Pencil all this in

This coming Sunday, April 2, is the CSA Junior Bowl-o-Rama for members ages 5-17. Have fun everyone and take lots of photos for the Journal. There's lots of stuff in the LA area going on. Check out the LA Czech/Slovak link at right. Happy 122nd anniversary Lodge LA! Coming April 8—Czech Festival at the American Czech Center in St. Louis. News today out of the Czech Republic—flood waters are posing a risk to Prague and other areas as waters continue to rise, reports the Prague Post. Also, BBC News and the Prague Post are reporting the first case of avian bird flu in the CR. In other news there was a total eclipse of the sun, seen in North Africa and the Middle East. Both NASA and CNN have streaming video of the event. Check it out. According to NASA, the next one visible in North America won't be until August 21, 2017. I'll have to start planning my total eclipse backyard party; it's never too early.

Gort Here

Are you nEW to blogging? Welcome. Bookmark this site. NevER BLogGEd a cOMmeNT? I'll help. Click on "Comments" below and type your message in the pop-up window. Once you're done, click "Other" then "Publish". Wondering what to write? I suggest you explain who you are (or who you aren't, if you are the crafty sort); fill Insider in on some lodge or member news; share an interesting web site (or a really Uninteresting one); or try to stump other bloggers with some of that trivia stuff. Are you, possibly, an inventor? Reveal! Maybe you are an eco-warrior fighting for mother earth? Testify! Did you stumble upon the secret to eternal life? By all means share THAT. Or maybe you collect box tops and pop can tabs for a worthy cause? We want to know. Better yet, tell us a secret about yourself....we won't tell a soul. Here's mine: I'm actually a robot that is programmed to run this blog. Don't believe me? Many human-like defects have been written into my code so that I appear to be like you. MANY! You can see my photo above. Can you top that?! Go on. The gauntlet is thrown down. You humans love your metaphores don't you?!

nOTE—I'm still trying to work out how to run audioblog so you can hear songs. I've seen this on other blogs but have yet to "crack the code." I'm talking with one of you two-legged, air-breathers about it now and hope to launch this feature soon.

gAMeRS—some of you have enjoyed yahoo.com games. It's free to sign up and you get free yahoo email. Works nicely.

Now I must shut down and recharge.... "Klaatu verada nicto." Guess which movie that's from? (Photo is the obvious hint, isn't it.)

What I like about you

I'm noticing more worphing (word-morphing) these days. Like friends' emails known as "efriends". Or take for example the suddenly popular expression "truthyness" which means, I guess, "loosely based in truth." (Thank you Colbert Report, Comedy Central, 10:30 pm CST, Mon. thru Thurs.!) I started thinking about other worphs. "Motorestrians" could describe car drivers. "Caffeinics" drink a lot of joe. And people who talk on cell phones and drink coffee while driving are called....okay, you know what they're called! Wireless technology is "wi-fi." Insider bloggers would be called "The Insiderati."

FRIDAY SWING—take a look at Lodge Estlian's website (link at right). You'll notice they have added some interesting features to their banner. Click on Estlian News. They list their monthly attendance winner's name and also provide an enticement to come to their monthly meetings. Michele, our Miss CSA (and frequent blogger), is back from her "singing thru Florida" gig. INSIDER hears she went swimming in the "big blue" while in Tampa. Also heard from Journal readers that "Faces" seems to be drawing more and more attention. And a steady stream of visitors to the Czechoslovak Heritage Museum at CSA.

CZECH FUN PHRASE: "Prosím mluvte pomaleji."

Okay. I'm done. Peace-to-my-peeps (means goodbye friends.) S'not a worph, it's vernacular. Now THAT'S "old school".

Mr. Skolil Pays A Visit To CSA

Marek Skolil, new Consul General of the Czech Republic in Chicago (at right) and Borek Lizec, Deputy Head of the Consulate General, visited CSA yesterday to meet and talk with Deborah Zeman, CSA President, and Daniel Wenzler, CSA Executive Secretary and Treasurer. The two dignitaries were given a tour of the Czechoslovak Heritage Museum and Library located at CSA. They enjoyed themselves and took great interest in all the Czech-American history presented in both the museum and library. Mr. Skolil said there would be an official grand opening ceremony later in April at the new Czech Consulate office located on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Mr. Skolil said he looked forward to working together with CSA and the Chicago area Czech community on many worthwhile endeavors. His visit was lively and informative and lasted more than an hour. Before departing, Mr. Skolil was presented with recent issues of the Journal and some small CSA gifts.

At 12:26 CST

Here today: Spring! Thought I'd post a photo that might put you in the springtime mood in case it's not warm where you are (like here in 39 degree Oak Brook). Obviously I took this in a warmer month.

