Time to put on the mask more often again… Yes, already I am one of the guys using the mask in the Metro and on buses if it’s crowded, but now I feel it is kind of more of a must than an option.
Who would have though Covid would fight back during the summer months? Still well though, but looking around I am sure most people will have had summer covid… Vaccine or previous sick with covid don’t seem to matter.
The second booster for me will be in September – so just live through it.
Björn
Let us start with the fact it is Friday… And enjoy the fact that at least that is true and verified.
Then… Just for fun Eurovision friends, let us compare songs.
Bilal Hassani represented France in Eurovision 2019 with, what was announced to be a song, “Roi”. He also released an album the same year with the track “Basic” on it.
The other song is the Israeli singer Michael Ben David, who will represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022. Please listen and leave comments in the comments section….
“BASIC” by Bilal Hassani from 2019 – Click here
“I.M.” by Michael Ben David from 2022 – Click here
Something to compare, discuss at home and celebrate TGIF, LOL!
Enjoy,
Björn
No, I actually still in chock over what Sweden watched Saturday evening, the 5th of February. SVT usually really good on presenting a nice show, even if the songs turn out to be not all that.
But this Saturday… It’s live, but seriously, everything that could go wrong seems to have done so. Not even the new exciting (yes according to SVT new exciting) vote system failed, so back to the old “call your vote in”. And when they announced that the vote app is working again, it took 5 minutes before they said: Sorry, the app is down again.
And we know, from the past, that Melodifestivalen, more and more turn into a children show, but this year it’s more obvious than ever. And in all this my favorite actually made it to the final, Cornelia. I can promise you all that do not happen a lot.
On Corona pandemic side, while Scandinavia open up 100% and all restrictions will be scrapped, 9th of February for Sweden, France go on with Vaccine pass, and I am now not “vaccinated” in the eyes of the Government in France. And can’t take my 3rd dose until March 2022.
So, here are a selection of cases lately:
So, that is it for today
Björn
Almost a week since I decided to try Spotify, and so far not a huge success.
First, congratulations to Spotify and their million of songs in the database. I tried to create 5 playlists yesterday and around 25% of the songs turned out to be available on the platform… But OK, Spotify actually have a solution in place… They claim to have one.
So, Local files, uploaded, songs placed in the playlists, and good as long as I play the playlists from my laptop app. Do they sync to my iPad and iPhone? NO. Can my followers see the titles at least? NO. So a playlist named “25 best songs with XX” show 5 songs to my friends, and I can play 5 songs on my mobile devices.
Add the info I got on Google that you can buy tracks as well from Spotify, and it turned out to be a service they cancelled, and in the forum clearly stated it will stay that way. Please, at least sign a deal with another provider and give your subscribers some kind discount or something.
So, my music is not on Sportify, and I have not even tried to create Playlists from singers I know is hard to find on any digital platforms.
So this weekend, not this TGIF evening will be dedicated to my vacuum cleaner and tutorials, Spotify tutorials… And at the end of the weekend I will decide if I will keep the Premium version, just keep the free version or delete Spotify all together.
Let me add that the “settings” section in Spotify also is a nightmare. I mean you must have grown up with Spotify to like the settings and interface.
After this I have tried out AppleMusic and Spotify, I guess only Deezer is left among the “big” ones… But if Sportify fail, I think I will bury the idea to get into streaming music, it’s seriously not for me.
And then we have the Covid situation, a Tsunami of information is spread over France in time for the changes and opening of the country. But not a word about what to do if you had Covid and can’t take the booster until after the new regulations is put into action. This information been in all information campaigns from the state upon changes, until now. So something fishy is going on.
But, a nightmare day in front of me before I can go home and fight Spotify, TGIF folks, TGIF.
Björn
Finally have Carmen released a new EP, she is “da best”, even if this is covers.
Beside that, France go for the first place this week…
Nice week to start to take the Metro again.
Björn
Lately the gym been crowded, more or less since the new year, until yesterday when it all of a sudden turned empty!!!! I don’t know if it is the “I will start a new life next year” people who gave up, or if it is Covid spreading in the gym. But so nice to be more or less alone. If no windows I could even treadmill in the nude.
Covid report this week
Too give up… Or more cave in, I actually got myself a Spotify account yesterday… I got a Apple Music account last year and hated it, so now I try Spotify (I feel so modern) cause someone promised me I could buy music in Spotify as well as stream. That turned out to be a lie, so now I am already disappointed.
