Casualties of Modern Technology (11 of 12)_ Slide Projectors

Back in the 1970s, while other families

were watching "The Love Boat," my late father Mehmet Gokbudak would get out the slide projector and we would watch slide shows featuring images of backyard family trips (we lived in Roanoke, Va) of Highland County and from the two European trips we took. One famous slide was of me posing besides a street sign for Attila Josef Street in Budapest, Hungary, in a Dallas Cowboys hat and jacket. Since Attila is my name, this seemed very cool to my dad. And, I had no idea who Attila Josef was until today (a legendary Hungarian poet who died at age 32 in 1937).

Another famous slide was one of a crocidile at a restaurant in Warsaw, Poland- of all places. The croc was a gift from Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. We have no idea what the croc's name is, but we learned from Google that the croc came to the establishment in 1972. He may well still be the only crocidile in Poland.

As for the slide projector, it was very popular and hip from the 1950s to the 1970s, as it allowed slide prints to be displayed on a screen. But, today, many manufaturers have quit making both the prints and the machines.

http://www.highlandcountyva.org/

Quote of the Day- Martina Navratilova

Today, we quote tennis legend Martina Navratilova, 55, as we continue to quote famous people from each of the 16 countries in the Euro 2012 Cup which are taking place in Poland and Ukraine.

Though, Navratilova has been an American citizen since 1991 and she sought political asylum from then-Czechoslvakia in 1975 at age of 19, she is undoubtedly one of the most famous people from the Czech Republic, along with the recently deceased playwright/prime minister Vaclav Havel.

Navratilova was in the news in 2010 when she announced that she had been treated for breast cancer. She is also an avid gay rights supporter.

Here is her quote:

"I've been in the twilight of my career longer than most people had their career."

http://www.martinanavratilova.com

Quote of the Day/Week- Ingmar Bergman

Today, we continue to quote people associated with the 16 countries in the Euro 2012 Cup being played in Poland and Ukraine. And, we are going to quote the late, great film director Ingmar Bergman (1918-2007) who was from Uppsala. Bergman was known for many outstanding cinematic ventures, including "The Seventh Seal," "Persona" and "Fanny and Alexander."

The Swedish soccer team has the daunting task of facing a star-studded English soccer team in Kiev, Ukraine, tomorrow. The Swedes are in a virtual must-win situation.

Here is Bergman's quote:

"The theatre is like a faithful wife. Film is the great adventure_ the costly, exciting mistress."

SIDEBAR: Since we are popular in Slovenia, we thought we should congratulate the Los Angeles Kings for winning their first ever NHL Stanley Cup titles by defeating the New Jersey Devils four games to two.

Though soccer and basketball are more popular than hockey in Slovenia, Anze Kopitar, 24, who was one of the key reasons for the Kings winning the cup has made the sport more popular in the former Yugoslav republic. Kopitar is also the first Slovenian national to hoist the Stanley Cup.http://www.losangeleskingsinsider.com

Quote of the Day/Week- Albert Einstein

Today's quote of the day comes from Albert Einstein (1879-1955), the brilliant scientist who is considered the father of modern physics. Einstein also developed the theory of relativity. One has to wonder if he would agree with the assertion that the video game Angry Birds teaches children about physics.

We are quoting Einstein because this month we are quoting people associated with all 16 of the European teams competing in the Euro 2012 Cup in Poland and Ukraine. Though Einstein spent much of his adult life abroad, including here in the United States, where he died in Princeton, NJ, Einstein was German. Since he was Jewish, Einstein decided to leave Germany for good in 1933 when Adolf Hitler rose to power.

Einstein is also one of the famous figures who has been humorously merchandised by the American novelty company The Unemployed Philosophers Guild, though the Einstein plush toy, which retails for $17.95 is currently out of stock.

I happen to have an Einstein necktie which I found for five dollars from a street vendor in Washington, DC.

Here is his quote:

"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."

http://www.einstein.biz

http://www.philosophersguild.com

Quote of the Day/Week-Sergei Prokofiev

We continue with quotes from famous people from Euro 2012 countries with a quote from the Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) who is known for his great children's orchestral piece "Peter and the Wolf" (1936).