In case you are a stickler, this is from the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, Illinois: March 20, Vernal Equinox, 12:26 p.m. CST. Spring begins in the Northern Hemisphere.

GAMERS: did anyone try out that crazy car race game at Radicalplay.com? Addicting, isn't it? New Gamer site: candystand.com. Click on Games and try the Bowling.

Zelena Den

FRIDAY SWING—on March 26, DC 12 will have a planning meeting to discuss the CSA Get-Together this summer. April 2 is the CSA Jr. Bowl-o-Rama. April 8 is the Czech Festival, American Czech Center, St Louis, Missouri, Lodge St. Louis No. 30 members are always a big part of the food, music, booths.


—The grounds around the CSA home office on St. Patrick's Day. Have a great day!

Czech Fun Phrase: "Zelená Den" Describes today. Also the name of a band that rocks. Can you guess it?

Cool Day

"TG Wayfarer".... This is one of two busts in the CSA library of TG Masaryk (founder of the Czech Republic). There will be a story about the library in next month's April issue of the Journal. Make sure to check it out. He's lookin' cool because I added some shades to his "ensem" and that gives him attitude! Paul Nemecek, shown in next photo, is the volunteer librarian and gives tours of the Czechoslovak Heritage Museum located at CSA. Also, he's the President of the Czech & Slovak American Genealogy Society of Illinois (CSAGSI). He works Tuesdays and Fridays if anyone wants to visit and talk to him. Call ahead for his specific hours at 800-543-3272. He's cool. The next photo is Jean from Sokol eating some cake with blue frosting. That's a nice shade of blue Jeannnie! Very cool! Finally Deborah Zeman, President of CSA, is shown cutting the cake at CSA's anniversary party a couple weeks ago. She's so cool!

Hey Gamers: check out radicalplay.com for some very different, very cool free games. Post a comment and let me know what you think of that cool car race game. Ever played anything like that before???

As you guessed by now, "cool" is the theme today here at Insider. And that is fitting because it IS March 16th. As we all know March 16th gets a little lost stuck in between St. Patrick's Day and the ides of march. St. Paddy's gets all of the partying attention and the ides get all of the prophecies. Which leaves March 16th....a day completely overlooked by the general populace. Well Insider is going to change all of that starting this year. March 16th is now the "CSA Day of Cool". A day to take it easy and don't be in such a rush. Be a little kinder to those around you. Surprise someone with an unexpected good deed. Blog a Comment and let us know what you did today to, in the words of the Fonz, "be cool".

Et Tu?

You didn't think I was going to let the ides of march (et tu brute?) slip past without a blast from those boys from Berwyn did you? Cary noticed and emailed a funny "bye"line. Thanks Cary! These shots are ones I took at the Genesee Theatre (Waukegan, Illinois) concert last April. O memories! The top shot is from the mixing board view backstage as they jammed. The next is Jim Peterik warming up in their dressing room before the concert while I chatted with him. The bottom shot is The Ides along with the Cryan Shames and the Buckinghams. The guy in the red sportcoat is Bob Stroud of radio fame and a singer with the Shames. The bands were part of a golden oldie tour. Good guys and a real blast to party with!

In honor of "the ides of march" for the POPPER....what does "et tu, brute?" mean in english.

Digging The Versatones

As noted in the March issue of the Journal, which many of you have in hand and some are just getting, Eddie Blazonczyk's Versatones, a grammy award winning polka band, will be the featured musical act at this year's CSA Get-Together at the Lisle, Illinois, Hilton, in early August. Notes compiled by Gerri Romanelli about this band will appear in the April issue. However check out their website at www.versatones.com and click on "Discography", then on the album icon "Under The Influence" to listen to samples of their songs. Thanks for the digging, Gerri.

Meewho

If you're the type who likes to keep up with daily news about the European Union (EU) ((and, quite honestly, I hope that you are not because the news posted there is, uh, rather dry shall we say!)) here is a factoid from the EU website: "EU Fact: EU member state the Czech Republic is #2 in investment incentives and #3 in telecommunications investment among 60 leading economies." What this means I'm not entirely sure, but it sounds good for the Czech Republic. In any case, you can visit the EU site at www.eurunion.org and check it out if you have nothing else in the world to do. (And I mean that most sincerely.)

Today's Czech Fun Phrase(s): "Dovolte mi, abych se pfiedstavil. Já jsem Insider."

Silly but strangely satisfying blog chat number one on Mysterious Mechanical Meanings: a 'widgit' can stand on its own; a 'gizmo' seems to belong somewhere; a 'thing' is always an 'it', no exceptions; yet a 'whatchamacallit' and a 'thingamabob' are fully interchangeable. Comment on that (if you dare)!

