Betty MacDonald's stove is dancing

Kristin:

A year ago we had this tragic in Norway.

The murderer didn' t reach his goal - we remain a democratic and very liberal country and we are very proud of it.

Bella, speaking of Norway I think of Norway's last place at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 behind United Kingdom with poor Engelbert.

We have 50 % jury and 50 % phone calls. What do we receive?  A very unfair result!
My family and I like Engelbert's song very much.

Bella, there are lots of unfair votings in Eurovision Song Contest history.

I watched Eurovision Song Contest 1968 on YouTube yeasterday.
Excellent norwegian singer Wencke Myhre sang the german entry Ein Hoch der Liebe ( A Toast For Love) composed by Horst Jankowski who had a million seller with A Walk Through Black Forest.

Wencke Myhre was outstanding on Eurovision Stage in Royal Albert Hall in London.
She got many, many points from the UK jury but no points from the norwegian jury.
It's such a shame and I'm very ANGRY about this. What was the reason why?
Anyway - it's such a shame!

I have to tell you that scandinavian countries are very strong in the so called  neighbour votings.
I recently saw a documentary that scandinavian countries hadn't been very successful until ABBA won for Sweden with Waterloo in 1974.
Therefore Scandinavia decided to support each other in the votings to change this situation.
And the situation has changed, because Sweden won 4 and Norway 3 times although Norway has the all time Eurovision record in getting last place like this year. So we are used to it.
Denmark won with Olsen brothers. I like the song very much. Finland won with Lordi. I don't want to talk anything about this entry.

Bella, I agree on Lena Valaitis. A shameful example of Eurovision Song Contest voting.
Eurovision Song Contest fan Beat from Switzerland did a research on this and you'll hear from him very soon.
It's true what you said on Eurovision Song Contest 1958 and 1959.
They robbed Italy the victory crown twice, perhaps more often because Italy is my favourite in 1974 with Si. I like ABBA very much but Waterloo is their worst song.

Did you notice that the russian gammies only got 11th place from the jury votings but got  second place because of so many phone calls?
I had to laugh too when I saw their Stove dancing. This reminds me of Betty MacDonald's Stove.
By the way not only Stove was dancing during Eurovision Song Contest 2012.

Do you know that 14 international entries had been composed by swedish composers?
I ask myself: Do other countries have no composers of their own?

Anyway - my Eurovision Song Contest Top Ten is: 
Sweden, Serbia, United Kingdom, Estonia, Spain, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Ukraine and Russia.

I have several very interesting articles on Betty MacDonald and Mary Bard Jensen.

You can read my story in one of the next Betty MacDonald Fan Club Newsletters.

Kristin