mrv86

GWYNEDD (WAL)
The county of Gwynedd is located in North West Wales and has a majority Welsh speaking population (quite rare fr modern Wales). The name Gwynedd comes from the ancient Kingdom of Gwynedd, which was an independent kingdom from when the romans left until the 13th Century.
For the next few weeks this county will be home to Argentina @konig@LDOG and Kazakhstan @Ruslan, one will be on the mainland and one on an island..
 
Kazakhstan - Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
 

If you are wondering how you say it, then this weatherman nails the pronounciation! I expect the Kazakh delegation to have it nailed as well by the time they make there way to the Grand Final! Oficially it is the longest place name in Europe, and second longest in the world, only beaten by Taumatawhakatangi­hangakoauauotamatea­turipukakapikimaunga­horonukupokaiwhen­uakitanatahu in New Zealand.
The name itself was a publicity stunt to attract attention to the new railway station in the 1860s, but the locals have embraced it and the name has stuck.
There is more to the village than the name, as the first ever Women's Insititute meeting took place in the vllage.
 
Argentina - Ynys Mon

The island of Ynys Mon, or Anglesey in English, is known for its beaches and its royals. It has been taken over by Vikings and Normans over the Islands history and the completion of Telford's Brittania Bridge in 1826 revolutionised the island as access was made much easier. Today the island has one of the homes of Prince William and Kate and with stunning coastlines that attract visitors from across the UK.
The Argentinian delegation are in for a beautiful week on the Island and this short video gives a small taster of what is in store for Argentina..

   

Well, there's no left or right in Latin America really... just a bunch of thieves with netiher philosophical nor ethical platforms who are just expecting to benefit from the deals they made while in power due to the neoliberal agenda.
 
Personally, I stop believing in elections some years ago, since there's no politician (at least in my country) that actually puts attention to what governments are actually needed for, which is, security, justice and well being of its citizens.

Wow, these videos are incredible... And so sad.

Voting Schedule  
ORDER NATION HOST
TIME
LOCAL
TIME
1 Indonesia 10:30 16:30 2 Romania 10:45 12:45 3 Slovenia                  11:00 12:00 4 Ireland 11:15 11:15 5 Russia 11:30 13:30 6 Croatia 11:45 12:45 7 Slovakia 12:00 13:00 8 Algeria 12:15 12:15  9 Lithuania 12:30 14:30 LUNCH 12:45-13:30 10 Malta 13:30 14:30 11 Iran 13:45 17:15 12 Moldova 14:00 16:00 13 Bulgaria 14:15 16:15 14 Kazakhstan 14:30 19:30 15 India 14:45 19:15 16 Denmark 15:00 16:00 17 Poland 15:15 16:15 18 Netherlands 15:30 16:30 19 Finland 15:45 17:45 BREATHER 16:00-16:30 20 Argentina 16:30 12:30 21 Great Britain 16:45 16:45 22 Morocco 17:00 17:00 23 Mexico 17:15 11:15 24 United States 17:30 12:30 25 Tunisia 17:45 17:45 26 Portugal 18:00 18:00 27 Canada 18:15 13:15 28 France 18:30 19:30 DINNER 18:45-19:45 29 Greece 19:45 21:45 30 New Zealand 20:00 07:00 31 Azerbaijan 20:15 23:15 32 Germany 20:30 21:30 33 Brazil 20:45 16:45 34 Serbia 21:00 22:00 35 Italy 21:15 22:15  

Petrounias !!! 3rd gold in row in european championships!!

Stadium announcer said that they will present Romania's ESC song after the competition.
 
Lies. Surely they will present their song for TISC next weekend.

So Putin puppet vs markets/bankers puppet? great...

Well anything can happen in relays, so best of luck for the Dutch team

Mediterranean Games 2021
the stadium in progress
 
 

 
 
all the complexe will be like that
 

Some images of what happening in Venezuela between the forces of the dictator Maduro and the people who protest in the streets againts his regimen http://www.lanacion.com.ar/2013461-las-fotos-mas-impactantes-de-la-represion-en-venezuela

And I'm pretty sure those workouts have nothing to do with game itself. It's just gym lads being gym lads.
 
