#still obsessed with Czechia though

[twotales]

Radek said fuck in show?

Yup. It's in Czech 🇨🇿 but imo it counts.

"Do prdele" it's an equivalent for "Shit" or "Fuck." He says it to John in the submersible jumper (Grace Under Pressure) and to Evan on the Daedalus. (No Man's Land.)

He says "Já se už na to můžu vysrat," to Rodney when he's in the chair being a dick. Basically he's saying "Fuck it" or "Fuck this." e.g. Rodney is being an ass so fuck this. (Tao of Rodney.)

I think that's all of them. Hopefully my Czech is still on point for these translations @all-mighty-yaoiyuri is the Czech who checks my Czech.

It's been awhile though! 💛💚

[rulers-of-hungary-tournament]

FINAL ROUND

Admin's commentary: It's impressive how thoroughly were these two able to beat everyone that ever got in their way. Now, it's the final clash of the titans, battle of the behemots... Who is the most legendary king Hungary ever had?

***

I.Mátyás (Matej I.); also known as Hunyadi Mátyás (Matej Korvín) 1458-1490

I mean, do I even have to say anything??? you know who this guy is right.

fought the Ottomans. supported arts and sciences. instituted important reforms. founded Academia Istropolitana. made Buda the capital and built the Buda Castle. gained the crown of Bohemia and stole territory from Austria. the man. the myth. the legend.

@deetherusalka said about him: "Lmao Bohemian crown snatcher, it's still so funny to me how in Czechia he's always presented as the evil himself and then everywhere else he's celebrated (which is not wrong imho! it's just funny how the narrative changes depending on perspective you learn about it)"

@durzarya said about him: #listen i love Mátyás király and i have voted for him#but my guy had some interesting policies#hilarious information about him: at 19 he captured Vlad Țepeș

@biksarddedrak said about him: #It's not even fight#It's just bloody beating#Matyás is remembered even in many historical legends as a good and just ruler#he reformed military and made the world fear Hungary#first profesional army#he managed to pay not only for the one for a THREE armies at a time#also his love with his wife Beatrice is a thing of a legends#The GOOD sort of legends#also I am completely obsessed with a way how his name is pronouced#seriously check that out it's hilarious#black army

@partialtotheperiwinkleblue said about him: "Seriously, who else has his own cartoon series and fairy tale genre?" #the goat#he did a lot of work for someone who was originally chosen as a figurehead at 14

I.István (Štefan I.) 1000-1038

unifier of the Magyar tribes and first crowned king of Hungary (the damn crown is named after him for fuck's sake)

a literal saint - though not because he was particularly nice, mostly because of the fact that he was the first Magyar leader to be a proper Christian (unlike his dad Géza, who did get baptized, but still retained some of the pagan customs); plus he actively spread Christianity among Magyars (founding of the first Hungarian bishoprics, the one church for every 10 villages rule etc.), for better or for worse

created the basis for later Hungarian administration, including the minting of first Hungarian coins and the first law code in Hungarian history

helped Byzantines conquer Bulgaria

infamous for imprisoning and blinding his cousin and successor Vazul (chronicles blame his wife's influence, but they're probably just being sexist)

@biksarddedrak said about them: "The only thing, what you actually need to know is he was crowned on 25. of December year of our Lord 1000. The absolute unit of this man managed to haggle the pope to elevate whole Panonian basin on the most easly memorabe day. (...) I. Istvám defended his right to rule from several pagan lords who wished to deposed him in the beginig of his rule. And he did it from glorious city of Nitra."

[mek-wazoski]

Ok so time for my top 10 from eurovision this year (including 1 that didn’t qualify cos I make the rules)

1. Czechia🇨🇿 I’ve been obsessed with this song for WEEKS deserved so much higher imo

2. Finland 🇫🇮 no offence to Loreen but Käärijä deserved to win 100% the clear people’s favourite also it slaps so hard

3. Moldova 🇲🇩 also a bit robbed tbh I love this song so much also Moldova always do fun stuff I love it

4. Austria 🇦🇹 so much fun! Also a really good message about how badly songwriters are paid, just wish they’d done a little more in the performance but still so good. Also going first really didn’t help them this time

5. Serbia 🇷🇸 ROBBED. Kinda reminds me of a mix of Aespa and Hatari in the best way.

6. Slovenia 🇸🇮 such a good song! Also robbed (you can probs see a pattern here in that most of my favs were robbed lol)

7. Iceland 🇮🇸 honestly the semi final performance really carried this one for me I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did (gave me big Christine and the Queen vibes (only the performance and look not the actual song))

8. Ukraine 🇺🇦 they send such good songs every year it’s no wonder they’ve always qualified.

9. Norway 🇳🇴 I really wasn’t a fan at first but then it grew on me a lot like it’s so eurovision, wish she did slightly more in the performance though

10. Belgium 🇧🇪 another song that really grew on me and gustaph seems like a really sweet guy he was so happy to be there

Anyway, congrats to loreen, she’s such a good singer and tattoo is a good song (not my personal fav but still good) but I just wish someone else (aka käärijä) got a chance to win since she’s already won

(Also saw someone say it might’ve been rigged (maybe not the entirely correct word but idk what else to use) to make Sweden host for the 50th anniversary of abba winning and….. I’m not saying I don’t believe it)

Until next year <3

[snapeingturtle]

My short comments on all the semi 1 songs before the show. I've listened to them all multiple times and seen some rehearsal clips. I also watched UMK and Melodifestivalen.

My opinions could be different after seeing the performances. In running order.

Norway 🇳🇴 - Queen of Kings had so much hype that it did get old for me at one point. Now it's making a comeback in my heart.

Malta 🇲🇹 - Apart from the sax solo this one is a little forgettable. Overall I would like them to be a bit more grand.

Serbia 🇷🇸 - The show clips look amazing and I hope he will deliver. Still a little unsure if I love the song or not but if the performance is amazing this could be in my top 5 at least.

Latvia 🇱🇻 - I love this. I don't remember the rehearsal clip so that could be an issue. Will make it on my moody playlist for sure though.

Portugal 🇵🇹 - The guitar slays, it's danceable, the vibes are impeccable. I remember seeing a clip from the performance but I only remember what she was wearing. That could be a problem.

Ireland 🇮🇪 - I usually like Ireland's entries but this one is disappointing. It's giving 2010's boyband and not in a good way.

Croatia 🇭🇷 - It's camp, it's memorable, I don't know what they're saying but the lyrics have enough repetition for me to sing along.

Switzerland 🇨🇭 - Good voice, song is really basic. Reminds me a bit of Arcade but doesn't have enough drama.

Israel 🇮🇱 - It's a basic pop banger. Not loving how the slower parts are inserted into the song. The dance break clips look great so performance-wise this one has a chance of winning my heart.

Moldova 🇲🇩 - My current obsession. Will probably vote for them. Love instrumental solos. This one gets me as hyped in the same way SHUM and Fulenn (my last year's ROBBED winner) did.

Sweden 🇸🇪 - It's Loreen. Love the song when listening to the playlist but in the Melodifestivalen performance it was missing something that makes me love it instead of like it. Maybe I'm just disappointed because I was hoping for something even better than Euphoria and Tattoo gets nowhere near it.

Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 - I don't like it. The chorus is growing on me but I wouldn't be disappointed if they didn't qualify for the final.

Czechia 🇨🇿 - I like it. The performance outfits are a downgrade from the music video outfits. If they can bring power to the performance I would want them to move forward to the finale.

Netherlands 🇳🇱 - One of my favourite ballads of the year. But the ballads are rarely if ever my absolute favourites. I like it though. It's nice.

Finland 🇫🇮 - Didn't vote for him in UMK because I wasn't sure if I liked the euro pallet show. It's grown on me. The song itself I loved ever since it was released, it makes me want to go clubbing and it is a dance floor filler in the clubs. I'm rooting for him to prove Finnish songs can succeed.

[lesbianshowercurtains]

My review of the first semi

Norway: honestly kinda disappointed in this performance, felt like it was missing some power. song's a banger though

Malta: I HATED this song before the semi. I loved the performance though, and I can appreciate it as a fun bop, a good time all round. fine with it nqing

Serbia: this song is made in the staging - they've done a great job with it, this is such a fun watch

Latvia: nonono bc I am the no1 sudden lights stan I am sobbing crying pissing myself they didn't get into the final

Portugal: I liked it before, but mimicat KILLED IT. so glad they got through, I didn't expect her to but she deserves it

Ireland: sounds like christian rock (derogatory)

Croatia: you don't understand, im OBSESSED. this is what eurovision should be

Switzerland: yes its got as much edge as a marble but I like it ok?? we all have our faults

Israel: I like the music video ironically for the high camp of her turning into a centaur. other than that its nothing special, v well made but generic

Moldova: one of my top 3 eurovision countries (along with portugal and andorra) kills it again. never misses

Sweden: the song's boring as hell, but loreen is such a fucking powerhouse of a performer that she carries it

Azerbaijan: again, I'm afraid I love it. gives rex orange county vibes. cute.

