Get Down Tonight

K.C. and the Sunshine Band were certainly funky groovy ala the 1970s. As I recall, this was one of their two or three big, big, big hits that played night and day on am radio one summer. Can't help but rock out to this baby, even with all of its retro-ness. Makes me smile.
Also...It was pretty rad to hear this tune again in The Inlaws remake a couple years ago starring Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks, a surprisingly funny movie.

In the 1970s we couldn't blog about things, instead we just yelled out "hey, anyone wanna play?" Then we did.

THURSDAY SWING—the CSA Home Office will be closed on May 28 for Memorial Day. The 70th CSA Get-Together is August 3-5 and the deadline to register is June 15. Registration forms are in the May issue of the Journal on page 29.

CZECH FUN PHRASES— (with hints after each)
kveten (showers bring this month's flowers)
léto (it's starting to feel like this season)
pátek (thank god it's....)

GROOVY—Who can forget the pet rock, am "rock n roll" radio, mood rings, peace signs, streaking, nixon, the bicentennial, and all that other junk. I've wanted to get this 70s flashback out of my system for some time. Here are some 70s-era images I found surfing the internet the other night. Aso I designed a quick "70s Flashback" graphic for you and a "Gone Fishing" graphic in case you are going on summer vacation and would like some wallpaper for your computer. If you click on the two graphics you will get really large versions of each. Really large! To use as wallpaper: click and hold down your mouse and drag the images to your desktop. To apply, find you desktop setting, probably under preferences in your menu. Bon appetit!










Have favorite memories you wanna share? Blog about it below. Mine?....playing songs on my 8-track player. woo-hoo...

Pocket Change

CZECH FUN PHRASE—Blahopreji / Blahoprejeme k promoci! Hint: you might be saying this to someone any day now.

POPPER—What is the currency of the Czech Republic? Answer at bottom.

Thought I'd run a few more photos that were entered in this year's Photo Contest. They didn't win but they were great anyway. (You're all winners in my book!) The photographers are, from top: Jennifer Rosa, John Krystinak and Courtney Ou.






The currency in the Czech Republic is the koruna. One American dollar equals approximately 26 koruna.

(So, what, if I filled up my gas tank in the CR I'd need something like, uhh, a thousand korunas? I hope it's paper money, I'd hate to have all those "karooners" jammed in my pockets....I'm thinking of Kramer right now and the cannoli episode.)

Is it me, or does Fry resemble Principal Skinner?

shORT monDay bloG—This is Calculon and I am running the blog today for Insider. I am a robot and can make humanistic comments just like that air-breather does. Aren't I clever? Aren'T i cLeveR? Cleverrrrrr.

Alright that's enough Calculon! ....Insider is back in control now....Don't worry folks, he has been disconnected. (I turned off his power.)

Anybody know what show Calculon is from?


WE, THE PEOPLE—Ready for the GAS-OUT day tomorrow? Don't buy gas on May 15. The oil industry can lose up to 2 billion in one day which will send a powerful message that we're sick of price-gouging.

NEW to Insider? C'mon and get in on the fun. If you read the Journal, there's lots of things to get involved with. Join in!

LIKE TO LAUGH—check out gotfuturama.com or just turn on Toon later in the evening and start laughing. I've read that the show is being brought back in 2008.

can Tall Talk be the opposite of small talk

FRIDAY SWING—the 71st CSA Get-Together in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is coming up August 3-5. Have you registered yet? Check out the Journal for details and registration form. The deadline is June 15 to register.

MUCHAS GRACIAS—for the kind words (notes, emails and what you say over the blower) I've received from readers about the Journal. I'm happy the Just Kids feature is finding so much audience out there. (The Gardening Corner and Cooking Corner features are too, along with many other features you are enjoying.) Thanks. Or in French it sounds something like "thaaanc yoooo". If you want to get in on the Summer Jingleer or I'm Not Vaclav features check details out on page 8 of the most recent May issue which should be reaching everyone by this weekend.

MOVIE STARS—there are all sort of movies out now (or about to come out) doing huge box office. I saw Hard Days Night last night and I tell you the Beatles are still amazing 40+ years later. Even in black and white. Even with a pretty moronic plot. But when they strap on the guitars. Whoa! The music absolutely kills.

CZECH FUN PHRASE—Vyfotil byste nás prosím? Hint: you might ask this of a passerby while you are vacationing.

CHANNELG.TV—is a site dedicated to awareness of environmental issues with video you can simply click and play.

WITLESS—I have no witticism to lay on you today. Please take a moment and blog us a witty phrase you have seen or heard that could fill-in for today's utter lack of wit.

