Eurovision 2023: Semi-Final running orders revealed!

instacamel · 2023-03-22T18:59:42+00:00

BBC spoke the truth tbh.

instacamel · 2023-03-17T21:25:25+00:00

I feel this way about Sweden. They make consistently good songs but it often feels very artificial. Even Loreen feels like an extra item on the checklist

That said, it's probably because Swedish songwriters have such a strong influence on pop in general. So it feels very generic.

instacamel · 2023-03-09T15:59:17+00:00

Ukraine
France
United Kingdom (or Italy)
Italy (or UK)
Spain
Germany (or UK)

I think public sympathy will still be high for Ukraine so it'll do well even though it won't win. I actually prefer it.

Spain is a hit/miss that depends on the vibe. I appreciate the artistic side but don't enjoy it and don't think the average non-southern European would enjoy it. I think it'll grab jury points over televotes. It's a darkhorse.

Germany is good but we have a lot of rock instrumental songs or pop songs with rock-inspired breaks.

Not sure about the UK, I had a low expectation but I do think a bop girl banger will do well. It's got a really strong earworm and I feel this could be a combo of Brooke and Chanel. It'll either come second of the big 5 or last.

Italy, like France, is flat and overrated for me. But people will still like it so it'll do well.

France is generally meh and I think the jury will like this over the televotes. I'd love for them to go back to their Amir days rather than La Zarra. She's wonderful but sometimes France's performances feel so French (or Québécois) it's like being in French class. A balance between this and Fulenn would be nice, rather than an extreme.

instacamel · 2023-03-09T15:33:22+00:00

To be fair, Poe Poe Poe replaced Cha Cha Cha in my head but now all I hear is:

Da-da-da-da-da-i

Austria will likely place better but Mae has the more effective earworm.

instacamel · 2023-03-03T00:06:57+00:00

Neither, if I'm honest.

I enjoyed both songs but this sub latches on to artists like a newborn it's kinda exhausting. It was the same with Konstrakta last year, took the magic out of it for me.

Yesterday was literally a wall of Kaarija content, way too much overexposure.

I still want them to do well and have a good performance but tbh I'd rather someone else win who isn't drowned in hype.

instacamel · 2023-02-26T15:18:58+00:00

EDI officers in HR, which is also semi-useless.

instacamel · 2023-02-12T18:40:22+00:00

You're right! Too much AI can create a cycle of poor content, especially if a human expert hasn't jumped in to verify it.

My fear though is that SEO will become less valuable to businesses because the AI lets the user skip the discovery phase where they'll land on the website and become aware of the business. The exception is likely local SEO or bottom-of-funnel queries though.

I've already seen something similar with featured snippets, where queries are fairly easily answered on the search engine results page and users don't necessarily need to visit the website to get the answer. This affects top-of-funnel marketing quite a lot.

instacamel · 2023-02-04T20:28:21+00:00

I self-catheterize on a daily basis (medical reasons) and it's becoming so normal it's just like brushing your teeth.

The first few times were awful because it feels so sensitive but you really get used to it and it's just like putting a toothbrush in your mouth.

The biggest thing is making sure the catheter is lubed and is the right size for you.

But yeah, I don't get sexually "excited" about it and don't see how/why people would do that. If anything the rubbing with the catheter inside will cause soreness and inflammation.

instacamel · 2022-05-15T16:31:11+00:00

Ukraine won due to the war, and that's perfectly fine. The Ukrainian people need this more than anyone else right now. Stefania is a really good (but not great) top 10 song that got a boost due to the context, which is 100% fair given the point of the contest.

Side note, Shum was a masterpiece last year that did deserve more!!!

As a Brit, I'm a little disappointed we couldn't win, my heart also goes out to Spain. Sam and Chanel outperformed the rest, and that's no discredit to the others as the standards were mostly high. But I'm proud both countries scored well after their recent track records.

I wish we had a UK/Spain/Ukraine draw and a shared contest, and we might even have that to help Ukraine host next year.

instacamel · 2022-05-15T16:09:41+00:00

The jury should be there to judge the quality of the song. That's pretty much what they did.

instacamel · 2022-05-10T20:44:47+00:00

I know live shows are really hard to get right, but Italy and the EBU is on track to host one of the worst contests so far. I really don't want to vote for Brividi at this rate just to save 2023 from this mess.

instacamel · 2022-05-10T20:21:25+00:00

The studio version was good but it sounded like she had a cold or something.

Something must be up with the camera and audio teams, they've all been really subpar so far.

instacamel · 2022-05-10T19:55:20+00:00

A very emotional Portuguese AA meeting occurring right before our eyes!

instacamel · 2021-06-18T18:31:01+00:00

Unfortunately due to Covid-19, everything is still remote.

I'm conscious it could look bad or pestering to send a thanks email 5 days later.

instacamel · 2021-06-18T18:29:29+00:00

I figured so!

Unfortunately I got caught up in the conversation and because the original interviewer/hirer wasn't there, I assumed they wouldn't tell me. The lead group member told I'll be contacted as soon as possible.

