posted 05-25-2003 02:44 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Philip:
The EuroVision Song-contest which has 26 groups of different European countries received "Best wishes" LIVE from the ISS showing Ed LU and Y. MALENCHENKO onboard the Space Station ...

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Did the two sing something for the audience, and if so, what was it? ;-)

posted 05-25-2003 07:08 AM            

or ,maybe

"You Are My Sunshine"

posted 05-25-2003 09:32 AM               

The best news is as we finished last we get relegated and can't participate in next years event. (Hearty cheers!)

Yours

Steve

posted 05-25-2003 02:14 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by spaceuk:
"Fly Me To The Moon".....:-))

or ,maybe

"You Are My Sunshine"

and the many others which I'm sure will filter through now ................

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I think they should have entered a song, and they should have won. After all, as the next contest takes place where the winning contender resides, this would mean the next contest takes place on the ISS. ;-)

posted 05-26-2003 12:54 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by icarkie:
Hi Steve
I totaly agree in what you say about the UK joke in the Eurovision contest,I have to correct you (I'am sad to say) I heard on the news that because UK plough alot of cash in the contest there will be an exception for us next year (I hope I heard wrong).
all the best
Ian

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Yes thats right - UK, France, Germany and Spain can never be relegated because of the cash we put in.

Damn, why do we know this stuff lol.

If only UK didn't put cash in we'd be safe now each year.

posted 05-28-2003 06:43 AM               

I remarked 'No, just the Eurovision Song Contest'. I then of course had to explain to him what it was all about for the next 5 minutes or so. He caught on to the bit about the strange nationalitic voting practices employed by some countries. I don't think he could believe that hours of peak time TV across a whole continent could be devoted to something so bizarre!

Bad news guys about NOT being relegated from the competition!

posted 05-28-2003 10:25 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Steve Procter:

I don't think he could believe that hours of peak time TV across a whole continent could be devoted to something so bizarre!

Steve

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Errrr, have you ever watched prime-time American TV?

posted 05-28-2003 12:37 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Steve Procter:
There is a another Eurovision space related anecdote that springs to mind. At the reception prior to the 2000 Autographica dinner Alan Bean who had met our daughter Hannah earlier in the day asked where she was. I told him she was upstairs in our room with the babysitter watching TV. He asked if she would be watching anything good.

I remarked 'No, just the Eurovision Song Contest'. I then of course had to explain to him what it was all about for the next 5 minutes or so. He caught on to the bit about the strange nationalitic voting practices employed by some countries. I don't think he could believe that hours of peak time TV across a whole continent could be devoted to something so bizarre!

Bad news guys about NOT being relegated from the competition!

Steve

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I like that Steve - trying to explain Eurovision to anyone who hasn't grown up with the dubious 'tradition' isn't easy is it.

Hey WE don't get it so how can anyone else.

And as for Cyprus AND Greece - now they should both be relegated. The definition of dodgy voting. We've had it all wrong - we should enter as England, Scotland, Wales AND NI, and all vote for each other. No that'll never work lol. And 4 times the dodgy single releases.
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Oh and just so no-one mistakes what I meant again -- I'm talking about countries that are near to each other voting for each other, so ACTUALLY the comparison was a correct one. Hey, just ask Wogan LOL

- Wayne

posted 05-28-2003 04:09 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by WayneS:
And as for Cyprus/Greece - now they should be relegated. The definition of dodgy voting. We've had it all wrong - we should enter as England, Scotland and Wales and all vote for each other. No that'll never work lol. And 3 times the dodgy single releases.

- Wayne

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Actually, Cyprus is an independent state and has - theoretically due to the scission of the Northern Part recognized by no one - citizens speaking Greek and Turkish language. There is no such thing as "United Kingdom of Greece and Cyprus" as there is a United Kingdom of Great Britain, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Hence the comparison is wrong.

Of course, some surname your current Prime Minister "Vice-President Blair", but that is a different story, despite the common language :-)

And do you really think the Scottish would vote for the English? ;-)

posted 05-29-2003 02:48 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Rodina:

"Of course, some surname your current Prime Minister "Vice-President Blair", but that is a different story, despite the common language :-)"

Can we keep the politics off this board, Juergen? I'd happily engage you on the American view of the Continent these days, but this isn't the forum.

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I agree with you, Rodina. However, claiming that Cyprus and Greece should be counted as one nation is THE political question in this part of the Mediterranean. It was the "Enosis" question (unification of Cyprus with Greece) that triggered coup d'états in Cyprus und ultimately the Turkish occupation and all that implied politically.

In other words: why slam me when the provocative political question was started by someone else, and apparently you didn't mind?

posted 05-29-2003 11:24 PM            

I certainly didn't take it that Wayne was making some bold comment about the validity of the demarkation line or the role of British peacekeepers or something along those lines.

Seemed to me that, given the context, EuroVision has put Greek Cypriots in with Greece itself (I think I have this right, yes?) and Wayne was merely commenting on the way the Eurovision contest/voting was set up -- nothing politically provocative in that.

posted 05-30-2003 02:08 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Rodina:

Juergen -

I certainly didn't take it that Wayne was making some bold comment about the validity of the demarkation line or the role of British peacekeepers or something along those lines.

