "little-big kid" update. We purchased their first baseball gloves when they were still infants — and my Aunt and Uncle made sure they had even better quality baseball gloves for their 1st birthday. Once my Uncle found out A. was a lefty, he promptly went out and purchased him a left-handed glove.
We don't push sports on our kids but they are surrounded by it. They are still too little to play organized sports (they've had soccer lessons but nothing competitive). However, N does love to play baseball — and has grand visions of being a catcher one day.
My husband and I love sports. I'm a huge Bears fan and enjoy watching just about any sport live. My husband follows a variety of sports; baseball, football, hockey, basketball and now that Portland has a pro-soccer team — he might be converted to a soccer fan as well. The boys know all the right teams to cheer for. Although, I'm afraid when they go through their rebellious stage — they'll, also know the teams they can root for, to drive my husband and I crazy! I am also proud to say that the boys can recognize logos of quite a few sports teams – at least the important ones anyway. And if you are wondering — no, we don't quiz them with flash cards.
Free Sports Events
Attending professional sporting events can be spendy but there are a lot of other options. For instance, our boys love going to any sporting event, especially ones where they can see their "big kid" friends play. These sporting events are usually free – or cost very little – to enjoy. These games may not have all the thrill and excitement of pro games – but for little ones – they will just love the atmosphere and some great bonding time.
We actually took the boys to their first little league game, when they were only about a month old. Of course they slept through the game — but I could tell they were really happy to be there. They went to their first middle school football game when they were less than a year old. They liked it, until my friend cheered for her son's team — which scared A. Actually, he cried through the rest of the game. I am happy to report that he had a much better time the following year — and cheered along with the crowd.
Low Price Sporting Events
Semi-pro teams are also a fantastic way to take in a game without spending a ton of money. We actually just took the boys to watch our town's semi-pro basketball team. Total cost for 2 adults, 2 children, 2 bags of chips , and a bottle of water — $13. You can barely get one person into a movie for that amount of cash! The team plays at the local community college, and it's a great time for the whole family.
They do free face painting, they are always giving away things, and they even had a station set up so people can make signs, to show the team support. The best part is, if the kids are having a tough time sitting still, or get too tired to be there — you don't feel like you are wasting money if you need to leave early.
Check out your local area. You may discover a team you didn't even know about (like we did last year–we had no idea our town had a semi-pro basketball team). Tickets to semi-pro baseball, hockey, car racing, etc. won't break the bank and you'll make fabulous memories with the kiddos!
Finally, if you want to really surprise your family or spouse, you can put together a sports package and go see a major sports team or sporting event. For example, you could find a discount sports package through a service like RoadTrips, and you could get into a great event for a good price. I've done this for my husband's birthday, and we had a blast.
How do you work sporting events into your budget?
Cheap, Fun Ways To Stay Cool This Summer
Summer can be an expensive time. While we're no longer paying for heating expenses, the A/C units or fans are usually at full-blast working overtime. Two weeks ago, we went though a week of intense heat. At 11pm, it was still 33 degrees Celsius outside (91F). Sleeping was difficult as was getting cool during the day. While my husband and I can deal with the heat (and I use the word "deal" lightly) I was most concerned about our little 13 month old staying cool
For kids, staying cool in the summer is as much about necessity as it is fun. While visiting a friend of mine recently, her two older kids (aged 9 and 11) we're parked inside at the kitchen table where they were seeking refuge in front of the window AC unit. While this is ok once in a while, just because the days get warm, it doesn't mean all summer activities have to stop! Here are a few ways to stay cool in the summer:
- Water! Slap some sunscreen on and break out the sprinkler! I've lived on my street for three years, with many young families and have never seen kids running through the sprinkler. Did this fad run out in the 1990s? If your kids are too young for sprinkler opt for a kiddie pool or water table. Our little one loves splashing water and throwing stuff in the water of her small stand-up water table. Cheap, easy entertainment while still enjoying the summer. If all else fails, check out a local community pool.
- Shade. Trust me, I know, some days even shade doesn't cut it but plan a day that involves shaded activities only. Out of ideas? Built a fort outside with sheets to play in! You're protected from sun yet burning off some energy while enjoying fresh air.
- Walk inside. If you need the AC try getting exercise at the same time. Super hot summer days are a get excuse to go to the mall…for a walk. Malls are air-conditioned and have great wide halls that make a great walking path. If a true shopping trip isn't in the budget, go to the mall and maybe grab a small treat like an ice cream at the food court. As long as your child knows the stipulations for the trip to the mall, whining should be limited when they can't get the t-shirt/teddy bear/cell phone that they neeeedddddd!
- Cool treats. Experiment with fun, cool healthy treats. Freeze smoothies into popsicles, eat some frozen fruit or jazz up water with frozen fruit for added flavor.
Hot summer days doesn't mean all fun has to be zapped. While it is more difficult, it isn't impossible to find fun cool activities to do that won't break the bank.
What are your favorite ways to stay cool this summer?


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Casa Youth Shelter: Helping Kids and Families Build Better Futures
Casa Youth Shelter is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Los Alamitos, California, providing emergency temporary shelter for homeless, runaway, and abandoned youth. We have 12 licensed beds dedicated to providing 24/7 shelter care for youth ages 12-17, and we provide individual, group, and family counseling.
Casa Youth Shelter serves youth of all races, ethnicities, genders and religions. We affirm and welcome LGBTQ youth and any youth with a history of sexual exploitation.
Our Vision
A community where all adolescents in crisis have a safe place to stay in an environment that promotes healthy family relationships.
Our Mission
The purpose of Casa Youth Shelter is to provide temporary shelter for runaways and youth in crisis, enabling them to come through the crisis with an increased personal strength and a sense of renewal while in a supportive environment, with family reunification as a primary goal.
Certifications and Miscellaneous
Casa Youth Shelter is licensed as a Children's Residential Group Home by the California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division. View our Group Home License. We are partnered with the Orange County Social Services Agency to provide long term residential care under our Extended Placement Program. Our shelter also serves as a temporary youth shelter, providing short term emergency housing.
Casa Youth Shelter is a Basic Center Program grantee of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Family and Youth Services Bureau (pursuant to the Runaway & Homeless Youth Act).
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Club Officials
Here are the Radcliffe Athletic Club Officials. If you need to get in touch, please contact the relevant person using the details provided below.
Tom West
Chris Paxton
Chairman / Leader in Running FitnessFollowing a number of years spent training on his own, Chris joined Radcliffe AC in 2013 with the aim of improving his running and shifting some extra pounds. With the support of his club mates and Radcliffe's experienced coaches, Chris has since gone on to set new PBs at 5k, 10k and Half Marathon distances, as well as completing four Full Marathons. Despite moving away from the Bury area in 2014 and briefly toying with switching to another club closer to home, the lure of Radcliffe AC was too strong and Chris subsequently joined the committee in early 2016 before becoming Chairman later that year. Together with a new committee, Chris is enjoying building on the solid foundations laid by the previous Chair and maintaining Radcliffe's reputation as one of the friendliest running clubs in the North West of England.
Ian Warrington
Head Coach / Coach in Running FitnessIan started running in October 2014 as preparation for a charity run at the Manchester marathon in aid of Bury Hospice. After the Marathon he caught the running bug and joined Radcliffe AC in May 2015. A fan of running all distances Ian can be found on the road, fell and trails in events ranging from 5k to 100 miles. Ian took over the coaching at the club in 2017 and relishes the opportunity to work with all athletes regardless of experience.He can often be found at the finish line of most races until the last Radcliffe runner is home,if you don't see him you will certainly hear him!
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Peter Hunter
Treasurer / Leader in Running FitnessPeter is an England Athletic qualified Leader in Running fitness, he joined Radcliffe AC in January 2015 to improve his competitiveness in races and benefit from some proper coaching. Since then he has run many of the races in the club calendar, including road, trail, fell and cross country as well as being a regular at Heaton Parkrun. A keen road runner, Peter will once again be joining a number of other club members running the Greater Manchester Marathon in a bid to break the 3 Hour 30 Min mark he narrowly missed out on last year. Now in his second year as a committee member and first as club treasurer he hopes to get a greater involvement in the running of the club.