Czechia: great performance, glad they got through. still not as good as the music video

Netherlands: I'm sorry, I feel nothing.

Finland: it's crazy, it's party, it's the favourite for a reason. love my lime green son

[imjustli]

My ranking of the eurovision songs as of now, with comments

1. Slovenia - love Slovienia for sending boy band bangers two years in a row. This is probably the first esc song that genuinely has favourite song potential even outside the context of esc

2. Romania - I'd actually listen to this outside of esc too. His staging is so bad though. I honestly think it could take the n1 spot if it was better

3. Azerbaijan - I just fucking love this song

4. Latvia - Again, very similar to my actual music taste

5. Czechia - I can't explain the chokehold this song has on me

6. Netherlands - just really good 10/10

7. Moldova - I love a modern song with traditional elements. Or the other way around

8. Spain - idk it grew on me I love it now

9. Iceland - I think it would benefit from better staging, but aside from that I really enjoy it

10. Ukraine - my 15 year old self would have eaten this up. The little The Score stan left in me still does

11. Portugal - 10/10 vibes I sure like this

12. Denmark - don't get me wrong, I'd love to dislike this. Sadly I really like it

13. Ireland - this sounds like something my mom would listen to, but the kind I still enjoy

14. Australia - this also sounds like something my mom would listen to. I think they should've competed last year though, that song was better

15. Switzerland - I enjoy a good ballad

16. UK - good breakup song. I like it. It's kinda generic, so I doubt it's gonna get a lot of votes though

17. Estonia - again, I enjoy I good ballad

18. Norway - it's a great song, still feels overrated tho

19. Armenia - it's good, but it's the sort of song that is very double or nothing when performed live

20. Malta - this sounds like something I should love, but it's just a little wrong. Maybe it'll grow on me

21. France - so, it grew on me. Maybe it'll grow on me more

22. Belgium - catchy, but that's about it

23. Albania - I think it'll grow on me, but it's not there yet

24. Georgia - didn't stand out to me

25. San Marino - it's good but it didn't stand out to me

26. Serbia - I have a love-hate relationship with this song. The hate-part is leading 53-47%. This may change

27. Greece - didn't stand out

28. Cyprus - also didn't stand out to me

29. Austria - eh

30. Croatia - I'm usually not a fan of meme entries in the beginning, so I'm sure it'll grow on me

31. Israel - I just dont vibe with it, and it's kinda generic (also, why is she dressed like a raw steak in the video?)

32. Finland - Just not my type of rock. I honestly still hope it wins, even though I didn't particularly like it

33. Germany - this is also just not my type of rock. I genuinely think it's great Germany sent it though, probably the best chance they have had at winning in a while

34. Lithuania - I enjoy a good ballad. This one isn't particularly good. It's really funny that they sent a Monika L 2 years on a row tho

35. Sweden - sure it's an ok song, and I actually quite like Loreens music (but this is honestly one of her worse). I just believe we need to start flopping. Like so bad. We should suck for a bit, we could do with the humbling. Let's have a 10 year nonqualifing streak!

36. Italy - this one is gonna be so overhyped because people have a weird fucking obsession with Italy. It's alright, I guess

37. Poland - girlie can't fucking sing. The studio version is pretty good though, she needed the autotune

[mcknitface]

My top 10 in advance of the final

so. i've finally written and thought about my actual top ten songs going into the final. i've actually also compiled my top 40 and my tops for the semis, but that's a bit late now. i'll do them in advance of next year though!

so, here, with comments, is my top ten for the final

1 - DE DIEPTE - an amazing song, by an amazing artist. i'm british but very into the dutch alt-pop scene (a joke scott and rylan made on tuesday) and when S10 was announced i was so excited. this song is everything i wanted and more - she's changed her style to suit a wider audience, and the da-da-da-da oeh-oeh aa-aa really brings in non dutch speakers, essential for this competition.

2 - MEÐ HÆKKANDI SÓL - wasn't too keen on the first listen (morning of sunday 13th march) but by the evening of the monday i was obsessed. amazing meaning behind the lyrics, and icelandic is such a lovely language to listen to. when this was announced as a qualifier i almost screamed (had to not tho as i was in the queue for a club) as i had prepared for the worst.

3 - LIGHTS OFF - one of the first entries to be released back in december. i had covid at the time, was on day 8 of 10 of isolation, and this buoyed me through the last two days. a great dance bop, the revamp arguably isn't as good but i love the pause before the chorus. she's improved a lot as a singer as well, literally screamed when this qualified, amazing song.

4 - IN CORPORE SANO - watched it, was bemused, watched again, watched again, looked up the lyrics, obsessed. amazing concept, almost performance art, i cannot get enough of this. look up the rest of her triptych, it's amazing. the other songs are called nobl and mekano, and the fact she entered the serbian national selection only to broaden her songs' reach, not intending to win, is iconic.

5 - HOLD ME CLOSER - i don't really have much to say here, it's just a very good song. a powerful chorus? maybe that's what draws me into it and separates it from other ballads for me.

6 - SENTIMENTAI - lithuanian is a beautiful language and it's amazing to finally have a song in it in the final. the older feeling of the song lends it an elegance and from everything that i've seen monika is an icon. i'm mostly excited about the lithuanian, but it's a song that i can't help swaying to. again i was thrilled when this qualified as it was borderline

7 - FULENN - i am in love with this devil-summoning masterpiece. something different from france, and in one of their marginalised langauges, really make this stand out. i particularly like the vibration-esque part of the second chorus, after the "tria' a ra ar c'haoud". great to have some celtic language representation as well, it's a travesty that we've (in the uk) never sent a welsh entry.

8 - TRENULEŢUL - this is another one which came out fairly early. i can't help bopping along to this and i really hope it does well in the final. it's such a jolly song with a serious meaning behind it, and the music video is so fun. not sure what i think of the slight revamp - i will still listen to the original - but i understand why it was revamped for the stage.

9 - SNAP - a non-offensive song with a great staging (that's unaffected by the broken sun). i didn't really pay attention to this until the second rehearsal on youtube, but i really do like it. maybe not something i'll still be listening to in a year, but definitely one i want to see do well.

10 - LLÁMAME - a nice surprise qualifier from thursday. the song definitely works better when you can see it being performed, but nonetheless it's a great song, with great choreo, and we love us some bisexual representation.

in case anyone is interested, my original top ten was the netherlands, iceland, czechia, slovenia, serbia, sweden, latvia, croatia, lithuania and france. semi one was particularly painful - i'd like to have seen thirteen of those songs through (but only seven from semi two)

judge me as you will, and enjoy the final!

[maticide666]

my eurovision top 39 songs (finally)

anyway i finally got my top 39 completed. under a read more because it can get kinda long with the commentary i added klfdja;sflk (and by that i mean VERY long, maybe a wall of text if i have a lot to say about the song.)

none of this takes rehearsals into account.

basically, 39-37 i don't like, 36-35 are meh, 34-25 are decent, 24-18 are good, 17-12 i enjoy listening to a lot, 11-4 i love, and I would pay for votes for top 3 if i could.

39. Azerbaijan - Efendi - Mata Hari - Honestly, I kinda want to like this song. The instrumentation is nice, especially with the Azeri instruments. Efendi's vocals are ok during the verses. However, her vocals during the MA-MA-MA-MATA HARI part makes this song utterly unlistenable for me. It is just so distracting and ear-grating. Not great for my sensitive ears. And that is without taking anything else into account.

38. Estonia - Uku Suviste - The Lucky One - For some reason reminds me of a boring modern country song. Bland af. At least the melody of the chorus is nice.

37. Cyprus - Elena Tsagrinou - El Diablo - Discount Lady Gaga at the best points of this song. Feels like three songs at once. Also, the lyrics seem like they just went all "What Spanish-sounding words sound spicy? Taco? Tamale? Mamacita?" As a Spanish speaker and as someone of Mexican descent who enjoys those foods, this annoys the living shit out of me. At least I can make El Diablo/Fallen Angel memes out of this. (Honestly, I don't mind the gratuitous Spanish with the words El Diablo.) Also, this song got real old real quick.

36. Slovenia - Ana Soklič - Amen - The gospel vibe is nice, but there is just too much Christianity in it for me to enjoy this song. Sorry, Ana.

35. Moldova - Natalia Gordienko - Sugar - Sounds like a sugary version of Siren Song by MARUV. Kinda boring, but enjoyable in the right circumstances.

