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Eurovision Song Contest 2016

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I love the Eurovision Song Contest. It’s a fabulous festival of music, weirdness, and sass. Now that they split it up in three parts, it’s also two extra fun times to watch, and live tweet 😀 So here’s a recap of some highlights from this week.

First Semi Final, Tuesday, May 10

Second Semi Final, Thursday, May 12

Final, Saturday, May 14

Bring On The Tequila, Whoahoahoahoa

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This was a looong week. I had the Monday off, which was nice seeing as how I’d been away all weekend, but from Tuesday on I’ve had a stretch of five days in a row with work and appointments, and I have tentatively agreed to work an hour or three tomorrow as well to cover for Nienke as she’s still sick. I’ll make the final decision on that when it’s actually tomorrow and there’s daylight. It is kinda tempting though, as Sunday work is 200%. 

To celebrate the end of the official work week Kim came by tonight for chats, some Buffy watching, and the drinking of light booze (I really like red Jillz :D). 

Tomorrow I’ve also planned to finish the music swap for my pen pal club. I have the music selected, I just have to get it on the, very appropriately shaped, USB drive and write the accompanying letter detailing why I chose these songs. I received the swap for me this week, but haven’t had time to listen to it yet, so I have left it closed. I don’t want to let it influence me too much in writing my own. 

I backed an interesting  IndieGoGo campaign this week, also. It’s called Con Man, and its a comedic web series written and developed by Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion. The basic premise is that Alan and Nathan play two actors who used to be in a scifi tv series, Spectrum, together. The series was canceled early, but was a cult success. After, Nathan’s character became a succesful moviestar, while Alan’s character didn’t and now traverses the Con circuit doing panels and signings and of course weird shit happens because Cons. 

It is definitely based on reality somewhat, as the parallels with Firefly are obvious. Nathan and Alan’s characters even played the same parts in Spectrum as they did on Firefly (captain and pilot). 

The campaign hit its goal of $425.000 within 24 hours and now, about three days in (it runs until April 10), they are on $1.750.000. It’s going to be huge and fantastic and I can’t wait for it to be ready.    

Next week promises to be fun! Wednesday I’m going to see Kingsman: The Secret Service with Gert. Since Kingsman is shown so late, we’re doing a double feature and seeing Cinderella before. And then on Thursday it’s time to see Insurgent with Kim, I’m looking forward to that very much. I am really curious how the movie’s gonna be and if it lives up to and matches the book. 

Hnnnnngh…

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I am so completely dead. Went to the gym for the first time on Monday, and O. M. G… I was going for the half hour of Vario Sport, wherein you do something else every week. This first week of the new season it was mainly twenty thousand forms of hopping about. After doing that, I felt fairly good. And so I was easily convinced to stick around for the half hour of Tabata that follows on it directly. Tabata turned out to be a high intensity interval training where we did all kinds of exercises rapidly for about thirty seconds and then another and then another and another and a 30 second break and again a series of the same exercises. Combined this killed me sooooo dead.

I made it home afterward, fell down on the sofas and refused to get up until it was time for bed. Which was a bad idea in itself because…
The next day I could barely walk, my calves hurt sooooo bad 😀

After work I made a cheesecake for the team, from scratch, just like with Christmas dinner. Started a bit too late though, it was after midnight when I took the cake out of the oven… So late, that I didn’t get around to putting up the raspberry topping until the next morning before work.

After that it was quite the adventure to get the cake in the bike crate, it only just fit. It survived the bumps on the way to the train station as well as the ride to the city. Left the cake with the team leader for handing out during the daily meeting. At that point I was gone, though.

I had to grab the train back home right after finishing at one, to make it in time for the appointment for my second T shot. It went well, I tried to keep the leg even more relaxed than I did with the other for the first shot in the hope that this would be less painful and for a shorter time. I think it worked, as I only felt it for a day or two. The calves, though… Man, they’re still driving me nuts.