I actually watched some CS:GO tournaments, and most of the guys there didn't look like some fitness lovers. This by the way leads to another problem, the inexistance of women's e-sports.

So this happened during Krueger - Tiafoe at the Sarasota Challenger...
 
Sex sounds being heard, with people thinking it's coming from a phone....only to discover it's definitely not coming from a phone 
Especially Tiafoe's reaction after 2 minutes: "It can't be THAT good!" 
 
 
The incredibly awkward mother very awkwardly trying to make her son cover his ears (most likely knowing very well what's going on, come on, it's the internet age) is pure comedy gold as well  

Keeping It Nip And Tuck
 
Year in and year out we are proven that winning the desired TISC title is not everything. There are always so many other battles and curiosities that keep us glued to the scoreboard as the Grand Final progresses. One of those things are the battles between certain nations that seem to happen at every single occasion. So, in this article we will focus on some of the biggest rivalries of the TISC family.
 
 

 
Algeria and Tunisia's rivalry might be one of the shorter lived ones, but it has been just as intense as some of the longer ones. Algeria and Tunisia have met each other at no less than three contests, starting at the 2015 Open when Algeria made its debut. Back then Tunisia won easily, scoring 82 points to Algeria's 28. However, 2016 brought much tighter affairs between these two African nations. 2016 Annual contest was, generally speaking, the most successful one for the African continent. Both Algeria and Tunisia went over 100 points, becoming the first African nations to do so. However, it was Tunisia that edged out Algeria 126 to 118. 2016 Open contest brought another close battle between these two. Moreover, both nations finished on 70 points! But once again it was Tunisia who finished in front on tie-break, keeping their record clean at 3-0. At the end of the year, Algeria and Tunisia met yet again, but this time in the final round of bidding. Tunisia edged out again and won the hosting rights for the 2017 Open. Will 2017 be Algeria's year?
 
 

 
Who says that only winner gets a trophy? Sometimes even finishing in 27th place can bring you a trophy. The Czechs and the Slovaks have friendly rivalries in all kind of things, and TISC is definitely no exception. Sadly, this time we will not see a Czechoslovakian battle, as the Czech team dropped out after failing to submit their votes. The Czechoslovakian trophy has been won by Slovakia on 4 occasions, making them the more successful of the two. Moreover, Slovakia has 100% efficiency when it comes to the Annual Contest. Maybe that's why Czechs dropped out? Or maybe they are still recovering from the nasty defeat at the 2016 Open, when Slovaks defeated them by a single point thanks to the very last jury?
 
 

 
It is a well known fact that French and Italians are regular sport rivals. Their sport rivalry has been well translated to the TISC contests. France has won 4 times, while Italy has 3 victories. France is also leading in the all-time points. But perhaps the most curious thing about their battles is the fact that the winning side always seem to crush the other. Italy crushed France by 117 points at the 2013 Open, France crushed Italy by 118 points at the 2014 Open. Their closest battle came at the 2016 Open, when France won by still a big margin of 24 points.
 
 

 
Battle of the giants, we should say. Over the years, Great Britain has been pretty much the only nation that could match Ireland's successes on regular basis. This may come as a surprise, but Great Britain has actually been the more successful of the two, defeating Ireland at no less than 4 occasions! Ireland has 3 victories, and all of them actually came when Ireland won the overall contest. It seems like Ireland needs to come up with a winning combination to keep their neighbors at bay! Despite having a positive head-to-head score, the British have only one overall victory. That's indeed some tough luck!
 
 

 
This is perhaps the biggest of all TISC rivalries. Canada and the USA have been fighting close battles ever since the TISC contests started. Moreover, at the TISC premiere in 2013 they actually finished on equal 150 points! This prompted users from both nations to desperately seek answers over who won the tie-break. It was Canada that edged out eventually, earning them a top 5 finish. Canadians and Americans kept it nip and tuck at pretty much all of the following contests. Their rivalry culminated once again at the latest 2016 Open contest in Lithuania. Going into the final round of voting, it was the USA that held the final place on the podium. But there was one problem... They were drawn to be the final voters. They awarded points to Canada and, in the process, they also handed them their own place on the podium. Looking at their battles over the years, it seems like the Canadians always get their way in close finishes. They won once on a tie-break, and two more times by single-digit differences. USA, on the other hand, have won only once, and that was by a big 35 points difference!
 
