Dnl

ISRAEL
 
 

Spain 11
Indonesia 10 Canada 9 Poland 8 Brazil 7 Netherlands 6 India 5 Croatia 4 Lithuania 3 Germany 2 Italy 1

Thank you Israel for the points  
 
I do notice that copying is a bit problematic in, I think, Google Chrome? Somehow I've had the same issue, Firefox solves it  

ISRAEL
 
 
Greeting in national language:
 
Greeting in national language:
Shalom rav ve Boker tov Haverim/שלום רב ובוקר טוב חברים
 
 
English translation:
Hello and good morning friends
 
 

Indonesia 10 Canada 9 Poland 8 Brazil 7 Netherlands 6 India 5 Croatia 4 Lithuania 3 Germany 2 Italy 1  

ISRAEL
 
 
Greeting in national language:
 
Greeting in national language:
Shalom rav ve Boker tov Haverim/שלום רב ובוקר טוב חברים
 
 
English translation:
Hello and good morning friends
 
 

Indonesia 10 Canada 9 Poland 8 Brazil 7 Netherlands 6 India 5 Croatia 4 Lithuania 3 Germany 2 Italy 1  

08:00, the sun rises on the Veluwe...rise and shine people, one hour to go!

Ha Ha, you make me laugh with that intro, thanks @dcro

Does anyone else always get cringy when reading about what's supposed to be the culinary 'traditions' in their country?  
 
For example, I am reading this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_cuisine#Structure_of_meals
 
And basically all of it is just bullshit  
 
I've never heard this being called 'koffietijd' and there really isn't a set timeframe, it just depends on whenever you'd like it. I'd take a morning snack early if I had a very early breakfast, or late (or not at all) if I had a late breakfast. It really depends on the situation and person.
 
 
Wrong  
 
Even on weekends most people consider 17:00 way too early for that and these kind of things usually only start later in the evening (like 21:00), although a 'borrel' is definitely not beer or wine, a 'borrel' is a small shot of generally a strong liquor (think 40% or higher). Also, nobody calls it 'borreltijd'.
 
While the 'potatoes, vegetables and meat' thing isn't entirely untrue (although personally I only eat my meat after the rest, which one could see as a second course), I have never in my life heard of 'AVG'  I've lived here for all of my 30 years and never have I ever heard anyone say "we'll eat AVG tonight ". The only meaning of AVG in the Netherlands is either antivirus software or the Dutch translation of the GDPR.
 
----
 
We really don't have much of a 'tradition', we eat as much - if not more - things like pasta and rice than potatoes, it really just depends on what one likes.

A message from  Antarctica
 

 
From some time our cute friends from the coldest continent have been quite silent, but today they finally gave some sign of life, below is message which I found today in letter box:
 
"We know that in last months we were silent, the reason was nothing else but Covid-19 pandemic. Luckily we don't have any single confirmed case but any air vehicles couldn't landed here because of our mother decision to keep this place as the one of the last safe in the world. In recent days, as TOISC Grand Final is approaching one brave member of our family decided to travel to Ushuaia and send letter to Totallympics community with wishes of good luck in the upcoming edition of the competition and hopes that in near future WINTERFEST will be held again and then we could be invited as official participant in TISC. May the best song win!
Of course we want wish everyone all the best, stay safe and healthy in these difficult times."
 
 

Should we allow mail-in voting for the next edition? It would be big fun sending something to Canada.
 
If the votes do not arrive on time, they get revealed after the Grand Final (provided the mail got postmarked before the voting deadline).
 
And if the mail gets lost on the way... Recount? Retroactive disqualitication?

Right, everyone has received their templates  

Dnl: "Catchy Tune and Good Message Are the Ideal Combo"
 

 
We love our debuting nations, and the most recent one has been Israel, who joined us for the first time earlier this year in Croatia. Their leading juror Dnl is no novice, however. A former radio D.J., Dnl's music insights extend beyond the TISC stage. As Israel is scheduled to open up the voting proceedings in the Netherlands, we are anxious to get some sort of an idea of what to expect...
 
Q: How do you go about evaluating TISC entries? Do you use a specific system when picking out your Top 12?
A: When I listen to any entry, I use my elimination system. I listen to the song and read the entry details in the thread, and also read the lyrics if I don't understand them. Then I let it "sink in" and then go on to the next song.
 