Also on Wednesday, my shiny, shiny iPad Air arrived. I went to check on my old iTunes account and all my old apps are still there. And, joy of all joys, all my progress in Magic Piano is still there as well as my more than 160 songs. I did spend some money on that back when I still had an iPhone, so nice to know it’s all still here.

During singing on Saturday I noticed some first subtle changes in my voice. It’s starting to get a bit scratchy a bit sooner. And then it didn’t help I was doing How You Remind Me 😀 Am very curious to see how this develops.

The rest of the day I dumped shit in the attic and I worked on the carpeting for the front hallway. Also had a nice evening with some friends coming over.

Today I did go to Pilates (I skipped body pump on Thursday) and that was great fun. I always liked Pilates back in Leicester, so I’m glad I went here, too. Spent the afternoon in relaxation watching Sherlock again as well as my new blu ray of Les Misérables. I love that movie <3

Today is a Good Day

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I feel good, happy and at peace and stuff like that. I’ve tidied up, re-arranged my books a bit so they fit better in the available space, vacuumed and just went to the store. A nice, balanced day of doing stuff, instead of a flying-all-over-the-place day or a sit-on-my-ass-and-do-nothing-at-all day 😀 (Although I now do have my standard vacuuming head ache :/)

Bought pears and apples to make stuff with tomorrow and next week and a bunch of grapes to take with me to work on the irregular shifts. And since I was quite proud of myself for actually vacuuming today instead of pushing it away again and again, I rewarded myself by buying a cake. It’ll be a delayed reward since it needs to defrost, but it should be ready to eat tonight. Yum!

This week was mostly a good week too, was a bit tired on occasion, but felt good on the whole. Slowly getting used to the time change, but early evenings still completely derail me. I’m continuously misjudging the time and get grouchy at the early dark. Fortunately the mornings aren’t as dark yet.

Met Gert on Wednesday for our usual belated mutual birthday hanging out and gift exchange. I’d bought him a pretty  book, but he couldn’t choose so we went shopping to find me a present. No fun Star Trek things to be found, so we headed for the regular book store. Finally decided on E.E. Knight’s Dragon Champion, and Trudi Canavan’s The High Lord. I’ve read the last one, but I didn’t have it yet, and I hate unfinished series in my bookcase. Plus, they’re awesome books, so this makes a re-read easier, too.

Afterward we hit the shops for some clothes. Gert was successful, but I didn’t find anything (except a new hat). I wanted to get some t-shirts at V&D, but they didn’t have them anymore. Shortly after, Gert had to go. I had a last hour to kill before my train would go, so decided to check out the H&M Man. Their basement has the best accessories. There I came across very nice sweaters with the Ghostbusters logo, and they were only €29,95.  Together with some heavily discounted ties (one with colourful dogs, and a pink/purple striped one), my mission was successful after all.

And, suprise, surprise, earlier today Gert called. He was in Utrecht at the V&D and they did have the shirts I wanted there! So he bought two shirts for me, and we’ll exchange later this week. Yay!

Also, finally new Glee again this Tuesday. I thought there’d be a new episode right the week after the Rocky Horror Glee Show, so I was all set last week and then nothing 🙁

But! Mash-ups next week, and Kurt’s new (possible boy)friend!

Glee

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I discovered the TV show Glee earlier this week. I’m half way through the first season now, and I’m in love. I’ve always had a soft spot for musicals and such, going back to Mary Poppins and the Sound of Music, but also newer things like Sweeney Todd or Disney musical films like The Lion King, so when I finally read somewhere what the plot of Glee was (I had heard of it before) I was intrigued. Some quick internet later, I was watching the first episode and I’ve not been able to get it out of my head since 😀

I love that most of the songs that are done in the show are also released, I’ve been listening to all the songs in between watching the episodes and have found several new additions to my favourites list already. Songs like Take a Bow, Bust Your Windows, the It’s My Life/Confessions Mash-up, but, the one that really stole my heart was Defying Gravity. I’d never heard that song before, but when I heard the version that Chris Colfer, who plays Kurt, sang, I was sold. The song’s been stuck in my head ever since.