TISC Analytics

LANCASHIRE (N)
The county of Lancashire is located in the North West of England. This county has played a large role in the indusatrialisation of Britain, in particular cotton, as 85% of the cotton manufactured globally in the early 1800s was manufactured in Lancashire's cotton mills.
For the next few weeks this industrial county will be home to India @Dolby and Italy @Gianlu33@Henry_Leon@SteveParker@Pablita who will each stay in one of the regions great cities.
 
India - Blackpool
 

Having both travelled across Asia and Europe, the Indian delegation arrived at the seaside resort of Blackpool, a city with bustling promenades, fun fairs and a focus on tourism. Landmarks like the Blackpool Pleasure Beach theme park and the Blackpool Tower (inspired by the Eiffel Tower) can be seen along the coast. Blackpool has followed the same journey of many seaside resorts across the country. The journey begins with sea bathing, a trend in Victorian Britain that was said to cure many diseases and became popular with wealthy city dwellers who would come to the coast for respite. But the most significant date for most seaside towns is the date the railways opened connecting these coastal towns to the city, for Blackpool this was 1846. After then holiday makers flocked to Blackpool during wakes week (the week when all the cotton mills closed), piers and amusements were built to cater for the tourists. Sadly, the package holiday abroad has resulted in the decline of Blackpool, but a strong culture remains in the seaside town.

One of the fmost famous events in Blackpool is the Illuminations, the illuminations themselves are over 6 miles long and use over a million bulbs. The festival began in 1879 and is still growing today, with greater business interest and a new focus on sustainability. And to welcome the Indian delegation here is the Blackpool Illuminatiosn in all their glory!

 
Italy - Manchester

The large Italian delegation required a big host area to cater for the 4 users and additional team, therefore Manchester as the UKs 2nd largest city is a perfect place for the Italian team to stay! Manchester, aptly nicknamed Cottonopolis, is the UKs 2nd most populated city, behind London and was the world's first industrialised city. And each Italian user will discover a little bit about the culture of one of Britain's most important cities.
Sport City
Manchester's sport is known world wide for the football teams of Manchester United and Manchester City, for the cricket ground where Shane Warne bowled the Ball of the Century in the 1993 Ashes, for being the host of the 2002 Commonwealth Games, for the location of the 'medal factory' the Manchester Velodrome where Team GB train for the Olympics and for many more. SportCity itself is the largest concentration of sporting venues in Europe and is rumoured to be preparing a bid for the 2023 European Games.
Creative City
Manchester's music scene exploded in the 90s, bands like Oasis and Take That were born and Manchester was put firmly on the musical map of Britain. Much of the new wave of culture in Manchester came from bands, painters and acting groups making use of cheap, worn down warehouses and factories in Northern Manchester.

Literary City
Manchester has a long tradition of producing great writers and poets and also as an important location in the creation of literature. Manchester was where the first meeting of Engels and Karl Marx took place and the two begain writing the Communist Manifesto in Chetham Library in Manchester. The John Rylands Library also holds the earliest known text of the New Testament. Famous books The Clockwork Orange and The Secret Garden were also written in the city.
Media City
Manchester is an important location in the UK media and film industry, it is one of ITVs and BBCs main studios and shows like Mastermind, Coronation Street and BBC Breakfast, have been filmed there. Salford Quays has been redeveloped as MediaCity and is home to many TV, Radio and print based media companies.

Happy Easter
 

Nope, it's more likely that Trump is just playing a game of 'my penis is bigger than yours' in the waters around Korea  
 
US military being in South Korea or Japan is nothing new at all. 

Tell me why Ukraine should be excluded from next contest? Because they not accepted this that Russia broken rules and decided to send to contest artist which pefromed two years ago on "Russian" Crimea? There was an "black list" of Russians artists which pefromed on "Russian" Crimea and all of them are unable to enter to Ukrainian teritory by few years and Julia was on this list. Russia from the beginning doesn't wanted compete in this contest and they choosed singer on wheelchair on purpose to discrimine that Ukraine is bad country, that Ukraine not let invalid artist to compete in contest, it's all political game, sadly.

