2002-05-28 14:21

Gossip triple feature

Eurovision gossip

Ingrid says that Latvia was only in the song contest because Portugal dropped out. Extraordinary. It appears to be true, though - if you have a browser (like lynx) that ignores redirects you can check out the announcement on a Google cache of an EBU page. In French. (It's all very cloak and dagger, this, isn't it?)

Suite au d�sistement du Portugal et selon le R�glement du Concours Eurovision de la Chanson, il a �t� demand� � la Lettonie, le 27 ao�t, si elle d�sirait participer activement au CEC 2002. La Lettonie vient de confirmer sa participation.

Does anyone know why Portugal dropped out? Pretty please? There's just got to be a juicy story behind that, surely.

Bible gossip

A week ago I mentioned that I was reading the biblical account King David. Astonishingly, this Salon article suggests that there are those who have doubts about the historical accuracy of the Old Testament in general and its account of David in particular. And that Israel being what it is, and Middle Eastern politics being what they are, archaeology in the area can interact in interesting ways with ideology.

Princess gossip

Expressen reports that Sweden's princess Madeleine is fed up of all the rumours and gossip that's been circulating about her in trashy skvallerbladets like, um, Desbladet. Oops. (Actually, Svensk DAM is mentioned by name and Desbladet isn't, but that's a temporary condition.)

Sorry, Madeleine. Did you know, by the way, that she came to England to study in London last year? And then flounced off left because the papparazzi were hounding her? I mean, I'd be the first to admit that the British tabloids are a vile bunch of ambulance chasers who have no respect for anyone's privacy (and that that's a bad thing, since you ask) but surely this must have been common knowledge in Sweden, too?