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Final Central European qualifier in Motešice got cancelled. So as it stands, Regina Isachkina and Csaba Szokola have qualified for the Gothenburg Finals out of the Central European League...

I am all for startinng each leg from scratch (like in track cycling elimination race).

I like that idea. A step away from the relay for a change. Also it stops one team from running away.

Gianlu33: "I Could Give You 12, and You Might Still Get 0 from Italy" There is a lot of unity inside the Italian jury. So much so that, for example, Liquid Lunch could only get 11 Italian points - despite scoring from all four jurors and getting three internal medals! Mamma Mia did one better and got four internal medals. This unity sometimes leaves very little room for singular preferences, though... Much like fellow Italians, Gianlu33 has been a true stalwart of his nations' TISC campaign. Notably, however, Gianlu33 was the only one of the Italian resident panelists who have taken part in the Special Event this Summer... Q: How do you go about evaluating TISC entries? Do you use a specific system when picking out your Top 12? A: I have to admit to being a bit obsessive-compulsive when it comes to evaluating TISC songs. I used a lot of different systems in the years. I like to change it. I also tried a sort of "championship", where each song challenged the others in head-to-head matches. This year I did 2 "blind listenings", without knowing the singer or the country, and after that, I discarded some nations. I listened again (plus marked) the other songs, giving a score from 0 to 5. After the scoring, I divided the songs into a sort of "rating category", and I compared them among them. 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: Absolutely not, sometimes a song that I really like at the first listening doesn't manage to make a score in the final ranking. I need some time to decide it, and it's for this reason that I'm almost the last to send the scores, and sometimes I need an extension of the deadline. 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 really like the rock-pop (like Ligabue or Vasco Rossi), but I enjoy other genres [too]. And something I decided to reward are some risky choices, with a more classic rhythm. Q: How important are lyrics to you? A: As is well known, I am not known for my excellent English. If in daily listening to my playlist (completely in Italian) lyrics is fundamental, for the TISC it has absolutely no importance. But I give a look to the video clip or google translator to understand the message of the songs I give a very high rating. Q: And finally... How can we get 12 points from Gianlu33? A: By participating with a good song and also convincing the other Italian jurors. I could give you a 12, and you might still get 0 points from Italy. If Gianlu33's musical preferences still feel like a jigsaw puzzle - maybe this will help. The Italian 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...

We used the relay format (with added twists). I guess we could use simple relay format, jumbo scoreboard (all team members scoring all the time), or something similar.

That was exciting.

Here we go. Starting from scratch. It's a somewhat underrated event. Yes, it is similar to road racing, but everyone competes as an individual!

Olympian1010: "There Are Songs I Enjoy From Genres I Don't Like" Ever since Olympian1010 joined the festivities, America's rate of awarding points to winners has risen from 40% (4/10) to 50% (7/14). One might argue that the States have lost some of their anti-establishment aura. Others suggest their votes have become even more unpredictable. Maybe we will get some answers right here and now... Q: How do you go about evaluating TISC entries? Do you use a specific system when picking out your Top 12? A: Yes. I begin the process of evaluating songs by listening to each song twice. At this point, I give each song a “yes” or “no.” Songs that get a “yes” advance to the next part of the process. In the second part of the process, I start to rank songs. I evaluate the lyrical, musical, and video/performance (when possible) content of each entry. I then do my best to rank each song based on the scores I’ve given them, and how much I like them in general. So then I have a provisional ranking for all the songs, and I do head-to-head ladder matches like in the fencing bonus round of the modern pentathlon to determine my final points allocation. 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: Generally, I recognize 3-5 songs that I know will compete for my 12 points. It can take a little more time to decide which song gets the 12 points. Q: Do you have a favorite music genre? Is there any genre you would like to hear more of on the TISC stage? A: Ha, this might be the hardest question. My best answer, yes/no. I definitely enjoy alternative music, and would probably identify it as my favorite genre. However, I listen to music from a multitude of genres, and there are songs I enjoy from genres I don’t like. Q: How important are lyrics to you? A: Like I said in a previous answer, one of the criteria I use to evaluate songs is lyrical merit. Lyrics are no more important to me than vocal merit, musical composition, or overall impression though. Q: And finally... How can we get 12 points from Olympian1010? A: Choose something unique. I really enjoy music as an art form. I enjoy a song that is creative/original, that meets the criteria I outlined in previous answers. If Olympian1010's musical preferences still feel like a jigsaw puzzle - maybe this will help. The West Coast 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...

Great chance for Bulgaria to score a medal. Just a relegation needed.

Washington Post really had him down 17 points? Twitter did not flag this.

Meanwhile, has the Team Challenge format been elaborated?

Same thing happened to me. Day 1 - less than half templates done, paranoia about accidentally sharing wrong stuff, hysteria Day 2 - easy, done

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?

Yeah, ok, I played it now and couldn't quite force myself to finish it.

The Script Superheroes - 26/30 (86.67%) It was like election-time in the District of Columbia.

Venezuela at the 2018 Annual (4 pts from Germany).

Just to add a little more reassuring perspective... 508/508 scored points 507/508 scored points from at least two juries (99.8%) 503/508 scored points from at least three juries (99.0%)

And that's Romania being weird again.

Hard to find more indie songs than In Camera and Bankende Hjerter.

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...

Medals incoming for... Bulgaria?

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...

Romania is just weird. Their results from the 2017 Annual through 2018 Open, 23rd - 16th - 23rd - 16th

Is there any new evidence in this? Or are they just beating around the same bush?