Lasting images

A few more images from the Get-Together. Remember to watch for the full spread of photos in the September issue of the Journal coming out in about a week.

C'mon C'mon

Accidentally Insider....let's welcome September in with a nice fun tune you'll be singing and snapping your fingers to (and it's set to Futurama clips, what can be better?!). Have a great long weekend Insiderati. The CSA Home Office is closed Monday and reopens Tuesday. See ya. Oh by the way, I picked BenderMan as the best superhero name. Thanks Y.

Blast it out nice and loud, it's the weekend!
"C'mon, c'mon turn a little faster,
c'mon, c'mon the world will follow after—"

If It's Tweezeday It Must Be Oaks Bruk

WONDERING—when does "hip" morph through our social consciousness and become "old skool" and then "classic". I'd like to know how this process works. Can somebody tell me?

CZECH FUN PHRASES—Today is útery in the month of srpen and it's almost podzim. Léto is all but over.

JUST AROUND THE RIVER BEND—The September issue will feature many photos of the Get-Together. It'll hit mailboxes around the 10th or so. The October issue will feature Jack-o-Lantern's Fun Pumpkin Guessing Game. Count the pumpkins in that issue and blog your answer on Halloween. I'm going to list your names and guesses. The November issue will feature the Guess The Ornaments contest which is quite popular. Check out the Journal for details. The December issue will feature the reader favorite Being Czech In America focus. If you have stories to add to this, make sure to email me at tburke@csafraternallife.org or blog them right here for all to share in. C'mon, c'mon, it doesn't hurt one bit. Try it, you'll like it.

CLICK-CLICK—Don't forget to take cool photos and save them to submit for the CSA Photo Contest. Details to come in October and November issues.

CHRISTMAS CZECHS—JPs wonderful group will be performing a Traditional Czech Christmas again this year at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. I always see JP, and in the crowd I always see the smiling faces of Jerry and Helen Gaydusek and Vera, Alix and Adam Wilt. It's so great. If you can you should try to come see it on November 24th at 11 am. The museum has a website and they will have info.

CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY ONE-OH-ONE—Here's a shot I took of a chrome filter with some light bouncing off the edge. I used it as a backgrounded in a Journal layout earlier this year. "....Oh isn't THAT just too, too interesting!.....YAWN."



IT'S GREEK TO ME—Bellerophon, I'm told, was a greek hero of mythology who rode Pegasus (who didn't, eh?) and slayed the chimera. CAPTAIN OBVIOUS (part deux) OBSERVED—did the makers of the 'Lord Of The Rings' flicks really think they thought of all that first? Tolkien didn't. A scholarly guy, he wrote his novels purposely steeped in mythology and he wrote them for his son fighting in world war two to keep him sane.

HOOKED ON 'ALPHA' BITS—In the phonetic alphabet (words that represent acronyms for other words) CSA would be Charlie–Sierra–Alpha. TGIF would be Tanga-Golf–India–Foxtrot. I could go on and on but I see you yawning again. So I'll just end today's blog with Tango–Tango–Foxtrot–November. Go-hed, guess....

Getz-Smart

Several of you, including Old Golfer, Shadow, K, A, BB and Peaches have chatted me up quite a bit about Stan Getz. I'm glad. Here's a nice one by the master. This one goes out to all of you....

"Don't speak. Don't say a word. Let the music just wash over you—"

(Okay, okay it's a line I heard from the movie The Seven Year Itch a couple nights ago....uproariously funny; the double entendre was working overtime and it totally cracked me up big time. TOTALLY!)

Dear Eloise I am writing to say

This song has sort of candy store feel to it, like many of the Hollies tunes sort of a mix of carnival and fantasy. It is whimsicalness aplenty....and I dig that.

Oh, shucks!

I forgot, I wanted to post RETURN OF THE SON OF FRIDAY SWING—Here we go, specific to the Journal this time. Watch for the September issue chocked full of Get-Together images (more than 90!). It'll hit mailboxes around the second week of the month. Then in the October issue watch for the return of Jack-o-Lantern's Pumpkin Guessing (blog guesses only) Game. In November's issue you'll see the popular Guess The Ornament Contest (that's an email-only contest). And some fun stuff in December. All details are in the Journal, natch.

PRESIDENT'S ROUNDTABLE IN PRINT—is picking up some steam. A few CSA lodge prezzes are contacting me now. I'll probably plan another Roundtable feature for October's issue if I can get enough prezzes to pull up a chair to the table, so to speak. Remember you can blog your ideas and interest and lodge topics right here so fire away members. Not sure how to do it? Never blogged a comment before? Just relax. It's really, really easy. Promise. Just click on the word 'Comments' below and write your message in the text box that'll pop up for you. When your done with your message click 'Other' and 'Publish'.