34. Georgia - Tornike Kipiani - You - Good to listen to when mind feels blank. At first I kinda liked this song, but nowadays this song has lost its charm. This won't sound out of place alongside boring 70s slow classic rock songs.

33. Austria - Vincent Bueno - Amen - Not something I would listen to regularly, but still nice. For me, easily the biggest downgrade from 2020.

32. Greece - Stefania - Last Dance - Pleasant to listen to, not much else.

31. Portugal - The Black Mamba - Love Is On My Side - Good song, but not my cup of tea. Unfortunately, some great songs have to be near the bottom of my ranking.

30. Germany - Jendrik - I Don't Feel Hate - A fun song to listen to. The novelty wears off after a while. The feel good vibes and ukulele are nice.

29. Israel - Eden Alene - Set Me Free - the song release version was bland and boring, but the revamp. Now THAT is good stuff. The song doesn't seem so empty anymore. I miss the key change from the original, though.

28. Spain - Blas Cantó - Voy A Quedarme - A very emotional and beautiful song from Spain. Again, not usually my cup of tea. However, the melody somehow gives me a nostalgic vibe.

27. North Macedonia - Vasil - Here I Stand - DAMN Vasil has a lovely voice. Nice that he's showing it off here. Too slow of a song for me to enjoy regularly, though.

26. Albania - Anxhela Peristeri - Karma - I don't have much to say other than this song is nice.

25. Bulgaria - VICTORIA - Growing Up Is Getting Old - Pleasant to listen to, but depending on my mood I think this is a beautiful song but not my cup of tea or a complete snoozefest.

24. Serbia - Hurricane - Loco Loco - Fun song, but it feels like something is lacking, and I can't quite put my finger on it.

23. San Marino - Senhit - Adrenalina - Once the initial hype from Flo Rida being on the song died down, this became another typical Eurovision bop.

22. Sweden - Tusse - Voices - At first I thought the song was completely unremarkable and couldn't understand how this won Melodifestivalen. Nowadays it's a nice song to chill to. I gotta respect a perfect televote score from the national final.

21. Ireland - Lesley Roy - MAPS - nice.

20. Croatia - Albina - Tick Tock - Grew on me slightly. Shoutout for including a verse in Croatian.

19. Switzerland - Gjon's Tears - Tout l'Univers - Another grower for me. Doesn't hit as hard as his song from last year, but I dig it.

18. France - Barbara Pravi - Voilà - Lovely chanson right here. I wish it didn't take forever to pick up, though. I was about to completely give up on this song in the middle of my first listen. I'm glad I didn't.

17. Belgium - Hooverphonic - The Wrong Place - Classy. Not much else to say.

16. Ukraine - Go-A - Shum - I'd definitely go rave to this song. I kept finding this song hard to rank due to the white voice. I couldn't decide if I absolutely adored it or if I found it grating. Maybe I just wasn't feeling well when I first thought about it.

15. Lithuania - The Roop - Discoteque - Lots of fun, doesn't have the charm that On Fire had last year. I would dance to this song.

14. Poland - RAFAŁ - The Ride - I actually kinda like this song???? Even with Rafal's vocals??? I know he has political controversies, but I can't help but think this song is nice. A better, less controversial singer would benefit this song, though. I'm not counting the revamp just yet since it was released too recently.

13. Latvia - Samanta Tīna - The Moon Is Rising - This song gives me nostalgic mid to late 2000s hip hop vibes. The guitars in this song are lovely.

12. Romania - ROXEN - Amnesia - Definitely something that can put me in a trance if I'm in the right mood.

11. Czechia - Benny Cristo - omaga - Nice, catchy, I would dance to this.

10. Malta - Destiny - Je Me Casse - Damn, Destiny has a lovely voice! And the song itself is wonderful. I'm not a fan of the amount of Swedish talent being used instead of Maltese talent, but I really do enjoy listening to this.

9. Denmark - Fyr og Flamme - Øve Os På Hinanden - another really fun song! This really grew on me. Nowadays if I want to listen to a Eurovision song, this is one of the first songs I think of.

8. The Netherlands - Jeangu Macrooy - Birth of a New Age - I can vibe with this. You can hear the passion in this song. I wish I could let my body do the talking right now, but y'all can't see that with just a tumblr text post.

7. Russia - Manizha - Russian Woman - I was NOT expecting this to come out of Russia when it won the national final. I wasn't expecting to like this either. The message is great, the instrumental is great, everything about this is brilliant.

6. United Kingdom - James Newman - Embers - A funky song. I LOVE James's voice. Massive upgrade from last year in my opinion. I'm a sucker for brass in an upbeat song. Unfortunately, I have had the staging kinda spoiled and I am VERY skeptical about this coming out of bottom five. I'm done with the BBC.

5. Australia - Montaigne - Technicolour - There is a Lot happening in this song and I am all in for it. I'm kinda terrible at parsing lyrics, but it's a non-issue when I can follow Montaigne's voice and forget about the lyrics. Ironically enough, it's Montaigne's voice that also worries me this Eurovision season - mostly whether she was able to pull off her live on tape performance off.

4. Iceland - Daði og Gagnamagnið - 10 Years - I didn't think Daði could pull it off against this year, but he did it. I like this just a little more than Think About Things, which was my favorite song last year. I'm still a little gutted that this pandemic robbed him of a probable victory, but I've made peace with it. I still need to learn the dance moves, though.

3. Italy - Måneskin - Zitti E Buoni - FUCK YEAH A KICKASS ROCK SONG IN EUROVISION! This song gave me massive rock en español vibes on my fist listen, and honestly this is something I would bang my head to if I had the same body I did when I was 15.

2. Norway - TIX - Fallen Angel - I was not expecting to like this song much, let alone becoming THIS obsessed with TIX. In fact, he wasn't even on my radar for winning MGP. I listened to Ut Av Mørket for the first time and thought something like 'this is boring af, but at least it's in Norwegian'. And then he changed it to English, which I wasn't a fan of at first. And then one day the lyrics clicked - especially with my own struggles with mental illness. To this day this is one of only two Eurovision songs to actually make me cry. Even now he still isn't my MGP winner (that honor goes to JORN), but he has definitely won my heart.

1. Finland - Blind Channel - Dark Side - To say that this song kicks ass would be an understatement for me. This song has just the right mix of rock, pop, and even metal. Ever since I found out that this song would be in the national final, I knew that it would be my favorite this whole Eurovision season regardless of who won UMK. Yes, my jaw dropped when I saw the lead Blind Channel had in UMK. I literally cancelled my plans to watch the MGP final live because of these guys. I am not disappointed. Even Måneskin couldn't bring these guys down in my ranking. And while the lyrics might be a bit iffy, they did get me through rough times. I hope these guys are able to bring rock music back like they want to. But for now, I will give them my (useless tbh) douze points.

[wrsworlddomination]

eurovision 2021 top

places 1-5 i absolutely adore, 6-23 i enjoy, 24-36 i don't care about and 37-39 i absolutely despise

Italy - there's a reason we're all obsessed with Måneskin

Finland - just like with Italy, i love screaming along to angry rock songs

Ukraine - Shum is literally like crack to me now

Iceland - i am not immune to pretty back up singers

Russia - yes being Romanian requires me to hate Russia but Manizha is the ONLY exception

Switzerland - this used to be much higher but the Måneskin brain rot has made me really mean

Romania - my liking this is 40% patriotism, 30% love for mental health messages and 30% sapphic feelings

Netherlands - THIS FUCKS AND DID NOT DESERVE THE TREATMENT IT GOT

Sweden - yes, Sweden sends the same song every year but that's because it's GOOD

Croatia - the number one esc 2021 girl bop

Bulgaria - this literally feels like a hug

Ireland - the first time i heard this i couldn't stop thinking about it for the rest of the day

Serbia - i hated this at first but that staging awakened something in me

Czechia - how have they managed to send different variations of fuckboys each year since 2018

Lithuania - major letdown but still slaps

France - see Switzerland

Cyprus - yeah i am a simp what about it (that part where she sings "mama mamacita tell me what to do"?? YEAH)

Germany - idk man this is just pure happiness

Malta - see Switzerland

Israel - yeah the country sucks but Eden has nothing to do with it and her song is GOOD

Greece - i am really surprised i don't hate this

Albania - something about Anxhela's stage presence just hits HARD

Latvia - a friend converted me into supporting it last minute and WOW WAS I LET DOWN

Austria - this does nothing for me

Denmark - look i get it but we just don't vibe

UK - an unexpected bop

San Marino - i see red every time i see Flo Rida's name on this

Slovenia - too much religion for me sorry

Moldova - i have no words for how much i dislike this

Norway - this is purely because of my Tix hatred

Poland - good song, wish the singer could sing

Spain - so boring not even the giant moon can save it; the vibes are immaculate though

Estonia - i have no recollection of this

Australia - this is just embarrassing

Portugal - look i sound just like him when i sing and i've been told all my life i'm a horrible singer so what's his excuse

Georgia - go girl give us nothing

Belgium - wow milf disease hit u hard guys

Azerbaijan - everything i have to say about this is extremely ugly so let's not go there

Macedonia - ok mr disney prince go off

[ask-hws-slavs]

Ask box is now open!

