May I Help You?

Going to any "official office" in this country is a royal pain in the ass - even for Czechs. There is oodles of red tape to cut through, "information" kiosks with no information, take a number and wait five to seven hours, about a gazillion documents to be stamped and notarized - basically take your worst experience at the DMV and multiply it by 500 and you will get an idea of how frustrating it can be just to go to the post office here.

I have spoken before about how TERRIBLE the Czech Foreign Police office is. I would rather visit the dentist and the gynecologist on the same day then to have to ever go there again. Put it this way, people start lining up outside just to get a number (in the dead of winter!) at five a.m. and the doors don't even open until seven. It's not fun. And it's all people from all over. You got Americans, Africans, Ukrainians, Russians - you name it. They are all waiting there for something. Oh, and hardly anyone who works there speaks English.

But today, by contrast, I feel like I went to the merry old land of Oz. I traveled to the American Embassy in Prague. Now, it's across the river. For me (or most people living in Zizkov or Vinohrady) it might as well actually be in America - that's how often I go across the river. But, since I needed to renew my passport I just had to make the trip. When I got off of the tram in Malostrana I was struck, as I always am, with how many tourist there are and how inflated the prices are. I saw a restaurant charging 260kc for a cheese plate and a soda! Unreal. But, I wasn't there to sight see or eat over priced Czech food. I had business to attend to.

Line in front of the FP in Prague

I walked up to the Embassy and found two very pleasant guards in front of the door. They politely asked to see my passport and then told me to have a nice day as they opened the door for me. I almost didn't know what to do. I just kind of stood there. In this country people in uniforms are not usually that nice, especially when they are standing in front of  a government building. I was expecting to have to plead with them that I did in fact have an appointment and I had proof! But, no one ever asked about that. Not once.

And speaking of appointments. Let me just take this moment to tell you all about this cool new thing the American Embassy does. They let you go on a "computer" - "online" and make something called an "appointment". This tells you when to come in so that you don't have to wait. It's super cool and very convenient. I wonder if any of the folks working at the US Embassy have friends at the Foreign Police and they can tell them about that new invention... just wondering.

So, to make an actually very uneventful story just a little bit longer... I was in and out of that office in thirty minutes. This includes the time it took me to go get new photos taken down the street. I didn't even have to wait again after the photos were taken. I just walked up to the window and she smiled at me. I paid and I left. My passport will be ready in a week and I can just come in at anytime and pick it up. Lovely.

Embracing Darwin

If you are an expat living in Prague chances are you visit expats.cz. It's the bible for the newbies in Prague, and that old stand by for those of us who have been here a while. It's all in English and has everything from Visa help to movie show times. Their "slogan" is - Expats.cz, helping you adapt -  Their "mascot" is that white CZ plug adaptor that we all have. It's a catchy little slogan, except that they named the damn thing "Pluggy"and make you look for it in weekly contests now. But that is beside the point. The point is that when living in a foreign country - you need to either adapt or go home.

Personally I think I have done a pretty good job of adapting to my "new" country. The changes have crept up on me, and they are subtle, but they are all important parts of living in a different place. For example - somewhere along the way I noticed that I have replaced the word "apartment" with the word "flat". This annoyed my friends in America to no end. I now have a ingrained habit of taking off my shoes when entering a home. Any home. My knowledge of the language still sucks, but I am at least trying to rectify it. Language is not something I am good at, but ironically it makes me a better English teacher.

But not all expats come here looking for a new experience or are eager to change. I know of a few people here (who shall remain nameless) who not only refuse to adapt to the Czech way of life, but are PROUD of the fact that they don't. One friend of mine - we'll call him Bob - wakes up every morning and watches "The Today Show". Not only does Bob think this counts as news, but Bob says he just can't start his day without Katie Curic. (barf) Bob also can't drink "Czech" coffee. He has his mom send him "American" coffee from the states, or spends a gazillion crowns on buying (hateful evil corporate) Starbucks. I once asked Bob why he is living over here if he can't find anything about the people or culture to enjoy. His reply stunned me. He informed me that he loves it here, but he is a "proud" American, and shouldn't have to give up everything that makes him American. Which, I guess is consumer products and television. I think its also important to note that Bob has only dated young Czech women. Just saying.

