http://venushalley1984.wordpress.com/

Ever get a song stuck in your head?

annoying one? Well, there is a site that offers a cure.

Only problem is that it merely replaces the tune in your head with another one. Enter at your own risk

And, of course if that doesn't have to work there's always leek remix of Loituma.

So Czechs are not coming back to Eurovision

0

http://eurovisiontimes.wordpress.com/2010/10/17/czech-republic-wont-return-any-time-soon/#comment-1074
RANT TIME:
Yes, Eurovision is kitschy… but Europe seems to have fun with it. And no we aren’t better for dissing the contest. Our music scene is crap. Wannabe rockers, wannabe gangstas and relics of the Communist regime. Maybe that’s why we did not have success, because we sent greasy rockers, whose music is tolerable after 5 beers (Czech beers), a pretty girl who could not sing to save her life and those gypsies. Gypsies who go on and on about their Roma-ness and yet their music does not resemble traditional gypsy music in a least…
We are not better for snubbing Eurovision… but I guess it goes with our persecution complex, our fashionable europhobe sentiments, our need to “prove” we are oh-so-special. Guess what, we aren’t that speshul at all. And when it comes to anything Euro… be it eurovision and EU, we act like those kids who listen only to bands nobody ever heard of and aim for obscure…
Yes, I do see a political link here. A sociocultural phenomenon of a nation who wants to be admired, but yet does everything to be NOT admired.
Of course press snubs Eurovision… unfairly too, given their obsession with our subpar models and singers.
I think we Czechs should return to Eurovision, have fun with it, take it seriously on musical level… but don’t come up wit any political conclusions based on it (but maybe it’s truth that nobody likes us… :p). It’s a kitsch, but very entertaiming kistch… look how last year people danced in streets of Europe… it was beautiful and touching. I hope some day soon we’ll be dancing and singing with Europe again. On Eurovision and elsewhere.

I love Eurovision.

However, I am underwhelmed already by the 2011 contest. Maybe it's because I am not really fond of Dusseldorf. What is wrong with Berlin, or even Hamburg?

I don't know if I should be excited about Lena... she is cute and all and I love love love Satellite... but I wonder if she can offer something else than the cute/crazy stunt.

Ukraine seems dead serious about their entry. Five semifinals? I think it is bit overkill. And please, Ukrainians... we love the vitalistic and energetic entries... Ruslana is a legend. Verka Serdutchka I loved despite (or because of?) the "Russia Goodbye" implication. Alyosha on the other hand... she is talented and Sweet People is good song, I get the message... but it does not fit on Eurovision. Eurovision is happy and kitschy and "political" songs should be hopeful. Singing about Nuclear Armaggedon on night when most Europe is playing drinking games is just not a good idea.

Things I Love series. Episode 1: Rome sweet Rome

 

I always liked cities with history... and now this one has history galore and despite to what some claim, the city is not dead. It is alive, too alive and roaring.

I admit that I am always approving of big projects when it comes to monuments and architecture... Who cares about costs... when it gives generations to come something to admire, I am all for it. 

Admire, however, is the key word.

Romans do have a sense of humor... btw, these all come from works of art. 

Romans ride on these scooters. Roman women ride them on heels, brave things. 

Speaking of heals: 

During my 10 days in Rome I saw THREE people in crocs. The number of women in shoes of "WANT!" cathegory? Too high too count. Romans dress well. 

fountains are awesome. And there is plenty of them in Rome, but this one is the most crowded (Trevi Fountain). When you visit it, remember to throw in few coins, so you come again. And have icecream in one of the gelaterias... I think that one midde or even small sized serving is enough, they portions are quite big and the icecream is really rich. And heavenly.

(yes, tis me and the Spanish steps. It's a good place to slow down and observe people).

There are cats in Rome... this one was not wild, she was brought on the hill by man on bicycle (how cool is that?). 

Piazza del Popolo

It's even better in the night. If you don't have tripod, you can buy one from street sellers... In summer 2010 you could buy the biggest one for some 15 euro... you can bargain the price.

I admit I do not like Pope and I am not into the Abrahamic faiths thing. So I judge Vaticano merely from the aesthetic view.

