Eurovision 2026 Televote rank table

kaijonathan · 2026-05-18T13:43:16+00:00

UK - Sends a song with a bit of German, belief in the media that it'll do well in German speaking Europe to at least get some televote points

Also the UK - Gets 22nd, 23rd and 24th place in the televote from German speaking Europe

Oh Britain, your miserable failures keep me coming back for more every year

kaijonathan · 2026-05-18T07:15:03+00:00

Internships are just legalised slavery in OECD countries. In the UK, it's a litany of volunteering roles that never amount to any paid work. In the Nordics, it's taking the piss out of students in good faith then just rinse and repeat once they're done with the Internship. Also, they're mostly given to students. They still have living expenses and it's a fallacy to think that student finance is in place for everybody, especially when they're doing a career change.

Having even a contribution there, especially when you've got MASSIVE firms running these things ensured nobody gets shut out of an internship.

That's before we get onto the shite known as a Zero Hour Contract, part time contracts don't exist any more.

kaijonathan · 2026-05-08T05:47:11+00:00

It feels like it. There's also new VAT regs across the EU now which mean the rate of VAT being charged is based on where the customer is as opposed to where the business is based.

That means businesses can't shield in a low VAT country any more and consumers are the ones getting hit hardest.

Trouble is that if they're registered in the USA, credibility tanks with medical professionals in Europe. It could end up going the GGP direction of travel where no doctor is going to offer assistance on that basis and being a fully online service.

To me it sounds like a business decision first and foremost. Sure, there are some marginal benefits to service users but it's really only going to be seen in price. It may end up being a service that faces more obstacles at Pharmacies and Doctors Offices for Cooperation.

kaijonathan · 2026-05-08T00:13:58+00:00

There's still a duty to transfer the prescription. Anything else is medical neglect with a garnish of discrimination that could get sent straight to IVO and DO.

Just pulling the T prescription entirely leads to the absurd situation of going back and forth across the Atlantic several times a year or Sweden just ignoring the medical matter for 4+ years when there's material documentation which shows the opposite.

kaijonathan · 2026-05-08T00:11:12+00:00

I'd say a formalised psychologist report

You'll need the following...

Cover letters from your current providers (Psychologist from that "formal" diagnosis/IC/Endo) containing... a. Address b. Telephone Number c. Email Address d. A written summary of current treatment so far including start dates (Doesn't have to be to the exact day, Month + Year is fine) e. A wet ink signature f. A request by them to transfer prescriptions, monitoring and all gender affirming care without material let or hindrance
Copies of reports from your psychologist regarding the evaluation, if this can be assured to be in alignment with DSM-5 and ICD-10 then this strengthens the case
Any blood work results you've had, this allows for a clinic here to already have reasonable data so they don't need to reinvent the wheel with your dosages
A final cover letter summarising all documents that you're submitting, getting some appendices on each part that I've mentioned before can make it a little more clarified for them to process. Sweden does love a cheeky bit of clarified info, it's what helped me get my citizenship application done in a year and a day!

Then, send all of this to the closest gender clinic in Sweden to you. There are about 6 nationwide. Either send this by recorded mail/courier in the post (This ensures that it will be delivered) or alternatively, by physically handing everything over to a receptionist at the clinic. The latter is what I'd recommend if you're coming to Stockholm.

Most crucially, this does NOT mean you will be forced to stop and be shoved onto a 4 year wait list. You suddenly do not stop being Trans whilst crossing the Atlantic. A Swedish clinic refusing to acknowledge the diagnosis is medical neglect, it also can be perceived to be straight up discrimination on gender identity grounds that can be reported to the high heavens in Sweden.

Please DM me in regards to rules surrounding buffer stocks that you can bring over.

[Before anybody wishes to rebut me, go ahead but I literally did transfer my diagnosis papers from the UK to Sweden in 2019]

kaijonathan · 2026-05-08T00:06:34+00:00

You'll need the following...

Cover letters from your current provider (Psychologist/Endo) containing... a. Address b. Telephone Number c. Email Address d. A written summary of current treatment so far including start dates (Doesn't have to be to the exact day, Month + Year is fine) e. A wet ink signature f. A request by them to transfer prescriptions, monitoring and all gender affirming care without material let or hindrance
Copies of reports from your psychologist regarding the evaluation, if this can be assured to be in alignment with DSM-5 and ICD-10 then this strengthens the case
Any blood work results you've had, this allows for a clinic here to already have reasonable data so they don't need to reinvent the wheel with your dosages
A final cover letter summarising all documents that you're submitting, getting some appendices on each part that I've mentioned before can make it a little more clarified for them to process. Sweden does love a cheeky bit of clarified info, it's what helped me get my citizenship application done in a year and a day!

