My Kingdom for the Eurovision "Song" Contest

[lynsangelic1]

So first with an IOY update - Tonight or more likely tomorrow.  I may like to sleep on the final changes.  The final final changes.  *sigh*

Secondly, congratulations to Russia for winning Eurovision.  You have succeeded in winning the cheesiest, saddest contest in the known universe.  But I do love it when in the mood.  I was busy doing actual stuff tonight so I didn't sit through 2 hours of bad songs then an hour of voting.  I enjoyed it thoroughly last year when I collapsed coming in from work and couldn't physically move from the sofa.  I put on the subtitles so I could know what they were singing in english.  Much fun had by me.  Previous years I've ended up a Eurovision parties.  Also fun.  I've not heard any of the songs at all this year, though I'm sure they're utter guff with one or two which may actually be good but didn't have the geographical location and political friends to win.  Britain -I hope- got nil point.  I hope. [EDIT: Joint last on 14 points.  Yippee!] Perhaps then we'll try putting out something other than specially-tailored eurotrash shite dance pop.  Which will never win.  Idiots.  Ireland probably didn't try again this year because they're too skint to put on another Eurovision.  When someone told me this I was sure they were just referring to the Father Ted episode, but apparently it's quite true. 

(FYI, did you know that the President of Ireland makes more money than the US President?  It's roughly $425,000 to Bush's pittance of est. $400,000.  And the last two Irish Presidents have been women who've collectively been in office since 1990.  I'm informed by an Irish citizen that the job is mostly ceremonial with tie-breaker/balancing powers - I'd so be up for that)

Thirdly -

[The following is in response to this entry (http://community.livejournal.com/antitheism/925543.html#cutid2) which started off as a comment, which escalated into an essay which turned into a crusade.  It's just really a rambling collation of thoughts.]

I don't live in the US so my experience greatly differs, I'm not sure for better or worse.  In my head when I compare the UK to the US I always think that the US has overwhelming more religious conservatives and many places in the US don't really acknowledge separation of church and state.  ‘Hardy har,’ says I.  ‘Those Americans inflicting religion on everyone.’ 

But then I stop and think - I don't think we even *have* separation of church and state, at least not by law (Could be 100% wrong as I haven’t checked).  In Scotland, I believe the greatest number of schools would be either Catholic or “state.” (I say state schools so as not to confuse them with ‘public’ schools which are actually private schools in England – the English education system differs ridiculously greatly from Scotland.)

Catholic schools from the outset don’t seem subversive in their agenda.  They are a proper secondary school with all ranges of subjects, adhering to the Exam board guidelines but teach Personal Social Education slanted towards their morality and belief (i.e. Abortion lectures (sometimes in Biology, I’m told), abstaining from sex Vs. safe sex etc) and have solid Catholic religious education.  From friends I believe it’s often the case that you’d pray before meals and I believe the hall to be decorated with portraits or statues of saints.  You can happily attend Catholic school even if you are not Catholic – they have no right to refuse you and many consider the Catholic school in the area to have a better standard of education.

“State” schools, or “non-denominational” schools are not so – often referred to as ‘protestant’ schools.  I attended a medium sized three-town catchment “non-denominational” school.  In issues of social/personal education religious morality was not referred to, our biology classes on sexual education were just that – science.  We weren’t shown the infamous late stage Abortion video that many of my Catholic cousins and friends were treated to.  Our Religious Education classes throughout the compulsory non-examed 1^st-2^nd years and then optional standard grade and higher level had a curriculum widespread education on all religions – Islam, Silkism, Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism and so forth.  It was education on world religion and not a pulpit. 

Then in my 3^rd year they decided to make Religious Education a mandatory standard grade (Standard grades being the level for 14-15 year olds sat over two years in your 3^rd and 4^th years).  Before there were only two necessary standard grades: Maths and English.  In addition, we were the only school in the area with such a scheduling system that ensured pupils sat 8 standard grade examinations – Other schools had only 6 or 7 because their daily class times were different.  Taking Religious Education meant that my year were to sit 9 exams.  Taking centre stage of the SG year was Religious morality.

At the time I was completely outraged.  I was/am a staunch atheist who rejects the notion that No religious belief = No morality.  I did just fine on my own with own code of morals and needed nothing to ‘scare’ me into being a good person – which is what the teacher in question attempted: twisting the curriculum for 3^rd year R.E.  I believe that the actual curriculum of study was religious morality on issues such as euthanasia, abortion etc etc.  This particular teacher eschewed all other world religions in favour of her own and would preach to us, as opposed to teach. 

My beef wasn’t really with her, although I was annoyed that it was being instructed improperly.  It was just an overly useless decision by the administration.  So like any overachieving, argumentative, pain-in-the-arse little teen I started a petition to revoke the decision, putting forward the argument of unnecessary extra workload as we were sitting 2 or 3 more exams that our fellow teenagers across the district.  In addition, I said that if there should be a mandatory 9^th standard grade then it should be Computing which would better prepare students for the future as many with no computing skills would struggle in future employment.

After the 3^rd year informal examination they decided to overturn the decision and my year did not have to carry Religious Education forward to our fourth year.  We had the 3^rd non-regulated exam for a special worthless credit to round off the years work.  Except me.  I used my discursive essay (which was supposed to be regarding the Christian response to euthanasia) to discuss the case for and against the implementation of the RE compulsory class, as a last minute ‘What the Hell?’ gesture.  As I remember it, it was a good essay.  I was good at that back in the day.  I believe it went in the bin as nothing appeared on my end of year transcripts.  I thought there might be a big lovely FAIL but it just didn’t make an appearance.  Perhaps they were pretending they’d never seen it *grin*  That teacher did hate my rather capricious and outspoken nature.

 Anyway.  So off-point.  That was my experience fighting the power but has not overly much to do with religion in non-denomination schools.  In addition we attended church 4 or 5 times a year for beginning, middle, end, Easter and Christmas of year services as well as the occasional visiting missionaries handing out bibles to the godless children of the corn that attended my high school.  Unless you specifically belonged to another faith and had a letter to prove it, the church-going was compulsory.  I know - I tried many, many times to escape.  I do remember having to recite the Lords Prayer every morning in primary school, which is just a bit brain-washy when you consider that no one has any idea of what the fuck they’re saying at that age.  They just ramble some vague words about bread and debtors and hope no one notices. 

I’ve been talking to friends far flung and wide collecting information about their personal experiences either in state or catholic schools.  This issue’s going on my list, possibly before pro stem cell/hybrid embryo research as the hybrids were given the go ahead by Commons last Monday.  I’m such a geek with all this, but I fear I can’t help myself.