I wanted to draw the rest of the Slavs like Bulgaria Serbia etc but I was just,,, super tired lmao, but I'll draw them next time!!

My versions of these characters are slightly tweaked from Hetalia canon?? not super much but I just implemented some of my hcs, which hopefully I'll get to explore through the ask blog!

ANYWAY, MOST IMPORTANT INFO:

Czechia: She is the ‘older’ sister of Poland and aside from Ukraine, the most responsible of the bunch, at least, she looks like it. She always puts up a very serious and professional demeanor but in actuality shes chaotic like her siblings and loves to hang out with them and do stupid things, but she would never admit it, because she has worked very hard for what she has now and doesn't want to lose that respect due to fooling around too much.

Poland: He is basically the same as in canon bUT much more depressed lmao. Dude doesn't sleep much and even though he hides it well, he's a really sad dude and still bitter about a lot of things, but he plays it off cause “its, like, totally fine!” Also, his hair is shorter because I hc that all the satellite states and USSR countries had their hair cut during the communist era, so his hair is still growing back, same with Czechia and the rest of the squad.

Russia: Russia is also pretty much the same as in canon but... sad lmao. He is trying to turn a new leaf but it's hard because of all that has happened in the past, but he acts like it doesn't bother him at all. He has pretty tense relationships with all of his family though, and that makes him quite lonely, but he doesn't want to show it, and all the Slavs are pretty good at hiding their true emotions.

Ukraine: She is the mom of the group and deserves rest!!! Shes basically just as in canon, she is sweet and kind and loving and is basically the eldest and takes care of everyone, but she's also very tired, often feeling that her siblings use her kindness against her to use her. She worries about it, but her family means the world to her, so she just tries her best to deal with whatever comes her way.

Belarus: Just like in canon she is kinda scary and clings to Russia but... not in a psycho way?? Like there's more to her than just being obsessed with Russia. She is quieter and more into herself than the rest, and much more visibly aggressive when something ticks her off. She loves her family very dearly though, especially Russia, but is just very bitter and also just... a more solitary country than the rest and that's fine! They all love her and don't push her to act any certain way.

Slovakia: He s the youngest of this group but not by much. He is quite laid back and has become Poland and Czechia's brother over time (I might explain how I hc family relationships and how they form between countries in another post). He is quite laid back and enjoys playing pranks on the other countries, enjoying his time as his own country after being with Czechia for so long in his life, and he uses that independence to have fun and chill out!

I wanna develop them further ofc and stuff but I'm just really excited to hopefully do some stuff with them cause I really love the Hetalia Slavs and think they deserve way more and are really fun to play around with! Sooo yeah ask box is open and ready for use! <3

[portable-rock]

i watched Daisies again last night and this time i was so severely disappointed by the film. i understood why i liked it last time—it was fun, exhilarating, unlike any film i had never seen, visually inventive—but now i realised it was quite flat. i went through my notes and saw that i said it was 'the sort of film that a lot of liberal feminist artists aspired to create in their works with the ‘female gaze’ but failed to do so'. but now i think it actually takes the concept to its logical conclusion and inadvertently reveals the flaws of such an approach. the result of the chaos on display here is ultimately nothing, this is a film that exists purely out of spite, it feels empty and nihilistic, it is rebellion that fails to acknowledge the causes of the problems around them.

the scholars who have attempted to contextualise it within a modern feminist lens always point to how authority is masculine and thus being 'messy or chaotic' is feminine. but i think this isn't true. in fact being chaotic is not an inherent part of being a woman, it is the result of class oppression. the characters in the film are no more liberated by choosing to cause chaos, in fact (as the ending perhaps suggests and gets ignored) they suffer either way.

but there is a larger question also of why this film in particular was the one that made Věra Chytilová well-known or became a symbol of the Czechoslovak New Wave. almost every article i read dives into how people are shocked a film like this could come out of a Communist country when in fact Czechoslovakia at the time was undergoing a massive period of liberalisation, which is why the films of Czechoslovak New Wave were allowed to exist in the first place. (also the claims that she was not allowed to make a film after this are also wrong because she made Fruit of Paradise right after which came out a year after Prague Spring). actually, i think it's fine Věra Chytilová made such a film, she did so as a response to the society she lived in, but to take these films outside of this context, especially to lionise it as an act of punk cinema, is a mistake:

An interesting question arises as to what extent Chytilová’s anti-consumerist criticism also addressed Western societies. While Czechoslovak filmmakers of the second half of the twentieth century did have some idea about social and cultural developments in the West, they primarily reacted to the political and social reality of their own societies. In this day and age, in the era of the internet and global social networks, it is perhaps difficult to realize how isolated the Eastern European societies were from the outside world, and not just linguistically. In the first half of the 1960s, it was almost impossible for Czechoslovak citizens to travel even to East Germany, and in the 1970s and 1980s it was extremely difficult for Czechoslovaks to obtain permission to travel, even for short periods of time, to the West. Thus, it must be emphasized that Chytilová primarily reacted to the situation in her own country, acting as a responsible citizen, always trying to improve the status quo, or at least to start a debate.¹

in fact, after her eight-year ban which ended when she pleaded to the West to pressure the president into allowing her to make films again, Věra Chytilová had actually made several films. she made on average about one every two years until her death, they are all from my understanding satires about society. in one of her later films, she criticises Czechoslovak society again, this time she suggests people should be working together more rather than being focused on themselves:

In Emergency (Kalamita, 1981) Chytilová continues criticizing greed, selfishness and cynicism of Czechoslovak society of the 1970s and 1980s. The film is a story of a young man who leaves university without graduating because he feels he wants to achieve something meaningful in “real life”. He becomes a train engine driver on a branch line in the mountains, but he cannot really achieve anything due to the extreme levels of self-obsession and selfishness of all the people around him. His final train drive ends in a calamity when the train is buried in an avalanche. This is a metaphorical warning by Chytilová who argues that when people in a society are obsessed with their own individual needs, they lose their ability to act together to mitigate the impact of shared problems – the result is a catastrophe.¹

even more, to claim that she's some sort of hero against 'the suppression of free speech under communism' is wrong too, because after Czechoslovakia split (the ‘Velvet Divorce’) and Czechia became capitalist, she and other New Wave filmmakers vocally criticised the privitisation of the film industry:

State-owned Czechoslovak cinema was privatized after the fall of communism, despite protests by many famous Czech filmmakers of the 1960s, including Chytilová herself. Political oppression was gone, but commercial pressures immediately arose. What is more, Chytilová remained a highly critical commentator with regard to what was happening in the post-communist era and this did not go down particularly well, especially in the first years after the collapse of communism when everyone was expected to applaud the new “capitalist” regime.¹

her post-Czechoslovak films, which criticise the transition to capitalism, are largely ignored outside of Czechia. she even made a film called The Inheritance or Fuckoffguysgoodday (which i think is meant to be more like 'Fuckyoubye') about life after the transition and the objectification of women:

The film’s main character, Bohumil Stejskal, is a lazy country bumpkin who suddenly inherits several valuable properties thanks to the post-communist restitution laws. The film is a study of the childish, yet good-natured uncouthness of a loudmouth, an analysis of a human being who cannot come to terms with his sudden freedom and wealth, which has come upon him unexpectedly. Like several other post-communist films, this one is also a reminder that the fall of communism and the general spread of pornography and sex for money have made it possible for some men to realize their most chauvinistic ideas about using women. Chytilová’s Inheritance is dealing with the haphazard, unjust and chaotic nature of life after the fall of communism. It analyzes truly demotic processes and notes the sudden degradation in mores which was brought about by the unexpected arrival of freedom.¹

to be honest, i don't think she's a great figure to worship anyway. i think her views often contradict each other, they are cynical and misanthropic. to me, she is largely inconsistent and simply responds to and rebels against her surroundings without really digging deeper into why things are the case. despite the message of Emergency above, she is quite like every other self-professed provocateur who still calls herself an individualist and says her worldview just comes from disdain for other people:

Her steam rising, she explains that she does not believe in feminism per se, but in individualism. "If there's something you don't like, don't keep to the rules - break them. I'm an enemy of stupidity and simple-mindedness in both men and women and I have rid my living space of these traits."²

she considers other people weak and insufferable and enjoys being compared to figures like Margaret Thatcher—she makes it clear she doesn't share her politics, just her contempt for everyday people:

Her abrasive manner has earned her the moniker the Margaret Thatcher of Czech film, and she appears quite flattered by the comparison - though she swiftly adds that they have nothing in common politically. "People are generally weak, cautious and frightened of being embarrassed, whereas I'm merciless and impertinent."²

also she's proud of abusing her workers, apparently:

Film-making with Chytilova is by all accounts a harrowing experience. She shouts and screams, and gleefully admits to beating up her cameramen when they prove unwilling to try out new ideas.²

in fact, with all of this in mind, it becomes very clear why bourgeois/individualist feminists love a figure like her so much. by simply watching Daisies and ignoring the rest of her filmography and simply skimming some of her biography, and by buying into the anti-Communist mythology that comes with it, she is of course compatible with the sort of 'boss-bitch' ideology of bourgeois feminism, she appears to fully embody it.