Chris Saville
Membership Secretary
Chris is the membership secretary and representative of RAC for the Central Lancs Grand Prix Series. Chris joined Radcliffe Athletics Club in August 2013. Since then, Chris has enjoyed running many of the club races on road, trail and cross country. He has progressed well since joining the club and was given the most improved male award for 2014. Even though the club races are competitive, Chris likes the way that all the members support and encourage each other. This is what makes Radcliffe Athletics Club the special club it is today.
Kris Lee
Club Secretary / Leader in Running FitnessKris started running in April 2013 beginning with 2 mile loops before progressing to Parkruns. Kris joined Radcliffe AC in November 2013 and his first race was the Stockport 10. Kris finally gave in to one of his clubmate's continual pestering and signed up for the Manchester Marathon (he swore he would never run a marathon) which he completed in April 2014. Since then Kris has ran road, trail, cross country and fells with the latter being his favourite. Kris' running highlights to date are joining his teammates on a support leg of Fiona Lynch's Bob Graham round in 2018 and finally ticking off a sub 3:30 marathon this year at Manchester (3:28:24) with the help of our Chairman Chris Paxton.
Luigi Salzano
Race DirectorLuigi has been a member of Radcliffe AC since 2014. Since joining he has completed numerous long distance races, including a few international marathons in France, Italy and most exotically Wales. He is hoping to continue his travels in the coming years. He has developed an interest in trail and fell running, but will definitely end up doing some road runs too.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Karen Doherty
Press OfficerKaren started running regularly in 2013 when she joined a running group in Close Park led by Radcliffe AC members Mark Emmett and the late Jim Rhodes. The latter became a good friend – with the pair training on the trails around Radcliffe – and Jim encouraged her to join the Radcliffe AC in 2015. Karen enjoys the buzz of entering new races and meeting people on the start line. She especially enjoys trail races rather than "flat and boring" road races. But her real love is cross country and she was encouraged to give it a go after interviewing Olympian Laura Weightman who said that it was great winter training. Karen is never happier than when she is up to her ankles in mud and slutch on a cross country course and was proud to win the club's Terry Nortley Cup in 2016 – more for her enthusiasm for cross country than actual results! Professionally, Karen was a journalist for 20 years and writes the club's weekly race report. She is inspired by the achievements of club members and loves learning about new races to enter.
Debi Warrington
Brand Manager / Leader in Running FitnessDebi has been involved with the club since 2016 as a supporter and taking photos for runners. Early in 2017 she decided to give running a go. Having done very little exercise since leaving school (many years ago) Debi wanted to run by herself for a while and after lots of encouragement from her Husband and lots of club members she joined Radcliffe AC towards the end of 2017. In 2018 Debi became a Leader in Running Fitness and attended most club sessions resulting in several PBs at 5k and 10K Debi was awarded Most Improved Runner at the clubs awards evening. As Brand Manager Debi looks after all the clubs social media platforms and club kit/branded products.
Ian 'Hoppo' Hopkinson
Social SecretaryI came late to running only starting in May 2016 in my early forties. I started to get fit in late 2015 after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Once I got myself in better shape I realized that running was something I loved to do. I've never been a 'sweat in a stuffy gym' kind of guy. I chose RAC because of its inclusiveness and its family atmosphere. In 2017 I was given the all clear from T2 diabetes which is my biggest achievement to date. Since joining the club I have taken part in countless events and club races from 5K to half marathons on road, trail and fell and I have also ran the Great South Run for the last 3 years. RAC has given me so much joy in my life both socially as well as with running and in 2018 I felt it was my time to give something back. Along with being the clubs social secretary, (if you are after a fun and jolly time, just see Hoppo!). I am also a coaching assistant for RAC Juniors, I love nurturing young talent and more importantly, seeing the clubs young athletes have so much fun!
Chris Whittaker
Male Captain / Leader in Running FitnessChris started running in February 2017 as a sub40 challenge for the Bury 10k that September - a goal that was achieved but at cost due to injury. Wanting to learn how to run properly he joined RAC, finding the clubs diversity of running abilities, distances and terrains tackled unique and inspiring. Primarily at heart a road runner at 5–10k distances before joining - In his first year at the club he competed up to the metric marathon distance, and also opening up his running repertoire to include cross country and fells. Now in his second year at the club Chris says "If I can give a little back, help and encourage my fellow club mates, give sound advice when required I will. It's just how this 'club family' helped me. Remember its only running - smile, enjoy and have fun, let's just beat our own goals."
Katie Percival
Female Captain / Leader in Running FitnessI joined RAC in 2016 with the aim of being a bit more fit and healthy. Initially declaring myself a "social member only" and "not competitive" (how wrong I was!), I raced my first race in the summer of that year. Since then I have competed in a range of distances on the roads and fells. I've discovered a love for the thrill of the chase and the adrenalin rush of racing! As Team Captain I'd like to make sure all our members get the most out of our club and experience the same benefits of training and racing which I have found for myself. I'll be completing the LIRF course this year so that I'm able to give training advice with at least some credibility.
Chris Fletcher
Head MarshalI started running in early 2014 when a friend convinced me that doing Total Warrior would be a good idea, shortly after this i started running at my local parkrun and after a few months i was able to complete the 5k course without taking a break. I joined the club during this time after seeing a club banner outside Radcliffe Leasure Centre and soon after ran my first 10k. Since then I have raced on road, trail and fell courses and have completed 3 half marathons with a PB of 1:48:42, none of this would have been possible without the training and support provided by the clubs coaches and its members.
Scott Baxter
Project ManagerScott started running regularly in 2012 and eventually joined Radcliffe AC in 2016 where he has been able to train more regularly, Scott is a member of the FRA and enjoys Fell running and mountain running (Sky running) and has completed a number of Ultra Marathons, he also likes to spend as much time in the mountains as possible, Running, Rock Climbing, winter climbing etc and is looking forward to taking the best beard award from Ian Warrington in 2019.
Iain Harris
Level 1 Coach
I joined the club in 1992 having previously been a member of Chorley AC. I have taken part in many of the club's championship events down the years, and I've achieved many of my personal running goals but I'd like to think that even at my advanced age I still have some new targets to achieve. In 2009 I took a coaching course and am qualified as a level one coach. My personal preference is to work with beginners and those new to running who would like to improve their fitness and want to get the most out of their membership of our great club.


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I'm sitting here this afternoon finally addressing all my "Holiday Cards" as the snow accumulates outside my window and as usual my mind begins to wander. The first thing I realized as I glace from my Excel list to the envelope is the fact that I never heard the CD included with the card.
I pop it into the computer and as I listen to the songs I begin to and think of all the politically correct baloney I have read this season. Remember not to say Ho! Ho! Ho! because it may offend some women. Santa needs a slimmer look because after all these years the jolly ol' elf is a contributing factor to the fatness of children.
Merry Christmas! What a crock...! The card says "Happy Holiday" but the CD contains the "12 Days of Christmas" and even has "Silent Night" Holy Moley.... the words CHRIST and JESUS and LORD! I'm a politically incorrect Irish Catholic! What kind of message am I sending if my prospect is Jewish?
*Oh Danny Boy* *You Think Too Much*
Is there a site where I can find more information beyond the Family Crest? Some names are easy to identify, should be safe sending cards to the Itailians and Irish. What about Germans, they could be Jewish? Should I be concerned about sending a Christmas CD in my Holiday Card? Beyond that I wonder who is the dumbass that selects heavily religious music for a card designed and sold to a Realtor who deals with people from all walks of life.
I'm always my intension is never to offend anyone so if you need assistance Buying or Selling a home in my territory just remember to google Dan Cummings, The Running Realtor or email firstname.lastname@example.com
Subscribe to Dan - The Running Man's Blog by Email


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A great article for fans, pros, writers, actors, students – oh hell, for anybody who loves TV and wants to know more, more, more about it.