I repeat this process for 3/4 days. If I still enjoy listening to a song, for me, it's a top 12.
 
Q: And what about the maximum 12 points? Can you recognize it immediately? Or do you take a certain amount of time before deciding on it?
A: I need to finish my 3/4 days to truly know. Also, I tend to put the songs I like to my close ones to see and hear their reactions, it's always essential for me that they share their opinions to find my top 12-6-3, and eventually the number 1. Also, I find it helpful to put certain songs in certain situations, in order to really "feel" them.
 
Q: Do you have a favorite music genre? Is there any genre you would like to hear more of on the TISC stage?
A: Even though I'm still young I had the opportunity to work at a local radio station and had my own choice of songs, so after a while, I started not to have a certain genre [type]. I really enjoy songs from the '80s, and earlier, so they are more of my "type" I guess.
 
Q: How important are lyrics to you?
A: For me, lyrics are important. I find that a good combination of "catchy" tune or music, that give me a sort of feeling, and a good message are the ideal combo.
 
 Q: And finally... How can we get 12 points from Dnl?
A: For me, the song must be a song that will get "stuck" in my head, the type you occasionally hum to yourself and the kind that I could work on my program and put in the background.
 
If Dnl's musical preferences still feel like a jigsaw puzzle - maybe this will help. The Israeli juror has outlined the following entriy as favorite during his TISC debut...
 
 
 
Stay tuned for more user interviews to come, as we count down to TOISC 2020...

Delegation location 9 - Vierhouten
We go up north from Apeldoorn once again and find ourselves not very far away from Staverden in yet another small location: Vierhouten, a little and pretty quiet town in the woods. The name literally translates to something like 'four woods', most likely this name came into existence because of the four forests surrounding it.

It's a bit of a touristic place, since it's located in the forests and next to what's apparently called heathland in English. For a very long time, Vierhouten was a typical farmer's village, which lasted until somewhere in the mid-20th century. A lot of the centuries old farms disappeared, were rebuilt or burned down - basically only one, built before 1820 and possibly already in 1650, is still intact, although not really operating as a farm anymore, but as a holiday house instead.
 

De Jonge Stee, the main former farm still in existence in Vierhouten

There is one main thing around Vierhouten and that has to do with relatively recent history: a few kilometers outside of town, there is the 'Hidden Village'. During the Second World War, a relatively large amount of people were hidden from the German occupiers there, including Jewish people, resistance fighters and a British pilot who was shot down not far away and escaped being caught.
 

Entrance to one of the rebuilt living quarters in the Hidden Village

The Hidden Village, sadly, has a tragic ending, but in between all the fun stuff, I do think it's an important story to tell for history's sake: one day a young boy was getting some water, but when crossing a small opening in between the trees, a German soldier spotted him. He got some reinforcements and the hidden village was hidden no more. A total of 78 people managed to escape, but eight were caught and all of them were executed basically immediately - apart from one elderly lady, who died due to sickness. Part of the village has been rebuilt, so one can go there and enter the (rebuilt) living quarters while walking around in the forest.
 

Inside the forest, next to one of the forest roads, a small monument has been made for the Hidden Village inhabitants who were caught and executed in October 1944, six of them at roughly this location
 
To close out Vierhouten, we would like to point out there is of course not just tragedy there - otherwise we wouldn't place anyone in the town. There's a hotel which was often used by the royal family when going on their hunting vacations - not to worry, they're not doing that anymore. The main positive thing about Vierhouten is it's market in the autumn, when the new season starts for all kinds of meat - deer, boar and so on. They are majestic animals indeed, but if numbers are not controlled to some extent, the entire ecosystem is endangered, especially the boar can be...destructive.
 

The end of summer and the beginning of autumn is an excellent time in Vierhouten!
 
Delegations in Vierhouten
 Denmark
Mexico
Israel

Saturday arrives, you are ready for another TISC extravaganza, the banter is plenty, the drinks are flowing, but there is a spectre of that most terrifying demon haunting us. No, no, no, silly @heywoodu, I am not talking about olives. I am not even referring to those Antarctic fiends that we love to hate. No this is a nightmare that is much more terrifying... the dreaded "nul points".
Not until we receive those first comforting points can we truly breathe a sigh of relief and settle into the contest.
 