¹ https://eefb.org/retrospectives/The-Films-of-Vera-Chytilova

² https://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/aug/11/culture.features2

[armeniaitn]

Emerging Europe this week

New Post has been published on https://armenia.in-the.news/economy/emerging-europe-this-week-29339-03-07-2020/

Emerging Europe this week

Central Europe

The downturn in central European manufacturing eased markedly in June as economies reopened after the coronavirus lockdown, surveys showed on Wednesday, but the sector was still some way from returning to growth. Manufacturing output plunged as the pandemic brought many plants to a standstill in March and April. Restrictions started to be eased in May. While economists say the worst has passed, central banks and governments in Poland, Hungary and Czechia forecast gross domestic product will shrink by three to eight per cent in 2020.

Croatia is holding a parliamentary election this weekend amid a coronavirus outbreak and with no clear winner in sight. The ballot on July 5 will take place as Croatia, like other parts of Europe, contends with a renewed spike in reported virus cases that followed the reopening of borders and easing of lockdown rules. The country’s current conservative government, which initially handled the public health crisis relatively successfully, is seeking continued support from voters. But polls have suggested a liberal coalition has a slight lead over the ruling Croatian Democratic Union.

Romania’s government on Wednesday laid out its post-Covid recovery plan, promising 100 billion euros of investment to reboot the economy. The plan includes investment in infrastructure, as well as grants and state aid schemes for a variety of companies and industries. The government said its goal was to increase Romania’s GDP members to 87 per cent of the European Union average by 2025. Romania will receive 33 billion euros from the EU’s 750 billion-euro Covid-19 recovery fund.

French hospitality group Accor said on Thursday it aims to open up to 50 hotels under several brands in the coming years in Romania. The company is actively looking for opportunities in the market and plans to open seven new hotels this year in Romania, it said in a press release announcing a partnership for a new ibis hotel near Bucharest’s main airport Henri Coanda. “Accor aims to consolidate a network of 45-50 hotels in Romania under different brands in the coming years. We are actively looking for opportunities in the market, so that we can offer owners and potential investors our full support, the tools that we have at our disposal, as well as our distribution network and expertise,” said Accor Eastern Europe head of development Frank Reul.

Austrian high-tech firm S&T said this week that it had agreed a deal to acquire Slovenian information and communications technology provider Iskratel Group for 37.5 million euros. Kranj-based Iskratel provides ICT to operators of telecommunications, railway and energy networks, as well as to the industrial automation sector.

Czech state-owned hard coal mining group OKD has shut all of its mining operations for six weeks as it battles an outbreak of coronavirus infections. The mines, in the country’s east near the Polish border, have been the Czechia’s main hot spot of new cases in the past few weeks. OKD supplies the northeastern Czech industrial region, near the borders with Poland and Slovakia, with 4 million tonnes of coking and thermal coal per year.

Mate Rimac, the Croatian founder of high-performance electric car maker Rimac Automobili has criticised Croatia’s “obsession” with EU funds. “We’re all looking at this European bag of money and trying to grab a bit of it, and that’s a problem. I think we expect too much from EU funds and that we invest too much time and effort in withdrawing that money, instead of turning to building our own businesses and seeking private investment,” said Rimac.

Bulgaria’s professional football league was fined just 3,000 levs (1,534 euros) following numerous social distancing rules violations during the country’s domestic cup final on Wednesday. Thousands of CSKA Sofia and Lokomotiv Plovdiv fans broke rules for occupying every second row and every second seat in the stands, and refused to wear protective face masks at the Vasil Levski national stadium in Sofia.

Eastern Europe

The International Monetary Fund urged Ukraine on Thursday to maintain the independence of the central bank after Governor Yakiv Smoliy unexpectedly resigned, citing “systematic political pressure”. The negative fallout from Smoliy’s resignation prompted the finance ministry to say it was not going ahead with a planned offering of dollar-denominated Eurobonds. Smoliy’s resignation from the National Bank of Ukraine risks derailing a five billion US dollar deal agreed with the IMF last month to fight an economic slump exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Armenia’s economy will contract by four per cent in 2020 due to the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic, but is expected to recover and grow 5.5 per cent next year, Martin Galstyan, the country’s central bank head, said on Tuesday. The central bank had previously forecast a contraction of 0.7 per cent this year after growth of 7.6 per cent in 2019. The worst-affected sectors of the economy are services and construction as well as international tourism, Galstyan said while presenting the bank’s quarterly inflation report.

The World Bank Group has approved a 45 million euros loan for Georgia to help the country mitigate the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The World Bank said that the loan was the second in a series of three lending operations as a part of its broader support for Georgia. The first was a financial support package worth 80 million US dollars provided to address the health and social impact of the pandemic, while the third tranche will focus on small and medium enterprises and jobs affected by Covid-19.

Workers on Azerbaijan’s Bahar and Gum-Deniz oil and gas fields have reportedly been threatened with dismissal if they do not sign contracts reducing their salaries by 20 per cent. Employees also claimed not to have been paid for the last two months. Mirvari Gahramanli, the head of the Committee for the Protection of Oilmen’s Rights, a Baku-based NGO, said that oil firm Bahar Energy – which owns the rights to 80 per cent of the Bahar and Gum-Deniz fields – was violating Azerbaijani labour legislation.

North East Europe

Latvia says it has banned the state-controlled Russian television channel RT for as long as network head Dmitry Kiselyov remains on the European Union’s sanctioned persons list for his alleged role in promoting propaganda in support of Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.  Along with being a news executive, Mr Kiselyov is a widely-known journalist and a TV presenter in Russia. He is subject to sanctions in all EU territory. Latvia said it would inform media regulators in other EU member nations of its decision and is urging them to also ban RT.

Russia has told the UN atomic watchdog there have been no nuclear incidents on its territory that could explain elevated but still harmless levels of radioactive particles detected on the Baltic Sea last week, the UN agency said on Tuesday. A separate body, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), which watches for nuclear weapon tests, last week said that a monitoring station in Sweden had found higher-than-usual levels of caesium-134, caesium-137 and ruthenium-103. The CTBTO said they were produced by nuclear fission.

NATO has put a defence plan for the Baltic states and Poland into action after Turkey dropped its objections, officials from Lithuania, Poland and France have said. The plan for Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, details of which are classified, was drawn up at their request after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. It was approved at a NATO summit in London in December. But Turkey did not initially allow NATO chiefs to put the plan into action unless they recognised the Kurdish YPG militia in northern Syria as a terrorists.

Even though Lithuania’s economy stood up to the initial shock of the coronavirus pandemic relatively well, the real fallout from Covid-19 will be felt in the autumn, a presidential advisor said on Thursday. “The economic fallout of the pandemic is likely to manifest itself the most in fall through a higher level of unemployment and stalling export markets,” Simonas Krėpšta told the LRT Radio. The country’s unemployment rate has already started to climb, he added. “The processes in the economy are rather inert. We see what is going on in our export markets, in the European Union, which is expected to suffer one of the biggest economic downturns since World War 2,” Krėpšta said.

South East Europe

The near-term outlook for the Albanian economy remains challenging, reflecting the significant impacts from the November 2019 earthquake and the Covid-19 pandemic, said the International Monetary Fund this week following a staff visit to the country. As in other parts of the world and reflecting Albania’s dependence on tourism and remittances, the economy is expected to contract sharply in 2020 and see a rebound in 2021. The IMF also expressed concern over plans to exempt all small businesses from profit tax and VAT.

Serbia has tightened Covid-19 restrictions again after recording its highest spike in coronavirus cases since April. Three hospitals in Belgrade, after a break of just a month, have been transformed back into coronavirus-only facilities. “The beds fill up at an express speed as soon as they are made available to patients with Covid-19,” a doctor from one of the hospitals told news agency AFP. After coming through the first wave of the epidemic in early May, Serbia has seen a resurgence in the number of cases, officially rising from around 50 daily infections a month ago to more than 350 on July 2.