EDITOR'S NOTE: We're absolutely sure that Larry Brody's classic Turning Points in TV would have been on this list, but, sadly, it's out of print. Why didn't you guys all buy it while you could!?
by Erik Adams, Les Chappell, Danette Chavez & Noel Murray
Among its 100-plus lists, the 2009 Inventory book (now available for the low, low price of a penny!) contains "TV Guides: 5 essential books about TV." The books it highlights—The Late Shift by Bill Carter, Live From New York by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales, Total Television by Alex McNeil, The Glass Teat by Harlan Ellison, and The Simpsons: A Complete Guide To Our Favorite Family—are undisputed classics of the genre, but they're not the only worthwhile small-screen reads. TV has been celebrated and decried in print since its inception; the medium's ongoing Golden Age has fostered an audience eager to read about its favorite shows after the credits roll—and a cohort of critics, authors, and scholars prepared to satisfy that appetite. That means there might be more vital books about TV on the shelves by the end of 2016—until then, try supplementing The A.V. Club's previous TV reading list with the 19 titles that follow.
1. The Complete Directory To Prime Time Network And Cable TV Shows 1946-Present by Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh (1979)
The first edition of the definitive TV reference book was a massive undertaking, indexing every show that aired at least four episodes during peak viewing hours on NBC, CBS, ABC, or DuMont. Kermit The Frog, Miss Piggy, and Sea Hunt-era Lloyd Bridges signaled the addition of popular syndicated programs to the book's second edition; cable was added to the listings (and the book's title) for the sixth. The efforts of network research execs Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh only grew more intensive from there, with every "REVISED AND UPDATED" volume of The Complete Directory reflecting shifting TV trends and climates, all helpfully condensed in Brooks' continuously evolving introduction, "A Short History Of Network Television." Looking back on the '90s in the seventh edition, Brooks calls the decade "the first time viewers have a real choice, all the time," unaware of the the bounty of options waiting on the other side of the streaming revolution. Sadly, we might never get to read a readily digestible summary of Orange Is The New Black from Brooks and Marsh: The books' ninth edition, published in 2007, is reportedly its last. [Erik Adams]
2. Tube Of Plenty by Erik Barnouw (1975)
Just about anybody who's ever taken a college class on broadcasting history has read some or all of Erik Barnouw'sTube Of Plenty, a highly entertaining yet impressively wide-ranging survey of how television evolved from radio (and then changed again with the rise of cable, which is covered in subsequent editions). Jumping from hard facts to lighthearted anecdotes—grouped into short sections that make the book browsable—Tube Of Plenty is like the ideal version of a textbook, at once informative and absorbing. It also benefits from the author's distinctive slant. A writer who worked in the industry before he moved into academia, Barnouw has a definite point-of-view about the politics of show business, and the ongoing struggle of ordinary Americans to gain access to the airwaves. [Noel Murray]
3. TV: The Most Popular Art by Horace Newcomb (1974)
Horace Newcomb was a college professor who moonlighted as The Baltimore Sun's television columnist, which explains the singular style of his groundbreaking book TV: The Most Popular Art, a piece of long-form criticism that welds academic rigor and insight to an enthusiast's expertise. In addition to defining the elements of TV genres—beyond just "Westerns have horses"—Newcomb explores the deeper meaning of different formulas, considering how they both confirm or subvert the television audience's preexisting prejudices. Though the book sometimes dings the medium's insidious cultural influence, it also represents the voice of somebody who clearly appreciates artistry. It's no wonder that Newcomb would go on to chair the Peabody Awards for nearly a dozen years. [Noel Murray]…


text: When you are climbing a mountain it can often get discouraging as you struggle to keep pushing upward, especially if you can't even see the summit. It's nice to be able to stop and rest along the way. Looking back to see what you have accomplished so far gives you the energy and encouragement to press on. I decided to do that and reflect back on where I started and what I have been able to accomplish so far as I get ready to begin the next leg of my journey. I want to thank everyone who has provided encouragement over the past 2 years as its meant a lot to me.


text: The solutions created by Early Alert are born out of experience. Early Alert's team have decades of experience at the forefront of emergency management, risk and business continuity, which has enabled them to draw upon a deep understanding of the industry to benefit of clients. With team members who have held positions of command during some of the worst recent natural disasters in US history, responsible for mass risk mitigation, including mass evacuations and implementing Federal state of Emergency, through to being on the ground, leading from the front to save lives during events such as Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Andrew.


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Steve Delacruz
Steve Delacruz of Cathedral City and Garden Grove rents out a room to Jeff Cowan, CPA of CMEN & associate of John Herriot registered child sex offender. Their property located at 29613 Calle Tampico is currently under citizen restraining order for veteran fraud.
The first paralegals worked for busy civil rights attorneys to cost effectively bust people like Steve Delacruz and Jeff Cowan. Criminals such as Steve Delacruz increase the work flow of government attorneys. Today a paralegal is more likely to work for a private law firm rather than a pubic agency. After savvy government lawyers invented paralegals, smart private law firms also discovered that a paralegal can increase an attorneys work output.
What Can a Paralegal Do?
A paralegal can handle the routine tasks involved in the practice of law in order to save clients money. In my experience a paralegal usually handles heavy discovery chores and other document intensive assignments. Why pay a lawyer to go through large amounts of digital or paper information when a paralegal can perform the same work under an attorneys supervision. A paralegal has the legal education and experience to effectively execute an attorneys instructions. A clerical office worker with no legal background cannot execute these attorney directions with the same effectiveness as a paralegal. Even an entry level paralegal with a brand new paralegal certificate and no real world experience can more effectively follow an attorney's instructions because that entry level paralegal will understand legal terminology and processes. This is a much more cost effective way to put Steve Delacruz in prison for aiding and abetting gay child sex trafficking.
The Certification of a Paralegal
A paralegal should obtain a paralegal certificate from the best school available to that paralegal. I received my paralegal certificate in litigation from the UCLA Extention Paralegal Program. The requirements for entry into the UCLA program are much more rigorous than most paralegal programs. UCLA is also more expensive than most paralegal schools. You get what you pay for in life and spending the money on my paralegal certificate from a top school is an investment that pays off every day of my working life.
A Paralegal Education Pays Off in More Ways Than Busting Steve Delacruz
We live in a very litigious society and being a paralegal is just a darn good foundation for life in general. Be it business life or personal life having paralegal skill and education always come in handy. Taking a few paralegal classes at your local night school is a much better investment that taking a painting or music class. I received my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Radio-TV-Film and even that program contained classes in business law. I became a paralegal after entering the real working world because the practice of law is deeply ingrained into our daily personal and professional lives.
Help Investigate Steve Delacruz
When you are out in the desert swing by the La Paloma neighborhood of Steve Delacruz just to let him know that we are watching. The office fundamentals of a paralegal work skill set are typing, word processing, and document management. The legal aspect of a paralegal skill set involves discovery, form and special interrogatories, answers, demurrers and oppositions to dispositive motions. Paralegals preform in-depth research and legal writing at the direction of the law firm and attorneys. Paralegal studies are important to develop a broad attorney level understanding of the law. In the real world your value as a law firm support staff member lays in your ability to move the work product along in a timely manner.
Paralegals are responsible to keep track of the billing for their personal injury work, even though they are with a plaintiff's law firm.


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Mgr. Jindřich Vobořil, Pg.Dip. (born 1966) is one of the leading Czech experts on drug issues, which is evidenced by his nearly 20-year experience with the leadership and development of health care and social services and programmes related to the topic. He has systematically worked from the end of the 1980s on the organisation, development and evaluation of community services, especially in the area of drug prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. From 2000 to 2009 he actively took part in the preparation of the National Anti-Drug Strategy, as well as in projects financed by the European Commission (the Phare LIEN and Partnership, Asia URBs, Access 2000 programmes). Aside from creating strategic documents, he has contributed as an author to expert periodicals and publications.
