Iz 🌟

Ado about to get me caring about an Imagine Dragons song for the first time in about a decade? (excluding that Arcane song)

Gold Medalists BJSC 161: [354] Fat Dog – King Of The Slugs {Sovarasma} BJSC 169: [303] Father John Misty – Screamland {Terra Avium} BJSC 162: [260] Grossstadtgeflüster – Ich Kündige {Sovarasma} BJSC 170: [301] Mona – Baby Dragon {Kathaldazia} BJSC 167: [237] Nicolina – Situations {Taahino} BJSC 168: [289] Active Child – Johnny Belinda {Aeroche} BJSC 166: [287] ascendant vierge & TDJ – Illusion {Neliönoir} BJSC 163: [312] RONDÉ – Undecided {République d'Áskorza} BJSC 165: [322] METTE – Bet {Hendinia} BJSC 164: [260] Margaret Berger – Karma Is A {Bøtanikkä} Silver Medalists BJSC 166: [259] Bingo Players & Pure Shores – Summer Dreaming {Kluminican Republic} BJSC 164: [258] Sadness – I want to be with you {Jadakissnia} BJSC 161: [260] The Postal Service – The District Sleeps Alone Tonight {Utopia} BJSC 165: [288] Bambie Thug – Tsunami (11:11) {New Lexico} BJSC 168: [247] TEMMIS – ICE 579 {Jadakissnia} BJSC 169: [299] Rebecca Black – TRUST! {Hendinia} BJSC 162: [242] Pixey – The Thrill Of It {Hendinia} BJSC 170: [269] Leftfield feat. Grian Chatten – Full Way Round [Ewan McVicar Remix] {Aeroche} BJSC 163: [306] CATTY – I Dated A Monster {POPHub} BJSC 167: [234] COY – Promises {Mothertopia} Bronze Medalists BJSC 166: [257] 6euroneunzig – Zur Party {République d'Áskorza} BJSC 168: [247] Chrissy Costanza – If Looks Could Kill {Taahino} BJSC 161: [255] Evian Christ feat. Bladee – Yxguden {Fljótavik} BJSC 163: [301] Anna Lunoe – Deep Blue Sea {Dobago} BJSC 162: [241] Vegyn feat. Lauren Auder – Halo Flip {Aeroche} BJSC 169: [257] REIN – How's It Gonna Be? {Aeroche} BJSC 170: [257] Chloé Caillet & SG Lewis – B Somebody {Kluminican Republic} BJSC 167: [227] Vitesse X – Eternal {Zanmatony} BJSC 164: [252] Ben Hemsley feat. Chenai – Closer {Freedonia} BJSC 165: [283] Baauer – All My Ladies {Aeroche} good winners even if I don't have much reason to return to that pop trio from 163-165, King Of The Slugs and Screamland are both going into the GOAT bucket for me. for the runners up, Sadness and The Postal Service being popular enough to get a second place was incredible, even if I find Summer Dreaming the most fun of the lot. mix of really great pop and alt offerings at the top of the bronzes guess this makes 161 and 166 as the best contests with their medallists for me.

Damned if you get the expensive folders, damned for disrespecting the traditions of Britain's government if you don't. The PMQ battles have been pretty one-sided so far this Parliament, Badenoch comes across entirely unserious and is constantly swatted away by Starmer, and it's always a relief when Ed Davey comes in with a much more thoughtful and considered critique of government policy - if he's going for the 'wish we made him LOTO' angle, he's doing it well.

I am sceptical that the courts would allow any jury with the slightest chance of this within 1000 miles of this case. But hearing that he's planning on a non guilty declaration is interesting, I suppose it might be hard to prove to a court that he is the perpetrator on that camera, and he also accused the cops of planting evidence on him; a fight will make this quite a show trial.

