Time to catch up on the #Eurovision semis after a ridiculously busy week! Unlike last year I’ve only listened to each song once so the performances are going to be like new songs for me, except for #Croatia (the only melody that stayed in my head).
Arp Laszlo
More Notes & Asides
Today might have been the most productive day I’ve had in a loooooong time. And not one of those *I’m hyperfocused so I work for 12h* days either. I knocked off a bunch of todos, worked 2h+ on one of my 2 big long term projects, upgraded a computer (that didn’t work, troubleshooting will be next weekend), and now it’s time to for some self care (bathing & grooming). #Vyvanse might be magic, or it might have been my new therapist last week. #adhd #AuADHD #AdultADHD
Questions regarding #webmention & #Mastodon replies: Does it only sync replies to a toot that has a link in it? In my brief testing today I noticed that of the 3 comments I made to this toot, only the 2 that were direct replies to the OP were synced back to #WordPress. Also: is it possible to alter the incoming webmentions? It would be cool if there were a way to strip hashtags that are not in a sentence (ie the ones at the ends of toots).
Q for #graphicdesign experts, particularly those designing for #merch or #print:What’s the smallest dot that can be printed via #DTG (direct to garment) printing?This is a sample I had printed and the dots are a mess. I know they need to be bigger but what’s the smallest size where each dot looks clearly like a dot? #merchandise #MerchDesign
Sunday morning coffee reading: this caught my eye at the #library yesterday and the description sealed the deal. It’s weird, and funny, and interesting – and again makes me wonder why I can’t draw with imperfections like it. I wish I’d been exposed to a wider world of #comics when I was younger, outside of #Tintin. Superheroes overshadowed everything in the US by the 80s, despite the popularity of Archie and all the Gold Key comics that I enjoyed reading. #Vampires #BD #BandeDessinee #JoannSfar
Sooooooo this year has been, um… what’s the opposite of whirlwind -quicksand? My mental state has been absolute crap this year. I had 2 incredible, brain fog free weeks after opening up to a therapist for the first time in December. Then it slowly crept back over the holiday break and came back full force in January. That was when I learned that #brain-fog is a symptom of #depression. And I realized that all the years I thought I was not depressed I was actually depressed. I did a bang-up job of burying my emotions, how healthy 😆😭😆😭😆 The last 2 months have been crappy. I’m ridden with brain fog, generally unmotivated, and getting by with the bare minimum. And the country is an actively flushing toilet, with economic doom looming. What a time to be alive. Or not. I’m focused on chasing the dragon lack of brain fog, or ...
This looks soooooo purty! I love how #IntoTheSpiderverse (one the best #movies EVER) broke #animation out of its ‘Everything looks like #Pixar’ doldrums. Now we get actual feasts for the eyes, like The Mitchells vs the Machines, instead of Even More Realistic Hair™. #TMNT #MutantMayhem #trailer
Man, the stage is CRAZY. We’re gonna have to see this live some day. #Eurovision #ESC #ESC2024
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So #Cyprus is starting, but the running order had them 8th?
This is a solid song. Not groundbreaking but not bad. Kinda generic tho.
#ESC
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The visual fx for #Serbia are stunning 🤯.
The song, not so much. Great voice but it feels like I’ve heard this song before.
Trying to remember the video, was it just her & some rocks & water?
#ESC
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#Lithuania’s not too bad, I dig the energy after Serbia tried to depress me into sleep. But it feels like I’ve heard this song before too, it’s generically catchy.
Plus his performance is blah, they’re using lots of camera motion to mask it.
#ESC
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Alrighty, been waiting to see what #bambiethug
was gonna do!
Finally someone taking creative risks. She & her song are weird & concerning & I AM HERE FOR IT.
Wait – where’d her black outfit go?!! Replaced by #trans colors? NICE!
A HUGE improvement over their faceless entry from last year. I’m adding this to my playlist.
#ESC #ireland #realtime #reaction
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#BambiThug is the best thing about #semi1 so far.
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#UK next, I remember the video was 1-2 clubby guys in a black hallway. I remember it now – the song is an ultra generic dance choon.
Dude’s voice ain’t all that, kinda weak and little whiny. The vocal performance is soooo bland. You gotta do better than look good, dude.