He has also made good use of his extensive experience in the Czech Republic with the development, management and evaluation of community services and health care agencies on an international level: He has lectured and developed community and social advisories as part of projects in Hungary, Afghanistan, Great Britain, Russia, Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador and Peru; he has also lectured at a number of universities abroad and at numerous international conferences and workshops. He has worked as a consultant for organisations such as the European Union, the UN and the Open Society Institute.
Before taking the position as national anti-drug coordinator, Jindřich Vobořil served as the chairman and executive director of Sdružení Podané ruce [the Helping Hands Association]; under his leadership it became the second largest non-governmental organisation in the Czech Republic in the area of drugs. Podané ruce currently provides a comprehensive system of services – from primary prevention, therapeutic community, substitution and psychotherapeutic assistance, to work with drug users in prison – in 26 centers across the Czech Republic.
Jindřich Vobořil studied education and youth work at the J. E. Purkyně University in Olomouc (Mgr.). He graduated with a PG Dip title from John Moores University in Liverpool in the field of Drug Use and Addiction. He received an advisory qualification certificate from Greenwich College, London University in London. In 2006 he was awarded a postgraduate certificate in systematic psychotherapy from the Institute of Systematic Therapy in Prague.
Jindřich Vobořil speaks English, Spanish and Russian. He is married with two children.
The future of the international drugs control system and the place of psychodelics in it.
Psychedelics are scheduled in the most controlled substances, such as heroin, but there are also many studies that confirm their therapeutic potential and abuse of these substances is very unlikely. Recent advances in science point to evidence illustrating the potential of these substances – in particular the therapeutic potential of cannabis, MDMA, psilocybin and ibogaine as a treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder, depression and problematic drug use.
However, there are a number of barriers that prevent research such as the legislative framework, the classification of these substances as a controlled substances, access to the quantity, quality, and type of this substances necessary to address specific research questions on the health effects, or funding. Without adequate financial support, research will be unable to inform health care or public health care.
Given the progress made over the last decades, International Drug Conventions appear to be untenable for a long time and we should therefore be thinking about preparing proposals for regulating these substances at national and international level


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2014 Hyundai Tucson AWD ReviewReviews Dec 30th, 2013
The 2014 Hyundai Tucson AWD has been given some updates to make it even more impressive than ever. The engineers have made numerous changes to the car inside and out as well as under the hood. The result is a vehicle with better fuel economy, more power and a smoother, safer ride.
The outer appearance of the 2014 Hyundai Tucson AWD is bold and modern. It comes with flowing lines with just the right amount of curves. The cabin of the new 2014 Hyundai Tucson AWD is well-equipped and comfortable. You will enjoy plenty of legroom, a steering wheel covered in controls, premium materials and warm inviting colours.
The 2014 Hyundai Tucson AWD is performance driven. The new four-cylinder engine has more horsepower and more torque due to the change to a Gasoline Direct Injection. Plus with the all-wheel drive you will be able to go down any road.
2014 Engines:
2.0L Theta II I-4 : 164 horsepower with 151 lb-ft of torque
2.4L Theta II I-4 : 182 horsepower with 177 lb-ft of torque
If you are looking for a car which offered the versatility you need in your life, the 2014 Hyundai Tucson AWD is the perfect choice for you. It is compact enough for city driving but also large enough to haul around all the gear you need.
Sales Team
Abbotsford Hyundai


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Last Updated
06 April 2020
If you're thinking of immigrating to SA and wondering which visa you qualify for? Well, look no further than the new critical skills visa which has been introduced by the Department of Home Affairs. This visa allows principal applicants the right to live and work in SA for a period of 5 years. The critical skills visa allows the main applicant to add immediate family members as accompanying dependents to his or her visa.
If you're a qualified automotive motor mechanic with at least 3-5 years experience in the following tasks, then you could qualify for a visa for South Africa:
- Detecting and diagnosing faults in engines and parts.
- Fitting, examining, testing and servicing motor vehicle and motorcycle engines.
- Fitting, examining, adjusting, dismantling, rebuilding and replacing defective parts of motor vehicles.
- Installing or adjusting motors and brakes, and adjusting steering or other parts of motor vehicles.
- Installing, adjusting, servicing and replacing mechatronic components of motor vehicles.
- Performing scheduled maintenance services, such as oil changes, lubrications and engine tune-ups in order to achieve smoother running of vehicles and ensure compliance with pollution regulations.
- Reassembling engines and parts after being repaired.
Automotive motor mechanics must meet the minimum requirements to qualify for a critical skills visa:
- Foreign qualifications assessed in South Africa.
- Register occupation with a professional accredited body in South Africa.
- Provide proof of registration and confirmation of membership
Automotive motor mechanics who hold more than 5 years experience can apply for permanent residency immediately.
Contact New World Immigration or submit your enquiry now by completing our free assessment form below and our friendly consultants will contact you within 24 hours.
Fields marked * are mandatory and must be completed
Fields marked * are mandatory and must be completed


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You're busy
Far too much to do and not enough hours in the day.
You care about your gifts, but struggle to find time to wrap them the way you'd like. You consider gift bags even as you think they look like you phoned it in.
Too busy to wrap
You've got 99 things demanding your time, but you want your gifts to reflect the care that's inside them.
Buy Now
With Wrap Buddies®, you'll never have to search for the tape or struggle to measure and cut wrapping paper. Your gift recipients appreciate a hand-wrapped gift more than one shoved in a bag.
Searching for the tape?
Wrap Buddies keep your tape close at hand alongside the paper. Otherwise, it's sure to be under a scrap. Or the tags. Or the ribbon.
Somewhere.Buy Now
We guarantee you'll love them
But if you're not happy for any reason at all, return them within a year for a full refund of your purchase price. Not 30 days. Not 90 days.
365 days. That's a lot of days.
When all your supplies are close at hand, wrapping is a breeze. Measure, cut, trim, wrap, and tape more quickly than ever before.
Freed from the headaches of lost tape, runaway rolls, and other gift wrapping hassles, you can measure, cut, and tape with unexpected ease.
Wrapping gifts should be as joyful an experience as buying and giving. Wrap Buddies make your gift wrapping a joy, not a chore. Stay in the holiday or gift-giving spirit longer with fewer headaches (or backaches!).


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I had the pleasure of sitting right next to Blaise van Hecke from Busybird Publishing at yesterday's International Women's Day Brunch and I can't think of a more fitting person to have on my blog than her this week. It is inspiring to meet women who have managed to carve out their own businesses according to their passions and on their own terms. I'm sure it's not always easy but I take my hat off to Blaise and women like her. Read on for more about Blaise...
Occupation: Publisher
Lives/works: Montmorency
How long have you lived/worked here? 7 years
Ever since I was small, writing, books, music and art have been part of a staple diet so it's no surprise that I am now a writer, writing mentor and publisher. I love books and love to help people find ways to get their story out into the world through writing, books and art.
I run Busybird Publishing with my husband Kev in Montmorency where we run writing and photography workshops, open mic nights, networking events, exhibitions and help people self-publish their books. We love the community that has sprung up around us.
Best thing(s) about living/working in Melbourne's north-east:
The leafy surrounds and the fantastic community.
For more information:
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Mobile: 0416 157 281
Landline: 9434 6365


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Have you ever wondered how much it truly costs to print? It turns out there is more than just a cost per page. Watch this video for more of the hidden costs of printing.
About MimeoMimeo is the innovator of online managed content distribution and printing. Our global footprint and cloud based platform provide customers the simplest way to create, manage, and distribute content and materials they rely on to do business. We measure success on our ability to delight customers by delivering ease of use, speed, quality and value. Mimeo has delivered on this mission for more than 50,000 organizations, small businesses, and Global 2000 companies in over 140 countries.
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Notes on the 2008 Contest in Belgrade
Prior to the Contest, I selected these countries to make it through:
-The Netherlands
-San Marino OR Azerbaijan, but not both.
And now onwards to the First Semi-Final!
01 Montenegro Stefan Filipović Zauvijek Volim Te
Not a bad start to the contest, not at all. A nice little rock song, but I am afraid that it will not make much of a dent in voters' minds.