Another friend of mine named... um... Fred is the same. He goes out of his way to buy the more expensive juice or soap or whatever because it has an American brand. Which, I guess would be fine without all of the pompous American attitude that comes with it. I look at someone who spends three times the amount they need to on juice and just think they are stupid, but that's just me. Fred also won't buy clothes here and is waiting for his mommy to send him some new things because, "Its just different here". No shit Sherlock. You ain't in America anymore. Fred has deemed it "dumb" to wear house slippers and refuses to do so. When I pointed out to him that it is disrespectful of the culture he is living in his reply was, "I ain't Czech. I am American." Dumb ass. I think it is (again) important to note that Fred's girlfriend is a young Czech.

I think as a guest in a foreign country, especially a guest who plans to make it a home, you owe it to yourself and your new country to be a little more open minded. Hell, you owe it to America to be more open minded. There is a reason a great deal of Europeans think Americans are rude idiots.  We are. I think its funny that when a foreigner comes to America and doesn't speak English, people yell at them to "Get out", or "learn the fucking language". But take an American to another country and watch how OFFENDED they get when that country has the audacity to not speak English. And this is the irony that is eluding both Bob and Fred. You are the visitor - YOU have to change.

I hope that if Bob or Fred reads this they get a little something out of it. Maybe they will go out and try some Czech food. Maybe they will decide to learn a little Czech out of respect for the country they live in. Maybe they will finally buy some house slippers. Or maybe, just maybe they will go back to America.  Darwin said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” I couldn't have said it better myself. 

Mean Girls

One thing I have always envied men is their ability to say what they mean. For the most part, men don't beat around the bush. If they are happy, you know it.  If they are angry they let you know. Men will hit each other for no good reason, but then its over. I don't condone the complete moronic notion of getting in fights over silly things like "Yo man. Did you just look at me?" But I do appreciate the up frontness of the emotion. Of course, I am a woman and we have a thing or two to learn about being up front. Women will befriend you and confide in you while at the same time start having an affair with your man. That's just cold.

Anyone who has seen the LiLo masterpiece "Mean Girls" has a little idea of what girls are capable of. Sure that movie is about high school age girls, but don't dilute yourself into thinking that it gets better with age. Some women just never grow out of being mean to other women. And that my friends, pisses me off. It is an insidious thing for women to be cruel to one another over anything, but especially over things like looks or men. I was unfortunate enough to watch an episode of "Real Housewives of..." (I don't know where they were - they were on some sort of vacation) on the plane back from America. I was shocked at the amount of catty, backstabbing, ugliness that these women showed to one another. There was nothing but malice and disrespect.

I have tried very hard to cleanse my life of both men and women who cause me any form of emotional harm. I have a small circle of close friends in America, and a small circle of close friends here in Prague. I don't mind telling you that most of these people are men. And, I don't think that it is an accident. My male friends take me a face value and don't let me get away with bullshit. I have said this before and I mean it - If I choose to spend time with you, that means something. I actually like you. I don't spend time with people I do not care for. It wastes my time.

Which brings me to the point of this little rant. I have recently (and through no fault of my own) come into contact with a few "Mean Girls". They had some friends that travelled in the same circles as I do and well, paths crossed. I won't go into detail, but they have done everything that a girl shouldn't. There have been boundaries crossed, disrespect, catty chit chat and just plain old two faced bitchiness. I haven't had to deal with this sort of bullshit in years, so I was kind of taken aback. It's funny, but my first instinct was to punch them in the face. I didn't, but I bet most of this would be over by now if I had. But, what I did was try to be the bigger person and just let it go. Which, also obviously I haven't. I would like a world free of them, but I keep running into them and its pissing me off.

Girls like that exist in a special little world where their actions have no consequences. It's sad really. I don't get how they have friends, or boyfriends... or parents. It's sad that I had to put up with it, and its sadder still that I let it get to me. But, I am doing the only thing I know how. I guess it comes down to simple fact that boys will be boys and girls are manipulators. It sucks (and of course there are exceptions) but its the way it is. I am just trying to steer clear of them and their bullshit and be a good person.

Which is hard to do when you just really want to punch someone in the face.