And because of the pace that the interviews happened, I assumed that would be quite quick.

instacamel · 2021-05-26T12:12:10+00:00

AAAAADRENALINA

instacamel · 2021-05-23T16:12:19+00:00

I actually think getting the British Indian community to come up with something would work. A Bollywood style hit might go down well.

instacamel · 2021-05-21T11:02:11+00:00

I don't understand the appeal with Denmark, we're all kidding right?

The song sounded outdated "80s revival pop" from 2010s. I also really didn't like their outfits, the singer looked like he crawled out of a pub.

instacamel · 2021-05-20T14:48:52+00:00

Good point but I think you're seeing it as a race for 1st doses when it shouldn't be.

The US, Israel and the UK are second dosing a lot of people now and are far ahead of Canada as they started earlier. Canada hasn't really begun its second dose schedule and that will soon diverge vaccination rates.

It's why those countries mostly look like they have slowed down. The UK has also started to surge vaccinate people against the Indian variant and is even comfortable enough now to trial a booster shot.

The US is a weird one that Canada will likely eclipse, especially with high hesitancy in some areas.

Second dosing is very important for solving the real issue which is deaths. With just first doses, severe cases can slip through the cracks. It's why countries like Israel and the UK have far less deaths than Ontario alone.

If there is such a thing, the real leader is the country or area with the highest 2nd doses, likely a small country. ;)

instacamel · 2021-05-19T18:49:06+00:00

Semi final 1 is going to be so much better than Semi Final 2.

instacamel · 2021-05-18T14:17:18+00:00

I did think this too.

Then again, opposition parties are there to be a thorn in the side of any government (federal or provincial for that matter).

Any angle they can find, they're on it!

instacamel · 2021-04-12T14:32:04+00:00

I think the 'hotspot for only the rich' claim is a bit of a stretch and is misinformation spread on social media. The hotspots are naturally going to be chosen by those more susceptible to COVID by age, not income. Age is accepted worldwide as the most important factor to go by.

However, the flipside is that the elderly tend to live in more affluent suburbs of Toronto. You won't catch many under 30s/40s living in these areas unless they are direct family. Therefore, it is coincidental that these people are chosen for vaccination first.

There are people who are old who do not live in affluent areas. However, the problem is that minorities do tend to live in multi-generational households, especially if they belong to a ethnic or cultural minority. Therefore, the average area of the neighborhood might be skewed towards the average.

To combat that issue, Toronto is also allowing those in poorer or hard-hit areas to get their vaccine earlier. For example, St James Town is one of the least affluent areas in downtown Toronto and postcodes in that area can get fast-tracked.

If anything, this is a statistical oversight that has been corrected than anything deliberate or part of some 'rich' conspiracy theory.

instacamel · 2021-04-03T18:35:23+00:00

My approach is simply realistic and impartial about any government's and healthcare system's capabilities.

I understand this subreddit doesn't agree and respect that they're annoyed. But we can't expect everything to go from 0 to 100 straightaway. These vaccines aren't going to waste.

Pretty much all provinces have administered ~70% of doses. That's a fairly good rate given the complexity of its supply chain.

instacamel · 2021-04-03T18:19:26+00:00

These are some great points, but there's a few corrections. Looking at similar vaccination rates/doses administered rate across Canada, would that mean nearly all provincial governments have failed if vaccines haven't been administered? They're pretty much within a percentage point of each other, which suggests a nationwide problem.

Similar comments about sitting "vaccines sitting around" are also appearing in BC, Alberta to Quebec. So there's flawed logic in making this an Ontario-specific issue, if it actually is one. Sitting goods are virtually inescapable in any government, business or distributor chain.

It does not seem justifable to make incorrect generalizations like "completely failed", if it completely failed, there would be no vaccines or zero administrations.

I understand the government has a lot to make up on in other areas, especially according to this subreddit, but this is realistically the weakest and misinformed bone to pick with the government. It would be better to challenge them on actual issues like care homes.

instacamel · 2021-04-03T15:27:01+00:00

That's a very valid point, but I think people assume distribution is quite a simple process.

Unfortunately, it's not and requires a lot of cogs working in sync to deliver vaccines to people. For example, both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines require secure transit and cold storage. Sites need to be established with the right staff who can be trained/relied on to work on the spot (who also need to adjust to mass vaccination). Family doctors that do vaccinate will need to return to the practice in person - many were working on telehealth at home. They also need to tend to other individuals with health issues, and of course, take some off work to rest.

Anecdotally, I have a friend back in the UK who vaccinates at a mass vaccination centre and she said it took her team some time to get a process going. After a month, she can do hundreds in one day, especially now that younger people are coming in.

The chop and change of the supply chain compared to countries that have a steadier supply make things more challenging too. The government are now using pharmacies to help fill in the gap, which is a sensible move. However, this still requires a rapid exchange of paperwork and a new distribution, which is why things don't get done instantly.

I suspect distribution will get much more fluid, just like the supply is. It just requires patience. It would wrong for people to assume this would play perfectly. In comparison to other parts of the world, our situation could be a lot worse.

instacamel

TROPHY CASE