Excellent news

@konig this is going to be hosted in your city,,, Awesome!!

POWYS (WAL)
The county of Powys is located in Wales on the border with England. This ancient county used to be the Kingdom of Powys and extended across the border into England.
For the next 3 weeks this ancient county will be home to Mexico @mrv86 and Moldova @Ionoutz24 who will enjoy a unique experience together of the dramatic landscape in Powys.
 
Mexico & Moldova - Glyndwr's Way
 

Having both travelled long distances the delegations were expecting a relaxing stay in the Powys countryside, but little did they expect to be going on a 217km hike across Powys for the next 3 weeks! Glyndwr's Way is a popular route that forms an extended loop through Powys, starting in Welshpool, heading to Machynlleth and ending in Knighton. Hikers have completed the route in 10 days, but our delegations will enjoy a more relaxing hike, taking just under 3 weeks and allowing them to stop over in some spectacular locations along the way. Here's a map for the teams, lets hope their orienteering skills will get them to the end in time for the Grand Final!


One of the first stops on the route is Lake Vyrnwy, which I have visited and is truely breathtaking! The Lake was the first stone-built dam in the world and still provides most of Liverpool's water today and lying beneath the water is the small village of Llanwddyn that was flooded when the dam was built.

The hike includes a variety of natural landmarks from Lakes and resevoirs to waterfalls and valleys. The walk is described as 'challenging' with regular and steep hill climbs and descents, and pack a raincoat, the Welsh valleys are lush and green for one reason alone, rain!

Reaching Machynlleth marks the halfway point, a town that claims to be the ancient capital of Wales, but has had it's request for city status declined on multiple occasions, (the Queen has to grant a town 'city status', there's no criteria, just if she says yes!). Why not visit the Centre for Alternative Technology whilst your in town, which demonstartes the potential of renewable energy and sustainable agriculture.

As you reach the end of the journey you'll reach the Valley of Nant Clywedog, home to many small villages with very Welsh names. Within the Valley lies Abbeycwnhir, a village with an Abbey that if fully built would have been the largest in the UK, but sadly the Abbeyr never reached its full size and has since remained unknown to most. The journeys end in Knighton will be sad for our hikers, but nevertheless relief that they will have made it in one piece, overcoming some of Wales most dramatic countryside and experiencing the natural, and underappreciated, beauty that Powys has to offer.
 

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE (MID)
The county of Nottinghamshire is located in the Midlands, home to the legend of Robin Hood!
For the next 3 weeks this Archery mad county will be home to the delegations of United States @dezbee2008 and Russia @vovanA, some of the most successful competing nations in Archery at the Olympics. You may be thinking what an unlikely pairing, but there is an important history to this region that makes this pairing very interesting..
 
United States - Sherwood Forest

With the longest journey yet Team USA arrived slightly tired, but excited for their next few weeks in the glorious Sherwood Forest, home to the legend of Robin Hood, an outlaw who took from the rich and gave to the poor. The county of Nottinghamshire is positively obsessed with the legend, placing him on their flag, road signs and across the county in statues. But the forest, originally called Birklands and Bilhaugh, has long been a royal hunting ground and is home to the Major Oak, thought to be almost 1000 years old.

The importance of Robin Hood to the region cannot be understated, the annual Robin Hood Festival recreates the medieval atmosphere and acts as a celebration of the legend that has put the region on the map. But perhaps for this pairing of countries there is something more important than Robin Hood hidden within Sherwood Forest.
There is one place in Sherwood Forest that dates back to Viking times called the Thynghowe, which was only discovered 10 years ago, yet during the 14th-17th centuries it was the place where people and communities came to resolve and settle their disputes. Maybe some of the magic of Sherwood Forest might send this pairing to the opening ceremony as best friends!
 
Russia - Nottingham

The Russian delegation arrived early this morning into the city of Nottingham, their home for the coming weeks. Nottingham was originally named Tigguo Cobauc, meaning 'City of Caves' and the famous Nottingham Castle itself sits atop a network fof sandstone caves. It is this castle that has housed Richard the Lionheart, who led the crusades and the Sheriff of Nottingham. But there are a few quirks in this town! Nottingham has one of the smallest cinemas in the world with just 22 seats, the worlds first professional football club (Notts County) and one of the oldest pubs, dating back to 1189, but beware Team Russia supposedly anyone who cleans the Trip to Jerusalem pub will die!