And it is beautiful.

For five Euro, you can go on the top of the Cupola... you can see the pope's gardens there, otherwise closed to public... I think the money is worth it.

The Angel Castle and Bridge.

To be continued.

About modern art (surrealistic'lly)

I think I do appreciate modern art. I love abstract and weird.

But this

I just cannot appreciate.


Some call it astronomic clock. It is NOT astronomic clock


this

(on the left) is Astronomic clock. It shows time, date and position of planets.

This

Is a phalic symbol. Or ICBM. It is supposed to look like weapon, though. But a Thirty Years' War weapon. They did not have ballistic missiles back than, thanks to reformist, non-Catholic God. But speaking of 30 years' war... you know how it started, right? So, it is possible to find pararel between 30 years' war, Swedish siege of Brno and this phalus... somebody ought to be thrown out of window for this.

And speaking of Swedes... seeing their HDI is a lot higher than ours and that they can do that Social Democratic thing right, while we still struggle between the concept of right and left and wrong... Maybe sometimes it's stupid to resist occupation. We might be better off under the Swedes. Calling Stockholm... do you still want us? IKEA and Oriflame might be more affordable than. And having ABBA on list of our cultural herritage would not be bad either.


But enough of what-ifs and Sweden love.

Self-proclaimed experts on art say that it's great piece of ART and that only under-educated and immature people see a penis in it.

Well, I guess my Bachelor's degree just ain't enough... and I admit I am sometimes terribly immature.

But

penis it is.

(and I studied on the Faculty of Arts and learned a bit about Freud and all.... it's penis. Phalus. Dick... I managed to type that without giggling).


Have a nice day.

Eyjafja-volcano perfume

EFJ

Remember how in the spring a volcano with impossible name errupted and we in Europe got a sample of how the skies looked 100 years ago?

Well, now this Eyjafja-flight-cancelled-not-kööl has inspired a perfume. You can buy in the duty free shops on airports... among other places.


Well, even I was inspired by Eyjafja... To design a dress. Hey, Björk wöuld wear it. After all she went dressed as swan tö Öscars. 

And since I had not made enough of jokes about Icelandic language, I present a theory how the Eyjafja-name happened.

21st Century Blues...

I got this world ache
And I kinda hope
that the 2012 prophecy is true
Something's gotta happen
We cannot go on like this
much longer
I got a world ache
(The kind that Remarque's heroes cured by Calvados)
I don't want to sleep
I want to stay awake and watch the world turn
I don't want to be happy
There is no reason for it
I just want to watch the time pass
for a little while
I just want few minutes to comteplate

I can blame it on the Crisis
eventhough I never been a homo capitalist
I never cared
for all those pretty and expensive things
Always knew
Freedom comes from within
There are things money can't buy
(and Mastercard is quite useless too)
But I still mourn for all our dreams

I can blame it on the political climate
although it's not that bad at all
and I claimed thousand times
That I do not care
That I know better
I know it could be much worse
And we survived much darker times
Still I mourn for lost ideals
For all those revolutions
that did not bring us what we hoped for

I can blame it on evenings news
They show
Hellas on fire
our beautiful vacation get-away
Trouble in paradise
I mourn for fallen civilizations
For troubled nations
For all those left behind

I can blame it on Eyjafjallajökull
Maybe we all did inhale ashes
of Icelandic prosperity
That must be the reason I feel so blue
I could pretend
that this is not an omen
But I am quite sure
it is
Well, maybe it's good sometimes
to stay on the ground
week under jetless skies
gave us time to think
And those thoughts weren't pretty

I can blame it on oil spill
and other man made disasters
Because they lied
when they told me about enlightenment
And about how great the human race is
(take a trip to Pripyat... and than we can talk about "great")
We are just too proud
and think too highly of ourselves
But we are our biggest enemy
And our knowledge does not help us at all
The more we know
the more unhappy we are

I got a 21st century blues
And I ask for no cure
I want to mourn
Yet another end of the era
I want to stay awake and wait for the end of the world
It must be really near
I want to be there when it happens...