Edited to add: Also, it’s not just the music part of the song I love, but the lyrics are great as well, the whole going-for-it, not-letting-anything-stop-me thing.

Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I’m through with playing by the rules
Of someone else’s game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It’s time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes: and leap!

It’s time to try
Defying gravity
I think I’ll try
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I am defying gravity
And you wont bring me down!

I’m through accepting limits
”cause someone says they’re so
Some things I cannot change
But till I try, I’ll never know!
Too long I’ve been afraid of
Losing love I guess I’ve lost

Well, if that’s love
It comes at much too high a cost!

I’d sooner buy
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I’m defying gravity
I think I’ll try
Defying gravity
And you wont bring me down!

Bring Me Home

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Ronan Keating has a new album out and it’s called Bring Me Home. Being the fan that I am, I got it a few days ago and I love it. Some of the songs took a bit of getting used to like a cover of the Goo Goo Doll’s Iris, and the song To Be Loved, which was previously done by Westlife, but that happened soon enough. These two songs remain the ones I like least of the album but the other songs more than make up for it, most notably the title song Bring Me Home and All Over Again, a duet with UK folk singer Kate Rusby. Other favourites include Superman and the up tempo Back in the Backseat.

Domino Bird

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Nation mourns bird killed in domino shooting
Fri Nov 18, 2005 10:26 AM ET15

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Dutch animal lovers are mourning a sparrow shot dead after it fluttered into an exhibition hall and knocked over thousands of dominoes set up in preparation for a world record attempt.

The sparrow will be commemorated in a live Dutch television broadcast of the domino-toppling Friday after a wave of national outrage at the shooting.

“We know we are responsible for a lot of emotion in the country and we realize we couldn’t go on without properly marking this,” said Jeroen van Waardenberg, a spokesman for reality TV company Endemol, the firm behind “Big Brother.”

An exterminator shot the sparrow Monday in the northern city of Leeuwarden after fears the bird could upset more of the 4 million dominoes which staff had spent weeks balancing on their edges for the record attempt.

Dutch animal rights groups are outraged, especially as sparrows are a protected species in the Netherlands.

Hundreds of condolence messages have been posted on a website for the sparrow (www.dodemus.nl), which has attracted 200,000 hits.

Link to original story on Reuters.com

Yeah, this is what we Dutchies bother about, not the mess the world is becoming, noooo, we bother about one little bird being shot. In case you get worked up about it, they had tried for an hour or two I believe, to catch the thing which didn’t work.
Although, there was something funny on tv tonight. We have this comedyshow thing which is called “Mooi! Weer de Leeuw” (trans.:Good! de Leeuw again). And Paul de Leeuw, the presenter, had organised a cremation for the bird. An official car arrived with carriers and all that carried this tiny coffin, shaped like a domino stone, and it had wreaths on it (one, supposedly, from Sesame Street’s Big Bird) and such. Then he and some artists with birdnames in their name sang some songs adjusted to fit the bird and then it was carried away and ‘cremated’ in a microwave. It was hilarious.

Out There

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Last night, I decided to finally watch the stuff that I taped during the week (Gilmore Girls, Law & Order: CI and Star Trek: Enterprise), mainly because the new GG and LO:CI will be on tomorrow and I want to have seen the previous eps before that.
So, around midnight when Dad had gone to bed and stopped hogging the tv, I installed myself on the couch, rewound the tape and enjoyed myself.
When I got to the Enterprise ep (4.20 “Terra Prime”) I cursed myself for missing last weeks episode as it’s a twoparter. Shortly after it began, the dog started whining and felt an urgent need to go outside. So, I let her out (after which she ran around the yard barking at various fences and plants) and stepped outside as well. It was a beautiful night with a nearly full moon and clear skies. I positioned myself in such a way that the moon was hidden behind the house so I could gaze at the stars a bit. I saw Mars, Orion, the Pleiades and Cassiopeia.
Seeing Mars out there like that, as a bright, shining yellow dot made me feel funny as at the same time, the Enterprise episode was partially set on Mars. As I watched that dot glister in the sky, I realised again why I am the Trekkie that I am. Not because of the series and movies being so good (which they are, even ST:5 :D) or because of the prettiness of the actors/actresses (and there are quite a few goodlooking ones) but because of Hope and Faith.
Hope for humanity that one day we will succeed in putting our differences behind us and start living together instead of next to each other, in infinite diversity in infinite combinations. Faith that one day we will reach the stars. We might not find a universe out there like the Star Trek one, but we will find it, no matter what.