Most of the caves within Nottingham are man made and have been used thorughout history for a range of purposes from pubs to air raid shelters and sums. There are over 500 known caves, and over 100 of those have been discovered since 2010. But these cave shave a dark past of disease and revolt. In 1330, King Edward III and a group of conspirators crept through a secret tunnel into the city's castle and took prisoner Roger de Mortimer, a nobleman who had until then effectively been England's ruler. During the Industrial Revolution landlords would house the inlux of workers in the caves, creating slums where disease was rife. Today how about heading to the Hand and Heart pub located in the caves for a drink!
 

Exactly why this bid is the most stupid idea I've hears... I mean why only 20 games outside USA... better let them host them on their own.
 
The real reason behind is that all 3 football federations want to cash their part in US dollars, so they will accept this idiot plan 

Exactly why this bid is the most stupid idea I've hears... I mean why only 20 games outside USA... better let them host them on their own.
 
The real reason behind is that all 3 football federations want to cash their part in US dollars, so they will accept this idiot plan 

SOMERSET (SW)
The county of Somerset is located in South West England, home to the Glastonbury festival, Roman Baths and the Wurzels! For the next 3 weeks it will be home to the delegations of Denmark @Agger and Lithuania @Werloc, both former TISC host nations, but their contrasting experiences of urban and rural Somerset will make them wonder if they really are just a matter of miles away from each other...
 
Denmark - Somerset Levels

As the mist rises on the Somerset Levels at dawn the Danish delegation are about to arrive in an area renowned for its natural beauty and biodiversity. However, Team Denmark need to watch their step as the Somerset Levels is one of the most flood prone areas of the UK and by travelling to the Levels Team Denmark are helping the communities across the region who are attempting to increase tourism and gain World Heritage Site status in order to get better flood defences.

There is a long history in the Somerset Levels, with perhaps the most interesting tales of all being the legend of King Arthur. The Hill Fort at South Cadbury has long been thought to be Camelot, the home of King Arthur. Arthurian legends surround the region and many locations have some link to the legend.
TOP TRIP: Exploring the Arturian Legends at South Cadbury and Glastonbury Cathedral.

Glastonbury Festival - a celebration of british culture, music and a whole lot of mud! Somerset is internationally known for its flagship music festival, but the music culture in Somerset extends far beyond the tents of Glastonbury. The hippie and folk music scene across the region is long established, and even in the humble beginnings of the Glastonbury Festival, the Pilton Pop, Blues and Folk Festival celebrated the music of Somerset. Whilst team Denmark may be thankful to miss the thousands of festival goers they will certainly not miss the music. The ceilidh folk music of the South West can be seen in local pubs and small festivals and to welcome Team Denmark to the Somerset Levels here is a special performance by the aptly named Somerset Levellers. Enjoy a jig to the music and a local cider!

 
Lithuania - Bristol
 

On a beautiful Bristol evening some of the last balloons return from the skies as the Lithuanian delegation arrive! But not without panic, as the team had to rush back to the Bureau de Change minutes before the flight was set to depart, as they had forgot to buy their Bristol pounds, a local currency only for the city. But it is not the skies, but the water around Bristol that has brought the city is brightest and darkest times over the years. The first English ships to land in North America set off from Bristol, but at the height of the slave trade over 500'000 slaves were transferred through Bristol from Africa to North America. But it is modern Bristol that has really made a name for itself.

Street art, the home of Banksy, Bristol's rebellious streek. The city is not one to conform, but one to push boundaries and ask questions. Banksy has left his mark all over the world, yet some of his original work remains in Bristol and his work has inspired others creating a booming graffiti scene. Bristol has also been at the forefront of animation, with Wallace and Gromit proud products of the cities innovation.

The question now for the Lithuanian delegation is what to do will it be Banksy or Brunell, Boats or Balloons.
But really there's only one iconic choice in Bristol, it has to be balloon, so Team Lithuania better not have a fear of heights because its up, up and away!!

someone is very busy ,hard time