02 Israel Boaz The Fire In Your Eyes
A very heartfelt ballad from Israel. Though, the singer sounds ten year younger than he actually is. A Dutch style performance, in that it was a minimalist performance with the hope that the singer will be captivating enough to get votes. And like the Dutch entries of the past decade, this one will flop, unfortunately.
03 Estonia Kreisiraadio Leto Svet
Like France's entry last year, this comedic performance might just go over everyone's head
04 Moldova Geta Burlacu A Century Of Love
A beautiful song that will not make it through because it's jazzy and slow (but not emotionally moving enough).
05 San Marino Miodio Complice
A good debut, but it seems like a song that gets better the more times you here it. Unfortunately for the principality, they only have one shot to impress.
06 Belgium Ishtar O Julissi
Another *unique* entry from the Belge. I liked the infusion of classical sounds, but the performance was more self-indulgent than captivating, it might place well in the semi, but I'm not sure if it will make it to the next round.
07 Azerbaijan Elnur & Samir Day After Day
This entry immediately makes me think of Austria 2007. It plays on that line of being so crazy it might do great, or so crazy it will fail miserably.
08 Slovenia Rebeka Dremelj Vrag Naj Vzame
A bouncy pop song with an intriguing performance. The first entry I will confidently predict to make it through to the Grand Final.
09 Norway Maria Hold On Be Strong
An alright song. It might be able to slip into the Final in the lower spots of semi-final qualifiers.
10 Poland Isis Gee For Life
Things I remember from this pop ballad entry: a beautiful dress, a bad tan, really long blonde hair, a quartet, and a piano. The song was ok, however, as the hosts ramble on, it is fleeting from me.
11 Ireland Dustin the Turkey Irelande Douze Pointe
A definite Grand Final entrant, unfortunately. Though, I can imagine this song being a club favorite for years to come, at least in Cork and Dublin. But I did laugh at the end, "And don't forget the Swiss!"
12 Andorra Gisela Casanova
What is wrong with her hair?! And why is she wearing copper foil?! Otherwise a pretty good pop song, and I guess that's what we are supposed to be judging, so it should get through.
13 Bosnia & Herzegovina Laka Pokušaj
Another zainy performance, but a decent song, I guess. This will probably just make it into the Grand Final (where it will probably be crushed by everyone else).
14 Armenia Sirusho Qele, Qele
A good song with weak vocals. It will probably benefit from the fact that a majority of tonight's entrants will make it through to Saturday.
15 The Netherlands Hind Your Heart Belongs To Me
After Ireland, Russia, and Andorra, this has been the most hyped song this year, and it more than lives up to it!!! By far my favorite on the night, and my favorite from Les Pays-Bays.
16 Finland Teräsbetoni Missä Miehet Ratsastaa
Another nostalgic rock song from a Nordic country (think WigWam NOR2005). I don't particularly care for this year's Finnish rock song, but I think Europe might.
17 Romania Nico & Vlad Pe-o Margine De Lume
A lovely entry from Romania, it won't win the contest, but I would be highly disappointed if it doesn't do well on Saturday.
18 Russia Dima Bilan Believe
The much hyped return of 2006 Runner-up Dima Bilan (which overshadowed the hype of the return of 1999 winner Charlotte (Nilsonn) Perelli) failed to live up to the hype. It would be foolish to suggest that it would not sail through to the final, but the Russians may find themselves coming up short once again.
19 Greece Kalomira Secret Combination
Forget Bilan or Perelli, Greece seems to have reentered My Number One (2005 winner)! A bad pop song with decent music, and a cool dance performance, it will sail through to the Final. Unfortunately, I think I will put it on my short list of favorites to win the whole thing.
My Top Five:
1. The Netherlands
2. Romania
3. Moldova
4. Slovenia
5. Israel
Those that I think will make it into the Grand Final:
1. Greece
2. Russia
3. The Netherlands
4. Ireland
5. Slovenia
6. Andorra
7. Armenia
8. Finland
9. Romania
10. San Marino
Honorable Mention to Azerbaijan: a "strong" debut and this year's first costume change!
Grand Final Preview Now!
I predict another poor showing from the Big Four countries—with them going in descending order, France, Germany, UK, then Spain. But I think that Serbia has a decent shot of joining Spain, Israel, and Ireland (twice!) to go back-to-back in victories.
-Greece (no surprise there!)
-Romania (hurrah for the prettiest song of the night!)
-Bosnia & Herzegovina (not a surprise, but I guess that Armenia or Slovenia may not make it now)
-Finland (told ya so!)
-Russia (as expected)
-Israel (big surprise here! Totally unexpected, but I am happy about it)
-Azerbaijan (creepy Heaven/Hell performance, oh well)
-Armenia (a nice little pop song)
-Poland (a surprise victory for the stirring pop ballad)
-Norway (WHOA! I know what I said in the review, but I am shocked that it made it in)
Travesty of the Night: The Netherlands fall short again, but why? It was very clearly the best song on the night. Oh well, I still love you Hind! Thank you for giving me a new artist to investigate.
As far as my predictions go, 50% of my post-contest list made it through. As far as my pre-contest predictions…Azerbaijan, Greece, Russia, Armenia, Norway all made it through, so that's at 50%, not bad for guessing sight unseen/sound unheard, or whatever the appropriate idiom would be. Unfortunately, 50% also means that my guess were as good as random chance, which essentially means that I need to step up my game on Thursday and Saturday if I hope to finish out the Contest with a passing grade.
NEWS RELEASED ON WEDNESDAY: In case you didn't hear, Svante said that 9 by vote, 1 by jury rule for the Semi-Finals will become a permanent thing. He also revealed that for Tuesday, the jury and the voters were in 100% agreement over the top 10. Lastly, Lys Assia and Marija Serifovic presented the permanent trophy for the contest winners, a classic-style microphone made of glass (or maybe it's crystal).
Pre-Contest Predictions:
-Sweden—as a returning champion, I think she is pretty much entitled at least a shot at the Championship.
-Bulgaria—if you so much as thought about Eurovision while on YouTube over the past three months, your searches would have come up with at least ten different videos for DJ Take Me Away, if that's not good publicity, I don't know what is.
-Ukraine—aside from its debut and title defense efforts, the Ukraine couldn't be unsuccessful if it tried. So look for another strong showing from Kyiv.
-Croatia—Croatia has also had on-again, off-again success, and I think the tide is shifting for another "on" year.
-Georgia—The bookies seem to like Georgia's sophomore effort, so look for this Call to Action song to do well.
-Hungary—Another popular one amongst the bookies, Hungary might be able to return to the Final for the third time in a row.
-Turkey—Turkey has been creating a lot of buzz in ESC forums, not to mention the large amount of Turks abroad who vote for their home country (for instance, France is the second highest contributor to Turkey)
-Cyprus—Because, as I said a few weeks ago, the rest of the Eastern Mediterranean has seen success as of late, now it's Cyprus' turn.
-Latvia—I am hesitant to place what seems to me is going to be a gimmick entry after seeing what happened to Ireland and Estonia on Tuesday, but I still think that Spain won't be enough to tithe Europe over on Saturday, so look for this one to sneak in.
-Malta OR Portugal, but not both—Portugal has the record for most entries without a victory, and Malta isn't too far behind them. After their entries from last year, both of which were projected to do well, flopped, these countries have been somewhat mum about their entries. Despite this, I think that one of them will benefit from a sympathy vote of sorts.
01 Iceland Euroband This Is My Life
For a song that has been getting a lot of negative press, it was pretty good. Actually, I know that there are 18 more songs to go, but I have a pretty good feeling that this song is going through to Saturday.
02 Sweden Charlotte Perrelli Hero
How does someone age so much in only nine years? She must have really pissed off her make-up artist. A decent song, I think it was just enough to get into the Final.
03 Turkey Mor ve Ötesi Deli
Another great song from the Anatolia region. And another song I think has a good shot at making it past tonight.
04 Ukraine Ani Lorak Shady Lady
Another hot, big voiced diva out of the Ukraine, but she lacks the fire of Ruslana and the energy of Tina Karol, so it will be interesting to see how this places on the night.
