Nice People Thread No. 15, a Cyber Summer

zagubov

All this is making me miss our old 9 drawer upright freezer we left behind two houses ago. Filled it with bargains and stuffed the gaps with bread. Mind you you'd have needed a map to find the stuff in it.

Pyxis

I spent some time watching the Eurovision yesterday but gave up.

Having read all Vivatifosi's posts, it seems that the motivations for voting still have very little to do with the songs, which is depressing.

But then I found most of the songs I listened to depressing. Tuneless and uninteresting.

The special effects with Poland's were good, though, but it's not a "Special Effects for Europe" competition, is it?

Ghastly commentary from Whatsername UnpronounceableSurname as well. Drove me nuts. Terry she ain't.

As I said, I gave up about halfway through. Maybe I missed the better ones as a result.

Anyway, I'll try the finals, but might have to resort to the previously mentioned technique of recording them and then fast-forwarding.

Watched the prog about Agnetha a couple of days ago. Oh for those Waterloo days!

SingleSue

For the second year in a row, I will be missing the Eurovision show....off out to a gig!

Been waiting for this band to come back to the town, last time at the end of October I had planned to go but unfortunately by the time it came to leave I couldn't even walk across the front room floor let alone out to a car, from the car to the pub and then up the stairs to where the band was playing, rinse and repeat coming home.

James ended up Facetiming the gig to me in my bed, apparently the guitarist found that a huge thrill (playing via Facetime, not me in my bed!)

bugslet

oldandhappy wrote: »

at the previous property it was on side on hill with a largish front garden so we built a stream with a bottom pond and a top pond installed a pump so it pumped from the bottom to the top then would run down the stream..when we got frogs spawn we had to turn it off.... then our ducks would take over so had to net off the top pond to protect the froglets....you can get mosquitos very easily with any water sources but fish help ...

I did want to do something similar, but after a kitchen, bathroom and 60' garden wall/fence recently, money is now plentiful. Might do something in the years to come.

vivatifosi wrote: »

I forgot to mention... when we placed our bet we got a £5.00 free bet. DH put it on the Tampa Bay Bucaneers to win the 2017 Superbowl at 100-1. If purch is still around he can stop by to tell you just how ludicrous that is. But it will keep him happy for the American football season, which is a free £5 well spent.

Not knowing anything about football from any country, is that not much like sticking a fiver on Leicester at the start of the season - apparently they weren't supposed to win.

vivatifosi wrote: »

Oh, and I got my 10 year badge today:D

Thank you badger!

Happy Birthday!:beer:

I haven't seen Eurovision ofr three years. Am seeing James ( wonder if lemonjelly will be there as well) with Jack Savoretti as support tonight and Bryan Adams on Sunday, so my musical fixes are assured.

vivatifosi

Pyxis wrote: »

I spent some time watching the Eurovision yesterday but gave up.

Having read all Vivatifosi's posts, it seems that the motivations for voting still have very little to do with the songs, which is depressing.

But then I found most of the songs I listened to depressing. Tuneless and uninteresting.

The special effects with Poland's were good, though, but it's not a "Special Effects for Europe" competition, is it?

Ghastly commentary from Whatsername UnpronounceableSurname as well. Drove me nuts. Terry she ain't.

As I said, I gave up about halfway through. Maybe I missed the better ones as a result.

Anyway, I'll try the finals, but might have to resort to the previously mentioned technique of recording them and then fast-forwarding.

Watched the prog about Agnetha a couple of days ago. Oh for those Waterloo days!

There are very few songs that you would hear on international radio. I can count them on one, or maybe one and a half hands.

They are: Belgium, UK (I know that because I've actually heard it on the radio), Sweden, Netherlands. Maybe France.

Belgium is first up in the running order. That will not help its case, though should set us up for a fun evening. Here's the running order:

1. Belgium - lovely, good female vocals over a very catch mix of Bruno Mars meets another one bites the dust meets Nile Rodgers.

2. Czech Rep - time to get a cup of tea, or something stronger, or dry your hair, or go to the toilet. Yes, already.

3. Netherlands - shame this one is on so early, a nice country song. Also has the benefit of lyrics in English that I can actually understand (the same cannot be said of all the entries, trust me).

4. Azerbaijan - sounds like a Leona Lewis song, which is rather funny, as Leona Lewis wrote one of the losing contestants for the UK Song for Europe contest this year. Fair to middling but samey.

5. Hungary - apparently he looks like a bloke who did well in the X Factor. I don't watch the X Factor so have no idea if this is true. Not a bad song, sung in English (really hard to understand English)... with whistling in the chorus, how very Eurovish of him! The Drums remind me of the Chinese Olympic Opening Ceremony in 2008, but on a MUCH smaller budget. Will probably get top 10.