Bored to... DEATH! of Vampires

I hate True Blood. The acting is atrocious, the story lines are ridiculous and there is not one original idea in the whole show. Let's see... where oh where have I seen a show about a blond hottie (with super powers) that falls in love with a dark brooding Vampire? Throw in some werewolves and witches and you got yourself a show that is a lot like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The main difference is that Buffy had a sense of humor, good scripts and was just plain cooler. True Blood is awful. And I watch it every week. What is wrong with me?

I enjoy Vampires as much as the next guy, but somewhere between Nosferatu and those sparkling dorks from Twilight, something has been lost in the translation. Vampires are dead. They drink blood for sustenance. How is this sexy? When did it become sexy? I know Anne Rice fancies herself the expert on all things Vampiric and Gothic, but I don't think she really has it all down. And I for one found those Lestat books dull. She is a horrible writer. But that is beside the point. The point is that a dead person rising up from the grave to drink the blood of a living creature is kind of gross.

I watched an awesome Vampire movie the other night called - Let the Right One In. It's a Swedish film which means that some American film company is in the process of remaking it as we speak. But go watch this movie. I think it gets to the core, the throbbing jugular if you will, of what it means to be a vampire. And what it means is a lonely life that is full of murder. It means never seeing the sun. It means looking all gross and pale and smelling (literally) like death when you haven't eaten. Its a disgusting life and this movie got that.

I am tired of sexy vampires having sexy vampire sex. Spike and Buffy had rough sex. When Buffy lost her virginity to Angel he turned all mean and was an asshole to her. (Not unlike regular life at all!) You had Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise running around with long hair, fangs and open ruffled shirts. And now we have these weird fucking Vampires that can go in the sun if they live in the right climate, again chasing after human girls and looking deeply into their souls. Give me a break.

True Blood seems to have taken the fascination with vampires and is milking it on every teat. They take EVERY opportunity to show naked people doing it in copious amounts of blood. They had a scene where the main vampire dude had some pretty heated hate sex with a vampire ex and twisted her head completely around as she multiple orgasmed. We saw the hot blond vampire have some hot naked gay sex. We have seen people chained up, beaten and even some sweet vampire lovin. Yawn.

I hope this fad of sexy vampires comes to an end and we can get back to the awesome, horrible killing machines that they are supposed to be. I want to see some gnarled, disfigured, disgusting creatures go after a cute little human. I want to see Count Orlock fall in love with a little blond spitfire and see what happens. Now THAT show I would watch.

A Very Brady Blog Post

I love The Brady Bunch. I always have. Something about that family was always so cool to me. I don't know if it was the bitchin clothes, or the fact that their family vacations were to the same places my family went (although when my family went to the Grand Canyon it ended in tragedy. And when my family went to Hawaii Vincent Price wasn't waiting for us in a cave) but I loved them. I, like many other little girls wanted to be Marcia Brady. But unlike other little girls, I kind of also wanted to be Greg, Bobby and Cindy. Not to mention bouts of wanting to have the quick wit of Alice or Mrs. Brady's amazing hair.

When I was about 12 years old my fascination with the Brady clan turned into what I now call my "Brady Theory". It dawned on me, even as a prepubescent teen, that there was much more to the Brady Bunch than mere comedy and awesome singing. It seemed that the Brady's represented a spectrum of human emotions - mood if you will. So, as a 12 year old girl, I sat down and wrote: The Brady Theory. I wish I had kept it, but it is lost forever. So, because of a half drunken conversation in a bar last night with my pals - I will attempt to recreate for you all - The Brady Theory.

The Theory is simple. It states: For every mood that you have, there is a corresponding Brady that represents it. Simple? Maybe. The following will (hopefully) illustrate the many facets and complexities of The Brady's and of the Brady Theory. I will go from top left and move across as the picture dictates.

Marcia Brady: Ahh Marcia Brady. Girls envy her, and boys want to date her. I named my first car after her because it was just so cool. When you are having a "Marcia" kind of a day, or you are in a "Marcia" mood, you are feeling confident and all around awesome. Your hair looks fantastic and you feel and smell good. You basically feel like the Prom Queen. I get a "Marcia" feeling when I sing Karaoke and kill a song. Nothing can stop me! And why should it? I am freaking Marcia Brady. I AM amazing. But be careful. There is a dark side to the Marcia. You can become spiteful and mean at times and forget about the little people in your life - like your sister Jan. ("If boys don't like you Jan, don't blame me...") You can get that new job and sabotage  it by giving away to much free ice cream. So, be careful of over confidence.