Unfortunately the latter, I've edited the partial results that Jim recalls, but Dandy's correct, we need someone who's had the tab open and has the thread in their cache, I hadn't opened it until I heard.

oh look all my christmas faves are #1 with 1 vote (it appears a behind-the-scenes accident caused the poll results to be lost, apologies) will also shoutout Nightwish - Walking In The Air and Sufjan Stevens - Christmas Unicorn

The murder itself, no condoning of murder of course, but a clear cut example of the dangers of leaving people without recourse to solve their problems with non-violent means, I feel it'll be totemic as a symbol against America's predatory healthcare industry until it's solved, and it won't be solved with both of the main two political parties getting kickbacks from it. For instance Josh Shapiro essentially admonishing the social media reaction and asking people not to view this guy as a hero instantly disqualifies him in my mind from running a successful Democratic campaign in 2028. You can't claim you'll fix the problems ordinary people are experiencing and then act with the full force of the system that is entrapping them. Interesting profile of the perpetrator too, Mangione clearly isn't from a criminal background, just seemed like a guy on the way up the normal ladder of corporate life who had a mental break, possibly health related and then did what he did. Also yes, he's hot (as a str8).

knocked myself out oops, a couple of points less to Eastovka and swapping Hinterlandia and Danaeviia around and I might have snuck through instead, not that the latter would have happened and probably not the former either, 'And The Parasite Speaks' not qualifying is still an awful result. Summericia awfully close to not qualifying with Beyond The Black oh dear, though they missed my votes in the end.

161 - Deathbrain - Stargazing With You [8th] 162 - Akini Jing - Call Me Shadow [6th] 163 - MISSIO - Aztec Death Whistle [DNQ] 164 - Seven Spires - Almosttown [DNQ] 165 - Descartes A Kant - After Destruction [30th] 166 - Visions Of Atlantis - Tonight I'm Alive [26th] 167 - IRyS - Carbonated Love [14th] 168 - Pixel Grip - Stamina [32nd] 169 - Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Babys In A Thundercloud [18th] 170 - Phantom Siita - Zoku Zoku [DNQ] therefore: Qualifiers: 7/10 Top 10s: 2 Top 20s: 4 My own favourite entry: Not one hugely above the others this year, it's really tough between Deathbrain, Akini Jing, Visions of Atlantis, IRyS and GY!BE, but I think I have to give it to 'Tonight I'm Alive' for being such a joyful whirlwind of a song. My own least favourite entry: Probably 'After Destruction', either that or 'Stamina', both great but not ones I feel I'll return to too often (might be the lack of righteous fury that goes along with a NQ; all 3 of my NQs rank 6th-8th among my own entries this year, 'Aztec Death Whistle' being the best of the 3). Favourite Discovery: Beast In Black - Power Of The Beast - I did know a few BiB songs but they weren't a must check for me so this was a huge surprise, fantastic track all around. Overall a slightly above average year for me, helped tremendously by Deathbrain landing me my first top 10 for a few years, and then Akini Jing unexpectedly setting me off on a mini hot streak the month after - excellent start to the year. Less successful in the latter half but I managed a good qualification run that hopefully I can replicate next year and 'Carbonated Love' did especially well compared to my expectations for it. Plus I did my first hefty contribution to #longsongbloc and post-rock bloc with GY!BE and that's great to have a new niche explored.

Called it (in the listenthrough), 'Baby Dragon' felt like such a winner to me, well done Kath! Really pleased with that winner, so boppy. Been following the presentation through, very well done Chez - that was a great twist to obscure the names. great to see my 18 in CLANN and my faves BABYMETAL (did penalise them a bit for already knowing the song so well but still gave them a good amount of points, also obligatory shouldn't have outpeaked my BABYMETAL entries xx) in the top 10.

True or not, can't imagine that he's long for this world.

The sakuga in that music video I can't *.* This makes so much sense as a collab, great to see Bloodywood continuing to pump out hits

I am on board with Elvana for a fun and competitive song outside of Albania's usual direction, I hope I have the presence of mind to sample some of the rest though as I've heard good things.

Obviously a far better option - unfortunate for NeoneoN, who could quite rightly feel stitched up, but this is at least mildly competitive for them rather than being DoA.

If it were a year ago I would have been stating that they were just as bad as each other, but their recent messaging has been somewhat conciliatory for an Islamist group. Meanwhile Assad was possibly one of the worst dictators in the world and has been a decade. Hopefully the Prime Minister works with the leader of the rebels, this Al-Jolani, to set up a new state of governance that's good for the people. Very good news to see Damascus falling this morning. When these things happen, clear the status quo wasn't really that, that there was a lot of moving and maneuvering behind the scenes, and Assad's time had clearly run out.