At the same time it’s a wonderful project to create all the playlists again and just be a nerd. Love it…
But also noticed that the release dates are wrong in Spotify, which will make me go ballistic, and I have not even tried yet to import all the music files I have, which is missing in Spotify!? So we will see how this will end… I guess I go back to iTunes at the end and curse at them for not having a perfect statistic program built in. Why can’t I find the perfect provider?
But, today is TGIF, and hopefully I will be able too cut my hair during lunch… We will see if my colleagues allow that to happen. And of course the salon, I have no idea if they have any slots free, now soon.
Björn
SVTPlay is kind of a lifeline now and then, a lot blocked but some shows are available from France as well, and yesterday i found a show called “Det här är ditt land” (This is your country).
First some background, before I include my colleague Tim in this story. Carina Bergfeldt is a Swedish news reporter, not very liked by the way but this show turned out to be interesting.
Carina did a DNA test, the kind of test you can do from home, and found a half brother (same father) in USA. Out of the blue, and none of them knew about the other one for many years.
So, the show is about how different siblings can be just from growing up in different countries but the part about the differences between USA and Sweden and how different Americans are to Swedes.
So far I have seen the 2 first episodes, but I can recommend it even if you don’t know Swedish since they speak more English than Swedish so far, and the part in Swedish is actually easy to grasp even not speaking Swedish.
So why this, and WTF about Tim, my colleague in Geneva? The brother Jeffrey and Tim are SO alike and from a Swedish point of view tick so many “typical American” boxes so it’s almost parodic sometimes.
My colleague Tim asked for a shoutout on this blog, and here he get one, and not only a shoutout, a complete TV show!!!
SVTPlay link to Det här är ditt land
Also, as always, I check the FB group “Swedes in Paris” – and at least once a week there is a “I moved to Paris last week, how do I get work, apartment and do I need to speak French when I moved” questions. Mainly from girls with a selfie photo from the school of Kardashians, ducklips, filters, fillers and taken from the side a bit above.
So first of all, you take a chance and move to this:
In the middle of a pandemic, and just decide that Paris is a good choice. I suspect behind it all is model dreams, at least the photos often plant that thought in my mind. I do not know if I admire them (to dare and actually think they will manage), the 20 somethings, or if I think they are in the category “IQ = Seagull”. So why even mention this? It seems like it’s more and more now during the pandemic, and it spread to guys as well. Might be that they need to post questions cause now during an ongoing pandemic life is tougher than they thought. Or is the latest generation to grow up actually even more naive than the one before? If so it’s scary.
Take care, stream SVTPlay and see if you agree with Jeffrey or Swedes views on Americans.
Björn
So, it took a bit over 1 hour and 15 minutes in the rain before I even got in to the test place this morning, and then a new waiting area before test which took around 1 minute.
I wonder, I often wonder, what people are doing when it’s their turn… Today at the test place, what did the guys before do in there for 5- 10 minutes for a nose swab?
At the post office, in the line to get a package, how can it take 2 minutes for me and 20 for the person in front of me? Lifes little mysteries.
Result expected tomorrow, and if it’s still positive I go crazy, actually I will regret doing the tests and ask myself “Why did you not go out after the first 10 days”? Cause according to the rules, as they are now, I could go out after 10 days without new tests. But I am happy to have the doctors appointment on the 3rd.
Björn
So the check up test came back positive, so I have to do a new one next week. Hopefully next is negative… But this kind of destroys my evening plan.
The French corona development:
And since it is Swedish Christmas Eve, the last date of the Christmas calendar
Björn
Just wait for the results of the PCR test done today. It lingers, so I guess it will be a positive result, it always takes longer when its positive, I guess the make a re-test if it is positive. But still not know. So maybe I can tell you tomorrow.
Beside this I been in the winds of gossip today, with plans, what will happen, how will they re-arrange the workplace, who will be in charge etc etc. When the new Presidents crew invades the offices.
A date been communicated, the 12th of January, they will be there, taking over and people are singled out to be one of the ones staying or getting fired.
All gossip, all creating the staff to be nervous wrecks.
But like the PCR test, we know nothing right now.
Have a nice “dan före dan”, tomorrow Swedish Christmas, yes 24th is the right day to celebrate Christmas.
Björn
