YoungWillz

Briefly Richard Nixon's Commerce Secretary, Peter G Peterson has died aged 91. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/peter-g-peterson-financier-who-warned-of-rising-national-debt-dies-at-91/2018/03/20/8593827a-2c51-11e8-b0b0-f706877db618_story.html?utm_term=.ca4be4e278d4 DDP pick.

Doesn't qualify for my theme team until next year...hang in there Mike....

It's Sir Richard Starkey....https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5855678/ringo-starr-beatles-knighthood-buckingham-palace/

Well, that's the fishermen sold out. Farmers haven't realised yet about the horrific cuts coming to their subsidies, because they will "be rich on the back of our new found self-sufficiency". But hey, we're getting control of our borders back. No, wait, there will be no border on Ireland and free trade through Dover to avoid Operation Stack. So no control over our borders, or certainly the freedom not to control them. No trade deal before 2020. So the EU push us off a cliff edge two years later. Why the hell don't we just leave in 2019?

Ivor Broadis....seems well enough to chat away to the *ahem* Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5520195/The-remarkable-life-Ivor-Broadis-Englands-oldest-living-player.html

Interesting you used a BBC regional obit for Edwards @Spade_Cooley, I'm assuming that was a placeholder til the real one came along.

Guardian Obit for Edwards: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/mar/19/lord-crickhowell-obituary

DDP pick Larry Kwong dies at 94: http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/larry-kwong-first-chinese-canadian-nhl-player-dies-at-94

However, "at the end of the day" is used to tremendous effect in the musical Les Miserables....

Carrington is doing a good job of outliving most of the others on the initial list. Doubt he'll live past Heseltine though, he's still looking like he could make a comeback!

Round Up #6 (Ant McPartlin hits girl with car - S and M TV Live? Special) Kate Wilhelm: Daily Mail Obit: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-5511079/Award-winning-author-Kate-Wilhelm-dies-89.html Nicholas Edwards: Guardian Obit: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/mar/19/lord-crickhowell-obituary Larry Kwong: Mail Obit: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-5523247/Larry-Kwong-Asian-pioneer-NHL-dies-Canada-94.html Peter G Peterson: Daily Mail Obit: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5524647/Peter-Peterson-billionaire-philanthropist-dies-91.html Katie Boyle: Sun Obit: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5858317/katie-boyle-dead-eurovision-song-contest-host-and-actress-passes-away-aged-91/ Louise Latham: Awaiting Obit. Bill Lucas: Daily Mail Obit: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5551715/Britains-oldest-Olympian-RAF-legend-dies-101-without-honour.html Carmel McSharry: Guardian Obit: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/mar/28/carmel-mcsharry-obituary Bernie De Koven: Awaiting Obit. Lys Assia: Daily Express Obit: https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/936570/Lys-Assia-dead-Eurovision-Song-Contest-winner-Switzerland-first-ever-death-94 Livia Rev: Awaiting Obit. Bill Maynard: BBC Obit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-43596854

Ivor Richard, Baron Richard, former MP for Baron's Court, died yesterday according to the official list of deceased Lords. http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/lords/deceased-lords/

Nicholas Edwards, Baron Crickhowell, died on 17 March. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-40582767

Stroll. Giddy. Egad.

Fatty Arbuckle and Buster Keaton having some cooking in The Cook (1918):

I call nonsense. In the westerns there were plenty of cowboys who rustled up a meal.

Phan Van Khai dies: https://en.vietnamplus.vn/former-pm-phan-van-khai-dies-aged-85/128019.vnp

Slaughter dead: https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2018/03/16/louise-slaughter-dies-congresswoman-house-representatives/431485002/

Author John David Morley has died aged 70. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thetimes-uk/obituary.aspx?n=john-david-morley&pid=188464736 Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_David_Morley

Meantime, happy birthday to former Secretary of State for Health, Frank Dobson. 78 today.

Former Tory MP for The Wrekin and thereafter Halesowen and Stourbridge, Warren Hawksley has reportedly died: http://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/news/16090111.Former_Tory_MP_Warren_Hawksley_dies/ Wonder when it was as he would have just turned 75.

I'm obviously at that age. Mum's last sibling and my aunt died this morning. Not really close, but sad news anyway as that's the end of that generation of the family. Amazing, Oldwillz and his sisters still kicking it large.