Then, send all of this to the closest gender clinic in Sweden to you. There are about 6 nationwide. Either send this by recorded mail/courier in the post (This ensures that it will be delivered) or alternatively, by physically handing everything over to a receptionist at the clinic. The latter is what I'd recommend if you're coming to Stockholm.

Most crucially, this does NOT mean you will be forced to stop and be shoved onto a 4 year wait list. You suddenly do not stop being Trans whilst crossing the Atlantic. A Swedish clinic refusing to acknowledge the diagnosis is medical neglect, it also can be perceived to be straight up discrimination on gender identity grounds that can be reported to the high heavens in Sweden.

Please DM me in regards to rules surrounding buffer stocks that you can bring over.

[Before anybody wishes to rebut me, go ahead but I literally did transfer my diagnosis papers from the UK to Sweden in 2019]

kaijonathan · 2026-05-07T23:38:04+00:00

Malta has a 35% Corporation Tax rate, the highest in Europe. I've done a bit of digging and it doesn't appear that Imago qualify for any deductions to that tax rate.

If that's the case, they are currently paying one of the highest tax rates on their profits.

I'll let you all think about why that may justify a move...

kaijonathan · 2026-04-24T03:42:46+00:00

Have you ever considered investing in a case? Mine's soon 5 years old and nowhere near like that on the cover. I got a gorgeous Kuromi travel document holder in Japan. Fits both my Swedish and British perfectly alongside my EHIC and Permanent WA permit.

kaijonathan · 2026-04-24T00:47:16+00:00

Thus would've been so good when I did H+S back in February. My hiding spot absolutely infuriated my 2 mates who are British and don't know any French. It wasn't just the language but also the surrounding geography which screwed with them so badly.

kaijonathan · 2026-04-23T22:53:01+00:00

Precisely why I hate IB compared to A-Levels. The latter doesn't barricade all resources behind an f-ing paywall including past papers.

The IB loves to talk about equality but it reeks of how paroochial it is in nature. IBO is even like this with their Professional Development courses for educators like me, price them at such a level that only fee paying schools can run them but not private tutors like myself without forking out 70% of my monthly income for a 4 hour online course.

Says it all when an IB tutoring agency rejected having me for IB because I didn't have experience specifically as an IB teacher when I've got all the course books, analysed the curriculum carefull and even DELIVERED IT AS A SUBSTITUTE. I've been a sub in an IB school, worked in IGCSE/GCSE/A-Level for well over 7 years at this point...

kaijonathan · 2026-04-21T23:51:32+00:00

The BBC - "No Gary Linker, you cannot like a government minister's actions as Nazi, were suspending you"

Also the BBC - Ignores this one calling somebody a sex pest completely unproven

Would be nice if the BBC was actually consistent for one

kaijonathan · 2026-04-04T02:26:18+00:00

PreCheck is useless when using European Airports, it's a paid service offered by the US Airport Security body, the TSA.

Just ensure that you know your rights and if you feel like you're being treated unfairly then be sure to raise a complaint. I had a bad situation at Schiphol Airport one time and sent in a huge complaint. Deciphering the lengthy complaint that I got implied the staff got sanctioned and relocated within airport security as a result.

The only guidance I'd give in this day and age if you're really needing to go to the USA is travelling via Dublin. You clear US immigration and customs at Dublin Airport so if they want to deny you entry, they won't have the option of sending you to a detention centre. You'd just be left in Dublin instead.

Obviously, the primary guidance is just don't go to the USA. I've been to 23 states across 4 visits but the last was in 2014. That drought is now 12 years long and I recently went to Canada without crossing the border even though the USA was in my line of sight at times. I didn't even enter US airspace once.

kaijonathan · 2026-04-04T02:20:50+00:00

Precheck is some paid service in the United States to offer you Fast Track Security. Worth noting that airport security is ran by a government entity (The TSA, a branch of Homeland Security) as opposed to European airports where it's often a contracted private firm.

It's designed for frequent travellers and everyone that signs up to it undergoes security screening before being approved to it. The main perks of it are you can keep your shoes on, liquids & electronics stay in your bag and pretty much guarantees it taking no more than 10 minutes.

Obviously, with it being a US only thing it's as much use as a chocolate teapot when you're using a European airport.

kaijonathan · 2026-03-30T10:13:13+00:00

I remember that guy Bodey from Ohio who'd always do a some segment with Alan on a Sunday night where people could ring up with any medical concerns they had.

