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Friday, May 9th, 2008
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10:40 pm - Culture Inventory Monthly: March and April 08
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* Music of the months:
Sky Blue Sky by Wilco. The previous albums of those Chicago guys were described as psychedelic country music or alternative folk. This one is just SONGS. Taste On and On and On (the 12th song) and tell me why I'm so deeply touched every time I hear it.
*Movie of the months:
Emma by Diarmuid Lawrence. I've never thought I would be willing to watch a "real movie" on youtube, but this fantastic (non-Paltrow) version of Austen's Emma got me hooked. Clever choice of actors, authentic settings, very suitable music... I think I'm gonna beg for the DVD. Wanna try it?
* Book of the months:
The Maltese Falcon (Maltézský sokol) by Dashiell Hammett (translated by Radoslav Nenadál). Books of hard-boiled detective fiction are a great reading even sixty years after. Although the hero is objectively a Gary Stu and although even such a non-slash reader as me was slightly alarmed that all the villains are gay. Times they are a-changin'. Nevertheless, it is still an ultimately well-written story.
*Comics of the months:
From Hell by Alan Moore. When I call it a comics of the months I mean it has been the most disturbing, dark and challenging comics I have ever read. No wonder when the topic are the murders of Jack the Ripper who turns out to be someone completely different and even worse... I need a short break before I try to re-read it. Because the book requires it.
*Opera of the months:
Peter Grimes by Benjamin Britten on 3/15 in Metropolitan Opera in New York. You know, my private jet picked me up early in the morning in Prague and I have just the time to apply my make-up before we landed in the NY City.
Ok, I'm pulling your leg. Thanks to The Metropolitan Opera HD Live Project I could see this opera I love like no other in the Prague cinema Aero. As a Christmas present we bought the tickets also for my parents so all four of us had a great time listening to Britten's music and watching the real stars on the screen. I hope the project will continue next year - and I'm going to get more operas that just one this time!
Do you have an opera piece you really like?
current mood:  working
current music: Wilco: On And On And On
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(comment on this)
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| Thursday, May 1st, 2008
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7:06 pm
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I'm so proud to have a friend who makes a difference - and not only in the history books :D
current mood:  cheerful
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(2 comments | comment on this)
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| Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008
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10:38 am - HB, josika!
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Happy Birthday, ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) josika!
Enjoy the day and good luck for everything what's ahead of you in this year of your life!
I'm looking forward to watching you and being proud of you ;)
current mood: cheerful
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(comment on this)
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| Tuesday, April 1st, 2008
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3:53 pm - Fools' Day!
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As a Christmas present I've got a Monty Pythons day-at-a-time calendar. Full of the funny quotes and silly pictures it's now placed on my office desk, making my mornings brighter. I particularly love the today's text from the Silly Vicar sketch, carefully chosen for the Fool's Day - and I'm sharing it to make your day less sane ;)
Reverend Belling: You know, there are many people in the country today who, through no fault of their own, are sane. Some of them were born sane. Some of them became sane later in their lives. It is up to people like you and me who are out of our tiny little minds to try and help these people overcome their sanity.
You can start in small ways with ping-pong ball eyes and a funny voice and then you can paint half of your body red and the other half green and then you can jump up and down in a bowl of treacle going 'squawk, squawk, squawk...' And then you can go 'Neurhhh! Neurhh!' and then you can roll around on the floor going 'pting pting pting' ...
Voice Over: The Reverend Arthur Belling is Vicar of St Loony Up The Cream Bun and Jam.
( Do you want to WATCH the Silly Vicar sketch?
)
current mood:  insane
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| Saturday, March 22nd, 2008
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11:33 pm - Happy Easter, My Friends!
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I wish you happy Easter full of joy and blessings!
As a Easter gift, here is a link to one of my favorite Easter songs. It's called Stojí kostel kamenný (There Is a Church Made of Stone) and its author and interpret, a folk singer Tomáš Kočko, was inspired by traditional folklore songs as well as by Celtic melodic.
Its mix of plain folk motives and the deep message of Passion makes me shiver each time I hear it.
You can listen to it as well, if you go to Tomáš Kočko My Space and play the last song in the player there.
I flirted for some time with the idea to translate the lyrics to English and I finally did it. It was funny and challenging job, because I tried to keep sylable counts as well as some rhymes in the translation...
It's up to you to explore if it makes any sense. But I enjoyed working on it anyway ;)
( There Is a Church Made of Stone - lyrics )
( Stojí kostel kamenný - slova )
current mood:  creative
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(6 comments | comment on this)
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| Thursday, March 20th, 2008
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2:39 pm - Joining the LJ strike
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I'm joining the LJ content strike on March 21.
I don't do so for the reason of basic accounts being disabled for newcomers. I respect that a private business company should do things they consider important for their profit and basic accounts - face it - are a rather rare thing in today's net world.
I also respect that a private business company should decide what topics they find problematic for their profit or philosophy - considering they are ready to face the consequences.