05 Lithuania Jeronimas Milius Nomads in the Night
Where will ESC2009 be, St. Petersburg? Reykjavik? Paris? One thing's for certain, it won't be in Vilnius. I have a feeling that this song has a good studio version, but this live performance just doesn't cut it.
06 Albania Olta Boka Zemrën E Lamë Peng
A good song, but I don't think it has enough "umph" to move on to the Final.
07 Switzerland Paolo Meneguzzi Era Stupendo
The Swiss are fighting hard to reclaim their past glories. While I think this song was a bit overrated, the audience seems to love this guy, as they gave him a standing O before he even opened his mouth (and notice how the arena is full tonight as compared to Tuesday).
08 Czech Republic Tereza Kerndlová Have Some Fun
The Czechs' sophomore entry will do better than their first, in that I think it will get more than one point in the voting.
09 Belarus Ruslan Alehno Hasta La Vista
When will people learn? This is the second or third song by this title, and every time it does not do well, and this time will be no different.
10 Latvia Pirates Of The Sea Wolves Of The Sea
I HATE PIRATES, ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT SING!!! This goes down as the WORST gimmick I've seen in my Eurovision travels, it even beats out IRE2008 or ICE2006. If this song goes through, they would have robbed a more deserving act (i.e. any of the previous 9 we've already heard, or the any of the next 9 we have yet to hear) of a spot.
11 Croatia Kraljevi Ulice & 75 Cents Romanca
Everything about this act dripped cool…the outfits, the hot dancer, the pimp cane the old guy had. I was about to say bravo to Croatia for another great folksy song, and then the older gentleman had to start scratching, and I think that might have been the kiss of death for them.
12 Bulgaria Deep Zone & Balthazar DJ, Take Me Away
Was I the only one expecting her dress to change, it's so rare for a dress that long to make it through an entire performance nowadays. I was highly anticipating this song due to its vicious YouTube campaign. It's alright, I think it has a decent shot of making it through.
13 Denmark Simon Mathew All Night Long
See what I said about the Danish entry. It's an ok song, but it doesn't have an ice cube's chance in Hell of making it through to the Final.
14 Georgia Diana Gurtskaya Peace Will Come
A Costume Change!!! Who would have thought it would have taken 14 songs before we finally got to one (unless there have been others and I am unobservant)? Anyway, the bookies are excited about this entry. I liked it, especially the message. I am not sure if it will be enough though.
15 Hungary Csézy Candlelight
My favorite so far. Normally, I wouldn't think it stood a good chance of getting through, but after the success of Norway and Poland on Tuesday, I am optimistic.
16 Malta Morena Vodka
From Peace and Love to alcohol, only at the ESC. An alright song, though I don't think it lived up to all of the hype.
17 Cyprus Evdokia Kadi Femme Fatale
I'm glad the two halves of the island cold stop fighting long enough to put together a great entry. Which, if I might have to add, is probably the most Cypriot entry I have ever heard. I think this is a shoo in for Saturday.
Antics from the hosts' side-kicks down in the green room, should the participants be allowed to advertise themselves like that during the intermission?
18 F.Y.R. Macedonia Tamara, Vrčak & Adrijan Let Me Love You
Not a bad song, I wasn't convinced that it had the ability to move on until after hearing the complete song, but the important thing is that I was convinced.
19 Portugal Vânia Fernandes Senhora Do Mar (Negras Águas)
Poised to take the travesty of the night award, this is my favorite of the night. It *should* go through, but everyone seems to hate Portugal. Will Fernandes be able to get Portugal to its first Final since the inception of the Semi's?
My Favorite Five:
1. Portugal
2. Hungary
3. Cyprus
4. Turkey
5. Iceland
The Ten I think that will be moving on to Saturday:
-Sweden (Because people are ready for another Johnny Logan—as in a two-time winner)
-Switzerland (Because people are ready for another Johnny Logan—as in an overrated singer)
-Hungary (A great song that should make it through)
-Portugal (Another great song, that if it fails, should get the Portuguese crying "Conspiracy!")
-Turkey (A fun pop rock song, my kind of rock)
-Cyprus (A feisty song in cool Mediterranean style, this should definitely make it)
-Georgia (I think people will be moved by the message enough to overlook the overzealous background singer at the end of the song. That, and it had an awesome beat and melody.)
-Bulgaria (I think its YouTube campaign was a brilliant PR move, and that it was already marked down for Saturday a month ago)
-Ukraine (because every hot singer from the Ukraine, heck, every female singer (or impersonator) from the Ukraine has done great)
-Iceland (a fun bouncy song that didn't deserve all the negative words coming its way before the contest, and I think that Europe will see this, and vote it through)
Honorable Mention goes to…Macedonia; it was convincing, just not quite as much as the other ten. Malta; the island gave it the old college try, but I don't that they will make it through.
Is it me, or are the hosts more incompetent tonight than they were on Tuesday. They weren't horrible, but things definitely could have been a lot smoother. Hopefully, they will step up their game for Saturday.
The Ten Finalists Are:
-Ukraine (they can't stop being successful, even if they tried!)
-Croatia (not surprising, yelling old people must be popular in Europe)
-Albania (WHOA! I did not think this act had what it took to get through, guess I was wrong)
-Iceland (Hurray for redemption!)
-Georgia (c'mon, how could world peace not make it through?)
-Denmark (WHOA!!! Well, at least my adoptive country is doing well)
-Sweden (of course)
-Latvia (BOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!)
-Turkey (that was fairly obvious)
-Portugal (one step closer to breaking the curse!)
Travesty of the Night goes to…Latvia. Why?! Why?!! Why?!!! What a horrible song!!! Just when I thought the Baltics would have a reason to reconsider their staunch position on entering gimmicks only, this goes on to move through to the Final. I am utterly angered by this.
On my accuracy…hey, 70% on the pre-show guessing, 60% on the post-show. I have definitely improved since Tuesday. But if this little exercise has shown me anything, it's that I seem to be more objective before hearing the songs, than after (imagine that). It should be interesting to see what happens on Saturday, as I will be choosing a much shorter list of who I think might win it all (since top 10 really doesn't mean anything anymore, I will not include a full list of who I think will place in the top 10).
Final Thoughts on the two Semi-Finals:
I was quite surprised on Tuesday when the most solid songs, Norway, Armenia, Israel, and Poland made it through, in lieu of the sending of pop acts like the Netherlands, Andorra, or Slovenia. I was shocked that Azerbaijan made it through while San Marino did not, I guess Europe prefers countertenors and sexy demons over rock ballads. I expected Russia to make it through with another song from Mr. Bilan, and as soon as I heard Greece's entry, I knew that it was going through. Belgium and Moldova kept up their tradition of sending irrelevant entries to the Contest; sometimes they succeed (BLG2003 & MOL2005, 2007), but for the most part fail to impress the voting public. Though, I, personally, enjoyed both entries and know that they will be getting a lot of mileage on my iPod.
Thursday brought better songs, but less entertainment. I figured that Vodka (Malta) and Shady Lady (Ukraine) would have been a bit more exciting. Though, I think I enjoyed this interval act more so than Tuesday's (though, Tuesday had the superior Intro Sequence). The real shocker was that Hungary and Switzerland didn't go through. Especially with the way how the crowd was carrying on when the Swiss guy came up to perform. Another disappointment was Cyrpus' failure to move through, I thought that the uptempo Mediterranean beat would have won it a spot. How funny would it be if Sunday, when they release the results of tonight, they failed to make it by 11 points, highlighting their dependency on Greece's sure 12.
Overall, I think the voters sent out a resounding rejection of gimmick acts, as Ireland, and Estonia were both eliminated (though, the jury is still out on where Azerbaijan's entry falls). Has Serbia's victory reset ESC on the track of the serious entries that dominated the early years of the contest, and made a resurgence in the early and mid 90's? Despite the success of Latvia's entry, and the failure of Switzerland's and Hungary's, I think that gimmicks might finally be viewed as immature and not funny, at least until the next eight-costume-changes-to-an-act (LAT2002), latex mask wearing rockers (FIN2007), or Xena lookalike (UKR2003) wins the contest.
