The All-True and Accurate Confessions of Spike, Single Male: In Which Our Hero Notes the Most Compelling Eurovision 2011 Storylines

Well, today's the day, cats and ktitens. The first semifinal of Eurovision 2011 will begin in a few hours and we can't be more excited. And so without further ado, we present two of most compelling story lines from this year's competition and then what you really came for.

1. The Return of Dana International

While many contestants have attempted to win Eurovision more than once, only Johnny Logan from Ireland has actually succeeded. Two former winners will attempt the feat this year. First is Germany's Lena, who, if she won, would be the first back to back winner.

However, the more compelling storyline may be Israel's Dana International, who won a very tight three way race in 1998 with her song "Diva."

Dana is arguably one of the most famous transsexual celebrities in the world. When she was selected to represent Israel in 1998, many Orthodox Jews and other conservative groups attempted to void her participation. Upon winning, Dana commented "My victory proves God is on my side. I want to send my critics a message of forgiveness and say to them: try to accept me and the kind of life I lead. I am what I am and this does not mean I don't believe in God, and I am part of the Jewish Nation."

2. The End of the Big Four Curse

One of the critiques of Eurovision has traditionally been the problem of bloc voting; that is, countries that are politically aligned or share similar cultures will vote for each other, regardless of talent. Since each country's vote is weighed the same, the largest countries (also known as "The Big Four/Five"), namely France, the UK, Germany, Spain, and Italy (recently added), were unable to garner enough votes to secure victories.

Recently, Eurovision has introduced a jury system designed to arguably limit the effects of bloc voting. And perhaps it seems to be working. Germany's Lena won last year, the first Big Four/Five winner since 1997. And current betting odds (yes, you can bet on the Eurovision outcome) shows the most likely winner to be France, followed closely by the UK.

And that's enough for the stories. You've really come here for the music, so let's take a look at some of this year's entries.

"Corobon" - Nina (Serbia)

We're a fan of the 60s vibe. While it may not be Lordi, it's certainly fun.

"Popular" - Eric Saade (Sweden)

We didn't realize that Justin Bieber was competing. Then again, if this means The Bieb will be staying in Europe and not returning to our side of the pond for a while, we approve.

"Rockefeller Street" - Getter Jaani (Estonia)

The song most likely to crash the UK/France fight for first. It's catchy and it could have just enough girls, glitter, and pyrotechnics to send Blue packing.

"Lipstick" - Jedward (Ireland)