Zijin Bor Copper, the Serbian unit of China’s Zijin Mining Group, plans to invest 1.12 billion euros in capacity and equipment overhaul, as well as environmental and safety improvements at the Bor mining complex, deputy managing director Simon Ling said this week. “In a year and a half since we took over RTB Bor, we have invested about 600 million euros. We believe in the future of the company in Serbia and we do not intend to reduce the investment,” added Mr Ling.

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s autonomous Bosniak-Croat Federation on Tuesday raised 50 million Bosnian marka (25.5 million euros) through an auction of 12-month treasury bills, aimed at helping it plug budget gap and finance maturing debt, the Federation’s finance ministry said.

The European Commission said it has presented to the European Union member states the draft negotiating frameworks for North Macedonia and Albania, thus paving the way to the formal opening of the accession negotiations with each country. The proposals – which establish the guidelines and principles for the accession negotiations with the candidate countries – were built on a revised enlargement methodology aimed to make the accession process more credible, with a stronger political steer, more dynamic and predictable, the Commission said in a statement on Wednesday.

Read original article here.

[eurosong]

Eurosong's ESC '17 ranking and commentary

Good afternoon, folks! The clock is ticking down to the final and it's now about that time of the year where I unleash my commentary on all the songs. I tried to limit myself to a few sentences per song, but since there´s 42, this will doubtless be considered by some as a big read. Tongue in cheek in part but very candid about my views on some of the songs - don't proceed if you don't want to see a few songs savaged. As the ancient Romans said, de gustibus non est disputandum, and these are just my views and tastes.

1 Portugal From which planet did this extraterrestrial talent come and why do his people want to break our hearts so exquisitely? I cannot speak highly enough of these three perfect minutes of melancholy, longing, and yet, at the same time, love and hope. This performance speaks to the soul so intimately. It is a pure and timeless composition that I feel like I've known all my life, but have been waiting all this time to hear. Extraördinary and twelve cuts above everything else in the contest in my eyes. 2. Hungary How I love the fearless Magyars and their tendency to dance to the beat of their own drums, sending things that sound like nothing else in the contest. This is one of the most emotional performances in the contest and certainly one of the most meaningful lyrics - talking about the prejudice he faced as a Romani and the salvation he found in songwriting. The music is a sui generis blend of rap, traditional folk and other elements - and the pure passion invested into the lyrics and their delivery gives me goosebumps. 3 Belarus This is what three minutes of unshackled, care-free joy sounds like. Naviband are adorable, their chemistry pure, and their song is so full of joie de vivre. I feel like I’m out in the primordial forests of Belarus hearing the call of the ancients. 4 Armenia Another nation keen to exhibit its traditional music in curious new blends is Armenia, who this year bring us something that sounds at once distinctly Caucasian and East Asian. A curious mélange of genres and influences make this almost as far as you can get from the tired "Melfest reject" mould. I love the non-linearity of this song, and the æthereal feel that makes the song feel like a forgotten psalm to the gods. Great effort. 5 Iceland If you combine dark but infectious electro beats with some of the most subtly meaningful lyrics of the contest, you get this, in my book, one of Iceland's best contributions to the contest in some time. Svala's song is very personal to her and, through an extended metaphor, talks about struggling with accepting yourself for who you are. A very underrated track in my eyes.

6 Czechia Speaking of underrated, we have the perennially undervalued Czechs sending us one of the most understated and sincere offerings this ESC. Czechia's is a very subtle song about strength in adversity and human connection. The music is very pleasant, and the lyrics are sung with heart. 7 Belgium No matter the disastrous reaction to the rehearsals, City Lights remains for me one of the most unique and meaningful pieces in the contest this year. Whilst last year they sounded like a 90s girl group trying to emulate the 70s, this is year 3000, futuristic cool. There is a powerful minimalism in the lyrics that lets their many nuances sink in. "Are we going to lose it all?" 8 Romania You get instant ESC-snob credit by disavowing this Romanian effort, which on paper - a yodel-rap about breaking away from the 9 to 5 - sounds like it should be a ludicrous mess. But you won't see me doing anything but praising it as it is an instant ray of sunshine in a song. I love how much Alex and Ilinca, an incredibly cute pair, love their song and how they put their heart into each performance. I feel lifted up to the Alpine heights by each listen. 9 Azerbaijan For the first time ever, Azerbaijan stand to get into my top 10. They’re still raising my hackles by importing music from Sweden, but this time they’ve picked a credible and glacially cool artist with a mystifying and dark composition about obsessive love. A step in the right direction. 10 Italy The bookies’ favourite by far, and I can understand why - Francesco exudes cheeky chappie charisma and his song is one that can appeal across generations. Why only 10th then from this bonafide Italophile? I always found the chorus of the song to be very dated, sounding like the theme tune of an early 90s quiz show, whilst the verse and bridge has a much more monumental, anthemic air. I was more able to overlook the repeats of the chorus before they made disastrous cuts and excised most of the first verse and all of the second verse, leaving a song that is still fun, but a lot more repetitive. 11 Netherlands I’m honestly amazed that O’G3ne, a band with such a ridiculous name and a dubious pedigree, are on the cusp of my top 10 this year. They sing songs that are so dated that they wouldn’t have counted as fresh even in the early 90s. And yet, their song has a certain child-like naïveté in its lyrics about their ailing mother that it makes it unbelievably moving. 12 France A nice enough song from France this year, but nowhere near as good as Amir last year in my eyes. What really took the song down a notch was the clunky addition of unneeded, comparatively cacophonous English lyrics, which replaced the existentialist French chorus of the original with some throwaway clichés. 13 Macedonia Some fans consider the Macedonian entry fresh despite its reminding me of 3-4 different 80s’ songs blended together. What it is though is catchy and kitschy in a fun way. I have doubts about the live performance given her scandalous playback in London, though. 14 Finland As Holly Brewer  sang, “I wish I loved you more.” I should love a song like this, but instead I don’t enjoy it as much as I might because I feel they put a distance between themselves and the audience not fitting for such an emotional song. 15 Ukraine It’s no secret that I’m a rocker, but unfortunately, a lot of the rock at the contest has been sub-par in recent years - or has been “rock” in inverted commas. This is not a bad effort from Ukraine, but nowhere near the britrock-inspired heights of Georgia last year. It’s a bit too repetitive for my likes. 16 Latvia Something less to my typical tastes is this unexpected piece of 90s rave revival, a step away from the cool Aminata-penned electronica Latvia has sent in the past two years. It’s a welcome stylistical oasis in a desert of identikit pop ballads, but qualitatively isn’t great, and her nasal, oddly pronounced vocals are an acquired taste which I am yet to acquire. 17 Bulgaria Very nice, relaxing background music but I don’t think of it as much more than that. 18 Ireland This starts out so promisingly with a gloomy and mysterious beginning, but soon degenerates into an early 2000s B-side that was not only rejected by Westlife but also by an assortment of C-list bands imitating Westlife. It’s even complete with the obligatory key change that launches young Brendan into a register so high that it could shatter contact lenses while they're still on your eyes. Yet, I do find some charm in it, and this would be a contender for places 11-15 for me were it not for the god awful last minute. 19 Albania For once, Albania don’t completely destroy a song in its revamp - they maintain most of the rock-ish edges of the original, instead of neutering them like they did with Përallë. As is typical, though, they lumbered Lindita with a bewildering and clunky English translation that takes a lot of my enjoyment away from the song. 20 Germany This couldn’t be more middle of the road if it tried - so it’s apt, I guess, that it has a position almost precisely in the middle of my ranking. Levina was the best of a bad lot in Germany’s insane format of a national final and she soldiers through a song even she seemed like she preferred not to sing. The riff ripped from Titanium is so blatant - and the song is brought down too by some ridiculous lyrics. “Almost a sinner, nearly a saint.” So you’re almost exceptionally holy and almost someone who frequently sins at the same time? *Head explodes* 21 Switzerland An innocuously bland mid-tempo pop ballad. Not much to say about this one.   22 Croatia A man singing a duët with himself, giving a motivational message - to himself. One half in the quivery, syrupy upper ranges of an R&B tenor, the other half in a booming operatic baritone. It’s as ridic as it sounds and yet this Jeckyll and Hyde act is saved from the very bottom by its endearing barminess. 23 Denmark Disposable pop with a shout-sung chorus, albeit by a performer with some charm and connection to the audience. 24 Australia Musically, not so bad at all, but there’s something offputting about a chap young enough to almost be fœtal putting on a drippy voice and ridiculous puppy dog eyes, singing a song of a life of broken hearts and lost love more befitting of an old man. 25 Serbia Serbia used to be one of my favourite countries in the contest. They stuck to their own language and sang songs imbued with Balkan rhythm and tradition... now they send someone sending a poor rip-off of Katy Perry’s Firework. Каква срамота. 26 Moldova Evidently, meme status can open doors and can gift you a return ticket to the ESC. It’s a shame, as even in Moldova, there were better options than this rather misogynistic effort that seems to have been Bing translated, not even Google translated, and which sounds like it was based off a MIDI ringtone. Apparently bound for the final just because it’s upbeat. 27 Austria This exudes that relentless forced cheeriness that makes my blood run cold. It’s such a plim-plom song that bounces along whilst saying nothing. Most songs aim for the top and I can admire that, even if they have no chance - this aims for mid-table mediocrity in the final. 28 Israel Generic dance track with words plucked at random and thrown onto the paper. 29 Norway Robotically cold. Most songs make me feel something, even if it’s annoyance. This just leaves me numb. 30 Poland An oppressive dirge with lyrics that rely on a rhyming dictionary a little too much (rhyming fire, desire, wire and higher in the space of ten words!) and a bizarre song structure with an anti-chorus and no real progression, which make these 3 minutes feel very long indeed. 31 Sweden Predictable, repetitive pop with one of the most laughable performance routines (blokes trying to act “smooth” by doing very silly gestures) and lyrics that read as though written by Jay in the Inbetweeners. Let’s not romanticise uncontrollable lust. 32 Cyprus A rip-off of Rag and Bone Man’s “Human”, but without a message. Instead, some incredibly daft lyrics written by someone who failed physics even in primary school. Hovig likens himself to gravity because he will catch his paramour when she falls - when it is in fact gravity that pulls her down to her grizzly death. 33 United Kingdom Turgid rent-a-ballad delivered in a hammy style with not a whisker of sincerity - compare that with the virtuoso performance of her rival in the final, Holly, who sang like she felt the pain. I’ve been saying since the contest that it will do well, though, but I’m not sold one bit. 34 Spain Many of us Eurovision fans in Spain wasted money voting for other songs in the national final, only to find that the jury - 2/3 comprised of people with vested interest in one of the candidates - was able to override thousands of televoters when it came to a draw. They put the televote’s 3rd place, Manel, first, leaving a considerable bad taste behind. And what for? One of the most inane songs the contest has ever seen, in which either “do it for your lover” (do what?) or “just do it” are repeated on average less than every 4 seconds. It sounds like a homebrand Lazy Song and the songwriters sure were lazy. Playing this on a loop for just 15 minutes could make even the toughest commandos cry for their mammies. 35 Estonia Part of me wants to put this at the very bottom of the pile, but sadly, there are worse horrors yet to come. It’s really disappointing when your favourite ESC country in recent years throws aside a bunch of daring possibilities to represent them in 2017, in favour of something so aggressively bland, a cynical Eurosong by numbers with hackneyed, ultra-repetitive lyrics that mostly consist of entoning “á-a-a-a-à-a-a-a-á-a”, performed by a duo who have as much chemistry as two inert gases and spent most of the time hammishly gurning. 36 Montenegro How does one interpret it when one of the European countries with the biggest problems of homophobia - with 71% of the populace thinking homosexuality is a sickness and where a number of hate crimes have been registered just against people who support LGBT rights - sends such an OTT act with lyrics that are packed to the brim with single entendres? For me, it seems a cynical move. Slavko himself seems a cool guy but the song itself is a hot mess. 37 Lithuania And this is a hot mess, frozen then microwaved, then frozen then set on fire with a flamethrower. Be careful of watching this with pets or small children or they may well end up traumatised for life. Whilst unbelievably sweet in interviews, the lead singer of this act seems like a banshee possessed by demons whilst singing. Her bandmate seems like her creepy “keeper.” They sing a song with about 180 instances of the words “yeah, yeah” and some trumpets that sound like they were taken from Windows 95 sound effects. 38 Slovenia This has to be one of the most overblown and pompous entries in many a year. Omar claims he was waiting to unleash this on the unsuspecting public for over a decade - even back then, this grandiose attempt at a Broadway-style number would have sounded dated. 39 Greece I will never forgive the genius lyrics “rain falls from abooove!” Neither can I forgive the fact that such a completely generic track with lyrics written on the back of a Cornflakes box is probably destined for the final with the help of some gimmicky staging. 40 Malta This song fills me with all the energy of someone who’s been in a coma for 15 years. 41 San Marino Some folk are happy to see Valentina Monetta back for the fourth year. I’m sad to see a talented performer come back for scraps of infamy no matter how bad the song she’s offered. And my god, is this disco rehash fever dream bad. 42 Georgia Georgia is typically one of my favourite nations in the contest, because of their willingness to break away from the mould, to enter things that are very atypical of the contest and often do well with them - like the exhilerating psychadelic-Britrock of last year or the trippy folk of a few years before that. This year, they couldn’t have gone more off into the other direction, into the methane-scented hinterlands of mediocrity.  I find this song disasteful in so many ways. The overt and ham-fisted political nature of it. The creepy music, like the soundtrack to a cheap straight-to-VCR horror movie, which creates an oppressive atmosphere that makes me feel like the music is holding my head down under the ghoul-infested waters of a frigid lake in a winter forest. The ghastly, cliché-ridden lyrics, where “keep the faith” is repeated so many times that by one minute, my faith that the song will ever end is already shaken. Ugly composition.