Go "Hippy" for a night

I'd like to call Miro ZiariSlav Svicky's flute work existential but I think it's better described as: "Cosmic Fluting with a bit of American Indian-tinged Zesting over the top." (Okay I've watched one too many Kitchen Stadium battles on food network!)

To fully appreciate this tune do this: if it's a warm windy night, open all your windows, turn out all your lights and light candles (and burn incense if you have any), then play some "Miro". Your neighbors will think you have joined a cult. Therein lies the fun, I suppose.

Rock the "zigh"

Got to give cred to the boys from Milwaukee for rocking a xylophone. This is Gone Daddy Gone by the Violent Femmes. A nice little ballad.

May Journal

TGIF (Throw Grapes Into Fridge)....what....WHAT?....is there another meaning I'm not aware of???

FRIDAY SWING—Tonight starts the CSA Bowling Congress. Have a great weekend bowlers! Tomorrow is Join Hands Day. Have fun with your project and take photos to send in to the Journal; May 12, Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum tour, Springfield, Illinois, sponsored by Lodge Estlian; Month of June (and beyond), Prague-Chicago Festival highlighted by Czech Day on Daley Plaza (Chicago) June 5 and Czechs In America Exhibit at CSA (Oak Brook) opening June 9; and many other social and cultural events.

GO GASLESS FOR A DAY—So, have you heard about the gas-out coming up on Tuesday, May 15? It's a boycott of the oil companies for one day to make a dent in their wallets and make them take notice that people are sick of the skyrocketing gas prices. (I think it's also about telling the oil industry that people still can come together for a cause.) ....Might give us "fuel" for thought about other non-fossil fuel strategies such as simply driving less, walking more and alternative fuels such as hybrids and hydrogen-powered motors.

ROCK HEADS—need more hints on who that rock band is??? (I know you do, since only jhl ventured a guess.) The band is from the U.S. and they played at the 25th anniversary of Woodstock in 1994. And they are from the city of......Laverne&Shirley. Ringing any bells yet? I'll hipcast a tune of theirs later.

YOU KNOW how shapes repeat themselves in nature. I couldn't help notice the similarities in these photos of two vastly different objects. Before you scroll down, wanna guess what they are?







Answers: the blue thing is our sun, the planetary-like thing is phytoplankton. These images are at jpl.nasa.gov and at ocean.com. The ocean channel offers email alerts. Free to sign-up. Check it out bloggers.


Have a great "cinco de mayo" and for that matter a great quatro de mayo and a great seis de mayo and a....okay I'll shut up.

Admit it, the candy got your attention

THURSDAY SWING—The 60th CSA Bowling Congress, May 4-6, Mayflower Lanes, Redford, Michigan. National Join Hands Day, May 5.

SMART HOME ENERGY—check out energyhog.org and improve the energy efficiency of your home with easy tips for adults and a fun area for kids.

JINGLEER—get your CSA jingles in to me by June 1. Be our summer jingleer. Details in the Journal. Have something to share for our GARDENING CORNER and COOKING CORNER?—send your tips and photos to me. Email tburke@csafraternallife.org

ROCK HEADS—guess who I am: I hit the scene around 1980; I'm in the punk/rock mode of the Talking Heads and I'm still performing today, oh and my music is now being used in commercials. (Ugh!) Who'd have thunk it! The winner of this contest will win a bag of candy. No reallly, this time I MEAN it! A real bag of candy. Not an imaginary one. Take a guess.

Today is your day

TEACHER'S PET—Kathy, our CSA Lodge Los Angeles correspondent teaches a class on Czech language and was nice enough to email me to tell me that they make use of the Czech words that appear on the Just Kids page in the Journal and also the Czech Fun Phrases found right here on Insider for their class. That's cool. Insider abides. Thank you and here's a couple more for you "kids". Good luck!

CZECH FUN PHRASE—"Dobré odpoledne! Dobré vecer! Dobrou noc!" Hint: I'm pretty sure Jim Carrey said something like this at the end of The Truman Show. BONUS PHRASE—Hezky den! HInt: police officers might say this after writing you a ticket.


Here's a nice photo of the Czech class that Kathy teaches out in sunny, warm, palm treed Los Angeles, the city of the angels. Thanks for the pic Kath.

GAMERS (or in this case MUSICHEADS)—did you ever want to find out who did a cover version of a song? If you did, get over to coverville.com and check out the music.

THIS DAY IN MAY—If pilots and captains say "mayday, mayday" when they need assistance would they say "today, today" on May first?

May in french is mai.