JUST KIDS HAPPINESS—thank you thank you thank you one and all for so many nice compliments and such overwhelming support for the Just Kids page I launched last November in the Journal. Bubbles, Squishy, Caramel, Chewy and Splash all pass along their fond gratitude. After a summer break they're all back in the September issue. Also, keep those kid-friendly themes, riddles, photos of pets, mazes and ideas coming for Just Kids. Without your help I can't do it. Email me at tburke@csafraternallife.org or blog ideas. Kids of all ages, you rock!

dewwatchyawannadew

Maybe they thought there really are five dimensions, I don't know and I have no insight into their decision-making process because, well, I just don't care all that much however I like the spirit of the thing and I agree, "you gotta go where you want to go and do what you want to do." It's all about livin-large anyway, isn't it?!

Bathosis-Man....Clean Air Woman...The Al Goregan...The Czechlops....What Is YOUR Superhero Name?

Thanks to S for telling me what's inside Forbidden Planet. (No it's not cream-filling.) It is the 20-square mile Krell machine!

From the over-obvious file: You think maybe Star Trek and Star Wars borrowed a few concepts from this 1956 flick???






I'm pretty sure Robby The Robot knew all along. All that and, look! Leslie Nielsen!



SUPERHEROES WANTED—although there's been chit-chat nobody's blogged yet to tell us their superhero names. C'mon and let 'em fly. Tell us all who your alter-ego superhero is. You do realize there's M&M candy for prizes don't you? Me? Oh I'd have to say "Captain Trivial." Trying to save humanity through blogging, or something.

FUNNY MOVIE LINE we're laughing at today—Mike Meyers as Austin Powers says "You're switched on baby!"

Wendy

By The Beach Boys.

What? "Captain Yesterday" already taken you say? Oh the humanity!

The Ides of August! Beware. Don't go walking into any Roman "senates" for the next ten hours or so. August 15th, the "Ides" puts us near the end of summer. (But that means we're just four short months from ten days before Christmas.)

Speaking of Ides.....segue.....

THE SWING—The Ides Of March rock band (with two CSA members) play a concert to support Parkinson's research on Friday, August 17. Check out their link at right. Our friends at CSAGCI announce they have special guests on October 27, the Prague Committee of the Chicago Sister Cities will give a talk. Check out their link too. And now....drum roll...we are only 350 days until the next CSA Get-Together. Mark your calendars for next year: August 1-3, 2008, for the first time ever at Williamsburg, Virginia. That's Colonial Williamsburg! Cool!


SCI-FI HEADS—what is the secret hiding beneath the surface of the 50s movie Forbidden Planet? (Answer at end of week.)



GAMERS—you might like this one. I heard that the classic arcade game Ms. Pac-Man (1981) was created as an unauthorized bootleg of the original Pac-Man game by a bunch of bored dudes at a computer company. Imagine!....Unauthorized! Reminds me of a little enterprise started in similar fashion....hee-he.



QUESTION OF THE MONTH—If you were a superhero, what would your name be?

Blog your superhero names during the rest of August and I'll draw names out of a fishbowl (or I'll just pick the coolest sounding guy and girl names.) Enter as many as you want. Winners get anything they want (meaning they can choose the COLORS of their M&M candies.)


As you can see, "Captain Yesterday", "SuperKing" and "Cloberella" are already covered....in case you were thinking along those lines.
PSSST—didya hear? Futurama is coming back on Comedy Central! All I can say is "yesssssss!"

Do The Robot Dance

WHOSE THAT lurking around the water cooler today?....SURE they can cancel "John from Cincinnati" but they better not touch "Flight of the Conchords". Thems my boyz! After all, Insider has promoted the duo and that would just be a royal slap to this mighty blog. WHY don't they bring back the Donna Reed show? (I better not talk too loud or we'll get The Big Valley, too.) SOMEBODY'S been chatting me up about coverville.com and what, if any, coverage of Cheap Trick doing Sgt. Pepper recently is available out there. You'll have to go searching, Insiderati, for I cannot locate it as of yet. AND wazzup wit NASA and their ripped shuttle tiles? where do they buy these things at, Target?

THANKS for all of the commenting lately, everyone. Keep on keepin' on.

WHO were those ROBOTS running around the Marriott lobby in their shiny metal gear on Saturday night, you ask? Was there a Doctor Who convention going on that we didn't know about?? Who knows??? But they found Brittany, our Miss National CSA, and tried to take her back to the mother ship. We stopped them and saved the planet in the process (no biggie), so then they settled for a photo! Word had it they escaped from their own party going on in the ballroom next door to CSA's.





Adam Wilt joins the paparazzi to snap photos of the Miss CSA contestants and their families.




Saturday night lights, cameras and popping flash bulbs all part of the excitement.




Brittany and Cassandra smile!




....Children of the Corn!




Kristen's last photo as Miss CSA. We'll all miss you Kristen. You did great! Thanks.



Haven't done a CZECH FUN PHRASE lately, try this unusual one—Kmotre Petre, neprepeprete mi toho vepre.

Walking On Sunshine

Cover version of the Katrina and the Waves tune from the big, big 80s. Nice job from these young rockers Aly and AJ (Into The Rush). Play it loud, as usual, 'cause they kill at the end.