[eurotraveltales-blog]

Day 17: Dresden

Started the day early today. Woke up at 8:30 and went to the Back Werk in the train station for breakfast and to grab a sandwich for lunch. If you couldn’t already tell, we’re a little obsessed with this place. It’s good and cheap, and you just put all the pastries you bought into bags so you can take them to go. We’re going to miss it when we leave Germany. Anyway, I got a tomato and paprika strudel, an apple strudel, and a sandwich with tomatoes, lettuce, and gouda cheese. Apriet got a tomato and paprika strudel, a raspberry strudel with frosting, and a chicken sandwich with cheese on top of the bread instead of in the sandwich. Weird. I ate my apple strudel and half my tomato strudel before leaving the café, and Apriet ate her tomato strudel and some of her raspberry strudel.

Afterwards, we went back to that WMF and bought some stuff, then headed to a square that is supposedly a marketplace, but it was very much empty when we got there, so we just walked past it instead of checking it out. We then wanted to check out the Dresden Frauenkirche, the Church of Our Lady. However, we got distracted by how cool Zwinger looked, so we went there first. The architecture was amazingggg and there were fountains and statues everywhere. We went up onto a terrace and looked down on the square. We also wanted to go to the museum, but it costs money. When we were done with Zwinger, we actually went to the Frauenkirche. There was a whole crowd of people waiting to get in when we got there - I think it was a tour group. We went in with them and sat in the pews for a rest while admiring the interior design and colors and art. There were some light yellows and oranges on the upper part of the walls that reminded me of a nursery. We were both feeling pretty lethargic today - me from only getting about seven hours of mediocre sleep, and Apriet from the heat. It was a hot day today, and finding air conditioning in Europe is like finding El Dorado. There’s no A/C in our hostel, on the streetcars, or in most buildings. I mean I kind of like that they don’t over air condition everything like they do in the US, but a little more on a hot day like today would be nice.

After Frauenkirche, we sat next to the river and I finished off my tomato strudel while people/dog-watching. We then crossed the river to get to the other stuff on our list. We took a streetcar to get to this one building with pipes all up and down its exterior - it was basically a giant Rube Goldberg machine. There were a few other buildings in the area with really cool art on them too. I stopped and got a blueberry ice cream cone because as I said, it was super hot. We took the streetcar back to the square with the WMF and the Eis café (ice cream shop). It took us way longer than it should have to find it again. Turns out we went into the wrong mall because there are like three malls all in the same area. We mostly just went to use their bathroom since it was free, but I got ice cream again because I have no self control. I got a scoop of espresso and a scoop of straciatella in a cup. Apriet got a scoop of mint chocolate chip and a scoop of chocolate in a waffle cone. Some things we wanted to note as helpful travel tips from our experience is that malls are good for air conditioning (nobody will want to try on clothes if they’re hot and sweaty), McDonald’s’ are good for free WiFi and potentially free bathrooms, and churches are good for sitting down for a rest while still pondering life and enjoying art on the walls.

After ice cream, we went back to our hostel to take a break, and it started storming, but we went back out for dinner in the evening. We went to this place called Augustiner Pablertute, and I had cheese spaetzel (potato-pasta) with onions. Apriet had goulash (bread dumpling in stew with brisket-like meat). I only ate half of my meal because it was super filling, but it was very, very good. I had the other half packed up to go. Apriet ordered an apple strudel to go, but the waitress didn’t hear her so it came on a plate. She had to eat half of it even though she was super full, and then request the rest to be packed up into a box. It was cool though, it came with vanilla milk that you could pour onto the strudel, and a side of some pineapple, cantaloupe, a blackberry, and some of these small red berries that I don’t know the name of. They were quite sour, and had rather large seeds in them, relative to the size of the berry. As always, the waitress took forever with our bill, and she was even difficult to flag down because she NEVER looked in our direction.