Big Six: Germany: plaintive well performed song - great message. Is it just a little too derivative with the music though? It's like I've heard it before...but the best of the big boys imo.... France: Left me cold. I understand the cleverness, but just over smugged itself. Italy: Very now about war, terrorism, and very understandable Italy would pop something up like this now. Has its time passed after Ukraine a couple of years ago? Liked it but not enough to vote for it. Spain: Sweet love song performed by a duo. How do those pianos keep playing when they get up though? Only kidding. Almost too sugary, but nice. United Kingdom: repetitive sing a long chorus and it really doesn't mean an awful lot. I've a bad feeling after seeing everything else that this is another fairly low ball. Portugal: well, they've gone down the same route as last year. Throaty young thing with pink hair sings softly. Actually strong on its own but there's better in the competition. And that's it. Depends how quirky and different Eurovish goes this year. Haven't decided where my tenners are going in the betting shop.....

Okayy....second semi finalists viewed. Much more diverse group of choons, but you can basically break them down into three or four categories. 1980s - yes, I felt I was being thrown back through time. Into this category fall Russia - completely dull and uninspiring ballad I felt - more a poke at last year's exclusion. Dull, dull dull. Australia - Kylie-esque pop. All that singing through the nose though...ugh. Will probably advance though. Sweden - this is disco trash guff. Likable, but didn't mean anything. Rock (N Roll) - more of these than I would have liked Hungary - shouty. Just very very shouty. No. Romania - Bonnie Tyler meets Kraftwerk via Guns N Roses. And slays them all stone dead. It's just too weird. Netherlands - They've gone Country N Western soft rock again. Nothing European about it. He who pays homage to Trump's America right now is a fail. Ethnic - regional frippery Serbia - so regional you could probably name the street it was written on. Hated it. Georgia - creditable harmonies and if you stick with it, it actually becomes quite listenable. But doesn't grab you straight away. Moldova - it's the whole dancing, oompah poppy type of ethnic. The kind that gets Moldova into a final. It's ok. Slovenia - rapping woman. This is odd. Strangely compelling. Go watch it. I don't know what to make of it. Eurovision - basically the rest. Norway have brought Alexander Rybak back. However, his poppy call and response song about how you write a song just doesn't have the charm of Fairytale. It'll do well though, he's Eurovish royalty. Poland have quite a good song, but the performance I saw was weak - nervous singing. Do that in the semi and they are out. My top three? 3. San Marino - two girls one sings, the other raps. Got a message and has dancing robots. What's not to like? 2. Denmark - oh my goodness. It was like something out of a film - song about the sea, I could almost taste the brine. Epic. Top Pick: Latvia - essentially a show tune, girl sings of spurned love. Early in the show though.... Didn't really want to go back and watch any of them again. Now for the Big Six.....

Yes, it's that time of year again. The entries are in and it's time to put them all together and have a dance through them. So, I've been through the first semi-final. If you were thinking of watching it, get espresso and uppers. It really is ballad city out there - and there's no point in blaming Portugal from last year, that was a really good song. First of all, let me start with those who have let me down. Belarus have gone for special effects, but the song really is a bit duff. Estonia are normally favourites of mine, but Italian Opera? Such a switch from the folky rock that eases them high on a finals leaderboard. They've gone too niche I feel. Let's move on to the "what the fuck was that?" song. Israel have some woman making clicking noises, followed by some chicken noises, a tiny bit of rap and a whole lot of crap. However, I do suggest you have a look at it, because the message is very now - female empowerment, don't mess with this girl. It's trending like a biatch, and I can only assume half like it and the other half are just laughing at it. A tad too gimmicky for me - but then remember the Russian grannies? Who knows? I like Bulgaria's message - love beyond mere flesh and bones, as a ballad it might get through, but not a contender for top 5 imo. Ireland have their strongest song for years - but the song feels as though it only has half the story to tell of lost love. Might struggle. Best of the slower songs I feel is Belgium - it's a complete song and has real feeling. My top three from this semi? 3. Austria - more a personal pick, again a ballad that gets stronger as it goes on, but it's a slow burn. Good soulful voice. Might not get through as it's early in the draw, but I like it. 2. Iceland - anthemic hymn type, with that message of love and unity, blah blah blah. A bit earnest, but should walk into the final no bother. Top pick: Czech Republic - the only song I went back to more than once. Up to this point, it's ballad, ballad, ballad....then on comes this lad, with trumpets, a cleaned up rap (apparently the swearing has been taken out), a pop chorus. Very very Eurovision and yet very very not Eurovision. You know, the kind that finishes 5th or better in a final. Anyway, just my personal view, and now off to watch the second semi entrants. Back soon.