Russia beat the Czech Republic 4-1 on Friday; they face co-host Poland today.

Here is his quote:

"When the Second World War broke out, I felt that everyone must do his share, and I began composing songs and marches for the front. But soon events assumed such gigantic and far-reaching scope as to demand larger canvasses."

http://www.classicalarchives.com

Quote of the Day/Week-Eugene Hutz

We were intially going to quote Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev, who died a long time ago, for this space. But, we quickly foun out that though the composer of "Peter and the Wolf" was born in Ukraine, he is actually Russian! But, we may quote him later on, as Russia is, along with Ukraine, one of two former Soviet states in the Euro 2012 soccer chammpionships, which start on June 8th.

This month, we are quoting 8 of the 16 countries in the cup, and today, we start with co-host Ukraine (the other co-host is Poland).

As it turns out, Gogol Bordello's lead singer Eugene Hutz, 39, was born in Ukraine. The gypsy punk band will be performing in Aspen, Colo., on June 9th, and in Istanbul, Turkey, one of our favorite cities, on June 30th.

Hutz was influenced by the likes of Johnny Cash and Leonard Cohen---yes, we were shocked by that too!

Here is the quote from Hutz, who is of Roma/gypsy heritage:

"Everywhere, there was Ukrainian Gyspsy folk music. That's how it is there; you cannot escape it. But I found that I liked it."

http://www.gogolbordello.com

Quote of the Day/Week- Marie Curie

Today, we start our series of quotes from artists and scientists this month with a quip from the Polish chemist Marie Curie (1867-1934) who went to university in Paris, France in 1891, and remained there until her death though she frequently visited her native land.

Curie was known for her ground-breaking research in the area of radioactivity, which is a term she originated. She also won the Nobel Pace Prize in 1911.

Here is her quote:

"Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas."

Last Ten lps I've Listened to: Lots of Disco and Kitsch

Hmmm...yes, I'm not sure if I should go public and mention some of these old vinyl records that I actually listened, mostly last weekend. For various reasons, I was in a bit of an anti-social mood, and I ended listening to about 24 records over a two-three day period, including four double lps! (Two of which will be mentioned here).

And, yes, there is some kitsch here though the late John Denver's "Take Me Home Country Roads" (pictured here with the Muppets) is always a fun song to listen to. When I was working as a newspaper reporter in the area of Woodstock, Va., in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, I heard that the song was written in Mount Jackson, Va., where one can see a covered bridge and an open skyline which does indeed parallel the Shenandoah River. A few months ago, I heard a reggae version of the song at a Starbucks. I have no idea who sings it!

Two of the records were actually comedy records, which were popular in the '70s. And, top-selling artists included the likes of the late George Carlin, the late Richard Pryor and Steve Martin.

I found the 1971 Partridge Family record which was done in conjunction with the tv sitcom "The Partridge Family" at Happy's Flea Market in my hometown of Roanoke, Va. Happy's Flea Market is a local landmark, though it has alas lost of its appeal in more recent years. I think i only spent a dollar on the record, which was also the case for the Barry Manilow album (Manilow is picture with the pooch).

Here is the freakin' list!:

1. The Partridge Family. "Up to Date." 1971. Key Track: "Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted" (I think this was actually a smash hit!).

2. John Denver. "Poems, Prayers and Promises" 1971. Key Tracks: "Take Me Home Country Roads" and "Sunshine on My Shoulders."

3. Barry Manilow. "Barry Manilow II." 1974. Key Track: "Mandy."

4. Fleetwood Mac. "Runors." 1977. Key Tracks: Pretty much the whole album! Siganture songs from this epic record include "Don't Stop," "Go Your Own Way" and "You Make Loving Fun."

5. Richard Pryor. "Holy Smoke." 1976. Spoken word/comedy.

6. Steve Martin. "Let's Get Small." 1977. Spoken word/comedy

7. "Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack." 1977 (a double album). Featuring music from The Bee Gees, Kool and the Gang, and KC and the Sunshine Band. Key tracks from The Bee Geees include "Staying Alive," "How Deep is Your Love," "Jive Talkin," "Night Fever" and "More Than a Woman."