Carol Brady: This is one can do lady with some can do hair. I love Carol Brady. Not only does she not let a silly thing like divorce get her down, but she takes on the world with three little girls! Carol is the problem solver. You need answers to life's little (and not so little) questions - you want to ask Carol Brady. Carol doesn't let the world get her down, and judging from the pants suits she wore, she doesn't care what anyone thinks of her either. For me, having a "Carol" day is when I am faced with a huge challenge and I rise to the occasion. Like when Mrs. Brady was supposed to sing on Christmas morning... but lost her voice. Did that stop her? HECK NO! She freakin sang! Carol has faith in herself, and in others. She always let her kids make their own decisions rather than tell them what to do. Carol Brady loves you.

Greg Brady: Or should I say Johnny Bravo!? Was there ever a cooler alter ego than Greg's Johnny Bravo? I think not. And that's just how Greg Brady was. Greg was never satisfied with the status quo. He knew he could do anything, and do it better... even than himself. Greg always reached higher. A "Greg" mood is a difficult thing to explain because of the many layers of Greg Brady. He's the perfect over achiever, but at the same time there is a bit of rebellion in him. For me, I feel most like Greg when I am getting ready to go out and feeling unstoppable. I feel like an another person - or a SUPER ME - if you will. I feel like the world is out there just waiting for me to grab it by the balls and say, "Hey world! Watch out. I'ma commer."

Peter Brady: If you ask anyone who their favorite Brady is, I bet none of them say Peter. And that's basically how it is to feel like a Peter. Sure, Jan gets all of the attention for being the middle child, but attention is attention. Try being Peter. You get NO attention. The REAL middle child is poor Peter. He tried and tried to make his way in that wacky bunch, but he was not as cute or talented as his siblings. His one moment of true glory and notoriety came when he had to go through puberty PUBLICLY, and sing about it in a song with his family. How fucking embarrassing. The one time anyone really takes notice of Pete Brady is when his voice is changing. Awesome. My "Peter Brady" days come when I do stupid things like argue a point til I am red in the face, only to find out I am wrong. Or when I trip down the stairs in front of a large group of people who laugh. Sure, Greg would know how to handle that, but not Peter. But, Peter is also a prankster with a heart of gold and a good sense of humor. Cause, hell - ya gotta give the kid something.

Alice (Nelson): Quite arguably my favorite character on the show. Alice had moxie. She had sass. And, most days I have a little bit of Alice workin' in me. Alice was helpful and kind and never really let anything get her upset. Except for Sam. Alice had some real insecurities when it came to men, and when it came to Sam in particular. But in true Alice fashion, she plugged ahead. And that's Alice. When you are in an "Alice" mood you are basically a happy go lucky person. Little things like a bus being late, or the store not having something you wanted won't bother you in the least. You will just go with the flow and have a smile on your face. The darker side of Alice is her obsession with her love life, or lack there of. She tends to over compensate with work, which can be very dangerous. So, if you are feeling like "Alice" just be careful not to stalk any butchers.

Jan Brady: Jan really gets a bad rap. People only remember her as the jealous younger sister of the glamorous Marcia. But Jan was more complex than that. There was a lot going on underneath that hair of gold. Jan wanted to be pretty, and popular and smart and, well, she wanted to have friends. But, she lived in the shadow of her big sister and that can be difficult. She tried wearing a wig and creating an imaginary boyfriend (the iconic George Glass) bit these little tricks just left her feeling worse than ever. But, it's Marcia's little bracelet that knocks down the house of cards! Jan just tried to be something she was not. And that something was cool. Jan never really embraced her differentness. If she had, she might have been even more popular than her big sis. Feeling Jan is no fun, and its a hard slump to pull out of. Seek help if you feel like Jan.

Cindy Brady: Those curls! That lisp! How could you not adore the littlest Brady? Cindy had cuteness all wrapped up and delivered. For Christmas, all she wanted Santa to bring was her mommy's voice back. She learned the hard way that it was wrong to tattle on your friends. Cindy is the embodiment of childhood. I have a lot of "Cindy" days. I play on the swings ad laugh till I cry. I have a stuffed animal that I take with me and sleep with. (Ala Kitty Carry-all) "Cindy" days are easy to identify. When you feel like you are full of joy, just like a little kid - you are having a Cindy day. I hope that you have as many as I do because they are awesome.