....And Don't It Feel Guuud?!

Welcome To "Walking on Sunshine" Wednesday on the Insider blog. While you are enjoying the music scroll through some images from the 71st CSA Get-Together held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, last weekend. Insider invites everyone to sign in and leave your message. Click on 'Comments' at the bottom, write your message, click "Other' then "Publish'. Thanks for visiting.



Smiling Way Big....are Brittany Sedlacek (on right), new Miss National CSA with past Miss CSA Kristen Lueck.




Camera Bulbs Flashing! All five of the Miss CSA participants pose for some "face time" near the Marriott atrium waterfall Saturday night. From left: Brittney Ender, Molly Ledvina, Brittany, Maggie Zronek and Cassandra Cox.




Whose That At Table One? Get-Together attendees enjoy the festivities on Friday night.




Say cheeeese! Dan Wenzler, CSA President, on right chatting with Joe; Dan always has time to smile for the cameraman.




Step Up And Register! The registration table was a busy place Friday afternoon. Helen Gaydusek (at right), Executive Secretary/Treasurer picks up her stuff. That's her husband Jerry at edge of photo.




Water Park Calling! Kids discuss their plans for the day on Saturday morning which included a trip to Waterloo for water fun.




Farm Time! Bloomsbury Farm hosted a whole gaggle of CSA members on an outing to this working farm west of Cedar Rapids.



Who Got Off The Bus?! Maggie and Molly did.



Brittany and Cassandra.



Cary Mentzer, CSA Vice President with Brittany



Iowa country charm



Jenny and Dana



Feeding time (for a quarter) at the farm as CSA members stroll the grounds and say hi to the animals.



CSA members check out the bunnies and goats with Cassandra leading the way.



Hot Sun! Thursday's service project in Cedar Rapids included some hot and sweaty weed-pulling at a shelter for the Catherine McCauley Women's Center. The girls and Cary take five after some very hard work. Georgianna Kurtz, Board Member, Diane Siegle, Correspondent for Lodge Prokop Velky and Melanie Jenkins, former Miss CSA contestant, helped out.



All Spruced Up! Ken Dvorsky, Board Member (from left), Dan, Dan's wife Alaine, and new CSA Sales Manager Jim Morsovillo, pose for a photo.



CSA kids get ready to bring in the colors on Friday night.



Friday Night Lights! Dorothy Ditch, Board Member and Get-Together chariman (she's sitting closest to podium) along with her husband Stan overlook all the goings-on at the Friday night dinner and Miss CSA contest.



Brittany gives her speech during the Friday night Miss CSA contest.

For Keeps

HEY Insiderati....get ready for a whole lotta Get-Together images from this past weekend. The cupboard is overflowing right now with dynamite photos which I'll start posting tomorrow bright and early. Tell all of your CSA friends to come a-blogging (and return often to see what's new). WAVE ACTION—I'll throw images up in waves as often as I can find time all this week so keep returning for all the stuff, set to some killer tunes, natch! Remember you can click on a photo to enlarge it. (Doing so will stop the music however, so keep that in mind you rockers.) Also if you click on a pic and hold your mouse button down, you can drag the image to your own desktop for keepers.

Now keep on keepin' on. And get your sleep tonight. Cause I'm gonna rock your world tomorrow.

SET YOUR ALARM—come back tomorrow for images galore....we'll have to call tomorrow "Walking on sunshine Wednesday" or something over the top like that. See ya bright and early! And leave more comments...you guys are way too shy. Way, way too shy. Word. We're gonna have to change that. Yes we are. Yes. Oh Yes. We Are. Starting Wednesday.....right? RIGHT!?

Fun CSA Get-Together

SNAP—Many digital images and photographs to sort through, tag and prep from the 71st CSA Get-Together held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, this past weekend. SEEN—lots of food, fun, fraternalism and smiling faces. The five Miss CSA contestants looked like they were having the time of their lives; Brittany Sedlacek was named Miss National CSA on Saturday night. Congrats Brittany! I'll post photos and more soon.

CZECH FUN PHRASE—Blahopreji!

GAMERS—share your favorite gaming sites with us. I know some of you have mentioned a few but I don't remember them. Blog and let us all know where you play at online in your spare moments. If you have any spare moments, that is.

SUMMERTIME ROLLS—Everyone having a good summer so far? Hey, can you feel the school year coming around again??? Football season isn't far off either. Anyone planning anything for Labor Day (or any day)? Sure-sure, blog and reveal. You know we want to know about it....ya know?

Did they really rock-out back then?

This group was one of your musical requests earlier this year that I just never got to. "Waterloo" fits so well today because Waterloo, Iowa, was where the CSA youth went on Saturday for their water park outing. It turned a bit chilly that day, Insider heard. Other CSA members journeyed to Bloomsbury Farm and fed animals in between the raindrops. Everyone was smiling and had fun anyway.