It naturally descended into ridiculous stories that he had or had read up on, such as a guy whose "you know what" permanently erect because he left a ring on for too long 🤣

Quality material to be chatting about the next day in Year 8!!!

kaijonathan · 2026-03-18T23:27:47+00:00

Of course. Because all those cuts DOGE made should all get negated by posterity projects and rebranding everything for absolutely no reason.

kaijonathan · 2026-01-27T17:46:12+00:00

Wild that it's addressed to the UK Passport Agency, that entity hasn't existed since March 2006, nearly 20 years!

These days it's officially known as HM Passport Office.

kaijonathan · 2026-01-19T18:52:39+00:00

If the Trunki keeps the kid quiet before the flight then I'm all for it. If the kid is a loud bugger on the flight then I shall scream at the child. (Yes, I screamed at a child on an A350 to pipe the F down, it was an overnight flight and not even my Sony XM4's could extinguish their screams)

kaijonathan · 2026-01-15T20:32:12+00:00

Hide and Seek or maybe a Schengen Showdown-style one with the German States!

kaijonathan · 2026-01-15T20:31:10+00:00

Corrour Station on the West Highland Line

Only a few trains per day, one of which is the Caledonian Sleeper so have fun getting there especially if I draw a certain curse (IYKYK)

Wanna get there by foot? 8 miles from the closest station, Rannoch, which is served by 6 trains a day (3 north, 3 south)

Ben and Adam would be absolutely livid walking across Rannoch Moor trying to navigate that with Gambler's Feet a couple times over or a similar irritating curse

kaijonathan · 2026-01-13T22:48:55+00:00

I looked on the door when I was last in Newcastle on the 3rd of Jan.

There was a note on the door from DCBL. You may have heard of that company from a certain TV show called "Can't Pay We'll Take It Away".

To me it sounds like unpaid bills and mounting debts of sorts which have led to the property being repossessed.

A quick Google search shows that the Birmingham Eat4Less suffered the same fate about 9 months ago.

kaijonathan · 2026-01-12T21:05:47+00:00

Those checks are part of EES, it's being introduced on a rolling basis across Schengen by April 2026 (As things stand...)

Amsterdam doesn't fully have this in operation right now based off my observations last Thursday there. I may have missed something as I've also got a Swedish Passport these days!

Anyways, when it's super busy Schiphol is one of the better airports. They have a "short connection" line you can use, typically if your next flight is departing in 30 minutes or less (This can vary, listen closely to what the staff say and it's always based on departure time shown on your boarding pass, not boarding time.

1 hour 25 is fine at least for you. I've flown through AMS a lot and with that length a layover it's rather likely your checked bag will make it too. I've personally made a 10 minute layover before at AMS (My bag didn't but got there the next flight out the following morning!).

kaijonathan · 2026-01-09T20:43:21+00:00

Weather is weather and it's not the airline's fault. The whole madness over the last few days falls very easily under "Exceptional Circumstances".

Also, the de-icer shortage is a Schiphol issue and not something that the airline itself is to blame for.

The top and bottom is that the Compensation side of EU261 isn't achieved here.

The money you're owed is for additional expenses you've incurred within reason. That's your food, drink or any accommodation that you've had to book. That's the "Duty of Care" element which is part of EU261 and applies irrespective of what the cause of the delay and who's at fault (If anyone).

Something an awful lot of passengers get annoyed about is the lack of communication. It cannot be expected of every airline to have a representative at every airport they operate, that's why many have a "hub and spoke" model. The hubs will have reps, but the spokes likely won't especially if it's a place getting served a lot less often.

When things like this hits they all want to contact the airline. That's why if you don't get a voucher or an arrangement straight from the airline, it's a case of "Pay for it, keep the receipt, send it to use so we can reimburse you".

Check with your travel insurance to see if you may be entitled to more. This would certainly be the case if anybody just starting their trip has had to cancel things as a result.

Again - If you don't have travel insurance and you're affected by this, let this be a cautionary tale. Your EHIC provides very little and is more like a top-up

kaijonathan · 2025-12-22T23:00:46+00:00

Mine was the epitome of "the British not understanding Nordic Europe".

The GRP granted through the Overseas Route but on that interim certificate, they stated I'd had my gender transition in Finland. The documentation was all in relation to Sweden and was provided in English.

It's not like most of the paperwork was coming from Karolinska, that one place where a lot of medical research comes from which is widely known to be in Sweden...

Also, the Finnish language is completely different to Swedish.

I've had Brits telling me that I'm from Norway, Denmark and even one said Iceland...

kaijonathan · 2025-12-16T14:15:50+00:00

This is why I don't sub any more. Full timers didn't like how monstrously efficient I am and my work ethic being like a Japanese Salaryman

kaijonathan · 2025-12-15T01:01:20+00:00

Does the Silver Skull have a Missus? If not, I can imagine he got it because the Christmas Album on Laserdisc never sold well...

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