 
So what happens if you find yourself in that lonely position on Saturday where you are alone at the foot of the table with a duck egg for company? Juries come and juries go but no points have fallen in your basket. Well, fear no more, I have the very post for you to banish those demons so bookmark this post and share with your friends at their time of need. Indeed, if things go badly on Saturday then yes, please please send me this link
 
 
Reasons to be cheerful 1, 2, 3:
 
No nation has ever officially finished with nul points at TISC. Every single one of the 508 songs which officially participated in the contest has scored points from a national jury. We have yet to leave anyone behind. Lebanon looks away The song which was the last to score points in the contest has NEVER finished in last place in the final rankings! Songs which were the last to score points can and have gone on to achieve great feats such as receiving 12 pointers and even finishing in the top 10 in the overall ranking. Romania's 8th place finish at TISC Open 2019 is testament to that.  
 
If that isn't enough to keep your head up then let's look specifically at this edition, TISC Open 2020 for more reasons to be hopeful.
 
TISC is littered with superheroes, ready to save those nations who look doomed to a fate of nul points. Let's take a look at the list of "Lois and Clark"s of years gone by.....
 
 
  Jury # Superhero Damsel(s) in Distress  TISC Open 2013 19 Poland Slovakia  TISC Annual 2014 10 Montenegro BUL  GUY IND MAR  TISC Open 2014 21 Azerbaijan Bulgaria  TISC Annual 2015 16 Netherlands Czech Republic  TISC Open 2015 24 Romania Azerbaijan  TISC Annual 2016 14 Spain Kazakhstan  TISC Open 2016 6 Czech Republic Italy  Poland  TISC Annual 2017 12 Moldova India  Russia  TISC Open 2017 17 Slovakia Algeria  TISC Annual 2018 15 Algeria Azerbaijan  TISC Open 2018 13 Egypt Tunisia  TISC Annual 2019 17 Argentina India  TISC Open 2019 7 Malta Moldova Romania Tunisia  TISC Annual 2020 11 Tunisia Kazakhstan  TISC Open 2020 ? ? ?  
 
So the first 2 sessions have concluded, 14 juries have cast their votes but your song is still out in the cold on zero points? Well as we learned earlier, in as many as half of the contests to date, at least 1 song has been waiting longer than 14 juries to receive their very first points. So no reason to panic just yet.
 
 
But naturally, your demons are growing by now, you are convinced you will be the exception to the rule? Well the middle order is packed full of proven superheroes to help pick you up and get you on your feet:
 
Slovakia (Jury #14)
 
Tunisia (Jury #16)
 
Romania (Jury #17)
 
Argentina (Jury #18)
 
Netherlands (Jury #22)
 
Not to mention the votes of (Jury #21) which is usually a bonanza for the lower-ranked songs.
 
 
If after this batch of heroes have been dispatched and you are still in peril, then remember, Azerbaijan did not receive their first score until the 24th jury at TISC Open 2015 and better still they did not even finish last. And guess who we have voting in jury position #24? Yes it's New Zealand . If you are on zero points then you are surely in with a chance of arousing the attention of @Wanderer's radar.
 
Ok, so is it time to panic after the 24th jury has passed and you are still on the brink of zero points? The next pair of superheroes will be dispatched:
 
Egypt (Jury #26)
Czech Republic (Jury #30)
 
 
Ok so things are beginning to look bleak but there is still 5 juries to go! 5 more chances to catch the eye of a potential new hero. And to cap it all we have a proven superhero in Malta to round out the voting in a final attempt to save your blushes.
 
 
 
So, we have run out of superheroes, run out of juries and if you have come this far then we have failed you and that would be a TISC first. And if that happens we will be there to give you a hug (socially distanced of course), and remind you that we are there to pick you up and carry you on to the next TISC adventure.
 
 

titicow: "Indie Songs Have My Attention"
 

 
When TISC started, Brazil recorded a shaky start to their campaign, with only one Top 10 result achieved during the first seven editions. But the wait turned out to be worth it. Four consecutive Top 6 placings came next, as well as the distinct honor of being the Jubilee hosts.
 
While often overlooked in vinipereira's favor, titicow is himself a long-term member of the Brazilian judging panel and TISC family in general. This interview therefore gives us an opportunity for a closer examination...
 