Sure, and that is an interesting article. It's not so much about whether they're pro-Russian for me but whether Russia would find them the most acceptable option (and therefore boosted them), and the Russians know that divisive nationalism is far better for them than the states of Europe being outward looking. For instance, uniting Romania with Moldova would be a boon to Russia as that's the disappearance of a currently pro-Western state just beyond the border of Ukraine.

?? Of course not. Sure, some people, mostly engaged voters, are ideologically coherent and are voting for whatever political force will best advance their interests. But most people are not that - they don't care about politics anywhere near as much as they should, which means they are prone to emotional arguments, which anyone, from media barons to billionaires to Putin, will take advantage of to influence their vote. Of course, part of that is part of the game of politics, it's always been well known you can buy elections, but generally better democracies have financial limits on this sort of thing - and emergency legal procedures might be a stopgap in Romania, before disaster strikes. I generally view it as objectionable when people, influenced by bad actors, whoever those are, vote against their own interests. Not enough to say democratic results are illegitimate, but that's why stronger safeguards around democratic elections are necessary, so there isn't this questioning of the vote later. Now as to this Romanian election, it may well be that has happened in several elections where a perceived anti-democratic action was taken, that it will be a boon to Georgescu and his momentum. Or people realise how close it was. But with everything that surrounded it, it was the right choice. Perhaps if the same had happened re other certain elections countries might have been spared economic pain. My argument is that geopolitical realities in Eastern Europe mean that Russia has a vested interest in interfering, which in turn means if, as any democratic independent country should, they ban foreign interference in elections, then this breaks their laws. Pull your head out of Western diabolism, it's interfering with your analysis. Because, and I'm going to say it straight so you stop dancing around it, Russian imperialism, warlordism and expansionism is far more dangerous to peace and people living well and free than the collection of powerful liberal democracies in North America and Western Europe, who despite the harms of capitalism that they spread around the world, have some of the highest living standards in history and for their power as states are remarkably benevolent. It is not good that over the last decade and a half more and more countries outside of the US-Europe sphere have been experiencing severe democratic backsliding and/or falling to autocrats. Some within that sphere too.

It's one potential upside* of the geopolitical situation swapping around this much, pretty clear that the status quo had been pretty uncomfortable for Assad. *not that the rebels are good, but they're probably better and them winning would effectively end the Syrian war or otherwise encourage the disparate factions to formalise the future of the country.

I suppose democracies should just roll over, shrug their shoulders and say 'look, the votes are unquestionable' when shit like this happens.

There's one very good way why Romania might be different, they're close enough to Russia to be used by them in geopolitical maneuvers, and this Russian asset who won the first round poses a threat. Meanwhile the Georgian elections are entirely non-credible and full of anti-democratic practices by those in the country who want to make it a Russian satellite state. Very telling that exactly the two elections currently under major scrutiny from the international community due to being influenced by Russia are your examples. But more broadly, don't be so obtuse. It's quite clear that voters can be influenced, the media in our own countries is damaging enough to democracy and they're ostensibly operating within the bounds of the law. Election results can be faked, or are the democratic results in your favourite nations Russia and Syria also sacred? It's not about declaring what the western consensus (media, courts, security services, NGOs, NATO, central banks, the Illuminati) doesn't like to be undemocratic, it's about recognising the threats that autocratic nations outside the liberal sphere pose to the liberal system and stopping them in their tracks.

If that certain way is avoiding the election being corrupted by Russian interference, a persistent problem in the undermining of liberal democracy, then yes.

pretty cool to see Romania cancelling their presidential election results, it's good for the Russians buying elections to know that democratic forces can step in to stop them so they'll just get less egregious

Not a fan of Starmer's team running out yet another set of milestones, or missions, or whatever the f***, I get the idea of it but it does not sell well when he's done about 5 versions of these over the course of his leadership. Starmer's speech rhetoric has toughened up though, but as ever you seem to have people convinced that this is the worst government in living memory if the QT audience and that recent poll is anything to go by but when you look at policy and drive to get things done it's the most positive I've ever felt about a government in my adult life. That said, if they don't make people feel better they're gonna be goners.

That's the same Vladana as 'Breathe'! That aside, indicates something wrong with the broadcaster's process - I'm not so certain this'll be as simple as sending the runner-up in now.

Macron's masterful strategy of ignoring the left and saying 'f*** them specifically' going well I see.