I joining the strike because today's LJ management and administrators failed badly in communicating these changes with LJ users - and community and communication was always the trading mark of LiveJournal. That's what makes this place so special and different and if the recent managers are not going to respect it they might soon find they have stripped LJ of its uniqueness (which might harm its profit potential too).
For background on this strike and why it is being held, please read the following posts:
http://beckyzoole.livejournal.com/394838.html
http://beckyzoole.livejournal.com/395310.html
To find out exactly when the strike begins and ends, depending on where you are located, please see this:
http://beckyzoole.livejournal.com/395125.html
P.S. The last three movies of the Movie Meme have been revealed; there is also a short commentary for each of them. Thanks to all who played along, you've made my days brighter!
current mood:  calm
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| Tuesday, March 11th, 2008
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5:54 pm - Movie Meme
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Because I'm in a playful mood...
Snatched from hempfandango.
1. Pick 15 of your favourite movies. (There is "15" in the original meme, but my brain already hurts at ten ETA: All right, all right. It's done.)
2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them here for everyone to guess.
4. Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.
5. No Googling/using IMDb search functions.
ETA: The unknown movies are now revealed. Thanks to all who played along!
( Click for the quotes )
current mood:  playful
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| Wednesday, March 5th, 2008
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8:26 pm - Culture Inventory Monthly: February 08
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* Music of the month:
Never Said Goodbye by Cerys Matthews. Strange mix of a raspy voice of this Welsh singer and bitter-sweet songs she sings makes this album. Taste Open Roads.
*Movie of the month:
Občan Havel (Citizen Havel) by Pavel Koutecký. More here.
* Book of the month:
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. I was lost in her world for two wonderful days and found a heroine of my heart. And yay, I've read it in English! It was very enjoyable, although I have read many words for the first time there. If you are a non native speaker, you can enter my "Guess Your Brontë Game" at the end of this post. But you must swear you are not going to use any dictionary - on-line or off-line!
*Comics of the month:
Smax by Alan Moore (Czech version, translated by Richard Podaný). A miniseries based on Top 10, focused on the strongest one of the policemen. A half-ogre Jeff Smax is forced to re-enter his native parallel world which very much reminds of the fairy-tale land but hides many awful secrets...
*Weird experience of the month:
I've literally fled of the Prague concert of Nightwish on 2/20. I guess it's not their fault. If I have had slept more than four hours the night before I would have been probably able to put up with their horrible support band (the most average metal) and at least try them. But my head threatened to explode and the noise was painful. When I left the place, I felt like escaping purgatory.
The punch line is: Even if invited by a very good friend, I'm too old to enter concerts of bands which I don't know and/or don't like. It's just not worth of it. (Sorry to all fans of Nightwish. My husbands told me he had enjoyed the gig. It's just not my cup ot tea.)
And promised "Guess Your Brontë Game".
( Hands off the dictionaries! )
current mood:  sick
current music: Efdemin
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| Monday, February 25th, 2008
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11:24 am - Congratulations, Markéta and Glen!
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| Friday, February 22nd, 2008
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10:21 pm - Culture Inventory Monthly: January
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* Music of the month:
The Mission Bell by Delirious?. I can't decide wheter they are more a rock band with a heart or worship or a worship band with a rockin' heart. But they are certainly the one of the most original Christian musicians of recent times. From their myspace player I like the last song the most. Taste "Here I Am Send Me".
* Book of the month:
To je hezkým, ne? (Cute, isn't it?) by Vlasta Třešňák and Ondřej Bezr. Interview with a multitalented Czech artist Vlasta Třešňák. Amusing, inspiring and disconcerting testimony of past and present times viewed through very attentive eyes.
*Concert of the month:
The concert of Róisín Murphy (Prague, Roxy 1/24 2008). I know I said she would be here in November. Unfortunately, she hurt her eye badly at her October Moscow concert, and the Prague concert was therefore postponed to January. But she has recompensed her Prague fans in an incredible way. Full of energy, joy and sparkling music, her gig was a real treat. If you want to breath in the atmosphere there, reach on, you're almost there.
*Comics of the month:
Top 10 (Book 1, Book 2, Forty Niners) by Alan Moore (Czech version, translated by Richard Podaný). Imagine there is a city where everyone from a Mayor to the last homeless have superpowers. What would it be like to be a policeman there?
Goodness, I wish I had 25% of Moore's imagination and wit. And you know, if slash looked more like this, I would be probably more fond of it.
*English fanfiction of the month:
An Unexamined Life by harmony_bites and zeegrindylows. If Severus Snape had been never born, would it made any difference in the wizarding world? An excellent play in the AU playground in three chapters.
As you see, no movie this month. Any recommendation?
current mood: satisfied
current music: Schubert: Songs
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| Monday, February 18th, 2008
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3:31 pm - Citizen Havel
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I thought I wouldn't join my friend list in the resent Czech presidential election posts. But yesterday I've watched a movie document Občan Havel (Citizen Havel) which made me to realize few things.