Though, look for Spain to do well on Saturday, it and Latvia will probably be the two "funnest" (I know it's not a word, but it's applicable here) acts, and will probably get votes for breaking up the monotony that having ballad after ballad will create.
One thing to say about the hype, it doesn't seem to be working too much, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, and Andorra were all supposed to be shoo-ins, and what happened, they fell by the wayside. And Iceland persevered against the counter-hype (as I call it) and pushed through to the Final. How I think this will translate, well, I don't have nearly as much confidence in Russia as I did before, and I think that Sweden is out of it. But I guess we will see on Saturday!
My Short List of Possible Winners:
-Greece—as I said, Greek pop seems to hypnotize folks into voting for the ancient nation.
-Russia—less confident about Bilan's return now then I was last week, look for Russia to break their streak of near misses.
-Portugal—they have made it to the Final for the first time since semi's were introduced in 2004, I hope that they can translate that momentum into breaking their curse of never winning, passing on the record for most unsuccessful attempts to Iceland or Malta (I forget which one it would be)
-Armenia—A fun pop song that just might have enough umph to win the contest. If Sirusho can tighten up some of her dancing, and sing with a bit more conviction on Saturday, there ain't nothing that can stop her from taking the crystal mic.
-Serbia—with a great 30 second preview, and the bookies proclaiming that it has a great shot of defending its throne, I think there is a good chance that the Contest will be in Belgrade again next year as well.
-UK—I was originally only going to have five songs on this list, but after tonight's (Thursday) results, I think that Europe has spoken that they want a more serious song to win again, and Andy might be in the right place at the right time, I think it will come down to his performance.
Intro Act: *Due to technical difficulties, this performance was missed live.*
How disappointing. I liked how it opened up with Marija singing a cappella, but it was all downhill from there. The remix of "Molitva" was an injustice to the song, and the scantly clad dancers cheapened the purity of last year's victory performance.
01 Romania Nico & Vlad Pe-o Margine De Lume
*Due to technical difficulties, this performance was missed live.*
Another beautiful performance from these two. I have no idea why it didn't get more than 45 points.
02 United Kingdom Andy Abraham Even If
*Due to technical difficulties, this performance was missed live.*
A good song. I think it ends kind of abruptly, which might account for some of its low score. But, as I have said before, Europe doesn't seem to like American style music very much (with a few exceptions, HUN2007 is the first that comes to mind), especially when that style is R&B, so I understand why this came in last, but strongly disagree with it.
03 Albania Olta Boka Zemrën E Lamë Peng
*Due to technical difficulties, most of this performance was missed live.* From what I saw of this performance, she sounded a lot better than she did on Thursday.
Seeing it on the replay, I still think it is better than Thursday, but I still think it's boring and uncaptivating.
04 Germany No Angels Disappear
What are they wearing??? Hmmm….a poorly sung pop song from Germany, unfortunately, I think it will do better than some of their recent entries, despite not being nearly as good.
05 Armenia Sirusho Qele, Qele
I had high hopes for this song, and she did not disappoint. Even the dancers were better. Though, I do not think it was strong enough to win the Contest, it will have a good placing.
06 Bosnia & Herzegovina Laka Pokušaj
Another good performance for the Bosnian entry. It will end in the middle of the pack when all the voting is said and done.
07 Israel Boaz The Fire in Your Eyes
A beautiful performance, even more moving than on Tuesday. There is no reason why this song shouldn't do really well tonight.
08 Finland Teräsbetoni Missä Miehet Ratsastaa
The first of the Nordic countries (all of which made it to the Final)…hey, it's more tolerable than it was on Tuesday! I still don't really like it though. It will probably do well though, as it's different enough to gain enough support for being so (unlike Turkey, which is a pop rock song).
09 Croatia Kraljevi Ulice & 75 Cents Romanca
I guess the drumming Granny's boyfriend (MOL2005), the yelling old guy (who one assumes is 75 Cents) trots the line between gimmick act and peasant sound. As it was Thursday, the singing and the melody, and the dancer were all superb.
10 Poland Isis Gee For Life
Equally as pretty as Tuesday, and equally as boring. I think this will fall victim to not being as captivating as the other ballads, and not as entertaining as the pop songs.
11 Iceland Euroband This Is My Life
Probably one of the least remembered countries of Europe, Iceland's Euroband had an unforgettable performance; outdoing their Thursday performance by miles. I have a lot of faith in this entry; they will have to be outdone in order to lose, as I think they are the best on the night so far.
12 Turkey Mor ve Ötesi Deli
*Due to technical difficulties, this performance was missed live.*
Wow! Even better than on Thursday! But I think that 12th was definitely an accurate placing for this song.
More antics with the wannabe hosts down in the green rooms. More free advertising for countries they happen to walk past. Though, I do think that they may be marginally better than that girl in pink from Helsinki last year (I can't remember her name, but I do know that she is a comedian in Finland)
13 Portugal Vânia Fernandes Senhora Do Mar (Negras Águas)
Oh no! This was not nearly as good as on Thursday night. I guess she poured all of her heart out just to get here, and didn't have enough left to do it again.
14 Latvia Pirates Of The Sea Wolves Of The Sea
I don't remember that middle part with only the music (between the part with the lady in the bubble and the last two times they sung the refrain) from Thursday. I will have to say, this song seemed to drag on even more than it did the other night. They seemed to be forcing the song, taking away the playfulness it had originally.
15 Sweden Charlotte Perrelli Hero
A good showing from the former champ. I think she just put herself back into the running for victory, even though she did look like an alien for the first verse of the song (before the lights came on)
16 Denmark Simon Mathew All Night Long
My opinion about this song has not changed. I am not quite sure how it made it to the Final, and I do not think it will do well (though, I don't know if I will go as far as to say it will get last).
17 Georgia Diana Gurtskaya Peace Will Come
A good performance, very moving, and a great message. I expect this song to do well. But I don't think that it will win.
18 Ukraine Ani Lorak Shady Lady
More exhilarating and better executed than on Thursday, and it's a female from the Ukraine, so it should do very well.
19 France Sébastien Tellier Divine
* Due to technical difficulties, most of this performance was missed live.*
Not a bad song, I understand its placing though. If he had controlled his voice a bit more (especially when it was lowering after he sucked on the helium) I think this new age song would have done better. Oh, I thought the golf cart entrance and the background singers being disguised as him were pretty cool.
20 Azerbaijan Elnur & Samir Day After Day
I don't care what anyone says, countertenors are just plain creepy! But I guess it fits in with the creepy performance. There seemed to be a little trouble with the costume change this time. But that's just another thing to add to the heap of reasons why this song shouldn't win. A lot of high pitched wailing, and disoriented background dancers, some kind of blood colored liquid being poured over someone, etc….
21 Greece Kalomira Secret Combination
Another cookie cutter pop song, but for some reason, I have a feeling it will do ridiculously well (ridiculously, as in much better than the other cookie-cutter pop songs performed tonight)
22 Spain Rodolfo Chikilicuatre Baila El Chiki Chiki
*Due to technical difficulties, this performance was missed live.*
What a fun song! And have you noticed something, it seems like every Spanish entry (that's in Spanish) has way more words than any other country could possibly fit in its song. Not the best of entries, but it was a fun song in the midst of ballads, so that is probably why it got the highest placing of any Big Four country.
23 Serbia Jelena Tomašević feat. Bora Dugic Oro
Great song, great performance, this song was awesome. My only negative remark is that she had some pitch problems near the beginning of it.
24 Russia Dima Bilan Believe
A better performance than on Tuesday, I think that this will do well, but I will have to go against the bookies (and my earliest predictions) and say that I do not think that this one will win.
25 Norway Maria Hold On Be Strong
Another good performance for Maria. I think it will do moderately well (maybe a middle of the pack finisher) but I do not think it has enough steam to win.