6. Italy - singing in their national language. For that reason, unlikely to do well, except in Albania. Where they watch Italian TV. Oh, and San Marino of course. Not helped by the fact that it is like the Men in Black men have just flashed one of those thingies in your face... how did it go again? Instantly forgettable.

7. Israel - one of a number of very similar sounding songs this year. He is a very good singer though. Openly gay contestant, very popular with the audience.

8. Bulgaria - deserves to be in the final, but very samey. She sings in English, though I have no idea what the chorus is, sounds like "Hang me Luther". I'm guessing she wants to further her career in British crime drama.

9. Sweden - will obviously get a huge cheer. This is quite an understated song so hard to know how it will do. But does actually sound like something that would get played outside of the Eurovision bubble. Also sounds like no other song in the contest this year. Hooray!

10. Germany - described by someone as "dressed by Build a Bear Workshop", which is scarily true. Another song which sounds like all the others. Phew, thank goodness for the dress code then.

Rest to follow in another post....

Pyxis

Thanks, Vivatifosi! That's very useful! I shall print it out as an aide-memoire! :T

vivatifosi

11. France - nice catchy song, in French and English. One of my favourites. Not sure how it will do.

12. Poland - sorry, no washerwomen this year Wheezy, it's a man with long hair and a beard, but he is no Conchita. Samey ballad (actually there aren't many ballads this year), with a classic Eurovision bridge. Interesting exercise in demographics. If it gets a big vote from the UK it will indicate the size of the Polish diaspora here and could trigger a Brexit.

13. Australia - good contemporary song. But is arguably the best of the ones that all sound the same.

14. Cyprus - one of two rock bands to make it to the final this year. It may do better than I expect as it doesn't sound like all of the others. I prefer Georgia's rock song though. Reminds me of another song, but not sure which.

15. Serbia - a real belter by a woman with a big voice. Classic Eurovision song in the old style. She grabs it by the Balkans and runs with it.

16. Lithuania - good honest pop tune that I could hear on the radio. One of two Baltic songs to make it through this year, so they could vote for each other rather than Russia. Sounds like a real life upbeat Westlife song, which is quite ironic considering real Westlife member Nicky Byrne didn't get out of the semi finals for Ireland.

17. Croatia - another song from the samey Eurovision song machine. Though with enunciation that reminds me a bit of Bjork. Which is strange considering she's from the other end of Europe. This one is quite pretty though.

18. Russia - they have thrown the kitchen sink at this one. By far the cleverest staging (though borrows heavily from last year's winner). Sounds like all the others. I wish he wouldn't flare his nostrils while singing. "Thunder and Lightning, it's getting exciting, lights up the sky", so you get some Russian space policy in there as well. Oh and the cheeesiest Eurovision bridge. Will surely win, no? Let's hope not.

19. Spain - as one of the big 5 I haven't heard this much. Will get a bit lost by following Russia. Not a stand out.

20. Latvia - there's something about this I like.. Interesting baseline. Should get 12 from Lithuania at least.

21. Ukraine - I've described this one earlier. Not sure what to make of it. In a cheery song contest it is about Stalin and sung partly in Crimean. There's somethiing interesting about it though.

22. Malta - should do reasonably in the hall at least if the cheer is anything to go by. Reminds me a bit of early Emile Sande, but not as good. A bit of a gay anthem.

23. Georgia - great positioning. Trying to look a bit like Oasis and channel the White Stripes drumming. I don't mind it.

24. Austria - decided not to sing in German this year, so chose to sing in, um French instead. Pretty song. Not sure how it will do. Could get ten from France though.

25. UK - catchy pop song with a great ear wormy chorus. Great position in the draw. Hopefully my top ten or better predictions will come true.

26. Armenia - this is Wheezy's favourite scantily dressed contestant. Sounds like about half of the other songs this year. It is being played last to see if Wheezy is still awake and paying attention.

GDB2222

vivatifosi wrote: »

Of those lower down the odds, I think the UK, Belgium and Netherlands all deserve to be top 10.

I hope you are right. I bet £10 on UK being in the top 10, and Ladbrokes won't let me lay any of that off.

And my Quidco hasn't tracked yet, so that £10 bet may actually have cost me £10, rather than the minus £20 I was looking forward to.

oldandhappy

vivatifosi wrote: »

Oh, and I got my 10 year badge today:D

Thank you badger!

and I see I got mine recently also:D

oldandhappy

We buy in UK supermarkets about once in every 6 weeks because certain foodstuffs are so much cheaper....MSE

No breakfast this morning as I made Belgium Buns or if iced Chelsea...no glace cherries anymore since watching how they process them...I use to eat them by the tub along with sweet mincemeat.
it a hell of a long time since I have been to Cornwall...would hve been in our little touring caravan but never took the opportunity to make pasties there:)