8. "Fast Times at Ridgemont High Soundtrack." 1982. (a double album). Featuring music Jackson Browne, Don Henley, Jimmy Buffett, The Go-Go's and Stevie Nicks. Key Tracks: "Somebody's Baby" by Browne; "Love Rules" by Henley; and "Speeding" by The Go-Gos.

9. Queen. "News of the World." 1977. Key Tracks: "We Will Rock You," "We Are the Champions," "Sheer Heart Attack" and "Get Down Make Love."

10. Pink Floyd. "A Momentary Lapse of Reason." 1987. Key Tracks: "Learning to Fly," "On the Turning Away" and "Sorrow."

SIDEBAR: The answer to last week's quiz is indeed B) Iran as the Polish cartoon was the only children's animated show that was allowed to air on Iranian tv after the fall of the Shah in 1979.

The Rabbit Ears Quiz (1 of 12)_ Lolek and Bolek

Today we start our The Rabbit Ears Quiz series on both of our blogs. We begin with "Lolek and Bolek," a very popular cartoon in its native Poland, but it is very obscure here in the United States. Though I was delighted to find out that Netflix actually offered collections of the Polish cartoons, which originally aired from
1963-1966.

I actually came across "Lolek and Bolek" in 1975 when our family lived in then-communist Poland as my late father Mehmet Gokbudak, a Turkish immigrant to the United States, worked for a Polish factory for six months as part of a program with General Electric, his employer.

While researching a piece about "Lolek and Bolek" a few months ago, I was stunned to learn that one of the cartoon's main novelties is the fact that it was the only cartoon shown on television in one of the following Muslim countries. Is the answer:

A) Saudi Arabia
B) Iran
C) Iraq
D) Syria
E) Egypt

There were 150 episodes of "Lolek and Bolek," which were usually about eight and a half minutes in length. One can now watch entire episodes on Youtube.

The two boys frequently traveled to other parts of the globe, including one curious to the American West! A monument to the characters was unveiled this year in Poland. The show still ranks as the most popular cartoon in Polish television history.

SIDEBAR: In case you were wondering, the answer to our last Road Trip question is "B."

Beers of the World (#46)- Zywiec Beer from Poland

Today, we feature Zywiec Beer from Poland, a country I actually lived in as a six-year-old kid in 1976. The beer is made by the Zywiec Brewery, which is the oldest one in Poland. It was founded in 1852. Zywiec Beer became nationalized by 1950.

This lead to a court case between the Polish government and the Habsburg family who originally owned the brewery, and it was settled in 2005.

There are 70 breweries and 27 microbreweries in Poland.

We actually learned about this beer through a Beer Geography Quiz on mentalfloss.com, which are basically as addictive as Twinkies and heroin.

If you are wondering where entry #45 is, that can be found on our sister blog "The Daily Vampire." That brew happens to be Chang Beer from Thailand.

SIDEBAR: There is a very moving story today on the WUNC-FM (91.5-Chapel Hill) show "The State of Things" about Chapel Hill sports writer Tim Crothers who traveled to Africa to meet Phiona Mutesi, a 14-year-old girl from Uganda who lives in dires. She has nevertheless amazingly become one of the best young chess players in the real and she competed at a global tournament in a Siberian city in Russia. Mutesi said she had no idea what the weather was like in Siberia, so she asked: "Is it cold there?" The article by Crothers was in a January issue of "ESPN Magazine."

Beer Week Promo

We have no idea what beers we will feature during Beer Week (which will actually start on Wednesday as we have quotes on Monday and Tuesday this month), but since we are on a Scandinavian kick, the possibilities do include the likes of the Norwegian beer Haaken, but we have already featured the Danish beer Carlsberg.

We may also go with a beer that we learned about while wasting precious time on a Mental Floss quiz (where you can learn that Steve Martin won two Grammys, but no Oscars, and where you can kick yourself for forgetting that Cuba is one of the world's ten countries with four letters), including Chang Beer from Thailand and Zywtec Beer from Poland.