When we finally left the restaurant, we took the tram to a big park, which was just one stop past our hostel. It was basically a bunch of intersecting paths throughout a large wooded area filled with all kinds of different trees and plants. It was especially beautiful for us because it had been rainy all afternoon, causing a light mist to hang over the wooded areas. It looked like a magical forest where I half-expected wood nymphs to come to life and start singing to us. There were also super cool statues scattered throughout the park, but we only walked through a small corner of it, since it was getting dark fast. One of the statues was of a man crouching over a well of water, who was stabbing himself in the back with a stake. Really freakin’ interesting, right?

We called it a day after that and went back to the hostel for the night. We’re going to watch The Sound of Music tonight, in preparation for our visit to Salzburg, Austria, which will come after Czechia. We are making the short journey to Prague tomorrow - it’s only about 2.5 hours by train from Dresden. Auf wiedersehen, Deutschland!

[stumentha]

Writer's frenzy – meet the evil cousin of writer's block

New Post has been published on http://stumentha.com/writer-frenzy/

Writer's frenzy – meet the evil cousin of writer's block

If I’m not a Bohemian I don’t know who is. Not only am I a playwright, but I spent several years living in the capital of Bohemia, Prague. I live and breathe my art, and anyone who knows me well will attest to me being a little socially unconventional at times. I don’t drive a car, I put my faith in philosophy not religion (unheard of right?), I often wake up in the middle of the night with crazy ideas for flash mobs with helium balloons and board games made of felt, and I’ve pretty much dabbled in every artistic medium there is.

True to the Bohemian stereotype though, especially in the years I lived in Czechia, I also spent a lot of time feeling miserable. I know, I know. Creating art isn’t always passion and bonfires. I get that. Totally. Creating art is sometimes suffering. And I get too, that some people might say, “Stu, you lived in Prague, the city of a thousand spires, are you really going to tell me you were unhappy?” You’re right. I wasn’t unhappy all the time. There were times, especially when I was working on my plays, or backpacking across Europe, and making friends and catching up with friends, when I was ridiculously happy. I’m a pretty optimistic person by nature, and my time overseas was absolutely amazing. But inevitably, even in a city so rich with culture and art, and living my dream, I still sank at times into depression. There were times when I felt like I was flying. I wasn’t just riding a magic carpet, I was the magic carpet, capable of doing anything and going anywhere, but there were times when I felt myself unravelling at the seams at full speed, my creatives threads tangled around a thousand different things and places at once. I still at times fell apart, and I think a lot of that has to do with writing too much.

I’ve never suffered from writer’s block. Really. Never. I always find that faced with a blank page I can always write something. Whether that something is drivel or a masterpiece is another matter, but I can always write. Yet, there is another side to that coin. It’s writing too much. It’s sacrificing your health for the sake of your craft. It’s jeopardising the happiness you might have now for the misguided hope of finding more happiness in the future.

That’s like a fishermen throwing back his freshly-caught fish in the hope of catching a marlin. It doesn’t make sense.

Here’s what I’ve learnt: there is a difference between suffering within the creative process as part of your artistic journey and suffering outside of that creative process and using your artistic path as an excuse to feel miserable.

Unfortunately, lacking balance between work and personal life has consequences. For years I’ve neglected my back, sitting at my desk for hours on end at times and not getting up to stretch my arms and legs, and failing to even rest my eyes. There was a time when I drank like a fish (hey, I lived in Prague, the beer there is like some kind of golden nectar made by the gods, it’s 2AUD for a pint, could I be blamed?) I ate deep fried cheese for lunch and those freezer pizzas that taste like cardboard for dinner (washed down with another pint of beer of course). I’m lucky to have the metabolism of a gazelle so luckily, none of it really showed. Still, my gut suffered the onslaught.

Picture me in Prague, sitting in a dingy smoke-filled pub, a pint in each hand (yes, a pint in each hand) a joint in each hand (yes, a joint in each hand), jumping on tables (yes, actually jumping on tables), and kissing pretty girls in pretty beer gardens. It was a lot of fun. But there were also nights when I punched holes in walls, and wandered through the streets at 3AM so blind drunk I only know where I got to not how I got there, and sat in cliched piles of scrunched up papers while the world and the universe beckoned me outside to play. To me, Prague was the Wild West. I could do things in Prague that I couldn’t do in Australia, because I could be free to be another me, free from the baggage of family and past habits. I could be reckless in my personal life and my career.

In many ways, I’m glad I was reckless. There is a time to be reckless in life and through recklessness we often learn great life lessons. More often though, I neglected my social and love life for my other lover, my novel. My friends were often in awe of me, and told me so. Not so much for how many pints I knocked back but because I was so industrious. When I told them I felt like a hamster in a wheel, working on my novel for hours on end each day, my friends clapped their hands and told me “nonsense”, I was living the dream, I was doing something they weren’t. I have the metabolism of a gazelle remember? I looked good. I looked healthy. And I was “going for it”. I was doing the “right thing”. I certainly wasn’t suffering from writer’s block.

No. Of course I wasn’t. I was seduced by something else – the evil cousin of writer’s block, that more discrete, more consuming, more addictive muse who gets you up at 2AM to write poems and philosophical essays for her, who gets jealous of you meeting your friends even for just one beer, who tells you she wants you to love her and only her. She is dangerous. Like some kind of deranged junky, she doesn’t care that your fridge is bare, she doesn’t care that you’re tired or dissatisfied, she only cares that she has you and you have her. In your veins. She is the tenth muse never spoken of, the black sheep of the gods, and the most dangerous muse you’re ever likely to meet – she is what I call “writer’s frenzy”. You might call her creative obsession, or the patron saint of “workaholicism”.

Writer’s frenzy isn’t something many people talk about. I doubt you’ll find it any “how to” writing ebooks. Actually, I’m pretty sure I made the term up. Indeed, some writer’s have never had it (whether that’s good fortune or not, I’ll let you decide). So let me further explain. Writer’s frenzy is the opposite of writer’s block. It’s writing for the sake of writing. It’s spinning the wheels on the bicycle when you’re already losing control down the mountain and the pedals are only turning air. To some degree, writer’s frenzy is great. We should all write a Jerry McGuire manifesto at least once in our lives. I’m sure writer’s frenzy is what a lot of writers might even strive for. But what’s that old saying? Too much of a good thing is sometimes not such a good thing.

Writer’s frenzy is not flow. Though it might start off as flow, it’s not destined to be a zen state. It’s mania. It’s the other extreme edge of the seesaw. Writer’s frenzy doesn’t just make Jerry McGuire write a manifesto one night, she makes him write one every night. It’s not healthy, and though it often disguises itself as intense productivity connecting you with the world and your passion, writer’s frenzy can lead us to misery and disconnection. And this doesn’t just apply to writers or even just artists. We all write our lives in this world whether we are merchant bankers or circus clowns. Writer’s frenzy keeps us toiling away only as a means of ignoring our real world problems. It comes down to this: are you using your work as an excuse to alienate yourself from the world?

I know I’m guilty of doing just that, especially in the years I lived in Bohemia. Sure, I’ve had success. I wrote four sell-out theatre plays in Prague and loved every minute of the journey. But I also at times disconnected myself from the world. Whether I was washing away my inner problems with beer and unhealthy habits, or spinning the wheels of my novel for the sake of spinning the wheels, I spent a lot of time running away. From a lot of things actually, maybe even success. It was probably a good thing to not always have two pints and two joints in hand. But sometimes the writing has to wait because health should never be sacrificed. Everything must be in balance.

The tenth muse must be put in her place.

Lately, I’ve been taking care of myself again. I refuse to be a struggling, miserable artist drowning my sorrows like any another stereotypical “Bohemian” artist. Because I’ve decided that no longer will art be my heroin. No. Art will be my heroine.

I’ve bought a back brace for my back. I’m doing yoga in the mornings. I’m drinking chamomile tea instead of endless coffee. I’m teaching myself to get up early again (I’m pushing for 5AM). I’m being a healthy writer. I’m going to be a happy artist. I can still be a Bohemian, I just choose to be a Bohemian who lives life to the fullest wherever I am.

The important thing is to be healthy, because by being healthy you can walk the creative path for longer and eventually, who knows, you might even realise where it is you’re really heading to.

  Wanna join me? …

#mc_embed_signupbackground:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */

Subscribe to my mailing list (a weekly collection of my blog posts delivered straight to your inbox plus occasional updates on my latest work, news etc.)

  (function($) window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true);