My Top Five Songs:
1. Portugal
2. Iceland
3. Israel
4. Turkey
5. Croatia
Post-Contest Prediction, The Five Songs I would put money on:
1. Greece (begrudgingly, I will admit that the Greeks seemed to have perfected the generic pop song, and so, despite my lukewarm feelings for the song, I think it has the best chance of winning)
2. Sweden (a good performance, an ex-champ, and a catchy song, it should do well)
3. Iceland (a good song, a great performance, and marked improvement from the Semi to the Final, they have earned that crystal mic)
4. Israel (such a moving song, and the travesty of 2005 needs to be avenged!)
5. Serbia (a beautiful song plus a beautiful singer plus the host country bump equals a good chance at a title defense)
6. Portugal (I know it says five, but I am not ready to give up hope yet. It is still a good song and had a great performance)
Honorable Mention goes to…The Big Four, all of them put forth good entries, at least it appears that way from the recap. Two good songs, an entertaining song, and another strong pop song. Way to go! –After seeing the four entries, I realize that I may have acted prematurely to hand them kudos, especially since none of them did overly well. But I do stand by my words, I enjoyed Spain's, France's, and the UK's entries, and thought that Germany had a decent pop song that would have done better than it did. Oh, well.–
Additionally, I don't think any of the songs should finish below the top ten (except for maybe Latvia), but unfortunately, 15 of them have to and an additional 9 will also fall short of the crown. Despite all of the circumstances, all the performers should be proud of themselves for making this one of my favorite years of the ESC.
AND THE WINNER IS…….Russia! How many times have I predicted that Russia would win? Three, Four, Five times? It figures that the one time I don't bet for them to win it all, they do. Oh, well, it's a decent song, and Russia has surely earned the hosting honors after so many top five finishes in the past decade. As far as my pre-contest selections, Greece, Armenia, and Serbia all finished in the top ten, and Portugal had a respectable placing, but the UK flopped horribly, finishing tied for last with Germany and Poland. I didn't get to hear this entry, but from the short clip I have heard, this seems like a grave injustice. My post-Contest predictions didn't fare so well. Israel got tenth, but Sweden and Iceland finished down in the middle of the pack. I guess Bilan wanted it more than Perilli, but I guess she already had a championship under her belt and so this was just fun for her.
Note: Sweden and Poland were the recipients of the jury selection from the Thursday and Tuesday Semi-Finals, respectively. In Poland's case, it was tenth, and would have qualified anyway, Sweden, though, finished thirteenth and wouldn't have made it through without the jury. It will be interesting to see the trend in jury selections' performance in finals; if they continue to not do well, they may just go back to straight up televoting all ten.
My Top Five Songs:
1. Portugal
2. The Netherlands
3. Hungary
4. Cyprus
5. Moldova
Best Dressed: The Netherlands (a sexy black number that showed enough to entice, but not enough to give away the secret), Poland (would have won if she didn't have that horrendous fake tan), Croatia (from the black suit and fedora to the dancer's wine colored dress, a very classy and snazzy looking group)
Most in Need of a Costume Change: Andorra (not so much because of the clothes, her hair was horrendous though), Ireland (I guess all the backers were dressed to look like giant, kindergarten made turkeys, but it just didn't work), Belgium (she looked like a giant peppermint)
Best Performance: Bosnia & Herzegovina (did a great job of telling the story behind the words), Azerbaijan (good interpretation of the lyrics) Switzerland (it was the whole package in terms of singing talent, song, and entertainment (when are indoor fireworks not fun?))
Worst Performance: Estonia (they seemed lost and confused throughout the performance—whether this was the point or not, I do not know), Belgium (she was out of breath for a lot of it, and for such a happy, cheery song, everything was quite bleary and drab)
Most Attractive:
Woman: Netherlands—Hind is quite attractive, and on Tuesday, quite sexy as well.
Man: Switzerland—This was a blowout, I don't think any of the other guys in the competition came close to him.
Spirit of ABBA Award: This was a really hard category to pick a winner for, in that there were not a lot of campy acts this year. If I had to choose one though, I'm thinking…maybe the Czech Republic, it was fun, bouncy, and not incredibly deep in meaning. That and it was a nice change from the yelling, screaming men from last year.
Final Thoughts: I think a lot can be said about the lack of gimmicks and campy acts this year. Maybe the ESC is regressing back to the more mature, pre-1967 era, when camp first started to become popular. I loved this large collection of ballads and more serious pop entries. And the more poppy songs lacked that corniness that would cross the line into ABBA-esque. I am interested to see what kind of consequences this will have next year in Russia. Speaking of which, I wonder if they will host it in their capital, Moscow, or in St. Petersburg, both because St. P. is where Russia's largest arena is as well as the historical significance (Peter the Great established St. P. to be a Western city, to endear Russia to the rest of Europe).
Additions I would like to see at the ESC…
Given that it has been a relatively quiet few weeks in the Eurovision world, I thought it would be fun to think about traditions I would like to see started at this year's Contest. Given that it is the 55th running, now seems like a great time to start!
-A special tribute to the golden anniversary (50 years) and silver anniversary (25 years) winners. It would be so easy to incorporate the winning song from 50 years ago into the opening act of the first semi-final, and the winner from 25 years ago into the second semi-final's opening act (and the Final's opening act should continue the tradition of reprising the previous year's winning song). I am not saying that the entirety of the songs need to be performed, but some kind of recognition and at least the refrain needs to be highlighted. Know thy history! While I think Norway will probably choose to only honor their own past two victories (1985-La det Swinge and 1995-Nocturne) prior to 2009 – which does contain the silver anniversary winner (1985), I have a feeling France's 1960 winner Tom Pillibi will be no where to be found.
-Allow the automatic qualifying countries (the Big Four and the host country) to perform during the interval acts of the semi-final they are compelled to broadcast and vote in. This will allow a formal presentation of the song during the semi-final like many of them want, without the added pressure of having to qualify. Besides, it's hard to win if the fans haven't heard the song live before the Final. Since 2004, the only song to win without being in the semi-final was My Number One (GRE2005). It would level the playing ground for the automatic qualifiers.
-A new rule that makes the Big Four responsible for hosting the Contest should the defending champion decline to do so. While this has not been an issue for quite some time (since 1980, to be exact), but almost became one in 2008 when it was unclear if Serbia would be able to host amidst all the political uproar around Kosovo. In 2008, the EBU was ready to call in the Ukraine, as it had the second place entry in 2007 (Dancing Lasha Tumbaii). However, now that only the Big Four and the host country qualify for the Final, wouldn't that had forced Serbia, the defending champion to the semi-final, and given their automatic qualifier spot to the Ukraine? That hardly seems fair, but neither does forcing the host to qualify, either. So, I suggest, to avoid this situation with the present system that we have, the automatic qualifiers be the Big Four (Five if Italy ever stops pouting and returns to the Contest) and the defending champion country (i.e., the country that won the previous year). Thus, in the event that a defending champion doesn't want to or can't host the Contest (usually for money reasons), then a Big Four country should pick up the slack as to not disturb the balance.
-Limit composers to one country. As it stands right now, singers can only represent one country in one given year, but songwriters (composers and lyricists) can compete for various countries and will be included on the winner's list for whichever of their songs win. This is not fair; they should be limited just as singers and other performers on stage are limited. In 2007, famed Swedish composer Thomas G:son had his name on both, the Norwegian entry and the Spanish entry. This should not be, but every year, some of the same composers enter four or five songs, multiple ones to their home country's selection program (unfairly bolstering their odds of winning) and/or several songs to selection programs in other countries. Every now and then, one composer or lyricist strikes it lucky, and wins in multiple countries. This is wrong, this composer now has that much greater of a shot of winning the Contest as the others. The fair thing to do would be to make a rule stating that all individuals associated with an entry (lyricists, composers, singers, backing vocalists, backing dancers, etc…) be barred from being associated with a second entry within the same Contest. That way, every entry is unique and independent from the other.
The first three ideas I have been carrying around in my head for a long time, and wanted to get them out there before the EBU develops them on its own (like the two semi-finals idea, mine!). The fourth one is new, but I like it!


text:
Architectural Guide to Central Florida
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