#ESC
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Bridgy Response
#Ukraine now, a nice step up from the meh UK song & performance. The song isn’t anything amazing but the performances are making it.
I dunno wtf the song is about (Mother Theresa, the horrible human being) but the women performing are killing it, and the fx really set the stage.
#ESC
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Ah – I like #Poland’s song, it’s got good energy. They did well drawing from the #80s and the #90s without overdoing it.
#ESC
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Finally #Croatia, easily my favorite song in contest! I love it when folk music is adapted so you damn well know a song is from a specific place. Fun, good sense of humor, catchy, memorable, an adorbs one-eyed cat, & wistful thoughts of the cow he sold.
Kickass song’s an earworm, great performance.
#BabyLasagna is this year’s #Kaarija, he better win.
#RimTimTagiDim #ESC
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LOL #BabyLasagna knows he killed it.
#ESC
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I was happy when I saw #Iceland’s video the first time, it’s nice to see someone over 25.
An uplifting dance track needs a vocal performance make it and she delivers.
Thumbs up.
#ESC
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YouTube has been trying so hard to make me play #Isaak videos, but it hasn’t worked so far. Maybe I’m remiss because this guy has a helluva voice. Plus, he likes dogs.
This is not my kind of music but he’s really selling me on it. He’s pouring his heart into this performance.
#ESC #Germany
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#Slovenia had the video with the blindfolded guys running around? This is heavy handed.
#ESC
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#Windows95Man hits the #wtf / #weird target on the bullseye. Be ridiculous and lean into your ridiculousness as hard as you possibly can 👊🏽.
Bonus points for the dancers in #JNCOs 😆
#ESC #NoRules #Finland
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#Moldova is one track I don’t mind only because the wobbly synth bass during the chorus. I’m literally just waiting to hear that sound.
Did I ever tell you how much I like #synthesizers?
#ESC
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Fucking #Sweden, gifted a victory last year so they could host on #ABBA’s 50th anniversary.
These were the 2 guys I thought were from the UK before, they’re still stuck in their hallway.
This sucks, mainly because their voices are whiny af. The synths can’t save this song, despite some really nice sounds.
I’m assuming they keep repeating she’s unforgettable so they won’t forget?
This song, singers, and performance is forgettable.
ftr, Abba
#ESC
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I have minimal idea where #azerbaijan is (blame my US Ed) but this song is not inspiring me to figure it out.
I could have sworn I already heard this song tonight. This is truly pedantic.
Being earnest while looking like a space garbage man does not help.
Two thumbs down. I wish I had 2 more thumbs to contribute, this is the worst song so far.
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Ah – #Australia’s bringing the classic house piano stabs. This is a good song – voices, driving beat, housey vibe.And the #digeridoo seals the deal.
Two thumbs up.
#ESC
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This isn’t all that but her voice & the synth bass (occasionally, for some reason) are keeping me interested. I vaguely recall it sounding better in the video.
#ESC #Portugal
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I dig the old school vibe to start the song. Not bad, some creative risks that paid off.
Solid overall.
#ESC #luxembourg
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On to #semis2 & #Malta. It’s taken me so long to decide if I dislike this song or not that I’m sticking it firmly in the middle. Neither good nor bad, not adventurous nor staid.
#ESC
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Hmm #Albania. I got excited because I thought it was #Armenia, which is in my head as the first song I heard this year. But no.
I feel like I heard someone else sing this in the other semifinal, but better.
#ESC
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#Greece is an interesting melange of sounds.
#ESC
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I think #Nemo was the dude in the train. I dig the musical vibes, this is better than a run of the mill pop song.
#ESC #Switzerland
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I might have confused Poland with #Czechia.
I LOVE the goth-y #80s vibe. The message is really hitting you over the head but the song’s just too damn good, building to a nice climax.
A solid #2 for me after #Croatia.
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Not a fan of ballads, but the dude’s got some pipes.
#ESC #France
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Omg #Austria 🤦🏽♂️, this feels totally manufactured. #Eurodance is back and there’s some words anyone can sing along with.
Despite the tasty 303 & the #90s breakbeats, 2 thumbs down.
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I remember #Denmark. Run of the mill song but the singer is so, so, so good. She carries it all.
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Bridgy Response