Q: How do you go about evaluating TISC entries? Do you use a specific system when picking out your Top 12?
A: Usually I only use the playlist order to select about 20 songs, then If necessary I listen again so I can be sure this is my Top 12.
 
Q: And what about the maximum 12 points? Can you recognize it immediately? Or do you take a certain amount of time before deciding on it?
A: Every competition I have a clear winner. Most of the time, I recognize 3 or 4 songs that I already enjoyed before and give them a high score.
 
Q: Do you have a favorite music genre? Is there any genre you would like to hear more of on the TISC stage?
A: Indie songs usually have my attention, but I'm always open to listen to different songs, especially not the mainstream ones.
 
Q: How important are lyrics to you?
A: To be fair not at all.
 
Q: And finally... How can we get 12 points from titicow?
A: A lovely melody and an exciting arrangement will be enough.
 
If titicow's musical preferences still feel like a jigsaw puzzle - maybe this will help. Our resident Brazilian juror has outlined the following entries as favorites during the most recent editions...
 
 
 
Stay tuned for more user interviews to come, as we count down to TOISC 2020...

Bohemia: "It's Really Just About a Feeling"
 

 
France is a battleground nation in many ways. From the fact that the winning songs may or may not get points from them, to the fact that the French votes are comprised of two very different judging ideals. As one half of the French panel, Bohemia has accumulated extensive judging experience and has lead France to numerous notable results, including three bronze medals, several team honors and the coveted Music'thlon gold medal...
 

Q: How do you go about evaluating TISC entries? Do you use a specific system when picking out your Top 12?
A: I give all the songs a first listen and give them "notes", either +, =+, =, =- or -. After the first listen, I immediately eliminate the songs that got =- and - and then I listen to the rest at least 2 or 3 more times to make a decision. So as you can see, I don't have a very efficient system, but it works for me and I don't really want to change it.
 
Q: And what about the maximum 12 points? Can you recognize it immediately? Or do you take a certain amount of time before deciding on it?
A: It really depends. Sometimes I hear a song and I'll know the first time that it will get my 12. Other times I will have some clear favorites without knowing which one is better, and that's when it gets difficult to choose. I'll have to listen to those few songs again and again and again to try to see if one stands out more.
 
Q: Do you have a favorite music genre? Is there any genre you would like to hear more of on the TISC stage?
A: This is a question I always dread. I don't really know, indie and pop-rock I guess? And as a genre I would like to hear more, I think that I get to hear my favorite genres quite a lot already, so it's cool.
 
Q: How important are lyrics to you?
A: The first thing I notice in a song is general rhythm and the instruments that are used. The lyrics are not the most important thing for me (unless they are really stupid, then it will probably make me dislike the song).
 
Q: And finally... How can we get 12 points from Bohemia?
A: Good question. It's really just about the feeling I get when I listen to the song. If it gives me chills (mostly because of the music), then it could get 12 points from me.
 
If Bohemia's musical preferences still feel like a jigsaw puzzle - maybe this will help. Our resident Irish juror has outlined the following entries as favorites during the most recent editions...
 
 
 
Stay tuned for more user interviews to come, as we count down to TOISC 2020...

kungshamra71: "It's Just a Matter of How It Sounds"
 

 
Portugal's entries are like a box of chocolate - you never know what you're gonna get. From fado to death metal and electronic scores, we have heard it all. In terms of voting, meanwhile, Portugal and its leading juror kungshamra71 proudly represent the radical anti-establishment. Only 40% of champions have scored any points from them...
 
Q: How do you go about evaluating TISC entries? Do you use a specific system when picking out your Top 12?
A: I always start listening to all the songs and assign them a number, from 1 to 12 (with half points sometimes). This does not mean I assign every possible point to a song, in fact, I think only once or twice I did assign 11 or 12 points to a song in whole TISC history. 
 
Then, after having those points assigned, I order them and hear again the songs that are tied, to properly order then on my ranking. With the whole ranking done, the top 12 get the 12 points, obviously. 
 
Q: And what about the maximum 12 points? Can you recognize it immediately? Or do you take a certain amount of time before deciding on it?
A: It depends. I think usually there are some songs that I hear and I can say "ok, this will be probably my top!" like in the annual edition of 2016 where I heard the French, Tunisia and Algerian ones and I knew immediately they would be my top 3.
 