That I had the privilege to live in the era of a president who was better than this country deserved. I don't think such a president will appear ever again during my lifetime - and it's probably ok. Because we are a standard democracy now and in a standard democracy, the presidents are politicians, in all good and bad this word means. Philosophers, visionaries and saints are needed just in the tough beginnings. In the better times they have better things to do.
That the president we have just now is the one we deserve. (And this applies for his recent opponent too.)
Just pray that one day we won't get a president that even this country doesn't deserve. Look at Mrs. Bobošíková and fear her - look at those who are behind her and fight them.
Go and watch the movie, folks. We need a bigger picture.
current mood:  contemplative
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| Wednesday, February 6th, 2008
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9:24 pm - Little Lent Rant & Scripture of the Year
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For the last two years, Lent has become an important time of the year for me. Intentionally focused on my relationship with God and with people around me, those forty days have brought many important ideas into my life. So it's time for another little Lent rant...
( Little Lent Rant & Scripture of the Year )
current mood:  tired
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(22 comments | comment on this)
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| Friday, February 1st, 2008
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8:39 am - Culture Inventory Monthly: The Best Of 2007
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| Monday, January 21st, 2008
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9:03 pm - Culture Inventory Monthly: November, December
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Lately, I have been pretty lousy updater of CIM. But I resolved to do it better this year! To make you belive I have updated (and antedated) the CIMs for July and August and September and October, here is my Noveber/December post and even the yearly CIM is coming soon! Fear Danae who tries to save her reputation ;)
* Music of the months:
Muži jsou křehcí (Men Are Fragile Things) by Jan Burian. Year and half ago I wrote here about the album Dívčí válka (Girls' War) of the same artist. In October 07 Jan Burian released a twin album of similar power, an album of "21 stories of masculine imperfection". Taste the song Všichni kluci z naší třidy (All the guys from our class) and be amused and shaken.
* Book of the months:
K hledání pravdy patří pokora (In Seeking the Truth, Humbleness Is Needed) by Václav Malý A book interview with a former anti-communist dissident and underground priest and recent bishop of Catholic Church. I've always liked the man, but this book gave me more reasons for the feeling. An extraordinary guy, an extraordinary life, far from all "catholic priest" stereotypes. A perfect Advent reading.
* Movie of the months:
The Painted Veil (Barevný závoj) by John Curran. Not your ordinary romance. More like a real life story where pain hurts, hatred is strong as death, and reconciliation almost impossible.
*Concert of the months:
The Prague concert of Elina Garanča, a Latvian mezzo-soprano shooting star. Especially the second part, composed of arias from Carmen, made my heart dance.
*Comics of the months:
Padoucnice (L'Ascension du haut mal) (Epileptic) by David B. One of the most famous French graphic novels describes in six books the childhood and adolescence of the author affected by an illness of his epileptic brother and by an unsuccessful fight of his family, which tried everything from surgeons to gurus, from macrobiotics to spiritualism to cure the boy...
*Czech fanfiction of the months:
Bistro na Ztracený vartě (The Snack Bar at the Dead End) by Anonymous. A response to SOS "Urban Myth Challenge". If you are an ordinary English truck driver, you should avoid a snack bar which appears from time to time near the A 591 junction. Especially when it rains.
current mood:  determined
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| Friday, January 11th, 2008
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10:58 pm - Translator's Question
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The official Czech edition of Deathly Hallows is to be released on January 31, but the first chapter is already on the net.
And I like it a lot. I was always a great fan of Pavel Medek, the Czech HP translator, and admire him even more after I tried to undertake the same task and translate the first 1598 words of DH within the fourth round of the Czech fanfiction translators' challenge  .
However, there is one particular thing in the first chapter of which translation I'm not sure even after the release of the official version. It's the sentence: ‚The Order’s got one thing right, then, eh?‘ said a squat man sitting a short distance from Yaxley;
My question is: how does a "squat man" look like? Most of the challenge translators - including me - have chosen an equivalent close to "stocky man", while others preferred "hunched" or "round-shouldered" and I can't say we have really solved it.
Now, the equivalent "round-shouldered" is used even in the official translation and I'm not completely sure what's right. („Alespoň v jedné věci se tedy Řád nemýlí, co?“ poznamenal přihrbený muž, který seděl jen kousek od Yaxleyho.)
So how do you see him? What's your opinion?
current mood:  puzzled
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(4 comments | comment on this)
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| Friday, January 4th, 2008
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9:17 pm - Late but sincerely
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| Thursday, December 6th, 2007
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7:16 pm - DanFanWriMo 4: Why is Harmony Bites the Beta from Heaven
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| Tuesday, November 27th, 2007
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8:53 pm - DanFanWriMo 3: Why Is Wade Scott The Writing Wonder
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| Monday, November 19th, 2007
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10:23 pm - DanFanWriMo 2: How Danae translates
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| Tuesday, November 13th, 2007
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10:21 pm - DanFanWriMo 1: How Danae writes
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curious