I’d like to end this by briefly paying tribute to Michael Piller who died November 1st. I just found out about this yesterday and it really made me sad and probably caused my philosophical mood while watching Trek. Michael Piller was a producer/creator and writer for Star Trek in a lot of its incarnations. He (co-)produced TNG, DS9 and VGR, he wrote the movie Insurrection and in general was an enormous asset to Star Trek. He will be sorely missed and I hope he’s out there, having fun with Gene and Jimmy and DeForest and all other Star Trek people that have gone.

Juliana, Sci-Fi, Amsterdam & Presentatie

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Dan was er vandaag natuurlijk het grote nieuws, Prinses Juliana is overleden, 94 was het mensje, een hele leeftijd hoor. Had ik nog een beetje pech ook. Normaal kijk ik op zaterdagavond naar Andromeda en Firefly en dan tape ik Firefly en kijk Andromeda (het overlapt een half uur). Dit had ik vanavond ook gedaan want Yorin en RTL5 (de uitzendende zenders) zijn meestal niet zo herdenkering en dergelijke). Had ik beter niet kunnen doen. Ik ging namelijk om half 10 Andromeda kijken, en kwam tijdens het zappen naar RTL5 ook langs Yorin waar Firefly bezig was. Op RTL 5 was X-Files nog niet afgelopen dus wachtte ik even. Dus, dat eindigt krijg je reclame enz… Toen kwam er dus geen Andromeda maar een docu over Juliana (ongeveer 5 van gezien/gehoord vandaag, dat is echt genoeg…). Ik had dus beter gewoon Firefly kunnen gaan kijken. Nou goed. Volgende keer beter.

Verder ben ik afgelopen donderdag naar A’dam geweest, naar het Bio Molecular Archaeology Symposium samen met mijn minorklas. Het congres zelf was vreselijk ingewikkeld, en voor ons studenten eigenlijk te hoog gegrepen. Daarentegen hadden we onder elkaar wel veel lol in de trein er heen. De terugweg was ook leuk aangezien ik samen met een paar anderen er eerder tussen uit geknepen ben, terwijl we een paar andere klasgenoten en de lerares achterlieten. Daardoor waren we tegen 6-en thuis ipv tegen 9-en.

Morgen… eigenlijk vandaag… ga ik maar eens aan de slag met een presentatie die ik moet maken voor dinsdag, dan kan ik mijn cijfer voor het werkstuk waar het op gebaseerd is een beetje ophalen (had een 2). Veel plezier.

Sci-Fi

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‘k Heb net op Yorin naar Firefly zitten kijken, de eerste aflevering. Voor degenen die dat niet weten, Firefly is een SF serie, gemaakt door Joss Whedon, de man achter Buffy & Angel, over een vrachtischip met een soort vogelvrije crew in een vrij chaotisch melkwegstelsel. Ik vond het wel erg leuk en ga volgende week beslist weer kijken.
Op RTL5 hadden ze ook een SF serie en wel Andromeda, eveneens de eerste aflevering en ongeveer de zelfde tijd als Firefly. Nou had ik, vanwege Whedon als maker, ervoor gekozen om Firefly te gaan zien en er niet aan gedacht om Andromeda op te nemen. Oftewel, ik heb de laatste 20 minuten gezien en ga het volgende week dus beslist wel openemen. Verder nog meer nieuws, ik ontwerp een boekomslag. Een klasgenoot van mij heeft een boek geschreven (een spannend boek over archeologen in Egypte die een mysterieuze inscriptie tegenkomen en daarna achtervolgd worden door allerlei slechteriken enzo) en ik mag het omslag ontwerpen.