Usually, the editions where I find the quality of the songs not that good are the more difficult ones to give the 12, but never too much time.
 
Q: Do you have a favorite music genre? Is there any genre you would like to hear more of on the TISC stage?
A: I kind of like a bit of all genre, but my favorite I think it would be epic instrumental music and soundtracks (huge fan of Hans Zimmer and Two Steps From Hell). Also like American country music, which is unusual, I guess haha.
 
I don't feel the need for any particular genre on TISC, to be honest, I like mostly all types of music, it's just a matter of "how it sounds" to me.
 
Q: How important are lyrics to you?
A: Not much. Unless I can understand them and they are dumb enough for me to not being able to like the music without thinking about the lyrics, I don't give too much importance to lyrics.
 
Q: And finally... How can we get 12 points from kungshamra71?
A: Not sure, I think I'm a bit unpredictable. I like traditional stuff, things that bring something different to what I have already listened. Well unless Germany decides to send Hans Zimmer, I think I would be giving the 12 points after 10 seconds of listening to the music.
 
If kungshamra71's musical preferences still feel like a jigsaw puzzle - maybe this will help. The resident Portuguese juror has outlined the following entries as favorites during the most recent TISC editions...
 
 
 
Stay tuned for more user interviews to come, as we count down to TOISC 2020...

Well how about this, Romania voted directly before Argentina at TISC Open 2015.... and they do so again this time. Could it be a sign?
 
Well perhaps not because amazingly, this is the 4th time that Romania will vote directly before Argentina!
This also happened at the TISC Annual 2014, TISC Open 2015 and the TISC Annual 2020 earlier this year. As if that wasn't enough, Argentina voted directly before Romania at TISC Annual 2016. These 2 nations seem like magnets in terms of voting position!

We are totally agree!!, but remember Trump "will cause the third world war" according his detractors and, for the contrary, Obama was tolerance and peace.....and he won the Peace Nobel .
Carl von Clausewitze says: "War is nothing but a continuation of politics with the admixture of other means".

I remember when many people says "he will cause a third world war" and he didnt made any 

Spot on comment 

He made more agreements between countries then wars he met with leaders that considered the enemy of the U.S and yet it so hard for people to remember the good things he did... 
 

Facts, important......

I think Capitalism is currently the best way to resurrect the economy....  most of the currencies have become very unstable and the importance of handling it is crucial 
Biden/Harris will have great pressure on them, especially since they want to get back the Chinese market in, a move that will harm a lot of middle class Americans 

rybak: "I Want More Traditional Songs"
 


As long-term TISC supporter, rybak has lead Poland to numerous notable results. This includes an impressive run of three consecutive Top 10 placings (2017 Open - 2018 Open).
 
Poland, however, will not be represented by a single person jury in Holland. For the first time in a long time. WIll this cause them to shift away from their usual far anti-establishment patterns?
 
Q: How do you go about evaluating TISC entries? Do you use a specific system when picking out your Top 12?
A: No, I don't have a specific system, I just listen to all entries, and I choose those ones which sound good for me.
 
Q: And what about the maximum 12 points? Can you recognize it immediately? Or do you take a certain amount of time before deciding on it?
A: Usually there are few songs at the beginning, to which I would want to give 12 points, just like at this contest I had 4 songs which IMO deserved to have my 12 points. I needed this time four listenings to make a final decision about top 4.
 
Q: Do you have a favorite music genre? Is there any genre you would like to hear more of on the TISC stage?
A: I prefer Pop, rock songs and trance music, but time to time I also listen to other music genres, all depends on the current mood. I still listen every day the song which represented Hong Kong at the TISC Special Event.
 
At TISC I would want to hear more traditional songs, like Balkan ballads, folk songs and so on.
 
Q: How important are lyrics to you?
A: Music, sound, rhythm for me are more important than lyrics.
 
Q: And finally... How can we get 12 points from rybak?
A: Well, the answer is simple, choose the song which I will like/love, hints are above.
 
If rybak's musical preferences still feel like a jigsaw puzzle - maybe this will help. Our resident Polish juror has outlined the following entries as favorites during the most recent editions...
 
 
 
Stay tuned for more user interviews to come, as we count down to TOISC 2020...