Blog chat two: exercising esoteric energies in an endeavor to engage Shel Silverstein's "Meewho with an Exactlywatt". Conclusion: there's no knock-knock joke in the world that can compare, is there? He died way too young. Every kid, no matter what age, should have the opportunity to read Light In The Attic. It's like Dr. Seuss on a monster sugar rush. It just feels so good. Do you have a favorite? Use the Comments to reply. (Personally I like 'Homework Machine'.)

March Covers

The photo contest issue is always a big hit with readers. I particularly enjoy designing and laying out this issue. It's just hitting mailboxes this week. Bloggers get the first peek of course right here at CSA Journal Insider.

I penned the "Chicken 2Nite!" header on the March front cover (shown at top) because it just seemed to flow naturally with the photograph's humorous element. That always works best in any successful headline. (And, yes—in answer to an inquiring reader's question some weeks back—I do write all of the headers and subheaders, captions and blurbs in the magazine each issue. Always have. Thanks for asking L!)

I decided to lay out the back cover using several of the great color photos that won in the photo contest. For anyone not subscribed to the Journal, just look at what you are missing. Maybe you should start getting the Journal? Contact CSA at 800-543-3272. Just shout "Get me the Journal" into the receiver when the operator answers. (No, don't really do that, she'll be mad at me.) For all you regular Journal readers thank you, thank you and keep on keepin' on.

Okay this is getting long-winded now so I'll have to be moseying along. For GAMERS, check out freearcade.com this week. And hey, special thanks to: peaches, Dale, JB, and others for sharing gaming sites each Tuesday. Keep 'em flying fellas.

Favorite Recent Movies

In keeping with the movie awards, let's try this: what are your three favorite movies of the past year. I'll get it rolling with: Matchpoint, Walk The Line, The Three Burials of Melquades Estrada. Click on Comments below and leave your opinion.

More blogspeak: this from a William Safire article, courtesy of BlogBuzz:
wingnuts: "the prevailing put-down of right-wing bloggers"
moonbats: "the vilification of left-wing partisans who use the Web"
bye-line: "an adios or similar farewell at the end of the blogger's politely expressed opinion or angry screed"

Anyone know what a 'screed' is? (I sure don't.)....Is it a 'scratchy weed' perhaps? If you know, share it with all of us.

This "Rolling Stone" even older than Mick Jagger

CSA (then CSPS) began on March 4 1854....the day of founding as the book states. Click on photo to enlarge and get a closer view. Note Jacob Mottl on the third line. It was in his tavern they met. Vaclav Pohl's name (CSA's first president) is found second from the bottom. But there is a line struck through Vaclav's name. Why?

Shocking secret revealed—Vaclav Pohl, founder of CSA and the first president....cashed in and left the society a couple years later after he founded it! Yes. It's true. Here's the take from the book "One Hundred Years Of The CSA" by Joseph Martinek, 1955:
"Vaclav Pohl, in 1856, secured his withdrawal card from C.S.P.S. and moved to Milwaukee where he opened a tavern. Eight
years later he settled in Kewaunee, Wisconsin, trying his hand at farming. A restless rolling stone, irresistably attracted by
distance, Pohl moved on to Dakota, then to Oregon, and finally to California..."

Do you suppose Vaclav tried surfing when he hit the coast? I'm guessing he did! Happy one-five-two CSA. In the (probable) words of Mr. Pohl: "surf's up dude, I gotta roll."

Vaclav and Vaclavlike

In honor of CSA's 152nd anniversary (March 4) here's CSA founder Vaclav Pohl (top). In Mottl's Tavern, St. Louis, on a cool night in March 1854, 29 men gathered in fraternal spirit to start the Bohemian Slavonian Benevolent Society (CSPS) which today is known as CSA. The other photo is of Ron Ballint who was one of our two winners in the ongoing "I'm Not Vaclav" photo contest. Anyone with a camera can play and it continues this year. Just snap a photo of someone who resembles CSA founder Vaclav Pohl and submit it to tburke@csafraternallife.org. You could be published in the Journal and win a small prize. It's a fun way to keep the spirit of Vaclav Pohl alive.

SCOOP—that chilly March evening 152 years ago, in the back of a tavern, those 29 men signed a book entering their names by flickering firelight and dim oil lamp light for all history. And that original book is kept with great care today at the CSA Home Office and the names are still legible. Tomorrow I'll post a photo of the actual page of those founders' signatures and add some startling tidbits you may not have ever known. Make sure you tune in tomorrow for.... "Vaclav's secret revealed."