Seemed to me that, given the context, EuroVision has put Greek Cypriots in with Greece itself (I think I have this right, yes?) and Wayne was merely commenting on the way the Eurovision contest/voting was set up -- nothing politically provocative in that.

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No. Eurovision would never set up Greek Cypriots with Greece and has not. They vote for Cyprus, their nation state.

Wayne suggested this should be done. However, this IS a political suggestion, and a highly provocative to that, whether he considered the political implications or not (and probably not). But when stepping on a land mine, it doesn't really matter whether you do so intentionnally or unintentionnally. It just blows up .....

In any case - the entire subject is primarily a European affair. Why would an American want to intervene in the way we discuss our own business (especially when ill-informed)? Just leave it to us ... and we have to bear with the horrible music that comes from there in the first place ;-)

posted 05-30-2003 02:42 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by eurospace:
No. Eurovision would never set up Greek Cypriots with Greece and has not. They vote for Cyprus, their nation state.

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Good. This sounds considerably more democratic than the EU itself.

Ireland! Denmark! Attention! You will vote on the Euro. You will do so democratically. You will vote to accept the Euro. If you do not accept the Euro, you will vote on the Euro again, until you do accept the Euro. That is all. [strike]Paris and Berlin[/strike] Brussels knows best.

quote:

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In any case - the entire subject is primarily a European affair. Why would an American want to intervene in the way we discuss our own business?

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Let's see. Given the history of how Europe discusses its own affiars, I could think of about... gosh... 50 million reasons.

But Tony Blair's assistance to the United States is not a European affair. You stepped on that land mine, so don't get all defensive that I've called you on it.

Finally, the EU has clearly decided that Turkey doesn't get to be European, no matter what they do, so that -- as far as I'm concerned -- Turkish Cyprus is no longer a European affair.

[Edited to add some additional vitriol]

posted 05-30-2003 02:57 AM               

THIS should generate some interest in spaceflight....

posted 05-31-2003 04:26 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Rodina:
But Tony Blair's assistance to the United States is not a European affair. You stepped on that land mine, so don't get all defensive that I've called you on it.

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I don't think any British participants objected to my remarks - the Brits live in one of the oldest democracies of this world, are used to politically differing views and have a great sense of humour. You - as an American - might wish to support Blair in his policy, but you can't vote for him.

quote:

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Finally, the EU has clearly decided that Turkey doesn't get to be European, no matter what they do, so that -- as far as I'm concerned -- Turkish Cyprus is no longer a European affair.

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When - please - has the EU "clearly decided" that Turkey cannot join the European Union? Date, political body, wording, please?

This is sheer factual nonsense. Nothing of the sort has been decided ever. In the contrary, the European Union has decided that negotiations with Turkey - as with other states that have tabled a request for accession - can begin when Turkey fulfills the conditions for Membership. They take part in the screening procedure, as the other applicants. Turkey must be democratic, and Turkey must respect Human Rights, that's where I see the main obstacles.

Moreover, with the accession of Cyprus to the EU being decided, the accession Treaty signed, and becoming effective on May 1st, 2004, the question of the Turkish occupation of the Northern part of Cyprus will no longer be a subject of EU external policy, but an INTERNAL affair of the European Union. Cyprus - as a full EU Memberstate - then has a voting right on Turkish accession as well. Again, you're just simply factually dead wrong. In other words: your statement "Turkish Cyprus is no longer a European affair." is factually wrong - it is much more a European affair than before.

quote:

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[Edited to add some additional vitriol]

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Vitriol doesn't help you, Rodina. Get your facts right first.

posted 06-11-2003 10:54 AM            

Jürgen -- if you took this the wrong way then apologies.
Cyprus/Greece --
was used as a shorthand way of writing - you know, like most of the world does when using a message board. I would have thought that was obvious to anyone but obviously not. This just shows how messages can be entirely misinterpreted, so if you took it the wrong way then no harm done, it wasn't intentional on my part.
A simple use of a keystroke on a keyboard, that's all.
However, before launching into a political debate and unneccesary comments then I'd have thought that a simple message just ASKING what I had meant would have been more useful - for you and other members.
Especially as this was a harmless thread and fun posts about a silly song contest. But like I said - no harm done. Interesting to read your comments actually.

By the way - I did make reference to Scotland probably never would vote for Eng by saying 'no that would never work' - I guess UK would have picked up on that more.

Rodina - thank you for realizing that I wasn't making any more than a comment on song contest voting. Again I'm sure that was obvious to most but there you go, thats message boards and their monotone for you. Same mistakes can happen in email - when people can't hear how somethings being said then mistakes happen I guess.

Blackarrow - how could I forget NI. Writing too fast and missed it out. Hope you didn't take that as a political statement LOL. Not intended. Hey - can't be too careful LOL, don't want more political replies.

Jürgen -- one last thing. If you really want to hear comments about other countries during the Song Contest then you should check out the commentator for the UK - Terry Wogan from the BBC. He's become legendary here for his commentaries. You see, he doesn't take the contest seriously at all and does jokes all through it. That's how any viewers here in UK have grown up watching the show. That's how most of this starts in UK - he's been doing it for years and each year he points out who's voting for who based on political lines. His personal favourite is Cyprus and Greece, hence why I picked that voting out in particular.

Anyway, hope that clears it up.

And as has been said - back to space talk.

- Wayne