Mike Brady: The head of the Brady household, and the sole bread winner of the family is Mike Brady. That is a lot of responsibility for one dude. Six kids, a wife, a house keeper and a dog. How does he do it all and remain so cool, calm and collected? I don't know, but he does. He always had a pocket full of wisdom like, "Exact words are hard to live by..." I don't know what that means, but its enough to get any kid to sit there and think about it. The thing to take away from Mr. Brady is tone. It's all in the tone. You can say ANYTHING and if you have the right tone people will think you know what you are talking about. I have most of my Mr. Brady days and moments during job interviews or other times I have to BS a lot. He is a serious mentor to those who have to talk their way into or out of something. I also use him as a role model for cocktail parties - for both style and format.

Bobby Brady: Bobby Brady is the precocious little brat of the Brady family. He gets into lots of trouble. He gets picked to be the safety monitor at school and becomes very unpopular due to his Nazi like reign of terror. He sells big brother Greg a bottle of hair tonic that turns his hair orange... right at graduation! Oh Bobby... But, he is also the day dreamer. He wishes to be like the famous outlaw Jesse James and dreams about being a gambling pool shark. I have most of my "Bobby" moments when I am sitting at work wishing I was elsewhere. Also moments when I dream about being "discovered" at a karaoke bar and someone gives me a record deal. Very Bobby Brady. Bobby is a good guy, but he's not going anywhere. Not really. Sorry Bobby.


So, that's about it. I hope this little tutorial gave you something to think about. Or at least amused you for the time it took to read it.

Pork chops and applesauce.

Table For One

I spend a lot of time alone. That is the way I have always been. As a child I often preferred to play alone in my room, or read a book. I had lots of friends, but I never really needed to hang out with them. I have never had the need to be surrounded by a lot of people. And, not much has changed since I was a wee lass. I still prefer the company of a good book to most people, and I spend a lot of time by myself - just doing things. I read. I play the Ukulele. I sing. I have underwear dance parties. I write. I watch movies and television shows. It's nice because I like me, and I don't get very annoyed with myself. I have a life - its just lived in private and that's the way I like it. Just because someone doesn't go out every night doesn't mean they don't enjoy their time.

But, lately I have been trying to go out more - with people. Sure, I still went to the movies and to a bar by myself on Friday night, but that was an exception. I have actually been calling people to meet for drinks, or dinner or whatnot. I hear this is what "normal" people do. And its been fun. I have enjoyed laughing, drinking and eating tacos with my friends. I am still a little uncomfortable in a large group of people, but we can't have it all. It's kind of strange considering that most people find me to be a bit of a loud mouthed social butterfly.

But something else has happened during this experiment. I have realized how uncomfortable it makes OTHER people to see someone sitting alone in a bar or restaurant. Movie theater workers often look up and say something like, "Just one ticket?" In bars I hear, "Are you waiting for someone?" Nope. Just me. And then I usually get this look like - oh you poor, poor girl. Whatever. I LIKE seeing movies alone. I don't have to suffer through someone talking the whole time or be swayed by what they think is funny or sad. I like to go to bars alone and people watch or write. It's also a great way to meet people. Traveling alone is also optimal for me. When you travel with someone else, you are constantly having to compromise and things just take longer. Sure, all of these things are fun in the right company as well, but I often prefer to do them alone.

So I guess I am trying to find the middle ground between spending time alone and spending time with people. I know being alone makes most people uncomfortable, but I am kind of on the other end of the spectrum. I'm not shy, I just don't really like people. But, I get a great feeling being alone. For example - this morning I woke up at 7am and went for a run in the park near my flat. The park, which over looks Karlin, was empty. I started to run when I noticed some swings. Well, I ended up swinging and singing at the top of my lungs! I was laughing and smiling like a crazy person. A couple of old ladies walking their dogs stopped and stared. I smiled and waved. But, as I was slowing down, as I was coming down from the great heights of my swing, I noticed another woman who was alone. She was standing at another swing set watching me. She turned around and got on a swing and started swinging.

This made me smile.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7X7sZzSXYs

Top 10 Songs NOT to sing at Karaoke. EVER.

I have been going to karaoke bars since I was about twenty years old. My BFF Jenn and I used to go to Karaoke nights at a now deceased pub called Wise Guys, in Pasadena and sing for free drinks. It worked. I never paid for a drink there and I fell in love with Karaoke. I have sang Karaoke all over the world - from L.A., to NY, to London, to Mexico and of course Prague. I have been deemed "Karaoke Girl", or "Karaoke Queen" and constantly get asked the same questions. I figured since the last entry was about Karaoke, I might as well take this time to inform all of you of the songs you should NEVER sing. Ever.

10. Anything by The Grateful Dead. - Seriously. If you feel the need to sing Sugar Magnolia, or Casey Jones do everyone a favor and call your hippie friend Harmony and ask to join her drum circle.

9. We Like to Party - The Venga Boys. The last time someone (or should I say some PEOPLE!) sang this I was struck with the urge to saw my ears off. The only thing around was a ball point pen, so I opted to get a whiskey and go to the bathroom instead. If the song sucks by the people who originated it, then please know it will suck when you do it too.

8. Dream On - Aerosmith - You are not Steven Tyler. You are just some drunk dude screaming.

7. I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston - I have been asked to sing this song twice and I did so reluctantly. I broke my own rule. The fact is that the Dolly Parton version (she wrote the song) is better. Anyone who attempts to try and hit those Whitney notes either comes off sounding comedic or pretentious. Either way, you lose.

6. With Arms Wide Open - Creed - Take your tribal tattoo and your sensitive Jesus loving song elsewhere. Please. Girls are NOT impressed by this song, I promise.

5. Under the Bridge - RHCP - I don't know if it's just in Prague, but EVERY WEEK someone sings this (or some other) song by this band. Please stop.

4. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen - Yeah, yeah, we have all seen Wayne's World. You are super cool. You are singing THAT song.

3. Like a Virgin or I touch Myself - Both of these songs make the girl singing look trashy, desperate or just sloppy drunk. While its fun to look at the train wreck that is eight sorority girls drunkenly grind each other while giggling their way through it, it is best left undone. And guys? Its WAY worse when you do it.

2. Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan - This song goes on forever... and ever... and ever... and never changes. Its the same notes over and over and over. And its like 8 minutes long. And no matter who sings it it will annoy everyone.

1. Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin - I don't think I even have to explain this one, do I?

So, there it is. My top 10 Songs NOT to sing at Karaoke. The moral of this story is: Just because its a good song, and YOU like it, doesn't mean it will work at Karaoke. 

Dork Flag

I believe that everyone has a "Dork Flag". What is a Dork Flag, you ask? Well, a dork flag is a symbol of your inner dork, a symbol to wave proudly proclaiming your love for something that most of society considers uncool or "dorky".  For example, some people's Dork Flag might be for D&D, while others might have a certain attachment to Star Trek or Star Wars. Some Dork Flags are waved by people who dress up and reenact the Civil War, or put on a corset and act Medieval at the Ren Faire. What ever your inner Dork screams out to do, I hope that you let that flag wave proudly. I don't believe in the idea of "Secret Shame", or guilty pleasure.

My Dork Flag waves high and proud for Karaoke. I understand that a lot of people find the activity of singing in a bar to the songs of other people not only a waste of time, but just plain stupid. And thats fine - to each their own. And to be honest, I hate when people come to karaoke with a bad attitude, so they might as well stay home. For me karaoke is a silly, lame and totally fun thing for me to do. It doesn't hurt that I love to sing and have a pretty good voice.

For the past three years or so I have been fortunate enough to get to host a karaoke night here in Prague, and I got to do it at my favorite bar - The Blind Eye. Unfortunately, the Blind Eye had to close last week and that means no more Karaoke for me. That bar was a very important staple in my social life, as was hosting karaoke there. And that's about as much as I will go into it. It makes me pretty sad to say the least.  I loved singing, and making jokes about the other singers - both good and bad. I loved helping drunk folks who had forgotten the words, and I enjoyed the camaraderie of  seeing all the regulars every week. Without the bar I am forced to seek out other places to sing and hope for the best. So far these other places have left much to be desired and my inner dork goes home unsatisfied.

I remain hopeful that Blind Eye karaoke will live on! If there is a will there is a way. And I just happen to know that there is a will.